Woohoo! Lecture 1 down...

So today was my big hour and a half biopsychosocial infectious disease lecture en francais. Some smartass (okay, me) had this great idea of adding a series of slides on historic epidemics last night and was at the lab until 10pm putting those together. They came out really great and I've decided I really like history of medicine stuff (but making powerpoint slides on the plague all night???). Anyhow, I have made several back-ups of the presentation (unlike what happened last week) and I figure I'll probably find a way to recycle them...

Off to enjoy the fact that it's Friday afternoon and sunny out...

Sacred Heart memories

I've discovered facebook. Said I wouldn't get into it when other friends started raving about it but I'm a new addict. I figured that in honor of reuniting with an old SHSM friend (Justine!) and wandering across this, I figured I'd post this (from the Former Catholic School Girls group).

you might have been a catholic school girl if...
1.You mastered the art of cheating and cramming.
2. one word: retreat
3. At one time, you liked your uniform
4. You got kicks outta being able to wear you PJs to school
5. You had a way of making yourself look so innocent when everyone knows that you really aren't.
6. It cost you 100 bucks to park in the school parking lot
7. Everyone hugged each other to greet people
8. At dances, you formed an all-girls circle where no guys could take over
9. You're blonde, once were, wish you were, or just act like it.
10. You violated as many dress codes as possible and when you get caught, you pretended that you 'didnt know'
11. You have countless obsessions with guys you have never even met or never talked to
12. At least one of your friends thought that she was pregnant by junior year
13. You have NO problem joking around about being a lesbian
14. You spent many a religion class listening to your teacher preach about the Church's take on premarital sex, abortion, and the death penalty
15. You SERIOUSLY don't know how to shut up
16. "Remember whens" are your specialty
17. At least one of your friends names are Sarah, Katie, Megan, or Lauren
18. guys ask you if you still have your uniform and if you would wear it for them
19. your skirts stopped fitting, but were too cheap/lazy to buy new ones, so you just pinned them.
20. shaving your legs was optional, even when wearing skirts. actually, putting any effort into your appearance was optional.
21. whenever guys came on campus, the entire school knew their names, cars they were driving, which school they were from and eye color within minutes.

I am now from Skid Row - who knew?

Went to see the Quebec movie "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" this weekend. Very funny and highly recommended for those who have not seen it. I was very excited to recognize this local establishment (superimposed in the movie to be next to one of the seedier motels a little further up the road).

"Hey, look!" I point out to my new friend with whom I had gone to see the movie, "That's right by where my parents live!"

He takes a good look at the screen, "Wow! You really are from a bad part of town, aren't you?"

Well, how's that for making a good early impression. I am from the projects... Must have made my earlier story about high school etiquette class even more confusing.

Geese are nocturnal animals - who knew?

So spring must have sprung - I got woken up at 1am by the squawking of Canada geese. Who knew they were such nocturnal beasts. Well, the farm in nicely flooded and swampy, meaning there will soon be lots of geese and my bird fanatic parental units on the farm (hi, mom and dad!).

I'm spending my morning fixing up my infectious disease lecture for next week. I was supposed to be using last semester's lecture except that apparently last semester's lecture was too medical-based (sorry, I was asked "Could you please give this class on infectious disease because you're a doctor?" with no further instructions). I am currently upping the biopsychosocial content (come on all ye McGill med people - let's collectively groan). The good thing is that I convinced the prof that because I'm doing all this lecture prep work, the other TA should correct all the final papers (woohoo!).

So, here's my beef of the day (discovered which google-imaging for support for my biopsychosocial content):
http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=19999

Anyone else have issues with Bible-thumping as a cure for AIDS? Not just that, but people assuming there's safely hiding behind your religion (at the end of one of my high school HIV presentations earlier this year, one girl piped up "Well, I can't get AIDS because I'm Catholic." - I felt like my whole presentation was an absolute waste... Argh!!!!!!).

Of course, there's always the option to cash in on epidemics (this disgusts me):
http://www.beatingbirdflu.com/affiliates.htm

The sweater: finished product

Here's what I did this weekend: the sweater is done! I did, however, discover what the book means by cast off loosely: I had to redo the neck when I realized that I couldn't get the collar over my head. ooops. Please admire the finished product.

Photos from last weekend and more

Firstly, I'd like to thank people for the sympathy about Minou. I greatly appreciated the words of encouragement. Things are starting to feel more back to normal although I think it's going to take some time getting used to coming home and not getting the "Welcome back. I missed you and my food bowl's empty" song and dance.

Wanted to upload those photos from last Saturday's dinner (which I've been slow to do) before heading into the lab to go over my kazillion powerpoint presentations I have coming up (by a kazillion, I really mean 5).

Thesis Update

People who have endured my whining over the past few weeks will be glad about this one (but don't you fear: there will still be whining to be done). After umpteen re-writes, changing variables to be measured and re-hypothesizing, the supervisors have okay'ed a final version of my proposal!

It is printed, 3 copies are sitting in the lab. I have report covers. They will be deposited in the morning.

I will be requiring alcohol... My "yay my supervisors have stop changing things celebration wine" I've been saving for this occasional was drunk at a dinner party last weekend, having been convinced by Eric that by the time they stop changing things, something stronger will be the order of business.

Sad...

Well, folks, I got thrown a curve-ball today and you, lucky people, get to come along for the ride (okay, bear with me: I really need an outlet).

Minou's been sick to varying degrees since the fall. She's been on steroids for bowel issues which she seemed to responding well to. I mentioned before my trip that she'd developped a bit of a limp. The vet saw her, couldn't see anything wrong, figured she'd done something clutzy.

She just hasn't been right since I've been back from PR: initially thought she was ticked off at me, then I thought it was the bowel again. However, when I got in from a visit home this weekend, she ran over to greet me dragging both hind legs behind her. For the past 2 days, she's refused to move (I have had to carry her to the food bowl to get her to eat). Took her to the vet today: she's got bowel cancer that has spread all over with bone mets and spinal cord impingement. Was told that the only way I'd be able to keep her comfortable would be to keep her at the vet on a hydromorphone drip. What sort of quality of life is that for a cat? Kind of hard coming from the medical / palliative world to know when enough is enough...

I had her put down this morning. She has cuddled up in my arms and purring right 'til the end. Gonna miss my little friend. May she be in cat heaven curled up on an armchair with a big bowl of potato chips...

My daily commute

PR 3: Beach, etc

After all the crazy climbing and exploring, there was time to be more laid back (once the sun came out). We apparently got to experience a rare tropical winter storm during our time there (thank goodness for the mall and a certain guy's insatiable love of shopping).

So basically, my buddy, Martin showed up in time for beach time, we hopefully weren't too big a burden on Ricardo as houseguests.

The beach was beautiful (though only Canadians are crazy enough to get in the "cold" winter water). Martin will hate me for posting the photo of him looking into the ocean (he doesn't think he looks hot enough) but I love it (looks soulful). Though we weren't cheesy touristy enough to want a photo in front of the San Juan Hard Rock Cafe, we decided that getting a photo with Senor Frog was a-okay.

To be continued...

I still have San Juan and beach photos to go. However, it is later, Blogger doesn't feel like uploading photos and I wrote the stats midterm from Hell today. I am going to bed but will try get some more posted tomorrow. Hasta luengo.