Pathology, Pluckers, Peter Pan, and Pharmaceutics

Nice! They all start with P! I guess I kinda cheated on the pharmaceutics one, since we usually call it ceutics, but whatever. So last week I took my worst test, not supposed to be the hardest, but the questions sucked so bad that it ended up being so. The average for the multiple choice is a 64! Gotta love those kind of tests. Obviously it isn't that everyone blew off studying, the test was poor! But they haven't graded the short answer part, so the average may go up. Doubtful, last year's average was a 69 after both. A lot of the P2s were excited, because it'll show the professors that it wasn't that they didn't study hard enough. Anyways, so I literally felt like I had been mentally raped after that test. I was very depressed and came home to find solace in an amber bottle. Marie comforted me and then I went to bed. No more studying, my mind was gone. Turns out everyone felt that way and a streak of depression ran through the school. Thanks for starting the week off right Patho! Jerk.

So the next day, after class, I decided to take a break from school. 5 tests in 7 days is pretty shitty, I needed a break and I really wanted to hang out with the wife. Not to mention the fact that it was SOOO nice outside. Perfect weather! So we went to play putt-putt at Peter Pan's on Barton Springs. It is an Austiny thing to do, and it's BYOB! So we stopped and got a 24 of Natty and a four pack of plastic chardonnay wine bottles, no glass allowed. We putted, I won't say who won, me, and we drank and we were merry! So after that we headed to Town Lake to walk around and enjoy the fine ass weather. It was gorgeous. Hungry from all the days excitement we went to Pluckers. The food there is pretty tasty and they had a drink special on Tuesdays, 34 oz Ziegenbach or Lonestar for $4! Needless to say I had two. Well Marie had a couple sips of hers, and then I finished it.

Marie is using her hand as reference.

After the beers we went home and attempted to watch the Wedding Singer. Instead we went to bed half way through. A very nice night to say the least, and much needed for both of us.

The next night was back to studying and then Thursday I took my last of the tests, very easy. I was so excited that it was over! I went home and had dinner with Marie, a couple beers, and we went to be early! I love getting to sleep! Friday I helped out at the PharmD candidate interviews. It's so much fun getting to answer their questions and trying to make them feel less nervous about their situation. This time a girl came running up to me, panicked and out of breath, and asked if I knew where the interviews were. I told her to calm down, she was definitely overwhelmed and about to cry, and asked when her interview was. "430" I checked my phone, 433. Yikes! So I told her not to worry I am sure they had a back up plan for this kind of stuff. She started panicking again, and pulled out a rescue inhaler. She was giving herself an asthma attack from freaking out. I got her to the fifth floor and the coordinator said it was no problem, she just got switched times with someone else. So I think that calmed her down. I think letting your interviewer know you were so dedicated to getting to your interview that you almost died would be a good thing. Hopefully she brings up the asthma attack during the interview. After that, I went with the wife to an APhA fundraiser/social were we I sang some karaoke. There was a pretty good amount of people who sang once they heard how bad I was and didn't want me to sing anymore. It was a lot of fun, I did Rollout by my boy Ludacris, and some Asians did a good version of the Backstreets Boys. Turned out to be another fun and not study filled night. I think I am gonna have to jump back on the study train soon, as in tonight. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

I am off to work! It was another crazy, but actually fun filled, week in the PharmD life. May the force be with you dear readers!

4 tests and V-day

Ahhhhhhhhhh. Valentine's the day of love, chocolates, and heart break. I am not going to lie, Valentine's is not my favorite holiday, and this may stem from the fact that up until I was 17, I never had a true Valentine of my own. But now I have no excuse, and I am starting to warm up to it, if slowly. I am gonna go ahead and put this out there, I have the best Valentine and wife ever. So there! We celebrated early, as fore mentioned, because one of my professors is sadistic and decided we should have our first exam on the day of love. So it was looking like it would be a horrible V-day fo sho. However, I got done with my test after only an hour and was home with the wife. We decided to go out and have a V-day dinner even though it was 830. We went to the grandest of all places, Cheddar's! It was actually really good. This is only our second time dinning at the location, but the food has been nearly exceptional both times. For the price it is totally worth it, and the location of the restaurant brings out the high class people too. For instance, as we were walking in to the establishment, a car drove into the parking lot with the phrase "Mr. Hit Dat" painted on the side. I wanted to ask if I could go to a pic with the vehicle, but of course Marie thought it would be a bad idea. So anyways, we are waiting for a table, and in walks a very classy looking gentleman. Marie and I both turn and look at each other. As soon as he walks off, we both say, "That was Mr. Hit Dat!" It was quite amusing. So in case my sarcasm got a little confusing in the paragraph above, I shall summarize. Cheddar's has good food: True. The demographics of the customers are high class: False. Mr. Hit Dat was a gentleman: Mega False. I hope that cleared some things up, cause even I get confused sometimes with my humor.

Valentine's this year was definitely a very good one. It could have gone south, but my loving and adoring wife made it perfect. Thank you so very much Marie, you are amazing! Oh and if you wanna see her take on the day click here. It's a few posts down, though I wold recommend reading all of her's. They are awesome!

Okay, so I have already mentioned the first part of the four test week. We started on Valentine's day, had one every day until Friday, and then we have one on Monday (in two days that I have barely studied for) and our last one on Thursday (which should be easy). Needless to say, the stress was on. Luckily, and I cannot speak for everyone, three of the tests weren't too difficult. The Biochemistry one could have been worse, but it could have been better also. Only having 25 questions seems nice, but then you only miss 5 and you're down to a B. The Tuesday one was nice and easy, and I feel for the most part we all scored in the A and B range. The ******** (I omitted the name to cover my ass.) exam was easy, seeing as it was only over four one hour lectures I would hope so, but there was a question without a right answer. Super annoying. And even though half the class, literally, was lined up across the front of the room, asking him the same question, he didn't make an announcement saying he had made a mistake and to choose a certain choice or anything and it'd be thrown out. He said "As per instructions, choose the best choice out of the answers provided." Well when there is no correct answer, does that mean to choose nothing? The class was a bit frustrated, and for once it was a valid frustration. Professors are humans, they are going to make mistakes, it is no one's fault and no one should get mad at them for it. However, when you make a mistake and won't admit it, that is when the fault does fall upon you, and it hurts all those involved. Well that is enough on that topic. Last night we had a not so bad one, and then me and my boyz went to Quatros and had a beer or two. It was nice and relaxing after a hard week. I wish Marie could have made it out, but she was feeling bad, so I just had a couple beers, and then ran/drove home to her as fast as legally possible.

All in all, this week could have been better, could have been worse. And for those pre-pharm people interested in UT. Six tests in 2 weeks, three times in the semester, happens every P1 spring semester, so prepare yourself now. However, if we aren't able to handle the stress, we wouldn't make good pharmacists, so it's best to have it in a controlled environment, surrounded by friends and loved ones, then to throw us to the wolves with no preparation.

Holy Crap! Crazy thunder just happened. I have to go to work now, and I don't wanna get caught in the rain. I hope everyone had a great week and as always it's been another crazy one in the PharmD life. Peace.

Go time

I have been fairly lazy the past few weeks about school work. I have been studying but I have also been taking a lot of nights off. The death march is about to begin. I have four tests next week and two the week after. However, I am still not too worried. I don't know if it is the professors or the material, but it doesn't seem too difficult. I have been having slight panic attacks when I am away from my notes and I think about all the tests coming up, but then when I actually sit down with the material I don't feel too nervous about it. Hopefully this doesn't turn around and rape me. So the good news is that I have been able to spend some quality time with the wife. Probably the last bit of quality time that I will get with her until the summer.

Other than the tests coming up, pharmacy school has been pretty laid back. I did crank out a whole bunch of papers at the beginning of the semester, one of which was due last week, and I think this has made me a little more relaxed. I finished them way early and didn't have to pull an all nighter on Wednesday to finish it. I was planning on listening to all of my lectures again online, but I got too behind the first couple of weeks,(Mario Party) and I am unable to catch up. Hopefully that doesn't bite me in the ass either. I plan on being more studious and watching all the lectures as soon as this round of tests is over, but then again we make lots of good plans in pharmacy school that don't always work out.

Yesterday was the start of interviews for PharmD candidates! I volunteered to be there from 1-230 and ended up staying until 5. It was a lot of fun helping out the wee little babies! I can barely remember my interview, it was a blur of nervousness and regret, so it was fun watching them and wondering what I looked like to the students who were there for me. I had a good time sharing my experiences with them and giving them advice, even though they haven't even been accepted yet. I think the scariest thing about my interview and then acceptance, was all the not knowing. Of course as humans we are scared of the unknown and this was my entire future on the line. So I tried to tell them as much as I could and illuminate the darkness a little bit. Plus I want them to get accepted and remember me, and I will forget them and then that'll make me the most popular boy in school!!!!!! UMMMM... or not. That was a joke I swear!

On Tuesday Marie and I went to The Melting Pot and fondued the night away. It was an early Valentine's, because my first test of the semester is on V-day, thanks professor McGinity. It was amazing as always and I know Marie had an excellent time. Then the next night we went to a place called Painting With a Twist and we split a canvas and each painted a half of it. It actually turned out quite well, plus we got to drink some wine and hang out with Marie's friend and her boyfriend, who teaches there. Oh and get this, our art teachers last name was Hogan! That's the second Hogan we have encountered since moving here. The person who lived here before us was last name Hogan. It confused the Time Warner people pretty bad. Small world I guess.

Please ignore the stupid look on my face. We painted half and half, I think it came out really good!

I started this in the morning and am just now finishing it up. I therefore had a chance to go to work and become dumbfounded by the stupidity of people. In interest of saving time I will only bring up one instance, but it is something that happens often and is 100% preventable. A lady walks up to the pick-up counter. I say, "Hello, how may I help you?" Dumb lady, "Ummm.... yes... I am picking up my prescription." People say this all the time, not "I am picking up for..." or "My name is so and so and I am picking up." They tell me they're picking up their script, obviously, and then wait. For me to guess, or learn telepathy, I don't know what is passing through their minds. I cannot read minds! I see over a hundred people a day. Tell me your damn name!!!! Shit! So I sat there, because it pisses me off and I wanted to make her feel stupid, and she never offered her name. After about 45 seconds of my staring daggers at her, I finally asked her name. She didn't even sound embarrassed or was like "Oh, duh, you need my name." Nope, just gave me her name and continued to stare at the sign log. If I wouldn't have given in and asked I bet we'd still be there now. My trying to kill her with my mind, and her with nothing on her mind. Please tell the tech or pharmacist your name when you pick up scripts. Common sense eludes most people. Okay, that's all the biotching I'll do today.

I hope your week has been as fun filled as mine, I am sure next weekend I will be nice and depressed again, as pharmacy school wants me to be, but until then I am going to enjoy my time studying and hopefully get some shit done! 

Mr. Gatti's and not studying

Alright, so I totally told myself, and my friends, that I would start this semester off right! I was going to stream  (re-watch lectures online) all of my classes the same night after the class, and start memorizing all the little stuff, as soon as the semester started........ Like hell. I spent the first two weeks of school playing Mario Party with the wife, and then this week, which I told myself to get in gear, I went to Hooters (it was Marie's suggestion I swear!) and then Gattiland with Marie, my mom, and my little brother. Needless to say I am feeling the pressure of the eight, that's right eight, 8, ocho, EIGHT, tests that are coming up in ten days. However, I don't really care! I had a lot of fun with my family and to say I'd rather spend time with my wife over pharmacy school is like saying that the vast majority of America is stupid (an understatement). 

So anyways, that is what's been going on this week, a whole lotta jacking around, but it has been fun. Yesterday we all wore red for women's heart health and our class almost all showed up in the crimson color. And we ended up taking a very good photo! 

And of course, I had to be up front! I dragged along my friends Sameer and Mike. Mike loves the attention too, but Sameer looks like someone pooped in his cereal.

So I need all of you loyal fans to go to this link, click "like" at the top of the page, then "like" our photo. It is a compilation of all three classes, but it says UTCOP on it. So it'll be easy to find. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and is able to catch up from the week, I know I am going to try, sucks to my ass-mar for having a nine hour shift. I chose it though and we for sure need the money, I can't take listening to Marie brag about being the sugar mama.

I will leave you with one last comment, I think I may have mentioned how crazy, and trashy, the people above us are, well right now the mom is cussing out the 6 & 7 year old kids. Dropping F-bombs like they're going out of style. I feel so bad for them. I have contemplated calling CPS on them but every time I see the kids outside they seem to be perfectly fine. I think they may have mental problems and the mom cannot handle the pressure all the time and she snaps. They cry all the time and run around like crazy, jumping on their beds and generally causing mayhem. The other day one of them was screaming his head off while getting on the school bus, at 6:35 am. I know exactly when that bus comes because I can hear them as I am getting ready for school. "Get the F down here." "Don't slam the Fing door." "You're gonna be late you little assholes, hurry up." And then the kids "WAHHHHAAHHHHHH". I truly love living in the ghetto.

NOT!