Not much longer now

I have 10 days left until I'm finished with my clinic placement here in Augusta. It seems like I just moved down here. Besides that realization, this morning has been pretty great. I got a call from Miss McKenzie Messmann (I was her family's counselor at Okoboji for 4 years and now babysit her and her brother in MoHo). It made my morning.
Besides being almost finished with clinic, I'm almost done with my summer courses. I have a paper to write for my (stupid) hearing conservation course and I'm done with that course once I turn the paper in. The medical issues course has been a breeze and not stressful at all. Just a few more discussions to add my 2 cents.
Wish me good luck writing!

Oh what a beautiful morning

Thus far today has been an amazing day and for no particular reason. I stayed up a bit late last night, but slept amazingly and did not set an alarm. I work up feeling refreshed and not rushed. I took some time and went to the grocery store (one of my favorite errands, weird I know) and afterwards went to Smoothie King. As much as I love Saturday morning Farmer's Market in Madison, I'm going to miss my Augusta routine.

Although I have 2 Saturdays left (time has flown!) down south I'm not going to be in Augusta. Next weekend I'm going up to visit my cousin Jeff and his family near Fayetteville, NC and then next weekend Bethany will be here:) I think the plan is to go visit Savannah.

Frustrated

Usually Wednesdays are my day of relaxation as it's a day off of clinic. Today has been completely frustrating for two things.

1. I saw this hateful video on youtube from Westboro Church (the one that's well known for picketing GLBTA events and such) where they sing this song called "God hates the world" It made me so sad that these people feel the need to take a great song (We are the world) and turn it into hateful propaganda. I'm ashamed to call myself a Christian as these people also associate themselves with that name. If you want to view the hate here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsipv1jTQC8

2. $ sucks! After having to obtain a personal loan in order to travel down to GA (I couldn't take out a student loan because when I traveled down here wasn't during a session I was enrolled in). That $ is now gone because of random expenses that have cropped up like fixing my phone and computer, and buying a book for a summer class that I hadn't planned on buying at all. I now have no $ to get back to IA/WI with or pay my rent (both in GA and WI for August). I had to apply for a GradPLUS loan (one that can be consolidated with my Staffords and has low interest) and it's held up and I may not even get it in time to get back. For some reason my application was picked for manual review and now I have to fax my driver's lisence and Social Security card (real safe right?) so that it can be fully processed:( Idk what I'll do if I have to stay here longer. I'm just trying to be a financially responsible person, but I keep having these major set-backs. Please pray for my financial situation as I'm not asking for a handout!

Compy dramz

I've taken a noticeable absence from my blog, it wasn't intended. Last week my laptop screen stopped working. Turns out I had a cracked LCD screen :( I called HP to see if it was still in warranty ----nope only 2 days earlier the warranty lapsed. To send it to them to fix would cost $400+ and we all know I can't afford that. Luckily I got a recommendation for a repair shop here in Augusta and they were able to fix it a lot cheaper! PTL! The only problem was that it took about a week to fix it and in the mean time I still had to work on my classes. What a mess! I finally got the compy back on Wednesday night and I'm happy again.

Oh, I'm halfway there...

Ooo, living on a prayer.
As of today I'm halfway done with my internship in Augusta! I kinda feel like I've been here forever, but am just a little bit excited to know that a month from today I am done and get to see one of my best friends (BHolt) and then see my fam and Madison friends again soon.

Things I've learned at Charlie Norwood VAMC:
how to do an audio in 35 minutes
how to do SRT in 2 dB steps by bracketing
Starkey aids (especially the new S series) is pretty great
I like working with adults more than I thought
there are more ear mold companies out there besides Westone (mainly Em tech)
how to remove wax from ears by curette and irrigation
how to perform and interpret posturography tests
and much more

More of my summer reading

It's thunderstorming here in Augusta and I'm a bit bored. I've been pretty busy with classes and clinic lately, but I've made time to read for fun. In the past 2 weeks I've gotten through 3 books: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult, My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young, and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

Keeping Faith

Jodi Picoult

A story about a couple who gets a divorce and then their young daughter begins to have visions of God and experiencing stigmata. It was an interesting book, but not what I normally expect from Jodi Picoult.

My Enemy's Cradle

Sara Young

Set during Nazi concentration camp days, a young Jewish woman finds herself in a home for unwed mothers of German children. She is trying to keep her identity and the identity of the child's father a secret. A great historical fiction piece and taught me more about life during the Nazi regime.

The Reader

Bernhard Schlink

I haven't seen the movie, but I've heard that it's pretty pornographic. The book wasn't like that, it basically would sum up the experience as, "we made love." I admit it is a bit scandalous to have a 15 year old boy and a 40ish woman hook up, but the story was beautiful and I was crying by the end. The trial scenes and the end were what really got to me. I totally recommend this book!

Happy Holiday Weekend

Happy holiday weekend everyone. I wish I could be part of some of my favorite 4th of July traditions: the Dubuque Airshow and Fireworks with the Golden Knights and my family (and lots of tequila), watching fireworks from the dock at Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp (usually with the Messmanns and other MoHo families, and Rhythym and Booms in Madison. This year I'm celebrating a 3-day weekend by finishing up some homework (ug!), hanging by the pool, and just hanging out with Amanda (my landlord/roommate) and Brian, her fiance. It should be pretty great and relaxing.

Happy Birthday America and may we continue to celebrate and fight for our freedoms. Thanks to all who have or are currently serving in the military for their protection, courage, and bravery:)