school.

Another school day cancelled due to "winter weather!"

I received a text message around 6am letting me know that the school would open at 10. Then I received an email from Dr Sanderson a little while later that we would not be having A Seg lab as we'd only be there for 30minutes. Next I was suppposed to have contact lens lab, but it was canceled for the week as the Monday lab groups didn't have lab due to MLK Day. About 9:00 I received another text saying that due to the icy conditions, we would not be having class at all today. Hurray! This makes our 3rd 3-day weekend in a row. I'm a little proud of myself because I've already listened to an old lecture and have plans to do more homework.  The previous days were not productive at all. :)

Anyway- I'm thankful for having much more "Eye" classes. I received my brand spankin' new (and very expensive) Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope-- Look out retinas!

And here are (most) of my new books for the semester. Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology has ribbons in it, like the bible does. Intense, right? The binder on the top has at least 20 rigid gas permeable contact lenses with a -3.00 D power and varying base curves and radii-- our "RGP CLs Fitting Kit." The thing in the box on top is called a scleral depressor. It is a little crochet hook-looking-thing that gets placed in the lid fold (when the eyes are closed) and reaches back behind the globe and puts pressure on the globe which raises the retina. Allegedly, if there is a tear in the retina, it will look like fish lips while doing BIO if you indent the sclera underneath. My problem is, I can't hold the depressor and the lens and do BIO.

It requires far too much coordination.

The  classes I am taking this semester:

1. Anterior Segment Disease with lab (Diseases of the Eye from the Lens forward)

2. Posterior Segment Disease I with lab (Diseases of the back of the eye, mainly retina and it's supporting structures)

3. Contact Lenses I with lab (Optics, fitting, troubleshooting CLs)

4. Vision Therapy with lab (in the name)

5. Theory and Methods IV with lab (the "we gotta make sure you at least know this stuff before we let you see pts! course)

6. Ocular Pharmacology (Drugs for the eye)

7. and CLINIC duties: central testing, school screenings, and clinical observation 1 day a week.

After the first week, on Friday, the girls went to Memphis Pizza Cafe for Pizza and Beer. It is in the Cooper Young district, which reminds me a lot of the Hay/Old Market in Lincoln/Omaha. Lovely Pizza! Lovely Girls!

Me, Allison, Jenny

nationwide is not on my side.

last thursday, i was driving on my way to school. a crazy lady (ms. dingbat) was driving in the right lane and saw "traffic" ahead and decided to turn left from the right lane. but, i was in the left lane. i saw her, said "what the !," braked as hard as i could and braced myself for the impact. my passenger front end crunched her driver's side rear tire. neither of us had any injuries.

one of my classmates was just behind me and stopped to make sure i was okay. janelle driedger, bless your heart. she gave me a hug and told me that if i needed anything, she'd stay- but instead she went in and told my professors-- but then everyone else drove by on their way to school and saw as well.

when i finally got to school, smashed front end and cracked windshield and all, i double checked my binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (BIO) to make sure it was okay (the most expensive thing i own) which i had gotten on monday and went into lab. dr. sanderson, bless her,  gave me a big hug, "Oh my goodness, I was worried!! they told me what happened! are you okay! did she have insurance?? don't even worry about being late- you won't have to dilate :)!"

i went and got an estimate, as that's what my insurance company- from wayne- said to do, so Brad the Body Shop Man told me about $3148... uh, excuse me?!? sheez louise! BUT Nationwide, her insurance, will have to do it's own estimate before we can get it fixed--- but won't get on it. They called Dad on a Friday night and called me monday to do a phone interview and is "waiting on the police report."

ms. dingbat never apologized. never took responsibility. never. just "oh, i saw traffic up ahead." she didn't ask me for my information. she didn't really want to give me hers. we called the police. she received a citation but then told her insurance that she was in the left lane making a left turn--- which would then make it my fault, i would think. but it wasn't. the 50 million doctor calls making sure i was okay after being the "victim" of an accident based on the accident reports filed to the memphis city police reassured me that i indeed was not at fault. i'm sorry, but if these doctor's have access to the police reports, shouldn't her car insurance?!? puh. lease.

i'm missing my right blinker and headlights (ish) and it's pretty smashed. i don't really want to drive it, but i hate being dependent on my roommates and such. i think it'd be okay? but don't want to chance it. this was so minor, it's more annoying than anything. my dear friend Lauren was in a much scarier situation with her car the next day. Praise God she and her passengers are okay.

more posts to follow soon--- MLK coming up! :)

nashville/garth/flight home

it is finished.

I'm laying in bed, snug as a bug in a rug- no thoughts of guilt, no places to be. I just can hang out all day. Clean up. Pack. Reorganize. A great day ahead.

Our tests were pretty gross this semester. On the whole, the classes weren't difficult. The teachers threw curveballs on the final exams... without giving us a curve. There were a few moments of rage/tears/sadness and many moments of defeat and stress. It'll turn out okay. I think.

Yesterday we had our last final at 8 am. We had a double whammy on Tuesday, so studying Tuesday night was nearly impossible. My roommates and I made the terrible mistake of flipping the tv on and discovering that the Madonna and Brittney Spears episodes of Glee were on.   Even after the shows were over, I could not look at printed words.  I decided to go to bed and get up early. I've been setting early alarms and running through the material before going to take the test- which works pretty ok as long as I have hot fresh coffee in my hands.  I get to the test, and  thankfully I brought reading glasses to help becuase it was crazy long. It was for our Evidence Based Medicine course. She handed out a 12-page 75 question test with a separate reading packet- equally as long. It reminded me of taking the ACT. One of my favorite Peds docs was walking through the lobby outside the test as we were finishing, "I haven't seen you guys this happy in a LONG time!!" No ma'am. You have not.

After the test, I ran out and grabbed a few gifts for roommates. Jessie has been "feezin cold" all week "I don't know how people live like this!" (low of 25 degrees). I got a cute hat (with ear flaps and braids) at Target and then found a (sort of) matching scarf/glove/hat combo at NY&C. She loved it. I got Kaila some jewelry. She liked hers a lot as well.

Last night we had some friends over for a potluck. I prepared a sangria that had time to yummify over night. SUPER yummy. Here's the "recipe" that I, of course tweaked: Citrus Rum instead of the brandy and apples instead of grapes-- things I had on hand. I also whipped up some mashed 'taters (from Dad's garden) and some deviled eggs-- that I forgot in the fridge- so if anyone wants one (or two) come on down!! OH Almost forgot. I made Chicken Dip. Mom used to make it when my friends would come over in HS. A nice gooey chicken/chiles/cheese/ and various forms of cream (sour, cheese, celery soup). So many other wonderful dishes!! We also did a Grab Back/Dirty Santa gift exchange. I ended up with a nice tin of ghirardelli squares. holla! Sam brought Apple Pie- the drink-- we celebrated the end of the year with a few shots of that sweeet sweeeeeeeeeeeet business.

Tomorrow we three girls are traveling a far... OK not really. We're  going to NASHVILLE! We're hoping to do a little sight seeing and then go to see GARTH BROOKS in CONCERT!! I don't even know what else to write. IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME. I'd better find my battery charger for my camera. Then Kaila and I will drive back to MEM to fly out Saturday morning. I found cheap (ish) tickets non-stop into Omaha by lunch! Whirlwind of awesome. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

ok. probably better do laundry. i think i've had a load in the dryer (dry) since saturday...

december.

dr. newman reminded my roommates and i that "it's the MOST WONDERFUL time of the year." in real life, i agree. however in school life? not so much.

real life = a group of friends got together saturday night and decorated cookies, drank cider, and i watched the husker game as well. we had fun... decorating anyway. i think they got a kick out of me yelling and kicking and grumbling under my breath... ah well.

school life: = finals.

gross.

needless to say, i was not very productive over thanksgiving break. last week, i had my final theory lab practical, so i was dilated every day which makes studying (and frankly, doing anything) nearly impossible. so this week, is cramtime. we had a test this afternoon which went ok, i guess. personally there were some pretty dumb questions, but whatever. i'm sitting in an ok spot in all my classes. i wish i was sitting a little better so that i didn't have to worry as much about a grade- ok fine. i will pass all of my classes with flying colors-- it's just i'd really like to pad the ol' gpa a little as next semester will be a bear.

all this to say, prayers are greatly appreciated.

back to learning about stereopsis and the joys of binocular vision...

election day... guatemala.... other thoughts...

so today was election day. my roommate voted when she was home for the weekend. i did not vote, for the first time since i was able to. i did not request an absentee ballot. i was thinking about it as i was brushing my teeth a little bit ago. some of the reasons: 1. i do not watch the news. 2. i read the sports section/big red today section only on omaha.com. 3. what tv i do watch, tends not to have political campaigns (tlc,foodnetwork, tlc) 4. the little tv i do watch that has political commercials are tuned out as i don't care about tn politics AND commercial time is prime study time. :) my roommates and i were discussing politics briefly- and we determined that 'kids' our age tend to vote fairly liberally as we are in college and have little 'at stake' with taxes/property/responsiblitiy etc- which i think i had heard/talked about before. it'll be interesting to see if my generation will continue to vote liberally (the ones that do, anyway)...

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new topic.

mission work.

our chapter of 'fellowship of christian optometrists' is going to guatemala in may to give eyecare to people down there. i am very interested in going, but haven't felt the strong nudge to go/not go yet. so i would appreciate prayers for guidance. the part(s) that are making me apprehensive are - cost and going to a different country-- and, i'd be missing luke's graduation. (though, he said he couldn't be upset with me if i wanted to "help poor kids see." the deposit is due on friday... go figure, i'm waiting until the last minute to make my decision...

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do you ever feel like you just need a break from certain people? ugh. some of my classmates are getting on my nerves, to put it nicely. it's time to get away from them for a while. thank goodness the holidays are coming up!

i turn to the kitchen to spice up my life...

school? blah.
creating and experimenting in the kitchen? awesome.
try these for a wonderful twist on a beloved fav--- PORK CHOPS-- no, no applesauce here!!

I'm eating one leftover on a salad: spinach, gala apples, baby portabella mushrooms, pecans, chunked leftover chop, and a drizzle of strawberry balsamic ---