I Did a Scary Thing

I assisted at work! Well, kind of. Let me explain. Dave and I are working at my father-in-laws oral surgery practice this summer. His brother Matt is also a doctor there so it's been really fun. Everyone that works there is super nice and I probably don't have to mention how fun it is to work with Dave, but that's awesome too. When else will I ever get to work with my husband? I tried to convince him to be a middle school teacher with me but he said no for some reason.

Anyway, I was really grateful for the opportunity this summer to work there, but also really nervous. I HATE GROSS BODILY THINGS. I didn't want to admit that to Dave's family because I thought they would think I was a wimp and I was grateful for the job so I accepted but Dave will tell you I was so worried about this summer going into it.

I have discovered, though, that I can handle blood and...mouth smells....and...gums better than I thought I could. I spend most of my time scrubbing the instruments, cleaning the rooms after surgery and exams and putting the tools and things away after they get sterilized and other jobs like that. So I have seen more than my fair share of bloody stuff and the other day, while digging through a trash bag trying to find the four baby teeth that I was not supposed to throw away (we give baby teeth back to the patients with a letter from the tooth fairy) I realized that though this should freak me out, it wasn't. I even have started to learn how to do things like draw drugs for patients and monitor heart rates and IVs during surgery. It's been really fun and I've learned a lot.

However, I still had one hurdle left to jump. I get really freaked out when I look in someone's mouth during surgery. I can handle blood but the idea of open wounds scares the heck out of me. I've been getting better though. On Friday, I was working in the Cedar City office and one of the assistants comes and asks me if I want to try assisting on the next surgery. I looked at her like she was crazy. The assistants do a LOT. They are really skilled and know exactly what took the doctor is going to need and have it ready for him. Dave knows how to do it but I never even considered learning because it takes a lot of knowledge and I just...hate needles and scalpels!

But I figured, what the heck, if I never tried I'll never know if I can even do this, and I like trying something just to say I did it. Sherrie, the assistant that suggested it, asked Dave's dad if he was ok with it and apparently he said "oh, she won't do it, she hates bloody stuff" but when I said I could handle it he agreed to it. Sherrie and Wendy, another Cedar assistant were in the room gloved up and everything and they coached me through the entire thing. I did have to sit down once though, which was embarrassing and unfortunate but once the room stopped spinning I got back up and kept going. I definitely didn't do that great of a job and without the other assistants there it would have been a disaster but I can say that I did it! I really never thought I would be able to something like that. I felt so empowered! Sherrie texted Dave the above picture (he was working in St. George, where we usually work--I was just filling in that day) and he couldn't believe it. When I got back to St. George everyone thought it was staged because they know I'm a wussy teacher and not a brave surgical assistant by nature!

Roller Derby Is Not In My Future

First of all....I am the WORST at blogging! I am resolved to be better, though, and if anyone is out there, I hope you will please forgive me and keep reading. And if no one is out there, then this is just my journal. Cool. Either way is fine.


I have a lot to write about, but instead of doing one massive catch-up post which will be overwhelming a boring, I decided to just start with this week and then move backwards. So for today, I will share this little gem: The Time that Claire Crashed on Her Rollerblades. But Actually Not Her Rollerblades, Someone's She Found in the Garage of Her In-Laws.


Once upon a time, Dave and I were in the mood to do something fun one hot St. George summer evening and so we decided to go and play tennis. But then we realized that Dave's brother had the rackets and they weren't home. And we didn't have a car this week (another story. I will talk about my adventures on foot later) so our options were dwindling. In the process of searching for the rackets (is this even the proper spelling of that word? Racquet? I find no definitive answer on the interwebs) I found these sweet rollerblades in a cupboard and I wanted to use them instantly. They were a little big on me, so I am guessing that once upon a time they were some brother-in-laws when they were like in middle school or something. Or who knows. But I used to love rollerblading when I was a kid so it seemed like a grand, retro sort of idea.


There were only blades in my size so I forced Dave to don a Razor Scooter and we headed for the park. As I soared down the driveway and through the cul-de-sac, a terrible feeling befell me: I most definitely did not remember how to control myself or my speed on rollerblades. And, unlike when I was a kid I was not wearing pads. Dave started yelling "bend your knees, bend your knees!" as soon as he could realize from my flailing arms and ever-gaining speed that I was in a state of utter distress. I was headed straight for a parked Chevy Tahoe. Tan. There was nowhere to go but down, and down I went, quite hard. I don't actually know if I hit the car or not. We may never know.


Luckily, I actually came out pretty unscathed considering. Just some scrapes on my hand and a bruised hip. I think that fact that half of the ward saw the whole thing happen out of their front windows is the most painful part of all. 

See that black dot on my left hand? Battle wound. I'll never skate again....

Staying Afloat...

....Is basically what I'm about right now! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....Four finals down, one to go, and then I will be done with classes forever! Well, kind of....I have a seminar class once a week that goes with my internship in the fall but I'm just going to ignore that for the sake of my sanity and self-esteem. Then, it is off to St. Geezy for the summer (Dave doesn't call it that. I do. I think it might be like Boston and Beantown and how no one from there actually calls it that--according to my friend Lauren who is from there. I should ask this friend about that). I am going to be working in the office with Dave now....I might see blood and vomit and things....I will try not to talk too much about that on this blog but suffice it to say I have had more than a few sweaty palms episodes over my fears about that.

Anyway, I wanted to share a really cute blog I just found. Now, there are a lot of blogs out there about provident living and stuff for the LDS set, which are awesome. But, I will say that a lot of them are aimed more at large families and more established people who have a whole garage to fill with food storage and like 8 mouths to feed. Someday, I hope that I will be blessed enough to have 8 mouths to feed but right now I only have two (albeit rather hungry) mouths in our house and very little spare storage and so the coupon blogs and food storage blogs that are like "can 1,000 bottles of peaches!" don't really apply to me.

However, this cutest new blog is the answer to my frugal living for two people problems! All of my young marrieds out there should go check it out. They had a lot of cute cheap projects and just really good inspiration and motivation about living on a student's and young family's budget. And they are so nice, I emailed them to tell them that I really enjoyed their blog and that they should keep writing (they have only been up and running for like two months) and they actually wrote back which I really appreciated. They even invited me to do a guest post sometime...ha! Maybe if I get my act together I will. But right now my version of frugality has been "just don't buy new clothes" and that's not really that creative or insightful. 

I just appreciate seeing that other people in my same situation are trying to be frugal and recognize its importance but also acknowledge that sometimes it can be rather frustrating and hard. I mean, I love being married SO much and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but sometimes it just seems like we have an incomprehensible amount of time before we will be totally done with the starving student lifestyle! So sometimes a little inspiration or an idea for how to get something frivolous on the cheap or a reminder that it is worth it to be a saver and not a spender is much appreciated over here. At least by me....I really think Dave could live off of like 20 bucks a month and not think a thing of it. Like, he spends his birthday money on new socks and even debates about whether or not that is a necessity. HA! I love him for it though....it keeps my wanton stares at the H&M website in check :)

Things I Did This Weekend

Dave's mission reunion

Turned in draft of my capstone paper

Went for  a run in the marvelous sun

Manned the XTerra through the drive-through at Taco Bell while Dave went to the registers inside so that we could get double free breakfast burritos. And no I did not eat one of those things, both were for him. Oh to have the metabolism of a 24-year-old Asian boy.

Watched General Conference. Felt refreshed, renewed, and recommitted to truth.

Made coffee cake.

Walked to Provo Library. Found out they had released my reserved book onto the circulation shelves to be snatched by someone else. Boo. But found other books to get instead.

Read said books until the next session of Conference started.

Finished sewing project....didn't turn out so great....Dave asked if it has been long enough to start making jokes about it or if he needed to still be sensitive but I said he could go for it. Offensive yet funny joke ensued.

Talked to my mom on the phone while Dave was at Priesthood. Found new show called Clean Freaks. Promised myself to never take organization that far.

Ate Little Caesars that Dave brought home. Promptly fell asleep at 10pm.

Had weird dream about a little girl named Katniss that I didn't want to be friends with?

Watched more wonderful conference.

Made some freezer meals.

Had sisters over for Homemade Cafe Rio.

Lost to them at charades.

Did not do homework.

Everybody Loves an Air Show

At least, everybody in Southern Utah that is. This past weekend we went down to visit Dave's family because his sister and brother and their families were going to be in town for Spring Break, so we wanted to see them even just for the two short days. While we were there the Blue Angels were going to be rolling through town, so Dave's parents thought that would be a fun activity for everyone to go to. It was really fun to see the awesome planes and the displays and stuff (just watching their tricks made me want to barf), but I think my favorite part may have been the people-watching. Southern Utah's finest all came out for this event, let me tell ya. The place was packed to the gills. We also ran into our friends Sam and Ronnie which didn't surprise me because Ronnie is a plane expert :)

The Blue Angels, strutting their stuff. We actually got up and walked out to our cars for their performance because we were afraid that it would take so long to get out of there with everyone else. As it turned out, that worked out great because we got front-row seats out in the parking lot.

Not the most flattering picture but you can see the masses of humanity in the background. And part of a plane. Oh and it was St. Patty's Day so we were wearing green! 

I also had my first experience with corned beef and cabbage which was funny because Dave's family has it every St. Patrick's Day and I never have. Who is the one who did Irish Dance for like 6 years and claims to be Irish? Moi. I guess my irrational fear of foreign meats kept me from trying it but it was pretty good!

Good News!

So I am for sure interning at AFJH next year! I will be signing a contract next month. It is scary to think about having an adult job with consequences and real responsibilities and all that but also really exciting to think about proving to myself that I can be a real teacher. And I feel kind of cool having a salary and stuff, also; I didn't know if I would ever have that experience. So this blog may turn into the teacher chronicles starting August 22nd....sorry for those of you who hated middle school the first time around and will not enjoy reliving it through this blog.

Love That Honey Nut Taste

 

I had a little accident on my way to school today. Not a car accident, but an accident that happened in my car. I was doing the usual of trying to do like eight things at once and in my not-so-smartest move I decided to eat my beloved Honey Nut Cheerios in the car while I was driving. Now, I know it is stupid to eat and drive period, never mind to eat spill-able cereal but oh well I have done it like every day for the past four years so what's once more?

Well I pulled out from our street onto 500 North a little too fast and all of a sudden my just-poured bowl of Honey Nuts shot off the cup holder where they were balanced and were in between my seat and the console. And the spoon too. But momentum is pretty cool because they mostly all shot down in the Crack of Mordor, never to return again, pretty quick there. So I am pretty excited to go get in the car in like an hour and smell rotten milk and soggy Cherrios! I soaked up what I could with the Wendy's napkin in the glove compartment but I was late to class and alas, now breakfastless. I think if they dry up I could vacuum them out of the crack of doom? The good news is that there was also a Starburst and a toothpick that I spied while I was trying to pry the spoon back out so at least those will get taken care of.

Since the bloggy-blog has been a little negative lately (sorry about that!) I will say that the positive of this little snafu is that Dave proved once again that I can pretty much do anything stupid and he won't get mad. He even offered to clean them up for me later. And at least it was just Cheerios, and not like cheesy eggs or something. And at least it was not a real car accident or something. There is a silver lining to every mistake, I guess :)