Saturday, April 29, 2006

The Last Straw

I have really REALLY got to stop procrastinating so much. Doing this much work in one weekend/week is sheer evilness. Observe:

- 5 page compare/contrast paper for International Communications (due Monday- but I'm almost done! yay!)
- powerpoint presentation for Public Relations Planning & Problems for our class presentations (due Monday, oy vey)
- final write-up for Case #2 also due Monday (I really really hope somebody picked that up on Friday...)
- 5 page research paper on a non-profit of my choice for Intro Non-Profit Sector (due on Thursday and I can't use JDRF! This means I have to do actual research! Ugh!)
- 6 page research paper on a topic of my choice for Religious Life in the U.S. (due on May 8- and I've only just begun doing some research... I think I'm doing mine on Jewish people in Philadelphia at the beginning of the 20th C. I should probably figure that one out...)


PLUS
- I work Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday, and then next Sunday (only one more day of calling parents and then onto the Special Campaign! Woohoo!)
- bible study Tuesday night
- coffee with Dana on Tuesday (I think), coffee with Julie on Wednesday (maybe)

I think I just need to go die now...

Thursday, April 27, 2006

April in Eugene

This week has been AWESOME! It's been sunny with blue skies and warm summery-spring afternoons. The Quad has been teeming with college students in tank tops. Bike riders and skateboarders are everywhere. The only one I have issues with are skateboarders. They scare me. I keep thinking they will run me over. I mean, it's not like they can break!
Classes have been good, although I'm ridiculously behind on my midterm projects. Yikes. I went to the Navigator's Bible Study on Tuesday and we read from Ephesians 6:11-17 (check it out. It's the Armor of God passage.) Blood sugars have been touch and go, but mostly go. :-)

Today, I had one class, had lunch and coffee with my wonderful friend Sarah and we had a wonderful chat about boys, God, kissing and sex, sin and how to eat healthy while living in an apartment. Then I drove over to the pharmacy to pick up a new bottle of Symlin and then I walked around the campus and took pictures.

Welcome to my world:




The above pictures were taken by looking out the 8th and 9th floor windows of the most atrocious looking building on campus, the PLC building, seen below.

The only reason it looks nice is because I am an excellent photographer. The second photograph was actually taken on this strange little balcony on the 9th floor (on the left side of the picture, where all that brick is). You can't see it in the picture, but you can open up one of the doors at the end of the hallway and actually go outside. There are guardrails to keep you from falling, but the rails were wide enough that I was so scared I would drop my camera! The first one was taken on the right side of PLC, and the third one is a picture of Eugene.

Would you like to hear a University of Oregon legend? Sure you do! The Pioneer and Pioneer Mother statues (seen below) have always been able to see each other through the glass doors of the Johnson Administration Building (also seen below). However, the administration decided awhile back that they wanted to put new doors on the Administration Building. Solid doors. Doors that meant the Pioneer and Pioneer Mother could no longer see each other. There was complete outrage! Students formed protests to get the doors switched back to the glass doors. They were successful! The Pioneer and Pioneer Mother can now look at each other through the glass doors of the Administration Building once again...



Pioneer Mother

Pioneer

Johnson Administration Building

Doesn't that just make you go "awwww"? I heard that one on my first tour of the U of O.

Allen Hall, the journalism building. I spend quite a bit of time here.

Espresso Roma. My other home. I spend even more time here. It's quite lovely. You can't see it in this picture, but it's right next door to a Starbucks. But I don't go to Starbucks. Starbucks is for rich yuppies. Roma is for edgy intelliectuals. Like me. That's right. I'm edgy.

Watch out.

~*~

Thus completes our tour of my little corner of the world. I hope you have enjoyed your visit. Please feel free to continue browsing as there are lots of interesting things to see and do here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment.

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

A Gold Star Day

I don't usually do this, but these are the kinds of days you want to frame and hang up on your wall:

9:30- 158
11:50- 117
12:51- 98
1:05 - 76
3:00- 100
5:20- 74
7:13- 111
9:45- 142

Only two lows, but they were very mild ones.

At 3:00, when I was 100, I decided to give myself a little reward. Since I was done with classes, I bought a DQ Reese's Blizzard and sat on the lawn in front of the Lillis Business School in the warm, April sunshine.

My dad now owes me $1.00. (As per an agreement made in middle school. $1.00 for every 100. I'm trying to get a raise for inflation, but it isn't working.)

I am a Rock Star.

Monday, April 17, 2006

I, Meme Instead of I, Homework.

I am: Inigo Montoya. You killt my fah-ther. Prepare to DIE!

I want: my homework to finish itself.

I wish: upon stars.

I hate: three things: Satan, middle of the night low blood sugars, and liars. Everything else is just annoying.

I miss: being five years old, when there was no homework, I went to school to play and then came home and played some more, I could be a princess and a teacher and a cat all in one afternoon, and I didn't have diabetes.

I fear: disappointing those I love.

I hear: God speaking to me when I shut up and listen.

I wonder: why I don't listen more.

I regret: not keeping in touch with the Boy Next Door (actually, he was the Boy Across The Street, but Boy Next Door is catchier).

I am not: a Republican.

I dance: to beat of my own drum. And sometimes other beats just to mix things up.

I sing: along to Kelly Clarkson during my long drives home.

I cry: because it's cleansing.

I am not always: on time, correct, patient, loving, perfect, or politically correct.

I make with my hands: words from my heart appear on the page.

I write: because I like it and I happen to be pretty good at it, too.

I confuse: numbers. I once thought 5 + 3 was 7 (this was freshman year in college). I once thought a movie that started at 7:00 and was 95 minutes would get out at 10:00 (this was junior year in high school). I once thought that if I had an hour long class that started at 1p.m. and my train left at 3:45 p.m. it would leave me only 25 minutes to get from campus to the train station (this was last week). Seriously. It's ridiculous.

I need: love. All I need is love, da da da dada, all I need is love, love, love is all I need....

I should: be more patient, be more kind.

I start: projects that will hopefully help people live happier, healthier lives.

I finish: those projects because they help me, too.

I tag: because it's fun! You're it!

Sunday, April 16, 2006

On this April 16th

I would like to wish a....

Very Hoppy Bunny Day to all my friends and family in the O.C.!

(sorry, couldn't resist)


Very Happy Resurrection Day to all my Brothers & Sisters in Christ!

The Lord is risen!


and a Very Happy 23rd Anniversary to Mumzie and Father.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Life in 4-D

Edit: Pictures! I have pictures! Photos from that Team Photogenic took at the Gala are also posted below.

1. Children's Diabetes Network's Teem Seminar:

Saturday morning started off with the local diabetes education and support group's seminar on teens with diabetes. There were 3 panelists (I was not one of them) who spoke in front of a group of parents. Josh, M.D. who had diabetes since age 8, one was a woman who has had diabetes since age 11 and has an 18 month old daughter, and one is a senior in high school diagnosed at age 14.

It's always nice hearing other people's perspectives and what they want to say to parents of teens because it gives me ideas for messages that I should incorporate into what I say. One of the most important things I think that was emphasized during the seminar was respect. Josh spoke a bit about how he thought it was really important that whenever parents approach their kids about diabetes, whether good or bad, they will have a much better time at communicating with them if they treat them with respect. It seems obvious when you read it, of course, but you would be surprised at how often I encounter teens who feel like their parents still treat them like they are 5 years old and don't want to give them any respect or any responsibility. Sometimes it seems that parents look at teens as the disease and complications, rather than a person who needs compassion and understanding and patience.

I also saw Nora Coon, a 17 year old who just wrote a book called The Diabetes Game. I haven't read it, but Nora's cool and you should totally check out the book. Nora and I used to help with child care at CDN when I was still living in Portland.

And I also saw our local Minimed rep, Kendall. Who, if he ever reads this blog, will discover that I think he's really cute. But way too old for me (he's 27). And he's a Beaver (he went to OSU, the archnemesis of U of O). Sad...

2. 7th Annual JDRF Gala:

This was So Much Fun! I love the gala! I got all dressed up in my bridesmaid dress from my cousin Lauren's wedding in 2004 (thank goodness Lauren picked a dress I can actually wear to more than just her wedding!) and drove to Portland's Governor Hotel. Special guests of the evening: former Portland Trailblazer Chris Dudley (yes, he is very tall- and that's him receiving an award to your left) and Allan Spiegal, M.D. (director of the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases - he's the one giving a speech to your right). Very exciting. We raised $310,000! A Harley Davidson sold for $10,000! And a wonderful hand-made quilt made by some local kids with diabetes was auctioned off as well. The bid for that item was so exciting. The price kept going up and up, and then it came down to two bidders. Back and forth, back and forth. People cheering, the air thick with intense anticipation. I, personally, was jumping up and down the entire time. Finally, one bidder just couldn't outbid the other and the quilt SOLD! For $5,000! People were so excited and the winning bidder received a standing ovation from the ENTIRE room. It was AWESOME!

The kids hold their quilt during the auction.

That's the Harley Davidson that sold for $10,000.

3. Teens in Transition Focus Group:

Tonight (Thursday), I drove back up to Portland for a focus group on a new Teens in Transition support-group-slash-education-series for high school seniors about to graduate and enter the Real World. I was there with Dr. Mike Fulop (a psychologist, who also has diabetes), Cheryl Sheppard (former E.D. for our JDRF chapter and E.D. of the diabetes camp), two camp counselors Lobos (Megan) and Coheed (James), Debbie (a social work at Dr. Fulop's office), and my friend Ali (and her boyfriend, Matt- who is seriously like the coolest boyfriend. He was asking me questions about Symlin and about how it is having diabetes as a teen... Wow. He's kind of like a Chris. Only, you know, not.).

It will be interesting to see how things go with the group. We (the counselors, Ali and I) will probably be doing the majority of the facilitating and working with teens since we're close in age and have diabetes. It will be exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing how this helps teens (or if it helps at all). This project is actually the brainchild of Dr. James Hansen (my late endocrinologist). It seems that most of why the diabetes community is so strong in Portland is because we are all trying to accomplish the things Dr. Hansen wanted to do, but couldn't.

4. Allison's A1C.

And the winner is.... 7.4.

Eh, not too shabby.

;-)

And now back to our regular scheduled Hiatus.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Still Alive...

This has definitely been one of those bullet train weeks, the one where you feel like you're still moving even after you've stopped.

I started a new term this week, which means brand-new classes leading to a brand-new work schedule leading to brand-new eating and sleeping pattern leading to brand-new insulin requirements leading to brand-new anxiety. Gee, and for a moment I was worried I wouldn't have enough going on.

Class shcedule is fairly decent. Monday and Wednesdays are 10-3:30 p.m. with one 1 hour break. Tuesday and Thursday have one class that is over at noon. Friday has one class from 1-2 p.m. Yes, this sucks, but it's still early enough, and I get to sleep in. Classes this term are as follows: Public Relations Planning & Problems, International Communication, Religious Life in the U.S. and Intro to the Non-Profit Sector (which I could teach). The funny thing with the Non-Profit class is they are not allowing us to use the non-profit we happen to volunteer with for our Midterm and Final Projects. Which means I can't use diabetes. Man, this totally ruins my streak of using diabetes for all my college projects. Oh well. I suppose I should "expand my horizons" and "try something new."

Work continues to not be much fun, though we are calling returning donors (thus, people who actually like the University already and are not waiting for me to tell them why we are so awesome). I work Sunday, Monday and Thursday.

Monday was adjusting to classes and work, Tuesday had one class with some downtime and then an embroidery class at the Craft Center, and more classes on Wednesday. I had discovered that I was mentioned in this month's issue of Diabetes Health, but couldn't find the article on the internet. Luckily, Scott Strumello from Diabetes Talkfest had a copy and scanned it for me. Which you can view here. Click to see the full-size page.



Thursday didn't accomplish a whole lot though I was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day. Class ended at noon and I grabbed a pizza from the Memorial Union because I hadn't eaten anything so far that day (eating as been a bit frazzled this week), and I ate while I walked to my hair appointment. Then I had coffee at Full City with my friend Dana. Afterwards, I walked to Oregon Hall to pick up my paycheck (at least a mile, if not two, from Full City). But, upon arrival, discovered I had left my wallet at Full City. Walked all the freaking way back. Arrived, grabbed it off the table, and decided that the "kinda funny feeling" in my legs was a full-fledged low. I walked about a block, making my way to the Subway three blocks down, when it suddenly dawned on me that I *was* a good little diabetic and *had* brought juice with me. Go me. Seriously, it was like finding a $5 I didn't know I had.

Today was equally busy, with me going to Oregon Hall to (finally) pick up the aforementioned paycheck, meeting with an internship advisor, taking the bus to pick up much needed insulin (I had, oh, 12 units left), picking up my Greyhound ticket, going back to the house and send a few necessary emails and pack, going to class, realizing that I left my bus ticket at home but subsequently discovering that I had not 25 minutes until the bus boarded but 1 hour and 25 minutes. Going back to house, retrieved ticket, walking back to the bus station. Arriving at Greyhound.

Am now in Portland for the Children's Diabetes Seminar and JDRF Gala. And even though it's only 10:30 p.m. I'm thinking about calling it an early(ish) night.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Great California Adventure

I’m home!!! Didja miss me? This is a terribly long post, but rather than doing multiple posts, I’m just writing up everything now before I forget. I’ve just landed after a 10 hour car trip that took me from Palo Alto, up through Oakland, through Fairfield, up onto I-5 heading stick straight north into Redding, passing through an insanely torrential downpour at Mount Shasta, and into the bottom of half of Oregon. I should be either asleep or unpacking. But I’m not. I’m here, posting on Blogger.

Because I’ve gone SEVEN FREAKING DAYS without posting. Do you know know how long seven days is in Bloggerland? That’s like, at least a year in normal people time. Yep. It’s that long.

Annie (my wonderful friend and top-notch driver) and I left Eugene promptly at 8:30 a.m. last Saturday. We made a pit-stop at Dutch Bros. (those without Dutch Bros., you have my sympathy) before taking off on the Great California Adventure. The weather (which was our constant nemesis throughout the week) teased us with clouds and rain for the better part of Southern Oregon, but finally towards Crescent City (about half an hour into California), the sun decided to grace us with its presence.

The drive down to Mendocino was filled with redwood trees, sightings of the oceans which yielded squeals of delight, and ridiculously curvy roads with Annie going “Wheeeee” at every turn. Oh, and the giant Paul Bunyon and his Blue Ox.

We arrived in the picturesque beach town of Mendocino around 7:00 p.m. Annie’s mother, Katie, and her sister, Sara, were waiting for us with their adorable golden retriever, Bo. Sunday was spent window-shopping and a hike on the bluffs along the beach. We took lots of pictures. Unfortunately, and as usual, I’m horrendously awful about taking pictures on vacation, even though I have a digital camera. So I only have pictures from the first two days and only one picture from San Francisco. Many apologies.

Annie, Katie and I also saw a delightful little play called Moon Over Buffalo. Monday involved some shopping and TV watching (Bring It On will go down as history as Teeny Bopper Classic. Jesse Bradford = hot.). We took off around three and headed down towards the Bay Area. Cue ridiculously curvy roads and redwoods. Oh, Highway 1, how I won’t miss thee…

Arrived in Petaluma, where Annie’s older brother, Jay, lives. Headed over to a little Italian restaurant for some quality family time. Continued the last leg of the trip to Palo Alto around 9:00, drove through suburbs before zipping through the tunnel and rounding the corner to see a beautiful vista of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Annie’s Saab has a sun roof. Can we say “awesome view”?

Tuesday involved much sleeping in (except for that obnoxious dog next door who wouldn’t stop barking for hours in the morning). Katie is starting a new non-profit for women down the street from their house, so Annie, Sara and I went over to help them clear out the back bedrooms of this old Victorian Bed and Breakfast. Lots of ugly lamps and pictures. And pillows. Oh god, the pillows. Sara lives in Santa Cruz, but their good friend Mary was flying in from Pasadena that afternoon, so we hopped in the car and drove the San Jose airport to pick her up so Sara could see Mary before she had to leave. We made a pit-stop at In N’ Out, which was my first time going there. Seeing as how I don’t eat red meat, it was probably less thrilling than if I did. But their “grilled cheese” (hamburger sans burger) was tasty. We also got Krispy Kreme donuts, which of course made everything all better. We got to the airport a bit too early, so we parked. But the security guard asked us to move. So we drove around. And we were still too early. So we drove around again. And we were still too early. So we drove around again. We parked, taking a risk at being carted off to “Illegally Parked Criminals” jail. But Mary arrived! And we drove away, happy and ticket-free.

After Sara left, we took Mary up to Atherton to pick up her car, and then Annie and I drove over to the Stanford Mall and went shopping. Saw awesomely cute things at Bloomie’s, but decided to put the items on hold. Good thing, too. A $32 tank top? Are you joshing me? Eek.

Wednesday was down-time day. Annie went to lunch with her friend Katie, who we hung out with the night before. I spent that hour in the backyard, sitting in the gazebo and reading Through Painted Deserts (awesome book. Two thumbs up.). It started to rain while I was out there, but it was still warm so I stayed put. Later, when Mary came over, I told her I had spent the early afternoon in the gazebo reading while it rained. And she said, “Aw. It’s like you were in your natural habitat.” Yes. Reading and rain.

Annie and I took a tour of Palo Alto in the afternoon. We went to Peet’s (our coffee haunt while in California. Those without a Peet’s, you have my sympathy) and then drove around town. Drove through the Stanford campus and saw a couple of Annie’s childhood homes. Then while Annie and her mother went to the spa for Mother/Daughter time, I watched Elizabethtown (and cried a bit).

Thursday was San Francisco Day! Very exciting. We left around 11:15 and arrived in The City at noon. We were scheduled to rendez-vous with our friend Sabrina, who also goes to U of O, but she and her roommate, Molly, were still at the Museum of Modern Art. So Annie and I parked downtown and had lunch and then went shopping at Macy’s, H & M and Urban Outfitters (where I broke one of my cardinal traveling rules which states: Thou shall not buy items at stores which are located in Oregon. This is because Oregon is one of the few states sans sales tax and I honestly cannot bring myself to buy something I know is cheaper at home. But this was a cute knee-length denim skirt that was on sale and sales are not guaranteed in Oregon, so I thought this was an okay exception). Sabrina and Molly finally made it over to Urban, and from there we headed to Haight-Ashbury, the uber-trendy-former-Hippy-Central-district of San Francisco. It’s still pretty hippy, and we did quite a bit of vintage shopping. And, of course, we stopped at Amoeba Music, which is apparently World Famous, though I hadn’t heard of it. Ah well, I already knew I was culturally disenfranchised. But I did pick up: Snow Patrol, Frou Frou and Switchfoot.

Then Jon (from Diabetes Talkfest) and his son, Chris, finally made it over to The City (after a completely horrid commute through evening traffic which I still feel guilty about). We went to dinner and then we went to Ghiradelli Square! Wahoo! Ice Cream Sundaes! With Ghiradelli chocolate! Very exciting. I bought some chocolate from Mumzie and Father, and I got a free little box of chocolate in a pretty pink box. Jon and Chris were very fun to hang out with and we drove around The City in Jon’s red Mustang.

Friday was the Amy Day. I took the Caltrain from Palo Alto up to Burlingame to see Amy (she doesn’t even need a last name anymore. It’s just Amy. Like Cher. Or Madonna. Or Oprah). It was amazingly awesome, despite the torrential downpour that was the Bay Area this week (everyone kept apologizing to us for the rain. It was kind of amusing- I *am* from Oregon. You don’t know rain until you live in the Pacific Northwest). Amy and I went to a cute little café/bakery near the train station. We vented about absentmindedly forgetting supplies, people who assume we know everything about diabetes just because we have diabetes, people who ask the wrong questions or give the wrong answers, and the O.C. Of course. Time went too quickly. I need an encore.

The sun peaked out again in the evening, and Annie and I walked to California Pizza Kitchen to get pizza (obviously) and two chick flick movies. We watched Just Like Heaven. Which was more like Just Like Every Other Chick Flick, but it still made us cry.

We bade our good-byes this morning to Katie, picked up our Pete’s and scones and drove off into the wild blue yonder (a.k.a. the mindnumbing drearyness that is Central California). We discovered an In N’ Out and Pete’s in Fairfield (we spotted the In N’ Out first, but when I discovered there was a Pete’s in the same parking lot, Annie literally squealed and waved her hands in the air while driving, nearly giving me a heart attack.)

The drive was mostly clear until we got onto I-5, and as we approached Northern California, ominous dark gray clouds loomed in the distance, almost seeming to scream “Turn back now! It’s not too late!” We should have listened. By the time we hit Mount Shasta, we could barely see the roads from the rain and the snow level and temperature continued to drop. We stopped at a McDonalds to grab some dinner, but the lady at the counter said there was no snow at Mt. Ashland (the highest point of the pass) and the rain appeared to be moving the opposite direction. Thank. God. Did I mention the Saab is a manual and Annie’s never driven in snow. And we didn’t have chains. Today was the day for Close-Call Heart Attacks.

The only redeeming factor of our 24-hours in the car was our Music. Cue Big Announcer Voice: The Great California Adventure Soundtrack includes hits from Ryan Adams, Imogen Heap from the duo Frou Frou, The Postal Service, Halopaw, Snow Patrol and Beck, plus many more of your favorites songs.

And now I’m home. In my chair. Feeling like I’m still in the car (the room is moving, I swear.). With a sore neck and an even sorer bum. With my large suitcase stuffed with dirty clothes and used pump sets sitting next to me, waiting to be unloaded.

But that’s why God created Tomorrow.