Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am working today, but this has given me yet another chance to put things into perspective. At first I was really sad to be away from my family today. Don't get me wrong, I love and miss my family and I am still sad . . . but then I went up to see one of my patients. Her kids are opening their stockings in a hospital room because she is too sick to go home. And this will almost definitely be her last Christmas with them, so they are actually grateful even though their Christmas is far from ideal. And as much as I miss my family today, at least I know they are all home with each other, safe, sound, and relatively healthy.

So as you enjoy your day, stop and take a minute to say thanks for all the blessings in your life.

I am giving thanks today for all of you!

Love,
Turtlewoman

I've got the spirit, yes I do!

I've got the spirit - how 'bout you?

I pulled out my mini Xmas tree and it is up and decorated. I haven't had it out in a few years, so this was kinda fun. None of these presents is for me, I actually just have a tiny bit of my shopping done . . . better than last year anyway!

Hope everyone has a warm and wonderful holiday!

Love,
Turtlewoman

A String of Random Thoughts

First, pictures of Dylan! Finally uploaded from my wonderful and relaxing trip last weekend to visit Dylan, Debbie, and Eric. Here in this first one, Dylan is showing us a pose I call "VSB" - an abbreviation for "Very Serious Boy". He wears this face frequently as he has many things to think about and ponders them quite seriously. He also has a BEAUTIFUL wide-open toothless grin, but it is hard to catch on camera. I am told that Debbie and Eric have a hard time catching it too. However it should be noted that if Dylan ever needs a passport photo his head is the perfect shape (note that you can see both ears). =-)



In the next shot, Dylan is actually faking us out. To the casual observer it would appear that Dylan is calmly drinking breastmilk from a bottle. This is not the case. He is actually pushing the nipple around with his tongue in an effort to ditch the bottle. He is VERY good at not drinking a bottle. By the end of the weekend Debbie and Eric got him to be a little better at actually drinking it too, but as of this picure he was still being stubborn. =-)





Okay, on to the next set of thoughts . . . Goose Eggs. Yep, they are BIG. Definitely bigger than chicken eggs anyway (as shown) although I bet they don't hold a candle to ostrich eggs. So there may be some benefit to the six geese on our farm (but don't hold me to that . . . I haven't actually tasted a goose egg yet) aside from their potential as future down pillows . . . they actually also make better guards than the dog as they are fierce, scary, and will chase just about anyone around the yard if they are concerned.





While we are talking about the farm . . .


There have been several more additions to our goaty family. Pictured here is my dad holding the first set of triplets for our farm. Again they are Boer/Angora crosses. Mom Zoe pushed them out like a champ! Pretty much nothing fazes Zoebo. Their names are Buckwheat, Semolina, and Durham. They are the younger siblings of Barley. Apparently we have switched from biblical names for Zoe's offspring (Zacchariah and Zebediah) to grain names. Hey, I don't name the goats . . . I just post their pictures. Despite that half of the genetics off all of these goats come from my Tankie, I have not yet had the privilege of naming any of them. Since then Pansy has also given birth to Beetlejuice (younger brother to Aphidia) but pictures are still forthcoming. Keep your eyes peeled.


And last in the string of things that I have been talking about but not displaying is my knitting! Shown here are my first two attempts at mittens. I am getting better as I go. I was a bit dismayed that they Noro (blue/green) mittens are so mismatched, but I am hoping that their intended recipient (the very artsy Becky) will appreciate them none-the-less. They match a hat I made for her about a year or so ago.



Other projects currently in the works include Will's Penguin, probably a hat for my secret santa, and of course I think I have about three blankets and two baby sweaters in the works that have been temporarily abondoned. I have started to get my stuff into ravelry (well, I got the mittens in anyway) and now that I know how to do it (Flickr is pretty easy really) I will start to keep things in there too!

Well, that's all for now. It is a very snowy day outside and I am enjoying not having to be outside in it. I am puttering about the house, playing with my computer, and I will probably knit later. I may make it out to make gingerbread houses with Tripp, but depends on the weather and what Margaret is up to. She was on call last night, so may need to sleep today.

Also, hope this new holiday themed coloring is not too annoying. Does anyone know how to changed the blue background? I couldn't figure it out with the color editor. I am wondering if it requires knowing code so that you can alter the template . . . not a project I am up for today.

Love,
Turtlewoman

Babies!

Well, I haven't uploaded my pictures of Dylan from this weekend yet, so you are really only going to get to see one baby right now . . . but babies was the theme for the weekend. I had an AWESOME time hanging out with Debbie, Eric, and Dylan. Dylan and I got some good bonding time in, although I never did get him to take a bottle from me. So much for my reputation as a baby whisperer. . . but I did introduce him to the joy of patti-cakes and got to sing him some of his first nursery rhymes so we still had fun. We also got a Christmas tree and then watched Eric struggle through the yearly tradition of the lighting of the house. He did a great job though! And then we all got to relax in front of a nice warm fire. Aside from playing with the baby and yarfing in Debbie's driveway (apparently even though I am almost 32 years old I still can't drink orange juice before going on a wind-y drive), it was a pretty low key weekend and I loved it. I got some knitting done, making my third ever mitten. I am starting to get the hang of the thumbs I think, as they are getting to be less gappy each time. I will have to take pictures and post at some point, but again . . . that involves downloading from the camera.

So meet Frosti! My newest grandkid. We weren't exactly planning to have kids this winter (not an ideal time for kidding in Maine), but Tankie had other ideas. One thing I can say for that boy, he has definitely proven himself as a stud. So all of the goats appear to be pregnant again and yesterday Blossie (aka Blossom) decided to drop kid out in the snowbank. In all honesty, this probably wasn't really her first choice. But seeing as all of the goats were out of the barn for the afternoon and she probably couldn't get back in she did the best she could. So she dropped him in the hay rack we keep near the barn. My parents came home from picking up my sister and heard a god-awful crying. When they went to look, they found Frosti lying in the hay in the snow, shivering and turning blue! It took a little resusciation, but they soon had him warmed up in the barn and he made it through the night! He is SO cute. You can see for yourself:

He is my 5th grand-kid, but he is the first male goat ever to be born on the Life is Goat Farm! He is the first male offspring of Tankie, and he is actually Blossie's first ever male offspring too. And she has had bunches of kids . . . So I guess you could say that Frosti is a little bit of a Christmas miracle (just a little early). =-)

Love,

Turtlewoman

A Formal Apology

To Eric, whom I neglected to mention in my previous post, and who is thinking about shunning me this weekend as a result.

My only defense is that I actually thought you were going to be in DC (don't know WHY I thought that, but I did).

OF COURSE I am also delighted that I will get to spend the weekend with Eric (in addition to Debbie and Dylan, both of whom WERE mentioned in the last post).

And hopefully Eric will feel the holiday spirit, forgive me, and not shun me this weekend when I invade his home and his family. Especially since I have a sneaking suspicion that he may indeed be my ride to and from the train station . . . might be bad if my ride shuns me hmmm? Could make for a cold weekend at the train station.
=-)

Love,
Turtlewoman

Laughing out Loud

Well, sometimes you just need a good laugh. Tonight for instance. I am unbelievably tired. Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration as I just woke up for the first time today since I went to sleep around 11 am. But I was on call last night and the ER killed me. Seriously. Killed me. I actually told them at one point "Can you please stop killing me?" They didn't listen. Anywho, at least it was just me getting killed . . . the patients were all fine. =-) But hey, after a night like that, sometimes you just gotta have a laugh. So it was great to read The Underwear Drawer today. Michelle Au is always quite witty and since she writes a lot about living the life of a medical student/resident/doctor I often relate to what she writes. Today's posts, although slightly morbid (and fitting given my night of being slayed in the ED), are hysterical. Check them out, I think you will laugh too. I don't remember writing about people dying as a kid . . . but I do remember that level of feeling so serious about yourself and what you are writing.

The good news is that I get to have next weekend off and I am going to visit Debbie and Dylan! Hurray!

Love,
Turtlewoman

Giving Thanks

I have just had a wonderful 6 day holiday! On Tuesday I got my car serviced and spent the waiting time getting a massage, eating lunch out, and wandering around Borders buying books. Went up to Chesley's for a quick yarn and needle buying frenzy (needed #11 DPN's to finish Will's penguin). Then headed home for the rest of the weekend. I saw five moose on my way up!

We had a lovely if quiet Thanksgiving dinner. Me, my parents, my sister, and my two grandmothers. We had a bit of an ice storm Wednesday night and then it rained on top of the glare ice in the driveway on Thursday . . . needless to say none of us left the house except to feed the goats! Luckily Mom had all of the turkey trimmings available in the house (despite the fact that we were supposed to go to Aunt Sherry's for the feast) and we will had an awesome dinner!

I have SO many things to be Thankful for this year. Loving family and friends, reasonably good health, a warm place to sleep, good food to eat, safe water to drink, access to health care, an excellent if expensive education, a career I love, pets, knitting, reading, smart and caring colleagues . . . my recent trip to Peru and the boss that made it all possible (pictured with me below in the "traditional 'We Did It!'" pose) . . . .

What are some of the things that you gave thanks for this year?

Love,

Turtlewoman

Congratulations Megan and Paul!

Congratulations Megan and Paul on your wedding this weekend! I'm sorry I missed the festivities, but hear that they went well! I am looking forward to hearing all of the stories and seeing all of the pictures.

Also, Happy Birthday Debbie! Hope you had a magnificent day . . . and wasn't it nice of Megan to have such a nice big party on your birthday? =-)

I am back in Maine safe and sound. Spent the night at my parents' house last night and now back in Portland and getting ready to return to work first thing in the morning. I am dreading it a little, just because readjusting to the American Culture of Medicine is sure to be a challenge. I have a feeling I may spend most of the day crying. No worries, I'm sure I will get over it soon enough.

Next big task in life will be to find a job. Yes, Chesley, it is okay to secretly be glad that I am staying. I think I am a little bit secretly glad about it too. Despite feeling disappointed when I didn't match, I also felt a little relieved. And today I was thinking about all of the fun things I can start doing when residency is done and I can actually start living my life. I see a lot more knit nights in my future!

Good night!

Love,
Turtlewoman

Good News, Bad News, Happy News, Sad News

Apologies for the Dr. Seuss title, but it is Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth after all . . .

The bad news? I did not match into a fellowship. The good news? At least for now, I feel okay about this. Sure I am sad, and my pride is definitely hurt, but I think it may be a sign. And Hector says that I should have a job waiting for me at home. Happy news? I have made so many good friends here (like Arnaldo above) and this has been one of the single greatest things I have done with my life. Maybe not getting into a fellowship is a sign that I need to stay in a more primary care type position so that I can continue to carry out good works like this in the world. Sad news? Okay, well, not so much sad as bittersweet . . . while I am very much looking forward to seeing family and friends and having some of the comforts and luxuries of home, I am extremely sad to be leaving Peru. Spending these two weeks here with these people, doing these surgeries . . . I feel like I could stay here for at least another few months! I'm sure if I had another month or two I could even learn spanish (I have picked some up already). You all know how much I love my family, my friends, my career, and my life. Even so, I don't remember my life ever feeling so fulfilled as it has during this trip. It is incredible.

This is the mission team for Oct 2007. There were a total of 40 of us. This has been my family for the past 2 weeks. They will be my friends for life. All of them are remarkable people. Thank you to everyone who has enabled me to make this journey of self-exploration!

I have many more pictures and stories to tell, but not today! Today I need to finish packing for the long trip home. We have to leave Chulu at 4 am tomorrow to catch our flight to Lima. I won't be home until sometime on Saturday afternoon. It is gonna be a LONG trip. Looking forward to talking to you all when I get back!

Love,

Turtlewoman

Another Hector is born

As it turns out, Peruvian babies are born in pretty much the same way that American babies are. Shown here is baby "Hector", named after my boss. We helped deliver him by c-section yesterday. So far there have been 3 c-sections during our time here. (Well, there have actually been more than that but only 3 during the day time). When there is a c-section, we hold off on one of our surgeries so that the baby can be delivered. Then we go back to our hysterectomies. Hector has been coming to Chulu for something like 15 years. Apparently there are a lot of little "Hectors" running around. The moms name the babies after him when he is here to help with their c-section.

I am having an incredible experience here in Peru. I can't begin to explain the things I am seeing and feeling. Before coming here, I had heard several presentations and seen tons of pictures of this place. None of it compares to actually living this experience. The poverty here is overwhelming. So many people have so little. You look at these little mud huts and it breaks your heart . . . until you realize that at least those people have houses. So many don't. We did surgery yesterday on someone that walked for two hours to catch a bus that then took 8 hours to get here in order to have her surgery. She is so grateful for the chance to have her prolapse fixed.

The people here are beautiful. Everyone is friendly, gracious. If you have never had a chance to do mission work or try something like this, I would strongly encourage you to try. This is not nearly as intense as the Peace Corps or those types of committments, yet it is still an eye-opening taste of how the rest of the world lives.

There will eventually be more pictures and stories to tell, but that's all for tonight. And just to add to the irony of life . . . here I am with internet access in the middle of all of this abject poverty. Sometimes the world just doesn't make sense.

Love,

Turtlewoman

Chulu Bound

Tomorrow morning I am headed to Chulucanas, Piura, Peru. Chulu is in Piura, the northernmost little yellow province. I will be spending two weeks there with Global Health Ministry . I will be part of a surgical team that includes gynecologists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, optometrists, podiatrists, general surgeons, nurses, primary care doctors, and multiple support staff members. For two weeks we will provide surgical services for the poor in this area of Peru. I am *almost* finished packing. The big stuff is done, I just have to pack this computer! Hopefully I will have more pictures and things to show when I get back. And I will keep my eye out for some great Peruvian yarn and pottery. Wish me luck!

Turtlewoman

Thank you Chesley and the Knit at Night Crowd!

Wow, has it seriously been since JULY? Well, obviously a post is long overdue here and I am not going to do it justice now . . . just wanted to give a shout out to Chesley and the folks at Knit at Night for some much needed fiber and friend therapy. Outpatient rotations always get me a little down in the dumps, and I needed some company and fiber time tonight. It was wonderful to finally meet all the people I have been reading about for the past 2 years!

I will try to catch up more over the weekend. I have lots of tales to tell from the interview trail including pictures of Baby Dylan and Big Boy Will! I wish I had some pictures of Craig and Heath, but this stupid Auntie didn't have her camera when she went to visit them! Maybe C and G will donate a picture to my cause. If I don't get to it this weekend, I will probably be non-communicado again until I get back from Peru . . . leaving a week from tomorrow!

Good night and thanks again Chesley for the fiber (and retail) therapy!

Love,
Turtlewoman

Wow

Fantastic read. I felt it started a little slowly, but was very happy with the ending. I wasn't sure how Rowling was going to pull it all off without making me feel like she had sold out to Hollywood or plunging me into deep despair . . . but she did it. Since I know a bunch of y'all are still reading it, I won't say anything else at this point. I think the title word says it all. Wow.

Turtlewoman

Tired is . . .

Looking ahead at your schedule and realizing that after this weekend you will either be travelling (one weekend for pure fun, two for interviews, two for the mission trip to Peru) or working for every weekend from now until Thanksgiving. Now how this worked out this way I am not quite sure. Especially since I MADE the stupid schedule. Sigh. Ah well. . . it is all for a good cause right?

I am almost done with my month of nights. It has been a good month, but I think I might be ready to see daylight again soon. Aside from when I am sleeping that is. And sleeping is what I should be doing right now . . . and will be soon.

Interview update: now with a total of four! UConn, UMaryland, Pittsburgh, and Rochester. Outright rejected by Johns Hopkins. Still awaiting a reply from 5 schools. Keep your fingers crossed, I would really like to get at least 1 more interview offer!

Knitting update: just finished a VERY cute project which I will photograph and post after I give it to its rightful owner. Playing around with my Denise changeable circulars right now for fun. They are really smooth and light weight. Thought I had become a wooden/bamboo needle snob but now realizing that there may be good in other needles too. =-)

Now reading . . . . Harry Potter #7 . . . DUH. Isn't everyone. Okay, okay so most people are actually done with it already but not all of us have a day off to just sit and read all day . . . talk to me again next week and see how I'm doing.

Good night!

Turtlewoman

Interview Update

Here's an update on the interview front. I now have two! I will be visiting Rochester, NY (we all know how much I love Upper State New York!) in late August. Then I will head to UConn in September.

For those keeping score, Mass General and Michigan have told me that they will get back to me one way or another within the next month. That leaves 6 programs left to hear from.

Keep your fingers crossed! I am VERY excited to do some interviews, get a chance to see the different places and programs, and hopefully have some options for the Match in October!

In knitting news, I am still waiting for my new Sox Stick to come in. I made the mistake of buying a different brand of size 1 needles to try to start the second Jaywalker sock . . . and apparently they are just different enough that I knit a whole different gauge with them. So I will have to be patient and wait for the new one to come in. I am also working on some other little projects right now, but they will remain secret for the moment. =-)

In goat news, the Life Is Goat farm will be obtaining a new Angora stud this summer. His name is Arthur and he is a fine looking boy. We are still trying to figure out ways to keep Tank away from the girls . . . but he is a strong willed, hard-headed son of a gun so that is WAY easier said than done. I am hoping to get up to the farm this weekend for a visit. Just need to get a bit more sleep before undertaking the big drive.

Turtlewoman

Interviews

I have one. Can you feel me smiling?

Turtlewoman

Sadness is . . .

Breaking one of your Sox Sticks when you are in the middle of your jaywalkers . . . and not having any other size 1 dpns to substitute in . . . and realizing you missed Chesley's sale on just that very item yesterday. Sigh.

Well, this will give me a good excuse to visit Chesley again soon (if I ever get another day off!)!

I had today off and it was wonderful. We went to Lake Pleasant and had a fantastic time. I got to see baby Theo, baby Sam, Christie, Beca, Margaret, Phelps, Rick, Tripp, and Holden! We had a great time playing in and on the lake, eating hot dogs, and generally making merry.

This was all topped off by a visit from my parents, my sister, and my sister's friend. We had a fun trip to Home Depot and then went for dinner at the Village Cafe. Now it is time for bed! Yes, really!

Turtlewoman

Hail to the Chiefs

So another year has passed and another set of chief residents is moving into the world to be "real" doctors. Here is this years' crew posing in their official "Drama Queen Crowns". They have been like big brothers and sisters to me for the past three years and it is hard to believe they are actually leaving. I certainly wish them all the very best of luck.

Well, if the old chiefs are graduating then who are the new chiefs?? You guessed it. Welcome in a new era - my two classmates and I are seen here posing for our traditional "we survived another year of residency" picture:

We will be this year's new chiefs. Wish us luck! We have a lot of ideas and goals and hopes and dreams for this year . . . hopefully we will have the strength and energy needed to implement and achieve them!

Also, for those keeping score, I DID pass my USMLE Step 3 which makes me eligible for licensure in the US. Yep, I too can become a "real" doctor. Just one . . . more . . . year . . . and then hopefully on to fellowship for another three. =-)

In knitting news, I am working on my first sock. Don't know if I exactly have first sock "mojo" as the Yarn Harlot would say, but I think it is going okay so far. But then so far it is just a tube . . . haven't actually tackled the heel yet. I will post pictures once I start that all important heel part.

Turtlewoman

Rainbow Bridge

This is Utah's famous "Rainbow Bridge" rock formation. This is what we went to see the day we launched our boat off of the rock in Lake Powell. Everyone is doing okay now, though none of us has proposed any boating trips. Utah and Arizona have an abundant supply of natural beauty, but treat that beauty with care! We had an amazing family vacation. Got to meet all of our cousins' kids (six kids under the age of 7 between the two of them). Spent time in Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. Also, of course, time spent on the above mentioned Lake Powell at Glen Canyon. All spectacular. For those who have not spent any time in our nations canyons, I highly recommend you plan a trip out there. You won't be sorry (well, you won't be sorry as long as you aren't driving your boat around at night in the dark at Lake Powell anyway). =-)

Turtlewoman

Happy Mother's' Day!

My mom would kill me if she knew I put these on the web. Here she is modelling her mothers day gift - yep - the finally finished entrelac scarf! The second picture shows the soft fleecey lining that I knit up for the back so that it wouldn't be scratchy against her face. I think it actually took me less than a year to finish this scarf so that is a new record for me. And my mom just woke up from a nap in this picture, so don't make fun of her hair. =-)

Thank you mom, for all of the things you have taught me, all the love and support you continue to give me every day. I would not be anywhere in this world without you. You are my best friend, my confidante, my supporter and cheerleader. I hope as life moves along, I will be able to provide you with some of those things in return. I love you.

Human

So again today I am reminded that I am only human, and not even a great one at that. I was talking to the chemist about the nature of people with careers and how even things that seem ordinary to us are extraordinary to others. Case in point: checking blood work on a patient. I must order about 20 blood tests on any given day. I routinely follow up those as well as several others that are ordered by my partners. Well, this weekend I ordered blood work on a patient and I forgot to check the results. It was crazy busy on Saturday. I did two c-sections, four vaginal deliveries, a post-partum tubal ligation, and triaged and admitted numerous other patients. This patient ended up feeling better, we decided she had a viral syndrome, and we sent her home. She came back today and while she was being admitted, her lab results from Saturday popped up. They were not normal. Had I seen them on Saturday, I never would have sent her home. Very very sobering. Luckily in this case she was fine, her baby was fine, and everything should turn out okay. But she could have had a seizure or a stroke at home. Her placenta could have abrupted. She could have died. Her baby could have died. Luckily, they didn't.
And so there it is. I am only human. I make mistakes. But my mistakes can kill people, and if that doesn't scare the crap out of you (and me) I'm not sure what could. I went into medicine to help people, not to hurt them. Things like this (even when there was no bad outcome) make you question everything you know and do.
Turtlewoman

Welcome Aphidia!

I'm a grandmother! Well, sort of . . . Meet Aphidia, the second goat kid to be born on the Life is Goat Farm. She is a beautiful Angora-Boer cross of mom Pansy and my Tankie boy (see picture in sidebar). She was born Friday morning, April 6. A few days later and she would have shared a birthday with her proud grandma! You can tell she is part Boer as her legs are thicker and stronger than the average Angora kid and her coat is not as curly or long-haired. I think she is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and I can't wait to meet her in a few weeks!

In other news, the Power Science Girls threw me a fabulous birthday party last weekend in DC. I will try to upload pics later. I got to see Baby Will and get lots of baby snuggles. We had a great time. The Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom, the mall between the capital and Washington monument was mobbed with folks, and there were kites galore. We got to see the Rokoku battle at the Smithsonian kite festival and it was a well fought battle. I even got to wear my own pink princess hat. Thanks guys!

I am post-call today on my birthday, so it has been a sleepy day. I did have a birthday party last night though courtesy of my friends the night shift nurses on L+D. Even though we were crazy busy, they still managed to throw me a nice party complete with pin-the-tail on the donkey (they couldn't find a goat), party hats, cheesecake bites, ice cream, and singing. Sopje called me today to leave a singing message (sorry I missed your call - I was sound asleep!). And lots of other friends and family have been calling, e-mailing and sending cards. Thanks everyone! Despite being post-call, this has been a pretty sweet 31st birthday.

Turtlewoman

Exertion

As most of you know, I have not been a very active individual for quite some time. It is pretty funny, because once I am out DOING an activity (like hiking, or as in these pictures, cross country skiing) I think, "Gee, this is really great - I wish I was in better shape so that I could enjoy it a little more." This weekend I got to live that feeling again. Beca, Phelps, and I were at a conference at Sugarloaf and got a break on Saturday to enjoy the gorgeous Maine spring. We rented cross country skis and took off onto the groomed trails in the woods for an hour or so. Beca was off and going on her skate skis. Lucky for me this was Phelps' first time doing Cross Country so I had someone I could ALMOST keep up with. Regardless, we had a great time and I think you can see by the color of my face that I got a workout. Amazingly enough, I can even still walk today and it didn't hurt my bum knee.

In other news, the back to the entrelac scarf is almost finished and I will finally have a finished knitting project to show everyone. There are pictures of entrelac scarves on Chesley's blog, but of course they are not MY entrelac scarf so keep your web browsers ready for a showing soon near you. The conference went well. I did my presentation without falling on my face or doing anything too embarrassing. It was a pretty small conference so it actually wasn't that scary. There were even less people than we usually have at our department meetings. And I did know about half of the people as they were from our department. It was a good way to ease into conferences and presenting without being overwhelming.

This weekend will be my early birthday celebration in DC, so everybody get ready to party!! And everyone remember to wish Heat a happy birthday tomorrow . . . and has anyone else heard recently that 31 is the new 30? Cause we heard that it is.

Turtlewoman

Growing Pains

So I just realized that my last two posts were not allowing comments. I went to look at the blog and thought, "Hey, how do you post a comment?" Well, I think I have fixed it . . . blogging is apparently not COMPLETELY fool proof.

I also figured out how to get them to register the correct time (they were putting in Pacific Time before).

Happy Reading (and now, commenting)!

Turtlewoman

Power Science Girls

Today I want to write a little bit about the power science girls: The Chemist (hey, that's the Theoretical Physical Chemist to YOU, the Physicist, the Physician, and me. I came up with the dorky name and I'm not sure that the others have really accepted it as a moniker, but they do love me so they let me get away with calling us that - at least in private. These are three of my very best friends from college - and indeed in the whole world. There are a few other super awesome very best friends from college (Sopje for one) but today we are talking about this gang. We are talking about them because I am very excited that we will be getting together at the end of this month for a birthday party! We try to get together at least two-three times a year and considering all of the schedules (and now children and husbands and fetuses and fiancees) involved this is a pretty amazing feat. So these ladies are some of my super heroes (with or without the catchy name). They help keep me sane when my world starts to fall apart, they make me laugh even when I want to cry, and they throw me happy birthday parties in Washington, DC so that I can watch the kite fighting at the kite festival (which, as we discovered last year at Heat's birthday, is one of my NFT's (new favorite things)).

In other news, I spent today helping out with the very busy gyn service. I got to work in the OR with The Boss, which is nothing short of magic. We had a nice case with some of our favorite OR staff and then I spent the afternoon hanging out with the cancer patients and seeing how everyone was doing. I have loved this month (research time, very flexible, pretty relaxed work load) but it was nice to get back in touch with the rest of my team and get a little surgery in.

And that is all I have for today. Power Science Girls - this post is for you! For my other wonderful friends that read this blog, please don't be upset. I am sure you will get your due. I am just super excited that I am going to be seeing la mas guappas del mundo very soon.

Turtlewoman

Here Comes the Sun

Do -do-do-do. Here comes the sun . . . maybe it will melt some of this snow we have accumulated in the past few days. That would improve my mood tremendously methinks.

I was on call this weekend and it kicked my butt. I think I am just out of shape. I was sick the last time I was supposed to be on call and one of my colleagues covered for me. This was the first time I have had to work a 24 hour shift in about a month. You get out of practice - you really do. Somehow it seems easier to stay up all the time when you do it all the time. When you get two or three weekends in a row off you start to go soft. Luckily I am working from home today and got to sleep in a bit. My body was protesting getting up at all. But on the good side of things, I did get to deliver three very cute babies (two vaginal deliveries and a c-section). And babies always make my day better. Now you are probably going to ask if they were boys or girls . . . I'm not sure I even remember. In all honesty, in the excitement of it all, I often forget to look. Isn't that funny?

Anywho, that's all I have for now. I feel like I should have something more substantial to say, but I don't. Maybe later.

Turtlewoman

Snow anyone?

Okay, so first of all I DID try to blog a few nights back, but blogger died on me and it just didn't work out. Nothing more fun than spending half an hour typing up something to say and having blogger eat it! So I was discouraged for a day or two but here I am, back for more.

You may have noticed that I have added links to my favorite sites. Sophie, Heat, and Chesley are all personal friends of mine. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, but I have become an ardent fan. She is the author of several knitting books with a new one about to debut. Her writing is witty, fun, easy to pick up and read, and is all about one of my favorite topics . . . KNITTING! Her blog is written in a similar style and always shows pictures of her latest projects. She is an inspiration so I have put a link to her page on mine and hopefully she wouldn't mind! As for the rest of you, please let me know if you object to having your link published on my page and I can always erase it.

I do find blogging to be a bit of a delicate issue. How much information is it okay to post about other people? Personally, I don't want my last name attached with any of this, as it would be nice to feel free to write things that wouldn't be traced back to you by, say, prospective employers. It would be a real drag to fail to obtain a job because of your wanton blogging ways. So obviously I will try not to use the last names of my friends or family (although I think it is okay to use the last names of already famous people like the author noted above, as long as you are not writing slanderous articles or infringing copyright laws). But would others be upset to see their first name on here? Their pictures (don't worry! no nudes!!)? I would be interested to know how folks feel. Since I am just getting this up and running, it would be nice to avoid making people angry right from the start.

As for my life in a nutshell today . . . I have taken up the vow that all knitters seem to make at one time or another . . . and that is to finish some of my UFO's (that is unfinished objects for all of you muggles) before I purchase any more yarn. Ever since Chesley opened up her little yarn shop (LYS) I have entered the world of high quality and luxury yarns and I LIKE IT there. My wallet sometimes cries out in protest, but buying beautiful yarns fits into my obsessive-compulsive buying personality so well that it is hard to resist. So I am working on using up some of my stash before I venture up to the LYS again. Right now I am working a fleece backing to my entrelac scarf. It is knitting up rather quickly (20 stitches in stockinette stitch on US size 8 needles), so I hope to have it ready to attach to the back of the entrelac piece by the end of next week. I'll try to post a picture when it is all done. Next up on the list are Baby Will's baby blanket (which was supposed to be a gift for his pre-birth baby shower and now I am hoping to complete it before he turns 1 this fall) and Megan's birthday bag (I just got sick of making bags somewhere in the middle there). If I get those three things done and start a pair of socks, it may be okay to buy some more yarn.

That's all for tonight! Oh yes . . . and in case anyone is wondering why the post title has nothing to do with the post . . . I must confess I got distracted. Yesterday we had weather in the 40-50 range with bare patches of ground everywhere and the smell of spring (aka mud). Today . . . snowing like a bandit. Gotta love Maine in March.

Turtlewoman

Welcome to my world

Well, everyone else is doing it, why not me? My apologies up front - I cannot guarantee that I will blog with any sort of regular frequency or that I will even blog at all. But I have been reading other people's blogs for several years now and have never been brave enough to join the fray. Well, here I am, in the fray. I'm going to give it a go for a while and we'll see what happens. I am hoping it gives me another way to communicate with friends (and maybe family too). I know that sometimes just seeing an updated post on one of my friends' blogs makes me smile and reassures me that they are alive. It helps me feel in touch with what they are doing without the pressure of an instant e-mail reply. So maybe this will work for some other folks too.

So welcome to my blog world. I am in my early 30's, training to be an OB-GYN, an avid reader, a knitter, friend, daughter, sister, currently too out of shape to hike hiker, and a part-time goat farmer. I suppose that blog posts could easily come from any of those topics and more.

For today, I think it is enough that I figured out how to make a blog, how to get the e-mail with my real name taken out of the logo at the top, and how to upload pictures. Granted, Blogger really makes it pretty fool-proof, but until I tried I had imagined that all of this was restricted to people that actually KNOW HTML etc.

Anyway, thanks for reading and good night!

Turtlewoman