Things found in my laundry money bowl...

We don't have washer/dryer hookups in our apartment, so we are still laundering in the world of coin-op. On our entry way table is a little clay bowl whose sole purpose is to collect quarters for laundry, but over time it has collected a myriad of other small items as well:

• two spare keys to my car, and one to Luis's
• €10 bill. Also €2.32 in change
• three identification badges bearing my name and photo: one for a hospice agency where I used to volunteer, one for my work, one for the hospital where I have clinicals
• two red plastic tokens, each good for a free taco at Taco Johns
• three rubber bands
• rusted fork divot repair tool
• several keys of unknown origin
• small green bouncy ball
• two zinc lozenges
• Red Cross blood donor pin
• poker chip from a casino in Vancouver, BC
• tiny safety pin
• cheap ring from when Sammy and I got married at the Foresters' Ball
• swipe cards to various grocers and video rental stores - the little ones that are hole punched, because these merchants are under the impression that I desire half a dozen tiny barcoded plastic bits on my key ring
• valve stem from a river tube

...and finally, down at the very bottom, $8.25 in quarters. Time to do some laundry.

randomandi.

Tonight there are lots of Halloween parties. Sadly, I'm not going to any. I didn't realize until today that this weekend would be the weekend for going out in costume, because I've been super busy lately and I just completely spaced it. It's a bummer, because I love Halloween... I suppose I still could have gone out, but after working eleven hours today the thought of putting on anything besides my jammies was just too much.

Sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly indulgent, I'll sprinkle my pasta liberally with parmesan cheese, eat the cheesy top layer of noodles, coat the next level with more cheese, and eat that too. I continue the process clear down to the bottom of my bowl. Mmm.

I have two tests next week. Ick.

The Jane Austen Book Club. Becoming Jane. They think they've got us all figured out... and yeah, they probably do. Although personally, I'm inclined to wait for video, as neither has gotten great reviews. I'm rereading Sense and Sensibility right now, and once we get a break from school, I think we're going to do a girls' night and watch all six hours of Pride and Prejudice. Sigh.

Go Sox!

I cannot believe that this is the last week of October. I'm still confused about where September went, and now it's practically November. Holy hell.

My bangs are really long. I'd cut them myself, but then my hairdresser would yell at me. I'll have to remember to make an appointment for next week.

I don't know if I'll do a bouquet toss at my wedding. I only have a handful of unmarried girlfriends coming, and I always found the tradition highly embarrassing as a singleton.

Okay, time for more homework. If I can force another forty-five minutes of concentration out of myself tonight, tomorrow's cram session will be that much easier.

Excitement, etc.

Much of this week I've had a giddy excitement bouncing around inside my tummy. No particular reason, other than life is good.

I got to see a good friend the other night. She was in town due to very sad circumstances, but it was wonderful to see her nonetheless.

My friend Nicole offered the other day to help me with wedding stuff. She's uber creative, funky and unique - I bet she'll have some amazing ideas. I'm also glad to have more help, as most of my bridesmaids and all of my family live so far away.

Speaking of nuptial ceremonies... gentle readers, I apologize in advance for writing what I'm quite sure will be more than you ever cared to read about the planning of weddings. Thus far, I've been able to keep my mind on my studies. But now, as the semester is more than half gone and the wedding is drawing rapidly nearer, I will have to shift gears somewhat and manage both. (A difficult task, because wedding stuff is so much more fun than paper writing.) But seeing as the wedding is less than ten months away, I'd better get a move on. And, if something is on my mind, it usually finds it's way onto my blog.

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.

Shag carpeting and harvest gold goodness.

So after a day packed with apartment hunting, we have discovered that the nicest apartment in town appears to be ours. Allow me to elaborate on our current situation a little...

Last year our apartment complex came, very abruptly, under new management. The new manager raised our rent significantly, and was generally unpleasant to do business with. In the past this complex always had a warm, community feel, and with the change in management it was clear that they thought of us as paying customers, and little else. Luis and I were frustrated, but we figured it would blow over. Nope. After a year of periodically getting really mad at the whole situation, we decided that instead of signing another years' lease, we'd just move. We figured that we could be spending less money, as we both think it's ridiculous to pay a whole lot to rent someplace, so we figured we'd have a look and see what else is available in the Missoula market.

It turns out that the Missoula market stopped generating apartments about four decades ago. Everything cheaper than where we currently live comes equipped with heinous brown shag carpeting and harvest gold or avocado green kitchen appliances. Never in my life have I seen so much fake wood paneling in a single day. Sure, there are nicer places in town, but they run about the same rates as where we currently live, and most of them are new developments where every unit has that same cookie-cutter apartment layout. My least favorite aspect of apartment dwelling is the sameness of everything, and for the same money I'd rather not move into something I like less than our current place.

Our current apartment, aside from the less than ideal management situation, is the perfect apartment. We have an upper level apartment with high vaulted ceilings and heavy, dark wood rafters, a fireplace, large closets, a big covered balcony, and private entry. The complex grounds are beautiful, with a nice pool and a pond, and a family of ducks who have taken up residence here. We've been here four years, and it really does feel like home. At least by looking for something new, Luis and I can feel like we fought back a little bit. And it looks like we're staying put.

Name my blog!

When I first set myself up here at blogger, I was stumped for an appropriate title for my blog. I typed in the first thing that came to mind (Hi, my name is Mandi), and left it at that. Over the years I’ve often bemoaned the lackluster title, but I just can’t get my brain to crank out anything better.

This, dear reader, is where you come in.

Most of you are far cleverer than me. As such, I would love suggestions from any and all for a title befitting my little collection of embarrassing stories, venting, and other random brain runoff. The only rules are as follows:

1. Leave your name with your suggestion so I can give credit where credit is due.
2. Profanity, while appreciated for its rightful place in humor, will likely not be seriously considered. (My mom reads my blog.)
3. Be nice.


Ready… set… GO!



(Winner gets a puppy. Or perhaps some lavish praise. Something of that nature.)

Two skinned knees and one bruised ego.

As I was walking to my car after work this evening, I misstepped at the curb... and fell down.
I haven't fallen completely over (without the assistance of snow or ice, at least) for a long time. It's scarier than it was as a child. When I was little, I had skinned bruised knees more often than not. But these days, it's a longer way to fall (oh, shut it - I am taller than I was at eight, thanks very much), and it's a strange, unfamiliar feeling. It's a good thing I don't embarass easily. I sat on the ground for a minute and had a good laugh before trying to right myself.
Now I'm sitting at home with ice packs on my knees.

It was a fitting end to the week. I had a good laugh, and I'm ready start fresh on Monday.