Edible origami cranes are the best idea EVER.

As I'm sure you know, it's difficult to find time as a medical student to make it to the gym on a regular basis.** Fortunately, youtube has supplied us with a variety of inspiring workout videos that we can do in the comfort of our own homes, never far from our textbooks...

Please take a few minutes out of your day to spend on yourself. Physical fitness is a key aspect of health and well-being.

Body Flex!

Hunkercise!

Mullercize!

**Although, apparently we have plenty of time to surf youtube looking for videos to share on our blogs. :P

Pie crusts are bastards.

Lena Rowat may be one of my new favourite people... I just read an article about her in the latest Explore magazine (Oct 2009).

Not only is she an outstanding skier, mountaineer, and explorer but she also comes from a medical family that found a balance between leading wilderness-centric lives and pursuing careers as doctors. In fact, Lena even found time to apply and get accepted to UBC medical school (although she later dropped out to further pursue skiing... and good on her for being able to make that decision cuz while we all might joke about how the debt after one year locks us in forever, we all secretly know that it really isn't a joke.)

Anyway, this is all to say that you should read the article because it's fantastic. To further prompt you, I've copied here the "Rules of Rowat" from pg. 62:

1. If you're going to dress at all, dress ironically. Always bring a party dress on your expeditions.

2. Do handstands whenever possible. Naked handstands are better.

3. Always eat the best food in your pack first. Because then tomorrow you'll also be eating the best food in your pack.

4. Old food is better than new food. It tastes better because you're doing the right thing while you eat. Dumpster food is best of all, because you feel like you're eating treasure.

5. Silliness is a very undervalued wilderness skill. Take yourself too seriously and not only won't you be having fun, you'll probably get a snowball in the face.

6. Swim in every puddle, pond, mountain tarn and raging flood-swollen river you can. A pack can float on a Therm-a-Rest.

7. Carry less and improvise. A grocery produce bag could work as a condom, but make sure you double bag it.

~~~

Ok, so I didn't say that I necessarily agreed with every golden word that Lena Rowat espouses but when it comes to being a unique individual, pursuing your dreams, and having a hell of a good time while facing some of the worst life has to throw at you - I think she makes a pretty good role model.

Now, it is definitely time for me to go to bed. Jeesh.

Yesterday, my college adviser told me I'd never be an astronaut. Even though I've never wanted to be an astronaut, I still felt oddly crushed.

Oww!! High heels result

in very stiff calves. Wedding

was fun; hip-hip-hooray!

Visited the third

of all five great lakes today:

Ont., Huron, Erie!

What elective did you do last spring? Uhhh, OP? Crap, no... that's OT. I'm here for PT. Good grief.

Today was a grey day and I felt lousy (really lousy) right from the moment I first woke up. I've had this pestering sore throat and cough for about a week now (no, it's not the oink oink that everyone is so worried about!) but it's still been keeping me on edge a little. Combine this with some serious soreness from yoga last night (I stretched in ways I didn't know where possible and I've almost perfected my head stand!) and you've got a recipe for a slow-moving, slow-thinking Saroja.

Thus, despite awaking at my regular 6:30am, I never made it to lecture... instead, I let the bunnies out and did the last of my on-line learning modules. I also wrote a good chunk of my CTP and made a good, wholesome breakfast before trundling off to my afternoon doing clinical with physio.

Post-physio, I was still feeling pretty swamped and rotten so instead of going straight home, I dropped by the shopping mall with the vague idea of "just looking" for a good dress to wear to the many weddings I've been invited to attend this year. Up until this point, I've been borrowing dresses, shoes, and jewelry from Penguin's little brother's girlfriend.

Sixty minutes later, I had successfully purchased a gorgeous little dress, necklace and earrings to match, sexy shoes (plus an extra pair for shoes (boots? shoe-boots?) for clinical that I just couldn't leave in the store), and groceries. At which point, I came home feeling very proud of myself for spending a shockingly small amount of money on all of it combined.

I then made myself Penguin's heart-winning chicken breast stuffed with roasted red pepper and leeks in white wine cream sauce with mashed potatoes and freshly cooked buns.

YUM.

Then, while eating dinner, I received an e-mail saying that I had, indeed, won a spot at my super exciting elective placement for surgery - should I choose to take it.

Go me. Take that rainy day and stiff muscles!

Biological, nutritional, and physiological science, far from revealing truth, simply validates or contradicts theories.

Two whole months late, I

finally finished the

"important" item.

I am going to

hide under a rock until

everyone forgets.

I am an expert

in catastrophic thinking.

Stress. Stress. Stress. Stress. Stress.