Good news abounds...

Last week in class I noticed a crowd of girls gathered around Melissa, one of our classmates. When I saw the glimmer of something shiny on her left hand, and I made a beeline to join the crowd and hear the news. "Me too!" she giggled as I gave her a giant hug... She and her fiance are avid outdoorsfolk, and he proposed to her on a camping trip in the mountains. Her ring is a beautiful sapphire, and her fiance got it from a company called greenKarat. They're a very green, organic couple, and I love that he found a jeweler to match their values.

Today in class we found out that Dan and his wife are expecting their first baby. The news earned a loud round of whistles and applause from the room. Following that good news with more good news, Adam mentioned that he and his wife are expecting kiddo number three around the same time. These kids will have a lot of surrogate aunts and uncles. :)

I'm in love with my classmates - all of them. They are twenty-three of the kindest and most amazing people I've ever met. We spend so much time together that it really feels like an extension of family, and during stressful times in school we have a built-in support group. They make school fun.

Real quick-like...

I finished my 5k this morning in :30:14. That made me happy. The 10k last weekend took me 1:07:34 (although I heard that they mismeasured the course, and it was a little longer than 6.2. I'm sticking to that story...) I've been getting down on myself lately about my race times - I've definitely lost some speed since the summer, and I wasn't fast to begin with. I have to keep reminding myself that I do it for fun, and that plenty of people never sign up for a race at all, so I should still be proud of my accomplishments.
That being said, Luis and I are going to start doing some speed work this week. I want to run my next 10k in under an hour, dammit. :)

It was lovely being off work today - I got a lot done. I ran a race, washed seven loads of laundry, did the dishes, washed my car, went to the store, and I'm just getting ready to finish up my care plan for obstetrics. I've been super busy the past few weeks, and sleep deprived to boot. Last weekend I worked all weekend, and also wrote two papers. I was up until about 3:30 on Sunday night finishing up, then I had class on Monday, and clinicals on Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 6:30 am. There just hasn't been any time to catch up on sleep. However, I'm off tomorrow, and I can finally sleep in! (If you call my house before 9 am tomorrow, I will hunt you down where you live.) Of course, when I do get up, I have another paper to write. Oh, well. Can't win 'em all...

All things miscellany...

Due to the large number of projects I've taken on for this year, I figured that I might be a little more stressed than normal.
Yep.
There's this constant low-level stress humming in the background of my head almost all the time lately. I feel like I'm managing okay, and I think that I'll get everything done that needs to be done. Sadly, when I get busy, the first thing to go is my social life. The second thing to go is my skin. So basically, this fall I've become a recluse with acne.

Missoula is so beautiful in the fall - the neighborhood near campus is a riot of reds and oranges. I love the cool, crisp smell of the autumn leaves.

I'm a feminist and a cynic, so I have a tough time with some of the wedding crowd. For example, I like the idea of do-it-yourself wedding projects, but I have a hard time not poking fun at some of the women on the wedding websites. They all have screen names and graphics that say things like "257 days until I get MARRIED!!!" or "future Mrs. Peterson!" Seriously, gag me with a cake topper. I understand the excitement of getting married, and I understand being excited about having a wedding. I know that these girls are probably just giddy in love, and that I shouldn't be so judgemental. But, I hate the idea of a woman basing her sense of self worth solely on her marital status, and I sincerely hope that they realize how wonderful and important they are all by themselves, whether a Mrs. or not...

Last week was my first week of ob clinicals, and I got to watch a young woman give birth. It was the first birth I've ever been present for, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. The joy in that room was so tangible it made my heart swell. It was human nature at its' best, its' most pure. It makes me excited about starting my own family someday...

I came to work this evening, and there was a huge jar of candy setting on the counter next to my computer. I, being the good girl, relocated it to the break room. However... I, also being the hormonal one, have been back to visit the break room three times since. :)

Tomorrow I'm running a 5k in the 2007 Pumpkin Run. I've never done a 5k before, and I'm hoping that I can push myself to go a little faster than my usual pace, since it's only 3.1 miles. Proceeds from the event go to the Missoula Food Bank. Should be a good time.

Just try not to smile...

Learning to cope.

This article, A Nation of Wimps, from Psychology Today, addresses a real problem with today's children and young adults. The ability to cope is a learned skill, and many of today's parents go out of their way to eliminate discomfort from the lives of their children. It might be an honorable intention, but without experiencing some of life's discomforts and downers, the child has little hope of constructing healthy coping strategies for him or herself. The end result? A young adult who has no idea how to function independently in society.


(And coming soon (as soon as I can find it again), an article attributing maladaptation in teens and young adults to cell phone use. Never alone, never uncomfortable...)

I'm a runner.

"The difference between a jogger and a runner is the entry blank."

~ Dr. George Sheehan

Tomorrow I'm running a 10k at the Blue Mountain Clinic All Women's Run. This will be my fourth road race, and my second 10k (6.2 miles). I signed up with the same long-legged friend with whom I did the Roots Run, but this time with the good sense to start farther back in the pack than her and a plan to meet up at the finish line.

It's supposed to be cloudy and 37° at race time. Here's hoping for a little sun...

Vote for Monte.

Monte is a two-time winner of the Capital One Mascot bowl - let's help him secure another title!

2007 Capital One Mascot Open

The University of Montana Symphony.

This is a television spot for the University of Montana. There are six or so new ads done in this format, but for obvious reasons, this is my favorite.

Sicky.

For about three weeks now, I've felt like I was just below the threshold of a full blown cold. I haven't felt awful, just sort of 'not good,' with little transient waves of 'really icky' thrown in for good measure. Yesterday I started feeling worse, and so today I finally caved and saw a doctor at work. (That's one of the perks of my job. Our doctors are great, and they're always kind enough to check me out if I'm not feeling well.) Dr. W suspects a sinus infection, so now I've got antibiotics. Hope they work soon. I want to feel good.

Twice this week I've gotten to hang out with two guys I adore. Jeff and Andy are a pair of brothers I met through a mutual friend, and they're witty and sarcastic and lots of fun to spend time with. New friends are fun.

I spent most of the day working on the MSNA float for the UM homecoming parade. It was a lot of fun, and I came home just in time to scrub most of the paint splatters off myself before going to work. We got great weather today for assembling the float, but I'm hoping the weather forecast will be proven wrong for tomorrow - it's supposed to be 40° and rainy during the parade. Burr.

Ick, it's late. Off to bed...

No LOST until February.

Sigh.

I don't watch much television, but I love LOST. A friend was looking over my shoulder the other day as I thumbed through last semester's dayplanner, and she cracked up at the fact that I had "scheduled" LOST alongside my assignments, clinicals, and work schedule. Yep, it's that important. I watch it for the great story and plot twists, but also for the biceps. Gorgeous, sweaty, rugged men, with great biceps.

Hot.