Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Major Ketchup

I cannot believe I let it go this long without posting an update! At home (in Charlotte!) last weekend, several people commented on "following [our] adventures in SF," and I realized I had not shared any recent adventures. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures to offer, but Adam and I have been on 2 exciting trips that deserve sharing.

CORONADO 
We spent Labor Day weekend in Coronado with Adam's parents, and, as usual, had a fantastic time with them. It was exciting for me to see the place Adam grew up going to with his family, and I know the Lewkowitzes were happy to share it with me. 3 uninterrupted days together was exactly what we needed.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon (flight delay due to fog = going to try morning flights from Oakland in the future) and, after a delicious seafood lunch, went right to the beach.  This is pretty much the only picture from the weekend (via Cathy's phone, so between the wind and glare from the sun, it isn't the best quality):
One of the Lewkowitz's family friends was also in Coronado, so we had drinks with them before a relaxing dinner and walking around the main streets of the island. It was wonderful to be in a WARM beach town spending quality time with family.

Sunday was another day spent totally at the beach, alternatively reading and body surfing (Adam)/attempting to boogie board (me) and napping. Tough, right? Also, thanks the the globs of sunscreen constantly applied, no sunburn! (Cathy said she's never used so much sunscreen before...you're welcome!) We also enjoyed a few walks, all the way to the military bases on either end of the beach. We passed an area known as "Dog Beach," because dogs can be off their leashes. Adam and I loved it; dogs of all sizes, ages, and breeds chasing balls in the water. It was a lot of fun to see!

Herman took a few videos of our water adventures. I'll share Adam's because I was a total goofball, as an East Coaster who grew up thinking that the ocean was basically a warm, gentle wave pool. Not so on this coast! The water was significantly colder and the waves significantly larger, even though this was not the beach with good waves, according to Adam. I had no idea what I was doing, but Adam was a great teacher, and I managed to catch a few waves. (PS: I learned my lesson on the first day: body surfing or boogie boarding or whatever you choose should be done in a 1 piece. That is all). Adam LOVES bodysurfing, so he was in heaven in the ocean. It made for a fantastic weekend in a place he just loves.
We both had a wonderful time with Cathy and Herman, laughing nonstop throughout the weekend. We cannot wait to do it again next summer, wedding style!

CHARLOTTE
We took a red-eye to Charlotte last Friday to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with my family. Ridiculous story learned about residency to share: see below. Again, I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it was to be together for multiple days uninterrupted, and also to share that time with family. We had a fantastic visit with my parents, and I was particularly happy to be able to share my childhood holiday traditions with Adam.

We spent Saturday (after a morning nap) in downtown Charlotte, at a wine tasting/craft fair called Sip and Stroll. It was a little overrated in the art department, but we definitely enjoyed drinking wine all afternoon. I also enjoyed seeing a different side of Charlotte; it has changed immensely from when I was growing up, and I love seeing the growing culture. (Side note: throughout the DNC, I kept saying, "I'm just so proud of little ol' Charlotte!" - I kept reading articles about it JUST to see the headline start Charlotte, NC--. Nerdy, but so fun). After a delicious dinner at home, we went to my friend's beautiful house to hang out with some of the people I grew up with and have known literally my entire life. After a challenging few weeks at school, it just felt good to be with people I love.

Sunday was a day of cooking and relaxing in preparation for a Rosh Hashanah feast with close friends. I hope I learn how to make brisket, matzah ball soup, challah, and the other yummy foods as well as my mom makes them. I also hope I learn the art of Jewish cooking: making enough food to feed 1,000 people when you only have 20 coming over! We went to Temple on Monday and lunch afterwards at a friend's, and we saw basically everyone I would have wanted to see. I couldn't wait for Adam to see the beautiful synagogue (though the service was not so stellar) and meet people who watched and helped me grow up. What a way to make a girl happy.

Unfortunately, we went right to the airport from there. While I was sad that such an anticipated trip was over (still am!), it was actually harder to say goodbye to Adam - he is currently in Phoenix for the rest of the week (vacation 1 of residency!), while I came home to go back to work. I love seeing him so relaxed and happy, and it was much needed after a challenging week of a new rotation. Speaking of that ridiculous story...

Adam started a rotation at SFGH (county hospital, located on the other side of San Francisco from our apartment) last Monday. He drives daily, while I take the shuttle, but to avoid having to pay a ridiculous amount for a parking space, he parks on a hill behind the hospital. When I say hill, I mean vertical. It's insane! Anyway, he was getting home around 8:45 every night last week because there was just so much to do and so many sick patients. This clearly made me nervous for our 10:20 flight. I got us takeout from Adam's favorite Thai restaurant so we could just eat and run, but by 8:00, he still wasn't home. (PS: we live about 30 minutes from the airport and had to deal with long-term parking).  He finally got home at 8:50 to find me waiting in the lobby with our stuff. He ran upstairs to change and shower (stinky after a long day with a long flight ahead) and I threw our stuff in the car. I drove so he could scarf down food, and we made it to the airport around 9:15...only to find out that long-term parking is off-site. AHHHH I started to FREAK OUT (while driving) because we didn't even have our boarding passes!! We finally parked and got our stuff when I spotted the shuttle - this was it! We couldn't miss it! I literally ran, carrying a hanging suit bag, when suddenly...I was out of control...and face planted. Then slid. On the cement. Adam was laughing hysterically, and all I felt were 2 holes in my yoga pants and burning knees. When was the last time you skinned your knees? Honestly? You were probably not 27....However, we did make it on that shuttle and to the airport at 9:45. We got to the gate and basically walked onto the plane. Whew! Lesson learned: residency is crazy and unpredictable. And you shouldn't run when you're anxious :)

More day-to-day life to come!

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