The Valley of the Sun

Last Monday I flew out of Boston with Mike for immunization training in Arizona. It had been several years since I'd been to Arizona, and when we stepped out of the airport, it was even hotter than I remember (Part of that was due to the fact that the space was enclosed). Our training was taking place at the hotel where we were staying, so we took a taxi instead of renting a car. Our taxi driver took up a winding road into what looked like the side of a mountain (turns out it is called a butte), and we finally arrived to our hotel when we reached the top.

We stayed at The Buttes, A Marriott Resort, in Tempe, Arizona, and I was blown away. Not only were the surroundings beautiful, the staff was exceptional friendly and went out of their way to welcome and assist me. When we were checking in, the staff member at the desk gave me a map to help me find my way around the resort. Because the hotel is built on the side of a butte, it is very spread out. They weren't kidding around when they gave me a map during check-in; I managed to only get slightly lost a couple of times. Here are a few pictures of the resort.

The outdoor pool area- 2 pools, a water slide, several hot tubs, a bar.. (Marriott picture)

My attempt at an artistic shot- it turned out much better than I thought it would

My closet in the hotel room was bigger than all of the storage space I have in my apartment right now

You can't see it, but I also had a patio right outside my door

The view of the resort's pool area at night- I definitely need to work on shooting nightime pictures

A view of the hotel's restaurant, Top of the Rock, at night (Marriott pic)

It was just as beautiful in real life as it looks in this picture (Marriott pic)

Over 2 days, we trained more than 120 pharmacists. It was *wonderful* to have the training at the hotel where we were staying- it just simplified the morning routine (and most of you know how much of a morning person I am!). The ampiphtheater style worked out very well. We used the back row for training at the end, and I stood in the row beneath it, which gave me great visibility to the pharmacists' practice shots. During the training, I ran into two classmates from Purdue that moved to Phoenix after graduation. I also saw John, a preceptor I had when I was an intern in Tempe during the summer of 2006. It took us a minute to figure out how we knew each other, but we finally put our finger on it. John led group meetings that I attended (along with other interns) every Friday, and I felt badly for not remembering sooner. I loved the summer of 2006. The company put me up in long-term housing with other interns in the program, some of whom I got to know very well. Alan and Megan were two other interns from Purdue that were in Arizona with me that summer, and we had such great adventures.

A picture of the amphitheater where we taught

The summer of 2006 (from left to right): Alan, Me, Megan, and Sarah

Having fun in Tempe in 2006 (Note: without the Indiana humidity, I can actually leave my hair curly and leave it down)

Even though we worked most of the day, we had some time at night to enjoy a few nice meals. Shane, a pharmacy supervisor in the area, took us out to dinner two nights, which was especially nice since we didn't have a car. We ate at a tex-mex restaurant (I can't remember the name of it, but I had a great margarita with Chambord there) and The Clam Jumper, both local restaurants. FYI- margaritas and chips with salsa are definitely much better down in the South- I highly recommend you have both if you visit the Phoenix-Scottsdale area.


On Wednesday night, Mike and I had dinner with Lisa, another resident with the company who lives and works in Phoenix, and her director, Elizabeth, at Mucho Gusto, which is one of Elizabeth's favorite restaurants in the area. Lisa also brought her daughter, Sasha, who was a delight. I had just met Elizabeth and Lisa the week before at a conference of sorts (more to come on that later), and I was thrilled to be able to see them again.

From left to right: Lisa, Elizabeth, Sasha, and I at Mucho Gusto

I had a wonderful time on my trip out West, and I can't wait to visit Las Vegas in December!

Dancing With Myself

Today I have been unusually productive... I deep-cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed down the bathroom, finished piles of laundry in my room, wrote five cards, and put a dent in the stack of papers on my desk. You might wonder, "Why has Sarah been so productive today?" I was thinking the same thing when it hit me...

The music! I had put on iPod on my soundock and started a playlist full of songs that I love to sing along to when I'm working. I first made the playlist when I went over to Monica's new house to help her paint. (The title of the playlist is "Monica." So creative.) I wanted to include songs that most people would know and love (not that I mind singing by myself, I do that all the time). I've never been the greatest singer... I'm frequently off-pitch, can't control my volume, and occassionally mumble through some of the words. I always wanted to be better at singing growing up, but it just wasn't something built into my genes. But I think I do one thing that is more important than anything else... I always sing with my heart. (A little sappy, I know, but it's true.)

Here are some of the songs I was belting out in my apartment:

• Counting Crows- Mr. Jones
• Billy Joel- Uptown Girl
• Billy Idol- Dancing with Myself
• Bob Seger- Old Time Rock N' Roll
• Tom Petty- Runnin' Down a Dream
• The Police- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
• The Beatles- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
• Simon and Garfunkel- Cecilia
• Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Nowhere to Run
• Mr. Big- To Be With You
• Cyndi Lauper- Time After Time
• Maroon Five- This Love
• Aha- Take on Me
• Rick James- Super Freak
• Michael Bolton- How Can We Be Lovers
• Michael Jackson- Thriller
• Toto- Hold the Line
• Paolo Nutini- New Shoes

Does anyone remember the movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?" There's a scene in the movie where the older sister in the family is cleaning the kitchen and singing into the broom, only to find out that her cute neighbor is watching her. If you know me, I'm sure you can see me singing into a broom, too.

Cookie Monsters

Ok, I know... I have so been lagging on my posts lately. Don't hate me! I will be working on catching you up on the past couple of weeks tonight and tomorrow. You'll here about my trip to Arizona, the rest of Nick's visit, my trip to New Hampshire, the rest of Lisa's visit, and a wonderful surprise.

Friday marked the completion of 25% of my residency... I can't believe it's already the end of September. I finished my quarterly self-evaluations I'm required to do as part of our residency accredidation, and I was shocked at the number of ways I've grown professionally and personally since this process started. Even so, I'm glad my residency isn't over- I still have a long way to go.

After sleeping in today (and when I say sleeping in, I mean sleeping in), I went over to Lorna and Craig's for dinner and football. (Yes, shortly after waking up, I went to someone's house for dinner. I don't know how it is possible for someone to sleep for 14 hours straight, but I can assure you that it can be done.) Lorna is a pharmacist who works in the office under the same umbrella but in a different department, and she has been wonderful about making me feel at home. She lives just about 15 minutes away (if that) with her husband, Craig, and their two kids, Calleigh (almost 4) and Colin (a big 2). We grilled out for dinner and just spent time talking, relaxing, and sharing stories. I brought a giant cookie shaped like a football over to their house to have the kids decorate with me... aren't they adorable?

Calleigh helping me with the cookie

Our final masterpiece (Craig and Lorna both went to Pitt)

In typical male fashion, Colin was only interested in eating the cookie, not decorating it

When you live on your own, it can be easy to forget about "family life." No, I don't forget about my family. I just forget that some people don't have the luxury of doing whatever they want whenever they want. I will enjoy this lifestyle while I can, but it's nice to have a surrogate family to take care of you once in a while, too.

Happy Birthday, Erica!

Sorry it's late! Hope you had a great day! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!

One If By Land, Two If By Sea

What a wonderful, action-packed brithday weekend! I just loved having Lisa come to Rhode Island to see my stomping grounds and having Dan join us in Boston. And on top of that, we did a ton of exploring... Boston on Friday, Newport on Saturday, and Providence on Sunday. I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog (eee!), but I can't be up too late tonight. (Tomorrow morning I am going to Arizona to help Mike with a couple of immunization training sessions.) That being said, I'm going to stick to writing about Friday night on this post.

I took my very first vacation day from work on Friday (I love my job, but I needed a break), slept in (my favorite), and then picked up Lisa at the airport. For an airport its size, the Boston Logan Airport is very easy to navigate. I mean, I have gotten a little turned around half of the times I was leaving the airport, but I think I've got it down. Lisa and I met Dan in the South End for lunch, then began our quest on the Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail is a 3-mile, self-guided tour that highlights 18 Revolutionary War landmarks. Starting in Boston Common (the nation's oldest park), a red-line on the sidewalks directs you through one of America's most historic cities. (I *love* that it is so easy to walk around in Boston... everything is very compact but somehow doesn't feel congested.) Rather than go into detail on every stop, I think I'll tell this story with pictures.

An outside view of the Boston Public Library... We didn't make it inside, but I've read about all of the neat things they have there. I'll have to go back there by myself.

A view of Boston Common- so refreshing to see some green in the city

The Massachusettes Statehouse is next to Boston Common

Dan's hero, Benjamin Franklin

This looks like it belongs in the movie National Treasure

Old South Meeting House

There was a firetruck and a decent size crowd, but we never figured out what was really going on

Paul Revere's house is on the left. We took a tour of it, but they wouldn't let you take any pictures, even without the flash. It always blows my mind to think about how people used to live.

We stopped in the North End to visit a must on Dan's list, Mike's Pastries. I was skeptical at first (we all know how much I love sweets!), but the canolis we had were to die for.

Can you believe that this is a picture of marzipan? They could have passed for real fruit

We cut back through Boston Common after getting off the train, and I saw two things I love...

1. Hostas

2. Weddings- the bride was gorgeous (we saw her at the hotel across the street later)

I love the old and the next are right next to each other... isn't this a great picture of Lisa?

Ok, I know I am missing some details, but I am falling asleep at my computer. I will write more,soon!

Goodnight...

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

A big thank you to everyone who called or wrote for my birthday yesterday. I can't believe I am already 25! I had an absolutely wonderful day... Lisa flew in to Boston from Dallas, and Dan met us in the city to play for the day! Here we are at the bar that the tv show Cheers was modeled after:

I have the best friends in the world

Lisa and I are visiting Newport today for the International Boat Show, and then we'll be running in a 5k tomorrow. I will be sure to fill you in on the details of the weekend on Sunday night. Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Working for the Weekend

Well, next weekend, that is... I've been attempting to get ahead of the game the past couple of days so that I can relax next weekend when Lisa comes to visit. I normally don't have to do too much work on the weekends. However, I am going to be in Arizona next Monday through Thursday helping with immunization training in Tempe (back to my old stomping grounds!). I actually spent two months in Tempe when I did a summer internship several years ago, so I'm looking forward to going back... it may be hotter than hades there in the summer, but it is *gorgeous* when it's not scorching.

Mrs. K, I am so sorry that I missed your birthday on Monday! Nick reminded me about a month ago, and I forgot to write it down. He claims he said something about it that day, but I *know* I would have remembered if he had told me recently. Hope you had a happy birthday! (I also realized that I don't have any pictures of you or your family... looks like I've got a mission for Thanksgiving.)

Speaking of the K's, I never finished telling you about Nick's visit last weekend. We were watching an episode of The Office when he suddenly got up from the couch and told me to close my eyes and cover my ears. I had no idea what he was doing, and I was anxious to know what was going on! (read: me screaming "eeeee!") A couple of minutes later (it felt like much longer), he let me open my eyes. First, he gave me the sweetest card (last weekend actually marked a year since we met... and yes, he was the one that remembered). I know most guys aren't into cards/notes, but I think Nick knows how much I love them. Then, he gave me a copy of The Prince of Tides, one of his favorite books he's been telling me about for some time. (Note: I was at the bookstore about a month ago looking for a good book to read when Nick called. I asked him for the name of the book he had been telling me about, but he "just couldn't remember" it. I thought nothing of it at the time, but it turns out he had already gotten the book for me.) Then, he had me close my eyes again-- I asked if I was going to get a kitten (wishful thinking!). I opened my eyes to find a small backpack in front of me. Before I even opened it, I had an idea of what was inside... a picnic! (When we were in Mainz, Germany this summer, we saw the most adorable picnic basket that I desperately wanted to take home with me. We still had over a week of travel, and there really wasn't a good way for me to take it back to Indy without spending a fortune on mailing it home. I was absolutely delighted that Nick remembered the picnic basket that I loved.) The backpack had several compartments: an insulated portion for storing food, a pocket for miscellaneous storage, and a large, zipped area that kept plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, a cutting board, a knife, a wine bottle opener, and mini salt and pepper holders (I'm sure I am forgetting something.. Oh yes, there is a side holder for a bottle of wine.) What a great gift!

On Easton Beach in Newport with my new pinic basket!

On Saturday night, Nick and I went into downtwn Providence to see "Waterfire." I am not really going to do it justice by trying to explain it, so here's Wikipedia's version...

"WaterFire is a popular environmental art installation created by Barnaby Evans in Providence, Rhode Island. It consists of a series of up to 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence in Waterplace Park (the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck, and Providence rivers), with accompanying world and classical music, sometimes with live performances. Started in 1994, events continue to be scheduled on an approximately biweekly basis from April through October. WaterFire is a public art work that uses the urban experience and its attending visitors as an element within the artwork. One impetus for WaterFire is to continue the revitalization efforts in the downtown Providence area by bringing residents out to celebrate in the city's downtown streets and through increased tourism from out of state visitors (60% of viewers are from outside the state). Average attendance is 45,000 a night, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. WaterFire is presented for free, with twenty percent of the funds needed to cover the expenses provided through governmental means and the remainder coming from on-site donations by visitors, private donors and corporate sponsors."

So, there you have it. When we arrived around 7:30 PM (it was supposed to start at 7:15 PM), there were a ton of people standing around, but nothing was really going on. We decided to stake out a spot just off the main part of the park so that we'd be able to have an unobstructed view. As the sun was setting, the action began. There was a procession of people from that week's sponsor, United Way, carrying torches to the center part of the park and around the lake. Then, several boats full of people all dressed in black came down the river to light the fires. During and after the fires were lit, there were opera singers staged around the park singing songs I couldn't understand but sounded very beautiful (Italian, maybe?). I had *very* different expectations from what it ended up being. I was imagining some type of Indiana Jones student show you'd see in a theme park, complete with blowing fire, loud music, and people swinging from ropes. A little disappointed I didn't have anyone shoot fire at me, but I still liked the event.

Part of the Providence skyline

At Waterplace Park before Waterfire starts

An attempt to photograph fire (it's as hard as it looks)

Another attempt to photograph fire (Better but less than ideal)

I made a promise to myself that no matter what I'm doing, I will take a picture of a group or couple if they ask me (I've asked for more than my share, that's for sure)

After that, we walked around Providence until we decided to eat at Capital Grille. The restaurant is very nice (I've eaten there once before with Deb and Troy), but unfortunately, we didn't have the greatest waiter (I think I may have gotten my mom's restaurant curse!). If there is one pet peeve I have, it is running out of water and having to wait to get more to drink. I mean, I'm not talking I drink all of the water and if they aren't there lickedy split, it's the end of the world. I could probably even do 5 minutes. BUT, I was eating something spicy (calamari with hot cherry peppers), and he was in the general area at least five times before we could get his attention. (And the only reason he brought me water is because Nick stopped him on his way to the bathroom to tell him his girlfriend was dying of thirst!) Despite a slight lack of water, the dinner was wonderful... great food, great scenery (we sat outside, and you could still hear the music from the river), and great timing (we didn't have to wait!).

I would finish, but I need some beauty sleep! More to come tomorrow about our day in Newport.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Last night Debbie and I both went to Fenway Park for the first time. I don't think I've ever been to any major sporting event or concert where I've entered the lowest concourse and actually had to walk *down* the stairs to get to my seat. (We were in Row L, which, unless there were additional rows without labels in the very front, means that we were only 13 rows away!) We ended up having to get the usher to move some punk kid in our seats, but it wasn't a big deal. Right when we sat down, Pedroia hit a home run! (Click here for a video and the full story.) What a way to start my first Boston Red Sox game...

America's Most Beloved Ballpark...

The Green Monster

Debbie and I living the dream (too bad those people are in the way!)

There was lots going on during the game. We had to pay close attention when left-handed players were up at bat because the ball could have come right at us. Thankfully, I didn't have to use my amazing coordination skills (read: my middle name is definitely not Grace), but we also didn't get a foul ball- maybe next time. I mean, what can I expect? Free tickets in amazing seats, good stadium food, and a foul ball? That's probably asking a little too much. Plus, lots of music during the whole game... players' walk out songs (very interesting, this could be a whole different post; what would yours be?), the organ playing catchy little tunes, sing-a-long songs between innings (those songs that make everybody feel good).

Lisa, I decided this one to you (Sweet Caroline... ba ba ba!)

Batter up!

Speaking of food, who doesn't love stadium food? I swear that no hot dog I've ever made at home tastes as good as the one I had last night did... huge, soft bun (it reminded Deb of Wonderbread) and spicy mustard (similar to the Boar's Head mustard that Nick and David use)- yum! I also had a box of Cracker Jacks, and I was so into the game that I forgot about my favorite part-- the prize inside! (Confession: I also had a little plastic helmet filled with chocolate soft serve ice cream! Looks like I'll be doing some extra time in the gym this weekend...)

Sporting events (and dress-up, fancy events) are a great place to people-watch, if you're into that sort of thing. There are all kinds of people there... kids who want to grow up to be baseball players, families out for the night, businessmen and their clients, couples on a date, people just visiting the city, etc... the list goes on and on. I guess my main point is that sports brings people from all walks of life and socioeconomic classes together for the same cause. Another of my favorite types of people to see are the pairs or groups of older guys or couples that you *know* are regulars... the ones who come to every game, keep score in a playbook, and know all of the players names, yet they sit very relaxed, as if they don't have the need to announce to the world that they are world's best fan.

It's also interesting to see what people wear to a baseball game. Some businessmen come straight from work, wearing their pinstripe suits and loosely-knotted silk ties. There was an older gentlemen several rows in front of us who wore a vintage Red Sox shirt that was in a Hawaiian-style pattern but with Sox paraphernalia. As for Deb and I, the most comfortable outfit invented in the fashion world to date... a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Nice. Too bad I didn't have a Red Sox sweatshirt- Troy said that he saw us on t.v.!!

The Red Sox went on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-0. The win was very exciting, but more than anything, I just loved my first experience at Fenway, and hopefully it won't be my last.

Can't help but laugh at myself for this one... That is a silly (and cheesy!) grin

Go Sox!

Deb and I got tickets at the last minute for the Red Sox game tonight in Boston! (Read: details of the weekend will come Wednesday or Thursday.) A little bird told me that the hot dogs were good, so I'm thinking I should order something classic... a hot dog and a beer (or diet Coke). I'm not much of a beer drinker, but somehow it seems wrong drinking a glass of wine at a baseball game. (Kind of like the time I ordered a margarita with a kid's meal at a restaurant in Maine. Probably the first time the waiter ever heard that one.)

Thanks for the tickets, Troy!

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day

I had one of the most relaxing weekends I can remember in a long time. Nick flew into Boston on Friday night and stayed until this afternoon. We didn't do anything crazy- it was wonderful to just spend some time together. It had been four weeks since I've been home last, so having a three-day weekend was the perfect opportunity for Nick to visit.

One of our favorite things to do is to cook together, especially breakfast. The first time Nick made me breakfast it didn't go hot. He had me try "getta," which is an old family recipe. He wouldn't tell me what was in it, but he swore that everyone who tried it loved it. (He was not aware of my eating habits at this time, but I thought it was a bad time to bring them up.) So, trying to be a good sport, I gave it a shot... it did not go well. (I'm sure my face was priceless.) It turns out it contains some kind of meat (pork, maybe? I'm not sure), which I generally avoid at all costs. (My apologies to Nick's family! I'm sure if I was a meat eater I would love getta, too. Don't hold it against me!) So, trying to be a good host, Nick went to the kitchen and made me a yogurt parfait with raspberries and blueberries. I *love* yogurt parfaits, so I took a huge spoonful... it also did not go well. He used Fage yogurt, which is very healthy for you but nothing like the saccharin-infused, flavored yogurt I usually eat for breakfast. (Sigh...)

These days, we generally stick to blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, iced coffee, orange juice, and an omelet (for Nick, of course.) We often use an organic mix Nick gets from O'Malia's, but since he was a guest at my house, we used my favorite pancake recipe (thanks to my Mom and Betty Crocker). It is absolutely delicious and much cheaper that buying any mix. (Nick and I discussed mixes, to which I explained that I hate Bisquick... he said I was a pancake snob.) If you need an easy, quick recipe for pancakes, try the following:

Sarah's Favorite Pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon oil

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.. Combine the milk, egg, and oil. Combine all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until blended but slightly lumpy. Cook until golden brown. Makes approximately 8 pancakes.

Mix-in ideas: blueberries, bananas (mashed), apple chunks and cinnamon, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips.

I am going to attempt to go to bed early to get back into some sort of sleeping routine, so I'll give you more details tomorrow. I don't have any pictures of us making pancakes, but here's a sneak peak at the rest of our weekend...

Nick in New England

Hope you are enjoying your Labor Day weekend! Yesterday my first guest to my apartment arrived in Boston- Nick! I was so excited to see him that I took a wrong turn when leaving the airport, and we ended up going the wrong way... oops. Anyways, tonight we are going into Providence, then maybe to Newport tomorrow. He flies out of Boston on Monday, so I'll write about our weekend together then.

Cheers!

Keep Calm and Carry On

Wow, lots of news updates. I think this post would be best in my favorites format... (A list, of course)

• Nick and I had our first Skype date on Sunday! If you aren't familiar with Skype, it's an online service that allows you to video conference with other people on the internet. All you need is a web cam or microphone (depending on whether or not you want video or just audio)- the service is actually free. I used to be a little weirded out by the whole concept of web cam (Chelsea can attest to this), so I was a little skeptical. Everyone would rave about how great it was to be able to see the other person while you are talking to them. I never thought it would make that much of a difference, but it *does.* I found a web cam on Ebay for only $13 (including shipping!) and had it sent to Nick as a surprise. If anyone has a Skype account, let me know- love to chat with you! I love it so much I feel like I should wear a t-shirt or something of the sort to advertise for them. If you haven't tried it, I *highly* recommend it.


• Work has been busy. I'm currently working on developing my research project, which focuses on demonstrating the impact a community pharmacist can have in the quality of life for patients with chronic pain. I did a retrospective analysis with Chelsea last year for our PharmD project, which was a great learning experience. However, I never realized how much more complicated it is when you involve actual patients. The other challenge is recruitment of patients for the study. I am only going to be in a store one half-day per week, so I am going to have to rely on store teams to help me. I just got a critical piece of information around the definition of a clinically significant change in a patient's quality of life in an e-mail late today, so I'll be able to finalize some of my study methods in time to present them to a clinical committee next Wednesday. (However, they need the materials by this Thursday. Yikes.)


• Best practice: when you get someone else's mail in your mailbox, *please* do not 1) throw it away 2) open it, then throw it away 3) open it then give it to the original recipient 4) pretend like you didn't get it and proceed to throw it away. I only say this because in the past month I have had two pieces of mail, one of which is extremely important (my benefits information for insurance at work). (Note: The whole benefits issue could be a story in itself. I'll explain more later when I have the energy.) Just yesterday I had a letter placed on my door handle that was opened. Great. It was a preloaded card for the Massachusettes Bay Transportation Authority that I had bought online to use to travel to the Logan Airport when I go home to Indy in October (I get Columbus Day off). I tried to see if there was a way to check its balance online, but no such luck. I'll have to call them tomorrow to find out if whoever opened it decided to use it to buy a ticket for themselves. Although, I'd like to think that if they were going to do that, they never would have brought the card to me in the first place.

• I'm still traning for the Newport mini- I'm up to five miles at a time, which may not sound like a big deal to some of you but is to me. It's definitely making me drink more water that's for sure. If I haven't had enough to drink, I can tell after just a couple miles into the run when my body is starting to yell "Why do you hate me?!" It's a good thing that my desk is near the bathroom (and water fountain if you're curious) because I've probably been four or five times a day in the past week. It is slowing down, but I wouldn't be surprised if co-workers think I have a bladder control issue. My next task is to find a nearby park to run for my longer distrance runs on Sundays- jogging along the side of the slightly winding, hilly road just somewhow doesn't make me feel comfortable. Besides, I don't have my real insurance, so I'd be in deep if I got hit by a car. (Relax, I have temporary insurance and am covered on Mom and Dad's until the end of this month. Speaking of which, it is already September!!

• I can't believe I forgot to tell Deb this today, but I am now licensed in Indiana! I got the e-mail from the board today, and I am very excited. Indiana's BOP gives you your score. I wasn't really interested in seeing the exact results- just knowing that I passed was enough for me. But thanks to the IPLA, it's confirmed- I'm better at pharmacy law than therapeutics. Super.

• Starting last Friday, I have been partaking in what I've dubbed "The Deep Clean." I am having my first guest at my apartment this weekend- Nick! It's not that my apartment that was dirty to begin with, but there were just a lot of loose ends to be tied up. There were quite a few things that I just hadn't gotten around to yet. I mean, decorations are nice, but if you are the only one that ever sees your apartment, sometimes figuring out what to put in the glass vases next to the entertainment stand fall by the wayside. I was also putting off cutting the plastic mat for my pantry (it's an open metal rack. I thought having everyone be able to see what I am eating would motivation to not eat junk, but not really sure how that is working out. At least I'm an optimist at heart.). I was nervous that the plastic mat would needed to be cut with some type of exacto knife and that I'd cut a finger off, but I only ended up using regular scizzors and my leopard-print measuring tape. But my favotite addition was the poster I finally hung in my kitchen that I brought with me to Rhode Island....

I think it is just the perfect saying for me right now. Not only that, it matches the rest of my kitchen (go figure). Hope everyone is having a good week- more to come tomorrow!