Caught!
The sun set a while ago and I’m sitting in the living room with the warm lights and furnace keeping away the unseasonably cool night. “Tied to Me (Acoustic)” by the magnificent William Fitzsimmons is quietly playing on the stereo. The couch is snugly in its new corner in the living room (we recently re-arranged furniture). Rain is gently falling outside, making tiny sounds on the windows. And, I know, this is sounding like a bad beginning to a dull book. But, literally, that’s what is happening right now. Forgive me the pedestrian topic and stunted prose: there’s poetry in everyday life, but I am still trying to capture that in writing.
This’ll go on my desk, when I have a desk on which to put pictures.
The pollen outside today was actually visible. It was raining pollen onto the car, and I could see many little granules of it running in delicate rivulets down the glass. Surprisingly, both Mykala and I seem to either be getting used to the constant congestion of allergy season or our bodies are adjusting. Mykala might have mono, and by extension so might I. Both of us have histories of remarkably poor ear nose and throat health. My future children (not yet on the way, though Mykala and I frequently talk about you in the abstract), if you are reading this, I am very sorry for your ears — you can blame both myself and your mother.
Mykala’s getting her MA in Human Development and another MA in Counseling and Psychological Services, so she’s reached the point where she’ll do something called a practicum. It’s not unlike an internship, except you earn credits for doing the work and getting the experience. We’ve talked a lot, and Mykala is interested in, well, not pathologizing people. Clinical psychology, the DSM diagnoses, etc. have their place, but she wants to take a well-adjusted person and help them stretch to reach their potential. So, Mykala interviewed for her practicum at the St. Thomas Career Development on Friday. The interview went so well that they called back later that day to offer her the position!
“A patient of yours just checked in, has no appointment for today, and axiUm says the chart is checked out to you.”
This was not the voicemail I wanted to hear this morning during breakfast. I sighed, closed my laptop, and hurriedly biked down the hill to school to see the patient.
The GPS parsing logic I just wrote into this site has paid off unexpectedly — I put it there so I could start to add images with built-in locations when I (someday) get an iPhone, but Mykala just got her picture taken (by her mom’s iPhone) in front of the wonderful New York Times building during their trip to New York City. So, I get to show off the new capabilities of the site a little early.
Mykala and I teamed up and made these the Sunday before my big malocclusion presentation at school. They are cake + frosting + stick, dipped in Guittard semi-sweet chocolate, sprinkled, wrapped, and individually tied. They’re delicious.
Had a little pre-Thanksgiving breakfast bite here on the couch, watching the Macy’s Day Parade on TV. Our picture window is just right of the TV, and I can see far more joggers than usual passing by, presumably burning some calories in preparation for their feasts later today. It’s fun to live in the city, feeling the heartbeat of a vibrant metropolis all around, your neighbors going about their lives. A few days back, I was biking back home in the dark along the East River Road. On the hill up to a bridge over I-94, I could see the river, Minneapolis, and the rush hour cars slowly winding along the freeway, all stretched out in front of me. I felt like I was really part of it all, and the thrill of it was very surprising. I got what I really like about it all. I bet that’s what people in New York City feel — when they take a step back from the crowded streets and subways, from the constant noise of traffic, it’s a thrill to be right in the midst of all the hustle and bustle.
Mykala: “Did you know that giraffes have the largest heart of any land animal?”
Alex: “No, I did not know that… I suppose they have to get all that blood up into their heads.”
Mykala: “I think it’s because they are so high up and can see everything, they are more compassionate.”
14 hours are left until day one of my two-day hell-test sponsored by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. And when I say “sponsored” I actually mean “questions written to mess with me” because I still had to pay $360 for the privilege of taking this thing. My wife has made every food (all the foods) in the kitchen for a delicious dinner tonight:
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