emmiloni

2008-09-19T11:15:00.002-05:00

First of all, thanks to Tiger for updating on my behalf. :) Much appreciated to know you're alive and kickin'. Although it seems you've turned into a kitten...

Anyway, Happy Park(ing) Day!!!

It all started in San Fran back in 2005, I do believe...turning metered parking spaces into, well, 'parks'. Yes, they had to feed the meters and rightfully own that space for a period of time, just like someone parking a car there would.

It brings attention to the fact that these spaces can be used for things other than parking cars, that public transportation is there! I love the bus! (And no, not just the short bus.) This is public space and people can do what they want with it. I'm sure some people just don't get why this is taking place...it is a bit odd...but very cool nonetheless. I do wonder how many more p-o'd people were driving around the streets of San Fran trying to find a parking spot this morning?

2008-09-15T08:32:00.007-05:00

About 1500 Alaskans, men and women, turned out for a protest rally against Sarah Palin on Saturday! They wanted to let everyone know that their governor does NOT represent their views on some important issues. Here are some pictures from that rally (copyrighted to frsbdg.dailykos.com):

It's less than 8 weeks until election day, so if you're still undecided, please take a look at what's going on with this election; don't just vote one way because you've always voted that way, or because your parents or friends support that party. We're putting these people in charge of our country, for crying out loud. As for how I'm voting, I don't like what I'm seeing these days. I try to listen to as many debates and speeches as I can stomach, and when I listen to McCain and Palin, I get a little scared. I know Barack Obama isn't perfect, but at least he has a solid head on his shoulders.

DAVE weekend!!

2008-08-11T13:31:00.002-05:00

So, due to poor planning, I could only make it to the Dave Matthews Band concert on Sunday at Alpine Valley outdoor amphitheater (they do 2 shows, Sat. and Sun., on their tour every summer). We've only gone to the Saturday show in the past, never enough fundage to do the back-to-back gigs, although we've really wanted to! My usual girls weren't there (missed you guys!), but I have to say, the show rocked!!! The crowd, the atmosphere, the sweet music...so good.

Here's what the crew had to say about the weekend:

We've never seen anything like this before. The band's been off the stage for over 30 minutes, and the audience is still here....singing their hearts out. We're loading out to the crowd's chanting of "Thank You Falettinme Be Myself Again...". The perfect end to our stay here at Alpine. DMB put on 2 shows in a row, each lasting more than 3 hours. We've said it before, but the fact remains, we do indeed dig this place. See y'all in a few days.

The DMB Crew
Monday, August 11
12:03 AM CDT

It was great, that's all I can say. I'll try to get some pictures up later. Now I have to wait another year?!??!!

I'm back!!

2008-07-09T08:24:00.002-05:00

It only took me four months this time! Oh boy...what can I say? Once a blog neglector, always a blog neglector? I'm still working at the local medical school, doing research in the cardiology department. It's really interesting and I'm getting patient contact and great experiences, but I'm still itching to go back to school. I'm also working on that...money and time are some big issues, as I'm sure you're all aware.

I'm training for the Nike Women's Marathon in SanFrancisco on October 19th...woo hoo!! I'm doing it as a part of Team in Training again, a training program run through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I wanted to do this last year, but had some back problems and was not able to complete the training, which really bummed me out. So this year, I'm back (pun TOTALLY intended) and it's going well. We raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, while getting the support and training from a great group of people. I'm running this marathon for our honored patient, Jesus Vega, and my Grandma Dot, who passed away from complications from lymphoma. I'm very excited to do this and am now up to a long run of 12 miles (almost halfway there!!!). Please check out my website for more info. and if you'd like to make a donation, I'd really appreciate your help. $3900 is a big chunk of change to raise, but I'm convinced I can do it; people have raised so much more than that. Your support is what keeps me going!!

Check it out!!!.....

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wi/nikesf08/earthur

Is it really supposed to be this hard?

2008-03-15T22:28:00.003-05:00

I have issues. Issues with keeping up with my blogging. Goodness gracious. Last post: Nov. 2007. Four months later, here I am. I've got a new little niece, Madelynn Grace, born Dec. 2007. And the two other nuggets continue to wreak havoc, of course. I'm really enjoying watching them grow up, that's for sure. How could you not love these faces???

And, uh, yeah. Lol...so I really have nothing more to say right now. I just wanted to post this picture. I'll write more tomorrow. Or maybe the next day...

Here I am

2007-11-14T11:15:00.000-06:00

So I just finished reading a book by Courtney E. Martin, "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters". I know, uplifting title, right?? It was sad and slightly depressing, the things that women, young and old, subject their bodies to in the hopes of staying/becoming "thin enough" or "good enough". It was definitely very interesting. Honestly, is there any girl out there who has never worried about stuff like that? I know I have. Ugh. It's tough.

The overall picture of the book is somewhat related to something we're exploring at work right now, so it's doubly interesting to me; sports medicine and psychology is moving right up my interest ladder.

Anyway, a passage at the very end of the book really stuck with me, and I thought I'd share it. The author is talking about learning to love yourself again, writing a new story, and finding new beginnings. This is one of her new beginnings.
-----------

I am sitting at a picnic table with a chattering gaggle of eight-year-old girls high on their morning Pop-Tarts. They are sprinkling sparkles over pools of glue and telling me stories about their moms and sisters, who "get worried and then eat, like only grapefruit and stuff for days but then screw up and eat chips or something and then feel bad and then eat more grapefruit and stuff." I ask them what they think "pretty" is.

The ringleader, a stocky blonde with a gap between her two tiny, Chiclet-like front teeth, jumps up from the table and practically screams: "You want to see my impression of a prom queen?"

"Yes, definitely," I reply, trying to move my voice recorder so it will pick up her performance.

She puts one hand on her head, palm facing up, apparently symbolizing a crown, and other other on her hip, and then starts sashaying around the picnic table in circles, shouting, "Hey, boys, look at me! Look at me, boys! Look at my royal heinie, boys! Isn't it so cute?" The rest of the gaggle erupts in exaggerated little-girl laughter, throwing themselves on the picnic table and dragging their knotty hair through the pools of sparkles.

One little girl, with a voice as small as any I have ever heard and hair black as the crows perched in the pinon trees surrounding us, leans over to my notebook and writes with a stubby, orange-colored pencil, "You are pretty. I think you have nice hair," and encircles her secret messages in a big lopsided heart.

"Thank you," I whisper in her ear, tears threatening to sneak out of the corners of my eyes. This little girl thinks I am asking these questions because I really don't know the answers. Suddenly it occurs to me that she is probably right. I am looking for wisdom from eight-year-olds with puff-painted shirts and stacks of brightly colored rubber bracelets.

I am not looking in the wrong place. I ask, "What about in the future? Do you think you will worry about stuff like your moms and big sisters in the future?"

A spindly little animal of a girl made entirely of bone and muscle jumps off the picnic table with her arms splayed out from her sides in the shape of wings and shouts, "In the future there will be flying cars! In the future, we will all be beautiful!"
-----------

Hmmm...if only people will believe that. Even the flying cars part. Although I don't know; from my experiences, most people have enough trouble driving cars on the road. :)

As touchy-feely, girl-powery as that passage may have been, it's still a reminder. Don't forget to tell the girls and women around you how beautiful they are (and not just because they're having a good hair day!). And especially don't forget to tell yourself every once in awhile. Heck, why not every day?? I have a friend who likes to say, "I can't wait for tomorrow." To which I would inquire, "Why not?" Their response: "Because I get better-looking every day." A little egotistical, perhaps, but sometimes much-needed self praise.

Where have I been??

2007-10-25T23:07:00.000-05:00

Apparently I fell off the face of the earth there for awhile. But have no fear, I'm back! It's late now, so I'll write more this weekend. Need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for work tomorrow! It's Friday!

this and that

2007-06-20T23:55:00.000-05:00

I've started getting caught up in what's not important and it's just not good. Time to get out of this funk. I keep seeing this ad for North Dakota tourism on tv (apparently ND appeals to us Wisconsinites??)...I'm getting there, huh?? Friday, Friday, Friday! I get to go home and I'm so beyond thrilled. Not that running away from where I am right now is the solution to the funk, but it will be good to be home (finally!!), be in small town familiarity under the stars. Ahh, here I come. YAY. In all reality, I do believe we go back "home" (wherever or with whomever that home may be) to remember why it deserves that special label AND to be gently reminded why we are where we are right now. If that makes any sense at all.

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart

and try to love the questions themselves.

Don't search for the answers,

which could not be given to you now,

because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is, to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps then, someday far in the future,

you will gradually, without even noticing it,

live your way into the answer. -Rainer Maria Rilke

I'm also working on my patience. And being okay with things the way they are.

Hardee har har

2007-05-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

I must be really lame-o, because I'm finding myself to be hysterical this evening. Watch out. I found this little ditty I wrote last year when I was doing Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and thought I should share it with everybody. Or maybe I've posted this before...eh, so what? I can't believe I'd forgotten about the massage book....good gracious.

Here in Milwaukee (also called "The Good Land" or "Brew City", perhaps "The Land of Beer and Cheese"?), we’ve found some pretty interesting ‘treasures’ in our house. How they ever got here and why they’re STILL here remains a mystery.

–The creepy gargantuan plastic Santa face

–A book on massage, circa 1972. With such riveting chapters as, "What to Tell Your Friend", "Introduction to the Strokes", "Making up Your Own Strokes", "Nervousness, Discomfort and the Tickles", "Two on One", and your favorite and mine, "Your Animals Too". Seriously!

–The wealth of mattresses, end tables, and randomness in the basement; will it never end??!?

–The gawdy, I mean lovely and aesthetically-pleasing, banners made by past Dorothy Day’ers.

–Enough board games and books to entertain for HOURS, DAYS, heck MONTHS on end.

Interesting things in our neighborhood:

–The 80 or so people who come and go from the house across the street. Hello??!? Can we say drug dealers???

–The old school ice cream truck. Funny, I’ve never actually seen anyone buy ice cream from it...interesting or shady? Could go either way.

–The VietHoa grocery market. What, you’ve never bought gelatin in a can?

The City:

–Free brewery tours! Woo!!

–The Milwaukee Public Market. It may be posh, but you can find some really good deals.

–$1 tickets to see the Brewers. So what if you have to get there 2 hours early and your view is obstructed? Big deal. It’s $1. They might as well call it the volunteer special.

Okay, after reading it again, it wasn't THAT darn funny. But maybe it deserved a knee slap or two.

A must-read

2007-05-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

So, for my undergraduate graduation, our speaker was from the FAA, which is all fine and dandy, since UND is a huge aviation school. However, she was BORING. So boring, in fact, that the majority of people around me were texting their friends, rather than being inspired to go out and change the world. No offense, lady, but next time just politely reject the offer. Or find a better speech writer. Simple enough.

Southern New Hampshire University graduates didn't have to suffer through an hour of blahblahblah...aviation...blahblahblah. They got to listen to Barack Obama. Right. Now, I'm sure there are people out there who dislike this man (for what reasons, God only knows), and they were thinking the same blahblahblah that I was a few years ago. But I've read his address, and it's fabulous. Get up and go! You might just say he's the O-"bomb"-a. snickersnicker.... I'm embarassed for myself for how long I laughed at my lame attempt at humor.

So, go now, read, be inspired.... http://www.snhu.edu/6885.asp

Well, shoot.

2007-05-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

I'm on my own personal DL as of now. Back problems lead to hip problems lead to dang it! Dreams of running a marathon will have to wait. Oh, well. Such is life. :)

run like the wind

2007-05-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

MCAT done, O-chem final, check...ahh, good times. Now it's all about the application frenzy. June 5th, first day to submit. Eight bagillion pages of trying to make me look good. DEE-lightful.

It rained all day today...blech. Running in the rain really wakes you up. Or makes you rethink why you left the house in the first place. My mantra today: cold and wet is better than being sick. Although, with my luck, I'll contract pneumonia with all of this tomfoolery. I even bought a running hat, in hopes of giving myself more reasons to run. HAA! Let me tell you, I look pretty rad.

I got attacked by some environmental guys on the street today. Well, I didn't get attacked, they just wanted to talk. And guilt me into paying $10 a month to, in their words, "save the drowning polar bears in the Antarctic". REALLY? And that's when I said thank you and kept on walking. I'm all about putting an end to global warming, saving the environment, going green, what have you, but do not use a polar bear to get my money. I'll kick you.

i had a cute picture of a polar bear, which of course I can't find. Just imagine a polar bear. It's cute. Done deal.

Why drive, when you can run?

2007-05-04T23:10:00.000-05:00

Hot diggity, I'm gonna do it! I'm now "officially" in training for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco this October. Woo hoo! The best part (uhh...best part? Hello, is there anything bad about running 26.2 miles??? Haaaaa....) about this is WHY I'm doing it. I'm part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, raising money to help people who are battling cancer, all the while training for an endurance event ('said' marathon).

The kick-off party was last Saturday and it was so awesome to be surrounded by all the other team members, plus the coaches and mentors who will be helping us through the whole journey. We also got to meet Caleb, who is the honored patient for the Milwaukee area. He's six years-old and was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. He's so cute! His family was with, of course, and I think everyone got a little teary listening to his dad talk about their ups and downs since Caleb was diagnosed. Caleb is the reason I'm getting my butt out there to train, put in my miles, and raise some moolah.

I'm also running for my Grandma Dot, who died from lymphoma. I never had the chance to know her as 'an adult', so this is a way for me to honor her memory. There are so many others out there with their own stories...if you have someone you want me to run for, let me know and I'll gladly do so.

I do need your help, though! Please consider making a donation to my Team in Training fund (it's all tax deductible!!). My goal is $3800, a big chunk of change, so I need all the help I can get. And every little bit helps! Just check out my page, check out what Team in Training is all about, ask me questions! Have I mentioned I'm excited? BECAUSE....I'm excited!!!! woo hooo!!!!!!!

PLEASE VISIT!!!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntwi/goemgo

Currently: studying (or pretending to, while updating my blog) for the MCAT on Friday...AAAH!

Training: so far, so good. nothing too crazy yet :) i love running by the lake, as long as the wind doesn't provide too much resistance training and I found a new route with a great view of downtown!

And yet another fun factoid...

2007-04-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

Two posts in one day??? Holy majoly! [It's called procrastination, people.] So, I'm knee-deep in organic chem, thoroughly enjoying myself as always (and THAT'S sarcasm), when I run across this fun little piece of information:

(reading about nitrogen-containing compounds, for all of you non-science geeks out there)

"One other characteristic of amines is their odor. [Now, odor was italicized, mind you, apparently to give it some sort of special effect. Which was promptly lost on me.] Low-molecular-weight amines such as trimethylamine have a distinctive fishlike aroma [yummmy!], while diamines such as cadaverine [wait, what? this can't be good. wait for it, waaaaaiiittt for it....] have names that are self-explanatory."

That'll wake ya up in the morning. Who wants breakfast???

'Just' desserts

2007-04-25T18:43:00.000-05:00

So, I noticed something peculiar at work the other day. Now, it could just look bad. Perhaps I've been spending too much time at work (and am therefore incredibly loopy). Or maybe, just maybe, these two just need to get along...

"Downtown" cheesecake

"Uptown" cheesecake

Now, am I the only one who sees something wrong here? Don't wanna break out the 'r' word, but it's right there, staring at you, in all of its cheesy, calorie-laden splendor. WHO named these, anyway? :P

Oh, THERE you are...

2007-04-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

I have once again been neglecting my blog. BIG time. Oops. I know all of you (all, um, 4 of you??...haa haa!) were glued to edge of your seats, waiting for my return, and I apologize for my tardiness.

I'm busy with stuff. MCAT is T-minus one month (Holy shit!...excuse my vulgar language), my class is in full swing, and work takes up too much time. Cold season is also in full swing, and I just hit a home run....baaahh hahahaaaaa...have I ever mentioned I lovelovelove bad humor? Speaking of bad humor...(I stole this off of one of my favorite blogs...sorry for not copyrighting or anything, but I don't really think I need to do that. I mean, really?)...

A new-ish med student on a surgery rotation was told by the intern before his first case case that whenever he farted in the OR, he had to announce it, so the attending wouldn't think they had nicked the bowel.Unfortunately, he had also had made some not-so-good dietary choices, so he felt the need, was unable to hold it in, and passed gas. "Uh, I, uh, passed gas," he announced. No one said anything. After a little while, it happened again. "Sorry, I farted again." A little grunt of acknowledgment from the attending. Toward the end of the case, it happened again: "I passed gas again."The attending stopped what he was doing, looked up at him, and said, "Boy, what is WRONG with you? This is a KNEE!"

HEH! That reminds me, I should be studying. Oh, happy day!

Jilly is sooooo big! Almost walking, too! Go, Jill, go!

Oh, how super...

2007-02-04T16:03:00.000-06:00

Oh, sweet googily moogily....GO BEARS!

And here we go..... Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way for victory,

Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation

With your T Formation.

Bear down, Chicago Bears, let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy of Illinois,

Chicago Bears, bear down!

Don't make me sing it to you....

Go get 'em, boys! :D

Oh, to be a kid again...

2007-01-19T18:30:00.000-06:00

So there I was, on the bus the other day, when it came to my attention that my feet didn't reach the floor. (It was a high seat, I swear!). Once again, life is amusing. Note the designation of "special" on the bus...oh, the irony.

2007-01-06T23:29:00.000-06:00

It's Jilly-o! Love her bunches and bunches. What a nugget! Okay, okay, it's about time I updated, I suppose (are ya happy, Brooke?!? GOSH..and congratulationages to you, my lady!!...I still think hot dog carts would be a wise choice; really, think of the possibilities!!). I work a lot. I study. That's my life. Lol...so sad, really. I'm taking the MCAT in May and studying for it is now what I do. I will divide and conquer! Or something like that. It's good, though, it feels right, not like I'm completely flushing my time down the proverbial toilet bowl. I'm also taking an organic chem class this semester...more good times to be had.

I've recently become very old, with a ruptured disc or something of the sort in my back. Note to readers: don't do this, it hurts. Just saw me off at the waist, that's all I say. What a crock. It's gotten better, and hopefully it will keep doing so. That's me, here in Wisconsin (do I really live in Wisconsin?? That's still so weird...) keepin on, keepin on. Woot.

Peace out. Love you, people!

It snowed!

2006-12-01T22:37:00.000-06:00

Happy December!! A ton of snow got dumped on Milwaukee early this AM...around the time I was getting up (why, oh why, does anyone have to wake up at 5:15??)...and the blowing snow and winds that knocked the screens off of our front door reminded me of home. What a winter wonderland. Special.

Anyway, it did make me happy. Until I remembered how idiotic people are when it snows a lot. Apparently flurries interrupt the usually somewhat intelligent flow of brain waves, causing all kinds of problems. Such as traffic jams. Accidents. The random screaming of four-letter words that need not be heard by small children.

Ahhh, winter!

Oh, the little nugglets!

2006-11-12T16:50:00.000-06:00

I got to babysit for my niece, Jillian, this weekend, while my brother and his wife were at a wedding. She's 5 months old and I love her bunches. There's nothing like having a baby fall asleep on your shoulder. :) And congrats to Liz and Josh!!

Nothin' much.

2006-11-09T23:22:00.000-06:00

Well, guess I don't have much to say. Life's like that sometimes. Peace. Oh, Grey's Anatomy was fantastical this evening. Don't watch the show? You really should. Really. Not joking.

oh, grand election day

2006-11-08T00:53:00.000-06:00

So I went to vote after work, and my ballot broke the machine. Lol...apparently I got too excited when I was voting and my lines were too dark. The counting machine rejected my ballot!! Oh, geez! So I filled out my ballot again (this time calmly) and was on my way. The trouble I cause. Turn-out seemed pretty good, so that was awesome. I know a lot of people don't think voting is important, but I don't see how they can turn around and bitch if they don't vote. What, exactly, are you doing to change things?
Which, it turns out, is a question I should be asking myself a lot more.

Anyway, went to a little election party, almost fell asleep. Not that the election wasn't exciting, I was just tired. Ever have one of those days? Of course. The donkeys did pretty well. Yay for Doyle! That's right...I side with the Democrats. I'm liberal, all the way. If you can't tell that from reading my posts, I guess I'm not doing a good enough job. Or I just care to keep my political persuasions under wraps most of the time.

Speaking of political persuasions, there's this crazy Democratic boy in Pittsburgh that I get a total kick out of. He doesn't think he's fabulous, but I do. Fantabulous, even. And I thought I should put it in print. Hopefully you read this. Eventually. I know you love blogging. :P

doooo eeeeet!

2006-11-06T23:24:00.000-06:00

VOTE!!!

"I'm not as young as I used to be"

2006-11-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

Staying up until 3 did not bode well for this girl. Work was longer, people were more annoying, and I'm CRABBY. And everything therefore seems that much worse. I know, I know, it's my own fault. I KNOW.

I bought a scarf today. Yay! I wish I would've stayed on my knitting kick, then I could be making these things for myself. Another thing to add to the list. It was from a arts/crafts venue...so I'm supporting local artists [she says to herself to justify the most wonderful scarf in the entire world--slight exaggeration, but only slight].

2006-11-05T02:41:00.000-06:00

at the end: 4 hours until work...

2006-11-05T02:17:00.000-06:00

I look at the clock on my computer...2:10 AM. My first thought: I have to be to work in 4 1/2 hours. My second thought: who cares? I'm in a good mood and I'm grabbing it and running like mad. Funny how good moods and creativity burst open at odd hours of the morning. I truly am my father's child.

Just had to make sure my peppermint tea was decaf. Indeed it was. Where is this coming from? Perhaps because I talked to some old friends tonight. Or because I have good music (The Weepies...I recommend for relaxing, pondering, and serious reflection) and good reading (random blogs, stories, and other such wonders floating around, waiting to be discovered, on this crazy Internet).

I've figured it out. It IS the peppermint. Stimulates the senses, no? 2:15 AM. Still going strong. Okay, sleep is creeping into the corners of my eyes, I can't help but admit.

Funny thing. I've always wanted to be a doctor. Empathy. Helping. Faith. Learning. Science. People. Compassion. Relationships. The other night, I was convinced I should be a kindergarten teacher. This conviction was sparked by an ad...[side-note: the need for sleep is definitely starting to kick my ass. I'm fighting, but it's a bit more determined than I am right now. I'm trying to think of a word to put here. It's running through my mind, but just a little too fast for me to grab ahold.]...nudging (still not the word, but the one I wanted is long gone) people to think of who really made an impact in their lives. Celebrities, people in the news? Not usually. Family, friends, teachers? Yes. But a good family physician could fit right in there, too. I guess I just like kids. And teaching them to finger paint? Lol...oh, silly me.

2:30 AM. Sleep has won. I'm down for the count. We'll see how this sounds in the [later] morning.

Reincarnated grandmothers as a protein source (you'll understand in a bit, trust me)

2006-10-23T19:31:00.000-05:00

My part-time gig at the bakery has now turned into an over-time gig. Hmmm...funny how that happens. Pays the rent, yo. I feel like I should be doing something more related to medicine or my biology degree, but then again...why not just live life for awhile? Oh, cheers to trying to figure things out. (bangs head against the wall repeatedly)

I got to spend some time with my oldest brother and his two kids this past weekend. I love them oodles and oodles. Jillian is almost 5 months (holy majoly!) and Steven is 3. And he's gonna be Spiderman for Halloween. :D

I was talking on the phone on Saturday night, playing around with my nose piercing...and it came out. Now this wouldn't be too much of a problem, except that mine is curled on the end and is apparently a big B to get back in. After many unsuccessful and painful attempts to right the wrong myself, I finally went to a piercing place to have them do it. Sweet, sweet professionals. My guy had horns embedded in his scalp. Awesome....wonder what my Papa would think about that??

I've been reading a lot lately (as to escape from the real world, or "educate" myself), just got done with "La Doctora: The Journal of an American Doctor Practicing Medicine on the Amazon". Fantastic! Definitely an amazing way to look at life and medicine in a very secluded and simple area. I got a kick out of one particular story, thought I'd share it:

"One of my favorite illustrations of the unpredictability of cultural differences comes from a story told by a Peruvian ecological worker. She and her associates were from Lima, but had been working with the people native to the high Peruvian jungle. This was more or less analogous, in U.S. terms, to a group of well-meaning and well-heeled Manhattanites setting out to help in Appalachia. The ecologists, at any rate, found that these particular people suffered from a diet severely deficient in protein.
The ecologists worked out a solution of which they felt they were justifiably proud: a method of raising capybaras, which are a sort of tailless giant beaver that weighs up to 120 pounds and provides a highly edible meat. The plan used simple corrals and locally available foodstuffs. It was a very ecologically sound idea, and easily within the technological and logistical grasp of the group it was to benefit. They then presented their proposal to the intended beneficiaries, only to be met with noncommittal stares. They explained, I imagine earnestly and with great enthusiasm, the many advantages of their system, but the response did not liven up at all.
It took a while for them to unearth the fact that these people believed that when their highly revered grandmothers died, they were promptly reincarnated as capybaras.
Oops."

Heh heh heh...okay, not really that funny as it is interesting. And a 120-lb beaver?!? Wouldn't wanna meet one of those in a dark alley, that's for sure. Wowza.

To hold myself accountable, I'll now put my to-do list on the 'net, for all to see. aaahhhem...
...design a tattoo and get inked. Yeeeessss...
...pull my head out of my rear.
...crack down on the organic chemistry, as to get my brain into shape for a next semester class. Yeah, carbon!!
...find a date/location to take the MCAT. Again. Yeah, MCAT?
...get myself in good enough shape to run a marathon. Or maybe I'll just keep thinking about that for awhile longer...

Do I have a time frame in which to do these things? No, of course not. Do I seem that organized to you? Pssh, please. :P

Currently reading: Human Trials: Scientists, Investors, and Patients in the Quest for a Cure Oooh. Aaah.

I'm a neglector

2006-10-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

That's right, I neglect. My blog, that is. I think I'm ready to go to Africa now. Who's in?

I'm getting more interested in politics/political issues and it's quite frightening. Remember those days when ignorance was bliss? Wait...were there ever any of those days? Maybe when I was 5.

Finally did the AIDS Walk yesterday, which went pretty well. I walked with my friend, Linda, and we had a rowdy good time. Except for when it rained. And when BD Wong, our "celebrity walker" (you'll remember him well from "Father of the Bride" fame...no??), decided he needed to talk about all things under the sun and half of the crowd got up to leave and start walking without him (put a cork in it!).

I work part-time at a sweet little Italian bakery in Mil., and there's this guy who comes in every morning, not to buy cookies or pastries, but to get some Chiclets out of this little vending machine we have in the front of the store. Odd. I wonder if he's addicted to them. Perhaps he goes into convulsions w/o his daily Chiclet fix. If you're out there, Mr. Chiclet Man, rock on. You're keeping the dream alive.

Now I must go watch football. DA Bears.

2006-09-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

So I should have posted these pictures the other way around...these are of my new apt! yay!! my room, which now has a bed in it (and not so much crap on the floor!).

2006-09-08T23:20:00.000-05:00

the view from the balcony. bad day to take a picture; it usually looks much nicer.

2006-09-08T23:19:00.000-05:00

dining room...most delightful

2006-09-08T23:18:00.001-05:00

the bathroom! yay for claw-foot tubs!

2006-09-08T23:18:00.000-05:00

Another kitchen shot. Looks slightly institutional without anything in it. door on the left: pantry. door on the right: to the attic and down the stairs.

2006-09-08T23:17:00.000-05:00

Kitchen! The "office" is off to the left in the picture.

2006-09-08T23:16:00.000-05:00

Looking from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen. Oh, crazy space! And I love the hardwood floors.

2006-09-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

Part of our new apt...this is the living room, you can see part of the balcony through the window. I love the big window!

a bunch of nonsense

2006-09-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

So, it's 10:50 on a Friday night and I'm tired...is this lame? I believe it is; I'm getting to be an old lady. Might as well go curl up with a good book and drink a cup of tea. WOO!!

Anyway, my parents (from ND) and my brother, Ross (from NY), are in town for my niece's baptism on Sunday, so hurray for family time! The Arthur fam, together again. Dear Lord, help us all. It should be a good time; however the Bears and the Packers play this Sunday. My family roots for the Bears. It's a curse of growing up in Chicago. My sister-in-law's family is from Wisconsin and therefore roots for the Packers. It is SO on.

My life...I have an interview next week to be an adoption counselor at the Humane Society, which I'm pretty excited about. A job that actually has a little something to do with my degree, how about that! And I love the dogs and cats. Good thing we can't have animals at our apt, or else the whole place would end up here.

I bought a new pair of running shoes today, which was long overdue. I managed to injure my iliotibial band by my right knee, so I can't even run now that I have my new shoes. This frustrates me beyond all belief. Way to go, Emily. Note to everyone out there: don't wait to change your running shoes until after you injure yourself. Not smart. This is what happens when you don't have the money to buy a new pair of shoes, I guess. Such is life. But I absolutely LOVE the new shoe smell....aaahhh!!! And I love shoe shopping, so that almost makes the pain worth it. The stuff dreams are made of.

And I now possess the ultimate plan: to have a bagillion part-time jobs. I might be up to 3 now. Then I'll be rolling in the sweet fat cash. Or not so much. But a gal can dream. And not have any spare time.

How's everybody doin' out there?

It's been awhile...

2006-09-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

It's been too long since I last blogged...what a surprise. Since then, I've:

-finished LVC, wahoo!
-moved into a new apt.
-gone to El Salvador, which was awesome!!!
-embarked on the best job hunt EVER (riiight).
-gone crazy a few times.
-taken a most wonderful trip out to Pittsburgh (fabulous city, I must say).
-tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to figure out my life.

So, all in all, not much has changed. I'll write more later (famous last words).

Mucho amor!

Show Me the Money!!!

2006-06-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, so tomorrow I'm doing the beer run....baaahhh hahahahaaaa...should be a hoot and a half. I have visions of myself speeding along, exerting my athletic prowess (haaa!!), and chugging a beer as I round the corner...or maybe in the true "marathon" (all 2 miles of it!) style, I'll douse my head in a nice, crisp LakeFront beer. Aaahhh...delicious and refreshing. I'm guessing my beer run will turn into more of a beer stumble by the 4th "hydration station".

And after that, my next big excursion is the Aids Walk-Wisconsin at the end of Sept. Sooo....that's right, I need your money!!! :P Well, at least you can visit my AidsWalk page. And if you have any semblance of a heart, you can donate (feel the guilt...oh, it stings!!!) Or maybe even sign up to do one in your area. Or if you're in Wisco, you can join me! hoorah! Here's the link to my homepager: http://www.aidswalkwis.org/site/TR?px=1016821&pg=personal&fr_id=1040&s_tafId=1070
It's supposed to be all one chunk...apparently my blog page does not like cooperating. Anywhooza, check it out, yo!

Soles Helping Souls...rock on!

2006-06-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

Ben, Stevie J, and Jillian!! This is a great picture...it makes me happy! I'm not sure Steve is so convinced of the whole little sister thing yet.

2006-06-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

Proud daddy!!!...and very frightened-looking child...haa haa...she looks horrified. "Holy hell, dad! You look like you need some sleep!"

2006-06-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

"Hey mom...what up?"

2006-06-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

So, this really isn't the greatest picture of Jillian. She kinda looks like she has rabies...a little foaming at the mouth goin on there. But she's really cute, I promise!! She's only a couple hours old here...give her a break.
by emily

Wild and crazy. Whoa.

2006-06-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

So, I didn't get arrested! Too bad, I know...The protest and everything went pretty well, I guess. I doubt they're gonna budge at all, but at least we were there. And they let two reps from our party speak at the meeting, so that was something.

Social activism aside, I'm goin' on a beer run!!! Seriously!!

WOOOOOOOO!! I'm really beyond excited. Okay, so I can't really afford it. But come on...I think it's totally worth it. They MAKE you drink...how lovely. And a t-shirt. I live for the t-shirts.

Goin' on a protest...

2006-06-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

So, LVC....we're all about social justice. And here we go...

TO: Friends for Health Care Access in the City of Milwaukee
FROM: Barbara Horner-Ibler and the Health Care Access Task Force
DATE: June 5, 2006
RE: Our last opportunity to influence the Board of Regents, and
request a public hearing on this matter. THURSDAY, June 8, 2006.

Friends,

The Board of Regents will meet at UW-Milwaukee, at the Union on Kenwood
Boulevard at 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 8. This is our last
opportunity before the new affiliation agreement goes into effect (July
1, 2006) to influence the Board of Regents to stop this abandonment of
health care in the city of Milwaukee. As of July 1, the UW’s
30-year-old public program to provide care in the central city of
Milwaukee will become a private program, under the control of Aurora
Health Care. (Aurora has closed clinics and decreased providers in the
city of Milwaukee to the tune of a loss of 46,000 patient visits/year
from 112,000 visits in 1999 to 66,000 visits in 2005.) Turning over a
public program, whose express purpose was to take care of the poor in
the city of Milwaukee and give medical students an experience of caring
for patients in an urban setting, to a private corporation that has
demonstrated, not just a lack of commitment to the poor, but an active
withdrawal from the city of Milwaukee, we believe is unconscionable.
And so we ask for your help.

We need you on Thursday morning at a schedule of the following events:
9:00-9:15 AM Gather to ride a school bus from Cross Lutheran Church
(1821 N. 16th St.) to UW-Milwaukee, Student Union.
9:15 AM Bus departs from Cross.
9:30-10:15 AM Rally for Health Care Access on the steps of
UW-Milwaukee Union. Patients, medical students, political/community
leaders to speak.
10:15-10:30 AM If folks need to return to Cross Lutheran, the bus can
transport your back.
10:15-10:30 AM We would invite most folks to gather in the Board of
Regents meeting in the Union with signs protest their abandonment of
health care in the city.
10:30-11:15 AM Protesters/visitors will be present in the meeting
room with signs of protest.
11:30 AM Bus will depart from the Union at UW-Milwaukee to return
to Cross Lutheran Church.

Thank you for your help! We are convinced we can make a difference!

Sooo...anybody gonna be in Milwaukee and not doin' anything tomorrow morning??

All I gotsta say is, time to change the world...

Geh.

2006-06-05T22:47:00.000-05:00

Today I'm pissed at the world. Why, you ask? Well, I'm not sure. I've been trying to pinpoint it. Maybe it was the bazillion people who kept coming into the clinic today complaining that they were really sick and out of medications, yet they've missed their last 3 appointments...hmmm, let's think about that for awhile. Or perhaps it's the stupid email we got from one of our supposed LVC "support committee" members attempting to make us feel bad for not attending a fundraising concert that he, of course!, attended. Oh, blow it out your ass. Then again, it could be the bitches at UW-Milwaukee who won't give me residency status so I can actually afford to take one class next fall. One class!! Come on, people, work with me here...PLEASE. AAARRGH! I'm so frustrated. And then the proverbial "man" took one of my favorite shows off the air. Now, I don't watch that much tv, but when I have my shows, I need to watch them. Don't get in my way, don't talk, or I'll yell at you. And I won't care if I hurt your feelings. Because IT'S MY SHOW. Roar.

It would just be nice to figure out what I'm doing in 3 months, to have something concrete. But seems like my life isn't about that right now, so why worry, right? Time to pull my head out of places it shouldn't be (seem to be telling myself this more and more lately)!

Everwood, the show they canned, had some great quotes; here's one of them that's particularly fitting right now:

"The more things change, the more they stay the same. I'm not sure who the first person was who said that. Probably Shakespeare. Or maybe Sting. But at the moment, it's the sentence that best explains my tragic flaw: my inability to change.

I don't think I'm alone in this. The more I get to know other people, the more I realize it's kind of everyone's flaw. Staying exactly the same for as long as possible, standing perfectly still... It feels better somehow. And if you are suffering, at least the pain is familiar. Because if you took that leap of faith, went outside the box, did something unexpected... Who knows what other pain might be waiting out there. Chances are it could be even worse.

So you maintain the status quo. Choose the road already traveled and it doesn't seem that bad. Not as far as flaws go. You're not a drug addict. You're not killing anyone... Except maybe yourself a little.

When we finally do change, I don't think it happens like an earthquake or an explosion, where all of a sudden we're like this different person. I think it's smaller than that. The kind of thing most people wouldn't even notice unless they looked at us really, really close. Which, thank God, they never do. But you notice it. Inside you that change feels like a world of difference. And you hope this is it. This is the person you get to be forever... that you'll never have to change again."

Not that I usually choose the road already travelled. I mean, I'm in Milwaukee, for the love of God....haa haaa.

A big thanks to Jamie, for bein supa fly :) and a hey-hey to everybody else...i miss you more than you know!!

peace.

Jillian Rose Arthur!

2006-05-28T14:10:00.000-05:00

Jillian is here!! YAY! My brother, Ben, and his wife, Mary, had their 2nd child today, May 28th, at 4:37am. And the bestest Auntie Em in the world (that's me, folks) was there to see it!! SO COOL. I was seriously blown away! She was 7lbs, 5.5oz and 20 inches long. She's a cutie patootie!! And I'm really tired...nothing like pulling an all-nighter with my new niece!

I don't have pictures yet; I didn't have my camera with because they totally weren't expecting it to happen this soon (due date was June 16th). Ben and Mary were actually giving me a ride home from a cookout at Mary's parents' house and Mary wanted to stop by the hospital because she thought her water may have broken. Well, it did!! And they were super enough to let me stay. Mom and baby are fine, so hurray hurray!! :D

and so it goes...

2006-04-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

from apr. 23rd...continued into apr. 26

Hello, everybody! Okay, really....spring has sprung and that's fantastical (never mind that stupid 30 degree day shoved in there)! Warm weather (well, at least not freakin cold weather) is maaaaah-velous.

What I've been up to:

Went home for Easter, it was a hoot! I love North Dakota!! Um....yeah....I got to see some friends, too, which is always a good time.

Saw "Thank You for Smoking"...it's funny, go see it! Played a bitchin game of DDR with my roomie, Jill.

Work, work work.

I've started writing letters again...it's fun, but I seem to not have enough time for it. Actually, I've realized there's never enough time to do everything you want to do. And that's not fair. Boo to the man! And here I apologize to all of my friends whom I have neglected and/or otherwise completely ignored for the past couple of weeks. Really, sometimes I suck. I try to be a wonderful, fantastical friend, but I fail. Woe is me. So I'll work on that.

Went to see George Winston, pianist, harmonica-ist (???), and guitarist at the Pabst Theater with Dr. Barb and her fam...he's amaaaazing! I like pianos. :) And I highly recommend him...I think it'd be good study music.

My dad got attacked by a goose. You can laugh, it's okay (not gonna lie, I laughed, too!!), but the goose also caused him to be thrown from his beloved Harley (status of the bike: still unknown) and smooshed into the ground. They thought he had a broken jaw and broken ribs among oodles of internal injuries, so they helicoptered him to Fargo, but luckily, miraculously he came out with some mondo bruises and scrapes, some cracked ribs, and lots of pain. But he's okay. Sigh of relief. I don't even wanna think...too scary. So, shoot some prayers over to my mums and papa if you have the chance. Oh, and the cats, too; I hear they're really distressed by this whole situation.

I was running in the dark and I fell over again. Did I already post this somewhere? I have a feeling....or maybe I just like telling people that I fell over to relive and pain and embarassment. That HAS to be it.

I went kite-flying down by Lake Michigan last Sunday...great fun. Really damn windy, so it all worked out. I was walking there with one of my roomates (after a lovely ride from the public transportation people, of course) and we were kind of off in our la-la land, taking up the majority of the sidewalk (I was well aware, thank you!!). Usually when people want to pass by you, though, they say "excuse me" or "passing on the left"...but no..this particular jackass of a guy rides by on his bike, practically hits me, and then BARKS at me...he BARKED AT ME!! Right in my ear. Really, wtf?

Never a moment of excitement lost for this gal.

That's all I can remember right now. Today was a long, tiring day. My brain is mush. To bed I go, tra-lee, tra-laa. Like I said...brain...mush. Meh.

Well, crap

2006-03-31T13:47:00.000-06:00

So, as usual, it's been awhile since I've "blogged". Eh. Sometimes I get sick of writing about my life, or lack thereof. Or maybe I'm just lazy; that could very well be the answer. I'm sitting at work right now, on a Friday afternoon. I'm all caught up, actually, so here I am, just waiting on the guy to come fiddle with our computer. Oh computer duuuuuude.....

Lots has happened in the last couple of weeks, of course. None of which I care to write about. Thanks. Maybe a few things. Just to satiate your unquenchable thirst for facts about me. :P

--My purse got stolen from work...bah!! Damn stealing fiends! ::fists shaking appropriately:: It's a free clinic, people...in a CHURCH....and I'm a VOLUNTEER. So goodbye to my beloved happy cricket ring (it was a ringtone on my phone, for those unfamiliar in the ways of the slider phone)...sob, tear, and other carryings-on. My phone, my credit card, check card, license..and on and on. Grrr argh! I've finally gotten everything replaced (well, except for the few irreplaceables), but I'm still harboring some anger (bitches!). It's crappy that it happened at work, too, cause I'm forever paranoid now. I leave the room, the door gets locked. ALL THE TIME. Guess I should've done that in the first place. Way to go over-trusting people, emily.
It's weird how free you feel without a cell phone....and how completely inconvenienced. Let's all say it together: I'm a privileged white girl! hurrah!

--St. Patty's Day was a blast. Went to an Irish pub at 6 am with some fellow volunteers (Jesuits are crazy, too!! :P ) and out to a bar that night. good times, good times.

--The Fighting Sioux hockey team made it to the Frozen Four again this year and it's conveniently taking place in Milwaukee!! So they're coming to visit...oh yay! I get to see some of my bandinos...very rad (yeah, I said rad. deal.). We're playing BC the first game and one of my friends, Heather, went to BC....we watched the regional championship games at a bar together, but when it comes to the Frozen Four, I don't know. This could be interesting. Go Sioux!! My lovely friend Brooklyn found us tickets to game...face-value, from some guy named "Jay"....haaa...this could also be interesting. What? Frozen Four isn't code for dealing crack? Who knew?? Anyway, I'm excited for that. Should be a hoot.

--They're having a "Peep show" at a restaurant/bar here in Milwaukee this Sunday...Marshmallow Peep art! Am I in heaven? (I LOVE Peeps!) So of course I shall have to enter. I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of Peep pilgrims...whaddaya think?? :P Wow...

--Right now, I'm in the midst of a cold, which makes work even crappier. Not that work is crappy, really, just demanding and difficult and draining. Yeah, that's it. I'll try to post more pictures up here this weekend. So here I sit, still waiting for the computer guy...12:30, my ass! I want to leave!! I am OVER TIME!!!! Have I mentioned that in my spare time I enjoy complaining??

Doo bee doo bee doooooo.........

Today I feel: sad

2006-02-24T19:19:00.000-06:00

This past week, life reared its ugly head in my house. My roommate, Jill, my bestest Milwaukee friend, found out that her mom was killed in a car accident late Monday night. I guess she got a call from her dad Tuesday morning; I was already at work, so found out about it over the phone from one of my other roommates. Safety tip #1: It is not good to cry at work...eyeliner everywhere.

I called her Tuesday night and just left a message letting her know I was thinking about her and her family, but I wasn't even sure what to do. Guess I flipped out a little, because I wanted to make sure she was okay and I didn't know how she was doing. I hate this, because I feel like a big selfish blob no matter what I do. Am I checking on her because I care about her or to make myself feel better? Oh, to be human and have powers of higher thinking (or lower, whatever the case may be). She called last night and it was great to hear from her, even though I was at a loss for words. Guess it feels like I lost a little of my friend, too.

I only met Jill's mom, Janice, twice, but she seemed like a great lady, full of bright life, just like Jill. I would always get to hear stories about the crazy things she said or did. Jill's parents actually drove to Milwaukee from Elgin, IL, to hang out with us and take us out to The Cheesecake Factory because Jill and I were bored one night...lol! Crazy times, great people.

So I really don't know why I'm so emotionally-invested in this. Well, I suppose I do...Jill is a good friend and I don't want her to have to go through this. I'm also a daughter and can't imagine losing my mom. I've called my mom practically every night this week and she probably thinks I'm loony. She's right, but that's beside the point.

Two of my roommates and I drove to Elgin to go to the visitation today. We don't really know her family at all, but I was glad we could be there to support her. The funeral is tomorrow, so back to Elgin we go. I don't know when or if Jill will come back and that makes this whole thing really shitty. I hate that this has happened, I hate that Jill and her family have to deal with so much pain, and I hate that things won't be the same again (there's that selfishness). I just don't understand it. And then, on the way to Elgin today, we passed this billboard (yes, I had my camera with):

Hmmm..I guess that's it. But I AM human and I'm gonna make a little more effort to celebrate life: dance in the kitchen with my headphones cranked up, take a walk on a sunny day, play golf in the living room with my 2-year old nephew:

And tomorrow I'll celebrate with the Kline family and hundreds of other people who knew what a great lady this was.

Thanks for the cheesecake, Janice. :)

more nothingness

2006-02-20T21:53:00.000-06:00

Is this year over yet? I mean, seriously...rabble rabble rabble.

Blurbs and whatnot:

I babysat for my 2 1/2 year old nephew this past Sunday. He's a blast to be around, but quite the handful. They just moved into a new house, which adds much excitement to the whole bag. He ate so much mac-and-cheese, I was really expecting some projectile vomit. But, the kid was a champion. Way to pack it away, Stevie. I don't think I can watch anymore of the Little People DVD for at least a couple of months, lest I want to start pulling my hair out. make it stop....I love him to death and am really glad I'm getting to spend more time with him AND see my brother and sister-in-law. Feel the love.

I went to Chicago two weekends ago to see my fabulous friend Brooklyn and Cooper was in town, too, so what a blast. I've said it before, I'll say it again..I love my friends. Thanks for hanging out with me, you guys. woot woot. :P And I love riding the Brown line...haa haa!!

My mom's gonna be in Milwaukee this weekend!! I'm so excited. I'll get to spend even more time with Stevie J, my nephew, so double the fun. We're gonna check out a Polish bakery for some packzi (the unhealthiest pastry EVER), in honor of upcoming Fat Tuesday and get in some good hanging time. My mom's awesome. YAY!

I'm crabby. Let it be known. Roar.

I should be in bed

2006-02-03T22:43:00.000-06:00

It's 10:45 on a Friday night and I'm surprised I'm still awake. Holy crap, I sound like my mother!! (dun dun duuuuunnn.....) I don't know if work has really been that stressful lately, or if I'm coming down with something (all-I-want-to-do-is-take-a-nap-so-leave-me-the-f-alone-itis), but I am not doing so good. As I mentioned in my previous bloggin (haa...rhymes with tobaggan...side effect of lack of sleep...wait, no, just my bad humor), I've reverted to the old "turn off the alarm clock, go back to sleep" routine. I feel so drained when I wake up; six hours is supposed to be enough, right? bah!

I've gotten on a reading kick (maybe, just maybe, has something to do with the lack of sleep)...nothing but doctor books...oh, they're so fascinating (I'm a grade-A Nerd)!! And discouraging...students telling stories of hazing and being humiliated during rounds at the hospital...woooo!! Where do I sign?? But then...the absolutely worst thing imaginable to me...are you ready for this? Sure you can handle it?????.........................

COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK OF SLEEP-------NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Please don't tell me this! Not now, not when I might actually be making up my mind on what could be one of the most important decisions I've made in a long time(and if you know me well, heck if you've just known me a few hours, you know I have issues with making decisions: "I don't care where we eat, just pick somewhere and don't make me do it, for the love of God!!!!").

And with that folks, medicine has lost its appeal. Stories of med students being so tired they can barely string together coherent sentences, being up for the last 48 hours on-call, or falling asleep standing up during rounds at 4:30 in the am....riiight.

What's that, you say? There's an opening for a cashier at Petco? HHAA HAAA...okay, really, that's not funny, just downright wrong (on so many levels). No offense to all you Pet-hos out there; it's just not the life for me. So I plug along in this crazy world, trying to diagnose (I do want to be a doctor!) my tiredness and feeling uber proud because I knew the answer to Final Jeopardy--obviously a measure of one's success in life--today as I was running on the treadmill at the gym...it's hospice care, you dumbasses, hospice care (I actually wanted to start yelling the answer at the morons on the tv---I AM turning into my mother)!! Guess that honors thesis came in handy for something, huh? HUH???

Realization of the day: I like looking words up in the dictionary when I don't know what they mean. Wait, that's like learning, right? :P

Currently reading: "What I Learned in Medical School: Personal Stories of Young Doctors", soon to be followed by "Bedside Manners: One Doctor's Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and Healer". This is some good shit, people.

Like sands through the hourglass....

2006-01-27T22:04:00.000-06:00

I haven't blogged in about 20 days. And what's happened since then? ABSOLUTEY NOTHING. Okay, so this is a lie, but the truth is I don't remember anything that has happened, so I have to lie to cover it up. Hmmm..not really a good policy to adopt. But I have been pegged as a liar before (aaahhheem...you're probably not even reading this anyway :P), so what else is new?

So, let's see...my last year of college I had an issue with getting up in time for my 8am class (what?? me?? turn off my alarm and go back to sleep? Noooo!) and I seem to have reverted to my old self. In other words, I've found myself missing my bus (I only missed it by 2 seconds, I swear!!) and being forced to run after the public transpo-mobile to get to work on time (haaa!!). "And I ruuuun, I run so far away..."

My yogurt exploded in my bag the other day...yogurt-covered goodness all around. Unfortunately, I had to come to the realization that I had yogurt guts all over my stuff by the strange goo leaking onto my coat...yogurt goo does not equal happiness.

I've stumbled onto the best place in the world, also known as the Viet Hoa Market on North Ave in the good land. It's a little Vietnamese grocery store, but they have so much cool shit. Where else can you find 10 different kinds of coconut milk??? "You want gelatin in can? You want green blob in plastic wrap? Oh, I see, you want oyster in plastic tub...very good, very good." So what if I can't read the printing on the package? I can recognize pictures!!! It's actual a really cool place...you're not gonna find this stuff in your run-of-the-mill grocery store. And the Japanese candy they have...fannnntastic!

Growing up, you hear "your elders" complaining about how time moves so much more quickly when you're older. Being a kid, you don't care and you run off to shove more dirt in your mouth...well, listen up kids! THIS IS SO TRUE. I'm getting old (not really, but REALLY) and the time is just disappearing. It's almost February already; where have I been? I thought this year would be so long and now I'm worried it's going too quickly (I really have issues with making up my mind, if you can't tell). Gotta enjoy it while I can, and enjoy I shall, but geesh.

Work is still work...still learning, still commiserating about our shitty healthcare system. It's an uphill battle and that hill just keeps getting steeper. Buuuuuuut it's not all depressing...the docs are cool, I haven't gone [totally] crazy yet, and I still dream of being Dr. Arthur, Medicine Woman. Haa haa!! Now if only I could get the theme from "ER" to play every time I walked into the clinic, I'd be set....

Mucho amor.

Oh, the humor....

2006-01-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

A mother is getting on the bus with her baby when the bus driver says, "What an ugly baby!" She scoffs at the man, puts in her fare and sits next to an older woman. "How dare that bus driver! Civil servants are supposed to be respectful, not insulting. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" The other woman replies, "That's a good idea. Here, let me hold your monkey."

Did you know that there are three types of people in the world? Those who can count and those who can't.

Did you hear about the cat who ate a whole ball of yarn? A few months later she gave birth to a whole litter of mittens.

What do you get when you cross a pit bull and a rabbit? A pit bull.

Why aren't elephants allowed on the beach? Because their trunks keep falling down.

Why do you always see dead possums on the road? Chickens use them to check for traffic.

You're welcome. :P

2006 starts off with a bang...

2006-01-02T19:18:00.000-06:00

So, there are fires in Oklahoma, people stuck in a mine...and it's only the 2nd day of 2006. It's gonna be a great year, folks.

I rang in the New Year sitting on my couch, watching the ball drop on TV and reading my book. Read this: I can be introverted at times. Oh, the excitement. I actually had myself quite a good time, got to relax and talk to a few people on the phone. Better than being stuck at a party I really didn't wanna be at, trying to talk to people I really didn't know. I did get to babysit for my nephew, Steven, earlier in the day (this kid can put away more donut holes than I can...I think my brother and his wife should get him on one of those Japanese stunt shows, pronto), so that may have contributed to the "pooped" feeling and consequent ploppage on the couch. I do have to say that Dick Clark, although a great TV personality, needs to retire. I know he had a stroke and I felt awful watching him struggle with his speech, but when you can't count down from 10 correctly, it's time to take it easy for awhile. Hand it over to that Ryan Seacrest thing (shudder, shudder). All in all, the coverage was crappy, listened to Regis Philbin sing (why? WHY???), had a few laughs, and went to bed.

It's raining like crazy here in Milwaukee; it's been dark and dreary for the past month, I think, and it really sucks. I got splooshed by a car while waiting for the bus this morning, so maybe I won't have to shower anymore in the mornings, giving me some extra sleep time. HUH? It actually really pissed me off, but those are the breaks. On the plus side, I got to go to the gym today after work and it was fabulous...okay, it really kicked my arse, but that post-workout feeling is always good. Working out definitely puts me in a better mood. I got a free workout with a personal trainer for starting up...he was, well, let's just say...mighty good-looking, so it made the experience that much more enjoyable! hee hee...calm down boys, he's married, I'm still on the market..baah ha ha haa...oh, I make myself laugh. His name is Bill and he was actually a really cool guy, not the typical gym-rat, I guess.

My family had a dog when I was younger, Obie (best dog ever!!), and he had this extreme love for tennis balls. Somehow, the tennis balls ended up being named "Bill" (introverted AND weird!!)...so throughout this whole workout, I kept picturing my dog and his tennis balls...:D Okay, maybe this is just funny to me, but it was good times. just bugger off.

My resolution: to live, to learn, to grow. to make it through the year without a bout of mental insanity. Happy New Year :)

Ahoy hoy??

2005-12-28T23:25:00.000-06:00

Alright, it's been awhile, I apologize. I've been lazy and otherwise caught up in real life. thanks.

Christmas was GREAT. I got to go home and see my parents, my brother was home from NYC, and I got to see my cats!! Yay!! I also got to see friends from college and friends from high school...and I realized that you guys are seriously the coolest. I know I always say it, but really...I had no idea. Thank you for being so bitchin'!!

Now I'm back in Wisconsin, back to work, and back in the stress of things. Such is life. Now I miss my family and I miss my friends, but somehow, some way, it's good to be here (although I want my car). Oh-so-frightening.

I really need to go to sleep, but I just wanted to write a little. I don't know how many people actually read this, but I am still alive!!

Currently listening to: Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree (I am SO punk...)
Currently Reading: Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande...damn interesting!!

Hope everyone's HOLIDAYS were faaabulous!

Ambulances and Africa

2005-12-15T22:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, mark it down...today was the day the world (aka...the clinic) pooped on Emily and did not wipe. It actually wasn't so bad, just very stressful. I got to call the ambulance (which turned out to be the WRONG thing; what we really needed was a med team..OH, well DUH...of course...neer!!) cuz one of our patients was hypotensive and in SVT (read: her heart wasn't doin so well at all and she was about to drop and hit the floor), so that was exciting. That was just in the morning. In the afternoon, our ER doctor didn't show up to staff with the resident there and my boss had to leave for an emergency, so it was me...the resident...and the patients...oh dear LORD almighty. How we get through these things without killing someone, I don't know.

Tonight, a recruitment rep from Global Missions (part of the ELCA) at the head church office in Chicago came to Milwaukee to talk to us about opportunities to go abroad and do missions work. It was really interesting to hear about what she did (she was in Egypt) and we got free dinner at Beans 'N' Barley, which is a pretty kick-ass restaurant. Hurray! I've narrowed my choices down to Kenya, Egypt, or India. ;) Maybe....

Anyway, that's all the excitement. Top 'o the evenin' to ye.

2005-12-15T00:12:00.000-06:00

Me...posing as a reindeer. Tricky, I know.
by emily

2005-12-15T00:05:00.000-06:00

Slightly odd, yes, but wicked cool. Luckily I wasn't wearing very flammable clothing ;)
by emily

"Hope" is the thing with Feathers--(254)

2005-12-14T23:32:00.000-06:00

"Hope" is the thing with feathers--
That perches in the soul--
And sings the tune without the words--
And never stops--at all--

And sweetest--in the Gale--is heard--
And sore must be the storm--
That could abash the little Bird--
That kept so many warm--

I've heard it in the chillest land--
And on the strangest Sea--
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb--of Me.

--Emily Dickinson

I first read this poem in high school and I couldn't get past the image of a pudgy, little fluffed-up bird, hummering (yes, hummering...those sounds you get when you blow bubbles in water in the bathtub) away, even through winds and rain. Sing on, little birdy, sing on.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2005-12-14T22:29:00.000-06:00

The craptacular weather that I'm so used to back in North Dakota has now infiltrated my sphere of Wisconsin....gaaah! I love the snow, I really do. People I work with keep blaming me for bringing bad weather with me. Fine, go ahead. Bwaaahahahhaaaa....

I went to visit Brooke in Chicago last weekend and it was fantastical. Chicago and Milwaukee aren't so far apart, but they're so completely different. Mucho wacko. The biggest difference I saw (besides more people) was the fact that everyone in Chicago uses the bus system, because my life revolves around public transportation. Rich, poor, black, white...everybody is on the bus!! In Milwaukee, the bus is for poor people, for the majority. It's almost embarassing to say, but it's more relaxing riding the bus in Chicago knowing you're not going to be the only relatively well-dressed 'white girl' on the bus. Shame on me, but it's true! LVC has made me paranoid.

It was crazy snowy and windy while I was there, but still perty-like. I'm really jealous that you're so close to so much stuff, Brooke!!! Not that I have any money to spend on 'stuff', anyway, but still! And your apt is so cute!! We went to see Harry Potter (finally!)..Yay, Harry Pot-tah (British accent, people..work with me) and we also attended a holiday bash for Brooke's grad school. Open bar, my ass...one drink over a period of 3 hours does not fall within the definition of open bar. Oh, well...they had great hors doeurves...mmm...horse dooovers. I also got up early on Saturday to treat Brooke to one of my favorite city delicacies...Dunkin' Donuts! Mmm...scrumptious. Somehow, the strawberry frosted just weren't as I remembered them. We also listened to the Sioux-Gopher series on the radio and had a smashing good time. yaaay!! OH, yeah...Brooklyn, I left my cheese in your fridge! Go ahead and eat that Gouda. Oh, gosh...my snow globe, too!! Merry Christmas to you! And, of course, I brought my camera and didn't take any pictures. Well, freakin' a.

Finally...I'm going home for Christmas!! I'm so excited!!! Never did I think North Dakota would be so damn enticing. I get to see my cats and some friends..oh yeah, my parents and my brother, Ross, too. It'll actually be great to see Ross; I haven't seen him since August when I left for Seattle. I'm taking the train home this Sunday...4 days!.. (I'm leaving a day early so Brooke and I can ride home together!)and I was gonna get a ride back to Milwaukee the day after Christmas with my family, because they wanted to come visit my oldest brother, Ben. Turns out that's not going to happen anymore, so I'm kinda scrambling to find a way back to Milwaukee since I need to be back to work on the 27th. Joy of all joys. Anybody wanna drive me to Milwaukee? HUH??? Yeah, didn't think so. Something will work itself out. Always does. And I will take pictures at home, really.

This week is kinda busy, cuz I have to get everything ready for next week. Really, they're gonna fall apart without me there..haa haa...I'm gonna try my darndest to not worry about work while I'm home. I really just need to get out of here, have a real break from this for awhile (although I did get a hug from a patient today...hee hee).

I admit, Christmas songs can be pretty cheesy, but there really is no place like home for the holidays.

Work

2005-12-06T22:41:00.000-06:00

I realized today, as I hung up one phone line (I was on hold for 2 minutes and counting with this pharmaceutical company) so that I could pick up another, that in some ways, I, aspiring life-saver (haa...I like the orange ones), am a glorified receptionist. YES!! My dreams have been realized!!!

Okay, I exaggerate. I do a lot more than answer phones, but really, sometimes, the phones and scheduling drive me nuts...too much ringing!! whew..now that I have that off of my chest...life can go on. In high-pitched lady-like voice: "Hello, Bread of Healing Clinic, this is Emily, how can I help you??" AAHHHHhhhh!!!!! Make it go away!

Work was long today. It went alright, but it was a full day and I was tired. I complain too much. This post sucks. I need to go to work tomorrow. And answer the phone.

2005-12-05T20:22:00.000-06:00

Pretty Christmas decorations in the big city. OH Christmas Tree...(sing it with me....)
by emily

2005-12-05T20:19:00.000-06:00

Periodic table in a 3-D helix form! Wooo!! Science nerds a-hoy!!
by emily

2005-12-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

Cooper at the Space/Flight gift shop at the Museum of Science and Industry....fat man in a little cooaatt....
by emily

2005-12-05T20:16:00.000-06:00

My old neighborhood! Hurray!!!
by emily

2005-12-05T20:15:00.000-06:00

So, you see those buildings way, way, way in the distance?? Do ya?? Do ya see 'em?? That, my friends, is where we STARTED walking...haaaa!! oh man, we suck. Grant Park to Hyde Park..it's all in a day's work.
by emily

2005-12-05T20:13:00.000-06:00

So we went on this really, REALLY ridonkulously long walk...and Cooper had to make a little pit stop. At..dun dun duuuunnnn..THE DROP ZONE. baahhhh!!!
by emily

2005-12-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

Cooper and Eric in the strange ball-thingy. Yessss!
by emily

2005-12-05T20:11:00.000-06:00

{insert angelic singing here}...it's Mecca, it's Mecca!! Okay, it's really Soldier Field. Know your Chicago landmarks. DA Bears!
by emily

SNOW!!

2005-12-04T18:36:00.000-06:00

As is my custom, it's been awhile since I've written. Big surprise, I know, you're shocked. Deal with it. Thanksgiving was actually great, besides the whole not being at home part. I spent practically the whole day with my brother's wife's family in Oak Creek, WI, and it was mostly delightful, indeed. We played board games and card games (it's actually been awhile; who knew these things could be such a blast?)..have you ever played Sequence??? If you haven't, you must!!...and ate lots of good food. Eat like you'll never see the light of day again, kids!! And here come the stomach pains...

This led to uncomfortable momento #1: Apparently they have a tradition in their family where the youngest person at the table says grace before the meal. Lo and behold, that duty fell to yours truly. Technically, Stevie was the youngest, but I don't think he was exactly up to the task (unless you want to him recite all of the trains and their colors from Thomas the Train...brilliant kid, really). So...hello, awkwardness!! Of course, being a pastor's kid and having heard many a before-meal prayer, I knocked the socks off of all present, but geesh...could ya give me some advance warning next time? Really.

It was good to play with Stevie and to have a place to go for Thanksgiving, too. Plus, we found out that another Arthur will be gracing the world with its presence come next June!!! Yaaaay, baby!! This little nugget is due about 6 days before Stevie J's birthday, so let's hope they're far enough apart to ward off any birthday jealousy. I'm excited. Just between you and me, I do hope it's a girl! :)

Let's see, what else?? Well! I took the Amtrak (loooove the train! Greyhound buses can kiss my patootie!) to Chicago on the Friday after Thanksgiving to meet up with Cooper, Eric, and Sarah, who were 'vacationing' in the grand city for the holidays. I woke my sorry butt up at 4-freakin-30 to get on the city bus and go down to the Amtrak station to catch the 6:15 train. NOT a delightful experience. Geh. We had a great time, though. Well, other than, uh, walking about 8 miles. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating. We were a little, let's say, mixed up, about where a certain attraction was. HAAAAA...oh, LORD! Best time ever. It was really good to see familiar faces and to get to hang out for a little while. I took the train back that same night and didn't get into Milwaukee until around 10:00 cuz there was some stupid delay. Of all the people, it just had to be me, right? Of course. Sooo, I missed my bus and had to wait around outside for half an hour for the next one. Amtrak people are heartless bitches.

I also made a pumpkin pie last weekend, to curb the withdrawals I was going through. Although I burned the crust the first time. This caused much stress and panic. I think I called my mom about 4 times (sorry, Mom). And I finally decorated my room with Christmas lights. Very festive. I was going for the Griswald Family Christmas-style lighting, but figured under our 'simple' conditions, that wouldn't go over so well. Still, you may be able to pick out our house when flying over Milwaukee. AAhhh..great.

So I had an excitement-filled Turkey Day weekend. It was hard to go back to work on Monday, but I survived this week, just as I have all the rest. But, of course, our job is never done. Just keep trudgin' along. OH, man...I went with one of my roommates to Target yesterday for the first time in 2 1/2 months and it was grand!! I really don't think I can explain how excited I was to be at Target...without money to spend. heh...cruel and unusual joke, is what that is. So how did I handle it? That's right, folks...I spend money, anyway! Woot. It was fun. And not simple. Hmmm...fun = not simple. Coincidence? I think not...bah ha haaa...kidding. Simple can be fun. When Target is not involved. We also hit up a church bazaar (yeah, church!) at the Quaker place! How bazaar was it, you ask? HHHAAAA...eh. Well, it was dandy, anyway.

And finally to the point of my post...it snowed!! Yay! So beautiful, yet such a pain when on foot. And that's it about that. You thought there was more about the snow? Life's disappointing like that, huh?

DA Bears won today!! 8 in a row! Knock on wood, baby. Must go watch movie now...Polar Express. Gettin in the mood for the holidays. Or something.

Just hafta say, my friends are seriously wicked. I miss you guys!! Mucho love to all.

Turkey Day is almost here

2005-11-22T23:49:00.000-06:00

well well well..it's that time of year again. the holidays are upon us. woot woot. bah humbug, i say! lol...well, not really, but some people get so excited you just wanna smack 'em upside the head with a 2X4. or maybe that's just me. anyway, I love the holidays as much as the next person, but when you get off of work where you've just had a woman saying the f-word repeatedly (in a church, mind you!) and listened to a man argue for 25 minutes about getting his medications, all the while holding up the rest of your patients, making them pissed off, you just wanna come home, crawl into some pj's and bash your head against the wall. You do not want to paste a fake smile on your face and play "nicey-nice" with someone's relatives thrice-removed. Just call me Scrooge.

Maybe I'm just mad because I'm not going home for Thanksgiving. Nothing beats an Arthur Thanksgiving (haaaa!!), but it might be better this way...my mom usually makes a trazillion pumpkin pies and that's all I do is sit around and eat them all weekend...oh, how great! Instead, I get to spend turkey day w/ my brother's in-laws, which is very nice of them indeed (to invite me and put up with my introverted-ness). It is awkward to hang around with someone else's family on a typically family-oriented day, but what the hey...live a little, huh? Stevie J-bomber will be there, too, so all is well.

On a lighter note, I baked a pumpkin yesterday night so now my house is the proud owner of about 4 lbs of pumpkin 'flesh', as the cookbook says (eeew...pumpkins do not have flesh...that's just grody). If you love the squashy-type foods, come on over, we'll have a hay day!!

This post is very mental. I think my brain is shorting out.

2005-11-15T23:57:00.000-06:00

Our view for 20 minutes of the 3.5-hr ride home...
by emily

2005-11-15T23:54:00.000-06:00

hey! it's a fence..and a tree.
by emily

2005-11-15T23:51:00.000-06:00

the dot day house!! last day of retreat...muy pooped! L-R: laura, tory, me, amanda, jill. we all look slightly crazy, but that's alright. we're kind of a big deal.
by emily

2005-11-15T23:48:00.000-06:00

LVC..all about reading and playing the gee-tar.
by emily

2005-11-15T23:46:00.000-06:00

the trail we climbed up...it's a lot steeper than it looks. also inhabited by wild turkeys. no joke. gobble gobble, people, then run like heck...
by emily

2005-11-15T23:44:00.000-06:00

oooh..pretty! wisconsin has trees! and hills!!
by emily

2005-11-15T23:43:00.000-06:00

Tory and Jill...uh...I don't really know what they're doing. Yea, nature!
by emily

2005-11-15T23:41:00.000-06:00

This is one of my housies, Jill, drivin to retreat (love that Milwaukee traffic in the background!)...I just won't tell her I'm putting this up on the web!!! LOVE the glasses.
by emily

Retreatin' it

2005-11-15T23:25:00.000-06:00

So I thought I was really, really gonna hate going on our fall midwest retreat (all the volunteers from milwaukee, chicago, and minneapolis/st. paul--about 40 people--get together and, well, retreat and stuff) in the middle of nowhere, wisco, but I had a great time!! Sure, it sucked talking a lot and having to discuss, discuss, discuss the whole weekend, but I re-met (after meeting them at orientation in august) some pretty awesome people--I was an extroverted introvert!!--and got to relax a little bit, too. Played an awesome game of spoons (I have the carpet burn to prove it!), went hiking, got to relax in the sauna followed by running around in the frigid midnight air (it's really cool when the steam is rising off your body!--although this could account for my stuffy nose and sore throat), read a lot, and played some mean foosball.

It was just really good to be reminded that other people are doing this, too, and that they have the same struggles I do. It was also really neat to hear ideas about how to live simply or how to be a better community from some of the other houses. LVC is schweeeet. :D

Going back to work today after five days of retreating was pretty ugh. It actually really sucked and that's all I have to say about that. (thumbs down) I gotta get to bed, hope everyone's having a grand old time in their little corner of the world.

Highlight of my day: I got to listen to my beloved UND Sioux Crew Bball band tonight (and how I miss them!)...thanks Drewsef...you made my day! :D :D You're awesome.

2005-11-10T00:34:00.000-06:00

My chub chub nugget pants!! He's such a cutie patoot!! I love my nephew! And random side-note: Happy Berfday to my brother, benny!!
by emily

2005-11-10T00:30:00.000-06:00

And the toned-down costume for the nephew..."cat" is always a safe bet. I forgot my tail, though!!
by emily

2005-11-10T00:28:00.000-06:00

Another one of the props I used for my "dead girl" Halloween costume. That's right..the men were flocking to my side ;)
by emily

2005-11-10T00:26:00.000-06:00

This is Stevie J "Curious George" and my oldest brother, Ben, "The Man in the Yellow Hat" trick-or-treatin'....supa fly!!
by emily

2005-11-10T00:25:00.000-06:00

Gosh, this is really creepy, but you can't really see the bruises that well. I'm so weird.
by emily

and the procrastination continues

2005-11-09T23:57:00.000-06:00

Funny how you never can break yourself of some habits. Procrastination..it's my game and I'm freakin good at it, bitches (meant in the nicest way possible and to no one in particular, of course). Pulling all-nighters in high school was probably too common and I think I even did a few in college. I'm way too old for that stuff now ;), but I seem to pull the best work out of my rear when my head is throbbing and I'm so tired I can't really see straight. YeS!! That's how it should be done. So, back to my point...the procrastination does not cease once the schooling years are through, my friends. I am now a 'professional volunteer' and it still haunts me!! We have this retreat this weekend where we have to present our 'covenant': what we hope to get out of this year as a house/community and what our community promises to one another. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but we have to present it to the rest of the people at retreat (about 40 other LVC'ers) and it's gotta be creative. Soooo....here I am, at almost midnight (this is truly early by most standards, I realize) painting a huge circle on a cut up curtain we found upstairs...haaa!! This is great. I almost feel back in my element again, which is really, really scary.

Our theme has to deal with footprints, so I'm pretty excited about putting paint on my feet and stomping around on a piece of fabric. What a riot.

Then we have to make breakfast for everyone and provide food at other times and of course we put this off til the last minute, too. Grand! And I'm always the one trying to keep the other girls in this house on track..Lord, that's frightening. This from the girl who can entertain herself for hours by cutting out things from magazines and pasting them on paper. And the end is in sight....

There's a line in The Life of Pi that says, "Without a driver, this bus is lost". Well, I'm sorry to say it, but I think our driver is a bit tanked and really needs to pull over. They never said this year would be easy, and that is becoming more and more apparent with each passing day. Someday we'll get our crap together. Everybody loves a good challenge, right?

I just wanna thank everybody who continues to listen to me complain and carry on about all of my troubles..I couldn't stay [somewhat] sane without you guys and I love you ubermuch! And to Brooke....thank you for what you wrote. Our friendship, through all its ghast ugliness (yeah, we've been there!) and its ow!!ow!! hotness (hee hee..) is really something. Gosh, we're crazy lunatics! Gertie would be so proud. :D Love you, ma'am!

Oh, to be cultured..

2005-11-06T18:42:00.000-06:00

I haven't written for awhile, but with good reason. Okay, not really. I just haven't had time. I've been really busy with work and trying to be simple and a community with my housies. It takes a lot of work to be simple, lemme tell ya. Kinda sucks that way.

Work is pretty good...I'm almost to the point where I can draw blood by myself..still learning. So watch out....cover your veins when you see me coming (I may need to practice on you...)!!!!

I went to a house party in Kenosha with one of my roommies last weekend (her boss had a party), and it was pretty fun. Lots of strange people, however...my fav costumes had to the the 6'6" drag queen and the homemade Transformer (woot!!) I went dressed as a dead girl...borrowed some props from the clinic where i work: a hospital gown, some bandages, and iv tubing....nifty place for halloween accessories ;) I had fake blood, bruises, the works...I'll have to post a pic on here. I'll get right on that. Perhaps. Then we came back to Milwaukee and went to this bar/bowling alley/arcade called the Landmark. It was a pretty rockin' place, although the showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show next door kinda took the cake. AND we had our first "big city" celebrity sighting: Amos Lee was bowling at the Landmark!! Now, for those of you who have no clue, Amos Lee is a singer and he's a pretty darn good bowler ;) One of the gals I was with is a huge fan and just had to go up and say hi; he was super nice about it and seemed genuinely appreciative of our "crazed fan" status..lol.

On Sunday, I got to go trick-or-treating with my nephew, Steven...he was Curious George and my brother, Ben, was the man in the yellow hat...sooo cute!! I had a really good time. Aunt Embly (as he calls me) got props for bringing along glow sticks...woot woot. I dressed up as a cat (figured the whole dead girl bit wouldn't go over so well with a two-year old) and was quite unsure how to dress up and NOT get candy..hmm...

I went to a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra/Symphony Chorus concert this afternoon. My boss had an extra ticket and invited me along, so it was fun to 'go out on the town'! The concert was awesome...they performed The Song of the Nightingale, which had a narrator and was quite whimsical, and after the intermission they did Carmina Burana!!! Hurray! The opening note is just awesome and the whole movement just makes you wanna go out and kick some major rear.. whoop whoop!! I had a grand time! Downtown Milwaukee is pretty cool :)

Anyway, work is work and life is life. Just keepin' on. We have an LVC midwest retreat we have to go to this weekend, so there's a lot of prep for that. I'm just afraid it will be a lot of sitting around and talking about how we feel...ugh! How droll. I hate that.

I realize that I miss you all and life isn't the same without the craziness...soo..you RoCK!!!!! I'll write more later.

Maybe it's seasonal affective disorder

2005-10-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

I am in a funk, and what a grand funk it is (railroad excluded...haa haaaaa...eh). I'm convinced it's because I've come to the realization that my job is hard and it'll continue to be hard...and it's such a long road. Health care is supposed to be this great enterprise, centered around caring for and helping people, but when you get down to the dirt, it can be a corrupt and complicated business...far more than I ever would have imagined.

I think I'm slowly starting to lose sight of those little things, the small joys in life that need to be held close. Without those, a person can go crazy. Perhaps a good nap will help.

The weather is getting drearier by the day. But I really do like winter, the cold, the snow. I went running with one of my housemates today and it was wonderful to breathe in the cool fall air, to feel it fill my lungs with its harshness. Have you ever held a breath of cold air, let it resonate in your chest? It's crisp and refreshing, which is how it felt to be running outside. Even though it was damp and drizzling, it was awesome. Until my shins started to complain in a way that hampered my running...aaah! Shin transplants...hmm...it's an idea.

We finally broke down and turned the heat on in our 'simple' house. :P What a joy not to have frozen toes!

My parents were in town this past week, watching Stevie J(my nephew), so I got in some good quality family time. It was very good to see them, but maybe being thrown back into that familiarity started tugging at my heartstrings...how I want to be surrounded by inviting faces and people who know me, rather than questioning looks on the street and general assumptions about who I am as a person.

Life is what you make of it, so I better get building. I'm having trouble right now, everything flying around me, ideas and dreams running circles in my head. I'm trying too hard to get to the 'destination', wherever that may be. Time to revert to the old crazy self and just let things go. Sounds like a plan, huh?

I cut my bangs myself tonight (sounded very simple), and I think it went alright. Nothing too askew, anyway. I just finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and it's an excellent read! Very thought-provoking and meaningful. Read it!! I'm sure some lines from it will turn up on here sooner or later. I'm onto A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith next. I think once upon a time I heard something good about this book, so I figured what the heck; I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm infatuated with books and libraries. I can wander the aisles for hours, scanning the shelves for interesting subjects or titles, trying to choose which one I'll read next. Knowledge is power. Or I'm just a bookworm.

I've rambled long enough, time to go.

Pictures!!!

2005-10-09T16:14:00.000-05:00

Either Tyler's gonna direct, or it's chicken dance time, people....yowza!

Me and Jamie..gosh darn, we look good!

Aahhh haaa haaa...Benny!!

Saxomaphoners! Woot woot!!

This is great...you're such a dork. too much, too much!!

Tut tut..looks like, uh...fall?

2005-10-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

The weather here is just nuts! About a week ago it was 80 for a few days, and now it's decided to get colder. The temps have been averaging about 50, which really isn't all that cold, I realize (back home in ND there's snow already!), but it sure feels freezing! Being the simple-minded LVC'ers that we are, we refuse to turn on our heat til absolutely necessary. With wood floors and lots of windows, I think our house is a personal Artic wasteland right now...we're talking group jumping jacks to warm up, folks. That's right...just drive by and you'll see a bunch of crazy girls jumping around the living room, doing laps around the kitchen...how wonderful!! And being that I have to sit outside to get a wireless signal, my hands are not very happy with me at all. Something must be done about this. Guess we'll wait and see.

I got to go home to Grand Forks last weekend for homecoming there...gooo Sioux!! The football team is still whomping on every opponent (knock on wood), so that's awesome. If they make it to Alabama again, I may just have to finaggle my way down there..
It was awesome to be home again!!! Nothing like being surrounded by good friends and all things familiar :D It felt great. The Greyhound bus ride (all 7 glorious hours!) was even tolerable, knowing that I was gonna see all my friends. :) The leaves are changing, too, so the scenery was gorgeous. I got to hang out with my bandinos again and play a saxomaphone (Thanks, Jamie!!!), go to the Rex (me and Coop ran a wicked 5-K...haaaa!!), and see my roomie Erin again! It was awwweeesome to see everybody...you guys are the coooolest!!!!!

At the same time, though, it really felt kind of weird. How is it that I was at home and back in my comfort zone, but I still felt out of place? Don't get me wrong; being home is this great feeling that you can feel from your head to your toes. But I'm connected to somewhere different now and I feel pulled here, cuz I know I have work to do (saving the world, that is.. :P). Could it be that I'm...gasp!!...growing up?? Eeekk! I dare say not! I wanted things to feel the same and be the same as they were before I moved to the good land, but I just couldn't do it. Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to cram months and months of hanging out into 2 1/2 little days...I think that stressed me out a little more than I thought it would. Oh, the contradictions that must be faced. Life is strange. Why, oh why?

Woe is me, yadda yadda...back to the craziness...the clinic is the clinic. I'm starting to get a little more familiar with everything, but it still hits me sometimes...this work we're doing. I made someone's day (go me!) by noticing on her chart that it was her birthday, so little things like that keep me pumped up, when the utter crappiness of our health care system rears its ugly head. I went to a new church today with my friend, Jeff, and I guess everyone is waiting til the last possible moment to turn on the heat, cuz the church was freezing, too! I just can't get away from it. There were a lot of babies in church and they were all super cute, so that put a smile on my face. :D yaaay, babies! We also went to a cool little coffee shop after church and their chai tea was excellent. Come visit...we'll go hang out :)

The leaves are falling and my fingers are freezing, so I'm headed back inside. Talk to you soon!

2005-10-04T23:40:00.000-05:00

So, I'm starting to get busier, which means that I suck in keeping up with my blogging. I'll write more later, really...I just wanted to throw this at ya...the Dorothy Day - Dot Day or DD (double d!!!) - House (me, tory, amanda, jill, and laura...from the left) during orientation in Seattle. I don't particularly care for this picture, and we're all much cuter in person ;), but for now, this will do. Much love to everyone.

well, let's see....

2005-09-13T00:25:00.000-05:00

I do believe I'm starting to get used to this place. I'm not so sure if that's good or bad. Good, for the fact that I can stop freaking out now (okay, okay, I'll at least cut my freakage down to about 3 times a week..I couldn't possibly go cold turkey), but bad for the fact that...um, is there a 'bad'? I do like the excitement of a new place, getting to explore and do new things, but there is something so great about feeling comfy and at home, being able to call someone up and know that they're a few blocks or miles away, instead of hundreds.

There's much to do in this bustling little city they call the good land ;) We went to a kite festival down by Lake Michigan this weekend, which, all in all, for being a kite festival, was pretty damn cool. I hafta say, rollerblading by the lake is wicked, whether or not a buttload of kites are flying in the air around you. We also got invited to a block party by a guy at church...very homey, family-type atmosphere, which was actually pretty great. And free food can never be beaten while on a tight budget. Saturday night, we went to a house party...and I was taken back to my childhood. For all of you Winnie the Pooh fans, you'll remember the scene where Owl is falling out of his house (when the tree is tipping over)...well, that's what I felt like at this party. These two guys (friends of one of my housemates) live on the 2nd floor of a house, which is harmless and all...until you walk from the kitchen to the living room...dear Lord, the floor is slanted!! At a much irregular angle! Lol...I was a little freaked out for awhile there, imagining myself just sliding right off the edge. Now I know what you're thinking, I may have consumed a little bit too much of the alcoholic beverages...but no, that wasn't it. Really. Totally nuts. I did meet some really cool people, including a guy who grew up ELCA, too, and it was nice to have a convo where we were both down with the lingo, yo. (Word.)

Yes, I am really tired, in case you were wondering. The brain starts to short out about now...gettin' too old for this stuff. Oh, one more thing!! I got to hang out with my nephew, Stevie J, this weekend, and he has his own set of little man golf clubs!! Haaaa...too cute!! Watch out, Tiger...Chub Chub has quite the back swing...

Hope everybody's doin great out there in this big crazy world. Mucho love.

Live simply, so that others might simply live

2005-09-06T20:42:00.000-05:00

So, I've learned so far that it's incredible, absolutely incredible, what you can make by using the food you already have in your pantry/fridge, etc. As in....you don't always need to go to the grocery store!! Look in your kitchen and be creative...that's your newest challenge! Tonight was my turn to cook with one of my roomies, Laura, and we made lentil and barley stew...sounds iffy, but it was fantastical, lemme tell ya!

Work was great today. Well, it was really busy, but I guess that translates into greatness. I'm starting to do vitals and all that stuff, so blood pressures and blood sugars, here I come!! I'll get trained in phlebotomy soon, too, so I'm excited about gushing veins and arteries. Mmm...gushing. I was gonna bike to work today, but found out (about halfway down the block from our house) that my back tire neeeds a new pump...so crap on that idea for awhile.

I got a new Runner's World magazine in the mail today, so I'm excited about that. Plus, we splurged on chocolate soy milk, so I have some of that, at least for a little while. Note: If you ever want me to do something for you, bring me choc. soy milk and it'll be a done deal! Well, I'll do almost anything.

And finally, I think about my friends and fam all the time...just know that you're always here with me and that makes me happpeee :D

grrr-argh!

2005-09-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

I just spent about an hour and a half writing a new entry (in between talking to people and doing laundry) and somehow I lost it...maaaan.....what are the chances? I'm tired now, so I'm not gonna write again til later. Such is life. Here's what's been going on: started work, it's really overwhelming, but I'll catch on eventually, I suppose. It's fun, but a lot of responsibility. Went to a Quaker meeting on Sunday...really interesting, but I'm not cut out to be a Quaker. Had some wonderful Chai tea w/soy milk (soo simple!! haa..) at an Alterra coffee shop for Amanda's bday--they do Fair Trade coffee, so hurrray to that!! I did some yoga today and since I don't have a good mat, I almost fell over a few times. ;) We went to the lake front, too, and I got to rollerblade!! Miles and miles of trails...aaahhh..good stuff. It's back to work tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll have more adventures later. I have some good quotes and all that jazz, but those will have to wait.

I start work tomorrow!!

2005-08-31T22:01:00.000-05:00

I really do apologize for the length of these entries; there's just so much to tell. On Monday, Tory, the last housemate, got home, so we hung out, checked out the library, where I was using the wireless, but now that I get it at our house, I'm stoked! I was making quite frequent trips to the library, but the walking was good. We had a cute lasagna dinner out in our backyard on Monday night, thanks to our Local Support Committee!! It was Tory's birthday on Tuesday, so we stayed up late and made her a cookie bar-cake..oh, we're so good. :P Yay for surprises!!!

Tuesday Aug. 30: We had our placement tours today and it was pretty cool to see where everybody else is going to work. Tory works at the Urban Ecology Center, teaching nature and such to little kids...it's an awesome facility, kinda reminded me of my Ecology lab days, wearing my big waders and marking fishes...aahh...

Amanda works at a church as a ministry assistant, Laura works for Project Return, which is an organization that helps people just out of the prison system, Jill works at The Healing Center, which gives counseling and support to victims of sexual assault (they also have dance classes, which we might get to go to, at a discounted rate, cuz we're poor!!), and me, I work at Bread of Healing Clinic. And I love my placement...well, so far. We had to wait awhile when we got there, cuz it was busy, but I met Rick, the RN who runs the place and with whom I did my interview...he initially just shook my hand, but then he gave me a hug!! And so did one of the doctors I met...haa! She's really cool; her husband's a pastor and she works at the UW Med School, so hopefully I'll have an "in"...lol. They seem like really nice people who are truly dedicated to their job, which is awesome! They told me I was really glad I was there; could I start right now? Geeesh...guess they're looking forward to my help (aka...emily will be working all the time..please hold all calls...kidding!). I definitely have a lot of opportunities, though. It's gonna be challenging, but it's exciting! It's in a church basement, but ya know..I've spent enough of my life in church basements, it should feel like home.

It's Wed today; we did a lot of cleaning. I cleaned the upstairs bathroom and got kinda high from cleaning chemicals ;) Good times. I start work tomorrow and I'm super nervous and excited!! Wish me luck! Still missing everybody...

And it just goes on...

2005-08-31T19:32:00.000-05:00

As luck might have it, I found a wireless network I can access from our house here in Milwaukee (the church next door just got wireless!!!), so I don't have to walk to the library and I'm not on time constraints anymore..whoopie!! Again, simplicity? Eh.

I was talking about our LVC open mic night...One of the LVC staffers is a fabulously gay man (not that this matters, but I just love his personality, and that's part of it) and he's in charge of our Americorps stuff (some volunteers are eligible for an Americorps service award, which helps pay off a tiny bit of student loans...yeah yeah!!). The people eligible had to be "initiated" into the Americorps program and we had to recite this tacky pledge. I'd type it here, but it's really too painful to make you read! Anyway, he was really making fun of the whole process, so while the Americorps people were reciting this pledge, he asked the rest of the people to hum "Battle Hymn of the Republic"...ohmigosh. What a hoot!! I could barely talk I was laughing so hard. Maybe you had to be there? Probably.

Sat. Aug. 27th: Last day of orientation; took pictures and all that jazz. They had a commissioning service for us at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, where we had been eating some of our meals. It was a fantastic service, centered around the theme of rainbows; each house got a rainbow-colored candle from a service org. in Seattle. The music was "my style of Lutheran"..totally Christus Rex/WOV..lots of music from "Now the Feast" (sorry if you're not familiar with all my "religious babble"...lol) and we sang "Marching in the Light of God" as our closing hymn, complete with percussion!! Great song. :) The message was great, as well: Be hip. It's about being open and being who you are. Being a part of LVC shouldn't be something that gets me a "good for you" or "I can't believe you're giving up a year for this" response from people. This is an opportunity for me to learn and grow and should be considered a privilege. I get to meet and be a part of so many different communities..and I get to help people! yeah yeah :)

As Rev. Verlon Brown told us, "LVC is a lot like swimming naked." (Right??) We need to put ourselves out there, scared and, well, 'naked', but our lives will be so much more enriched because we face these fears and challenge ourselves.

"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justic, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

After the service, there was a potluck and then it was off to start the year. Well, for most people. My flight didn't leave till 11:30 that night, so Tory, one of my housemates, and I did some exploring. We went to Pike's Place Fish Market and saw the fish-thrower guys. I really think I would make a good fish flinger! We also went to the Seattle Public Library..amazing and very modern!! I'm a book nerd! We also walked around the bottom of the Space Needle, but didn't go up because of time and money constraints. Oh well. After that, I had to catch some buses, got a little lost, had a nice chat with a man at a bus stop (the bus driver actually asked if I wanted to transfer at a "nicer stop"...haa..he doesn't know how tough I am!!), got run into by a drunk guy on one of my buses, and was back at the airport again. Fabulous. Let me tell you, it really sucks hauling luggage on a city bus, and I didn't even have that much!

My plane ended up sitting on the runway for about an hour, due to some seat malfunction or some crap like that. Blah blah blah. I had caught a cold earlier in the week, so at this point I was completely miserable, my nose was running everywhere (it did about 10 miles, I think), and my head felt like it was going to explode from all the sinus pressure. We finally got going, but my 50 min layover in Dallas was shot (yeah, I flew from Seattle to Dallas to Milwaukee..it was the cheapest flight I could find under our travel cap!!), so I had to book it through that airport. Although, I did get to take the Skylink train, which was pretty wicked narly. Then they switched the gate I was at, I couldn't find a board, and I started to panic. When I finally calmed down, I realized my new gate was right in front of me. Huh. Talk about stress. By this point, it was Sunday, 6:05 in the morning and I was crabby!! The plane ride to Milwaukee was hell..I seriously wanted to cry because my head hurt so badly. You know that awful pressure you get before your ears pop when you change elevations? Well, take that times 3 and walk around with it for 3 days. Everything was foggy and I couldn't hear, so I only got about 2 hours of sleep all night. Arrrgh. Enough complaining, though. A man named Miguel (he's on our Local Support Committee, made up of LVC alums, community and church members) picked me up at the airport, although he forgot to hold up the sign he made for me, so it took us awhile to find each other!!

He gave me a quick downtown tour, then took me to my new home!! It's a cute house, nothing fancy, but definitely liveable. One of my housemates, Amanda (it's me, Amanda, Tory, Jill, and Laura) was home, so we talked awhile, then I took a shower, and called my brother, Ben, so I could get the rest of my stuff. He was nice enough to pack it in his car and bring it over for me (thank you, Benny!!) and then he took me around to show me different grocery stores and such. I got to watch TV at his house for awhile (mmm..cable), but I had to go back so Amanda could use her car to pick up laura at the train station. We got that taken care of, then went back home to find Jill there...four of us!! We figured out room arrangements after much lengthy discussion...as I said before, I have purple walls!!...it's a cool room. My nephew, Steven (chub chub nugget pants) also made a guest appearance and he had to help me unpack and jump on my bed, of course. And that was the end of Day 1 in Milwaukee.

STILL catching up...

2005-08-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

Few and far between...haahaa..yeah, right. If simplicity involves not checking your email and talking on msn, I'm sorry...this is the wrong program for me :P

Okay, catching up...sure thing. I believe I still have the 25th of august and beyond... The 25th (Thurs) we talked about social justice and I realized that there are some incredibly strong people in this LVC program; I'm overwhelmed with the spirit and determination here...rock on, LVC!!! This program isn't only about this year, either. It's about the future...Be the change you wish to see in the world.

We talked about racism, had an anti-racism workshop for about 6 hours...long, but very informative. It'll be a big deal, esp. in Milwaukee, which is supposed to be one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. (Even as I sit here typing on my laptop in the library in Milwaukee right now, I'm aware of my 'white privilege'..something I don't even have to try to do, it just is. and this pisses me off!!! Although I am the minority right now, and that's kinda cool.)
This discussion is always really hard, it's such a touchy and controversial subject. As one of our speakers said, "Racism is in the fiber and fabric of everything in our lives"...even if we're not aware of it. Big things to think about.

Friday, Aug. 26th: Every day at orientation opened with some sort of skit and today's skit was about simplicity. Two of our directors did a spoof of the SNL radio talk show "Delicious Dish"...wow...it was sooo hilarious!! The guest on the show was Professor Leslie S. Moore (or Les S. More...haa haaa!!!). It was great. She even did the "oooh..that's fun" line perfectly (if you're familiar with the skit at all). AND simplicity doesn't necessarily mean cheap living; it's all about creating a sustainable lifestyle.

We also did 'urban safety and applied nonviolence' today...self defense, baby!! haa haa....i did the hamster move for you, erin!!!! And yet another quote: "Any person who pays attention to what is going on in the universe is terrified most of the time. The important thing is to proceed nevertheless." -Katherine Hepburn Non-violent tactics are all about getting to know the people around you, forming alliances; just being nice and really forming relationships with people. Always know your surroundings, be aware of the people around you...look behind you, too! People can pull the "J manuveur" (when they walk past you and circle around to the back)..haa haa...sounds kinda dirty. Honestly, I was making fun of a lot of this stuff (shame on me!!). I know it's important, but the way in which our lady was teaching some of it was just hilarious and I know you would've been laughing, too!!! I really wanna kick someone in the face, though...sweeet. Although, let's hope there's never a need to use it!!! AND my favorite move...called the Twist and Shout: let's just say it involves the use of certain parts that only boys have....eeessh.....and that's enough of that.

We had an LVC open mic night tonight...some good acts and awards for tacky postcards (unfortunately my postcard of two decorated hay bale people in a ND farmyard did not qualify as tacky enough...huh..). I hafta go...tell ya about the Americorps spoof later....bye!!

..the good land

2005-08-29T11:33:00.000-05:00

I'm in Milwakee now...still a little strange. Just got here yesterday morning and I've decided to go and get myself sick, so I'm not in the greatest of moods. Way too stressful, this whole situation. My room has purple walls and a dresser with a big mirror on top, so that's nice. I'm at the library right now, which means limited time, so this'll be quick. The library's only open til 8:30, which sucks, cuz most of you are online in the evening...bargle!!! OH, well. I'll have to make due with what's here. I miss everybody and wish I could visit soon! I'll try to keep updating, but it may be few and far between. Take it easy!