Hello Kansas City!

Today was the day! I started my first internship at Mercy Children's Hospital in Kansas City...

I left my parents home yesterday around 10am. My mother, being the woman she is, insisted we switch cars for the duration. So, we did. I loaded my 'stuff' in the back of her tiny Toyota Corolla, and headed out. I've never stopped so many times on a road-trip in my life--five times! The usual casualities were suspect...potty, gas, potty, caffine. Finally, around 4pm I pulled into KC.

Big-Raig (I don't use real names) popped out of the house to help haul in my 'crap'. Then, it was off to find the clinic :o) Birdie took me way across town to where my internship will be. She then headed to a meeting, and I ventured back to the house by myself. I made it all of the way without using Birdies GPS--Go Mag!

This morning I arrived to the clinic a good half-hour early; totally in-character for most SLP's around the world. I introduced myself to my supervisor and her cronies at CMH-South. We only saw four clients today; just enough to get my feet wet. Tomorrow we have an eval scheduled. My supervisor, "It seems like you've had plenty of experience giving tests...you've got this." I had no idea what she meant. Turns out I get to administer all of the tests...wow! I hope they don't laugh...I hope I don't laugh.

Ok Uncle B, I hope this entry is more appealing to you. I tried to keep the complaints to a minimum; sorry about the random details, but I can't help it :o) For those of you who'd like to know...my uncle got on me at Christmas about how whiney my entries are. I'll try for a more upbeat attitude from now on :o)

XOXOXOXO

PS-I meant to post this Monday evening...sorry!

So here we are...the last day of school. JamFla and I dressed in our holiday-garb--hats 'n all! One more final to go, and we're done. Our futures couldn't be more different--just like the rest of the areas of our lives. but at this moment, we share each other's company giggling and commenting on the randomness that has been the last four years. Thanks for the memories :o)

Really?!

OK, so I was getting out of my car this evening to hop into work for five minutes and I had a complete "Maggie Moment." I was going to close my car door while singing Cop Stop by Gavin DeGraw at the top of my lungs (yes, I was in public at 4:25 pm in the Price Lab parking lot). It's a great song, though--it was at the rental car part :o) As it happened, my hand completely missed my door, but my wrist got it...GOOD! I stood there flapping my hand with an enormous smile plastered on my face to keep from saying a bad-word. 

Yes folks, that's right, I'm a complete dum-dum. In fact, I definitely did some internal damage. It's getting increasingly more difficult to type as I'm writing this entry. Bugh...

So, here's to all of those people who find themselves constantly having "(Insert name here) Moments." You're not alone :o)

Cheers!

Roots

Last night was the first time thinking about the 'end' didn't make me gag from a deep uneasy feeling. No worries. No worries about the preschool, no worries about the final case summaries and exam reports nipping at my backside, no worries about research, and no worries about the looming black cloud that seems to follow my friends and family. I was completely at peace with the world. Then it hit me....the people who have been my rock for the last three years won't be around everyday to force a laugh or be completely inappropriate with. Here comes the lump...

For three years I've watched these banquets and enjoyed watching the students and instructors interacting with a mutual appreciation of the time spent together. This was our year. I feel exceptionally blessed...

I wasn't one of those girls whose grad-application was tossed into the "Yes" pile automatically. In fact, I was wait-listed. At that point in my life, the thought of changing schools, again, hit me hard. Since the age of thirteen I hadn't attended the same school for more than two years. It became routine; change schools, change friends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the new experiences and people I met. It was just that I had come to admire the faculty and staff at UNI--for the first time in a while I WANTED to stay where I was. 

After the spring banquet that year (2007) I got very emotional and spilled my guts to Hags about being wait-listed. After ten minutes of sobbing he looked me in the eye and told me he had a feeling about me...I had no idea what he meant at the time. Last night it was clear. As we stood there shoulder to shoulder in Jokers balcony he brought up that night and what he'd told me. He laughed with that little grin and said, "I told you." I didn't know what to think. From the beginning Dr. H saw something in me that I hadn't seen in myself. 

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.  ~Pauline R. Kezer

It took two years of extreme stress and support from the people around me to understand that I've got it--I've got what it takes. As I prepare to pack up my life and head out to create change I want to take a second to thank those people who have helped me succumb to this idea. You know who you are...Thank you!

Howl at the Moon

While in Chicago a few of us decided the fondu restaurant everyone else was going to was too expensive. T-ly decided we'd just set out and discover a place to go on our own...ha. We walked block-after-block and found nothing. The walking didn't bother me any, nor did the cold; I guess I'm used to it. Finally after no luck and walking about 2-miles in downtown Chicago we decided to stop into a little pizza place off Michigan Ave to warm up and get a plan. 

The waitress hadn't even been to our table when T-ly got a call from her sister telling about a place sort of close by she thought we'd like. We headed out the door, and caught a cab.

We walked into a dark-looking place called Howl at the Moon. It was early (we hadn't had dinner yet). We entered the piano bar and saw two grand-pianos facing each other. The men behind the pianos were playing and singing. I wasn't completely sold at the idea.

We found a very small table; crowded by a table of seven drunken nurses. It was early. The nurses were already half-under-the-table. We ordered drinks, and got comfortable for the show. Not long after that we were told to stand for some ridiculous song that the crowd was supposed to join-in on--blah. I hate that stuff. Again, this was not a selling point for me. 

We ended up staying a long time. The pianists rotated through. They took all kinds of requests, and did a good job. Finally, they played a Tom Petty song (I had request TP be played about an hour before--their choice). My favorite TP song was played--"American Girl." The man playing was a guy that had caught my eye prior to him playing. He was wearing a white blue-striped collared shirt with a Stones t-shirt under it. The first song he played was Carrie Underwood "Before He Cheats." I thought he was going to die before he finished the song; good thing he didn't. Throughout the night I caught myself making 'googly eyes' at him. 

After spending all of my money on requests and buckets of beer for the girls I remembered one more song I wanted to hear. At this point people were sending up $20 bills with their requests; I thought I'd never get my request in. I got up a little nerve, wrote my request down, and took it up to the cute piano player. I told him I had spend all my money on booz and requests, but there was one more I'd like to hear. He giggled and took my request, "I can do it, " he said.

After five songs, and my pack of friends getting increasingly wasted I figured my song wouldn't be played. The next thing I heard was the whole band start-up, and the guy say, "This song goes out to Maggie May." haha...There was my song. I went up and sat with the cute-guy for a bit. 

It turns out I haven't been able to stop thinking about the guy ever since. I don't know his name, or what he does (besides playing piano). I'd love to say thanks, though. He made my night; my whole trip for that matter.

ASHA Convention-2008

The annual American Speech-Language Hearing Association (AHSA) Convention was held in Chicago this year. Apparently it's our professors prerogative to talk current grad-students into going. I believe it's considered a right-of-passage. This year was no different, except that Chicago is a five hour drive from UNI--a lot of us went.

The drive there was ridiculously long! First of all, my allergies decided to act up half-way there. The rest of the night I was miserable :o/ The ride ended up being almost 8-hours long. I couldn't believe it. Blah...

When we finally arrived we entered J. Lynn's apartment that she was so gracious to offer us for a few days. It was absolutely beautiful! Floor to ceiling windows on a corner apartment in downtown. It was perfect!

The conference wasn't great. The speakers I saw weren't as high-quality as I expected, and the titles of the sessions were very deceiving. The $5 lunches were yummy, though. Over-all, the conference itself was not worth the $180 I paid. The rest of the weekend made up for it, though.

I'm happy to report that the sample video for CNA feeding training is almost complete--I even felt I had a second to take a well-deserved lunch-break :o) T-11 hours until that video needs to be completed. Here's hoping...

Don't worry...I've got it!

For the last three months, my life has consisted of people constantly letting me down. Family, friends, peers, professors...you name it! The different types of let-downs are not important; it's the idea of a let-down that upsets me. 

Most of the time the let-down results in me needing to take care of extra things that otherwise wouldn't have been so difficult. I've come up with an automatic answer to this problem, "Don't worry, I've got it!" Sometimes I wonder if I do 'got it.' Currently I have six projects that need to be finished before the end of the semester--that's not counting the personal things I have added to my plate, AND preparing myself to enter my internships in a month and a half. 

My grandmother has told me from day one of my life that "if you want something done, and done right--do it yourself." I've tried to be less pessimistic than that, but at this point I feel as though her life-long message is correct--looks like I'll just do it myself. Don't worry about it...I got it.

After last night I am PUMPED for ASHA! I don't care what we do or where we go--for the week Chicago is our oyster :o) My goal is to have as much fun as possible and make up for almost a month of staying-in on Friday and Saturday nights :o/

I think I need to go shopping before the trip though...A new outfit always makes a girl feel better; what's wrong with a little retail therapy? It soothes the mind and soul--hopefully won't break the bank. Answer me this:  WILL WE BE GETTING CUTE? I think yes. 

I don't know why my mind is drifting so far into the future...I have a million things to get finished before we leave. Hop to it, Mac!

5, 6, 7, 8, and...

Blog-what?

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing right now. JamFla and Trashley decided I needed a blog since I'm leaving for Naples in a couple of months. I guess it's a good idea. Here's the deal--who's gonna read this? The less people that read it-the better! Here's why...

Right now, all that is running through my mind are the complaints of the week...dysphagia video, a  preschool supervisor, papers, presentations, miscommunications, random phone calls, inconsiderate people, sinus infections...Geez, this list could go on forever. 

I need to get out of Cedar Falls...Iowa...The US!! I cannot wait for my internship...

wow...this was really negative. I'm not usually like this...