Snowpocalypse

It snowed every day this week, meaning my productivity was at an all time low (since we as a race have failed to adopt hibernation and it takes too much effort to function effectively). I "worked out" from home (since it was too slippy to run to the gym) and classes started late (since it was too slippy to drive to school). I did get a couple good workouts, but even Monday night basketball was cancelled in favor of a last-minute baptism in that building. I can't really be mad, but the communication was a mess, so I ended up attending in sweats instead of a dress. Nobody was surprised in the least. 

This is me bald. 

It snowed 36" on Thursday alone - meaning that classes were cancelled for the first time in my college career. Without a wood burning fire or a good book, I had no reason to stay indoors all day, so I trekked to the institute and shot some hoops. Then Caleb and I went on an adventure where we built our Mexican friends a wall so they would feel more at home. (JK, we're not racists). 

Pretty good for straight powder. 

After playing in three feet of snow, it just kept snowing. Even Phoenix got some - which proves that global warming is a thing. Roads were slightly better, but the plowing system leaves a lot to be desired here. Brandi was able to make it out, which means part 1 of filming for our new YouTube short: JOB was a go. 

Apparently this wasn't bad enough to count for my anything.

I chatted with Moriah a lot this week. We talked about life and classes and HW and her job at Walmart. She said, I just wish I had a day off. (She only works MAYBE twice a week. But she started using her money to buy her own clothes and take her siblings out to eat on special occasions.) My other favorite quote was when I was chatting with the whole fam about how good eyebrows are NOT in the Hutchins gene pool. I said, Derek's got good ones, Trevor, Kevin, Lavinia, and I have halfsies. Nobody else has any eyebrows. Then Moriah chirps in from the other room, I have eyebrows! 

How can you NOT love this girl?!
#ResurrectionMoriah

Saturday was another adventure entirely. I risked it down the mountain to attend Autumn's sealing in Gilbert. I was lovely and my old bishop only tried to set me up a few times. Then I was late to an optometrist appt with a salty old man who I will probably not be seeing again. We had a nice ring ceremony. I ate a pizza, several cheesecakes, and drank half the lemonade. I got to hang out with some old chums. And then I drove back up the mountain and here we are. 

#IntoTheWoods2k19

WeEk fiVe aLrEaDy?

You know what I haven't done since approximately second grade? Written a book report. I don't even know what goes into that. I spend the weekend finishing up How Doctors Think (bless up for quick reading skills) and then got stumped by a silly elementary school assignment.

Lots of basketball this week and we won most of our games. Even against the "best team in the league". My knees handled it ok, but I've got some other things I need to work on.

You know what I don't need to work on? Finding free food opportunities. Besides Louie's Cupboard, I had free pancakes, cereal, pastries, pizza, and an entire French-themed meal cooked by my friend Thomas. What a saint.

I spent Wednesday at an outpatient, hospital-affiliated clinic with a PT grad from NAU. She was delightful and blessed with 1-on-1 patient time for 45 min, which is ideal, really. We saw a few simple cases and a few more puzzling ones. Petra and I are tag-teaming with Kristi to get this figured out. This is the funnest part of my job.

Speaking of puzzling scenarios, I got to go to Phoenix (post-temple trip) for a birthday party of my old coworker with some puzzling neurological deficits of her own. Which makes her bowling skills all the more impressive. Brandi, Caleb, and I profited on pizza and a 40-frame game (where I was a close second thanks to the "sour grapes" rounds where you lose points for not getting a strike). She's wonderful and now she's 40. Cheers to many more, Melissa-

Brandi and I continued our new semester traditions - weekly swimming and monthly service. Lizzy joined us for swimming and we roped Caleb in for the service. We are the fastest box cutters/tapers/organizers known to mankind. It was a good use of a Friday. I'm glad I have friends that will support my crazy and odd endeavors.

As per tradition, here's a bum poem:

Roses are red

If I had one wish

It'd be to touch your tight butt

(Which is like unto a dish).

"We're Athletes"

My body is improving in its ability to handle physical activity. I think it's due to both improved PT-induced weight training strategies and a better recognition of pain patterns. Either way, my 3-a-days are going well, despite a narrow loss in our city league game this Monday.

A sample of the calligraphy Brandi
and I  learned in one night. 

In our clinical cases, we met with a runner whose sacrum tilts whenever she's increasing intensity in her workouts, rectified by some manipulations and added weight training. It was a cool case, but even cooler because I had recently experienced very similar symptoms and it was nice to get a deeper understanding of the mechanism behind it - and how to fix it.

Karen drew a squiggle and asked us to make a picture.
She said there was no way any of us would draw the same picture.
Karen was also wrong.

NAU DPT 2020 had our first neuroscience exam this week and got wrecked. It's usually not as bad as we think it is, but I think Petra offers the opportunity for test corrections for a reason.

Brandi and I experimented with a new recipe this week when we fed the missionaries - which turned out well, despite Caleb's complaints about our "experiments" and requests that we keep cilantro levels down to reasonable levels. Jake even showed up with some gorilla squirts to top it off.

Friday was my first day of availability. Usually I leave my house at 5:30 and come back around 9 or 10pm - maybe stopping by for a few minutes to grab more food or change clothes. But otherwise, it's a place to sleep and maybe shower. But I had some free time and my loan came in, so I was able to get some stuff done - including a new screenplay for a short YouTube retelling of the book of Job.

My girl Terri, literal goddess herself. Crushing life. 

I love hanging out with Brandi because we want to do so many things and usually we're both down for all of it. We started swimming recently. We started doing monthly service projects. We help each other minister and do rescue visits. And Saturday, we went to a leadership conference for $5 where we got unlimited breakfast and lunch, a t-shirt, snacks, and some personal development.

We met up again afterwards for a game night at our friend Kat's house. She's getting baptized soon and is stoked. She also was stoked for this game night and made so much food. I crushed everybody at Quiplash and Mario Party and was the longest standing survivor in Super Smash. My limited video game skills are improving. Marginally.

Tune in tonight for AZ's broadcast with P. Nelson. Just like indoor plumbing, it's gonna be big.

Me Gusta Los Deportes (probably)

I'm amping up the sports this season. It's not too crazy, but sometimes it feels like it on my poor knees. I started playing city league basketball with some guys and Brandi and I now go swimming once a week. In addition to all my other activities.

Neuroanatomy is coming together a little bit after we had a few study sessions this week - which really helped out on the quizzes. We also had to do short presentations for our lab and I was terribly upset when I heard the lab before ours went 20min over their allotted time. Well, we aren't Lab A for nothing and we took 30min LESS and covered all the material. When asked how we performed this miraculous feat, the consensus was "we were scared of Hutch". Not mad, if it gets me out earlier.

Several of my professors graciously agreed to meet with me to discuss future clinical rotations (think May 2020). Unfortunately, they just gave me more options than I thought I had, so now I'm trying to get the school to establish a new contract with several places in Boston. #dream

Lindsey and I discovered Walnut Canyon - a short, easy hike amidst a slew of ancient caves we could touch and climb into. It was a wonderful, relaxing hike with beautiful views and lively conversation. And all I could think was how beneficial it probably was for my pineal gland.

Because I had a craving, I convinced Brandi to have a group over for a cookout Saturday night. It started a little dimly, but ended with a bang. The burgers were good and the company was better. No complaints other than I wish it could've lasted longer (but I have a prompt bedtime at 9:30).