Paperthin Hymn - Anberlin

Decided to take advantage of the free hotel printing & get a head start on our next module. Looking at everything available, I think I want to die. Would that be a bad new years resolution? (:

All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

I find this article interesting (no idea if the URL is still valid but it's worth a shot): http://news.yahoo.com/asians-college-strategy-dont-check-asian-174442977.html
If you couldn't tell by the title, it's about how some asian american kids aren't checking the 'asian' box for college apps because of a reverse discrimination/higher standard set. Or is there? Hmm.

Christmas in t-minus three hours. Though technically I'm not Christian, but we've always noted the holiday in my family. Can't lie, doesn't feel like tomorrow's the day- not a lot of snowfall, not a lot of lazing around, & oddly, not enough of Christmas music (though for me, I don't think I listened to more than an hour total because the radio stations started playing all the holiday jingles before Halloween. Yes, that means your plan backfired 105.1) At some point I know I'm going to want to talk about the commercialization of Christmas but since it doesn't feel like it's tomorrow, I don't see the point now. Besides, I'm watching A Christmas Story...over...and over...and over...and over...and ov- you get the point. TBS 24hr marathon. No but really, I love that movie.

Other than that, happy holidays everyone! I hope it's a great Christmas (if you celebrate), a good new year celebration, & a 2012 that surpasses 2011. Discluding the possible apocalypse (:

I feel like now would the be appropriate time to reflect on the year, catch up on what I'm thankful for (past overdue from Thanksgiving), & talk a little bit about the next 52 weeks to come since I most likely won't be by my computer for the next week & a half or so, but I'm not in the mood. I've really been enjoying life away from my laptop & the internet too much (this includes sleep, friends, reading, eating, napping, & working in no particular order). Other than that, I'm ready for my family's annual trip that kicks off tomorrow! Plus I'm super pumped for Chicago w/ my best friend after that (lulz if you're reading this Jordan) even though my bank account isn't so much! To round things off, I even have a whole extra week of vacation once I get back. It's almost too good to be true. Regardless, rain check on a post that actually has some substance to it. Be safe everyone & I hope it's a wonderful time w/ family, friends, pets, etc!

Edit: Unfortunate, but not unexpected http://www.freep.com/article/20111213/BUSINESS06/111213071/Detroit-light-rail-line-scrapped

The Good Life - Kanye West feat. T Pain

1. I'm on break finally! (Well, have been for the past five days, yay) 2. I've been thoroughly enjoying myself after the semester from hell (i.e. Vanya's birthday, friends visiting from out of town, & general post semester shenanigans) 3. Instead of going out for another night in a row, book one of many during my free time is complete: three hours later I've finished Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother by Xinran. Extremely moving book which has a sense of connected short stories, I think it's a great book for anyone particularly those that have been adopted. The author's able to write about that elephant in the the room so well, giving it a voice & making it almost seem tangible. By doing so, she also touches on the strong disconnect from 1st & 2nd generation immigrants in terms of culture and values. Great read

Why Don't You and I - Santana ft. Alex Band

Pomegranate: one of the prettiest but one of the most tedious foods to eat.

Last (but most important) exam of the semester in T-minus 14.5 hours

King of Wishful Thinking - New Found Glory

Note to self: when using mushrooms which are questionably fresh/okay to use, make sure to cook them all the way next time. That way, it won't feel like some one's stabbing your stomach.

First world problems.

(I also realize NFG covered the original song but I like this version better)

You Make My Dreams (Come True) - Hall & Oates

To everyone in the midst of the finals grind: good luck! Study hard & don't procrastinate like me (:

Chop Suey! - System of a Down

I'll admit, I don't follow Rick Perry. For all I know, the man has done great things for Texas. I had no positive or negative opinions about the Republican party candidate hopeful.

...until I watched his campaign ad 'Strong'. If you have no idea what I'm talking about:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA

At first I laughed because I couldn't believe he was saying, especially since he served in the military (thanks Wikipedia). Seriously people, does this make any sense? How is his campaign not dead? Isn't there a point where common sense kicks in & you realize that this message is utterly ridiculous? If you haven't & don't plan on watching the video, he chastens people who risk their lives every day fighting anonymous shadows, criticizing them for their service because of who they love. Furthermore, he compares this to the unthinkable: children in America who are unable to celebrate Christmas in schools...indeed, a true scandal.

The alarming thing is that I know there are others that agree wholeheartedly w/ this concept (evidenced in part by the number of 'likes' the video got- regardless of its tiny fraction to the 'dislikes). Never mind that many people who live in the US, including myself, are unwilling to serve in the armed forces & there are problems recruiting as is. No, let's just put those in the military who are straight at more risk by kicking out their gay counterparts. Let's ignore the fact that it means spreading our troops out more thinly across different regions or requiring more /longer deployments & the detrimental, not to mention costly, effects of PTSD, amputations, and other post war effect (like, oh, I don't know, death) associated w/ more time spent in war zones. How about families, who are torn apart when a loved one dies abroad serving, couples w/ young children left without a parent or engaged in an ugly custody battle after a divorce. Okay. Taking a breath. No I haven't looked at peer reviewed articles, no I haven't studied very much about war tactics or aftereffects. But at the risk of sounding super ignorant, I stand by it. Who cares about if some one is gay or not? We're multifaceted, that should never be a defining characteristic in a professional setting. Besides, they're the ones w/ the courage to put their lives on the line in order to protect our freedoms. Ironically, that include free speech, so idiots like Rick Perry can hang them out to dry.

On both sides of the aisle, we allow ignorant individuals who call themselves 'representatives of the people' to blindly point fingers at each other. It's always "I'm a Democrat/Republican but the evil Republicans/Democrats are out to destroy the country because they did ___ (fill in the blank)."

Since we're on the topic of politics, an article I read below:

Yeah...this is why people who aren't from America think we're all stupid.

PYT - Michael Jackson

Note: This is from a person who's been in non-arts classes since sixth grade.

Is it just me or does an art degree seem a little...ironic? Considering that art is all about self expression, it's a little funny that there are people teaching other people how to be better artists.

Yeah, I get it's most likely to help them 'hone their skill' or teach them more about different types of art, but the concept is a little strange to me.

Take Me or Leave Me - RENT

Yay I have a confirmed internship for next summer! Aaaaand they gave me a pay raise! Can't wait until next June.

And now to start focusing on passing my three finals and two practicals in the next two weeks.

Play Your Part (Part 2) - Girl Talk

Pounding headache attributed to

a) lack of sleep

b) extreme temperature difference (warm to cold buildings/outdoor)

c) getting sick to due above reason

d) relistening & trying to work my way through the acid/base/HIT lecture

e) thinking about the number of finance lectures to go through before next week's exam

f) all of the above

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor

Update from the last post

Passing grade: check!

Although not as high as I actually expected, I'll still take it & continue to study my ass off for the final.

I just planned out the rest of my Thanksgiving break...in terms of what I need to get done for classes everyday. Hahaha, nevermind seeing friends, there's so much to catch up on between school, working, & of course, enjoying at least a portion of tomorrow.

Have safe travels everyone & I'm sure at some point in the near future I'll talk about what I'm thankful for (but not now); after sleeping four hours then working a 10 hour day, I think I'll have just enough gas left in the tank to finish going through all material for practicals.

Fields of Gold - Sting

sleep deprived eyes: check

feeling of accomplishment: check

satisfaction from a great post exam meal: check

delicious bubble tea: check

notecards for tomorrow's group project presentation: check

passing exam grade: hoping to check this off soon!

I'll Be There - Jackson 5

Sometimes it's the most unlikely people that give you the best advice when you need it the most. Maybe there's an extra element to it because it's so unexpected but nevertheless, I had the treat of talking to our building's custodians today. Usually, it's a casual conversation including the requisite "how are you"s, talk about school, & any upcoming breaks. However, today I happened to see them & I was surprised that right after greeting me, they asked what was wrong. Admittedly, I tried to play it off like everything was okay but eventually I told them and it was possibly the best decision I've made this month.

The beauty of the human spirit to be so maternal and caring never ceases to amaze me; two acquaintances- I don't even know their names- helped put a hefty part of my life into perspective. (I know that's not the correct phrasing but I don't know what would describe it since it's not a burden or a weight, it's just there and not going away) Nevertheless, in doing so, part of their advice that they kept repeating was "you have to stay in school, you are meant to be here and this is your time to do so. You have to become a pharmacist." I wish I could describe how fervently they were saying that and the earnest looks on their faces when they said that. Honestly I was confused when they said that because I didn't understand why it would matter to two people who barely know me why they would be so invested in me & my schooling. It wasn't until the very end of our conversation when I realized they believed that I would do well to promote pharmacy. I know how incredibly self serving that sounds, but it's inspiring knowing that every day people, the kind that I know will be part of the spectrum of my future patients, are supporting and helping me to get through the difficulties in my life now to help me succeed.

It's moments like these in my life that I'm incredibly grateful and cherish. Don't misinterpret me, I don't go around fishing for compliments. Rather, it's the nourishing and knowledgeable aspect that allows us to form these invaluable connections, no matter how superficial they may seem at first.

I once got into a debate w/ Zach about people in general- he believed that people are always inherently 'bad' which is the complete opposite from me. No matter how somebody may first come off or continually do that annoys us or is appalling, there's always one redeeming quality. It's wonderful that every single one of use has so many layers and depth to us. Something profound that at a first glance, you would never think would be a part of what defines them as unique. Yes, I won't argue, people do very bad things that may be unforgivable. Yet at some point, every person has done something good or been good to some one or something else. It's experiences like the one I had earlier that continues to reinforce my belief in this. Call me naive, maybe I am, but I can't accept or live my life thinking that there isn't good in everyone. Maybe that's because I have yet to meet some one like that. It's unfortunate that we are so quick to categorize people and shove them into a respective box because there's always something else to them that will make you think twice.

Alone - Heart

I wonder if Caleb, my friend who lived in my room last year, heard the guy who lives above me sing at least a few times a week. It first started waking up one morning during the weekend and being able to hear what sounded like a dying animal wailing "how do I get you alooooooooooooooone?!" to the song of this post. Obviously since then, I've been kept very entertained listening to my upstairs neighbor serenade me. The only phrase that comes to mind is 'voice of an angel'. This morning is a special treat as I'm hearing him belt out what I believe is the phantom of the opera while hearing a bunch of falling heavy objects and thuds. Hahahaha. I've never been so entertained by such poor but vibrato laden singing.

Although I've never met you, we've had such good times my friend. Keep those songs coming!

Welcome Home - Coheed & Cambria

Back to pharmacy-related work! And it feels oh so good. I've missed my pharmacy family (:

Surprisingly, I wasn't too bad- still remembered the system, billing, narc inventory, etc even though I last stepped foot there in late August.

And now, on a Saturday night, I'm doing what most 21 year olds post exam weekend w/ minimal obligations would do: reading about Harry Potter related stuff on Wikipedia. You jelly, bro?

The Pound-4-Pound Mix 2010 Medley - DJ Bernie B

Some(what) current events as of late aside from ridiculous stories:

Aww yeah. I give you immunology module, specifically, T cell activation. Started last Monday, first exam in t-minus 45 hours (pun intended).

Compounding for patient care lab assignment- on the left, niacinamide gel & on the right, hydrocortisone 1.5% cream. Made from powders & liquids by yours truly. Cool stuf.

Fall is finally here after an unbelievably cold start followed by summeresque weather. DMC courtyard on a walk w/ Caleb. Beautiful right? One of the better kept secrets in Detroit.

Fouad introduced me to New Yesmeen Bakery in Dearborn! Dessert chocolate cup filled with white mousse, chocolate mousse, & whipped cream featured above. I'm a big fan of their hummus as well. There's cheaper food to be had in the city but still of course significantly cheaper than going to the suburbs further out from the city.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween/weekend! I spent mine hanging out w/ my parents since it was around Dad's birthday but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Even though we don't see eye to eye all the time, they're some pretty awesome people; couldn't have asked for a better pair to teach or prepare me for everything I need to be successful in life. Regardless of 'in the moment' experiences, I'm eternally grateful and am lucky to have been born into my family.

You Got - Melee

This is probably one of the most important things I will ever blog: when performing Kegel exercises, make sure you know the proper procedure or else things could end up very, very uncomfortable.

A little background: Kegel exercises were mentioned in our urinary incontinence lecture. It's a treatment people can use to try to help their problem urinating too frequently- maybe even peeing themselves. All our slideset told us was that patients should practice squeezing their muscles (the ones in your crotch that make you pee or pee faster) and doing a few reps of those multiple times a day. According to my best friend who learned about the Kegels from her university lecture, a correct rep for the female consists of inserting her finger up her vagina & contracting the muscles until she feels the pelvic floor lift.

The point of all of this: While I was w/ friends reviewing everything for our OTC final, we came across the slide. Being curious, I tried it except I didn't realize there was a proper way to do so. I only did it once because it was hard to squeeze those muscles without involving my butt muscles & I thought it was pointless because it seemed like nothing happened. Fast forward to the next morning when I'm walking to the final. On the way over, I noticed that my muscles down there felt a little strained. Thinking it was strange, I pushed it out of my mind and kept going. However, after the exam, it hurt so much I waddled everywhere until I was able to beg my friend into giving me a piggy back ride to his car & drive me home. From then, walking, going up or down stairs, or even laughing caused the most uncomfortable pain I have ever felt. You know you've done something wrong when your crotch muscles are throbbing and spazzing out.

So be careful, Kegel exercises can be debilitating.

Other than that, finished all my exams finally! Ready to enjoy the rest of this beautiful weekend- got to let loose a little last night, slept in, took a run, & lazed around so far today. After showering I think it's too nice out to pass up a trip to the cider mill so that's going to happen before cleaning my room & maybe starting on informatics. Lastly, I'm excited for the pub crawl tonight & cleaning the apartment w/ my roomies (because if you've seen it, you'd know why)!

Harder, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk

Interesting rearrangements (at least to my brain which has been clobbered by healthcare finance/delivery & pharmaceutical problem solving all day): what doesn't kill me makes me stronger...what kills me doesn't make me stronger.

In my current state, this is a somewhat humorous way of reminding myself to study hard but don't push it too far because it's going to do more harm than good. Maybe it'll hold the same meaning when I'm more sane? I'll be able to tell you after this week is over. Three finals + one midterm. Love it. Want it. Need it.

....?

Look At Me Now - Chris Brown ft. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne

DrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugseatdrugsdrugsdrugsfinancedrugsdrugsdrugsOTCdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsfootballdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdancedrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugsdrugs

Rinse & repeat.

One Man Drinking Games - Mayday Parade

Song is from the only album I've liked by Mayday Parade...because they went mainstream after this & their lyrical content started to head way south. Of course, I'm also a little proud they personally sold me this CD at warped tour way back when. So hipsta.

What a day. Woke up to my roommate knocking on my door asking if I had moved my car last night because it was gone & presumably towed by the construction company doing roadwork down our street. During one of our breaks, I called WSUPD to ask them for the right number to get my car back. It turns out the number they gave me was the guy who owns the construction company who told me they didn't tow my car. Good news!....nope. He had no idea where they moved it to, only that it was within a five mile radius of my street & gave me a list of streets it could be down. Then I asked him if they put it in a legal spot, to which he responded "well, you guys are at Wayne State & that's pretty hard to find so probably not." Basically, on top of getting my car moved to what could be anywhere in Detroit (downtown is only 3 miles from WSU campus), it probably has a nice parking ticket on it. Happy Thursday?

Update: found my car relatively quickly! Thanks to Chris for driving me around & for remote key lock thing (technology my 97 chevy lumina didn't have) or else I'm sure it wouldn't have been that easy. Got a parking ticket, guess I'm going to try to explain my way out of it, hopefully it works.

Fancy - Drake

HAIRCUT! After 45 minutes later & enough hair cut to fill make a wig, my hair is infinitely thinner & shorter. No more brown/blonde highlights from the washed out pink dye. Time to restart it, though this time I won't wait over a year & a half to get it cut again.

...and Julius just farted again. Gross kitty.

Kill the Messenger - Jack's Mannequin

A little taste of my Sunday:

Watched part of the Lions game via Skype w/ Mike before I realized it was on a non-cable channel that we actually get! (what a crazy game, great performance during the second half by Detroit but there were also some hugely unnecessary penalties that had me legit fingers-ing...you probably don't get that reference. That's better for you.)

Hahaha. Midday naps- Lily in the corner & Julius on my thigh. Such lazy cats. Ignore the awkward hand placement, I don't know either

Parasympathomimetics outline all done!

Notable Monday events:

-First Olympic breakfast of the year. No pic, obviously.

Aww yeah OTC erectile dysfunction treatments. Gentlemen, you're welcome.

Yay! I finally finished outlining the lectures for this exam. Only five pages front & back of drugs, indications, site of action, & systemic/adverse effects. Only five. It's been a while since the number of pages have been so few, it's weird. Now to memorize those & look over the chapter readings. Then review everything from the last two exams since it's all cumulative...aaaand, go.

Tuesday:

Flu clinics, class, studyinggg

Wednesday:

Flu clinics, class, ultimate, and...

late night study sessions. Boooo. At least the KY couches are comfy.

Thursday:

Class, tutoring, study. Yep.

Friday:

Game face. Exam time!

...then a quiz & more class. Nevertheless, I got in my obligatory time outside enjoying the weather by playing soccer, yay (:

However, Julius decided I wasn't going to do homework afterwards. Vanya came by shortly after to take this beauty

Shenanigans after included IHOP w/ Amadeusz & Jeff- worst service that I've gotten in years but we had lots of hang out time. Then we stopped by AlphaSig's party, so proud of them for what seemed like a successful party! Came back home to find Julius in a social mood- he really only wanted to hang out because he wante dot chew my hair. Sad.

Saturday:

...was probably the best day I've had in a really long time.

Sleeping in + morning pillow talk, love it when my bffffffffffffffffff sleeps over (:

Lots of walking in the gorgeous weather, enjoying company, & hanging out during the day. Once said bffffffffffffff left, organizing & rearranging of the kitchen/living room happened. Later on, DK came over & I cut hair for the first time, not that big of a deal but I still thought it was fun. Best part though- being taken to a salsa club & learning the basic steps to the cha cha, merengue, & of course, salsa. Once the club closed, we drove to a park along the Detroit River that I never knew about to catch up & learn the different types of ballroom dance. As we were walking, there was a car pulled off to the side of the road where the sidewalk ran next to. We're staring at it because it looks like an ex-cop car but there are guys coming out of the back seat to stand by the front of the car. Out of the blue, a larger lady appears from the back seat & we casually look at her only to note her front crack. Wait a minute, front crack. Yes, you read that correctly...pants up but unzipped w/ a crevasse that rivals the Mariana Trench. (Is that too cruel?) Anyways, on the way back, we decided to make an impromptu trip to D1...cookies & cream shake w/ two over&easy eggs, hashbrowns, & toast at 5:30am. Everything said & done, the night ended at 6:30am...a half hour before my scheduled wake up time of 7am for the pancreatic cancer awareness walk this morning.

Rocket Man - Elton John

I normally don't do this, but I found the greatest short film of all time. That is, if you have a sense of humor like mine. Thanks CBC for introducing me to Backshift (:

Link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl_3R4sFG3s

Sorry to my friends (AKA Jordan) who reads this occasionally, I'm basically spamming you.

Lately, life has been pretty monotonous. Class, volunteer, eat, study, tutor, LKS, & when there's time, sleep. Not a bad cycle though. We've been learning a lot about drugs that mimic the parasympathetic & sympathetic responses, how they affect other systems, & their mechanisms of action. In other classes, we've gone through skin disorders, complementary & alternative medicine, started another PPS, current pharmaceutical issues pertaining to finance, and the extremities and skin exam. No time like the present to start processing everything.

Busy week coming up- tutoring, flu clinics, class, & exam. See you on the other side, have a great weekend everyone!

Float On - Modest Mouse

Today marks the halfway point of modules! Week #4 of P2 year can finally be put in the books. A very boring week, though by pharmacy school standards, quite eventful. First OTC & second drug action exam Wednesday & today respectively. I'm still alive, floating along the pharmacy river though I've found out the hard way that I'm incapable of pulling all nighters anymore. I'm sure my health is cheering considering I pulled three in a row last year.

Outside of class, it was the beginning of IM ultimate & soccer! After such a long hiatus from the latter, it's great to be back playing the game (playa playa!...alright I know I'm lame). Of course, within the first two minutes that I'm on the field I get completely obliterated- I contested possession against a much taller & heavier guy & ended up getting an elbow to the back on the way down. It'll hurt tomorrow but it's the kind that makes you feel alive so I don't mind it at all. Battle wounds?

Excited to spend the weekend catching up on everything I've been neglecting- sleep, cleaning, other assignments, & seeing friends outside of pharmacy. Here's to one of the most chill weekends ever (:

Sandwiches - Detroit Grand Pubahs

Song of this post was chosen solely for the title, it's actually quite a disturbing music video/weird song but if you want to check it out, feel free to. I heard it last year at the techno stage during winter blast last year. Detroit, represent?

Breakfast this morning:

This might look unappetizing in photo form, but if everything vegetarian was this tasty, I totally would switch teams. Trader Joe's veggie patties is the main feature- it's a little dry, but full of such wonderfully good & healthy ingredients. On whole wheat bread + shredded asiago cheese. Yum.

Since we're on the topic of sandwiches, here's one I made last week:

Open face sandwich consisting of: homemade bread + mozarella + parmesan + homegrown basil + shredded chicken breast + homegrown tomato

Thanks Mom for the bread, basil, chicken, & tomato (:

Hahah that's the majority of the ingredients, win?

Petal to the metal for the next 24 hours, exam one of two this week coming up.

Flavor of the Weak - American Hi-Fi

Wow. What a weekend of all play & no work (can you tell that I'm regretting that now?).

My entire Saturday was pretty much taken up by Dally even though I did manage to make a handful of notecards while waiting for everyone else to wake up. The weather cleared up beautifully for Dally; it was still pouring at 5am but by noon the rain stopped & the sun even came out for the rest of the day! Lots of fun walking around, hanging out, having people over at the apartment, & dallying in the alley. It seems to be becoming more of a hipster event as there's lots of custom made & thrift store vendors but not many African or weird/unique/cheap stuff that there used to be in years past (that I've been to). However, still a great time. They brought the electronic stage back & that was pretty cool. I think I really just enjoyed Dally a lot more this year because we had a great group, the weather was a lot better, & I was a lot more sober.

Sunday I stopped by Fairlane w/ Sarah & bargain shopped. First total purchase amount was $6.66...weird. Then, I went to the 89X birthday bash concert- Matt&Kim, My Chemical Romance, & most importantly, Blink182. In true Jo fashion, I somehow lost my ticket between getting it scanned in, going to the bathroom, & getting to our pavilion seats (where you have to show the ticket to gain access). Oops. But at least it all worked out in the end, they still let me through. Yay! Anyways, we didn't see the first band, MCR was substantially better than what I expected though my hopes were extremely low. They had great stage presence & I actually liked a song they played (whenever I think of them, I remember listening to one or two of their songs in high school & feeling depressed after haha). Blink was awesome, totally will go deaf sooner because of this concert but it was worth it. We were maybe 28 or so rows from the stage at DTE & in the center, good stuff. After being forced to watch videos of them playing live by Zach, I was expecting my eardrums to be bleeding from terrible singing. Luckily, they were on pitch & even though Tom lost his voice, good shoe. They have a really fun energy around them & it was awesome to watch them perform. It took us maybe 2.5 hours to get back to Tony's though w/ traffic & a taco bell stop.

Ironically, in OTC (over the counter) medications module, we talked about the eye & ear indications & drugs today. Guess what the leading cause of deafness is? Concerts. Rock on.

U Got it Bad - Usher

True to crazy Michigan weather, we had an unimaginably hot first few days of September that made it feel like I was in Malaysia (AKA sauna status). Thankfully, the heat wave broke & led to...65F high days. Crazy. Anyways, it's leveled out & today is beautiful outside! Lately I've heard a lot of people saying, "yeah I like this weather but you know what comes after this...(winter)". Maybe it's just me, but I don't even think about snow; when I step outside & take a breath, I think of bonfires, cider mills, & the Arb. Hopefully all three happen but I love fall when the leaves change. It's breathtaking to drive down a road adorned w/ tall oak trees as auburn and yellow leaves gracefully float down & brush your car. Or the crunch your steps make when you're at Yates Cider Mill walking along the trail eating freshly made doughnuts, carrying a jug of cider w/ a few cups. How about the haunted houses? ....that's where I will draw the line. I hate haunted houses, I'll probably die if I ever go to one. Anyways, just took m

y first exam of P2 year & I'm pretty sure I passed! The answer key was posted but no individual scores so we'll see but nevertheless, I should have passed. Of course, it wasn't w/ as high of a grade as I would have liked (forever in the C range) but considering just under half the class failed, I'll take it & work harder. The fire is burning.

Anyways, pre-exam morning studying:

Bet you don't have a cat curled up next to you! Cutest thing ever.

Other than that, Vanya & Amy are visiting! Great day after classes- sushi& hanging out at Rich's, lots of laughs. Super pumped for Dally tomorrow! Can't wait to see what's going to be there, hopefully it won't rain too much.

Sail - AWOLNATION

So I decided to look at all of my stats just now. Not going to lie, I wasn't expecting 'green seagull poop' to be a search phrase. Hahaha. Whoever did that, you're extremely strange but it made my day.

Today is meant to be productive day but I just found out that the 3rd season of LXD is out. Must...resist.....

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

I recently rediscovered the song of this post. Love everything about it from the feel of the song, his voice, & though the title makes it sound like it'd be wimpy, it's more of a jam session w/ some lyrics thrown in there so it sounds more like longing than whining. Good stuff.

Taking a study break, feeling restless. Since I have some time, let's do another letter.

Day 3 (technically) - To the parents.

Mom & Dad,

What a journey it's been w/ both of you by my side. I'm so thankful for the both of you, the lessons I've learned have been immeasurable- how to take care of myself, treat others, cook, clean, be responsible for myself, patience, the preciousness of life and health, keeping an open mind, & how to smile/look at the positives in spite of everything that may be going on. Not going to lie, my childhood was probably a little shorter than most but I wouldn't have it any other way. All of our experiences together has shaped me into a stronger individual capable of so much more than what I think I would've been had it been any other way. But enough of me & more about you two. When Andrew & I were younger, all we knew was that times were hard after the moving to America, Mom grew up in the country on a farm as the youngest of 12, & Dad used to live in Brunei but ended up in a one room apartment w/ his four other siblings & two parents. Only recently have the rosy edges been taken off & I'm simply amazed by the resiliency you two possess. Admittedly it's hard to imagine my own parents as kids working on a tobacco farm or riding every day to the lumber yard to strip as much bark as possible for a crappy stove, having to run up logs as they tumble into the river. You two embody the beauty of the human spirit & I don't say that just because you're my parents. All the stories that I've heard in the last year or two show so much character & spirit that runs in the veins of our family. Though of course we haven't had our bumps in the road & yeah we still don't quite see eye to eye, I'd like to think that we understand this to some degree. Hopefully in the future we can heal a few wounds but in the mean time, it's time to keep moving forward. Anyways, I love you guys, thanks for looking out for me w/ the best intentions (:

EDIT: I should be French, I love eating bread & cheese. All day, er'meal.

Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies

Walking to a party earlier tonight, I was waiting for a car to pass by before crossing myself (if you want to be technical, jay walking). Obviously this is supposed to be an insignificant event so I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when the car starts to slow down & flash its lights at me. Consequently, I'm caught off guard when the guy driving leans out the window to say, "I love asian girls" only to speed off after this. Hahahah wtf, why do these things happen to me?

Party itself was as I expected...which wasn't much. It was fun though because I ended up messing around w/ a bunch of drunk people. Some one forgot my actual name but remembered 'it was a guy's name...is it Ben?" to which I responded as a yes. Eventually, my friend & I also said that I'm well hung like a tree branch, twigs & all. (Sadly, other than seeing some good friends, this was the highlight of the party)

Best part of the night though must have been when Lance & I played super smash after leaving & were able to catch up. He's such a great guy & I think it's awesome that he's so devoted to his girlfriend, it's pretty rare from what I've seen.

---

Random anecdote that happened just under two years ago now that I almost forgot about:

One day in orgo lab I'm talking to an acquaintance about our weekend & I ask him first what he did. At this point, I don't remember what he said but that's not important. After his response I cut in & told him, "oh, I know. I was watching you this entire weekend from your driveway." He kinda just stared at me & feeling a little awkward I told him I was definitely joking around. Then, he said "oh..can I take you out sometime?" Hahah, reaaally awkward.

I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra

Today was the first time I've ridden in a convertible w/ the top down & I must say, I'm in love.

Loving that class is basically an orgo1/orgo2 review. I actually know this stuff, it's definitely weird to know the mechanisms behind all the reactions my professor is talking about. Awesome.

Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Classes overall have been pretty good, out of class stuff hasn't been but I can at least say it's been an experience/typical Jo behavior. In example, yesterday AKA the first day of school I:

1. got followed by some creep from McDonald's to the parking structure who wanted my number & wouldn't leave me alone

2. during the APhA meeting leaned back & didn't realize the wall was right behind me so I hit my head & even though it didn't hurt, made a huge thud right when the room was silent. Smooth moves.

3. Forgot the dressing to my salad so I asked around haha

4. Slipped/dove & landed three times on the same spot on my shin in ultimate...so much bruising happening.

Really though, just all part of being a huge gangster. By gangster I mean klutz (:

I'm actually enjoying the classes though, they're going to be challenging & though yes we're going to moan & complain about them all, I think that so far they're all proving to be hugely relevant.

Driving out to the burbs to shadow my p4 at 8am tomorrow. Awww yeah super early wake up time!

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Sara Bareilles

I know Sara Bareilles did a cover of the original but I love what she did w/ it so it stays. Anyways, first day of what I expect to be hell, I can say that I'm pretty excited to start. Or maybe I'm mistaking that for apprehension but either way I'll be in class in a few hours. For right now, just hanging around the apartment since there's nothing to study I'm going to use this time to do some yoga, eat breakfast, & walk over to the pharmacy school. I'm ready as I'll ever be, the only thing I can think of is that my entire class is at the starting gate, some of us chomping at the bits about to start this crazy race to the finish. I have confidence we'll make it through just fine (:

So for Day Two's letter (to a crush), I can't say I have one so this gets skipped. Maybe I'll edit this later but for now, this is all that's necessary. Done & onto the next one.

First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

My right wrist aches so much when I move it so this is going to be as short of a post as possible. I start what's probably going to be my hardest year of school in my life tomorrow & I want to take the time to reflect.

Last year at this time I was slightly apprehensive about going to pharmacy school- I'd gotten the grades to get in & I was proud of earning the white coat but I wasn't sure if it was the right path for me. Since I didn't have to take the PCAT, I was uncertain if I really deserved to be there. Maybe I wouldn't be in the same spot if I had taken the test, what if they rejected me? More than anything else, would that mean that I would flunk out of the program? Or, if I did get through everything, what kind of career would be best for me? Even during my first year I kept asking myself if this was something I really wanted to do or if I'd be better off in another field. So many things that we learned seemed arbitrary to the kind of work most of us would end up doing & I passively wondered what good some of the material would do me. As a person I was pretty insecure overall about school, my relationships w/ people, & ultimately myself.

In this year I've grown in so many ways, I'm fresh out of my second pharmacy related internship w/ a job offer in my grasp knowing that's where I want to be when I graduate; I know I have what it takes to be successful in pharmacy school if I don't hold myself back. I've also learned to speak my mind during the most important times & let people close to me what's bothering me & why, something I've always struggled w/. Thanks to the help of a very good friend, he helped me think critically not about intellectual topics but myself & how to tune into my emotions & get to the bottom of what I feel at all times. I hit pretty close to rock bottom personally but I've risen as a stronger & happier person. By no means does that mean I'm perfect or that I don't need to continue to make improvements, but I'm more self aware & though many take it for granted, knowing & acknowledging/accepting every aspect of oneself is important & empowering.

Surprisingly, I'm looking forward to classes starting tomorrow. I miss learning as weird as that sounds. Work has been phenomenal but it uses a different part of my brain & I'm ready for the change of pace to go back to insanely crazy. Bring on the fire of P2 year, I was going to write that I hope to make it, but instead I'm going to say I'll see all of you on the other side (: Until then, time to start studying a powerpoint I have to know before class tomorrow & enjoy the last few hours of freedom.

Hmm, three posts in one day. Must be a record of some sorts.

EDIT: This doesn't quite fit in w/ the thinking of this entire post but I'm not making another entry for this. One of my roommate's cats will fart every time he's happy. That's right, not purr. Fart. It stinks. I think I'm destined to be around smelly beings ):

Count on Me - Bruno Mars

Well, there's a little irony for you. I just made fun of Bruno Mars but this song was probably the most fitting for the first letter of the series. Admittedly I was between a few other songs like I'll be There by the Jackson Five but it's kind of creepy if you think about it.

Not that I'm getting carried away or anything...

To my boo Banyalah,

It's been a great few years. I'll admit that when we first met I was a little unsure & I actually thought that I probably wouldn't be hanging out w/ you too much. That was before our second day in the dorms when you locked yourself out of your room (twice) & ended up sleeping in mine, eating every meal together, our late night study/dance sessions in every study lounge- especially the ones w/ the big comfortable armchairs, & living pretty much in our own little world. Sounds like I'm writing a love letter. But, I guess in a way I am. I love you for picking me up & sticking w/ me through some tough times in my life & being there to experience some of the happiest times as well. I couldn't ask for a better person to be there through this rollercoaster of life that I'm so good at creating for myself. If I was gay (which I'm not. Swear.) I would totally have the hots for you because you're one of a rare breed that is truly nice, genuine, & brutally honest. You're a beautiful person in & out; I feel so privileged that I have you around...especially to cockblock. Hahaha. Or, well, scold me from time to time for my stupid decisions. Even though I'm older than you & in terms of life experience I've gone out more, you're still like my big sister because you're so patient, forgiving, & I know I can always call you whenever. I love that we're the only ones that find stupid stuff hilarious when most people would blankly stare at me for thinking something like that was even slightly humorous. Anyways, I look forward to spending about half the week you this semester! Thanks so much for everything, I don't know where I'd be without you. I know I haven't been the best friend that you've always been for me but I'm working on it, you deserve it.

BFFFFFFFFF4lyfe

I'll Be - Edwin McCain

By far one of the cheesiest songs to exist (though after listening to some of Bruno Mars' songs I might have to take back that statement) but I have it stuck in my head. Stumbled upon this & I thought that generally it could be interesting. Probably won't be writing a letter a day but you'll know when you know (:

Duh.

Write a letter a day to the designated individual:
Day 1 — Your Best Friend
Day 2 — Your Crush
Day 3 — Your parents
Day 4 — Your sibling (or closest relative)
Day 5 — Your dreams
Day 6 — A stranger
Day 7 — Your Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A Deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — The person you hate most/caused you a lot of pain
Day 13 — Someone you wish could forgive you
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — Someone from your childhood
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Someone that pesters your mind—good or bad
Day 20 — The one that broke your heart the hardest
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Someone you want to give a second chance to
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — The person you know that is going through the worst of times
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The friendliest person you knew for only one day
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — The person that you want tell everything to, but too afraid to
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror

All the Small Things - Blink 182

I'm pretty sure my roommate's kitten just farted on me. Sigh. Apparently I'm the designated object to relieve bowel discomforts.

I've been playing lots of ultimate recently & it's slowly getting me back into shape because I'm too lazy to do yoga or run on my own. Moreover, it's given me the opportunity to meet a lot more people & get out more. Lately I've been hanging out a lot w/ the Nicks & Justin, so different & more happy go lucky than any group of friends I've had.

There isn't a whole lot that I'm going to talk about in this post, I plan on doing a before-school-summary type thing sometime soon (:

Something Worth Knowing - Sherwood

The song for this blog's title was rediscovered on my mp3 I lost senior year of high school- to find it in my couch about a year ago & have been too lazy to change the songs. Good stuff.

Anyways, I'm back from my short trip up north w/ the parents! Awesome trip, lots of sand dunes, lots of hiking (four trails in three days. puny mileage, only 10miles in total, but acceptable), & lots of good food. The trip got off to a kind of weird start & by that I mean instead of paying a considerable amount of money (over $200/night) at a hotel since the trip was so last minute, my mom called up our dentists & asked them if we could stay there for two nights.

Little did we know that they were going to be there too. Hahaha. Yeahhh, that was interesting & very much awkward. Nevertheless, it was also extremely cool because I would've never known otherwise how cool my dentist is- the only boy drafted in his neighborhood to come back from the Vietnam War, lived in a ton of places all over the world & yet can do the Iron Man at 65. In case you don't know what that is, it's a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride; if that wasn't enough add a full marathon of 26 miles to that.

Back to the trip though it was short, I think it's one of the best ones I've had in a while. It was a great opportunity to unplug from our connected world (mostly, I'm guilty of checking my phone a few times a day), leave my laptop behind & only have books as a form of entertainment. Our society is so caught up in a world full of technology it's refreshing to take a step back & breathe, live at a slower pace for a while. We didn't do long hikes as mentioned, but three of the four were pretty challenging. You wouldn't think it but sand dunes are a great work out & I loved getting back on the trails.

I realized in a conversation w/ one of my good friends last night why I enjoy hiking so much. That sounds weird, I mean it more in a way that I've always enjoyed it but I've never described why. It's a combination of things, if we want to be cheesy, we can call it the trifecta (lame, I know): nature, mental, & physical. The nature part is that change of pace from the urban & even suburban, it's the quiet beauty that surrounds you, beautiful landscapes that inevitably catch your eye, dark & silence of the night only broken by a coyote howl. The mental part is taking all those essential & necessary distractions out of your life (i.e. phone & mp3), leaving you w/ only yourself. Forcing yourself to have 'you time', internal reflection on whatever topic you choose, taking however long you want to spend on said subject, & allowing yourself to come to your own conclusions w/o outside opinions. The physical is pretty obvious, pushing yourself as far as you can take it. The beauty of hiking is that everyone can choose a trail that fits his or her needs whether it be grueling or a nice evening walk. Regardless, once a trail is chosen the hiker sets his or her speedometer, takes breaks when necessary, & whatnot. I guess that's a really roundabout way for me to say that hiking offers (well, pretty much forces) me to stop worrying about other people in my life & how my decisions might affect them or judgement they may pass & instead, focus on my wants & needs. Extremely refreshing & why I recommend it to everyone.

Other than the attempt at eloquence I just spewed above, I got my first sunburn of the summer today, sad. I was doing so well w/ the sunscreen! It's kinda funny looking, moderately burnt shoulders, barely tanner chest, white lines from where my backpack straps were, lightly burnt on my neck, & the line between my tank top & backpack straps is kinda visible. Funny.

On the phone w/ Zach, I was hit by a dose of reality; school starts in about two weeks. I didn't even think about buying a textbook until he asked me if I had gotten mine yet. Oops. Maybe it's time to start the checklist for pre-school year errands, I know all of you won't care but that's okay:

Pay tuition (puke), CPR re-certification, LKS stuff, textbooks (puke), renew liability insurance

Deposit paycheck

Print out & know the review packet like the back of my hand

Grocery shop & stick to healthy foods

TB test

Try to charm my way into an externship

The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

So. Sore. From ultimate tournament last night, but it's the best kind of hurt. Our team won, which was cool. I also didn't dive for once & other than one time, I didn't get knocked down by anyone so that was cooler (:

About to go to Sleeping Bear Dunes! I'm pumped, I've been wanting to hike for an entire year.

Since I've been at my university (three years), parking has almost doubled w/ increases every semester. Really, parking for $3.25 one day? Maybe I'm spoiled by cheap & free parking or I'm super old & experiencing one of those "back in my day" moments (or both) but that's ridiculous. Though our funding has been cut & we need to raise money, this isn't the only way to do it. The entire administration needs to be re-vamped, all those people who don't care about the students & make it an absolute nightmare to try to get any problem fixed don't deserve a salary or such an important job. In the mean time, it makes higher education less and less affordable & in the end, we'll all lose out.

The Scientist - Coldplay

Organic.

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

Yet immaterial ideas, thoughts, dreams, & emotions are timeless & survive over the centuries.

Irony?

All the Right Moves - One Republic

This is a few days old but I finally got too impatient to wait any longer & dyed (part) of my hair pink again. In case anyone on the interwebz wanted to check it out, you're welcome.

Awkward poses ftw

Something - The Beatles

Another fork in the road, another path to take. This year's going to be interesting & probably my most challenging both intellectually & emotionally. Everything that was surreal has just become all too real; I've always been terrible at coping but there's no time like the present to start. Anyways, I hope that I can take this opportunity to learn more about myself & shape myself into a better person.

It's Gonna Be Hard When I'm Gone - The Audition

So in my new apartment, I had been noticing a mysterious stench that started to take over our kitchen. Since our fridge smelled when I moved in, naturally that's where I went- especially since the smell seemed to get worse every time we opened the fridge. The weird thing was I couldn't tell which shelf it was coming from since all of them passe the sniff test & after a while I gave up & figured I'd find it when I didn't have stuff going on. Fast forward to last night when it's quite obvious that something has gone bad in our kitchen. My roommate goes to the pantry, pulls out a sack of potatoes, & holds them up. Nothing seemed out of place in the sensory department when any of that happened & being that it was face height for my vertically challenged self, I took a big breath in. Big mistake. It was the potatoes & I spent the next 10 minutes jumping around my apartment like a neurotic bird yelling about how gross it was while my roommate laughed at me. Basically, whiffing should be used at all times & not just in chem labs.

Hope you enjoyed my foolishness (:

Note to self

Don't postpone journal entries until the day it's due to write about what happened in a class over a month ago & after a long (but fun) night out. <- not what she said?

Facebook offishul

It's so cathartic to delete people off my facebook friends list. Not that I actually get rid of people that I try to keep in touch w/ over the years, rather those who I haven't talked to in a while. Though the world is becoming less private (like this blog, haha) it's nice to have some control over what people do & don't see. Though this blog can get pretty personal in terms of thoughts even after I edit stuff out & try to keep things vague, I consider facebook more intimate because it's more about my everyday life & the details.

In other news, I find Google+ to be interesting but also unnecessarily complex. There are a few too many buttons/shortcuts for my liking, I understand they're aiming to one up facebook but it hasn't impressed me thus far.

Lastly, I know I've said this before, but I love my job. I don't think there are many others who can joke around & laugh w/ their coworkers & boss as much as I do while being productive as we are. Being able to listen to music all day & getting a lunch break at a pharmacy is also a huge plus & even though there are always going to be some difficult patients, it's awesome that some of them also have a great sense of humor & so friendly. It's a great environment to be in & I've been loving every minute of it!

Am I a jerk if I wonder about stuff like this?

Since fat technically floats on water, if a 500lb person made mostly of fat jumped into the middle of a lake, would they sink because of their weight or float because of their amount of fat?

Other than that, beaching it up in Grand Haven w/ Mike & Vanya. Peace.

Fourth of July

Today's the day we celebrate our independence, displaying patriotism by hanging flags, saluting our troops, barbecuing w/ our families, & overall enjoying our American freedoms. So it's ironic that as I sit here while so many celebrate our Founding Fathers, the superhuman foresight they had in writing the Constitution- setting in motion the superpower country & invincible government that exists today- and what it means to be an American, I'm not feeling so patriotic myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who fought & continues to fight for our freedoms, protect us, & may pay w/ their lives. It's more that I'm a little disenchanted w/ our government & the illogical way things are run because they're so outdated. A lot of these thoughts came about late last night/early this morning as I stayed up to read Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. Chronicling the persona & death of Pat Tillman, the aftermath, Krakauer pieces together a great novel in what seems to be pretty thorough. To make contribute to the reader's understanding, he included the mentality of the Middle East pre-dating Tillman's time in the military when the USA invaded the area during the first Bush's administation and the reasons behind their perspectives. Like so many of Krakauer's books, this is no exception to his wonderful writing though the contents of it is extremely maddening. It details as best as it can the cover up that our Army & government tried so hard to implement regarding Tillman's death at the hands of his fellow Ranger. Though the book demonizes the Bush's presidency (& in this case, rightfully so) for its actions, the worst part about this is that it couldn't have been the first & as long as wars exist, definitely won't be the last time a situation like this arises for any of our presidents.

It's sickening to know that this story is only coming to light because of Pat Tillman's celebrity & without it, he'd be another name in the book & his family could possibly be lost in the shady bureaucracy forever, foraging for answers that never come. What's even worse is the countless families that have been lied to in a similar fashion.

Moreover, it's maddening to know that people who are high up in the military aren't in the battlefield & people back in Washington who don't even oversee day to day action on the ground can veto or override what commanders in the field know that they need. If we're going to fight a war, we need to do it right. We need to provide our troops w/ the necessary skills & equipment they need during & after the war. Any other way & people are going to slip through the cracks as we've been seeing. However, it doesn't even stop w/ the parents fighting the wars. Check out the Newsweek article on the conditions of schools that military kids go to if you're interested.

We have all this patriotism & love for our country but when it comes down to it, what do most of us do for our country? Nothing. We say, like our brave countrymen who so vehemently fought off the British & other enemies, we'll take up arms to besiege any enemy that wrongs us. Yet, when the time comes, most of us sit idly by, allowing the action to come from some one else, not him or her. The lay person doesn't understand why we went to war in Afghanistan, current events, or even who the vice president is. It's alarming that we take our country & our freedoms for granted. Furthermore, it's the latter that allows us to sit back on our heels & become oblivious to ongoings not only in the rest of the world but in the United States. Yet, instead of realizing this & giving back to communities & helping the betterment of society as a whole, we complain about petty & trivial things like not being able to sign up for a class, something at the grocery store being priced higher than usual, or a driver who cut you off. Basically, though people say they're proud to be American, I don't see it. There's hardly anyone giving back to our country in any form, whether it be to charities to help the millions living in 3rd world conditions a few miles away from us, community service, or serving our country. We all say Happy Fourth! but do most of us really feel the emotion or say it w/ passion? To me, it sounds like an empty saying which at one point meant a great deal to all citizens of our borders but over the years, we've started to forget. Of course, I'm not saying that I'm a saint & do all of these things, but I feel like after nine years of volunteering & donating to charity I have a little soapbox for me to preach upon. Anyways, I'm getting off it. Incredibly long rant, I know

In recent news

A bunch of stuff has happened lately, so in list order because that's how I like to organize things:

1. took the hardest exam of my life to date. How do I know this? It's the first that I've never finished. That includes organic chem, calculus, & physics tests. However, I thankfully passed it! (: So now I'm an official P2, yay!

2. moved out of our glorified attic apartment. It was a pain in the ass & I had a lot more stuff than what I thought I had but thankfully I had help moving everything. I ended up sorting a lot of things at my new apartment to go back home & whatnot so there won't be nearly as much clutter.

3. I had an awesome time at the Borden fireworks! I pretty much just laid on the hill w/ Zach, Tony, Meredith, & Ashley. I might put a picture or two up later.

4. Last night Vanya & I were going to go to the fireworks in Mt. Clemens but because of traffic & stupid people blowing shit up that was so explosive it set off car alarms, we instead went to Sonic. There, a 15 year old boy wouldn't stop hitting on us even after I told him we both had boyfriends, his lines sucked, he's too young to be talking to girls, & then said some of the weirdest things ever (i.e. how much I love midget porn...which by the way, isn't true.) Sigh. Oh, & he also thought after a while that Vanya & I were lesbians >.<

5. My parents called me in the middle of work to tell me that when I go home today for the first time in a few weeks, they aren't going to be here (since I'm at home now) because they decided to go up north because it's too hot to do anything down here & they want to go hiking. Trip #3 that I'm left behind on ):

Though I don't really mind it because I made an awesome salad, I can do my laundry in peace, & it won't be awkward for me to walk around the house in my underwear. Couch potato night here I come!

6. After looking back on some of my other posts I realized I haven't mentioned anything about my internship. I guess I really only want to say that I love it! Great people, environment, & pace. I've been working there for a while now & I haven't had a day yet where I don't want to go to work. That's a good thing considering I'm going to start working 40hrs/week for the rest of the summer right? Regardless, I've been incredibly lucky to have gotten such great summer internships to years in a row (:

Father's Day

Before I start studying like crazy for the rest of the night, I want to quickly talk about my dad. Even though I think it's more off a Hallmark 'holiday' my dad means the world to me & of course he's been on my mind.

Though I'm sure a lot of people are saying this, but I truly believe that I have one of the best dads in the world. He's fair, selfless, generous, always there to give me a hug when I need it, has a great sense of humor, has stood by me even when I've let him down, & has been there to congratulate me & make me feel special even when if it's something small. He's one of a kind, I don't know any other fathers who actively asks their kids if there's anything he can do for them & mean it. He's literally taught himself material just so when I come home, I have some one that I know I can bounce concepts off of & is a reliable source. This morning he even gave me his breakfast because he saw that I was running late & he wanted me to eat something solid before I went to work. I know I'm being really corny & sentimental but I think can't talk highly enough of my dad. Of course he has his flaws like the rest of us, but I know that I'm incredibly lucky. The man is my role model, my guardian, & my rock. I love him to death & I can't imagine what my life would have been like w/o him. Every time I speak to one of my cousins I'm so surprised & quickly realize the sacrifices & stress that my dad intentionally puts himself through just so at the end of the day he can be there for me & my brother emotionally, academically, & financially.

Anyways, I'm sure you're all bored of reading this by now. But Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there & to mine, I love you.

It's one of those stories.

So last night one of my friends that I've known since I was five turned 21 so I drove out to Ann Arbor for it & all that right. Party was good, it was like a mini high school reunion, summer ale from Motor City Brewery was extremely popular. Surprisingly they had completely run out of Ghettoblaster that night so the bartender suggester that one.

Anyways, the real story is when a good friend of mine from high school drunkenly climbs into my car when I'm about to leave & Refuses to get out, insisting that he be taken to Detroit as well since he hasn't been to the city in 10 years. After arguing w/ him for a few minutes, I give up & just take him back w/ me. So this morning we walked all over main campus, midtown, downtown, Greektown, & Mexicantown. So much walking but so worth it, we got crepes, I discovered a new local artists vendor & ended up impulse buying a necklace set which I think is pretty cool (whatever Brendon! lulz), took him inside the Detroit Public Library, to Bob's Classic Kicks, to Greektown, the Riverwalk & beyond to the lighthouse (yes, there is one that exists in Detroit), the RenCen, & finally to Mexicantown for delicious food as always.

Then I drove him back & we got bubble tea & found a part thrift store, part normal store, & part DEMF-worthy apparel store all in one. Pretty cool. Then I stopped by & saw our lab intern for the summer as he lives in AA & all around it was a great day.

Oh & right when I got back I ran w/ Caleb. & found out that I'm in a lot better shape than I thought I would be which is really cool.

All in all, a very successful 24 hours.

Reliving the teenage years?

Today is the first time I've seen my best friend in a month or so & coincidentally I have had the largest pimple in a few years. It isn't trying to take over my face or anything but it's a painful under the skin protrusion. Anyways, I mentioned to my best friend that I wish I could just get rid of the pimple bc it's bother me & she responded w/ "yeah not going to lie, I've been staring at it this entire time."

In the wise words of Jordan- "aww don't cry you look fat when you cry!" (:

Other than that, I love my internship. It's been a great experience so far & I'm excited to go to work every time.

Birfday

I have to say that this is probably the best birthday (celebration) I've ever had.

I had an amazing dinner w/ my family at Shilla (sushi, ungaju, & kobi beef) & my mom made me an ice cream cake which was absolutely delicious.

My actual birthday kinda sucked between studying for my exam & a long day of orientations but it was still great because I got to hang out w/ Zach after (:

On my actual birthday, I woke up, died during my exam, came back to my apartment only to find a hairy italian sleeping in my bed so I screamed beat him over the head & ran away.

No jk, so then we laid in bed all day & hung out, watched movies, caught up, etc.

(Btw since I know you're probably reading this Brendon, sorry.)

Eventually Zach & I dragged ourselves out of my room, went to Greektown to park & get Coldstone before heading to the Concacaf soccer games: Guadeloupe vs. Panama & USA vs. Canada. We met up Sarah & Kristin for them & though the first game wasn't so exciting because Panama kept faking injuries & whatnot, it was nice to watch USA play a game where they didn't give up a goal within the first few minutes of each half.

Afterwards we walked to Grand Trunk which was unfortunately closed so we went over to Motor City where we met up Jordan, who was the only one out of the three of us that got carded hahaha.

Shitty luck, literally.

Love Belle Isle.

That was taken earlier today (Windsor is in the background), such a beautiful summer day. However, those gulls...

So I hand Danielle my water bottle after she finished running since she didn't bring any & then i feel something very warm on my leg. So I stop studying, pause, hope it was just Danielle flicking water at me, & I see green seagull poop all over my legs, shirt, & what I was laying down on.

Yeah, that would happen to me. Nothing else to do than laugh & hope the stains come out of my white shirt.

Time to re-evaluate

When the weather started warming up I decided that I would tough out the next few weeks of living in the glorified attic before moving locations.

...it's going to be at least in the high 80s for the next 10 days. Definitely reconsidering this as I type this on my bed in the least amount of clothes necessary to sleep in w/ my door wide open (so I can get some air circulation from the fans in our living room.)

Pretty sure I'm going to end up sweating out a few pounds tonight, oh baby

Lap Swim

I swam laps for the first time in months today & it felt awesome. I always have the urge to get junk food when I'm going back to my place, today the craving was for Dynasty. So bad, but so (guiltily...if that's a word) good. Instead, I resisted & came back to make alfredo w/ chicken sausage, shredded chicken, broccoli, & mushrooms. Okay that might sound kind of weird but some of the stuff is going to go bad in a few days & it tastes pretty good! (:

I love how I have time in the summer to cook balanced & somewhat healthy meals while still having enough time to study & take care of everything else.

Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes

I had such a great day today: paid attention in class so I won't have to relisten, hung out a little in lab w/ Lenah & Scott, went to shadow my P4 mentor, had a great time hanging out w/ Zach & his family + dinner, & then I had time to see Mike on the way back! It felt a little weird being around Rochester w/o stopping at home buut I'm pretty scared to go home w/o the dish that my mom has been asking about for the last few weeks haha. Oops?

I learned a lot about OTCs (over the counter) today, which sounds really dorky but it was pretty cool still. Also, if you think you have poison ivy but the rash hasn't shown up, use laundry detergent to wash the area to prevent infection. If you do get it though, your best bet is hydrocortisone. I'm a nerd, but there's your friendly random knowledge tip of the day?

...Okay it's not like I've had random knowledge tips before but shh.

To add on to the OBAMA gas station, there is also an OBAMA party store that exists on Detroit's West Side according to Zach's dad. Very interesting.

Time to write these journal entries & wash the dog slobber off me.

PS- if you're wondering about this blog's title, I have it stuck in my head as it was on the radio during the drive home (oldies radio station ftw). One day while studying & very sleep deprived, I misheard one of the lines. Originally it goes 'I got this burning burning yearning' but from my altered perception/the way she sang it, it sounded more like 'I got this burning burning urine' & so I instantly thought of a urinary tract infection. From that point onwards the rest of the song has sounded like she's talking about having a UTI & I feel like a weirdo. Okay I am, but even still that's just weird for me to admit. Aaaaanyways, bye.

So random.

Driving to an underserved clinic in Detroit for a group visit/orientation, I found out there is a gas station called OBAMA, complete w/ paintings of his picture & all. It was really, really strange & there were no gas prices listed. Next time I head that way I'm definitely taking a picture of it!

Other than that, I'm excited to volunteer in the clinic, I think it's going to be a great experience because it's helping those who are truly in need & seems to be very well organized.

Yay!

I officially have an internship over the summer!

As long as I pass a drug test & can figure out this crazy work schedule around class, pledging, research, & if I'm not too ambitious, hanging out w/ friends. Man does that make me sound busy.

The biggest 'small city' there is

Reason for this post's title:

My housemate knocks on my door & invited me to go to a local bar w/ him. We're chilling & watching everyone sing at the karaoke machine & then I notice that one of the people singing a song was one of my professors from last summer. I point him out to my housemate & he tells me that the other guy singing Sk8r Boy (sp? by Avril Lavigne) w/ him was his professor in the same department last year. After they finish their song they walk over & say hi to us. I tell my prof that I'm surprised he still remembers me to which he replies w/ 'I could never forget you! You were my best student!'

...that's bullshit. But it was funny. So I asked him what he was up to & I got "oh you know, just getting shitfaced". Classy.

But anyways, after this my housemate & I are eating a pizza when we see our profs come back together to sing another song which ended up being Too Sexy Song - Right Said Fred.

Needless to say, it was awkward watching my professor in his late 20s start unbuttoning his shirt & dancing around. But highly entertaining as well (:

Lately

So the Baltimore/NYC trip was too short but fun. Saw & did so much! Definitely a trip I'll remember.

Of the more memorable points:

1) on the way to the airport, seeing a bunch of people eating watermelon out of the back of an SUV parked on the street. Oh Detroit.

2) seeing a billboard that said 'National Federation for the Blind'. Call me a jerk, but that's ironic.

3) getting hit in the face w/ a frisbee thrown from 50 feet away

4) playing Star Fox on N64, yeah boiiiii

Other than that, living life & chilling. Did a lot of reading during our few days off. My favorite two books I read were My Sister's Keeper and Even Silence Has an End. Even though the latter was a little slow at points, it was overall interesting.

I got the weirdest hang nail on my toe last night. Check it out...when I'm not too lazy to get out my camera & upload the picture.

Other than that, this summer is shaping up to be the busiest one to date (w/ class, pledging, & a very probable 40hr/wk internship) even though I thought this was going to be chill. Hopefully there's enough room in there for a life outside of work & such.

Just for you Jordan...

Other than that, I love my week break off school! NYC was pretty cool, if I walked around like that everyday I'd be in such good shape. I wish Detroit had more people, it was really nice to see people using a city for once & Central Park was gorgeous

Finals are over...finally! (pun intended)

I have survived relatively unscathed! The grade count so far:

2 B's, 1 C. Hoping for a pass for my other two exams, we'll see how they went soon enough. Until then, it's going to be something like this for the next few days!

Ohhhh yeah. Bro & sis time!

...okay who am I kidding. It's going to be more like this

^that would be my brother & his girlfriend, who is a lot prettier than my microsoft paint skills and doesn't have a big head, a floating torso, or block people out of pictures

Either way, I'm really looking forward to adventures (:

A Cup of Happiness!

Gotta love Coldstone. Especially during finals week in the UGL (which feels like a jungle right now).

Two finals down, three to go! So far, 1 B & I'm expecting another B. Though I have a feeling tomorrow's won't be pretty; at least I only need a 61% on the exam to pass. Not to mention that I'll be seeing Zach tomorrow so it can't be too bad, right?

...Don't answer that. I'm all for denying reality (:

EDIT: I also have the last of my dim sum food...sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf! Sosososo good. What a great dinner!

+ a spork from Slows to Go in the foreground

EDIT: 2am food-during-extreme-cramming-session continues with

McDonald's salad

My first ever parfait (:

Gotta love Coldstone. Especially during finals week in the UGL (which feels like a jungle right now).

Two finals down, three to go! So far, 1 B & I'm expecting another B. Though I have a feeling tomorrow's won't be pretty; at least I only need a 61% on the exam to pass. Not to mention that I'll be seeing Zach tomorrow so it can't be too bad, right?

...Don't answer that. I'm all for denying reality (: