Wedding Invites and Other Things

I woke up today not realizing that we had made the "fall back" time change. I arrived at Baylor Family Practice clinic in Garland at 7:00am only to be alone in the whole parking lot. Paul even told me about the time change the night before, but somehow I didn't heed the info. . .well, I took a nap in the car before the doors to the clinic opened.

After work today, I attended my first step aerobics class in years. It turns out Baylor-Garland, my current rotation site, is just 15 minutes down the street from TI and Texins Activity Center! I finally put my gym membership to good use and attended my first group exercise class there. Plus, I avoided the Dallas traffic.

Doing step aerobics is much like riding a bicycle, even after years of inactivity, you still remember it. The class today brought me back to my college days when I taught step aerobics and reminded me how less fit I am now. Although I survived the class, I would not be able to teach a class due to SOB (shortness of breath.) It was really fun to be back in aerobics again! It was good to be just exercising!

When I got home, Paul had dinner cooked and ready. How lovely it was to eat good food cooked by hubby! He even washed the dishes. I'm really grateful!

My day got better when I found out we received two wedding invitations for back to back weekends in December. I really love weddings!! Since this is the season in our life when we get to attend friends' weddings, I want to enjoy this time as much as I can. The last wedding we were invited to we were unable to go because I was on call for internal medicine rotation. I'm still feeling bad about it, especially because the wedding was that of a childhood friend's.

So, the first wedding on December 2 is in Arkansas, and the other on December 9 is in Dallas. I will be on my PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation) rotation, and I'm pretty sure I'll have weekends off to live my life.

I'm going to bed now. I have Grand Rounds at 7:00am tomorrow. More on my new rotation month at Baylor later.

Lexus Cars and KFC's Drumsticks

So, what do those two things have in common? Well, the signs of the times. And things that make me happy, or at least make my life better.

Lexus' new LS sedans have an auto-parallel park feature! As someone who somehow got her driver's license without mastering the art of parallel park, I'm so glad to hear cars now are equipped with the intelligence to do it for me! I've never paralled parked, but now I can in the future! Who knows, maybe hubby will even buy me Lexus one day!

So, now to KFC. Fried chicken is Paul's all-time favorite American food. There were months where he bought Poppey's fried chicken every Tuesday (their 89 cent special). I cringed at how unhealthy fried chicken is, though that didn't stop me from helping hubby out with the feast most of the time. To think, I never remember eating fried chicken before meeting Paul! KFC just announced that their fried food will be made with trans fat-free oil to be in total effect by April, 2007. They haven't figured out a recipe for the biscuits, though! Still, it's pretty good news!

Wooho for science and the future!

The Simple Life

Sometimes I gaze into your face,
And think of the simplicity of your existence,

You don’t need to put on clothes, make-up,
or even take a shower to look your best.

When you’re hungry, you eat.
No need to think of calories, nutrition or your figure.
You don’t say, “hey, I had that last night.”
You eat what’s in front of you,
And don’t seem to enjoy it any less.

To sleep, all you do is put your head down and close your eyes.
You don’t toss and turn and think of the day.
You don’t mind if a big hand is resting on your tummy,
Or you’re sleeping on middle of the floor.
Bed of grass and 500-count threaded sheets are all the same to you.

You don’t live in a world of words,
You have just one, “meow.”
You’re never tongue-tied or worry you’ve said the wrong thing.

You’re happily oblivious of the clock,
And spend the day as you please.
No appointments, deadlines, or wake-up calls.

I gaze into your face,
And think, how splendid is the feline existence!

Mountain Biking

The weather these few days have been PERFECT for biking outdoors. We started biking this summer in 100 degree weather, so I really appreciate the cool wind in my face.

This is the LB Houston trails in Irving. Really great for beginners like me. The trail is flat except for few small hills, it's very narrow, and have lots of curves. Most of the trail is shaded under a canopy of tree branches and leaves. I am much slower than Paul, so he bikes ahead of me and warns me of the occasional log, dangerous curve or hill ahead.

I think this is a cool picture of Paul that I took. We played around with the color, contrast, focus, etc. to give it this final look. This, as well as the scenery picture below were also taken at LB Houston recently.



Storage solutions. Here's how we store our bikes in our apartment. Can't wait to have a house, really need the garage space and closet space!!

Fall/Winter Shopping 2006

I went shopping recently. I've noticed that I go through a shopping spurt once every season. Here are some of my finds.

I only believe in paying big money for items that will last, quality and style-wise, like a good pair of sports shoes or a leather jacket. As a slave to fashion, most of the clothes I like will be sadly out of fashion by end of the season, so I don't like to spend too much money on them. (I'm a student with debts, afterall!) I just discovered that Target has some of the most trendy clothes for very inexpensive prices. I found the following skinny jeans on sale at Target for like $8. One may asks, "what kind of jeans can you get for $8??" Well, very comfortable-wearing and good-looking ones, actually! The price was a little unblievable to me, too, but they are in this fall and winter.

I've been looking for sexy high-heeled shoes like these for a while. I bought these Isaac Mizhari ones from Target. Think they will look good with the skinny jeans. I've never wore high heels before this. They are so darn painful to wear! But I do like to put them on once in a while, perhaps it's an inspiration from Carrie in Sex and the City. They are not Jimmy Choos but glad I didn't have to pay Jimmy Choo price either.

Also, bought some light brown boots like below to wear with skinny jeans and skirts.

Also bought some tops and jackets. It was quite a shopping spree, but I'm done 'til at least early next spring. Budget, time, nor closet space allow me to shop anymore!

Housewarming Party

Typically Saturday night is our small group Bible Study time. Tonight, however, we all went over to a couple of new friends' house. They are a Malaysian family that just moved here and the husband works at TI, like most men in our circle of friends. Here are some pictures we took.

What If. . .

So I was just randomly thinking one day. . .What if everyone in the world had the power of telepathy? Yes, everyone will be able to know what another person is thinking by just willing it. I came to the conclusion that the world will become utterly chaotic. People will become violent towards perfect strangers just because of negative and prejudiced thoughts that goes on in people's minds. Will we shut off our telepathy long enough to get anything done in our day-to- day life and work? Perhaps the already low voter turnout will decrease to nil because people will know all politicians' true motives and inner thoughts. Or perhaps, the opposite will happen, only the truly honest-hearted politicians will be voted into office. Relationships of all levels will break down because people know the thought life of everyone else. Will there be more divorces because spouses find out their spouses are really not who they thought they were? Or will more romances occur because previously shy secret admirers will come together? Friendships will clash and collapse once when we learn what friends really think. But maybe we'll just learn who our true friends are? Will there be any pastors, preachers, ministers or holy men left? Won't we just learn that they have just as shockingly sinful thoughts as we? Or maybe, we'll be touched by how closely they walk with God in prayers?

I am just glad, in the world outside of my imagination, telepathy isn't real. However, I mustn't forget that GOD is someone who DOES know every single one of our thoughts.

1 Chronicles 28:9
for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.

Psalm 139:2
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The Bible also teaches us to guard our thoughts and be disciplined in it so that our thoughts might be wholesome. I know my own thought life falls far short of God's ideal and the following verse is a good reminder to me.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Houston Trip

We just returned from our 3-days and 2-nights trip from Houston, TX. This was our first trip together as a married couple, not counting our trips to Arkansas to see my parents, of course. We had a great trip. The main purpose was to visit TECO (Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office) for Paul's visa reasons. We stayed at the Lovett Inn, a small bed and breakfast place in downtown Houston, just minutes away from TECO and the museum district. It's a lovely historic mansion that used to belong to the mayor of Houston. It was both of our first time to stay in a BB. The best thing about a BB is the homey atmosphere. A big black friendly dog named Cody sat inside the hallway all day long. There were also free DVD's to take back to our room and free breakfast all day long.

This is what we saw on a highway overpass while we were stuck in Houston's afternoon traffic. "No Torture! Drive Out the Bush Regime! Honk to Impeach." I don't agree with the sign's politics, but what a testament to America's freedom of speech.

All of the following pictures are taken at the Downtown Aquarium on our first night in Houston. We also took pictures at the zoo, but those are on a disposable digital camera (not yet developed) since our regular camera's battery was left uncharged the night before:(.

Felt like a kid again riding the ferris wheel and carousel. The rides were just outside the aquarium.

Not sure what happened with the backgrounds of the 2 pictures above, but pretty neat-looking.

This is my favorite fish at the aquarium: the lionfish.

My second favorite fish: the Mexican walking fish. Cool legs!

More pictures to come from the Houston Zoo!

An October Weekend

Wow, it's really almost winter time. The hot October days (temp in the 90's) of last week have turned into a cold and wet weekend. It's been raining most of this Sunday today. Just reminded me again how I would hate to live in Seattle.

I'm glad this weekend is almost over. First, because it was drill weekend and second because hubby was not home. Drill weekend means early mornings and long days. I'm in the Texas Army National Guard Medical Command. Mornings are fine because we stay busy running soldiers through their physical exams. The afternoons, however, consist of torturous boredom of sitting around waiting to be dismissed. I really need to bring reading material next time!!

Paul had a much better weekend than I had. He went with his friend, Adrian, to a men's retreat titled "Men of Influence" in Tyler, Texas. Mountain biking, fishing, canoeing, and healthy dose of God's word. . .I think he had quite a bit of fun without me. One complaint he had, however, was the food. Poor guy, three days of burgers and casseroles were just too much for him. We celebrated his return tonight with dinner at Red Lobster's. Here are some pictures from Paul's trip:

Paul with Adrian at Pine Cove Christian Camp. Adrian's church (Stonbriar in Frisco) holds this men's retreat every year.

Hubby's new passion: mountain biking. Cement is not much of a challenge, though.

Tyler, two hours east of Dallas, is unlike any other place in Texas; it's known for tall pine trees, lush greenery, and beautiful roses.

I liked this picture the best out of Paul's collection, so serene and lovely. He can be quite the photographer!

My Day Off and Some Happy News (Xi Shi)

Had today off from the ER. I had high hopes of cleaning our apartment and putting away clutter so my hubby could be surprised by a spic 'n span home. But all I did was wash the dishes and fold the laundry (Kitty will miss her laundry basket of a bed she's had last couple of days.) Sometimes, I just don't have the motivation to do what I desire, I suppose. I let myself go because it's my "off" day. I slept a lot. Woke up at 11:00am and took nap with Kitty in the afternoon. I did watch a Hong Kong romantic comedy, "Turn Left Turn Right," that I enjoyed very much. I decided I'll watch more Chinese movies, my Chinese needs some improvement. Below are two pictures of the lead actors.

This is Gigi Leung, actress from Hong Kong. Check out her fashion in the movie, very typical of Asian girls. The mismatched colors and patterns, very playful, is it not?

Mr. Takeshi Kaneshiro, an actor of Japanese and Taiwanese descent.

Now on to three pieces of xi shi, or good news:

1. Paul finally got his green card!! Now he's officially a permanent resident and in three years time, he will become a citizen!! More practically for us, this means we'll be able to travel abroad!! More on this later.

2. My best friend Laurel just gave birth to her baby #2, little boy Zachary on October 5!! Pics at www.twonafishfamily.blogspot.com

3. Two friends of ours in Arkansas just got engaged. I heard from the grapevine.

Traveling....
Was having a conversation this past weekend with friends, and Paul and I decided we are the least traveled couple we know! A married couple had just returned from New York, another couple was planning a Hawaii trip for winter break. Most of my friends, married or single have been out of the country in the past year or atleast traveled to Colorado, etc. Paul and I did not have a honeymoon due to timing and school schedule. School has allowed me very little break. All the holidays we've had, we've spend in Arkansas with my parents, which I'm happy we did. Another reason for lack of travel, of course, had been Paul's visa situation. Finally, we've also decided that we're just two homebodies that are content with a nice dinner in a local restaurant or movie at home.

"You two should really travel before you have babies or else you'll regret it," warned our friends. They are right, of course. I've always fancied myself as someone who enjoys the adventure of visiting far away places. Now that Paul has no travel restrictions, and I have more time before residency starts, I can plan and dream away!

A Traveling Wish list, if you will:

1. Carribean or Hawaiian cruise (this is number one on my list to makeup for our honeymoon. Also, want to have a reason to wear my first bikini.)

2. Malaysia (we have many good friends from there, would love to see their country, eat fresh durian and seafood.)

3. Taiwan and China (Paul and I have never been to each other's homeland, what a trip it'd be to see the places we each grew up in!)

4. Ghana, Africa (Paul spend many years there just before coming to the US.)

5. East coast (I've never been to New York, Boston, Maine, etc. 'Nough said.)

Just Another Day at Work

I am just not a morning person! Getting out of bed this morning at 5:30am felt much like the work of Atlas carrying Earth up the hill. Only with the fear of facing turtle-speed traffic to Dallas and showing up late in the ER, did I drag myself through the morning routine of getting ready. While in the car, I was still feeling groggy-brained and resentful. Then, I thought, "I don't want to start my day like this. I have 12 hours ahead of me." I made a little prayer in the car, "God, please make today matter, make it worthwhile for getting so early out of my comfy bed. I want to learn something today that would be of value to my future patients." I felt much more positive and energetic after that.

Today was my first day working with a PA in the fast-track section of the ER. That means mid-levels practioners who see "colds and minor cuts" type of stuff as well as pediatric and OB/Gyn patients. Well, there was nothing boring with any of that. Our first patient of the day was diagnosed with appendicitis (lesson to self: have a high suspicion for acute appendicitis, the pt won't always look as much in pain as you think they should). As a plus, I loved working with the PA, she was young, not any older than me and have be working for less than a year. She was easy-going and carried herself with aplomb and voiced herself with authority. After suturing a wound (dog bite) with her, she asked me if I'd be comfortable sewing up the next patient's laceration by myself. I said "sure" although I was so nervous I nearly took my answer back. To the experienced, this was as commonplace as tying your shoe, but to me, the novice, it was an much skilled endeavor.

I gathered all my stuff: sterile saline with betadine mixture, needle syringe with 1% Lidocaine, Prolene 5-0, suture kit, sterile gloves, etc. The patient, who was there with his wife, had sustained a small laceration to his arm from hitting a jagged pole. The wife said to me, "Can I watch you? You won't believe how I'd like to watch this kinda of stuff!" Oh no, I thought, not only am I nervous and inexperienced, the wife of the patient is going to watch! I begain be injecting the wound area with Lidocaine, this is the most painful part for the patient. Then I irrigated the wound with the saline + betadine solution. I felt like it took me forever to to do the first two sutures. I just didn't quite have the wrist coordination to smoothly maneuver the needle driver and suture needle.

"What is that suture technique called?", asked the wife.

"Umm, it's called 'interrupted sutures.'" The only type I knew. I was just glad she didn't ask how many times have you done this?

"The way you tie it, that's how I crochet!" she exclaimed.

"Oh really? I've never done crocheting. If one day I get better at suturing, maybe I can crochet!" I said.

Some brisk bleeding, pressure applied with gauze and two more sutures later, I was done! I went to get the PA to check out the "handiwork" as she likes to call it. She said I did just fine.

I thanked the patient and his wife for being so patient with me.

"Oh, you did a beautiful job. Soon, you'll be suturing like the rest of 'em!" the wife said to me.

I thanked her again. Secretly, I was fearing that maybe the sutures were too tight and the skin would turn black and necrose. . .or a large hematoma would form inside the suture because I didn't use the lidocaine with epinepherine, or maybe the patient would get compartment syndrome and need emergent surgery. . .

Seriously, I'm so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to practice suturing AND to have done it with a very wonderful couple. While the PA had offered me the opportunity, the patient's wife had given me the encouragement I so needed. That was an answer to my prayer this morning. Thank you, God!

In Pursuit of Perfect Skin, part I

Funny Story (if you're not me): We were at a friend's house the other day. A little girl there, who's the daughter of our close friends, likes to play "point and ask." Well, she pointed at a protruding pimple on my chin and as innocently and seriously as can be in front of everyone, asked, "what's that?" If she could see my blemish under makeup, then I guess I wasn't fooling anyone!! Agg!!

Okay, maybe I can't have perfect skin, but at least good skin. Recently I'm plagued by a bad case of breakout, red painful nodular acne around my chin mainly. It started right before I left for Tyler, TX (for my month-long pulmonology rotation) and got worse there in east Texas. This is most definitely hormonal and stress-related. (I don't like being away from home very much.) My doctor prescribed me Clindamyacin (antibiotic) wipes and Retin-A Microgel. Alone with Proactive facial cleanser, the trio have worked really well in just a week! There's still some blotchy redness below my chin, but the hard nodularity is almost all gone. I do have a bit of dry skin now, which is helped with cream. I had much worse acne in high school and college but Accutane finally worked for me. I hope to never have to take that medicine again! "Flawless skin" has always been like a fleeting visitor at best for me. I don't want to complain as I know my skin can be worse and it has been.

Fancy Fruits

I was in an Asian grocery store with hubby recently and suddenly had the craving for durian. Perhaps it was the smell flowing through the air? I found my way to a large crate of fresh durian, some were already cracked, exposing the creamy yellow flesh and particular aroma. When we got to the checkout counter, it was $20 ($4.99/lb)! The cashier asked me if I still wanted it, I impulsively said “yes.” Then she asked if I ever tried it, and it’s “yes” again. It’s the only fruit I know that comes with a warning label for it’s smell and taste!

Didn’t mean to spend quite so much on a fruit, but oh well. Here are a couple of pictures of the durian with a lime next to it for size. Luckily both Paul and I like the taste. How can one enjoy it with the other hating it? Durian is a controversial fruit, indeed. Either you are repulsed by the pungent smell (onion-like with a touch of banana sweetness) or you love its unique flavor. Durian is a native Southeast Asian fruit, it’s name means “thorny” in Malay.

I always like to know the nutrition of the food I eat so I did some research. (See right, 243 grams is about 1 cup) I was once told that durian is high in cholesterol. Not true! It has no cholesterol, only unsaturated fat, which is the good kind of fat. It’s also very high in potassium and vitamin C. Very nutritious but high in calories.

Another fruit hubby and I have been enjoying lately is fresh jujube, also known as Chinese date or zao. I'm used to eating the dried form which is used a lot in Chinese cooking, but I've only recently started eating fresh jujube. It tastes like apple but not quite as juicy or sweet. Just really simple and earthy, you know?

I took the picture on the left, and found the tree-bearing picture on the internet.

Interview with Kitty, Spoiled and Pampered.

What is your typical day like?
1. Find at least one new place to nap.
2. Beg for kitty snacks.
3. Explore and sniff uncharted territories: the socks drawer, boxes laying around, nooks and crannies in the closet, etc.
4. Play hide-n-seek with mommy and daddy. They normally give in and have to bribe me out with kitty snacks!
5. Meticululously clean every inch of myself with tongue. Then repeat.
6. “Get cozy” with the neighborhood birds and mice, then prey on them! Hmm, I don’t think the three bells around my neck is hampering me.
7. Make nests out of fresh laundry in the dryer.
8. Purrrr.

What type of cat are you?
I am a domestic shorthair, specifically, a torby. That means I'm a tortoiseshell and tabby mix. By the way, 99.5% of tortoiseshell cats are female!

Where did your name "Kitty" come from?
From mommy and daddy, of course. I think I was named after Eric's mother from That Seventy's Show.

Complete this sentence “All you have to do to love me is...."
1. Feed me on demand.
2. Let me sleep next to you.
3. Pet my head until I fall asleep.
4. Let me go exploring outside and no curfew!

What are you favorite toys?
1. Ping-pong balls
2. Boxes

What things do you do to annoy your humans?
1. Bite their ankles (just enough to get their attention).
2. Scratch and sharpen my claws on their shoes.
3. Roll around in dirt before their eyes.

What are you pet peeves?
1. Being held against my will.
2. Humans sleeping in on weekends and not feeding me on time.
3. Being given a bath!

What is your favorite quote?
"There is not enough time in a day to do all the nothings I want." --Calvin and Hobbs.


Questions that Kitty will not answer:
How old are you?
Where did you come from?
What happened to your tail?
Where do you go and what do you do outside when we are not home?

Everyone should have some mysteries, I suppose!

Friday Night in the ER

If you want to see the nastiness and craziness of the world, just spend some time in a ER on a Friday night. Stab and gunshot wounds, meth overdose, alcohol intoxication and one MVA trauma after another. The MVA (motor vehicle accidents) were 100% alcohol-related the night I was there, and incidentally all young males. After seeing half a dozen gruesome MVA trauma cases, I’m not sure I ever want to drive again!

I just started my ER rotation in a Dallas downtown hospital. This whole week consisted of 12-hour night shifts, 7pm-7am. After 12 hours of work, sleeping for 8 hours, driving time, eating and showering, everything starts over again. Needless to say, I haven’t seen my husband hardly at all. It’s a little strange get off work and then go to work on the same day. Another change of habits this week, I’m eating one meal a day, albeit it’s a BIG meal between 3pm-6pm, the only time I’m not sleeping or working. My cutie cat, the biggest daytime/anytime sleeper I know, have been sleeping with me during the day! So grateful that she’s keeping me company.

Despite the schedule, I’m enjoying myself tremendously on this rotation. It’s a very fast-paced environment, never know who’s going to come through the door. I got to put in my first Foley catheter last night! Actually it was around 2am. I met a really chatty and friendly EMT guy named Barry (not real name) who was eager to teach. Foley catheter placement is quite easy actually. Felt bad for the patient, (intoxicated and had fallen on his head), because it was uncomfortable; perhaps it wouldn’t have hurt so much if he wasn’t struggling and yelling so much. Later that early morning, a drug overdose patient came in, Barry, asked if I wanted to put in an IV in the arm. I said sure, but I really should have said let me watch this one first. The needle went in the vein easily (he had the biggest vein), but I just didn’t quite get how to advance the IV catheter. Luckily, Barry and the nurse finished it off without incidence. Perhaps I should play with the IV needle before I try again. All procedures take a lot of coordination and practice. I also got to staple a scalp laceration, another simple procedure. Interesting pathologies: I saw a case of secondary syphilis and bacterial meningitis.

Interesting side note, ER staff likes to take friendly bets on what the BAL (blood alcohol level) of intoxicated patients are. I’m not good enough to play the game yet.

It’s easy to see why the ER doctors are all so cynical. Of course, many people, maybe even “most people” come to the ER for legitimate reasons. Scattered among the legit patients, there’s the category of people who come to the ER, “looking for snacks,” an euphemism for pain med addicts shopping for narcotics in the ER. After you see the fifth one of the night, you get a little jaded whenever someone tells you they are in a lot of pain and needs pain meds. Even after the most extensive workup all come back negative: x-rays, CT scans, physical exam, and blood tests, I suppose no one can really say whether another person is in pain or not. Without fail, they all get what they come for, vicodin, hydrocodone, and even morphine IV sometimes and then they are sent on their way until next time. You just don’t want to miss the person who’s in real pain and needs meds to control it….but there are some Signs that make you suspicious:
1. Patient don’t have a PCP (primary care physician). So you can’t check his medical history.
2. Same old story: Patient is from out-of-town, forgot his pain meds, accidentally dropped it all down the toilet, the dog ate it, someone stole it, etc. Pain pills are to be treated like money, if you lose it, it's gone, and can't be replaced.
3. Patient says he’s allergic to Tylenol and other NSAIDS or that he’s tried them and the pain is still there.
4. When you examine the patient, he’s in tons of pain, but his vitals are stable. When you leave and then look back on him later, he’s lying comfortably on his stretcher and sleeping.

Although I’m very glad for my month of ER experience, it is definitely not the place where I want to work.