An Easter Feast for the Senses--Week 5 and Easter Break 2012

You are all in for a treat! I know I told you that you might not get a blog post this week, but I lied. I returned to school several hours ago, finished a few necessary things before classes start up again tomorrow, and found myself with a little free time at the end of the evening so I can share with you my adventures from the past week.
Tuesday was a really good day for shadowing. I spent most of the morning out on cattle farms with Dr. W, vaccinating and castrating calves. Well, I didn't do much, but it was awesome to watch. I really love calves, and my mom told me that this has always been the case. Watching the animals and the procedures Dr. W was performing only made me more interested in bovine medicine. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen anything yet that has really dampened my interest and enthusiasm for the profession.

Thursday was my Anatomy lab practical  (which was okay) and Public Policy Speech day in my speech class (also okay but not super great). I had a massive brain fart near the end, but otherwise, it went pretty well. I was flattered when the professor asked me to be the official timekeeper. I am always happy when a professor acknowledges my academic dedication and appreciates my hard work in class with a small gesture like that. Immediately after the class, I raced back to our house because I knew that Sarah was there waiting for me so we could leave for her house. Luckily, I was all packed up already and only needed to take care of a few last-minute details before we left.

The ride to Libertyville, Illinois (about an hour north of Chicago) was fairly uneventful. Sarah and I listened to music on the way and chatted occasionally. We reached her house at about 8 PM, where her family was waiting to take us to Portillo's, a Chicago staple specializing in hot dogs, burgers, and other specialty sandwiches (Italian beef, for one). I ordered a hamburger with cheese fries...delicious!

Senses affected: taste, sight (the decor was a really cool 1920s/1930s gangster theme)

I don't remember much of that night. I was pretty tired from taking my practical and giving my speech, plus the three-and-a-half hours of driving.

The next morning, I chose a book from the Mattimiros' stunning collection and settled in to wait for Sarah to wake up. She did--at 11:30 AM. She said she felt bad not doing anything with me, so we went to Westfield Mall. I didn't buy anything, but it was nice to get out of the house and walk around a little (since I had been sitting most of the day before). Sarah also took me to the library. Dinner that night was tender pork loins with potatoes and broccoli with carrots. Yum!

Senses affected: sight, smell, taste, hearing (music)

During this time, I met Sarah's pets: a curmudgeonly cat (or is that a redundancy?) named Maggie and a soft black rabbit named Bailey. Bailey only ever let me stick my finger out for her to sniff. Maggie was a little more indulging, but I still get the feeling she wasn't crazy about me. Maybe I showed too much interest in her. Cats hate that. But the joke is on her! I caught her sleeping on the back of the couch in the living room. Take that, Mags!

Hehe...

Senses affected: touch (so soft...), sight, sound (I love Maggie's meow...she's so fat, and it's best when she's hungry because she is just so vocal)

Sarah and I spent most of Friday by ourselves because Sarah's sister Hannah was off with her friend Carly, and Sarah's parents were at work. Friday night, Sarah and I played Just Dance 3 and watched the first half of Return of the King.

Senses affected: sight, sound, groove

On Saturday, Sarah took me to see the Not-So-Big House, a beautifully furnished house of relatively small size. There are several such houses across the country, and the idea is that instead of building McMansions, smart homebuyers should opt for more modest abodes and devote the same money to quality of space over quantity. I didn't get many pictures of the interior, but I did managed to snap a shot of the facade. It's a truly beautiful house. The design features are decidedly Scandinavian and very slightly Frank Lloyd Wright, allowing for lots of light in order to blur the line between inside and outside. The house had three bedrooms, so Sarah and I joked about splitting the cost with Devon and being roommates after college.

Senses affected: sight (I really want a house like this...)

No, seriously...

 On Saturday night, we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, a real treat because it kind of reminded me of home a bit. Then, we watched the new Star Trek movie (the one with Chris Pine) because I told them I'd never seen it. It was very good! I liked it! (Especially Scotty and the Russian guy.)

Senses affected: taste, humor, sight

While I was at Sarah's house, I was introduced to a couple of really kick-butt things. The first is the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. A lot of it is about Shadowhunters, half-human/half-angel warriors who kill demons. The books have a lot of standard beings, like vampires, werewolves, faeries, warlocks, witches, and the like. But they are very well written. They are definitely helping me recover from my Hunger Games high. Speaking of which...I went to see it again on Saturday. I know, I know. I'm a little obsessed. But Sarah's family wanted to see it, and how could I say no? Anyway, the other awesome thing is the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. It's an animated TV show that was created a few years ago. I never really got into it until now because I thought it was just for kids. But it's really well made, and I really enjoy it. The gist (for the uninitiated) is that there is a person called the Avatar, master of all four elements (Earth, Fire, Water, and Air). He is charged with protecting world peace. There are four kingdoms in the world (each with tribes of people who can "bend"--control--one of the four elements). The newest Avatar is an Airbender named Aang, who was encased in ice for 100 years before being discovered by a Waterbender named Katara and her non-Bending brother named Sokka. Together, the three of them set out to help Aang master all four elements in time to stop the Fire Nation, which has launched war on the other three Nations in a plot to take over the world. It's filled with all the right elements--romance, adventure, action, suspense, humor, you name it. Sarah has been great because she shows me it's okay to be a complete nerd about things.

Anyway, now for the main event: Easter! It was very quiet at the Mattimiro house, which suits me just fine. We had Cinnabons and omelets for breakfast before Sarah's older sister Sam and Sam's husband Ryne came over for a short visit. They were both really nice people. The Mattimiros were nice enough to get me an Easter basket, filled with yummy chocolates, a windup bunny, and a beautiful multicolored paisley scarf. Mrs. Mattimiro said she tried to guess my color palate just from knowing me for a couple of days, and I think she was pretty spot-on! (Dark, rich earth/jewel tones all the way!!) Easter dinner was the typical ham with green bean casserole (completely from scratch--even the mushrooms!) and au gratin potatoes. The Mattimiros made a special bunny cake (covered in lavender frosting and dotted with peanut M&Ms for the eyes and nose and coffee straws for the whiskers). It was just too cute to eat (sorry, no pictures...but you can imagine it, I'm sure!)

Senses affected: sight, taste, fashion

Just right for me! Maybe I'm too predictable?

The rest of the day passed pretty quickly. I spent it reading or watching Avatar with Sarah. We picked up Devon at her house early this afternoon (she lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, about 40 minutes west of Chicago), and she rode with us back to Augie. I was pleased to see Devon and her mother (I met her mother briefly on Wednesday), as well as Devon's friendly Rhodesian Ridgeback dog named Ruby. She was a welcome change from Maggie...I also got to see Devon's house and her bedroom. I always enjoy seeing where other people live; it helps me understand them.

Senses affected: touch, sight, smell (the blooming trees in the Arboretum near Devon's house made the air smell simply delicious)

So, that brings us back to Augie and another busy week ahead (I'm sensing a pattern here...). The week doesn't get too interesting until Thursday, when I get to go back to my shadowing. I would go tomorrow, but it's a Muesday--the Tuesday after Easter with a Monday schedule (since we missed those classes due to Good Friday). In other words, I cannot go. Friday is my third 5K race (the Friday the Thirteenth 5K benefiting Habitat for Humanity). I do not feel as prepared for this one as for the last two. I feel a bit out of shape, but I have been going to Step Aerobics these past couple of weeks, so I am hoping that will get me ready to go. If all else fails, I can walk parts of the course. I might need to do that on the Slough Path, which is always a part of the course because it adds an easy mile going back and forth. But it has one of the steepest hills it has ever been my misfortune to scale. Friday is also payday! Yay!

Saturday is the BBB District Convention. I don't really have a job to do for it yet, but I really want to help out so I can get those two points I need to stay in good standing for next year. I got a really nice leniency from the Exec Board because I was gone all Fall Term in London--four points! That brings my total to 10, and I need 12 to remain in good standing. Saturday is also a nationally televised Twins game (on Fox), so hopefully, I will get to catch a few minutes of it. Although, from the looks of these last three games (three straight losses, really?), I don't know if I should be too excited. However, the season is young, and we have a lot of players who are new to the team, so maybe I should give it time. It's just frustrating to see your team start out in the basement. I hope you all had nice Easters, and I'll be back real soon!