Monday, September 29, 2003

Knee Drama
I promise sometime or another I'll update about the trip. But right now the biggest thing on my mind is my knee. It's being mean to me. Right before my field course it started hurting slightly and the pain gradually heightened the more I hiked and moved around through Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming until it was almost unbearable. I took so much ibuprofin and hobbled around a lot. I think the two full days of driving back to Chicago at then end of the trip helped it some, because now it only hurts moderately, but because it's been in constant demand of my attention (it's hard to think about anything else when I walk...especially downhill) for over three weeks now I decided to go to the Student Care Center today to see a doctor. She did a very thorough evaluation wiggling my knee/legs around, and applying all kinds of pressure in weird angles. Eventually she told me that all of my ligaments are fine, which made me happy I guess but still didn't solve the problem. Because my knee pain is in such a highly unusual place (it's lateral pain on the left knee) for a person of my age she says that I need to have xrays taken and I need to see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. Ack! I've never had anything wrong with me before, never been to the hospital, never had a sprain or a break. It's kinda scary that I might have one now. Wish me luck... I'm on my way over to DCAM right now to get the xrays. Luckily the University of Chicago Hospital is right on campus.
Update: I just got 7 xrays. And I'm so confused on how this whole process is supposed to work. The Student Care Center told me that xrays were 23 hours and that I needed to go to DCAM and also make an appt with an orthopedic surgeon. Last night around 10pm I headed over, only to find out that Radiology was closed, except for in the Emergency Room and the wait would be over an hour. So this afternoon after my first two classes I headed over back to Radiology where I was the guniea pig for a brand new Radiologist Technition straight out of Malcolm X college. She seemed rather unsure of herself, but was very nice. Previously, I was told that I was going to get an interpretation of the xrays (a "wet reading") but after I got the xrays they official nurse lady told me that they wouldn't be done for a couple of hours and only then could the Radiologist look and them and then they would page my doctor. But who is my doctor? The SCC lady I guess? So now I'm thrown back in the loop of miscommunicaton and confusion. I went to go make my appt with an orthopedic surgeon but when I told my problem to the lady at the desk she looked at me like I was crazy and told me that I needed to see Sports Medicine instead. So now I have an apt with them for next week. Wish me luck.
Additional Update: xrays came back fine. My ligaments or muscles or something must be messed up and causing this.

Sunday, September 07, 2003

Happily off to the land of no internet
This blog will be pretty blank for the month of September. But it's for good reason! I'm on my fifth geophysical science field course. 20 days of camping and seeing a part of the country that I've never been to. Wahoo! :o)

Schedule of Days – Montana Field Geology Course GEOS 24000
University of Chicago
September 7–26, 2003

Sunday, September 7th
- 6pm – meeting in HGS 176 for equipment pickup and final preparations

Monday, September 8th (Driving time = 13 hours)
- Drive!
- Set up camp in Badlands, SD

Tuesday, September 9th
- Hike in Badlands
- Activities and discussion of Badlands NP, SD

Wednesday, September 10th (Driving time = 4 hours)
- 8.30am – Leave Badlands for Devils tower
- Drive to Devils Tower National Monument
(It was raining so hard so we kept on driving and didn't stop more than 20 minutes)

Thursday, September 11th (Driving time = 10 hours)
- Drive to Judith Landing, MT

Friday, September 12th
-Judith Landing, MT

Saturday, September 13th
-Judith Landing, MT

Sunday, September 14th
-Judith Landing, MT

Monday, September 15th
- Transit to McNulty Bottoms

Tuesday, September 16th
-McNulty Bottoms, MT

Wednesday, September 17th (Mapping Day 1)
- Field Mapping Project
-McNulty Bottoms, MT

Thursday, September 18th (Mapping Day 2)
- MAP
-McNulty Bottoms, MT

Friday, September 19th (Mapping Day 3)
- MAP
-McNulty Bottoms, MT

Saturday, September 20th (Mapping Day 4)
-McNulty Bottoms, MT

Sunday, September 21st (Driving time = 5 hours)
– Leave McNulty Bottoms, MT
- Explore geology of Stillwater Complex
- Set up camp in Gallatin National Forest
-Overnight in Gallatin National Forest near Nye, MT

Monday, September 22nd (Driving time = 6 hours)
Morning
– Leave camp for Mammoth Hot Springs
- Drive to Yellowstone
- Mammoth Hot Springs hike and geology
- Cabins at Mammoth, WY overnight in Yellowstone

Tuesday, September 23rd
- Drive to Grand Tetons National Park, WY
- Cabins in Grand Tetons
- Hike at Jenny Lake

Wednesday, September 24th
- Activities in Grand Tetons NP, WY

Thursday, September 25th (Driving time = 12 hours)
Morning
- 8.30am – Leave Grand Tetons NP/Jenny Lake
- Drive!
- set up camp near Lake McConaughy/Ogallala, NE

Friday, September 26th (Driving time = 13 hours)
- Drive!
- Arrive in Chicago late!
The Best Brunch Ever
This morning I had brunch with Amanda, Paul, and Sudeep. And oh my, can Sudeep cook! He went all out this morning making us english muffins and orange madeleines (from scratch), sausages with fried tomatos, a wonderfully roasted chicken with potatos, two loaves of french bread (once again, from scratch!), and a fruit & yogurt salad for dessert.
Once we were all wonderfully full we took a walk to Powells, and then meandered on over to the park behind the Museum of Science & Industry to the Japanese Garden. A gorgeous day in the 80's with sunlight sparkling off the water..we were very content reading laying on the grass and chatting. I saw a few people walk by and smirk at us, four college students sprawled out with our books...it was one of those moments when I realize just how much I love the UofC. I'm glad to be back on break for a bit in Chicago.
24
I am hooked on the show 24. Paul has borrowed the entire first series on DVD and so far I've watched the first six episodes. Usually I'm not the type of girl who gets worked up over tv shows or silly plots, and even though this one is a bit unrealistic in many aspects, it still gets my adrenaline pumping and I get all tense at some parts. Then I start laughing at myself for being so emotionally involved in the plot.

Friday, September 05, 2003

Back in Chicago
Imagine me sleeping contently against the plane window with my fleece blanket. Then imagine my surprise as a cold wetness wakes me up as it seeps through my pants--the flight attendant spilled an entire cup of Ginger Ale and ice all over me, my computer, my bag, and my book, and my teddy bear. Arg. At least it wasn't a Bloody Mary like the last time. Do I just have bad luck or does this happen often to other people?
To my pleasant surprise pg.120 of National Geographic has a nice piece on Portland' own Forest Park [the largest urban wilderness in the United States] included in their discovery zipcode 97210.

Tuesday, September 02, 2003

Through the temporate rain forest, balancing on the side of cliffs over the Pacific, through (even literally at one point) old growth beauties, 4 miles of coastal hiking north from Neahkahnie to Short Sands. There must have been over 100 surfers, and it was so neat to watch them catch the waves...one even did a headstand! Sedimentary tilted with fossils as the backdrop to naked sandy kids, smiling families, dread locks, tanned bodies, and wetsuits.