the best of what's around

am blogging soundtrack: Dave Matthews Band, Under The Table And Dreaming
am blogging sustenance: Organic Italian Roast coffee and a couple (ok, 4) ibuprofen

Whoa buddy. It's been one hell of a week . . .

Last weekend I opted to celebrate my last few days of unemployed freedom with yet another trip out of town. Went down to Florida to join 2 of my favorite Dallas defectors at a conference/board review they were attending. At Disney World. Go ahead, laugh. I did. A lot:) The craziest thing is that until I stood in the Orlando airport waiting to claim my bag, I didn't really get that I was going to DW. I kept thinking I was going to Orlando to meet up with some old friends for a little fun. And that was true. I just didn't think about all the other old friends I'd be reuniting with - Mickey, Donald, Goofy, a few Dwarfs . . . :)

Erica joined me for a trip to the Magic Kingdom as soon as I got there. Initially I wasn't feeling the Disney love. Lots of people, lots of humidity. But then came Space Mountain. The spinning tea cups. Pirates of the Caribbean. By the time we found a place to watch the Main Street Parade I felt like I was 10. No one in that crowd was more excited than me to see Donald Duck float by!

Exhausted, we headed back to our hotel - officially known as the Dolphin but dubbed The Big Ass Sea Bass by us. If you've been there, you know why:) We parked ourselves at the bar in the lobby, harassed friend Brad to join us, and ordered a few too many rounds of cosmos. It was a throw-back happy hour of sorts and the Cosmopolitan was the perfect drink for our reunion!

The next night the three of us hit up Downtown Disney for a great dinner at Fulton's Crab House followed by a trip to Paradise Island. Cheesy, I know. Our waitress at dinner told us that the group of clubs on PI were closing down this fall to make room for yet more shopping. We felt obligated, after several drinks, to be a part of the farewell tour. We made a pact with each other to have at least 1 drink and 2 dances at each of the four establishments. So we moonwalked and hustled our way through the 70s/80s themed 8TRAX. We encouraged people onto the dance floor at the BET bar by showing off our (embarrassing) white kid hip hop moves. We went painfully Lo at contemporary Motion. And we got steamy and dizzy with endless techno music on a revolving dance floor at a place called Mannequins. Went home to the BASB feeling 20 and woke the next morning feeling several decades older. Good times:)

The rest of the weekend was a little more low key - lots of good Amy/Erica time, a little Cuban food, buckets of rain, and several really excellent naps. Got back sooner than expected Sunday afternoon thanks to the threat of a few tropical storms and a super nice American Airlines employee who hooked me up with a first class seat on an earlier plane.

Greeted by friends back in Dallas who presented me with a brand spanking new lab coat, complete with name embroidered on the pocket, in honor of my upcoming return to work. Thanks girls:)

Speaking of work, allow me to repeat myself: whoa buddy. I must have walked several miles around the hospital each day this week. Even as I sit here, my calves are cramping because of all the stair climbing and descending I did over the last few days. At this rate, I'll shed my current sabbatical/hibernation body in no time:) Aside from that extra little benefit, or mostly because of that benefit, it was one exhausting week. And I loved it. Along with my pretty new white coat, I slapped on my doctor hat and got back to work. Back where I belong.

Two days ago my friend, mentor, and new Baylor partner enlarged her family by one. Tara and Grady welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world and named him Graham. One of the many things on my to do list for today is to track down a little miniature Cowboys jersey for him so he'll be ready for our season opener tomorrow against Cleveland:) Congrats guys!

And, more:

There's a boy. Scratch that. There's a guy. An actual grown-up guy. It's very early but also, I think, very promising. Most importantly, I'm having fun again. Yesterday, pre-date, I actually shaved my legs. And you know what? I didn't mind it one little bit . . . :)