blueberryeyes17

I am so disgusted with my eye doctor in Massachusetts. I am SO GLAD that after I pick up my new contacts from them I am done with them forever. First of all, the receptionist is SO rude and just makes every phone call painful.

I have been paying out of pocket for my eyes care for a few years now because it was the first part of my parent's insurance that I lost. When all their insurance expired on my last birthday I applied for Commonwealth Care in MA (since every resident is required to have health insurance and I only make about $500 a month). I figured while I have insurance it would be a good idea to get my eyes cared for since I have terrible vision.

I've spent almost $300 out of pocket during all of this. Apparently all my insurance covered was $75 towards a pair of frames. It ended up being a $200 bill for my lenses and frames. Ok, fine, glasses last awhile and I haven't had new ones since high school. And then a $40 to have my eyes fitted for new contacts, which it turns out I didn't even NEED because they are a completely different kind of contact and are not compatible with my current kind - WHICH WAS NEVER MENTIONED TO ME. My right eye got worse while my left eye stayed the same, so I have enough left eye contacts for a year and a half. I need to order JUST right eye contacts until my left eye ones are used up, so I had to read my old BC and DIA off the box to them. I didn't need to be fitted for the new, more expensive kind since I will never be purchasing them. Flipping ridiculous. And it's another $55 for two boxes of contacts.

We'll be living close enough to my old eye doctor when we come back to Maine that I will probably just continue to go to him. Waterville is only about 20 mins from Augusta and 15 mins from Fairfield so it's pretty much the same distance. I'm so frustrated. $300 is a really significant amount of money for me right now.

I graduated my 10-month dietetic internship this afternoon. Now my title is "registration eligible" until I pass the RD exam, then I'll finally be RD, LDN. Woo!

The job I applied to in Bangor has been filled as of yesterday. So we will be moving to Augusta. I'm moderately excited. It makes sense to move there, and it's nice to know what city we can look for apartments in, but I never really envisioned myself living in Augusta. I guess I never really thought about it growing up, though. I wasn't one of those kids that was like LET ME OUT OF MAAAAIIINNNEEEE! I always wanted to live in Maine, but I never thought about where. Mid-coast would be really nice, but I have pretty much NO chance of finding a job there. Maybe when the current dietitian at PenBay Medical Center retires or changes careers I can swoop in there. She's fairly young though, so that will probably not happen any time soon.

I also have lost 21 pound as of today. It feels really good. Only 14 more to go until I reach my goal - back where I was before Caleb and I started dating.

This video is amazing, it's of a baby born into the water in its caul. It almost looks like the mother is laying an egg.

Yesterday was 100 days until the wedding, but I missed it. Sooooo... 99 days!!!!! Today we're ordering the invitations. :-) Even though I got overwhelmed and had a little breakdown a couple of weeks ago, things are moving along pretty smoothly. I'm really glad that I did so much planning last summer before my internship started.

I've lost almost 20 pounds since I started on April 26. My goal is for 20 pounds by June 26 which is my internship graduation date, and also randomly happens to be exactly two months. I didn't do that on purpose but it works out well.

I have applied for a handful of jobs in Maine, all over the state, and am really hoping I'll get a couple of interviews. We want to live in the Bangor area but two IDEAL jobs have opened in Portland. Another awesome job has opened in Bangor that I applied for, but it is not in clinical dietetics which is my goal. I would be an assistant manager for the Meals for ME program (like Meals on Wheels), which I actually volunteered for my whole senior year in college. So that would be a great position, too. Oh man, this whole process is pretty nerve-wracking.

I have a lot going on in the next few months:
- Graduate internship
- Find a job
- Move back to Maine
- Take (AND PASS!!) the RD exam
- Get married

Not necessarily in that order, but that is the order I'm hoping for. That's a lot for 99 days.

Tomorrow my preceptor is taking the day off and leaving the hospital to me. When I finish seeing all the patients I need to see, I will call her and she'll come over to sign off on all my notes. I'm not even in staff relief yet! (Well... it starts nect week haha). I am very honored that she would trust me with the nutrition care of the whole hospital since I am not a dietitian yet.

I've started a new diet tactic and I'm pretty excited about it. I've given myself a two week "trial period" and then I'll tell you all about how it went. Today is day 2 and I've lost 3 pounds. Still, we went to Chili's last week (I always gain weight after that lingers for a few days) and I'm still not back to baseline... so I'm not getting my hopes too high yet about losing weight *that* fast.

Also, I used olive oil to cook my eggs this morning and they just taste disgusting! I thought maybe the mushrooms I threw in were tainting them, but no, it was definitely the olive oil. I have a sample I am trying to use up that has omega-3 in it, and it tastes fishy. Uggghhhh. Margarine next time!

Can someone please tell me what the holiday is today? And I don't mean haha pot smoking holiday. I mean a REAL holiday that people would take off work? I just tried to call my health insurance and they are off for the "holiday" today, and I heard about it somewhere else, too. We got our mail, so the government isn't taking a holiday. Is there something MA specific?!

Also, does anyone else ever frame their internal monologue like they're writing a blog post? I do it ALL the time when I'm thinking of random things, but 99% of the things I think of I don't actually post. You'd think I was kind of a nut if I posted all my random thoughts haha. Isn't that what Twitter is for?

I recycled. And not with any of my neighbors, because no one ever got back to me. I ended up posting on Craigslist and a landlord of a business park wrote back and let me use his recycling bins. The place was about 20 mins from where we live, but WORTH IT to get rid of 4 months worth of recycling. Caleb came with me to scope it out, but it's definitely not shady and I can probably go by myself next time. It feels sooooo nice to reclaim all that space in our apartment that old empty (clean) milk jugs and glass jars, etc were taking up.

67 days until internship graduation.

154 days till the wedding.

Buuuuut who's counting?!

I am enjoying my clinical rotation a million times more than my last post about it. It really turned around completely! I actually think now I would like to be a clinical dietitian. It's funny the way that happens... when I started this internship I thought maybe I'd do outpatient counseling and working in a hospital was the LAST thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Having tried inpatient and outpatient counseling I think I'm miles better at inpatient. And I enjoy it. Outpatient appointments take a different kind of personality - I know I could do them but I don't think I'd enjoy it. I feel like I made a major life decision today. Now I just have to finish my internship, pass the RD exam and find a job...

I forgot my iPod this morning so I listened to the radio on my drive in to the hospital. There was a little news blip about the hospital I work at as a catering associate and I felt my heart stop when the said, "and according to a Dept of Public Health report..." I thought, "WHAT are they going to tell people on the RADIO?!?!?!" Luckily it wasn't about the little bugs that are everywhere. I have actually SEEN one and that makes it so much more disgusting that just hearing other people talk about seeing them. I'm worried I'm going to bring one home in my shoe or something. *shudder*

In other news, I was randomly missing Brandon on the drive home today, and then Tool came on the radio. How random. I haven't heard Tool in a long time, or even listened to a radio station that would play them. It's interesting how things like that happen.

OH! I haven't heard anything back from my neighbors yet about the recycling. I posted on Craigslist today and am hoping that will work. We have so much recycling that it's getting a little ridiculous.

If you got this letter in your mailbox, would you think I was a total nut job? Would you share your curb with me?

We've been collecting our recycling since December when I was able to bring it all home at Christmas. It's been 2.5 months and we're pretty overwhelmed with things now. The designated recycling collection area in the kitchen is almost overflowing. I have it in my closet, hanging out in front of my closet, AND overflowing in the kitchen.

( Letter to my Neighbors )

The weather here is so incredibly weird. Two weeks ago it was 60* and all the snow melted. Then last monday we got about 2 feet of snow. The beginning of last week was freezing and then this past weekend it was 60* and all the snow melted. Today it's snowing and accumulating again.

At least in Maine I KNOW it's going to be snowy until April. Here I think WOO it's spring! No, just kidding. WOO! No, just kidding.

I have to drive out to Amherst today so I'm hoping it doesn't snow too much. At least the crazy drivers may have been sent back indoors. Yesterday it was so beautiful out and I've never seen so many crazy drivers in once day since we've been down here.

I'm starting my clinical rotation this week and I'm nervous. I think it's going to be a challenge. I'm sort of dreading going back to this hospital for 4 months - I did the first 6 weeks of my foodservice rotation there, and since it's a very small hospital there are only a handful of foodservice employees and it's very drama filled. And the foodservice director there is very full of himself and enjoys making employees feel bad in front of their coworkers. I KNOW I'm going to be there for clinical this time and won't be spending as much time with the foodservice people, but there is only one dietitian and her "office" is IN the kitchen and is the break room for the employees. I hope it won't be a long four months. Anyway, I know my preceptor is really nice and I'm glad I got the chance to meet her back in August/September. So I don't have the nerves of meeting a whole new group of people on top of everything else, at least. But I don't feel confident about my clinical knowledge and am not sure what exactly her expectations of me will be. I'm sure it'll be fine. But it will be a lot of work on top of my time in the hospital.

Graduation is on June 26 and until then I will have usually just one day off a week (Wednesdays). I'm thinking I may leave St Vincent at the end of May instead of at the end of June. I'd planned on working there through my whole internship and maybe a little longer, but if I am there during staff relief at the end of this rotation I will have 25 days in a ROW without any kind of day off. That will be intense. The most I've done is 10 and by the end I was very tired.

Ok I'm rambling, that's why I tend not to post often.

It feels like spring here. It's almost 60 today and almost all our snow is gone. I hear we're supposed to get another big storm this weekend but I'm sure any snow we get won't stay around long. I'm anticipating the leaf buds but I haven't seen anything yet.

I just ran outside to start my car in my pj pants and bathrobe and someone yelled "Darwinism!!" at me. WTF are they talking about? Survival of the fittest - starting my car in my bathrobe? I don't get it. Was that a threat... are they going to steal my car cause I left it unlocked? Do I have unfit genes cause I go outside in my bathrobe when EVERYONE ELSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD is asleep like normal people on the weekends (except them apparently)? Better get going. Have to get dressed, brush my teeth and leave in 6 mins!

It figures that the year I live in Massachusetts they have the worst winter they've had in years. I wonder what they are normally like here. So far it's been like a typical Maine winter.

Would you consider reusable menstrual items? ... There are 85 million women of menstruating age in North America. Conservative estimates are that the average woman disposes of between 10,000 and 15,000 tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime. That’s about 250 to 300 pounds of waste per woman.

According to the Center for Marine Conservation, more than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 19996. The Ocean Conservancy collected and cataloged debris along U.S. coastlines between 2001 and 2006, finding that tampon applicators made up 2.2 percent of the total debris field, more than syringes, condoms and plastic six-pack rings combined.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090112_theres_no_delicate_way_to_put_this_/

Not to mention the cost effectiveness of using cups and just how all around awesome they are. I forget I'm on my period. I actually look forward to it because it means I can use my cup. I would never EVER willingly use a pad again, and I never learned to use tampons, but that didn't hinder me while learning to use a cup. Seriously. I know the first reaction is "ew, WHAT?!" but give them some thought.

menstrual_cups
cloth_pads

So I'm back on my diet again. By diet I mean REALLY doing it for good this time. I started counting my calories again today because it's helped me stay on track in the past. I have a really bad habit of snacking all day long. Today I ate 2500 calories! I really didn't think it was going to be that high. I realized some things, too, for example the trail mix I make as a snack sometimes has 750 calories! The thing is, I eat healthy snacks and meals. It would be so much easier if I could cut out chips/soda/whatever and add more fiber and stuff but I DO that already. At least the calorie counting has really given me a good place to start. I need 2000-ish a day to maintain this huge crazy weight I am right now with no activity so I'm going to try to do 1500 for awhile and up my activity a little. We'll see. Fingers crossed.

For anyone else who is counting their calories, I like the USDA's nutrient database. It has... everything. And lots of detailed info about nutrients.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

From kittencuffs

Ask me seven questions. Not just any seven questions though. No, to keep it interesting, use the seven questions as per below - just copy and paste the following, replace the blanks with something you want to know/ask (e.g. #3. Donkeys or sandcastles and why?), anything you want, personal, silly, surreal or deep, comment away and I'll answer as honestly as I can! Then post this in your own LJ and see what kind of things people want to ask you!


1. What do you think of _____________ ?
2. When did you last ____________?
3. __________ or ___________ and why?
4. What did you ______________?
5. What's your favorite ______________?
6. How would you ______________?
7. Who would you most like to ________ ?

This is what our kids will look like when Caleb and I reproduce:

( Cute! )

Except they got the eyes wrong, they'll have to have blue eyes. Green isn't really possible and I'm not sure about gray. Def not greenish-gray.

We were also all set to book the Opus Trio for our wedding ceremony music, but in the middle of negotiations they let us know that they raised their prices and then updated their website with the new prices. Bust! What are they even thinking? They have other jobs, in this economy do they think people are going to pay $600 for an hour of music? No way! You think they'd be lowering their prices right now to keep up their number of weddings instead of raising them. Now it's back to the drawing board which is a huge bummer. I really want to have strings! :-(

Wow, I don't know what I'd do if LJ ended. That would be a sad day for my little addicted heart.

Not to mention several years of my life are chronicled here.

http://valleywag.gawker.com/5124184/the-russian-bear-slashes-a-social-network

Back in MA after the holidays. I just put up a new layout from thefulcrum and it is so awesome. We tried mashed plantains tonight and they weren't very good, even though they look and smell like banana.

We've decided that we each need to lose 10 pounds before we can go out to eat again. I've lost one so far. It will be hard because we got gift certificates to Chili's and Applebee's. I guess I have motivation now, apparently none of my clothes fitting wasn't enough motivation. I ran a mile on the elliptical last night and tonight. And I do yoga on FitTV every weeknight at 6... but somehow I forgot it was on tonight. I look forward to it so that was kind of a bummer. 30 minutes of yoga really isn't all that much but I still feel amazing afterward. It was probably because today was my first day back after my vacation and things were kind of hectic.

Caleb bought me a foot massager for Christmas and it is amazing. I have it plugged in under my desk. I kind of can't wait to go back to St Vincent so my feet hurt like crazy and I can just massage them with this. It'll hurt so good. He ALSO bought me a gift certificate to a spa near us so I can go and get a couple of professional massages. He's so amazing. And a salad spinner. Yessss.

Iddles moved down to MA with us after Christmas. She is SO CUTE. She meowed in her cat carrier for about 40 mins, and then she just woke up and meowed when we stopped at toll booths. When we got here she was so scared and didn't even want to come out of her cat carrier, which she hates. She finally came out and explored for about 5 minutes before wedging herself at the foot of the bed under the blankets that drape over. She stayed there ALL night and finally started to explore the living room. Our apartment is really small so it didn't take her long to find the food, water and litter box, and realize that she is the only kitty here. I have some things that are from my bedroom at home and probably still smell like her, like my bedspread, so that probably helped. We went to Home Depot to get supplies for a scratching post and Caleb built it yesterday. We just need to get some carpeting for it now. It will cost $17 plus carpeting ($10? $15?), similar ones at PetCO were $125 or more!!!! I'll post pictures when it's done.