Santa! I know him!

Christmas is over, yes.  But the holiday spirit continues to live on.  Especially with the four days of intense snow we've gotten here in Portland this week.  Perfect weather for another visit from Santa.
Before Christmas, my interprofessional team from school (made up of pharmacists, physical therapists, a psychologist, and a PA - me) did our required service activity by helping out at a holiday bazaar.  It's all the rage here in Portland.  People set up their booths and sell their handmade goodies in preparation for Christmas.  Ours even had a little visit from Santa.  We couldn't pass up an opportunity to sit on his lap and put in our requests!

And they say it never snows in Portland.

Well, look what I woke up to this morning.  And you can't tell, but it actually WAS snowing!

One package down.....

......only 2 and 1/2 left.  Right now I am regretting not buying more.  The best tortillas EVER. From Safford, AZ.

Splinting & Casting

We got slammed this last week at school, but at least we learned how to put on some arm splints and casts.  SO MUCH FUN.  Probably my most favorite day of PA school so far.  We each put on 2 splints - an ulnar gutteral & a thumb spica - and then a cast.  This is definitely an art.  It's gotta look good and be molded appropriately so there are no bumps or divets, which will be annoying/painful to the patient in 3 weeks.  We also got to cut the casts off with the cast saw.  Scary??  Not really.  It's not a rotating blade (vibrating) so it can't really cut you.  Unless of course you absolutely have no idea what you're doing.  AWESOMENESS!!

Check out my work - Looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

This is MY year!

For my first post of the year I guess it's appropriate to talk about some of my goals for the upcoming year.  I think 2011 came and went w/out even having time to think about it.  That's not gonna happen this time!  Here goes......

get a 6-pack

Boom baby.  I've never had one.  I've always wanted one.  So I'll get one.  Ever heard of P90X?  They have a killer ab workout.  Hopefully doing that 3 times per week will allow my 6-pack to be seen.  It will also help me exercise more and eat better.

become smart by getting a smart phone

I think I'm the last person I know w/out one.  Even my family has passed me up.  I'll actually need one once I start doing rotations in May to have quick access to info via medical apps.  The plan is to get one in the next few months to have time to figure it out.  I will NOT be addicted either.  Hmmmmm......iphone or droid?

go on a cruise

I would be ok with any cruise really.  BUT I prefer the 7-day Caribbean cruise that stops at like 5 different islands.  Off the charts compared to the Mexican cruise.  But I've NEVER been on a cruise so I'd be happy with something simple to start with.  My UT roomies Allison, Amy and I are working on figuring it out.  Booyah!

read more of the classics

Let's be honest.....I have zero time for reading anything that's not medically related.  But I am in the car for 45 minutes a day so audio books it is!  Genius.  I've already "read" 4 books via audio: Pride & Prejudice (SO much better than any of the movies), Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm and one about Nelson Mandela.  I was very disappointed w/ the endings of the middle two.  Let's hope more of the classics don't disappoint.  Next on the list: Born to Run (started reading it over Christmas break and got hooked) and Great Expectations.

be a more focused/dedicated student

Procrastination + distractions is a deadly combo.  I've found this out you see.  The plan was to study ALL weekend and how much have I done so far?  Um, probably about less than 4 hours total.  Fail.  I only have 4 months left (4 MONTHS!) in the classroom.  So I will make the most of it!

blow my preceptors out of the water w/ my knowledge

This can only be done if the prior one happens.  During rotations, which start in May, I work w/ a preceptor/doctor/PA for 6 weeks and they show me the ropes.  Well, the more I know, they more they will trust me and the more I can do.  I want to get as much out of those rotations as possible.

reach out more to others

Sometimes I get caught up in my own world and worry just about myself.  What about others though?  Often times I usually wait for the other person to initiate a conversation, but that's about to change!  I want to engage more w/ others.  Relationships are one of the most important things we have, even if they are just basic acquaintances.  So....I will be reaching out more, even if it's just saying hello to a complete stranger.

set mini goals each day

The big lofty goals are always grand and good to think about.  But what about the small things?  EVERY day we should be improving and getting better at something.  Otherwise it's wasted time.  I'd like to at least THINK about what I want out of the day and then reflect back and see how I did at the end of the day.

continue to go to the temple every week

Let me tell you, it's not easy being in school.  Sometimes I don't even have time to cook dinner.  But going to the temple often is extremely important and helps to keep things in perspective for me.

So, here's my problem.  As you can see, I usually set way too many goals and then complete none of them.  I think I would be very happy, though, with even partial completion of the above goals.  At least I know I'd still be moving forward.  Here's to 2012!