the end of 2006

i'm not so much into new years resolutions, i have never made one. there is just so much pressure on a "new years resolution" that it seems as though it is bound to end in failure. everyone resolves to loss weight, change jobs, or change something about themselves. but that comes around once a year, and IF you're lucky it might carry into February. however, i'd be a sorry excuse for a therapist if i said self-improvement and growth was unnecessary. but why set myself up for failure? rather, i prefer to have a running resolution to be aware of my own internal dialogue and my relationships with those around me. being aware of these dialogues, i want to make those resolutions throughout the year.

so...a couple hours left in 2006. began the year with my first clients and worked through cognitive assessment and beginning with clients at the jail. spring started with clients and feeling entirely "green". i got my feet wet and moved on through the semester. i've met some interesting people this year and surprised myself at times. the summer was crazy between the summer tux job, a short visit home, and moving a couple times within two months. summer ended with a new roommate, new house, and starting my second year in my program. i was able to get home for most of the holidays and continue to figure out the whole family vs. friends time when home. i love it out in oregon and feel so fortunate to have made the friends i have and be in community with some truly amazing people.
if 2007 brings activity like 2006 i will surely not be bored.

commercial christmas

a couple days ago my friend debbie and i went to the ginormous mall of america and stumbled upon what is supposed to be the world's largest gingerbread house at 65 feet tall. one more reason to come visit the moa i guess. don't get me wrong, it was huge. it had animated elves, dot candies the size of me, and something like 5,000 pounds of icing. pretty cool. i really wanted to eat something off the house, just to say i did. how awesome to have eaten part of the largest gingerbread house in the world?!? i know what most of you are thinking though, "gross, you know how many other people have done that?", so no i didn't do it. i might have to go back and grab a dot if this keeps eating me up.

Ahh, the Wonders of Paxil

I don't know what it is but I find this so very funny.

the good ol' days

it snowed today! it reminded me of the days when i was little and it seemed to just dump buckets of snow. today was no blizzard by any stretch, but beautiful big flakes definitely brought me back. it's so easy to get reminiscent when i go home. on top of it...Christmas simply implies snow. the northwest is gorgeous and green but winter still means snow, cold, and ice to me. so to have snow a couple days before Christmas was great. when i was a kid i would dig snow forts in the front yard and make snow angels. maybe over the weekend there will be enough snow to build a fort. for tonight it's just a relaxing night at home in front of the television. it started out raining and so i thought i brought west coast rain with me back to the midwest. but it changed over to sleet and then snow. so with the snow today i decided to build the smallest ever snowperson and share it on my blog. if it snows enough i can dig out the snowblower for the driveway. at least it's not too cold; i haven't had to plug in my car yet!! thats one thing i haven't had to do out in portland. no nights cold enough to pull out the extention cord in oregon. no one seemed to understand why i had an electrical outlet hanging out of the front of my car. i've got about one more week here in the good city of mpls and then down to JAX to see the rest of the fam for new years. and then back home to oregon.

home away from home

Here I am in Minnesota. And to my surprise, no snow! Looks like it will definitely be a brown Christmas, not even green like back at home in Oregon. It's been nice to reconnect with Friends back in Minneapolis but I'm missing my Oregon peeps already. I feel very blessed to be where I am in my life, and to have the chance to see everyone back here again. See you all back in Oregon in a couple weeks!!

it is finished

the last assessment has been interpreted, the last report written, and the last exam taken. the semester is finally over. the semester that so many have described as one of the worst of the program. i spent 7 hours writting up my final report in order to turn in before the deadline...one of the shortest calls i've made yet. thank God for Sarah and having a much-needed relaxing night before i go back home. a three week break that i am so grateful for. then coming back to start a whole new semester with people, clients and classes.

eating, drinking, sleeping finals

finals are this week. and of course i'm up writing a paper tonight, trying to finish so i can begin studying for my CBT final tomorrow morning. then comes the lovely cog/iq report...that will be a joy :) i'm anticipating the end of this week and the 3 week break that follows. i can't wait to see old friends back home and get some time to sleep. signing off.

grrr

alright i'm trying to make this thing look semi-creative beyond what blogger offers for templates but i suppose nows a bad time in the semester to try and figure it out. i would kill to get the dang "suga's sample blog" off here but no idea. for now just imagine it says "mer's sample blog" or something like that. maybe my christmas break will give me more time

december 1

It's that time of year again. The post thanksgiving bliss of my birthday has arrived. I'm another year older and another year close to my 1/4 century mark. Birthdays get a little different every year, not sure if its a good or bad different. Just different. The library will kick me out soon so, off I go for dinner and after-dinner shinanigans.