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!

I'm here, and I'm learning

Top things I'm learning about/practicing this week (in no particular order):

1. Hospice care
2. Treating patients with Alzheimer's
3. Swallowing therapy
   
4. Mindfulness
5. Being present
6. Full Catastrophe Living (starting to read this book for my MBSR class)
7. Bilingualism/cultural diversity

I'm good enough, I'm smart enough...

So, I have been doing some thinking lately.

I feel like too often I focus on the negative things in life. I feel like I have been dwelling too much on negative feelings or events and looking back more than looking forward. So I want to make a change. 

I want to try to focus on the positive things and the future.

One of my professors in grad school frequently mentions that we can "add that to your affirmation journal." My friends and I always laugh when he brings that up.

But really, why not jot down things that you feel you did well today? Why not keep a running list of things you like about yourself or what you did? I think that could actually be really beneficial, especially if you're learning a new skill or training in a new job or feeling bad about something or feeling unclear about where you're heading or if you're a speech-language pathology grad student who feels like our scope of practice is way too big to really have a handle on everything and is potentially freaking out about whether she will be a good clinician and how will she ever pass her comprehensive exam in April?

Anyway, yes, I have a lot going on in my life right now, and I think I sometimes have so many thoughts running around in my head that I have a hard time focusing on the here and now. The present. And I'd like to be more present. So, I'm going to try to write some posts every week about some of my personal weekly accomplishments/affirmations or things that I did well. Maybe you would like to do the same?

This week's positives/accomplishments/affirmations:

• Got some reading done for class
• Had a fabulous time hanging out with fellow SLP gals at a jewelry party last night
• Felt better on Day 2 of my new practicum
• Had lunch with mom yesterday
• Went to a yoga class 
• Starting a class tomorrow on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (maybe that will give me more strategies on being present and positive and stress-free, too!)