Friday, March 26, 2010

Funiculus and Ipsilateral...Just a few of my favorite words

Another week has flown by, and there are just 5 weeks left of the semester. No complaints here for how fast it's going by. I'm ready for summer break and by summer break I mean the month of May. This will be my last somewhat of a summer off before I grow up and get a big girl job. Haha. That is unless I work in schools, which I'm not thinking I will.

The peak of the week (aka hump day aka Wednesday) included a Speech Science test, which equals no buono. And what did I do on it that I always have a tendency to do--changed 3 answers I had correct to wrong ones. This is why I should not go over my test after I finish! At least it's over with, but this means I need to do well on the final. I probably should start studying now! Or well really after my neuro test on Monday. My two hardest classes always have the tests less than a week from each other.

The night before the everdreaded Speech Science. I woke up a little after 4 am, and my brain was just thinking stop plosive--1) stop gap: oropharynx closed + velopharyngeal port closed + glottis open; high tracheal and oropharyngeal pressures; no flow 2) plosive: oropharynx open; pressures=0; transient turbulent flow 3) aspiration: glottis partially abducted; low tracheal pressure; sustained turbulent flow. The same was happening for frication, vowels, and nasals. [side note:Just so you know if you were trying to say Mom but didn't open your velopharyngeal port you would actually say Bob.] I just kept telling my brain to stop, and eventually it did and let me fall back to sleep for a little bit before 6:07 am rolled around.

Last night I began looking over neuro. The first step was getting out my stack of powerpoints and checking with my roommate that I wasn't missing any. This is a step because I do not have binders. Haha. I, however, was not missing anything he handed out in class. There were a few powerpoints he put on the computers that I had to print this morning. The next step was to start typing out information on the powerpoints.

That step isn't very exciting. Well I suppose none of the steps to studying are exciting... At least I came across the word ipsilateral--one of my favorite words. Try saying it 10 times fast. Haha. Same with funiculus. Oh and I prefer semilunar ganglion over calling it trigeminal ganglion. I've gotta find some amusement in the words for neuro, or I don't know how I'd make it through.

Speaking of which...I better get started on neuro for the day...

Oh I forgot to mention my favorite activities I planned for therapy this week. My older ones (kindergardners) made video cameras using posterboard, cheezit/vanilla wafer/sandwich bag boxes, and construction paper. Then they "filmed" each other making the "news" holding microphones. They LOVED it! I just love coming up with creative activities for them.

Ok, protopathic and epicritic somasthesia pathways here I come...

Monday, March 22, 2010

SB 2010 F&LR

So my blog has turned into my countless attempts at keeping a journal...not consistent.

Life the past two and a half weeks has been full of ups and downs, but there's no need to focus on the downs.

SB 2010 F&LR= Spring Break 2010 Fayetteville and Little Rock. I figured since people label trips to Panama City Beach as SB 2010 PCB I could do the same with my destinations...

I had a fabulous spring break in Hog Country. There's something about driving into a town and seeing Razorbacks on every car, hills, and even Lindsay apartments everywhere that makes me smile. I mean I don't know how anyone wouldn't love Fayetteville. I spent my first night in town at two of my favorite places--Hugo's and Willy D's/Fix with my SLP Hogs. We danced our booties off, and we totally started that dance party. Haha! My second day was spent out to lunch with 2 of my favorite girls and then off to the Arkansas-Ole Miss game, which wasn't pretty but at least the company was amazing! My company was 2 more of my favorite girls and they're significant others plus their beautiful offspring! I got to hold the cutest cheerleader and the cutest Hog fan throughout the game. Then it was off to another one of my favorite Faytown locations, Jose's, with more of my favorite peeps. Then we hit up Sideways per request of the boys since they would not go to Speak Easy for old times sake. I can't imagine why! Abby and I could only handle so much fun at Sideways before we decided it was time to leave, and we could not all agree on another bar so we ended up playing Wii bowling. Haha.

Sunday I headed down to Rock town where I had an extremely lazy day. Then Monday I had to attend a funeral of a wonderful lady I'd known pretty much my whole life--Ashley's grandmother. I went over to the neighbor's to see the nursery for the soon to be born baby boy. Monday night was spent with George at Purple Cow and Barnes and Noble. He had never been to Purple Cow! I don't know how that is possible when you are a native Rocker. I'm glad I was able to fix that and show him the best milkshakes! Tuesday was spent walking the base trail at Pinnacle Mountain with Leah. I LOVE Pinnacle! Then we had lunch at our favorite lunch location, Jason's Deli. Then I ran some errands and got dressed up for a night at Cajun's. Wednesday was a pretty lazy day as far as I can remember. I went over to the neighbor's house in the afternoon and to dinner at Cheer's with my parents. The tornado sirens went off for an hour. Thursday was spent at the doctor checking what were swollen lymphnodes in 2006! Yes, almost 4 years ago. I'm switching insurance so he had to resolve what he had written back in May 2006 since I had not gone back... Then it was back up to Faytown.

Thursday night was a nice, quiet night spent having dinner, watching the Razorback basketball team, and playing Skipbo at Abby and Josh's. Friday we had lunch at Rick's Bakery. I just love the free desserts that come with lunches. This time it was chocolate mousse pie. Then I went to Hog Heaven to look for a baby present with no luck but did end up buying myself a hoodie for $8 from the little boy's section. Don't judge. Haha. I also got a $6 baseball shirt. Then I wandered over to the library and had a nice chat with some of the people I used to work with. I had dinner in the Union. I couldn't tell ya the last time I did that...maybe late night junior year? Then it was off to the Gymbacks meet. Then it was time for peppermint patty hot chocolate at Common Grounds. The plans for Saturday had to change because we were not going to sit in the cold, windy, dreary weather to watch the baseball team. Instead Abby and I went to lunch with her mother-in-law and ran errands. We eventually made it to Hugo's for my all time favorite dessert--grasshopper crepes. Then I went over to Kate and Todd's to see them and Logan. Then it was time for game night at Michelle and Josh's. Maggie had on the outfit I gave her. She looked absolutely precious! Game night consisted of Apples to Apples and trivial pursuit. Oh and eating lots of chips and dip and cookies. I left early Sunday morning to get back to reality...

Before I totally came back to reality, I stopped in Little Rock for lunch and to take over a baby present for my neighbor born the Thursday before. Then it was back to Memphis with a night of reality of doing Speech Science homework since I had neglected to do so all week...

Monday came and reality really hit with class from 8:30 to 5:30. Then came clinic Tuesday morning, and I was back in the swing of things feeling like I never even had a break.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Just enJoy your aGe

It's pretty sad when you see or hear words and think that is the phoneme I probed today in therapy. That's what happened to me all day yesterday. I probed the the phoneme for the "j" sound. (This won't let me copy and paste phonemes just like photobooks, and I don't appreciate it one bit!) All day long I kept hearing words with the "j" sound and kept thinking initial, medial, and final. Budget, grudge, jar, edge, pajamas, jelly...It was like the words were surrounding me. *That's why the title of the blog is written emphasizing the "j" sound.

I constantly think about school/clinic related things. For instance, Saturday night when I was at the basketball game I was telling Kelly that the mascots are like a minimal pair because their names are Pouncer and Bouncer. The only difference is voiced and voiceless. Yes, I really am that cool!

Spring break is so close that I can taste it! Our spring break comes earlier than I am accustomed to, but I could not be more happy about the timing! I am ready for a break. Plus this way spring break falls exactly halfway through the semester. This year I'm not going to Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, or Las Vegas for spring break like I have in the past. This time instead I'm going to the Natural State (aka Hog Country), and I cannot wait! I'll venture by way of the lovely I-40W to I-540N stopping in the one and only Faytown this weekend! Then for the week I'll find my way back on I-540 this time going South and then onto I-40E taking an exit to Rocktown. Then it'll be back on I-40W to I-540N for another weekend in my second hometown. I'll stop there. No need to think about what will come next...

The only thing that stands between me and crossing over the mighty Mississippi is finishing my SOAPs and sign language class. Not a bad deal at all. Oh and of course there's the laundry, room cleaning, and packing. Boy, am I glad my clinical supervisor had jury duty this week. Well I mean not because she had jury duty but because that meant no diagnostic today giving me a chance to get ready for this little adventure I will begin tomorrow.