11 Things 2011 Has Taught Me

In no particular order of importance

11. It takes the IRS years to pick up on ID fraud on tax returns (3 years to be exact)
10. While it's hard, I can survive an entire year  physically separated from a loved one
9. I loved my car, Maxwell, more than I knew I did. I miss my car every single day.
8. My parents love me enough to let me live rent free at home during this transition year
7. Working full time and going to school was a lot harder than I anticipated.
6. I now understand why pneumonia kills elderly people. It kicked my trash, and I'm only 20.
5. Getting wisdom teeth removed hurts, but the fear of a dry socket is worse.
4. I loved Disney as a child, this year has made me realize that I still love Disney as an adult.
3. Being rejected from nursing school twice was difficult. Tasting the bitter makes me desperate for the sweet.
2. Preparing six different nursing school applications is really stressful. Hopefully I'm accepted to at least one!
1. 2011 taught me a lot about myself. I feel more confident in myself, but also have learned a lot about my weaknesses and short comings.

I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store for me!

Happy New Year!
~Courtney

Disney Trivia Anyone?

I got this super cool idea from a fellow Disney College Program blogger.
I'll type my question in blue, and type the answer in white underneath. Just highlight the middle line and voila! Answers appear!

Here's some Disney trivia for you!!

From Disney's Treasure Planet, what does B.E.N stand for?
Bio Electronic Navigator
As the most powerful sorcerer in the world, Jafar turns himself into what to fight Aladdin?
A Cobra
By when must the Beast be loved in order to return to a prince?
His 21st birthday
Which appendage of Woody's becomes unstitched in Toy Story 2?
Right Arm
How many unbirthdays does each person have a year?
364
How much did Tangled cost to produce?
$260 million
Who puts the glad in gladiator?
Hercules
In which park can you find a Pinocchio doll in the It's a Small World ride?
Tokyo Disneyland
When does Rapunzel's day typically start?
7 am
In Bambi, what do the animals call being in love?
Twitterpated
How many days until Leslie and I check in to the Walt Disney World College Program?
Exactly 10!


I'm so excited to start this adventure with Leslie Loo!  I just need to write my nursing essays and finish packing.  I'm trying to eliminate stuff off my packing list, but it's all pretty important, that's how it ended up on my list in the first place after all.

Hope you enjoyed the Disney trivia!
~Courtney

{Christmas!}

Christmas was interesting this year.

First off, It didn't feel like Christmas to me until around 9 pm Christmas Eve when my entire family sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer together on the way home from Grandparents Griffin.

Then we had church at 9 am Christmas morning, so I saw presents lying around the tree while eating  my breakfast, but we didn't even venture into that room until after church. 

This was the first year where my mom did not photograph every single present we got before, during and after opening it. I was okay with it, though I think it would have been funny to capture my excitement when opening this beast of a suitcase.

It's huge (I used my tennis shoes for size reference) and I was thrilled.  It has the 360 degree spinner wheels and will be perfect for my upcoming move. (2 weeks from yesterday!) 

We also didn't keep up on our advent book this year. We usually read one door a day and read two on Christmas Eve. We ended up reading the whole book Christmas Eve and calling it good.

Other than that, I got some awesome presents and enjoyed watching Cars 2 and Psych episodes with my family.

Here's the gift I was most surprised about.

The most beautiful, shimmery Fossil purse EVER. I saw it at Fashion Place Mall with my mom last week and fell in love with it. It's a nice sized purse that will be great for work and play in Disney World. I was planning on a very small blue Mud purse as my play bag, and a bigger bag as my work bag, but now I think I'll just stick with this one.  When we saw it I told my mom I loved it, but did not need it. You can imagine my shriek when I opened the box to find it nestled along with it's matching mini wallet. 

Now, here's the most amazing present of this year.  Take a look at the following picture I borrowed from Google.

 This is my favorite painting. Period. It's of Joseph and Mary on their journey to Bethlehem. If you can't tell, Mary is very much 'with child', and Joseph looks absolutely exhausted. 

I know I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but I have a very, very good friend serving a mission in Houston TX. He asked me a few months ago what my favorite church related painting was, and I answered with the above painting. 

 I opened my Christmas present from him a day early and almost cried when I pulled this leather scripture case out of the box.

These pictures don't do this case justice. It's absolutely amazing. I can't stop staring at it. It's simply stunning.

Hope you all had a merry Christmas!

loves to you all
~Courtney

Christmas Eve

It Went Well

The angio went well. I had some serious nausea that lead to a few vomiting episodes. I actually hurled in front of my super attractive radiologist/ surgeon. So embarrassing. Apparently Zofran doesn't help me when it comes to nausea. My nurse eventually tried Phenergan on me and the nausea magically disappeared.
That was the biggest problem during my stay. If you can't keep food down, they won't let you leave the hospital. I was desperate to leave as soon as humanly possible, so conquering the nausea was the most important obstacle.
I had a sore throat beforehand, so when I woke up from the general anestesia my throat felt like sandpaper. The anesthesiologist promised he'd be gentle with the intubation tube, but he wasn't very successful. My throat is definitely my number one complaint. It hurts. It hurrrts!
Lastly, I seem to have acquired a new lump in the back of my skull. It's likely the glue the dr. Embolized the blood vessel with. It's annoying, not really painful.
I was discharged with Tylenol as my pain med, which means a lot in the scheme of things. Kathy, my favorite nurse practitioner, calls me her star patient.
I'm grateful it went well. The whole thing got embolized, so now it looks like I'll be having an angio every few years now to check on it.

Now... On to having my wisdom teeth removed. Yippee.
~Courtney

Phew!

Today I told my manager, Eileen about my upcoming adventure.

I was sooooo worried she'd be super upset or angry.

Quite the opposite. She hugged me, and told me how excited she was for me.

I can officially cross that off my large to do list now. Hurrah!

Tomorrow I cross off another thing on my list...

Angiogram.

at 7:30 AM no less.

I'm just ready for these to be done and over with.

It's just another thing on my list.

~Courtney

Finals are Over!

Glory, glory hallelujah!  Glory, glory hallelujah!

When I walked out of that classroom today, and heard that big heavy door slam shut behind me, I just had to sigh with relief.

I am done with school for the next 6 months.  And hopefully, I'll be starting nursing school then.

I felt so confident about both tests. It is such a good feeling!  Knowing I put it all out there and tried my absolute best leaves me with a good feeling in the pit of my stomach. That stupid worried knot has officially gone and now I can focus on the other super important things that need to be done in the next 26 days.

Now... on to nursing applications!  Boy there are many.  USU is my #1 pick for school, but all the other applications I'm doing are equally important. Applications are going to Snow, DATC, CEU, Dixie, of course USU, and possibly BATC and Westminster (though I know very, very well I do not have that kind of money).

I have USU, DATC and Snow's applications already. Dixie and CEU's come out January 1st.
Now that finals are over, I can start writing essays for each application and get my transcripts sent over.

When my mom came to pick me up today after my final, something was said along the lines of "now you can relax." I laughed.  I have a lot to do in the next 26 days. Today I will relax. Tomorrow the work begins.

Loves to you all
~Courtney

New Glasses!

After years and years of plain, simple frames, I have finally traded up in the glasses world.

When the thick frame style started, I was a little skeptical. They eventually grew on me, but year after year I decided to keep getting contacts and stick with the thin metal frames. (our insurance let you get one or the other)

At the beginning of the year I decided I did want new glasses, and it took me 11 months to follow through.

Introducing......  My new Prada frames!

I love them so!
Though my ears really hurt after wearing them for a few hours.  My lenses are very, very thick, which makes them very, very heavy.  I had to have the part that goes over the ears tightened quite a bit so they will stay on.  That pressure really hurts my ears.  Not to mention the sides are 100 times bigger than my original glasses so they push out my ears more.

The one thing that really makes me sad is my lenses stick out in the front of the frames because they are so thick.

I guess I'm the only one who really notices, but come on, isn't it obvious?

Overall, I love my new frames!  I actually take my contacts out during the day time now!

~Courtney

Technology

You know, technology really ticks me off sometimes.
I have this cute, clean, white blog all planned out in my head, and I sit down to make it happen?  I can't get the whole blog white!  What the heck!  I can't get rid of the blog template I was previously using.

And don't start me on Paint. I have no idea how to work that program.  See how grainy my pics are on my new title?  It's cause when I paste them they paste HUGE!  Like, big as the computer screen huge!  What the heck?!

This blog is so cute in my head. All clean and purdy.

So for now, I will just have to deal with the blog the way it is.
Not like it's hugely popular or anything.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

That's all
~Courtney

Give Thanks

Yes, yes. The corny Thanksgiving post.

But honestly, I am really thankful today.

I'm thankful that my micro and chem tests are over (for now)
I'm thankful I've finished my chem essay. (seriously, a chem essay?)
I'm thankful that my semester is over soon.
I'm thankful for friends that will always be there for me.
I'm thankful my parents allow me to live at home during this awkward period of life
I'm thankful for the job that has made me financially stable
I'm thankful for the opportunity to move across the country.
I'm thankful that Leslie Loo is coming with me on said opportunity
I'm thankful to be an American.
I'm thankful that my nursing pre-requisites are done.
I'm thankful to be turning in nursing school applications, and feeling confident I'll be accepted somewhere.
I'm thankful for the love and support of my parents.
I'm thankful for my vision.
I'm thankful for surgeons and medical advances.
I'm thankful for my life.

Hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving.

Now bring on Christmas!
~Courtney

I Did It!

Last Tuesday, I successfully accomplished a New Year's Resolution for the first time in my life. 

Yes. That's right. First time ever.

50 temple visits in less than 50 weeks. 

I am so grateful I made this resolution this year.  The temple was a place where I could escape from school, work, living at home.  I shared many trips with a wonderful friend, and we'd always grab breakfast somewhere afterwards. I went to temples I wouldn't have gone to normally, namely Los Vegas, Salt Lake and Mt. Timp.

Mostly for my own records, but just in case you're interested, here's a breakdown of my visits

1-10 Draper Temple

11 Mt. Timpanogos

12 Draper

13 Mt. Timpanogos

15. Oquirrh Mt.

16- 17 Draper 

18. Oquirrh Mt.

19. Provo

20. Draper

21. Las Vegas

22. Draper

23. Salt Lake

24- 26 Draper

27- 28 Jordan River

29- 33 Draper

34- 42 Oquirrh Mt.

43. Draper

44. Oquirrh Mt.

45- 50 Draper

Yuck

Doesn't that look awful?
It looks awful to me... even though it's worth 10 extra credit points in a class that could desperately use it.
Luckily, it wasn't very difficult to memorize. The big Y thing will be provided for me, thank heavens.

I'm so tired of this teacher located in the bottom right corner. She's impossible to study for. She gives us study guides and doesn't use a single word from them on the actual tests.  She's nit picky on the memorized portions of the tests.  It's just so difficult to deal with her.
Not to mention she cackles. All class long.

I wish in nursing applications, they let us rate the clarity of our teachers. Then maybe the B- I'm sure I'll get will make more sense to the selection committee.
This class makes me so excited for January, when I can escape school and have a ball in Florida.  Then, when that adventure ends, hopefully I'll be starting up nursing school.

Seriously, can it be January already?
~Courtney

The Nose Knows

I was born with my daddy's nose.
In fact, that was one of the first things out of the nurse's mouth. "Oh, she's got daddy's nose!"

Anyway, about a year and a half ago, my nose got 'super smell powers'.  At first I thought it was funny, but then it got to the point where I had to ask my boyfriend to brush his teeth because I could 'super sense' his breath just from cuddling. No, he did not have bad breath, everyone said they couldn't smell anything. It was just me.

Today my 'super smell' has really been annoying. I walked in to a exam room and immediately identify the smell of cigarettes and Frito's chips.  The next room smells like our cleaning solution spilled all over, and it definitely had not.  The next room smells so strongly of cigs that I had to fetch the orange citrus smell well spray.

What an annoyance.

Though I'll always love my daddy nose.
 ~Courtney

Success!

THAT WILL BE ME!!!!!

Yes! I've been accepted as a Character Performer at Walt Disney World!

I don't know what I'll be yet,

but judging by my audition and height,

I'm almost 100% sure I'll be a fur character.

So that means....

I'll get to meet guests dressed as:

Mickey

Minnie

Donald

Daisy

& a few other 5'0 characters!

Have A Magical Day!

~Courtney

A Somber Moment

Mom and I took a trip to the impound lot last Thursday.
It was a really sad experience.
Looking at my car all banged up made me want to cry (I didn't, amazingly)

The insurance adjuster called and she's working on the final price for my car. Things look good, better than what I had expected, but no amount of money can give me back Max.

~Courtney

BOO

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Here's a little Halloween creativity from
Medical Towers Family Practice.

Any guesses as to which one's mine? If you guessed Minnie Mouse, you'd be right!

~Courtney

EEEK-KG

Ever since this guy became my new physician, I've been doing a lot of EKG's.  He's been ordering EKG's on all patients with hypertension, some with muscle pain near the heart, and I've even run one on a guy with GERD. (GERD: gastroesophageal reflux disease)  I really appreciate that he cares so much for his patients that he wants to double check their hearts, but it gets exhausting really fast! Though the bright side is they no longer take me 10 minutes to set up, run and remove.
This right here is our clinic's machine.

It's a beauty, ain't it?

The most uncomfortable thing about running EKG's on people is getting them to take their shirts off.  Luckily with a woman, you hand them a gown and step out of the room for a minute.  with guys, you ask them to take off their shirt, they sigh and pull it off. Low and behold they've got an undershirt on too.  So you ask them to take that off as well.  This provokes an even deeper sigh and they slowly shed that layer to reveal...
Gorilla Chest.
Yuck.

Gorilla Chest means I have to shave little spots on their chests for the sticky probes to attach.  This leads to the most awkward conversation ever. "Um, I'm going to have to shave your chest." "Seriously?" "Yeah, the hair will block the electrode signal." "Ugh, fine."

I've always been a fan of hair-less chests. Gorilla Chest?  It's disgusting.

~Courtney

Some Big Pupils!

Did you know that when a human sees something they like, their pupils dilate?  Yes, it's true.  Way back when, women in Italy used to put a drug in their eyes to dilate the pupils, so their suitors would find them attractive and pursue them. That drug they used is commonly called Deadly Nightshade, or Belladonna as the Italians put it.

So women made their eyes huge to trick men into thinking the women liked what they saw.  Some ladies died from the effects, 'cause Deadly Nightshade is appropriately named for it's deadly consequences...
Anyway,

That practice has stopped since then, and dilated pupils usually means someone's just spent a few hours having bright lights shined directly into their eyes. Ah, how those opthamologists torture me.

But hey, I sure can see sharper now!
~Courtney

Being Blind

I had an eye appointment with Hoopes Vision on Tuesday.  It was a crazy morning and I got there without bringing my glasses.  I took out my contacts within the first 10 minutes of being there, and was forced to spend 2 hours completely blind.

When I say completely blind, I don't mean I can't see anything. When I see someone, They usually look like a blurry blob.  So when people walked in to check out various things with my eyes, I couldn't tell you anything about their features.

Eventually the ophthalmologist dilated my pupils to take a better look at my optic nerves. Everything looked fine, he gave me a new prescription for glasses, we left.

A Death In The Family

Maxwell Rodeo Izuzu 

1.1.2001- 10.17.2011

I got in a large car accident on my way to chemistry class last night.  

I really can't give an account of what happened.  I'm stopped at the light, the light turns green, I wait a few seconds, I start to drive, a large Semi- Truck fills my windshield view, I scream, throw my hands in front of my face, and wonder if that would be the last thing I ever see.

The air bags deployed and hit my face really hard.  I thought my nose was broken and I was expecting cuts all over my face.  Amazingly there's not a single scratch on my face, and though my nose is tender, it isn't broken.

I do have airbag burns all over my arms, and I have clear imprints on my abdomen of my seat belt, ID badge, and stitching of the airbag.

My car is totaled.  It's not 'insurance official' but I figure nothing can be done for Max.

I was crying at the scene because I was scared, yes, but mostly because I killed my car.

Now my parents are driving me around and I already hate it.

Not to mention, I'm scared to drive again.

There is no car that could ever replace the hole in my heart Max has left.

I'm so grateful to be alive, but I really wish Max was alive too.

{Disney Auditions!}

Today was the big day!

One word to describe how I feel: TIRED!

I slept at Leslie's apartment last night, and we both go to see each other's morning routines when we got ready at 7 A.M. I got ready earlier than I had expected, so we headed over early. We got to The Dance Club around 9 and check in wasn't scheduled until 9:30.  We were super surprised to see about 30 other people already there so early. Finally the Disney people had us sign in. Leslie was 33 and I was 34.  There were over 200 people auditioning in total.  

I don't think Disney was prepared for that many people. The building they had rented (The Dance Club) could have held maybe 150 at maximum.  So they split us up in 3 big groups.  Tiffany the choreographer taught us the dance that was quite easy.  We performed it for the reciters, I was picked for the next round, and Leslie wasn't. :(  

Then I spent 30 minutes talking with others in my group who made it through while they auditioned the other 2 groups.  Then we all went in to the main dance room and did the dance AGAIN.  Surprisingly, I made it though that round, and about 50 more people were sent home.  

This is when the recruiters measured me (60.5 inches) and took my picture.  Tiffany then taught us another dance that was much more difficult.  I was bare footed and it made most of the dance hard to do.  Spinning bare footed is extremely difficult for me.  I wish I had my dance shoes, but they were tossed a while ago without my knowledge.  It started out totally simple. step clap step clap grapevine clap clap.  As the dance went on, she started throwing in potaboras and 'foot flicks' as she titled them.  I kept a huge smile plastered on my face, and did an okay job of keeping up with the 'pro dancers'.

We 'animated' planting a tree and washing a dog.  Pretty straight forward there.  I really wanted to animate meeting my favorite character, but oh well.  Washing the dog was really difficult because I was crouching most of the time, and I felt very closed off to the recruiters. 

All in all, I had a really entertaining time.  My face hurts from smiling, and I really don't care if I am cast as a character or not.  Either way, I'm going to Florida with my dear friend Leslie.  I do wish Leslie would have gone farther in the audition.  I know she would be an AMAZING princess.  Oh well, I can't make the recruiters do anything.  Blast.

The auditions are over, and they are officially off my mind now.  I am proud of myself for exceeding my personal expectations, and it just felt really good to get my heart pumping though dance.  Leslie and I will hear the results by November 20 and until then, I have other things to focus on.  Like school.  Dreadful, school is.

~Courtney

Pricey!

Fees: $ 304
Flight: $210
Hotel: $50
Working for Disney: Priceless


While I am totally excited for this experience, It has really taken a dent out of my bank account!
The fee to do the program has risen in the last few semesters (from reading other blogs).  $100 of it went to program activities (like grocery bingo) and the other $200 went toward my first few housing payments (i think).
I'm flying Southwest Airlines, and my flight is January 8th.  Leslie told me about the perks of Southwest and I was hooked. They check 2 bags for absolutely free!  Oh my goodness that will be so helpful!  I also added $10 for Early- Bird Check In, which will confirm my seat 12 hours before everyone else, meaning I'll get a great pick of the plane. Now I'm anxiously awaiting Leslie's decision on what airline she's flying.  If she goes with Delta, I'll be flying all on my own for the first time in my life, which terrifies me.  I'm not looking forward to a layover with a airplane switch on my own.
While the hotel is not booked, it looks like Leslie and I will be spending the night before check in at a Disney Value resort.  All- Star Music or Sports.  When it's split between the 2 of us, it'll come out to be roughly $50 each.  Disney provides transportation from the airport to the hotel for free, which is so great for 2 20-year-olds who can't rent a car.  Now all I have to do is contact the hotel in the near future to see if there is transportation available to get us to Vista Way Apartments the next morning for check in.

Audition on Friday! EXCITED!
~Courtney

I'm In!

I've been accepted to the Spring 2012 Disney College Program!!!!!

I was so worried about being accepted, But then, in the middle of my work day yesterday, I got the most amazing email!

It was funny, really.  I was totally busy doing EKG's and I just had this thought "Wow, I haven't checked my email all morning!  I doubt it's there though."  I finished the EKG I was currently doing (on a woman no less. Talk about awkward 10 minutes) and opened a new web page and TA DA!  There was my acceptance email!
It was so hard to keep a straight face, and act normal for the rest of the day!  I slipped away for a few minutes to call Leslie and scream under my breath about my excitement.

Today I paid my fees ($304) and selected my arrival date: January 9th!  Leslie and I are both so excited!

Disney character auditions are next week!  Such excitement!

~Courtney

Don't 'cha Hear 'em Chime!

I attended a wedding reception on Tuesday.  Let me rephrase.  I worked my tush off at a wedding reception on Tuesday.  I loved it.  Seeing the bride, Keely, all dolled up in a beautiful dress made me slightly jealous, but I was so excited to see her so happy.

Working behind the scenes really got me thinking about my own wedding. 

 The things I want to serve, 

the flowers I want in my bouquet, 

the style of my dress.

My mom keeps saying it's the wedding i'm hungry for, not the marriage.  While she is correct in some aspects, she's also just nervous that her oldest child is at the 'Mormon Marriage Threshold".

No, I don't want to get married RIGHT NOW.  But heck yes I'm gonna plan my wedding!  Most girls have thought of their weddings since they were young.  I only started seriously thinking of wedding details about 2 years ago, so if anything, I'm a newbie.

My only conclusion is that I should be a wedding planner.  I'm not dating, I'm not engaged, and I don't see that changing soon.  Really, wedding planner sounds like a great way to release all my amazing ideas.

~Courtney

Phone Interview

Oh dear.

Just got off the phone with my Disney College interviewer and now I'm over analyzing everything.  I've read a ton of other's blogs who did the program and my interview wasn't anything like theirs.

She called early.  She didn't tell me when I would hear back from them. She didn't wish me a magical day.

I want this so badly, and I'm worried I just blew it.

I can't write any more of this right now, I'm giving myself an ulcer.
~Courtney

Embarrassed...

I feel so completely embarrassed.

Turns out my interview wasn't today.  I came home from school all excited and nervous and sat down in front of my phone to patiently wait for the call. I had all my notes and questions written out on paper and I was ready to go!

Then 2:30 rolls around and no call, so I wait 5 minutes, then 10, then 15.  At 3:00 I called the phone number listed at the end of my confirmation email.  I called it, and they had just closed (considering the 2 hour time difference).  Then I scrolled up to the top of the email and realized it said my interview was scheduled for Tuesday the 27th, not the 20th as I had thought.

Embarrassed doesn't even explain what I felt.  I was also slightly angry that I now had to wait a whole week to do the interview.  I ended up rescheduling it to this Saturday at 2:30.  I double checked that about 12 times before logging off.

So yup, I'm embarrassed and would like to crawl into a hole right now.  Though, in my defense when the calendar popped up for me to select my interview day, the first day available was Saturday the 24th and the following week.  I guess I assumed the 24th was actually the day I applied and the Tuesday I picked was today, not next Tuesday.

I've certainly learned my lesson though, double check the first time around.  So Saturday is the big day!
I'll let you know how it goes!

~Courtney

DISNEY!

Um... I know I posted about an hour ago, but THE MOST AMAZING THING just occurred & I must share it!
I alluded to it in the last paragraph of the last post & I think it's about time I share this on the World Wide Web. I'm applying to work at WALT DISNEY WORLD!
My dear friend Leslie & I decided we'd try for it earlier this year.  The application was posted on the 5th, but I was nervous & hesitant & I decided not to apply yet. But then I read this blog yesterday during my lunch hour & I just knew it was time to apply!
I started the process at about 2 this afternoon with the online application.  It took me about an hour to do the whole thing, but I read every word on each page so that certainly slowed me down.  After finishing that I flipped to my email and noticed the 'thanks for applying' email.  I then shut down my computer and started on chemistry homework.  About an hour ago I got deathly bored and checked my email on my iPod to find the 'take your web based interview now!' email.  So after a few screams of joy I flung shut my chem book and turned on my laptop once more.  I flew to my email to find my interview link & immediately started on the WBI.  That took about 30 minutes & then I saw the most wonderful web page.  Here, let me just copy paste.

Congratulations - you have been identified as a strong candidate! Your next step is to schedule a phone interview. You will have the ability to schedule your interview appointment in approximately 24 hours.


Then, not even 1 hour later, I get my 'schedule your phone interview now' email.  This is when I ran downstairs to scream the news to my mom, who just sat on the floor with a look of "I love you, but you sure are odd, honey".
My phone interview is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30.  I can't believe I have to wait that long for this, but I work all day Monday & have chem that night so Tuesday really is my best day.  I will not be sleeping much, needless to say.


Disney, here I come! (hopefully!!!!)


~Courtney

New Doc!

I'd like to introduce you to someone.

This is Dr. Franz Monroy and he's my new physician.  I love working for him!  He's an amazing guy who really loves what he does.  We've made it through one full week of work, and I'm enjoying working with him. It's like I've found a new stride in my work, which means I'm not staring at the clock anymore.

While I have enjoyed working with him thus far, I still am excited to move on to bigger, more exciting things.  After all, I'm still young!  I'm not going to sit at one job for the rest of my life, I've got dreams to accomplish here!

~Courtney 

The Temple

At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to visit the temple 100 times in one year.  A few weeks later I realized that was an unrealistic goal, and cut it in half.  Yup, 50 visits in 52 weeks. 

I've done really well so far: today was my 35th visit.  I have primarily gone to the Draper Temple as it is the closest one to me when I am at home, but it looks like I will likely be finishing up my goal at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for the rest of this year.  I've adapted the habit of going right after my microbiology class on Thursdays, and today I just felt inspired to go as well.  I feel so scandalous because I'm always changing in my car in the temple parking lot, and I'm always nervous someone is going to walk by and notice me pulling on my skirt.

The effort to make the temple and performing baptisms for the dead a part of my life has been so very worth it.  I feel so happy and calm after my temple visits, even if I know I have a thousand things that need to get done at home. This is likely one goal I will continue to do even after I make my 50 visits mark.

It was a gorgeous day at the Oquirrh Mt. Temple today.

To those readers who have no clue what I'm talking about, feel free to click on my blue I Believe link to the right to learn more about LDS temples, or go to mormon.org.

~Courtney

Fare Thee Well, Andrew!

Today being September 11th, I've heard a lot of great things on the radio and TV.  Thoughts of inspiration and strength that have made me, once again, proud to be an American.

My most favorite message from today came from my dear, amazing friend, Andrew.  His LDS mission farewell was this morning, and I excitedly drove myself to his church building at 9 A.M to hear his talk.  It was absolutely amazing.  He made me cry, he made me laugh, he made me grateful to be a child of God.

Andrew has been a part of my life for over 5 years now and he is one of my closest 'guy friends'.  In fact, he very well might be my best 'guy friend'.  After high school we went for almost 2 years without seeing each other, and yet today we were able to pick right back up like we'd seen each other yesterday.

And now this amazing guy is going to go all the way to Germany to share his wonderful testimony about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with all who are willing to listen.  He's going to change some lives and change his own life at the same time.  I'm so proud of this kid.

Go Forward in Faith, Left Leg!

The Little Mermaid!

 My family has been going to Tuacahn in St. George for years and years now. I've seen so many different plays here.  Aida, Tarzan, Crazy for You, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Cinderella, Joseph, even Annie Get Your Gun.  Tuacahn never ceases to amaze me, the props are spectacular and they find the most amazing actors to play these roles.

The Little Mermaid was amazing!  Tuacahn took a play that I was semi skeptical over, and turned it into the human version of the cartoon I watched repeatedly as a child.  Water all over the stage, projections onto a sheet of falling water, a massive ship, and Ursula wheeling around the stage standing on an electric wheelchair (the poor driver! That must have been an awkward arrangement under that skirt.).

To top it all off, I got to bring my friend, Leslie with me!  It was her first time in St. George and we had a good time looking around the city.  We also went down to Zions and hiked the Emerald Pools hike... IN FLIP FLOPS!  We were sort of stupid there... that was my fault.  when we got to the top (after much prodding and encouragement from Leslie) we played in the big pool and I drenched my shorts so badly it looks like I had an accident.  Getting down the mountain was terrifying, but worth it (I suppose).

Pictures to come later!
Thanks for coming with me, Leslie!

~Courtney

Congrats Dr. O!

I'm not working this week, and for that I am very grateful. Why am I grateful?  'Cause I'm sick as a dog.

Back to this post.

The reason I'm not working this week is because my physician, Dr. Phillip Gane Olsen has officially retired.
No, he's not retired- retired, He's just retired from Intermountian Health Care.  He's going to work in Idaho now for the V.A. 

So his last day was Friday, and we had a nice little 'Going Away' party for him.  He got a Kindle (from our manager) and an Amazon gift card (from all the staff) so he could fill it up to his hearts content.

The perfect gift for a physician who would cram as many chapters as he could in between patients.  That man brought a different book to work every single day.

Dr. O (as I called him) was an... interesting person to work under.  There were days when he'd jump right up to see his patients; there were other (more common) days where he'd sit and read for twenty minutes before going to a patient.  (I had to hide his book one day because we were sooooo behind!)

Though he had his hang-ups, I was always comfortable with asking him questions.  He always thought about the best answer, and would even double check himself with textbooks sometimes.  He's easy going, and never once yelled or came close to getting angry with me.

Best of luck to you, Dr. Olsen!
~Courtney

5 Things Your Medical Assistant Won't Tell You

1. We hate the fits you throw over getting weighed!

2. Yes, we do need your weight. It tells us a lot about your recent health.

3. When we ask you what we are seeing you for, we're really looking for symptoms.  Save your story for the Dr. If you go on and on about your awful cold, your recent flat tire, and the rising cost of gas, you aren't going to receive excellent treatment.  "What are we seeing you for?" "I've got awful congestion in my nose and chest.  I've had a headache for 2 days now, and I'm having trouble hearing out of my left ear."

4. If you're a jerk, we are going to talk about you behind closed doors.

5. If you choose to call us and swear or scream our ears off, it'll go into your permanent record, and doctors will occasionally choose to discharge you from their practice because of it. 

A Disney Perspective

Today at work, I was surrounded by a whole lot of negatives.  A float had been called in to cover one of our M.A's shift, come to find out she wasn't really needed. She had driven to Murray from Point of the Mountain, and was audibly upset. Then my physician comes in grunting about how the place he was hoping to start work at was considering two other physicians aside from him.  Multiple M.A's came to me today to just flat out complain.
Now I'm not innocent of being a complainer, it's just that the things I complain about don't directly involve... people.  You'll hear me complain about the frigid temperature of the office, or the fact that we aren't allowed to put blank paper back into the printer if it comes out of the fax blank.  Perhaps about the fact that I don't get paid holidays even though I'm a full time employee.  I'll complain about those every day. Today was just full of negatives about people, and it just put me in a bad funk.
Then I open up IHC's main webpage and find a link to a list of books IHC employees have been reading this summer.  I'd like to introduce the book that changed my perspective on my job.

If Disney Ran Your Hospital, 9.5 Things You Would Do Differently.
Now granted, I haven't actually read the book, but I did do some book review searches to see the gist of the book.  I'll let you interested readers search into it yourselves, because there's some pretty in depth stuff in there.
Overall, I realized that I could have the Disney Experience every day at work, it totally depends on my attitude.  I think back to my birthday trip this year to Disneyland, and I remember how helpful and HAPPY the cast members are.  They never got sarcastic, and they constantly made me laugh with their witty answers.  Once I really needed the bathroom, and so we walked up to a castie and asked her for the nearest restroom. She smiled and pointed right behind us and replied, "Right behind you, you'll want the one on the right side". We asked the dumbest question, and got a kind and non-satiric response.
So I changed my attitude.  I looked at my patients as excited guests here to see Mickey Mouse himself.  Imagining Dr. Olsen in a Mickey costume brightened my day, and strangely plastered a smile on my face.  No question any patient asked was stupid, and they all left with all the information I could possibly give them.
Changed my mood?  Disney always does.

I Know, I Know

I am fully aware this is my 4th attempt at blogging.  I am plenty embarrassed at the epic failure of my last blog, and I've learned the hard way NOT to name a blog after something that easily changes (AKA: Life in Logan). 

I'm excited that you're here reading this, and I hope you enjoy what you see, & visit again! In my opinion, the greatest form of flattery (aside from copying) is returning to a blog.  And please leave comments!  It'll make me smile & likely laugh. 

Today is the last day before Fall semester starts, and I'm re-posting all my old posts due to serious technical difficulties.  I'm sure that will be weird for you readers, but I really liked my posts, and I don't want to loose them!  So if you get confused a few times, don't worry, it will all straighten out in a few weeks. I'll end this one here, and start making my blog adjustments.  Not sure if the layout is going to accommodate the titles.  Anyway, I'm glad you're here & I hope you come back soon! 

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
~Courtney

{1 Final Down}

Summer Semester is almost done & over with!

I've taken 2 summer semesters so far in my college adventure.  Though don't go getting too impressed, each summer semester has consisted of one class. Last year it was math 1020, this summer it's been Anatomy & Anatomy lab. 

Taking math last summer was pretty easy.  I just woke up a titch early twice a week & drove a few minutes to the SLCC campus near the dollar theater.  Yeah I was constantly doing homework, and it often found it's way into my dating life, but overall, it wasn't too difficult. 

This semester has been completely different.  I took a night class this time around to accommodate my work schedule.  This SLCC campus is forever away, but worked out okay on Thursdays because it was pretty close to my work.  I have spent a good majority of my summer memorizing everything in my textbook & I've barely had any time to hang out with friends.  (I'm so sorry Leslie, David & Antwan!)

The lab final was more difficult than the midterm, which makes sense.  He asked questions on the gallbladder that I didn't even realize would be tested on.  I could have had 2 more hours of study time & I still wouldn't have studied the gallbladder.  Blast. Ah well.   Luckily the final is over & I can focus on my class final coming up next Tuesday.  

If anyone here is considering taking a summer semester, and you're willing to devote most of that summer to studying, it's totally worth it.  I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my summer this way.  Granted, I am obsessed with the human body, so it makes sense that I liked spending my summer this way.  Back to my plug for summer semester.  It's relaxed on campus, and nice and accelerated in class. At least look at taking the basic classes during the summer, my dear readers.  It's worth it.

Wish me luck on my final!

~Courtney

7 Peaks!

Yesterday I went to 7 Peaks for the first time this summer.  They've got this new racing ride that I spent most of my day on.  So. Much. Fun!
The best part?  Brianna came up & we played together!  It was so great seeing Bri, I have really missed being roommates with her at USU.  We talked all about our school plans (hers being immensely more exciting than mine), about Bri's boyfriend, & about life in general.  Bri & I lived together for almost a full year, & we saw each other multiple times every single day.  Bri was always there to hear my crazy dreams in the morning,  & we always had our bedtime chats until one of us fell asleep (which was usually me).  It's been 7 months since we've been roommates & I have seriously missed her!

 I also tend to forget how TALL she is when we spend time apart.  Bri's about 10 inches taller than I am, making her my tallest friend, & me her shortest friend.

Love you Bri!  Thanks for playing with me!

~Courtney