Take Me Out

I was the incredibly lucky friend of Sarah who got to tag along with her to HEB's Wine and Food Week event in The Woodlands. The official title of the decadent smorgasbord was "Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting and Chef Showcase presented by Texas Monthly." Phew! The conglomeration of restaurants and wineries lived up to its name.We felt like we barely scratched the surface and left with overly full bellies. Inspired, I snapped a picture of a duck confit tart with huckleberry salad, goat cheese, and carrot jam (*hint, hint* Dad and Mom).With the two free tickets I received from the Astros 5k, I invited my med school friend Brett to the ballpark. We watched our Houston Astros lose to the San Fransisco Giants. The pain of the loss was eased with foot-long hot dogs, beer, and even a bit of cotton candy.Unfortunately, Brett's girlfriend (a Baylor first-year) couldn't join us because she was studying for her final exams... did I mention how excited I am to be DONE with my second year of medical school? Oh, how good it feels to be an MS-3!

Shower Power

Way back on June 13th, I threw a couples wedding shower for my friends Amy and Aaron. The Justice of the Peace made it legal last month, but the couple will be jetting off to France for a July 10th ceremony. I'll be in attendance at their July 24th nuptials in Houston (third time is the charm, after all). We noshed and drank and chatted the afternoon away at Shade. For the full report, check out Amy's wedding blog Rice Cracker Love (HOT TIP: if you go to the blog be sure to scroll down to see the cutest wedding invitations ever).

The picture features friend Max, bride-to-be Amy, me, groom-to-be Aaron, and my new roommate (!) Javier.

A Day of McNay

For the Sunday of my weekend in San Antonio, Risa and I checked out the McNay Art Museum. The mansion-turned-museum was filled with all sorts of artwork- outdoor, indoor, 2-D, 3-D, old, and new.We learned about the life of Marion McNay as we walked through her beautiful house and ambled through the gardens.While we were there, a guy was taking his graduation pictures. Following suit, Risa and I staged our own photoshoot!We spent the afternoon on the Riverwalk (statue of San Antonio below). The weather demanded that we arm ourselves with ice cream, so we sought out some creamy goodness and then strolled along the waterways below the street. All too soon, my brief weekend adventure came to a close, and I made the lonely trip back to Houston.

San Antonio Saturday: Sanctuaries and Sunsets

I rolled into San Antonio on Friday, June 4 for a weekend of fun, exploration, and relaxation with travel buddy/Rice friend Risa. We munched on some Mexican food and watched the sun go down poolside. Then on Saturday morning we mounted our bikes and hit the Mission Trail. We stopped by Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose (above), and Mission Espada.After spending most of the day on bikes and in the sun, we retreated to the shade of Texas Hill Country. We sipped wine at Woodrose Winery and wondered what was going on (if anything) in the mind of peculiar Greek hostess. While it would have been nice to have hopped around more of the vineyards, by the time we finished up at Woodrose, the sun was setting and we had to move on to our final destination: the LBJ ranch.For our final Saturday activity, we pulled into the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and walked around the "Texas White House." Unfortunately, I forgot my National Parks Passport (where IS it anyway??), so I couldn't add a stamp to the book. Still, it was fun to see old cars, read about a bit of history, and chat up the park rangers. Once the sun finally slipped below the horizon, we snagged a spot on the lawn in front of the big, blow-up movie screen. We indulged in free popcorn and soda while watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Talk about a great way to end a day of adventure!

Celebrate Good Times

About a week and a half ago, I jogged my way through the Astros Race for the Pennant 5k. It was a nice change of pace to add in some outside-the-gym exercise. I decided to forgo the beer at the end of the run but enjoyed cooling down in Minute Maid Park. Over the next day or two, I realized that my spinning muscles and my running muscles really aren't the same. Ouch. Haha.Over the last week since I received my Step 1 score, I had time to relax and celebrate with friends. Brandi took me out to a lovely dinner at critically acclaimed restaurant Reef. Amy and Aaron spontaneously snatched me from home one evening and took me to have drinks at 13 Celsius. Hearing congratulations and expressions of shared relief from friends has buoyed me back into action. I am so glad the last six months is behind me, and now I find myself really looking forward to what's in store for the future!

Soaring and Scoring

On Sunday Brandi, Peter, and I saw our last pops concert of the season with the Houston Symphony. With my pair of extra tickets, I brought along friends Teresa and Dane. The concert title was Cirque de la Symphonie, and the acrobatics were minimal but very impressive (see representative youtube video below from a different concert). It was a great way to end the season!The other massive piece of news is that I passed the first of my boards (the USMLE Step 1)! Words cannot describe the relief and sense of release I felt when I got my score. I have already celebrated with friends a bit, but that will have to wait for another post. I should also comment on the clinical ethics rotation I am taking (and loving!), but again, that is for another time. I will leave you with this little guy that I encountered on my ride home from class today: