It's the REAL day 1 tomorrow

So I should be sleeping instead of writing in a blog I haven't had time for in almost six months, but... Now that I have internet access consistently maybe I'll jot down some quick stuff more frequently. In case some of you don't know, I'm in Yakima, WA and tomorrow starts the first day of medical classes. I should be nervous and anxious and all that other negative stuff after hearing how hard it is, but for now I'm just excited. Eight am clinical skills tomorrow, I can't wait.

VOLCANO!!

Hi there, especially you lower 48 people,

I know I should be putting up a post about getting into school, or that I'm going to Yakima, WA next year. But right now I'm too distracted to do much productive studying or write anything about it. So instead...

OUR VOLCANO REDOUBT ERUPTED!!! Here's the last three USGS releases
2009-03-22 22:35:33
No eruption has yet occurred, however at these heightened levels of seismicity, there could be a quick escalation to eruptive activity.

2009-03-22 23:02:22
An eruption of Mt. Redoubt began at approximately 22:38 AKDT, March 22, 2009 (0638 UTC). AVO is raising the aviation color code to Red and the alert level to Warning. Initial height of the eruption cloud is estimated at less than 20,000 ft above sea level at present. Further reports will be issued as more information becomes available.

2009-03-22 23:20:21
Current estimate for eruption cloud height are 50,000 ft above sea level.

Here's the website if you want to look:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

I'll post more later, on the volcano and on school. Now it's back to the thesis (ick)

Wine Pairing

Well I haven't posted in a while, so I figured a short, laid back post was good. So tonight's meal featured cookies and chardonney. Not really that bad of a combination if you wear carhartts.

A Good-bye to O Chem

I can’t believe I’m saying this, and friends tell me I’m crazy…but honest to goodness, absolutely no sarcasm, I’m sad that my organic chemistry classes are done. Less than a year ago I would have never imagined. There’s a couple reasons I think. One: In comparison to my two intro biology (now that could be a curse word) classes I actually got to think and not just memorize. There was actually a challenge, one that was only attainable with work and logical reasoning. It’s like learning a foreign language with all the amazement of how everything comes together but with less nouns, verbs, and adjectives to memorize.

Two: Dr. Perry, our professor wins the award for the best professor I’ve ever had. He hit all the critical points that are so hard to do. Knowledgeable in the subject (don’t laugh, I’ve had plenty that aren’t), speaks English (another don’t laugh one), genuinely interested in what he’s teaching and wants you to be too, knows how to communicate the material simply and concisely, doesn’t make students keep doing something over and over again just because he can, has high expectations of students and is challenging, and is approachable. I definitely have a list of the top four profs, and surprisingly two are from UAA so yeah, go there.

Three: After spending so much time with the other students in the class, it was a bonding experience. “Hey let’s try to pass Dr. Perry’s chem class!” I actually know every single person in my lab and have had a conversation with them and studied together. That doesn’t usually happen. It was nice that it was a lot of the same people from the summer lecture. We’d be in the middle of the hall or in the lab talking about chemistry and it wasn’t even near the class time. It was such a great relief from Girdwood, “dude, man, that was some sick pow.” Don’t get me wrong, I love skiing, but I’d like to have an intelligent conversation about something else sometimes…especially ones without the funny slang. Anyway, it just reminded me of trying to figure out different wave phenomenon in my electrical engineering courses by bouncing jelly beans off the walls and observing which colors bounced better. (Not a Michigan Tech sanctioned study technique, but if you’re curious the pink ones bounce the best and the white ones are the more of duds.)

So I will miss O chem, but am enthusiastically looking forward to all those experiences in med school. God willing, it won’t be delayed…in his perfect timing, right?

Now I know I'm an adult

Every once and a while something happens, or doesn't happen, that reminds me I'm really an adult. This time it was Halloween. I bunch of my classmates were going to parties but they're younger than me and most under 21. I don't need to be at that kind of a party. Instead I didn't plan on doing anything. Last year I got candy, but no one came down, so this year I didn't bother. I had a little oh, no moment when I got a call from a friend with kids who said they were going to bring them down. Then ran to the gas station to get some candy quick. My big accomplishment was to clean all the frost build-up out of the freezer. Yup, definitely an adult now. And like I'm sure every does, I tried to come up with many creative ways to make the process much more efficient. So for those of you with access to syringes, the best method I came up with was to take a small syringe and boiling water and inject it into the ice build-up. Don't delay at chipping it out though, otherwise it just freezes harder. Sorry, being an adult is kind of boring sometimes.

Midterm Time

I wish I had something exciting like a mountain climb, bear chase, chainsaw carving contest etc to write about but nope. I could make something up, but it's midterms and I probably shouldn't spend my time that way. So here's my uneventful life update. I'm still doing school applications, it is absolutely ridiculous how much they can find to ask about. Happily, I've gotten secondary requests from every school I've applied to so far. Three of them are done, but I'm still working on the WWAMI second personal essay... I'm three-quarters the way through the osteopathic primary. Classes are going well. I've gotten one test back so far, 100%. I can't help but get excited every time God numerically tells me I'm going to be a doctor. Sweet. Unfortunately I'm not as excited about the classes this term. They're easy but time consuming...not my favorite combination. Organic chemistry lab is still pretty interesting but there's a lot of basics and tedium to filter through for the good parts.

I'm back on calls for the fire department, since Sept. 1st actually. That's been really nice. Still light duty, I don't know how long that will be for. Drafting work has been slow. I'd appreciate any prayers for more work.

Upcoming events: Fairbanks trip perhaps Nov.1st, Youth retreat in Hope Nov 14-15th I'll probably have something exciting to write by then. Most likely with mud fight pictures too. Have a great evening, I've got a text book to cuddle up with.

Summer Break

Sorry I've been kind of pathetic with posting lately. Here's the update for the last month and I promise I'll make it up with a couple awesome pictures.

Organic chem lecture is done! Yes, yes yes. And with mostly all help from God I pulled an A both terms which was critical in having my past grades overlooked when applying for school. I took the MCATs on Aug 22nd...and then it started. Summer (weekend) Break! It was wonderful and everything I could have hoped for except longer.

Day -1, Friday: Got done with the test, not quite as well as I wanted, but I'll wait til scores come out to stress more. Went immediately to the library to work on the school application and waiting on some friends to call for the Moose's Tooth. The day ended with beer, pizza, and good company. Ross's friend Camille came down to hike with us the next day and stayed at my cabin. I'm always thrilled to show people a true Alaskan experience.

Day 1, Saturday: We started at 8am bushwhacking up the side of Goat mt. Actually it was some of the best and easiest bushwhacking I've ever done in Alaska. But that doesn't say much, its always extremely demanding. At around noon we made the ridge, ate lunch, and enjoyed the view and invigorating wind. We hiked up for another 2 hours and then hit a place that we would have to rope up for. Although we brought rope along, it was snowing and getting worse and we had a great day anyway. It just wasn't worth the risk so we swallowed the pride and ambition and went down. It was a good thing (my shoulder really hurt by the time we got back to bushwhacking) We made it down after 10.5 hours. Ordered some yam fries from Jack Sprats (they should be more famous than the Double Musky), opened a bottle of wine, and grilled some salmon fillets from Ross's family. Perfect.





Here's the rest of the pics if you want: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152427&l=13a4b&id=652755300

Day 2, Sunday: Ross and I drove up to the state fair at not quite as early, but still a little too early. We got to go see some friends play good music, eat food, and then drove up to Hatcher's pass and scouted some climbing routes. It was raining but we were tired anyway.

Day 3, Monday: Oh no, 830am lab, here we go again...

Risking Love

It’s been a while since I’ve had something really resonate with me while reading my bible. I hope that was only to really permanently drive home tonight’s lesson. For quite sometime I’ve been well aware of the risk required to love someone. I did not understand however the risk in loving God. How can loving God be a risk at all? He’s always there, will never leave, and loves us more than we could ever comprehend. How is there any risk at all?! And if there is no risk, why is it so hard to follow him as the bible tells us to? I’d get frustrated if I fell short somewhere, saying how can I love God more because obviously I don’t care enough or I wouldn’t struggle with that issue.

But the risk doesn’t come with love, it comes with trust. Trusting God when we don’t know his plan is tough and does take love. I read a short passage out of the Upper Room and it spoke about certainties in marriage…what doesn’t come with a warranty. It’s kind of silly to think of forcing God into a warranty. “Ok God, today I will feed the dog, smile at someone in traffic, and not cheat on my homework, but in exchange I want eternal life.” Talk about cheapening love and a gift. I was always confused on legalism and walking with God…I want to do what I should to please him and definitely don’t want to sin out-right. Yet if I focus on that and what I shouldn’t do isn’t that legalism?

So here’s my latest revelation…the time we spend planning and hitting checklists for a future payout without noticing the present is cheating God and us of that relationship. Think of it as a boyfriend who plans a big date with dinner and flowers with the only goal of getting in his girlfriend’s pants at the end of the night, never stopping once to enjoy the evening. (sorry guys, I know that happens the other way too) I think that is what we do to God when we try to narrow faith down into dos and don’t dos. Legalism is just like manipulating someone to get what you want. However if we stop trying to plan our good deeds, driving down the highway with blinders on, we may just end up pulling over to help someone with a flat tire and enjoying it. Think of it as a date with God, one where our time schedule interacts with His and leaves life interrupted and fulfilled. I really wish I could write better because it was a cool and new revelation, yet reading over it just seems like something I heard before. So I guess the question is really do we enjoy God's presence enough regardless of the circumstances that tomorrow doesn't matter?

Flying Tackle Hugs

Technically I should be working, studying, or writing my application essay right now, however I strive to minor in procrastination so instead you get to read about my day...

It is fairly pathetic that the most dangerous thing I do anymore is go to church. Sounds funny, but that is the only place I still need to wear my sling. And given my 100% injury aggravation rate at Change Point I should just stop going. Instead I got guilt tripped into an indoor playground full of 32 four and five year olds. I seem to have this really fun gift of little kids instantly liking me...no complaints there. (It would be really cool than if my school interview was done by five-year olds!) Anyway I was sitting on the floor playing dinosaurs relatively quietly with six of the kids when from out of nowhere this little boy comes flying through the air dead at me and wraps his arms around my neck knocking both of us over backwards. He had climbed up on one of the support beams with the express purpose of getting a swinging start to launch himself into my lap and give me a flying tackle hug. I have to say the kid has good aim. I pointed out my quite obvious sling and told him that we need to be careful not to hurt it anymore. To which he responds.."but I LIKE you." Okay, different approach...I then told him he could only attack my other side ..."but you're my friend" Now tell me how you can't laugh at that. I had only meet this little boy five minutes ago. I gave up and carefully watched to make sure he always stayed on my right side after that.

Don't ask me where this thought leap came from, but it seemed that usually friends are the ones that hurt you the most. Yet it's always worth it, easy to forgive, and usually ends up making you laugh too.

One more challenge down

I know it's nowhere close to over yet, but I'm going to enjoy the relief and elation for at least the next three hours. I got an A in organic chemistry!! I was starting to have a few concerns after the my shoulder was doing poorly for the final and there's large blocks of time that day that I don't remember, including part of the final. I really need to learn how to just trust God more. However it's confusing how that looks when studying and working your butt off is part of being faithful. Hopefully I'll figure it out before August 22nd for the mcats. Now it's onto O Chem II class...challenge number 2. And if you see Ross, the temporary hermit, don't forget to send him the same blessing for his USMLEs next week.