Sunday, April 13, 2008

Oh What a Beautiful Morning....

Sorry for the song break out up there in my title, but us thespians can't help it! Plus, it was 80 degrees and sunny here on Saturday and that would make anyone who has been here in the rain want to sing!!! It has been so rainy lately which means everything is flourescent green. The grass here is a green that I never witnessed in Nevada or Utah, and it is gorgeous! It is so funny here when the sun comes out because it feels like everyone in town is outside. And, everywhere you go people you don't know stop and say, "isn't it such a nice day?" or "aren't you just enjoying this weather?" When it rains for days on end, I want to do nothing else but crawl in bed and read a book. It is amazing how productive productive I can be with a sunny day. So here was our Saturday:
1) Derek and I went with our neighbors up to Dorena Lake for a bike ride. We did a 20 mile ride, but you could go forever if you wanted. The trails are paved and you get to ride in the shade of huge pine trees the whole way. Plus, you are riding next to gorgeous Dorena Lake for most of the ride. I loved it! Note: Bike in picture is the awful bike I rode in my triathlon. It amazingly hasn't fallen apart yet.
2) I changed the oil in my car. No, not myself of course...I went to Walmart. But, I have been putting that off for weeks.
3) I got gas at Costco! Don't tell Derek, but lately I have not wanted to face the 10 car line-up to get gas at Costco, so I've been going to Chevron where the gas is way more expensive, but you have a much shorter wait. Totally worth it in my book. (Although, at Costco, I do have enough time to get through most of a chapter in the book I keep in my purse...)
4) Derek and I took our baseball mits to the high school down the street and played a mean game of catch. I'm the best female catcher in the world (okay that may be an overstatement, but I'm not bad just ask my husband...or Jen Hess). My arm on the otherhand could use a little work.
5) I wrote 4 pages of a paper that has to be a minimum of 5 pages. I hate writing papers. See what a little sunshine can do?
6) We hit up a party at a friend's house where the featured activity was boxing on the Wii. I ALMOST beat Derek. That Nitendo Wii is amazing!!! In real life I would have no chance against Droc.

In other news, I started my last rotation of PA school! Which makes me realize how close I am to finishing. I can't believe it. I'm currently in an in-patient rotation at Salem Hospital. My preceptor is awesome and teaches me so much. The patients are mostly old, sick, on too many medications, and usually delirious from whatever infection is making them septic. Which actually leads to some pretty interesting encounters, but I'll leave that for a future post.

Derek graduates from law school in 5 weeks. You heard me! I am so excited for him! He is pretty neutral about it (as he is about most of life). I think we have finally decided what we will do with our lives for the next year. HALLELUJAH! We are not 100% sure this is our plan, but I am 99% sure and Derek is 90% so that averages too...not sure, but not quite 100%. The plan is: We will stay here this summer (hurray because I love love love Oregon summers and want one more before we have to leave). Derek is going to continue working for his firm here in Eugene and do some research for his tax professor on the side. I am going to work very hard writing my final research paper and studying for my boards. Then in August after my graduation, we are going to fly out to NYC (I don't think we are going to bring either car). I am hoping to find a job out there for the year. And, we are hoping to live in NYUs furnished law student apartments in Greenwich village. All visitors are welcome!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The New Yorkers


Since Derek and I have been thinking about living in New York, I have really been thinking about what living in New York City would be like. I have the following questions:

1. Are there grocery stores in New York City? I have heard rumors of people ordering their groceries online. Is this true? Is this really what they do? I am totally a once a week grocery shopper. Can you imagine me riding the subway with my arms loaded up with a weeks worth of groceries and beating people away from stealing any of my precious food for the week?

2. Does anyone in New York ever just wear a t-shirt and a pair of jeans? I feel like you always see New Yorkers speed-walking down the streets all dressed up in their buisness suits and ties. Will the people of New York accept me with my flip flops, holey jeans, and faded t-shirts?

3. I am a runner. And, I love to get somewhere when I run. I cannot stand to run on a treadmil. Where do the people of New York run? Down the streets of Manhattan? In Central Park? Will the people on the subway care if I stink on my ride back to my apartment after running in Central Park?

4. I think the New Yorkers walk a lot. Nobody drives. They all ride the subway and walk a few blocks. Well, when they are all dressed up the all time, do they wear tennis shoes with their suits to walk in and then switch to dress shoes? Do the women of New York have the secret to totally comfy, but cute, and good looking dress shoes? Teach me! Teach me!

5. Speaking of not driving. Do they ever miss driving? Do they ever get tired of subways, trains, taxis or other forms of transportation that they have no real control over?

6. Do they ever feel claustrophobic when looking out the window and seeing only building walls rather than open space?

7. Can you get altitude sickness from living on the 22nd floor?

8. Can New Yorkers make enough money to do anyting else besides pay rent?

9. To fit in with the New Yorkers, do you have to be highly cultured and go to things like the symphony, art museums, and the ballet? Or, are you exempt because you can really only afford either rent or season tickets to the opera but not both? If you choose the season tickets, will they then let you as a homeless person into the opera?

Help me out! Will I fit in with the New Yorkers? Will I ever learn to be a New Yorker myself?