Back in Action...sort of.

Hi all!

I know it's been a super long time since my last post. I have had soooo much going the past - what - month? maybe longer? Here's the recap:

I went to Macon to visit Mercer in early October, the campus was super awesome. The city - not so much. It's probably a great town...but the guy at the front desk of my hotel told me not to walk outside of the campus gates alone. Which seems a little sketch to me, and I live in Memphis - the number 2 city for crime in the country...I guess I just didn't feel safe because I was new to the city.

After my visit to Mercer, I drove to Tybee Island to spend the rest of the week with my cousins. The drive through Savannah was beautiful. I couldn't get over all the Spanish Moss trees and old colonial/plantation style homes. Just confirmed my love for the South East Coast and that Charleston or Savannah will be my home one day. It was sooooo much fun. We even went to Pirate Fest, an annual festival right on the beach, where people dress up as pirates and they sell pirate things. Some of these people go ALL out. I was passed a flyer that was talking about some annual pirate convention. I think they might think they are real pirates...There was a little bar called Tybee Time(s?) that we went to every night that had dancing and good music. The place was packed. We spent some time on the beach - which was super fun. At one point it started raining and we were having so much fun we didn't want to take cover like everyone else. So, my cousin Brian, me and his friend T.J. all played frisbee in the rain. We had THE ENTIRE BEACH to ourselves. I'm pretty sure that everyone that was under the pier was super jealous of how much fun we were having. After about 20 minutes the rain passed, the sun came out and there was a double rainbow over the pier and a school of dolphins was swimming really close to the beach. It was so pretty. The trip went by entirely too fast, and I am having beach and sunshine withdraws. It's been sunny the past few days in Memphis, but for the most part it has been cold, wet, and dreary.

I quit my job a week and a half ago. It was the best day of my life. I didn't realize exactly how miserable I was. They didn't let me finish out my 2 weeks, but are still paying me - um, hello? two weeks paid vacation...I'll take it! Next week, I will start doing part time work for a financial services company and will be mostly focusing on school. This company is paying me MORE money to work half as many hours. Can't beat that.

Boy update:

I hung out with prospect #3 a good bit, and realized that he is too clingy. I am trying to finish my MBA and get into medical school, so studying takes up a good bit of my time. Even on the weekends. I hung out with him on a Friday and Saturday nigh one weekend and on Sunday I had plans to study ALL DAY. When I told him that he didn't seem to understand. Then when he asked if we could hang out on Thursday, I told him I couldn't because I was in class till 10pm, he replied with "well, I don't have a bedtime" Um, maybe you don't...but I do. I really can't have someone like that in my life right now.

So, then there is prospect #2. Who is equally as busy (he is in medical school) and understands that school and studying is important to me. We've gone to the dog park and cooked each other dinner...it's been fun - so we'll see how it goes. It's nice to be able to do what I want, when I want to and not have to worry about someone getting upset that I have to study and can't hang out.

I'm sure there is more I've left out, but I'll save that for another post. I'm going to enjoy my last week of no work before the new joby-job starts next week.

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween, and I hope to get caught up on everyone's blogs soon!

Update

Don't worry - I'm alive. My schedule is draining me, and blogging time has taken a hard hit.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Macon, Ga to tour Mercer, meet with advisors and get a feel for the city. Friday morning I leave Macon and will be driving to Tybee Island to meet my cousins. We have a condo right on the beach, and I'm looking forward to leaving the cold, dreary Memphis weather for warm, sunny, beachy, Tybee weather ;-)

I went on my first date since the break up last night. It was with Prospect # 3 from this entry. It went well. I went into it sort of not really wanting to go, but I had way more fun than I anticipated. We had dinner at Sauces downtown, got a drink at Saucer afterwards - and plan to go out again when I get back from Georgia.

Coincidentally, I scored a lunch date next week with Prospect #2 while I was driving to my date last night. Our schedules sort of suck, so lunch it is. I've got a pretty large school-girl like crush on this guy so wish me luck.

This past weekend was a super busy one. Friday night I worked an ER shift and was pretty exhausted when I got off. Saturday morning I took a practice MCAT through Kaplan. Let's just say I still have a lot to learn. I knew I wasn't going to do well, but it was free and I thought it'd be a good idea to get a feel for the test structure before I started studying. It was a grueling test to sit through for that purpose, but well worth it in my opinion. Saturday, we celebrated one of my best friend's birthday. I'm posting a few pictures. We ate at Blue Fin and then went to Silly Goose afterwards. All-in-all a very fun night. Sunday was spent in the library. Again. ::Sigh::

Dinner @ Blue Fin

Two of my favorites: the Japanista Roll, and Nigori Sake - one of the girls ordered super cute chopsticks for all of the girls!

The Quad

All the girls.

This was in the stair well of my friend William's condo complex. I thought it was hilarious.

I'll try to be better about posting/reading when I get back. Provided work-work, and school-work, has not piled itself higher than the empire state building...

Heroes Half Marathon Team

Hi Blog Friends!

This December 5th, I am running the St. Jude Half Marathon here in Memphis, Tennessee. I’m excited to be a part of the St. Jude Heroes program, and have pledged to raise at least $500 for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org). By donating, you will make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Please help me reach my goal by donating as little or as much as possible. Every little bit is appreciated, and no amount is too small.

To donate, please click this link: www.mystjudeheroes.org/danalynn

Thank you for helping St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The money you donate will be used to help fund the hospital's continuing search to find new treatments for pediatric cancer, sickle cell disease and AIDS.

If you would like to run the St. Jude Half Marathon, but did not get to sign up before registration closed please consider joining our Heroes Team. My team name is 'Not High Maintenance, Just High Mileage'. Just put that in the box when it asks what your team name is.

One day of birth. thanks. Lots to catch up on.

Last week was exhausting. Fun, but exhausting. Next year I will celebrate a birthDAY, not a birthWEEK.

Saturday was my "real" birthday and I was in bed by 10:30pm...After a week of celebrating I couldn't make it past 1o!

Friday night a friend and I went to River Rendezvous. It was a charity event to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. The band was awesome and I met a few new people - so all in all a very fun night! Afterwards I met one of my VERY best guy friends from high school out and we had so much fun. He and I are one day apart - he's my elder - and in high school we would always celebrate together. It was fun to do that again this year after not seeing him for 3 or so years. As soon as midnight hit, I told him we were no longer celebrating HIS birthday, but MY birthday.

Saturday I got up and cleaned, then went back to bed for a couple more hours. I was pooped. I should have stayed in bed and not gone out till later, but some of my friends were watching football so I met up with them. I drank water. Lots of it. I debated meeting up with some friends after all the games were over, but I opted for my comfy bed instead. It was a good choice considering I had to get up and study on Sunday.

I've deemed Sundays SMS Study Marathon Sunday, or Sunday no-funday. Gone are the days of patio brunch at Boscos and lounging at the pool. So, so, very sad. Unlike last Sunday, when I spent 12 hours in the library and forgot to bring anything to eat - I made myself a PB&J, and a baggy of chips and headed out. I did leave early enough to catch Desperate Housewives. I am sooooooo glad Mike married Susan and not Katherine. Such a suspenseful end with Julie getting strangled. At least the pre-views for next week show her alive. I can't wait till next week!

Quite a few "prospects" on the boy front. Obviously it'd be dumb for me to start a relationship with anyone here since I'm moving in 3 months...but it definitely boosted my confidence to have several guys ask for my number this past week. I'm going to be honest - I'm really not sure how this whole "dating" thing goes. I think I've gone on two dates my entire life that didn't result in a long term relationship. Dating just really isn't my thing.


Prospect 1: cute guy from high school (not the same guy from above) - played college football, all american boy type. Just moved back to the area from Chicago. We never really hung out in HS, but have been exchanging texts and plan to hang out soon.

Prospect 2: cute guy from Boot Camp. In medical school. Invited me over to watch football one night...I had class so I couldn't go. Also exchanging texts and I see him at Boot Camp and track.


Prospect 3: sort of cute guy from the St. Jude event on Friday. Extremely awesome personality. Plays acoustic guitar. Wants to take me out next Tuesday. We'll see.

Last night was my first event to co-chair for Ronald McDonald House. It was so much fun. A little boy named Dillan made me a sand bracelet. I'm wearing it today at work. It was pretty much the sweetest thing ever. Here is a picture of my bracelet. Ignore all the files of crap.




Anyway, that's about all that is going on in my life right now - other than work and school.

Brain Dump

THAT happened last night. I took THREE, yes three, tests last night. It was awesome. NOT.

Sunday I spent 12.5 hours in the U of M library. 1:30pm to 2am. I forgot to bring a snack...miserable. I got a ton accomplished though. When I sat down for test 1 of 3, a 100 question, multiple choice test, I realized I had totally over studied. I read all the chapters. I read over the notes. I read the notes and clarified by comparing to the book. Next time I know to just read the notes and clarify with the book. Screw reading the entire chapter! The test came DIRECTLY from the notes! I'm also buying a voice-recorder so I can start taping his lectures. He goes so fast, all I have time to do is write and not listen. The other two tests were in lab and pretty simple. I spent the rest of my THREE HOUR LAB watching liquid drip SLOWLY out of a large column purifying enzymes by gel filtration.

Enough of the NOT fun stuff, and on to the better part of the weekend:

Friday night, a few friends and I ran the Cooper Young Festival 4-Miler and DOMINATED. I've only been running in a serious capacity since July 2008. Definitely not a life-time runner, and I have had 3 surgeries on my ankle (still not fixed) so I'll never be super fast. My goal isn't to win, but to continue to beat my previous pace. I beat my previous 4-miler (Zoom through the Zoo in May) time by a minute and 24 seconds. I was ROLLING. Finished in 37:34 I have no idea how I did it.

Saturday I got up super early to start getting ready for my 5th annual 21st birthday celebration. Did a lot of cleaning and a lot of running around getting food and supplies. The party was a success and I think a lot of people had fun. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. They really are great. Here are a few pictures from the festivities:

A picture (of a picture) of me the day I was born!

High School Friends!
All the girls
Saturday in Tennessee...we had to watch a little college football!

Tink was the life of the party!

Delicious German Chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing!

The Quad

Karaoke @ Yosemite Sams!

It's just not really your birthday unless you have a light-up ring and a Birthday Girl glass :-)

TB Test #1...check.

Today, my Browns tee arrived. Can't wait to get home and try it on.

I had my health exam for my ER Volunteering today. Um, no one told me there was going to be an eye exam. You can poke and prod me all you want, but I haven't had an eye exam since I was like 9. Sad, I know. I seriously thought I failed. I think she saw me getting a little discouraged and told me I was doing fine....she wrote 20/20 on my sheet, but I really don't think I got them all right. Those little sideways, upside-down, right-side up, E's are tricky!! The TB injection was a lot less painful than I expected. I always turn my head when getting an injection of any kind, but I figured I might need to start watching these types of things and get over it if I'm going to be any kind of Doctor. It didn't hurt anymore watching it than it does when I don't watch - surprising, right? I go back on Monday to see how my arm looks and then I have to do a second TB test next week. So far so good. No reaction yet.

I'm running the Cooper Young Festival 4-miler tonight.

Should be a fun race. I missed it last year because I wasn't feeling well at the last minute. This year, I'm really worried about the weather...it's nasty here in Memphis. Looking out of the office window, it looks like the rain has stopped. I hope it holds out till the race is over...I will run in a drizzle, but I'm not going to run in a torrential downpour.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Team Loyalty

I'm awaiting the arrival of this:

It should arrive just in time to get creamed by Denver this Sunday.

I've been a Cleveland Browns fan since I was born. My dad has been a Cleveland Browns fan since he was born (he and my mom are both from outside of Cleveland). It's just the way we roll. When I was old enough to finally realize what football even was, my dad and I would post ourselves in front of the 'boob tube' - his words not mine- and eat homemade hot salsa and chips and homegrown-home jarred- jalapeños straight of the jar. I miss those days. Although, one thing hasn't changed since then: The Browns break my heart year after year.

I'm a loyal fan though, and I will wear my losing team's shirt with pride.