Neon. Hi!

Remember those billboards? It made me want to buy myself a Neon despite the fact that they are one of the less safe vehicles and they were only on the market for a year or two. Anyway, I saw one today at Lifetime in Edina. The car is still the friendliest I know. Having mentioned Lifetime- if you want a class that can really kick your butt into shape take the FIT class on Tuesdays at 645pm. The instructor is a drill sergeant or a masochist during her time off. She doesn't let up ever. If you think you might need a water break, you either take it and risk looking the the pansy that you are or you are strong and risk fainting away due to water loss via sweat. I haven't been for awhile and i forgot what it was like. When it started out, we had the bands around our ankles and were stepping side to side and grapevining and jabbing and kicking and i naively thought, "wow, i've really improved since the last time i came here." Ha. Yeah, its called a warm up. Oh well. I'm sure I'll feel every muscle i worked tomorrow- which is just about every muscle. That's why I like to go. I've been to the same class in Burnsville and it was so relaxing. There we march in place to warm up, maybe grapevine a time or two but no bands and she is very good about letting one know how a move could be adapted were it to difficult. And of course there are water breaks. But then, she has a different technique- she takes input from the class what they want to do- and focuses more on "trouble areas". They are both good classes in their way. I don't know where this blog was going so I guess I'll just end with the fact that I am no longer lying about my weight on my license which I am thrilled about and i attribute it partially to this class. And don't scorn me for lying, which is actually too strong of a word. I'm pretty sure a large part of the female population is of the same philosophy as me- that is, when they ask your weight on your license they are in fact asking what your ideal weight or what weight you could feasibly manage if you worked at it. And I did! So be happy for me. Please?? Okay. That' s all. No more blogs about exercising, unless its about the Race for Justice or something like it. I'm just happy its nice enough to go running again

Walgreens counseling

This is something i've been meaning to write about but haven't gotten around to until now. Have you noticed how willing the cashiers are to talk at Walgreens? The last two of three visits I've gone, (of course its my fault because I asked) when I asked how they are doing in response to answering them that I'm doing well, they have gushed on about their concerns. And these were two different cashiers, possibly at two different locations I don't remember. Now I won't say anything specific as to protect client-therapist confidentiality, but it made me wonder if their customers are truly the only people they have to speak to about their issues; do the managers of these stores encourage them to really open up and be honest? The last time I was there I purchased a knee brace for when I run and as a nice turn around, the cashier appeared genuinely concerned about my leg and hoped the best for me. I had to tell him that really my legs are fine and I just wanted a little extra support for preventive measures. I'm not really sure if this counseling thing is a pro or a con. I suppose if you want to feel needed, go to a walgreens, purchase a pack of gum and ask the cashier how they're doing, as I am certain they are just waiting for someone, anyone to ask.

4 more days

Only 4 more days until i end my last internship. I have definately put in the hours and the mental energy toward my diploma. Of which I will pretend to receive the 17th! An era of my life is ending. Its about time! Now I just have to determine where I'd like to live the remainder of my life, or at least the next year or so at. This has the potential to be exciting.

New Internship

So i managed to hold off on freakouts for about 4 weeks. Pretty good considering where i was at my last internship. However, every day seems to be creeping closer and closer to to that very thing. Its just that by the end of my last internship i actually was feeling pretty good about the whole thing and then i get to this one and it is much different. I am back to where i am feeling very incompetent and stupid. Granted, this is supposed to be a learning experience and i am learning- but i was treating on my own at the other place at this point and while technically i am doing that here too, i am not as independent as i'd like to be at this point. But, i guess i'll just suck it up and keep on keeping on. Maybe its time to make a count down chain 'til graduation?? I'm not sure. And it doesn't help that i have acquired a cold. One thing i think has helped though has been going to the gym. I just wish Minnesota could have a second summer instead of having missed the great weather. Alright, no more procrastinating here- time to get going fixing my presentation.

Dear Wauchula, how i will miss thee

I don't mind posting the name of the town where i was in Florida now that i'm gone, as before its very possible you could have found me out- its a very small town. But now I'm far, far away and you can look up the town and see where I was living. But small as it was, there are things that I will miss. I'll start out with the most important- the clients i got to treat and some of the clients i didn't treat, the therapy staff and the other students that were in a similar predictament as myself. I don't know if i would have made it without the other students- they were wonderful fun.
Other things i'll miss include:
-drinking wine while watching quality tv like So You Think You Can Dance with my roommate
-the Bowl of Fun. This includes the bowling, the Karoke, the regulars that i met, and actually becoming a regular myself.
-Going to the City Limits to drink and sing after midnight. The place is also known as the Country Club or The Liquor Lounge. Again, met some quality people although I am still somewhat bitter that we were not allowed to sing Goodbye Earl there. We did however get in some Garth Brooks.
-The Rat Dog. There was this raggedy black dog and it looked like a drowned rat. He lived next door and sometimes would be fenced in, however, he'd often be roaming free around by the front of my place. It really won a place in my heart in the end.
-My neighbor and her wonderful cats. I now have two neices which happen to be cats, actually four, as i'm pretty sure i'm an aunt to a couple cats up here too. Is that strange?
-The lightning storms- sometimes it wouldn't be raining and you wouldn't really hear much thunder but there would be this incredible lightning across the skies- as in horizontally. It was very cool.
-The thunderstorms. The south sure knows how to have a storm (except when tropical storms are expected). When it rains down there it really pours. Its fantastic. Enormous drops of rain- lots of lightning again. But it stops after about an hour and turns into a beautiful day. The clouds pass through so quickly down there.
-The rainbows. These generally come after the storms- but with the storms being daily there were a lot of rainbows.
-The birds. This includes the cowbirds and the sandhill cranes. But all the birds were enormous types. Different fauna from the north.
-The flora. Everything very lush. Palmettos and orange trees are all over. I also liked the trees that were covered in vines. The flowers were bright and more tropical as well, and everything was green.

Well, that's all i've got for now. I've got to get prepped for Monday- start a new internship. Wish me luck!

Armadillos and cockroaches

So i finally made it on here down in Florida. I feel like listing all the wild things i've seen since i've been down in Florida because i really need a break from OT. So here goes:
1 armadillo, 1 humming bird, 1 wild pig, turkey vultures, sun fish, minnows, 2 cockroaches, 1 jumping spider, millions of tiny ants, the most adorable yorkie, other tiny dogs, cows, egrets that make friends with cows, pelicans, ducks, sandpiper, 2 toads, tiny geckos, a baby bunny, hm... that might be all. It seemed like there had been more. I have yet to see an aligator- and i drove right through the Everglades. But maybe i'd have done better if i had stopped there. Anyway, i guess i better get home and maybe go to the gym? and oh yeah, buy a new battery for my alarm clock because it turns out the one i had was out of juice. Found that out when i woke up and the power was out. Fortunately i woke up with plenty of time to get to work.

Rabbits and June Bugs

Just because it is finally feeling like summer, it is not June yet and i do not need to see a June Bug. But apparently, they love tennis courts and thought it was near enough. I hate June Bugs. Its not their size- at least they are big enough to spot usually. Its the sound they make with their wings, and their legs that can stick to anything. You never know where one will show up. I swatted several off the court with my raquet, because i think the sound of squished June Bug is almost as bad as their buzzing (although if it came down to it, i'd squish it). I definately did a bug check after the "game" (term is used very loosely) just in case one thought it should come home with me. Ick. So be warned. They are out, at least at tennis courts in the darker hours.
Rabbits are nothing like June Bugs- they even hatch delicious chocolate and cream filled eggs, but the rabbits in my yard (I have a yard this week and have claimed it as my own) have gone too far. One actually had the nerve to sprawl- yes, SPRAWL out on the grass. One of its legs were up and off to the side. Granted the grass is getting long, and i will have to mow it one of these days- a bunny should never ever expose himself like that. There were two others as well just having a wonderful time in the gardens (the gardens are not mine as i would end up killing all the flowers). It made me so annoyed that i grabbed my cat (he has been meowing to go outside since the night of his adventure when he accidently spent the night outside. Did I mention that we have a neighborhood hawk? ) and charged the rabbits. The one actually had to reposition its leg so that it could sit up. And then they didn't even really move until i was within reaching distance. The cat was no help at all. The rabbits were just as big as he was, and apparently his meow isn't very intimidating. Anyway, later on, i saw two of them frolicking around my yard. Honestly, I swear, the grass is not that long. I only wish I had taken a picture of the one rabbit because i have never in my life seen a rabbit position itself in such a way.