tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39208178974201341072024-02-07T06:54:27.513-05:00So Much, So Little Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-25306055476713902002017-02-11T09:58:00.002-05:002017-02-11T09:58:52.158-05:00Mt. Meru Regional Hospital<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One more week in Tanzania!<br />
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I spent this past week working mainly in the "Prime Unit" which is basically the NICU. I wanted to share a bit more about the hospital to showcase some of the differences and how little the doctors have to work with.<br />
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Mt. Meru Regional hospital is a government-run state hospital so all funding is allocated by the government. It is a tertiary hospital so it gets referrals from other smaller clinics and hospitals and offers surgical, OB-Gyn, and ophthalmology services in addition to pediatrics, medicine, and emergency services.<br />
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The pediatric wards (P-block) consists of an ICU area, P-1 which is for the kids who are sick and need observation but not really critical, P-2 which is for the kids who are almost well enough to go home, and the Malnutrition Ward. Then there is the Prime Unit with the critical babies, premature babies, babies under observation, and even a Kangaroo Mother Care unit (google it)!<br />
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Each ward is just one big room with a few beds, if there aren't enough beds then there are 2 kids to a bed. This is so scary to me because sometimes you have 2 really sicks kids sharing a bed, or you have one kid with TB meningitis in the bed next to a baby with pneumonia. There is also no such thing as heart monitors so if a child or baby in the NICU stops breathing... you don't know until someone goes to check...absolutely terrifying.<br />
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I spoke before a bit about how some of the pathologies I've seen here are ones not commonly seen in the US. All children are screened for HIV and malaria upon admission. There is an entire TB ward and all meningitis kids (which are a lot more than in the US) are also tested for TB. Diarrhea is usually a result of dysentery and typhoid. Most of the neonates admitted in the Prime Unit have "septic cords" after being delivered at home in non-sterile conditions. Even conditions that are typically seen as being pretty routine to treat in the US, like DKA, sickle cell, and pneumonia, become a lot more complicated and life-threatening when resources are so scarce.<br />
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Each morning all the mothers take the kids out into the courtyard so the nurses can clean the wards (except for the ICU) and then they come back in in time for rounds. If labwork is needed that our lab isn't able to do (which includes CBC differentials and basic metabolic panels...something done for almost every patient in the US) then the parents take the blood samples to other labs and bring back the results. The mothers also take the kids to radiology themselves if x-ray or ultrasound is needed (only imaging available here) and bring back the results. If they can't afford the cost, it doesn't get done.<br />
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The options for medicines are also pretty limited and the hospital's stock is extremely low so the doctors write prescriptions and the parents have to go to the pharmacy, buy the medicine, and bring it back to the hospital for the nurses to administer.<br />
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Because it is a government hospital it is where people come when they can't afford to go to a private hospital. Therefore, many patients are from poor rural areas, or are Maasai, which is the largest tribe in the area. This means that we see a lot of malnourished kids and kids who are really really sick after parents went several days or weeks without seeking treatment. Maasai are historically nomads and herders so there diet consists mostly of ugali (porridge made from cornmeal) which is also then sometimes mixed with cow blood (an intern asked if I wanted to try). So, basically, a diet without much protein and nutrients. Kids are then brought in bloated, severely underweight, anemic, and with Rickett's Disease (osteoporosis for kids...not good). More so if a new baby was just born in the family, then the next youngest may become more neglected. Yesterday I even saw a 2 day old with bloody gashes on his stomach that were Maasai tribal markings.<br />
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I don't mean to give the impression that anyone here is is unkind or neglectful. All the parents care about their children, all of these things are simply a part of their culture and they were never educated regarding the health risks that can result from some of these practices.<br />
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I must say the doctors here are quite astounding. The interns work incredibly hard and everyone makes the best of what is available to help provide the best care. It's certainly not easy.<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-1742106041180874722017-02-05T08:59:00.002-05:002017-02-05T09:04:33.851-05:00Tanzania - Week 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh boy, where to begin?<br />
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I can't believe I have already been here one week! I have so much to tell!<br />
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If I had to say one thing about Tanzania it is that the people here are so incredibly nice and welcoming! As I mentioned on Facebook, the word I hear most often is "Karibu" which means "You are welcome". It is said in response to "Thank you", when coming home, when sitting down to eat, and to any and all guests and visitors.<br />
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The best example of the kindness of Tanzanians I have is when I first arrived. My flight got in at 2 am and there was supposed to be a driver waiting to take me to the house where I am staying. Up until this point I had had absolutely no problems traveling, which, if you know me, is kind of unheard of. All my flights were on time, I had no problems with customs or security (I usually get picked for special searches), and all my luggage made it! But when I walked out of the airport into the warm night air, I couldn't find my driver. There were many drivers there waiting to pick up people who were traveling for safaris and Mt. Kilimanjaro, but no one for me. I decided to wait for a bit before panicking and calling the contact numbers I had. As I waited other drivers kept coming up and asking if I was okay and what company I was waiting for. In other places, this could have been simply an attempt of others to drive me and overcharge, but here the drivers were genuinely concerned for me and wanted to help. When I got out my phone to try to start calling numbers one of the drivers took out his cellphone and started calling for me. He eventually got in touch with the director of the Child Growth and Development Center, Father Faustine, and it was arranged that I would be driven into town to meet him. It turns out there was confusion with my arrival date and they thought I was coming the next night. Despite the fact that I was by myself, at a foreign country's airport, at 3 am, I never once felt scared...I think I would have been more nervous in the same situation in the US.<br />
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I ended up having to spend the night at Father Faustine's parrish since the house was not yet ready. The next morning I had breakfast with Father Faustine and he showed me around his church. He told me a little about local culture and the mission of the CGD. He explained that women are still very much considered second-class despite the fact that they do the majority of work. Polygamy is also still common in rural areas and men like to have lots of children because then they have more animals and more prestige. But then women struggle to care for and support so many children. So the main mission of the CGD is to empower both women and children; to teach them how to raise themselves up rather than simply providing charity and then leaving. #girlpower<br />
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I eventually got to Tulivu House where I'm staying for the next few weeks. It's in a rural area between two villages (one of them is called Chekereni, because a railroad runs through it...get it? Chek-e-reni...check for train? Hahaha it kills me!), and about 20 minutes outside of the city of Arusha. The house is very nice and meant to sleep up to 6 people but since it's just me this month, the housekeeper/cook is also staying here so I'm not alone. There is normally running water and a shower but there has been an 8 month drought and so I'm currently taking cold water bucket-baths.<br />
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Actually, my first day here we got some rain, and then it has rained at least a little every day since (it's currently summer here) and so Father Faustine said that I'm a blessing since I brought them rain. You know where this is going right??<br />
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I blessed the rains in Africa. (mic drop)<br />
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Sorry, but you had to have known that was going to come up sooner or later!<br />
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Judita is the housekeeper, and guys, I swear she's like a ninja! I don't even notice that my shoes are gone until they're back in my room all clean. And she keeps me very well fed...so much food! She also always has hot water for coffee out on the table morning, noon, and night and gives me fresh mango and avocado with every meal because she knows I love them. I think we pretend to understand each other more than we actually do, but she is teaching me some Swahili and we go on walks to the villages some times.<br />
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I spend my days in the pediatric wards at Mt. Meru Regional hospital in Arusha. It's a government hospital at the state level (there national level hospitals as well). I'll talk a little more about my time at the hospital in a different post, and if you read my last post then you already know a bit.<br />
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I haven't ventured out much besides going to the hospital and around the house mainly due to a cold that kept me home-bound this weekend. It's also a little nerve-wracking to go out and explore on my own in the city. I stand out as a foreigner even though there are tourists here and so I get a lot of stares and people greeting me. Again, it's part of the culture of everyone being so welcoming, and I love having kids always waving and running up to say hello, but as someone who gets nervous even talking to people I know, it's a little unnerving having men come up and want to talk to me or invite me in for a soda. On Friday at the hospital someone walked up, asked how I was doing and then said "let's go!" When I asked where, he said "The canteen!"<br />
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But overall I love it here! Everyone is kind and so happy and grateful for whatever little they have. It's incredibly humbling.<br />
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That's certainly plenty for now. I'll be back to talk more about the hospital and hopefully have more pictures!<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-51127147296214124152017-02-03T14:17:00.000-05:002017-02-03T14:17:10.401-05:00The Laundry Basket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Let me say straight off, this is not a happy post or an easy read.<br />
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I will write a happier post tomorrow recounting and describing everything I've seen and experienced so far (with some pictures) so please feel free to just come back another day for less serious things.<br />
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But for now, I just need to write about this.<br />
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Over the past year, I've seen some pretty sick kids. I spent a month in the ICU at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. I spent time on the Neuro-ICU service at CHOP. And I spent last month on the Pediatric Rehab team at DuPont Children's Hospital. I've worked with children that I knew were going to die, that were abused, and that were permanently impaired simply due to bad luck. But as odd, as it may sound to some... these are the patients I love to work with. That doesn't mean I don't feel it or that it is by any means easy. I can't begin to describe how it feels. But I want to take on the really sick kids because they need the most help; they have the most to lose. And they are proof that no matter how bad it can get, they are still just kids first and foremost.<br />
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But the kids I've seen already in one week here are a different kind of sick. We do see the typical pneumonia and GI bug kids (although more likely to be typhoid than just a virus) but we also see TB meningitis, severe malnutrition, heart failure due to rheumatic heart disease, and severe anemia. These are kids who are sick due to severe poverty and lack of resources. And while the doctors and nurses that I have worked with are wonderful, there simply just isn't enough.<br />
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On Monday we admitted a 5 month old with an ear infection. But she was also so malnourished that she was smaller than most newborns I've seen. It turned out that she was a triplet and all three were malnourished since the family couldn't afford to adequately feed all three. We admitted and treated her and she moved upstairs to the malnutrition ward. All three babies were with the mom in the hospital and on Wednesday the mom came down saying one of the other triplets had been eating and then vomited and had trouble breathing. We admitted this baby to the ICU (just a room with less beds and and closer to the medicine and oxygen concentrator) and hooked her up to oxygen but she had a low heart rate and extreme difficulty breathing. She was also severely dehydrated from having several days of diarrhea which we were not previously aware of. She was a sweet little thing, responsive only enough to wrap her tiny hand around my finger.<br />
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We went on with the rest of morning rounds and admitting new patients. Shortly before leaving, a worried mother came in with her 9 month old. She had had a fever and decreased appetite for a little more than a week and was brought in after having a seizure. She was given a dose of Valium to prevent more seizures and so when we examined her she was asleep but still arousable and responsive. She fit all the criteria for meningitis. After crouching down to examine her as she slept in her mother's lap, she kept stretching out her legs and resting them on my arm. So I sat there and held her little feet in my hand as we finished the admission. I took her and her mom to an ICU bed where we planned to do a lumbar puncture to confirm the diagnosis of meningitis. I went with my intern to try to go track down some blood for another severely anemic patient (the intern ended up donating her own blood since there was none). When I got back, the girl was still calmly sleeping in her bed with her mom and it was time for me to go home.<br />
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When I came in the next morning, I didn't see her anywhere and I asked where she went. I was told she passed away the previous evening. All I could think about was her feet in my hand.<br />
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But work for the day had to continue. I went to see the triplets. The little girl who was really sick was struggling to breathe and not reacting at all. She did not move or make a sound as we tried to get blood samples. I kept thinking how she should have been intubated and placed on a ventilator the day before. But there were no ventilators. Children don't get intubated here.<br />
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I went upstairs to start rounds with my intern, and when we came back down about an hour later, we learned she had also passed away.<br />
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I don't want anyone to think that the doctors and nurses and families here aren't unfeeling. Everyone was upset. But child deaths are not uncommon here, especially for young babies, so it's not necessarily a tragedy, it's just another part of life. We carried on with taking care of and admitting other children.<br />
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In the afternoon, I sat in the ICU. The curtains had been drawn around the baby's bed but I could still see the small wrapped bundle laying on the bed. Then a man and woman came in carrying a laundry basket. I watched as they gently placed the baby in the basket and covered and tuckered her up with a black cloth. The nurse asked the mother, still caring for the other two babies in the ICU 2 beds away, if she wanted to see her one last time. The mother said no. And then they carried the laundry basket away.<br />
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I knew this was something I would likely encounter here. In fact, it's partly why I came here. To learn from and help with and see the difficult cases. But it hurts so much. It hurts that children dying are not uncommon here. It hurts that both of these sweet baby girls would likely still be alive had they been in a hospital or country with better resources. I don't even know how to describe exactly what I'm feeling but I don't think I'll ever get the picture of that laundry basket out of my head.<br />
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I apologize to anyone reading this. It's not fair to put this burden on others but I needed to say something for my own sake.<br />
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And I also hope it may serve as a reminder of just how lucky we all are. So go hug your loved ones a little tighter for me please.<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-49460290298886792062017-01-22T17:06:00.001-05:002017-01-22T17:07:19.818-05:00Tanzania, Can't Wait to Meet 'Cha!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It looks like it's been quite a well since I posted anything here. I don't really have a good excuse other than, you know... life. It's been more of a 'processing things in my head rather than writing things down' kind of year.<br />
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BUT, that will change shortly, because...<br />
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I'm going to Tanzania for 7 weeks!<br />
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I mean, I couldn't really finish up med school without at least one more big adventure under my belt. <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2014/07/kodaikanal.html">You all know how I am...</a><br />
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I'm leaving at the end of this week and will return mid-end of March, right after Match Day actually (ahhhhhh). I'll first be spending 5 weeks on a pediatric rotation in Arusha; which will include working at both the main hospital and rural clinics in the mornings and the Child Growth and Development Centre in the afternoons. I'm particularly excited about this since the CGD focuses on HIV prevention
through education, while also working
to address the many orphans that
HIV has created in the community. The organization
partners with groups of Maasai
women who have taken children without families into their care. My work there will include the preparation of educational materials that will
help to provide the women’s groups with additional skills through training, monitoring the children and charting their health, and assisting with outreach efforts that will help to raise the
visibility and profile of CGD as an organization.<br />
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Once the program is complete, I plan on sticking around for another 2 weeks to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (or at least try... but it's right there guys... how could I not?!) and then spend the duration of Match Week in Zanzibar trying not to panic. And hopefully a Serengeti safari will happen at some point while I'm there too.<br />
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And to make things REALLY interesting... I'm going to be by myself. I have never had a problem traveling on my own (it's always scary, but enjoyable at the same time). But I will essentially be living and working on my own with all local docs while I'm there; no other students or international volunteers will be with me. This should hopefully mean that I will able to really be immersed in the experience and the local community but it will be incredibly challenging all the same.<br />
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No matter what, I'm really looking forward to this new adventure and am so grateful for another global health opportunity since it's something that I feel so passionately about and plan on making a part of my career for a long time. I also can't wait to see how I can apply what I learn to experiences back in the US medical world.<br />
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Since I plan on posting lots of pictures and updates on here throughout my time there, feel free to follow along!<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-55224073826520801292016-01-02T18:08:00.000-05:002016-01-02T18:09:12.580-05:00Soundtrack of 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Can you believe it's 2016 already?! I know, I know, that's what everyone says. But, seriously. I'm more than half-way done with medical school... when did that happen?!<br />
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I don't plan on starting this year off with anything quite as drastic as <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2015/01/going-pink-or-why-i-decided-to-no.html">last year</a> (although that pink hair may make another appearance at some point... you've been warned), but I did want to put at least a little "New Year" something in my tiny corner of the internet. </div>
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So. I'm probably a little late with this, but I thought I would share some of my favorite 2015 albums. But I don't mean the albums that I thought were "the best" of the year. These are the new albums that held some kind of significance for me this year -- the songs that were played on repeat to keep me from losing my mind studying for boards, that drowned out disappointments, put words to unprocessed emotions, kept me company on runs, car rides, and travels, and simply helped weaved together all of the memories and stories I have from this past year. So, in a sense, these albums and songs were my 2015 soundtrack.<br />
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This post may seem a bit self-centered, but I figured that if these albums meant something to me this past year, maybe they will mean something to someone who may read this for this new year. </div>
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Interestingly, some of my <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-new-music-yay.html">new finds at the beginning of last year</a>, stuck with me all the way through. Certainly makes me excited for new discoveries this year! </div>
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Okay, here we go, in no particular order:</div>
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<b>The Balcony</b> - Catfish and The Bottlemen</div>
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Oh man, I listed to this album <i>so much</i> this year. Whether studying, driving, or running, and in times of frustration, happiness, sadness... whatever and whenever. I think it will be on regular rotation for me for a long time. There seriously is not a bad song on it (although personal favorite is still Cocoon). </div>
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<b>Our Own House</b> - Misterwives<br />
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This was another album that I listened to constantly, in all types of moods and circumstances. And a big highlight of the year was getting to see them play live back in November with a dear friend. For some reason, it serves as a reminder to me to just have fun and be myself, other people's opinions be damned.<br />
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<b>If I Was</b> - The Staves<br />
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This album is so incredibly beautiful, yet so simple. These songs kept me company through both late nights and early mornings. They have stuck with me so much that I even find myself humming the melodies while walking around the hospital. Plus, I think I've said before, but their cover of "I'm on Fire" is an absolute must-listen.<br />
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<b>Chaos and the Calm</b> - James Bay<br />
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I love that this album has a little bit of everything. It just feels incredibly soulful to me. So much singing in the car with this one.<br />
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<b>Live at Carnegie Hall</b> - Ryan Adams<br />
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Not much explanation necessary here. This had me cracking up in the library during boards time, which is also ironic since most of these songs are beautifully sombre. But if you have listened to all 3.5 hours of this, then you understand. Ryan Adams' version of <b>1989</b> also gets an honorable mention.<br />
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Speaking of honorable mentions:<br />
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Okay, that's a lot of music. I kind of wish now I had done this for 2014 too (Hozier, Little Chief, little hurricane now that I'm thinking about it)!!<br />
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Hopefully this has inspired you to think about the songs that made up your 2015 and all of the memories that go with them.<br />
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Here's to a new year with lots more music and adventures!<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-42664710702105408872015-10-20T23:53:00.000-04:002015-10-25T12:24:34.896-04:00She Was My Patient<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She was my patient. A few months ago I was assigned to follow her case while on my General Surgery rotation. I was still only a mere 6 weeks into my transition from classroom med student bent over a book, to clinical rotation med student trying to figure out what the hell I was doing. As students, we are generally assigned only 1-2 patients at a time so that we can closely follow their hospital course. So she was my one patient. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw her every morning and evening in the days leading up to her surgery. I scrubbed in on her surgery, which was completed successfully with no complications. I helped the nurses clean her up after surgery. I encouraged her to get up and out of bed even though it was hard because I knew it was good for her. She was my patient. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But she was also a sad and lonely woman. So much so that when I was told to go home after a 14 hour day, I stayed and sat with her for a while, just to try to keep her company. We talked about her children, we (she) watched Fox News, and I chuckled as she explained to me that Donald Trump would make a great president (full disclosure: I asked her if she thought his hair was real).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two days later, she was declared to be stable and ready to go to a rehab facility to gain more strength back before going home. I said goodbye to her, knowing that she probably only had a few more years at most left, but that she would at least get some more time with her family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three days later I came in to the hospital in the morning and learned that she had been brought to the Emergency Department in the middle of the night. She was currently unconscious in the ICU. By the end of the day, it became clear that despite all of the resources of the medical team, she probably wouldn't make it through the night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't think we'll ever know what exactly caused her downward spiral. There may have been an accidental overdose of one of her medications, her body may have been too worn out to metabolize her medication, or she may have just plain started to shut down. No matter the problem, there was no way to fix it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the fact that nothing else could be done for her, she remained a "Full Code" as a result of some legal disputes within her family. This meant that we had to continue to pump her full of drugs, keep her on a ventilator, and when the time came, do CPR and any other required life-saving measures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She was my patient, and I felt completely powerless as I watched her body slowly shut down, and her suffering was prolonged. After three days, her body was in a condition that I hope to never see another person in again. When her blood pressure and pulse no longer became detectable, a code blue was called.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She was my patient; someone I tried to help heal, and so I made sure that I was there when the time finally came to end her care.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite being trained in cardiac life support, I had never been a part of an actual code before. I watched as the nurses and doctors set to work doing compressions, administering medicine, and searching for a pulse on a person who was already gone and couldn't come back. A pulse returned twice during the course of the code and both times everyone in the room let out a sigh, as if to say: "Why can't this poor woman just go in peace?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a medical student, the only thing I could do to help were chest compressions. When the time came, I stepped up on a stool, legs shaking, and put all of my energy into pressing on her chest. The nurses kindly told me I wasn't pressing hard enough, so I tried harder. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was disgusted with myself. I was making this poor woman, someone I knew, someone who just a week ago told me that "of course Trump's hair is real", suffer even more, solely for legal reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt like I was doing harm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When her death was finally pronounced, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. The nurses asked me if I was okay, that I looked so sad. "She was my patient."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have had a lot of difficulty processing that day. I've been told that everyone remembers their first code, that everyone remembers the first time they lose a patient, that we all go through it, it's just how things go, and that I knew this was going to happen when I went to medical school. All of this is true, but it doesn't necessarily make it any easier. I didn't think my first code would be my first patient death, and I didn't think it would be for someone who had zero hope of surviving. I wanted to go in to medicine to help people. I made a pledge to Do No Harm, and I felt as if I had gone against that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since that time, I have partaken in two other codes, both within the past few days. One had a good outcome, the other did not. But in both cases, we were fighting as hard as we could to get a heartbeat back because we <i>could </i>get it back. Because these people were still there, people with families and friends and lives to keep living.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so when the time came for me to do chest compressions, they went from seeming barbaric and cruel, to the most humane and <i>human</i> thing someone can do. I was putting every ounce of energy, everything I had, into keeping their hearts beating for them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I did not know either of these patients prior to the code, it is still never an easy thing to see another human being in that condition. It will never be easy to watch someone's life come to an end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have often worried how I will keep a healthy balance of emotions as I go on in my medical career. How do I keep my empathy and compassion without letting them consume and cloud my medical ability and my life outside of medicine? How do I not get weighed down by the unhappy outcomes without becoming numb to them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I got the chance to ask my attending this question after one of our recent codes. He explained to me that unfortunately many people tend to take life for granted until it is too late. People may have regrets about the way they lived: goals left unachieved, dreams remaining just dreams, truths never told. He said that as physicians and caretakers we have the extreme privilege of witnessing moments of mortality on a daily basis. We see lives ended too soon and unexpectedly. We know to not take life for granted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She was my patient. I will have many many other patients. I will lose many other patients. As a physician, I will see moments of pure despair and pure hope. But I know now that I can take all of the sadness I see and rather than let it weigh me down, let it be my reminder to keep going: to keep enjoying life, working hard, and not take anything for granted.</span></div>
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-31198898887067028532015-07-19T15:47:00.000-04:002015-07-19T15:47:04.784-04:00New Music for the Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello!<br />
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I have come out on the other side of step 1 of my board exams.. also known as medical student hell, and started actual rotations. Um, whoa. I'm still in the midst of processing boards, moving out of Philadelphia for the next year and starting working in the hospital (in Psych!), but hopefully I will share some random, funny stories and maybe even a little insight in the next few months.<br />
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In the meantime, it's summer, and I figure everyone can always use some new summer jams so I wanted to share my favorite recent discoveries that have been clogging up my spotify playlists, focusing mainly on some kick-ass women (does anyone else find it easier to curse in writing than speaking?).<br />
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I'll start off with the album that I would pick if I could only listen to one for the whole summer:<br />
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<b>"California Nights" - Best Coast</b><br />
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Best Coast has made a few albums reminiscent of surfer 1960's meets girl rock, but their new album, California Nights, also has a 90's alternative feel.<br />
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The songs progress how I imagine a day in the California sun would; from the steady, upbeat, let's-get-this-day-started "Feeling Ok", through the mellow, sunset-vibes of "California Nights", all the way to the restless end of the night with "Sleep Won't Ever Come".<br />
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<b>"My Love is Cool" - Wolf Alice</b><br />
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If you are more of a London grunge-rock kind of person, then look no further than Wolf Alice. This is a band that has been getting a lot of love lately, I'm just sad I didn't jump on the bandwagon sooner!<br />
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Perfect blend of rock, alternative, edge, and cheekiness.<br />
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<b>"Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit" - Courtney Barnett</b><br />
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Speaking of cheek, Australian rocker Courtney Barnett has tons. I can't help giggling as I listen to her fun and intelligent lyrics.<br />
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(Apologies for the clown)</div>
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<b>"If I Was" - The Staves</b><br />
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I first came across this trio of sisters a few years ago with their debut EP, "Mexico", but then they kind of fell off my radar unfortunately. But they once again have my full attention with this new album, produced by Justin Vernon. The harmonies and melodies are stripped down and insanely gorgeous.<br />
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Live Cover of "I'm on Fire" - not on the album but had to share</div>
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After a long day of playing out in the sun, listen to this under the stars, next to a fire, maybe with some s'mores. Definitely with s'mores.</div>
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I know I said I was all about this ladies this post but I would feel incredibly selfish if I didn't share these other two new favorites...<br />
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<b>"Coming Home" - Leon Bridges</b><br />
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You may listen to this album and think it was recorded in the 50's or 60's with the likes of Sam Cooke but I assure you it was only released a month ago.<br />
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Leon Bridges nails the 60's soul, blues vibe while still keeping his own modern twist. This album makes me so happy.<br />
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<b>Moon Taxi</b><br />
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This Brooklyn-based indie alternative band was a lucky discovery when I was at Governor's Ball last month (speaking of, Florence + The Machine: holy cow that woman is not human). None of us had heard of them before but we happened to catch them while waiting for the next set that we were planning on seeing- instantly hooked!<br />
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Their 2013 album "Mountains Beaches Cities" is addicting so I'm really looking forward to their upcoming release!<br />
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Okay, back to reading about personality disorders! Feel free to let me know what music you've been loving this summer!<br />
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Also this:<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-29195903765149107772015-02-15T11:16:00.001-05:002015-02-15T11:30:03.921-05:00New New Music, Yay!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been so long since I wrote a music post. Too long. But that is about to change because lately I have been so excited by some new bands that I have come across and really really really want to share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, let me preface this post by saying that I've noticed a subtle shift in some of my music choices as of late. I am still a full on folk, blues, rock, alternative, indie-folk, etc. kinda girl but the past few months I've been listening to a lot more indie-electronic-ish type music. A girl has to stay awake while studying the brain, ya feel me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, check out some of these bands and maybe you'll understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up: <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/5ivCbtrcD5N4rD337xIb2z">Misterwives</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first heard the single, Reflections, about a year ago, and ever since the EP has been on<i> heavy</i> rotation for me. So infectiously fun and awesome. I may or may not have danced down the sidewalk while listening and walking home from school (shhhhh!). Next week, their first full-length LP will be released, and I can't wait!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen. Listen now I say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And, then, you know, just because, Valentine's Day:</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/2xaAOVImG2O6lURwqperlD"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catfish & The Bottlemen</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going back to some good ol' British rock music. Or I guess, technically Welsh rock music? Doesn't sound as cool I think. But these guys are so darn cool. They are starting to gain quite a following and are playing a sold out show in Philly this week (damn you med school). Their debut album has also been on constant rotation for me. In particularly, the song below helped me survive studying for my latest Neuro exam, so I thought the music video was pretty ironic when I came across it...</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/6oFs3qk4VepIVFdoD4jmsy"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pvris</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of music that has been helping me survive studying lately: Pvris. Sometimes, you just need some angry girl rock music. Pvris is certainly a fresh new take on that: equal parts rock, electronic, pop, and bad-ass.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/3HZgaiR960RFqx9d4LPraD"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Districts</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some more repeat-worthy rock music (with a bit of a folk-y touch if you listen close). But this time a little bit more local. Lititiz, PA? Anyone? Bueller?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, their first full-length LP dropped this week and I was beyond thrilled. I will definitely be catching these guys at the Governor's Ball in a few months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, yeah, I'm going to the Governor's Ball. To celebrate being done with board exams. Boom.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/4fXkvh05wFhuH77MfD4m9o"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. Paul and The Broken Bones</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving from rock to some good old (new) blues and soul music. These guys will take you back to a different time. A time you won't want to leave as long as the music is this soulful.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/2e898fil1F5umrc2LBtV93"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caught a Ghost</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first came across these guys because of their cover songs (Sam Cooke, Madonna, AND Rilo Kiley?! Coolest covers ever), but when I listened to their original songs, I was even more hooked. Think Fitz & the Tantrums but, dare I say, better? More soulful goodness. But with an extra spin.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/1FF7wG3PnqUXBsLBIY3fVt"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dwntwn</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More electro-pop-ness. This duo will have you bouncing up and down in your chair. Not that I've done that. No sir.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/60TNJmdydd6J3cjnXvummS"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Violents</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Violents is a series of EPs featuring different female vocalists (Annie Williams, Olga of Kye Kye, and Stacy DuPree of Eisley) and music and lyrics by Jeremy Larsen of Sucre. These lyrics are some of the most beautiful I've heard in recent memory and these ladies have gorgeous voices that take them to a whole other level.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/5r5Va4lVQ1zjEfbJSrmCsS"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broods</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is another electro-pop duo but these guys are brother and sister and make music that is moody and a little dark but soothing all at the same time. If you are a fan of <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/2xe8IXgCTpwHE3eA9hTs4n">Banks</a> (which if you are not, there is something wrong with you), you will probably like these songs as well.</span><br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/7icuXw0lNKj60xhLrU8SK1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valise</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few months I've been looking forward to each new song from this indie rock group, slowly leading up to their first LP release, which is next week! Each song is a little different, but together they work so well and just make me plain happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last, but certainly not least: <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/2oQpz9DEfhuSbuT8hjhTDK">The New Basement Tapes</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm just going to quote Wikipedia on this one:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"P<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">roduced by </span>T Bone Burnett, The New Basement Tapes<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> is a collective of musicians—</span>Elvis Costello<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, </span>Rhiannon Giddens<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">,</span>Taylor Goldsmith<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, </span>Jim James<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> and </span>Marcus Mumford<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> Lost on the River consists of a series of tracks based on recently uncovered lyrics handwritten by </span>Bob Dylan<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> in 1967"</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">It doesn't get much better than that.</span></span><br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-69022849623916362072015-01-08T15:57:00.001-05:002015-01-08T15:57:59.262-05:00Going Pink, or, Why I Decided to No Longer Give a Damn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I went pink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ljWGdNGqKGMiQYyGPSzVe3UCVJXTQT6qlX6XXjUItIZP-A7DCFwqg6MAtsYffl6UgACk-abxgw8rA-U1bAOt2EWxb5lRwtEpsAkirDRYCk7hijycaZdcGHxD9cAOnekTFjWZu9swrg0/s1600/IMG_2553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ljWGdNGqKGMiQYyGPSzVe3UCVJXTQT6qlX6XXjUItIZP-A7DCFwqg6MAtsYffl6UgACk-abxgw8rA-U1bAOt2EWxb5lRwtEpsAkirDRYCk7hijycaZdcGHxD9cAOnekTFjWZu9swrg0/s1600/IMG_2553.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphjovxRHPYYHs9nc3vLl2kFzMYtThVRwgiEAYXhkyPET8xRfxKrr3af7O3GcQhTctY1ZuW_wGBDdFBfhTmm7_HLTHnWKEq5yAsj_qkYX2e9qmi8TxF4WzQ_rEIck8knb6gdM37a6X_VI/s1600/IMG_2566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphjovxRHPYYHs9nc3vLl2kFzMYtThVRwgiEAYXhkyPET8xRfxKrr3af7O3GcQhTctY1ZuW_wGBDdFBfhTmm7_HLTHnWKEq5yAsj_qkYX2e9qmi8TxF4WzQ_rEIck8knb6gdM37a6X_VI/s1600/IMG_2566.jpg" height="320" width="187" /></a></div>
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I think it's safe to say I shocked some people with this decision, including myself.<br />
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Anytime I have seen other girls with "pink ombre" hair or a similar colored hair style, I always thought it was pretty, but even more so, I found it playful, whimsical, and light-hearted...happy even. And if you know me pretty well, hopefully you can agree that my personality may also fit that description, or at least I try to remember to keep as light-hearted a perspective as a 20-something girl in medical school can have (spoiler: it's kind of difficult at times).<br />
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But I was always too nervous to stray from my normal blonde hair for fear of being viewed as unprofessional, wild, or rebellious, because that seems to be the general stereotype for any color of hair that isn't brunette, blonde, black, or red... and I don't mean cherry red. And as someone who wanted to get into medical school, be taken seriously, and viewed as being responsible, then having pink hair was out of the question.<br />
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This blog post is actually not about stereotypes or breaking stereotypes, etc. That is a much more complicated topic for a different time. Especially in the medical world. In fact, I have to admit that part of my decision was made on the basis that come July when I start hospital rotations, pink hair will be viewed as a big no-no.<br />
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This post is actually about being true to yourself, other people's opinions be damned.<br />
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After spending way too much time and effort worrying about what other people thought about how I acted, how I looked, and what I said, I decided to just not care so much any more and do what makes me happy. So I dyed (part of) my hair pink.<br />
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It may not fit with the quiet, non-cursing (other than my use of the word "damn" above), med student that many people see, but it's just another way for me to show my inner self on the outside. It may be a self that not everyone knows and even one that I'm still learning about, but it's still just me, and I make no apologies or excuses for that.<br />
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So the next time you second guess doing something that will make you happy because you are afraid of what other people may think: don't. Be a little bold and dye your hair pink.<br />
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-3998237893772927472014-11-01T20:33:00.002-04:002014-11-01T20:33:38.925-04:00Not Succeeding Does Not Equal Failing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've all been there.<br />
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You set a goal for yourself: something as simple as completing a daily task, or something on a larger, more important scale, like getting in to medical school.<br />
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And when we achieve those goals, there is always that flying-high, sense of accomplishment. Obviously, things like getting accepted to school or a job promotion have a much bigger sense of fulfillment than doing your laundry, but no matter how big or small, when we are able to complete a challenge that we set ourselves there is a feeling of victory and success.<br />
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Take that world: I passed my exam/got my dream job/washed the dishes.<br />
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Unfortunately, this means that when things don't go how we planned or hoped they would, those nagging feelings of self-doubt tend to pop up. You start listening to those voices in the back of your head that say you're a failure, you're not good enough. And it can be very difficult to make those thoughts shut-up and go away. <br />
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I'm hoping that this is not necessarily how everyone feels, but it's a pattern I've increasingly noticed in my medical school bubble and our over-achieving generation, <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2012/04/five-years-lots-of-debt-and-no-more-joy.html">thanks in part to constantly comparing ourselves to others via social media</a>. It's also something that I've struggled with a lot myself, more so than ever when I was applying to a medical school<br />
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The first time I applied to school, I was put on the wait list and ultimately was not accepted. To me, that meant that I was a complete and utter failure, that I was not as good or as smart as my peers, and it's still hard to rid myself of that sense of shame I felt. Even admitting it here is still incredibly difficult.<br />
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When I did finally accept that maybe not getting in to medical school did not mean that I was a failure, I got my acceptance letter. But in an environment of exams, boards, and residency applications with other like-minded goal-oriented people, it's sometimes difficult to remember to be objective and positive about goals.<br />
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Ironically, my most recent struggle with this concept was not at all related to school or medicine. Last year I set myself the goal of running my first half-marathon, which I did, and went on to run two more. So, of course, this year I decided to challenge myself to run a full marathon.<br />
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If you've ever run a marathon or a half-marathon then you know it takes time to build up your mileage in order to help prevent injury. <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2014/07/kodaikanal.html">I was a little busy this summer</a> and so was not able to put in the time training that I would have liked. Then, of course, I jumped right back in to school, complete with a brand new grueling schedule. Despite all of this, I was still determined to run a full marathon come November. But trying to find the necessary amount of time to run became stressful, which kind of <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2013/11/why-i-run.html">defeats the purpose</a>. My body and muscles were also not being cooperative and I began to realize that if I pushed myself as quickly I needed to in order to catch up with training, there was a good chance I would injure myself. Despite all of this, it still took me two months to finally admit to myself that I would not be running a marathon this year.<br />
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Even though I knew that not running the race would actually be better for me both mentally and physically, I couldn't admit it because, to me, it would have meant that I failed. But I know now that I didn't. I am doing what is best for me right now and simply putting a bit of a hold on running a marathon. Just because I didn't achieve my goal, does not mean that I failed.<br />
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This long, personal story is my way of saying that even if you don't succeed at every goal you have set yourself, if you are not exactly where you wanted to be at this point in your life, you have not failed. Plans change, adjustments must be made, the unexpected happens... nothing ever goes exactly as we would like it. Every triumph (and, yes, laundry counts in my book) is a success, and every setback is a lesson learned.<br />
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So the next time you feel like you "failed" at something, remember that just because you did not succeed, that does not mean you failed. As long as you don't let it hold you back, or you learn something from it, well, then that's a win in my book.</div>
Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-84029464571834648622014-08-28T23:34:00.000-04:002014-08-28T23:35:19.078-04:00Broken Hearts in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is Sam.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFd-rQAZSV4sK1rl7X8r9JlCmD26XYqsBCYKqiLsff-VZLhgaqeyfnP5o5rw0phNugP6gR67Xqx5t23d7WsB6bxtwfuUrzpfwCbQ1j_HzZnIvobHbSDLtwC5iY95QaketTQ3AqE9Ymxg/s1600/DSC_0152.jpg" height="640" width="427" /></div>
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Sam is a little under the age of 3 and lives in Kodaikanal, in the mountains of southern India. Like many of the other local families, Sam's parents probably make less than $1.50 a day... which has to go a long way towards housing, food, clothing, water, and other necessities for the whole family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ocraZKh8e9wN3yncg90aYI7vef4LJZEb2WKXTszONwCLPKXUt5JHLg-Nnn7IrVCtfYmkAYMzuIrT1iVqADGKWcUkoy5yfgvCQyaOP3rBsGWC1KE7hBK2TMmmuU9Wd1QDMLepLOMwJfM/s1600/DSC_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ocraZKh8e9wN3yncg90aYI7vef4LJZEb2WKXTszONwCLPKXUt5JHLg-Nnn7IrVCtfYmkAYMzuIrT1iVqADGKWcUkoy5yfgvCQyaOP3rBsGWC1KE7hBK2TMmmuU9Wd1QDMLepLOMwJfM/s1600/DSC_0054.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJToEv1s6R2Y4fVgqcmYAN7D-9yc4JmuUhgR9KXB6uLpCe9ZSBjJhwdLvGg5vf6inmpOSmS6QUq_d_qJ39DRZS2EM51YydlEzzWqEPqGj-RTYlasMkHOfi2nBTBt4HwnRDPqnst2_pVME/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJToEv1s6R2Y4fVgqcmYAN7D-9yc4JmuUhgR9KXB6uLpCe9ZSBjJhwdLvGg5vf6inmpOSmS6QUq_d_qJ39DRZS2EM51YydlEzzWqEPqGj-RTYlasMkHOfi2nBTBt4HwnRDPqnst2_pVME/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sam spends his days at one of the creches along with many of the other 3-5 year olds in the community. Here, he is provided with high-calorie meals, multivitamins, and regular health checks in addition to the lessons taught by the teachers and the opportunity to play with other kids.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr-IDGDhwZdK22vnuy5DWd1FE649OFK89SjfcfB85QEsWrJkzTGVfllbx2Gqs90tIiDqX33Iy4bgvFdd8tJR2Sww7BPb6i824A5wgeQwAtEKeMkORVXXdwGeaY0FIuvj5THZGkavKLM0/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr-IDGDhwZdK22vnuy5DWd1FE649OFK89SjfcfB85QEsWrJkzTGVfllbx2Gqs90tIiDqX33Iy4bgvFdd8tJR2Sww7BPb6i824A5wgeQwAtEKeMkORVXXdwGeaY0FIuvj5THZGkavKLM0/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, Sam doesn't get much of a chance to play with the other children at the creche or participate in some of the activities. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICIq-yrYPOdlHOB0tTeBkGw8qa2uQ34twl45erwFc1NEmRDM6WIdqz9RQagPhBhjrjleyvChCtPwdP_yJVd6TtoouiHB_qs4XwlX1s6S_N_7Xx-fcLB7Pk9ETbJjDTvf2yUaRU5o5UxM/s1600/DSC_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICIq-yrYPOdlHOB0tTeBkGw8qa2uQ34twl45erwFc1NEmRDM6WIdqz9RQagPhBhjrjleyvChCtPwdP_yJVd6TtoouiHB_qs4XwlX1s6S_N_7Xx-fcLB7Pk9ETbJjDTvf2yUaRU5o5UxM/s1600/DSC_0153.JPG" height="560" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's because Sam was born with multiple ventricular septal defects, meaning he has several holes in his heart. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8HbxIEmjH88maMnhDYBoqTfKZzsKQReOPn3wEeiWnf5lUDbuDOc8_NRyf49NIwHa7Z8NcKR5AtgjED7w-Zeq82qCQ_mRJ9Wwfre4IMhd1hkkwaDxXe4ZowGhjfCBRbnJcRJ85bqHHu8/s1600/IMG_1931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8HbxIEmjH88maMnhDYBoqTfKZzsKQReOPn3wEeiWnf5lUDbuDOc8_NRyf49NIwHa7Z8NcKR5AtgjED7w-Zeq82qCQ_mRJ9Wwfre4IMhd1hkkwaDxXe4ZowGhjfCBRbnJcRJ85bqHHu8/s1600/IMG_1931.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sam stole my heart my very first day at the creche before I even knew about his condition.<br />
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He was an adorable, quiet, very small boy in an inside-out red sweater who seemed a little sad and was keeping mainly to himself. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't participating in the activities with the other kids. Then, when the doctor came for the weekly health checks I learned about Sam's congenital heart defect.<br />
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I listened to his heart and heard the loudest, most obvious murmur I have yet to hear, distinctly hearing the whooshing of the blood being shunted from one side of the heart to the other through the holes. The oxygen-rich blood in the left side of the heart goes through the holes back to the right side of the heart and mixes with the deoxygenated blood. This puts an enormous strain on the heart and lungs. In order to try to compensate, his heart has become enlarged and pumps at a much faster rate than normal. He also has pulmonary hypertension, which means that breathing is not easy for him, and he must take a host of daily medications in order to combat his heart failure (including digoxin and furosemide for the medical people who are reading this).<br />
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Despite how young he is, Sam is by no means oblivious to his condition and is an extremely smart little boy. He doesn't play with the other kids because he knows that just a little bit of activity is too much for his heart to handle. We could tell that there were some days when he felt worse or was more sad. One week he would sit and play, shyly smiling and laughing as I showed him pictures of my dog, the next week we couldn't get him to smile despite all of our best efforts.<br />
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All of the volunteers felt invested in Sam's case and we wanted to know what was going to happen to him.VSDs are actually one of the more common congenital heart defects but can often close on their own with time or conservative treatment based on how large they are. In cases such as Sam's where the VSD results in pulmonary hypertension and heart failure and is too large to close on it's own, surgical intervention is required to close the holes.<br />
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While open-heart surgery on a young child is a big deal in any part of the world, finding the means to have the surgery done is not much of a hardship in the US and other developed countries. This is not the case in Kodaikanal. The doctor informed us that for now they were waiting to see if his condition improved and if he became stronger for surgery, but even if that was the case, the resources and funds that he would need were just not available. He told us that Sam would most likely not live to be a teenager.<br />
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I struggled in that moment, feeling overwhelmed by so many emotions: frustration, sadness, anger, gratitude, determination...<br />
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Here was this sweet little boy, who should have his whole life in front of him, but because he was born in a part of the world that has less opportunities than where I was born, he isn't going to get the chance to live a full life.<br />
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Saying goodbye to him my last day at the creche was a very difficult moment, and my heart still breaks every time I think about Sam, but he is my reminder for all of the reasons I want to be a doctor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHTfiBVMKHLrQyhDfreZNRNaSAII6_pBIS0VIAmaX3V9rNaOhq27IYUqb4prxp85h3dqD7-t6DOrgT95V6Kb8_McpSO78glBYxHGmGaPNU7GvrwiPlcK56tDU7PD9-ibRQ4xpNxNDKUY/s1600/DSC_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHTfiBVMKHLrQyhDfreZNRNaSAII6_pBIS0VIAmaX3V9rNaOhq27IYUqb4prxp85h3dqD7-t6DOrgT95V6Kb8_McpSO78glBYxHGmGaPNU7GvrwiPlcK56tDU7PD9-ibRQ4xpNxNDKUY/s1600/DSC_0150.JPG" height="486" width="640" /></a></div>
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In those moments when it doesn't seem worth it, and I lose sight of why I am doing this, I'm going to remember Sam and keep working towards a world where all children, no matter where they live, have access to the care that they need.<br />
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If you would like to also help make steps towards my goal, please consider donating to the organization that I volunteered with so they can continue offering medical care and nutrition to underserved kids all over the world: <a href="http://www.fimrc.org/">http://www.fimrc.org</a></div>
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-39036997979395949322014-07-17T08:01:00.001-04:002014-07-17T08:04:56.906-04:00India Week 2I have now been in India for over two weeks and still feeling so happy to be here. Our group now has 8 people, all from different backgrounds, religions, and cities but our quirky little group somehow works pretty well. Riding in a van with 11 (soon to be 12) people can get pretty interesting though. <div><br></div><div>Our days still consist of going to the hospitals in the mornings and the crèches in the afternoons. The crèches are still my favorite for obvious reasons:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0IpFJrQS0KD2R-G_buZd4iNlFUn-Vt6Y6gyuNlPqnZtNHvdKbGmt9Hs9pyOHZhCdQR2bR6uMX-pW62N9fty9bBoUaJXhHXjRgPOuND1Xj0A-fZOEwNj6n_UmyNy7XGyT3ikF8-wcCmo/s640/blogger-image-350187251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0IpFJrQS0KD2R-G_buZd4iNlFUn-Vt6Y6gyuNlPqnZtNHvdKbGmt9Hs9pyOHZhCdQR2bR6uMX-pW62N9fty9bBoUaJXhHXjRgPOuND1Xj0A-fZOEwNj6n_UmyNy7XGyT3ikF8-wcCmo/s640/blogger-image-350187251.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The difference in healthcare is astounding mainly because most of the people here can not afford much care. One thing that is particularly interesting is that Indians have a notion that an injection, or "oozie", will make them better, so I've seen several patients who ask for an injection even if they don't need it. The doctor may then give them a vitamin injection so that they don't go looking for treatment from someone who is not qualified (also common here). However, parents use the threat of an "oozie" to discipline children so kids are often terrified of seeing the doctor or getting a shot, no difference there I suppose though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nS1rZ3V4FdwdKQW2Ytm3QFhX-GZDqCjFbn616CvVG2TRWMddApShmYmzB5T_QIKBKXvRwRm37TvFWQUCMcl6oihtFgIWVeaS-ap0bpmy17TIwaMtKdhHaLvOmee9b30s7vIvpq6U5oM/s640/blogger-image-1195816102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nS1rZ3V4FdwdKQW2Ytm3QFhX-GZDqCjFbn616CvVG2TRWMddApShmYmzB5T_QIKBKXvRwRm37TvFWQUCMcl6oihtFgIWVeaS-ap0bpmy17TIwaMtKdhHaLvOmee9b30s7vIvpq6U5oM/s640/blogger-image-1195816102.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Pasam is the charity hospital here that was started by a doctor, Dr. Maskarenez who is now 85, still practicing, and probably the most incredible person I ever met. He got his medical degree in Germany and then came back to India to practice. He traveled in a van from village to village seeing and treating people who had no local doctor. People would line up by the hundreds to come see him as he practiced in a hut or out the back of his van. He then started the Pasam hospital in Kodaikanal, where patients are not charged (although they have had to start charging a little due to limited funding) but even now still goes out to the more rural villages to see people who would otherwise have to travel long distances on the mountain roads. Since he has medical ties in Germany, every spring a team of German plastic surgeons comes to Pasam to evaluate and operate on 100-200 people who would never be able to afford such surgeries otherwise. The majority of the patients are burn victims, many who had attempted suicide after believing they brought dishonor on their family or women who disappointed their mother-in-law or future husband ("dowry death"). As a result, people who had previously been debilitated and needed care can once again lead normal lives. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Dr. Maskarenez is traveling to Delaware soon to visit his son and he said he would give me a call if he goes to Philadelphia! In between visiting terminally ill patients of course as he does whenever he is in the US.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last week at Pasam I got to debrie and dress a diabetic foot that was so bad you could see many of the muscles in her foot (I'll spare you guys the picture). Diabetes is very common here and difficult to control due to the local diet (lots of rice) and medication. This poor little old lady probably cut her foot at some point but didn't realize it. She then got a staph infection that spread resulting in cellulitis and necrosis over most of her foot and part of her leg. It was the first time I ever had to "treat" someone who had something really wrong with them. I hated causing her more pain even though I knew that it was helping her, but it was still difficult. Afterward, she was so incredibly grateful, as she is every single day when we redress the wound and clear off the slough (those of us who aren't helping, hold her hand and sing her songs to make her feel better).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">All of the patients here are always so grateful to their doctors, no one gets mad about having to wait or complains about their treatment. They are just glad that someone is trying to help make hem feel better. And I'm grateful too that I can be a part of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-GQYY5oZoYHLkLmdCPS72ekhPg-pZ_rL8gqQyDcLKrPXJVJnyufG6-iMyFmZfIUVgXarIcrSENaTWpBfrjdoPKpg6lZcrlZ2IrbdKv7Awfl5l5cr6n9sg2gKUu4EfAzJikVCF1jlL68/s640/blogger-image-1491708770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-GQYY5oZoYHLkLmdCPS72ekhPg-pZ_rL8gqQyDcLKrPXJVJnyufG6-iMyFmZfIUVgXarIcrSENaTWpBfrjdoPKpg6lZcrlZ2IrbdKv7Awfl5l5cr6n9sg2gKUu4EfAzJikVCF1jlL68/s640/blogger-image-1491708770.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Switching gears: this past weekend we took a trip to Kanyakumari, a beach town at the tip of India where the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal meet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot970snJNeOtcVI5RcROKJDQ-UlrVqRu5JwfdNJxS7j4rad1K1xwsNLxmMSHHyIkmZtckR1EsQ0csuLQbxpsE86N_8sQ_IJelHAyp9gNOahBq8oCIBptpyFX4JuKFvsQWbMgm78Ms7Rg/s640/blogger-image--456210663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot970snJNeOtcVI5RcROKJDQ-UlrVqRu5JwfdNJxS7j4rad1K1xwsNLxmMSHHyIkmZtckR1EsQ0csuLQbxpsE86N_8sQ_IJelHAyp9gNOahBq8oCIBptpyFX4JuKFvsQWbMgm78Ms7Rg/s640/blogger-image--456210663.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>It was so nice to be around warm weather (it seriously has not been warmer than 70 degrees here) and relax a litte. We had a great time seeing the Gandhi Memorial, Vivekananda Rock Memorial (to the left in picture below) and one of the biggest statues in Asia of Tamil poet-saint, Thiruvallular (to the right), and just walking around the colorful town and sitting on the beach (we couldn't go in the water since a local had disappeared while swimming two days before). Because it is on the tip of the continent you can see both the sun set and rise over the water. However, despite getting up at 5 am, we were unable to see either due to the clouds on the horizon. We were lucky enough to watch the Super Moon rise over the ocean while we sat on a rock pier that extended out into the ocean.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJZSam5oXcEbRjZfDFRpCdwz2zv_lnnba4LTc3PGwbbd_MD-cF-CFK5-LsCDMeLAGKU03wJx1R43gYKCul55ZDwP7yhDMG-x8LABWIzl7lMFmo0oPBml0w6iIH7OZ8xQfYoTpbVe4zE/s640/blogger-image-367775147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJZSam5oXcEbRjZfDFRpCdwz2zv_lnnba4LTc3PGwbbd_MD-cF-CFK5-LsCDMeLAGKU03wJx1R43gYKCul55ZDwP7yhDMG-x8LABWIzl7lMFmo0oPBml0w6iIH7OZ8xQfYoTpbVe4zE/s640/blogger-image-367775147.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl62UnR4zlywko0vF2zKHaidMJP2xjSZ5XuQYF2v6wspTuxaIo_NbN9OhjEd4Be4i7PYRzOPhMH66kj0wvSkI7V_mt-pCWvI9-x-vWQvNH7ZbSn_hJW5gN_Q4aDy8q1HuGXOq2UQbxLU/s640/blogger-image-329267688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl62UnR4zlywko0vF2zKHaidMJP2xjSZ5XuQYF2v6wspTuxaIo_NbN9OhjEd4Be4i7PYRzOPhMH66kj0wvSkI7V_mt-pCWvI9-x-vWQvNH7ZbSn_hJW5gN_Q4aDy8q1HuGXOq2UQbxLU/s640/blogger-image-329267688.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Overall, it's been another week of eye-opening experiences and fun silly times. </div>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-82647884052687963362014-07-05T10:40:00.001-04:002014-07-05T10:44:05.549-04:00KodaikanalSo. I'm in Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu region in southern India) for the next three weeks (I've been here for a full week) volunteering with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children (www.fimrc.org). <div><br></div><div>In my first week here I've already seen so many things that are entirely different from what I'm used to seeing in the US. One question I got asked a lot this week was: Why India (FIMRC also has sites in Peru, El Salvadro, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Uganda)? My answer: It's something different.</div><div><br></div><div>The Indian culture is beautiful and unique, something that I become more convinced of each day I am here. But I think that many people forget that India is a third world country. In a culture with women who are dressed in beautiful colors and gold jewelry, large weddings, and Bollywood, it's easy to overlook the villages where people work 7 days a week doing hard labor to provide for their families and children are often malnourished. </div><div><br></div><div>Kodaikanal is one such place, but you may not realize it at first glance. High up in the mountains of Tamil Nadu, many people come to Kodaikanal for vacations to escape the scorching temperatures of the plains (even in summer it doesn't get much hotter than 75 degrees) and take in the sweeping views. As a result, there are many large and beautiful summer homes and hotels here that may only be occupied for a few weeks throughout the whole year. In sharp contrast to these empty mansions are homes made of pieces of tin, mud and sticks where entire families live in a single room. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">In these households both parents must work all the time in order to provide for their families but it oftentimes is not enough. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Due to these conditions, in addition to the fact that the only way to get to the town is a several hour drive on narrow roads that wind up the mountain, many of the people who live here, especially the kids, do not have access to adequate healthcare. Malnourishment and respiratory infections are extremely common in the child population while osteoarthritis, diabetes, and muscle strains are a part of life for many of the adults here. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">My first three days here were spent in the crèches (similar to preschools, for children age 2-5 whose families can't afford to send their kids to other schools) measuring the kids' heights, weights, and arm circumferences. The majority of them were underweight for their age. In the afternoon, the doctor came to examine the children who were sick that week. Out of 40 or so kids, about 15 were sick. Many of the kids had handkerchiefs pinned to their clothes because runny noses and coughs are everyday occurrences for children who live in houses with several people and little ventilation. It broke my heart, but they were still just normal kids playing and trying to get our attention, completely oblivious to their missing buttons, inside out sweaters, and runny noses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Hopefully in the coming weeks I'll write more about the differences in healthcare, life here in India, and my experiences in the hospitals and crèches and all that I've learned, but for now I just wanted to say that I'm here in Kodaikanal and I'm here because there are people and kids who need help even though it's sometimes easy to overlook. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures..next time!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-14760755682876278792014-06-22T16:33:00.000-04:002014-06-22T16:33:32.684-04:00Hitting Reset<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I made it through my first year of medical school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were moments when I wasn't sure if I would make it through, but even in those times, I have never once regretted my choice. But I certainly have come out on the other side a different person than when I started school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I could write this post about all of the ways I've changed this year and all that I've learned, but to be honest, I'm not quite sure yet myself. I know that I had many good moments filled with laughs and met lots of wonderful people that I hope will be life-long friends. But I've also had many learning experiences, some that were challenging and disheartening, and saw some of the ugly parts of society and life (an inevitability in the medical field). And now that I have a chance to stop and take a breath before starting the next year of my medical education, I'm going to take the opportunity to hit the Reset button.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There are the <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2013/11/why-i-run.html">everyday types of hitting reset</a>. But I think that it's also important for everyone, at pivotal moments, whether that's a milestone birthday, a career change, a break-up, or coming off of a particularly challenging year, to stop and take a moment for themselves. "Reset" doesn't mean that you erase and forget all of the bad stuff, because bad experiences, even more so than the good, are how we learn and grow. To me, Reset just means letting go of everything that is weighing you down: the worries, regrets, and what-if's, and instead reflecting on and embracing the lessons learned, successes and achievements, and all of the blessings in life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you are anything like me, this may be easier said then done. I've found that the best way for me to get out of my own head is to get away from everything that I know (my safety zone) and go back to the things that I love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is not the reason why I decided to go to <a href="http://www.fimrc.org/india">India with the FIMRC</a>. But it's what is keeping my anxiety about traveling to Asia for 6 weeks at a minimum. I love traveling and seeing new places and people and it's always been a dream to help offer medical relief to kids in other countries who truly need it, but I'm also looking forward to getting away from my life here for a bit. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Kodaikanal, India</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The key though is to <i>get</i> away, not <i>run</i> away. You can't run away from your problems or the difficult parts of life, but it's good to sometimes take a step back and then look at things with a new perspective. And what better way to do that than to get out of your comfort zone and have new experiences? Although, your version of getting away does not have to be as extreme as volunteering in a country on the opposite side of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Don't worry, my entries when I'm in India won't be this self-centered. I hope to share everything that I see and learn which I know will be a great deal. And I plan on coming back (the day before classes start, ah!) feeling "reset" and with a greater appreciation for all of the opportunities that I have been lucky to have, and hopefully feeling as if I made even a small difference in the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, on Friday I will be off on a new adventure, and maybe you too can hit "reset" and have a fresh start this summer. </span></div>
Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-45989273809187130042014-05-16T21:22:00.000-04:002014-05-16T21:53:30.673-04:0050% Happier and Summer Travels<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Checking in halfway through the #100happydays challenge, and guess what? I feel happier! Go figure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, I was happy before (I will forever be that annoyingly optimistic person who says "Things could always be worse!"), and there were plenty of non-happy moments these past 50 days (read: med school), but <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2014/03/100-happy-days.html">like I said</a>, I was starting to focus too much on the negative and forgetting about all the little happy, positive things in my day-to-day life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So starting on my 25th birthday, I began to try to focus on and capture one (or two) things that made me happy each day. Sometimes it was very easy, like having great friends who spoiled me for my birthday:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes it was something as simple as looking up while walking home and seeing the full moon, a silly note, or making pizza on a rainy Friday night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I started noticing patterns of things that make me the happiest. My happiest moments seem to often be related to being outside (especially running), music, and food...but most importantly, spending time with my family and friends.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">My favorite picture is still the very first one I took. <br />A mother-daughter birthday dinner (and some awesome Belgian beer) </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Around Day 20-25, I also started noticing that I was going about smiling for no reason, feeling extra appreciative, and had an extra bounce in my step again. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Back when I used to bounce and hop a lot more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">And didn't have hands apparently.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And more and more I realized that it helps to smile, even if you don't always feel like smiling, even if there is nothing in particular to smile about (cue the Charlie Chaplin music), because eventually there will be something to smile about, and worrying and frowning is not going to make the time go by any faster or easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In short, I can say that only halfway done and the 100 happy days challenge has been a success. So if you were considering doing the challenge, but haven't yet, hopefully this will convince you to give it a try.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The second half of the challenge should be even more interesting. I will be finishing up my first year of med school and then doing this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Oh, you know, just going to spend four weeks in India working with kids in a health clinic followed by traveling to Vietnam, Thailand, and Bali. Just an ordinary summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can bet your bottom dollar that I will be chronicling those adventures here, so stay tuned if you're interested in following along with my (hopefully) exciting and (slightly...probably...definitely) scary adventures this summer!</span></div>
<br />Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-56139448751966229722014-03-27T12:49:00.000-04:002014-03-27T12:49:08.877-04:00100 Happy Days<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been more than 100 days since I last wrote here. And they certainly were not all happy days. It was a long, cold winter spent studying the "Cellular and Molecular Basis of Medicine". And I'll admit it: <a href="http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/post/74408097231/progression-of-learning-in-med-school">I let it get to me</a>. My cynicism (and even bitterness) related to school, which equates to my life in general, reached a peak this winter. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I generally consider myself to be an optimistic and positive person. I try to look on the bright side, find joy in the little things, and I truly believe that things will always work out for the best. But, between the bitter cold that prevented time outside and the massive amount of studying I had to do just to keep up with school, I became pretty negative. And I don't like being that kind of person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But now there are signs of spring in the air (not counting that snow we had a few days ago), I passed my second semester of med school, and, oh yeah, I turn 25 tomorrow. There's no better time for a fresh start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, in order to get my "happy" back and to start off my quarter of a century year in a positive way, I've decided to join the <a href="http://100happydays.com/">#100HappyDays</a> challenge, starting tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Haven't heard of it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All you have to do is share a picture every day, for 100 days straight, of something that made you happy that day. You can share it via a social media platform (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter... just use the hashtag #100happydays or your own hashtag), or it's something you can just keep to yourself. It's not meant to be a happiness competition, but it certainly is a challenge: 71% of people who started the challenge have not finished due to "not having enough time". We shouldn't have to make time in our day to be happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By consciously trying to find something in each day that makes you happy, by the end you hopefully will remember to appreciate all the good things in your life, and about life in general, as well as be more optimistic and a happier person. At least, that's what I'm hoping to get out of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the busyness and stressfulness of everyday life, but I think that if you really look, even on the worst days, there's always little moments and flashes of joy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So no matter how much you have to do, or how little time you have (see what I did there?), there's always time to be happy. Sometimes, we just need reminding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Feel free to follow along with my 100 happy days on Instagram <a href="http://instagram.com/mandilyn">@mandilyn</a>. Or, even better, start the challenge yourself! Just sign up on the website at the link above!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's to a happy Spring!</span></div>
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-75991595528011939392013-11-11T14:39:00.000-05:002014-06-22T16:33:49.841-04:00Why I Run<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have officially survived my first term as a med student.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Getting through anatomy has not been easy by any means, but I ended up coping with it easier than I thought I would. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing that really helped me to stay sane these past few months was running.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgj8AN2hRlEE0wxt0X7gu1W3ACJXasi81i7pb3QOfrPiZXGu9TZkEoiKGpaZydZBtO52NQzBVaOy2Udf6D63eoxWNBMw1BKqZI2fd1odvc-k2ryu9a3gwKMykSvcNuhFkzn2yexdS7oUU/s1600/IMG_0893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgj8AN2hRlEE0wxt0X7gu1W3ACJXasi81i7pb3QOfrPiZXGu9TZkEoiKGpaZydZBtO52NQzBVaOy2Udf6D63eoxWNBMw1BKqZI2fd1odvc-k2ryu9a3gwKMykSvcNuhFkzn2yexdS7oUU/s320/IMG_0893.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I've always loved running, but I've often fell victim to the "I don't have time" argument in the past. But over the past few years I've learned that being outside and taking the time to do something for myself are usually the times when I am happiest (#tooniceadaytobeinside). So I knew that if I wanted to make it through school without being a total mess, I would have to make no excuses and try to get outside and run (or bike, or hike, etc.) as much as possible.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlRbrmnl31f2XJsLSIy-wN2NBtfhjPmWv_-TDdF_5xMwYMWYffHoB1VM3TrCPJPB_qqccEET-IKdeY2WYxeh1soDFzILafrMusulTilH0ZG6JWNcF0t5NX_PO9W1zNBt1GAm2EUdzwJ8/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlRbrmnl31f2XJsLSIy-wN2NBtfhjPmWv_-TDdF_5xMwYMWYffHoB1VM3TrCPJPB_qqccEET-IKdeY2WYxeh1soDFzILafrMusulTilH0ZG6JWNcF0t5NX_PO9W1zNBt1GAm2EUdzwJ8/s320/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There were many many days when I had to combat the panicking feeling that I couldn't take time out from studying or the overwhelming need to just take a nap, but I knew that once I forced myself to put on my running shoes and just do it (that's not a Nike endorsement by the way) I would feel better and not regret it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Those runs, whether they were a quick 20 minute study beak or long and steady, have been the times when I feel the most confident and happy. For a brief period of time, I can look at the sky and the trees, get lost in my steps or whatever 90's pop-punk song I'm jamming out to, and let my mind be completely free of everything in my life that I don't have control over. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS59sIJPud_T76QX_WPdwFMeWNL8wGBpxyt6qLPxOa-z_aCEMFOGgLseuwnjQhxSIv6KIbNzUN56FpDIF4pNUw3ao8JSZ13l8DW3DFq5z_0_Hors7nocLUJRZMyFYgRJhdV3Lh2Ywwh-Q/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS59sIJPud_T76QX_WPdwFMeWNL8wGBpxyt6qLPxOa-z_aCEMFOGgLseuwnjQhxSIv6KIbNzUN56FpDIF4pNUw3ao8JSZ13l8DW3DFq5z_0_Hors7nocLUJRZMyFYgRJhdV3Lh2Ywwh-Q/s320/photo+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking a bit of time each day to do something for myself when I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone, means that I have a few minutes in which I can feel confident and in control of my own life. I can't control what my professor is going to tag on the anatomy lab final, but I can control how far I run. I can't control the cost of my tuition, but I can control how fast I run. And in a society and time in my life where there are a million things that I have no control over...that's a pretty great feeling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwHBKZJ6_VH6PNgeb-eG_idZXR6dNSGL3fXGhSuRMmbZA7XRwF_l2wfHz0osD_TIncLSHhQkhZ7Ti9K_BqfnLM6Yb18XcyyPn-_ZXscDf43gZiLUGkQ-pXClrqOuyfJ5dpKyn7ARqj-o/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwHBKZJ6_VH6PNgeb-eG_idZXR6dNSGL3fXGhSuRMmbZA7XRwF_l2wfHz0osD_TIncLSHhQkhZ7Ti9K_BqfnLM6Yb18XcyyPn-_ZXscDf43gZiLUGkQ-pXClrqOuyfJ5dpKyn7ARqj-o/s320/photo+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But it doesn't just have to be running, it can be the same for someone who loves to bike or swim; or artists have control over their colors and lines and writers have control over their words and stories...the list goes on and on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just make sure that you take some time to do something that makes you happy and that you have control over; something that you do just for yourself and no one else. Those few minutes will help get you through the times when life seems too overwhelming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That's why I run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, this weekend, one week after being able to check "Get through first med school term" off of my list, I can check off "Run first half-marathon", which is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I certainly won't be the fastest, not even close, but that's okay, because I won't be running to try to prove something or because someone said I have to. I'll be running just for me, because I want to. And I'm going to feel darn good doing it too!</span><br />
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<br />Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-20350773660458470622013-10-11T12:33:00.000-04:002013-10-11T12:33:58.949-04:00Listening as of Late<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's officially Fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Did you know that?</span><br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f9/df/7a/f9df7a17e7c7834714301b4c58fad3a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f9/df/7a/f9df7a17e7c7834714301b4c58fad3a0.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I know I'm a little late with my official declaration, but I've been caught up in a whirlwind of cranial nerves, face and neck muscles, white coats, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, but I noticed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even in my med school-induced haze, I've been breathing in the smell of falling leaves, consuming <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-recipes-part-2-pumpkin-squares.html">pumpkin EVERYTHING</a>, and just enjoying my <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-recipes-part-1-of-many.html">favorite season</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And with a new season, comes, of course (my go-to writing topic) new music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There have been a lot of new releases lately that I have very quickly become obsessed with. I love how the music released at this time of year just <i>feels</i> autumn-y, you know what I mean? Or just me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay. First up:</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/064oQzrdIyZwgQsrUg8ySX"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Paper Kites - <i>States</i></span></a></b><br />
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Remember <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-music-monday-paper-kites.html">these guys</a>? <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5l8axHOB8sCsWqfK5XVtbF">One EP</a> and two <a href="http://youtu.be/8inJtTG_DuU">whimsical</a> <a href="http://youtu.be/M0IDiVQxZYg">music videos</a> and I was smitten. <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/1n9w0sUkiSat6OCtoL1rwS">Another EP</a>, another <a href="http://youtu.be/Y8A_8rbakgg">smile-inducing video</a>, completely hooked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, the long-awaited (at least for me) LP (and, quite possibly, my favorite music video of all time...one word: Bubbles) was finally released in the US and I am officially head-over-heels in love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/W5nrAHk_x8M/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/W5nrAHk_x8M&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/W5nrAHk_x8M&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The songs on <i>States</i> has a wider range than the two EP's partly because a few songs (<i>Cold Kind Hand, In Reverie</i>) feature Christina Lacy on lead vocals. While some songs, such as <i>Tenenbaum,</i> <i>St. Clarity, </i>and <i>Young </i>are as dreamy and soothing as ever, songs like <i>A Lesson from Mr. Gray</i> are a bit of a deviation from their up-to-now style (think: more guitar, less banjo), but still so good. (Side Note: Does anyone else hear a similarity to <i>I Am The Walrus</i>? Just me again?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This whole album deserves a listen. It is seriously the perfect thing to listen to on a crisp (probably rainy) fall Sunday as you drink hot apple cider and read anatomy textbooks...whoops, that's just me again. Feel free to leave out the anatomy textbooks.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/0T6V4pt9LwYgrYTEQrjISP"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Agnes Obel - <i>Aventine</i></span></a></b><br />
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Here's another new release from an <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-music-monday-agnes-obel.html">old Fall-favorite</a>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Agnes Obel is back with her second album, <i>Aventine</i>, and it is just as gloomy and haunting and beautiful as her first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So perfect for October. Her album artwork always look like movie posters for scary psychological thrillers. And her songs would then be the creepy underlying soundtrack. But, like a good creepy. Just maybe not listen at night, by yourself, in the dark. Whoops.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.agnesobel.com/demo/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/album.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.agnesobel.com/demo/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/album.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(<i>Added 5 minutes later: So. Remember that so-called scary psychological thriller I was talking about? Apparently, it's her music video below. Again, don't watch by yourself, at 1 in the morning, in the dark. You've been warned)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6h9XUYj96ho?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/11yYji8RCygHrhssAXF8EH"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Haim - <i>Days Are Gone</i></span></a></b><br />
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Switching gears to more sunny-Fall-day music, this is another <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2013/04/backwith-lots-of-music-for-spring-part-1.html">highly anticipated</a> (by many people) first-release LP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1TffpkE2GU4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">These three wacky sisters are crazy-talented, and have been getting a lot of well-deserved attention as of late. They have a very unique sound (Fleetwood Mac plus 80's-90's synth, with a little R&B thrown in for good measure) that you will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/1oHY6eQmEG8skElDvFgKz2"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Echosmith - <i>Talking Dreams</i></span></a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay guys. Let's stop, take a minute, and just watch (or only listen, if you must) to the video below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Ha6qE-a5Gc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, now I can tell you that these three fellows and one gal that make up Echosmith are siblings and...wait for it... all under the age of 18. Craziness I tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you don't check out iTunes' weekly free (!) Single of the Week, you really should...they have been hitting it out of the park lately in my personal opinion. And guess what this week's is?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXTlczyWJ-Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Which means, that up until a few days ago, if you asked me who Echosmith was I probably would have come up with some really terrible joke about a guy who lives in the mountains crafting echoes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But today, if you said "Echosmith" I would echo (no more corny jokes after this, I swear) back: "Obsessed".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you listened to the two above songs, some of you may be thinking: "They sound kind of pop-punk synth-y, and I've been too cool for that since, like, 2005". And you may very well be right, but, trust me, this is another album that has a lot of range with different sounds for different tastes. Even if you hate it, then you at least have to have a lot of respect for this troupe of siblings, just sayin'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:1vZSnCXJtFGaCOfCWyXn0z" width="300"></iframe>
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/3JkBOlIS5wkmyeucAmzCLH">The Vernons - <i>Volume I EP</i></a></b></span><br />
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Here is another recent free download I stumbled across (no longer available) that I instantly loved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F103515312" width="100%"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Vernons are an Australian band that just released their debut EP in September. Blues-y rock, so good. Especially for Fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F101287105" width="100%"></iframe>
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<b><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/3MwhkCLD5pYEe0WOBCmhX5"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Arcade Fire - <i>Reflektor</i></span></a></b><br />
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Dude. Arcade Fire has a new song. And if you listen closely you can hear David Bowie. And they have a whole new album coming out October 29. This is just awesome on so many levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the music video is so weird and so beautiful in a way that only Arcade Fire can pull of.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Head and The Heart - <i>Let's Be Still</i></span></b><br />
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Guess who else has a new album out in a few days?! These <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-music-monday-playing-catch-up.html">guys</a> (meaning The Head and The Heart...if you couldn't tell from above)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was excited to see how they followed up their debut self-titled album since each song was different from each other, but all lovely, and then when the first single was released, I got REALLY excited.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Based on this, I could tell that we were still going to get the same sound that we knew and loved (both playful and sorrowful indie folk), just kicked up a notch further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't feel like waiting until next week to give the whole album a listen? Me neither!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://snd.sc/18Rp9B2">Here you go</a>! (Yes, that is a link to where you can stream the album in it's entirety for free)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Random</span></b><br />
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Great new(ish) albums to listen to for Fall that I don't have time to go into more detail about:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:4CPTkfXBdlljUprFb342bq" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:6bzPRpKOfTSZuZZCKB4jxA" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are a few honorable mentions of songs that have been on rotation on my iPod lately:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">WE ARE TWIN - <i>The Way We Touch</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i>
A good song to help get you going in the morning. And, no, they're not actually twins, bummer. (Another free Single of the Week...seriously, check them out...they're free).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">City and Colour - <i>Unthinkable (I'm Ready)</i></span><br />
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One of my absolute <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/09/introducing-new-music-monday.html">favorite</a> <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2013/04/backwith-lots-of-music-for-spring-part-2.html">artists</a> just released the third EP in his series of cover songs, and this Alicia Keys cover is addicting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:2pbxqEYiXJTvFsybGGgSAi" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - <i>Dance the Way I Feel</i></span><br />
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Best. Band Name. Ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:18SXuiUgaTRFYTzRTOSZpF" width="300"></iframe><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And then, because, you just have to when it's Fall:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:5l9c6bJmzvftumhz4TMPgk" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Let's hope that we can get through October this year without some kind of Frankenstorm/Hurricane/Snow & Ice Storm playlist having to be made. </span>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-72567631432294594702013-09-02T13:46:00.001-04:002014-06-22T16:34:09.132-04:00So Much To Do... No Time<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Guess what?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I started med school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After so many up's and down's, it's finally here. It was a really tough road, but I wouldn't have had it any other way because I now feel 101% confident that this is the right path for me and it's one that I am ready to take.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The transition has been so much easier than I was expecting. I am strangely comfortable dissecting a cadaver (those OCD tendencies are pretty handy!); I love having an apartment and a city that I can really call my own for the first time; I was able to fall right back into the pattern of going to class and studying; and I am with a bunch of people who geek out about the same weird things as me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't get me wrong, I really really miss coming home at the end of a long day and having dinner and talking with my mom and then getting to just relax and watch movies or read books for fun, but it's also pretty great to come home to my little hipster-y (unintentional...really) studio and cook dinner....and then memorize the branches of the axillary artery and the muscles that they supply blood to.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliamSTxSwhYmP7gVyJ6-5yG1_3KrCwBwvmdKDoRoMOFvRpbsSTE7_rcx4vS6nPQAJnUG8WWy40Hpe4tpilFyl2OyO0ZbtpibNNKTBuPJ4bOHVk8z_9K4GaYuu0FY775pZW4UILT5t90o/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" height="240" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home Sweet Home</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliamSTxSwhYmP7gVyJ6-5yG1_3KrCwBwvmdKDoRoMOFvRpbsSTE7_rcx4vS6nPQAJnUG8WWy40Hpe4tpilFyl2OyO0ZbtpibNNKTBuPJ4bOHVk8z_9K4GaYuu0FY775pZW4UILT5t90o/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdKCRfPxzXqLROwtrwGubZX2kaAbujffZK4dG3OgK9_lXrIRj2faVaacOAw5Yf4PXbwUDmNApSku2dTUZv59-bdkjOPcpXs2aUJ3sA-O4jr-fbgCqBAkPk5NV_-GJhlSaoHF4mrrs2No/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdKCRfPxzXqLROwtrwGubZX2kaAbujffZK4dG3OgK9_lXrIRj2faVaacOAw5Yf4PXbwUDmNApSku2dTUZv59-bdkjOPcpXs2aUJ3sA-O4jr-fbgCqBAkPk5NV_-GJhlSaoHF4mrrs2No/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But I'm trying to remember the importance of balance, so I plan on spending time with friends, going to a few concerts, keep up with a few TV shows, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, and this...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTODEuj6XXG_fSgW0ti9eHFWcsjcW-ejMwBCxqImz_rIfzjPIBFJw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTODEuj6XXG_fSgW0ti9eHFWcsjcW-ejMwBCxqImz_rIfzjPIBFJw" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Don't worry...I'm only doing the half-marathon.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What better way to celebrate the end of my first term of med school than to run for 13.1 miles?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In short, my balance of time just got way more interesting, but I plan on trying to pop in here every once in a while to therapeutically write about things and share things. Whether anyone actually continues to read or not doesn't matter, I have a tough road ahead and sometimes you need a place to just write about silly things or serious things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, that's what I plan on doing.</span></div>
Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-64701072022255604942013-04-16T22:59:00.000-04:002013-04-16T22:59:36.570-04:00No Fear.<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday I learned about the horrific events at the Boston Marathon shortly after I left work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I took my still new walking route to the Market East Station, thinking about how chilly it was for mid-April. I waited on the platform for the 5:10 train and pulled out my phone for my post-work checking of text messages, emails, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The very first message I saw was a SMS alert from The Pottstown Mercury reporting explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I gasped and immediately tried to look up further information (on the train I noticed that anyone who had their phone out was doing the same thing). I read the reports of casualties and grave injuries. I saw the pictures of first responders carrying the injured. I tried to understand the timetable of events as various new reports came in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As I stood on the platform surrounded by fellow commuters going about their daily routine, I struggled to hold back tears. I thought about the victims and their families and what they must be going through. I thought about what kind of person could possibly have committed such a crime against humanity. And I thought about my brother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My twin brother is a semi-pro runner and track coach. While he does not run marathons, he has run several races in Boston, he worked for the organization that was in charge of the New York Marathon, and all of his friends are runners. And as hard as I try, I can't help thinking how he could just as easily have been there as any of the victims.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But today I realized that by letting myself think that way, I am doing exactly what that faceless monster who made those bombs wanted... I am giving in to fear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This past year in the US we have seen more cruelly ironic and horrific acts then ever before. We now live in a society where children are targeted in the place they go to learn and grow; where people who go to see a movie about a man wanting to protect the innocent, are faced with a real-life bad guy from hell; and where individuals and their families who put an emphasis on movement and activity in their lives, lose their limbs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a society such as this, it is easy and instinctual to give in to fear; fear of living our lives as we would without school shootings and terrorist attacks. But by doing that, we only perpetuate the terror and panic that these sick bastards are trying to spread. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Horrible things happen. More so than before it seems. But I refuse to let the fear of something horrific happening to a loved one or me affect how I live my life. So, tomorrow I will ride the train in to Philadelphia and go to work without fear that a gunman will appear or a bomb will go off, I will enjoy Spring, I will <a href="http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2013/04/16/17780675-runners-unite-in-online-movement-to-runforboston">#runforBoston</a>... and I will say a prayer for the victims and their families and tell my family I love them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I refuse to let evil people in this world determine how I live my life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, please, if this event changes how you live or think about your life, let it be modeled after the runners who worked towards a positive goal in their lives, and their families who cheered them on. Let that be the kind of society we live in.</span><br />
Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-44834860398326984232013-04-03T15:08:00.000-04:002013-04-03T15:08:19.143-04:00Back...With Lots of Music for Spring (Part 2)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm back. Again. As promised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This time with some new music releases I'm really looking forward to over the next few months.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.coldwarkids.com/site/home"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cold War Kids - <i>Dear Miss Lonelyhearts</i></span></a></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b>Coming off their success of 3 previous albums, indie rock band, Cold War Kids, released their fourth studio album just yesterday. Cold War Kids definitely have their own unique sound, one that you tend to either love or hate. But if you have heard any of their past songs then you will certainly be a fan of this new album.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.wearephoenix.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Phoenix - <i>Bankrupt!</i></span></a></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This French band had more wide-ranging success after their 2009 release, <i>Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix </i>(possibly as a result of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHuZJJUNDyc">this</a>)<i>. </i> Ever since, fans have been clambering for more, and on April 22 that wish will come true. </span></div>
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<b><u><a href="http://www.sheandhim.com/preorder.html"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She & Him - <i>Volume 3</i></span></a></u></b><br />
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I love M. Ward. I love love Zooey Deschanel. So, I love love love She & Him and was so excited when they announced that they will release their new album, <i>Volume 3 </i>(their third, after Volumes 1 & 2, not counting <i>A Very She & Him Christmas </i>of course) on May 7. Based on the new single that was recently released, we can expect just as much 1960's-sunny-California-ukele goodness as before.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cityandcolour"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">City and Colour - <i>The Hurry and The Harm</i></span></a></u></b><br />
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I do believe I could listen to Dallas Green's voice crooning songs under the name City and Colour every single day for the rest of my life. So it's probably a good thing that he is releasing his fourth studio album, <i>The Hurry and The Harm</i>, on June 4th. This small taste released yesterday makes me think we will get the same "sad music" style that he has come to be known for, but a little bit more rock'n roll perhaps.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://postalservicemusic.net/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Postal Service - <i>Give Up: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition</i></span></a></u></b><br />
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This may not exactly count since this is just a re-release, but there will be two new songs as well as new versions of previous songs, and, I mean, this is The Postal Service. Re-releasing the one beloved album they have ever released. It's kind of a big deal. To some people anyway...including me; music nerd that I am. This drops in less than a week, on April 9th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have a feeling I am forgetting some others. Any ideas/suggestions?</span><br />
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<br />Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-71372599247874488172013-04-02T17:13:00.000-04:002013-04-02T17:13:36.114-04:00Back...with Lots of Music for Spring (Part 1)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So. It's been awhile.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you ever feel like you have so much to say that you avoid having to actually write it all out? Well, that's how I have felt about blogging over the past few months. But I've decided that I don't have to blog about everything that I would like to...if I don't write it all down then that's okay. I need to just do what I can.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For those of you who may still even be remotely interested in what I have to say, I thought I would make up for my absence with a lot of new music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Spring is a time of year when I love to try new things, and am usually itching to explore new music. Fortunately for me, this spring also seems to be a time for lots of great new releases from old favorites to add to some new favorites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here we go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First some new discoveries that have really been putting me in the spring mood:</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.lordhuron.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord Huron</span></a></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b>An LA-based indie folk band (my favorite kind!) that makes me feel like running through the desert yelling and dancing. You'll understand once you listen. Hopefully.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F53903681" width="100%"></iframe><br /></span>
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<b><u><a href="http://haimtheband.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Haim</span></a></u></b><br />
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I had heard mentions of Haim, made up of three LA sisters, this past winter and made a mental note to give them a thorough listen. But to my delight I got to see them perform live shortly after! You see, these three cool chicks have recently been touring with Mumford & Sons. And I had the SUPREME pleasure of going to the Mumford show at the Barclay's Center in February. I was blown away by how much these sisters could rock out, and for an opening act, they really knew how to work the crowd. I don't think you can get higher praise than Marcus Mumford saying you're the greatest band in the world. (On a side note, the other opening act was <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-music-monday-ben-howard.html">Ben Howard</a>. Score. And the finale consisted of Haim, Ben Howard, and Mumford & Sons all performing The Weight. Life made.)</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://thelighthouseandthewhaler.com/">The Lighthouse and the Whaler</a></u></b></span><br />
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The Lighthouse and the Whaler is another indie-folk band, but an indie-folk-pop band (is anyone else starting to get confused by the ever increasing names of music genres?). Their most recent album, <i>This is an Adventure,</i> does indeed make you want to go on an adventure. A good up-ity, road-trip album.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F33150901" width="100%"></iframe><br /></span>
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<b><u><a href="http://www.lemaitremusic.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lemaitre</span></a></u></b><br />
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Speaking of up-ity, Norweigian duo, Lemaitre, is a little outside of my comfort zone being an indie-electronic band, but it's infectious. And the music video below makes me giggle.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://we-are-houses.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Houses</span></a></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Slowing it down a bit with the "dream-pop" band, Houses, their music is perfect for a rainy spring day. Beautiful, peaceful, and melancholy all at once.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F78133719" width="100%"></iframe><br /></span>
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<b><u><a href="http://www.beachhousebaltimore.com/news"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Beach House</span></a></u></b><br />
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Staying in the realm of slower, dream-pop indie music, the name alone of this Baltimore-based duo makes you think of warmer weather and salty breezes.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://skilift.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ski Lift</span></a></u></b><br />
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In contrast, the name "Ski Lift" may not put you in the mind of springtime, but their music would beg to differ (more indie-folk-dream-pop type stuff, go figure...getting sick of those words yet?), and I'm obsessed. Maybe it's because they have connections to this <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-music-monday-sucre.html">band</a>. Fifty points to the person who can figure out the connection.</span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="410" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4064994597/size=grande3/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" style="display: block; height: 410px; position: relative; width: 300px;" width="300"><a href="http://skilift.bandcamp.com/album/romantic-ep">Romantic EP by Ski Lift</a></iframe><b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/youthlagoon"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Youth Lagoon</span></a></u></b><br />
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When I first saw a picture of Youth Lagoon, a.k.a. Trevor Powers, and read his description of his process of writing music, I immediately thought of a modern-day Bob Dylan. But his music sounds like anything but Dylan. More dream-pop. More imageries of exploring woods on spring mornings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z9tn1Fs6C4w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<b><u><a href="http://www.langhorneslim.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Langhorne Slim & The Law</span></a></u></b><br />
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However, if you are on the lookout for some modern-day Bob Dylan-esque music, then check out this fellow-PA'er. Courtesy of the big brother.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Father-John-Misty/124916000949326">Father John Misty</a></u></b></span><br />
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I'll admit, I only gave Father John Misty (also known as Joshua Tillman), a listen because the title of the song below caught my eye for certain reasons. But then I immediately liked it. Tillman was once a member of Fleet Foxes, which I think you can pick up on, but he definitely has his own style with lots more folk influences.</span><br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.msmrsounds.com/"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">MS MR</span></a></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This one is probably the least like the rest of the bands in this post (although another boy-girl duo as many of these are....hmmm) but their EP, <i>Candy Bar Creep Show</i>, has seemed to be popping a lot lately, and I don't just mean on my iPod. And then there is the music video for the first single off of their debut album (see below). I can't stop watching as much as I would like to sometimes. Watch and you'll see. As the name of the EP and the music video would suggest, their songs are dark but still captivating and grand. "Chillwave"was one description I read...is that another weird new genre name??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, I think that is plenty for today. Come back tomorrow and I'll do some new old favorites. I promise. And I'll try to keep the weird imagery stuff to a minimum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the meantime, feel free to let me know what great new Spring-like music you've been listening to lately.</span>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-11866607193844866282012-12-21T18:30:00.000-05:002012-12-21T18:30:39.048-05:00The End of a World<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">December 21, 2012: the winter solstice; my dad’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!); and...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The End of the World.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This certainly is not the first time in recent memory that the end of the world has been predicted (see: The Rapture), but it’s probably the one that has been the most renowned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In recent years, many people have looked towards this date as one on which the world will end, based on the belief that it is the date that will mark the end of the Mayan calendar… the end of the “fourth world”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some folks have taken this quite literally in meaning that we will experience “Armageddon” on this day. Others have thought it meant that some cataclysmic event would occur. While others have merely turned it into a publicity stunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/2012_Soundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/2012_Soundtrack.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Mayan calendar ending does not necessarily mean that the world will <i>literally </i>come to an end on December 21, 2012. Most scholars believe that the “end of a world” simply meant the end of a cycle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Meaning there would be a time of transformation…and not necessarily a bad one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Unfortunately, exactly one week prior to 12-21-12, for 26 families, their worlds did indeed come <a href="http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121219/NEWS04/121219247/0/SEARCH/newtown-school-shooting-funerals-families-say-goodbye-to-children-and-fallen-teachers-in-multitudes">crashing down</a>. For them, and for many other people touched by the Sandy Hook shooting, December 2012 will always be a time when life did not make sense and everything changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of New Haven Register</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For this reason, I think December 21, 2012 should mark the beginning of a new world; a new time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I wish with all of my heart that a tragedy such as this did not have to take place in order to ignite a move towards a safer society, but fortunately, some <a href="http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121219/NEWS04/121219271/0/SEARCH/conn-shooting-investigation-could-change-national-policy">moves towards change</a> are already beginning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Did the world come to an end today? No. But many worlds were destroyed last week. I hope that through those ends, we can have a new beginning: a safer, more peaceful, world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week, we all hugged our loved ones a little tighter to show them how much we loved and appreciated them. This week, over this holiday season, may we continue to show how grateful we are for our families and start off our "new world" with a pledge to do what we can to keep children and loved ones safe. Let's make this new world a more peaceful one. One in which tragedies such as this do not occur.</span></div>
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-76844195900258389122012-11-18T11:36:00.000-05:002012-11-18T11:36:02.109-05:00Reading Opens Up a World of Information, Imagination, and Education<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For as long as I can remember, books and reading have been an integral part of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From being read "Love You Forever" by my mom when I was a little, learning how to read Bearenstain Bear books on my own, discovering the magical world of Harry Potter, befriending Jane Austen and her ideas of romance, to studying research articles and textbooks on anatomy and physiology; I have been tearing through fiction books and soaking up every bit of knowledge from textbooks since I first learned how to read at the age of five.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Reading has helped to shape me into the person I am today. I learned important morals and lessons. I created memories with my parents and grandparents. I was able to open up my imagination to different worlds and perspectives, both imaginary and real.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It is the basis of my education and what will one day allow me to become a doctor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Unfortunately, there are people who were not granted the same opportunities at education that I was or are still becoming accustomed to the strange semantics of the English language (ex. <b style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo </b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">is a grammatically accurate sentence in the English language).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Fortunately, these people are able to turn to the YWCA Adult Literacy Program so that they too may create memories of reading to their children or grandchildren, or gain an education that will set them on a career path that they have always dreamed of. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">But the local YWCA Adult Literacy Program in Pottstown needs resources in order to continue to help people in the community. You can help by signing the pledge below. For every signature, an anonymous donor will give $1 to the literacy program to buy materials.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">And just like that, with a simple signature, you can help introduce people in our community to a new world of information, imagination, and education.</span></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="747" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dEJLd0Z4NTBCZm44NWk3V2NjYkpIdHc6MQ" width="760">Loading...</iframe>Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3920817897420134107.post-55796369358627102952012-10-28T19:37:00.002-04:002012-10-28T19:38:31.581-04:00Frankenstorm Playlist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSNcXfvCUgObj8HJdsSgFcjVQZ_1U-K_F0Adm4M2dpat4eAIElKg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSNcXfvCUgObj8HJdsSgFcjVQZ_1U-K_F0Adm4M2dpat4eAIElKg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I planned on putting together a Autumn/Halloween-ish playlist like I did <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/10/taking-back-fall-playlist-and-peanuts.html">last year</a>, but then when I learned that my area was going to be hit hard by a hurricane, I thought about putting together another <a href="http://so-much-to-do.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-hurricane-survival-guide.html">hurricane playlist</a> like for Hurricane Irene...and then I thought: why not combine the two?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I therefore present to you my Frankenstorm Playlist; a collection of spooky-ish, storm-themed, "I need something to listen to that appropriately fits a hurricane in the middle of Fall", songs. At least, my interpretation of what kind of a playlist would be. </span><br />
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<a href="spotify:user:122624031:playlist:6k2g4R4qIAS9XIPCqJuzmc"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Frankenstorm</span></a><br />
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<li><a href="spotify:track:5L9HuUXhl8nXLBTWPfIEXT"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Silversun Pickups – Mean Spirits</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:7ASnSvNlUfb3MMJ96JvpkM"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mumford & Sons – Whispers In the Dark</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:21Vz1EZoSBKkLI0odMj6OO"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cassino – The Levee</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:4wYCeLz1HZVVI0qxcTItQV"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Freelance Whales – The Nothing</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:5AmpMtK0xxycPsjcAz7dsU"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Agnes Obel – Brother Sparrow</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:5qWgGPylB0Al9IVq2HKTHE"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Band of Horses – Is There A Ghost</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:59ZdDoklwW2c1LDEBnOa3j"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jose Gonzalez – Storm</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:4p2olbKKjXCdJmR4Xa1mYv"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Feist – Caught A Long Wind</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:26Ms4XwrYgRrxmJT5Hsh1B"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ed Roland & The Sweet Tea Project – Shelter From The Storm</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:4kRtEUnEWOH4O98j51Ffnp"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She & Him – I Put a Spell On You</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:local:Ella+Fitzgerald:For+the+Love+of+Ella:Stormy+Weather:198"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ella Fitzgerald – Stormy Weather</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:7A4KjSFDx0BL75up2eK0OF"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Maroon 5 – Come Away To The Water</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:7sCHy8QQUz3CRvUMp53Cbm"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Neil Young – Harvest Moon</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:7x63Gzb6x0eR119ObbQ9Tm"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vitamin String Quartet – Sally's Song</span></a></li>
<li><a href="spotify:track:5bGd0OxvxZSATIf2eEkmTD"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bon Iver – Holocene</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you enjoy it. If you're on the east coast these next few days, please stay safe and dry. If you're not on the east coast, have fun trick-or-treating in normal weather!</span></div>
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Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13258901706820125144noreply@blogger.com0