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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Late Nite Study Break

Because I (once agian) fell asleep reading pathophysiology earlier this evening, I am up late studying for my video practical in clinical anatomy. Today in my clinical communications class, we talked about assertiveness vs. agression. In today's agressive and violent society, it is often too easy to forget what true assertiveness means.

Assertiveness means being able to state one's feelings about a situation or event in a respectful way. This way, neither of the parties involved in the situation feel hurt or belittled. Assertiveness is definitely a difficult task for me, and our assignment for this week is to be assertive in at least one situation, no matter how small. Is anyone thinking "School for Scoundrels?"

On a completely different track, I am recalling the original reason I began this blog - to highlight the simple things in life, and their importance in keeping our sanity in today's bustling world. I realize that my life right now is nothing short of complex... here's a list of simple things I enjoy vs. complex stuff that's not so hot.

Simple:

1. Riding my new cruiser bike to school every day.
2. Knitting
3. Studying in small amounts every day (no cramming).
4. Reading the weekly NAU paper
5. Coffee at Late for the Train with Bryan, Rachel, and Steve

Complex:

1. Cramming for school exams
2. Group presentations (although my group's presentation this morning turned out stellar)
3. Deciding whom to stay with when visiting Prescott/Prescott Valley
4. Balancing school, work, and family
5. Laundry (if it weren't for the Flagstaff cold, clothes should definitely be optional)

Monday, October 09, 2006

Recently at NAU

Being in the PT program at NAU is like being a passenger on a bullet train. Everything is moving so fast, too fast to jump off but too fast to keep up with everything. Ok so there was my metaphor for the week. Seriously, I've never had to juggle so many things at once. I am beginning to realize that all I can do is study as hard as I can (while still being able to focus) and stay optimistic and energized in the meantime.

What's great about the program, is all the students seem to really be on the same page. Classes are definitely interactive and not boring (although my bad habit of falling asleep in class after lunch would suggest otherwise).

This past weekend, Bryan and I went to Phoenix so I could attend the state meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, and to see Steve and Rachel. The meeting was a lot of fun, and I definitely felt that I was in the right place. My favorite seminar was on pilates as a method of strengthening, and my least favorite seminar was on vocational rehabilitation and worker's compensation (yuk). The most exciting part about the conference was being involved in the general meeting where the AzAPTA officially endorsed prop 201 (smoking ban). We had a lot of fun with Steve and Rachel too....

Thumbs up to: Bryan for being able to study at Barnes and Nobles for 8 hours on Friday during my conference and staying sane.

Thumbs down to: Rising prices of organic foods - remember, the more people support organic, the less expensive it is for everyone! (Yes, that was random, but so was the exorbitant price of groceries this week.)

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!! I hope your day is going great!