I woke up in a funk on Friday morning. Probably a combination of some truly weird and disturbing dreams along with the feeling I always get towards the end of a vacation. I considered a variety of potential funk busters and decided to make a call. A really important call as it turns out. Because this would be the first of a series of excellent decisions on my part that would ultimately result in a near perfect weekend.
I called Autumn and we made plans to meet up for manicures and pedicures. Always a good direction to go in when attempting to bust a funk. Post-pampering we made the fateful decision to forgo lunch and instead plop ourselves down at a pub for the rest of the afternoon. We had excellent conversation, great beer, and kinda creepy waitstaff interactions. Listen, I know my toes were looking particularly cute after the deluxe grooming I had just treated them to. But that does not give random waiters the right to touch my feet. Right?!? Still listening crazies?And you should ABSOLUTELY not follow-up that inappropriate behavior by then slipping my drinking buddy your phone number! Luckily A and I both follow the philosophy that what doesn't kill you makes for a really great story. And we got some definite distance off of that one:)
Later that night I made the trek half-way to Oklahoma to meet up with Clayton and a friend of his who was back in the area visiting family. Aaron has been seeing the country these past few months as a truck driver and, as always, I very much enjoyed the opportunity to see yet another side of Clayton through his interactions with his friends. Autumn joined me for this adventure as well and the four of us are pretty sure we've come up with the next great reality show. I won't give away any of the details now. Wouldn't want anyone else to benefit from our brilliance!
Called it a relatively early night so I could squeeze in some quality Clayton time before he left for a Colorado mission trip early Saturday morning. (He's only been gone for 30 hours and I already miss him like crazy!) But it was a fantastic start to the weekend and I was definitely devoid of any residual funk.
Saturday morning was lazily spent and it was probably at this point more than any other during the weekend that I was truly at a crossroads. Make one choice and head in one direction. Make another and hello opposite direction! The decision: Angry Dog, yes? Or Angry Dog, no? Guess which one I chose:) Autumn and I soldiered through the best burgers in Dallas like a couple of champs and set the tone for the rest of the day.
After lunch, nap or movie? Movie. My Sister's Keeper or The Hangover? The Hangover. Rest up for Girl's Night or keep our momentum going? You should always, always go with momentum. I think it's like a law of nature or something:) We went to the Monk for an early dinner (I know, I know! We were shocked to be hungry again too!) and the requisite malt beverages. And then we let the rest of our girls come to us.
Once the girl's night crew was completely assembled, we hit up House of Blues for drinking and dancing. It was 80's night and we did what we came to do. We drank. We danced. We did both with style and enthusiasm. We partook in some girl bonding time and then made our ways home. Autumn and I found ourselves once again feeling hungry and so scavenged my kitchen for leftovers before settling in on my couches with Grandma quilts and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Woke up at 4 in the morning with a monster crick in my neck before turning off the TV and heading to bed.
Woke up this morning to the sound of Autumn searching out ibuprofen and ice water. We decided to throw our hair in quick ponytails, secure Starbucks, and go to the Farmer's Market. An excellent Sunday morning plan! But somewhere after coffee and before arrival downtown, we let thoughts of eggs, hash browns, and biscuits propel us in a different direction. We found ourselves at Norma's here in the Cliff and once again decided that we had made the perfect choice. We were joined by my Flower Mound family and left with very, very happy bellies.
It was a beautiful weekend, nearly perfect. And it's not even over yet:)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
"If I fail, at least I will have failed my way."
am blogging soundtrack: Beyonce, dangerously in love (yes, really)
am blogging sustenance: my third cup of coffee (I know, shocking)
It's now day 7 of 10 in my June freedom interlude. Already dreading my return to work next Monday. Wondering if it would be totally inappropriate to plan another sabbatical . . . :)
Last night I went swing dancing. The Sons of Herman Hall have an hour long dance lesson every Wednesday night followed by open dancing. During the lesson portion they make you line up and rotate partners every view minutes while they teach you some basic steps. Then at the end they always throw in something new and a little more complicated. My various partners ranged from a spry gentleman in his late 60s to a little red headed boy of about 10. Red expressed extreme frustration in my hesitancy at the new and foreign steps. It was kind of humiliating in a very entertaining way. You know how you feel when you're slowly making your way down your first blue slope of the ski season and you're passed by a blur of a 3 year old? Sort of similar:) All my other "leaders" were very courteous and either helpful or apologetic depending on their skill level. One nice young man named Yuri shyly told me I looked like Jodie Foster. Yeah. Good times! After the lesson concluded I got spun around the room by my very sweet Clayton. Really, really good times:)
Earlier this week I went rock climbing with the fam. Sam and Max have been getting into it as their summer project. So Clayton and I tagged along when Julie took them a few days ago. I hated the harness and the climbing shoes (will those EVER feel even half way comfortable?) but I loved the feeling of working your way to the top. Loved the sense of adventure and the muscle burn that indicated you'd accomplished something. Didn't even mind falling - three times! - off a more advanced inclined wall that I was falsely assured I could "handle." Really flew on that last fall!
Also had a long awaited painting lesson from Julie and Sam. They definitely comprise the more artistic side of the family but I think I held my own. Or at least they were sweet enough to be encouraging:) Made some beautiful shades of blue in my color study "assignment" and am very much looking forward to finishing it up.
I dug out and attempted to play my baritone ukulele this morning. Have issued myself a challenge to learn and perfect at least one song. If my first practice session is anything to go by, this one's going to take some time:)
This week has been about temporarily ditching my doctor's hat and trying a few others on for size. Turns out that - like cute shoes - you can never have too many:)
If a woman rebels against high heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat.
~George Bernard Shaw
am blogging sustenance: my third cup of coffee (I know, shocking)
It's now day 7 of 10 in my June freedom interlude. Already dreading my return to work next Monday. Wondering if it would be totally inappropriate to plan another sabbatical . . . :)
Last night I went swing dancing. The Sons of Herman Hall have an hour long dance lesson every Wednesday night followed by open dancing. During the lesson portion they make you line up and rotate partners every view minutes while they teach you some basic steps. Then at the end they always throw in something new and a little more complicated. My various partners ranged from a spry gentleman in his late 60s to a little red headed boy of about 10. Red expressed extreme frustration in my hesitancy at the new and foreign steps. It was kind of humiliating in a very entertaining way. You know how you feel when you're slowly making your way down your first blue slope of the ski season and you're passed by a blur of a 3 year old? Sort of similar:) All my other "leaders" were very courteous and either helpful or apologetic depending on their skill level. One nice young man named Yuri shyly told me I looked like Jodie Foster. Yeah. Good times! After the lesson concluded I got spun around the room by my very sweet Clayton. Really, really good times:)
Earlier this week I went rock climbing with the fam. Sam and Max have been getting into it as their summer project. So Clayton and I tagged along when Julie took them a few days ago. I hated the harness and the climbing shoes (will those EVER feel even half way comfortable?) but I loved the feeling of working your way to the top. Loved the sense of adventure and the muscle burn that indicated you'd accomplished something. Didn't even mind falling - three times! - off a more advanced inclined wall that I was falsely assured I could "handle." Really flew on that last fall!
Also had a long awaited painting lesson from Julie and Sam. They definitely comprise the more artistic side of the family but I think I held my own. Or at least they were sweet enough to be encouraging:) Made some beautiful shades of blue in my color study "assignment" and am very much looking forward to finishing it up.
I dug out and attempted to play my baritone ukulele this morning. Have issued myself a challenge to learn and perfect at least one song. If my first practice session is anything to go by, this one's going to take some time:)
This week has been about temporarily ditching my doctor's hat and trying a few others on for size. Turns out that - like cute shoes - you can never have too many:)
If a woman rebels against high heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat.
~George Bernard Shaw
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
love in the time of kickball
am blogging soundtrack: Better Than Ezra's Paper Empire
am blogging sustenance: a big ol' bottle of water and, yes, several ibuprofen
Busy, busy days. Ready for another reverse chrono update?
Last night I went to the Fort Worth Zoo for Beastro 2009. Laura and Gigi came with. It's basically a tasting experience - lots of area restaurants - with music and alcohol. Good, yeah? Better because it was all-inclusive with admission and the musical guest was Better Than Ezra! Had a great time with the girls and am already planning a return trip next year. Pics just up on facebook!
Got the really sad news from my mom on Thursday night that my cat had died. We rescued Yoda from the big bad world exactly 14 years ago. Summer vacation had just started between my junior and senior years of high school. I think it might actually have been my first sleep in day. Except there was no sleeping in. Some ridiculous noise just outside my bedroom window was driving me crazy. I thought it was a bird. But when investigated, there was Yoda. So named because she had the biggest ears on her tiny little body:) For two nights in a row I got zero sleep. She wouldn't sleep anywhere except on my neck. Seriously! Any idea how uncomfortable that is? And as she got bigger she never really got out of that habit:) My sweet Yoda. Wish you could come back and sleep on my neck . . .
Get ready for this next piece of information. I mean it. Prepare yourself.
THE GO GO GADGET BALLS WON THEIR FIRST KICKBALL GAME THIS WEEK! There was quite the celebrating. Believe me:)
Work has been sort of weird lately. The last couple of days have been super easy. I've been getting done seeing all my patients by like 10 or 11 in the morning and then running around trying to scavenge up more work. The week before was kinda brutal. So variable. And then there's been the drama. Have a meeting tomorrow - yes, on a Sunday afternoon! - that will either make everything better or everything much, much worse. Will save the details for after.
May have found a Tipp substitute. Stress on the may. It's still way too early to know for sure but in the meantime we can have fun figuring it out!
Then there's Clayton. And one really happy Amy . . . :)
am blogging sustenance: a big ol' bottle of water and, yes, several ibuprofen
Busy, busy days. Ready for another reverse chrono update?
Last night I went to the Fort Worth Zoo for Beastro 2009. Laura and Gigi came with. It's basically a tasting experience - lots of area restaurants - with music and alcohol. Good, yeah? Better because it was all-inclusive with admission and the musical guest was Better Than Ezra! Had a great time with the girls and am already planning a return trip next year. Pics just up on facebook!
Got the really sad news from my mom on Thursday night that my cat had died. We rescued Yoda from the big bad world exactly 14 years ago. Summer vacation had just started between my junior and senior years of high school. I think it might actually have been my first sleep in day. Except there was no sleeping in. Some ridiculous noise just outside my bedroom window was driving me crazy. I thought it was a bird. But when investigated, there was Yoda. So named because she had the biggest ears on her tiny little body:) For two nights in a row I got zero sleep. She wouldn't sleep anywhere except on my neck. Seriously! Any idea how uncomfortable that is? And as she got bigger she never really got out of that habit:) My sweet Yoda. Wish you could come back and sleep on my neck . . .
Get ready for this next piece of information. I mean it. Prepare yourself.
THE GO GO GADGET BALLS WON THEIR FIRST KICKBALL GAME THIS WEEK! There was quite the celebrating. Believe me:)
Work has been sort of weird lately. The last couple of days have been super easy. I've been getting done seeing all my patients by like 10 or 11 in the morning and then running around trying to scavenge up more work. The week before was kinda brutal. So variable. And then there's been the drama. Have a meeting tomorrow - yes, on a Sunday afternoon! - that will either make everything better or everything much, much worse. Will save the details for after.
May have found a Tipp substitute. Stress on the may. It's still way too early to know for sure but in the meantime we can have fun figuring it out!
Then there's Clayton. And one really happy Amy . . . :)
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
if you're a bird i'm a bird
Today I sent home a patient that I had admitted on my Saturday call this past weekend. Later this week she and her husband will celebrate their wedding anniversary. At age 14 she wrote his 17 year old self a letter for every day he was off fighting in World War II. Three years later they were married. Fast forward 62 (!) years and he never once left her side while I took care of her in the hospital. Not once.
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