Week #1 as a Midwesterner

Midwesterner... weird isn't it?

Well, we made it! After several last wonderful nights with our B'ham crew, one evening of packing the truck (with the help of Walker's mom/Lele/Eric & the Southern Gentleman - THANK YOU!), and a 7 hour drive north, we are officially residents of Ohio. Walker had the distinct privilege of driving this...

(I felt a little guilty about comfortably cruising in my SUV listening to XM radio and having my mom as company... but not guilty enough to volunteer to drive a shift.)

I am proud and relieved to say that we unpacked every box, arranged every piece of furniture, and even had things hung on the wall in just four days. We worked hard and were exhausted each night, and could not have done it without the help of my parents (thanks again mom & dad!). In the evenings we took a break and tried out different local restaurants, even finding a Sol Az pseudo-replacement with fantastic margaritas and cheese dip.

I recorded a video on my phone of our house (complete with many appearances by my camera-loving husband and pup) to help friends and family feel more acclimated with our new surroundings, which I would would post on the blog if I didn't feel like it was a burglar's inside guide to our new home. We are close to work and the hospital, walking distance to tons of restaurants, drug stores, etc., surrounded by runners that will hopefully motivate us to stay in shape, and all in all quite pleased with our new little neighborhood.

Tuesday night we celebrated our 3 year anniversary - crazy isn't it? Good grief time goes by fast.

I think it's safe to say that 3 years ago we never envisioned spending June 14, 2011 in Ohio, but life is funny that way, and we are thrilled about starting our new adventure.

Orientation started Thursday, and it was both exciting and nerve-wrecking to meet the people I will be spending so many hours with for the next 3 years. Thankfully, most people are in a similar situation regarding being so far from family and familiar faces, so it made for an easy time meeting people and making friends. Meeting people from all over the country has been very exciting and educational, as the diversity of the resident population was a huge draw for me about this program. Eventually I'll break out my camera and introduce you to some of the new people in ours lives :)

I've had several people ask if I plan on keeping up the blog during residency, and the answer is I will do my best. For legal/privacy reasons my talk about the hospital and my work there will be brief and vague, but sharing photos and our time in Cinci through this media is certainly easier than sending out lots of e-mails, so I'll give it a go.

Hope you all had fabulous weekends!

Goodbyes, JT, & the Beach

Sort of lazy to clump them all together as they are all more than worthy of a post all their own, but in an effort to catch up on the blog before we load up our truck and move several states away, here goes...

Goodbyes
No one will ever say we didn't live up our last few weeks and months together. Cookouts, wine nights, karaoke, Mexican, jacuzzi afternoons, homemade carrot cake, impromptu pasta dinners, you name it.

Only a couple of these events were documented on my camera, but in the words of Alec Baldwin as Parker on Friends, "My God, I don't want to forget this moment: it's like I want to take a mental picture of you all... click!" (That one's for you Lilley.)

Two emotional goodbyes later and we were headed to...

James Taylor @ Chastain Park
WOW. Best concert ever. One of the most fun date nights ever. We love love love James. Cameras weren't allowed but I snuck a couple shots. (Side note: Spellcheck underlining snuck inspired an internet search for the proper past tense of sneak. According to dictionary.com, snuck has become "a standard variant past tense and past participle of the verb sneak". So there Spellcheck.)

We sat at a table with one of Walker's dad's co-workers and his wife. John and Beth (names changed to protect the innocent) were a blast. Plus they had been regulars at Chastain Park concerts for many years, so they knew how to do an outdoor concert. Chastain has a pretty brilliant set-up, allowing you to bring in your own food and drink. Catered Maggiano's + wine + perfect weather + good company = a good time.

By the time he got to Mexico and Shed a Little Light, the whole place was standing and dancing to the music, even President Carter (apparently a pretty regular attendee at this concert). So. Much. Fun!

Thanks James - you put on quite a show! The next morning we got up and headed to...

Seagrove Beach, FL
I know. Two trips in a month. We are a little spoiled. But given that we are moving approximately 750 miles away from these beloved waters, we soaked it all in. Adding to the fun were these cuties.

One night the guys watched the babies which allowed us to have one of the more memorable girl's nights I have ever experienced. Our house was walking distance to 30A and WOW - so delicious.

I never took my camera down to the beach for fear of a water or sand accident, but did snap these two on my camera phone. Amazing isn't it? These babies loved their naps on the beach. I love the one of Campbell using the sand directly as a pillow.

One night Walker and I had date night, and it was a blast. We ate at the Shrimp Shack in Seaside - the food was delicious and the view tough to beat. A strong breeze off the water made the temperature 100% tolerable, and maybe we went back to order seconds simply b/c we weren't ready to leave the peacefulness and fun of that evening.

Our last night we had an early birthday celebration for sweet Laney, who after brief hesitation made quick work of her cupcake.

Her dad took her mom's suggestion to "hose her off" quite literally, and even though I felt bad for how much the cold water surprised and angered her, these shots were too priceless not to post. Plus she has a wonderful daddy who she immediately forgave.

We returned home to a sad little house full of mostly-packed boxes. 4 days until we head north!