I successfully survived my first week back to school... True, I was in need of a more scheduled life again, but getting up at 6:30 am everyday was a rude awakening to my normal doze-until-9 lifestyle for the last four months. And my professors sure didn't ease up on us-- the second we walked in on Monday morning, they were raring to go. When I truly realized I was back in PT school? Monday afternoon in my Peripheral Orthopedics lab we were performing frictioned palpations on each others' groin muscles and piriformis (a very deep muscle in your butt). Hello!
My schedule this semester consists of Peripheral Orthopedics, Spinal Orthopedics, Modalities, and Research Principals and Design (lots of statistics and thesis-related work). So far, I feel like the semester will be managable-- anything's better than last year. I don't think it's academically easier, but there's much less adjustment required, less stress. I feel so bad for the first years; they just don't know what's coming. I've been trying to answer as many questions as possible for them and give them lots of advice, but there's nothing sufficient to say. First year sucks. It's just hard...socially, academically... hard.
The orthopedics classes are sort of the main focus this semester, in addition to thesis work. We're told that by the end of the semester, we'll be able to answer all of those questions we get when people find out we're in PT school: "Oh, you're in PT school? I've got this pain in my right ankle that..." One of my favorite parts of this class is that Jason, my professor, is Irish and has this great accent and pronounces a lot of medical terminology much differently than Americans. I'm partially used to this because one of my professors from last semester was British, but I heard some new ones this week. Like, umbilicus (as in umbilical cord, referring to your belly button). No, Jason says Um-bill-EYE-cuss. And he says, cerv-EYE-cul (cerv-i-cal...referring to the vertebrae in your neck). And skull-ee-tul (instead of skeletal...as in skeletal muscle). I'm keeping a running tab. He says we'll all be saying cerv-eye-cal by December, but I highly doubt it.
Another sign I'm back in school? When I go to bed at night, I'm not reading a novel under my lamp...not my Bible... No, I'm reading journal articals. Pillow talk with Tyler goes something like this: "What are you reading about?" "Acetabular labral tears and avascular necrosis." "Oh. Are you ever going to talk normal again?" "Nope."
Welcome back to PT school. Only fifteen weeks until Christmas break.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
"Every Little Thing...Is Gonna Be Alright..."
So, we're back. Antigua was awesome. We had a great, relaxing week with beautiful weather everyday. And I'm not sure Tyler or I have ever been this tan (or fat)! Our daily itinerary went something like this:6:30 am: Tyler naturally wakes up and can't go back to sleep, so he goes outside to the pool and reserves two chairs with our towels.
6:35 am: Tyler comes back and stares at the ceiling, hoping I'll wake up soon (I don't).
6:38 am: Tyler turns on the TV and watches morning news shows until I wake up.
7:30 am: I wake up, but pretend to be asleep until at least 8 am.
8:30 am: Get up and get ready for the pool. This involves at least three layers of sunscreen.
8:45 am: Eat a ridiculously big buffet breakfast consisting of mimosas, omelets, bacon, and chocolate donuts.
9:15 am: Roll out to the pool, lay in chair, suck in stomach. Tan. Sweat. Read.
10:30 am: The pool bar opens. Get in the pool, swim to bar, order a Hummingbird. Refill with frozen, fruity cocktails approximately every half hour (Tyler will try to deny this, but he didn't drink a single beer at the pool during the six days we were there.).
1:30 pm: Eat lunch. Choices: huge buffet or a la cart hamburgers, cheeseburgers, or quesadillas.
2:30 pm: Roll back to the pool. Lay on stomach to cover the pooch. Tan. Sweat. Read.
4:00 pm: Being decidedly crisp and so exhausted from laying down and eating all day, we decide it's time to go back to our room for a nap.
6:00 pm: Wake up. Shower. Get ready to eat again.
7:30 pm: Have a pre-dinner cocktail.
7:45 pm: Eat a multi-course dinner consisting of wine, bread, butter, salad, soup, appetizers, entrees, dessert, and coffee. It's all free down there and they just keep bringing it.
9:15 pm: Delay the food coma for five minutes until we make it back to the room.
9:20 pm: I immediately make a bubble bath and pour a glass of champagne. Tyler lays in bed and watches 24 hour cable news channel.
10:00 pm: Tune into the Olympics and complain about how unfair the judging is against the female American gymnasts.
11:00 pm: Tyler asleep.
12:30 am: I'm awake reading until....
6:30 am: Wake up and do it all again! Repeat five times.
It's a rough life we led down there! I'll probably have a video of the trip up soon. We did deviate from the rigorous schedule one day to go snorkeling. Unfortunately, it was jellyfish season, so if you know me, you can imagine how much fun this was. Actually, no one on the trip enjoyed it. Every time you tried to swim off, you'd be face to face with a jellyfish. The best part of the trip (besides getting back in the boat)? Watching a fish attack and eat one of the jellyfish. Go fish!
We felt so blessed to be able to get such a great, relaxing, (free) vacation and spend so much time together before we dive back into the crazy life of a grad student-lobbyist duo (our schedules couldn't be more different). With the fall comes lots of traveling for Tyler, lots of studying and research for me, and lots of college football falling in between. Summer's coming to a close and I'll mourn the loss of my tan, but we still have a lot to look forward to this season. Here we go...
Monday, August 18, 2008
They Read My Mind!
So I'm sitting in an airport diner this morning (I like to start my stories with "So"), at an ungodly hour I might add, eating my french toast and reading the paper, when a small story at the bottom of the USA Today caught my eye. "NBC coverage gives narrow view of China." "Sounds about right," I think.
The article went on to list the various news stories that have been overlooked, or barely covered at best. Stories of arrested protesters and the detention of reporters who tried to cover it, "aggressive security measures," and an overall Pollyanna picture painted by the major networks. They acknowledge that, of course, the real story is the Olympic Games, and the networks didn't pay millions upon millions of dollars to run undercover political investigations. But don't turn a blind eye to the problems that arise during the events.
I remember having a conversation with a fellow American who lived in China for several years on how he was interested to see how the country would change in the years leading up the Games. Capitalism was heavily on the rise, people were becoming more independent because of their new prosperity, and China had so many HUGE national issues that the government had an enormous job ahead of them in clean up before they opened their country up to millions of cameras, reporters, visitors, and viewers. Seeing the stark contrast between the economic classes (i.e. an Armani store next door to a muddy market of shacks selling near rotten meat dangling from hooks), hearing stories from persecuted Christians, learning about the personal implications that arise from membership and non-membership in the Communist party, I thought, "There's no way they'll be ready. The world will be shocked when they see some of these images." Since that conversation three years ago, I've been eager to see the coverage, to see what's changed and what's stayed the same.
Apparently, though, the government didn't have such a tough job ahead of them since the reporters aren't to keen to cover it in the first place. "Don't go looking for trouble. Just be up front about what you see, and we'll call it even." Well said.
The article went on to list the various news stories that have been overlooked, or barely covered at best. Stories of arrested protesters and the detention of reporters who tried to cover it, "aggressive security measures," and an overall Pollyanna picture painted by the major networks. They acknowledge that, of course, the real story is the Olympic Games, and the networks didn't pay millions upon millions of dollars to run undercover political investigations. But don't turn a blind eye to the problems that arise during the events.
I remember having a conversation with a fellow American who lived in China for several years on how he was interested to see how the country would change in the years leading up the Games. Capitalism was heavily on the rise, people were becoming more independent because of their new prosperity, and China had so many HUGE national issues that the government had an enormous job ahead of them in clean up before they opened their country up to millions of cameras, reporters, visitors, and viewers. Seeing the stark contrast between the economic classes (i.e. an Armani store next door to a muddy market of shacks selling near rotten meat dangling from hooks), hearing stories from persecuted Christians, learning about the personal implications that arise from membership and non-membership in the Communist party, I thought, "There's no way they'll be ready. The world will be shocked when they see some of these images." Since that conversation three years ago, I've been eager to see the coverage, to see what's changed and what's stayed the same.
Apparently, though, the government didn't have such a tough job ahead of them since the reporters aren't to keen to cover it in the first place. "Don't go looking for trouble. Just be up front about what you see, and we'll call it even." Well said.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
I Heart the Olympics
So our TV pretty much hasn't left NBC since last Friday night. When we're home, it's on. When we're not home, it's being recorded. Swimming and gymnastics are my favorite, but even the volleyball, rowing, and diving have our attention. It's funny how into it I get. I'll know every swimmer and diver and gymnast, who won what, and where they go to school, but just give me a few weeks to move on and I'll forget everything. In another four years, it'll all come back though! Yes, my pretend love affair with Aaron Peirsol has been renewed from 'O4, but three weeks ago I couldn't even remember his name. "What's the name of that backstroker I used to be in love with?"
And it's such a uniting activity in our household (not that we're usually divided...). Tyler is the farthest thing from a night owl and I'm the total opposite, so it's quite unique that we're both up at midnight... cheering on womens' floor routines, no less. And you should have seen us watching that men's freestyle relay last Sunday. We were going nuts! Way to go Jason Leezak. Well done.
It's also such a treat for me to see all of footage of China-- it brings back so many memories. Tyler's probably tired of hearing me say, "I've been there!," "That place was SO cool." " When we were there they had this thing that..."... (I traveled to Beijing and Chengdu in college three.) I do have conflicted feelings about all of the praise China has received because there is so much that is masked, so much poverty, so many problems and persecutions. I think a lot of the world knows that, but it's still hard to watch the government officials at the games and ceremonies relishing in the glory, pretending like everything there is fine and dandy. On the other hand, I love the Chinese people and it's so fun to see how excited and proud they are to have the world at their doorstep.
I could talk about China forever, but our internet is out and I'm doing this via Blackberry (NOT fun and quite tedious). We're also going on vacation in the AM and have to be up very early. We'll chat next week!
P.S. Did y'all see the footage of Bella Karolyi watching Nastia Liukin's final floor routine? So cute.
And it's such a uniting activity in our household (not that we're usually divided...). Tyler is the farthest thing from a night owl and I'm the total opposite, so it's quite unique that we're both up at midnight... cheering on womens' floor routines, no less. And you should have seen us watching that men's freestyle relay last Sunday. We were going nuts! Way to go Jason Leezak. Well done.
It's also such a treat for me to see all of footage of China-- it brings back so many memories. Tyler's probably tired of hearing me say, "I've been there!," "That place was SO cool." " When we were there they had this thing that..."... (I traveled to Beijing and Chengdu in college three.) I do have conflicted feelings about all of the praise China has received because there is so much that is masked, so much poverty, so many problems and persecutions. I think a lot of the world knows that, but it's still hard to watch the government officials at the games and ceremonies relishing in the glory, pretending like everything there is fine and dandy. On the other hand, I love the Chinese people and it's so fun to see how excited and proud they are to have the world at their doorstep.
I could talk about China forever, but our internet is out and I'm doing this via Blackberry (NOT fun and quite tedious). We're also going on vacation in the AM and have to be up very early. We'll chat next week!
P.S. Did y'all see the footage of Bella Karolyi watching Nastia Liukin's final floor routine? So cute.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Our First Wedding Anniversary
Happy One Year Anniversary, Tyler! Yes, exactly 365 days ago today I became Mrs. Grassmeyer. It's crazy because it seems like the wedding was sooo long ago, but it's so hard to believe it's already been an entire year. The rest of our life is going to fly by just as fast... It was such a fun year for us. We were both so busy with work, school, and traveling, but we did it together and we keep growing closer and closer. It's true what they say about loving someone more and more with each passing day.
Here's something I noticed lately (I'm not sure I'll be able to sufficiently express it with words): days go by and we live our life as husband and wife. We eat dinner, watch TV, run errands together and we typically have a good time doing even the mundane things together. We have fun, but there's nothing spectacular about it. Just life. And there are other days, where the love you have for one another is SO magnified. There are days where you are more than just spouses, you are with your best friend, your favorite person in the world, and everything you laugh about is extra funny, when you smile at each other, it's like the first time you said I love you...like you haven't known this person for years or have a routine with them-- you've just fallen in love. Cheesy, I KNOW, but it's so true.
We traveled to a friend's wedding last month and we had SO much fun. I didn't know anyone there, but Tyler and I had the best time! We road tripped down together, we danced all night long through the whole reception, went out with a big group afterward, we had a blast. And instead of feeling like the old married couple of the group (we were the only married ones...), I felt like I was with my partner and we had a secret between us that no one else knew about. We still smile at each other across the room, Tyler still flirts with me like we're in sixth grade (typical reaction: I get annoyed, but secretly think it's cute.). Somehow, amongst all the mundane, we manage to have a great time. Easy to do when you're married to your favorite person ever. I love you, Tyler. The first year wasn't without it's challenges, but every bump and hiccup was worth it to get us here. I can't wait to experience everything else that's in store for us. In honor of our big day, here's a video put together with pictures from our wedding day.
Here's something I noticed lately (I'm not sure I'll be able to sufficiently express it with words): days go by and we live our life as husband and wife. We eat dinner, watch TV, run errands together and we typically have a good time doing even the mundane things together. We have fun, but there's nothing spectacular about it. Just life. And there are other days, where the love you have for one another is SO magnified. There are days where you are more than just spouses, you are with your best friend, your favorite person in the world, and everything you laugh about is extra funny, when you smile at each other, it's like the first time you said I love you...like you haven't known this person for years or have a routine with them-- you've just fallen in love. Cheesy, I KNOW, but it's so true.
We traveled to a friend's wedding last month and we had SO much fun. I didn't know anyone there, but Tyler and I had the best time! We road tripped down together, we danced all night long through the whole reception, went out with a big group afterward, we had a blast. And instead of feeling like the old married couple of the group (we were the only married ones...), I felt like I was with my partner and we had a secret between us that no one else knew about. We still smile at each other across the room, Tyler still flirts with me like we're in sixth grade (typical reaction: I get annoyed, but secretly think it's cute.). Somehow, amongst all the mundane, we manage to have a great time. Easy to do when you're married to your favorite person ever. I love you, Tyler. The first year wasn't without it's challenges, but every bump and hiccup was worth it to get us here. I can't wait to experience everything else that's in store for us. In honor of our big day, here's a video put together with pictures from our wedding day.
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