This year I went shopping at 5am with my mom for Christmas gifts.
We usually go just for fun, but the past few years have been a bust since there hasn't been much we've wanted/needed to get and there haven't been any good deals. But, my mom has been scouting out television sets for my brother and I since our old TV got struck by lightning and the new TV has about a 5 by 5 inch screen. Seriously. Neither of us watch much TV but the one we have is a little ridiculous.
Anyway, we searched for the deals and decided to start our outing at Walmart on Nicholasville Road. Thankfully, we were not at the store in New York where a worker was killed today as a result of the crowds, but I can see how things get out of control. First, there was NO parking spaces left in the entire Walmart parking lot. I've always thought that they had an obscene amount of parking but people had spilled over across the street to Lowes and Macaroni Grill, McDonalds and the gas station. TONS OF CARS. It was about 5:45 by the time we got there and it was absolutely packed. We decided to still go in anyway just for kicks, but figured we probably wouldn't stay to get the TV.
We got in the front doors and there was just a jam of people as far as I could see. Shopping carts and people (most of whom looked like they had been up since 3am - looking a little trashy but I guess I couldn't talk since I didn't shower either). We got in about 10 feet (literally, we couldn't get any further) and decided to call it quits. It was not worth saving even $100 on a TV if it was this crowded. They probably didn't even have the television left anyway. We turned around to leave and realized we were stuck! More people and more shopping carts had come in behind us and there was no moving in this crowd - everyone trying to go in different directions and no one could get anywhere. It was absolute insanity. My mom started pointing and calling people out "Excuse me, I'm claustrophobic, will you move so I can get out?" and pushed their cart out of our way. I think if we had been 10lb heavier we would have had no chance!
I seriously question the intelligence of the people in that store, standing there like cattle with one or two little things in their cart. The "deals" are NOT that good. Seriously. I can see how a frenzied crowd could get dangerous, though, so I'm glad we didn't stay in there.
So, we did what seemed most logical: we went to the mall. It actually was a good idea because there was even more parking and more stores for people to spread out a little. We did a good bit of damage at the mall and got quite a few presents. We actually strolled through Sears and realized they had a better TV on sale for only $2 more than the Walmart one! So my mom stood in line for only about 10 minutes and got us a TV and found a DVD player for $15! Yeah Christmas!
Another great deal was at Dicks - I got a new winter coat (instead of my HUGE yellow one that's getting a little old, and yellow) and we got some Nike shoes for one of our "giving tree" kids (a 17yo boy named "Mondo") and the shoes were only $28 (every other pair was at least $70!) AND since we spent over $100 and I got a North Face jacket we got a $20 Gift card to Dicks and a $15 iTunes gift card. We also found Mondo a regularly $40 shirt for $6 at Macy's.
Next, we headed to Panera after 9 and got some breakfast, although I really wanted a turkey sandwich and soup (I'd been up for over 4 hours, it was almost lunchtime for me!).
Of course, after that it was a little later and we decided to go back to Walmart. Yea, we're morons. Anyway, it had cleared out quite a bit by that point (all the good sales had been sold out) and we got a few things (including another turkey to make for dinner tonight to eat with the leftovers) and called it a day.
We got home around 11am and I sort of didn't know what to do with myself. Now I think I'm just getting the beginnings of a cold. I should probably take some Airborne or Zicam, but really I just want to go to sleep. Yessss, sleep.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
As promised: what I'm thankful for
I just want to say this right now: I feel sorry for turkeys on Thanksgiving. I mean, everyone says "Happy Turkey Day!" all cutesy and happy but really, are the turkeys that happy? I think it's probably Sad Turkey day, since we're eating them and all. I definitely wouldn't be a Happy Turkey.
Also - Everyone that says "Happy Turkey Day" is being unfair to the other side dishes - Why not "Happy Sweet Potato Day!" or "Happy Broccoli Casserole Day!" because those are just as delicious as the turkey. Anyway, on to the list!
Things I am thankful for (in no particular order of course):
Happy Thanksgiving!
Also - Everyone that says "Happy Turkey Day" is being unfair to the other side dishes - Why not "Happy Sweet Potato Day!" or "Happy Broccoli Casserole Day!" because those are just as delicious as the turkey. Anyway, on to the list!
Things I am thankful for (in no particular order of course):
- My coffeemaker (and Starbucks)
- Christmas music!
- An almost-perfect family: I couldn't ask for a better one
- My boyfriend who is so much like me it’s scary and awesome!
- Faith – in God, in my future, in my family and friends
- Facebook and my phone to keep up with old friends
- Turkey sammiches !
- Having a fantastic place to live and a pretty awesome brother to live with
- Friends who are there for you no matter how far away they are (like…3,498 miles last time I checked)
- Cooking time
- The Internet – because it knows everything
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
1 more story.
The Girl Who Never Talks
There is a girl in our med school class who never talks. Literally. I have heard her utter about 3 words in the past 2.5 years of school and even that was a soft semi-mumble that I couldn't really understand. Because of the fact that she's so quiet, I find myself very intrigued by her. She's obviously bright or else she wouldn't still be in our class but I constantly wonder why she is so quiet! She sits by herself and doesn't engage other students in conversation. When asking others about her I have heard that she's just not a conversationalist and gives short one-word replies when one tries to talk to her. I think she is probably nice because I have smiled at her and she smiles back, but I have never had the opportunity to talk to her since I've never worked with her in any group or whatnot. Anyway, today we had standardized patients come in and we had to take turns sitting in front of the class interviewing them. Guess who had to go first?! Anyway, she did a good job...but still I wonder how someone makes it through so much of med school without talking. And why? Is she shy? Snobby? Thinks she has a weird voice? Why doesn't she talk? It drives me nuts.
There is a girl in our med school class who never talks. Literally. I have heard her utter about 3 words in the past 2.5 years of school and even that was a soft semi-mumble that I couldn't really understand. Because of the fact that she's so quiet, I find myself very intrigued by her. She's obviously bright or else she wouldn't still be in our class but I constantly wonder why she is so quiet! She sits by herself and doesn't engage other students in conversation. When asking others about her I have heard that she's just not a conversationalist and gives short one-word replies when one tries to talk to her. I think she is probably nice because I have smiled at her and she smiles back, but I have never had the opportunity to talk to her since I've never worked with her in any group or whatnot. Anyway, today we had standardized patients come in and we had to take turns sitting in front of the class interviewing them. Guess who had to go first?! Anyway, she did a good job...but still I wonder how someone makes it through so much of med school without talking. And why? Is she shy? Snobby? Thinks she has a weird voice? Why doesn't she talk? It drives me nuts.
4 short stories.
Patrick the Meatatarian
Once upon a time there was a boy named Patrick. He was allergic to raw fruits and vegetables (yes, really) but he didn't care for them cooked, either. He became a meatatarian. When asked "Patrick, what did you have for dinner tonight?" he would reply, "Chicken. and Hamburger. I might have a hot dog, do you want one?" Also, he would leave his meat-juice plates all over the apartment he shared with his sister. Also, he would leave the empty raw-chicken-containers in the garbage for days at a time, which caused the house to smell like...well...I don't even want to talk about it. It made his sister very unhappy when she walked in the house and literally Gagged from the smell. She may become vegetarian if this keeps up. Ugh.
I Hate Medicine
Not the profession, but the actual pills. I have come to the conclusion that if there is a possible side effect to a medicine I will have it worse than most. Even side effects the doctor didn't tell me I would have. In the past year I can count five different medications I have taken and each one caused me considerable distress. I don't think it's just because I'm a wimp - I don't believe everyone has these problems. Maybe I have something wrong with my P450 proteins and I can't break things down properly. I'll never be able to have hypertension, diabetes, or any other chronic health problem because I can't (won't?) take medicine for it. I'm going to be a much better doctor than patient, because medicine is for the birds (actually, I wouldn't even will this on birds!). I'd better go eat some low-fat veggies, get my shots, and take a bike ride (with a helmet, of course)!
Internists
I just began my internal medicine "megablock" of 3rd year, which is 4 months of wards, ICU, ER, and subspecialty training all rolled into one. I am very excited for this block because Medicine is possibly a career choice for me. I've been busy talking myself out of Family medicine (more on that another day) so IM is looking pretty promising. I hope that I love every minute of it. I am concerned, however, that the personalities I have met so far aren't really my "type" - a little more conceited and a little more intense. Also, it's apparently very hard to do well (well=A) in this rotation, which stresses out dumb little me, but I'm going to study hard and do my best and see what becomes of everything!
Thanksgiving
The Smith family (my mom's side) celebrates Thanksgiving the same way every year: with lots of laughter and tons of food! We're all getting together at my parents' house to eat and give thanks. I have a lot to be thankful for, which sounds like a great idea for another blog post. What a cliffhanger! Stay tuned!
Once upon a time there was a boy named Patrick. He was allergic to raw fruits and vegetables (yes, really) but he didn't care for them cooked, either. He became a meatatarian. When asked "Patrick, what did you have for dinner tonight?" he would reply, "Chicken. and Hamburger. I might have a hot dog, do you want one?" Also, he would leave his meat-juice plates all over the apartment he shared with his sister. Also, he would leave the empty raw-chicken-containers in the garbage for days at a time, which caused the house to smell like...well...I don't even want to talk about it. It made his sister very unhappy when she walked in the house and literally Gagged from the smell. She may become vegetarian if this keeps up. Ugh.
I Hate Medicine
Not the profession, but the actual pills. I have come to the conclusion that if there is a possible side effect to a medicine I will have it worse than most. Even side effects the doctor didn't tell me I would have. In the past year I can count five different medications I have taken and each one caused me considerable distress. I don't think it's just because I'm a wimp - I don't believe everyone has these problems. Maybe I have something wrong with my P450 proteins and I can't break things down properly. I'll never be able to have hypertension, diabetes, or any other chronic health problem because I can't (won't?) take medicine for it. I'm going to be a much better doctor than patient, because medicine is for the birds (actually, I wouldn't even will this on birds!). I'd better go eat some low-fat veggies, get my shots, and take a bike ride (with a helmet, of course)!
Internists
I just began my internal medicine "megablock" of 3rd year, which is 4 months of wards, ICU, ER, and subspecialty training all rolled into one. I am very excited for this block because Medicine is possibly a career choice for me. I've been busy talking myself out of Family medicine (more on that another day) so IM is looking pretty promising. I hope that I love every minute of it. I am concerned, however, that the personalities I have met so far aren't really my "type" - a little more conceited and a little more intense. Also, it's apparently very hard to do well (well=A) in this rotation, which stresses out dumb little me, but I'm going to study hard and do my best and see what becomes of everything!
Thanksgiving
The Smith family (my mom's side) celebrates Thanksgiving the same way every year: with lots of laughter and tons of food! We're all getting together at my parents' house to eat and give thanks. I have a lot to be thankful for, which sounds like a great idea for another blog post. What a cliffhanger! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
a few things and a funny story
Few things:
1) It's very very cold outside.
2) I bought fleece sheets from Target which were the BEST DEAL EVER because they're ultra fantastically warm.
3) Flu shots hurt but hopefully are worth it.
4) My toilet broke.
Funny story:
Yesterday I sent my mom an email with the article I "helped" write (so now I'm officially a published scientist...not counting the wikipedia page on PGRMC1), so she called to congratulate me. Here's how it went:
Mom: That's really great, Katie, I'm proud of you!
Me: Thanks Mom, but I didn't really do much of it.
Mom: No, it must be important because in order to get the full text online article it wanted me to pay $30!
Me: I hope you didn't pay that.
Mom: No... So, is the article going to be in a magazine or something?
Me: They usually call them "journals," mom.
Mom: Oh. So is it something I can get at Joseph-Beth?
Me: I don't think so. I will send you the final copy if you really want it.
Mom: Well not really - I can't even understand the title!
1) It's very very cold outside.
2) I bought fleece sheets from Target which were the BEST DEAL EVER because they're ultra fantastically warm.
3) Flu shots hurt but hopefully are worth it.
4) My toilet broke.
Funny story:
Yesterday I sent my mom an email with the article I "helped" write (so now I'm officially a published scientist...not counting the wikipedia page on PGRMC1), so she called to congratulate me. Here's how it went:
Mom: That's really great, Katie, I'm proud of you!
Me: Thanks Mom, but I didn't really do much of it.
Mom: No, it must be important because in order to get the full text online article it wanted me to pay $30!
Me: I hope you didn't pay that.
Mom: No... So, is the article going to be in a magazine or something?
Me: They usually call them "journals," mom.
Mom: Oh. So is it something I can get at Joseph-Beth?
Me: I don't think so. I will send you the final copy if you really want it.
Mom: Well not really - I can't even understand the title!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
i love babies!
I got to "play" with the cutest babies today! I'm on newborn nursery this week and we don't really get to "play" but we get to "examine" them which is sort of the same thing but instead of making them warm and happy we made them cold and angry. Basically the same thing.
We've gotten to see a few deliveries which have been cool (especially to be on the other end of it from the OB perspective)...I do think it's weird how separated mother/baby health are as soon as they're born. They have completely different doctors taking care of them. I think it's another good reason to do something like family medicine because you DO get to take care of both Mom and Baby together. Also, they get really confused with each service rounding on them and things...
Also, today was my day to carry the "med student pager" (which hasn't gone off except for 2 times this entire week)...and while I was in our 1-hour lecture I got paged FIVE TIMES! I felt kind of awkward! Do I leave? Do I pretend it isn't me that's beeping? Do I run off to rub/aggravate the baby and cut the cord shorter? I decided just to sit there and listen to a guy who sounds a little bit like Dracula drone on and on about pediatric hypertension. Worst of all, we missed two NICU babies! Bummer! (More of a bummer for the babies I guess, but I was still sad that I didn't get to see them.)
I also realized today that I have a knack for getting babies to poop when I'm examining them. Don't know why, it doesn't happen to anybody else. I just look at them and they start grunting...and before I know it I've got a stinky...
Also, they have a "baby photographer" who was there today who put a little bow in the baby's hair and gave her little angel wings and took her picture - there were other really awesome pictures too...ahh babies!
Better stop cooing and get back to studying - finals are in 1 week!
We've gotten to see a few deliveries which have been cool (especially to be on the other end of it from the OB perspective)...I do think it's weird how separated mother/baby health are as soon as they're born. They have completely different doctors taking care of them. I think it's another good reason to do something like family medicine because you DO get to take care of both Mom and Baby together. Also, they get really confused with each service rounding on them and things...
Also, today was my day to carry the "med student pager" (which hasn't gone off except for 2 times this entire week)...and while I was in our 1-hour lecture I got paged FIVE TIMES! I felt kind of awkward! Do I leave? Do I pretend it isn't me that's beeping? Do I run off to rub/aggravate the baby and cut the cord shorter? I decided just to sit there and listen to a guy who sounds a little bit like Dracula drone on and on about pediatric hypertension. Worst of all, we missed two NICU babies! Bummer! (More of a bummer for the babies I guess, but I was still sad that I didn't get to see them.)
I also realized today that I have a knack for getting babies to poop when I'm examining them. Don't know why, it doesn't happen to anybody else. I just look at them and they start grunting...and before I know it I've got a stinky...
Also, they have a "baby photographer" who was there today who put a little bow in the baby's hair and gave her little angel wings and took her picture - there were other really awesome pictures too...ahh babies!
Better stop cooing and get back to studying - finals are in 1 week!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I love soup!
I've not posted anything recently because I don't want to bore anybody with my daily goings-on...inpatient peds is pretty good but I don't have many patients which makes it a little boring. I'm also getting more frustrated with my inability to decide how much I like different specialties. I like everything, I can't decide what I like the most or least! Anyway, besides the constant battle of trying to decide what to do with my life, not much has been going on.
Anyway... I decided to write today about something that is very dear to my heart: homemade soup! It's cheap, healthy, delicious and warms you up on a blustery day - seriously, how much more could I want?
Last week I made some potato soup. I'd never made potato soup before (I have never even made a cream based soup)...but I basically found that potato soup is basically watery mashed potatoes. Which is a good thing, of course, but I like a little more variety.
One soup I'm particularly fond of is my Thai Omelet soup. It's basically broth with cabbage and carrots (and I usually throw in some ramen noodles) but what makes it delicious is you cook an "omelet" and cut it into strips and put it on top of the soup.
Today I made "Tortilla tomato soup" which is a delicious blend of onion, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro, topped with fried tortilla strips and cheddar cheese.
Later this week I have two other delicious soups to make: a turkey chili and tomato soup with Israeli couscous. I'm pretty pumped.
I'm (hopefully) going to put the recipes on my other blog if you would like to make these delicious goodies on your own. Or, if you're nice to me, maybe you can come over and eat soup with me!
Anyway... I decided to write today about something that is very dear to my heart: homemade soup! It's cheap, healthy, delicious and warms you up on a blustery day - seriously, how much more could I want?
Last week I made some potato soup. I'd never made potato soup before (I have never even made a cream based soup)...but I basically found that potato soup is basically watery mashed potatoes. Which is a good thing, of course, but I like a little more variety.
One soup I'm particularly fond of is my Thai Omelet soup. It's basically broth with cabbage and carrots (and I usually throw in some ramen noodles) but what makes it delicious is you cook an "omelet" and cut it into strips and put it on top of the soup.
Today I made "Tortilla tomato soup" which is a delicious blend of onion, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro, topped with fried tortilla strips and cheddar cheese.
Later this week I have two other delicious soups to make: a turkey chili and tomato soup with Israeli couscous. I'm pretty pumped.
I'm (hopefully) going to put the recipes on my other blog if you would like to make these delicious goodies on your own. Or, if you're nice to me, maybe you can come over and eat soup with me!
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