First Weekend of Christmas Break

...and I did nothing! It was glorious and so enjoyable to lay back and relax and not do anything. And, the best part about it was that I didn't have to feel guilty about it!!! :) Shirin left Friday morning, Neil left Saturday morning, and Hannah and I both left Monday. So, Saturday and Sunday, it was just me and Hannah...doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying our time NOT in class and NOT studying. :) Oh, Friday night, man was that a cold night. We went ice skating...Hannah, Neil, and I, with our friends and classmates Erin and Trisha. We went to the outdoor rink and it was ridiculously cold. I think it was about 10 degrees out and my toes felt like they were going to fall off. It was so cold, so painful, but we really wanted to go ice skating. Ha! What a story it makes, but I don't think I'll go ice skating again when it's that cold out. Yikes. Saturday morning I went to a women's breakfast at church, which was nice. It was a small group of about 12 or so women, but it was nice to meet more women at church. I came home and for the rest of the day, Hannah and I lounged, watched television, watched a movie, baked a loaf of bread (which was so good! herb and garlic from Avila Valley Barn in SLO). It was a perfect day to relax and do nothing, which is something we haven't done in who knows how long....maybe in 3 and a half months (since September pretty much).

The weather report said it was supposed to snow Saturday night, beginning at about midnight and there was a storm watch. I was so excited about the snow and I wanted to see it come so badly. I kept looking out the window to see if it was snowing yet and it started maybe around one o'clock in the morning. I was so thrilled and like a little kid for the snow to come. :) Sunday morning, I woke up and it was amazingly beautiful outside!!! I opened my blinds while I was getting ready for church and caught myself getting distracted multiple times looking outside at the snow on the branches and on the ground and falling from the sky. I tried to go to church Sunday morning, but the train didn't want to work properly, so I didn't make it to church. Instead, I went back home and watched the snow fall from my room. It was so pretty; I still can't get over the beauty of God through nature and specifically now, through the snow. I think it snowed almost a foot, if not a full foot, when it finally stopped snowing at around four o'clock that afternoon. So, I ended up going to church that night, to the six o'clock service, which was the same as the morning and still good, just a smaller service. Sunday was a little bit of a cleaning day. We didn't do too, too much cleaning, but we did a little bit. My flight left Monday at 5:00 and Hannah's left at 7:30, so we had all morning Monday to get things straightened and cleaned before leaving. Sunday was our last night in Boston in 2009, and for the next three weeks and it was quite nice, but a little sad. Then, Monday morning came and the weekend was over and little did I know what was in store for me for the next 48 hours...

Mamma Mia

After a crazy week of finals and constant studying, I had the pleasure of going to see Mamma Mia on Friday night. It is part of the ten-play package. It was a great end-of-finals, beginning-of-break/good-bye Boston event. The only downside was that I had to go by myself because my friend, Suzie, who also got the season ticket package deal left to go home on Thursday, so she went by herself on Wednesday night. I have seen the movie version of this musical and was not impressed. But, the play was so great! It was a lot of fun to go to and people were singing along and having fun. It was so much more enjoyable than the movie and during the curtain call, people were up and out of their seats dancing and singing along. I, however, was not because I was by myself and everyone around me remained seated as well. But, I was hoping that someone was with me so I could be up and dancing around. Oh well, it was still fun and such a great play!!! :)

December 11, 2009...

After two reading days, it was time for our first final. It was also my mom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!!! (Pretend it's December 11.) The reading days were new for me. We actually had two days of absolutely no class to being preparing for our finals. The first day, I studied a bit, but I also decided it was time to really prepare for a New England winter and buy some warm clothes. So, that first day, I chose coats and sweaters and fleeces and shoes and boots to buy and received them all during finals week. What an exciting time and uplifting gifts in the midst of finals! And, now, I am all prepared for the snowy winter that will come soon enough. Then, the second reading day, I decided that I needed to study, study, study. So, that's exactly what I did and got all ready for my final. Friday came and I took my first final. That evening, I went to church for our Christmas "Eve" service, which was pretty fun! I was a part of the choir at this service and I had an enjoyable time. I met a few new people, got to know a couple others better, and learn some new songs and some old songs better. My roommates, Shirin and Hannah, came to the service, which was fun for me to have them there and exciting they wanted to come. After the service, we returned home and made a birthday call to my mom. Yes, I did talk to her on her birthday and no, this is not the first time I'm wishing her a happy birthday. :) Then, it was a weekend full of more studying for the five finals I had the next week.

Christmas Tree Lighting

There are several trees around the Boston area that need to be lit up every year. This year, I went to the Christmas Tree Lighting in Faneuil Hall, which is an area in Boston that has many different shops and restaurants that isn't as nice as Newbury Street, but is still nice. It's closer to downtown and a good place to spend some time. So, it's nothing too, too big and not much to say about it, but I met up with a friend/classmate, one of her friends, her fiance, and his roommate and watched the lights on the tree come on. There was a stage and some singers that were not too spectacular and a lot of people. After the lights came on, we all cheered, and there was confetti shooting up. It was a fun time and fun to spend time with my friend outside of class. After the tree was lit, we met up with a few other classmates and then we kind of split ways. I ended up going to dinner with three of my roommates and another friend to a Mexican place. It was alright, for Mexican food in Boston. Here's a picture of the tree with the confetti flying all around and also a picture of Faneuil Hall with lights on all the trees that line the shops and walkway.

Mannheim Steamroller

Have you heard of them? You may have, but if not, it is a group of five extremely talented musicians with an orchestra consisting of a trumpet, french horn, a few violins and violas, a clarinet, an oboe, and maybe a few others. But, the main five musicians play an incredible amount of other instruments. Percussion, which consists of probably ten instruments, piano, electric keyboard, recorder, four or five different kinds of guitars, violin, electric violin, and some other instruments I don't know the names of. Well, I went to see them perform their Christmas concert on December 5. Before going, I didn't really know what to expect, but came out of the concert amazed and so glad I had gone. A friend of mine and I bought season tickets to Broadway across America and this was one of the ten shows we will be seeing. We have already seen Fiddler on the Roof, which was good, and Avenue Q, which wasn't the best show.

Anyway, I went to dinner with a few roommates and friends that night and then after dinner, one friend and I went to the concert while the other girls went to a holiday party with some people from school. Mannheim Steamroller was so entertaining and such an enjoyable performance. There was a screen behind the musicians and there were some scenes projected on the screen to which the music went along with and it made the concert feel much more than a concert, and added more of an active performance element. Also, there were times when the musicians were dancing along while playing and incorporated some movement during their pieces. The show was so fun and so enjoyable; I recommend it to anyone who is even remotely considering seeing them perform, whenever you have the opportunity.

I thought I had a picture of us girls at dinner before the show, but I can't find it right now. So, that can be something to look forward to. :) And, it snowed that night! It was gorgeous to be eating dinner and watch the snow fall out the window. We went to a restaurant called Cafeteria Boston on Newbury Street, which is a well-known street with fancier, more expensive shops and is a street with beautiful brick buildings. It was a very enjoyable dinner, show, and whole evening. After the concert, I was able to stop by the holiday party for a little bit and spend the evening with some classmates, which is pretty much always a fun time. :)

Wow, it's been a long time...(Thanksgiving)

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted a little something about my life. Sometimes I get so caught up in what's going on that I don't take the time to update you all back at home (or elsewhere) about what I have gotten caught up in. So, I suppose the last time I blogged was just before Thanksgiving. Now, I'm going to take it one step at a time to avoid one massive post. For Thanksgiving, I was not able to go home, but I was able to go to my Aunt Tanya and Uncle Al's home in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a different Thanksgiving as I'm pretty sure it was the first one I spent away from home. I was pretty sick the weekend before Thanksgiving, so I wasn't even sure I would be able to go. But, I woke up Tuesday morning with no fever, still feeling pretty awful though. So, I stayed home from school and rested and left that afternoon to drive to Pittsburgh. So, I was thankful that I was able to go and spend the weekend with family, but it wasn't home. We ended up going to their neighbor's home for Thanksgiving dinner and there were a lot of people there, but I only knew four of them. Nevertheless, it was a pretty good weekend, I was able to spend time with the Champagnes, which doesn't happen too often, and I go to see a little bit of Pittsburgh! :) And, by the time I got back to school on Sunday night, I was feeling MUCH better, but still a little icky. Here are a few pictures of Pittsburgh; I didn't take any of Thanksgiving or with my cousins...silly me!

Reflexes

So, a couple weeks ago we learned about deep tendon reflexes and had the opportunity to practice finding them on each other in lab. Just like when the doctor hits you just below your kneecap with the reflex hammer and your leg kicks out. We tested it on a number of different muscles and I learned that I am hyper-reflexive. Yes, my reflexes are out of control and kinda go a bit crazy with the slightest stimulus. What can I say? I'm very sensitive....well, at least my tendons are.

It's a Small World After All...

Boy, isn't it?! Today, I was in the lunch room at school and I saw a girl with a T-shirt on that read Cal Poly Mustangs and had a large mustang in the middle. When I saw it, I thought to myself, "no way..." So, I proceeded and asked her, "Did you go to Cal Poly?!" I had to ask her twice because she didn't hear me the first time, but she answered, "Yes!" I told her I did too and we had a little reminiscing time and we actually lived in the same dorm. Good ole Muir. Though, she was a year ahead of me, so I didn't know her (I act as if I knew every single person I lived in the dormitory with). She is originally from San Jose, majored in Biology, and graduated in 2007. Now, she's in the nursing program at MGH Institute of Health Professions and she's my new nursing, Cal Poly friend. I hope I'll see her around more! :)

Has it really been a month?

Really....a month since I last posted?!?! I knew it had been a while....but I didn't know it had been THAT long! I'm sorry for not updating you on my life! My, did a lot happen in the past month! First, Cari came to visit a month ago! It was Columbus Day weekend, so I had Monday off of school, which was great. She came in Friday morning and after meeting her at the airport, I went to class and she found her way back to my apartment to get ready for the day and relax a bit. Then, she came to the Navy Yard and met me at school while I was finishing up studying for the day. We went to Old Ironsides and took a tour, before going on the ferry to go to dinner in the North End, which has all kinds of delicious Italian food. What a weekend we had! We went on a duck tour, toured Fenway Park, went up on the Skywalk at the top of the Prudential building to get a full 360 degree view of Boston, went to Harvard and went on the Hahvahd Tour, went to MIT, walked across the Harvard bridge, went to the Public Garden and Boston Common, church, went apple picking, and walked and walked a lot. Every night we came home and I had worn her out. I don't realize how much walking I do everyday, but it really is a lot more than I need to do at home because I have the luxury and convenience of a car. So, yes...we walked a lot, but we did a lot too! Oh, and on Tuesday, while I was in class, Cari went on the Freedom Trail and she really enjoyed that, which was great!!! She also so graciously took me to eat at so many places and we ate so much seafood that weekend! Probably more seafood than I have eaten all year combined. When we ate at Legal Seafood, we ate at the bar to avoid the hour long wait and it was fun! I don't think I've eaten at a bar at a restaurant, but our waiter person was so nice and friendly! And...he was from Africa. It was definitely a fun-filled weekend and I'm really glad she was able to come see Boston and where I live (and seeing her was good too). :)

Wednesday morning, she headed back to California and I headed back to class and to my studies. I met with one of my teachers Wednesday evening and I went to talk to her about my first test and I had a few questions, but instead, it turned into a little emotional time. I think it was a mixture of many things including stress of school and the upcoming tests, homesickness (I did just get to spend the weekend with Cari, but that may have made me longed for home even more....not sure). Also, feeling inadequate to be in PT school and feeling like I should be doing something else and pursuing another career. There was nothing in particular, but a combination of everything and that night was an emotional one for me and I had a test the next morning. Thursday morning came and I didn't really know what was going on during the test because of everything else I was thinking of and, only by the grace of God, I ended passing my test. And, that was only the beginning of the craziest week of my semester. The next Monday we had a couple assignments due, Tuesday we had a practical and another written exam, and Friday we had another exam and the first part of our pharmacology presentations due, which (being the procrastinator that I am) I left to do until the very end. No more of that! I'm working on doing things ahead of time and hopefully that will reduce some stress a bit and help me learn the information better.

So, I had my crazy emotional week, and then my crazy academic week. The next week was a lot quieter having only one assignment and a quiz. My roommate (and friend), Hannah, and I met with one of our professors and talked with him about some work he does with the homeless, which was really interesting. In San Luis Obispo, there is quite a large homeless community and since freshman year of college, I have had some desire to work with the homeless in some capacity, but have yet to act on that desire. So, talking to DJ was a great opportunity to see how he began working with the homeless and what it looks like for him. I think it may be something I would like to eventually become involved in, but not right now. Or, if I were to do something right now, I could serve food and have that level of interaction with that community. We'll see what happens in the coming months. Other than talking to him about the homeless community, I really enjoyed just talking to our professor outside of class. And, church came up while we were talking and as far as we can tell, he is a Christian, which is really encouraging to me to just know that we have a professor who knows what it's like to be a Christian in PT and at our school. Sometimes it is just encouraging to know that someone is there who is a believer and can understand the spiritual aspect of my life as well as the school part of life, and has lived through it.

Then, it was Halloween. I am not a huge fan of the Halloween holiday. I think it is a holiday geared towards children and I think kids do have a lot of fun getting to dress up as their favorite character or sports player or whoever they decide to be. But, as I have gotten older, it's not as enjoyable of a holiday for me. But, this year was a bit different. I still wasn't super excited to dress up, but our apartment decided to have a Halloween party with some people from our class and one can't be part of the hosting group and not have a costume. So, I decided to be an Etch-A-Sketch. It was kind of a fun costume, but kind of large, making it difficult to maneuver around the apartment, especially through other people. The party was fun and everyone dressed up, so it was fun to see what they came as.

And now....we just finished our tenth week of the semester! Time sure is flying by! I had two more exams this last week...one on Monday and another one on Thursday. But, Tuesday night was a fun night because I went to see Fiddler on the Roof! Topol (the one who played in the movie) was supposed to be performing, but something happened and David Brummel (who apparently has played a judge in Law and Order) played the main character instead. I was looking forward to seeing Topol perform since that was the role that made him famous and it is his farewell tour, but I haven't seen the movie, so I didn't have anything to compare David's performance to and it was still really enjoyable. I bought a season pass with my friend to see ten different shows as a part of the Broadway across America series, so I'll be going to more plays as time goes on. I'm really excited for them to come! Fiddler on the Roof was the first one, so this is only the beginning!

Today, I went to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Massachusetts chapter conference. It was a really good conference and pretty interesting. There were a number of different sessions we could choose to attend in the morning and afternoon. I went to one on imaging...x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and the like. Then, I left that one a bit early to go to a prosthetic presentation and in the afternoon, I went to an ASTYM (a-stim) presentation. ASTYM is a technique using tools to help break up scar tissue and increase movement and decrease pain, making life more enjoyable and people to be more functional. So...it was a really interesting day and I learned quite a bit. There were quite a few exhibitors giving away a bunch of free pens and couple goniometers and measuring tapes and other items, some PT related and others not. Some of the stuff may be useful, but most of it is useless. Nevertheless, I got it and brought it home! We had a piece of paper to fill up with stickers while we went to different exhibitors. I filled it up and turned it in and they drew three papers and I was one of them! So, that means I won a free registration for next years conference. I'm kind of already looking forward to it (and not only because it's free)! And to think I thought I needed to pursue another career...

So, that's a long update on my life. Oh! How could I forget! The weekend after Cari was here...that Sunday, October 18, it snowed! And boy, did it snow! The snowflakes were huge and white and beautiful! I'm told October snow is really unusual (like the summer rain) and we haven't have snow since and I'm okay with that. :) But, the snow will be beautiful and I'm looking forward to waking up in the morning after a fresh snowfall with the sparkling white snow with no footprints. (I can definitely wait though.) I better get some warm sweaters and a jacket and some warm socks and boots. Hmmmm......'bout that.

Oh yeah...my wrist. Haha. It's been hurting for a little more than a month and after pain for two weeks, this thing kind of popped up when I bent my wrist down. I had some of my teachers look at it and it's either a ganglionic cyst or a dislocated bone. Nothing to freak out about, but just something to rest up and I'm told it will likely go away after a few weeks. It's been maybe a month since it first appeared, so I'm just trying to rest it as much as I can. The only problem is that it's my right wrist and I'm right-handed. Maybe it'll go away soon.

Okay...that's really all for now. Sorry for the extended post and I'll do my best to put pictures up soon so you can see some things I've just told you about! :) I hope you are doing well!!!

A tidbit of advice

So, before I get to the advice part, I almost forgot to tell you I went to a Tyrone Wells concert last Friday! Now, I'm not one to go to many concerts, but I really enjoyed this one. Both Tyrone as a person and his music were really enjoyable. (If you are a Grey's Anatomy fan, or have seen commercials for it, you've heard at least part of one of his songs.) He is a Christian, but doesn't sing "Christian" songs. However, he does sing about Jesus, but he just never says Jesus' name. After the concert, there was a little meet and greet and signing session, which was pretty neat. I went with my roommate, Shirin, but we went because our classmate, Kristina, told us about the concert. Kristina and her boyfriend, Jonathan, were supposed to go too, but they didn't buy their tickets beforehand and the concert was sold out so they couldn't buy the tickets at the door. :( So, after the concert, Shirin and I were talking to Tyrone and we told him the story and then had him sign a picture of himself, addressed to Kristina and Jonathan. He is such a quality guy with some quality music. Needless to say, it was a really enjoyable night! :)

Now....advice about the T, if you are ever to ride it (or any other mode of public transportation). Pay attention to what stop you need to get off at and get off there! It's really annoying to be on the T full of people and doing something and then look up to see the station you are supposed to get off at going by the windows, after the doors have already closed. Not only did that happen to me this morning, but then it almost happened to me again tonight when I was on my way home. Usually, the little announcer man will come on the speaker and announce which stop we are at. This morning, that announcer voice never came on and this evening, it did, and I quickly gathered my things and ran off the T. Two stops before I'm supposed to get off I was aware and thought, 'oh, I have two stops left and then I get off.' Then, I got to reading the little metro newspaper and apparently it was really interesting. I think I was reading about some movie, Whig It or something, or about the Red Sox and Angel rivalry and what's to come this weekend during their series. Regardless, I was not paying attention at my stop and the doors opened and I just sat there. Then, I heard the announcer voice say, "Dean Road" and I threw the newspaper on the seat next to me, picked up my backpack (which was not small), grabbed my jacket, grabbed the vacuum I had just bought (without a box because it was the display), and grabbed another little bag that I had as well and ran off the T, before the doors closed. Then, I proceeded to walk home with all my belongings hanging from me in some way. People probably thought I was a crazy mess and that I was a space cadet. It may be true, especially since I almost missed my stop TWICE today (I actually did miss it completely this morning). Oh dear....maybe I'll be more aware tomorrow and get to school and home without any glitches. We shall see.

Cari comes on FRIDAY!!! :)

A Little Update...

I've been wanting to update you all for the past week or so, but have not made the time to do so. But, now, it's a bit late and I need to go to bed, so it'll be a quick one. Honestly, this last week has been a rough one. I had a couple tests and a practical last week and they were difficult. But, what was I expecting? Them to be easy?! Studying is not as enticing now as it was this summer. Being in seven classes is very different than being in two. Time management has been such a struggle and so often I have so much to do and I don't even know where to start, so I just don't start! But now, things are beginning to pick up more, making it more crucial that I stay on top of my studies and learn the information, since it will become my career someday, I hope. :) So, studying is going slowly and not as productive as this summer, but I intend for that to change drastically in the coming days and weeks.

With that said, haha, Cari's coming to visit this weekend!!! And, I will definitely take the time to go around Boston with her and do some crazy fun things. I'm really excited for her to come and I think it's a great time--with regards to my state of mind as well as the weather and my class schedule. :) Living in/near to the city, especially Boston, allows for so many things to do when one comes to visit! It's so different from living in Clayton or San Luis Obispo. As much as I love those two places and consider them both home, living in Boston makes it much easier to answer the question "What are we going to do when someone comes to visit?" :) There is much more than the beach, the farm, Farmer's Market, bowling, going to a park, and watching a movie or playing games. As we do have a few of those previously mentioned entertaining activities, there are plenty more that I can easily come up with. I don't want to spoil any surprises I may have for Cari, so you'll just have to wait until after she comes until I share some exciting Boston activities. Then, maybe you'll all get to come experience it for yourself with me someday as well!

I have decided to make Hope Fellowship Church home for me in Boston. It's actually in Cambridge and pretty close to where I lived this summer. It's a smaller church that's pretty new, as it has been around for about six years. I really enjoy the pastor and the fact that it is a smaller church and being able to feel more known there. I have joined a community group (Bible study) that meets on Monday nights, which I enjoy greatly. The attendees of the church are about my age...some a bit older and some a few years younger, and I found that to be true of most churches in the Boston area. There are some young families, but even so, I'd guess that the oldest person I've seen at church is maybe in their early, maybe mid-, forties. I couldn't tell you why, but that's what I have experienced. So, I enjoy the church and there are many opportunities to get to know people in smaller settings, which has been great so far, and I've only gone to two weeks of community group. Well, they did have lunch after church for three weeks that I went to as well and met some people. One week was a potluck (which I didn't know about so I didn't bring any food). The next week was a newcomer's lunch. And, then the week after that was a college student lunch. So, going to the lunches three weeks in a row gave me opportunities to meet people and talk with them as well. I've been able to meet and talk with one of the pastors on a number of occasions and meeting other people...so great! Oh yes...and, one of the women in my community group is a physical therapist, so I have someone to encourage me and be able to personally relate to what I'm going through right now too, which is comforting. And, I could potentially ask her PT questions too, if I need to. So, that's fun.

I think that's about all for now. Hmmm....oh! I got a crock-pot last week. So, that will be exciting to cook something in there. Just need some good crock-pot worthy recipes now! Anyone??? My mom said she would give me some if I got a crock-pot. So, I got a crock-pot, now it's her turn to act, but I would gladly take recipes from anyone as I know some phenomenal cooks do read my blog every once in a while. :)

Oh, yes...I have decided to research Gabapentin for my pharmacology project. So, thank you for that suggestion. :)

It's beginning to look like fall, which is really exciting! The leaves are beginning to change colors, which is fantastic! Every morning as we're walking to the T, or are just outside, and we see a tree with fall-colored leaves, we gaze up at the beauty of it and I imagine all the trees looking like that. Hard to imagine right now. I've seen leaves change color, but it's only a few that do...I'm used to seeing a number of trees that stay green. I've been told that if we have some more cold days, the leaves will change faster. I suppose it's the coldness that enhances the color change, and I'm embracing and enjoying the crisp and cool air along with the beautiful colors. I think I'm adapting to colder weather and still wearing jeans with a light jacket and sandals when it's 50, maybe 60, degrees outside. I don't anticipate that happening when it gets much colder than that though. I'll keep you posted.

Alright, I think that has to be all for now as I do need to get some rest tonight. Thanks for reading and we'll be in touch!!!

Pharmacology Poll!

So, for my pharmacology class, I will be doing a project on a medication. It can be any medication I want, but I need ideas! If you or someone you know is taking any medications or drugs, or you have heard of a medication and you want to know more detailed information about it, let me know and I'll use it for my project topic! The project would be more interesting for me if I could relate it to someone in my life, and then I'll be more informed and then I can inform you as well! :) Thanks!

The Past Couple of Weekends

Has it really been two weeks since I wrote last?! Wow, time sure flies! It seems as if so much has happened, but really, not many interesting things. Maybe it's just that I'm in class most of the time and I've learned so much that I think a lot is going on, when really, what's going on is all in my head. And, as I don't want to bore you with the details of what I'm learning, I'll give you a overview of what's been going on. We have begun our clinical experiences, in which we go to an acute care setting once every other week for half a day. I am at Massachusetts General Hospital and my clinical instructor, Kate, (the PT I follow, learn from, and am with) is so great! I'm really excited to learn from her and to see how she treats patients and to be able to not only see what it's like to work with patients, but be able to get a taste of working with real patients myself, of course with Kate's supervision. On the off weeks, we have a session at school with one of our professors doing different things that we'll be seeing in the hospital. It's like a practice run/preview of what's to come, which has been helpful to me in the past few weeks to know what to expect more and feel more confident in what we're doing. That's probably the most interesting class to talk about right now, but I am learning other things that are good and interesting as well. :) Other than that though, it's the T rides to school and the walk from North Station (where we get off the T) to school and then the walk and T ride home. On the T, I have been reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom and what a fantastic book it is! If you don't know, it is about Corrie's life and how God was faithful to her and her family during the Holocaust. They hid Jews in their home and eventually were caught and taken to a concentration camp. Her life and what she went through is heart-wrenching, but to see God's faithfulness through it all is incredible. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, spent the longest time in the concentration camp and to see how the Lord provided for them throughout their time, in the midst of evil and torture is so amazing. I'm not quite done with it, but it is such a God-glorifying and encouraging book, seeing the Lord work in such a tumultuous time and I definitely recommend it if you have not read it. Back to...the walk! It is so nice and when we get out of school in the evening, the sunsets are gorgeous! Here's a few pictures I took one night on our way to North Station:

Boston at dusk with sailboats in the foreground

The Zakim Bridge at sunset

The Zakim Bridge with cars

This is one from a morning walk; Bunker Hill Monument

Let me see...other than school. Last weekend, one of our classmates so graciously lent Hannah, Shirin, and I her car so we could make one more trip to Ikea. What we wanted to take half the day ended up taking the whole day, but it was filled with fun! We got to Ikea and got a coffee table, side table, television stand, and a few other odds and ends. So, our living room is complete now!!! It's rather exciting to see things come together and have our space usable and functional. I also got some picture frames from Ikea, which I'm really excited about. I ordered some prints last week and they should be here hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday. Yay!!! I'm really excited to put the pictures in the frames and then hang them up on my walls. I just hope it looks as good as I am imaging it to be. :) After Ikea, we made a stop at Target for three things. I got a microwave, Hannah got a space heater, and Shirin got a dust buster. Haha...Target drew us in and we came out with just a few more things. They were things we needed, but didn't exactly go to Target to get them. But, that's okay. It was a very enjoyable day and great to spend time with the girls. :)

This weekend, I finally did laundry and really excited to have clean clothes! Sometimes, when I wait quite a long time to do laundry, I forget about some of the clothes I have because they've been sitting at the bottom of the hamper for quite a while. So, now, I have more clothes to choose from and it's wonderful. I studied a bit yesterday and then cleaned the stove last night. What a chore that was! the stove itself has probably been cleaned semi-recently, but the pans underneath the (electric) burners were disgusting and probably hadn't been cleaned in a very, very long time. So, that took a while, but we now have a clean stove and it makes me happy when I look at it. (haha...I haven't cooked on it yet, but I'll be extra happy when I actually use it.) This afternoon, I continued my cleaning and cleaned my blinds. They were gross as well and probably haven't been cleaned in at least two, probably five, years. Thankfully, one of my blinds needed replacing, so I only had to clean one and then I took down the other disgusting one and put up the brand-new, nice, and clean blinds. Thanks mom for making us clean the blinds when we were growing up! Have you started your teaching kids how to clean business yet? :) I think I might have issues when I clean because once I start, I can't stop! I just continue to inspect more closely and then see more and more things that are dirty and what was going to be just cleaning the top of the stove (the pans and such) turned into wiping the walls down, cleaning the dials for the stove and underneath them, wiping the outside of the oven, cleaning the counters, and it almost turned into cleaning the outside of the refrigerator, the inside of the oven, the heater strip in the kitchen, more kitchen walls. I just kept eyeing dirt everywhere! Once I start, I can't stop (as long as I'm in the cleaning mood)...isn't that a commercial jingle for something? Pringles maybe? Once you pop, you can't stop? I don't know. :)

How could I almost forget! Friday night was a lot of fun too. I went out with a few classmates, which was really enjoyable and then went to my friend's housewarming party. This friend is a friend from high school and we haven't seen or talked to each other since, but now we are both living here in Boston. Crazy, huh?! It's about a twenty minute T ride to her place, which is so cute! It was great to see her and catch up/reconnect a bit and I anticipate seeing more of her as time goes on. Kinda fun! Then, as I was on my way home, from the house warming party, I was on the T and sat next to some girl, or so I thought it was some girl. After a few minutes, she turns to me and says questioningly, "Janelle?!" I turned and looked at here and in disbelief saw Christina Stellini sitting next to me on the T at 11:30 at night in Boston. For those of you who don't know, Christina's dad was my high school basketball coach and she was an assistant coach my senior year as well. Ha! She was out here for four or five days visiting her boyfriend and job hunting. That was a crazy and unbelievable moment! Oh, right, and her boyfriend lives maybe two or two and a half blocks away from me! So, we got off at the same stop. What a surprise that T ride was; and a fun surprise it was!

I had the chance to talk to my mom, sister, Stephen, Grandma, and Grandpa this weekend, which gave me some good family time! And, only twelve more days until Cari is here to visit!!! I am so excited for that weekend, but first, I must get through the week ahead of me. I have one exam on Tuesday and a practical on Thursday. But, I don't have anything on Wednesday, which will be such a rare treat!!! :) It will be a good day to get quite a bit done!

Recent Weather and More

So, I wanted to make mention of what the weather has been like recently. I have been sure to make note of how much it has rained over the summer months, but now it has been so nice and beautiful for the past couple weeks. It hasn't rained since I've been back after summer. Well, maybe it rained once or twice right when I got back, but I don't remember. Although it hasn't been super hot, like I've heard it's been in California, and I've been wearing jeans most days, I am thoroughly enjoying the sunny weather. And, with that said....I believe it's supposed to rain tomorrow and this weekend. There is a storm that's supposed to be coming through soon, but we shall see.

One of my roommate's friends came and visited last weekend, which was pretty fun! Hannah and her friend walked around and did some sight seeing and Sunday we tried to go on the Duck Tour, but it was sold out. Once again, my attempt to go on a Duck Tour failed. So, instead we went to the top of the Prudential Center to go on the AirWalk tour. What an incredible view of the city! Oh my goodness...you could see everything and there was a little audio piece that would tell us what we were looking at through each window. It was a beautiful day and we saw all kinds of things. Different areas of Boston, the ocean and the islands, Fenway Park from above, and so much more! I also learned little tidbits about the city from the narrating man, who made a few comments about the Boston-New York rivalry. I new, obviously, it existed, but it's pretty intense. What a gorgeous view and so worth the $12 I paid to go to the top of the building. I'm excited to go back again in the fall when the trees change colors...it will be even more incredible. Cari...get ready, that is a trip we must take. And, hopefully the trees will be all different colors at that time too!

Today, in class, we learned and practiced a few different massage techniques, which are pretty incredible. It's quite fun to go to class and massage each other for an hour or more. And, there is so much to discover under the skin; it's rather exciting. Today was practicing our Swedish massage techniques that we probably won't be using a lot, but it's kinda fun to know and it gives us practice to feel everything under the skin as well.

Our furniture came today!!! I am very excited about my new desk, except that it's humungous! It is so large and takes up so much room, but it does give me a nice large area to spread out for studying purposes, which will be great for me. My dresser also came today. However, the directions to put it all together seem to be missing. Therefore, I was unable to assemble it tonight because I don't know what to do at all. I know what it's supposed to look like at the end, but without the step-by-step guide, I don't think I can make it look like the pictures I have seen. Fortunately, I was talking with one of my classmates today and it turns out that she got the same dresser as I did and she assembled it the other night. So, she's bringing me her directions tomorrow, meaning I'll have a dresser tomorrow night and I can get everything situated! I am so excited and then, I will be delving into my books this weekend. Such an exciting few days ahead of me. The rain will make it easier to study for sure. So, I'm kind of hoping it does rain this weekend. Oh yes...more furniture. Our couches came as well, so we have seating in our living room, which is so great. So much more comfortable than the hardwood floor and the rug we got is so soft! We are almost done with furniture. We need a small coffee table of some sort and a television stand and some more shelving or storage of some sort for the kitchen. Oh yeah, and a dining table and maybe some chairs to go with that. Other than that, I think we're pretty much all set to go!

Alright...that is all for now and it's off to bed I go...after moving all the pieces of my dresser off my bed. So sad...silly missing directions.

Random Recent Events

WARNING: This post is quite the random post. I just wrote as it came and I suppose there was no organization in my mind at all. It may be because my room is unorganized and I had a rough/unorganized first week of school. You have been warned, but I hope you are still able to enjoy my unorganized ramblings!

To start with...just in case you didn't know, today is 9-9-09...barely since the day is almost over, but I made it! I started school again last week and with the beginning of school came many other beginnings as well. I moved to another apartment, but for some reason people in Boston who rent apartments begin the lease on September 1 and the lease ends August 31...every year. No overlaps or different dates or anything. And, our school has orientation on September 1. One may think that if half the city is moving on September 1, maybe orientation could be on the second because it's most likely that students will be moving as well. But, no, that was not the case. Therefore, we all went to orientation and had a school-wide BBQ and all, which was actually quite tasty and then instead of going on the Duck Tour that the school would have paid for, I went to the U-haul place to pick up a truck to move all my stuff across town. Yes, the U-haul was essential and I was so thankful that there was one available when I called just a few days before we needed it. Brian, one of my classmates and roommates, drove the truck around town. First, to my old apartment where we loaded up all of Shirin and my belongings as well as Hannah's and some of Brian's since they stayed with us for the last week or so because they had no place to go. Then, Brian and Neil went to pick up Neil's belongings and then went to another classmate's apartment to pick up the remainder of Brian and Danielle's belongings. While all that went on, Hannah, Shirin, and I came to the apartment. We all met at our new place and the unloading began. After just a short while and quite a few trips from the truck to the apartment, we were done! Living on the first floor makes moving so much easier and quicker; it was wonderful! Then, we had pizza for dinner and chose rooms and started taking our bags to our new rooms. Brian and I went to return the truck late that night since we didn't want to have to take care of it in the morning before school and after getting lost maybe two or three times, we found the U-haul place and successfully dropped the truck off, thankfully. It was a late night and a busy day, but we moved! Then, it was to the air mattress for a few days until my bed came on Saturday, which has been wonderful. Such a comfortable bed and it makes me happy to sleep. :) It's a bit high, but that just adds to its loveliness. I have been unpacking and trying to get organized in my room all week while also trying to figure out my school schedule as well and stay tuned in on my classes so I know what is going on. I do my best and am SO looking forward to my desk and dresser that I purchased at Ikea last weekend. They come tomorrow and I can't wait to build them! I got a bookshelf and a chair yesterday and built them last night. The bookshelf is great and I was able to at least get my books in order so I can see them and know what books I have. Needless to say, this last week has consisted of multiple trips to Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, and especially the hardware store (I think of my dad often!). Oh, yes...my shelf (from the hardware store) that I put on the floor of my closet for my shoes works wonders. It has taken some time and patience, but my room is beginning to come together and is almost at the functional level I have been hoping for. We also purchased couches and maybe a few other things for the living room at Ikea, so we will soon have a more livable living room, and apartment in general, after it all comes!

The first week of school has not been too intense, which has been good for the move-in and having to shop for furniture and other helpful organizational items. Alright...enough about the apartment for now. I went on a jog today and ended up at a small little body of water called the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I was there at about sunset and it was gorgeous. So peaceful and a nice little jog/walk around the water was a really good way to begin my evening. There were so many people out running or walking around the reservoir and it was a nice get away. Plus, I was exercising more than just the normal walking around I do daily, which was a first in who knows how long. Then, I came home and made some dinner, which was sufficient and then studied a tiny bit of medical terminology in preparation for my test on Friday.

While I was at home over summer, I got my hair cut. Maybe you know this, maybe you don't, but I had Sharon (hair person) cut eleven inches off. Well, I think she cut off ten to begin with in order to donate my hair, which I wasn't able to mail in before I left, so I believe my hair is in a plastic bag on my desk at home still. Then, Sharon cut off some more to style and do whatever else with my hair. She was really excited about it because she loves the cut and had given it to her daughter the previous evening. I definitely had to take some time to get used to the bangs and the shortness of it, but after a week or two, it has finally grown on me and I like my haircut. But, I must say I like it best after I blow dry it, but that doesn't happen too often. (I have actually only blow dried my hair once since I got it cut, but it was my favorite day of my haircut!)

I received a phone call the other day...Monday, to be exact. And on the other end of the phone was my sister with some very exciting news that pretty much made my month! Can you guess what it is?!?! She's coming to visit me!!!!!! October 9 through the 14. Friday through Wednesday with Cari! I am so excited and can't wait! Amongst other activities, I was thinking I would take her on a Duck Tour and then I can experience it with her, since I missed out last week. And, after she made plans and bought the ticket and everything, I took a look at my calendar and decided that the weekend she is coming is probably the best one for her to come. Not only do I think the weather will be a real fall with leaves changing colors and all (at least I hope it's like that) but more so, I don't have class that Friday afternoon, nor Monday (due to Columbus Day), nor Wednesday morning. :) Worst case would have been Friday class until 4, school Monday and Tuesday, and class Wednesday morning at 10. Then, I would have only really gotten to spend Saturday and Sunday with her (plus the other evenings). But, it's the best case that will occur, which makes me even more excited because that means we can do more and spend more time together!!! Oh the plans I am thinking of! :)

I'm sure there is more to say, but as this is already just bits and pieces of my mind as I think of things, I'm not sure what else there is to write about at this moment. And, with that, I am going to go to bed so I can wake up and do a cross fit workout with a few of my roommates in the morning. We don't have class until noon, so we are going to try this crazy work out my roommate has. We'll see how it goes in the morning!

Vacation is Over

Vacation, vacation, vacation. It was so nice to be on vacation. And, apparently, when I go on vacation from school, I go on vacation from everything! Well, maybe not everything, but at least blogging. Being at home and in California was really nice. Family time, boating, friends, wedding, more friends, birthday, eating food I didn't have to prepare or pay for...thanks mom and dad!!! :) I got home on my dad's BIRTHDAY and my grandparents came over that night for a birthday dinner, which was delicious and they brought slides from back in the day while my dad was growing up, which was fun to see! We saw pictures of him as a wee little one and the different homes they lived in and the one they built in the different stages of building. It was fun for me and Stephen, and my mom, to learn a bit about my dad's younger years and fun for my grandparents, and probably my dad too, to reminisce a bit. After some time down memory lane, or learning lane, some family friends came over and semi-surprised my dad for birthday dessert. I'm not sure if he was surprised at all...I think he may have known, or at least suspected, people were coming. And, then there was dessert...home-made ice cream without, what was it mom? sugar? Yes...I believe it was sugarless home-made ice cream. Not as yummy as I was anticipating and then I left without a second batch of ice cream being made. Maybe in December. Home-made ice cream for Christmas?! Maybe we can put red food coloring in it and have red vanilla ice cream.

The next day was my roommate's WEDDING!!! Katie and Doster were married in the Heather Farm Rose garden and it was gorgeous! It was a warm evening, but everybody and the setting was incredible. It was so good to see my roommates and have some crazy roommate wedding fun! But then, the night came to an end too quickly and they all had to go back to San Luis. So fun, but way too short. Oh yes...I caught the bouquet at the wedding reception too. Hmmm....I wonder.

A couple days of relaxing, soaking up the sun and warm weather....it was pretty great and felt like what summer is supposed to be. Then, a couple days later, it was off to Angel's Camp! My family and a few friends have gone a few times and all I've experienced of these summer trips are the stories they come back with. I've been in summer school when they have gone before, but not this time! It was so fun to be with everyone and experience the Angel's Camp trip. Twelve families, plus Cari came!!! It was a crowd of people, but a great crowd! Boating, SUN, water, warm weather, friends, family, sun, it was such a great and relaxing weekend. And, it was so nice to be able to go on vacation without homework. It is so much more relaxing than when I have homework to think about.

We came back from Angel's Camp on Sunday, and then Stephen packed up all his belongings and on Tuesday, it was off to Chico! We went up and helped him move into his apartment and to see where he's living this year and all that jazz. It was a great couple, last days with Stephen and my parents before leaving him for his second year of college. Then, it was off to home, once again, to spend one final week in Clayton before returning to Boston. The end of the week consisted of one wonderful afternoon with Julie shopping at Target and Barnes and Noble and spending time with each other, catching up and an exciting afternoon with Jessica baking fancy rose-colored and -flavored fancy cupcakes with edible flowers and raspberries on top. Except...the edible flowers weren't really edible, but we ate them anyway. We're still alive! I suppose they were just sugar-coasted rose petals. Jessica and I enjoyed them, but I can't say the same for my parents. Hmmm....oh well; they were pretty! After eating a scrumptious hamburger at Fuddrucker's, we parted ways and I went home.

Oh yes...that week, Uncle Tom, Aunt Stephanie, and cousin Amy stayed with us, which was great fun! Fun for them to be around, especially since I would have been the only child around if they weren't there. :) I love my parents, but I also love the hustle and bustle of a household full of people! They cleaned Amy's new house and moved her all in that week and left Monday. Then, it was just my parents and me for the final two days before I flew across the country. We packed a lunch and went to watch and listen to a friend, Kevin Toqe, play outside for a bit, which was really enjoyable. After the lunch and outdoor, sunny concert, we saw Julie and Julia, which was alright. It was cute, but not my favorite movie. I'd say it's a rental. :) I was able to see my grandparents one more time before I left too, which was a really special time to talk and see their fun, meaningful items in their home that they have had for many, many years and hearing the stories as to how these items were obtained. So interesting!

Then, I had to pack all my belongings up and head to the airport Wednesday, the 26th of August. Definitely a ton easier leaving this time, but it was hard to leave the warm sunshine. Okay, I suppose it might have been sad to leave my parents too. Well, now I'm back in Boston and for the last week, I have been able to hang out a bit, but have spent quite the time packing up and moving and starting school and buying a bed and who knows what else. It's been interesting, yet fun. And although I'm not totally ready to begin this fall semester, I am looking forward to the semester and all that we will be learning. It will be difficult, but the New England fall weather is what I am looking forward to most during the next couple months!!! :)

Weather

Oh, the weather. How quickly it changes! One day is hot and humid, the next is beautiful and sunny, and still, the next is wet. Last Friday was a wet day. Very, very wet. I went to study in Harvard Square and not having been around Harvard Square at all, I didn't know where any good place to study was. So, I was walking around with a friend trying to find a place to set our packs down and open the books. We went into a tea shop and it was okay, but didn't stay. We went into a coffee shop, which would have been nice if it weren't for all the people. Not finding a single free seat inside, we left to go on to find another place. Third time's a charm! Or, not. We sat down and were getting ready to pull our books out and then the waitress comes to tell us that the fire marshals are coming to check the sprinklers upstairs to make sure they work so everyone has to go downstairs. Well then, we go downstairs and it was too crowded. So, no more room and we left. We left to another cafe-type place that was super crowded and super loud. Keep in mind that it was pouring rain while we were going from place to place. We waited for Shirin at the fourth place and once she met up with us, we went on to the fifth potential study place for the day. We ended up at Peet's, which was a great choice and it ended up to be a pretty good study session. We were soaking wet, but we made it. I really wanted to go to a local place, but nothing was working out for us, so Peet's ended up being the best choice. Oh yes, it was also Green Friday in the middle of Harvard Square. This means that people were at a stand trying to hand out free green items. There was green jell-o, limeade, and some kind of tart/pastry thing with kiwi and honeydew on top. The jell-o was not very good, the limeade was very tart, and the fruit thing was good, but a bit crumbly. While we were studying, there were times when the rain just came gushing down in a downpour. I have never had as wet of a summer as I did this year. But, I have also been in California every summer until this year. Since Friday, it hasn't rained (a whole week without rain--rather exciting!) and it's supposed to be nice for a few more days as well. But, I'm going home tomorrow morning anyway. We've had a few humid days this last week, but for the most part, it's been really nice weather this week and today is BEAUTIFUL! What a day for my last day in Boston!

Although it's been nice this last week, I haven't been able to enjoy it much since I was inside studying for the entire week. I had my final tests this last week and I think I did pretty well. No more human cadaver lab, which is sad. We had our last day with them Thursday during our practical and I definitely took one last deep breath as I walked into the room. They served us well and I'm really thankful to those people for donating their bodies so I could have the opportunity to learn. I was able to see some pretty interesting things and it was a very valuable learning experience. Now, it's time to go off and finish up some laundry, have some fun in Boston, and pack a few things so I can go to the airport to fly to California early tomorrow morning! So excited to go home and see many of you and have some real summer weather and to be able to enjoy it! :)

Last week of Gross Anatomy

Wow! Time sure has flown by. The last eight weeks have been intense and so much information has gone through my head. I have learned so much about the body, yet there is still so much to learn, and I'm sure I will be relearning/refreshing on what I have learned this summer. Last week we had our last day of anatomy lecture and lab in which we talked about the forearm and hand. We were able to see a carpal tunnel and appreciate all the muscles in the forearm and the arteries of the entire arm! My oh my. Much different than I had expected. There are so many more muscles in your forearm than your upper arm and all the blood supply and nerves that weave their way around all the bones and muscles and spaces throughout--it's rather amazing and so interesting! As this next week begins, I think and realize in amazement that I only have four days of school left and on Saturday, I fly home to California!!! So exciting!!! But, first, I must get through this week. I have a review session and practice test on Monday, a test for my other class (on learning how to be a professional) on Tuesday morning, a skills check on Wednesday to make sure I am able to use/adjust/instruct a patient on proper use of assistive devices such as crutches and walkers of different types. Then, Thursday is the BIG day! I have my written exam and then the practical afterwards. I should be done with anatomy and my first term of grad school on Thursday at about three or four in the afternoon maybe.

Saturday morning is another BIG day!!! I fly home! Many of my classmates and I have been talking for about a week now about how excited we are all to go to our respective homes for a couple weeks during our break. Some people have plans to hang out with friends or go places or do crazy things, but we are all excited to go home to our mothers' cooking (and to see our families of course)! :) In addition to seeing my family and a few friends and eating mom's food, I'm excited to spend time relaxing and being in the dry heat and warm sun. I'm really looking forward to not having to study constantly, although I am enjoying the material. Plus, on top of all that, it's my dad's birthday Saturday when I land, and Sunday is my friends' wedding! I am so excited for Katie and Doster and am looking forward to their wedding immensely! Because they are getting married, I get to see all my roommates from my last quarter at Cal Poly, which is going to be incredible!!! My first weekend at home is going to be BUSY, but so much fun!!! And, I won't have to think about having to study at all or if I'm falling behind! How lovely that will be! Then, the second weekend I'm home is family vacation time with multiple families, which I am really looking forward to as well! I'll get to spend the weekend with a few great families I really enjoy and my sister is coming up for it too, which will make it even better! Oh my, so, so much I am looking forward too! But first, I must get through my tests this week, so it's off to bed I go to get some rest!

Jazz Brunch

I totally forgot to write about the Jazz Brunch Shirin and I went to last Saturday morning! We went to Johnny D's in Davis Square, which is just one stop away on the train from our place. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, there is a Jazz Brunch, when there is Jazz music performed live in the restaurant. The restaurant itself is a really neat place and the guy playing some jazz added to the ambience. However, we went at maybe 11:30, and the man who was playing music didn't play between noon and one. We figured we probably shouldn't go during lunch hour if we really wanted to hear the live jazz music. But, we did get a taste of it and it was quite fun! Also, the restaurant serves grits so we shared a small bowl of cheesy grits to taste. And, they were definitely gritty! Tasteless without the cheese, but we tried them! Definitely wouldn't want them on a regular basis...I prefer Cream of Wheat, even if the bottom burns and sticks to the pan. :) After Johnny D's, we went to study at Diesel Cafe, which was so great! It's a rather large cafe with quite a few tables. It was a popular place with many little trinkets to look at from time to time, during a study break. :) After a long afternoon of studying, Shirin and I went over to Neil's place for dinner. Neil is a friend, future roommate, and classmate. (He is the lone non-California one in the apartment-from Florida.)

Finally Summer...

Yep! Summer has come upon us here on the east coast. Or, at least I'm told this is more of a typical summer. Yesterday morning, I woke up hot and sticky. Yes...the humidity has set in. And, the heat. So, I took a shower, but I was just as sweaty after as I was before, so I'm not sure if it was worth it. Then, I went to church at Hope Fellowship Church yesterday morning, which was pretty good. I enjoyed the service and the preaching and it seems as if they are pretty involved in the community and are looking for ways to continually reach out to those around them, which is encouraging. Kind of a smaller church and I absolutely loved the building! :) (an added bonus) I met up with two of my friends from Cal Poly, Ruth and Lissa, at church and it was so much fun to see them on the opposite coast! And, I found out that I will be living close to Ruth next year while Lissa moves back to California to go to Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. Both Ruth and Lissa have lived here for the past year and I am looking forward to seeing Ruth more in the coming year! We went to lunch together after church and towards the end of lunch, it randomly started pouring and maybe ten minutes later, it stopped just as abruptly as it began. When the rain has stopped, we decided to take advantage of the dry sky and travel home. I went to study at Breugger's which is a great coffee shop place with excellent music. Shirin met me there and we studied until they closed. We had a coupon we were going to use to buy a dozen bagels, but when we went to go buy them, they had already closed the registers and had partial bags of bagels, so the workers gave us a bunch of bagels for free! It was so nice of them and so great for us! We were given six pumpernickel, five or six wheat, and maybe four multi-bagels. Whatever they were, they were free and gave us reason to smile and something to eat! :)

Last night, while I was laying in bed, all of a sudden there was a flash outside my window followed by claps of thunder. A bit confused, I laid in my bed, listening and waiting. There was more thunder and lightening and maybe two minutes later, the rain finally came. And, when the rain came, it came all at once...in a downpour. Right before this happened, I was thinking that summer had finally come and I was experiencing the hot and humid summer as I was expecting. And, then the rain came and thought I had thought too soon. However, I was talking with a fellow classmate this morning and she informed me that these thunderstorms are typical and normal in the summer. Whereas I think winter when I think thunderstorm, these people over here think summer when they think thunderstorm. Interesting difference. So, I suppose I was correct in thinking that I am finally experiencing a more typical east coast summer. So much to get used too...can't wait until I learn about and experience a New England winter! I think I'm in for a surprise! :) And today, again, was hot and humid. I am so thankful for the window air conditioning unit in my room and that my room is on the second floor and not the third. Shirin and Laura (my two roommates who both have rooms upstairs) are so warm in their rooms-I feel bad for them. So, I really have not too much, if anything, to complain about!

Random thought/observation:

I noticed this a while ago...on my way back to Boston from California from the wedding...but it's useless to have automatic flushing toilets in the bathrooms if they do not work properly. Sometimes the automatic flusher flushes way too early--before I even sit down! Then, I have to get another seat cover and start over. Or, there are the toilets that the automatic flusher doesn't flush automatically, so I have to manually push the button anyway to flush it. What's the point of that? I don't see one, but maybe I need to be enlightened. However, we have automatic flushing toilets at school and they work wonderfully...flushing at the right time and everything! When the automatic flusher works like it's supposed to, automatic flushing toilets can be great! However, when they work like they are not supposed to, automatic flushing toilets are useless and more frustrating because it does not function as expected.

A Few Exciting Things (and a couple pictures)

So, I totally neglected to share a few exciting pieces of mail I received since moving to Boston! Mail time is my favorite part of the day, although I rarely find something in the mailbox for me. Somehow, just the excitement of getting the mail and the possibility of there being something for me inside makes me happy. Usually, there is nothing for me, but then I can see who did receive something in the mail and I can be excited for them because who doesn't like to receive real mail? Right...nobody...EVERYONE likes to receive some real mail, even if it's just a letter from the dentist's office. Okay, it's not so personal, but at least they take the time to mail a pre-printed, pre-signed happy birthday card. Growing up, some days I would race my dad to the mailbox to be able to get the mail first. Then, even if he won, I would still have to look through the mail myself after he told me I didn't get anything or giving me what was addressed to me. Then, there were those days that he would beat me to the mailbox and still let me take the mail out. What a great dad! I said there were those days, but they still occur. :) When I was home for Nathan and Erin's wedding, my dad made a special point to ask me if I wanted to get the mail one day and I said OF COURSE! Then I went and got the mail because he told me it had arrived. :)

Okay...back to my story. I have received a few wonderful letters and appreciate them so much. Thank you to those who have sent me mail-I absolutely love it and it pretty much makes my day!!! :) When I got back to my place after coming back to Boston from the wedding last month, there was a note on my bedroom door that said that I have a package downstairs, to the laundry. A bit confused, I opened the door that goes downstairs to go to the laundry in the basement, and what do I see?! A HUMUNGOUS box addressed to ME!!!! I was SO excited and a bit confused too. I later found out that my downstairs neighbor brought the box in and put it in the stairwell to get it off the front porch, which was really nice of him. When I brought it up to my room, I looked at it and saw that my sister had sent it to me. Then, I was a little confused as to what was inside. It was such a big box and I had no idea what she had sent me. I opened it and to my surprise, it was the most amazing care package I have ever received. There was a huge card that said Welcome to Boston along with all kinds of goodies and trinkets and things to decorate and play with! :) THANK YOU CARI!!!! That was the ultimate home-coming and Boston-welcoming gift! I was so excited and still can't help but smile and get excited when I think about it or look at anything that came in it. :)

I was so excited! Such a large card and a large basket with so many goodies!!!

All the contents in the care package. It's so much!!! :)

Then, maybe it was the next week or sometime later, I received another box in the mail, but this time it was from my mom and dad! It was significantly smaller than the previous box, but just as exciting nonetheless. :) I opened it and this time, I found all my spices and a few snacks and food items! Spices are expensive to buy, so I was just going to wait until later to bring them from home because I didn't want to buy new ones when I already had some at home and could bring later. So, now we can use the spices when we cook, which is actually not as often as we should or want to. But, we have them available when we want to use them! Thank you mom!!! and dad too!!! :)

SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT MY CADAVER LAB.

Some of you know about what I missed in the cadaver lab by going to Nathan and Erin's wedding. For those of you who don't know...our class is broken into two groups for dissecting. That Thursday I left for California, my normal group was going second. In order to make sure I had plenty of time to get to the airport and checked in so I wouldn't be late for my plane, I switched with a girl in the first group that day and went to lab early. Thursday night, right before I boarded my plane, I found out that the second group (my normal group) cut one of the legs off the cadaver that afternoon. If I didn't have to go to the airport to catch a plane, I would have been there. Keep in mind that my group had primarily done skinning and getting through all the fat of our body while the other group cut through the ribs and took out the rib cage and took out the organs (they did leave the heart for us to take out, which was nice). So, I felt like I was missing out on the "exciting" stuff, but really, skinning is pretty exciting because we find so many cutaneous nerves, arteries, veins, and other neat things as we dissect. Anyway, I had the opportunity to cut the clavicles out last week, which I was thankful for the opportunity to do so. It allowed me to have a more complete dissection lab experience. It wasn't anything like the leg, but it was something. And, we started dissecting the face and to look at the tempomandibular joint (TMJ) we chiseled through the mandible a bit. Dad...we definitely use tools in lab, but for a very different reason than you ever have.

And now, here are a couple pictures to go with the last post:

Shirin and I in our white coats after the white coat ceremony.

Neil, Kristina, and Erin in front of one of the tall ships that came through Boston Harbor.

My Half Birthday...

...was a week and a half ago on July 7. Just in case you were wondering. However, that was a pretty eventful day and I have been rather busy recently and have decided to take some time to write about last week a bit. After studying all weekend long, I had my first gross anatomy test on that Tuesday. It was pretty intense, but my study habits have significantly changed from undergrad, so I felt rather comfortable and calm and somewhat confident going into the test. And, I came out of it feeling pretty good about it. After the test, some of my classmates and I went to celebrate and then about ten of us left the larger celebration to go to the A's game! Well, everyone else said it was the Red Sox game, but Oakland was in town. Although the A's scored the first run, they ended up losing when the ninth inning came around. The A's had won 6-0 Monday night and I realize I was being rather hopeful in wanting them to win two in a row. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the game and it was fun to be in Fenway Park, which is a lot smaller of a field than I was expecting it to be. I did not get a Fenway Frank though...I suppose I'll just have to go again.

Wednesday was our White Coat Ceremony for school. Nothing big nor fancy, but just a small ceremony in our classroom in which the third year DPT students coated us with our white coats and then pinned us with our MGH Institute of Health Professions pin. There were only a few families there...mom and dad--you didn't miss much! I can re-enact it for you in August if you so desire. It's kind of fun to have a white coat, which we will be wearing when we go to our clinical observations and practicums. It looks rather professional and medical. I have my first clinical observation on Monday at Massachusetts General Hospital, so I will be wearing my white coat for the first time on Monday. I'm excited for it, so hopefully it goes well! After the ceremony, I went apartment searching with my future roommates and it was a successful trip--the realtor called us yesterday and told us that he has a lease for us to sign! I will be living with five other people and we are all pretty excited. It's almost a California exclusive house; there is one guy from Florida, but the rest of us are from California. It most definitely is CA dominant (and northern CA to be more specific). One girl from Los Angeles area (Cerritos), one girl from San Ramon (Shirin-current roommate), one girl from San Jose, one guy from Petaluma, and me! We'll all be learning how to manage in the cold winter together when the time comes. :)

Last Friday morning I went into school to practice my transfers. It was great! haha... But, really, it was good practice and becoming more comfortable in transferring people from a bed to a wheelchair and back again and moving them around to different positions while they are in the bed. It will be necessary for me, especially if I am working in the hospital or rehab setting. After practicing those important skills, I went with a couple friends to wander around the tall ships. I suppose once every five or six years or so these "tall ships" come into the Boston Harbor from all over the world for a weekend for people to visit and explore and learn a bit. We didn't go on any of the ships because there were so many people and families around. But, since our school is right in the navy yard, right on the water/harbor, we walked around and explored the festivities. It was a beautiful day outside and seeing the tall ships was fun and a good study break (between transfer practicing and anatomy studying). After eating lunch in the festivities, I went inside for the rest of the day and missed the gorgeous weather in the harbor to study. Then, we went to Indian food for dinner and the dish I got was a bit too spicy for my liking, but I was able to try other not so spicy dishes that were rather tasty. It was a pretty good first impression of Indian food.

Saturday morning, we went to Haymarket, which has an outdoor farmer's market every Friday and Saturday all day. It was nothing like Thursday nights in San Luis, but we were able to get a bunch of fruit and vegetables and some cheese and bread for pretty cheap. Then, we came home and guess what we did?!?! Yep, you're right...we studied. Then, I had a mini baking session that night in which I baked brownies and it was great.

Sunday morning, I went to Park Street Church which is celebrating their 200th anniversary and part of their celebration is having a few featured guest speakers throughout the year. One of the guest speakers, Joni Eareckson Tada, came last week and spoke about the goodness of God in all situations and circumstances. It was neat to hear from her and how she has experienced God's goodness in her life after becoming a quadriplegic following a diving accident after high school. She has been a quadriplegic for 42 years and she shared what's real to her, but was able to remind people that everyone experiences brokenness. She broke her neck, but others have broken hearts and broken families, and we need God and his mercy and goodness to experience freedom from the brokenness we experience. After church, I went to Harvard Med to study a bit and look at the cadavers some. During that time, I realized how much I don't know and how much studying I had before me. Now, I still have a lot to study, but am getting through...a little bit at a time.

Tuesday, I had a test in my Professional Socialization class and I think/hope I did alright. This class is not as intense as anatomy and I'm sure I did alright. We were told to not stress over it and my teacher is aware of how demanding our anatomy class, so now, I'm just waiting and studying for anatomy. That night, I was so tired and exhausted, but had bought a ticket to a Greg Laswell concert in town. It was a nice setting--small venue, pretty low key. However, I was so tired, I almost fell asleep during the concert. It was a pretty good show and I enjoyed the music for the most part, but I was so ready to be in bed!

Nothing else really exciting, except one thing. But, I will wait to write about that until next time. This is already a pretty long post, so if you read this whole thing, I'm impressed and honored! So, the exciting stuff for a later time. However, I will warn you that I will not be writing until after Tuesday. If you can't guess, I have a test on Tuesday! Yay anatomy! Actually, there's quite a few exciting things that have been going on recently. Although, most of them have been in the cadaver lab, so I'm sure many people won't find them as exciting as I do, but that's okay! I'll still share! :) That may deter a few people from reading the happenings in my life, but oh well! It'll only be a few more weeks before I'm done in the cadaver lab...which is crazy! It has gone by so fast! Ok....off to sleep so I can study well all day tomorrow! :)

Fourth of July...Boston Style

The fourth of July this year was different than any other year. There has been years at the singing flag, others at barbeques, others at the Clayton parade, one on the top of our roof, one at the Clayton Community Park...many different places to spend Independence Day and in different ways and with different people. 2006 was in East Asia. I remember throwing up that morning and it was probably the one time I was thankful to vomit. I think we had been there a few days, maybe a week, and I was still feeling sick from the plane ride, and after that morning and resting a bit, I felt much, much better. 2009 will also be a memorable one. I slept in a bit and went to study for a few hours before going to the Esplanade right along the Charles River to meet up with a few friends. Thankfully the day was GORGEOUS! It had been gloomy and rainy for who knows how long before (pretty much the whole month of June) and it was forecasted to rain on the fourth, but God had a great surprise for us and it was so nice out all day long! Not a rain cloud in the sky (there were clouds) and the sky was nice and clear--perfect to see the fireworks! I found my friends in the sea of people spread out all along the waterfront. They had a few blankets out and books and flashcards and we studied a bit more while a few boyfriends/husbands who were there did a bit of trivia on their own. We were quizzing each other on the thoracic and abdominal cavities while the significant others were quizzing each other on random trivia or movie or sports trivia. It was rather enjoyable. Then, the sun started to go down and the Boston Pops concert started, but since we couldn't see it, we listened to it over the speakers set up. It was the CBS televised fourth of July celebration and it was fun to be a part of it. It was somewhat similar to the Singing Flag celebration except there were maybe a hundred times more people and one was unable to watch the musical performance and the fireworks both. So, we opted for the fireworks show. It was a great show and there were many people out on their boats in the river, which is where I would have preferred to be, but it's kinda hard to be on a boat in the water when I don't have a boat (or access to one at all). After the fireworks were done, it was like a crazy madhouse leaving and the T was PACKED full of people. It was free that night though, which helped the non-Bostonians who don't know how to ride the T get through faster and out of our way for those of us who knew where we were going. :) Just kidding. :) There were so many people though; it was crazy! Just look at some of the pictures below.

Lots of people on the Esplanade on the gorgeous day!

The Oval Platform where the Boston Pops performed from.

People everywhere!

So many boats in the water--beautiful day along the Charles River.

Sunset along the Charles River with a lot of people walking about.

A few classmates and friends I celebrated the 4th with! (L to R: Cathy, Erin, Shirin (roommate), Hannah, Brian, Kristina, Neil, Thomas, and me)

Friends/significant others/non-PT students :)

Crowded T station

Crowded T platform...I have never seen this many people in the T station at once, before the 4th of July.

If you'd like to watch, here's a little sample of the fireworks show we saw (I think this was the finale):