Out and About in Utah

Day two of my Utah adventure began with a trek up the steep mountainside that practically makes up Chelsey and Joel's backyard. We scrambled up to the ancient shoreline that runs along the Wasatch Range. I was on the lookout for shells and fossils but found cacti and a fantastic view instead. After making our way back down, we freshened up and headed into the tiny town of Brigham City.The three of us explored the town's century-old tabernacle. Much to our surprise and amusement, the docent with backwards sunglasses gave us the OK to try out the organ. The three of us took turns banging away at the bellowing pipes. It wasn't too long before we exhausted our impromptu musical repertoire of Heart & Soul, Chopsticks, Joy to the World, and Edelweiss. Afterward we indulged in ice cream, and Chelsey helped me straighten my hair for the first time.Our evening's social agenda included a trip to Ogden for a concert on the ski hill. I met several of Chelsey and Joel's friends. It was so nice to spread out the blanket, snack on fruit kabobs, sip wine, and listen to some music as the sun went down. Soon the moon was over our heads and the musicians were packing up their instruments. We ended the night with a few rousing games of ping pong at a friend's house.Sunday was a lovely, low key day for us. We went to Willard Bay State Park for a bit of canoeing and reading. I got in an afternoon nap and was well rested in time to help make sushi. The reality is, Chelsey did all the tricky prep work, then we all assembled our rolls. The other two highlights of the night were unique experiences: going to a drive-in movie and filling up the natural gas tank for Joel's truck. While I don't recommend rushing to the theaters to see Grown Ups, I do recommend paying just 95 cents for a gallon equivalent of natural gas!

A Cut Above

With the heat turning up in Houston, I decided it was time for a change. On Wednesday, June 23, I took the plunge. Using a Groupon, I went to Kharisma Hair Studio and had Loris, the Paris-trained Italian co-owner of the salon, chop off my lengthy locks. Though Loris ended up cutting off easily over a foot of hair, the blunt cut resulted in a 9-inch ponytail that I sent to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to make wigs for cancer patients. The bald feeling has been a bit of an adjustment, but I was happy to take a load off and nix the tangles!With a shorter 'do and an even shorter "to do" list, I packed my bags on Friday, June 25, and headed to Utah to visit Chelsey and Joel! While in Salt Lake City, we grabbed lunch then explored the Utah Arts Festival. I got an especially big kick out of recognizing the work of JD Hillberry at a stand. Many years ago- I believe, in Estes Park, CO- I purchased a print at an art festival called Measuring Up. Immediately, I made the connection between the first piece of art I ever bought and the booth in SLC despite the decade gap. According to his website, he'll be in Houston at the Bayou City Art Festival in October. Maybe I'll just have to make a trip downtown and keep an eye out for his booth!Later day became Latter Day in our capital walkabout. We checked out the impressive LDS complex and headquarters of the Mormon church. We walked the perimeter of the towering temple and read the signs on the street outside remarkable buildings from years ago. We reached a peak in our trek when we peeked inside the Tabernacle (home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). In an attempt to pique our interest in the building's acoustics, a female missionary performed a dazzling auditory demonstration. She tore a piece of newspaper, dropped three pins, and finally dropped a nail for all of our ears to enjoy.After all the big city action, Joel and Chelsey took me home to Brigham City. They have a lovely house on a corner lot. They've made some beautiful updates and skillful improvements to their abode over the last couple years. They have an immaculate garden, a place for their dog Hank to run around, and tons of space. I met their cats (both make Wentworth look like a sumo wrestler!) and got the grand tour. To top the evening off, Joel made some delicious Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. All that excitement in just one day!

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!