Me (half asleep, moving onto only half so that he has room to sleep):
Sorry I'm in the way.
Him (slipping under the covers and entangling his legs in mine):
You're not in the way, you're where I'm going.

::humming the theme from "State Fair"::

I woke up gradually today due to the sun, but without that clutching fear that I had overslept.  By the time that my alarm went off, I was ready, or at least ready as I ever am after only 8-9hr of sleep, to get ready for my day at school.  An unexpected and sweet "thank you" with a kiss and a smile has left me with... a refuge, a little space in my chest and my head where there is peace and delicious, content happiness.  A place where I can sit, breathe, and go when I get overwhelmed, when the headache that has been threatening all morning starts to show itself again.  A place where I can be wrapped in warmth, love and confidence when the rest of my day is filled with anything but.
It is a good place to have and an even better place to be.
Thank you for helping me build it, carmine.

It's more than just an awkwardly-named porno mag, more than the part of you that your nipples are stuck onto, more that the piece that connects your neck to your waist.  Yes, that's right, it is the official publication of the American College of Chest Physicians!
Who knew that there even EXISTS an American College of Chest Physicians?  Not I.

Mmmm, life is good.
Slept in today.
Had good company while cleaning kitchen.
Got let go 45 minutes early from In House duty tonight at the teaching hospital.
An unexpected phone call that was wonderful, exciting, soothing, arousing, and affirming.

Bike ride and hanging out tomorrow, as well as carmine's much-anticipated return.

I survived the first day and we got to pick our on-call nights and weekends.
Subsequent days will often be harder and usually be longer, but I think that I will be ok.

This post here is to mark tonight, the night before I begin my clinical rotations for my fourth year of vet school.
My anxiety has been intermittant and fairly low for quite some time.  Tonight it is choking me.
Off to bed I go and hope to avoid anxious dreams.
Do think of me tomorrow, friends.  hopefully it is at most half as nerve-wracking as tonight is.

... that all of the questions on tomorrow morning's Clinical Medicine II final exam are like this one:
When concerned about the safety of an activity on the farm, what is the best immediate course of action?
    A. Continue quickly and hope that your concerns are unfounded since you are in an unfamiliar situation.
    B. Stop the activity until resolving the safety issue.
    C. Employ a "macho" personna and proceed at the risk of your livelihood and the health and welfare of others despite many years of                      training designed to impart a sound judgement.
    D. Stop and have someone else complete the activity.

...with good friends, good food, good movie, good laughs, and good conversation.
Many cookies, candy treats, and making a lover smile.
Now to get ready for bed, be cradled by dreams, and wake gently on the 'morrow.
:)
I wish me luck.

Wow.
That is all I can say right now with my heart in my throat.
Wow.

One man's story

A good friend of mine and former speech and theatre teacher, K, her daughter, J, and the rest of her family are in need of thoughts, energy, prayers, luck, whatever any of you can spare.
J was riding her bike in my hometown (800 people), came out of an alley, and was hit by a car last night.  She was life-flighted to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines.  Last word that I recieved J had been diagnosed with a fractured skull and possible brain swelling.
Some of you know this family, most of you do not.  However, any healing, comforting, and other good energy that you can spare would be appreciated, I am sure.

I do not generally make posts like this, but today this seemed important.

I need a snack.
And a nap.
That is all.

He wrote:

Slug! Oh darlin, flattery will get you everywhere. I'm glad to see that our being mortal enemies hasn't precluded such politesse. Though I am a bit disappointed that my efforts to globally eradicate polio leave you unimpressed. And, admittadly, curing debilitating diseases is not in line with my plans for evil & world domination. Perhaps it's time to reevaluate things; perhaps I'll focus on uncuring polio. Jonas Salk be DAMNED! Mwa ha ha... Mwa ha.... Mwa ha...

Mwa!.... ha... Mwa ha!

But ya know what I can't help wondering is how you know so much about polio. If you are as well-versed in the other pathogens of yesteryear then truly I have found a worthy adversary. Though be warned, minute yeast-sucking flies will be the least of your worries. My evil entomological powers will trump whatever epidemiological education and sexy footwear you may possess.

*cues evil laughter* . . . . MWA HAHAHAHAHAHA... MWA HA... . . .
. . . . mwa ha... mwa . . . . . *fades to silence*




ADDENDUM: You may very well be the first chick I've met (using that word liberally) that is cool enough to like the band Chicago... you know, we're not so different, you and I... *swivels out of his evil chair and walks away from an imaginary camera*... tis a shame the Fates have pitted us against each other... *dramatic pause* ... ... I bet you like Supertramp.

So, my schedule for fourth year will look, barring any unforseen circumstances, as follows:

Start Date	End Date	Rotation
Friday, May 4, 2007	Sunday, May 20, 2007	Radiology & Anesthesiology
Monday, May 21	Sunday, June 3	Radiology & Anesthesiology
Monday, June 4	Sunday, June 17	Radiology & Anesthesiology
Monday, June 18	Sunday, July 1	BREAK
Monday, July 2	Sunday, July 15	Medicine I & II
Monday, July 16	Sunday, July 29	Medicine I & II
Monday, July 30	Sunday, August 12	ICU/Emergency Medicine
Monday, August 13	Sunday, August 26	ICU/Emergency Medicine
Monday, August 27	Wednesday, September 12	BREAK
Thursday, September 13	Sunday, September 30	Ophthalmology
Monday, October 1	Sunday, October 14	Public Health & Clinical Microbiology
Monday, October 15	Sunday, October 28	Community Practice
Monday, October 29	Sunday, November 11	BREAK to study for boards
Monday, November 12	Wednesday, November 28	Dermatology
Thursday, November 29	Sunday, December 16	Surgery: Soft tissue/ Orthopedic
Monday, December 17	Sunday, January 6	Surgery: Soft tissue/ Orthopedic
Monday, January 7	Wednesday, January 23	Necropsy & Clinical Pathology
Thursday, January 24	Wednesday, February 6	Diagnostic Lab
Thursday, February 7	Sunday, February 24	Clinical Microbiology
Monday, February 25	Sunday, March 9	Iowa Department of Public Health
Monday, March 10	Sunday, March 23	Iowa Department of Public Health
Monday, March 24	Sunday, April 6	Necropsy & Clinical Pathology
Monday, April 7	Wednesday, April 23	BREAK
Thursday, April 24	Thursday, May 8	Oncology

This looks like the best-case scenario that I had put together, using the constraints that the college puts on me and those that I put on myself.  There is a chance that I will switch out the Oncology rotation that I currently have in the final block before graduation and replace it with Rehabilitative Therapy, but probably not.  Oncology will be a bummer of a note to end on, but cancer is cool and I hope that I learn more about it.

In other news, I am sick.  Again.  With an upper respiratory infection.  Again.  And it kept me home from school today.  I have felt my body fighting it ever since I stayed up past 1am studying for a test two Friday's ago.  And now the bug is winning.   But I did have a pretty great weekend visiting carminejade's family.  So that is happy.

I will let y'all marinate on this one for an hour or two before posting anything about it.
BDSM for horses?



Now that is bondage

My reply to my newly self-appointed arch nemesis, after reading in his profile what he does on Friday nights "I actually spend my Friday nights donating blood and volunteering at a homeless shelter... after which I work to cure cancer, AIDs and polio... ... [sic]" :

****************************
Subject line: haHA!
****************************
Message Body:

Polio, you slug, has already nearly been eradicated! Endemic in only four remaining countries and good *luck* getting rid of it in those until you build up some basic and functioning health infrastructures. Really, if you are going to spend your Friday late nights on something, I think that you could pick a worthier problem than that "curing" polio. Then again, you do perform research on "bugs" ::derisive laughter::...
But perhaps you are altering insects to be used a vaccine vectors in endemic areas?
Or maybe all of your mionions are Drosophila and I can crush them beneath my high-heeled, form-fitting boots in hordes.
The latter seems more likely at this juncture.

****************************

Yesterday on OkCupid, I recieved one of the most entertaining and intriguing OkC messages that I ever have recieved.  And so begins what I hope to be a continuing episodic saga.  Villianous Vignettes and the like.  Enjoy.  Here it is, the message that I recieved:

******************************
Subject:
Congratulations
******************************
Message Body:
I like to be prepared for all possible outcomes in life. And it occurred to me that if I were to be struck with some kind of radiation that resulted in the acquisition of superpowers I would need to have a nemesis. And this is where you come in.

You've met my exceedingly stringent criteria. Namely, at 19%, you had the highest enemy percentage of single women aged 18-29 in the Ames area with a photo and who has answered at least 100 questions and has been on this site in the last 2 weeks... and attractive (a very important asset in an 'arch-enemy'). So kudos and screw you.

In the event that I do gain the aforementioned superhuman powers I will be a most cruel supervillain. I warn you now that I shall come like a thief in the night to bring you an untimely demise.

Your duties as my nemesis are to consistently thwart my plans for world domination. In the event that you are captured you will be expected to make a stealthy escape from any apparatus I put you in. Following said escape, you are to kick my ass but allow me an egress before you can apprehend or kill me.

I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this matter, and there is no way to opt out... these are the ways of supervillainy my dear. If I may offer a suggestion, wear something slutty for a costume... some cleavage on your part would go a long way towards good PR and a movie deal.

In closing, I would like to shake my fists pseudoaggressively and type in caps I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME barisaxyone! MWA HA HA MWA HA HA HA.... MWA




DISCLAIMER: I am in no way as nerdy as this random message indicates... however, the stench of bored-loserdom may be accurate.

*****************************************************

So marks Episode 1