I SURVIVED MY FIRST ANATOMY EXAM

I took my first test today!! I survived! I have been studying like crazy. This test was actually quite ridiculous. The amount of information we were required to know was enormous. Not even to talk about the fact that the test started at 6:30AM (Cruel and unusual punishment) and didn't end until 9:50! That is the longest test ever....................... and for all of you that know me well! I am not a morning person!

PS (I was going to post these awful pictures of me studying in my cool, new study room, with my office chair(I put together, all by myself), but unfortunately my computer is not cooperating! Sorry!)

***Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars ***

So I finished my first week of PA school last week!! It wasn't too bad, in fact you could argue that it the same as any regular college. Except my summer classes add up to a total of 19 credits. I am expected to study ALL the time, and I don't get to choose what time I take my classes.... Oh, and its tons and tons of information in a really short amount of time. It's like taking college and squashing into the shortest period of time possible. Fun right!?!

Its actually been really exciting getting started. I've met some awesome people in my class. I am so excited to have people that share the same values and are experiencing the same things. They are all just so awesome, I am going to have a *BLAST* getting to know them better and working with them on a daily basis!

Thanks for everyone's support (especially my wonderful husband who's working right now!) getting me to this point!

It's the End of the World as We Know It

As of Monday, my wife will practically disappear. That's right, the first day of PA school is upon us!

So not only is Natalie going to be gone all the time studying, but I actually have to go back to work! Natalie has been earning all the money for us while I went to school for the last year, and since she's going to be studying her little heart out, I have to go back to work. We've been able to take the last few weeks off to spend time together (which has been so nice) but the vacation is officially over as of Monday morning at 9:00. Except I don't have to go to work until Tuesday, but a vacation is not much of a vacation if you're by yourself.

We're trying to save money like everyone else (which is pretty much a forgone conclusion when you're spending $40,000 a year on tuition and books, but every little bit helps, right?), and we decided we're going to spend more time cooking at home instead of eating out. I have (re)discovered that I really enjoy cooking. I have been getting online a lot lately to look for recipes and fun things to cook. I really want to get a barbecue grill for our postage stamp backyard, but I'm having trouble convincing Natalie that it's a good idea (what do you mean we are spending more money than we make, since when does that ever stop anybody? Haven't you heard we're in a recession; we're supposed to go out and buy stuff, that's what being a good American means these days! ... strangely these arguments aren't working). Barbecue or no barbecue, we have cooked every meal this week, with the exception of one totally justifiable lunch at Olive Garden with my mom and sister (Olive Garden soup + salad = little piece of heaven).

I am going on two more business trips this month; I am going to Boston in 2 weeks, and New Jersey the week after. Unfortunately, we may have seen the end of trips where Natalie gets to come along, unless we have some amazingly improbable coincidence where Natalie doesn't have to study for 3 days and I get a trip somewhere interesting. So mostly I just bring home pictures and souvenirs (which is a rather paltry substitute, but at least it's something).

Funny Moments in Life

dallas and i decided to have grilled cheese sandwiches with whole chili for lunch today!! unfortunately we forgot that dallas is unable to bite through things. things most of us wouldn't even think about. for instance, he can't bite through a slice of lettuce or a pickle on a hamburger. his front teeth don't meet together no matter what he does

so he grabbed his grilled cheese and chili and took a bite. out came the entire chili and most of the melted cheese:) to fix the problem i had to cut his sandwich up in little pieces. (at least he didn't ask me to cut the crust off:))

'Business' trip to Baltimore

This last weekend, Dallas and I took a trip to Baltimore. Just like our last fun trip I tagged along on a business trip. It is quite convenient!! Dallas's work pays for the hotel, rental car, and a certain amount of food!! The only thing we have to really pay for is entertainment and my plane ticket. He even gets paid while he's there so most of that stuff ends up being paid for anyway.

Here's some fun Pics...

Dallas and I arriving in Baltimore, picking up the rental car!!

On the way to the hotel we got really lost. A trip that normally takes less than 10 minutes took us over an hour. I was supposed to be navigating and Dallas was driving. We thought it was my fault the whole time. Of course the next day we discovered it was actually Dallas's fault the whole time! (These are very important distinctions) It was actually a really fun diversion. We drove through some of the prettiest country. I absolutely loved the trees. At one point we passed under a one car bridge so we stopped. We got out and took pictures because it was really pretty. Funny we were supposed to be on a freeway????

Dallas and I decided to try this Brazilian Steakhouse that we found. It was actually really cool. They had a salad bar that you could visit as many times as you wanted. When you were ready for meat you flipped over this little card on your table. Then about 10-15 guys would rush your table with big slabs of meat on these sword like pokers and ask if you wanted this or that. They had steak, sirloin, bottom sirloin (my favorite), filet mignon, prime rib, chicken, sausage, and a whole lot more. You could have as much as you wanted. It was actually really really really good. It was also very very very expensive. It is the most expensive place I have ever ate or probably will ever eat. You know your in trouble when there are no prices on anything.

These are some things I found that were humerous to me.

This is a 'parking meter'. It says, "It's okay to say No to panhandlers, and Yes to helping homeless people." So it has a place for you to put your change!!


This is a life preserver, hilarious. They have these all around the inner harbor. They are in glass!! To save someone who has fallen in you just have to break the glass and throw it in. Kinda like a fire extinguisher!! (On a side note, they also have fire hydrants 10 feet from the water?? Like you don't have enough water right there or something, you've got to bring it in from somewhere else?)

We visited the National Aquarium of Baltimore. It was actually quite cool. There were lots of big sting rays, sharks, and fish. I mean lots I didn't think we were ever going to be done looking at fish. Don't get me wrong, they are pretty cool, but enough is enough. My feet were killing me by the time we got through the whole thing.

Dallas had a little 'accident' when we were wondering through the 'rainforest.' This little bird above gave Dallas a nice little turd right on his shoulder. It was pretty gross!!! You can't see it very well in this picture but it was green and yucky!
(do you see a similarity?)

Saturday, our last day in Baltimore, it rained. Luckily we slept in and didn't have to run around in the rain very much. When it stopped raining we walked a couple blocks down to the Baltimore Washington Monument. It is pretty much just a really tall tower with a statue of George Washington at the top. You can climb up the winding 250 something step staircase to the top. Here are pictures of us in the dark stairway. The first picture is a view of Baltimore from the top of the tower.