Movie Review: Waitress

Waitress staring Keri Russell, and written and directed by Adrienne Shelly was a very sweet movie. At least I thought so. Keri Russell (who I love from Felicity) plays Jenna a waitress at Joe's Pie diner. She's in a horrible marriage, accidentally gets pregnant (is not happy about it) and has a fling with her married OB/GYN, all the while baking some excellent pies. There were some hilarious moments (like spontaneous poetry) that made me laugh out loud. The one thing that bugged me about the movie though, was that the pies didn't look as amazing as I thought they should have. I really wanted to eat some of them anyway, (because of their names) like Naughty pumpkin pie, or I hate my husband pie. Other than that, it was a sweet story with a great message...It's never too late for a fresh start. Favorite quote from the movie: "If I had a penny for everything that I loved about you, I'd have many pennys."

Seattle

Ben and I went to Seattle this weekend. It was great. I love Seattle and we had a really nice day Friday walking around being tourists. We went to one of my favorite places for coffee and cake, the B&O Cafe (this cafe was mentioned in my USA travel guide, and all of Vancouver was left out). I got a Valencia Mocha and a piece of Chocolate Raspberry torte and it was super good. Then Ben and I went down to Seattle Center and took some pictures of the Space Needle. I even bought a Space Needle charm for my charm bracelet. While we were walking around Seattle Center, KEXP 90.3, Ben's favorite radio station, was having a free outdoor concert. It was perfect timing! We didn't know the band, but it was just nice to sit outside, enjoy a cold beverage, and hear some great live music. It made me miss living in Seattle A LOT. We then drove down to the Pier and took a nice little walk along the water and ended up at one of the best book stores ever, The Elliot Bay Book Company. Ben and I could have easily spent a whole day there, but we had to keep it short so we could meet some old friends. Saturday we got breakfast with Ben's brothers before we got ready and headed out to his cousin's wedding (the reason for this visit) in Gig Harbor. The wedding was at a beautiful location, had excellent food, awesome pyrotechnics, great music, and as promised was a total love fest. It was great to be there and see all of Ben's family. On Sunday, Ben and I got breakfast with one of my good buddies, Steve-O. Then we walked around Jaunita Beach and did some window shopping before getting ready to come back to Tucson. It was a quick but nice time and I can't wait to go back!

Music That Matters Monday

I've added a new feature to my blog...a playlist player. I love music and going to concerts and festivals, but no one has ever heard of the artists I really enjoy. I thought this might be a good way to share some of the great music I love with all of you! Check out my first "music that matters"....Bon Iver.

Make sure to check out my other links too!

Lake Powell

This last weekend Ben and I drove 10 hours to Lake Powell (It's on the border of Arizona and Utah). One of Ben's good friends from college works in Ogden, and goes on a big house-boating trip each year. This was our second year driving up. The water wasn't as warm as last year, but it was more relaxing and fun and Lake Powell is beautiful. On the second night (we were there three nights) a storm came in and rain poured down on us for about 45 minutes. It was crazy! Here are a few shots from the weekend.

Summer Semester Is OVER!

I'm done with Summer Semester and am now officially on vacation! YAY! Summer Vacation usually lasts about two months, maybe even three when you're a student...NOT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS! But I'm going to make the most of it! I finished my Psychiatric rotation last week and took my final test of the semester early. I'm really hoping I passed, but I won't find out officially until Thursday, so I'm still slightly stressed. I learned a few things with this last rotation of the semester. One thing that I learned was, no matter how crazy I have felt in my life, I have NEVER EVER been crazy. NEVER EVER. So, that was nice to learn. I was also reminded what an integral part Psychology is in all our lives. I picked up this list while hanging out on the Psych ward and thought I would post it for all of you, but mostly for me.

HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF

1. STOP ALL CRITICISM. Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.

2. DON'T SCARE YOURSELF. Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.

3. BE GENTLE AND KIND AND PATIENT. Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved.

4. BE KIND TO YOUR MIND. Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.

5. PRAISE YOURSELF. Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.

6. SUPPORT YOURSELF. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. it is being strong to ask for help when you need it.

7. BE LOVING TO YOUR NEGATIVES. Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So lovingly release the old negative pattern.

8. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercises. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.

9. MIRROR WORK. Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them too. At least once a day say: "I love you, I really love you!"

10. DO IT NOW. Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now and do the best that you can.

I hate USAirways!

I hate USAirways. They suck BIG TIME! They have screwed both me and Ben over several times. When we flew to Europe this last Christmas they lost our bags and it took TWO days to get them. That infuriated me. I mean, it was totally preventable and there I was, stranded in one of the most expensive cities in the world (London, which I happen to love) on my PERIOD with no clean clothes. That pissed me off to no end, but now here I am dealing with their crap AGAIN.

USAirways is based out of Phoenix, we live close to Phoenix, their tickets are cheap, Ben flies with them a lot for business, we've racked up a ton of miles....these are the reasons we usually fly USAirways. I'm starting to think that NONE of these reasons are good enough to put up with this crap. Did you know that they are charging for WATER now!? That's just criminal! I mean, what if you were really, really poor, barely making ends meet and you had just enough to fly to get where you need to go. You can't bring water from home because they might think you're trying to blow up the plane or the airport. You are totally subject to paying the ridiculous fee for water on the plane or at the over-priced store in the airport. It's bullshit. The air on the plane totally dehydrates you. How are you supposed to take care of yourself? I suppose you just have to pay the damn five bucks for water. I thought we lived in a free country, but really we live in a FEE country.

I tried to get over the whole lost luggage debacle, I mean, I was in the greatest city in the world at the time. But now, all those old feelings are coming right back to the surface. When I flew to Salt Lake two weekends ago to visit the Sharps, I had an 11:45 flight. For any of you that have ever flown into Tucson, you know that there is one little security line and one little hallway that leads to the gates. It takes about five minutes from checking-in to walking to the gate. Ben and I never get to the airport more than an hour before our flight. NEVER, and we've never missed our flight. So, on Friday July 18, I was there, attempting to check in at about 11:07 for my 11:45 flight. I couldn't find my information. I stood at the kiosk patiently waiting for the one frazzled employee to assist me. "What the EFF...I got my stupid check-in online email just YESTERDAY, where's my reservation?" "Umm, it looks like we've bumped you to another flight." "WHHAAAAaat are you talking about, bumped me to another flight!?"

Apparently, because they didn't quite have a full flight they decided to re-route certain passengers so they could down-grade their plane size thus saving on fuel. Well that was all fine and dandy, except that they bumped me to an EARLIER flight, a flight that left a 11:27. I was finding all of this out at about 11:15. I was PISSED. I did all I could to get on a flight, but basically ended up waiting at the airport for FIVE hours until I was able to leave. I was so angry. And the best part is that USAirways' complaint/"customer relations" department is only open Monday through Friday 9-5, and they don't want to hear about ANYTHING until you've completed your travel. I was so angry, especially when the sad little employee at the counter AGREED with me about how I totally got screwed over. She gave me two 25 dollar coupons towards my next flight, which of course I have to use separately. ARGGGGHHH!!!

Well, I called the "customer relations" department and told them about my FIVE hour wait on Friday, I was presented with a 75 dollar coupon towards my next flight. And no, I can't combine it with my other coupons I got, and I have to use it to buy tickets over the phone where they charge a 25 dollar booking FEE!!! I am sooo pissed, it makes me want to just never fly anywhere ever, EVER again. I'm not even taking into account all the privacy invasion I had to suffer through in the security line after they switched my ticket, or how I can't bring my freaking toiletries or how I have to pay the stupid checked bag fee and risk not having my bags AT ALL! AHHHH!!!! I could go on forever, but I'm going to stop before I hurt something, like my poor innocent laptop. I guess I just won't be buying the tickets for my high school reunion today. I've got to move to Europe so I can just take the train everywhere.

100 Things About Me

Here is a list of things all about me. I have been working on this list for quite some time. It was very hard to write. It's hard to come up with things about yourself, and I challenge you, my readers and fellow bloggers to come up with a similar list. During these past 10 years of my life a lot of people have come and gone, and I don't necessarily build relationships or friendships easily. This list is an attempt to let you get to know me better. I hope you like it and that you learn something new about me! So, here it is.....

001. I love to travel. Travel shows are an emotional roller coaster for me. I get all excited about where they are and want to go immediately. Then I get all depressed because if I ever get to go, it won't be tomorrow.
002. I would love to live abroad sometime. I really really hope that I get to, even if it's just for a year.
003. Chocolate is my drug of choice.
004. I love lists.
005. I have a tattoo of a blackbird that I drew. I feel like "Blackbird" by the Beatles, is my theme song.
006. My favorite flowers are red roses. I don't care if it's cliche....I think it's cliche to think flowers are cliche.
007. Growing up, I wore a headgear and had a green retainer.
008. I have never broken a bone.
009. I have had two knee surgeries. The first one was when I was 17 and then almost exactly a year later. Neither of these knee injuries were sports related.
010. I have been to 49 out of 50 states. I'll add Alaska to the list eventually, unless I decide that it is just too far North.
011. I have been to 4 Community Colleges. It's taken me awhile to figure out what degree I wanted to get.
012. In December I'll have my Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, but I'm not sure what I want to do when I grow up.
013. I love Volkswagens. I have driven three: a Rabbit, a GTI, and a Cabrio Convertible.
014. I am the oldest child and grandchild in my family. I get blamed for being a bad example, a lot.
015. I have moved 12 times since I moved out of my parents house when I was 18.
016. I tried out for basketball when I was 15. I got cut. I also sprained both my ankles.
017. I bought my first house when I was 23. I was pretty proud of myself.
018. I love the beach. I miss it.
019. I love the rain. I miss it.
020. I love summer in Seattle. I miss it.
021. I know how to sew.
022. I am extremely organized.
023. I can be a total slob, but I always know where everything is!
024. I have a mild case of OCD. The volume has to be on an even number, things have to be eaten a certain way, clothes hung in the closet according to color...etc.
025. I am tall. I am the shortest one in my family.
026. I bruise easily.
027. I love music, especially live music.
028. I was in band for 10 years. I played the flute. I always wished I had played something cooler like the trombone.
029. My all time favorite band is The Beatles. I really love them.
030. I took piano lessons when I was younger and can't wait to buy my own piano someday.
031. My favorite song to play on the piano is "Canon in D."
032. I love Chai Tea Lattes, and Valencia Mochas. I don't really like regular coffee, and it's not because I used to be a Barista.
033. If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life, it would be the Chocolate Raspberry Torte from the B&O in Seattle. It is my favorite of ALL time.
034. I am first aid and CPR certified.
035. I have had 12 jobs since I was 16 and have worked for some major companies, including Starbucks, Gap Inc. and Kinkos, also, the Olive Garden. I hated most of those jobs.
036. I am a perfectionist. If it's not perfect, I will do it again. If I know I can't do it perfectly, I won't do it at all.
037. I buy in bulk. I love Costco.
038. I am addicted to the internet. I can't remember what life was like without it.
039. I was in a play when I was a teenager. I won the Best Actress award.
040. I think I'm hilarious. Not too many people agree with me.
041. When I was a little girl I loved to read, draw, and ride my bike. I never do those things now.
042. I love, LOVE cookies. I relate to Cookie Monster.
043. I pride myself on my excellent handwriting.
044. I can't eat anything spicy. My eyes water, my nose runs, and I feel like I'm going to die.
045. I believe in Karma.
046. I believe in Love. I'm a sucker for love.
047. I have worked hard to give up some very bad habits, including: biting my nails, popping my knuckles, and smoking. I'm working on giving up soap operas.
048. I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled.
049. I almost flunked out of high school, but I didn't because of some very loving people.
050. I tend to start messages with "Yo", call people "Dude" and sign messages with "Later". I hate it when people sign with "Take Care."
051. When I was in kindergarten I wet my pants because I didn't want to miss the story my teacher was reading and I couldn't undo my purple corduroy overalls.
052. I have developed seasonal allergies since moving to Tucson.
053. I'm a Democrat. This fact really bothers my Republican parents and grandparents.
054. I have seen every single episode of Sex and the City multiple times. It's a great show. One of my favorites of all time. If I love a show, I will eventually see every single episode, probably more than once.
055. I rarely wear makeup because I don't like all the attention I get when I do.
056. I rarely do my hair because I don't like all the attention I get when I do.
057. I love to sleep. I love to nap. I can't get enough sleep.
058. I will beat you and everyone you know in Chinese Checkers. I am the master.
059. I am also really good at that game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."
060. I love cold weather, mostly because I love sweaters and sitting by a warm fireplace, ooh and piling on tons of blankets.
061. I can curl my tongue.
062. I love hats but I feel embarrassed wearing them because I feel like I stick out and look ridiculous.
063. I love to sing, especially when I'm driving.
064. I love to whistle. This usually drives others around me crazy.
065. I will clean everything in the whole entire house (I'm talking deep cleaning and organizing) and do all your laundry, if you clean the toilet. I HATE cleaning the toilet more than anything. Ooh and the shower too, can't stand it.
066. I'm an excellent test taker.
067. I like my steak medium rare and grilled by Ben.
068. I can never use cliches or anecdotes because I always butcher the saying.
069. I'm a very forgiving and trusting person, probably to my own detriment.
070. I'm scared of heights...I get sweaty palms just thinking about heights.
071. I'm not that great at cooking (because I never have time to do it), but everything I bake is pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
072. I love to dance, especially at concerts. I usually embarrass everyone around me (Ben), but I don't care because I LOVE to dance.
073. I don't really know how to swim. I just didn't want to do my bobs in swimming lessons.
074. I got picked on a lot in school, for being quiet, for being tall, for being poor, for being really innocent and naive and mostly for having a boy haircut.
075. I'm a pretty emotional person. I cry at everything. I can't help it. I'm a feeler. I'm also a talker.
076. The only pets I've ever had were goldfish and birds. I don't think they really count as pets because you can't pet them.
077. I love camping. Mostly because I love the gear. I love pocket knives, first aid kits, and mess kits, compass's, sleeping bags and tents and waterproof matches. I was raised by boyscouts.
078. I have been boy crazy ever since I can remember knowing what a boy was.
079. I can pick things up with my feet. I have monkey toes.
080. I was born in the year of the monkey.
081. I have a bad back. I was in two accidents where my car was totaled and they totally jacked up my back.
082. I was fifteen when I had my first boyfriend. Our relationship consisted of passing notes and making out in his car. It lasted two, maybe three months tops.
083. I have dyed my hair black, red, and blonde. I wish it were naturally red instead of poop brown.
084. I never drink POP. I hate it when people say Soda.
085. I love Converse and Doc Martens and Birkenstocks. I also love bell bottoms, tie-dye and peace signs, what?
086. When I took the ACT I was totally distracted because I had pulled an all-nighter, I was thinking about how to break up with my boyfriend and I was sick. I still got a higher score than people who thought they were smarter than me....including my siblings. This makes me very happy.
087. I am often misunderstood....they say most geniuses are misunderstood.
088. I'm a pretty open person, maybe too open sometimes. I can scare people with my stories.
089. When I want something, I go for it and don't look back. I can be pretty determined.
090. I'll try anything once. I'm not scared. I have a long list of things I want to try. I can't wait to go skydiving and bungee jumping and to have a baby.
091. I hate clutter. I just can't concentrate or relax with clutter everywhere.
092. I am a sucker for museums. Especially when I'm traveling, I have to go to ALL the museums. This probably started with Marsh's Museum in Long Beach.
093. I hate doing tedious things over and over and OVER again. This is why I'm doing Laser Hair Removal. Also, I don't like being hairy.
094. I like to go all out for special occasions and to spoil people that I love. This is probably why I'll never be a multi-millionaire.
095. I like to make things from scratch and love things that are homemade, as long as they are perfect. I also buy organic whenever possible. Basically, I'm all about quality. Basically, I'm a snob.
096. I'm attracted to talent and intelligence. My boyfriend is a genius and has major skills.
097. I love to swing.
098. My favorite possession is Grandma Tisso's black antique phone. She used to let me play office with it.
099. My Grandpa Chalmer named me Mable Brown.
100. I'm not a writer. I've never kept a journal and I HATE writing papers. This blog isn't easy for me to write. This list was not easy for me to write.

The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch, who died today, was an incredible person and I'm so glad I got to see his lecture online and to see his interviews on t.v. His lecture really inspired me and I hope you will watch it or read it. I love when he said, "I mean I don't know how to not have fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there's no other way to play it." What an amazing outlook!

The Sharpies!

This weekend I took a little trip to Utah to see my friends the Sharps. Paul got married on Saturday and it was a good chance to see the whole (mostly) family at once. For those of you that don't know, I kind of grew up with this family and I love them very much so I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I can't really remember life without the Sharps! I was in classes with all the older girls at church and school up through highschool, where Janae became one of my best friends. It's been about 5 years since I last got to see the Sharps and so much has changed! Almost all the kids are married now so it was really great to meet all their spouses! And my favorite thing was meeting Baby Danielle! I can't believe that Janae's a mom, but I love it! Danielle is totally adorable! It was so great being able to catch up with Janae and I loved being able to talk with Carol, Claire and Linda! I'm so glad I got to meet John, Jeremy, Steve, ooh, and Jen and Steve too! I'm really happy I got to go to Paul's wedding! I can't wait to see you all again!

Procrastination

Most of you know that I am a huge procrastinator. If I don't want to do something that I absolutely HAVE to do, I will put it off until the last minute. This includes studying. Yes, I want to be a nurse, do I actually want to study for my tests? The answer is no. Now, don't freak out....I know my limits. I know when I need to buckle down and when I can get by with the minimal amount of preparation. I'm just a little burned out from this whole school and work thing nearly every single day of my life!

So, this last weekend instead of taking the time to review all my notes, and do some reading in preparation for my test on Monday, I really waited until Sunday evening to prepare. Don't worry, I got a great grade on my test (especially considering how little I studied)! The purpose of this post is not to tell you how well I did on my Nursing test it's to tell you what I did over the weekend while I was busy procrastinating!

I love procrastinating in so many different ways....hitting the snooze button, watching soap operas, surfing the internet, and ordering pizza are my favorites. Sometimes though, when I have a seriously good chunk of time to waste and some important studying to do (hence the need to procrastinate) I like to start projects....or finish old projects.

This weekend I managed to start AND finish a project. It was awesome! I made some throw pillows! I have sewn lots of things in my life and used fabric for many projects, but I have never made pillows before. It took me a little while to get it going, but then I really cranked them out. I made 2 square pillows, a rectangle one, and 2 bolsters. The bolsters were the ones that ate up the majority of my Saturday (I also cleaned and did laundry...another favorite procrastination tactic I love! I know I have homework, but I need to dust!) So, as far as procrastination goes, I think I had a pretty productive weekend! What do you think of my pillows?

Ben's Birthday!

Well, Ben's now officially just as old as me! Did you all know that I'm dating a younger man? It was Ben's 28th birthday yesterday and we had a fun night. We went and got some quick dinner at Bisonwhiches before we went to an old movie at The Loft. They play lots of independent and cult classics and charge just a couple bucks. Ben and I sat in a pretty comfy red couch and saw a pretty horrible movie. It was so horrible that it was hilarious. It was a fun night. I think we're going to go back again for "Mondo Monday." This is the giant birthday "card" I gave Ben. I'm very proud of it!

Happy Independence Day....a day late!

I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July! Mine was pretty good. I started the day off by watching a couple episodes of "The Revolution", a series about the American Revolution on the History Channel. There was a marathon so I DVRed the rest of the episodes to watch later. I turned the t.v. on and it just happened to be on the history channel and I got sucked in to the show.

When I was thirteen my first big trip away from home by myself was the eighth grade trip to Washington D.C. When I was 22, my sister and I went on a giant road trip across the country and I went back again to a lot of historical sights and monuments. I love Mt. Vernon and Jamestown and Williamsburg, and all the monuments in D.C. I hope to go back again sometime. I'm really glad I found this series, because even though I am somewhat interested in history, I don't know a lot of the facts. Before I go back to the east coast, I'm going to have to read up on my American History. I'm also going to add "John Adams," the miniseries to my Netflix queue. I heard it's excellent.

Anyways, Ben and I went over to his old roommate Paul's house around three for a barbeque. Ben made some awesome beer-can chicken and Paul's wife Kendra made maybe the best fruit salad I've ever had. EVER. Seriously, it was good. It was apples, mangoes, mandarin oranges, and strawberries, with torn mint leaves and a rosemary infused simple syrup. I'm going to have to try and make it sometime. Ben and I also brought one of those little seedless watermelons, which was also sooo good. After the BBQ, Ben and I drove towards "A" Mountain to see Tucson's fireworks and Ben took some pretty good shots!

Labor and Delivery

Yesterday was my second OB clinical and I got to see seven births! One was a cesarean and the other were vaginal. I got to work with the "Trans Nurse" who basically comes in at the last minute and works on the baby and transports them either to the nursery or right back to the mom. It was actually pretty fun. We would go into the room just as the Mom was starting to push and as soon as the baby was born the doctor would hand the nurse the baby and we'd start working on it under the warmer. Each time the Trans Nurse would say, "Happy Birthday!" And I thought, "Whoa, that's crazy...it IS their ACTUAL birthday!" We would wipe the baby down, measure and weigh it, put the Erythromycin in it's eyes and I got to give a few of the babies their first shot! I also got to hand some of the babies to their mom for the first time, which was pretty cool.

At some point during my day I took a baby up to the nursery and hung out up there for a little while. I fed and burped and changed a couple babies. I also held one for a little while, while it was sleeping. I can understand why people want to be OB nurses. It just felt good to hold the baby. I didn't think the baby was particularly cute or anything, it just felt happy. Maybe someday if I ever have kids I'd consider working in Labor and Delivery.

If it were always happy births and just holding babies it would be great. But even yesterday, I was freaked out when a little tiny baby was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck FOUR times and because of the meconium had to be intubated. Luckily everything was okay with the baby, but it was scary there for a minute! That particular baby as soon as she pinked up was so perfect and beautiful and her parents named her Guilliana Gabrielle. I thought that was a pretty name.

One thing I learned was the difference between a natural birth and an epidural. Hello, prolapsed rectum! That was pretty much all it took for me to become a believer. That poor mom was actually planning on getting an epidural but got to the hospital too late. The mom's who had an epidural were so much happier and in way less pain. Oh, and also the more babies the mom had already had, the quicker their babies were born....and with rounder heads. All in all it was a pretty educational day.

My Schedule

This is a picture of my Moleskine day planner and this weeks schedule. I love my little Moleskine. It's the thing that keeps me on track. This week was long and hard and I am pooped. Only one more day and I'll get to do it all over again. Yay for me!

The Miracle of Life!

Today I had my clinical on the Labor and Delivery floor of the hospital and got to see something I had never seen before....a birth! Well, actually I got to see three births! The first one was a cesarean and the other two happened the old fashioned way. At 7 am I met up with my first nurse of the day and she was prepping a patient for her c-section. We got all her paper work ready and then wheeled her off to the operating room. I saw the anesthesiologist give the epidural and she even pulled out the catheter a little so I could see the spinal fluid....it was crazy. I can understand why spinal taps hurt so much now. I mean this was a tiny woman about to have her baby and the needle was HUGE.

Things progressed pretty rapidly after that. The doctor and the nurses put up the sterile draping and then started cutting with the scalpel through all the layers...Yucky and kinda cool at the same time. Then all the amniotic fluid gushed out and it was kinda green (from the meconium) and definitely gross. But then the doctor reached in and pulled out the little alien head and suctioned out her nose and mouth and pulled the rest of her out and she cried and it happened! A little tiny person was born right in front of me! It was so...weird. The nurses grabbed her and put her under the warmer and started to wipe her down. I was standing off to the side with this guy from my class and I probably was annoying him because every time something happened I was yanking on his sleeve going "Did you see that!!!" and he was like, um, yeah I'm standing right here or something. I'm not exactly sure what he said because I was too busy freaking out, especially when the doctor took out the mom's uterus to stitch it up. Uh, hello, the doctor was sewing up the mom's uterus OUTSIDE her body! Doesn't anyone else think that is cool?!? The doctor didn't seem to think it was any big deal. He just kept on talking away about his kid's college picks or some random crap. I was thinking to myself how if I were having my child essentially cut out of my body, how I would not want to hear the stupid doctor talking about random crap. I would want the Beatles playing or the Hallelujah chorus or Diana Ross singing "Baby Love" or I'd even pick total silence over this doctor's annoying chatter (maybe Scientologists are on to something).

So, yeah, that's why it was so weird for me. I mean here was THE MIRACLE OF LIFE right in front of me and it was so not a big deal for everyone around. After they tagged the baby and the mom and the dad, they wheeled the baby off to the nursery and I hung around with the mom. My nurse and I eventually (when she was all sewn up) took the mom off to the recovery room and got her all cleaned up and ready for her to see the baby and try to feed her. Um, yeah, another weird experience--watching a complete stranger attempt to breast feed her hour old baby. HELLO UNCOMFORTABLE! Not that watching someone I knew would have been better, but whatever, I pretended to be okay. So, after that I did some more paper work with that nurse and she took me to go look at the placenta, which they saved especially for me to look at. ICK!!! Anyone ever see the Matrix? Yeah, that was my first thought. Anyways, that was the first half of my day.

I ran off to get some quick lunch before I got to see another wonderful event (sarcasm implied)....CIRCUMCISION. That's right! I got to see a day old baby boy get circumcised. Yeah, this is going to have to be a topic for a later post because I have a lot to say about that one.

Anyway, after the circumcision, I met up with my second nurse of the day who was with a first time mom in the delivery room. We were monitoring her and recording things every fifteen minutes. Once this particular mother got her epidural she was pretty hilarious. She had friends and family in and out and we were all just chilling. She was only progressing about a centimeter an hour, which I'm told is normal, especially for a first time mom. Because not much was happening with this mom, my nurse snuck me in to see a couple of her neighbors pop out their kids.

I walked in the next room just as this mom was putting her legs up. HELL-O. I'm sure the look on my face was just priceless. I am a face maker. I can't help it. I think it's in my genes or something (thanks Grandma Caroline). I couldn't NOT cringe. First of all, there were like TWENTY people in the room staring at this poor woman's special place...including her dad and FATHER IN LAW. NO THANK YOU!! Second of all....OUCH! I could feel my face twisting up. I was thinking to myself..."AHHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!" I was totally crossing my legs even though I was standing up. This was not good. Everytime the mom pushed things started to stretch out a little and then she stopped pushing and things went back up a little. Man, this was painful...and I was just watching, literally with one eye open. Eventually the baby came out and the dad cut the umbilical cord and the nurse took the baby and wiped it down and it was cute. It even had some weird little toes which totally came from it's dad....(yeah, hi, I will never be wearing FLIP FLOPS in a delivery room--MAJOR GROSS).

I went back to hang out with my nurse and my patient was only dilated to a six and when I walked into the room a new friend was there and was like, "Oh good! The doctor's here!" Which made me laugh right out loud. Even though, I totally could have done what that guy just did in the other room....except for the whole staring into someone's crotch. Okay, nevermind I couldn't have done it. Whatever, it just goes to show you what wearing scrubs can do for you!

At this point, another lady was about to start pushing down the hall, so I went off to see my third birth of the day. And it made me think of an episode of FRIENDS. You know the one where Rachel is having Ross's baby and all the mom's that come in after her have their babies before her?!! You know the one I'm talking about, right???!! So, I left my patient again and snuck into another delivery room. This mom was a second time mom and in a matter of minutes the babies' head was out. And it was HUGE. Yes, I had the face AGAIN! I couldn't help it!! In fact, I can't not do it now, just writing this! The doctor had to do some wiggling because the shoulders wouldn't come out. OWW!! But then it did come out and the crowd in this room all cheered! Which was pretty cool, I'll admit. After my experiences today, I have decided that I will not be an OB or L&D nurse. Sure, everyone thinks being an OB nurse would be so much fun. Hanging out with the new moms, taking care of the little babies, being surrounded by all the excitement and happiness and love. But no one ever thinks about what a mom will push out along with the baby or the fact that you have to WATCH it all happen. Yeah, this is definately not for me. Oh and by the way, I love you all, but if I ever get the chance to have my own babies, NONE of you are invited to watch. Sorry.

Here is a picture related to my day....notice the face I'm making in this picture! HA!

I love the Discovery Channel!

Most of you already know that I love t.v., but I just wanted to let everyone know that I love the Discovery Channel. Ok, so Ben loves the discovery channel, and because I love Ben I have learned to love it too. It might have been hard at first, (I mean seriously, what girl can handle watching every single episode of Deadliest Catch!!!) but now it's not hard at all. I guess I just wasn't used to actually using my brain while watching t.v. Don't get me wrong, most of my t.v. watching pleasure is totally related to turning my brain off (see previous mention of daytime drama obsession below), but I have found, thanks to Ben and the Discovery channel, how great t.v. can be when you actually leave your brain on. It's been my own Discovery. HA, I'm hilarious. Anyways, if you ever get the chance check out some of the awesome shows on the Discovery Channel! One of my favorites is Cash Cab, and Ben likes, I'm sorry LOVES Mythbusters. The best of the Discovery Channel is when they do their special series. You may have heard of Planet Earth....if not, it is a must see. I loved it! Today (the reason for this post) they were showing a marathon of the special series "When We Left Earth: The Nasa Missions". I didn't watch all of it, like Ben did, but man the stuff I did see was very interesting. I actually feel bad for making fun of the "NASA show" now, because they have done some pretty amazing things! And also because I want to be an astronaut now. Anyways, check out the Discovery Channel some time. It's awesome!

June 20th

Yesterday was my birthday. Now I'm 28. Yay. I was dreading yesterday and even did a little countdown to say goodbye to 27 all week. It wasn't so bad I guess. I got to sleep in until 8:45 which was nice. At 10:00, I went to the dentist. Yea, I know, who goes to the dentist on their birthday!! I just got dental insurance for the first time ever and it was the first available appointment. It wasn't anything painful because it was just the first appointment and I'm happy to have a dentist! When I was filling out some paper work I accidentally dated a form 6/20/80. Oops! After that I ran some errands and tried to ignore the fact that it was 200 degrees outside. I went to the craft store and fabric store and got some supplies. When I have some more free time, I'm going to make some throw pillows and a jewelry box. Since I was close by, I stopped by Costco and picked up a chocolate cake and roses to try and trick myself in to liking my birthday. When I got home I did some cleaning and laundry and caught up on some General Hospital which made me feel very productive. I made dinner for me and Ben and it was pretty good! We had Caesar salad and I made this great recipe from Everyday Food. It was really simple and good! And then we had the chocolate cake from Costco that was super delicious. So all in all it was a pretty good birthday. The best part though, was my birthday present from Ben. After dinner he gave me these really great earrings from Etsy. They are long dragonfly wings cut out of stainless steel that move. They are so unique and beautiful. I love them and was totally surprised! I also got some cards, emails, and phone calls wishing me a Happy Birthday which made me feel very loved! So thank you everyone! I had a really good birthday, even if I'm 28.

Oh and also, Ben told me that June 20 is the happiest day of the year! Get this: A British Researcher using a series of calculations, added together all of the factors that improve our lives, like time spent out doors, increased socialization, recurrence of childhood memories, and anticipation of pending vacations, and decided that June 20th was going to be the happiest day of 2008. I thought this was pretty hilarious! Usually I hate my birthday, but it was a pretty good day, so maybe that guy's research was right!

A to Z getting to know me!

A-Attached or Single? I am attached to Ben....yes he's a lucky guy.
B-Best Friend? Probably Ben, he's always there when I need him!
C-Cake or pie? Chocolate Raspberry Torte and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
D-Day of choice? Sunday, the only day that I don't have to do anything if I don't want to.
E-Essential Item? Besides my computer, I can't live without my little black moleskine day planner...um, I also can't leave the house without earrings on.
F-Favorite color? It depends, to wear: black, to decorate with: red, to paint my nails: dark red, to see out the window: green as in trees, and blue as in water.
G-Gummy bears or worms? neither, I'm trying to stay away from things made entirely of sugar.
H-Home town? I guess Vancouver, even though it feels less like home every time I go back.....I tend to tell strangers I'm from Seattle though.
I-Favorite indulgence? ABC daytime and cookies and milk.
J-January or July? January in London, July in Seattle, it's all about location.
K-Kids? are great but I don't have any of my own, but you all know that.
L-Life isn't complete without: VACATION TIME!
M-Marriage date? I don't currently have one scheduled.
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 2 of each, see the picture on the right.
O-Oranges or Apples? are fine, but I usually eat Bananas. Um, Apples to Apples is an excellent game!
P-Phobias? I get sweaty palms at high altitudes...I'm also freaked out by germs.
Q-Quote? I tend to not use quotes.....here's an okay one: "Get busy living, or get busy dying." -The Shawshank Redemption
R-Reasons to smile? I smile a lot...mostly at Ben because he's hilarious and hot.
S-Season of choice? I don't really have a favorite...they're all great for different reasons.
T-Talents: I've got many skills, yo! I have the best handwriting EVER. Seriously.
U-Unknown fact about me? I'm extremely organized and a perfectionist....I can't think of anything that you wouldn't know.
V-Vegetable? Broccoli and Spinach are good. I also enjoy asparagus, ooh and potatoes.
W-Worst habit? Procrastination is probably the worst one and contributes to all the others.
X-X-ray or Ultrasound? I've never had either.....ultrasounds are less invasive though.
Y-Your favorite food? I love me some pepperoni pizza with tomatoes on top...or chocolate.
Z-Zodiac sign: Gemini, but I'm on the cusp, I think I act like a Cancer too.

VANCOUVER, WA

I went home to Vancouver for Tandy's funeral. It was a sad sad experience. I went to a memorial service at church on Thursday and then on Friday to the grave site dedication. I saw and met all of her extended family and talked to her teenage boys. It was really hard because all I wanted to do was talk to her and see her. She was always such a presence in my life and I just can't believe she's gone.

Vancouver is completely weird now. It's not anything like it was when I lived there, and most of the people I cared about are gone. I drove around for a few hours on Sunday exploring. Here are some shots of old familiar places. I spoke to the current owner of the old Sharp house. He laughed when I told him there used to be a pink door.



I made my way to good old Pleasant Valley, where I was stopped by three different teachers and had to explain who I was and why I was walking around taking pictures. They were convinced I was casing the joint since two classrooms had been broken into just this weekend.



I then stopped off at Prairie where I ran in to my old friend Al Aldridge. There was a basketball tourney happening. He said, "of course I remember you! I always remember the good ones." It was nice of him to say even if it wasn't true.



My last stop was Tandy's house. I used to go by her house whenever I was in town and we'd sit out on her porch swing forever and talk. I'm going to miss her.

Tandy Jane

My friend Tandy died yesterday. She was an amazing person and I loved her very much. There is no way for me to fully express how much Tandy affected my life. I will miss her and love her always.This is something that she once gave to me after someone else that I loved died......

"Don't be afraid, oh my love,

I'll be watching you from above.
And I'd give all the world tonight to be with you
'Cause I'm on your side, and I still care.
I may have died, but I've gone nowhere
Just think of me, and I'll be there."