Remind me not to kill my students...

I started shadowing the new PA this week. His name is Teiano, and he's Samoan. He works at the Central Utah Clinic, in orthopedics. I may get to come in and see a surgery some time! It's interesting. I got to see a whole bunch of people with problems similar to mine, but worse, and for exercise, he recommended an exercise bike. Honestly, I want one for when it's cold, but I have no money, and not a ton of space to put it in anyway. But, the first thing he asked me, after my major and everything, was if I had taken histology! He took it when it was insane, harder than med school histology classes. Now, we've toned it down a little--it's an undergrad class. When I told him I was a lab TA for it, he seemed a little impressed. Yay me.

Speaking of tissues, though... one of my students is driving me crazy (I know, I know, it's a short drive). On my Wednesday night open lab hours, which are supposed to go until 8, he has convinced me to progressively stay later, so the last two weeks I've been there until 9. He keeps saying, "One more question..." and asking if I have "anything pressing" I need to do... technically, no, but I want to go home! He also asked me if I was going to be able to come early to class on Thursday. Bah. He's a very needy kind of student, and asked about a certain structure--purkinje cells--5 or 6 times on Wednesday. It was so much that some of the other students who were there (but left at about 8:05) started noticing. I'm a sucker, I want my students to do well, but I don't think strangling him would help in that...

Oh, and Mom: I saw Michael Boswell yesterday. He's a biology major! He says he's not going to get much play time this year (or, you know, none), but playing and getting the experience before his mission is still great. He's a nice kid. He asked if he'd get to take a class from me, and I sadly informed him that this was my last semester TAing, since I have to graduate and all.

I love Fridays. The only day I don't have to be on campus in the mornings, I have time to study and do homework...

Currently listening to Jack Johnson "Taylor."

Sound the alarm: October's almost over!

Kyler's at a LAN party... the punk. He knows I don't like going to bed alone, but he really enjoys playing with his friends, so I suppose I'll forgive him... as long as he's not too tired and grumpy in the morning.
This semester is mostly going well. It's that time of year, though, when everything gets just a little crazy and you kind of wonder how it will all work out. But it will work out, dang it! No, seriously, it will. I'm doing well in my classes, I think. Except maybe advanced cell, but to give an example, we had a quiz question that 85% of the class got right, and the professor was disappointed... because 85 is too high. He apparently likes it when only 34% of people get it right. No wonder the entire class is annoyed with him. Good thing about that class, though: there's no final exam, just a paper. I'm not sure I'd do well on a test, but I can work hard and get the research for a decent paper--hallelujah!
Kyler's teaching me about the interesting things he learns: this week it was eating disorders and PMS. Apparently eating disorders are related to social perceptions on weight and body image, imagine that.
I don't know what I'm going to do when this phase of my life is over. It's scary. But Kyler and I right now are hoping I get a job with insurance, maybe even dental and optometry coverage for the both of us! It'd be sweet, and why not dream?
I was in the middle of giving my tissues class their quiz last week when the fire alarm went off. Some of them didn't understand when I said they had to leave their stuff in the room: they're not allowed to study after they've already seen the first 6 questions! The class expressed a concern while we waited outside that their cramming would all be lost, so I promised if there was a significant difference between their average and the other sections, I would bring it up with Dr. Reynolds. They shouldn't have worried: ten of them got 10s. Silly students. I'm going to miss TAing for this class.

Currently listening to Radiohead "High and Dry"

Fight against the Man!

I've been having strange dreams lately (for the last couple of weeks), and wrote one down that was particularly vivid. We were in Oregon, and Cliff went and checked the mail. When he came back in, he was all worried and said, "Jeanette, you've got to go," because THEY were coming for me or something (who's THEY? I don't know). So, I left. I made a run for it, and I made my way to this random house where all these college-aged people allowed me to stay there. One of them I knew because he used to be one of my tissues students (in real life) and was also apparently in my dissection class (not in real life). I called home and told Mom I was safe, though I couldn't tell her where I was--THEY might come after her! The people in the house asked why I was on the run, if I'd gotten drafted or something, because that was something they protested. I said no, I wouldn't dodge the draft, my brother was in the military, I wasn't afraid of it. They were kind of offended, but asked if I was running from scientists instead, and if I wanted to protest using cadavers. I told them no, I loved cadavers, and they got mad at me. I went to the bathroom and cried because they were mad at me, and a guy came in and starting shooting safety pins at me. He got mad at me when I blocked them from hitting my face, and then Daniel, the guy in my tissues class, came in and defended me. I think I may have decided to leave--these people were very anti-cadaver/dissection--and I think Daniel came with me, on the run, because the people in the house didn't want a cadaver-supporter there, but that's all I remember.
I wonder how these dream people would've felt about research with mice?

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

Life is busy. Always. If someone waits until life isn't completely insane to start something, then nothing will ever be done. I have midterms again this week.
I was doing my lab work today, and I felt like a damsel in distress. The solution I needed was in a bottle I simple couldn't open! I tried and tried, until my skin on my hand started to get ripped to shreds. Then, like a damsel in distress, I asked a guy in lab to open it for me. Much to the detriment of his ego, and the fueling of mine, he couldn't get it opened, either. It was a wicked bottle. Finally, after he put on a glove, he got it open. Turns out, though, there's a set of pliers in the lab which we can use should the situation ever arise again.
Tomorrow is my last day shadowing at Cherry Tree Family Practice. It'll be on to orthopedics next... I wonder how that will be.
I'm not quite sure where I belong. Maybe someday I'll figure it out.

Currently listening to Kyler attempt to log on... again.

Two elephants, babies, and labs.

On Wednesdays, my schedule is always pretty packed. I go shadow Gary in the morning until he goes to lunch. Theoretically that's at 11:30, but... there are definitely times that his schedule gets behind. Then I have to drive to campus, find somewhere to park, and rush to class at 1, which I have until 5. This last Wednesday, there was the Career Fair on campus. I've never actually gone to one, because I figured it'd be pretty pointless, but since I actually will be looking for a job very soon, I wanted to go. BYU hates me, through, because the fair was only from 10-3. I decided to plan on going if I had time, and if I didn't, then that'd be that. It's in the Lord's hands, right? Well, I made it to campus by noon, which meant I actually got to go! I wore my awesome new suit, and dropped off a few resumes, got some sweet information, and a pen, pencil, and chocolate bar to boot. (I only collected free stuff from employers I was actually interested in.)
I'm still nervous about applying for jobs, but I've got some good new information. I may be qualified to get a job in a lab in Salt Lake that would pay 17.10 and hour. I need to send my transcripts there, but... I wouldn't say no to that pay. It's way more than I get now. :)

On Thursday, I went to book club in my ward and we discussed Dracula. As we finished, Cort, the guy married to the woman (Tammi) who organizes book club, turned on the VP debate. I wasn't really listening to it, (I was talking to Tammi about things), but Tammi's 3 year old daughter came up to us, holding two stuffed elephants, and said that one of them was named John McCain. Tammi and I busted up, and asked what the other one was named: also John McCain. We told her to tell her dad, and then I told her she should call the other one Sarah Palin. She introduced them to Cort as John McCain and Sarah. Funny, funny little girl. Apparently she listens to what she hears more than we realized.

I feel like everyone around me, who is married, is pregnant. Some of these people, like Tammi, don't make me feel pressured at all. Others, who are my age or younger, been married for only a few months, or whatever, kind of make me feel like I'm behind. I know, I know, peer pressure is stupid. But it does exist.

Currently listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.