Fix It Friday - 56

Warning, I have lots of edits this time around.

Original

My first edit:

Pioneer Woman's Black White Beauty Action added to above photo.

Pioneer Woman's Heartland Action at about 26%

Pioneer Woman's Lovely Action:

Then, Pioneer Woman's Sepia and a vignette:

I really can't pick a favorite, but it was fun playing around with these adorable babies.

We're in the Apartment

It's bittersweet. Friday we moved into our temporary apartment in Delaware. It's very nice to be in our own place back East, but it's still frustrating. I've learned I'm very materialistic and have too much stuff. Kitchen wise, I pretty much use all of it, but really, there's an excess. Definitely something I need to work on. Our plan is to stay here until we find a home we want to buy. That's the frustrating part. I'm trying not to completely unpack, but still have a functional home. It's still taking quite a lot of time to unpack and organize, but I keep thinking I'm just going to have to do this all again in a couple of months. Either way, I can't cook out of boxes, so I must organize the kitchen. We didn't move our dressers into the apartment, so we will be keeping our clothes in suitcases, but we can deal.

It's so nice to be back though. Yesterday we visited Joe's family and it only took an hour each way. So much better than a flight or 24 hour drive!

There's really no point to this post, I just needed to whine. I have recipes I've made in Omaha that I've still yet to post, so eventually they'll be up here. I'm going through cooking withdrawal, but 1. Our kitchen isn't set up yet and 2. We're on a tighter budget, so I really need to make sure I'm cooking food that Joe will eat too, aka boring.

Sylvia

Sylvia by Bryce Courtenay


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Up until the end, I was going to rate this 3 stars, however, I felt the ending was rushed and abrupt. The last third of the book was drawn out, but I don't think the story was resolved.

I also didn't like the narration. The story is set in Germany and I guess that gave the narrator permission to pronounce every word beginning with W as if it began with V. That would be fine if the narrator was German, but she clearly was American and knew how to pronounce W's. She also attempted to give characters accents to help distinguish them from another, but I find accents unnecessary and annoying.

Sylvia explores multiple aspects of the Catholic Church--from corruptness to celibacy. I've been struggling with my faith for awhile now, and Courtenay hit many of the aspects of the Catholic Church with which I'm struggling. While I know/hope that bishops aren't appointed by the family in which they were born or how much money they could pay the Vatican, but the hierarchy is still there. There are more aspects exposed, but my religious struggles are not the point of this review.

Overall, I don't think I'd recommend this book.

View all my reviews >>

Bye Bye, Midwest

After driving back from Baltimore to Omaha with Dad and his truck to pick up the rest of our stuff, Joe and I left Omaha and the Midwest for good yesterday. We arrived at my parents' house around 5pm and said hello to the East Coast for good this time. While we can never predict where our lives will take us, we'll likely never live in the Midwest again. I'm not going to lie, I'm going to miss it. It's true when people say the Midwest has nicer people and a slower pace. Plus, I'm definitely going to miss the lower cost of living! That being said, it's always good to be home. It's comforting knowing we'll be so close to family and friends again. Eventually I'll get use to the traffic and increased population, but Omaha will always hold a special place in my heart.

Insect Repellent

As we packed up the truck today to make the final drive back to Baltimore, I received many mosquito bites. I hate these pesky insects! So, in that light, I thought it wise to discuss insect repellent and children. Once again, information taken from AAP's parenting site, Healthy Children. In summary, DEET is the best; however, it should only be applied once a day, so avoid buying the sunblock with DEET (because sunblock needs to be reapplied multiple times!). Visit here to learn more about sunblock and children.

______________________________________________________

There are so many insect repellents out there. What kind is best for my children?

Insect repellents come in many forms including aerosols, sprays, liquids, creams, and sticks. Some are made from chemicals and some have natural ingredients.

Keep in mind that insect repellents prevent bites from biting insects but not stinging insects. Biting insects include mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, chiggers, and biting flies. Stinging insects include bees, hornets, and wasps.


The following are types of repellents that are not effective:

*Wristbands soaked in chemical repellents
*Garlic or vitamin B1 taken by mouth
*Ultrasonic devices that give off sound waves designed to keep insects away
*Bird or bat houses
*Backyard bug zappers (Insects may actually be attracted to your yard.)

________________________________________

DEET

DEET is a chemical used in insect repellents. The amount of DEET in insect repellents varies from product to product, so it's important to read the label of any product you buy. The amount of DEET may range from less than 10% to more than 30%.

Studies show that products with higher amounts of DEET protect people longer. For example, products with amounts around 10% may repel pests for about 2 hours, while products with amounts of about 24% last an average of 5 hours. But studies also show that products with amounts of DEET greater than 30% don't offer any extra protection.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that repellents should contain no more than 30% DEET when used on children. Insect repellents also are not recommended for children younger than 2 months.

________________________________________

Tips for Using Repellents Safely

The following are guidelines on how to use insect repellents safely.

Dos

*Read the label and follow all directions and precautions.
*Only apply insect repellents on the outside of your child's clothing and on exposed skin.
*Spray repellents in open areas to avoid breathing them in.
*Use just enough repellent to cover your child's clothing and exposed skin. Using more doesn't make the repellent more effective. Avoid reapplying unless necessary.
*Assist young children when applying insect repellents on their own. Older children also should be supervised when using these products.
*Wash your children's skin with soap and water to remove any repellent when they return indoors, and wash their clothing before they wear it again.

Don'ts

*Never apply insect repellent to children younger than 2 months.
*Repellents should not be sprayed directly onto your child's face. Instead, spray a little on your hands first and then rub it on your child's face. Avoid the eyes and mouth.
*Insect repellents should not be applied on cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
*Don't buy products that combine DEET with sunscreen. The DEET may make the sun protection factor (SPF) less effective. These products can overexpose your child to DEET because the sunscreen needs to be reapplied often.

Last Updated 3/30/2010

Source: A Parent's Guide to Insect Repellents (Copyright © 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Fix It Friday - 54

Out of order, I know. I can't help it I don't get a chance to edit each Friday.

The original.

My edit. Played with the levels, then used Perfect Portrait and Sunkissed--both actions from

CoffeeShop

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Deliciousness!!! I've never cooked or baked with rhubarb before, and this was a pleasant surprise. I don't know if it'll still be in season once I get the kitchen at our temp apartment set up, and I don't know how much time I'll have, so I almost think I won't be baking with rhubarb until next year. Sigh. The original recipe calls for a glaze, I'm so glad I didn't add it. I think with the glaze it would have been sweetness overload. I also substituted about 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour. Given the amount of butter, I think I'll try using only whole wheat flour next time.

Recipe from Le Petit Pierogi who used a recipe from Land O'Lakes

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (6.4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup (7.5 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Drizzle Ingredients: (omitted)

3/4 cup (6 ounces) powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice in 2-quart saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender (8 to 12 minutes).

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (about 1 minute). Continue boiling until thickened (1 minute). Remove from heat. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Combine all drizzle ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled bars. Cut into bars.

Preparation time: 30 min Baking time: 30 min Yield: 36 bars

Fix It Friday - 55

The Original. Honestly, I'd just take a new picture the next day. I can edit the light, but the blurriness of the face, only so so.

My edit. Not so in love with it, but tired of playing around.

It'll be a LOOOONG Summer...

...for my lil bro!
After a game of tackle football today, here's his right wrist. Fortunately he's left handed, so he can still eat, write, etc. However, my brother spends almost all of his downtime playing x-box. Unfortunately, he can't hold his controller, so he's a little lost. He'll follow-up with the orthopedic next week to get a hard cast and find out how long it'll all be on. In the mean time, we'll be waiting on him. We've stopped at Redbox to try to load up on DVDs since he can do that one handed. Let's see how long it us until we all go crazy :p

Relocating...

...stinks. Don't get me wrong, I'm so very happy to be back on the East Coast and getting ready to start my residency at duPont, but I just want a reasonable, safe place to live. We want to buy a house, but haven't found one yet. I don't want to commute to and from my parents (over 1.25 hours, plus we'd like our own space), so I'm looking for an apartment. The shortest lease we can find is 3 months, which pretty much works. We've been very spoiled with our living situation in Omaha and apartment hunting today shows me "you get what you pay for." Ugh. It's going to be a slap on the face paying almost 3x more in rent. Back to apartment hunting tomorrow--I realized I need to expand my price range to feel safe and not live in a dive.

1166 Miles

I'm in Baltimore! Door to door, just under 24 hours. Now to try to find a temporary place to live in Delaware and do it all over again next week with Joe's car.

Just call me Dr. Amanda!

Yesterday I officially received my M.D. It's been a long journey and I still have so much to learn. I haven't quite gotten used to the fact that I'm a doctor now. I hope to write more soon. It's been crazy packing up the house and I'm hitting the road tomorrow.

And for my photo friends, here's the original I used to make the above photo. Loving photoshop elements, coffeeshop's perfect portrait action, and Shadowhouse's textures!


Crazy it's the same photo, eh?

Greek-esque Pasta Salad

I'm only now discovering how easy it is to whip up a yummy pasta salad.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound tri-color pasta - cooked
2/3 cup Italian dressing (I'm sure Greek dressing would taste excellent too)
1 cucumber - sliced and cut into quarters
1 pint cherry tomatoes - sliced in half
1 can of pitted black olives - sliced in half
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta as directed, drain. Mix in Italian dressing while pasta still warm to help prevent pasta from clumping. Add rest of the ingredients, except the feta. If the pasta has cooled enough so that it won't melt the feta, add the feta. Cover and chill 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Old Bay Party Dip

Before leaving the Midwest, I wanted to expose some of my classmates to Old Bay. Tonight we had a potluck picnic and bonfire to burn our white coats. I don't know if my classmates liked the Old Bay or not, but I liked the dip. It was definitely something different. The recipe calls for sour cream. I just happened to have 2 ounces of cream cheese left over from a another recipe, so that's what I used. In the future, I'll probably try half of the amount of sour cream and a full stick (8 ounces) of cream cheese.

Recipe inspired by Old Bay

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon old bay
1 tsp dried parsley
2 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup mayo

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients, chill for at least an hour. Serve with fresh cut veggies, crackers, or chips.

Braided Lemon Bread

Delicious! This is my first time braiding bread. After the first horrendous loaf, it was pretty simple. The recipe says prep time is about 25 minutes. This is a lie--not including the time to let the dough rise, I think hands on time is closer to 45-60 minutes. The recipe calls to split the dough in half and make 2 loaves, I opted for four, which I liked. Also, for two of them I added some blueberries, even more delicious!

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

INGREDIENTS

Sponge

* 3/4 cup warm water (6 ounces)
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon instant yeast
* 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (2 ounces)

Dough

* all of the sponge
* 3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (6 ounces)
* 1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounces)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor OR vanilla - I used vanilla
* 5 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (21 1/4 ounces)
* egg wash for brushing braid
* pearl sugar or sparkling white sugar for sprinkling on braid (just for decorating, really doesn't add flavor)

Cream cheese filling

* 2/3 cup cream cheese, softened (5 ounces)
* 1/4 cup sugar (1.75 ounces)
* 1/4 cup sour cream (2 ounces)
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (1 ounce)
* 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd - rough estimate

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes.

1) In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.

If you're using a bread machine, combine all the dough ingredients in the pan and set the machine on the dough cycle. Be sure to check the dough as it kneads and adjust the flour or water as needed to achieve a soft, supple consistency. Let the cycle complete itself.

2) If working by hand or stand mixer, place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 6 to 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled.

3) While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids.

4) Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section, and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling.

5) To form the mock braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf

6) Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 to 50 minutes, or until quite puffy

7) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Dad's on the Road!

You thought I was joking about the covered wagon in my earlier post, didn't ya? Mom wanted to make sure we took a picture this time.

Dad and my grandmother left Baltimore this morning to make the 21 hour drive to Omaha. They'll arrive sometime on Tuesday. If my dad had his way, he'd sleep 4 hours at a rest stop, but I really doubt that's going to fly with my 70 something year old grand-mom.

Joe and I have been working on packing, but it's hard. We're still using a fair amount of our belongings, plus we're running out of room to store the packed boxes. I'm trying to do lots of baking to use up my baking supplies. Joe's not so excited about me continuing to mess up the kitchen :p

I'm excited about graduation this Saturday, but I think I'm more excited to make the move back East and start to get situated there. I'll be leaving this weekend to drive back to Baltimore and staying with my parents until I find a temporary apartment in Delaware. Joe's had a couple of job leads, but no offers yet, so please keep sending job vibes his way. Joe will stay in Omaha with an air mattress and TV until the end of May, when I'll fly back to make the drive with him.

Babies with Reflux

Given that I just finished a pediatric gastro-intestinal rotation, I felt it was only appropriate to talk about reflux this week. Yes, I know I forgot last week.

Here's the bad news - reflux is a natural part of being a baby. There are many theories out there as to why, but unfortunately, some babies are just more spitty than others. More bad news, reflux tends to be the worst between 3-6 months of age. So, your 2 month baby's reflux is likely to get worse before it gets better. BUT IT WILL GET BETTER!

Here's the good news, most kids outgrow their reflux by one year of age!

I do not want to minimize the effects reflux can have on a family, however. Sometimes babies become fussy because of the reflux leaving acid in the stomach. That's when your pediatrician mAy prescribe an antacid. THIS DOES NOT STOP YOUR BABY FROM SPITTING UP. Your baby will continue to spit up, but there won't be as much acid from the reflux and hopefully that means your little one won't be as fussy. Other things you can try include the following:

• Keep your infant upright for at least 30 minutes after meals.
• Only put your baby in a car seat when driving in the car.
• Burp the baby frequently.
• Avoid tight diapers and elastic waistbands.
• Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.
• Avoid overfeeding. Don’t feed the baby again after he or she spits up — wait until the next feeding.
• Your pediatrician may advise you to thicken the formula (or pumped breast milk) with rice cereal.
• For formula-fed infants, your pediatrician may recommend a special anti-reflux formula.
• For formula-fed infants, your pediatrician may advise you to try a formula created to be non-allergenic (hypoallergenic) for AT LEAST two weeks.

If your baby starts throwing up bile (greenish/yellow fluid) or blood, THIS IS NOT REFLUX! These could indicate something more serious is going on, so call your doctor!

Adapted from AAP's parent website, Healthy Children. Reflux More Reflux

Fix It Friday - 52

Again late, but I loved the composition of this photo so much, I had to play around with edits. In general, I used the layer masks to remove the effects from the subject's face.

Original

I used Shadowhouse's textures and Coffee Shop's Little Perk action.


Here, I used Coffeeshop's LOMO action and added a slight vignette.


And here I used Coffeeshop's Orton action.

The Forgotten Garden

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have mixed feelings about Morton's Forgotten Garden. For the first 2/3rds of the book, I was on the edge of my seat loving it and wondering where Morton was going to take me. Once I got towards the end, I lost a lot of interest. I almost felt that a different writer wrote the first 2/3rds than the last third and she couldn't hold my attention as well. I don't really know how I would have ended the book, but I feel like she took a weak and predictable approach. She tried to lead us astray, which just frustrated me more because I was like, "just get to it already."

One of the characters writes fairy tales. Morton included some of these--loved that!

Since I loved the writing of the first 2/3rds, I'll likely pick up another of her books in hopes I'm not as disappointed in the ending.

View all my reviews >>

White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cinnamon Toast Crunch

I love white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies, Joe likes the cookies without the macadamia nuts, and we both love Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Needless to say, when I saw this recipe, I definitely wanted to give it a try. I really like the flavor of cinnamon given by the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, but not the cereal in the cookies. Since it's sugar coated, I feel like the cereal became extra chewy during baking. The next time I make these, I'll probably just add cinnamon sugar and leave out the cereal.

Recipe from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks softened butter
1 Cup packed brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, slightly crushed up
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl combine the flour, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the white chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown.

2. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

3 dozen cookies

Reality of Life

I'd like to share a story one of my dear friends shared with me last night.

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm finishing medical school and moving cross country. Tons of my classmates are doing the same thing right now. If you've ever packed up a whole house/apartment, you know that you often collect a pile of things that you don't need anymore, but are still in good condition. So, my dear friend dropped off some of her extra belongings at the homeless shelter yesterday. In the mean time, she had empty boxes in her back seat to use for packing. As she was unloading her car, she had to take out the boxes. A homeless man came up to her and asked if he could have the boxes for a bed. Can you imagine? I never even thought to donate large boxes before.

Fix It Friday - 53

Original

My Edit.

Tried to mix things up a little here. I used some over exposure and played around with multiple actions from Pioneer Woman. I don't really like the idea of correcting blemishes on kids--it's part of who they are when the photo's taken. I don't know how this little dude bumped his eye, but I'm sure there's a story behind it.

Almond Cloud Cookies

Ahh, the busy-ness of life. With my new rotation and trying to pack for our big move, I haven't tried a new recipe for over two weeks!

But, this post is about these fabulous almond cookies. Warning, these aren't cheap to make. I think the almond paste alone will get you for $6-10. The cookies are very, and I mean very, sweet. The first bite is delicious, and then the next I feel is a sugar overload. The next time I make them, I might try adding less sugar. That being said, these are the closest things I've found to the almond cookies from my favorite Italian bakery, Vaccaro's in Baltimore.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

* 10 ounces almond paste
* 1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/8 teaspoon extra-strong bitter almond oil
* Confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar, for topping

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) Blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly; this is best done in a stand mixer.

3) Add the egg whites gradually, while mixing, to make a smooth paste.

4) Stir in the flavorings.

5) Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared pans.

6) Sprinkle the cookies heavily with confectioners' sugar, then use three fingers to press an indentation into the center of each cookie.

7) Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan.

Yield: 21 cookies.

In the Company of a Courtesan

In the Company of a Courtesan by Sarah Dunant


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I haven't read too many books set in Italy of the 1500's and while I know this is historical fiction, it was nice to learn more about the era.

One of the things I loved about this book was the character development. Not only did I feel a personal connection to each character, each character was flawed in some way. People in real life are flawed, as they should be.

I wasn't expecting the plot twist towards the end with the Healer, but definitely enjoyed the change of pace and surprise!

View all my reviews >>

If Michelangelo Sculpted David Today...

A friend sent me these pictures in an email and I just had to share.


The original....

...took at trip to America...

...and ate the American diet...

Too. Much. Stuff.

My Dad will be getting here with his covered wagon, um I mean trailer, in about a week. While we don't need to have everything packed when he gets here, next week will be busy with graduation festivities, so I finally started tonight. I have this problem--I have too many hobbies. On top of that, when I discover a new hobby, I don't just buy the basics, I like to "accessorize." Tonight I spent about two hours packing and organizing my scrapbooking supplies and photos. The kicker--I'm about 6 years behind on all of my scrapbooks! While I'm glad it's organized, I really doubt I'll have much time to scrapbook over the next three years. I used to print out my digital photos, but since I'm so behind on my scrapbooks, I've just been saving them on my hard drive. I guess gone are the days when my adult kids find boxes of old un-filed photos--they'll have to search Facebook instead.

I don't know how much longer efficient packing is going to last. I have a bad feeling I'm going to just start throwing things in boxes oh so soon.

Golden Apple 2010

Each year my medical school has an award ceremony/dance known as Golden Apple. We didn't go last year, but since it's my senior year, I really wanted to go this year. It's a nice fun reason to get all dressed up and relax.

I should know by now to get my dresses professionally altered, but I'm too cheap. My upper half is at least a size or two smaller than my lower half. I think I spent a good 20 minutes just trying properly position the pins on my dress yesterday so I wouldn't pop out.
And then, it was trying to do my hair. Again, I'm too cheap to get it done. I always think doing my hair will take less time than it actually does. Want to know a secret? I used a bump-it last night! I've had them for about 8 months, so I figured it was finally time to use it. See the little bump? Not bad, eh? One of our friends had people over before the event. I was supplying some of the alcohol, but my hair still wasn't done. No fear, I proceeded to take my curling iron and curl it over there. Yes, that's how I roll.
So with similar occasions, alcohol was served. Our tickets included two bottles of wine per table. I'm cheap and we're all about free wine, so my friend and I went looking for any leftovers on other peoples' tables. Can you believe everyone drank all of their wine?!? But we did find some fresh water and desserts. Again, that's how I roll.
And this girl below, shes definitely one of the best friends I have and helped make med school that much more enjoyable and tolerable! Come June, we'll be on separate coasts =(
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an old lady yet, but I think I can still party like I'm 21. Man, I was beat by the end of the night! Every time I drink, I tell myself I'm going to slow down next time. I really need to start listening. I didn't wake up with too bad of a headache, but I think it took me until 6 pm before I had enough energy to feel like a real person again.
So, cheers to my last Golden Apple as a medical student and getting ready to start residency oh so soon.

I ran almost a mile today!

I used to call myself a runner, but with my knee pain for so many years, I really haven't been able to run. In fact, I think the last time I went for a true run was about 4 years ago. Since it's been about 8 months since my knee surgery and it's warm out again, I figured I'd give running a try. I'm happy to say I ran almost a mile today. I probably would have ran a full mile if it didn't end with a super hill and I didn't have my wallet and cell phone in my pocket hitting my thighs with each step (I was on the way to the Farmer's Market). I used to hate running distance at tracks, but I might try that next since it's a softer service--at the very least I should find a short trail.

I had a slight twinge in my knee as I was running, but it was definitely tolerable. It now hurts slightly in my left quad (side of bad knee) when I go down the stairs, but other than that I think I'm feeling ok. Today's run was no where near the speed or distance I'd like to achieve again eventually, but it's a start!