It’s always difficult coming back from a vacation but for some reason I have really been dragging since coming back from the two week Christmas break.  We made the trip back to Utah (where we are originally from) and spent  2 weeks there.  Actually the fam went out a little before I did so they spent close to 4 weeks back in the old stompin’ grounds while I finished up school and even more specifically, a batch of experiments.  The break was well deserved for all and as I look back at some pictures from Utah, I think I know why it’s been a hard adjustment coming back…..We Lived It Up! I got in some one on one time with the kiddos which is always a perk to any break.

We made it out to our favorite restaurants, some we even made it to a couple of times…thank goodness for family who misses us and offers to pick up the tab!

Ohhhh how I miss skiing! I was able to get out twice.  Once with the kids where my little guy made his first solo turns and my little girl got her first taste of the white powdery gods.  Then a second time where it was me and the wife and some friends on a perfect powder day.

The kids of course loved Christmas and thought Santa was the greatest and wanted Christmas day to continue for a week straight but Santa only has so much money (aka: school loans).  I even managed to surprise my wife with a couple things and she did the same for me.

It was a great trip to Utah (other than the whole missing my flight to Utah with my friend Ryan, another story for another time) and we loved seeing family and doing what we loved in Utah but at the end of it all, it was an even greater feeling coming back to Kirksville.  It feels like home here and we all missed it.  Even the sub zero temps that welcomed us back to Missouri couldn’t change that.  Now if I could just get that same feeling for being back at school!  It’ll get better from here on out….I can feel it.

So the last post mentioned all the stuff coming up and it’s nice to look back now and see that a lot of those now have big ‘ol check marks by them and to see check marks by things that weren’t even on that list.  I would say that the biggest check mark goes to interviewing and being accepted to the medical program here!  I’m way excited and relieved.  It feels really good to have that weight lifted and to know that I will continue on, doing what I want to do.  Coming to KCOM to do the masters program was an incredible blessing.  I was able to see first hand that this is where I wanted to do medical school.  This is the program for me and going into an interview day knowing that along with being familiar with the school, faculty, Kirksville, etc. made it a very comfortable day and gave me confidence.   My little family is very excited to be staying here as well.  we are at home here in the ville.

I recently submitted another abstract to the ACSM annual meeting in June. I’m really excited about this abstract.  Dr. Sexton (my mentor) and I teamed up on this little side project and we have developed what we feel is a great model for assessing muscle function during ischemia and it can really be used under countless circumstances.  The scary part is that we submitted the abstract application as a slide presentation rather than the good old poster presentation so if if gets accepted as a slide then I will be presenting our research orally to people much brighter than I….should be a blast! (pray for me!)

So the big 30 came and went and my wife threw me a party to remind me that I have one foot in the grave!  Good thing I’m young at heart.  To demonstrate my 30′ness I am growing a mustache during November (pictures are soon to come) and it’s all for a good cause.  Movember.com does an annual fundraiser where people (mostly men I assume) grow the stache during November and other people donate money for our efforts and for sacrificing our style.  The money goes to help fight cancer, specifically prostate and testicular cancer.  So if you are interested in joining a team or donating to my good looks then follow the links and make it happen.

You know when you try to think ahead a few months and figure out what might be going on and what life will be treating you to?  I’m not one who worries too much about what lies ahead, I just take it a day at a time, but today I sealed my fate for another round of intense experiments in the lab during the first couple of weeks in December…..and now, my stomach kinda hurts.  I will work really, really hard for a few weeks, killing myself to get done, putting in very long days (and nights), not seeing my family and dreaming about rats.  The brightside to all this……these experiments will take me into Christmas break and then……ohhhhh how sweet this Christmas will be!  The more I think about this next round of experiments, the more excited I am.  It will give me some good motivation going into the holidays.  It should keep me preoccupied so I stay on Santa’s “nice” list and it will put me that much closer to finishing up my thesis. If all goes “well” during these experiments then I should be on my way to writing up my thesis in time to walk in May. Cross your fingers or your legs or your eyes…..anything to bring me luck.  But between now and those few weeks in December I’ll be presenting an abstract/poster at the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium, writing and submitting an abstract to the American College of Sports Medicine, running the Kansas City half-marathon, writing the general into to my thesis and, hopefully, interviewing for the medical program here at KCOM.  I have a lot to look forward to, but like I said, I’m more into taking it a day at a time.  Oh yeah, almost forgot….somewhere in the middle of all that, I’ll turn 30! OUCH!!!