Mmmm mm! Mm-mm? Mm mm-mm mmm!

Translation? Help me! Hello? I'm under here!

I've been buried under a mountain of work all day, and I won't even begin to dig myself out until the end of tomorrow, it seems. It's not all bad, I mean I'm getting stuff done: taxes, planning for projects and trips, paying bills, etc; but sometimes it's a little overwhelming when you start the day with a page full of things to be done, and at the end of a day of accomplishing things on that list you re-write the list only to find you still have a page full of things to do. How does this happen, you ask? Well, sometimes it's a matter of doing one thing that reminds you of two other things that you need to do, sometimes it's a matter of unfortunate timing when several people ask you for something at once, and sometimes it is just bigger handwriting on the second list. =)

But I'm doing alright, folks, just busy busy busy. My internship at MGH is going really well...hard to believe in two weeks I'll be half done and switching floors. I'm learning such an incredible amount, while also gaining tons of confidence in my skills as a future Child Life Specialist. When it comes down to it, I'm glad to have the student experience, but I have to remember that there's no way to learn everything I'd need to know in any situation...and that there will be a lot of on-the-job learning when I get started out in the "real world." But that's what makes it fun...learning something new all the time. I have to say, if I didn't learn new things all the time, I'd be pretty bored, and then you can only imagine how long I'd make the lists of things to do...not good! Thank goodness for life's little intricacies that teach me new things to focus on so I don't stress myself too much by focusing on insignificant minutia that ought to be done.

Let me take care of some business here: go read my friend Chebra's blog. Chebra's brilliant, and not only are her blogs high-quality, but they all begin with fantastic quotes. She's new to the blog world, but she clearly fits right in. Welcome, Chebra!

So Emily wrote me a few weeks ago and asked a very good question: why is it that nobody has a favorite/lucky letter? Everyone has a favorite color, or number (blue, 7 in my case), but nobody ever talks about their favorite letter. Emily has chosen the letter P as her favorite. I must admit, it's a good choice...P is the beginning of her last name, p is for Psoriasis and Pneumonia and Pterodactyl. Lost of fun words can be spelled with P, and it is surprisingly silent sometimes. Good choice Emily!

My choice, after only a bit of thought, is the letter M, and here's why: M to me represents comfort. It's a soft-sounding letter, and you can use it to express yourself without even forming words. You can use it to say yes or no (Mmmm-mm), to express the deliciousness of a meal (Mmmmm!), or to sigh when something is so romantic or sweet or touching that there are no words (Mmmmm.....). It's a comforting stop in the middle of many words, and it's the beginning of some of my favorite foods: Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, and Marshmallows. So, ladies and gents, I give you the letter M, my current favorite.

I suggest you pick a letter soon before everyone does, and certain letters are super-popular, and then you can't pick them because you'd look like some sort of lemming, even if they have a sentimental value for you. Simply the fact that Emily and I are suggesting it means that it will soon take off and be bigger than slap-bracelets were when I was in middle school.

In the meantime, I'll be digging my way out of the pile o' stuff to do...and thinking of clever things with which to entertain y'all when I next post.

music: Itunes medley. "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Jem), "Curve of the Earth" and "I Saw" (Matt Nathanson), "32 Flavors" (Alana Davis), "Long Wide Open" (Ryanhood), and "Girl from the Gutter" (orig. by Kina, performed by USC Sirens).