Fall Semester 2009

We are three weeks into the fall semester and things have been ridiculously crazy (as usual, I know, I know...I do it to myself!). I am taking 21 credits and finishing up my last semester of my major so the classes are definitely fun if challenging and very relevant to what I am interested in.

I am taking an EMT training class which is also interesting-its a lot of hand's on practice which is awesome. The downside is, its in Mequon 2-3days a week for 4hrs so with all the driving time and class time, it gets to be alot.

On top of that, I am working 30-40 hours a week. I had to hire 18+ new staff for the fall so we've had a tough semester as all the "beginner mistakes" have quadrupled with the influx of newbies. Think everyone is doing a terrific job but its been common to have to skip class or come in between each one to work out the newest crisis-slightly regretting accepting the promotion!

And then I started volunteering at Froedertd in the Emergency Department. Not loving it at the moment like I thought I would. Everyone is so busy and there is definetely a hierarchy of power, of which I am pretty close to the bottom being a volunteer so I have no one to talk to and just spend alot of time lurking around doing menial jobs and hoping to see something cool.

On the downside, haven't touched my road bike in weeks as I haven't had the time or motivaton. I did splurge on a BEAUTIFUL new mountain bike and that's been getting slightly more use. There are some great river trails along the Milwaukee River that are good for a quick mountain ride just at my doorstep and a couple Sundays have been spent at the John Muir trails with Kyle, Chris, CarrieAnn, and Brett. I try not to feel too bad that I'm definetely the weakest link in that crew! I try to go fast, but it seems like I just hit alot more trees then! :)

And I've become a "runner" in my very little spare time. If I do actually have time to work out, a pair of running shoes, my roommates dog Lulu in hand, and out the door always is a good stress reliever and keeps me in decent shape. It's prob a good thing missing meals isn't a rarety with my schedule!

So wish me luck-just got back first Calculus and BiologicalSciences exam and aced them both (and class average was dismal) so off to a good start, but it'll be a long three months! But then I am near done! Future plans for next semester: working for an ambulance company, taking a few courses to help my chances with grad school, and hopefully have some time left over for some bike racing.

So that's the update...guess its same old, same old. :)

Camping Up Nort'

Kyle and I took off this past weekend to do something other then bike racing so he decided to continue my education of WI geography and we drove up to Boulder Junction and went camping at Plum Lake.

It was fun!

There were definite downsides: very cold nights. Friday was 45 and Saturday a balmy 50 which was a bit chilly for me! Using pit toilets in the middle of the night...I've never been so scared to walk through the pitch dark woods in the middle of the night..kept waiting for something to jump out and get me. No showers: I'm a pretty low maintenance kind of girl but I do like my showers!

But all the rest of it was spectacular. I love campfires and toasted marshmallows (I am the self-declared, perfect toasted marshmallow maker!). I LOVE cooking on the campstove and fire-we ate gourmet meals! I loved the woods and the trails and the millions of lakes. We rode beautiful trails and barely traffic'd-roads. We went to a sweet thrift shop, a farmer's market with the best corn and tomatoes, the cutest local coffee shop. And then getting to hang out without computers, TVs, cellphones, job stress, racing, etc. It was awesome!

Just an awesome week..

So I haven't blogged in ages but this past week was so great I had to write about it!!!

-First off, the TEAM BH had a great weekend of racing, a full podium on Sat and a pretty awesome race on Sunday too!

-Kyle and I went to the Phantom of the Opera! I'd never been before and we did "student rush" where they sell any remaining tickets super-cheap to anyone with a student id, so we were up front and center feeling like posers amoung all the rich old people of MKE but what an awesome musical!!!!

-Got a brand-new phone! It's basically a iphone rip-off so I have internet and am so overwhelmed by the over-the-top technology on my phone! Pretty sweet!

-Have a brand-new house! with at the moment one very awesome roommate (soon to be joined by another hopefully) and her puppy. I've already been able to cook many a fine meal and enjoy the comforts of my own place and its such a relief after the debacle of living situation I had last year.

-I got promoted at work: I am now the "official" manager of Client Services which means a bit more money and alot more responsibility. But I think I like being in charge ;) so the challenge will be fun.

-Am officially registered for an EMT training class-look for me to start saving lives by the end of the semester. Hoping doing some ambulance work will help get me into PA school.

So on top of racing lots, riding a bit, working what feels like every hour of every week day; I've still managed to get in lots of good times. Life is good!

Oh the things you will find....

..when you empty all the long-term storage lockers at UWM.

I'm sorting through things for the Salvation Army and so far have found FOUR bowling balls, a brand-new suit with tags still attached, over 100 books, over 200 movies (bizarre; all were individually wrapped in plastic bags), clothes, papers, rotten food, computers, stereo speakers...

I could continue but it makes you wonder: who were these people? What was the story to how these things wound up here? How upset will they be if they ever return and wonder where there movie collection went or their locker full of unpublished but quite complicated looking research went?

My job constantly makes me wonder what makes people tick the way they do...

Being a beach bum: my new aspiration!

Summer means relaxing, enjoying the beach, sleeping lots.

It's definetely not "summer for me yet." Things have been even more hectic then usual but hoping that when it finally gets warm here (what happened to the heat?) things will calm down.

As for now: lots of PT observation hours to fullfill, applications and essays for grad school, lots of work, lots and lots of racing. Next on the list: Spring Prairie WI State RR champs and then off to Nature Valley on Tuesday!

First 1st of the Year!!!

Legs still haven't been feeling too great for some reason, but at the last minute Kyle and I headed to the Sussex WCA Race. There was quite a respectable women's field and I was a bit nervous being team-less as Team BH USA took a break from the races this weekend. But the course was fun, a power uphill and a fast, windy downhill-a bit hard to make a break work though we made some valiant attempts.

Went for all the "QOM" sprints to work out the best place to go for the finale and played it smart and was SO excited to pull off the field sprint for the WIN!!!! Props to the ISCorp ladies and Ashley James for keeping the race exciting! :)

2 Pound Cheese Wheel!!!

After a full weekend of fun racing in Iowa with Team BH USA I got the greatest prize of all times! A TWO POUND BLUE CHEESE WHEEL! Now, being from WI most people give me a hard time as I hate all cheese....except blue cheese! Must be something addictive in that mold.

After finding a restaurant that had a homemade blue cheese crumble dressing...YUM! Our host for the weekend insisted on presenting me with the wheel of blue cheese in honor of the bike racing (and also I think cause she sadly thinks BC is disgusting--her loss ;)!)

So now I am excitedly looking up "healthy" recipes with BC..if there is such a thing. It seems to be a lot of "mix the 6oz of blue cheese with 1C half & half." Though I have found some recipes for blue cheese stuffed pork chops or the winner I think: Chx, asparagus, and blue cheese farfalle. Yum!