OAP: What have you been doing that has kept you calm and happy?

Kelsey: I’ve been exercising almost every day. The great thing about exercising is even if you are depressed or melancholy or irritable it causes physical biological changes in the brain, so if I’m in a slump I know no matter how much I hate it at the beginning (oh and I do hate it!!!) I will feel better at the end. I’ve also been napping in my garden. I take my yoga mat out and leave all my technology inside and I just day dream and let my mind wander, I’m a bit addicted to my phone so during this absolutely unlimited time a small bad habit can get out of control and wreak havoc on my mental state. I’ve started doing “cell free saturdays” where I turn off my phone for the whole day. To those who don’t spend hours scrolling through reddit, you probably aren’t going to get this but I’m sure others can relate to how big of an achievement this is during this time.

OAP: Do you have any good shows or movies that you have been watching?

Kelsey: I totally caved, it took 3 weeks and I gave in. I thought I would remain strong and not purchase things I don’t “need” but here I am the new proud subscription holder of Disney Plus and with that said, the Mandolorian is really good!!! It’s actually better than almost any Star Wars I’ve ever seen! Yeah I said it and I’m standing by it! I’ve also been watching westworld and while I have my critiques overall I enjoy it. My go to show though is typically Star Trek TNG or DS9. 

OAP: Have you cooked anything tasty lately?

Kelsey: So much! My pre-covid19 life was typically very busy and I had my usual go-to rotation of meals, but this free time has allowed me to explore and expand my repertoire! 

Here is a new meal to me that is super easy to whip up and beyond tasty. This is my rendition and completely adapted to what I had in the pantry so feel free to make it your own.

Sesame noodles

5 tablespoons of tahini

5 tablespoons of soy sauce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce 

1 tablespoon maple syrup (molasses honey sugar whatever)

1/2 cup water

1 bunch of green onions

3-5 cloves of garlic

1-2 inches ginger

1 onion

Mushrooms

Whatever veggies you have on hand- zucchini, asparagus, bell pepper, etc

Bag of egg noodles

Combine in a bowl: tahini, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, maple syrup and water. Set aside.

Start boiling a large pot of water 

Sautéed onions first and then add in veggies in order of time they take to cook. With this dish it’s good for the veggies to be cooked for a shorter amount of time on a high heat so they have some crunch to them (unless you don’t like that then just cook as you like) add the garlic ginger and bowl of sauce to the veggies when they only have another 2 minutes or so left.

Cook noodles in water as the package directs you to, strain and mix sauce and noodles together. Sprinkle green onions on top as you serve.

Super easy and delish feel free to make it your own.

OAP: What do you miss about doing acupuncture in the clinic?

Kelsey: I miss interacting with everyone. I miss watching people float out of the clinic after their treatment on their acupuncture high. I miss the look of relief on a new patients face when they realize it’s actually not scary or a big deal. I miss waking people and them telling me to give them an extra 10 minutes. 

I also miss swinging by the grand lake market before my Saturday shift and getting those squishy Ube mochi muffins from Wilde brothers