High View

I am waiting for a meeting to begin, and I was given a great photo
opportunity. I am on the 22nd floor of a building across from the
Superdome. There is an incredible view if this part if the city. The
only thing better is if I had a 360 degree view. I can even see my
apartment complex from here. Sometimes, I am amazed at the things that impress me.

Typical Background Noise

I decided to come downtown, to the hospital to so some last minute
cramming. As I began to study, I hear a strange, yet familiar,
sound. It is quite distinct. It was loud and sharp, and then the
echoes were transmitted down the empty city streets.

I grew up in the country. Hunting is a past time that we commonly
enjoyed. The sound of a gunshot is one that is difficult to forget.
That is exactly what I heard about 10 minutes ago.

That is nothing strange here. I am about 3 blocks from where all the
shootings occurred during Mardi Gras.

Well, I'm going to get back to studying. I just thought it was
something "special" to share.

Final

The clock is ticking, and I'm blogging. My motivation is non-
existent. Our previous test in this class was Thursday, and the final
is tomorrow. Clinicals all day yesterday prevented me from studying.
I have a severe case of the "don't wants."

I hope the motivation will arrive shortly. I'll find a way to make it
work.

Uptown, Off Magazine

This phone even takes fancier pictures.

V-Day

So, I just had to take a picture of this couple at the Bulldog on Magazine. The flirting is totally grossing me out. I just witnessed kissing. Gross!

Unsure

I am not completely sure, but I think I witnessed a drug deal outside of my window.

The dude was standing in the parking lot talking on the phone before this car arrived. After he got off the phone, he started pacing around the parking lot in circles, nonstop. It was just all very strange. I think they might have seen me. I'm posting this picture for evidence, just in case they did.

Welcome to the Big Easy

Here and there, I like to snap photos. This is a view of what I see every moring on my way to school. I was in my car, on Poydras, coming from Metairie. As you clearly see, the Louisiana Superdome is on the right.

Today, we finished the first class of this semester. We only have 3 classes before we are officially nurses. It is so hard to believe. This program was so quick, but it seems like it has taken years out of me. It has been a ton of hard work, but the fight is not over yet.

Our next rotation is pediatrics. From my current view, I do not feel that this one will be my favorite, but I have been surprised before.

Requiem for Charity

Charity Hospital

Until recently, I had no clue that this lonely white building was the infamous Charity Hospital. In my defense, there is no sign. On the other hand, there are signs that say LSU. For some reason, I never tied the two together. I knew LSU med school was connected to this building, but since the old hospital has lights on at night, I thought the building was still in use.

Now that I know this was Charity and is abandoned; I have an overwhelming desire to tour the inside. I feel the same about the old Rayne Branch Hospital, which was closed in the early 1990s. Of course, if it could be a nighttime tour, all the better, but beggars can't be choosers.

I cross this historic landmark daily. I stare at it through my classroom window. It stands for so much, and now functionally, it stands for so little. The entrances have been boarded up since the storm, and a guard sits at the emergency room entrance. Lives are not saved through those doors anymore. Those walls no longer see pain, and in turn, no joy.

Plans are to destroy this landmark, and rebuild farther up on Airline. The legacy will live on, and the memories will soon be a cloud of dust.

A Lack of Charity

Tonya Lacoste

Tonya Lacoste not only looks like a chain smoker, she looks like a bitch too.



The best moment has to be at the 55 second mark, when the camera flashes back to the news desk. Chuck is shaking his head, and Darla has her head down trying to control herself. Priceless.

CMA Performance

Kellie Pickler got a little emotional when singing the song she wrote about her mom. It would be nice if more "American Idol's" would write their own.

Medical Library

From intense studying over the past few months, I found myself getting a touch of cabin fever. I took that as a sign, and I decided to take my studying elsewhere. I wish that I could abandon it for a few days, but even if I did, I would follow me like a ball and chain. Then at the same time, less than excellence is not an option.

These pictures are from the med school library. It is a change in atmosphere for me, but long-term commitment in this setting cannot be good. This study area is located downstairs in the basement. No windows, no sunlight, and no life. It was good for me. It helped me concentrate, instead of being stuck between the same ole walls of my apartment.

I will probably return here. I think another good thing about it is no cell phone reception, which decreases distractions further. As I take my studying on the road, I will write about my experiences, boring as it may be. It is the only stimuli that I get these days. If you think it's boring, how do you think I feel?

Deck the Halls

The Christmas season has strolled upon us. Tis the season of endless traffic and crowds. I hope everyone can look at the big picture instead of the consumer approach.

Happy Holidays! I know it is my favorite time of year.

Waiting For Access

It is somewhat early, and no faculty has arrived at school yet. I'm sitting in the waiting room waiting for the doors to be unlocked so that I can begin my day.

The door pictured is the main door to our "school," a term that I now use loosely.

I hope today flows smoothly. Although, I hope I do have a confrontation with Freckalicious. I will try to get a picture of her (and a story) for future postings.

Student Lounge

At clinicals, in my down-time, I have become obsessed with our newly appointed student lounge. At first, it was a junk reservoir, but with some searching, some previously abandoned items have found a new home.

I like studying in here in the mornings before class. It's quiet, and no one bothers me. The majority of the class, which now consists of 25 students, thinks that it is out of the way. I'm glad they do because it provides me with more privacy.

I have a quiz today, which I believe will be incredibly simple. I hope I feel the same way about the test on Wednesday. This is a new class. We hope that it is not set up completely different.

If I have any readers left, I hope everyone is doing well. I may not post regularly, but I will try to put something up here and there to show I'm still alive.

School Pictures

Here's some pictures of the folks I see 5+ days a week. I got these pictures from a lady who walked around the first 2 weeks of school constantly snapping photos. I need to get some pictures of the people I make fun of...they are very interesting.

Look Into My Eye

Look at this swollen eyelid! I had some mild edema and tenderness, but this is what I saw in the mirror first thing this morning. It hurts a little more now. When I bend over to grab something, I feel that nice throbbing sensation in that area. Gosh...gotta love the body's inflammatory response.

The Daily Rain

It was raining pretty bad the other day. I was trying to get the picture of the water gushing up through the manhole. It almost looked like a hurricane passed through, but it was just a thunderstorm. My pictures would come out better if I actually stepped out of the car to snap shots.

Speaking of shots, I administered my first injections to patients on Sunday. Oh, I would liketo add that they were safe and successful.

Clinicals

Tomorrow is my first day of clinicals. Keep me, and my patients, in your thoughts and prayers!

Took A Breather

Saturday, I went out with some friends from school. We were celebrating Daniel's birthday. We went to a bar called Masquerades, which was inside Harrah's Casino.

I was impressed. The ceiling resembled a planetarium. There were stars, clouds, all in motion. The bar was circular. The giant blue thing was in the center of the bar, and it went all the way up to the ceiling. They also had an ice bar, which I had never heard of before. There was a frozen strip that traveled the entire length of the bar, where you could rest your beverage, to keep it ice cold.

It was a mixed crowd, and since it was in a casino, there was no one under 21 allowed, which was nice. The place was packed. I am pretty sure that it was from all the folks who attended the LSU/Tulane game.

I would definitely go back.