Newport's own Hilton Hotel

2 weeks advance notice for a yurt at Beverly Beach for only $36 dollars, incredible. Eileen lucked out since all the other sites were booked with the next opening in October... Last year when I spent my 6 weeks in Newport for my rotation at Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, I was gracious enough to receive a visit by them twice (with the exception of Bunza). This trip felt like some sort of mini-reunion. I have missed Newport.... well maybe not its climate.

4 people inside felt pretty spacious. Although in the middle of the night I had a nightmare that I saw a spider (*visually). I screamed and whimper. Everyone heard :(

Entryway to Osprey. Secluded yet so close to the bathroom and beachSomeday when I get a house, there can be a Yurt built so guests can stay over...

Yuri amazed by its cathedral-like ceiling

Self-Portrait

Entryway to Beverly Beach. Underneath Hwy 101

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives

Animals don't like the macro feature. Had its antennas up to defend itself

Kite Surfer walking back at sunset

Better believe it, I ate the whole thing

Sallie and Sopon have the most amazing luck with crabs

Lived next door to this place for 6 weeks, the smell!

Xanthohumal (an antioxidant researched by Dr. Stevens)can be found in Hops and IPAOur attempt to go clammingAttempts: 1) Past the natural gas factory. Mud everywhere! 2) Beverly beach. Not for clamming! 3) Marine Hatfield Center. Ok, I see shells, wait.. it's not negative tide. Oh look at what the locals caught!Ohh the agony! I-5 can suck it!

Coming back to Corvallis

When did you begin to feel old? I think I felt it the end of my first year of pharmacy school. It began where I was noticing this transition between what were my biggest priorities:

• Freshman year: Find Independence away from the parents > Meet new people > get good grades
  
• Sophomore year: Meet more people > house/frat parties > avoid getting C's
• Junior Year: I'm 21!!! > Bring up my GPA > meet more people > pump up the extracurriculars to get into pharmacy school
• Senior Year: Prep up for pharmacy school interviews (GPA, recommendations, extracurriculars) > I'm legal :) > Meet more people
• P1 year: Pharmacy school >>>>> meet more people

This transition is likely to be similar with most college students, with the exception of pharmacy school being a specific goal. I then began noticing that as I still stayed in Corvallis the people kept coming and going with similar interests as I when I was entering college. I witnessed greek rush with the new recruits parading around 25th and 26th streets, the groupies at the designated house parties, the new 21'ers at Clods or Tailgaters... all things I once enjoyed, but grew out of.

Fast forward. I recall just last year at OHSU where there's was an hour and a half commute to campus, it was impossible to hang out with friends since Portland is so spread out (I mean that takes effort), and there were SOAP notes, oral presentations and therapeutic exams to worry about... I was wishing to return to Corvallis. Campus was this magical land where you didn't have to worry about the real world.

Present. Loving the portland metro area. There's more diversity, attractions, restaurants, people with common interests, and now beginning to make an effort to get together with friends. I know I vowed not to return back to Corvallis until graduation June 2010 but had to make a pit stop before going to Beverly Beach. It's also amazing how much things are different after a little over a year:

• No Fungs Maple Garden (Now Chipotle) or Platinum (where do all the Asians go now??)
• There's a coffee/beer place... well
• More tanning salons for all those So-Cal Sorority Girls
• People at Bombs are no longer earth friendly botanist with hairy faces (now replaced by happy guys with skinny jeans & scarves that like to wiggle dance)
• BTW, love this Band called F.o.l.k.l.o.r.e.

$2.50 Hefeweisen with complementary pizza from one of my good friends. Hey Obama likes American Dream

Missed this girl! Hopefully traffic in I-5 won't be such a hassel

Oregon is known for its delicious microbrews

AWARE project

For my off day, I decided to sign up and volunteer for the Oregon Alliance Workshop Resistance Education (AWARE) project at OMSI. Day off... check. Motivating myself to go out and work with the community... check. CSI crime scene exhibit... check. This partnership is provided by the Department of Human Services and I see literally tons of prescriptions in outpatient for antibiotics

What's the purpose? There's a difference between getting a viral infection and bacterial infection. Viral infections are your average cold or flu symptoms which could be a stuffy/runny nose. Antibiotics are not effective for viral infections and more importantly when taken unnecessarily, there is greater risk for developing resistance.

We had two booths today, one with a giant nose that would spray water when you push a button and a brain/bicycle/helmet table. I wasn't stationed at the antibiotic table but was placed in for bicycle helmet safety. It's pretty funny since the last time I rode a bike was maybe 10 years ago. What I learned:

1. Kids under age 16 are required to wear a helmet by law (there's a $25 fine)
   
2. Most helmets are good for about 5 years, otherwise the heat canbreak down that foam pad and alter it's protection
3. Helmets actually have an expiration date, who knew?
4. Replace a helmet after a crash. The foam inside could be damaged from impact and be less protective.
5. Kids looove gross things and they will touch anything!
   

There is a 30% chance that at some point of a person's life, their lumbar disks may degenerate

Inside the skull there are jagged edges. When there's trauma, your brain can hit the sides and cause knock out

A sugarless gelatinous brain demonstrating the potential injury of not wearing a helmet. This was very popular with the kids but unfortunately got walked on by a volunteer

To be, or not to be.

Farm animals affected by pollution

Able to get into free to the CSI exhibit.... I wasn't interested :)

Exploring my options and my neighborhood

Honestly, I was trying not to get too worked up about my upcoming rotations, never had 4 ten hour shifts before. So cleared my head with a visit to the personal trainer at 24 hour fitness and focused on building my back and chest muscles. My posture...

It's amazing how close in location my family is .. literally a block away. This past Sunday there was a birthday party with pinatas, cupcakes, barbecue, and most importantly an EE reunion.

The sun felt warm, but the clouds covered my Vitamin D exposure

Behind Aunt Sakal and Uncle James' house

Obligatory macro shot

Saw the cupcakes and thought, "Oh no.. there's not enough." ... and why yes, there was

Mary and her cupcake (so glad she was still!)

Addicted to bee pictures

Dead bee with ants | The circle of Life

Tried to capture water droplets

Saved

I can't begin to describe how blessed I feel to have a new relationship with God.

Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.