I just felt like I was failing today. I can’t stay ahead of my work or school and I’m tired and no, Milo, I don’t want to play on the playground. I want to lay on the couch. And then I got this message, out of the blue, from a Grad school friend who I rarely talk to. Sometimes the universe kicks you in the stomach and sometimes… this time… it really comes through. Many moments of gratitude today, but especially my spouse who let me vent. And Milo- when he heard me venting, he brought his bucket of Halloween candy over to offer me some so I felt better. So, all in all… it’s pretty damn good.
Posts
Randal and I were reminiscing about what we were doing ten years ago and how we marked the end of the first decade of the 2000s. I thought back to where I was in December of 2009 and then remembered that I had done a blogpost to close the decade. It was fun to look back on it and the one constant of my life... I have no idea where life will take me in the next ten years. So. Ten years ago, I had recently moved to Phoenix. I was lonely, but working at my first job that really paid well and I was really a grown up. I filled my days with reading, educational activities, and actively seeking and securing solid friendships. I embarked on self-improvement projects and worried that I would never meet the right person and would never get married. And today? One, it will be a miracle if I get through this blogpost in one sitting without a kid calling me.* But, as for the rest.. We have relatively recently moved. I...
Last night, I had a very vivid dream about emptying a sink full of vomit. It was so gross. I had to reach my hand in and pull the plug. Disgusting. In my dream, it smelled just terrible. Upon waking, it makes me think that I should change the sheets. Evidently, the smell of spit up and spoiled milk has permeated my subconscious. Gross. In other news, Milo was in the paper! Okay. You can't actually see his face, but he's there, tucked away in his Ergo Baby. You can find the article here . He is a big supporter of the Complete Streets model and improving the built environment. Randal is on the Built Environment Blue Zones committee, so will be instrumental in downtown improvements. Some ideas include making our downtown streets two-way, removing push buttons on walk signals so that they turn automatically, and improving our alleyways. Milo celebrated his one-month birthday in Denver where Randal and I went for a f...
The Wellness Center is now projected to open on March 31st. Construction was slightly delayed again, but we have updated the announcement forms and plan to send them out this week. We are supposed to move into our new building next Monday with computers and internet scheduled for Tuesday. It is getting close and we are getting excited! (By excited I mean: eager, nervous, a little anxious, and having to pee a lot.) Of course, it is important to balance one's work with pleasure, which is why we have enjoyed ourselves on the weekends in the last month. In February, we spent a crystal clear day at Crater Lake, stomping around in snowshoes. (This wasn't really necessary as the snow is dismal this year at the lake, but I got these snowshoes for Christmas and dang it, I will wear them!) Is it any wonder this is a national park? Expert snowshoer. And then we went to Portland for an MPH reunion. The conversation was geeky. The fo...
I'm moving up in the bicycling world... After our tax refunds came back, Randal and I thought that a great way to spend part of it would be on a road bike. I'd been looking for one for awhile and after a few test rides, settled on the same bike that my friend, Berta, has, which is a Giant Avail. She arrived last week and she's just beautiful. I quickly scooted around town with and she even got hit on at our local market: Guy: "That's a nice bike." Me: "Thanks!" Guy: "How much does she weigh?" Me: "Um... Is that appropriate to ask a lady bike?" Randal: "Around 15 pounds, I think." My favorite biking buddy. 22 mile ride with the ladies. 3 Avails! Day 1: I biked with Randal on our local OC&E trail and then to dinner with his dad. Day 2: Some ladies and I biked to the golf course and had cockt...
The fun never ends with the Jochim/Pope clan. How many times have I posted this in the past few years: In lieu of packing, I'll write a blogpost! Yep. It is that time again when I load up all of my junk and think, Why do I have so much stuff?? before schlepping it across the country. Except that in previous instances when I have stated that I am moving across the country, I really meant that I was crossing only about five states. This time, it's a literal statement as I go from the East Coast to the West Coast. But, before I start to panic about that, let's recap our last few weeks. Stephanie and my pitch to the VP of Medical Affairs in Klamath Falls went so well that nerve-wracking Tuesday. A few changes need to be made, but we have an excited crew waiting for us in Klamath Falls. They will bring us out sometime in June to pitch to the senior administrative team, the entire board of trustees of the hospital, and to th...
I know that I have discussed some important issues in this blog and I always have an issue that is of the utmost importance. (Have you signed our petition at www.refuelourfuture.org ?) But, this is the biggest travesty yet. Shoulder pads are back in style. How did this happen? Even when asking the sales clerks at the 18 stores in the mall that I went to, I came up with no answer except, "The 80s are back." What a *&$@# disappointment. You see, next week, I have one of the more important meetings of my career, in which we will make our first pitch to a member of the board of trustees. I had dreams of a chic skirt, fitted top, and blazer over the outfit, to cap it off. After the pitch, when we go out to dinner, I could casually take it off and throw it over my shoulder or drape it on the chair. It would complete the outfit... complete the pitch... complete me! So, I confidently trotted to the mall, ready to spend some mone...
I suppose that it's time to announce the next destination for the Pope-Jochim clan... So, get those pencil erasers ready to erase "Baltimore" and add... "Klamath Falls, Oregon!" Randal and I will visit Klamath Falls next weekend with a classmate of mine, Stephanie Van Dyke, to check out this city that we plan to make our home for the next few years. Stephanie, Randal and I have all worked on the divestment campaign and Stephanie and I have been in some classes together, continually finding that we work very well together. She is a physician who finished her residency in Klamath Falls last year and is originally from Portland, OR. She asked me a few months ago, over a beer or two, if I was interested in joining her in this venture that she wanted to undertake. Randal and I discussed it, researched the town, talked about careers and goals and life plans... Eventually, we both decided that it would be an amazing opportunity for the two of us...
Well, much to everyone's chagrin, we got a puppy! Randal picked her up this weekend and she moved in on Sunday night. She is: 1/2 Labrador Retriever 1/4 Catahoula cur 1/4 Dachschund 1 whole bundle of cute! Randal is learning the adventures of housetraining a pet. (As he stated, "Cats are done right out of the box.") Whereas, Bogey the cat is wondering what the heck happened and when things will get back to normal. (As he stated, "Hiss!") And I am enjoying the little pup scampering around the house and snoring sweetly as she sleeps. Study breaking. Contemplative pup. Everything looks good with that engagement ring. Maizie's "Simba" moment. My little family. Now that midterms are finished (and a whole three weeks left until finals), we are happily focusing on our puppy who can't wait to meet you all!
Easy Guide to Grad School Weddings Step 1) Get engaged. Step 2) Plan as much as you can before school starts. Step 3) Don't get as much done as you can before school starts, but get inspired to send "Save the Dates," when your matron of honor sends out Bridal Shower invites to people who didn't even know you were engaged. Step 4) Finally send out Save the Dates. Step 5) Get a puppy. Step 6) ... I'll let you know. As you can see, it's all going according to plan. And by studying the demographics of those invited to my wedding, I will have appropriate wedding favors (re: contraception) and talking points (re: politics). See pie charts below. And this is why I love graduate school. Happy wedding planning to us! **Graphs are courtesy of my classmate, Luis Ortiz-Echevarria.
Our homemade Christmas wreath made from salvaged greenery and Randal's capable hands. Dear family and friends, I take my last final in an hour and a half. And then I'm on Christmas break. I cannot wait. Neither can Randal. He is eagerly waiting for this manic month to be over. It has been chaotic and hard and wonderful. I have been crazy from eating too much sugar and burst into tears when laundry didn't go well. I have presented petitions to the dean and president of the university and been interviewed by the paper. I have not cleaned one of the bathrooms since moving in. I have developed an assessment tool that will be used around the state of Maryland in local health departments. I have become inordinately fond of a 26 pound cat. I have never been aware of so many public health issues and their daunting solutions. I have stopped listening to NPR because the news is too sad. I enjoyed my final and even laug...