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!