Happy Dance!

I got a 92 on my midterm exam in Bio!

Check it!

SXSW

It's that time of year! When warm breezes flow, the lightest green buds are popping through the twigs and branches and great new music comes to Austin. SXSW is definitely more than music, too. For example, my friend Michel Scott is showcasing his documentary "Over the Hill and Far Away" about a young boy with autism who travels to Mongolia with his family to find healing. I used to work for a software startup in town called Pluck and was in charge of our SXSW Interactive trade show presence. That wasn't a bad gig. It allowed me to plan our Club de Ville extravaganza where I witnessed tech nerds dance in ways that I didn't know were possible. They had closet coolness.

Last night, my friend Skyler and I got lucky and managed to get VIP, backstage passes to the Auditorium Shores show with M.Ward headlining. M.Ward is a mellow CD, but a rock 'n' roll show that is worth seeing. His stage performance is very different than what you would hear off of your iPod.

The best part of SXSW, though, has to be that people who come to Austin just love it. Often times they move here after visiting for the fun. Austin is a unique, young, inspiring place to live. And, it doesn't hurt that it's 80 degrees right now.

Service Work

I believe in karma. Maybe it isn't even called karma, and it's probably not even the mysterious, cosmic tit for tat that the word karma would suggest. Instead, I believe in a basic life fact: love grows love and hate grows hate. If you choose to live well, helping others, then good things will come your way. On the other hand, if you choose to live for only yourself, concerned about materials and stepping on people along the path of your rise to social or professional fame, then get ready. You are in for a nasty ride.

I bring up karma because I believe strongly in service work. Right now, there is a bipartisan proposal called the Serve America Act, sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Hatch. This piece of legislation will expand volunteer opportunities for Americans of all ages, and create the Education Corps, the Healthy Futures Corps, the Clean Energy Service Corps, the Opportunity Corps, and the Reserve Corps, among other initiatives. Our forefather, Benjamin Franklin once said, "Americans can do well, by doing good."

Personally, I've never understood why service work is not mandatory at some age before college. Ideally, each school year, starting at kindergarten, kids should do at least one project as a group that helps some-one, or some-thing. Parents need to set the example, too. Children typically frown on service work because it seems like a chore. Adults need to help transform that attitude into one of fulfillment and happiness. If you've ever volunteered, you know how good it makes you feel. What if you felt like that more than once every few years. What if you gave something of yourself to help every month, or every week or even made it your life's work? How could this be a bad thing for any of us?

So, next time you are sitting at your desk cruising online shopping or dreaming up your next vacation, turn your internet research onto the volunteer opportunities in your area and beyond. Do something outside your everyday. Remember, karma's a bitch. Do you really want to make her angry?

It always gets worse before it gets better

Looking at the year ahead - school, work, GRE, applications - it's all starting to bubble to an overflow. Some people manage all of this and children. I try to remind myself that I don't have that staring me in the face on top of it all, but it doesn't seem to lessen the crushing load of responsibilities on my plate.

So, I've decided to print out the list of schools to which I would LOVE to apply. I will post this list on my refrigerator or in my bathroom or both. This way, I can be constantly reminded of my goals.

Still, having investigated some of these dream schools in the last week, I am faced with a decision. Most of the non-Texas schools have a few more requirements that would make it difficult for me to stay in my current job and attend school, AND not drag this prelim process out much longer. One of those schools is OHSU in Portland. The Oregon Health Sciences University is one of the premier medical schools in primary care in the U.S. Their PA program is also stellar. Also, many of the top PA schools require a certain number of hours of clinical experience, and the only way to get that under my belt and on my resume is to leave current job scenario and become a clinical assistant....cleaning bed pans.

I am also realizing that wherever I choose to go, or wherever chooses me, it should ideally be a place I'd love to live for two or more years. It should be a place of adventure, beauty and good people. It may not be close to my family or my comfort zone, but it can be a great learning experience in a welcoming environment. So, the list of schools as of February 2009 - subject to change and in no particular order:

1. Baylor - in Houston, TX. Good people. Not so great quality of life. Fantastic setting for medicine (largest medical center in the world).
2. UNT Fort Worth. Nice smaller city. Good people. Associated with an Osteopathic Medical School. Better than Houston for quality of life.
3. Southwestern Medical - Dallas. Ummmm....horrible setting. Great PA school ranking. But, could I really survive two years here?
4. OHSU - Portland. Could totally live in Portland and explore Oregon. I was set to move there before, so I could more easily see myself there now that I committed once. Opportunities to explore the Pacific Northwest for a couple of years.
5. Duke University - North Carolina. My love. My old stomping grounds. Great quality of life. Great people. Nice quality of life and closer to family. But, could I get in?
6. University of Washington - Seattle. For same reasons as Oregon.
7. USC Keck School - Los Angeles. Ummm....warm, great location. People iffy.
8. MUSC - Charleston, SC. Great people. Family. Beautiful. Warm and by the ocean.
9. University of Colorado - Denver. Never been to Colorado. Maybe this would be my chance.

Me and the Punks

I have survived my first week of Biology at UTexas Austin. We are focusing primarily on cell biology and the Eukaryotes! Yippee! I'm a nerd!


















Above is a Eukaryotic cell structure. It's the stuff inside our cells. It includes one of my favorite words: "endoplasmic reticulum."

My professor is your classic, text book biology professor. He looks like a chubbier McFly and sounds a lot like him, too. Today he gave us a lesson on attending class regularly, and followed it by saying, "But, I am your teacher and not a preacher." Are you getting the picture?

Still, no matter how dotty or sweet and soft spoken he may be, there is no excuse for rudely packing your things 5 minutes to the end of class - while your teacher is talking. I take deep breaths just to keep myself from standing up and yelling, "Sit your punk asses back down!"

If you are wondering what it's like to go back to undergrad (when you have a master's degree), it's not easy. I am there to learn and it's apparent every day that I may be one of very few in my class. Last week the kid next to me was sleeping - ON THE FIRST DAY! Today, the girl in front of me was playing solitaire on her computer.

I guess the real take away from this experience - and a positive one at that - is that I can truly see through my classmates how much I have grown as an adult. I am so vastly different from them on that level. Getting older does have some perks.

Event Planning and Katie - Like Oil and Water

There is nothing more I despise in life than planning a work event. My arm muscles tense up from the mere thought of it. I would rather be in charge of creating long excel lists, fetching coffee or taking a hot poker to by inner nostril.

But, here again, I find myself tasked with leading our team to our annual sales meeting this year. I don't doubt for one second being a woman with some experience managing events has something to do with it. But, in general, I feel pretty strongly that women across industries globally are looked to more than men to be the event planners. And, I think that's horrible.

Every fiber of my being revolts at planning a work event. It never represents my best work, and only serves to show what I can falter at and what I can get wrong.

I vow, never, no matter the circumstance, will I plan another work event after this one. They'll have to offer me a $100,000 bonus first.

Happy 2009

Wow! I've been away for two whole weeks visiting my family in San Francisco and now I am finally back to take on the new year.

It was a fantastic time away in one of my absolute favorite cities. I just fit in San Fran. It's a sophisticated city with very minimal pretension and lots of things to do in a beautiful setting. Hiking, running, kayaking, biking as well as wine tasting, museum going and food exploring. Spending so much time with my brother, sister-n-law, parents and two of the sweetest kids alive - my three-and-a-half-year-old nephew and one-and-a-half-year-old niece.

Now that I'm back, I have a full-plate of activity ahead for the spring. Orientation for UT starts next week. Studying for the GRE starts as soon as I can get my a** motivated. Starting work on my plot in a community garden begins this weekend. Here's to not killing vegetables.

Pictures of the garden plot forthcoming.

Merry Christmas...Damn It!

I am officially saying Merry Christmas to everyone I see. I am done with "Happy Holidays!" It rolls off the tongue more easily now because it's been beaten into my brain since high school that Merry Christmas is offensive, not inclusive and not p.c.

But screw it! I am no longer living my life by the creed of what 2% of the population thinks. Real people say Merry Christmas, or Happy Hannakah or Happy Kwanza. They don't diminish the significance of this time of year with the generic, "Happy Holidays!"

I feel my sentiment is recognized by millions out there, and you will see in the next few years, Christmas make a come-back. Hannakuh will make a come-back. Kwanza will be even better known.

So, Merry Effing Christmas!

The Chuck-La

It's 10:20 a.m., and I just polished off the second half of my amazing burger from last night. The burger just a few of us in Austin call the Chuck-La.

I'm not sure where the 'La' came in, but the Chuck part is short for the Ground Chuck Burger from Hyde Park Grill.

Oh.My! It's damn good. I actually don't even like Hyde Park Grill that much, but when you sit up at the bar and sink into a juicy burger and crispy fries that are surely laced with opium, you begin to love the place.

Eating Chuck-Las, exploring the hill country and crashing Christmas parties is how I spend my time between semesters. It ain't bad. Ain't bad.at.all.

Getting Intimate with Austin...Again

A long, long time ago, in a parallel universe far, far away before organic chemistry destroyed my social life...I knew Austin. I knew her well.

I even wrote a blog post listing out the first half of all my favorite things about Austin. Unfortunately, I never got to my promised second half of that posting. But, I'm glad for that. Truth is, there are more than two halves of why I love Austin. There are too many interesting places, people and activities to boil down into just two blog posts. Like a distant wife whose interest in romance has dwindled, I had little time or energy reserves for romancing Austin. But, now I'm back. Back to love and play in Austin....for at least one more month before spring semester.

Here are some Austin past times I took part in this weekend:

Enjoying creative personalities and talented artists who architect their own homes in edgy, genuine, fun shack infested East Austin. Here is just one hazy picture of the house I had dinner in on Saturday night. It shows the large sliding glass wall that opens up into the kitchen:


Crashing Olivia's Christmas Party. Olivia is a new restaurant on South First, and their Christmas party was at Momo's downtown. Black Joe Lewis was the entertainment. My friend and I were the some of the only people dancing. What is it with white people?! Black Joe Lewis captures the essence of James Brown, Marvin Gaye and later day Van Morrison. Is it possible to stand still while you watch them? Absolutely not!


Now, here is a picture of something I normally do every Sunday, but didn't get time to this past weekend. Below, witness a picture from the best Mexican breakfast in town. Or, easily the best in my part of Austin, Hyde Park - Julio's. Notice how mangled and curly the bacon looks. It's that crispy. Best bacon in town and anywhere.




So, a sampling of why I love Austin. Some extra gems from the weekend that were not photographed were:

• Walking by the Shipe Park tennis courts in Hyde Park to see doubles being played by 4 old hippies in ripped off jean shorts, shirtless and playing with wooden rackets avec long white beards and sweat bands.
• Sipping coffee at Quack's Bakery listening to two old friends catch up over music and bands in town. "Guess who is back together?" asked the one man, to which is friend replied with joy, "No! Not the Ass Monkeys?!"

There you have it....Keeping Austin Weird!

The Last Days of Organic Chemistry

Orgo Chem, I knew thee well.
Oh, how you made my life a living hell.
But alas I study for my last big test,
And to you, farewell, I wish you all the best.

For some other co-ed, you will torture and mame
They may drop out of pre-med, their life not the same.
Twenty years later they will look back with hate,
Oh, organic chem, how you twist people's fate.

It's a bummer, you know, this ochem of lore.
If you're doing it well, you must be a bore.
A nerd or a freak with a "beautiful mind,"
For the rest of us real folk, a pain in the rear-hind.

But, you'll haunt me no more, as I defeat the Alkenes,
the Alkynes and bonds, the rings of Benzenes.
I am done with you now, as I shred my last note,
The fat lady had sung, and that's all she wrote!

Margaret & Helen

I want to thank my very talented writer friend Meredith Hight for introducing me to this blog: Margaret and Helen.

You'll have to just check it out for yourself.

Orgo Chem! How I Love Thee Again!

Organic Chemistry and I have a love/hate relationship. One minute I am lamenting the class, and the next I am skipping down the street singing Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life."

I got an 80 on my exam. I know that doesn't seem like much to many of you. But an 80 on an exam that the class averaged a 70 on is not bad. And, I really should have gotten an 87, but I made 7 stupid, one point, mistakes that I will never do again.

I actually like the material and the challenge, but I am really ready to get my hands dirty in biology and human anatomy. Stuff that is tangeable and more applicable to my future career.

Two more exams to go. Can I eek out a B in this class?

The New Do!

I chopped my hair off two weeks ago. It was about 3 and half inches past my shoulders, and I had partially grown it that long to give away to Locks of Love or some other wig making service for patients. However, when I first went to the hairdresser to consult about chopping my hair off, we agreed on chin length, which would not have been enough to give away.

YET, when I went into actually get the hairs cut, she went way higher, and it was a waste of hair on the floor around me that went straight to the trash (you have to cut a full pony tail in order to give away.) Alas, here it is anyway. It's been a nice change.

MD vs. PA vs. NP

Everyone always asks me, "what is the difference between MD and PA, and also what is the difference between PA and NP?"

Here is a fantastic video explaining the differences. Essentially, being a PA, you have patients, treat, diagnose, prescribe with a physician working in the same practice to supervise if ever needed. Also, as a PA, you can change specialties as you like, allowing you to learn more medicine and move around for more experiences.

Roll tape:

I Called Do Over!

This has been a big week. Three major things happened. Barack Obama was elected President Elect of the United States, I decided to pursue Physician Assistant instead of MD and I chopped my hair off.

Wait...rewind! Yes, I have made a final, final, no turning back decision. I am pursuing being a Physician Assistant instead of a MD. The truth is, it's not really because of the work load. It's more because my personality identifies more so with PAs than MDs. My main goal is to do patient care. Not to fulfill some ego trip of being called Doctor. Yes, it has a nice ring to it, but I just want to help people, and the sooner I can do that the better. There are more options today than even 20 years ago on what you can do in health care to make a major difference. And, personally, I am a woman and I want children. It's doable as a MD, but there is far more work involved. Not that I didn't know all of this before. I knew it well. But, visiting a couple of medical schools with PA programs last week taught me some valuable lessons. And, I walked away saying, "I will always wonder 'what if?'" The grass is always greener and you can have regrets until the cows come home and milk the chickens. But, in the end, all we want to be is happy and in love. We don't need glory or validation. We just need to add our touch to leaving the world a better place.

And....then I cut all of my hair off. Actually, I hadn't planned on such a major change, but change happened regardless. Kind of like life, no?

I wouldn't change the story of my life so far for anything. But, there are times I do not look back on happily. I do have regrets. I don't dwell on them now, but they do exist. I hopefully will learn from them.

My dad used to say, "no regrets, no excuses." I think it's an admirable motto to live by, albeit, sometimes unrealistic. The idea of the statement is that if you make no excuses for yourself, you will have no regrets. In essence, it's truth. But, in the messy human world, it's something to which you can aspire.

I still have a hard road ahead, but I am truly happy with my decision, and I actually feel a little lighter because of it. I don't have a regret, and I don't foresee a regret. For the first time, in many months, even years, I feel informed and decisive. I am going to be a PA, and a great PA at that. And, I just don't care what anyone else might think of that.

So there.

Like Understanding How Fax Machines Work

Organic Chemistry sucks! I like the material, but hate the tests....because I do poorly.

Please, tell me, why do I need to know the flow of electrons when my patient asks me why his poop is yellow?

An Honorable Speech

I am so proud of John McCain for his speech last night. It was very clear that the last year of hard work and sacrifice, which came to an unexpected close for him, weighed heavily.

But, the John McCain we saw last night, was the John McCain I used to love and respect. Eight years ago, it was John McCain for whom I wanted to cast my vote. That was until the derisive conservative right undermined his campaign and his family. A truly low-blow and a shameful moment in American politics.

But, fast forward to 2008, and the same conservatives who destroyed McCain are the ones who helped shape his campaign this year. And the pick of Sarah Palin (a choice he did not make with full confidence), who stirred more devisions through her speeches and less unity among Americans, was a real disappointment. A spade is a spade is a spade, and it was clear that McCain 2008 was not McCain of even 2000 and certainly not the McCain who valiantly fought for our country and brutally suffered and endured years of torture for its freedom.

Thank you John McCain for your service and your continued service. Be true to yourself from here on out.

We Did It!

For almost six months now, I have felt tense about this election. Worried, that a country that elected George W. Bush to two terms, would make a horrible mistake once again, and deny the highest post in the world to the most deserving candidate.

Four years ago, when John Kerry lost the presidential election and Bush entered the office for another four years, I felt sad for our country. I felt consumed by mediocrity and the fact that our place in the world would surely fall a few notches. It did. And, most in part, because the rest of the world, and Americans themselves, look to our leaders to set the tone for quality, organization, inspiration and movement upward. Unfortunately, Bush brought a sense of banality to the presidential office and a rogue disregard for outside opinion and thoughtful consideration of what ails the world.

Last night, I never felt more proud to say, "I am an American!" The dream of what America stands for is not a "fairytale" as President Clinton said about Obama. The dream of America is alive and kicking. It's a dream come true in our next president, Barrack Hussein Obama. I just love the way that sounds. So, diverse, colorful and tolerant.

And behind the dream there is substance. President-elect Obama is intelligent, thoughtful and reasonable. He has a history of surrounding himself with conservative, liberals and independents so that he can get a full perspective of the issues. What a breath of fresh air we breath today.

Not everything will be perfect. We have quite the mess of things at home and abroad. But, one of the great qualities of the president of the United States is that when done well, he or she can inspire the nation and the world to work toward success. Because he can't do it alone.

My biggest take away from President-elect Obama's speech in Chicago's Grant Park (named for the Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant who fought for the end of slavery - how poignant) last night was this: he needs our help. He needs the American people to give back. I've been thinking for some time that I would join the National Health Services Corp after I achieve my degree in medicine. Last night's speech made it all that more important to do this. And, if not the NHSC, I have also thought of enlisting in one of the armed forces to help pay for my schooling. In the end, I would owe 3 -4 years of service. I couldn't feel more ready to accept that honor.

Thank you Obama for working so hard to realize this dream for America and the world. It couldn't have happened anywhere else but the U.S.A!

Texas Frightens Me Sometimes

Ahhh...another beautiful morning in Austin. Crisp - a little more humid than I'd hope, but cooler nonetheless. Just had a delicious bowl of Barbara's Shredded Vanilla Almond flavored Oats with blueberries, some OJ and now plopped down on the couch sipping Brazillian coffee. My dog Mattie is curled up on the floor next to me. All seems right with the world. Until...

I turn on the local news to find that somehow, legally, Austin police will draw your blood down at the pokie if you refuse to take a breath-a-lizer test when pulled over. Comma-say-wha?

I know what you're thinking. Drinking and Driving is a horrible thing that sometimes ends up in tragedy. I agree. However, you don't live in Texas.

In Texas, it's the longarm of the law that rules.




And, in Austin, I've watched over the last six years the presence of police increase at least two-fold, which has only made me feel less safe. Furthermore, Austin police love to pull people over. It's sport down here. I've personally been pulled over half-a-dozen times for nothing, and even sometimes fabricated incidents. 95 percent of my friends have had to take the driving test after being pulled - some deserved - most not. This driving test is intended to keep driving misdemeanors off your record and is coincidentally offered via video or at the Comedy Club. Yes, it is a joke.

This is why I am scared about the Police having the legal capacity to force a blood draw down at the station if you refuse a breath-a-lizer on the street. When I first moved here, a lawyer friend of mine specifically instructed me never to agree to a breath-a-lizer when pulled over in Texas. I didn't think much of it at the time, but soon enough, I got pulled over, and fortunately did not have to refuse anything...however, I find his first words to me as a new Texan alarming. Welcome to Texas.

Many cops will ask you to do it, and in the past, you had the right to say no with little to no reprecautions (if you seemed reasonably sober, or even actually sober.) But, as my lawyer friend told me, the breath-a-lizer tests are sometimes faulty and if you take one and it takes a false reading, it would go on your record permanently, land you in jail and possibly ruin your career. But, to think now you would be forced to take a blood test.

My fear is that our Police in Austin - the ones who are out pulling people over on the side of the road - seem a little power hungry to begin with. The idea that they have absolute law to take you "downtown" and draw blood seems barbaric and very un-American.

I'm curious to see what the reaction of other people in Austin will be. In the mean time, I'll be driving like a grandma.