Ryan's update

SO!!! Things are settling down here for us. In case you don't know where "here" is, we are now in Vallejo, CA. Ryan has started classes and is loving it, but before I get into that, why don't I just share with you all his update...

Howdy one and all,

Rarely do we get a chance, or take the chance rather, to update folks on whats going on with us. So get this...

First, to moving: When we picked up the Penske moving van May 14th to get to California from Utah I got a quarter mile down the road before the coolant level light came on, flashed and buzzed three times, and than shut the engine off. I started it again and went back to the penske pick-up location only to be told "this is a common glich with these trucks, pay it no mind. Most say after the truck warms up 10 min. it never happens again." He then checked the coolant level just to be sure and sent me off. It didn't do it again that day but the next 2 days of driving, unpacking the truck, and returning it probably had 15-20 incidents, some of which happened in those killer mountain passes of Northern California. When your engine dies repeatedly as your screaming down a mountain in a 26' moving van with a car trailer it really ticks you off. If we hadn't had so many great experiences with Penske over the summers I sold pest control we would have a very poor impression of them after this move. Aside from that, we found our new home in Vallejo CA to be exactly what we were hoping for. (*I have to interject here, because what Ryan failed to mention with this story is that before we even started packing the truck, as he is trying to park it in the lot, we hit a car! Great way to start the day! We had to find the owner, call the insurance, call the police and file a police report... it was fantastic! Then, when we get to Vallejo, the truck gets stuck. To get into our complex, you have to go up this fairly steep hill. Well, let me tell you, a 26' moving truck weighted down with all of our earthly belongings and a steep hill do not go well together. The back of the truck gets stuck in the asphalt. Ryan couldn't pull it forward without digging it in deeper, or backward. People would try to pass, but the truck was blocking the entire road. They would see that the truck was stuck and say, "Oh yeah, that happens all the time!" which was evident by all of the gouges in the road. However, none of these helpful people knew how to get the truck unstuck. When Brandon and Jennilyn showed up, the truck was already being unloaded right there in the street into other cars, in hopes that lightening the load would help it get out. But Brandon, being Brandon, knew there must be a better way. He and the guys hook the truck up to Brandon's car, wedge stuff under the tires of the truck, including the extra leaf to our table, and Brandon guns his car forward while Ryan guns the truck in reverse. And you know what? It actually worked! There was minimal damage to the stuff in the truck and no damage to the table leaf, or Brandon's car, thank goodness. I don't know why Ryan didn't remember to include that whole story, but there you go.*) Vallejo itself was the first and largest city in CA to go bankrupt, which isn't great, but we used our connections with friends out here to score a great 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 2 car garage condo to rent for a great deal while we're here at medical school. The complex is just off the highway but far enough away from it to be very quiet. It has a fenced vacant lot between it and the highway as well as beautiful grounds and a vacant lot behind it which is also fenced and thus makes us sort of our own very private community. Because we are "bordered" by empty fields, it is also apart from any trouble hot-spots a struggling town may see. With exception to some of the parks and certain parts of town, the economic difficulties here aren't super evident to us, yet.

I actually start classes today at Touro University California. I was accepted into their medical Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) program as well as a masters program in public health (MPH). The combination of the dual-degree is not common in the medical field as a whole but adds an extreme amount of value to a physician that has also earned an MPH. (The MPH is a professional degree by itself which makes it an alternate career path/enhancer to a career as a physician.) The school itself brought life back into Vallejo after the navel military base, which was the life of this city, left in 1996. It is now recognized to have brought many economic strengths and credibility to Vallejo. Its masters in public health (MPH) program, was recently recognized by two accreditation agencies for its excellence. The second agency is a "big one," one that really means a lot. I quote : "Since submitting its first application in 2006, the MPH Program at Touro University California has received full accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for a five-year term, effective October 30, 2009 extending to December 31, 2014. The Public Health Program truly appreciates and recognizes the valuable support of the Touro Community for their participation in the accreditation process." The significance of this 5 year accreditation from this particular agency is that it normally grants only 3 year accreditations to a university. The fact that it granted a 5 year term for Touro means they were extremely impressed with the program and its effectiveness. Touro University itself was just ranked 10th in "percentage of primary care physicians produced," as described by an articly in a May issue of the Times-Herald newspaper. That is an impressive feat for any medical school to accomplish when being compared to all other accredited medical schools. I have learned even more about D.O.'s since I applied to medical school and been out here at Touro. Basically, D.O.'s and M.D.'s can take the exact same board exams at the completion of their medical school experiences and hence are certified to practice in the same fields of medicine. There is no difference between what either degree will let you specialize in or accomplish in health care. The difference between the programs are an emphasis D.O.'s place on holistic medicine, which among other things tries to diagnose the sources and all interactions causing a disease as well as what preventative measures can be taken. D.O.'s also take an extra series of courses, outside the curriculum M.D.'s use, in hands on manipulation, learning skills that physical therapists and chiropractors implement in their practices. As far as I understand, because M.D.'s have existed longer than D.O.'s there are more residency opportunities in certain circumstances for M.D.'s. Fortunately the residency advantage for M.D.'s does not exclude D.O.'s from any kind of residency they would like to pursue. Any inequality has been constantly disappearing as statistics show over the years and an equality that seems to have started in the eastern U.S. continues spreading west. I have had the opportunity in preparing for medical school to work with D.O.'s in all kinds of practices from specialized to family practice and have enjoyed each experience that demonstrated some of the aforementioned skills D.O.'s stand apart in. In summary, I am extreamly excited to earn degrees in both programs as I love the subject matter and facing the challenges that exist in the ever changing fields of medicine.

Dainen has recently started acting very two lately. He has started tantrums, which are interesting seizures of wails and flailing. They are not often, but when they happen he gets to sit in his room by himself for a good while. On the flip side, he is developing quite a personality. He is a blast most of the time to be around as he talks much more and discovers innovative solutions to problems. Overall he is a fun and desirable companion to go on walks with, play games with, eat and live with. We love him lots. Shannon is doing great. Her allergies are not treating her great this time of year but she has persevered nobly, better than I have ever seen with how uncomfortable they really have made her. Overall we are all now very settled, surprisingly unpacked, and ready for action in California. We love you all and hope all is well with you!

So there you have it! I don't have much more to add. We are really enjoying being so close to family and have already been able to spend a lot of time with them. For those of you who have heard about our place, there will be pictures coming soon, I promise. All in all, we are loving our place and are making it our own. We love you!