Pure Joy

 I spent the weekend at my sisters in Minnesota.  Those of you with children already understand this, but I am truly amazed at how one mini-person can bring such joy in so many small ways.  We are delighted when she says a new phrase, even if it's "jump shake your booty" thanks to her Aunt Veronica's dance instructions during random TenCate dance time.

 We love the way she backs up in reverse to sit on her mom's lap at story time and then repeats the same motion and the same book with her dad next saying "Daddy read". 

 We will stop at nothing to see this little girl smile and laugh. 

Maybe it is because being in her presence makes us smile and laugh so much that after a day our cheeks hurt.

Thanksgiving Traditions

 Many years ago Thanksgiving time meant Wed evening at The Holland Country Club with the TenCates, Thursday spent relaxing at home taking a nap during the lions game and Friday with The Marsh Family.  Over the years traditions have changed.  Wed night became a EGRHS reunion at Flannagans, Thursday packed with both Marsh and TenCate holidays and Friday/Saturday were football watching days.

There is a point in time when new becomes tradition.  Those who know me well, know I am resistant to such changes.  Medical school, residency and fellowship have forced me into making my own Chicago Thanksgiving traditions which I've grown to love.  The first of which is The McDonalds (formerly know as Macy's) Thanksgiving Day parade. 

Many years with Irish coffee/spiced wine in hand along side Amanda or Andi Tenner, now Jason joins me to brave the crowd and get in the holiday spirit.

This year felt nostalgic, as I know it may be the last year I live close enough to walk to the parade.  Funny how new becomes tradition and then it is hard to leave!

This year a new tradition started, one I hope continues for a long time.  Jason and I prepared our very own Thanksgiving.  I will always hope to spend the holiday with my family, but this was pretty amazing and I hope I can start cooking for the whole family!

3 hours later we had a perfect turkey, thanks to Jason.

And yes.  This is me.  Peeling apples, making crust and baking.  FOR REAL!

The night was topped with a stroll in downtown Chicago and watching the new Muppet Movie. 

New Traditions have been made here in Chicago and if I end up moving, I will leave here kicking and screaming.

That being said- someone was shot in the parking garage at my hospital last night, where I park every day.  The hospital was on "Lock down" for hours while the SWAT team searched every single patient room and call room for the shooter.......maybe it wont be so awful to find a new job!

Job Hunting

Most people went through this over 10 years ago.  Now I find myself in uncharted territory.  Sure, I've done lots of interviewing....medical school interviewing, residency interviewing, GI fellowship interviewing and finally transplant fellowship interviewing.  This is different.  During my training, the programs were all more-or-less the same.  They might vary in location and minor differences in strengths/weaknesses, but in the end they were all at major university hospitals in which I would get paid next to nothing to work my ass off and have no control over my own schedule.

This time it's different.  Very different.  The careers I'm looking at vary from general gastroenterology to transplant hepatology.  The settings vary from small private clinics to huge academic centers.  There are lifestyle choices like call schedule, number of partners, commute to work to thnk about.  There are salaries, benefits and malpractice to be considered.

I have 5 interviews scheduled in December (2 of which are second interviews).  The locations are narrowed right now to Grand Rapids, Milwaukee and the Chicago area with a possible Madison or Minneapolis floating around out there.

I have a good idea of what I want and am trying to find the best-although-not-perfect match.

I hope this will all be finishing up by the second or third month of 2012....but it may come down to asking advice from my dear friend:

What's next??

I'm having trouble deciding on my goals for the upcoming year. I have become such a goal oriented person. I thrive on achieving the little steps in the process of completing a big goal. I love all the benefits of regular exercise both mental and physical, but without race to train for I just don't do it.

So what will it be?

Triathlon- This I love. The variety, the challenge, the people whom I train with. The camaraderie of the events. It is pure fun. BUT the last few years after I did the Ironman, I just am not into the time commitment of training for endurance triathlons. I'm all for dedication, but 2-8 hours of working out A DAY is tough to swallow right now. Still, I have plenty of people training for Ironman this year and the bug is in the air. Perhaps I'll end up doing another half this summer.

Running- The time commitment of triathlon and the true mental challenge of running is why I switched over to marathons the past two years. Running has always been my biggest challenge. When I registered for the Ironman I couldn't run 20 minutes without stopping and it has been a constant battle. Mostly it's a mental battle. While there are some moments I enjoy a run on a cool brisk day and I do enjoy being able to go for a jog/ chat with friends, soak in nature, pound the pavement, the majority of the time I just don't want to do it. And so I don't. Let me be the first to tell you, training for a marathon running only 2 days a week with no other workouts is really not good enough to have a great race day. A dear friend of mine, MF DRE, is making her running comeback after years of injury and she has suggested a long relay called Ragnar, requiring each of us to run 33 miles. It could be fun and a great way to spend time with some people I love, but perhaps if I stuck to some shorter running this year, I might actually start to like it again.

Swimming- my first love. There is no place on earth that brings such serenity as a swimming pool. No smell quite like chlorine. No feeling quite like gliding through the cool water after a long day at work. I looked into some swimming races, maybe Alcatraz but after visiting last week I'm not sure I really want to try "The Escapes" frigid shark filled waters (while not man eating sharks, sharks are scary none-the-less. Maybe the Lake Tahoe relay if can find enough people crazy enough to swim across Tahoe's 55 degree water at an altitude of 6000 ft.

I need a few weeks to let this fester, but I have no doubt I'll be signing up for something fantastic this year and having a great time on the road training for whatever I decide on.

Suggestions?!?!

One Heart One Way

The Greek System- most love it or hate it. Maybe some need a decade away from college before you aren't a little sheepish about talking about being in a sorority. The other day I came upon my mother's Sigma Kappa pin in my jewelery box. By the time I pledged, in 1996, most girls bought the standard gold bordered pin pictured above. On the day of my initiation my mother, aunt and several of their sorority sisters joined in the ceremony. My mother pinned her pin (pictured below) lined in rubies and diamonds. This was a very special mother-daughter moment that I am so happy to have shared. In the years to come we share songs, rituals and stories of our sisterhood.

While many people turn their nose at the greek system, I can honestly say 15 years later the women who remain my closest friends from college are those I met in my sorority. Not those from the dorm, no those from my water polo team, not those from my pre-med classes. I'm not saying I would have made great friends elsewhere, but for whatever reason these are the bonds that stuck. That alone makes joining Scrappa one of my best decisions. Plus, who doesn't like a theme party?

(Plus I just got a new camera and wanted to play with it)

Happy Halloween

I celebrated Halloween with a half marathon run/walk in the morning on Saturday with my friend Anu. She ran the Detroit marathon 2 weeks ago and this was my first run since Chicago Marathon. We agreed we would go out and have fun in some costumes and enjoy the sunny fall day. After resting up, Jason and put on our WWF costumes (yes, take that world wildlife federation) and joined some girlfriends in some halloween debauchery. Good times.