Another rough day today... really rough. Got my answer from the Medical Imaging, which was that I was not accepted into the program, but I'm on the fill in list if someone decides that they don't want to go through with it (after going to all the trouble and effort to get in.) I'm afraid I'm rather impressively devastated, although I've tried to keep at least somewhat positive. It seems to have left me in kind of a manic/panic of trying to pull things together. According to my advisor, this year was "very competitive, especially for the Radiology program..." - cold comfort, but I guess I'll just have to work on a better position for next year.
The morning's migraine seemed to have finally almost worked itself out by the time I'd gotten on the horn with Abe to let him know the bad news (this ends up meaning that he's down yet another tenant for next year). Unfortunately, Mikey decided to use me as a ladder mid-call and slashed the hell out of my neck on the way up - Eden said she could hear my skin snap from across the room. Darn near passed out from that kicking my migraine back into high gear in a fraction of a second.
In any case, it looks like Eden and I will be headed back to Klamath Falls next week to pick up all of the stuff I left with Abe and Nichole... we're even considering camping a night on the way down, since there are a number of sites on the way that we keep on saying we should visit. I also put together a provisional schedule for the fall at PCC - I'm aiming to retake all of the courses that the selection board will look at next year. I'd love to improve all of my grades, but honestly, I'll be happy if I can just keep most of this in my head and improve a few while I'm waiting for my next chance. I'll be headed by PCC tomorrow to talk with all of the relevant people to figure out how I can make this happen - once I've got that handled, I'll have to talk to the Clemens Foundation about their scholarship and what this rejection will mean for them.
Honestly, all I can do is try to keep moving forward, right?
Eden did a good job of keeping me busy with errands, and we did have a little fun with a mission from Jon. I rather like the way the Scheans family handles fireworks - Jon throws money at Eden, she runs around to all of the local stands and buys a bunch of explosives, and I end up lighting most of them. I should also mention that she did a great job with dinner tonight as well - grilled Cod and Strawberry Shortcake!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-29
Rough day... I'm afraid I spent a good portion of it chanting "It's not as bad as it was, it could be worse!" in my head. It's true - when I was on the beta blocker, everything was more intense, and cycled far more rapidly, but today was pretty off.
I'm afraid the most productive thing we managed to get done was driving down to Eden's grandmother's house to pick up some supplies for Eden's crafting. I did manage to get almost two months of this blog actually posted, though, so it wasn't a complete waste, right?
I'm afraid the most productive thing we managed to get done was driving down to Eden's grandmother's house to pick up some supplies for Eden's crafting. I did manage to get almost two months of this blog actually posted, though, so it wasn't a complete waste, right?
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-28
Bah - today's migraine/dizzy snuck up on me. I was feeling great all morning, and during the hour that Eden spent having a pedicure. The very second we went outside, my brain went blooey. Not good stuff.
We headed down to Philomath to see my parents and catch up on birthdays and holidays, with an energy drink and a Dramamine holding me together. Made the trip down a bit loopy, but by the time we arrived I was more or less pulled together.
We had a great dinner and got to catch up a bit. Mom apparently hooked into my brain a bit psychically, having picked up on the fact that I was hoping for some of her marinated flank steak, despite the fact that she hasn't made it in almost a decade. I had meant to call her and request it, but never got around to it. Regardless, somehow she managed to make up a perfect meal. We had a really great night!
We headed down to Philomath to see my parents and catch up on birthdays and holidays, with an energy drink and a Dramamine holding me together. Made the trip down a bit loopy, but by the time we arrived I was more or less pulled together.
We had a great dinner and got to catch up a bit. Mom apparently hooked into my brain a bit psychically, having picked up on the fact that I was hoping for some of her marinated flank steak, despite the fact that she hasn't made it in almost a decade. I had meant to call her and request it, but never got around to it. Regardless, somehow she managed to make up a perfect meal. We had a really great night!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-27
Today marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new age. Eden Kitty Studios will no longer have a booth at Saturday Market, as such, as she is joining forces with her mother and sister in a new venture there. I'm not too sure how much they want to reveal to the public before the business is actually in place, so I'll confine my comments to the fact that they're all excited as heck to get this thing started, and their product is pretty darn tasty!
As it happens, Eden actually didn't get to spend too much time in her booth this last day, as she has a deal with Lizzy of Shabby Knapsack to watch her booth on Sundays so that she can go to church with her family. It's a pretty darn sweet deal, as Eden's a heck of a saleswoman (when it's not her own product and she doesn't have to take rejections personally) and she makes a bit of commission on each sale while she's there. This being the case, I spent most of the day manning her booth, probably to the detriment of her sales - I'm just not that good at dealing with strangers in person, although I will say I try a lot harder for her than I would for s
We capped the evening with a "birthday" dinner at Panera, since we didn't get around to specifically celebrating yesterday. I have to say, their salads are sized for giants! While the salad was quite delicious, I'm afraid the sheer size of it kept me from being able to finish my favorite sandwich, the Bacon Turkey Bravo. That's ok though - just means I have a great breakfast waiting for me tomorrow.
As it happens, Eden actually didn't get to spend too much time in her booth this last day, as she has a deal with Lizzy of Shabby Knapsack to watch her booth on Sundays so that she can go to church with her family. It's a pretty darn sweet deal, as Eden's a heck of a saleswoman (when it's not her own product and she doesn't have to take rejections personally) and she makes a bit of commission on each sale while she's there. This being the case, I spent most of the day manning her booth, probably to the detriment of her sales - I'm just not that good at dealing with strangers in person, although I will say I try a lot harder for her than I would for s
We capped the evening with a "birthday" dinner at Panera, since we didn't get around to specifically celebrating yesterday. I have to say, their salads are sized for giants! While the salad was quite delicious, I'm afraid the sheer size of it kept me from being able to finish my favorite sandwich, the Bacon Turkey Bravo. That's ok though - just means I have a great breakfast waiting for me tomorrow.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-26
34 years spent spinning around the sun today, as of 2:32 am (Central). At the moment, pretty much everyone is out of town or had unavoidable plans, so we're actually planning to celebrate more vigorously later, leaving today as fairly non-interactive.
As it turns out, that was some darn good timing. Woke up with a pretty fierce headache running ear to ear, which was only slightly muted by the scalding hot shower I snuck in before we headed off to set up for market. I ended up not really feeing like eating most of the day, which made the effects of the Amp I downed to combat the migraine a bit more potent than usual. I was more or less out of pain by the time we had Eden set up, but all of the secondary effects were blown out of proportion.
On the way towards my appointment with Vash and Jess, I spent three minutes waiting for a stop sign to change, blew through a red light (fortunately unoccupied), and then got myself lost for about a half hour. I can actually see how some people end up with a DUI on their record now (not that I condone getting behind the wheel after drinking - I can just see how things progress once you're there). Too much time thinking "I just need to hold together until I can get someplace to stop". Ah well; those were really the worst moments, and, other than the red light, not really dangerous, just inconvenient.
I did manage to pull myself back together prior to arriving, and by the time Vash and Jess were painted up for their shoot (for "save the date" announcements for their upcoming wedding), I was pretty much back in my head and back in control. I managed to have a lot of fun working with them, despite a significant lack of practical experience in controlled lighting situations and a few technical difficulties along the way. I'm really happy with the way the photos turned out, and I can't wait to have enough free time to actually play with them in designing mockups.
After market, we reconveined with Vash and Jess and a number of their friends at Sam's, the local pool hall, as we didn't actually have any plans for the remainder of the day. I've got to say, Sean makes a mighty tasty Gin and Tonic (with muddled lime!)
As it turns out, that was some darn good timing. Woke up with a pretty fierce headache running ear to ear, which was only slightly muted by the scalding hot shower I snuck in before we headed off to set up for market. I ended up not really feeing like eating most of the day, which made the effects of the Amp I downed to combat the migraine a bit more potent than usual. I was more or less out of pain by the time we had Eden set up, but all of the secondary effects were blown out of proportion.
On the way towards my appointment with Vash and Jess, I spent three minutes waiting for a stop sign to change, blew through a red light (fortunately unoccupied), and then got myself lost for about a half hour. I can actually see how some people end up with a DUI on their record now (not that I condone getting behind the wheel after drinking - I can just see how things progress once you're there). Too much time thinking "I just need to hold together until I can get someplace to stop". Ah well; those were really the worst moments, and, other than the red light, not really dangerous, just inconvenient.
I did manage to pull myself back together prior to arriving, and by the time Vash and Jess were painted up for their shoot (for "save the date" announcements for their upcoming wedding), I was pretty much back in my head and back in control. I managed to have a lot of fun working with them, despite a significant lack of practical experience in controlled lighting situations and a few technical difficulties along the way. I'm really happy with the way the photos turned out, and I can't wait to have enough free time to actually play with them in designing mockups.
After market, we reconveined with Vash and Jess and a number of their friends at Sam's, the local pool hall, as we didn't actually have any plans for the remainder of the day. I've got to say, Sean makes a mighty tasty Gin and Tonic (with muddled lime!)
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-25
Pretty relaxed day today; Eden was occupied much of the day with getting ready for market (many, many irons in the fire, there) and I spent a good portion finally getting some of my photos published. I'm sure many of you were stunned to see them starting to show up on Flickr and Facebook again. All in all, it felt both easy and productive... can't really ask for more.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-24
Long, long night last night. Somewhere around 3am a bunch of college kids arrived at the campgrounds stone drunk and got pretty much everyone up. Come to find out, Victor and Anjou (Andrew?) and their gang caused quite a bit of destruction, after sawing through a number of fence posts to use as firewood, lighting the mess on fire with gasoline, and just generally being horrible pains. One fellow even managed to flat pass out in the middle of the path up to the outhouses, which speaks well for his upbringing. Turns out that they didn't pay for their camp space either, so the groundskeeper will be having some fun with that and the damage they caused.
Cold last night, too, thanks to some ill-placed coke - even snuggling up it was rather unbalanced between ice cold and sweaty hot. Ah well, if nothing else it spawned a great idea for a new blanket combo from Eden for next time.
I also finally managed to catch up on picture processing after managing to fall almost a month and a half behind. Woot! I just haven't had a place to work with a decently powerful computer, for the last month, thanks to living on a couch. Now all I've got to finish is the (comparatively easy) task of labeling and publishing everything.
Cold last night, too, thanks to some ill-placed coke - even snuggling up it was rather unbalanced between ice cold and sweaty hot. Ah well, if nothing else it spawned a great idea for a new blanket combo from Eden for next time.
I also finally managed to catch up on picture processing after managing to fall almost a month and a half behind. Woot! I just haven't had a place to work with a decently powerful computer, for the last month, thanks to living on a couch. Now all I've got to finish is the (comparatively easy) task of labeling and publishing everything.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-23
Rapidly rising temperatures managed to chase us out of the city today, but it was for the best. We had already been considering camping at Sunset falls, and this just gave us a chance to get there a bit early.
We actually had a great evening, just talking and roasting marshmallows (and steak, and corn!). Eden didn't even fight me for the privilege of lighting the fire (we're both a bit pyro about it).
We actually had a great evening, just talking and roasting marshmallows (and steak, and corn!). Eden didn't even fight me for the privilege of lighting the fire (we're both a bit pyro about it
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-22
Back to Lizzy's again for more supplies, and this time I decided to break out the flash. I've got to say, I'm glad that I did! The kids really seemed to enjoy playing for the lens, and I think I got some fantastic shots - I can't wait to see what they look like once I get a chance to process them on the big screen.
Relatively minor migraine action this afternoon; cutting down on the meds seems to be helping the intensity there, although none of my regular tricks for defusing the situation (energy drink, advil, head on, etc.) seemed to do much. Oh well, no more meds after today, so here's hoping that things continue to get better.
Relatively minor migraine action this afternoon; cutting down on the meds seems to be helping the intensity there, although none of my regular tricks for defusing the situation (energy drink, advil, head on, etc.) seemed to do much. Oh well, no more meds after today, so here's hoping that things continue to get better.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-21
Jon's home, and thus it's time to go out for Chinese for dinner. We all decided to try for something we hadn't tried here before, and ended up with incredible food. Garlic Beef, Sesame Chicken, and Hot and Sour soup for everyone. Tasty, tasty, tasty! Makes me want to take another couple of swings at making some Chinese myself.
Eden actually introduced me a new site today, Livestrong.com (which was passed to her by Cassie) - which ought to make it a bit easier for me to track any foods that might be setting off migraines (Eden thinks that HFCs might be a contributing factor). If nothing else, it's a well built site and might even let me be a bit more conscious of what I'm eating. They even have an ipod application for tracking on the go (although it needs wifi to look up foods).
Eden actually introduced me a new site today, Livestrong.com (which was passed to her by Cassie) - which ought to make it a bit easier for me to track any foods that might be setting off migraines (Eden thinks that HFCs might be a contributing factor). If nothing else, it's a well built site and might even let me be a bit more conscious of what I'm eating. They even have an ipod application for tracking on the go (although it needs wifi to look up foods).
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-20
Father's day today, although our fathers were a bit out of touch today - my dad was out of touch and Jon was down at a Sasquatch convention, so respective celebrations will be a bit delayed. Regardless, father's day in Portland means it was time for the annual Gay Pride parade, which I have to say that I love photographing. Lots of good shots today, and lots of fun taking em.
Suzanne provided a wonderful finish to that day, with homemade mashed potatoes and meatloaf - Jon really missed out, but we won't tell him.
Suzanne provided a wonderful finish to that day, with homemade mashed potatoes and meatloaf - Jon really missed out, but we won't tell him.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-19
The "Quelf" rematch was a rousing success! April and Damon really helped us kick things up a notch, and I've got to say it's the most fun I've ever had with a belt wrapped around my forehead. I have the feeling there will be more than a few more rematches over the summer, and we'll probably have to invest in our own copy of the game to play with others.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-18
Final grades came in today - Media Production A, Chem Lab B, Chem Lecture C, Anatomy B, Tai Chi D (Grade based purely on attendance... and migraines/side effects did not help me there) - still not bad at all - weighted GPA for MIT application lands at 3.08. I made my final submission today and should have results around 6-30.
We spent the evening at Vash and Jess's, breaking in a game that they've found called "Quelf". It's more than a little crazy, and a lot of fun! We're hoping for a rematch tomorrow with our mutual friends April and Damon.
We spent the evening at Vash and Jess's, breaking in a game that they've found called "Quelf". It's more than a little crazy, and a lot of fun! We're hoping for a rematch tomorrow with our mutual friends April and Damon.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-17
Time for another pickup from Lizzie today - it really ends up being a little slice of sanity, visiting such an organized home. Unfortunately, Eden and I had warring migraines when it came time to go home, making the ride back rather miserable, as we had to change drivers midstream.
I also made a rather unpleasant discovery today; finally got around to looking up to the side effects associated with the beta blockers the school RN put me on. Unfortunately, in addition to the more apparent effect of seeming to actually increase my migraine frequency and pain, the side effects list reads like a checklist for a lot of things that have been a bit off lately, not the least of which is an odd, unfocused depression. Time to go off the pills and try something else, it seems. Unfortunately, these are the kind of meds you can't go off cold turkey, so I'll be dealing with the laundry list for at least a little while as I wean off.
I also made a rather unpleasant discovery today; finally got around to looking up to the side effects associated with the beta blockers the school RN put me on. Unfortunately, in addition to the more apparent effect of seeming to actually increase my migraine frequency and pain, the side effects list reads like a checklist for a lot of things that have been a bit off lately, not the least of which is an odd, unfocused depression. Time to go off the pills and try something else, it seems. Unfortunately, these are the kind of meds you can't go off cold turkey, so I'll be dealing with the laundry list for at least a little while as I wean off.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-16
Long, long day today - up at 4 am to deliver Cassie to the airport, who is off to visit her sister and nephews. The remainder of the day was a bit spoiled, as Eden's PCOS has flared up, giving her no end of pain. I'm afraid most of the day was spent just trying to distract her, with movies and such.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-15
Spur of the moment trip today! Cassie happened to mention Manzanita, and we just decided to go, especially since the rain was moving in like crazy in Vancouver.
Not so at the beach - tremendously beautiful day, absolutely picturesque. Pretty decent temperatures as well, making for a pleasantly mild afternoon, followed by dinner at Mo's - good stuff.
Not so at the beach - tremendously beautiful day, absolutely picturesque. Pretty decent temperatures as well, making for a pleasantly mild afternoon, followed by dinner at Mo's - good stuff.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-14
Dang - I just hate it when I can't quite master a new technique. Today's pic is an illustration of such a failure - trying to balance flash to freeze and light the foreground of a shot while letting a longer exposure bring in the background. Not really happy with the results, but it did give me something to play with in the evening.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-13
Apparently I missed out on a wonderful scene this morning, thanks to sleeping in. The girls went off to follow a few leads they found in this week's issue of Willamette Week and found a new waterfall they rather love, Dougan Falls. In point of fact, they liked it so much that they decided to drag me back to it in the late afternoon. While the lighting wasn't great by that point, I could still see the potential in this new location - the only pity is that there's no nearby camping.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-12
It was time to trade hostages today, returning Nicky and picking up Pat's dog Lucky in preparation for Conner's graduation party. The party itself was fairly interesting - Conner has a rather eclectic mix of friends, both young and old. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a mosquito magnet, so I spent the better part of our last hour there just walking to keep moving around and present a more challenging target for them.
After Conner's party, we stopped by Sam's bar and grill to congratulate our friends Vash and Jess on their recent engagement. It was a very nice capper to the evening.
After Conner's party, we stopped by Sam's bar and grill to congratulate our friends Vash and Jess on their recent engagement. It was a very nice capper to the evening.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-11
Time for a little macro work today, it seems - we had an interesting insectoid visitor that just needed to grab some lens time.
We also got to spend some time with Eden's nephew Nicky, as he's spending the evening with us while his dad is otherwise occupied. He's an impressively articulate fellow, especially considering that he's had to deal with learning two different languages growing up.
We also got to spend some time with Eden's nephew Nicky, as he's spending the evening with us while his dad is otherwise occupied. He's an impressively articulate fellow, especially considering that he's had to deal with learning two different languages growing up.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-10
Eden's picked up a new working situation to augment her finances over the last couple of months, working as an auxiliary seamstress for her friend Lizzy, finishing work for Shabby Knapsack. Today we went by to pick up pieces from her, finally giving me a chance to meet the rest of her family.
I swear, the are the most pleasant horde I've ever met - she's really got things figured out. She supports her entire family (all 7 of em) through her own business, home schools her children, has a strong sense of her own faith without imposing it on others, and has the best behaved kids I've ever met. I can't imagine where she gets the energy to do it all with such a genuine smile plastered on her face 24/7, but she does it.
Tonight we indulged in a bit of a guilty pleasure - watching the wonderfully horrible "Hot Tub Time Machine" with the girls. It felt rather delightfully pointless - a good way to relax.
I swear, the are the most pleasant horde I've ever met - she's really got things figured out. She supports her entire family (all 7 of em) through her own business, home schools her children, has a strong sense of her own faith without imposing it on others, and has the best behaved kids I've ever met. I can't imagine where she gets the energy to do it all with such a genuine smile plastered on her face 24/7, but she does it.
Tonight we indulged in a bit of a guilty pleasure - watching the wonderfully horrible "Hot Tub Time Machine" with the girls. It felt rather delightfully pointless - a good way to relax.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-09
It's good to be home, if a little unreal. I'm afraid we didn't manage to accomplish terribly much today, but that really felt quite ok - just a chance to unwind a bit. We did end up going out to one of the family's favorite Vietnamese restaurants, Pho Thanh, to celebrate - I do quite love their interpretation of General Tso's chicken.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-08
Well, today's Chem final was about 5 times as long as I'd anticipated, but that's ok. At least I'm done with school for a long while.
Eden coming down turned out to be a wonderful, or at least absolutely necessary. I'm afraid I only managed about 45 minutes in the driver's seat before I had to turn the wheel over to her. The remainder of the trip home was divided about evenly between horrible nausea and impressive loopiness (once we'd gotten some Dramamine in me). All the same, it was a a good trip, once we'd fixed the nausea. We even stopped at Crater Lake in hopes of seeing some green there, but it was still cold enough that snow covered everything.
Eden coming down turned out to be a wonderful, or at least absolutely necessary. I'm afraid I only managed about 45 minutes in the driver's seat before I had to turn the wheel over to her. The remainder of the trip home was divided about evenly between horrible nausea and impressive loopiness (once we'd gotten some Dramamine in me). All the same, it was a a good trip, once we'd fixed the nausea. We even stopped at Crater Lake in hopes of seeing some green there, but it was still cold enough that snow covered everything.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-07
Well, today's A&P final seemed to go pretty well - at the least, it felt like I had a good answer for everything. Honestly, it wasn't as big of a stress point as I had thought it would be.
I did have a nice little stress chain earlier in the day, however. Given how bad my migraines have been getting, I've been logging my blood pressure and such on an hourly basis. Today's episode of massive dizziness and pain happened to coincide with some pretty concerning numbers and an irregular heartbeat. Given that, Eden and I decided to get over to student health ASAP. As it turns out, the RN basically said that logging such things incurred more trouble than it was worth and not to worry. Hard to do so, but whatever.
Regardless, we had a great afternoon, after I was done with my test. We spent most of the afternoon just lying together looking up at the trees in the forest and talking. The temperature was just right for doing nothing, pleasantly.
We finished up our last evening in Klamath with a dinner with Abe and Nichole at Sergio's and a couple of rounds of Munchin Cthulu - a great way to finish up.
I did have a nice little stress chain earlier in the day, however. Given how bad my migraines have been getting, I've been logging my blood pressure and such on an hourly basis. Today's episode of massive dizziness and pain happened to coincide with some pretty concerning numbers and an irregular heartbeat. Given that, Eden and I decided to get over to student health ASAP. As it turns out, the RN basically said that logging such things incurred more trouble than it was worth and not to worry. Hard to do so, but whatever.
Regardless, we had a great afternoon, after I was done with my test. We spent most of the afternoon just lying together looking up at the trees in the forest and talking. The temperature was just right for doing nothing, pleasantly.
We finished up our last evening in Klamath with a dinner with Abe and Nichole at Sergio's and a couple of rounds of Munchin Cthulu - a great way to finish up.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-06
Just got my A&P lab final grade back - 104%! (All questions right, including the two extra credit) - despite migraine issues, it was a great day. Study sessions for both A&P and Chemistry seemed to go well, with a very good portion of the material seeming familiar. Eden arrived late in the evening, in preparation for driving me back home once things are done - with migraine issues occupying an unprecedented amount of my time lately, it just seems safer to have a coherent driver on hand. Plus, it's just fabulous to see her.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-05
Yipes. I spent most of the day laid out on the floor, using Clyde as a bit of an anchor to reality. Epic levels of dizziness. Fortunately, no one else had to endure my misery - the house was essentially empty all day, with everyone off studying for finals and Abe and Nichole in Medford for a friend's graduation.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-04
Grr... every time I think the docs have gotten a handle on my migraines, my body proves me wrong. Cycles are getting faster (about one week on, 2-3 days off) and less intense overall (though I'm getting pulses of overwhelming intensity), but this means I'm due to still be mid-cycle when finals hit. Not good.
Final cleanup of the dorm room in preparation for the move out was rather incredibly difficult under these conditions. I have to say that cleaning bathrooms while already seconds away from throwing up is NOT FUN.
Final cleanup of the dorm room in preparation for the move out was rather incredibly difficult under these conditions. I have to say that cleaning bathrooms while already seconds away from throwing up is NOT FUN.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-03
Last chem lab of the term today - the whole thing was a farce, really. The instructor did the relevant experiments at the front of the room and just gave us the answers... felt more like she was covering her rear than us learning anything. Ah well, it's all done with now.
I did get a chance to try shooting Clyde with the umbrella flash, but I'm afraid it didn't work out too well - too many distractions. Guess I'll just have to try again later.
I did get a chance to try shooting Clyde with the umbrella flash, but I'm afraid it didn't work out too well - too many distractions. Guess I'll just have to try again later.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-02
My teachers are teasing me. My current chemistry grade is 80.0% and my anatomy is 78.3%, which means that attaining a B (or keeping it) in both classes is technically feasible, though terribly unlikely (my comprehension feels lacking, lately). Both classes are among the core classes that will be looked at for MIT, which means that I'll be killing myself over the next week or so amid migraines and other stresses.
On the plus side, today was Nichole's birthday, which means that I spent the evening playing DD while she gathered free drinks from the local pubs. We finally ended up at the pool hall at the Epicenter bowling alley, just talking and shooting pool. Overall, it was a pleasantly calm way to celebrate.
On the plus side, today was Nichole's birthday, which means that I spent the evening playing DD while she gathered free drinks from the local pubs. We finally ended up at the pool hall at the Epicenter bowling alley, just talking and shooting pool. Overall, it was a pleasantly calm way to celebrate.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-06-01
Well, the day started out fairly well - I made it in to Tai Chi, although I must say I regretted the decision a bit. Took my final for the Lab section of Anatomy, which felt like it went well. I even got a chance to see the new "Kick Ass" movie with Abe and Nichole as a way to blow off steam, which I enjoyed a fair bit.
Unfortunately, things took a rather horrible turn shortly after midnight; Eden called me because one of our cats, Luna, had just passed away. She went quietly, and, as nearly as we can tell, without pain, but it's not something we were expecting at all. We're both pretty darn messed up by it, but I have to say, Suzanne really helped Eden hold together, once I managed to talk her into waking her mother up.
Unfortunately, things took a rather horrible turn shortly after midnight; Eden called me because one of our cats, Luna, had just passed away. She went quietly, and, as nearly as we can tell, without pain, but it's not something we were expecting at all. We're both pretty darn messed up by it, but I have to say, Suzanne really helped Eden hold together, once I managed to talk her into waking her mother up.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-31
Today was Abe's 23rd birthday, which meant that we spent the evening at Rooster's steak house in town, with everyone dressing up to meet the fancy standards. Good food there, if a bit spendy for Kfalls - I'm afraid my squiggly stomach didn't let me finish much at the restaurant, though I enjoyed what I had. I even got the opportunity to take a few semi-formal shots before everyone ditched the monkey suits.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-30
It's funny how casual conversation can lead to surprising discoveries. Today I learned that Alissa has a very decent eye for photography - she's had an incredible (and tasteful) nude self portrait hanging on Cooper's wall for some time now, apparently. I wish I could share it with you here, but it's not my work and it's actually film - I'll be interested to see what she can do with digital, though I probably won't get a chance to work with her until next fall, as she's heading back to California soon and I'll be off to Vancouver shortly as well.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-29
Yep, when you're in Klamath Falls, there aren't many places to go to get away. Thus, we decided to head back to Medford with Alissa and Cooper. As it turns out, this was a rather cruddy idea on my part; I really should have stayed home, as dizziness transitioned to horrible nausea about a half hour out of town. I'm afraid I was purely miserable most of the time. Ah well, it still got me out of the house.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-28
Kind of down for the count at the moment, insofar as being able to drive anywhere - my head seems to find the most inopportune moments to betray me, which has ended up meaning that I've been leaning on Abe and Nichole to get out of the house. Today that meant good things, as we ended up visiting with some Dalmatian puppies that were for sale and I got to hang out with the Vet's office cat, Oscar, while Abe and Nichole consulted with the vet. Honestly, an office cat is an awfully good indication that your vet is the right kind of people, in my humble opinion.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-27
And now we're back to dizzy as heck... which I guess means that the new beta blockers are doing some good, in theory - can't stand up without wanting to fall over from the low blood pressure. I really, really can't wait to get used to these.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-26
It seems like the term is winding down quicker than ever, and yet I still can't wait to be done. Media production in particular is racing to a close - we're down to two sessions left and the instructor has only just now figured out what he wants us to do for a final project; contributions to updating the school's welcome video (that none of us had seen outside of class). I'm not sure what kind of help we'll be able to be, but it's interesting nonetheless.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-25
Good day in lab today; only missed one question out of 15, which I'm rather proud of. I also managed to have a good fifteen minute conversation with Sean, the resident ghost at the house. Turns out that he's a bit into photography as well, although a bit out of practice. Interesting to finally have a bit of context for him.
Discussions with student health have merited the introduction of new meds as well; a beta blocker this time. We'll see if it helps - I darn well hope so.
Discussions with student health have merited the introduction of new meds as well; a beta blocker this time. We'll see if it helps - I darn well hope so.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-24
The household and associated friends finally got around to going bowling this evening, which we've been meaning to do for over a month. It was rather a lot of fun, to be honest, and I ended up with one of the top scores. I'm afraid Cooper's girlfriend, Alissa, edged me out on both rounds. Still, not bad at all for having yearlong gaps between games.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-23
Well, we made it back from Medford without issue, but the rest of the day was a bit of a waste, due to devastating dizziness. I have managed to glom on to a bit of a coping strategy, at least. It turns out that my tendency to project can work for me a bit, in this situation - massaging a friend or a pet lets me get out of my head, some.
I wish it worked more for the pain and nausea, but as far as dizziness goes, it's worth the effort to disassociate from a malfunctioning body. Apparently it leads to mighty interesting conversations, as well, according to Nichole - I'm afraid I don't remember much of the content, but apparently I led her through the entirety of my three years with Jessie while lying flat out on the floor.
I wish it worked more for the pain and nausea, but as far as dizziness goes, it's worth the effort to disassociate from a malfunctioning body. Apparently it leads to mighty interesting conversations, as well, according to Nichole - I'm afraid I don't remember much of the content, but apparently I led her through the entirety of my three years with Jessie while lying flat out on the floor.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-22
Wow. Just wow. It's been a hell of a crazy day. Abe, Nichole, and I decided to head over to Medford for a piercing she's been waiting on for a while and to see about getting some supplies from Costco for the summer before my Costco card returns north with me.
Naturally, we decided to take my car as it was (supposedly) in the best shape, having just been serviced. The damn thing started steaming and overheating 33 miles out of town, right in the middle of the snowy pass. We waited almost two hours for triple A to come along and drag us back into town. Of course we had them take us back to Turn Thomb to confront them about sending us out in a defective and potentially dangerous vehicle.
As it turns out, the mechanic that serviced the car did see that the serpentine belt was falling apart, but didn't bother to mention it and didn't bother doing an inspection (as was part of the advertised service!)
We ended up getting out of there with a blinding headache and getting comped on the labor of installing a new belt. Seriously unsat service, but I wasn't in any place to deal with the useless people there appropriately.
After all that drama, we decided not to let it screw up our day, so we headed for Medford in Nichole's car, which made the trip without issue or complaint. Unfortunately, once we got to the piercer's, our day turned sour again. I was actually quite impressed with the guy, who had been through training as a coroner at OIT and OHSU, and was quite well spoken. As it turns out, Nichole is one of the 5% of the population that isn't built for the piercing she had in mind (flesh is too thin in that spot; he could have done it, but it would have just ended up slicing through in a few months). Lotsa disappointment there.
Off to Indian food and Costco to finish off the day, then we headed back across the pass... or tried to. Turns out that fog and snow had descended in our absence, making the pass impassable. So much for that - we landed back in Medford at the Travelodge and pretty much just bedded down. Better days tomorrow.
Naturally, we decided to take my car as it was (supposedly) in the best shape, having just been serviced. The damn thing started steaming and overheating 33 miles out of town, right in the middle of the snowy pass. We waited almost two hours for triple A to come along and drag us back into town. Of course we had them take us back to Turn Thomb to confront them about sending us out in a defective and potentially dangerous vehicle.
As it turns out, the mechanic that serviced the car did see that the serpentine belt was falling apart, but didn't bother to mention it and didn't bother doing an inspection (as was part of the advertised service!)
We ended up getting out of there with a blinding headache and getting comped on the labor of installing a new belt. Seriously unsat service, but I wasn't in any place to deal with the useless people there appropriately.
After all that drama, we decided not to let it screw up our day, so we headed for Medford in Nichole's car, which made the trip without issue or complaint. Unfortunately, once we got to the piercer's, our day turned sour again. I was actually quite impressed with the guy, who had been through training as a coroner at OIT and OHSU, and was quite well spoken. As it turns out, Nichole is one of the 5% of the population that isn't built for the piercing she had in mind (flesh is too thin in that spot; he could have done it, but it would have just ended up slicing through in a few months). Lotsa disappointment there.
Off to Indian food and Costco to finish off the day, then we headed back across the pass... or tried to. Turns out that fog and snow had descended in our absence, making the pass impassable. So much for that - we landed back in Medford at the Travelodge and pretty much just bedded down. Better days tomorrow.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-21
Another $150 dent in my pocket to get the oil seal fixed, but at least everything should be handled, now. So much for having a bit of a buffer in the bank. Sheesh.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-20
And we're back to cruddy migraine stuff. My blood pressure numbers may be better on paper, but it doesn't seem to be helping at all with the pain and peripheral issues. Not happy about this, but at least I have a follow up appointment next week to see about working things out.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-19
It's never a good thing when the mechanic says "that's really cool!" I took the car in to Turn Thomb Tire Factory to see about getting the thing repaired, and in the process ended up having them take a swing at figuring out why I've been leaving slow dripping oil slicks around.
The tire was a complete loss; apparently the steel belt started coming through the rubber due to the tire itself rubbing against the wheel well; it'd been a bit off balance for a while. As to the oil issue, apparently this is due to a faulty seal that isn't that big a deal on it's own, as it's not in a position to leak when parked. The oil flow is due to the oil being drawn up from air flow and spraying across the interior of the hood.
I ended up leaving the car at the shop all afternoon to get things done; unfortunately this ended up meaning walking back to Abe and Nichole's, since I'd loaned my phone to Abe earlier in the day due to issues with his own.
Bottom line, they were able to change out my tires for new and realign everything, but will have to wait for Friday to fix the valve bit. Damage so far: $432. Ouch.
The tire was a complete loss; apparently the steel belt started coming through the rubber due to the tire itself rubbing against the wheel well; it'd been a bit off balance for a while. As to the oil issue, apparently this is due to a faulty seal that isn't that big a deal on it's own, as it's not in a position to leak when parked. The oil flow is due to the oil being drawn up from air flow and spraying across the interior of the hood.
I ended up leaving the car at the shop all afternoon to get things done; unfortunately this ended up meaning walking back to Abe and Nichole's, since I'd loaned my phone to Abe earlier in the day due to issues with his own.
Bottom line, they were able to change out my tires for new and realign everything, but will have to wait for Friday to fix the valve bit. Damage so far: $432. Ouch.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-18
I'm afraid I didn't make it in to Tai Chi this morning, again... this migraine crap is just killing me trying to stand up, half the time, and many of the positions the instructor is putting us through end up making me stand up entirely too fast; I've had to use the wall a few times just to avoid falling down.
Honestly, the day was rough enough that I didn't manage to even think about picking up the camera until late at night.
Honestly, the day was rough enough that I didn't manage to even think about picking up the camera until late at night.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-17
Discovering that you have a flat tire is never a good thing; this is what I woke up to this morning. Add to that the fact that the wheel well for my spare tire apparently has a selective leak of some sort - there's a ton of standing rusty water in there, but the trunk compartment above it is perfectly dry. Fortunately, Abe and I were set to leave the house early, so walking in actually managed to put us in class on time. I guess the good thing is that it wasn't raining on the way in.
Migraine intensity didn't leave much room for interesting events until later in the evening, but we did get a few good hands of poker in before the night closed.
Migraine intensity didn't leave much room for interesting events until later in the evening, but we did get a few good hands of poker in before the night closed.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-16
Monster pizza party!!! I made fresh pizza for everyone in the house tonight, but I'm afraid I failed to recall exactly how much this particular recipie expands in the oven - we ended up with some pretty scary big slabs of deliciousness before the night was through. Totally worth it, though.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-15
Given that calling Eden early was not an option, I took Cooper up on an offer to accompany him for a balloon launch that his club was participating in - I wasn't aware of it prior to this point, but he's involved in the NASA Edge of Space grant for OIT - pretty cool stuff. Unfortunately, helping him out meant a lot of keeping track of the balloon transponder, gps, and roads simultaneously at speed, a prospect that did not sit well with my stomach at all, due to the constantly changing depth of field.
Regardless, they managed to track things down all right, and I got a chance to get a hold of Eden once we were back in signal range and sort things out a bit from last night. We're ok, for now, and I was in stable enough spirits to be sure to grab a few pictures of the Sasquatch we saw along the road for Eden's step-father, Jon - I think he'll get a kick out of it.
Regardless, they managed to track things down all right, and I got a chance to get a hold of Eden once we were back in signal range and sort things out a bit from last night. We're ok, for now, and I was in stable enough spirits to be sure to grab a few pictures of the Sasquatch we saw along the road for Eden's step-father, Jon - I think he'll get a kick out of it.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-14
Today started out pretty good; no chemistry in the morning since the teacher is out and her sub wasn't going to be around, so I went down to the southern wildlife preserve here to shoot for a few hours - darn nice way to start out a Friday.
Dinner was good too, with Abe and Nichole taking the helm and making some pretty tasty Fajitas. We definitely need to get a bit more organized about arranging who is doing what for meals, but it's a pattern with potential.
Unfortunately, the evening ended quite poorly - I'm not even sure how things started, but Eden and I had some harsh words that got intense enough to shake things up pretty bad. I don't really know where things are going to land, with that. Guess I have no choice but to find out in the morning.
Dinner was good too, with Abe and Nichole taking the helm and making some pretty tasty Fajitas. We definitely need to get a bit more organized about arranging who is doing what for meals, but it's a pattern with potential.
Unfortunately, the evening ended quite poorly - I'm not even sure how things started, but Eden and I had some harsh words that got intense enough to shake things up pretty bad. I don't really know where things are going to land, with that. Guess I have no choice but to find out in the morning.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-13
I've got to say, I'm a little squiggly at the moment. Cooper and Alissa made dinner tonight; a goat-based lasagna. Not too bad tasting for having that title, but it's not sitting well. Don't know that I'll be trying it again.
On the other hand, his mom's home brewed blackberry wine is pretty fine.
On the other hand, his mom's home brewed blackberry wine is pretty fine.
Daily Post (Josh) 2010-05-12
Pretty good day today, for all that the building fire alarm decided to go off while I was at the dorm packing. Relatively little pain, before that point, but it darn near took my head off at the time - very hard to hold things together enough to get out the door when your vision is going sparkly and your legs don't seem to want to work quite right.
Regardless, intensity feel back to semi-manageable pretty soon thereafter, and I did get a slight mood elevator in A&P lecture today; made 80% on today's quiz, so it looks like the recent policy of simply closing my laptop during A&P is paying off to some extent - at least some of what she wants us to pay attention to is sticking, it seems.
Regardless, intensity feel back to semi-manageable pretty soon thereafter, and I did get a slight mood elevator in A&P lecture today; made 80% on today's quiz, so it looks like the recent policy of simply closing my laptop during A&P is paying off to some extent - at least some of what she wants us to pay attention to is sticking, it seems.
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