I got yelled at about not updating my blog, so i'm updating. This is my first entry since I came back to school for the new semester. So sad how shallow my resolve is in keeping up with these ramblings. Anywhoo, I do have some things to report.
1. I have not been studying for boards as I should have, but instead of that fact acting as motivation, I'm feeling overwhelmed and drinking/sleeping/eating more than I should aka not studying aka failing. When I'm presented with a daunting task, I tend to run and hide...not exactly something I'm proud of, but something I'm more aware of about myself now.
2. I bought my plane ticket to Hawaii :) It makes everything feel more real. I can't believe I'll be on my own to see my own patients, by myself, in 3 months. That's not a very long time at all! ahhhhhh~
3. I am going to try to get back to the arts more. St. Louis is rich with shows and symphony concerts and I feel like I haven't been taking full advantage. I met the concertmaster and a cellist of the St Louis Symphony and realized how much I miss it. Using my studies as an excuse, I basically stopped listening and playing. I especially miss playing in a quartet...gotta get on that.
Just a few upcoming events: Heart of America Contact Lens Congress in two weeks in Kansas City; AOA-PAC conference first week of March in Washington DC; Boards March 16-17; Puerto Vallarta with the girls last week of March. =)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
wickedly wonderful!
It's coming to an end...my last real winter vacation. (Next year, I'll be "working" aka paying the school tuition to work for free in a VA, and will most likely have a normal working-person holiday schedule.)
I'm really glad I got to watch Wicked with my baby sister Anna before I left for school again. I knew it was going to be good...you could tell by the raves and the prices of the tickets, that it still hasn't lost its charm. I was unprepared, however, for the way the story touched my heart. Special effects-wise, it wasn't all that elaborate. The set design was sophisticated, but nothing breathtaking. Even so, the story.... The story makes this show. So much of human nature, and the emotions of every day reality. It showcases the lovely things about life; love, friendship, longing, loyalty, talent, beauty....but it also doesn't shy away from demonstrating the lows of human emotion; jealousy, betrayal, greed, disappointment, and sorrow. And even while displaying the good and the bad of human nature, it still succeeds in being a beautifully happy story. I applaud this accomplishment...on two feet. =)
Even though it's set in the fairy tale world of Oz, it is the most un-fairytale like story. I'm really glad I got to share this experience with Anna. Now that she's getting older, I hope she appreciates all the characters and their wonderfully wicked human-ness.
I'm really glad I got to watch Wicked with my baby sister Anna before I left for school again. I knew it was going to be good...you could tell by the raves and the prices of the tickets, that it still hasn't lost its charm. I was unprepared, however, for the way the story touched my heart. Special effects-wise, it wasn't all that elaborate. The set design was sophisticated, but nothing breathtaking. Even so, the story.... The story makes this show. So much of human nature, and the emotions of every day reality. It showcases the lovely things about life; love, friendship, longing, loyalty, talent, beauty....but it also doesn't shy away from demonstrating the lows of human emotion; jealousy, betrayal, greed, disappointment, and sorrow. And even while displaying the good and the bad of human nature, it still succeeds in being a beautifully happy story. I applaud this accomplishment...on two feet. =)
Even though it's set in the fairy tale world of Oz, it is the most un-fairytale like story. I'm really glad I got to share this experience with Anna. Now that she's getting older, I hope she appreciates all the characters and their wonderfully wicked human-ness.
Monday, January 4, 2010
money, money, money
I know it's not really the classiest of subjects to talk about...especially so early in the year, but yesterday's extreme cold really made me realize the comfort of money. When it comes to the question "How much money is enough?" you get a myriad of different answers ranging from...."I just don't want to worry about paying my bills"...to "You can never have enough."
It was a bitterly cold day to be out and about in New York City yesterday. Temperature hovering around 20, but feeling like 0 degrees because of the consistent wind that was gusting up to 40mph. It's the kind of cold that cuts through all the layers of clothing and literally chills you to the bone in a matter of seconds. On this glorious Sunday, I had multiple "appointments" for brunch, dinner, etc. scattered around Manhattan, but all of them easily within a leisurely walk.
I am kind of embarrased to say, I did not walk a full city block all day. The extent of my street time consisted of the walk from the door of my previous location to the nearest corner to hail a cab, which thankfully never took very long. It must have been a very lucrative day for NYC cab drivers, because I imagine I wasn't the only one who reverted to the extremely convenient (and warm!), yet expensive taxi-habit. I promise I normally don't take a cab for 5 blocks, but if you were out there, you'd have done it too!!
Being a non-working, loan-wracking, poor grad student, I try not to get too used to the door-to-door service of taxis, but it's hard! How can you NOT appreciate the quickness (my travel times probably reduced by more than half compared to the subway), not having to think about parking, and the convenience of not having to walk to or from the nearest subway station?? Never mind that I spent 6 or 7 times what I would've spent! It was TOTALLY worth it to not be in the cold!! If someone were to ask me now, "How much money is enough?" my answer would be, without a doubt, "I want to have enough to be able ride taxis everywhere, anywhere, everyday!!!!"
:)
Kind of a non-sequiter, but I really hope all the homeless people found shelter last night...I noticed I hardly encountered any all day...
It was a bitterly cold day to be out and about in New York City yesterday. Temperature hovering around 20, but feeling like 0 degrees because of the consistent wind that was gusting up to 40mph. It's the kind of cold that cuts through all the layers of clothing and literally chills you to the bone in a matter of seconds. On this glorious Sunday, I had multiple "appointments" for brunch, dinner, etc. scattered around Manhattan, but all of them easily within a leisurely walk.
I am kind of embarrased to say, I did not walk a full city block all day. The extent of my street time consisted of the walk from the door of my previous location to the nearest corner to hail a cab, which thankfully never took very long. It must have been a very lucrative day for NYC cab drivers, because I imagine I wasn't the only one who reverted to the extremely convenient (and warm!), yet expensive taxi-habit. I promise I normally don't take a cab for 5 blocks, but if you were out there, you'd have done it too!!
Being a non-working, loan-wracking, poor grad student, I try not to get too used to the door-to-door service of taxis, but it's hard! How can you NOT appreciate the quickness (my travel times probably reduced by more than half compared to the subway), not having to think about parking, and the convenience of not having to walk to or from the nearest subway station?? Never mind that I spent 6 or 7 times what I would've spent! It was TOTALLY worth it to not be in the cold!! If someone were to ask me now, "How much money is enough?" my answer would be, without a doubt, "I want to have enough to be able ride taxis everywhere, anywhere, everyday!!!!"
:)
Kind of a non-sequiter, but I really hope all the homeless people found shelter last night...I noticed I hardly encountered any all day...
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolution List 2010
Without fail, every year, I make a list of resolutions...even while resigning myself to not keeping them. I think it's more of a comfort thing. January 1st has that kind of refreshing quality that separates it from other dates. That heady feeling of a new beginning, with the past year already a closed chapter. Done. Over. Now, a new year, new goals, new hopes, a new start.
SO!
Resolution #1: Don't stress over things I can't control
Type A personalities rule in the world of health professionals...or so I'm told. I don't think I'm a Type A personality at all....except when it comes to being in control of my life (Type A???!). But seriously, I'm a huge planner and for those of you who know me well, I have the next 4-5 years of my life, pretty explicitly planned out. Everything that doesn't follow my Plan (with a capital P because it's that important) become "obstacles" hence cause me immeasurable stress and headaches. I'm not really sure how I'm going to carry out this resolution....stress isn't something I could turn on and off by choice.... I guess all I can do is work on actively letting things go, and perpetually calming myself down. I say perpetually because things don't go according to my Plan pretty much all the time. ;)
Resolution #2: Being a better communicator
I lost my phone for the first time a couple of weeks ago so I had to make one of those fb events that asked for phone numbers. The only good thing that came out of this ordeal was that I got a chance to reconnect with people that I haven't spoken to in a really long time. And let me tell you, there were a lot of them. In fact, it was the great majority. Every time I got a new text/message/e-mail from an old friend, I was hit with a strange mix of emotions; that excitement that only comes from seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time, a wave of affection for long-time friends, random memories shared together, sadness about losing touch, tinged with guilt for not trying harder.
This blog is a part of my resolution. As we get older, I realize just how far we've reached out into the world geographically from New York. This is also the year that I'll be traveling on clinical rotations and won't be in St. Louis for the majority of the year. I hope this becomes a way for us to keep updated on each others' lives across time zones and oceans.
That's it! Only 2 resolutions, but I'm determined to keep them....no silly resolutions about not eating dessert (we all know how long that one's going to last) or studying more (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA). I hope these two will make me a better person and help keep my sanity.
Happy New Year! This is the year of the white tiger...it comes around every 60 years. Hope it brings great peace and prosperity to all~
SO!
Resolution #1: Don't stress over things I can't control
Type A personalities rule in the world of health professionals...or so I'm told. I don't think I'm a Type A personality at all....except when it comes to being in control of my life (Type A???!). But seriously, I'm a huge planner and for those of you who know me well, I have the next 4-5 years of my life, pretty explicitly planned out. Everything that doesn't follow my Plan (with a capital P because it's that important) become "obstacles" hence cause me immeasurable stress and headaches. I'm not really sure how I'm going to carry out this resolution....stress isn't something I could turn on and off by choice.... I guess all I can do is work on actively letting things go, and perpetually calming myself down. I say perpetually because things don't go according to my Plan pretty much all the time. ;)
Resolution #2: Being a better communicator
I lost my phone for the first time a couple of weeks ago so I had to make one of those fb events that asked for phone numbers. The only good thing that came out of this ordeal was that I got a chance to reconnect with people that I haven't spoken to in a really long time. And let me tell you, there were a lot of them. In fact, it was the great majority. Every time I got a new text/message/e-mail from an old friend, I was hit with a strange mix of emotions; that excitement that only comes from seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time, a wave of affection for long-time friends, random memories shared together, sadness about losing touch, tinged with guilt for not trying harder.
This blog is a part of my resolution. As we get older, I realize just how far we've reached out into the world geographically from New York. This is also the year that I'll be traveling on clinical rotations and won't be in St. Louis for the majority of the year. I hope this becomes a way for us to keep updated on each others' lives across time zones and oceans.
That's it! Only 2 resolutions, but I'm determined to keep them....no silly resolutions about not eating dessert (we all know how long that one's going to last) or studying more (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA). I hope these two will make me a better person and help keep my sanity.
Happy New Year! This is the year of the white tiger...it comes around every 60 years. Hope it brings great peace and prosperity to all~
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