The topics of this post are far from cohesive. In fact, I'll likely fill you in on everything that I've been too busy to fill you in on before.Let's begin with the most exciting of all news I have to share with you.
I had a few stressful weeks near the end of my clinical rotations. I stayed up late and finished my reports the weekend before the case study presentation was scheduled to be presented. Saturday night [err, Sunday morning] I was up until 5 am getting work done. Sunday night [and again I say, err, Monday morning] I was up until 2 am. Yes, I procrastinate but the second night I vowed to make Mom's almond coffee cake for the dietitians in accompaniment of them sitting through a likely boring thirty minute case study presentation. My point being - I finished the presentation at 11 and THEN made the cake and showered. I didn't entirely procrastinate.
I have come to find that the library is my biggest ally in getting things done. I lived there last weekend in preparation for the presentation and report and I can happily go back later when I know I want to get down to business. I also just thoroughly enjoy getting lost in the library and finding nooks and crannies where I can sit alone and study or nap or just escape.
My paper, when complete, was 50 pages long not including the research articles I had to add as well and any documentation of my work at the hospital. A full half inch binder [or is it a full inch, I don't really remember] was full to the brim.
I unfortunately did not take a picture of the coffee cake, I was in a hurry to get out the door and had enough struggling to get the cake to carefully fall out of the bundt pan and keep some semblance of presentation alive, as long as I didn't drop the cake from the parking lot the block over from the hospital [which, since I know you were worried for me, I did not do, success!].
The presentation went well for the most part and I was happy to be done with that day. The work was over and I could just enjoy my last week there where needed - which happened to be every floor and unit in the hospital including home visits to certain patients. You want to talk about interesting, eh? Home visits can range from disgusting to enlightening and enjoyable. We'll just leave it at that, how about?
And now to semi-change the subject:
My last day at the hospital I was waiting at a a light I frequently wait at a few minutes from where I park. Normally I am in a hurry to get there with enough time to run the distance from car to office door, but today I was far less stressed. I was nearly free of the morning alarms and free labor I was providing. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed my time at the hospital, especially with the people I became well acquainted with, but I was relieved that this was it. So, I digress.
As I was waiting at the always-long light I stared at the birds that congregated in the thousands on the telephone wires that hung above my head. Had it not been light out I would have expected them to look like bats circling around in the sky. But alas, they're just birds.
If you've ever seen the Pixar short "For the Birds" you might be aware of what I'm getting at here - they circle around overhead, land on the wire ever so precisely, and force the others around them to shimmy down the wire. Sometimes they aren't let in and once again circle overhead before landing in a less crowded spot or the edge of the group. They almost look like a big group of women, huddling close to share gossip, when in actuality there is nothing really to gossip about, just noise to be heard. No wonder men find women confusing.
Now, it's just a downward slope to graduation and off to the real world I suppose, whatever that may be, whenever that may happen.
Topic 3:
What with the almond cake presentation and the last day thank you cookies I have come to terms with the fact that when feeding myself I generally go for convenience and when cooking for others my self restraint and joy in preparing increases tenfold. Food really is an expression of love to others, "I took the time [a hot commodity] to make you this so that even for a brief moment the process of eating this makes your senses go on a cruise and the corners of your lips turn up." Really, any excuse for baking is good enough for me. This seems a bit off considering I'm studying to tell people not to eat too many decadent foods, but sometimes you just want something rich.
Cooking is both an art and a science. The art is all in the creativity. Making simple ingredients into masterpieces. And there's the science, why does salting vegetables make them "sweat? [think osmosis]" Why does garlic chopped smaller have a more potent garlic flavor than a whole clove [greater surface area]? Food science and culinary concoctions really must go hand in hand, whether you think it through that way or not. Those questions can all be answered in the same way that certain methods of cooking just makes things taste better - hand-in-hand I tell you.
Unfortunately, I'm not one for presentation. As long as it tastes good I don't much care how it looks. That's for detail oriented people...and I'm not one of them.
Baked salmon with roasted peppers, onions, green beans and salad served over 7 grain pilaf
Cheesy scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and peppers
Don't forget your appetite for life! sylyb.
Baked salmon with roasted peppers, onions, green beans and salad served over 7 grain pilaf
Cheesy scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and peppersDon't forget your appetite for life! sylyb.
