Captain Duet and now Mrs. Giggles

Jake talks in his sleep. Much more frequently than he thinks because most of the time I don't tell him about in the morning. Usually he'll say something random (generally about politics or business plans) and I ask him questions about what he's saying. He'll respond back about three times before he either wakes up or rolls over and stops responding to me. The other night I couldn't sleep and he started talking. Like usual. I asked him a few questions until he stopped responding.

When Jake and I first started dating he was not yet aware of my quirks. Especially the one where I laugh when I'm nervous or uncomfortable. Sometimes he would kiss me and I would start laughing because I was so nervous! I felt so bad. Finally he asked me about it.

"Um... am I a bad kisser or something? Because you always laugh at me."

I tried to sorta-kinda explain to him with out giving myself away. I didn't want him to know when I was nervous around him. Hello! I had to keep the man guessing. After a while he would say "Great! Ms. Giggles is joining us tonight."

One night I decided that I wanted to impress him so I invited him to come over to my house and I would make him dinner. I found the perfect outfit, took an hour to curl my hair even though I knew it would fall out in less amount of time it took to do it, and prayed to the heavens that I could actually make something  edible that would not embarrass me. I had only been cooking for myself for about two and a half months by then.

He got there, I made dinner, we listened to music and he even asked me to dance to Brad Paisley in my kitchen. He told me the food was good, but I still don't know if that is the truth. After dinner we cuddled on the couch and it was raining so of course he had to stay until the rain stopped, even though his truck was parked just outside. We started falling asleep around 3 that morning, which is about the time he would stay until, and that is when I was introduced to Captain Duet. Jake started talking in his sleep about Captain Duet and when I started laughing he woke up. I don't think he realized what was really going on when he woke up. I always think about that night when he talks in his sleep.

I asked Jake one time if he remembered that night and his reply was the best thing he has ever said to me.

"Of course I do. That's the night I really fell in love with you."

PCC Falls Hike

      Last weekend, Jake and I went on a hike to a small waterfall behind the Polynesian Cultural Center with our friends Sarah and Zach Zimmerman. Jake had a cold that day but was a champ and still wanted to go. I felt bad that he was sick but secretly glad that he actually stayed with me instead of practically running ahead.

The Zimmermans

The falls

Jake was also a hero on this trip. There was another group of students up there that we didn't know. The group kept bugging one of their friends to jump off the falls and he kept telling them that he didn't know how to swim. He ended up jumping in to please his audience and panicked once he came up, although he was doggy paddling just fine. Well Jake jumped in like Tarzan and pulled the guy to safety.

What a stud.

Canned Salmon...? I didn't know that even existed.

Compassionate Service came over the other day and gave me 3 cans of salmon.

Um...

Anyone have any ideas what to make with that?

One of those posts where I complain about stuff

Warning: 

Before proceeding to reading this post please be aware that it is not a happy one. In fact, I may not even actually publish this.

Today has been one of those days. You know, the one where you get out of bed unhappy about being up early to go do something you don't want to do looking and feeling like crap.

Last night I got back from the hospital a lot later than planned. I was so tired and did not want to shower even after trying to convince myself that I had lots of yucky germs from being around sick people and surgery. My mom always had me take a shower right away when we got back from the hospital. Our family goes to the ER a lot. Seriously. And it's been from us girls! Anyways...

I picked up a little, made dinner which turned out to be so gross, and waited for Jake to get home from filming a property in town. By the time he got home we both went straight to bed.

I had a 7am class this morning; Motor Learning. Awesome class, horrible teacher. He's one of those teachers who knows everything and can never be wrong. He is constantly saying "stop worrying about your points in school and just learn the material! I don't want you to memorize, I want you to learn." Well, Coach Porter, there are these weird things they call grades and you have to get a good one to pass your class. He is also that professor who will tell you "this is a correct statement, but not quite the exact one I was looking for."

Coach Porter. P.s. He worships that stupid puka shell necklace

So of course I was overly tired from going to bed way too late so I wore athletic pants and a sweatshirt to school and did not put on any makeup or do anything with my hair. Already starting off not so good.

Well thats odd, because it's the one you gave us and I gave you the correct concept but not in your words. Hmmm... wouldn't that be memorizing? Which is what you do NOT want us to do?

I pointed that out to him in class one day, and you guessed it, he said I was interpreting it wrong. He said I wasn't understanding what he said but was memorizing it. In his lectures, he reminds us that he is an expert in everything that life has to offer and we are merely college students. 

How silly of me to not remember my place in this pyramid.

Last week we took a midterm. I studied for hours bringing myself to tears trying to memorize my notecards and yes, I did remember every single flashcard in that disgustingly tall stack. I was spitting out everything like it was a first language to me. I left feeling pretty great about my score but anxious at the same time. There were just a few questions I was unsure of but the rest... BAM! I was sure to have an A if any other teacher were giving it but since it was Coach Porter I wriggled it down to an 80% at the least.

Today we got our scores back. I was friggin' pissed. SO ANGRY! I did not get an A or a B. I looked up the questions I got wrong in my notes and book and they were spot on. Who did he think he was to mark it wrong. He told the class that if we wanted to argue for any points we could bring our tests to the front of the room after class and we could discuss it.

Okay. That's fine. I'll just show him my notes and my answer and get those points back.

"Coach Porter, I have this answer that I think deserves the points. Could you take a look at it really fast?"

"Sure. Let's see... speed acuracy trade of. Okay, so you put where a performance is practiced at a lower speed to ensure best acuracy or vice versa. Well that is a correct statement however it is not the definition is it?"

Because I was missing or vice versa? Really?

"Um... yeah actually it is."

Please keep in mind this semester I have been such a respectful and awesome student in this class because he is notorious for failing 50% of his students; usually the ones he does not like.

"No, it's actually not."

"Coach Porter, look. That is my notes which I copy exactly the way you say it."

"I know that school is just about points to you so let's look it up in the book. Oh look it says when a performance is practiced at a lower speed to ensure best acuracy or vice versa. So you do not have the correct definition, I can't give you full points. You see that?"

"I see what you pointed out but I understood the concept instead of memorizing it like you asked us to. I still feel that that is the correct definition but I'm not going to argue over it anymore."

Exit Erica.

I've always been nothing but nice to this guy who does not deserve any respect at all from me but this time talking to me like I was six was not going to fly. This is the same man that put one of his tennis players on a vegetable only diet for 3 weeks because he needed to lose 30 pounds. When his athlete told him in the middle of practice he was feeling very weak and light headed Coach Porter said "It's part of the process, just try to get over it."

Next, we had a Sports Psychologist come in and talk to us. He started out by saying

"So who wants to be just an Athletic Trainer after graduating."

Excuse me? Just an Athletic Trainer? Well, Tubby, when you just told us you ruptured your achilles and how you called our head trainer you weren't calling her just an Athletic Trainer then were you, sweet pea?!

"Now who wants to be something more like a physical therapist or a chiropractor! Awesome!"

This guy had hit the wrong nerve and he was not going to reverse that today. He later told me that because I was slouching in my chair and not dressed successfully, I was not going to be successful in life. 

Ooh buddy. You just put your life on the line.

The rest of his presentation was all about being positive and controlling your feelings and using your internal energy to move the pendulum with your mind.

Like I said, I was not in a good mood today. And I did not proof read this either.

But I did feel a little better when I got home and made dinner.

Am I the only one who feels like wifery is a competition in Relief Society?

"I have a wonderful roast in the crock pot right now waiting for us to eat it when we get home! I also pre-maid golden mashed potatoes staying warm in the oven. And for dessert, I made ice cream last night by hand. Oh you don't...? Well that's okay. You'll probably get better at cooking when you are married longer."

Well you know what Sister Betty-Lou Whoo? I think I do just fine with making dinner six times a week and Jake at least pretends to like it.

Tonight I made French Dips. Not gourmet but hey, I think it gets the job done.

Browning the roast beef

Au Jus

All done. Yes, I even toasted the bun with butter and onion.

I know it's just a sandwich, but lets face it, nothing else was going to happen for dinner.

Thank you for listening to my rants and raves!

You guys...

You guys! Guess what I got to do yesterday. (most of you probably already know since I sent out a mass text)

Sit in on a knee surgery! Yeah! I know! I thought I would be in another room up top with a glass window but I was right there. All they said was "don't touch anything blue (sterile) and stay out of the way.

Jasper, the patient is a 6 foot 10 inch basketball player from the Netherlands. He was famous on the floor we were on for being so tall. They put on a bed extender and the doctors and nurses were taking pictures with his crutches since the crutches were taller than the people. They were so professional.

A couple weeks he blew out his knee. Tore his ACL in half, damaged his meniscus and tore his LCL and MCL. Some of the other trainers have had the opportunity to sit in on other surgeries so it was my turn. I had to skip a class (don't worry mom, I'm doing well in it and my professor said it was fine to be gone that day.)

Just in case

So... the charge nurse in the OR that day brought me down to the women's locker room where she swiped her card and got me scrubs, booties, a hairnet thingy, and mask in a nice little package from a vending machine.

I didn't get a picture with my hat and mask on.

You guys... it was so cool.

They put Jasper under, covered him up, and then brought me in. I watched them cut him open, pull out strings of hamstring (for his graft... they made a new ACL out of his hamstrings) and do all sorts of fun stuff. I was so proud of myself for not feeling sick.

And then it happened. They stuck in the camera and I started thinking about what they were actually doing and the room had a funky smell, too. I started feeling a little light headed, so I sat down in the chair they had for me. Now I was really hot and really cold at the same time. Crap! I was seeing stars and felt like I needed to puke.

I got up and headed for the door. The charge nurse asked how I was doing... "I think I just need to step out for a minute." She grabbed my arm and dang that woman is strong! I think she has kids because she had what Jake likes to call "mom hands".  She brought me into an empty OR and I sat down and took deep breathes and yadda yadda. I felt like such a wuss. The only other times I have passed out was when I was giving blood and that was because I may have added another 5 pounds to my weight for the requirement to give blood. I told her I was ready to go back in and she said "actually, you're still pretty pale and your lips don't have any color." Great. After a few more minutes I went back in and did just fine. I watched them drill and shove and poke and twist and shave down his meniscus and then it was done.

But it was so cool! We left at 10am and I finally walked into the door of our apartment around 8:30 that night. Long day, but so worth it.