The count down has begun.
Three weeks left until final reviews. Three weeks left until I am done with a Masters Degree in Architecture. Oh holy crap.
Five years doing undergrad (I graduated with a billion extra credits) and three and a half years of graduate school. I wonder how well I will adjust not being in school...I will share my internal freak-outs another time.
Updates:
-My finger is still sore from the x-acto/superglue incident. I will consult one of the doctors in my ward tomorrow. Amputation is still a possibility.
-No bed sores yet.
-I broke my cardinal rule: I HAVE to sleep for 4 hours before a review. I stayed up something like 26 hours before I reviewed. In the past not sleeping before a review has proven to be detrimental to my state of mind which inevitably makes them go horribly. Surprisingly this review went alright.
-I finally ordered and received my Design Thinking book. That is actually quite a relief.
-I wasted sometime today that I didn't have to spare by going to the Gap with a couple of my friends from school. I got a new sweater and peacoat for an absolute steal. I feel slightly less frumpy since I put the new sweater on.
-I'm a little weirded out that Russ and Chow found my blog. Maybe they found me through Renee? I prefer to be incognito. But I love you Russ and Chow, you guys know me and how "special" I can be, so you guys are okay.
-The marriage plague is still spreading in my ward. And it's still annoying...in all reality I am very happy for these people. I'm just bummed that I am nowhere close to being married let alone I haven't dated anybody out here. So every once in a while I have a pity party for myself. They mainly happen when I am in cynical moods such as now.
-My beautiful BFF Renee is going to pop out her second kid any day now. I can't wait to meet this Festus Maximus in December!
-Another friend from college, Elisa is going to pop out her first kid in December. I am very happy for her. I think the kid will come out with a mohawk and an OpIvy t-shirt on.
-My gym finally reopened. I have to go talk to them to see if they are going to refund the money that I requested while the gym was not in service. I hate greedy corporate america. Speaking of...I still hate Aetna.
-I have had a stress headache for the last week and a half. That's just been awesome. I took an anti-anxiety pill tonight (klonopin) and it helped actually quite a bit. I need to get me more of those.
-I want a dog so bad. A lot of women have biological clocks that tick very loudly, well right now my doggy-clock is ticking. I think going in a few weeks and being able to cuddle with Bowser, the handsome boxer that is 80lbs of pure love, is going to pacify that for a while. Bowser loves to be held. I'm talking about his whole entire body on top of yours. Although my breathing can become restricted I love almost every minute. He's my Baby Bowser. Yeah, Boston the adopted pug is pretty dang ugly/cute.
I was going to post some of my drawings on here but Blogger doesn't support pdf files. So maybe another time.
I need to pack up and go home now. I have to wake up and go to church tomorrow. I haven't been in three weeks and I kind of don't see me going again before my final reviews are over.
Buenos noches.
-cassie
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sleepy sleep time
So this is the latest I have stayed up this semester thus far...yet I am still writing a blog at this lovely hour. I thought that I would put a few thoughts that have come to my mind this past week:
-Man, my car drives a lot better when the parking brake is off. (Driving to school right before studio)
-Why in the hell am I
-Oh James, I love you and miss you! I will call you this weekend. (Earlier this week I woke up to a fantastic text from my friend James, then passed out again immediately.)
-How cute is he?! I want him to be my adopted grandpa. (At the WashU Law School Reunion weekend.)
-There are some awesome/epic comb-overs and toupes. I wish I had a camera! (At the WashU Law School Reunion weekend.)
-My legs hurt so bad this is pathetic, soon all of us (DP students) are going to have bedsores and skin infections because we don't move from our chairs and desks often enough! (As I was walking out of school at 4:45 am)
-Geeze, I hope I don't have to have my finger amputated. (My knuckle is sore and I have a lovely bump where I stabbed it with an x-acto knife and then to put superglue in the wound, so I could keep working on my model. I realized that was a stupid idea only after I did it. I then proceeded to pick out the superglue. It hurt. That was about a month ago and it still hurts.)
I am falling asleep...
More to come.
-Man, my car drives a lot better when the parking brake is off. (Driving to school right before studio)
-Why in the hell am I
-Oh James, I love you and miss you! I will call you this weekend. (Earlier this week I woke up to a fantastic text from my friend James, then passed out again immediately.)
-How cute is he?! I want him to be my adopted grandpa. (At the WashU Law School Reunion weekend.)
-There are some awesome/epic comb-overs and toupes. I wish I had a camera! (At the WashU Law School Reunion weekend.)
-My legs hurt so bad this is pathetic, soon all of us (DP students) are going to have bedsores and skin infections because we don't move from our chairs and desks often enough! (As I was walking out of school at 4:45 am)
-Geeze, I hope I don't have to have my finger amputated. (My knuckle is sore and I have a lovely bump where I stabbed it with an x-acto knife and then to put superglue in the wound, so I could keep working on my model. I realized that was a stupid idea only after I did it. I then proceeded to pick out the superglue. It hurt. That was about a month ago and it still hurts.)
I am falling asleep...
More to come.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Oh Romeo, what's in a name?
I know I haven't written in quite a while. A lot has happened...well not that much...okay maybe a lot.
I guess I will just list things off and elaborate where I feel it is necessary.
-I started my last semester of graduate school.
-I got the professor that I really wanted for Degree Project and I sit by my bestest buddy Jordan...so studio life is good.
-I am also taking a great class known as SLAM CO (Saint Louis Art Museum Construction Observation). I get to wear a hard hat, neon yellow vest, protective eye wear and scary butch/lesbian hard-soled shoes. It is such a great class!
-I had a professor ask me to write him a letter of recommendation for an award he was nominated for. I felt very honored to be asked to do that. I spent a good amount of time trying to write something that would do him justice.
-I got called to be a Relief Society teacher...seriously! I have only taught three times and they are progressively getting better. For my second lesson I put a picture of Megan Fox and Hugh Heffner up on the board...I am like no other teacher they've had before! ;)
-And the big one...my dad has had prostate cancer.
Over the last few years his Gleason score has remained relatively low (~6). This spring he went in for a biopsy and cancer cells were found. Surgery was scheduled for August to remove the prostate. He had a pre-op MRI and the doctors saw what they thought might be a metastasis on his hip. So that freaked everyone out for a good week. (I had even made the decision that if that was the case that I would leave school to spend time with my family.) The area on his hip ended up being a shadow from a previous injury and not a tumor because nothing showed up on the x-rays. After a lot of self-diagnosing and pessimistic/worse case scenarios he felt that he needed to just trust his doctors and that things would be alright.
So my dad ended up having his prostate out at Huntsman Cancer Institute (which is bizarre because I had used the HCI as a precedent for my Degree Project.) The surgeon was confident that the tumor/cancer was encapsulated and that they had gotten clear margins. Pretty much best case scenario all around. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father definitely heard and answered our prayers.
I called him twice a day to check up on him. We even skyped a couple of times while he was doped up and he was hilarious as usual. He was as happy as a clam because he was getting to eat salmon and drink fruit smoothies. So he was in the hospital for 5 days I think...then he went home with his "pee-bag."
The next few days were really rough for him, he wasn't feeling well both physically and emotionally. He went in for the post-op appointment, got the catheter out, and the pathology report back. The tumor was encapsulated and the margins were clear!
Over the next couple days his pain progressively got worse instead of better (7-9 on a scale from 1-10.) I thought he was just being a wuss or had just not been keeping up on his medicine, like he tends to do. Well the pain got so bad that Dina took him to the emergency room Saturday morning. A CT scan revealed he had two large abscesses where his prostate was removed. I felt like a royal jerk for not believing him. He was readmitted to the Huntsman. The doctors opted not to drain the abscesses and treat it intravenously with antibiotics. After four days of salmon and sleeping the abscesses had only reduced in size 20%, not ideal but going in the right direction.
It's been about a week since he was released from the hospital for a second time with another pee-bag. He had another follow-up appointment with yet another CT scan. The abscesses were a lot smaller and his doctor said he was confident that the abscesses were just fluid filled and that there was no need to go in and drain them. So my dad is supposed to finish the antibiotics and continue to rest and heal. Next week the doctor said they would remove the catheter because he wants to make sure that the bladder continues to drain and that there are no other issues.
As soon as my dad was well enough to sit at a computer he has been "researching" and reading crap on the internet. So every time I talk to him he is going on about how he could have the really bad kind of cancer and that his doctors don't know what they're talking about. That's when I have to gently bring him back to reality and tell him that his doctors really do know more about his condition and new treatments than the obscure quacks on the internet. He usually says "Yeah, you're probably right." I respond by saying "Not probably Dad, I am right. Now turn off the computer and go upstairs and spend time with the family." Most of the time he obeys. :)
That's what's been going on with my dad. I know that wasn't the most eloquent writing but you get the idea.
-This last weekend a friend that I met through school got married. So about week before the wedding I had kind of forgotten about it and I didn't have a date, oops. That next Sunday I taught Relief Society so I was busy preparing the whole weekend and hadn't put much thought into a date. Well, as I was leaving church after my lesson I just so happened to glance backwards and see a guy that I have only talked to a few times and have gotten along with. I had a small yet distinct thought that I should ask him. That just kind of stayed with me for the next several days. So I did.
He was really nice on the phone and said that he would be more than happy to go. Score! It's always a good sign when you're not rejected right off the bat.
I had a great time and was actually very impressed by him. It was so nice to be able to interact with somebody that is confident, polite, intelligent, with a sense of humor.
Something I was just thinking about...During dinner he had brought up what he "needed" in a partner which kind of took me off guard. I then quickly responded something like I don't know what I want or need (which is totally not true.) I think I was just thrown off because I don't usually talk about that kind of stuff or share it openly. I am a cornball/nut-job that will be completely honest with anyone but I am very reserved and private about some things. I need somebody with a strong personality that is able to take control of situations if needed, someone who is confident and sure of themselves, someone who can accept my strong personality and all my craziness and still think I'm wonderful. Anyhoo...I really hope no one else besides the three friends that I know of on here are reading this.
If nothing else, I have been given hope in this dreary singles existence just to know that there are guys like that in the world.
It's time to end this post.
I really should revamp this blog. It's very boring does not accurately reflect my "style." Maybe when I am procrastinating some night in studio I will give it a whirl.
Ohhh I also webbed my desk at school! I will take a picture and put it on here. In the mean time check out how awesome these things are... http://www.selkbagusa.com/ I totally want one so I can look like Gumby when I go camping.
BB.
-cassie
I guess I will just list things off and elaborate where I feel it is necessary.
-I started my last semester of graduate school.
-I got the professor that I really wanted for Degree Project and I sit by my bestest buddy Jordan...so studio life is good.
-I am also taking a great class known as SLAM CO (Saint Louis Art Museum Construction Observation). I get to wear a hard hat, neon yellow vest, protective eye wear and scary butch/lesbian hard-soled shoes. It is such a great class!
-I had a professor ask me to write him a letter of recommendation for an award he was nominated for. I felt very honored to be asked to do that. I spent a good amount of time trying to write something that would do him justice.
-I got called to be a Relief Society teacher...seriously! I have only taught three times and they are progressively getting better. For my second lesson I put a picture of Megan Fox and Hugh Heffner up on the board...I am like no other teacher they've had before! ;)
-And the big one...my dad has had prostate cancer.
Over the last few years his Gleason score has remained relatively low (~6). This spring he went in for a biopsy and cancer cells were found. Surgery was scheduled for August to remove the prostate. He had a pre-op MRI and the doctors saw what they thought might be a metastasis on his hip. So that freaked everyone out for a good week. (I had even made the decision that if that was the case that I would leave school to spend time with my family.) The area on his hip ended up being a shadow from a previous injury and not a tumor because nothing showed up on the x-rays. After a lot of self-diagnosing and pessimistic/worse case scenarios he felt that he needed to just trust his doctors and that things would be alright.
So my dad ended up having his prostate out at Huntsman Cancer Institute (which is bizarre because I had used the HCI as a precedent for my Degree Project.) The surgeon was confident that the tumor/cancer was encapsulated and that they had gotten clear margins. Pretty much best case scenario all around. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father definitely heard and answered our prayers.
I called him twice a day to check up on him. We even skyped a couple of times while he was doped up and he was hilarious as usual. He was as happy as a clam because he was getting to eat salmon and drink fruit smoothies. So he was in the hospital for 5 days I think...then he went home with his "pee-bag."
The next few days were really rough for him, he wasn't feeling well both physically and emotionally. He went in for the post-op appointment, got the catheter out, and the pathology report back. The tumor was encapsulated and the margins were clear!
Over the next couple days his pain progressively got worse instead of better (7-9 on a scale from 1-10.) I thought he was just being a wuss or had just not been keeping up on his medicine, like he tends to do. Well the pain got so bad that Dina took him to the emergency room Saturday morning. A CT scan revealed he had two large abscesses where his prostate was removed. I felt like a royal jerk for not believing him. He was readmitted to the Huntsman. The doctors opted not to drain the abscesses and treat it intravenously with antibiotics. After four days of salmon and sleeping the abscesses had only reduced in size 20%, not ideal but going in the right direction.
It's been about a week since he was released from the hospital for a second time with another pee-bag. He had another follow-up appointment with yet another CT scan. The abscesses were a lot smaller and his doctor said he was confident that the abscesses were just fluid filled and that there was no need to go in and drain them. So my dad is supposed to finish the antibiotics and continue to rest and heal. Next week the doctor said they would remove the catheter because he wants to make sure that the bladder continues to drain and that there are no other issues.
As soon as my dad was well enough to sit at a computer he has been "researching" and reading crap on the internet. So every time I talk to him he is going on about how he could have the really bad kind of cancer and that his doctors don't know what they're talking about. That's when I have to gently bring him back to reality and tell him that his doctors really do know more about his condition and new treatments than the obscure quacks on the internet. He usually says "Yeah, you're probably right." I respond by saying "Not probably Dad, I am right. Now turn off the computer and go upstairs and spend time with the family." Most of the time he obeys. :)
That's what's been going on with my dad. I know that wasn't the most eloquent writing but you get the idea.
-This last weekend a friend that I met through school got married. So about week before the wedding I had kind of forgotten about it and I didn't have a date, oops. That next Sunday I taught Relief Society so I was busy preparing the whole weekend and hadn't put much thought into a date. Well, as I was leaving church after my lesson I just so happened to glance backwards and see a guy that I have only talked to a few times and have gotten along with. I had a small yet distinct thought that I should ask him. That just kind of stayed with me for the next several days. So I did.
He was really nice on the phone and said that he would be more than happy to go. Score! It's always a good sign when you're not rejected right off the bat.
I had a great time and was actually very impressed by him. It was so nice to be able to interact with somebody that is confident, polite, intelligent, with a sense of humor.
Something I was just thinking about...During dinner he had brought up what he "needed" in a partner which kind of took me off guard. I then quickly responded something like I don't know what I want or need (which is totally not true.) I think I was just thrown off because I don't usually talk about that kind of stuff or share it openly. I am a cornball/nut-job that will be completely honest with anyone but I am very reserved and private about some things. I need somebody with a strong personality that is able to take control of situations if needed, someone who is confident and sure of themselves, someone who can accept my strong personality and all my craziness and still think I'm wonderful. Anyhoo...I really hope no one else besides the three friends that I know of on here are reading this.
If nothing else, I have been given hope in this dreary singles existence just to know that there are guys like that in the world.
It's time to end this post.
I really should revamp this blog. It's very boring does not accurately reflect my "style." Maybe when I am procrastinating some night in studio I will give it a whirl.
Ohhh I also webbed my desk at school! I will take a picture and put it on here. In the mean time check out how awesome these things are... http://www.selkbagusa.com/ I totally want one so I can look like Gumby when I go camping.
BB.
-cassie
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Rambing Update
So there has been a serious epidemic in the singles branch...engagements. It's pretty messed up. Four couples are engaged and one couple got married on the DL, oh and one of the couples I didn't even know were dating. That's like half of our branch! I'm kind of glad I'll be moving in December/January because the dating pool is getting pretty shallow.
Phew.
My life has been pretty low key these days. I'm working at the Alumni and Development office at WashU as a student worker with the Law folks. I have been working on this scholarship audit which has been taking forever! I think I'm finally at a place where the gift officers can review the lists. After that I will start working on the fun stuff like the Law reunions with a fantastic lady named Julie. Oh it's also been really fun having Jordan working there too, sometimes we'll eat lunch together or get a drink upstairs. (And she always looks so cute in her dresses and "work" clothes.)
My roommate Matt got home last week from his summer semester in San Diego. It was really nice having him back, we talked and hung out at the pool several days in a row. He is such a sweet guy and awesome roommate! He's moving up to Chicago pretty soon because he finished the M.U.D. program so I'm kind of bummed about that.
This last Saturday morning I went on a tour of the Budweiser Factory with a couple people I know from church. It was awesome! Very cool facilities and interesting process. The tours they give are really well put together and official. They even have little trolleys that pick people up at the end of the tour and take them to the hospitality room back at the visitors center where you get 2 free beers! I of course opted for the soda. :)
We also went to the Soulard market after our tour. That is a fabulous market! I bought a pineapple, 2 nectarines, green beans, an onion, 3 bananas, 3 cobs of corn, and 4 limes all for under $10! Well the pineapple was gone by the next day. I had a very sore mouth. The only thing I have left is the corn, 2 limes, 1/2 of an onion. I should start going to the farmers markets Saturday mornings. It's so much fun and such a great deal. Jordan...want to go with me this weekend?
My 10 year high school reunion is in a few weeks. Initially I was thinking it might be fun to see some people so I thought I would make a trip home before school starts. But after looking at my bank account and prices of plane tickets coupled with the fact that I really don't care THAT much to relive the "glory" days of high school, I've opted to skip this one. Anyways I can do all of the facebook stalking I want and people that I want to stay in contact with, I do.
So that's that.
I'm also thinking about trying to find a job in New York after I graduate. I would really like to work in New York or DC so I would be closer to family. But I wouldn't mind working in LA, San Francisco, or even Chicago. I will pretty much go wherever I get a decent job. But I'm thinking New York and DC are definitely the top right now.
Oh yeah, I had two hair cuts this weekend. Yes, two. I will chronicle the experience in a separate blog post because the story is that awesome!
One more thing, I have CS5 now! I am officially a part of 2010 now!
Phew.
My life has been pretty low key these days. I'm working at the Alumni and Development office at WashU as a student worker with the Law folks. I have been working on this scholarship audit which has been taking forever! I think I'm finally at a place where the gift officers can review the lists. After that I will start working on the fun stuff like the Law reunions with a fantastic lady named Julie. Oh it's also been really fun having Jordan working there too, sometimes we'll eat lunch together or get a drink upstairs. (And she always looks so cute in her dresses and "work" clothes.)
My roommate Matt got home last week from his summer semester in San Diego. It was really nice having him back, we talked and hung out at the pool several days in a row. He is such a sweet guy and awesome roommate! He's moving up to Chicago pretty soon because he finished the M.U.D. program so I'm kind of bummed about that.
This last Saturday morning I went on a tour of the Budweiser Factory with a couple people I know from church. It was awesome! Very cool facilities and interesting process. The tours they give are really well put together and official. They even have little trolleys that pick people up at the end of the tour and take them to the hospitality room back at the visitors center where you get 2 free beers! I of course opted for the soda. :)
We also went to the Soulard market after our tour. That is a fabulous market! I bought a pineapple, 2 nectarines, green beans, an onion, 3 bananas, 3 cobs of corn, and 4 limes all for under $10! Well the pineapple was gone by the next day. I had a very sore mouth. The only thing I have left is the corn, 2 limes, 1/2 of an onion. I should start going to the farmers markets Saturday mornings. It's so much fun and such a great deal. Jordan...want to go with me this weekend?
My 10 year high school reunion is in a few weeks. Initially I was thinking it might be fun to see some people so I thought I would make a trip home before school starts. But after looking at my bank account and prices of plane tickets coupled with the fact that I really don't care THAT much to relive the "glory" days of high school, I've opted to skip this one. Anyways I can do all of the facebook stalking I want and people that I want to stay in contact with, I do.
So that's that.
I'm also thinking about trying to find a job in New York after I graduate. I would really like to work in New York or DC so I would be closer to family. But I wouldn't mind working in LA, San Francisco, or even Chicago. I will pretty much go wherever I get a decent job. But I'm thinking New York and DC are definitely the top right now.
Oh yeah, I had two hair cuts this weekend. Yes, two. I will chronicle the experience in a separate blog post because the story is that awesome!
One more thing, I have CS5 now! I am officially a part of 2010 now!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Goodbye posters
These are some images that I put together of some guys in the Branch (church) for a going away wake that I "c0-threw." I printed 5 11x17 of each image and plastered them throughout the apartment.
I was talking to my little sister when I was making them and she wanted to see them. So here you go...
Scott just graduated medical school from SLU and is going to start a residency in Salt Lake to specialize in sleep medicine. (He was my home teacher for about 6ish months.)
Justin also recently graduated from the SLU medical school and is going to Boston for a one year general surgery residency. (He was my home teacher for 2 years.)
J.T. is a southern gentleman that is moving to Tennessee to help out his grandparents and go to school. (He was my home teacher for 1 month.)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
And then...
To pick up...or actually another side track for tonight...
As I am laying on my bed typing this with only the light of the screen I look at my illuminated hands and begin to see how much texture my skin has. The single directional light is exaggerating the depth of the creases. The irregular fractures on my knuckles vary in distance from side to side. And the side of my thumb, that has a completely different texture, is more shallow and regular in pattern. The stripes from my thumb print fade as it moves further from the apex. I love that the veins on top of my hand are visible and bulge slightly from the otherwise flat surface. You can definitely tell that I have used my hands throughout my life. I would love to photograph this varying landscape that is my hand sometime.
I need to start using hand lotion regularly.
Something slightly more relevant: I am starting my new summer job tomorrow! Talk about a blessing from the Lord, this job (so far) is perfect. I'll let you know how it goes.
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