An Extended Vacation

Health Monitoring Taken to a New Level. . .

2012-01-18T10:52:00.000-06:00

The other day I was surfing the web and stumbled across the FitBit. I was excited to find it since I remembered reading an article about it last year when it was still in development. It seemed like a great idea then and now, seeing it completed and marketed I'm even more excited about this device and what it offers.

So, what is the FitBit? It's a tiny digital device (USB stick size) that you wear daily to record and monitor your activity. It's supposed to be much more accurate than a pedometer and can tell when you're climbing stairs, running, sleeping and changes in altitude (if you're walking up a hill or hiking.) Additionally, the FitBit has an awesome app that allows you to plug in your food intake which is all synced with your main profile online. Online you can enter your weight, heart rate (resting, normal and active), log your mood/allergies/journal, and even keep track of your glucose levels!

{FitBit via Amazon}

Why do I love the idea of this product so much? Mainly because it's a device that offers the ability to see the whole picture of your health/lifestyle. You can wear it at the gym and enter workouts on the app/online. You can wear it all day at work. You can wear it to sleep. There isn't another device that's this easy to integrate into your life to see how healthy your lifestyle really is. Fitness devices only offer to track and record information related to cardiovascular workouts. FitBit takes in all of your days information and shows you where you need to work harder. Maybe on your diet, perhaps on standing/walking more, maybe you need more sleep or higher quality sleep.

It's also important to note that I love the idea of this product because I love seeing variables quantified and open to interpretation. As humans we have a tendency to feel like we're not eating that much, or that poorly or we think we're more active than we actually are. . . FitBit takes real time data and lets you know how right (or wrong) your estimation of your health is.

Personally, I think this a great gift for a wide variety of people, even more so since now companies are starting to offer benefits to employees who track this information and set goals to become healthier.

Is it pricey? Yeah, a little bit but for the person who is trying to change their lifestyle without running an Ironman it has the potential to be an invaluable tool and motivator.

(In case you can't tell, I kind of want one for myself!)

I do not own this product and was not contacted or compensated to write this blog post. All ideas, opinions and observations are my own.

Also, I am not an Amazon Associate so if you purchse the FitBit from the link above I do not receive a percentage of the sale.

If someone would like to give me a FitBit I'd be more than happy to write a more comprehensive review. :-)

Running in Cold Weather. . .

2012-01-15T16:15:00.000-06:00

This morning I woke up, drove Dr. J to work and then checked the weather. Sundays are my long run days for the 1/2 Marathon training that I'm following and since it's winter in NY you never know what you're going to be running in. Sure enough, today happened to be the coldest day yet since the cold front started pushing it's way through earlier this week. These are the conditions I finally ran in after waiting until the middle of the day to decide between running outdoors or on a treadmill.

Yup, it felt like 11 degrees thanks to some serious wind gusts. Ouch and Brrr. . . Today was a 5 mile run which isn't the furthest I've ever run but it is the furthest I've run since high school. Last week was 4 miles and that felt surprisingly good, but it wasn't balls to the wall cold and windy. I knew today would be a different beast entirely.

So, how does one dress for such weather? Well here's what I chose to wear:

1. Sunglasses to keep the cold wind and sun out of my eyes.

2. Lululemon beanie, it's double layered so very warm and technical fabric.

3. Neck gaiter(also technical fabric) & felt great to pull over my face while I cooled down.

4. 200 Weight Icebreaker Long Sleeved Base Layer

5. Under Armor Short Sleeved Heat Gear T-Shirt

6. Mountain Hardwear Wind Breaker

7. Lululemon tights

8. Skirtsports Happy Girl Skirt

9. Injinji Compression Socks

10. Brooks Adrenaline's 11 GTS

11. Fuel Belt 8oz Water Bottle

For the record, most of this stuff I've acquired over the last 4-5 years in case you're wondering how I can afford some of this. Also, I used to work for a sporting goods store so I got employee discounts and free stuff from company representatives. Man, I miss that job sometimes! :-) Whatever I didn't purchase then, I've bought at a discount thanks to relentless shopping and dropping in on stores and online sites periodically to see what's getting marked down. The only items I paid full price for were my Lululemon tights and the Skirtsports skirt. The rest I got at either a decent discount or serious discount. My opinion is that it's better to wait and find the high quality stuff in your price range because it will last. Mountain Hardwear is one of my favorite brand and their stuff is legit. It works, it's techincal and it will probably outlast you! ;-)

How did I feel with all of this on? Well, at first I worried I would get too hot and suffer through the latter half of my run. However, thanks to the wind and low temps I never felt hot. I didn't even unzip my jacket which I nearly always have to do at some point! All in all, I nailed my clothing today. I didn't get too hot or too cold. Though when the run was over I did a quick cool down and high tailed it back to the apt and right into a warm bath because once I stopped moving I got cold FAST!

If you're training for a race in cold weather let me know where you're doing your runs! Inside? Outside? What are you wearing and what pieces can you just not live without???

I hope this post was informative for anyone else who regularly runs in these conditions!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me!

Why I Run. . .

2012-01-12T23:49:00.001-06:00

As some of you know, I started running in high school (freshman year to be specific). Before high school I had done/tried just about every sport out there and loved every minute of them. Volleyball was one of my favorites in middle school but I wasn't a club player and I wasn't showing any signs of a growth spurt anytime soon. There also weren't any tall people in my family so aiming for 5'4 was aiming high for me! (I made it to 5'3 and that was it.) Going into high school I thought I wanted to play volleyball, after all who cares if I'm short and never played club? I'd show them. I'd do it! That was what I thought until my parents and I attended an open house where all of the teams and coaches had booths showcasing how great their sport was.

My Mom was the person who found the Cross Country booth first and convinced me to come check it out after she'd talked to the coach for a good 15-30 minutes. I rolled my eyes (teenager alert!) but followed her and shook the coaches hand. We chatted and I thought it sounded kind of interesting. After all, I liked running laps and had run the fastest miles in the presidential challenge in elementary school. "Maybe I can do it with volleyball..." My short teenage self thought.

Fast forward to the summer before I started freshman year and I was signed up for the Cross Country summer program but still considering trying out for volleyball. Until the coach, who I knew from a camp I attended, flat out told me I'd have to chose between the two. The seasons, schedules and training's conflicted too much. I hemmed and hawed for a few days but eventually decided to join the Cross Country team. Over the next four years there were ups and downs, great friends, amazing races and terrible races. Looking back I realize I had no perspective. The 1/2 marathon, marathon and other races weren't even on my radar. My life was high school cross country and only high school cross country. I didn't idolize any women runners and I don't know of any friends who did. I didn't follow the time trials, USTAF track and field competitions or Olympic qualifying rounds.

{This was not on my radar then. . . Who wants to do it??}

It's unfortunate, because I think that if I had known what was out there for runners I might have stuck with the competitive side of the sport longer. All I saw in the future was college running and that seemed like alot of stress during a time that was supposed to be fun. I wasn't an amazing student and I wasn't an amazing runner, I saw myself as a slightly above average person who had to work to get that A or that 5 something to 6 something minute mile.

So, I quit running competitively after high school. I ran recreationally on and off all through college. I took a jogging class as an elective and adored the structure and being on the college track. It felt good and natural to run. Yet, I never entered a 5k, 10k or any other distance race. Why? I felt I wasn't good enough, wasn't fast enough, I just wasn't the runner I used to be and I didn't know how to reconcile that person with the runner I was today. So, I kept running for myself. Never too consistently and never over 3 miles. Somedays I yearned to run 4x400's (I loved running the 400m which was strange because that is a distance that is hated by most track runners.) but I didn't want to run on a track by myself. So I stuck with the comfortable and continued to run on a treadmill or job around campus/the neighborhood.

Thankfully, when I moved to New York I met someone who got me running again. She's now a friend who I'm so grateful for everyday. After only knowing me a few weeks she convinced me to run a 5k with her AND fundraise. For whatever reason, I did it and loved it. After I finished that race I knew I needed/wanted/had to run more races. Then, the same friend convinced me to sign up to run for a charity team in the NYC 1/2 Marathon. Guess what I did? I signed up for the race and the hardcore fundraising. I joined Team Sharsheret and started googling 1/2 marathon training plans. I got a training journal. I got a Garmin (thanks Dr. J!).

{Jumping in the NYC Marathon to run/support my friends husband!}

{My New Garmin aka Chanukah Present from Dr. J}

On January 2nd I started training for the half marathon and fundraising. Since then, I've already run further than I had run in years and it feels SO good. If you have a minute, please check out my Team Sharsheret page and support me on this journey! March 18th, 2012 will be the day I run 13.1 miles for the first time!

So, why do I run?

Running keeps me sane.

Running gives each day a purpose.

Running allows me to give back to my community and the world around me.

Running allows me to advocate for the causes I believe in.

Running makes me feel strong, both mentally and physically.

Running gives me confidence.

Running gives me friends who are always up for a run or Red Mango.

Running is the foundation to every healthy choice I make each day.

Running teaches me perseverance and patience.

Running empowers me.

Why I Hate January. . .

2012-01-10T15:17:00.001-06:00

{I tend to bake when I'm stressed or avoiding issues. . .}

January and I were friends once upon a time, long, long ago, before I had bills to pay or was responsible for buying gifts. Today January and I are not friends, mostly for monetary reasons.

First, December is a long month and it messes up my billing cycle. This is just annoying and mainly a mental thing for me. However, Dr. J's work place changed their payroll and so now our pay day dates are different. *palm to forehead*

Second, even though we managed to shop and gift conservatively this year it's still more than our usual spending and it still hurts. Especially since I've heard nada about any of the (literally) hundreds of jobs I've applied for in the last 6 months or more. Top that off with a few yearly fee's that we pay and January becomes the most painful month of the year.

Third, January means another fiscal year has ended and it's time to start gathering and submitting tax documents.

All of the above and more, are reasons why I would like to burrow into a hole on January first and not come out until February.

Do you share my January anxieties? Or am I just overreacting?

Welcome 2012. . .

2012-01-01T18:03:00.000-06:00

{My first juice of the new year!}

2011 has come and gone. Looking back, it wasn't a terrible year and it wasn't a great year. I grew a little and started to enjoy NY more. This past year was when I finally started to get on my feet again after our move to NY and I found my mental happy place once more. Things that I did in 2011:

Found and started attending a MO shul every week.
Finally started meeting people in the community.
Moved forward with my conversion after years of searching for the right movement/Rabbi/community.
Got a dog! (Yay Fitz! He makes our lives better.)
Completed my EMT certification.
Started running and working out regularly.
Ran a 5K!
Made my first NY friends who really feel like friends.
Met lots of NY bloggers.
Joined a volunteer FD to work as a Firemedic.
Visited Maine (Finally!)
Started studying for the GRE.
Started Hebrew classes.
Signed up to run the NY 1/2 Marathon in 2012 for Team Sharsheret!

2011 wasn't the worst year of my life by far, but I have high hopes that 2012 will be even better.

Here's to another year of great fun, great friends and many more learning experiences.

I hope everyone had fun ringing in the new year last night!

If You Really Miss Me. . .

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-06:00

Come over and check out my Tumblr blog!

Eating & Living

It's all I can handle right now and I love sharing what I'm eating at any given moment!

8 Nights Later & Some Thoughts On the Blog. . .

2011-12-29T01:10:00.001-06:00

Well chanukah is over, the latkes have been fried, the candles lit, the presents exchanged and opened. Honestly, this year chanukah snuck up on me and I was completely unprepared. Dr. J and I are lucky we had latkes at all! Life got busy this past month between the Fire Station and required training in order to ride the ambulance in addition to a class and regular meetings. Pile on top of that the ongoing job search, constant applications oh, and I'm signed up to run the NY 1/2 Marathon which means I needed to officially start training, yesterday. Except. . . I assisted a friend with a yoga class at the fire department and woke up so sore that walking was a chore today. Apparently I need to use my yoga muscles more.
:-)

The blog has been sorely abandoned lately and I'm going to try to change that but lately it's not where my heart is at right now. Perhaps it's time for a re-design/re-working of the blog. Perhaps I need to step re-evaluate what I need in this blog. Since I started this blog almost 4 (What??!) years ago a lot has changed in my life. Sure, I'm still in the cycle of the perpetual job search and constant unemployment but everything else in my life is different. I'm married, living in NY and volunteering as an EMT. Who would have thought I'd be here in under 4 years? Not this girl.

Sure, I dreamed about how I was going to change my life and all the places I would go see and live. Some days it feels I'm no where near where I wanted to be in life by this point. Other days, I'm amazed at where I am and what I've gotten to do over the past few years. I suppose it depends on how optimistic I'm feeling at any given point!

So, in short, hang tight for the time being. It's time to figure out where this blog is headed. . .

Happy Chanukah!

2011-12-20T23:35:00.003-06:00

Join Forces with MODG's OWANA (Operation We Are Not Assholes)

2011-12-12T12:32:00.001-06:00

{Via: MODG}

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to take a minute to point you all in MODG's direction. See, she started this amazing movement to help our fellow bloggers out this holiday season and it's totally taken off. However, we need to keep the momentum going and continue to reach out and help those who are struggling to make ends meet.

As we all know, economically times have been tough and while many of us are living paycheck to paycheck there are those who can't even do that. Whether it's because a spouse has lost a job and hasn't been able to secure another one, or health issues have overwhelmed finances or just a combination of little problems that snowball into one big problem.

Trust me when I say every little bit helps. As everyone on the internet knows, Dr. J and I are not rolling in the dough and I'm constantly putting in applications for work with no luck since moving to NY. However, we can spare the ten or fifteen dollars to help someone buy diapers or wipes. I can sort through my clothes to put together a package for a teenager who wears my same size (she'll probably hate my boring clothes though. . . ;-) ). My point? Don't write off your ability to help because you aren't financially flush. We can all find a way to help.

So please, take a minute and check out the OWANA forums. I promise that helping one person out who *truly* needs it will spread more holiday cheer through your veins than that purse you've been eyeing.

A Running Conundrum. . .

2011-12-08T18:39:00.000-06:00

Ever since my knee's randomly hurt after running the 5k and finding out that, not only did I have squinting patellae but also was the proud owner of weak hips, I've been trying to follow Dr's orders to a T. They said I needed orthotics, so I went and got my custom orthotics. They said I needed PT, so I worked my tuches off and managed to get out of PT in record time while still learning a lot. I was told to break my orthotics in slowly. So I did. Everything I was told to do, I did.

You would think everything would be smooth sailing from this point on, right?

Wrong. My last 3 runs have been accompanied by a great deal of tension and pressure in my left calf/shin. It's not "owww" painful but more like "Gee, that doesn't feel right. I should stretch it."painful. Last night I tried a new approach and warmed up on a stationary bike first, then stretched and then did some floor work before getting onto the treadmill. It helped and I managed to bang out a decent 5k without too much exertion. My calf/shin was still tight but not like the last two runs.

So, because I'm new to running with twinges and tweaks (running at 15-16-17-18 is much different than 25) I told Dr. J about what I was experiencing. He said maybe it's shin splints. I replied that wouldn't make much sense because 1) I haven't ramped up on miles or intensity. I've just been trying to maintain a decent base since PT and 2) I watched a lot of people suffer with shin splints in high school and this didn't feel like what they experienced at all. So, I stretched (noticing how tight my calves were) and then borrowed the gyms foam roller for a little rolling. I left feeling decent. Not great but not as bad as the previous two runs.

Tonight, Dr. J and I were discussing what could have brought on this calf/shin situation and I asked if he thought my orthotics could be contributing. He immediately said yes, which surprised me since he's always a "follow what *your* doctor says" kind of person. Basically he thinks the toe lift in my shoes is changed by the orthotics which is making my foot flex more and putting more stress on my lower leg. Thinking about it, I have to admit it does make sense.

Now I have to decide if I want to continue to try to make the orthotics work or if I want to try switching an OTC brand or just going back to running in no orthotics. Keep in mind, up until this year I never wore orthotics and never had knee pain or any injuries. Why did I suddenly need orthotics and develop squinting patellae? The answer to the latter part is probably just a side effect of being a woman and growing older. Our weight may not change but our shape does. My hips have widened. That is probably to blame for my knee caps. Yet, I've been strengthening my hips, core and upper body. My PT did say that she thought I could go orthotic less in the future if I kept up my strengthening. . . Maybe it's time to find out if I can make the switch to now orthotics?

I'll experiment a bit in the next few weeks since I'm not in scheduled training mode until the end of December.

Also, I went ahead and invested in this bad boy to help work out my tight spots and hopefully bring some relief to my poor legs.

{TP Therapy Foam Roller}

What do you runners think?

Have you been here before what helped?

Did you ditch your orthotics? Why?

Lately. . .

2011-12-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

Sorry if it's been a bit quiet around this part of the blogosphere, I've had a cold since Monday morning and every time I think I'm starting to feel better one of my nostrils decides to either stuff up completely or run like a leaky faucet. Not fun. Originally I tried to power through and did a full workout on Monday but decided to call off the workout because just running errands was making me feel run down.

I also had to go get a full physical done so I can join the volunteer fire department in my area (as an EMT. I will not be fighting fires yo!) Now, when they requested that I get a physical I thought: blood work, listen to my chest, medical history and maybe some vaccinations. Oh no. I got drug tested, an eye examination, a lung capacity test, an EKG, blood work and chest x-rays. All of that along with the usual doctor appointment stuff. Also, I had all of this done after having two cups of coffee and feeling like shit. The nurse was like "your pulse is a little high unless you're running a marathon right now." I was in a terrible mood and was like "Hey, I had two cups of coffee, no food and didn't expect to get put through a ringer here. I feel terrible. So sue me." She did concede that the cold + coffee could easily be the reason I had a fast pulse. The whole time I was being poked and prodded all I wanted was to put my pj's on and curl up. Which is what I did once I got home. Dr. J and I ran a few errands on Tuesday but nothing major thanks to feeling like crapola on my part.

So, outside of errands for necessary things like appointments, food and paying rent there hasn't been much going on over here. Just juicing (in an attempt to ward this cold off earlier with Vitamin C) and snuggling with this cutie. (Who is very spoiled, btw).

I'm hoping to be back on track next week and have some interesting and constructive topics to discuss!

Thankful. . .

2011-11-24T00:33:00.000-06:00

For morning coffee with a friend that turns into a pottery painting date. . .

For having friends who usually believe in me more than I believe in myself. . .

For new and old blogging friends. . .

For running buddies. . .

For NY since it's slowly but surely teaching me I can do more. . .

For the plethora of museums literally in my backyard. . .

For this goofball who has put up with me for almost 4 years now. . .

For Fitzgerald. Who occasionally thinks he's a cat. . .

The Dog That is Cat from Baker Girl on Vimeo.

For my family who never stops believing in me. . .

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Run, Write, Sleep and Repeat.

2011-11-20T22:17:00.001-06:00

Since November first, the title of this blog post has been the story of my daily life. Most days I get up (after staying up too late the night before) make coffee while half asleep and then plop down in front of my computer. A few minutes later, I'm staring at the many words that I've written for NaNoWriMo this month and I'm paralyzed by how far I have to go before the 30th. I literally wrote 20,000 words and shut down mentally. WTH brain? WTH?

Anyways, at some point I get frustrated with the *maybe* 500 words I've written so far and start playing on the internet. My biggest time suck lately? My wish list for chanukah that I made a Pinterest board for.

Want to see it? Of course you do!

{Pinterest}

As you can see I'm a little obsessed with running clothes and accessories. That's all because I recently got back on a training plan after some unexpected time off from running (I went home) and I'm shooting to be able to do a 10K by the end of December and perhaps a 1/2 marathon in the spring. All very exciting goals for this runner who used to be taxed by 2 miles (granted I ran those 2 miles in high school in like 14 minutes or less, what I'd give to be able to crank out some sub 6 minutes miles again).

Speaking of running, tonight I headed out for an easy 2.5 miles (.5 to warm up/cool down, 2 miles to actually run) and once again I was reminded of how different running outside is vs. running on a treadmill. Bottom line: It's harder. Way harder. See, lately I've been putting in a good chunk of my running on a treadmill. Why? Well for someone like me with knee issues it's a good way to avoid hills and it's easier on my knees because a treadmill is a level surface unlike most road that are sloped on either side to drain when it rains. Also, it's safer to run in the evening on a treadmill than on the road. People, it gets dark here at 4:30pm! 4:30!

Today I managed to sneak in an actual road run because I got so frustrated with my NaNo that I turned off my computer and decided to just hit the street. Today was rather mild temperature wise so I didn't need to wear much. In fact, I could have left some things at home; like my beanie (should have just worn my running baseball cap) the gloves I shoved in my pockets, and my knee high compression socks. However, because I didn't head out the door until 3:40 something I made sure to wear one thing that I don't ever leave at home for evening runs; my Amphipod Reflective Vest and Energizer flashing light that clips on it. Oh yeah, I make running look sexy. I even have evidence of my sexy safety look:

Sexiness aside, I just want to take this time to make a very important point. In the winter months everyone who is exercising outside around sundown should wear a reflective vest and/or carry/wear a source of light.

Why am I so anal about this? Well, I don't think most people realize how invisible pedestrians are to car drivers. Even if you wear bright colors on a regular basis, it's still not enough to keep you safe from that driver who is just cruising down their usual street not paying attention. I've been running on and off for a long time and thanks to my high school training runs I got to witness some very close calls between runners and cars. If you ask a group of runners if they've ever been hit by a car, a good portion will say yes. If they haven't been physically hit, then they've had alot of close calls. Thankfully, I fall in the latter group of close calls. They aren't fun. On the road it's you vs. cars and it's not hard to see which one is bigger and causes more harm.

So why do I add in the light to the reflective vest? Isn't the dorky reflective vest enough? No. It's not. Reflective vests and other items are only visible to cars from a few hundred feet and only when their lights actually reach your reflective item. By adding a light source, whether a head lamp, knuckle lights or a small flashing light on your vest you increase the distance at which a driver can notice your activity and hopefully accommodate you on the road. I have a small light that clips on the front of my vest in the center of my chest that flashes when turned on. Is it dorky? Yup. Do I feel a little self conscious when I set out for a run in this before it's 100% dark? You bet.

Would I rather be safe than sorry? Most definitely. I'd also like to see my fellow runners stay safe and not sorry out on the road. Truth is, I may be BLS certified but I'd prefer to not use my mad skillzs when on a run. So stay safe, think ahead before you set out for a run and if there's any chance you'll be out after the sun goes down, just go ahead and put on that reflective vest. The worst that can come of it is that you'll feel a little dorky. :-) Promise.

This PSA is now over and I'm leaving you with a picture of my awesome running skirt, compression socks and shoes. 'Cause that's how I roll/run.

What I Think When Job Hunting. . .

2011-11-13T13:53:00.000-06:00

Let's see, what can I do well? Oh, I'll look for secretarial or retail jobs since that's where my experience is. Good plan self, good plan.
*Reads jobs description* Hmm, can I actually say I know shorthand?
Who the hell still uses shorthand?
Oh! I know, I'll apply for something low pressure. Like. . . a library position.
*peruses application*
Man I hate listing my past employment. I really screwed up taking that last job. Why did I do that?
References, references, references. Who do other people put on these?
What else is out there besides secretary or retail slave?
What was the point of going to college?
Why aren't I more confident?
I hate my work history.
I suck.

NaNoWriMo Update: 10,000 words Plus!

2011-11-10T23:36:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am in the second week of NaNoWriMo and I just hit 10, 000 words!

What does 10, 000 words look like, exactly? Well, all those words amount to approximately 23 pages in size fourteen font (which is what my writing program defaults to for some reason). Bottom line, it's a lot of words especially if you're making it up as you go!

10, 000 down and 40, 000 more to go!

Wish me luck!

Photo Dump Re-Cap of the Past Week

2011-11-07T23:36:00.000-06:00

Dinner with the Bestie in New Orleans:

Lunch with Shoshanah aka From L.A. to LA:

Free Cupcakes =WIN:

Cheering on a Friend in the NYC Marathon:

Heading Home. . .

2011-10-28T13:02:00.001-05:00

Another week comes to an end. . .

Can I just say that I'm so glad today is Friday?
This week seemed unusually long despite some major things going on.

Speaking of major things, I'm heading home at the crack of dawn on Sunday! I'm just going for 5 days but I'm looking forward to being out of New York and back in more familiar territory. Of course, I'm a little worried because my trip coincides with the start of NaNoWriMo. Eek! I'm going to give it my best to not fall behind in the first 5 days. In fact, my preparation this year is light years beyond my prep in the previous years. I have some character sketches completed (or near completed) and I'm constantly mulling my potential novel over and reworking it.

I'm waiting on a new dress that I scored on sale to be delivered today. Hopefully I can get it washed and ready to go for tomorrow's services. Speaking of tomorrow, thankfully it looks like LI is going to miss out on the first snow of the season. Some of us just aren't ready to walk around in snow and ice quite yet!

Finally, I'm getting my hair cut while I'm home and I'm considering taking quite a bit off. . . I've been collecting pins on Pinterest for inspiration. What do you think? The only thing I'd like to do is keep it long enough to cover my neck. When it gets cold up in here I like my neck to stay warm!

NaNoWriMo 2011

2011-10-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Folks, it's that time of the year again. . .

It's fall and the crisp, cool air tends to go to my head and convinces me that I should try writing a novel in a month. In fact, it doesn't just convince me it's like the rush of fall and warm apple cider insist that I sit at a computer holding my head and talking to myself out loud. Wondering why I signed up for this again?!

The truth? I do my best work under deadlines or coercion. In school if I had a paper to write I would set out with the best intentions of outlining and then making notecards. I'd make them all pretty but most of the time I ended up using 0% of all of that hard work because I would stumble upon a topic that really got me going and then the day before I'd hammer out this paper that was 100x's better than my original idea and I'd spend the night proofing it and begging many people to give it read to make sure it didn't suck balls. Then, I'd get up in a sleepless haze and struggle to class to turn it in feeling like death and yet oddly triumphant and confident because I believed in that paper and it's topic.

This will be my third year attempting NaNoWriMo. Why do I keep trying? Honestly, I'm not sure. I suppose there is some little part of me that still wants to be a writer when she grows up. Who still wants to spin stories and make other young bookworms giddy with excitement when they read her book.

This year brings many changes; I'm older (25) but probably not wiser, I'm still in NY but life has a rhythm now unlike last year when all I felt was upheaval combined with failure. Also, I'm supposed to write consistently to prepare for the GRE written portion so I'm counting this a giant writing exercise.

Finally, I think I'm just a little crazy and some neurons got cross wired in my brain to make this sound like an excellent proposition every year! :-)

On that note, who else is feeling a little crazy and wants to spend November cranking out 50, 000 words? You know you want to!

As usual, you can find me writing and posting as BakerGirl if you decide to join up!

Reading Didion. . .

2011-10-18T12:36:00.001-05:00

Joan Didion and I first crossed paths in 2010. . . It was approximately two weeks before our wedding in Denver, CO. Dr. J and I were there on our first/last vacation before residency staying with family friends in both Denver and Breckenridge. I had gotten it into my mind that I *needed * to see The Tattered Cover Bookstore. Why? To this day I can't tell you why except it promised a large, locally owned bookstore and we all know how I feel about books.

I didn't quite know what I was looking for that day as I wandered aimlessly through the maze of tall bookcases. I had an itching to read something profound, serious and adult. Yet, I didn't know any books that fit the bill that wouldn't put me to sleep. I stood in the religion section and picked up book, after book. Then, I went and stood in the American history/politics section. Followed by the biography section which was followed by the classics section. Nothing was what I was looking for, yet I didn't know what I was waiting to find.

Finally, a title and author flittered across my mind. I set off in search of Joan Didion. At first I couldn't find her books because truthfully, I didn't know what what kind of books she wrote. All I knew was that one of her books kept popping up everywhere. So, I went to a salesperson and asked where to find A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Within 30 seconds I held the slim paperback in my hands. It wasn't what I expected visually yet it felt right. This was the book I would leave with.

I don't remember opening the book or reading a synopsis before buying it. I didn't open it for the rest of our trip. In fact, I didn't even Google to see what lay ahead for me in reading it.

I opened the book for the first time as the airplane took off that would carry us from CO back to LA, back to a wedding, a graduation and a move.

Slowly I took in the first few pages. . . and cried.

Turns out, it was about her husband of almost 40 years death, and the subsequent year in which she fought for her daughters life while trying to come to terms with life after a sudden death. I can't explain why this book affected me so much. Perhaps, it was because I was about to tie my life to someone else. Perhaps, it had to do with the uncertainty of marriage in this day and age. More likely I was simply the most vulnerable I'd been in a long time thanks to the many life changes that were flying at us from every direction.

Joan Didion gave me an appreciation for what marriage should be, a partnership between two equally competent people. Granted, few if any will ever have a marriage like hers. She and John Gregory Dunne were both writers who spent their entire lives writing together in some capacity. They traveled the world working on political pieces, scripts and their own fiction and non-fiction projects. Decades of feedback and support.

Their marriage was unique yet, it's fundamentals were ones we could all learn and borrow from.

To this day, re-reading The Year of Magical Thinking gives me a renewed appreciation for Dr. J and our marriage. It's not easy everyday, yet there are more good days than bad and the storms we've had to weather at this point have been few and far between.

My hope is that when the storms of life do come, we will have a foundation that could rival Joan and John's.

Once Running Was So Easy. . . When Did I Get Old?

2011-10-11T20:30:00.001-05:00

Hola!

As you all know I recently ran a 5k and then woke up with knee pain. I think this was my bodies way of saying "Hello 25/A Quarter of Your Life Has Passed!". So far, it's been an okay experience. I saw a sports medicine doctor who sent me to PT and to have orthotics made.

While I'm getting PT recommended for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome aka "Runner's Knee" my actual problem are squinting patellae and weak hip muscles. What the h-e double- L are squinting patellae? Lucky for you I found a picture!

TA-DA!

Both of my knee caps rotate inward to some degree. My left is worse than my right but apparently my over pronation is worse on my left also. Yay for screwy knees! Not. Honestly, I don't think this is something I've always had, though it is more common in women due to our hips typically being wider than mens. In high school I ran CC for 3 years and was a top 7 varsity starter for most races. Not to mention, I ran in our state meet every year. During those years I logged 20-30 miles weeks easily and with only one injury out of three years of CC and Track. So, what gives now? My PT isn't into pinning down reasons why this happened now and not then. She'd just like me to get down to brass tacks and work on getting stronger. Which I am. Believe me! There isn't a day that I leave PT and don't feel like my hips are on fire.

In addition to all of the above I was cast for custom orthotics. People, this is where I'm struggling.

First, everyone was all:

"You have to break them in slooowly."

"They're going to hurt."

"Don't wear them for long periods of time!"

The truth? They don't bother me that much.

However, what does bother me is that they take up ALOT of room in my new running shoes that are already half size larger than my usual running shoe size. They don't even fit in my Nike running shoes. They lift my heal so much that I feel like my heel is going to lift out of my running shoes (Brooks Adrenaline GTS11).

In addition, I've been reading running forums and alot of people were told to buy neutral shoes because the orthotics will provide the right amount of correction. I wasn't told this and today I started wondering if there was something to this when I couldn't get my balance to save my life doing drop downs. (I usually have excellent balance people!) It felt like I was standing on the edge of my left foot. The main problem is that I don't trust the person who made my orthotics, he has some really bad reviews online but insurance paid for them and it's too late.

When I first picked up my orthotics he had me put them in my shoes and the first thing out of my mouth was "These take up alot of room" to which he replied, "They shouldn't, they should fit just like the regular insole." Which is BS. Even my PT said this is a common problem she sees people run into with custom orthotics. I'm frustrated and hoping things get better with the orthotic situation....

So, I guess I'm just putting all of this out there to find out if any of you have custom orthotics?

Do they just suck at some level?

Should I try other shoes?

Do yours look like this?

Also, if your in the NY area do you have a recommendation in case I need a second opinion?

A Mini-Vacay. . .

2011-10-10T15:28:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!

Last week, in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Dr. J and I managed to slip away from NY for a couple of days and made the (relatively) quick drive to Maine. Specifically, Boothbay Harbor, ME. This location was a first for both Dr. J and I, though I have to admit I've always thought I would like Maine. It seems like the perfect get-away from it all place.

I was right.

So. Freakin. Right.

Let me put it this way, you know how most vacations you go on there comes a point where you're like "Well, this was awesome/fun but man I'm ready to go home!" That point never came on this trip. Maine was so quiet and relaxing, not to mention quite beautiful! I felt like I just couldn't soak enough of it in! Even the rain was beautiful to watch in Maine. I'd sit out on our terrace overlooking the ocean and just watch the mist turn to rain and back to mist, the cycle would continue and I wouldn't even notice time passing by.

At the end of our vacation I even tried to convince Dr. J that we should just not return to NY. We could just start a new life in Maine. G-d knows it's more affordable and friendly. Not to mention, I doubt they have the air quality issues that NY experiences. While I was joking (kind of) I have to say, returning to Maine is a must now and I suspect that it will become our weekend get away location since the 6 hour drive is totally reasonable and easy.

Have you ever been to Maine?

Or have you ever just not wanted a vacation to end? Where did you go?

P.S. While I haven't heard back from any EMS job applications that I've put in, my volunteer application is continuing to move along through the system.

It's Time. . . (Again)

2011-09-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

I've been working hard to get back into the swing of things with blogging. It makes me sad to see my follower count going down. :-( This week has mainly been spent dealing with my knees and cleaning the apartment up. Seriously, our apartment was like one piece of paper away from being on hoarders. Okay, so maybe not that bad since watching hoarders gives me anxiety and forces me to clean even when the apartment is already clean!

Moving on, while cleaning Tuesday I got a package from Amazon and I knew exactly what was in it. I opened it and packaged ever so nicely and neatly sat my GRE books. They're all geared towards the "New" GRE that just debuted in August. I've been planning on taking the GRE all summer but when I heard about the overhaul and lack of books geared towards the new questions and format I decided to wait. While waiting I read how other people have studied, what they used and how long they studied. I ended up buying the following based on recommendations:

Barron's New GRE
Kaplan New GRE Premier
Cliff Notes Math Review for Standardized Test
Kaplan New GRE Vocabulary Flashcards

Why so many books? Well, Barron's is apparently the book to use for exhaustive vocabulary lists and reviews. Plus, Dr. J preferred Barron's when he took the GRE many years ago. I chose Kaplan for the online component and just more questions to practice with. The Cliff Notes math review came highly recommended for those of us who may not remember anything about high school math. If you can still work a geometry problem since high school I'm in awe of you and your mad math skillz. :-) I on the other hand am one of those people with a huge disparity between my verbal and math. Generally, I rock out on verbal testing and fail at math. Balanced much? Yeah, not so much.

I'm hoping to be ready to take the test in either late November or early December. We'll see how this all goes. Fingers crossed that it goes better than my last attempt at studying for the GRE right after college. I was distracted x's100 and not at all ready to take the next step in my schooling career.

Things are certainly different now, I have a better grasp of what I want to go back to school for and why. I've matured and I finally feel like I would be able to give a Master's program 110% of my effort. It's exciting and I hope to see new changes coming in the near future!

Did you take the GRE?

If so, how did you prepare?

Running in NYC. . .

2011-09-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

Y'all! I did my first 5-K and my first race since high school!

Overall, it was a wonderful experience that I got to share it with an awesome friend and a whole team of people! So, lets get down to the nitty-gritty!

5:00 am: I roll out of bed, smell my brewed coffee (I actually programmed my coffee maker), stumble to pour myself a quarter of my normal coffee and put the dog on the leash. Proceed to go for a walk and get creeped out that there's no one awake in my town at 5 am.
5:30 am: Get online, make myself a slice of bread with PB and honey and down some water with Nuun to re-hydrate after sleeping.
6:00 am: Hop in the shower, put on my carefully selected and laid out clothes. Make sure my race bib is in my bag for the 500th time. Take the dog out again. Wonder if I should wear my compression socks for added warmth since it is chilly!
7:00 am: Re-check my bag, fix my water bottle, wonder again about socks but decide against it since I don't want to look like the girl who takes herself too seriously at a Susan G. Komen 5K.
7:20 am: Slip on my bright orange t-shirt over my long sleeved running shirt and wonder for the 100th time what the designers were thinking when they chose orange for our team shirts. This shirt has already been relegated to the "house-work/painting" pile of clothing. Run downstairs to meet my friend who's picking me up to drive into the city.
8:00 am: The car is parked and we're walking to the team meeting place, Central Park West. See lots of porta-potties and consider stopping but figure we'll find more later. Finally find the team meeting area and check in.
8:10 am: See 3 porta-potties that are supposed to service all of the HUGE teams in the area. Walk to the back of the very, very, long line.
8:20 am: Use very, very, very gross porta-potty and wonder why on earth people can't keep them cleaner. Apply copious amounts of Purell and my friend and I agree that we feel like we need a shower now.
8:30 am: Lined up with many, many, people.

9:00 am: Realize the runners line up is further up and start picking our way through the people.
9:20-9:25 am: While doing this they start the gun for runners. We jump in a few minutes late and start dodging people who are walkers who started with the runners. Get a little aggravated because it's hard to run while zig zagging through all the people who are walking or who were running but already switched to walking.
9:30 am: We make our first turn into the park and enter a bottleneck of runners. Don't really get to enjoy the downhill which is treat after the gradual incline we started on.

The first mile went by very quickly even though it was our slowest mile thanks to people dodging. It was slower than any mile I've run in the last 3 months including when I was first getting back into running. While this may seem like a good thing since you would think we'd feel fresh for mile two, my friend and I both agreed that all of the dodging and zig zagging ended up using alot of our energy.

We made it mile two and I was starting to feel the effects of the hills that were on the course. They weren't big but since I'd never run in Central Park before I didn't know what to expect and the hills kind of threw me. Plus, by mile two the sun was out and the cotton team t-shirt I was wearing over my running shirt was starting to make me hot. I ended up pulling my running hat off in an attempt to feel some cool air. It helped but I waited a little too long.

Around 2.5 miles I had to walk for a few seconds to settled my stomach on yet another uphill. I quickly resumed a slow jog and forged ahead feeling better. We picked up our pace again and finally started a much needed descent. Soon people were telling us we were almost done and cheering us on. We rounded a corner and saw the mile 3 sign and knew the .1 mile left was right around the next corner.

Our pace picked up and we both started looking the finish line. Once it was in sight, we both picked up our pace in an effort to get to the finish line as quickly as possible! We crossed the line and cheered! My first 5k was over! We stopped to take a few pictures and then wandered through the sponsor area picking up a banana, two gatorades, water and many other freebies including sock and flip flops!

Finally, we piled our hot, sweaty selves back into the car and headed home! I took a much needed bath and relaxed with my free Self magazine that I scored after the race. I stretched and slipped on my compression socks since they make my legs feel better. My goal was to stay up all day so I'd sleep extra well that night but I ended up falling asleep for an hour in the afternoon. Oh well! :-)

All in all, I enjoyed my first 5k and can't wait for another! I also want to conquer greater distances so I printed off a beginners training plan for a half marathon. . . Will I do it?

Only time will tell!

***Update: I woke up this morning with knee pain which I've never had before. Decided to follow up on my referral to a sports medicine doctor and discovered several things.

First, my over-pronation is worse than I thought which is why they think my feet have been hurting so much lately. Second, my knee caps (patella) aren't straight as a result of my pronation. Hence, the acute knee pain today. Spent the afternoon having x-rays taken, casts made for custom orthotics and scheduling PT appointments.

Sad face news is that I need to lay off the running until my knees feel better. So, I'll be on the bike and elliptical for the next week or so and if I run it'll be short and slow. This really sucks but I'm glad to have some answers for the last couple of weeks of training when I felt like s*&$. Hopefully once I get my cutom orthotics I'll start breaking them in and they'll help put everything in line. ***

5-K

2011-09-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

Holy c%&#!

I'm running a 5K tomorrow! Though I've been complaining about time moving slowly it seems like I was just signing up for this race yesterday. I have so many questions running through my mind!

Am I ready?
Holy %$#& I haven't raced since high school!
Why is my heel bothering me? Is it just my mind making up aches to give me doubts?
What should I eat tomorrow?
How much should I drink?
Of course, I develop indigestion this week. . .
I hope my stomach is okay. . .
OMG I'm doing a race in NYC!

There's many other thoughts going on but that's an overview.

Also, I'm so proud to say I surpassed my $250.00 fundraising goal! As of tonight I've raised $398.00 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I'm so excited that I not only met my goal but exceeded it and I have a lot of friends and family to thank for making that happen!

Finally, if you want to donate GO HERE

I'm running on Team Sharsheret! Don't know who they are? GO HERE

Is anyone else going to be out there tomorrow?

Any experienced runners have tips for this no longer in high school ex-racer?

If so, let me know! I'll be wearing this:

Great Minds. . . Think Alike?

2011-09-15T01:37:00.001-05:00

So, I just got off the phone with my best friend and I had to turn our conversation around into a blog post for posterity's sake.

Tonight we found out that both of our significant others feel that we think too much and thus, talk too much about things that wander through our brains at all hours of the day. (Not that our significant others don't love us or want to talk to us, they would just prefer some silent video game time.) For instance, I admitted to thinking (somewhat seriously) about my odds of making an Olympic team sometime in my life. (Yes, I know, WTF indeed, mind) Angela admitted to thinking about wedding stuff before she's even engaged and considering careers just because they'd pay her hypothetical child's tuition. We both admitted that we banter around hypotheticals in our minds like they're facts. For instance, we would both like to go back to school in the near future instead of waiting to see where we get in we're already comparing places, programs and factoring the complications in. All of this before we've even sent in a damn personal statement (or in my case, taken the GRE). It's hilarious and we had a good laugh about our crazy minds and where they wander.

We also talked about trashy t.v. like Jerry Springer, Maury and Jenny Jones, but that's a story for another post.

In all seriousness, I needed to talk and laugh with a friend tonight. Sometimes your friends who knew you when you were an awkward (who am I kidding? Still awkward!), melodramatic yet naive high schooler are exactly the people to share your ridiculousness with. Truth is, I'm not sure any of my NY friends know or even have a hint of how ridiculous I can be. . . Or even what crazy things go through my mind. I certainly haven't laughed like I laughed tonight in a long time.

{We even both like funky glasses and crazy patterns!}

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a "personal mission statement" to write per Angela's directions to make me more focused in life. Like anything can make that happen. . . :-)

Guess you can't take the Louisiana out of the girl. . .

2011-09-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

Because it makes me laugh. . .

2011-09-06T15:44:00.000-05:00

Funk

2011-09-04T13:52:00.001-05:00

Ever since the car accident on Monday I've been in a serious funk. You would think that I would feel better since we have a plan now and it's at the shop. However, I don't feel better. We're driving a rental car that kind of stinks (rentals gross me out), we will be writing a large check sometime at the end of this week and bills are coming due in the near future.

I hate to throw myself a pity party but no matter how hard I try to fight it, I keep wallowing. Nothing is making it better either. I've tried exercising (makes me feel better temporarily), visiting friends (watched the LSU game last night with neighbors) and just distracting myself (reading, playing games, looking at job listings). Yet at the end of the day, I'm a pretty miserable person to be around right now.

Really, it all goes back to the money. I can't help but stress about money right now. The last 2-3 months have not been easy on our pocketbooks thanks to series of things that broke/needed repairing in addition to us scheduling our first real vacation ever and paying for it. It's stupid, but if I had known what was coming our way I might have just said "screw it" to the vacation. It's not worth the extra worry about where the money is going to come from. If I could cancel it I would, but it's non-refundable. Also, I know we need this vacation since we're not getting another one until next year.

The other day I found myself wishing we were just a *little* closer to family/friends. While I still have very little desire to return to LA it would be nice to have more opportunities to visit/be visited. NY makes everything expensive for everyone. It's expensive to travel to/from, it's expensive to stay (hotel rooms are a necessity thanks to our studio), it's inconvenient to live on LI (you need to pass through either the Bronx/Staten Island/ or Manhattan to leave), the people are miserable and the driving is atrocious at best. Also, it seems like we've been here a long time but we're not even half way through with residency. It's ridiculous but sometimes I fantasize about Dr. J switching to another program where we might make less but it costs a hell of a lot less to live. Will it ever happen? No. We'll most likely ride out all 4 years here continuing to live like college students in our studio apartment.

I told you I was having myself a pity party.

:-)

The Waiting Game. . .

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, the exams are over and now I'm just supposed to sit around waiting on results. Couple of weeks down, 2-4 more weeks to go. This passed week I missed my class. I missed having somewhere to go, homework to do, reading to do and learning new things. The hurricane was a bit of distraction for a couple of days but now it's gone and I'm left with our huricane "provisions" tempting me at every turn. Did anyone else realize how "non-perishable" = loaded with sugar and terrible for you?

In other news, Dr. J got into a small accident on Monday night so we've spent the last 3 days sorting that out. . . Hopefully today is the end of the car craziness and we'll get some answers/solutions. If we actually had any money to our name my solution would be a new Fiat 500. Dr. J is totally not amused by solution or the fact that it involves spending money. Yet, think how much easier it would be to park up here! Psst. . . Don't tell Dr. J but there's a pink version floating around the web and I've told myself that if it comes over here I'm getting it!

{Via: We Heart It}

Other than all of the car shenanigans everything is else is just the same ol', same ol'. . .

Fitz is being cute and the apartment is a mess as usual!

Two Exams Down. . . One to Go!

2011-08-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

{Fitz says good morning from his pink fleece blanket.

Don't tell him pink isn't very masculine!}

Morning!

I actually let myself sleep in a bit this morning and I have to say, it's made a huge difference in my day already. For the first time this week I want to study for my third and final exam. Which is quite a difference considering I've spent the last few days struggling to study and fighting my gnat-like concentration span.

It's kind of scary to realize that after Thursday (assuming I pass) I'm finished with my EMT-B course and state testing. Now I just need to find out if I need to wait until I have my license in my hands to job hunt or if I can start hunting right away. I'm considering going ahead and putting my name in for the volunteer station here because that way I'll keep getting hands-on practice while looking for a paying job. Plus, it's local so it'd be good to see what goes on around my town. :-)

Outside of class work I've just been hanging out with the dog and Dr. J. We've been trying to finalize our vacation plans for this fall which is hard when a lot of stuff is up in the air. However, we think we've finalized a place and I actually put it on hold so we have until Friday to decide. Regardless of where we go, I know that Dr. J needs a small getaway to hit the "reset" button before winter comes and we're dealing with long hours complicated by snow/ice and traffic accidents! That, and we're trying to avoid the notorious burn-out rate in emergency medicine.

Finally, I've signed up to run the Susan G. Komen 5K with a friend! It'll be my first race ever in NYC! My friend and I are running on Team Shasheret to support this wonderful organization that offers support and guidance to young Jewish women who are battling breast cancer or are at an increased risk as a result of a BRCA-1 mutation that is common in those of ashkenazi descent. Both organizations are wonderful and I'm very proud to be a part of this event.

If you'd like to see my fundraising page please go HERE and if at all possible, feel free to leave a small donation. Even a dollar makes a difference at the end of the day!

Plus, the higher my pink thermometer goes, the faster I'll run!

Want to learn more about Shasheret? Go HERE. . .

Where I've Been. . .

2011-08-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

Apologies for going awol on everyone. It wasn't intentional, I've just been really busy and everytime I would sit down to blog it seemed like I had too much to say! How could I condense everything into one blogpost?! Then, because I felt like I couldn't do the past weeks justice in a hastily throw together blogpost, I would just close my browser and return to life.

Bad blogger indeed.

The last few weeks have brought changes and new opportunities. I'm finally taking a concrete step forward with my conversion on Friday which is nerve-wracking after so many years of trying to find my path. Dr. J and I have been trying to come up with a vacation plan for this fall because we both 100% need a real vacation. We need to get out of NY and go somewhere new. I think we're both tired of using our vacations to go back to Louisiana or to visit friends. Can you believe we've never gone on a vacation, just us two? This fall won't be that kind of vacation but at least it will outside of NY.

Also, my EMT training is coming to an end. I have a final this week, followed by the state practical next week and that is followed by the state written exam the following week. So, in 2.5 weeks I'm done and hopefully I pass everything and can start looking for employment. I've been spending alot of time at our desk just re-reading, reviewing and quizzing myself. I really want to finish with a great grade and hopefully find employment with the service that is hosting my course. If that doesn't happen, I'll have to branch out and maybe consider volunteering for awhile to get my foot in the door. We'll see.

{My desk. . . }

{Notebook, state protocols, a quiz book, textbook and coffee, of course!}

In addition, I've stepped up my work outs and joined a gym with Dr. J because we need access to weights and all that fun equipment that you don't want to clog your house up with. Since I'm planning to work as an EMT in the field I figure there's no better time to step up my workouts and really insure that I keep myself safe. Working EMS involves alot of lifting along with alot of sitting while waiting for calls. Two things that are very hard on our bodies. I want to give myself the best chance of staying in the field and keeping healthy. Last week I hit the gym up for 3 weight lifting days and 3 running days. This week I'm hoping to bump up to 4 running days. Also, staying active during the last half of this training has definitely helped my mental clarity and nerves. :-)

Finally, I've been driving this little pup around because really, who could go anywhere without his cute face?

{He takes his job as passenger very seriously. . .}

You Know it's Going to be One of "Those Days" When. . .

2011-07-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

{When your ice coffee pitcher somehow falls out of the fridge and spills

all over the kitchen floor and your favorite Birkenstocks. . .}

{Also, did I mention I broke a glass this morning?}

{It's definitely "one of those days"}

2nd Year. . .

2011-06-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

On Friday Dr. J officially enters his second year of residency. One year down, three more to go. While this is exciting news for both of us, it's also scary for several reasons. Namely, where the $%&# did the last year go? Also, I'm constantly alternating between wanting to speed time up and slow time down. When it comes to the residency, living in NY and just having ants in my pants in general, I wish for time to speed up. When I consider school, finding my passion, conversion and my twenties, I wish for time to slow down. Apparently, I just wish the time gods would bow to my needs and create two alternate universes. One for my "adult life" where I wish to continue growing and moving onto bigger and better things and one for my "creative/selfish life" where I wish to never see 30, go back to school and change the world.

I swear, I'm totally sane.

Anyhow, back to the whole 2nd year resident thing aka PGY-2 for those in the world of medical jargon. J and I thought intern year would be the worst and it would all get better from there. Then, a senior resident or PGY-4 sent out an e-mail saying" Oh, by the way, we never mentioned this but second year sucks/is the pits/ you're going to want to pull your hair out. Have a great year!" Right then, my hopes for a lighter schedule, easier year and more responsibilities for Dr. J flew out the window. "Grreat. . ." I thought to myself as I read and then re-read the e-mail. Of course, I'm sure there's the chance Dr. J could transfer seamlessly into 2nd year, the added responsibilities, patients and the *new* medical students who will be rotating through (in addition to the nursing students, PA students, EMT's and more!) However, in our relationship, I'm the pessimist. I prefer to think of myself as a planner/realist. I want to think of the worst things and then never see them happen. Yet, if they do happen, at least I'm prepared because I considered (worried) about them. Dr. J, of course, is totally laid back and a "play it as you see it" kind of guy. Opposite attract, eh? He doesn't worry until a reason to be worried is right. up. in. his. face. Seriously.

The other day I branched out during one of our conversations and mentioned fellowships. Mainly, how he should start trying to decide if it's something he wants to pursue because if it is, we need to start planning now. Doing a fellowship means matching again (for some programs) interviewing again, flying all over the country again and then picking up and moving again. All of this I'm cool with but we need to figure it out sooner than later so that number one, we can start saving money and number two, I can get into the "upcoming move" mindset. Actually, I need to get into the move mindset anyways because recently Dr. J and I both began to think realistically about staying in NY and the fact of the matter is that he won't get paid as well here and there's more competition for those spots. Finally, he sees what I've been telling him all along. Everything here is more expensive and his salary will be lower. When is that ever a good combination people?! Answer: Never.

So that's where we are right now, excited about 2nd year but nervous about the impending decisions the next 3 years will bring us. Once again, I'd like time to both slow down and speed up. Despite the fact that NY feels more like home every month, I can't wait to see where we'll move onto next. There's so many places to see and experience. :-)

What I've Been Up To. . .

2011-06-27T22:10:00.000-05:00

Taking care of the new addition to our family. . .

Internet, meet Fitzgerald (Fitz for short). . .

{He sleeps alot. . .}

{Is that comfortable?!}

{He also like to stretch it out while on his walks. . .}

I've also been making Kale chips with the kale from our weekly CSA. . .

While I adore being a part of a CSA, sometimes I just can't eat any more green food. . .

It's definitely a lot of green for two people.

{Heat to 350 degrees. . .}

{Mix some olive oil with whatever seasonings you enjoy. . .}

{Lay the dipped pieces out on a baking sheet. . .}

{Mmmmmm. . .}

{Bake for 10-15 minutes. . .}

{My oven falls closer to 10 minutes. . .}

{Grate some yummy parmesan cheese over the chips while hot. . .}

{Oh, make sure to enjoy them!}

In other news. . .

I bought this vodka.

Truthfully, mostly because it was the right price and I liked the label.

Also, so I could make this. . .

I'll let you know how my Strawberry-Lime Vodka infusion turns out!

P.S. I've also been working and going to class but that's not fun or interesting.

However, that's why I've been absent from the blogosphere lately. . .

Guest Post!

2011-06-15T07:26:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

Just wanted to drop in and let you know that I'm over at Just Dandy today covering for the D in D and Y!

It's my first ever guest post so I'd love it if you drop by and say hello!

{Also, one day I will write a post about being married to a doctor that isn't a rant. . . }

{However, that day is not today.}

Pin+Interest = Pinterest

2011-06-10T09:22:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I've been on Pinterest and I have to say, I'm borderline obsessed. Seriously. Part of the obsession stems from the fact that I can justify it as "work" because I'm always looking for inspiration to use in our marketing/social media approaches and part of the obsession stems from the fact that I can see everything I like in one place. Seriously, for someone like me who had a folder where I used to hoard pictures I liked, this is a godsend! Also, I just adore seeing what other people find!

Is anyone else on Pinterest? Do you need an invitation? Let me know!

You can find my Pinterests here. . .

So Much to Tell, Yet This is All I Can Think of. . .

2011-05-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

So, where have I been lately? I've been working as a social media intern/assistant to a very busy small company that I happened to score a position with! It's not paid at this point but I enjoy it so much that it almost doesn't matter! Dr. J and I also adopted a dog! Lots of changes and honestly, I've got a gigantic case of writers block so I'm handing this post over to pictures of New Orleans, which I'm kind of missing right now.

Never mind all of New Orleans problems, when you're eleven states away somehow they don't seem so bad. I keep telling myself we'd never go back, too many problems, random crime, bad public schools, terrible infrastructure and a small Jewish community. Yet, there are definitely days when life in NY seems to be too much of a sacrifice, it's too hard, too expensive, too congested, and more. I'm starting to think it doesn't matter where you live, the grass is always greener on the other side, right?

{I miss hanging out with this lady all the time. . .}

{All photographs are mine and are not available for reproduction.

Please contact me if you wish to use any of the above photographs.)

Good Things Come in Bunches. . .

2011-05-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

For me anyways, that's how it always seems to work. I can go for months without feeling like I'm getting anywhere with anything, then *boom* all of a sudden I have multiple good things happen in one day. The only downside to this is that the next day seems boring and slow compared to the previous day. :-)

What good things have been coming my way?

A potential client for private yoga lessons. . .

A potential internship in social media. . .

Oh, and I may have put in an application to adopt a doggy who stole my heart the first time I saw her picture online and who I haven't been able to stop thinking about for the last week. It's killing me to wait to hear from the organization as to whether we'd be good doggie parents and whether someone else already has an application on her. Killing. Me. I already have so many plans for her, what she'll need, what bed we'd get, where we'll go for walks, how we'll travel with her, and I even picked out her middle name. It's not going to be good if it all falls through, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up but it's hard.

In other news, I applied to be a Bumble and Bumble hair cut model and my answers on their survey were good enough to get a model call to evaluate my hair! If they like my hair, I'll get a free haircut and won't have to go around with shaggy hair until I find time to fly back Louisiana. Has anyone done this before? I'm kind of excited but also really nervous to go into the city by myself. (See a theme here? I hate going into Midtown by myself. Once I'm on either the UES or UWS I'm okay but Midtown and below are crowded unknowns for me.)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a fun weekend!

P.S. Did anyone else watch Grey's Anatomy last night and swoon over the baby they're adopting??

How precious is she?!

Wasted Days. . .

2011-05-04T13:55:00.000-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

You know those days where you can make list after list of things you need to do, have to do, should do and yet, you just don't do? Today is one of those days for me. Originally, I had planned to go into the city today with Dr. J since he had a conference and now that we have a membership to the AMNH it's easier to justify just paying for train tickets/subway fares. Late last night after consulting the train schedules and trying to coordinate when/where we would meet up, I just said it wasn't worth the money for me to go. I had to be back for work this evening anyways and the trains never run when I need them to. Part of me was glad to 1. save money and 2. get some extra sleep but another part of me was sad that I didn't get to go and make sketches since I've been experiencing that itch to put something down on paper lately.

Now, I'm just sitting in my apartment trying to work out some routines for a potential client and wondering why I didn't just go into the city and enjoy this rainy day inside a museum. . . Oh well, live and learn, I suppose. Now it's just me, the dirty apartment and my many to-do lists hanging out until I have to head to work.

Just another rainy day here in NY.

NYC Blogger Meetup. . .

2011-05-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

On a gorgeous Sunday in NYC, I made my way through the maze of subways, streets and people to meet other NYC bloggers. I was so nervous because not only was a meeting a whole group of bloggers that I didn't know but I was also traveling around the city by myself for the first time since moving here.

The first blogger I met up with was Keely from Bonds of Medlock. She and I had arranged a meetup on May 1st before we ever found out about the NYC blogger meet up and it was just a happy coincidence that we also got to meet so many amazing bloggers! Keely and I then met up with Summer from Athena in the Middle to grab some nosh at Whole Foods before traipsing over to join the other bloggers for a picnic in Central Park!

Everyone was so nice and the discussions were really interesting. We discussed the different blogging platforms, which ones we preferred and why. We also had the all important discussion of blogging longevity and how we power through those days, weeks or months where you just don't have anything to say or share. All in all, it was very informative and great to know that you're not the only one who thinks about blogging all the time!

standing {left to right}: Melissa from Strong Sense of Style, Amy from The Closet Confessions, Leanna from OMG! I Moved to NYC, Courtney from BB to 79th, Orlagh {+ Elle} from True Life: I Live in NYC, Lauren from little lg in nyc, Christine from bun&borough + Courtney from Cupcake Dynamite

sitting from {left to right}: Summer from Athena in the Middle, Casey from Classic Case, {av} from long distance loving, Keely from The Bonds of Medlock + Drew from An Extended Vacation

{not pictured}: Marz from Royal Mail, Micaela from Dolce Vita + Karina from Ramblings of a Simple Girl

{they came after {av} had to run and catch her bus back to Rhode Island!}

{If you're interested in finding out about future dates in NYC, please email: nycbloggermeetup{at}gmail{dot}com!}

Royal Wedding. . .

2011-04-28T20:07:00.000-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

So who else is getting up before dawn to watch the royal wedding tomorrow??

I'll be watching and twittering my opinions @Extended_Vacay!

(I'll also be skyping with my Mom so maybe you'll get to hear her opinions too!)

To start the festivities I'll have some tea and scones for breakfast as I watch their guests arrive. . .

Followed by some sparkling cider once they've tied the knot!

I wish I had yummy cupcakes to celebrate with but alas, Magnolia Bakery doesn't deliver to LI.

:-(

{Via: We Heart It}

P.S. How stinkin' cute are they?

P.P.S. I want to know what Kate Middleton does to stay in shape!

"In Stitches" A Review and Giveaway . . .

2011-04-18T14:18:00.001-05:00

*** UPDATE***

Ren-Lady of The Arts is the winner of the free copy of In Stitches!

Please send your mailing information to me and I will pass it onto the giveaway host!

{Available for Pre-Order}

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by the PR group representing “In Stitches,” by Dr. Anthony Youn. They wanted to know if I'd be open to receiving an advanced copy to write up a review and host a giveaway for my followers. My answer? Of course! A couple of days later, the book landed on my door step and I tore into it. After seeing reviews for this book floating around the blog world for awhile, my interests were piqued, and I’d been hoping against hope that I would be asked to review it.

An Excerpt:

"I see dead people.

Eighteen bodies covered with plastic, lying on gurneys. An occasional toe protrudes to verify that beneath the shiny black tarp, a dead person lies.

I smell dead people, too.

Or at least the thick chemical stench of formaldehyde, tearing at my eyes and packing my nose, enough liquid preservative in here to float a yacht. The smell rises from the bodies and from a dozen large clear plastic bins—similar to the type you find at IKEA—lining the back wall of the lab, some stacked on top of each other. The bins contain body parts and organs, all of them cataloged, numbered, and labeled.

We sit at desks in an adjacent classroom, the eighteen bodies lurking behind us, lying in wait. In my lab coat I feel like Igor, the mad scientist’s assistant, but in reality I’m sitting in anatomy class, by reputation the most furiously intense class we will take in first year, maybe in all of medical school, especially since our section is taught by the infamous Dr. Gaw, the most ruthless, unforgiving professor who has ever lived. If you believe in reincarnation, Dr. Gaw has returned from her previous life as Attila the Hun in the form of an eighty-five-year-old nightmare who lives to terrorize us. She walks as erect as a pencil, her skeletal face a frozen fanged scowl resting atop one throbbing purple vein. According to our school catalog, Dr. Gaw has won awards, a trophy case full. To this day I can’t imagine how."

Overall, I truly enjoyed Dr. Youn's addition to the medical memoir genre. So often works in this genre are either very serious or seriously irreverent. Dr. Youn takes a very candid approach throughout and especially when relating his experiences from his childhood, high school and college. Sprinkled in between the humor emerges a realistic picture of being raised by an overbearing, Korean father, who only has the best intentions and wishes for his sons. The only issue I had initially was that while the first one-fourth of the book is entertaining, it moves a little slowly in my opinion.

Thankfully, the story picks up as Dr. Youn transitions to medical school. It was at this point that it became hard to put the book down. I wanted to know more about everything-- classes, rotations and relationships! Having been along for the medical school ride with my then boyfriend/now husband, I was pretty familiar with what four years of medical school entail. However, Dr. Youn's journey from overwhelmed, first year medical student without a clue what kind of doctor he wants to be, to confident fourth year chasing any and all plastic surgery residencies, provided another prospective. Heart-warming, inspiring and humorous, every chapter leaves the reader wanting to know more about his patient experiences, interactions with residents, attending and, of course, his love life. After all, medical school isn’t only long lectures and endless studying!

Surprisingly, Dr. Youn ends the book after a brief re-cap of Match Day. My hope is that this decision means Dr. Youn has left an opening for a sequel, a sequel that hopefully he will write one day soon. One can only dream of what Dr. Youn saw and experienced in his many years of residency leading up to becoming a renowned plastic surgeon. In fact, I would venture that Dr. Youn’s time in residency was most likely more defining than his medical school years. If so, I sincerely hope to read more from Dr. Youn and his journey through the world of plastic surgery.

Interested in Learning More?

In Stitches Website

Want to win your own copy?

Medical Monday. . . (Kind of)

2011-04-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

Well, it's another Monday and for once I remembered to throw up a Medical Monday post!

Yay me!

This week I've decided to talk about how your spouses career and the medical environment may influence your own career choices.

When I met Dr. J I was a little confused as to my career path and what I wanted to do. It seemed like there was so much to choose from and for the most part, I excelled at just about everything I tried (with the exception of Finance classes. Finance, you were and still are a beast!). All my life I've had an interest in healthcare and the healthcare system. However, while I excelled in Biology in high school I never had the chutzpah to attack those subjects in college. I tried, but every time I would get really scared of the weeding out process and was afraid of hurting my gpa which I worked so hard to keep. So I would sign up for Chem I and then drop it before the drop date deadline. I would spend two weeks in a chem class wondering what the hell I was doing and how was I ever going to remember this stuff. Then I would quit, which was probably a good thing because, truth be told, I really don't have a head for chemistry. Biology sure, chemistry? Absolutely not. Yet, I kept coming back to healthcare as a career path.

Dr. J, of course, made jokes about how *obviously* I want to be like him and so on... He was always kidding but part of me did envy him. After all, how many of us knew at 14 or 15 that we wanted to be one specific thing and never backed down from that goal? If you all are like me, then very few of us have had that experience. I never wanted to be just one particular thing in life. Even as a child my dreams and goals would fluctuate on a nearly weekly basis. One week I'd want to be an ice skater, the next a ballerina and perhaps the next week an astronaut. As I got older I continued to fluctuate but my dreams became more realistic. One month I'd want to be lawyer and then six months later maybe I wanted to study sociology or psychology. Dr. J never understood my predicament because he had only ever wanted to be doctor and he pursued it even after being decline twice from medical school and doing a masters degree to make him more competitive. Talk about dedication!

Immediately after college, I had a crisis of identity. I had spent four years trying on many different hats and I had found alot of happiness working as an intern for healthcare research group my senior year. Yet, I couldn't commit. I was overwhelmed. I sent out job applications left and right to pretty much any field because I didn't have a specialized degree. I got interviewed and got rejected left and right thanks to the economy tanking my last semester and the subsequent flooding of the job field with very qualified applicants. Suddenly my bachelors degree didn't mean anything. That piece of paper that I slaved for four years to attain didn't set me apart. Enter the identity crisis. I found a retail position and embraced it. Almost a year into my retail position I was unhappy. I missed school. I missed being intellectually stimulated. I missed the academic community. Yet, I wasn't ready to go back to school because I didn't want to spend another 2-3 years on a pointless degree. Dr. J was also in his 3rd year of medical school at this point and I was afraid of starting a program and having to move. I put my decision on hold.

Finally, once we moved for residency I felt like I could pursue my education once more. Yet, I was still undecided. I loved talking to Dr. J about his job, about changes in healthcare, what could be done to make the system more efficient, and so on. Dr. J does not like this side of healthcare. He wants to do patient care and he doesn't enjoy reading or research. He tolerates my perpetual updates on these topics. Yet, I kept trying to enter his field. I kept talking about how if I did the science pre-reqs I could be a PA, a nurse or even a doctor. (The third option scared us both because two doctors seems like zero time for a relationship.) After all, who cared if I'd be really old by the time I finished? I'd feel fulfilled and successful! Yay me! I could force myself to learn chemistry and physics. Calculus would come eventually too, right? I was convinced I could do.

Until today.

Today, as I studied for my cpr class and my EMT-B training classes I started to think about my goals. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond psyched to work as an EMT (hopefully) in a few months. I think EMT's and Paramedics provide a great service as the front line of medical care. I want to be a part of that.

Yet, I also want to make a difference. At first, I thought that this feeling meant I needed to do patient care. I needed to become a PA or RN to fulfill this need. Then, I suddenly had a revelation. I don't want to stand in a Chemistry lab hating what I'm doing and fearing that my partner will spill something on me or blow up something. I don't want to take two semesters of physics and countless other requirements that, quite frankly, don't really interest me. Instead, why not change peoples lives with the skills I do have and that I excel at, like reading and researching? Why not approach a career in healthcare from the perspectives that interest me? The social and cultural perspectives are where my innate interests lie. I love to read about bio-ethics, public health, health reform, making changing the systems to make them more efficient, way to make healthcare more about the patient and less about the money and so on.

Today, I realized that I truly have been chasing the wrong things. I've been chasing goals that would require fundamentally changing who I am and how I think. Instead, I should have been embracing my strengths and weaknesses to channel them into a career path that would leave me truly fulfilled. A field where I can still help people but I don't have to change who I am to do it. It truly feels like a weight has been lifted and I'm finally able to see clearly what I want to do.

How does this all tie in with Medical Mondays and Dr. J? Honestly, he's the one who has nudged me towards the fields I'm now considering. He never doubted that I wouldn't do well in patient care but he also saw that my interests weren't his interests. I cannot count how many times a week I give him an awesome link or article to research on how to redesign healthcare so that the ED's aren't so clogged, or how to improve healthcare outcomes or ideas for his 4th year research. Every single time, he points out that these topics aren't where his interests lie. Every. Single. Time. He tells me to go do an MPH or MAPP or bioethics because it's what I enjoy. Every time, I would scoff and say that wouldn't get me where I want to be or it wouldn't help people the way I want to help people. I was wrong.

Let me repeat . . .

I was SO wrong.

It's time to stop fighting my natural tendencies and embrace the fact that I have skills that with the right education, I can help people. I can help alot of people. Maybe not one on one, but I can make a difference while being true to myself and I have my husband to thank for drilling that into my thick skull over and over again. :-)

A Letter to Congress from The Medical Wife...

2011-04-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

Dear Congress,

Look. I get that there are critical issues that need to be negotiated, compromised and resolved before you pass the budget. I know they are important, and each side wants what they want, blah blah blah. I know many of these issues are critical to our country’s future and security. I get that you both have valid reasons for your version of the budget. Screw all that for now. I don’t really care who is wrong or right or whose version is better anymore. Let’s for a moment stop thinking about what your political party wants, and start thinking about the people who live in this country and defend it. You’re bickering is about to cause a whole lot of problems for a whole lot of people. Your inability to get along and come to an agreement is about to cost millions of people their paychecks, and countless other non-monetary losses. Your quarrel here is about to leave millions of soldiers WHO ARE DEFENDING YOUR RIGHT TO SQUABBLE OVER THE BUDGET without pay. You are really going to let our government shut down in the MIDDLE OF A WAR? Really? You people should be ashamed of yourselves.

I teach elementary school students for a living, and truthfully, the more I hear about what you’re doing in Washington, the more I think I live under a government run by them. I don’t think I’ve ever truly been this upset with you. I am usually grateful for the government- regardless of who is in charge- because I am grateful for my right to vote, and my right to speak out against that very government. I don’t often get pissed off at you and bad mouth you, simply because I am grateful for you. But lately? Especially the closer we get to Friday, and the more you seem to not be getting along, I increasingly become raging angry at your selfishness. Shame on you, Republicans and Democrats alike, for caring so much about YOUR way- WHETHER IT’S THE RIGHT THING FOR THIS COUNTRY OR NOT- that you can’t come to a compromise in order to keep those soldiers paid while they are fighting a war for you. Sure, the military will receive back pay once you start running again, but that doesn’t pay the bills today, or tomorrow, or next week. Shame on you that you can’t come to a compromise to keep the government service workers working so our system doesn’t shut down entirely. Shame on you.

I know the budget needs to be balanced. I do believe that is important. I know that I don’t have any answers whatsoever about the best way to go about doing that. I’m not claiming that I do. That’s your job. But it’s also your job to keep this country running, and you’re not doing your job.

This isn’t about politics for me anymore, it’s about people’s lives, and it’s personal to me too. In two days, my husband will no longer receive his paycheck, but he will show up every day for his job anyway, because that’s what soldiers/Marines/airmen/seaman do. They show up, paycheck or not, and do their job. In two days, those critical orders we have been waiting on may be delayed days, weeks even. We don’t have days or weeks. My husband’s classmates don’t have days or weeks. We needed those orders yesterday, and they still aren’t here. If they don’t come in the next two days, they are likely not going to be here for a lot longer.

Who am I to say this to you? I’m just a petty medical student’s wife who doesn’t want to have to go broke paying rent, or not get a house because we don’t have the orders to show where we are moving. I’m nothing and I’m nobody in this big picture. Think about the men and women who are fighting in Afghanistan and their families. They have a whole lot more to lose than me. Think of the men and women who are dying over there, whose families will suffer even more than they already would if you shut down and can’t perform your job properly enough to do the necessary tasks and arranging of matters and money when one of YOUR soldiers loses their life.

Step outside your political box for just a minute and think of the millions of families who will be negatively affected if you can’t work it out. Not even just the military, but the government workers and their families, and the postman/woman who will dutifully show up every day without pay, and the air traffic control workers who will continue keeping the rest of us safe when we fly, even when they aren’t getting paid. Hopefully you won’t get paid either, and you sure as hell better keep showing up to negotiate when you aren’t, because this is an unacceptable position you are putting your country in. It’s not about politics. It’s about people’s lives. Remember that.

I doubt you will come to YOUR ideal resolution, whichever side you stand on, Congressperson. I mean, isn’t that Negotiating 101? But find something that gets the job done well enough that we can all carry on for another year, and start sorting out the issues again for next year NOW, so that you don’t have millions of us worried about how we will pay our bills or what will happen to the orders which control every decision we make, and whether or not we can make those decisions.

I’m mad that my government is being run by people who can’t get along, even for the sake of their constituents. If you were in third grade, you would be reprimanded, and likely sent to the principle’s office for this kind of behavior. If we don’t accept it in children, why should we accept it in our leaders?

Please find a solution. Please consider us little people whose lives depend on your making a decision. I want the budget balanced, but I want the government to not shut down even more, especially in the middle of a war.

Finally, thank you for the right to write this letter in the first place. I cherish that gift more than you know.

Respectfully,

The Medical Student’s Wife

{Really, I couldn't have said it better which is why I asked for permission to repost her letter. What has our country come to if we cannot sit down as adults and find a common ground? How far have we let petty politics infiltrate our country's governing body? Also, I and several other bloggers have expressed our disappointment in the current state of the #ifthegovernmentshutsdown discussion on Twitter. It is beyond scary that most responses to this discussion is either a) "I'll smoke pot in public" b) "Wait the government shutdown is real?" or c) some form of riot or violence. What does that say about our generation? Are we truly the apathetic generation who won't take anything seriously until our entire world crumbles around us? If so, I'd like to apply for admission to another generation. Preferably one that gave a shit about each other.}

{A big thank you to The Medical Student's Wife for allowing me to repost her letter to Congress}

Another Week . . .

2011-04-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

So, it's just another rainy day here in NY. Yesterday felt like fall and I have yet to venture outside today because it's raining again. However, at some point I'm going to have to venture out into the grey, rainy outdoors to procure some coffee since we are out of coffee and apparently my brain chooses not to work without it's morning java.

Dr. J realized yesterday that he has 2 weeks in the ED before beginning his next easy rotation. So, in a week we'll back on the shift work schedule of the ED and honestly, I don't think either one of us is looking forward to it after a month of anesthesiology and a cushy schedule. We'll survive, but it'll be a rude awakening after a month of him getting off at 12 or 1 in the afternoon and having lots of free time. Not to mention, I'll have to, once again, get used to not having a car at my disposal.

In other news, I'm going to be posting a review of "In Stitches" by Dr. Anthony Youn in the coming days and I also can't wait to share a giveaway with you all! I'm very excited about this opportunity and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Anyways, I'm off to study for my class tonight. Everyone cross your fingers for me! I haven't done CPR certification since high school. Lets just leave it at that it was one of those high school memories I'd rather forget.

Friday...

2011-04-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

Just another rainy day up here on the island.

It's been one of those days when you set the alarm last night with good intentions.

You were going to conquer the world (or at least the laundry), kick ass and take names.

Then, you woke up to the pitter-patter of the rain falling and there was no sunlight streaming through the blinds to coax you out of your comfy haven. So, you roll over and hit snooze. Thirty minutes later you repeat. Until an hour and a half has passed and you have to get out of bed because someone is calling. You don't want them to know that you were still sleeping.

So you stumble around trying to give coherent answers while putting together the coffee maker. Finally, you press the on button and lean against the counter with sigh. Soon there will be coffee in your cup and perhaps the day won't seem so grey and gloomy with some warm java.

You highly doubt this as you continue to go about your usual morning business.

Grey rainy days just weren't meant to be cheered up.

So, you sit back, sip your coffee and wish you'd stayed in bed.

One Year Ago, Today . . .

2011-03-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

One year ago today, I woke up and realized that today I was getting married.

I wasn't sure where to start . . .

Breakfast came but I wasn't hungry, thanks to nerves plus a drink or two too many the night before!

My Mom came to help me with my hair while I did my makeup.

I got upset when I couldn't get my hair to do what I wanted.

We compromised with a low bun.

I gathered everything together and walked down with my dress in a bag and my shoes in their box.

Wouldn't you know, outside the hotel it was like a wind tunnel!

I hoped my hair would stay in place.

We arrived at the restaurant to find that Dr. J and his family had beaten me there!

I wasn't dressed!

I ran up stairs to change into my dress, sweater and shoes.

Went back downstairs and the big day began.

We ran across the street to City Park for pictures.

I gave Dr. J the evil eye occasionally since he had an unplanned bachelor party the night before.

We still looked cute in our pictures.

After that, our ceremony started and I was surprised at how calm this all felt after weeks of turmoil.

The scary stuff was behind us.

We knew where Dr. J matched, where we would be moving.

We knew graduation was just weeks away.

We were so close to closing that chapter of our lives and opening a brand new one.

After we said "I do", we broke out the bubbly and the food!

I was starving!

We spent the rest of the day enjoying being around our family and friends.

We put everything that went wrong leading up to that day to the side.

We just soaked in the day and made memories.

Today, one year later, I treasure all of the memories we've made in the last year.

Some were good, some were bad, but I love them equally.

We've come a long way from the craziness of last year.

Somedays are harder than others . . .

Somedays are better than I ever dreamed of . . .

At the end of the day, it's just us two making it up as we go.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yoga for Your Soul . . .

2011-03-23T23:52:00.000-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

Tonight was my usual night to sit at the front desk of my yoga studio and check people in for class. Most days it's a good job for me, it gets me out of the house, forces me to interact with people I don't know and most importantly, forces me to take a yoga class or two when I'm not feeling very motivated.

I decided I would go ahead and take the early class tonight because I enjoy the instructors playlists and her classes are so well balanced that I'm never too tired and I never have extra energy that I wish I could burn off. It turned out to be one of the most moving classes I've ever participated in.

See, today would have been her Mother's birthday and the instructor decided to honor her Mother's memory on this day, in our class, with a playlist of songs that her Mother loved and a candle in front of each of our mats. She said a few words about her Mother, who she was, what she loved and then dedicated this class to her memory. It was beautiful.

We moved through our asanas in a dark room lit by many candles and the tiny tea lights in front of our mats. The funny thing is, those little lights that were lit in her Mother's honor became a point of focus. If my thoughts drifted, my eyes went back to the candle light and I was absorbed in my practice again. If I wobbled in a pose, my eyes found that little light and I found my steadiness again. The hour passed by quickly and before I knew it, we were settling in savasana for our final relaxation. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" came on and I thought how much I loved this song, and how much it's meaning has changed since I first found it as a kid. The familiar chords and verses wrapped around me as I settled into a long overdue savasana.

Finally, we were all seated upright, eyes closed and hands resting on our knees. The instructor concluded by reading a passage from Tuesday's With Morrie, which has touched many of us at some point in our lives. She had chosen the passage where Morrie decides to have a "living funeral" because a traditional funeral is such a waste, in his opinion, since all of these people gather together to say wonderful things about the deceased that the deceased will never hear. So, he arranges his living funeral and everyone is given the chance to pay tribute, honor or simply tell a story about their experience with Morrie. As she read this passage, I couldn't help but think of those who've passed in my lifetime and how I wish there had been that time to say those things to them that everyone needs to hear sometimes. How much they are loved, how much they impacted our lives, how proud we are of them, how much we aspire to be like them . . .

For the first time in my life, I teared up in a yoga class. As we continued with the closing of the class, I somehow managed to not cry. Namaste's were said, eyes were opened and mats started to get rolled up. The instructor remained seated, wiping tears from her face, before she stood to pick things up. She asked that we blow out our candles and bring them to her. As I brought my candle to her I couldn't help but give her a hug. Normally, I'm a person of words not hugs, but at that moment even this introverted yogi knew that only a hug was right in that moment.

Had I spoken, I would have told her what an amazing experience she just provided each and every one of us in that room. I would have told her how honored I was to be in the class that she shared a very personal part of her life and experience with us. I would have told her how much I loved the songs she had selected and that I loved how she chose to honor her Mothers memory, while doing what she loves.

Most of all, I would have told her that she created something special in that class, not only for herself and her Mother but also for each and every one of her students.

Namaste.

Incredibly Interesting and Yet, Unsettling...

2011-03-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

For Japan With Love...

2011-03-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I'm going to be participating in a blogger day of silence to honor the lives lost in Japan and the unimaginable tragedies they are currently dealing with.

If you're a blogger please consider joining us in this day of silence to honor those who've lost their lives or loved ones.

Also, donations to Shelterbox the charity chosen by For Japan With Love can be made here.

Match Day!!

2011-03-17T13:05:00.001-05:00

{Via: We Heart It}

Hoping that everyone is happy with their ultimate destination!

Now, go enjoy these last few months of medical school!

Best Surprise Ever!

2011-03-16T14:02:00.002-05:00

So, I've gotten a little behind in my blogging. I've had post material and I slacked off on actually posting thanks to a very busy weekend filled with social stuff. That, and I keep staring at our tax stuff willing it to do the work for me. So far, no success on that front.

Last week I got an amazing e-mail from Chaviva of Kvetching Editor saying that I had won her giveaway and had a kosher cheese basket coming my way! People, I hadn't been that excited since Dr. J and I decided to get married last year!

Then, the cheese basket from Anderson Intl. arrived and let me tell you, my excitement was multiplied because Anderson Intl. just happens to distribute my favorite brand of kosher cheese Le Petite Fermieres! Y'all, I can't express how excited I was when I received my giant basket of kosher cheese... Lets just leave it at I did many happy dances and called everyone who could share my excitement!

I know you're all wondering what I made with the cheese...

The first thing I made wasn't too exciting but it was super yummy.

Vegetarian nachos anyone?

(Dr. J was very pleased with this meal selection)

Thanks to Chaviva for hosting this giveaway and to Anderson International for giving away such an extraordinary amount of high quality kosher cheese!

You Know You Need New Curtains When . . .

2011-03-15T11:25:00.002-05:00

You dream that you're walking around Ikea, you see curtains and instantly say "I need new curtains!".

Then, you wake up and look at your current curtains and say to yourself,

"Gee, my dream self was SO right."

P.S. I recently joined Formspring and added a question box to my right column. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll do my best to respond and may even post some of the questions and responses on the blog!

What I Wore...

2011-03-14T22:15:00.001-05:00

I convinced Dr. J to take this picture just before Shabbat. Threw this together to have dinner with some couples. I felt good in this outfit but wish I had a hat I loved in a color other than black. Normally, I would not wear black boots with this kind of an outfit, however I have terrible feet that love to get blisters and walking to shul hasn't helped. So I live in one pair of boots that doesn't give me blisters. If these go on sale in my size in brown you can bet I'll be snapping them up.

Dress: Anthropologie/ Boots: Tsubo/ Blazer: Ralph Lauren/ Tights: Spanx

This was the first outfit I tried on for a dinner we went to Sunday night honoring one of the residents in my husbands program. It was hosted by a rather observant organization that he is involved with so I knew this was a safe bet, however I hated feeling like a walking blob of black clothing. I know it appears to be a popular look up here but I can't roll with it. I'm too pale.

Dress: Banana Republic/ Sweater: Banana Republic/ Headband: Anthropologie/ Shoes: Louboutin's from my wedding

So.... I decided on this outfit but then regretted it when we rolled up to the dinner and my dress might as well have been a miniskirt in that crowd. So, I should have stuck with outfit one but felt better in outfit two. Sometimes, you just can't win! Funny thing is, I wore this dress to many a medical school cocktail party and dinners and was always one of the most conservatively dressed people there. That night at the dinner, I felt rather inappropriate. Fun times.

Dress: Banana Republic/ Sweater: Banana Republic/ Headband: Anthropologie/ Shoes: Wedding Louboutins

Which outfit do you prefer between the two?

Should I have just stuck to number one or do you agree that feeling like a black blob is not a good feeling to have?

Just for fun:

This is what happens when you pose on shearling rugs and catch your heel.

Take my advice and don't pose on shearling rugs.

Also, don't take pictures in a messy apartment like I did.

P.S. Check out Nina's video on how to tie a head scarf!
It's super simple and now I need to go buy a square scarf so I can try it out!

Medical Monday...

2011-03-07T13:30:00.000-06:00

It's Monday and I keep reminding myself that it's a good thing, however most of my brain would like to stay in the weekend so I'm off to a slow start today. This post is a short one since I just can't get my neurons to all fire in sync to put together a complete thought. :-)

Lately, I've been re-visiting this time last year in my head. I just can't get over how much has changed between Match Day and today. It is quite literally, a world of difference between the *almost* twelve months. Somedays it feels like we haven't moved forward, haven't grown up, still don't know what the next day holds for us and we're just treading water but not getting anywhere. Other days, I talk to my husband about his day and see a different Dr. J than I knew a year ago.

This Dr. J is starting to form his own ideas of what good patient care is, what he feels is right from a moral/ethical point of view. His ideas are no longer theoretical or second hand stories from professors illustrating frustrating impasse's in patient care. Now, the experiences are his own. The patients were his. The outcomes mean more. Dr. J sees how his attending's handle their patients care and sometimes he agrees, sometimes he disagrees and sometimes, he find himself in the grey area that is becoming much more common the longer he spends in the hospital. With every tough case, he grows both as a person and as a doctor. With every discussion we have about his experiences that day, I see my husband turning into the doctor and person I always knew he would be one day. After so many years of schooling and so many hurdles to jump through, it's wonderful to see him at this point of his career.

In the grand scheme of things, intern year is just one year of life but it's easily the most transformative year and I can't wait to see the complete transition when Dr. J officially becomes a resident. Most of all, I hope he continues to find fulfillment in this path and always brings home questions for me to discuss with him.

What I Wore...

2011-03-04T13:02:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the poor quality, I need to get my real camera out but today is the day I run around like a mad woman preparing food for shabbos and trying to get our apartment into some semblance of order. (It doesn't work.)

I actually felt halfway decent today so I figured I'd throw up a clothing post, though please, ignore my day-glow pale legs! I'm saving my last clean pair of tights for services tomorrow!

Does anyone else notice that their dresses shrink in length over time? It's really annoying and I love this dress from American Apparel, so I'm thinking of biting the bullet and just ordering it again, maybe in a bigger size?

This is my newest hat.

I love it.

It's one of the few hats that I've found that I like with my hair out and completely tucked in.

You can find it here...

Also, is it spring yet?

See you Sunday!

So True...

2011-03-02T12:31:00.001-06:00

{Via: We Heart It}

"When we were young Marlo Thomas sang to us about accepting each other and our difference. But then we got older and started singing a different tune.

We stopped celebrating each others life choices and started qualifying them. Is acceptance really such a childish concept, or did we have it right all along?

When did we stop being free to be you and me?"

~Carrie Bradshaw

***EDIT: If you're interested in discussing Match Day as you read it please let me know and I'll open a forum on the Lives of Doctors Wives discussion board!

It's super easy to join and I'd love to read along with everyone again!***

Medical Monday...

2011-02-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

It's Monday! (Again)

Where did the time go? Is it just me or does time progressively move faster the older you get? At this point it's getting kind of scary how quickly each week is zooming by, before I know it Dr. J will be done with his Intern year and moving onto being a full-fledged resident! (Oh happy day!)

This time of the year is very important to me since spring is when many of my major life changes have happened. For instance, my birthday occurs every year around this time, I graduated college in the spring, a year ago Dr. J and I were balls of nervous energy thanks to a wedding and Match Day just one week apart! Speaking of Match Day, it's right around the corner and I know that those of you who are part of Match this year are on pins and needles!

Match is an exciting day, the culmination of 4+ years of hard work, blood (at the hospital), sweat (the medical students) and tears (both at home and the hospital). This one day literally changes thousands of lives every year, it determines where every medical student will receive the training that shapes them into the physicians of the future. It also determines where the medical students SO's and families will have to spend the next 3-7 years of their lives. Match Day is a game changer. Anyone who tries to downplay the Match hasn't gone through 4+ years of hand holding, cheerleading, staying up late with the medical student to make sure they don't fall asleep, and just generally surrendered their life to the novelties of the medical life.

I remember a year ago, wanting more books on Match. I wanted to know that others felt as ridiculous as I did waiting for that fateful day. Being a huge book nerd, I turned to reading to make me feel better about what we were facing. While googling various phrases related to Match, I stumbled upon Match Day by Brian Eule. It chronicles Match Day for three couples, one of which is the author and his girlfriend. Match Day weaves together a brief history of Match Day, a brief lead up to the big day for all three couples and their backgrounds, the fortuitous day and then the subsequent intern year experience of each of the three couples. Re-reading Match Day recently, I was brought back to this time almost a year ago and I have to say, while I wouldn't trade our experience for any other, there is no way I'd choose to re-live that day!

{Via: Amazon}

So, for those of you who are counting down the days (19 days!) I recommend getting lost for a few hours in Match Day. If you have family members who can't comprehend all of the Match Day hype, give them this book. Have a medical school book club? Read Match Day. :-)

Just find ways to pass the time until the white envelope is in your (your spouses) hand!

Here's to a great week full of fun and new experiences!

***EDIT: If you're interested in discussing Match Day as you read it please let me know and I'll open a forum on the Lives of Doctors Wives discussion board!

It's super easy to join and I'd love to read along with everyone again!***

*Please note that I was not compensated for this review or any of the content. I chose to review and recommend this book based on my personal experiences and the experiences of my readership. *

Sunday in The City

2011-02-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, an old friend and her boyfriend came to visit...

We went into the city to see the sights and catch up on each others lives...

Sauntered through Soho....

Admired some graffiti...

Made our way towards Chinatown...

Took in the sights, sounds and smells...

We enjoyed the passing time and allowed the day to slip away...

It was glorious...

Quarter of A Century...

2011-02-24T00:49:00.002-06:00

{Via: We Heart It}

25.

That's me now.

I think I had my quarter-life crisis a few years early and now I'm starting to feel more settled in the life I've found for myself. Where I'm heading career wise is still a work in progress but I'm feeling rather optimistic.

Despite not having any concrete plans for the big day it ended up being low key and wonderful. Dr. J unexpectedly got most of the day off thanks to a required exam, not fun for him but good for me. :-) Most of the day we wandered around town followed by dinner and then drinks with Dr. J's fellow EM residents. Everyone had fun and I'm so glad Dr. J finally got the chance to hang out with his fellow residents outside of the hospital. We could both use more friends around here and it's important for him to find support in the people who in the same boat as him.

So yeah, I'm twenty-five...

Here's to what the next year brings!

Music Love...

2011-02-16T22:14:00.000-06:00

Twin Sister - "I Want A House" from Ian Perlman on Vimeo.

"I want a house
Built of old wood
You can paint it any color you like
Just so long as I can live with you"

A New Achievement!

2011-02-15T11:59:00.001-06:00

See this pose?

{We Heart It}

Guess who did it for the first time last night?

Oh yeah, that would be me!

Not a bad way to come back after a week-long vacation, huh? This pose hasn't been a defined goal for me, rather I tend to focus on poses that require a strong but loose lower back since I have the tightest lower back known to man. For instance, pachimottanasa or seated forward bend is the hardest stinking pose for me on a day to day basis. However, I do have to say that there is a part of me that said "You'll never be able to do arm balances, you have the weakest upper body ever." Well, that part of me just got kicked to the curb since last night as I slowly inched into the pose and then held it for what felt like eternity (but realistically was only 15-30 secs). I even laughed once I realized I was in it and hadn't face planted! It was without a doubt one of the greatest feelings I've ever experienced in my yoga practice.

Bring on the arm balances!

Medical Monday...

2011-02-14T15:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to another week... Posting has been slow going around here because Dr. J and I went on a small trip to visit friends who are expecting their first child in the coming month. We figured that since Dr. J was on vacation and our friends lives are about to change immensely, it would be a good time to get together for old times sake. All in all, it was fun and we enjoyed hanging out with them. It did, however, bring up my topic for this weeks Medical Monday post. *drumroll please*

The big question of when to have kids in a medical marriage. To really complicate this post, I'm going to start off by saying that there is no right answer for everyone. In fact, several medical blogs that I follow discuss this question on a regular basis and there simply is no consensus on when is a good time to have kids. (Of course, regular marriages also face the same question with the same lack of consensus.)

Dr. J and I do not have children for many reasons. One reason is that I would like to finish my conversion and have a Jewish ceremony before we have children. Another reason is that we are broke-ass poor. Yet another reason is that after seeing our friends, we realized that we really aren't there yet. Of course, there are more reasons than the above three and I could probably do a whole post on "Reasons Why We Aren't Ready for a Little Dr. J or Drew" but I'm not going to torture you with that. :-)

Instead, I'm just going to pass on some observations from the last (almost 5!) years that we've been together.

First, if you're married during the medical school years and you're ready to take the next step, then do it. It seems to be a good time to have kids. Sure, your spouse is studying alot and the hours in 3rd and 4th year vary wildly from rotation to rotation but overall, it's the closest you'll get to a regular schedule in almost 8+ years of medical training. Also, unlike residency, the attending and senior residents will usually let medical students go early from shifts so that 12 hour shift just became 4 and suddenly there's time to go to the playground! Of course, you'll be poor but luckily you get loans during the time period and aren't yet faced with the payments. If one of you is working then it's not so bad and at the very least the insurance is pretty good. Also, I knew/know several couple who had kids in medical school and they have the benefit of not feeling like medicine is keeping the progression of their life together on hold.

So, you're not ready to have kids in medical school but you know you don't want to wait until after residency. Welcome to the second scenario! My only advice here is DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT have kids intern year. Triple the DO NOT if you moved across the country because of match. It takes time to settle, to get to know people and to get on your feet. I cannot imagine being pregnant and then having a child during Dr. J's intern year. It's been rough, unpredictable and it's cost us enough money without throwing a child into the picture. It's expensive to move, it's expensive to set up a household and those unexpected costs are always lurking around the corner. I have heard that depending on your spouses specialty, sometimes between the 3rd and 4th year is a pretty good time consider having a kid. You're making a little more money, moonlighting may be an option, there aren't as many shifts and you know you'll have a real income in a year or two (for the most part). Dr. J and I would consider this option in the future though I probably lean more towards his 4th year than 3rd.

The third scenario is to wait until after residency. Yes, it feels like it's forever away and if you're a woman you may be approaching that deadline known as "advanced maternal age" aka thirty-five, but waiting until after residency has it's benefits too. Namely, your spouse will be making the income he/she deserves for the first time in his/her life! Yay for paychecks that don't disappear as soon as they're deposited! Also, your spouse will have more control over his/her schedule even if he/she moves onto a fellowship. Another bonus, chances are in those years where your spouse was slaving way at his/her chosen career path you've most likely also made advances in your own career and may be in a place where a pregnancy and the subsequent child isn't quite so intimidating to imagine in your lives. Did I mention that your spouses new income means that being a SAH Mom or Dad becomes a much more viable option at this point? (If that's your thing.) Not to mention, a little life experience never hurt anyone, right?

So there you have it, a very abbreviated glance into the three scenarios that most medical marriages will choose from. On a weekly basis I vacillate between option two and three but I know that if we got caught by a "surprise" at some point before option two or three, it wouldn't be the end of the world, rather, it would just be another twist in our story together. Truly, there is no right time to have a bundle of joy (and spit up) it's an individual choice that depends on alot of personal variables. I hope this helps some of you in deciding when that time is and if nothing else, at least you now know that I don't think intern year should be used for anything but being an intern! :-)

To all of you medical spouses out there:

Do you have kids?

How did you make the decision when to have kids and how much did your spouses medical career affect your decision?

Also, if anyone has suggestions for budgeting on a residents salary hit me up!

What I Wore...

2011-02-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

In a nod to Chaviva, Ally and Nina I'm giving you an outfit post today. Why? Well Dr. J and I were on vacation this past week and somehow I didn't get any good blog material (unless you want to see a video of me skiing and telling Dr. J to "STOP recording me skiing" which you don't want to see. Trust me.)

Also, I just spent a wonderful evening meeting very nice people and I actually liked what I wore for once! That and I tend to only dress up for shabbos but I can't take a picture that day and you all know I'm not organized/efficient enough at this point to actually have everything ready well in advanced of shabbat! Most Fridays I run around like a chicken with it's head cut off while I watch the clock and try to convince my food to cook faster and my apartment to clean itself. (Never happens.) I apologize for the poor quality picture but it occurred to me that I liked me outfit and had to ask Dr. J to snap a picture right before we stepped out the door! He was very confused why I needed a picture Right. Now. so I told him I needed to see my outfit in full since we don't have a full length mirror. So he snapped it. If I had told him I needed it to post on my blog, I would have gotten a really large eye roll and sigh. :-)

Our kitchen has the most light so that's why I'm posing with the dirty dishes... Please ignore them.

So, the outfit... The hat is a navy cloche that I scored off of Lands End for an awesome price. It's not my absolute favorite hat but I liked the navy with this outfit. The belt is old from AE... I need to buy more belts but I'm trying to take it slow since my whole wardrobe needs a major overhaul in the near future but we also have a budget. The sweater is JCrew and I adore it. I call it my professor sweater since it makes me feel all cozy and old school academic. :-) The dress is new dress I picked up from Tar-jay the other day it's from their Converse line which I actually find very wearable and cute. Underneath is a brown turtleneck which I love because I'm a turtleneck person. Understandably, not everyone loves turtlenecks but they're easy layering pieces for winter and the slim fit ones keep the bulk down when wearing multiple layers.

The best thing about this outfit? It was so warm I didn't need a coat. I'm so tired of wearing a big coat and hauling it around with me. Since we were driving to a house I decided I could handle the 20 secs of cold and not lug my winter coat with me.

So, what do think? I'm feeling pretty good about my lat minute outfit I pulled together that kept me modest but fashionable. :-)

That's all for today, see you Monday for Medical Monday!

The only shoes I wear now...

2011-01-29T18:30:00.001-06:00

{Rider Boots by Bogs}

Since it's snowed like no one's business twice and it's snowed many times in between those two big ass snow storms I've been living in these puppies. Seriously. I wear them everyday to run all of my errands. I've even taken to wearing them to shul because my 1.5 mile walk alternates between piles of powder, slush and ice. This morning I spent thirty-something minutes trying to NOT ice skate down the sidewalks. It was hard.

I stumbled across Bogs boots when I was looking for snow boots that 1) were waterproof 2) didn't look like I stepped off a ski slope cirac 1980 and 3) were actually comfortable and supportive. Let me tell you, the reviews on all of the Bogs boots were positive and even the people who had fit issues with them had to comment on their comfort. Thankfully, I received them well before this last storm and have spent the last 3-4 weeks wearing these boots almost exclusively. Do they look amazing with my nice outfits for shul? No, but I'm just not into carrying shoes with me and honestly, alot of the other women have started just wearing their boots the whole time so I feel like it's okay. Would I prefer to rock out heels? Of course, but the long walk + insane piles of snow prevent that.

All in all, my winter would be much more miserable if it wasn't for these babies that allow me step into snow piles up to my knees. (For some reason the pedestrian cross over areas get neglected on the dig out front.) They keep my feet warm, dry and supported. It's an added bonus that they are actually kind of cute. :-)

Note: I was not compensated in any way, shape or form for this review. This is simply me sharing my excellent experience with this product and hoping it can help out other snow bound NY'ers who are staring at pile of snow taller than they are.

After the storm...

2011-01-27T07:19:00.000-06:00

A foot or more snow later, it's looking like a beautiful day...

Minus digging out the car last night in the middle of the storm (hoping it would = less this morning)....

Minus digging out the car again for an hour this morning...

It's a white wonderland to tromp through this morning!

Wish I was a kid again!

All you need is snow, snow, snow...

2011-01-26T22:46:00.002-06:00

Snow from Baker Girl on Vimeo.

Snowy Day...

2011-01-26T15:46:00.000-06:00

{Enjoying the empty park... Apparently people don't like to walk outside when it snows.}

{Pretty tree with snow covered limbs...}

Looking forward to more snow tonight.

Yoga classes are canceled so I have no reason to not drink hot chocolate and watch lots of videos on Hulu and TED!

Speaking of TED, I highly recommend this video:

Medical Monday...

2011-01-24T05:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday!

(Or not... No pressure!)

Lucky for Dr. J and I, this past week was pretty laid back as far as work goes...

Lucky for you, we also didn't pay any bills so I'm not feeling like another rant.

:-)

What to discuss on this fine Monday?

To be honest, I wasn't sure where to go with this Medical Monday. In fact, around midnight I was sitting on the couch with my trusty laptop while Dr. J "played" Red Dead Redemption on his PS3. By "played" I mean he started playing the game and fell asleep while playing the game. At which point I nudged him and said "If you're tired just go to bed" which elicited a response of, "Urmm, maghgdhf....flipping schedule...must.... stay.... up...." Needless to say, he's still sleeping here beside me but I guess it doesn't count because he's not in bed? Yay! For strange ideas in medical marriages! lol

Anywho, back to my conundrum of what to share with you on this fine evening/morning. Since many of my fellow medical spouses are currently in the medical school phase, I figured I'd reach back into the file boxes and write about my experience with the last 3 years of medical school (Dr. J and I started dating after the first year).

Medical school... You seemed so hard when we were there but the truth is, you're like a little bubble that medical students live in for 4 years. The student loans, while stressful, pay the bills and ensure that no one thinks too hard about their finances. The course load in the first two years ensures that you only have time to attend lecture, study, sleep (when there isn't an exam looming), eat (whenever you remember to buy food) and then drink copious amounts of alcohol when each exam/boards/Step is finished. Everyone studies like they're going to change the world tomorrow and parties like frat guys. At the time I thought this was less than awesome. In fact, I really didn't enjoy the medical school years.

However...

I kick myself for not enjoying the medical school years a little more. We should have taken a real vacation or two (in the grand scheme of the numbers a couple of thousand extra isn't that big a deal). I should have celebrated every time we ate out (all the time) and not given us so much grief over frivolous purchase Dr.J or I made.

In hindsight, we should have realized that those three years were the time to spoil (just a little, I'm not a 500 dollar purse person) each other because residency not only, takes over both of your lives but also, gives you a paltry paycheck to exist on. (See last weeks rant for that topic) Dr. J and I both severely underestimated the toll that match, subsequent relocation and intern year would take on us.

Severely. Underestimated.

So, if you're in medical school or your spouse is in medical school, take my advice and don't feel bad about the nice dinner you and your spouse/SO sneak in sometimes between exams or rotations. Go out and party a little, even if you're married or have work the next morning. Don't feel like you shouldn't take a vacation now because he's not "actually" making money.

Most of all, don't take any flack from family who tries to critique your spending choices (within reason) the simple fact of the matter is that, unless his/her parents went through the medical process themselves, they don't know what it's like. They don't know what your relationship/marriage is like when you're on this path. It's not the average career path, it's not an average life and it's not an average relationship.

Do the little (or big) things now (within reason), because residency brings on a whole new level of "growing up" for both you and your spouse/SO.