no matter what

I will have salvaged something in this trip in that I plan on being at Brighton in about a hour, snowboarding.

Accepted, waitlisted or denied I am still going to have some fun!! Pics and maybe video up later today.

Sample PA School Interview Questions

These are sample questions from my admissions interview for Physician Assistant at the University of Utah. Yours may vary......... Just be prepared for whatever you say to get a follow up question and to defend your response.

-Why did you apply to _________?
-What medical career did you have before and why are you changing to PA?
-What type of PA work do you want to do?
-What is the history of the PA program?
-Are you prepared to live here?
-What about your spouse?
-Tell us about your volunteer work.
-What animal do you identify with and why?
-Tell us about a patient encounter that changed you.
-What is some constructive criticism you have received?
-What makes you happy, gives you joy?

You will be asked ethical questions about PA's, medicine as an industry and things about your personality. All on top of what you would consider to be standard questions.

Dress well, don't be too aggressive, listen, follow all directions and be sociable. Smile. Relax. Make friends.

Like me, if you made it this far you have a 50/50 chance, so just relax and go for it.

debrief

Interviewing went well. I had an essay about fulfilling the schools mission, 4 individual interview with two faculty members each time, a 150 question anatomy and physiology test and 2 group interviews/discussions. And a social I spent just a few minutes at.

Initially I have a good feeling about my chances for acceptance. I only have to be in the top 40% of this group and I think I am.

I will have an answer in a week, probably Thursday or Friday, so check back then for sure and see how it all shakes down.

autonomic nervous system

Remember the scene in Young Frankenstien where he is doing the lesson about the nervous system and knees the old man in the groin? HILARIOUS!!
(go to minute 7:30)
Well I learned that if my mom bites my leg I smack her in the face without thinking.

Is this good or bad? Discuss.

Lucky is a dog's name, I call it whooping your @#$

Pt I
Last week a brown belt C. completely tore two ligaments in his knee. Laid up for half a year and surgery required. Today a purple belt B. broke his collar bone.

My little sore elbow doesn't seem that big now....

(ps last night I ran stairs at Mt Helix and did push ups, this morning I ran 5 miles on trails at 6am in 41 degree weather in 47 minutes.)

In today's class I did a 20 minutes roll at the very end with a purple who just kept at it and at it and wouldn't let me quit. Everyone is really helping me train for the Copa.

Luck, I don't believe in it.

Part II
Over 600 people applied to PA school where I want to go. Initially I did not make the first cut. Then I got wait listed to be interviewed, then I got an interview offer! So now 80-85 of us are being interviewed for 40 spots. I am doing that this Thursday and Friday up in Utah.

I have been studying and doing mock interviews. I think I am totally prepared. Still, it is an unknown situation for me and I think how it works is we are all obviously at an acceptable level, at least on paper. Now it is up to these in-person interviews to convince them you're not.

What I mean to say is I think at this stage and level you eliminate yourself. Pressure? Yeah, I'll be the guy in my suit doing push-ups in the hallway to calm down.
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I can't wait to go boardin' at Brighton on Saturday, to just let things out of my system and just flow down the mountain. Relax, flow and go.

Again, no such thing as "Luck"

There is this surgery in Italy....they break both your legs.....

OR-The Tallest Guy in San Diego

And it is all so you can be like two inches taller. I've always been fun, popular and active. But I have never been tall(just good looking). I really would like to be two inches taller, like 5' 9".

Till then, this is the best I can manage: 8' 7"

DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED

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.Guys, do not rub Tiger Balm/Icey Hot on your elbow and then use the restroom with it still on your hand. Just so you know.

so yeah...

Today Fabio 'strongly advised' me to no longer attend the beginner class, especially as I am preparing for a tournament.

It all boils down to me being better than the people in the beginner class and going to it and then immediately following going to the advanced class I am just tired and not aggressive.

What will help me will be giving 100% against people better than me, the advanced class. Quality training, not quantity training.

I will be increasing my cardio and strength training but am dropping the beginner class. If I double up on classes during the day I will have 6 hours between them, not 6 minutes.

Every time I am tired, or sore or whatever I just think to myself, "What is second place doing? What would first place do?", and I make the tough choice based on that.

tune-age

A song I wrote I call "Town House", sung to the tune of Bob Marley's "One Love",

two houses, one wall
let's build together
and charge them twice

Copyright 2009

and no new scars.............

i checked my little bike computer i never use and it shows almost 800 miles. i bought this bike in february of '06 and in 3 years have ridden it about 800 miles. huh, who knew?

it also used to be that my mnt bike caused more bumps, bruises, scrapes and brokeness than anything else. brazilian jiu jitsu has now taken its place. 800 miles and no major crashes is just amazing for me. (i think i just ride slower now)

i don't commute on this bike at all so other than goofing off around the neighborhood i would say 600 miles of that total is all off road. in the dirt.

now i just want a full suspension ride.....santa cruz blur please.

i've got your single digit right here!

As measured by a pro, my body fat is

Darn it Batman, published again!

The talk I gave on Sunday about adversity was emailed to someone, then emailed to someone else who read it and liked it so now it is going to be published in a regional paper.
POW
KABOOM
BAM
ZOWIE
I just need to write out some of the stories I told off the top of my head and submit a short author's biography.

Couple this with a poem I sold in HS, two nonfiction rock climbing articles published in a rock climbing company's newsletter and you would think I could actually write.....(I can't)

lolrowdy

or- 'dreamin of mah bucket'

January 20th

Isn't that a song? Sharp dressed man?

V=ma

2009
2008
2005
2003M. was here over the long weekend. Saturday was a little clothes shopping and out to Mexican food. Kid does love himself some Mexican food. =)
Sunday was me talking and then time spent at La Jolla Cove and Children's Pool. (what a misnomer!)
Monday, today, was spent up at the indoor skydiving tunnel in Perris. Go to www.skydiveperris.com if you want to check it out. If I was tech savvy I could take footage from the dvd and put it on here. But I'm not, so I can't. Come over and I'll show it to you.

Adversity

Tomorrow, Sunday the 18th, I am presenting a talk to a religious group of about 400 people on the topic of adversity. It covers why we have adversity, how we should respond to it and lessons we can learn from overcoming adversity.

If you would like me to email you the Word document file of my talk/speech/presentation please leave a comment with your email address and I will send it to you ASAP. Don't feel like leaving your email out there in the comment section? My profile has an email address you can use to contact me, preserving your anonymity in the big bad blogosphere.

Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor

My neighbor P. has a kid I teasingly call "The General" in my child army. When you are the cool guy on the block you get an army of child minions. Well The General had invited a bunch of his friends over today for fun and games and the leader was needed. (Also P felt overwhelmed dealing with all these little hell-fires running around with full auto airsoft guns)

I was walking out the door to go to the library when 8 kids in cammo forced me to go have an airsoft war with them. They all had guns, what could I do?

At least the SDPD helicoptor didn't show up this time....
me
The General
Child Army
Child Army

serenity

When I need calm and relaxation, looking at these pictures I have taken helps. Maybe they will help someone else as well.

i like my bike and this is why...

Me and G-ride just having fun at Marian Bear off the 52 at Regents Road.
ME
G-ride being silly
art?
the only water crossing we didn't ride through, out of like 7

look familiar??

This is the type of shot that will be used from my "modeling" gig. More work to come.

Shake Rattle Roll

I had wwwaaaayyy to many Powerbar Gel shot squares this morning before bootcamp and am having caffeine jitters and shakes.

The realization I'm speaking on Sunday in front of HUNDREDS of people has finally hit me.

My interview for PA school is coming up in two weeks. That is a huge thing for my future and is weighing on me.

Finally I am in what I feel is a a big deal jiu jitsu tournament the end of February and I am totally nervous about fighting in that.

Combine all these things and today I am just a jangled bundle of nerves and stomach churning that can't calm down!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Happy Birthday!

I love you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE #1 FUN MOM!

modeling gig

I am going to be a photo model for a jiu jitsu website. I am getting my pictures taken Monday night at the academy.

The pics are of a patch for a jiu jitsu podcast website, www.thefightworkspodcast.com

My patch is on the bottom part of my gi top. So the focus is on my rear. Hahahaha. Good thing I run hills. =)

So yeah, I'm a model.

My 3 most expensive suits.

PICTURES COMING SUNDAY(sorry for the delay in pics, i caught a cold which is very rare for me)

1. Motorcycle Trackdays
Arai helmet (road race/not pictured or supermoto)
Alpinestars 1 piece suit
Dianese back protector
Alpinestarts SMX gloves
Sidi Vertigo Air boots (road race/not pictured)
Alpinestars mx boots (supermoto)

2. Interviews and special occasions
Banana Republic suit off the rack
Alfani shoes
Gap belt
Perry Ellis socks
Banana Republic tie
Gap shirt

3. Jiu Jitsu training and competitions
Lucky Gi Rafael Lovato signature model
On The Mat belt

today's workout

0745-0850 Run 7 miles at the lagoon near Solana Beach (actually 8 when you count my parking mistake)
1100-1230 Advanced class Brazilian jiu jitsu

2 Gu's
64oz of Cytomax
2 Powerbar Gel shot squares
12oz water

And my total recovery meal was at Pizza Port in Solana Beach later that day. The best pizza around. Believe it!

Top Gear

One of the best shows on television right now is Top Gear. You can watch it on Cox channel 345 Monday evenings at 8:00PM. If you have a different service provider or aren't in SD it is wherever you will find BBC America.

Things that make Top Gear great:
1. The Stig. A mysterious unknown figure who test drives all the cars. Presumably played by various professional race drivers. Always introduced with a funny turn of phrase. When the identity of the first Stig was found they had to kill him off the show by him accidentally crashing a car off the end of an aircraft carrier!!
2. The presenters, Clarkson, Hammond and May all have very distinct personalities and they are allowed to show them and basically verbally abuse each other. In the indirect, dry British way. The POV shots in the cars when they provide commentary provide priceless insights.
3. If a cars sucks they say so. But with the most beautiful cinematography of ANY show on ANY network. Truth and beauty combined.
4. Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. Celebrities and personalities from the UK are invited to take a lap of their test track in the same car. And lap times are kept and a leader board established. Humbling to watch some of them drive sooo horribly. And who knew Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsey would be so fast? Watch and you will!
5. The challenges. Who is faster through downtown London at rush hour? Captain slow in a compact car or a pro marathon runner? What car for 1,000 pounds can be driven the furthest across Africa? Can you drive a Bugati Veyron across France faster than a Cesna 172 could fly across it? And so on and so on. Pure craziness and great fun.


So check it out!!! They have their own website, www.TopGear.com , they have a Wikipedia entry, search it on Youtube(none of the vids can be embedded or i would!). Go to the Lotus forum at www.lotustalk.com and find the mmmmmmmassive Top Gear thread in the forum. You will be indoctrinated. And hooked.

predictably random

Using Febreeze is not a substitute for washing an item of clothing.

Eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and juice can be delicious at 10PM.

And a scruffy picture of me around xmas time.

the amazing somnambulist

2 hours of exercise
1 Ambien
1 Melatonin
1 Benadryl
20 min hot shower
--------------------
still not able to sleep through the night without waking up over and over and over again.

what makes me smile today

the most delicious carnitas tacos. oh my!! go to California Burrito over off Genesee near the 7-11 and Sharp Memorial Hospital.

committed

I have to hit a big California jiu jitsu tournament before moving and grad school. I have to! So I committed to the Copa Pacifica and possibly the Pan-Ams. Mens Masters Feather Blue Belt.
Extra workouts, conditioning, drills and never missing a single class I can possibly go to. Work hard. Work smart. Win or loose, give it my all.

the visible garage

2008 Toyota Tacoma, 4x4, v6, quad cab. black or white $31,000 (my 2002 was stolen!)

2008 Volvo C30 T5. silver or white $28,000 (to replace the Acura. test drove already)

2005 Lotus Elise any color but yellow $35,000 (simply amazing to drive. and i have)

2005 Suzuki GSXR 600. red or blue. $7,000 (used to own)

2008 Yamaha WR250X (already own)

for a grand total of $101,000. That is just barely more than a loaded Porsche 997. Take out the Lotus and it is a vvveeeryyy manageable $66,000. A guy can dream can't he?

busy bee

In the next two weeks I am:
actually working part time
studying human anatomy, human physiology, biochemistry and medical terminology for my test into PA school this month
preparing a 20 minute speech about adversity to be given in front of about 350 church people
preparing the house to be painted
arranging a visit for M
and then all my normal training and physical fitness stuff

FUN TIMES!

ps-my laptop is broke and it is going to cost $300 to fix it. ARGH!

left is not right

I am soooooooooo sick of the pro-Palistinian "reporting". Why not just put under each headline 'From the Propoganda Wing of Hamas' and call it what it really is.

Pandering.

Fireside

While in SLC I was able to attend a fireside with President Boyd K. Packer. I was 3 rows back from the podium and I think that is the closest I have and will ever been to an apostle.

His message was simple, as human beings we are children of God and after baptism we are blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. This allows us to know and feel the things we need to from God. Intuition, conscience or revelation. Call it what you will. To help us in life we need to listen to our feelings and follow them.

With this, obedience and prayer we can face all the difficulties in modern life and be OK.