Kelsey's First Day

Neoplasia block

2009-10-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

My favorite quote from medium Robbins, my pathology textbook: "There's no escape: It seems that everything one does to earn a livelihood, to subsist, or to enjoy life turns out to be illegal, immoral, or-most disturbing-possibly carcinogenic."

Lost Tribes of NY

2009-10-02T19:33:00.002-05:00

Who hasn't seen this yet? Seriously, check it out. Brilliant!

(found via a cup of jo)

From the desk of KP

2009-10-02T19:07:00.009-05:00

I'm feeling a little lackluster tonight. I'm not sure why that is, but it's probably a combo of not enough sleep, a little bit of a cold, changing weather, way too much to do and not nearly enough motivation. I've decided to just stay in tonight and veg out with some West Wing and tacos. Sound good?

School has been nonstop lately, and I know I haven't been keeping up with anybody as well as I should. Bad friend! I'm neck deep in lectures I need to study, but when is that not the case? I maintain a healthy balance of "OH MY GOD I'm going to FAIL this test WHAT WAS I THINKING WASTING SO MUCH TIME THESE PAST TWO WEEKS!!!!" and "Ain't no big thang." It keeps me on my toes without making me too crazy. And at the end of the day, I have my friends to tell me to chill out, a porch swing to sit on in the warm evenings, a big bed to climb in to, kittens to cuddle with.

Here are a few random things from around the interweb (as A likes to call it):

Morgue chocolates from wound impressions! The perfect thing to give out this Halloween, I'd say.

How freaking sweet is this kitchen from the selby? Words can't describe my love for chalkboard paint.

I WANT ONE!!! From here.

Cartoons for the kiddies. Collect them all here.

That's all folks. Time for some vegetation. What are the rest of you up to?

Jim Carroll

2009-09-13T22:21:00.003-05:00

Another blogging hiatus with no excuse. Busy busy busy, you know. Micro's over, and I managed to pass, blah blah blah.

I wanted to stop in and pay homage to Jim Carroll, who died on Friday. He's one of my two favorite poets and just a crazy wonderful character, and the world's a little less fantastic without him in it. Read his obit here. If you've never read any of his stuff, check out Void of Course--definitely my favorite of his books, full of really beautiful, sexy poetry. Here's a good one:

POEM

The wide Mojave sky dark
And vain as my heart tonight
Walking back by the feel
Of the blacktop under foot

What's that desert fragrance
That lights the 4 A.M. sky
With a shampoo green glow?

Is that a coyote eye

Or a tail reflector that bumped loose
From an old English racer?

Which are popular on the reservation
But never last long

They weren't made for this landscape

--Jim Carroll

Anyway, great guy.

It's raining here in New Orleans, off and on but really, always on again. How's the weather where you are?

Oh. My. God.

2009-08-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

(via)

Gold Dust Woman

2009-08-26T21:56:00.002-05:00

A little Nicks fix to ease the studying.

Doesn't get more fabulous than that.

(via fabulon)

New plant

2009-08-25T18:24:00.002-05:00

Study break! Any fans of Planet Earth out there? I mean the BBC version, with the soothing voice of David Attenborough, not Sigourney Weaver (not that there's anything wrong with Sigourney Weaver). By the way, why in the world did they re-release a US version with Sigourney Weaver doing his voice over? I never understood that.

ANYWAY, if you are a fan (and even if you aren't), check it out:

The newly discovered Nepenthes attenboroughii, a rat-eating pitcher plant! Named after Sir David Attenborough himself! Article here.

(PS--thanks for the heads up, David!)

Bronco

2009-08-20T08:04:00.006-05:00

Hey people. I'm off to class (for once), but I thought I'd stop by and say good morning first! Also, how sweet is this old Bronco?

My grandpa used to have one just like it. When we'd visit my grandma in Bullhead City, AZ, we'd use it to tow a boat out to Lake Mead or take a cruise through the desert. It wasn't the most reliable transportation, but it got the job done most of the time. Not that I don't love my little Toyota, but I think my status as a bad-ass would jump up quite a few notches if I was driving this to class today. Found over at ACL (he finds the coolest stuff).

Anyway, if I leave right now, I'll be just the right amount of late for class, so I'd better get going. Ta ta!

Barney Frank

2009-08-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Ah, my hero! From huffington post.

Gay lovin'

2009-08-19T09:11:00.003-05:00

Great article today in the New York Times about Theodore Olson and his challenge to California's ban on same-sex marriage--read it right here.

You know California needs a good bitch slapping when a Bush loving super-Republican has to take up the fight for gay marriage. In addition to be a big Reaganite, he argued Bush v. Gore in 2000 and helped in the fight to impeach Clinton. But he also happens to be a stand up dude who fights for gay marriage because it's the right thing to do. It warms my cold little heart! Check out the article.

Secret treasures

2009-08-18T20:40:00.005-05:00

Quick study break to tell you to go check out the National Geographic Treasure article on the New York Times website! Some of the pictures in the slide show are stunning.

I take this as the second sign in a week that I should get a subscription the National Geographic. It's only $15 a year for goodness sake!

I wallowed in the pits of despair for a few hours this morning after looking online and thinking that I got a 55/100 on Friday's exam. But it must've been a temporary glitch, because around noon, the world righted itself (i.e. they updated the records) and I PASSED!! Woohoo!!! One exam down, a depressingly indefinite number to go!

Sweaty Sundays

2009-08-12T20:34:00.003-05:00

So in order not to die an early, fat-filled death, I've started exercising. Don't get me wrong--I know that show girl thighs and bubble butts are sexy. But I figure I'll be eating my way through all of the pork products New Orleans can offer for the next three years, and I'd better not let it go to my...head.

Anyway, I hate it. H-A-T-E it. I'm not one of those people that gets a fabulous endorphin glow after working out. I just feel bored and tired. But I think I've finally found an exercise class that I can get on board with:

Sweaty Sundays! Leg warmers, lycra, indie rock and 80s pop...Oh Los Angeles, how we love thee! Seriously, doesn't doing aerobics to 99 Luftballons in a hot pink spandex crop top sound infinitely better than a half hour on an eliptical? Hells yeah.

Just try not to laugh

2009-08-11T11:29:00.008-05:00

I'm stuck inside studying today, with no outside contact but the view of the city from this study room. And it looks like I'll be here for a good long while. Who knew there were so many different kinds of antibiotics? I'm feeling grumpy and sleepy and more than a little overwhelmed. On a day like today, it's good to find something simple to take pleasure in. So I give you Upside Down Dogs:

Seriously, if you're having an off day like I am (or even if you're not), this has to make you smile. Just pick your favorite breed from the list to the right and start browsing! Kind of makes me wish I was a dog, actually.

(found via inside the loop)

Armadillos and things

2009-08-08T20:42:00.006-05:00

Microbiology fun fact #1*: There are two natural reservoirs for Mycobacterium leprae, the organism that causes leprosy: humans and armadillos.

Who knew?

I know that people like my dear, dear friend Mississippi Brad call armadillos varmints and use them as target practice (does anyone know if Brad reads this blog?), but I can't help it. I think they're adorable. Seriously, how sweet would it be to be able to curl up into a little armored ball when you get annoyed with the world?

Also, check out the Pink Fairy armadillo:

Isn't it teeny weeny and cute? I do love things in miniature.

*One week into our microbiology course, it's becoming abundantly clear that there aren't a whole lot of "fun facts" in the field. Lots of nasty, terrible, tedious facts, but not too many that I would call "fun". I'm sure that my classmates can attest to that. So Fun Fact #1 might be the first in a very short series--I didn't want to get your hopes up and then dash them to the ground. Ta ta!

Air troubles

2009-08-05T17:48:00.003-05:00

One of my two working ac window units just died. In a house with four rooms and sixty year old insulation, when it's hundreds (hundreds!) of degrees outside, that's no joke. It's boiling. I've decided I need one of these:

I mean really. Have you ever seen anything so lovely? I can almost see it sitting here at my desk with me. Bright blue, oscillating, even safe enough for my cats not to lose a paw in. If the financial aid office ever gets around to giving me any money, I might just have to splurge. Although if one magically shows up on my doorstep from a secret admirer, I wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Just sayin, y'all.

Boooooobs

2009-08-04T19:22:00.005-05:00

Hey all! Sweet new article at the Social Medicine Portal about breastfeeding, in honor of World Breastfeeding Week. Check it out right here!

Not to get all Dr. Dise on your asses, but since all of my friends seem to be having babies these days, I thought I'd share. Seriously people, breastfeeding is, like, mondo important. Check it.

Seascapes

2009-07-09T09:56:00.003-05:00

Oooo...take a look at these beautiful, peaceful seascape photos by photographer David Doubilet.

The rest of his portfolio is amazing as well. I especially love the freshwater photos!

(found via abbey goes design scouting)

Update: Sorry about the missing pictures, but I'm way to lazy to re-upload them right now. Just go look at the photos on his website--they're still there and just as gorgeous.

Oh, California

2009-07-02T10:20:00.002-05:00

I remembered! Y'all should check out this fantastic article about what a total shit show California is these days. We're such drama queens, it's great! The article is mostly about Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Fransisco, and whether or not he's going to run for Governor. There's also plenty of Governator hilarity to sink your teeth into, so give it a read!

Andrew and I are off to see Away We Go today. Has anyone seen it yet? I'm really excited!

Summer in the city

2009-07-01T16:23:00.003-05:00

Summer is here in full force, and with it my well-cultivated ability to do absolutely nothing useful. Hence the pathetic smattering of blog posts over the past month and a half. Sorry about that!

I just got back to Brooklyn on Monday night after two weeks in California with the fam. It was relaxing and beautiful as always. Laurel and I tend to spend our summer days lying in the sun, reading as much as possible, doing jigsaw puzzles, and generally trying to think up creative excuses not to leave the homestead and trek into town. We're jigsaw puzzle masters and incurable hermits, and we love it! But we did drag ourselves out and about for some quality river time with our friends and adventures with the family, including a trip to the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival for father's day. Tons of fun, as always! My trip home is pathetically without pictures, I'm afraid. Someday I'll get better about bringing my camera places.

And now I'm back in New York with my super-duper boyfriend and my fabulous cats, and apparently God heard my pleas because it's SUNNY! I celebrated the weather today by finally exploring Prospect Park a bit. It's huge, gorgeous, and filled with babies and little dogs like the rest of Park Slope. I really do love the big beautiful parks in New York, although they tend to highlight the lack of green-ness in the rest of the city. In my more cynical moods, I feel like New Yorkers like to keep their trees prisoner so that they don't take over the rest of the concrete jungle. But I'm feeling very un-cynical today, so moving on!

The highlight of my walk way lying in the grass and reading my book, while all of the dogs played and the runners ran. But I also had a traumatic moment with a snapping turtle that should definitely be mentioned. Some of you might remember that this isn't my first run in with a snapping turtle--if not, ask me about it sometime. Luckily this wasn't as alarming as the first one, because it didn't involve any physical contact with said reptile (or any urine, thank GOD). But I came across this poor turtle wedged between a rock and a fence, trying to get to the little stream running nearby. The terrible part was that I couldn't help him, because the fence was too high. So I had to watch him struggle his way onto the top of the rock and then consider his options as to how to get down. I wish that these stupid animals would just listen to me, because there was a perfectly passable way off the rock and into the water if he'd just turned around. But no, in the end, he decided that a HEADLONG TUMBLE off of the boulder was the best choice. It was terrifying! He somersaulted his way off the rock, banging back and forth until he splashed into the water, where he took a minute to get his bearings before swimming back upstream. Oi, nature can be so stressful!

Now I'm back home and waiting for Andrew to get off work. It's hot outside, so I thought I'd surprise him with a pitcher of this delicious looking white sangria.

Mmmm...doesn't it sound tasty? Mine isn't nearly as beautiful as David's, but I have high hopes for the taste.

You know, I keep starting these blog posts because I just found something neat on the internet that I wanted to share, or something along that line, and then I realize that I can't just jump back in after a month's absence without an update. And by the time I'm finished with the update, I've completely forgotten what I wanted to show you! Ah well, I'm sure it'll come back to me. Ta ta!

Ta-Da!

2009-06-08T14:36:00.003-05:00

I'm back! Long hiatus this time, huh? Well it's been a long month.

I'm finally done with year one! I'm now 1/4 of a doctor, although I feel like a lot less. The last three weeks of class were intense but actually really satisfying. We were finally learning things that are directly applicable to the practice of medicine, which was a nice feeling. Drugs, diseases, clinical diagnosis, that sort of thing. The exam was a bitch though. Three and a half hours, 39 effing pages! I'm still having stress dreams about it, which is just silly.

After a night of celebratory partying, a day of recovery and bbqing, and a day of packing, I set off for New York with two cats and a car full of crap. It was a long trip but actually very relaxing. It's a beautiful drive through Alabama, Virginia, etc, and it's not often that you get 20 hours to just think, listen to music, and catch up on phone calls.

I got lost trying to get to Brooklyn, of course. It was inevitable. But I finally found my way to the apartment and, even though it's teeny tiny, I'm thrilled! I certainly wasn't picky while Andrew was looking for a place to live this summer, but he hit the nail on the head! We're living in Park Slope, which is a cute little neighborhoody neighborhood in Brooklyn. It's full of families, babies, dogs, cute shops, and most importantly, about 130 restaurants within a 20 min walk. Oh baby. And the apartment is a tiny little studio with a tiny little kitchen, but there's tons of sunlight and bookshelves and closet space. Pictures to come.

So now I'm here, and I spent last week decompressing and being daunted by the thought of New York spread out all around me. Meaning I vegged. Lots of The West Wing and sleeping and wandering around, trying to remind myself that I don't actually have any money, and the tiny amount I have does not need to be spent in all of the boutique-y shops that stretch for blocks and blocks. I'm so happy to be here for two whole months with Andrew, and I hope I don't drive him crazy (and broke) dragging him to all sorts of restaurants and shows around the city. This weekened Andrew and I drove up to Stamford, CT for my girlfriend Kathleen's BIG WEDDING BLOWOUT and had a wonderful time. The weekend deserves an entire post with pictures, so I won't go into it just yet. But suffice it to say that it was huge and tons of fun.

I know this has been a long and not incredibly interesting post, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I just wanted to get the nitty gritty updates out of the way, so now we can move on to more exciting things, with interesting stories and pretty pictures.

Until then, how about some nice shots of Romania? Vic over at Lost went on vacation, and even though it sounds like she had mixed feelings about the trip, the pictures are breathtaking.

Ok you beautiful people, I'm off to do something with my life. Or at least brush my hair. Let me tell you, after a day of being polished and poufed by hair and makeup people (being a bridesmaid definitely has it's perks) and feeling like a movie star, going back to jeans and my normal messy hair is kind of a let down. But I'll try to pull myself together. Hope it's sunny wherever you are!

Trout

2009-05-24T22:51:00.003-05:00

I know this is a cop out. Where have I been all your lives, right? It's the home stretch kids. Less than a week and I'll regain a little time and sanity (hopefully). I know I keep saying this med school thing is a piece of cake, but at this point in the game, it's burn out time. I promise to write a beautiful, eloquent post summing up my first year and all of my feelings blah blah blah...

But right now, after eight solid hours of studying, and a bottle of wine to forget it all, I wish that I was here:

Trout fishing in Tierra del Fuego. Anybody want to join me?

The new Boy Scouts

2009-05-14T07:26:00.002-05:00

Training to fight terrorists. What happened to Swiss army knifes and building campfires? Read about it here.

POD snippets

2009-05-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

A few good ones from the NY Times' pictures of the day. My favorite:

Note the camo-clad accordian player. He looks none too happy, although he does have a very serious job to attend to, so I guess it's forgiveable.

Well that one's just adorable. Sweet dreams folks.

Bowie

2009-05-07T19:48:00.003-05:00

Hi y'all. How's everyone's Thursday going? Tomorrow's the end of neuro, and instead of studying, I'm drinking beer and watching Northern Exposure. I know it's cliche, but I just can't get enough of the medical shows. And I must be absorbing something useful, right? Something that will help me on my exam tomorrow?

Instead of writing something of substance, thought I'd share a little vintage Bowie with you. Isn't his hair awesome? Photo via the fabulous bitches over at fabulon.

Distractions

2009-05-06T16:52:00.004-05:00

Hey guys! Two more days until the end of neuro (hence the absence)! It's been a long couple of weeks, let me tell you. Weeks, months, year. But our test is Friday, and then we get a whole weekend before we start our second year classes. Two measly days. I guess we'll just have to make them count.

I'm deeply absorbed in things like visual pathways, the frontal lobe, the auditory system, etc, and as such I don't have much space in my brain for any other types of thinking. My internet wanderings are basically restricted to pretty pictures and bright colors these days, but let's see if I can dredge up anything of interest to share with you guys.

The nation's first face transplant patient showed the world her new face yesterday! Isn't medicine exciting?

There's a pretty sweet sale going on over at LAMA for the next week. If I had two well-placed trees in my backyard I would buy one of their bitchin' hammocks.

This adorable cat needs a home! Anyone in the DC/Baltimore/Philly area have one for her? Karla, this means you.

Bulgarian soldiers get to wear sweet hats.

Y'all know about FML, right? Vaguely funny, but not nearly as hilarious as texts from last night. It reminds us that we're not alone in our embarrassing drunken debauchery. A classic: "(703): I wish I could be a nicer person. Or a more sober one."

Looking for a new way to waste time on the internet? Here's a word game for you. Not as good as crosswords, but still maddeningly distracting.

Well there you go! Hope it provides you a little distraction from the important things in life.

Shortage

2009-04-27T07:21:00.002-05:00

Good morning folks! Thought I'd share a story with y'all while I wait for my bagel to toast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/health/policy/27care.html?_r=1&hp

Not enough docs (old news), so lots of talk about bumping up enrollment in residency programs, increasing medicare payments to GPs, and expanding the National Health Service Corps. Good news for you and me Nick!

Ok, have a great day. Watch out for swine flu!

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T12:34:00.012-05:00

Happy Earth Day! Yes, it's a totally hippied-out, made-up holiday, but it's a good one! In honor of the day and our lovely planet, take a few minutes to cogitate on your favorite place on Earth. Anybody want to share? Here are a few of mine:

The pond back home in the summer--including dogs and friends.

Hot tub with a beautiful view of the canyon.

The log house up at the ranch. (photo credit to David!)

On the road going anywhere, especially with Laurel in the other seat.

Shelter Cove, and anywhere on the Pacific Coast really (up North, anyway). (photo credit to David)

In the air.

Eating breakfast with my family on the porch.

And last but not least, my new backyard. With Andrew sitting next to me, drinking drinks and smoking a cigar, in the evening with the fairy lights lit overhead (and plenty of bug spray).

Where's your favorite place to be?

Green Porno

2009-04-21T21:45:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, hold on to your seats. Instead of studying neuro, I've been learning all about insect sex from Isabella Rossellini. Have you heard about her new project, Green Porno? Basically, she acts out the mating habits of various critters--earthworms, spiders, flies, whales, limpets--in one to two minute videos. You can read a bit about it in this New York Magazine article, and I have to tell you, it's the best thing I've seen in a while. For one thing, who hasn't been in love with Isabella Rossellini for years? She's gorgeous, talented, an amazing actress, raises seeing eye dogs and is an all around wonderful person. These movies raise her to a whole new level in my book. She somehow manages to make even earthworm sex sexy.

Make sure you check out the earthworm and snail videos, and the death scene at the end of the bee. And the whale. Oh jeez, just watch all of them! You'll learn so much. The first "season" is mostly insects (it's the best!), and the second delves into the wide world of sea creatures.

Watch them all here. See? My blog is so educational!

Slow Loris

2009-04-20T22:51:00.004-05:00

I'm having another one of those days people. Lackluster, unmotivated, blargh. I made potatoes gratin and it failed in a very real way, so I decided to watch Dead Poets Society to cheer myself up. Big mistake. Have you guys SEEN that movie? It's so happy-go-lucky for an hour and a half, and then BLAM! What gives?

Luckily, none of that matters a teeny tiny bit. Because the wide reaches of the internet have provided once again. The heavens opened up and sent down this video to shoo all my cares away.

I know, I know, it's too good to be true. That, my friends, is a slow loris, the strangest, cutest little prosimian you'll ever see. And he likes to be tickled. My day is made.

(video found via petunia face--she always comes through)

Borneo

2009-04-19T18:31:00.002-05:00

Oooo....check out this beautiful slideshow about Borneo over at the nytimes.

I can't tell you how badly I wish I was tromping through the Borneo rainforest looking for monkeys right now, instead of trying to settle down and study. Stupid med school.

Oysters

2009-04-17T18:23:00.002-05:00

I had a really vivid dream the other night about eating tons and tons of oysters, and now I can't stop craving them! Does anybody know the best place to get oysters in New Orleans?

(fresh steamed oysters, via flickr)

Cats and brains

2009-04-16T20:51:00.003-05:00

My goodness. Want to hear about my day? Yes, I'm sure you would be THRILLED to hear me complain for a while, and being the lovely obliging girl that I am, I'll indulge you!

I spent four hours studying today after class. Four hours! What a good student, right? I was feeling very proud of myself as I drove home, thinking about how nice it was that I would just get to relax all night since I'd gotten my studying out of the way early. So I pull up, and there's Conrad (scroll down for a picture) waiting on the sidewalk. Nothing new there. But when I got out of the car and leaned down to pet him, I realized that he had a HUGE GAPING HOLE on the very TOP OF HIS HEAD!! Blarg!! The fur was all matted down with gooey pink cloudy stuff around the cavernous wound, and I immediately thought of brain juice. Brain juice. Even though I've been poking at brains for two weeks and learning all of their ins and outs and know perfectly well that there is not, actually, any such thing as brain juice.

But my suspicions seemed confirmed when I (irrationally) thought that he was acting funny, and started trying to figure out exactly which of his gyri were leaking out of the top of his head to make him so loopy. Panic time!

Clearly I had to rush him to the hospital, which I did. I was hoping that my favorite vet would be there to give me a price break, but you can't worry about these things when you have a cat leaking brain juice all over your car seat! So off we went (I figured I could get there faster than an ambulance), trying to keep myself from bursting into tears. I know he's technically just a stray, but he's fabulous! He's always around to get some lovin', even when food isn't involved. He needs me.

I managed to keep the waterworks back long enough to talk coherently to the ladies at the front desk, who seemed, if I may say so, a little too calm for the gravity of the situation. But they were very quick, and soon we were in an exam room being fussed over. Whew. Turns out it wasn't brain juice (the doc was kind enough not to tell me I'm an idiot), but it was definitely a bummer of an injury. Once he got it all shaved and cleared out, it looked like a gigantic...well, hole in his scalp. The lady at the front desk said she thought a mocking bird must've swooped down and pecked him (?), to which the vet said "Yeah, or maybe it was Somali pirates" (insert "you're looney toons" look here).

But the best part is that the wound needs to be flushed twice a day. I figured, no big deal! Just squirt a little sterile shit on it and you're good. But when I asked him to show me, he stuck the syringe INTO THE HOLE and wiggled it around. We're talking between scalp and skull. Should be a fun morning.

Anyway, home I came ($60 lighter) to put the invalid to bed in the laundry room (his customary home). I filled up his food and water bowl, but when I went to turn off the hose, it would not. turn. off. At all. I know I'm not the butchest little blonde around, but I know how to turn off a damn hose, and this spigot was having none of it. I twisted, I pried, I pliered, all to no avail. And then my pliers broke. This was clearly not my afternoon. Luckily my landlady came to the rescue (she was there in ten minutes--how awesome is that?) and saved the backyard from being completely flooded by working magic with tools that I've never even heard of.

I decided to end the night by eating as much of a large peperoni pizza as I could and guzzling beer, which has worked wonders for my psyche. What is it about highly processed pork products that always puts a smile on my face?

Thanks for listening. You were a very satisfying audience. Here's a picture that a) always cheers me up and b) reminds me why I never mind spending lots of money on vet bills to keep my kittens kickin'.

(via you-know-where)

ee cummings

2009-04-14T18:00:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to an poem in my inbox from Laurel. One of my very favorite ee cummings poems! How did she know? Must be a sister thing. I thought I would share it with you.

since feeling is first

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
- the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other; then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

e. e. cummings

Egg Roll

2009-04-13T20:25:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share a little more Obama love with y'all! Have you checked out this picture from the White House Easter Egg Roll?

By far my favorite picture of the day--the rest is just a lot of bad news. Apparently all of the microphones cut out on the Pres, so that's him trying to speak into the Easter Bunny's ear. Isn't he cute? The transcript of the first couple's remarks is pretty great too. Yoga? Dancing? Healthy food? The White House is suddenly yuppie central. Isn't it super?

'Sup

2009-04-10T21:28:00.002-05:00

I know this was SO last week, but did y'all see the picture of the Obamas with Queen Elizabeth?

The mighty Obamas TOWER over the itsy bitsy Queen of England...wahaha!!! Not only does this picture make them look like giants, but don't they look uncomfortable? You get the feeling that the Obamas are very chilled out and groovy, and they're chaffing a little at the stuffy Queen and her prim manners. Also, the Queen is a hands-off kinda gal, it turns out. No hugs for her.

What's everyone up to this weekend? I spent the day scrubbing the shit out of my house so that I can finally relax in it. I was putting it off until after my exam (which went pretty well, by the way), so I went crazy today. Why is house cleaning so calming?

The high seas

2009-04-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

Just stopping in to say hello--big neuroanatomy test tomorrow morning, and then free at last, free at last. Should be a doozy, but I'm almost studied out so there's a bed in my near future.

How riveting has this story been? It reminds me of that scene in The Life Aquatic, when the pirates take over the Belafonte and kidnap the bond stooge (although I imagine things unfolded a little differently in this real-life adventure). Check it out if you haven't already!

Back in black

2009-04-02T17:27:00.003-05:00

Whew, I'm back! Sorry about the hiatus folks. Last week my computer died. DIED. Wouldn't even start. It knew I was unhappy with it, and it just flipped me off and shut down. So it took a much needed vacation to the Toshiba factory in Kentucky, where they whipped it back into shape and sent it home. All in less than a week! Amazing. I would've been completely lost without a computer all that time, but my dear friend Matthew came to my rescue and lent me his. What a guy!

Anyway, back to the ol' routine, thank goodness. Brand new classes though! Yesterday we started our six week neuroanatomy course, and my oh my. I'm glad for the change of pace, but wow-ee do we have a lot to learn! Did you know that each one of those little brain squigglies has a name? Yes it does. And a number. Good times.

So blogging my be spotty for a while (not that that's anything new). Also, Andrew's visiting this weekend! I'm dragging him to a huge garage sale Saturday morning and to Med Prom Saturday night--never thought I would have to relive prom, but at least there's an open bar at this one. Should be a kick. And Sunday is the strawberry festival, for strawberry shortcake and fun in the sun. Anybody else have fun plans for the weekend?

Here are some great pictures of David Bowie way back in the day to put smiles on your lovely faces.

(via fabulon)

Wasn't he pretty?

Wild things

2009-03-26T12:34:00.003-05:00

Hey all! Guess what! This is the 100th post on my blog. Pretty cool, huh?

I'm having a lazy study day here in rainy New Orleans. I woke up around 3am this morning to a vicious thunder storm--little Stevie was none too happy, never having heard thunder before. She curled up close to Stokely, who stayed fast asleep through the whole thing. It's still raining off and on today, with more thunder likely this afternoon, which makes it a very nice day to stay in and study for my exams tomorrow. And after that...no more histo and physio! Woohoo! I need a change of pace, and even though I know neuro is going to be a bitch, I'm looking forward to it.

In other news...the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is finally up! Check it out:

I am so excited! I can't believe we have to wait till October, but the movie looks like it'll be completely worth the wait. See some beautiful stills from the movie here.

Another one

2009-03-24T20:39:00.002-05:00

I'm having a real day, let me tell you. Can't put my finger on what's wrong. My fuse is very short, and I think I need a change of scenery, at least in the metaphysical sense. Do you ever get tired of thinking the same thoughts every day, walking down the same mental roads? I don't like where my mind is taking me today. Time for a change, people.

(photo via lolita)

Improve your English

2009-03-24T18:50:00.006-05:00

We had an interesting talk today about patient safety by our Vice-Dean, Dr. Kevin Krane. I wish I could say I'm about to launch into an intellectual discussion of patient safety and the merits of departmental communication in hospitals, but I'm here for much cruder reasons. As per usual.

I just wanted to post a hilarious commercial that Dr. Krane showed us.

Bwwaaaaahhhaaahaha!!!

Zhou Fan

2009-03-23T20:25:00.003-05:00

A new post was demanded, so a new post ye shall have!

Tragically, my computer is going on a trip this week to Toshiba, for a little R&R. I won't go into the details, but we had a disagreement yesterday. I wanted the screen to remain functional, but the computer had different ideas. So this might be the last post for a week or so--hang in there faithful readers. Don't desert me!

What do you think of these pieces by artist Zhou Fan? His work transports me. It's like living inside of a dream.

Be sure to read his statement and gaze at the rest of his portfolio. Amazing! Found via the lovely lolita.

Poem

2009-03-19T18:52:00.002-05:00

Did I mention that I heard Billy Collins speak on Monday at Tulane undergrad? He's one of my favorite poets, and I was lucky enough to hear him speak four or so years ago at HSU (wow, time flies). His poetry is beautiful and simple, and his quiet, dry humor makes for a perfect reading. Thought I'd share one with you.

Japan

Today I pass the time reading
a favorite haiku,
saying the few words over and over.

It feels like eating
the same small, perfect grape
again and again.

I walk through the house reciting it
and leave its letters falling
through the air of every room.

I stand by the big silence of the piano and say it.
I say it in front of a painting of the sea.
I tap out its rhythm on an empty shelf.

I listen to myself saying it,
then I say it without listening,
then I hear it without saying it.

And when the dog looks up at me,
I kneel on the floor
and whisper it into each of his long white ears.

It's the one about the one-ton temple bell
with the moth sleeping on its surface,

and every time I say it, I feel the excruciating
pressure of the moth
on the surface of the iron bell.

When I say it at the window,
the bell is the world
and I am the moth resting there.

When I say it at the mirror,
I am the heavy bell
and the moth is life with its papery wings.

And later, when I say it to you in the dark,
you are the bell,
and I am the tongue of the bell, ringing you,

and the moth has flown
from its line
and moves like a hinge in the air above our bed.

--Billy Collins

Wednesday in New Orleans

2009-03-18T22:38:00.005-05:00

Oh my GOD. I am a little too sauced to be writing a blog post right now. I just got home from a long night of watching my friends' get their heads shaved for St. Baldrick's, eating burritos at Juan's, and drinking far too much for a Wednesday night. Man, who would go to med school anywhere else?

I've been meaning to post this all day, because it's just too cute for words.

Really people, before you judge me too harshly, watch them yawn. I die.

Dirty commercial

2009-03-17T21:26:00.000-05:00

Not to be watched at the office!

(via fabulon)

Happy Friday

2009-03-13T11:59:00.003-05:00

The ambulance ride-along was basically a big bust. Not even really worth describing. Lots of sitting around and waiting for calls. My friend Kathleen was in a different truck, and she spent about four hours sitting in the hospital waiting for a bed for their single patient. Last night I thought that she had it even worse than me, but now that I think about it, at least she got to see all of the other patients that came into the ER! We kept getting calls and then having them swiped out from under us by other teams. Lame-O.

Spent the day NOT going to class, doing some grocery shopping, studying a bit, trying to look productive. Watched Fried Green Tomatoes tonight and BALLED MY EYES OUT. I don't know what it is about some movies that really gets me going, but this was definitely one of them. Something about Mary Stuart Masterson (whose late eighties-early nineties self I have a huge girl-crush on) and Mary-Louise Parker--their love was so touching and tragic that I couldn't hold it in.

As I dry my tears and try to pull my wasted emotions back together, here's a fabulous website to cheer us all up.

Trust me, it'll crack you up. Via Oh Happy Day, a while back.

I'm off to have another gin and pineapple juice and read The New Yorker. Y'all have a lovely evening, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. St. Patty's for a few more days, after all.

Just saying hi

2009-03-12T16:41:00.003-05:00

(via)

If Andy Warhol was grabbing your boob, wouldn't you have a happier look on your face than Yoko does? Just some food for thought.

Only an hour and a half break until my ambulance ride along tonight. Does anyone want to go cause some mischief on the streets of New Orleans tonight? I'm hoping I don't have to just sit around for seven hours and not see anything (the medical student's perpetual conundrum: wishing for a little excitement while hoping that no one gets hurt or actually needs serious care). I'll let y'all know how it goes. Wish me luck!

Plant a tree

2009-03-10T10:17:00.002-05:00

Another beautiful idea from David Horvitz. I really like this one.

This weeks tests: done and done! This morning's went swimmingly, much better than yesterday's disaster. To celebrate tonight it's pizza and beer at Reginelli's. Let's hear it for $2 pitchers of Abita with good friends!

Garfield minus Garfield

2009-03-09T21:45:00.003-05:00

Today is a really great day to be down in the dumps. For one thing, it's Monday, and that's already strike one. Plus, we lost an hour of our lives yesterday! Which means that some of us had to wake up while it was still dark out, before grouching our way to class to bomb a physiology exam! And then some of us had to drag ourselves out of our near-catatonic states to start studying for another exam tomorrow at 8 am. Great day!

Ready for something wonderful? Because I'm here to cheer you up. One of my super-duper friends introduced me to Garfield Minus Garfield the other day, and I can't stop laughing.

I'll let the comics speak for themselves, but it's brilliant and hilarious, even though it highlights how depressingly bonkers Jon is.

It's all very angsty and cerebral, and you should really check it out for yourself--right here.

Negative motivation

2009-03-08T14:25:00.002-05:00

(via i suwannee)

Please please PLEASE will someone help motivate me to study! Physiology exam tomorrow and I can't seem to look at my notes for more than fifteen seconds before looking away! I'd like to say that I've reached saturation point, but I'm really don't think that I've soaked up everything that I need to. I'm just...so...bored. Not that the kidneys and urine and poop and the rectum aren't wildly exciting--don't get me wrong, I love all this stuff. But I can't study anymore. I can't! Does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

I think I might get out of the house for a while and go to the store. Tonight might be the perfect time to try out these amazing cookies, and maybe even the shrimp that I mentioned yesterday. I'm aiming to be much chubbier and happier the next time Andrew comes to visit, which only leaves me a month! I'd better start working harder.

TNPRC

2009-03-07T18:29:00.003-06:00

Hey kids! Time to tell you about the totally cool thing I did yesterday. Laurel reminded me that I mentioned it and then left y'all hanging (admit it, you've been on the edge of your seat this whole time), so I thought I'd better get my act together.

About a month ago, I signed up to take a tour of the Tulane National Primate Research Center, which is a slightly mysterious research center across the lake in Covington. It's not really open to the public, so it seemed like a great opportunity to check out something I'd never seen before. And, you know, to see some monkeys. So even though the tiny little part of my brain that's always nagging me to be a better student was screaming that I have two exams on Monday and Tuesday, I ignored it and hopped on a little yellow school bus with fifteen of my classmates and our associate dean, Dr. Kahn.

An hour drive across the lake brought us to a modest sign outside of town, pointing us down a dirt road that ended in a giant fence with guards posted outside. The compound was beautiful--although it seemed so discreet from the outside, the compound comprises 500 acres (huge!), all surrounded by trees hung with Spanish moss. After an interesting talk by the director of the center, we split up into two groups for tours.

I wish I could post pictures of the place to help me explain how amazing it was, but of course there were no cameras (or cell phones) allowed. We first took a driving tour of the breeding colony. Driving into it was daunting--it reminded me of the scene in Jurassic Park when they go through the big gates. It's surrounded by a huge perimeter fence with double locking gates, so that you drive into one and have to wait till it closes until you can drive through the second. The center houses a population of 5000 non-human primates, mostly Rhesus Macaques. 5000 monkeys! It still amazes me that here I am in New Orleans, and just across the lake are 5000 monkeys. Crazy! The breeding colony was really cool, although we couldn't get out of the van and walk around (the monkeys are all very healthy and they wouldn't want us to infect them with anything--even the caretakers wear masks and body suits). There's a huge husbandry/veterinary faculty whose job it is to make sure the resident primates are happy and healthy, and to make the living conditions as close to nature as possible. It was amazing to hear about the amount of effort that goes into preserving their natural breeding habits, hierarchies, socialization, etc. We also got to drive by their Krabbe population, which is the only population of monkeys in the US (there are eight National Primate Research Centers around the country) that breeds true for carriers of Krabbe disease. Very cool!

The really amazing part of the day was getting to see their new biosafety level (BSL) 3 building. Luckily they still have a few weeks of construction left, so we were able to get a full tour of the restricted sections before it's up and running. This is the area where they do all of the research with things like West Nile Virus, anthrax, SARS, and other fun stuff. It was jaw-dropping. To get to the most restricted sections of the building, researchers need to walk through about six security checkpoints and wear an amazing amount of protective equipment, including respirators and bulky suits. And if they need to leave (even to go pee!), they have to spray themselves with disinfectant three times AND take a shower! The amount of money and effort put into redundancy of safety procedures was humbling and a little scary. One of the most interesting aspects was the complicated pressurization of each room, depending on how "dirty" it is (or will be). It's set up so that when a door to a dirty room is opened, air from the cleaner room will rush in rather than dirty air rushing out. Incredible!

The whole day left me with a feeling of awe for medical research. Every medical procedure, from hip replacements to cancer treatments, has been developed at these primate centers. They are where the AIDS vaccine will someday be developed, and cures for dozens of other afflictions. It's sometimes shocking to me to think that there are millions of people who are violently opposed to the use of primates for biomedical research, because without it, we would be lost. The faculty that we met talked to us a little about the level of security that the facility needs, although it's considerably less than some primate research centers around the country (such as the one in Wisconsin). Protesters stand outside some compounds every day of the year, and even go so far as to harass researchers' children at school. It's disgraceful that researchers have to endure this behavior from anyone, let alone the people that benefit from the medical advances that they and their colleagues are responsible for.

Anyway, I suppose I've babbled on enough, although I'm sure I could keep going. Breath-taking day, from the tour to the beautiful weather to the free pizza. Any thoughts out there in radio land?

BBQ shrimp

2009-03-07T15:04:00.003-06:00

Mmmm....Doesn't this New Orleans BBQ shrimp look delicious?

I love living here. It's not like I couldn't make this while living in California or Maryland, because they're pretty common ingredients. But living in New Orleans has opened my mind up to all kinds of new flavors, spices, and combinations. Spicy BBQ shrimp with a big loaf of french bread, sitting at the table in my backyard in the warm March evening, with a nice cold Abita in my hand...Mmm, can't think of anything better!

Mr Tooth

2009-03-06T19:45:00.003-06:00

Let's hear it for free dental care! Woohoo! Thank you, LSU School of Dentistry, for taking pity on my broke ass and giving me a free checkup this evening. I am but a poor (really really poor), struggling med student, and I can't even come close to affording dental insurance. Now I hope you keep your promise and fill in that tiny little cavity you found! Even if the procedure is done by a nervous dental student taking his board exams. I'll take a little pain and excess gum-prodding if it means I don't have to pay!

Did something really awesome today (besides the tooth x-rays) that I'll share with y'all soon, but right now, I'm desperately in need of a beer or two. This week has worn me out! Neverending class and silly commitments, plus I can't seem to get over this stupid cold. Also, I got a fever blister. ON MY NOSE! On the little bit of cartilage between my nostrils. A big, red, bubbly fever blister. I didn't even know that was possible! Did I do something bad last week that I'm being punished for? Oh, right, Mardi Gras. Crap.

Well anyway, beer time. Later kids.

Venice from above

2009-03-05T15:22:00.003-06:00

Check out these amazing aerial shots of Venice, taken by Dan Kitwood of the Denver Post.

Aren't they gorgeous? See the rest of them here. Found via the always entertaining WWJAD.

Bizkit the sleepwalking dog

2009-03-04T19:25:00.003-06:00

This video gives me a kind of sick feeling in my stomach--it makes me laugh so hard that little tears come out, but the more noble half of me feels guilty for enjoying it! I'm sure you'll all get a kick out of it too.

Hehehe...

Mardi Gras: check!

2009-03-02T18:14:00.004-06:00

Hey all. Back from yet another hiatus--and what a hiatus it was! Sierra flew in last Friday and we really didn't stop until Tuesday night (ok, Wednesday morning). I'm a little daunted starting this post because a) it was a very long week; b) I can't quite remember every detail (stop snickering); and c) I have the flu! Yes, I had far too much Mardi Gras, and in return I got the flu. Serves me right.

Anyway, I won't go into too much detail about the what have you. Too be honest, I'm a little Mardi Gras-ed out. We had a fabulous time and ate our way through tens of thousands of delicious New Orleans calories, not to mention far too much alcohol, but it's so tiring! Maybe I'm on old lady, but after six solid days of float-watching, walking across half the city, eating and drinking constantly, and battling the crowds for beads, I felt like staying in bed for a week and a half. But the floats were gorgeous and we had a great time hanging out with friends and generally taking it all in.

Sierra left on Wednesday and I had a day and a half to take long bubble baths before Andrew arrived. Luckily his visit was much more relaxing! One of the highlights was dinner at Gautreau's--fantastic! The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great too. Fancy but still small and friendly. We also had brunch at The Court of Two Sisters, one of the most famous breakfast places in the city. Really tasty food and tons of variety, plus a beautiful courtyard (when it's not raining). As long as it served mimosas I was sold, and it definitely exceeded my expectations.

And now I'm back to the real world, with the flu and six exams to look forward to in March. Needless to say, I'd better get back to studying. More Mardi Gras pictures here if you're interested.

Let it begin

2009-02-18T21:50:00.003-06:00

Hey all. How are things out there in radio land? Just plugging along down here. I'm feeling very blech and tired today, so this is going to be another not-so-exciting post. But I wanted to make sure my faithful few readers out there don't desert me! I will be back!

Even though it was sunny and lovely and warm today, I've been feeling a little:

(lolcats, duh)

Not quite sure why. Maybe it's all the booze and going to bed way past my bedtime (10:30), or the kittens waking up at 5am to play hopscotch on my face, or running out of hot water in the shower once I finally dragged my ass out of bed. But I've been sleepy and grumpy all day. I did take a very long and restful nap, but I had an AWFUL dream. Like, tortured-by-inner-demons awful. I won't go into detail because it would probably be TMI for a public blog, even though I love you guys to pieces and would trust you with all of my secrets (I swear!). But it involved a headless baby and it was NOT PRETTY.

But I can't stay salty for long, because it's Mardi Gras! Parades have been going on for like two weeks, but this weekend is when the true debauchery begins. Not that the parades are scandalous--they're actually wholesome family fun, for the most part. But I plan on maintaining a healthy buzz for four solid days, so it should be a good time. Best of all, one of my all time favorite people is coming into town--Sierra, I can't wait to see you!

Next week is Spring/Mardi Gras break, but classes are pretty light this week so that we can all start easing ourselves into the festivities (or hurtling headlong into them and forgetting about this silly med school thang). Ah, life is good. Why would anyone go to med school anywhere else?

Ok, off to bed. Yes yes, I know it's only 10, but like I said, I'm bushed. Ta ta!

Complexity

2009-02-11T18:23:00.002-06:00

I discovered David Horvitz's idea subscription page a while back and forgot about it, only to rediscover it tonight while I'm trying (not) to study for Monday's biochem exam. It was the perfect inspirational break. David Horvitz posts or sends out a set of instructions almost every day. They're usually very simple but inspiring and surprising, and definitely worth a look. He'll even snail-mail them to you for a small fee.

I wasn't really struck by this one until I got to the last purpose: "To reject a person's written name as merely information, and to recognize it as a life being lived." I've actually been thinking about that idea a lot lately for some reason. The complexity of the world sneaks up on my every now and then, especially when I'm exploring an unfamiliar place with people that I've never met before. It's staggering to think that the earth is filled with almost 7 billion people, each with their own complete life full of problems and connections to everyone else in the world. We spend our entire lives weaving a web of connections, friendships, hurdles and solutions, loves, hatreds, and every single other person in the world does the exact same thing while they occupy the earth. You'd think that the time-space continuum would get saturated with all of the feelings and just explode.

The thought came back to me yesterday when I was reading an article in The New Yorker (by Jonathan Harr--"Lives of the Saints") about aid workers in Chad. It was a heartbreaking account (as they all are) of refugee camps and the constant struggle to keep them safe and functional. At one point the coordinator of a relief organization said, "People tend to treat them as a group, one more camp of twenty thousand refugees. But they have names, hopes, lives, loves. You have to see them as individuals." Even in a war-ravaged country such as Chad, where people have to live six to a tent and have few to no possesions and precious little freedom, every single person has a head full of thoughts and dreams just as complex as the ones that occupy my selfish little brain each day. Each life is different and unique and precious, and that's just amazing.

I guess it's easy to forget that sometimes, especially when you spend your day looking at diseases, symptoms, and statistics in place of patients' names and identities. The first two years of medical school are usually full of book learning and facts and very little actual patient interaction. But someday, our offices will be filled with all of those people out there, each one with their own journey that got them this far. I feel so lucky to be going into a field where I can meet so many different lives.

Anyway, check out the blog. It's full of neat things like that. And he invites you to take them and spread them through the world, because ideas are free and should be shared. Pretty super guy.

House hunting

2009-02-04T11:37:00.005-06:00

Two of my friends are buying a cute little house down here in New Orleans (congrats Nick and Lauren!), and while I love my little rented shotgun, it's so much fun to imagine buying my own place someday. The New York Times real estate section does this series on what properties are available for certain prices--properties for $440,000 (this house is my favorite), properties for $600, 000, etc. Kind of a bang for your buck thing. Their latest, and my personal favorite, is properties for $300,000. I'm smitten! And I've decided that I want to live in this houseboat on a lake in Seattle:

How great is that? It's two stories and has a cute little kitchen, as well as a view of the harbor.

It also has a loft bedroom, and even though I'm one of the clumsiest people I know and would probably fall out, I love loft bedrooms!

I'm taking a day off today (sort of), because this week's exams kind of wore me out. As did celebrating the end of them last night. Thank goodness for recording software, so I can listen to the lectures in pjs, with two sleeping kittens on my lap and a cup of coffee in my hand. Happy Wednesday folks!

Vote for me

2009-02-01T23:27:00.003-06:00

One of my dear dear friends just informed me that everyone who's anyone has seen that Mario video before and I'm just SOOOOOO behind the times. Where am I when all of these hilarious internet phenomena are passed around? Why am I always out of the loop?

Anyway, I'm taking a poll. Am I really the only one who's never seen it before?

That was my bad, Mario

2009-02-01T23:13:00.004-06:00

I had an effing WONDERFUL weekend. Andrew and I decided that trying to go two months without visiting each other was just a silly idea (who thought of that anyway?), so he flew down Friday night. Instead of studying for the physiology test I have tomorrow, I spent two days lounging about on the lawn in the sun, eating and drinking more than I have in two weeks, and just being generally euphoric about the world. And what did YOU do?

On a less pleasant note, did you know that kittens can reach sexual maturity at only 4 months old? Nah, I didn't know that either, until Stevie starting tarting it up around the yard and twitching her little ass at absolutely everything that moved (human, feline, neutered, didn't matter). Another pleasant thing that cats in heat do is yowl. All. Night. Long. Guess who gets a trip to the vet this week!

Instead of studying for my test, I'm watching silly videos, and you really have to check this one out. Ok, I know it's 23:00 minutes long or whatever, but really, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard, and you only have to watch the first thirty seconds to appreciate the hilarity. But you'll want to keep going. Trust me.

PS: It's a little profane.

Cute cute cuteness (sorry)

2009-01-27T19:18:00.000-06:00

I love creatures of all kinds. I've had my share of strange pets, from geckos to guinea pigs to ducklings to turtles. Right now my happy home includes two adorable kittens and a disgruntled tarantula. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven two summers ago when I met Lilac the apricot skunk. The picture doesn't do her justice, but trust me, she was the sweetest little thing you've ever seen. Another one that I almost stole from the petting zoo was this fine fellow, a cross eyed opossum. I raised a couple of orphaned baby opossums for a while, and they were mean as snot. But this little guy was so mellow and affectionate!

But one animal I've never given a lot of thought to, other than resentment as I pulled spines out of my dog's muzzle once, was the porcupine. After watching the video below, I'm completely sold.

So...effing...adorable....

(video via lord whimsy)

First dance

2009-01-22T21:31:00.004-06:00

Ok, so mac and cheese didn't quite happen tonight. I decided to just vegetate instead and not drag my ass to the store. But I did make amazing tacos that were almost as satisfying, and a lot less effort.

I can't believe the whole point of this post is to tell you what I had for dinner. Pathetic! But you know, I was just feeling dishonest, and I thought I should set the record straight.

In order to make this post not completely worthless (wouldn't want to drive away the three people that read it), I'll steal shamelessly from the lovely Joanna and give you all some food for thought:

Sigh...watching this restores my faith in love and humanity. Aren't they beautiful?

Cold day

2009-01-22T14:48:00.003-06:00

I'm having a pretty crap day. I have some kind of head cold that's seriously lingering and I can't seem to get enough sleep, so I'm exhausted. But more than that I'm just feeling lonely and needy and kind of annoyed with things in general. So to cheer myself up I'm going to make some serious comfort food and watch The L Word until I feel better.

Seriously, have I mentioned Deb's amazing mac and cheese recipe? Well technically I think it's from Martha, but I'm a much bigger fan of smitten kitchen than the queen of household wisdom. Really, you've gotta make this. Tonight. And halve the recipe, because when she says "serves 12", she means 12.

Sorry for the lack of pictures folks, but I'm not feeling it, you know? Hope everybody's more up than I am!

Obama Day #2!

2009-01-20T17:58:00.003-06:00

(image via)

Happy Inauguration Day everyone! Did you all watch? Wasn't it beautiful? And for my Maryland/DC friends who were lucky enough to be there, was all of the excitement worth standing on the frigid national mall for three hours?

Very exciting day, politically! Scholastically, it was exhausting. I had an awful biochem exam this morning, followed by inauguration festivities in the student lounge. Quick lunch and then a four hour long standardized patient session about cardiology. Very interesting and useful, but slow as heck. Especially when we're all sleep deprived and just want to sleep off the exam blues. But I'm home now with the kittens, warming up the house and thinking about dinner.

Have you checked out this amazing slide show yet? It's fifty-two portraits of Obama's new administration, with commentary by the photographers about how they were done and how unique all of his aides and advisors are. Totally cool, and the shots are all so different and beautiful. Check it out, in honor of the big day!

One more day!

2009-01-19T11:21:00.000-06:00

(via the sugarsheet)

Lesch-Nyhan

2009-01-17T14:30:00.002-06:00

Big day of studying today--I'm being so good! I have a metabolism test on Tuesday, and it's going to be a real bitch. So many pathways, so many enzymes...During a lecture last week, our professor actually told us that our heads were probably going to explode. Comforting!

Just reading about a genetic disorder called Lesch-Nyhan syndrome--creepy one. It has to do with a defective enzyme that causes a buildup of uric acid in the body. It usually presents in early childhood, and patients have mental retardation, gout-like symptoms, and severe hostility. But the really weird symptom is a tendency toward self mutilation--patients eat off their own fingers, toes, lips, etc. Strange one!

I hope everyone is staying warm today--I'm bundled up like a snowman in my frigid little house and my fingers are freezing! Later folks!

Back in action (sort of)

2009-01-16T14:08:00.003-06:00

Oh my gosh folks, it's been weeks! I've been thinking that I really need to post something, but I've been trying to keep my head above water for these first two weeks of class. And yesterday Laurel told me that she checks my blog every day and is always disappointed, so now the pressure's on.

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! Mine was...well, not incredibly relaxing, but lots of fun. Home to California for a week, which was wonderful. Humboldt County is perfect in the winter--chilly and wet with just the right amount of snow. We had a beautiful white Christmas, just right for hot buttered rum by the fireplace. My brother Cody, who I haven't seen for about two years (since before his tour in Iraq), was home, as well as my two other step sibs. Seven people, five dogs, and four cats home for Christmas--a very full house! The more the merrier.

After my week at home I flew to New York, which was SO COLD. I had tons of fun, but seriously kids, I've never been as cold as I was on New Year's Eve. It was so great to see Andrew--we had a lovely romantic week. The Friday before I flew home he took me to see The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center and out to a wonderful dinner. The kittens even came along (not to the ballet), and spent the week terrorizing Andrew's senile maltese Lady.

And now...back to real life! Break was so wonderful and full that these two little paragraphs don't really do it justice, but I can't handle details right now. I just want to get one post out there to get me back in the swing of things. God, this one's so boring. Not even any pictures! I promise something more interesting later, but it's time to study (as always). Did everyone else have a nice holiday?

Home again home again

2008-12-19T10:14:00.002-06:00

Woohoo! Just finished my last exam, and I'm thrilled! I even think it went pretty well. I have a 3pm flight, so I get to laze about for a few more hours and eat all of the food that I don't want to go bad while I'm gone. And then it's off to snowy California! It's a beautiful day here in New Orleans, but I'm excited to go home and drink hot buttered rum by the fireplace.

(via lolita)

A bit distracted

2008-12-17T21:11:00.004-06:00

Ugh, I just watched a super sad movie and now I feel like crap. Does that ever happen to you? I popped this movie in (I guess that's an antiquated term now--I "slid in a dvd") thinking it would be a stupid, light-hearted romantic comedy that would take me away from physiology for a while, and instead, I end up sobbing (SOBBING) my eyes out and wishing I'd just stuck to the textbooks. It totally snuck up on me!

I'm not going to tell you what the movie was because you'll all make fun of me. It was one of those movies that you see previews for (before a movie you rented, not even on the big screen) and make fun of because it looks so brainless. Like, girlfriend-meets-the-parents-and-they-have-a-really-awkward-weekend brainless. But you're running out of things to put on your netflix queue, so you thought, what the hell. By the way, if anyone has any great movie suggestions, I'm all ears.

Anyway, physio exam tomorrow and I am not a happy camper. But as per my usual, I can't seem to study after 8:30 pm or so, no matter how badly I need to (bad habit for a med student, let me tell you), so I'm thinking about hitting the sack. It was a lovely 76 degrees today, which somewhat redeems the snow last week. But hey! Even though I'm not into living in the frigid snow, I love to visit it (briefly), and if I was going to go somewhere chilly, this is totally where I would go right now:

Incredible, huh? It looks like a toy town. It's Sisimiut, Greenland, and it looks like an amazing place to visit.

I told you--way cold. I love icebergs. Check out this awesome slideshow about Arctic traveling. Beautiful!

Remember remember

2008-12-14T18:34:00.008-06:00

I ran some errands today and saw everyone out putting up Christmas decorations on their houses. It's finally starting to put me in the Christmas mood (even though it was a lovely 70 degrees and sunny today). The snow on Thursday certainly helped, but in general, the holiday spirit has been taking a while to hit me.

(via)

Christmas is hard not to love. Lights, trees, cold weather, stockings and presents, hot buttered rum by the fireplace, and best of all, I get to see my family! Some higher power has been trying really hard for the past handful of years to stop my family from enjoying Christmas, but we manage to carry on with our normal vigor. I guess it's a healthy combination of present overload, massive amounts of food and liquor, and an inability to stay sad for long when you're surrounded by people that you love, even if those people are brought together by hardship as well as tradition.

Anyway, just feeling a bit melancholy on this day of days, all alone with my little kittens. But my Christmas spirit is putting up a good fight, and I'm so excited to fly home this weekend and see my family! I hear it's snowing there, and while I was less than thrilled with the snow in New Orleans (it's supposed to be warm here, for God's sake!), snow at home is a lovely thing. I hope everyone else is gearing up for the holidays too!

Treehouse

2008-12-12T22:52:00.004-06:00

You're having a bad day--nothing seems to be going right. You had to wake up really early and go to boring lectures all day, you have three big tests next week and not nearly enough time to study for them, your hair has been doing this weird thing lately and won't be tamed, and it is effing COLD these days. Also, how did Christmas sneak up on you so quickly, and when exactly are you supposed to do all of the necessary shopping in the next week and a half?

With all of these worries on your mind, where should you go to leave them all behind?

Why, to your very own Free Spirit Sphere in the peaceful rainforest of Vancouver Island, of course!

The motion in a sphere is a slow gentle rocking when the wind blows. The rope tethers are almost vertical which lets the treetops move considerably while hardly moving the sphere at all. The sphere movement is a muted average of the movement of the 3 treetops. When another body inside a sphere shifts his/her weight the motion is abrupt. This is because the mass of the sphere is low.

Once one breaks contact with the ground, energy shifts. The magical environment of the forest canopy conjures up thoughts of elves and fairies. One can feel the presence of the forest. That presence seems to dwell in the canopy where it can watch the meanderings below.

Um....heck yeah! I know I'm just a tree-hugging hippie right below the surface, but who wouldn't want to stay in a magic treetop sphere for the weekend? I'll admit that the accommodations sound a little hokey (yet still relaxing and lovely), but I want one for my own backyard! Or strung somewhere up in the redwoods, yeah?

Found on this awesome website about strange buildings around the world. Check it out!

Told ya!

2008-12-11T17:43:00.004-06:00

I still haven't found my camera cord, so even though I took pictures of the snow today, I can't post them. But the New York Times has a lovely photo of the Quarter in their pictures of the day !

Good bunch of pictures today, as always. Another of my favorites:

They also have some haunting pictures of the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe on their homepage. Worth a look-see.

Brrr!

2008-12-11T16:52:00.004-06:00

You'll never believe it--it snowed here today! Snowed. An honest to goodness snow storm. It was really coming down! Pretty incredible, considering it was a perfect 80 degrees not three days ago. I thought I moved to New Orleans to escape this crap! On the bright side, no one in New Orleans can handle the white stuff, so a bunch of crap I didn't want to do today was canceled! Very convenient. So I'm at home wearing: thigh high socks, short fuzzy socks, sweat pants, leg warmers, slippers, knit hat, turtle neck shirt, sweater, scarf, and a robe over it all. My little gas heaters aren't quite cutting it.

That being said, does anyone out there who knows how to knit want to make me one of these?

(via swissmiss)

Doesn't it look warm and wonderful? You can get your own draft dodger (or one for your freezing friend) from this cute shop. Sigh...I should really learn how to knit something other than a potholder.

Well, back to studying metabolism. The beautiful church down the street is playing "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on its bells, I have a fresh cup of coffee, and my two kittens are sleeping next to me on the desk. Cuddled together, without fighting! Life could be worse.

By the way

2008-12-10T18:26:00.002-06:00

New baby girl kitten! Adopted from my histology professor--aren't I a suck up? She and Stokely...well, I'm sure they'll get along a little better soon! Cross your fingers. She's a sweetie, although it was tough to get her to sit still for these pictures. Sorry about the grainy laptop photos--I can't find my camera cord!

Over and out, folks.

Picture of the day

2008-12-09T17:39:00.001-06:00

PS--my favorite picture of the day from the nyt!

Oh so tired

2008-12-09T17:09:00.002-06:00

I had such a productive weekend! I actually sat down and studied for more than ten minutes in a row, for the first time in a good while. I just can't seem to concentrate these days. Which is unfortunate, because this block (which started Monday) is only two weeks long, which means we have three exams next week.

(via)

I'm trying to study right now, which isn't going as well as I'd hoped. I'm sitting in a room at the top floor of Tulane's Poydras building, which is where the standardized patient program is housed. The SP program is one of the neatest things about Tulane. They employ a staff of actors who pretend to be patients, and it's through them that we learn to interact with patients. There's a whole "clinic" up here, and we learn to do all of our exams with the SPs, from patient interviewing to the really fun stuff. One of the reasons is that I can't study is that I'm sitting in a room with a bunch of T2s (study rooms are a hot commodity these days) who are waiting to be called in to learn digital rectal exams. Oh baby. Anal jokes abound.

The SPs get paid pretty well, as you can imagine. I just came out of a session on patient counseling that was really great, although he was acting like such a difficult guy that it was pretty frustrating sometimes. But it is really nice to be put through all of this stuff before treating real live patients.

Ugh, I guess I'd better go. Sorry this was kind of an empty post. This is what I've been staring at for the past hour and a half:

Well, variations on the same theme. Anyway, things to do, places to be. Later kids.

Bot fly

2008-12-07T15:22:00.004-06:00

Hey all you lovely people! Long time no talk. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's been a long few weeks! I spent a lovely Thanksgiving break in New Jersey/New York area with Andrew--man, is it cold there! Like, actually cold cold, not New Orleans cold. This was never more apparent to me last week than when I accidentally locked myself out of Andrew's house (while he was at work in the city) and had to spend three hours outside, searching for a spare key/a way to break in. In my pajamas. With his senile little Maltese sitting on the porch and barking at me. Good times.

But really, other than that, it was a wonderful trip. I got to spend time with my man, eat Chipotle (and, um, turkey and all that), go shopping in Manhattan, enjoy wonderful New Jersey pizza and bagels, and my kitten didn't even make a scene on the airplane. What else could I ask for?

And now it's back to school. This whole past week I've had an awful cold, so I still haven't really gotten into the swing of things. Physiology? Histology? Wha?

I wanted to share with you a truly wonderful video that the fabulous Miss Havisham posted. Like me, she likes watching disgusting things being extracted from people's bodies--it makes me want to be her best friend. It's a video of a bot fly larva being pulled from a man's back, where it was hoping to grow into a nice happy little adult bot fly and then crawl out (read all about bot flies here). Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Return of the Mammoth

2008-11-23T20:21:00.003-06:00

Original article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/science/20mammoth.html?fta=y

Editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/science/20mammoth.html?fta=y

Um, heck yeah we should bring back the woolly mammoth! How freaking cool would that be? Check it out:

In our own back yards! Sure sure, things are getting a bit toasty around here for all that fur, but I'm sure we'll get this global warming nonsense under control in no time. And 10 mil is a small price to pay for this venture, if you ask me.

So close

2008-11-23T19:44:00.003-06:00

I'm burned out. I've said that a lot lately, but it's so damn true tonight. I just can't study any more. Saturation point.

I wouldn't say that med school is over-the-top difficult so far. It's certainly a challenge, but I'm pretty good at being in school (and after twenty years of constant schooling, I'd better be). I know how to study, I can usually keep facts in my head long enough to regurgitate them during a test. And I love what I'm doing now--even though I have to wake up at 6 every day, sit in lecture for hours, hurt my back bending over a cadaver for so long, and leave school smelling like a dead body, I love it.

But I am so...effing...tired. I think that we all are. No one wants to be in lab anymore, no one reads ahead or prepares for lecture, more and more people are coming to class in sweat pants. Just in time for Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is our last anatomy exam, and the last day we'll see our cadaver. He was a 67 year old repairman who died of complications with liver disease, and he's barely recognizable as a human anymore. I was studying in lab by myself yesterday, and I noticed that none of his parts seemed to be in the right place. His heart was laying near his head, there was a stray lung by his feet, his muscles were splayed all over the place. One eye missing, brain in a ziploc, etc. I spent a few minutes putting him back together again, closing everything up and covering him with a towel. Strangest class I've ever taken, for sure.

(via freshome)

Well, I suppose I don't have a whole lot more to say. I'm really just trying to avoid looking over the cranial nerves again. Wish me luck! Oh, and what do you think of Amy Lau's "Dexter"-inspired dining room design? Gory and gorgeous, huh?

Hearbreakingly adorable

2008-11-19T21:01:00.001-06:00

Sorry about this guys.

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

Too cute for words. I'll get back to med school stuff soon. Last anatomy exam on Monday! Tortured sigh...

Mmmmm....

2008-11-14T23:27:00.003-06:00

"Spam, a gelatinous 12-ounce rectangle of spiced ham and pork, may be among the world’s most maligned foods, dismissed as inedible by food elites and skewered by comedians who have offered smart-alecky theories on its name (one G-rated example: Something Posing As Meat).

But these days, consumers are rediscovering relatively cheap foods, Spam among them. A 12-ounce can of Spam, marketed as “Crazy Tasty,” costs about $2.40. “People are realizing it’s not that bad a product,” said Dan Johnson, 55, who operates a 70-foot-high Spam oven."

Read here, of course. Comments? Opinions? Spam recipes?

Little by little

2008-11-14T15:50:00.004-06:00

One step closer to a cure! Hip hip hooray!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/health/14hiv.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Pictures of the day

2008-11-13T22:01:00.002-06:00

Check out today's pictures of the day at nytimes.com. They're enthralling tonight!

What a lovely and terrible world we live in. Just beautiful. Goodnight all.

Worst lecture ever

2008-11-13T12:49:00.005-06:00

Warning: one big complaint from me, so if you're looking for substance, you might as well skip it. But I've just got to rant for a minute.

I just got home from the most infuriating lecture. It all started yesterday really, when this lecturer (I think he's a geneticist) was supposed to be showing us a video about dismorphic patients. It sounded interesting, so we were all sticking around. First mistake: the man was a half hour late (someone had to call him) and didn't apologize when he finally came down to stick the video in. No explanation, no introduction, just started it and sat down. It turned out to be a video taped lecture (looked like it was make in the late eighties) of a man at some random function giving a slide presentation. Awful. Awful quality, bad speaker, just bad bad bad. This guy couldn't give us a well prepared lecture himself? I stood up and left when I looked at the front row and saw the guy napping. No joke.

This morning he was scheduled to give us another lecture. The man was TWENTY MINTUES LATE again! Second day in a row! Then he spent ten minutes struggling with the computer and trying to find the right power point presentation. Again, no apologies, no introduction. So he now had twenty minutes (technically) to give this long lecture, and he moved at a snail's pace, stopping every slide to ask us asinine rhetorical questions and make terrible, offensive jokes. Some of my favorites: "If you're a man with muscular dystrophy, at least it's comforting to know that your sister with the disease is going to linger while she wastes away! Can you tell I have sister issues?" and "All I know about Lance Armstrong is that he wears those stupid little pink bracelets". He also broke the microphone. The real kicker is when his cell phone rang and he answered it. Twice. I left after the second time.

Ugh! I can't WAIT to fill out the satisfaction survey for this class.

Windows to our soul

2008-11-12T19:47:00.004-06:00

Hey all! Far too long since I've posted anything of substance, as usual. The block is winding down, thank goodness, but along with that comes studying galore. Well, in theory. I'm trying.

(tim walker photo via lolita's)

Quite a lab the other day. The orbit. Orbit is a fancy word for eyeball and its surrounding structures (of which there are depressingly many), and I can't say that I was really looking forward to lab. We've been with our body for three months now, and I avoid the eyes. It's not that eyes in general creep me out--I've never had a problem putting in drops, or digging out a stray lash. I'd probably be fine with contacts if I needed them. But the eyes of our cadaver are another story. His lids are (were) stiff and closed, but I would occasionally lift one up a fraction of an inch to see what they were hiding. I would just glimpse a sliver of milky, sunken tissue before closing them back up and looking away. Eyes are so personal! They're not like the arm or the leg or even our abdominal organs, which are almost more like tools. Eyes are expressive, they communicate.

(via)

The eyes always scare me the most in monster movies. It's the worst when the zombie opens its eyes suddenly, and even though you're ready for it, you still jumb because they're oozy and dead and bloody. Ugh, makes me shiver.

Anyway, the dissection focused mostly on the optic nerves and all that goodness, and let me tell you, they're bitchy. Luckily my lab mate Brad took the helm on most of those, working from behind the eye in the skull, and he did a fabulous job. He even found the ciliary ganglion, which is a tiny little structure that's wicked hard to locate (Dr. Jerrett said he'd only seen one in four years teaching gross, so he came over and shook Brad's hand). We're very proud.

My job was to work on the eye that Brad wasn't busy with, finding the muscles and structures from the front. I wasted time for a while separating teeny muscles that make us wink and squint--lots of those too. I finally got down to business and started digging, and after quite a while, I cut the optic nerve from behind and pulled out...an eyeball.

So strange. I'd almost forgotten what I was doing while I was working, because I kind of forget what I'm dissecting and just focus on not cutting too many things that I shouldn't. Everything looks the same from so close up anyway. But now I was holding a human eyeball in my blue-gloved hand. It certainly didn't look like the one above, and it barely looked like an eyeball at all, really. It was sunken, like someone had sucked most of the juice out with a straw (although I know for a fact that there was still plenty of liquid in these bad boys--one of our classmates stopped by halfway through the lab looking a bit disshevelled. He'd gotten squirted in the face by eye juice while doing the exact thing I'd been working on all hour. Someone was looking out for me that day). The sad thing was covered with a thick, milky layer of tissue, like a huge cataract. We could just make out the iris underneath. Brown eyes.

And now our body is one eye down. It's in a ziploc with his brain, nestled on the towel between his legs. Piece by piece, we're taking him apart, and there isn't much left to do now. He's lucky though. Most of the other bodies had their pelvis bisected or their abdominal organs completely removed. He's stayed more or less intact while everyone else is almost unrecognizable as even a human body. What a strange class.

Off to try to study (or maybe just play with the kitten, take a bath, and go to bed. Whatev). Nighty night, folks.

Another Ramen soup night

2008-11-06T19:34:00.004-06:00

My fridge died yesterday! Well, probably sometime Tuesday evening really. Terrible, huh? Most of my perishables perished, which is a real bummer, and the freezer also peed all over the kitchen floor as is defrosted overnight. But my wonderful landlady and her boyfriend showed up tonight with a bright new shiny Frigidaire!

Sweet, huh? Although I feel like Edward Norton from Fight Club--a fridge full of condiments. How embarrassing. At least I have lots of beer! Anyway, the black matches the tiles pretty nicely I think. Unlike my big black faux-leather couch, which just makes me look like a drug dealer.

So I'm off for another non-perishable dinner of ramen soup and beer--grocery shopping tomorrow, I hope. Hope y'all are eating a more nutritious dinner than I am tonight!

At least I'm not in Russia

2008-11-05T22:00:00.004-06:00

My feet are freezing right now. A good friend of mine (who lives in Idaho, where it's actually cold, not New Orleans "cold") reminded me that at least I don't live in Siberia (or Idaho, really). True! But look at the neat hats they get to wear in the military.

Also, baby elephants.

Thank you, New York Times.

Wagon Wheel

2008-11-05T21:49:00.002-06:00

Seriously, people. Prop 8? Really? Come on California (and Arizona and Florida). The gays aren't going to take over the world. The children will be fine. There will still be plenty of happy boy and girl marriages, plenty of divorces and broken homes, plenty plenty plenty.

Blech. Anyway, I thought I'd share something with you that my sister shared with me. It's a lovely music video, and I've listened to it about fifteen times in a row to cheer myself up. Enjoy!

B is for

2008-11-02T16:42:00.008-06:00

(via)

Believe it or not, this isn't even a Halloween post! It's two days late anyway. But it is related to zombies, kind of. More importantly, zombie food: BRAINS!!!!

Ok, so that was a loose tie in. But brains are super cool, and last week, I got to play with them! That's right folks, the big day came. Brain day.

It's been a rough couple of weeks, and not just for totally lonely, down-in-the-dumps, please-stop-bitching-about-it little me. Our biochem class ended on Friday, which meant a big test, lots of studying, and lots of putting off anatomy. I don't think any of us were paying attention to which anatomy classes we were going to until the professor started lecturing. We've all been on auto pilot. As such, it came as a big surprise to all of us when Dr. Lindsey casually mentioned in lecture that we would be opening up our skulls that day. There we were, paying vague attention to the anterior neck, and BAM! Brain day.

So we all trooped up to lab after lecture, a little perkier than we had been earlier. We had taken off the skin of the face a few days before. Very strange, by the way. Our man was all lips and eyebrows--no more wispy gray hair or wrinkles. He looks really....cadavery.

(via)

Anyway, we took the rest of the skin and hair off the top of the skull, and then it was bone saw time. That was rough! It's very awkward trying to maneuver a saw around someone's head when they can't flip over and get into a better position for you. Um. Well, you know what I mean.

We eventually were able to pop off the top of the skull (the calvaria), just like a little bowl (we're usuing it to keep our tools in now). The brain itself was a little harder to get out, because we had to be careful to cut all the right things in the right places. I was working with the scalpal while Brad held the brain out of my way, and once I snipped the brain stem, it kind of just...plopped out. It was very anticlimatic actually. Doesn't it seem that there should be a little more to taking a brain out of a skull? Fifteen minutes, and we were holding this lumpy thing in our hands. It felt like very firm jello, just a few pounds, kind of lumpy and pale and unremarkable. The center of so much activity, our body's computer, and it's sitting in a ziploc in our humidor right now. Lots of deep thoughts in this, but I'll save them for another night.

(via)

And that was it! It wasn't even a very long lab. It was one of the more satisfying, although I ended up covered in bone dust and more than a little brain juice.

Anyway, I wanted to share that with y'all, because I think we're on to eyeballs and other fun stuff like that this week. Lots of good stories for you I hope. Have a lovely evening!

In honor of Tuesday!

2008-10-30T17:16:00.003-05:00

As if anyone needs yet another reason not to vote for McCain, check this out. Obama totally kicks his ass in this dance off.

Oh yeah folks, it's for realsies.

And because none of us can get enough Sarah Palin, get your giggles out here (my favorite is the poster of baby names, and keep clicking on the office door).

Chestnuts

2008-10-30T16:43:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I know that I swore off all Mark Bittman recipes, but doesn't this one look delicious? I've never roasted chestnuts before, but I think I might try. It might make things a little toastier in this chilly house. Leave a comment if you have any roasted chestnut experience! I don't have an open fire, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hiding

2008-10-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

Hi all. I have been in such a big funk lately! And so much has been happening that I can't believe I haven't been writing about it all along--I'll never catch up. But I'm trying to pull myself out of whatever this is that I'm stuck in.

Andrew drove away on Friday--almost a whole week ago now. I was dismally depressed at first, of course, and while I'm still just as sad, it's faded to a dull kind of crappiness now. Seriously guys, it's now 4:30, and I've been in bed since noon. Noon. I only got up to go pee and check the mail. But I'm not completely gloomy and out of it--I've gotten a lot done! Ate lunch, studied biochem, watched Heroes, played with the kitten, read.

There are a few great reasons to stay in bed these days. One, Andrew's gone, and not only am I sad, but I don't feel guilty for being completely lazy and immobile! Two, it's flippin' freezing out of my warm blankets. Yes, actually cold! Well, cold for New Orleans (don't laugh at me). Three, I get to cuddle with my adorable new kitten, Stokely! Yep, I finally took the plunge. I couldn't find an old cat that was right for me, so instead I adopted this tiny, sad, scruffy black kitten and am completely enamored. He sleeps on my neck. It's love.

It's so hard to leave the house in the morning and go to class! Wouldn't you want to stay in and cuddle too? When he's not trying to tear your bare feet to shreds, that is.

More later folks. I'm going to try and drag myself out of my nest and rustle up some grub. Or a g&t. Or whatever.

Lala land

2008-10-26T20:32:00.002-05:00

Hey all. I know I've been out of touch lately, and I promise that I'm hard at work dragging myself back into the land of the living! Been a rough week, let me tell you. But I promise something substantial soon, so don't touch that dial! Until then, a little vintage loveliness from swissmiss.

Apples

2008-10-19T12:18:00.002-05:00

(via faces in places)

In my birthday box from my dad was a boat load of my favorite kind of apples, these tiny little tart things from one of the trees in his orchard. I love apple season! Does anyone know of a place to go apple picking in Louisiana?

I promise a more substantive post later. I just love Fall! Anyone want to carve pumpkins?

Happy holidays!

2008-10-15T06:57:00.004-05:00

People, today's my BIRTHDAY! Woohoo! That's not me in the picture above, but it's a cute picture of my sister with her birthday cake a couple of years ago. And here's one of my dad holding a flaming cake:

After the exam, I think Andrew and some friends and I are heading up to Northern Louisiana for the Washington Parish Free Fair--should be a hoot. So wish me biochem luck!

Practical practicals

2008-10-14T11:10:00.003-05:00

(found via a cup of jo)

My friend Jeff asked a question about anatomy exams, and I was trying to find some amusing picture of lab practicals or something to post. Instead, I found the above. Friggin' adorable. From James' Year in Pictures blog--awesome photos, and I promise, most of them aren't as cutesy as this one.

Anyway, I checked my answers this morning and it looks like I did well! Woohoo! Our gross anatomy exams are in two parts: written and practical. Each section is a little less than two hours. The written is in the same format as the board exams, which means primarily clinical cases with multiple choice answers--and yesterday's written portion was miserably hard, so I'm thrilled that I passed! When we finish that, we all trudge upstairs to the anatomy labs for the practical portion, which consists of 70 tagged structures throughout the six labs. We all have clip boards and we're herded from lab to lab by a buzzer (15 minutes per lab or so). I saw Dr. Jerret this morning as I checked my answers at the bulletin board, and he said that he was thrilled with how well we'd all done on the practical. Gave me a nice warm fuzzy feeling, because I know that it doesn't really matter what scores we all get, but I do live for praise and to make my superiors happy. It's a little pathetic.

Anyway, I'm now sitting in the library, trying very hard to study biochem. Wish me luck!

(PS--Thanks for commenting, Jeff!)

Bed time yet?

2008-10-13T19:27:00.002-05:00

Doesn't this look like the most comfortable bed ever? I love white rooms, and the blankets look so fluffy. All I want to do is crawl into bed right now. My anatomy exam went pretty well, but it's time to study for Wednesday's biochem. Ugh. Hope everyone else is having a relaxing night!

Test time

2008-10-13T08:29:00.003-05:00

Block II anatomy exam today! Ahhh! Wish me luck.

One of my favorite anatomy professors posts the above picture at the beginning of every lecture (click on the image for a bigger view--totally cool). I found it at this great website full of antique anatomical art. More about it later, so I won't post the link yet. You know, that way you'll come back for more. Ooooo...

PS: Cats

2008-10-11T20:30:00.003-05:00

I haven't mentioned that Andrew landed himself a wonderful job with the Associated Press as a technology reporter! It's a great position with honest to goodness benefits. The downside: it's in Manhattan! So he'll be moving back up North in a couple of weeks, and although I'm beyond bummed that he has to leave, I'm trying to stay positive (more closet space, cheaper food bill, etc). And now that I'm going to be all lonely, I'm back to wanting to adopt a cat. The Louisiana SPCA (which is only two minutes from my house) has this great website with pictures of their current adoptable animals, and I think I want this one:

Doesn't he (she?) look fantastically old and grumpy? And fluffy to boot. I think I'll go meet him tomorrow. Thoughts?

Fun in the perineum

2008-10-11T11:10:00.008-05:00

Yesterday one of my dear dear friends (you know who you are) reminded me that it's been far too long since I wrote anything of substance in this silly blog. Ok, so that's not exactly what he said, but the intent was clear. And he's right! Things have been a bit busy lately, and it's time for some lab updates. All I can say is that you asked for it!

I said I'd tell y'all about my day in the abdomen, and I will, but first I'll discuss what I've been studying all day:

(thank you, frank netter, for everything you've done for me)

Oh yes, yes indeed. The day finally came to dissect down there. The day that Andrew's been snickering about every since he learned I have a male cadaver. We've been working with our body for two months now, and we're very respectful. When we're not working on a specific region, we cover it up with the towel. Until now, that's meant keeping his nether regions discreetly hidden. We all knew it was down there, we knew that we'd have to get to know it eventually, but until that time, we were perfectly happy to ignore it. We try to let the man keep his dignity while desperately clinging to our own, enjoying our time with his arms and heart and colon.

But it couldn't last forever, could it? The day came when we had to remove the towel. It was an ominous act; we set it aside and stood staring for a few moments, not saying a word. Then the three men in the group quietly stepped back out of the circle. You see, each table had been assigned a different dissection to do, because they're all tedious and intricate and take several hours. For better or worse, we'd been assigned the money dissection: male urogenital triangle. Us gals were a little apprehensive, but the fellas were having nothing to do with using scalpels, probes, and scissors in that most tender of areas. Especially not if the end result was going to look something like this:

We waffled for a little while, putting off the inevitable. We moved him into position, which was unsettlingly similar to the one women assume at the gynecologist: legs bent and spread, feet in the stirrups, scoot down a bit please, a little further, there we go... Now we were ready, and I had somehow ended up in the dissection position. It felt a little like in the cartoons, when they ask for volunteers and everybody steps back except for the one unlucky sap. I was that sap.

But I'm not afraid! I crouched down and started skinning, the feet hovering somewhere near my ears and my relieved lab mates grouped around the end of the humidor. It was strange at first, holding his abnormally hardened you-know-what (I'm trying to avoid those creeps that google dirty words and stumble upon well-meaning blogs) and peeling away skin and fascia. But eventually it was just another body part, and skinning can be very soothing (as far as dissections go)--you don't really have to think about much, you're not searching for annoying nerves and vessels, you can watch the progress you're making minute by minute.

After a while we started to draw a crowd, and everyone stood around watching me dissect. I earned a reputation as a man-hater pretty quickly--completely undeserved of course! But I'm afraid it's going to stick with me for a while, and all because no one else would step up to the plate! To be fair, (almost) everyone did their part eventually.

The dissection itself went well. We found lots of little structures and ended up with a pretty nice perineum, which, by the way, has SO much fat! We didn't find anything too unusual, although he had a bunch of benign fatty lipomas in his spermatic cord. Weird! One of the bodies a few labs down the hall found a surgically implanted penile pump--totally cool!

(a little gray's anatomy from bartleby.com)

As much flak as I took for dissecting a penis (oh no! I said it!) and testis, I feel like our table was pretty lucky. We could've gotten stuck with the anal triangle--no fun at all, let me tell you.

That's all for now, folks. The weather down here is finally cooling down. Today was the most lovely, breezy day. Thanks to my block II exams next week, I spent the whole thing inside studying, but I enjoyed it on the walk to breakfast. Hope all is well out there, and ta ta!