Happy Thanksgiving…Man-cation…Girls Weekend
Happy Thanksgiving! Bjorn and I are having a cozy weekend in Seattle, and we are both thrilled to get a break from the norm - work, school & traffic. We have sooooo much for which to be thankful!!! Our health, our family & friends, and each other top the list — but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Bjorn and I are truly blessed and are grateful every day for that.
November was a great month! (why does it have to get so busy that these have become monthly updates???!!) Among the highlights: weekends spent with my oldest friend, Sara Torgerson, in town for a med school rotation; and Bjorn was able to hit Vegas for a weekend with the guys from college. I think both of us were reminded again this month how dear our friends are to us, and we were so happy to have such great quality time with them. Bjorn of course did the usual Vegas/guys weekend stuff (steak dinners, roaming the strip and a little tennis) and T and I were able to do quite a bit of boutique shopping, coffee dates and yummy cafes with great wine :) Among the many day trips we took throughout the month, we spent a weekend in Orange County doing nothing but bonding - it was GREAT!
And on that note, we hope all our friends & loved ones are having quality time with their loved ones this weekend - tis the season!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Where’d October Go….????
Hello! Well, I don’t know what happened, but all of a sudden it is November, and I can hardly believe it. October was a good and busy month…..Here are some of the highlights:
Bjorn’s first round of second-year exams came and went. As exams go, it was the usual: eat, sleep, study, repeat — for about 2 - 2.5 weeks. Aside from the fact that Bjorn really is having to study more this year than he did last, overall, the first exams were nothing out of the ordinary. He did well, and that is always a great reward 
The weekend prior to his tests, I was able to get out of town while he was holed up, and take a trip to New Orleans, LA. My cousin was married that weekend, but because I have no paid time off at work yet, I opted for the whirlwind “no days off work” version of vacation. I really got more than I bargained for in several respects — but it was well worth the trip. I was only away from home for about 36 hours, which was one reason it was a nutty trip. The second unique piece was that I have never been to New Orleans before - and it was great. However, the main thing that shook up my whole trip (besides spraining my ankle on the way home - a whole other story) was the absolute shock that I experienced on seeing the city, one year plus-Post Katrina. If any of you are like me, you may have nearly forgotten about Katrina, and certainly have put it to the back of your mind. It’s only natural - we don’t hear about it every day anymore. But please don’t let the fact that it is in the back of your mind stop you from keeping the city of New Orleans and the residents, in your prayers. The destruction, devastation and just sheer mess that I saw, were mind-boggling. If I hadn’t known better, I would never have believed the storm was over a year ago - parts of the city are in complete and total shambles! It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen, and it was upsetting to hear the stories of people who lost everything. I know that is what happened - I saw it unfold on TV. Seeing on TV and having people tell you that they lost everything - EVERYTHING are such vastly different experiences. Parts of the city made me feel as though I were in a 3rd world country - It was beyond description.
In spite of the sad circumstances within certain parts of the city, and the way that seeing it first hand shook me up, I DID have a wonderful trip. I got to see the French Quarter and eat real cajun food :) And, it was so great to see my mom and the rest of my family. (Yes, I fell down a stair - it was pitch black in my defense! - and sprained my ankle on the way to the cab for the airport. It was horrrrrible trying to travel back home and I am still limping! Thankfully it wasn’t broken….!!!)
The only other (photo-worthy at least) highlight of October was our pumpkin-carving session with Steve and Annie. We did the pumpkin patch and everything - fun! And, as can only be the case in California where real-estate values rise faster than anyone ever thought humanly possible - it’s a good thing we did do the pumpkin patch, cause next year it’ll be a Target!
As always, I uploaded some pictures of my trip, so enjoy!
