Short Weekend Recap

Hey folk. What's up??? I'm still around, just looking at slides like the one above. They are all starting to look the same now. So what's been going on? I have to make this short but I'll try to throw in as much as possible.

This weekend? Was gorgeous! The weather was in the high 70s and low 80s; just beautiful. It all reminded me of home and that made me smile. A1 and I were in the streets the entire weekend, soaking up the sun. M and I went car racing on Saturday. It was so fun. I thought we were going to do the goat carts/bumper car type racing. NAW. We had the mini cars type racing. I had to put on a suit, with a helmet and neck brace. I had my Nascar game face on!! I kept praying... LORD, let me see another day. I did. I enjoyed every minute of it and I beat M. This is the 3rd sport type thing I've beat him in. He needs to work on his skills or maybe he's being a gentleman and letting me win. Whatever. I'll let him think that... I'm kicking his butt.

My time is winding up in the city and I'm trying to balance seeing everything and getting my work done. I now travel with my camera everywhere. I can't miss a moment. Despite the occasional down while being here in the city, I've had some good moments. I intend to create more of those good times on my way out and need to document every minute. I think A1 would disagree with me. She's tired of the camera. LOL. Oh well...

Ok. I've gotta go. I'm up for the next 3 hrs getting some work done and then it's class at 8:30am. Tomorrow... same schedule all over again. I'll try to come and say hello sometime during the day. PEACE OUT!!!

Code One Eight Seven: Killer On Campus

I actually had a few ideas for posting running through my head this morning when I woke up. I also got some ideas in Behavioral Medicine, but AS SOON as I got a special BU email I knew exactly what I was going to be talking about.... MURDER.

So check this. I attend Boston University School of Medicine (in case you haven't been reading my blog from the beginning). Well anyway... Our school sent out their own little news article this morning about a current situation. How about a second year medical student got picked up for murder. Supposedly he shot/killed a woman he had meet via Craiglist (advertising massage services) at a local Marriott. He is also a suspect in an attack two weeks ago at the Westin, where a woman was robbed of her debit card, cash and gift cards.

So I didn't know Philip (suspected KILLA) but some of my BH classmates recalled meeting him. Everyone states that he was just a really nice, funny and smart guy. Not that smart apparently... they grabed him a week after the incident; usually takes a little longer to "crack the case". I tell ya though... you just never know people. They got surveillance pictures of this boy all in the area around the time of the murder. Some of the pictures you can't tell (at least I can't), but in others... YEAH THAT'S HIM.

And it's so backwards... you are training to be a doctor, a professional that dedicates their life to SAVING people and in your space time you KILLING them. Maybe he missed the whole point of becoming a physician in orientation or something. I know there has never been a better time to be applying to BU medical school. It's unfortunate for them, but the school will be looked down upon because of this incident and they'll probably see a slight decline in applications for the 2010 entering class. Maybe I should apply!! NAWWWW. Hell no. I got to get out of Boston and I'm too close to achieving that goal.

Aight I'm gone. I've been gone from the house all day and I'm ready to relax a little. I'm going to watch a few scenes from MY FAVORITE MOVIE EVER: POLLY. I searched high and low for this movie on DVD for years and finally Disney (yes I said Disney, lol) released the thing a little while back. I could not wait to get my copy and it came today. I am sooooo geeked up. Going to watch it right now. I still know ALL the songs. :-) Later...

You Smell That?

I've actually had some time to post the last couple of days but have just been in a FUNKY mood. I've got some things going on in my personal life that are making my head hurt and to be honest I have no idea what to do. SIGH. Part of me wants to share that stuff with you, but you know what? Some things you just gotta keep to yourself or share over the phone or in person. So with that stuff and histology study, I haven't been able to think of anything interesting to come and post about. Maybe tomorrow. It's a big day in the city so maybe I'll venture out, take some pictures and come back and educate ya on New England's Patriots day. Later!

One Month

Short one today.... I just had to come on here and say that TODAY marks ONE more month for me here in Boston. Can I get an AMEN????!!!!! Ok... can't stay because if I don't attack this LONG list of things to do before the month goes by, I won't be going anywhere AND THAT would be the END of the world!!!

Another Song Maybe...

This is why you should not straddle a pole while getting yo gospel on... LOL.

How Sweet IT Is...

So we brought up the conversation in Behavioral Medicine the other day... when do you have the TALK with your kids and how much should you disclose?

We started this topic after someone asked whether or not any of us had seen last week's Oprah. One of my classmates mentioned that Oprah had some doctor on the show that suggested you introduce "aids" to your children (approximately age 10) to help in self gratification and to deter them from the actual act. So wait a minute here? Are you telling me that instead of getting my 10 year old princess a Barbie for her birthday, I have to look forward to giving her a vibrator??? Oh hell no... not in my household. I'm 25 and I don't even want my mother giving me that for a gift.

So I went out and looked for information on the show. I had to find out if the above was true before I talk junk. Here's what I found...

The doctor that Oprah had on her "Having the Sex Talk With Kids" episode was Dr. Laura Berman. Doc says that waiting to talk to your kids about sex until 13 or 14 is too late. I agree but I hate that. My mother is a middle school teacher, more specifically a 6th grade teacher, and she has had more than one pregnant student. Kids are 11 or 12 in the 6th grade. So when should we have the talk? In 4th???? Kids are moving too quick these days. By the time I have kids, I may need to sit my offspring down at age 6 for this dreaded conversation. Geez!!! Having a heart palpitation right now....

I think back to my own TALK. I didn't get one. My mother had long before given me the don't-let-anyone-touch-you-inappropriately-talk, but we never had the what-if-I-wanna-be-touched- talk. LOL. What was sex??? How'd I learn? I had sex ed at school and the encyclopedias at home. All my mother told me was, "don't bring nothing in this house". I knew what that meant and the sheer thought of pregnancy and my mother's wrath kept me away from exploring for a long time. Although it worked for me, I am sure my talk will be more than this simple threat.

So back to the show... O brings on Amy, a Tennessee mother, who wants to have the talk with her 10 year old daughter, Jordan. Why now? Jordan is asking questions constantly. So... Dr. Berman tells Amy the main three topics to cover are the "male and female anatomy, the mechanics of making a baby...and becoming familiar and comfortable with your genitals". Say WHAT??? Doc goes on to say, "It's about soothing... It's not about sexual arousal and the sexual connotations that we put on it. It's just about normalizing it for them and setting the seeds that this is normal." Normal when you get out my house!!

Dr. Berman goes on to say that by the time a female child reaches high school you should talk about self gratification and the big O (not Oprah, lol). "You're teaching them about their own body and pleasuring themselves and taking the reins of their own sexuality so that they don't ever have to depend on any other teenage boy to do it for them," Dr. Berman says.

And the piece de resistance... Straight form Oprah's website "To teach your 15- or 16-year-old daughter the concept of pleasure, Dr. Berman recommends a product many mothers may not think of getting for their daughters—a clitoral vibrator". HOLD THE PRESSES!!!! So instead of a set of earrings and your driver's permit or license (what I got), girls around the world can look forward to receiving a "jumping bean" and batteries for their Sweet Sixteen. Have your child running round the house singing this!! LOL. Just joking!! Ok, all seriousness, how you feel about this one????

Randomness of Week

So I went to the doc today and got my bag of drugs like I knew I would. Apparently I have trachetis and sinusitis; basically a bunch of bacteria in my upper respiratory tract. No bronchitis though... whoopee. I had that in September. Always got something...

So gotta back track a few days and update ya on some things.

Friday... went to the movies with M, a guy that I met up here. So I think it is important that I point out that this was only the second time that I've been anywhere with M. I should also point out that I have never spoken with him on the phone. With that being said, M hands me a blue bag within the first few minutes of seeing him. Now ladies, if you don't know the famous blue bag, hit me up so we can tell yo SOs that's where it's at. The man bought me something from Tiffanys. I can't take this I tell him. I give him all the rational reasons of why I shouldn't and he persists. Says to take it as either a late birthday gift or an early graduation gift. I was thinking in my head... "You bet not think you getting ANYTHING because of this". I'm not one of them. So anyway... I've got a nice lil bracelet. I'm starting to wonder if this man's got money. I looked up the price of the thing and I know men who've been WITH a woman for years and ain't trying to buy no gifts like that. Ummm... don't know bout all this yet. Living and learning....

Food... so M and I and then A1 and I went to Kaze, a Shabu Shabu restaurant in Chinatown. So what's Shabu Shabu? It's a Japanese variant on the hot pot. Plates of meat and veggies are dipped in broth and then eaten with a side sauce (delicious). I had the surf and turf with a bunch of seafood and prime rib in the Korean Kimchi broth. The prime rib was off the chain. I could eat this thing like once a week. I'm going to have to find a good Shabu Shabu restaurant in ATL or I'll be coming back up here now and then just for that. LOL

Religion... so A1 and I spent the majority of our Easter in the bookstore studying. The life of a graduate student is none at all. Anyway, we were sitting on a bench outside waiting on our always-late-number-10. Another bus on a different street had stopped to drop and pick up and off came a gentleman in a tan suit. He starts walking in our direction but to the side... he is about to cross through the park sitting behind us. He looks up and changes direction. "A1... he's coming our way; grab your purse". The man (minister) approached us with greetings of Easter and asked if we had a church. We both explained that we were Christians with church homes and other basic conversation. THEN the man completely turns towards me and says that God had sent him there for me. He wanted me to know that I was destined for great things and that God knows what I'm going through but that I shouldn't be afraid to seek counsel. This is the short version. The man kept going on for a minute. I was like why is he just looking at me? I started to ask him where A1 blessing and prophecy was. LOL. It was just interesting. Almost every other day, there is something happening here in the city and I've got a front row seat to it all.

Come Down Madelilne... So I Can Sleep

There is a woman downstairs screaming in the middle of the street. She is sooo drunk. She is screaming all kind of obscenities at OUR door. Who is this heffa and where are the police? She keeps screaming for Madeline and called someone on her cell phone to come down to the "24 store to help her beat a b*&^% a^%". She has been screaming at our building for like 20 minutes now.

A few minutes have passed and now her two little friends are here. You would think they would tell her to get her drunk tail home. No. Now she beating on next home's door. Her friends are holding her jacket and jewelry. Are these people crazy? I promise I'm in the twilight zone.

I turned my lights off in the room and pulled the chair up for the action. Why did the police just happen by, ask if she was fighting with the other two people and after they said no, just left? He didn't even get his lazy butt out the car. This girl is wobbling back and forth across the street and you just left her. She stayed calm for about 2 minutes and then picked it all back up again. She grabbed on every body part God gave her and screamed every cuss word in English and Spanish at least 10 times. I even went and got me a few pretzels to watch the show...

She is now out there sitting on the bench cooling off. Got on a tank top in this freezing weather. She gon feel all that in the morning when she come out of her drunken stupor.

I tell ya boy... entertainment. That's it for now. I have to come back and tell you about the street preacher with my prophecy and Kaze (Japanese place M and I went to the other day and that A1 and I went to today). Oh yeah... FYI. I have LOST my voice. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. This will be my third week in a row with SOMETHING. Apparently I can't fight this battle alone. Give me the REAL drugs.

Happy Easter

So you ever wondered how Easter became the holiday filled with thoughts of bunnies and painted eggs hiding in the grass? How'd we get from Christ's resurrection to long-eared hopping mammals and undeveloped chicken offspring? Here's a little Easter history for you thanks to the History Channel.
Concerning the egg...
"As Christianity spread throughout Europe, different pagan customs blended into the holidays. In fact, the actual word Easter may have come from Eostre, the goodness of spring and fertility; which brings us to the Easter egg. Eggs have been a mythological symbol of birth for thousands of years. Christians adopted the egg as a Easter custom sometime around the 13th century. The yolk inside a shell represented Christ's emergence from the tomb. Eggs were painted red to represent the blood Christ shed on the cross. The colorful Easter egg soon hatched its own traditions."

Concerning the bunny...
"The fertile rabbit had long been a symbol of new life in European pagan celebrations. Beginning around the 16th century, parents told children that if they behaved, on the eve of Easter the Osterhase would come and lay colorful eggs. Children built nests in their homes to entice the rabbit to visit and so began the customs of Easter hunt and the Easter basket."

So I went on Wikipedia to check out the Easter bunny story especially since I wasn't sure on the spelling of the big bunny that brought eggs. Wiki goes on to say that the bunny would brings eggs, toys and candy to children, sometimes hiding them within the house.

So can we say the Easter bunny is Santa Claus for the summer? LOL. Just joking... sort of.

There are lots more theories and such about Easter traditions and how they came about, but I would be here all day if I were to share it all with you. That's what I found initially, backed it up in 2 other places and that's all I'm giving ya.

So what does Easter mean for me? I mean most of us know what the day symbolizes but how do I apply that to my life? I think of Easter as a time of renewal. Jesus died and was resurrected. I don't think I would quite use the word resurrected and apply to my life, but RESTORE. I've got my own things in my life (in all aspects) that I would like to restore; that I would like to put some life into. For me this year, that what I'm going to take out of Easter. Ok... I'm out.

So yeah... have a BLESSED EASTER!!!!

Can't Match That

I have been off and on sick for two weeks now. I just thank the Lord that I didn't have any exams sitting in my lap. I started feeling sick the day of my last exam. I've got another next week so it's time to shake whatever is in my system. So I've been locked up in my room most of the week sleeping like a bear in hibernation and overdosing in cold medicine. Today I felt somewhat decent and when A1 texted me and suggested Match, I thought what the hell.

So Match... A1 and I first ended up at the spot after an evening of searching for a soul food restaurant that turned out to be a closed down shack. I guess their [Match] main speciality are mini burgers. The first time we went I got a lamb burger and beef brisket burger (if my memory serves me correctly)... oh and some macaroni and cheese. So anyway, when we received our check we got a little flyer that said Tuesday night was $1 burgers and Thursday nights was Ladies Night with $5 entrees. Yeah right we thought. Our portion will probably no bigger than my palm.

So back to tonight... A1 texted me and suggested we check out the $5 entree spectacular at Match. OH MY GOODNESS... the food was excellent and if you haven't read it by now, it only cost me FIVE DOLLARS. There isn't much these days you can get for $5, let alone a REAL MEAL. I ordered the 12 oz Delmonico Steak which was soooo juicy. It was just perfect (flashback). Ok I'm back with you now. With 5 more entree items on the menu, I think A1 and I will be finding 5 more Thursdays to go visit Match. Now if only they put a discount on drinks...

Look Who Can Post Two Days in A Row

I'm back another day. The crowd goes wild...

I'm sitting here surrounded by papers, mostly endocrinology and histology. I have got to get back into the groove and start the grind, but I'm having a difficult time. The main reason is my head. I've had a cold off and on now for two weeks and it just doesn't seem to want to go away. I thought I was better this past weekend (I felt great) but Sunday night my ears started ringing again and my throat closed up. SIGH. I really need the drugs to completely take over and rid my body of this craziness. I've got things to do beside sleep, which is mainly ALL I want to do. 8 hrs just isn't enough.

Well I'm keeping it short, cuz guess what? I'm sleepy!!!! I'm going back to bed after I fight to finish reading about the adrenal glands and its secretion of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. I figure if I type it, I might remember it. LOL.

Night!!

This Weekend

Hello strangers!!! I'm not going to say to much about where I've been and what I'm been doing AND how I've just disappeared from cyber world. I'm just going to try and just right back in.

Miss me? I certainly missed posting. I actually have pieces of paper with thoughts that I wanted to bring to you guys that I scribbled down during class all over the place. I'll try to pick the most intriguing topics and bring em to ya in the future.

So this past weekend... R came and visited me (smile). Its was so refreshing having one of my folks up here with me. Thanks R. Love ya.

So what'd we do? We didn't do as much as I had hoped for... the weather was crappy, but I had fun nonetheless. R got here about a quarter to midnight on Friday. We dropped of his bag and made our way to Stella, a little Italian spot up the street from me. It was pretty good. I had the Orecchiette, which is basically small scoop-bowl pasta with sausage and tomatoes. It was good. I'll have to go back during dinner hours and try the Spicy Cioppino or one of their pizzas.

After our midnight snack, we headed back to what R calls the "haunted house" and called it a night. We talked for a while and then fell out.

Next day looked promising but around 2 or 3 the rain came. Afraid of wet clothes and sickness we left the streets of Faneuil Hall Market Place and went to the movies to see Knowing.

Ok here... Has anybody seen this movie yet? I don't want to say too much without giving the thing away, but I was not feeling this movie. In the beginning the story had me. It actually kept me through the middle too. I kept asking myself, "how are you going to end this?". The more the movie progressed towards the end the more my face turned downwards at this thriller or sci-fi or religious movie. I'll leave it there. Go check it out. What'd you think?

After the movies, R and I, found a bar with a television, sat down for a couple of beers and cheesy fries and watched the Michigan State and UConn Final Four game. Not that exciting... neither of the final four games were edge-seat performances. Maybe we'll see some action in the final.

Ok... I guess this is getting lengthy. R, A1, her cousin, her "friend" and I went out to a party (that's what they called it) later that evening. We had a decent time and ended up getting some BANGIN breakfast at South Street Diner in the end. We went home, slept and R left me in the morning. My place immediately felt quiet. (SIGH) I focused on the fact that my time is soon ending here in Boston and tried putting a smile on my face. Onward I go...

Oh like my picture up there? Sunday's weather was gorgeous and A1 and I made our way out into the world. That's a picture I took of the Holocaust memorial here in Boston.