Happy Halloweeeenie!

I am very upset at the fact that 1) I have a Mini on Tuesday and, therefore, will not be partaking in any Halloween festivities tonight, 2) that I am missing Halloween in Santa Barbara, 3) that I don't even have a costume for Tuesday because Dominica sucks, 4) there are many more but those are a few.

Colby is working tonight and I am, guess what? STUDYING! Mini 2 is Tuesday and although I am not behind with my lectures, I don't quite know ANYTHING just yet. I usually learn a lot in the last few days before my tests, so lets hope I am productive.

We have officially found an apartment in the Bahamas! Look on Google Earth at these coordinates: 26.505799, -78.658136

The complex is new, all the furniture and appliances are new and it is RIGHT on the water of a channel. Its walking distance to the beach and to a gym. It is gated with a pool (on the channel) and a tennis court. The landlord told me they are going to arrange transportation to the campus (which is a 10-ish minute drive away). See pics below! I am sooooo excited and am currently trying to recruit friends to move in there too :)









Colby and I are dying to get home! I have officially made plans for when I am back! Dania is going to drive me (& Colby to see his friends) up to SB and we are going to spend the day shopping and frolicking and Christina is going to be driving back from the Bay to San Diego and is going to make a pit-stop and we are all going to go out for the night downtown! They don't know each other but I know they will love each other because I love both of them :) DECEMBER 27TH! I think Colby will probably stay up in SB for the next few days and I will go home on the 28th, spend a few days in Orange County and then head back to SB for New Year's Eve!

Colby's parents have postponed their plans for coming, but hopefully something will pan out and they will still come visit. Lots of people have said they want to come, and since its so close and so much cheaper, I am hoping we will get some visitors :)

Back to it, Embryological Development of the Gastrointestinal System is waiting for me.

Loves to everyone :)

49 days!!!!!!!!!!

by Marissa ♥

Nothing much to report here..

Hey y'all -

Not much to say here. Just came off a very busy and productive weekend. I got myself VERY CLOSE to caught up just in time for another crazy week to start. The only good thing: Friday is full of dissections for the other lab groups, therefore, no lectures and Monday is Dominica's Independence Day so I will end up having a 4 day weekend to prep for Mini 2 this coming Tuesday. Hopefully, things will go as planned and I will be good to go!!

Joana and I are still tutoring first semesters which has its pros and cons. It is kind of time consuming, but I know that at the end of this semester when we take our shelves (cumulative tests covering all material from Semesters 1 & 2) in each subject, having reviewed this stuff throughout the semester will come in very handy.

Colby is counting the days until we get back. He is going to "Creole in the Park" on Wednesday which is part of the Independence celebration. I think its food and music at the Botanical Gardens in Roseau from 12p-6p to hang out and enjoy. He is going with a group of other spouses, I will post pics after :)

The housing website for the Bahamas is up tomorrow - so hopefully we will soon have an apartment to look forward to soon!!

Take care! 53 days :)



by Marissa ♥

fancy beans!

I don't have much time to write but I thought I should let y'all know we are still alive... and kickin' .. barely. After school was closed down last Thursday due to the "aftermath" of Hurricane Omar - we have had one hell of a week trying to play catchup. I am even more pissed now that they closed things down due to a little rain and wind but what are you gonna do? We have had class all week from 8-5p and have our first Neuro practical on Friday afternoon. Rumor has it that the test itself isn't too bad so cross your fingers for that one.

I don't know if I wrote on here yet but WE ARE OFFICIALLY GOING TO THE BAHAMAS! I booked our flights on Monday night and we are all set to fly out of LAX on January 8th at 6:37a and arrive in Freeport, Grand Bahama before sunset :) With all the money we are saving on flights, I could buy 1 and 2/3 pairs of Christian Louboutin pumps! *not a bad idea, if I do say so myself!!!*

Colby and I have both been in really good moods the last two days. He informed me last night that he "loves me more" .. I asked why and he replied, "For getting me out of here.." hahhah sweet, eh? :) I am stoked to get out of here too .. I honestly don't know if I would be able to handle it if the positions were switched. Its rough here. Colby hates "the countdown" because there are "too many days left" but I love it .. as it just keeps dwindling ... 57 days. YAY!

Halloween is falling the Friday before a Tuesday (11/4) Mini so who knows what will happen with that .. but it is my favorite holiday and will be the first time in 4 years I haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money on a cute little costume to prance around SB in .. makes me miss that place a ton. Colby and I had an awesome Halloween last year and anyone who knows (even my PopPop and Grandma Ronnie saw in the paper in Orange County!) how crazy SB Halloween's truly are. *I think my mom had to do damage control after that, assuring them that Matt and I really were going to a fabulous school hahah*

Colby made an amazing dinner tonight. He marinated chicken breasts in greek dressing and BBQ's them... and BBQ'd plantains seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder... and he cooked green beans and onions in a butter/soy sauce mix with salt and pepper. I told him the meal felt sophisticated .. maybe because of the "fancy beans" - hence the name of today's post.

I am fat and happy right now and trying to get back into study mode for a few more hours. He really is an amazing cook. I am luckyyyy. He is way better than I am on 99% of our meals! .. shoooot works for me! I think my grandma said once, "he's cute and he cooks, keep him!" :)

Hope all is well and that everyone is gearing up to vote! We sent in absentees that we are supposed to get via email -- so hopefully it will work because we both really want to be able to get our votes in.

Much love from the rock.



by Marissa ♥

2 months from tomorrow...

... we will be back in CA! Yayayay!

So my anatomy practical was on Friday and although we don't have our grades yet I think I did okay. Not fabulous, but I always set my expectations really high - so even if I didn't get what I wanted to get, it usually means by most peoples' standards, I did just fine. I guess that attitude is what got me here and will get me to where I want to be one day, so I am perfectly fine with it :)

The Steelers are playing today but the game isn't on TV here, so I am faithfully watching evey play on NFL.com while studying. I am actually doing well playing the catch up game before yet another insane week. We have our first Neuro Lab Practical on Friday afternoon. Tomorrow my friend, Joana, and I have our weekly tutor session for first semesters - which we both really enjoy. It just sucks because they had a lot of class last week which means a lot of prep work for both of us. I have to outline 8 hours of lecture for them, and she has 6. CRAZY! It is at times like these that I am so thankful that I did all my own outlines to study last semester because I just further condense from there and try and give the firsties the most condensed, most informative info that I can in the time allotted.

Tomorrow we have a meeting about the Bahamas campus with the President of Ross, a guy that I have become fond of over many emails back and forth. I plan on being quite the "bulldog" tomorrow in getting info for everyone. I am no longer going on my trip next weekend. It may be rescheduled for later, it might not happen. I am pretty bummed, as is Colby, but we will see. Anything will be better than Dominica, although I would like to have had a chance to check it out - and on Ross's dime. :) We will see.. Housing info got postponed from last Friday until the 28th, which sucks, but hopefully there will be some good apartments.

Colby and I are doing well, counting the days, as always. I can't believe week 7 starts tomorrow -- as much as I hate it here, the time is going fast. Second semester has proved to be more hectic, like I have said before and with that, the time flies. Colby had a football game yesterday, the team lost due to a shit-tastic call but the definitely out played the 3rd semester team. Oh well - Colby got kneed in the thigh and can hardly walk. Should be a pretty bruise in the next few days. We went out on Friday and had a good time relaxing and having a few drinks :)

More to come soon!!

Nikki, Tracy, me
Lindsey and Charlotte

As you can see, Colby is boycotting shaving his beard!

That's Colby with his arm in the air in the yellow shirt, he totally blocked the pass!!

Colby defending .. in the middle of the pic pushing the guy in black

the boys.. Colby in the front on the right .. muddy messy boys

by Marissa ♥

Sorry its been a few days =(

Well, this past week, second semester has been on a mission to prove that it is indeed much more work and much harder than first semester. My days have been jam packed with no time for dilly-dallying and no time to breathe (or so it feels). Monday was a good 15 hour day and yesterday was 13 or so. Crazy. We have our first anatomy practical on the head & neck this Friday so I have been spending time in lab with a few (smart) friends trying to master everything. *PS. the head and neck SUCKS*

The following Friday we have our first Neuro Lab practical and Mini 2 is about a week and a half later on Nov 4th. After that we have a little break from tests and have about 4 week until Dec 4th when we have our 2nd Neuro Lab practical and then on the 5th when we have a Histology practical at 8:00a and an Anatomy practical at 1:00p. That will be the end of our 13 weeks of class and then hell begins. We will then have 6 tests in 10 days and then Colby and I are outta here for good! My final is the 18th, we fly to San Juan on the 19th, stay the night and then LAX on the 20th.

We have friends that went and checked out Freeport who came back glowing about the amazing island and apartments *although expensive* that they found. Real grocery stores, paved roads, the works. At this point, I am ready to book flights, I am just waiting for a true "ok" from Ross before I do so. We can hardly contain ourselves. The apartment we are thinking about moving into has granite counters, dishwasher, washer/dryer in the unit and a walk in closet! (I totally get to bring ALL my shoes now!) Colby's parents have mentioned coming to visit us once we are settled in the Bahamas, which would be really awesome (since we haven't seen them since early this year - well, I haven't, Colby did go home in July)!! Hopefully that will work out :)

Other than that - I feel like we are just counting the days (65 if you were wondering) and I am just trying to keep my head above water with school. I should get to that now, actually. Hope all is well, write soon.



by Marissa ♥

Grand Bahama Island

I am getting SO excited about the Bahamas, especially after Colby and I took showers with virtually no water pressure today and a toilet that flushes and refills with water dirtier than what you sent out. Oh! and we can't forget to bring our water bottle to the bathroom - no way in hell are we (or would you) rinse and swish with the dirt water that comes out of the faucet. Being hungry for lunch today, I evaluated my choices: Chinese, Chinese or Chinese, overpriced "American food" from Colby's former job, Tomatoes, Subway, which hasn't been stocked in weeks or the shacks, most of which probably wouldn't come close to passing health inspections in America .. I ended up getting an old piece of pizza from the bookstore - simply because it was free and everything else sounded less than appetizing. A grocery store that had what you wanted when you went there? NO WAY! I don't even remember what the feels like .. Yesterday we were told our laundry would be picked up at 1pm. Colby ran home from work to grab his iPod at 6p and no one ever showed up, except the stray cats our stupid neighbor feeds who had ripped the bag open, pulled our clothes and made nests of our clothing items.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Anyways, check out this website. I looked at flights to book for January 7th .. $517- round trip, LAX --> Freeport, 7 hrs 2 mins. YAY! GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND

Miss you all!




by Marissa ♥

"He was a big mother-beep-beep-beep"

Good news or bad news first?

I say bad. So tonight I didn't feel like going out but Colby did, so he got off work, came and said hi to me in the library and went on his merry way. I studied before just a little time had passed when I was at my breaking point. 12 1/2 hours was plenty for me today. My friend, Joana, and I decided we would walk home together and go to her house. We got to talking (which was so nice and so much fun) and before I knew it, hours had passed and I decided to head home. I come home, in a great mood, and get ready to sit down at my desk when I see a HUGE COCKROACH SITTING ON MY MAC COMPACT! I went crazy and called Colby insisting that he came home. He told me I was nuts and to kill the bug. I tried, but it got away and I went crazy and called him DEMANDING. He eventually decided he would - and when he got there, agreed with me it was a HUGE MOTHER*****ing cockroach! Now I feel like things are crawling on me and don't wanna lay in bed. =(

Good news? The Bahamas campus is officially accredited in California. I am closer than ever to telling you all for sure we are moving there in January. Hopefully you will be hearing that sometime soon. Yay!

I am already behind after 4 days post-Mini, but hopefully this weekend will change that and I will be able to get back in the game. We have our first Anatomy practical this coming Friday, and neuroscience practical the next Friday. Life is getting busy. 69 days til home! Week 5 just ended!

Take care! Time to watch some girlie TV while Colby is out doing manly things aka drinking beer with the boys :)


by Marissa ♥

Freedom (for now)...

Not much time (or patience) to write but the Mini is over. We went to the Beach Bash and are now home waiting to go out. I think I am going to make bean and cheese quesadillas and go hang out with everyone in celebration (of at least the freedom - not necessarily success) for a while tonight before its back to the books tomorrow.

GOOD NEWS! The Bahamas campus got accredited! What that means? We are one (very big) step closer to us moving there in January! They are launching a website for the housing on 10.17.08 with all the available apartments, locations, prices, pictures, etc. which is another really big determinant. They are also considering "financial compensation" to make up for the fact that we would be shipping stuff there, flying there - all costs that wouldn't typically be incurred. We shall see! Big developments in the next few weeks.

Okay, thats all for now, I am gonna make dinner and get ready (not that there is much to do since I didn't wash my hair or my face because the water was too dirty! bah! BAHAMAS HERE I COME!)

73 days!

xoxox




by Marissa ♥

One day 'til go time.

Well, I am feeling a lot better - minus the minor stomach ache, but those who know me well know that I am perpetually dealing with stomach aches, so I am doing pretty good. I am not exhausted today like I was yesterday and will hopefully have a very productive next 14 or 15 hours.

Yesterday started with a few reviews given by a professor and a 4th semester and and ended with an anatomy/neuro study session via Gchat with my friend Jharna. It started with a quick anatomy question that I had .. and then a quick neuro question she had and then we just went back and forth all night long (well, for at least an hour+) with questions and figuring things out and making jokes that will make it so neither of us ever forgets things like the important of Glycine during REM sleep =) *Jharns I hope you see this!* Hopefully she and I will do it again today for other topics. She was a Neuro major at UCLA *woot woot* and so she may become a valuable asset today for me as I try and catch up and get ready for tomorrow.

Colby has been a trooper while I have been hiding out studying and thankfully football is on all day today so he will keep plenty entertained :) The Steelers have the night game, and I will not be watching .. MUCH to my dismay. I pray they have a good game - it will put us both in a good mood.

Just wanted to let everyone know I am alive and no longer hugging the porcelain!

ONE MORE DAY TIL FREEDOM! At least for a day or two :)

Love from the rock.

by Marissa ♥

Gastroenteritis .. damnit.

So after Colby and I got home from a fabulous and delicious dinner at Sunset Bay where we stuffed ourselves with lobster - I started feeling sick. It just progressively got worse and worse through the night and after I puked my brains out at 3:30a I finally got some sleep. I woke up feeling like death and went to the Health Clinic were the diagnosed me with "gastroenteritis, possibly a bacterial form." So I had my blood drawn, a shot in my "gluteal muscle" aka butt cheek to make sure I wouldn't have to keep making bathroom trips and prescriptions of Cipro (a wide coverage antibiotic), an anti-spasmatic for my stomach cramps and an antiemetic (aka anti nausea). I slept ALL day yesterday with only a few hundred calories ingested and only because you have to eat when you are taking Cipro. I woke up today feeling much better than yesterday but still pretty crappy. Good thing my Mini is on Monday!!!!!!!!! Damnit. I can't believe this.

Luckily Colby isn't sick too, he has the immune system of an ox. I have only seen him with one stomach ache in the 1+ years. I have quite a few friends who are also sick - so its pretty depressing around campus right now.

Back to studying, hydrating and wanting to die.

Unbelievable.

Countdown to California: 2 months and 18 days.


by Marissa ♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLBY!!!

Hi! Just wanted to write a quick update before I aim to have one of my most productive days in a while. Today is Colby's birthday so in attempt to be a fabulous girlfriend, I bought him a piece of cake last night before I left campus, got home and cut a tea-lite up to make it smaller and sang him "Happy Birthday" at midnight, no decibels spared :) The cake ended up being old and stale .. he was cute and ate a few bites anyway, but stopped after about 3 - for any one who really knows Colby, he doesn't pass up anything sweet - so it was terrible. I almost died, but what else could I have done at midnight in Dominica 6 days before my Mini? I have some tricks up my sleeve - so today should be better.

Monday night Colby made a deliiiiiiicious dinner of BBQ porkchops and roasted potatoes and corn - topped off with S'mores for dessert just in time to watch the Steelers get to 3-1 in overtime against the Ravens. We were sitting at our kitchen table, which we moved into our bedroom since we were watching the game on the Slingbox on his computer (since ESPN never works for Monday night games! grrr) and he was like, "This is about as good as a Dominican day can get .. pork chops, tatoes, corn, the Steelers and my girlfriend." *I may have had to prompt him to add in the end, but he did say it :) hahaha It was tons of fun and we were crazy when the Steelers won by a field goal in overtime.

Mini 1 is Monday and I am chugging along. Second semester is crazy. I can't even begin to explain. I am getting there though. We had a quiz in physio yesterday and I missed 1 question only -- because it was a stupid question -- but whatever, not bad! Hopefully things will stay that way :)

Countdown to CA: 2 months and 20 days. Not bad!! We have had clean water and running water for the last few days which has been fabulous. Laura and Mikella got to come home from the hospital. Sam and Andrew are engaged. Meredith got into Grad School at the University of Aukland. Amanda got a fulltime job. Erin is moving into the marketing department at the Ivy. Zach is safe in Ecuador starting his new job. My Nonnie is well enough to write me a letter, which is a lot better than how she was when we had to leave. Everyone seems to be doing well back at home :) Miss you all! Sorry if I didn't write about your exciting "life news" - its early.

Write soon!

Time to get cracking! Pharyngeal arches, nutritional biochemistry and dorsal column medial lemniscus here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo!

by Marissa ♥