Filling in the Gaps

Compartments

2010-06-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

In the TV show, Alias, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) provides an excellent case study on compartmentalization. Many of the episodes in the first 2-3 seasons are thematically related as Sydney learns how to allow the different compartments of her life to overlap and strive to establish balance. She feels scared at the vulnerability associated with breaking down the walls she has carefully cemented around her, but she experiences joy and love as she establishes more balance in her life.

I have been reflecting on the compartments of my life and have realized that marriage requires the dynamiting of one's walls around compartments, but a healthier balance results. While there will always be natural boundaries established by distances between social groups, which are particularly large due to the broad nature of my interests, I feel less polarized than I ever have before. My compartments do not seem as distinctly defined. The post-collegiate lacrosse league that I play in allows me to compete and interact with people that my co-workers from my most recent clinical placement at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge will never meet (unless I were to facilitate it, and that would be kind of weird). I love learning about, discussing and debating health and fitness topics, but I also enjoy being well-read on current events and minimizing my ignorance about politics, economics, and government. I enjoy being pampered, getting pedicures, and wearing perfume, but I love the mountains and could care less about being clean when I am hiking or camping.

Despite my currently diverse set of interests, there is one force that helps me to create a better balance between them all; Dan is genuinely interested in all of the compartments that make me tick. Prior to marriage, my family provided support for each of my compartments, but their influence was limited by distance and decreased interaction. Now, Dan is at every lacrosse game (that I have enough time or energy to go to), debates every topic with me, gets to know as many of the other participants in my compartments as he can, insists that I get massages, pedicures, and perfume, and mountaineers with me (including allowing me to get a mountain board!). As a result, my interest in lacrosse doesn't seem as far removed from my desire to be well-read in current events because I can share all of it with Dan and he can help me to establish balance.

I have realized that this is one of the most distinct benefits of marriage. Ironically, this is the one that scares a lot of people from long-term commitment to one person. Some perceive the destruction of compartmental walls as bad, but I have come to know that it is very much superior to designing our lives like a filing cabinet.

Here are some pictures from some of the compartments of OUR lives these days:

Collective Soul Concert in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. Followed by camping in New Hampshire and playing in the White Mountains. An amazing weekend!

You can't fully see it, but the waterfall here had carved a natural waterslide that was very tempting to try and ride. However, Dan and I had a competition to see how long we could keep our feet in the water (it was probably less than 40 degrees! So cold!), and neither of us could keep our feet in for more than 30 seconds at a time. This area of the White Mountains is called Franconia Notch, and has some of the most majestic waterfalls I have ever seen!

This tree was growing on top of a HUGE boulder.

After climbing Cannon Mountain. It was really windy on the summit.

In front of A. Bronson Alcott's Concord School of Philosophy, meetingplace for many of the early Transcendentalists.

I am going to miss going to school in the Charlestown Navy Yard. I eat lunch every day with this view.

And here is a picture from our wedding day! No, the backdrop is not fake... A classmate asked me if it was!

Sleep-therapizing!

2010-05-21T07:03:00.001-07:00

Apparently, I have been performing physical therapy on Dan in my sleep. Not just from my spot next to him in bed. Apparently, I walk around the bed to his side of the the bed, stand next to him, and demand in a very stern voice, "Now I want you to sit up. First reach for the bedrail and then I will help you to sit up safely." This has happened multiple nights this week. I barely remember performing therapy on a very difficult patient in my dreams, one that would not respond to my directions, and then realizing it was Dan. I also remember on two occasions thanking Dan for "letting me practice on him." However, I do not remember walking around to the other side of the bed and I am definitely never aware of the full extent of what I am doing.

In my defense, I have had physical therapy on my mind lately! I am sure it just a short phase, like some children who wet the bed (haha), but Dan hopes the humor and entertainment continues for a long time.

I just finished my second full-time clinical affiliation with Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, a local long-term acute care hospital that facilitates further medical management and provides a setting for all rehabilitation for patients that are very, very sick. I primarily worked with patients who have neurological or oncological diagnoses, and got a crash course in progressive brain cancers, multiple myeloma, graft verses host disease, and other rare neurological disorders. I had two patients pass away while I was their primary therapist and dealt with multiple complex family situations surrounding providing end-of-life of care.

I also saw people make incredible gains and be able to resume a good quality of life after being diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening disease and undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and other very advanced medical treatments. Most of the patients did not leave without their disease, but made good gains with therapy to be able to leave the hospital (to a skilled nursing facility or to home, on rare occasion).

My experience made me think a lot about what is most valuable in the end to most human beings. In the end of one's life, family relationships seem to be the strongest, enough to provide a person who is very ill with motivation to improve, emotional support, and a sense of purpose. It isn't a boss, it isn't a teacher, it isn't even friends (usually). There were a few patients that I had that did not have good family support and never had anyone visit them in the hospital. They were more apathetic about making progress, felt less of a need to return to any particular level of social responsibility or social role, and did not do as well with physical therapy as other patients who had the family support. I am very grateful for the family support that I have: a husband who would do anything to make me happy or comfortable, and a family that is always there, no matter what happens. I plan to try to make my family relationships as strong as I can, as it is what matters in the end.

I am also in the process of applying and interviewing for multiple final internship positions throughout Boston. The locations where I will be interviewing are:

Spaulding Hospital Cambridge
Spaulding Rehabilitation Outpatient - Medford
Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Community Rehab Care
Hallmark Health - Melrose-Wakefield Hospital

After 3 more months of classes (I start again on Monday), I will be starting my final one-year internship, and in February of 2011, I will be taking my boards! I will graduate in May 2011, one year from now!

Who can decifer real from surreal?

2009-11-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

This is a fun time, full of busy days and lots of getting back in touch with friends and family as Daniel and I gather addresses. There are lots of tests, papers, and school assignments to do, but I am past the half way point with school. That is a great feeling. I am on a downhill slope towards working full-time in a clinic!

We are having an engagement party on Friday, so there will be fun pictures from that soon!

Middle of the Semester

2009-11-08T22:31:00.001-08:00

It's the middle of the semester. I just finished midterms and am getting started with term papers. I am right in the thick of wedding planning. I am busy!

Here are some great things that Daniel and I have been able to do lately:

1. Fiddler on the Roof! Topol's farewell tour. Dan surprised me with tickets on Friday night! It was so much fun. Yummy, yummy Thai food to begin the awesome date.

2. Gather addresses. Please let us know your addresses, everyone! The time is winding down, we have got to get these things out soon.

3. Enjoy people's reactions when they learn we are to be married December 22. Many of our church friends thought we were crazy for dating for 13 months before getting engaged, whereas my classmates are shocked at what they believe to be a short courtship and an insanely short engagement. It surely is a lot to get done in 3 months, but there is nothing I am more excited to do than marry Daniel. The sooner the better!

4. Dinner at Clark and Guinevere's. It is such a wonderful treat to have family close by.

5. Order plane tickets for Thanksgiving. We are going home to each person's respective homes (separately, sadly) for Thanksgiving. I will miss Daniel terribly...

6. Catch up on some movies we have been wanting to watch lately.

7. Went to a great LDS Education Conference in Boston.

8. Seen lots of friends who were in town for various reasons. Great to see you, if you fit in this category and happen to be reading this.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Here is a link to our facebook group with information about our wedding events, an invitation to leave your address, and some pictures. I hope the link works. Please leave your addresses there, email them to me, or call me.

Thanks everyone!

Claire

Engaged to be married!!

2009-09-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the announcement you all have been waiting for... Daniel and I are engaged to be married! Dan proposed to me at a beautiful lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts yesterday evening. It was perfect.

2009-09-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is over. Class has begun again. With one major, exciting change. Dan is in Boston!!! Dan transferred to Boston University to finish up his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He and I spent the summer in our respective internships, working long hours and enjoying the evenings and weekends together. What a fun summer it was! I spent my August with family, mostly, as I was able to be in San Diego for 2 and a half weeks and was able to spend a lot of time out with Guinevere and my mom in Framingham, MA at the end of the month! Guinevere had an amazingly beautiful boy named Cassius Woolstenhulme. He is so much fun to interact with and I love him so much.

This semester will be as intense as every other one thus far, with 19 credits and a couple of very difficult subjects in Management of Neuromuscular Disorders and "Spine". I will learn how to treat major and minor neurological and spinal insults/injuries of all sorts this semester! I am really excited.

So, there is a very brief update on current affairs.

Love you all!

The New York Times and Physical Therapy

2009-07-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has put together an impressive list of articles recently published and pertaining to physical therapy.

Here is the link.

There are some interesting ones such as Physical Therapy and the Camaraderie of Healing, which is a first-hand account from a patient who learned to respect physical therapy after a minor arthroscopic surgery with just a few incisions to repair a torn meniscus. A relatively common surgery, this can be a surprisingly frustrating and painful and debilitating surgery at first. Rehabilitation can be slow, but the prognosis for return to previous levels of activity is very, very good.

Another relates a woman's struggle to cope with losing the ability to walk after the progression of a rare neurological condition. The author discusses the frustrations of having to cope with a chronic illness, discover new ways to perform daily activities, and be grateful for every little gain that she makes.

I am currently deep into a summer internship at Spaulding Rehab in Medford, MA. Spaulding is consistently one of the top 5 rehab hospitals in the country every year. They have a very prestigious chronic pain of neurological etiology program that works wonders in many patients' lives. It allows them to manage the pain that has, in most cases, removed them entirely from their previous activities, brought on other complications such as depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, and psychosocial issues such as divorce or kinesiophobia. They return to functioning with good body mechanics, proper use of pain control modalities other than pain meds, and sometimes return to work and support themselves instead of remaining on disability.

Physical therapy is growing in respect nationwide because of the effects that patients report after an episode of physical rehabilitation care. It is exciting to see.

Therapeutic Exercise Boot Camp

2009-05-06T08:13:00.001-07:00

There were 4 days of bliss. I had a 4-day break after a grueling semester. And now I am back in school. For two weeks, I am participating in an intense block of 2 classes, which is something similar to a boot camp for 1) devising exercise programs for patients and 2) teaching patients of all ages.

It is intense, but it is fun. 60-100 pages of reading per night, with 1-2 chapters and multiple articles assigned for each class. And 8-9 hours of class per day. We also get a LOT of hands on practice. I am beginning to feel much more comfortable with my decisions. I feel more confident that I am influencing effectual changes. It is good preparation for the endurance that will be needed this summer in my internship, when I am in a physical therapy clinic for 8-10 hours a day!

In other news, the weather is amazing and I am able to play BASKETBALL again! My knee is doing well and I am beginning to be able to run and do some side-to-side motions! YAY!

What is everyone doing for the summer? Anything fun?

Spring and Finals

2009-04-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

So, another semester is nearing its end. And I am starting to stress, as is often the trend in the last two weeks of school. But the stress is more of a controlled stress than it has been in the past. Perhaps I have become slightly conditioned to the stress and I am just now finally learning that the best strategy when the amount of work increases is to pace myself and stick to a plan. Education is not only about learning material, but it is also about learning the skills needed to master the amount of work for each class. Intelligence may be the innate ability to pick up new concepts, but patience, planning, collaboration with others, and enduring to the end are learned behaviors that are essential for survival. I have had to work hard at learning these.

In the research paper that has consumed my entire semester, I am discussing the role of exercise on patients 55 or older who already have a diagnosis of mild to moderate heart failure (congestive, classified by the New York Heart Association as Class II or III). Up until 15 years ago, clinicians (doctors and physical therapists) were scared to exercise these patients for fear that increasing the workload on an already inefficient heart would be detrimental and even fatal. However, groundbreaking new research shows that exercise is absolutely essential to maintaining heart function and that if the exercise is performed below an ischemic level, it can actually reverse some of the characteristics of a failed heart. Ischemia is a lack of blood flow to the heart, which can kill heart tissue and conducting cells, causing myocardial infarctions (heart attacks). In exercising individuals, ischemic levels are subjectively felt by the patient as angina, chest pain that is specific to the individual and is felt in different ways by every single patient.

I mention this research because it has become something very intriguing to me and also because it illustrates the great benefit of managed stress. The ability to push past our limits of comfort is part of makes us human. Physically, we have the ability to overpower what our muscles and joints are telling us because of the highly sophisticated brain that we have. Few species can claim this ability. Pushing on in schooling, work, recreation, exercise, and in every other area of our life causes an increase in amount of stress we have to handle, sometimes beyond what we are currently able to do.

When controlled, this is classified as eustress (verses distress), or good stress. It is essential for us to develop good habits of spreading out our stress out over time so it does not occur all at once. Just like exercising a heart, if we have an onset of stress all at one time, we will have a figurative heart attack, or manifestation of a failed system of control. Instead, gradual increases in stress will lead to increased performance, decreased limitations, and seemingly exponential outcomes of success.

If we could educate teachers, bosses, coaches, etc. on this principle of gradually increased stress, then we would all be better off. The phenomenon of it all is that even though it is proven to be more healthy to do all we can to gradually increase stress over time, we procrastinate dealing with anything stressful because it is seen as "hard". We remember the last bad experience we had with something "hard" (usually something involving unhealthy amounts of distress around a time of a final, project, or two-a-days in soccer) and associate poor thoughts and emotions with those stressful experiences.

Excessive amounts of stress cause unique and reproducible symptoms in different people, just like angina is a different feeling that is reproducible in the same way for every person with congestive heart failure. Angina is described by some as a pressure in the chest. Some feel aches in the abdomen or stomach. Some develop pain in the upper extremities. On the other hand, stressful situations cause some people (hopefully who don't have heart failure to also complicate things--lack of heart disease is always at least one thing to be grateful for) to become very tired, others to become mad, and yet others to feel worthless, incompetent, or inferior. In order to refrain from pushing into a level of inefficiency of the heart in patients with heart failure, the exercise is stopped. The patients rest until the angina goes away, and then can continue, with less intensity than was previously pushed to. It is called a symptom-limited exercise stress test.

Maybe it would be beneficial for all people (myself included) to have something similar to a symptom-limited exercise stress test, broadly measuring the effects of all stressors. It can familiarize one what symptoms are felt at unhealthy levels of stress. Knowing what types of situations stress one out, what signs are present when stress is too intense, and when to stop pushing so hard will save people from continuing into dangerous zones where inefficiency sets in.

Good luck to everyone with your tests, projects, papers, work loads, and recreational stresses! The challenge is to keep the stress gradual. That is my goal!

Updates

2009-03-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be an aunt! Now and later (again)! Like the candy... ooooo, I need to find some Now and Laters for Lena and Ben to try.

Life is busy! But the semester is going smoothly, and even more miraculously, it's nearly over!

I find out where I will be at for my summer internship sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. So many things are in limbo right now until I find out where I will be. My contract for my apartment terminates at the end of May, so I need to know if I should try and extend for a couple/few months or find something else. Dan is heading out to Boston in the beginning of May, so I am hoping that I can still be in the city so we can actually spend time together. There is a small chance I could get assigned to a clinic in Maine, but I don't like to think about that.

Spring break was spent out in Utah, which was excellent. I miss the weather in Utah. Surprisingly, it is mild compared to Boston. It changes more within the course of a 24 hour segment in Utah than in Massachusetts, but it is still a little nicer on average. I enjoyed being able to study with Harold again, I sure have missed him and his wonderful Periodical section catacombs. I got to stay with Evan and Hannah, play lots with Lena and Oliver, see lots of friends, eat lots of yummy food, spend lots of time with Dan, and take a brief respite from the restless rigors of grad school.

The last two weeks, we have been learning the various tests and measures for the hip joint. Anyone ever realized how much a leg weighs before? I feel like I have been getting a full body workout each class session as I attempt to position the lower extremity as I want it and then manipulate joints, bones, muscles, and other structural components. It's fun! I initially decided that I wasn't a big fan of using a belt because it looks like you are torturing a patient, but I am now a believer in belts! They help tremendously! With some things. The patient feels more comfortable, you save your back a few more years before you have an L4-L5 disc herniation, and the body mechanics are much better for allowing you to manipulate what you want to. Some examples of some varieties of usage of belts:

Sorry it's been a while since I have written. I've been having lots of fun, but also spending lots of time working hard. The trick is to have fun while you are working hard. One way to to do this is to go and study at the Boston Public Library (BPL). The BPL was the first to do just about everything in the United States, as far as libraries are concerned. Much like everything else in Massachusetts, for some odd reason...

From Wikipedia, "The Boston Public Library is the largest municipal public library in the United States. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to borrow books and other materials and take them home to read and use.The Boston Public Library is also the library of last recourse of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; all adult residents of the state are entitled to borrowing and research privileges, and the library receives state funding. According to the American Library Association, the Boston Public Library, with over 15 million book volumes, is the third-largest library in the United States after the Library of Congress and the Harvard University library system." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Public_Library

Spring Break!

2009-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

I'm in Utah for spring break! For a whole 9 days... Somehow, I survived the craziest midterms ever last week and not I have a week off. I love having a spring break!

Wearing Red

2009-02-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, almost all of my classmates wore red to participate in National Wear Red Day, raising awareness of women's heart disease. It was pretty neat to see everyone sporting their red, similar to St. Patrick's day with green, but for a real cause and not just to justify a night of partying that will follow.

Here is some more information on this very interesting, national holiday:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/index.htm

I am working on writing a systematic review for a class seeking look at the literature and compare data on the question, is aerobic exercise an effective intervention for patients with congestive heart failure?

It is sad to learn about the severity of the symptoms of heart disease, its fatality rates, and how debilitating it can be. After all, it is often our heart that stops in the end (regardless of the end-stage disease) -- heart failure is the most common cause of death. There is extensive research to show that early and frequent aerobic exercise AND resistive exercise minimize the risks of heart disease/heart failure before onset. I encourage all to get into aerobic exercise and resistive training BEFORE you develop heart disease! At a certain point, aerobic exercise is too intense for the heart to sustain.

Knee is great, class again

2009-01-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

I am back in Boston and back in the normal routine. I was welcomed by COLD weather and ice everywhere, which makes walking not too fun. I have realized the truth behind the popular line that "Boston is a walking city." Things are very walkable which makes tourists happy, but when you live here and don't have a car, the public transportation requires much walking, whether you like it or not. I actually enjoy the walking after a long day of sitting in class, but I also am sometimes extremely scared of the combination of the ice and the instability of my knee.

My knee is doing well! I have to keep reminding myself that I got surgery 3 weeks ago and that even though I have my range of motion back, I still don't have the muscle strength or the ligament stability to do everything that I want to. I attempted to do some skills practicing that required a minimal amount of pivoting in a lab class on Monday, and I definitely felt it afterwards. My knee is very good at telling me when I have done too much.

I am excited to be able to get back into a routine! The cold weather does have one positive - it motivates one to get going from one place to another and not be idle/slow in transportation. It also limits the amount of social activities going on and makes one want to curl up on a blanket in front of a fireplace. There is a fireplace at a Marriott lobby close to my school, so hopefully I can turn the desire to curl up by/in warmth into some quality studying time.

The snow is also absolutely beautiful, in some places. The contrast between the snow and the gray water that I see out the window of my school every day is breath-taking. Boston is beautiful. I love the east coast!

This weekend I am going to Chicago, where it is supposed to be in the single digits and 10s. Guess I can't complain much about Boston (yet)...

Today is the DAY!

2008-12-23T11:23:00.001-08:00

ACL reconstruction today!

FINALS FINALLY FINISHED!!

2008-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

My best friends over the last couple of days:

3 1/2 weeks until I have to sit in class again!

Surviving Finals (my way)

2008-12-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

I'm almost out. This makes me sad...

I get to play with Ben Friday!!

Christmas! Random thoughts...

2008-12-09T12:55:00.001-08:00

I am beginning to realize how close Christmas is! Not only does this mean family, presents, and Daniel, but it means ACL surgery! I am very excited for all of these. It also brings so many parties and celebrations! Enough to make decisions about what to attend and when to say no difficult. Here are some pictures of great memories and parties of past Christmas and New Year's celebrations.

Ugly Sweater Party Christmas 2007

Hot Chocolate Party Christmas 2006

New Years 2006

Here is a picture of me after my last ACL surgery in October of 2005... Drugs do wonders...:

I still have much school work to do that keeps me busy and discourages looking forward to my break too prematurely. Today is the last day of classes, Wednesday and Thursday are reading days (tomorrow and the day after), and then Friday is my first final!

The weather is finally beginning to hint at winter. It snowed for the first time this week. Yesterday morning, I waited for the train in 13 degrees weather! Boston Commons statue of Paul Revere in winter shown below:

What do you all want for Christmas?

Sudi Comes to Town!

2008-12-09T12:52:00.001-08:00

My good friend Sudi came to Boston the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we had such a blast! She is my doctor, my former boss, and most importantly, one of my greatest friends in the whole world!

Here is a picture of us at an Au Bon Pain late at night:

9 to go...

2008-12-02T23:43:00.000-08:00

So, the break is over and finals begin today. I have a final practical today for one of my classes. I have another take home final due tomorrow.

I have two main types of tests in my program. One is a "practical" testing situation where I am expected to perform the required skills and I am graded on my overall interaction with a fake patient. I am asked all sorts of crazy questions on the spot to make sure I know the rationale behind what I am doing. These types of tests always cause way more stress than is healthy.

The other type is your typical test where I am required to sit down and answer the questions in front of me in a certain amount of time (most of these tests are timed). Most of my classes have less than 50% of the test as multiple choice, and the rest of the questions are free response/short answer style. They require a lot of application and problem solving. I am also expected to write in pen, which is quite stressful because crossing out a lot looks very unprofessional. Both of the test styles are very difficult to prepare for because they are so much different than any test I ever got in undergraduate classes.

I have a final in every class. 9 finals total (2 finals in 2 of my classes). Here goes nothing.

However, I am feeling like it will be doable somehow. I have so much more momentum because I was able to have a nice break for Thanksgiving. I had so much fun in San Diego. I loved spending time with Mom and Dad and some of my other friends that were home for the break too. The Child family came down and vacationed in San Diego for the week and weekend, which was great because Dan and I got to spend time with each other without having to be away from our families. I also got to enjoy some fun with the rest of the members of his family. They are all so great. The weather was annoying the first few days, but got better as the week went on. I would rather have San Diego with the rain than Boston with the extreme cold, though. And I'd take any weather with Dan around than without.

So, I will basically lock myself away for the next 2 weeks. To study and to stay warm! I am open to any suggestions for how to survive finals. At the very least, please hope and pray for me that I will survive.

After my last final practical on December 18 (15 days left...), I have a couple of days to catch up on sleep and tie up loose ends before I fly home December 20 (17 more days). Guinevere, Clark, Ben, Evan, Hannah, Lena, and Oliver will all be coming home for Christmas! I am so excited! On December 23, I am getting ACL surgery, so I am looking forward to being at home after surgery during my initial recovery and spending some time together as a family again. The road is long for my knee recovery, but I am strangely excited to be able to begin it. I will be that much closer to being able to run, train for triathlons, and play outside again comfortably!

SAN DIEGO!!!

2008-11-24T15:59:00.001-08:00

A few things I think about when I think of San Diego...

Even if I have to take a 6:10 AM flight tomorrow morning (pick up at 4:40 AM by taxi), I am ridiculously excited to go home!

The Freedom of Conscience and Ideal Government

2008-11-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

The efforts of many people over many months have all come down to today, Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Personally, I am glad it is soon all over.

The process of preparing for an election causes so much anger and division among Americans that is truly unnecessary; public debate on issues near and dear to us tends to bring out the worst of us all. I have been thinking a lot about why this is lately, why we often turn negative when defending what we believe. There are ideals that we each see as the most correct, and these ideals are not easily changed. One of my favorite songs by John Mayer, “Belief,” explains the war that we engage in to try and change others’ ideals and beliefs:

Is there anyone who ever remembers
changing their mind from the paint on a sign?,
is there anyone who really recalls
ever breaking rank at all
for something someone yelled real loud one time?
oh, everyone believes
in how they think it oughta be
oh, everyone believes
and they're not going easily

belief is a beautiful armor
but makes for the heaviest sword
like punching underwater
you never can hit who you're trying for
some lead the exhibition
and some have to know they tried
it's the chemical weapon
for the war that's raging on inside
oh, everyone believes
from emptiness to everything
oh, everyone believes
and no one's going quietly

Is an individual separable from their ideals? The right to have individual ideals is an inalienable right discussed in the Declaration of Independence. Can you accept an individual if your ideals to not correlate to theirs? We do it all the time because the reward outweighs the cost of stepping outside our comfort zones, and are quite successful because of it. As a society, we increase our efficiency through the acceptance of individuals with all types of ideals.

Government does not exist to protect one’s opinions from being unrepresented, but exists to protect every individual’s inalienable rights. The difficult task at hand in preparing for an election comes in discerning between what is an opinion or moral/ethical concern and what is an inalienable right. Does government have jurisdiction over regulating moral or ethical concerns? It does not.

What is the correct role of government? Ezra Taft Benson, a previous president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and former Secretary of Agriculture during President Eisenhower’s term lays out his view of the role of government in a paper entitled “The Proper Role of Government” (This paper can be found at http://www.zionsbest.com/proper_role.html):

The Correct Role Of Government

I should like to outline in clear, concise, and straight-forward terms the political principles to which I subscribe. These are the guidelines which determine, now and in the future, my attitudes and actions toward all domestic proposals and projectsals and projects of government. These are the principles which, in my opinion, proclaim the proper role of government in the domestic affairs of the nation.
"(I) believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society."
"(I) believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life..."
"(I) believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, which protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience." (D&C 134: 1-2,5)

I love how President Benson refers to the right to ideals and opinions as the "freedom of conscience."

I have really enjoyed contemplating on what ideal government is. Current government still has huge strides to make towards becoming optimal. Hopefully the results of this election will take us one step closer.

September has been a pretty awesome month...

2008-09-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think September 2008 has been one of the best months of my life! Why, you may ask?

The northeast is wonderful in Fall.

I travel the world like a true nomad. Ok, by world, I mean the east coast. And by nomad, I mean a poor graduate student with little money, but an intense desire to explore.

My favorites of the most recent trip to the Met in New York...

I feel so comfortable in Boston. It is an amazing city! I am beginning to feel like I belong.

Here is a picture of an absolutely breath-taking sky a couple of weeks ago:

And some others of the skyline at lunchtime right from the pier right outside of my school:

My roommates rock! Unfortunately I only have a couple of pictures of Nicole on this post...

I have had such stimulating intellectual experiences in school and in personal endeavors. I have also had some amazing questions answered in my spiritual endeavors. I am loving the opportunities for learning in my life right now!

I have some of the best friends in the world! My birthday was so much fun!

The ward out here is absolutely amazing! So many talented and ridiculously successful and intelligent people!

Example 1--Super smart people, like the charming Luke Hutchinson
Example 2--Incredible entertainers, such as Chelsea Ashton

Life is GREAT!

Central Pattern Generators

2008-09-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

In Neuroscience yesterday, we learned about one of the coolest experiments ever done. The experiment was performed in 2007 (http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/15/3976) to test a hypothesis that movement of the lower limbs is still possible in cats that have been paralyzed, do to a nerve root damage in the cervical spinal cord. The experiment was set up according to this picture:

The body core of the cat is stabilized, the front limbs are placed in a fixed position, and the hind legs are able to move on a treadmill. The experimenters had to start the hind legs moving in a normal walking movement according to the speed of the treadmill, but after this, the legs continued moving on their own in the rhythm of the treadmill. If the treadmill was sped up or slowed down, the hind legs adjusted their cadence accordingly! This shows that the movement is possible because of a stimulus that is occurring somewhere closer to the legs than the injury location at the spinal cord! After a lot more research, neuroscientists have discovered the existence of central pattern generators and have found more evidence that golgi tendon organs are also involved in regulating neurological stimulation instead of the BRAIN! I don't know if I can possibly explain the significance or coolness of this adequately!!!

Basically, a paralyzed cat can still run on a treadmill!
The mechanism of movement, therefore, does not require a stimulus from the brain (the higher center of control). Up until this point, it was not understood that complex neuronal circuits existed at the spinal cord that did not need to be continuously stimulated by signals from the brain. The brain does function to provide spatial awareness and alter movement patterns according to obstacles in the path. Without the brain, the subject of the experiment (the paralyzed cat) trips over simple obstacles like a change in level or a pencil.

As always, wikipedia does a great job covering central pattern generators. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_pattern_generator#cite_note-10

Humans have too much control of movement by the brain in order to be able to design an experiment to get the same results. The human brain controls a lot more variables that are necessary for movement in walking bipedally (such as balance and coordination) than a cat who is quadrapedal. However, you do see evidence of central pattern generators in individuals who have partial paralysis of the extremities. See this link for more fascinating explanation:

http://www.harkema.ucla.edu/BRway1.html

**Pictures in this post are borrowed from a presentation by Marianne Beninato, DPT, PhD

Proposition 8

2008-08-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Prop 8 is the proposition that will be voted on in California deciding whether or not homosexuals should be able to marry in California. In case you haven't heard, just recently, the state jury overturned the last proposition dealing with this matter (Proposition 22 in 2000) ruling it unconstitutional and same-sex marriage legal.

Matters are getting a lot worse. According to an email by Merrilee Boyack:

"The California Supreme Court has ruled that doctors in a private clinic, based on their religious beliefs, cannot withhold unnecessary medical care to homosexuals and lesbians. A San Diego area lesbian claimed that a private fertility clinic refused to inseminate her because of her sexual orientation. The Court's decision means that California's civil rights law barring sexual orientation discrimination trumps religious freedom laws."

Let's hope that the people of California have not become too liberal in the last 8 years and that the proposition passes (everyone vote YES), defining marriage as only existing legally between a man and a woman.

For your continued reading, read the commentaries on the newsroom website for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' on the proposition, and please, please, please get involved however you can!

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

It's been a month...

2008-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

...since my last post. Sorry about that!

I finished up my first semester of school and came back to San Diego for a few weeks. This last week has been quite eventful at home for our family!

1. I have a beautiful new nephew! Congratulations to Evan and Hannah and new baby Oliver! He is the cutest, most amazing new boy.

2. I have to get ACL/meniscus surgery again... I just found out this morning when I went in to the doctor's office to see what the MRI said. My meniscus is torn in the same place it was before December, and my ACL looks like a noodle it is stretched so badly. According to the doctor, it won't actually tear in such a state because there is not enough tension, but nonetheless is nonfunctional. I will probably put off the surgery until December, thus prolonging my bum knee condition for at least another year.

3. My parent's 27th anniversary

4. Evan's birthday

I love California and I love being with my family! I am heading out to Utah today and will be there for a week to see some old friends and play. Then back to San Diego August 25-31 before I go back to Boston for school!

2008-07-18T18:32:00.001-07:00

Went on a run tonight... Took a couple of pictures! Very cool lighting on the Charles River, just in front of the downtown buildings.

It's been amazing weather lately, very humid, but no rain and beautiful skies. Here are a couple of other cool pictures from my phone.

Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown

Check out the clouds over the quad at Harvard Medical!

Growing up in a Modern World

2008-07-16T20:27:00.001-07:00

I got 17 emails today...

They were all fairly important!

I wish I weren't an adult.

Sometimes I am tempted to throw my iPhone into the river to be disconnected. But then I remember I should check the bus schedule online. On my iPhone.

Modern technology runs my life.

I have caught myself thinking about things and conversing with others by using anatomical names instead of common names of body parts. I told a friend my IT band/fascia lata was sore up close by its origin from the ilium, sacrum and a ligament of the pelvis (sacrotuberous ligament that closes off the lesser sciatic foramen), and they kind of looked at me funny.

I have been enjoying some of the ironic names of muscles, ligaments, and body parts way too much. For example, the pes anserinus on the medial knee means "goose's foot" because "they" thought it looked like that. There are many nerves and muscles that make no sense if you are trying to make a connection between what their names are and their origins or destinations, but then you are helped out a little when you learn they (the infamous "they") decided to name a nerve the nerve to the obturator internus and superior gemellus or the nerve to subclavius. These nerves actually do exactly what you think they would... innervate the muscles that are part of their name.

Thank goodness for the infamous "they". They motivate us to make our lives as automated and electronic as possible, and they name things after geese.

First Grad School Tests

2008-07-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

I bet you aren't shocked that graduate school tests are way more intense than anything I've ever experienced before. However, because you know they are going to be hard and you can't slack off, you come into the test feeling more prepared than usual in undergraduate testing situations. I actually have to study every day to be able to memorize the volume of material that we cover. I can remember at BYU studying an hour or so before a test and going in and doing just fine.

So, I feel really good about my first round of tests! I know I got a 95 on my first anatomy test and I just finished up my other anatomy test today. I think I did fairly well on this one also. I am so happy that I didn't fail like I was scared I would. I am starting to enjoy the challenges of this intensive anatomy course. Even if it is EXTREMELY INTENSIVE!!

So, I kind of have a 4 day weekend! The written test for Gross Anatomy took an hour and a half this morning, and so I have the rest of today off, then tomorrow (the Fourth of July), and Saturday and Sunday! I almost don't know what to do with myself with all this free time. Key word "almost". I'm sure I will figure it out... Here is a list of things I know will be priorities of the weekend:

1. SLEEP (I didn't get much this week)
2. Rascal Flatts/Boston Pops dress rehearsal concert tonight for FREE!
(I don't know what I am more excited for, rascal flatts for free or the 1812 overture performed by the Boston pops...)
3. BBQs and pie parties and fireworks galore tomorrow!
4. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather (it has been raining all week, and today is absolutely gorgeous)
5. Going on a really long run this afternoon
6. Going hiking in New Hampshire with some people from my ward on Saturday
7. Seeing Guin and Clark and Ben and Lady Carma, if possible!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I am super busy, super happy, and having lots of super fun in this new life of mine! Happy Fourth of July to everyone!

(Mom and Dad, I am really sad I am not at home for the Thomas July 4th extravaganza! Can we do a reenactment when I come home in August?)

Link to the Boston Pops July 4th Fireworks Spectacular

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there! And potential fathers... And sons and daughters of fathers, which is all of you! I would be willing to take on anyone in a competition for the best father in the world... I love you Dad!

Some updates:

I got my loan money. It's a bittersweet feeling. I am happy because I don't need to worry quite so much about where I am going to get the money to buy groceries and pay rent, but at the same time, a new chapter of my life has begun, one of having debt and no or little income for many years!

I survived orientation without falling asleep once! A feat in and of itself... As a bonding activity on Tuesday, we did a crazy 2.5-hour Amazing Race around Boston, and I was put in a group with a couple of hardcore runners, so it was pretty intense! Here is a picture of the group after we came in second! Notice that we are drenched in sweat?!

I met my cadaver! A very tall (probably over 6'3''), very built male (still has ripped arm muscles) who was not too old when he died (probably around 65-75). I am anxious to begin the dissection course that will consume my life for the next 2 months!

I have an official Harvard Medical School Identification Card! Every day that I go to school, I feel like I don't belong, the campus is so incredibly beautiful and the entire experience is just so surreal. I really feel like a foreigner! I guess when I put on my scrubs and lab coat I will feel a little bit more comfortable.

I have been exploring the Charlestown Navy Yard (of which my Institute is a part of) quite a bit more! It is so cool!

I am getting to know a lot of people out here. This ward is very social, with multiple activities most days of the week. I will have to cut back on the number of activities I go to and start really focusing on my schoolwork. But, I have a good little structure of friends that are fun to hang out with!

I love Boston! I just found out Harvard Medical School is right by the Museum of Fine Arts! It is just one stop on the T. I hope to be able to go right over to the MFA on Wednesdays this summer, since Wednesdays are free after a certain time in the evenings. That will be so much fun! I also found out that the beach is just 30-40 minutes away by T, so I am hoping to head out the beach this weekend! Hopefully the weather will be nice.

Till next time! Hope all are well.

Some Pictures

2008-06-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from my adventures this last week:

This is a picture of the lovely Noah's Ark wallpaper that is on the walls of my bedroom.

The Harvard Medical School campus. Beautiful white marble and stone everywhere. They were setting up for graduation, which would take place in the white tent in the middle.

The walking bridge between Brigham and Women's Hospital on the left and Children's Hospital on the right. These two hospitals are in the Longwood Medical Area near Harvard Medical School.

A beautiful walkway in the Charlestown Navy Yard, where my school is. I love this place!

The Admiral's Quarters at the Navy Yard. Currently for lease!

View of one half of the cool bridge, TD Banknorth Garden (where the Celtics play), and some of downtown. My school is close to here. You can also cross over to the other side of the Charles River (downtown) using the moving sidewalks you see in the foreground.

Some really funny signs on newspaper stands.

More adventures and pictures to come!

The Beginnings of a New Beginning

2008-06-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

So I made it to Boston! I had quite the trip, taking a redeye and having to travel across the country with three large, heavy bags and a back pack stuffed as much as possible. A young student that goes to Tufts was nice enough to help me carry my bags on and off buses, so one of my first interactions with a Boston native proved wrong the warning from many that most people will not help you out here . I was very thankful for his help and was also quite embarrassed by the extremely difficult task he got himself into when he volunteered to assist me in the beginning!

My apartment is the upper two floors of a very nice house in Somerville, which is the city that borders Cambridge (where Harvard is) and Charlestown (where my school is). There is a Target about 5-10 minutes on foot from our house, which is absolutely WONDERFUL! I went there yesterday afternoon after catching up a little bit on sleep, and it felt good to be in a place I semi-recognized. It is about a 3-5 minute walk from the bus stops for 4 buses, which go to all different areas of Boston. Unfortunately, it is pretty far from a T-stop (the T is what Bostonians call the subway, people look at you funny if you say the subway...), so you have to take a bus into one of the main squares near us. The closest T stops are Sullivan Square, Union Square, Kenmore/MIT, and Lechmere. I have been warned and have already become a believer that the green line of the T is the worst line ever, even though it is the closest to us. It goes down to Harvard Medical School and would probably be the shortest distance commute for me in the mornings, but it has a TON of stops and drives really slowly. I am still researching to find out which route will be the best to take.

Our house has 2 rooms downstairs, a very large and nice kitchen, one bathroom, and a good size living room. We are planning to convert one of the downstairs rooms into an office space. Upstairs, there are two rooms which will be mine and my roommate Nicole's rooms. I am a little bit wary of having only one bathroom with three girls, but it hasn't yet been a problem with only two of us in the house. And the bathroom is really nice. Everything is in really good shape in the bathroom and kitchen (they have very obviously been remodeled), even though the rest of the rooms all definitely show their age. My room has lovely Noah's Ark wallpaper on it, which makes me feel like a kid every time that I see it! So I'll probably leave it... NOT! As soon as I can, I plan to talk to the landlord and ask if I can remove it. I am not sure if my queen bed will fit into my room, as my room is just about as big as a queen bed, so I will probably sell it. Anyone looking to buy a really nice bed? I just love the style of the house, lots of wood paneling, wooden floors throughout, it is absolutely beautiful.

Right now I kind of feel like a little fish in a huge ocean, but I am becoming more and more familiar with my surroundings and understanding a little bit more of what is required in order to travel and live efficiently and cheaply. People have been giving me tips and teaching me a lot, especially my roommate Nicole. My other roommate, Janna, just got back from a trip home to Utah today, so I am excited to get to know her better! Last night, I went to my new singles ward's FHE activity and got to meet a couple of really nice people! One of the guys in the ward is from Rancho Penasquitos in San Diego! He is a few years older than me, but it is fun to talk about familiar places to the both of us, both in San Diego and in Provo (he did his undergraduate study there). I met another great girl who is doing a graduate program in Biology at Harvard! Right now she is doing an experiment that analyzes the mechanics of bird flight! The experiment is hoping to shed more light on how man-made flight machines can be more efficient, as let's face it birds are a lot better at flight than us humans! It is so interesting to talk to her about it! There really are so many different applications in the field of biology!

I really love the fact that the church is a comfortable place for me to go to, where I can find people similar to me in religious beliefs, academic discipline, and moral standards. Last night, I got invited to go and play some soccer with a group of people from all three singles wards tonight! I will be playing on the Hahhhvaahhhd Yard fields with a bunch of crazy smart Harvard nerds! :D Whoda thunk I'd ever be doing that?

This morning, I went to a really cool exhibit at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, a Christian Science Library dedicated to the life of Mary Baker Eddy, one of the developers of homeopathy and one of their most revered disciples. The exhibit is an ENORMOUS map of the world! You walk into a room that is surrounded by a three story map made of different colored stained glass! The map was made back in 1935 and so it is the world as it was back then, with all of the borders and state lines as they existed in 1935. It is also to scale, with one inch equal to 22 miles! Here are some pictures I stole from their website, since we weren't allowed to take pictures while inside:

Well, I miss being at home a whole lot but I am having such a blast and I am excited to keep exploring the city for a few more days before my schooling starts!

What is this world coming to?!

2008-05-29T02:03:00.000-07:00

California same sex marriages possible in June

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/28/same.sex.marriage/index.html#cnnSTCText

The Art of Photography

2008-05-25T00:48:00.001-07:00

I spent ALL day on Saturday helping breakdown an amazing photography exhibit that is produced by a couple of very good family friends. It was held at the Lyceum Theater in downtown San Diego, in the historic Gaslamp District and part of the Horton Plaza mall. We spend hours repackaging very very expensive artwork from artists all around the world (46 different countries) and moving the packed boxes into a huge truck. They will all eventually be shipped out to owners and buyers. This collection included pieces from a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and other world-renown artists.

This last Thursday, my mom and I were able to go down to the show and tour the exhibit with a few of the photographers and distinguished guests. An overview of the exhibit can be seen at the show's website. Check it out!

Main Website:
http://www.artofphotographyshow.com/index.html

Pieces in the show:
http://www.artofphotographyshow.com/2008photos.html

More pictures of the theater, reception, and show:
http://www.artofphotographyshow.com/Reception_Images_2008/

Massachusetts General Hospital

2008-05-22T03:21:00.000-07:00

The school that I am going to is ranked in the top 5 for physical therapy programs in the United States! It is the educational branch of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Here is some more astounding information I found online about the hospital, in particular. It is simply incredible. Immediately below is a picture of the hospital's campus.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

Founded in 1811, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is recognized as a world leader in academic medicine and has made pivotal contributions to the advancement of medicine throughout history.

In 1846, MGH was the first to use ether as an anesthetic, demonstrating to the world the performance of surgery without pain. In 1896, MGH produced the first X-ray image just 30 days after the technique was discovered in Europe. Then in 1925, MGH founded the nation's first tumor clinic, advancing a "specialist" approach to the study of disease.

Ranked 3rd for overall excellence by U.S. News & World Report in its "Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals" for demonstrating high levels of competence in 12 major medical specialties. The MGH ranks among the "Top 5 Hospitals in America" for excellence in treating Digestive, Ear Nose and Throat, Cardiac, Geriatric, Gynecological, Kidney and Orthopedic Diseases, as well as Respiratory, Neurological and Hormonal Disorders. MGH was ranked among the "Top 10 Best Hospitals in America" for excellence in Rheumatological and Urological Diseases. (See U.S. News & World Report, July 18, 2005)

MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1945: Developed the Pap smear, a definitive tool in the diagnosis of cervical cancer
• 1960: Used proton beam radiation to treat eye, neck, and brain tumors
• 1962: Performed the world's first reattachment of a severed, human limb
• 1964: Pioneered technology to support the long-term storage of blood
• 1969: Developed the intra-aortic balloon catheter, the world's first temporary, aortic-assist device
• 1970s: Developed Positron Emission Tomography scanning (PET) and Magnetic
• Resonance Imaging (MRI), providing for the noninvasive imaging of internal organs
• 1981: Developed artificial skin made from living cells, with MIT and Shriners Burn Institute
• 1993: Discovered genes responsible for Huntington's disease
• 1995: Performed first cartilage transplant operation in the United States
• 1998: Applied molecular genetic analysis to classify and treat brain tumors
• 1999: Demonstrated efficacy of a new, less toxic regimen for bone marrow transplantation
• 1999: First to induce spinal cord growth across injured site without use of implanted cells

The Short Relationships of Life

2008-05-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about how relatively short most of our relationships with people are. We meet them, talk with them in our limited language, we share embraces, we learn and teach with them, we develop a love for them, and then the subtle decisions in our lives drive us apart from most as time goes by. The only institution designed for this not to change exponentially with each decision is the family.

A few years is really not a long time, but I wish it were an eternity. I have so many friends that I will miss so much from my last few years at BYU! I met some friends that live close to my home in San Diego recently, but I am constantly reminded that these relationships will change and likely fall into lesser strength when I move to Boston. Even the small interactions that you have with people throughout life, such as the smile or exchange of a hello you give to someone when you are running or shopping at the grocery store, are usually over within minutes! Each person then moves on in their own directions. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to make friends, but I am one of the worst at keeping them because I am always so busy!

Hopefully blogging will help a little with keeping friendships, however fragile they become. But I am sure it will be other more important forms of communication that will be most instrumental. I saw the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie last night, and as cheesy as I hate it when people use movie quotes to speak about significant life experiences, I am going to do that very thing now! In the movie, there is a little cliche given a couple of times, "things never happen the same way twice."

My mom and I watched the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea, two English Premiere League teams that managed to make it to the culminating game! This is the first year that it has ever been an all-English final! The game was so exciting! After a tie, the game went to penalty kicks, and then Chelsea had a chance to win it all on a PK, with the most consistent player in place to take the kick, John Terry, but he slipped on the wet grass and missed his!! It was so crazy! Manchester United came back and their goalie made an amazing stop to win them the championship! What a quick change of momentum! All of the haters out there who dislike soccer/football because they think it is not exciting enough, needs to watch Sportscenter tonight!! You will not be disappointed in the excitement department.

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday was fantastic. My mom and I had a pleasant morning and I enjoyed going to church in the afternoon. After church, I spend a great evening with both my parents and I realized how much I am going to miss them. Boston is pretty dang far away from San Diego! I love my family so very much!

Lately, I have been organizing my life; this has included throwing many things away, replacing old and non-functioning items, buying new essential items, and attempting to record memories more efficiently. It has been really therapeutic to spend time analyzing where I am at in my life, setting goals, purging poor habits and beginning new ones. In my efforts to organize my photos and to write in my journal and blog more regularly, I have gone back and reminisced about many of my favorite past-times and monumental events in my life. Life goes by way too fast.

Today I worked on the roses all day. I worked in my swimsuit to try and obtain a suitable tan. People will not believe I spent my summer in San Diego without any tan to show for it! I think I am going to be burned tomorrow, but it is a great feeling! I love the warm weather here!

I will plan to finish up the roses tomorrow, and then I will start on cleaning the carpets! That will take a long time, but my mom is paying me for it, so I am excited!

Home

2008-05-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Wow. Home is great. I have been having such a blast! Despite the muggy weather, San Diego is beautiful and school-less life is fantastic! After taking a few days to relax and recoup, I am looking forward to making like a little bit more busy and finding some fun things to do before I leave for Boston June 1!

I arrived in Poway after a long road trip with my mom to find a large package of books sitting on the front step, a welcoming gift and not-so-subtle reminder that my period of freedom from pupil life is shorter than I thought. My to-do list is huge before I start up grad school. Somewhere between the financial aid applications and the immunization shots, I have been experiencing many wonderfully excruciating feelings of nervousness and excitement for what is ahead.

I am just petrified that my peers are going to be far more qualified than me and that I will struggle and underperform. How does one shove these thoughts out of their mind and turn nervous energy positive? Any suggestions? I guess any uncharted waters are scary at first.

Hope everyone's May is just peachy!

Pictures from Graduation

2008-05-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Now that I am home in San Diego, I have a few days to catch my breath, post some pictures and updates, and prepare myself to head to Boston. The last couple of weeks have been so much fun! I just got back from Yellowstone, and I had such a fun time vacationing with Guinevere, Clark, and Ben! We had some great adventures!

Guinevere sent me a couple of pictures that she took from my graduation. Here are a few of my favorites! Pictures from Yellowstone will follow shortly!

Graduation!

2008-04-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I graduated from college! What a crazy feeling! I feel so old in many ways, yet so young in others. My parents were able to come up for my graduation services and stayed with me in my apartment. It was great to be able to spend the weekend with them and catch up with all that has been happening in their lives!

Mom and Dad split and went for a week-long vacation in Philadelphia yesterday. I am planning on going on a little vacation of my own out to Yellowstone tomorrow (Tuesday) with Guinevere and Clark! We just decided to move our leaving date up a day and so now I have to pack up and organize my life all in one day! It will take a lot of work! It has been fun going through all of my boxes up to this point because I am seeing symbols and souvenirs of old memories from as far back as high school! It is fun to reminisce, but it was so sad when I made the subtle realization that these things are all too much clutter to keep any longer. So, I decided to at least make a list of a couple of these things so that I can always remember them and the memories associated with them:

1. An Italian National Team flag that I got when the BYU soccer team traveled to Italy. We had the opportunity to play the Italian National Team and then traded souvenirs afterwards. I got it back in the Summer of 2004.

2. A doll that I got my senior year of high school from my mom. All of the lacrosse team's parents got together and made a doll for each of their girls on the team. Mine has a striking resemblance to me! It even has a red stick, which is my signature lacrosse identity! Good job mom!

3. The many many many letters that I wrote to my friends on missions during the last 5 years. Most of them are home and many of them are dating other people or married. I read through some of them one more time and kept others, but threw most away. I have really enjoyed writing to missionaries through the years. Their accounts and testimonies have such a strengthening power for me.

4. All of the information that I gathered together in the long process of taking the GRE, research schools, applying, and interviewing for various programs. I am glad to have a solid plan for grad school! There have been so many doubts and questions along the way about which location in the country and which school would be the best fit for me. The only material I still have is for registering for my new program!

5. Many of my DVDs are a few years old and just take up shelve space instead of being enjoyable to watch for me still. I am planning to take them all over to a store that buys back old DVDs.

6. All of the MANY cords and electronic gadgets that I have collected through the years, but that are now very outdated and useless.

7. A few pairs of old cleats. Probably about 5 pairs. Don't worry, I'm keeping 3 pairs of brand new ones that I still have from my soccer days! (2 pairs are studs) Don't let me ever buy another new pair again!

8. Most of my dishes that I have used for the last 4 years, since I moved into the brick house that Mom and Dad owned.

9. My get well and birthday cards from my 19 birthday, just before my first ACL surgery. SO many people came over to wish me well during that time and I kept many of them. I am sad to see them go.

10. This was an accident that I just realized about. But in with all of those birthday cards was a card from Grandma Thomas that she sent me just a month before she got really sick and passed away. I wish I had remembered to grab that! I loved getting grandma's birthday cards and I am so grateful for all of the many uplifting notes and phone calls that she made an effort to make throughout her life. What a great example. I will always remember that card in specific though.

There are many other things that have significant value for me in my life and there have been more than a few that have brought tears to my eyes as I realize that I am ready to move on to a huge new chapter of my life. However, there is something exhilarating about throwing things out and starting anew. I look forward to the new memories that will be made!

BOSTON!!!

2008-03-17T00:28:00.001-07:00

I'm going to Boston!! Wahoo!!

I have so much to do before then! Just thought I'd write a little update.

Graduate School Acceptance!!

2008-02-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

I got into the University of Utah and the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA! Where do you all think I should go?

Life has been so much fun lately! I have been seeing all of the rewards of my hard work in the graduate school admissions process coming together in a most enjoyable fashion! I had such a great time in Boston over this last weekend and I was able to see quite a bit of the city, while spending some time with Diane and Jacob Child. We saw a few museums, ate some fantastic food, and saw two symphony concerts! Mozart's requiem was absolutely incredible, as well as the Sibelius and Shostakovich concert that we went to on Saturday evening. Shostakovich was a very emotional concert, as the symphony performed was written to express some of the turmoil Shostakovich felt during his life as a Russian citizen in the early 1900s. He did not have the symphony released while he was alive in fear that he would be killed for such a publicly visible artistic expression. Very interesting! It wasn't the most enjoyable, but it was definitely moving!

I made a friend from Beijing, China on Monday morning! He was also taking the water shuttle from Long Wharf to Boston Proper and I had the opportunity to speak with him a bit. He is majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of Beijing and he came to the US to participate in a model United Nations at Harvard University. His English was very good and he is planning on coming to the United States for graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University in the Fall. He also hit on me, he said I was a very beautiful lady, he gave me his card, and asked that I email him to maintain contact! I am not sure if I will, but it was a nice compliment!

The next couple of days will be stressful as I figure out where I want to go to school and live for the next three years, at least! I also have to dive back into my schoolwork to make sure that I do not get behind too much!

Hope everyone is well! Much love!

Happy Holidays!

2008-01-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays are over and it's back to Provo for me! I had such a blast at home, especially the last two days when Guinevere, Clark, Evan, Hannah, Ben, and Lena came down! We went to sushi last night and had some great food! The rest of the break I was pretty out of it because I was recovering from knee surgery that I got on December 21. In all, the break was just enough relaxation and fun to tide me over for a little while. I am excited to have a fresh new start with school and for all the exciting decisions that I am going to be making in the next semester, like where I am going to go for grad school, and therefore live for the next 3 years, at least!

The Lord continues to bless me with so many small miracles and I pray that I will continue to deserve all of the blessings that I receive on a daily basis!

Love you all!

Claire

Across the Continent

2007-08-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

Greetings all!

How is everyone? I am fantastic! I just got back from a most amazing trip to the East Coast. A vacation of the utmost experience! Maelyn and I were busy seeing just about everything! In the space of 8 days, we visited two cities, saw four plays, went to one comedy show, 3 museums, did the freedom trail, saw many various types of bodies of water, crossed many bridges, saw many landmarks, stayed with friends and family, and mingled with all sorts of diverse peoples and cultures! At the end of each day, it was a most amazing feeling to feel genuinely exhausted!

Thanks to Guinevere, Clark, and Sarah, who provided us a place to stay and had knowledge about and advice for the things we definitely should see in Boston and New York. Thanks to Mom and Dad for teaching me and allowing me to love history and to learn how to make things happen when it seems like progress and completion are impossible. It's been a great trip!

After Guinevere, Maelyn, and I went to Walden Pond, I resolved to reread Thoreau's book about his experiences and contemplations on the peaceful lake in Massachusetts. I found a most incredible quote from Thoreau's book, that really puts into great perspective some of the thoughts about my life I have been having lately. He gives great insight into human recollections of the past, present and future:

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Rarely does such a redefinition of perspective occur as it has on this trip. I am so grateful for it.

Life is Good

2007-08-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in Boston!! Can you believe it?!

After a redeye and some resultant red eyes (I now see why they call it that), I arrived safely and I am so ready for a fun little vacation before reality begins again! The plan is to split 8 days between the Boston, Massachusetts area and New York City. Maelyn will come out and join me tonight at 11. Meanwhile, Guinevere and I get to play today and I get to see Ben! Wahoo!!

Life is so good. I think all the time about the t-shirt company that has "life is good" as their simple slogan. I love it! I love that such a simple phrase can encompass so much about life! I want to get one of their shirts, but I have yet to find the best deal on them.

I have had an amazing summer in San Diego, I have worked some awesome jobs, I have been able to hang out with Lincoln and show him a lot about my hometown and childhood, and I got to go on some very fun trips! I am actually looking forward to school starting! This next semester will be so much fun because all of us Thomas kids will be in one location for the first time in a really long time. Also, Spencer Pickett and some other extended family relatives will be up in Provo! I am so excited! I will be able to also keep close tabs on Lena and Ben so they don't grow up too fast and forget their Auntie Claire!

Well, I'll make sure to post pictures from the Boston trip! Meanwhile, I love you all and I hope "life is good" for you too!

2007-08-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with my psychology class!!! Well, almost. I have to take the final and then I will be finished!!

I have been really busy lately, but it seems like there is light on the horizon! I have been researching information for school and admission to PT school a lot recently and things are looking more and more probable. I am just about finished up with both of my jobs that I have had this summer and I am looking forward to cracking down on school!

This last weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in San Diego. Friday Mom and Dad and Lincoln and I went over to the Picketts for a fun night of yummy food and reunion. Then on Saturday, Lincoln and I went downtown to Balboa Park and looked at some of the museums down there. We went into the San Diego Hall of Champions and got to see my name in the database down there for high school prep athlete. Kinda cool. We also checked out the automotive museum and then most of the museums were closed after that. We were thinking of going to the zoo for a couple of hours, but instead we ended up stopping by to see Evan and Hannah for a few hours.

Dinner with Evan and Hannah was so much fun! Hannah made some great food and we had a great time talking and catching up! One of my favorite things is seeing Evan just melt into a big teddybear with Lena and Hannah just caring for every little detail with Lena. They have the perfect little family! I'm looking forward to being up in Provo with all the Thomas kids together again! We are going to have so much fun!

Boston/New York countdown: 1 week!!

Updates

2007-07-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Just a little note here because Guinevere scolded me last time I saw her about not writing more on my blog than I do. Life is good. Busy, but great! I am working two jobs this summer, trying to get some independent study classes finished, and also helping out with other activities wherever possible, like mom's awesome Company B play that will be performed this week.

I just got back from an amazing vacation/trip in Colorado this last week! I was able to spend 4 days or so at a very nice cabin in Ouray, Colorado, which is just right next to Telluride, Colorado, a world-famous ski resort. I had a ton of fun hiking and driving with Lincoln and had a blast riding my new mountain board some! Ouray (pronounced year-ray) is nicknamed the Alps or switzerland of America because of its absolutely stunning mountains! There are 5 or so 14,000 foot mountains within 50 miles of Ouray, and another two dozen between 12-14,000 feet! The whole area is dotted with ghost towns, and anyone who knows me well knows that I love ghost towns and the mystery and intrigue associated with them!

In a few weeks, I am planning a trip out to Boston and New York, as a way to see Guinevere and to take a fun break before school starts up again! I will be there for 8 days with my friend, Maelyn. Anyone have any suggestions for activities one MUST do in either of those cities?

Well, there's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Love you all!

Growing up is hard to do...

2007-05-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

So it's been a little while since I have written a post. Now that Hannah and Evan and Lena have a cute blog and Guinevere and Clark and Ben continue to wow the world with theirs, I am more humbled than ever before about my poor little blog that has so few updates...

It's always remarkable to look back on one's life at such times as this, when a new chapter is about to begin. In our family, it is so incredible to see the smiles, the laughter, the joy, the tired faces, and even the stinky diapers that come from our family nearly doubling in the year and a half! It is awesome to see the love between the newlyweds and how all are making such great spouses and parents! Mom just rants and raves about the latest treasure my dad has brought back from the other side of the world for her! Guinevere, who has become one of my closest friends in recent months, someone who I didn't think I could ever be closer to, packed up and shipped out for the summer to Boston to rock BOSE (and the harbor, while dressed up as Indians). I headed out to California for the summer and I am back living in "the room", setting up my computer on a desk where I, once upon a time, long, long ago, worked on my AP US History notecards at!

It leaves us all to ask, in unison, when did we grow up?

Does anyone else remember the GECKO club?

LAST DAY OF CLASSES!

2007-04-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

So, today was my last day of classes for the semester! I think I am going to fail all my classes, but at least they are over! And I probably won't fail, that's an overexaggeration, but I know I am not going to do as well as possible... And I am stressed and tired! But I just got back from an awesome weekend of lacrosse in Denver, Colorado. We played four games and won them all! This next weekend we head out to Colorado again, and we are going to play a couple of really good teams, including a rematch with Colorado State, who we lost to two weekends ago. We are a very good team when we are playing together, it is just a matter of playing to our potential!

Guinevere and Clark and Ben are just as cute as ever... I wish I could go home with Guinevere for Hannah and Evan's little baby girl, Lena's blessing, but I am unfortunately swamped with finals all of next weekend! And I am in Denver again!

Greetings to all! Hope all is well! Hope you had a good weekend and your lives are much less stressful, but equally as rewarding as mine!

Love,
Claire

2007-03-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

HARE KRISHNA PICS!

Family Day

2007-03-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Really long day!

9:00 AM Guinevere's meeting for Ben's blessing
10:00 Ward Council
11:00 Meeting at my aunt's ward for my cousin Connor's ordination
1:00 PM Everyone over at MY HOUSE for sandwiches
4:00 Long walk with Ali down the river trail
5:00 Freshman year reunion in alpine
7:00 Drive my dad to the airport
11:00 PM Go to sleep finally!!!

Such an amazing day with family though! So many people were in town to show their love for Ben and Connor, and so much fun was had! Good night all!

Benjamin and Boring School

2007-02-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today was fun. I went to Guinevere's for a long time and played with her and Benjamin. I also was happy because this last weekend I didn't miss a pop quiz in my Biology class. Unfortunately, I did miss my class on Monday, which meant part of the quiz I had very little idea about. Consequently, I probably only got 4 out of 5. That is better than a zero though!

I also found out that the game we had scheduled on Saturday was canceled because the weather will probably be bad. That makes me sad. Oh well, more excitement to be built up for next weekend! We go to Santa Barbara and we play the #2, #3, and #4 teams! And we are going to beat them all!

Till later...

Hey I'm a first time user!

2007-02-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

Motivated by the excellent postings on Guinevere and Clark's blog and the fact that Guinevere wouldn't let me post on hers, I have decided to make my own blog. That doesn't mean, however, that I will be very good at keeping it up. I will try though. I am still not entirely convinced about this whole blog deal... writing to an unknown audience about your life. I see the value in using it for family things, but I am going to keep it as private as possible.

How is everyone doing?

Check out Guinevere's The Fridge Door site! It's incredible! Benjamin is sooooo cute!