Residency Graduation

I know many of you have probably given up hope that we would ever post another blog, but take heart, I have finally found something that I feel is blog-worthy.

Yesterday morning was my residency graduation. Now, this is a little bit like kindergarten graduation because there is no new degree awarded. There are no caps or gowns, (which perhaps puts it even lower than kindergarten graduation). But like all graduations, it marks the completion of one phase of life and career, and the proverbial green light to go forward with the next phase. I was proud to watch as each of the residents and fellows with whom I have taken this journey walked up to the stage. I was also honored to have my husband, without whom I could not have done this, sitting in the audience to support me once again.



I have attached a video that Scott took as it was my turn to go forward and accept my diploma. Dr. Orfanos, our program director, said a few words about each of us, our future plans, our character, then chose a celebrity that he felt represented us. Everyone from Bono to President Obama was represented.

For me, this graduation is yet another reminder that our time here in Boston is fast coming to a close, which is bittersweet to say the least. As much as I want to hang on to this place and to the dear friends we have made here, I know that we have done what we came here to do, and to stay longer would be like stealing time away from what God has called us to next. Luckily, even though our move and the responsibilities of homeownership are fast approaching, I will still have some time when we get to Dallas before the real responsibilities of being an attending set in.

"What will you do with all your free time?" you might ask. We'll actually, graduation is not only a momentous occasion, but also a slightly anticlimactic one, because I still have to go to work next week, and possibly the week after. Oh well, the good news is that I only have two more clinic sessions until I never again have to have outpatient responsibilities. That's not to say that something may not change in the future, but for now, the inpatient setting is where I thrive.

5 Years

Friday was our fifth anniversary, and we did some fun things! In the afternoon, after Audrey's nap, we decided to go berry-picking at Land's Sake Farm, as strawberries are in season and neither of us had been in a long time. It was Audrey's first berry-picking experience, she really enjoying hunting for and picking the berries. There were many cries of "look Mommy!" and "I found one!"





Then in the evening, with a good friend watching Audrey, we went out to an anniversary dinner at Top of the Hub, a restaurant on top of the Prudential building in downtown Boston. The views were amazing:



The restaurant itself was nice, too. It was nice and quiet, with tasteful decor. The service was efficient and the food we had was really good. It all made for a very nice conversational dinner. On our menu choices were

-- Caesar Salad (boring, but all Scott will eat)
-- NE Clam Chowder (more delicate than Legal's)
-- Rosemary Chicken and a "Purple Rain" (Tara)
-- Shank of Lamb and a Cabernet (Scott)



For dessert, the options on top of the Hub were a bit too "foodie" for us, so we also made a quick visit to the Cheesecake Factory down in the main mall. A bit noisier than our romantic evening above, but hey, procuring chocolate in sufficient quantities is sometimes important.



(With a two-year old, we get out so infrequently that we always document the occasion)

New Pictures!

In response to much ribbing for not posting in a long time, and many requests for more pictures, here is (a) a new post, which (b) announces that new pictures have been uploaded to our Picasaweb albums (available to the right). The 9-12 month album has been expanded, and a new 12-18 month album has been added.

Audrey has continued growing too fast -- we can't believe how grown-up she is already. She's walking (running, actually); playing on the kiddie swings, slide, and merry-go-round; feeding herself; and starting to talk a little bit. Unfortunately, she's also had many ear infections, and seems to have a hard time draining the fluid from her ears. This makes it hard for her to hear, and she's a little bit behind on speech development. But at this point, tubes seem likely, after which she should be back on track!

Scott has just finished his first year of teaching! It was harder than he expected, but was also a great learning experience. And while he is enjoying a summer to catch up on research, he is also looking forward to returning to the classroom next fall. Additionally, the spring weather means mountain biking with friends from small group on weekends, and possibly the occasional game of ultimate frisbee :).

Tara is almost finished with her first year of residency. It has been a hard year at times, especially when she doesn't get to see Audrey awake for several days. But she has persevered, performed well, and is looking forward to an ever-so-slightly easier year next year. Her final two weeks (end of June) will be easy, and she is looking forward to spending those weekends at home, with perhaps a spring shopping outing thrown in!

Oven-Roasted Salmon

Welcome to Tara's first post on the blog. With the help of Cook's Illustrated, and a theoretical knowledge of "blanching" thanks to my stepbrother Reid, I made this amazing dinner tonight! The salmon was oven-roasted, and then topped with a tomato basil relish. With some wine from Trader Joe's and bread from the previous post, it felt like a gourmet feast!