Ok, so we finally figured out the plane ticket situation.

(cut a day off the trip, used his parents' miles for one, and will split the price of the other. And, thanks to farecast, we locked in a good price today.)

But now...

RENTAL CARS ARE $115?????!!!!

Per DAY????!!!!!

$500/week is the best I've found.

Ho-ly shit!

I wish I had a private jet.

I wish I had a friend with a private jet.

In fact I *do* have a friend with a private jet, but I couldn't actually ask him to fly me places. (and I'm not sure how to get him to volunteer. ;) )

I have a week off work mid-feb.
We have a place to stay in West Palm Beach, for free, for that week.

All I need is to get myself there.

Plane tickets have gone from $300 to $700 in the last 3 days. I'm hoping it's just a blip and they'll come back down some, but at that rate, i can't afford to go. :(

I found one flight for like $200- but it's leaving from/getting in to airports that are like 1-2 hours from home/ the place in florida. And get in at like midnight on monday, and leave at like 6am thurs. So I'd get 2 days there? Not worth it.

Fucking airlines. I really hate them these days.

And, I just checked the weather: all i can say is WTF?! Snow forecasted for florida, but not here???

Ok, I'll bite.
I think I often just go through life with blinders on, not always thinking and absorbing as much as I should- both of the good and the bad that happens to me.
So, this is probably a good exercise- though I think I'll do it by the decade, not just the year.

Where were you when 2000/2009 began?
2000: with my boyfriend at the time, and about 20 of his fraternity buddies, in New Orleans- wondering where our jetpacks were, and also 'calling' which stores we would get when the looting began. ;)
2009: Went to a delicious dinner at O, and then to the 'Ice Ball'- which was a total waste. They missed midnight, b/c a fight broke out, and a guy LOST HIS EYE. I also fell on the ice on my way there, and spent the rest of the night with a bloody knee. (pulling my pantyhose out of that scab at the end of the night was NOT fun.) All in all, kind of a disappointing new year- but then again, it often is, because I hope for too much.

Who were you with?
2000: med school peeps in NOLA
2009: some buffalo girlfriends. (had hoped to swing by the 24, but dinner ran WAY over.)

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
TBD- but somewhere in hartford

Whom will you be with when 2009 ends?
My lovely BF, and his brother and her girlfriend. May meet my co-worker and his fiancee.

Was 2000-2009 a good year/decade for you?
decade: Yes. Lots of changes.... I lived in New Orleans, Chicago, Buffalo, and now CT. Had pretty much all the serious relationships of my life. Grew into myself.
2009: a little bittersweet to leave buffalo and my friends there, but CT has been good too- esp meeting the BF. :)

What was your favorite moment of the decade/year?
All in 2009: finishing residency, matching to my fellowship, and reuniting with a buddy from 12 years ago and realizing he is a really amazing guy.

What was your least favorite moment of the year/decade?
Eh, nothing worth dwelling on. Had some disappointments at work, and some bad boy drama, but it's over now.

Did you keep your New Year resolutions of 2009?
Sort of- I didn't make formal resolutions, but I decided to try to be healthier. I lost 30 lb, but have gained about 7 back. booo!

Do you have any New Year resolutions for 2010?
Just to get back on track with my diet. Would love to lose 20 more lb.
Actually, I also want to make a concerted effort to be more of an ACTIVE learner at work. Read more when I'm at home at night, etc.

Did you fall in love this year/decade?
Yes. A couple times I thought I had- but this time I know it. :)

What was your favorite month of 2009?
Probably August.

Did you travel outside of the US in 2009?
Canada (doesn't really count), and Belgium and France. Went to the BVI, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, and St. Thomas (still technically the US) in the 00's.

How many different states did you travel to in 2009?
Hmm. NY, CT, RI, MA, OR, VA, KY... maybe some others for interviews. Also went to KS, LA, IL, OH, TX during the 00's.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2009?
My grandfather. Also lost my aunt in '07.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2009?
Oh man I have to pick one?

What was your favorite song in 2009?
Discovered the National this decade, and they're still at the top of the heap.

What was your favorite album in 2009?
Mixes from friends :)

What was your most exciting moment of 2009/the decade?
Hmm... a few graduations, a few wedding toasts, and a few heart-skipping first dates.

What was your proudest moment of 2009?
Finishing residency.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2009?
Nothing too terrible...

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009/the decade and change something, what would it be?
I would not have tolerated cheating as long as I did.

What are your plans for 2010?
Finish fellowship
Get a job
See where life takes me and my boy. :)

So... Christmas is over.
Always kind of a letdown.
So much buildup, and then.... back to winter.
But, I had a lovely lovely christmas, and I hope you all did too.
And, am going to start planning a vacation for Feb, so I have something to look forward to.

Here's a xmas picture dump, and some more adorable baby pix.


Love this guy. :)
(taken when we went to Foxwoods to see the Bodies Revealed exhibit).


Cloves stuck in oranges make delicious decorations/air fresheners.


Christmas Eve bedtime story. (not pictured, ridiculously cute baby bathrobe).


Present #1 - her own little chair


It was a big hit.


Trying to sit in the big girl chair.


So, my brother wrangled this present for her in a rare display of tough-guy. He had taken his car in, only to have it break down again half an hour after picking it up. When he took it back in, they said they wanted to make it right. So he pointed at the toy MINI in the showroom and said "how about one of those for my niece?". And it worked.


She's a natural.


LOVE!

I just stumbled across this recipe, and OMG it is SOOOO GOOD!

AND, soooo super easy.
And, not very bad for you.

Sorry i don't have a pic, but they spread out super thin and crispy.

Go make some! Right now!

Lace Cookies    

4 Tbsp light butter, melted
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1 Tbsp orange zest

Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Cover three baking sheets with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. *don't skip this step. They WILL STICK to a cookie sheet, even if you grease it. use parchment, or even better, a "Sil-Pat" baking sheet.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Drop 1/2 teaspoons [seriously. just a tiny little bit.] of dough 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake until flattened and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely on wire racks; carefully remove cookies from paper. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

This is probably the earliest I have ever been ready for christmas. Feels so great to not have to rush around like crazy.
My last present should arrive today, then I can wrap it.
Only thing left to do is bake some cookies this weekend.
And, bonus for the fact that I didn't set foot in a mall.

Ok, WTF.

I have a question.

Do people in shitty neighborhoods not drink skim milk or something?

I work at a hospital.
Hospitals are very often in a shitty part of town.
I also live "downtown".
Most people shudder when I say that.
However, I live in 'the nice part' of downtown, where there are nice shops and restaurants and stuff.
However, there is no decent grocery store.
So, grocery shopping has become a big event.
So, if I only need a couple things, I don't feel like fighting traffic on the highway to go to the suburbs.

So, I sometimes stop at the gas station/mini-mart on the corner right by the hospital on the way home.

I did this a while ago. I got gas, and I ran in to get milk.
And they didn't have any skim milk. Not like they are out of it- like they don't even CARRY it.
Not only that, but all the milk they DID have had an expiration date in about 3 days. And, was super-expensive.

Today I went back b/c I needed gas, and was going to buy some cereal if they had cheerios.

First of all, the gas was super expensive. And 10c more per gallon to use a credit card. And, premium was 50c more per gallon. I thought the gas grades were usually 10c apart? like 2.79/2.89/2.99. Nope, not at the ghetto-mart. it was 2.76/3.09/3.19. plus 10 if you don't pay cash.

But second of all, I realized there were no price tags on ANYTHING.
So, I didn't buy anything.

But I asked the guy at the register "Um... is there any way to know how much things cost? I don't see price tags anywhere."

And he responded, I think seriously:

"It doesn't matter. This is Hartford. People can't [maybe he said don't] read."

SERIOUSLY?

I'm a little dumbfounded.

More collegiate murder-mystery for Tiny...

So today I got an email from my dad, entitled "WTF?"

The message was a picture of an article he came across when reading one of his medical journals-
About how a surgeon I knew in med school had been murdered.

It said his body was found, stabbed to death, in his apartment, when the police responded to a call from neighbors about a fire.

I.e. someone stabbed him to death, then lit the place on fire to hide the evidence.

And just to add to the horribleness of it-
He was found 10/31.
A brief google search revealed no info newer than 11/5.

WTF have the NOPD been doing for the last month?

Also, I have no heard a peep about this from Tulane.

At least when people were murdered on the Yale campus, then sent out an email blast press release. And it was in the news daily, with udpates, or lack thereof.

Is this crime less newsworthy?
Or is Tulane just not as "worthy" of news coverage as Yale?

Dad had it right: WTF!

Just to keep the bad stuff so you have to scroll to it, I will start with the latest adorable picture of my niece. (To which I commented "now she has a rocking sheep too?" and my sister replied "no. We were at Pottery Barn Kids. But I think they're on to us- we just play with all their stuff then leave." ha!)



And, what else.
Well, I went to the conference on Friday, and I gave my presentation, and (of course) it went just fine. I was able to answer all my questions. And my cutie-pie dad came all the way to the meeting, and walked around on crutches all day [he had both knees replaced a month ago] just to support me. (maybe not 'just' to support me. He might have learned some stuff too, hopefully.) And, he bought me a ridiculously overpriced super nerd present from the vendor too. (A little 3-in-1 two-point discriminator, goniometer, and penlight. Yeah, I know you're jealous.) So... that went well. Then when I got back into town friday night, we went to see a super fun swing band, and watching the couples who REALLY know how to dance made me really want to learn. They were having so much fun. So, that's on my list.

Sunday went to get a christmas tree... trekked out to a tree farm in the boonies... kneeled in the snow/mud to cut it down... drove home at about 5mph b/c we were afraid it would blow off the roof of the car... and finally put it up. And- it's now thursday and I only have half the lights up. Ack. (so, "decorate tree" is still on the list, along with "buy presents", "make cookies", "send christmas cards" and "tell mom a few things I'd like so she will stop asking". I'd better get cracking!)

Then yesterday it snowed for the first time. Only a couple inches, totally no big deal. I went to drive in to work, and OMFG it was the worst drive to work I've ever had! I don't get it! I figured after 5 years in buffalo with no trouble (in my little MINI, with NO snow tires, I only got stuck once- and that was in my own driveway during the october storm) that 2 inches of new england snow was no biggie. Well, I had ZERO traction, and my traction-control kept kicking in, so I could not get ANY speed, and was going so slow I was probably dangerous. Even though I had the gas floored. WTF?! Maybe I need snow tires. It WAS wet snow, maybe it was extra slippery? Dunno.

But so I was on call yesterday. Bad timing. I was in the OR all morning, and by the time I got out I had about 4 messages from the ER. And a message from the resident who sounded a little overwhelmed. By the time I met him in the ER it was about noon, and he was trying to handle SEVEN snowblower injuries.

WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE?
"don't stick your hand in the snowblower" is not fucking rocket science!!! By the end of today the grand total of mangled hands seen was ten.

And here's the gross pic. This is how I spent about 5hr (in the OR) yesterday afternoon. [sadly, the fingers were too mangled to re-attach. And that stringy thing is a tendon. I don't have a pic, but the fingers are in another bucket, with more tendons trailing out of them like that.]

(picture removed for decency's sake)

Sooooo....
I have to give a presentation at a Regional conference tomorrow. I'm not sure how many people will be there- maybe 100 or so. I'm scared to death.
There is not much I hate more than public speaking. I am DREADING it, so I can't wait til it's over.
Also, my topic sucks, and I don't know that much about it (it's complex), so hopefully they won't ask me any hard questions. And my boss/mentor won't be there (for the first time since he founded the conference 20+ years ago, b/c his daughter won regionals in cross country so he's going to nationals with her)- which I guess is good and bad. Good b/c I don't want to do a bad job in front of him. Bad b/c if I do a good job he'll miss it. And bad b/c if he is there, people won't dare pick on us [his fellows].
My DAD is going to be there... good and bad for the same reasons. He said he'd be a plant in the audience to ask really easy questions to make me look brilliant. :D
The other good thing is that it's only a 4 minute presentation. I really shouldn't stress. But of course I do. So my goal is to run long, if anything, so there's no time for questions.
And, I'm at the very very end, so hopefully most of the audience will have left by then.

But the worst part of all...
So last night I was working on my powerpoint, so I could give a 'dress rehearsal' at work this morning.
I had finally finished, and everything was perfect.
clicked save.
No problems.
Went to quit powerpoint, and got some error like 'powerpoint has a problem and needs to quit. Please save your work and restart powerpoint." So I hit save, again. Tried to quit. Same error.
So I hit save as, and gave it a new name. then quit. No error. Phew!
Then went to transfer the file to my flash drive.
Aaaaand it's not there.
NOWHERE. I searched the entire HD. It's GONE.
An old version was there, but I lost about 50% of my presentation.
FUCK YOU MICROSOFT! ack.
and what about all the autosave crap it does? it interrupts me to save like every 5 min. Where are those copies?
OMG I'm livid.
So, instead of getting a good night's sleep, I get to spend the night re-doing all my slides.

But on a happier note, here's a new picture of the bebe.
I cannot get over the dress. Or the legs. Or those freaking little shoes.