Life’s a Road Trip

On September 20, Dave, Misty, and I are walking in the Start! Heart Walk to raise money for the American Heart Association (AHA). AHA is a great cause. You can learn more about them by visiting http://www.americanheart.org/.

The act of walking raises no money. I need sponsors! Will you please consider donating to the American Heart Association as a Heart Walk sponsor? AHA has made it very easy for you to do so. You can visit my walk site at https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=260387&supid=229486278. From there, you can make a secure credit card transaction directly to AHA. As a non-profit organization, your gift is tax deductible too.

Please consider making a donation today!

So, back in June my Cadillac was totaled, remember? I had never owned a convertible, so I bought one. The VW Eos I bought is - without a doubt - a great car. It’s a lot of fun to drive, while the top is down. Of course, when the top is up, it’s just a compact sports car. Having driven large cars for the past 6 years, I really couldn’t get used to such a small car. I drive a lot of people around too, like my Dad and my daughter and her friends. Climbing into the back seat of the Eos is not fun. With that said, Dave and I decided that our second vehicle would be larger, much larger. We wanted something with which we could haul drywall or lumber (yes, we’re *still* remodeling!), muddy dogs, or well, whatever the situation calls for. Last month, we decided on a 2008 Subaru Tribeca Limited (5-seat model). This is it…

The new SUV was originally to be driven by Dave. We didn’t realize that we each secretly desired to swap vehicles. One evening, one of us ‘jokingly’ mentioned doing so, and the other jumped all over it! Now, Dave drives the Eos, which is similar to the Miata he drove when we met. And, I drive the Tribeca, which is closer to the large sedan that I drove.

I love my new SUV. The Tribeca is a luxurious vehicle, yet employs all-wheel-drive and a great deal of cargo space. We’ve already put it to use, of course… We hauled 225 sq ft of hardwood flooring home in it last week, and two french doors home in it just a couple of nights ago. Yes, it was a tight fit, but try getting that material into a sports car!

On August 2, my second cousin - Kimberly Peters - was married. The marriage of Dustin Hlava and Kimberly was a beautiful event. My favorite part was the arrival of the bride in a horse drawn carriage. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. The happy couple’s ceremony included both a sand ceremony and a wooden box ceremony of which I had never heard. To find out what it entails, direct your browser to http://www.weddingofyourdesire.com/unique_ideas.html.

The reception was a lot of fun for everyone too. Good food, good music, and good friends/family surrounded us all. What a beautiful evening.

Congratulations to Dustin & Kimberly… May you enjoy the happiness of growing old together!

Do you like old school country music? Then you’re going to love my cousin’s CD. Mark Wayne Harvey does a terrific job blending traditional country music with contemporary lyrics that will really bring it home for you.

You can hear samples of his music by clicking on the album art above. After finding out just how much you enjoy his tunes, you can purchase his album for a very reasonable price at this same site.

Good listening, everyone!

So, you all know that someone pulled out in front of me a few weeks ago causing me to total my Cadillac, right? Well, you’re not going to believe this, but some yahoo side-swiped my rental car while trying to pass me where there was no road, but rather an underpass. He was a real brainiac too…made a dash for it. He didn’t realize the gal he hit was going to chase him down! I’m driving up West Street chasing him and dialing 9-1-1 at the same time. Finally, he realized that I wasn’t going to stop chasing him. He pulls over and tells me that there wasn’t any place to stop. Yeah right! We’re driving along the banks of the White River on West Street. The entire length of our course was a place to stop. Unbelievable! Anyway, his insurance is taking care of the rental car and - I imagine - he is in quite a bit of trouble with his mom!

As expected, my Cadillac was considered a total loss. The estimate for body work alone came to $6,400. State Farm told the shop to stop there because they knew there was frame, engine, and transmission damage as well. They paid me for my car, and I was out shopping within just a few days of my accident.

I had considered purchasing a Toyota Prius. Don’t laugh! They’re actually cool little cars, and get fantastic fuel mileage. I just could not justify paying $30K for a sub-compact car with 110 horsepower and a 0-60 time in excess of 10 seconds. I’ve driven faster golf carts! I’ll go hybrid when they are either less expensive, or a bit more sporty/luxurious. For now, I purchased something fun - my very first convertible!

My new car is a slightly used 2007 Volkswagen EOS 2.0 Turbo. It has 200 horsepower and a top speed significantly greater than that of the Prius. It is a lot of fun to drive, and pretty too. Check it out:

 Top down and ready to cruise!

The retractable hard-top is very nice. It has a panoramic retractable sunroof too.

Sure, the mileage isn’t even close to that of the Prius. All my time is spent driving in town, and I average only 26 mpg. That is a lot better than my Caddy though, and I sure love this car.

You can view more photos by clicking on this link: Eos mosaic

On my way home from school this afternoon, I was involved in a collision. Someone pulled out in front of me in a 1983 Chrysler New Yorker. I t-boned the Chrysler, hitting it squarely just behind the driver’s door. That big heavy boat didn’t give an inch. It felt as if I had hit a brick wall! Though I saw the aftermath of airbag deployment many times during my volunteer fire fighter days, I had never been hit in the chest with one. I don’t want to go through that again, though it is much better than the alternative…

Dave took a couple of photos. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.    

When I initially examined the car, I thought that all of the damage was to the front-end. After further investigation, however, I found that the sunroof had popped out of the roof and would no longer fit into the roof of the car. Oops! Something bad had happened to the body of my Catera… I was then asked to remove my belongings prior to the car being towed. I couldn’t get the trunk to open. That can’t be good, can it? Finally, I noticed that the gear shift had been pushed back and to the side a couple of inches. I am assuming that means the engine and transmission was shoved back as well. With that said, I guess it’s time to go car shopping.

Fortunately, I already have some pretty good ideas about what I want to buy. Can you see me in a little hybrid? I’m thinking that it is the responsible thing for me to give up on sports cars and do my part to save the environment. What do you think?

Hey everyone, check out this news:

Our beautiful cousin, Sarah Malson, has a wonderful voice. She is playing at the Moon Dog this weekend, if any of you are interested in seeing her performance. If you can’t make it, don’t fret… you can still hear some of her tunes on her MySpace account. Just visit http://www.myspace.com/saxyrocker9. She has three of her recordings uploaded there. Check it out!

For the past few years, several members of our family have discussed coordinating a reunion, including me. We all got caught up in the busy days of our lives, however, and it has never happened. Well, this year it will. I am coordinating a Dulworth family reunion for 2008 and - hopefully - annually from now on. Our inaugural reunion will take place on Saturday, August 30, 2008 somewhere in or near the Indianapolis/Greenwood area. I am so excited! Be on the look-out for more details to come…

A couple of weeks ago, our family lost a truly good man. Danny Swindle (my first cousin’s husband) passed away at the young age of 58. Danny will be sorely missed by his wife Shirley, their children, their grandchildren, and the rest of the family as well. My condolences to you all.

Wow! It sure has been a while since I last posted. Time does fly… I apologize for not keeping you all up-to-date. Now, to catch up:

Dad turned seventy-four……..oops, I mean forty-seven *wink* years old in August. We celebrated at his home and enjoyed yummy birthday cake made by Misty. Dad can still out-work most men I know in their thirties - he is going strong! Happy birthday Dad!

 Over Labor Day weekend, the three of us (Dave, Misty and I) attended Rib Fest at Military Park in Indianapolis. We saw the Buddy Guy concert, and he was absolutely fantastic! Misty, a typical teenager in some respects, didn’t have a very open mind about watching an older (sorry Buddy) bluesman show. She instantly fell in love with his tunes though, as well as his way with the audience. Buddy isn’t afraid to mingle with the crowd, and is an excellent performer. Misty even asked when we could see him again! Not only did she enjoy Buddy Guy, but his music opened her eyes to the genre in general. As a matter of fact, B.B. King was in town this past Saturday, and Santa Claus had left tickets to the show for us. We were all excited to be attending that show - even Misty. Unfortunately, Dave lost his mother and had to make another emergency trip to Canada’s west coast. I would have felt so guilty attending without him. So, Misty and I agreed to sell the tickets and save the money for a future show. B.B. King gets around a lot, so we plan to see him somewhere close by this spring: maybe in Chicago or St. Louis, we’ll see.

Moving back to the topic of birthdays: Misty’s big day is nearly upon us. Next week, my little girl turns 16 years old! It is so hard to believe that she is that old, and even harder to believe that I am! Dave and I have rented out a local ballroom, and she has invited many, many teenage friends. Will I survive? I’m not sure, but I know she is going to have a great time, and that is what is important, of course!

I began classes again shortly after my last post (in August). I am wrapping up my second undergraduate degree, this one in psychology. In order to graduate this summer, however, I had to complete 18 credit hours in the fall (including physics and organic chemistry), and 18 credit hours this semester (including my senior research project). Now that’s a full load!

That brings me to a different topic of discussion. Many of you may be surprised to find that my long term goals have changed. Until the fall semester - as you know - my only educational goal was to go through medical school and become a surgeon. During the fall semester, however, I attended a couple of seminars presented by the Medical Humanities-Health Studies program at IUPUI. Attending these seminars opened my eyes to another health related field for which I discovered a passion. I joined a bioethics journal club on campus, and explored some of my options in-depth. I discovered that my evolving goals would make use of my medical experience and psychology education, in addition to allowing me to - possibly - improve the health and welfare of the public in a way quite differently than I had imagined. I discovered the extent to which health care disparities continue to exist. I discovered an interest in bioethical issues. Most of all, I discovered a keen interest in the matter of public health legislation and global public health issues.

Upon completing research (a.k.a., racking my brain to make a decision), I chose to pursue a J.D. rather than an M.D. IU School of Law  (IUSL) in Indianapolis has an outstanding health law program. In addition, they offer a joint J.D./M.A. (philosophy) in bioethics. Beginning in late October, I began an independent crash course in preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). I applied to IUSL in November. I took the LSAT in December, and did okay on it, though I missed my goal by 10 points. I didn’t do too badly, however, since I’ve received a handful of scholarship offers since my score was released (Yes, from decent schools!). Now, I just need IU to send me an offer! So, I took it again on February 2, in hopes of boosting my score by a few points. I’ll receive my score in a few weeks, and should receive an answer from IUSL and the bioethics program by the end of March. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I am still working at Riley Children’s Hospital in research through the IU School of Medicine. I have also maintained my internship with the Institute of Psychiatric Research, though I haven’t been putting in as many hours this year as last due to surgery on my wrist that has prevented me from performing the implantation surgeries. I am no longer President of IUPUI’s American Medical Student Association, though I have remained on the board as Treasurer. I was elected President of the IUPUI Native American Student Alliance, and have also been serving as an un-paid intern at the American Indian Center of Indiana. There you have it….I’m still as busy as ever, and - frankly - will most likely continue to have a full plate well into old age. I don’t like sitting around, ya know?

Well, there you have it, I’ve caught up my blog, for the most part. I realize I left out a lot of events, say for instance, the holidays. I’ll try to be more diligent about posting in the future, though it might be summer before I can make good on that promise.

I sincerely hope that you are all well. Please take a few moments and drop me a line at Tammie71@insightbb.com. I would love to hear from you. Don’t freak out if I don’t respond for a few days though, I’m not the best at replying to messages promptly.

 Take care everyone, and I hope to see you all soon!