Mind Readers

I was sitting at my desk yesterday, minding my own business, when I got a call from the Security Desk. My first thought was, "Uh oh! Are they towing my car?" They said I had a package to pick up. I decided that one of the pharmaceutical companies was just getting the demonstration samples f(or the MS presentation I gave last week) out to me. But when I got down there, I saw a had a beautiful basket of flowers!

"Congratulations on a successful year. Hope you have a nice day."

The "just because" flowers are the best. Not Valentine's, Happy Anniversary, or I'm Sorry (but I still like them no matter what the occassion). I am a lucky girl.

You may not believe me, but two days earlier I had sent Nick a care package!! I called him right away to thank him and reminded him to check his mail. When he called me back that afternoon, he hadn't gotten his package, so I was a little bummed. However, when I called after I left RIFC (more on that to come), he had gotten it in the mail!!! He has been studying like crazy for his Step II test- he takes it on June 29th. I sent beef jerkey, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, fruit leather (the all-fruit version of a fruit roll-up), pencils, Post-it notes, non-bleed Sharpie markers (my absolute favorite), and few other things. Call me crazy, but I guess we were reading each other's mind.

I'm headed to NYC to spend the weekend with Lana! Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, Nick!

A very special Happy Birthday to my Nicky, who is celebrating his birthday in China this year! He'll be gone for 6 weeks while completing a surgery rotation and taking some time to travel. If you'd like to see what he is up to on the other side of the world (he is exactly 12 hours ahead of me), you can visit his travel blog, which he is keeping along with his friend Lee, who is also in China.

A Weekend With My Valentine

This past weekend I had a very special visitor! Nick flew into Boston on Thursday afternoon (he will do anything to avoid connections, and there is not a direct flight from Indianapolis to Providence) and I picked him up after work. In order to avoid rush hour traffic, we decided to eat dinner in the city. I took Nick to Newbury St, a popular shopping area in Boston. I was starting to get a little hypoglycemic, so we ate an early, casual dinner at Upper Crust (*love* their calzones!), followed by some window shopping in some ridiculously expensive stores.

I ended up going into work on Friday after much debate between the two of us about the underlying meaning and implications of me not taking a day off. From my point of view, why wouldn't I take the day off, and why didn't Nick want me to? His argument was that we would still be able to spend time together and that I'd have an extra vacation day to visit him for a 3-day weekend. In the end, I didn't take the day off for 2 reasons: 1. I had a lot of work to do in the office 2. I started to agree with Nick's point. He is going to China in April (*so* jealous!), so I won't be able to visit when I originally planned (he will be gone on his birthday, April 4). At least now I'll have the option of taking a 3-day weekend in March. (I hate it when he's right!)

When I had gotten home from work, Nick had flowers and chocolates waiting for me.

They smell wonderful! Fresh flowers are one of my favorite gifts.

As a combination Valentine's Day and birthday gift, I got Nick a new iPod nano! Apple offers free engraving (he wanted his full name and new e-mail address) and free shipping. The new nano shoots video, which will be nice for his trip this spring.

On Friday night, we went into downtown Providence. My co-worker, Alan, had given me a free pair of tickets to see the Providence Bruins game at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Our tickets were in the luxury suite, which was more relaxing, and there were 5 other people from work watching the game. It wasn't anything fancy, but we had a nice time. Nick had never been to any type of professional hockey game (his last one was a high school game), so the opportunity for free tickets couldn't be passed up. After the game, we went out to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. (I know, I didn't take him to any local restaurants, but it was what sounded best to both of us at the time.)

Alan and his son, Daniel, who was so well-behaved for a two year-old

So upset that we forgot to take a picture of ourselves!

On Saturday, Nick and I made one of our wonderful homemade breakfasts. We had blueberry pancakes, fresh orange juice, turkey bacon (for me- it's not really my favorite, but I need the protein), and an omelet for Nick (complete with tomatoes, goat cheese, peppers, and onions- this guy doesn't mess around in the kitchen!) Nick and I make a good team- my pancake batter is better than his, but I always end up burning them, while he seems to cook them just right. We lazed around and watched some of season five of The Office that Nick had brought with him from Indy. Nick had never really seen the show when we started dating, so we began watching the seasons on DVD. When the fifth season came out, we vowed not to watch the new episodes until we could watch them together (Awww, how cute).

On Saturday afternoon, Nick and I drove to Princeton, Massachusetts to go skiing on Wachusett Mountain. This area is only an hour from my apartment and had night skiing available (we aren't always morning people on the weekends). There are 22 trails with a peak elevation of 2,006 feet. The weather turned out to cooperate, too- it was just above freezing and not too windy. I had not been skiing in seven years, so I guess I was what you call "rusty." However, for whatever reason, I didn't think I'd have that many problems, but I struggled a little more than I thought I would.

A picture of Wachusett Mountain at night

The trails at Wachusett Mountain

Nick had skied much more than I have, and I didn't want him to be bored by going on all of the easy trails. (He was such a good sport the entire time- it was so nice to ski together.) We started off on a blue square trail (medium difficulty), which didn't seem all that bad until about a third of the way down the mountain. I managed to have two major falls with my feet over my head both times. (At this point, I am laughing hysterically after my falls- I am sure that I looked like some sort of cartoon character tumbling down the snow.) After a couple of runs, I started to get the hang of it with the help of my ski instructor (that would be Nick). He was very patient with me, even when I got frosty with him (no pun intended) a couple of times. (I can take one piece of advice per run... e.g. I will focus on keeping my skis together this time, but I can't keep my skis together, keep my back straight, and look for soft spots in the snow to turn.)

Before our skiing adventure

On one of the lifts... we look like we are going to rob a bank!

Nick and I went inside the lodge at the base of the mountain to get a drink of water and find the bathroom. I went into the restroom and looked into the mirror to pull off my hat, gloves, and scarf. There was a woman who was cleaning up around the sinks.

The cleaning woman: "Is it raining outside?"

Me: "No, I just fell a couple of times."

The cleaning woman: "On your face?"

Me (laughing so hard that I could barely answer her): "Twice!"

I had gotten so much snow underneath my hat during my falls that my hair had become so wet that it looked like a bucket of water was dumped on me.

After our quick rest, Nick and I decided to try to find Bullock Lodge. Bullock Lodge is a small cabin about halfway down the mountain in between two black diamond trails (aka difficult) that serves hot cider and doughnuts, so you know that it was a high priority stop for me! We started down one difficult trail but not the right one- the trail that the cabin was located off of was closed shortly for grooming. I fell on the trail after about 200 yards, but after regaining composure, I did well going down the rest of the trail, well enough for me to even give a "woo-hoo!" scream. When we returned to the top, the trail to the cider house had been opened (another difficult trail). There is a split halfway down the mountain, and instead of going left, Nick and I went right. We spotted the lodge through the woods, and Nick quickly yelled that there was a path through the woods that we could use to reach it. I was in front of him (going way too fast, I might add), so I didn't have much time to cut over. I made it onto the trail, but because I was out of control, took a serious tumble about 50 yards later (It was more of a face-plant that a tumble). This fall hurt the worst of all... I felt my chest and face hit the hard, icy ground, and my left leg had a sharp pain. Nick helped me get up- no broken bones, but I was definitely banged up.

We made it into the cider house for our respite, and I was so glad to be there. Not only were the homemade cider and doughnuts amazing, the lodge was warm and inviting. A local farm, Red Apple Farm, makes both the doughnuts and cider- just thinking about them makes me hungry!

Not the greatest picture (my camera kept fogging up!), but here's a view of the inside of the lodge

We went down several more trails, and after one more serious head-over-heels fall, I was done for the day. I went inside to the lodge at the base of the mountain to warm up, while Nick did one more run on his own. All in all, it was a very successful (and fun!) day on the slopes.

Nick and I made dinner at my apartment on Saturday night- tacos, Spanish rice, and frozen margaritas (well, for me... Nick stuck to his wheat beer). We were thinking about enchiladas, but I had forgotten to pick up the sauce and chiles. I can only make a few meals that both of us like, and this happens to be one of them. Sometimes it is more relaxing to eat at home than to try to go out to eat, especially on holiday weekends. (Growing up, we would always try to eat at home for Mother's Day and Father's Day- it can be too crazy to even make the trip worth it.)

Nick had to be at the airport by 1:00 PM today (Sunday), so we took it easy in the morning (more pancakes!) since we had to leave by noon. I still get sad every time he or I leave one another (well, I get sad when anyone leaves after visiting me here, for that matter), but for Nick, it usually doesn't hit me until I get back to my apartment. All of the little things around my place start to have memories connected with them (why else would I have olives, Dr. Pepper, or Franziskaner in my refrigerator?). I've been doing really well the past couple of months as am working to "embrace" my experience here in Rhode Island, but there is a part of me that will always miss my valentines at home.

This Is Your Song

So many things have happened since I wrote a decent blog post that I don't even know where to start! Since I know some of you may be looking forward to seeing some recent pictures, I think I'll work in reverse chronological order.

After only one week in Rhode Island, I flew home Friday night for the Indiana School of Medicine annual St. Vitus formal. (Note: When Nick and I went to Europe this past June, we visited Prague Castle, which houses the St. Vitus Cathedral that the dance is named after. When we arrived to tour the cathedral, there was over a 2-hour wait! We decided to check out another history exhibit and revisit St. Vitus afterwards. When we came back, there was a sign on the door stating "Closed early for a special event." You have got to be kidding me! Thousands of miles away from home, and it is closed on the day we visit.) Nick invited me to go last year, and I had an absolute blast, even though I didn't know that many people. Two of my very best friends were going to be there, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get dressed up. (I mean, how often do you get to do that any more? Most weddings don't lend themselves to semi-formal attire, at least around here.) Chelsea's husband, Kyle, started medical school this fall, and June, who is in her third year of school, transferred to the Indy campus to complete her rotations.

Here is a picture I took of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague- isn't it beautiful? I still can't believe I took this myself... it looks like it belongs on a postcard.

Nick in front of St. Vitus

Here I am pouting on the steps... looks like we'll have to make another trip to Prague!

I didn't have to think twice about what I was going to wear. About a year ago, my Grandma M gave me a dress that was hers from the 1950's. There are only two female grandchildren on that side of the family (Katie, you can always borrow it if you'd like to!), so I didn't have to put up a fight for it. Toula, the lady who has been doing alterations on my dresses since I was a junior in high school, did an absolutely fabulous job on the dress. The top had to be taken out, the zipper replaced, the bow fixed, etc. The dress was in great shape, and I wanted to make sure whatever we did wouldn't compromise its integrity.

The finished product...

Before the dance, Nick and I headed over to Kyle and Chelsea's house for dinner. Considering the type of event, one might assume that we had a formal meal... wine, steak or chicken, some kind of cooked vegetable, and another starch. When I talked to Chelsea, though, we decided that having margaritas and a taco bar would be much more fun! We opted not to get dressed up until after dinner to avoid any fashion emergencies or break downs (except for Nick, that is... apparently he doesn't spill or at least thinks he's too cool to join us). Naturally, I had left my camera at Nick's apartment during dinner, but I'll post Chelsea's pictures when she sends them to me.

St. Vitus is held at a different location every year (third years on the student council plan the event). Last year it was held at the Indianapolis Public Library, which might sound a bit strange but was actually a great venue. This year it was at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. The last time I went there was for a Brian Setzer Orchaestra concert more than 10 years ago. It is designed to look like a European village, complete with stucco walls and balconies. I think my two favorite features are the giant wooden dance floor (hello, decals!) and the second floor balcony that is accessible to guests. You can read about some more of the Roof's history here. I tried to take pictures of the room, but my camera didn't do the lighting justice (or maybe it was a user error!). Either way, I've included some pictures taken by professionals.

The second floor balcony adds a touch of romance

The ballroom set up for a wedding- I love the dramatic lighting

I only include this demonstrate how crazyy I am when it comes to certain things. (I'm not sure that crazy is the correct way to describe my behavior but that will have to do for now.) For example, taking a picture of the wooden floor. (Decals, anyone?)

We had a wonderful time talking, dancing, and laughing with friends. Without further ado, here are the rest of the pictures from the night...

Doesn't Nick look handsome?

Chelsea wore a floor-length, light pink dress, which was absolutely stunning.

Lana and Aakash working the dance floor

David, Nick's roommate, has classic style- reminds me of Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick, Jr., etc.

Chelsea, June, and yours truly (I am so jealous of June's haircut- she wears it so well)

I can't take him anywhere...

... except to the dance floor
I know it might look like it, but I am not naked! (I'd blame this on the photographer, but I don't remember who took it.)

What a gorgeous couple- I love that you can just tell how happy they are together from this picture
Stealing a kiss on the dance floor...
No, they are not in a gang... Celebrating 4 years of med school (Well, technically Nick is at 3.5, but who's counting)

And my favorite picture from the whole night (I think David snapped this one when we weren't looking).....

At the end of the night, without anyone noticing, Nick and I went to the center of the dance floor and sang each other one of our favorite songs...

How wonderful life is while you're in the world...

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...