Haha, just kidding, guys.

So my general techno-malaise, my twin competing desires to ditch both my phone and this website, were apparently fleeting. I can admit that I rely on my smartphone too much, but admitting it doesn’t make me want to get rid of it. I’ve decided to try and temper my usage somewhat, and call it good. 

And a couple of you have pointed out that you like to read what I write. Thank you. This is awesome, as I like to write what I write. Very symbiotic, yes? 

And even sillier yet is that I’ve started another blog, expressly for the purpose of radiology-related things. You can find it at lanarjohnson.com, and it might not be very interesting for you. Sorry about that. But it really does help me sort out what I’ve got going on as a rad tech student. I’ve got just a bit more than 8 months left before I’ll be back in the workforce, and I’m already staring down the barrel of the registry exam. 

(I freakin’ love standardized tests. I had a great time taking the SAT’s and the ACT back in high school. Perhaps that’s the geekiest thing I’ve ever admitted, but you can handle it, I’m sure.)

Anyway, for those of you who still check in here occasionally: Life is good. I am busy, but I am also happy. 

Love, 

Goatygoat

I'm thinking about ditching my cell phone.

In the past few months, I've been noticing that I'm increasingly dependent on my stupid iPhone. It's become ridiculous, although I'm still not one of those people who will interrupt a nice dinner conversation to post to Facebook or text someone else about how nice my dinner conversation is.

At least, that's my fervent hope.

The grand plan would be to open a Google Voice account and direct it to forward all calls to my Skype account. I can Skype from my netbook, which means that I could only have phone conversations while connected to wifi...which isn't a problem. I have wifi at home, and it's widely available in most places I go. Starbucks, the library, many restaurants and bars...

The only thing I would miss about having a mobile phone would be talking to my mom on my commutes to and fro. I've taken to calling her when I drive (hands-free, kids, and not in heavy traffic) or when I'm sitting on the ferry boat. But really, don't I owe it to her (not to mention the other drivers) to focus on one thing at a time? Getting rid of the celly and going Skype-only would make sure I was focusing only on our conversation when we talked.

Texting would be another missed item, but I think I'd get over it. Google Voice offers SMS, and I need to explore more but it might be possible to receive those messages on an iPod touch (with wifi, of course).

So...I know at least one of you has gone cell-free. (EC, I'm looking at you). What was that like? What challenges did you face? What's your current setup for communicating with friends and family and colleagues?

What about the rest of you...could you ever cut the cordless?

I need your help.

Here’s the thing…I’ve been letting this blog go stagnant for months now, not because I don’t have anything to write about, but because I’m a little strapped for time. 

A little update for those of you I haven’t talked to in quite a while: I’m 4 months into my first clinical rotation in radiography, and I absolutely love it. I’ve been assigned to a hospital on a military base about an hour and a half from home, so to avoid commuting that much every day I’m living with a friend’s family in that town four days a week. I get to come home and see Randy on Friday nights, I work on Saturdays, Sundays are my “get everything done” day, I volunteer in the emergency department at a major trauma hospital on Monday mornings, attend class on Monday afternoons, and head back to the military base on Monday nights. 

Unfortunately, updating this blog has slipped a little on my priorities list, but I think about it pretty frequently. 

I have created a nice body of work here over the past few years, and I really like looking through my own archives to see where I’ve been and where I’m headed. There’s nothing on here that would be bad if a future employer found it, but I don’t want to direct people here for professional purposes. 

I am considering starting another site for purely professional purposes, blogging about the various conferences and seminars that I attend, as well as documenting the learning curve as I become more and more proficient as a radiographer (obeying HIPAA at all times, of course). 

But…do I have time for another blog when I can’t even seem to keep the “fun” one running? 

Should I say goodbye to goatygoat, and move on to more professional endeavors? 

What do you think? I’m probably down to about six readers at this point, so maybe this blog is mostly for my own sanity anyway, but if you six could chip in with your opinions I’d really appreciate it. 

Should I discontinue goatygoat? Does anyone really look at personal websites for professional purposes? 

Love,

goatygoat 

I've been published!

I submitted a paper I wrote for class to an online journal that selectively publishes student work, and my paper was selected for publication! The editors also chose to feature my submission on the Featured Articles page. 

Vitamin D Insufficiency and Related Pathology

In overcast regions such as the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, there are certain diseases that have an increased prevalence as compared to other areas of the nation. The climate of the Pacific Northwest during the winter months may lead to a higher incidence of these diseases due to vitamin D insufficiency resulting from a lack of sunlight. Additionally, the widespread use of sunscreen coupled with an indoors-oriented lifestyle leaves many people vulnerable to vitamin D insufficiency. Here we will examine the nature of vitamin D, its importance in various body functions and disease prevention, and methods to improve an individual’s vitamin D level.

Pretty exciting! I would be happy if you’d take a few minutes to read it. 

Grandma Audrey's Bakkels

My mother says that even my grandmother used to swear while making the frosting for these butter cookies.

The tradition stands, if you were wondering. I made dozens and dozens of these this morning, which is my all-time most elaborate study-avoidance technique ever.