Since I don't have any adventurous stories to tell like Mer and Justin's survival of Tennessee's white water and the river guy or Kent's leap out of a flying machine several thousand feet in the air, I thought today's post would just be a collection of stream-of-consciousness ramblings.
1. How to Save Money on Gas
In case you haven't noticed, the price of food for our beloved four-wheeled (or six-wheeled if your an East TN country bumpkin or two-wheeled if you're my old motorcycle-riding oboe teacher) vehicles has increased to an unheard of amount. In fact, I think I could go on a date (not that I have a date but that's irrelevant to this conversation) and eat at a nice restaurant, maybe even two dates but not at the same time, for less than it would cost to fill up my car. The situation being as it is, I propose that we all bike to class. It's really not that far and it makes for some great exercise. As an added benefit, once you arrive at class you don't have to worry about the creepy pathologist-wannabe student sitting next to you; you've already worked up a sweat with a stench that would even scare away the neighbor's dog.
Since you're already on your bike, you don't have to worry about mounting your bike rack on your beloved 4, 6, or 2 wheeled vehicle or spending money on fuel that you were going to spend on your date to go exercise. You could just ride your bike straight from school to the trails. Fortunately, the powers at be at ETSU or maybe just the Baptist Student Union had the foresight to realize this efficient means of exercise and installed a set of lovely trails right behind the BSU and down the street from school. Problem solved.
2. Books
When my parents were in town the other day, it was decided that all my reading material was inadequately stored in the few meager shelves and boxes I had in my possession. So after a few hours shopping and some hard labor, we erected a bookcase in my living room. In honor of this momentous occasion I thought I'd share a few of my favorite (but not all of my favorite) reads.
The Cat in the Hat: You can't go wrong with such a children's classic. They tried to make a sequel to it, but the second is never as good as the first.
Old College Notes: Admit it You saved every set of notes from every class you took in college (I didn't). If you read through at least one lecture a night you'll never forget what you learned and you'll be able to impress all your friends with the significance of dates such as 1066 and 1492.
The Diary of Maria Carolina de Jesus: With a name this long, it must be worth reading.
Let us Now Praise Famous Men: A book I had to read for class that I actually liked.
The Call of Service: Yet another book I actually liked that was mandatory reading.
Emma: No I actually haven't read this one in its entirety. I just think it looks cool to have it sitting on my shelf.
The Color Atlas of Human Anatomy: For those of you who are illiterate. It also is a great means to scare away unwanted house guests.
3. New Spanish Words I've Learned
Taking a medical Spanish class and being around Hispanics has offered me the opportunity to expand my vocabulary.
Yeyuno
Raite
Carsit
Microweiv
Omoplato
Manzo
Puchaca
Perone
To sound really cool, you should approach a random Spanish-speaking person and say to them. "Disculpe, parece que se me perdieron todo los perones y omoplatos. Usted puede hacerme el favor de buscarlos?"
And that's the way the cookie crumbles. Happy Wednesday to all and to all a good night!
8.31.2005
8.25.2005
Public Service Announcement
This is just a friendly Public Service Announcement to let you know that...
The 16th Annual Medical Missions Seminar is less than a month away!!
Who's going to be there? Everyone (including you right?)
Lots of great organizations will be represented including:
Health Talents International
Predisan
Mision Para Cristo
The Malawi Project
International Health Care Foundation
and more!
It's a great experience to learn more about medical missions and what you can do to get involved (even if you're not a "medical" person). Such an event would cost several dollars but we're offering it to you at a special price: FREE.
So.....
If you have nothing better to do September 16-18th or any one of those days (weddings, studying for tests, or walking your dog do not count as "better things to do"), come make the short trip to Johnson City, Tennessee.
This has been a friendly service announcement from your over-studied, under-slept medical student friend :o)
The 16th Annual Medical Missions Seminar is less than a month away!!
Who's going to be there? Everyone (including you right?)
Lots of great organizations will be represented including:
Health Talents International
Predisan
Mision Para Cristo
The Malawi Project
International Health Care Foundation
and more!
It's a great experience to learn more about medical missions and what you can do to get involved (even if you're not a "medical" person). Such an event would cost several dollars but we're offering it to you at a special price: FREE.
So.....
If you have nothing better to do September 16-18th or any one of those days (weddings, studying for tests, or walking your dog do not count as "better things to do"), come make the short trip to Johnson City, Tennessee.
This has been a friendly service announcement from your over-studied, under-slept medical student friend :o)
8.23.2005
Prayer Request
If you guys would, please keep my dad in your prayers. After returning to Smyrna from visiting me this weekend, my dad had to be taken to the ER due to high fever, headache, malaise, etc.. They performed a series of tests on him and gave him some medicine, but they were unable to determine the cause of his illness. He has continued to suffer from headache and fever, and if his condition doesn't improve within the next few hours, they are readmitting him to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
I'd appreciate your prayers. Thank you.
Exodus 15:26
I'd appreciate your prayers. Thank you.
Exodus 15:26
8.18.2005
Que Locura!
What a crazy week it has been!!!
I guess I should start from the beginning: Saturday.
Some of us from Central decided to drive up to Damascus (Virginia) to bike part of the Creeper Trail. I was hesitant about going seeing as how I had my first Immunology exam coming up, but the ride was a welcome stress relief and a nice serendipitous moment in the form of encountering some friends from Ktown on the trail. Just as it's hard to tell what lies around the next bend of the Creeper Trail, it's hard to tell what the next bend in life holds. Little did I know that 8 hours of my planned study day would be spent in the JCMC ER. Thanks to the nice bug I caught in Guatemala, I became dehydrated. A trip next door to the hospital, several tests, a liter of saline solution, and 8 hours and I don't want to know how many dollars later, they concluded that the only conclusion they could make was that my intestines are healing.
Thanks to the wonderful faculty at Quillen, I was able to take my test a little later than expected, and everything's going well now (except for a "slight" bruise on my arm that looks like someone slugged me with a hammer :o) and a stomach that still hasn't forgiven me). Asi es la vida.
School is going well so far, and I ask for your prayers for all the exciting work that is happening here in Johnson City. Classes are difficult but quite interesting. I am constantly amazed at the structure and design with which God crafted us, and I refuse to believe the foolish statement that one of my neuroanatomy teachers stated,"Though this points to intelligent design, don't let them fool you into believing that stuff." Though I may not like studying, every day I have to praise God for his care, craftsmanship, and the wonderful blessing it is to have the opportunity to study such a creation as man.
I have been just as amazed as I have watched His word come to life with the new Hispanic ministry at church. It is wonderful to see the zeal of the new Hispanic preacher and to watch people hear the "buenas nuevas" for the first time. The Hispanic women's Bible study should be starting in a few weeks and I'm excited to see God at work in those women's lives. It's a blessing to use such a blessing as another language to minister to others and to know that God's love and Word surpass any perceived barriers of language and culture.
It's time to go learn some more gyri and sulci of our noggins. Have a great week and God bless!!
I guess I should start from the beginning: Saturday.
Some of us from Central decided to drive up to Damascus (Virginia) to bike part of the Creeper Trail. I was hesitant about going seeing as how I had my first Immunology exam coming up, but the ride was a welcome stress relief and a nice serendipitous moment in the form of encountering some friends from Ktown on the trail. Just as it's hard to tell what lies around the next bend of the Creeper Trail, it's hard to tell what the next bend in life holds. Little did I know that 8 hours of my planned study day would be spent in the JCMC ER. Thanks to the nice bug I caught in Guatemala, I became dehydrated. A trip next door to the hospital, several tests, a liter of saline solution, and 8 hours and I don't want to know how many dollars later, they concluded that the only conclusion they could make was that my intestines are healing.
Thanks to the wonderful faculty at Quillen, I was able to take my test a little later than expected, and everything's going well now (except for a "slight" bruise on my arm that looks like someone slugged me with a hammer :o) and a stomach that still hasn't forgiven me). Asi es la vida.
School is going well so far, and I ask for your prayers for all the exciting work that is happening here in Johnson City. Classes are difficult but quite interesting. I am constantly amazed at the structure and design with which God crafted us, and I refuse to believe the foolish statement that one of my neuroanatomy teachers stated,"Though this points to intelligent design, don't let them fool you into believing that stuff." Though I may not like studying, every day I have to praise God for his care, craftsmanship, and the wonderful blessing it is to have the opportunity to study such a creation as man.
I have been just as amazed as I have watched His word come to life with the new Hispanic ministry at church. It is wonderful to see the zeal of the new Hispanic preacher and to watch people hear the "buenas nuevas" for the first time. The Hispanic women's Bible study should be starting in a few weeks and I'm excited to see God at work in those women's lives. It's a blessing to use such a blessing as another language to minister to others and to know that God's love and Word surpass any perceived barriers of language and culture.
It's time to go learn some more gyri and sulci of our noggins. Have a great week and God bless!!
8.09.2005
A Day Off
I should be in Rogersville right now with my Rural Track colleagues. Instead, I'm "enjoying" the benefits of a day off. It seems that I brought back more than the cool shirt and tapestry I bought in Chichi from Guatemala. According to the doctor's visit yesterday, it appears that some little "critters" (not you Mer) have decided that my gut is a lovely place to build a starter home. The results won't be in for another week; in the meantime, it's back to taking lovely medicine and being a gracious host to my guests. Oh well. I suppose if I want to be a missionary it's necessary to learn to cope with all aspects of being a missionary, including the unpleasant ones.
On the bright side, God's allowing the missionary experience to continue here in the States. God's blessed me with the opportunity to start a women's Bible study for the Spanish-speaking women of the community. It's an exciting yet somewhat nerve-racking opportunity considering I've never led a study entirely in Spanish. After speaking to some of the women who have been coming to church and realizing that they have no idea what it means to be a daughter of God and haven't even heard of passages such as Proverbs 31, I can't get it out of my head how much these women need to know about how valuable they are and what it means to be God's precious daughter. I ask for your prayers for this opportunity and study.
It's time to hit the books again. I'm only a week and a half into school and already behind in my studies. It's definitely going to be an exciting and busy semester!
On the bright side, God's allowing the missionary experience to continue here in the States. God's blessed me with the opportunity to start a women's Bible study for the Spanish-speaking women of the community. It's an exciting yet somewhat nerve-racking opportunity considering I've never led a study entirely in Spanish. After speaking to some of the women who have been coming to church and realizing that they have no idea what it means to be a daughter of God and haven't even heard of passages such as Proverbs 31, I can't get it out of my head how much these women need to know about how valuable they are and what it means to be God's precious daughter. I ask for your prayers for this opportunity and study.
It's time to hit the books again. I'm only a week and a half into school and already behind in my studies. It's definitely going to be an exciting and busy semester!
8.06.2005
Cooking with Michele
I don't think the title of this post would work well as a TV show. I've discovered the past few days that I'm definitely no Martha Stewart. The other day I had the bright idea of buying lots of fresh vegetables, healthy food, staples, etc.. cooking them, and freezing them. This way I would have great-tasting, inexpensive, healthy food to eat when I didn't have time to cook and I wouldn't have to spend money eating junk from some fried-food place.
With my bright idea in mind and money in my wallet I set off to the grocery store and to the local produce market to purchase ingredients. I bought fresh herbs, onions, vegetables in a myriad of colors and shapes, organic pasta, milk, and fruit pops (not for cooking-I'm just addicted to them.) The cooking went fine at first: a dish of squash, zucchini, and peppers, honey glazed carrots, strawberry wheat muffins, and lime cilantro chicken. I was beginning to feel confident in my cooking abilities....until this morning.
If you ever decide to make homemade spaghetti sauce-don't do it. Don't give in to the pressure of having your very own signature sauce anytime you want it. Cough up the extra three dollars and buy a jar of your favorite brand at the store. I had all the ingredients this morning: Grainger Co. tomatoes, Vidalia onions, fresh garlic, and basil. What I didn't realize is the amount of time it would take to create such a delectable pasta topping. I can see why homemakers consider themselves self-employed. After two and a half hours and lots of unnecessary labor, my sauce was done, except I forgot to take the seeds out of the tomatoes. The recipe never said to do so, and spaghetti sauce is never advertised as "seedless" so the thought never occurred to me to remove the seeds. Sitting in my freezer are two containers of "seeded" spaghetti sauce. If you ever have the urge to try some of my soon-to-be-famous-never-to-be-made-again spaghetti sauce, feel free to visit me. I might just let you eat it with some organic pasta!
Jon, in the midst of my cooking I found the perfect salsa recipe you were looking for:
1 Friday or Saturday night
1 drive to Asheville, NC
1 pair of dancing shoes (preferably with heels)
2-4 friends (the more the better)
1 restaurant with dance floor
1 good salsa instructor
A touch of rhythm
Other people who know how to dance
Mix well and watch for two or three hours. Enjoy. Repeat every two weeks or month as necessary.
With my bright idea in mind and money in my wallet I set off to the grocery store and to the local produce market to purchase ingredients. I bought fresh herbs, onions, vegetables in a myriad of colors and shapes, organic pasta, milk, and fruit pops (not for cooking-I'm just addicted to them.) The cooking went fine at first: a dish of squash, zucchini, and peppers, honey glazed carrots, strawberry wheat muffins, and lime cilantro chicken. I was beginning to feel confident in my cooking abilities....until this morning.
If you ever decide to make homemade spaghetti sauce-don't do it. Don't give in to the pressure of having your very own signature sauce anytime you want it. Cough up the extra three dollars and buy a jar of your favorite brand at the store. I had all the ingredients this morning: Grainger Co. tomatoes, Vidalia onions, fresh garlic, and basil. What I didn't realize is the amount of time it would take to create such a delectable pasta topping. I can see why homemakers consider themselves self-employed. After two and a half hours and lots of unnecessary labor, my sauce was done, except I forgot to take the seeds out of the tomatoes. The recipe never said to do so, and spaghetti sauce is never advertised as "seedless" so the thought never occurred to me to remove the seeds. Sitting in my freezer are two containers of "seeded" spaghetti sauce. If you ever have the urge to try some of my soon-to-be-famous-never-to-be-made-again spaghetti sauce, feel free to visit me. I might just let you eat it with some organic pasta!
Jon, in the midst of my cooking I found the perfect salsa recipe you were looking for:
1 Friday or Saturday night
1 drive to Asheville, NC
1 pair of dancing shoes (preferably with heels)
2-4 friends (the more the better)
1 restaurant with dance floor
1 good salsa instructor
A touch of rhythm
Other people who know how to dance
Mix well and watch for two or three hours. Enjoy. Repeat every two weeks or month as necessary.
8.01.2005
Blessed
Blessed.
Not exactly the word that would readily come to mind to describe the first day of medical school, but I can think of no other word that aptly describes my sentiments at this present moment.
Blessed because God guided me into the career where I can best serve Him and perform a job that I love.
Blessed because I have such a rare opportunity to attempt to understand the inner workings of God's greatest creation.
Blessed because I am part of a loving church family both at home and away.
Blessed because of an answered prayer in the form of the new Hispanic minister at Central and an opportunity to continue working in bringing "el evangelio" to new ears even here in the United States.
Blessed to have such a wonderful Savior who reached out to the lost sheep like myself.
It's going to be a blessed year, a year of hard work and long hours, but a joyful year.
Not exactly the word that would readily come to mind to describe the first day of medical school, but I can think of no other word that aptly describes my sentiments at this present moment.
Blessed because God guided me into the career where I can best serve Him and perform a job that I love.
Blessed because I have such a rare opportunity to attempt to understand the inner workings of God's greatest creation.
Blessed because I am part of a loving church family both at home and away.
Blessed because of an answered prayer in the form of the new Hispanic minister at Central and an opportunity to continue working in bringing "el evangelio" to new ears even here in the United States.
Blessed to have such a wonderful Savior who reached out to the lost sheep like myself.
It's going to be a blessed year, a year of hard work and long hours, but a joyful year.
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