Day 159: Coming to a Close

Thursday: July 31, 2014

Today was my last day at my dental internship. It's been an amazing seven weeks, and I can't say enough good things about the office. The staff was super friendly and both doctors were enthusiastic about teaching me. The dental assistants were great about explaining procedures and dental processes. I got lots of hands on experience, literally. When I wasn't sterilizing the tools or running x-rays, I assisted with cleanings, which meant holding the slow-speed suction. It was awesome! Plus, as a good bye present, I was gifted with a giant cookie.

Day 158: Rosies and Baby's Breath

Wednesday: July 30, 2014

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, my dad wasn't here for his birthday or my parent's anniversary [it falls on the same day.] So, I ordered flowers for my mom and arranged to have them delivered that day. I didn't know if my dad was going to send any, so I sent some, well, just in case. They were well received but shown up by a boquet my dad sent. I'm not complaining though, all the flowers are very pretty to look at.

Day 157: Vegan Cupcakes [homemade, this time]

Tuesday: July 29, 2014

My dad wasn't were for his birthday/my parents anniversary. So we baked cupcakes. However, my food allergies present a challenge when baking most things. A trip to Whole Foods proved largely successful when we found a box of vegan cake mix. Also, we had old cupcake decorations that went unused for months and that sparked the Parisian Canine theme.

Day 156: Laughing Gas

Monday: July 28, 2014

Ever since I started my dental internship several weeks ago, I've been asked on more than one occasion if I have access to laughing gas. The short answer is no. The longer answer is I'm an intern, why would I have access to the laughing gas? Plus, it's not even used very often because most patients are just fine with the anesthetic. We have these things, but I don't even know if it's actual laughing gas. It just looks like plain compressed oxygen, and not nitrous oxide.

Day 155: Texas Sunsets

Sunday: July 27, 2014

I like Texas sunsets. They're always vibrant and full of color. They're especially pretty when big and puffy clouds are in the sky. I think Dubai's desert sunsets are great too, but they're sometimes washed out by the smog. I don't even think this picture captured 10% of the beauty of this particular sunset.

Day 154: Downtown Lights

Saturday: July 26, 2014

My favorite part about living in the downtown area is that I'm close to the night life.  The city is really doing a lot to make San Antonio inviting for tourists. They're re-doing roads and have added bicycle rental stations across the city. It's really coming together nicely.

Day 153: Rockin' Ride

Friday: July 25, 2014

I spotted this amazing purple car after leaving Which Wich and it immediately caught my eye. I wish I could talk to the owner and ask about what drove him/her to purchase such a fabulously hued vehicle. If you don't think this is the spiffiest car ever, you're lying.

Day 152: Flowers at the Cove

Thursday: July 24, 2014

I had lunch at The Cove today. They make stellar sweet potato fries and amazing burgers [to be fair, most places in Texas make above average burgers.] We had to sit outside even though it was really warm out and I was sweating through my scrubs. The funny thing about wearing scrubs out is that I'm constantly afraid that when emergency breaks out, people will turn to me because I look like a healthcare professional when really I'm just a dental intern in high school. But hey, The Cove has these cool plants outside and they're pretty rad.

Day 151: Architecture in Banks

Wednesday: July 23, 2014

I'm really running out of witty titles. I'll work on it, I promise. Today I went to the bank with my mom and I noticed the amazing architecture. I said it before, and I'll say it again: I love windows. I love sunlight, I love well-lit spaces, and I love the open feel that the windows give. I'd probably build a glass house, to be honest. The only downsides are that it'd be super creepy at night and I'd have to stop throwing stones.

Day 150: Silver Stars

Tuesday: July 22, 2014

Today we went to a Silver Stars game. They're the WNBA team for San Antonio, and they're pretty good. It's a little sad, but it's ridiculously easy to get great seats for cheap whenever the girls play. Either way, I'm happy to have had good seats because I ran out of contacts this week, and I've had to use my glasses. The prescription is still super strong but outdated, which means I had a hard time seeing details. In other words, I think we won, but I'm not too sure. :)

Day 149: Ace Of Spades

Monday: July 21, 2014

Lately, as a family, we've been pretty into playing card games. I wish I could say we play super cool games like Texas Hold 'Em, or other respectable games. Instead, we play things like Speed and Go Fish. Either way, it's a lot of fun and I'll take any opportunity to show off my shuffling skills.

Day 148: Pretty In Pink

Sunday: July 20, 2014

You've already seen part of this dress [it's from Day 105]. I've been waiting for an event to wear this to, because it's just such a pretty piece. So far, none have come up so I decided to make my own event. I had a little photo shoot for my fashion blog [I also posted more photos here]. It was so fun! At the risk of sounding completely full of myself, I'll admit I just like the complete process of getting ready, snapping tons of photos, and sorting them afterwards. It's therapeutic.

Day 147: Blacklight Run

Saturday: July 19, 2014

Today, my family and I participated in a 5k Blacklight Run. It was the first race my brother's ever done, and I am very proud of his effort. These types of races are the most fun [in my opinion] because the atmosphere isn't too competitive, and the colored powders are so fun to throw. It's a very pleasant race to run, and I'd recommend one of these runs for anybody trying to dip their toes into competitive running. You don't even have to run if you don't want to! Lots of families bring strollers and just walk the distance. I tried to capture some blacklight photos, but the quality was really poor. This is one of my favorites from the pre-race party. I didn't even realize until I edited the photo that I caught somebody throwing up a "peace" sign. I like it.

Day 146: Pique-Nique

Friday: July 18, 2014

We went on a picnic. It was lovely. I had a sandwich and chips. Then we played soccer. And by "played soccer" I mean, kicked the ball around a little. Then I saw these ducks/geese/feathered ducks, and I was distracted.

Day 145: Thunderbolt And Lightning, Very Very Frightening

Thursday: July 17, 2014

For the longest time, I've wanted to take a cool lightning picture. Obviously, that's not something I can do everyday because a cool lightning picture requires, well, lightning. I was actually running at the gym when I saw the night sky lighting up. Curiously enough, it wasn't raining where I was. So, I hurried upstairs to get my camera, and I went to the rooftop of my building. The weather was surprisingly nice, I totally expected to be rained out. I was there for about 30 minutes, just snapping away. In total, I took close to 300 pictures and I came out with about 5 or 6 nice lightning photos. This one is my favorite, and I'm so happy I captured it.

Day 144: Stop By The Five & Dime

Wednesday: July 16, 2014

Today we went on a walk in the downtown area. It was a lot of fun, beside the fact that I got blisters and had to stop in a CVS for band-aids. We got fro-yo, walked by the Alamo, and looked around in all of the touristy shops. In this Five & Dime, they had "dream boxes" for sale. It's a small wooden box with your name on it, and you write your dreams and wishes on tiny pieces of paper to stick into it. You sleep with the box under your pillow. I'm not sure what else is supposed to happen, besides all of your dreams coming true.

Day 143: Modern Art

Tuesday: July 15, 2014

Today I went on another drive with my instructor. It's a lot of fun, but we've been having problems finding people to drive with me. Last week, an adult student was supposed to drive with me. I wasn't worried, because she said it was her second drive, which means her paperwork should all be in order. I was wrong. The girl didn't even have her permit! Today, my student partner didn't even show up, so we pulled a kid from the class to go with me. After that was all sorted out, I got to drive and practice things like parallel parking!

Day 142: Daffy Ducks

Monday: July 14, 2014

Once again, I'm showing off my complete and utter lack of aviary knowledge. I think these are ducks. Are they geese? Are they swans? Maybe, I don't know. All I know is that I spotted them, snapped a photo, and carefully went about my way. They're cute. Also, I had a particularly good day at my dental internship today. I got to assist a cleaning, which means I held the slow-speed suction. It's so much fun!

Day 141: Sundays by Sunset Station

Sunday: July 13, 2014

Today we watched the FIFA World Cup final. I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling too strongly about either team. My cheering lineup goes USA-> Mexico -> Spain -> maybe England? So, I wasn't too thrilled about the Argentina/Germany game. I think my lack of excitement showed when I fell asleep during overtime! However, we did all get Chipotle burrito bowls, so that made me extremely happy.

Day 140: On The Open Road

Saturday: July 12, 2014

I took this photo while we were whizzing by on the highway. The clouds weren't actually this dark and ominous, but I liked the effect that the black and white filter gave. Also, my best friend spent the night so we watched Mulan 1 & 2 and ate pizza by the pool. We ended up accidentally staying an hour over the pool's closing time. Oops.

Day 139: What The Heck Is A Sah-Lad?

Friday: July 11, 2014

[In case you missed the reference, it's a very bad Spongebob joke.] So basically I've been dying to try the trio special from Corner Bakery. I got a sandwich last time, but didn't realize until I placed the order that there's this awesome deal where you can get three different salads together. It sounds sad, but I've been super excited to try this for weeks. In the back, there's quinoa-and-pico salad, on the left there's a fruit medley, and in the very front there is avocado-and-pico. And oh my, was it delicious. I've promised myself that I'll try not to post too many food pictures, but today it not the day to start that.

Day 138: Quoth the Raven

Thursday: July 12, 2014

This raven interrupted my lunch. [I think it's a raven; I actually don't know.] Luckily, it didn't fly into my face or steal my salad. But its presence was enough to throw me off. I don't like being stared at when I eat, even if its by aviary creatures. The stupid raven just felt sinister, as if it flew out of a Poe poem and was lost in sunny San Antonio. It's hard to tell from the photograph, but it had a blue sheen to its black feathers. I don't like the raven.

Day 137: Flower Power

Wednesday: July 9, 2014

This is a photo from my other blog, where I make beauty and fashion posts. It's a lot of fun for me, and I love the entire process. I genuinely take joy in dressing up, taking photos [even if it feels a little awkward taking hundreds of selfies] and editing the final products.

Day 136: Choco Strawbs

Tuesday: July 8, 2014

Today I went on my first drive with an instructor. It definitely wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be, considering I had literally never driven before in my life. I let my instructor know that, too. I drove for an hour, and even went 30 mph! I also did things like switch lanes, and make left turns at busy intersections. I'm pretty sure my instructor used the brakes on his side, too. Oops. Overall, it was a pretty exciting day for me. Then, my uncle [you've met his dog, Queenie] dropped by with dessert and his dog. I can't have most desserts now, but I did have a chocolate covered strawberry and it was delish.

Day 135: Shovels Of America

Monday: July 7, 2014

Today outside of Chick-Fil-A, I saw this potted plant with a really American shovel. I'm not sure why there's a shovel with the American flag painted on it, or why there are also little plants and a house on said shovel. I guess some things are meant to be mysteries.

Day 134: Return

Sunday: July 6, 2014

Today we returned home from the ACTS retreat. The weekend went by much faster than expected. In fact, there were lots of things I didn't expect on the retreat. I didn't anticipate the amount of hugs I'd receive, or the tears I'd shed, or the time devoted solely to praying. Pictured here are the little pillow gifts we received every day, such as lapels, a rosary, and prayer cards.

Day 133: Beam Of Light

Saturday: July 5, 2014

Note: This was day 3 of my ACTS retreat, where we prayed a living rosary, went to daily mass, read love letters, and did a whole lot of crying haha.

I took this photo a few weeks ago for my photography class. The prompt involved going outdoors to find inspiration. It was a little difficult for me to get started [considering I don't go outside much haha - kidding] but I realized I had to narrow my focus, and find details in the scenery. That's when I was able to capture this photo, with a cool sunbeam hitting a leaf.

Day 132: Independence Day

Friday: July 4, 2014

Note: This was day 2 of the ACTS retreat, where we did a lot of praying, went to daily mass, listened to personal testimonies, stuffed our faces with food made by amazing nuns, watched the fireworks, and had a dance party.

I seriously love my country, and I'm very proud to call myself an American. I don't think any other country can boast the same amount of opportunities, freedom, and acceptance for its people. This photo is from the day the US played the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup. I painted my face with little American flags, and I also painted my little brother's entire face with the American flag. We may not have won that day, but we sure did have spirit.

Day 131: Even More Furry Friends

Thursday: July 3, 2014

Note: This post was uploaded after the date. From July 3 - 6, I was on an ACTS retreat, and was not able to use my phone [or a watch!] during those four days. So, I've chosen a few photos that I didn't get a chance to post before.

This photo is of my grandma's mangy dog, Buddy. I used to be really afraid of dogs when I was little, but I've slowly grown to like them. The thing is, I'm now realizing that I'm probably allergic to furry animals, which isn't fun. Buddy in particular makes me sneeze and feel really itchy, and I never pet him! He hangs out in the backyard a lot, so he probably brings in other allergens too, like grass and pollen. He's cute, though.

Day 130: Do The Locomotion

Wednesday: July 2, 2014

We live near railroad tracks, which isn't as bad as it sounds. I rarely ever hear it pass, and the trains are usually pretty interesting. This one, for example, has an American flag blowing in the wind painted on the side. What you don't see are the gang signs and graffiti that decorate most of the other carts. They're creative, but I think I'll just show you the flag.

Day 129: The Optometrist

Tuesday: July 1, 2014

Today I had an appointment with the eye doctor to update my prescription. I've had notoriously bad eye sight for years. I actually hadn't noticed a huge difference in my eyesight, since I can usually tell when I need to update my prescription. This time, I only went in because my previous prescription had expired already. They performed a variety of really fun [not really] tests, like the eye pressure test and the peripheral vision test. This guy you see here is my least favorite part, because you have to identify whether "lens 1 or lens 2" is better, and they're often too similar to notice a difference. However, everything went swimmingly and surprisingly enough, my eyes are the same strength now! My left eye was always been the weakling, but now they're equal, which is super nice!