So I've learned an important lesson this morning, and it is one I'll take into the new year with me. I wanted to share since I think it is a good one.
On Wednesday the 28th I got a text from my friend David. David lives in New Jersey, and since we are both on the same coast now we've been talking about getting together. David has a 3-day weekend and asked if I wanted to hang out over New Year's. I found out Thursday that I have a 3 day weekend too. I replied that while I don't want to drive a rental car across state lines I could take a bus. He said I could take a train, and that New York City would probably have stuff going on the 31st. He also asked if Boston had anything going on that night.
At that point, I was kind of in a pickle. I really wanted to see my friend David, but the thought of New Year's in New York was a little terrifying. The thought of all of those people, the majority of them drunk, crammed into those scary crowd-barriers and barred from leaving until the middle of the night sounded awful. However, I also didn't feel comfortable asking him to come all the way up here, especially since I don't even know what's going on. Since I didn't have an answer I thought he would like, I did what I always do and procrastinated on giving him an answer. I think I was hoping my fear of the New York New Year's crowd would abate, but it didn't.
I finally decided last night that I shouldn't wait anymore and should at least respond to his text. I told him I didn't know what was going on in Boston and figure we would take it from there. It was a crappy answer that shouldn't have taken so much time to make. I went to bed early last night and woke up to a few text messages this morning. One of them was from David. He said that we could forget about the plan, he didn't feel like getting together any more. It had taken me 26 hours to get back to him and it made him feel like I was indifferent about seeing him. Even though it was just a text message, I felt instantly embarrassed and regretful. Someone had finally called me out on my wishy-washy BS when I have to say something I don't want to. My "wait and hope something changes" strategy really does hurt people and it's not something I can do anymore.
So the moral of this long (and probably boring) story is two-fold. First, I am proud of David for coming straight out and saying how my actions affected him. If I had been honest about my feelings from the get-go we could have made something constructive of the weekend. I have always wanted to be better about telling people how I feel and this is great motivation to do so. Second, this is definitely not the first time my lack of consideration has led to cancelled plans. There are many people in my life (Mitch, Jeff and my family etc. I'm looking at you) who have had to deal with long overdue replies to simple questions, last minute cancellations, and foot-dragging all because I'm too scared to give you an answer you may not like. I'm sorry if I ever hurt your feelings. Also, I am INCREDIBLY grateful for all of your patience and understanding. Even when I do stupid stuff like that, you still call me the next time, the next and the time after that. I'm so lucky to have you people in my life. If I did the whole "new year's resolution" thing, being better to all of you in that way would be one of the things I work on.
You are all really important to me and I know 2012 will be awesome with you guys in it. Thank you for everything, especially your friendship. Love to everyone, and have a fantastic 2012!
Ukulele! Yay!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSq1cez_flQ&feature=youtu.be
Lynne
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Happy Holidays
Hello all!
I hope everyone had/is having a fabulous holiday! I just got back from Denver today and I had a great time. I got to see lots of family (the siblings were together for the first Christmas in a couple of years) and was able to get away from work stuff for a few days. Anneliese, my niece, is the cutest little thing! I know I'm biased but I just love her. I also saw two of my uncles from Wisconsin and got to enjoy the Colorado weather for a change. Snow everywhere, but not cold. It was awesome!When I got back to Quincy I just wanted to be alone for a while. I have isolated myself in my room and have been tying up loose ends while I watch Netflix. My next task will be to unpack my suitcase and get back to real life.
As far as car stuff goes, Sammy is officially dead. I donated him to a veteran's charity last week and I hope he will be used for good wherever he ends up. I definitely teared up a little when it was towed away. But it is working out for the best. My parents offered to let me use their Camry for the time being. Getting it here will be an issue, but the car-buying pressure is definitely off. My parents are the best, and as much as I hate feeling non-independent I am so grateful. I had a really good time with them and I miss them already.
The next couple of weeks will be busy! I'm working on a nutrition education event for work that will happen MLK day, and putting together all the last minute details will take extra time every day. I also want to get back to the gym, but we'll see how my schedule pans out. I miss being in good shape, but I know I'll get back into it sooner or later.
I think that's about all from here. Love to all!
Lynne
I hope everyone had/is having a fabulous holiday! I just got back from Denver today and I had a great time. I got to see lots of family (the siblings were together for the first Christmas in a couple of years) and was able to get away from work stuff for a few days. Anneliese, my niece, is the cutest little thing! I know I'm biased but I just love her. I also saw two of my uncles from Wisconsin and got to enjoy the Colorado weather for a change. Snow everywhere, but not cold. It was awesome!When I got back to Quincy I just wanted to be alone for a while. I have isolated myself in my room and have been tying up loose ends while I watch Netflix. My next task will be to unpack my suitcase and get back to real life.
As far as car stuff goes, Sammy is officially dead. I donated him to a veteran's charity last week and I hope he will be used for good wherever he ends up. I definitely teared up a little when it was towed away. But it is working out for the best. My parents offered to let me use their Camry for the time being. Getting it here will be an issue, but the car-buying pressure is definitely off. My parents are the best, and as much as I hate feeling non-independent I am so grateful. I had a really good time with them and I miss them already.
The next couple of weeks will be busy! I'm working on a nutrition education event for work that will happen MLK day, and putting together all the last minute details will take extra time every day. I also want to get back to the gym, but we'll see how my schedule pans out. I miss being in good shape, but I know I'll get back into it sooner or later.
I think that's about all from here. Love to all!
Lynne
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Automotive abdominal aortic aneurysm...
So Sammy J (my Camry) is in pretty bad shape. I think I pushed him a little too hard tonight and now he's in a mechanic's lot around the corner.
Today didn't start out too badly. I was actually in Kirksville, MO after yesterday's interview. I got to start the day with my sister, brother-in-law and adorable niece. Anne was very sleepy when I left this morning. She didn't want to give hugs until just before I left. She said that she didn't want to give me a hug because she didn't want me to leave. We had so much fun this weekend I didn't really want to leave either, but I had to get back to Boston. I drove back to St. Louis and made it to the rental car place just in time and with just enough gas that I didn't get charged to fill it up. The flight was smooth and fast and I got to relax on the train back to Quincy. I read my book on mindfulness, and listened to music, and it was all very chill. I got to the grocery store and the laundromat, I wrote my med school interview thank you notes, and headed home with my clean laundry.
When I got there, there was a truck parked in the road just before the cul-de-sac. I pulled up behind him and waited for him to move, but he just sat. His license plate said "Rockstar" or something, and he had a pewter skull with red, glowing eyes on the tow-hitch. I should have known that thing was an omen. When I saw that he wasn't going to move, I realized he probably wanted to back up. It was a stupid thing to do, he could have just pulled forward and made a K-turn, but I backed up to let him by anyway. There is a very steep hill near the road, and I backed up onto that. I think at that point I was the one being stupid. I waited there until the truck backed up and drove away. A few more cars went by and I tried to start up the hill. It was a steep grade - probably about 45 degrees or more. I couldn't back up in neutral since there was a car behind me. Sammy's engine revved, and before 1st gear would engage I heard a pop. Smoke came out from under the hood and everything shut down. The power steering was gone, and I found myself stuck on the hill where I was. Had the power steering still been intact might have made it past that car behind me after all, but without it there was no way. I put the emergency brake on and tried to come up with a plan. Luckily, whoever owned that vehicle moved the car and I was able to back down the hill. The neighbors were really friendly even though I wasn't and they helped me move the car to a place where no one would hit it.
I called AAA, my parents and talked to my landlords about finding a good mechanic. The tow truck driver came to get me and took me to Rick's Auto Shop, a local place down the road. I don't even know the next time he'll be open, but I'm going to leave a message tomorrow and hopefully he'll get back to me. On the way home, I walked past the hill and saw a puddle of oil. When I went up close I found a screw, half of a nut, and several shards of metal that appeared to come from the engine. These were not a good sign. I think he essentially exploded from the inside. Thus the "automotive abdominal aortic aneurysm" title. Now I will just have to wait and see what the verdict is. In the meantime I'll have to rent a car to get to work and back. That's life, I guess.
Otherwise, things are good. The interview went well (I think) and I should hear from KCOM within 4 weeks depending on how fast things get done before or after the holiday. I should also be hearing from other schools soon. Creighton said 6-8 weeks and I interviewed with them on November 5th. BU will send out their first round on January 10th, then the second at the end of March. CU could be any time from Monday to the end of March. They just kind of do what they want. I've already been accepted to Rocky Vista. We'll see where I end up. I hope I get a few more acceptances, but a bird in hand...
Anne was so much fun, like I said. We played hide and seek, and she combed my hair and we had an elephant parade. She is a "pistol," with lots of energy and spunk. She also speaks very well for her age. Whenever I would come in the door, she would say something like, " You are welcome to take off your coat." She just turned three! I know I'm biased, but I think she is a pretty bright little girl. She also knows how to talk her way out of any situation. Ask Tamra or Nathan about her night with Daniel and the ice cream sometime.
I love all of you friend and family folk very much. You've always been incredibly supportive and loving and I couldn't do anything I've done without you. !Muchas gracias!
Lynne
Today didn't start out too badly. I was actually in Kirksville, MO after yesterday's interview. I got to start the day with my sister, brother-in-law and adorable niece. Anne was very sleepy when I left this morning. She didn't want to give hugs until just before I left. She said that she didn't want to give me a hug because she didn't want me to leave. We had so much fun this weekend I didn't really want to leave either, but I had to get back to Boston. I drove back to St. Louis and made it to the rental car place just in time and with just enough gas that I didn't get charged to fill it up. The flight was smooth and fast and I got to relax on the train back to Quincy. I read my book on mindfulness, and listened to music, and it was all very chill. I got to the grocery store and the laundromat, I wrote my med school interview thank you notes, and headed home with my clean laundry.
When I got there, there was a truck parked in the road just before the cul-de-sac. I pulled up behind him and waited for him to move, but he just sat. His license plate said "Rockstar" or something, and he had a pewter skull with red, glowing eyes on the tow-hitch. I should have known that thing was an omen. When I saw that he wasn't going to move, I realized he probably wanted to back up. It was a stupid thing to do, he could have just pulled forward and made a K-turn, but I backed up to let him by anyway. There is a very steep hill near the road, and I backed up onto that. I think at that point I was the one being stupid. I waited there until the truck backed up and drove away. A few more cars went by and I tried to start up the hill. It was a steep grade - probably about 45 degrees or more. I couldn't back up in neutral since there was a car behind me. Sammy's engine revved, and before 1st gear would engage I heard a pop. Smoke came out from under the hood and everything shut down. The power steering was gone, and I found myself stuck on the hill where I was. Had the power steering still been intact might have made it past that car behind me after all, but without it there was no way. I put the emergency brake on and tried to come up with a plan. Luckily, whoever owned that vehicle moved the car and I was able to back down the hill. The neighbors were really friendly even though I wasn't and they helped me move the car to a place where no one would hit it.
I called AAA, my parents and talked to my landlords about finding a good mechanic. The tow truck driver came to get me and took me to Rick's Auto Shop, a local place down the road. I don't even know the next time he'll be open, but I'm going to leave a message tomorrow and hopefully he'll get back to me. On the way home, I walked past the hill and saw a puddle of oil. When I went up close I found a screw, half of a nut, and several shards of metal that appeared to come from the engine. These were not a good sign. I think he essentially exploded from the inside. Thus the "automotive abdominal aortic aneurysm" title. Now I will just have to wait and see what the verdict is. In the meantime I'll have to rent a car to get to work and back. That's life, I guess.
Otherwise, things are good. The interview went well (I think) and I should hear from KCOM within 4 weeks depending on how fast things get done before or after the holiday. I should also be hearing from other schools soon. Creighton said 6-8 weeks and I interviewed with them on November 5th. BU will send out their first round on January 10th, then the second at the end of March. CU could be any time from Monday to the end of March. They just kind of do what they want. I've already been accepted to Rocky Vista. We'll see where I end up. I hope I get a few more acceptances, but a bird in hand...
Anne was so much fun, like I said. We played hide and seek, and she combed my hair and we had an elephant parade. She is a "pistol," with lots of energy and spunk. She also speaks very well for her age. Whenever I would come in the door, she would say something like, " You are welcome to take off your coat." She just turned three! I know I'm biased, but I think she is a pretty bright little girl. She also knows how to talk her way out of any situation. Ask Tamra or Nathan about her night with Daniel and the ice cream sometime.
I love all of you friend and family folk very much. You've always been incredibly supportive and loving and I couldn't do anything I've done without you. !Muchas gracias!
Lynne
Monday, December 5, 2011
Getting Things Done
Hi all!
Its been a while since I've posted on here. No big news right now.
I've had several med school interviews. My last one is coming up in Kirksville, MO this weekend. Most of them were ok, but just ok. I was accepted to Rocky Vista and I'm still waiting to hear from Creighton, University of Colorado and Boston University. I don't have interview invites in Chicago or Oregon yet, but I may still hear from them. From all of these schools, I could hear any time from the next few weeks to this coming March. I hope it's sooner! I can't wait to see the Gillettes while I'm in Kirksville.
Work is going well too. I've been a little forgetful for the past few months and I've finally accepted that it may stay this way for a while. I've tried multitasking a little less and that seems to help. Everyone has been really understanding about the time I'm missing for interviews and I'm trying to get as much done as possible in the days that I'm here. I'm finally done looking through pictures from my old boss's electronic textbook, and I'll be sending my suggestions to him this week. He'll have a chance to rework some of the figures over winter break before the next semester starts.
I've had fun with my coworkers and roommate Vitor in the past few days. On Thursday, we went to the lighting of the Holiday Tree in downtown Boston and on Saturday we went out dancing. I got to see a new part of town called Allston. It's near Boston College and it has a really cool, college town feel. It's kind of like Fort Collins, but with many more people.
I think that's all the big stuff. I'm not really in the "holiday spirit" yet. My landlords have put up Christmas decorations all over the house but it just isn't registering yet. Maybe my trip to Kirksville will make it sink in.
Love to all!
Lynne
Its been a while since I've posted on here. No big news right now.
I've had several med school interviews. My last one is coming up in Kirksville, MO this weekend. Most of them were ok, but just ok. I was accepted to Rocky Vista and I'm still waiting to hear from Creighton, University of Colorado and Boston University. I don't have interview invites in Chicago or Oregon yet, but I may still hear from them. From all of these schools, I could hear any time from the next few weeks to this coming March. I hope it's sooner! I can't wait to see the Gillettes while I'm in Kirksville.
Work is going well too. I've been a little forgetful for the past few months and I've finally accepted that it may stay this way for a while. I've tried multitasking a little less and that seems to help. Everyone has been really understanding about the time I'm missing for interviews and I'm trying to get as much done as possible in the days that I'm here. I'm finally done looking through pictures from my old boss's electronic textbook, and I'll be sending my suggestions to him this week. He'll have a chance to rework some of the figures over winter break before the next semester starts.
I've had fun with my coworkers and roommate Vitor in the past few days. On Thursday, we went to the lighting of the Holiday Tree in downtown Boston and on Saturday we went out dancing. I got to see a new part of town called Allston. It's near Boston College and it has a really cool, college town feel. It's kind of like Fort Collins, but with many more people.
I think that's all the big stuff. I'm not really in the "holiday spirit" yet. My landlords have put up Christmas decorations all over the house but it just isn't registering yet. Maybe my trip to Kirksville will make it sink in.
Love to all!
Lynne
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