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!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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.
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