A Master’s Degree in Pictures (Day 22:670)

It feels good to be back at the post screen after a frustrating combination of distraction on video games and brown-outs. The weather is still simmering and the weekend my last as a LCGHD employee – a fact that turns up the heat in other, planning-for-moving kinds of ways. My how the time has flown; I remember so clearly sitting at the table in the nursing conference room, getting oriented to the health department. My first day in the building, wondering what was done in such a small building for such a large county (it is considerably smaller than Cuyahoga County’s health department). I remember my first program responsibility; my first crack at the DailyActivity in a desperate attempt to make it look halfway professional. My first screw-ups and other learning curves are going to be a thing I’ll miss in the academic environment… and one that I’m hoping my RA position will anchor my feet in. (real-world application of knowledge, that is.)

So, as a gift to myself I am going to extend my fast from coffee to PC videogames and an 11pm curfew as well. As hard as it’ll be at first, it is all very necessary to train my body for a different pattern I’ll be running in for grad school. For this August I’m planning to be heading to bed at 10pm, 6:30am up, out by 7:30, and at school by 7:45am.

My Love @ the Metroparks

Trial pic insert! Nice!

I’m off to bed now, dreaming away the rest of my 1 year, 10 months!

Today’s Note:  I’d like to remember…

- That the “meaning of a/my life” is a question that necessitates the past; in truth, such questions should ask what the “driver(s) of our life” is – namely, a reality that is accessible only in the current moment. Conclusion: Meaning in life is a moment’s perception out of the windows of our little boxcar called a body as it is driven. Otherwise stated, seek not to live a meaningful life; to do so will either lead a person to be too self confident in their beliefs or too depressed to believe anything outside of impulse for very long. Instead, live a driven life with actions that seek purposes that will become realized and/but fade, grow relationships that will blossom and wilt in time, and listen past the self to start hearing others.

A Master’s Degree in Pictures (Day 6:686)

I’m finally on the upswing in terms of my sleep deficit, in large part because of  some afternoon naps. That alongside my research efforts has made those naps quite necessary, especially because dinner is usually feasted upon by 9:30pm, and the nights push into 12pm due to some down time with Mary on Kingdom Hearts 2. Then of course there is my loggie here, which is already getting interesting as I watch my facial hair grow and the dark circles under my eyes recede.

Another fine day. One more down amidst the 1 year, 10 months, 16 days to go!

Today’s Note: I’d like to remember…

- the hippity-hop and flutter of baby sparrows

- the song of my favorite bird, the Black-capped Chickadee. Such a simple and pure song amidst a flurry of clicks & garbles. Though I admit the “fee-bee” it makes can sound like a rusty rotating playground ride, I think it reminds me of a thoughtful “hello” to those passing by in the woods.

Today’s Public Health Snip-it: Whooping Cough Kills 5 in California; State Declares an Epidemic

If you haven’t received a Tetanus-type booster vaccine in the past couple years, please consult either your primary care provider or your local health department for more information. While California might be in the news today, pertussis is a persistent and very real health risk for both children and unprotected adults, but especially those who are in their first year of life. And for those out there who are needle-shy, do it for your family, friends, and co-workers; you would be amazed the amount of illness you spread on a day to day basis. It will be a scary scene if germs can be traced inter-personally in real-time…. imagine the lawyer fees for someone suing a person for the cold they gave them, and their having to provide evidence that they washed your hands and upheld reasonable sanitary prevention.

A Master’s Degree in Pictures (Day 5:687)

Got a bit more sleep due to a nice late afternoon nap. I was able to pick up some fresh pasta, a parsley plant, garlic, and snow peas at the Lakewood Farmer’s Market during my lunch break; I am really digging the local produce and how wonderful the dinner’s made by their ingredients turn out.

This dinner Mary made a nice anti-pasta with garlic, basil, parsley, and olive oil mixed with fresh-made whole wheat pasta. IN-Credible.

Other than that, enjoyed a nice cup of tea and a pastry at the local coffee shop during my remote work, and was able to push through some more of my maternal & child health literature review. I finally conquered a large retrospective Medicaid study that was using some funky data displays.

Now, time to continue the sleep! 1 year, 10 months, 17 days to go!

Today’s Note: I’d like to remember…

- how interesting Lakewood is in terms of the variety of people. Some ethnically diversity, but more so diverse in terms of personalities. The Root is a wonderful place to see it in action.

- the power of an incoming storm. In the end we are all just the playthings of physics and imagination.

- having a mind to see past what the eyes can see.

- this time when Mary and I have nights free, when kids are still a pleasant dream, and we are navigating the new horizons of financial independence.

A Master’s Degree in Pictures (Day 3:689)

Today was a day of fatigue and good intentions. Getting some more sleep and compensate for whatever my body is recovering from.

On another note, I was able to get my IAP/WIC Access update to functional status and have begun to document on the that program and the DailyActivity database as well. Relaxed with a nice bit of Kingdom Hearts 2, and am getting ready to return to some research tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week.

1 year, 10 months, 19 days to go!

Today’s Note: I’d like to remember…

- the joy and thrill of my mind wrapping around the beat and accompaniment of  a previously unknown song…. this time, Ratatat’s Loud Pipes.

- my love’s awesome mint drizzle that she makes for Oreo ice cream. Flippin fantastic.

- the smell of coffee on my backpack after a day of remote study/work. The expectation of many a day of such smells during my master’s degree.

- the anticipation for getting back to college and how quickly it will go. Will I actually be ready for mid-management and policy analysis by the end? You bet I will!

- the endless struggle to get up on the first alarm in the morning.