Good evening Allison! I wonder what you are doing right now? Hmm... well my guess is you are sleeping. Its 9pm here so it must be 11pm there. Well then, a good night kiss is in order! I am at ASU computing commons - it is a ghost town tonight! I am going to try to write now about the last couple of days....

Monday night I went to bed after my visit to Extreme Bean. Tuesday morning...hmmm...lets see...I think I woke up and went right to Hayden Library to start working on application stuff. I went there and started filling out the DO application by entering every class I have ever taken after high school. It took 3-4 hours. At 12:30 I left for St. Vinnies to volunteer. Everything there was great and I used a little more Spanish this time. Haha, sometimes I am so eager to try to talk in spanish I forget to ask the family if they speak English and its embarasado when they do ;) After SVDP I went back to ASU and continued on the application - more grades, work and volunteer history etc. At 6:30 I went to the coffee meeting at the NC... as I write this I am realizing I am going to need more time because I have to work tomorrow and forgot that I needed to wash scrubs, yikes. I will continue on Saturday but here is a little teaser to be filled in later...

• we are the chairs of the coffee marketing/education team (dont ask me how)
• Lourdes and I had a great convo about your trip - she loved it and is praying for you
• worked Wednesday and then David cooked dinner -a fun time
• got all transcripts from all 5 schools sent
• volunteer at health care for homeless
• having trouble writing one page personal statement for application - so much to write about, in so many ways, the options are endless. plan on working on this alot in Carlsbad

Time to go do laundry! I hope to talk to you soon. I visited your place today for a half an hour to pay bills, etc. I peeped into your room and the smell and sight of it brought tears to my eyes! (as a reminder of you - it smells good!)

Hope you are learning, growing and sharing. I think everyone I know is thinking and praying for you - present company included! Talk to you soon! Love, Vince

Hello Love!
Well it is Monday night and I am again trying to post to our blog. I am at extreme bean, drinking a small hot chai tea. The guy who made my tea I went to high school with. He was one year younger. I haven't seen him in YEARS! It was nice to talk to him - I am going to try to put him in contact with some of John G's friends who are interested in Japan, like this guy, Dan. He told me to facebook him - I laughed and said ok!I am going to try and recount the days I missed on the blog and my thoughts and feelings for the week. Here goes... (this is getting long and please don't feel like you have to read it all or any of it! Time on the computer is precious in SCLC - and here to in Tempe)

I think I last posted on Tuesday night. I think I went to sleep that night and that is about it! The next morning I woke up and went to the library to take a practice test. We did and then came home to eat lunch with plans to go back that night and study some more. Mary and I have watched a couple movies that week. We would generally study, come home eat a sandwhich watch a move (Hook one day and The Jerk the other day). Then pack up and go back to school to study.

Thursday I went to work all day for Nancy. Her dad died last Sunday and she has been out for this whole week. Work was good - we had lots of ladies out of town so we had lots of visiting nurses from other floors working - cool but not as fun as our OG group! After work I went to Tempe Marketplace to buy Mike, Katie, Mary, Casey and me tickets to Batman the next night. Then I went to Kaplan and extended my online resources for Mikel and Mary. By this time Mary decided not to take the test. Then was THE dinner - I think you have heard about that already but it was awesome!! Your family is great, they really are! You Dad was in rare form as usual - I think he bumps it up one level when Mary comes around becuase she is sort of fresh and new. It is funny - Mary doesn't really know what it is like to live in Tempe - all the fun things we know of and the cool things we sometimes take advantage of are all new to her. She was drinking out of your Octoberfest cup and was so excited to go to it this year! How funny! Thursday night I went to bed, a little too early, and then woke up for the test. I had called David for wake up call just in case but I didn't need it! After the test I sort of hung out at home for a while. Katie and Mary wanted to go to the mall to shop - so I went all with the sisters to hang out. I sat in a chair at Macy's for 45 minutes! It was boring but relaxing too. I was thinking of the contrast - where I was at that moment and where you were! Don't get me wrong, you know I love the mall, but I would have much rather been with you!

Friday night the family ate at Serrano's at Rural and Guad. At this point in the week I am really missing you! It is no doubt you are my best friend - sometimes in the hectic lives we live I forget that - but gosh is it true. You are my favorite person to be with. I like everyone else too but you are just a little more fun ;)! We saw Batman that night - another John G organized event. A good time was had by all! The movie is good - but sort of long. I prefer other movies to it but it was fun. Batman the character is plain out awesome though!

It was nice to go to sleep that night with nothing to study for the next day. Saturday morning I woke up around 9 and had to use the bathroom. Well we were out of TP so I had to make a run to our favorite neighborhood market - Trader Joe's! So I went shopping that morning trying to buy mostly superfoods - you know trying to get back into healthy shape - and of course Clif bars and TP. I also went to checker auto and bought Tammy some motor oil - although she didn't need much, good girl! All this week Mary has been house sitting and not sleeping at our place. When she came back we decided to go to the YMCA to get memberships - I like they Y. It is more a little community then a gym and I enjoy that atmosphere to the typical gym environment. After we registered we worked out - it was successful but, geez, am I out of shape!!! I am really sore as I write this. I can't straighten my arms! I then went home, showered and met up with your parents at your place. We had plans to get that table off of your porch! It fit in the back of the RAV4 and we were off to my place. We brought the table in - it looks funny on the porch with nothing else back there but when it cools off I think it will be great to have. After the table I went to Mikel's house to hang out. We went to Rubios and had dinner together. It was a good time - we chatted about stuff, mcats, school, life, music, etc. He is doing pretty good but there isnt much going on in his life right now, no work or school or anything.

Sunday morning I woke up and took a walk to the gym to ride the bike and read. It worked out nicely - a 6 minute walk door to door. Since you have been gone I have been reading De Mello, How to Love and One Minute Nonsense and also Thomas Keating? (Open Heart Open Mind). I read a couple of chapters of OHOM (my fingers are getting a little tired!) De Mello and Keating have real similar styles - I am trying to do contempelative prayer and also trying to be "Aware" during the day too! I have been really wanting to pray and I have been, so that is good. The prayer is almost painful in a weird way. My relationship with God isn't so hot right now and I am trying to work on it. It feels like I am learning to drive a stick shift car for the first time - I am grinding the gears a little bit. I am not smooth at all (haha, funny I can't really drive a stick in real life either, ie, audi TT ;)) But I am getting a little better each day. I wanted to pray - like sitting and praying for a period of time, so I am trying to do OHOM prayer. I am also trying to keep the awareness stuff going on as I go throughout my day. I will keep you updated on this as time goes on.

So Sunday I road the bike and then went to my parents house to try to use the computer and just hang out. Katie and Mary brought over the TV stand Sunday afternoon - it is a little big so I am not sure what we are going to do with it - we'll see. We all went to 6pm mass at Holy Spirit and then to Mac's for dinner. My family LOVES Mac's and rightfully so, it is good! After dinner I went home and went to bed so I could wake up for work today. I have been going to bed early and love the mornings, we should do this when you get back and when we are married too. Today at work...pretty busy day but nothing too interesting. I am getting the hang of the job pretty well these days and feel good about it. Of couse, I still have tons and tons to learn but I feel like I am helping out too - a good feeling. After work Mary and I walked to the Y and worked out again -a little better today but imagine I'll be sore for a while. Came back and had some grapes, tomatoes, yogurt and applesauce - I am still a little hungry right now though. I then headed out to Extreme Bean to "blog".

I have been taking three minute showers in solidarity with you - although I imagine you arent taking showers like the ones I am taking and they probally arent for three minutes but a lot less than that! But I remember when I came back from El Salvador I couldn't beleieve what a shower was like and how much we take running water for granted. Thus, I am taking only three minute showers - its fun!

Here is what I have going on this week -
Tuesday - application work, St Vinnies, application work, Coffee meeting, application work
Wednesday - work at POTC for Nancy - go to David's for dinner he is cooking his famous spaghetti, with application work inbetween there!
Thursday - I dont know but I think just application work
Friday - work at POTC and leave for Carlsbad at 7pm with Mike Savage. We are travelling together alone. I am looking foward to spending some time with my bro in law!
Each day I also will be praying and exercising too! I enjoy working out but never want to be a crazy working out person - I would like to get healthy though, so I got to start to lose the extra layers of love handles I have :)

Wow! Ok, I think that is it for now love. I miss you and hope you are having a tremendous time and experience. I am so exited for you this week - you are a truely honest and real person. You will do great this week as you learn more about the community and how you can get to work! It is not in your capability to be served for too long - you are a tool of the Lord and a mighty one at that! Talk to you soon! Love Love Love!
Vince

Hello Love! I am going to post some thoughts and feelings from the past couple of days. My access to internet has been limited - cox expects to get us cable by the 29th - but I am glad that I am writing to you now!

On Saturday night my family went to see Hellboy II - one of my Dad's favorite movies - it was pretty good - different than what I expected but good. It is an odd action/hero movie and sort of cute/funny too.

Sunday morning my parents came over to the new place to check it out dressed up for the first time and they liked it. We then went to breakfast at Mac's - it was awesome and as you know cheap. I had the breakfast sandwich, I think you have had it before too. Mary and I then went to the library for the rest of the day to take a practice exam and study until 7 pm mass. I scored a 23 I think, Mary a 26! As I get closer to the test date I am deciding if I am going to apply to both MD and DO schools - it may just be DO but I am not sure. It is a lot of work to fill out the applications for both this is my only chance so I may just do them both anyway. AT STills average score for admitting is a 24.3 - so I hope to be good for DO schools.

I saw Ed Hermes at mass, we had a good laugh because he saw the note you emailed out and I told him I had talked to you twice. Well, his GF has been in Mexico for the past 3,4 weeks and she has only called once! I felt really lucky and sort of bad for Ed - hopefully she call soon. My family was at mass too and we sat with Chris Triv - he sings during mass and has a good voice, I enjoy it. Mary and I then went to four peaks with the gang - there were about 25 Newman people there and everyone asked about you. I sat my John G, Triv and Chela for a bit. We left early to get to bed at 10. I am trying to go to bed every night at 10pm to wake up at 6am to get ready for the test day , plus I like getting up early. We should do it together when you get back :) Before bed Sunday night I had to get ready for a staff meeting Monday morning at work. As a group we are reading "crucial conversations" a book about communicating, and I had two chapters to read - nothing too interesting yet.

Monday was a good and busy day at work. Nancy's dad died this past weekend though, so that sucks. haha, this is sort of funny but, there is this little 18 month girl I tried to take vital signs on and she was scared of me. Every time I entered the room she would start to cry - so of course I stopped. From what Mom said she associated me with male doctors and they make her cry too. But we all had a chuckle! Monday night I went to study and take a test again, can't remember anything about it though. Went to bed and woke up at 6 to take a test this morning at 8am - simulating real test day. It went ok too - I think a 25. We went home to take a break and came back to Noble library at 5:00pm. Mary and are going to study until 9 and then head home. She is house sitting for her friend, so she sleeps over there. Ah, I went to the YMCA this afternoon to check out a membership it looks good - would you want to do it with me? I would love it!

Here are some thoughts or things to come in the blog - Mary was making fun of the blog (in a nice way) asking, "Why don't you just write an email so she can write back?" She makes a good point but a blog is fun too!

• I used the hotel whitcomb pen today at work -remember our trip to SF to "watch bball" - that was awesome!
• Thoughts about prayer and prayers
• Crazy rain we had
• work out plan and scheduling

I think that is it for now love! I hope everything is going great for you so far. I think about you all of the time, wondering - What is Allison doing right now? And it always brings a smile to my face to think about you down there. I am so excited for you but do miss you mucho mucho! More to come on the blog - in fact I am going to send you the link right now. Love you!

Allison,
You left this morning! It was really quiet when your parents and I were standing there watching you work your way through the line, sort of peaceful. We went to Capi's afterwards and had a great breakfast except for the AC was broken! It was 90 degrees in there. I wanted to get started on the blog - I'll send you the link soon. It will be fun! Hope to hear from you sometime soon - you are about to land in Mexico City! I love you,
Vince

Yes! You just called - congratulations my Love! Now on to the bus ride journey. Also, thank you for relaying all this information to me - it will be so helpful when I am doing the same thing in a month. By then travelling around should be old hat ;) BTW, you are really brave and inspire me.