Thanksgiving with the Brehms!

After anatomy lab on Wednesday, I packed up the Camry, kissed Wentworth goodbye, filled up the empty gas tank for $26, and headed east on I-10. Though I felt a bit sleepy while stuck in traffic on my way out of Houston's construction mess, I perked up when the smooth sailing began and things got a bit more interesting in Danielle Steele's book-on-tape (compliments of Houston Public Library). Getting an impressive 500 miles to the tank, I fueled up again in Loxley, Alabama, and made it to Navarre, Florida, just after the stroke of midnight. My beloved sister Sarah and her husband Paul gave me a warm welcome. After a tour of their impeccably decorated home and a bit of conversation, I crashed under the comfortable covers of the guest bed.
When I awoke (well into Thanksgiving morning), aromatic scents wafted from the kitchen and triggered parasympathetic stimulation of my salivary glands (I have to integrate some evidence of studying). First we devoured some delicious bubble loaf. Then we watched the Macy's Day Parade. I even slipped in a pre-turkey jog around the neighborhood in the pleasant 70-degree weather. Finally, we settled down for a fabulous feast featuring yummy stuffing, tangy gravy, candied sweet potatoes, and more! We had drinks (apple cider martinis), dessert (Kentucky bourbon chocolate walnut pie and homemade vanilla ice cream), and dominoes (Mexican Train). After Sarah dominated dominoes with her exceptional sagacity, Paul showed off his hand-eye coordination with his superior ability to stop a spinning penny on its edge. Exercising my quick wit and vast vocabulary, I evened things out with a clear victory in Scattagories. It was a complete evening.
Friday morning began with studying and Texas toast followed by an early afternoon nap. In the afternoon, Sarah and Paul gave me a driving tour of the Florida panhandle (aka "an extension of southern Alabama"). We drove through Navarre and along the sound on Miracle Strip Parkway. I caught a glimpse of Hurlburt Field, the Air Force Base where Sarah and Paul are stationed. We drove through Fort Walton Beach and into Destin where we snacked on appetizers and beer at McGuire's Irish Pub. The atmosphere was quite festive with hundreds of thousands of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling interrupted by the occasional bra, beer taps pouring from the breasts of a topless figurehead, and incongruous Christmas music playing in the background.Then we went across the street to Destin's newly-opened Pat O'Brien's and had signature hurricanes in souvenir glasses. On the way back to Navarre, we searched for an open Thai restaurant. After about a half dozen failed attempts, we finally found a place that would serve us dinner and humor me by letting me practice some Thai. Though I realized how much Thai I have already forgotten, I really loved the opportunity to 'poot passa Thai.' After dinner, we came home and relaxed in the living room before retiring for the night.
Now, it's Saturday morning, and I'm already (grudgingly) planning my return to Houston this evening. Sunday will probably be spent studying and wishing I was back with Sarah and Paul at their lovely home in Navarre.

Brazos Bend

Classes were canceled on Thursday. On Friday I had class, histology lab (pancreas and salivary glands), and my elective Compassion and the Art of Medicine. This week's speaker was Amy Kuebelbeck, author of the heart-wrenching memoir Waiting with Gabriel. After reading her book earlier this week, I was really looking forward to her talk about choosing 'comfort care' for her son with hyperplastic left heart syndrome. Mrs. Kuebelbeck carried her baby to term after learning of his fatal heart condition at 24 weeks gestation. In the book she discusses what it was like being pregnant with a baby for three and a half months while simultaneously preparing for his birth and funeral. During her presentation, she shared pictures of her pregnancy, her son during his short 2.5-hour life, and her actions taken after Gabriel's death. Very moving and very sad.

My study group decided to go on an adventure this weekend. We set off to go camping on Friday afternoon in celebration of Joseph's birthday. We went to Brazos Bend (just an hour away) and set up camp. Unfortunately, 'camping' anywhere near Houston means setting up a tent next to a parking lot full of motor homes. Nonetheless, we got our fill of nature by taking an extended 'hike' (really just a walk on a path without any elevation change).

Though all of the signs and brochures promised that we would run into alligators at every turn, I didn't see one during our 20 hours in the wilderness. I did, however, see several raccoons including a few eating our shish kabobs and marshmallows. Greedy little suckers- Sheesh!

After a delicious BBQ dinner, s'mores, and German chocolate birthday cake, we sat around the campfire and played some games. It's amazing how much people can learn about each other and bond when not surrounded by textbooks.

On Saturday morning, we packed up and went for another hike/walk before heading back to Houston. It was so nice to get some fresh air, exercise, and relax! Today (Sunday) involved lots of studying including more time with the study group but purely professional this time. :) I'm really excited for the three-day week and even more excited for Thanksgiving in Florida with Sarah and Paul!

Breakable Things

On my way to school this morning, I did something I haven't done in a while: I slipped and fell. It reminds me of a time on my walk to the bus stop (maybe the first day of kindergarten?) when I took a similar spill and ripped a hole in my pretty white tights. Today, I cut my knees, hurt my hands, and felt pretty klutzy, but no big deal. Some things will heal.

During the second class of the day, Dr. Kretzer (our much-loved and fabulously outspoken histology professor) passed out copies of a recent article in the Houston Chronicle. Tough times at Baylor:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6113589.html
Some things will change.

When I got home from school, I noticed that Wentworth had knocked a candle holder off a bookcase. I picked up the broken pieces and cleared away the small, shattered fragments- some too small to see until they caught light at just the right angle and gleamed brightly. Some things will be replaced.

After the last class of the day, a hoard of administrators and a group of somber second-years piled in the back of the room. A classmate of ours had taken his own life. There was a terrible moment of surprise followed by confusion and profound sadness. Some things cannot be healed, changed, or replaced.

My good friend Tiffany reminded me of a quote from her favorite movie (It's a Wonderful Life):
"Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence."

Belly Laughs

On Saturday evening I went out to dinner with a friend and had a good conversation that I thought was blog-worthy. I should probably preface this anecdote with the fact the conversation took place at a Thai restaurant where I was eating Thai food, babbling in rudimentary Thai with the waitstaff, and giddily reflecting on my experiences in the Southeast Asian country I called home for six months. When I was in Thailand, I had moments of pure happiness, little euphoric surges that can only be described with cliched expressions like "I felt like I was on cloud nine." I felt extreme contentment with where I was and what I was doing in my life; with great conviction, I knew I was in exactly the right place. This feeling came over me several times in Thailand when I least expected it: on my walk to school, on a bus during my weekend travels, etc. Later, I was worried that I would lose this feeling when I went back to the States. I was worried that I wouldn't feel the same way in medical school. However, every once in a while, I will get that same feeling (when I bike along the Bayou to/from school, when I walk back to my car after studying late at Baylor and the lights of the Texas Medical Center glow around me, when I'm hanging out with my study group friends, when I'm dissecting in anatomy lab). It's an amazing feeling, and I hope you can relate.

Over the past week, I had a smattering of activities related to Brandi's wedding: I picked up my bridesmaid's dress (gorgeous!), and I attended a bridal shower thrown by her family and friends. On Wednesday, we practiced abdominal exams just after lunch and couldn't help but crack up after hearing ferocious bowel sounds for the first time. On Friday, a comedy trio performed for the Compassion and the Art of Medicine elective I take- quite entertaining. On Friday evening, the second-years showed a hilarious and skillfully constructed two-hour film that made me smile until my cheeks hurt. Afterward, I danced at the after party until my feet hurt. :) It was a great week filled with laughter, friends, and even (believe it or not) some studying!

Rocking Out

Rock the Vote: done.
As President Bush breaks records as the most unpopular president since the advent of approval ratings (with an impressive 76% disapproval rating), President-elect Obama is en route to turn the beat around at the White House. One of my favorite quotes from his acceptance speech: "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too."

Rock Your Body: done.
I paid a visit to Houston's Museum of Natural Science to see Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain – Our Three Pound Gem: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies. Though I saw Bodyworlds 1 back in 2006, this trip provided an entirely different experience. Not only did I have (some of) the vocabulary to describe what I saw, but I had an even greater appreciation for the quality of the specimens and their beautiful, illustrative display our bodies' inner workings just under the keratinized stratified squamous epithelium of our multifunctional skin. Since my class went as a large group, anatomy buzzwords were flying about the room as we giddily dissected the exhibits with the scalpel of our eyes. However, it doesn't take an interest in medicine or even a passionate love for anatomy to appreciate the awe-inspiring intricacies of the human body through the curatorial masterpiece of Bodyworlds. Go see for yourself!

Rock around the Christmas Tree: in progress.
With my two Halloween decorations still on the walls, I have been inundated with holidays jingles on the radio, Christmas decorations in stores, and strings of streetlights even stoplights blinking a bright red and green; in the air there's a feeling of Christmas...

The Long Weekend

Starting on Tuesday afternoon (post-test), the weekend had arrived, as far as I was concerned. Truth be told, this mode of thinking raised some eyebrows in the grocery checkout line when I told the cashier, "Have a nice weekend." Still, I had a great time on Tuesday evening with the various social outings that followed. I even cleaned up my place, plugged in my blender, and had a few study group friends over before we headed to the celebrations downtown.

I worked on an ambulance on Wednesday and Friday, taking time to sleep practically all but 5 hours on Thursday. Friday (Halloween) evening also involved a stop by former Rice roommate Katherine Zodrow's place for some delicious mulled wine and pumpkin pie. On Saturday, I hosted a wedding shower for my friends Brandi Braud and Peter Scully. They are both second years at Baylor and have been together since the beginning of their time at Rice over five years ago. I have tons of leftover ice cream in my freezer, so if anyone has a hankering for vanilla or Neapolitan, come on over!

On Saturday evening, I joined forces with study group friends again for some dinner and a few episodes of House. Later on, all ages of Baylor Med students convened in Cullen Auditorium for a talent show, complete with outrageous costumes for both performers and audience members. Sunday was also a complete day with church, Sunday School (I help out with the 1-2 graders), the opera, and a movie. Opera = Beatrice and Benedict (beautiful costumes, but pretty slow going) Movie = Happy-Go-Lucky (a well-acted character study)