Study, study, study

Here's some random happenings from the week.

• To get a badge to work at the airport I attended a 2 hour class on security issues. I am not tell you what we learned - even though I really didn't learn anything that isn't common knowledge or common sense. At the end however, I received that badge and I'll be sure to follow the rules so I don't have to sit through the class again.
• I was assigned to a spot with a good view of the field at the Iowa-Minnesota game on Saturday. No matter what Coach Ferentz says, there is a different energy in the stadium and on the field when Iowa comes to town. Next time Iowa better consider that game as being the one that makes or breaks their season or Minnesota will keep Floyd of Rosedale (who, for the uninitiated, is the bronze pig traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the Iowa-Minnesota football game each year.) 
• I met a man who played football for the University of Minnesota in the 1940s. He told me that he had played on the offensive line at 185 pounds. The size of linemen have changed drastically since than.
• Most of the rest of my week was spent studying. I have one test tomorrow and two on Tuesday. Two of the three are in Anatomy. My mind is full of the names of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Quick who can name the 12 cranial nerves and also identify them on a model of the brain? I still have some work to do to be ready for that last part. I talked with a nurse this evening who had recently been going through her notes from Anatomy class more than 5 years ago. She only remembers what she actually uses. 

Celebrating

I liked MEA weekend as a high school student and it's even better as an older student to have a short break from class. My niece's birthday usually falls at the same time so that means I can get more out of a trip to Iowa. I didn't have class on Thursday or Friday so I could leave as soon as I was ready after class on Wednesday morning. But first I had to get my room in order. My flatmate's parents were coming to visit so I was finally motivated to find a place for everything.

Another side benefit of getting to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday in October is that it falls during harvest. At least it usually does. Last year they had finished by the time I arrived. The only reason this year wasn't a repeat performance was because of several breakdowns. My older brother was also home and got to run the combine one evening while Dad went to a meeting. Mom and I took a hot meal out to the field and I rode with Dad for awhile in the combine. He let me drive for a few rounds. I felt as if I was 14 and learning to drive a stick shift. He was just as patient now as he was then with my jerky stops and starts.

Elizabeth turned 9 and both sides of the family were together today to celebrate. We all enjoyed the beautiful weather as we played games out in the yard. There were two obvious signs that Elizabeth is getting older. She waited patiently for several hours before she was able to open her presents. Her packages are also getting smaller and the cards are starting to include more money. I hope she enjoys her shopping spree.

Job hunting

I've been looking for work with varying intensity since I arrived. It's been hard to find something that fits my school schedule and that doesn't require working on Sunday or selling something that very few people really need. A few weeks ago I was looking at the cost of the OT program I want to get into and decided that I really need to get motivated and find a more steady job besides working security at the U of Minn home football games.

One morning I thought of UPS. I'd heard that they helped students with tuition and that they were a good company to work for. I did some investigating online, filled out an application and was invited to come to the warehouse to find out more - at 4 AM. It quickly became clear that another time slot wasn't an option so I signed up. I guess if the shift is from 4 to 7 they want to make sure that you can show up at that time at least once. Along with three other people we were shown around the warehouse catching a glimpse of the different tasks and how it all worked together to get packages delivered on time. Those of us who were interested were invited back the next morning for an actual interview.  Mine was at the more normal time of 6:00. 

I've wondered if I'll be able to keep up with the rhythm of working from 4 to 7 five days a week. One thing is for sure, it will never interfere with my class schedule and they also say it will take care of any need for exercise. We will see when I actually get started after passing the background check and the FBI fingerprint check.

Retraining the brain

We have started studying the nervous system in Anatomy which I have been told is the hardest part in the class. But we don't need a class to tell us that it is amazing what the brain can do. I've seen it over and over again as I watch therapists interact with patients with some type of brain injury. A few weeks ago, Theresa asked if I'd help her with one of her new rehab patients who was recovering from a stroke that had strongly affected his left side.

"Sam" (I don't remember his real name) loved to talk and as soon as we got into his room he started talking. As Theresa and I went to get some things we needed she told me that the challenge would be to actually get some therapy in with him. "I'm going to learn a lot from him but my job is to give him therapy so he gets better, not just listen to his stories." One story Theresa asked him to tell me was about how the day after the stroke he had thought someone had placed the arm of a cadaver in his bed. Evidently it took his daughter some time to convince him that the unknown arm was his. He just couldn't move it or feel it.

As we helped Sam sit at the edge of the bed, wash a bit and get dressed it was obvious that he wasn't sitting up straight. His body was leaning toward the left. The funny thing is that it didn't feel that way at all to him. His brain was telling him he was sitting up straight. Theresa had me sit right next to him on his right side and his task was to get his shoulder to touch mine. Only then was he really sitting up straight. It was hard work and took great concentration but he could do it. But he couldn't wash his face and sit up straight at the same time. In fact he would have fallen over if Theresa hadn't caught him.

The last thing we did that morning was to get him into a wheelchair. Standing up was a challenge (as would be expected if you can't feel one of your legs) and a nurse came in to help with the transfer. Theresa gave me another pointer after she left. "I would have tried to get him to work on some things rather than doing it so fast but you don't mess with rehab nurses." Before we left I asked Sam if he felt like he was sitting up straight (which he was). He thought he was to the right of center. The tricks the brain will play on us. The wonderful thing is that the brain can rewire itself to compensate for lots of injuries or damage and eventually it figured out where the center was and Sam's sensations were much closer to reality.

Goda's Cafe

Being an unemployed student I don't go out to eat much but a couple of friends wanted to celebrate my birthday by taking me out to eat. I had read about Goda Cafe on the corner of Nicollet and 34th St and it sounded like it would serve up some good East African fare for a good price. We were not disappointed.

My first clue that we were in for a treat was that everyone in the small restaurant when we arrived was African. Moussa, the owner, started us off with a bowl of complementary soup. I took one taste and thought, "North Africa!" I'm not sure what spices they use but it had the same flavor, while being a bit different. After all Moussa is from Djibouti which is on the other side of the continent from Morocco and Tunisia where I have spent some time. Moussa served us with wonderful African hospitality. It may have helped that we actually knew where Dijbouti is (nestled between Somalia and Ethiopia) and that two of us had spent time in North Africa. Maybe only looking at the ethnic page of the menu helped as well.

After the soup we had samosa which are so good when they are made fresh. We all ordered something different for the main course so we could share and ended up with goat, beef and fish. All of it was good. It was my first experience with goat and I'd gladly order it again - at least if Moussa is cooking it. All of it was artistically presented and served with rice and vegetables that had been cooked to perfection.

As we ended the meal, one of my friends told him it was my birthday. He was soon back with cups of chaï and a few small African cookies. He kind of apologized by saying, "I could bring you some carrot cake or cheese cake but you can get that anywhere. This is all I have from my country. Guess what is in them." I knew in a glance that they were filled with dates (which impressed him.)

Later after we'd paid, one of my friends headed home while two of us continued talking. After awhile Moussa was back with another cup of chaï for each of us. I asked if it would keep me awake. "Yes, but what does it matter? It's your birthday."