Dancing with the Stars! Or why I need to eat my words.

I need to make a humble pie and eat my words.

I have been watching Dancing with the Stars and I havent hated it. Actually, I've kind of liked it. I used to make fun of my parents who dutifiully watched the show each week. My dad, who's appreciation of dance is less ballroom and more disco, called in every week to vote for Ty the Bullrider who bless his heart was not a dancer but was endearing and southern. I'm not sure when DWTS became an acutal show I watched, it just sort of creeped up on me. Really I think it all started with a few seasons ago when Evan Lysacek was on. I watched because he was Olympian and I LOVE the Olympics.

A simultaneous awesome Olympic and STYLE moment.

Where this love of all things Olympics began I'm not sure but it might have been the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. For some reason I begged for a stuffed Izzy, the mascot of the games, and must have subconsciously chanellled my disappointment into an obsession whenever the Olympics are on. I wanted to be one of the girls on the gymnastics team that took gold with Kerri Strugg's vault. I also wanted to be a dolphin trainer around this time and we see how well that went. But I secretely really love the Winter Olympics because of the ice skating. I actually have an autograph from Nancy Kerrigan and used to have a giant Kristi Yamaguchi poster in my room. Fun fact: for at least 5 years I asked for a pair of ice skates for Christmas despite the fact that a. it never snows in SC b. the only ice we get in ice on the road and c. we don't have an ice rink in our town.

The Izzy in Question.

One of my favorite interpretive dance/ ice skating/ bride dress up costumes.

Despite not being an ice skater or a gymnast, I still love the Olympics. I will stay up all night watching the Opening Ceremonies just to see Team USA walk in (although I think the OCD part of me just really enjoys all the matching). I love the spectacle of it - like the insanity of the Bejing Olympics and that giant bird's nest and my utter confusion during Toronto. I cheer on my favorite athletes and will watch even the most obscure sports with enthusiasm. I could SO be a trampoliner- London 2012 anyone? I will constatnly check NBCOlympics.com to keep up with the medal count and I just love when the underdog wins.

This is all a way of saying that I love the Olympics and I love when Olympians are on TV.

So when Evan (we're on a first name basis) was going to be on DWTS I was so excited. I would even watch a show like DWTS to cheer him on. He was the Golden Boy of the Olympics after beating out perma-winner Evgeni Plushenko (who is also mildly terrifying). How could I not cheer on Team USA?

What I didn't intend was getting so invested in the show. I ended up actually caring and, be still my heart, voting. And I was so irritated when one of the Pussycat Dolls beat him out for the champ title. Because really she was already a quasi dancer and that's sort of like winning American Idol with autotune. I thought after Evan's season I would surely be over my actual enjoyment of the show since there are only Olympians every 2 years. Ummm no. I ended up caring even more. I loved Romeo (or 'Lil as I call him cause we're friends like that) and his incessant twitter promotion. I was irritated when Kirstie Alley came in 2nd. Basically I cared. A lot. And that? Was weird.

Evan being awesome. One time he dressed like Prince Eric- bonus points!

So this season things have definitely been amped up. Since I can't acutally watch them live in watch them on Hulu. This means I am volutnarily watching while I study. Oh dear. I'm one step away from being my dad and calling in and voting. I've fallen in love with Carson and his flamboyancy and even Rob Kardashian who really seems like a nice guy who's probably sick of being on reality shows with his sisters. I even don't hate Nancy Grace. I'm actually quite terrified of her (mostly its the hair) but I keep wanting her to come back because her partner is adorable and Irish and I think he should just talk for the whole show. Apparently my affinity for Irish accents far outweighs my fear of helmet hair. And how do you not love JR? I mean he's a veteran, a burn surivior AND a balling dancer. Team USA indeed. I have come to love Len's persnickety old man routine and Bruno's utter ridiculousness when he just needs to tone.it.down. Carrie Anne is less exciting to me given her lack of awesome accent.

So I guess I owe my parents an apology. It is not a stupid reality show. Well, maybe it is but its one that has sucked me in and made me like it. And that, in the words of Bruno, is AHHHMAZING.

Little Smiles

In the midst of this crazy, grad school-filled life, I find myself far too often getting caught up in the little things and stress and losing out on the wonderful, beautiful moments that fill my days. So this is my attempt to capture those moments, to remind myself why this life might be crazy, its still crazy beautiful.

This week, my little smiles come from....

1. Booking a flight to Nashville to see this lovely lady!

2. Starbucks dates

3. Greenville in the Fall

4. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios.

5. The fact that my mom still tells me when "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is on.

6. This.

7. GORGEOUS running weather and long runs.

8. Finding new music. Right now its:

and

Ed Sheeran + Dispatch Sampler

9. Halloween Costumes. This year I'm a cupcake. Of course.

10. Reminders of truth.

So I'm 80% a Grown-Up

So last week was my last Level I fieldwork before I leave for my "big-kid rotations." These are the week-long clinicals where they don't quite throw everything at us and really its to get you ready for what's to come. Seeing as we only have about 6 weeks of class left, grad shool is coming to close and I'm terrified. Because I really will have to be a grown up. But for now I will sumberge myself in Charleston and soak up my time left here.

But here is what I learned on my week back in Greenville...

• I'm REALLY glad I'm not in medical school.
• Old people are still really adorable.
• I still like kids.
• The most adorable old ladies will give you a "Gurl I will cut you" face. You have to watch the cute ones...
• Greenville at 6 am is REALLY cold- even in october.
• Theres nothing like a southern good ole'boy talking about shooting deer in your clinic.
• How to make an egg sandwich (although I'm not sure it was edible)
• I need a constant flow of caffeine. Constant.
• Its really awkward when your allergies leave you crying in one eye. And your patient will ask why.
• Scrubs are the best uniform ever- just like pajamas!
• Scrubs fake you out on how much you actually look like.
• Greenville is crazy beautiful in the fall.
• Nothing like going back to your college food court- people will freak out and might lift you awkwardly in the middle of the moe's line.
• Going back to college WILL make you feel old when you see how everythings changed- Just go with it.

iSaga

Its been a good four years...

My iPod is currently in the ICU with my dad as the lead surgeon and we just dont know if she's going to make it (apparently my iPod is a girl although I don't know how I determined this). We've spent many a mile running togher, many late nights studying the Furman library, countless drives to Greenville, Charleston and Virginia. You could say we're close. Really its not any sort of special iPod- just the classic one my parents surprised me with in college. But still, even though its not the newest one, I love it and how it holds all my music (even my teenage agnsty music and broadway soundtracks- I'm a musical schizophrenia y'all).

So when its battery completely died I sort of freaked out. Hmmm, maybe the battery showing red after 12 freaking hours of charging isn't a good sign. So instead of taking it to the Apple store to pay for them to send it off, replace the battery and pay for the 5 whole minutes of their time that it would take one of their iPod geniuses to do the job, I ordered a battery kit online. As I waited for my precious package to arrive (like a little kid at Christmas), I watched video after video of how to actually replace the battery. I was ready and felt totally geek chic. So that fateful Saturday afternoon when it finaly arrived, I was so excited to have an iPod again. They even sent me the nifty "iTool" which, while easier than using a guitar pick like one video, seemed a little thick to pry open a watertight iPod. Hmmm...

Cut to an hour later and guess what? My watertight iPod is still watertight. Yes I spent an entire hour trying to open it with no avail. There were far more cries of frustration than I would like to admit although the Carolina game was on and Garcia was throwing interceptions so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been. I called my dad so many times (because don't dads always fix these things?) and I'd like to plead the fifth for what I said, although "I can't run and I'll be fat" may have been mentioned. I was a complete wreck not because I didn't have an iPod but because I couldn't finish what I started. So I did what anyone would do- I put it down like a sane person and went to get desserts with friend. Carrot cake can cure anything. The next day I went a got a cheapo mp3 player to run with as a backup and figured I would wait til my parents came into town later that week because dads can fix everything right?

Wrong. I thought surely my dad could do it and he even told me he would bring his tools. I dind't know that that meant his acutal tools because don't you need a screwdriver to pry open an iPod? After dinner and a run to Target, my mom started to clean the carpets while my dad hunkered down (fueled by Krispy Kreme donuts) to fix the it. Don't tell us we dont know how to live. It had been about an hour and still no change. Funny the website said it should take around 20 minutes... I walked in to check in on how he was doing and sort of screamed. The iPod was open alright but it sort of looked like, well it looked like our dog Scarlett had chewed the edges up and spit it out, if she were to like iPods as opposed to tennis balls and chocolate. I couldn't help but gasp. I was going to take a picture but then my dad would have known I was going to blog about it, duh-huh.

At some point he got the replacement battery in but its still in two pieces. I was told expressively not to talk about the iPod, mention the iPod or be near the iPod. Apparently my presence? Was stressful. When they left the iPod was still in two pieces and I was armed with my dad's for the time being. Even if it were in one piece I'm not quite sure it would work. My parents left for home and my mom sort of half-way whispered that she would make my dad get me a new one. Its only fair really, I mean he did break it. So until my mom convinces my dad to get a new one (which will probably be from ebay because the man loves him some ebay), I'm rocking around town with his iPod. And because Fall has decided to grace Charleston with its presence (probably because I wrote a blog about it), I am able to run again (and hopefully not get fat since that what I was freaking out about). So if you see me bopping around town listneing to the Doobie Brothers, you'll know why...

- Right after I finished writing this Steve Jobs passed away. Thank you, dear man, for your innovation and vision and for giving us so much.