Thursday, October 20, 2011

Uncle Paul

So you know how I have a previous blog post with me and "my uncle Paul?" (which is how I refer to Paul Giamatti) Well, a couple days ago in class, this girl turns to me and says, "you know who you look like?" I smiled and said, "I think so." But didn't say who because I didn't want to be presumptuous. Then I thought, whatever, be totally presumptuous - so I blurted out "Paul Giamatti?" Her response, "I don't know his name..., but he was in the Truman Show..." Yep! Uncle Paul was in that flick! So it has now been independently confirmed - that's all I'm saying.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

I'm in!

So I moved today.

I am exhausted. I haven't had much time for packing, what with jury duty and studying, etc., but my mom and sis came over Friday night and got me squared away. Then my mom and other sis came over on Saturday and helped me (I should say "the movers") move. IT took about 5 hours and I felt like I had run a marathon after! I haven't been that active in a long time - especially after sitting for extended periods of time at school the last few months!

I am grateful to have such a great support system, my mom and sis's are great! (I know "sis's" isn't grammatically correct due to a phonotactic constraint, but I'm going to use it anyway - see how much I'm learning!)

I didn't have as much stuff as I thought, and yet, somehow, I also feel like I still have too much! I threw away or donated a ton of stuff over the last few months, anticipating the move, but I think I need to get rid of more.

In any case, I am glad that this week is over and I am glad that I am moved in!! Now I can focus on my midterms!! Yay for sarcasm!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Jury Duty

So, I had Jury today and I didn't get selected. I was SO happy!! They made us watch this 10 minute video (filmed circa 1990) about the jury selection process and they showed one guy who was not selected and he left feeling like there was something wrong with him. I laughed (inwardly). I thought it was funny the way they were able to take something that seems like a totally inconvenient burden and turn it into a sense of pride or honor to be a part of. I felt somewhere in the middle.

At first it WAS a totally inconvenient, but then once I resigned myself to the fact that I was there and maybe should just enjoy it, I was looking forward to it. Two hours later they said we could go home. I was kind of disappointed! They over-booked cases, but none of them panned out; someone didn't show for one, another case settled and another didn't have enough interpreters. So they let us go. I was actually really happy to go since I have so much going on this week, but it was an interesting experience in any case.

I would go again, just for the video!

p.s. wish me luck that all goes well this weekend - I am finally moving into Marilyn's house - my new home for the next 18 months!!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Things I learn from Aphasia

I have class devoted to learning about Aphasia, which is a language disorder as a result of a traumatic brain injury, usually a stroke.

We watched a video of a conference that was held focusing on how to best counsel people with Aphasia. It was pretty interesting, but the thing that impressed me was the very humanistic approach that was adopted. One thing in particular that stood out to me was a quote that was shared that had no attributable author. I loved it so I've re-typed it below (preserving the punctation):

Anonymous Meditation
"We think we get over things.
We don't get over things
Or say, we get over the measels but not a broken heart.
We need to make that distinction.
The things that become part of our experience never become less a part of our experience.
How can I say it?
The way to "get over" a life is to die.
Short of that, you move with it.
Let the pain, be pain, not in the hope that it will vanish
But in the faith that it will fit in.
Find its place in the shape of things
And then be not any less pain but true to form.
Because anything natural has an inherent shape
And it will flow towards it.
And life is as natural as a leaf.
That's what we're looking for
Not the end of a thing, but the shape of it.
Wisdom is seeing the shape of your life
Without obliterating (getting over) a single instant of it."

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Things I keep meaning to blog about...

So I was talking to some friends a couple of weeks ago and I mentioned something in passing that shifted the conversation. I guess I didn't realize, or I just forgot that it's kind of a big deal.

A few weeks ago I came to church a little late, not by much. When I say late, I mean late for me, the meeting hadn't even started yet. In any case the family I usually sit with had more family there than usual so I didn't have my usual seat available. Long story short, I ended up sitting next to Pres. Monson for sacrament meeting. When he comes he usually sits just behind us, so I didn't really think too much of it. Later that day though, people kept commenting on it, saying things like, "how did you get to sit next to Pres. Monson?", like it was a big deal.

I guess I didn't think too much about it because I'm used to sitting "near" him. But after thinking about it, I guess I realize that it was a pretty unique experience to be able to sit next to him. He usually sits alone so he almost forgot to pass the bread to me, which I thought was funny. There's no denying that sitting next to him I felt a greater spirit with him and I had a reaffirmation that he is the Prophet, but I also have to acknowledge that proximity doesn't develop a testimony. I could know that he's the Prophet just as readily as if I had prayed about it. It is special to associate with him, but I don't think it should over-shadow that we can associate directly with the One who is directing him.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Happy inspite of...

I didn't think I'd make it past the first week and here I am! We're already talking "midterms." I can't say that I've found my groove yet though. That will take some more time. I am at least starting to feel like I'm not going to totally burn out, so for me, that is progress. One of the hardest things I am trying to adjust to is a lack of structure. I mean, there are things I know I need to do, but the order that I get them done is totally up to me and that's unusual. I'm coming from HR where there is (usually) much more structure and I can feel my brain protesting at this new style of schedule. That and the amount of information being thrown at us each day is just overwhelming!

But as I was driving home today, I put on some good music and I was thinking about everything going on and I felt happy. I didn't necessarily feel peaceful or anything, but I was able to recognize on some level that I am happy where I am. Busy, yes. Trying, yes. Struggling, yes. Hard, yes. But I'm hanging in there and that makes me feel good. I think part of the reason I'm happy is because I am being challanged in such a new way and even though it's hard, its being hard doesn't detract from the fact that I love what I'm learning and I'm looking foward to all of the things I'll be able to do and all of the people I'll be able to help. That makes me hopeful and I feel like this time of great struggle is worthwhile.

That and I just finished reading Moby Dick, which I really, really enjoyed! Back to homework...

Friday, September 9, 2011

Catching up...

...Or trying to anyway. When life changes, it changes SOOOO fast! I am feeling really overwhelmed at the moment. Graduate school is proving to be more of an adjustment than I thought. It's just flat out hard! (There is SO much to read!) I guess I knew it would be hard, but I really couldn't appreciate just how hard it was until I started. Now I can see why people kept saying, don't have another job, don't get married, have a kid, or buy a house, in other words, don't have a life for two years. They really mean it!!

I know I'll get through it, though. I know I will adjust, it's just that it's taking much more time than I thought it would. It's really making me question what I think I'm capable of and what I think I deserve (I really hate that word "deserve"). It might actually be more accurate to say, what I'm worth. Which is really a good thing. I'm glad that I'm in a place in life where I can be asking these questions of myself. I think that, in and of itself, is a sign of growth.

I am sad that I had to quit my job this week. I will miss the people I work(ed) with. They were (are) so much fun! But, with the school workload being what it is (and being offered a position to work in the department, which is a huge honor) I know it was the right thing to do. I am so excited to be working for my professors, getting to know them on a more personal level will be a great experience for me. I will really benefit as a clinician from my experience working for them. (I start working for them next week!)

I have also received my apprenticeship assignment at the Clinic and I am way excited about it. So as some background, even in our first semester, we are assigned to a mentor who is working with a specific client, and potentially, by the end of the semester we may even get to conduct a session or two with the client (with our mentor present, obviously!). Then, our second semester we are assigned our very own client! So they kind of just throw us in the fire from the very beginning. It's terrifying and exciting all at the same time. In any case, I did some clinical observation hours over the summer and I saw a few clients in particular. Well, as luck would have it, the client I've been assigned to just happens to be one of the people I had observed most! I feel really fortunate to get to work with somone I "already know," and it feels even more serendipitous knowing that the assignments were all random! Yet another reason to feel like I'm in the right place.

Even though I go home some nights wondering how I'm going to get through it, I know I'm in the right place. I know that everything will work out because it already is working out. I love what I'm learning and I know that when I get through it, my life will be so much better because I'll be doing something I love and can be passionate about.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Woohoo!

After a few disappointing grades on a couple of assignments and doing really bad on the final I finally got my grade and guess what? I got an A!!! True, it's the very lowest percentage possible (93%), but hey, an A's an A, right? I'm glad it's done and I hope I never have to take an online class again - not my favorite format!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Branding

I think I've bogged about this before, but I need a brand. (okay, I don't NEED a brand, but I want one) I want something that represents me. You know how, like, some people's email are surfergirl5, or cycleordeath, or whatever? They have a brand - something that they can say "this is who I am" or "this defines me." I don't have that. I don't really have a trait or hobby or skill that really defines me. Why is that? I wonder if Speech Therapy will be "my thing?" I guess now I just need to figure out how to make Speech Therapy into a logo to complete my brand...

I also want a theme song. I would play the song when I'm in a good mood, just boppin' down the street.

Hm... now I'm wondering if maybe I've seen too many movies...

Monday, July 25, 2011

Lame

So the whole reason I bought my phone was for its hotspot capabilities, however I just received a notice that now, if I want to use the hotspot, I have to pay another 30 bucks a month! Yeah, that's so not going to happen! Now I know how the netflix customer's feel! At least my phone does pretty well with most websites, but not all websites are "mobile compatible." Lame.