Our first weekend of Fringe performances is over. On Friday we had two performances, and neither of them went quite as planned. When I got to where I was getting ready I discovered we were going to be performing 15 minutes earlier than we had been told the couple days before. Then there was a bit of miscommunication, so instead of being in the intersection we ended up in front of the Broadway Cafe. For the first performance the busking amp we had rented didn't work properly, so instead I ended up drumming for accompaniment with 2 other drummers. It was a very thrown together show. For the second performance the Broadway Cafe was kind enough to allow us to plug into their power. This show went a lot more smoothly until the weather went bad. There was a huge swirling cloud to the north, and nasty looking clouds swooped into the area. We ended up cutting our show in the middle of it. It didn't really seem to storm very bad though.
On Saturday things went much better. We had two performances, and I drummed a bit and danced a bit. Our second show was my favourite one so far. There was so much energy and it was a lot of fun. Things went more smoothly, so we were all happier.
By Sunday we had a system going. The drummers better understood what the dancers wanted. The dancers were getting good at making a plan on the fly.
Monday was hot, and I was starting to tire. I felt very much like I was just putting in an appearance. It went well, though. We danced in the afternoon, so it was pretty much at the time of peak temperature. Whew!
So , that was our first weekend. Next weekend's schedule has not yet been set, but we are planning on starting at 5:30 on Friday. We'll probably do two shows, and then we'll do two or three on Saturday. Good times!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Fringe!!!
We're going to be busking twice a day over the long weekend. We will be putting on a 40 minute show at the intersection of Broadway and 10th St at the following times:
Fri. Aug. 4 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Sat. Aug. 5 5:30 and 8:30 pm
Sun. Aug. 6 5:30 and 8:30 pm
Mon. Aug. 7 3:30 and 5:30 pm
I'll keep you posted with the schedule for next weekend once we get it.
On Mon. there is also going to be a drumming circle hosted by Dieter, a drummer who we have collaborated with over the last couple of years at the Fringe. It will go from 7-8:30 pm at Broadway & 10th, and you are welcome to join in with anything that might make noise, or just come be moved by the experience. :)
Fri. Aug. 4 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Sat. Aug. 5 5:30 and 8:30 pm
Sun. Aug. 6 5:30 and 8:30 pm
Mon. Aug. 7 3:30 and 5:30 pm
I'll keep you posted with the schedule for next weekend once we get it.
On Mon. there is also going to be a drumming circle hosted by Dieter, a drummer who we have collaborated with over the last couple of years at the Fringe. It will go from 7-8:30 pm at Broadway & 10th, and you are welcome to join in with anything that might make noise, or just come be moved by the experience. :)
Monday, July 31, 2006
The Return
Well, we're back! No damage except for a little bit of sunburn. We drove a lot, hiked/geocached a bit, and did some siteseeing.
Here are some lovely photos from our trip:
This is Jay and I with a little friend we found in a cache at Craik. No, that is not a real snake. I would be freaking out if that was a real snake!
These are the Travel Bugs we found in Saskatchewan and released on our trip.
Here we are at Mount Rushmore. I am very impressed with Jay's ability to take pictures of himself!
We drove around on some scenic roads. On one there were three tunnels and you could take pictures of Mount Rushmore through them. The tunnels only had one lane, so you had to honk before you entered. This one was near a cache that we found. Every time I heard the horns honk I felt like they were chastising us for climbing around in the bush!
One day we went out and followed some trucks as they climbed through the rocks. We hiked along with them and took pictures/video. We also drank a whole lot of water.
That same day we went to Jewel Cavern National Monument. We went on a short tour. It would have been nice to go on a more interesting tour, but at least we got to feel cold for 20 minutes! (Did I mention it was 40 degrees every day and we didn't have A/C in the car?)
These bridges looked really cool, and they were made of wood. It was a bridge over a bridge over a roadway, and they were all for automobile traffic.
Here's Jay when we visited the Cosmos Mystery Area. It was really hard to stand up in that room. Jay tried to take a similar picture of me, but I couldn't keep stable... kept getting sucked into the wall!
And here we are visiting Devil's Tower. If you look closely enough you can see an alien spacecraft behind one of the trees. Just kidding. Legend has it (a Lakota legend, I think) that a bear was trying to climb up the tower to get at some women. Those vertical lines looked like claw marks.
The last three pictures were taken on a stupidly hot day. We actually stopped into Walmart and spent extra time looking around the freezer section to cool off. We also scammed a whole lot of ice water from Burger King. I guess we were giving it to the man.
It was a good trip though. It's been so long since I've gone away for a vacation, so it was extra nice.
Here are some lovely photos from our trip:
This is Jay and I with a little friend we found in a cache at Craik. No, that is not a real snake. I would be freaking out if that was a real snake!These are the Travel Bugs we found in Saskatchewan and released on our trip.
Here we are at Mount Rushmore. I am very impressed with Jay's ability to take pictures of himself!
We drove around on some scenic roads. On one there were three tunnels and you could take pictures of Mount Rushmore through them. The tunnels only had one lane, so you had to honk before you entered. This one was near a cache that we found. Every time I heard the horns honk I felt like they were chastising us for climbing around in the bush!
One day we went out and followed some trucks as they climbed through the rocks. We hiked along with them and took pictures/video. We also drank a whole lot of water.
That same day we went to Jewel Cavern National Monument. We went on a short tour. It would have been nice to go on a more interesting tour, but at least we got to feel cold for 20 minutes! (Did I mention it was 40 degrees every day and we didn't have A/C in the car?)
These bridges looked really cool, and they were made of wood. It was a bridge over a bridge over a roadway, and they were all for automobile traffic.
Here's Jay when we visited the Cosmos Mystery Area. It was really hard to stand up in that room. Jay tried to take a similar picture of me, but I couldn't keep stable... kept getting sucked into the wall!
And here we are visiting Devil's Tower. If you look closely enough you can see an alien spacecraft behind one of the trees. Just kidding. Legend has it (a Lakota legend, I think) that a bear was trying to climb up the tower to get at some women. Those vertical lines looked like claw marks.
The last three pictures were taken on a stupidly hot day. We actually stopped into Walmart and spent extra time looking around the freezer section to cool off. We also scammed a whole lot of ice water from Burger King. I guess we were giving it to the man.
It was a good trip though. It's been so long since I've gone away for a vacation, so it was extra nice.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Secret Revealed!!!
Yes, it's true! In this very message I will be revealing to you my secret.... I suppose I should stop introducing or babbling or whatever you call it that I'm doing now... Dragging on! That's what it's called. Oh yes, anyway, here is the message in which I will speak of my secret. Ha ha, already said that. Well, without further ado...
I am no longer a single girl!
Now I am 18 women, 3 men, and 523 cats!!!
And a hyena.
Just kidding. (Like you needed me to clarify that.)
So, in May I started a new relationship with an old boyfriend with whom I have had a pseudo-relationship for somewhere between 7 and 9 years. At that time we decided to work towards getting back together, and now we're both ready to share it with the world. We're going to start in South Dakota, then spread the news on our way back home. Man, I'm full of dumb jokes today. We are going to South Dakota for about a week. It will truly be a test to see if we can stand being around each other 24/7. And it will be fun too. We plan to go to Mount Rushmore, do some hiking and geocaching, see some other tourist-y things, meet up with the Toyota guys on the Cruiser Classic, and camp in a tent every night. And, lucky us, his car doesn't have air conditioning. We will be dying to find some coolness, I'm sure, since the forecast puts the daily high around 31-32 degrees every day. Yay, a week of sweaty grossness! The A/C is going to feel so good when we come home...
On another note, on our way home from a wedding today we dropped off my travel bug in a cache. I hope it starts its journey while we are on ours.
I am no longer a single girl!
Now I am 18 women, 3 men, and 523 cats!!!
And a hyena.
Just kidding. (Like you needed me to clarify that.)
So, in May I started a new relationship with an old boyfriend with whom I have had a pseudo-relationship for somewhere between 7 and 9 years. At that time we decided to work towards getting back together, and now we're both ready to share it with the world. We're going to start in South Dakota, then spread the news on our way back home. Man, I'm full of dumb jokes today. We are going to South Dakota for about a week. It will truly be a test to see if we can stand being around each other 24/7. And it will be fun too. We plan to go to Mount Rushmore, do some hiking and geocaching, see some other tourist-y things, meet up with the Toyota guys on the Cruiser Classic, and camp in a tent every night. And, lucky us, his car doesn't have air conditioning. We will be dying to find some coolness, I'm sure, since the forecast puts the daily high around 31-32 degrees every day. Yay, a week of sweaty grossness! The A/C is going to feel so good when we come home...
On another note, on our way home from a wedding today we dropped off my travel bug in a cache. I hope it starts its journey while we are on ours.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Share the love...
1. FIRST NAME? Lorianne (read carefully. It does not say Lorraine.)
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sort of. I was named after my great-grandmother Laura. We share initials, too (until she got married).
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Hmmm, probably in May... in a really big combine.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Handwriting is pretty foreign to me. The only handwriting I do is signing stuff.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Not sure. Summer sausage?
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably not. I'd look at myself and think that I'd never want to be friends with me, so why try. Then I'd both miss out.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I have this blog...
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup. Been surgery-free since 1974.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I don't think so. It seems like the sort of thing that puts jarring forces through your joints, and I'm not into that.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Probably Cheerios, when fresh.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, like much of the rest of my life, I am lazy.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not so much.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Fruity anything.
14. SHOE SIZE? 6-6.5
15. RED OR PINK? Ugh! How could you make me choose between the two most hated colours in my life!? Red, I guess.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I despise my self-loathing. (Can you tell I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that for weeks now?)
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Debbie, Brandi, and Joel (in order of when they moved away). My life would be so much more fun with them around.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? It's always fun, but since I'm not actually e-mailing anyone, no pressure.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Navy shorts, no shoes.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Pizza and garlic bread from East Side Marios.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The hum of the computer.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I would be an orange, green, and purple striped crayon.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Freshly mown grass.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Jay.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? How good a person they are.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? You bet!
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Cold water.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? To watch, short track speed skating. To participate in, Ultimate Frisbee.
29. EYE COLOR? Grey.
30. HAT SIZE? Um, smaller than I can usually get.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? pizza.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, but not corny ones.
34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Aqua.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer! Love it!
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses, yum yum.
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Pumpkin pie.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Dunno
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone.
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Two Towers, info guide to the Black Hills, How to Make Love to Your Man (just kidding. I do own it though!)
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Dust and piles of other crap.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? The news at supper time.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My nephews' laughter, my godson's laughter and squeals, and a breeze passing through the leaves of a trembling aspen.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Not very far indeed. Probably Thunder Bay, Ontario.
46 WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Insulting people and getting them to laugh about it.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? St. Paul's Hospital, Saskatoon
48. WHO SENT THIS EMAIL TO YOU? Joel in Montreal
49. IF YOU COULD SPEAK WITH ONE DEAD PERSON, WHOM WOULD YOU CHOOSE? My grandpa. I'd like to hear about his experiences fighting in World War I.
50. IF YOU COULD SAFELY DO SOMETHING FIFTY TIMES IN THE NEXT FIFTY DAYS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'd climb Mount Everest and make all the mountain climbers jealous.
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sort of. I was named after my great-grandmother Laura. We share initials, too (until she got married).
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Hmmm, probably in May... in a really big combine.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Handwriting is pretty foreign to me. The only handwriting I do is signing stuff.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Not sure. Summer sausage?
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably not. I'd look at myself and think that I'd never want to be friends with me, so why try. Then I'd both miss out.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I have this blog...
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup. Been surgery-free since 1974.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I don't think so. It seems like the sort of thing that puts jarring forces through your joints, and I'm not into that.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Probably Cheerios, when fresh.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, like much of the rest of my life, I am lazy.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not so much.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Fruity anything.
14. SHOE SIZE? 6-6.5
15. RED OR PINK? Ugh! How could you make me choose between the two most hated colours in my life!? Red, I guess.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I despise my self-loathing. (Can you tell I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that for weeks now?)
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Debbie, Brandi, and Joel (in order of when they moved away). My life would be so much more fun with them around.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? It's always fun, but since I'm not actually e-mailing anyone, no pressure.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Navy shorts, no shoes.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Pizza and garlic bread from East Side Marios.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The hum of the computer.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I would be an orange, green, and purple striped crayon.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Freshly mown grass.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Jay.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? How good a person they are.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? You bet!
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Cold water.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? To watch, short track speed skating. To participate in, Ultimate Frisbee.
29. EYE COLOR? Grey.
30. HAT SIZE? Um, smaller than I can usually get.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? pizza.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, but not corny ones.
34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Aqua.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer! Love it!
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses, yum yum.
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Pumpkin pie.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Dunno
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone.
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Two Towers, info guide to the Black Hills, How to Make Love to Your Man (just kidding. I do own it though!)
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Dust and piles of other crap.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? The news at supper time.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My nephews' laughter, my godson's laughter and squeals, and a breeze passing through the leaves of a trembling aspen.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Not very far indeed. Probably Thunder Bay, Ontario.
46 WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Insulting people and getting them to laugh about it.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? St. Paul's Hospital, Saskatoon
48. WHO SENT THIS EMAIL TO YOU? Joel in Montreal
49. IF YOU COULD SPEAK WITH ONE DEAD PERSON, WHOM WOULD YOU CHOOSE? My grandpa. I'd like to hear about his experiences fighting in World War I.
50. IF YOU COULD SAFELY DO SOMETHING FIFTY TIMES IN THE NEXT FIFTY DAYS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'd climb Mount Everest and make all the mountain climbers jealous.
Friday, July 14, 2006
My first cache!
Well, I finally did it! I went and found my first cache. I picked up Tanya and we headed out to a park in Eastview where the cache was located. It wasn't too difficult to find, but I wished I had worn pants. Long grass and bugs make my legs feel super itchy. The cache is hidden in the big ol' dead tree behind me.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Getting bugged
Well, I did it. I bought a travel bug. My travel bug's mission is to travel to places I've never been to. Now I need to start geocaching so that my bug will get on the road!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
I was tagged!
It's been like three weeks since Taran tagged me in her blog at Tribe.net:
So I guess I'd better get on it! ;-)
1. I have been a belly dancer for almost half my life.
2. I don't eat cereal very often, but if I eat an unsweetened one I like to eat it with brown sugar, never white.
3. I have two right ovaries, or at least that's what a researching gynecologist saw during a transvaginal ultrasound. That means I have a pair and a spare! I'm 50% more woman than most! Etc., ad nauseum.
4. I was the most distinguished graduate in linguistics in 1996. In the Arts building at the U of S they have large lists of academic achievers posted up to 1995, so I can't even show it off to people when I go there.
5. I would really like to get into geocaching.
6. I am afraid of fear.
7. I have a secret life that I'm not very good at being secret about, at least not with my friends. I'm looking forward to getting permission to make it more public.
8. Looking at my age, I should be at my sexual peak right around now. It would be nice to have more opportunity to enjoy that!
So, if you're in my blogroll, consider yourself tagged!
RULES: Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 8
facts/things/habits about yourself, saying who tagged you. In the end, you need
to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs.
So I guess I'd better get on it! ;-)
1. I have been a belly dancer for almost half my life.
2. I don't eat cereal very often, but if I eat an unsweetened one I like to eat it with brown sugar, never white.
3. I have two right ovaries, or at least that's what a researching gynecologist saw during a transvaginal ultrasound. That means I have a pair and a spare! I'm 50% more woman than most! Etc., ad nauseum.
4. I was the most distinguished graduate in linguistics in 1996. In the Arts building at the U of S they have large lists of academic achievers posted up to 1995, so I can't even show it off to people when I go there.
5. I would really like to get into geocaching.
6. I am afraid of fear.
7. I have a secret life that I'm not very good at being secret about, at least not with my friends. I'm looking forward to getting permission to make it more public.
8. Looking at my age, I should be at my sexual peak right around now. It would be nice to have more opportunity to enjoy that!
So, if you're in my blogroll, consider yourself tagged!
Monday, June 26, 2006
It's been forever...
... since I updated my blog. But I would also like to point out that the Homestar Runner website was last updated 2 days before my previous post here. And that's even a popular site. Therefore, I am not bad.
Anyway.
Hi!
There is another month-long writing 'contest' on the internet that I am contemplating participating in. It's called JulNoWriMo and has only been around for a year or so. With this one you have 31 days to write a 50,000 word novel (a mere 1,613 words per day). Having a full day extra (compared to NaNoWriMo) seems like a boon, but when you do the math it's only 53 fewer words per day. Hardly a big deal.
I am not so interested in completing another novel as I am in venting thoughts and feelings that have been festering inside of me over the years. Perhaps getting them out and into a tangible form will allow me to let go and move on.
Perhaps.
One reason why I don't expect to complete 50,000 words is that I will be gone for part of July. I also don't really have a storyline. I've got some vague autobiographical snippets, and nothing else. It's another case of the journey being more important than the destination. And, well, I've always loved to explore unusual places. May as well try to find my way through my internal netherworld!
Anyway.
Hi!
There is another month-long writing 'contest' on the internet that I am contemplating participating in. It's called JulNoWriMo and has only been around for a year or so. With this one you have 31 days to write a 50,000 word novel (a mere 1,613 words per day). Having a full day extra (compared to NaNoWriMo) seems like a boon, but when you do the math it's only 53 fewer words per day. Hardly a big deal.
I am not so interested in completing another novel as I am in venting thoughts and feelings that have been festering inside of me over the years. Perhaps getting them out and into a tangible form will allow me to let go and move on.
Perhaps.
One reason why I don't expect to complete 50,000 words is that I will be gone for part of July. I also don't really have a storyline. I've got some vague autobiographical snippets, and nothing else. It's another case of the journey being more important than the destination. And, well, I've always loved to explore unusual places. May as well try to find my way through my internal netherworld!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
not much
Heya! Hope everyone is having a fine time out there in the happy world of the world. In case you can't tell by the strangeness of the previous sentence, I'm tired! I've only been back 'working' for two days, and I'm already feeling exhausted. Maybe I need a good supper in me to help energize me.
So last weekend was the long weekend. I went up to Chitek Lake with my friend Jay and his 4x4ing group. It was incredibly nice to get away and relax. Most of the trucks came out okay and a couple people had minor injuries. Mostly it was just nice to hang out at a lake and be a bum. Too much testosterone in the air, however. I think I might be over sensitive to pheromones! Can you say 'frustrated?' That's how I felt by the end of the weekend.
Only a week and a bit until I'm done in Regina. It will be nice to move back home. Starting a new clinical placement is a little scary, however. I'm sure I'll get comfortable with it in three weeks or so.
So last weekend was the long weekend. I went up to Chitek Lake with my friend Jay and his 4x4ing group. It was incredibly nice to get away and relax. Most of the trucks came out okay and a couple people had minor injuries. Mostly it was just nice to hang out at a lake and be a bum. Too much testosterone in the air, however. I think I might be over sensitive to pheromones! Can you say 'frustrated?' That's how I felt by the end of the weekend.
Only a week and a bit until I'm done in Regina. It will be nice to move back home. Starting a new clinical placement is a little scary, however. I'm sure I'll get comfortable with it in three weeks or so.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
City of Saskatoon - 100 years!
On May 26, 2006 Saskatoon will have been a city for 100 years. That weekend there will be events to help celebrate the occasion. Last year I went to Doors Open Saskatoon, and am looking forward to checking it out again. This year I really want to get the tour of the Bessborough Hotel. I overheard part of it last year, and it sounded quite interesting. It was led by a man who has made the history of the Bessborough Hotel his passion. If you don't have time for the tour, there was a sort of self-guided tour available as well.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Life in Regina
Exam update: I studied pretty hard. I survived. I passed everything. 'nuff said! I want to move on...
So I've been in Regina for a week now. I'm staying at the hostel at the Wascana Rehab. Centre, which is where my clinical placement is taking place. When I checked in on Monday the room seemed pretty small - then I realized that over the previous week I had spent a fair amount of time convincing myself that my room would be a certain size, with certain furniture. Oh well. I can still fit everything I need in there. Some things are just not perfectly convenient. For instance, Riva and Jason (friends who live in Regina) lent me an answering machine. There is only one phone jack in my room, and the line is very short. It is located in the far left corner of the room behind a small chest of drawers. Beside the chest of drawers is the bathroom door, and on the other side of that is the closest plug in. So in order to use the answering machine I have the power cord hanging down across the doorway to my bathroom. I'm just hoping that the cleaning people notice it and don't snag it when they're in there. Yes, cleaning people. Every weekday they come in, clean the bathroom, replace the towels, make the bed, and vacuum. It feels very strange. I said that they didn't need to come in every day, but they seem to do it anyway. Oh well. I still haven't gotten used to the shower either. It starts out really cold for a variable amount of time, then warms up enough for me to get in. Then it gets burning hot, so I turn it down. Then it gets burning hot again, so I turn it down. Then it gets coolish, then burning hot. At least I've realized that it's a smart idea to not get into the water until it gets hot.
As for my placement itself, it's been pretty busy. We see about 6-7 patients per day. These people are all inpatients (no, not 'impatients'), meaning that they are hospitalized at the Rehab. Centre. They have a variety of neurological problems, due to stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and even one with a disease I'd never heard of before - transverse myelitis (ie. inflammation across the spinal cord at a certain level). There are some pretty remarkable people here. It's quite amazing to see just a little bit of what they need to do to be able to do things for themselves. And so many of them have good family support. It makes me a little jealous, actually. Some patients' problems remind me a bit of things with my dad, so it's been a little taxing emotionally as well as mentally. I've been exhausted most days of the week.
This weekend was more fun though. On Friday I got together with Jason and Riva and we went out for supper then saw Mission Impossible 3. It was pretty much what I expected. There are things I'd like to say about it, but don't want to be a spoiler! Saturday I slept in and was lazy most of the day. I did a load of laundry in the afternoon, then went to my aunt's for supper. In the evening I finished off a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that a few of us at the hostel worked on this week. Today I finished my laundry, did some beadwork, then came to the public library to use the internet. I intend to buy a few groceries when I leave here. Then I'm heading over to Jason and Riva's for a BBQ. The sky's looking a little grey, so I hope it stays nice for a few more hours. Tonight I have to do some studying, and that should be the end of my weekend.
Hope everyone is doing well, wherever they are!
So I've been in Regina for a week now. I'm staying at the hostel at the Wascana Rehab. Centre, which is where my clinical placement is taking place. When I checked in on Monday the room seemed pretty small - then I realized that over the previous week I had spent a fair amount of time convincing myself that my room would be a certain size, with certain furniture. Oh well. I can still fit everything I need in there. Some things are just not perfectly convenient. For instance, Riva and Jason (friends who live in Regina) lent me an answering machine. There is only one phone jack in my room, and the line is very short. It is located in the far left corner of the room behind a small chest of drawers. Beside the chest of drawers is the bathroom door, and on the other side of that is the closest plug in. So in order to use the answering machine I have the power cord hanging down across the doorway to my bathroom. I'm just hoping that the cleaning people notice it and don't snag it when they're in there. Yes, cleaning people. Every weekday they come in, clean the bathroom, replace the towels, make the bed, and vacuum. It feels very strange. I said that they didn't need to come in every day, but they seem to do it anyway. Oh well. I still haven't gotten used to the shower either. It starts out really cold for a variable amount of time, then warms up enough for me to get in. Then it gets burning hot, so I turn it down. Then it gets burning hot again, so I turn it down. Then it gets coolish, then burning hot. At least I've realized that it's a smart idea to not get into the water until it gets hot.
As for my placement itself, it's been pretty busy. We see about 6-7 patients per day. These people are all inpatients (no, not 'impatients'), meaning that they are hospitalized at the Rehab. Centre. They have a variety of neurological problems, due to stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and even one with a disease I'd never heard of before - transverse myelitis (ie. inflammation across the spinal cord at a certain level). There are some pretty remarkable people here. It's quite amazing to see just a little bit of what they need to do to be able to do things for themselves. And so many of them have good family support. It makes me a little jealous, actually. Some patients' problems remind me a bit of things with my dad, so it's been a little taxing emotionally as well as mentally. I've been exhausted most days of the week.
This weekend was more fun though. On Friday I got together with Jason and Riva and we went out for supper then saw Mission Impossible 3. It was pretty much what I expected. There are things I'd like to say about it, but don't want to be a spoiler! Saturday I slept in and was lazy most of the day. I did a load of laundry in the afternoon, then went to my aunt's for supper. In the evening I finished off a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that a few of us at the hostel worked on this week. Today I finished my laundry, did some beadwork, then came to the public library to use the internet. I intend to buy a few groceries when I leave here. Then I'm heading over to Jason and Riva's for a BBQ. The sky's looking a little grey, so I hope it stays nice for a few more hours. Tonight I have to do some studying, and that should be the end of my weekend.
Hope everyone is doing well, wherever they are!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
What is your sleeping position... or something like that
Find your own pose!
Traits and Tendancies
Tandem Cyclists are the stars of the sleeping world. Tan, relaxed, and wind-swept, they’re always smiling bright, no matter what blows life deals. Disease, public speaking, automotive failure — they take it all in stride, thanks to the steadying power of spending night after night with a best-loved mate at their backs.
I'm a star!!! (And I'm done finals... Huzzah!)
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
5 down, 3 to go
Exams are just cruising by. I had a practical exam yesterday in the morning, and now I don't have another exam until the 21st. That exam doesn't cover much material, either. I took yesterday and much of today off from studying. I've watched five movies in that time, and I plan to put on one more and possibly study at the same time. I also played Sudoku for a couple hours. As you might guess, I do not feel very motivated to study right now!
This morning I went to a little seminar about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It is a sort of personality test that looks at your preferences for how to do things. I came out as an ESFJ (Extrovert Sensing Feeling Judging) type. Last time when I took it (in 1988) I came out as an ENFP. Last year I bought a book about personality and communication in health care. It used MBTI types. Now I'll be able to go back and look at that book, then experiment a bit on my clinical placements this summer. Speaking of which, I made my living arrangements today for my placement in Regina next month. I'm going to stay at the hostel at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. It's going to be quite convenient, and will cost me approximately $300 for the five weeks (gotta love cheap prices for students). I'm looking forward to getting away for a while!
This morning I went to a little seminar about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It is a sort of personality test that looks at your preferences for how to do things. I came out as an ESFJ (Extrovert Sensing Feeling Judging) type. Last time when I took it (in 1988) I came out as an ENFP. Last year I bought a book about personality and communication in health care. It used MBTI types. Now I'll be able to go back and look at that book, then experiment a bit on my clinical placements this summer. Speaking of which, I made my living arrangements today for my placement in Regina next month. I'm going to stay at the hostel at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. It's going to be quite convenient, and will cost me approximately $300 for the five weeks (gotta love cheap prices for students). I'm looking forward to getting away for a while!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
2 down, 6 to go
... finals, that is. Ugh. Brain tired. Me no write much now. Ugh
(And if this is how I am now, how coherent will I be at the end of the month?)
(And if this is how I am now, how coherent will I be at the end of the month?)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
