Friday, May 28, 2010
New Apartment!
How could I forget to mention our new apartment!? We moved in last Saturday and even with boxes everywhere I absolutely love it. It is nowhere near the edge of a busy street or across from a gas station. It's quiet and when it's not quiet it's because there are children (who are actually courteous, well-behaved children) playing outside. Daylight streams in and fills the entire apartment. And I have a PANTRY!!! This is such a blessing after not having one. It has already changed my life, I swear! This place just has better energy than the old place. Additionally, with the help of my bestie, I painted three of the walls so that it feels like "our" place and not just a space we are renting. Now my mission is to get everything put away and get decorations up to complete the move-in process! I'm off to do that now :)
Triathlon, CHM 152, and Photography
I'll try to make this short but thorough.
I finished my first triathlon in 1:49:05 which isn't too bad for my first. This was the Gold Nugget Triathlon in Anchorage, Alaska and it was a bit chilly for me! I'm spoiled now, living in Arizona. Anyways, I am planning on doing an open water swim race tomorrow to get some experience in a non-pool setting.
I finished my busy spring semester with 3 A's and 1 B and have now finished my first week of CHM 152 (Chemistry II) which I will be completing in five weeks total. It is already keeping me very busy and it is a good thing (sort of) that Nick is in Anchorage working so I don't get distracted!
Meanwhile, I decided that if I wanted to do photography I should just do it. So I did. I'm very stoked about it and am excited to continue building my portfolio. Check out my awesome website: Ashley Stramp Photography!
I finished my first triathlon in 1:49:05 which isn't too bad for my first. This was the Gold Nugget Triathlon in Anchorage, Alaska and it was a bit chilly for me! I'm spoiled now, living in Arizona. Anyways, I am planning on doing an open water swim race tomorrow to get some experience in a non-pool setting.
I finished my busy spring semester with 3 A's and 1 B and have now finished my first week of CHM 152 (Chemistry II) which I will be completing in five weeks total. It is already keeping me very busy and it is a good thing (sort of) that Nick is in Anchorage working so I don't get distracted!
Meanwhile, I decided that if I wanted to do photography I should just do it. So I did. I'm very stoked about it and am excited to continue building my portfolio. Check out my awesome website: Ashley Stramp Photography!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A Little Minnesota Get-Away
I just got home yesterday from spending an extended weekend back in my "second-home" of Minnesota. It was wonderful to be able to spend quality time with my bestie, Laura, and to see several other people near-and-dear to my heart.
I spent Friday at Gustavus. It felt as though I had never left, but none of my friends were there. I do miss the campus life and all the benefits of going to college, but this experience was good for closure. I would really like to go back for Homecoming, however, when there is a better chance of seeing fellow alumni! My sister-in-law, Robin, will be going to Gustavus's rival school, St. Olaf, so hopefully we will get to go see her next fall and make a stop at GAC. Oh, I also got to go to Patty's, the local bar, and River Rock, the local coffee shop which serves amazing food. I had intended to order PJ's pizza but only remembered as I was driving out of town. That's for next time!
Saturday morning I ran the Get In Gear 5k race in Minneapolis. It was pouring down rain and a little nippy but once I got going it was nice to run in cool weather and beautiful scenery. To make things even more great, I had my Laura waiting for me at the finish line to cheer me on and with warm, dry clothes ready for me! I made decent time and ran with a 9:36 pace. For the last long stretch I decided to pace with this little boy, probably about 7 yrs old, and he certainly challenged me! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep breathing and not wimp out and he was just trotting along! It was a good race.
Saturday afternoon was filled with friends. I got to visit my senior-year roommate, Alysha, and toured her new townhouse. We had a yummy Mexican lunch then I headed out to the Zeta Chi Phi Blue Diamond Formal, which happened to be that same weekend I was there! I definitely didn't spend enough time with these wonderful women but it was nice to see everyone, especially the new members! Saturday night Laura and I made yummy Trader Joe's homemade pizza. It was delicious.
Sunday Laura and I attempted to go to the Farmer's Market but realized most of the Farmer's were back in their warm, cozy beds and not in the breezy rainy conditions of the day. I did have a magnificent cup of freshly squeezed orange juice that made my day. Then we found a boutique called Patinas where I gladly left a sizable stack of cash. This store is hard to describe... it has so much of everything. I mostly bought a few neat decorations for the apartment. After an informative stop at Saint Sabrina's tattoo shop, we had lunch at Chin's Asia Fresh, a favorite restaurant of mine that is only found in Minnesota. We followed this with a very productive mall shopping experience and headed home to get ready for dinner!
Chino Latino is by far the best restaurant I have experienced in the Lower 48. It is a fusion of Mexican and Asian/South-Asian foods in an upscale yet satirical atmosphere. They have dishes with names like "Cuban Pork Roast Crisis" (my absolute favorite) and "The Fire Goddess' Sacrificial S'mores Platter" (we had this too) and drinks named "Kama Sutra Mama" and "El Orgazmo". Most everything on the menu is incredible unique in flavor and everything is super tasty. Here Laura and I met two of my bridesmaids, Laura D. and Jessie for some well-needed catch-up time. It was great to see both of them but our dinner was over way too soon.
Monday I flew out and did Chemistry homework on the plane (plus an obligatory homework nap). It was nice, I must admit, to be back in the warmth even though that warmth is rapidly increasing (a forecasted high of 92 today). However, I will surely miss the beautiful grass and trees!
I spent Friday at Gustavus. It felt as though I had never left, but none of my friends were there. I do miss the campus life and all the benefits of going to college, but this experience was good for closure. I would really like to go back for Homecoming, however, when there is a better chance of seeing fellow alumni! My sister-in-law, Robin, will be going to Gustavus's rival school, St. Olaf, so hopefully we will get to go see her next fall and make a stop at GAC. Oh, I also got to go to Patty's, the local bar, and River Rock, the local coffee shop which serves amazing food. I had intended to order PJ's pizza but only remembered as I was driving out of town. That's for next time!
Saturday morning I ran the Get In Gear 5k race in Minneapolis. It was pouring down rain and a little nippy but once I got going it was nice to run in cool weather and beautiful scenery. To make things even more great, I had my Laura waiting for me at the finish line to cheer me on and with warm, dry clothes ready for me! I made decent time and ran with a 9:36 pace. For the last long stretch I decided to pace with this little boy, probably about 7 yrs old, and he certainly challenged me! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep breathing and not wimp out and he was just trotting along! It was a good race.
Saturday afternoon was filled with friends. I got to visit my senior-year roommate, Alysha, and toured her new townhouse. We had a yummy Mexican lunch then I headed out to the Zeta Chi Phi Blue Diamond Formal, which happened to be that same weekend I was there! I definitely didn't spend enough time with these wonderful women but it was nice to see everyone, especially the new members! Saturday night Laura and I made yummy Trader Joe's homemade pizza. It was delicious.
Sunday Laura and I attempted to go to the Farmer's Market but realized most of the Farmer's were back in their warm, cozy beds and not in the breezy rainy conditions of the day. I did have a magnificent cup of freshly squeezed orange juice that made my day. Then we found a boutique called Patinas where I gladly left a sizable stack of cash. This store is hard to describe... it has so much of everything. I mostly bought a few neat decorations for the apartment. After an informative stop at Saint Sabrina's tattoo shop, we had lunch at Chin's Asia Fresh, a favorite restaurant of mine that is only found in Minnesota. We followed this with a very productive mall shopping experience and headed home to get ready for dinner!
Chino Latino is by far the best restaurant I have experienced in the Lower 48. It is a fusion of Mexican and Asian/South-Asian foods in an upscale yet satirical atmosphere. They have dishes with names like "Cuban Pork Roast Crisis" (my absolute favorite) and "The Fire Goddess' Sacrificial S'mores Platter" (we had this too) and drinks named "Kama Sutra Mama" and "El Orgazmo". Most everything on the menu is incredible unique in flavor and everything is super tasty. Here Laura and I met two of my bridesmaids, Laura D. and Jessie for some well-needed catch-up time. It was great to see both of them but our dinner was over way too soon.
Monday I flew out and did Chemistry homework on the plane (plus an obligatory homework nap). It was nice, I must admit, to be back in the warmth even though that warmth is rapidly increasing (a forecasted high of 92 today). However, I will surely miss the beautiful grass and trees!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Classes
In order to fulfill the prerequisites for the Doctor of Naturopathy program at Bastyr and NCNM, I must take:
2 courses Biology
2 courses Chemistry
2 courses Organic Chemistry
2 courses Physics
1 course College Algebra (I'll be taking Trigonometry)
and of course labs with all courses except for math.
I basically changed my major and now I'm kicking myself for copping-out on Gustavus's science requirement by taking a course on natural disasters instead of Biology. And taking Nature of Math instead of Pre-Calc or higher. Oh well, that's life for sure!
Last semester I took General Biology I which I really should have skipped and taken Gen Bio II because it was on par with a high school level course. My awful teacher didn't help matters. Fortunately I also took Anatomy & Physiology I at the same time with the most wonderful teacher! I really enjoyed that class and made a few close friends.
This semester I decided to continue to Anatomy & Physiology II to learn about more detailed systems of the body. My teacher isn't quite the same and my classmates can be quite irritating at times, but overall it's going well. I made two new friends, one of whom was born and raised in Wasilla until she was 13. Very cool!
Additionally, I am taking Microbiology. This is the most interesting class this semester by far. Even though I'm freaking out a little bit (as she warned us we would start doing) about my little cut being infected and developing necrotizing fasciitis, the information is so fresh and new. My professor has a PhD and is very knowledgeable, having done extensive research in her field. Microbiology lab always goes the full 2.5 hours but it flies by as we create our own slides and look at our organisms under our microscopes. Currently we have each been given an unknown organism and we must run a series of tests to deduce which of the six choices it is! Plus, I get to wear a lab coat which undoubtedly makes me feel very studious and official.
Finally, I am taking Gen Chem I. This is a hard class. My teacher, Brian, makes it a true college level course and he goes at a very quick pace and relies on the students to be prepared by reading the text and knowing how to self-teach. Most of the class hates his methods but I'm pretty much okay with them. He has made a few changes since most of the class bombed the first test (I got an 88 so I'm feeling pretty good) but the problem is that there is so much information to cram in to one semester that it is hard for him to slow down and still cover it all. I have three new friends in that class so I don't mind class and lab. One of my friends is a firefighting dad who knows a lot about chemicals. My other friend is a local "'Zona-boy" who is doing his undergrad at PVCC. My lab partner is not in my lecture class, but she is a very sweet young momma who recently moved here from... Wyoming or Montana (I think).
I had a job in the fall but it was awful and I ended up quitting so other than selling Mary Kay I don't have a job currently. I'm thinking that once Nick and I move to our new apartment in May I'll start looking out in that area. So until then this is what i've got going on! Oh, and going to the gym and taking tennis lessons.... for another post.
2 courses Biology
2 courses Chemistry
2 courses Organic Chemistry
2 courses Physics
1 course College Algebra (I'll be taking Trigonometry)
and of course labs with all courses except for math.
I basically changed my major and now I'm kicking myself for copping-out on Gustavus's science requirement by taking a course on natural disasters instead of Biology. And taking Nature of Math instead of Pre-Calc or higher. Oh well, that's life for sure!
Last semester I took General Biology I which I really should have skipped and taken Gen Bio II because it was on par with a high school level course. My awful teacher didn't help matters. Fortunately I also took Anatomy & Physiology I at the same time with the most wonderful teacher! I really enjoyed that class and made a few close friends.
This semester I decided to continue to Anatomy & Physiology II to learn about more detailed systems of the body. My teacher isn't quite the same and my classmates can be quite irritating at times, but overall it's going well. I made two new friends, one of whom was born and raised in Wasilla until she was 13. Very cool!
Additionally, I am taking Microbiology. This is the most interesting class this semester by far. Even though I'm freaking out a little bit (as she warned us we would start doing) about my little cut being infected and developing necrotizing fasciitis, the information is so fresh and new. My professor has a PhD and is very knowledgeable, having done extensive research in her field. Microbiology lab always goes the full 2.5 hours but it flies by as we create our own slides and look at our organisms under our microscopes. Currently we have each been given an unknown organism and we must run a series of tests to deduce which of the six choices it is! Plus, I get to wear a lab coat which undoubtedly makes me feel very studious and official.
Finally, I am taking Gen Chem I. This is a hard class. My teacher, Brian, makes it a true college level course and he goes at a very quick pace and relies on the students to be prepared by reading the text and knowing how to self-teach. Most of the class hates his methods but I'm pretty much okay with them. He has made a few changes since most of the class bombed the first test (I got an 88 so I'm feeling pretty good) but the problem is that there is so much information to cram in to one semester that it is hard for him to slow down and still cover it all. I have three new friends in that class so I don't mind class and lab. One of my friends is a firefighting dad who knows a lot about chemicals. My other friend is a local "'Zona-boy" who is doing his undergrad at PVCC. My lab partner is not in my lecture class, but she is a very sweet young momma who recently moved here from... Wyoming or Montana (I think).
I had a job in the fall but it was awful and I ended up quitting so other than selling Mary Kay I don't have a job currently. I'm thinking that once Nick and I move to our new apartment in May I'll start looking out in that area. So until then this is what i've got going on! Oh, and going to the gym and taking tennis lessons.... for another post.
Super Update!
A lot has changed since my last post.
I am still continuing to take community college classes in the pursuit of starting naturopathic medical school, however, I am no longer applying to SCNM. For multiple reasons, I have decided that one of the naturopathic schools in the Pacific NW would be better. Therefore, we are 99% sure that we will be moving to Seattle in June 2011! If it's not Seattle then it will probably be Portland, home to National College of Natural Medicine.
Our relocation to Seattle will mean that I will attend Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA to pursue a Doctor of Naturopathy degree as well as a Masters in Midwifery (pending accreditation of a merger in progress). At this time I see myself specializing in Women's Health, which would be awesome.
Nick is not planning on continuing to teach after this next year because he (nor I) like the fact that he has to bring his work home with him every night, making each work day at least 18 hours long. Seattle would provide him with lots of opportunities to explore a new career path or two.
So that's the most significant update, as this decision has shaped a lot of other decisions like where to live and how many classes I need to take and when, etc. I'll try my darndest to keep this blog a little more updated from now on :)
Oh and btw Nick and I got married. I guess that's a big deal, too ;) Check out our family website: thestramps.blogspot.com
I am still continuing to take community college classes in the pursuit of starting naturopathic medical school, however, I am no longer applying to SCNM. For multiple reasons, I have decided that one of the naturopathic schools in the Pacific NW would be better. Therefore, we are 99% sure that we will be moving to Seattle in June 2011! If it's not Seattle then it will probably be Portland, home to National College of Natural Medicine.
Our relocation to Seattle will mean that I will attend Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA to pursue a Doctor of Naturopathy degree as well as a Masters in Midwifery (pending accreditation of a merger in progress). At this time I see myself specializing in Women's Health, which would be awesome.
Nick is not planning on continuing to teach after this next year because he (nor I) like the fact that he has to bring his work home with him every night, making each work day at least 18 hours long. Seattle would provide him with lots of opportunities to explore a new career path or two.
So that's the most significant update, as this decision has shaped a lot of other decisions like where to live and how many classes I need to take and when, etc. I'll try my darndest to keep this blog a little more updated from now on :)
Oh and btw Nick and I got married. I guess that's a big deal, too ;) Check out our family website: thestramps.blogspot.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Community College
While searching for interesting jobs, I stumbled across the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. I highly suggest you Google it and check it out. It's basically a school based on a way of doing medicine with which I highly agree. They are also very green, too. After discovering this school, I decided this was a career path I wanted to take. However, since I never took one biology, chemistry, or physics course at Gustavus, I need to take those here in AZ before I can apply.
Enter the Maricopa Community College system. This system has 10 community colleges so that a student can take the same course at any of the colleges. Though I have had some strife in arranging a class schedule, the first day of class this Tuesday I made it work. I am currently taking BIO-181 (General Biology) and BIO-201 (Anatomy and Physiology). Biology is basically a high school course so we'll see how that goes. Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) is more challenging, interesting, and worthwhile. Plus, we meet in a brand new building that has a shiny new cadaver lab in it! We get to look at muscles on cadavers in October! Super exciting.
So that's where I'm at currently. It's nice to have something on my weekly agenda, and a couple of textbooks to read when I'm bored. So far no job, but the local Starbucks is going to soon have openings! Wish me luck!
Enter the Maricopa Community College system. This system has 10 community colleges so that a student can take the same course at any of the colleges. Though I have had some strife in arranging a class schedule, the first day of class this Tuesday I made it work. I am currently taking BIO-181 (General Biology) and BIO-201 (Anatomy and Physiology). Biology is basically a high school course so we'll see how that goes. Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) is more challenging, interesting, and worthwhile. Plus, we meet in a brand new building that has a shiny new cadaver lab in it! We get to look at muscles on cadavers in October! Super exciting.
So that's where I'm at currently. It's nice to have something on my weekly agenda, and a couple of textbooks to read when I'm bored. So far no job, but the local Starbucks is going to soon have openings! Wish me luck!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Hiking: Bobby's Rock Trail
Today was the third day I hiked Camelback Mountain. The first two hikes were up Cholla Trail, which is steep and 1.5 miles long (roundtrip?). Today I wanted something a little less rugged so I chose this short, "easy" trail. It was short, not well marked, and easy enough without being boring. I could see myself running this trail (carefully). The end of the trail reveals an awesome view of downtown Phoenix. After hiking this little trail, I sampled the Echo Canyon Summit Trail, which is the hardest of all four trails. Today I only made it to the quarter-mile marker but I'll start tackling that another day this week.
This is what the hiking terrain looks like in Arizona! Wildlife sitings have included little lizards, ground squirrels, and quails. So far no rattlesnakes!!
This is what the hiking terrain looks like in Arizona! Wildlife sitings have included little lizards, ground squirrels, and quails. So far no rattlesnakes!!
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