Wednesday, August 18, 2010

FB FU

That's Friend Betting Follow Up, in case you were wondering.

I am taking finger to key this evening to tell you of a possible friend experience I had just the other day. We were at the Cheesecake Factory. Normally I would never go to the Cheesecake Factory, seeing how I don't care for cheesecake, but my roommates and a bunch of their friends were going, so I made the decision to be sociable. Yuck. Just typing the word "cheesecake" gives me the creeps.

While we were waiting for our table, we were looking at the cheesecakes. One of the girls said, "Oh wow, those look so great!" and then looked to me for confirmation. Usually I say something like, "Oh, yeah, it does. Mhhmm, cheesecake!!" Now, don't shake your head at me, thinking I am betraying myself or something. I respond in the affirmative most of the time because if I say "Yeah, mh, whatev," people turn to look at me with eyes wide and mouth agape. Once they have recovered themselves, they shout "WHAT?!" and we then proceed to have a conversation about how my distaste for cheesecake is the worst decision I've ever made.

But this time was different. I threw caution to the wind! I said, "Oh, yeah, I don't actually like cheesecake." She looks up at me and says, "What do you like?"  I responded that I liked ice cream and frozen treats in general. She informed me that there were at least four frozen treat shops in her neighborhood, and proceeded to tell me about them. I was loving it. I had to try them all! So I said, "When are you available to show me around your neighborhood?" And just like that, I had an appointment with a potential friend.

It was a perfect afternoon: four frozen treat shops and two book stores. She and I are even friends on Goodreads.com. That doesn't mean anything of course, but what I'm saying is that I have only been here 15 days. We'll see how this progresses.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

"Adventures" or "Anything But Fine"

I've determined that the more I blog the less texts I receive with "hey, how's it going" so maybe I should update my blog a bit more frequently.

I'm not saying that I don't enjoy your texts, but I am saying that there is a time for texting and a time to enjoy the latest Flavia de Luce mystery. Also, there happens to be a lot of time for adventures.

Even in the small jaunts I have taken in my own neighborhood, I have seen A LOT of churches. Most of these churches offer services in Polish, Spanish or German. Don't they know that the Bible has been translated into English for years now?



You should know that Chicago has one of those library systems that has a main library with many small branches in each of the neighborhoods. I have been to my library, but I really wanted to go to the downtown library. I wanted to take the train and get off at the stop entitled "Library". If the library has its own stop, it must be cool.


And it was. That's nine stories, baby! It has millions of books, and to get there, you go through an escalator maze! Even if English isn't your thing, you could just check out a book in any of the other 25 languages available. If you don't believe how awesome the library system is, perhaps this little article will change your mind.

Oh, and guess what I found? Water! Woot woot! I simply adore water! My roommate was playing in a beach volleyball game and asked if I wanted to go. The term "beach" sounded like maybe there would be water nearby. It is important to check out any and all potential water sources.


I also found the skyline that is in every Chicago movie, but particularly in My Best Friend's Wedding.


I've also been to the Lincoln Park Zoo. When I got there, all I could find was this:


But I couldn't find the entrance to the zoo. It was bizarre. So I wandered around, found a giant lily pond, and also the Park part of Lincoln Park, but no zoo.


I put my spying glasses on, and I spied a rhino!


Knowing rhinos are not indigenous to Chicago, I walked toward the rhino, and found myself in the zoo! It's important to know indigenous animals in case you ever find yourself in a situation similar to mine.

Also, as an embarrassing side note, I went to see Step Up 3 in 3D with a million other people that my roommates know.


I have never watched a movie in 3D before. I've never wanted to admit this, because it seems a bit silly, so when someone would mention they watched a movie in 3D, I would always ask how it went, casually trying to glean information from the experienced people of the population. Unfortunately, everyone always says, "Oh it was fine."

What? What kind of report is that? "Fine"? It was in 3D, and you say it was fine?? Well, I have finally seen a 3D movie, and I'm here to tell you that it is much better than fine! It is da bomb dot com! It is awesome! It's trippy! It's nauseating! It's a bit frightening! It's anything but fine!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Chicago

I have made it to Chicago. I can tell because I'm hot and wet. Last night was a night of sweating, lugging, and meeting new people.

This morning I woke up to some weird rumbling noise. Is it my bed? Is it the train? I didn't think we were that close to the train. Maybe it's some house noise I'm not familiar with. As my consciousness was coming out of dreamland I realized it was thunder. Huge, massive, crazy claps of thunder. Rain was pelting my window. There might have been lightning, but I didn't see it because I rolled over and went back to sleep. Ah, the power of closing your eyes.

Later I got up, and...had no idea what to do. What was the plan for today? What do I normally do when I wake up?
Oh, breakfast.
Was I hungry?
I don't think so.
I better eat anyway, it's what I normally do.

While cerealing, I remembered that I was going to go exploring; maybe find a library. I hadn't counted on rain. I had no rain back up plan.

So I sat on the couch.

Soon I heard noises in the apartment and realized I had a roommate home. A human! Maybe she could help me!

We chatted a bit, and then she said, "So, you wanna work out?" YES! I remember now! Yes, that is something I do in the mornings! Work out! After that, she took a nap, and I opened all the cupboards and doors in the apartment. When she woke up and we got ready, we went downtown to experience touristy Chicago.

By the time we stepped off the L, it had started raining again. I didn't notice it, however, as I was a bit wet when we began our journey.

We walked to Millennium Park and saw The Bean.

I'm waving to you, Mom.

We walked by a water feature where lots of kids were playing. I guess if you are already wet it doesn't matter if you get more wet. But my favorite thing was these two guys wrestling each other into the water, under the watchful eye of the security guard.


After that my tour guide suggested that maybe we come back on a sunnier day, and catch a bus to the Water Tower to go shopping.

We passed a Chess Party, but because it was raining and we wanted to check out the stores, we didn't stop and watch.


When we made it to the mall, I realized it was five stories tall. I spotted a Sephora on the map, and instantly started running for the escalator. Sephora, I am sorry to report, isn't much bigger than the Sephora in San Luis Obispo. I took one look around and left. Been there, done that. Shouldn't the store be bigger than SLO? Shouldn't it? Well, it wasn't.

We also went into a fancy shmanz store where I found a hat that I simply had to have, but at a better price, and perhaps poorer quality. I expressed my mission to my companion, and we set off on a search.

I am sorry to say that I couldn't find anything. Perhaps another day. I hope so. I would love a Chicago hat.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Hearst Gardens and Vistas

I think California State Parks at Hearst Castle has been reading my blog.

Why, you ask? Because they have a new tour, just for me! It's the Garden and Vistas Self Guided Tour! BEST THING EVER! All these years, I have dreamed of wandering around the grounds at my own pace! All those paths not taken? They have officially been taken! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOO!

This is one of my favorite paths. I have my camera out, I'm taking a video, and I am so excited!


If this next picture doesn't look familiar to you, it's because you have never seen it before. It isn't accessible on any of the regular tours, so of course you've never seen it.



This is of the same area.


And the same area, again.


I'm obsessed because I've never seen this terrace before, which means I've never seen the fountains, both with newly gilded statues on top, one with a woman holding a rose, another about to kiss a frog.

Also, a bonus with this tour is that we got to sit on stuff! Appropriate things only, of course, but at least we got to sit down, and just soak it all in!




The ticket price includes the movie, so we saw the movie before we went up the hill. You can be up there for four hours, if you wish. We were on the hill about 2.5 hours, I think, and it was the perfect amount of time for us. I particularly wanted to be up there for the sunset. At sunset, the bells in the two towers ring, which is a great bonus.


Father waiting for the bells to ring.





Did you spy me in that last picture? I'm sure you didn't, because my Greek Pool Goddess pose is so natural.

Speaking of pools, I was able to walk all around it. This has simply been unheard of before. This tour was like a ticket to freedom.



See those stairs behind us? I've never been able to walk on them, but the other night I did. Twice.

July Recap and Reunion!

July was a very busy month. It started with a baseball game and Dad teaching Bryn how to chew sunflower seeds. We biked to the zoo, ate a lot of Popsicles, went swimming, and had a reunion. Also, I had my last day of work, which naturally resulted in a scrub burning:


It was a very satisfying activity. The next week I went to the beach, where I got burned in all the spots I forgot about (behind the knees) or couldn't reach and forgot about (center of back) and had to spend the next week suffering the consequences. That was also the week I went on my packing spree. Have you ever packed up your whole life while the backs of your knees were on fire? It is very uncomfortable, and not at all recommended.

At the end of that week was Stake Temple Day. It was da bomb dot com.


The next week found me a bit depressed, as I hadn't completely finished packing. I would pack a little bit, and then go out to the living room to see how the skyline was coming. Then I would pack a little bit, then back to the living room. Then I would get out the trash can and finish packing.

Mary and Mother made this skyline wallpaper for the Chicago party.


The Chicago party was scheduled right in the middle of the Cohen family reunion. We kicked things off with an Opening Ceremonies all-comers track meet at the high school.

The next day we went to the fair where everyone enjoyed looking at the animals, watching pig races, mutton busting, an auction, and eating snow cones.

This reunion was also the first time I got to meet Cooper, my nephew.
You can meet him too. Here he is:



Friday was my Chicago Party. We had deep dish pizza and Chicago hot dogs, but perhaps my favorite part (besides the skyline, the jeopardy game and the awesome invitations I made) was the blackberry lemonade served from my Great Grandmother's punch bowls and cups.

The next picture is of the kids enjoying their dogs. They didn't prepare them Chicago Style, which I forgave because they are kids, but with everyone else, I made sure they prepared their hot dogs appropriately. Those who omitted an ingredient had to leave.

I take my theme parties very seriously.

(PS, you might be able to see the blackberry lemonade cups in the picture as well.)


On Saturday I went to the Fresno temple with Mother and the brothers. We were so inspired that we came up with these super cool poses:


Also, we found this fabulous Japanese restaurant where we ate lunch out of boats. It was awesome! I love a good boat lunch.

Sunday was the big show: Double Baby Blessings. Yup, both Torah and Cooper were blessed on Sunday. It was a very cool experience, and I am so glad I was still around to witness it.


Marissa busted out her skillz and made these adorable dresses for all the girls.


She made them out of Paul's old shirts. It was convenient that he had so many pink dress shirts to choose from. Thanks, Paul! Good work Marissa!

After Church we had a nice luncheon (notice use of the word luncheon) and then moved on to the great family picture taking extravaganza!


Later we played darts, chased each other around, and erected a tent.


The next couple of days were good too, however I'm choosing not to document them.

I will leave you with a picture of me and the local Cohen kids. We are trying to cheer up Wade by doing "cut the pickle".

Tickle tickle.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Friend Betting

As many of you know, I will soon be moving to another area. Anytime you pack up and leave, you start off with zero friends. Over time, you will acquire friends, the kind of person you would feel comfortable calling to go get dinner, see a movie, go exploring or the like. The question is, how much time?

I have already had one bet placed at seven weeks.

What is your wager?

I will keep everyone posted on my friend status, and you can see if you win.

Place your bets!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Cheers! And other Last Day type things.

Tomorrow is my last day at work.

While I was spouting off information to my coworker while entering memorized passwords into the computer, it hit me that all of this information will suddenly become irrelevant on Saturday. More specifically, 5:00 on Friday afternoon.


Never again will I need to know where the Immigration Physicals are kept, how much they are, or how to schedule for one.

I won't need to use memorized passwords to get onto all of the different insurance sites to check a patient's eligibility.

It doesn't matter that I know when using certain programs, you can only bill for certain things within a specified amount of time.

I no longer need to remember the names of dietitians, general surgeons, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, podiatrists or the like. I don't need to have pharmacy phone numbers memorized.

It doesn't matter that I know how much the yellow fever vaccine, HPV vac, TB, and Tdap cost.

My brilliance at acquiring ICD-nine codes will no longer be needed.

I will have slim opportunity to use the relationships I built with other businesses. My coworkers will be able to use those, so I guess that's good.

After 5:00 on Friday, I probably won't need to know the amount of time one should abstain from sexual activity after being treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea. I won't really need to know the signs or symptoms or STI's, and I certainly won't need to discuss them any more.

After Friday, I probably won't need to know how to explain to a patient what a "back up method" is, the pros and cons of an IUD, or how many hours after unprotected intercourse should one take emergency contraception.

I'll never again need to explain to someone what exactly a colposcopy is, and why they should stop freaking out and just take a calming breath.

Also, with the end of this job comes the end of word puzzles. I will present to you a few uh, hypothetical questions, and you must figure out who needs to be tested for STDs, who is possibly pregnant, who needs emergency contraception, and how best to advise the patient.

Question: Uhm, my friend told me she skips her period all the time by skipping the little white pills, you know the little white pills? So I tried it and it didn't work. How come it worked for her and not for me? I mean, we take different birth control, but that doesn't matter, does it?

Question: Okay, so on Sunday I went to a BBQ, and I had a good time, and I had some chips, and I forgot to take my Yaz, and that night I messed around with my boyfriend, and the next day I remembered that I didn't take my pill, so I wasn't sure what to do, so then I forgot, and then I forgot again that night to take my pill, and I slept with my boyfriend but he kept his boxers on, so what do you think? I'm probably safe, right?

Question: Okay, so I haven't gotten my period yet this month. It's like, 2 hours late. and I slept with my boyfriend last night. A couple times. We had just had a fight, but we were making up. So do you think I'm pregnant?

Question: Um, I'm going out of town in an hour, and I need my birth control refilled, like, yesterday. I HAVE TO HAVE IT. GO GET IT FOR ME.

Question: Well I had kind of a crazy night last night, and I was drunk, and he was drunk, and we were at a party, and we kinda hooked up, and I don't think we used condoms, and then my friend came over, and like, went down on him, and then we all kinda messed around, but then we started using condoms, I think, so do you think I should come in for an appointment? Do you think I could be pregnant?

Question: So I need to be seen. For an exam. I think maybe I have something, but that's impossible, because I've been with my boyfriend for like, 2 weeks, and we haven't slept with anyone else.


Oh, sigh. The joys of the word puzzles. I hope I get some good ones tomorrow. I think that would be a nice way to celebrate my last day.

Cheers!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Baby Torah


Wo0ohooo0ooooo! Baby Torah has arrived!