tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57465002011-12-16T17:30:52.867-05:006 languages, 25 years, 154 life dreams, and a whole lot of chlorine.Jessnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-77606115124638719422011-12-16T17:28:00.002-05:002011-12-16T17:30:52.875-05:00

Thanks for nine great years, Blogger. It's been real, it's been fun -- and at times, it's actually been real fun. But at other times, it's been incredibly frustrating, so I finally made the leap......to a NEW WORDPRESS BLOG!!!!!!Change your bookmarks, all, and I'll see ya on the flip side!

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-25664477784730963412011-07-14T15:11:00.004-04:002011-07-14T16:44:20.886-04:00

So I spent the majority of my vacation in Florida with my family, and overall I had a really great time. I ended up going down a bit earlier than I planned because of the timing of my grandmother's funeral, but I'm glad that things worked out to where I was able to be there. I drove down on the first of the month, and services were on the second. We had a small family remembrance in her backyard,

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-90938904016224207982011-06-13T13:04:00.003-04:002011-06-13T15:22:11.847-04:00

There have been three major developments in my life recently that I haven't yet posted about, so I'm going to try to write a brief update that encompasses all three. Caveat: I managed to trip while running last weekend (caught the toe of one sneaker in the loop of the shoelace on the other) and fell in the exact wrong way to break one of my fingers, so this may not be as detailed of a post as you

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-80095077988962775152011-04-24T01:24:00.004-04:002011-04-25T13:12:38.107-04:00

I should preface this post by saying that my class has been working for months on a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research, raising money by pledging to shave our heads. When we first started talking about it, I immediately wondered whether perhaps I should volunteer to be a ‘shavee’ – seeing as it’s one of those things that I’ve secretly always wanted to do on some level – but then talked

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-59716154457830806002011-03-31T23:43:00.012-04:002011-04-04T00:51:12.147-04:00

(Note: I've been lazy about finishing this post, and now I'm glad I was, because I just checked YouTube and somebody else who was at this concert has since uploaded videos of a lot of the songs! Don't mind the video quality -- just imagine you're in the front row like I was :) -- but the audio is pretty good. So awesome in terms of my memories!)Anyway, I saw Idina Menzel live in Raleigh on

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-45127369164085637352011-02-27T14:56:00.010-05:002011-03-01T17:44:05.047-05:00

New York City is where magic happens, period.I made a good start at integrating into 'the city that never sleeps' by waking up at 4am on Thursday for my 6:05 JetBlue flight to JFK. After successfully navigating the AirTrain and subway system -- a victory unto itself -- I made my way to the Court of International Trade to meet my gorgeous friend A. She gave me a quick tour of the court (chick is a

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-75915339041549816712010-12-23T10:33:00.000-05:002010-12-23T10:33:59.668-05:00

The last week of school was simultaneously really nice and insanely stressful. We had one exam each on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 8am to 10am, and then nothing else to do for the rest of the day. That sounds like there would be plenty of down time, but in reality, we spent the whole of each afternoon and evening studying for the next day's test (or, during study breaks, panicking about

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-18465032857477083092010-12-06T11:46:00.008-05:002010-12-07T08:29:16.560-05:00

There are only a few more days left of our first semester of PA school. How did that happen??? And how is it that I STILL have zero energy for Christmas? Honestly, I'm not sure anyone is getting presents this year (apart from Liz, because, you know, I might get kicked outta the house :)). This is an unfamiliar feeling -- I'm used to being totally jazzed about the holidays. I still am, I guess; I

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-44352534231477224522010-11-28T11:11:00.006-05:002010-11-28T12:58:28.949-05:00

Speaking in the spirit of Thanksgiving... it's unbelievable how much I have to be thankful for this year. Specifically, to be part of such an incredible group of people and finally living the dream of becoming a PA.January 2007, when I first admitted to myself that linguistics wasn't actually what I wanted to do with my life, marked the beginning of a long, hard road. That year was one seemingly

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-5817028550616690762010-11-16T12:32:00.004-05:002010-11-16T13:17:50.618-05:00

We are not slowing our velocity at all just because of a silly little thing like the Thanksgiving holiday. We're barreling through cardiology, EKG, and orthopedics at breakneck speed, slogging our way through Evidence-Based Medicine (which basically teaches us how to read and interpret scientific studies/statistics), and still trudging along through anatomy at the same depressing pace. There's a

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-4758175486480209612010-11-01T06:35:00.003-04:002010-11-01T07:53:32.733-04:00

Quotes from my microbiology / infectious disease professor that will still be ringing in my ears when I start rotations:"A vesicular lesion on an erythematous base is always herpes, herpes, herpes.""Any closed collection of pus, think Staph aureus.""Anytime you see monoarticular arthritis in a young sexually active female, gonorrhea should be the first thing on your differential.""Fever and CVA

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-10633355147009964722010-10-17T14:30:00.003-04:002010-10-17T15:47:07.288-04:00

So, fall break has pretty much been a rousing success. First, I got a lot of errands out of the way on Tuesday afternoon, including renewing my passport in anticipation of next year's trip to Tanzania (or Ecuador, because who really knows at this point?) and dropping by both CHP offices to say hi to everyone. It was really wonderful to see all the familiar faces. I love my new Duke community

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-38977479343213901562010-10-06T19:54:00.004-04:002010-10-06T20:48:47.340-04:00

We've officially hit the hardest week yet of PA school. We had a really difficult cadaver lab on Friday, then Campout over the weekend (which I'll explain/describe in a minute) and then not one, not two, but three tests during the first part of this week, one of which covered a brutal 14 hours' worth of anatomy lecture. It was actually supposed to be three tests in the first two days, but then we

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-17495688918679838042010-09-29T15:31:00.003-04:002010-09-29T16:40:20.438-04:00

I'm posting quickly in the middle of my hematology lecture just to say how incredibly excited I am about the Global Health Electives -- in other words, the international clinical rotations! We finally got some information on them today, and although they sound like a lot of work (a lot of extra things to do before departure and after coming home that we don't have to do for other rotations), I am

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-23292501984958481542010-09-27T12:28:00.002-04:002010-09-27T13:03:30.350-04:00

Just a quick update to say that I think I'm finally settling into the rhythm of this new life. It might sound odd, but I feel as though I'm doing less work and yet performing better. I'm not doing as much pre-reading as I was doing in the beginning, for a variety of reasons -- partly because physiology, which was the most reading-heavy class, is now over (more on that in a minute), and partly

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-3296088181012247952010-09-07T22:00:00.004-04:002010-09-07T22:32:55.586-04:00

A Day in the Life of a Duke PA Student6:00am -- The alarm goes off. I'm out the door by 6:30 and pulling my folding bike out of my car trunk (where it lives so I don't have to drag it up and down 2 flights of stairs every day). I unfold it and set off toward downtown Durham. I get to bike on the greenway for almost the entire trip, with no traffic to contend with, so I feel only slightly guilty

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-16564807059904988092010-08-29T20:39:00.003-04:002010-08-29T22:48:50.800-04:00

Things I've learned this week, Part 1: - how anti-depressants work, - why eating lots of salt leads to high blood pressure, - that each week's lunches and outfits need to be organized the weekend prior, - that cancer can literally be 'smelled', at least in a cadaver, - why Liz felt pain in her shoulder when her gallbladder was the real problem, - that my 'spill-proof' mug really isn't, - why '

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-40805917771465275542010-08-19T22:20:00.006-04:002010-08-20T21:06:45.957-04:00

So, I have officially finished my first week of Duke PA school. I've been working on this post for a few days, so it's going to be pretty long, but my overall impression is that this new gig is fabulous. There are 76 of us in the class, and almost everyone is brilliant and funny and amazing. I've made a couple of close friends already (one running buddy, one carpool buddy, some lunchmates, some

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-28275611746157879602010-07-07T15:38:00.006-04:002010-07-07T16:56:17.720-04:00

So my test run on the American Tobacco Trail was a rousing success. It's a gorgeous, paved, well-marked, tree-lined trail, set completely away from traffic, with virtually no hills to speak of, and it dumps out only a block from the PA building (or DPAP - Duke PA Program). With the traffic lights at every crossing and the dashed line down the middle of the path, it really reminds me of biking in

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-62325772498395359732010-06-30T17:41:00.002-04:002010-06-30T18:40:40.271-04:00

We are officially moved into the new apartment! There are lots of finishing touches still to do -- they forgot to paint our kitchen, for one thing, and there's so much junk in the study you can barely see the carpet, for another -- but it's coming together. Thursday -- We loaded Sarah's car, Liz's car, and part of the U-Haul around 8pm. Despite the late hour, we were all pouring sweat after just

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-73179022781730714132010-06-13T17:54:00.006-04:002010-06-13T19:57:02.187-04:00

You know how every so often we all have one of those days where absolutely nothing goes right, and we question why we even bothered to get out of bed? Well, yesterday was the complete antithesis of that. I don't know what kind of sparkly cloud was following me around, but whatever it is, I wish it'd stick around!To recap, I'd decided earlier in the week that I would regret it if I didn't go and

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-33821116491973129842010-05-19T19:55:00.003-04:002010-05-19T22:13:45.887-04:00

So, it's happened. The infamous Ironman itch has returned.Some of you may know that my ultimate athletic goal was always to do an Ironman triathlon (and, of course, subsequently get the M-dot tattoo). Then I did a half Ironman in 2007 for which I was woefully (and ignorantly) underprepared, and the experience was so miserable that I grabbed Liz around the neck after crossing the finish line and

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-5961919294640341002010-04-30T13:36:00.005-04:002010-04-30T14:03:07.918-04:00

We went to see Wicked at DPAC last night, and it was fantastic. Highly recommended to anyone thinking about going!!! :) I think Kelsey has the soundtrack, so I'll try to restrain myself from buying it on iTunes until I can get it for free. Liz was in tears during parts of it... it was that good.Anyway, today I'm having another of those insane Fridays where I try to get everything done at once.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-15233318022460556072010-04-22T22:21:00.004-04:002010-04-23T14:33:32.978-04:00

I've only got 39 workdays left, and I'm starting to think about how sad it's going to be when someone else is working with 'my' doctor and 'my' patients instead of me. That's not to say that I love every single minute of my job, but Dr. H and I have been together for so long that we've got a rhythm going; we can anticipate each other on the umpteen million tiny details that tend to rear their

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-18392671798012203992010-04-07T11:40:00.003-04:002010-04-07T12:09:49.245-04:00

Spring is here -- as evidenced by the clouds of yellow pollen hanging in the air for the past week. (It's supposed to rain tomorrow night -- not soon enough, if you ask me.) My life is stumbling along quite as usual. High points: - I have only 49 workdays left, which is a big milestone. - I've gotten a few additional pieces of info from Duke -- nothing super useful, but some interesting details

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-52652899107660351572010-03-12T13:02:00.003-05:002010-03-12T15:11:19.268-05:00

So I threw our lives into the proverbial tizzy this week by seriously considering the idea of joining the military to help pay for PA school. It's a pretty sweet deal -- they cover the entire cost of school as well as paying a $2000/month living allowance (which is considerably more than I earn even *now*), in exchange for which I'd serve a mere three years Active Duty after graduation. I'd be

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-54428570556313677632010-03-05T18:43:00.004-05:002010-03-05T18:47:13.135-05:00

So I still haven't found any financial aid for PA school whatsoever, and after a conversation with my mom today, I started thinking about how strange that is. With the current trend of MDs all wanting to be surgeons and dermatologists and make the big bucks, and PAs and NPs picking up all the primary care slack, you'd think there would be a lot more aid out there. As my mom put it, I'm "ahead of

Jessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-15720871963537634572010-02-22T11:10:00.003-05:002010-02-22T13:48:18.101-05:00

So I spent the weekend in Jacksonville...Friday: Saw the dentist in the morning (the usual verdict: "nice teeth, floss more") and then went on a shopping spree with mom for some "professional" clothes that I can wear to school and clinicals. Can I just say, outlet malls are amazing? We spent $148 at Banana Republic... and, according to our receipt, SAVED $99... meaning our total bill was 65% less

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-79187605753228925142010-02-06T16:11:00.001-05:002010-02-06T16:17:58.123-05:00

It's pretty much universally agreed that snow is lovely when it's falling. When we have unexpected holidays from work and school, when that pristine white blanket covers the ground, when kids (and grownups) are rosy-cheeked and sledding, when snow angels and snowmen dot the neighborhood, when the world feels quieter and more peaceful than at any other time... it's hard to dispute the magic of

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-62962710384460383472010-01-11T07:12:00.004-05:002010-01-11T07:58:53.184-05:00

So I got up this morning, got dressed, ate breakfast, got my things together, and then got a text from our nurse manager saying that I didn't have to be at work until 8:45. In contemplating what to do with this unexpected free hour, I realized, hey, I haven't done a real blog post in an awfully long time. So, here I am.Anyway, with the exception of me spending Christmas Eve vomiting up my

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-27631376244275027342010-01-08T15:29:00.004-05:002010-01-08T15:56:20.271-05:00

I'm a little late with my traditional New Year's post, but here it is:2009 Accomplishments:1) GOT ACCEPTED TO DUKE UNIVERSITY (yeah!!!)2) Ran the River Run in 1:463) Finally got an iPhone4) Saw Celine Dion in concert5) Ran the Oaks half marathon in 2:266) Took Liz to Disney World for her birthday7) Bought a new laptop8) Cleaned out almost all my excess clothes and junk9) Hit the $3000 mark in my

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-58756019413531775742009-12-04T15:27:00.003-05:002009-12-04T16:36:28.566-05:00

Now that the excitement of actually getting IN to Duke is starting to subside (or, rather, starting to seem like the natural state of things... I'm not sure I'll ever really stop being excited or proud!), I'm starting to focus on the more practical details.First of all, where are we going to live? We thought we knew -- The Lodge at Southpoint -- but that was before a friend of mine (

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-57421532499163445372009-11-22T19:09:00.006-05:002009-11-22T19:49:41.667-05:00

I should have posted this sooner, I know, but it seemed like everybody found out anyway. I was checking my email obsessively the Monday after the interview, even though I knew that The Email might not come until Tuesday, if it was even going to come at all -- and at 1:59pm, I was rewarded.I got in!!!To Duke University! As in, the number-two program in the country (formerly number one), the

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-44773162218168575622009-11-13T13:48:00.004-05:002009-11-13T14:50:35.529-05:00

I had my Duke interview yesterday, and on the whole I think it went well. We spent the morning in a conference room, listening to presentations on the didactic and clinical years as well as some info from the financial aid officer. There was also a photo/video tour, since the campus is way too spread out to allow us to walk to all these places (not to mention that it was raining cats and dogs).

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-44749050755541466712009-11-06T16:25:00.004-05:002009-11-06T17:04:27.154-05:00

Hey, two posts in one week; that doesn't happen very often. Anyway, I feel a little better about the whole work situation today, now that I've had a few hours of free time where I didn't have to think about vaccines or lab tests or the flu. It really is only eight more months, and you know what? When my last workday (somewhere around June 24th) actually does arrive... I'm going to be really

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1918422506007159932009-11-05T19:54:00.004-05:002009-11-05T20:47:53.913-05:00

Just a quick update with some news:1.) So I officially won the Biggest Loser competition at work, and got the money today. (Not that I've exactly earned it this past week; I've been eating like an absolute train wreck ever since the half marathon.) Anyway, my grand total was $90.55, mostly in one-dollar bills. I pity the person who was behind me in line at the drive-up ATM tonight.2.) Just as the

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-91678254378629893272009-11-01T17:15:00.003-05:002009-11-01T18:08:35.191-05:00

So I ran the half marathon this morning, and overall it went really well. I woke up to cold gray skies and pouring rain which didn't ever really stop, but that was actually a better alternative than the humid heat we had yesterday. I got to the site around 6am, huddled under various tents with a few thousand of my new best friends as we collectively tried to stay out of the rain, and even managed

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-34451011794694807302009-10-28T18:47:00.005-04:002009-10-28T19:26:43.684-04:00

I have the Cold from Hell, and it is driving me insane. I spent the entire workday apologizing to patients for my uncontrollably drippy nose. I was about to do a finger stick on a kid and I said to his mom, "You'll have to forgive me if I have to grab for a tissue in the middle of doing this... I'm having kind of a rough day!" Fortunately, they laughed. I thought working in pediatrics was

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-43641949706819742642009-10-16T10:40:00.003-04:002009-10-16T11:31:50.136-04:00

It's amazing how many tiny tasks there are to do on the computer that simply don't get done during the week anymore. Silly things, like performing a hard drive backup (which takes all of five seconds), or responding to someone's Facebook comment (the 2009 equivalent of answering an email, I guess). Anyway, I've made a list of things that generally need to get done on Fridays, and I've been

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-72158334684600061042009-10-11T11:53:00.003-04:002009-10-11T11:58:57.008-04:00

One of our best friends, Kelsey, is an incredible actress and singer -- the kind that makes the hair stand up on your neck. She's had countless years of vocal and theater training, and has lived all over the country while performing in various shows. Although she's in law school now and is doing really well at it, she admits that if she had the choice, she'd make her living through the theater.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-62350167699674859132009-09-27T20:37:00.004-04:002009-09-27T20:59:11.597-04:00

I am SO pumped about the marathon I'm doing in February. The Marine Corps Marathon was fun last year, but I really think, now that I know what to expect, that this next one is going to blow that one out of the water. It's in my hometown, meaning I'll be sleeping at home with my parents (rather than in a hotel) and running past familiar sights, and part of the run is even right on the beach! Not

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-71391852525441526732009-09-26T20:13:00.000-04:002009-09-27T21:02:49.775-04:00

So my weekend kicked off with some Car Drama -- I walked out of the house yesterday morning to a dead battery, which is a first in my ten-plus years of driving. I had a minor heart attack for a little while, then calmed down when I realized it was probably "just" the battery and could be resolved relatively easily. Terry, one of L's and my "surrogate dads", came over, assessed the situation, gave

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-8196916182774121942009-09-06T14:15:00.004-04:002009-09-06T14:42:01.172-04:00

I love long weekends. So far, I've done my long run for the week (5 miles), bought two new cable-knit sweaters at Target (at twenty bucks a pop, I couldn't resist), and started rereading an old Jodi Picoult book; L and I have also gone to brunch at the Flying Biscuit with our friend Kelsey (a weekly tradition), done our grocery shopping for the upcoming week (a necessary evil), and gone to see

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-41149485831994339632009-09-03T21:33:00.000-04:002009-09-03T21:34:06.430-04:00

Just a one-line update to say that they called this morning and I GOT IN!!!!!!!!!! :)

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-8113810032558425752009-09-02T13:41:00.005-04:002009-09-02T14:36:28.336-04:00

So my first PA interview is behind me, and I'm pleased to say that it went exceedingly well. Without giving too many specific details -- because, let's face it, that's not really 'kosher' with so many people yet to interview this season -- I'll walk you guys through it a bit.The first afternoon was mostly spent talking about admissions, curriculum, and financial aid, as well as touring the

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-45632478484208881342009-08-18T09:05:00.003-04:002009-08-18T09:39:33.163-04:00

I've been using the factors that are most important to me and drawing up a "PA Program Comparison Chart" in Numbers (the new Excel-like program that I got with this new computer), just to try to get all the details down on paper in one spot rather than scattered throughout five different websites. Too bad I can't paste the (nice, neat, beautiful) chart onto the blog, but in plain English, here's

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-17010365311817981452009-08-12T19:07:00.003-04:002009-08-12T19:22:16.626-04:00

So I promised to post about the contest all the nurses at work are doing -- it's our version of The Biggest Loser. A bunch of us are trying to lose weight (some just want to lose 5 pounds, others are trying to lose upwards of 50 pounds), so we decided to turn it into a twelve-week contest to give ourselves some motivation. There's now a huge whiteboard in Jen (our nurse manager)'s office, with

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-8976949458546028992009-08-09T10:17:00.000-04:002009-08-09T10:17:00.220-04:00

So we spent last weekend in Asheville, staying with our friend Tiffany before heading to another friend's wedding just across the SC border. We got to Tiff's house late Thursday night after having worked all day, and immediately crashed on her futon until 10:00 the next morning, when we drove the 20 or so miles to my old summer camp, Camp Ton-A-Wandah. (Yeah, yeah -- don't judge. :)) It was

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-23237181494234476802009-08-08T10:40:00.004-04:002009-08-08T11:08:42.249-04:00

Odd to have a day filled with so many good things (new laptop, great hotel room, excitement of an impending wedding) contrasted with such sad news. Right as we were all sitting down to the rehearsal dinner, smiling self-consciously around the table and asking one another's names, my phone rang. It was my mom, calling to tell me that my grandfather had passed away. Earlier in the week, during a

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-69065126796336314742009-08-07T16:46:00.001-04:002009-08-07T16:46:31.276-04:00

To start: I AM TYPING THIS FROM MY BRAND-SPANKIN'-NEW MACBOOK PRO!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!OK, now that that's out of my system...I absolutely love this computer. It's fast, it's gorgeous, the keyboard is backlit, the battery lasts over seven(!) hours (compared to 20 minutes for my Powerbook!), the display is glossy (and soooo much brighter than the Powerbook), and I have access to all the new features

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-49911679430260917272009-07-29T10:45:00.003-04:002009-07-29T11:13:27.796-04:00

Quick post to let everyone know that I'm still alive; there just hasn't been a whole lot to talk about. This is going to be an insanely busy month -- we're going to Asheville for a wedding this weekend, Winston-Salem for another wedding next weekend, Carolina Beach for a bachelorette party two weeks after that, and then wrapping up the month with a trip to Gainesville for my first PA interview.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-76172790997645637032009-07-24T12:25:00.003-04:002009-07-24T12:59:28.750-04:00

I was in the middle of drawing up seven (!) TB tests at work on Wednesday when my phone started to vibrate. I wasn't going to pick it up, but couldn't resist the temptation to check who the caller was. Glancing at the screen, I did a double take when I saw the (352) area code. Gainesville! TB tests forgotten, I sprinted for an empty exam room."Hello?""Hi, can I please speak to Jessica Weather?""

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-88350173159763372902009-07-20T18:04:00.008-04:002009-07-20T19:31:58.999-04:00

Landing an interview at ECU, even though it's months away, has got me thinking about what it would really be like to go to school there. Like everything else, there are some major ups and downs:Pros: The living situation would definitely be nice; I'd probably be living at Treybrooke, a very nice apartment complex which is right across the street from the PA school. Their one-bedroom apartment

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-85641540316765189172009-07-16T19:49:00.003-04:002009-07-16T19:57:36.810-04:00

Well, the first 'big' letter is in -- I got an interview at ECU!!! January 22nd at 1pm. I'm really excited. I wasn't expecting to hear from them until much later, since they don't start interviews for six more months. UF, on the other hand, starts their interviews quite soon -- end of August or beginning of September, they say; the priority deadline was July 1st -- so I'm anticipating that I'll

Jessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-35381472220739499442009-07-11T16:01:00.004-04:002009-07-11T16:16:44.506-04:00

So I got a wild hair to 'rehabilitate' my bike this weekend, seeing as it's been sitting unused on our balcony for almost a year. I was bracing myself for the worst, but it turned out that all it really needed was air in the tires and a good wipedown with wet paper towels to remove all the caked pollen; the chain was actually still in pretty good shape. So, being me, I instantly decided to make

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-45533900970322098612009-07-10T14:45:00.005-04:002009-07-10T15:14:18.608-04:00

We're well on the way to turning the Flying Biscuit Cafe into a regular Friday morning brunch -- today we invited our friend Kelsey to go along and the three of us had a great time catching up. Very 'Sex and the City', but very fun. Among other revelations, we determined that we (a law student, pre-PA student, and little-bit-of-everything student) could, amusingly enough, be referred to as a trio

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-9356535737989975902009-07-06T07:05:00.004-04:002009-07-06T11:20:46.069-04:00

Well, so here I sit in my apartment at 11:00 on Monday morning, having been sent home early from work yet again. We're entering that "dead zone" of summertime, where everyone is on vacation or at camp or otherwise entertained, and so we just don't need as many nurses (there were three of us this morning with nothing to do). Throughout May and June, we were doing a ton of camp physicals (and,

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-37937382203287286032009-07-02T17:56:00.002-04:002009-07-02T18:40:51.097-04:00

First order of business: my cousin accepted Duke's post-doc fellowship offer, and will be arriving in the Triangle within two months! Congrats, Noah!!!Second... I'm realizing lately exactly how much I've gotten into the American mindset of always needing something to DO. I was headed to the mailbox this afternoon (to mail the final components of my MUSC application) -- an approximate four-minute

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-57311843950220788882009-07-01T16:47:00.003-04:002009-07-01T22:31:47.604-04:00

Quick update to say that I just submitted my *LAST* PA school application in this entire three-month-long process!!! Now it's just a matter of tying up all the "loose ends" that go along with it (transcripts, GRE scores, etc.) and then keeping a weather eye on the Internet to make sure all the materials make it. It's almost over, almost out of my hands... I can't believe it!Random: I don't know

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-33880748095395313422009-06-29T17:40:00.003-04:002009-06-29T18:33:02.348-04:00

So we're back from Charleston, and it was one of the nicest weekends we'd had in a long, long time. Usually, we come home from a supposedly "fun" weekend feeling as though we need "a vacation from our vacation"... but this time we were totally relaxed. Christine is a fantastic hostess (not to mention, she has one of the comfiest king-size guest beds on the face of the planet) and her boyfriend

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-46265597857016215972009-06-25T20:14:00.003-04:002009-06-25T20:26:01.826-04:00

Well, I just finished my Duke supplemental application -- haven't turned it in yet, though; I'm still in the stage of letting it 'marinate' to make sure I'm satisfied with everything I've done. We're leaving for Charleston in an hour, as soon as L gets home from teaching, so if I still like it when we get back on Sunday, I'll hit the magic button.I also got an email from Pacific today saying that

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-4405992927448899652009-06-23T22:46:00.001-04:002009-06-23T23:21:18.064-04:00

I'm sitting at the dining room table of a friend's house in Cary; she and her husband have gone to Greensboro for the evening (she's a CPA and there's some sort of event taking place there), and I volunteered to stay with her four-year-old daughter, Isabel. And what a charming child! Only about twenty seconds of shyness when I first walked in the door, no separation anxiety whatsoever when Mommy

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-70639540586541908502009-06-22T19:25:00.000-04:002009-06-22T19:34:25.827-04:00

I'm starting to get really, really nervous about paying for school.As an undergrad, I didn't have to worry -- I was an IB graduate (meaning my full in-state tuition was paid by Florida Bright Futures) as well as a National Merit scholar (meaning UF and FSU fell all over themselves to offer me even more money). Needless to say, PA school isn't going to be like that.I've been checking out the

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-68652457014400733962009-06-21T12:43:00.000-04:002009-06-21T12:48:35.820-04:00

Knowing that I'm finally counting down my final year before PA school makes me so happy. Depending on where I end up going, I might start in June or I might start in August, but either way, I plan to take at least a month off from work and "life" before it all begins. These programs are so rigorous that students practically have to ask permission to take a shower, let alone have a day off, so I

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-15430804129936486512009-06-20T10:17:00.005-04:002009-06-20T11:30:38.785-04:00

I'm really enjoying blogging again. I've been reading through some of my old posts, especially the ones written while I was living abroad, and realizing exactly how much satisfaction I got out of doing this -- it was sort of therapeutic for me. Even though most of those old entries are totally pointless ("Today I woke up, ate breakfast, went to the store...") and mean virtually nothing to anyone

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-8850486941825423082009-06-19T16:52:00.003-04:002009-06-19T17:08:20.184-04:00

L has been at work all day, so I've been having a 'random' day at home: ran five miles this morning, then came home and showered, ate, cleaned the apartment a little, did some laundry, made myself an iced chai tea (nowhere near as good as the ones you can buy...) and worked on my Life Scrapbook for a few hours. I'm almost done with it -- only three pages left to go until it's up to date,

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-68140827920222460302009-06-18T22:30:00.004-04:002009-06-18T22:55:56.184-04:00

OMG!!! My CASPA application got mailed out today!!!I started the application process over two months ago, and now it's finally on its way to the five schools I'm applying to!DUKE is my first choice... I would be able to stay in the Triangle, and who turns down the Duke reputation? They invented the entire profession of PAs, for goodness' sake! They have some awesome facilities and even offer a

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-42779616322730128892009-06-16T20:07:00.005-04:002009-06-16T23:37:09.693-04:00

After more than a two-year hiatus, I've decided to start blogging again.I stopped in 2007 for a number of reasons, but mostly because there was so much I felt like I couldn't say. I was doubting my choice of graduate degree -- feeling deeply unhappy in my linguistics program and not seeing a clear way out. Not only that, but I was inching toward the decision to become, not only NOT a linguist,

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-26546578917978268532009-01-01T12:47:00.001-05:002009-06-20T13:02:34.353-04:00

I'm back-dating this post to January 1st since I wasn't blogging at the time I made this list. I still did it, as an email draft, I just didn't post it for 2009. So here it is.2008 Accomplishments:1) Got hired for a great new job2) Ran my first marathon3) Moved to new, wonderful apartment4) Ran my first marathon5) Voted an awesome new president into office (okay, I didn't do that alone, but still

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-27290555488629407962008-11-11T12:08:00.001-05:002009-06-20T12:09:46.125-04:00

I'm a week late with this post, but I know it's one I'll look back fondly on in twenty years, so I'm making the effort. Those who are sick of hearing all the rhetoric about Obama: stop reading now. I'm agnostic, but this post is going to border on religious fervor, because recent events have awakened emotions in me that I have rarely, if ever, experienced.One week ago today, Barack Hussein Obama

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-68886088786987553802008-10-27T21:39:00.000-04:002009-06-16T21:43:10.072-04:00

OK... so, for those who care, here's the (very long) recap of my marathon yesterday! It was the 33rd annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.We got to D.C. on Friday, did a little sightseeing on Saturday... and then Sunday (yesterday) was race day! I woke up at 6am to a temperature of 47 degrees. I had chopped the arms off an old, Goodwill-bound shirt to use as temporary arm warmers until

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-41210503376066567962007-04-13T10:47:00.000-04:002007-04-13T10:50:12.516-04:00

Sooo, Liz and I have moved out of our apartment, and will be living in our friend Patty's spare bedroom for the next month, until our new lease starts. Sound like fun? Didn't think so.Now for the story...Last week, we had a new woman try to move in with us -- think short, stout, black, early 30s. She'd had the key for all of 12 hours when she started berating Liz and me about, well, basically

Jessnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-27091125825389134742007-03-20T18:45:00.000-04:002007-03-20T18:51:22.018-04:00

I forgot to mention that I signed up for a half Ironman triathlon in September. I wasn't exactly planning to do one this year, but I couldn't resist - it's in Raleigh (only 25 minutes away) and it's six months off, so I've got time to prepare. For those who don't know, a half Ironman is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run (which is a half marathon). One of my biggest goals in

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-51062663962259125362007-03-17T18:29:00.001-04:002007-03-17T18:29:39.518-04:00

So I saw Josh Groban in concert last night -- which merits a post, even though I haven't written in forever. He was amazing! I was sitting 8th-row center, and -- except for the end-show antics of the embarrassingly starstruck woman in front of me -- had a great view. I didn't know whether cameras were going to be allowed in, so I hid mine in the side pocket of my purse, and I guess no ushers saw

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-21633165414257662582007-02-03T18:11:00.000-05:002007-02-03T19:04:57.159-05:00

Yes, yes, long time no see and all of that. But this semester is treating me pretty well so far. I'll hit the high spots:Historical Linguistics isn't the most scintillating of classes, but it makes sense and it doesn't require much reading - I've yet to crack my book. Not that we're not supposed to be reading, but I feel like the class lectures cover everything of importance that the book

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-87611652346325159332007-01-17T12:38:00.000-05:002007-01-17T14:48:52.834-05:00

So I got so wrapped up in stripping the Christmas tree this morning (what portions of it the cat hadn't already shredded, that is) that I missed my bus. During the 40-minute walk to class, I started thinking - something I haven't had a lot of time to do since classes started up again - and the topic was Persian. In case this hasn't already come through perfectly clearly on this blog: I don't like

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-32255069474164678692007-01-04T00:47:00.000-05:002007-01-04T01:05:34.374-05:00

I almost forgot to do this. I try to write ten 'accomplished' goals and ten 'pending' goals at the turn of every year. They don't always match up - I only achieved five of the ten goals I wrote down on 12/31/05, for those who care to check the archives - but there are always ten things to write in a year, even if they weren't the ten I was originally aiming for. So here's the 2006/2007 list:2006

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-48004269172253511402007-01-03T23:59:00.000-05:002007-01-04T00:46:35.925-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts... and for the lack of real information in the posts I have written. Here is the catch-up post:12/15 - I pack the car, take my last final exam, and head to Jacksonville. I get there at 11pm.12/16 - My cousin's wedding day. The four of us pile into the car around 8am, and arrive in Birmingham at 3:30. For reasons unknown, I have been feeling steadily sicker since

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-80287970796759472682006-12-23T10:56:00.000-05:002006-12-23T11:07:16.174-05:00

So... I'm home. The snowflakes are on the windows, the lights are on the house, the tree is erected and decorated, and we have less than 48 hours to go before the big day. It hasn't exactly been a typical Christmas - Mom has been stressed out about my grandparents, Dad has been working three jobs (Comcast, Jaguars football, and Gator basketball), and Catie has been racking up hours at Starbucks

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-68859252042674822742006-12-12T02:49:00.000-05:002006-12-12T02:50:56.870-05:00

OK, click the photo link on the right sidebar and 12 of the makeover photos should be there. There are 36 photos in total, but Flickr has been revamped since I used it last, and meshed with Yahoo, and I can't upload as much per month as I used to be able to. I'll do the rest next month.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-14086679032863500552006-12-12T01:27:00.001-05:002006-12-12T01:58:12.306-05:00

Drumroll, please... because tonight, for what very possibly may be the first time in my life, I completely cleaned an entire bathroom. Scrubbed the tub, swept the floor, cleaned the mirror, sink, and all horizontal surfaces - even hung a new shower curtain. The whole room gleams, and especially the sink just sparkles. I didn't realize how bad it all was until I actually started cleaning. After

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-32584544663085028632006-12-06T21:28:00.000-05:002006-12-06T22:19:46.260-05:00

Today was my last day of school for the semester. After two unimpressive (but nerve-wracking) class presentations, a surprise Persian oral, and numerous other totally un-fun tasks from the past week, I delivered a kick-ass Maya presentation this morning, on human sacrifice. I don't know if it was actually as good as I thought it was, or if it was just the relief of feeling comfortable and

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-48350470447612925532006-11-28T12:42:00.000-05:002006-11-28T12:48:55.718-05:00

Only six more days of school left. I can't say I'm sorry. Thanksgiving was okay, though; I got to go home for the first time since I've been here. I drove to my aunt and uncle (who live in South Carolina)'s house, and then the next day I rode the rest of the way with them. It didn't go quite as smoothly as planned - we were all ready, the car was loaded, and my aunt was taking her last bathroom

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-19090241819462116412006-11-15T22:30:00.000-05:002006-11-15T22:31:03.925-05:00

OK, so I fixed it - the bar should be silver now, and thus not as 'opvallend' (don't know the English translation for that... it doesn't jump out at you as much, is what I mean), and the full banner is also visible. Yay for me.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-84329699482981642702006-11-15T20:31:00.000-05:002006-11-15T21:30:44.614-05:00

Argh, you would not believe the frenzy today on the Josh messageboards. The presale started this morning at 10:00, and the longest five minutes of my life came when the system wouldn't log me in until 10:05 and I sat there refreshing... and refreshing... and refreshing. But I did get in, which makes me a lot luckier than some, and scored an 8th-row center ticket. Yippee! Searching for single

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-63778522678834550242006-11-14T19:56:00.000-05:002006-11-14T20:43:45.276-05:00

AAARRRGGGHH!!! I KNEW IT!!! Stupid Blogger! They've just moved to a new beta version, partnering with Google, which is fine - the service really was due for an update and a lot of things about it look better now. BUT... now I have that godforsaken NavBar at the top of the page. Most people's Blogger blogs have had that for a long time now, but I've had my blog since the pre-ad days, therefore

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1162868401125802732006-11-06T21:21:00.000-05:002006-11-14T19:55:01.273-05:00

Tomorrow is going to be the best day ever. A new Gilmore Girls episode, a new Josh Groban album, a list of his tour dates (FINALLY!), and, best of all, a Democratic TAKEOVER! (Yes, I'm being optimistic. So sue me.) Liz and Erika and I are going to order pizza and watch the returns, and throw things at the TV if necessary.Speaking of Erika, her absentee ballot JUST arrived in today's mail, which

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1161915727685678772006-10-26T21:54:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:01.146-05:00

My car has been completely encased in ice the past two mornings I've had to go babysit. Think it's time to invest in an ice scraper. In October. I'm not used to this.The night I completely forget about Grey's Anatomy, it's new. The night I have nothing whatsoever to do, it's a rerun. Figures.I love having Liz home (even if the first thing I had to do was pay her the cable bill, LOL). I mean, who

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1161554454991792662006-10-22T16:59:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:01.023-05:00

I can count on one hand the number of times that this has happened, but... words are failing me. I spent this weekend in Myrtle Beach with 9 members of the UF club swim team - several of whom were close friends of mine - and I'm having a hard time explaining just how great that was. I mean, it was amazing to see everyone again after so long (six months!), especially Anna and Shannon, and staying

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1161231007035181152006-10-19T00:07:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:00.874-05:00

OK, so. Wow. Lots of stuff to write about all of a sudden.First, my grandparents are... well... melting down. I'll spare everyone most of the gory details, since my family makes up probably half of the people who read this site regularly anyway, but suffice it to say that my grandmother's "intermediate"-level Alzheimer's has suddenly progressed to "advanced" ("extreme", "psychotic", pick your

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1160881032689819602006-10-14T22:54:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:00.748-05:00

Anyone who wants to be my friend forever, go to this linkhttp://magic107.com/cc-common/globalcontestfinder.html?contest=15219and enter the contest. It'll only let you enter once, but it says you AND a guest can go... the 'guest' then being me, of course... LOL...Yeah, yeah, I know I haven't been posting. I'll try to put something up soon, but nothing of note has really happened this week, besides

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1160276709925667552006-10-07T21:50:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:00.618-05:00

The triathlon was a blast! (Well, at least the swim and bike were - I could have done without the run, but what else is new?) Anyway, I wasn't very enthusiastic initially - the weather was miserable (49 F and rainy) and I had to get up at 4:00 and drive 70 miles down a dark, wet, 15-501 (with very few streetlights, I might add), essentially thinking to myself, "Yeah, OK, so signing up was

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1159819455855699432006-10-02T16:02:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:55:00.454-05:00

I'm sitting in class, so I shouldn't actually be typing this, but this is so unbelievable I just have to. Remember my phonetics midterm, how much I was freaking out, how I kept saying I didn't know anything and that the other grad students were completely responsible for saving me? Yeah? Well, we just got them back... and guess who was the only one in the class to get a hundred percent?!Yeah. I

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1159748146339676962006-10-01T19:41:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:57.141-05:00

All things considered, this weekend has been a wash. First, I get up at 3:30am to meet the rest of the swim team and ride down to Georgia, only to discover that one car had elected to drive down the previous night, so as to get a full night's sleep. Wow, guys - would have been nice if that option had been extended to the rest of us. Then we arrive and swim (my times are pretty much the same as

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1159320030110695752006-09-26T21:14:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:57.016-05:00

Excitement of the week: turns out John was telling the truth about the South Africa thing: there really is a graduate assistant who accompanies the UNC honors program undergrads on their Honors Semester in Cape Town every fall. I've exchanged a few emails with the coordinator, and it seems like I'd basically be an RA - keeping an eye on the undergrads in the dorms and helping them get used to

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1159041820714001392006-09-23T15:58:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:56.897-05:00

It is beyond me why groceries for one person - one healthy person - should run over $50 a week. I could buy the cheap white bread, the iceberg lettuce, the jellybeans - but no, I try to be healthy, and buy the whole grain bread, the dark green salad, the gallons of skim milk and orange juice, the dark chocolate, the high-fiber waffles - and my babysitting check is gone again. Honestly, shouldn't

Jessnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1158976982980933452006-09-22T21:03:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:56.781-05:00

So there's this list called Helping Heels, consisting of names of UNC (mostly) students who are available for child and/or elder care. About a month ago, I got an email asking if I wanted to be put on this list, and if so, my details and availability. I answered, figuring I had nothing to lose, then - as I received no calls - forgot all about it. And on Tuesday... I was deluged. Okay, not deluged

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1158774421942509242006-09-20T13:44:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:56.658-05:00

I'm in my 2.5-hour break between classes, so I'm sitting in the sun at the edge of the Pit (every campus has a place like that, an outdoor plaza where students hang out and organizations set up tables), getting a tan, eating pasta salad, listening to the music one table is blasting, and surfing the Internet.Oh, I have such a tough life.

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1158560500739630442006-09-18T02:16:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:56.532-05:00

I spent the weekend at my aunt's in Fort Mill, SC, which was a nice break from the routine. She had brought my bike and a bunch of other stuff from Jacksonville (she visited there last week) so I now have new car insurance cards, a DVD of Johnny Depp's Letterman appearance (thanks, Dad), the sixth Harry Potter book, a pencil cup, and all manner of other things. I also have my old Nokia phone back

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746500.post-1157781281198655162006-09-09T01:04:00.000-04:002006-11-14T19:54:56.411-05:00

Life in North Carolina forges on - no more cars crashing into buses, which I suppose is a good thing, but there are of course other things to deal with, like broken cell phones and persistent insomnia and the tightening of the homework noose.Yes, it's that time again - the crest of the first wave of work for the semester. The professors have all decided that we've had enough time to settle into

Jessnoreply@blogger.com0