Day 4

Painting - DONE.

geez what a project. Yes it took more work than we had anticipated, but the painting is done. We even started putting together stuff last night and unwrapped KBs couch. This morning Dad went over there early to clean things up a bit.

Flying home today and excited to finally get a vacation. We have worked hard the past few days and I can't wait to sleep in! See ya on the Best Coast

Day 3

Its Saturday right?

Bedroom- done

Living room - done

Tomorrow : Prime kitchen and bathroom

we did get KB's bed together and some things organized.. we also cleaned her hardwood floors and they look SO much better.

We had a fabulous dinner at a steak house in ann arbor and now we are definitely ready for bed.

Another day of hard work ahead. I can't wait to get a vacation!

Day 2- Painting Party

what a party it was.

We primed 2 rooms (2 left to go) and we're painting more. Lots of painting. Did I mention lots of painting. While dad and KB went and got paint and supplies, I stayed behind and taped everything- which ended up being a huge timesaver in the end. Go Lauren.

We did the living room in just about 2 hours then KB's stuff arrived and we moved to the bedroom. Its interesting working on projects with my dad and sister. I think I will leave it at that. We also only have one ladder, so when I finish baseboards and stuff... there isn't a lot for me to do--- a room full of perfectionists is kind of a scary thing... so I am happy to sit out and take breaks.

At the present moment, Dad and KB are at Lowe's. I opted to stay at the hotel (Dad's idea). He wanted to give me some alone time. Thank goodness. I need it. Its hard to spend intensive amounts of time doing something under a time crunch (we leave Tuesday) to exact standards of dad or KB. I tend to get really sensitive in the whole family dynamic- so I am glad to get a break and let Dad and KB do their thing.

Today we are getting an earlier start (we didn't really start painting until 3 yesterday) and hoping to finish priming the other two rooms and do another coat of primer in the bedroom. Anyhow, the state of Michigan is still intact. There are a ton of people here as school is about to start. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my morning before Painting Party cont'd!

Michigan Adventures Day 1

Treasure MARRRTT!!!

Celebrating 50 Years.

This place was a cutesy little place--- a Definite Holly's Treasure Mart rather than my Sister's Treasure Mart.

So we didn't find anything, but Holly- you would love this place. All kinds of great glass pieces and artwork, tea sets and stuff like that. :)

We went to IKEA and picked up a few things that my sister needed, ate lunch at the fabulous IKEA cafeteria in Canton, and then went to the airport to pick up Dad. We went out for a nice dinner and then came back to the hotel and retired for the evening. Today brings my sister's stuff and Painting party! So far so good. Both Dad and I agreed that this is definitely not our show- we are just along for the ride! :) Its nice to use my brain for things other than reflection and introspection.

AND I'm am waaaayyyy excited to buy all of my Michigan gear--- you know for game days. Everyone here wears the maize and blue. Everyone. I just want to fit in- plus it kind of annoys my sister. I just want to have school pride. Its exciting. Ann Arbor is a cool place to be. Its a real school! I mean I think I went to 1.5 real schools (ASU making up the 1.25) but this is like a REAL school with awesome buildings that don't look like desert things. The weather has also been beautiful - fairly warm with little humidity.

Okay- well I have to put on my painting party clothes and get down to the lobby- unless dad and sissy already left to get tape and things. hmmm I better call first. My body is taking a toll with all the schelping... thank goodness for the ice machine.

So far so good!

O-H-I-O-NO

Ohio- Oh no.

What a day.

So I left Rochester ahead of schedule this morning- around 11. I picked up gas and some waterbottles and stopped at the bank and was on my way.

Rochester to Buffalo - $2.75 in tolls

Okay- so the entire time I was driving through NY, Annabelle (my car- the voice of my GPS) was telling me to drive through Canada to get to Ann Arbor. I had decided that this was not going to happen. I was going to take I-90 through ohio and then north to Ann Arbor. So I fiddled with the settings (this is an important element to remember for later). Finally when I got through PA (another $3.15 in toll fares) no problems. Annabelle finally came around too.

I made it to Cleveland and thats when things started to get interesting. I made it through Cleveland, except that Annabelle routed me through these different side streets--- I drove through downtown Cleveland and through a residential area. I passed the stadium where The Browns play. Its a lovely area. Okay- so that was weird. More hilarious than weird... a scenic route. I thought Annabelle was mad at me for calling her names over the whole canada thing and so she decided to take me on the "shortest" route. No big deal. Once I got through Cleveland I decided to stop for lunch at a Five Guys- great burgers and excellent fries. All the toppings are free so I can have a burger w/ tomato, pickle, onion lettuce mustard and mushrooms-- so delicious.

SO I hit the road from there--- that was about 3:45p. I traveled on my way and got on the Ohio Turnpike (yay! another toll road) when I got a phone call from AAA. "Hello Lauren?" - yes "Yeah, it seems you left your purse at a restaurant this afternoon" -- oh... crap. Umm... a Five Guys in Ohio? "Yes. You can ask for Ted."

Bahahaha. Great. I'm on the turnpike (where btw, Ohio tolls are way more expensive than NY or PA). So I used my phone to call the store and figured out I was 45 minutes away. Add another $1.50 to get off the turnpike. Luckily, my iPhone routed me back to the restaurant without taking the turnpike- thank goodness. 45 minutes later I run back into the five guys restaurant and announce that I was the "really smart person who left their purse there!" They all welcomed me with a loud "HEEYYYYYY!" Then they asked me where I was headed. -- Ann Arbor. Well... not so welcome any more. Their faces were hilarious. "Oh... are you a Michigan fan?" -- uhh not really. My sister is starting school there. I know where I am. "Ok. good. because you know sarah here goes to Ohio State.."

Now I'm sure all of you know that U of Mich and OH State are bitter rivals. Sooo try to understand how awkward I felt explaining why I was going to Ann Arbor.

With my purse in hand and my phone dying I go BACK on the Turnpike and headed for Toledo--- 5:30pm (ETA: 7:30p).

Well... Annabelle was still on "Shortest Route" mode- which certainly means its not the "Fastest Route." Before I knew it (and $4.50 in tolls later) I was driving through this sketchy part of Toledo. I finally realized that Annabelle was in a different mode and ack made it to Ann Arbor a little after 8- dead phone and all. Geez.

What a day.

Toll Total: $11.90

Hour Total: 9hrs

Time it should've taken 6.5 hrs

After this, I'm fairly certain that I left my brain in NY. Goodness.

I am happy to report that I did make it and I'm hanging with my sister and her friend. We went out for a nice dinner and now are back at her friends apartment. Tomorrow we are venturing to Treasure Mart (Not certain about that one yet- Apparently its a vintagey antiquey secondhand furniture place- I'm excited) and then IKEA and then picking up Dad at the airport.. somewhere I'll check into the hotel too.

For now, I am going to get into my pjs and lounge.

What a day.

Toosday

blech. I am exhausted.

I made a trip to fedex this morning to ship off my instruments and a couple of boxes. I have two boxes left to ship and an extra box for last minute items.

I came home fedex and my energy was just zapped. So I've been on the couch. But I think that I am gathering the strength to bring my last 2 to UPS and continue the cleaning frenzy. I got my motivation around 8p last night and tackled my bedroom and the kitchen (including the oven and refrigerator). Once I get these last two boxes out I can focus on the front room and bathroom.

Sooooo I think I am going to be able to leave sometime tomorrow- probably early afternoon (I'll have a load of towels to do before I go). Its a day earlier than expected, but I am okay with that. I'm looking forward to hitting the road.

Boxes Boxes everywhere

Boxes everywhere . I might be ready to skip town on Wednesday. I have almost everything packed up and once I get these boxes and instruments out of here, I think the cleaning will be easier. I'll have to make a few trips I think. Instruments in one trip and then boxes in the other.

I'm going to cook my last bit of chicken- otherwise my freezer is dangerous close to being empty- a definite feat.

Except that I have a bucket of Margaritas. I wonder if they will travel well.....

I went and saw Miracleworker Kelly, LMT for our last massage. She gave me a few goodies and really worked me. She said that my shoulders and back were wound like rope. I'm not surprised. I'm feeling pretty good and definitely ready to see my sister and dad in michigan and then get the heck home. :)

I'm going to cook up a little dinner and then start cleaning my kitchen. I think I can tackle the kitchen and my bedroom today. Ready... set... Go!

Sunday

I'm currently trying to plan my day.

So far on the list: Wegmans. I'm going to see if I can find a bowl there to replace the one I broke. If not, I'll go out to target some time this afternoon. I also need coffee, some milk, a roll of toilet paper and some multi-surface cleaner. I'm going to start the cleaning process today.

Then I'm going to go by Barnes and Noble and see if there is anything I need. I just ordered two books that will ship home by the time I get there. One book is by Paul Nordoff-- Its all about the inherent qualities of music that make it therapeutic.

From Barcelona Publishers:

In these penetrating sessions, Dr. Nordoff dialogues with his students about the expressive dynamics of each tonal and rhythmic component of music, and through musical examples from various composers throughout history, demonstrates their therapeutic significance. This book is a foundational text for all music therapists who use improvisation as therapy. Its main goal is to develop the awareness, intuition, and experiential understanding of music needed to bring its healing powers to others through creative improvisation.

Nordoff said that each musical interval (even a half step) has some therapeutic qualities- each tone means something different, each tone is an event. Nordoff took these ideas from the teachings and writings of Rudolf Steiner. So the second book I ordered is by Rudolf Steiner called "The Inner Nature of Music and the Experience of Tone." You know just some light reading.

Here's the description from Amazon:

"A tone is at the foundation of everything in the physical world." This is one of many astonishing statements made by Rudolf Steiner in this collection of seven lectures on the inner realities of music. These lectures are an unusual treasure as they are the only two groups of lectures that Steiner gave primarily on music, other than the lecture cycle for the tone eurythmy course, Eurythmy as Visible Music. In the first group of three lectures, given in 1906, Steiner explains why music affects the human soul so powerfully. Music has always held a special position among the arts because it is the only art form whose archetype, or source, lies not in the physical world, as with architecture, sculpture, and painting, but purely in the spiritual world-the soul's true home. Music thus directly expresses through tones the innermost essence of the cosmos, and our sense of well-being when we hear music comes from a recognition of our soul's experience in the spiritual world. In the remaining lectures, given in 1922-23, Steiner discusses our experience of musical intervals and shows how it has undergone profound changes during the course of evolution. The religious effects of music in ancient times and the union of music with speech are considered, as well as the origin of musical instruments out of imaginations that accompanied singing. New insights are offered on the nature of the major and minor modes and on future directions of musical development."

I am excited to read something new and interesting and related. I have some fluff that I plan on reading to balance out what I think might be some heavy stuff. I'm looking forward to reading the real deal from the original source (Steiner) and see what kind of connections Nordoff makes and see how Nordoff ran off with the ideas. Sounds nerdy, eh? Oh well. I am excited about it. The fluff I'm reading is a book by Max DePree- "Leadership in an art." Our ITD recommended a couple of his books. It will be enlightening I'm sure, but the print is big and the writing is straightforward. I think it will offer a nice break from Steiner and Nordoff.

Anyhow- sorry about being slightly tangential. I'd like to go pick up some boxes today, but UPS and fedex don't do much on Sundays. Soooo I'll just start cleaning stuff and pick up boxes tomorrow. I only need a few more.

Otherwise, I plan on watching the I Love Lucy marathon while I start cleaning.

This episode is the one where Ethel Mae Potter & Friends stop in Albuquerque.

"Ethel Mae Potter, We Never Forgot Her"

It's one of my favorites.

Excellent Evening..... and not so good morning

Hahaha. I can't party like I used to.. nor do I bounce back as quickly as I used to either.

Oyvey.

We had a lovely evening. I took care of drinks and Kari and her husband took care of the food.

Currently I am awaiting my chinese delivery. Chinese food is my favorite after a big celebration. I don't know why. My roommate in Santa Ana and I would always get chinese food after a big party--- welll really any time we could. There is an amazing chinese place right in Orange, CA-- Yen Chings. They have delicious food.

Anyhow, I'm waiting for my food to get here. I just need a little pre-dinner party snack. ;)

I'm thinking about packing another box or two today.... but we'll see. I'm enjoying the whole "not doing anything" feeling right now. I imagine the packing and cleaning frenzy will officially restart on Monday.

As we left Friday I snapped a few photos.

Kari and I snapped a photo together right as we exited the building for the last time.

We did it! and we did it damn well!

This is our main building. It was also a beautiful day yesterday. Its still weird to think that I won't be back there for work on Monday. This was our little home for the past 8 months.

Just had to snap this last photo!

My Last Day

Wow. I can't believe that this day has come and gone!

My evaluations went well. I successfully completed the internship and I am eligible to take my certification exam.

Thank you to all of those who were thinking good thoughts for me all day.

I am thankful (again) to have had the opportunity to train here and I can't wait to figure out what I do next.... after a vacation of course.

Kari and her husband are coming up tonight and we're going out to dinner (first round of drinks are on me). Also, Tomorrow our ITD is hosting a dinner party-- that will be our last big hurrah before we all go our separate ways. Obviously, this process has been bittersweet... I started to get a little sad as we left work today (I'll post the picture Kari and I took as we exited the building). But we did it! And we did it damn well! I am excited and happy and sad and relieved and ready.

For now, I've cracked open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and am starting my own private celebration until Kari gets here. What a wonderful experience and to have shared it with someone like Kari- I couldn't have asked for a better co-intern and partner in crime. She has really become such an important friend and colleague in my life. This is an experience that we will share forever. I find that comforting even though we are going to be living on separate coasts.

Anyhoo... the celebration is commencing and will continue through tomorrow night's dinner party. I am really looking forward to that.

For now, I am enjoying my champagne. I think it is well-deserved.

Thursday

Today was a great day. All of my paper work has been submitted and I am left with my evaluation stuff for tomorrow.

The only problem is that I'm feeling completely un-motivated to finish it up. I have now turned to the muse of gin and tonic (Hey- I gotta clear out the contents of my fridge and that includes the bottle of tonic water).

Let's hope the muse does its job here.

I am excited to be finished tomorrow and am looking forward to wrapping things up. I can't believe this day is finally here. I am still a little worn out from all of the reflection and introspection and I am glad to have to focus on packing up boxes, driving and helping my sister get settled. It will be a nice change from the past few weeks.

Lots of things happening this weekend, but first I have to get through my eval tomorrow afternoon. I know it will be great, I just have to get going. Sigh. Its certainly been a long road and I think so much has changed in a really amazing way. I am thankful to have had this experience and to have been able to share it with all of you for the past 8 months. What a wild ride eh?

The Last Wednesday

between my final evaluation, final site evaluation, final paper, journals etc etc etc.... I am introspective-ed reflective-ed Out.....

Today was a paperwork day. I am officially done with sessions.

Tomorrow brings finalizing some reports and watching videos.

Friday I have my evaluation in the afternoon (yay to sleeping in! providing I don't have anything to finish up) and then a group eval with all four of us in the afternoon.

Almost there.

Perhaps a more exciting and informative post tomorrow....zzzz.zz.z...zzzzzzz

My Last Tuesday

Today was my last day at my Tuesday/Friday placement. I got to see everyone (thank goodness- that resolves all of last week's scheduling issues). As I was walking out the building, a lot of the people came up and gave me hugs and told me good luck. It made me sad definitely. They put together a card and also a Geneseo mug and waterbottle. I can drink my coffee and think of all my guys and wonderful co-workers there. One of my clients made me a personal card which is depicted below. It's a beautiful card and I don't even mind the glitter (you know how glitter manages to get EVERYwhere).

It's getting real now. This was my last tuesday and the last time that I was going to be there in that building. Sigh. I am feeling a little sappy this afternoon but I had another great day. This was a great place to work twice a week and I am so excited to have something tangible to take away from my time here.

NO EDITS!!!!!

I did it!!!! One of my August summaries had NO EDITS!! This is a personal triumph as I have toiled over documentation for 7.5 months. No Edits.

In other news, I got an interesting phone call today. Perhaps some of you don't know, but in November I became the proud owner of a set of beamz. (www.thebeamz.com). Its a laser beam set that is programed to midi sounds- every time you break the beam, the sound is triggered. I think they are fun- you can jam out on popular tunes, there are loop tracks. We had my set all wired up at my graduation party and had a good time with it. Just ask my Aunt.

Anyhow, my new best from Al from The Beamz called to discuss a potential business opportunity. He remembered me from the conference I attended in November. We discussed his idea and involving music therapy students. So I may potentially be contracted to help with this project or future projects with the company. He suggested setting up a contract so that I could "earn some money." I am really excited about this. I think there are a lot of possibilities for collaboration with this company- but one step at a time. I think this could be an excellent little project while I'm studying for my certification test and exploring my employment opportunities. We'll see what happens. For now I'm just excited that he remembered me from almost a year ago and is interested in my connections and what I have to offer. So I'll keep you posted as I get more information this week.

Other than this exciting news, I had a great day. I got lots of paperwork done and even started my final evaluation. and did I mention NO EDITS?! Maybe just once or twice.

I have a big day tomorrow. Its my last day at my Tuesday/Friday placement- so I'm sure it will be emotional saying goodbye to all my clients there. Its going to be quite a week, but I'm enjoying it so far! What a Monday.

Wilson Bros BBQ

Oh! The BBQ was really fun. Kari and her husband came over and we drove together. The Band was awesome- this 10 piece funk band. Our ITD was there and it was nice to just kind of cut loose and have some fun. I can tell that there has been a definite transition over the past few months. You know, in the beginning of the internship the boundaries felt more strict, but as time has passed everyone has relaxed a little bit and we've had some nice times. Saturday will be the culminating event. Our ITD is hosting a dinner party this coming Saturday. Kari and I will be done with our internship and we'll all really be able to let loose. I am in charge of the wine- I wanted to pick out some delicious california wine. So with my dad's guidance I picked up a few bottles ready for saturday.

Anyhow, after we hung out at the party, I took Kari and her husband to the Microcreamery for delicious ice cream. It was a nice afternoon. Kari's husband had a lovely conversation with our ITD about me and Kari. Apparently she's never had a pair of interns that have gotten along or complimented each other quite like we have. I love that. Kari has really become one of my closest friends and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself when we're living 3,000 miles apart and not working together 5 days a week. She's my self-regulator (yes I know how that sounds). She keeps me from saying anything inappropriate and if I do let something slip, she's there to do the damage control. :) When we were at the conference in Pittsburgh I was trying to explain to a student (who was from PA) how I thought the state of PA was "amusing." I guess she gave a funny look because Kari jumped in to help. Haha. We had a good laugh about that this afternoon. Anyhow, Our ITD also said that we were already apart of the world of music therapy. Her beau asked if we were ready to get out into the field and our ITD replied, "They already are." Kari and I both felt really good about that.

Its been a very nice afternoon. I am very tired. So I am going to plop on the couch and relax for the rest of the evening.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend.

Btw, I have 5 more days of internship left! What?!

California Dreamin'

I had an interesting conversation today with a barista in starbucks.

I got like 9 hours of sleep last night, so I was up pretty early, watched my hulu shows and decided to hit Wegmans to pick up bread and milk. Anyhow, I did my shopping and decided to stop at starbucks. I have to save my coffee here at home to make it through the week. The barista was talking to some guy about California and how most people in New York think that California looks like Hollywood and all people are like the characters of The Hills.

So we had a lovely conversation about that.

I actually cooked dinner tonight. I used to make these mexican chicken rice bowls in Arizona. The original recipe is from Any Bozzo Can Cook.

I don't have my cookbook here so I fixed the recipe from my memory and perhaps a few substitutions. I cut up some chicken breast and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and a dash of chile powder. I cooked the chicken in a bit of olive oil until browned. Add some tomatoes and frozen peas; season however you want and then stir in some rice. I like to use brown rice.

I also heated up some refried beans in a separate pan and voila. Dinner. It tastes pretty good too. My newest thing is to eat everything in my house before moving. I don't want to deal with a bunch of left over food... so it's going to be chicken, bags of broccoli florets, animal crackers, pasta and chicken broth for the next week and a half. I have faith that I'll clean everything out by the time I leave.

I managed to ship 5 more boxes home today AND clean my kitchen and front room. I just have to do a bit of laundry which I will probably get to tomorrow morning before the barbeque. Phew. For now, I am going to eat my delicious dinner!

What a Day

I drove a lot of miles today. Not really because I wanted to, but because I had to. I had to reschedule and move things around to fit in a final session. Its been a stressful few days, but after all of this, I feel better. I had my last official formal supervision today with my supervisor. We talked a lot about this week and the reasons for my afternoon driving. But we also had a chance to talk about how I feel with being so close to the end of my internship. I told him I'd let him know in a couple of weeks. Its good that I have a lot to do in terms of cleaning and packing stuff up-- but it could go either way. It could help and distract me or it could make things worse. It helps that I'm stopping in Michigan to help my sister move in and get settled. But I will probably feel the full brunt of this big transition once I get home. Then I will really be done in new york--- so done that I won't even be there anymore! Anyhow, we talked about that and we talked about future plans for involvement in AMTA. I'm one of those people that will just get involved and I already have the experience. But I think I want to wait on that until I have a job and know what kind of time I want to dedicate. I've got lots of time. Anyhow I'm in a very good place (even in comparison to this morning!), but very exhausted. That's 124 miles! One day. Phew. And $1.05 on the thru way.

I've got to clean up my kitchen before cooking dinner... so we'll see what I actually make for dinner. I still have red hots- and those are easy. I can microwave that and fix a salad lickety-split.

This weekend will probably bring a lot of cleaning and a bbq on sunday. My ITD's main squeeze hosts an annual picnic party- they provide chicken, burgers, beer, soda, and a 10 piece funk band. Kari, her hubby and I will probably check it out for a while--although its supposed to rain. We'll see what happens. I guess its a huge event, so we may not stay long. Apparently the band is reason enough to go. I will probably try and get some work done as well. I have a mountain of paperwork (documentation, reports and evals). One week left.

Sorry I've been a little MIA.

I've had a stressful week in phasing out clients and some last minute scheduling things.

Tomorrow I had to reschedule some things and will have to drive out to Newark early in the day. this was definitely unexpected, but necessary. blech. I'm feeling stressed and kind of down, so I'm unwinding with some golden girls and eating everything I possibly can (obviously that last bit isn't so good, but it certainly helps!). :) I thought since I finished my final paper that my learning was done. Apparently that is not the case. :)) I had a good talk with my good friend Alli last night, Julie this afternoon which certainly helped, and Kari helped too when she came back from a meeting-- its good to know that there are people out there that truly understand you and understand where you come from and understand and know when to give advice and when to just listen.

I'm planning on seeing my friend Alli soon. She lives near Denver and I am hoping to make a trip out there. Seeing her once a year at conferences is just not enough. Speaking of conference, I have decided to not go to the national conference this year. I've been to 2 other national conferences and 2 regional conferences. This year I just can't swing it- its a lot of money to be a professional member in a professional organization! Especially when I don't have a job. So I have decided to instead use my money that I have saved to pay for my certification exam and to travel and see friends--- those, as this point, are the best things for my professional development. I need a little break. So I want to get out to Denver and to Boston to see Julie (and Kari too!!! two for the price of one!!!). I am really looking forward to quality friend time and having a flexible schedule in order to get that time.

Thats about it for now. I will try to keep up with blogging in this last week. I know I haven't checked in at home in a few days, but I've been needing the time to think and stuff. I'm doing fine though mom and dad!--- except that i broke the bowl on my coffee table yesterday. I'll replace it before I go. oops! :)

The Start of the End

Today was a good day. I had good sessions and observations and we discussed the final book we were required to read. I even accomplished most of the things that I set out to do today.

I did, however, have to say goodbye to two of my clients today. I finished up with two of my guys. They teach interns all of the time, so its really me who is making the immediate adjustment here. Its kind of strange to think that they won't be apart of my usual weekly routine now. It's probably only going to get weirder as more of my clients are phased out of my caseload. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it yet. This means that I am actually so very close to finishing. I know that in my brain- but my heart has some catching up to do (as per usual- this is the way I operate).

Anyhow, I am exhausted and plan on eating a bit of dinner and passing out! Sounds like fun to me.

New Toy Demonstration

yes I know... second post of the day

Eight Simples Rules: Lessons Learned During My Internship

And how I learned to love the bomb....

Oh wait.. no... that wasn't write.... get it?

Eight Simple Rules.....--- thats what I decided to title my Final Paper.

It is printed and ready to go.

I'm working on a video to show you how my new recording toy works too.... right after I fix some broccoli for dinner... probably. The couch is looking pretty good.

Now that my presentation is over I find that I have a lot of time. My reading is finished. My paper is done. I just have a ton of documentation and reports and the evals. But if I start working on everythign little by little, I will be in good shape.

It was fun to recount my experience from the first time I updated about sprinting through the Detroit airport to even get to Rochester to sitting here in my apartment drinking another "corolla" in my cheeezzzy coozy. It truly has been a wild ride.

One of my readers (and friend) recently said, "I'll miss your blog when you're done with your internship." I've been thinking about the fate of "And On That Note..." as I only have 2 weeks left. Obviously my adventures are far from over; they will just change in place and time and focus. I would love to keep my friends and family "in the loop" so I am considering continuing to blog as I explore my employment opportunities, take my certification exam and of course, take a vacation. So never fear, I'm fairly certain that I will keep up with the blogging. I have a lot of ground to cover and an entire career just ahead.

I will, of course, keep you posted.

The Weekend, Day 2

OKay. Day 2.

See my Wisconsin beer coozy?!

I felt like the classiest broad at the grocery store today when I picked up a 6 pack of beer and coffee creamer. Classy.

I needed beer to put in my beer coozy. Plus, its after 3pm. I checked with my friend Stacey- she said this is all perfectly acceptable. I'll take it.

My paper is in its final stages. I went through it with a pen this morning and read parts of it out loud. I'm going to add in my changes and do it again this afternoon and hopefully end up with a final project.

To reward myself for finishing my paper I went and purchased a new piece of equipment for music recording. I bought another tier for my keyboard stand but I'm not going to be able to use it, so I'll have to return it sometime this week. But I did buy a midi controller which is really cool. I can put together background tracks and jam over the top. Its one easy way that I can use all my creative energy..... or procrastinate. I'm finishing my paper and then playing with it some more. It goes through my computer and into my amp. I can add a drum track and bass line using this piece of equipment, loop it, and then play my keyboard over the top. Its pretty cool and adds more dimensions to my little jam sessions. I can essentially be my own combo when I learn how to use this all well. Watch out, I may be coming to a cocktail party near you!

I'm going to finish up my paper, play with my new stuff, and maybe even work out tonight. My friend Stacey is sharing her "Insanity" videos with me. We are going to do them together and end up with 8 packs. That's 8 more abs than I currently have. The nice thing besides reading all of the wonderful results is that I can do it at home. I don't have to make concerted effort to go to a gym. Because even just getting to a gym to work out is really most of the battle. I'll keep you posted on this.

Well I've got to get back to work!

The Weekend

I'm taking a break from working on my Final Paper. I'm enjoying a margarita while working on my paper so I have forgotten about what I really wanted to share with you today. Classy.

Things are going well. My reflective final paper is taking shape. I'm almost done writing it at which point I'll actually print it out and go through it with a pen. I don't want to sit at my computer forever. If I can spread it out all over the living room floor I think I can continue my productive streak. Its been nice reviewing my experience while out here. I'm glad I have all of my blog posts as well as my journal entries. Its hard to sum up and synthesize my entire experience- everything I've learned about myself and music therapy. They all kind of bleed together, especially considering my identity as a therapist. Sigh. Its been a long road, but I feel like I am in a balance place and ready to start my career. I'm ready to do some great things in this field---- right after I take a vacation. :)

In other news, I received a box of "Wisconsin Prizes!" They include:

1 beer coozy that looks like cheese

1 postcard

1 box of Cowtown Cookies (Chocolate Cow Shapes)

1 Peanut Caramel Corn Cob

1 "The Original Mini Cow Pie: Crunchy pecans and buttery caramel drenched in smooth milk chocolate"

Thanks Mags!! I am going to enjoy my cow cookies for dessert tonight. I've ordered in for dinner since I want to finish my paper and I've already had a large margarita.

Okay, back to writing. I am almost done and ready for a dinner break!!!

A River without Dams: The Most Awesome Case Study Ever!

That's right. The most Awesome case study Ever. The first part of my title was "A River without Dams" from that quote from the Maslow book. It really worked well and my supervisors loved the title!

My presentation went really well.

I got fantastic feedback from both my ITD and my ST. Two family members of my client were able to attend and they looked like they loved my session video clips. They were laughing and smiling and saying things like, "its clear that ------ loves working with you." It was great to be able to share my excitement and my work with my client and to share that with my client's family.

I did run a little short but that's because I forgot to talk about something.

But it didn't take away from the presentation- My supervisors said I had a great pace, the terms I used were excellent, like I really knew what I was talking about, I knew my stuff. My ITD said I sounded like a real music therapist!

She also said that based on the reactions from the family members that I may be able to get a video release signed so that I can use the video clips for presentations. That would be amazing! And the fact that my ITD suggested that, I think, is high praise-- that I should be doing this presentation again. In fact, just a few days ago, one of my professors at ASU asked if I'd be interested in giving a presentation about improvisational music therapy for the students. How perfect. I hope I get the "rights" to the video so that I can use the clips in my presentation. Its difficult to really understand music therapy without truly seeing it.

AND, my ITD mentioned that she might want to use some of my clips for a presentation she is giving in the spring! Wow!

So I am on top of the world and celebrating with some red hots and a beer.

Ice cream to follow and then some much needed sleep. I love the red hots ---->

This weekend I'll update you all about my week and my latest visit to Kelly LMT. She is a miracle worker.

For now, I'm going to celebrate and just relax! Wooo hooo!

Today is the day

I give my Case Study presentation today! I am on my way out the door, but I promise I will update when I get home.

I've been working hard on my presentation and had kind of a rough start to the week, but I am excited for this afternoon. I think that it will be great.

I'll give you the play by play tonight.

Have a great day!