Is There a Neurologist in the House?

Even though my time in Rhode Island is winding down, it seems like I've got more and more going on at work! Three weeks left... (not that I'm counting or anything!)

Over the last few months I have been working with the University of Rhode Island on preparing an ACPE-accredited continuing education (CE) course for pharmacists. Depending on what state you are licensed in, pharmacists are required to have a certain number of CE hours, some of which must be "live" classes. Other states are even furthered detailed in their CE requirements and often specify how many credits one must complete on pharmacy law and immunizations, for example.

I worked with the three other pharmacy residents in the state (YES, there are only a total of four residents in the entire state of RI... I was shocked when I learned this. I mean, I know RI is small, but really? Indy isn't that big and Clarion along probably has 20 PGY1 pharmacy residents) to come up with a CE topic. Although we needed a general theme to link our presentations, we would all be presenting for 40 minutes each on different topics. We had originally discussed an emphasis on infectious disease but ended up focusing on neurology.

Not going to lie, neurology was not my first choice... it is one of those areas that I feel like no one really understands. Needless to say, I learned quite a bit on my area, multiple sclerosis (MS), since I had almost zero memory of learning about it in school. My presentation was titled "Disease-Modifying Agents for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis." In conjunction with my presentation, I wrote an article for our clinical newsletter on disease-modifying therapy and will follow-up in July's issue on the treatment of MS symptoms themselves. For those of you who don't know much about MS, keep reading...

MS is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the CNS. The body recognizes self as non-self and attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerves, which leads to decreases in CNS function. There are approximately 350,000 people with MS in the United States, and 4 million people worldwide that suffer from MS. The onset of the disease is generally seen in patients 20-40 years of age and is twice as commonly in females versus males. Primary symptoms of MS are caused by disruptions in CNS function and include muscle spasms, fatigue, pain, vision changes, and loss of bladder control. There are many forms of MS, but most patients experience repeated attacks of worsening function, followed by periods of partial or complete recovery. After 20-25 years, patients have less frequent attacks and begin to experience chronic decline in neurological function. The disease itself is rarely fatal but can be an enormous social, emotional, and financial burden on patients and their families.

Whew.. I typed that all in one breath! I could keep going, too... as you can see, MS is something I feel strongly about. Retail pharmacists can have an enormous impact on patient care by understanding more about MS therapy. I was very grateful for the opportunity to present at the CE dinner (there were about 80 pharmacists there)- the more practice I have speaking in public the better. What's even more exciting was that I had a friend in the audience! Karen is one of the pharmacists I worked with at my former store in Cranston... she was so helpful during my time in the store AND she helped to make the pharmacy fun when she was working. I will miss you next year!

Thanks for coming Karen! You're the best!

Speaking of visitors at my presentation, Debbie (my boss) was supposed to be on vacation last week (my presentation was on Wednesday). She drove to NY to see friends and family on Tuesday and made a special trip to Warwick to watch me present. On Thursday, she drove back to NY to finish her vacation. I am so lucky to have such a great boss. :)

Doing Something for Those with Nothing

Last Friday my department spent half of our day performing community service at the Rhode Island Food Bank. They have a new marketing campaign they'll be launching at the beginning of May, and they needed assistance assembling displays that will be distributed to Dunkin' Donuts and Whole Foods stores in the area. Before we began, there was a short talk by the director- did you know that a $2.99 donation can provide 10 lbs of food to a family in need? It just goes to show that a little can go a long way.

I really enjoyed interacting with my co-workers outside of the office environment- I am lucky to have such a great team. (No, I'm not just saying that- most of them don't know I have a blog or know and don't read it.) Even though I'm excited about moving home, it will be hard for me to leave my RI work family.

Here are a few pictures from our department outing...

Our group picture--the lighting was not the greatest in the warehouse where we were working. Naturally, I'm on the left side right in the streak of sunlight and can't be seen.

Deb and I taking a break for a photo op

Here are the cans that we had to stack on the displays. Jim, Amy, and I raced Bill, Kevin, and Lauren to see who could stack the cans the fastest (we're not competitive at all!). The cardboard display was made of two parts, a top and a bottom, both of which had to be socked with empty tin cans (labels out, Dan!). After assembly, the team had to place a cardboard cover over the display without disrupting the cans! You'll be happy to know that my team came out on top.

Doesn't Lorna have a great smile?

Glenda (left) and Jeanne make building boxes look easy

Don't mess with Jim!

Deb! In the office (and outside of work, I guess) I always call Debbie by her first and last name together, so it feels a little incomplete to just type her first name.

Look for more pictures to come- I'm having some difficulty loading the rest of them onto my blog.

And speaking of volunteering, I'll tell you about the clinic I've been volunteering at in Providence later this week.

Welcome to Hockeytown!

FLASHBACK: After my mom came to visit, I began a two-week tour to train other pharmacists to become immunizers. Tuesday , April 6 I flew to Detroit and met Corrinne at the airport. Corrinne was the previous resident and now works in Massachusetts as a staff pharmacist, but she flew out to help me (paid, of course) to teach several classes. I love teaching these classes, but the full eight-hour day can get tiring and make you go hoarse if you aren't careful.

I was a little nervous about our travel luck when we (I should say "I"- maybe I'm the one with bad travel luck) had some difficulties after renting the car. I got a black Pontiac Vibe, which was a nice drive. I also rented a GPS to help me get around (If you know me, you know that I am almost always 1. late, which I am working hard to correct and 2. lost). When I went to turn on the GPS, it gave me an error message. I flagged someone down to help me, and I felt a little better when even he couldn't fix it. Our second GPS was in German, so we couldn't figure out how to change the language settings. Finally, our third GPS worked, and we were on our way.

We taught our classes in Novi, Michigan at a regional company office. Our first class started on Wednesday, and we had a wonderful group. The pharmacists were engaged, asked thoughtful questions, and seemed excited about the program overall. Corrinne and I tag-teamed throughout the day on Wednesday and again on Thursday morning. Corrine left at lunchtime on Thursday, so I had Thursday afternoon and all of Friday to teach by myself. The classes were very cooperative and patient, especially during the skill assessment.

Several weeks before my trip I looked into activities in the Detroit area. I didn't know who was going with me (if anyone), but I knew that I wanted to explore at least one night. The timing worked out perfectly- there was a home Red Wings game on Wednesday night! I grew up watching Red Wings hockey with my dad (he's a *huge* fan), and I've always wanted to go to a game. (I think I went to one when I was very young, but I don't remember it well enough to count it.) There was a great deal online- 2 tickets, 2 hot dogs, and 2 drinks for $48 dollars! Our seats weren't bad, either, especially for less than $20 each. We were in the 10th or so row on the second tier on the aisle.

It turned out that Corrinne had never been to a professional hockey game- what a way to start! The Red Wings team has a lot of history- they don't call it "Hockeytown" for nothing, and the fans are wonderful. They remind me of the Red Sox fans in Boston- they are there because they *love* the team and the sport. All of the Wings fans were into the game, high-fiving each other (and me!) when they scored. Another bonus- you don't see very many people talking on their cell phones (I love towns that teach their fans etiquette!).

Below are some pictures and a video from the game...

I love old signs like this- isn't it nostalgic?

A shot of the retired jerseys hanging from the ceiling. I remember when Steve Yzerman retired (it wasn't that long ago)- I think I cried when I watched the ceremony.

Corrinne and I at the game. I borrowed a jersey from my Dad. I almost didn't wear it to the game because it was so big (and I felt a little silly), but I am so glad that I did. I looked like a true fan (everyone else was wearing the same thing).

All of the fans went crazy during this fight in the first period. This is one of the reasons why hockey players generally don't have the best orthodontia.

Speaking of fans, the place was packed! Even all of the nosebleed seats were taken. (Keep in mind that this is a Wednesday night!)

Even though I played indoor soccer, I am always amazed by the line changes that occur during the game. (For those that aren't familiar, you basically do the same thing in indoor soccer.) It is so seamless- you don't even notice the changes most of the time if you're watching the puck.

I managed to capture the crowd's reaction after one of the Red Wings' goals.... click on the box below to experience part of Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings were down for part of the game but managed to score several quick goals in the last period to win! Even though there was a mass of people after the game (I felt like a sheep) that we had to climb through, it was definitely worth staying for the whole game.

The final score- Red Wings 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 3.

On Thursday night I was able to have dinner with Flora, who will be next year's resident. She is from a suburb of Detroit and came for the immunization training (one step ahead of me already!). Not only is Flora a hard worker, she is a joy to be around- I wish I was able to work with her longer that just a week. (Her first week is my last week at work. My goal is to show her the ropes and help familiarize her with the area. And, as you might have already guessed, I'm working on a welcome basket.) I was so bummed that I didn't take a picture of the two of us, but you'll hear more about her in June blog posts.

After the session on Friday, I drove back to Indy for another week of training. See my next post for info on my second week of travel.

Spring in Indy

I'm writing to you this week from Indianapolis- I was in Detroit for training until last night. From there, I was planning on driving to Merrillville, IN for a continuing education pharmacy session with the Indiana Pharmacy Alliance. But, after more than 12 hours of continous lecturing by myself, I had almost lost my voice. Instead of driving west, I headed south to sleep in my own bed and rest my voice.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day- sunny, high 60's, slight breeze. It is the kind of weather that you can be comfortable wearing shorts or jeans, but you don't get too hot either. My Mom and I took Izzie on a walk in our neighborhood, and we saw a sure sign of spring- wild violets! I haven't seen this many in a long time, and I have never seen white violets before growing on their own. I picked a small bouquet to bring the outdoors in. Fresh flowers are so wonderful to have inside. I don't know what it is about them, but the combination of bright colors, fragerance, and shapes are just lovely.

Much more to write about, but I'll fill you in more tomorrow. I'm going to do one of my favorite things that I can only do at home- play the piano.

Washington, Part I: D.C.'s Drunken Donuts

Last Thursday, Debbie and I flew to Washington D.C. for the American Pharmacists Association's annual meeting and exposition. This year's theme was "Inspire, Engage, and Influence: APhA Pharmacists Lead the Way." Unlike the ASHP meeting in Las Vegas last December, we didn't have to do any recruiting for the residency, which gave us a little more flexibility.

After much internal debate, I ended up purchasing a piece of rolling luggage the night before we left to use on the trip. It's funny- as far as luggage goes, I didn't buy anything fancy, but it felt like such a luxury! I've never owned any what I call "grown-up" luggage. The closest I've come before is a beautiful black and pink Vera Bradley set my mom got me, which is perfect for weekend trips but difficult to pack clothes for more than 3 days (at least for me!). I think I walked around Target for an hour before I decided to get it, and I am *so* glad that I did! The 360 degree rolling wheels are a must if you are considering buying new luggage.

After we landed in D.C., Debbie and I took the Metro (LOVE using public transportation!) to a stop near our hotel and walked just a few blocks to reach our destination. When we left the airport, the escalator going up to the Metro platform was broken, and we had to lug our bags up without any help. Now, I'm not in the greatest shape, but I do lift weights and work out fairly regularly. I thought my arm was going to FALL OFF!

We stayed at the Renaissance hotel in the Penn Quarter right across from the Convention Center. (Note: The Convention Center could have its own zip code- check out this floor plan... pretty sure I had to ask for directions every time I went to a meeting. The only exception- the general session. There were banners taller than me pointing the way.) There were a couple of things I really liked about the hotel: 1. They had lemon-infused water around the hotel. It was almost like lemonade without the sugar- it tasted so good! I mean, it wasn't anything complicated (well, I think so)- just a bunch of cut up lemons in a glass beverage dispenser (can't wait to get one of these someday!). 2. They had fresh flowers in the lobby- pomanders made of red carnations- they were gorgeous! Putting anything on display en mass creates a great visual effect. (Naturally, I did not take a picture... Sigh...) The hotel also had a great workout center. I meant well (I packed 3 workout outfits) but didn't make it there once! Good thing we were doing a lot of walking. When we got there on Thursday, it was warm enough for Debbie and I to go for a walk in shorts and sweatshirts- we went around the National Mall and beyond.

Here is an outside view of our hotel- the pictures I tried to take were ruined by the rain. This one is much prettier.

The Convention Center in Washington D.C.

Look at the size of this room! I have no idea how many it seats, but I was shocked when I walked in- definitely didn't expect that many people! (Note: I decided I might look funny just taking a picture of the audience, so I thought this one from their website would suffice.)

Now, I'm definitely not a self-proclaimed "foodie," but I did get to eat at some great restaurants. On Thursday night, Debbie and I went to a Spanish tapas restaurant we had found on our walk earlier that day. Apparently, La Tasca is well known among locals. I hung out with some friends that live in D.C. after dinner, and they knew what I was talking about before I could even say the name. The atmosphere was lively, the food was tasty, and the sangria pitcher was half-price. (They have over 10 types of sangria!) I had the bread with infused olive oil, shrimp, and the fried eggplant. Not necessarily the healthiest dinner, but it was just what I needed.

On Friday night, a vendor that works with our team for immunizations took a small group of us to Smith and Wollensky's, a steakhouse. I asked their waiter what came on their house salad just to make sure I wasn't going to end up with something I hated. However, I had a very difficult time understanding him, and the only words I caught were "honey Dijon dressing" and "croutons." I decided to take my chances- I mean, how bad can a house salad be? Well, let' s just say that it was less than ideal for what I had in mind- it was covered with apple wood-smoked bacon thicker than my thumb (it looked like raw meat to me), chunks of potatoes, and button mushrooms.

After everyone had finished their main dish (everyone but Deb got steak- the knives they handed out looked like it was made for a giant!), the waiter brought over the dessert tray, which was covered with the most delicious-looking sweets. My eye was drawn to the white take-out bag on the bottom tier, and the waiter introduced it as "Drunken Donuts." They make fresh, homemade donuts, shake them with powdered sugar in the bag while they are still warm, and serve the donuts with 3 liquor-infused jams. WOW- probably one of the best desserts I've had in quite a while. There were only 4 small donuts, but I tried to get someone else at the table to try them. No one did- they were all too full. At first I felt like the glutton of the group but that feeling didn't last long! Guess I'm the girl that's not afraid to get dessert even though no one else wants anything but finds the strength to finish it all by herself.

My drunken donuts! I am extremely tempted to make homemade donuts one weekend....

On Saturday night, we went with a different vendor to Matchbox: A Vintage Pizza Bistro. Mike has family in the area and has visited D.C. frequently for work, so he recommended this restaurant. From the outside, it doesn't look like much. In fact, it looks like a hole in the wall... but appearances are deceiving. When you walk in, you end up going a maze of rooms and levels. Over time, as their business grew, the owners just kept buying additional property and tearing down the walls. The architectural details are gorgeous- lots of exposed brick, tall ceilings, staircases, and a wood-fire pizza oven. The food was amazing, and, like La Tasca, it had a great atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you are ever in the neighborhood.

An outside shot of the restaurant

I love that the rooms are open and flow into one another

I'm sure the skylight is wonderful when the sun is out- their roof also has outdoor seating

Check back tomorrow to hear details of the rest of my trip!

I Know You Want One

I was sitting at my desk earlier this week, minding my own business, when my boss came to my desk. I see Debbie multiple times every day, so it was no surprise except for the fact that she was holding a present for me! She told me she ordered it for me as a Christmas present, but it turned up in the mail the day after I left for vacation. When I ripped the wrapping paper off, I was ecstatic... Debbie got me a Snuggie!

You might be familar with the Snuggie, but if not, it's "the blanket with sleeves." They have ads all over tv. (Click here to see a Snuggie ad.) At first it seemed like a joke, but before I knew it, they started advertising for different types of Snuggies... zebra-stripe, pint-sized, etc. I think it is one of those things you secretly covet but would never buy yourself. And not only did I get my very Snuggie, I got a Purdue Snuggie!

I immediately opened the box and tried it on at the office- I couldn't wait to wear it! (Note: the office can be drafty where I sit, but I'm not sure that a Snuggie is very professional.) Alma, who sits next to me, heard the comotion and wanted me to come show her my new present. I ended up seeing Troy, who now calls me "Grandma." (Last week my neck was bothering me, so I had a heating pad on my chair to loosen up the muscles. The addition of a Snuggie probably didn't help my case.)

Warm and cozy in my new Snuggie!

Thanks, Deb! I love it!

I'm Back!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend almost two weeks with my family and friends. I left Wednesday, December 23 and didn't return to Rhode Island until Sunday, January 3- what a vaca! (read: vay-cay)

One of my New Year's resolutions is to do a better job of sticking to a routine with regards to eating and sleeping. Since I've been so busy catching up, I am having a hard time getting to my blog before I turn into a pumpkin! Things will calm down after this week, so hang in there... I promise to write more soon.

Love,

Sarah

Baby, It's Cold Outside

When I got into the car to go to work on Friday, my dashboard display didn’t appear like it normally did. Instead of showing the time and temperature, it read “ICE POSSIBLE.” That’s when I knew winter had finally hit me. For almost a week, the entire state of Rhode Island talked about the snow forecast for the area. To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention for a couple of reasons 1.The past week flew by- I still have so much to do before I leave for vacation 2. The RI natives (and most people from New England) go on and on about how awful the winters are here and I was getting sick of hearing about it. On The Weather Channel’s website, you can enter two zip codes and their average temperatures using a graphing function. When you put 46032 up against 02896, here are the results:

The average high's for both zip codes, with Carmel represented by the orange line.

And now the average lows...North Smithfield is in light blue

The main difference is the amount of annual precipitation but not by that much... North Smithfield gets 6 inches more each year


This weekend I picked up some extra shifts at various pharmacies in the area. I worked Friday from 4-9 PM and Saturday from 5-9 PM. On my way to work on Saturday, the pharmacy supervisor for my district called me desperately looking for someone to cover a sick-call for Sunday in Pawtucket. Without hesitation, I happily agreed- who can’t use a little extra spending money around the holidays?

When I got to work on Saturday night, I started talking with the staff (FYI- this store was in Warwick), and they described how busy they had been that day. Their theory was that people were getting their errands done before the big snow hit. Hmmm… at this point I remembered Deb telling me we were expected to get up to 12 inches of snow on Sunday and to call the weather line before I came into work on Monday. It turns out we were expected to get 12-16 inches of snow late Saturday night and early into Sunday morning. Now, I’m usually not a skeptical person at all, but the wheels in my head started turning for some reason. Even though I’m sure it’s highly unlikely (ha!), I started to think that the pharmacist who called in sick wasn’t sick at all! At this point, I still didn’t mind waking up early to work 8 AM- 4 PM.

As I’m driving home on Saturday night, the snow starts to come down. The snow initially didn’t stick, and my ride back to Slatersville didn’t cause any problems. After I got ready to get some sleep, I looked out the window and saw that several inches of snow had already accumulated. Oh boy…

I ended up waking up at 5:45 AM to dig my car out and get ready for work. I had completely forgotten to pick up a shovel, so I armed myself with the tools I thought might help completed the job: a large spatula, a tennis racket, and a cookie sheet.

I must have looked ridiculous carrying these things out in the snow

Turns out, I’m a really lucky girl. Two of my neighbors were outside shoveling their cars out, too, and one of them gave me the largest scraper I’ve seen in my life. The other neighbor shoveled 90% of the snow for me! If I didn’t have them helping me, I would have been in a world of hurt. I went back inside to shower, gather my things, and leave for the store. When I went back outside, at least 3 more inches had accumulated on my car (45 minutes, maybe?).

This is crazy…

Take a look at the cars- good luck going anywhere

Unless you're one of the few people getting to go to work (which includes me)... here is a picture of my car

This is a cigarette butt disposal can (I don’t know what the name is, but I do know that I hate it- people stand right outside the door and smoke… YUCK!) to give you an idea of the amount of accumulation

For what normally would have taken me less than 30 minutes, my drive to the store ended up taking more than an hour. RIDICULOUS. The trucks and plows had been out all night trying to stay on top of the snow, but it was coming down so quickly that they struggled to keep the roads clear. I did not get any faster than 30 miles per hour, even though I was sometimes driving on a highway with a speed limit of 65 mph. I had several people pass me going much too quickly, and two or three of them ended up fish-tailing in front of me (defensive driving is so important here, even without the snow). I had to pull over twice to scrape my windshield off and get my bearings on where exactly the road started and stopped. I finally made it to the store without becoming lost but got stuck trying to get into the pharmacy parking lot.

It was pretty slow at the store today, which was a nice change. Don’t get me wrong- I still filled prescriptions almost the entire time I was there (it is a very high volume store that does over 5K prescriptions every week). After work I drove to babysit for Lorna and Craig, who were going to a nice dinner on Federal Hill and to see Wicked (so jealous!).

After the kids had gone to bed and were sound asleep, I poked around the kitchen to get a bite for myself. I found some Sun Chips that I’d been meaning to try and wanted a icy-cold Diet Coke to go with it. I noticed that they had an extra refrigerator/freezer combo in their garage, so I thought I’d take a look to see if they were stashing the caffeine there. They have an alarm system, so when I opened the door, a voice spoke, “Garage door opened.” Not wanting to set anything off, I closed the door behind me…..

Do you know what happened next? I know it’s hard to believe, but I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried…

I locked myself out of the house.

Surprisingly, I didn’t panic- I just had a good laugh at myself. It took an expensive, traumatizing experience for me to learn my lesson never to lock myself out of my own house, but apparently I had not yet learned how to apply to rules to others’ homes. I only had on black workout pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and slippers, then rummaged around the garage to find a set of gloves and a headband. I tried to look for a set of keys but didn’t have any luck. I also couldn’t find a garage door opener at first , but the car that was left in the garage had it programmed onto a button. I went around the house (I felt like such a creep!) and tried all of the other doors (all locked) and looked at the windows (also locked). The next step was to go over to the neighbors to see if they had a key (which they didn’t), but they did call the fire department for me. The fire department arrived in five minutes and opened the door in less than that.

If you don’t know me very well, I’m sure this post makes me seem so incompetent, but I promise that I’m much more educated that what this story might point you towards. Never a dull moment, though...

Viva Las Vegas: Part II

On Monday morning, it was back to interviews at Midyear, but this time, the whole residency team was there! Although I am the only resident at my site, I have seven other peers across the country. I had the opportunity to meet them all in September when they came to visit Rhode Island, and I knew right away that I would have friends and colleagues for life. Fred and Kavita are at the site in Texas with Melissa and Giang; Lisa is in Arizona with Elizabeth; Andrea and Brandon are in Pittsburgh with Julie, Mary, and Jessica; and Sherry and Kevin are in Illinois with Lydia.

On Monday afternoon, we participated in what is called the "Residency Showcase." The set-up is similar to a job fair, except all of participants, instead of employers, are residency programs trying to recruit residents. For 3 hours, this giant convention room turned into a sea of people, all trying to find a program that is right for their needs. In years past, there had just been the resident and the director from my site, and with only two people at a booth, it can be difficult to manage the flow of traffic. This year we took a team approach and had the residents and directors from all of the sites, which made it much easier to triage the requests we were getting. By the end of the showcase, my voice was almost gone!

For dinner, Nick and I went to the Grand Lux in the Venetian, which I absolutely loved (I think I ate there 4-5 times while I was in Vegas!). I had the Asian salad (more than once-it was so tasty); I have been meaning to search for a recipe online similar to the salad I had. It was light and fresh- lettuce, carrots, crispy rice noodles (texture, people, texture!), a ginger dressing, and some type of small green herb that I couldn't identify (but liked nonetheless).

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea

I'll have a big salad...

After dinner, Nick and I walked around the Palazzo, which is a tower that was added on to the Venetian. There are some glamorous stores on the first floor (David Yurman, Barneys New York, Kwiat), along with an illy cafe. The Illy cafe had more flavors of gellato and sorbetto than I even begin to name. Nick had chocolate (his favorite), and I tried the lemon ice and the cherry sorbettos.

Here is a picture of a fountain inside the Pallatzo... isn't it beautiful? They had another pool/water design (kind of like a modern wishing well), but I couldn't seem to get the right perspective for a picture.

I wonder who picks out the Christmas decorations for these places... I understand it needs to be over the top and a little wild (I mean, it is Vegas), but this just looked like the Loch Ness monster covered with lights.

While I was working, Nick did some research and bought us tickets to see the Blue Man Group. I have always wanted to see one of their shows (they are on my list of bands/groups/comedians to see before I die) but never had a good opportunity until now. If you've never seen them, it's a little hard to describe what their performance is like, but I think I've come up with a winning formula:

Gallagher (Remember the guy smashing all of the fruit? My other favorite was his painting of the United States)
plus the Three Stooges (At least one member of the group gets picked on/stands out/etc)

plus a mime (There was no talking during the show except for a short video)

plus Stomp (They focus on percussion, rhythm, and tone- another great show to see if you haven't already)

equals the Blue Man Group! (I know, this one is a little creepy)

You can't take pictures during the show, but here are a few highlights I found online...

The show started with these giant drums that had paint on the top and were used as drums (Dad, you would have loved this!)

Another part of the show used pipes for instruments- they changed the length of the pipes to change the sound (Sounds like a science experiment)

My favorite part of the show was when the rolls of toilet paper were passed from the back of the crowd to the front and then backwards to the back. They also had these glowing tubes that reminded me of the backbone of DNA (Wow, I am officially a nerd)

We snuck this one in before the show started... the people behind us thought they'd be funny and make faces in the background, hence the blurry face on the right-hand side of the picture. They apologized, but I don't really think they were sorry. (Note to self: do not tease young couples that want to get a cute picture together until after the picture has been taken.)

Nick headed back to Indy on Tuesday morning- luckily he wasn't delayed too long at the airport because of bad weather (his flight was changed, though, because of all of the snow in Chicago). On Tuesday we did some more interviewing, but it wasn't as crazy as Monday. I had a chance to walk around and catch up with some of my classmates from Purdue- how fun! I was told that 25% of my class was doing a PGY1 (Post-Graduate Year 1) residency, and I believe it- there were a TON of people there. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and hear future career plans.

I had been texting back and forth with Tony, a classmate of mine from Purdue, about meeting up sometime in Vegas since the previous Thursday and finally ran into him! Tony and I met the first week we were on campus through a mutual friend, David. Tony and I had so much fun during pharmacy school (I mean, as much fun as two kids could have during class)... to this day I am *shocked* that we did not have more professors tell us to be quiet or kick us out for talking during class. We tried so hard not to say anything, but something funny always happened. Either Tony spilled my Diet Coke, a professor would say something funny, I would spill my Diet Coke, or something else absurd would happen. One of our favorite activities was the "States and Capitals" game (much more interesting than medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, trust me); we became so well versed in the U.S. version that we had to move onto other continents to stay challenged. Tony is completing a hospital-based residency program this year in Ohio and plans to work in a hospital somewhere when he's finished (specific, isn't it?).

Here we are on our last day of pharmacy school (We are still friends, I promise!)

Look at these fine young scholars at Midyear (For one person who wasn't sure of what he wanted to do and the other who didn't want to do a residency, I think we turned out just fine...

To be continued...

Viva Las Vegas: Part I

Last Saturday morning I left for Las Vegas with Debbie to attend ASHP's 44th Midyear Conference. We flew on a direct flight from Providence to Las Vegas- the flight was six and a half hours! (Thank goodness we didn't have a layover.) I was really surprised that there was a direct flight out of Providence- nothing against Rhode Island, of course. (Sidenote: On my last two trips back to Indy I flew with Southwest and had great service and no issues with delays. I was using U.S. Airways prior to these trips, but I would need more than two hands to count the number of delayed flights in the past six months (and not to mention the night I spent in the Cleveland airport!).)

The flight was only half full, so we had plenty of room to spread out. I did some work work and then a logic puzzle (*love* my puzzle book... Not only are they challenging, they are (in theory) helping me prevent dementia). Not too long after I started my puzzle, I started to get sleepy and decided to take a nap. Sleeping on a plane can be tricky business... I mean, you don't want to touch the person next to you, but unless you're used to sleeping sitting up, it's difficult to fall asleep. I'm in the group that puts their head down on the tray table. I know this probably not the most sanitary option, but what else can you do? I spray it down with hand sanitizer and use a scarf so at least my fact doesn't touch it. How do you sleep on the plane? Any suggestions for future flights? (Sorry about the tangent...)

This was my first time in Las Vegas, so it was a little overwhelming when we were taking our shuttle from the airport to the hotel. There are so many things to look at and take in! The conference was at The Venetian and Sands Expo Center, and Debbie was smart enough to have us book our rooms well in advance so that we could roll out of bed and not worry about staying in another hotel. (I initially did not think this was very important but quickly learned that even though the hotels are across the street from one another, it could take you thirty minutes or more to get from your room to the conference.) The lobby of the hotel was gorgeous (it even smelled nice!)- it looked like what I think someplace in Italy would look like (I can't wait to visit someday.) I don't think my pictures capture it very well, so I've included some pictures from the hotel's website, as well as some pictures that I took.

A view of the outside (more like a complex than a hotel) (courtesy of the Venetian)

I wish the weather had been warmer.... they have gondolas you can ride that go inside and outside of the hotel (courtesy of the Venetian)

I want a fountain like this in my front yard (hey, I can dream, can't I?)

There were several other places in the hotel that had the ceiling painted to look like the sky

The corridor leading you from the lobby to the casino (another Venetian picture)... I loved all of the detailed flooring

I was shocked when I saw my "room" because it wasn't much of a room at all. Technically the name of it was a "Luxury Suite," which was the least expensive option at the hotel. I'm pretty sure that this suite was almost as big as my entire apartment. There was a sunken living room (love that!), three flat-screen t.v.'s (one was in the bathroom), a fax machine/copier/printer combination, and remote-controlled Roman shades on the windows. The bathroom was done in marble and had a vanity, double sinks, a whirlpool bathtub (I don't really like baths, so this wasn't a big deal to me), a shower big enough for a small village, and a separate water closet (this is *definitely* something I want in my house!).

A bed fit for a king (I don't remember ever sleeping on a king bed... And having slept on a twin bed until I moved to Rhode Island, I am not used to so much room!)

Want to watch the morning news while you brush your teeth? Yes, you can!

This sitting area reminds me of my Grandma and Grandpa's house in Pigeon where my Dad grew up... there is a small stool and a matching mirror that I always loved as a young girl

Another bathroom view

After dinner on Saturday night, I waited in my room until a special someone arrived! Nick came to stay for a few days in Vegas. We both knew I'd be busy doing recruiting for a pharmacist to fill my shoes next year, but how could he pass up a free room right on the strip? (He didn't.) Debbie and I interviewed several candidates on Sunday, but Nick joined us for lunch. I'm glad Debbie got to meet him. After hearing so much about him, I think she felt like she already knew him. I'm interested to hear what someone thinks after he or she meets someone they've only heard about.... your mental image of someone isn't always accurate.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw Nick's garment bag... a trash bag (He is so practical! Thanks, Mrs. K!)

On Sunday night, a company that we do business with took a small group of us out to dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel. Debbie, Amy, Ron, Minh, Papatya, and I were treated to a three-course French meal. I did try a piece of meat that someone said was similar to salami, only to find out it was some kind of raw beef. I also tried a small piece of the blue cheese souffle (eeee!), but I wasn't a fan. For dessert I ordered an apple tart complete with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce. While it might have sounded like a knockout dish, I was disappointed with the real thing.... I whispered to the people closest to me that I thought the apple pies at McDonald's were better than this!

At least it was pretty!

After dinner, the company bought us tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (unfortunately not the real one) to look out over the city. They knew that Nick was waiting for me in the casino downstairs (well, I told them), so they invited him to join us. When he met us at the restaurant, the only place to sit was at the complete opposite end of the table from where I was sitting. He was such a good sport about it, even if I did kind of throw him under the bus.

The view from the top! I am still not sure what setting to use on my camera for these pictures, but this one was decent

I saw my first show of the Bellagio water fountains (a feat of engineering, as my brother says)- isn't this perspective wonderful?

I wish I could have heard the music a little better, but you can't beat this view.

It was cold and windy being up so high, but it is never too cold for a photo op

It is one-third the size of the real Eiffel Tower (on my list of places to see before I die)

After dinner, Nick and I decided we'd try our luck in the casino. Most of the tables at the Venetian were pretty expensive, so we took the opportunity of being at another hotel to our advantage. I've one been to one casino before, which was in the summer of 2006 in Arizona during my internship. I had never played any of the live games, so Nick helped to explain a lot of the rules to me. We ended up joining a roulette table, which I really liked (I think I might have done more talking to our dealer than actual gambling).

We ended up winning $50! Go lucky number 18!

To be continued...