Roses

So I'm trying out a new template. It's not quite what I'd hoped for, but will do for now as I am beyond technically challenged and it took me 45 minutes today to figure out how to make the top blue and put a picture on the side of the page. Definitely not simple.

So often we hear the phrase, "stop and smell the roses." If we're the one saying it, chances are we probably aren't all that stressed. On the other hand, if it's being cheerily said to us by someone who seems to have all aspects of their lives in order, we're much less receptive to the idea. I started thinking today of all the things I enjoy, so here are a few of the current roses that I'd like to stop and smell if only I can make some time for them.

Claude Monet: Chemin dans les bles a pourville is gracing the right hand side of my poor mangled template. I've realized I love a lot of Monet's work recently, especially the seaside images (they remind me of vacations at the Cape when I was younger and future escapes to France with Bryan).

Knitting/Crocheting Baby Blankets: Whether for Project Linus, or my pregnant classmate, I'll never grow tired of it. There's just something so soothing about relaxing on the couch and making something by hand.

Sophia Coppola: Despite scarily slow-paced Lost in Translation, I loved Marie Antoinette.

Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Dough Ice Cream: Delicious alternate to traditional cookie dough, and there can never be too many chunks of dough in the ice cream.

So that's a small list anyway.

Thumbs up to: Bryan for agreeing to go to Late for the Train with me more times than we should.

Give the ax to: water polo team members who swim in your lane with bad lane etiquette. (Off topic? Yes, but it's on my mind since I was just swimming with the pesky rascals a few hours ago.)

Is It Really Worth It?

I'm going to take a rare moment for cynycism here. I'm finding out that I simply can't do everything I need to or want to anymore; there is just too much to do. What are my priorities? Do I really care so much about getting an A on a test versus having no social life? But then I think, if I don't study as hard as I can, I won't be the best PT I can be, and I could end up seriously injuring someone. So how do I study like a crazy madwoman and still maintain my ideal simplistic lifestyle?

Here is a website I came across recently that deals about what is called the quarter-life crisis: http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/. It's a site for recent graduates/grad students about dealing with the pressures of work, a socail life, and money concerns. Other things I'm doing (besides studying neuro on a Friday afternoon - I swear I'm not!) are knitting/crocheting for project Linus (check it out at www.projectlinus.org), indulging by watching American Idol (maybe 3 days a week is a little too indulgent), and fantasizing about playing flute again.

Thumbs up to: mantaining sanity as I study for the 1st year comprehensive exam at the end of this semester.

Thumbs down to: Starbucks in the South Union running out of soymilk and chai at the same time (a valuable study aid).