M dot D almost-dot

Today, I took the written (well, computerized) portion of Step 2 (CK, or "Clinical Knowledge") of the USMLE (Unites States Medical Licensing Exam). There are three steps of general medical "Boards" that we have while in school and before completing intern year (year 1 of residency). The first, Step 1, is, by far, the hardest. We take this after second year of medical school, and it basically tests us on EVERYTHING about medicine, including minutiae of obscure biochemical cycles (quick! What's the third step of the Krebs cycle?!) that we all soon forgot and will never need to know. Doing well on Step 1 is considered very important for to be competitive for residencies (even in Family Medicine, where there are 0.4, yes 0.4, applicants per spot and no, Wendi, I repeat I will not tell you, nor anyone else, what I got on that test). Second year was hard, especially towards the end, with burnout going on and that big test looming over our heads, but it's all been better since then!

The quip for the requirements for the Steps is "2 months (i.e. to study for Step 1), 2 weeks, and No. 2 pencil (Step 3 is supposed to be a breeze!)." So for the past week and half or so, I had been occupying myself with doing massive amounts of practice questions to prepare for the test. It's actually quite rewarding to realize how much we really do know, and what we've learned through the clinical years, for this Step tests our knowledge of diagnosis and management rather than raw basic medical facts. Call me a nerd, but it's actually quite fun to "figure out" what's going on in the clinical scenarios we're presented (and even more fun when you're right!). Passing this test has to be a requirement for graduation. So as long as I show up to my other rotations this year and match somewhere (and pass this test!), I think I will be fairly sure of getting my degree in May! Hence the almost-dot after the D in M.D.! :)

So the test today consisted of 8 blocks of 46 questions each; you are allotted 1 hour per block. It requires endurance for sure, and the ability to stare at a computer for 8 hours. They give you something like 45 minutes of break time to use to break up the blocks. I ended up taking mini-breaks after completing every two blocks of questions and was done by 3:20 or so, which has to be some kind of record for me. I am a slow test-taker. I used most of the time but that's because I compulsively check my answers :) But at least I can maybe say I beat Hans at something, which I've wanted to do since starting medical school (he's SOO good at everything; however, he doesn't take Step 2 for a few weeks so, technically, I finished before him :)) And the questions really weren' t too bad! I think they were overall more straightforward than the practice ones I had done.

Ajit mentioned something to me which made me go back and look at my residency application. I, obviously not thinking about much of anything when I completed it, checked the box which authorizes the immediate release of these scores to all the programs to which I applied. This decision is IRREVOCABLE! Yikes. So apparently the places I applied may know my scores before I do! I wonder how those interviews are going to go ("So, tell me what happened on Step 2..... We really thought you were a good candidate before we got those results...." :)) I've heard it takes something like 3-6 weeks to get the results back... and I'm not sure how I'm going to hear. My mail is currently going to be forwarded to my parents' house in Virginia while I'm on the road. So maybe they'll find out and tell me. Anyway, send lots of happy USMLE thoughts my way in the next few weeks :)

I have to take this Clinical Skills (fake patients with fake problems) practical exam in Chicago in a couple of weeks, but I hear it's not too bad. It's basically simulating what we've been doing for the past couple of years anyway-- taking histories, examining patients, and coming up with a diagnostic and therapeutic plan. In any case, I believe I just took my LAST WRITTEN TEST (or at least one that counts for anything) of medical school. CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!

Musings from a bibliophile

I love books. Once, in a moment of not thinking, I said something retarded to my sister along the lines of "I like libraries. They have lots of books." And she won't let me forget it. There are few places I am happier than in libraries and bookstores. I remember that, when I was a kid, I used to spend hours in B. Dalton's, a bookstore at Columbia Mall in Grand Forks, reading books off the shelves but always feeling slightly guilty, as though I was breaking some rule [is it wrong to read books, cover-to-cover, in bookstores because that means you may not buy them?]. When I am reading a good book, all is right with the world. While my pleasure reading during the first two years of med school was severely restricted due to massive amounts of medical minutiae I had to learn and commit to memory, I've been able to, in the past couple of years, again pick up the hobby I've always enjoyed.

I've been known to go to the gym with the intention of reading the entire time:) Unlike Molly, I love reading fiction (she only reads books about rocks and grasshoppers and things like that, but we'll see if she even reads this blog to comment on that generalization). And I'm always looking for suggestions for new things to read. I probably go to the Rochester Public Library (quite a decent library, actually) about once a week or so on average :) There are a few select people (Rachel, Laura, and Wendi in particular) who seem share almost my exact tastes in books (recent Rachel-recommendations, which I definitely will read since she has fantastic taste, include Redeeming Love and Another Day in the Frontal Lobe). But perhaps I need to diversify with others' suggestions to "broaden my horizons" a bit...

Here's a short list of some of my favorite books (and authors), in no real particular order (they're all amazing; however, the latter ones are more "girlie"!). If you haven't already read these, you are missing out. Get yourself a library card and GO RIGHT NOW to the local public library.

1. Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer)
2. Lords of Discipline (Pat Conroy)
3. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) Read a review by Wendi
4. Midwives (Chris Bohjalian)
5. My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, and many more (Jodi Picoult)
6. Eden Close, Resistance, and many more (Anita Shreve)
7. The Notebook, A Walk to Remember (Nicholas Sparks)

There are couple of problematic things about books, though, which largely have to do with the fact that they are heavy and take up lots of space! First of all, I am ALWAYS either over, or close to being over, the weight allowance for domestic flights due to my compulsive reading habit. Sometimes I wish I were savvy enough to get all books on ipod or cd so that I could save space/weight; however, I don't like listening to books. I like reading them! And secondly, having too many books makes moving quite a chore. My parents actually forbade me from buying any more books while in high school because, as they told me, "We have a weight allowance and can't store any more! Go to the library or something!" :) So, in anticipation of moving in May, I have started to go through old books (including college texts) to try to whittle down my current collection.

I recently sold a bunch of used textbooks online and got about $40 for it, which was quite the bonus for me (those books could have very well followed me around forever, as I thought enough of them to save them from college!)! However, I have a few others (mainly music texts [who remembers NAWM?!] but also an Econ book and other random ones) that aren't worth ANYTHING on the sites I checked. What do I do with these?! The library won't even take them because some have highlighting, and they aren't valuable to anyone (including me, I guess), but I can't physically bring myself to throw away any piece of literature (this sort of parallels my issue with getting rid of fruit and other food). So I need some suggestions.

What do I do with these books? And please pass on any suggestions for other things to read so all can enjoy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make one last pre-travel trip to the library...

I like cheese

Life is pretty darn boring at the moment-- I doubt you want to hear about the gazillion Step 2 questions I've been doing (interspersed with my least favorite thing to do, packing [or really organizing for packing]), so I thought I'd post a couple of good recipes. My family went out to Red Lobster my last night up north, where they make fantastic cheddar cheese biscuits that we all ADORE. I admit that I haven't actually made this recipe before (and, in fact, I'm not sure I know what Butter Buds sprinkles are) but got it from a relative a little while ago. I'd like to try it sometime soon-- if you make it, let me know how it turns out!


Cheesy biscuits a la Red Lobster


2 c skim milk
8 oz fancy shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp Butter Buds sprinkles
2 tsp garlic salt
5 c biscuit mix
48 (?!) sprays, butter spray



1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray 2 cookie sheets.
3. Mix milk/cheese, let sit for 3 minutes. Then add sprinkles and garlic salt, stir.
4. Stir in biscuit mix (they'll stiffen)
5. Drop by Tbsps on cookie sheets. Bake 15-17 min.



This second recipe is one that my Mom gave me (there are a couple of variations out there). She makes these as appetizers, which always are delicious, and I tried them (using spicy sausage, which I think is best) for the brunch we had a couple of weekends ago. They are really easy to make, and I think they turned out pretty well (Brandon at least thought so :)).


Sausage/Cheese Balls


1 lb bulk sausage
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
3 cups Bisquick



1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine all ingredients into walnut-sized balls
3. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
(Mom says to freeze the formed balls overnight before baking them-- haven't tried this yet).


Enjoy!

Engagements!!!

Holidays bring engagements. It's true.

Couple #1: Hans and Rachel (THE NEWS)

In case you hadn't heard, I just wanted to pass on the good news that Hans and Rachel (Hans is a classmate of mine and Rachel his long-time and wonderful girlfriend, now fiancee!) are engaged. Wendi already broke the news several days ago and has pictures (this is one I stole from her blog; it's hard being friends with someone so ontop of everything, more adept at blogging, and who has the same friends), but I thought I'd congratulate them as well as share some postings from a couple of other friends who are getting married at the end of the year! Hans sent us the funniest e-mail whose text read something like "Rachel and I are engaged. It happened in a field and then we played basketball-- perfect. Ask her for details." It was very Hans. I, of course, had to know details and learned from talking to Rachel yesterday that he was really quite sweet when he proposed out in the country this past week. They make a fantastic couple and I only hope they might consider moving out to OR for residency (if I end up there:)).

Couple #2. Tia and Rob (THE EXPECTED)

Tia and Rob have been engaged for many months (and everyone knew the wedding was long-in coming). Tia was my roommate for the first couple of years from med school so I got to know them both very well. I love their story (and Tia already gave me permission to post her link, so I hope that discussion is also allowed). They met their first day in college through a mutual friend of theirs, Grace. I know that Rob was dating someone else for much of college and even, at one point, set Tia up with one of his friends, but they were the best of friends all the while. Then they saw the light, realized that they were the ones that were supposed to be together, and started dating around the beginning of their senior year. After finishing up at Indiana, Rob moved to Minneapolis, and they've been doing the driving-back-and-forth-during-weekends-thing throughout med school. Their wedding is about a month before graduation and I'm also very excited to see where they end up, because we applied to many of the same places for residency. Apparently the website thing is now the thing to do (they are very awesome. I want one! :)) so you can check theirs out at: Tia and Rob's Wedding .I just had to post their hilarious initial "welcome" picture with their accompanying statement "We are so excited to get married." :)

Couple #3. Erin and TJ (THE "FINALLY")

Erin, or "EVB" as she is known to most of us, is one of the greatest girls I've met. She is hilarious, brutally honest, hates most "girlie" stuff besides "Sex and the City," totally does her own thing, and was terrified of marriage (I think the medical term is "gamophobia") until this year, despite having a wonderful boyfriend, TJ (a PhD student at Stanford) who was eager to tie the knot :) I actually remember meeting Erin the first day of med school and learning that she "didn't really have a boyfriend"-- she didn't really see this long-distance thing working. But, through almost four years of school and doing distance (and that is a LONG distance!) the entire time, they are engaged and getting married right after graduation. I find this absolutely amazing. Erin hopes to do her Peds residency at Stanford and only applied to programs out in that area. I'm excited to go visit them on Saturday! :) I realize that I have a paucity of photos of Erin (and TJ-- for he's only come to visit a couple of times while I've been in town), but here is one from a dinner during our first year!! I know it's poor-quality (sorry... cringe), but they are the very cute couple on the couch at the back.

Couple #4. Katie and Ryan (THE SURPRISE)

This is a picture of Katie and Ryan (and Summer, who is not getting married TO them but who is Katie's best friend here and part of the wedding! I didn't have a pic of just the couple, sorry.) at the Unity Ball from this year. Anyway, I remember talking to Katie back in August when she had just met this guy Ryan through online dating. At that time, she kept raving about what a fantastic guy he was but I hadn't heard too much until Nicole spilled the beans and we got an e-mail from Katie with "exciting news," which, I've come to recognize, usually means "I'm getting married!" Sure enough-- after a few months of dating, Katie (a classmate of mine) and Ryan (a grad student in the twin cities) decided to get married at the end of the year. They've already bought a house in San Antonio, TX, where Katie will do her Peds residency and near where Ryan will finish up in his lab, which is moving to Austin. You can also check out their website, which is super entertaining!: Katie and Ryan's wedding

Who's next? Good question. Despite bets and pacts I've made with various people (you know who you are...), there are no surprise engagements on the horizon or kids in the near future from my end. As far as options, I hear the ratios are quite good in Alaska (Anchorage, by the way, has the ONLY residency program in the whole state, which happens to be in Family Medicine! Joh and Marla, two of my classmates, have gone/are going [respectively] to do rotations there-- how cool, right? I would LOVE to go to Alaska! But I think it's too late to apply). However, as my cousin Richard informed me over Thanksgiving, "Yeah, Alaska... The odds may be good, but the goods are odd." Well, then. I think perhaps I will stick to California, Colorado, Washington, or Oregon!

On Driving...

I hate driving. In fact, next to packing (I HATE PACKING) and unloading the dishwasher, it is about my least favorite thing to do. I am not one of those people who needs to be the "driver" when we go anywhere. I am perfectly happy sitting in the back or as a passenger, probably because then I sometimes get to snooze or do other things :) I just think it is a darn waste of time, especially when you're alone, or stuck in traffic.

Today I drove back to Rochester from Crookston, MN, which is about a 400- (? I'm terrible with estimating distances) mile trip. I was in Lesley and David's car, which they were SO GENEROUS to loan me to go visit my grandmother (my car has been having highway break-downs the last several times I've tried to go anywhere of a substantial distance and its unreliability is just getting to me). The terrain is boring as heck, as is much of this midwest. In fact, I had never used cruise control in my life until I drove to MN from VA at the beginning of med school and hit Indiana (do you east-coasters even know what cruise-control is?? :)). It still boggles my mind that, where you can drive for about 5 hours north on I-95 from northern VA and pass through about 7 states, I could (I didn't today, though) drive for 7-plus hours and STILL BE IN MINNESOTA.

It is hard to find things to do to pass the time. My sister was telling me, this weekend, about the "cows and the graveyards" game (where, on a long car trip, you keep track of the cows on your side and try to beat the other person; passing a graveyard, however, makes you lose all your cows). Nevertheless, driving back today, I did not play this game with my imaginary friend Bob. I was driving alone.

So what does one do when you drive? What did I do while I drove today? There was a lot of daydreaming going on. About what I was going to do when I got home. About all the things I needed to do/pack prior to setting out on my mega travel journey. There was quite a bit of yapping on the phone, which, I must say, does pass the time. And there was a good amount of singing. I forgot what it was like to have the benefit of a car radio (mine was stolen after a car break-in in, YES, ROCHESTER, sometime during 3rd year..). So I sang along to both the radio as well as my ipod, with one earpiece inserted. [Sidenote: Can anyone tell me if this is illegal to do? I feel like it would be bad to put both earpieces in, for then I may miss amublances, etc., but is one okay? I'm just waiting to get pulled over... ] While I am still a bit self-conscious about people in adjacent/passing cars eyeing me, a lone driver, and wondering to whom I'm talking, I've gotten better. So I generally sing away. This usually comprises about 65% of any road-journey I take. But if there are other fun things to do while driving that I haven't figured out yet, please let me know.

Anyway, that's my take on driving. I am a big fan, for environmental as well as other reasons, for taking public transportation. Amtrak, Greyhound... you name it, I will ride it :). I took several LONG bus trips for med school interviews 4 years ago which definitely saved money... I actually checked out these options for this past trip, but there is only one bus per day between Roch and the Twin cities and no regular bus times to Crookston. The nearest Amtrak station is in Winona, about 45 min. east of here. So if Rochester could only be "hooked up" to some such network, I would be a big supporter. Not sure it'll happen before May though....
:)

Family and Food

I am taking a break from chronic TV-watching at my grandmother's place and am hanging out at the Crookston Public Library. I thought I would quickly share some of the pictures from what has been, quite possibly, the most fabulous Thanksgiving ever!

While in medical school, I've been fortunate to have been able to come up to northern MN for the past few Thanksgivings to spend time with my Dad's extended family. Before that time, Thanksgiving was always celebrated with just my parents and sister in whatever location we were in at the time! This year, for the first time, there was a grand merging of the families, which made for a fantastic time of fellowship at Maple Lake with lots of Arnesses :) My parents and sister flew in from northern Virginia on Wednesday and I drove up from Rochester to the town of Crookston, MN, where my grandmother lives. On Thursday, we drove the 30 miles or so to Mentor, MN, where Duane and Marilyn have a beautiful lake cabin. It can sleep about 17 people and also has about 5 ovens, which were well-used for the feast we had of all the usual Thanksgiving goodies (my personal favorite is stuffing, or "dressing" as it is sometimes around here!). Enjoy the pictures!!

This is my wonderful great-uncle Duane (the host) and me

Sisters, reunited :)
Mom (with the maltese pup, Sophie) and Amy

Wild turkey, courtesy of Richard-- He is a BIG hunter!!

One of the surprise beverage-attractions for the night was mangosteen (sp?) juice. Mangosteen was one of the exotic fruits we enjoyed while in Thailand, but now they make this juice which is purported to cure all aches and pains. Vanessa is taking the mangosteen "shots" a bit too far.

We finally convinced my grandma that no, this was not an alcoholic beverage despite our pouring it into shot glasses, and she relented to try some. Dyno is making fun of the "drinking" going on :) Marilyn is on the far right.

Vanessa and Jacky (the actress of the Arness family-- she will surely be famous someday!). Note the ex-spy Arness downing something in the background... I swear we are not alcoholics.

Vanessa with Sophie

Can you tell we're big dog-lovers? Me with Cocoa and Sophie
This is a picture of all the "kids." I think this might be my last year of being included in this category. I joked that, next year, I would not respond to "Tara" but only to "Dr. Arness" :) Left to right: Alex, Derek, Jacky, me, Vanessa


At my grandma's insistence, we spent most of Friday shopping at Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. Unlike most places on "Black Friday," the mall in Grand Forks wasn't too crazy. My sis and I both came away with a couple of nice things. We then went to eat at the Royal Fork, a family Friday tradition, before coming home.

Today, we plan to go out to dinner with Bill and Carol Heimer, my sister's godparents and friends of my Dad/grandma from Fisher (where he grew up). We all disperse again tomorrow. :( It's been SOOOOO relaxing being up here with everyone.

Giving thanks

Thanksgiving Day is not until tomorrow but we all have much to be thankful for every day. I know friends struggling with various things right now, but, through all, I think we all have to remember that we all are already blessed.

I am thankful for finally figuring out what I want to do with my career choice (well, it's arguable whether I *really* know :). I am thankful for my health and for that of my family members, particularly my Grandma, who has had some significant health problems but who is still going strong today. I am thankful for wonderful friends and family. And that I get to celebrate my first Thanksgiving surrounded by them-- with my parents and sister flying in from Virginia to northern Minnesota to join my Grandmother and me and my other relatives at Thanksgiving at the lake house of my great aunt and uncle, Marilyn and Duane. This may be the last Thanksgiving I am guaranteed OFF with residency starting next year, and I am thankful for the holiday! I am thankful for the opportunity to interview at a number of good family med programs come December, with the anticipation and hope that one of them will be a good fit for me. And I am thankful for the opportunity to connect with old friends along the way.

Let us be reminded...

Ps 126: 3. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Ps 136: 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.

Col. 3:15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Ps 118: 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I also wanted to wish my friend Jordan a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! She is one day younger than I am, but is one of the most talented, accomplished, and stellar people (or perhaps THE MOST talented person!) I know!

Happy thanksgiving to all.

The big 2-5

This seems like a big birthday! A good friend pointed out to me that it isn't until I enter the 26-30 bracket that things really change. But it still feels like a big milestone. I guess there were things that I always thought I would have done or been by the time I was 25. But, as another friend mentioned to me, I guess I have another whole year to do them, for it isn't until I'm 26 that the coach turns into a pumpkin :).

I have been struggling a bit emotionally recently. And wondering about my purpose,where I'm headed, etc. How successful have I been? Have I failed at the things that are important? I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life (SEE IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY-- you can borrow it from me!), where George Bailey wonders what everything would be like if he had never been born... But he is reassured that "no man is a failure who has friends." And I've been blessed by incredible friends and support through everything. Thank you all for your cards, e-mails, and calls already. I needed to feel loved and I do. I just thought I'd share the text of a beautiful birthday card I got from my parents whose words said what I needed to hear:

How to Make a Beautiful Life:

Love yourself.
Make peace with you who are and where you are at this moment in time.
Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.
Try.
Take chances.
MAKE MISTAKES.
Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.
Be happy.
When you don't have what you want, want what you have.
MAKE DO.
That's a well-kept secret of contentment.
There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.
To know where you're going is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been, too.
And if you ever get lost, don't worry.
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.
Life isn't days and years.
It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace that's inside you.
MAKE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE....

After being a good little study bee during the day today, tonight I just plan to lay low and hang out with Lesley, David, and maybe Tia/Wendi depending on their availability. We may get Thai (mmm) and do movies. No wild partying for me. I already feel older :)

Nov-Dec-Jan schedule

I've had numerous questions about "the travel plan" for the next few months. Here it is, so you can keep coming back to find out where I'm supposed to be at any given time.

Wednesday, 11/22 Leave Roch for Crookston, MN to spend Thanksgiving with the Arness Clan
Sunday, 11/26 Return from northern MN to southern
Thursday, 11/30 Take Step2 Clinical Knowledge in Roch
Saturday, 12/2 Fly to Cali to stay with EVB and TJ !!!!!
Monday, 12/4 Interview at San Jose O'Connor (San Jose, CA)
Tuesday, 12/5 Interview at UCSF
Wednesday, 12/6 Interview at UC Davis FP/OB (Sacramento, CA)
Saturday, 12/9 Fly to Chicago
Monday, 12/11 Take Step2 CS in Chicago
Wednesday, 12/13 Interview at Madison, WI
Thursday, 12/14 Fly to Denver to stay with Cathleen!!!!!!
Friday, 12/15 Interview at St. Joseph Exempla in Denver
Monday, 12/18 Interview at Swedish (Littleton, CO)
Tuesday, 12/19 Interview at St. Anthony (Denver, CO)
Thursday, 12/21 Fly to McLean, VA
Saturday, 12/23 - Saturday 12/30 A week of madness in Merida, Cancun, Mexico with the fam
(next flight to be determined to get to Seattle).... Where should I spend New Year's??!
Friday, 1/5 Interview at Valley (Renton, WA)
Tuesday, 1/9 Interview at Providence St. Peter (Olympia, WA)
Thursday, 1/11 Interview at OHSU (Portland, OR)
Monday, 1/15 Interview @ SW Washington (Vancouver, WA)
Friday, 1/19 Interview at Tacoma Multicare (Tacoma, WA)
Monday, 1/29 (Unfortunately!!!) End vacation and restart clinical rotations

Winter in MN

I'm not big into talking about the weather. And after surviving three (and a half if you count this one right now!) winters (and that's three too long) here in the North, I think I'm fairly tough (although of course people have told me things like "When I was a kid in Minnesota, we had to walk to school in 2 feet of snow when it was 20 below [and uphill both ways]". This is why my Dad moved away and never looked back. During the winter, I don't typically check to see what the high or low for the day is going to be. I know it's likely going to require a coat and, frankly, it really is not going to matter. I'm currently trying to figure out whether I would trade the cold and sun for less-cold but overcast/rainy weather in Oregon or Washington, which is what their winters bring (Kristen says YES, it's a no-brainer).

Here is a picture of MN in winter (although this is a pretty one, of Lake Superior by Duluth)

Now before you get sidetracked by the pretty winter scene, focus again. Back to the winter blog. Some things just get to you. This morning, for example. Perhaps it is just a sign that one should NOT be outside running in November in Minnesota. But I'm trying not to let weather stop me. However, my ipod froze today. Unlike my dear (although crazy) friend Molly, I am not a marathoner by any means. I just went for a little jog today. But my ipod, which was fully charged prior to my setting out, shut down halfway through my run because the "battery" went out. This is what one might expect from leaving a phone or something in a cold car overnight. But from 30 minutes of being outside in the morning??? This is nuts!!! The other thing which I tell my friends elsewhere who complain about it being "cold" is.... It is not truly cold until you know what it feels like to have your nose hairs frozen. This is not a pleasant feeling.
And I never knew I had Raynaud's disease (or even what that was!) until I moved here. I have major vasospasm in the arteries to my fingers, which turn white and stay white for a long time after being outside or even touching a cold soda (I almost said "pop" there but caught myself!).
So that's all I have to say about the weather. I love sitting in my toasty apartment drinking.... hot water. For those of you who didn't know that I do that, it is indeed true. And works quite well, thank you.

Blog inaug

WELCOME!!! This will be my first blog ever on my own site! I have been inspired by my wonderful friend Wendi, an all-star blogger and great all-around gal, to start a site to keep you all updated on all (well, most) of the happenings of my fairly-dull life. As I will be travelling a lot in the next few months on interviews (and visiting some of you!) and think it may be hard to keep as close in contact through e-mail and phone calls, I thought that you could tune in here to see how the residency interview trail is panning out... and catch some fun photos and tales along the way.
Prior to my starting this blog, I already committed to doing a weekly guest-blog for Wendi on "Where's Tara now?" during this busy time of travel. And she mentioned she wouldn't link me to her page (:() until after that season is all over. So I'm depending on independent readership here! I only aspire to be as witty and amusing as she is, so I will do my best to entertain you. I don't know how diligent I will be about updating frequently, as there are other things to be done soon (i.e. studying for step2, movie-watching, general playing, etc....), but I will surely try to post something on anything I think noteworthy! I am also quite technologically-challenged, which is why this is quite a big step for me! I'm sure I will be asking many of you techies for assistance along the way.... Anyway, please pass on any suggestions and comments of anything you'd like to hear about! I can't wait to hear from you!
Love and blessings,
Tara