The Complete Package

When Sam arrived on Christmas Eve's Eve, the family unit was finally complete! We celebrated in very traditional fashion way and popped some bubbly! We toasted to the first family reunion since Labor Day 2009.As Sarah and Mom slaved away in the kitchen, I mostly focused on Christmas cookie aesthetics. As you can see above, it was tough work! Once the sugar cookies were sufficiently iced and delicately decorated, we sat down for one of many awesome holiday meals. I took a break from staring at my plate as I scarfed down the deliciousness to take in the scenery. Quite possibly the best view:Holiday traditions continued after dinner with Christmas movie viewing parties downstairs. We stuck to the classics like White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and (of course) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Even Arney joined in on the fun. You know- if you scratch his belly, he will love you till the day you die.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

After completing my four weeks of general surgery at Ben Taub, I hopped on a plane and headed home to the Inland Northwest. Unfortunately, I forgot what it's like to travel with a checked bag during the holidays, and my luggage didn't catch up with me for a couple days. That is the only explanation I can offer for the, above, awesome sweatpants and sweater (circa 7th grade). Sarah has a much more legitimate excuse for her attire- kayaking on beautiful Hayden Lake.There's nothing like spending Christmas in wintry North Idaho with the family to get into the holiday spirit. The lake was gorgeous, fresh white snow hung heavily on the trees, and my nose stayed a bright shade of Rudolph red in the chilly air. In fact, I though I would just about freeze to death after having left Houston's weather in the 70s for the bitter cold of my hometown. Nonetheless, I managed with a few extra layers, Mom's belly-warming culinary feasts, and heartwarming good company and conversation. I knew I was on the most relaxing of vacations when Dad came upstairs with his arms full of boardgames!

A Paula Deen Christmas

Javier hosted a Paula Deen themed Christmas party, which was a great excuse to decorate, cook, and EAT! I cracked open my hope chest and brought out the fancy cloth Christmas napkins. To go with the napkins, I bought a couple nice cloth tablecloths which will be functional for festivities to come. The crafty touch of the night was taking a sharpie to some clothespins to personalize napkins.There was food aplenty. Some of the most sinful, filling fare was available for our group of eight. After stuffing ourselves silly, we took some rather ridiculous pictures recreating some of the highlights from the last year. Below, you can see our group of Coffee Prince watchers (Korean comedy/drama on Hulu) with mugs in hand sipping hot chocolate. All in all, it was a very fun and festive night.

Seasonal Sizzle

On Sunday, December 12, the Scullys and I enjoyed A Very Merry Pops with the Houston Symphony. It was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! During intermission we took some rather ridiculous pictures by the lobby tree. We especially enjoyed the sing-along portion and a special visit from St. Nick. A couple days later, I received my first Christmas present: an extra ticket to Burn the Floor with Sarah! This traveling Broadway ballroom showcase was sizzlin' hot! The jumping, jiving, and gyrating cast was truly outstanding, keeping a breathless pace throughout the show. The dancers hailed from around the world, featuring father-son notables Corky and Mark Ballas of Dancing with the Stars fame. For the complete review, check out Sarah's expertly-worded review on CultureMap here.

ReunioNy-Ying

There's nothing better than waking up from a post-call nap to see the smiling face of a former Rice roommate! A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of Ny-Ying's company. Since it was my "Golden weekend" (both Saturday and Sunday off), we got to spend some quality time together around Houston and with other Rice friends. First we went to Bowl for soup/salad then to Red Lion Pub for drinks and fish and chips. We had tons of fun catching up, enjoying the Christmasy glow of the patio, and taking some ridiculous commemorative photos (above).Ny-Ying, Teresa, and I embraced our inner girlishness and donned our Saturday best. For our visiting Georgian, we had Texas barbecue at Goode Company (above). Then we romped around Rice. We decided that the hedges were worthy of jumping, so we hiked up our dresses and gave the Rice tradition a go. It sure would have been nice if our fourth and final roommate Katherine had been there, but she had learning to do at Yale. Such is life.

That night, we joined forces with Teresa's boyfriend Dane and two members of our favorite boy's quad from Lovett College: Andrew (aka Traverso, his last name) and Eric (aka Steve, because he really just looks more like a Steve). Will was stuck in Dallas, and Adam was probably surfing and eating fish tacos in California. Anyway, we whipped up a fancy dinner for ourselves and played an amazing game of Cranium.On Sunday morning I insisted that Ny-Ying join me on my couponing adventures. We stopped by Crave Cupcakes for some free peppermint hot chocolate. Then we went to Sprinkles Cupcakes for free chocolate peppermint cupcakes. Just as our blood sugars peaked in the 300s, we zoomed over to the Landmark River Oaks Theater to watch 127 Hours, featuring James Franco's hand trapped under a boulder.Due to weather problems in Atlanta, Ny-Ying's flight home was canceled and she got to stay an extra night on my pullout couch. On Monday morning she made it safely home to return to med school at Emory and her remaining residency interviews for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Can't wait to see where she ends up!

Santa Belly

As Christmas rolls around the corner, desserts have been rolling around my midsection. Paula Deen and her buttery recipes have dominated the season, but that's a story for later. At Amy and Aaron's we had some yummy cakes which kicked off the baking extravaganza. Then, I assumed the domestic goddess role and made some chocolate peppermint blossoms (recipe compliments of Kami Cope Shaw's blog Everyday Heaven). I also whipped up some banana chocolate chip muffins and tiramisu brownies. Rest assured, these calories were shared among friends and others on my surgery team. Plus, I need the extra padding for the cold winter, right?

Giving Thanks

Right up until the evening of Tuesday, November 23rd, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would be spending Thanksgiving in Houston. I had feelers out with friends and their families for extra seats at the Thanksgiving table, and I even signed up for an early morning 10k turkey trot. Then the clouds parted and the upper-levels on my surgery team gave us the long weekend off (not just Thursday as originally dictated at orientation). Excitedly, I called my sister Sarah, gassed up the car, and headed 560 miles east to Navarre, Florida. I paused in Baton Rouge for the night before arriving at the Brehm's doorstep on 10:30am Thanksgiving morning.I made it in time to catch some of the Macy's Day Parade (apparently, this is actually called the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade- news to me!). Before I knew it, divine smells of deliciousness were wafting from the kitchen and the table was set. A couple of Sarah and Paul's friends from their squadron joined us for a wholesome, filling feast. I'll spare the so-good-it-makes-you-dizzy details of the melt-in-your-mouth stuffing, the sweet butternut squash soup with the zippy red pepper mousse, and the desserts- oh, the desserts! Suffice it to say, my sister is a world class cook and my belly hasn't been that happy in a long time.With our digestive juices tackling the heavy duty job in our stomachs, we put our gaming wits to use and engaged in a boisterous game of Mexican Train. Which reminds me: I need to host some game nights! Anyway, I slept very soundly that night and didn't even feel the urge to hit up Black Friday sales. Spending the day lounging around the house on Friday was a treat. Sarah and Paul's place is impeccably decorated, and I felt like I was staying in a home straight from the pages of a magazine. Relaxation was very easy to come by.On Saturday Sarah, Paul, Paul's mom Sue, and I fueled up on Tropical Smoothies then hit the greens... at Goofy Golf. Much to my delight, we played 36 holes of mini golf! Paul putt-putted his way to victory and Sue managed to pull off a big win at the final hole-in-one challenge for a free game. Speaking of holes-in-one, Sarah captured this awesome action shot of my successful attempt at putting into the frog's mouth so he poops it into the hole. Niiiiice! The weekend drew to a close much too soon, and my only consolation was that I would be seeing Sarah and Paul again in Idaho less than a month later. The drive back to Houston was long and nostalgic, but the memories I brought back with me left me feeling so thankful for my family and the precious time I get to spend with those exceptional people.

Time Marches On

I can't believe how time has been flying lately! I finished up my transplant surgery rotation on Saturday after another exciting week involving a few liver transplants, a kidney transplant, and an organ harvest. I think the most difficult part was sewing up the empty little body of a toddler after her organs were harvested. Yet, I was also able to see how her healthy liver gave new life to another young girl. Tomorrow I will begin the marathon that is general surgery at Ben Taub, the county hospital. Over the weekend, I was able to relax with friends. I went to Morning Glory with Teresa at City Centre (above)- a posh, up-and-coming shopping area in northwest Houston. On Saturday night I went out for drinks with Amy, Aaron, and Javier. As you can see, roomie Javier and I are looking more and more alike everyday!

May your days be merry

After finishing up my emergency medicine rotation (which I loved), I started in on transplant at St. Luke's. Within minutes of joining the service that will be my home for two weeks, I got to see the end of an adult liver transplant. I was even trusted to staple half of the abdomen! Then mid-week I saw a pedi transplant from beginning (prepping the donor liver and the patient with biliary atresia) to the end (watching re-perfusion and the Roux). Pretty cool stuff. On Friday night I got to scrub in on an organ harvest, which was such a special experience. I was very lucky to have space at the operating table with the heart team working furiously in the chest and my team digging into the abdomen.Over the past couple weeks, I have been able to make a few social outings. I had lunch with Lutherans in the med center (fellow med and grad students). Though I didn't finish the book, I went to the Rice young alumni book club at Mockingbird Cafe. Finally, I celebrated Lulu and Josh's engagement at Sushi Raku (hosted by mutual friends and newlyweds Amy and Aaron). The only really low point lately was locking myself out while my roommate was out of town. The upside is I because great friends with my wonderful neighbors. The downside is that was $100 in locksmith fees I am not getting back. Sigh. Guess who just bought a hide-a-key with a combo lock?For my day off this weekend, I tried to get into the holiday spirit. With three generations of Braud women (Brandi, her mom, and her grandmother), I tackled the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker Market for the first time. I made a few little purchases and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of seasonal shoppers. Sadly, I didn't get any quality Christmas shopping done, but I did feel a bit more joyful and merry.The evening closed with a Houston Symphony Pops concert. The theme was "One O'Clock Swings!" The symphony teamed up with the University of North Texas' One O'Clock Lab Band to perform some jazzy numbers. Though this was not my favorite show of the season, I really enjoyed Stardust and the Duke Ellington medley. Of course, it was nice to return to normal and have Brandi and Peter join me for the show.

A Little of That

For the past two weeks, I thoroughly enjoyed working in the county hospital's emergency department. Baylor started a new emergency medicine program, and I was lucky to have rotated through the service with truly amazing attendings. I had several 8- and 12-hour shifts filled with quite a variety of patients. I had the opportunity to suture (on a real, live patient for the first time!), insert a urinary catheter (I'm sure the allure of this will fade rapidly), insert an NG tube (in a very combative HIV+ patient), perform a pelvic exam (good prep for my ob/gyn rotation in the spring), staple a guy's head (the attending insisted that we didn't need local anesthetic), and more!I also became intermittently nocturnal. It was tough to try to sleep during daylight, but I had some tricks up my sleeve. On the night before my 7pm-7am Halloween shift, I stayed up late for a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show with Sarah. I've been meaning to go for about seven years now, and I am glad I finally made it to the ridiculously risque show. Quite eccentric! I don't think I'll be renting the movie in my spare time, but now I am kind of in awe of Tim Curry.In a sad break from tradition, I went to see the latest Pops concert without my built-in dates, the Scullys. Interestingly, I wasn't alone for long because headliner Chris Botti called down a group of high school trumpeters to take their empty seats in the front row (Brandi and Peter's unknowing contribution to the future of music... the boys left gasping that it was the best night of their lives!). I was incredibly impressed with Mr. Botti- one of People's Most Beautiful who had the coolness of Sting with a hint of a David Bowie smirk. All the after-show hubbub prevented me from getting one of my standard post-show meet-and-greet photo ops, but Botti did sign my CD-DVD combo pack. It was a fun night but could have been taken up a notch with my symphony sidekicks (who will hopefully get to enjoy their signed DVD at home as a consolation).When I wasn't sleeping or seeing patients or show-going, I tried to be a model citizen. I voted early (please take note, Bristol Palin). I recycled. I did laundry. I cleaned my room. Pretty impressive, eh? I also went to the Menil for a book signing. Amy, who works at the museum, totally hooked me up for this swanky shindig. We heard a few readings from Art and Activism, the literary collaboration on the lives of John and Dominique de Menil. Some of the contributors were present to sign the book. I still need to get Amy's signature because she had a hand in the publication as well!

A Little of This

Rice celebrated homecoming on October 17 with an array of festivities: tailgating, a football game, and an alumni dinner at the Hanszen Masters' house. Because I was studying for my neurology final, I had to settle for merely a taste of each, which proved to be great study breaks throughout the day.It's pretty funny that I never once tailgated at Rice while I was a student, yet the parking lot was hopping with a chili cook-off, various vendors, and rowdy students/alumni playing games like beer pong in broad daylight. While I was studying at Rice's Fondren library I checked the progress of our game vs. University of Houston. Much to my surprise, we pulled off a win in Bayou Bucket Classic with a respectable score of 34-31. Way to go, Owls! Finally, I sneaked away from the books to grab some yummy food and great conversation at the alumni dinner (above).During my last week of neurology (translation: last week of getting to work at 9am), I enjoyed three days in a row of breakfast with Amy! Crave Cupcakes in the Rice Village had a promotion that was too sweet to pass up: free coffee and a cupcake! Thankfully, they made breakfast-friendly cupcakes like zucchini walnut and apple streusel. It was a tasty way to start the day! The week ended with my neurology final, which wasn't nearly as painful as the NBME subject exams aka the "shelf" at the end of each rotation. I really enjoyed my neurology rotation and working with Dr. Evans- a Rice and BCM alum who specializes in headaches.I recently saw the musical Shrek for the first time. The costumes were AMAZING! The songs were fun and the storyline was exactly what you would expect from the movies. The traveling production brought a great set, an entertaining Donkey, and a hilarious Farquaad. I was a little disappointed with Shrek's voice and the disrespect of people around me (cell phones ringing, flash pictures, getting up and down during the show, talking, etc.).Another show I had been looking forward to for weeks was the Jason Derulo concert! One of my favorite spin instructors loves to play his songs (like Ridin' Solo and In My Head), so naturally, Amy and I were pumped up! We ate dinner at a fancy restaurant with Aaron beforehand and then got our groove on at Warehouse Live. I have to admit, I don't think I have had that much fun at a concert in a long time! Afterward we acted like the teenage girls we never were and waited backstage to see him after the show. Despite waiting for like an hour in the rain, our efforts were not rewarded, and we reluctantly went home.

Reviving the Texan in Adam: the Finale

For the final leg of Adam's Houston adventure, we went straight to the meat of it. Following afternoon chai tea at Agora, we headed downtown for a fancy dinner. We checked out Samba Grille, a relatively new churrascaria in the theater district. I had never experienced the all-you-can-eat meat extravaganza, so my belly went into a bit of shock as it was stretched taut.We had fabulous assorted veggies, soup (mine was the Jade soup: spinach + broccoli cream + crabmeat gratin = heaven), and coconut rice (swoon!). Then the meat parade began with over a dozen cuts/types circulating on skewers. The carvers would come by and shave off a few slabs of juicy goodness until we had our fill and flipped our green coasters over to red (aka- stop... must digest... meat).Following the feast we waddled over to the Hobby Center to see Hairspray. The show was lots of fun, especially the ad-libbing in the father and mother's duet "You're Timeless to Me." Unfortunately, Adam timelessness was realized on Tuesday when he set off to Dallas for a couple days before returning to life as a surfer boy in California. Of course, the blog wouldn't be complete without a commemorative arm-length self pic shot:

Reviving the Texan in Adam: Take 2

Adam's Texas adventure continued with a trip to the Bayou City Art Festival. We met up with Sarah after she finished her shift at the CultureMap booth then browsed the art together. I was pretty impressed with the turnout for the downtown Houston event, which was just like the Utah Arts Festival I visited in June with Chelsey and Joel.After browsing the paintings, photographs, sculptures, and wacky performance art, I felt completely uncreative. Still, it was a gorgeous day and all that walking around worked up an appetite. To satiate our hunger, Adam and I went to Cyclone Anaya's in Midtown for taquitos and tequila- I mean a mango margarita.As the sun started to set on the eve of the third day, we paid a visit to our alma mater. Rice certainly has grown up in the last few years: new basketball court ('field house'), fancy schmancy new gym, TWO new residential colleges, a new glass pavilion, new sculptures sprinkled throughout campus, and more! Adam was very relieved to see that Lovett was quite the same as when he left it over three years ago. To which I reply: Lovett?! Lovett?! Lovett sucks! Hanszen, Hanszen- YEAH! Hanszen, Hanszen- YEAH!After visiting Rice haunts we visited Rice friends. We stopped by Brandi and Peter's lovely condo and played some rousing rounds of Bananagrams. I highly recommend this fun, fast-paced, Scrabble-like game. Amy and Aaron got wind of all the fun we were having and sped over to join in on the games.Marty was also around- playing it cool on the couch and getting all sorts of belly rubs. Just when I thought the perfect evening couldn't get any better- we added ice cream! With nights as complete as these, why would anyone ever go back to California? :)

Reviving the Texan in Adam: Take 1

For the first time in over three years, Adam Tuttle made it back to Houston. His first request for his Texas re-initiation was for some quality barbecue. We drove straight from the airport to Goode Company BBQ and chowed down. As you can see in the picture above, Adam was overcome with emotion upon clearing his plate.After our smokey Texan dinner, we met up with Peter and Nya for frozen yogurt at Berripop. Fellow former Lovetteers Peter and Adam had plenty to chat about: life since Rice, mutual friends, and memories of their beloved residential college. Baylor MD/PhD Nya easily fell into conversation, bringing her shared experiences of life in Idaho, California, medical school, and grad school.Adam continued to rally after his day of traveling by tagging along with me to 13 Celsius where we met up with Amy and Aaron. Adam bonded with Amy over Taiwan (where both of their parents are living), and then he bonded with Aaron over nerdy guy stuff while I sipped wine and observed the bonding. We were soon joined by gym buddy Gretchen (above).I had to go to school/work on Friday, so we didn't meet up again until dinner. We went to Star Pizza for some intense deep dish dining. Afterward, we went to Kroger to pick out the perfect pair of pumpkins. We set up shop on the patio and started carving, a seasonal ritual I haven't enjoyed in several years. Even Wentworth tried to participate in the festivites (see if you can spot him in the picture below).Though neither of us claim to be expert carvers, we were both pretty satisfied with our efforts. As the jack-o-lanterns flickered on the porch, we cleaned and roasted the seeds. In my first attempt at pumpkin seed baking, I found the final product tedious to produce but tasty to eat.