Remember Me

3 Beautiful Things Monday (on Thursday)

2010-12-29T23:36:00.002-05:00

I love writing, but I find it hard to find the time to actually write let alone blog. So I will take things in stride and post something at least once a week in the form of 3 Beautiful Things Monday (starting on a Thursday)

1) Coming home after work: I love it when I unlock the door and my two kids coming running at their fastest capacity to see me. "Mama!" my daughter yells and give me a hug at the knees and around the corner comes my son in the same enthusiasm. She's eager to tell me anything, something off the top of her head, "Weston went poop today" or "Batchoy pulled pulled my hair!" Then not far behind her is baby Zain walking fast. He's usually holding a piece of junk mail and flapping it around like it's an important telegram I. LOVE. IT.

2) Healthy kids: I thank God that my kids are healthy and don't have a chronic illness. Since becoming a mother, I have become a better practitioner, but also an empathetic one. I am especially affected by those patients who are the same age as my children.

3) Carbon Monoxide Detectors: It's all over the Baltimore news this season. Families who don't wake up in the morning only to be discovered by a neighbor or relative peeking through the front door. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer. It's a gas that can't be seen or smelled and is caused by faulty heating sources like old furnaces, gas stoves used for heat, or poorly ventilated gas generators. Get a carbon monoxide detector for each floor of your house and protect your family.

HA! I'm back...for now!

2009-12-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been over a YEAR since my last entry! 12 months have gone by and BOY have things changed! And when I say, BOY, I mean it! We are now officially a family of four with the newest addition of baby boy ZAIN who was born on September 1st. Blessedly, my pregnancy was healthy, but the delivery was LABOR! (Let me NOT elaborate!)

Anyways, Zain is now 3 1/2 months and a chunky little guy. He's got Hassan's patience and appetite! I am not used to a baby who loves to eat and sleep! He's been the complete opposite of Noreen from the day he was born. Easy in some ways and challenging in others.

What has been the hardest most of all is Noreen's life after the arrival of Zain. Things went off with a rocky start...she was sick with a fever the day we left for the hospital and it continued until we came home. So there were a lot of layers to her irritability and temper tantrums...new sibling, separation anxiety, and illness!

Once she was better physically, we were able to manage her better. She's a great big sister or 'Ate' in tagalog...wants to help with the baby and imitates me ALL the time! Sometimes I feel that if she were a little bigger, she'd understand what was going on.

End of Part 1

Balut

2008-12-07T22:10:00.003-05:00

Hassan and I got into a very funny discussion today, but unfortunately it didn't go very far. His participation in conversations about our childhood in the 80's are disappointingly limited. Nonetheless, we got on a VERY random conversation about Chicken McNuggets and how when I was a kid, I would always save my favorite piece last: "the boot". Hassan disagrees at the odd fact that McDonalds' Chicken McNuggets come in "standardized" shapes. HA! In fact, I can recall 2 distinct shapes: the "oval" and the "boot". AND thanks to Wikipedia, there is also the "tombstone".

Which leads me to the title of this blog entry. Mikey, my younger brother, always saved the "oval" last because as a little kid, it fit perfectly into his palm. As a kid, Mikey loved little, random objects: Tic-Tac containers, quarters, Legos, and finally balut. Balut is a Filipino delicacy and hot food item for gastronomists like Andrew Zimmern on Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods". Basically, it's an aborted duck egg that was thown into a vat of hot, salted water. Imagine chicken soup with the meat (ala feathers and partially developed eye and beak) all in nature's original little container. And that's all that little Mikey had to hear...

When we were in the Philippines in the 1985, Mikey begged my parents to purchase balut for him from a street vendor in the early morning (they eat this for breakfast). Mikey, who has always had a kind heart and naive intentions, did not want to eat this cute little duck egg, but to adopt it, hatch it, and love the little animal that was supposedly inside. Little did Mikey know that this egg would not hatch. Nonetheless, he built it a temporary nest (we were in a hotel at the time) for it to hatch. He took the hotel's ashtray and gathered up some toilet paper, folded it up, and placed it neatly into the ashtray. Then he placed this "nest" underneath a lamp so that it would keep the egg warm (despite it being 99 degree weather outside). After laying the egg in it's new home, Mikey sat eagerly and waited and waited and waited...now this is where my own memory becomes fuzzy because I can't recall how long he waited and how he came to realize that this egg would not hatch. Maybe it's a good thing I can't remember so that I don't have to remember his disappointment, but it's a cute story I keep with me always.

It's been a while: Part Deux

2008-08-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's been a while, but this time I have a good excuse. I HAVE A BABY. I had a baby girl in January and it's taken over with what is left of my life. When you work 4 days a week, have a husband, a cat, and a baby, there isn't much time for anything else. I'm not complaining, but when you work 4 days a week and live for the weekends, the months go by quickly and things are either really busy or mundane.

Some days I miss the old bedside nursing gig. When I worked 3 days a week it was nice to have 4 days off. I actually had time for HOBBIES! Reading, working out, watching movies, scrapbooking, blogging! But I look back and realize all the weekends, birthdays, BBQ, and holidays I missed out on. Don't forget the stress factor as well. I burned out and burned out quick in the PICU!

Anyways, no Tanookie moments that I can think of lately. I'm sure that Hassan could remind me. There are plenty of mommy and baby stories, but I wouldn't know where to start. Noreen is 8 months old now and there are 8 months worth of stories (not including the rest of my pregnancy and delivery) to rehash. Right now I just don't have the energy.

Until then...

23 weeks...

2007-09-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

Hello, All! This blog entry is a montage of thoughts...some longer than others (that's if I spend more time in lines thinking about things). Just remember, even though I may be pregnant...the fists of fury is still the same, even though my fingers may be a little swollen at this point!

1) It's been two weeks since our summer trip out to Hatteras Island. What a wonderful week it was! We stayed in a little town called Waves and we rented a 6 bedroom house called "Island Bliss" on the beach with four other couples and Showieb. Ironically (and blessed it be) it was the same group that we traveled with or met through Hajj almost 2 years ago! Pictures are sure to follow once I get out of my lazy mood. It was a relaxing week where the biggest part of the day was cooking our meals. We'd sleep in to about 10 am and eat dinner 9:30-10 pm! We had our turkey dinner, girls time at the pool all week long, glass beading, sleeping on the beach (my personal favorite), Jinn stories by the bonfire, and halal smores!

2) Ramadan Mubarak! It's that time of year again...but this time around I won't be fasting because of the pregancy. I feel bad for Hassan as he goes through the days of fasting alone. During the weekends I have to shoo him to the basement so that he doesn't hear me pull out the dishes or smell the food that I am eating. I try to make it up to him by preparing a hearty sahoor (before sunrise meal).

3) Does cheese in a wax casing have to be refrigerated? I spent almost 30 minutes researching this very important question. I ask because my parents just returned from a Caribbean cruise and purchased a gigantic wheel of gouda cheese encased in red paraffin wax. Although the milk used to make the cheese was pasteurized (safe for preggers), I'm not sure if it was refridgerated the whole time. SO...does anyone know this answer? I have to admit...I did have a couple of bites (and what a good cheese it was), but after reading the risk of Listeria I controlled my urge.

4) Etiquitte in the "Self-Check Out Line" at the grocery store: Our grocery store recently implemented this cost-saving and time-saving idea, unfortunately the mass population must learn (the hard way) the proper strategy when approaching these new machines.
1) Make sure you have a shopping partner: One person to scan items and another person to bag groceries...this saves time. One person will slow down the process and thus crush the "time-saving" concept.
2) Shopping baskets welcome...shopping carts = get into another line: There should be a limit to the number of items that one should consider "self-check out". What's the point in having a 50 items if you have to scan everything and then bag it yourself? Forget getting in that line if that person has no partner.
3) Follow the directions: Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't. Even though there is an automated person talking to you, somehow you do your own thing and the "Please see attendant" warning flashes. Awww...you got in trouble!

MFTEE

2007-08-11T13:13:00.000-05:00

"MFTEE" = My Favorite "Transformers" Episode EVER

Recently saw "Transformers" TWICE because it was so good. I haven't seen a movie like that in a long time in the theatres. When people "ohhhh", "ahhhh", and give a standing ovation at the end of a film, you know it was good movie.

After watching the movie, I wanted to reminesce about the Transformer's cartoon episodes. I found my favorite episode EVER in it's entirety. Of course, Optimus Prime is a part of the main storyline in this one. As a kid, I remember liking this episode because you see softer, more affectionate side of Optimus that I found endearing. Not to mention that there were FEMALE Autobots! Enough said and ENJOY!

http://truveo.com/?method=truveo.videos.getVideos&query=id%3A2208371973&play=1

"I Am Not a Plastic Bag"

2007-08-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

For the past few months I have been using reusable bags for my grocery shopping. I never would have thought about using them until it was given to me for free by Whole Foods. At first I was kind of self-conscious using them at my local grocery store. Then I saw someone bring their own bag and I thought to myself, "You go girl!" It takes just one person to start a chain of events and she (unknow to her) motivated me to start using those reusable bags. I hope to inspire others to emerge from the "landfill" and purchase those reusable bags.

It's a liberating feeling knowing that I'm not contributing to as much non-degradable materials in our landfill. Besides, I've cut down on the clutter in our pantry trying to store all those plastic bags and we still enough bags around the house to line our trashcans and clean out Murry's litter box (special thanks to Target).

So, if you are reading this blog...purchase one of those reusable grocery bags at your local grocery store. Your purchase won't go unnoticed. Most grocery stores will credit you 3-cents for every reusable bag you use towards your total purchase. 3-cents won't make a difference in your budget, but grocery stores will be able to track how many people use reusable bags. If there are enough people using them, then they will make more because of the popularity and the demand. The more people using them, the more reusable bags they will sell and the less plastic bags you (and they) will use. It's a good promotion and it only takes just one person to turn the wheel...

"I Am Not a Plastic Bag" is hottest selling bag around the world. It was designed by Anya Hindmarch. Not only is it a fashion statement, but one can skip looking like a tree hugger in the grocery store and use this trendy bag for your groceries or as a large purse. I tried to get my hands on one of these bags, but they are sold out world-wide!

I'm back...for now

2007-07-24T19:43:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been a while. Not that I don't have a lot to talk about, but things have been busy since our trip to Europe. No recent "Tanookie" moments that I can truly recall, just regular life events that have kept me busy.

But before I blog, I'd like to know who out there is actually reading my blogs. I'd like to take an "internet attendence" before I devote some time to blogging and find out that I've been writing to an empty audience.

One month ago...

2007-04-02T19:22:00.000-05:00

March 5th we were on our way to another country... 2 days in London and 4 days in Greece! With our tour books in hand, we were on our way to see some of the "touristy" things. We didn't mind, we were on vacation! These are pictures from our time in London. I enjoyed the history of this city, the architecture, and the hustle and bustle.

Tower Bridge behind us. Believe it or not, this bridge was nicer than the "famous" London Bridge. Another childhood myth gone down the drain. We did the Double Decker Bus Tour and took a cruise tour down the River Thames. London Eye, Big Ben, and Parliament were all there.

In front of Buckingham Palace to watch "The Changing of the Guard". We thought it was going to be a 15 process, but it was actually about an hour. There people from all over the world here...Japanese, French, German, Americans, Indians, etc!

The Underground...the tube, whatever you call it. I call it the most magnificent form of transportation. Easy to navigate, efficient, well-used by the Britons, and most importantly...CLEAN. Never did I smell the stench of urine. What impressed me the most was to see the locals use the tube as their way of commuting to work. I saw the most well-dressed people in the tube. Not one woman compromised their fashion for comfort in the form of sneakers when taking the tube!

Harrod's Basement...there was a "shrine" dedicated to Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed. The clear pyramid in the center contains the wine glass that the two shared on their last night together at the restaurant. S-C-A-R-Y.

Dinner at "The Blue Elephant". This was a very romantic restaurant complete with a Thai theme and large indoor koi pond that winded it's way through the restaurant.

Not only was the food great, but the presentation of food was awesome. Who would have thought that these tiny little bowls contained so much tastiness! Go ahead, click on the picture to enlarge it. You just might smell the food!

Stay tuned for Athens, Greece! Cheerio!

Mind Your Own Business

2007-03-21T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'm crying and I can't help but not...some people out there are so stupid that it makes me cry out because of frustration. By the way, let me put a disclaimer out...do not feel offende by anything I say. This is mearly a reflection of my inner feelings and thoughts. But to that ignorant "red neck" couple out there driving their blue Cherokee SUV... blog is for you.

On my way home from work, I realize that I need to fill up on gas. "There's no squeezing in one more trip on the gas I have left, " I thought to myself. Little did I know that this would be no ordinary trip to the gas station. HA!

I pull into the first available gas pump and go through the usual routine...stop the car, pull out the keys, pull out my wallet, get the credit card, open the door, pull the gas lever, slide the card...select the grade and begin filling. I look around and notice that a car has pulled into the pump behind me. A young girl steps out and does her routine...I notice that her routine is a little different than mine...there's no pulling out the keys...

In fact, to my surprise and slight horror, not only were the headlights on (no biggie), BUT the freaking car was still running!!!! "Maybe they don't know, " I think to myself. I do a quick once over with the car again...yup, it's running.

Am I wrong or aren't you supposed to turn the car off when handle flammable materials? I knew I should say something to them, but the Tanookie inside me held back. "Do your research," the inner voice told me. Don't make a fool of yourself...so I look at my pump at the various stickers that warn customers.

"Do not top off. "
"When filling up containers, place object flat on ground. "
"Do not use equipment that could create an electrical spark."
"TURN OF ENGINE."
"HA!"

I knew it...it doesn't take a genious to figure out that one shouldn't be pumping flammable gas into a hot machine that utilizes gas for fuel. I turn to this girl and say, "You know...you really shouldn't be filling up with the car running. "

She looks up, shrugs her shoulders, and says, "So." (So?!?! I imagine this gas station blowing up with me in it.) She didn't seem bothered at all.

"I'm just saying that you really shouldn't be filling up on gas with the car running, " I repeat. "There's even a warning, " and I point at the biggest sticker on the gas pump. She looks and shrugs, "So, " she repeats. Fine...blow us all up. You and your little car too. "Stupid people, " I mutter.

Her "boyfriend" speaks with her briefly. Then he yells out the window, "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, there's a problem, " (as if he didn't know what she was doing) "Your filling up on gas with the car running. " DUH.

"Well, maybe you should mind your own business, " he says to me. What the F&*$ is wrong with these people? Yeah, it's not only my business, but I'm sure it would be the business of the other 10 or so people here at this gas station to know that you are filling up on gas with the F*&^ing car running.

"I'm just saying that there is a reason for why there is a big sticker on the pump that tells you to stop the engine, " I say calmly. DUH.

"What...you think that there will be an explosion or something?" BINGO. Jeeeeezus...these are probably the same F&?!ing ignorant people that don't believe that smoking causes lung cancer. I just imagined their "red necks" smoking while pumping gas into a running car while on the cell phone. My GOD.

They are done filling up on gas and they pull up next to my car. "Well, you should just mind your own business, " he says curtly. He pulls away slowly and yells out of his car, "Welcome to America!" What the F&*@ is that all about?!?!?! Welcome to America? That made no sense whatsoever...Welcome to America? Where Americans have the freedom to fill up on gas any which way they please? Are there other countries out there that don't have the freedom to fill up their car with the car running? Should we go to war to liberate those poor, innocent people who are forced to fill up their cars while off? In park? In fear?

I couldn't believe the idiocracy that I just witnessed. And to think that if I did die from an explosion...it was because of these idiots! Did these people seriously think that they were right? Did anyone else see what had happened? Unfortunately not...but I would have loved to have someone side with me. Never had I encountered such ignorance. As a nurse practitioner I see a lot of stupid things that people do because they aren't educated, but this was the worst because it bothered me so much. But why?!?!

Why? Because EVERYTHING that came out of their "redneck" mouths made NO sense whatsoever. No one out there can convince me otherwise. I was only trying to point out the obvious. They were on a completely different level of intelligence...in fact the bottom. There was no arguing with them...it's like speaking a different language to these people. No matter what I could have said would make a difference in their punitive lives. Go on home to your "redneck" world and watch your family members battle it out on "Jerry Springer". Why not make your life complete and trade in that Cherokee for something more fitting like a old Chevy pickup truck with the Confederate flag airbrushed on the roof?

"Welcome to America, " he says. Was he trying to be racist? I've been here...in fact, I was born here and I've probably been alive longer that he has been here.

"Welcome to America, " I think to myself. If you think you have the right to fill up on gas with the car running, then by all means go ahead. Just make sure you realize that you aren't the only one in America or for that matter, at the gas station.

Poseidon Adventure

2007-03-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog about our recent trip to London and Greece...

Complete with interesting stories and pictures, of course!

What the heck just happened?

2007-02-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Dunno what I did and what implications it might have. I think I have just been conned into getting a "Google" account, but they say I really don't have an email account. What the heck does that mean? Have I just sold my soul to the Google monopoly? All I wanted to do was blog...

Bebot...

2007-01-10T17:55:00.000-05:00

Couldn't think of a title for this blog, so I picked the first thing that went through my mind..."Bebot" by the Black Eyed Peas. Gotta have some Filipino pride, 'ya know what I mean?

Well, it's been a while since I have actually blogged about anything. December was a whirlwind of things...work, Eid, Christmas, Chanukkah, and New Years. Seriously...I thought my blood was going to turn into sugar after eating so much sweets! Hasn't been a bad month...in fact, it's been a great one. We have been spending tons of time with friends and family!

Recently had another camera scare...I thought I had lost it at a wedding over the weekend. Flashbacks of my lost mechanical pencil went through my head. The receptionists at the front desk must have thought I was crazy calling everyday to the lost and found. I was more upset by the fact that I thought I lost my camera without even printing out single picture since we had it repaired over the summer. What a waste that would have been! But, alas, I found it safely (and quite chilly) in the trunk of my car! Here are some random pics from the months gone by...

Me and Hassan's cousin (Kadijah) at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Her and her mother visited the U.S. from Pakistan. We went to the National Aquarium and saw the dolphin show. People say they love to do tricks and please their trainers, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for these animals. At the end of the day, they are still dolphins swimming a small tank made out of concrete.

When the holidays approach, Jessie and I get together every year to bake cookies for our old college friends who live near or far. On this year's menu: chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles, pumpkin spice mini-bundt cakes, almond cookies, white/milk chocolate bark with peppermint candies (above), sugar cookies, cranberry oatmeal cookies, and coconut fruit bars.

I'd like to think that Murry was interested in helping us bake, but I think he had other intentions when it came to helping me get the flour...

Christmas Day with my cousins. Guess who's idea it was to get them Ravens and Eagles jerseys?

New Year's 2007: For the "Aunties" out there, don't worry. It was a 100% halal and non-alcoholic night for everyone...including the baby that's due in February, Insha'Allah!

At Samiya's & Dost's Walima. Congratulations!

Sharpness.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving...definitely has grown to be one of my favorite holidays of the year. Our plans? Edgar is coming home from Penn State for the holiday. Mikey will be hanging out at home. Mom will be setting the dining table. Dad will be cooking our traditional Thanksgiving dinner...roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, peas with melted butter, rolls, salad, and of course, the rice. (Can't forget the Filipino influence here!) Unlike the past few years, Thanksgiving has always been a 50/50 holiday, but this year, Hassan and I will be spending this Thanksgiving with my family 100%!!! We will be taking Murry with us to my parents house...he's apart of the family too! This year, I will be trying out a sweet potato dish from the Food Network. I'm not crazy about sweet potatoes, but when I saw this dish, it made me think twice.

For me Thanksgiving is not just the generic "Be Thankful" holiday, but a time to thank others and treat one another with kindness. The commerical below reminds me of my own philosophy...always look out for others and someone will look out for you. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Why Me?!?!?!

2006-11-14T20:27:00.002-05:00

Why am I the one to cry at the most ridiculous times? I have a soft spot for both sad and not-so-sad movies. Yes, I have cried like a baby in a movie theatre before. My brothers and Hassan remember it fondly...we were watching "A.I." Remember the one with Haley Joel Osment where he played a robot wanting to be a boy? I cried twice in that movie...what really did me in was when the cute little robot teddy bear was like, " You mean this David?" and pulled out a lock of his "mother's" hair so that they could clone her. I know, I know...sounds like nothing big, but it was enough to start the waterworks in the theaters. Waaaaahhhhh! I fell to pieces at that point in the theatre...the teddy bear was so cute and it was devoted to his friend, David. Waaaaaahhh! AND the fact that David would do anything to get his mother's undivided attention...to wait even hundreds of years for that darn Fairy Godmother at Coney Island to wake up and grant his one and only wish! Waaaaahhhhh! I was balling in the theatre and my brothers were so embarrassed. My eyes were swollen shut, my nose clogged up, and I was sniffling uncontrollably. I was a mess.

I think my issue is that I have a tendency to relate these fictitious movies to my own life.

There have been numerous movies where I have cried and cried...those typical romance movies, but there have been several not-so-typical movies where I've also cried such as:

1) Disney's "White Fang": I had a dog at the time, okay? Buster was the best dog in the world and in the same family as wolves. In the movie, White Fang was a very loyal wolf to his owner...a very young Ethan Hawke.

2) Disney's "A Land Before Time": Waaaahhhhh! I couldn't even finish the movie because I was crying. I found it very sad to think that these adorable baby dinosaurs were going to meet their fate, die, and eventually become extinct. Could NOT get over that fact.

3) Disney's "Little Mermaid": When Ariel said good-bye to her father and sisters. Never to see them again. To sacrifice all of that for the man that she loves. I was only in the 4th grade at the time when I saw it in theatres. I was delirious at the time...came down with pneumonia the same day after the movie. Waaaaahhhh!

4) And most recently, "The Butterfly Effect": I found that the ending was particularly disturbing. Killing himself?!?! While he was still in his mother's womb?!?!? How awful he must have felt to realize that HE was the one to screw up everyone's life including his mother, girlfriend, and best friend just because he was born? Sacrificing his own life so that his loved ones will have a better life? Waaaaahhhhh! Hassan had to leave me in the room alone because I was crying so loud.

5) And thanks to my brother, Mikey...watch this video and imagine me crying uncontrolably. You couldn't imagine the state I was in. Emotional overload. Cute animals with big eyes. Animals CRYING!?!?!? You have got to be kidding me...I could watch this over and over and still bring out the tears. Heck, all I have to do is actually think about this poor little animal. Where's my Murry? Murrrrryyyyyy!!!!!! I want to hug him and kiss him and hold him and pet him.

Thanks Mikey Thanks.

Happy Halloween

2006-11-01T20:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's funnier...the red polyester pants, they gyrating hips, the double axels this dude does, or the hilarious shoulder tics...

More about me

2006-10-31T20:34:00.000-05:00

Saw that Aisha had this on her blog...I like doing them because they are easy to do. It's expressive without thinking too much...the questions are already asked!

Today
Height: 5'2
Color: Black...and about time too! My highlight have finally all grown out!
Piercing: Ears only
Tattoos: None whatsoever

Right Now
Time: 2030 (sorry...I prefer army time)
Mood: Tired and ready to relax
Taste: Salty...just made some tortas for dinner (Filipino dish)
Weather: Crisp, autumn weather...with tricker-treaters everywhere
Bad habit: Where do I start? Biting my nails, scratching my pimples
Thing I want to do: Run on the treadmill, but I'm too lazy...besides my stomach is full from eating torta.

Favorite
TV show: Move over LOST, because Heroes has gotten my attention! It's awesome!
Book: Sigh...anything with GASTROENTEROLOGY in the title and "3 Weeks with my Brother" by Nicholas Sparks
Non-alcoholic drink: Paul Newman's LimeAid
Brand: Ann Taylor Loft
Perfume: Aveda Pick Your Scents
Designer: Coach, Swarovski

Random
Have a job: Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner...this month I'm the GI Resident...yuk.
My CD player has what in it right now: Believe it or not...it's Linkin Park's Meteora. LOVE track 9...had a dream about it one day and have never forgotten it since.
What makes me happy: Watching other people laugh, shopping, losing weight, when people say thank-you

When/What Was the Last
I got a real letter: 2 days ago...got a letter from my nursing school friend, Cheron, who is in Nice, France. Amazing girl...she's not only a midwife, but she's spent the past 3 years in Haiti at an orphanage and is now fluent in Creole. Now she's in France learning a third language!
Got an email: From my brother...he recently ran in the Marine Corp marathon over the weekend.
Thing I purchased: 2 large bags of Halloween candy...gone...in...2 hours.
TV program I watched: Heroes...I love it...Congressmen and nurses who can fly, a comic book geek who can stop time by looking like he's constipated (sorry, GI slip), and a stripper who has multiple personalities...I love it!
Movie I saw in the theaters: Little Miss Sunshine
Hugged: My cat, Murry...after he snuck out of the house as I handed out candy to a group of princesses, ninjas, and a Superman. He was under our front bushes sniffing the ground.
Place I was: The kitchen...cooking and handing out candy.
Song heard: The introduction to Food Networks' "$40 a day" with host Rachel Ray.
Phone call: Mikey...he's returning my missed phone call from today and yesterday.

Tell me you didn't cry...

2006-10-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Pay It Foward

2006-09-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I received an email from my friend Katrina. In it she listed some things about her. Coincidentally, Kamran had received the same email and posted his answers on his blog. Both Katrina and Kamran listed me as someone who would respond to this request. So how can I turn it down?

1)Four jobs I have had in my life:
A) Edy's Ice Cream scooper
B) An R.A. at UMBC's Potomac Dorm
C) A temp receptionist
D) PICU RN

2) Four places I have lived:
A) Brunswick, GA (where I was born)
B) Jacksonville, FL (where my brother was born)
C) Gaithersburg, MD
D) Baltimore, MD

3) Four TV shows I love to watch:
A) LOST ( season premiere on October 4th!)
B) "Greatest Game Show Moments"
C) King of Queens
D) Anything on Food Network

4) Four places I have been on vacation:
A) Poconos Mountains in PA (camping and rafting)
B) Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
C) Cancun, Mexico
D) Las Vegas

5) Four websites I visit daily:
A) www.yahoo.com (email and celebrity gossip)
B) www.kamranahmad.blogspot.com
C) www.lifebridge.org (intranet at work)
D) ????

6) Four of my favorite foods:
A) Sushi-especial Edo's Shrimp Tempura Roll
B) Cheese Pizza
C) My dad's grilled hamburger
D) My MIL's beef kebobs

7) Four places I would rather be right now:
A) Sleeping on a beach
B) Boogey-boarding in the beach
C) Bora-Bora
D) On vacation

8) Four friends I think will respond:
A) Meenu
B) Jen Sumbilla (if she reads this blog)
C) Zehra? (she's a friend who reads this blog)
D) Damon

Forget Pluto...

2006-08-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Watch the newscast entitled "What is a planet?" and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about!Hint: If you watched it and still have no idea, read the comment and find out what I'm referring to!

Habits, Patterns, and Other Things Predictable

2006-08-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day". Does it ever happen to you?

Last year, I was amazed at the fact that every Tuesday at 8:30am I'd run into the same man week after week. I would be in my car waiting at a red light and he would be crossing the street right in front of my car. The same dude...wearing blue scrubs and carrying an insulated lunch bag. What are the chances? Once a week, every Tuesday. I wonder if he ever noticed me like I noticed him. Probably not.

Now that I work 5 days a week, I see more patterns and habits in my day. I probably shouldn't care about little details like this, but it amuses me to see that others are operating on "my" schedule. Self-absorbed, aren't I?

I get to work around 8:15-8:30am. I park in the garage, walk down the stairs, and out the garage. As I walk to the hospital, I see the chief resident yapping on her cellphone. I listen closely...sounds like she's talking to her husband about the babysitter. I find out later that she just had a baby a few months ago and that her husband is also a pediatric resident. She's walking a heck of a lot faster than I, so I'm about 20 paces behind her. She slips in the door and I follow. She turns left toward the cafeteria and I make a right toward the office.

I get to the office, turn on my computer, put my bag away, pull out my binder, log onto the computer, put my lab coat on, get my pens, and walk out the door. I walk out the office, down the elevator, say 'good morning' to the security guard, and walk toward the entrance of the hospital. Through the double doors I go and make a left. Who do I see about 20 paces in front of me? The same resident, this time with a cup of coffee in one hand and her cell phone in another. We wait for the same elevator and stand uncomfortably silent as we both wait for the 3rd floor. DING! The door opens and we both enter the pediatric floor at the same time. More than once, twice, and three times...

I end my day the same way it began. Hang up the lab coat, put the pens away, log off the computer, pull out my bag, elevator down, and wave bye to the security guard. To get to the garage, I have to walk through the hospital. I walk out the building and see a cute brown rabbit scurry into the hedges as I step onto the sidewalk. "I remember when he was his big!" says a nurse as he holds his index fingers about 4 inches apart. "Cute little guy!" The next day, I'm eating a clementine on my way out the building. I throw a segment of the orange onto the mulch below. I know the rabbitt will find it...he's here somewhere.

I never take the highway to and from work. It's exactly 13.5 miles from hospital garage to my parking spot. Northern Parkway and Reisterstown Road are the busiest roads on my commute. An interesting one it is...part B-more ghetto and part Orthodox Jewish. Reisterstown Road drives directly through the hearts of Park Heights (ala ghetto) and Pikesville (ala matzo). The shopping centers on this road reflect this diversity. There are Kosher deli's and bakeries next to nail salons and dollar stores.

In one particular intersection is an Exxon gas station. Everyday I get the red light at this particular stop. It gives me an opportunity to observe the minivan parked at the gas station. A thugged-out Jewish kid sells basketball shoes from the back of his minivan. EVERY SINGLE DAY. It sits next to the bus stop so he gets pretty good business. Most days he is awake and just chilling. On hotter days, I've seen him sleeping in the shade of his minivan.

Just before I get home, I drive by our community pool. There's a few weeks until Labor Day so the pool is still open. Kids play football in the pool parking lot while other kids are walking home with towels wrapped around their waists. I often see a woman in a pink hat sitting on the curb of the parking lot. She's always hunched over writing furiously into a notebook. What is writing about? I have no idea. She's a bit of a mystery in our neighborhood.

Hassan and I creatively call her "The Lady in the Pink Hat". She's a skinny white lady with long brown hair. She reminds me of the actress, Rachel Weiss. She's a strange cat...I don't think she works. She walks a half a mile to the Giant grocery store everyday and buys one or two items. She'll do this in the rain too. When she walks, she walks in the road in the dark. Sometimes 10:30 at night. Nevermind the lighted sidewalks. Hassan saw her close up one day at the store. It was raining and he said that her make-up was so thick that the rain made it smear down her face. Always with the pink, wide-brimmed hat.

In the winter, she puts the pink hat in storage and pulls out the wintercoat. It's white with pink and blue stripes down the sleeves. 80s style. She'll also wear a baret-style hat. She braves the cold weather to Giant and still buys the groceries. No matter what time of year, I drive slow around our neighborhood because I know she could be walking in the road in the dark.

Bizarre set of observations, huh? I'm sure I'm a part of someone else's observations. "There's that little Filipino girl again...driving that Rav-4 on Lakeside Drive."

Do you need help little, man?

2006-08-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

This is the FUNNIEST prank I have ever seen in my life. No matter how many times I watch this video, I will still laugh. Here's why I thought it was funny:

1) He's the perfect person for the prank. Not just gay, but FLAMING gay and screaming---What could be funnier?
2) Watch the expressions on his face...he is completely scared to walk back into the room.
3) He was so scared that he couldn't even scream. His mouth was wide open AND absolutely nothing came out!
4) And when he did scream---boy, did he scream like a woman!
5) I thought it was HILAROUS how he was talking to the "little monster man" as if the rat monster could really understand.

Whoa is me...

2006-07-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

Beware...this isn't my typical Tanookie entry. It's actually a little bit darker, a little bit deeper, and a little more serious than my usual blog entries. I guess it was about due time that this blog might someday turn into a diary...public, of course! It's about starting my new job as a nurse practitioner.

Did I make the right decision? I thought I did. I think I did. I know I did? I know I was starting at the bottom of the hill. Starting over from scratch...I was once an ICU nurse where others turned to me for advice and guidance. Now, I'm alone...the only nurse practitioner in a practice full of experienced doctors. No one to relate to as a nurse, no one to look to for guidance. I have to find my own way...fumbling with each new week.

I hate that feeling...not knowing ANYTHING and acting like I know what they are talking about. I nod and nod, laugh, and verbally agree. Then I run back to my office and look up terms and diseases that I know nothing about. I wish I could download all this information into my head and spit it out in an intelligent language so that they can understand me. Sure I ask questions, but are they "intelligent" ones? Should I have known the answer already?

I knew I was taking a big risk working in a pediatric specialty with a Family Nurse Practitioner degree. Would I have been at an advantage if I were a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner? What if I weren't a PICU nurse? I am no doctor, just a nurse with a master's degree. In my office, my bare bookshelf does not compare to their bookshelves that are filled with medical journals and a vast amount of textbooks...some books they have written themselves! What books do I have? A medical dictionary to help me find the meaning of their everyday office jargon. A "Harriet Lane" book...best friend to a resident's pocket. My lonely pediatric textbook that we barely used in school. And a binder barely full of GI notes from class.

I guess with every up there is a down. And today was a down...tommorrow a new day and a new day to learn something...over and over again.

Updates...

2006-07-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Wheeeew! What happened to me?!?!? I know I've been off the radar this month, but there have been good things happening. This month has gone by fast...

1) Sarah and Kamran visit from Cali: Yup, the Hajji crew was together again! Despite our crazy weekend schedules, we were able to sit down together for a crabcake dinner at G&M's. Good times, always...sharing stories, laughing over "monkey" and "Prime" jokes, and let's not forget Zehra torturing Aamir from the backseat...I have to say that was the funnest trip to BWI Airport!

2) Hassan and Christina visit Rochester (again): With our friend Justin in tow, we survived a 5.5 hour drive to Rochester, NY to visit Showieb for the weekend. Hardworking Showieb just finished a LONG stretch of nightshifts and had the weekend off. We walked to a local sushi restaurant for dinner, dropped by Showieb's friend's house for a party, and drove to downtown Rochester for some live-band music. The next day, we went to Lake Canadaigua (which I learned as one of the "finger lakes") and watched the windsurfers. Dinner at P.F. Chang's and frozen custard from a local ice cream shoppe. On our walk back from the ice cream shoppe, Showieb, Justin, and I shared a special moment together...we sang the entire soundtrack from "The Sound of Music" together. Sorry, guys!!!

3) Camping in the Poconos: This was our most recent trip with A&Z and Alka& Umer. What fun it was despite the weather! We pitched our tents and grilled our food just before the sun went down. We endured the "ostrich" stares from those who attended the Pocono 500 in their RVs. We rafted down the calmest river and paddled through the pouring rain. When the rain finally stopped, we jumped in the river and floated downstream. We docked on an island and skipped some stones. I enjoyed stacking river rocks on the shore and sadly watched them get smaller as we paddled away. Returning to camp, we grilled some burgers and ate them with pasta. The boys went to mini-golf while the chili simmered. The rain came again and we raced to put up the canopy just in time to enjoy some hot chili! We had a great time...definitely at trip worth repeating.

The food

Our camp site

Post-rafting

4) My new job: It's my 3rd week at Sinai Hospital. Although it's overwhelming to think how much I need to learn, I'm excited by the potential growth into this position. It's completely different than the 12 hour ICU job I had at University of Maryland. I'm less stressed, the people are happier, the hospital is nicer, and I get to wear business casual clothes instead of scrubs! It's an exciting position...I get a little of both worlds: in the hospital in the morning and in the office in the afternoons. But the one thing I realized is to not forget that I'm still a nurse and that my approach is different than the doctors. I'm not a doctor that treats the disease, but helps the family with the disease.

Meet the AED

2006-06-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

A 12 year-old child recently died on a Walt Disney ride. His father saw him pass out on the rollercoaster. He subsequently took the unconsious child off the ride and performed CPR. By the time paramedics arrived, he was dead. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that there was no bodily injury or mechanical error to the ride. Autopsy results showed that the child had "congenital heart abnormalities".

When a child dies in the PICU, it is undeniably sad and difficult. When a child "suddenly" dies in public, I find that even sadder. Maybe it's because in the hospital we know that we literally did everything possible. The resources and technology to bring someone back to life is only a few feet away if not inches. In the public setting it's a gamble. Not everyone knows CPR. If they do, chances are they aren't doing it right. More importantly, not all public settings have the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). If used correctly, the AED will drastically increase a victim's chance for survival.

What is the AED? Over the past few years, the AED has gained some media attention. Mostly you can find them in airports, airplanes, malls, pools, and some schools. Ever see 'ER'? Remember when they "shock" a dying patient on the gurney? The AED is a MUCH simpler version of that. User-friendly for the lay public. Those certified in CPR have seen them.

Why use the AED? Shocking as it may sound, CPR doesn't save a life, it preserves a life. When someone suddenly collapses in public, your first instinct is do CPR. When the paramedics arrive, they take over because they have the resources and skills to deal with what is going on. But what the public doesn't now is that when someone suddenly collapses in public and is unconsious, chances are that there is something seriously wrong. In both children and adults, most likely it is their heart. I believe that CPR only preserves a life because when you are doing CPR on someone you are theoretically squeezing their heart so that blood can circulate to the brain. It minimizes the risk of brain damage and buys time until someone calls 911 and the paramedics come. But CPR does not fix the underlying problem; however, the AED will. The AED saves a life because the problem is fixed sooner.

What does the AED do? The heart is a complex muscle. It pumps blood to and from the heart through synchronized contractions. Normally, it can withstand day-to-day stresses...it just pumps a little faster. However, in cases of kids and adults with underlying "congenital heart defects", the rhythmic motion of the heart can be thrown off with enough stress. In this case, the child was on a rollercoaster and was probably screaming, scared, and yelling. His heart literally went "haywire" on the ride and mostly likely caused him to pass out from the lack of blood pumping to his brain.

His father did the right thing by initiating CPR, but the amusement park should have had an AED available. Maybe they did and that piece of information didn't reach the media, but I can't speculate. But there have been numerous deaths on these rides!

The AED literally resets (or reboots the heart for you IT peeps) the electrical activity of the heart by shooting several hundred joules of electricity through the chest. The heart is then shocked back into it's rhythmic movements. Blood can now flow normally through the body.

How do you use the AED? It's very simple to use. Three steps and that's it. The machine even talks you through each of the three steps.

Step1: Place pads on patient as illustrated.

Step2: Charge machine by pressing the flashing button.

Step3: Release the charge by pressing the other flashing button. Resume CPR.

And that's it! My intention for this blog was to introduce you to the AED and to highlight it's importance. By no means was this to teach you how to use it. If anything, I wanted to convince you to take a CPR class and learn it the right way.

AEDs are designed for the public to use in emergencies. If you aren't certified in CPR, you should be. If you aren't familiar with AEDs you should be. Next time you go to the mall or the airport, look alongside the walls and you just might see an AED right next to the fire extinguisher.

To find the nearest CPR class in your area, click here.

Randomness Part II

2006-06-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I've hit a dry spell with Tanookie moments plus haven't been in the mood lately. You think I would be blogging everyday with the free time I've had lately, but nope. You see, for the past 6 weeks (and counting), I've been jobless. No joke. I'm in between jobs right now. I'm waiting to start my nurse practitioner job at a Pediatric Gastroenterology practice in Baltimore. My contracts are pending and I can't legally work until they are all approved. It's been a tedious and hellacious process. Definitely worth blogging about, but I'll wait until I've been safely approved to prevent any backlashing on part of the Maryland Board of Nursing.

Anyways, I've been keeping myself busy around the house, running on the treadmill, meeting up with friends, seeing family, and attending plenty of graduations, weddings, picnics, and parties.

So, here's some news articles I have found interesting added with a bit of Tanookie-sassiness. (Click on the title of the paragraph.)

Article 1: Who cares?
I'm usually pretty up-to-date with the latest celebrity gossip, but when I heard this, I couldn't help but shake my head. I haven't heard a 'Backstreet Boys' song in over 5 years! I honestly thought that this boy-band broke up years ago. What mall or amusement park have they been performing in? He's 33 years old! There should be a boy-band rule that you are automatically turned over to the police once a band member turns 30 years old! I think I might have actually seen this Backstreet Boy enter the backdoor of the house featured on NBC's "On-line Predators".

Article2: What the?!?!
I find it highly amusing when there are news stories about a "latest study" are released to the public. It causes mass hysteria in the general public and forces millions of hyperchondriacs to call their general practitioners and question their care. This article was particularly funny. Not because of what the study says, but the link associated with the article. If you scroll to the bottom of the article it states, "For more information click on the link www.PNAS.COM". Ha! P-NAS!

Is it a wedding or a funeral?

Shows like "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood" were all over the details of the wedding of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. They also forgot to mention that the bride looked like corpse. Look at this picture! She might as well be riding in the back of a hurse. How pale can she be?!?! It's absolutely disgusting! Nicole also forgot to invite her long-lost sister...

...Marcia Cross!
If her hair weren't red, you'd really be able to see just how pale she really is!

Article 3: Lastly...NPs in the news and what I actually do...

Rewind...

2006-06-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

...In the beginning of May, I made a trip out to Ohio to visit my old friend Meenu.

Here's our history: The good old days! Meens and I go way back to nursing school 7 years ago when she and I wore those nasty white nursing uniforms and practiced dressing wounds on mannequins in the clinical sim labs. Now she's married and moved to Ohio last summer.

I was honored to be one of her first friends from Maryland to visit Meenu and her husband. She has a wonderful home and was a gracious hostess while I was there! Here are some pictures to document my visit:

This was where I stayed for the weekend. Meenu had a basket of goodies and a present waiting for me in the room.
I LOVED that the guest room had it's own bathroom and is on a separate floor than the master bedroom. It was like living in an apartment loft! Did I mention the bathroom?!?!? I LOVE it! You'll see in a minute...

If you didn't know me already, I'm a BIG fan of clean and spacious bathrooms. It was VERY refreshing not having to share a bathroom littered with various types of body hair or walking into a bathroom where I had to turn the fan on. So when I saw this private, clean, and barely used bathroom with a skylight I was delighted!!! I loved how I didn't have to turn the lights on during the day because the room was filled with natural light.

Meenu and her sweet sister-in-law, Kiren, took me to the Cleveland Science Center. Aside from the second floor attractions, this robot was the highlight of the science center. Basically, you type in a word and the robot will say it out loud for everyone to hear. We took advantage of this robot by typing some pretty vulgar things. We weren't very good girls here! "Meenu! Meenu!"

The second floor had more "Hands On" things for us do. We were busy bees bouncing from one station to another. "Look at this!!!" we'd scream from across the room.

This mirror trick was like being on the "Matrix". Kiren did a great job looking like she was going to kick Keeanu's a$$.

Hassan laughed out loud when he first saw this picture of me. For some odd reason, he finds it highly entertaining when I have a cheesy smile or when my fingers are stretched out completely. In this picture, I've got both and Hassan ended up imitating me. Weirdo.

Aww...here's the both of us in front of downtown Cleveland. Here's an interesting fact about my trip: Meens and I did so much shopping that weekend that I didn't have to wear a single shirt that I packed! Well...with the exception of this photo. But it was the jacket that was new!

That night I visited Meenu's in-laws and a wonderful dinner at their home. Later, we caught a late show of "MI:iii".

On my last day, Meenu and I visited a local flea market. Later, we went to a British antique car show. Her husband, Mandeep is a fanatic about British cars and enjoys fixing up old cars. He entered his 1976(?) Mini Cooper in this car show. He actually purchased this car in England and shipped it overseas to Ohio. I really enjoyed looking at all the cars and asked a lot of questions. I learned quite a bit about Morris Minor cars. After the show, we drove home in this car. The steering wheel was on the right side AND it was a manual. Try driving that! Cute car.

I was sad to leave Meenu. I really had a great time and hope to visit again with Hassan. She's got a lovely family in Cleveland!

The "Real" Genius

2006-06-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Showieb! Not only has he finished a little thing called "Med School", but he finally watched "Real Genius" (after MUCH pursuasion on my part). Not only is he now a doctor, but more importantly he has learned the "significance of Kent and Jesus" in this movie. Big kudos for that!

As promised, he wanted EVERYONE to know that he sat through this movie and endured the torture of an 80's movie plot about nerds and listened to all three ridiculous 80's montages from begnning to end. My only hope is that he enjoyed a few jokes or lines in the movie!

So this is a tribute to Showieb, the only doctor who listened to this silly NP's advice and watched "Real Genius" with her in his final days in Maryland. Little did he know that it was not the jokes in the movie that ultimately made her happy, but the mere fact that someone actually listened to her recommendations! So what if it was with a little force!

Good luck in Rochester, Showieb! We'll miss your presence in our house. Murry will always keep a warm seat next to him in the window. Enjoy the summer while it's hot and prepare your bachelor pad for a cold winter up North! Hope the picture of Murry will keep you memories of him warm and fuzzy... "Awww, Murry!"

Where in the World is...

2006-06-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

My brother, Mikey emailed me some pics from his recent vacation with my parents out West. See if you can tell what movie scenes these were taken from:

Recognize this scene?

How about this scene?
Hint: Mikey is giving you a HUGE hint by pretending to be the main actor in the movie.

X-Men: The Last Stand

2006-05-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

I saw X-Men 3 yesterday with my fellow sci-fi buddy, Jessica. I'd invite Hassan, but he has a thing against movies that contain any of the following: wizards, Hobbits, witches, magic, monsters, fairies, and especially mutants.

Where or where do I start? Yahoo news announced today that X-Men 3 had the largest opening for the Memorial Day weekend and the FOURTH largest opening EVER. All I could I think was, there are millions of poor souls who have WASTED their money this weekend.

I don't know who to blame: the writers, the director, or BOTH?!??! Maybe I should blame myself...perhaps I had high expectations for a third X-Men movie that virtually had all of the same characters returning.

Note: The follow comments may contain some spoilers. On second thought, if you've seen the previews, you basically have seen the best parts of the movie. The spoilers may even save you some money...

1) Writers tried too hard to ensure that there WOULD NOT be a 4th X-Men. My God! In order to make sure that there couldn't be a 4th movie, they did the easiest thing possible. They killed off key characters! And they twisted the plot so far off the actual X-Men comics that it was ridiculous. (I'm not a X-Men junkie, but it seemed like that some of the X-Men were written out of character) Jean Grey killing Cyclops with a death kiss? Then, the Phoenix killing the Professor by literally shredding him into millions of molecules?!?!? Then, Jean Grey being killed herself by Wolverine? I barely had time to mourn the death of the Professor! Rogue volunteered to be "cured" because she wanted to make-out with Iceman. Wasn't she supposed to be sassy and a semi-feminist?

2) Too much going on and too little time. This movie was spread too thin...there were so many story lines that I felt like I was watching a soap opera.
-Cyclops mourning the death of Jean Grey
-The split-personality struggle between Jean Grey and the Phoenix
-The Professor's attempts to control the Phoenix
-The love triangle between Iceman, Rogue, and Kitty Pryde
-Archangel's personal crisis with his father wanting to cure him
-Rogue's personal crisis of not being able to touch people
-The "cure" being used as a weapon against mutants
-Rescuing the mutant boy that took away the powers of mutants
-The on-going rivalry between Iceman and Pyro

3) Along the same lines of too much going on, there were too many characters! With too many characters, most mutants barely got any screen time. Virtually, the main characters of this movie were Hugh Jackman and Halle Barry. Hmmm...gee, I wonder why! Anyways, the fight scenes were sub-par, but I have to give credit to Kelsey Grammer who was the perfect "Beast". His fight scenes were awesome, but I wanted more!

The face-off scene between Iceman and Pyro absolutely predicable, lame, and pathetic! The whole thing lasted only a minute with Iceman head-butting Pyro after a "tug of war" scene!!! They should have done a fight scene between Juggernaut and Collosus! Instead, Juggernaut had a one-on-one with the puny Kitty Pryde...what good was she!?!?! AND, with so much attention in the previews about Archangel, where was he?!?! He barely "stretched out his wings" in the movie. How disappointing was that?!?!

On the enemy side, it seemed as if writers were making up characters to fill up holes. There are other villians besides Magneto...what about Apocalypse?!?!?! And, I thought that the Sentinels were going to get more screen time! Instead, they were only holograms in the "Danger Room" for training purposes!

4) Unfinished story lines: with so much going on in only an hour and 43 minutes, I think the writers forgot to end some of the story lines. Rogue's crisis abruptly ended when she was able to touch Bobby without a glove. What happened after that?!?! Did she leave the school? Is she still with Bobby or does he have his hands full with Kitty? Who won that triangle?!? What happened to Mystique after she was shot by the vaccine? AND, the biggest unfinished story yet...what happened to that bald boy the rescued from the research facility?!?! Is he a loner since no mutant wants to get near him?!?!

By the time I finished this movie, I was in complete denial. I refused to believe that the Professor was dead and that Magneto had lost his powers. For God' s sake, he was playing chess in the park by himself! So much had happened, but not to the detail I wanted to see it in. The fight scenes were short and predicable. The only mutant powers we really saw were those of Storm, Wolverine, and the Beast. I wanted more! I wanted to see more Iceman and more Rogue! Jeez, we didn't even see Cyclops fire a single heat ray...he died in the first 30 minutes! I don't think Collosus even turned into metal! All he did was hurl Wolverine into the air. He barely had 3 lines in the movie!

Sigh...I'm sad that there won't be a 4th so that they can get another chance to do it right. If they do, devote more time to the fight scenes and mutant powers. I didn't care about tying up loose ends...that attempt totally ruined the movie.

Sigh...

Kodak v570

2006-05-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

Well, the time has come and gone on our very first digital camera. Geez, it took us about 5 years to actually get one, but now it has said good-bye. After Showieb's trip to Guatemala, our Pentax Optio 555 is now sitting on a lonely white cloud with wings. How cute.

Anyways, Has and I were at BestBuy yesterday admiring all the new televisions. I even got a chance to watch the Mission Impossible scene in "Shrek 2". Hilarious! We swung by the camera section to browse. And there it was...

...the Kodak v570 Dual Lens! I had seen nothing like it! First of all, it had not ONE, but TWO lenses. Why two lenses, I have no idea why, but I'm sure it has something to do with the zoom. Secondly, it was black. And finally, it was small and skinny! Like a man in the lingerie department, I usually look, but never touch. This time, however, I was pressing every button and snapping pictures left and right. The neat feature is that it's a 5x zoom without you actually having to zoom in before snapping the picture. After you take your pic, you can zoom in or out 5x!

"I want it!" I whined to Has as I clung onto his arm. I half-heartedly walked out of the store empty handed.

"You can do some research on the internet first, " Has said as he tried to calm me down. Damn him. Why does always have to be the voice of reason? He was right, though. I pretty much fell for the looks and dazzles of the Kodak v570. I was hesitant to read reviews about the camera because I was afraid that it would leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

After researching the Kodak v570, I found that it's overall a good camera. One review mentioned that for a 5MP camera, it took excellent 4MP pictures. Hmmm... Highlights include: easy of use, quality of pics, and an option for the user to select they type of focus or flash depending on the scenery. For example, if you are taking pictures on the beach or in the snow, you select your scenery and the camera will auto-adjust depending on the amount of light in the background. Neat, huh? No more guessing...you just select your scenery type. Cons include: short battery life and weak flash.

Has anyone out there seen or own this camera? What are your impressions? Was it truly love at first sight or a complete waste of money? What cameras out there are better? Any suggestions?

6/7/06: After MUCH research into other cameras, I actually decided to get our Pentax repaired. I didn't realize the value of our camera in terms of monetary value and quality of pictures until after I had compared it to the other cameras. The price of repair would be not completely "total" the Pentax!

While I Wait...

2006-05-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

I'm waiting for Hassan to come home after a week's long business trip in Chicaaago. His plane has been delayed...twice, so now he'll be home later than expected. So while I wait for the door to open, I thought I'd blog about some randomness...

My mother is on the "Sunglass Hut's Most Wanted List". No joke. I always new my mom was a shop-a-holic, but this takes it to a whole new level. Besides, do you thinkTanookie moments only happen to me? My goodness, then you haven't met the original Tanookie: my mom!

So the story begins with my mother purchasing a pair of Dolce&Gabbana sunglass (remember, she's a shop-a-holic) from the Sunglass Hut. She doesn't like them because they're "too dark" when you look through them. So she exchanges them with another, more expensive pair of D&C glasses. No problem, but then 30 days later she realizes that she doesn't like this new pair either because "they make lines on her face". So, she attempts to exchange the pair after 30 days, but the manager refuses to do it. Huffing and puffing, she goes to another Sunglass Hut in hopes that they'll have a different policy.

When she gets to the store, there is a young worker eager to help my mom with her exchange. However, she has to call the manager to approve this exchange and unfortunately for her, it's the same manager as the previous store. She's speaking on the phone, "Mmmm, Mmmm" she says. "Mmmm, Mmmm, " she nods. My mom claims that the manager is giving the worker a description of my mom. Turns out that my mom's customer number has been "entered" into the computer system and they have been keeping record of her transactions.

"Sorry, but we can't exchange this sunglass," repeats the once eager worker.

So now my mom still has these Dolce&Gabbana glasses that put marks on her face. Tommorrow she'll attempt to return them at the Sunglass Hut located in downtown Baltimore...after my graduation. Wish her luck...

Update 5/19: My mom successfully exchanged her sunglasses for a more practical, not-so-dark pair!

Another Update 5/20: My mom confessed to Hassan that she didn't exchange or return these sunglasses twice, it was actually FIVE times. Hmmm...

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

After getting married, one of the hardest things that I had to learn was spending holidays 50/50 between families. This Sunday was Mother's Day and it was no exception. Why can't days be longer on days like these? Sigh...

Hassan and I spent the early afternoon with my family at Great Seneca Park. My Auntie Evelyn hosted a "surprise" birthday party for my mom and Mother's Day Picnic. "Surprise" because my mom figured it out last weekend when a family friend called and said that they couldn't come.

The late afternoon was spent with Hassan's family. AmiGee's present was a day off from cooking. Showieb was chef of the day and whipped up some heavy beef-cheese quesadillas. (He denies any Guatamalan influence in his cooking.)

Anyways, welcome to the world of Filipino parties...where it's always a hybrid of two celebrations. In this case, it was Mother's Day and the birthdays of four other people. (Although my mom's name got to be on the cake!)

Here are some highlights...

Our BBQ site for the day...

Me and Mom

Note: I think this is my new favorite picture of everyone.
Has, Me, Edgar (little bro), Mikey (middle bro), and Shanna (Mikey's roommate, I swear)
Edgar just finished his THIRD semester at Penn State. I still can't believe that he's in college! Mikey is undergoing a career change. He's planning to apply to nursing school in the fall. (Watch out , Greg Focker!)
BTW, both of my brother's are single...

All the Mother's of the Day...Mom is the one sitting in the middle with the jean jacket and my aunt is seated to her left. Aren't they the cutest? Katrina's mother is to the right and above my mom in the pink sweater. (You better believe I had to deny any reports that I would be in this picture any time soon!)

One a serious note, Mother's Day Sunday was the best way to end a wonderful weekend. Saturday was spent in the company of new and old friends in celebration of Zehra's graduation. Sunday just completed the circuit between friends and family. I love you, Mom! (Sniff, sniff...I'm getting very sentimental and listening to Nick Lachey's What's Left of Me doesn't help a bit!)

Happy Nurse's Week!

2006-05-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

To my fellow nurses...HAPPY NURSE'S WEEK!

It's hard to believe that 5 years ago I graduated from nursing school at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Since then, I have been working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). I entered the PICU directly after graduation and haven't regretted it since. I learned the basics of nursing in a fast-paced, high adrenaline setting. It was a great opportunity to work with other dedicated and motivated nurses. It was a great opportunity to grow professionally and gain self-confidence.

I always wished that people could see what I have seen at work. It amazes me what research, technology, and medicine can do to a human being. I've seen the worst of the worst and the best of the best; in some sad cases it can be the same thing. Think of the following statements as a confessional over my past 5 years...I never kept a diary about these things. Maybe because it make me sad to think about it, but at the same time it makes me proud of what I had to endure to become the nurse I am today...

I have seen the real beating heart in an infant's chest and manually squeezed the blood out of it.... I've seen a mechanical heart beating outside of a patient's body.... I've bottle fed infants who were born at 22 weeks gestation.... I've seen patient rooms turn into mini-ORs because the patient was too sick to leave the room.... I've dressed the wounds of an 8 year-old child whose mother threw him into a bath of scalding hot water....I comforted his shaking body as best I could when the morphine wore off and the pain returned.... I've wiped the feces off the floor belonging to an 18 year-old battling cancer.... I took care of a 5 year-old girl who nearly died twice and spent 6 months in the hospital. I also sent her home with her mother...healthy.... I've played Super Nintendo with a 5 year-old who was diagnosed with depression.... I've sang "Happy Birthday" to a child who stayed in the hospital.... I've danced in a room with one of our "frequent flyers"....

I've cried with families who have lost their children unexpectedly over the weekend.... I've pulled the breathing tube out an 8 year-old who was struck by a car and died.... I've given her lifeless body to her father and watched him gently cradle her like a newborn.... I wiped away the blood that oozed from her mouth and onto his shirt.... I've cried alone in storage closets because there was too much sadness at the bedside.... I've heard the cries of mothers who have lost their children....It's an eerie cry because no matter what culture or language, the cry always sounds the same...like a wounded animal.... I've hugged grandmothers who should have been real the mother instead.... I've taken care of teenage mothers and their premature infants in the same week.... I've attended more funerals of patients than I have of my own family. I've picked up a mother who collapsed in the hallway when she learned she was 30 minutes too late.... For families, I've cut locks of their dying child's hair for them to have as a keepsake.... I have been the last one out of the room when their child has died....

Next Friday, I will be walking again to officially receive my Master's in Nursing in the presence of my friends and family. While one chapter is slowly closing, the next chapter of my nursing career will begin in about a month when I join a gastroenterology practice as a nurse practitioner. I'm excited to start because this will be a different role and huge leap from the comforts of bedside nursing....

Cheers to those dedicated nurses....here's to more years of memorable nursing...

"Execute"

2006-05-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

Forget about being a nurse practitioner, I want to become an IMF secret agent!
Over the weekend, I saw the third installment of "Mission Impossible". Tom Cruise may be the king of all CrAzYs in real life, but as Ethan Hunt, he is AwEsOmE!!!!! The movie overall was GREAT...the best of all three. It had a great story line, breathtaking action scenes, and the coolest gadgets ever! I have to give Tom Cruise credit because I heard that he did about 90% of his own stunts; which in this movie is absolutely phenomenal, especially for a 43 year-old man!

This by far, was one of the best action movies I have seen in a while. By the end of the movie, I felt like I had gotten off a rollercoaster because the movie generates and regenerates enough adrenaline to keep you awake! There are 3 "mini-missions" in this movie and each one keeps you wide-eyed and wanting to see more!

What made this movie better than the other two were the team of characters and gadgets. This time around, there were a team of young (and might I add, VERY fine-looking) agents aiding Ethan. In past movies, I felt like it was only Ethan running solo, but this time he's accompanied by equally skilled agents. Ving Rhames returns as Luther, the loyal technician, who functions as the eyes of the whole operation from an always "abandoned" van. I shouldn't say "always", he did scuba through some tight tunnels and prove that black people CAN swim!

The first hottie of the team is Declan, the lead transporter for the MI team. You might recognize him as the skinny soccer coach in "Bend It Like Beckham", but he's totally buffed up now! I hope they feature him in more MI movies because he definitely has the looks and capability to develop his MI character...maybe even take over for Mr. Hunt?!?!?! MY hero...

Next up is, Zhen and she's not your token Asian chick! Usually I'm a hater when it comes to female action heros (gag...Elektra), but she is an awesome character! Smart and sexy...she definitely pulls her weight in the movie.

Anyways, I hope I didn't give away too much, but I hope it's enough to make you interested to watch the movie sometime soon! Forget the couches he has jumped on, the bizarre interviews, and the flat-out strange PDAs that Tom Cruise does in real life...on the big screen, he's a different person...literally!

www.randomshirts.com

2006-04-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

Found this t-shirt ad in the back of "Rollingstone" magazine. Most of the shirts are only $10 and some are on sale for $5! Plus, if you enter 'rollingstone' in the discount section, you'll save 10%. Not bad! They have the coolest vintage t-shirts and I've ordered one for me and one for Elaine for her birthday (hope she isn't reading this)! Go ahead, treat yourself to one of these t-shirts! They're fun!

Here's what I ordered...I just started laughing when I read it. It's SO bad a$$!

This is what I ordered for Elaine...I liked this one myself, but already have a vintage t-shirt in this kelly green color!

I thought this tee was kinda of amusing and scary at the same time. Because of the scare-factor, however, I will not order this shirt.

Another bad a$$ shirt, but it just isn't enough "krunk" for me. Ya know wut I'm sayin?!?!

Like the shirt, but not the color...plus, it says "playing that funky music" NOT "play that funky music". Not authentic enough!

I like the random message of the shirt, but I'm afraid some people may not appreciate it's randomness...Also, am I missing an inside joke or higher meaning to the concept of ninjas hating pirates? Is it like the rivalry between a Star Trek fan versus a Stars Wars fan?

80s Movie: Real Genius

2006-04-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears has always been one of my favorite 80's songs. I've recently rediscovered this song's movie counterpart, "Real Genius" starring a very young Val Kilmer. It's joined my library of great 80's movies that you can watch over and over again...especially on rainy days!

If you get a chance, re-live this funny movie! Does this movie sound somewhat familiar or just wondering what it's all about before re-queing your Netflix account?

Here's a brief synopsis: Mitch Taylor is no ordinary 15 year-old. He's a bonafide genius and gets accepted to an engineering college for brainiacs just like him...only older. He's roommates with the legendary Chris Knight (played by Val Kilmer), who is a bit quirky and rides the fence of being clinically insane. Between studying for exams and working on a "project" with a team of envious classmates, he's trying to find time to make friends and enjoy his time at college. There's a bigger plot involving the "project", but I don't want to give away the whole movie, but I might anyway! Let's just say, it involves a blackmailing professor, a top-secret weapon for the military, Kent talking to "God" via his dental work, and a very large version of Jiffy-Pop in someone's living room. Sounds crazy? That's what makes this movie entertaining to watch!

Here's some funny dialogue about Kent (pictured below) who is Professor Hathaway's personal "Gofer":

Chris Knight: This is Kent (note those nasty braces!). This is what happens when a person gets too sexually frustrated.

Kent: You're all a bunch of degenerates.
Chris Knight: Oh, really? Well, what about that time I found you naked with that bowl of Jell-O?
Kent: You did not.
Chris Knight: This is true.
Kent: Yeah, well, it was hot and I was hungry.

Made in 1985, it's right smack in the middle of this awesome decade! This movie reminds me of a young "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" with a touch of "Revenge of the Nerds". It's the epitome of an 80's movie. Here's why:

1) There's the token Asian dude: Although they were all considered "geniuses" on campus, "Ick" Ikagami was the only one to temporarily convert their dorm hallway into an ice skating rink. How awesome is that?!?!?

2) Not ONE, but THREE 80's song montages: It's true, there are three great 80's montages that show Mitch adjusting to college life and exams, Mitch and Chris perfecting the laser, and the whole gang attempting to foil their professor's plan.

3) Parties on campus: Even though this campus is 100% geekdom, Chris (Val Kilmer's character), throws a "Tanning" party in a lecture hall by inviting the local beauty school over to socialize with the geeks. Best part, he converts the orchestra pit into a pool with a water fountain, inflatable slide, and fake palm trees! There's also random dancing, roller skating, and grilling by the poolside!

4) Randomness: There's plenty of random characters including: Lazlo, a legendary brainiac who flipped out from the pressure of college and now lives in Chris and Mitch's closet. Lazlo has been working on his own "project" that will ultimately get him out of the closet (no homosexual pun here...)! And then there's Jordan, a fast-talking insomniac who invents random gadgets and happens to be Mitch's love interest.

5) A typical bar scene: When the gang is celebrating the success of their laser, they go to the local bar. It's so typical of an 80's movie...people dancing (the 80's version of Bel Air's "Carlton") in a smoke filled room, biker dudes with pitchers of beer shooting pool, and butch-looking women fighting on top of a pool table.

Here are some of my favorite scenes:

During this montage, it's exam time and unlike Mitch, some students prefer to record their lectures. Look what they use to record lecture! Boom-boxes! I can just imagine them bringing them to class on one shoulder.

At the end of this montage, the guy randomly stands up in the study room and starts to scream from the stress. He screams and screams while everyone else is just looking at him like he's crazy. Eventually, he runs out of the room screaming and Ick (who's directly behind him in the picture), picks up his things and takes his place at the study table. Survival of the fittest!

At the end of the movie, Dr. Hathaway's house explodes at the seams with popcorn. Kent, who thought God was talking to him, becomes mesmerized by the growing Jiffy-Pop bubble in the house. He gets swept up out of the house in the popcorn "wash out". Funny scene that leads to the closing credits and my favorite song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"!

So, I hope you get a chance to watch this movie. It recently aired on Encore! television and I found it highly entertaining. I hope you do too!

Hajji Log: Part II

2006-04-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it's been a while since I have posted anything about Hajj. This time it's about one of MANY amusing stories to tell. I have always thought of myself as a tolerant person when it comes to hygiene (or lack of it). For goodness sake's, I'm a nurse! I've dressed the worst wounds and wiped the largest butts, but when it came to using the "Turkish Toilets" for the first time, it was all tippy-toes for me!

My introduction to these "ingenious" inventions were at Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia. We just flew in from Istanbul, Turkey...tired, disoriented, hungry, sleepy, and air-sick (that's me). The women were already wearing their abayas and hijabs (large robes and head covering) upon arriving. I needed to use the restroom and didn't want to go alone. Sarah, oh, dear dependable Sarah! She became my official bathroom buddy. I grabbed our disposable toilet wipes (as if that would be enough!) and we ventured arm-in-arm into the women's restroom.

The horror! Imagine a foreign bathroom used by literally thousands of women in a busy airport. Now, add in the interior design of San Francisco's Alcatraz and you have the women's bathroom at Jeddah Airport. Our top prioritiy was to find "regular" Western-style toilets to use, but found out that they were VERY popular...as an ashtray! It was like being in a horror movie as we warily peeked into each stall and then made the most grotesque faces you could imagine because of the conditions of the toilets! ALL of the "regular" toilets looked as if they hadn't been flushed AT ALL because they were brimming with waste, USED toilet paper, women's hygiene products, and garnished with cigarette butts. The floors of the stalls had a watery film of brown residue.

The "Turkish" toilets, on the otherhand, were far better in terms of functionality. For those not familiar with "Turkish" toilets, please study the attached photo. Self-explanatory, right? It may be an easy concept for men to comprehend, but for women, this is a logistical nightmare!

At least they were cleaner to use, but how? Sarah's only experience was as a cute 2 year-old being held over the hole by her mother. We weren't about to hold one another above the hole! We stared into a stall for a few seconds studying the logistics...where to stand, how to squat, how to aim, how to clean, and how to flush?!?! Those were the easy questions. The tougher questions were: Who goes first?!?! What about our clothes? How can we use the bathroom without getting our abayas and pants dirty?!?!

We had about 5 toilets to choose from and based our decision on the following criteria: overall smell, presence of any bodily fluids/solids in or around the porcelain bowl, amount of water/liquid on the floor, and location of water hose that is used to clean oneself (as if!).

Like a childhood dare, Sarah and I bounced the idea of who goes first. "At least you've seen them before!" I offered. She reluctantly accepted, swung her abaya over her shoulders, and began roll up her pants to her knees. Like stepping on hot coals, she tip-toed into the stall and locked the door. I won't share what we talked about, but you can probably guess that we were trying to figure things out together step-by-step...

Sarah truly captured the essence of this awkward, semi-public situation, when she echoed from the stall, "What am I doing?!?!?" At that point, I was hysterical, hunched over in laughter, and with tears in my eyes because of the scene we were making. I'm was glad that we were the only ones in the bathroom at the time!

Aside from questioning how to "flush" the toilet and nearly slipping into the porcelain bowl, Sarah was trooper through this whole ordeal! Now it was MY turn. I also reluctantly rolled up my pants and swung my abaya over my shoulders. Took a deep breath, stepped into the stall, and locked the door. I took my place on the footrest, did my business, reached under the door for Sarah to hand me my toilet wipes, and prepared myself to "flush" the toilet with me it it. Yuk.

With a sense of deep pride and accomplishment, we walked out of the bathroom together. Suddenly, Sarah stops and gasps, "Oh, MY God! I forgot to roll down my pants!" Embarrased, she runs back into the bathroom and I follow.

While she is bending over rolling her pants down, I look into the faded mirror and notice that she's not the only one who forgot something...

"Oh, MY God!" I hastily blurt out as I look myself over. Not only have I forgotten to roll down MY pants, but I walked out of the bathroom with my abaya still slung over my shoulders! How odd I must have looked! I was the Middle Eastern-version of a flasher!

Sarah looks up at me and we both start laughing hysterically! We can barely make out words because we are both hunched over in laughter and crying. We both had gone through such an ordeal with using the bathroom that this was the perfect ending to our bathroom adventure. What else could have happened?!?!?!

BTW- These are actual photos I took while at Jeddah Airport. Oh, the memories...

Food Network

2006-04-18T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hassan has ESPN and I have the Food Network. It's my favorite television station on cable! Not only do I love watching people cook, but I love the chopping, learning about different foods, how they are prepared, and even the history of food! And what I like best of all are the people of the Food Network. They all have different personalities and it warms my heart too see them get together for the holidays and cook with one another!

Rachael Ray: Besides Emeril, she's recently become the famous face from the Food Network. She's got four shows going on at once: "30 Minute Meals", "$40 a Day", "Inside Dish", and "Tasty Travels". Now she's featured on "Entertainment Tonight" and even adopted by Oprah. I think the fame has gone to her head a little. In her recent "30 Minute Meal" shows she's become annoyingly loud and over-charismatic. She's got nicknames for food and annoying phrases like" "YUM-O!", "DEE-LISH", and "E-V-O-O" (short for extra virgin olive oil). AND enough scolding to those people who don't pre-wash their herbs and stick it in a zip-lock bag with a damp towel! Sheesh!

Giada DiLaurentis: Despite her large head (as some people criticize), she is SO cute! And a lucky-duck because all of her clothes are free complements of Anthropologie (her hubby is works for them). She cooks some seriously good Italian fare...and pronounces them all with an authentic Italian accent. "Parmigiano-Reggiano!", "Mascapone!", "Mozzarella!" She's also a HUGE chocolate feind for being so petite! Nuttella goes into every dessert! Last year, I was obsessed about the layered diamond necklace she always wears on the show. I stopped obsessing when I found out that it was from Tiffany's (Diamonds by the Yard), made from different 3 necklaces, and costing about $2,500!

Michael Chiarello: Another chef of Italian decent with a flair for Napa cooking. He's all about preparing food ahead of time. For a male chef, he's no Bobby Flay...a little soft with the cooking. In one episode, he was baking cookies and cupcakes for his daughter's bake sale. His daughter looked so embarrassed and withdrawn with the whole situation. He meant well...but it looked like she was going to have a major depressive episode.

Paula Deen: One of my favorite chefs in the "Food Network" family. She scared me at first with her Southern accent and upbringing. I swore that she had a couple of slaves in her basement chopping up onions and peeling potatoes. Anyways, I've gotten over that thought and now she's my favorite when it comes to cooking desserts. She doesn't hold back...everything starts with a bit of "BUTTA". AND not only does she have ONE "Mama's boy", but TWO! (Reminds me of a couple of boys I know...) They occasionally guest-star on her show and it's like watching a mother bear licking clean her two bear cubs clean. Hmmm....

Ina Garten: She's a bit pretentious, but I think it comes from living in New England. This poor woman, trapped in her Pottery Barn house alone all week long while her husband works in NYC. He comes home only for the weekend. Half of her shows are about cooking a "special meal" for her husband Jeffrey. It's either a brunch, late-night meal, or a midnight snack. Her desserts are fairly good too, but it's her brunch episode that had me watering by the mouth! A yogurt-granola parfait with peaches and brioche french toast...YUM-O!

Sandra Lee: I'm still trying to figure her out. Some critics call her the "modern Martha Stewart", but I think she's trying too hard to be perfect. I think it's the same person who designs the set and picks out her wardrobe because it's nauseatingly too coordinated. If it's an episode about coffee, she's (surprise!) wearing a coffee colored turtleneck and matches the curtains in her kitchen. I've also recently noticed how sexually charged the show is...no joke! She's SO adament to do things for you. "I will make YOU a super special cocktail!!", "I'm going to show you THE best chocolate cake EVER!!", or "Wait until YOU see this beautiful tablescape!!" SCARY!!

Alton Brown: He's my original favorite "Food Network" star. He's quirky, animated, odd, and a bit nerdy. He explains the history of food and the science of cooking. "Good Eats" is a highly entertaining show because he has interesting ways of explaining the science. In one episode about honey, he "spoke" with bees about how honey is produced. The funny thing was, these bees were actually hand-puppets. An adult "Sesame Street"! Alton is also a food commentator for "Iron Chef America". He was the perfect person for the job because of his culinary knowledge strange and exotic foods!

Vacuums Suck

2006-04-17T19:39:00.000-05:00

Bagless ones that is...like some inventions, it seemed like such a good idea at the time. A new concept, the new sleek modern look, and a cool collection of colors...it was so different than the traditional vacuum. The evolution of cleaning our floors have made our lives easier, but how much does the vacuum have to evolve before we see genetic mutations?

It was the worst decision I ever made...two years ago, I kicked my (parents) 15 year old vacuum to the curb on trash day and purchased a florescent yellow Hoover bagless vacuum. Ever since then, I have been wandering the aisles of Target and BedBath&Beyond for a simple, no frills vacuum cleaner to replace this new one. If they still sell the vacuum bags, then why the freak can't they sell a regular vacuum?!?! Every single vacuum at Target is bagless...each one bigger than other, each one promising something I don't want.

"Light weight"
"Extra Quiet"
"Hepa Filtration" for cleaner air
"Wind Tunnel sucking technology"
"Removable filter that's easy to clean"
"Telescoping self-duster"
...and 10 attachment tools that I'll NEVER use.

I have to admit, I was quite impressed to see that it picked up A LOT more dirt than what I was used to seeing. It was so strong that the carpet fiber-fuzzies were ripped right off the carpet and swirling around in the clear canister! The visual display of the amount of filth in our house was both appalling and disturbing. After that, I wanted my old vacuum back...bag and all.

Picking up dirt was the best thing these vacuums did. Getting RID of the dirt was the worst thing these vacuums ever did. It seemed easy enough...open the canister, remove it from the vacuum, and dump the dirt into the trashcan. Sounds simple, right? HAHA! Did the manufacturer neglect to tell the consumer about the ridiculous amount of "fallout" dust one must deal with?!?! To the point that consumers may have to take their vacuum and their trashcan OUTSIDE of their home to dump the dirt? Or that the consumer may have to hold their breath or wear a surgical mask when dumping the dust? Or that consumers with asthma should avoid vacuuming all together?!?!?

Why does the manufacturer insist that dumping the vacuumed dirt is better than the conventional vacuum bag? Does the consumer really need to visualize see how much dirt they have vacuumed up? Does it give them pleasure or inner peace to manually dump out the dirt and see the dust float up out of the trashcan?

Am I the only bagless vacuum owner with these problems?!?! Does anyone else feel like a frustrated chimpanze when they hit the filter against a hard object in order to "clean" it? I don't know how morticians deal with the cremated remains of their clients, but the amount and distribution of dust I must deal with is absolutely ridiculous.

I thought we had it good with the bags. I never saw it as a problem...when you thought the bag was full, you unzipped the back, removed the bag, and threw it in the trashcan without holding a single breath (literally).

The future of vacuums is here...Roombas have already invaded our homes. Why not have a robotic pet that cleans up after YOU instead of you cleaning after IT? I haven't invested in one and don't plan to. I'm afraid that dumping out the dirt with the Roomba will be least of my problems. Roombas are a (big) step away from A.I.

Dem contraptions will be da deth us all!

Bottom line: Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't have to see or touch my own filth, then I am a happy person.

Random Things

2006-04-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

As you can probably tell, I'm a list-person. When I have fragments of odd information in my head, I organize it better by putting things into a list. Besides, it looks better anyway.

1) Ever have a recurring dream? My husband says "NO", but he's always the counter-point in my discussions and things never seem to apply to him. Anyways, there three dreams that always seem to reappear in my head. Never at the same time, but who knows, I never completely remember my dreams anyway.

*Theme 1: I have dreams of my teeth falling out. Graphic, I know, but think it's related to grinding my teeth. I recall also feeling the anxiety of losing my teeth, but boy am I relieved when I wake up in the morning!

*Theme 2: I have dreams of putting on my contacts...which are the size
of dinner plates. Isn't it the strangest thing? In my dream, it doesn't even phase me that these contact are enormous. I go about in the normal routine putting my contacts on...I rinse them with the contact solution, balance it on my finger without difficulty, and proceed to open up my eye lids to put them on!

*Theme 3: I have a dream about a girl named Angela who I have known since kindergarten. We were "best friends" off and on during elementary school. Honestly, I haven't seen or spoken to her since high school 10 years ago, but it's strange that she still appears in my dreams. I guess there's a small part of me that wonders what has happened to her since then, what she looks like now, and if she still remembers me.

2) Have any favorite household products? I was cleaning our floors yesterday and thought about how much I love "Swiffer" products. I especially love the "Swiffer" dusters for both floor and the hard to reach places. It's amazing to see what static cling can actually pick up! Dust bunnys...gone. Dirt...adios. Murry's fur...hasta la vista! (Downside, contributes to trash.)

My other favorite product (highly recommended by Katrina) is "Rain-X Glass Treatment Wipes" from Target. All you do is wipe your windshield with these handwipes and wait for it to rain. The difference is utterly AMAZING! The rain literally beads up and rolls right off the glass before you even get a chance to turn on your windshield wipers! It works in any type of wet weather. If it's POURING rain while you are driving, it dramatically improves visibility and works so well that you don't even have to use wipers! It's also perfect for those misty days when the "intermittent" wiper setting is TOO slow.

3) This is the time of year when I feel sorry for Murry. The weather is getting warmer and the days are longer. Murry's has the "purrfect" personality of an outdoor cat. Too bad he lives indoors. He sleeps in the sun and stares longingly out the window. His "meows" are pitiful and weak. I know he wants to go outside and explore the terrain of a neighborhood he doesn't even know existed. He's never run more than the length of this house or jumped higher than the height of our countertops.

How can one deal with these guilty feelings? I have gone to incredible lengths to soothe my guilt. Yes...I bought Murry... a cat-harness. He loves it. He practically jumps into it and waits to be clipped in! I put him on deck and anchor him to a couple of bricks. He lays in the sun, flips onto his back, and stretches out. SO cute. It's nowhere close to being in the "great" outdoors, but it sure beats Murry getting stuck in a tree, or worse in a sewer drain.

4) I am Zombie freak. I just finished watching "Dawn of the Dead" and found it highly entertaining. Acutally, any movie where the end of the world is the direct result of flesh-eating zombies and I'm there. I can't get enough of it!!! "28 Days Later"---awesome. "Resident Evil 1" and "Resident Evil 2"---Alice kicks A$$! I don't know why I'm such a fan. Maybe it's the adrenaline rush to see people run away from these gruesome things or watching unsuspecting characters get bit and then transform into the enemy. Has can testify...I yell at the characters to avoid going into a dark room, run a little faster, or shoot the zombies in the head. Can't wait for "Resident Evil 3: Extinction"!

5) Ever watch the same part of a movie twice or thrice? (Sorry, "thrice" is a "Golden Girls" reference!) This is a weird phenomenon that I'm sure has a name on the internet somewhere. Say you are channel surfing and find a movie that interests you for a few minutes. You get bored and surf-on. You forget about the movie all together. Then, sometime later, you channel surf and come across the same EXACT movie only to find yourself watching the SAME EXACT PART OF THE MOVIE you surfed before. It something stupid, I know, but it's also freaky and weird. It's like a tangible form of deja vu, only you it's true to life.

From among the ashes...

2006-04-10T17:47:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day. Sunny, warm, and no deer in sight. Some of my tulips have survived the deer buffet and are even budding!

One of my favorite flowers, the purple hyacinths, have survived. All five are in full bloom and especially fragrant!

(Due to a loaned out camera, these are pics of last year's hyacinths. However, I assure you that they look exactly the same this year!)

LOST & BIG LOVE

2006-04-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, enough of the "serious" stuff. I'm surprised that I've lasted this long without blogging about my favorite TV shows. I'll have to limit myself to 2 shows because I could blog a little here and a little there about everything...

LOST

Has and I didn't start watching LOST until the 5th episode of the second season. The media buzz about this show caught my attention and curiousity. I was talking to my brother one day and asked if he'd ever watched the show. "You've NEVER seen it?!?!?" Mikey blurted out. Next very next weekend, Mikey handed me the the ENTIRE first season of LOST on DVD. There went our next 3 weekends. It was a LOST marathon. We finally caught up to the second season. I couldn't get enough of it!

There is so much going on with the show! Every survivor of the Oceanic plane crash has their own story in addition to the main story line. You really have to pay attention in each episode because if you listen or look closely enough into the show, you'll realize that each of the characters are related in some way. And they don't even know it!

The island itself is a HUGE mystery. No one knows where the story is headed, but everyone has their own theory. The survivors find this hatch that leads to an underground bunker. There's a mysterious counter that alarms off every 108 minutes. If they don't enter a series of numbers into the computer something "very bad" will happen to the island. What the freak?!?!

What's up with the trees being pulled out of the ground for no reason? The invisible "monsters" on the island that kill people? Or the polar bear in the middle of the jungle? And most recently, what is that map on the door that fell on Locke's leg?!?!? And the "numbers" : 4-8-15-16-23-42. They appear everywhere in the show...you just have to look for them! They're on the hatch, in the distress call, the lottery numbers, the code you type in the computer every 108 minutes!

There is HUGE following of fans for this show. I insist that I'm not crazy like them, but I do admit to checking out the chat boards on ABC.com to see what people's theories are about the show.

BIG LOVE

This my latest indulgence. Forget "Desperate Housewives" because a show about polygamy has definitely caught my attention! "Big Love" recently premiered on HBO and I seriously doubt that it will make it to public television. It's basically about a Bill Henrickson, a hardworking, middle-class man in Utah (no surprise here) what just so happens to have 3 wives and 6 children between them all. He grew up in a certain Christian sect that isolates themselves into "communities" and believes in polygamy. There's also a chosen "Prophet" who leads the group and runs his business like the Mafia. Bill Henrickson gets kicked out of the community and attempts to start a new life...one wife at a time.

The Henrickson clan moves into typical suburbia (probably one street down from Wisteria Lane) where all 3 wives live next door to one another. From the front of the house they appear to live separate lives where Bill always enters one house everyday, but behind the houses they share a common backyard and pool. They hide this lifestyle from the rest of the neighborhood and invite "friends" (other polygamist families) over to play what else, Spades!

I have to admit, it took me a couple episodes to swallow this show without difficulty. Initally, it was creepy to watch Bill come home from work and kiss all three wives as they made dinner together.

What's interesting are the characters.

Bill: Poor Bill. How he hasn't collapsed of a heart attack yet surprises me. If it's not the stress of listening to 20 voicemails a day that'll kill him, it'll sure be the fact that he spends "quality" time with a different wife each night (hey, remember it's HBO!).

Barb: She's the O.G. of the wives and is regarded by the other wives as the "boss lady". She's responsible for the master "Honey-Do" lists and making the monthly "sleepover" schedules for Bill.

Nikki: The religious conservative of the group and ironically the most manipulative one. She'll bend the truth any which way to get what she wants. Unfortunately, she owes the credit company $58,000 because she's a bonafide shop-a-holic. And her husband doesn't even know!

Margene: The youngest, cutest (by Has' standards), and most naive of the three. She's in her early 20s and not only has to learn how to be a wife, but find her place in a polygamist family!

The children: I'm not even 100% sure how many there really are! There's a cute red head with black glasses and two boys who resembles Lynette's (from "Desperate's") twin terrors. Don't forget a baby hanging off of Margene's baby fat hips. Add two teenagers into the mix and you've got a lot of drama!

What's a Nurse Practitioner?

2006-04-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

What exactly IS a nurse practitioner? Has suggested that I answer this question in the form of a blog so that others may understand my new profession. So here it goes:

1) I have a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Similar to doctors, nurses who pursue their MSN may decide to specialize in an area of medicine. Typically, they choose areas in which they currently work as an RN (neonatal, geriatric, trauma, neuro, etc). Even though I work in the Pediatric ICU, I decided to pursue a family medicine specialty because I did not want to be SO specialized that I could only see children under the age of 18 years. With an FNP degree, I am able to see patients from the time they are born (neonates) to the time they die (elderly). So you can see, that I had a HUGE population of people to learn about!
FYI: By 2015, most nursing schools in the US will phase out the "MSN" degree and transition to a doctoral degree called the Doctorate in Nursing Practice or "DNP".

2) I see my own patients independent from a doctor. If I find a family practice to work in, I will follow my own patients and see a variety of medical complaints. For example, I can do annual physicals, GYN exams, and manage high cholesterol and hypertension.

3) I can prescribe medications. Nurse practitioners in the state of Maryland lobbied to have prescriptive authority and won. Now, I can prescribe all types of medications (with an appointment, of course!)

4) What makes an NP different than an MD? In school, we not only learned how to treat illnesses, but maintain health and change unhealthy lifestyles. The core belief of nursing is "health promotion, disease prevention". I can't emphasize this theory enough. If you promote health and prevent disease in the first place, then you will most likely never get sick enough to be in the hospital. For example, instead of solely treating high cholesterol by prescribing a cholesterol-lowering medication, NPs have to dig deeper and find the ROOT cause of high cholesterol. Is it lack of exercise? High fat diet? Genetics? We put emphasis on starting a consistent exercise program and reduced fat diet that will not only lower cholesterol, but improve cardiovascular health, certain cancers, and type II diabetes.

My personal thought: Most patients that comment about NPs say that NPs seem to listen more to what the patient is saying. Bottom line: NPs were once bedside nurses. Nurses have learned compassion and patient advocacy by taking care of BOTH patients and their families in their most vulnerable state. I have learned a tremendous amount of compassion by working in the ICU. Sadly, there have been numerous times when I had physically pick up a grieving mother off the floor and console the rest of the family when their child has died.

5) Want a "legal" description of my profession? Each state has a different defintion of what a nurse practitioner can and cannot do. Progressive states, like Maryland, even allow NPs to start their own practice. The only stipulation is to have an MD be available by phone or in-house for "second-opinions". Check out the MD Board of Nursing's Scope and Standards of Practice by clicking HERE.

The Tanookie Rises...from the Crabgrass?!?

2006-03-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

Since returning from our trip and passing the boards, I find myself with A LOT more time on my hands. Much needed because I have started to clean up our house. Didn't realize just HOW MUCH the house was neglected between December and now! It also has allowed me to think about some random things...

1) Does anyone want to join me in a managed deer hunt? Damn these animals. With the help a famous Disney movie, they have may look innocent and helpless, but THEY are the ones that threaten MY home. When we first moved into our home, I was incredibly eager to start planting outside. I bought some pansies and planted them around our tree and borders. I swear to you, the VERY next morning (barely 15 hours had gone by!) every single one of them were ripped out from the ground and eaten! The bastards! AND NOW, as our third spring approaches, they have struck again! Last week before leaving for Costa Rica, I was thrilled when I saw that my tulips were sprouting. I was even more elated when I saw that some of them had even multiplied! When we returned, I noticed that not only were the tulip leaves missing, but that some of the bulbs were ripped clean out of the ground! AND, some tulips were neatly beheaded by those buck-toothed chompers. WTF?!?!

Last year's tulips...BEA-U-TI-FUL!

The same are of our lawn this year...damn, those deer.

2) Spent the later afternoon "thatching" our lawn. Never heard this word before until we owned a house and yard. Basically, you rake your lawn free of any dead grass and leaves. That allows the lawn to "breathe" (yet another term I had never used) and grow healthier grass. Scary thing is, I think our ENTIRE lawn needs to be thatched because I was ripping up entire clumps of grass and leaving behind pockets of dirt. Which leads me to #3...

3) Crab grass: friend or foe? "Foes" because they may look like grass, but are actually weeds. Spent the OTHER half of late afternoon ripping these things out of (or worse yet, what's left of) my tulip beds. They are easy to rip up and some, surprisingly infiltrate deep into the ground. I say "friend" because I have a sneaking suspicious that our ENTIRE yard is all crab grass. Therefore, they keep our yard green and prevent our yard from looking like an abandoned softball field.

4) Why can't clueless drivers accept their mistakes? I was on the 795 connector highway getting ready to merge onto I-695 South. Let me illustrate that there are 2 lanes merging into I-695 South. I was in the inner (left) lane and a few cars in front of me there was a big white car in the outer (right) lane. As these 2 lanes begin to separate from the 795 highway, the white car suddenly realizes that this is NOT the way he wants to go. It was obvious the he wanted to stay on 795. Let me remind you that he is in the outer right lane and now all I see are brake lights ahead.

This is where I have problems with drivers. Rather than submitting to the rules of the road, this white car SUDDENLY slows down, signals (HAHA), forces his way into our lane, and attempts to squeeze his way BACK onto 795.

Why is that people can't admit they are going the wrong way?!?! They have to quickly fix their problem by making sudden turns, thus putting other people at risk of collision. Why couldn't he have continued going the wrong way, take the first available exit, turn around (safely), and re-entered the highway in the direction he wanted?!?! I tell you why...because that is a selfish driver who does not think of anyone else, but himself and where he needs to be. He cannot be inconvienced by a wrong turn on a major highway. Instead, all he cares about it getting into the right lane and crossing a few solid lines.

I've seen this selfish phenomenon done several times. It pisses me off every single time...

5) Ever discriminate against the elderly? I was the grocery store approaching the check-out lines. I only have one item in my hand and could easily qualify for the "15 items or less" aisle. I stand in line behind an old lady with EXACTLY (no joke, 'cause I counted) 15 items in her cart and a handful of coupons. Rather than giving her the benefit of the doubt, I stealthfully move to the next check-out aisle. Why did I do this? Why? Because I assumed that this would be a painful check-out process to witness. I didn't have the patience to watch her skinny, arthritic fingers shuffle through her coupons or count out exactly $19.09.

You think I'm bad?!?!? What would YOU do if #4 AND #5 were added together? You see what I'm sayin'?!?!?!

Pura Vida!

2006-03-23T23:29:00.000-05:00

Hola!!!! Hassan and I just returned from a week in Costa Rica! Our friends Katrina and Justin were married last Saturday aboard the Tom Cat catamaran at sunset in front of 20 family and friends. Needless to say, it was absolutely perfect! Everyone should get married the way they did...laid back, no pressure, small audience, fresh air from the ocean, pictures on the shore, and wearing flip-flops instead of heels!

And yes, these are all real pictures from our trip!

We TRULY enjoyed our time in Costa Rica...after a stressful 6 weeks of studying for my NP boards (yup, I passed!), my jagged nails that I have bitten have now fully grown back! There is no feeling in the world knowing that you are COMPLETELY done with one chapter in your life and ready to start another! Good-bye, ICU and Helllllllloooo, medical office! Enough for now, I'll blog about this later...

Back to Costa Rica...we spent one week in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area of Costa Rica on the Pacific side. I'll never forget seeing the beach for the first time...the whole thing unfolded like the set of "Lost"! I immediately noticed the large rocks that rose from the middle of the ocean and that we were enclosed by mountains on either side of us. Instead of high-rise hotels, condos, and board-walks that lined the ocean front, there were the lush tropical jungles! All the hotels were hidden away or carved into the side of the massive hillsides!

This area of Costa Rica was definitely non-touristy...just the way I like it. No annoying spring-breakers drunk in the streets or MTV's "TRL" televising from the pool. We were away from it all! Our hotel room literally had NO phone, clock, or television. Forget about a "continental breakfast"! No traffic in the streets. There was only one main road connecting Quepos and Manuel Antonio. These roads twist and turned with the geography of the mountain we were on.

Manuel Antonio is famous for it's national park and wildlife. Sitting on the beach we saw a group of endangered Squirrel Monkeys literally swing by and play around! Iguanas and three-toed sloths are typical of the region as well.

One of four beaches within the Manuel Antonio National Park

Here are some to the things that we did during the week:

1) Watched NUMEROUS sunsets (how often do you get to watch even one?!?!?!)
2) Napped on the beach (my personal favorite)
3) Boogie-boarded and swam under waves
4) Ate every dinner with an ocean view
5) Rode my own ATV through the local villages and date palm farms (and crashed into an abandoned wood pile!)
6) Jumped off a waterfall (that was Hassan!)

No joke, he jumped!

7) Zip-lined through the jungle and rappelled down trees in the Canopy Tour! (That's Sandro...he has NO fear!)
8) Bought Costa Rican coffee
9) Ate freshly cut pineapples everyday!
10) Enjoyed REAL yogurt (it's SO much richer!)
11) Saw what a real cashew looks like before it's been roasted
12) Watched Costa Rican youths dance the modern salsa and merengue at the discotheque
13) Enjoy fresh seafood: SO fresh that the tuna tastes like chicken and has the firmness of steak!

Pura Vida literally means the "pure life". The Costa Ricans we encountered were very friendly and laid-back. Driving through their villages, they have a simple life. Kids walk home to eat "almuerzo" (lunch) at home. Wet clothes dry on a clothes line with the real "ocean breeze" scent. Even the local dogs are well-nourished and behaved. We spotted one little black dog running long side his owner who was riding a bike down the street. He had a sea-shell collar!

Simple Life

What Costa Rican's call their "guava"

It appears they have a balance of modern day luxuries and rich culture. Unlike their Central American neighbors, they are a self-sustaining country invested in it's own natural resources. They respect the land they live off of. When their main export of bananas fell victim to high heat and sweltering humidity, the Costa Ricans focused their resources on propagating the date-palm tree as an alternative. Not only do these palm trees produce dates, but when refined, become the "palm oil" that we all recognize in major cosmetics and hair products. A local guide even showed us the maturing teak tree farms that will produce millions of dollars in exotic lumbar.
I would definitely visit Costa Rica again! There were barrier reefs to snorkel, volcanoes, and hotsprings that I have yet to visit!

I'll never forget what the real "Pura Vida" is like in Costa Rica. We all should try to remember...

Non-alcoholic, of course!

A Public Awareness Announcement

2006-03-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

I was absolutely floored when the news of Dana Reeve's death hit the news. It was about 7 months ago that she announced to the public that she had lung cancer and only 17 mos after the death of her husband! She joins a handful of other famous people who have recently died of lung cancer. What is even more shocking is that she claims to never had smoked a cigarette. Makes you think...

As I'm studying for my board exam, I though I'd share this little factoid with you (besides, it allows me to blog and review some material):

1) In the U.S., the top cancer among males is prostate cancer.
2) In the U.S., the top cancer among females is breast cancer.
3) In the U.S., the top cancer DEATHS in males and females is LUNG CANCER.

There are a couple things to extract from these 3 statements:
* Although prostate and breast cancer are the most identified types of cancer, most men and women DO NOT die of these diseases.
* Clinicians do a decent job in the U.S. screening for prostate and breast cancer. There is a good amount of public awareness about prostate and (mostly) breast cancer. To name a few: Race-for-the-Cure, the Yoplait pink lids, and those "Live Strong" pink bracelets.
* However, given that BOTH men and women actually die from lung cancer, there is a desperate need to not only screen for lung cancer, but to actually educate the public about preventing lung cancer (i.e. SMOKING). I've found that thetruth.com ads in the media is a pretty good start in reaching the public about the link between the tobacco industry and lung cancer.

* NOTE: Other celebrities that are battling or have died from lung cancer: Don Knotts, Bob Denver (bronchial CA), Peter Jennings, and Tammy Faye-Baker.

Terrarium

2006-03-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

I am continuing to procrastinate. I really should study, but of course I can't until I'm done blogging. So after my appointment, I derail from the agenda, to make a trip to Michael's craft store.

I missed my brother's birthday because it was in the middle of the week. This week I'll be seeing him at my parents and so I decided to make his birthday gift: a terrarium. I know that he was interested in the concept: a self-sustained, enclosed environment in which you can grow plants with very little water. All you have to do is provide light!

I researched terrariums on the internet and made one for myself a few weeks ago. This is a picture of mine in our kitchen. I bought this "Murry" cat from Michael's today and added it to the scenery. I envision that this is what Murry would look like if he were an outdoor cat. I plan on making another one for our guest bedroom. I'll post the directions on how to make a terrarium later. You can use virtually any large glass container to grow plants in. My ideal glass container will be the one from Crate and Barrel as shown.

Mikey's terrarium will be all-glass, but I haven't picked out his "animal" yet. I was thinking a polar bear to make things more interesting. You are probably wondering why a polar bear. Hint: Mikey and I are dedicated fans of "LOST"!

Well, gotta study. Sigh...looks like Murry, fake "Murry", and the fish aren't the only ones living in a terrarium...

Procrastination

2006-03-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

So it's Friday...I don't want to study. The Tanookie transforms itself into a big ADD monster. Studying definitely works like a bell curve and I'm on it's way down...way down. My life is so stagnant right now that all I do is study AND occasionally get to breath fresh air.

My one outing of the day was to the doctor's office. Yipee. Before we went to Hajj we had to get immunized against some 3rd world communicable diseases...meningitis, hepatitis, influenza, tetanus. The works. I had to go today for my second series of the Hepatitis A. (Don't worry...I was A LOT better behaved than Murry!)

All was well until I had to pay the fee...a whole $75 for one measly shot and 5 minutes of actual clinical time! I explained to the secretary that my insurance (good 'ol BlueCross of Illinios) covered this vaccine. But all she could say was "Sorry...we don't accept insurance for vaccines. YOU have to submit the claim and get reimbursed. " WELL...I ain't fallin' for that sheeznit of an answer AGAIN.

Flashback to 5 months ago: I racked up a $320 bill on the inital vaccines and travel consultation. Paid the ENTIRE bill on my VISA and spent the next 2 months playing the middle-man between my insurance company and Patuxent Medical. Submit this here, wait a few weeks, resubmits again, and again...

Flashfoward to TODAY at 11am (before my appointment): Spoke with the insurance company to verify that I am indeed covered for this visit. If they want me to pay, I have to play the part of the "annoying patient who refuses to pay" and "the disruptive one". Note: currently on month 3 in trying to get Has' $220 reimbursed from his initial visit. How fun!

Flashfoward to the present: Waiting patiently at the check-out window while (the secretary) whispers to the billing lady. I can see them, but refuse to look at the waiting room full of sick patients as they wait for the doctor who is Takeisha*45 minutes behind schedule. Yikes. Anyways, talked with the billing lady and explained my story...she verifies with the computer and confirms that I am indeed covered. My VISA stays in my wallet and I dodge the middle man bullet. Freedom!

*Flashback to Takeisha checking me in: she says, "Is Christina...(long pause)...mmm, I can't even say this (last) name. " The nerve! How embarrassing was that?!? In front of everyone! All I could do was laugh...Surely, I could have managed. Dang, 4 years in Baltimore City...I've seen every name imaginable and when I'm unsure of the prounounciation, I ASK.

"Life can lick a nut"

2006-03-02T20:09:00.000-05:00

...a quote from Aamina's blog about nuts and life. I kinda like that saying...

So it begins the countdown to my Family NP board exam...13 days until 3/13. Is that bad luck already?!?!?!? At least it's not on a Friday. I've been studying pretty regularly ever since we got back from Hajj. Not CrAzY studying or anything. I've been listening to a lecture review on CD, doing practice questions in a review book, studying with Jenny every week at the library, and condensing my ALL the information I need to know into a 1 inch binder PLUS.
Now, I'm done. Out of the 24 in our class, I know about 10 who have taken and PASSED that darn test. (Dang!) Most of which are now working Monday through Friday and 9-5 putting their FNP, CRNP credentials to work (Dang, again)!!! Why does that make me so CrAzY and AnXiOuS?!?!?!?! I'm going to literally throw myself into V-tach if I hear one more person passes before I even take the exam. (Jenny takes her exam on Thursday...good luck!)

I feel like I'm preparing pretty well...but it is cognitively impossible to retain all this information. Just when I thought I had a handle on the information, I find yet another detail or concept I didn't even learn about! AGHHH! I didn't study NEARLY as much for my RN exam...I remember I bought a dinky review book ("The NCLEX-RN Made Easy") that I didn't even finish because I ran out of time studying! Seriously, if you are looking for a review book, that review book was great because it broke down the concepts into it's simplest form AND it had cute pictures to help remember the difficult concepts. (Ahem, Aamina!)

Has tries to calm me down by saying, "Don't worry so much...the worse you can do is fail. Here have ANOTHER cookie. (munch, munch) " WOW...I guess that puts it into perspective. I know I shouldn't be anxious about this exam...there's no NP job waiting on me. I have a job now in the PICU.

I usually tell myself, "It's not the end of the world." It usually does the trick. It brings me back down to the ground and slaps some sanity into my head. There are more important things out there than passing this test on the first go-around. Sheesh, Chris!

...wish me luck. Speaking of "lucky days"...

Oh yeah, after my exam, no matter what happens pass or fail, Has and I fly to Costa Rica for a week! Friends Katrina & Justin are getting married at sunset on 3/17 on a catamaran! Congrats, guys!

PS-Jenny called me after her exam and told me that she passed! Congrats, Jenny!!! Sigh...one more classmate down...

The Big Two-Eight

2006-02-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable. Today is my birthday for the 28th year in a row. The years seem to come and go faster every year and I cannot stop it! Usually on the week of my birthday I feel as if I'm on a holiday week...an extra serving of dessert, a splurge in the mall, an extra hour of sleep, etc. (And yes, it's 'My Little Pony')

This year, this "holiday week" has been an interesting one. I've been thinking about the past and a WHOLE lot about the future. It makes me anxious to think about where I've come from and where I'm headed.

Announcements to my 10 year high-school reunion (Go, Trojans!) have already begun to surface in the local papers. I always thought I'd be the first one to buy tickets to my reunion. However, the past has now caught up to me and now I'm hesistant to attend all together. To some, 10 years is not enough time to create and live a life. For others, 10 years is enough time to create a whole family! Seeing old classmates at the reunion will be like a slap in the face for me. My age will catch up to me when I see how much my classmates have changed. Some may be balding, others graying, some fatter, and others skinnier. I'm scared to see wrinkles in other people's faces or perhaps what a true "28 year-old" should look like.

Reliving the past. Has calls me crazy because I remember the strangest things about people, places, conversations, and events. But, those who know me best know that I LOVE to revisit memories about the 1980s. Way before "I Love the 80s" aired on VH1, I LOVED to revisit the cartoons, fads, and toys of the 80s. I'd spend hours in the dining hall at UMBC talking about "Silverhawks" or "Transformers" trying to see if anyone remembered just as much as I have. Since then, I haven't stopped since. With the advent of the internet and eBay, I have been able to read, see, and hear old television shows and toys.

I don't know why I do it. Maybe I'm one "energon cube" away from attending Star Trek conventions or perhaps I truly enjoyed this part of my life. Or maybe I'm afraid of forgetting about my childhood and have nothing left but my "adulthood" memories. Who wants only that?!?!? I feel that it keeps me young and the gears in my aging brain turning. Revisiting my past memories keep things fresh. Talking to others about the 80s helps me remember the things that I have forgotten. It's the little details like, "What was the name of Huey, Duey, and Luey's nanny in 'DuckTales'?" (Shout out, Kamran!) that cause a lightbulb to turn on in my head. If I forget about these details and never care to revisit them, then my memories as a child are gone-FOREVER.

So in reaction to this week, I have requested that the following DVDs be sent to my home via Netflix:

1) Labyrinth: I just finished this movie with David Bowie and a young Jennifer Conneley. I never thought David Bowie was indimidating as the "Goblin King" or even "Dance, Magic, Dance" attractive. I also forgot about those biting fairies!

2) Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer: I can't wait for this to come...what I remember most is her her cool rainbow belt and how she fed it star sprinkles!
3) Return to Oz: I remember a crazy Dorothy in an insane asylum and a headless witch who chose a "head" like it was a hat.

4) Legend: A young Tom Cruise in a magical land where fairy dust and pollen floated everywhere...at true asthmatic's nightmare.
5) The Care Bears Movie: "Care Bears Stare! Five, four, three, two, one!"
6) The Dark Crystal: Can't recall much...mouse-like people, Jim Henson puppet movie.
7) The Secret of N-I-H-M: Can't recall much either except a homely mouse is reluctant to go a quest.

8) The Last Unicorn: I actually bought this on VHS (remember those?!?!) when I was in college.
9) Transformers: The Movie: A true "classic" and Optimus will forever be alive in my heart.

To make things worse, I have also joined the "RetroJunk.com" crew where I can now rehash about everything 80s. I know, I know...I'm a freak, but now I can join others who share my obsession!.

As for the uncertain future, I am preparing for the nurse practitioner board exam in March. Will I pass? I have no idea. Once it happens, I can stop working as a nurse in the PICU and work as an NP "somewhere".

30 years is the beginning of the third decade of life. I am only 2 years away from this milestone. My mom assures me that this does not mean anything, but I have surpassed her age when she first became my mother. Just another thing I've been thinking about a little bit more everyday...

My Biggest Fear

2006-02-11T00:05:00.000-05:00

I can honestly give credit to my brother, Mikey, for this one. A couple years ago we were chatting on AIM and I was home alone.

Mikey on AIM: "Hey, have you heard of a musician, Sajjad Ali?"
Tanookie78: "No"
Mikey: "Check out his website, it's pretty cool: www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/sajjad.php"
Tanookie78: "Ok...hold on a sec."

I copy and paste the website to a new browser. I'm really curious because where in the world did my brother hear of Sajjad Ali?

Anyways, I'm lead to this legitamate-looking (and decieving) website. The website instructs me to listen to a sample of Sajjad Ali's music while carefully reading the lyrics as they scroll up the screen. The music is Middle-Eastern in origin and sounds rather relaxing. I can barely hear it so I turn up the volume. I start to read the music and after a minute I felt like I was going to die...literally.

I suddenly see this hooded skeleton face. The face comes flying toward the computer screen accompanied by a high-pitched, banchee, blood-curdling scream. I also find myself screaming outloud at the website. NEVER had I been so TERRORFIED...I seriously thought that this hooded figure was going to come out of the computer screen and take my soul or kill me. The length, volume, and pitch of my scream illustrated that. I had my hands to my mouth and was frozen in fear (much like how the victims felt in "The Ring" when they saw the girl climbing out of the well!).

I was so scared that not only was I screaming, but found myself crying. I was crying for 2 reasons... for obvious fear AND how silly I felt that I actually fell for this sick joke.

I IM my brother back and curse for the first time on AIM. I am so angry at him that he sent me this site. How mean was he?!?!?! A second later, Hassan comes home and asks if I'm okay. Apparently, he hears my screaming from the hallway of our apartment building. I'm speechless.

The website he gave me is called a "Flash Prank". It has transformed me into a paranoid web user. I have high anxiety when people foward me emails or tell me to "go to this cool" website. Since then, I have fallen victim to 2 more flash pranks and it has not gotten any easier for me!!!!

Curious?!?!?
***Check out the Sajjad Hajj website: www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/sajjad.php
***Or if you want to be genuinely surprised, pick a website below. One of them is a regular website and the other is a prank site. Take your pick! (If some of them don't work, I apologize because I refuse to check them out myself!)
CHOICE 1: users.cjb.net/ppworks/barney.html
CHOICE 2: www.funny-spot.com/html/Whats-wrong-with-this-Picture.html
CHOICE 3: sugarqube.com/Ecards/CardView.cfm?CardID=1228
***GO TO THIS COOL WEBSITE about "Flash Pranks". Seriously, it discusses the various flash pranks out there and gives a synopsis of what to expect when you visit these sites. Kind of like a spoiler. I'm curious to visit these sites, but NEVER will I go there voluntarily. They freak me out too much: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prank_flash

And remember...you've been warned!

Hajji Log: Part I

2006-02-05T22:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, Has and I went to a "Hajji Welcome Back Party" at the ADAMS Center in Northern Virginia. We were reunited with fellow Hajji's that were in our same travel group. Although we have been back for nearly three weeks, seeing the other Hajji's brought back so many fond memories, unexplainable feelings, and a sense of comraderie. All we need is a smile or hug in order to recall what we have all experienced. Hajj 2006 will NEVER happen again with this same group of Hajjis. (Figuratively speaking since there will be another Hajj this upcoming December 2006!)

Anyways, there was a part of the program that gave us the opportunity to share what we have experienced. I wanted to share some of my experiences and feelings in front of the group, but I chickened out. Besides, there were too many people talking, large crowds getting dessert, and random children bouncing off the walls. After much thought (and without the presence of a live audience), here is what I would like to share:

1) I Had No Expectations For This Trip: Maybe it was because I really didn't know what to expect or the utter shock that I was going to Saudi Arabia for three weeks, but looking back, maybe it was a good thing not to have any expectations. Before the trip, I had heard a lot of good stories and bad experiences. I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment for the things that did or didn't happen. Whatever experience I was supposed to have was meant to be. We were blessed to have the positive experiences, but learned more from the negative ones. Does that make any sense? (See #4)

2) "A Sea of People": Zehra said it best as we were looking down onto the Kabbah, "Look at those people doing Tawaf, they look like they are floating in water. " So true, so true. After Fajr, we admired the view of the Kabbah from the top level of the Great Mosque. So peaceful to see people walking slowly around the Kabbah, but put yourself into that same crowd and you have another more "rowdy" experience. To find the "spirituality" of Tawaf amongst millions of people who are praying outloud in sweaty clothing, without deodorant for nearly 2 days, and pushing and shoving, just close your eyes. With the safety of Hassan behind me, I did it. When you do, it's just you, Allah, and the Kabbah. You put your trust in the surroundings to guide you in the right direction. You are walking in a current of people who are also seeking guidance from their surroundings. Despite all the chaos, there are infants who sleep soundly in the arms of their fathers unaware of what is going on around them.

3) Time Does Not Exist: It was an odd realization after our first week there. Most obvious was the weather. January for me was supposed to be winter, snow, and cold winds. During Hajj, January was warm, sunny, and without any rain! Except for Fridays (aka Jummah), I did not know the day of the week or the date. I pleasantly found that the day didn't revolve around my wrist watch, it revolved around the five daily prayers. In the streets of Medina, we could hear the Azaan from our hotel rooms, wake up and do wudu, and walk to the Prophet's Mosque (pbuh) three blocks away. After Fajr, the bazaars are open and shopping begins! Life in Medina and Mecca stops to a hault five times a day for every prayer.

4) My Personal "Positive" Hardships: I believe that each person who goes to Hajj has an encounter with a personal challenge that they have been avoiding all their life. It's not a harsh realization that hits you on the head, but it's that little voice that never speaks up for itself because you know how weak it is. But now you are at Hajj, 100% immersed in the spirituality, and seeking forgiveness for a lifetime of wrongdoings. They say if your Hajj is accepted, you are "reborn" and free of sin. They say you are given a second chance at improving yourself. In what ways will I? I'll start by listening to that little voice I've been ignoring...

The Tazmanian Devil

2006-02-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

You should know the following nicknames for Murry: "Shrimp", "Mo-Mo", "Little Mow-Wow", "The Red Devil", and NOW "The Tazmanian Devil"

I kid you not, this laid-back, cute, innocent kitty, just over a year old has proved himself to be a monster. I think back just a week ago and STILL cannot believe that this is the same cat cuddling in my neck every morning!

Last week, Murry was due for his annual check-up and rabies vaccination. We were going to a new vet's office because Light Street Animal Hospital was too far since it was a 30 minute drive INTO Baltimore City! So I chose a vet that specializes in cats...a cat "specialty" hospital...aww, how cute!

Anyways, Murry was so excited to go! He jumped right into his cat carrier and I shut the door without any problems. Strapped him into the front seat of my car and off we went.
"Meow...meow...meooooow!" he whimpered (can cat's wimper?!?!) SO affectionately. SO cute that I had to call Hassan at work and let him hear Murry over the phone!

We get to the vet's office and I walk in to check him in. The office was SO darling! Cat paraphanelia EVERYWHERE! It was like a little old lady with a 100 cats in her house lived here. Cat pencil holders, cat magazines, cat doormats, cat posters, curtains with cat designs on them, embroidered cat pillows! So scary, but yet so cozy! Even the veterinarian was really cute...she was a short husky older woman with her hair pulled into a bun. She even had her glasses hanging around her neck.

After completing Murry's registration forms, the vet tech picked up Murry's carrier and placed it on top of the exam table. I followed them in and the door shut behind me. (This is when all the fun starts.) We start talking about Murry's brief history: his 2 missing toes on his right back paw, the brand of cat food, how I transitioned him to the "adult" formula, etc.

Then, in utter surprise, I hear Murry start to cough. "Oh, poor baby!" I think to myself, "I hope he doesn't choke!" Little did I know that this cough turned into a glutteral growl. "Hmm...that's interesting. I've NEVER heard that sound come from him before!" I think to myself.

"Looks like we'll need the gloves, " says the vet tech.
"Huh?" I say in surprise. He was just growling.
"He looks like a biter!" she says as she notices my confusion. She pulls out these HUGE (and tattered) orange oven-mitts and puts them on. She attempts to open the carrier's door and Murry refuses to come out. Then her and the vet begin to unsnap the top of his carrier in order to expose Murry to the outside world. Murry is revealed, but he physically looks different. He is laying on his side with his claws out (all 18 of them), his pupils are about the size of plates, and his fur is all puffy. He looks twice as big!

"Let's get a weight on him, " the vet says. They attempt to grab him and he fights the oven mitts. All I can recall are loud high pitched howls followed by extreme volumes of hissing. I'm distracted because all I see in Murry are his FANGS! I can see the ridges on the roof of his mouth because his mouth is opened SO wide!

Them Murry jumps off the table and under the chair. Rather than poking our unprotected hands at him, the vet picks up the chair and throws it to the otherside of the room. Under the chair is a vile monster made of scary fangs. He hisses as if we threw holy water on him. Instead, we smother him a towel and the hissing is muffled. We throw him onto the scale and get an "estimated" weight of 10 pounds. 10 pounds of pure evil!

They struggle to hold him down and expose his underside for a "quick" exam. She listens to his heart and lungs (behind all the glutteral howling and screaming). He is kicking and scratching his way through the towel. At this point, there are tufts of hair flying all over the exam room.

I make a sad attempt to calm down Murry. "Murry! Murry!" I yell and make kissy noises to grab his attention. ("F-that!" I imagine Murry saying.)

My last attempt is, "Murry, you wanna TREAT?!?! A TREAT?!?!?!" and I shake the plastic container holding his treats. It usually gets him out of his hiding place when I can't find him. (As I look back, I laugh because I remember myself dancing around that exam room like a court-jester with a plastic rattle. I must have looked pretty silly and desparate!)

All I get back from Murry is "HISS and CURSE YOU ALL!"

I am in a COMPLETE state of disbelief and utter shock. I have NEVER seen him behave like this before! He was SO cute and curious with his last vet visit last year. It looked like he wasn't even housebroken. It was as if I had captured a wild cougar cub from the jungle and threw him into the exam room. I felt SO embarrassed and helpless.

The vet and vet tech held him down for his vaccinations. Murry's butt was the only thing exposed from under the towel. The vet held the syringes of vaccine in her mouth as she uncapped them with her teeth. She quickly gave him the shot and threw the used needles into the sink behind her. Obviously, she has done this manuever before.

"Oh, yeah...this isn't bad. I have to SEDATE my kitties before I bring them in here, " she reassuringly says through her teeth. I contemplate sedating Murry with his next visit. Drug of choice: Benadryl? Robitussin? Ketamine?

THEN came the cream-of-the-crop. While holding him down, I suddenly see a stream of fluid squirt across the room.

"What's that?!?!" I yell out loud. "My God, did they squeeze him to death?"

"He's urinating, " replies the vet. I gasp in shock.

"Oh, here come number 2!" says the vet tech. "Wha?!?!" I barely have time to process NUMBER ONE! I suddenly see that Murry has now decided to defecate on the exam table. At this point, I am at the brink of insanity and embarrassment. Not only has my beloved kitty turned into a complete monster, but he is attempting to use his bodily secretions as biological weapons against us.

Speechless and with my nurse-instincts, I grab some Kleenex and hand it to the vet.

The vet replies, "I guess we have a fresh sample now!" referring to testing his stool for worms. The torture is FINALLY over. The towel is lifted and Murry retreats into his carrier. I relax, but find myself holding another towel like a matador for protection against a bull.

Adrenaline is coarsing through my blood. I barely understand what the vet says to me. At this point, all I want to do is just pay the bill and go home. (I'm sure Murry would completely agree at this point.) I don't even question the $90 bill...after all the muscle power and trouble, they deserve it!

The drive home was very quiet for both of us. There were NO cute meows eminating from the carrier.

"Did they freaking kill him?!?!" I say outloud as I peek into this carrier. He's sitting down facing the BACK of the car. Backwards just like the demon-possessed girl's head in "The Exorcist".

I kept replaying the whole incident in the exam room. The hissing! The howling! Those fangs! Tufts of floating fur! The poop on the exam table! I laugh in disbelief.

We arrive at home and I set the carrier to the ground. I open the carrier door and step back expecting either a very traumatized cat or a deliriously insane devil to spin out of the cage. Instead, "MY" little Murry steps delicately onto the hardwood floor (shout-out to Has!) and sits down.

I run upstairs to call Hassan about the whole incident. I sit on the bed to dial the phone and Murry jumps onto the bed. He walks onto my lap and rubs his head under my free hand urging me to pet him. It's "Lover-Cat" (Ha! I knew there was another nickname I was forgetting!!). I guess he's forgiven me or he's erased the whole incident from his tiny brain.

Hassan can't quite picture Murry turning into the "Tazmanian Devil" during this office visit. I tell him that next year HE can take Murry to the vet all by himself!

New and Improved!

2006-01-30T08:44:00.000-05:00

We're back! Safe and sound. Actually, it's been a week or so, but we've been busy recovering from jet lag and the "Mecca Cough". Not to mention laundering loads of laundry from the 18 days we were away!

Needless to say, it was an ABSOLUTELY amazing experience for everyone who went. I can't think of anyone who wasn't touched in some way by this trip...the different types of people from all over the world, the magnitude and grandure of the holiest mosques in the world, the people we connected with, the physical challenges of this trip...

We traveled with a GREAT group of people...not just our "crew", but the ZamZam Tour (I highly recommend them) group. Everyone from the tour guides to the new personalities we met and made friendships with. It was a challenging 18 days both emotionally and physically, but with a good group of people, it makes it bearable.

And how can I forget our "crew"? I had a feeling that this trip would be as good as I thought it was going to be because of you guys! I mean everyone...the patient in-laws who dealt with our jokes, the "3 Musketeers" (Has, Aamir, and Kamran), and my girls from "Destiny's Child" (Zehra and Sarah). Our journey to and from Hajj was truly blessed with good friends.

So, for now, this is an introduction for future blog entries about Hajj. The first installment of a once in a lifetime experience! There are just too many stories to tell, too many experiences to share, and too many pictures to show! So stay tuned for some entertaining stories, learning experiences, random facts about Hajj, and breathtaking pics!

Pilgrimage of a Lifetime

2005-12-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

This Saturday marks the start of my journey to Mecca. Why on Earth am I going you ask? Well, this time of year marks the Hajj for Muslims...a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. If one has the financial and physical means of going, they should take advantage of the time. And this is the time for me and my husband. I'm done with school and work has granted me time off during our busy season in the PICU. So with Has, the in-laws, A&Z, and K&S we are embarking on a journey that we will all remember.

I've been doing some research over the past year...a little here, a little there in between those study breaks and before bed on Sunday nights. I have to say that I am emotional, excited, and a little scared. The videos we have been watching are truly amazing, emotional, and moving! I wish everyone can experience what we are about to encounter! Just to see millions of people from all over the world come together in one place during one time of the year for the same purpose is so incredibly moving!

I'll be keeping a journal along the way...so I'm warning you now of any "Tanookie" moments that should arise in a foreign country where I do not speak the language!

So as a part of my religious obligation, I have to ask those of you who know me to forgive me of any wrongdoing that I may have committed. What ill feelings I may have caused over the years, I do sincerely apologize. I ask for forgiveness so that when traveling to Mecca, there are no unresolved issues and feelings when I return.

Kamran, forgive me...I stole your picture from your blog site. I thought it did a good job capturing the essense of Hajj. This is a picture of the Great Mosque in Mecca. The Kabbah (the black cube) in the center is the 1st house built by Adam and rebuilt again by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmail. For years, Muslims pray in a certain "direction" that is intangible...this direction is toward the Kabbah. Now this direction will be seen and felt in person. You can see the concentric rows that fill the entire mosque and even flows out into the streets!

For more info:
-click on this link HAJJ (try doing the virtual Hajj for a concise understanding)
-then watch "The Greatest Trip on Earth" series

Wish us well and I will keep you in my prayers...

Surprise!

2005-12-19T23:12:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, I had the surprise of my life. In celebration of finishing my master's, Has, Z&A, and my parents threw a suprise party for me! I KNEW something was up when my mom calls and invites me over for dinner on Saturday. She never invites us over...I usually invite myself over. Either there was something she had to tell me or there was some form of bad news to expect! Nevertheless, if she is inviting us, how could I turn that down?!?

So Saturday we are driving over...and little did I know that everything coming out of Hassan's mouth are lies!

"What's your favorite cake? Chocolate or vanilla?" What a random question I thought at the time.....little did I think that it was determining the type of cake for the party!

"What do you like? I'll get you anything you want as a graduation gift!" We walk through stores on Friday night. I thought he was oddly nice and patient that night...he was actually scoping out what gifts to buy me for the following day!

"We have to leave at 3:15pm SHARP so that we don't miss the football game at 4pm!" translates to "Your guests at the surprise party are expecting you at 4pm"

"Yeah, that was Showieb calling from the airport" he casually says. I later find out that it was a friend of ours asking for the closest grocery store to pick up a gift.

"Let me call Edgar to see what the score is on the game" translates to "I have to let Edgar that we are 5 minutes away from the house".

So we arrive at my parent's house at 4pm and walk through the side door and...SURPRISE!!!!

OMG! I was not expecting to see a group of familiar faces standing in my parent's kitchen! Aamir! Zehra! Damon! Ryan! Johnny! Aisha! XiuJuan! Viet! Jen! Heather! Shakir! Edgar! Mikey! Mom! Tefsit! Imran! Justin! Khoi! I was overwhelmed at all the cheers, laughs, and flashes from the cameras! From every walk of life, there is a person I know. Friends that I haven't seen in months because of my crazy school and work schedule and some that I haven't seen since our wedding 3 years ago!

I was speechless at the extent of planning...apparently Has and Zehra were emailing for the past 2 months! Has visited my parents the day after the floors were done to talk about the details of the party! Has even spoke with Jen S. from work to rig my work schedule and have me off for that day! There was an evite sent out...I still don't know how Has got some email addresses. I'm scared to think that he hacked into my email account!

It was refreshing to see Hassan's parents come over and meet my friends. To see my parents together with his. To hear my brothers laughing and joking around with my closest friends. To see my mom talking with Heather about her new baby boy, Ibraheem. To see my dad talking football with Hassan's dad. To see Khoi, whom I haven't seen seen the UMBC days! I'm glad that my parents had the opportunity to meet some of greatest friends (A&Z)! Those are greatest gifts!

Speaking of A&Z, you BOTH are truly amazing. We are lucky to have you both as friends. Thank you for everything! It was perfect in every respect of a surprise party!

Weekend Warrior 2

2005-12-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

My weekend warrior was at it again...but this time I give him praise in all that he accomplished on Saturday and Sunday. There were no indentations on the couch from hours of television watching. Heck, there wasn't even an indentation on the toilet (his second most beloved spot)! In all seriousness, Has has proved himself as a home improvement guru.

With the assistance of a couple of co-workers, Has replaced our living room carpet with hardwood-laminate floors. NOT Pergo, but thinner, individual wood slats that gave it a more professional look.

Day 1: We first had to move all our furniture out of the living room. Murry didn't handle the move very well. He puked on the floor in midst of the commotion. Then we ripped up the carpet!Here I am contributing to the effort: pulling out each INDIVIDUAL staple that held the carpet padding to the floor.

We rolled up the old carpet, but Murry is having a hard time letting go.

Day 2: Up early at 7:30 am Has and his co-workers laid down the sub-flooring. Now they are measuring the for the actual wood (see the corner of the above picture). Thanks, Don and Jim!

You go boy! Has cuts the final pieces of the floor at 11:30 pm.Day 3: Swept up and cleaned the floors...it's done!Has collapses in relief and Murry comes to his rescue. All done! Casualties: 0, Animals hurt: 0, Blisters I had to pop: 2

And then there were two!

2005-12-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sigh...I finished my LAST final of this NP program! Finally DONE after 2.5 years in grad school! From part-time to full-time...whew! Now it's just the Family NP boards sometime in Feb or March. Anyways, lets rewind back four hours as I was finishing up my FINAL-FINAL!

I turned in my exam and returned to my desk to put things away. I was about to leave when I spotted a blue mechanical Pentel pencil under a desk. "Is that mine?!?!" I said outloud with a hint of panic. It couldn't be! Not again! Ever since that last episode, I have been VERY consious of my pencil. I searched through my bag and found it...but, that couldn't be... ANOTHER one!?!?

I was at a crossroads...it looked SO lonely sitting under that desk. At least it had an eraser and was in a safe location hidden away from foot traffic. Was it a simple reaction of mine to snatch that lone pencil? Do I get to keep it and save it as a back-up Pentel pencil? Would MY mechanical pencil become treatened by jealously? (seriously, I need to just step back and separate myself from this reality!)

Then, I thought about what Showieb kindly commented on my blog a few weeks ago when I first lost my pencil. I heard a stout Obi-Showbi Kenobi in my head say, "That pencil belongs to someone else and they might miss it too. You are stealing it from someone!" I felt the tables turn and suddenly, all his wise words made sense. I shook my head, grabbed my coat and bag, and left the classroom.

Moral of the Story: Things in life do come full-circle...that's when you have the opportunity to make a wrong a right.

And then there was one...

2005-12-06T00:48:00.000-05:00

It's nearly 1 am now...Has has long been asleep on the couch. Thank God for Monday Night Football; otherwise when could I study for 3 hours straight and never hear a peep from him!?!?! I did have one little critter checking in on me...Murry (aka nicknamed "Mo-Mo"). Here are some pics of him doing what he does best...distracting me from my studies and posing in the cutest ways in the most inconvenient spots.

Going!

Going...

Gone!

I dunno why he sleeps facing the wrong direction!

I'm still alive!

2005-11-29T19:37:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, I'm still here!

These past few weeks have been absolutely InSaNe! I feel like it's only been a week and two weeks have blown by! I'm hitting the "brick wall" as marathon runner's call it on mile 24 out of 26.2. It's a phenomenon that truly challenges the dedication of staying in the race. I'm almost there...TWO WEEKS UNTIL GRADUATION! Of course that doesn't come easily...I still have two exams and some 50 hours of clinical (out of 270) to finish! I finished my final "thesis" over the Thanksgiving break (A BIG thanks for that!) and that was a HUGE load off my shoulders! AND not to mention my better half (not Has), but WORK has also been stressful...I had the WORST day of my life last Sunday. Never had I been so busy...on my feet for 17 hours (didn't get home until 10pm), turned my patient's room into a mini-OR, and only at a Oreo ice cream bar for lunch at 4pm.

Anyways, gotta keep chipping away at readings from LAST week....

Glad Rags?!?!?!

2005-11-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

This weekend I'm trying to play catch-up with my assigned readings from last week AND this week. With about 30 chapters to read, it can get pretty mundane, boring, and just plain insane. After a few hours of reading, my mind drifts...where's Murry...what's for lunch...vacuum the stairs...what to blog about... Soon, I find myself just reading words and not really understanding the content. Know what I mean?

And then there are interesting chapters and in the medical and nursing arenas, there are plenty of them. There are diseases that are tragic and amusing. Symptoms that are unusual and disgusting. I have a story for each part of the body. If I could only tell you what my eyes have seen!!!! If I did, I'd get sued.

So, I'm reading Chapter 185 (out of268) and we're learning GYN disorders. Don't worry, I didn't scan any pictures. I'm reading about vulvar and vaginal disorders specifically...if you need me to explain this part of the body...just 'Google' it.

Just when I thought the material was getting boring, I read Box 185-1 entitled 'Patient Education and Resources'. This is a handy piece of information within each chapter because it tells what we as practitioners should be teaching our patients about their condition, disease, and management. It's kinda like Martha Stewart's "Good Things", but only about your body.

Read this "Good Thing" about vulvodynia...there were a few items that I found amusing. I'd rather be dead than tell my patients some of these helpful hints. They'd think I was crazy! And if you happen to go to the medical office and find your practitioner telling you these things, you know that they weren't making it up or they aren't just plain perverted.

All I can say is...spray bottles? Skirts? All-cotton panels? Vegtable oil? Glad Rags? Old underwear? Support groups? (Click TWICE on the picture to enlarge it)

Anyways, I will LOVE being a nurse practitioner because not only do I get to see patients, diagnose their complaints, and write prescriptions, but I get to educate them. It's the core of nursing...patient education...health promotion and disease prevention.

Thank you all for your support...

2005-11-10T21:51:00.000-05:00

Important update:

My precious Pentel pencil has been recovered in pristine condition! Complete with lead and eraser! Has found it behind our couch in the basement. Murry may have been involved in it's disappearance. (He is currently being held in custody for questioning. Anyone wishing to make his bail of $100 may do so by replying to this blog.)

I squealed with delight when Has showed me my pencil. I NEVER thought I would see this pencil again! Our reunion couldn't have come during a better time!!!

I was using one of my new mechanical pencils for my exam on Tuesday. All of a sudden it malfunctioned as I was trying to bubble in one of my answers. The damn pencil lead snapped in half and darted across the room!! Then, I attempted to "click" in my next fresh pencil lead, but instead the WHOLE lead slid right out of my pencil and rolled off the desk. Not once, but THREE freaking times. In utter disbelief and slightly panicked (because I had only had 5 minutes left), I frantically "clicked" my pencil to get the next lead to come out. Nothing! Nada! Nunca! My classmates must have thought I had some strange twitch or obsession with "clicking" my mechancial pencil. "My old pencil would NEVER have done this to me!!!!" I thought to myself. Oh, how I missed it even more!

But now I am complete! Out with those fake mechanical pencils...my blue pencil is returning back to it's home in my planner...and back into my heart (sniff, sniff)!!! Now I can sleep...

Eid Mubarak

2005-11-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

Eid Mubarak, everyone!

Hope everyone enjoys their day with family and friends. Here's a receipe you can try if you are entertaining guests or if you need to bring a dessert to someone's house. The only catch, you'll need a crock pot (aka slow cooker) and some patience. It SO good and definitely worth the wait. And if you're like me, then you'll get to use your crock pot more than once! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cake

Ingredients
*1 box plain devil's food cake mix
*1 box of chocolate instant pudding mix
*2 cups sour cream
*4 large eggs
*3/4 cup vegetable oil
*1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
*2 tsp vanilla extract or flavoring
*Vegetable oil cooking spray (for the pan)

Directions
1) Place the cake mix, pudding, mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl
2) Add 1 cup of water
3) Blend with electric mixer on low speed until blended
4) Scrape sides of bowl down and blend again on high speed for 2 minutes
5) Fold in chocolate chips
6) Mist the bottom and sides of a 4.5-6 qt slow cooker with vegetable spray
7) Transfer batter into the cooker and cover
8) Cook until the cake is puffed in the center and begins to pull away from the side of the cooker
(this will take about 3.5 hours on high heat OR 6.5-7 hours on low heat)
9) Serve and enjoy!

People of the Week

2005-10-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is...I've been rather sentimental these few days. Maybe it's because our unit lost one of it's favorite patients a few days ago or that the school weeks seem to fly by while the school work piles up chapter-by-chapter. Anyways...

I was SO incredibly happy to have spent some quality time with my two good friends from nursing school. One, who was recently married and relocated to Ohio and the other, who enjoys playing "phone-tag" with me at least 3 times a week. I haven't seen these cats since July, but I have been keeping in touch with them by phone and the power of the blog.

I wasn't able to meet up with them for lunch since I was fasting, but we did the next best thing...S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G!!!!!

So my first people of the week award goes to Meenu and Tefsit (aka Meens and Rough-Stuff). We go way back...bumbling through nursing school exams, labs, and validation videos. Not just double trouble, but TRIPLE trouble!!!

The other person of the week is my brother, Mikey. About 3 years ago, I convinced Mikey to run in the Baltimore Marathon Relay Team with me, Has, and Chika. He ran the 11 mile leg of the race without a problem. Once year later, we both ran in the Baltimore Half-Marathon (13 miles!) together...well, sort of. We started out running side-by-side through the streets of Baltimore City until mile 7, then Mikey was like, "See-YA!" and continued off. What a great brother!?!?!? Anyways, after finishing the Half-Marathon, Mikey swore that he would never run again because of the shear exhaustion and mental anguish it created for him. But that thought didn't last too long because one month later, he was training for a FULL marathon!!! (And yes, ladies, he's single!)

Yup, so last year he ran his FIRST marathon...the Marine Corps Marathon of all things. Finished just a little over 4 hours...unbelievable!!!!

Now...just this Sunday, October 30th, 2005, Mikey completed his SECOND Marine Corps Marathon. I spoke to him today and he's already planning on running at THIRD in Virginia later this winter. How awesome his he????

Klukk Me, Klukk You

2005-10-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

Yeah! I've been klukked by Aamina. I have no idea what "Klukk" actually means only that it is some Icelandic term. I tried to 'Yahoo!' it, but ended up some foreign definitions I cannot understand. Other than that, I am supposed to state 5 random facts about myself. So here they are in no particular order:

1) I have a phobia about using damp hand towels. It's probably some learned behavior I acquired while at work. It grosses me out to think that other people have wiped their dirty hands on the same towel after using the bathroom. It think of all bacteria, viruses, and mold that not only live, but THRIVE in the dampness of the towels. I cringe at the thought of damp warts and it shedding all over the towel by the friction of wiping your hands. I know it's a stretch, but that's why they call it a phobia. When you really think about it, you just get your hands dirty again.

2) I absolutely LOVE bloopers that are caught on television. Whenever "Game Show's Greatest TV Moments" premieres on NBC, I am hooked and laugh insanely whenever someone trips running down the aisle or says a stupid answer. I also love just about any newscaster blooper or any practical joke played on some poor unsuspecting soul. So when Kamran talked about the "Afro Ninja" on his blog, I not only checked out the clip, but every clip featured on the website! (www.ebaumsworld.com)

3) To continue off from #2, the practical joke that left me completely in tears and hunched over in laughter was this one. PLEASE check it out, you will not regret this one! OMG, it was soooo freakin' funny!!!! Just copy and paste it: www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/ratperson.html

4) Has and I may have met in different life...life at Gaithersburg Middle School! It's true, when Has and I first met, he freaked me out by saying that he also went to the same middle school as I did. To prove his point, he pulled out his old-school GHS yearbook and showed me his thin, bony, 8th grade self in 1992. Embarrassed, he flipped to the 7th grade section and showed me my own picture...I had the "geek works": spiky permed hair, thick pink glasses, braces, and the overalls attached to "skorts". My god, remember those days?

5) To continue off in our crossing paths topic, I also learned that Showieb (my B-I-L) worked in the same ice cream store that my ONCE good friend also worked in. In other words, her mother owned that very same ice cream store that Showieb spent plenty-o-hours "sampling" premium ice creams behind the counter. (I say ONCE to that friend as the fists-of-fury recount life at UMBC and UMB).

*What a great couple we would have made back in those days...

BTW, I now "klukk" the following persons: Zehra, Sarah, Kamran, Showieb, and Meenu!

A Tribute: Oh, How I Will Miss Thee...

2005-10-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

It's officially gone...a long time companion has disappeared forever. "The search and recovery mission is now over and the recovery process (that's me) must now begin. " After nearly 10 years, my mechanical pencil is gone...lost somewhere under a couch, bed, or between someone's couch cushions. Or even worse, laying on a cold street...alone and waiting to be crushed to death by a car.

This was pre-Hassan times when I found this mechanical pencil all alone and leadless. It was laying on a study table at UMBC's library. On that fortunate day, I walked by the table and spotted it. I claimed it as my own. I cared for it and brought it back to life...filled it with 0.7mm lead refills and a brand new unblemished eraser.

Who would have thought this pencil would have lasted this long?

It saw me through my years at UMBC...through anatomy tests, chem labs, and rough drafts in English class. In nursing school, it scribbled notes furiously on notebook paper. After graduating, I was sad because there would be no use for mechanical pencils in the hospital. But then it found it's last home in my DayRunner planner (that I've had since 5th grade).

Stored perfectly in my planner, my mechanical pencil now had the important job of penciling-in my work schedule, appointments, phone numbers, and addresses. It helped me plan my wedding (plenty of erasing during those months!), deadlines for my application to grad school and scholarships, and remembering birthdays. It's traveled with me everywhere...Mexico, California, Boston, Florida, New York, North Carolina, and abroad!

Anyways, the loss of my mechanical pencil will always be with me. I went to the grocery store today and purchased a set of new mechanical pencils in a 3 pack. What a shame...they are 3 of a kind, yet my original mechanical penci to me was one of a kind. Dated 10 years back and without the "frills" of comfortable writing. No 'suped up pencils back then. No gel-comfort pad to prevent calluses or florescent colors like "hot-pink" or "electric-blue" to draw my attention. It was a perfect pencil just for me!

It's been gone for 4 days and no luck...I can't help but think Murry must have pushed it in a location that he only knows. How tragic...maybe I'll look under the couch just one more time...

Great Minds Think Alike...Well, sort of...

2005-10-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought I was safe from any Tanookie moments, this one snuck up on me so quickly, I had barely enough time react (and neither did the other person). Literally, this happened about 15 minutes ago and the adrenaline is still coarsing through my veins!

I was at Owings Mills Mall shopping for a last minute item of clothing for a wedding Has and I are attending in North Carolina (BTW, congrats Aimee & Aaron!). I found a cropped black jacket from Forever 21 (forgive me!) and was leaving the store.
Has calls on the cell and I talk to him as I walk...BIG mistake since you'll read in a few minutes that I can't do two things at the same time.

"What's for dinner?" Has reminds me again.

"I dunno...wanna check out Wegman's up in Hunt Valley?" I say as I push open the door to exit Macy's. Wegman's is a super-grocery store that opened up a couple weekends ago and people all over from Maryland flocked to the opening. It's the first of its kind in Maryland with a huge selection of some-400 varieties of cheeses and a restaurant section with hot buffet. YUM-O!

Anyways...

"Okay. I'll ask my manager if he's been there and if it's good enough to eat in, " Has says uncertainly. Sheesh, man! If it doesn't serve fresh paratas (shout-out to Sarah!) or a tandoori chicken of some kind, it's NOT good for him!

"Hey, I have a cute story about Murry today. I was studying and he was sleeping between me and my book. He got so comfortable that he was laying on his back again all stretched out. He was so cute and I mean stretched out!"

Let me remind you that I'm still walking to the parking lot...

I continue, "I wanted to take a picture of him so I got up to get the camera. I turned and then I heard him fall off the desk. (Has laughs and I unlock my car with the remote.) I look at him and there he is hanging by his little nails on the arm of the chair!!! It was so..."

...I trail off and suddenly scream as I open my car door. I was about to throw my Forever 21 bag into the passenger side and, there in the driver's side of the car was a woman about my age sitting, smiling, and talking on her cell phone.

"Oh my God, I'm soooo sorry!" I manage to say with a dry mouth. Meanwhile, a puzzled, yet concerned Has is still on the phone and said, "What...did you fall?" I wish!

I turn abruptly and now standing in the middle of the road trying to process what just happened. I freeze and find myself in a moment of panic. DAMN! That was the wrong FREAKING car with someone inside it! I thought that was my car. It looked exactly like my silver RAV4 (without the trailer hitch). I thought I unlocked it with my remote. The door was unlocked! And now, where is my car?!?!?!

Boy, was she understanding "It's okay!" from what I recall her saying smiling. Her smile reminded me of Kristen Kreuk.

Puh-leese, let me find my car and don't make me walk past that other car a second time! She must think I'm a stalker and a cRaZy! Embarrassed, I do find my own RAV4 which is directly across from her's facing the opposite direction. I'm so embarrassed that I can barely find the words to tell Hassan what just happened. My eyes are watering from sheer embarrassment and laughter.

"Just make sure you drive home safely and find your way home, okay?" I heard Has say over the phone. I'm in a daze as I drive off. My brother calls and I tell him the story. He's laughing at me and say, "Are you going to put this in your blog?" DAMN, right! And, what tha hell just happened?!?!?!?

Celebrity News

2005-10-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

If anyone knows me, they know that I'm in THE know for the latest celebrity gossip. I know, I know...It's a HUGE character flaw of mine that I'm trying to improve upon. Although I don't have a subscription to 'US' magazine or 'People', I do have access to the Internet and the E! channel so that does me just fine.

On my way to clinical at Loyola, I was driving down Northern Parkway. At a stoplight, I notice a yellow sign with "Oliver" written on it. As I continue driving, I see more of these signs posted on streetlights and at various intersections.

"Oliver", "Oliver", "Oliver"...what is this some college student's birthday joke? Then, I saw the sign "Extras".
AH-HA! There must be a movie being shot around here! I secretly sit up a little higher and taller as if I'm a celebrity with my sunglasses on.

I pull into my designated parking lot at The Cathedral of Queen Mary to find that an "Extras" sign has followed me as well. There, occupying half of my parking lot were a circus of white tents and green trailers. I saw cherry-picker trucks, various lights and cables, and golf carts.

Wooooooohoooooo!!!!!! Maybe this is my BIG break...recruit me to be an extra! Hollywood, here I come! With my husband, of course! It's weird because everytime I feel the presense of a celebrity or a film on location, I always feel like I'm going to run into a celebrity or the director will stop shooting and say, "STOP that girl! She's perfect for my next movie with Joaquin Phoenix!" Oh yeah, baby! What an imagination I have!

Anyways, I park....as close to the tents as I can. Like a nosy neighbor on "Desperate Housewives", I peer between parked cars and under trucks to see if I can catch a glimpse of someone famous. No such luck. Damn!

Maybe it wasn't a movie crew, but perhaps only a local film shooting a commercial or just a really, really expensive wedding ceremony caught on film. (With a celebrity perhaps?!?!)

I get out of my car and board the shuttle to campus. I NEED to find out what is going on around here. Walking to the health center I run into a co-worker. "What are they filming here on campus?" I ask her. "Oh, some movie with Nicole Kidman and George Clooney, " she replies. (Weren't they in another movie together?)

Wha???!!!! In Baltimore? That's awesome! Then it hits me. Hassan told me a couple weeks ago that a co-worker of his thought he saw Nicole Kidman and her entourage at a local gym. He quickly dismissed the idea since Nicole Kidman wouldn't be caught dead pumping iron in a public gym. Perhaps it was really her! Apparently, there was another Nicole-sighting at a Yoga class somewhere in Baltimore. And, I find out that she is staying at the Marriott at the Inner Harbor. I just might have to go there sometime...

I go to my exam room and quickly access the Internet to find out if it was true. A movie called "Oliver"? Sounds like a remake of the Broadway play. That's not interesting. I "Yahoo-ed" the words "Nicole Kidman' and 'Oliver' together. I find out that 'Oliver' is actually the name of the director for "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Interesting...

So that's my celebrity news...Not very impressive and just plain trivial, but isn't all celebrity news trivial in retrospect?

Pri-Med 2005

2005-10-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

As part of my clinical hours for school, I attended the Pri-Med Conference at the Baltimore Convention Center today for a series of lectures focusing on primary-care issues. (Not as fun as Kamran's conventions with an Optimus Prime booth!) I listened to lectures about hyperlipidemia, hypertension, anxiety, and thryoid complications. Blah, blah...

BEST of all, were the exhibitions...you could try out massage chairs, speak to representatives about their latest medical equipment and technology, and even try samples of Pom fruit juice as an alternative antioxidant (not me...Ramadan, remember?). Blah, blah. The best part was talking to drug representatives and getting FREE gifts. My friend Jenny and I made out like bandits in the exhibition hall! Buzzing from booth to booth like the busy-bees we were! And check out our stash!

Bags, books, unlimited pens, free samples of Advil, stainless steel mugs, pads, education posters, personalized journals, pillows, calculators, reflex hammers, spirometers, mouse pads, pen lights, more pens, highlighters, and best of all, USB external drives (yes, you heard that right!

What a dork I am! Not only am I wearing my glasses (I'll blog about the reason later...), but I'm posing with a couple of "things" from the drug Actos that treats Type 2 diabetes.

There is hope...

2005-10-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

Jeez...I'm totally procrastinating!!!!! It's my first exam of the semester and it's worth 25% of my total grade. I morph into this ADD freak when I begin to study. First, I organize my study area, then check my email, check my blog to see if I've "caught any fish" (those who comment in my blogs), check 'Yahoo's' entertainment section for the latest celebrity gossip, and check my email again...it's a horrible, horrible, OCD-ish cycle.

Anyways, I'm taking my 10th break since 8pm and here's a the beginning of a conversation between me and my brother-in-law, Showieb:

Tanookie78: Dr., I have a question
DrLove9701: yes
DrLove9701: nurse
Tanookie78: HAHA
Tanookie78: it's about renal artery stenosis
DrLove9701: ok...shoot
Tanookie78: why choose an ARB (like diovan) over an ACE (if it's renal protective)?
Tanookie78: don't they do the same thing by vasodilating the afferent arteries?
DrLove9701: really the only reason to choose an ARB over an ACE is if someone is not tolerating an ACE...i.e. they get the ACE cough
Tanookie78: yeah...but in lecture they told us that if someone has renal artery stenosis they should be on an ARB instead
Tanookie78: i checked it out on ePocrates and they said the same thing
Tanookie78: but what is the reason?
Tanookie78: the only reason I can think of it is because the ACE is renal protective and may mask symptoms of the stenosis
Tanookie78: jeez...i sound like a geek

Woooooooohoooo! There is hope for me...at least I can sound intelligent.

BTW, thanks Showieb!

Ramadan Mubarak

2005-10-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! I wanted to wish everyone well during this Ramadan season.

As you fast this month and/or if you are just health conscious, here is a resource I hope you find helpful. Keep in mind to stay healthy during Ramadan....just because we fast during day doesn't give us an excuse to devour anything and everything within our reach. (That's one of my weaknesses!)www.foodpyramid.gov

Standard Delays

2005-10-02T11:53:00.000-05:00

The fists of fury are back...I've been thinking about this one for a while.

Every morning I have same exact routine (think "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray)...I get up, wash the face, brush the teeth, put the contacts on, tame the hair, and head to the closet to choose the outfit of the day. And keeping me company through it all is the television. It's my morning paper read out loud. Baltimore news is like the crime section mixed in with irresistable chewy bits of tabloid. "Paris Hilton Cleared of Allegations" or "Hearings Tackle Courthouse Complaints " FYI: both these stories are true!

Lately, weather men and women have been accurately forecasting hurricanes and tropical storms. We know their names sometimes better than our co-workers. We trust their expert advise on how to prepare for hurricaine force winds. Most importantly, we depend on them to officially name our hurricaines: "Katrina", "Ofelia", or "Rita". What would we do if we didn't have a name for these natural disasters? The anarchy! Coincidentally, these are all names of nurses I know...one of which was my old-manager and a natural disaster herself!!!

Anyways....
Sidekick to the weather report are the traffic updates. This is what I have been thinking a lot about lately. For some odd reason, I EASILY get annoyed at the traffic reporters. Talk about road rage...I want to find the television studio and drive my car right into the traffic room. Report that news!!!!! Maybe it's because I'm NOT a morning person or maybe it's because they tell me information that is completely useless.

I just don't understand this profession...do they have a degree in traffic science? Are they real news reporters starting out on the bottom rung of their careers? Do they get promoted to anchor once they have put their time in the news desk? How hard is it really to look at a road map or ride in a helicopter above the traffic and tell the public where you see traffic? At least the weathermen study meterology, but all traffic reporters do is tell me the SAME, EXACT information over and over again!

Aughhhhhh!

It makes me go iNsAnE everytime I hear Sarah Caldwell tell me "Standard delays on the west side starting from 40 to Wilkins." Every single morning I hear the same sentence word for word. Nothing new...nothing interesting. I truly beleive that there's no science or talent to traffic reporting...you just pick the time of rush hour to say the same exact sentence. "Standard delays in the northeast corner of the loop starting from BelAir Road to the tunnel." See, that wasn't hard to do at all!!!!! Say that sentence at 8:05 am and I'm a certified and reliable traffic reporter!!!! Whoooo0whoo!!!! Give me cute business suites to wear and nice cup of coffee on my desk.

I don't get it!!! Do they stand in traffic the same way the brave weatherman stand in the eye of the hurricane?!?!?!?! These poor weather people...they struggle to tell us what the hurricane is like live on television when can barely open their eyes or stand up straight for the camera because of 120 mph winds and rain!

Aghhhhhhhh! Help me understand this insanity, Al Roker!

But, NOOOOO!!!! These traffic reporters...they stay safe in their cozy little traffic desks trying to act like they know what's going on out there. Trying to be sympathetic with a sense of concern when an accident or construction delay occurs. They thrive on these inconveniences...what would they do if there were no delays?!?!? Become pedestrian traffic reporters on major city walkways?!?!? Will they let us know who has broken a high-heel in the middle of major intersection? Or will they tell us who has thrown their hotdog wrapper or spit out their gum in the sidewalk?

They don't have to sit in traffic like the rest of us. They are at work BEFORE the traffic happens. They don't endure the horrible traffic caused by heavy rains or sleeting snow. And half the time when they do tell me there is an accident, by the time I get there, the accident "has been cleared to the side of the road" and its over and done. What great information that is! Tell me something useful, like which potholes to maneuver around or what parking space is open in the garage. Better yet, tell me where the cheapest gas is in Baltimore-Metro area. And if they truly want to help me out with my morning commute...tell me where I can find today's police traps are so I can actually make it to work on time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Weekend Warrior

2005-09-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

The weekend warrior is a term given to individuals who engage in physically demanding projects strictly on weekends. During the week, they are obedient citizens who follow a daily routine, drive between the lines, and sit at their desks filing TPS reports...

...Didn't you get the memo?

But during the weekend, the brown shoes are kicked aside and the Birkenstocks come on. The ties loosen and are then worn as sweat bands. The button-down oxfords come off and the undershirts stay on.

The weekend warrior is ready for action. Hand them a shovel and they'll dig up that bush that's been dead since winter. Show them the carpet and they'll tear that sucker right off the floor with their teeth. Ask my husband to replace the outdoor lightbulb that's been out for months and he'll run straight to the fields....the football fields.

My husband is a weekend warrior of a different class. During the week, he is a dedicated full-time Northrop Grumman employee, a favorite part-time instructor at UMBC, and part-time master's student...his SECOND master's. But on weekends, he's just a kid...and rightfully so!

On Saturdays, all he wants is his fried egg sandwich and to watch tv in a horizontal position. He enjoys his cat naps with Murry and a diet orange soda seated next to him. That's pretty much it.

On Sundays, he is a LITTLE more physically active. His heart rate actually fluctuates and the couch gets a break FROM him (for just a few hours). Sundays is my warrior's holy day of football.

7:30am my weekend warrior wakes up to get ready for his day. He searches through the closet looking for his UnderArmor shirt. He gets me to dress his wounds from last week's game with an ACE bandage wrapped around his wrist. (It's actually gravel burn on the palms of his hands!) I am barely awake by the time he leaves, but I manage to constant remind him to stretch out before AND after his game...

...2 years ago I never would have thought that he could play football again. I remember that one December day when this warrior called me at work asking to bring home a crutch from work. He said he was playing basketball (by himself, I always joke).

"I heard a pop and felt my knee move like this, " he described as he moved his fists away from each other opposite directions. We didn't think it was a big deal...rest, ice, elevation...until he woke up in the middle of the night in agony. His knee had doubled in size from the swelling and he could barely walk to the bathroom without feeling nauseous or clammy.

We quickly found ourselves at Greater Baltimore Medical Center's ER with news that Has had not only completely torn his MCL, but the entire "unhappy triad", which included the MCL, meniscus, and worst of all, his ACL. We were "unhappy" because the torn ACL meant surgery and months of rehab. I knew it, but Has had no idea.

"We don't have to move the mattress to the first floor, " he reassuring told me. HA! Little did he know that after the surgery he wouldn't be able to climb stairs or see our bedroom for the next 2 weeks!
My warrior was brave...he endured the needles and prodding of the arthroscopic probes. But there he was, laying in the stretcher recovering from the anesthesia...my subdued warrior pale as a ghost. It was frightening to see him like that...dry lips, IVs in each hand, and a level of consciousness that was not Hassan. For once I did not want to be a nurse...I understood too much...

Getting my subdued husband home was challenge of its own. It was up to his father and I to bear most of his weight and act as his good knee. "I'll be alright, " Has said as he tried to bear own weight while getting out of the car. I almost trusted him and found myself almost crushed to death as he realized just how weak he was. His father, I knew was scared. I had never seen him look so helpless before.

The healing warrior slept most of the day and into the night. He awoke with bouts of nausea and dry heaving as he soon realized that the pain was ever-present. Surprisingly, the rehab started the very next day. Painful at first with tiny knee bends on a machine that did the moving for him. Eventually, his range of motion increased...he could stand with a cane, sit independently on the toilet, and even step over the ledge into the shower. (Don't ask about the sponge baths before this!)

So, I look at how far this weekend warrior has come...6 months of rehab, a 20 pound weight loss, and the simple fact that he can now get into the car and drive again. I thank God that his surgery was successful and that Dr. Bennett (orthopedic surgeon) has been pleased with every follow-up appointment. This is Dr. Bennett...

So, when I see this weekend warrior come home and walk through the door after playing football for 4 hours, I go through a series of feelings. Happy that he's home. Scared that he may be limping. Concerned that something new may be swollen. Or worried that he has reinjured something that has healed.

Scrapes and bruises don't worry me as much...

Even as he is sitting down to take off his shoes and socks, I watch closely for unusual muscle tightness. I half-anticipate that some tendon will suddenly snap and shoot up his leg if he moves a certain direction.

"Make sure you stretch, " I always remind this warrior after he comes home. I'm happy that he can continue to play football after all things said and done. What would he do if he could never play anything ever again? How unhappy and depressed he would be!

The lightbulb outside can wait............for a few more weekends.

Headache

2005-09-20T21:58:00.000-05:00

My goal was to post something tonight, but this persistent headache has gotten the best of me. I'm taking 2 Tylenols and calling it an early night.

Good night everyone...