Because this really long post is really made up of several smaller posts that were meant to be posted and instead got deleted in the last 2 weeks, I am going to just title each section as if it were an individual post. I really like thinking up titles for my posts and hate to miss the opportunity just because blogger decided to turn into a blackhole that eats posts. So here we go.
Title: Celebrity
Did I ever tell you I am a bit of a celebrity? Right before my summer break at the end of May, I had my very own photoshoot with the campus photographer. Since I won a $2,500 scholarship, the school wanted some photos for the campus newsletter. I met with the photographer and took a lot of photos outside by the "reflecting pool" in front of campus. I recently received an email with a link to the financial aid office summer newsletter. Lo and behold, there is my smiling face! Who knew I was famous? And then, they even posted my winning essay here (with another photo)!
Title: Endodontics and Other Clinic Happenings
After about 4 weeks, team D'Lucy has developed a small (very, very, painfully small) patient base. While all the other students in our suite have been doing fillings and crowns and dentures, we have been doing endodontic consults. Practically every single one of our patients needs a root canal! I have no other appointments scheduled except for root canals and endodontic consults. I am on a first name basis with the endodontics staff in the specialty area. One thing is for sure, I will graduate dental school being the queen of root canals. Maybe this is a hint that I should consider specializing in endo after graduations, because after all this practice, I'll be able to do a root canal with my eyes closed.
In other clinic news, we finally have been placed back with our D3 partners after working with a D4 partner for the first few weeks. It's good to be working with Mindi again, because we are very much on the same page. We can make eye contact and know immediately what the other is thinking or what they need, without having to say a word. This has proven to be a VERY handy skill when patients are around. Anyway, as a thank you to the D4s, we made them a cute little banner and had it signed by all the D3s and our suite faculty and baked goodies for everyone. The night before, I had this conversation over g-chat with Vicki about it. And of course, hilarity ensued:
Vicki: we're amazing and 26 and still single
so there is hope
DUDE JUST ASK HIM OUT
me: hahaha...I don't know if I can be that bold
Vicki: hey, we should get coffee sometime
how bold is that?
me: I am such a weenies
Vicki: yes you are. but you don't have to be
what's the worst that can happen? he says no?
then you just convince yourself that you're better than him
me: I am afraid because I don't know him that well that he will either decline because he has a girlfriend or he is gay or something
Vicki: i promise you it is not that awkward
I promise.
me: is this the voice of experience?
Vicki: yes.
you just buck up and do your job
me: haha
I might have to write down that mantra
Vicki: it gets more awkward if something actually happens
me: tomorrow mindi and I are baking for the D4s to say thanks for working with us for the past 3 weeks...maybe I will win him over with my german chocolate caramel bars
Vicki: that sounds awesome
put a NOTE IN HIS BARS
if you liked my baking, you should see me cook
me: oh lordy
I did just buy new pots and pans today...I could test them out
Vicki: see. cook for him.
wine. food.
mood music.
me: wearing nothing more than an apron
Vicki: now you're making fun of something that was legit
me: and high heels
Vicki: now you're making fun of me
me: no...I'm just being a smartass
Title: Nitrous for Breakfast
The anesthesia professor seems to be a huge fan of having all us students try out the different forms of anesthesia before we give them to our patients. Last quarter, we had the stab labs where we practiced injecting local anesthesia into each other. (And we all remember how well THAT went over.) This quarter, we are learning different sedation techniques, which means lab was a lot more fun because it involved NITROUS. Yes, my friends, we are practicing the administration of nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas) on each other. I liked that lab. Early one morning, we all trekked down into the pedo clinic and were allowed to experiment with different amounts of the gas to see what sorts of effects proper sedation and overdose looked like. Mindi had a pretty high tolerance, so I was able to ramp her up to 70% nitrous (the maximum delivery the system allows). She said it had some pretty potent effects and we only kept her at the level for a very brief period. I did NOT want to overdose her, because one of the side-effects of overdose is vomiting. For my turn, I took 35% nitrous and just told her to keep it at a steady level there, because I felt GOOD. Nitrous is some fun stuff. After lab, we had a pretty big case of the munchies (I don't remember that being listed as a side-effect, but BOY were we hungry) so we went to Hot Bagel (a really tasty joint near campus) in the spare time we had before class.
Title: Old Apartment, New Apartment
There is this old Barenaked Ladies song called "The Old Apartment" and they sing about "where we used to live", which kind of sums up how I feel living in my apartment right now. It is the end of an era, now that my roommate of 2 years has moved out to move back to the midwest to do her rotations. We had some good times in this apartment, and it feels very different without her here. There are some things I have enjoyed (more time to walk around sans clothing, no guilt about leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight), but it still feels weird. I spent some time the past 2 weekends moving furniture around and getting some new decor, since some of the common furniture and lamps belonged to her. I got two pretty awesome looking lamps from Ikea. Here are some before and after pictures, just in case you were curious.
 |
| BEFORE |
 |
| BEFORE |
 |
| AFTER |
 |
| AFTER |
 |
| AFTER |
 |
| New lamp...looking boring gray when turned off... |
 |
| ...new lamp...looking pretty awesome when lit up! |
Title: Happy Birthday America!
Sometimes being away from family is a little rough, especially when missing out on favorite activities. I never really appreciated how often my family got together for weekend cookouts and pool parties and trips to the lake during the summer until I had to come to this forsaken desert. I really, really miss Chicago in the summer. Arizona is too freakin' hot to do anything. The other day, we set a heat record with a high of 118 degrees. Seriously? No wonder I felt like I was going to die while out running errands. Anyway, heat like that can put a serious damper on summer cookouts. It is just too hot to sit outside, even in the shade. Luckily, my friend Mindi and her husband hosted a 4th of July party (on the 3rd of July...minor details...) at their new house with a pool. We had a great time making all sorts of picnic food (Nikki's macaroni salad = delish!, fresh fruit, beer brats, s'mores!) and hanging out in the pool. It would not have been possible to be outside without that pool. I am so glad that I have found a great group of friends out here. Being able to create new holiday traditions with them makes it a little bit easier to survive desert living in the heat of the summer.
Title: Haboob
I love that word. Haboob. It is so fun to say. Haboob. Until recently, I had no idea what a haboob was. And then I apparently lived through one and didn't even realized it. A haboob is a unique type of dust storm. It is technically "monsoon season" and the storm activity kicked up a pretty nasty haboob/dust storm the other night. It started like any other night; after clinic, I went to my exercise class and then came home to cook some dinner. People started posting some links to local news video of the haboob blowing through the valley. It was the worst in the south valley, about 25-30 minutes from where I live on the north valley. However, it slowly made its way north. I started to get excited about the chance to see this huge dust cloud overtake the mountains outside my apartment, because the news footage was IMPRESSIVE. I kept peeking out my window waiting for it to come. I don't know how I missed it, but I did. Completely missed it. But it left a large amount of dust and dirt on my car, so I know it was here. How disappointing...I missed my first haboob. Here is a news video and an interesting article talking about how it closed the airport.
Or you can watch this time-lapse youtube video entitled "HABOOB SWALLOWS PHOENIX!!" which was taken out near the airport, about 20 minutes away. (Apparently the person that uploaded this video wanted to emphasize drama and excitement, so they wrote the title in all caps and even added an extra exclamation point. I still can't believe I missed haboob drama worthy of 2 exclamation points.)
Even after living in Arizona for 2 years, the weather never ceases to amaze me. It has been a little weird lately. We have gotten some crazy humidity up the wazoo. Temperatures over 100 hundred degrees are insane hot even in "dry heat" (that makes people who don't live in Phoenix or haven't visited in the summer think that 4 months of intense heat is bearable, which it isn't). But when it is 107 and the humidity is raging, it is downright miserable. And of course, it is too hot for it to actually rain substantially. So instead, we get weird sprinkles that don't wash away all the dust and dirt, but just wet it slightly, causing the entire city to smell like some sort of wet dog. Ugh. I can't wait for a real thunderstorm where it pours all day to wash away the dust and dirt and grime and yuck that has accumulated in the 3 months since it rained last. PLEASE, weather gods, send some rain and cool it down a bit, because this summer is ridiculous.
Title: End of the Post?
So that is pretty much what I have been up to in the past few weeks. Life has been mostly boring. Today was a pretty good day. In clinic, Mindi and I did our first root canal and placed a temporary stainless steel crown over the tooth. It went off without a hitch and was a real confidence booster. After a week without any patients, it was great to do a pretty involved procedure and have it turn out great. And then tonight I went to froyo with Allie. Froyo makes any day good/better/awesome, which is probably why we go all the time. The end.
Best. Gchat. Conversation. Ever. And the new furniture makes your place look so homey!
ReplyDelete