OMG Christmas

Whew! Christmas has come and gone and of course I haven't updated my blog in like a year or something. If there's one skill I've learned in 2009 it's how to be a slacker.

I hope everyone had a really nice Christmas with their families and safe travel! It seems like the older I get the more and more stressful the holidays become, but I always enjoy them when they finally arrive. I spent the week prior to Christmas with Mike in Ionia, which was so, so nice. The first night we visited Shruti in GR because it was her birthday!! :D I got to see her apartment for the first time (which was adorable and so her) and we exchanged gifts before going to the BOB in downtown GR (aka the most badass bar I have ever been to in my life). Shruti, knowing my love of dragons, actually drew and framed a piece of her own artwork for me which is a dragon curled around a heart! It is so beautiful! :D She also gave me a dragon figurine which has a light-up globe to be used as a night light. OMG! That girl knows the way to my heart. ;)

The second night I spent in Ionia we drove to our old stomping ground of Kalamazoo, where Mike and I originally attended WMU together for undergrad. Our friends Katie and Chuck were having a get together at one of our favorite pubs, the Old Peninsula! The Lovely Kate and the Handsome Dave were also there!! I got to meet their daughter Audrey for the first time, which was really nice because she's adorable, and I also got to see Ryan! So many good old friends to remember some good old times. It made me feel a little old, however, to realize that it's been nearly four years since we were all together in Kzoo. :-/

The weekend following the Kzoo trip was spent Christmas-ing with Mike's extended relatives for the Gibbard family party on Saturday, and then up to Claire on Sunday to see Grandma Dent for Christmas as well as her birthday. :) It was back to Ionia for a few more days then, where we finished the remainder of our registry and got to celebrate the holidays with each other. For Christmas Mike got me an iPhone and started us on a family cellphone plan together!! :D This makes me pretty excited because I was using his old iPhone as a PDA for school, so now I don't have to carry around a PDA and a cellphone (and I also have unlimited text messaging for the first time ever!)! He hooked me up with some sweet applications and taught me how to use them, and I've been having fun playing with it ever since. :) He also got me the necklace which matches my wedding dress!! :D It's so beautiful--it will be hard to keep it in my jewelry box until June!

I came back to Lansing the day before Christmas Eve to spend some holiday time with Mike's family. We ate a delicious dinner, played lots of our favorite games, and exchanged gifts!! Sandy and Debbie got us each matching 6-piece luggage bags to use for the honeymoon! :D They also got him a widescreen TV because his current TV is almost as old as I am. That gift was technically "his" but of course I'll get to enjoy it myself as well. ;)

Christmas Eve I returned home again to spend some time with my own family. We had a great time eating dinner and watching old, old Christmas movies together!! It felt good to have all 5 of us together in the house again. Of course we played Mariokart, as is our tradition, and I lost pretty bad once again. We all had to go to bed then so Santa could bring the loot, and then it was Christmas morning!! I love this time because we all take turns opening one gift at a time so we can each see what the others receive as gifts. We play Christmas music, have donuts for breakfast, throw wrapping paper at Chris, and just have a great time. I received several wonderful gifts from my family, including all 25 episodes of CareBears, $150 in giftcards to Michaels (OMG SQUEE), several new blouses, My Little Ponies, and new jewelry making supplies (because I'm interested in taking up jewelry-making post graduation).

After gifting it was time to pack up and head to the Jobin family party! We picked up my Aunt Diane and met at Grandma's house downstate for dinner. For the first time Mike got to come to the family party, and I was so excited that he was there! :D Dinner was delicious and then there were more gifts to open. A few plates of food, numerous family drama, and several hours later Christmas was officially over, and we made it back home for the night. My parents and brother exchanged gifts with Mike before we all hit the hay after a very long but festive day. :)

Since then I've been cleaning up, spending my giftcards, and spending some time with Chris before he goes back to school. On Wednesday I'll be going back to Ionia to visit Mike for the remainder of my break, and then next Monday it's back to pharmacy school. Oh ballz.

That's okay though--it'll be back to pharmacy school for one last time. :D

Ghost Huntress

Beth: So Amanda... I got your Save the Date card in the mail today.
Me: Geez, that was fast!
Beth: Yeah... just wanted to let you know, I'm gonna be busy that day. Sorry.
Me: ...... I'll steal your baby.
Beth: Ten bucks says you give it back as soon as it cries.
---------------

Mike: My bugs are driving me crazy tonight.
Me: Your what?
Mike: My bugs.
Me: Bugs?! What bugs??
Mike: The bugs in my armpits.
_________________________________

I got to hang out with Beth and her adorable offspring tonight, which was great fun. We watched Ghost Hunters On Demand and talked about how hot we think Grant is. We agreed to start Wednesday night date nights for February! I've always wanted to do something like that with her. :) In other news, getting ready for Christmas, seminar, and the wedding. I've had a relaxing couple weeks at home to get ready for the busy one ahead before the holidays are upon us! I'm already getting pretty hungry thinking about Christmas dinner at Grandma's. I love this time of year.

Except for the snow, ice, and treacherous road conditions. -_-

Vacation Babbles

It's that time again--seminar time! My clinical seminar (or basically the thesis of pharmacy school) I will be presenting in Kalamazoo in early January. So, much like all of September and October, a significant majority of my "spare time" is spent staring blankly at trials involving the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. And no, it's not interesting. >_<

And, much like September and October, I am trying multiple tactics to avoid working on it. One of my favorites you've probably already guessed is updating my beloved blog. O:-)

I spent the past week visiting my lovely sister in Monroe! It was a busy couple days, but we got to go shopping together at multiple craft stores (another money-spending vice for which I have no self-restraint) and play LOTS of old school Nintendo games. In fact, we stayed up until the wee hours almost every night watching me SUCK at Zelda: the Ocarina of Time. And I'm not just being modest, I really do suck. A lot. We also got to have lunch with my Grandma, which was very nice, and I spent lots of time cuddling with her guinea pig. *squee!* One of my favorite things we did was visit her office where she works, which is a historic building in downtown Dundee. I got to see how it looked before it was remodeled and then she gave me a tour and introduced me to her coworkers. And.... then we judged them in the car on the way home. >:-D It was great fun and I was very sad to leave on Friday. :(

For the weekend I visited Mike in Ionia (and if I don't mention him this time he's just going to WHINE ABOUT IT). :P We ended up getting our Save the Dates finished except for about ten which need clarification from grandmothers or other relatives before we send them. I loved how they turned out and I can't wait to start working on the invites as well. We also ended up visiting our friends Nick and Colleen whom I haven't seen in ages. We went to a sushi bar (where I declined sushi and ate regular Chinese food, naturally) and got Colleen's dress ordered. On Sunday evening we ended up making cookies (which turned out delicious) and using every Rubbermaid container Mike owned. I mean geez. That's a lot of cookies.

Monday it was back to Flint again to help the Mom decorate the house, finish up my seminar handout, and take care of some Christmas shopping. I wouldn't be so hard up for cash right now if I didn't love so many people, OMG. The list gets longer every year. ;)

On God

Kristen: She was one of those "God has all the answers" types of people.
Me: Maybe God does have all the answers.
Kristen: He's just not sharing.
_____________________________________

No Finals?

Omg you guys, I didn't have finals this semester!! I had my final exam for AmCare which I totally destroyed, and that was it. Sweet, sweet bliss. This was also the first Thanksgiving in seven years which I haven't spent doing homework. I got an A in AmCare, which means my GPA will be high enough for me to graduate with honors and walk with honor cords. OMG YES. I start my last semester after the New Year, and until then I'm basically doing SO MUCH WEDDING STUFF, visiting people as much as possible, Christmas shopping, and working not so diligently on my clinical seminar, which I pretty much have to complete by the time break is over. Ugh.

Thanksgiving went pretty well here at the Jobin house. It was fun having the sibs home for the holidays, but man the house sure is different when filled with people! We played lots of Mariokart (during which I had my most embarrassing loss ever), watched old family videos, saw fireworks at Crossroads Village for opening night, and of course chowed down on some serious Turkey Day eateries. I even started reading an actual book for fun! Kristen and I went out for a girl's day and ended up picking the bridesmaid dress for the wedding! I'm so happy she found one she liked and it is very beautiful. I can't wait to see how my other girls like it!

I'm going to visit Kristen over the next few days, then I'm back to Ionia to (hopefully) finish the Save the Dates and put together the registry so all you peeps can buy me awesome things. It's going to be a VERY busy Christmas break with the list of things I need to accomplish... but I know I'll feel good as I slowly check them off. :)

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

One Semester

Four months ago I started my fourth and final year of pharmacy school. My first rotation was Internal Medicine, which I still to this very moment count as the most terrible two months of my entire life. I can remember countless times when either Mom or Dad approached me out of concern, be it for lack of sleep or the sheer amount of time I spent hunched over my notes. They wanted to do something to help me. They wanted me to tell them it was okay.

I told them instead: "If I can make it to Thanksgiving nothing can stop me."

Guess what?

I made it.

Clinic Days

Dr. Eugene: I'd rather be stupid than old.
________________

Dr. Eugene: You know that guy Flava Flav? He looks like a burnt raisin.
________________

Me: Today Susan had a 19 year old patient who had already had more than 60 sexual partners.
Mike: So, is she hot?

Drug Free America

Because there's no humor like pharmacy humor

Monkey-ing Around

James: I'm sorry Dr. Covyeou but I don't have my Drug of the Day ready for today. But! What I do have is a great story about Wellbutrin and monkeys!
Dr. Covyeou: I'm so glad you used the time I was absent wisely.
------------------

I am happy to say that I aced my midterm exam in AmCare and I have only a huge presentation to give tomorrow (in front of 30+ doctors/pharmacists) and the final exam left before it's over! Two weeks to be exact, before I am not only on Christmas vacation until after New Years, but also a mere semester away from graduating pharmacy school!!

*SQUEE*

Not that I'm counting or anything. ;)

On Target

I called Target back to accept their offer yesterday. (!!!!!!!!! I have a job as a pharmacist!!!!) I wanted to take 48 hours to think it over, because I was just so excited after they called me Wednesday that I wanted to be sure that my decision was practical, and not just based on emotion. But even after discussing it with my parents, Mike and Mike's parents, my preceptor on AmCare, and the two other students I'm on AmCare with, I felt just as good about it on Friday. My preceptor helped me compile a list of quesitons to ask first, but even after getting the answers I still felt great about it.

I'll be given a "home store" as close to Ionia (where Mike is) as possible, and for the first few months to a year I'll be floating around that home store to nearby locations which need me, until I'm assigned a permanent location. I'd be compensated for gas and wear-and-tear on my car, so I don't really mind the traveling aspect. I already commute an hour to get to school everyday, so I'm sort of used to it. Besides, Target is the only community pharmacy which DOESN'T have a drive-thru AND closes for lunch so that the pharmacist can actually have a chance to eat (which is every community pharmacist's wet dream). The offer was sweet and the benefits package was darn good enough, so I couldn't think of a single reason to say no.

I feel so happy (and fortunate) to have this job already. Once Christmas gets here, I'll be so busy with wedding plans, preparing for graduating/taking the board exams, and getting ready to present my Clinical Seminar that it will be so nice to already have a job lined up. I am just so excited.

Mike seems thrilled, and as usual has been the image of spousal support. He took me out for a nice dinner last night to celebrate! I can't believe how close we are to the end of my time in graduate school, and how wonderful it feels to finally reap the rewards of our hard work. This is as much his victory as mine. :)

OMG look!

Target extended me a job offer today--a pretty damn good one. I can't really believe it. I interviewed for a real pharmacist's position and they want me. It's so.... it's so beyond pharmacy school. It's so real.

I told them I'd like until Friday to decide, but I'm no fool. It'll mean a little bit of a move and a lot of driving for a while, but I think I'm going to be taking it. :D

Omg, I'll let you know for sure.

Grab Your Masks!

It's the swine flu!! Or NOT.

Yeah, Mike went to the doctor and was told he had the swine flu. Which is pretty much the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I know this because 1) I talked to Mike about his symptoms for more than five minutes, 2) Mike gave me what he has (because he likes to share, even germs) and having experienced it myself, I can definitely say it was a textbook cold, and 3) I'm a f-ing genius. Why does every cough, sniffle and temperature of 99.1 degrees have to be the swine flu? Seriously. And even if all this mess WAS the swine flu, why are we even calling it anything anymore? IT'S ONLY THE FLU PEOPLE OMG!

OMG.

Aside from that my week has been pretty packed with AmCare assignments being suddenly due in mass quantities. I hate that about classes/rotations. The first few weeks are sort of laid back and then BAM. Suddenly a bunch of stuff is due all at once, and it stays that way until the class/rotation is over. Yep.

I got a flat tire last Friday, used that Fix-o-Flat nonsense to temporarily fix it, and then hit a curb with the same tire later that very same day. DRIVER FAIL. So now my care vibrates when I go over 60 mph because I have so craftily knocked my wheels out of alinement. *angry black cloud* As if my car doesn't have enough problems at 13 years old. I also let my dad drive my car to work for ONE DAY and I got it back with the rearview mirror all jankety and my little stuffed puppy (from the dashboard) thrown ruthlessly to the floor of my passenger seat. I mean come on, he went LESS THAN 2 MILES. What the hell was he doing??! He denies all of this, of course. *eyeroll* So now I need to get new tires, a re-alinement, and rig my rearview mirror to work again.

I had my first interview ever for a pharmacist position today. It was with Target pharmacies, which a fellow student of mine (from Internal Medicine) was kind enough to connect me with. She had really great things to say about her experience working for Target, so I figured what the hell. The interview was pretty short (compared to the long amount of time I was required to be there) and pretty intimidating, I thought. They asked some tough behavioral questions which I didn't feel all that prepared for and had to pull answers out of my ass. I hate interviews. Overall I think I did decent, but I really believe that they're extremely selective and I might not be exactly what they're looking for. I'm pretty okay with that though. It being my first interview, I was happy just for the experience and already I'm thinking of a ton of new ways to prepare for the next one. Either way, I should hear back from them next week sometime.

I'm so happy tomorrow is Friday. Mike is going to grill steak and OMG. He's so good at it. THE BEST STEAK I've ever had he's made for me so... yeah. My man gotz skillz. I also have a midterm next week, so I'm sure my weekend will be filled with steak-eating and studying. *head/desk*

True Love

Mike: Can I turn up the heat? I'm cold.
Me: I'm warm. How are we going to live together??
Mike: When you get warm, I'll throw your ass outside.

Baby-phobia

Mike: All I really want to do is to write with black marker all over your--
Me: DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE.
_________________________________

Not much to report. Got to see one of my best Girlies Beth last night and her precious baby boy! I'm pretty sure going out to eat with me was the first time she'd been "out" since she gave birth, so I felt bad taking her away from Nolan, but I think she had a lot of fun. I can't believe how great she looks! Hopefully I'll bounce back that fast after my babies. And speaking of which, my future in-laws are already talking a lot about grandkids!! Omg. They must not know about me. Me and my baby-phobias.

I applied for my first pharmacy job and got a call back for a potential interview in two weeks. Yep... I'm pretty freakin' scared now. Not so sure I'm ready for this.

Honeymooning It

Today Mike and I did some serious wedding planning, and ended up booking our honeymoon! OMG YAY! I'm really, really happy about this because there seems to be so many parts involved, so my documents to read, and so many rules that I wanted to make sure we did it plenty of time in advance. So today we sat down with the intention of making some progress on it and instead ended up finding just what we wanted!

We're leaving from Florida on Sunday afternoon, the day after the wedding, on a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean. Based on popular vote we chose Royal Caribbean cruise line on a ship called Freedom of the Seas, and we're stopping at some great locations like the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

I can't believe I'm actually going to get to do something this awesome. ME. With Mike, and without pharmacy school! It'll be like Christmas!! :D

Am to the Care

I apologize for the lack of luster in my recent blog entries. I feel like I'm pretty much slugging my way through 4th year and trying to find time to update my beloved blog when I can, but unfortunately living, breathing, and sleeping pharmacy school makes for some really redundant, not-so-stimulating topics. All I can say is that I graduate in mere months and then you will ALL be given the miraculous gift of NO MORE WHINING FROM AMANDA YESSSSS.

But for now.... This is all I've got. :-'(

I started AmCare last week at a clinic up near Bay City, which would put me almost a week into my second (and last) two-month long rotation. So far I like it, though I'm still more or less getting used to it. The majority of my day is spent reviewing patient charts, working up their problem list and deciding which interventions I'd like to make, presenting these recommendations to my preceptor, and then seeing my patients with my assigned resident. I get to spend a LOT more time with each patient than I did on Internal Med, and I've also done medication histories on almost every patient I've had so far. Other than clinic work, I'm also doing a TON of homework assignments. There seems to be a lot of presentations, articles, projects, study guides, and discussion topics to accomplish on this rotation, which might end up getting sticky as due dates get close together. I'm not really concerned right now though. I'm just happy to be getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night! :D

I did get to see boobs and vagina on my first day, which was a nice change from the homeless-man-penis I kept seeing at Hurley. Catheterized homeless-man-penis. *shudder*

In other news, I helped Mike chaperon his school's homecoming dance this past Saturday! I actually had a really fun time--it reminded me how happy I am to NOT be in high school anymore, lol. I helped him check in students at the door and just in general prevented kids from leaving and causing a ruckus. His school looked really beautiful and they had a great turnout. After the dance we went to a local sports bar with some of Mike's teacher-friends to celebrate homecoming being over. They even won the football game!! I only made it for the second half, but it was a close game and I miss high school football, if nothing else.

From the Random Frontier, I really hate kids in my parents' neighborhood. We're talking about dozens of kids that stand in the middle of roads, or take up half a street between them and their friends, and just expect cars to drive around them. This morning there were three kids standing literally in the middle of my street, doing nothing, just standing. I've become so overwhelmingly irritated with driving around random teeny-bopper pedestrians, that today I decided NO MORE. I drove up to those fuckers, right up to them with my high beams on and everything, and honked at them. One of them went a little crazy and started swearing at me and flipping me the bird. And I just laughed because they're IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Cars drive here, HELLO. OMG. I could go on and on. This is almost as bad as candy corn with orange on the bottom. *the horror*

Anyway.

My Clinical Seminar paper is due on Monday. Clinical Seminar is pretty much the P School edition of a thesis, and it's sucking the joy from my life. Uuuugh. And I'm pretty much just avoiding it right now by posting this blog entry. >_<

Internal Medicine

I think my Internal Medicine rotation will go down as one of those not-so-rare moments in Pharm school when I get knocked on my ass without warning. And then kicked mercilessly. It was one of two 2-month long rotations which I have in the fall semester, the other being Ambulatory Care which I will start tomorrow. IM is supposed to be the most difficult of all the pharmacy clerk ships, and for my sake I really hope that's true.

I've never slept less, worked so consistently, put up with more criticism, or been so miserable for such a long stretch of time. My vocabulary expanded to include humiliating phrases like "I don't know," which I repeated often and with an ever sinking heart. My good humor, one of my most prized personal traits, got lost quickly in the 4 am mornings and the 9-11 hour shifts. I never "caught up" on my homework. I just stopped it for long enough to go to sleep. The grand majority of August I felt stupid and wasted, as if none of my hard work over the past three years had done any good at all. By Friday night I was too exhausted to do anything but sleep, and the majority of the weekends were spent recovering from sleep deprivation and doing homework. I talked to Mike about half as much each day as I normally do (which isn't even that much to begin with), and had to struggle around assignments and projects to spend time with him on my days off. Thank goodness he's so amazing and doesn't have a selfish bone in his body. You know, like me.

Luckily though, there is a bright side to all this (the above is probably enough complaining for one blog post).

Today was my last day, it being the last calendar day of September. After taking my final exam on Monday and doing last-minute wrap-up crap, my preceptor evaluated me and we said goodbye. She told me things I really needed to hear, though, before I went. She said my confidence was improved 100% since my first day. She said she often forgot that this was my first rotation (which I took as a huge compliment), and that she was impressed with the amount of hours I put into my work both at the hospital and at home on assignments. She complimented me on meeting every goal which I set for myself at midpoint. She told me the frequency and quality of my patient interventions increased significantly over the course of the rotation. And finally, she told me that I got an A !!!!

All of this felt really great to hear, but what I really wanted to know (the one thing I always wonder, every day I've been in this program) was if I was where I should be at this point. (Am I shaping up to be the pharmacist I want to be?) Or am I behind the curve? And she this is what she said.

"You are above and beyond where I would expect students to be at this point."

And you know what? It was worth every early, early morning (and every tear) to hear that.

This Brief Interlude

School has been keeping me busy. Really busy. Writing two 10+ page SOAP notes a week, getting ready for final case, studying for the final exam, and trying to work on Clinical Seminar (kind of like a thesis) all at the same time has sort of pushed a good night's sleep from my schedule. By the time Friday gets here, I'm too tired to go out and do anything! It's a good thing Mike is a teacher and just as tired as me by the end of the week. ;)

On the bright side, I feel like I've progressed significantly in the two months I've been at Hurley. My first three years of P school were sort of like baby steps, shuffling along slowly. I was learning it, but not knowing it. Now, since starting Internal Medicine, I can do so many things I couldn't before. I can look at a patient's drug list and pick out major drug interactions. I can recognize lots of usual dosages. I can pick out which medications need to be dose-adjusted based on poor renal function. I can look at their lab values and pick out abnormalities without needing a cheat sheet to tell me what the normal ranges are. I can calculate their Creatinine Clearance, ideal body weight, and adjusted body weight off the top of my head. None of these things I could do seven weeks ago. Those seven weeks have not been baby steps--they've been leaps towards knowing. I've got a long, long way to go, but I'm getting closer to a pharmacist just a little at a time.

A week from this coming Wednesday is my final day in Internal Medicine, and October 1st I'll begin Ambulatory Care at a family care clinic north of Bay City. That will take me through to Thanksgiving weekend, and will also put me halfway through my final year. My first Thanksgiving weekend without homework in college ever. OMG. I'm so excited for that.

Today is September 19th, which marks nine months until the wedding! Not that I'm counting or anything. ;) This weekend we're meeting with my cousin who will be our photographer, and my grandma and aunts who are throwing me a spectacular bridal shower! I'm so excited to take a break from pharmacy-related things and focus on the wedding, which has become something akin to a sweet finish line. Mike also whipped up some Save-the-Date templates which we hope to finalize this weekend! It feels good to be making progress. :)

For now though, it's back to the homework.

Our Box of Memories

Me: Man, this box is so full you almost can't close it.
Mike: Yeah, it has a lot of memories in it. Five years worth! *pause* Well, four I guess. The last year didn't have much love in it.
Me: *pillow smack*

September 11th, 2001

We're not better because we're a democracy. We're not better because we make all the right choices. We're not better because we're powerful, wealthy, or claim to have God on our side.

Our people are free, selfless, and together, even in the darkest hour.
This is what makes us great.

Money Well Spent

Me: are you covering the cranial nerve again?

Shruti: yeah. All the cranial nerves--there are 12.

OOH OOH OOH TO TOUCH AND FEEL VIRGIN GIRLS VAGINA AND HYMEN

Me: Omg, why?

Shruti: Olfactory, Optic, Oculomotor, Trochlear, Trigeminal, Abducens, Facial, Vagus, Glossopharyngeal, Vestibulocochlear, spinal Accessory, Hypoglossal. That's our wonderful creative pneumonic. O.o THIS IS WHAT I DO IN MED SCHOOL

Me: That is so, so dirty. Can i blog it???

Updater

Five weeks in, and three and a half more to go in my Internal Medicine rotation at Hurley. It's really been challenging and I'm counting down the days until it's finished. I've been pretty consumed with assignments, without even enough time to update my blog, as you've probably noticed. >_< But the conclusion of this rotation will bring me 1/4 of the way through 4th year, and that at least feels awesome!

Aside from pharmacy school, a lot of other stuff has happened lately! My brother moved back to GVSU to begin his second year of college, and the house sure is empty without him in it. Having him gone really makes me feel like another school year has begun, only this time with me living at my parents' house, which has never happened before. I just got my desktop set up this past weekend though, which should make homeworking much more comfortable! :D

Mike recently moved for the first time to Ionia, where he'll begin his second year (third overall) teaching there. I love his apartment--I know he will be very happy there. If I'm able to find a job nearby once I graduate, it would even be a great place to live until we're able to purchase a house. :) Tomorrow is his first day back with students.

This past weekend his good buddies from high school Alex and Laurie got married, so we got to get dressed up and go to a wedding! It was very beautiful and of course when they said their vows I wanted to cry. I always get that way. At the reception we got to hang out with a whole table full of Mike's friends, including two of our own groomsmen, Tim and Dan! I ate a lot of cake, enjoyed some surprise fireworks, and danced the night away. :)

My pharmacy (class of 2010) had its banquet two weekends ago in Grand Rapids. It wasn't really that good to be honest--only about half the students came, the DJ got a flat tire, no one was dancing, etc--but I still had a blast just because I got to see all my favorite pharmacy peeps. As much as I hated class, the one thing I miss about it is getting to see my classmates everyday. Rotations seem so isolated and lonely sometimes. I stayed for dinner and cake, and then a few of my friends invited Mike and I to go out with them to the nearby dueling piano bar, which we did and it turned out to be much more lively than the banquet. ;)

I got to see my friend Beth from P-school for about three weekends in a row, which was awesome, because now she's graduated and a real pharmacist. I can't even believe that. But she's taken a clinical pharmacy job down in Pennsylvania, so I pretty much won't get to see her again for a while. :( I'm so happy for her though, and I had a blast hanging out with her so much before she had to move. I can't wait to have her back in Michigan for my wedding. :)

I just want it to be fall now. So bad. I'm so excited to carve pumpkins. :D

Wistfulness

Today while rounding with my physician team, we were joined by a 3rd year MSU med student. We started chatting about how much it sucks to be a student, how tired we are, and how awesome it will be to finally have a passable level of knowledge at the forefront of our brains. She asked me when I finish with school, and when I told her less than a year, she got a wistful look in her eyes.

I know that look well, and just where it comes from. That small, deep part of your heart that is constantly trembling with hope--uncrushable. This time around, I was happy to be on the receiving end of it.

I'm sorry for my long absence, but pharmacy school is seriously killing me right now. I know I say this a lot, but I swear to God, I've never been this busy, or this stressed out. Hopefully it will pass soon and I can get a decent night's sleep. I just want to graduate and be with Mike. I'm so ready, and it just seems to get harder and harder to wait for everyday.

Loves Me

Because he's awesome <3

Spam Mail

One of my favorite things to pass-the-time-until-something-more-important-begins is reading the titles of my Spam emails. Most of them involve massively increasing the size of your "rod," black market prescription drugs, watches, and random "Read or Your Gay" threats. Every now and then I come across some gems, and today I thought I should start compiling a list of my favorites. From today's batch:

• Make your boner so iron it could pierce a hole in the ceiling
  
• Do you know why there are so many Chinese people?
• Best oil for pork motor
• Give squish mittens DUE attention
• Enter her twat like a bull
  
• Wake up your pork monster

I've received about 900 spam mails in the past week, so rest assured there will be more to come. ;)

Cabin Weekend and 4th Year

Last weekend was my annual Groovy-Up-North-Vacation weekend, which was a total blast, as usual. Mike's parents were up at his family cabin, so we got to chum with them for quite a bit, playing boardgames (which Mike won every time) and drinking delicious margaritas. The weather wasn't spectacular, but we still got a really nice sunny day to visit Mackinac Island and a day without rain to enjoy the beach. :) It was too windy for Mike to do much sailing, which was a damn shame because it was a job getting that sailboat down to the shore without a trailer (not to mention putting it together without getting knocked unconscious). Surely good quality bonding time with my future hubby, though. ;) The water was freezing and we clung desperately to the infrequent rays of sunshine, but I got a hot little tan and had a blast anyway. And they got me a birthday cake, which is just full of awesome.

Sadly, returning home not only meant an end to my vacation, but also the beginning of the next new and scary step in my education. Tuesday was my first day of 4th year, my very last which I'll ever be in school. Do you know what it feels like to say that?

In general, my clinical rotations (the whopping 2 days worth which I've survived) have been like nothing I've ever done before. For the first time I'm actually expected to know things, as crazy as that sounds. All at once it is humiliating and exhilarating, as I realize simultaneously just how much I don't know and yet how far I've come. I'm truly on the last leg of this journey.

Next Monday I start the real stuff. I'll be assigned to a team with an attending physician, a senior physician, and two residents. I will be the only pharmacist on the team. Pharmacist, of course, being a term I still use loosely because at best I'm probably about 3/4 of a pharmacist (if that). When there's a drug question, they'll ask me. Me me. And only me. That is just about the scariest thing I've ever thought about in my life.

So far I've learned lots of useful things, like:

• No more daydreaming. Honestly, there is absolutely no time to day dream. This sucks a lot for me.
• Don't write notes on the handouts Dr. Hagerman gives you, because she will take them like a dirty rat and not give them back! Write them down on a separate sheet of paper.
• Don't be afraid. Not because there's no reason to be, but because there simply isn't time to be afraid.

On the bright side, once this newness wears off, I might come out one giant leap closer to the final product. And, I've only been there two days, and have already received two free books. F-ing sweet.

The Edge of Everything

Me: So how was the movie?
John: We're not going to talk about it.
Chris: Well, during the opening scene I thought to myself, "Why the hell is this in the movie?" and it just went downhill from there.
__________________________________

I'm about to begin my final week working for Kroger, possibly ever. The paychecks will stop and won't start up again until I'm an honest-to-God pharmacist. This weekend I'm going up to Mike's family cabin for my annual vacation, but even my usual excitement for that can't squash the fear I'm feeling about school beginning. I don't even feel like I can call it school anymore. It's not class, it's not multiple choice, or even study for the test hard enough and you'll pass. It's riding a bike for the first time without training wheels. It's taking your road test with a stranger in the car, knowing he's watching exactly how well you check the intersection before proceeding. It's an interview for the next stage of life. Every one around me has been so encouraging, so confident that I will do exactly what needs to be done to make it happen. And yet, despite all that positive energy, I feel alone in this. I feel like I'm stepping out, one step past all the light I have ever known, and into the darkness.

And (hopefully) as someone much cleverer than I once said, either there will be something for me to stand on, or I will be taught how to fly.

Wine-tasting and Pill-slinging

It's been a busy few weeks for me since the last time I updated my blog. It's been the long sort of in-between-updates that makes it awkward and difficult to make a sudden, halfway decent and worth reading post. Anyway, I'll take my best stab at it.

Spent a lovely weekend up in Traverse City touring wine country with two of my best buds Nick and Colleen. I think over the course of the day we hit 10 different wineries and saw some beautiful countryside, and spent a nice night at a hotel in downtown TC. We're talking about making an annual thing out of it because we all love wine-tasting so much, and there's a lot more to see and do that can't really be squeezed into one day. After wine-ing it up, we spent the rest of the long weekend at Nick's Cabin on Burt Lake, enjoying some BBQ, boating, and playing with their adorable puppy, Mary Jane.

I also got to see my friend Beth for her baby shower last weekend, which was a lot of fun. I can't believe this girl, whom I spent long summer nights playing old school Nintendo with, is about to become a mom. I can't wait to meet her baby (a boy, Nolan)! She's due at the end of August, and I know she must be getting excited. She and her husband Matt got lots of great stuff for the shower, and I had fun seeing some of my high school friends and catching up after years of going in separate directions.

Mike took me to another Lugnuts game, which surprisinly enough we won! Also got to meet and hang out with some of his FB coworkers. Tried to get some stuff done for the wedding and that felt good--I haven't done anything it seems in so long. I'm such a procrastinator. Working on our photographer, save-the-dates, invitations, DJ, and cake right now. *whew*

Someone stole a hubcap off my car yesterday. No really. I couldn't even believe it, because it's not like I have really high quality ones or something. Just some plastic snap-ons. I thought perhaps it had fallen off, but the other three were so hard to get off, even with tools, that I knew the fourth hadn't just rolled off while I was driving. A coworker of mine also told me that one of hers had almost been stolen, except hers are bolted to the wheel so the theif eventually gave up. Anyway, all was well after I got some new caps and Dad helped me put them back on.

In work-related news, I've been doing prescription audits lately, meaning I go back and check the scripts within 24 hours of filling them to catch possible mistakes. I already stopped a big one (wrong drug strength) from reaching a patient. Not to mention, it makes me feel slightly more important. I also counseled a diabetic patient whose blood sugar level was dropping too low on his current medication regimen. And today, when a little old lady came in and said, "I take a small brown pill before bed each night. Do you know what it might be called?" I promptly told my technician, "Zocor." My technician looked at me skeptically, right before the woman said, "Yes yes! That's it!"

And I did my badass walk all the way back to the script counter.

Another Rockin' Bday

Alas, I am finally getting paid and stuff. Whoo!

So, I turned 24 yesterday, and as I blew out my birthday candles Mike promptly congratulated: "Happy Old!" As I said last year, you're only as old as you feel, and hell, 24 still feels pretty damn young to me bitches. Can't touch this.

I had a wonderful birthday, consisting mostly of just spending time with the family and receiving lots of warm B-day wishes from loved ones. We cooked up a delicious dinner of steaks and corn on the cob (just a few of my favorite things) and finished off the night with sickeningly sweet birthday cake and ice cream. And lets not forget the kick-ass presents, which I adored! I know it's not about the presents and stuff, but whatever, I like presents and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I also had a great 4th of July! Mike surprised me by taking me to a Lugnuts baseball game, which is one of our favorite summertime things to do! They had a fireworks display after the game finished, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend our Independence Day than at a ballpark, eating a hot dog and watching fireworks light up the sky. :)

Work has been fine aside from me being at a different store last week, which recently changed over to the new computer system we're getting soon at my store. It was a little crazy and I'm very happy to be back in Swartz Creek, but the experience did leave me with some pretty good stories. My favorite of which has to be the elderly woman who came to the drivethru asking for money. That's it. She just handed me her driver's license and said, "I'd like some money please!" Man, if Kroger is passing out money, maybe I should get in line. I said this jokingly, and she smiled at me with a sweet, blank sort of stare, at which point I realized she was serious.

"Are you looking for an ATM?"
"You don't give out money?"
"Um... this is a pharmacy. Do... do you have a prescription to pick up?"
"No no, I don't want a prescription! I just want some money!"
"Ma'am... if you don't want any drugs then I can't really help you."

I could think of a few drugs that would help you though.

Oh My

Today while taking a new script over the phone, I discovered with a startling realization that it's now July. Which usually brings me great joy, as I'm reminded of how much I love July blockbusters, fireworks, national holidays, my birthday, and my anniversary with Mike. This year, mingled in with that joy, is this overshadowing, all-consuming thought that 30 days from now, I will begin my final year of school. The idea is full of both thrilling excitement and deep-rooted fear all at the same time. I'm so ready to be done, but terrified that I'm not nearly as ready as I think.

Chewed Up Nipples

What a week. Let's see, the drama has really been going down at work. A new girl started about a week before I came back to Kroger (or about three weeks ago), and has been really stirring up trouble. More specifically, she's been accusing just about everyone in the pharmacy of having "bad attitudes," and has in general been acting cocky about how she's "fifteen times too qualified" for this position. Now, I pride myself in keeping neutral ground in the workplace, and life in general. I learned long ago that drama isn't worth the headache. So, I listen to people when they need to vent, give a little advice if asked, but mostly just call doctors, take scripts, and talk to patients to avoid it all. But even I was getting a little peeved by this chick, especially when she started calling a small handful of community college credits which focused on pharmacy technician training "pharmacy school." Bitch, please.

The other night she wanted to leave early, family emergency, but wouldn't ask anyone to cover her shift (as she was closing alone, and couldn't just up and leave). Finally another of my coworkers agreed to stay, saying that all she had to do was ask. Upon agreeing to take over said shift, the Newb had some sort of meltdown, snapping about how she didn't want to "catch attitude" from anyone who covered her shift. I'm writing a note to a patient a few feet away, and I swear to God, it was like a reality TV show. I could not believe this chick was attacking a coworker who just agreed to work an extra two hours for her sorry butt. Heated words were exchanged, and the Newb left. Left, and apparently quit. ??????! Wtf? I later learned more horrible dirt about her, like she was fired from her previous job, she was trying to take over the job of our head trainer (who's been working for Kroger about 10 years longer than her), and she's pretty much mouthed off to and accused everyone of having an attitude. Whatever the crap that means.

Uuugh. And I still haven't gotten a paycheck yet. Like I'm a monkey in this circus for free.

In other news, I visited with the Always Hilarious Beth tonight, which was as awesome as I knew it would be. She made me a delicious dinner of chicken tacos, and gave me a grand tour of her lovely new house in Swartz Creek. I was very excited; I love it when friends buy houses and give me tours. Especially slightly older houses which have interesting little tid-bits of character here and there I can squeal about, like the stained-glass mirror in the bathroom. :D OMG, and her kitties are so cute. I can't even stand it.

She's over seven months pregnant now, so among the usual hilarious quotes I get to enjoy are various gross things about how her body is all jacked up now. For instance:

Me: I'm brushing the cat hair off my boobs.
Beth: I know you just want to touch them.
Me: You know me too well. *jiggles boobies*
Beth: Yeah... I can't do that. Mine leak.

And....

Me: So, how long do you want to nurse?
Beth: Probably until he starts teething. After that, no way. I don't want my nipples to look like chewed up pieces of gum.

Good times, good times.

Had a great time last weekend with Mike. He took me to the Jazz Festival in East Lansing, and on Sunday for Father's Day we invited Mom and Dad out to El Azteco to eat on their rooftop patio. By far the best Mexican food ever. I think they had a great time. :)

Next weekend is my birthday people, so get your spankers ready. ;-D

Dow Gardens

I took Mike to visit the Dow Gardens in Midland as a surprise today. :) I'd never been there myself, so it was sort of a surprise for both of us. Anyway, I highly recommend it--it was only $1 for us to get in (with student IDs) and has over 100 acres of garden-goodness! Lots of streams, stone bridges, secret paths, and of course gorgeous flowers. I took lots of pictures and posted them to My Flickr if you'd like to check them out. :)

In other news, after two weeks of sitting around not getting paid, Kroger finally got their shit together and called me regarding my drug test. I called Customer Service EVERY single day over those two weeks asking about it, and each day they fed me a new line of bull about how they "can't make it back to check right now." So I finally told my District Manager on them, who proceeded to call them himself to get things done. Miraculously, an hour or so later they finally "found" my drug test. Isn't that amazing? Lazy bastards. So Thursday was my first day and I was so glad for that, because I'm broke and I need to buy lots of stuff right now. Like... a new license plate, and a bridesmaid dress. >_<

Mike is giving me his old iPhone to use as a PDA for 4th year, and I'm so excited!! :D He just finished setting it up for me, and I have all kinds of drug programs and other applications to enjoy. :) Which makes him pretty much awesome. ;)

Kroger-Hate

Seriously, I took my drug test a week ago and I still haven't heard back from Kroger. I was supposed to start yesterday and also work all next week, but instead I'm not doing anything productive. OMG. I'm running out of money here, seriously. Stupid Kroger. 4th year starts in less than two months, and by the time I actually get to start working, it'll only be for a small handful of weeks. Uuuuuuggh.

On the bright side, Mom and I have started to blast the fat away with a bunch of new workouts we're trying, including running! We started running for the first time last night, and I was impressed that I didn't wheeze to death. Hopefully something spectacular will come from this, like a supermodel body before my wedding! :D

Um, I really haven't done anything else exciting, except try on a bridesmaid dress (which I loved!) for my friend Colleen's wedding in October 2010, and wash my car so she's all sparkly and clean. Yep. And I'm pretty sure only I find those two things exciting.

Therapuke-ics

This, ladies and gentlemen, is 5 ridiculous inches and approximately 10 pounds worth of Pharmacotherapeutics. I finally put it all into one binder, and as you can see it barely fits. The top binder is full of my SDL material (Student Directed Learning), which is also part of therapeutics but is material which we are required to look up and complete on our own, outside of class. This therapeutics is just from this year, and I have four other 3 inch binders like the bottom one in this picture filled with material from the first two years of P school. All this in addition to my other classes third year. Just imagine how dense my brain must be!!

Anyway, I have to study all of this by the end of July, before rotations start and they expect me to know at least most of it. The thought makes me want to die.

June

June means more June bugs bothering me at my bedroom window late at night before I turn out my lights. Which makes me want to puke in my mouth.

I finished my IPPE and it was really rewarding. At first it was intimidating and I didn't know what I was doing, but I started to enjoy it and feel useful. On my final day when I received my evaluation from my preceptor, she had so many glowing remarks to make about the work that I did and my progress over the three weeks. It really felt awesome. Just awesome. When I was at Sindecuse I also received a good review, but I felt a little like the pharmacist Bill was biased with me because he knew me beforehand and really liked me. He knew me as a person, and his opinion of me had time to mature and grow with time. At the hospital I was a stranger and I only had a measely three weeks to prove my worth, so it really meant something when they ended up thinking I did really well. Sometimes pharmacy school kind of blind sides me... makes me feel like a complete idiot. It's refreshing when something comes along to give me a bit of a confidence boost.

Kroger starts up later this week, which I'm dreading. Corporate isn't paying me anymore, the actual store is paying me, so now I have to fight over hours with the technicians. That pretty much means I won't get 40 hours a week, which is a bummer. Also, they moved the entire pharmacy and changed everything, to the point that I walked in and wondered if I was in the right place. So, that'll be (not) awesome when I start up again. >_<

June means Mike and I are approaching the one-year-until-the-wedding mark. I can honestly say that the months we've been engaged have been some of the most difficult and trying of our whole relationship. I feel as if we've been tested more intensely and more frequently than ever before. Because love is the only thing which holds us together, lacking as we are in the children and wedding vow department, I know our feelings for one another must be made of some tough stuff. I also know more than ever before that love is giving more when you feel like giving up.

Wedding Rings

His

Hers

Mike's wedding ring finally came in, so now we have both. He was so excited, after being a little bummed when mine came in earlier than his. He was having a ruby inset into his band (to match my engagement ring), so it took a week longer than mine to be finished. Now we have them and I couldn't be happier! They're beautiful and just what we wanted, and now, it's so hard to keep them in their boxes and not wear them everyday.

Soon. :)

More... school :-'(

Going on day 3 of my hospital IPPE... I felt overwhelmed the first day as I was faced with a spreadsheet of tasks I must complete before the end of my three weeks arrives, none of which I've ever done before. Today I spent the day with a pharmacist doing Warfarin dosing for all the patients in the hospital on Warfarin. I even got a chance to correct a resident about a Calcium Carbonate prescription, and then help write a new order. A small, fleeting victory during which I felt like not such a dumbass, but such moments pass quickly when you're the newbie.

Finally, I got to pick up my wedding dress for real! It fit perfect and looked amazing! :D It feels good to have it hanging up in my room knowing this time it's really mine. Mom and I also went shoe-shopping because my running shoes are about 6 years old. >_< I also bought an eyelash curler. I don't know why.

My dog has being adorable down to a science.

Home Again

I made the move back to great mountain that is Mt. Morris, leaving Kzoo for the last time on Saturday afternoon. It was sort of bittersweet--so much history has happened to me in that city--but I was glad to go at the same time. Glad to leave another year of hard work behind me, looking out at the last leg of this long journey.

My last final was Thursday morning, and with all the giddiness which I experienced at the thought of never studying again, I was forced up to GR for a grueling 6-hour orientation for 4th year. The orientation, although informative, was the most boring and long-winded buzz kill I've ever experienced, during which they pretty much told us how 4th year will suck just as bad as the previous three, and then let us go with a mocking "Have a nice summer!" Ugh. F U pharmacy school, as always.

I was supposed to go to a baseball game with some GR friends after orientation Thursday night, but I just couldn't pull it off. Not after sleeping for only 10-12 hours over the entire course of finals week. Instead I went home and tried to stay awake long enough for Mike to get there.

Friday morning we had to get up early to head to Big Rapids for the award ceremony which I was invited to. It was the first time I'd ever been invited to the awards, so I felt pretty honored for being recognized there. However, it was a little disheartening to see some of the other students, who are so used to getting all A's and getting scholarships and pats on the back that they don't even seem surprised or grateful for the attention. Then there's me. Someone who starting out on the waiting list three years ago, struggled through my first year with B's and C's, and worked my way up to the A's and B's that I earn now. I've never once been ashamed of my grades. Never. But there are people in P school who get 4.0s every semester, and the mere thought seems so beyond my reach. And now, they're so used to it that they expect it. Me, I'm grateful for every success that comes my way. Maybe this sounds conceded, but I feel like I might have been more deserving than any of them. I fought my way up from the bottom. From #195 on that stupid waiting list.

I was given the Merck Award, which consists of two Merck desk references for health care professionals. One has every disease state and how to diagnose it, and the other has every chemical compound (thousands of pages worth). Both books are embossed with my name, and I love them. They're symbolic of the improvements I've made as a student over the past three years.

After that, Mike and I came back down to Kzoo to move me home. It took pretty much all day yesterday, but now I'm settled and back in my old bedroom, where I'll remain until I marry Mike next June. Tomorrow I begin my hospital IPPE internship in Saginaw for the next three weeks. I feel nervous but there's no time to be scared, really.

Mike and I also picked up my wedding ring, which is beautiful! Once we get his I'll post pictures. :) It's hard to have something so pretty and just not wear it yet. But I take it out often to admire it. :D

P4

Omg, I did it one more time. Only this year it was different than all the years which have come before it--this year was a turning point for me. Turning in my last final exam scan tron was a milestone, because I'll never have to do it again. That's right. I'm DONE with formal classes, and have only clinical rotations left between me and graduation. No more final exam weeks, no more sitting in class taking notes on lectures, ever again. After an exceptionally rough year, in this aftermath I'm reminded why I chose to do this in the first place-- the fits of frustrated tears, the many times along the way I've wanted to give up, have been worth it all to feel as good as I do right now.

I have waited so long for this moment. After working hard for six long years to make it, I can finally say:

ONE.

MORE.

YEAR.

!!!!!!!P4!!!!!!!!

Uuuuugh

Sara: Maybe they'll curve it!
Nathan: What are you an undergraduate?!?

FINALS

And so this weekend begins the mental marathon. I'm checking out until then--I will see you on the other side of my P3 year.

Studying

I keep telling myself that the next time I'll be studying this hard I'll be preparing for my Board exams to get licensed. I tell myself this is the last time I'll ever suffer through a final exam week.

It helps.

Swine Flu for Dummies

If you're like me you're tired of hearing people panic over the swine flu. So here's a few basic facts for those too inhibited by fear to look it up themselves:

• The swine flu does NOT equal the Plague
• Pandemic stage 4 means a confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks. (from the CDC) It does NOT mean that everyone is going to die.
  
• The flu is not a new thing. It's been around forever and has made people really sick for decades. It kills people every year, and no one freaks about that.
• If you have a runny nose or the sniffles, this does NOT mean you have the swine flu. Or any flu. You're probably allergic to tree pollen, like the rest of us.
• Influenza is a virus, which means antibiotics WON'T work. There ARE anti-viral drugs which work against the flu and even the swine flu. See? Not a death-sentence.
• Flu symptoms usually include things like headache, aches and pains more severe than considered usual, nausea and vomiting, and often fever.
• ANY flu can range in severity from mild to serious, not just the swine flu.
  
• Most cases of the flu go away on their own with good nutrition, lots of rest, and plenty of fluids. If you have a severe case, it would be best to go to your doctor because the faster you receive antivirals, the more likely you will be to not get any worse.
  
• If you get the flu, swine or otherwise, it's recommended you stay at home until it passes to prevent spreading it around.

I'm not trying to make light of the flu. It's a serious illness that is no fun at all to suffer through. But honestly, there is just no reason for all this panic that I keep witnessing. Practice healthy habits like covering your mouth when you cough/sneeze, washing your hands often, and avoiding other sick people. The swine flu is not some sort of SuperFlu, it's just this rouge strain which the CDC couldn't predict, so the vaccines don't work. But it's 100% curable. Worst case scenario, you get sick and have to stay home from work a few days until it's over. You might feel like complete crap the whole time, but cry me a river, seriously. We've all had the flu before.

4th Year

Well, after waiting for a month past the promised release date, my classmates and I finally know where our 4th year clinical rotations will take place. And because I know you all must be on the edge of your seats for such an epic announcement, I won't keep you in suspense!

• August & September: Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint. Preceptor: Dr. Hagerman
• October & November: Ambulatory Care, Family & Child Health Clinic, Essexville. Preceptor: Dr. Covyeou
• December: OFF
• January: Advanced Community Pharmacy, Meijer #048, Bay City. Preceptor: Ms. Kaminski
• February: Managed Care Elective, Health Plus of Michigan. Preceptor: Ms. Peery
• March: The Apothecary Shoppe (Elective), Midland. Preceptor: Ms. Ellis
• April: Healthway Pharmacy (Elective), Saginaw. Preceptor: Mr. Collins

So that's my fate from now until the end of my grad school career. My first rotation begins on August 1st, and my last ends the last week of April, 2010. 3rd year is "over" a week from this Thursday, but once I finish my last final exam I'll be up in GR for stimulating 5+ hour orientation for 4th year. After that I have an award ceremony in Big Rapids on Friday morning, and then moving home as quick as possible. The Monday after finals is finished (May 11th) I begin my Institutional IPPE rotation at a hospital in Saginaw for three weeks. After that *pauses to breathe* I start up my internship again at Kroger Pharmacy. With only two measly months to earn some green, I'll be tight for cash all summer, unfortunately. :(

Oy, it's crazy. I'd rather be planning my wedding.

This weekend was filled with horrible studying, naturally, but Mike took me to a great Lugnuts baseball game on Friday night and I had a great time! They actually won too, so that was a bonus, but Lugnuts games are fun either way. :) Saturday we spent most of the day in Ionia at Mike's school working on stuff, but had a nice dinner in GR before getting nailed with the worst thunderstorm ever. Oh man. I'm glad he was driving.

I can't wait to not study. I can almost feel it coming now... just one more week of this bull. >_<

WMU, I heart you.

Dr. Feucht brought brownies to class today. And on my way home from class, once again, the free hot dog stand.

So I took another one. ;)

P School in a Box

Well, it's that time of year. Time for studying finals, which always destroys another small part of my soul, and time to start packing. As it is, move-out for my apartment is April 25th, and class doesn't end for me until May 7th. My apartment managers have been kind enough to let me stay, but I pretty much have almost no time to move after exams. Uuuugh. So I've started packing early, and last night I even managed to shove most of my pharm school notes into one box, except for this semester and some other random notes which I haven't yet organized. Moving is always sort of depressing for me. I hate seeing my apartment(s) empty and void of all my things, which only serves to remind me that every place I live in is still temporary. I'll be moving home for my final year of school, and the next time I move will be after I've graduated and gotten married, into a place with Mike.

I also got my haircut this week! I've been growing my hair out for three years now, and I was just getting so tired of looking at the same thing every day. I decided to get bangs because I've pretty much always had bangs, except since beginning pharmacy school, and ever since then I've been wanting bangs. I was a little anxious but I did it anyway and now I love them. :)

Today in lab we went over contraception, from condoms to pregnancy tests, and it was all kinds of awesome.

Dr. Bailey: Did you just drop your condom on the floor??
Jerry: Five second rule!

While walking home from lab I passed a girl on campus who was handing out free M&Ms. Then, while walking past the bookstore, I noticed a stand that said "Free Hotdogs." Not only were the hotdogs free, but so was the popcorn and pop. So I got to eat lunch on my walk home. ;)

I should go to bed now. Clearly this day could not become any more awesome.

26!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!!
:D

:-* :-* :-*

IMA BADASS

Today was a better day for sure, compared to yesterday's losing my student ID by 9 AM, not submitting my presentation slides on time, and getting irrationally mad at the Walmart Vision Center employee for not filling my contact lens prescription over the phone. And I started my period. Yeah, I totally just went there. :D

Today I kicked ass at my presentation, got a 92% on my Therapeutics exam, ordered my wedding rings, and checked my FSU email to see this waiting for me:

"You are invited to attend the College of Pharmacy Honors
Convocation/Luncheon to be held on Friday, May 8, 2009. You have been
selected by the College to receive an academic excellence award. The
luncheon will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in the
Ballroom commencing at 1:00 p.m. with the awards presentation to follow."

OMG I DON'T SUCK AT SCHOOL AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT!!! :D

*SQUEE*

Jumping the Hurdles

Mike and I are creeping up on the one-year-until-the-wedding mark on the good ol' calendar, but the closer it gets the more I fret about all the stuff that I need to accomplish in the meantime. And I don't mean wedding planning stuff--that's a lot of fun and I could seriously do it all day. No lie. It's all the other stuff, and mostly school. School for me is going to END before I get married, and although that may not seem too dramatic to some, for me it has always been difficult to imagine life After School. I simply have known nothing else. Ever.

This time next year I will be a very small handful of weeks away from graduating, FINALLY. As I've already mentioned in previous blog posts, the thought of that day is both exhilarating and terrifying, but mostly it's terrifying. The gap between Amanda the Student and Amanda the Pharmacist seems simply impossible to close at this point, yet somehow it will be done in the next 13 months. And that's what I keep thinking about--before Mike and I can get married and party, I've got to close this F-ing gap. How?? How will I ever pull it off? How will I make it through another year of feeling cramped, confined, temporary, money-depraved, and desperate for spare-time? How will I make it through another year of long-distance from Mike and friends, and from the Rest of My Life? Will I have the money to pull it off, the time to plan my own wedding, and most importantly, will I be ready to take it on when they finally give me my license and set me loose on the world?

I just don't know. All I really know, all I can think about, is that Mike will be waiting in his tux at the finish line. There are moments when I'm so mentally exhausted that picturing him in that chapel is the only thing that keeps me jumping the hurdles.

Dear Hannah Montana

Nobody fucking cares about you. Either of you. Why would anyone want to watch a movie (or pay actual money to watch a movie) about your so-called life? My life is more exciting, and not to mention authentic, than yours and that is saying something. Oh and by the way... all this bull about your movie being the "biggest of the season?" Wtf were you thinking?? Here's a bunch of reasons why you aren't the biggest movie of the season:

• Star Trek
• X Men Origins: Wolverine (infinitely hotter than you, oh yes)
  
• Transformers 2
• Angels and Demons
• Harry Potter #6
• Terminator Salvation
  

I would seriously enjoy lighting you on fire. Please go away.

----------------

On Easter break and lovin' every minute! Happy bunnies and jelly beans to all my beloved readers. ;)

Another Useless One

While eating ice cream in my car....

Mike: Did you have a girl you went to high school with whose nipples were just always hard?
Me: Mike.... wtf??

Highlights from My Thursday Night Studying Action

On Gtalk....

Me: you know it
Shruti: i know everything
Me: if you have any fault it's modesty
Shruti: that's better than arrogance
Me: this is true
although that was very sarcastic
Shruti: haha, i know everything, remember?
Me: that must be quite painful
Shruti: just to my left eye
Me: lol your knowledge is trying to OOZE OUT
like Reye's Syndrome
Shruti: HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
omg it's only 12am
Me: only
Shruti: knowledge shouldn't be oozing out...yet
Me: I MUST KNOW
Shruti: UNTIL IT OOZES
moto for studying: KNOW UNTIL IT OOZES
Me: like a nasty P. acnes infection

<3

"Look into those eyes so deep in love
And drink it up
'Cause that's the good stuff"
--KC

*Whew*

Another busy weekend just flew by, and here I am back in Kzoo with a mere six more weeks of school to stare blindly out at. Yay!

I spent a fabulous Saturday back in the Mount to celebrate Mom's birthday with she, Dad and Mike. They bought their first digital camera, so that'll be great for them and I know they've wanted one for so many years. We also got to pick up my wedding dress (!!!) because it came in last Friday. I was so excited to see it again!! I kept unzipping the bag to look at it. ^_^ We had dinner at Mongolian BBQ, which was stellar because I love that place. In fact, Mom didn't even know about it until I took her there last summer. Now she and Dad are hooked, and I feel so proud. Like a matchmaker. Heh.

Mom's also going to be redoing the kitchen this summer, so we all wandered around Home Depot for a good while oogling the "kitchens" and double-door refrigerators. OMG. I can't wait to have a house so I can redo the kitchen. We spent a while trying to pick out good decorative tiles for the sink area, and Mom ended up buying a few to try out. Mike wandered around playing with their new camera, of course, taking random videos and really bad pictures of me. >_<

I was really sad to leave that night, but Mom made me egg salad (OMG YAY) and some frosting for my graham crackers to enjoy back at school, and at least I get to come home in about a week and a half for some Easter-grass goodness. :D :D

I also got to see the delightful Shruti for lunch before going to my parents on Saturday, and got to meet her roommate Mike who seems pretty cool. :) We went to a sandwich shop in East Lansing where I ate an enormous triple-decker BLT. Om nom nom! I've only had a chance to see Shruti twice this school year, which has been horribly depressing, but it was a lot of fun and we spent a wonderful meal reminising about the good old days at WMU. <3

Sunday I spent with Debbie at Jen and Jared's baby shower in Sterling Heights, which was just as fancy and enormous as their wedding! There were about 100 or so women there, all giggling about babies and eating cookies and cake. Omg, I thought my head would explode from the sugar rush that frosting gave me. And the presents. O_O There was just a WALL of presents!

So, I have two other baby showers to go to this summer. >_< Too many babies.

Me: Hey, can I use your computer to take a quiz?
Mike: *glare*
Me: I wouldn't ask if you were busy but... all you're doing is looking at high school chicks covered in Hershey's syrup.

Intramuscular Oranges

Pharmacists these days are giving immunizations in pharmacies pretty much everywhere, so to prepare us for this, the faculty had each student give and receive an intramuscular injection this week in lab. It was really controversial and I was nervous because I hate getting injections, and I'd also never had to give an immunization before. My partner was even more nervous than me, and she pushed the needle into my arm really slowly so it stung a little more than ones I'd had in the past. :-/ My other lab partner, whom I gave an injection too, said that I did a good job, but when I put the safety on the needle I ended up squirting saline solution at her. >_< Oops. She loves me though so it's all good.

Also, I was just doing my dishes, and I have two slices of orange molding underneath my dishes. This is completely mysterious to me, because I haven't ever bought or eaten oranges in my apartment this year. I seriously feel a little creeped out. Either I'm eating oranges from a secret stash in my sleep, or.... I'M NOT ALONE!! O.O

The Intercrap.

Well I've wanted to update for a few days now, but of course my internet broke again. I've had chronic problems with the connection at my apartment, and just two weeks ago I went an entire week without access to the Web. I use it a lot for assignments and communication with my classmates, so that was very frustrating, but apparently during that week they replaced almost the entire system, and they told me I shouldn't have any more problems. Now, two weeks later, I have problems and they say that the only two pieces of the system which weren't replaced last time both broke at the same time over the weekend. -_- Oy vey.

School is also bugging the crap out of me, but mostly because of politics and random changes to the curriculum which make me want to pull my hair out. I'm sort of type A, so when I don't know things far in advance, I go a little crazy. This has happened so much this school year that I think I may've reached the point when my emotions sort of shut down. I've stopped trying to fight it and instead I'll probably remain submissive to further ass-rapings between now and May 7th.

This weekend I got to see Nick and Colleen, which was pretty awesome because I hadn't seen Colleen in a really long time, and I had so much P school material to unload on her. We're both taking the same classes right now but in different cities (she's in GR), so now when I bitch about stuff she can share in my misery, and it's simply delightful. She and Nick are also doing a lot of things to plan their wedding, and that's something exciting for us to talk about together too. Nick and Mike usually go off on their "man date" anyway, so Colleen and I are always left to entertain ourselves. ;) We went bowling and out to ice cream, and although the ice cream was delicious, I sucked real bad at bowling (again).

I also got to meet one of Mike's old co-workers Joe, his wife Alyssa, and their 7-month old son, Josh. I really had a great time and they made some mouth-watering salmon, but more of note is that I actually enjoyed being around their baby. This is truly a milestone for me because I've simply never liked babies. They sort of scare me a little bit, with all the attention they need, their absolute dependence on their parents, and of course all the whining, crying, pooping and throwing up on you they do. Omg. But I actually played with Josh a lot and made him laugh, and in general it was sort of a refreshing experience. It even made this tiny little part of me deep inside long for motherhood.

Fortunately, such moments pass quickly. :D

This weekend is the Mom's birthday, so Mike and I are going to try to see her on Saturday for dinner or something else fun like that. I'm so excited! Also, I have another baby shower for one of Mike's cousins to go to on Sunday with Debbie, and I'm looking forward to that as well. Another busy weekend, and I find myself looking forward to just one when I have nothing to do, no one to see, and no plans to fulfill. Lol, yeah right.

Psh, Women.

So I accidentally stumbled upon an episode of the Real World the other day, I think it might've been Brooklyn or something like that. I don't normally watch the Real World because I'm not terribly sure of the point, but I became absorbed into the story of a trans gender man-turned-woman on the show (forget her name, sorry). Anyway, she seemed absolutely obsessed with expressing her new found "femininity," which is all just fine in theory I guess. Only for some reason the only way she could think of actually doing this was to pole-dance, go-go dance, and wear extremely revealing clothing. I'm sure part of this desire comes from the excitement to enjoy/show off her new body, as in the boobies and such--that part I understand. But seriously? The phrase, "So I was talking to a girl I pole-dance with..." came out of her mouth. As if she were saying, "A girl I go to the gym with..." -_- For some stupid reason, I find all this insulting. Here's a person who has undergone a physical identity transformation into the so-called "fairer sex," and her first instinct is to... act like a stripper. Oh my God.

It was sort of like St. Patty's Day, walking down Lafayette (my street) and weaving my way through really drunk, dressed-to-slut chicks who were all stumbling around in the middle of the street, completely intoxicated by 5 pm. And then seeing other dressed-to-slut chicks grinding on douchebag-looking frat boys who probably don't even know how to treat a real woman. And all the really hot ones probably saw me and thought what most girls think when they see another girl--"I'm so much hotter than she is. I feel so lucky to be hotter than she is. I'm going to have a better life than her because I'm so much hotter than she is." Please. You can't even remember your original hair color, you don't know that guy's name, there's a red cup in your hand with someone else's beer in it, and I can smell your chlamydia from here. You give my gender a bad name.

Don't get me wrong, I like to get a little silly sometimes, and I delight when I find a shirt that can actually show off my boobies. But like all things, exposing your wild side is probably best done in moderation. Or it's quite possible I'm just a prude.

To further disrespect and deface my gender, we have the women who seem attracted to assholes like moths to a flame. Although I think this phenomenon is fairly well-known, go visit Hot Chicks with Douche Bags to see the evidence in all its shameful glory. I guess this gives the "Nice Guys Finish Last" theory a little bit more credibility. Unless the Nice Guys bump into gals like me, who are not only suppermassively hot, but smart enough to know a non-douche when they see one. :P

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is no point to any of this. I have a midterm tomorrow--obviously I have to do something besides study. I'm irresponsible like that.

Better Than Me

**Saw this on a friend's Facebook, didn't feel like making another note and tagging people... Lame, but I haven't made any completely pointless posts lately so I suppose I'm sort of due for one (and it will put off studying another half an hour or so...)

1. Put your music library on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song title as the answer to the question, no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Ok, go!


1) IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OK?" YOU SAY?
Amazed (Lonestar)

2) WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Hot In Here (Nelly)

3) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The King of Wishful Thinking (Go West)

4) HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
I Need You (Leanne Rimes)

5) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Pain (Three Days Grace)

6) WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Hello Zepp (Saw Soundtrack)

7) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Hot N Cold (Katy Perry)


8) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Shut Up and Drive (Rihanna)

9) WHAT IS 2+2?
Hard Way (Faith Hill)

10) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Lonely No More (Rob Thomas)

11) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Devil's Daughter (Silvertide)

12) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Coo Coo Ca Choo (Bloodhound Gang)

13.) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Coming Undone (Korn)

14) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Over My Head (The Fray)

15) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Love On the Outside (BBMak)

16) WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING?
Dare You to Move (Switchfoot)

17) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Animal Song (Savage Garden)

18) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Home (Chris Daughtry)

19) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
On the Roof Again (Eve 6)

20) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Make Me Lose Control (Eric Carmen)

21) WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Better Than Me (Hinder)

Unique P School Bitching!

*sigh* You know, 3rd year is starting to feel a little bit like high school. My classmates are whiny little bitches sometimes, or more accurately, the accelerators who joined my class in Kzoo in January are whiny little bitches. I try not to isolate them if I can help it (we are all in the same program going through the same stresses), but sometimes they just hang themselves. But don't take my word for it--read on and enjoy!

The latest upset is our professors finally enforcing the dress code. Now, there's always been a dress code, but in 3rd year we take most of our classes inside an actual hospital building, so it's more important for us to act and appear professional to other professionals. Not only is this expected of us by the faculty, but it also helps us to earn respect even as students. This is NOT something new or unique to Ferris, and it's not even that damn difficult, but some people can't play by the rules. The following quotes were taken from FSU forums for pharmacy students; a message board on which we are expected to be appropriate and which is also read by not only our peers, but also our professors. I made sure to bold my favorite parts! :D

"Today I had a conflict in class because of the dress code because I didn't want to drive 3 hours and then sit through 5 hours of lecture uncomfortably. I gained 30lbs since pharmacy school because it is stressful and dressing up for 7 hours is not the most comfortable thing for me so I apologize."

Amanda's response to this bullshit: OMG where do I even start?? First of all, pharmacy school is stressful. GET OVER IT. I am SO tired of hearing classmates feign surprise over this concept. Secondly, 30 lbs? Maybe you're eating too many twinkes or drinking too many beers my friend, because no one else seems to have this problem. In fact, if anything, I've lost weight since beginning the program because I don't have time to eat. Furthermore, when you're a real big boy pharmacisit, you'll have to dress up for 12+ hours at a time and STAND ALL DAY. So man-up you puss.


" Burberry Polo: $95.00
True Religions Jeans: $329.00
Pravada Shoes: $350.00
Movado on my wrist: $750.00
Having people judge what is appropriate: priceless"

Amanda's response to the bullshit: Oh man, you must be exceedingly clever to create your own MasterCard commercial! The truth is, no matter how much you paid for them, jeans are jeans commrade, and it is clearly stated in the dress code that jeans are not appropriate. Let me simplify that for you: Expensive does NOT equal appropriate. On a personal sidenote, I'm not impressed with your excessive spending on clothing items. It dosen't make you cool--it makes you a dumbass.

"(whining about getting kicked out of class) .... maybe because my name is (removed for privacy). 'It is no secret about the way things are on the west side of the state!' That is quoted from a faculty member at Ferris about racism but I won't say who."

Amanda's response to the bullshit: Oh no he didn't... he did. He pulled the stupid racisim card. Forever used in a last-ditch effort to blame anyone but yourself, because God forbid you actually do something wrong without it having to do with your race. Seriously, I have no sympathy for people like this. Maybe I'm a naieve little white girl, but if I flounced into class wearing blue jeans and not the dress pants which are expected of me, my happy ass would get kicked out as quick as yours. It's not the color of your skin jackass. You just suck.

"People should only worry about themselves. Just because you dress better than the people you serve doesn't mean you're better than them."

Amanda's response to the bullshit: Wtf are you talking about? Are you talking about pateints? Because no one else is. First of all, I do care about the behavior of my fellow classmates, mostly because we represent each other in what we do and how we act. If one of us behaves disrespectfully in front of professors it reflects badly on us all as a whole, and personally, if I were to someday come to a prof with a legitimate concern, I would want them to respect me enough to hear me out.

Eventually a professor came along and deleted everything, told him to follow the dress code and shut up (basically), and informed the general population that any more inappropriate posts would be removed as well. It's simply embarassing, really, because the faculty is forced to treat us like the high school-ers some of us act like.

All the while I sit as a silent observer, releasing my frustrations in a most inappropriate and unprofessional manner in my blogger, but at least here that's okay. ;)