Hashtag Winning

The PT continues this week with a lot of hip stuff in addition to the pull-ups, squats, and lunges I've included in my home exercise program. I can still walk, but not much more. I figured out that part of my woes are due to a Vitamin D deficiency, so I started taking that, along with my regular iron and glucosamine, and added a multivitamin so I can make Mimi proud.

Looking like Grampy over here. 

Since my second clinical site cancelled on me, I had to find another. Which was actually somewhat convenient as Becky offered to let me live with her at that exact time, since her house will be finished. So I had a pseudo-interview with a clinic down there to work out some details and hopefully that will all be finalized in the next week.

My insurance only covers dental emergencies and not routine cleaning, so I took advantage of the school's cheap dentistry via its students. Which was a mistake. If you hate the dentist, never do this. It is one thousand times worse and I normally like the dentist. But my teeth are cleaned and I saved $400 in doing it.

 I won another pair of AirPods via a mail scratch off.

Roger and I went out for ice cream and a stroll through Barnes and Noble. Which is arguably more dangerous than a sporting good store. And I inevitably left, book in hand, $15 poorer. I did manage to draw it out so I didn't finished until Saturday. And now I just want the sequel. Which is 5 minutes and so many dollars away. Curse that boy.

I woke up early Friday to get in my P90X yoga pre-class. I took 2 tests and a quiz and did a few assignments and covered a swim practice with David, the AT student. I also covered a LAX game for NAU on Saturday and another swim practice. It was frigid, and we crushed Fort Lewis, but good money.



We had the annual Ladies Night event, Knights for our Ladies, and it was a roaring success (despite all worries to the contrary). We had the PT school crew ready to go, taking down all the extra chicken-fried steak. The entertainment was also singular - a nice love duet by two men, a boy band rendition that went a little wild, and a cooking on a budge PB&J guide.

Take Two. 

I spent the rest of the weekend cleaning the stove and the rest of the house in general - getting it ready for a special event next weekend, collecting items for CT, and another box for Goodwill. Only problem is that I seem to keep collecting books somehow. Odd.

And I made bread again. It's yummy. 

CSM Week

I felt better this week. Partially because I got some sunshine over the weekend. Partially because I got to work with Jason in PT. He's got me doing squats and pullups and just taking my concerns seriously. And partially because we had no school after Tuesday for a big PT meeting.

What did I do with all this free time? Homework. Seriously, I needed this to catch up with some things and prepare for next week. Not sure how everyone that attended the conference is faring. I wrote my capstone draft, and prepped/took a quiz, I took an online exam, and another quiz, and did a few assignments. Ridiculous.

I took a stroll at Buffalo Park one day. 

I hung out with Becky and Paislee for an evening to get a break. She had me playing police with her and kept trying to send me to jail with mardi gras beads tied around my hands.

On Friday, I ran down for a quick session at the temple, which was very much appreciated. I ran into a few people I know and then had lunch with Jeff and Brandee. Jeff was mad that I even suggested he'd be into vegetables and ignored my recommendation of further PT for his still-hurting shoulder.

Even though we don't really believe in VDay, Roger got me some Sunny D (as a bad joke). And we went out to Texas Roadhouse with Hannah and Markies and Aurora who came to town for the weekend. We left with 3 baskets worth of rolls and some leftovers.

The reason to go to TX Roadhouse. 

We had an early lunch with Lindsey in the mansion she's taking care of. Roger cooked homemade and well-seasoned deer burgers, which were perfection.

The long-awaited 3v3 tournament was a success - despite several attempts to uproot us by last-minute funerals and baptisms. We had eight teams and some dang good pizza and wings and I wasn't even super stressed out. I did forget to mention to Hannah/Markies that we live at 7,000ft elevation and so they were NOT prepared for that. Which is the reason we're saying they didn't make it to the finals.

After we all showered, we played Hutchins Guess Who and reminisced about Guilt and watched some movie in the background. I played with Aurora because I kind of look like Hannah and I can trick her into playing with me.

They came to church with us in the family ward - where Roger and I also had Marshall, Paislee, and Archer. All the kids were scared, but enthralled by each other. The NV Crew departed post-sacrament and the rest headed over to Carol's for another BBQ for Marshall's first birthday. And then I napped.

Let's Get This Bread

The good news is that I'm still stupid good at finding free food. The bad news is that my body hates food right now. Brandi and I went over to Palmer's buddy's place again for the Superbowl and went home with goody bags of ribs, pork chops, drum sticks, macaroni salad, breadsticks, and more. And Roger brought me another box of ribs from his family's party.

This is just about half of it. 

My boss at NAU got extra tickets to the football signing day party, and I went for the food and my buddy Nez. And feast, we did. I had New York tenderloin, and oysters, and crab legs (that I was scared of), and mashed potatoes in a martini glass, and so many desserts, and 2 free drinks, and a salad bar for anyone interested. I only wish I could have grabbed a to-go box. But I skedaddled out of there before they started asking everyone for donations.

MGH's creepy smile. 

Roger made a steak and potato casserole for lunch on Thursday before he went quail hunting with his buddies. After I had an angry meeting with the future GoBIG humans. And I made him gourmet french toast for dinner on Friday and we got free pizza for second dinner. After I vacuumed my car out.

The desert. 

I met with Joe Carter to get my PT shooting event approved. And helped my patient GD learn to fish and box again. My track boy BD had an impromptu consult with some of our professors. And I went to my own PT a few times. Which my body hated. But that's showbiz baby.

The desert, part two. 

I met Roger down south so we could meander (I say "meander" because I am incapable of walking in a straight line) down the streets of Cottonwood. We hit up a garage sale where Roger bought an old record and I snagged a game of Uno for free. We checked out the shops and ended up eating at Plaza Bonita, a Mexican feasting arena the likes of which we WILL be visiting again.

Enraptured and taunting our families. 

Then I watched this babe lift during Sacrament.

Lesssss gooooo. 

I Can Walk

After a busy weekend of classes, we started off the week with another 8 hour day, including a practical exam. This one was in front of our whole lab and took volunteers who wanted to go next. However, every time I kept trying to get up, someone would race to the front of the room. So I consigned myself to go during part 2 on Thursday. And I crushed it.

Neuro clinic is set up a little differently this semester, since I was assigned to work together with Speech/Language students. We have 10 weeks (instead of 6) and 3 PTs + an instructor and 2 SLPs + an instructor for our one patient. Versus last semester, when it was just me and RB. It just seems like a lot more work to have so many people involved.

For one of my clinical rotations, I'm working at a VA hospital, which requires enormous amounts of paperwork, including getting fingerprinted at the nearest VA. Unfortunately, my nearest VA doesn't actually do fingerprinting, so I had to drive 1h45 to the boonies of Prescott to get it done after my patient. Because they're only open M-Th until 4pm.

I promise they actually like me. 

I wasn't totally upset about the drive though, because I got to hang out with Becky and Paislee. I like them. 

Friday, we didn't have much class, so I spent the morning learning statistics and programming for my research. Because I was tired of watching useless internet tutorials. And then I worked part of the track meet - where we did surprisingly well. I worked again on Saturday and got free lunch, to see some records broken, and to actually do some AT stuff.

I got off in time to go to the free movie on campus, Maleficent 2. Roger argued that it wasn't as good as the first one, but I appreciated some of the jokes.