Monday, September 10, 2012
Inspirational 49 Year Old Med School Graduate
I am so proud of this dude, and I don't even know him. I was totally pushing for him to get a good match, and boy did he it it home! He is truly an inspiration.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My Favorite Things & Dear Memories from my Past
So, besides naturopathy, some of my favorite things are science fiction sci-fi novels/movies/TV (especially dystopian and post apocalyptic stuff), 70s horror films, 70s sitcoms, PBS educational children's shows, ,ALL genres of music (especially '80s), and obviously, writing.
My favorite place to get my "sci-fi fix" is YouTube. People post some really great stuff on there, and watching it has become somewhat of an addiction of mine as of late. I would much rather watch whats on YouTube than anything on television most nights of the week.
When I do watch TV, it is usually only a handful of shows such as PBS' "Nova" and "Downton Abbey," HGTV's "House Hunters, The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives," and "Good Eats," reruns of "Law & Order: SVU" on TNT, and of course....."The Walking Dead" on AMC.
When I was a kid I absolutely loved TV shows like, and I would spend most of my weekends watching sci-fi anthology series like "The Twilight Zone," "The Night Gallery," "Tales From The Darkside," and "Ray Bradbury Theater."
My absolute favorites were the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." These shows bring back all kinds of good memories for me, because I used to watch them with my aunt Barbara when I was a kid. My aunt Barbara is gone now, but I will never forget sitting in her den watching the master of suspense and being moderately scared, but totally entertained.
Then there was my grandmother on my mother's side, Jessie Mae Sanders (nee Lamar) was her name, but to me... she was my Grandma Jessie. Oh, how I loved that woman. From the time I was about 5 until I was about 11 or 12, my weekend evenings were spent half listening to "grown folks talk" while she visited her neighbor across the street (Mrs. Morrison) and half watching "The Carol Burnett Show," "Sonny & Cher," "Sanford & Son," or "Maude."
My earliest memories are of my great grandmother, her name was Flora Mae Davis, but we all lovingly referred to her as Granny. I was lucky enough to have my great grandmother in my life until I was about 14 years old, so I remember her well. Every morning before I would go to school we would watch "Sesame Street" together, and when I came home we would watch "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Zoom."
By the mid to end 70s, I had developed a love of Norman Lear comedies, Neil Simon plays, horror films, and science fiction, and I was way into music. My television was constantly blaring "Good Times" and "The Jefferson's," my bedroom walls were decorated with pop stars, and I had trunks full of vinyl and cassettes (yeah, I'm that old folks...).
Then...enter the 80's, by then I was a fad loving teenager who watched endless hours of MTV (when their entire line-up was 24/7 music videos). I even had a General Hospital comforter and bed-sheet/pillowcase set during the "Luke & Laura" craze.
When it came to music, I had everything from Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and Boy George and The Culture Club to The Smiths, The Police, Journey and Run DMC. If you were my friend and you ventured through my music collection, you would have also found Nat King Cole, Patsy Cline, The Scorpions, and Luciano Pavarotti co-mingling with Barbara Streisand, show-tunes and operatic performances led by greats such as Kathleen Battle and Maria Callas. I can truly say, I really do love all musical genres.
YouTube is great because folks have posted hundreds of hours of episodes, films, and music videos that bring back many fond memories for me. I upload them to my iPhone/iPod and watch (mostly listen to) them on my hour long weekday walks and my 2 hour long weekend walks, and I am transformed back to my childhood and the people who colored it.
Are there TV shows, or songs, or smells that transport you to your past? I truly hope so...
For now, sit back and enjoy one of my favorite episodes (This one totally freaked me out when I was a kid) from one of the series' directed by the Master of Suspense (Sir Alfred Hitchcock)
My favorite place to get my "sci-fi fix" is YouTube. People post some really great stuff on there, and watching it has become somewhat of an addiction of mine as of late. I would much rather watch whats on YouTube than anything on television most nights of the week.
When I do watch TV, it is usually only a handful of shows such as PBS' "Nova" and "Downton Abbey," HGTV's "House Hunters, The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives," and "Good Eats," reruns of "Law & Order: SVU" on TNT, and of course....."The Walking Dead" on AMC.
When I was a kid I absolutely loved TV shows like, and I would spend most of my weekends watching sci-fi anthology series like "The Twilight Zone," "The Night Gallery," "Tales From The Darkside," and "Ray Bradbury Theater."
My absolute favorites were the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." These shows bring back all kinds of good memories for me, because I used to watch them with my aunt Barbara when I was a kid. My aunt Barbara is gone now, but I will never forget sitting in her den watching the master of suspense and being moderately scared, but totally entertained.
Then there was my grandmother on my mother's side, Jessie Mae Sanders (nee Lamar) was her name, but to me... she was my Grandma Jessie. Oh, how I loved that woman. From the time I was about 5 until I was about 11 or 12, my weekend evenings were spent half listening to "grown folks talk" while she visited her neighbor across the street (Mrs. Morrison) and half watching "The Carol Burnett Show," "Sonny & Cher," "Sanford & Son," or "Maude."
My earliest memories are of my great grandmother, her name was Flora Mae Davis, but we all lovingly referred to her as Granny. I was lucky enough to have my great grandmother in my life until I was about 14 years old, so I remember her well. Every morning before I would go to school we would watch "Sesame Street" together, and when I came home we would watch "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Zoom."
By the mid to end 70s, I had developed a love of Norman Lear comedies, Neil Simon plays, horror films, and science fiction, and I was way into music. My television was constantly blaring "Good Times" and "The Jefferson's," my bedroom walls were decorated with pop stars, and I had trunks full of vinyl and cassettes (yeah, I'm that old folks...).
Then...enter the 80's, by then I was a fad loving teenager who watched endless hours of MTV (when their entire line-up was 24/7 music videos). I even had a General Hospital comforter and bed-sheet/pillowcase set during the "Luke & Laura" craze.
When it came to music, I had everything from Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and Boy George and The Culture Club to The Smiths, The Police, Journey and Run DMC. If you were my friend and you ventured through my music collection, you would have also found Nat King Cole, Patsy Cline, The Scorpions, and Luciano Pavarotti co-mingling with Barbara Streisand, show-tunes and operatic performances led by greats such as Kathleen Battle and Maria Callas. I can truly say, I really do love all musical genres.
YouTube is great because folks have posted hundreds of hours of episodes, films, and music videos that bring back many fond memories for me. I upload them to my iPhone/iPod and watch (mostly listen to) them on my hour long weekday walks and my 2 hour long weekend walks, and I am transformed back to my childhood and the people who colored it.
Are there TV shows, or songs, or smells that transport you to your past? I truly hope so...
For now, sit back and enjoy one of my favorite episodes (This one totally freaked me out when I was a kid) from one of the series' directed by the Master of Suspense (Sir Alfred Hitchcock)
The Quest for a Healthier Lifestyle (aka "My Gastronomical Misadventures")
I totally believe that most of the ailments we have are a direct result of the stuff we put into our bodies, our levels of stress, and our general lack of exercise.
Now, let us not get it twisted, I am not one of these loonies who believes we can cure advanced stage cancer by eating veggies and ingesting roots and berries, but I firmly believe that people with diseases like cancer truly benefit from Naturopathic medicine along with allopathic/osteopathic medicine.
I also believe that there is sufficient evidence to document the fact that eating healthier, cutting out smoking, getting plenty of rest and exercise, and reducing one's stress level can all contribute to the prevention of diseases and ailments like cancer and diabetes, etc.
So, on my journey to become a naturopathic physician, I have decided to try my hardest to walk the walk....Meaning, I am trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. I exercise everyday, I try to force myself to go to bed on a regular schedule at night (this is hard because I am that wild and crazy chick who can stay up and watch schlocky 70s sci-fi shows on Youtube until 3:45 am, and then be up and in class halfway across town by 8:00 a.m.).
I do not smoke, and I recently made a conscious decision (like, today...seriously) to remove myself from situations where people light up their cigareets....even if they are my friends. And my life is pretty much on an even low-stress keep right now. HOWEVER......... that "eating healthier" routine is proving to be a real challenge!
I am a die-hard foodie and I was raised in the south. To me, breakfast is: eggs, grits with a hunk of block cheese and butter and a side of corned beef hash, toast drowned in melted butter, link sausages, breakfast sausages, bacon, a glass of whole milk, a cup of coffee loaded with some ridiculously sweet flavored creamer, and a small tumbler of orange juice. And three hours later, I'm hungry again....I'm talking real stuff here folks.
I can't help it, that is who I am. However, it is my firm belief that the previously mentioned gastronomical delights is the kind of diet is what will put me in an early grave. So, I'm trying to walk the walk, but I keep slipping off the food path.
One day last week, I did really well and I went to Whole Foods Market for most of the week and ate dinners that consisted of organic, and healthy foods like the following:
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| Asparagus & Broccoli (underneath), Succotash, Relish Items, Pico De Gallo & BBQ Baked Organic Chicken Wings |
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| I topped it all off with roasted garlic |
I visited Whole Foods Market four nights out of the week last week, and I felt really good about the food choices I made. But then....on Friday afternoon, I was in math class (a 4 hour class/lab) and I began to feel striking hunger pains
Someone suggested that I go and check out the grill on campus (I usually do not venture into the campus common areas - my "rah rah, sis boom ba!" days are over, so I go to class and go home), but I never ignore my stomach so, I was off to the grill in a matter of minutes. When I got there, man was I in trouble, because what did I happen upon? I happened upon a foot long hot dog!
Someone suggested that I go and check out the grill on campus (I usually do not venture into the campus common areas - my "rah rah, sis boom ba!" days are over, so I go to class and go home), but I never ignore my stomach so, I was off to the grill in a matter of minutes. When I got there, man was I in trouble, because what did I happen upon? I happened upon a foot long hot dog!
My mind screamed at me and it said "NO GIRL! Walk over to the cafeteria and get a nice green salad and a hefty plate of steamed veggies." But as I headed toward the cafeteria to get to the salad bar, people passed by me with loaded foot long hot dogs.
My mouth watered, I felt faint, and all I could think about was sinking my teeth into one of those 12 inch meat feasts....(keep your mind clean). I faltered, I fell, I failed, and I wound up screwing up my week by adding this into the mix:
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| As You Can See, My Greedy Self Couldn't Even Wait Long Enough To Pull Out My Iphone & Snap A Shot! (Two Huge Bites are Already Gone) |
To add salt to the wound, I paid approximately $8 for each meal at Whole Foods & I was still relatively hungry afterwards. The foot long hot dog sells for a mere $1.25, and I almost could not eat it all - and if you knew me personally, you would know that I rarely come upon a food challenge that I cannot conquer.
All in all I guess its about a healthy balance. Nutritionists suggest that we never outright deny ourselves of the foods we really want, we just have to consume them in moderation if they are not exactly healthy for us.
I guess for now I will try to eat healthy meals throughout the week and I'll consider that hot dog my weekend splurge. Sheesh! Why couldn't it have been a veggie foot long hot dog that tasted so good?
I CAN do Math!
So, I started my math class today. As you recall from my previous post, Me & Math We Meet To Do Battle Yet Again , me and math .... we don't really mix all that well. However, I have been pleasantly surprised as of late. Let me give you a little background information so you will understand the depth of how pleasant my surprise really is.
Middle School Math - The Monster Arrives
I was used to being the smart girl in class. I barely studied, but yet I got mostly A's and some B's in science, social studies, history, and civics...but math was a whole "notha story.
I started slipping in math right around the time fractions entered the picture, and by the time they started pairing numbers with letters (algebra) I was hopelessly doomed.
I seriously believed that I was pushed along in all of my math classes, because all I remember was getting Fs - I felt like such a loser, because no matter how hard I tried, I could not grasp mathematical concepts.
High School Math - The Monster Slays Me
Algebra came along in the 10th grade and that is when I totally gave up. First I started habitually skipping math class, then when I would have to pay the piper for skipping math class, I started skipping school. The teachers would call my house...but I was there (skipping), so I answered the phone and pretended to be my mother and the school totally bought it (Ribault Sr. High - Jacksonville, FL).
Eventually, the school got around to sending letters to my home. However, as you might have already guessed...I was there, so I simply threw the letters away and called in to pretend to be my mother. I told them I could not make it to an person meeting because I worked all day long, but I was aware of and would talk to my daughter, Rachelle.... Oh the lies and deceptions...
Skipping school resulted in failing grades across the board, so I eventually decided to drop out. A couple of years later I picked up a G.E.D. book, studied it, and crammed enough to pass the test in 1989, then in 1991 I decided that I would try my hand at college. I thought, "Maybe because I am older now, I will be more able to grasp math."
College Math - The Monster Exhumes My Body & Slays Me Again
I took a college entrance exam at Valencia Community College (Orlando, FL), and I scored well in everything except, you guessed it....MATH! I was told I needed to take a 3 course (full year) remedial math sequence just to get me to the level of College Algebra.
The funny thing about college is this...you can pick and choose your classes. Even though I really wanted to study biology, and chemistry, I thought I couldn't do it because the science majors classes all required the mastery of college algebra. Soooooo...I decided to take a bunch of courses that were relatively easy and did not require my full effort in order to get good grades (psychology, non-majors biology, history, humanities, sociology, political science, anthropology, etc.).
I think I racked up about 53 college credits when I was barred from registration. I was instead directed to my Adviser (whom I had totally avoided up until then) who told me that I could not take another class until I started my math sequence....
I was devastated, but I enrolled in the beginning level remedial math...totally knowing I could not hack it. And you know what? I dropped out about a month into the class. I still didn't get it.
Lost Credits & Disabilities
I tried and failed at college one more time starting in 2005 (NDSCS & UND). Actually, this time around the whole college thing was a bit devastating because I learned that I lost all 53 of the college credits I earned previously (10 years time limit baby...use 'em or lose 'em), so I had to start all over again!
I repeated the same mistake as before and I got pretty much the same result....(What do they say about the definition of insanity????) But at least this time around, I learned about the reasons for my issues: Discalculia, ADHD, a visual learning disability that does not even have a name yet, Math Anxiety, and a physical disability called Task Specific Focal Dystonia (which basically means that I cannot write, but fortunately for me...I can type about 80 wpm)
I was armed with knowledge, but I dropped out again anyway...mostly because my daughter was having my grandson & a little because I thought my issues were insurmountable, and probably a lot because I hadn't found a career I was truly interested in.
Fast Forward to 2012
I'm back in college because I discovered Naturopathy, and I am psyched up enough about it to slay my math demons! Currently, I am enrolled in an experimental math course that will allow me to complete my mandatory three semester remedial math requirements all in one course.
The course is self-paced and it has a web component and a class component. The thing I really dig about the course is the fact that it offers video tutorials that provide step by step instruction whenever I need it.
And would you believe ..... that I am actually learning math? I can hardly believe it myself, but I sit for hours with my laptop and complete problems that once made me teary eyed and frustrated to the point where I would throw my textbook against a wall!
I think maybe its a combination of the fact that I have an academic/career path in mind that I am actually passionate about, my knowledge of my learning disabilities and the assistance I receive from Student Disability Services, my current receptiveness to math (something I never had before), and my desire to graduate before I'm 50!
Whatever it is, I'm just glad something finally kicked in...I do not want to be the person who sits at 75 and says "I should have done....."
I really can do math, and if I can do it.....anyone can do it. If you have Math Anxiety or even a math based learning disability, just know that you will have to work a lot harder at it than most, but you can do it!
Middle School Math - The Monster Arrives
I was used to being the smart girl in class. I barely studied, but yet I got mostly A's and some B's in science, social studies, history, and civics...but math was a whole "notha story.
I started slipping in math right around the time fractions entered the picture, and by the time they started pairing numbers with letters (algebra) I was hopelessly doomed.
I seriously believed that I was pushed along in all of my math classes, because all I remember was getting Fs - I felt like such a loser, because no matter how hard I tried, I could not grasp mathematical concepts.
High School Math - The Monster Slays Me
Algebra came along in the 10th grade and that is when I totally gave up. First I started habitually skipping math class, then when I would have to pay the piper for skipping math class, I started skipping school. The teachers would call my house...but I was there (skipping), so I answered the phone and pretended to be my mother and the school totally bought it (Ribault Sr. High - Jacksonville, FL).
Eventually, the school got around to sending letters to my home. However, as you might have already guessed...I was there, so I simply threw the letters away and called in to pretend to be my mother. I told them I could not make it to an person meeting because I worked all day long, but I was aware of and would talk to my daughter, Rachelle.... Oh the lies and deceptions...
Skipping school resulted in failing grades across the board, so I eventually decided to drop out. A couple of years later I picked up a G.E.D. book, studied it, and crammed enough to pass the test in 1989, then in 1991 I decided that I would try my hand at college. I thought, "Maybe because I am older now, I will be more able to grasp math."
College Math - The Monster Exhumes My Body & Slays Me Again
I took a college entrance exam at Valencia Community College (Orlando, FL), and I scored well in everything except, you guessed it....MATH! I was told I needed to take a 3 course (full year) remedial math sequence just to get me to the level of College Algebra.
The funny thing about college is this...you can pick and choose your classes. Even though I really wanted to study biology, and chemistry, I thought I couldn't do it because the science majors classes all required the mastery of college algebra. Soooooo...I decided to take a bunch of courses that were relatively easy and did not require my full effort in order to get good grades (psychology, non-majors biology, history, humanities, sociology, political science, anthropology, etc.).
I think I racked up about 53 college credits when I was barred from registration. I was instead directed to my Adviser (whom I had totally avoided up until then) who told me that I could not take another class until I started my math sequence....
I was devastated, but I enrolled in the beginning level remedial math...totally knowing I could not hack it. And you know what? I dropped out about a month into the class. I still didn't get it.
Lost Credits & Disabilities
I tried and failed at college one more time starting in 2005 (NDSCS & UND). Actually, this time around the whole college thing was a bit devastating because I learned that I lost all 53 of the college credits I earned previously (10 years time limit baby...use 'em or lose 'em), so I had to start all over again!
I repeated the same mistake as before and I got pretty much the same result....(What do they say about the definition of insanity????) But at least this time around, I learned about the reasons for my issues: Discalculia, ADHD, a visual learning disability that does not even have a name yet, Math Anxiety, and a physical disability called Task Specific Focal Dystonia (which basically means that I cannot write, but fortunately for me...I can type about 80 wpm)
I was armed with knowledge, but I dropped out again anyway...mostly because my daughter was having my grandson & a little because I thought my issues were insurmountable, and probably a lot because I hadn't found a career I was truly interested in.
Fast Forward to 2012
I'm back in college because I discovered Naturopathy, and I am psyched up enough about it to slay my math demons! Currently, I am enrolled in an experimental math course that will allow me to complete my mandatory three semester remedial math requirements all in one course.
The course is self-paced and it has a web component and a class component. The thing I really dig about the course is the fact that it offers video tutorials that provide step by step instruction whenever I need it.
And would you believe ..... that I am actually learning math? I can hardly believe it myself, but I sit for hours with my laptop and complete problems that once made me teary eyed and frustrated to the point where I would throw my textbook against a wall!
I think maybe its a combination of the fact that I have an academic/career path in mind that I am actually passionate about, my knowledge of my learning disabilities and the assistance I receive from Student Disability Services, my current receptiveness to math (something I never had before), and my desire to graduate before I'm 50!
Whatever it is, I'm just glad something finally kicked in...I do not want to be the person who sits at 75 and says "I should have done....."
I really can do math, and if I can do it.....anyone can do it. If you have Math Anxiety or even a math based learning disability, just know that you will have to work a lot harder at it than most, but you can do it!
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