So we're supposed to get more snow tonight and into tomorrow, and then Mon they are saying...this snow tonight is supposed to be like a foot or more, staff at the hospital may stay overnight at the hospital, my supervisor was thinking of doing that but she is just not going in tomorrow. I think I may just go in tomorrow, since I can walk over and it would be a short day, one of the nurses is going to run the community meeting and the social worker is doing bingo or something later in the day. It would be interesting staying over at the hospital too, one of our teachers emailed us last year about a snow day and said during our fieldwork II we would be staying overnight and stuff. I live so close I can just walk though. I do wonder what it's like there at night especially on the floor we are on now.

The snow finally started to melt too, on the roads and sidewalks are pretty clear which is nice, though we're getting more soon. There's some record too with the snow, if we get like 6 more inches it's the most we've gotten I think in history. It is a little warmer out, and tonight I thought I would go to the intro to mat pilates class. Also probably going to go to the last equipment series I was in, the other two women will be there making up the class and I like the class with them, it was just me last week. I'm not sure what else I'd do tomorrow, but I'll see. Still might be fun to go over to the art museum area or walk around, but I'll see how it is tomorrow. Supposed to snow like all of tomorrow like it did over the weekend. I like snow but I think this is enough.

We are still getting snow here, started around 7:40 last night and it must have been snowing since then. Looks like it's about a foot or maybe more, also people in DC, Baltimore, DE, got snow and it's moving north, not sure where else they're going to get some but it's the whole region. They cancelled some septa regional rail lines, so I'll be staying in the city this weekend, a lot of places are closed too. Maybe I'll check later to see if places opened for the afternoon. Not sure what else I'm going to do this weekend, I thought about maybe walking to the Art Museum area to see what's going on there with the snow, since last time people were sledding or riding down the hills there.

I still want to get more pictures too, fun taking pictures when it's like this. And I have my ski pants I'm wearing, and warm boots I found last time it was like this, so that's good though I feel like I don't really need the ski pants since a lot of sidewalks are somewhat cleared off already. Roads look ok but there are piles of snow that are there from the snow blowing around. Still have my pilates class as far as I know, last one in this series, I thought I would talk to Lucie about doing another class together, if she comes. I met her the first week in the class and we both run, and talked about running together sometime or doing a race like the Broad St Run. That would be cool since I've talked about doing that for a while.

And I like snow but I'm feeling ready for it to stop snowing already, I was out for a little and it's harder to walk around in it, but I will like taking pictures of it. Not sure what I'm going to do today, could always walk around a get pictures in a lot of different places.

This week the new medical residents are starting, and they should be starting the construction for the rest of my time at fieldwork. I'll miss having the Drexel nursing students with us this week, but they will be back next week although I'm not sure how much I'll see the couple of students I talked with on Fri, when they come back since they go to see ECT, which I wanted to see at some point if I could. I'll have to get their contact info too, they seem cool. It's been fun having their group, there's a couple guys in the group that comes on Fri and one in the group on Thurs which is fun.

This coming weekend, my family is going out for my brother's birthday, I will have to get a card this week. Going out on Sat for dinner and a concert, Gil Scott Heron at the Tin Angel, should be fun. I have my last pilates equipment class, and then in a couple weeks my dad has the Chinese New Year party. I wanted to lead my group in the activity or discussion related to that, which should be the week the Drexel students come back, and my supervisor had talked about doing social bingo with that group so they can see what that is.

Actually if they get back that week, there wouldn't be as many of them in the group, I guess we'll see what happens with it. It's been fun with them though, I've sat in on some of their presentations, one on a Thurs and one this past Fri, feel like I'm getting to know them and I'm enjoying talking to them. I guess it's ok since they'll be there until sometime in Mar. I'll get more opportunities to talk to them then.

Edit: Now I'm thinking about when I'd do my group on the Chinese New Year, maybe the Thurs before, since they usually do bingo on Fri afternoon, I guess we will figure it out. Still have a little while.

I haven't been doing much so far this weekend, just had dinner last night with a couple of friends which was nice. Today had the pilates class and I thought tomorrow I would do laundry and stuff, get some food for the week, but I might get stuff on my way home from fieldwork since I'm pretty close to the Whole Foods and Superfresh so I can walk over if I need anything. It started snowing earlier this afternoon and it's been snowing since, my supervisor said we were supposed to get some so I am enjoying it as usual. Didn't get to take any pictures but I got some the last time it snowed and we got all that snow for a couple days.

Next week it's going to start being different at fieldwork, with the construction they're doing. Also, the Drexel nursing students have their midterms, I meant to tell them good luck but I will see how they were when they get back. I like both groups of those students, gotten to talk more to some in the Fri group it seems, and I like them. I think they'll be with us until Mar sometime, I'm pretty sure their rotation is nine weeks, thought about getting some of their emails and stuff. Had fun on Fri with a couple of them, just talking with them. And I sit with them when they're with us, at least I did on Fri. But they will be back in a couple weeks which will be nice.

I'm not sure what I'm doing tonight either, I am thinking about if I have any organizing to do since it's snowing and really cold out. Maybe I could do something with the woman in my pilates class sometime, or these other students at my fieldwork, they seem like they would be fun to hang out with.

We're done with our first month already of fieldwork, it is going by so fast. My supervisor told us we could go over stuff, I think like the medications and diagnosis and stuff, since we're going to have 14 patients at a time from now on, that should be interesting. It was cool to see what it was like with a full case load though, for the first month. I feel like I'm catching on to everything, getting more comfortable with the patients and staff, just interacting in general. It is definitely different than somewhere like Temple Hospital though, since I'm only dealing with the psych side of things, and I guess all the staff focuses more on that here as opposed to a physical medicine floor. Some of my classmates though are doing things that we learned about like ROM, MMT, helping people transfer and move around which I'll be doing more of during my next rotation. I do really like this so far, found that I've connected with a few of the patients well, I had a couple of favorites in this past month, and there's already been a change...

I just went to dinner with Hanna and Michelle, was nice to see them. Talked about our experiences, was interesting to hear some of the different experiences too. It's really different being in a setting that focuses on psych, Michelle did hand therapy and Hanna is in acute care but doesn't really like what she's been doing, hasn't felt like she's learning anything. I feel similar in a way but also am enjoying playing games with the patients and getting to talk to them, so I'm really practicing that aspect of the job. Today it was fun since one group of nursing students from Drexel is there on Fri, so I talked more with a couple of them. I like the Drexel groups the most, I haven't really gotten to know people in the other groups, I guess since some are only there in the afternoon, and the others might not have been there as long. Interesting to hear about their program though, and what they are doing. And they're off next week for midterms, so I'll miss having those groups next week but they're back on the following week which will be nice.

Really going to miss this fieldwork when I'm done, I think Temple will be good too since I'll see the physical side of the treatment. I'll probably also work with the other students like PT, maybe nursing, residents, etc which will be fun. Definitely have to stay in touch with the Pennsylvania Hospital group, really like the staff and other students and some of the patients, been very interesting. I also practiced with writing notes, have to do more of that, look at some assessments. I guess now is the time to try things like that. And I'm thinking about possibly working in an environment like this when I'm done, get different people every day, some who stay for a long time but then others who leave within a few days. Have to see what it's like at Temple. And I like that here you're on the same floor with the patients all day, at Belmont you're separate, so it's different. They also have different groups depending on the diagnosis there, which they do at Pennsylvania Hospital but the OT's go to the patients, so you're just with them for an hour or so. I liked being in the same environment as the patients and seeing them throughout the day. It's nice since I really enjoy going in in the morning, fun day. Although now it has been so quiet since some of the more talkative ones left, but that's how it goes..

Just about done 4 weeks of fieldwork, it is definitely going by really fast, and they're going to start construction on the floor starting in Feb so we're not going to have as many patients. I think I liked when it was full, since now we will only have 14 people at a time instead of 24. And I definitely miss the more outspoken patients, the ones who talked more, it's been pretty quiet during the groups now and I liked the two guys who were like that.

Seminar tonight and we're at the end, one more after this which should be nice. It's been good though, not sure if I'll do another one or what but I will figure it out. And I called comcast about my bill, will have a lower bill for the rest of my time here so that's good.

( more )

I liked the Dallas episode of American Idol, I liked a few of the guys they showed tonight. The one with Tourette's was good, and Todrick Hall, I liked some of the girls last night, usually like the guys more though. Hollywood should be good though, since we'll get to see more of the contestants and get to know who they are. It was fun to have NPH on tonight's show too. I'm not as into the show this year either, and I think this is Simon's last season (or next?) so it shouldn't be as good. Not really into Kara either, and I did look at the websites which listed the groups in Hollywood like the top 24 and 50 and those groups. I might not have a real favorite this year, which can happen. Who does everyone else like so far?

And I put the State of the Union address on, just listening now but I thought I'd listen at least since people will probably mention it tomorrow. It's the first one, sounds good so far. I haven't been following politics as much recently, even the elections, I should start doing that again. I wasn't really familiar with the health care reform stuff which I guess is still going on, although the Rep won in MA so it's probably not going to get passed now.

I did like DC when I was there and how all the government stuff happens there, and the city itself, I may end up living around there when I'm done with everything. Or Baltimore or I'll stay here for a little while, and then move after a year or so. I'll probably move home for a little until I get a job and figure that stuff out. Haven't been looking at jobs and stuff recently, but I feel like there isn't a lot of time now. And people in other placements are even busier I'm sure, doing treatment plans, daily notes, stuff like that. I should practice writing out some notes..

So 4 people left the hospital today, I got to know one of them, and she was nice, took her a while to get involved and start talking to everyone. I think they had like 7 beds when I counted later in the day, I guess they just got one person admitted yesterday, and a couple people left yesterday, but they're going to start construction soon on the floor so we're going to be down to 14 people I think for the rest of the time I'm there. I liked having more patients though although I didn't talk to everyone, but maybe I can get to know these better since there won't be as many.

I think I'll miss the one woman who left today, and I miss the guy who left yesterday, he was fun and it was pretty quiet this afternoon so I miss the ones who would talk and stuff. I wonder if any of them do come back and visit, it would be nice to see some of them again. We'll see though, or maybe "on the outside" as one other patient put it, I liked him too. And now I'm thinking of things I could have asked these people, but I know for next time. There are also going to be new residents starting I think tomorrow, so I'll get to know them, more nursing students were there today. I still have a couple more months there though, so we should get some interesting people while I'm there. I'm enjoying this setting too which is good, I like playing games with the patients and doing arts and crafts type stuff which we've been doing a lot.

I might get together with some friends too this weekend which would be fun, maybe dinner Fri or Sat, still have to get it set. It would be interesting to hear about their experiences with fieldwork and what they're doing, everyone has different places and experiences, I've heard a little just through facebook but it'd be interesting to find out what they've been doing, how they like it, the people at their settings. I won't be able to go to the happy hour they're doing so this should be nice.

Hopefully Temple Hospital will be this good, I do like the staff there which is good, so I think it will be interesting. Going to be a different experience with the physical side of things, and won't be as much leisure stuff like I'm doing now. There's another student who's going to be at Temple when I'm there too, on the same floor which will be nice, and I'll probably get to know a lot of the medical staff, should be other students there too. It's going by fast...

The fieldwork 1 students started today, they come for 10 weeks on Tues, then we have more nursing students tomorrow in the morning and afternoon, a lot of students doing rotations at this site. It's good though, since we do the activities together, and it's nice when there's more people. I've started to talk more and get to know some of the patients, and it's fun doing different activities with them. I feel like I've been really getting to know some of them too which is good. It's going to be different at Temple although I'll still be interacting with them like I am now, just in a different setting. And I like the staff there too. I think I'll miss this rotation when I'm done, I'll have to get people's contact info and stuff, maybe visit since I'm close by.

( fieldwork stuff )

I just had my third pilates class in the beginner equipment series, I think it is starting to make me stand taller and stuff like that. Could just be since I just did the class though, I'm not sure. I remember a lot of the exercises from when I've done pilates before, but this studio has you take a beginner class so you can get used to the method and how they teach. It's been good though. I'm considering taking an intro to mat class during the week, or when I'm finished with this class doing another equipment class, I think I like the tower class the best. I remember from doing the mat class before and I've done a little on the reformer and tower, and cadillac and the different chairs. Only two more weeks though and then I think I'll sign up for another class.

Fieldwork is still going well, my supervisor liked my idea about the Chinese New Year. I thought I'd lead a group in figuring out which animal they are and talk about what qualities they have which are similar to their animal. I found the legend too which I'll have to read over again, about the order of the years. Fri was fun, I learned how to play spades which is similar to hearts, maybe I can play some other card games with the patients. Still enjoying the staff and most of the patients, I'll have to look in the charts now that I know where the doctors write down the diagnosis, and read about those. The pace is good for me especially to start, I still want to practice writing narrative/SOAP notes too which I'll do. Been doing some of the documentation already, and enjoying the interactions with everyone.

Also want to look up the story of pilates and how it started, I think the founder had something happen and he created the cadillac from the hospital bed, or created it so people could still exercise while in bed, I'll find it.

It's already our third week of fieldwork, the time is going by fast. I still like it, we do a lot of the same things every day but it's different being a fieldwork 1 and fieldwork 2 student. I do feel like I'll need more practice with stuff like the note writing, I may start doing narrative notes more often to practice, and see how that goes. I'll need to do that in my next fieldwork and I think it would be good to practice that. We just do notes each week now and so far I don't have many people yet, and their notes are just on a form and we check stuff off. But I still like the staff, and the patients are interesting, and I like being on the floor with everyone all day.

Haven't been doing much else, I'm there all day now, I did look online for some ideas for activities and saw a lot of stuff about physical activity and mental health, and I'm still trying to think of ideas for other groups I could do. I like the arts and crafts stuff, I'll have to look up stuff about the Chinese New Year, maybe come up with something for that.

I also should get in touch with my friends from school, especially the ones still around Philadelphia, see if they want to get together. There's another woman in my pilates class who also runs and we have talked about running together and maybe the Broad St Run, maybe I'll actually do it this year and we can train together. Also been watching American Idol, I would ask who everyone likes but now I realize that during the auditions they really don't show a lot of the good singers, and I liked the stories before but now I just would like to see who is going to Hollywood. The show tonight apparently had the most people auditioning but it was only an hour long, they showed a few people go through to Hollywood but the rest weren't good. I guess I'll wait until Hollywood, saw a couple guys I'll watch for. Not much else, going to be seeing my family soon for my brother's birthday which will be fun, I think the first weekend in Feb. Going to a concert and dinner which should be nice. Actually I saw everyone a few weeks ago when it was my mom's birthday which was also fun.

The tradition continued, went to some of the Mummers parade today, was one of the only things to do...I actually saw some of it when I was walking around, but I eventually stayed out there for a couple of hours watching the string bands. So this guy comes up to me and stands behind me and taps the guy in front of me on the shoulder (his brother) and then that guy and I ended up talking for a little while. Seemed nice, and he asked if I wanted to hang out with him since we both didn't have any plans, but I ended up just coming back here eventually. Wasn't sure where he was either, was standing with the brother and the brother's girlfriend which was cool. But I'm just sitting around here now, would be fun to be out with people, I called my friend who I text messaged last night but she hasn't called back yet.

I thought I heard one of them say something about 2nd Street, which is where I think the Mummers hang out or people go after the parade...I don't even know what the guy is into, but it was definitely different for me and what I am interested in since I want to meet someone, and have the option of meeting someone in real life, so I should have many more experiences like that.

I'm sitting here on New Years, got back into the city today with my parents and we went to the movies and got dinner and then saw the fireworks at 6. I probably won't be doing much else tonight, I'm already tired and ready for the parade tomorrow and I feel like I have a cold. Been sleeping at home on the air bed too, I'm looking forward to my bed tonight. I feel like there isn't much to write about this year, although I continued to go out with my friends, met some guys while I was out dancing one night, didn't really do anything this past summer, finished up my classes, I remember the beginning of the year or the bookends as David Cook put it.

In the beginning of 2009 I was out at the Mummers parade, which is where I plan to be tomorrow, dancing and taking pictures out there as it went on for the whole day. Saw the fireworks with my brother the night before which was a lot of fun. I'm ready for the beginning of 2010 and the start of a new decade, pretty big stuff.

In the next decade I definitely want to go up to New York City for New Years, meet more people, have a great relationship, start my career...and in this last decade I had some pretty big things happen. Graduated high school in 2001, started and graduated college in 2005, started grad school 2008, and finish next year. Phillies won the World Series and I got to be out on Broad St when they won, and at the parade on Halloween of 2008, went out for Halloween, enjoyed my time in college, had a good experience in high school overall, ups and downs but I have a positive view of the decade as a whole. Ready for a really great one coming up.

I actually don't think I've seen any of the Christmas/holiday movies, but my thought was Home Alone. I guess they usually show it around this time of year since it takes place during Christmas in the movie, and it's on tonight. Should be fun. I like the first and second ones. Not really familiar with the tv shows or anything or the other holiday movies, maybe since we do Hanukkah, never really got into watching the movies.

We all start our fieldwork Jan 4, we only have a couple weeks or a few weeks off now. I'll have to spend some time looking at OT jobs and stuff, and contacting places, stuff like that so I can get an idea of what is out there now or get contacts with people. I was just thinking that Olivia was saying people can visit her in CT, I want to check that out, would be fun to visit people from my class. I guess it was fun to hang out with everyone, just would have been fun to do more like play the games, walk around and stuff, see the outlet stores. But we went to outlets closer to here, may do that if Olivia comes back, she was saying she would want to go back.

Now I miss everyone too, or most people, even if I didn't do anything on weekends I always saw people at school all week. But I have the seminar tomorrow night which should be fun, not sure what I'm doing this weekend but I always find something. It's good some people are staying around here like Hanna, Eugene, Michelle, we will have to do something for New Years, and I think people are going to organize happy hours during fieldwork so we can see each other, we will all have to keep in touch.

Just saw my mom on aim, talked for a minute or two, that was nice. The game night this weekend doesn't seem like it's happening, but she thought maybe before my lease is up. I know Olivia is coming back for our exam review, I guess Jess would too so maybe we can plan something then. I'll get to see everyone again then which will be nice. Going to be really busy these next few months.

A lot of people in my class went up to this one person's house in the mountains, just went up yesterday and stayed until this morning, it was alright. I was thinking we would do more, and hang out with each other and stuff but everyone just sat around pretty much. Olivia and Eugene and I drove back too, went to some of the outlet stores around Limerick, which was nice. Now I kind of miss everyone, Olivia and Jessica went back home earlier today, but Hanna, Michelle and Eugene will be around. And Eugene and I are both up around Temple for our second fieldwork, he thought we should get lunch sometime. I had wanted to have everyone over here too sometime but I'm not sure it's going to work out, everyone's leaving and the people who are staying are going back home now.

I'm still not sure if I want to go over to City Hall, Steve from my class is playing over there, would be fun to see him play and I wonder if other people from our class went, but it's so cold. I'll have to see his band some time though, I still haven't and he's had other shows in the area.

I am happy though to be sleeping in my bed and everything, it worked out last night too since someone who was in a bed couldn't sleep and moved so I got a bed. Though this morning I couldn't find my scarf that I brought, and it was right with my jacket, really thought someone took it...the drive back was good though, really nice to be back in the city, and we didn't even do anything up in the mountains...

We had a long day today, fieldwork review day so there were different people who came in and spoke about different things. It was good, just going to be a lot different than sitting in the classes for the rest of the program. I am looking forward to it, I'm going to check out my first placement tomorrow afternoon, just to see it and I have some questions and stuff. So that should be good. After that we had our "celebratory tea" and the teachers presented awards and we had stuff for the teachers, so it was nice. They gave us all books too, and it looks interesting, about real people overcoming some obstacle with the help of an OT. I didn't really talk to any of the teachers but I guess next week we will see some of them, or in the future. They kept mentioning how OT is such a small profession and that we may see each other in the future, which would be interesting. I know some of the teachers go to the conferences and I plan to do that, and I'm thinking about visiting them especially when I'm at Temple Hospital next spring.

My brother sent me a text about an hour ago, he is on his way to Italy, was going to go there to be with a girlfriend but then they broke up, etc so he's going by himself. I will have to keep in touch with him then, for 10 days but also will go home to see him and my parents over my break, before my fieldwork starts...

And my friends are doing something tomorrow night, not sure where or when or I was wondering if Rob and his roommates would go and I guess they might since Michelle is going out...that would be fun though. Army Navy game is Sat so I would think I'd see cadets and midshipmen at least by tomorrow. So it's cool that we're going out together, maybe we can meet some guys or go out with Rob and his roommates, been a while since we've gone out and since I've seen them.

And the people who spoke today said stuff about keeping in touch, will definitely have to stay in touch with my friends and other people in my class during our fieldwork. Although there's a NBCOT exam review they have at the end of our fieldwork, so I think everyone comes back for that or at least most. And Hanna and Michelle and Eugene will be in the area so we'll have to get together during that time.

I should have everything I need for fieldwork 2 now, had my physical and got my flu shots today (H1N1 and regular) and I just need the background check form. We have our fieldwork review day tomorrow, which should be busy and it's from 8:30 and we have the tea at 4 which should be fun. All the teachers I think will be there and some people in the class wrote up different roasts so that should be good. Also will be nice to see everyone again before the finals, since I probably won't get to talk to everyone then. And not everyone is going up to the mountains next week.

The last episode of season 1 of Glee is tonight, should be good. I think I watched the pilot episode and then stopped but got back into it a few weeks ago. Really a good show. This one should be good since a couple clubs are performing and it's the sectionals competition. Not sure what I'm doing this weekend, may want to look for scrubs so I have them, maybe my friends and I can do something too, haven't been out in a while on a weekend and those times we did were fun.

We're done with our classes now, still hasn't really hit me that I won't be in a class again (at least for a while). We have our fieldwork review day on Thurs and finals next week and the mountain trip which should be fun. Not sure what people are going to do there but some people are just staying until Wed, and I think I'll do that and come back with people then.

Had lunch with a different group of people today, some people who are in my applied research group and some others, and some of them were working on a roast for the teachers to do on Thurs. And at the end of our class today we talked about the top ten quotes to go on a tshirt we're ordering, and then we wrote little notes to the teachers to go in individual gift baskets...and someone asked if we were going to write something for Sinclair, who we had for kinesiology, and I think I have some quotes he had from that class...those were fun though, and apparently a lot of the other women in my class thought he was good looking too...

There are some things like that I'll miss but I think I'm mostly happy school is pretty much over and I'm moving on. The first professional concepts in the summer was a lot of fun, and parts of anatomy, splinting, the wheelchair labs, kinesiology...going out with different people on occasion and getting to know everyone, I like this class and it's cool I went at this time since there are a group of guys in the class which makes it more interesting I think. It was cool too that we all felt the same way about most of the teachers, and some of those classes I am really happy they're done...

Just looked at a few of the quotes I wrote down from our kinesiology/physiology teacher, and thinking about what people were saying about him today...I really liked that class though, and I have quotes from years ago, just things that people say...

And this trip next week, should be fun, I'm thinking I'll just go Tues and Wed, then I just have to stay one night and people are going to be playing drinking games and stuff like that a lot I think, and I don't do that stuff...but my friends are going and other people in the class, so it should be fun to hang out with everyone. There actually was a lot that we covered in this program, have to think about it all, all the classes and teachers.

Reading all these quotes from college, good times...hopefully I can go to my classes reunion/alumni weekend next year and more people from our class go, I'd really like to see those people. And in general, since I liked a lot of people in the classes after me. It's in April though, people live in Baltimore so maybe I can see them some other time if not then, or just to visit. Had some fun times there though with all the clubs, classes I took...

We just have class tomorrow, then fieldwork review day on Thurs, and our finals on Mon and Tues next week. Someone in our class is organizing a trip to her house in the mountains/Poconos after our last final, so there's a group going, not everyone but my friends are going and some other people in the class who I like. I'm not sure what we're going to do up there though, since a lot of them like drinking and stuff, maybe if people want to shop or go to one of the mountains one day I'll do that. I still want to try snowboarding sometime...

I went home this past weekend, since my portfolio was pretty much done, and now I think I should have written more for some of the competancies or included other artifacts, but it's done and it's 15% of our grade, which isn't too bad. The teachers said they wanted to get them graded today and have them back this week. But it was fun to be home, we didn't do much, I went with my mom to the pet store (she is looking for a little dog or a new kitten) and we rented movies and stuff.

Doing well with school, I got a 90 on that last test, and I wasn't sure how I did and I got low B's on the last two tests. Our teacher went over the final during class today, so I should do well on that, I should have all the concepts down. Then we just have our marketing/management final on Tues. And it's gotten cold, I did like the snow on Sat though. Hope we get more this winter, it's like the only part of winter I actually like.