A little reflection never hurt anyone...

"I know, I know" has been the answer I have given to too many of my friends regarding my laziness with this Blog. I really do appreciate everyone's true interest and care about my journey through PT school. I have been a busy bee, as usual, since the last time I posted any pictures. I have decided to provide all of you with an update into my life.

As I recall the last post was in July, so it is there I will begin this tale....

It was mid-July and I was once again struggling to balance my studying with sleeping and eating. It is true that I am very challenged and am enjoying school; however it is just as true that I wa suffering each day to eat well, exercise and try to maintain my composure. PT school is no "joy ride", but its rewards once in the clinic are worth the sleepless nights. I have never been much of a confident guy on the social scene. I am losing my hearing, cannot stand loud places and try to go to bed when everyone else is just hitting the 168th street stop to go out. I decided to explore more specific avenues of socialization. It's along the J-Date line of things, but for my demographic (tall, athletic male seeks tall, athletic female), you get the idea. It was quite an interesting experience, but hence I had no long term success from it. I gave it up and decided to move forward. To my surprise my name remained in the national database and I was subsequently contacted by a young lady who was interested in spending time with me. (me? really? she must be blind or something screwy...) I obliged and she met me for lunch on the Jersey Shore one weekend. In short, we have spent quite a bit of time together since that lunch date. So much for me giving up and moving forward, but I am very delighted she contacted me because she is an absolutely amazing person.
Fast-forward to the end of the semester and I come back to NJ to see the parental units. My father (if none are aware he is dying of lung/brain cancer) is still as stubborn and sarcastic as ever. What a great guy! In the face of his demise and he still comes up with a few jokes in passing. Don't get me wrong, he is still walking and talking today. He is what the doctors call "an undeniable miracle patient". By all statistics and logic he should have died over a year ago. God bless the stubborn Irish bastards!
Sitting here today I have just completed my 5th week of 10-weeks of my first Clinical rotation. I am at an outpatient orthopedic PT office located in an expensive and secluded health center in NYC. My instructor (Marcus Forman) is an amazing therapist and quite the comedian as well. He has taught me more than I imagined I would get from my first clinical rotation. I do have to give much of the credit of my academic success in PT school to the undergrad education I received from (New Mexico State University). I thought it was a great education last year, but now I realize its value exceeds my concious perceptions.

I do miss class. I am certain to get a lot of crap from my classmates for saying that. I know class was stressful and insane, but I got to see all of my classmates everyday. I never realized how much we grew into a family before now. I hope they are all doing well, and are learing as much as I am at my rotation. Some are overseas and others are right next door. I cannot wait to see all of them again in January!

I have had these pictures since last semester. In our Orthopedic Conditions I class we had to do group presentations. It was requested of me to not take pictures of certain people given their religious convictions, so I only took them of the other groups in class. I smile everytime I look at these pictures, and I want all of you to smile as well.

I will have more pictures from other events (Rami's engagement party...) when I get my camera back from Renee. She took care of me that night, when I was not taking care of myself. It's nice to know that I have friends in this world who stand behind the kind words they say to you everyday. These are the friends I don't want to ever let go.

Enjoy the pics and see you next post!