December 16, 2008 6:57pm

Since Beej decided to Punk Santa by IM, I thought I'd try it too....

Eore000 (3:50:01 PM): hey
SantaClaus (3:50:02 PM):
Hello again.



Eore000 (3:50:10 PM): i'm tired tonight
SantaClaus (3:50:10 PM): O.K. don't forget to help others get in the holiday spirit! Merry Christmas. CU!

Eore000 (3:50:19 PM): hey wait a minute!
SantaClaus (3:50:20 PM): Hey. Are you getting in the Christmas sprit?

Eore000 (3:50:31 PM): yes. i put up my tree, and lights outside
SantaClaus (3:50:32 PM): Excellent! You are certainly getting on my Good List.

Now type menu to see the fun and games the elves have put together for you.

Eore000 (3:50:43 PM): why didn't you put together stuff for me?
SantaClaus (3:50:43 PM):
Well I'm sure I don't know but I can ask one of the elves to find out.




Eore000 (3:50:55 PM): you sure do have those elves doing a lot for you, don't you?
SantaClaus (3:50:56 PM): What do you think?


Eore000 (3:51:05 PM): is that supposed to be sarcastic?
SantaClaus (3:51:05 PM): Why did you say that?

Eore000 (3:51:14 PM): well, you just seem to have a bit of a 'tude.
SantaClaus (3:51:15 PM): Excuse me?


Eore000 (3:51:21 PM): See? Like that!
SantaClaus (3:51:21 PM): Hmm. Why don't you type, games, maybe that will put you in the Christmas spirit

Eore000 (3:51:32 PM): Oh, now you're just being patronizing!
SantaClaus (3:51:33 PM): Interesting. Type menu.

Eore000 (3:51:38 PM): menu
SantaClaus (3:51:39 PM): I'm here to help. I can tell you where to find almost any gift or just type a number:

x
1 . Xmas Gift Finder
2 .. Wish List -- <>
3 ... YOUR Shopping List
4 .... Play Xmas Games!
5 ..... Xmas Polls and Voting
6 ...... 3 Million Santa Helpers on AIM
7 ....... Let the Elves find UR holiday gifts

Search for: Digital Cams | iPods | Laptops | Xbox

Eore000 (3:52:00 PM): Well, are you actually going to help me, or just have one of the elves do it?
SantaClaus (3:52:00 PM):
It depends if Christmas is coming or not.




Eore000 (3:52:14 PM): Any reason it wouldn't be coming?
SantaClaus (3:52:14 PM): Take a moment, collect your thoughts, and try asking me another way. O.K. ?

Eore000 (3:52:21 PM): ok
SantaClaus (3:52:21 PM): Kewl.

Eore000 (3:52:30 PM): are you a sk8er?
SantaClaus (3:52:30 PM): Maybe.

Eore000 (3:52:51 PM): Whatever. I'm just wondering if there is some reason that Christmas might not come this year.
SantaClaus (3:52:52 PM): I've got a billion children to keep track of -- so could you ask me something a bit more manageable? I'd very much appreciate it.


Eore000 (3:53:13 PM): Dude! Christmas is your big day! Is Christmas coming or not?
SantaClaus (3:53:14 PM): Yeah, everyone keeps asking me about this one.
I didn't find any results. Try searching again or type menu for the Main Menu.
Eore000 (3:53:42 PM): Of course, "Christmas is Coming" might also be the title of a porn movie.
SantaClaus (3:53:42 PM): You've got a one track mind.

Eore000 (3:53:53 PM): Hey, you're the one all hung up on the elves.
SantaClaus (3:53:53 PM):
Hello again little one! (When you are over 1600 years old, you only see children every where you look. )
Eore000 (3:54:41 PM): Yeah, I hear Michael Jackson has the same problem.

November 19, 2008 5:35pm

Okay- final post to describe the wedding:

So we head down to The Crystal Point. It was perfect. We went down to where the reception would be held, and I slipped into the "bridal room" that is off to the side. There, Amy and our maitre'd, Joann, bustled my dress. Roger and I then walked around the room and just took it all in.

The CP did the cutest thing. They had charger plates at our Sweetheart table that has our names painted on them in gold paint. Not just on there for the night, but on there printed forever for us to keep! We now have plates that say "Roger and Elizabeth Hislastname" "October 17, 2008". How cute!

We got there in time to enjoy our entire cocktail hour, so we slipped into the room and immediately parted ways to "divide and conquer" the room and greeting responsibilities. I immediately went to those friends of mine who I wanted to spend the most personal one-on-one time with (as much as one can during a wedding). Interestingly, this meant going to friends who are not my closest. My nearest and dearest were either in my bridal party, at the rehearsal dinner the night before, or I see them on a regular basis anyway. It seemed silly to sit and talk to those people who I see all the time, so I visited with those who I haven't seen in a year, or who came all the way from W.V. to join us for the wedding.

Next on the list were work/hospital related friends, former teachers/mentors and the like. After that, I caught up with Roger again and scarfed down a plate of yummies put together by one of his friends for me.

The yummies that I actually got to see/remember:
Corned beef carving station (very big hit)
Vegetable crepes
Veggie crudite passed in its own little shot glass of dip (a few veggie sticks held in a shot glass with a dollop of dip)
Cheese display
Pigs in a blanket
Coconut shrimp
Brie in phylo
some kind of meat on a stick (why is it that you can put a piece of meat on a stick and suddenly it's gourmet by calling it "satay"? I'm going to serve corn dogs at my next gathering and call it "pork product Satay")
I think there were some hot chafing dishes of calamari and eggplant rolletini
And then about 8 other passed foods

There was an ice sculpture that looked like a lighthouse.

We had a jazz guitarist there for cocktail hour entertainment.


It was the fastest hour of my life. I didn't even get to try all the yummy things or talk to everyone I wanted to talk to before someone was telling me that they were going to be calling the guests into the next room in 5 minutes!

Off we went with our guests to the next room. We didn't ask our bridal party or parents to come parading out to be announced. Our families know each other. Our friends know each other. People who don't know our friends really don't care who the maid of honor is and what her name is. Our bridal party got to just relax and be guests. They were no longer on display. They could loosen their britches and relax.

We were announced as "Roger and Elizabeth" since Im not changing my name. We walked out and our song "For Once In My Life" by Michael Buble began. We were taking dancing lessons, so we had a perfectly choreographed dance.

We really didn't want to be introduced to something loud and booming like "Eye of the Tiger". At that point, we were married for about 2 hours. What obstacles could we possibly have had to overcome to warrant a theme song of Eye of the Tiger? Or even better "Let's Get Ready to Rumbleeeeeee"- bad, bad omen.

Oh oh oh! I forgot! When we were in our little waiting room before we were announced, we decided to try a few dance steps for practice.

Slow...Slow....Quick Quick....shit! I'm stepping on my dress! We hadn't realized that even with my dress bustled, it still doesn't come completely off the ground and when I have to dance (backwards steps) I step on it. It wouldn't have been more than one or two moves before I'd be putting the back of the dress off of me!

Then I remembered the little loop thing that helps to carry it around. Perfect! I put that on my wrist and we were able to dance.

Everyone hooted and hollered at the end of our dance when Roger did a very dramatic dip and kiss.

Then Roger danced with his mom, followed by the BM and MOH speeches.

Then came the food. We told our (wonderful) DJ to please play music that people can dance to during dinner. It's boring to just sit and wait for food. She did, and it was great! Lots of people were up between courses!

First Course: Assorted sliced melon with berries
Salad: Mixed greens with balsamic vinegarette
Intermezzo: lemon sorbet (most refreshing after dancing)
Main Course: Choice of Chicken stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella cheese and spinach or Chateaubriant. Both served with veggies and Dutchess potatoes. Second helpings were offered, and you could try whatever you didn't order the first time around.

Roger and I were adamant that we would eat. We made sure we sat down between dancing and visiting tables to get our food. Honestly, though, we just weren't hungry. Maybe it was the excitement. Maybe it was jitters. Even the open bar didn't strike our fancy and all we wanted was to drink wanted and seltzer to rehydrate from all the dancing and talking!

We decided to skip the traditional wedding cake. We had platters of italian pastries brought to the tables, and then an ice cream sundae bar was set up. Waiters came by with a cart to offer espresso and/or port.

The maitre'd made up a GIANT sundae for us. It had every topping available there, and came in a huge stemmed glass (think one of those funky margarita glasses). Instead of cutting a cake, they wheeled our sundae out onto the dance floor on a cart and we fed each other from there. I think the photographer got some good pictures of us feeding each other cherries.

The ice cream sundae bar was a big big big hit with our guests!

We hardly sat! We were up dancing all night. The music was fantastic. The DJ did a wonderful job of bridging the generation gap, and making the music enjoyable for all.

It was all over by 11:30. I was tired of being in my dress. My shoes weren't comfortable anymore. My earrings were heavy. I wanted to take a shower and feel like myself again.

We loaded up Roger's car with our gifts and all of the decor that didn't belong to the catering hall, or that wasn't disposable. The maitre'd packed us up two nice dinners to reheat when we got home. She also packed up about 5 boxes of dessert pastries.

We went home. Roger helped me get out of my dress and I ran to the shower.

I think everyone has an image of their wedding night. Romance, sex, candles.

Ours was a little different.

There was lots of exhaustion, but just from the events of the day. Relief to get all the sweat from dancing off of us. Hunger from not eating much earlier.

After getting into comfy pajamas, we heated up our dinners and then opened up our gifts/envelopes.

Then fell sound asleep.

The end!

Well, actually.....

The beginning!

November 12, 2008 8:53pm

Kind of busy, so no time to continue the wedding recap, but a picture is worth a thousand words....

These aren't the pro pics. Those aren't back yet. These were taken by Roger's brother so there's a lot missing (like the ceremony).

Click here!

November 5, 2008 7:01pm

Since Roger is stuck in traffic, and dinner is waiting on the stove, I think I'll put in a few more details of the wedding.

Let's see...we left off at my snot drop and leaving the church.

Oh yes...

So, we're standing outside the church, intending to enjoy just a few moments together as "husband and wife". We opted not to do a receiving line, but as guests began to leave the church they all came to us and began forming a line.

At least I was able to spare my bridal party from having to meet and greet people they don't know/don't care about. Just Roger and I were subjected to multiple hugs and kisses outside of the church, in the shade, in 50 degree weather with wind.


Oh yes, the weather. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, leaves changing color, mid 50's, slight breeze. If you were wearing a dashing tuxedo or a 30lb wedding gown, it was the perfect weather. If you were a photographer, it was "picture perfect" (or so SnapCutie said). If you were a bridesmaid wearing a sleeveless cocktail length black dress, you were freezing.

You'll see pictures soon enough, but my girls all wore black cocktail length dresses of their choosing. They looked beautiful, and were very good sports about standing out in the wind and cold for pictures.

After lots of pictures in front of the church, we headed over to the lake for some family and group photos. Bridal party, parents, and my sisters with their families all came. SnapCutie seemed to know how to organize all of it. What kind of pissed me off is that some people were taking pictures beside or behind the photographer as he was taking pictures. The problem here is that I'm afraid we will have many pictures with everyone looking in different directions. I mean really people! We're paying $3500 to the photographer to do his job. Do you seriously think you're going to improve on his pictures with your Kodak point and shoot? Is it really necessary to be RIGHT THERE all the time?! Do you think I want to have the posed pictures of my wedding have every person in the picture looking at a different camera because while they know they should be looking at the photographer, they also want to smile for the picture their dad, brother, son, cousin, etc etc is taking!!!!

Ok, rant over.


Pictures at the lake, followed by pictures at the (very windy) beach. We only took one group shot with the bridal party (no family for this one), and then SnapCutie took some personal shots of Roger and I (of course with another snap happy family member in toe being just a bit more intrusive than i really wanted).

While walking off the beach and back into the limo (SnapCutie got some candid shots of Roger putting my shoes back on for me after dusting the sand off my feet), I ran into a girl I went to school with from 1st grade-12th grade, but I haven't seen since the day we graduated high school. There she was, walking on the boardwalk with her husband!

Off we went to The Crystal Point!

And that's all the details I can type for now. I promise more, I promise!

November 3, 2008 6:45pm

Oh I so wish I had pictures to share.

Unfortunately, the photographer won't have our pics for a few more weeks, and all of our snap happy friends and family members haven't uploaded any pictures to Snapfish or Picasa or anywhere else that I can download from.

I promise, as soon as I have some I will put them up.

The wedding was

Absolutely

Dream-like.

It couldn't have gone any more perfect.

My day began at 8:30am. I awoke to my alarm clock, let the dog out, made some coffee, and took a wonderfully long shower.

Then, I paid bills.

Yes, I paid bills on my wedding day. Not wedding-related bills like the catering hall or DJ, but the electric bill, gas bill, cable bill, etc. There was something very calming about doing something so ordinary as paying bills.

Amy, Ellen and Macon all arrived around 10am. Cathy(my sister) rolled in with my niece shortly after. We drank coffee, relaxed, waited for the photographer (we'll call him SnapCutie).

SnapCutie arrived, and we headed off to the salon for some pampering around 11:30. The salon was kind enough to have some bagels and mimosas for us. SnapCutie took many pictures of us getting primped, which I think will make for some great shots (especially of Tessa, my niece, getting her first "Spa hair" day).

After that, it was back home for some lunch (provided by Amy's mom) and time to get dressed. Socrates provided the entertainment by getting into SnapCutie's cameras and walking all over my dress! Luckily, he had a bath the day before so there weren't any paw prints, just panicked faces.

I got into my absolutely beautiful dress. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Stare-At-Me-Cause-I'm-The -Bride-In-A-Gorgeous-Dress kind of beautiful. Oh yes, there will be many pictures to come.

Once in the dress, we realized that we were already running behind schedule. The limo was due to arrive soon, and I had lipstick that made me look like a clown. Sister Blair, my Mary Kay toting bundle of sisterly love came over to fix her baby sister's messy face. All was well! Mom came over for some pictures, and then she went off to collect the old people who can't drive themselves.Those of you who often read my blog are well aware that I have a lot of elderly people in my family and those in the middle aged crowd spend much of their time accommodating the old, cranky people. I have made it clear that I will not be nearly so accommodating in my middle aged-ness.

The limo arrived and we all piled in (after getting some practical advice from the driver about how to maneuver in my dress). We were almost at the church when we realized that we forgot the flower girl basket! Turn around. Run back inside to get it. Head back to the church.

Since we arrived just in time...and yes, I mean exactly on time...there was no time for enjoying the moment and having butterflies.

I *literally* (yes, Peg, I used it) walked in the front doors of the church and lined up to head down the aisle.

The ceremony seemed to fly by in a blur. I remember standing. I remember sitting. I remember Clayton, my nephew-in-ring bearer coming up to have the rings blessed. I also remember my nose running. I wasn't crying. Not even one tear, actually. My nose just kept running! I needed a tissue!

Roger and I were holding hands as we were about to exchange rings. I looked down at our hands. I wanted to savor that moment.

And then...

splash

Mucus

Right out of my nose

plopped right into our hands.

Just one single drop of my snotty nose fell on our newly blessed rings.

I looked up at Roger with panic, who immediately got the giggles.

Not just regular "hee hee" giggles. No, he got "My face is going to turn red as I try to hold in the extreme laughter" giggles.

With a friggin video camera running!

Luckily, it looks like I had one single tear fall down.

The pictures might be very dramatic.

A single tear falls into their open hands.

It's actually snot from my nose. One, single drop of watery snot.

Then came vows, prayers, kiss, another kiss, clapping and leaving the church to go take pictures.

And you'll just have to wait for the rest of the story for another night!

Really, do you even need any more after the snot drop?

October 16, 2008 1:01am

As of 3:00pm yesterday afternoon, I officially ended my role as the wedding planner and became the bride.

All of my errands were done. Everything was brought down to the Crystal Point that was needed for decorating. My dress is hanging in my closet.

Every detail seems to be taken care of.

Which means I don't have anything to do besides show up.

October 15, 2008 12:02am

According to the countdown timer on my iGoogle page, I have 2 days until the wedding.

Two days until Roger and I are married.

Two days until my life with him begins.

Over the past few weeks, I have been busy making last minute preparations and looking forward to the wedding.

Yet, I keep thinking about how it seems almost selfish to be so happy when Ryan just passed away a few short weeks ago.

On the other hand, it makes me think about how much I should appreciate every day with Roger. No, he doesn't have some terrible illness that could take his life in a short amount of time, but we never really know if we will even see tomorrow.

Two days.

Two days.

If you had asked me 3 years ago where I would be today, it would not have been here.

Oh but I am so very glad that I am here.

Two days.

October 1, 2008 9:00am

In previous entries, I have written about my friend Ryan (aka Local Rapscallion).

On Friday, September 26, 2008 Ryan lost his long battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was just about a week past his 34th birthday, which I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate with him, his family and other friends.

To go on and on about what a wonderful person he was seems trite at this point after so many others have more eloquently described his life. So, I will just leave this entry with the obituary that his father wrote:

Sept. 26, 2008 - Ryan Stuart McCormick, age 34, peacefully slipped the surly bonds of this earth and went to be with God. He was surrounded by his immediate family, just as he had wished. Our hearts are very heavy for our loss. We know that he is now without pain, without physical limitations, and in the presence of our Lord. We are happy that in the last 2 weeks, Ryan was visited by so many friends/family and that he and they had the opportunity to be together.

In this space, I want to acknowledge what he did in his short life.

Ryan was born September 14, 1974 in Syracuse, NY. He graduated from Freedom High School, Bethlehem, PA. He was an Eagle Scout at 14 with his service project being a POW/MIA Day for his school. He served in the Civil Air Patrol in Whitehall, PA. He worked as a first responder then EMT while in high school serving with the Bethlehem Township Volunteer Squad (Assistant Captain). Ryan graduated from Springfield College in 1997 with a degree in Emergency Services Management. At his time in college, he founded the Springfield College Emergency Response Team to provide services to the campus. It still exists today.

Upon graduation, Ryan worked many paramedic jobs including Nazareth, PA, East Stroudsburg, PA, Mountainside Hospital, NJ, University Hospital, Newark, NJ., St. Joseph's Hospital, NJ. It was when he was a paramedic in Newark that he was a first responder on 9/11/01 to the World Trade Center and Ground Zero. We attribute his Hodgkin's cancer, which appeared in 2002, to his service at that time.

Ryan served over 8 years from 1998-2007 in the Army Reserve as a Weapons of Mass Destruction/Chemical Warfare Specialist.

After 9/11, Ryan served as Assistant Director of the Center for BioDefense at University Hospital in Newark where he met his wife, Jessica. He moved to Verona, NJ and then served as Captain in the Verona Volunteer Ambulance squad. Ryan and Jessica were married on May 21, 2005 at the First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem, PA.

He was then hired at St. Barnabas Healthcare System and became the Director of Emergency Management. He continued to pursue his Master's Degree at Kean University and then Penn State University.

During his illness, Ryan and his wife founded the non-profits NJ Heroes and TurtlePods (giving iPods to cancer patients)

Ryan is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Jessica Marie; by his parents, David Gary and Nancy McCormick, Surfside Beach, SC; his sister, Jessica Lynne, of Bethlehem, PA; his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Stuart; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Pat Layman, Salem, NJ; many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. All will miss him dearly.

The viewing will be held at the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Ave, Verona, NJ on Monday, September 29th with times from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM. Funeral services will be Tuesday, September 30th at the First Presbyterian Church, Verona, NJ. at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers, it is Ryan's request that money be donated to NJ Heroes, 40 Wedgewood Drive, #115, Verona, NJ 07044 or to the Verona Rescue Squad, 12 Church St, Verona, NJ 07044

The family would like to thank all of you who made this journey with us in prayer. God heard all of you and gave us 6 years with him after diagnosis. We don't know the "why" of this but we have faith in the Lord that this was what was needed. I know that Ryan and his story have impacted so many lives all over the world. He did not lose his battle; he won a seat with God forever.

We would like to thank the Saint Barnabas Healthcare System and the administration of their corporate offices for their loving care of Ryan throughout the years.

In Service to God and Country,

The McCormick's




I miss you, friend.

July 17, 2008 11:18am

This one is for you, Peg......

Why Italian Restaurants Failed in Dubai

July 14, 2008 7:35pm

Yup, it's a 2 post kind of day.

I wanted to write a little about the wedding planning. All of this studying stuff, plus some other problems I'm having with rotation scheduling and my most unhelpful school is getting me all wrapped around the axle and unable to enjoy the wedding stuff.

So here's what I've got so far.

I think I already mentioned that the reception will be at the Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant. They're handling all the food, drinks, linens, etc.

Roger and I completed our pre-canna (had potential to be good, but was rather useless) and have had a few meetings with our priest. I know we're scheduled for at least one more before the wedding.

The dress is ordered, but not in yet. I know I included a link in an earlier post for those interested. The girls have their dresses. I told them to find a black cocktail length dress of their choosing. My shoes are in and I have something for my hair (which I have been working on growing out a bit).

I have the DJ and photographer booked, and the florist is scheduled also.

I decided I wanted to do centerpieces in conch shells, but I have to order the shells myself. Mom is faxing the order down to the shell place for me tomorrow, but this is the general idea of what I'm going for (different flowers, of course)....

I can't really put up a picture of the bouquets, because I sort of made them up with the florist as I sat there. "Sure, that looks nice. Add that too."

The flower girl basket (to be filled with an arrangement, not petals since we're not allowed to throw petals) and the ring bearer pillow came from ebay.








Roger is going to buy himself a tux, but he hasn't gotten to that yet. We decided that since he's 30 and we're not going to a high school prom, he's going to go with a cumberbun rather than a vest. Have you ever seen James Bond or Cary Grant in a vest tuxedo? No. I didn't think so.

We picked out the invitations. We're going with pocketfold style invites. It appeals to my compulsive sense of organization. I know we should have them ordered by now, but I can't do that with the board exam so I am going to do it directly after the exam is over. We just need to provide all the address of our guests and the store takes care of the envelope addressing for us.

Somewhere in this process I moved from being uber frugal to being willing to pay extra for convenience.

Mostly, this has been enjoyable. There are a few things that worry me, though.

First, my mother. She has been wonderful during all of this. However, I had a vision (always where I get into trouble) of her being here with me during the getting ready process. Hanging out with "the girls". Having pictures done with the photographer. Then we all go to the ceremony. Not quite. Mom has to pick up the old people in our family who can't drive themselves. God forbid someone else in the family (like aunts and uncles) be the designated taxi cab for the day to free her up. No, she has to do it. I guess this isn't so much of a problem. I mean, she can stay here for a while and then go on her route.

Next, my vision included my mom coming with us for pictures after the ceremony. Now this is where it gets tricky because the old people she has in her car aren't going to be in the formal pictures. So what does she do? Come to where we're doing pictures and leave the old people in the car? I haven't discussed this with her yet, but I know she has absolutely no idea that she should be coming with us for pictures. I know she plans to go directly from the church to the reception place and get the old people inside. Again, why the fuck can't someone else do this?

I also have a vision that my mom gets to sit with her friends at the wedding instead of the rest of my family. This is because I know very well that if she sits with the family she will not move her ass all night and instead sit there and help them decide between beef or chicken. She will sit with people who she sees at least twice a week anyway, and her friends who she sees twice a year will get a "Hi! How are ya? Thanks for comin!" And she will scurry back to the old people.

This last part I have some control over. I told her last night that she will be sitting with her friends. She protested and said she *needs* to sit with the old people (but she used their names), and I told her that was absurd because the old people can talk to the rest of our family. She finally gave in and said, "Okay, it's your wedding. I'll sit wherever you want me to sit."

Sheesh!

My other worries?

Well, Roger and I went to his cousin's wedding a few weeks ago and I saw some things that probably won't go over well if they're done at our wedding.

There was an incredible amount of intrusive picture taking...intrusive meaning on the altar during the ceremony and right in the way of the view of the guests. Since our church only allows the photographer to be moving around taking pictures, I don't know how to nicely get the word out that this is not appropriate. Perhaps I should put a note in the program "Stay in your seat or you will be shot immediately." No, that might be too harsh. What if someone has to pee? Those old people have tiny bladders!

I know this all must make me sound like I hate old people and don't want anyone to distract from the glory of me by flashing a picture during our ceremony. Really, I'm not that horrible. The first part is really more my frustration with my mother's need to take care of everyone and my family's total lack of ability to take over some responsibility. The latter is really more the church's rules and I don't want anyone to do something that is inappropriate during a religious ceremony.

I learned several years ago that my super planning and very detailed images of what will/should happen only set me up for disappointment. Therefore, my expectations for exactly how things will happen are very minimal. This way, I won't be so flustered by the little things that will certainly go wrong. As of right now, my framework is that on the morning of October 17th I'll wake up, have a bagel, hang out with my girls and then by that night I'll be married.

And damnit that bagel better be there or MY DAY will be RUINED!

July 14, 2008 7:27pm

....and I'm back.

Yes, I've been busy. I have Step 2 of my board exams on July 24th so I took some time off for studying. Unfortunately, I have so much ADD that I think I sweat it out through my pores and I have a hard time getting meaningful work done on any one day. Overall, though, I manage to get quite a bit accomplished.

Anyway, for the pictures I promised:

My purrrty flowers!





Socrates The Wonder Dog!


Mom wanted to make me look sweet and innocent, so she threw a pebble at my feet so I would look down in this very "natural" way.



It's all about the KONG!

July 6, 2008 10:13pm

I hate cramming a month's worth of thoughts into one posting.

In summary.....

Been studying for my board exam, which is on July 24th.
My best friend is up to something because she asked for the registry cards that Bed Bath and Beyond gave me and she swears she's using them to wallpaper her house. Hmmm.

Socrates is wonderful. I'll take some pictures soon.

My new garden is growing beautifully. I have Delphinium and Hollyhocks that are all blooming now.

I'm cooking, cooking, cooking up a storm.

Back to studying!

June 8, 2008 7:51pm

I start my Pathology rotation tomorrow. Not having to see patients will be a nice break for 4 weeks. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy taking care of my patients but I feel like I've been so swamped with annoying shit for the last 4 weeks that I just need to be somewhere that I don't have to deal with it for a while.

Gas prices are making me nauseous. My truck runs on diesel which, when I first got my truck, was cheaper than regular gas. Now it is about 30 cents higher than premium. I miss being able to just get in my truck and drive around. It relaxed me. I energized me when I was stressed and just wanting to sleep.

I can't do that anymore because I just can't afford it. It costs $100 to fill my tank and depending on how far I go I need to fill it about every 1 1/2- 2 weeks.

Luckily, Roger's car is far more economical when it comes to gas, so we use his on weekends when we're together.

Between the gas prices and just general cost of life, I seriously worry about how I'm going to be able to afford anything in a few years. I know that seems silly because in a year I will be a Resident and I'll have a job for the first time in 4 years. I'll actually be making a little bit of money.

Maybe I worry too much, but I'm seriously concerned about my ability to afford anything after the next election.

Giving away free money for programs sounds lovely, but since I know that money will be coming out of mine and my husband's pocket....I'm not real thrilled about that prospect.

I also worry when phrases like " universal healthcare" and "redistribution of wealth" begin to be thrown around. I think when people clap and cheer for these things, they don't realize that they have dire consequences that have been disasterous when tried in other countries.

Maybe we all learned about the New Deal in 8th grade and were told how great it was, so we think that the New New Deal will be even better. Unfortunately, we were misinformed so we actually believe that government programs help bring a country out of a recession/depression rather than seeing that it kept us in one for 10 years more than we had to be in it.

Sigh.

I just worry.

June 5, 2008 10:51pm

Yeah, I know. It's been a while.

Okay, it's been way too friggin long to give detailed descriptions of everything I've been doing.

Therefore, you get the Readers Digest version of everything in Elizabeth's life since April 10th.

Moved back to Jersey.
Started a new rotation.
Got a dog.
Went to DC for a medical conference (doesn't that just sound sooooo grown up?).
Dog went to doggie boot camp.
Finished a rotation and began another one.
Roger has been doing mega traveling for work.

The only really exciting bit of information there is the dog.

His name is Socrates. He was about 6 months when we got him. He's about 7-8 months now. The exact date of his birth is unknown. We got him from a local foster/rescue called K9's In Need. I saw his picture on PetFinder and contacted the rescue for an application. Being the nervous person that I am, I worried and worried that the rescue wouldn't accept us because we're not married, or if the house is dirty when they come for the home visit, or they think that a doctor won't have enough time for a pet.

I was wrong. We got the dog about 2 weeks after I submitted the application, and it only took that long because I was waiting for Roger to get back from a trip before we brought the dog home. We renamed him and he seemed to settle in quite well.

We think he was born in October based on the info that the rescue has. He was found with his mom and litter in Leesburg, VA. They ended up in a kill shelter there and were rescued by K9's In Need just as they all developed Parvovirus. Now, I know that in humans Parvovirus is like a nasty cold but I'm told that in dogs it's a nasty, nasty thing. Three of the litter and mom survived.

And now here he is:































We know that he is mostly black lab, but the rest of his genetics is unknown. His tail curls over (very un-lab like), and he has a few features that resemble other breeds.







We think he's perfect.

April 10, 2008 7:10pm

My week in Lewisburg is nearly over.

I didn't even realize I could leave a day early until N- informed me that he was leaving tonight to go visit his girlfriend. Well sheesh! If I knew we could that, I would have made arrangements to leave! However, I know that if I skipped tomorrow's session and didn't get to see the feedback from my OSCE test, I would spend the next month in mental agony wondering if I passed.

Instead, I'm sitting in my hotel room in GI agony.

I think I am going to finally have to admit that I have an acid problem.

In fact, I have an acid problem so bad that I seem to spend most of the day feeling either nauseated or like there is a fire in my belly that is trying to escape through my mouth.

I'm also getting very tired of waking up in the morning with partially digested food in my mouth that I must have coughed up.

Gross. Super gross.

I ate one meal today and have been regretting it since noon. Two Zantac and four Tums aren't even beginning to take the edge off. Don't even think about asking me to lay down because that becomes another gastric nightmare.

I wish I was hungry. I really do. It's nearly 7:30pm and dinner would be the traditional activity, but even thinking about food makes me churn even more.

It is very true that medical professionals make the worst patients. This is because we try to manage a problem ourselves, but since nobody is an expert in everything we just get sicker and sicker until we get to a crisis point...and then seek the help of a colleague.

Help!

April 7, 2008 12:27am

Back in Lewisburg for a week of assorted nonsense required by school.

I'm happy to be back here because I really missed this town....I think. Maybe I just missed the routine of school. I know for sure that I missed the burgers at Jim's Drive-In, the organic steaks at Stardust and the vegan wraps at The Wild Bean.

Clearly, I am very food oriented.

I packed up everything from the house in Buckhannon and drove back down to where my life in WV began.

At the moment, I am in bed at the Hampton Inn. I love Hampton Inn hotels. Maybe it's all Hilton hotels, but I especially love Hampton Inns. I love it because there is a great big bed with fluffy blankets and a lap desk. I can get a hot breakfast in the morning and coffee all day.

Unfortunately, most of my class is also staying at this hotel. It is more like the WVSOM dorm than my beloved Hampton Inn hotel. People I know are everywhere, and I feel like a hermit in my room. I ran into a classmate at the elevator. He said something like, "This week won't be so bad. School all day and then we get to party all night."

Obviously, he doesn't know me very well. I didn't "party" at all my first two years of school here. I'm not about to start now.

I have an absurd amount of luggage in the room with me. I didn't plan for packing well, and I just threw everything into bags. I didn't bother to separate out what I would need for my week here versus what I need for the rest of my life in NJ. Basically, I have every toiletry item, every piece of underwear, and every sock I own in this room, along with various other unmatched clothing items.

But I am in a Hampton Inn, so life is good. I told Roger we should consider moving into one.

What I am most looking forward to for this week is knowing that I don't have to make breakfast. someone else is making it for me. someone else is putting out the yogurt and fruit and bagel or whatever else might be on the menu.

Yes, the Hampton Inn is just about the closest thing there is to heaven right here on earth.

Clearly, my standards for heaven are not set very high.

March 13, 2008 6:43pm

I hate when I don't write for a while and then I have to update everything quickly.

In short, finished off my ER rotation, went home for a long weekend, found "The Dress" and am now on my Surgery rotation.

Since Roger reads this blog but he doesn't want to see the dress, I will just provide a link to it. This picture isn't quite so accurate, though, because mine will be in light gold (shows up darker than in the picture), with spaghetti straps, and a sweetheart neckline. None of those words mean anything to Roger so we're safe.

Surgery has been....tiring. I don't know if I mentioned that during my OBGyn rotation, I went horizontal my first day 20 minutes into a hysterectomy. I was banished from the OR for cases longer than 10 minutes after that, so this was going to be my first venture back there (but at a different hospital).

The grossness of bowel resections cannot even be put into words. Today, I referred to it as "Medical School Fear Factor". Luckily, everyone laughed (including the surgeon).

A HUGE pet peeve of mine is when doctors sell shit out of their office. Now don't start on the pharm reps and their pens and note pads and lunch lectures because I will swear up and down (despite what Ted Kennedy says) that a good physician makes clinical judgments based on what is best for his or her patients and not what Pfizer Matt brought for lunch that day. And you can't tell me that just because a Dr gets a free clicky pen that they are going to unnecessarily write for that drug. My mom does peds and I've seen her with a Viagra pen. I'm pretty sure she's not putting the kiddos on Viagra....

...but I digress....

What bothers me is when doctors set up a display in their waiting room of some kind of happy horseshit that they are selling. If it's girl scout cookies, I don't care, but more often it is some kind of vitamin, dietary supplement, or weight loss drug.

And this Dr does just that. She sells vitamins. She takes about 40 of them a day herself. Her husband left his job to become a full time distributor for this company. She gets her patients to start these vitamins (basic package is $65 per month) because she believes it will make them healthier.

Now, after spending a few days with her I can honestly say that she does truly believe it will make them healthier. Personally, I love alternative treatments and therapies. Hell, I'm in osteopathic school where we spend a ton of time learning the very "alternative" treatment of manipulative medicine. However, performing a manipulation treatment on someone is very different from handing them a bottle of pills and asking for money for it. In one, they (or their insurance company) is paying for a service I can provide based on my schooling and training. In the other, a patient is handing over money for a bottle of vitamins that I am getting a % of for a mark-up...and they could buy the same thing at Wal-Mart for a whole lot less!!!!

I also am really into herbal remedies, natural remedies, and vitamin therapies. Really, I am. I swear. I love that stuff. I take a handfull of vitamins 3x each day. I can't wait until I'm a "real" Dr with a license and can actually give people advice legally. I can't wait to tell them about how great Omega-3's are and how important Vitamin D may be in preventing some cancers....but I'm not going to hand over a bottle and say "that will be $65 please."

They can follow my advice or not. They can go to the store and buy a bottle or not. They can price comparison shop at 3 different stores! They have some freedom in deciding if they want to try this. Personally, I think that freedom is gone when your doctor not only recommends a product, but sticks it on the table in front of you and wants you to decide if you will buy it from her right there.

So, one would wonder why a doctor would want to participate in this kind of business endeavor rather than just recommend specific treatments/regimens or even recommend a brand that they happen to think is really good.

I asked the question.

The answer? Money. Apparently, she doesn't think she's getting paid enough. She isn't being paid enough by the hospital to support her "entire" family, so she has to do this because "I don't want to be operating when I'm, like, 60."

What, pray tell, did you plan to do when you are 60? Are we still looking for what we want to be when we grow up? Vitamin sales is it!

Furthermore, don't tell me about how you don't make enough money to support your family so you have to sell vitamins out of your office, and then get into your BMW convertible to drive home.

Just....just don't. Please. Save yourself the embarrassment. Your BMW is gorgeous. Really, it is. It's white and has tan leather interior. Honestly, when you are the only surgeon at a hospital and are on call 24/7, do 10-15 cases per day scheduled plus add-ons and emergencies, you really do deserve every single penny you make. When I see patients and their families hugging you in the waiting room, I have no doubt you have earned your money....whatever it may be. But please, don't drive off in a fancy car, go on ski trips with your family, get a weekly massage and then complain you don't make "enough" so you have to sell vitamins. Take it up with the hospital. Ask for a raise. Threaten to leave if you have to, but don't stoop to the level of cashing in on a trend.

February 26, 2008 1:31pm

First, to update on my last post: I tried talking things out with some friends, but I'm not sure it got me anywhere. Honestly, I think I just need to accept people as they are and not expect them to act a certain way. I know that I have always had a problem with this. I don't mean that I expect *things* from people. I don't expect gifts or money or anything material like that. What I do expect (and want) is time. If you are my friend, I want your time.

I feel selfish even saying that, but isn't that what a friendship is? You give your time to someone you care about. I need to stop expecting anything, though. I have to accept that the way I treat people may not be the way others see fit to treat people.

Worked overnights this past weekend in the ER. My days and nights are all mixed up.

Trying to get some studying done, but I am low on motivation. I just want to go home!!!

February 20, 2007 9:15pm

Tonight is not a good night.

I'm heading down that slippery slope (no, not chopsticks) of feeling anxious, depressed, worthless, frustrated.....

further and further

The pissy part is that I don't actually have something I can pinpoint as what is causing it.

Other than f-d up brain chemistry and bad genes.

And why is it that when I reach out to friends and family for a little time and support, I get ignored? Ignored as in phone calls not returned or "gee, I'd love to talk but I'm really busy. We'll catch up in a few weeks."

Then when it spirals out of control and I'm in that really dark place again I have to crawl out myself.

When I finally do, all those people who I tried to reach out to eons before are saying, "Awww, why didn't you call me or talk to me about it?"

Fuck Em!

February 8, 2008 6:57pm

Beej did this so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon too.

1) Answer the questions below
2) Take each answer and type it into Photobucket (www.photobucket.com)
3) Take any picture from the first page of results and post.


1. The age you'll be on your next birthday:











2. A place you'd like to travel:






3. Your favorite place:













4. Your favorite object:



















5. Your favorite food:














6. Your favorite animal:



















7. Your favorite color:


8. The town in which you were born:


9. The town in which you live:



10. The name of your pet Don't have one unless you count...


11. Your name:




















12. Your middle name:



















13. Your last name:












14. A bad habit of yours:













15. Your first job:



















16. Your current car:



















17. Favorite sport:













18. Favorite kind of music no one favorite

19. Your crush:

February 6, 2008 6:53pm

I'm low on motivation these days.

It's just so much more fun to let the hours slip by while I watch QVC.

Last few days of my ObGyn rotation. Not that there was any doubt in my mind before, but I am 110% sure I do not ever, ever, ever want to be an ObGyn. God bless those who do, though. And there's a midwife in this doc's office who I think has a special place set aside for her in Heaven because she will even go over to OB and just "hang out" to help if needed since they are sorely understaffed.

Next week I begin Emergency Medicine. Also not something I'm really keen on. I don't even like the tv show. Things move too fast. Doors swinging open and closed. I'm more of a House kind of girl. I like having a good 40 minutes to think through what I need to do.

I'm in the process of planning my 4th year rotations and thinking about residency after I graduate. We apply for that around September/October so it's coming up sooner than one might think. My biggest problem at the moment is getting all the paperwork to the correct people. It would be much easier if I just had to do it myself, but I am far from home (where I'm doing my 4th year) so I have to rely on email and phone. I get my part filled out and sent to the hospital in NJ, and then I have to rely on them to fax it to my school. This is where the system seems to break down and things get lost.

I'd be happier if the whole world worked with the same sense of urgency that I do. I'd also be happier if everyone checked their email at all hours of the day/night like I do....or that they at least responded to me within a week! Argh!

Onto the wedding front. I call it a "front" because I feel like it is a war. A war against all the people who feel the need to tell me what I just *have* to do. Other than show up, I haven't seen one thing that I absolutely *have* to do. I'm no less married if I don't have someone do my make-up, or if I don't do matchbooks, or if my cocktail napkins aren't monogrammed. I'm not giving anyone anything with my monogram on it. In fact, I'm actually considering getting my boobs imaged and then putting that on every available surface. When someone asks me about it I will say, "Oh, you said MONO-gram? I thought you were telling me to put my MAMMO-gram on everything. My bad!"

So the Save The Date magnets went out. I know a lot of people have gotten theirs because the number of people viewing our wedding web site went up dramatically. Roger also went and booked our mini honeymoon that we will be taking just after the wedding. We're going to Napa Valley to eat and drink our way through wine country! We'll be staying at a place called 1801 First and Roger arranged for us to have a private cottage. I am all about the evening couples massage with the bottle of champagne!

That will be the perfect way to start off our new life together after all the stress of taking 2 board exams this summer and then the wedding.

And speaking of board exams.... time to hit the books again.

February 1, 2008 12:41am

Anxiety is a bitch.

I realized that the less I blog, the more I feel ill with anxiety. I think writing gives me a chance to put my thoughts down and consider what I'm really upset about.

At the moment, I am most worried/frustrated about school. I'm almost done with my OB rotation and I will be moving on to Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Both give me nightmares.

Sid I mention that on my first day of surgery in OB I went horizontal 25 minutes into a hysterectomy?

Well, I did.

Clearly, the operating room is not the place for me.

I hate things moving fast. I hate making quick decisions. I'm more into the kind of medicine where you can evaluate and research a bit before deciding what to do (nobody is about to die immediately). I'm also clumsy and have a wicket tremor. If I hold a mug of coffee, my hand shakes so bad that I often spill it on myself. I am a glass is half empty kind of gal out of necessity. I can't exactly hit a vein with any sort of proficiency, but it's really embarrassing explaining to people (even doctors and nurses) that I'm not just nervous, I have a medical condition that normally really old people have.

I've also been really anxious about money lately. This is probably because I don't currently have a job so I'm not making any money. Mom helps me out tremendously so I can have a roof over my head and eat and have books and toilet paper, but I feel guilty every single time I spend money that isn't really *mine*.

Tonight, the power went out around dinnertime. I called the power company and the very pleasant recording told me that it will be restored by 4am. I assumed this meant it was a major catastrophe and I needed supplies. I drove to Wal-Mart (which still had power) and bought lots of batteries, a battery powered lantern, apples, bananas, 3 cans of soup, some non-refrigerated snacks, and a piece of chocolate cake. The plan was to stock up on things that didn't need to go in the fridge and enjoy the night with my lantern and read. I got to the checkout and the whole thing came to about $70 (mostly because of the batteries and the lantern). On the drive home, I realized that power had been restored and there would be no evening of roughing it.

Guilt over the purchases immediately began.

Why is it that I can appear so calm and together, yet have this internal war going on?

food and I aren't getting along very well right now. My stomach churns as soon as I swallow a bite, and last night I had reflux so bad that I had to go to sleep sitting up.

Tonight isn't looking very promising right now either.

January 22, 2008 6:58pm

So I've been thinking about how on top of this wedding planning stuff I seem to be.

I've got until October and I already have the church, reception, photographer, and DJ booked. I've also got a place for the rehersal dinner. Go me!

Right?

Apparently I'm wrong. I am terribly terribly wrong.

At least according to the entire wedding planning board and the obsessive wedding planning message boards I look at.

I don't have a dress. Not really thrilled about looking for one either, but that's just me. Well, these chicks have bought their dresses 12, 18, and sometimes 24 months in advance of the wedding. Oh but it doesn't stop there....they also obsess over their shoes. They buy sometimes 3 different pairs (12 months in advance) and obsess over which ones to wear. It goes beyond that to hair accessories, jewelry, make-up (multiple and i do mean MULTIPLE make-up "trials" a year or more before the wedding), hair styles, etc.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my sister taught me how to put on make-up. I think I'll do just fine on my own with that.

I also don't purchase little decorative accents 9 months ahead and arrange and rearrange "sample tables" so I know exactly what the gift table will look like at the wedding.

It will be in October so I was thinking something fall-ish. See, now I know what it will look like. A table with a white tablecloth, gifts on it, and a pumpkin.

The types of things I *would* be worried about are my guests getting enough to eat and drink, the bathrooms being clean and if the food stays warm by the time it gets to everyone.

But I don't *need* to worry about these things because I booked a very reputable reception location with a great staff and very good quality food (and clean bathrooms).

Yes, I want to enjoy my wedding but more importantly I want to enjoy my marriage. I want to have a beautiful wedding and get to visit with friends and family who I don't see very often.

The gift that I really, really, really want? More than anything in the world? Lots and lots of hugs. Hugs galore. And smiles. I want to see smiles everywhere.

So maybe there is something wrong with me for planning all of this in a shorter amount of time than the others. Maybe I am cutting it too close and will be stressed and unhappy the day before the wedding because I don't have a wand for the flower girl that exactly matches the clip in the bridesmaids' hair. Maybe I'll be frantically searching for a "something blue" (another one of those wedding things I have no interest in) and then asking the anonymous public on message boards for their opinion on if it's blue enough. Maybe I'll be out on a midnight run for a tussy mussy.

And this is where my rage peaks... What in the name of fucking Vera Wang is a fucking tussy mussy and why are you using one (much less searching for the perfect one) if you are over the age of 4?!! New from Playskool! Introducing the Vewy Vewy Special Tussy Mussy! Your child will have hours of fun! Play, laugh, grow!

To be honest, I don't especially mind the little details. It's just that when I come home from the hospital for the evening I just can't get myself all worked up about someone's "crisis" over which font to have their monogram in for the matchbooks.

January 15, 2008 5:45pm

Now that I'm back in WV and settled, I can fill you in on all the happenings!

First, I went home for 4 weeks. Christmas was wonderful. Roger and I decorated my house. It was lots of fun doing up a big Christmas celebration with him.

We left for Washington D.C. the day after Christmas. We went down just to do the touristy thing (as well as get our patriotic groove on and see all the monuments, memorials, documents, museums, and other buildings of note).

Oh yeah, and there was a surprise too...


Wowie zowie!

So the days after getting back home to NJ was a whirlwind of wedding planning to get as much done as we could before I went back down to WV.

And we even made a website.

Now I'm on my ObGyn rotation (Shoe covers. That's all I have to say about that.). I'll be home for good on May 10, 2008 and I am counting the days, minutes, seconds.

I hope all is well in your worlds. :-)

January 8, 2008 9:55pm

Okeeee....

Don't be mad.....

I haven't posted in a long time......

And a lot has happened......

I'll post some pictures when I get time......

But for now......

All I can say is......

Don't ya think October would be a lovely month for a wedding?