Scarlet's Journal

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Pet Peeves

Smoking - I've never been comfortable around someone who is smoking and getting trained as a healthcare professional definitely drilled that aversion even further.

Cars with red blinkers - I prefer yellow turn signals! Brake lights are already red.

Incorrect spelling/grammar - It usually pops out at me and makes me cringe, which is useful when editing.

Tardiness - This applies in all aspects... whether it is me running late or someone else not being on time.

Missed serves - Since volleyball changed to rally scoring, missing a serve gives the other team a free point. It also means less playing time!

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Pizzas

Mushroom - My top choice is always mushroom. Unfortunately, very few people that I know share that thought and I can't finish an entire pizza on my own.

Sausage - It's generally easier to get others to agree to sausage as a topping.

Margherita - The ingredients are so simple, but it's so delicious! This is the go-to pizza when we order it for work parties.

BBQ Chicken - You can't go wrong with barbecue.

Supreme - I don't mind all the extra toppings (and getting a supreme pizza usually means my siblings will give me all their mushrooms).

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Happy Year of the Rat!!

Five Rats

Murtlap - Starting off in the Wizarding world, the Murtlap is a rat-like creature with a growth similar to a sea anemone on its back. Murtlap essence is a good remedy for cuts. 

Remy -  Everyone's favorite little chef from Ratatouille.

Rattata - A very common Pokémon in all versions of the game. 

Splinter - Known as Master Splinter to his students, he is the martial arts instructor and adoptive father of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Twitch - One of the champions in League of Legends.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Drug Brand Names

Brand names of medications are typically shorter and easier to remember than generic names, which is easier for marketing. However, they can vary from country to country. Here are five that I nearly always refer to by brand name.

Lasix (furosemide) - I think it's neat when a mnemonic is built into the brand name of a medication. Furosemide is a diuretic, which makes people need to use the bathroom, so it is not recommended to take furosemide too close to bedtime. The LAtest is SIX pm is the general guideline.

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) - As antibiotic resistance continues to increase, one way to combat that is to add components that prevent resistance. Of course, that makes the drug name a mouthful, so it is easier to go by the brand name. Bactrim and Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) are the ones I see most commonly.

Advair (fluticasone/salmeterol) - There are many inhalers out there for asthma and/or COPD, but Advair is the one that my hospital has on formulary.

Lunesta (eszopiclone) - Sleep is a huge issue in the hospital setting... as is trying to say "eszopiclone" correctly!

Fiorcet (butalbital/acetaminophen/caffeine) - Fiorcet for headaches has been around for a long time, but more and more combination products (especially for blood pressure and the treatment of HIV/AIDS) are available to help reduce pill burden. 

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

I've been trying to salvage puzzles from my Photobucket account and found some drawings that I've done for various HOL activities and classes.

Five Drawings

Here's a quick drawing done in Paint of Crookshanks chasing a Snitch for a Ravenclaw activity.

A pencil/colored pencil drawing of Flounder from The Little Mermaid for a Disney class.

A Paint rendition of Runespoor for one of the times Amy ran Revelio.

A pencil/colored pencil drawing of a Fire Crab for a Read-Along task.

A Puffskein drawn in Paint for the Fantastic Beasts class.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Happy Valentine's Day!!

It's been a busy week, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Here are my favorite couples in the Harry Potter series.

Five Couples

• Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger
• Remus Lupin & Nymphadora Tonks
• Arthur & Molly Weasley
• Andromeda & Ted Tonks
• Rubeus Hagrid & Olympe Maxime

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Work has been crazy this week, so here's another quick list.

Five Collections

• Postcards
• Dice
• Killer Whales
• Salt & Pepper Shakers
• Board Games

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Highlights of February

Block! - I actually had a nice block during a volleyball match! I'm only ~ 5'2" so it was a big accomplishment. We happened to playing the team we usually hang out with afterwards, so we also had many spectators that day. Even though we didn't end up winning the point, I got high fives from both teams.

Patrick - Cody and I decided to check out a nearby thrift shop and we found Patrick! He is a stuffed dog made by FAO Schwarz. My cousin has a huge version of Patrick, but this size is perfect for hugs. Patrick is now the guardian of our couch.

Escape Room / Letter Jam - For Valentine's Day weekend, we did an Escape Room with our friends. The theme of the room was "Secret Society." We were with a group of high school girls and we almost beat the best time of the day. Afterwards, we played Letter Jam, a cooperative word game. This game has been on my radar for a bit, so I was excited to see that they had a copy.

Qwixx - One of my friends had to cancel her birthday trip home to Singapore because of the coronavirus, so we had a party for her. She received Qwixx as a gift. It's a fun, quick dice game and I won the first game we played!

Little Legend - I finally played enough Teamfight Tactics to earn my own Little Legend!

We get an extra day in February this year, so there's still time for more exciting stuff to happen!

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

I know I missed a week and late this week, but let's get back on track! I hope everyone is staying safe and sane during this crazy time!

Five Fortunes

Sometimes they are nonsense, but sometimes fortune cookies come with meaningful statements.

• Every good friend was once a stranger.
• Change has both physical and psychological attributes.
• Do the right thing because it is right. Have the courage to face it.
• A mile walked with a friend contains only a hundred steps.
• Sharing little joys offers great hope to others.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Last night, my sister told me that she finally finished Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. She said it was deep and she didn't see the plot twist at the end coming. It has been awhile since I read the book, so I had to find a summary of it. Jodi Picoult is one of the authors that I look forward to reading.

Five Authors

Jodi Picoult - She is able to touch on several controversial topics in each book.

Dan Brown - The suspense and mystery are well-written.

Brandon Sanderson - His world-building is amazing.

Malcolm Gladwell - His psychological views are eye-opening.

Mitch Albom - His style is straightforward, but the storytelling is still very effective.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Spring Flowers

Daffodil - Whenever I see daffodils, I know it is officially springtime. It's like they "trumpet" in the good weather!

Tulip - Ever since my dad told me that I share a name with a tulip, it has been one of my top flowers.

Hyacinth - Finishing off the usual spring trio, I like how the purple hyacinths contrast the yellow daffodils. They are also a fun shape!

Iris - My parents have a light purple one (similar to the image) in their yard and I always look forward to seeing it in full bloom.

Allium - I wasn't sure what these were called, so I had to look them up. They're part of the onion family! I love the height and circular shape of them. They also look nice surrounding gazebos in gardens.

(All images are from Getty Images.)

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Continuing with the plant theme, here are my favorite vegetables. No pictures this time because I have to go into work early. (Yes, I'm one of the lucky few who still have to physically go to work.)

Five Vegetables

• Broccoli
• Corn - kinda "a must" if you grow up in New Jersey
• Spinach
• Green beans
• Zucchini (or courgette for the British folk)

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five HP Actors in TV shows

Luke Youngblood - After portraying the Weasley twins' best friend Lee Jordan, he played Sid the squire in the musical fantasy comedy Galavant. Although Galavant only lasted two seasons, it served as our road trip show when Cody and I drove from Texas to New Jersey.

Tom Felton - Thanks to Maxim and his superhero class, I am now deep into Arrowverse. I was pleasantly surprised to see Tom Felton as a guest star on season 3 of The Flash. My initial thought was "Draco!" Funnily enough, his character is extremely similar to Draco. 

Natalia Tena - She brought Tonks to life and it was nice to see her in an episode of The Mandalorian.

Jason Isaacs - He was the main character in a show called Awake. In one reality, his wife survived the car accident and in the other his son survived. Definitely something that would also bother Lucius Malfoy! Unfortunately, the show wasn't renewed, so the ending was a bit disappointing.

Alfred Enoch - It was exciting to see Dean Thomas in Sherlock!

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Medications Derived from Plants

Digoxin, used in the treatment of multiple different heart conditions, is from the foxglove plant (Genus: Digitalis).

Salicylic acid, better known as aspirin, is a compound found in the bark of several plants, including the white willow (Salix alba).

Some of the first medications (vincristine and vinblastine) to treat cancer were isolated from the Madagascar periwinkle.

The Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) was nearly wiped from existence when paclitaxel was discovered to be useful in cancer treatment.

Many pain killers, like morphine, came from the poppy flower.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Such a gloomy day here and now it's pouring! Here are some photos that I took a few days ago. When your mom wants to go take pictures of flowers, you go take pictures of flowers!

Five Flowery Photos

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Five Reading Moments

When I understand the significance of the title - Most of the time, the titles of books are pretty straightforward. But occasionally, I get to that one passage in the book that finally explains the title or helps develop it further.

When someone else raves about a book - If it is a book I haven't read before, it intrigues me and I have to look up the book. If it is a book that I have read before (and I recommended it to that person), I really enjoy revisiting the book and trying to remember all the details.

When there's a reference to another book/author - It happens often with Harry Potter, but other books and authors pop up too.

When the book that I put "on hold" is ready - I'm really, really missing the library! I don't put that many books on hold because I try to find ones that are available at the library. My holds are usually the next book in a series, so it's always very exciting to get the message that they are ready to be picked up.

When a sentence has the word "surely" - My real name is Shirley, so it seems like they are talking to me. It happens in TV shows and movies too, but sometimes I don't catch it. You always see it in print!

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

You can tell we're nearing the end of the year because I'm running out of Friday Five topics!

Five Mnemonics

ROY G. BIV - For the colors of the rainbow! 
Shocking that I'd have a color mnemonic, I know.

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas - For the order of the planets
Pluto was still a planet when I learned about them.

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally - For the order of operations
Cody said I had to include a math one, so it was this or SOHCAHTOA.

Kings Play Chess On Funky Green Squares - For the order of taxonomic rank (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
There are several different variations of this, but my first biology teacher taught me this one and it stuck.

Please Let Granny Brown Bring Peaches To Your Wedding - For the color of warfarin tablets
There are different manufacturers for medications, especially those that have been around for a long time, like warfarin. Because warfarin is a high risk medication and comes in many different strengths, the colors are standardized.

1 mg = Pink
2 mg = Lavender
2.5 mg = Green
3 mg = Brown
4 mg = Blue
5 mg = Peach
6 mg = Teal
7.5 mg = Yellow
10 mg = White

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

I somehow saved my draft of this in the folder with all the logic puzzles that I've collected. That's why you don't try to be productive late at night, I guess.

Five TV Theme Songs

Monk - "It's a Jungle Out There"
Monk is my favorite TV show of all time. There were several versions of the theme song, including one performed by Snoop Dogg for the episode he guest starred in.

Gilmore Girls - "Where You Lead"
"Where you lead, I will follow." I don't even think I'm exaggerating when I say that Gilmore Girls was the only show that my sister watched for years. The original lyrics for "Where You Lead" was about a woman following a man, which had become dated. Carole King was asked to change the lyrics to reflect a mother-daughter relationship. She even asked her daughter to sing the theme song with her. 

Community - "At Least It Was Here"
"I can't count the reasons I should stay... one by one they all just fade away." Community is Cody's favorite TV show. He didn't even let me watch the last few episodes when it started fading.

Friends - "I'll Be There for You"
I'm sure most people have seen or heard of Friends. The theme song is definitely a catchy tune.

The Office
The theme song for The Office doesn't have lyrics, but it's still memorable. 

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Since we're currently exploring the Great Black Lake, here are a few more!

Five Lakes

Lake Michigan - I was born in the Chicago-area and it's a goal of mine to go back there and explore!

Sun Moon Lake - My aunt and uncle took my sister and me to Sun Moon Lake in the middle of Taiwan. I loved riding the gondola (especially without skis!). The view was amazing!

Crater Lake - It's the deepest lake in the United States and known for its deep blue color. A volcanic cinder cone forms the island called Wizard Island.

Plitvice Lakes - They are actually a collection of sixteen lakes arranged in cascades in Croatia. (And you all know how much I like cascades.)

Finger Lakes - This is another group of eleven lakes in New York. The Finger Lakes region is known for the natural beauty and its vineyards.

(All images are from Getty Images.)

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Water Quality was my main Science Olympiad event back in the day. Part of the competition involved identifying insects. My partner hated the bugs, but I thought they were cool, so I usually did the identifying. Because they are highly intolerant of pollution, here are five that are indicators of good water quality in freshwater environments (river and lakes). I won't include pictures this time in case you aren't a fan of insects either.

Five Bioindicators of Good Water Quality

Mayfly Nymphs - These typically had 3 "tails" that were actually cerci or antenna-like appendages extended from the tip of the abdomen.

Stonefly Nymphs - Usually darker than mayfly nymphs with only 2 "tails."

Caddisfly Larvae - They are commonly curled up in a C-shape. Some have a portable case that they carry around with them.

Dobsonfly Larvae - Also called hellgrammites, they look like centipedes. They have sharp pincers and fuzzy-looking abdomens.

Water Pennies - These are flat, brown circular beetles that cling to the underside of rocks.

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

The original idea behind Emerald Cup was to highlight a different musical each year. The concept has evolved since then, but I like that we still have song identifications. While I appreciate music and enjoy watching musicals, you'll have to ask my other half for actual music recommendations. But here are some songs that I like!

Five Songs

• Rachel Platten - Fight Song
• Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
• Faith Hill - If My Heart Had Wings
• Jesse McCartney - Beautiful Soul
• Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber - 10,000 Hours

5 scales awarded

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

Six years ago, I was offered the opportunity to become a co-leader for Slytherin. It was extremely nerve-wracking. Despite coming from a rival house, I was given the blessing, support, and guidance of Slytherin staff. In a few short months, Slytherin already felt like home. After a poor decision on my part, I ended up in the hospital at the end of my first year as a Slytherin. I'll be forever grateful for the way everyone stepped up and came together to fill in for me.

This past term, I conducted Promising Student training for the first time. For me, the three participants were an excellent reminder of the diversity of HOL. One is brand new to the world of Harry Potter mainly searching for a supportive community. One has been quieter and is starting to venture into doing more for HOL. One was returning to HOL after a brief hiatus. It was so refreshing to see them bounce ideas off of each other and come up with a cohesive and fun activity for everyone.

Although there are many more stories, these are the bookends of my experiences as Slytherin Head of House. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in my HOL journey. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to keep in touch. Otherwise, I wish you the best and perhaps our paths will cross again someday!