Apophenia: Time Flies Like an Arrow...

... and Fruit Flies like a banana! Ha! Get it??

Anydangway: it's been way to long. I've been so busy, it's all I can do to keep up with real life, let alone blogging about it, but I intend to make more of an effort. I really enjoy writing, and I feel good when I do it. I just have to keep that in mind next time I'm super busy!

So what's been happening with me?

The fall trimester started, marking the beginning of my THIRD year of school! I remember when I started, thinking it would take so long, but the time has really flown by. I am excited and slightly overwhelmed; I have my first comprehensive exam in 6 short weeks, the pre-clinical exam next spring, and eventually the grad exam and then the boards! Eek!! I'm starting to get a study routine down though, so that I can build up the momentum and just keep it going. This is a good term though, most of my classes are hands on, so I really get to practice this medicine! I'm taking techniques (yes, they're actually letting us needle people!), Tuina (Chinese massage/acupressure), Western physical assesment, Clinical Theatre, and Formulas III. Clinical Theatre is really interesting, we get to see actual patients ... or rather, we OBSERVE actual patients. Our teacher, Dr. Lin, interviews them and gives them a treatment while we observe. We're allowed to ask additional questions during the interview, and we discuss the diagnosis, point perscription, and herbal formulas. It's a great way to see HOW everything we're learning so far works. We also get a chance to feel real pulses, which I've found can be hard- I mean, you can only learn so much pulse diagnosis from paper.

Aside from school, I've been pretty busy this month. There are a lot of birthdays this time of year (all those Libra's); my mom's birthday is actually today! Happy Birthday Mom! Last Saturday Emily, Rachel and I took Sara out for her birthday. We found a place in the Valley called the Witches Brew, but it was not very witchy. We ended up at Yankee Doodles ... and got Sara really drunk! I've noticed since my surgery I can't drink a lot alcohol anymore. It just doesn't sit well. Other things that don't sit well: dairy products, red meat, greasy foods. I can eat them, but it gives me terrible indigestion. I really only eat poultry now, and I've cut that way back too. I'm trying to eat a mostly plant based diet; it really makes a difference on how I feel. Other than that, I'm pretty much healed up; I have one more follow up with the gastroenterologist, because one of my liver enzymes was still higher than normal.

Sam decided to move from Korea town out to Camarillo so he can be closer to me, and the family. He's living with his brother and new sis-in-law, and I'm so happy he's only a 15 minute drive away! He also got a car, so that has made both our lives SO much easier! :)

On Sept. 9 I went to the 40th anniversary event for the Disneyland Haunted Mansion! It's anniversary is actually the same day as my birthday (August 9), but this event was on 09-09-09, probably an homage to the 999 Grim Grinning Ghosts! I got tons of cool pics, and look for a blog post on that very soon! Actually, it will be one of my first spooky October posts!

We've also been celebrating the High Holy Days for the last two weeks. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year was on the 19th, and yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. For those who don't know, I'm in the middle of converting to Judaism; this was not my first experience with the High Holidays, but it was a big improvement from last year. I love the synagouge I've been attending, and the services were beautiful. I feel spiritually ready to start a new year - I actually find it very fitting that the New Year is in the fall ... Autumn to me is the time of year when we all start to turn inward, to make the journey into the deeper part of our soul and really look to see what's there. It happens in nature too- things start to change, to pull inward, preparing for the cold winter ahead. Here in Southern California, we have fire season, which is a perfect metaphor for starting anew. Burn away the old, so that the new life can blossom forth in the Spring. The season of fire, the journey inward is challenging, sometimes devastating at first, but keep faith- there is always a springtime coming your way.

We actually had a fire very near to us about a week ago ... it was in the north hills of Moorpark, between Moorpark and Fillmore for those who know the area. I was able to get some great nighttime photos from the top of a hill near my house.