another one bites the dust. . . . . . . .

Happy Birthday to me!

A birthday narrative interspersed with fun pics of my two loves:

It has been an absolutely LOVELY birthday weekend. Actually my birthday celebration began last Sunday with a totally awesome hand blender that I cannot wait to use, and it will not end until the 9th of February with my little bday brunch that I am throwing myself (which means I will also have to prepare for it myself, and clean up after it myself-blech!)


Anyways, I had a great time with my family this weekend. I scored some gorgeous Martha Stewart ceramic dishes ( 2 sets! ) which I cannot wait to use. One set is a gorgeous robin's egg blue and the other is a more unisex and Felipe-friendly dark navy. The parentals also gave me a fat wad of cash which will go directly to my new car fund, some knitting supplies, and a few beverages of choice. The best part of it all was seeing them for the weekend.


Today I had even more birthday fun on my biological birthday. I got birthday phone calls, birthday e-mails, birthday facebook messages, and Panera for lunch (catered clear from Wichita!) Gma and Gpa got me some fun coffees and this amazing vintage cookbook that my great-grandmother used to cook out of. I can't wait to try some of her old recipes. Gma and Gpa also took me out to Applebee's where I haven't been in years and years. I'm guessing 5 years.


And then to round out my day I got to deliver a baby ALLLLLLL by myself. Off to bed before an early post-birthday morning. . . . . . . .

missing my smello

I'm missing my both of my sweeties terribly while I am here in Hutch. Good thing I have 3 furry friends at gmas to cuddle with when I get lonely (Mattie, Weezer, and Sammy).

Here's some action shots of Elo living the good life at daddy's. Look like she has made a friend. Or maybe she's guarding her territory?

It's a lazy day in bed. Must be cold! So far so good here in Hutch. Haven't seen any deliveries yet, but lots of surgeries and procedures and clinic visits. Dr. Sanders is super nice and a lot of fun to work with. Only one week left!

Miss you!

fun fact of the day

An air kiss uses only 2 muscles, but a passionate one works all 34 muscles in your face.

So if you're gonna kiss, might as well make it worth your while;)

And the results are in. . . . . . .

I won't keep you in suspense any longer. . . . . . .

Now I regress - - - here is how we spent Match Day Eve. . . . . .

A little dinner, notice I am eating burnt bagel bites while he is enjoying a GIGANTIC bowl of amazing soup from his mother. But he did make some amazing tomato salad to share, with a side of avocado.

Entertainment consisted of guitar sing-a-long, and sci-fi movies. It was all about Felipe on his special night. We eagerly waited until midnight, hoping results would be released but we went to bed disappointed.

We woke up bright and early with a new e-mail in his Inbox. And. . . . . . . . . he got his 1st choice - KUMC! I'm so relieved and excited and proud. Not every applicant matches into their chosen field, especially if it is as competitive as urology. And even fewer, end the journey with their first choice.

And the final result. . . . . .

Off to a celebratory breakfast!

happy birthday to me!

HOORAY! I just received my first 26th birthday present and it is AWESOME! My future mother-in-law (hopefully--I've got my fingers crossed) somehow knew exactly what I wanted and got me a hand blender! Not the exact picture, but you get the idea:

It has 3 attachements for whisking and milkshake making and such, and also comes with its own carrying case for blending on the go;). According to homemakers.com an immersion hand blender is the #4 kitchen essential, a must-have tool for every home chef.

Can't wait to make me some soup, or maybe some hummus, and an oreo milkshake doesn't sound half bad!

Thank you so much for this fabulous gift!

STRESSday, otherwise known as Sunday, aka the day before the match, or the day before I leave for Gyn in Hutch

MONSTER to do list today. Ugh!

Things I've accomplished:

• studio sale (more to come on this later)



• return movies (thanks Felipe!)



• pack (96% done)



• call gma to be sure she's expecting me (can't wait!)



• check weather (snow forecast tomorrow - yikes!)



• hobby lobby ad (knitting needles on sale - sweet!)



• target ad (nothing good, as usual)



• mail rent



• arrange for neighbor to pick up mail



• leave a note for apt manager so felipe doesn't get towed (let's hope she reads it, she almost towed my car the other day--its not like I haven't lived here for 2 years)



• pay credit card bill (manageable this month)

Things left to do:

• clean bedroom (giveaway more clothes)



• clean bathroom



• call Dr. Sanders to set up gyn rotation



• buy Elo litter (probably a good idea)



• dishes (don't want mold when I get back!)



• watch the new episode of girl's next door (can't remember what this one is about, but last week's wasn't that hot)



• change purse (need something larger and more sophisticated so I look like a chic professional)



• take elo for a walk (she loves to explore, but only around the halls, never outside)



• shower (must be fresh and clean for my trip)



• call mom



• print cable fingerless gloves pattern (also more to come)
  

See why I'm stressed?

So, back to The Studio sale and knitting and fingerless gloves. . . . . . . .

The Studio (a local yarn store) is having a sale today and I decided to go pick up some yarn. See, someone's birthday is coming up and I want to make them some marvelous elbow gloves to go with their new bracelet-length coat. I find this AMAZING pattern (see left) and head to the store. . . .

The store is PACKED and let me tell you, these knitters are quite knotty filling the store, pushing, and even cutting in line with the excuse that they have a 2 year old running rampant around the store? Why would you ever bring a 2 year old to the knitting store, I ask? I ask the nearest sales lady for help choosing a yarn, and to my dismay she leads me to this pile of the tiniest gauge yarn you have ever seen - fingering weight. And we aren't talking about a pair of short ankle socks here, we are talking about ELBOW gloves. I go ahead and make my purchase, after fighting me way through the line, and head home a bit apprehensive.

Knitting on deadline rather ruins the fun of the process, especially when the deadline is a daunting as March, and the yarn is as tiny as dental floss. We're probably talking hundreds of hours of knitting here, and I absolutely despise giving half a gift - what good is a single glove even if it is elbow length and fabulous? So, I begin searching fervently for a new pattern and came across some beautiful cabled fingerless mitts (see left). Granted they are not vintage gloves, but 1) they are quite chic, 2) they leave function to your fingers, 3) they will still look fabulous poking out of coat sleeves, and 4) I can definitely finish them up by spring break, giving me 9 months to work on the vintage gloves for Christmas. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Saturday, my favorite day of the week

Sigh. . . . . Another fabulous Saturday. The day began with some knitting, and I finished up my little Mason-Dixon baby bib for Randy and Hannah (see photo @ left.)

Then, I watched some "Curb Your Enthusiasm" one of my favorite shows. You can't help but feel bad for Larry David. You know, when I'm a geriatrician I hope to have a cranky and awkward patient just like him.

After knitting, came the gym which wasn't so fun.

But the fun resumed after that with a little pre-spring cleaning. I purged SO much stuff out of my closets- 5 bags to be exact.

Unfortunately ATC (Arizona Trading Company) didn't like any of my clothing, and of course I loved some of theirs. So, I left the store with more than I came with, an extra fleece and pair of jeans that fit quite cute.

After picking up a McDonald's cappucino (delish!), I decided to drop my stuff off somewhere that would actually take it, Halfy's, the thrift store that supports Pet Connection, Elo's former place of residence. The balance was in my favor here, 5 bags in, and only one bag out. A khaki skirt with buttons, a grey skirt-suit, and a black dress for med school prom. I hit the jackpot! Granted the khaki skirt might be a bit short for work, and I can barely zip the suit-skirt, but the dress is fabulously elegant and will be perfect for the occasion.

So, right now I am sitting in my robe and watching "The Godfather" ---- thanks mom it was a great gift! And then in approximately 36 hours, Felipe & I will learn our future. I'm so excited! Will it be KUMC? Mayo? UTSW? Sunshine? Snow? Suits everyday? Stay tuned to find out. . . . . . .

Absolutely Marvelous Day!

My first official day off since January 1st has been AMAZING. I've done at least a half dozen super fun things today:

1) Krispy Kreme - yummy! a whopping dozen delights filled with sugar and coated with the most perfect sweet glaze.

2) Mimosas

3) Ring shopping

• Joseph's Antiques had this ring shaped like a bow that I adored. Unfortunately I couldn't convince Felipe (or myself) that it would make the perfect engagement ring. Joseph did have this gorgeous 1 carat round diamond ring, yellow gold, with diamonds along the band that was absolutely fabulous.


• The icing on cake (or the extra glaze on my Krispy Kreme) was a trip to Vinca on the plaza. I had vowed that my ring would not come from a place as pretentious as the plaza, but as soon as I walked in the door I was smitten. They had a HUGE selection of bands to choose from, and I finally found the thin band I've been searching for. (I decided long ago I needed a thin band for my thick sausage fingers!)

4) Knitty with the girls - complete with lentil soup, raspberry muffins, and sorbet. Delish!

5) Home-made pizza

6) My amaryllis bloomed:

7) Cuddling with Elo:

the final count

"The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has limited the number of work-hours to 80 hours weekly, overnight call frequency to no more than one overnight every third day, 30 hour maximum straight shift, and 10 hours off between shifts. While these limits are voluntary, adherence has been mandated for the purposes of accreditation."
--Wikipedia

Unfortunately these limits only apply to residents, and this medical student has far surpassed 3 of the 4 mandates:
1) Residents are capped at 80 hours weekly. In the past 7 days I have worked 96 hours. That's more than double the standard (non-medical) work week.
2) I have had 4 overnight calls in the past 4 days, compared to the mandated no greater than one every third day.
3) And I have had a mere 9 hours off between each of my consecutive shifts. Its hard to keep a smile on your face and a flicker of interest in your eyes when the resident walks out of rounds at 8:30 because they need their 10 hours off and you are still sitting there listening to your attending drone on.


To sum it up: 9 straight days, 116 hours, 3 showers, 2 full meals (thank you Felipe for cooking me salmon x2), and 1 grouchy girl.

The End.

The long and maybe short of it (long as in hours, and short as in hair)

CC: exhaustion
HPI: 25yo female with extreme fatigue. PMH significant for working 71+hours in 6 days, delivering 5 babies (2 C-sections), and eating way too few balanced meals (1 chipotle burrito over 3 days.)

4 days, 1 night down, 3 nights to go, and then 3 days off to recharge my brain cells before a 5 day streak of high-risk. Luckily I have an absolutely AMAZING boyfriend who tells me I look beautiful despite wearing baggy scrubs with matching bags under my eyes and who deliveries soymilk on request. Even crazier, I'm actually kind of liking this baby stuff and am considering doing OB in my practice. I might even have some kiddos of my own someday.

The cure for this OB induced exhaustion? Lots of R&R and perhaps a new makeover. I finish up the craziness of Ob/Gyn the weekend before Valentine's so perhaps a nice Valentine's getaway is in store. (Anyone a Marriott Rewards member?)

I have recently been thinking about going for a more "professional" look. I am loving Katie Holmes makeover - - very chic! She always looks gorgeous. Here's my inspiration (photos from people.com and perezhilton.com):

The Match (and the miracle of birth)

I was really hoping Felipe's first post would be about the adventures of interviewing and forming his ranklist in anticipation of "The Match." But perhaps, instead his first post will be on the exciting day of January 21st where he finds out where he will be attending urology residency.

After much discussion, debate, and deliberation about our future, Felipe felt prepared to turn in his rank list. I think this is one of the most difficult decisions he has ever had to make. Girlfriends make life complicated!

Here on the left is a shot of him in action. The final results:

1) KUMC
2) Mayo
3) UTSW
4) U of Wisconsin
5) U of Michigan



And a parting shot after the rank list was turned in and confirmed @ 6:28:00 PM on 12/31/2007:



On to the miracle of birth. . . . . . .

Today was my second day on Labor & Delivery. I was really hoping to love the field, but I do not see a career in OB/Gyn in my future, these people work crazier hours than surgeons! This is the earliest I have had to be up so far third year and I think it is going to start taking its toll. I go to bed at 9pm every night. On the bright side, it certainly will be nice to end the year with Family Medicine and Geriatrics two things I am very interested in.

I do enjoy caring for pregnant patients and finally having female patients after all my time at the VA. The birth process is certainly interesting. So far, I have seen one C-section which was nothing like I expected. I sort of thought the baby would just appear, boy was I wrong. Maybe tomorrow I will get to see my first regular delivery, I must say I am a little nervous after the eye opening C-section experience yesterday. Wish me luck and send some chocolate covered coffee beans my way!

Barf Scarf

Finished my first knitting project of the year - a simple little scarf with ruffles on the ends. It was an easy knit and is nice and bright but it's just not my style. It can't compare to this AMAZING scarf I got as a gift for Christmas that is so warm and soft and cuddly. And it just happens to match my new wool peacoat perfectly. So if anyone wants this one, its up for grabs!

On to other knitting news, I was trying to catalogue my knitting needle collection this evening and had a pair that was not marked with its size. I was trying to look and compare it was my other needles but they were all so close, I couldn't figure it out. My genius boyfriend managed to size it in about 2 seconds by poking holes in a piece of paper. He's so GREAT! (Now if I could ever get him to blog.)

Ringing in the New Year

Had a lovely time last night at Kelli and Andrea's place. Tons of our friends stopped by and I got to wear my new dress and heels! It's always so fun to get all dressed up. Felipe looked super handsome in his sweater and tie, he even learned a new knot, "the windsor" for the occasion.

Today, I made Texas Caviar with black eyed peas. Eating them on New Years Day is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity, something I wouldn't mind having a little extra of.

Here's how I spent my day which included all of my favorite things: knitting, a cozy robe, and miss elo.