I got an A in everything, including *neuroscience.*
Holy crap on a cracker.
This semester: Objective Assessment, Professional Communication, Ethics & Legal Issues, and Health Psychology. Wish me luck.
.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
How you know it's spring.
My father would play this for me on eve of the vernal equinox each year - thus making explicit the line between winter and spring. 'cause you know them's palm trees wasn't exactly springing forth with the bounty of the new year.
And I'm still drivin around town singin' it. But all you rodents 'der now look alike. So watch it or I may flip ya.
........
(when did I turn from a slumming Etonite into brer Rabbit in my colloquialisms? will i be graded down for impertinence bordering on racism, or can I blame it on a semester of Faulkner? By the way, the APA Style Manual Hates Faulkner. There should be a chapter entitled that exactly.)
Anyway, what I was trying to say is that this man embodies my childhood much like Barney and the Muggles (?? WTF) have probably infected your offspring. Or infected your offspring 8 years ago and I'm unwilling to keep up.
At any rate, unless it's clear, I posted this for you, Dad. Enjoy. Am I old enough yet to listen to The Masochism Tango?
And I'm still drivin around town singin' it. But all you rodents 'der now look alike. So watch it or I may flip ya.
........
(when did I turn from a slumming Etonite into brer Rabbit in my colloquialisms? will i be graded down for impertinence bordering on racism, or can I blame it on a semester of Faulkner? By the way, the APA Style Manual Hates Faulkner. There should be a chapter entitled that exactly.)
Anyway, what I was trying to say is that this man embodies my childhood much like Barney and the Muggles (?? WTF) have probably infected your offspring. Or infected your offspring 8 years ago and I'm unwilling to keep up.
At any rate, unless it's clear, I posted this for you, Dad. Enjoy. Am I old enough yet to listen to The Masochism Tango?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Moving slower....
So one recommendation (from my trainer) is to just move slower. When I feel myself getting antsy and stressed and YELLY, to just start moving slower and take deep breaths. Seriously, I should know this stuff.
So, by 7:30 this morning I was already getting frustrated and cranky and so I s l o w e d waaaaay down. It worked! I immediately started to destress, and my orbital frontal lobe kicked in again and I was able to think a little more clearly.
What am i doing with a week off from school, you may ask? Well, I spent some time puttering in the garden (the weeds are CRAZY this year. We turned over a lot of soil last year when we created the perennial beds and this caused all the dormant weed seeds to germinate. GAH). Why can't we just call them wildflowers and be done with it?
I've worked a little at cleaning off my desk in preparation for the next semester, because once that gets going, all bets are off. My ethics class appears to have about 200 pages of reading per week. So before all that gets started, I was hoping to read some vegan cookbooks, because so far on that we've been winging it. And it's been sad. I've been eating a lot of hummus. And lentils. I'm so bloated and farty that I actually caused a disturbance at the video store the other night. You know, i never drove anyone out of the new releases section when I was enjoying veal cutlets.
But now I have to go get ready so I can go to my trainer (i hadn't worked out at all for the last three weeks of school so she's beating me to a pulp every day this week), and then off to work. I see my first client today! He's all mine to mess up in every way possible. Hurray!
So, by 7:30 this morning I was already getting frustrated and cranky and so I s l o w e d waaaaay down. It worked! I immediately started to destress, and my orbital frontal lobe kicked in again and I was able to think a little more clearly.
What am i doing with a week off from school, you may ask? Well, I spent some time puttering in the garden (the weeds are CRAZY this year. We turned over a lot of soil last year when we created the perennial beds and this caused all the dormant weed seeds to germinate. GAH). Why can't we just call them wildflowers and be done with it?
I've worked a little at cleaning off my desk in preparation for the next semester, because once that gets going, all bets are off. My ethics class appears to have about 200 pages of reading per week. So before all that gets started, I was hoping to read some vegan cookbooks, because so far on that we've been winging it. And it's been sad. I've been eating a lot of hummus. And lentils. I'm so bloated and farty that I actually caused a disturbance at the video store the other night. You know, i never drove anyone out of the new releases section when I was enjoying veal cutlets.
But now I have to go get ready so I can go to my trainer (i hadn't worked out at all for the last three weeks of school so she's beating me to a pulp every day this week), and then off to work. I see my first client today! He's all mine to mess up in every way possible. Hurray!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Quick check in
My father (yo, pops) observed that my blogging volume appears to be in indirect proportion to the amount of school work I've got going. And so, I've got to update this damn thing, but it's already after 10 and I've got shit to get done tonight - mainly, hot dreams about James Franco. Oh, and an 8 am yoga class that I swear I'm going to make one of these days.
Got a shout out from a reader/woman I've known since (mumble) (but really long ago) today and she's inspired me to get back to writing this damn thing. I'm reading this book on how to be a yoga-chick (don't ask), but it says you have to journal everything. Fine. But basically all i want to do is be able to be in shape and totally zen about everything, rather than busting the buttons on my cargo pants while I run around with my hair on fire.
I mean seriously: I've gone vegan. Well, "fegan." I've read yoga books. I've watched yoga dvds. I wear yoga clothing. I've considered buying yoga jewelry - i do basically everything I can except actually engage in stress reduction behavior and regular exercise. And then on top of it all, my trainer says today, oh you could never be one of those zen yoga chicks, you're too....
I swear to god, I think she said peppy, but I've kind of blocked it out. Don't ever tell me I can't do something! peppy?!
I can be fucking zen! I'll have to get a refill on the klonopin, but I'm pretty sure I can do it.
Maybe being surrounded by hippies is starting to get to me....
okay, it is now 10:15. Far too late for the zen, calm, totally fucking serene of us to still be awake.
More later. I'm inspired by having an actual READER of this damn blog.
btw, I finished that book on the history of Key West. I know a shitload about pirates now.
Got a shout out from a reader/woman I've known since (mumble) (but really long ago) today and she's inspired me to get back to writing this damn thing. I'm reading this book on how to be a yoga-chick (don't ask), but it says you have to journal everything. Fine. But basically all i want to do is be able to be in shape and totally zen about everything, rather than busting the buttons on my cargo pants while I run around with my hair on fire.
I mean seriously: I've gone vegan. Well, "fegan." I've read yoga books. I've watched yoga dvds. I wear yoga clothing. I've considered buying yoga jewelry - i do basically everything I can except actually engage in stress reduction behavior and regular exercise. And then on top of it all, my trainer says today, oh you could never be one of those zen yoga chicks, you're too....
I swear to god, I think she said peppy, but I've kind of blocked it out. Don't ever tell me I can't do something! peppy?!
I can be fucking zen! I'll have to get a refill on the klonopin, but I'm pretty sure I can do it.
Maybe being surrounded by hippies is starting to get to me....
okay, it is now 10:15. Far too late for the zen, calm, totally fucking serene of us to still be awake.
More later. I'm inspired by having an actual READER of this damn blog.
btw, I finished that book on the history of Key West. I know a shitload about pirates now.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
In which I try to simplify my life.
I figure that I am able to do five things reasonably well. This is an arbitrary figure, based on nothing more than it being an nice round number. But I figure it's a good starting point.
I also, however, figure that I have a limited attention span and am easily excited by novelty. I'm always looking for that next project, that next thing to learn; I easily forget the last thing I was interested in and I rarely get far enough into anything to develop any sort of expertise (the arbitrary number assigned to that by those in the know is ten years, btw). I am, as my friend Mike Daisey would say, a dilettante. I would say that I've got a mad case of ADHD and a library card.
So I am attempting to simplify my life. Because at this point, I have a few things in the works that I *have* to be focusing on, namely school. However, at this point, I am engaged in or trying to engage in the following:
- School (this has eleventy different subsections, including each class I'm taking, working on a poster presentation, working on a lit review for my dissertation, and trying to be "more involved" at school)
- Knitting
- Gardening
- Fitness (including an upcoming triathlon, half marathon, and regular yoga)
- Reading about the history of Key West
- Reading about how to stay within budget and eliminate debt (sigh)
- Current events
- My relationship
- Daily life (groceries, bills, cooking, cleaning the house, showering, sleeping)
- Trying to go vegan(ish)
- Trying to be more social / outgoing
- Television (shut up. I "only" watch Biggest Loser, Life, 30 Rock, How I met your mother, and Big Bang theory. yes, this translates into television 4 nights per week, and a total of 4.5 hours per week).
- Blogging
Okay. So let's pick 5. I sort of have to pick My Relationship, School, and Daily life. That leaves....let's say gardening, and reading. But I still need to incorporate fitness.
Sigh. I've tried weeding things out of daily life, and most often it's basic hygiene that suffers. Which doesn't help my relationship. So, we're going to have to drop the social/outgoing stuff (good), drop television, drop keeping up with current events (this means you Internet). Sigh. I still want to blog more regularly, and yes I am trying to go vegan(ish). Ugh, it's all just too much. Calgon take me away (but there's simply no time for that).
Oh yeah, I forgot. I also going to be starting work part time for a treatment agency, and I've been working for Evan's business on the side.
Screw it.
I also, however, figure that I have a limited attention span and am easily excited by novelty. I'm always looking for that next project, that next thing to learn; I easily forget the last thing I was interested in and I rarely get far enough into anything to develop any sort of expertise (the arbitrary number assigned to that by those in the know is ten years, btw). I am, as my friend Mike Daisey would say, a dilettante. I would say that I've got a mad case of ADHD and a library card.
So I am attempting to simplify my life. Because at this point, I have a few things in the works that I *have* to be focusing on, namely school. However, at this point, I am engaged in or trying to engage in the following:
- School (this has eleventy different subsections, including each class I'm taking, working on a poster presentation, working on a lit review for my dissertation, and trying to be "more involved" at school)
- Knitting
- Gardening
- Fitness (including an upcoming triathlon, half marathon, and regular yoga)
- Reading about the history of Key West
- Reading about how to stay within budget and eliminate debt (sigh)
- Current events
- My relationship
- Daily life (groceries, bills, cooking, cleaning the house, showering, sleeping)
- Trying to go vegan(ish)
- Trying to be more social / outgoing
- Television (shut up. I "only" watch Biggest Loser, Life, 30 Rock, How I met your mother, and Big Bang theory. yes, this translates into television 4 nights per week, and a total of 4.5 hours per week).
- Blogging
Okay. So let's pick 5. I sort of have to pick My Relationship, School, and Daily life. That leaves....let's say gardening, and reading. But I still need to incorporate fitness.
Sigh. I've tried weeding things out of daily life, and most often it's basic hygiene that suffers. Which doesn't help my relationship. So, we're going to have to drop the social/outgoing stuff (good), drop television, drop keeping up with current events (this means you Internet). Sigh. I still want to blog more regularly, and yes I am trying to go vegan(ish). Ugh, it's all just too much. Calgon take me away (but there's simply no time for that).
Oh yeah, I forgot. I also going to be starting work part time for a treatment agency, and I've been working for Evan's business on the side.
Screw it.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Hurray again!
I got into the health psychology specialization track! Woot!
This means that I'll focus my dissertation and clinical work (and hopefully internship) on work in a medical setting and psychology as it relates to health conditions (and how your physical health conditions affect your mental health). I'll also get to focus on stress disorders, psychoimmunology, somatoform disorders, and particular health conditions. As I've said before, I'm hoping to work specifically with behavior change as it relates to and impacts health (obesity, addiction, etc.) I'm getting more and more into pediatric obesity. Fascinating literature.
So I found out that I won't be doing my initial practicum working with homeless LGBT youth. Instead, I'll be primarily working with vets at a local health clinic that's attached to my school. I'm just as happy about this - I love working with vets. I volunteered at the VA a few years ago, and though it was primarily research, I got some good exposure to the population.
I'm out in Sun River this weekend with "the girls." Totally couldn't afford it, don't have time for it, but eBoy made me go because he thinks I need to make friends and get out of the house more. So what am I doing? Sitting upstairs studying while they all chillax in the hot tub. Oh well. At least I'm out of the house. And central oregon is beautiful, so life could be a lot worse.
This means that I'll focus my dissertation and clinical work (and hopefully internship) on work in a medical setting and psychology as it relates to health conditions (and how your physical health conditions affect your mental health). I'll also get to focus on stress disorders, psychoimmunology, somatoform disorders, and particular health conditions. As I've said before, I'm hoping to work specifically with behavior change as it relates to and impacts health (obesity, addiction, etc.) I'm getting more and more into pediatric obesity. Fascinating literature.
So I found out that I won't be doing my initial practicum working with homeless LGBT youth. Instead, I'll be primarily working with vets at a local health clinic that's attached to my school. I'm just as happy about this - I love working with vets. I volunteered at the VA a few years ago, and though it was primarily research, I got some good exposure to the population.
I'm out in Sun River this weekend with "the girls." Totally couldn't afford it, don't have time for it, but eBoy made me go because he thinks I need to make friends and get out of the house more. So what am I doing? Sitting upstairs studying while they all chillax in the hot tub. Oh well. At least I'm out of the house. And central oregon is beautiful, so life could be a lot worse.
Friday, March 06, 2009
in which I take the high road...
Dear Dr. ________________,
I have decided to withdraw from the Disability Seminar. I would like to thank you for raising my awareness of this important area of diversity and I plan to continue my studies in this area independently.
Unfortunately, due to recent personal experiences, I am unable to engage in a discussion implicitly comparing selective abortion to eugenics in a professional, objective, and unemotional manner. I would urge the class to consider that selective abortion is a very difficult personal decision that individuals and families struggle with and it is not one made lightly nor lived with easily. I believe it is simplistic, self-righteous, and irresponsible to liken a systematic, state-driven extermination or sterilization of a group of people to a difficult choice made by families that must judge what is best for them based on their health, finances, relationships, and ability to care for a special needs child. It seems that the class may need to consider that it is not our place to stand in judgment, but instead to consider how such an impossible decision can be made and what they might do should they ever be faced with it (or how they will interact with clients that are facing or have faced such a decision). I believe that, as professionals, it is our place to learn and model empathy, rather than make blanket value judgments.
Again, I would like to emphasize that my decision to withdraw from the class is not due to my disagreement with the viewpoints presented, but rather my inability at this time to engage objectively and professionally in this particular discussion.
Thank you,
drM, M.A.
p.s. Kiss my ass
I have decided to withdraw from the Disability Seminar. I would like to thank you for raising my awareness of this important area of diversity and I plan to continue my studies in this area independently.
Unfortunately, due to recent personal experiences, I am unable to engage in a discussion implicitly comparing selective abortion to eugenics in a professional, objective, and unemotional manner. I would urge the class to consider that selective abortion is a very difficult personal decision that individuals and families struggle with and it is not one made lightly nor lived with easily. I believe it is simplistic, self-righteous, and irresponsible to liken a systematic, state-driven extermination or sterilization of a group of people to a difficult choice made by families that must judge what is best for them based on their health, finances, relationships, and ability to care for a special needs child. It seems that the class may need to consider that it is not our place to stand in judgment, but instead to consider how such an impossible decision can be made and what they might do should they ever be faced with it (or how they will interact with clients that are facing or have faced such a decision). I believe that, as professionals, it is our place to learn and model empathy, rather than make blanket value judgments.
Again, I would like to emphasize that my decision to withdraw from the class is not due to my disagreement with the viewpoints presented, but rather my inability at this time to engage objectively and professionally in this particular discussion.
Thank you,
drM, M.A.
p.s. Kiss my ass
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