the good, the bad, and the ugly

This week has been CRAZY!

Luckily, I have been blessed with not only some bad and ugly moments,

but also some very good ones...

1. I find out that I have contact lens keratitis...aka, my cornea cells have been dying, and I am banned from contacts until they heal.  Unfortunately, there is NO prescription to correct my vision so I have been half-blind for the start of #2.

2.  School is back in session! This is a beautiful and a stressful thing.  Not being able to see the board adds to the stress factor, but I am also excited because I know that once I get back into the swing of things, I will feel more capable and more on top of current issues and knowledge...and THAT is a wonderful feeling!  I did my first reading assignment last night and actually really enjoyed the refresher!

3.  I just got some really great news that means I'm one step closer to finding a medical school, getting experience, and becoming, one blissful day, a doctor! This new news, however, means that...

4.  I have to start really cracking down on re-learning/learning current healthcare news.  I am more into the philosophy and practice of medicine...not so much the politics and guidelines.  Luckily, I have a very smart and very politically-conscious friend who I'm hoping will share some wisdom!

5.  Last but certainly not least, my wonderful and astoundingly talented husband is turning 24 tomorrow! This means lots of celebrating...including the eating of mucho sushi.  Yum.  After church tonight, I'm focusing on fun and friends with the hubby!  Then, come Monday, it's back to the books.  But for now, I just get to enjoy some good times with the most amazing man I have ever met or been blessed to spend time with!  Love you, Mikey! Happy birthday!!!

Holy Hodgepodge, Batman!

{one}

Sonic has the best sodas...ever.

They are my saving grace on days when I need an extra dose of caffeine.

And the ice is SO GOOD...a soda connoisseur such as myself would know.

Thank you, Route 44 coke, for being you.

{two}

Who knew you could develop deformed corneas in such a short time period?

My trip to the eye doctor revealed that I have...

severe corneal decompensation.

My cornea cells have been dying, so I have giant cells trying to cover the area of 4-6 normal cells.

Apparently, this is not good.

I have an appointment with a corneal specialist this afternoon.

I am a little nervous, but trying to stay calm and just wait for a more definitive analysis.

Prayers would be most welcome!!

{three}

Toyota has wifi.  Thank goodness.

Otherwise, I would not be able to post this lovely miscellany as I wait for my car

to get it's oil changed.

That also means I can be productive while I wait,

so it does not seem so bad.  This is awesome!

{four}

I have to thank Carissa, who hosts Miscellany Monday,

for my awesome necklace that I won in her giveaway!!

The results were announced in her miscellany today,

along with some other lovely tidbits.  Take a look!

what's new with you?

Getting to Know You Sunday

1. If you could host a Reality TV show, which one would it be?  Probably What Not to Wear! I'm not a huge reality TV person, but I really like seeing the transformations on that show.  And I love how they encourage people to be themselves, but to dress for success! :)


2. Do you put your seatbelt on before or after you start the car?  Almost always before.  I am always getting on Mikey about putting the car in drive or reverse before he's buckled up...safety first, everyone!

3. Shave or hair removal cream?  I've used both, but usually shaving...it is cheaper and requires less effort to prepare.


4. What's your favorite feature in a house?  Windows! I love having the windows open...watching the sun start streaming in, seeing my pup Oliver snuggled up in the sun, and watching storms from the safety of my living room!

5. What is your favorite "Fall" scent?  I really like cinnamon and vanilla...yum.

6. What tv show are you looking forward to seeing the most this Fall??  I'm excited for the return of Bones and Criminal Minds, but I never keep up with seasons...I just wait for them to show up on my tivo! haha

7. Personal Shopper or Personal Chef?  chef....DEFINITELY.  Clothes are lovely, but not nearly as important as good food!

8. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of "Fall"?  chilly...but in a good way.  like a "we get to snuggle up on the couch under a blanket with hot chocolate" kind of chilly.

why I love august

I am so excited for the rest of August because:


1.  School starts back, which means


     a) A more structured schedule! hallelujah!  I am a very orderly person, and this fluctuating schedule 
     over the summer has left me feeling a bit aimless.


     b) Something more productive to do with my time!  I have really enjoyed Chick-Fil-A and 
     will continue to work there (for fewer hours) when school starts back, but I love me some mental 
     stimulation...and chicken doesn't quite cut it.


     c) It's my LAST semester of undergrad, so starting this campaign to conquer this last bit of my degree
     feels like it will be so rewarding.  Plus, I only have cool classes left for this semester :)

2.  I finally made an eye appointment to have a doctor check out my blurry left eye.  About a month and
a half ago, I woke up only to find my left eye totally blurry.  Changing contacts hasn't helped.  Wearing
glasses hasn't helped.  A doctor I'm shadowing says my left retina is cloudy and suggested I go to an
opthamologist, which I am now finally doing! wooho!  Let's hope he has the cure.  Being half-blind is
the pits.

3.  Mikey and I start our married small group/class together! I love doing any sort of Bible Study with
my awesome hubs.  The fact that this class is taught by some great people and I've heard it's absolutely,
fabulously helpful and encouraging only adds to my excitement.

4.  I get to start volunteering at the Dream Center Medical Clinic again! My schedule has been too rocky to volunteer
 for the past month or so, and this Thursday evening will be my first time back in far, far too
long.  Plus, I have the beautiful stethoscope my Dad got me for my bday to brandish for the first time.

5.  The end of August means that September is right around the corner, and everybody knows, Fall is 
the best season!  I love the weather and the clothes.  Everything feels so clean and fresh.  And SC is not
as blisteringly hot. Aaaaaaah....I can feel myself relaxing already!

Happy August, everyone!

New York state of mind

New York was so great! Although our flight was delayed until Friday morning (EARLY!) due to inclement weather in NYC, Mom and I packed so much into this weekend trip!  Not only was the sight-seeing wonderful, but it was also some great mother-daughter time.

Day 1:
Fly out of Charleston at 5:30 am.  Arrive in NYC at 10:00 am.
Check into hotel. Corner room right on Times Square!
Walk about two miles to Central Park, exploring various awesome places (like the Rockefeller center and Saks Fifth Ave) along the way.
Wander through the Met seeing tons of amazing and old art!
Get discount tickets for the broadway musical "A Little Night Music"
Eat dinner at a great Italian restaurant, Carmine's.
Head to the show.
SLEEP.

Day 2:
Take the subway (first time!) to SOHO, then walk to Little Italy and China Town.
So cool.
Eat brunch at a small hole-in-the-wall cafe.
Go to Ground Zero and Wall Street.
Go to the Empire State building and see all the Macy's windows.
Visit Grand Central Station...gorgeous!
Eat some delicious sweets at Magnolia Bakery.
Get discount tickets to the broadway show "Love Loss and What I Wore"
Eat dinner at this adorable Cuban restaurant, Victor's.
Blush from embarrassment when the waiters sing Happy Birthday to me :)
See the show.
SLEEP.

Day 3:
Go see the Waldorf Astoria...a beautiful and historic hotel.
Eat brunch.
Go to NYC Church, and then leave during announcements because the music was an hour! :) but so good.
Catch a cab to the airport, and fly HOME!
Snuggle up with the hubs on the sofa watching movies and eating ravioli at home :)

long time, no blog.

Sorry about the long absence.  I have been so insanely busy at the end of this summer...starting a new job, traveling a bit, working my old jobs, volunteering, church, getting ready for the semester that's about to begin. Whew.  I've been exhausted.  Sadly, far too exhausted for blogging.  


BUT every so often I have gotten on to check out some of your posts!  And even if I didn't get a chance to comment, I really enjoyed keeping up with blog-world a bit.


Anyway, all of that to say, my absence will likely be extended a bit longer because I'm GOING TO NEW YORK CITY! My mom and I are flying out tonight, and we will be having a girls' weekend in NYC for my birthday and hers.  I will be taking TONS of pictures, so I'll definitely be sharing some of them with you on my return...and probably some of my favorite places to visit and things to do. We are planning on a full weekend of exploration and fun!  See you then!

accent confession!

It's my first time joining in with Windy Poplar's "Confessions Week!"

Just click the button above and you can join in, too!

Todays confessions are about accents and quirks in how we speak.

Here goes nothin'!

I tend to speak very formally in my normal life.  Apart from making up words to describe my feelings to Mikey on overwhelming days, I basically live by grammatical rules.  In fact, it often gets me in trouble with friends who think I've gone mad based on my vocabulary or too-formal wording in very non-formal settings, like game nights and hangouts.

I think I've unconsciously adapted to this realization (that the way I speak can come across as overwhelmingly correct to others), because I definitely slip into a southern, laid-back speech pattern when I'm trying to sound friendly.  I don't mean to do this.  Honestly.  But my "yall" count flares up to unseen heights when I am talking to someone I don't know very well.  I also tend to say less formal words and abbreviations for real words.  It is as if I suddenly revert back to second grade in upstate South Carolina, without realizing it until some unfamiliar sounding things come out of my mouth!

So what about you? Any accent confessions you'd like to chime in?

monday miscellany

[one] 

Does anyone else ALWAYS forget to give their dog medicine?

I hope this isn't an accurate prediction of how I'll be with my future kids meds.

Every month, I struggle to remember to give Oliver his flea and heartworm prevention.

But today, I was victorious! (and only one day late)

[two]

I don't know what's been in the water at our house, but I like it!

Even with all of the craziness going on in our home lately, 

Mikey and I have been able to steal away a little bit of time every day to spend together,

just the two of us.

If anyone is familiar with the five love languages, I'll share now that mine is

QUALITY TIME!

So my husband's sweet concern lately for our time together

is making me dig him even more :)

[three]

If you, like me, are in great need of some shorts,

check out Target!

I am not a target groupy like many people, but I like to take a look-see there every now and then.

To my great delight, my last visit yielded a great pair of shorts!

Mid-thigh--not too short or two long for this 5'2" girl.

And not too tight or too loose.

As a goldilocks in 2010, I must say, "they are juuust right!"

[four]

If you haven't read David Platt's book Radical, do so!

I officially finished it yesterday, and it was amazing!

It was great because, not only was it well written,

but what it was written ABOUT was so convicting and motivating:

*giving your whole life over to honoring God, not just basking in the grace of Jesus

*taking charge in changing the world for God's glory!

*being willing to sacrifice in order to give, not just giving out of leftovers

There is so much I am praying about and changing in my life right now.

I highly, highly recommend this great read!

[five]

Rabun is back from Uganda!

One of my best friends is back from working in a medical clinic in Uganda this summer.

She has pictures on her facebook, and I stole two to share with you.

Her stories from her blog are so touching and inspiring!

Check it out!

[five]

Blogging is far too addictive, and might just make me a little late to work today!

Sianara, Sisters!

Hope everyone else enjoys even more miscellany this Monday!

10 things i love about rain

10.  If you're home, it's the perfect excuse to snuggle up on the couch for a movie or book!

9.  If you're working, it makes you feel happier that you're being productive because you aren't wasting a perfect beach day.

8.  It sounds like applause on your windows and roof...you get a standing ovation every storm.

7.  You can go outside to dance and sing without people thinking you've gone absolutely mad...maybe a little, but not absolutely.

6.  It gives you an excuse to wear cute rain-boots!

5.  It keeps everything cooler in the summertime...a definite bonus!

4.  Rain = I don't have to feel bad about forgetting to water my flowers today

3.  You get a free car wash, as long as you avoid any mud or flying debris :)

2.  Rainstorms are the perfect times to bust out some cookie dough and maybe a board game or two!

1. Rainbows.  Enough said.

Whether it is sunny or raining in your neck of the woods,

I hope you have an awesome Sunday!