Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Trying to keep up!

I am going to quit promising to post more often. I just can't seem to stay on top of it! I only have a few minutes each day to "play" on the internet, and I spend that time catching up with everyone else's blogs, and I don't ever get around to updating mine.

Anyway, school is moving right along. My first term as a dental student will officially be over November 21. My class president has worked with our professors and actually gotten everything moved up so that we have all of Thanksgiving week off, so I am looking forward to that!!! I am enjoying school a lot, but a break is much needed right now. I am enjoying Operative Dentistry especially. I get to play with all my toys, and practice doing procedures on mannequins! As far as grades, I already know that I have a B in histology. There is a good chance I will have an A in Biochemistry, as long as I can do well on the final, which shouldn't be a problem. My other classes do not end this quarter, so I will not have grades for those classes until the spring. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a little hard for me to get used to not having all A's or being nearly top in my class. Dental school has really taught me that being average is just fine. I have decided that I will do the best I can while still having a life. I am spending time with my husband, family and friends because I will never get this four years back and I want to enjoy it! Luckily, my husband doesn't mind having an "average" dental student for a wife! ;)

I am SO looking forward to the holidays. I am a BIG fool for this time of year. I have already been burning my holiday scented candles. I love Yankee Candles Autumn Wreath and Harvest (and Mistletoe for Christmas). We are going to be spending Thanksgiving with my family most likely, and visting my husband's family over that weekend. Then, back to school for three weeks and then out for Christmas! I am decorating my house the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving, so I will have time to really enjoy it. See, I told you I was crazy about the holidays. We bought some of the old-fashioned, big ceramic lights (in red and green) to put outside along our front porch railing. I am really excited because we just bought this house in April, so this will be the first time I have decorated it.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. I have been keeping up with all of you. Crystal, Jenny, and Renee, Addison, Chloe and Mia are GORGEOUS! I love seeing the pics. Renee, congratulations on your raise! That's really something! Rusti, I always know you will have an interesting post, you never let me down. And Brittny, glad you are enjoying the weather right now, and I know you are looking forward to coming back to the States soon on your trip. Are you planning your usual trip to the Cheesecake Factory?

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Hi!

I haven't updated in awhile (a long while!!) but needless to say, I have been extremely busy! School is going well (A's and B's), but I have to say that the most difficult thing is proving to be time management and being TIRED! I really love school, though, and I am enjoying my classes.

This is going to be a short post, as I have a test coming up. I hope everyone is doing well! I am going to spend the next few minutes checking up on all of you, and hopefully I can post again in a day or two.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Guess who made an A on her first test!

Well, the studying must have paid off, because I made an A on my first test! (Biochemistry). The girls I mentioned in my last post and I all met at one of their apartments on Friday afternoon to study. We made lasagna and salad, and had garlic bread with it. Also, my birthday was Thursday (I turned 29) and another girl's birthday was on Tuesday, so we had a WONDERFUL chocolate cake. We studied that night and then we all met at my house on Saturday. We got a lot of studying done, and two of the girls even spent the night (husband wasn't home this weekend).

I am really enjoying dental school so far, but I am so BUSY!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

One Week Done

Hi! My first official week of dental school was completed Friday afternoon at 2:30. This week has been very hard, but very fun. I am slowly getting to know my classmates, and have a group of girls I have gotten to be good friends with. One of them is carpooling with me, so that is a big help not only with gas, but it is also nice to have someone to make the 20 mile one-way trip with!

The instructors started every class off with a full day of notes (which I expected), so I have had quite a lot of work to do this week at home. I can already see what is going to be my hardest task--time management! Cooking dinner (and eating it) really cut into the time I could have been studying, but at least it was time I got to spend with my husband. I think this weekend I am going to go ahead and try to prepare some spaghetti and a casserole that my husband can reheat so that we can eat as soon as I get home. That way I can eat and then get started straight away on the studying so that I am not falling asleep while trying to read!

This weekend will be spent mostly studying, but I am planning on trying to reserve most of Sunday for just spending time with my husband, so we will see how that works. We are planning on meeting my carpool buddy and her husband for dinner tomorrow. Mexican, yum!

Hope everyone has had a great week! I hope as I get more used to my schedule I will get to post more than once a week.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Busy

Hi, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I have been so busy! I had school orientation on Wednesday. It was 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., then we had a reception afterwards given by a local bank. It was a lot of fun, and it was a good time to begin to get to know some of my classmates, who I will be spending the next four years with!

Yesterday (Thursday) we had to get our dental kits checked in. That is all of the instruments and tools we will be using in lab for the next year (and four years after that). I was completely shocked at how much there was! It took us over four hours to go through the list. It was fun and exciting to see everything, but also a little intimidating to know I will be expected to know the name of every instrument, its use, and how to use it!

We had the rest of the afternoon off, and I was exhausted! Getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going all day and just being anxious really took it out of me, I guess. So this morning, my husband and I slept in, which was nice, and we are going to run a few errands and just enjoy the last few days before I start classes on Monday. My schedule is four classes and one lab. I will be at school 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday classes are over at noon, but the school reserves that afternoon for any meetings or other things that need to be done, so I will not always actually have that afternoon free. Fridays classes are over at 3:00 p.m., so that is nice. Of course, I will be spending extra time at the lab outside of class time, I am sure.

My husband is finally doing better from his rash. I know it is hard to believe, but he had the measles. Evidently he is one of the small percentage of people for whom the vaccination does not work. He is finally better, but he was pretty sick. He is doing great in his classes, and is really enjoying them.

I hope all of you are doing great. I have been keeping up with you, I just haven't been posting any comments, since I have been so stretched for time.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Weekend-Not So Good

Well, we left on Thursday morning and headed to my grandparents. My husband had developed an unexplained rash on the previous Saturday. By Thursday, he was pretty bad off; the itching was severe enough to keep him up at night. He had gotten a prescription from his Dad (a physician) on Wednesday night, so we were hoping he would gradually improve. He didn't. By Friday morning, he was very sick (running a fever, etc.) and of course, I can't talk him into going to the doctor. (Is this a man thing, or just a my husband thing?) He is too sick to continue the trip, so we head home, which is four hours away. There were several traffic hang-ups, so it took us more like six hours, but we finally made it home. He got worse the next day (Saturday), but has been improving since then. Actually, the rash is only slightly better but he has none of the other symptoms, like fever, etc. We were planning to visit his dad/family on Friday anyway, so his Dad can actually look at the rash if it is still there (which I think it will be).

So, no visit with my friends, no lunch at my Grandmother's. But, at least my husband is getting better, finally. We still have no idea what the rash is. He has been taking Benadryl orally and topically, but neither is helping. Although, that has at least allowed him to sleep.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend. I am hoping our next one is a lot better!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

This post brought to you by the comfort of my own couch...

Yes, I am officially unemployed. Friday was my last day at work. It was a little strange leaving at the end of the day knowing I will never be back, but it was even stranger knowing that the next time I work for a living (four years from now), I will be a DENTIST (holy crap!).

We had friends over this weekend, and we had a really good time. Monday, however, was another story. We are painting our bathroom. I am not a good painter. I'd go so far as to say I'm a bad painter. My husband would go so far as to say I don't need to be allowed near a paint brush. That doesn't stop him from making me help, unfortunately. I am good at removing wallpaper, so I actually did most of the work yesterday. Today, he must remove the toilet tank, sand down the walls, apply the primer and them the paint. When that is done, we will hang the new Roman window shade (love it!), the new light fixture, the new towel rack (bathroom did not have a single one, believe it or not), and then put the mirror back up. He thinks we will get this done today. Me, not so sure.

Thursday we are heading to my hometown to visit my family, and then Friday/Saturday to my college town about an hour from there to visit friends. One of my friends (a teacher) recently went to FIJI to study the coral reefs there. Yes, I am jealous. Can you believe that? FIJI!!! I actually know someone who has studied coral reefs in Fiji. So, naturally I am going to find out all about that. She also happens to be my best friend, and we have a lot of visiting to do before I start to school and her new school year starts.

Sunday we will head back to my hometown (grandmother is giving a huge Southern lunch--can't wait) and then back home.

Well, my paintbrush awaits, so I better get going. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Weekend Recap

Hi ladies! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine went well, as planned. My mom and stepdad arrived late Thursday night. We went shopping Friday and Saturday and ate at The Cheesecake Factory on Friday night. It was SO GOOD! I got the Louisiana Cajun Chicken Pasta, my mom/husband got the Spicy Cashew Chicken, and my stepdad got the porkchops with mashed potatoes. Of course, we all got cheesecake, so needless to say we brought leftovers home.

I gave my notice at work this morning. I will miss many of my coworkers. I have been blessed in life with the jobs I have had and the people I have worked with. I often feel bad for those who complain about their jobs, because I have had it so good. I hope that when I open my practice one day I can provide that kind of environment for my employees.

I will be ordering my "required" laptop for school this week. We are required to purchase a Dell laptop. I have never had a Dell (laptop or otherwise). We have a Sony Vaio desktop and a Gateway laptop right now. Do any of you have a Dell? Hopefully someone will give me a glowing report!

Thanks to all of you who gave me advice on the book situation. My husband is planning on calling his school this week to make a complaint about the company. He will more than likely call the bookstore after that to talk to a supervisor. I appreciate all the help in that department!

I met one of my husband's relatives tonight for the first time. A few of you who used to read my Nest blog may remember my mentioning my husband's cousin who was an emergency medicine resident in Baton Rouge, LA during Hurricane Katrina. He volunteered to go to the Superdome, and then basically got stranded there when things went from bad to worse. Luckily, he made out alright. He finished his residency and moved back closer to his hometown, where he is working in a local hospital emergency room. I enjoyed meeting him. He is a really sweet guy. He has no girlfriend, so I am looking forward to practicing my matchmaking skills on him, maybe with some single girls in my dental school class.

Also, a prayer/thought request, please...my grandfather was admitted to (and then released from) ICU last week with a low heartrate (41 bpm). They could not pinpoint a problem, so he is seeing a cardiologist on Wednesday. They may have to place a Pacemaker. My grandmother is recovering from planned foot surgery, so they are having a tough go of it right now. Please keep him/them in your thoughts/prayers.

Happy Monday!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Today is Friday for me!

I am off tomorrow! Yay!!! My mom and stepdad are coming into town to spend the weekend with us. We bought a house in April, so they are coming up to see the house, go shopping, etc. They are coming in tonight and staying until Sunday. It will be fun. Also, we are eating at Cheesecake Factory on Saturday. My stepdad has never been.

My husband started classes on Monday. He is getting his Master's in Mental Health Counseling. He then wants to get his Ph.D. I ordered his books for him online. Something weird happened with the order, and they sent two of the same book (one new, one used). I called them, and of course they said it was my fault, so I could send the book back (paying $10 in shipping), order the correct book, and they would refund the money for the returned book. I returned the NEW book. Today, I found out they credited me for the USED book. I called. They emailed receiving to ask why it had been entered in as "Used". Receiving told them it had a crease in the front cover and scratches on the back cover. There is NO way that is the truth. I wrapped the book in the bubble wrap THEY PROVIDED, then taped the whole bundle to the bottom of the box. There is no way that book was damaged. But of course, they won't do anything about it. I am SO MAD. I normally don't do this, but I really let the customer service rep know how unhappy I was. Obviously, I wasn't rude to her personally, and I told her I knew it wasn't her fault, but come on! Their receipt (and their website) tout their great customer service, but it was complete crap from beginning to end.

So I called my husband. I have a really hard time when I know we've spent money on something like this. Basically, $30 just went down the drain. We are super tight on funds right now because of starting school/quitting work. And, I have always had anxiety where finances are concerned anyway. My husband is the exact opposite. This caused many disagreements in teh beginning of our relationship, but not so much anymore, because he has really helped me get a grip on reality in this area.

After I called him, I felt a little better. We just decided that we will call his school and complain. This is the bookstore that they sell their books through. Normally, we order textbooks from Amazon or Ebay, because they are cheaper. We were able to get one of his texts from Ebay, but these other two are "custom" books, so we couldn't. We're basically stuck, because in the future if he needs other "custom" books, we'll have to use this place again. That really bothers me, because we are the kind of people that will totally boycott a business if they have bad service.

Anyway, enough about that. On a positive note, my husband is really enjoying his courses so far. He is taking Research in Human Growth and Development; Theories of Psychotherapy and Theories of Personality. I have been helping him by reading the same material and discussing things with him, and it is really interesting stuff! I am so happy for him, because I think he will be a great therapist one day. He is really good at reading people and understanding their feelings and motives. That's kind of funny, because people usually say that about women, and it couldn't be further from the truth with me! I feel like I never really know what makes people tick!

Well, it's 10:00 a.m. Seven more hours to go. Why does the day before your day off go so slowly?

I may or may not post any tomorrow and this weekend, since my family is going to be in town. Hopefully I will have time, though. If not, hope everyone has a happy Friday and a great weekend!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Now that Blogger will let me title my posts, I am out of ideas...

I completely ran out of time to post last night, so I am posting from work. Brittny, regarding giving myself a really good treat to make up for my shots, see my comment to your post :)

Yesterday at work, the power (inexplicably) went out for about 45 minutes. What is it about that sort of thing that makes grown women gleefully giggle like schoolgirls? Within two minutes of losing power, one of my co-workers showed up at my office with a Coke and a candy bar. Work time was OVER! There was actually an audible groan from around the office when power was restored. You'd think this was a terrible place to work and they kept us chained to the desks! (It's not and they don't.) It's just so exciting to have a break in the normal schedule.

I just reread that paragraph and although it is sad and somewhat embarassing, I am going to leave it for you all to ponder.

I've been a little miffed lately because I have had comments from several people lately that imply that they are surprised I am going to dental school. I don't think they mean me, personally, but just that I'm a WOMAN and I'm going to dental school. This surprises me, because I really thought in this day and age that was not shocking. Of course one of the people was my kooky old great-aunt, so I guess you have to take some of that kind of thing with a grain of salt. I don't really take it personally, because I know my capabilities. I sometimes feel like those of us who actually use our brains pay for the actions of those who think acting stupid is attractive. Oh well, I'm not getting my soapbox out today.

I have a food confession. My husband and I have been exercising and really trying to eat right. He is trying to lose a few pounds and I am really just trying to tone up (why do I suddenly have grandmother flab under my arms?) and get into better shape. We've really been doing well. We joined a gym, we've been going consistently and we generally stick to our "diet" pretty well. However, I cannot MAKE myself stop eating a bag of chips for breakfast every morning. Yes, breakfast. The meal your mom always told you was the most important of the day. I stumbled upon these chips quite by accident. They are in a snack machine in the basement of the building I work in. They are Snyder's of Hanover Hot Buffalo Wing potato chips. I tell myself they really aren't THAT BAD, because the bag happily informs me every day that they contain 0% trans fat. I don't know if my husband knows. He does see me get $.50 out of the change stash every morning. I think he is just nice enough not to mention it. Hey, I do wash it down with a DIET Coke!

Well, I must get back to work. Hope you girls have a great day!

Monday, July 9, 2007

My lunch hour today was spent getting my final tuberculin skin test read. I had a laundry list of vaccinations to get so that I can start dental school. It's a good thing I don't mind needles, because I have seen my fair share of them in the past few months. I had to have a HepB vaccination (which is 3 parts), an MMR booster, and a tetanus booster. Additionally, I have to have blood drawn to see if my body has built up antibodies to varicella (chicken pox) and HepB. If not, I must get a chicken pox vaccination (2 parts) and have my HepB series done AGAIN. Yes, AGAIN. So keep your fingers crossed that I have antibodies. Last, but certainly not least, I had to have a tuberculin skin test to see if I have ever had/been exposed to tuberculosis. I have had this test a couple times before, having worked in the daycare industry (my class was 18 mos. to 2 years, Renee) as well as in the public school system (I taught 7th/8th grade for 3 years). The new twist this time was that I had to have the test placed and read twice. My skin tests both showed negative, so that is good.

I have to say, I am getting really excited about starting school. Actually if I were to be truthful, I would have to say that my mood varies from very excited to growing apprehension. I worked so hard to get here, keeping my grades up, scoring well on the DAT, going on interviews, etc. I had about three months of absolute joy and a real sense of accomlishment. Now come the nerves. It will be here before I know it. I guess it will just seem surreal to actually Be In Dental School, when for so long it was this abstract thing that I was working towards. I don't know if I am making any sense, but anyway, that's what I'm thinking right now.

I've met many of my classmates already, as the current freshman class gave the incoming freshman a luncheon in April. At 28 (29 on August 23, thank you very much!), I am not THE oldest person, but I am one of the, shall we say, oldER members of the class. Kind of a funny story about age. I had to get my old vaccination record to give to the school. I had my husband call to request it one day while I was at work. He called and got someone in the records department at the county health department in Smalltown, USA, where I grew up. He told the lady my name and birthdate. She said, "Oh, goodness. Those records are really old. They won't be here. I'll have to get them from the archives department." Let me tell you, he really enjoyed telling me this story. I mean really. What are they, written on stone tablets or something?

*Can anyone tell me how to enter a title for my posts? Blogger won't let me click in the title box to type. Anyone else had this problem?

Sunday, July 8, 2007

This is the first post in my brand new blog! I am starting dental school in August (in about one month, to be exact!), so this blog will be a lot about my life as a dental student. I have been married for 5 1/2 years, and my husband just recently started his master's in Mental Health Counseling. He will then go for his Ph.D.

Needless to say, we are very busy. In the last two years, we have moved across country (twice), been admitted to professional school, bought one house and sold another, and are in the process now of getting settled in our new city where I am to begin school.

The countdown to school officially starts this Friday, the thirteenth! If you stumbled across this blog, feel free to leave me a note. My future posts will have a little more substance, I promise!