I Was in a Syringe

Now I'm in you. (Name the movie?)

Again, apologies, to all my many fans out there for my prolonged absence. I've been in hibernation. Seriously, I have done very little of actual substance in the last one and a half weeks. It has been fantastic! As a result, I've almost completely cut myself off from all forms of communication - blog or otherwise. But I'm back!

Highlights:

1. Vegas: originally, I was going to write a review of all the casinos I saw (casinoes?). Now, I'll just say that I stayed at the Flamingo Hotel and that Paris was my favorite. Vegas was fun and tiring. I gambled a little, lost about $20 total, all on slots (mostly penny). I did earn twenty dollars, though, taking a survey about faucets. Seriously. Danced with Kristin on the bar at Coyote Ugly, cause you just gotta do that (even sober). All said and done, I prefer New York, but I wouldn't say no to another Vegas Vacation. In a couple of years. Oh, the Bellagio fountain thingy rocks.

2. Flu: Arrival back in Winston, I promptly developed a stomach flu, and missed two days of my Family Practice rotation. Yuck, yuck, yuck. My least favorite thing in the world (next to onions and war) is throwing up.

3. Plane ticket oops: Shortly after contacting the people at my rotation to tell them I was sick, I realized that I'd booked my tickets home for Friday afternoon instead of Saturday. Friday afternoon was out test. Yeah. Anyway, I felt like a royal idiot, but it all worked out. And I got to go home a day early! Yay!

4. FOPA: Focused Observed Patient Assessment - our Friday morning test. We were to work on our communication skills, and get graded on that, as well as our basic skills. I flipped out during my patient interview, and completely forgot to ask the things I'd learned about during our FIRST year of school. But I got a 24/25 on the communication. Hmm. Well, at least I learned something.

5. PORTLAND: I heart Portland. No problems on the flight back home. I think my Vegas plane adventure guaranteed that. HOWever, they are calling for snow in Portland on Saturday/Sunday. I leave on Sunday. Portland doesn't do snow well.

6. Lots of sitting around, staring at the wall. Occasional reading, crocheting, playing with dogs and piano playing.

7. Spanglish with me muther. Sehr gut.

8. Christmas party at Elizabeth's. Had fun, but I was still in hibernation mode at that point, so I wasn't terribly sociable or witty.

9. Christmas Eve traditions: church, dining room dinner, open one present, 'go to bed' at ten so 'Santa' can come (the youngest person in the house is 19, but Santa still comes), sneak back downstairs at midnight to play Santa to parents, sleep.

10. Christmas Day traditions: wake up first (after Dad), awaken sisters with dogs, look at stockings (trying to not see what our sisters got, because we all get the same things and want to be surprised), shower, Christmas morning breakfast, help clean dishes (I think my mom gets more help with dishes on this day than any other), open presents. There are five of us, we go one at a time, starting with Lindsay, the youngest. It takes HOURS, but it is fantastic. Opening presents at our house is truly an event. Then we eat and watch movies or whatever.

11. December 26th: Day after Christmas shopping mit Schwestern. I always buy more than they do. Got some goodie-good stuff this year.

12. A Very Long Engagement with Lindsay. Muy bien.

13. New glasses, new haircut (hadn't been cut since March 20th - "THAT" day)

14. Removal of Christmas decorations, and preparation for their removal to new farmstead. My parents call it the 'farm.' I'm going to call it the farmstead. My dad is having a large workshop built, which has these really big doors. I'm pulling for the installation of a large piece of plastic that will make a mooing sound when the doors open. I don't think my dad is really going for that, though.

15. Write blog, during which I get side-tracked by many numerous things on the internet, which was another thing I was avoiding during my hibernation.


I'm sleepy now. But I wrote! Are you proud? :) Happy last few days of 2004 to you all!

Oh, yeah:

16. Tentatively choosing neurology as my career path. Discouraged, however, by lack of neurology residency positions, and complicatedness of residency application process (NEMP vs. NRMP vs. Both; ERAS and SF match... confusing!)

Now all that happy last few days stuff.

Here's to a New Years celebration that meets all your expectations. I'm staying home and watching movies. Hallelujah!