Waiting for our turn

Waiting for our turn
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Zack and I wait on shore for our turn on the boat. Greg has the cutest life vest for him and it has a handle. Greg then picks him up like a 6 pack and brings him on board.

How's the air up there?

How's the air up there?
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

After Derek told her it was not possible to take a good wakeboarding action shot, Logan whipped out her camera and captured Greg in action. I think she may have proved him wrong on that one.

There are no great action shots of me, but I'm still working on getting the board out of the water... maybe next year.

The Lake Sunapee Crew

The Lake Sunapee Crew
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I went camping this weekend with Derek and a bunch of his friends up at Lake Sunapee. This is an annual gathering that consists of Lobster dinner Friday night, and wakeboading all day Saturday. And I added a new tradition of blueberry pancakes in the morning. Needless to say, I had a blast!

So, left to right starting at the bottom: Jake (dog), Emily, Greg, Zack (dog) & Dan. Logan, Derek, Jason, me, Nikki, and Sean.

Only possible in VT

My roommate from Boston came up for a couple of nights to enjoy some fun outdoor activities, and I think we may have outdone ourselves. Orignially we talked about going on a nice hike, but then a friend up here was going out sailing on Saturday and was looking for a crew. Because Helen wanted to leave early on Sunday, we had a choice to make... and we decided to do both!

Because Jeff didn't plan to set sail till 3pm, we headed out to Camel's Hump for a 4 hour hike leaving Burlington at 8am and returning in time to shower, change and buy some food to bring on board. Jeff and another friend on board, Alex, both made Mojitos and we had a nice relaxing sail out to Juniper Island on Lake Champlain where we set anchor and swam for a bit before heading back to the docks. The lake was a bit on the cold side, but definitely refreshing.

We then hung out with some other sailors we know on shore at a bar called Breakwaters until after 10pm. I would like to tell you I then headed home for well needed rest, but unlike my older and sometimes wiser roommate, I decided to meet some of the crew out at a club later in the evening and stayed out dancing till 2am.

After a full day like that, I feel somewhat justified in staying in and doing laundry today. A slightly tamer, but still productive day, right?

Life at Fletcher Allen Aquatic

I have just finished my second week up here in Burlington at Fletcer Allen Aquatic, and I am loving it. Everyone here is really nice and helpful. It is a great learning environment and I am really starting to feel confident when treating patients. I now have my own caseload, and am treating 6 patients almost exclusively. In only a couple of weeks time, I have formed a good relationship with them and have helped a few progress. I can't say how great it is to have someone thank you for making them feel better.

Outside of clinic, I have managed to make a few friends and already have offers to go sailing, running, and kayaking. I LOVE living in a place where people fill their weekends with outdoors activities :) I am actually going camping this weekend with friends coming up from Boston, so I am hoping the weather holds out. I ended up biking in the rain to work multiple times this week, and could really use some drier days.

Updates from the Green Mountain State

I have moved up to Burlington, VT and am currently residing in the basement of my new roommate's townhouse. It is an interesting living situation for the next 2 weeks as the old roommate is still here, and they DO NOT get along. Of course both of them are super nice to me and constantly tell me how difficult the other person is as a roommate. I think they are both trying to win me over to their "side," and I am trying to lay low until the other girl moves out. Apparently I dodged a screaming match last night by going to bed early... I will have to continue to do that in the future.

Of course my 11 mile round trip bike ride, and my early hours should ensure that that happens most nights. I just biked to my clinic for the first time. The ride was 10 minutes quicker on the ride back because apparently I have a mainly uphill climb to get there. I just missed biking in 2 rain storms, and am wondering what my thunderstorm plan will be. There is a bus that goes almost to my clinic (within a mile), but that would still be a trek in the rain... oh well, I go right in the pool anyways most days.

Today I did not get into the pool as we did not see too many patients, since I had to do a lot of orientation type stuff. I have a list of patients that we will see tomorrow and I need to look up a few things in my notes to be prepared. She plans on me treating patients after a week or two, so I need to be prepared.

The weekend was nice. Derek and I walked around on Friday after he drove me up, and Matt and I went hiking on Sunday when he was here. I am hoping to spend my off hours outdoors enjoying the scenery here. I surprisingly have a lot of energy given my 2.5 mile run this morning, 11 mile bike ride, and 6 hour work day (it was short today). Well, let's see how I hold up after a full day tomorrow starting at 7:15, which means I have to be on my bike @ 6:30 AM.

Dark Moves on the Dancefloor Co-Host

Dark Moves on the Dancefloor Co-Host
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

After some arm twisiting, Matt finally got me to speak on air with him. Boy was it nerve racking! I mean, what do you say? Does anyone really care what you talk about? I don't know how he does it every week.

Although my radio career was brief, I think perhaps the audience enjoyed my banter with DJ Matthew C. I can tell you that I would definitely do it again if I had the chance, and perhaps this tiem would be less timid. :)

Oh, and I wasn't bored in the radio studio like the picture suggests. Matt & I thought it would be funny to take a staged photo where I pretend to be thoroughly uninterested in his show, which is not the case.

DJ Matthew C

DJ Matthew C
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Last Thursday I visited Matt in Albany and was able to sit in on his radio show at WRPI: Dark Moves on the Dancefloor. He gets to craft a set list and talk about his favorite bands for 2 hours every Thursday night. You got to love college radio stations! It was my first time at a radio studio, and it was cool to see how everything works. I'm very glad I was invited out there :)

Our new favorite accessory!

All about the ring pops
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Sara and I are now hooked on ring pops after Amy Mendel's faux engagement party where she handed them out at the door. So many people kept asking us if we were part of a bachelorette party because we bought the ones that flashed. I think we bought 20 of them, so we should be all set the next few times we go out!

Sara & the boys

Sara & the boys
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here Sara is with Matt and his roommate Erik. Logan did such a great job as the official photographer of BOOB. How cute are they!

Me & Matty G

Me & Matty G
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

A bunch of us went out for Sara's birthday, otherwise known as BOOB (Big Outrageous Outing for the Birthdays). My friend Matt from class came out and brought his roommate. We had so much fun tearing up the dance floor with the 2 of them. I think we may have to invite them out more often!

Bathing Beauty

Ok, so I just learned that I will be working in the Aquatic Rehab Center at Fletcher Allen this summer. Yup. My clinical instructor (CI) just emailed me to tell me my hours, and dress code: MWF 7:30-4pm, T 10-6:30 & Th 9-5:30, and no bikinis & I need sandals! Good thing I didn't purchase any more clinic clothes, because apparently I need to buy another bathing suit or 2!!

Actually I am quite excited about this placement, since part of my job will be to help instruct yoga on Tuesday afternoons. It seems like they take a more holistic approach to PT and I think I will learn quite a bit this summer. I have a few more weeks to prepare for clinical, so I might do some research on aquatic therapy and get an idea of what I am in for.

Would anyone like some peanuts?

Would anyone like some peanuts?
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

My dress definitely made me look like a flight attendant. Here I am striking a pose with my Albany host: Krusty the Meat Miser... you have to love the hash names people get!

We switched dresses at one point, and I have to say that we looked better in each other's dresses. :)

Albany Red Dress Run

Albany Red Dress Run
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I went to Albany this weekend and ran with a bunch of hashers in the 3rd annual NURD (Northeastern Unofficial Red Dress run) through the streets and woods of upstate NY. Here we all are outside the bar before we were bussed to the start in Troy. I ran through streams, past little league fields, and through condo complexes in a red flight attendant dress.

Thankfully there was NO rain, and we all had a great time. Hashers came from Boston, other areas of NY, central MA, and Burlington VT.

I have to say that some of the guys looked better in dresses than the ladies!

Class of 2008

Class of 2008
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

One of our professors was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer 10 years ago. A few weeks ago she found out the cancer had metastisized to her liver, and had part of her liver resected. They were able to remove the tumor successfully and she is receovering at home. Our class decided to show out support by purchasing the pink breast cancer awareness wrist bands and take a picture of us wearing them. I hope all of our similing faces cheered her up a bit.

Give me a kiss

Give me a kiss
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Anne, Chris & I pucker up for the camera at a pub crawl in New Orleans.

Liat biking through

Liat biking through
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

We biked around New Orleans on Saturday to get an idea of the damage done by Katrina. Here's Liat biking down a typical street on our way to the 9th ward. No one is living in these houses and FEMA is not allowing any body to return nor are any of the houses allowed to be torn down. Volunteer groups, such as Common Ground, are coming in and gutting the homes so owners can rebuild once they get the go ahead. Most people in this neighborhood owned their homes, but did not have flood insurance.

Alex

Alex
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's Alex fixing up a bike outside. We tried to do a lot of rebuilding outside when we could, because the weather was so nice.

Anne

Anne
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's Anne in the shop taking a coffee break.

Liat and I...

Liat and I... going crazy!
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's Liat showing us how excited she is to start fixing bikes.

Inside Plan B

Inside Plan B
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here is the actual shop that we worked in. The 6 bike mechanics that I went down with helped to rebuild over 50 over the bikes that came down from Boston. This is obviously a shot taken before they started working :)

I'll post pictures of everyone who went on the trip (Alex, Anne, Chris, Abby, Dave, and Liat).

Unloading the bikes

Unloading the bikes
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Yeah! I finally have pictures from New Orleans. Thanks to Chris who sent me a CD of his photos, of course I still need to get pictures from the rest of the crew.. but it's a start.

Here's the container of bikes that was donated by Bikes Not Bombs, packed up in Boston, and shipped down to New Orleans in early March. We spend our first morning in New Orleans helping to unload 600+ bikes and organize them into piles outside of Plan B.

Karaoke at Derek's

Karaoke at Derek's
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Derek had a bunch of people up to his house this past Saturday for BBQ adn Karaoke. He actually managed to find a Karaoke machine at a garage sale for $5, and then set about finding CDs to work in it. He now has quite the collection from the 80s & 90s, and Logan and I rocked out to "Faith" & "Ice Ice Baby" to name a few. Sara is laughing at us on the couch. In fact, all 3 of us were laughing most of the time.

Thanks for another fun NH adventure Derek!

MS Walk Warm-up

Warm-up
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Last weekend, Derek joined me and 15 or so of my fellow classmates on the MS Walk in Boston. I think our team ended up raising over $1300, and most of us did the full 6 mile walk.

The weather was a bit cold, so Jaylynn, Derek and I warmed up beforehand with some aerobics.

Being selfish?

I find myself wanting to know what Brian is up to, how he is doing, and wanting to tell him some of the things going on in my life. Then I realize that I have no right to intrude on his life, he doesn't want to hear from me, and it would be selfish for me to call in order to vent about problems or to seek advice. So instead I find myself trying to keep busy with school, friends, and random social events. Perhaps I will contact him over the summer when I am not as busy and we have both had time to adjust to not being together, but would that just be selfish of me? Perhaps it depends on my motives, which I am trying to be more conscious of these days.

Curling: a new spectator sport!

100_5642
Originally uploaded by mensworlds2006.

My friend Derek got me a ticket to the World Curling Championships being held in Lowell this week. So, instead of a boring Monday evening, I took the commuter rail up to Lowell and cheered on Team Fenson. Apparently in Curling teams are named according to who the skip is (basically the captain who always throws his rocks last.)

Check out the funny signs that Derek's friends came up with. I think the plan is to watch the finals on Friday afternoon. After chatting with the lead for Team Fenson (guy who throws first) for 20 minutes after they beat Scotland, I think Derek and I may become regualr fans of this new fascinating sport.

Helping out at Plan B

Helping out at Plan B
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's a picture that was taken of me the last day I helped out. Grey stopped by and was organizing tubes with me (a skill that we could easily master). You can see Alex working on a bike in the background. We usually had 6 stands up, one for each mechanic, and I helped out by finding parts they needed and changing tires, etc. Plan B was our home away from home :)

Interesting...

I just took the same personality test Kate did and my results I think may have been dead on: My Personality

Wishing I was still there...

So, I am back from what seems like a very long yet brief trip. Long in the sense that we did so much every day, and I slept maybe 3-5 hours a night. Brief in that I am now back and feel like my time flew by (that's what happens when you have fun, right?) I am at school now covering an early computer lab shift for the classmate who covered my Monday shift, and I am wishing that I was just waking up on Wick's couch getting my stuff together to head to EnVie for breakfast to meet up with the crew. Somehow we ended up setting up EnVie as base camp: where we would meet up every morning before heading over to Plan B to start the day's work. This seemed to work out nicely since you never quite knew where people would end up sleeping and there was only one set of keys to get in to the shop.

I have so much to say about this trip, and will try and post out each day or maybe group it by what we did... I don't know. If I had had internet access, I would have updated my blog every morning or evening so I didn't forget anything. I also don't have access to any of the pictures that people took yet, so those will come later as well. Everything about this trip seemed improvised, but it could not have turned out better. I can't wait to see the presentation in April. I think people are going to be amazed at everything we experienced in such a short time.

Helping out the local Coast Guard

Ok, so the title of this post is misleading, but an interesting segway nonetheless. I woke up at 5:45 this morning (EST) in order to make my 8 am flight to New Orleans via La Guardia. On my flight from La Guardia a young gentleman sits one seat away from me. I look over a couple of times and first see him put his dog tags on, and then place his wallet with his badge showing back into his back pocket. I am intrigued at this point and wonder if there is an issue with the flight I am on that would warrant having someone "official" on board. I was going to say something but he seemed busy flipping through every magazine in the pocket in front of him, and then held his head in his hands and looked like he was crying as we headed to the runway.

We then sat on the runway for 45 minutes and I started chatting with him and the flight attendant who was seated across the aisle from us. It turns out that he is deathly afraid to fly and has only ever been on a plane 2 times prior(a trip to Disney World that I learn about later), so I chat it up with him in hopes that it distracts him during takeoff. I asked why he was flying this time, and he told me that he was to be given an award that night in New Orleans for helping with the rooftop rescues following Katrina. It turns out his badge is an EMS badge, and he recently finished serving 4 years in the Coast Guard 3 months of which were in New Orleans. He flew down to New Orleans with many others via helicopter (which he is not afraid to fly in, strangely enough) and took part in the rooftop rescues in the days following Katrina. He told me that there were over 250 private and military aircrafts in a 20 mile radius all trying to get as many people as possible out of harm's way. He worked 12 hour shifts and evacuated close to 120 people a shift. His helicopter was shot at by people as they fly by to rescue others in need first and because his chopper was military equipped they fired warning shots back (no where near people). He even told me that they had to equip civilian choppers with guns in order to protect themselves as well. How crazy is that?

After rooftop rescue, which only lasted a couple of days for him, he was doing small boat "rescues." I unfortunately put that in quotes because according to Chris (coast guard I sat next to), at that point they were not recovering many people who were still alive. He said the devastation after hurricane Katrina was the worst thing he had ever seen, and he is currently working as an EMS supervisor in a bad neighborhood in Queens dealing mainly with gunshot and stab wounds.

It was really incredible to get a first person account of what happened down here, because like many people I was just sitting in front of the TV watching bits and pieces on CNN.

I was able to keep Chris's mind off of the flight, although he had worse time with the landing than the take off, and help get him to his hotel. Grey drove him to where he was staying and he said it was strange to be back there without being armed standing guard... When he returns back to NYC he plans to enlist in the army to be a medivac and he understands that he will most likely be stationed in Iraq. He just wants to be where he can do the most good, on the front line. I could never do it, but I wish him the best of luck!

Project New Orleans!

After packing up all of my things and moving into my 4th apartment in a little over a year, I have made my way down to New Orleans for the rest of my Spring Break to volunteer with my friend Liat at Plan B. Plan B is a group that is currently working to supply people affected by Katrina with cheap, energy efficient transportation (i.e. bikes) so that they can still get around town.

Grey drove me past the area where all the water damaged cars are currently being stored and it was unbelievable. Hundreds of broken down vehicles piled beneath a major underpass, and I don't believe there is any intention right now to move them. There just isn't any room and there are higher priorities for the city. Wick's street alone only has a very places that you can even live in, and the fact that he got mail today was something to celebrate. Apparently most people haven't gotten any mail for weeks.

Tomorrow at 7am I will be headed to Plan B to find out how I am helping out. Liat & her sister Abbie are experienced bike mechanics and will probably be assigned tasks quickly. Jess on the other hand will need to be taught a thing or two... or be stuck unloading boxes or something. Either way, I'm helping out and that is what I came here to do. Well, that and spend time with the 2 best gay men ever!

Free therapy?

I haven't been good about updating my blog, but perhaps that is because I've been busy, or that I haven't had much to say. I guess I figure that people don't really care to read about my random thoughts, but now that I don't have a boyfriend to listen to them perhaps I'll just type them out.

I spent my first Saturday night as a single gal lying on the couch, watching Law & Order SVU, and drinking diet cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. Exciting, huh? Of course the caffeine just kept me up later so I watched a free on Demand movie as well. I could not motivate to do any school work (which I have tons of because mid-terms are upon us), and almost didn't make myself a PB&J sandwich because I thought it might require too much effort. I look around this apartment and can't even think about packing a box, or moving furniture out.

I have enlisted the help of the neighbor upstairs to help me pack on Friday. We spent this morning jump starting Brian's car so she could get hers out of the driveway and while we were waiting for AAA to come I told her the situation. And guess what? She and her husband are getting a divorce. They decided the same thing about their relationship at about the save time. The difference is that they have been married for 7 years, they are still good friends, and she isn't moving out till June. I would have never known that if Brian's car didn't start this morning, and both of us are glad to know that there is someone nearby going through the same thing, so we can chat about it. Her situation is of course worse in that she has to file for divorce and stay through the lease, but at least they are still friends and still care about each other. Whereas, Brian appears to never want to see me again. Hopefully those feelings are only temporary, but you never know...

Sad news

Brian and I broke up last weekend, so I am now moving out in the next week. I had hoped that we would still be friends but I think that will take time. I am trying to focus on the day to day, like getting through midterms, then packing and moving, then worrying about where I'll end up this summer. I've been toying with the idea of leaving Boston for my clinical and I think it would be a great time for me to clear my head and figure myself out. I also think it would give me something to look forward to, since these days there isn't a ton that does that for me. I know that the next few months are going to be difficult, but I think we will both be better off in the long run.

Happy to be eating @ Redbones!

Happy to be eating @ Redbones!
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

So, for Kate's last night of her recent trip to Boston, she decided to dine at Redbones. I was impressed that they were able to seat 12 of us (a regular Redbones miracle!) I don't know what was going on at the other half of the table, but I can tell you that Dasha, Zsolt, Sara, Brian & I were having a ball. Sara decided to take pictures to prove it, and she even sent them out within 12 hours: how very un-Meghna of her!

Dasha & Sara

Dasha & Sara
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

A couple of cuties out for a night on the town... actually Dasha & I took off at 8:30pm to head home and go to bed. Wow, I never thought I would be so lame @ 26! I could say that it was Sunday night, and I had to be up at 5:50am to open up the computer lab at school this morning... but those would just be lame excuses

Dasha and Zsolt's wedding

Dasha and Zsolt's wedding
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here is a great picture of the newly weds on their wedding day, October 16 2005. I pleased to report that they just purchased a 3 bedroom place in Brookline, and I think our little bet that Dasha will be the first with kids will pay off in the next couple of years!

Congrats guys!

Daily Sudoku

I've added a daily Sudoku Puzzle for those interested in starting a new obsession... :) I realize that I haven't posted in a LONG while, but I chalk that up to grad school finals and then the need to do absolutely nothing that required thought (Sudoku puzzles excluded) during the break. I'm hoping to add some more to this blog soon. I have a nice picture from Dasha's wedding to put up... of course that was back in October. Boy, I'm behind!

Goblin King

Goblin King
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

My friend Derek decided to be the Goblin King for Halloween this year. I don't know how many of you have seen the movie the Labyrinth with David Bowie and Academy Award Winner Jennifer Connelly, but it was quite the hit in the 80s. In fact, they may still run it on TBS Sunday mornings :)

The scariest part about this costume (besides the protective cup Derek wore to make the costume more authentic) was the fact that he borrowed my boots!

Halloween Party

Halloween05 - 02
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

My roommates and I threw another fabulous party over Halloween weekend. Here's a picture of me, Miss Somerville, kissing a "naughty husband."

I'm been really busy with school, but was able to relax a bit and have a great time at the party.

Erik & I in Denver

Erik & I in Denver
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

My brother met us all out for food in drinks @ a brewery in Denver... I don't think he knew that he'd be having dinner with 5 women... lucky guy!

My mom thinks he looks older than me in this picure.

student conclave

student conclave
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I headed out to Denver in order to attend a conference for students in the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association). They had a ton of different seminars on aspects of the profession, along with talks on financial aid and on how to get the most out of your clinical experience. I went to the hour long talks on Pediatrics, Neurology & hand theraphy. All very interesting.

I came back to Boston more charged up about my classes. Once you see the differnet paths you can take after graduation, you begin to see a flicker of light at the end of what appears on most days as a really long tunnel.

Here are all the other gals fromt eh program who went with me (left to right: Melanie, Jae, Kelly, me, and Joanne). Kelly is a first year with me and the other 3 are all 2nd years in the program. It was great to chat with them, and find out that they were all as stressed as we are once and they loived through it!

It hurts so good

I finally was able to attend another yoga class at Baptiste in Porter Sq. Gregor was the instructor and he gladly showed me what muscles I haven't been using for the past 3-6 months. Yeah, I'm still sore today, but it was such a good workout! I'm so glad Vivian dragged me out to a class. It's been way too long, and I forgot how great it was to sweat out all your stress.

After the past few months, that was exactly what I needed!

Davis Sq. bike seat thief!

Someone decided to steal my bike saddle and seat post last night. Even though my light(which I left on accidentally) was loosely attached to my handle bars and could have been removed effortlessly, this person decided to loosen the bolt of my bike rack and yank out my bike seat. I even think the light was worth more! The seat being missing this morning meant I had to make a mad dash for the T @ 6:30am to try and get to my computer lab job at school by 7. As fate would have it, I caught both trains quickly and even the shuttle over to school from North Station. I was only 5 minutes late, which was a miracle! This morning commute usually takes 25 min. on bike, and 45 min. on the T.

I now get to spend a nice chunk of tomorrow hunting down a new bike seat post & saddle for as little $$ as possible. I don't believe there is a hot market in Boston for bike seats, and am guessing that the Davis Sq. bike seat thief is a 15 year old punk with nothing better to do last night that make my morning awful. Perhaps he has a closet full of his many conquests....

A new obsession

So, I started doing these Sudoku puzzles. I was first introduced to them by the Boston Globe when Brian and I decided to go read the paper and hang at Diesel one night over the summer. Then I saw them in the NJ paper while visiting my grandparents, and then they were in the Metro... you know that something is completely mainstream to the point of being played out if it makes it into the Metro. I can finish the Metro Sudoku puzzle in 4 red line stops, but this one online can keep me entertained for a good while. I even have some classmates addicted to this now.

Forget crossowords (which I never really got good at), it's all about the numbers 1 thru 9!

No longer an overachiever :(

I got my first test of the semester back, and I got a 90 which I should be happy with right? wrong. The class mean was 89.5 with a standard deviation of 5.8. I'm used to being a little ahead of the curve, and being average is something that isn't sitting well with me. I am struggling to get the hands-on techniques down because I am not a tactile person, but I had hoped to do better on the exams.

I know I need to just relax and be happy that I wasn't one of the people who got below hte standard deviation and need to chat with the professor.

I'm still learning how to manage my time and get my work done while still remaining sane.....

Missing old co-workers

Brian and I decided to spend the afternoon walking to Harvard to pick up some more chai tea (I have him addicted), and I ran into an old work colleague, Pat. I was great to chat with her and hear all the Sun gossip. Apparently my horrid old manager actually got promoted. Just to give you an idea of how bad he is: I was one of 4 to quit his group within a year. According to Pat, another guy just quit and they actually hired a couple of people. I guess the group must be thriving if they managed to miss the last round of layoffs and were even able to hire someone. That's great to hear, since I'd hate to think about any of them losing their jobs. Pat also told me that my officemate finally bought a house and 2 people are becoming parents in the very near future. I guess a lot has happened since I left in May.

I definitely miss everyone, although I don't think I'd want to still be working there. I really like where I'm at right now. I enjoy getting up in the morning these days, which was not the case 6 months ago. I hope I am able to keep in touch with Pat and others at Sun, because it was great to hear what they were all up to. :)

Highschool wedding

I went with a couple of other Tafties to Matty Fisher's wedding in South Boston. I'll admit that intially I wasn't too thrilled to be going to yet another wedding this year (I'm up to 3 and have another in 2 weeks). I guess I find that I spend most of the night chatting with people I don't know about what I do for a living, where I live, how I know the bride and groom, etc. and I never really get to talk with the bride or groom. I have to say that Matt and Dana made sure to spend a ton of time with all their friends and I had a blast.

I can't believe another highschool friend is married! I guess I am of the age that all my friends are making their way down the aisle. I don't see myself taking that plunge anytime soon, although Brian and have talked about moving in together. His roommate is moving to DC to be with his girlfriend, and we have starting thinking about me moving in to his place... I don't think that would happen for a while, but it's a thought..

Clinical

So, I am assigned to the RACU for my clinical assignement this semester. For those of you not familiar with the myriad of acronyms at MGH that means the Respiratory Acute Care Unit. (I just learned that myself a couple of days ago.) I will be working with a physical therapist and another MGH student there every Wednesday morning this semester. Our first day was this week, and our CI (Clinical Instructor) had us reviewing a patient's chart, performing a reevaluation and writing up a diagnosis. I was expecting more of a tour of the facility and an introduction to acute care, but it appears as if we are going to be learning by getting right in there and doing. What a shift from undergrad!

Our patient was recovering from an auto accident where he collided head on with a truck, was found next to his vehicle (he was not wearing his seatbelt), and then airlifted to MGH where he was treated for a broken sternum, 2 broken collarbones, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. We were seeing him 3 weeks later and trying to help ween him off the ventilator and get him stable enough balance wise to return home. Crazy, huh?

Thanks to Kate

I would like to thank Kate for introducing me to links within posts and to side bar links. Yes, that is correct: my former roommate who is a medical writer helped out the former computer engineer :) So, now in addition to random thoughts, you can check out random websites that I find interesting. Nice!

Time to stop slacking...

Ok, so tomorrow I have to return to being a full time student again. It's been nice to enjoy some time off and to see family and friends. I think everyone needs 3 weeks off to catch up on life, but I guess that is only possible for those who have given up a paycheck and forced themselves back in classes... one of my only perks!

I just got back from spending 4 days at home in the Middle-of-no-where, PA. A real culture shock when I was in NYC & Boston earlier in the week. I got to spend a lot of time relaxing with my mom, and even spent a good deal of time catching up with my best friend from college. She grew up in Williamsport (a some what booming city about 45 minutes from where my family is from), and has recently started a grassroots newspaper aimed at promoting culture, awareness and education in North Central PA. I believe it may be the only liberal paper in print out there. Way to go Liz! I would expect no less from a Brown graduate.

I must admit that it was weird to walk around Boston in the middle of a work day. It was just me, the full time moms, the unemployed and the mormons... quite a different scene! I must admit that it was great to be able to watch Days of Our Lives and have that be the first real thing I did in a given day. There is something about watching a soap (this one I have followed since my friend's mom watched it with us at age 8, otherwise, I don't think I'd watch it) that makes you realize that you truly have nothing to do. For me, it almost defines relaxation... strange, huh?

Oh well, back to school

Camping at Island Pond

Camping at Island Pond
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Since I am still on break from classes, Brian and I decided to go camping with Ainsley and Igor (and the dogs). Igor found this amazing campsite on a pond in VT.

Here Brian and I are hiking with Fenway (Igor's pup) and Mookie (Brian's dog). I think Wrigley must have been napping at the top of the mountain and missed getting in this picture :)

We stayed up there for 2 nights and I've decided I would love to head up there again. It's right near a beach and tons of hiking trails. I think we all had a great time.... I wonder if I can get another hike or two in before I get completely bogged down with classes again...

Brian enjoying himself

Close up
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's a picture of Brian sitting next to me on the banks of a stream in Waterville Valley. We were able to sit and watch Mookie play in the stream. It was refreshing to just sit there and do nothing.

Crazy to think that this was our year anniversary. Here's to another good year!

NH hiking trip: Mookie & I

Mookie & I
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Brian and I headed up to NH for our 1 year anniversary. We stayed up in Gorham, NH near the Maine border Saturday through Monday. We went hiking all 3 days, although our big hike on Sunday was rained out. Mookie hiked with us around Waterville Valley (pictured here with me), and up to Lonesome Lake near Cannon Mtn.

It was great to relax with Brian after finishing up my first semester of school. I know have 3 weeks off before returning for the fall semester, which I hear is more difficult (yikes!) It's funny because even though I accomplished a lot of errands and what not today, I couldn't shake the feeling like I had something I wasn't doing.

For how hard it was to shift gears to student study mode, it seems even harder to shift out of it for these couple of weeks.

Sarah

sarah
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I drag a new friend from classes to the hash and she poses for a nice picture. She's a fellow career swapper, so we've had a ton to talk about!

Rainy Day at the Hash

Hash
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's a picture of me running through the streets of Boston with the Boston Hash House Harriers. We went all through the North End, along the waterfront, through South Station and ended up near the Boston Common... not a bad tour of the city! Apparently the camera man was slower than me :-p

it's been a while

I guess I have been really wrapped up in school stuff of late. I spend at least a day of each weekend studying for anatomy as well as a couple of nights a week.. craziness. And, I'm only getting an A-! I know, I should be happy with that figuring that I didn't major in anything related to anatomy in college and half the class are ex-exercise physiology majors, but I'm used to putting forth much less effort for better grades. I guess I could always go back to being an engineer, but what is the fun in that, right?

Well, I am definitely learning that I need to balance things out more. I need to take nights off to spend with Brian and my friends and I need to be ok with A-s, B+s, and hell even the occational C... ok, maybe that's taking things too far!

It's just a lot harder to change your life than I thought: more effort, lack of free time, and a ton of questions as to whether or not you are doing the right thing. At least there are others there in the same situation, and I think each of us has already had a day or two where we've contemplated going back to the our familiar former lives. Perhaps in a couple more months I won't believe I ever doubted myself. We already have had one girl withdrawal, and it was really sad.

Grad school is definitely more than I thought it would be!

Ithaca

Brian and I spent the holiday weekend in Ithaca with his Cornell friends, and I was pleasantly surprised with how the trip turned out. I was expecting a typical college town with your usual ugly 70s-style buildings (which there were some of) and dive bars (there were those too), but I was blown away by the gorges. You could park a block from campus, walk down a ravine and be in a completely different place. It was great! Besides the gorges it reminded me a lot of Burlington, VT: very laid back, hippy-like rural town with more democrats then Dunkin Doughnuts (can the state of MA claim that?) Although I was worried about not having a weekend to really crack the books, I am really glad I went on this trip... and I did manage to read an entire chapter about the Abdomen in between gorge swim sessions :)

Crazy new schedule

Wow, I've found absolutely no time to email friends, update this blog, or even really hang out with people this week. I've been getting up at 6 or 7, either heading to class or studying, breaking for an hour lunch, and then in my anatomy class or lab till 5pm. By the time I'm done with all that, I barely have enough energy to make myself dinner and I usually do more reading.... I'm afraid at this pace I may burn out soon. I think I may need to stop taking the weekends "off" and spread out the work load a bit.

I guess the good news is that I am starting to understand a lot of it, but on the flip side I don't really remember what my friends look like. :(

Sweet Dreams are made of these....

Sweet Dreams are made of these....
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Derek brought a kareoke machine to the ice rink and Ainsley and Jonah decided to rock out to some nice hits from the 80s.

Marisa wearing skates in style!

Marisa wearing skates in style!
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Derek and I had an Ice Skating birthday party at the Burlington Ice Palace:

Check out Derek's girlfriend modeling her lovely skates. (Don't worry Marisa, I won't tell anyone that the skates didn't stay on too long :-p)

Steph gets married

Steph gets married
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Ok, so Steph is the first of my high school friends to get married and to start a family. Congrats Steph!

... now I'm officially old!

Orientation take 3!

Ok, so here I am in my first week at MGH and my third time going through the orientation process: highschool, college, and now this... I'm a pro at meeting new people now :-p

Actually, this orientation has been really different since everyone comes here with such different backgrounds. We have some right out of college, a professional dancer, a lawyer, an engineer (ok, that's me), and people who worked for non-profit for the past 5+ years. Very interesting, fun group. So far, we've had all the faculty introduce themselves, toured the school and hospital, and recently did an "Amazing Race" around Boston yesterday... I think there are pics of that, so I'll try to post me and my team, The Professionals. :)

Today we are headed to the dissection lab. We have two classes this summer: Professionalism, and Gross Anatomy. My friend Ainsley has warned me that the dissection lab takes some getting used to and I'm hoping I don't get sick or pass out!

Back in Boston (part deux)

I just logged in to my gmail account after being offline for the week I was in Florida and I have 69 unread messages!

I plan to try and back-post the pictures from SF and tails of FL, etc. Right now it's 1 am and I'm just getting into bed after racing home from the airport. Brian and I managed to chase after 3 trains, ride up and down at least 7 escalators and trek up and down 2 sets of stairs with bags weighing in over 50 lbs. You have to love Logan airport and all of the inconvienent ways to get to and from there! Believe it or not they have made another T adjustment that makes no sense: It turns out they are installing new state of the art ticket machines to help elimate tokens and the T employees that take too much time to count them. A great idea, however, this new ticket system has only been deployed on the Blue Line and the $5 ticket Brian was required to purchase to get on the subway at the airport cannot be used on any other line currently. Well, the ticket is valid till December 2006....

Anyone care to wager on whether or not Brian will get to use that ticket on the redline? What's the current over/under on Boston mass transit project deadline slips? 2 years? 10?

Back in Boston

I'm back in Boston now, although I seem to still be on west coast time. I've been getting to bed around midnight, but sleeping till 10am. I guess my body needs the rest.

The last couple of days in SF were beautiful: clear skies, and perfect temperature. I have to admit that Boston is currently sporting the opposite: constant rain and 40 degrees! Apparently this should last through the weekend. Luckily Brian and I will be on a plane to FL on saturday. Hopefully we can encounter some nice weather there. Of course I have 2 predictions for how I handle Floridian weather.

1) I will sunburn within minutes regardless of the SPF of my sunscreen

2) I will not be able to stand the humidity, especially after a shower when I'll keep wiping myself with a towel but never feel dry!

I plan to back post pictures while in FL so there will be some from the SF trip and some from FL.

Currently I am trying to sketch out everything that needs to get done for school: fill otu loan papers, choose insurance, get together transcripts from my last class, etc. I wonder if there was this much paperwork for undergrad, or did mom just take care of things for me.

Kate and I

Kate and I
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here is a picture of Kate and I at the Japanese tea garden in Golden Gate park. We walked around with the rest of the tourists on a busy Saturday. I wish I had known they served authentic tea in the center pavillion. I think it would have been great to be served it the garden... next time!

Hot Night in the City

Friday night was girls night in San Fran. Courtney offered up her place as crash space for Kate, Joanna and I and planned a fun outing for us and some of her classmates. It started out with multiple bottles of wine and yummy snacks complements of our amazing hostess. We then headed out in 2 cabs to the first bar.

I don't remember exactly who's idea it was to find a kareoke bar, but I do know that we ended up walking almost 10 blocks to one near the Castro. I suggested to Kate that we sing George Michael's Faith, her favorite song, and she rushed to put our names in as soon as we got there. (I think she was drunk at that point.)

We ended up chatting it up with some girls at the bar while listening to a group of guys circle through random country songs I'd never heard before. These girls were definitely fun and ordered a round of shots for Kate and I. Later in the night, Abby ( the girl who ordered the shots) pulled me aside and told me that her friend thought I was wonderful and she wanted my number. I had to inform her that although we were in a gay bar, I had a boyfriend and wasn't currently looking to date a woman. Although I do believe Brian said it wouldn't be cheating if it was with a woman... :-p

Kate and I got many applause for our rendition of Faith, and I accomplished 2 firsts that evening: I've now sung Kareoke in a bar full of strangers and been hit on by a woman!

Touring around SF

I spent the last 2 days walking around SF seeing the sights and trying to keep dry. Yup, the rain finally caught up with me :(

I introduced Josh to Dim Sum as we started our Wednesday out in Chinatown for lunch. We went to pier 39, checked out the Giradelli chocolate factory (more of a store now, I think they still produce everything in Oakland), and walked around North Beach area. Unfortunately I walked us through the ghetto trying to find the Asian Art Museum near the civic center. To make matters worse, we got there too late to go in. Basically I endangered our lives for nothing!

Yesterday I toured Alcatraz... fascinating! The audio tour was narrated by ex-cons and former guards. Having them explain conditions while your standing in their tiny cells makes you appreciate the fact that you've never had to live that way. I was amazed at how small the place was in general. I guess that made it more managable for top criminals. There was a former inmate there signing a book he had written about his time in Alcatraz. He was a bitter old man who didn't seem to want to ask a bunch of questions from tourists. I guess you can't blame him. I was impressed that he was able to marry, adopt kids, and have a normal life after 14 years in prison. I don't feel that is the case anymore. Perhaps you just don't her about the people who actually "rehabilitate" in prison these days.

I left Alcatraz after 2 hours, not because there wasn't enough to see, but because I was getting a bit bored be there by myself. So, I headed back to the mainland and then up to Berkeley to see Kate and Joanna. We hung out at a local Berkeley coffee shop and chatted before heading to a great wine shop and the most amazing pizza place: Cheese Board. The make one vegetarian pizza each day and it's sold by the slice. We had one with corn, onions, pesto and pinenuts... yum!

I'm heading up to Berkeley this morning to tour that area with them before headed to SF for a girls' night with Courtney. The plan is to head out after dinner to some local bars and spend the night at Courtney's in order to enjoy a tasting brunch together in the AM. I definitely miss hanging out with Kate, although it sounds like she is doing great in Seattle.

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's a great picture of Kate, Joanna and I in front of the Bay Bridge in San Fran.

Bernardus Winery, Carmel Valley, CA

Bernardus Winery, Monterey, CA
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

This is my new favorite winery! Josh and I met an employee of this winery in Napa on Monday and he suggested we check this place out. Boy am I glad we ran into him! There wasn't a wine we didn't like at this place, and I added 2 more bottles to the collection I'm bringing home with me (shhhh... don't tell security at Logan. Actually, I think it is ok to bring wine back as a carryon just can't ship it there... yet)

The woman pouring for us suggested that we stay around and do a wine tasting dinner at a local wine store. There were doing a Chile vs. Argentina head to head competition with gourmet appetizers. We decided to check it out. The room was filled with abotu 30 wine enthusiasts and local winery employees. We were a bit out of our league. What is it they say, "fake it till you make it?" Well, Josh did just that. The Heller Estate employee thought Josh had great taste in wines since everytime her asked if Josh liked a certain wine, he said "yes. It's pretty good." I don't think he realized that that was all Josh ever said about the wine.

Regardless, we had a great time and I even have a nice list of wines to look for at local Boston wine stores... in case you are wondering: Argentina won the face off :)

Wine Barrels

Wine Barrels
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I learned an interesting fact on our wine tour at Chateau Julien even though I didn't care for their wine. Apparently oak wine barrels that don't come from France are made in the USA, and the wood for the american barrels come mainly for Pennsylvania. :)

Perhaps some of the trees that Uncle Dave cuts down actually make their way into wine barrels. That would explain the massive amounts of money in the logging industry. A little home state pride there... too bad both PA and MA aren't too keen on receiving wine shipments from CA. Hopefully the redcent supreme court ruling on interstate wine shipment will change all that.

On the pier in Monterey

On the pier in Monterey
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Yesterday we headed down to Monterey to continue our wine tasting and to spend some time on a nice beach. Here Josh is watching the waves as we check out Cannery Row before heading over to Chateau Julien for a vineyard/ winery tour.

We also spend time on the beach in Carmel, which was beautiful and a little posh compared to Monterey.

Me tasting the fine wines at Cliff Lede

Me tasting the fine wines at Cliff Lede
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

I told Josh that I needed a picture of me at the wine tasting here at Cliff Lede, and he attempted to take the picture one-handed while still holding his wine (he has priorities). He didn't realize the zoom was on, but oddly enough I like how this picture turned out.

Today we are headed down to Monterey to taste the wines down there and to check out the coast. Hopefully the good weather holds out.

Walking around outside Peju

Walking around outside Peju
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here's Josh walking around outside the 3rd winery we went to on our tour of Napa. The servers here sang, rapped and danced... it was quite humorous! The wine was good too, so we left with 3 bottles between the 2 of us :)

View from Sterling Vineyard

view from Sterling Vineyard
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Yesterday Josh and I went touring around wine country. This is a view from Stering Vineyard. We got to ride a gondola to the top of the hill where this winery resides. Although the view was spectacular, we didn't enjoy the wine here as much as other places we went.

Tallest Redwood in Big Basin

California Trip 2005 - 5
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here is a view looking up towards the top of the tallest redwood in Big Basin. I couldn't see the top, but I think the picture gives a good idea of the crazy height of these trees!

Hiking in Big Basin State Park

California Trip 2005 - 7
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Of course I had to go outside and do something active my first day in California. It's actually supposed to rain at least 2 of the days next week ( I think I bring bad weather with me), so I decided today would be great for hiking. The waether turned out to be beautiful, and we did a nice 5 mile loop.

Here I am with the "father of the woods," the largest redwood in the area. I didn't realize they had redwoods south of San Fran!

I don't know what the plan is for tomorrow, but hopefully the rain stays away long enough for us to do sometihng active. Since I seem to be waking up early (time difference), Josh has suggested I use their gym here in the AM. I think my 6am energy can be put to some good use :)

My last day

So, yesterday was my last day at Sun. Everyone was great and most people from my team wished me good luck in my new career. It was hard to finally say goodbye and head out those big doors that locked immediately behind me. It was strange knowing that I left my badge inside and would not be able to return. I drove home in a bit of a daze and started packing for CA as soon as I walked in the door. I don't think it'll hit me that I've moved on till I get back from my trip and realize I don't have to go back into work.

My mom sent me the following email, and I must say that I'm always amazed at how well she knows me:

Thinking about you today. I know how hard it is for you to leave the
security of your first real job. I hope that you have been getting good
gifts and parties. As sad as this day can be, remember to look at the big
picture and your future. You have a new exciting life to enter and anyone
from this job is truly a good friend, you will keep in touch with them. Look
at Josh for example. He is a good friend that now lives across the continent
and you are going to spend 10 days with him starting tomorrow. SUN has
provided you with many cherishable things that will stay with you the rest
of your life, but you need to fulfill that void in your life. After all,
life is all about you!!! You need to do what is right and good for you. I'm
probably going through all of this don't feel guilty talk and you probably
have already moved on. If that is the case, forget the consoling and have a
great last day.

I do hope to stay in touch with the people I enjoyed working with. In fact, that's one of the reasons I resurrected this blog!

Sun Microsystems Yurt Building Team

Sun Microsytems Yurt Building Team
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

This was the most recent event I did with my team. John, the design team manager, was able to pick a great day to go volunteer up at a girl scout camp. We were commissioned to built yurts, basically they were circular huts that fit 3 bunk beds and were made out of really strong tent like material.

We divided up into teams to complete 5 yurts total. My team was quite proficient and managed to get almost one yurt completed by lunch.

I had a great time doing this and was able to spend some quality time with group members before leaving.

Group Fun Day

Group Fun Day
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here I am with the group I was originally hired into: Advanced Development. I organized a group fun event at Kimball's Farm a couple of years ago and we all had a great time. Especially when we ganged up on our manager, Paul, with bumper boats and managed to soak him. I think Ben did most of the work, but Frank definitely helped him!

I'll miss working with this group. Frank, Kevin, Paul and I worked really well as a team and I hope to find another group like them when I actually start practicing (in 2008!)

Officemate gets married

Officemate gets married
Originally uploaded by jessriggs.

Here I am celebrating Kevin's wedding in Sept. 2004. He was the first predicted to get married out of our hiring group (excluding Marie who was engaged before we started the pool). I think next in line in Mattioli, me and then Josh... although I think Josh may beat me ;)

Leaving my group here @ Sun

Well, I have only a few days left here at Sun before I embark on a new adventure: 3 years of schooling in order to completely change fields. I'm excited and sad at the same time. I've been working with the same great group of people for almost 4 years now, and I know I will miss them the most... I have to admit that I won't miss the work much since I don't really think I was meant to be purely techincal.

I figured I'd post a few words and pictures of some of the interesting things I've done with my group.... let's see if I can figure out how to post pictures on this thing, all that computer knowledge can't go completely to waste :-p