Daredevil Valerie

This happened a couple weeks ago on my watch and baby Valerie sure gave me quite a scare! I woke up in the middle of the night and left her sleeping on the mattress and when I came back an hour later, I found her lying on the floor face down! Thank goodness she was sleeping soundly and wasn't seriously hurt because the mattress was only less than a foot off the ground. I know she turns sideways at times from kicking her legs while crying constantly but I didn't hear her cry at all when I was in the other bedroom. I have to say that I've been really dumbfounded by how she was able to pull off this stunt.

The pic below is a recreation of an actual event using a fictional character:

Movie Season

5/5/06: Mission: Impossible 3
5/18/06: The Da Vinci Code
5/26/06: X-Men: The Last Stand
6/30/06: Superman Returns

A lot of movies are coming out in the next few months and I can't wait. It's been a while since I've seen a good flick so I hope the ones I'm interested in seeing don't dissapoint. So which one am I most excited about seeing? Definitely Superman Returns. This movie has gone through as many script changes as director and lead actor changes. At one point, Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, and Keanu Reeves were up for the role of playing the Man of Steel, but thank goodness, it didn't happen. I think picking an unknown like Brandon Routh is the way to go. With Bryan Singer onboard as director (he left X-Men 3 to do Superman), Superman Returns should rock if his X-Men movies were any indication of how good this one will be.

It's a girl

Our bundle of joy has finally arrived

Introducing:

Valerie Lai-Yook Y.
February 21, 2006
4:57 PM
6 lb 6 oz
19 Inches

Proud parents - Cecil & Sherry

Pics will be posted soon!

Overnight

I just got done with 3 overnight shifts, all I can say is that I didn't like them. It's hard on the body, trying to adjust to normal sleeping patterns, staying awake after 5pm,trying to sleep during the day and headache after the overnights. It doesn't matter if you work at slower 24 HR store, trust me, there's always something to do especially when you are by yourself, and people will come in to get their RXs fill from the ER at wee hours.

Good News!

Cecil and I are getting married in October. We'll send out the invitations soon!

Also, I passed the MPJE and NAPLEX, yeah! Sherry Tsang, Pharm.D., RPH (!) I can't wait to fill my first Rx ha ha..j/k

Work Stoppage!

It's official! It has finally happened and it's set for Wednesday, July 6, 2005 starting at 10:00PM. It's one day before the supposedly "final" meeting at the bargaining table between the union and the company. I have to say that I'm a little disappointed that it wasn't earlier because I had to work the whole holiday weekend. Oh well, it's not a bad date considering the union will have significant leverage in the negotiations and we'll also at least know if the company will agree by Friday. Keeping my fingers crossed... -Cecil

Add-on: Ah, I just realized too that payday is on Wednesdays. Any work stoppage prior to that day would mean the company can withhold our paychecks from us. Ingenious.

Tennis racquet search

I've been a loyal user of Wilson Hammer tennis racquets for many years now, but with all the new tennis technologies offered by Wilson's competitors lately, I'm tempted to switch. Frankly, I'm not that enticed by Wilson's current line of racquets. Maybe it's because their latest line of racquets (nCode) doesn't have the same ring as their old ones (Hammer/Hyper Hammer). Here's a rundown of my options:

-Wilson nCoded racquets – stronger, more stable, and more powerful than ordinary racquets
-Prince O3 racquets – larger sweetspot, faster swing speed, better maneuverability, and greater stability
-Head Flexpoint racquets – power with ultimate control
-Head Liquidmetal racquets – more comfort, total sweetspot construction, and power and energy built into the racquet head

That last phrase, "power and energy built into the racquet head," made me chuckle, and if it's anything like the T-1000 model, I'll take it.

Star Wars Countdown

I can’t wait. It seemed like an eternity but it’s only gonna be another month before the release of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. I’m pretty excited about seeing the conclusion of the Clone Wars and seeing the transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. I just hope this movie doesn't disappoint.

On a side note, I’m also looking forward to seeing these other upcoming films:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (April 29)
Batman Begins (June 17)
War of the Worlds (June 29)
Fantastic Four (July 8)

Last day of school

Today is the last day of school for me. I'm finally done with rotations. It feels good to be done with school, no more going to classes,no more getting up at 6am,no more presentations and no more studying. Of course, the real world isn't stress free either. overall, I learned a lot, especially practical clinical experiences.

Before rotations, I thought I wanted to do retail,working at Walgreens is not a bad idea to me. Now I'm done with school, I'm not so sure if I wanted to do retail anymore. In the ideal world, retail pharmacy isn't so bad if there's no insurance problems, no drive-thru, doctors know how to write Rxs, and more help, so pharmacists have more time to consult the patients and provide adequate drug information. I like pharmacy, but retail is not my ideal practice setting. At some point, I wanted to do a residency. on the other hand, I don't want to stay in school anymore. I don't want to give up 2 years of my life and a huge pay cut.

The next step is getting licensed then work. At this point of my life, I want to make some money, so I can start my life. so, the plan for me is to work for Walgreens for a few years, because I took their student scholarship. I know there's no perfect job,and you just have to make the most out of it. who knows, I might change my mind. Too bad, Cecil doesn't make enough for me to stay home ha ha...

Top 10: Asian Martial Arts Movies

To read more about the following movies, go to: http://askmen.com/toys/top_10_100/101d_top_10_list.html

10. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
9. Shaolin Master Killer (1978)
8. Seven Samurai (1954)
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
6. The Shaolin Temple (1979)
5. Fist of Legend (1994)
4. Police Story (1985)
3. Drunken Master (1978)
2. Enter the Dragon (1973)
1. The Chinese Connection (1972)

I don't really have an opinion on the rankings of these movies since I haven't seen all of them, but I do know I would rank Enter the Dragon above The Chinese Connection. So how many of these have I seen? Only 4/10. Shame on me... and I consider myself a martial arts enthusiast.

The Incredibles

I am a huge fan of the superhero genre as a result of my cravings for action, that is, over-the-top action that is not normally found in realistic-type movies. Movies such as Spiderman 2 and X-Men 2 as well as Smallville have come a long way in their special effects compared to similar movies/shows of the past to make the action look cool and impressive.

The Incredibles is a superhero animation by Pixar Studios, the same company that produced Finding Nemo which currently has a domestic gross of over $300 millions dollars and if The Incredibles stays strong at the box office in the coming weeks, it may reach that figure as well.

The Incredibles is about a superhero family forced to live a normal way of life as a result of all the frivolous lawsuits claiming that their superpowers did more harm than good. Mr. Incredible, the main character of the movie, still wants to use his superhuman abilities to help people but he is unable to until one day, a mysterious benefactor contacts him and requests his services.

The film is definitely well-made and entertaining, even to adults IMHO. The storyline, action, and humor kept me interested throughout the whole film. My main complaint is that the superhuman feats in animation form appeared somewhat ordinary when compared to similar action sequences in non-animation scenes and I just wasn't that impressed. For instance, I was much more impressed by the action scenes in Smallville when Clark uses his superspeed to do something while everything around him stops moving. Overall, I highly recommend this film and I give it an A-.

Looking forward to moving out

If all goes well, I should be moving into my new place in the next couple weeks. Here are 5 reasons why I'm looking forward to moving out:

1. I can sleep during the day without being waken up by noises around the house.
2. I can regulate the thermostat to attain normal room temperature so I no longer have to freeze in the winter or boil in the summer.
3. I don't have to worry anymore about sudden water temperature changes in the shower when someone flushes the toilet or uses the sink.
4. I no longer have to stare at a week's worth of leftovers in the refrigerator that my family has a habit of accumulating.
5. I can walk around in my babysuit whenever I want :-)

Deep down though, I'll miss living with my family.

Rx laugh

A young man goes into a drug store to buy condoms. The pharmacist says the condoms come in packs of 3, 9 or 12 and asks which the young man wants. "Well," he said, "I've been seeing this girl for a while and she's really hot. I want the condoms because I think tonight's "the" night. We're having dinner with her parents, and then we're going out. And I've got a feeling I'm gonna get lucky after that. Once she's had me, she'll want me all the time, so you'd better give me the 12 pack." The young man makes his purchase and leaves. Later that evening, he sits down to dinner with his girlfriend and her parents. He asks if he might give the blessing, and they agree. He begins the prayer, but continues praying for several minutes. The girl leans over and says, "You never told me that you were such a religious person." He leans over to her and says, "You never told me that your father is a pharmacist."

Another Pharmacist Joke
A man walks into a pharmacy, buys a condom, then walks out of the store laughing hysterically. The pharmacist thinks this is weird, but, hey, there's no law preventing weird people from buying condoms. Who knows, maybe it's a good thing. The next day, the same man comes back to the store, purchases yet another condom, and once again he leaves the store laughing wildly. This piques the interest of the pharmacist. "What's could be so funny about buying a condom, anyway?" So he tells his clerk "If this guy ever comes back, I want you to follow him to see where he goes." Sure enough, the next day the same man is back, he buys the condom, and again starts cracking up with laughter, then leaves. The pharmacist tells his clerk, go follow the guy. About an hour later, the clerk comes back to the store. "Did you follow him? Where did he go?" asks the pharmacist. The clerk replies "Your house."

No perfect world

Before I started my psychiatric rotation, I've always thought there is existence of perfect situations and perfect world. I still believe, but not everyone is so lucky. After getting to know these patients, I'm thankful to be alive and healthy. It's so depressing and stressful to work in that kind of environment,it makes me wanting to go home every week. well, I don't work there,I'm just there to learn.

An impossibility

How can this be possible? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Are the laws of mathematics being defied here? Count the squares and see for yourself...