I had a great weekend with Jenny and Nancy. We saw the Marshall Fields Cinderella display, had a good lunch, and saw the much-hyped movie Broeback Mountain. Heath Ledger did an excellent job, but I just don't see how this movie has earned so much acclaim. I think it is the novelty of the love story within it that makes it so special. Funny story about our attendence at this film. We got to Uptown an hour and a half before the show. We purchased our tickets, then walked down the street to Zeno Cafe. Jenny, Nancy, and I enjoyed some excellent coffee and a piece of cake, then walked back to the theater to claim some seats. We were still a half hour early for the movie, so we thought we would get great seats. Boy were we wrong! We had to sit in the front row! I already had a bit of a headache going, so straining my neck to see the screen did not help. In addition, Jenny had the misfortune of having the smelliest person ever sit next to her. As there were not other seats left in the house, she was trapped. She breathed through her mouth for the first hour of the film, but them gave that up because her mouth was dry! This may be why I am not singing the high praises of this movie.....
Today is Matt's last day of teaching. We are going to celebrate by finally seeing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We may also got for a drive around Lake Harriet, as Mary our concert master in the HSO says there are a lot of nice lights around the lake. Our concert yesterday was good. I really need to work on the Dvorak some more though, as being the only bass makes it critical that I get ALL the licks (including the impossible speed up in the second movement!)
Well, I have a Doctor appointment today to find out what's wrong with my knee (ok, so I already know what is wrong with it, I just need drugs!) I will not have computer access while in Fargo, and my parent's computer is pretty slow, so don't expect any updates until New Year's.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year!

NORTH DAKOTA TRIP SCHEDULE (TENATIVE AS WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE!)

Thursday 12/22: Fargo
Friday 12/23: Fargo
Saturday 12/24: Fargo
Sunday 12/25: Jamestown
Monday 12/26: Jamestown
Tuesday 12/27: Jamestown
Wednesday 12/28: Joan in Jamestown, Matt in Fargo
Thursday 12/29: Joan in Jamestown, Matt in Fargo
Friday 12/30: Head back to Minneapolis

We still have the same phone # and we will have our phones with us. Please give us a call if you are in town.

Happy Holidays!

Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov (video/quicktime Object)

Watch this link. It is hilarious!

Notice how I write more when I have exams.....I wonder why?
Today was the pharmacology and pathophysiology exam for dematology and bones. I did well, so I have treated myself to some time off before starting in real heavy with the pathology. BONE TUMORS SUCK!
We are getting a lot of snow here in Minneapolis. I am a bit concern about having my car out on the street, as people drive crazy down our narrow little street without snow. Luckily tomorrow I have to head to the garage to get some stuff fixed, so the car will be off the street for a few hours. I just have to figure out what I am going to do with myself while I wait for it to get fixed.
Stuff is coming together nicely for the rest of the year. I just have a few more presents to get, and then wrapping. I am going to attempt getting Christmas cards out this year. My guess is that it is the first and last time I will be able to. The next three years I will be working my ass off trying to get the PhD done.
They FINALLY posted out period 4 schedule today. I don't know where I am going to find the free time to make up my family practice clinic day. It must be nice to not have to work on Mondays........oh well, family practice is definately NOT for me.....little kids scare me (too bad I still have pediatrics ahead of me!)
Well, I need to get going on some wonderful bone tumor slides.

Well, my birthday has come and gone, and I am another year older and perhaps a bit wiser. I started celebrating with Matt on December 8th with my birthday present of Barenaked Ladies concert tickets. I had never seen them live before, and they did not disappoint. The warm up act sucked, but with the Ladies came out there were only a few pauses in the action.
On Friday I got to eat at Sally's with Matt and Matt S. I wanted the med school girls to come out, but Dr. Brown annouced out orthopedics exam was going to be fill in the blank instead of multiple choice, so my girls bailed on me to breathe into paper bags and hyperventilate (just kidding, most just studied). Matt S. is going to look in on Fernando the super beta over Christmas while Matt and I are in North Dakota.
Ah Saturday, my birthday (aka the day of 100 phone calls). I got to enjoy a few well appreciated calls from friends and family, a massage, and a wonderful dinner from the Signature Cafe (you HAVE to go here if you live near Minneapolis, also, notice how close it is to my house!).
Now, in all good holiday spirit I am cramming for tests, round tres! Yup, I have MORE EXAMS after only TWO WEEKS OF CLASS! I guess there is enough material, given that we have had over 10 days of 8 hours of lecture........grrr! All I can say is that you can count dermatology out as one of my future career choices. RASHES SUCK! I am also not an ape (or half ape), so orthopedics is probably out too (though I enjoy the subject). Well, I better get back to studying. I will probably write more this week, as I have nothing to do except study.

Another round of finals, Thanksgiving, and a weekend of snow have come and gone since I last posted. I survived the finals (barely), but luckily Thanksgiving and the Schulz family reunion cheered me up. I HATE NEUROLOGY! That is all I have to say.
Yesterday Matt and I went to a really good movie about Johnny Cash,Walk the Line. His music always reminds me of my Grandparent's old band for some reason, so it was fun to see the story of Johnny Cash played out on screen. I think both the lead actors in this film did a great job, and I hope to see them nominateed for Oscars.
We have one more week of classes, followed by more tests the next week. I get to go to the Barenaked Ladies Holiday Concert for my Birthday with Matt. We are also celebrating my birthday by going out to eat at a restaurant in our neighborhood here. I hope to get together with some medical school friends as well, but that is always something that occurs at the spur of the moment. I also hope that Jenny and Nancy can come into Minneapolis around the 17th to do a girly day of fun (Marshal Field's Christmas display, Holidazzle parade, Chick Flick?). I really miss having Karen and Jenny around to do stuff with. Matt is fun, but he often doesn't want to see the same films as me (example, The Family Stone), and going to movies by myself if fine sometimes, but not all of the time.
I am looking forward to getting my paperwork with Dr. Hebbel all finalized. I hate being in limbo!
Well, I am making homemade Chex mix for the second time this week. Matt managed to eat over half of the last batch in two days! I might have to hide it this time.
Happy Holidays Everyone!