I forgot…

Packing up my computer means that it is impossible to write a “final post” (my favorite!).

So this is a day late.

But I am moved. My apartment was packed and sorted and stuffed into a Uhaul trailer, a Jeep and the back of my little car. Surprisingly, there’s still room if we wanted to fit more. I did have to leave behind all five boxes of my books…my parents have promised faithfully that they will mail them soon. They’d better!

Right now, we’re crossing the great and spacious state of Wyoming. We had left last night and went to my hometown for a regrouping and final goodbye before heading out today…Got an hour down the road and realized that we (I) had left the insurance information for the trailer on the table. So we turned around. I have a strange feeling of deja ve… I wondder why. But we finally got everything and are stopped for the night a hundred miles from Nebraska. Here’s hoping we make it on time for my closing on Friday.

I’m tired, so that’s it. I’ll be without internet for some time as I set up house, so don’t let anything important happen!

I got my intern year schedule today (finally! Most everybody else that I’ve talked to have known their schedule since May). And oh, it’s going to be a very busy, crazy year.

I had initially asked for vacation in Sept (for Sam’s wedding), December and May (for Chris’s graduation–I submitted it long before I knew that he would graduate with me) I did get my vacation week for Sam’s wedding… although they have me starting again on Sunday, the 24th, which means, I’d have to fly out on the Saturday, missing the reception. I’ve already written and asked that that be changed.

Then I have a vacation 3 weeks later, and then not another one until May. Seven months without a vacation. So much with the happy little thought of maybe getting to go home for the week prior to Christmas, I was hoping to go to the annual Pleth party, but that will be a no-go.

Worse, those six months are all ward months, all of them, which means 6 days a week, one day off, overnight call every 4th night. I knew this was what I was going to get into, but it seems daunting on paper.

My schedule is as follows:

7/1-7/31 – Medicine Wards, VA Hospital
8/1-8/31 – Neurology
9/1-9/30 – Neuro Intensive Care Unit (Vacation)
10/1-10/31 – Emergency Medicine, Big Hospital* (Vacation)
11/1-11/30 – Medicine Wards, Big Hospital
12/1-12/31 – Neurology
1/1-1/31 – Cardiology Wards, Big Hospital
2/1-2/28 – Medicine Wards, Big Hospital
3/1-3/31 – Medicine Wards, VA Hospital
4/1-4/30 – Neoplastic Consults, VA Hospital
5/1-5/31 – Neurology Consults, Big Hospital (Vacation)
6/1-6/30 – Medicine Wards, Big Hospital
*Hospital name changed slightly for privacy.

Off to pack more. I kinda wish that I had had more time earlier, because I could be having a yard sale and making all kinds of moolah, which since it looks like I was mistaken and I won’t be getting my first pay check until July 31st, I’m definitely starting to feel panicky poor. Why does this all have to be such a pain?

I’ve really underestimated how much time it was going to take to pack up my house.

Not to mention how much stuff I have. This is after the numerous stacks of papers that have been thrown away, the books that have been donated back to the library and the bags of clothes that were donated to the DI (Deseret Industries). I managed to get my books down to 3 boxes; I was much impressed, until I realized that this was not including my medical books which were in another location. My clothes might fit into 3 large suitcases, but they’re sure not looking like they’re going to cooperate. And I still have the three closets and the entire kitchen and most of my bedroom to go.

Ugh.

*dies*

I’m biting…

Ask me my top five of anything. I’ll answer in a later post.

Please do! I could use the procrastination excuse and I’d love to see what kind of lists you come up with.

I haven’t written for a while, I mean a real update. I went to Arizona for the weekend and saw my cousin get married. Very cute girl, marrying a very cute guy, her high school sweetheart. It was nice and seeing family was great.

The house buying turned into a nightmare, but I don’t want to get into it. We finally sorted that all out (I think!) and once I find out from my insurance broker tomorrow which lucky company will be providing me with home insurance, I believe that all of the little and big things will finally come together and I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that on June 23rd, I will be closing on my little house.

I move in less than a week. That’s scary. I’ve started really hitting the packing process (divided the books with my sister today. *sniff* She took Harry Potter and the Dark is Rising sequence… I shall miss them. 🙁 ) and my apartment is a utter disaster. Hopefully, I’ll be done with all of the packing on Friday, leaving the weekend for the massive cleaning. I just realized that I haven’t reserved the UHaul yet. Crap. Must remember to do that tomorrow.

I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to do all of the last minute visits that I had been intending to spend all of June doing… seeing Laura and her kids, going to a dollar show with Liz. We are going to have a Plethora party (in my honor, thank you) on Friday, and I guess that will be my goodbye. My stomach is clenching at the thought. I still have been in complete denial that moving actually means moving.

And to just to top it all off…in less than two weeks, I’ll be expected to be a real doctor. What I really need to be doing is hitting the books, all day long and reviewing everything, so that I won’t look like a complete moron. It’s been months since my last ward month. Months. I don’t know how I’m going to get the time.

You won’t believe what just arrived in the mail!!

My tea from claidheamhmor and melancthe!!

The postal worker looked awfully peeved at handing over the package, but it’s mine, it’s all mine!! I think the poor tea walked here from South Africa, it’s looking rather worn and tired, but I shall treat it well now.

I am so having a cup of rooibos tea right now!

*hugs Claymore and Mel* Thanks, you guys!

I don’t get on my political high-horse very often, but this is getting tiring.

From http://civic.moveon.org :

Everyone expected House Republicans to give up efforts to kill NPR and PBS after a massive public outcry stopped them last year. But they’ve just voted to eliminate funding for NPR and PBS—unbelievably, starting with programs like “Sesame Street.”

Public broadcasting would lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years–threatening one of the last remaining sources of watchdog journalism.

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS again this year:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Last year, millions of us took action to save NPR and PBS, and Congress listened. We can do it again if enough of us sign the petition in time.

This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting. The Boston Globe reports the cuts “could force the elimination of some popular PBS and NPR programs.” NPR’s president expects rural public radio stations may be forced to shut down.

The House and Senate are deciding if public broadcasting will survive, and they need to hear from viewers like you. Sign the petition at:

http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Thanks!

P.S. Read the Boston Globe story on the threat to NPR and PBS at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1864

I’ve already signed the petition, which is sent to your personal representatives. Please make the outcry loud…maybe one day they’ll get the message that we, as Americans, support our public broadcasting stations and the government should as well.

I’ve really underestimated how much time it was going to take to pack up my house.

Not to mention how much stuff I have.

Ugh.

Just passing the word on…

Amazon has the Season 1 DVD of Everwood on sale for $16.99. The WB has not released any other seasons of it on DVD< due to poor sales when it was first released (I'll admit, I didn't buy it). It's now #7 on the Amazon list Amazon link

Normally, I don’t try to encourage consumerism, but if you do like Everwood (or would like to get into it), consider buying the DVD. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll release the other seasons and/or renew Everwood for the midseason once 7th Heaven finally dies and we are rid of that decaying, smelly corpse of a show. 🙂

ETA: I feel like I have now done my civic duty. 🙂 My review for 7th Heaven showed up (so far only one person, my sister, has found the review helpful), but if my 1 star can help bring down the ratings and send a message that decent people don’t like that show, then it’s worth it. And I’ve submitted a review for Everwood as well… 🙂 I feel good.

I headed out of town on pretty short notice for the weekend, up to visit my grandparents. I wish I could have spent a couple more days there…there are so many memories of vacations there… playing “pioneers” under the willows, starting the “Cove Country Cousins Club,” dressing up in the girls dorm. It’s always a place of reflection, of literary and politic discussion with my grandparents, of reminiscing of camping trips (my grandpa can tell some doozies. Although I could have done without all of the mice tales).

It was hard to say goodbye… knowing that it’ll be most likely a year before I see them again… a year when they are already getting older and frailer. They celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary while I was there. 58 years. I started to cry as I left. One more goodbye. One more uncertainty.

I had hoped to stay longer–two days was hardly enough time. But unfortunately, I had business back at home…contacting my bank, faxing contracts and bank statements, writing out checks, because…

I GOT MY HOUSE!

🙂 After a day and a half of bartering with (as Chris put it) persnickety sellers who refused to go down, we managed to reach a settlement that while it wasn’t the best, satisfied everybody. I still have to be approved for the loan, and the place gets inspected tomorrow, but hopefully, the place will close on the 23rd, ready for me to move in.

Wanna see pictures of it? Go here: http://jcd1013.lotrinklings.net/house/house.html. We visited it twice and in that time, the family had already moved out a lot of their belongings, so you can get a sense of what it will look like when I move in with my very meager belongings.

I’m very excited, even with all of the oh-so-fun paperwork. It’s going to be tight living for a while, but I think it’s worth it. I’m already planning out the guest room, to entice many many visits. 🙂