What general area do you live in Canada?
I live in Toronto. I was not sure about the city when I first moved here. I grew up Saskatchewan, which is north of North Dakota, so it was quite a change! I doubt we'll be here forever, but I love all that the city has to offer. In terms of starting a family, it's pretty great. Toronto Public Health does cool things like run bfing and GD campaigns, organizes parent groups, will send a public health nurse out to your home after birth to check how bfing is going, etc.
What PP does your in-laws next to?
Sorry, if I told you that I would lose all anonymity! I will tell you some interesting things about their place instead. They bought their place from a Buddhist couple who used it as a weekend retreat. It was a 22' x 22' cabin with no running water. They lived with that for a year and a half. They showered and did their laundry at the park or at friends' houses and had a very nice outhouse nestled in the woods. Last year, they expanded the place to 22' x 44' and added a flush toilet. It was a very luxurious winter visit when they finally had indoor plumbing!
And if i told you i love listening to the McKenzie Brothers every so often (i've got a cd), would you be offended as you think they are a poor represenation of Canadians, or would you laugh because you think they are funny too?
All of the above. And I would recommend The Vinyl Cafe as another set of Canadian comedy CDs to check out.
Maria, you seem like a very smart and driven person.
Thanks. I never feel like I'm driven enough, but I am told that is common for grad students and academics, so I had might as well get used to it!
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Absolutely! A few of them are:
(1) Spending too much time on the Internet rather than working.
(2) Reality television shows. I lived for years without a TV and now that I have one again, I can't get enough of ridiculous, trashy shows like Survivor, The Apprentice and America's Next Top Model. DH refuses to watch them with me, which moderates my viewing a little, at least.
(3) Cheesy dance music. I have a standing desk at home and you will often find me with my headphones on, bopping along to bad, bad pop music. (We're talking
bad. Yesterday I was dancing to S Club 7.)
What is the most random/spur-of-the-moment thing you've done?
Gosh. I'm not very spontaneous in general. I think being diabetic takes away from that a lot. I always have to make sure I have my test kit, glucose tabs/food, backup pump supplies, etc. with me and I plan my basal insulin according to my daily activities.
I guess I would say quitting my job and leaving to go hiking for six weeks in New Zealand with my sister, not knowing whether I would have to sell my house to pay for it upon my return. The trip was planned in advance, but it was based on the idea that I could get a leave of absence from work. They wouldn't give it to me because I had only been there three years, but I decided to leave anyway and deal with the repercussions when I got home. It was a great trip and completely worth it. I got home three days before my birthday; on my birthday, DH proposed and I was offered a fellowship that meant that I could afford to start grad school full time without selling the house. Best birthday ever.
IRL, I never come first alphabetically.
Thanks, Jackie.
I met with her yesterday, and am very much leaning towards working with her and her practice. They handle "high risk" patients like me by partnering with an OB at a nearby hospital. The OB would be the primary care provider, but they would work together and share my care. I will also be working with my endocrinologist, CDE and nutritionist on all the diabetic stuff.
