Sunday Funday

On Sunday April 17th I went to the Palm Sunday service at church and celebrated the anniversary of my baptism. Afterward I went to Empire Cafe with Teresa and enjoyed my signature brunch item: Italian toast. We went for a nice mid-morning walk in Montrose and even swung by the Menil. We popped in on the new installation "Upside Down: Arctic Realities," which was cool... After slipping on booties, we walked around the stark white room and took in the display of arctic artifacts. We wrapped up our walking tour by noon, and I spent the rest of the day studying for my final exams in Ob/Gyn. The rotation came to a close on Thursday, just in time for me to hop on a plane and spend a long weekend in Vegas (recap coming soon!).

Fancy Free

The week got off to a great start on Monday with some free cheesy deliciousness at the Melting Pot. In honor of National Fondue Week, I made a reservation for some complimentary fromage with food connoisseur Sarah. We enjoyed dipping so much, we stuck around for some flaming dessert (above). Yum! Now my goal is to recreate this at home with my fondue pot.In another freebie outing, I stopped by Ben and Jerry's for a scoop of Bonnaroo Buzz. It was quite a convenient pit stop on my way from the ob/gyn wing of People's Clinic to the med center for afternoon meetings/lectures. My final indulgence of the week was to celebrate Peter's birthday! It took me three days to eat one slice of the sinful and decadent Cheesecake Factory concoction, but I did it! I also got a sneak peek at Brandi and Peter's in-progress nursery now that the crib is up.As my final week of ob/gyn approaches, I feel like the next few days will be a real sprint to the finish. Last weekend I did manage to fit in an ACLS course (advanced cardiac life support), and this weekend I initiated the process to become an ACLS instructor. Now I can be just like the people on ER and Grey's Anatomy: "Shock 'em! Resume compressions! Push 1mg epi!"

A Well-Balanced Diet

After much anticipation I finally made it to the Landmark River Oaks theatre with Sarah to see the latest version of Jane Eyre. I thought the film met and exceeded expectations, proving to be both haunting and period appropriate. It's always nice to reconnect with my inner English major. Now, if only I could debrief with Rice professor Dennis Huston!Because of the way my clinical schedule worked out on Thursday, I was able to sneak in lunch at Canopy with Amy, Aaron, Javier, and Andrew. So much fun! In addition to being a very bright spot in my week, the midday date also was great for the appetite. Admittedly, making the meal decision was quite difficult given the awesome menu. I ended up getting the brie & prosciutto melt with honey fig jam and arugula on toasted sourdough. Yum!On Friday night I went to spin with Amy, which I haven't done in a couple months! Lately, I have been hopping around 24 Hour Fitnesses in Houston but missing out on my old routine. It was nice to reunite with my gym buddy and burn some calories. I immediately proceeded to put those calories back on with a hearty steak at Robert's place with fellow med student friends Ian and Sean.Much to my supreme delight, Robert's sister Angie was visiting with her 4-week-old daughter Jacqueline. I got in some quality baby holding time and enjoyed catching up with Angie. The only other noteworthy event during the week was a my Saturday study break at Rice, when I popped over to KTRU's annual live outdoor show just outside the library:Though I normally don't know any of the indie rock bands performing at this student radio event, I did know Michael Cera (!) of Arrested Development and Juno fame who performed with his band Mister Heavenly. Tragically, I didn't realize he was on campus until after the fact and missed him completely! Such a shame. The photo above actually features the band Washed Out.

Lookin' Forward to the Weekend

Last weekend kicked off with some free mini cupcakes at Celebrity Cupcakes in the Rice Village. Brandi, Peter, and I caught up over sugary sweets and swapped stories from our rotations in Family Medicine (Brandi), Pediatrics (Peter), and Ob/Gyn (me). On Saturday, I exercised my BLS Instructor certification by helping out with a CPR training class at Baylor.Afterward I went over to Robert's place to have dinner with med school friends. We had some delicious Texas-style home cookin' with brisket, mac n'cheese, and a hearty heap of corn. Yum! It was also nice to catch up with Dad over the phone while he was celebrating his birthday in Alaska. Meanwhile, I was wearing a tank top.After church on Sunday I met up with Sarah, Steven, and Cameron for brunch at the quirky Hotel Zaza. Located in the Museum District, the hotel's restaurant Monarch debuted its new "Sunday School" offering. Let it be known that I had no idea what I was getting myself into as the clock struck noon. Soon, we were surrounded by sparklers, suds from flowing champagne, and servers in black mini dresses. As the music cranked up, the dancing began. Soon, a round of punch-flavored shots was distributed with light-up rings for our fingers. Finally, my main dish of chicken and waffles (or should I say, waf, the half-waffle) arrived. The food was tasty, but not filling enough to offset the copious amounts of mid-day alcohol that seemed to be in unlimited supply. Thankfully, my need to study prevented me from over-indulging in such libations, but the experience sure made for a fun memory.