strawberry tongue??

today at work turned out to be an ok day...and sortof depressing too, because it started POURING down rain, and it got dark around 3:30 which was weird. the weather was super eerie this afternoon...

i'm finding that i have alot of free time to blog at night now, so i try to think of things that come up at work that i can remember to share if i feel like they're worth sharing with the blogging world. well today one of my patients had an odd looking tongue, which freaked me out when she first opened her mouth. good thing i had my mask on, because i'm not sure what my face looked like under it when i first saw an image that looks similar to the picture posted above. i mean, i've never seen anything like it in real life...only in textbooks. i decided to keep quiet and not say anything about it to the patient (who was a 15 yr old girl). so instead, i waited til after i finished cleaning, and i asked dr. n. he said that it was most likely not "strawberry tongue"...which is what i thought it was. that is the first thing that came to mind, because it looked like a strawberry. he said that those were associated with bad systemic diseases...like scarlet fever. haha. the other thing that had come to mind was median glossitis or geographical tongue, but this didn't look like the normal kind of those to me! but he asked if i thought it could be geographical tongue, and i was like...umm, it looks weird to be that? well he took a look, and as i was writing her note for the dr., he asked the patient if her tongue had always been like that. to which she replied that it had been like that since birth and it was called "geographical tongue". haha. this patient was pretty smart...she even knew what it was called! i felt silly of course, but i said, "i wish it was strawberry tongue! because then i would have noticed something rare in a patient's mouth!!"

that's all that was interesting about today. and michael's (wiggins') last day as an intern at barnhart crane was today. he said everyone at work was saying he was the hardest working intern they'd seen, and they want him to come back when he graduates. they didn't for sure offer him a job, but it is sure looking in that direction!

auburn bound tomorrow...YAYAYAYAYAYA!

another wednesday...

i didn't really feel like posting today. it is one of those days where it passed pretty slowly and now i am pooped.
BUT exciting news in today's headlines: i got CABLE and internet! i am now watching kate plus 8, surprised? i'm flipping back and forth between that glorious show and "man vs food". two of my favs. adam amazes me every time.
today was a reminder that i am a CLUTZ, if that is even how you spell it. first of all, i think i drop about 5-10 things per day at work...which is not good in the environment that i am in. yesterday, i knocked over a cup of like 100 Q-tips. today, my co-worker refilled my hand sanitizer...and instead of lightly pushing down the dispenser, i PLUNGED my whole fist on it, and out splattered GOBS of hand sanitizer all over my scrubs. i also got a little firm with my patients this afternoon because i was so exhausted and they were running around screaming and sword fighting with their cool sword balloons. i was about to go bonkers. i said, "TIMMY, you need to go have a seat on the couch until dr. a is ready to check your teeth." (it was in a pretty harsh voice for me).
i'm slowly getting used to this job. as challenging as it is to see 14-15 kids a day, it is rewarding and fun. but at the end of the day (and beginning), i can't express how tired i am. my body aches when i even take a breath, it is really sad! i feel like i am finally getting used to the office, though, and everyone's system of doing things.
my co-workers have all been really great and helpful. one of them has invited me to a cookout this wkend (which i'll be out of town)...but she is so thoughtful and she is married with one little boy and a girl on the way. she gave me her number the other day to call her (because i didn't have cable) so i could watch the bachelorette. haha. they know i am that desperate i guess.
lastly, i am starting to get burned out on running...but i need to keep on track to run the 1/2 marathon in dec in mem! that race is ALWAYS super fun and super cold. i am really excited about it this yr.
my apartment is finally coming together...i'll post pics soon. i need some curtains for my living room, a dining room table (round), and a coffee table, and washer and dryer. if you know of anyone who is trying to get rid of a washer/dryer, let me know!!
happy wednesday---it is ALMOST friday, and i will be auburn bound for a day :) super excited about seeing my auburn friends.

just in case you haven't heard...

this morning i am watching the news...here are two interesting pieces of info i thought the blogging world might find interesting if you haven't already heard:

1. a couple tied the knot in Michigan in the SHOE AISLE at TJ Maxx. the bride had always imagined getting married there...

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/offbeat/99364869.html

2. Robert Pattinson is making a new movie with Reese, and they are filming in chattanooga/georgia! the movie is called "water for elephants"...interesting.

happy THURSDAY...

the real world

i have no new exciting news for the blogging world- this past wkend i went home and hung out with michael and friends. it was really nice to be home, i always cherish it as long as possible.
this week is going to be a little crazy. i signed a lease for an apartment and i can start moving in on thursday. i am super excited and a little sad too (to be away from home for real). i feel like signing that lease kindof put some order to my life. i felt like a nomad traveling from hotel to hotel- which is where i am right now! i'm also really stressed about moving and packing...i despise packing. it is awful. it is maybe one of very few things in life i despise. when i was younger, i always waited to the very last minute to pack, and usually mom ended up doing it for me because i put it off for so long or just didn't want to deal with it. isn't that terrible? i also despise flying---which goes hand in hand with packing. imagine that. and my dad is a retired pilot! ha!
anyway- that's a quick update....more to come!

Discipline

so i was thinking a few minutes ago what i should blog about. i was thinking i could give an update on this job i've taken, or talk about the lonely hotel room i'm staying in where i'm laying on my bed watching the bachelorette...or i could write something sortof deep! i decided on the latter, only because i feel like all of my conversations and interactions today have been somewhat surface. i also have a reason to write about something "deep" because i was interested in the real definition of the word "discipline".
with that said, the webster definition of the word "discipline" is this: "control gained by enforcing obedience or order; orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior". when i started this blog, my intention was to write alot about running and training for a marathon or half marathon. and how sometimes those trainings can be analogized to life. i feel like you can only write about so much with that topic. but today, i was thinking how this pertains to my whole life (the word discipline).
i've been trying to read the Word almost every day. not only because i know it is the right thing to do...but because i've realized more and more my need for hearing it, gaining direction, encouragement, and for deepening my relationship with the Lord. and He's given us all of those things in Scripture. i guess my point is that i want to be more in tune with being disciplined in spending time with the Lord---not just with reading my Bible, studying it, and hopefully by God's grace and Spirit, applying it, but also with prayer and community with other believers.
last thing- this came from the book Valley of Vision, a book of Puritan prayers. i love it- it seems like every single prayer in this book is so applicable and you can relate so well with what each of them says.
"Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have, out of love, willingly, not of necessity; that i may come to thee at any time, to lay open my needs acceptably to thee; that my great sin lies in my not keeping the savour of thy ways; that the remembrance of this truth is one way to the sense of thy presence; that there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed by my own lusts for my own ends."

new beginnings...

my life has changed tremendously since monday...actually last friday. i had a job interview in brentwood, tn last friday and the job was to start monday morning at 715. that meant, i had a couple of days to get my bearings in brentwood, find a hotel to stay in this week, and i felt like i had to figure out life as we know it for this chapter. do i sound dramatic enough yet?

i'm excited and scared at the same time about this phase of life. i almost broke out in a panic attack/tears when i was sitting in the office manager's office...just because i knew my life was changing. and can i just reemphasize that i don't like change. it stinks. to me, it is one of the hardest things. especially when ALOT of different little things change all at once. it's like i realized my "home", friends, environment, everything i knew that was familiar was going to change. and looking back on one of my old posts about looking to the next thing, it's funny to me now. because this new chapter was right around the corner and i didn't know it.

i've learned a few things this week about work and people in general. and i can't think of the actual quote right now, but several things this week "brought me down" and all i could think was how discouraged i felt. but then a quote or song or something came into my head that said you just had to prove yourself and pick yourself up and try harder/work harder at fixing whatever is going wrong. obviously i went through 2 years of school learning things and i know i can do it, but ALL the time we have to look beyond our own skills/strengths and onto trusting the Lord.

i miss alot of things already about home. and tomorrow i'll head back to memphis to seriously think about moving/apartments/this job/etc.
life as i know it is definitely changing...

inspiration

my friend at work inspired me to do a spreadsheet on excel of my 1 yr, 5 yr, and 10 yr goals. i recommend that everyone do this...and also specify how you plan to meet the goals. i've learned over the years that we can have totally LOFTY way over-our-head goals, and they are never too difficult to attain if we put forth effort and develop determination and perseverance. 3 years ago after finishing a 1/2 marathon, in fact that day of finishing a 1/2, i was in the hotel room with my parents just throwing the idea around of "i can do a full marathon- i saw people my age out there doing it!" although i had many doubts about being able to complete one- and actually, my mind couldn't even GRASP the idea of finishing one and running that many miles- it took determination and perseverance along with training to finish one. i've marked it off my checklist of things to do in life- but do i stop there or look ahead for an even higher goal of having a better time or training better for another one? when i've talked to people after finishing that marathon in 2008, i tell them- i am definitely not doing that again! it was too hard and one is enough...but really, why stop there? i know i can do them, why not push myself and attain an even higher goal of a better time or qualifying for the boston marathon? i know it can be done. so now, that is one of my goals (and i definitely give credit to my friend who also has this goal). life is too short to not have goals and think you can reach high things if you just work at it and really focus on reaching them. i'm really excited about my goals spreadsheet and about developing even more. i left room under each category to add in new goals...we can definitely have "set" ones we know for sure we want to accomplish, but there are always going to be new things we want to try. we may have doubts we can do them, but sometimes those doubts overwhelm our trying and we end up being too discouraged to even put them on a goals list.
last night i also budgeted. i feel so old, but the time is fast approaching where i have to think about money and spending and every single expense i will have for the future. planning ahead is a big deal for me and is an important part of my every day life situations! i love planning...but i am not necessarily the most organized person. i figured last night- i am 23, and although i don't want to grow up, move away from home, have a full-time job- this is where the Lord is using me and calling me now during these moments, and in the everyday mundane things, we're still called to honor Him/glorify Him and praise Him.