Baby, It's Cold Outside

When I got into the car to go to work on Friday, my dashboard display didn’t appear like it normally did. Instead of showing the time and temperature, it read “ICE POSSIBLE.” That’s when I knew winter had finally hit me. For almost a week, the entire state of Rhode Island talked about the snow forecast for the area. To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention for a couple of reasons 1.The past week flew by- I still have so much to do before I leave for vacation 2. The RI natives (and most people from New England) go on and on about how awful the winters are here and I was getting sick of hearing about it. On The Weather Channel’s website, you can enter two zip codes and their average temperatures using a graphing function. When you put 46032 up against 02896, here are the results:

The average high's for both zip codes, with Carmel represented by the orange line.

And now the average lows...North Smithfield is in light blue

The main difference is the amount of annual precipitation but not by that much... North Smithfield gets 6 inches more each year


This weekend I picked up some extra shifts at various pharmacies in the area. I worked Friday from 4-9 PM and Saturday from 5-9 PM. On my way to work on Saturday, the pharmacy supervisor for my district called me desperately looking for someone to cover a sick-call for Sunday in Pawtucket. Without hesitation, I happily agreed- who can’t use a little extra spending money around the holidays?

When I got to work on Saturday night, I started talking with the staff (FYI- this store was in Warwick), and they described how busy they had been that day. Their theory was that people were getting their errands done before the big snow hit. Hmmm… at this point I remembered Deb telling me we were expected to get up to 12 inches of snow on Sunday and to call the weather line before I came into work on Monday. It turns out we were expected to get 12-16 inches of snow late Saturday night and early into Sunday morning. Now, I’m usually not a skeptical person at all, but the wheels in my head started turning for some reason. Even though I’m sure it’s highly unlikely (ha!), I started to think that the pharmacist who called in sick wasn’t sick at all! At this point, I still didn’t mind waking up early to work 8 AM- 4 PM.

As I’m driving home on Saturday night, the snow starts to come down. The snow initially didn’t stick, and my ride back to Slatersville didn’t cause any problems. After I got ready to get some sleep, I looked out the window and saw that several inches of snow had already accumulated. Oh boy…

I ended up waking up at 5:45 AM to dig my car out and get ready for work. I had completely forgotten to pick up a shovel, so I armed myself with the tools I thought might help completed the job: a large spatula, a tennis racket, and a cookie sheet.

I must have looked ridiculous carrying these things out in the snow

Turns out, I’m a really lucky girl. Two of my neighbors were outside shoveling their cars out, too, and one of them gave me the largest scraper I’ve seen in my life. The other neighbor shoveled 90% of the snow for me! If I didn’t have them helping me, I would have been in a world of hurt. I went back inside to shower, gather my things, and leave for the store. When I went back outside, at least 3 more inches had accumulated on my car (45 minutes, maybe?).

This is crazy…

Take a look at the cars- good luck going anywhere

Unless you're one of the few people getting to go to work (which includes me)... here is a picture of my car

This is a cigarette butt disposal can (I don’t know what the name is, but I do know that I hate it- people stand right outside the door and smoke… YUCK!) to give you an idea of the amount of accumulation

For what normally would have taken me less than 30 minutes, my drive to the store ended up taking more than an hour. RIDICULOUS. The trucks and plows had been out all night trying to stay on top of the snow, but it was coming down so quickly that they struggled to keep the roads clear. I did not get any faster than 30 miles per hour, even though I was sometimes driving on a highway with a speed limit of 65 mph. I had several people pass me going much too quickly, and two or three of them ended up fish-tailing in front of me (defensive driving is so important here, even without the snow). I had to pull over twice to scrape my windshield off and get my bearings on where exactly the road started and stopped. I finally made it to the store without becoming lost but got stuck trying to get into the pharmacy parking lot.

It was pretty slow at the store today, which was a nice change. Don’t get me wrong- I still filled prescriptions almost the entire time I was there (it is a very high volume store that does over 5K prescriptions every week). After work I drove to babysit for Lorna and Craig, who were going to a nice dinner on Federal Hill and to see Wicked (so jealous!).

After the kids had gone to bed and were sound asleep, I poked around the kitchen to get a bite for myself. I found some Sun Chips that I’d been meaning to try and wanted a icy-cold Diet Coke to go with it. I noticed that they had an extra refrigerator/freezer combo in their garage, so I thought I’d take a look to see if they were stashing the caffeine there. They have an alarm system, so when I opened the door, a voice spoke, “Garage door opened.” Not wanting to set anything off, I closed the door behind me…..

Do you know what happened next? I know it’s hard to believe, but I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried…

I locked myself out of the house.

Surprisingly, I didn’t panic- I just had a good laugh at myself. It took an expensive, traumatizing experience for me to learn my lesson never to lock myself out of my own house, but apparently I had not yet learned how to apply to rules to others’ homes. I only had on black workout pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and slippers, then rummaged around the garage to find a set of gloves and a headband. I tried to look for a set of keys but didn’t have any luck. I also couldn’t find a garage door opener at first , but the car that was left in the garage had it programmed onto a button. I went around the house (I felt like such a creep!) and tried all of the other doors (all locked) and looked at the windows (also locked). The next step was to go over to the neighbors to see if they had a key (which they didn’t), but they did call the fire department for me. The fire department arrived in five minutes and opened the door in less than that.

If you don’t know me very well, I’m sure this post makes me seem so incompetent, but I promise that I’m much more educated that what this story might point you towards. Never a dull moment, though...

Happy Aniversary, Mom and Dad!

Congratulations to my Mom and Dad on 36 years! (It was actually December 15- sorry it's a day late!! What a bad daughter I've become!)

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from over the years...

This was on a roadtrip for my Dad's birthday. We visited Gettysburg, PA and Washington D.C. with the Barber's, but first my parents had to drive down to Tennessee to pick me up from camp (sorry!).

This was the day my parents moved me into my dorm room my freshman year of college.

Two big events that day: 1. White Coat Ceremony for Pharmacy School 2. My 21st birthday!

My whole family at Grandma M's house in Florida for Christmas. (The matching black and red scheme was not coordinated, trust me!)

This picture is from when I went home in October. My Grandma was on her way from Michigan to Florida, so I try to catch her in Indy whenever I can. Ryan had already gone home, so we missed him in this picture. Nick had the camera. He took about half a dozen pictures, but there isn't one where we are all looking at the camera. This one was my favorite because of the way my Mom and I are looking at Izzie- we love her!

Wish I could have joined you two and Ryan for dinner! Hope you had a great day- I am so proud of you.

Viva Las Vegas: Part II

On Monday morning, it was back to interviews at Midyear, but this time, the whole residency team was there! Although I am the only resident at my site, I have seven other peers across the country. I had the opportunity to meet them all in September when they came to visit Rhode Island, and I knew right away that I would have friends and colleagues for life. Fred and Kavita are at the site in Texas with Melissa and Giang; Lisa is in Arizona with Elizabeth; Andrea and Brandon are in Pittsburgh with Julie, Mary, and Jessica; and Sherry and Kevin are in Illinois with Lydia.

On Monday afternoon, we participated in what is called the "Residency Showcase." The set-up is similar to a job fair, except all of participants, instead of employers, are residency programs trying to recruit residents. For 3 hours, this giant convention room turned into a sea of people, all trying to find a program that is right for their needs. In years past, there had just been the resident and the director from my site, and with only two people at a booth, it can be difficult to manage the flow of traffic. This year we took a team approach and had the residents and directors from all of the sites, which made it much easier to triage the requests we were getting. By the end of the showcase, my voice was almost gone!

For dinner, Nick and I went to the Grand Lux in the Venetian, which I absolutely loved (I think I ate there 4-5 times while I was in Vegas!). I had the Asian salad (more than once-it was so tasty); I have been meaning to search for a recipe online similar to the salad I had. It was light and fresh- lettuce, carrots, crispy rice noodles (texture, people, texture!), a ginger dressing, and some type of small green herb that I couldn't identify (but liked nonetheless).

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea

I'll have a big salad...

After dinner, Nick and I walked around the Palazzo, which is a tower that was added on to the Venetian. There are some glamorous stores on the first floor (David Yurman, Barneys New York, Kwiat), along with an illy cafe. The Illy cafe had more flavors of gellato and sorbetto than I even begin to name. Nick had chocolate (his favorite), and I tried the lemon ice and the cherry sorbettos.

Here is a picture of a fountain inside the Pallatzo... isn't it beautiful? They had another pool/water design (kind of like a modern wishing well), but I couldn't seem to get the right perspective for a picture.

I wonder who picks out the Christmas decorations for these places... I understand it needs to be over the top and a little wild (I mean, it is Vegas), but this just looked like the Loch Ness monster covered with lights.

While I was working, Nick did some research and bought us tickets to see the Blue Man Group. I have always wanted to see one of their shows (they are on my list of bands/groups/comedians to see before I die) but never had a good opportunity until now. If you've never seen them, it's a little hard to describe what their performance is like, but I think I've come up with a winning formula:

Gallagher (Remember the guy smashing all of the fruit? My other favorite was his painting of the United States)
plus the Three Stooges (At least one member of the group gets picked on/stands out/etc)

plus a mime (There was no talking during the show except for a short video)

plus Stomp (They focus on percussion, rhythm, and tone- another great show to see if you haven't already)

equals the Blue Man Group! (I know, this one is a little creepy)

You can't take pictures during the show, but here are a few highlights I found online...

The show started with these giant drums that had paint on the top and were used as drums (Dad, you would have loved this!)

Another part of the show used pipes for instruments- they changed the length of the pipes to change the sound (Sounds like a science experiment)

My favorite part of the show was when the rolls of toilet paper were passed from the back of the crowd to the front and then backwards to the back. They also had these glowing tubes that reminded me of the backbone of DNA (Wow, I am officially a nerd)

We snuck this one in before the show started... the people behind us thought they'd be funny and make faces in the background, hence the blurry face on the right-hand side of the picture. They apologized, but I don't really think they were sorry. (Note to self: do not tease young couples that want to get a cute picture together until after the picture has been taken.)

Nick headed back to Indy on Tuesday morning- luckily he wasn't delayed too long at the airport because of bad weather (his flight was changed, though, because of all of the snow in Chicago). On Tuesday we did some more interviewing, but it wasn't as crazy as Monday. I had a chance to walk around and catch up with some of my classmates from Purdue- how fun! I was told that 25% of my class was doing a PGY1 (Post-Graduate Year 1) residency, and I believe it- there were a TON of people there. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and hear future career plans.

I had been texting back and forth with Tony, a classmate of mine from Purdue, about meeting up sometime in Vegas since the previous Thursday and finally ran into him! Tony and I met the first week we were on campus through a mutual friend, David. Tony and I had so much fun during pharmacy school (I mean, as much fun as two kids could have during class)... to this day I am *shocked* that we did not have more professors tell us to be quiet or kick us out for talking during class. We tried so hard not to say anything, but something funny always happened. Either Tony spilled my Diet Coke, a professor would say something funny, I would spill my Diet Coke, or something else absurd would happen. One of our favorite activities was the "States and Capitals" game (much more interesting than medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, trust me); we became so well versed in the U.S. version that we had to move onto other continents to stay challenged. Tony is completing a hospital-based residency program this year in Ohio and plans to work in a hospital somewhere when he's finished (specific, isn't it?).

Here we are on our last day of pharmacy school (We are still friends, I promise!)

Look at these fine young scholars at Midyear (For one person who wasn't sure of what he wanted to do and the other who didn't want to do a residency, I think we turned out just fine...

To be continued...

Viva Las Vegas: Part I

Last Saturday morning I left for Las Vegas with Debbie to attend ASHP's 44th Midyear Conference. We flew on a direct flight from Providence to Las Vegas- the flight was six and a half hours! (Thank goodness we didn't have a layover.) I was really surprised that there was a direct flight out of Providence- nothing against Rhode Island, of course. (Sidenote: On my last two trips back to Indy I flew with Southwest and had great service and no issues with delays. I was using U.S. Airways prior to these trips, but I would need more than two hands to count the number of delayed flights in the past six months (and not to mention the night I spent in the Cleveland airport!).)

The flight was only half full, so we had plenty of room to spread out. I did some work work and then a logic puzzle (*love* my puzzle book... Not only are they challenging, they are (in theory) helping me prevent dementia). Not too long after I started my puzzle, I started to get sleepy and decided to take a nap. Sleeping on a plane can be tricky business... I mean, you don't want to touch the person next to you, but unless you're used to sleeping sitting up, it's difficult to fall asleep. I'm in the group that puts their head down on the tray table. I know this probably not the most sanitary option, but what else can you do? I spray it down with hand sanitizer and use a scarf so at least my fact doesn't touch it. How do you sleep on the plane? Any suggestions for future flights? (Sorry about the tangent...)

This was my first time in Las Vegas, so it was a little overwhelming when we were taking our shuttle from the airport to the hotel. There are so many things to look at and take in! The conference was at The Venetian and Sands Expo Center, and Debbie was smart enough to have us book our rooms well in advance so that we could roll out of bed and not worry about staying in another hotel. (I initially did not think this was very important but quickly learned that even though the hotels are across the street from one another, it could take you thirty minutes or more to get from your room to the conference.) The lobby of the hotel was gorgeous (it even smelled nice!)- it looked like what I think someplace in Italy would look like (I can't wait to visit someday.) I don't think my pictures capture it very well, so I've included some pictures from the hotel's website, as well as some pictures that I took.

A view of the outside (more like a complex than a hotel) (courtesy of the Venetian)

I wish the weather had been warmer.... they have gondolas you can ride that go inside and outside of the hotel (courtesy of the Venetian)

I want a fountain like this in my front yard (hey, I can dream, can't I?)

There were several other places in the hotel that had the ceiling painted to look like the sky

The corridor leading you from the lobby to the casino (another Venetian picture)... I loved all of the detailed flooring

I was shocked when I saw my "room" because it wasn't much of a room at all. Technically the name of it was a "Luxury Suite," which was the least expensive option at the hotel. I'm pretty sure that this suite was almost as big as my entire apartment. There was a sunken living room (love that!), three flat-screen t.v.'s (one was in the bathroom), a fax machine/copier/printer combination, and remote-controlled Roman shades on the windows. The bathroom was done in marble and had a vanity, double sinks, a whirlpool bathtub (I don't really like baths, so this wasn't a big deal to me), a shower big enough for a small village, and a separate water closet (this is *definitely* something I want in my house!).

A bed fit for a king (I don't remember ever sleeping on a king bed... And having slept on a twin bed until I moved to Rhode Island, I am not used to so much room!)

Want to watch the morning news while you brush your teeth? Yes, you can!

This sitting area reminds me of my Grandma and Grandpa's house in Pigeon where my Dad grew up... there is a small stool and a matching mirror that I always loved as a young girl

Another bathroom view

After dinner on Saturday night, I waited in my room until a special someone arrived! Nick came to stay for a few days in Vegas. We both knew I'd be busy doing recruiting for a pharmacist to fill my shoes next year, but how could he pass up a free room right on the strip? (He didn't.) Debbie and I interviewed several candidates on Sunday, but Nick joined us for lunch. I'm glad Debbie got to meet him. After hearing so much about him, I think she felt like she already knew him. I'm interested to hear what someone thinks after he or she meets someone they've only heard about.... your mental image of someone isn't always accurate.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw Nick's garment bag... a trash bag (He is so practical! Thanks, Mrs. K!)

On Sunday night, a company that we do business with took a small group of us out to dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel. Debbie, Amy, Ron, Minh, Papatya, and I were treated to a three-course French meal. I did try a piece of meat that someone said was similar to salami, only to find out it was some kind of raw beef. I also tried a small piece of the blue cheese souffle (eeee!), but I wasn't a fan. For dessert I ordered an apple tart complete with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce. While it might have sounded like a knockout dish, I was disappointed with the real thing.... I whispered to the people closest to me that I thought the apple pies at McDonald's were better than this!

At least it was pretty!

After dinner, the company bought us tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (unfortunately not the real one) to look out over the city. They knew that Nick was waiting for me in the casino downstairs (well, I told them), so they invited him to join us. When he met us at the restaurant, the only place to sit was at the complete opposite end of the table from where I was sitting. He was such a good sport about it, even if I did kind of throw him under the bus.

The view from the top! I am still not sure what setting to use on my camera for these pictures, but this one was decent

I saw my first show of the Bellagio water fountains (a feat of engineering, as my brother says)- isn't this perspective wonderful?

I wish I could have heard the music a little better, but you can't beat this view.

It was cold and windy being up so high, but it is never too cold for a photo op

It is one-third the size of the real Eiffel Tower (on my list of places to see before I die)

After dinner, Nick and I decided we'd try our luck in the casino. Most of the tables at the Venetian were pretty expensive, so we took the opportunity of being at another hotel to our advantage. I've one been to one casino before, which was in the summer of 2006 in Arizona during my internship. I had never played any of the live games, so Nick helped to explain a lot of the rules to me. We ended up joining a roulette table, which I really liked (I think I might have done more talking to our dealer than actual gambling).

We ended up winning $50! Go lucky number 18!

To be continued...

Let Your Heart Be Your Guide

I got back late Wednesday night from my trip to Las Vegas for the ASHP Midyear Conference- what a whirlwind! I want to do my trip to Las Vegas justice, so I'm choosing to write a detailed post about it tomorrow rather than throw something together tonight. However, I wanted to share a short story with you that I ran across in one of my older journals.

----

Beautiful Day, Isn't It?
Barbara Johnson

The day started out rotten. She overslept and was late for work. Everything that happened at the office contributed to her nervous frenzy. By the time she reached the bus stop for her trip home, her stomach was one big knot.

As usual, the bus was late--and jammed. She had to stand in the aisle, and the lurching vehicle pulled her in all directions.

Then she heard a voice form up front boom, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Because of the crowd, she could not see the man, but she heard him as he continued to comment on the spring scenery, calling attention to each approaching landmark. This church, that park. This cemetery, that firehouse. Soon all the passengers were gazing out the windows.d The man's enthusiasms was so contagious that she found herself smiling for the first time that day.

They reached her stop. Maneuvering toward the door, she got a look at their "guide:" an older gentleman with a beard, wearing dark glasses and carrying a thin, white cane.

-----

This story always makes me tear up (shocking, I know)... I have such a clear picture of their "guide." It reminds me of the people I've met who have may have fewer possessions but have so much more in spirit than I ever will know. The first person that comes to mind is Regina, an elderly women in Montgomery, Alabama whose house I worked on during a summer mission trip. Even though her surroundings were falling apart (literally), she was full of gratitude, kindness, and love. I don't remember giving her my address, but the following September, she sent me a birthday card filled with her blessings and prayers. I haven't received anything from Regina since then (it was 1999), but the letter she sent me remains a very treasured keepsake and reminder of the "guides" in my own life.

Breaking the Ice

What was one of my favorite things about being an RA, BGR leader, and a small group leader? ICEBREAKERS. Unlike many other people, I absolutely love playing the "getting to know you" games. I think most people just want to act like they are too cool to participate. Whenever I was leading a game or activity, I would remind everyone to take off their "TC hats" (TC= too cool). I would start to list some of my favorite games but that list is too long, and I'm running short on time.

So when I had to send in 5 unique facts about myself yesterday for an end of the year lunch for my department, I was so excited. I could only think of a couple of things at first, so I called my Mom for some ideas. The facts could be either personal or professional- I decided to go a little more on the crazy side (Who at work wants to hear more about work).

Here are the 5 top things you might not know about me...

1. I once got a French fry stuck up my nose.
2. I wore a bikini on stage in a high school play.
3. My picture was in U.S. News and World Report last year.
4. I've never eaten a hamburger.
5. My dream job is to own a candy store.

Do you think they'll be able to guess who it is? What would your top 5 facts be? Later I will add some more fun facts, but I need to head to the airport. I am leaving to go to VEGAS for Midyear! I've never been to Vegas, and I'm really excited to see some of the sights. I'll be working most of the time I'm there, but sometimes it's nice just to get away. I'll try to write on my blog while I'm there, but I'm not sure that my work computer will even let me access this address. If not, I'll fill you in after I get back next Thursday.

Have a great weekend!

There's No Place Like Home

Although I've never owned a house, I can't imagine any purchase more exciting that buying your first home. (I mean, I'm not even close to making that commitment, and I have a 2-inch binder filled with ideas of what I want to put in it!) So, when Lisa announced that she closed on her house, I was thrilled! She had looked at the house when she was home visiting just a couple of months ago, and I think she fell in love with it (who can blame her?! it is adorable!) When she found out she had gotten her job at the hospital, she bought the house. The owners were selling it themselves, and they were pretty flexible with her about the timetable. (But then she couldn't close on the house until she actually started her new job because of the mortgage... so many rules! I am going to need a lot of help...)

When I was home over Thanksgiving, Nick and I went over to Lisa's new house. I had never seen any pictures of it, so everything about it was a surprise. I liked it so much that I think I screamed or made some "ahhh" noise the entire time I was there.

Here are some pictures from our tour...

Isn't this adorable?!

The kitchen is actually really big for a house this size

I love the glass doors on these cabinets

This bonus room in the basement would be perfect for crafts!

The last owners accidentally left the faucet that once hooked up to the washer on. When Lisa moved in, there was a huge puddle in the basement, which had actually gone beneath the tile that the previous owners had laid down. Lisa's mom, Karen, spent the day tackling this project. I was very impressed with what a good job she did- moldy water smells are hard to remove!

You might have to watch your head on the stairs

Looks like this fenced-in back yard needs a dog! :)

The dining room, which will be painted soon... Lisa says it looks like the color of dried blood! (She would know, too- she's an ER nurse)

Lisa's bedroom

How charming- the curved archways add that something extra (there's a mantle and fireplace that I *love* in the living room, but naturally, I was so enamored I forgot to take a picture of it)

The porch is wonderful- not only is it big, it has a swing!

Maybe this is nostalgic (that or I just lived in the suburbs for too long), but I love this type of mailbox

I will be sure to keep you posted on any updates she makes. :)

Lisa, congratulations on your new house! I am so happy for you!