The Making of a Meal

Took some of this...

And some of this....

Plus a bit of this....

Added a bit of butter, garlic, white wine....and had a great meal!

And no, we don't eat like this all the time. But some of the time.

Love This...

I'll Drink To That!

So, I wanted to share some of the fun things that have been happening around here since April. I presented my doctoral project on April 8th, and what a joy it was to be done with that! Graduation was the first week of May, and was basically a crazy week of ceremonies, dinners, parties...

In June, Mark and I took a much needed (and well-deserved) vacation to Germany. We had an amazing time! The city of Berlin is beautiful, and the people were so friendly. We saw all the main attractions, ate some great food, and Mark had a fun time speaking German to all the locals.

July has also been eventful. Most importantly, I passed my boards! Yay! I am now a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner. It's a relief having that task out of the way.  Also, I have started my new job with Neurosurgical Associates. Also very cool! I am working in a slightly limited capacity since I'm still waiting for my license, hospital privileges and credentials...basically a whole bunch of paper work needs to be done, and mostly by other people, thankfully. This whole process could take months (but hopefully only weeks), so I'm happy to be able to at least start working in the clinic.

Not to worry, I am using my down-time wisely, working on projects around the house and reading some great novels (The Hunger Games, anyone?).

Hope everyone is enjoying summer!

Cheers!

Two Weeks' Notice

One of my all time favorite movies. I can watch it over and over again. It's simply classic, with great lines:

• Ruth: Your cholesterol is over 300 - you're basically a solid!
• Lucy: George, you're the most selfish person on the planet. George: That's just ridiculous. Have you met everyone on the planet?
• Helen: Can I get you anything? George: I'd love some Milk Duds. Helen: We don't have any, but I can send out for one. George: Oh, no. Don't be ridiculous. If you're going to send out for one, get a whole box.

         

It's a "feel good" sort of a movie.

Kind of like how I felt when I told my work I was giving them my two weeks' notice.

Yep, that kind of good!  :)

         

39 Things...

This was Emma's birthday cake (February, 2011) made by Catherine.



It's that time of year again when another birthday rolls around. Yay! I love celebrating my birthday and don't have too many qualms about the whole growing older thing. As my dad says, it's better than the alternative. So why not embrace a day that's all about me? In fact, why not make it a whole weekend of celebrating? I'm celebrating today with:

- toast and hot chocolate for breakfast
- seeing "Water For Elephants" with Catherine
- lunch at Iggy's with Catherine and Jon
- reading....a novel - no studying for boards today!
- making potato salad in preparation for our weekend in Torrey
- birthday wishes from family and friends
- a bottle of Perrier Jouet champange (thanks, Eileen and Steve!)
- sushi at Takashi....there's food, and then there's sushi

With that, I want to share a list of things...39 things, to be exact, that I plan to do before I turn 40 in exactly one year. Some are easy, some will take some work. Some are already planned, some will need to be worked into the schedule. I will keep you updated as I progress through the list.

39 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40...(in no particular order, except for the last one):

1. Pass my NP boards (7/10/11)
2. Start a new job (7/18/11)
3. Visit Germany (June 19-26)
4. Start Spanish lessons - Rosetta Stone? Ugh. Just. Do. This. Pronto!
5. Do some volunteer work  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (8/2011)
6. Take a photography class - didn't happen
7. Visit a high school friend - wasn't in the cards
8. Take up a new exercise…barre classes sound really fun played community rec basketball! (12/11-2/12)
9. Visit Yellowstone - didn't work out this year
10. Go on a backpacking trip (9/30-10/2/11)
11. Organize the storage closet (8/2011)
12. Make one new friend made a couple
13. Try a ballroom dance class
14. Frame my diplomas
15. Make a will - actually have this planned for June
16. Visit the Oregon coast - but got a trip planned for possibly this summer! yay!
17. Buy myself a bouquet of flowers - for no reason! Umm...sadly, didn't even do this! What a goofball!
18. Have professional portraits taken of me and Mark - not sure who to go to
19. Take a sewing class - did an online tutorial. Count it! (2/12)
20. Update one section of my wardrobe Can you say, "sock drawer"? Done! (3/12)
21. Throw a party - had a few dinner parties..does that count? Sure! (11/11, 12/11, 3/12, 3/12, 4/12)
22. Buy an “investment bag” (Thanks, Mark! 9/10/11)
23. Try dim sum (8/20/11)
24. Get ripped shoulders and arms - didn't even try
25. Buy a dress for everyday wear (and wear it)! (5/12)
26. Learn to change a bike tire
27. 39 scrapbook layouts Think I only did 15 at most
28. 39 cards - well, I made all my xmas cards, so that covers that! (12/11)
29. Watch a sunrise (4/12)

30. Watch a sunset (5/12)

31. Read the plays of Shakespeare Read one....gave up.

32. Visit a state I’ve never set foot in (South Carolina! 5/12)

33. Go on a horseback ride

34. Take a gun safety class - got some info on it, though. 

35. Write and send 39 letters/postcards (not including xmas cards or email, of course)

36. Buy a new desk chair - didn't do this, but I did fix my old one! 

37. Do 10 pull-ups (right now, I can't do a single one) - didn't even attempt this

38. Go to tea at the Grand America

39. Celebrate all of this with a bottle of Dom Perignon on my 40th birthday! It was amazing!

Now I'm off to pack for our trip to Torrey!

Hello New Day

I think it's a good time to get a new look for the blog. A new title, a new format, a bit of a theme...and gee, maybe some regular posting!

Check back tomorrow for the kick-off post.

Adios!

A Look Back

Happy 2011! Before getting too involved in the new year, it's fun to take a look at the past. In no particular order, a few images from 2010.


Mark's trip to Canada, which was reminiscent of our trip to Paris...

A whole lot of studying occurred...

Birthdays were celebrated....

Hanging out with friends...



Pursuing the perfect cocktail...

Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Enough said...

Cruising around in the new car...

Here's hoping 2011 is filled with fun and new experiences!

Such as graduation, for instance.