Play time!

Just a couple more hours and it's the weekend! Yeah, it's 5am and I am already counting down to the weekend. I got up extra early to finish cleaning up for the arrival of the two little ones and my Auntie Mireille (they are staying in my room so it had to be child proofed). I also have a little exam today that I want to be all studied up for. I am quite stoked for this weekend because of the arrival of family and because I get to hang out with Boy. I'm also trying to get back into the study groove so hopefully that'll happen as well. Mind you that may not happen for an other week or so. I'll probably be too distracted by my little cousins and I'll be building forts, reading books, baking, going to the beach (in Winnipeg there's no Ocean.... so we get to go see the OCEAN :) and collect shells and stuff!) and all sorts of things that make being a kid fun!
Oh... my eye is better... ish. It no longer hurts a lot. It just hurts a little. There's bone pain lateral to my eye that can be felt in my ear and jaw. I think I am on the mend!

Eye am confused

On Tuesday, I was surprised to find that my eye hurt every time I touched it. It felt sore... kind of like it was swollen. After looking at myself in the mirror a couple of times, seeing that there was no swelling and having friends look to see if they could spot anything abnormal... I figured it was just something strange and it would go away when I went to sleep that night.
It didn't. I woke up with troubles seeing out of my right eye. I could still see but it was fuzzy as heck! If I didn't blink my vision would SLOWLY return to normal but... well try to stop yourself from blinking. Not going to happen. I asked the Dean what might be wrong (because Dr. J is on vacation and he's the next best thing...). He figures it's something to do with the drainage of my eye. He suggested to do some lymph drainage. So I spent any free time during the day lymph draining and icing the right side of my face and neck. By the end of the day my vision was so off that I had trouble grasping things, writing on a line, I was walking into door frames and I had a head ache (most likely because my left eye was working over time).
Today isn't any better... I hurt myself this morning, got teary eyed and my left eye drained (so it didn't look like I was crying) but my right one didn't. My eye and around is so tender that if I accidentally touch it I kind of want to yelp. My ear and jaw are kind of sore now too. I guess I should go to the doctor... but I really don't want to.
Ok I am done complaining :)

I have a favorite new smell!!

And it happens to be what my purse smells like! After school I swung by Gourmet Warehouse to pick up a couple special things for the cake I am making for Sophia's birthday. I am quite proud of myself because I didn't buy more then I had to... ok so I did a little bit more then I had to but it was all for the cake and it was all within reason. I bought the most perfect dark pink, light pink, beige and white birthday cake candles (what?!?! if I was going to make a pretty cake I don't want ghetto dollar store candles on my cake), pink sprinkles, fuschia food colouring, orange blossom water and vanilla beans. On my way home I kept getting whiffs of a beautiful smell and it wasn't until i got home and reached in to get my keys that my nose was assaulted with a big waft of vanilla and orange blossom! Mmmmmmmm :)
I really like the smell (and taste) of orange and vanilla, it remind me of cream sickle but I decided that for the cake change it up a little bit... because little girls normally aren't into whacky flavours, I'd just put a hint of orange blossom water in the custard to give it a bit of an orangy and floral flavor. That way the main flavour will be vanilla with a lingering floral flavour that adults (and maybe kids) can appreciate.

Spring!

Over the past weekend the crocuses peeked out from beneath the earth and our garden started to look a little more alive. I took this as a sign to pack up the winter gear and take out the spring jackets. Today I left the house with only a sweater and a wind breaker but by the time I got home, it was snowing. Darn! Now I am going to go curl up in bed and warm up.

A bite of reality

Since my break up with Justin, I've been looking at who I am and what I want from a relationship. This is never something easy but I think it's part of becoming a better and more well rounded person. I'm Queen of Commitment. I'm not afraid of long term relationships and would much rather be in one then be in a bunch of flings. However, what I've learned over the past month or so is that if the going gets tough... I get going. Or I stay, shut down and end up resenting it once we're actually broken up. Now this seems like a red flag... something worth working on. So I did. I am.
I decided to finally pick up (I bought it about a year ago and it's been sitting on my bookshelf in the "too girly to read" pile) the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I spent my morning cuddled up on the couch reading it, captivated by the resemblance of my life and hers (well our emotional states anyways... I am not going through a divorce but I am learning about myself and where I stand in a relationship).
The following is a part of the book that hit home for me. While reading it a lump formed in my throat and I started to feel slightly ashamed and embarrassed. It was me. A part of me that I never really wanted to admit, yet there it was in black and white, staring back at me.

"I disappear into the person I love. I am the permeable membrane. If I love you, you can have everything. You can have my time, my devotion, my ass, my money, my family, my dog, my dog's money, my dog's time - everything. If I love you, I will carry for you all your pain, I will assume your own insecurity, I will project upon you all sorts of good qualities that you have never actually cultivated in yourself and I will buy Christmas presents for your entire family. I will give you the sun and the rain, and if they are not available, I will give you a sun check and a rain check. I will give you all this and more, until I get so exhausted and depleted that the only way I can recover my energy is by becoming infatuated with someone else."

The only differences here... replace dog with cat. And at the end of it, when I am exhausted and depleted, I shut down or I leave the relationship and replenish my energy stores with things I love to do (salsa dancing, yoga, cooking etc.).
Anyways that's more food for thought for me... and I thought it would be worth while sharing. So while I am completing my program at UA (11 weeks to go!!) I am also working on how to be a better person and balancing a new relationship of my own (nothing serious but it's good while it's lasting and I am learning a lot about myself in the process).
And on the plus side of all of this... I've decided that the next relationship that comes along (maybe not this one... unless we decide that it has long term potential... but for now it's got a specific end date... September) I am going to work on it and I am not going to run away scared. I am also going to be more of a balanced partner and less of a "here's all my love!" kind of partner. We'll see how that goes :)

Zee French

I was on the bus today when I noticed two young kids sit down behind me. Both were jabbering away to each other in English about the difference between an immersion program and a cadre program (two french programs in our education system). Then they started conversing in French as well and in English. They were carelessly switching from one to another with such impeccable ease that it was something that I admired. It wasn't until I got off the bus that I thought... wait a second! I am bilingual too! And I am darn proud of it :)

*Image is the Franco Colombien (English: Franco Columbian) flag... yes even us French Canadians from BC have their own flag :)

Amazing cakes!

I was snooping around the internet for added inspiration and found this website. Most of the cakes are quite unique and beautiful! I like it! It's not kitsy or tacky but rather classy and creative! Well done :)

*My favorite cake! And yes, I did look through all of the images :)

Birthday Cake!

In about a week, my two overly adorable cousins, Katarina (6) and Sophia (2) are coming over to spend some time with their aunt, uncle and cousins in Vancouver. This news is exciting enough as it is... but there's more. Little Sophia will be celebrating her third birthday here with us! What's even more exciting is that I got the go ahead to make her cake!!! My instructions are that it must be chocolate cake, the icing must be pink and there's got to be sprinkles! I think this will be the cutest, girliest cake I've ever seen/created. My mind's been racing and creating different masterpieces in my head. If I learnt something with the last cake is that if I can envision it, I can create it. Pictures to come... in about two weeks!

*Photo was taken last summer while camping in the Okanagan.

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows...

It's actually sunshine, sprouts and anatomy and physiology this morning but it sure feels much nicer then that!
We were fortunate enough to start at 10 this morning. This allowed me to get up before the sun, get some studying done, have breakfast, do a couple loads of laundry and get more studying done. I took the long way to school which allowed me to walk a good portion of the way so I was able to enjoy the stunning sunshine that's been shining over Vancouver during the past couple of days.
Because we're wrapping up the lymphatic and immune chapter in anatomy and physiology the feeling in the class today is light and comfortable... either that or it's the sunshine pouring through the windows. While writing down notes and listening to Dr. J I've been munching on some sprouts. I've got a new found affinity* for sprouts. Perhaps it's because they taste like springtime.
I think today is going to be a good day! I look forward to the next couple of days too... though nothing special is going on, I am really enjoying the sunshine and that makes everything a little better.

*looking up the proper spelling of affinity, I found this definition: (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an antibody. I am not an antigen and the sprouts are not antibodies but I found it to be somewhat fitting being I am still sitting in A&P class.

Twelve

12. That's how many weeks are left until I graduate from UA!
Over lunch Maja and I were talking about what it will be like once we've graduated! Both of us have been in the program since August 2006 so we've done our time. We also know what it's like to take some time off. We were reminiscing of the days when we took time off and how we'd wake up happy and be happy all the time. So much could come our way and it was like water off a ducks back. We were unphased, unaffected and remained happy. We were also happy for no apparent reason. Our souls just smiled and in turn we felt lighter.
Though I am still happy (for the most part) I find myself having pep talks with myself in the morning (and sometimes at night... and sometimes at lunch and...). I'm always trying to psyche myself up for going to school and always having to be cheerier then I actually am. I also find that my temper is... well easily triggered. I find myself taking several deep breaths and holding back snarky comments. Sometimes I don't hold back and become a bit of a smart ass. For those who have been around during those times... sorry!
On the plus side, I've finally found my study groove. It took long enough but I have it now! I am actually looking forward to study for board exams because I have ample time to catch up on what I have missed. There was one morning last week where I got up, took my time, had breakfast, got ready, studied for 3 hours and then went to school. I got so much accomplished and because I wasn't panicking studying was a breeze (and dare I say fun). I think I am just fed up of having to show up for class.
12 more weeks....

Countdown...

2 Gold!

We are one year away from the Olympics! Public transit told me so this morning. Sure it was a little confusing when I was looking at the bus approaching me and it said "2 Gold". My sleepy mind thought "What's 2 Gold? I want the 3 Main!". Then I saw the sign flash to Countdown, then 2 Gold, then to 3 Main.
I *heart* sleepy mornings on cold & flu meds :)

Cuteness overload in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

Play time!

I am going to go play with Lego at Science World! Who's coming with me?!

Brain sludge

Ack! Try studying when sick! It's the slowest process on the face of the planet! Ok maybe not the slowest but it sure feels like it. All these words tend to blend into one an other and all I can hear is the sloshing of my own brain.
Alright, it's not that bad. I've come up with a system... do an hour of A&P the lymphatic and immune system, followed by an hour of manual lymph drainage (completing notes to prep for review) and then an hour of case study research/case history question formulating and then repeat sequence. The only problem is that I tend to work faster with the things I enjoy doing. Then what'll I do? Procrastinate? Sounds like a likely option but I want to avoid that one :)
Ok time to continue with my case study... then maybe I'll go to bed :P

End Theme - Zero 7

This music conjures up images of ballerinas in my mind... I think it would make for a pretty dramatic choreography. Too bad I am not a choreographer or a dancer.

It's getting closer!

I just called the College of Massage Therapists (the regulatory body for massage therapists in British Columbia) to ask them if they had a date set for the September board examinations! Sure I only called and left a message but the idea of having a set date for when I write my board examinations is very exciting!

I caught the sick!

I sure did! I was so proud of myself because I had managed to fight any sickness that came my way... until Saturday. Looking back, it started during the day. While at school, I was cuddled up in my fleece blanket and I was totally out of it all day. That night I was supposed to go out for Dawson's birthday but I made it as far as my friends place and we decided to rent movies and hang out instead. I tried to ignore the itch in my throat but after a quick nap while watching the movie, I woke up feeling as if I'd swallowed a cheese grater! Damn!
The following day started off slowly. I felt weak but figured it was just the lack of food. By 1 I was back in bed and had a good two hour nap. I woke from that feeling like my body was no longer my own. I barely had enough strength to make it upstairs to get water and my grip was too weak to open the cough syrup bottle. I dragged myself downstairs and settled in to watch House MD. I barely had enough muscle strength to get up and pee. It was astounding. It reminded me of when I had mono. When laying down and immobile you feel relatively fine but then when you try to move, you're too weak to move. Your head feels like it's going to burst because for some reason it really hurts! So you lay down again, hoping that the next time you decide to move that it will be less painful.
I started burning up at about 7 and then buried myself under more blankets and turned on the heater in my room. Relieved by this new symptom, fever, I knew I was getting over the worst of it. In bed and asleep by 8, I sweat it out feeling thoroughly disgusting but glad that I was not throwing up and that my body was strong.
Today I feel generally weak. Standing for more then 2 minutes is out of the question, using any strength is not an option. I can sit up though and have a bit more of an appetite (4 triscuits vs 2). I also have a renewed appreciation for my body. It's awesome that I've managed to not get sick for as long as I have. I am also quite impressed as to how quickly this sick is passing. Hopefully with an other nap and early to bed I'll be able to tackle school tomorrow.

Wednesday morning tragedy

For the past couple of weeks there has been a spider in my shower. I am not afraid of spiders and he wasn't causing a problem so I let him do his thing while I was taking my shower. Most of the time he'd hide away from the water and come out once I was done showering. Mr. Spider was pretty harmless and good company. Once he got in the way of a water jet and I picked him up to move him out of the way and he bit me! It hurt! My finger throbbed for an hour or so. Bad Mr. Spider! I learnt my lesson and didn't mess with Mr. Spider afterwards. He also seemed to have learned to stay out of the way of the water.
Until today. Poor Mr. Spider fell into the tub and started to drown (well I imagined he was drowning... it's hard to tell, I've never seen a spider drown)! Noticing this I scooped him out of the water and put him on dry ground. The water on my hand made for a little water slide and he slipped back into the tub. I saved him again. He bit me. I put him back on dry ground hoping he wouldn't fall back in. He lay there... motionless :( Mr. Spider was dead. Not having a clue as to how to resuscitate a spider, I left him there until I finished getting ready and still nothing.
So now I lost my shower buddy and I have a throbbing finger. I am actually kind of sad that this little spider is dead. I think it's time for me to get a cat :P

Organization is my middle name!

Level 600 is all about review! Here we get to revisit what we were taught WAAAYYY back in level 100! Luckily I've kept everything and it's all separated by level. I've decided to reorganize though. I've decided to have 6 binders. Two for manual modalities, one for Anatomy and Physiology, one for pathology, one for professional development and hydrotherapy and the last one for everything else. I had to go through all of my paperwork to write down the classes and chapters that I've studied while at UA. I then used my trusty white board (an anal organizer's best friend!) to sort everything out. I would have colour coded it too except I only have 3 colours for the whiteboard :p

May the review begin!

Smarter then the average bear!

Today I started my last term at Utopia Academy! I don't think it's really sunk in that this is my last term... I'm terribly excited though. I have returned to school with more determination then when I left... which is good because I was quite determined before I went for break. I am sure some of this will wear off because it's only the first day back but it's encouraging!
We got our marks back from some of the assignments and... I rock :P Yep! I am just going to toot my own horn for a while now because... hey I worked hard :) Out of 6 assignments/finals that were handed back to me I got 100% on three of them!! My lowest mark was 78% which isn't too shabby! I read over most of my work and at times I was amazed that I wrote what I did... Apparently I am really smart when I apply myself :P Some answers I read over and was like "wow I knew that?!" Ok enough horn tooting!
Time to do the laundry I didn't do last night, start on an assignment or two and work on organizing things for review!

Dreams of travel

Ever have a dream that lasts all night long? Last night I had one of those and it was so awesome. I dreamt that I was traveling throughout Asia! The reason I dreamt this was probably because Asia has been a hot topic of conversation in the past couple of weeks. With a new found friend who's planning on going to China in September and my cousin who's going to travel it in May... Asia is everywhere.
Before bed I snuck a peek at Free & Easy Traveler. This is a company that specializes in travel between the Philippines, Thailand and Nicaragua. Like you're typical group travel... you meet fellow travellers there and travel with them... I believe the accommodation and some of the activities are planned for you as well. My cousin is going to do the 101-day odyssey (a 40-day Philippines trip with a 40-day Thailand trip and finally a 20-day Laos, Thailand and Cambodia adventure.). Unfortunately she's going in May... otherwise I would be on a plane to join her in the Philippines. Sure 101 days would have me back in September just in time to write my board exams... the only thing is I kind of have to study for them! :P Maybe I can do this in May 2010... who knows. I am usually not a fan of group travel because it often ends up being a booze and fuck fest and that's not why I travel. If I want to booze and fuck I can stay in Vancouver.
Anyways dreaming of travel was amazing. Especially when certain people who have become a larger part of my life are in it. Maybe I can continue my travel adventure tonight.... I am kind of looking forward to going to sleep.