Homeward Bound

I've come to learn that some New England states celebrate their own holidays. For example, Massachusettes celebrates Patriot's Day (which is not the same thing as Fourth of July, figure that one out), which is always a Friday in April. Rhode Island happens to celebrate Victory over Japan day, which is the second Monday in August. I'm not exactly sure that this is politically correct, but I'm not one to complain... I am spending my three-day weekend in Indianapolis visiting Nick and our families. Look for an update on Monday or Tuesday!

A Fox Drinking Wine in December

Saturday morning, I woke up to a phone call (this is a recurring theme) from my brother. He had seen a news piece about a concert that he highly suggested I attend- The Newport Folk Festival. Some of his favorite groups, including Fleet Foxes, Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, Langhorne Slim, and The Avett Brothers were all playing. Not having heard any of these groups myself, I decided to take his word for it and head down to Newport. I mean, how many times am I going to able to go to the Newport Folk Festival?

While I was driving into Newport, I was in absolute awe and said out loud, "This is gorgeous- I want to live here!" Because I got a late start (did I mention Ryan's call was at noon?), I didn't have much time to mosey around Newport. On Saturday afternoons, the traffic isn't necessarily desirable, and on top of that, the concert had already started. So, after a few wrong turns (naturally), I found Fort Adams State Park where the event was taking place. When I pulled in, I still wasn't sure that I wanted to go (the tickets were a little steep), so I turned around and got back on the main road. Less than five minutes later, I decided, "why not!" and came back to the park. Bonus: the parking lot attendant didn't make me pay the $15 fee.

Wow, am I glad I stayed or what?! It was a beautiful day... bright blue skies, sunshine, a slight breeze, the smell of water- just how I would have imagined it. This year happened to be the 50th anniversary of the event, so there was quite the buzz around Fort Adams. This was no ordinary concert. It had 3 different stages with staggered starting times to allow you to see more artists, so it was more like going to 4 or 5 mini concerts. There were people *everywhere,* but the crowd was very friendly. This may be the only concert I've been to where someone shushed (shhhhhhh) another attendee in the crowd AND they listened! There was a variety of age groups that were all very free-spirited... lots of dancing, singing, interpretive dance (I guess that's what you call it), and other visitors just relaxing. Nice change of pace for someone who's always on the go.

Here's one shot of the crowd...

... and this is the bridge to get onto the island.

The first group I heard was Fleet Foxes, which was definitely my favorite of the day. Lots of guitar but not too slow that you'll fall asleep. But the best part of all is the harmony of the vocals- just listen to any of their songs and you'll see what I mean. I downloaded one of their cd's from iTunes as soon as I got home!

Next up was Iron and Wine. I didn't realize that this was only one guy, or I would have made my way to his stage earlier. It was *packed,* and when I was at the perimeter of the crowd, I could barely hear him. So, using my crowd-weaving skills (Thanks, Ryan), I worked my way up to the 5-ish row. There were some chairs for this stage (it was smaller than the main stage Fleet Foxes played on) but standing was fine with me. He has a very soothing voice and was a great storyteller.


The last group was The Decemberists, which I enjoyed but probably wouldn't see again in concert (a little too hard core for me). They had a guest vocalist who was singing and moving her arms while onstage, which I found very distracting. I did like the accordion, though- it was a nice touch. (Made me think of Ron, who can also play the accordion).


At the end of the concert, Pete Seeger played onstage with his grandson- how sweet is that. I actually forgot to get any pictures, but I enjoyed their music as well. By this point, though, I was beat and ready to drive home. Rhode Island may be one of the smallestest states but it *still* took me over an hour to get home (New Englander driving to be explained in a upcoming post.)

This is what I'm talking about when I say it was a gorgeous day....

Thanks for the advice, Ryan- I probably wouldn't have gone had you not called me. I can't wait to go back to Newport and explore more! *If anyone knows someone who has a boat in Newport, could you please put in a good word for me? I would *love* to go sailing while the weather is still warm. (Although if you find someone, you can tell them I'll also go in the fall, too!)

Speaking Legal-ese

Oh my goodness! I am awful! I can't believe it's been five days since I last posted. (Legitimate excuse, though... I've been busy studying for my law exam.) However, now that I'm done with my two big exams, I will have *much* more free time to keep you updated.

I took the Rhode Island Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) this morning. I'm not sure why I only allowed five days time between taking the NAPLEX and the MPJE, but it seemed like a good idea when I signed up a month or so ago. I had to kick it in full gear over the weekend to learn the different pharmacy regulations here, especially around Controlled Substances. For you non-pharmacy folks out there, individual states have the ability to create their own laws surrounding controlled drugs, which lends itself to lots of variance between them. For example, you can fill a 60 days supply for amphetamine salts in Rhode Island (only 30 in Indiana); prescriptions for controlled substances are only valid for 30 days (I think!) here but are good for 6 months to a year (depending on the schedule) in Indiana. I'm taking the Indiana MPJE at the end of August but that won't require near as much studying, since I have several years of practice as a knowledge base. (Trust me... pharamcists have a lot of rules to follow!)

Today I signed up for the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, and I am so excited to go! Some of my friends went while we were in school, but since I was never interested in pursuing a residency, I never went. The conference serves several purposes... 1. Showcases available residency positions across the United States 2. Updates on clinical information and professional skills 3. Networking with other pharmacists that work in similar practice environments 3. Continuing Education (CE) classes 4. Uniting pharmacists across different fronts to help advance pharmacy practice. This year the meeting is titled, "Guiding Change," and will be focused on "developing the tools you’ll need to usher in a new era of health care." I am looking forward to catching up with old friends, expanding my clinical knowledge, and visiting Las Vegas! I know I won't have much time to play, but at least I'm staying in the middle at the action... The Venetian.

I've got a special project to work on before I come home on Friday (eeeee!), but I'll post more later about the highlight of last weekend.

More Than a Thousand Words

Well, the good news is that it's over... I finally took the NAPLEX. I didn't feel like it went that well when I left, but I am a little more relaxed tonight. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it now! During the exam, I was surprised at the number of questions on a particular topic. (I can't disclose information about the exam, but I'll just give you what *might* have happened.) For example, I *might* have had cases on cystic fibrosis, dementia, and BPH, but I *might* not have gotten any questions on hypertension, coronary artery disease, or diabetes. I ended up taking a little under 3 hours. I'll know the results in about four days, but right now I need to focus on studying for the RI MPJE (law exam). While there is state-specific material, most of test covers federal law, which will help when I take the IN MPJE at the end of August.

Following Chelsea's advice, I took tonight off from studying. I ran errands, worked out, showered, ate dinner, and then something I've been waiting a whole month to do.... crafts, crafts, crafts! I have a whole list of things to do... scrapbook (several of them), gocco (Where do I find these things?), the cricut, make Christmas presents (I think everyone is getting something homemade this year- more personal, less expensive), etc. I was looking for some stickers in a box I hadn't opened in a while, and I found a wonderful surprise... family pictures.

I've been thinking a lot about "home" since I moved to RI. I have always appreciated (or at least tried) all of the things my friends and family have done for me but being so far away has made me realize how lucky I truly am to have so many wonderful people in my life. All of the pictures are from when I was little (six or under for the most part- I was going to make a couple of scrapbook with pictures from my childhood and haven't gotten around to it)... what a happy little girl I was! As my mom always says, when I was happy, I was very, very happy, but when I was sad, I was very, very sad. (Bipolar?) Some things never change, that's for sure... I still look the same and have the same exact personality (Mom, will you please verify this?). Here are a few of my favorites...

At the beach (I think in Delaware)

A very sleepy Sarah decides napping should be done while standing

Left to right: Phil, Ryan, Nick, and I before church on Easter

Why does my Dad look so exhausted?

Me at my Aunt Lousie and Uncle Grant's wedding tapping my glass for a wedding kiss

Trying on my Dad's hockey helmet for size

Look at that face!! Clearly not a morning person...

Visiting the two of the sweetest grandparents in Pigeon

I just love Ryan's pointy hood in this picture

In Grandma's chair on the porch in Kazoo

This one is very special to me

Eating breakfast in my favorite spot in Kazoo

I know most of these pictures probably aren't very sentimental to you, but there are so many memories within them that make each one special in its own way. When I look at these, I never feel that far from home.

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings." -Hodding Carter

Mom and Dad- thanks for my wings.

I'll Give It a Shot

I have been a busy bee lately! I can't believe that tomorrow is already Thursday... I haven't gotten enough done, yet! Today I went with Deb to teach an immunization class- a little scary, isn't it?! I do like to teach, but I definitely need some practice with the material and just to become more comfortable speaking in front of groups. If all works out, I'll be able to give a couple of lectures at the University of Rhode Island's Pharmacy School this upcoming school year.

I actually *LOVE* that pharmacists now have the opportunity in all fifty states to immunize patients. Just like anything else, certain restrictions do vary based on the state in which you practice. For example, pharmacists in Rhode Island can administer any type of vaccine but only to patients at least 19 years of age. I'll be helping at flu clinics in our stores in the fall, along with a few other opportunities around vaccines. I'm going to participate in a few activities with our company's wellness department to educate employees on site, one of which will be education around the importance of vaccines. In a couple of weeks, I'll actually be traveling to California to help Mike (who runs the company's immunization program) train more pharmacists- the more experience, the better!

Tomorrow I'm taking the NAPLEX exam, which is the national licensing exam for pharmacists, followed by the Rhode Island law exam (MPJE) next Tuesday. I will be so relieved when they are done! I did go through the APhA review book (almost 900 pages!) over the past 4 weeks, but what I didn't realize is that the cd they provided had questions on it. If only I had realized it before tonight! I took a few quizzes on chapters where I'm a little less comfortable, but I decided that it would be a bad idea for me to try to finish all of the questions on the cd (900 questions!). The last thing I need to do is be more nervous, even though it's probably the most important test I'll ever take (no pressure). As Deb says, it is a minimum competency exam... how well you do doesn't determine how good of a pharmacist you are, you just need to pass!

No one actually gets the same test, so it will be interesting to see what I get! I'm taking it at 2 PM tomorrow in Warwick. Deb was nice enough to let me have the morning off (you're the best, Deb!), so I won't be rushed (you all know I'm always late, but I am working on this) or stressed out about things going on at work before I leave (not that work stresses me out that much, but there is always lots to do!). Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow....

Happy Birthday, Lana!

Hope you are having a great day- wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

Looking forward to visiting you in NYC! Love you!

Special Delivery

As if I weren't spoiled enough, my wake up call was from a florist in Woonsocket saying that someone sent me flowers! (FYI- it wasn't that early... it was already 10:30, and I needed to get up!) An hour later, they arrived with my absolutely beautiful gift....

Nice and bright summer colors

I love the way fresh flowers smell

I love fresh flowers! (What girl doesn't?!) I was trying to guess who sent them to me before I opened the card, but I couldn't put a finger on it. I should have known.... Nick. What an unexpected but wonderful way to start my day.... I can't thank you enough!

My Sweetheart Is Lonely!

It's hard to believe I've already been here a month! The time has flown by, and there are still so many things I want to do before I leave! I'll have more free time (I think) after I finish taking my boards.

So, even though it was Friday, I was feeling a little bummed. I still haven't made any friends outside of work, and it can be lonely at times. I called Nick, and he gave me some suggestions on how I could meet more people, one of which was CraigsList. I told him he was crazy- why would I do that? The more I thought about it, it didn't seem like that bad of an idea. I mean, I know couples (both dating and married) that met online, so why couldn't I meet a friend? I decided that I'd sit on the idea until after my NAPLEX (Thursday) and see how I felt then.

Nick called later and casually mentioned that he made a post on CraigsList but didn't say for what. Sure enough, it was on my behalf in the Providence personals. Read this...

My sweetheart is lonely! -w4w 24

"My girlfriend just moved to Rhode Island for a year-long pharmacy residency. She is an outgoing and social person, but doesn't know anyone in Rhode Island or the surrounding area..so she is very lonely. She needs some good girlfriends with whom to go shopping, work out, go to dinner, go out, etc. She loves to drink wine, has a fantastic personality, and is very smart and organized. You will love this girl.

She actually lives in Woonsocket, but providence is pretty close right? "

Nick's intentions besides, it doesn't even matter if I meet anyone from this... just reading his post made me feel that much closer to home. I miss you, Nicky.

Ditch the Workout... Join the Party!

Today I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business, when it hit me- I never showed you pictures of my cubicle! Okay, so it's nothing really to write home about, but it's my first cubicle ever. I have a great location, too- the bathroom and water fountains around just around the corner. I also sit where a lot of people come in and out of the department, which I think is more condusive to visitors (although I'm still testing that theory out). There are students both behind and to the right of me, but my favorite person, Alma, sits to my right. We can't actually see each other, but I feel like we know a lot about each other! On a good day, she'll sing in Spanish- she has a lovely voice.

This is where the magic (aka Drug Information/Clinical Services support) happens...

Things that make me happy

Things that make me happy (part II)

Tonight was my glorious return to ZUMBA. I first started the class last summer when I moved home to start my rotations. My mom was taking a Zumba class at the Westfield Washington Parks office with some co-workers and encouraged me to go, too. I ended up loving it! There's nothing better than getting/staying in shape and shaking your hips at the same time! I don't know how I got roped into this, but last fall I danced in the Carmel Art Festival on a day they were celebrating different cultures. Yes, me... the fairest in all of the land, on stage, dancing to Latin music. Not by myself, of course. My teacher in Westfield/Carmel, Ingrid, had a group of us perform a routine. Later that fall, I went with Tammy to a Zumba conference on the west side of Indy. Beto, the creator of Zumba himself, was there! The room that we danced in was packed- I know they sold over 250 tickets for sure. It was so energizing to be in a room with that many people all doing the same thing (hard to describe!). Ingrid was always trying something new- one class we had was with black lights, a strobe, and glowing bracelets. No joke.

So, needless to say, I was glad to start Zumba-ing again. The greatest part is that it's at work!! I don't even have to leave the office- so convenient. Next week I am starting a Pilates class (also at the office) with a few of my co-workers. I'm looking forward to bonding with them outside of a normal work environment, but I think I had better practice before Monday rolls around.

P.s. Don't worry, I've got a Zumba cd if you're interested, courtesy of Ingrid.

Laughing Out Loud

Hope your week is off to a great start!

My Mom and Dad went to see David Cook in concert on Sunday at the Murat Theater in Indy. According to Mike, it sounds (no pun intended) like the concert was outstanding. My dad actually works with David Cook's uncle, so they had passes to go backstage! I saw David Cook with my parents last fall when the American Idol tour went through Indy. Even if you didn't watch the show, the concert was very entertaining. Here are some pictures that my Dad sent me from Sunday night...

The Murat looks beautiful when it's lit up at night

David Cook up close and personal

Dad said that David Cook told him it was the first drum head he had ever signed! Yeah for firsts!

I've been reminiscing (that makes me seem old, but I still feel like it's the right word to use) about pharmacy school over the past several days. I know, recounting memories of studying doesn't sound like anything to write about, but I have so many funny stories and situations that happened because of pharmacy school. This all started when I was studying for the NAPLEX (ugh, so ready to get that over and done!) on Sunday night in Chapter 28 of the APhA Review Book- Asthma and COPD. In every chapter they have a section on drug management (duh) with all of the different classes of medications. I about spit my Diet Coke out of my nose when I came to theophylline... Why, you ask? Keep reading...

We are required to take 6 credit hours of pharmacokinetics- one class (3 credits) in the spring of our fourth year, one class in the fall of our fifth year. Let's just say that this was exactly the most riveting of all of the courses I took while I was at Purdue. It didn't help that the class was fairly early (for me, that's before 10:30 AM), the room was dimly lit and warm (why do they make it hard to stay awake?), and there was always a stack of newspapers close by (I miss The Exponent!). (For any Purdue alum, the room I'm describing in the big lecture hall in the Electrical Engineering building, at least I think that was the building. Pharmacy grads- can you confirm this?) In other words, I didn't make it to every single class (oops! Sorry Dr G!). Anyways, during the class we studied a variety of drugs with specific kinetic properties that required them to do dosed and monitored based on blood levels. Some examples include lithium, aminoglycosides, phenytoin, and, you guessed it, theophylline! The bulk of our exams were problem-based (except for those ATROCIOUS graphs that he made us try to draw- I hated those until Chelsea taught me how to figure them out for the most past), which would often include coming up with recommended dosing regimens based on a patient's body weight, the drug distribution, and other parameters. During one of our exams, I was having an awful time figuring out a dosing schedule for theophylline that a doctor had theoretically requested. I played with equations to solve the problem for say, 20 minutes or so (that's a huge chunk of a 2 hour exam!), but still couldn't get the milligrams to even be close to one of the available strengths of the medications. So, reluctantly, I raised my right hand for some help. Dr. G came right over, and I told him that I just could not get this theophylline problem to work out! He said, "Sarah (yes, he knew my name), what would you tell the physician if you couldn't get the theophylline dosing to work in a real-life situation?" Without hesitating for a second (aka no filter), I replied, "I would tell him not to use theophylline. It's an awful drug" I think it took all of his energy not to laugh out loud. He smiled, shook his head, and walked away.

And that is why, to this day, whenever I read something about theophylline or fill a script for it, I still laugh out loud.