Food, Dresses, and Stress....

Wow, how can 2 weeks feel like 2 months? This will have to be quick, but the next 2 weeks will be so jam packed I wanted to jot down a few things.

1. November 20th we (The girls in my class and some boyfriends/friends) had a wonderful Thanksgiving potluck. Delicious food, great conversations, simply a wonderful evening. I even have some pictures to document the event!!

The turkey!

All 10 GC girls, class of 2010

eating a wonderful meal!

2. School stress... still lingering. It has certainly improved, but there always seems to be SOMETHING. I just can't wait for the semester to be over. And I'm going to curse Ohio for switching all quarter schools to semesters. I think semesters work great, for SOME people. And quarters work great for OTHERS. Both should be around to accommodate different learning styles! (sorry... little rant there).

3. Wedding planning... is officially in progress. I hope to get most of it done over winter break (yeah right... I should keep dreaming)... Dave and I fell in love with a reception site. There are many things about this place that I really like. We will probably check out a couple other places, but this one looks like it may be a perfect fit. Also, on Friday my mom and I went and I got my wedding dress!! THE dress. Crazy! It was a lot of fun, but shopping was nothing like I expected. There was no chance for my mom and I to just walk around and look at dresses by ourselves, we were "accompanied" the whole time... Fortunately, I had looked online and already could tell them a bunch of dresses I wanted to try on. I was happy with the 1st dress I tried on, but decided that I needed to try on others... I think the dress I got was #3. I just kind of knew it was what I wanted. That's all I can say! ;o) It looks like most of you will have to wait until May 2010 to see what it really looks like!! (Aren't I mean?) The tricky part is that I will most likely have to remain the size I am now. (No gaining weight!) Yikes. If I am not the same size and if they still have the dress in stock, I can exchange it. But the safest thing is to try and maintain this size. Oh--- and Dave and I are fairly certain the wedding will be May, 2010. (If everything works out, May 15, 2010)... but I will let you know for sure when things are booked.

4. Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. Dave and I went to Cincy and he got to meet Margaret McDonald (an old neighbor of ours who has returned to live in Australia). It was wonderful getting to see her again! We had lots of fun chatting and playing games. On Thanksgiving Day Kate, Greg, Colin, and Memere joined us. The food was wonderful, and the company was even better!!

5. The next 2 weeks are full of projects, papers, and finals... wish me luck. I may briefly blog to "delay" but other than that I will be busy until 12/12.

The Bad and the Ugly (What happened to the GOOD?)

I think it's time to go to bed. Today is quickly getting worse. After a number of annoyances let me think of a few that helped today progressively get worse.
1- called people for part of my GSR. 3/25 picked up. None were enrolled.
2- went to go do work at the other part of my GSR. I didn't have the equipment necessary to do my job.
3- Realized that I have classes on Monday of finals week (WHO DOES THAT??) Was really looking forward to having a single day to prepare for the monster of having 4 big exams.
4- Found out that my "group work" that was split up ended up not quite working out, as 1 group actually didn't do their part!
5- Realized that I don't know how I got into my head that my proposal was due the Friday after Thanksgiving... because EVERYWHERE says it's due the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. And now I'm really hoping I can switch presentation dates, because I really don't want to have to present the same day that is due. It's going to be pushing it as it is!

So yes, now I need to go to bed. Because quite frankly, not enough good happened today to account for the bad. Sure I did good on my EPI test, and I got some more compliments on my new winter coat...but really... what the heck?? I guess it's pay back for having a GREAT weekend with my friend Leah. Apparently relaxing isn't allowed.

Sorry about venting. I just really can't believe how bad the next 3 weeks are really going to be!

Big A

Believe it or not, I actually have a couple of blog posts that I think may be more interesting. A step away from my boring, busy life! (yes, I realize that's an oxymoron...)

Everyone knows your typical "type-A" personality. Highly driven, fast paced, controlling, and competitive. I personally think this classification can be too harsh, but in reality there are some people that will always have to fit each end of this "personality spectrum".

Today I began thinking about the competitiveness seen starting at the college level. I will address science-related experiences, but I assume this could apply outside of my areas of experience.

For many science professions, I feel that the "type-A" personality is selected for. People with type-B personalities are more likely to get the impression that they are not doing what is necessary and will change majors, career paths... etc. Unfortunately, I don't think that's quite fair. They may not be working at that same pace, but perhaps moving slower allows a person to truly think about what they are doing and why. Wouldn't this allow for more creative solutions and approaches to science? That is one problem I see with this selection for type-A.

Problem #2 is related to a function of type-A personalities. These people tend to take on the "leadership role" when working in groups, or together in any way. So when you have greatly reduced the number of type-B people, you have a bunch of leaders working together. I first learned about the function of a group comprised of all leaders working with these 3 wonderful ladies in 2007. I don't think I spoke much about that group... one of the best experiences of my life. It taught me how I really function in a group. I digress...

When you have a group of type-A leaders a new dynamic arises. People can argue for lots of things, but someone has to give in. Someone must let go and realize that for anything to get done, you must let things that aren't critical go. These people are probably what I like to think of as "type a". I think I can classify myself as a type a personality, so here are some features I have recently been noticing. *note, I have NO outside basis for this type and could be a lone person that feels this way

-I tend to take charge in a group, but will take a step back if there is another stronger-willed leader.
-I still try to do lots of the group work, and check what other people do. Then I fight for my argument when I realize that I am actually correct.
-I typically don't win this fight... and it drives me crazy!
-In other situations, I find when I am sitting around with a bunch of type A's that I will attempt to join in conversation... only to find my voice glossed over. By the time I get a chance to jump in we have moved on to 3 other topics.

This last point makes me curious. Am I actually more of a type B, or has this selection for type A made me seem like a type B? Let me clarify. I used to fall in the middle, I was a blend of both type A and type B personalities. (and would argue that is still likely true). Yet, with fewer type B personalities it makes the difference between type A and type a seem much more different.

I just think it's a shame that we are so driven to be type A, and then fail to get done everything that we would like to. To succeed I shouldn't have to become a type A. Yet it sometimes feels like being a type a personality "won't cut-it".

Those are my thoughts on this issue for now. It's something I'll continue to think about. Let me know what you think, and if this applies to your situations. I'd love to know.

Next post: Either "Rules on creating good power point presentations", or... "study changes". If you list a preference, and it's consistent I will do whichever you would like to hear first. If you don't care... I suppose you won't be reading my blog!

Inflation

Inflation was always a hard concept for me to grasp. If the amount of money you have doesn't change, then what does this really mean? Now, today was not the first time I understood inflation... trust me that came along when I started actually making money! But today captured a perfect example.

After a rough test this morning I decided to treat myself to lunch at Camille's. This is a sandwich place much like Panera (only with a different variety of items). I had not gone to the one in Pittsburgh, but always enjoyed their Apple Walnut Tuna Sandwich in Columbus. The sandwich always comes with a side of tortilla chips and salsa. My first thought today: wow, there are hardly any chips... that seems strange. Then I went to take a bite of my sandwich. To my surprise, there was hardly any tuna on it. I mean, I thought about taking it back up and asking them to put more on. But I didn't want to pay more! I felt as if I hadn't quite gotten my money's worth. Then I noticed that there were sunflower seeds in my apple WALNUT tuna salad. Hmm... I remember someone saying they won't be making candied walnuts this year because they're too expensive. Apparently so! The sandwich was still good, it just would have been better with MORE filling. But it really made me think... for the same price I truly got less... and I wonder if it wasn't on purpose.

In other news, I have been craving sweets lately. It's not that time of month, so I can't even use that as an excuse! I am glad it's raining... otherwise I would be buying myself some cupcakes! Hmm... maybe I'll make some instead...

A bit of a change

You may have noticed I changed a couple of things on here. Please let me know what you think! If you don't like the new layout, I can easily change it back. I wasn't sure if this style would be better or not.

What prompted my changes? Today I realized something very important. As the 2nd years head off to the NSGC conference in LA, it is more than them getting to go have fun with a bunch of other genetic counselor's for a week. I am a year away from starting my job search!! Can you believe that? Today I just took my first genetic counseling test, and in 1 year I will interview (hopefully) for jobs at the national meeting! CRAZY.

Another reason for the change... As strange as this may sound, I don't always feel like sharing many of my feelings on a blog. I know, you're astounded by this. Unfortunately this has 1 major consequence for you-- I am very boring. Unlike my sisters I am not very good at story telling. Perhaps cute kids help the situation, but that's not an addition I expect to have for quite some time. Sorry, I got off topic. Where was I? Oh yes, so I am hoping my knew title may spur some creative thoughts for me to use as an outlet as I make sure to have some free time. (Everyone says that you're supposed to make time for you... but how do you make sure you take just enough?). So that's that. I'm sure you stopped reading this a while ago... but now some quick updates...

Things are moving along quite quickly. Is it already the end of October? NO WAY. We just got our schedules for next Semester. It looks better in some respects than this semester. First of all, our classes are MUCH more bunched together. That makes it seem like a lot less class time! Unfortunately this is just a false image (like those pictures that show 2 shapes that you swear are not the exact same, until you line them up). I will actually have 6 classes next semester (although 2 are only 1 day a week). And even though I only have 1 hour of class on Tuesday, I have class until 9:00 AT NIGHT on Wednesday. that's a little rediculous. Class should not go from 6-9. It's cruel. Especially when I have 3 other classes that day. The other negative with that schedule, I have lab on Friday starting at 8:30. yuck. Although I will be wishing for starting so late this summer when I have to be at the clinic, right now all I can think is being at the bus stop in the snow at 8:00am. Blech.

In other news, I will be heading to Geneva this weekend. Unfortunately, Dave's grandpa passed away this morning. So while Dave was going to visit me this weekend, plan obviously changed. It's strange when you don't know how you are going to react to a situation, and I had no idea that I would feel this emotional. I have been extremely blessed to have such a wonderful family. Some people would kill to have a family as loving as mine. Yet I get to experience Dave's loving family as well. I have only known Dave for a little over 4.5 years now, but grandpa Henry quickly won me over. I will always remember how when I would hug him hello he would always say "oh, look at this... I'm getting a hug from this girl" or something of that nature. There was something in the happiness of his eyes that always reminded me of my own grandpa. Perhaps that is the joy of having created such a wonderful family. Regardless, if he was able to leave quite a memory in my mind after knowing him for 4 years... just think about those who knew him during his 93 years.

A little bit of everything

Time is moving so quickly, I can barely keep up. I've been pulling 19 hour days multiple times a week. And somehow I still feel about 2 weeks behind! In the midst of this, I manage to find time to have some fun. (It's critical). I think I would enjoy what I am learning more if I didn't have so much to learn at once! Anyhow... I'm already off topic. There are many things to blog about, but in the fashion of my life at the present moment... I will not be able to elaborate on any of them. Sure, blogging a little whenever these thoughts came into my head would be most ideal-- but that's just not gonna happen. So alas, here are some ramblings...

The Great Debate...
It may be election time, but that's not what I'm talking about here... Wedding date. Heck, Wedding planning! So many things factor into this. The biggest-- when will Dave be done with school/ have a job?? My mind is very split about the possibility of getting married and having to live apart for a few months.... VS. not getting married and being able to! Sure, some people will plan a wedding in 9 months, maybe even 6. But how much time do they have? I'm working 19 hours a day WITHOUT wedding planning! Hire a wedding planner? Sure... but I would actually have to meet with them, and give them a date/ budget! Right now the dates in my mind are "either Labor Day(9/5)/ Columbus Day(10/12) 2009, OR May 2010". (not exactly close to each other, and Dave isn't really sure of dates either). I truly wish that I could pick out my dress, help with the invite list, and perhaps have an input on colors... and then just show up. I'll have a blast, and Dave and I will be married. Now the problem is that even IF Dave is done by next September... I will really only have long weekends, so rush to Columbus on Thursday night or Friday morning, get married Saturday and back to work Tuesday. Plus my cumulative exam is at the end of November! My mind just doesn't want to accept that it won't be until May 2010. Maybe this is because 2010 seems so far away... and I am not ready for any more than a year apart from Dave! I really wish there was an easy solution...

Picture is from Mark and Liz's wedding

On the Road...
I have had the chance to visit Dave in Geneva and in Wooster now. Both drives were gorgeous! The ride up to Geneva was late, and during one stretch there were hardly any cars! The stars were amazing! I could hardly believe my eyes!! Then this weekend I drove to Wooster. I really wish I had brought my camera. The leaves throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio were breathtaking! So many Reds/Oranges/Yellows! I truly could picture a fall wedding... Both weekends went by too fast!!

It's not ALL work...
Sometimes we get to play! I only wish we had more get-togethers... and that I would institute a game night! (I have hardly played ANY games in the past 2 months... and it's killing me!). One night a few of us went to a Pirates game! It was lots of fun, although the game was slow so we mostly just talked!

Shelley, Me, Amber, Andrea, Sarah, and Kate at a Pirate's game

There were gorgeous fireworks afterwards, and my roommate got a great pictures of the city!

Pittsburgh- picture taken by Kate!

In addition, I've been to many great restaurants. There certainly are a large variety of places to go! And one fun event was the "Garden Grove" at the Phipps Conservatory. It was a night-event... The 4 of us pictured below went together and had a blast! They had food from different vendors spread throughout the conservatory, and drinks too! Mmmm.... It was quite an enjoyable evening! Sarah, Kate, Amy, and I at the Phipps Conservatory

Hopefully I will get some more pictures, and have more fun updates soon! For now, time to get some sleep!

Denial

I suppose I should be glad that it is finally October. If I am exhausted, lacking sleep, and feel like I've been working my brain overtime-- at least I put in that effort for a month total of work!! If it was still September I would probably... break down in tears! (Oh wait, that's what I did in September).

ANYHOW... The last few days of September were wonderful. It is AMAZING how finding a GSR immediately lifted my spirits. How fears of working 20 hours a week instantly lifted, while joy of having a job that will allow me to form a more stable schedule settled in. This does not take into account the obvious fact that I still have not rationalized 20 hours of week of work on top of my studies... but that can be October's obstacle, right?

Now let's see if you were paying attention... I got a GSR!! Yes, it's true. I am super excited! I will be helping with clinical research in Ophthalmology. Doing what exactly??... various things... My supervisor seems like he will be great! And I am excited about the people I will get to work with. I have to do a lot of reading about the eyes now! It's also fairly close to the building I have all my classes in, but I am going to be cursing Pittsburgh this winter when I have to walk up this monstrous hill to get there! I tried it in heels last week-- never again!

I'm still living (believe it or not) after a week testing the waters of graduate level exams. Wow! I knew graduate school was going to be difficult, and a lot of work... but now I know how it feels. All I can say is that I am SO GLAD that I KNOW this is what I want to do for a living. I remind myself of that everyday. Knowing that putting this effort in, racking my brain, and learning all the difficult genetics will be worth it because it will make me better at my job. Maybe it's good to feel like I don't know enough, because in a sense I never will. There will always be more to learn. (Don't remind me I said this when I'm freaking out about my next exam/paper/project).

Now it's time to allow happy Andrea to get some sleep so she can turn back on. I'm getting there. I really don't think I could have fathomed (is that even a word?) how hard adjusting to Pittsburgh would be. It is just now that I am beginning to realize that Pittsburgh can be wonderful, I can love the people in my classes, at work, etc... but I will never feel completely at home with Dave being so far away. So I just have to think of that as a good thing in a way. Knowing without a doubt that I am independent and can be successful, but that Dave is what makes me feel at home. I mean heck, that's part of why we're getting married right?? Ok- I'll spare you more about that! Although it did spur tangents of thoughts about me not being able to plan a wedding on top of everything! But maybe that will be another post. I can see it now-- How to plan an out-of-state wedding when you have no time--

Oh Boy...

Yes, the time is correct. No it's not the first time this week. Big test #1, tomorrow morning. Studied as much as possible all week. Realized tonight, when you have to memorize letters (not words) it's impossible to create Mnemonics to remember a list of different items that are not words themselves. (Basically you would have to create an mnemonic to remember a mnemonic for the acronym). BOOOO... So I'm not ready AT ALL. Totally wasn't prepared for that slip up. I miss psychology, where everything was named for what it actually was... and it was short and sweet....

Time to go to bed. The harder test is Friday... I'm about 75% less prepared for that one, so this should be fun. By the way, these 7 lectures have about as much information in them as the 2o longer lectures I would have in a quarter at OSU. (joy).

Oh! One more thing... I may have a GSR by the end of the week. Keep your fingers crossed.

Sunshine!!!

This is no metaphor. I don't think I realized how many overcast days there are in Columbus, perhaps Cincinnati too. It seems like in Pittsburgh it is generally sunny, except for the occasional days where it DOWNPOURS. Now, if only those downpours would try not to coincide with bad days...

Anyhow, I realized the other day, that in the month that I have lived here we've had about 3-4 really rainy days. Both were in pairs. I looked at the forcast... in 10 days we're supposed to go up to a 30% chance of rain. All the other days are supposed to be nice and sunny!!

Last week (when Ohio was getting hit with the remainders of Ike), we had an overcast weekend. It was really strange though, we had some really strong winds (tree branches down, etc.) but no rain! Gotta love the sunshine. And now that it's not so hot outside, I may need to start studying on our nice little patio!

That's all I have to say for now. GSR hunting continues... if you want to know more about that, you will have to ask me personally!

24th Birthday

Ok, so it wasn't the best birthday in the world. BUT, people certainly did try. I will briefly mention the negative news I received yesterday, but try to elaborate on all the good...

I didn't get that GSR I would have liked... but such is life. The good news- I'm really excited about interviewing for another one coming up... and maybe more that aren't scheduled yet... (yes I'm vague, but I don't know who reads this thing!) Anyhow, I found that news out very unexpectedly last night... as most of the girls in my program were in a flurry of excitement over their newfound GSR or hopeful leads on GSR positions. Which is fantastic for them, and I would be the exact same way. But being me, and my birthday, I got to thinking... and freaked myself out. And forgot for a moment about the great things that DID happen on my birthday. Now that I'm sane again, I can re-focus to a good birthday.

The good.
I got a delicious cake sent to me from my parents the day before my birthday. (almond flavored with raspberry filling and lots of really good icing). It was even complete with candles thanks to my roomies! This cake wasn't small- and my roommates and I finished it today! This cake saved my night last night.

I woke up in the morning to a nice happy birthday sign with a balloon sticking out of a pot of roses!

I got some wonderful homemade chex mix and a really nice card from two of the girls in my program

I went to lunch with Cecilia and Madhav. Mmmm...

I got a birthday card that sings "Sugar, Sugar"

I went out to dinner with all 9 of the other girls in my program, which was really nice of them to all get together. (And fun to be so close to Shelley and Amy's birthdays!!)

I got lots of really nice birthday messages.

See?? Good birthday. I need to stay positive...

So, while staying on this positive note... I will resist the temptation to talk about the amount of stress and difficulty I am having with my adjustment. Things will get better, I just hope it's soon.

Getting Settled

So you may want to check my blog every few months... it looks like that's when I'll be able to blog. Right now I'm using the blog to get out some thoughts about my new place in life, and to give myself a little break. Perhaps if I use this as a place to give myself a break, then I will blog more often.

Now to the update:

I moved my stuff down to Pittsburgh with my parents August 13/14. I am so glad they were able to help! There was so much to do, I really don't know if I could have done it on my own. We spent a whole day cleaning my apartment. Vacuuming the cobwebs in every room, cleaning the bathroom (thanks mom!), and moving the stuff my landlord left into the basement (thanks dad!). After trying to get things sorted out I felt like I barely had unpacked any of my boxes, and by the night of the 14th I was back in Columbus to go to Mark and Liz's wedding.

The wedding was lots of fun. It was the first time I had been to a non-religious ceremony. It wasn't really that different, just really short. This was also the first wedding I had been to that was for friends of mine. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed seeing Dan (who's been living on his dairy farm in Wisconsin) and all my other undergrad friends. It was nice to party before officially moving to Pittsburgh.

After the wedding I cleaned my apartment and by the 17th I was leaving for Pitt. So many changes, so quickly. I've been in a state of shock for the past few weeks. Where do I start talking about this new period of my life??

The girls: The one thing keeping me from freaking out about not being with Dave, and having so much hard work to do! I am getting along with all the girls in my program, which makes life so much easier to handle. We're all in the same boat, being in a new place and learning to deal with this busy schedule. While we have different personalities, we seem to compliment each other really well. (and bonus- lots of them like to play games!). My roommates and I are also getting along! I'm doing my best to keep my mess to my room (which still isn't completely unpacked).

The most stressful part of grad school right now is looking for a GSR (graduate research position-- AKA- what will pay my tuition and stipend if I get one before December). I'm actually amazed at how well we have all been getting along while we are still in "competition" with one another... Apparently NIH cut funding (I know, you're shocked based on how 'great' the economy has been), so while lots of people would love someone to help them with their research... they don't have the funding. Our guidelines for where to look are vague. I try to find websites that list research projects going on, then I look for someone doing something that either is or could be genetic related, then I look up their e-mail and forward a request to see if they have a position available. The next step is interviewing for the position, but those are in the minority of responses. The girls and I have been compiling a list of all our negative responses (talk about a downer). One day I sent 12 e-mails and I got 8 negative responses by the end of the day. Quite frustrating! Last week the 7 of us that still don't have a GSR interviewed for a position that takes 2 students every year. While I felt good about my interview, I know that my competition is has just as good of a shot. I would love this position, so I am hoping that I get good news when we find out early this week. I will certainly update you when I get one.

Classes: Oh my goodness! I knew graduate school was going to be hard, but I had no idea just how much more work it was going to be! Here's my comparision... In undergrad I had 3-4 classes and would fill my time between classes studying. Now, I have 5 classes AND journal club, ethics case conference, clinical case conference, and seminar. Most of the classes I have are extremely complex and fast paced. One class covered all the genetics that I knew in about 45 minutes. I have to remind myself that it's possible, and just chug away at trying to learn. I can't believe this is already week 3! The hardest thing with classes has to be the time of them. When including time to travel TO class, I have 3 days where I'm gone from ~8:30-7:30, one day from 1:30-7:30, and 1 from 8:30-5:30. Crazy! Granted, there are 2 hour breaks between classes... but it can be hard to be productive during that time. 2 of those night classes we can just listen to online, but then you have to find time to do that! Fortunately, you can download them to your mp3 player.

So life is staying really busy. It is just starting to hit me how much I miss Dave. I was kind of ignoring that change until this weekend... but now it's really weird. It is going to be a really hard year. The girls in my program will certainly make it easier, but it doesn't change the fact that I really miss Dave, and really wish he was around. Even if I wouldn't see him for long periods during the day, it is just nice to have that person around that ISN'T going through exactly what you are. That person that can just make you calm down and instantly make you regain sanity.

Ok, that's all for now. I must get some work done before classes this afternoon! I just wanted to give a quick update.

Has it been over a month???

Wow, I am terrible at blogging. I know I will regret it later, because I truly will not remember my life. I suppose I just enjoy living it. There are no excuses. My sisters who are WAY busier than I can imagine find time to blog. They are also very creative and don't write boring posts like I do.

I started writing a blog entry about my rafting trip, only 4 days after the trip! But I got distracted mid-post, saved it and still have not finished it. After a month, I am left with TONS to write about... but not enough time to elaborate. I can't imagine how bad this is going to get in grad school!

White water rafting was a blast this year! 11 of us went and had a great time. It was fun having a bigger group. It was also nice staying 2 nights this year. We found a great hike the 2nd day. It was also cooler this year, which was nice. Really, the only down side was that we felt the rafting trip wasn't quite as exillerating (apparently this is either misspelled or not a real word...) as last year... we're ready to bump it up a notch. To see lots of pictures, and a nice summary you should see Megan's blog: http://www.mkduke.com/?p=17
and Dave and Megan's photo websites: Dave's photos ;Megan's Photos .

-Lake Cumberland was a blast this year, although I really wish Dave had been there. I'm used to spending so much time with him, it is really weird to be having a good time and have him not there. I feel like he should be having fun with me! And he didn't get to meet Mark! Soon... I am certainly getting older. It was exciting to tell people I was engaged and watch their shock and excitement. It's really nice to see how happy people are that Dave and I are going to get married. (I mean, I know I love him.... it's glad that others are going to be happy about the addition to the family). This year at Cumberland we got a new boat... and man was it the way to live!!

Almost everyone there!! (I think we were close to 50 people this year!)
back of the t-shirts!

-Kiawah is coming up next. This year Dave is actually coming! It will be quite the adventure. I'm a little nervous... I really want Dave to love my favorite place in the world. We started going to Kiawah the summer before I went to Kindergarten! (I was 5). Needless to say, after 18 years of going there... I want to keep going back. So here's to hoping Dave may actually like this beach, and that it isn't too hot. Another exciting thing this year... both my sisters and all their little ones are coming! It's going to be quite interesting. This new family dynamic is quite different than I am used to. We'll see how it goes.

-As a final note... I'm really interested in knowing who is reading my blog... it may inspire me to write more often if I know my entire audience. For all I know right now it's my mom, sisters, and occasionally Christy that read my blog. So let me know!

Preparing...

So this month and next are supposed to be relaxing. HA-HA-HA... I should know by now that relaxing is no longer a concept that my brain allows to exist. With-in 2 weeks of graduating I have booked almost every single weekend. I'm about to start a list of things I need to get done in the next 4 weeks... because once August hits I have to be ready to go.

Fortunately I have some fun scheduled... but other than that I need to do a bunch of things before moving to a new city. Whew... At least there's no studying yet!

I also have to look into some wedding stuff before I leave. That will give me an idea of what's available in Columbus before I plan from far away. No date has been set... and at this point I don't even have a season nor specific year determined. Dave and I have lots to decide... we just have to remember to enjoy ourselves!

This weekend Dave and I went up to his house in Geneva. It might be the last time I could get up there this summer. So who knows when I'll have a chance to go back! I'm going to try and make one more trip down to Cincy this summer too. Now my only question is... will I have another weekend in Columbus???

BIG CHANGES

That's right! I'm engaged!!!

Oh my goodness. It has been so long since I last blogged, I decided I had to re-vamp the whole thing. Many HUGE life changes have occurred over the past few months. Here is an overview...

Grad school interviews: I'm so glad that I went on so many interviews. I ended up having my pick of where I wanted to go, so I know that the program I chose was for me. My final decision: the University of Pittsburgh! So next year I will begin training to become a genetic counselor. Interviews were stressful and time consuming... so I got a little behind in classes. But it was great getting to visit so many different places and stay with so many people! Thanks to everyone who let me stay with them!!

Finishing my thesis: This was quite the process. Lots of work, 3 presentations, and a 30+ page thesis that is now available to read online! (feel free to ask me for the link!) My life became consumed by this amazing project. I didn't find out what I expected to, but I learned a TON about how to design, implement, and interpret results from a survey.

Graduating: Towards the end of the year I realized something... As I learn more, I feel like I know less. What does this mean? I keep learning that there is a lot that I don't know! And the more I learn, the more areas are shown to me that I don't know anything about!
*After completing my thesis and coursework I also realized that going to OSU for a 5th year was the best decision ever. It brought me such a sense of accomplishment that I NEVER would have felt. I took on more than I thought I could handle, and amazed myself at what I could do. I actually feel accomplished, and it's a great feeling.

Many other great things have happened recently...

Graduation was much better than I anticipated. The 96 degree weather did not hurt as bad as I thought it would! After graduation my parents, Kate, Greg and Colin, Dave, his parents, Jon and Rachel, and Christy and Andre all went to Bucca. We had a great time, and it was so nice having everyone meet each other. What a wonderful way to celebrate!

The following weekend I went to Pittsburgh to look at apartments, and found a GREAT place!! So exciting!

I got to spend a few days with my parents, Giselle, Michael, Lily, and Andrew! It was great to spend quality time with them for a few days.

This past weekend my family had a big graduation party in Cincy for myself, and my cousins Chris and Gwen. We had a great time. Lots of people came, and it was so nice seeing the family together. I was glad Dave got to spend some more time with them.

ENGAGEMENT!!! I'll admit, I'm still in a little bit of shock. I keep looking down at my hand in disbelief. Oh, I knew Dave and I would get married... but I wasn't expecting it to happen Sunday! He really caught me off guard! What a wonderful surprise. I couldn't be happier. I'm sure you want the story...

Sunday morning Dave made me breakfast. I had been feeling like pancakes, so he made some for me... they were wonderful! Then we decided to go to Highbanks to take a walk in the park. (this is not an unusual activity for us). We're walking around like always, and he lets me choose which way to go. As we reached the overlook we sat down together to soak in how nice of a morning it was. He gave me a kiss and then asked if I wanted another... I said yes... and then he told me I had to answer a question first. At that moment, I knew. <> He got down on one need and asked me to marry him. Perfectly calm, not nervous at all! I said yes, of course!!

So time is changing... and I couldn't be happier. I'm excited for everything that life has coming. I just wonder what great experiences I have ahead!

Numb

My face, my lips, my tongue... they are all numb!! I just had 3 fillings at the dentist today. For some reason I thought it was 2, but I was mistaken. All of them on top, but 1 HUGE filling on the right, and two small on the left. In addition, I got fit for a new bite plate. Don't you love the dentist? My mouth is very sore, but the procedure itself didn't hurt at all. Eventually my mouth didn't even realize it was open. But it certainly was a long 2 hours.

I am so tired. Balancing interviews and school isn't working quite as I had hoped. I left last Thursday, and came back late last night. Then today I slept in and went to the dentist. I still have to study some and pack my bag for tomorrow night! That's right, after class tomorrow I will drive to my next interview. And then I have a midterm Tuesday. Oh, and I have a quiz tomorrow and paper topic due.

Interviewing itself is draining. I'm glad I get to see all these programs, but it is going to be hard to make a decision if I get accepted to more than one! May 2nd... I'm not sure if you're approaching too fast or not fast enough! 16 more days.... then I have 5 days to make a decision. So that means- in 21 days or less, I will know where I will be for the next 2 years!

Life on the Edge

So I thought I would take a moment to blog. This is the busiest yet. I am comforted that my boss (who has been a genetic counselor for many years) told me that grad school will not be this busy! (yay!). It also makes me feel good that I don't have to worry about grades as much as interviews and just passing my classes this quarter. So what makes it so hard?

I'm not used to giving less than 100% on everything. I am the type of girl that goes to class after being sick in the morning just so that I don't miss anything. I am the type of girl that sacrifices sleep because I know the benefit of studying for a few extra hours. By doing any less than 100% I am not sure how much to do. So I look at my schedule freaking out that I won't have enough time, because I am trying to fit in 100%.

Anyhow... I having been doing everything in my power to stay upbeat, positive, happy, and well rested. Thank goodness! Most moments push me to the edge of sanity... but then I pull back. Stop and think about what I need to do for myself. Interviews certainly add to the stress, but they keep me in check. They are the priority, so that means being happy and confident are priorities. I suppose they typically are, but this quarter is making me focus on ensuring this.

Nothing about this quarter is easy. Wait, that's a lie. Dave makes lots of things easier for me! But still, many everyday things just are not running as smoothly as I wish they would. My tooth started hurting the other day... so I had to find a new dentist in Columbus... they could fit me in that day... but then we had insurance issues, and I was on and off the phone for an hour before my appointment. Then I had to make an appointment for fillings on my one day in Columbus between interviews. You know, things like that!

Now I'm trying to plan what to bring with me to do on the plane/ in the airport/ and other places this weekend. I got a laptop case that looks like a purse-- for cheap! That should help with the packing. Instead of a purse and a laptop case I just have 1 bag!

As far as interviews have been going... so far I've had my first 3. They went really well. There are always things I would have done differently, but hindsight is always 20-20 right?

I got to spend a weekend in Philadelphia with Giselle, Jeff, Andrew, and Lily! We had a blast! Andrew really warmed up to me, which made me feel great!! I arrived on a Friday night, and the next morning Andrew woke me up to read him a dinosaur book. As I read it to him I struggle to pronounce the names only to find later that they are listed in the back of the book! What else did we do?... We went to the zoo! Which was lots of fun. I lifted Andrew and Lily up to see some of the animals. Lily left dirt on my jeans, and my back was in shock from lifting Andrew-- but it was worth it!.

Some of my favorite moments:
-Lily shaking her arm when she didn't want me to hold her hand in the zoo.
-Playing baseball and soccer with Andrew in the yard for over an hour, and watching his face light up in giggles when I would kick the ball in a zig-zag.
-Reading Andrew a book before he went to bed (per his request!)
-LOTS of hugs and kisses from both Andrew and Lily
-Cuddles from Andrew
-Getting to see "Trey" moving in Giselle's belly, and feeling his little butt!
-Spending time with Giselle and Jeff, just discussing life and enjoying a quiet evening.
-Helping Jeff finish a bottle of wine
-Andrew telling me he loved me! :)
-I know there were many more... but I just can't think of them right now!

Giselle, this doesn't emphasize enough how much I appreciated spending time with YOU and just getting to see you... but you had to have cute kids! Thank you so much for letting me stay with you and taking me to the interview!!

Last Quarter At OSU

WARNING: This is a stream of consciousness entry.

My last quarter at OSU has begun. And it is going to go full speed for 10 weeks straight. Yesterday I sold back my books from last quarter (which I bought for $200+)... they gave me $36.50. Thank you for ripping poor college students off. BOOO! Of course, this quarter I have a teacher that wants to "save" us money by not assigning a book, and not putting together a course packet either. In theory this is good. But I printed off the reading for the first 2 lectures: 60 pages! Unfortunately, printer ink is expensive... and I would rather have bought a book!

This quarter is going to fly by! My planner is already full... yet more things keep coming up. (like my friend Dan is coming in town tonight!! I haven't seen him since he graduated in December of 2006!! ) Anyhow, my schedule is so full that I don't know where I'll find time to do laundry and go to the grocery store! Scheduling is key. I have to know what to do for each day. Want to know the crazy part? I'm taking the MINIMUM number of credit hours this quarter! 3 classes (one of which is for my thesis). So why this quarter is going to be hard?

--I'm going to be out of town March 28-31, April 10-15, April 17-18, and April 25-28
-- I find out from grad schools if I was accepted/waitlisted May 2, and must make a decision by May 7.
--I present my research project (so I have to enter the data and analyze it before hand) at the Denman Forum of Undergraduate Research on May 14.
-- I present a topic for my Biopsychology of Aggression class some day between May 13 and May 29
-- I give an oral defense of my thesis May 28
--I have a 15-29 page paper due for my Biopscyhology of Aggression class due May 29.
-- My thesis is likely due by May 30
-- I have a 5 page paper due for another class May 29.


Really, that was for me... if you really read that, you're crazy! To summarize... I'm going to be busy. I'm not really sure how it will work out. But the good news is: I have no classes Monday, Wednesday, OR Friday this quarter.

Alright, I won't be blogging much this quarter. If you want to know about how my interviews are going, you will have to ask me... I'm not going to blog about them.

What was the point of this entry? I'm starting to forget... Sorry this is such a lame-o post. My mind is sort of racing... if you couldn't tell!! Hopefully I will update every now and then... but it will basically be just to let you know I'm alive!

Oh, That's What a Blizzard Is...

So 6 days ago (last Monday) it was 67 degrees outside. As it poured down rain Tuesday I thought about how much snow that storm would have produced! (it rained more than 1.5 inches Tuesday). And then Friday and Saturday (yesterday) this happened...



I don't think I have ever seen this much snow... Below is what I saw looking out my door yesterday afternoon... Yes, it's a covered walkway. No it's not on ground level!


This is what I saw when I went to check my mail:

It was snowing so hard, my camera lens was getting wet! As I walked to the mailbox, I looked for the smallest piles to walk on. Fortunately Liz's boots weren't too small for me. Hers come up to the top of my calf (mine aren't so deep snow appropriate). The lowest areas of snow came up to my knees (when packed down below my feet). So it was at least 15"!!!! There were some drift piles that had to come up to my waist. As you can see, the cars were not moving anywhere.
It started snowing Friday morning around 9am. By the time I left to go to a final review session at 1pm the roads were covered in ice and snow. It took me twice as long to get to school, and walking wasn't easy either. Snow was pelting me in the face as the wind blew around the Horseshoe. I only made it to the last 15 minutes of the review session! I have never seen snow come down so fast! I cleaned snow off my car 4 times in one day! And every time I got out of my car I would use my snow scraper to get rid of all the snow crammed between my wheel and the wheel well. Crazy!

That was just day one. 24 hours later, this is what Dave's car looked like:


This storm made me think about a couple of things...
1) how I really should have brought my snow pants back from home this winter.
2) how I should buy a pair of those silly looking rubber boots that people have been wearing because they're "stylish"
3) how I don't have a shovel to dig out my car!

Anyhow, I've been studying for finals. My first one is at 11:30 Monday. My second at 7:30 am Tuesday, and the last one is at 4:30 pm Tuesday. They go in order from easiest to hardest. :-p. I was thinking this morning how I will have to plan ahead, and start digging my car out today. (I'm thinking my big plastic bowl that was $1 at Target will make a nice make-shift shovel). But then I remembered that the roads will be bad for a few days, and I'm dreading having to leave even earlier to get to my 7:30 am final. (Without ANY bad conditions I would have to leave my place by 7:00 to get there on time!)

So now there's lots of pretty white snow... and I have to study instead of play. :(

I'm still here!!! (physically)

Mentally... we'll just have to see. :) It's hard for me to describe my emotions... yesterday I felt: happy, frustrated, nervous, excited, angry, confused, and exhausted. PMSing probably doesn't help days like that. Let's see... I was trying to sort out when I would do everything the next 2 weeks.
I need to make plane reservations, make a hair appointment, make a doctor's appointment, make a dentist appointment, make hotel reservations....
I need to write 3 papers, study for 3 finals, do 2 homework assignments, study for 2 quizzes...
I need to find time to work while running my now approved thesis project this week...

You know, the everyday stuff like that! So as I'm planning, and my planner is overflowing, one of my teachers mentions that the newly posted HW5 (which is due the day of our final) has a rough draft due Monday. And if we don't turn in a rough draft we will get a 0 on the assignment. My mind started racing... draft?... Apparently for HW5 we must read one of the 4 articles posted, find a 'companion' article, and write a short paper summarized the two. The summary can't be longer than 3 pages, and he gave a page listing what needs to be discussed. Awesome. In addition, he posted a 14 page paper that we had to read for recitation today. So make the 4 papers to do...

In addition, yesterday I went to meet with my advisor to discuss getting started on my project today. He wasn't there when we had planned (1:30), so I met him after my class and his meeting was over (5:15)... I was there until 6:45. Not horrible. BUT, I was planning on doing laundry after that class.

Now I'm looking at my schedule again... when can I fit laundry in?? Uh oh... looks like I may have to go tomorrow (even though I still don't know when I'll make it home!) Am I crazy???

I'm sure you don't care about any of that. But it gives you a taste of how much is going through my head.

In other news, I've now scheduled 6 interviews! I will miss 6 full days of class next quarter. (and 8 if UC contacts me). I got my first rejection letter in the mail today. But I already knew Michigan hadn't accepted me. That's ok. I still have 6 great schools that I'm going to interview at. I am really excited to meet all these new people and hear about their programs.

It's been a while since I last updated. For Valentine's Day Dave and I opened up the Vidal Blanc Ice Wine (that I bought him 2 years ago). It was REALLY sweet! Then on Friday we went to Cameron's. The food was AMAZING again. But what really won me over this time was the wine and dessert. I think I liked Dave's glass of wine better. Both were medium-dry white's, but I liked the flavor of his slightly better. For dessert I got their house special... it's a cheesecake with a creme-brule topping, and surrounded by a light lemon sauce with raspberries and kiwi sauce. YUM! Dave's dessert was really good too, his was like a giant Reese's cup. Dark chocolate covered peanut butter moose, with whipped cream on top of course! The desserts were quite large for being fairly cheap! Makes me want to go back just for dessert.

Last weekend was a blast! I really wish I had taken some pictures, maybe some people at work have some that I can share. We had a work dinner party at one of the genetic counselor's gorgeous houses. They do this every year, and call it "Iron Chef". There were 13 plates of food. 3 appetizers, 6 entrees, and 4 desserts. Most people worked in pairs (with either a significant other or friend). Dave and I went last and made mini black bottom cupcakes with a homemade raspberry sauce and whipped cream with a mint leaf! Everyone had to use 1 of the 2 ingredients previously selected -squash and/or cream cheese. Oh, and we had to pair it with a drink! Dave and I made a "Smoothie" -we used vanilla frozen yogurt, 2% milk, and a little creme de cacao and a little raspberry vodka, they were mostly melted by the time we served... but DELICIOUS! Most of the food was cooked most of the way beforehand and either finished, heated, or just plated at the hostess' house. It was so much fun. Everyone was helping each other plate the food, and we had a blast! Have I ever said how much I love my co-workers? Oh!! And Rob and Chet made the first dish ever that I could eat multiple mushrooms in! -I made sure to thank them and let them know. :)

The Good DOES Outweigh the Bad

Quick entry for today... It rocked!! I got 2 interview offers! (IUPUI and Wisconsin!) YAY!!!

I'm so thrilled to have 4 interviews. But now I'm realizing a cost I had not planned for... traveling, and LOTS of it. SO... if you know ways to get REALLY cheap flights (Philadelphia and Wisconin-Madison) , please let me know. The best deals I've seen for flights to both are ~$120.) Hopefully I will find places to stay for a couple of them... So the cost is bad, but I couldn't be happier!

:)

Random thoughts/ events from the past week

Ok, so just a fair warning... I'm having a stream of consciousness type of day. A lot of random things happened this week, so this post will be about well... a lot of different things.

-Ok, so every year OSU does lots of "free" student events. They use our student activity fee and put on some pretty awesome shows. My favorite has been their comedy shows. I've seen Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Jon Stewart over the past few years. Well, Wednesday was another free show. They gave away tons of tickets, and Dave and I got to see part of the "Funny or Die" tour given by Will Ferrell. It was hilarious! For more information on the tour you should look at the website www.funnyordie.com. This had to be one of the best free performances I've had. There were 4 comedians we got to see... Will Ferrell, Nick Swardson, Demetri Martin, and Zach Galifianakis. They've all been on comedy central/ in movies. And they were definitely prepared to do a show at OSU. I love nothing more than them completely connecting with their audience. Will Ferrell came out wearing a Michigan sweater... which he proceeded to take off (and had an OSU shirt underneath) and stomped on the Michigan sweater. So great. And in addition, our new University President, Gordan Gee even got on stage with him for a section of the show. It was hilarious. President Gee is truely a great person for OSU, he really reaches out and connects with us students. And I really enjoy seeing how much of an effort he makes to let us know that he thinks we have a great university. Truly it was just a wonderful event. Apparently there were 15,000 people there. Being the 3rd stop on the tour, we were their biggest audience yet, and they seemed to really have fun doing comedy. Dave and I had a great night.

-Friday at work I was talking with the girls, and was happy to hear Thursday night that the other 2 got interview offers for grad school. Now all 4 of us have interview offers, and I'm really glad that it has worked out that way. We work very well together... I think we sometimes make each other more nervous than we need or should, but I truly feel we want the best for all of us and seem to help each other out. We are arranging a day for all of us to meet with the counselors to find out what we should do to prepare. We discuss our thoughts on what we've been doing. It's great, we're not trying to sabotage each other, or keeping to ourselves. And I'm so glad we can work well together as we go through this crazy process!!

-Saturday I got to see my parents. Unfortunately Colin got sick so I didn't get to go see him, Kate and Greg. But it was nice to talk to my parents. Then later that night a bunch of us went over to Amy's to play some games/ hang out/ eat good food. As always we had a blast!

-Today I need to do work... but I really don't want to... No tests this week! (yay!) I still have lots to do, it seems like the work never ends!!!

-That's all I can think of now... Hope you enjoyed my random post!

Worthwhile

Whew... look at the date... FEBRUARY. That means all my applications have been submitted! So I'm back to blogging. There is so much to say, I'm not quite sure where to begin.

Winter break....

This year winter break was different than the past few years. The first week after finals I worked "full time" for a week. Then on Friday night Dave and I babysat Colin so Kate and Greg could go out with another couple. He was so good for us, and as we were getting him ready for bed he went and cuddled with Dave (it was SO cute).

I spent a few days working on applications and then left with my parents to go visit my sister in Philadelphia for a week. I experienced some loving comments from my 4-year old nephew who told me "I don't like you because I don't remember who you are", and proceeded to call me Aunt Kate (my other sister). But who can blame him? I hadn't seen him since Father's Day, and I'm not exactly great at writing. I still enjoyed seeing him though. And then Lily just melted my heart. She always wanted me to 'read' books to her, would hold my fingers and walk, and just smiled all the time!

We were still in Philadelphia for Christmas, and it was the first Christmas in 2 years that I had spent with my parents, and also without Dave. It was so weird not having Dave there. Actually, it almost didn't feel like Christmas because he wasn't with me. Anyhow, it was fun watching Andrew open his presents. He was SO excited. I absolutely love being an aunt, but it struck me how little time I get to spend now just with my sister. Things are so different than when they were in college. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it's just an adjustment.

Right before we left Philly, I showed Andrew how to take pictures of himself with my camera. I think he really enjoyed it... and he wants me to send him some of the pictures (So I need to go buy some photo-paper!). Below are a couple of the resulting photos...

The day after Christmas we left to go to Columbus for Colin's 3rd birthday! Kate's in-laws were there and Colin was in Heaven. After a nice party, I went to my place to get some things done (paying rent and bills and checking on applications). Then I drove my car back to Cincinnati. Cincinnati was a lot of fun. I got to meet up with my high school friends quite a bit. We had fun talking about our experiences over the past year.

(the 5 of us that had our grad party together 4.5 years ago!)

Kate and Colin came down for a few days and that gave me the chance to get Colin his present: a Build-A-Bear. He had so much fun filling the bear, and pressing the buttons. I think that 4 might be the perfect age to do this though... because Andrew enjoyed picking out a football outfit for his bear last year and wasn't really enthusiastic about the rest, and Colin enjoyed everything except picking out an outfit. Hmmm... maybe one more year and he would have enjoyed both! I'll have to decide what to do for Lily... That same day my mom and I went shopping and I got my suit for interviewing! I LOVE it!


Oh, and when Colin was visiting they told me he said something about "Uncle Dave and that other girl". And Colin is the nephew that usually greats me by yelling "Auntie A!! Auntie A!!"

Anyhow... I came back to Columbus the day before New Years Eve and cleaned my apartment for a 'party' at my place! There ended up being 8 of us, and we had a great evening full of ordering pizza, snacking on Leah's amazing onion-dip, playing games, watching TV, and sipping on champaign. Such a great evening! So that was my Christmas break... Now for what I've been doing this quarter (I know, this is a VERY long entry).

(below) from Left to Right, Chris, Fred, Dave M., Leah, Amy

(Leah and I!)

This quarter is really weird. We started classes on a Thursday, and this 2-day week counted as week 1 out of 10 for the quarter. Now, autumn quarter we start on a wednesday, and that 3-day week does NOT count as week one. So basically... autumn quarter is near 11 weeks, and winter is near 9 weeks- both cover the same amount of material. I address this because of how much this quarter has caught me off-guard. This week was week #5. WHAT!?! The quarter is HALF over. Where did the time go? What about the papers that we have to do? And most importantly, why do teacher keep saying in lecture "And this will be an important theme for the class". So I'm not really sure what's happened in the past month, because I haven't even put up my new calendar in my room! But there have been a few things...

I drove to Pittsburgh for my long weekend in January. I visited Cecilia and got to meet a bunch of people from her program. I had a blast! I can truly see myself going there next year. The people were wonderful, and the program sounds great. What more can you ask for? Oh, and the drive wasn't bad at all.

Another happening in January- I scheduled for my spring quarter classes. My last time scheduling at OSU!! And my schedule looks amazing! I'm VERY excited.

And to catch you up completely... yesterday I submitted my final application. At work I was talking to Amanda, another girl that applied to the genetic counseling programs for next year. We were discussing when we might expect to hear about interview's and I mentioned that I think it might be really nerve racking when someone hears they get an interview and then rest of us sit around wondering if/when we'll get a call. About 3 minutes later... I got a phone call from Pittsburgh offering me an interview!! Of course, I was ecstatic!! (I still am!!) 3 hours after submitting my final application I get offered an interview from the place I submitted my first application! I debated for a moment saying anything to the girls... but I couldn't hold it in, and they said they couldn't blame me. The thing is, I know they will get calls too... and the whole process is just so exciting! YAY!!

So there it is... I'm back up to date... sorry about the long entry!!

Happy 90th Birthday!

(above) Grandma... looking great for her 90th Birthday!

(below) some of the cousins...

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma! January 2, Dave, Chris and I all drove down to Dayton to go to dinner for Grandma's birthday... her 90th! AMAZING! She seemed to have a good time, and I think she was glad those of us who could be there made it. I sat at the "kids" table. It was just a fun night.
Mom and I!

The next day classes started... and I was reminded of what has happened since my last post...

Grad school applications.... The day after my last post I had a mini-meltdown. Tears and all. It is SO hard to press that send button! I have currently submitted 3/8 applications. and 2 more are due a week from tomorrow!

Break went well... I had a lot of fun in Philly... took Colin to build-a-bear... Got to see my high school friends... and had some friends over to my apartment for New Years. **hopefully I will update on these later! For now... I must go watch the OSU Championship Bowl game!!! GO BUCKS