The video is a bit long (nearly 32 minutes), but I think it came together quite nicely. Enjoy!
The union of Jenn Howse and Robert McArthur. Highlights include: weddings showers, the bachelorette party, the rehearsal, pre-ceremony prepping, the wedding, and the reception! *God Bless the Broken Road 0:00 - Past Pictures 0:52 - San Francisco Shower/Communion 3:20 - Houston Shower *Party in the USA 3:50 - Bastrop Bachelorette Party *Wedding Song (There is Love) 7:15 - The Rehearsal 8:05 - The Rehearsal Dinner *Isn't She Lovely 9:40 - Getting Ready *Going to the Chapel 12:42 - Going to Ashton Gardens * Prince of Denmark's March 15:20 - The Ceremony * Celebration 16:50 - The Reception 20:05 - Best Man Speech 22:52 - Maid of Honor Speech * Forever 28:25 - Dancing & Departure
Today was an interesting day. While driving home I had a tire mishap. On the positive side, I found out that I could change a tire by myself (woo hoo!). On the negative side, I spent most of the evening at Firestone for repairs. In a way it was good because the incident forced me to take care of a few car maintenance things that had been on my list: new tires, a realignment, and an oil change. All said and done, I proved that I could put on a spare, my car is up and running, and I am $416 poorer. At least this minor road bump (oh, the irony) happened at a time that was not inconvenient.
I headed to Bastrop, Texas, on Wednesday evening to connect with bride-to-be Jenn and several of her other bridesmaids. We partied it up on Sixth Street in Austin. The theme song for the outing was "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus. Cheap drinks and lots of dancing made for a good time all around.I battled snow flurries on my way from Bastrop to Plano. I made it to my cousin Sarah's place before the snow stuck and promptly met her dog Woody and her cat Gus. Her place was expertly decorated with holiday cheer. Her neighbors and their 2.5 year old son (above) came over for a home-cooked dinner of standing rib roast, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and holiday drinks. It snowed through the night, and we had a white Christmas.I drove back to Houston on Saturday and finished my book on CD "The Mermaid Chair." I checked in with Wentworth and freshened up before heading to the rehearsal for Jenn and Robert's wedding, which would be at Ashton Gardens the following day.After the rehearsal we all headed to the rehearsal dinner at the Doubletree by Bush airport. Robert's family is Mexican, so there was a mariachi band! A large portion of the attendees came in from out of town (or from across the border), so it was quite a festive affair. We went back to the rental house afterward and pondered what we would put in our engraved flasks (wedding party gifts).Sunday was the big day. I went to church in the morning before primping at the rental house. The bridesmaids dresses were very glam: floor-length garnet-colored numbers with a plunging neckline and deep v in the back as well. Jenn's dress was very romantic with a long train and off-white lace. She also had a very impressive veil. She topped off the outfit with red cowboy boots in true Texas fashion. Though the picture below isn't the best, I thought it gives a good idea of the day's threads.The wedding was officiated by Jenn's relative Jimmy, the same Catholic priest who married her parents. Mexican tradition was also integrated into the service with Lazos (a double rosary looped around the couple). After the ceremony, we danced the night away at the reception. They had yummy food, lots of drinks, a big conga line, cake cutting, a bouquet toss (I was not victorious), a garter toss, and more! I'm looking forward to decorating with my party favor ornaments next Christmas. Jenn and Robert bid us farewell and headed off to Banff for the honeymoon.
Since my last post, I finished all of my exams. Woo hoo! On Friday afternoon I made a trip to the post office and waited in line for over an hour. At least I got a couple things in the mail to various parts of the world. Then classmate Tiffany and I carpooled to Ang's birthday party at Brasserie Max & Julie on Montrose. Ang and I were co-advisers for a group at orientation this past fall. We've hosted breakfast every Monday morning for our Peer Resource Network group over the past semester.Afterward we went to the End of Basic Sciences Ball at the Magnolia Ballroom downtown. Though I was too full to enjoy the food, the decorations were nice and the music was playing. I danced the night away with my classmates and literally squealed when classmate Robert walked in with his lovely fiance Jenn (one of my very best friends from Rice). Other than that, I have been sleeping, going to church, and taking care of Teresa and Dane's cats (below). Wentworth, of course, is loving all the time I am spending at home.
Unfortunately, this week's post is going to be quite boring. While Mom and Dad are exploring the exciting and exotic terrain of New Zealand, I am firmly planted in the fourth floor study lounge at Baylor College of Medicine.
In the spirit of Hanukkah, I am burning the midnight oil (not so much out of religious ritual but more out of academic necessity). Interestingly, the dates of the Festival of Lights coincide closely with my own period of dedication. Hanukkah started at sundown on Friday, December 11- the same time I dug deep into the genetics textbook, lectures, and powerpoints. Friday was a big day because (hopefully) it was my last day of class as a full-time student. Ever. Though I'll still technically be a student in January when clinical rotations begin, I will have a bit more responsibility and interpersonal interactions. I will still have classes sprinkled throughout the next few years along with lots of studying, but I imagine my ratio of face time with patients vs. books will improve dramatically. I'm very happy with my clinical rotation schedule: pediatrics, medicine, psychiatry, neurology, surgery, Step 1. Before I get ahead of myself, I should first get past the next set of exams. Hanukkah ends at sundown on December 19, but if all goes well, I will be celebrating at sundown on Friday, December 18.
Advent isn't the only reason to count down these days. I have 12 days to the end of Basic Sciences Ball, five days of classes, four exams, two random study days, one weekend of studying, and a partridge in a pear tree... or something like that.On Wednesday I went to the CultureMap launch party to support my friend Sarah who writes for the online mapazine. I rubbed elbows with Houston's hottest socialites, chatted with a soloist from the Houston Ballet, tasted drinks and appetizers from various Houston restaurants, and showed off my new Calvin Klein dress ($49 at ruelala.com).Friday was a big day for me. I took the bus to school because the cold, rainy morning wasn't helping me get over my cold (almost gone, thankfully). Then, it started SNOWING in HOUSTON. Though snow isn't unheard of, it's definitely not the norm. Because I was stuck in a windowless lecture hall for most of the snowy show, I've used a picture the Houston Symphony sent out over Twitter. Seems Christmasy, no? That afternoon I took my practical exam on the patient encounter and physical exam. It's always nice to check something off the list!
Friday was also the day the second year class stormed the first year class with thunderous clapping and heightened anticipation. Normally done on the last day of class we said a collective goodbye and good luck- after all, we were in those seats just a year ago. A group from the class parodied the viral youtube wedding video by dancing down the center aisle (also parodied on The Office). Lots of fun and ample cause for celebration!Friday night was the annual 12 Days event. Typically timed 12 days before the end of pre-clinical curriculum, this soiree involved a mini awards ceremony, an elaborate video mocking professors and med school life, and an after party at Bambou in the Rice Village. Despite my cold (and the cold), I dance the night away and celebrated the fact that clinical rotations are less than a month away. Wentworth did not attend but was equally exhausted. Speaking of Wentworth he was endlessly entertaining while making my bed yesterday. It was a day of house cleaning because when I should be studying, I usually tidy up instead. I did loads of laundry, lots of hand washing, and even made a trip to the West U recycling center. Saving the environment? It's all in a days work. You are welcome, Al Gore. After publishing this post it will be back to the grindstone. 3...2...1...
Here's the predicted weather for tomorrow. Looks like I probably shouldn't bike to school! Yes, that's SNOW you see in the forecast. Brrr...In other news, I really like this song "Call if off" by Tegan and Sara. Click HERE to be redirected to the youtube video if you want to watch (embedding was disabled). I'll save the rest of the weekly update for my post on Sunday night/Monday afternoon.
We celebrated Mom's birthday on Wednesday (see ice cream pie below). Even though Sarah is deployed to some unknown location, she managed to send a bountiful gift. I managed to make a few coupons reminiscent of grade school gifting. I'd like to think I was a bit of a help, especially when it comes to luring others into the wonderful world of blogging. The New Zealand blog is up and running at thethilosnewzealandadventure.blogspot.com.We had a proper Thanksgiving feast on Thursday. The day began with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We started the meal off with a prayer and acknowledging the five kernels of corn at our plates. It was great to hear from Sarah via satellite phone! We ended the day of relaxation with White Christmas and Love Actually.I bought a DVD at Borders on Black Friday, but otherwise the shopping was pretty minimal. On a very positive note, I was able to meet up with Chelsey. There's nothing like catching up with an old, true friend. We fell easily into conversation and the time flew by. It's too bad Texas and Utah are so far apart! After saying farewell to Sam and bon voyage to Mom and Dad, I flew back to Houston on Saturday and have been getting into the holiday spirit. I went to church and made an advent wreath then continued to spread the Christmas cheer with a bit of decorating around the condo.Classes pick up again tomorrow with age-related diseases and genetics. I have a feeling it's going to be a sprint to the finish until December 18th. In the words of Margo Channing, "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"
In the words of Dolly Levi, "It's so nice to be back home where I belong!" After my last post, I had three days of class, a day of whirlwind studying, and then an endocrinology test on Friday. Over the weekend I relaxed on Friday night and saw the movie "An Education" with friends Sarah and Javier. British, independent, believable, and subtle- it was my kind of movie. After studying for the GU/Gyn exam, I took the 116-question exam on Monday morning and then packed my bags. I arrived in Spokane late Monday night; instantly it felt like winter. Here it is, well into the morning on Tuesday, and I'm still relaxing in my PJs sipping cocoa. Life is good.
If last week was all about opera, this week was chock-full of concerts. Regina Spektor kicked off the musical mayhem with her concert on Tuesday. Her unique voice is so quirky and rich. Many people know her poppy song Fidelity, but my favorite of the night was definitely Samson with Human of the Year being an unexpected highlight, too. From her bright red lipstick to her sea green guitar to her black sequin shoes, she was quite the sight. I was amazed at the respect and rapt attention from the packed, seated crowd. While at the concert with Sarah, I rendezvoused with classmate Brett (pictured above) and his brother who came into town just to see Ms. Spektor.On Friday morning I had a big decision to make. Weeks ago I had purchased a pair of tickets to see Jewel. The eighth row tickets were normally $39 a piece plus fees, but using my Citi card, I snagged both for $27 total. When I realized that Swell Season (aka the band featuring Once stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) was playing at the same time less than two miles away, I knew a tough choice was before me. I tried my luck at winning tickets and fate told me I had to go see the Academy Award winners instead of Ty Murray's wife. After making a quick and profitable sale (+$13!) on Craiglist, I picked up former roommate Arielle and headed to Warehouse Live.The concert was truly top notch. Glen Hansard sang his heart out, and Marketa Irglova's voice was soft, sad, and sweet. If it weren't for the horrendously obnoxious and rude crowd, I would have had a perfect time. Thankfully, the members of Swell Season kept their cool and carried on over the loud, disrespectful Texan audience. Though the clip below is incredibly blurry (hint, hint Santa), the audio came through well enough to demonstrate their pure voices and musical mastery. Every song was a stand out. I could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that and if you want more from Swell Season, check out this NPR spot.
In med school news, I submitted my schedule request for clinics earlier this week. We finally had our first round of talks about what to expect when rotations start in January. While I'm very excited about getting to that point, it's going to be a rough road between now and December 18. Wentworth decided to show you how I feel about these upcoming tests:
On Wednesday I went to Houston Grand Opera's production of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love. The performance was lively and fun though it was a bit of a "bubble gum" opera (sweet but lacking substance). *addendum: my comments here refer to the simplistic plot and not the complex, beautiful music*I went to my first Oh! Opera in the Heights production on Friday evening with my friend Sarah. Her job at the newly launched "mapazine" (online map-based magazine) CultureMap has proved to be quite the cutting-edge connection to everything cool happening in Houston. Massenet's opera Manon was LONG (start time: 7:30pm; end time: 11pm) but a good taste of what the intimate venue has to offer. I thought the male lead had impressive vocal control. The female lead was fine until the conductor announced that she had "something in her throat" but would soldier on through to the end. She choked her way through the fourth act and bounced back in the final act for her death scene.I figure it's about time that my roommates make an appearance on the blog. Ben is a grad student at Rice, and Roshen works for AmeriCorps. They are fantastic and committed cooks, which makes me feel good that at least someone is using the kitchen. In fact, I don't think the kitchen has every been so overwhelmed with food preparation than it was on Friday night when friends came over to celebrate Roshen's birthday.As you can see in the picture above, there was plenty of delicious and colorful food to go around (the shish kabobs just scratch the surface of the feast). It was fun to mix and mingle a bit before dashing back to Baylor to study for the weekend. My only reprieve came on Sunday night when Brandi, Peter, and I went to see Mary Wilson of the Supremes perform with the Houston Symphony. I had so much fun but was a little put off when Mary Wilson called for people to join her on stage as backup dancers. I was practically jumping out of my seat when she pointed her finger directly at Brandi and me and said, "Not you ladies... you're too young!" Let's just say it was her loss, and I had to bust a move from the confines of my sneakily stolen, unoccupied second row seat.Nonetheless, Mary rocked some classics and threw in a few ballads (including my favorite of the night: a soulful rendition of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now). The three of us stuck around after the show to snag her signature at a meet and greet. Mary's looking pretty good for 65, right? Speaking of looking good, Wentworth wanted to show off his patriotic collar. While the red, white, and blue normally only makes an appearance in July, we thought it was appropriate in the wake of Paul's deployment and the tragedy at Fort Hood and on the eve of Veterans' Day and Sarah's deployment. I'm pretty sure he'll be sporting his American pride until Sarah and Paul are home safe in 2010!
I finished up my exams in GI and Hard & Soft Tissues (basically dermatology and rheumatology) on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. My Wednesday afternoon nap led to a cleaning and packing scramble so that I could pick Mom and Dad up at the airport on time (no such luck with Houston rush hour traffic). From the airport we hit the road and headed east on I-10, making a dent in our trek to Florida.After an overnight in Lake Charles and a few Starbucks stops along the way, we arrived in Navarre, Florida. Though I visited Sarah and Paul for Thanksgiving last year, I was amazed to see all of the new interior design treatments and decorating flourishes in their beautiful home (check out the dining room above). I felt like I had stepped onto the set of some HGTV special. If only I had an artistic eye and a flair for decorating.We cracked open the champagne, had a yummy mushroom and prosciutto salad, indulged in savory beef tenderloin, and munched on Parmesan rolls. Sarah made a wholesome apple pie for dessert, which we all enjoyed while catching up on episodes of "Modern Family." Highlights from Friday's meals included mouth-watering coffeecake, sushi at the Slippery Mermaid, margaritas (above), scrumptious fish tacos, and some sort of sinful chocolate chip cookie bar with marshmallow concoction. Hungry yet?While Paul went in for work on Friday morning, the rest of us attempted to offset some of the weekend's caloric intake with a run (or walk/jog, in my case) along the beach. I was particularly tickled to play Clue on Friday night. Mom surprised us all with a very early win on just her second turn before anyone else even made it into a room. Paul won the lengthy second round after collecting his intel and making the necessary accusations. I'm pretty sure I was a close second for both rounds- hah! On Saturday the girls got pedicures (below) and looked quite snazzy if I do say so myself.We spent most of Saturday watching college football, eating more decadent food (see appetizers below), watching a bit of the World Series, playing Scattegories, and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. The next morning it was hard to say goodbye to the lovely hostess and host. We left Paul prepping for his deployment on Monday, while Sarah sent us off with snacks like lemon blueberry scones and fresh pomelo. We finished our terrible vampire book-on-CD n the way home and felt like James Patterson let us down. Thankfully, Starbucks was there to pick us back up and bring us into Houston. The weekend wrapped up with dinner at Benjy's and dessert with Brandi and Peter at Berripop. On Monday morning we squeezed in tours of Baylor and Rice's new constructions before grabbing some Goode barbecue and heading to the airport. Here it is Monday afternoon, and I'm already going through family withdrawals. I'm sure I'll return to reality after catching up on a few hours of streaming video and cuddling with Wentworth (who was a big hit with the parents!). All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, and I can't think of a better way to have spent the break!
Thursday's diversion = a cappella fun with Montgomery HS's all-girls jazz choir, Conroe HS's Finally Friday, and Raleigh's Almost Recess. The final act, an all-men a cappella quartet, turned the auditorium into a bit of a rock concert. It's been a while since I've heard that many teenage girls' high-pitched screams. Check out the clip above.Friday's entertainment break involved a brief trip to the House of Blues to see Mat Kearney. I won a pair of free tickets on Twitter (shhh... don't tell anyone I have an account). The highlight was probably when he jumped off the stage and wandered through the crowd while singing. Pretty darn cool.My final study distraction was carving this pumpkin during a group lunch meeting with my mentor. (Happy Halloween!) Other than that, I have been studying. Sometimes I eat. Sometimes I sleep. Mostly, I study.
My restaurant-reviewing friend Sarah invited me to be her "plus one" for a restaurant opening at Hotel Derek near the Galleria. We rolled up to Valentino in style, handed the keys to the valet, and started mingling with the pretty people. I came hungry and tried every bite-sized morsel that passed within 15 feet of me. We also sipped the swanky drinks like specialty martinis (l-r): smoked prosciutto, cucumber, and chocolate raspberry. It seemed like every person we chatted up either owned the restaurant or the hotel or had some fancy schmantzy claim to fame. Someone with a hotsy totsy role at the restaurant made some raspberry oyster shooters for us (and other members of the press). All in all, it was a pretty posh affair.On Saturday morning, I had another special session to practice clinical exam skills. This particular session on the male genitourinary exam was really well run. Over the course of just two hours, we watched a film, practiced on plastic models, received instruction from urology residents, and then tried out our skills on a standardized patient. I was a little nervous standing in a line to perform a DRE and the "turn-your-head-and-cough" hernia exam, but the practice was very helpful.The Rice/Baylor Scholars got together on Sunday night for a western-themed dinner at the Dean of Admissions house. Afterward, Brandi, Peter, and I went to Jones Hall downtown for our second show of the Houston Pops season. The Symphony performed songs from Evita and Carmen, "Sobre Las Olas" by Rosas, and and another song I'm blanking on. In the second half featured Brian Stokes Mitchell who was AWESOME. His voice was beautiful and powerful, yet effortless. He sang some Gershwin tunes, Broadway hits, and even a couple fun ones like "It's Not Easy Being Green." Seeing him live brought back fond memories of the NYC trip for Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary when he stole the show in Man of La Mancha.
Block 8 has gotten off to a very busy start. In addition to spending the mornings in lectures on hard/soft tissues and the GI system, I've been spending afternoons doing lots of miscellaneous med-related sessions. On Tuesday I had my readings in international health class; on Wednesday I practiced the neonatal exam on a teeny tiny <1 day-old baby at Ben Taub; on Thursday I went over the pediatric exam with a couple patients at Texas Children's. By Thursday evening, I was carpooling my way to San Antonio for an Ob/Gyn conference. The conference was very interesting and extremely helpful for networking purposes. I soaked in the stories of three other Baylor med students with a hankering for Ob/Gyn: Stina, Claudette, and Lauren (l-r above).On Friday we had lectures on the past, present, and future of the field for students, residents, physicians, and patients. Over lunch the junior fellows had a Q&A for students and put on a rousing game of Family Feud. Among other interesting tidbits, I learned that "vajamma" is a common euphemism for vagina. The Baylor crew went out for a filling Mexican dinner and then crashed. Saturday brought more lectures in the morning and a residency fair and interview advice session in the afternoon. I spent a lot of time at various procedure simulation booths doing tasks like inserting an IUD into a plastic model, performing an ultrasound-guided amniocentesis on a water balloon in Jell-O, expertly manipulating the laparoscopic tools to cut a circle out of gauze, and ablating a rubber uterus. That night we went to the gala and enjoyed some serious betting (with not-so-serious money) at the blackjack table. As you can see from the picture above, dancing was also involved.After the last round of lectures on Sunday morning, we made it back to Houston late in the afternoon. I freshened up, reconnected with Wentworth, and headed downtown to the Hobby Center for a Free Night of Theater. We had a small troop of Baylor second-years for the closing night of Meet Me in St. Louis including Tiffany, Jenn, Ann, Yetunde, and Eleanor (l-r above). Brandi and Peter also joined us while simultaneously celebrating their sixth anniversary of togetherness. The costumes and choreography were the highlights of this fun and cheeky musical.
After Wednesday's respiratory and PPS exam followed by Friday's renal exam and practical, I was pooped... so pooped, in fact, that I squeezed in a visit to Brandi's lab in Rice's fancy Biosciences Research Center and then crashed at home. I set an alarm but either turned it off or slept right through it. Next thing I knew, Brandi was calling to see where I was for our ballet date. Yikes! I scrambled around my messy room (it tends to get that way around test time) and threw on something suitable. Darling Peter chauffeured us to the Wortham Center, delivering his wife and me to the entrance only a few minutes late.Without Boundaries started off with a contemporary piece from The Netherlands that I found quite interesting with the provocative movements and rhythmic beats. The second piece was a premiere by Houston Ballet's own artistic director Stanton Welch. Booooooring. Only after reading a review in the Chronicle did I realize this vanilla piece was about the four elements. However, the final piece was absolutely fantastic. Twyla Tharp's The Upper Room was one of the best dances I've seen in a long time (including jazzy performances on So You Think You Can Dance!). From the music to the costumes to the incredibly original and amazing choreography I found myself wanting to shout, "Encore!" to see it all over again (see a clip for yourself, above).After the ballet, Brandi, Peter, and I went to Berripop for some fro-yo (above). I indulged in the blueberry and raspberry pomegranate swirl in a waffle cone. Yum! Just when I thought I was going to get some shuteye, I rallied and made an appearance at the end-of-block party at Open City in midtown. It was fun to see classmates without the look of terror in their eyes or the tension of test-induced stress in their shoulders. As you can see, Tiffany and I were VERY excited to be done with Block 7. According to Peter, we only have the worst block left. Oh, joy.Saturday morning was surprisingly eventful with Race from the Cure bright and early. I perfected my walk-jog skills during the 5k and enjoyed some bananas, Yoplait yogurt, and bottled water afterward. Though it was quite overcast during the race, the rain held off and the weather was perfect for a run (errr... walk-jog). Several Baylor students were there for race day, so it was fun to see them out to support the cause.I jetted home after the race, rinsed off, brushed Wentworth, and headed to church. Now, why on earth would I go to church on a Saturday, you ask? And, why would I bring my favorite feline friend? Well, Christ the King held a special service for the Blessing of the Animals in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi. There was prayer, scripture, and an individualized blessing for each of the 20+ pets gathered in the church courtyard. Wentworth was a bit terrified at first to be out in public, but he was a trooper. He put up with people remarking on his extraordinarily large size and made friends with some of the people/pets. Needless to say, the event wore him out to the point where he was panting like a dog on the way home. At least he's extra pure and holy now!I spent the rest of the weekend napping, watching a couple movies, shopping a bit, catching up on emails (sort of), doing laundry, and tidying up half of my room. :) Block 8 already started today, so I am gearing up for a few weeks of GI and hard/soft tissues.
No new pictures this week, so I have decided to post my little fashion show from last week when I was mulling over what to wear to the Mad Men party. I channeled my inner designer and attempted to find my most appropriate clothing combos. Enjoy the show!Speaking of enjoying the show, I have a free opera to look forward to in the spring. I entered the Houston Grand Opera's video contest a couple weeks ago and will receive two tickets to Xerxes as my third place prize. Score!There's not much better than a free night of performing arts, which is why I'm looking forward to the month of October. Venues across the country will be participating in a "Free Night of Theater." Check it out for yourself at www.freenightoftheater.net. I'm especially hoping to snag tickets to the Houston Grand Opera's production of The Elixir of Love and Meet Me in St. Louis from the Theatre Under the Stars.This week is test week, so not much to report that doesn't relate to the lungs or the kidneys. Studying aside, there is reason to celebrate: ads on my blog have generated over $115! Thank you to my readers - and by "my readers," I mean both of you :) - for clicking on the occasional ad. If all goes as planned, I should be receiving my first $100 soon! Woo hoo!
