The week of Dec 2, was my last few days of normal resemblance of life.... I attended a Christmas party and almost felt normal. It nice to have 4 hours to drink and talk, and see Christmas decorations with friends. Sadly - this year was very rough on me. I didn't do Christmas at my house, at all..... no lights, no tree, no decorations, no candles, no candies, no nothing.... and if you know me I'm about 1 degree of separation from Buddy the Elf when it comes to my Christmas antics/shenanigans....
So I was slightly depressed and knew I was heading into the abiss after the last post, I was heading into the "commons." Common exams are done all over WWAMI (Wash, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) with a standardized test created by faculty conglomerations from all sites. It is there means to check that we are all learning the same things across all the sites. They give us a review session around midday and then we have about 36 hours to tackle all the material. We are required to at least score a 70% on this not so "common" test and average 70% in each class to pass first year. I had one last set of "concurrent" exams that Monday and then jumped into Commons. Concurrents, btw, are tests concurrently held across all the sites in one day. These tests are written individually by course chairs. We are given from 8am-noon to accomplish these exams. In that case, 4 exams (Systems of Human Behavior, Cell Physiology, Biochemistry, and Histology). So finished a day of 4 hour concurrent testing to have about 18 hours off before beginning the gauntlet of Commons. Commons were miserable and yet I passed them all with flying colors. 2 weeks of hell. I now regret ever complaining about finals WEEK in college.... this was much worse. Hence, Friday, Dec. 16, the last common exam ended at noon, and we immediately were ushered into a WWAMI health sciences Christmas party potluck. I made Spicy Thai Noodles (so easy btw - crushed red peppers, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, honey, linguine, cilantro, carrots, and peanuts-DONE!) and they were a hit...
if you want the recipe message me :D The chistmas potluck was a smorgasbord of culinary delights and after 2 hours of gorging I didn't think I could go on...... but I did.. lol... grabbing a 6 pack and heading over to a classmates for board games... This was pretty entertaining times, brain's fried, bellies' full, sleep inertia calling, imbibing, with people 1/8 of the way to their MD and just smart enough to make asses of themselves...... lol... We then left game time to head to Pacific Pizza, a pizza joint on cannon across from the elk, to gorge ourselves some more... this led to drinking, drinking led to Mootsy's and Mootsy's eventually led to Jimmy'z - a night of mishaps, mayhem, and medical students... :D good times.... I think I slept thru saturday and didn't wake up til Sunday!!! (not really but I probably should have.)
This gave me a day or 2 to recover before shipping out to CA with the pups for 10 days! and boy did that fly by fast. Diego was on a steroid regime to try and straighten out his twisted femur from an incorrect surgery from him being stepped on last year. He had to take steroids and then go for a 2 mile walk every day... and I wasn't complaining about it in the California Sunshine and 75+ degree weather in December.... The few days before Christmas were a zoo and last minute here and there's of shopping. Christmas eve I got to see "the best brother in the world" (or so he signed his christmas card), and some other family which was nice. Then my family went up to my Auntie's House for the last annual gathering at her house. Christmas eve had some newbies this year with several new babies being born to my cousins, and boy were they some cuties! Makes me ALMOST want to have one lol..... My Auntie (Yvonne) is the one moving up to Elk this year and will no longer be hosting this Eve tradition. I cannot remember a year of my life not going up to her house. And my childhood memories of running amok with my cousins over her desert trodden acreage creating havoc are stories we still reminiscence about often. I am excited to have her up here in WA but sad that Christmas eve will never be the same! There is something else interesting about this Eve day tradition.... the food. My family, who is portuguese, not latino, has enchiladas, beans, rice, queso dip, etc for christmas eve dinner.... (and it has been this way, again, for as long as i can remember).... followed, of course, by my Mom's UNBEATABLE once a year Christmas Cookies.... she averages about 15 DIFFERENT kinds of cookies that, like I said, she only makes once a freaking year - which means these babies are in high demand!!!!
Christmas Day comes quickly and always begins the same..... I have to wake up... (and if you know me, you know I hate mornings)... and separate out all the gifts to my mom, dad, grammy, other family members, and myself. Well my pile always is the largest (duh, winning!) but this year my mother's pile was pretty large too!!! So after we all have coffee/tea, a cookie/pastry and are settled into our proper locations, the gift opening begins.... My dad got tools, golf these, gadgets, and of course movies.... Grammy got clothes and wine things as she is now a wino :), Mom got a wifi Bose portable jambox for her iphone, major jewelry, pottery barn christmas plates, her private stock captain morgan, clothes, etc... she made out pretty well.... I can't complain though :D Christmas brings me the greatest gifts...
I got cooking supplies, clothes, jewlery, makeup, dvds, books, a clairsonic, more clothes, lol, a spongebob sign with my motto "Keep calm and carry on" customized for me, headbands, gloves, etc (except no shoes! lol)... After the exhaustion of opening gifts, my mother makes homemade waffle batter for homemade waffles.... (I just eat cookies and bacon tho).... This year we had a wonderful addition ... my hs friend Lawrence. Lawrence and I go waaaaaay back lol, from when he threatened to kill my hs sweetheart to stealing my license plate/frame to his ex gf threatening to bomb my mailbox.... oooo the memories hehe - but really Lawrence is a great guy who happens to share my love for coke, cars, cosas latinas, cookies, and food! We always have a great time hanging out and he is now basically part of the family. He, however, gets away with murder sometimes with me... For example, I hate pet names, but for some reason he has called me "Cupcake" for as long as I have known him... and as much as I threaten him, he doesn't stop... well this year I was ecstatic when he bought me my "cupcake" necklace (which happened to come in a robin egg's blue box- YE-AH!!!) Check it out! Pure Perfection... Lawrence - you have impeccable taste!
So after Christmas brunch, my family packs up and we head over to my "Uncle" Scott and "Aunt" Barbara's house.... My dad has known Scott since they were in grade school and they have been best friends for forever, Scott was my dad's best man... etc.... Well again, interesting Christmas Dinner here... Scott is Japanese, and Barbara is Mexican = California rolls, chili rellenos, deep fried turkey, mimosas, etc.... glorious epicurean delights. and add my mom's cookies again :D this year, my grandmother went with us as well, which was awesome because she taught me this new card game called "hand and foot" and I am addicted to it! Getting to spend time with my grammy at Christmas is such a blessing. I can't even remember the day after Christmas, I think I spent it recovering from mimosas---- and devouring the hunger games trilogy on my ipad..... side note - LOVED this series. Read all 3 books in about 3 days.... couldn't put them down... so now you need to buy it and read it! :D
Tuesday after Christmas was the slight hiccup in traditions (which my family is huge into in case you couldn't tell).... generally my mom and I go to Disneyland on the 22 or 23 every year... but with the way chrismas fell, my mom wanted to wait... so on the 27 we went... and boy we will NEVER do that again.... it was a freaking ZOO!!!! we also had Grace and Jacob Henke (the beautiful bride who I was maid of honor for who broke the chandelier (see earlier post)) and Nancy, jacob's mom with us.... Grace had NEVER been to Dland, so she got her 1st visit pin AND a newlywed pin! she bought the wedding ears and the day was just so happy (minus the fact that dland hit capacity and had to close its gates lol----WAAAAYYYY TO busy for my taste).... all in all I am always happy with a day at the happiest place on earth decorated for the holidays and befit with fake falling snow... :D
The next few days were a blur of studying and getting ready for school...... School started at a sprint on day one and this past monday I already completed the first concurrent exams of the new year / spring semester.... and while this time it was only 3 classes, it felt like more.....
So as I sit here blogging I can't believe that I am 1/8 of the way to my Amy Newton M.D. - That's all for now - Keep Calm and Carry on y'all :D
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