August
August 28, 1998
After my productiveness of yesterday, today was imminently more relaxed. Kev got into town around 1 last night, so I never got around to publishing yesterday's entry...sorry to leave ya hanging ;) Anyways, he got here safe, and I have to say that it is ever so much nicer when he is here. I had class for most of the day today, as ususal. After I got home we hung out for a while and played on the internet. We ordered Chinese food, decided that what we ordered wasn't enough and ordered more. Byt the time it got here we weren't hungry, so we ended up taking a nap on the couch instead. It was wonderfully relaxing, and Kev is still sleeping as I type (surprise, surprise.) :) Anyways, once again I feel that I will probably neglect the journal, at least for tomorrow. We've got a big day of college football (FINALLY!) and errands and Charlotte's dinner party tomorrow. So, with that, I must be off....catch ya later!
August 27, 1998
I was extremely, overly, exhaustingly productive today. So productive, in fact, that I probably won't get this entry published until tommorow. Sorry to all 3 of you who happen to read this, but I know you understand :) Anyways like I was saying, I got a hell of a lot done today. I had all afternoon off from class, and I set on my way after lunch to perform a myriad of petty errands. I discovered that of all million and a half banks in this city, mine is the very hardest to find. Let me explain. For some God awful reason unbeknownst to me, banks here close at 4:00. Seems damn ridiculous, but hey, this IS Miami, right? So anyways, I get to the bank a little after 4, and I need to make a deposit. The bank is closed, but hey, there is an ATM right outside, so I can just do my deposit there, right? WRONG! The stupid thing is being serviced...but the screen says, that it will be operational again in "a few minutes." I can hear people working behind it, so I decide to hang out for a few minutes, since I have no idea where to find another branch of my bank. The people working on the ATM must have sensed my presence, because right befor my very eyes, the message changes from "will be ready in a few minutes" to "try one of our other locations!" Great, just fantastic...I had wasted about 5 minutes standing outside of the bank like an idiot, all for naught. I had to get that deposit in, so I steeled myself for a search. I set off for some of the more populated thoroughfares. I found, and I am not kidding, 15 banks, 8 Burger Kings, Publix, Winn Dixie, Eckerd's, Walgreen's, Office Depot, a mall, 18 restaurants, more gas stations than I could count, and 2 liquor stores (woo hoo!) Through all of this I still hadn't found the bank I was looking for. I began to get into a residential area, so I doubled back, halfway lost, and almost got killed by attempting to go the wrong way down a one way street. It had been well over an hour, and I was about to go back to the first bank to see if the damn ATM was fixed yet when...I saw it! In my jubilation, I almost got into a lane that was already occcupied by a car. I finally got over and, tires squealing, pulled right into the parking lot. I guess you are wondering the point to this long meandering story. I guess the point (besides that Burger King is a popular place around here) is this , living in Miami (perhaps in any city for that matter) is a big hassle. Life is more difficult than it needs to be; it is often a long drawn out process just to perform the simplest of routine errands. The city ain't all it has cracked up to be...oh, and if you must live here...get to your bank before 4 or have your branch office give you a location map!
August 26, 1998
Well, you can tell that school is back in session at the old U of M. The gym was an utter madhouse today! It was extremely annoying. All of the students coming back to school, bound and determined to go to the gym all the time...until the beer and the books start adding up, that is. I hope that all of these newbies start slacking off soon; I hate working out in crowded gyms, and finding parking? An even bigger pain in the ass! It was great to finally work out again today, but something most unpleasant happened. I must ask for a moment of silence in memory of my trusty walkman, who up and died for good this afternoon. I had replaced the batteries, but all of the buttons for the tape player got out of whack. I almost couldn't get my new mix tape out (the horror!) I think it is safe to say that my walkman has played it's last tape. It was old anyways, more than 8 years, I think. So, yippee, I have another thing to add on to my "to do" list...buy a new walkman!!! Today was nice otherwise. I didn't get everything I wanted to get done this morning because I was on the phone late last night with Kev. I could not get back to sleep for the longest time after we talked, so I ended up sleeping in this morning. No big deal. I have all of tomorrow afternoon off, so I can get my stuff done then. My preceptor was really nice today. She is a Hematologist/Oncologist, and you can tell that she is one smart lady and a wonderful doctor. Her patients seem to just love her. It was a good session, and the office where I go is so close to my place. Very nice. Anyways, I do have a lot of petty little things to do around the house tonight, so I'd better get cracking. I'm not certain, but I think Kev comes in tomorrow night. I can't wait to see him! :)
August 25, 1998
I can't believe that so much has transpired in school, and it is still only AUGUST!!! We got our detailed schedules for the rest of the semester today. I guess it really made me appreciate that we have, in actuality, not even scratched the surface of this semester! And here I've been, bitching and complaining. It is only gonna get worse...get me through this year!!! By the way, you know that you have an anal retentive class when your class average on a mid-term is a 93! Good Lord...where am I? Oh, I forgot, I'm in med school. It ain't undergrad, that is for damn sure! I don't know where all of this school tirade came from. I guess it has just been another long day, and I'm bitter because I had a microscpoe session until 5, so I could not get to the gym again today! Frustrating! I can feel myself getting fatter as I sit here! I'll still do hand weights and crunches tonight, though. I need to get something accomplished! I might even do some cleaning tonight, my place gets messy so fast! Tomorrow should be an easy day. I only have one class, and then I have preceptor. I guess I'll get this lease renewal mess straightened out tomorrow as well. My work is never done! I guess that's life. I know that I do a lot of complaining, but really there are no worries here. I always end up just fine!
August 24, 1998
What a day this has been. Let's suffice it to say that I pulled somewhat of the proverbial all nighter studying for this test (with no caffiene, may I add!) I slept a couple hours, and then I'd study a couple hours. I think that I worried myself sick this morning...that wasn't fun. The test was ok...it was harder than the last test, but I think that I did alright. It was just a really long day today. We had class immediately following the test; I went to the first hour, but my mind was completely useless. I left during the second hour of class to take a long lunch, and to get some errands run. I got into a big deal headache about renewing my lease with one of the most unprofessional people I have ever seen. She kept me waiting while she called to check her bank balance, of all things! Then, to top it all off, after I've been after these people for a month about renewing my lease, she finds that she has nothing in her records about it. However, if I want to renew, it is going to be a $20 a month rent increase! Needless to say, I had extreme problems with this. I got really upset, and this horrid woman asks me if I am PMS-ing!! The nerve! I understand that I may appear young, and I am definitely younger than she. Nevertheless, I believe that I should be treated with the same professional courtesy as any other client. I really got up-in-arms about this whole thing, and the bad part is that I couldn't finish it up because I had to get to class. She swore up and down she would try to take care of me...yeah, sure, I'm holding my breath. Class was class...long and exhausting. I just had no motivation to make it to the gym today. I think I really just needed to veg out for a while. So, I got home, lounged around on my couch, and napped a little. I even got a nice, unexpected call from Kev. I am so glad that I was home to get to talk to him! I feel a lot better, so now I am in the midst of making plans for tonight. So, I guess it is time that I get myself together...I would hate to scare all of the people out of the Grove tonight!
August 23, 1998
What can I say? This weekend was beautiful, wonderful, and fantastic. Flowers, owls, and matching pj's...not to mention everything in between. I'm so in love, it's lucky that I can even see straight sometimes. If I get started, I may just ramble for hours. Unfortunately, I have no time for that, as I have an Immunology test tomorrow to which I must devote my undivided attention. At least for the next 8 hours! I'm not too concerned; I think that I will do just fine. Besides you only live once, right? I want to go out with no regrets! They're saying that a hurricane may be pushing up this way...maybe it will get here in time to postpone my test!
August 20, 1998
Note to self: Never, ever, ever go to the gym without extra batteries for the walkman again! It was just horrible. My walkman up and died on me about 15 minutes into my workout. I know it seems a little strange, but when the batteries are low on my walkman, the tape player won't work while the radio will. I was faced with a serious dilemma. Either have NO music for the next 45 minutes, or struggle to find a decent non-Latino, non-rap, non-techno, non-Hanson/Brandy channel. Miami radio sucks worse than Miami traffic does. There used to be a really great station here last year, but it sold out and reformatted to "lite" radio. Since that choice was the most palatable, I went with that. It just wasn't the same as my mix tape though, and that made me sad. Nevertheless I got through it, and I even made it back to my place in one piece. I had my Pathology mid term this morning...can you believe it? A mid-term in AUGUST? Actually, I think that I did fairly well. It was a fair test, even though it was three hours long! After my test, I had the whole afternoon off. So, when I got back here, and I started cleaning up my place...it tends to go to hell when I'm studying. Wouldn't ya know it, Harry shows up on my doorstep again. He's really got to stop doing that, especially when my place is a pit. Anyways, he needed a place to hang out and do his genogram for class, so I guess my kitchen table was as good as any. I power cleaned while he did work. After he left, I played around on line for a while, and chatted a bit with my friend from high school, Leslie. Then it was off to the gym, and I've already gone through all of that once. So now I have the remainder of my evening to plan out. I have an Immunology test on Monday, and if I was really industrious I would study for that tonight. However, I highly doubt that my brain could process any of that information if I even tried. So who knows? Maybe I'll get off line so the people that have been repeatedly calling and kicking me off can get through...maybe they have a good idea about what to do tonight! I might not get back to the journal for a couple of days because I'm going to see Kev this weekend...so you know, I'll be, um, busy. hee hee hee :) I can't wait till tomorrow!
August 19, 1998
"Now I lay me down to study..." I'm sure that you've heard that poem at some time or another. Unfortunately, that is what I must do tonight! My Pathology test is bright and early tomorrow morning, so it is down to the wire as far as studying goes! I even dreamed about Pathology last night...talk about scary! Actually it happens a lot when I've been studying a subject for a while. Last year, right before a biochem test, I dreamed that I got hit with a truck full of collagen! I really need to start keeping a dream journal. Then I could figure out just how screwed I really am! I talked with Kev for a while last night, and that was wonderful, as usual. I had a real hard time getting to sleep after we got off the phone though...it tends to happen that way from time to time. The bad thing about that is I'm kind of tired right now, and I'll just bet that I could sleep if I tried. That just won't do at all! I have 20 more minutes of free time, and then I am in for the long haul. I will read until I can recite this stuff backwards and forwards. As much as I hate to, I must rip myself away from the keyboard and dive head first into Pathology land. Wish me luck!
August 18, 1998
I realize that anyone who reads this must know how terribly mundane my life can be, and I'm afraid that today was no exception. However, I have to admit that people in my class really got to me today. We have a Pathology test in 2 days. For all practical purposes, although it will be comprehensive, it is not going to be earth shatteringly difficult. Just try telling that to my class full of gunners. I've never been stressed out by the level of stress around me faster than I was today. We had a gross organ REVIEW, that is all that it was, a review...and people were treating it like it was an honest to God real test. I just don't understand these people. Life is too short to live for grades like they do. Knowing the material well is only part of being a good doctor, and it is something that will come with practice anyway. What will happen when the people who have spent the bulk of their lives behind the sheild of a textbook have to get out into the world and start living...actually interacting with real (non academic) people? I don't know, but it worries me. There is no need to be so competitive...we are here, we made it to med school...less than 1% of the population makes it this far, so calm down already. Enough is enough. Sorry for the little tirade, but I feel strongly about this (if ya couldn't tell!) I actually did a fair amount of studying today. Josh and I did the organ review, and we only missed about 5-6 out of 59. Not shabby considering this is the first time we looked at the organs since we had them in lab! Then we did picture books, and that was good too. I'll try to get through all of my notes twice tonight, and the objectives at least once. Sounds like a good plan, huh? Another thing that happened today was that Harry actually was in town. He arrived, unannounced, on my doorstep around noon today. That sucked because my place is a mess right now, and that was embarassing. I hate to have my friends think that I live like a pig...even if I do sometimes! He says that he is not staying in Miami for school. Instead he is going to commute. That really upsets me, and I think it's kind of pointless. There is nothing I can do about it though. I guess that I don't know what I'd do if I were in his shoes, but all of his friends want him here. I think he should give it a chance. Oh well, what can ya do? My workout got cut a little short today. I did the bike for 45 minutes instead of an hour like normal, and I went to use the Gauntlet for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, all of the Gauntlets were tied up, and the people had like 15 and 13 minutes left. I didn't feel like waiting around to do 20 minutes of exercise, so I just left. I should probably be ok. Just doing 45 minutes of cardio instead of an hour won't kill me for one day I suppose! (Now watch me have gained 2 pounds between today and tomorrow!) Geez, have I been long-winded today or what? I think it is just because I don't want to study. In a perfect world...I wouldn't have to study. I'd have a photographic memory...now wouldn't that be nice?
August 17, 1998
Considering the way today started off, it really did turn out to be a wonderful Monday! I had my microscope session at 8:00 this morning. Since I was fully aware of this, I set my alarm for early this morning. Unfortunately, sometime during the night, I guess the power went out because I woke up at 7:59 (by my watch.) It's really nice to know that I still can get ready in 5 minutes flat! I hurried to class, praying all the way that something happened to make the session start late, and, lo and behold, it did! Our instructor for today had forgotten he had the session to teach, so he was late too! So that worked out exteremely well for me! After that I was such a good study girl; I went and studied pictures for Pathology for about an hour and a half. Then it was on to Immunology, too exciting. Then I made the best lunch omlette out of the leftover fajita fixings from last night...wonderful. Pathology class was pretty good, and the medical examiner presentation today was really disturbing, but fascinating. My new mix tape made me simply fly through my workout, and traffic was very light today for some reason. I am truly blessed today! The only damper came when I talked to my Dad today. Apparently he is planning on coming to visit next weekend, which would be fine, except that I'm going to see Kevin for the first time in a while that very same weekend. I told Dad this, so he said that we'll probably just have dinner or something, but I could tell he was a little disappointed. I feel bad, but if I don't get to see Kevin soon, I'm going to go insane. There is no way I could postpone seeing him; I don't even want to try. It will be hard enough just suffering through dinner, waiting to be alone with him! Oh well, things ususally have a way of working themselves out, so hopefully this will all resolve itself. As much as I hate to stop rambling, I really should get going. I will study tonight, I will study tonight...I MUST study tonight! :0P
August 16, 1998
It is amazing how productive I can be when I actually try! I was very busy today, but I got a lot done. I woke up around 9 and finished up some cleaning that I didn't do yesterday. Then my computer freaked out on me, so I fiddled with that for a long, long time. It still says that there is some kind of problem with the registry, no matter how many times I restart or do everything that I am supposed to do. Although the window keeps popping up, I can still use my computer like I always have, so I'm going to ignore it for now. If I have to, I'll run the program recovery CD, but that would suck because I'd lose all of the applications I've put on it. This means that I would have to start all over from scratch, not something that I have time to do at the moment! After I got that squared away, I made lunch and finished up the rest of my mix tape (it is so awesome!) I was pleasantly surprised when Kev called this morning; he is such a doll. It is 7 months for us today...unbelieveable. So Kev managed once again to put a smile on my face, which has remained there for the rest of the day! I went to our Pathology review, which was helpful. It actually made me get motivated to study. I went to the gym and tried out my new tape...I love it! Now, here I sit, typing the chronicles of my oh so exciting days for all 2 people that read them. I have so much fun doing these entries though! As usual, my stomach is dictating my actions at this time of the day, so I must go agonize over the contents of my refrigerator. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Back to the Present
Email: owlfive@hotmail.com
