Monday, February 24, 2003
Hi-diddly-ho, good neighbor!
I had a great weekend-- a good tour at Wyandotte hospital (and a bad one at Garden City), saw the Ostermans in Novi (always weird to say the married name!), had dinner with potential housemates. Saturday was an AWESOME study day (1:30-8:30!) then salsa; Sabine had some Cuban friends come by to dance with us-- it's so easy for a girl to look good at dancing when she has a good lead. (Sorry guys, but it's nice being a girl! *wink*) And sunday... well, I had studying to do so I did a bit of cleaning of the ol' apartment.
Nothing much new to report; I did have Micro lab out in the new science building (oooohh); it's pretty snazzy. Trying to start the bunson burner we had a huge flame (trying to burn down the building in its first year, apparently). Gram staining and some plating (again, ooooohh) But I stopped to visit my friend Doug in biochem; he works all day in the basement-- no windows-- so I brought a little sunshine into his day (*cheesy grin*)
So neuroanatomy lecture and lab exam tomorrow morning. My poor cerebrum is overloaded with cranial nerve information, lesions here there and everywhere, with fasciculi and red nuclei and nucleus ambiguus and all sorts of silly names. Who made up this stuff anyway?? After that, renal physiology on friday and then SPRING BREAK!!!! hooray!
I had a great weekend-- a good tour at Wyandotte hospital (and a bad one at Garden City), saw the Ostermans in Novi (always weird to say the married name!), had dinner with potential housemates. Saturday was an AWESOME study day (1:30-8:30!) then salsa; Sabine had some Cuban friends come by to dance with us-- it's so easy for a girl to look good at dancing when she has a good lead. (Sorry guys, but it's nice being a girl! *wink*) And sunday... well, I had studying to do so I did a bit of cleaning of the ol' apartment.
Nothing much new to report; I did have Micro lab out in the new science building (oooohh); it's pretty snazzy. Trying to start the bunson burner we had a huge flame (trying to burn down the building in its first year, apparently). Gram staining and some plating (again, ooooohh) But I stopped to visit my friend Doug in biochem; he works all day in the basement-- no windows-- so I brought a little sunshine into his day (*cheesy grin*)
So neuroanatomy lecture and lab exam tomorrow morning. My poor cerebrum is overloaded with cranial nerve information, lesions here there and everywhere, with fasciculi and red nuclei and nucleus ambiguus and all sorts of silly names. Who made up this stuff anyway?? After that, renal physiology on friday and then SPRING BREAK!!!! hooray!
# posted by Joanna @ 10:52 PM
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
D'oh! I just hit the wrong button and lost my post. I told a great story about the day three years ago that I got my eyebrow pierced.... it was a day MUCH like today.
I have been going stir-crazy lately; three months stuck inside with only the occasional walk home or sunny day has been getting to me. It always happens to me, on warm mid-February days. I get this over-energy, and an intense feeling of just needing to do SOMETHING active; three years ago Brandi and I went on a grand adventure, got my car stuck in (and covered with!) mud, and ended up with an eyebrow ring.
I can't wait to be able to ride my bike--I feel like warmer temperatures will expand my world, so that I can ride to class or exams, and randomly go over to the law library to study or to get coffee, or pop over to visit friends over in biochem or CIPS. I want to go take a walk in Baker Woodlot with someone cool. And I am so excited about star-gazing; I would go this very second (bundle up in five layers and two blankets) if someone asked.
Spring is definitely my season... new growth; green buds on trees, blue sky above and birds coming home; looking ahead to summer and being outside and it being light til 10.... I can't wait, can you??
I have been going stir-crazy lately; three months stuck inside with only the occasional walk home or sunny day has been getting to me. It always happens to me, on warm mid-February days. I get this over-energy, and an intense feeling of just needing to do SOMETHING active; three years ago Brandi and I went on a grand adventure, got my car stuck in (and covered with!) mud, and ended up with an eyebrow ring.
I can't wait to be able to ride my bike--I feel like warmer temperatures will expand my world, so that I can ride to class or exams, and randomly go over to the law library to study or to get coffee, or pop over to visit friends over in biochem or CIPS. I want to go take a walk in Baker Woodlot with someone cool. And I am so excited about star-gazing; I would go this very second (bundle up in five layers and two blankets) if someone asked.
Spring is definitely my season... new growth; green buds on trees, blue sky above and birds coming home; looking ahead to summer and being outside and it being light til 10.... I can't wait, can you??
# posted by Joanna @ 11:54 PM
Monday, February 17, 2003
Ha, I knew I'd forget something! How about this for fun news??
My mom's rented a cabin for a week in August (and get this) it's in a fishing village near a small town in Maine, on a bluff with a view of the ocean on three sides!!!! It's near Bath, ME. The beach is only 300 yards away, and nearby there's a fish market where we can buy fresh fish and lobster!
How cool is this!? is it august yet?
My mom's rented a cabin for a week in August (and get this) it's in a fishing village near a small town in Maine, on a bluff with a view of the ocean on three sides!!!! It's near Bath, ME. The beach is only 300 yards away, and nearby there's a fish market where we can buy fresh fish and lobster!
How cool is this!? is it august yet?
# posted by Joanna @ 1:59 AM
Wow, it's been two weeks since I posted and SO MUCH has gone on lately. Borrowing from Inigo in the Princess Bride, "Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up." Dance. More dancing. Exams, class, music and a movie. Hm, perhaps I should explain...
I spent three days sewing my flapper's dress for the COM "Roaring 20s" Dance, just to see if I could do it (and I could!); it was bright red satin with fringe and sequin straps (which I was sewing AS my friends arrived) and a sequin headband with feathers. Everyone looked so cute at the dance (pictures soon!) and I noticed that everyone there talked with and were friends with everyone else-- my classmates are all very cool people!! I'm taking a salsa dance class at Cafe Cubano with Veronica and Michael, so Saturday I did that; afterwards I went to a party at Atlantis house in the flapper dress, and stood out in the crowd (me in the red dress and everyone else in jeans and sweatshirts)-- yeeaah baby!
Sunday.... oh yes, I studied for the monday Neuroanatomy exam. Then I did the usual class activities during the week (including studying for a Friday Immunology exam! yuck!) Mom visited Tuesday after I broke the news to a pretend patient about his Type I diabetes. Wednesday was also interesting-- I shadowed in a clinic as part of my "Community Resources Elective." The organizer had titled this experience "Chronic Illness and Poverty" so I expected something like a hospital environment with people lying in pain in beds.... Not even close. The building was a residence for extremely low-income individuals, and most of them were on disability; the first woman I talked with had 20 diagnoses and 27 medications, but she (and the other residents I talked with) were cheerful; they loved to laugh; and while they had health problems, those problems didn't rule their lives and minds. The nurse who worked there was a great role model and I could see that she knew alot about and cared for the people she was helping. It was VERY interesting, and I think I'll go back there to volunteer. Wednesday I also heard about the Myers-Briggs personality test and about meditation and breathing exercises to maximize energy flow.
Friday some friends and I went to Temple club to see ekoostik Hookah (one of my favorite bands to see live!). The show was great and the Temple was a pretty cool place to see it (aside from the exceptionally loud speakers and the random upside-down christmas trees on the ceiling). (I'm looking ahead to maybe Hiawatha, Blissfest or Hookahville in summer, and I'll be helping my friend teach "patchwork purses" at Wheatland in Sept!) I again instigated a snowball fight against two jugglers (and was saved when a car-ful of Hookah fans drew their fire).
Saturday, more dancing; Sabine kept pointing at me and saying "Yes! Keep doing that!" (and I kept wondering, what am I doing right?!) I'm not so great at figuring out which dance goes with what music, but I have the steps down pretty well.
Saturday morning I went with Kirk, Kristen, and Rana to join the march for peace here in Lansing; the other three are founding a group called "Physicians for Social Responsibility." I felt that I should go; I could've said "I have to study" (which I did!) but it was more important to my soul to get out into the real world and to express my beliefs. Along the way, I did a lot of thinking and figured out just what those were, at least for now: Ideally, we don't need war-- ever. But our species isn't evolved enough yet to settle all conflicts without it, so sometimes it can be justified as the "best" way to promote peace for the world as a whole. However, I feel like Bush has been angling for this war since September 18, 2001 and has been preparing us for it since then; even the media talks about "Countdown to Iraq" and "Showdown Iraq" because it sells. I don't think that our administration has given inspections and other avenues enough time to work, nor has it shared enough intelligence to make those inspections most effective. Also, I dislike the arrogance implied in the US preparations for a war in spite of practically every other nation. I will support our troops, and I respect their commitment. I just don't think now is the time. Yet.
Last important thing (I could go on for hours, but alas, I have class in the morning and must sleep)-- my grandma (mom's side) fell Tuesday, and had to get a pin into her hip; she had low blood pressure and went into ICU for a day, but now she's doing better. (She's pretty spry for 92.) She's going to a nursing home for a little while (hopefully so she can get PT and go home!) but my family and I could use your good thoughts and/or prayers.
Hey, this is a long post; I told you it's been a busy couple of weeks. I'll end with some Joanna Trivia:
-cds most often in my cd player: Norah Jones, Chucho Valdez (cuban jazz!), Coldplay
-international cuisine week: chinese, indian, cuban, and thai
-books curently on my "to read" shelf: Conversations with God part 2, Ethics for the New Milennium
I spent three days sewing my flapper's dress for the COM "Roaring 20s" Dance, just to see if I could do it (and I could!); it was bright red satin with fringe and sequin straps (which I was sewing AS my friends arrived) and a sequin headband with feathers. Everyone looked so cute at the dance (pictures soon!) and I noticed that everyone there talked with and were friends with everyone else-- my classmates are all very cool people!! I'm taking a salsa dance class at Cafe Cubano with Veronica and Michael, so Saturday I did that; afterwards I went to a party at Atlantis house in the flapper dress, and stood out in the crowd (me in the red dress and everyone else in jeans and sweatshirts)-- yeeaah baby!
Sunday.... oh yes, I studied for the monday Neuroanatomy exam. Then I did the usual class activities during the week (including studying for a Friday Immunology exam! yuck!) Mom visited Tuesday after I broke the news to a pretend patient about his Type I diabetes. Wednesday was also interesting-- I shadowed in a clinic as part of my "Community Resources Elective." The organizer had titled this experience "Chronic Illness and Poverty" so I expected something like a hospital environment with people lying in pain in beds.... Not even close. The building was a residence for extremely low-income individuals, and most of them were on disability; the first woman I talked with had 20 diagnoses and 27 medications, but she (and the other residents I talked with) were cheerful; they loved to laugh; and while they had health problems, those problems didn't rule their lives and minds. The nurse who worked there was a great role model and I could see that she knew alot about and cared for the people she was helping. It was VERY interesting, and I think I'll go back there to volunteer. Wednesday I also heard about the Myers-Briggs personality test and about meditation and breathing exercises to maximize energy flow.
Friday some friends and I went to Temple club to see ekoostik Hookah (one of my favorite bands to see live!). The show was great and the Temple was a pretty cool place to see it (aside from the exceptionally loud speakers and the random upside-down christmas trees on the ceiling). (I'm looking ahead to maybe Hiawatha, Blissfest or Hookahville in summer, and I'll be helping my friend teach "patchwork purses" at Wheatland in Sept!) I again instigated a snowball fight against two jugglers (and was saved when a car-ful of Hookah fans drew their fire).
Saturday, more dancing; Sabine kept pointing at me and saying "Yes! Keep doing that!" (and I kept wondering, what am I doing right?!) I'm not so great at figuring out which dance goes with what music, but I have the steps down pretty well.
Saturday morning I went with Kirk, Kristen, and Rana to join the march for peace here in Lansing; the other three are founding a group called "Physicians for Social Responsibility." I felt that I should go; I could've said "I have to study" (which I did!) but it was more important to my soul to get out into the real world and to express my beliefs. Along the way, I did a lot of thinking and figured out just what those were, at least for now: Ideally, we don't need war-- ever. But our species isn't evolved enough yet to settle all conflicts without it, so sometimes it can be justified as the "best" way to promote peace for the world as a whole. However, I feel like Bush has been angling for this war since September 18, 2001 and has been preparing us for it since then; even the media talks about "Countdown to Iraq" and "Showdown Iraq" because it sells. I don't think that our administration has given inspections and other avenues enough time to work, nor has it shared enough intelligence to make those inspections most effective. Also, I dislike the arrogance implied in the US preparations for a war in spite of practically every other nation. I will support our troops, and I respect their commitment. I just don't think now is the time. Yet.
Last important thing (I could go on for hours, but alas, I have class in the morning and must sleep)-- my grandma (mom's side) fell Tuesday, and had to get a pin into her hip; she had low blood pressure and went into ICU for a day, but now she's doing better. (She's pretty spry for 92.) She's going to a nursing home for a little while (hopefully so she can get PT and go home!) but my family and I could use your good thoughts and/or prayers.
Hey, this is a long post; I told you it's been a busy couple of weeks. I'll end with some Joanna Trivia:
-cds most often in my cd player: Norah Jones, Chucho Valdez (cuban jazz!), Coldplay
-international cuisine week: chinese, indian, cuban, and thai
-books curently on my "to read" shelf: Conversations with God part 2, Ethics for the New Milennium
# posted by Joanna @ 1:56 AM
