Aside from my 2 days off a week I have realized I don't see sunlight. Now that I am back on days I get up at 5:40 and get to work around 6:15am, well before the sun rises. And then I leave anytime between 5:30-9:30pm, missing sunset. I guess last year multiple residents had low Vitamin D levels.
Aside from the mental effects this can have looks like I might be at risk for some other medical problems!!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Bloody Christmas in the Hospital
I have to admit, working Christmas year after year is starting to get to me...this is my 4th Christmas working in a row.
In fact, I have worked the last 3 Thanksgivings, the last 4 Christmases, and after next week the last 4 New year's eves and days. I don't really remember what it is like to have a holiday off, but I know what it is like to be jealous of everyone that like most normal people has both the holiday and the days around it off! I don't actually want a ton of time to see family, it would get overwhelming, but just one day would be nice.
I was thinking that since I have worked so many holidays in the last 3-4 years that I should request Christmas off next year (I don't want to request Thanksgiving off since I am not a fan of a holiday that centers a dead bird in the middle of the table, but I am happy to host my vegan version of Thanksgiving the weekend after).
Sadly though, my schedule in the residency changes every week, and the work week is Monday-Sunday. Since Xmas falls on a Sunday next year, that means if I request a vacation week the week of Xmas I will either have the week before it off, or the week after, which is a little awkward and might mean I feel jipped that I didn't get to relax with a couple days around the holiday. I could always just request that weekend off, but no guarantees I will get it off either. I guess I will have to think about it, will probably make the schedule in May or June for the next year anyways.
There are a decent amount of us stuck at work today. I wanted to bring a chocolate cake to share for food but sadly I forgot about it in the oven so it overcooked and got burnt. Instead I brought in salsa and chips from 711. For now, back to work! It was a busy night for the overnighter...this morning has been slow so far but it will be interesting to see how crazy of a day it turns out to be!
In fact, I have worked the last 3 Thanksgivings, the last 4 Christmases, and after next week the last 4 New year's eves and days. I don't really remember what it is like to have a holiday off, but I know what it is like to be jealous of everyone that like most normal people has both the holiday and the days around it off! I don't actually want a ton of time to see family, it would get overwhelming, but just one day would be nice.
I was thinking that since I have worked so many holidays in the last 3-4 years that I should request Christmas off next year (I don't want to request Thanksgiving off since I am not a fan of a holiday that centers a dead bird in the middle of the table, but I am happy to host my vegan version of Thanksgiving the weekend after).
Sadly though, my schedule in the residency changes every week, and the work week is Monday-Sunday. Since Xmas falls on a Sunday next year, that means if I request a vacation week the week of Xmas I will either have the week before it off, or the week after, which is a little awkward and might mean I feel jipped that I didn't get to relax with a couple days around the holiday. I could always just request that weekend off, but no guarantees I will get it off either. I guess I will have to think about it, will probably make the schedule in May or June for the next year anyways.
There are a decent amount of us stuck at work today. I wanted to bring a chocolate cake to share for food but sadly I forgot about it in the oven so it overcooked and got burnt. Instead I brought in salsa and chips from 711. For now, back to work! It was a busy night for the overnighter...this morning has been slow so far but it will be interesting to see how crazy of a day it turns out to be!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Mexican themed holiday dinner
Last night Mark and I had his family over for a holiday dinner at our place. I am working Xmas, Xmas eve, and I was working on their family holiday party last week, so I felt rather guilty about not being around on the holidays...my solution was to invite everyone over to our house for a Mexican themed vegan meal.
It was a great night. There was a little bit of a late start due to some drama involving a car accident, but everyone was fine, no one was hurt, and it provided some amusing entertainment for the night.
The meal was pretty tasty, and even the non-vegans got seconds, so I thought I would share my recipes.
Mark made red and white sangria for everyone.
I asked everyone to bring chips and salsa for apps, Robin brought some homemade guacamole which was great.
I made a couple things...
1. corn salad
ingredients:
olive oil
1 chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp corriander
3 cups corn
1 chopped orange pepper
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp cliantro
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Directions:
cook the onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Then add the chili powder and corriander and cook for one more minute.
Add the peppers, corn, and tomatoes to this.
Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Mix in the cilantro.
Whisk the red wine vinegar with 4Tbsp olive oil. Toss in salad.
Serve cold or at room temp (I served cold but will probably serve at room temp next time). This is a picture of leftovers for lunch the next day, and this was probably my favorite dish of the night.
2. Caribbean rice and beans
Next was a side dish of rice and beans...simple and easy to make, not too fancy but satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 cups basmati rice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of allspice
dash of thyme
dash of nutmeg
3 cups water
2 cans red kidney beans
(I was too lazy to measure out 1/4 tsp so that's why I wrote a "dash")
Directions:
In a sauce pan mix heat the olive oil and stir in the pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onion is soft.
Stir in the uncooked rice and coat with oil.
Add the brown sugar (feel free to add more, I think I did), nutmeg, allspice, and thyme. Stir in the water and reduce heat to low, cook for about 25 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked stir in the beans for 5 more minutes to heat them.
Serve!
3. My favorite Sweet potatoe and black bean enchiladas
Ingredients:
6 sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic
3 cans black bean
1 can diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 jars generic salsa
14-16 tortillas
Directions:
Peel and chop the sweet potatoes
Place in a greased pan and back at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
In a lasagna/casserole dish spread a layer of salsa.
Spoon the mixture in to tortillas, roll and place in a row face down.
Once completed, layer salsa and remaining mixture on top of the tortillas.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
This recipe was for 9 people. so feel free to pare it down.
I also typically serve it with tofutti sour cream.
And last but not least, vegan and gluten free cupcakes!! This whole tray was full before people had dessert, very tasty and sweet! (just a box mix, but I still think it does the trick).
It was a great night. There was a little bit of a late start due to some drama involving a car accident, but everyone was fine, no one was hurt, and it provided some amusing entertainment for the night.
The meal was pretty tasty, and even the non-vegans got seconds, so I thought I would share my recipes.
Mark made red and white sangria for everyone.
I asked everyone to bring chips and salsa for apps, Robin brought some homemade guacamole which was great.
I made a couple things...
1. corn salad
ingredients:
olive oil
1 chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp corriander
3 cups corn
1 chopped orange pepper
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp cliantro
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Directions:
cook the onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Then add the chili powder and corriander and cook for one more minute.
Add the peppers, corn, and tomatoes to this.
Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Mix in the cilantro.
Whisk the red wine vinegar with 4Tbsp olive oil. Toss in salad.
Serve cold or at room temp (I served cold but will probably serve at room temp next time). This is a picture of leftovers for lunch the next day, and this was probably my favorite dish of the night.
2. Caribbean rice and beans
Next was a side dish of rice and beans...simple and easy to make, not too fancy but satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 cups basmati rice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of allspice
dash of thyme
dash of nutmeg
3 cups water
2 cans red kidney beans
(I was too lazy to measure out 1/4 tsp so that's why I wrote a "dash")
Directions:
In a sauce pan mix heat the olive oil and stir in the pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onion is soft.
Stir in the uncooked rice and coat with oil.
Add the brown sugar (feel free to add more, I think I did), nutmeg, allspice, and thyme. Stir in the water and reduce heat to low, cook for about 25 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked stir in the beans for 5 more minutes to heat them.
Serve!
3. My favorite Sweet potatoe and black bean enchiladas
Ingredients:
6 sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic
3 cans black bean
1 can diced tomatoes
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 jars generic salsa
14-16 tortillas
Directions:
Peel and chop the sweet potatoes
Place in a greased pan and back at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
In a lasagna/casserole dish spread a layer of salsa.
Spoon the mixture in to tortillas, roll and place in a row face down.
Once completed, layer salsa and remaining mixture on top of the tortillas.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
This recipe was for 9 people. so feel free to pare it down.
I also typically serve it with tofutti sour cream.
And last but not least, vegan and gluten free cupcakes!! This whole tray was full before people had dessert, very tasty and sweet! (just a box mix, but I still think it does the trick).
gingerbread house professionals
It's christmas party season! It all started last weekend when Mark and I went to Ryan and Witt's Gingerbread House party! Basically the two of them slaved over making TONS of gingerbread houses, and then had a party where everyone came over with a dish to share and then made a house of their own for the competition. There were some phenomenal houses. We all voted on the best and the one I liked most won (the "beach front house").
I think if I go to the party next year we will have to study ahead of time! Ours was a little behind the times compared to the professional decorators there, but we did build a broken down car in the front lawn claiming it was a white trash gingerbread house!
And Ryan and Witt's dogs Casper and Zoey are amazing. Even though Mark was red and watery eyed with an itchy face from allergies after playing with them, the claritin seemed to clear him up and he kept saying how much he wanted a dog after we left.
I brought apple cake and my classic black bean chili to share, which were both a hit despite being vegan!
Lindsey's Classic Black Bean and Cashew Chili
Ingredients:
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cans black beans
1 container cashews
1 yellow onion chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
chili powder
1 red bell pepper
3 Tbsp garlic
Direction:
Fry the pepper, garlic, and onion in the olive oil until the onions and garlic are browned. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.
As for the chili powder, I do not have a specific amount I measure out, I ball park it, but I like it spicey so it's probably close to 3-4 Tbsp of it.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, Serve warm!
The cashews develops this great soft texture you wouldn't expect!
Apple Cake:
Ingredients:
4 apples chopped
4Tbsp margarine
3/4 c sugar
1 egg's worth of Ener-G egg replacer
3 Tbsp soy milk
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Mix the margarine, sugar, soy milk, and egg replacer together. Then add all the remaining ingredients, eggs last. Place in a bundt cake as I did, or probably a better idea would be in a glass baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Once cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting (the bundt cake top layer stuck to the pan so I would not use this in the future if I make this dish again).
Cream cheese frosting vegan style:
whisk together two cups powdered sugar, 1 8oz tub of tofutti cream cheese, 1/2 a stick of margarine, and 2tsp vanilla.
Here is a picture of the leftovers I had for breakfast the morning after the party:
Being that it was a bundt cake everyone said it looked like one giant glazed donut! Everyone liked it though, it's always great to show people vegan food is good!
I still have one groupon to Kings for $20 worth of bowling too, I have to use it before Jan 15th so anyone in the boston area that wants to go, let me know!
I think if I go to the party next year we will have to study ahead of time! Ours was a little behind the times compared to the professional decorators there, but we did build a broken down car in the front lawn claiming it was a white trash gingerbread house!
And Ryan and Witt's dogs Casper and Zoey are amazing. Even though Mark was red and watery eyed with an itchy face from allergies after playing with them, the claritin seemed to clear him up and he kept saying how much he wanted a dog after we left.
I brought apple cake and my classic black bean chili to share, which were both a hit despite being vegan!
Lindsey's Classic Black Bean and Cashew Chili
Ingredients:
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cans black beans
1 container cashews
1 yellow onion chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
chili powder
1 red bell pepper
3 Tbsp garlic
Direction:
Fry the pepper, garlic, and onion in the olive oil until the onions and garlic are browned. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.
As for the chili powder, I do not have a specific amount I measure out, I ball park it, but I like it spicey so it's probably close to 3-4 Tbsp of it.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, Serve warm!
The cashews develops this great soft texture you wouldn't expect!
Apple Cake:
Ingredients:
4 apples chopped
4Tbsp margarine
3/4 c sugar
1 egg's worth of Ener-G egg replacer
3 Tbsp soy milk
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Mix the margarine, sugar, soy milk, and egg replacer together. Then add all the remaining ingredients, eggs last. Place in a bundt cake as I did, or probably a better idea would be in a glass baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Once cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting (the bundt cake top layer stuck to the pan so I would not use this in the future if I make this dish again).
Cream cheese frosting vegan style:
whisk together two cups powdered sugar, 1 8oz tub of tofutti cream cheese, 1/2 a stick of margarine, and 2tsp vanilla.
Here is a picture of the leftovers I had for breakfast the morning after the party:
Being that it was a bundt cake everyone said it looked like one giant glazed donut! Everyone liked it though, it's always great to show people vegan food is good!
I still have one groupon to Kings for $20 worth of bowling too, I have to use it before Jan 15th so anyone in the boston area that wants to go, let me know!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
vegan banana bread
So lately Mark has been asking me to buy bananas and apples for him when I go grocery shopping, but then he is not the best at eating them all before they go bad...which has actually turned out to be a good thing for me since I have been experimenting with more vegan baking recipes!
This week I tried vegan banana chocolate chip bread, and it was superb...I feel guilty admitting it but I didn't bring it to share at work and it only took 5 days for us to finish it...probably more me then Mark as I have the sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
4 brown bananas
1/3 melted margarine
1 cup sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Mash bananas. Add in the margarine, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix.
Mix in walnuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into a glass baking pan.
Bake at 360 F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Served best with soy milk!!
Ruth's husband just made the most delicious vegan choolate chip cookies this week so I will have to experiment with this recipe, and then I also have some apples Mark has not eaten yet so I am making a vegan apple cake with cream cheese frosting this weekend!
Monday, December 6, 2010
thai peanut burrito bowls
One word: delicious!!!
I just made these today and am so glad I have enough for leftovers for 4 days! I wanted to try to create some sort of "Thai Peanut Burrito" since there are several restaurants I go to that make a vegan version of this that I love. The problem is everything I make burritos they end up being more like fajitas, they are terribly messy, and the don't stay rolled up right. So I converted this in to a bowl.
INGREDIENTS:
Tortilla wraps (I used whole wheat)
Brown rice
Premade vegan thai peanut sauce (found in the ethnic section of almost any grocery store)
Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (like precut coleslaw but with broccoli and carrots)
Smart life's vegan chickn strips
DIRECTIONS:
Stir fry the broccoli slaw and chickn strips in a small amt. of canola oil. Once the fake chickn in browned add the thai peanut sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Cook the rice as directed from the package.
Once everything is cooked, place a tortilla in the bottom of a bowl (I used a tupperware bowl since I made enough for leftovers for the week).
Line the tortilla wrap with some rice.
Fill the "bowl" with the stir fry. ENJOY!
A weekend of Harry Potter
This weekend was hilarious and full of Harry Potter. On Friday my friends Tina and Tony came up to visit, they were my friends from the internship last year. We took them to Top of the Hub for dinner, which was great. We had some silly conversations, especially when Mark said to Tina "I am assuming you're single" not in a rude way at all, but the running joke of the night after that was that Tina had "SINGLE" stamped on her forehead.
Then we went to the Pour House for beers. We strolled downstairs where there was more music, psuedo dancing, and a bigger TV. Tony and Mark went to buy themselves some new beers. I glanced over and saw a guy who looked like an older version of Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, so I mentioned it to Tina and sadly he made eye contact with me at that moment I was pointing him out, and then literally within 20 seconds Tina and I were swarmed by a group of guys. The "leader" of the group was this weird looking guy wearing a HUGE jewish star necklase, so naturally his nickname for the night was "Super Jew". I don't really remember any of their names, but the guy who looked like Ron started chatting me up right away. Of course, I was laughing and blushing, and when I peaked over waiting for Mark and Tony to return they were laughing from afar at the bar, and then went to the opposite side of the room! So I kept talking with the guys and Tina, and then the Ron look alike offers to buy me a drink. At that point I respectfully declined and said my boyfriend was across the bar, but that he had not offered to buy me a drink yet, even though he probably would. Then the guys said he had to buy me one in that case, but I still declined. Of course later I regretted this when I told Mark about it and he got made that I didn't get a free beer from him.
Eventually Mark and Tony came and joined us. I introduced Mark to all the guys and they were still nice, not mad that i had a boyfriend and still talkative. What was hilarious was when Mark introduced himself to the Ron lookalike saying "I'm Mark but a lot of people say I look like Harry Potter." the red head laughs and says "Yeah, well I am told I look like Ron Weasley, but we all know who gets Hermione in the end." Omigod, Tony and I could not stop laughing after that.
Later the super Jew says to Tina "So, I am trying to figure this out, you are here with the blonde and her boyfriend, but who is the short guy? Let me guess, a friend of her boyfriend's that they are trying to set you up with...well, I think the short guy is a little shady if you ask me." This was all in reference to Tony, and again we couldn't stop laughing.
It was quite an amusing night.
And then to top it off I went to see Harry Potter in the theaters with Mark on Saturday night. I loved it. The down side was the theater's sound stopped working right for part of the film, but I made a formal complaint and we got refunded for our tickets. Can't wait til that movie comes out on DVD!
Then we went to the Pour House for beers. We strolled downstairs where there was more music, psuedo dancing, and a bigger TV. Tony and Mark went to buy themselves some new beers. I glanced over and saw a guy who looked like an older version of Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, so I mentioned it to Tina and sadly he made eye contact with me at that moment I was pointing him out, and then literally within 20 seconds Tina and I were swarmed by a group of guys. The "leader" of the group was this weird looking guy wearing a HUGE jewish star necklase, so naturally his nickname for the night was "Super Jew". I don't really remember any of their names, but the guy who looked like Ron started chatting me up right away. Of course, I was laughing and blushing, and when I peaked over waiting for Mark and Tony to return they were laughing from afar at the bar, and then went to the opposite side of the room! So I kept talking with the guys and Tina, and then the Ron look alike offers to buy me a drink. At that point I respectfully declined and said my boyfriend was across the bar, but that he had not offered to buy me a drink yet, even though he probably would. Then the guys said he had to buy me one in that case, but I still declined. Of course later I regretted this when I told Mark about it and he got made that I didn't get a free beer from him.
Eventually Mark and Tony came and joined us. I introduced Mark to all the guys and they were still nice, not mad that i had a boyfriend and still talkative. What was hilarious was when Mark introduced himself to the Ron lookalike saying "I'm Mark but a lot of people say I look like Harry Potter." the red head laughs and says "Yeah, well I am told I look like Ron Weasley, but we all know who gets Hermione in the end." Omigod, Tony and I could not stop laughing after that.
Later the super Jew says to Tina "So, I am trying to figure this out, you are here with the blonde and her boyfriend, but who is the short guy? Let me guess, a friend of her boyfriend's that they are trying to set you up with...well, I think the short guy is a little shady if you ask me." This was all in reference to Tony, and again we couldn't stop laughing.
It was quite an amusing night.
And then to top it off I went to see Harry Potter in the theaters with Mark on Saturday night. I loved it. The down side was the theater's sound stopped working right for part of the film, but I made a formal complaint and we got refunded for our tickets. Can't wait til that movie comes out on DVD!
another tasty stir fry
This one took 15 minutes to make and made for delicious leftovers:
1 box trader joes vegan beefless strips
1 premade box of vegan ginger sauce of some sort
1 bag frozen sugar snap peas
1 bag frozen cauliflower and brocolli mixture
1 cup peanuts
Stir fry together and serve over rice, and this one tastes better as a leftover heated up the next day!
vegan and gluten free thanksgiving
I have never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving since I went vegetarian since the holiday seems to be based around a dead turkey in the center of the table. But I hosted another vegan thanksgiving this year and had a great time!
I was working on the actual day of Thanksgiving, which I didn't mind. Then on the Friday after my extended family came up to visit. My grandma, two cousins, aunt and uncle made the drive from Albany and arrived around 1pm. We were able to walk around Boston and enjoy the views near our apartment, and then at 3pm we had a big meal. It was all vegan and mostly gluten free or my aunt and cousins.
The meal included the central tofurky with its gravy (the only non-gluten free part), a sweet three bean casserole recipe my mom gave me, mashed sweet potatoes, a rice and mushroom dish my aunt brought, and a vegan as well as gluten free chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. It was funny, before I made the meal I told Mark all the food I was making and he said it sounded like it would be too much, and once I made it he thought it would be too little, but it ended up being just the right amount. Sadly I can't post pictures of the meal since i took them on my camera and my computer just died so I have to wait until I get a new computer before I can upload pictures from my camera...otherwise all pictures will have to be posted from my phone.
It was a huge success and it was so nice having my family there. Sadly my mom and bro were on vacation in the Netherlands, but maybe next year they can make it. I am hoping to host a vegan Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after every Thanksgiving from now on.
I was working on the actual day of Thanksgiving, which I didn't mind. Then on the Friday after my extended family came up to visit. My grandma, two cousins, aunt and uncle made the drive from Albany and arrived around 1pm. We were able to walk around Boston and enjoy the views near our apartment, and then at 3pm we had a big meal. It was all vegan and mostly gluten free or my aunt and cousins.
The meal included the central tofurky with its gravy (the only non-gluten free part), a sweet three bean casserole recipe my mom gave me, mashed sweet potatoes, a rice and mushroom dish my aunt brought, and a vegan as well as gluten free chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. It was funny, before I made the meal I told Mark all the food I was making and he said it sounded like it would be too much, and once I made it he thought it would be too little, but it ended up being just the right amount. Sadly I can't post pictures of the meal since i took them on my camera and my computer just died so I have to wait until I get a new computer before I can upload pictures from my camera...otherwise all pictures will have to be posted from my phone.
It was a huge success and it was so nice having my family there. Sadly my mom and bro were on vacation in the Netherlands, but maybe next year they can make it. I am hoping to host a vegan Thanksgiving dinner the weekend after every Thanksgiving from now on.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Veggie Lasagna
I officially have enough leftovers in the fridge to last about 2 weeks...unless Mark eats some too, which I hope he will. I have several days worth of the sweet potatoe stew from wine night and last night I made lasagna because i had some ingredients I needed to use...so now I have about 9 days worth of lasagna too.
The lasagna is pretty good though, took a while to make but it was fun.
INGREDIENTS
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can black olives
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box lasagna
2 pounds tofu
lemon pepper and 21 italian blend spice (both from Trader Joe's)
2 zucchini
1 container baby bella mushrooms
1 block of vegan mozzarella, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
cook the lasagna noodles
Slice the zucchini in to thin slices along a diagonal. Fry the zucchini and the mushrooms until lightly browned.
Place the tofu in a large bowl and mash while mixing in the lemon pepper and italian spices until tofu is in small crumble.
Slice the artichoke hearts in to 1/4 inch slices and mix with the olives.
The order I assembled everything:
-thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish
-Then 1 layer of noodles.
-Then 1/2 of the tofu mixture.
-Then the mushrooms and zucchini
-Then another layer of noodles
-Then another thin layer of sauce
-Then a small amount of the shredded mozzarella
-Then another layer of tofu
-Then the artichokes and olives
-Then another layer of noodles
-Another layer of sauce
-Top with all the remaining soy cheese
And cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees....The finished product:
The lasagna is pretty good though, took a while to make but it was fun.
INGREDIENTS
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can black olives
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box lasagna
2 pounds tofu
lemon pepper and 21 italian blend spice (both from Trader Joe's)
2 zucchini
1 container baby bella mushrooms
1 block of vegan mozzarella, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
cook the lasagna noodles
Slice the zucchini in to thin slices along a diagonal. Fry the zucchini and the mushrooms until lightly browned.
Place the tofu in a large bowl and mash while mixing in the lemon pepper and italian spices until tofu is in small crumble.
Slice the artichoke hearts in to 1/4 inch slices and mix with the olives.
The order I assembled everything:
-thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish
-Then 1 layer of noodles.
-Then 1/2 of the tofu mixture.
-Then the mushrooms and zucchini
-Then another layer of noodles
-Then another thin layer of sauce
-Then a small amount of the shredded mozzarella
-Then another layer of tofu
-Then the artichokes and olives
-Then another layer of noodles
-Another layer of sauce
-Top with all the remaining soy cheese
And cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees....The finished product:
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Early Holiday Wine Night Success
Mark and I hosted another wine night last night, and it was just as fun as the first time. Interestingly is was almost completely different people this time around. There was the usual big showing from Angell and the veterinary career, but this time there were several friends of Mark's that made it as well, which is always nice. I feel bad though, we vet people tend to get caught up in our vet world and tell too many silly animal related stories, it must get old for the non-vet party attenders.
I made rice with an African Sweet Potatoe and Groundnut Stew. It's one of everyone's favorites.
I forgot to take a picture of it prior, but here is a picture of the leftovers I had for lunch today...
We had a great time, I hope to host another wine night sometime this December.
As for the African Stew, here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
olive oil
2 yellow onions
2 garlic cloves
3tsp. ginger
1 TBsp brown sugar
1.5tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. corriander
1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
3 c water
1/2c creamy peanut butter
2 cans black eyed peas
1c peanuts
DIRECTIONS:
Briefly fry the onions in the olive oil.
In a large pot combine 1Tbsp olive oil with the sweet potatoes and onion. Heat on high, and stir in the garlic, ginger, sugar, cinnamon, and corriander.
Once the potatoes are coated with the spices add 2.5c water and bring to a boil.
Once boiling reduce heat to low.
Mix the last 1/2c water with the peanut butter and then add the peanut butter mixture to the stew.
Cook on low for 30 minutes.
Add the black eyed peas and peanuts.
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve over whatever you like! I made brown rice to go with it this time.
I made rice with an African Sweet Potatoe and Groundnut Stew. It's one of everyone's favorites.
I forgot to take a picture of it prior, but here is a picture of the leftovers I had for lunch today...
We had a great time, I hope to host another wine night sometime this December.
As for the African Stew, here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
olive oil
2 yellow onions
2 garlic cloves
3tsp. ginger
1 TBsp brown sugar
1.5tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. corriander
1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
3 c water
1/2c creamy peanut butter
2 cans black eyed peas
1c peanuts
DIRECTIONS:
Briefly fry the onions in the olive oil.
In a large pot combine 1Tbsp olive oil with the sweet potatoes and onion. Heat on high, and stir in the garlic, ginger, sugar, cinnamon, and corriander.
Once the potatoes are coated with the spices add 2.5c water and bring to a boil.
Once boiling reduce heat to low.
Mix the last 1/2c water with the peanut butter and then add the peanut butter mixture to the stew.
Cook on low for 30 minutes.
Add the black eyed peas and peanuts.
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve over whatever you like! I made brown rice to go with it this time.
vegan chickn burritos
I made some tasty burritos the other night...
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen morningstar chickn strips
1 jar salsa
tofutti sour cream
guacamole
1 package spanish rice (I was lazy and used Uncle Ben's microwaveable spanish rice, but I made sure it was vegan first).
Large tortilla wraps
Probably the simplest directions ever: fry up the fake chicken strips in some canola oil, then combine in the tortilla wrap however much of salsa, fake chicken, rice, guacamole, and sour cream you want! Wrap it up and enjoy (messy though).
On another off of the cooking topic...I am working on submitting a state of the art review to JVECCS. I wrote a 19 page outline on compartment syndromes and the journal said they were interested in an article on the subject so I just finished the first draft of the paper today (31 pages double spaced). One of my mentors is reviewing it but hopefully i will submit it soon!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The NYC Marathon Experience
I ran the NYC marathon this past Sunday, and it was fun, but I did very poor with my running time. It was actually my second worst time ever after the first marathon I ran. I haven't run a marathon in the last 2 years so I knew I would be doing worse then where I left off, but my goal was about a 4:30 time...sadly I came in at 4:50ish but it was not all my fault. The race itself was fun, OVERWHELMING crowds. The one down side was that there were 60,000 bibs, not sure how many actually ran it but obviously that is a huge amount of people, and on the bridges and at the water stations there was a lot of bottle necking where the road would go from 4 lanes to less then 2. At several of those points people would stop running and walk, and since we were so congested I was forced to walk at several spots I did not want to as well.
Despite being very disappointed in my personal time, it was a fun race, but not one that I think I will do again.
Some memorable moments and how my weekend went:
Arrived in NYC in the afternoon on Saturday and went straight to the expo. I was a little disappointed in the expo- same inherent problem as with the race: no organization and too many people, so we were only there long enough to get my bib and baggie.
Went to dinner at a vegan restaurant called Caravan of Dreams in the East Village with Christina, Pete, and Paul.
Sunday morning I got up at 5:20 and started getting dressed. I knew it was supposed to be 50 degrees with winds at 10-20mph, so I wore a hat, a running shirt and jacket over that, my spandex pants, 3 pairs of socks, and then disposable sweats over the outfit to keep more warm to the race start.
When I got to the subway to head towards staten island there was a train full of runners- we were all bundled up in crappy sweats over our real running gear. I was worried I would miss my 6:15 ferry if I took the transfer on the subway, but several runners were worried about the same thing so we all decided to grab a cab together. SO I took a random cab with 3 other runners at 6am, the total fare was only $5.50 so when we all tried to chip in with $5 bills the guy in the front paid for it all and said "It's my treat". We told silly stories along the way, like the one woman who told us her 9 year old daughter was making fun of her fashion when she left even though she kept trying to explain to her that everyone throws away their outer layer at the start line.
I caught my ferry and it was a gorgeous boat ride to Staten Island going right by the statue of liberty. Once on Staten Island we were shuttled in buses to the actual start village.
The start village split you up in to orange, blue or green bibs, and then again into Wave 1, 2, and 3 of runners.
The village was hosted by Dunkin Donuts, so we all got free hats and bagels and coffee and water. My breakfast was a bagel. The crappy part then was we all had to wait, in the cold. It was FREEZING! We all sat on these fields with no wind cover for about 3 hours nbefore the race with nothing to do.
Finally at 9:45 we headed towards the start. They had three waves of runners all starting 30 minutes apart. I was in wave 2. And once my wave started it still took me 20 minutes to cross the start line.
The initial mile was actually over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and there are runners on both sides of the bridge as well as the lower level. The neatest view for me was when I was coming off of the bridge you can see the 4 different groups of runners all going in different directions, which creates this amazing scene seeing hears of thousands of runners running in different directions. In about another 2 miles we all converged again.
The race it self was full of more spectators then I have ever seen at a race before, and more runners too! This did make it difficult at a couple points though...in particular there were a lot of various points ni the race where things would bottle neck- on bridges they would often have us running on only one side, so the race would go from 4 lanes to 2, and at water stations they cramped in going from 4 lanes to 1.5-2 lanes. This was particularly difficult since these were places where people wanted to stop and walk, so on several of the bridges that were uphill as well as at almost all the water stations I was forced to stop and walk even if I did not want to because all the runners directly in front of me had stopped to walk, and there was no clear path to breakaway and get back to running.
I won't lie though, by mile 22 I was hurting a bit, and those last 4 miles each seemed longer then a mile.
The funny part was to add insult to injury, at the water stations where the bottle necks occured and people all stopping to drink in front of you forced you to stop, there were other hazards...most people who run marathons know that water stations are sticky and slippery- there is a layer of wet cardboard cups, gatorade, and water adhered to the pavement that you have to run over without falling. Well the funny thing to me was at mile 20 they had a "banana station" incoroprated within the water station- so on top of the slippery paper cups, gatorade, and water there were also banana peels scattering the ground...I hoped this was a one time deal just for the mile 20 station, but no, every mile from then on to the finish also had bananas, and their peels covered the ground.
The last 4 miles were toughest, mostly downhill which is good for a lot of people, but I preer uphill as downhill hurts my knees more. And the lanes went from 4 to 1. Mark was at mile 23, and he commented the race seemed poorly designed because at that mile the lane got so crowded with runner they were constantly tripping and bumping in to each other.
I finally finished at 4:52, not a good time at all, but I plan to run another marathon in the spring that isn't so crowded and hope to do better. Once at the finish it took 45 minutes to be corralled through central park to our bags at the UPS trucks and make it out of the park to Mark. And he got a good parking spot but it was 20 blocks away from the finish so that was a long walk after running a marathon. Then it was a 4 hour drive home so I could get up at 5:45 the next morning and go to work. I was a little sore, but now that it is Wednesday I feel fit again and want to get out for a run tonight!
Despite being very disappointed in my personal time, it was a fun race, but not one that I think I will do again.
Some memorable moments and how my weekend went:
Arrived in NYC in the afternoon on Saturday and went straight to the expo. I was a little disappointed in the expo- same inherent problem as with the race: no organization and too many people, so we were only there long enough to get my bib and baggie.
Went to dinner at a vegan restaurant called Caravan of Dreams in the East Village with Christina, Pete, and Paul.
Sunday morning I got up at 5:20 and started getting dressed. I knew it was supposed to be 50 degrees with winds at 10-20mph, so I wore a hat, a running shirt and jacket over that, my spandex pants, 3 pairs of socks, and then disposable sweats over the outfit to keep more warm to the race start.
When I got to the subway to head towards staten island there was a train full of runners- we were all bundled up in crappy sweats over our real running gear. I was worried I would miss my 6:15 ferry if I took the transfer on the subway, but several runners were worried about the same thing so we all decided to grab a cab together. SO I took a random cab with 3 other runners at 6am, the total fare was only $5.50 so when we all tried to chip in with $5 bills the guy in the front paid for it all and said "It's my treat". We told silly stories along the way, like the one woman who told us her 9 year old daughter was making fun of her fashion when she left even though she kept trying to explain to her that everyone throws away their outer layer at the start line.
I caught my ferry and it was a gorgeous boat ride to Staten Island going right by the statue of liberty. Once on Staten Island we were shuttled in buses to the actual start village.
The start village split you up in to orange, blue or green bibs, and then again into Wave 1, 2, and 3 of runners.
The village was hosted by Dunkin Donuts, so we all got free hats and bagels and coffee and water. My breakfast was a bagel. The crappy part then was we all had to wait, in the cold. It was FREEZING! We all sat on these fields with no wind cover for about 3 hours nbefore the race with nothing to do.
Finally at 9:45 we headed towards the start. They had three waves of runners all starting 30 minutes apart. I was in wave 2. And once my wave started it still took me 20 minutes to cross the start line.
The initial mile was actually over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and there are runners on both sides of the bridge as well as the lower level. The neatest view for me was when I was coming off of the bridge you can see the 4 different groups of runners all going in different directions, which creates this amazing scene seeing hears of thousands of runners running in different directions. In about another 2 miles we all converged again.
The race it self was full of more spectators then I have ever seen at a race before, and more runners too! This did make it difficult at a couple points though...in particular there were a lot of various points ni the race where things would bottle neck- on bridges they would often have us running on only one side, so the race would go from 4 lanes to 2, and at water stations they cramped in going from 4 lanes to 1.5-2 lanes. This was particularly difficult since these were places where people wanted to stop and walk, so on several of the bridges that were uphill as well as at almost all the water stations I was forced to stop and walk even if I did not want to because all the runners directly in front of me had stopped to walk, and there was no clear path to breakaway and get back to running.
I won't lie though, by mile 22 I was hurting a bit, and those last 4 miles each seemed longer then a mile.
The funny part was to add insult to injury, at the water stations where the bottle necks occured and people all stopping to drink in front of you forced you to stop, there were other hazards...most people who run marathons know that water stations are sticky and slippery- there is a layer of wet cardboard cups, gatorade, and water adhered to the pavement that you have to run over without falling. Well the funny thing to me was at mile 20 they had a "banana station" incoroprated within the water station- so on top of the slippery paper cups, gatorade, and water there were also banana peels scattering the ground...I hoped this was a one time deal just for the mile 20 station, but no, every mile from then on to the finish also had bananas, and their peels covered the ground.
The last 4 miles were toughest, mostly downhill which is good for a lot of people, but I preer uphill as downhill hurts my knees more. And the lanes went from 4 to 1. Mark was at mile 23, and he commented the race seemed poorly designed because at that mile the lane got so crowded with runner they were constantly tripping and bumping in to each other.
I finally finished at 4:52, not a good time at all, but I plan to run another marathon in the spring that isn't so crowded and hope to do better. Once at the finish it took 45 minutes to be corralled through central park to our bags at the UPS trucks and make it out of the park to Mark. And he got a good parking spot but it was 20 blocks away from the finish so that was a long walk after running a marathon. Then it was a 4 hour drive home so I could get up at 5:45 the next morning and go to work. I was a little sore, but now that it is Wednesday I feel fit again and want to get out for a run tonight!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Wonders of Running Along the Charles
I really feel lucky to be living where I live and to run along the Charles. I remember in vet school when I started to fall in love with Boston and on the third or fourth flight back home from abroad I felt like I was coming home as I flew over the Charles in to Logan, and now I live less then a mile form the Charles.
Running along the river is quite enjoyable, I hope they keep the paths cleared in winter because if they do I will continue to run along them in my winter running gear. I find myself entranced when I run along the river several days of the week...despite being in the city there is still a decent amount of wildlife to appreciate.
There are small flocks of geese every 2-3 miles that know how to stay just enough out of reach but close enough that I can get a good look at their faces as I pass. There is even a flock of local white domestic geese that lives under the BU bridge in a sort of "Common garden" where the community comes to take care of them.
I often find myself watching a diving cormorant with interest, waiting to see when and where it resurfaces, or if it will have a fish in its mouth when it does.
Today was quite funny, I was jogging along when I spotted an adult red tail on a fence at face level about 6 feet from the road. There were tons of runners going by and NO ONE seemed to notice him but me, I got to watch him closely as I approached and as I passed him he turned and looked right into my eyes, he was just as close as the ones I care for at the wildlife clinic. And what did I do? Stupid me just says as I pass "Aren't you a handsome fella?" even though the bird has no idea what I am saying, and as I say it a young male runner passes me from behind and says "Why thank you" as he passed on the other side of me. I couldn't stop laughing. Luckily he was quite a bit faster then me and passed me quickly so I didn't have to explain myself, but I almost had to stop I was laughing so hard.
I also enjoy watching a regular black lab at one of the docks along the esplanade...she is there with her owner probably 2-3 times a week when I run, he tosses her frisbee off the end and she takes a blind flying leap in to the air to catch it and land in the water 10 feet below.
The tiny sailboats are fun as well, on windy days in particular when there are 20-30 of them in a big conglomeration, I love watching them nearly tip over and just when they look like they are going to capsize the sailor throws his body against the opposite side of the boat, to the point where he might go overboard too, and the boat balances out and rights itself. It is a beautiful site.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Mark's stir fry creation
Lately my quick and easy dinner in less then 30 minutes meal has been a stir fry of some sort...I keep frozen veggies well stocked in the freezer and always have some sort of fake meat around. Then I use these premade chinese sauce packets (vegan obviously) from the store and top is all over rice.
Last night I started to throw one together for Mark and I when he came over and decided to intervene, which is always a little funny to me since he has literally cooked me one meal in the three years we have been together, but then he acts like an expert when it comes to cooking. Well, I also know to just stand aside and let him take over otherwise I get irritated by all the back seat driver cooking tips.
So I fried up some veggies and tempeh while cooking rice, and then rather then place a packet of the orange mandarin sauce over it, Mark decided to add only half of the packet of that sauce along with lots of crushed red pepper, chili powder, and some cayenne pepper. He also added Cashews, which were a nice addition, but cashews are expensive so I was a little peeved when half the $6 jar of cashews went in to the meal. The result was a little spicy, maybe a little too oily (from the excess safflower oil), but overall tasty...I actually think the orange sauce in the background was the best part of it, but it is fun to experiment and still have a tasty meal with leftovers in less then 30 minutes.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Red Lentil Vegetarian Restaurant
Mark and I went on a date the other night, first one in awhile...we went to the Red Lentil Restaurant in Watertown, a vegan/vegetarian restaurant that Mark's mom had gotten us a gift certificate to.
It was interesting...sadly they did not sell alcoholic beverages there, but the food was super tasty.
I ordered the seitan crepe with black bean and pineapple salsa.
Mark ordered the mexican pizza.
The other waitress in the place who was not serving us made a point to walk over and tell us that we had studied the menu hard and made excellent decisions....
Then since we still had $6 leftover from the certificate I ordered a vegan chocolate cake slice to go, which I enjoyed as lunch the following day.
After we walked across the street to pick up a bottle of wine. It was a weird experience because the shop keeper was very helpful trying to help us pick out a bottle, and then some random guy came in and he started helping too even though he needed to purchase things for himself. I commented about it to Mark later in the car and he told me is was cause I had dressed up and with my sexy boots on all the guys wanted to help me out...funny.
It was interesting...sadly they did not sell alcoholic beverages there, but the food was super tasty.
I ordered the seitan crepe with black bean and pineapple salsa.
Mark ordered the mexican pizza.
The other waitress in the place who was not serving us made a point to walk over and tell us that we had studied the menu hard and made excellent decisions....
Then since we still had $6 leftover from the certificate I ordered a vegan chocolate cake slice to go, which I enjoyed as lunch the following day.
After we walked across the street to pick up a bottle of wine. It was a weird experience because the shop keeper was very helpful trying to help us pick out a bottle, and then some random guy came in and he started helping too even though he needed to purchase things for himself. I commented about it to Mark later in the car and he told me is was cause I had dressed up and with my sexy boots on all the guys wanted to help me out...funny.
Monday, October 18, 2010
vegan ziti with broccoli and soy sausage!
This one was also super tasty...and made leftovers for a week!
Ingredients:
1 box ziti
1 block vegan mozzarella- shredded (I again used my favorite "Follow your heart" brand)
1 bag of microwaveable frozen broccoli
1 tube of Lightlife's Lean Vegan Soy Saugsage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Boil the ziti as directed on the package.
While ziti is cooking, heat the broccoli as directed in the microwave.
Meld the soy sausage in to 1 inch balls and fry in olive oil.
Combine the ziti, soy sausage, and broccoli in a lasagna dish once cooked. Mix in the sauce, stir all the ingredients well.
Top with the shredded mozzarella.
Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Interestingly, I know the picture doesn't look like the fake cheese melted, but when I mixed it all up in the tuperware containers with the leftovers, every time I microwave it the cheese actually seems to melt!
Ingredients:
1 box ziti
1 block vegan mozzarella- shredded (I again used my favorite "Follow your heart" brand)
1 bag of microwaveable frozen broccoli
1 tube of Lightlife's Lean Vegan Soy Saugsage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Boil the ziti as directed on the package.
While ziti is cooking, heat the broccoli as directed in the microwave.
Meld the soy sausage in to 1 inch balls and fry in olive oil.
Combine the ziti, soy sausage, and broccoli in a lasagna dish once cooked. Mix in the sauce, stir all the ingredients well.
Top with the shredded mozzarella.
Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Interestingly, I know the picture doesn't look like the fake cheese melted, but when I mixed it all up in the tuperware containers with the leftovers, every time I microwave it the cheese actually seems to melt!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
quick and easy vegan fake chicken cashew curry
It is always nice when you decide last minute to put something together and it turns out to be delicious.
Mark and I were on the fence on Wednesday as to whether or not we wanted to go out for dinner or stay in. I wanted to go out, but seeing as I have no money that all depended on Mark's willingness to pay for me. His compromise was that I could make dinner for us and then he would pay for drinks when we went out.
Well, it worked out and I threw together this dish in 20 minutes, and what do you know it was excellent!
INGREDIENTS:
1.5c quinoa (uncooked)
1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 bag frozen broccoli florets or 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 box of Trader Joe's "Chicken Less Strips"
1 jar of Kitchens of India's "Rich Cashew and Cumin Cooking Sauce" (see attached picture)
1-2 TBsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
cook the quinoa according to the box/bag
If using frozen vegetables begin frying to thaw in a pan
Add a small amount of olive oil and the TJ's chickenless strips.
Stir fry for another 4-5 minutes
Add the chickpeas, beans, and any other fresh vegetables.
Stir fry for 4-5 minutes
Add the jar of Cashew Cooking Sauce and mix in, frying for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Serve the stir fry/curry over the quinoa.
Mark agreed, it was quite tasty. It was also hot, ad the closest I have ever come to cooking something at home that tasted like it was from an Indian restaurant.
Attached is a picture of some leftovers which I had for dinner tonight, and it was still tasty.
The only change I will make next time I throw this together is adding some peanuts or cashews to the stir fry.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
vegan stuffed shells
Well, this vegan creation was mediocre, but I think I know what changes to make to it so that next time it is superb.
I borrowed some online and cookbook parts to make this dish...
Ingredients:
1 box jumbo shells
2 15oz. cans of tomato sauce
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 block vegan mozzarella
Vegan "ricotta" (recipe below)
Start boiling the pasta shells.
For the ricotta:
In a blender blend 1 block of tofu, 6oz. tofutti sour cream, 2 tsps. tahini, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. basil leaves, 2 Tbsp. oregano and some salt and pepper.
Once blended mix in the broccoli florets (I used a bag of the steamable broccoli so it only needed 5 minutes in the microwave before I could mix it in to the ricotta).
For Sauce: In a sauce pan saute the garlic in the olive oil, then mix in tomato cause, paste, and spices.
This is one thing I would do different next time...I thought making a sauce more from scratch would be better, but next time I will just use a pre made jar from the store.
Line a casserole dish with a layer of sauce. Then fill each cooked shell with some of the ricotta mix and place open side up in the dish. Once full, cover with a layer of sauce. Then sprinkle with vegan mozzarella (here was my second mistake....rather then use my favorite block of vegan mozzarella which requires shredding the cheese I used vegan rice milk flavored mozzarella strips and shredded them by hand....although the other cheese takes more work to shred it tastes SO much better, I will have to get it next time.
Once assembled cook at 375 for 35-40 minutes.
I took a picture of the shells before I put the sauce on them but sadly can't post it...I just found out my picasa web album is at its limit so I will have to adjust that first and then post it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
RATATAT I will keep coming if you keep playing
Went to my sixth Ratatat concert last night, and as always LOVED it. It was my 3rd or 4th time to a ratatat show with Mark, and we typically end up in our own little world and dance the night away. This time Jenn and Will came along, and it was super fun hanging out with them. They live nearby in South End so we really need to hang out with them more often.
We got there at 8:30 and the first opening band was finishing up, thank GOODNESS since they sucked. Then there was a second opener, I forget their name but it was 4 dudes from Worcester, they were decent. It was funny though, I was looking at their outfits, and they were all in scrubby jeans and flannel shirts, some open, some tight. It looked like they were either from "That 70's Show" or the early nineties. It got me thinking, and I hypothesized about this with the others...who dresses like that? And if you are trying to hit it big by playing on a big stage all the time, you have to think about what you wear, so did they plan those outfits? It was almost as if they had planned to look like they didn't care about their clothes, or as Will put it were "delibretly casual". Mark didn't think so and thought they probably always dressed like that, but my theory is that they planned the outfits since they weren't famous enough yet to actually not care, they just wanted to look like they didn't care.
Then Ratatat came out...it was the first time I saw them and it was just the two of them, normally they hire someone to star on keyboard and/or drums. But this time they just played the other stuff in the background and rocked it out on their guitars like always. They played for over an hour and I loved every second of it. The third song they played was Mark's all time favorite, so even though we were at the back of the crowd where there was a step so that we could see above everyone's heads, we took to dancing without a care in the world from that point on.
And even though they played for about 90 minutes, there were still a lot of songs I wish they had played that they didn't. I guess that's what happens when you have over 120 minutes of recorded songs on your albums, you have to pick and choose which to play live.
I know Mark and I felt old going to the concert, but afterwards we felt refreshed, and I swear I don't care if I am 45, if Ratatat is still playing shows, I will be there!
We got there at 8:30 and the first opening band was finishing up, thank GOODNESS since they sucked. Then there was a second opener, I forget their name but it was 4 dudes from Worcester, they were decent. It was funny though, I was looking at their outfits, and they were all in scrubby jeans and flannel shirts, some open, some tight. It looked like they were either from "That 70's Show" or the early nineties. It got me thinking, and I hypothesized about this with the others...who dresses like that? And if you are trying to hit it big by playing on a big stage all the time, you have to think about what you wear, so did they plan those outfits? It was almost as if they had planned to look like they didn't care about their clothes, or as Will put it were "delibretly casual". Mark didn't think so and thought they probably always dressed like that, but my theory is that they planned the outfits since they weren't famous enough yet to actually not care, they just wanted to look like they didn't care.
Then Ratatat came out...it was the first time I saw them and it was just the two of them, normally they hire someone to star on keyboard and/or drums. But this time they just played the other stuff in the background and rocked it out on their guitars like always. They played for over an hour and I loved every second of it. The third song they played was Mark's all time favorite, so even though we were at the back of the crowd where there was a step so that we could see above everyone's heads, we took to dancing without a care in the world from that point on.
And even though they played for about 90 minutes, there were still a lot of songs I wish they had played that they didn't. I guess that's what happens when you have over 120 minutes of recorded songs on your albums, you have to pick and choose which to play live.
I know Mark and I felt old going to the concert, but afterwards we felt refreshed, and I swear I don't care if I am 45, if Ratatat is still playing shows, I will be there!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
asparagus-linguine type dish: Blog #1 of vegan dishes
I think I am going to start posting recipes of REALLY good food I cook with pictures...but the first one I want to list I forgot to take a picture of, sorry!
But last week I decided to make a meal that was completely non-vegan, and I transformed it in to a vegan masterpiece! I warned Mark with all the fake stuff in it it would either be really good or really bad....luckily it was phenomenal!!
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of asparagus, cut in to 1 inch chunks
5 Tbsp vegan margarine
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup vegan creamer (I used the Silk brand)
3 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 block vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used follow your heart vegan gourmet cheese)
1 package soy ham, cut in to thin slices (I used Lightlife brand)
1 lb. linguine pasta
Boil pasta as directed until cooked
Boil the asparagus until tender
Drain the asparagus
Melt the margarine in a large skillet and then add the cooked asparagus and chopped onion to this.
Stir/saute until the onion wilts
Stir in the sherry and let saute for 3-5 minutes
Add the creamer and let it come to a simmer.
Add the soy ham, shredded mozzarella, and chives.
Remove from heat and in a separate boil combine this sauce with the cooked pasta.
The original non-vegan recipe also called for soy parmesan on the top at the end, but I didn't have time to go to whole foods to pick that up so I went without it.
It was delicious, I will definitely have to make it again...maybe for some non-vegans to show them how tasty fake can be sometimes!
But last week I decided to make a meal that was completely non-vegan, and I transformed it in to a vegan masterpiece! I warned Mark with all the fake stuff in it it would either be really good or really bad....luckily it was phenomenal!!
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of asparagus, cut in to 1 inch chunks
5 Tbsp vegan margarine
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup vegan creamer (I used the Silk brand)
3 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 block vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used follow your heart vegan gourmet cheese)
1 package soy ham, cut in to thin slices (I used Lightlife brand)
1 lb. linguine pasta
Boil pasta as directed until cooked
Boil the asparagus until tender
Drain the asparagus
Melt the margarine in a large skillet and then add the cooked asparagus and chopped onion to this.
Stir/saute until the onion wilts
Stir in the sherry and let saute for 3-5 minutes
Add the creamer and let it come to a simmer.
Add the soy ham, shredded mozzarella, and chives.
Remove from heat and in a separate boil combine this sauce with the cooked pasta.
The original non-vegan recipe also called for soy parmesan on the top at the end, but I didn't have time to go to whole foods to pick that up so I went without it.
It was delicious, I will definitely have to make it again...maybe for some non-vegans to show them how tasty fake can be sometimes!
my crazy cat
My cat is insane lately...I think the apartment is too small for her. She loves to run full speed from one end to the other. There are two particularly funny parts to this:
1. When she starts her run in the kitchen on the linoleum she can't get her footing right away and it becomes like a cartoon where you hear her feet scrambling but when you look at her she is running in place for the first few steps.
2. I remember learning in school that cat's have very poor vision when they are trying to focus on things right in front of them (a trade off for having good night vision). Well, this is definitely the case when Lily runs full speed through the apartment. The first time Mark and I saw it we were siting on the couch with a movie having a glass of wine when Lily tore out of the kitchen but her run came to an abrupt head bashing crash when she ran head first in to the legs of the coffee table and almost knocked Mark's wine over...too funny. Especially when after these incidents she acts like nothing happened. I guess the other night before i was home she ran in to the back of the couch. I shouldn't be laughing, but it is quite hilarious.
1. When she starts her run in the kitchen on the linoleum she can't get her footing right away and it becomes like a cartoon where you hear her feet scrambling but when you look at her she is running in place for the first few steps.
2. I remember learning in school that cat's have very poor vision when they are trying to focus on things right in front of them (a trade off for having good night vision). Well, this is definitely the case when Lily runs full speed through the apartment. The first time Mark and I saw it we were siting on the couch with a movie having a glass of wine when Lily tore out of the kitchen but her run came to an abrupt head bashing crash when she ran head first in to the legs of the coffee table and almost knocked Mark's wine over...too funny. Especially when after these incidents she acts like nothing happened. I guess the other night before i was home she ran in to the back of the couch. I shouldn't be laughing, but it is quite hilarious.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I do NOT miss high school
On Saturday Mark brought me along to one of the few get togethers his co-workers were having...we ended up in a bar in Malden where several of his co-workers were getting together for drinks. I met a lot of new co-workers whom I had never met before.
It started out a little awkward, and about 30 minutes in to it another engineer showed up, I thought to myself he looked SO familiar, like someone from high school, but thought that couldn't be the case, until his friends cheered out his name "Andy Snow is here!!!!" I knew that name, and asked him if he had gone to Colonie High, and he responded yes and quickly looked away...then I prodded him more saying "I knew you, you were in the class of 2001, right?" Another muffled yes response...still no question about me. I said "I was Lindsey Nielsen, in your class."
"Hmm...sorry....don't remember you"
"Did you know Mrs. Nielsen the art teacher?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Oh, well she was my mom"
"Oh"
And then the most awkward 30 minutes passed by. My hopes that I recognized someone from high school and would instantly have something in common with one of Mark's co-workers was instantly crushed, and I spent a while remembering how unpopular in high school I was, how this guy had been a member of the football team clique, and realizing how much of an outsider I was, and still seemed to be. It was almost as if he was embarassed to be in the same room as me (and Mark agreed on the feeling, it wasn't just me).
Luckily some of Mark's other co-workers whom I had never met were super fun....several of them were greek so we got to reminisce about different greek culture stuff since one of my fondest memories from childhood was growing up next to the Vassilakases and all the crazy greek antics I got to experience with them.
The night worked out in the end, but damn that was weird seeing someone from high school like that...I hope that never happens again!
It started out a little awkward, and about 30 minutes in to it another engineer showed up, I thought to myself he looked SO familiar, like someone from high school, but thought that couldn't be the case, until his friends cheered out his name "Andy Snow is here!!!!" I knew that name, and asked him if he had gone to Colonie High, and he responded yes and quickly looked away...then I prodded him more saying "I knew you, you were in the class of 2001, right?" Another muffled yes response...still no question about me. I said "I was Lindsey Nielsen, in your class."
"Hmm...sorry....don't remember you"
"Did you know Mrs. Nielsen the art teacher?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Oh, well she was my mom"
"Oh"
And then the most awkward 30 minutes passed by. My hopes that I recognized someone from high school and would instantly have something in common with one of Mark's co-workers was instantly crushed, and I spent a while remembering how unpopular in high school I was, how this guy had been a member of the football team clique, and realizing how much of an outsider I was, and still seemed to be. It was almost as if he was embarassed to be in the same room as me (and Mark agreed on the feeling, it wasn't just me).
Luckily some of Mark's other co-workers whom I had never met were super fun....several of them were greek so we got to reminisce about different greek culture stuff since one of my fondest memories from childhood was growing up next to the Vassilakases and all the crazy greek antics I got to experience with them.
The night worked out in the end, but damn that was weird seeing someone from high school like that...I hope that never happens again!
Monday, September 27, 2010
why won't my ears pop?!
I have been having this annoying habit of my ears getting clogged when I run lately, and nothing can make them pop afterwards! They only clog after a long run (greater then 8 miles) and they don't pop, but will resolve in about 3-8 hours, which is SO annoying.
I have read online a couple possible theories including ear wax dislodgement (I feel like this can't be the case with me since I am OCD about cleaning my ears and do it every morning), vasodilation over time in the vessels in my inner ear as I run for longer periods and heat up, and dehydration. Not sure what to do about it, but wondering if I should see a doctor...I don't really want to see a doctor but it also said online that if it lasted longer then an hour without resolving that you should have it checked out.
I have read online a couple possible theories including ear wax dislodgement (I feel like this can't be the case with me since I am OCD about cleaning my ears and do it every morning), vasodilation over time in the vessels in my inner ear as I run for longer periods and heat up, and dehydration. Not sure what to do about it, but wondering if I should see a doctor...I don't really want to see a doctor but it also said online that if it lasted longer then an hour without resolving that you should have it checked out.
A visit to Smallbany
So I had a three day weekend this past weekend, and it was my first weekend off in 7 weeks so it was much needed...Mark and I haven't had the same days off in awhile.
We went to Albany on Friday to finally meet Heather and her now two week old newborn Crosby. I was super excited and LOVE hearing all the stories from Heather about how things are going...I could seriously sit and listen to her talk for hours at a time, she is such an amazing person. Despite not being the most keen about meeting children let alone babies, I was at first very worried when we arrived ad she said Crosby had just fallen asleep, so I was not sure if we would get to meet him, but luckily 2 hours later she woke him up for feeding and we got to meet the little man. He is adorable, and I don't normally think that about babies, but it also might be feeling so happy for one of my best friends and how she and the relationship she has with her baby is already so incredible. Even though I love the little guy already, I am still a little awkward around babies, I know that, but Mark was totally taken (not surprised). He probably was a little hurt that he didn't get to hold him and I did, but there will be many visits in the future.
We then stopped by the high school to say hi to my mom who was stuck coaching a volleyball game and therefore couldn't go out to dinner with us. It was nice to see the school again, and as always I was jealous of all the volleyball players, I want to play too! The funny part was when I came in the building and one of the players (whom I had never met) at the vending area shouted out "Hey Lindsey, your mom said to say hi to you!" I was surprised and asked how she recognized me, and she said my mom had described me. We later asked my mom and her explanation was "I told them you were in your mid 20's with blonde hair of an unknown length but that I would be with a grown up version of Harry Potter"....nice, and so true. My mom was enthusiastic as ever for our 10 minute visit.
Then we went to dinner at my uncle's house, picked up Fern along the way. Had a pleasant dinner with the family, and got up to date on all the gossip about my youngest cousin Carlin who just started school at SUNY Albany this semester.
It was a short trip, but a fun one, hopefully next time I make it up we can spend more time with Crosby and maybe see Erik and Jenn too!
We went to Albany on Friday to finally meet Heather and her now two week old newborn Crosby. I was super excited and LOVE hearing all the stories from Heather about how things are going...I could seriously sit and listen to her talk for hours at a time, she is such an amazing person. Despite not being the most keen about meeting children let alone babies, I was at first very worried when we arrived ad she said Crosby had just fallen asleep, so I was not sure if we would get to meet him, but luckily 2 hours later she woke him up for feeding and we got to meet the little man. He is adorable, and I don't normally think that about babies, but it also might be feeling so happy for one of my best friends and how she and the relationship she has with her baby is already so incredible. Even though I love the little guy already, I am still a little awkward around babies, I know that, but Mark was totally taken (not surprised). He probably was a little hurt that he didn't get to hold him and I did, but there will be many visits in the future.
We then stopped by the high school to say hi to my mom who was stuck coaching a volleyball game and therefore couldn't go out to dinner with us. It was nice to see the school again, and as always I was jealous of all the volleyball players, I want to play too! The funny part was when I came in the building and one of the players (whom I had never met) at the vending area shouted out "Hey Lindsey, your mom said to say hi to you!" I was surprised and asked how she recognized me, and she said my mom had described me. We later asked my mom and her explanation was "I told them you were in your mid 20's with blonde hair of an unknown length but that I would be with a grown up version of Harry Potter"....nice, and so true. My mom was enthusiastic as ever for our 10 minute visit.
Then we went to dinner at my uncle's house, picked up Fern along the way. Had a pleasant dinner with the family, and got up to date on all the gossip about my youngest cousin Carlin who just started school at SUNY Albany this semester.
It was a short trip, but a fun one, hopefully next time I make it up we can spend more time with Crosby and maybe see Erik and Jenn too!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Heat Seeking Missiles
So when I was in vet school we had a decent exotics training, especially since our professor Dr. Mayer was the most entertaining lecturer ever. And when we learned about the various small mammals (guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, rats, etc.) those who work with exotics always refer to hamsters as the fiesty ones. This particular professor used to call them heat seeking missiles with their uncanny ability to bite when least expecting. So this story from work seems quite appropriate...
At Angell you are "on the list" when you are on emergency, which means for a 4-5 hour allotted time you are seeing emergencies that come in off the street and are placed on a "Emergency List" in order of arrival. When you are a resident on the list you are also often "Triage Officer" and what this means is that you will be paged regardless of whether or not you are already in with an emergency to "Evaluate" any emergency that arrives that might be "unstable". If it is unstable, it gets taken back to CCU where the doctors there can start stabalizing it, if i is stable it sits with the owner until we can get to it. Then the triage officer goes back to their emergency or takes that one if they are free, and eventually everyone gets seen. (I do find it funny when people get irritated if they have to wait more then an hour, when realistically you will wait 2-3x that amount in a human ER).
So whenever I get paged to evaluate an exotic animal, I always ask the owner if they bite, which even if they say no to me does not mean the animal won't, but at least the animal has a previous history of being friendly with people.
This weekend I got the page "Please eval hamster possible concussion". Interesting, didn't know they got concussions...
I get up there and there is a woman with a cage crying, and she tells me the hamster accidentally fell 3 feet and he is acting strange. I look in the cage and he is fluffed in the back of the cage, squinty eye, but breathing fine. I ask her the infamous "does he bite?" and she responds "Oh no, never bitten anyone, he is SO friendly". I am worried about head trauma in the little guy and want to listen to his heart and lungs and make sure they sound ok. I place my hand in the cage and he crawls over sniffing and starts to climb on to my hand. I think I am in the clear when out of nowhere the little monster bites my finger sharply and runs to the corner of the cage. I let out the loudest "OWW!!" and of course being Labor Day weekend all 3 receptionists and 4-5 clients waiting to check in or out drop what they are doing and stare at me. I haven't turned that red in awhile, the owner of the hamster is apologizing and I actually apologized to her for being so unprofessional. She takes the hamster out of the cage so I can listen to it with my stethoscope and of course suddenly she shrieks:My god, I didn't notice, he is bleeding!!" I look down and have to explain, "No miss, your hamster is fine, all the blood is coming from my finger where he bit me, please excuse me while I go clean this wound, but your hamster is stable and can wait with you until the exotics doctor can see it."
That was a fun triage!
At Angell you are "on the list" when you are on emergency, which means for a 4-5 hour allotted time you are seeing emergencies that come in off the street and are placed on a "Emergency List" in order of arrival. When you are a resident on the list you are also often "Triage Officer" and what this means is that you will be paged regardless of whether or not you are already in with an emergency to "Evaluate" any emergency that arrives that might be "unstable". If it is unstable, it gets taken back to CCU where the doctors there can start stabalizing it, if i is stable it sits with the owner until we can get to it. Then the triage officer goes back to their emergency or takes that one if they are free, and eventually everyone gets seen. (I do find it funny when people get irritated if they have to wait more then an hour, when realistically you will wait 2-3x that amount in a human ER).
So whenever I get paged to evaluate an exotic animal, I always ask the owner if they bite, which even if they say no to me does not mean the animal won't, but at least the animal has a previous history of being friendly with people.
This weekend I got the page "Please eval hamster possible concussion". Interesting, didn't know they got concussions...
I get up there and there is a woman with a cage crying, and she tells me the hamster accidentally fell 3 feet and he is acting strange. I look in the cage and he is fluffed in the back of the cage, squinty eye, but breathing fine. I ask her the infamous "does he bite?" and she responds "Oh no, never bitten anyone, he is SO friendly". I am worried about head trauma in the little guy and want to listen to his heart and lungs and make sure they sound ok. I place my hand in the cage and he crawls over sniffing and starts to climb on to my hand. I think I am in the clear when out of nowhere the little monster bites my finger sharply and runs to the corner of the cage. I let out the loudest "OWW!!" and of course being Labor Day weekend all 3 receptionists and 4-5 clients waiting to check in or out drop what they are doing and stare at me. I haven't turned that red in awhile, the owner of the hamster is apologizing and I actually apologized to her for being so unprofessional. She takes the hamster out of the cage so I can listen to it with my stethoscope and of course suddenly she shrieks:My god, I didn't notice, he is bleeding!!" I look down and have to explain, "No miss, your hamster is fine, all the blood is coming from my finger where he bit me, please excuse me while I go clean this wound, but your hamster is stable and can wait with you until the exotics doctor can see it."
That was a fun triage!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wine Night Premier
Well Mark and I hosted our first wine night in our new place, and it went great! Of course, our new apartment is a little smaller then anywhere else we have lived, so it was a little tight as there were about 18-20 people there, but it was a blast.
I made a bean bruschetta as well as an artichoke bruschetta for appetizers. Then I made ratatouille for dinner, which was a hit. It was a great night, people seemed to have a nice time, and hanging out with people from Angell outside of work is always nice. Hopefully there will be more wine nights to come, but I am nervous since everyone had such a good time if a lot of people decide to go to the next one we will spill over on to the street!
I made a bean bruschetta as well as an artichoke bruschetta for appetizers. Then I made ratatouille for dinner, which was a hit. It was a great night, people seemed to have a nice time, and hanging out with people from Angell outside of work is always nice. Hopefully there will be more wine nights to come, but I am nervous since everyone had such a good time if a lot of people decide to go to the next one we will spill over on to the street!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Charles
So I am all moved in to the new apartment in Back Bay with Mark. We are living on 52 Clearway St. in Back Bay, which is in the heart of EVERYTHING. The street is off of Mass Ave. and is beautiful. If you walk out the back alley connected to our street you are at the Christian Science Center pavilion with all the fountains and the reflecting pool. Two blocks to the left is the Symphony, two blocks to the right is Bolyston St. and the Pru, 5-6 blocks away is Fenway, and 5 blocks away is Copley. It is an amazing location.
I thought i was going to miss running along the Long Island Sound this year, but after my first run on Tuesday once all moved in I realized I have it so much better here. I went running at 7am, ran up Mass Ave. to the CHarles and did a 5 mile loop along either side of the CHarles. The smell of the water is a little salty, and it is BEAUTIFUL. Along one side of the river are these little connected canals, some even with Gondolas like in Venice! Along the canals are docks, and in the morning there are people doing Tai Chi or other exercises on them as the sun rises over the city.
When on the Cambridge side you can see most of Boston, including the buildings and the Citgo sign. Running over the Longfellow Bridge on Mass Ave. is gorgeous as well.
Depending on what time of day you run, there is always something to enjoy on the Charles. In the morning the rowers are out, along with the occasional kayaker. In the afternoon in the sun the sailboats cover the river, and I mean cover.
And no matter what time of day, I feel like I belong since this city is so runner friendly. There were so many runners out along the route with me, even some teams. It was nice. Unlike in Connecticut when I was one of only a handful of runners, sometimes the only one on a run, and I was constantly in fear of being hit by a car. It seems more like there are 100's, maybe even 1000's of people along the Charles every day, and I feel like I fit in.
I thought i was going to miss running along the Long Island Sound this year, but after my first run on Tuesday once all moved in I realized I have it so much better here. I went running at 7am, ran up Mass Ave. to the CHarles and did a 5 mile loop along either side of the CHarles. The smell of the water is a little salty, and it is BEAUTIFUL. Along one side of the river are these little connected canals, some even with Gondolas like in Venice! Along the canals are docks, and in the morning there are people doing Tai Chi or other exercises on them as the sun rises over the city.
When on the Cambridge side you can see most of Boston, including the buildings and the Citgo sign. Running over the Longfellow Bridge on Mass Ave. is gorgeous as well.
Depending on what time of day you run, there is always something to enjoy on the Charles. In the morning the rowers are out, along with the occasional kayaker. In the afternoon in the sun the sailboats cover the river, and I mean cover.
And no matter what time of day, I feel like I belong since this city is so runner friendly. There were so many runners out along the route with me, even some teams. It was nice. Unlike in Connecticut when I was one of only a handful of runners, sometimes the only one on a run, and I was constantly in fear of being hit by a car. It seems more like there are 100's, maybe even 1000's of people along the Charles every day, and I feel like I fit in.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Big Day Tomorrow
Tomorrow is my first day at Angell when I will actually see patients. I am super excited and nervous at the same time. I just have to remind myself that I learned a shitload in the last year and I know more then I think I do. I also need to remind myself that the reason I am doing a residency is to become an expert, to learn the pathophys behind everything, and see as much as possible, so if I see something I have never seen before I should know by now not to panic, but to approach it like every other first time case.
After a weekend of reading journal articles and organizing my journal articles at work I am ready to see some patients again. But these next three years will be a change in responsibility. More reading then ever before, more presentations, more responsibility teaching and supervising others, and more need to stay motivated and work hard outside of work since there will also be more days off : )
First things first tomorrow, and next week for that matter: tackling the Angell computer system!
After a weekend of reading journal articles and organizing my journal articles at work I am ready to see some patients again. But these next three years will be a change in responsibility. More reading then ever before, more presentations, more responsibility teaching and supervising others, and more need to stay motivated and work hard outside of work since there will also be more days off : )
First things first tomorrow, and next week for that matter: tackling the Angell computer system!
Friday, July 9, 2010
california girl
Just a little comment about some silly things we noticed in Cali.
I have only been there once before, to San Diego, which I know is warmer and different, but Mark and I found that our expectations were very different from what Cali was truly like.
1. People were not as friendly as we expected. On my runs in the morning no other runners ever nodded or waved as they passed, (except one guy ironically wearing a red sox shirt). People did not seem inclined to help when we asked for recommendations from locals on where to eat, visit, etc. They seemed like they didn't care.
2. It was not a runner friendly city, and for a vegan there were hardly any specialized vegetarian or vegan joints to eat. I always found stuff where we would eat, but I was not impressed with their selection. I thought they would be more health oriented or a running city (very few runners were ever on the roads in the morning with me).
3. A lot of people seemed fake. Depending on the area you were in, the salespeople seemed to change their approach to sell there stuff. It was SO Touristy. In Little Italy it was obvious the hosts and waiters had fake Italian accents, which was quite tacky.
4. I guess overall Mark and I had heard that people from California are so much more laid back then East Coasters. Also there is the sterotype that East Coasters are cold and too work obsessed. That may be, but rather then hippy, free spirit like attitudes that were friendly and relaxed, the overall attitude felt like "I don't give a shit". Sure, us East Coasters might be workaholics, but at least we have passion about something.
So I know that was all generalizations, but those were my general opinions. Not as impressed as I thought I would have been, but I am still very glad we visited San Fran.
I have only been there once before, to San Diego, which I know is warmer and different, but Mark and I found that our expectations were very different from what Cali was truly like.
1. People were not as friendly as we expected. On my runs in the morning no other runners ever nodded or waved as they passed, (except one guy ironically wearing a red sox shirt). People did not seem inclined to help when we asked for recommendations from locals on where to eat, visit, etc. They seemed like they didn't care.
2. It was not a runner friendly city, and for a vegan there were hardly any specialized vegetarian or vegan joints to eat. I always found stuff where we would eat, but I was not impressed with their selection. I thought they would be more health oriented or a running city (very few runners were ever on the roads in the morning with me).
3. A lot of people seemed fake. Depending on the area you were in, the salespeople seemed to change their approach to sell there stuff. It was SO Touristy. In Little Italy it was obvious the hosts and waiters had fake Italian accents, which was quite tacky.
4. I guess overall Mark and I had heard that people from California are so much more laid back then East Coasters. Also there is the sterotype that East Coasters are cold and too work obsessed. That may be, but rather then hippy, free spirit like attitudes that were friendly and relaxed, the overall attitude felt like "I don't give a shit". Sure, us East Coasters might be workaholics, but at least we have passion about something.
So I know that was all generalizations, but those were my general opinions. Not as impressed as I thought I would have been, but I am still very glad we visited San Fran.
San Francisco
Well, we are back, and have about 2 days to recover from vacay before starting the new job at Angell.
It was all and all a great trip, much more organized and busy then our London attempt, but I will say, WHO KNEW IT WOULD BE SO FREAKING COLD IN SAN FRAN!?
Our first day was kind of warm, but by the second day I had to buy a fleece, and I had to wear it EVERY day of the vacation since with the wind and fog the temp rarely got over 70. Meanwhile Boston was suffering from the worst heat wave in ages.
To summarize our itinerary:
We left Boston on Friday and arrived in San Fran at noon on Friday their time.
Checked in to our hotel. The Grant Plaza Inn, which was on Grant Ave. one block from the entrance in to China Town.
Day 1: Walked down to fisherman's wharf, took in the sites and Pier 39 (my favorite with the sea lions). Grabbed dinner at a huge touristy restaurant with GREAT views of Alcatrez and the ocean.
Day 2: Recovered from the travel. Saw Eclipse at the local movie theater. Wandered around San Fran. Shopped some, (Mark bought new walking shoes that he used a lot on the trip). Grabbed dinner in San Fran's Little Italy (delicious, and great wine). Explored China Town. Explored the financial district. Walked by their MOMA but didn't go in since it was $20 and briefly I was not that interested in their collection.
Day 3: Got a MUNI three day pass for unlimited public transportation. Took the bus to Golden Gate Bridge Park and got lost, spending 2 hours wandering the beautiful park until we made it to the bridge itself and walked half way across. Ordered take out Chinese for dinner (I went to Enjoy Vegetarian Chinese whish was all fake meats and vegan).
Day 4: Took the bus to Golden Gate Park (different from the bridge park). Wandered around through the tea garden and other gardens. Sadly the one museum I wanted to go to, the DeYoung, was closed for the holiday, so no art museum. I went to the zoo on my own from there, walking along the Ocean Beach Coast to get there (Mark was a little exhausted from all our walking at that point). Went to a bar in SOMA for dinner, which I hate to say it while the atmosphere was nice my dish (risotto with mushrooms and spinach, no cheese of course, sucked).
Day 5: Best day of the trip, got a one day bus tour. First stopped off in Muir Woods for one hour to walk among the BEAUTIFUL redwoods, not the biggest and most famous in the state, but still spectacular. Then the trip took us to three different wineries: Cline, Kunde, and Jacuzzi (yes, owned by the hot tub guy). We also stopped off in Sonoma village square for lunch and got tasty ethnic Mexican for lunch. Almost all the wines were phenomenal, and we bought 7 bottles, each for under $12. Can't wait to enjoy them here. Plus the Jacuzzi winery had an Olive making facility, and I brought home two bottles of PHENOMENAL olive oil.
Day 6: With our trip almost over, we wandered a bunch. Went to Fisherman's wharf again and wandered a lot, went to Ghiradelli square and chocolate factory, then had dinner at Green's, which is a famous high end San Fran restaurant that happens to be all vegetarian. While my wine and meal were excellent (a mesquite tofu and veggie kebab with a tasty sauce and cranberry couscous), I was a little unimpressed with their vegan selection (only have of the dishes and only one dessert were vegan). However, it was right on the water and worth it for the meal.
Day 7: This was truly a lazy day, since we checked out of our hotel and then spent most of the day wandering, went bowling for Mark, had dinner at a pub at 5, then went to get our stuff and headed to the airport for our red eye back to Boston.
Overall, a pretty good trip, but I don't think I will be going back to San Fran again unless I have a specific reason. It was too cold, and even for someone like me who likes to walk, a little too spread out. We walked anywhere from 4-8 miles a day (plus I ran every morning) and with all those hills and wind tunnels it got old fast.
It was all and all a great trip, much more organized and busy then our London attempt, but I will say, WHO KNEW IT WOULD BE SO FREAKING COLD IN SAN FRAN!?
Our first day was kind of warm, but by the second day I had to buy a fleece, and I had to wear it EVERY day of the vacation since with the wind and fog the temp rarely got over 70. Meanwhile Boston was suffering from the worst heat wave in ages.
To summarize our itinerary:
We left Boston on Friday and arrived in San Fran at noon on Friday their time.
Checked in to our hotel. The Grant Plaza Inn, which was on Grant Ave. one block from the entrance in to China Town.
Day 1: Walked down to fisherman's wharf, took in the sites and Pier 39 (my favorite with the sea lions). Grabbed dinner at a huge touristy restaurant with GREAT views of Alcatrez and the ocean.
Day 2: Recovered from the travel. Saw Eclipse at the local movie theater. Wandered around San Fran. Shopped some, (Mark bought new walking shoes that he used a lot on the trip). Grabbed dinner in San Fran's Little Italy (delicious, and great wine). Explored China Town. Explored the financial district. Walked by their MOMA but didn't go in since it was $20 and briefly I was not that interested in their collection.
Day 3: Got a MUNI three day pass for unlimited public transportation. Took the bus to Golden Gate Bridge Park and got lost, spending 2 hours wandering the beautiful park until we made it to the bridge itself and walked half way across. Ordered take out Chinese for dinner (I went to Enjoy Vegetarian Chinese whish was all fake meats and vegan).
Day 4: Took the bus to Golden Gate Park (different from the bridge park). Wandered around through the tea garden and other gardens. Sadly the one museum I wanted to go to, the DeYoung, was closed for the holiday, so no art museum. I went to the zoo on my own from there, walking along the Ocean Beach Coast to get there (Mark was a little exhausted from all our walking at that point). Went to a bar in SOMA for dinner, which I hate to say it while the atmosphere was nice my dish (risotto with mushrooms and spinach, no cheese of course, sucked).
Day 5: Best day of the trip, got a one day bus tour. First stopped off in Muir Woods for one hour to walk among the BEAUTIFUL redwoods, not the biggest and most famous in the state, but still spectacular. Then the trip took us to three different wineries: Cline, Kunde, and Jacuzzi (yes, owned by the hot tub guy). We also stopped off in Sonoma village square for lunch and got tasty ethnic Mexican for lunch. Almost all the wines were phenomenal, and we bought 7 bottles, each for under $12. Can't wait to enjoy them here. Plus the Jacuzzi winery had an Olive making facility, and I brought home two bottles of PHENOMENAL olive oil.
Day 6: With our trip almost over, we wandered a bunch. Went to Fisherman's wharf again and wandered a lot, went to Ghiradelli square and chocolate factory, then had dinner at Green's, which is a famous high end San Fran restaurant that happens to be all vegetarian. While my wine and meal were excellent (a mesquite tofu and veggie kebab with a tasty sauce and cranberry couscous), I was a little unimpressed with their vegan selection (only have of the dishes and only one dessert were vegan). However, it was right on the water and worth it for the meal.
Day 7: This was truly a lazy day, since we checked out of our hotel and then spent most of the day wandering, went bowling for Mark, had dinner at a pub at 5, then went to get our stuff and headed to the airport for our red eye back to Boston.
Overall, a pretty good trip, but I don't think I will be going back to San Fran again unless I have a specific reason. It was too cold, and even for someone like me who likes to walk, a little too spread out. We walked anywhere from 4-8 miles a day (plus I ran every morning) and with all those hills and wind tunnels it got old fast.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Corynne's Fabulous Wedding
Had a great psuedo-vacation this weekend, even though I am losing my mind.
So I somehow made it up to Boston in one piece after driving directly on Thursday morning from work after completing another 16 hour shift, and after finishing a round of horribly insane overnights where I got about 4 hours of sleep a day max. Got to Boston around 12pm, and took a 4 hour nap. Woke up to a phone call from Amy, which was fine since I was planning to get up at 5pm to meet them and Mark's mom for dinner.
Got to Andover at 7pm, and Amy, her husband Mark, and I were going to meet Mark's mom in Newburyport at a vegan and raw restaurant she had heard lots about. Thank GOODNESS they called for reservations, cause what do you know the place closed officially May 1 (went out a business). So we got together at a thai restaurant in Andover instead. We had a great time. I really have missed Amy and Mark and am looking forward to seeing them more in the next three years. And I am lucky, since I get along with my boyfriend's parents so much that the thought of hanging out with his mom without him since he was stuck at work didn't even phase me. There is always something for us to talk about together.
Friday was an errand day for me while Mark worked. Then I made dinner and we walked around Davis some.
Saturday was Corynne's big day. My good friend Corynne who I went to Kenya with was finally marrying her long time (12 year) boyfriend Paul. The wedding was on the Cape. I had initially suggested to Mark that we get a hotel for the night, but most of the hotels in the area required a 2 night stay at over a $100 a night. So to save money for our upcoming trip to San Fran he asked that we not get a room and save money by driving. I agreed under the condition that HE drove since it would be 2 hours back to Boston that night and I was planning on drinking.
Well, our initial plans of going to Provincetown first got a little thwarted, I was lazy and didn't want to get out of bed, plus there were supposed to be thunderstorms all morning so I figured what was the point in driving to the town and not being able to walk it with the rain. So we were a little slow to get started. So slow rather then driving with our regular clothes on to change at my friend's hotel room as planned we just got dressed up and headed out. We had to stop at Kohl's because I had forgotten shoes and Mark couldn't find his ties, so we stop there and I bought this CRAPPY non-leather pair of black shoes for $19, Mark got a nice green and blue tie. We get back in the car and THEN I realize that we had left their wedding gift in Mark's car since I thought we would be taking that car and last minute Mark wanted to take mine. We didn't have time to go back, so I decided since Corynne and Paul only live 3 streets over from us I would have to drop it off later.
So we got on the road and headed to the Cape. Stopped once almost there to pick up a wedding card. As we are getting towards the wedding the clouds started to part some. Mark was a little apprehensive about the wedding since the last couple he had been to were more formal then he liked. So we get to the yacht club where their wedding is and I keep reassuring him "This is Corynne's wedding, it is going to be laid back, don't worry".
Walking down the steep slope was quite hard in these horrible heels I had just bought, Mark offered to take my arm and I joked "You are never this romantic" to which he replied "If I don't do this you will fall on your face!"
I ran in to some old vet school friends from the class below me, the scenery and the building was gorgeous, and we headed down right away for the ceremony on the beach. The best part, the wedding favors were FLIP FLOPS and the entire wedding party was wearing them, so everyone changed in to flip flops and I only had to endure the heels for about 10 minutes as the majority of the women decided to just wear the flip flops the whole night.
The ceremony lasted 10 minutes since the tide was coming in and threatened to get all the beautiful dresses wet. Corynne's gown was GORGEOUS, probably the most fitting and beautiful gown I have seen on a bride yet. She looked stunning. And the groom as well as the groomsmen had a little bit of untraditional wear, with a brown suit for Paul and tan suits for the boys with green ties, but it was very fitting for them.
After the ceremony it was open bar and hor d'eouvers the entire night, which was a different concept then what Mark and I were used to with weddings, but it was actually very nice. They had delicious treats all night, and Mark and I were talking about how without the whole meal aspect there was no requirement for people to sit down. This kept with the very laid back environment and allowed us all to wander and mingle with everyone. After about an hour Mark realized how much fun he was having, and the thought of not drinking anymore with a 2 hour drive home seemed horrible, so he disappeared and returned 10 minutes later informing me he had called around and found us a last minute hotel about 10 minutes from the after party. The speeches from all the bridesmaids and best man were perfect. The wedding was phenomenal. I also got to chat with lots of people I had never really talked with before except for at a couple of Paul's KMO Fests he hosts in honor of his deceased brother every year, and it was great! I really got along with them all so well, as did Mark.
So we ran over to the hotel we got last minute at 10pm, got the keys, then headed back to the after party which was only a mile down the road. The after party was relaxing, almost everyone had changed and we all played beer games, listened to good music, and relaxed.
After we headed back to our impromptu hotel at 1am, which we hadn't really looked at before. I hate to say it, but it was by far the WORST HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED IN. It's bathroom had a leak in the ceiling so you couldn't sit on the toilet without your feet and back getting wet. We went through 3 towels throughout the night trying to soak up the water. There were spiders and bugs in the corners. The bed was a freaking rock. But it made me laugh after.
On our drive back Mark had to agree that it was the nicest wedding we have been to yet, and for me that is saying something since I have been to some great weddings before myself. I hope whenever I get married some day I can make it as relaxed and enjoyable. Thinking about all the wedding traditions gets me scared a bit too though, like isn't the bride's family supposed to pay for most of the wedding? Well with it just being my mom, that will be rough, and I doubt she can afford much. And then there is the parents' first dance with the bride and groom...who will I dance with since my dad won't be there? Well, sad things, but things I probably won't have to really worry about for years to come.
So I somehow made it up to Boston in one piece after driving directly on Thursday morning from work after completing another 16 hour shift, and after finishing a round of horribly insane overnights where I got about 4 hours of sleep a day max. Got to Boston around 12pm, and took a 4 hour nap. Woke up to a phone call from Amy, which was fine since I was planning to get up at 5pm to meet them and Mark's mom for dinner.
Got to Andover at 7pm, and Amy, her husband Mark, and I were going to meet Mark's mom in Newburyport at a vegan and raw restaurant she had heard lots about. Thank GOODNESS they called for reservations, cause what do you know the place closed officially May 1 (went out a business). So we got together at a thai restaurant in Andover instead. We had a great time. I really have missed Amy and Mark and am looking forward to seeing them more in the next three years. And I am lucky, since I get along with my boyfriend's parents so much that the thought of hanging out with his mom without him since he was stuck at work didn't even phase me. There is always something for us to talk about together.
Friday was an errand day for me while Mark worked. Then I made dinner and we walked around Davis some.
Saturday was Corynne's big day. My good friend Corynne who I went to Kenya with was finally marrying her long time (12 year) boyfriend Paul. The wedding was on the Cape. I had initially suggested to Mark that we get a hotel for the night, but most of the hotels in the area required a 2 night stay at over a $100 a night. So to save money for our upcoming trip to San Fran he asked that we not get a room and save money by driving. I agreed under the condition that HE drove since it would be 2 hours back to Boston that night and I was planning on drinking.
Well, our initial plans of going to Provincetown first got a little thwarted, I was lazy and didn't want to get out of bed, plus there were supposed to be thunderstorms all morning so I figured what was the point in driving to the town and not being able to walk it with the rain. So we were a little slow to get started. So slow rather then driving with our regular clothes on to change at my friend's hotel room as planned we just got dressed up and headed out. We had to stop at Kohl's because I had forgotten shoes and Mark couldn't find his ties, so we stop there and I bought this CRAPPY non-leather pair of black shoes for $19, Mark got a nice green and blue tie. We get back in the car and THEN I realize that we had left their wedding gift in Mark's car since I thought we would be taking that car and last minute Mark wanted to take mine. We didn't have time to go back, so I decided since Corynne and Paul only live 3 streets over from us I would have to drop it off later.
So we got on the road and headed to the Cape. Stopped once almost there to pick up a wedding card. As we are getting towards the wedding the clouds started to part some. Mark was a little apprehensive about the wedding since the last couple he had been to were more formal then he liked. So we get to the yacht club where their wedding is and I keep reassuring him "This is Corynne's wedding, it is going to be laid back, don't worry".
Walking down the steep slope was quite hard in these horrible heels I had just bought, Mark offered to take my arm and I joked "You are never this romantic" to which he replied "If I don't do this you will fall on your face!"
I ran in to some old vet school friends from the class below me, the scenery and the building was gorgeous, and we headed down right away for the ceremony on the beach. The best part, the wedding favors were FLIP FLOPS and the entire wedding party was wearing them, so everyone changed in to flip flops and I only had to endure the heels for about 10 minutes as the majority of the women decided to just wear the flip flops the whole night.
The ceremony lasted 10 minutes since the tide was coming in and threatened to get all the beautiful dresses wet. Corynne's gown was GORGEOUS, probably the most fitting and beautiful gown I have seen on a bride yet. She looked stunning. And the groom as well as the groomsmen had a little bit of untraditional wear, with a brown suit for Paul and tan suits for the boys with green ties, but it was very fitting for them.
After the ceremony it was open bar and hor d'eouvers the entire night, which was a different concept then what Mark and I were used to with weddings, but it was actually very nice. They had delicious treats all night, and Mark and I were talking about how without the whole meal aspect there was no requirement for people to sit down. This kept with the very laid back environment and allowed us all to wander and mingle with everyone. After about an hour Mark realized how much fun he was having, and the thought of not drinking anymore with a 2 hour drive home seemed horrible, so he disappeared and returned 10 minutes later informing me he had called around and found us a last minute hotel about 10 minutes from the after party. The speeches from all the bridesmaids and best man were perfect. The wedding was phenomenal. I also got to chat with lots of people I had never really talked with before except for at a couple of Paul's KMO Fests he hosts in honor of his deceased brother every year, and it was great! I really got along with them all so well, as did Mark.
So we ran over to the hotel we got last minute at 10pm, got the keys, then headed back to the after party which was only a mile down the road. The after party was relaxing, almost everyone had changed and we all played beer games, listened to good music, and relaxed.
After we headed back to our impromptu hotel at 1am, which we hadn't really looked at before. I hate to say it, but it was by far the WORST HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED IN. It's bathroom had a leak in the ceiling so you couldn't sit on the toilet without your feet and back getting wet. We went through 3 towels throughout the night trying to soak up the water. There were spiders and bugs in the corners. The bed was a freaking rock. But it made me laugh after.
On our drive back Mark had to agree that it was the nicest wedding we have been to yet, and for me that is saying something since I have been to some great weddings before myself. I hope whenever I get married some day I can make it as relaxed and enjoyable. Thinking about all the wedding traditions gets me scared a bit too though, like isn't the bride's family supposed to pay for most of the wedding? Well with it just being my mom, that will be rough, and I doubt she can afford much. And then there is the parents' first dance with the bride and groom...who will I dance with since my dad won't be there? Well, sad things, but things I probably won't have to really worry about for years to come.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
dance
So this is one of my blog posts where I feel like I am writing something special, but in reality it is probably stuff people think about and know all the time…it is still fun to write about it at 5am when there are no patients in the hospital that need my attention and there is time to kill…
I wanted to write about the recent Lady Gaga spoof remake done by a bunch of airforce troops in Afghanistan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHXgFU7qNI
When I first heard about this video on NPR I couldn’t wait to go home and watch it on Youtube. And boy was it something. At first I couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of the dance moves, and the outfits, and most of all that these were US troops stationed in Afghanistan acting more silly then 3 year olds. It almost shocked me that these guys could get such popularity on Youtube, and I almost felt embarrassed for them assuming this is not something every troop at war does, and wondered if they got any slack for the video.
I started wondering what inspired them to do it, and to post it as it is a little embarrassing, and realized it was probably a mechanism to cope. I am in a field that needs a way to cope too, and I suddenly completely understood. As a veterinarian I frequently have to euthanize, or “put to sleep” my patients. It can be trying, especially on days when you realize you euthanize most of your patients, feeling like you can’t help anything despite your best efforts, even if it is the right thing for the patient. How do we deal with all this death, and the responsibility of pushing the actual solution in to the animal that takes their life, day after day? We joke. We laugh. We make SICK and TWISTED comments that would probably offend the majority of the general public, but that is how we move on to the next patient. And we find coping mechanisms outside of work. We run, we knit, we go to yoga classes religiously, we dance. Well, speaking of dance, all these random thoughts led me to this interesting piece on the overnight tonight:
http://l.b5z.net/i/u/6066747/f/RueppelDance.pdf
I got to wondering how dance originated. I mean, being an atheistic biologist I often try to think about evolution and why certain things have originated. Why has dance originated? And why do not many other species exhibit dance like us? At first, I thought that maybe dance evolved in humans as some sort of mating courtship or ritual…but that didn’t make a whole lot of sense when I started thinking about the times I am most comfortable dancing…alone in my house cleaning the kitchen or putting away laundry while blasting some music, maybe after getting back from a really good, long run, basically times when no one can see me. In fact, I love my little alone time dance moments a lot, and one of the things I am most worried about when I move in with my boyfriend next year is things like “Is he going to make fun of me when I dance?” or “Will I be comfortable enough in my own skin to dance around him like I do alone so often now?” So much for my dancing being a mating ritual….
Well, the above long article has been interesting to read, and I had forgotten that other species do indeed dance. There were also discussions of the various functions of dance, and music for that matter. The most interesting thing for me was the talk of “Dance Therapy”, which talked about using dance as a form of therapy in mental illness. It can be performed with a therapist, or more commonly alone. It’s often used in people with mental illnesses that make communication difficult, such as in children with autism. It helps open up the ability to communicate, as well as release endorphins and other chemicals that have a healing element in the body. And it makes perfect sense why I felt dance is a great outlet for those of us without mental illness but in stressful and demanding fields (although this is debatable too with the increasing rates of PTSD in all of the Iraq War Vets and the recent study on veterinarians:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-04-02-dolittler02_ST_N.htm
The airforce troops are in one hell of a position, and it is probably not acceptable to get emotional or express your feelings about the war and the situation you are in. Just like in my field while we tend to be open about things, if you constantly communicated the emotional strain you were going through, things would probably be unbearable. So why not use an outlet like dance to release that pent up energy?
Well, enough of my silly rambling. I guess I am fascinated by the troops remake video, and slightly jealous I didn’t do it first, since dancing is such a healthy way to release some energy and feel great about yourself. Although it always looks a little silly to me when I randomly catch Ellen on her TV show breaking out her moves while waiting for a haircut at the salon, good for her. I hope I can bust out my lack of rhythm white girl butt on the dance floor more often. Rather then wonder how crazy these troops were to do this, I think the best response can also be found on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDTkHnTu_UU
I think we should all try a little remake of our favorite songs now and then too, just like these girls did after seeing the troops.
I wanted to write about the recent Lady Gaga spoof remake done by a bunch of airforce troops in Afghanistan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHXgFU7qNI
When I first heard about this video on NPR I couldn’t wait to go home and watch it on Youtube. And boy was it something. At first I couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of the dance moves, and the outfits, and most of all that these were US troops stationed in Afghanistan acting more silly then 3 year olds. It almost shocked me that these guys could get such popularity on Youtube, and I almost felt embarrassed for them assuming this is not something every troop at war does, and wondered if they got any slack for the video.
I started wondering what inspired them to do it, and to post it as it is a little embarrassing, and realized it was probably a mechanism to cope. I am in a field that needs a way to cope too, and I suddenly completely understood. As a veterinarian I frequently have to euthanize, or “put to sleep” my patients. It can be trying, especially on days when you realize you euthanize most of your patients, feeling like you can’t help anything despite your best efforts, even if it is the right thing for the patient. How do we deal with all this death, and the responsibility of pushing the actual solution in to the animal that takes their life, day after day? We joke. We laugh. We make SICK and TWISTED comments that would probably offend the majority of the general public, but that is how we move on to the next patient. And we find coping mechanisms outside of work. We run, we knit, we go to yoga classes religiously, we dance. Well, speaking of dance, all these random thoughts led me to this interesting piece on the overnight tonight:
http://l.b5z.net/i/u/6066747/f/RueppelDance.pdf
I got to wondering how dance originated. I mean, being an atheistic biologist I often try to think about evolution and why certain things have originated. Why has dance originated? And why do not many other species exhibit dance like us? At first, I thought that maybe dance evolved in humans as some sort of mating courtship or ritual…but that didn’t make a whole lot of sense when I started thinking about the times I am most comfortable dancing…alone in my house cleaning the kitchen or putting away laundry while blasting some music, maybe after getting back from a really good, long run, basically times when no one can see me. In fact, I love my little alone time dance moments a lot, and one of the things I am most worried about when I move in with my boyfriend next year is things like “Is he going to make fun of me when I dance?” or “Will I be comfortable enough in my own skin to dance around him like I do alone so often now?” So much for my dancing being a mating ritual….
Well, the above long article has been interesting to read, and I had forgotten that other species do indeed dance. There were also discussions of the various functions of dance, and music for that matter. The most interesting thing for me was the talk of “Dance Therapy”, which talked about using dance as a form of therapy in mental illness. It can be performed with a therapist, or more commonly alone. It’s often used in people with mental illnesses that make communication difficult, such as in children with autism. It helps open up the ability to communicate, as well as release endorphins and other chemicals that have a healing element in the body. And it makes perfect sense why I felt dance is a great outlet for those of us without mental illness but in stressful and demanding fields (although this is debatable too with the increasing rates of PTSD in all of the Iraq War Vets and the recent study on veterinarians:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-04-02-dolittler02_ST_N.htm
The airforce troops are in one hell of a position, and it is probably not acceptable to get emotional or express your feelings about the war and the situation you are in. Just like in my field while we tend to be open about things, if you constantly communicated the emotional strain you were going through, things would probably be unbearable. So why not use an outlet like dance to release that pent up energy?
Well, enough of my silly rambling. I guess I am fascinated by the troops remake video, and slightly jealous I didn’t do it first, since dancing is such a healthy way to release some energy and feel great about yourself. Although it always looks a little silly to me when I randomly catch Ellen on her TV show breaking out her moves while waiting for a haircut at the salon, good for her. I hope I can bust out my lack of rhythm white girl butt on the dance floor more often. Rather then wonder how crazy these troops were to do this, I think the best response can also be found on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDTkHnTu_UU
I think we should all try a little remake of our favorite songs now and then too, just like these girls did after seeing the troops.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Angell!!!
I know this is 2 weeks too late, but just in case not everyone knows...I matched at Anegll for a residency in ECC! It was my top choice as it is one of the busiest hospitals in the US, has a competitive ECC program, and it was somewhere new (I applied and loved Tufts, Tufts Walpole, and UPenn as well, but Angell was the best fit for me based on my interview).
Of course, I was super worried I was not going to match, and was a bit in shock on that Monday morning when I opened the email and saw I had matched at my top place. It was flattering to find out after that I had been in the ranks at all 4 places I ranked (plus others I hadn't ranked) from some insider information.
Well, it is a bit early, but I am looking forward to moving back to Boston in the summer and it will be a tough residency, but i am super psyched!
Of course, I was super worried I was not going to match, and was a bit in shock on that Monday morning when I opened the email and saw I had matched at my top place. It was flattering to find out after that I had been in the ranks at all 4 places I ranked (plus others I hadn't ranked) from some insider information.
Well, it is a bit early, but I am looking forward to moving back to Boston in the summer and it will be a tough residency, but i am super psyched!
bad news bears
Well, there seems to be a horrible plague of sickness and family illness hitting my internship. It seems like on a weekly basis someone is out because they are terribly ill with some weird undiagnosed illness (and I mean really weird stuff, going to the ER and everything), or a family member die, or a significant other's family member dies...seriously, this has happened to 6 different people in the last month (and there are only 14 interns here). I think we are currently cursed. And I am grateful it hasn't happened to me, but the down side is that I am consequently working more shifts or covering and switching in ways that aren't convenient for me. Oh well.
I figured out my schedule in the next 4 weeks, and it is a little daunting:
Instead of working swing shift from 12-10pm this Sunday, I am covernig a shift for one of above said interns...I am now working from 4pm-9am the following morning, and then on Monday even though I finish at 9am, I am driving to Boston before sleeping since I have made dinner plans with several people for Monday night.
Then I work all week....actually starting Wednesday I work for 10 days straight. Then I have Sat. March 13 off but am going to Boston for a comedy show (also perviously planned) and driving back for work at 6am that night after the show.
I have March 20 off, and Heather and Denis are visiting and spending some of the weekend off, which I am super excited for since I have not seen them in who knows how long. Then I have the 22/23 off (Mon/Tues) but will be spending it finishing my presentation for work which is due on that Thursday. In April I only have 4 days off total...Wow, this is very depressing, well, I should stop thinking about it.
I figured out my schedule in the next 4 weeks, and it is a little daunting:
Instead of working swing shift from 12-10pm this Sunday, I am covernig a shift for one of above said interns...I am now working from 4pm-9am the following morning, and then on Monday even though I finish at 9am, I am driving to Boston before sleeping since I have made dinner plans with several people for Monday night.
Then I work all week....actually starting Wednesday I work for 10 days straight. Then I have Sat. March 13 off but am going to Boston for a comedy show (also perviously planned) and driving back for work at 6am that night after the show.
I have March 20 off, and Heather and Denis are visiting and spending some of the weekend off, which I am super excited for since I have not seen them in who knows how long. Then I have the 22/23 off (Mon/Tues) but will be spending it finishing my presentation for work which is due on that Thursday. In April I only have 4 days off total...Wow, this is very depressing, well, I should stop thinking about it.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
NYC for a day
Well yesterday was the trip to NYC with Muya from Kenya, and it went pretty well. It was freezing cold and pouring which sucked, and it was mostly freezing rain...that made it quite difficult to see the things we had planned on like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Instead we went for indoor activities...
We started at the Wax Museum just outside of the Grand Central Station where we arrived. While the celebreties weren't as big of a hit for Muya, the room of famous politicians was amazing. He LOVED it. Muya had his picture taken with almost every person in there...from the Clintons and obamas to louis armstong and ghandi. We arrived at noon and were there until 1:30.
Then we took the subway to the natural history museum, where Muya also had a blast. I was pretty beat by the end of it, since we were there from 2-5. But Muya did tell me at one point "This is perfect, very smart of you to take a naturalist to a place like this, amazing, I could spend weeks here!". Of course, at one point he had bought me lunch, and was shocked by the price for two salads and two sodas and a snickers bar for him, and made a comment that he hoped his credit card would not exceed its limit....which made me nervous.
After the museum we went to the apple store since Muya had tried to stop at EVERY electronic thrift store to look at ipods and computers....I told him it would be better to go to the source. BIG mistake on my part...we spent over an hour doing nothing there....he would stare off and debate whether or not he should buy an ipod. I told him realistically it was not a good idea for him...he had misconceptions and thought it came with music already. At one point we actually ran in to someone from Niger and were able to talk about apple products in Africa with him. I finally convinced Muya it was not a good investment for him...he wanted the nano but he owns 20 cds total, and he refused to buy the shuffle as it was too small.
So we left after that painful hour and went next door to the FAO Schwartz building, toured the toy store. As we were leaving Muya said he was very sad and wanted an ipod and that buying one in NYC would be better cause it would be like a souvenir then. I finally obliged and took him BACK as long as he promised not to spend another hour deciding what he wanted. We went straight up to the cashier and got his silver ipod, only to have his credit card declined. Poor Muya, but I did not have enough money to help him out either.
We grabbed a beer in grand central station and then headed back to Connecticut, arriving back at 9:30. We ordered chinese food for dinner, which was DELICIOUS since I was famished by this point.
Well, that was the day in a nut shell...now we are just relaxing today since I have to go to work at 2pm, and Muya is screwing around with my phone trying to call Kenya with the calling card...(I pray something doesn't go wrong and I end up with an enormous bill this time).
Tomorrow I take him back to the airport in the morning and hope that I will see him again in Kenya, sooner rather then later.
We started at the Wax Museum just outside of the Grand Central Station where we arrived. While the celebreties weren't as big of a hit for Muya, the room of famous politicians was amazing. He LOVED it. Muya had his picture taken with almost every person in there...from the Clintons and obamas to louis armstong and ghandi. We arrived at noon and were there until 1:30.
Then we took the subway to the natural history museum, where Muya also had a blast. I was pretty beat by the end of it, since we were there from 2-5. But Muya did tell me at one point "This is perfect, very smart of you to take a naturalist to a place like this, amazing, I could spend weeks here!". Of course, at one point he had bought me lunch, and was shocked by the price for two salads and two sodas and a snickers bar for him, and made a comment that he hoped his credit card would not exceed its limit....which made me nervous.
After the museum we went to the apple store since Muya had tried to stop at EVERY electronic thrift store to look at ipods and computers....I told him it would be better to go to the source. BIG mistake on my part...we spent over an hour doing nothing there....he would stare off and debate whether or not he should buy an ipod. I told him realistically it was not a good idea for him...he had misconceptions and thought it came with music already. At one point we actually ran in to someone from Niger and were able to talk about apple products in Africa with him. I finally convinced Muya it was not a good investment for him...he wanted the nano but he owns 20 cds total, and he refused to buy the shuffle as it was too small.
So we left after that painful hour and went next door to the FAO Schwartz building, toured the toy store. As we were leaving Muya said he was very sad and wanted an ipod and that buying one in NYC would be better cause it would be like a souvenir then. I finally obliged and took him BACK as long as he promised not to spend another hour deciding what he wanted. We went straight up to the cashier and got his silver ipod, only to have his credit card declined. Poor Muya, but I did not have enough money to help him out either.
We grabbed a beer in grand central station and then headed back to Connecticut, arriving back at 9:30. We ordered chinese food for dinner, which was DELICIOUS since I was famished by this point.
Well, that was the day in a nut shell...now we are just relaxing today since I have to go to work at 2pm, and Muya is screwing around with my phone trying to call Kenya with the calling card...(I pray something doesn't go wrong and I end up with an enormous bill this time).
Tomorrow I take him back to the airport in the morning and hope that I will see him again in Kenya, sooner rather then later.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Kenyan in New England
Sorry I don't write much here anymore....I am forbidden to reference work ever, and since 95% of my life is work with the internship, I haven't gotten around to writing much.
Right now I am hosting Muya, my mentor from Kenya. It is his first time in the United States. He emailed Corynne and I (the two who went to Kenya and Wales with him for 9 weeks) in January stating that he would be visiting the states for the first time ever for a conference in Florida. Of course that is too far away for us, so we recommended he travel up to New England on the end of his trip to visit. He arrived in Boston on Saturday and Corynne and her fiance Paul hung out with him then. On Sunday Corynne, Mark and I took Muya for an official tour of Boston.
First we went to Harvard Square...and found out from an information person that there was no official sign for "Harvard University"...so Muya amused us by stopping to take pictures of every silly thing that said Harvard on it from t-shirts to news stands.
Then we took the T to Fanueil Hall and toured there and Quincy Market.
We walked form there through Boston Common, saw the State House, and the ice skating rink, and Muya walked on the ice over a pond for the first time ever.
We then walked up Newbury to the prudential building and went to the bar at the top with SPECTACULAR views of Boston to have a drink. Then we all took the T back to Davis where Mark lives and got a cheap dinner at Red Bones with good beer and too much meat according to Muya (I feasted on the portabella mushroom burger).
Yesterday Corynne and I took Muya to breakfast, then I drove with Muya through Grafton to see the vet school, stopped at Target with him to buy good souvenirs for his family, and then headed back to Connecticut. Muya took pictures of almost every exit sign along the way! We went to dinner at The Brewhouse in SoNo with some of my internmates last night.
Today despite the freezing rain we are about to leave for NYC for more sight seeing!
Right now I am hosting Muya, my mentor from Kenya. It is his first time in the United States. He emailed Corynne and I (the two who went to Kenya and Wales with him for 9 weeks) in January stating that he would be visiting the states for the first time ever for a conference in Florida. Of course that is too far away for us, so we recommended he travel up to New England on the end of his trip to visit. He arrived in Boston on Saturday and Corynne and her fiance Paul hung out with him then. On Sunday Corynne, Mark and I took Muya for an official tour of Boston.
First we went to Harvard Square...and found out from an information person that there was no official sign for "Harvard University"...so Muya amused us by stopping to take pictures of every silly thing that said Harvard on it from t-shirts to news stands.
Then we took the T to Fanueil Hall and toured there and Quincy Market.
We walked form there through Boston Common, saw the State House, and the ice skating rink, and Muya walked on the ice over a pond for the first time ever.
We then walked up Newbury to the prudential building and went to the bar at the top with SPECTACULAR views of Boston to have a drink. Then we all took the T back to Davis where Mark lives and got a cheap dinner at Red Bones with good beer and too much meat according to Muya (I feasted on the portabella mushroom burger).
Yesterday Corynne and I took Muya to breakfast, then I drove with Muya through Grafton to see the vet school, stopped at Target with him to buy good souvenirs for his family, and then headed back to Connecticut. Muya took pictures of almost every exit sign along the way! We went to dinner at The Brewhouse in SoNo with some of my internmates last night.
Today despite the freezing rain we are about to leave for NYC for more sight seeing!
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