One down...lots more to go!

Last week I completed my first rotation. It was at a really cool place called One Nineteen. It’s part of St. Vincent’s, which is a major hospital in Birmingham. My preceptor was great, very knowledgeable and easy to talk to/ask questions. Here’s a list of just some of the cool things I did last week….

• Sat in on a Lunch in Learn
• Watched and help conduct a RMR (resting metabolic rate) test with the BodyGem
• Spoke with a cancer survivor/marathon runner who will be the speaker for the upcoming “Celebrate Life” dinner
• Met a former Alabama and NFL football player
• Did a Optifast and HMR taste test (two medically supervised weight loss plans)
• Sat in on some one on one out patient counseling sessions.
• Set up the dinning room for a chef cooking demo/dinner
• Observed and then on my own I counseled clients after the cholesterol screenings
• Ended the week with a visit to Southtown (a house project next to St. Vincent’s) to talk/play with the kids and give them a healthy snack

Yup, I had a pretty good week. To top things off, a package from my amazing mother arrived in the mail. I haven’t been able to find this stuff anywhere in Birmingham yet. It’s more than I could ever need, but very much appreciated!! And yes I do realize Vanilla no sugar added Carnation Instant Breakfast is a very weird thing to request for a care package!

First Day of School

I survived orientation! It’s quite the accomplishment. All the directors and speakers tried to make it as painless as possible, but still a full week of orientation lectures is draining. Tomorrow I start my first rotation at St. Vincent’s. It’s a community nutrition rotation. Interns are responsible for contacting preceptors one week in advance so I’ve already spoken a bit with my preceptor and she says it will be a laid back rotation. That’s always a great way to start out J

Today was also the first day of classes. Normally there’s nothing to report about first days, but today was a bit memorable. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Everything was off to a great start. Class had just started and then….Blackout!! The power went out all over campus! And in a room without windows, it really is a blackout. We sat in the dark for a while, and then our professor said we could go home. She didn’t want us all to start cooking without power for the AC. So down the starts we went. But just as I got to the second floor, what happens? Yup, the power comes back on. So, it was back up the stairs for me and once again time to start my three-hour class. Major head fake, thanks power people, ugh.

The time has finally arrived! I’m all moved in and orientation begins tomorrow. All summer I was nervous (borderline nauseous) about the thought of actually starting graduate school. However, being here now and living on campus just makes me excited. I guess I’m that nerd that loves school. Even after almost two decades, I still love school and the thought of starting up again makes me smile.

I moved to Birmingham this past Thursday. I had a wonderful Apples to Apples game night with my family the night before to send me off in good spirits. The move went seamlessly…BIG shout out thanks to my brother who was a HUGE help. He even kept the movers entertained by keeping them updated on his cat toilet construction progress. Yes I did just say “cat toilet!” It’s ridiculous in theory, but ingenious in reality. It is a luxury wooden chest looking object that hides a kitty litter pan within. Derick, my brother laughed at the idea of course, but was quite impressed when it was all put together. No more ugly dirty pink Target litter pan for Rox! Only the best for French kitties. ☺

I’ll have to try and snatch a picture of Roxy going into the cat box, but for now here’s a few iPhone shots of my new pad.

They're selling fast!! :)