It's snowing!

Haha!  Just kidding!  I live in SET, do you really think it snows here??  However, some friends and family in NWA are getting snow while we get rain, and I just had to vent.  We know some people here in SET who have never seen snow.  Seriously.  They've never seen snow.  I can't imagine now knowing what snow looked like, felt like.  To never sled down a snow covered hill or be in a snowball fight, it's unimaginable.  But my friends in NWA are posting pics of the snow covering their homes, the University campus, etc., and we had torrential downpour of rain.  It makes me laugh driving here in SET, because there are signs that say 'Road may ice when wet'.  It's not iced here in who knows how long.  Hail?  yes.  Flood?  yes.  Hurricane?  yes.  Ice?  not so much.  I guess it's safe to say, I not only miss the snow, but the possibility that it could snow.  

My mom had to go to Branson yesterday for a conference this weekend.  She's in a 4x4 vehicle, and knowing her, she'll get cabin fever and decide to try to make it home.  I think Branson was supposed to get about 4 - 8 inches of snow.  My dad and I both told her that she was to stay put and not try to get home in any rush.  She'll probably relish the extra time she could shop the sales.  Crap, she may never come home!

I talked to my little brother yesterday, too.  He lives in Montana, and said he practically had to walk through a blizzard.  James wears size 3 jeans (womens...don't ask) and is about 100 pounds wet.  I'm surprised he didn't get blown away!  Hopefully he's had enough of the cold and will move back south soon.  

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Most of you know that I'm LDS (or Mormon), and last night, the President of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, passed away.   Gordon B. Hinckley served as President of our church since 1995.  He was 97.  He was an amazing man, a great leader of our church, and I will surely miss his quick wit, humor, and his straightforwardness.  

If you are interested in any information about my beliefs or about the Church in general, you can go here.

Well, Shingles!

That was one of the comments I heard today. I think it would've been 'well, sh#t' if I wouldn't had been in the room. This morning I had some doozies for patients. Asymmetrical hearing losses, falling asleep during testing, yelling because they only had 3 seconds to repeat a word...crazy crap like that. Anyhow, it was a relief when a normal person came in and made my day. He was so kind, and he knew all about the Razorbacks...which always makes me giddy.

Oh! Speaking of the Razorbacks, the other day when Chris and I went to Sam's, we sat down to grab a quick lunch there. As we sit down, we look up and see a woman with a Razorback jacket on, and she and her husband and their children are checking out. I pointed them out to Chris (not b/c we stalk Razorback fans, but b/c it's so rare to see a fan in SET) and then they sit down to eat lunch. I got up to refill our drink, and the husband was filling all of the family's drinks, so I had to ask if he was a Razorback fan. He said 'Yes! Are you?' Of course the answer is obvious, but we continued to chat, and turns out, he used to play football for the UofA. I didn't ask what year or what his name was, but we did chat a brief second about the new coach and what the next season holds. Anyway, it's always great to meet a fellow fan.

A great day with my husband

Chris and I skipped out on church today (I know, we're hethans) and had a great day together.  We slept in this morning, Chris made biscuits and gravy for breakfast.  It was so yummy, especially since it was chilly outside.  We did the laundry, dishes, and got ready for the day.  We had to make a trip to Sam's to pick up some essentials (we enjoy buying in bulk), then we ran over to Target, and then went to go see a movie.  We saw '27 Dresses' and it was great!  Chris and I were the 3rd and 4th people in the theater, and by the time the previews finished rolling, it was packed.  I tried to count how many men came in, and if I counted all of them, there were 6 total...including Chris.  If you haven't seen it yet, do.  I would love to see it again.  

No school tomorrow means Chris and I get another day to spend together.  I think we'll go do some browsing at Ikea.  I'm going to stay in Houston tomorrow night with Celina so I don't have to drive over at the butt crack of dawn on Tuesday.  

We talked about our plans for the move in April/May back home.  If you know me, you know I like to 'make my plan, work my plan' (famous quote by my Grandpa).  Even though we've found a few apartments to live in for the year we're in L.R., we're still keeping our eyes open for a home to rent.  Obviously, we don't want to buy b/c we'll only be in L.R. for the year.  Plus, we have a home in H.S., so we have that to look forward to.  

My white coat ceremony (yes, I get a white coat) is in April.  I'm really looking forward to it, but at the same time I'm nervous that nobody will show.  It's a crazy thought, I'm well aware, but if it were to happen to anyone, it would be me.  I did order my coat, so that's one thing done.  I'm also really looking forward to the family dinner that night at Papadeaux's.  If you are ever near one, eat there (if you like seafood).  Chris and I always share the platter and get a dozen oysters.  They are so delicious!  

Oh!  We drove by the Toyota dealership today, too.  Did you know they brought the Land Cruiser back?  It's $71,000!!!  WTF???  We went to see the new Seqouia (not that we're in the market for a new car, we just enjoy looking), and it's really nice, but I still can't believe the price of that Land Cruiser.  Crazy.

Enjoy your week!

A Proud Sister

My little brother's band, The Good Neighbor Policy (TGNP), had an article about them in the Missoulian (Missoula, Montana's newspaper, where they call home).  Here are a few snippets of it.  If you want to check out the whole thing, you can find it here.  Also, I should tell you that James and Thomas were raised in Arkansas, not Austin, TX...as they lead you to believe, but whatever.  

'The Good Neighbor Policy must be Missoula's best original band."

"...TGNP has become one of the most sought-after acts in the valley..."

"Palmer's fingers are instrumental to TGNP's improvisatory rock, his classical and jazz chops clearly central to the sound, weaving lines and licks that stitch melodic themes through the band's tunes."

James Palmer, my little bro, has been playing piano since he was 5.  He'll be 26 next month.  He was taught for the majority of his piano lessons by an extraordinary teacher.  He is a 5th generation Beethoven student, and it shows.  I guess all those days taking him to his piano lessons and picking him up were well worth it.  

Congratulations, Neighbors.  You deserve it.

2 1/2 years and the first meal.

We've lived in Texas for approximately 2.5 years, and last night was the first dinner we've had that actually felt like home.  A new catfish place opened up about 20 miles north from where we live a few months ago and we pass it every time we go home.  Every time we drive by it, we say 'We should eat there before we move', but every time we have date night (1x/week), we forget about it.  Well...last night was date night and Chris suggested Chili's.  We're driving over to Chili's and I suddenly realized that we've yet to eat at that new catfish place, and suggest it.  Chris agrees and we head that way.  It was SO good!  Chris and I looked at each other and he said it reminded him of the Catfish Hole in Fayetteville.  I completely agreed.  It was down home cooking like we've been waiting for for so long.  Too bad we're moving in 4 months.  

On another note, Chris and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary...twice.  It's a long story that I won't delve into, but I called a re-do, which is why it was celebrated twice.  We went and saw P.S. I Love You.  I started crying 5 minutes in and didn't stop until the credits rolled.  It was a great movie, but by the time we were done, I was an emotional wreck!   

I started school Monday, and as it turned out, it was a complete waste of time.  I don't really know why I prepare, none of the professors do.  One of my professors didn't even show.  At least it's my last semester of class.  Tuesday I got up at 4 a.m. to get ready to go to clinic.  I left at 4:45, stopped to get a kolache and milk and got on the highway towards Houston.  About 35 miles outside of Beaumont, traffic was at a dead stop.  3 lanes of highway and we're all sitting still.  I sat in that traffic for an hour and a half.  A semi going the opposite direction apparently lost control and spilled the contents of the trailer on the road, which then caught on fire.  It was costic acid (I think) and when it burns, it emits a poison.  So a hazmat team was called out and traffic couldn't pass until it was contained.  I made it to clinic at the VA about 10 minutes late, but at least I made it.  I really enjoyed clinic.  Those men have some great stories and it's great to help them, considering all they did for us.  I hope to be able to get some cochlear implant experience, and maybe see some mastoidectomies and cholesteatoma removals.  Oh the life of a ear nerd.

Praxis = Slow Death

This morning was the morning from Haiti.  But let me start from the beginning.  Yesterday, Lindsay (a girl I go to school with) and I left for Houston so we wouldn't have to be up at the butt crack of dawn and drive before our test this morning.  Everything went great.  She picked me up, we typed in our destination on her new GPS and we're off.  We make it to the hotel, check in, leave to go find where we're scheduled to take the test, and then go have dinner.  We come back to the hotel, study and go to bed.  This morning we got up, had breakfast, and got to the test site early.  We are allowed in the test room and the moderator tells us we can break the seal on our test and begin.  I break the seal very carefully, turn to the first question, read it, and realize that I have NO IDEA what the answer is!  My hear stops beating, I begin to sweat, and my stomach drops to the floor.  Not the best way to start off the test, but I dealt with it and reasoned it out, and kept moving.  By the time I'm done with the first six questions, I realize I don't know for sure if ANY of the answers I've put thus far are correct.  So long story short, I'll probably be re-taking that dang test again.  

anniversaries and the va

I know, those two things have absolutely NOTHING in common, but they are sharing this blog.  

Monday I started orientation at the VA in Houston.  It didn't start as planned.  I was running late Monday morning and that threw my whole morning out of whack.  I walked Baxter before I left because Chris left a note stating he wasn't a winner (meaning he didn't do his business), so that was left to me because he would be locked up for 5 hours before the next time he could go out.  No luck.  He dragged ass and just wouldn't do anything.  I walked him for 30 minutes, which was definitely not in the plan.  After that, I rushed around trying to pack the truck and get out.  I finally left the apartment and got about 10 miles down the road, looked down, and realized I didn't have my rings or my watch.  I turned around to go get them because I was staying in Houston with a friend.  And 3 days without your wedding rings just feels weird.  I had to be at the VA at 9:45.  I arrived at 9:15.  After driving around for 30 minutes looking for a parking spot (parking is horrendous) I began to have a emotional breakdown.  I called the person I was supposed to meet to inform her that I was there, I was just looking for a spot still.  I called Chris, bawling, and told him that I couldn't find a spot to park and just was unconsolable.  Poor Chris.  I hang up with him and I spot a man walking out of the VA.  I attacked him.  I rolled down my window, and asked him if he was parked nearby.  He pointed towards his truck across the way and I told him I would drive him to it if he would just let me have it.  He didn't let me drive him to his spot, but he did let me have it.  I finally made it up to where I was supposed to be at 10:15.  30 minutes late.  And if you know me, I HATE to be late.  I get so embarrassed and I just think it's unacceptable.  I had to take care of some paperwork and then go to orientation.  Which was a COMPLETE waste of time!  It was all day Monday, Tuesday, and then again today.  I start clinic next Tuesday, and I think I'll really enjoy it.  Thank goodness I don't have orientation again.

Tomorrow is mine and Chris' 4 year wedding anniversary!  I can't believe it.  We've been together for 9 years...which seems like forever when you say it, but when you live it, it just seems like we met yesterday.  Crazy how time flies.  We're going to spend the day together, maybe see a movie, and go eat at Papadeaux's for dinner.  Yummy.  I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us!

Chili Night

Chris and I both have colds and wanted something warm for dinner last night.  I have had my fair share of tomato soup and chicken noodle soup over the week, so we opted for chili.  One of our new year's resolutions was to eat healthier, and I came upon this recipe from www.eatbetteramerica.com.  

Here's the recipe for Vegetarian Chili with Tortilla Strips:

Chili

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can spicy chili beans, undrained

1 can pinto beans, undrained

1 can chili style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 large onion, chopped

2 - 3 teaspoons chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Spicy Tortilla Strips

3 corn or flour tortillas (6 inch)

Cooking spray

Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)

1.  In 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, mix chili ingredients.  Cover, cook on low heat 5 - 6 hrs.

2.  Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray.  Lightly sprinkle red pepper on one side of tortillas.  Cut into 1/2 inch strips.  Place in single layer on ungreased cookie sheet.

3.  Bake 10 - 12 min or until strips are crisp and edges are light brown.

4.  To serve, stir chili well.  Top individual servings with tortilla strips.

This was so yummy...and spicy!  

Nutritional Info can be found at the website mentioned previously.