Ice Coffee

Jim and I finished up our Memorial Day weekend relaxing in the backyard with a fresh pitcher of ice coffee. I'm still perfecting the recipe but it was still a cool, refreshing, and uplifting treat!

Roadside Spectacle

The morning commute is never the same. I leave my house every morning anxious about what I'm about the endure on the 20 mile journey to the office. Some mornings I inhale deeply as I approach the on ramp to the Blue Route and can let out a huge sigh of relief as a line of swiftly moving vehicles comes into site. That's usually a sign that the rest of the drive will be a breeze. Other days I can't even see the highway and I'm already creeping along and gripping the steering wheel with a hint of aggression.

Overall I've become immune to it either way. I eat my banana, turn up the radio, stay alert and attentive, and just drive until I get to the office. I've observed that there are two general categories of drivers I encounter during the daily expedition.

1) The Jerks. Including but not limited to tailgating, quick and excessive lane changing, late merging, speeding particularly in unsafe areas such as construction zones, and driving on the shoulder. This category often includes a large number of Lexus, Benz, and BMW drivers. For some reason it's assumed (by them) that wherever they are heading is far more important than where I'm heading.

2) Sucks to be You. These folks would be your flat tire, smoking engines, unable to merge in a tough spot, and accident victims. The overall bad day kinda stuff.

Last week I spotted a guy I just can't place in either. He was traveling in a truck that was covered with the logo for some moving company, so I assume he was working. The traffic was actually moving along nicely that day, probably averaging 40-45 mph. There was a huge sign clearly within in view " Exit 3 Media/Swartmore. 1/2 mile." All the sudden he changes into the right lane then proceeds to pull off onto the shoulder. He gets out of the truck and pees on the side of the road! I don't need to see this kind of stuff at 8:30am. Man up and hold it or pull off at the next exit. It's not like were in the middle of the PA turnpike and the next exit is 30 miles away. Men!

A RobinStidd Production

Fun nature discoveries

Lil' salamander.

Creepy "dead" forrest.
Hawk feather.
Funky mushrooms.

Thanks!

Nina.....

Thanks again for taking care of the garden while we were gone. You really are the best!!

Camping

GREAT camping trip this weekend. Aside from a stormy night Saturday resulting in several inches of water in the tent, everything was perfect. Good company, lots yummy food, long hikes, and plenty of cards and ladder toss.

Stories and hopefully a few video clips to follow. For now I'm off to enjoy the rest of the beautiful weather and prepare some delicious grilled potatoes and veggies!!

Mason Jennings

And for anyone that's curious....I still love Mason Jennings. Actually saw him at World Cafe Live a few weeks ago and Jim and I danced to one of his songs at our wedding.

Memorial Day read

We're heading north for a little camping this weekend. I really love camping for a lot of reasons, one being the fact that you have no other option but to just relax and hang out. You can't clean the house, do laundry, work on projects, etc. Jim and I spend a lot of time hiking with Sofee dog and playing cards. But there's always some time for just relaxing and reading a good book. I'm not really in the middle of reading anything right now, so I've decided to take along Travels with Charley. It is one of my absolute favorites, so here's another re-post for your reading pleasure.

Have a great weekend!!

Recommendation

May 9, 2006

I just finished reading Travels with Charley for the second time and was throughly pleased with the experience. This book happens to be among my favorites, not only for its content but also for the experience that brought me into possession of the book. I do intend to speak about the content but will deviate for a moment to expand upon the latter.

While living in upstate NY I spent plenty of time engrossed in readings about the human body, healthcare, wellness, diagnostics, techniques, patient communication....an endless list of topics devoted to my professional aspirations. On occasion I would find the need to escape this thrilling environment and exchange my vast collection for something a bit more leisurely. When I was really feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the process I would make this desire into a days adventure.

Ithaca was less than a hours drive along a beautiful stretch of Cayuga Lake. It was a charming community...best described as free spirited. The drive alone was enough to clear you head and bring a certain sense of grandeur back to life. I made the trip often in all seasons and for many reasons. Some trips I would make with a roommate or even a car load of other victims looking to shun their present responsibilities. We would often find good hiking spots, doing a little shopping in the crafty downtown area, or grab lunch at one of the local restaurants.

However, my favorite trips were the ones I made solo...particularly on chilly day where there was spark in your breath as it hit the air. This made the drive fascinating. The lake would be iced over at the edges, sparkling. I would sneak out early in the morning to avoid any possible Q&A about my plans. Upon arriving in Ithaca, I would spend the day bouncing between a local coffee shop and a used book store. This particular used book store seemed to captivate me on ever affair. I could spend literally hours upon hours wondering among the rows, shifting through pages, crouched in the corner reading through piles of novels. This is how I came to find Travels with Charley. It is actually a farely famous novel written by John Steinbeck, although I was not familiar with it before stumbling upon it. The copy I own is a tattered paperback. The pages have that soft feeling of thin, delicate paper, the cover is worn in and not as stable as it should be. The price is marked 75c. It's appearance is one of the reason I was initially attracted to it.

It is the captivating account of Steinbeck's personal journey across America in 1960. Steinbeck found that even at the approach of 60, he could not settle his reless nature and is neverending quest to understand. He set out to capture the spirit of our country accompanied only by his French poodle Charley. He prepared a special vehicle for the journey, which he comes to name Rocinante. This comes about from the name of Don Quixote's horse in a fictional 1960s Spanish novel. Quixoite has come to mean idealist or dreamer, which was the word many of Steinbeck's friends/family used regarding his quest.

Steinbeck captures a true sense of many aspects in our culture, even after a span of almost 5 decades. The perceptive nature of the novel was intriguing and innocent. I highly recommend this book and believe that each reader will take away a different account of the story. It's a leisure read...do not be frightened away by a previous experience with Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men.

While I'm in the mode of recommendations...pick up a Mason Jennings albumn. He's awesome!

Ready for planting

Due to our extremely busy schedules, we decided to hire someone to prepare the ground for our garden this summer...

This wasn't exactly the workforce we had in mind. I guess discounted rates come with a few drawbacks....

Project complete.

Posting my "To Do" list online proved to be fairly motivating. Jim and I decided against staining the window box which I think turned out to be a good call. From left to right: Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro. We've already used some of the cilantro in our turkey burgers Sunday night. It's going to be a delicious summer!!

Before.....

After....

grillin

summer is coming!

Cookie Sandwich

Warning: Reading the following may cause sudden nausea, vomiting, or stomach cramping. Contact your doctor if these symptoms persist or worsen.

We provide complimentary coffee, tea, water, soft pretzels, and cookies at the office. I was just informed that one my patients "Henritta" was caught stacking up a pile of special creations....chocolate chip cookies with brown mustard. Apparently she's been devulging in this treat for quite some time. It keeps her from eating bread.

What?!

Down to the wire

Would the Conshohocken Blockbuster customer in possesion of The Wire, Season 4, Disc 3 please return it ASAP. I've been waiting at least 4 weeks and I'm anticipating a rainy weekend! I have included a photograph to assist you. I appreciate your prompt response to this matter. Kindest regards.

Favorites

With the warm weather approaching who isn't looking for a cool and refreshing treat? Especially one that won't ruin on my dedicated efforts at the gym Ben & Jerry's FroYo is a new favorite treat. I highly recommend the Cherry Garcia. Other varieties I enjoy include Half Baked and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I DO NOT recommend the Strawberry Banana. Although I would recommend that same flavor of BoltHouse Farms smoothie. But the top vote in that catergory goes to the Perfectly Protein Vanilla Chai Tea. It's oh so heavenly.

Yum!

It is estimated that "20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year." I myself have an uncontrollable addiction for the stuff. There is no doubt it is a direct result of my upbringing. Candy corn has been a part of my life every autumn for as long as I can remember.

When the cool refreshing days of fall started to roll in a fresh batch candy corn/peanut mix would appear on the table and stay full until the frigid days of late November rolled around. When my birthday would approach in late October the decor of the kitchen would include a fresh table cloth, matching napkins, and of course a candy corn birthday cake!! It's sooo delicious!! My mom never missed a year.

Jim has faithfully carried on the tradition over the years that we've been cohabiting. He's even tried to incorporate my favorite confection into his gift giving. While recently transferring pictures to our new computer I came across these from several years ago.....

ooh. candy corn soda!

let me try a taste.

ugh. not my favorite!

jim, why don't you try it?

happy jim

"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." --Satchel Paige

For a little motivation and directly in response to my previous post, a re-post from the "blog" I use to keep on MySpace.....

A Morning High

May 4, 2006

Recently I've been feeling the build up of stress slowly creeping into my life. Not one specific thing that complete overwhelms me but a combination of personal, professional, commuting, financial, and of course family issues. In the past I have chosen various paths to control and eliminate stressful situations. At this point I broke it down to 2 choices, both of which where successful in previous trials....cigarettes or running. For those of you who are shocked or confused by the former of the two...Yes, I was a smoker for a period of time. I'm glad that I did not continue to engage in the habit, but at times I do miss the buzz of a good cigarette. It was an enticing idea for my current affair, especially for relief of my daily road rage. On this occasion I opted for the healthier choice and started running again.

There is nothing better than the feeling of becoming a runner again. This is possibly the longest period I've gone without running, so I was a bit intimidated by the idea and skeptical about how successful it would be. It felt good from the very first step....

With a gentle first step and the other foot instantly falling to the ground ahead of it, the run has started. Quickly I feel the air move over my face. At first my mind is dedicated to each movement. I feel my legs come forward with every step and concentrate on bringing each foot to the ground over and over again. I think about every breath. Then my step begins to settle into a cadence. The drum of my step, step, step falls in a rythmic dance with the effortless sway of my arms. I become unaware of my breathing. This is the moment when the minds just lets go and the natural glide takes over... focused but at the same time all thoughts are racing. It is release.

I feel liberated and forget my identity as a women and become a runner. I like the way the first trickles of sweat feel as they form along the temples of my face and over my ribs where my shirt touches my skin. I know it's Ok to let go of my polite mannerism. I spit whenever I have the urge and my face is stone with intensity. A hill approaches, so I dig my front foot down a little harder and pump my arms with a touch of aggression. At the top I feel stronger and settle into a decent pace again.

As I travel along the discomfort approaches. My oblique starts to ache and the stabbing makes me want to lean over, but I force myself to stay erect. The pinpoint pain at the edge of my scapula persists and creeps into the front of my chest. My breathing has become heavier, my chest feels tights (stupid asthma!). I will not stop at this point. The sun is behind me. The cool morning air surrounds me. I focus deeper, relax my shoulders, and let me arms fall back into rhythm. My legs start to burn. I push my pace harder. I am chasing my own shadow. Focus...1,2,1,2

At some moment realization sets in that there is nothing left...then it ends. At that very instant the weight of the world has been lifted. I am surrounded by a state of euphoria. The rush of endorphins overwhelms my subconscious. Whatever was encasing me is nowhere to be found. I feel my heart beating through every vessels. My air is restricted but I like the feeling. I love running for that very moment....

I realize quickly that my journey is not over. On this occasion I must make the trip back to the where I left my car. I walk lightly for a moment, then bounce into a slow pace of running. My rhythm returns quickly but much slower this time. The anxiety, conflict, and intensity that brought me to that run has left. It's a serenity and omission that will bring me back

Hot Cross Bun?

While searching through the file cabinets for a chart at work....

Lola: Doctor, you're getting a little pouch. Are you pregnant?

Me: No (imagine evil glare)

Lola: Are you sure?

Me: uh, yeah.

So, if you're looking for me, I will be at the gym, out running, doing sit-ups, or any other form of exercise.

Hi Jacob!!

My friend Sarah emailed me today asking for the link to my blog so she could check out what I'd been up to.  I'm sure she would've been sadly disappointed since prior to last week I just couldn't get into the groove of posting.  I thought these adorable photos of my visit to see her little guy, Jacob, might make up for dissatisfaction in the content.  

XoXo jake!!

Picture Day

Tomorrow is Picture Day at work. I'm still undecided about what to wear. My top choice at the moment is a plain black button up with this great necklace made of large black stones (or plastic that looks like black stones). I receive a lot of compliments on the necklace every time I wear it and it's much more elegant than the description implies. I'm also required to wear my white doctors jacket in the head shot so I thought he black would be a nice contrast. My second consideration is between a paler blue blouse with a small ruffle and a blue and white striped button up.

I'm having flashbacks of grade school...

such a lovely brooch.

are those glasses actually real?

and a beautiful stripped vest with a classic initial necklace....

Grande low fat mocha whipped....

I discovered I can drink coffee with a little Splendid and nothing else. Probably bad news.

To Do

things i really need to get done....

• Fix my shoes. I actually have several pair of dress/work shoes in need of minor repairs and all of them could use a good polishing.
• Download all the pictures from my camera. I got a new one in December and haven't downloaded even one! We finally broke down and bought a new computer which should be arriving any day, so that will hopefully stimulate me.
• Stain the new window box I purchased for the kitchen...to be followed by planting herbs in the window box
• Re-plant the spider plant who currently calls the window sill in the kitchen home. It's outgrown it's little pot and needs a new home.
• Deliver the house warming gift to Jon and Lorraine....going on 2 months since they moved in.
• Submit my wedding photos to "The Knot." Kim did such a great job. You can check them out on her photo blog
  
• Renew my passport
• Schedule my yearly appointments at the eye doc, OB/GYN, and dermatologist.
• Finish the scrapbook I started last September.
• Send out belated birthdays cards for the end of April and May birthdays which have passed and try to get cards to those who are in the near future.
• Post blogs.
  
• Add an extra day to my week.....