Seven Down, One to go!!!

Dennis Mitchell, PA-C and Mark Yoder, PA-S

2/11/09

I can't believe it either. Mark only has one more rotation left! Of course, since we have to spend all next week in Albuquerque so he can present his thesis and take five nasty exams, and since the school is delaying graduation for two weeks after the students finish their work, he won't technically be done for another two months. Groan. But we're going to take advantage of those two weeks and hopefully take a trip to Disneyland. Yay! Mark probably won't have any vacation time for another year, so ya' know. Gotta do it now, even when we have no money.

Rotation #7 was Mark's elective, and he chose to work with a PA that we knew from our college ward before we moved to Albuquerque, Dennis Mitchell. He helped Mark get into school and we were hoping that he'd have good connections in town to help Mark find a job. He works in...wait for it...urology! So Mark has spent the last 5 weeks or so doing prostate exams and getting very up close and personal with people's private regions. Sounds fun, doesn't it. He got to observe a lot of surgeries too and would come home with the most grotesque stories to tell around the dinner table. He's had two other rotations that were heavy on the surgery, but they weren't quite so involved with certain body parts.

On Tuesdays they would go out to Diamond Ranch, a troubled teens home/rehab facility where Dennis is Director of Medicine to do general check-ups and stuff. There seems to be an unusual concentration of such youth facilities here in southern Utah. Hmmm. Well most of the kids are from out of state and their parents arrange for them to be captured (in some cases) and taken away.

Anyway, Dennis was able to introduce Mark to a lot of doctors and PAs that he knows, and one of them told Mark about a job opening right there in St. George with an orthopedic clinic (I've mentioned it before). So Mark has applied for it and is over there right now job shadowing because the doctors wanted to make sure he knows what he'd be getting himself into. But so far it sounds promising, and we should know soon whether he gets the job! We are nervous/excited because it would be a steep learning curve and very long hours.

Now here's a few of the latest pics:

More of my dancing princess. It should be noted that it was past midnight when I took these photos. Madelyn had taken a long nap that day (which I try not to let happen anymore) and so was still quite full of energy.

Mark, who has been having a lot of fun lately (rappelling, 4-wheeling, gaming) was getting his stuff ready for a snowboard trip last weekend. I think this picture is so cute.

This is what happens when one uses a giant serving spoon to eat chocolate ice cream.

And now to venture into the realm of You Probably Don't Care But I Think It's Cool, regarding the Grammys last Sunday:

Robert Plant, self-described "golden god" of Led Zeppelin, has still got it!

His collaboration with bluegrass queen Alison Kraus won six Grammys! It shows a very mellow side of Robert, who ironically never won any Grammys before this. Alison has 26 of them now.

COOL, huh? The things you find on the internet...but as I also love King Theoden, I had to post this. Mark has seen Robert Plant in concert and old man or no, he is awesome.

And...... Blink-182 are reuniting for a record and a tour!! (The picture above was them presenting at the Grammys.) After four years of estrangement, I guess Travis Barker's plane crash brought them back together. I'm fine with this as long as Tom doesn't give up Angels and Airwaves. I've heard they'll both be putting out albums this year, so wow. I'm excited.

Is there a rule somewhere that one should be dressed before noon? Because I'm breaking that rule if so. I guess I'd better go take care of that and see what Madelyn is up to. Ta ta for now.