Speaking of the Stones

Well, it's decided. (I've been super productive while watching The Golden Globes.)

We have a new blog. Here it is, folks: http://speakingofthestones.blogspot.com/

Check it out. Bookmark it. Become a follower.

We look forward to keeping in touch with you via the new family blog!

Wrapping up

So, as you've probably noticed, I haven't posted on this blog in a few months. I have been thinking about ending this blog. I think it's time.

I'm no longer just a girl sharing stories from her own life. I'm married. I have a baby growing in my uterus. I feel like I shouldn't have my own blog with "adventures of a Minnesota girl" tagline. Not that I can't have my own joys and hobbies, etc. just cause I'm married. I just feel like I have opened a new chapter in my life and wouldn't mind a fresh start.... possibly via a new blog?

That's right. Before you shed any tears, never fear... I may be creating a new blog. I've just been debating what exactly the new blog should be.

A family blog with the husbo?

A craft/home project blog?

A combination of the two?

Eric and I have even brainstormed about family blog titles. He's pretty funny. Maybe he would be a good story teller/blog poster. I think so. And we'll have some good stories to share in the next year. With a new baby comes the transformation of a guest room into a nursery, along with the more obvious transformation of my body...

What do you think? Any one still out there? I'd be surprised if so. But let me know!

I'll keep you posted on the new blog name and URL. Stay tuned!

Quote of the Day

While driving into the Menard's parking lot today and spotting a chubby 30sish geekish-looking guy loading things into his car....

Eric: Does that guy have a bluetooth?

Heidi: No, that's his sideburn.


Well, maybe it was one of those "you had to be there" moments. It was hilarious, I tell you. 

Happy anniversary!

One year really flew by fast! Happy anniversary to my husband, Eric!

To celebrate, we had a garage sale this weekend. :) Well....not really. We did have a sale (which was great - sold tons of stuff and made some cash too), but we also celebrated by going to Rock Bottom for drinks and apps and then going to see Wicked at the Orpheum. I have wanted to see that show for years, so I was really excited to go, and Eric had never seen a Broadway show before. I really liked it, although it was very different than the book (at least the second act was). I think Eric liked it too (for a musical, anyway). He said the songs are too catchy, though, so don't be surprised if you walk past our house and hear him humming show tunes now.

For another fun anniversary date, we are heading to the Twin's game tonight with Ang and Pat. I'm excited to see Target Field - it'll be our first game there!

Want to see what I put together for a gift to Eric (and for me too, I suppose)?

Well.....here's a picture:

 So, I saw some artwork like this at The Afternoon (a cute shop in the MOA) -- only they spelled out words like "create" and "inspire," etc. So I thought, "I can do that myself for way less than $75." So I did. And it's better. You know why? Cause each letter was taken from a place that has some significance to Eric and me. Here are the letter sources:
S = St. Clair Broiler - a malt shop 2 blocks from our house
T = Scott's Liquor Store - also about 2 blocks from our house and we know the worker by name (it's not Scott, it's Eric)
O = Carmelo's - Italian restaurant that I love! I may or may not have had a tad bit of wine on my bday a couple years ago and filled out a comment card stating that "that was the best meal I've ever had!"
N = floor at the Conservatory, where we went to dinner the night we got engaged
E = RF Moeller jewelers - where we got our rings

Want to see the price breakdown? C'mon...you know I love a good deal.

Okay, here you go:
Time spent taking pictures - about 2 hours
Developing the pictures - $1.35
Frame - $0 cause I already owned it and it was sitting in our guest room unused for 2 years
Total cost - $1.35

I love you THAT much, Eric! That much that I save money on gifts and then we make some moola at our garage sale so we can go do fun things together, like fly to New Mexico to visit my dad this fall.

I'm an SLP. Weird.

Hello out there (anyone still check this?).

If you do, awesome. I hope you enjoy catching up on my life through once a month(ish) blog posts.

Here's another one.

So, I started work last week. I am officially a speech-language pathologist. It's weird. I didn't feel ready to be fully responsible for other people's health outcomes, but turns out, they trust me.

On my first day seeing patients (last Tuesday), Patient A (who has dementia, among other things) confidently told her husband, who she was talking with on the phone, that "the nurse is here, why don't you talk to her?" and then promptly handed me the phone. So I had a chat with her husband and their home health nurse, and it worked out fine (even if I wasn't the nurse they were expecting).

I've also had to call in orders to hospitals to schedule swallow studies for patients based on my experience with the patient. It's so weird. I wonder if they can tell I'm a brand-spankin' new clinician?

Today was stressful - I worked 9.5 hours. Too long. I just had a surprising amount of paperwork today. I have no idea how people do it all and fit it in during a normal work day. Hopefully I learn quickly because, as much as I'd love to get paid overtime, I really don't like staying late and driving home in crazy traffic. I'm more of a "get there early so I can leave early and avoid rush hour traffic" kind of gal.

Anyway....such is life as a new SLP.

The highs of this past week (which may or may not relate to my new job) include:

• Feeling really good about my ability to establish rapport with my patients.
• One of my patients says "Oh hi, honey" when I come to see her for therapy. 
• Eric and I went car shopping and test drove a bunch of different cars. We really like the Honda Element and the Subaru Forester...stay tuned for our decision...
• We went golfing on Sunday, and it was lovely to be outside even if it was overcast (it's been rainy here in MN for like a week). Also, Eric and I tied exactly. We're a pretty good match.
• Going out with some friends last Friday - it had been a while since I'd hung out with them, so it was fabulous!

And because I don't feel like dwelling on the negative, I am deliberately not making a list of my week's lows. Take that, negativity!

One low: not seeing my niece for a long time! We were going to hang out this weekend, but it was rainy. Boo.

3 years

That's all it took to start and finish graduate school. Wait...that's all it took? It took a heck of a lot of sacrificing other fun things to stay home and study or get up early to go to practicum or write a research paper...

Yesterday, I graduated.

It feels good to write that. I'm going to write it again.

I graduated!!!

At the ceremony, the speaker shared an anecdote that I can't recall the details of really (I'm a good listener), but the point was that in order to earn a master's or professional degree, you basically have to be in school half your life. Well, let's see... 12 years of high school + 4 years of undergrad + 3 years of grad school = 19 years. I'm 29. I've spent more than half my life in school! Yikes! No wonder I like making lists and crossing things off when I'm done with them and reading books and watching documentaries. I like learning.

However, I am very much ready to be done with school. And I look forward to learning on my own time (in continuing ed classes and in the comfort of my own home while eating popcorn and drinking Cherry Coke Zeros).

You know who else is ready to be done with school? This guy - he graduates on May 22.

The only thing I have left to do before I am officially done with school is survive my oral defense on Monday morning (10 a.m. CST). Basically, I get to meet with a panel of three professors who can ask me anything. They might ask questions to clarify some of my answers from my written exam I had a month ago, or they could just ask whatever they want related to speech, language, hearing, swallowing, cognition...stuff like that.

 Thanks, Mom, for coming to my graduation and taking us
out for deeeeelicious Afghani food!

So Monday morning, I would appreciate any good vibes you could send my way!

Thanks!

And in case you're wondering, you can now call me master. :) Just kidding... But if you really want to know, my official title now will be Heidi Lastname, MA, CF-SLP (which stands for Master of Arts, Clinical Fellow-Speech-Language Pathologist). After nine months of being a clinical fellow, I'll be a CCC-SLP, which stands for Certificate of Clinical Competence-Speech-Language Pathologist.

Weekend get-away

This weekend, Eric, Indy and I took a trip up to Grand Marais. It was partially a work trip for Eric (Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply is under construction and inventory is being ordered, and the store is hopefully opening in about a month) and partially just a nice mini-vacation for us to escape from the city and our school work and just relax and spend some time outdoors. (Apparently, I like run-on sentences.)

Friday was more focused on work stuff, but Saturday we got a chance to head out to Judge Magney State Park for a nice hike with Indy.

I just love it up there - the cliffs and waterfalls and trees and just the sounds and smells of the outdoors. I love it. I told Eric that this weekend felt like a preview into our life after grad school. I just cannot wait to be done with school and have more time for us to just take trips and have free time.

See all of our pics here.

Some unpictured memories of the weekend also include: the purchase of camping hats (pictures to follow in the future - stay tuned!), pizza at Sven & Ole's, BBQ at the Stones' house, touring the store under construction and lots of time throwing the tennis ball for all three dogs.

I can't wait for school to be done. You will find me outdoors. In the yard. Up north. Camping. Hiking. Gardening. Just sitting in the sun. Can't wait.

I am so thankful for this weekend get-away. Hopefully it was enough to re-charge my batteries and give me strength and energy to finish this semester.

Pig tails & sunglasses

It's been a looonng time since my last post. Sorry about that -- I've been a little busy with school and am keeping my fingers crossed that I pass my comprehensive exam and get to graduate in three weeks. I'll find out about that in about a week.

Anyway.... aside from school stuff, I'm happy to report that I've had the chance to hang out with this cute little gal for two weekends in a row! Is this not the cutest little girl you've ever seen?

Yeah, that's my niece. We got to hang out for a little while today, but these pics are actually from a week ago.

Just thought some of the fam would like to see some cute Finley pics. I love her. See some more pics here. 

Interview #2

I have a job interview tomorrow, and I'm super excited about it! It's with the skilled nursing facility I'm currently at for my internship/practicum, and I'm really hoping that I get the job!

The job would involve working with adults in long-term and transitional care who have (or had) any of the following:

• stroke
• brain injury
• dementia
• cognitive deficits
• swallowing disorders
• voice disorders
• any number of diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, etc.)

Anyway....send some positive energy my way tomorrow at 10 a.m. CST, please!

You know it's a good day when...

...you get an email like this:


University of Minnesota
Graduate School Spring 2010 Commencement Ceremony

Dear Heidi,

Re: Attendance verification

This e-mail serves as confirmation that the Graduate School has received your Commencement Attendance Approval form and is planning on your attendance at the Spring 2010, University of Minnesota Graduate School Commencement Ceremony.


Bring it. 

Aliens

I decided today that I should start keeping track of some of the things I hear everyday at the skilled nursing facility. Sometimes, patients say the funniest things. I don't mean to make fun of vulnerable people--I just think that it's one of those situations where you either laugh about it, or you cry about it. So I choose to laugh.

Today's conversation of the day:

Me: Why are you here, Bob*?
Bob: Well, I had a brain aneurysm. That, and I complained about aliens visiting me.

Note: To my knowledge, Bob never complained of alien sightings. His brain injury causes him to make up things and have a poor short-term memory. He sometimes thinks that he is in a school, not a skilled nursing facility. In fact, he told me today that this weekend was his graduation. The good thing: despite these challenges, Bob is not angry, and he responds well to others (like me and the SLP) correcting him. Our challenge: trying to help him learn memory and reasoning strategies to sort through reality and fabrications.

What an interesting fellow, that Bob.

*Patient names changed to protect the innocent and follow HIPAA rules.

2 months and counting

Exactly 2 months from tomorrow, I will be walking across the stage at Northrop Auditorium and accepting my diploma. I might also need to throw my hands up in the air and let out a cry of joy/exhaustion/relief.

I can't wait.

Yet....there are a million and one things to do before then.

I have been so busy lately and so tired, but the thing is that I am really enjoying most of the things that are taking up my time. I really like working at the skilled nursing facility -- the old folks are great. It's sad sometimes (especially the other day when one of my former patients passed away...), but it is also great to see their successes and help improve their quality of life. Other than that, I've been studying for comps (coming up April 9) with a friend twice a week, and that hasn't been too bad. There's just a lot to know, but it's been nice to talk everything out with another person rather than just study by myself. And then there's work and two classes (both of which are about assessing and treating people who are bilingual -- super interesting and relevant here in MN, where we have really high numbers of immigrants and refugees!).

So, yeah....life has been busy lately, and I am feeling like I'm ready to graduate and be an SLP! I am leaning toward working in a school setting, so keep your fingers crossed that I get called for an interview soon!

So, let's do some highs and lows for the past couple weeks, shall we?

Highs:

• Getting called for my first interview at a pediatric clinic
• Feeling like I am getting a handle on how to treat adults with swallowing, voice and cognitive disorders, along with Dementia
• Buying our rowing machine (I need to get on that thing more frequently!)
• Seeing the sun for the past week and actually noticing that the snow is melting (so I can no see over the snowbanks at the end of our driveway when I'm backing out)
• Visiting with Miss Finn last weekend for a bit. She walked over to my chair and held her arms up, like "pick me up!" She's a doll. And I love that after taking a drink, she goes "ahhhh."

Lows:

• Finding out that a patient died on Thursday morning. So sad...
• Having wayyyy too much to do for school before Spring Break and wondering how I'm ever going to finish it all.
• Being sick last week with a stomach flu and not getting to go up north on a snowshoe/cabin adventure. 
• Having to get Indy some anti-seizure meds. We're starting them today.

Well, that's about it for now. I hope to provide more frequent updates about fun projects around the house (crafts, gardening/yard remodeling, etc.) after May! Stay tuned...

Job interview!

I have my very first SLP job interview on Wednesday!

I applied for two more jobs yesterday (both at private pediatric clinics). And I got a call today. One day later. Um, that's crazy fast. So far, I've applied for four jobs in the past three weeks -- two in schools and two in clinics. All with kiddos (I love 'em).

So wish me luck and send good vibes on Wednesday afternoon!

Look out Metro Therapy, I'm about to knock your socks off.

I'm not sure if you knew this about me, but I love job interviews. Not just because they can end with having a job. I really like the process. Yes, it's brings on some anxiety and sweaty armpits, but it also allows you to talk about yourself and point out all the great things about you. And you get to meet new people and learn about a new place.

I know. I'm kind of a freak.

Anyway...... so excited! Interview #1, here I come!

But first, tell me: What are your favorite/least favorite interview questions?

Urg!

Winter in Minnesota has been pretty brutal this year. We have shoveled and shoveled. The snowbanks at the end of our driveway are about as tall as me. I am soooo ready for spring and have been feeling the urge to go on a run or do SOMETHING outside. But the sidewalks are still really icy and dangerous. So....what to do?

Well, Eric and I decided we needed to buy some exercise equipment for our basement. He already lifts weights down there. Why not add some kind of cardio? We ruled out a treadmill or elliptical machine because Eric would undoubtedly hit his head on our low ceiling.

So today, we ventured out to 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment and bought an urg (a rowing machine...we hard-core former rowers call them urgs....remember how I used to row in college?). I'm super excited about it! Rowing is such a great full-body workout.

I couldn't wait to try it out. See?

What do you think? What is your favorite indoor workout?

Happy Valentine's Day

Today was the one-year anniversary of Eric's proposal. Here's a pic of us holding the picture of us from our dinner at Como Park Conservatory last year. It's a picture in a picture. Next year, we'll take a picture of us holding this picture, so it'll be a picture in a picture in a picture... Admit it, you're jealous you didn't think of it and are now secretly planning your own pic in a pic. Do it!

To celebrate, we actually didn't do anything super romantic or give each other gifts, but we had a nice day. This morning, we slept in, Eric did some homework and I read and did yoga.

Then we took Indy to the dog park. It was a nice wintery day with fresh snow - too bad I forgot my camera in the car!

Then we went to my mom's house to help her with her new computer and visit with Indy's valentine, Buddy.

Our one festive activity we did today was decorate Valentine's Day cookies (special thanks to the Valentine Cookie Decorating Kit from Target - best $5 I ever spent). Here are some of our masterpieces...

 

 

What did you do to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Mindful highs and lows

For my MBSR class, I was supposed to keep track of pleasant and unpleasant experiences this week and document if I was fully present for the experience, how it felt, how it feels to reflect on the experiences, etc. Ummm...well, I didn't document them, but I did try to mentally keep track. So I thought I'd try to jot them down here as my usual highs and lows of the week.

So, here goes....

Highs:

• Getting my hair cut! I got about 5-6 inches cut off, and now I'm sassier than ever. :)
• Taking a quiz on Tuesday in class. I know...taking a quiz? What is wrong with me? I felt very smart and like I knew my stuff about how bilingualism affects academic development. 
• Skyping with my dad and Beth last night and hearing my dad tell me about how he stopped in the lobby of the hospital where he works (as a director of a department) to stop and compliment the nice man playing piano. He then went on to sing All the Way by Frank Sinatra with the man. That made me happy that I have a dad who just seizes the day like that. More people (especially big shot directors and managers) should do that. 
• Meeting some neighbors while shoveling my driveway and helping this woman get unstuck from the alley. I love our neighborhood.
• Sitting in the living room and chatting with my husband for about an hour last night. Just me, him and Indy catching up on life. 
• Doing yoga before bed once this week. I know I was supposed to do it more frequently. Well, the one time I did it, I loved it! Listening to a CD that guides you through the poses is way better than trying to a) do it on your own or b) watch a DVD. Love the CD. Love it.
• Getting two books in the mail from Amazon. I love ordering books, even if they are for school. (Nerd!) The books: The Late Homecomer, which I will read for fun and for school (I have to do some cultural awareness activities for one of my classes, and this will count) and An Advanced Review of Speech-Language Pathology, which will help give me some structure for studying for comps and the Praxis Exam (which is a requirement for getting my SLP license).

Lows:

• Having to shovel twice this week due to more ridiculous amounts of snow. 
• Being worried about being towed due to Minneapolis changing their snow emergency parking rules. So to avoid any confusion and a potential towing bill, I parked in a pay lot today. Boo. I hate paying to park on campus...even if it's only $3.75...the cheapest lot around.
• Still not being able to go back to my practicum site after the Office of General Counsel at the U of M has sat on my contract for two weeks and not signed it or approved it. Frustrating. While it has been nice to not have to drive to Hopkins every day, I would like to learn some things about treating adults with dementia, dysphagia, TBI, etc. before I have to take comps in April. 
• Finding out that comps (our comprehensive exam that I have to take in order to graduate) is earlier than I thought it'd be. It's probably April 2. Less than two months to study!

Before & After: Shelf

According to my husband, our summer kitchen that we've been using as a multi-purpose room (for cutting wood, brewing beer, sewing, painting, etc.) is beginning to look more and more like a girlie craft room and less and less like a workshop. I think there is still room for both, but my side of the room with my refinished desk is starting to look super cute and will hopefully inspire me to spend more time being creative in there.

Are you ready to see what I did with this shelf I bought at ValuThrift a couple months ago for like $1.59?

Here are a couple "before" (somewhat in progress) pics. The shelf had this lovely country feel to it with navy paint and dark stain. Not really my style...

 

 

So, I slapped on one coat of oil-based primer and then two coats of latex Antique White paint, and voila!

 

 

Then, I added two Story People prints (Her Laughter was a gift from my friend Laura back in college, and I just got Ordinary Life using a gift card from our wedding - love them), a jar filled with spools of thread and a couple ribbons wrapped around the little hooks/knobs on the bottom part of the shelf (I'm hoping to use those for more ribbon or other hang-able objects later on):

 

So, now this is my side of the room with my matching desk and shelf. I'm inspired.

Happy Birthday, Indy!

Happy birthday to my sweet 4-year-old chocolate lab on her golden birthday. Indy has had quite a year! The good stuff: she got a new dad, and she got to be in our wedding. The not-so-good stuff: she had 2 seizures. We hope that her 4th year brings her improved health and lots of good walks, treats, bones and play time outdoors.

Here are some of Indy's highs of the year:

 

 

Debbie Gibson

 

It was doppleganger week on Facebook - you were supposed to find your celebrity twin and post it as your profile pic. I remembered that when I was about 10 my cousin told me I reminded her of Debbie Gibson. I think she looks like she could be my sister - I do have the same chubby full cheeks and big brown eyes. And I definitely did my hair like that in the early '90s. 

What do you think? Who's your celeb doppleganger?

The Limited: Discount-o-rama

I saw this in my daily email from Never Pay Retail Again today, and I had to share. Print this coupon to get $50 off a $150 purchase, $30 off a $100 purchase OR just plain ol' $15 off!

Looks like I know what I'll be doing tonight...

UPDATE: The Limited's pants suck. They are all extremely long and the pockets show through the pants, even if they're not too tight. So, sad to say I didn't get to use the coupon.

However, I did get to take advantage of some good sales at Nordstrom Rack and got a pair of pants that was regular $78 for $12! They need to be hemmed, but hey, they were $12. I got a few other tops that were also 60% off, and then I used a gift card at The Afternoon to get this story people print. Love me some good deals!

P.S. While shopping at the MOA, I kind of forgot about the State of the Union.... I caught the last 15-20 minutes on the radio on the way home, though!