Question

Does anyone still read this blog?

Turning Japanese

Actually, I'm just turning... old.

I'm not even 30 yet and I still find that I can't handle lack of sleep as well as I used to. I also can't handle alcohol the way I used to. I did have a great weekend, after my call, but it did not include going to the dance show on Saturday night. I slept an hour or so, here and there, Friday overnight, then slept 3-4 hours Saturday morning. I did fine in the afternoon but then... crrrrash. Around 6 or 7 I just felt more and more tired. So Dean and I had some nice putter-around-the-house time. But this means I'm ooooold!

And the Marlins just tied it up. Poop.

Labor Day, Indeed

I have a pretty fun weekend planned. Dean and my Mom and I are going to see this cool castle in Bucks County... even if we don't end up getting married there, it's apparently a really fantastic place to look at. This guy made a poured-concrete castle and covered the inside with beautiful Moravian tile. Then I'm going to a Fringe Festival show with Karina. Then Sunday I'll probably hang with the fam, and on Monday I plan to go biking with Dean, his brother and sister-in-law.

But BEFORE this great weekend... I have a crazy-busy Friday including being on call overnight. Sigh... so it goes.

Betrothed

Dean and I got engaged! That statement seems simultaneously totally natural and WTF. On the natural side, we're in love and, though we've had some slight ups and downs over the past year, are pretty darn compatible, and I want to spend all my time with him. On the WTF side... I'm getting married???

This is mind-blowing in two ways:
1) This love feels different than the one previous time I've been in love... it started out with that same butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, but has evolved into a more settled, deep, knowing-and-accepting, respect-and-devotion feeling.
2) The logistics. Oy, I have to plan a wedding now!

Watch this space...

Summertime Ritual

I didn't do it so much back in April or May, but as the summer progresses (and I have fewer nights on call), I increasingly spend part of each evening listening to the Phils game on AM 1210 and playing a version of "Bejeweled" on my computer that's called "Treasure Pyramid." This tradition started in fourth year of med school, when we got Comcast cable, continued as a special luxury in intern and second year, and now ongoing (albeit with radio since Dean and I are not getting cable).
Oh yeah, we moved in together! By the by.

My Birfday

Just wanted to say my birthday was last weekend, and it was pretty great. It involved happy hour, karaoke, sake bombs, a Chinese pineapple bun, beer, hangover brunch, nap, psych dept. picnic, watching The Shawshank Redemption in the cool A/C with Dean, going out dancing with residency peeps, orienteering with Dean in the humid heat and getting my legs all bug-bit and scratched, and relaxing with my parents and cousin's family for pizza and birthday cake.

Secure Enough to Feel Annoyed

Heebie-Geebie, on her mom who has cancer (and her cat who she recently had to put down):

"Mom's next scan is August 9th. I'm pretty terrified. Over the spring there was a stretch where she seemed healthy enough that my old, tender, irritations with her sprang forth. It's like a luxury.

Similarly, when Little Cat first came home from the vet, he acted like his healthy old self for a few days. Complete with biting your skin for attention. I got totally irritated with him when I was trying to work on my song and he kept nibbling my legs. It was wonderful. It's so nice to feel secure enough to feel annoyed.

I don't regret being annoyed with Mom, or with Little Cat, although that was my fear at the time - that I was taking them for granted and I'd regret wasting precious time. But instead I feel thankful that I had a brief respite where I took them for granted and got to feel deliciously annoyed with them."

I enjoy reading Heebie-Geebie's blog. I think she's a kindred spirit -- she seems to enjoy silliness and quotes music lyrics all the time, but has profound thoughts about human nature sometimes.