Welcome to Miami

So big news, I'm going to MIAMI for 5th semester!!!!!!! (once I get through the hell that is shaping out to be 4th semester). Instead of dealing with the application process and selection nonsense for Michigan and the insecurity of not knowing if you'll even get in, Bela and I (convinced by our friend Jon) will be living together in a super nice townhouse/condo thing. Its called Ludlam Point, and its located in the Coral Gables area. You can check out what they rent out here. We will be staying in "The Beacon" model- 2 bed 2 bath, that will be fully furnished, water and electricity included, with a washer and dryer for $1000 each per month... which is pretty darn cheap unless you wanted to rent a room in somebodies house. They even allow dogs of any sizes! But I will most likely end up just adding to my fish collection because they are soooo much easier.

The next mini is in a week, so its once again crunch time. But the weekend after the mini is jam packed with events- the 4th semester banquet, Splash Bash, and more I'm sure. All I can say currently is that we are all feeling the pressure, and are having to dig deep down inside to muster the will to keep studying. It is BRUTAL! That being said, I am going to continue to study, or at least try to.

~Kristen

Happy Valentines Day- almost

So its been a busy few weeks since my birthday. I lay it out for you here quickly... First I had to Study Study Study, then I took a test, went to the Beach Bash after the test, studied some more, and then went to a surprise for my friend Kieran yesterday, and now its back to study study study. The parties were definitely a blast, but the test- not so much. I did not do as well as I would have hoped, BUT I did do better than I was doing last semester, which is good.

In island news, I'm not sure if you heard, but yesterday pretty much everything was covered in volcanic ash because a cap or dome of some sort on a volcano on a neighboring island collapsed and ash went everywhere. Here's the link they sent us- www.mvo.ms I didnt know this for a while and just kept wondering why everything was so damn dusty. Ha.

I still havent decided what to do for 5th semester yet. Lots of my friends are headed towards Miami, but like I said, I dont know if I want to throw my name in the ring for Michigan. All I do know, is that the countdown is at 68... I made a website for this semester too- COUNTDOWN

OH! I almost forgot the biggest scandal of the week!!!! On Tuesday morning, at approximately 5:15 AM my backpack was stolen from my apartment. How- you may ask??? I was staying at a beach cottage with Bela that night so I wasnt there, but basically the burglars took the screen off my back window and went fishing. Fishing because all of my windows are barred and the door was locked so they couldnt physically get into my apartment, but they did happen to have a 12 ft 2x1 with a nail in the end that they used to hook my backpack. Then they pulled it out of my apartment. Lucky for me my computer was NOT in there... but I sadly realized that the charger to my computer was, basically rendering my laptop useless in 1 hours time. SO I called security and the police (which by the way- the police here STILL havent called me back... I'm supposed to be waiting to hear back from them- I called TUESDAY!!!!!!! so Law Enforcement here is about as useful as a poopy flavored lollipop) and reported it. It turns out that a neighbor called security because she was woken up by the thieves fishing, and security had recovered most of my belongings from the backpack. I.E. the thieves stole my backpack, and instead of just taking it and running, they emptied it outside of my apartment (they didnt want my tampons and chapstick apparently.... but they also didnt want my COMPUTER CHARGER!!!) So happy day I got it back from security! :) But not before I had to fight them for it. They still have a bunch of my stuff but wont let me have it because maybe the Magistrate will want to take these guys to court and they will need it for evidence. I asked how long that would take, and the answer was "I dont know, it could be days, weeks, months, or years..." Ridiculous right. Then I asked if I could just drop the charges, because they dont have my backpack anyways, and his response "so then all of our efforts would have been in vein?" ARE YOU KIDDING!!! The security here is the biggest f*ing cluster f*** I have ever seen. All they do is sit on their arses all day watching students come and go and drive around. I think the robbery at my place was the first in almost a months time... So give me a break here! (sorry for the vent, but I'm fed up with it).

Anyways, here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

<3 ~Kristen

Another Successful Journey Around the Sun

One year older... and one year wiser?? Lets hope so :) So I had a pretty fantastic weekend. On Friday we went to the beach for my birthday, because Friday was "Research Day" which meant that there was no class, but instead Ross brings in speakers that students have the option to go listen to in the morning. I had ICM so I couldnt go, but at 3 pm we met up at the beach. I will put some pictures up from that.

Then for Saturday the plan was to try out this new Indian food place for dinner at my friend Jon's house. I was never to keen on this though because all of my friends that had gone there all said it had sucked, but whatever. But at around 3 pm on Saturday I got a serious case of heartburn and thought I was going to die. Its a good thing that my friend Kieran had some tums though and I felt better eventually... its a good thing too, because when I went over to meet my friends at Jon's place I was pleasantly surprised to find that we weren't actually getting Indian food, but instead they threw me a SURPRISE PARTY!!!!! It was amazing. All of it.... the food, the people, the fact that they planned it. All amazing. I was definitely surprised. They gave me a new Tupperware bowl for popcorn (because I broke another one of mine) and popcorn to go in it. And Kieran got me some mace. I will post pictures from that too.

What else is going on... well they decided that now would be a great time to add the 3rd floor to my apartment building. You know now that I could finally study at home because I didnt have a neighbor with kids, and it was peaceful and lovely... yeah. So basically it sounds like they are trying to juggle elephants but keep dropping them every day from 8-4. Other than that, nothing much else is happening as of yet... Our first test is on Feb. 8th so we are all working for that.

~Kristen

Photo Guide: (because it doesnt let me put the description by the picture....)
1) Josh
2) Charles
3) Me... all on friday
4) I blew all 23 out
5)The people at my party... from the left: Ben, Josh, Bela, Jon, Charles, Me, and Kieran
6)I was very very surprised.

I'm BAAACK!

Well I made it back to island safe and sound. There were a few minor hitches in the initial travels... ie I had to magically make 30 pounds disappear from my checked bag before they could go on the plane. Needless to say I had a very very heavy carryon. So far we have already had 27 hours of class plus ICM endeavors, and we all already feel behind, but still are going out this weekend because it will be the only one where we can "afford" it timewise. So yesterday our little group went out to dinner, and on Sunday Bela and I with other various friends are going river tubing. Then my social life is no more. :(

Disney world was a lot of fun, just as it should be. I dont really know what to say about it, but that it was a very good idea, and I'm glad we went, but it was pretty chilly. I had to bought another sweatshirt, and wore a hat and gloves the whole time, but compared to -2.... 45 is great.

Here are some pictures of the various excursions.

2 weeks

This very well may be my last post before you see me because there are- as the title states- only 2 weeks left (actually only 13 days- I will be home on the 14th day).

Monday is the start of our final tests- its a Pathology lab final. Then Wednesday is our Mini 3, then the Wednesday after that- the 16th- is our cumulative final. They all promise to be terrible, so all I can say is "hold on to your butts."

The pictures are from a 2hour beach excursion for my friend Charles' 30th birthday (thats him in the 3rd picture). Other than that I havent been doing to much- I baked a lot last week... Pumpkin Bars, Chocolate Chip cookies, and a brownie (had to get rid of my sugar and butter somehow and I found no better alternative).

Back to studying for me. Today I have to work in the anatomy lab from 5:40 till 7ish because of a 1st semester exam, so I need to be productive before that. And to prove that fact to you-- Duloxitine is a SNRI, Tolcapone is a COMT inhibitor, and I really just want to shoot myself. hahaha. I cant wait to be home.

~Kristen

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a great dinner! I will be dining courtesy of SGA- a take it to go turkey diner. I'm not expecting much seeing as it only cost 15ECs, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. Then this weekend we will have our own little post Thanksgiving/birthday celebration pot luck of sorts.


Anywho- home soon. http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?month=12&day=16&year=2009&hour=16&min=0&sec=0&p0=226 very soon. (but you have to add a day to that because THAT counter is my time till I'm off the island counter... so by that time- if all goes well, I will be in San Juan checking into my hotel room for the evening)

~Kristen

Its the final countdown!

>>>Insert cheesy music here<<<

Well, its that time... finally. Less than one month and I'll be HOME!!!! woot woot!!! Not much has happened here that is worth mentioning besides from these few points.

Today was the Powderpuff game. I had gone to one practice and one practice only because I needed to study (this semester is kicking my butt). So needless to say I was a little rusty, but whatever. Sadly, I ended up getting jacked in the face by this crazy ass girl that was playing on the other team... right in the jaw by her elbow, so the next play we met again and I headbutted her in the face. It was all to much, and I ended up leaving before it was over because I was so mad with how it was being played and ref'ed, so I dont know how it ended, but I think we lost. Which is pretty sad because the 3rd and 4th semester team hasnt lost a game in years. hahahaha!

Other news, I finally saw some roadkill today that was not a centipede, or a land crab- a cow finally got pummeled. As sadistic as that sounds, let me inform you- people here drive like freaking maniacs, and the cows roam free, and walk, and poop, and do whatever they want wherever they want- including the road. It was only a matter of time. My theory (because it was a calf that was dead) is that the car saw the big momma cow and swerved to miss it, and then took out the baby. BUT the roadkill cow- which was there at 7:11 am, was gone when I came back from the market at 7:41 am, so I will not be buying anything at the food shacks that is beef in the near future.

Thats all I've got now. Got to study for some practicals in ICM and Behavioral Sciences... the classes that we actually get to touch people and feel and listen for problems.

~Kristen
25 days


Picture guide: 1) My best attempt at an "angry" face. 2) My name: Discostick #99. 3) My personal favorite... my what the hell just happened picture... The blonde girl on the top of the pile is playing defense on the other team and started before our QB hiked the ball, so I didnt even move to stop her, but I didnt have to- because she collided with another played on her team. They hit each other so hard, the blonde on top came out with 2 huge gashes on her face most likely requiring stitches. Serves you right.