Thespian for Life!

I already "came out of the closet" with my band geek blog, and I figured it's time to let you all know that in addition to being a band geek I was (well, sorta still am) a...DRAMA NERD (gasp). We actually prefer to be called "thespians" if you will. And, I was a total thespian all growing up, and into high school, and I think I will continue to be one to the grave.

My playlist, (or the plays I performed in) to name a few, include Aladdin, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, The Music Man, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, and the list goes on and on and on. My claim to fame was the lead role in a spoof off the Rocky Horror Picture Show called, "I'm Sorry the Bridge is Out You'll Have to Spend the Night!" It was a play about how my fiancee and I got stranded because...well...the bridge was out, and we had to spend the night (if you didn't get that from the title) in Dracula's castle. And, all the monsters fall in love with me, and it was honestly nuts, but a ton of fun!

However, it totally gets worse. I was not just in all these plays. I was in the thespian club. I went to thespian meetings. I was even in a group that did our own little Who's Line is it Anyways for the High school. After every play performance the true thespians would all go to Katie's (the restaurant at the local casino- because I grew up in Nevada and of course we all hung out in casinos because what else was there to do? Plus, it was opened 24 hours a day)...anyways, we would all go to Katie's totally decked out in all our stage make-up, and we probably would have looked like goons except that once again, you have to take into account that this was Nevada.

In college, I sort of fell away from the whole play scene in that I was not really in any plays. But, I went to most of the plays at BYU, and they were great. I love to see plays almost as much as being in the plays themselves. I like musicals most. I know they are totally corny because the characters all of the sudden break into song for minutes to say something that in the normal spoken word would have taken seconds. But, I'm a thespian, and as such, I can't help but love this! While at BYU, I was fortunate enough to be able to go on a study abroad in London aka "heaven" for us thespians. I went to multiple plays a week! I saw Les Mis, Phantom, My Fair Lady, a couple Shakespeare plays, Chicago, and I know there were tons more. I love that town for all the plays it has to offer.

Then, I got married to Derek, who is not exactly a fan of going to these plays where people break into song for what in his mind is no apparent reason. He also frequently asks me to 1) stop being so dramatic or 2) speak a little quieter (because as he is always reminding me...he is right there, not rooms away). But to all of you I ask, can I really help it? I mean, I spent my entire life being dramatic. I have been trained to project my voice to the back of an audience. How can he expect me to just leave behind all I have worked to attain?

In closing, I would like to recap my last performance for you all. It was a performance put on not without reason as you will see. First, let me set the stage... it was a quiet evening one February night in the home of Derek and Chelsea Marshall. Derek was sitting in his 15-year-old Grandmother's lazyboy chair, which is totally ugly, definately breaking, and a chair which Chelsea constantly reminds Derek "is not making the next move." He was on his laptop probably surfing ESPN.com or the cougarblue website which is a nightly or more like multiple times a night routine. Chelsea was sitting on their much newer, nicer couch (which definately will make the next move) also on her laptop working hard on a paper for school. The tv was on. Suddenly, a commercial catches Chelsea's eye enough to pry her eyes away from her hard work on the laptop. It was a commercial advertising that a traveling cast performing Mamma Mia was coming here to Eugene and would be performing at the Hult Center...

C: "Boy, what I wouldn't do to get my hands on some tickets to that show!"

D: (Silently still scrolling the pages of cougarblue)

C: "I have ALWAYS wanted to see Mamma Mia!"

D: (No head bob or any other form of body language for that matter which would signify that he recognizes his wife is totally hinting at an excellent Valentine's Day present. What could be so interesting on cougarblue?)

C: (Not all that amazed at his lack of response, turns back to her computer and fantasizes about what seeing Mamma Mia would have been like).

Although, this looked very unpromising. To my amazement, on Valentine's day, and envelope comes in the mail containing two tickets to Mamma Mia in May!!! So, though it has been years since I have performed on stage, I've still got some talent. I'm so excited! Derek says that counts for his gift for Valentines and our anniversary probably because he's too lazy to come up with another fantastic gift. He might as well have tried to call it good for the rest of the year. No need to get a birthday or Christmas present either. Needless to say, I get to go to a musical, and I couldn't be happier.

"Private"

Do you remember this game? Now, I am not an expert, but after completing 5 rotations and now starting my 6th, I think I have come to understand a bit more about what skills are necessary to be a doctor (or in my case PA). And, this game doesn't really cut it! However, one very necessary skill, which I have been most recently reminded of, is the ability to keep a straight face no matter what problem or information your patient decides to share with you.

I guess I should preface by saying, I am currently doing a rotation at a free clinic here in Eugene. And, I love love love this rotation! They pretty much let me see patients on my own which has been great practice for me! Each day I come in, they have my schedule posted with my patients for the day. I go in, see each patient, come up with what, in my humble opinion, is an appropriate treatment plan, present it to the doctor, and they either agree with me or guide me in a more appropriate direction. Then, I go back in, tell the patient what we are going to do with them, and send them on their way. Anyways, it has been great for me to have so much responsibility. It has really forced me to step up to the plate and start thinking like a practitioner rather than just a student.

Anyways, a few days ago, I was looking at my schedule for the day. They usually have my patients listed along with their "chief complaint" for the visit that day. Well, I had this young guy on my schedule with a chief complaint of "private." All day long, I wondered what that could mean, but when I finally got into the room and found out, it was definitely not something I had expected.

I walk in the room, introduced myself, and asked this young man why he was in the clinic today. He explained that he has been dating this girl for a year and a half now. He stated that he really liked her and that she means a whole lot to him, and he could see having a very long-term relationship with her. However, (and at this point he sort of averts his eyes to the floor as he explains that...) he feels the desire to have sex with her everyday, but she would be happier if it was more like once a week. And, he is not sure what to do. He now refocused his eyes on me signifying that he was ready for me to speak, and I was sure glad that I had somehow managed to keep a face that was not showing my utter shock! I mean, I have had many women complain about the same issue only the opposite. Their husbands would like to have sex way more than they were interested in, and it is causing some tension in the relationship, and what can they do. I think I was just shocked to see the other sex in here complaining of the same issue. And moreover, it wasn't something he slipped in as an "oh by the way..." after coming in for a completely different health issue, but rather, this was the only health issue he wished to discuss today.

I cleared my throat, and (with what I think was amazing poise) asked him a few questions about his relationship. I asked him if he felt comfortable discussing this openly with his "partner" (as that is the appropriate buzz word here in Eugene). He stated he did, but he just felt like he maybe had too much of a sex drive and was willing to do anything to fix this problem and make things better for this girl whom he obviously cared about. He even said, "I'm not too in to taking a bunch of medications, but if you thought there was a medication that would help I will be willing to give it a try." My thought, which I obviously didn't share, in response to this was, "Boy! If there was a medication that could do that, I would have women lining up out the door asking me to prescribe it to them so they could secretly slip it into their husbands' drinks every night!"

Anyways, we discussed this issue for a while, and came to the conclusion that we would set up an appointment for him with one of the clinic's counselors. I encouraged him to include he "partner" in these counseling sessions. He said he would think about it. Anyways, the big triumph of the day was that I was able to discuss this "private health issue" with the patient, and I think I manged to do so without letting on too much of my initial shock.

This Week...

All in one week (and I know some of you will not be surprised) I have:

• Slipped down the stairs at Mac Court. Luckily, only the ticket guards saw me. I was so embarrassed that I haven't even told anyone yet (not even my husband), but better here than anywhere...right? This way, I can tell everyone at once which may be less painful.
• Spilled salsa from my lunch casadilla all over my shirt. Fortunately, my work day was already over.
• Stubbed my toe at the pool trying while swimming laps and trying to perform a flip turn. I obviously don't really know how to perform a flip turn.
• Missed pretty much every basket while playing some b-ball with friends at the church court.
• Kicked over a glass of water onto the floor that I had strategically placed in a location to avoid knocking it over.
• Burned my fingers twice in one meal preparation time. Once on the inside of the oven that I brushed the back of my hand against. And then again while trying to take off the metal top of the roast pan, which had been in the oven and was therefore obviously HOT, with my bare hand.
• Without fail, managed to pick out the most left-straying shopping cart at Winco, which in turn led to many run-ins with multiple poor, frightened Winco shoppers. They should put up a warning sign with my picture on it. WARNING: FOR YOUR SAFETY, IF YOU ARE GOING DOWN THE SAME ISLE AS THIS SHOPPER AND SHE HAS A CART IN HER HANDS, TURN AROUND IMMEDIATELY!
• Spilled the contents of dinner twice in this same week on the bottom of my oven, but continued to cook the meal, which has resulted in a permanent burnt smell to my small apartment.
• And, last but not least, managed to create our country's 6th great lake pretty much every night on my bathroom counter as I wash my face.

Now, the picture displayed above is of my favorite fruit bowl, which I try to fill with fruit each week in order to encourage Derek and I to eat more fruit. Not only, is it a great way to add color to my very dull kitchen, but having the goal to "clean out" the bowl each week has been a positive influence on our health.

However, I came home yesturday to the much less aesthetically pleasing sight of a chip in my fruit bowl!!! I enquired after Derek to see if he had any idea how such a tragic occurance could have come about. He at first tried to lie, saying he had no idea and agreed that it was a rather puzzeling situation. However, on more thorough investigation, he finally fessed up that it was indeed he who had chipped my fruit bowl. I, to his probable amazingmet, "kept my cool" you could say. And the reason is this...how could I honestly get angry at him for something I easily could have done myself as is evident by multiple similar tragic occurances I had participated in myself this very week?