I'm back. Again.

I have no excuse for not posting for, like, a billion years.  Well, I have some excuses.  For example, I've been busy doing the following:

Helping Adam say goodbye to our classroom following our last Nurse Anesthesia School lecture

Traveling to Boston for the AANA Annual Meeting where I:

Addressed other SRNAs

Dressed up like a Mad Scientist (along with my fellow members of the AANA Education Committee) for the College Bowl, where my classmate, Anne Marie Sommerville, was on the winning team!

Participated in a 5K with my classmates

Passed my Student Representative duties on to the very capable Emma Bachelder (a Baptist SRNA herself!)

and quenched my thirst alongside my grad school buddies:

I then...

Graduated from Nurse Anesthesia School:

Where I was honored to receive the Chal Maree Award

Passed the board exam (!!) and moved to great state of:

Got hitched to the love of my  life:

Moved back to the even GREATER state of:

Began work as a full-fledged CRNA complete with amazingly gorgeous staff photo

Tried out for the Carolina Roller Girls roller derby team

And enjoyed TWO Christmases: The first with Brian's family and the other with my family, who we hosted at our house in NC.  It was totes fun.

So that's where I've been.  Life is pretty crazy right now with work, travelling to see Brian, and roller derby practice (I'm not joking about that last one... it's pretty intense) but I'll do my best to blog more consistently.  Thanks for sticking with me, folks. 

2010 Year in Review

As I look back on the year, I feel accomplished (another year of anesthesia school down!), blessed (engaged to my best friend!), overwhelmed with responsibility (elected national student representative!), filled with memories (trip to the farm!  Lazy river tubing!  Softball with the Bernstein Bears!  A birthday baseball game!), and excited to see what awaits me in 2011.

Have a safe and fabulous night and I'll see you on the other side!

Holiday Travelin'

I'm headed to Dallas tomorrow to celebrate my sissy's birthday, her hard-earned graduation from an MBA program, and an early Christmas!  Brain's family lives in the great state of Texas as well, so I'll get to spend time with both my family and my family-to-be!  I'm so excited for my loved ones and Brain's to hang out again... if only Brain's brother Mark were able to be there (stupid work obligations!), this week would be perfection.


Drawing via It's Bean!]

Happy Birthday to Me!

I turned the big 3-0 at 7:28 this morning.  Strangely enough, I don't mind being 30.  In fact, I'm kind of looking forward to my 30s.  I've found each year to be a little bit better than the last, so if that trend continues I'm going to have some major smile lines to deal with by the time I'm 40.  I guess I'd better befriend a dermatologist, STAT!

To start my 30s off right, I took a vacation day, meaning that I will remain unchained to the operating room for an entire 24 hour period.  Plus, my parents are driving to We-Say (Brain's new short-hand for "Winston-Salem") to hang out.  Read: Free dinners at nice restaurants!

Wait, 30 isn't too old to mooch dinners off of your parents, is it?!

Share The Road

I'm going to have to start riding my bike more for three reasons:

1. Spring is finally here!
2. All of this studying is going straight to my thighs.

3. I need an excuse to purchase one (or all?) of these beauties:

Bertelli Biciclette Assemblate

 

 Schindelhauer Bike

 

Pilen Concept Bicycle

 

 

 

 

Velorbis Victoria Classic

 

(Check out the leather mud flap on that bad boy!)

Renovo Hardwood R2

 

 

"It smells of rich mahogany!"  Ron Burgundy would approve.

And, really, what's the point in purchasing a bike without grabbing a few accessories while your at it?  It'd be like playing golf, not for the cute outfits, but just to play golf.  Ugh.

YAKKAY Paris cover in Herringbone

LightLane mobile bike lane

[LightLane via A Cup of Jo]

Bagels!

A little background: My siblings and I grew up pronouncing the word "bagel" with a strong "a" sound.  (Think "grocery bag".)  After years of getting laughed at, Katie and Colin gradually altered their pronunciation to please the masses.  But, like Jesus, I chose to ignore the critics and continue following my own path.

Which is why my jaw hit the floor when I saw the latest offering of Community on NBC (episode 17, titled "Physical Education").  This is because the main storyline of this particular episode revolves around Britta's pronunciation of the word "bagel" and how a bunch of lame losers laugh at her expense EVEN THOUGH SHE IS RIGHT.

The video is poor quality, but it's all I could
find.  Though I'll admit I didn't look very hard.
Who do you think I am, Indiana Jones?

Now I'm not here to point fingers.  (...Brain!)  I'm just amazed at how, every once in awhile, art really does imitate life.  Specifically, my life.  And in this particular instance the similarities couldn't be more exact.  Think about it: the hot girl is mocked for her proper pronunciation of the word bagel.

Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you'd emphasize the phrase "hot girl", please.

Snow Angels

A few weeks before I officially moved to Winston-Salem, I came to town for a Nurse Anesthesia Program orientation of sorts.  Afterward I stopped to run a few errands in town before heading home to Chapel Hill.  Upon leaving the first store, I slipped the key into my car's ignition and... nothing.  So I flagged down a fellow patron, who was happy to help me jump start my car.  (Thanks, Dad, for being overly protective and arming my car's trunk with a safety kit, complete with jumper cables!)  I thought, "hmm, that was weird" and decided to continue running errands and see if the same problem would occur.*  Unfortunately, it did.  I asked the woman sitting in the car parked next to mine for a jump and she quickly agreed. But as fate would have it, her car wouldn't start either!  We were able to flag down a passing car, and the woman driving jumped my neighbor's car, but my engine just wouldn't turn over.  At this point, another woman stopped on her own volition to ensure we were alright and to offer her car as an electricity donor.  Literally, help was banging down my door.

When my car still wouldn't start, my parking lot neighbor offered to drive me to Walmart and back so that I could purchase and install a new car battery.  Not only did she let a complete stranger in her car, but she called her office to let them know that she would be late for a meeting in order to do so.  I was bowled over.

That's when I fell in love with the people of Winston-Salem.

So I shouldn't have been at all surprised when a similar occurance took place on the same road as before.  I rushed out after my clinical shift on Friday to purchase a snow shovel in preparation for the blizzard that was predicted to hit the area that evening.  (Nothing like the last minute!)  I went to Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and finally Lowe's.  Nothing.  In fact, the guy at Lowe's merely responded with a laugh when I asked him if they had any snow shovels left.

On my way out of the Lowe's parking lot, however, a man sitting in the passenger seat of a parked SUV rolled down his window and asked what I was looking for, since he'd seen me leave Home Depot empty handed as well.  Startled, I told him that I was looking for snow shovels, an item of which the entire town was depleted.  About this time, I hear a female's voice behind me saying, "Jim, are you hitting on women in the Lowe's parking lot?"  The woman laughed and I responded to her question by stating that yes, he was, and his pickup line involved snow shovels.  So we got to talking about shovels (??) and it turns out that she had sent her husband, Jim, out for one earlier in the week.  Not expecting him to actually do what he was asked, she made the same request a few days later.  One miscommunication and four shovels later, here we  were in the parking lot.  She offered to sell me her shovel for what she paid for it - $15.00.  I only had a twenty and begged her to keep the change for her trouble, but the couple wouldn't hear of it.

As we stood there talking, shovel in hand, a man approached me with a desperate look on his face.  "Where did you buy that shovel?!", he asked, running to his vehicle in the hopes of making it to the next store on his list who might still carry one.  The woman laughed and shouted after him, "I sold it to her!"  It's true what they say: I'd rather be lucky than good.  Fortunately, I am the former.

Say what you will about Winston-Salem, but I just dare you to find a better, more neighborly group of people.

* The way I see it, it's better to be faced with a dead battery in a parking lot filled with cars than a hidden, backyard-facing garage, and those were my two options.

My Perfect Day

Wouldn't you love to get all dolled up...



Apply the perfect shade of red to your lips...



Tie a scarf around your updo...



And slide a pair of "movie star" sunglasses (as my mom would say) onto your face...



Before getting behind the wheel of your dream car...




And cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway while listening to this little ditty?

Le sigh.


[Zee Avi song from the lovely Courtney]
[Click on images to view source information]

OR You?

My good friend, Mark, is currently attending the University of Washington's physical therapy program. I had the opportunity to visit him this past March and, in typical fashion, hilarity ensued. One of the more memorable events stemmed from my convincing Mark to bequeath me his cherished Cardinals tee-shirt. (We both attended high school near the city of Saint Louis.) It is one of those soft and well-worn articles of clothing that has been perfected via 10 years of use. Make no mistake about it, people, I wanted this tee-shirt. Which is why I was fully willing to offer my dignity in exchange for the thing.

Mark, in a moment of weakness, agreed to pass his beloved tee on under two conditions. The first being that I wear the shirt, positioned like a sash worn by beauty pageant contestants (how fitting!), as we bar-hopped throughout the city of Seattle over the course of the night.

Silly Mark, he must have confused me with someone
who understands the meaning of the term "self respect"!

Mark's second demand was that I include "The Sash", as it came to be called, in major life events. You know, take it sightseeing. Invite it to my brother's graduation. Throw the ball around with it every once in awhile. (Okay, maybe not that last one.) Sure it's weird, but I am a woman of my word.

The Sash goes to the Space Needle

The Sash celebrates the Tar Heel's 2009 NCAA Men's
Basketball Championship on Franklin Street

And now... The Sash prepares to pass gas!

But that's not all! Although it's unlikely, I realize that there may be a few people who are more interested in viewing photos of my day spent observing a CRNA in the OR than my tee-shirt (really?). Regardless of your screwed up priorities, I've included more pictures below for you to peruse. Enjoy!

Bobby, my fellow classmate, and me
as we prepared for the day's cases

Angie, our CRNA, Bobby, and myself looking
exceptionally glamorous with our "lunch lady" hair caps

* If you're interested in reading more about my experiences as an anesthesia student, your cordially invited to view my other blog (www.srnalife.blogspot.com), where you'll find this exact same post. Seriously, I just copied-and-pasted the sucker. But, given that 1) I'm awesome and 2) imitation is the highest form of flattery, it only stands to reason that my work is brilliant. Why else would someone as awesome as myself choose to plagiarize it?

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

It's strange to me to be sitting here at home on a Sunday afternoon... you see, I've spent the past 2 years working weekends. The pay differential was tough to pass up and, given that all of my friends are also nurses with funky schedules, my social life didn't suffer - I was just as likely to have a social activity on, say, a Tuesday night as I would on Saturday. This means that while all you God-fearing do-gooders were soaking up the King James Version in Church, I was admitting traumas and cleaning poo.

...OR WAS I?

[Image from Susannah's Petunia Face blog]

Carolina On My Mind

 My good buddy, Matt, and I on my last day of work

I finally cut ties with Chapel Hill on Saturday after returning for one final day of work on my old unit.  You see, while I officially began full time classes on August 17th, my manager allowed me to use some accumulated vacation time to cover my absence during the first few weeks of school.  Hospital employees are required to work on their final date of service, however, hence me being scheduled for a random shift.  While it was nice to close that chapter of my life, it's finally sinking in that my days in Chapel Hill have come to an end.  Here are just a smattering of the many things I'll miss from my time spent in that amazing town.

 My Pizza Joint

A slice of Pepper's Pizza, topped with North Carolina BBQ, cole 
slaw, red onion, and tabasco sauce.  It's no Anna Maria's, but I
suffered through it anyway. I'm a real hometown hero!

Oh Anna Maria's, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.  One, your Monday special - consisting of a large cheese pizza for the value price of $5.99 - kept me satiated throughout the past 3 years.  Two, you employ Alfredo, who was always kind, quick with a story, and truly interested in my day.  He definitely earned the title of "fake husband with the heavy Italian accent"... and not just because he treated me to a free soda and reduced meal price every time I walked through the door.  Three, you weren't afraid to break a few rules, especially really dumb ones like "No outside alcoholic beverages allowed".  (That Margarita bucket sure hit the spot!)

Look, Alfredo and I match! 
It's like he's meant to be my pizza guy or something!

Have no fear, Alfredo.  Monday night will always be pizza night.

Trader Joe's

Are you sitting down right now, because I am about to drop a bombshell here: Winston-Salem?  Yeah, THEY DON'T HAVE A TRADER JOE'S.  This unfortunate turn of events has sent me into a near panic because my love for that store is beyond unhealthy.  I mean, really, can you blame me?  Their frozen foods can't be topped and don't even get me started on their potato chips (with ridges, por favor), chocolate mousse pudding (in the yogurt section), and pizza dough (here's my favorite pizza recipe... try it, you'll like it).  And I don't think I even need to discuss the joys that a bottle of $3 Buck Chuck has given me at the end of many a stressful day.  I love this warehouse of goodness so much that, when I first laid eyes on the following video, my only thought was "why didn't I think to write and perform a personal homage to TJ?"

My Sewing Class

Oh man, am I going to miss sewing with the ladies at Mulberry Silks and Fine Fabrics every Thursday afternoon.  I learned so much about the art of sewing, and I can't wait to pick it back up once I'm finished with school.

The Gang

(L-R) Susanna, Rachel, myself, John, Claire,

& Matt (poor Dave isn't pictured)

Our greatest hits include:

Buddy shots at Spanky's on Franklin Street with Matt (a bartender at the time) acting as official referee.

(L-R) Claire, Dave, myself, & Perdoni

Consuming Half-priced sushi and martinis on Thursday nights with Claire at Spice Street.

Dave calling Rachel, Claire, and I his "Army of Skanks" all night following a group viewing of Mean Girls.

Dave with his AOS

Claire and John's first (and only) annual Halloween Party. where I was robbed of the title of Best Costume by "The Dude".

 Myself, dressed as Violet Incredible with
one of my besties, Sara, as Angelina Jolie

The amazing tree outside my apartment window:

Our first nursing school party, where an intoxicated Claire cut Dave's hair, a guy whom she barely knew at the time.

Dave's new haircut would like to propose a toast...

Boating on Jordan Lake with Claire, John, and Ryan

Claire and me, soaking up some sun on Ryan's boat

Brain Bowl: Claire doles out random questions while her husband, John, and I engage in a battle of knowledge to see who can brazenly yell out the correct answer first.  The game was first conceived the night Claire and I overstayed our welcome at Spice Street, walked home, and proceeded to wake up John by giggling uncontrollably and jumping on the bed in which he was comfortably sleeping just moments earlier

John, myself, and Claire.  Man, I'm cute...
Oh, um, I'm sorry! It appears I got distracted! 

Pre-gaming with pancakes and mimosas at John's house before a UNC football game.  (Word of caution: On mimosa day, don't store your cheap champagne next to the expensive bottle your brother intends to consume with his fiancee at their upcoming wedding reception.  Well, at least don't do that when Brain's around.)

 Brain and I, cheering my Tars Heels
on to a victory against NC State

Thanks for the memories, Chapel Thrill.  You've been a rockin' place to live.  In the words of my buddy, Matt Crusinberry, "I laow you!"