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How was your weekend?

I thought mine was rather productive. :)

Got loads and loads of laundry done -- despite the fact that there are still lots more to do. I have no idea where clothes and what nots come from? It is only Keith and I, and I do laundry every week. But it seems never-ending :O

Next, I have quite a number of study sessions. It is good. I feel good. My study buddy and I throw ideas around, share treatment techniques, question each other about assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rationale. This allows me to get into her head, see what other people are thinking and how they are attacking a specific question. 

I didn't really make a big deal of cooking this weekend. I made a decent pot of spaghetti loaded with lean ground beef, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. and tomotoes.  That pot lasted 2 days for us.  And today, after my study group and after inspired by my study buddy, I made a pot of chicken noodle soup. It worked out well ... I had celery and carrots that needed to be used, I had already thawed out chicken breasts, and it is gonna be piping hot when we eat it --- perfect for a cold night.

And we thoroughly enjoyed it totally.

I cheated a little -- I also had a grilled cheese sandwich! :) This is actually my first grilled cheese sandwich EVER! I have always made it for the boys, but have never really eaten it! But I thought about them today on my drive home from the library, and hence, I made that and ate it :) It was goooooood!  Ooozy and gooooey! :)

 

So this is my weekend. I hope yours was as good if not better than mine! :)
Have a great week ahead ... another month coming to an end, and we are only 10 months away from Christmas! :)

Yeap!
Completed another extern site and can't wait to find out where I will be posted to next. But I guess, I am lucky, since I have already completed a medical site and a school site. So now, wherever the wind blows or rather, wherever they want to post me, I will be there!

About 2 more weeks before COMPS is here. OH BOY!

Which means, other than the occasional ranting, I should be spending time reading and studying and brushing up on therapy skills and rationale and knowledge. :)

So ... I say I should slow down on the experiments in the kitchen and spend some time hitting the books!

You guys have lots of fun, eat well, and sleep well :)

Off to study~

 

 

I am going to try and update this particular entry as the day progresses.
But thus far, Tuesday has been pretty good.

I am up and finished working out my hamstrings, quads, and a 2 mile run. And I prepared a rather yummy breakfast for Keith and I. It is great to see that my breakfast helps set the stage for one's pretty Tuesday!

So, this is what we had.
Made an omelette (without the fold), topped with mushrooms, tomatoes and feta cheese. Served with a side of Canadian bacon, hashbrown, and pineapple chunks.

Will update as the day goes :)

 

And the day turned out decent.

I wasn't totally productive. But I did get plenty of rest. What was intended to be a 30 minute catnap turned into a 3 hour long sleep. It was weird. I was awake and tried to get out of bed, but I was totally grogy and fell right back into a slumber. I did feel rather refreshed when I finally woke up though.

Tomorrow will be a better and more productive day!

So after a long day at work and class, I got back and started to throw dinner together.

I need to start cooking a lot more. Keith has been eating "I have no idea what" for the past weeks.

So, in about 30 minutes or so, I actually put together a pretty delectable supper for two.

Here's the process:

1) Alaskan salmon, seasoned with all the good herbs and spices. (I love some Louisiana cajun spice on top of other spices/herbs on the rack)

2) Fresh asparagus, saute' with garlic, black pepper, and olive oil.

3) A 'special sauce' that is tangy, creamy with a hint of garlic, ginger, and a little shot of bite

 

Enjoy meal with a nice glass of wine. I am into white merlot lately. Still kinda sweet, chilled, but still has the omph! :)

 

I am definitely ending my Monday on a high note!

So I thought I have Saturday's supper menu all thought out. Until Keith and I went and did some grocery shopping.

What ended up as a trip to find some lean meat to make beef jerky evolved into a grand affair. We got some huge shrimps, a nice fatty red slab of Alaskan salmon, a few yellow squash and zucchini, some fresh aparagus, and some more steak, ooh, and throw in some wine.

 

Keith made an absolutely delectable marinade for the squash and zucchini and for the shrimp. No ... He didn't revealed what all he mixed together, but it was CHOKED full of flavor. AWESOME. Smoky, fragrant, tangy, salty, spicy.  All the flavors layer nicely and fit together :)

So, he laid the steak (marinated in another Keith's sauce) and the zucchini on the grill, then when the steak is almost done, he placed the shrimp on the grill.

We served it with some parmesan garlic bread. :)
ABSOLUTELY DELECTABLE, COMPLETELY SATISFYING, WONDERFUL SUPPER. :)

 

 

It has been a slow week and what it seems to be a quick weekend.

I finally cooked yesterday. I haven't put much thought into a meal for the past few weeks. Mainly because I was tired and stressed. I did have the intention to cook supper for Keith and I, but after a long day at the hospital, between running to classes, to study group, and to the gym, I really don't want to waste time with cooking and cleaning after that.  That time could be spent sitting down, reviewing for my comps, propping my feet up and play a game or two of scrabble. That time could be spent sleeping. 

I do waste a lot of time driving -- at least 3 hours a day. Trying to compensate the time wasted by listening to some audiobooks. So far, it has been good. 

 

So .... what did I cooked yesterday?

I sautee'd some green beans with garlic, seasoned it with some Cajun spices and a twist or two of coarse sea salt sans the iodine.

Then, I seasoned some salmon filets with garlic powder and some dried herbs and spices and placed it gently on a hot skillet with olive oil.

Finally, I made a shrimp scampi wanna be dish.  Overall it was a satisfying meal for Keith and I on a Friday night. 

 

What's on the menu today or tomorrow??  

I have plans to make some whole wheat bread or baguettes for the week and to give it away as gifts.

And I am planning on making a lean mean chicken salad, which will probably go well with the bread I made.

And for supper, I am thinking of a full salad topped with chicken breast, feta cheese, black olives, cucumbers, and a drizzle of homemade vinegrette. :)

 

Yes. I always have random thoughts on my mind.

This could be interpreted that I am easily distracted (guilty as charge), have too many things on my mind, or just plain fleeting. 

I would like to consider that as entertained by plenty of interesting thoughts and subject matters, and enjoying a life of versatility and variety. 

 

I am definitely feeling the stress, now that the written and oral comprehensives are less than a month away.  After that, I will have to worry about my certification exam. It seems like I do know my stuff and I do have the knowledge. But will I be fazed when I sit and write almost continuously for 8 hours? Will I shut down when I sit in front of the board as I try to explain therapy techniques and rationale? It seemed like a daunting task, and there is no easy way out.

 

Back into a somewhat routine of working out again. Truly inspired and motivated by my close friend, Arely. I wished she lives close enough for us to work out everyday.  I guess it is important to find someone that is within your fitness level so you won't feel like you have to slow down or you are a total slacker.  It is also very important to find someone who will push you to do that extra rep. and help you focus on what you are doing, to count down to the number of reps you have left, to make you want to do a little bit more, and definitely, a "pat" on my shoulder saying "yeap, thats good" when all is completed. :)

 

I am going to be home soon. That thought excites and scares me too.  People change over the years, I know I have. I am not prepared to see changes, I guess.  And perhaps, I have grown more reclusive or rather, selective with the people I am with. I don't know.   

 

On a lighter note, I tried McDonald's Big Breakfast again.  Something is just not right about it. It is no doubt a pyschological thing I have with that.  I just feel like throwing up after eating Big Breakfast -- was like that when I was 8 years old, 18 years old, and 28 years old; still the same no matter it is Big Breakfast in Singapore, in London, or in the U.S.  But give me a sausage egg mcmuffin --- nada, no problemo!

 

I might have found my favorite fast food place. Drumroll please .... WENDY'S.

Spicy chicken sandwich, meaty and beany chili, and the perogative to have a salad instead of fries really make this place my favorite fast-food place. 

Tried that cod sandwich -- love the lettuce in it, but I wasn't too impressed. I might have to give it another try before I bash it.

 

All right, that's all the randomness I can whip up for now. Will write again :)

Have a delightful weekend!

 

 

As the title suggests, I am having a rather slow, easy weekend. It is good. I needed to sleep in, needed to stay indoors away from the cold, needed to be with myself for a minute or two or more.  Not exactly what you call a recluse, but after a week of dealing with patients you have never seen before, after explaining to people what you are doing to them, or why you are doing whatever you are doing, I really appreciate and savor the delight of just answering to myself and not talk to anyone.  I like to bury myself playing Scrabble and crossword puzzles at the same time, love to crank up the music and cook and sing, love to just snuggle up in bed with my eyes on the bird feeders looking at those Carolina wrens feed and listen to them chirp. No human voice.  Peace at home. 

 

This is going to be a really long weekend.  We are having Mardi Gras break and after that, I won't have to go to the hospital for a few days because my supervisor is taking off to attend to family matters.  Yay for not having to drive 3 hours a day to work and back, not-so-yay for my hours.  But oh well. Whatever. 

I do have plans for those days. I am going to do a good cleaning around the house, getting rid of things that have been collecting dust.  I am gonna indulge in a yummilicious meal with a friend and go crazy working out after that, and definitely, I am planning on knocking out some of the aphasia stuff I have to go through.  Written and oral comprehensives are just around the corner.  Oooh...nerve wrecking.  Gonna get ready for a poster presentation at LSHA this summer. This would be my first publication in the field. :) Excited. 

 

And I am gonna go home. Yeah. As in HOME home, the home where my folks are. :) I am thrilled and absolutely excited.  I haven't been home since 2004. Haven't seen my folks in 4 years. Crazy. Kinda apprehensive too.  I know all of us age. But I really hate to see my folks age. I want to see them the way they are when I left the last time.  That's what I have in my memory. Any signs of aging pains my heart cos it is a constant voice telling me that I haven't been around all these years.  I haven't been around for a long time. I am also worried about the over-populated streets, the constant voices, and that I will miss fresh air, birds chirping, and open spaces.  I like where I am now.  Not as exciting as Singapore, but definitely, peaceful and not too pretentious.  It will be a challenge.  It is always a challenge when I go home.  Navigate around the city, figuring what has changed (from bus routes, to new subway stations, to transportation fares and passes, to new buildings popping out), and figuring out the mindset of the people. :) 

Oooh.. it is like an adventure ready to happen.