Welcome to 2009!

Hello hello!

I must say, today the weather is GORGEOUS!!  It's a sunny 64 in Sactown and I just got home from a quick skateboard ride around Capitol Park.  Beautiful.  

After a crazy holiday season filled with driving, flying, family, and friends, I am excited to get back into a normal routine.  I'm only allowed to work 80 hours this month due to my employment status (temporary) and the hours cap imposed with that (1,000 hours which I have almost exceeded).  So I am dealing with working out that schedule while figuring out where they are going to get the money to "re-hire" me in February to continue the study.  It is looking like I will be hired through the internal medicine department as opposed to the nutrition department.

On the 19th I am hopefully starting an anatomy and physiology class (prereq for the grad program I'm applying for).  I'm waitlisted, though, so we'll see.  It will be nice to be able to devote more time to that with the decreased work hours, though the smaller paycheck for February won't be so nice. :-(

I am applying for an MS in Exercise, Eating Behavior, and Nutrition at George Washington University in Washington, DC.  One of my goals for January is to complete the applications (one general, one specific, one for a scholarship).  I had originally planned on applying for public health school in 2010, but this program has the scholarship opening this fall that would pay my full tuition and give me a stipend.  It only opens every two years, so it was apply now or wait 2 years. I decided to apply now.  I may have already mentioned this in an earlier post...in fact I'm sure I did.  Anyway, there are 5 other schools I am going to look into seriously to make sure if I get into GW I want to go there.  They are: University of Iowa, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Tennessee Knoxville, and Tufts University.  The first four also have schools of nursing, so Jesse and I would be able to go to the same school.  

So, my goals for this month are: make a budget based on the records I kept in Nov-Dec, finish the graduate school application, seriously look into the other 5 schools, and get back into school mode with the A&P class.

My 2009 resolutions (I think this is the first time I've ever made any) are: get on a solid sleep schedule, go to the gym for cardio 20 minutes a day and strength training 2-3 times a week (this one is flexible because if I can't make it every day, I'll go for longer on the days I do go), I'd like to pray by reflecting on the daily readings, and get in touch with my 80-year-old self and take my metamucil (too much information?).  :-)  In general I'd like to have a more positive attitude, and I'm hoping that by praying more I'll be better able to attain that...though I will make an effort aside from the praying.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that your 2009 is filled with blessings, laughter, and love.

ps-I got a new hairdo and I'm not in love with it yet, but hopefully soon.  Here are some photos of recent fun (Sacramento Zoo in Nov with friend Alex, Evan at Christmas, New Years in SD with Catherine and Samantha, and we locked Dani out of her apt and Jesse had to break in through the window!!)!