Dear government,
Thanks for passing a healthcare bill now that I not only have health insurance (as opposed to the years when I was denied because of recent cancer history), but work in healthcare. I'm sure the massive paycuts that are planned will make my job miserable as we are forced to cut staffing, quality control, and extra services. And how, by the way, do you plan to mediate state medicaid drug reimbursement cuts? Because our state already reimburses us below cost. Yep, we lose money on every medicaid script we fill!
Dear congress,
We definitely needed to do something about the hooey that is student loans. Maybe you could have done that while I was, you know, a student? Because now I'm graduated, and my few measly student loans I did take out - all federal - have an unholy 6.8% rate. That's silly. My hubby has PRIVATE loans with rates less than a third of that! All my loan fees were gobbled up by the hungry banks, never to be seen again. I'm darn lucky that I work like an ox and only had to take out loans for two years out of my eight years of school.
Dear other congressmen:
Student loan repayment? Why? Are you saying you're going to REWARD people who carry around massive debt and don't pay it off? Why not just give the money up front to decrease the amount of interest the borrower must pay? In essence you are given student borrowers a second loan: Students are getting money after 20 years to cover the balance of their educational loan debt, but they had to pay interest that certainly exceeded that amount over the 20 year period. And yes, the reason I have beef about this is that I won't have any loans you can repay, because I plan on paying mine off by next Fall. Because I'm responsible, ya know? And I don't mind eating pinto beans for dinner so I can save some money and pay on my loans.
Moral of the story:
My life schedule is off. If I'd gone to school earlier I would have had low interest rates and low tuition. If I'd gone to school later I'd have had loan forgiveness and decent loan regulations. And if the world was sane, healthcare reform would have started by cutting the disgustingly expensive bureaucracy that is government health: I'm talking to you, FDA, CMS, DHH!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
One more thing on my plate...
...and on my RESUME!
I am writing a continuing education course for pharmacists! I have the support of my company for research purposes (so I don't have to pay for primary literature that is not free), and I will be composing the course so that when it is finished any pharmacist can take it as a written course, and I can present it to pharmacists in my company at meetings, etc. This is important because pharmacists in many states have to take a certain number of live courses each year. Louisiana is one of them. Tomorrow I get started on the outline and research!
If you care, the topic is dyslipidemia from an MTM (medication therapy management) perspective. Woohoo.
I am writing a continuing education course for pharmacists! I have the support of my company for research purposes (so I don't have to pay for primary literature that is not free), and I will be composing the course so that when it is finished any pharmacist can take it as a written course, and I can present it to pharmacists in my company at meetings, etc. This is important because pharmacists in many states have to take a certain number of live courses each year. Louisiana is one of them. Tomorrow I get started on the outline and research!
If you care, the topic is dyslipidemia from an MTM (medication therapy management) perspective. Woohoo.
Monday, March 29, 2010
This is why I don't run with the hubby...
Good morning, and happy Monday! Ha. As if Monday could possibly be happy!
This Sunday David and had planned a 10k run as our incredibly effective 1-day training plan for the upcoming Crescent City Classic.
Now a brief word on training. I run pretty casually, so I don't really train. I definitely trained for the Mardi Gras Marathon, and look where that got me! Flippin' nowhere! So training must be a waste of time, right? Just kidding. I'm just not really good about sticking to a training plan and I'm pretty comfortable tooling around at a mediocre pace. I'll build up mileage before a half marathon but I don't work much on speed. I should, I just don't. And for short races I don't do a thang. Shame on me...I do plan on getting better about this though, especially my speed!
So anyway - the "training run" was really for David, who doesn't usually run past 3.5 miles. I wanted him to get a feel for the distance. Now lucky for us, our house is so situated that we have a built-in 10k track: from our corner to Audubon park, around the park once, then a second loop, this time going up around the fly ("long loop"), and back home is exactly 6.2 miles (give or take a stroller/tourist detour or two)! I explained the route to hubby ... several times, because I had to explain the water stops since going up on the fly makes you miss one fountain and another fountain is out of order right now.
So off we went! My goal for this year, given my recent illness and lack of running, is to run under 48 minutes. Honestly I don't think I'll be able to pull this off. I can do it in Audubon park, but the Classic is a notoriously slow race if you aren't starting way up front with the fast people. It has a huge turn out and a lot of walkers, strollers, families, costumes (and there is nothing wrong with that!), beer wagons,and general goofiness. You spend most of the race trying to get to the start and the rest of it going around slow people in front of you. I think it will slow me way down.
I got back to the house in 47:22 (yay - for me that's good!) and was surprised to see the hubby standing on the porch! I called out, "What happened?" and he (rather proudly) cried back, "What do you mean? I'm done already! What happened to you?!" Instincts told me he had forgotten the route. Yep. Seriously, he forgot to do the loop around the park and only did the long loop! That put his total miles at 4.5 - crazy man didn't even realize that he hadn't run the full 6.2 (which I guess is understandable since he never runs that distance) but he also didn't catch on that his 45 minute time could not possibly be for a 10k. He knows he's not that fast! Silly man. After mocking him and his math skills all day I elicited a promise to try again on Wednesday, so we'll get one little run in before the race on Saturday!
This Sunday David and had planned a 10k run as our incredibly effective 1-day training plan for the upcoming Crescent City Classic.
Now a brief word on training. I run pretty casually, so I don't really train. I definitely trained for the Mardi Gras Marathon, and look where that got me! Flippin' nowhere! So training must be a waste of time, right? Just kidding. I'm just not really good about sticking to a training plan and I'm pretty comfortable tooling around at a mediocre pace. I'll build up mileage before a half marathon but I don't work much on speed. I should, I just don't. And for short races I don't do a thang. Shame on me...I do plan on getting better about this though, especially my speed!
So anyway - the "training run" was really for David, who doesn't usually run past 3.5 miles. I wanted him to get a feel for the distance. Now lucky for us, our house is so situated that we have a built-in 10k track: from our corner to Audubon park, around the park once, then a second loop, this time going up around the fly ("long loop"), and back home is exactly 6.2 miles (give or take a stroller/tourist detour or two)! I explained the route to hubby ... several times, because I had to explain the water stops since going up on the fly makes you miss one fountain and another fountain is out of order right now.
So off we went! My goal for this year, given my recent illness and lack of running, is to run under 48 minutes. Honestly I don't think I'll be able to pull this off. I can do it in Audubon park, but the Classic is a notoriously slow race if you aren't starting way up front with the fast people. It has a huge turn out and a lot of walkers, strollers, families, costumes (and there is nothing wrong with that!), beer wagons,and general goofiness. You spend most of the race trying to get to the start and the rest of it going around slow people in front of you. I think it will slow me way down.
I got back to the house in 47:22 (yay - for me that's good!) and was surprised to see the hubby standing on the porch! I called out, "What happened?" and he (rather proudly) cried back, "What do you mean? I'm done already! What happened to you?!" Instincts told me he had forgotten the route. Yep. Seriously, he forgot to do the loop around the park and only did the long loop! That put his total miles at 4.5 - crazy man didn't even realize that he hadn't run the full 6.2 (which I guess is understandable since he never runs that distance) but he also didn't catch on that his 45 minute time could not possibly be for a 10k. He knows he's not that fast! Silly man. After mocking him and his math skills all day I elicited a promise to try again on Wednesday, so we'll get one little run in before the race on Saturday!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Foody Friday: This is my last smoothie post, I swear.
Just one leetle last post about smoothies. I have to share this tip with you!
My smoothie making secret is...
Use banana ice cubes instead of plain ice. All you do is break your bananas up into ice-cube sized pieces and freeze them (this is a wonderful way to save nearly-brown bananas from certain death-by-banana-bread fate). Then when you use these cubes instead of ice as you make a smoothie you have accomplished several things:
1. You won't dilute your smoothie
2. These banana cubes don't freeze into solid blocks, so the blending time is greatly reduced and you don't get surprise chunks of uncrushed ice banging into your teeth as you try to surreptitiously drink a smoothie at work.
Of course you can also throw other frozen fruit in instead, like a handful of frozen berries, to the same effect...but I kind of buying the day-old banana bag for $0.99 at my grocery store and freezing most of them.
This tip assumes that you put bananas in your smoothie, so I guess I should ask - what goes in your smoothie? What's your favorite fruit blend, and are you one of those people who puts scoops of stuff in them? Like protein powder? Flax? Estrogen replacement? (ha, I made that up)
My smoothie making secret is...
Use banana ice cubes instead of plain ice. All you do is break your bananas up into ice-cube sized pieces and freeze them (this is a wonderful way to save nearly-brown bananas from certain death-by-banana-bread fate). Then when you use these cubes instead of ice as you make a smoothie you have accomplished several things:
1. You won't dilute your smoothie
2. These banana cubes don't freeze into solid blocks, so the blending time is greatly reduced and you don't get surprise chunks of uncrushed ice banging into your teeth as you try to surreptitiously drink a smoothie at work.
Of course you can also throw other frozen fruit in instead, like a handful of frozen berries, to the same effect...but I kind of buying the day-old banana bag for $0.99 at my grocery store and freezing most of them.
This tip assumes that you put bananas in your smoothie, so I guess I should ask - what goes in your smoothie? What's your favorite fruit blend, and are you one of those people who puts scoops of stuff in them? Like protein powder? Flax? Estrogen replacement? (ha, I made that up)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Giving yourself a haircut
My recent haircut reminded me to share my hair cutting tips. I always cut my own hair because, yeah, you guessed it. I'm cheap. I've actually never had my hair done professionally; I just can't plunk down cash for something I can sort of do myself :)
So in my years of practice, here is what I've learned:
1. To cut your own hair, it is best if it is damp or dry. Supposedly wet is ideal but this is too difficult when you are doing your own hair.
2. Start in the front, by your face, on very small pieces at a time - this way if you cut it too short initially (that fist cut often ends up shorter than you imagined!), you can let those short pieces act as layers around the face.
3. No blunt cuts ever. Ever! Even cuts described as "blunt cuts" at a salon are really layered lightly at the ends. To imitate this, you will have to cut several layers in graduating lengths (if your hair is thick), or cut in a downward slant (f your hair is thin). This technique is especially important on BANGS. Bangs never have a blunt edge: a blunt edge will always appear crooked.
4. Pitch the scissors. They are too hard to manipulate on your own head. Use a razor instead. Yep, just one of these.
They are much easier to use and automatically give you soft edges.
5. Cutting the back of your head is tough, but you can try two techniques: one is to part you hair at the center and pull each side to the front, turning the sections so the hair from the back of your head is closest to your face and the hair from the front of your head is on the outside of the section. Cut the part that will be in the back of your head; then comb your hair out and cut the front part that you can easily see, and add any layers. The second technique is to set up double mirrors and cut it by mirror. This is not hard at all and is very useful for adding layers of cutting with soft angled edges.
6. Before doing any cutting, explore your hair! Many people have several textures of hair and multiple cowlicks. For example, hair on the right side of my head curls more than the left, so I have to make sure that I don;t end up with the left side longer than the right. Cowlicks can affect how the hair lays on your head - if you cut your hair too short neat a cowlick it won't hang down but will curl back into your hair. Find these unique features out first!
7. Practice makes perfect - don't do a drastic short hair cut on your first try. Long hair hides mistakes better!
So in my years of practice, here is what I've learned:
1. To cut your own hair, it is best if it is damp or dry. Supposedly wet is ideal but this is too difficult when you are doing your own hair.
2. Start in the front, by your face, on very small pieces at a time - this way if you cut it too short initially (that fist cut often ends up shorter than you imagined!), you can let those short pieces act as layers around the face.
3. No blunt cuts ever. Ever! Even cuts described as "blunt cuts" at a salon are really layered lightly at the ends. To imitate this, you will have to cut several layers in graduating lengths (if your hair is thick), or cut in a downward slant (f your hair is thin). This technique is especially important on BANGS. Bangs never have a blunt edge: a blunt edge will always appear crooked.
4. Pitch the scissors. They are too hard to manipulate on your own head. Use a razor instead. Yep, just one of these.
They are much easier to use and automatically give you soft edges.
5. Cutting the back of your head is tough, but you can try two techniques: one is to part you hair at the center and pull each side to the front, turning the sections so the hair from the back of your head is closest to your face and the hair from the front of your head is on the outside of the section. Cut the part that will be in the back of your head; then comb your hair out and cut the front part that you can easily see, and add any layers. The second technique is to set up double mirrors and cut it by mirror. This is not hard at all and is very useful for adding layers of cutting with soft angled edges.
6. Before doing any cutting, explore your hair! Many people have several textures of hair and multiple cowlicks. For example, hair on the right side of my head curls more than the left, so I have to make sure that I don;t end up with the left side longer than the right. Cowlicks can affect how the hair lays on your head - if you cut your hair too short neat a cowlick it won't hang down but will curl back into your hair. Find these unique features out first!
7. Practice makes perfect - don't do a drastic short hair cut on your first try. Long hair hides mistakes better!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Haircut and F-I-L update
My father in law was discharged yesterday and is home with the only memory gap being the time during the actual episode (which he doesn't remember at all). We talked to him last night and he's 100% back to normal. He left with no diagnosis and a clean battery of tests: not a single test came back positive, although I think it's safe to assume that SOMETHING cut off oxygen to the brain! Frankly I think the neurology team is as baffled as we are: his discharge summary reads something like, "Man in his sixties presented with total global amnesia of at least the past year, no other physical signs, memory gradually returning, all tests negative, patient discharged home in good health."
My casual opinion is that this is either a TIA or heavy metal toxicity (can I blame that for my eyes swelling up, too???).
Now on to my haircut. Thanks to all the drama, I never did get my glamor shots by the hubby, so you'll have to settle for Blackberry pics taken by myself in my bathroom.
This is my hair wash-and-air dried. If I scrunch it with a little gel and water it gets kind of curly, and looks like my inspiration, this picture of Jessica Alba (minus the floppy bangs):
And if I let it go two days without a shampoo (which I usually do, since my hair tends to be dry), the next day it has less of a body wave that the first picture shows, and more of a piece-y, layered look. Kind of rocker. I like it.
This is the shortest my hair's ever been and it's a lot to get used to. I used to wear it in a neat bun most of the time and now it's too short for a ponytail, so that's been strange. Plus all the waves and body are new - it's only slightly wavy when long because it's thick and heavy and the weight pulls it straight.
So, now for a vote! Should I keep it kind of short, like my new haircut? Or pretty long, like it was over Christmas?
My casual opinion is that this is either a TIA or heavy metal toxicity (can I blame that for my eyes swelling up, too???).
Now on to my haircut. Thanks to all the drama, I never did get my glamor shots by the hubby, so you'll have to settle for Blackberry pics taken by myself in my bathroom.
This is my hair wash-and-air dried. If I scrunch it with a little gel and water it gets kind of curly, and looks like my inspiration, this picture of Jessica Alba (minus the floppy bangs):
And if I let it go two days without a shampoo (which I usually do, since my hair tends to be dry), the next day it has less of a body wave that the first picture shows, and more of a piece-y, layered look. Kind of rocker. I like it.
This is the shortest my hair's ever been and it's a lot to get used to. I used to wear it in a neat bun most of the time and now it's too short for a ponytail, so that's been strange. Plus all the waves and body are new - it's only slightly wavy when long because it's thick and heavy and the weight pulls it straight.
So, now for a vote! Should I keep it kind of short, like my new haircut? Or pretty long, like it was over Christmas?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
My crappy weekend
The hubby and I decided to spend this weekend in Bay St Louis, relaxing after a long week.
We get an F on relaxation.
The plan was to take a long bike ride, have a picnic on the beach, pick up some bargain books at a little thrift store, and then join the in-laws for a dinner of steamed crabs and corn on the cob (the in-laws were escaping a vampire party being held at their house by the dear little sister in law).
All of the above we actually did. In fact I snatched up 5 books for $2 and we did have a beer or two on the beach. But several things went terribly wrong!
1. The hubby had an excruciating toothache the whole time, thanks to a runaway filling
2. The most bizarre and random thing attacked my eye: all of a sudden my eyes swelled up and turned red and I could not open them. The muscles got all twitchy and I was in excruciating pain, especially in bright light. I took out my contacts and took a cetirazine in case this was an allergic reaction, but I spent all weekend totally blind and in pain.
3. Oh, and my father in law had a stroke.
Yeah.
This morning he seemed a little disoriented at breakfast, but we all wake up groggy sometimes, so no one panicked. But then my husband made a comment about his job, and my father in law, in genuine shock, asked when he'd started that job. He totally did not remember this at all. I immediately suspected stroke and started hustling everyone into the car. Oddly, F-I-L had no slurred speech and no physical signs at all. But I wasn't taking chances. We headed all the way back to New Orleans because the local hospital did not have a full-service ER.
***If you are with someone having a stroke, take them to the nearest ER. The only reason I opted to drive to New Orleans was that I knew we'd still be in the treatment window and I knew the closest hospital was not fully functional for all emergencies. Plus I recognized that F-I-L was not a prime candidate for treatment (a thrombolytic to break up a clot) anyway, so time was not AS important. But rule of thumb is that seconds count in a stroke!***
As we drove we asked F-I-L some questions to ascertain his cognizance. He had no memory of recent months - did not remember his grandbaby, didn't know he was retiring in a month, and could not recall the Saints superbowl! He actually called his boss to verify our claim that he was retiring soon. His memory was very random: he remembered me completely, yet did not remember a major political move that drastically affected his job that came about in 2006. He could pull out his iphone, call his boss, and talk about work with no problem, but when asked he couldn't name his secretary or law clerk.
Once we got to the ED, he was seen right away (I called on the way over to let them know a stroke was on the way). Oddly, while they were doing his CT, his memory began returning! He started mentioning details from dinner last night, then asked if this hospitalization would affect his retirement plans. Now he recalls the recent past up until last night. It was such a relief for him to start remembering again, but he's still forgetting conversations he's having now - so his short term is still damaged. Of course he's undergoing lots of tests to determine what deprived his brain of oxygen that would result in this bizarre symptoms. It may be a stroke, it may be cardiac, it may be vasoconstiction from plaque - we don't know yet and the doctors don't have a great grasp on his condition yet either.
He's doing better (he just texted me to ask for a slice of key lime pie, so he can't be that sick!), but we're just about stressed to the max! I think I need a vacation from my vacation!
Please keep my F-I-L in your prayers. Thanks guys!
We get an F on relaxation.
The plan was to take a long bike ride, have a picnic on the beach, pick up some bargain books at a little thrift store, and then join the in-laws for a dinner of steamed crabs and corn on the cob (the in-laws were escaping a vampire party being held at their house by the dear little sister in law).
All of the above we actually did. In fact I snatched up 5 books for $2 and we did have a beer or two on the beach. But several things went terribly wrong!
1. The hubby had an excruciating toothache the whole time, thanks to a runaway filling
2. The most bizarre and random thing attacked my eye: all of a sudden my eyes swelled up and turned red and I could not open them. The muscles got all twitchy and I was in excruciating pain, especially in bright light. I took out my contacts and took a cetirazine in case this was an allergic reaction, but I spent all weekend totally blind and in pain.
3. Oh, and my father in law had a stroke.
Yeah.
This morning he seemed a little disoriented at breakfast, but we all wake up groggy sometimes, so no one panicked. But then my husband made a comment about his job, and my father in law, in genuine shock, asked when he'd started that job. He totally did not remember this at all. I immediately suspected stroke and started hustling everyone into the car. Oddly, F-I-L had no slurred speech and no physical signs at all. But I wasn't taking chances. We headed all the way back to New Orleans because the local hospital did not have a full-service ER.
***If you are with someone having a stroke, take them to the nearest ER. The only reason I opted to drive to New Orleans was that I knew we'd still be in the treatment window and I knew the closest hospital was not fully functional for all emergencies. Plus I recognized that F-I-L was not a prime candidate for treatment (a thrombolytic to break up a clot) anyway, so time was not AS important. But rule of thumb is that seconds count in a stroke!***
As we drove we asked F-I-L some questions to ascertain his cognizance. He had no memory of recent months - did not remember his grandbaby, didn't know he was retiring in a month, and could not recall the Saints superbowl! He actually called his boss to verify our claim that he was retiring soon. His memory was very random: he remembered me completely, yet did not remember a major political move that drastically affected his job that came about in 2006. He could pull out his iphone, call his boss, and talk about work with no problem, but when asked he couldn't name his secretary or law clerk.
Once we got to the ED, he was seen right away (I called on the way over to let them know a stroke was on the way). Oddly, while they were doing his CT, his memory began returning! He started mentioning details from dinner last night, then asked if this hospitalization would affect his retirement plans. Now he recalls the recent past up until last night. It was such a relief for him to start remembering again, but he's still forgetting conversations he's having now - so his short term is still damaged. Of course he's undergoing lots of tests to determine what deprived his brain of oxygen that would result in this bizarre symptoms. It may be a stroke, it may be cardiac, it may be vasoconstiction from plaque - we don't know yet and the doctors don't have a great grasp on his condition yet either.
He's doing better (he just texted me to ask for a slice of key lime pie, so he can't be that sick!), but we're just about stressed to the max! I think I need a vacation from my vacation!
Please keep my F-I-L in your prayers. Thanks guys!
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