Match Day Revealed!!

News came to me this morning that I matched into Methodist Medical Center Internal Medicine program, my first choice!! I still can't believe it, I'm shaking a little, in fact!!

Nikenpoop and TV

I have a new favorite word, nikenpoop. Doesn't it sound funny?? I heard it on TV today. The meaning of nikenpoop according to www.urbandictionary.com is "a word used to describe someone in a bad way. If they are being annoying or dumb, you call them a ninkenpoop."

Thanks to TV, nikenpoop is now in my vocabulary! TV can be entertaining in more than one way! I know friends that have renounced TV for the simpler or less trashy life, perhpas. I, for one, am a TV-lover. These days especially, I have been watching a lot of TV. My first two years of medical school, I lived without one, and will probably do so again out of necessity once internship starts. But for now, I love TV. It is a companion while I wash dishes and fold laundry and resting and eating, etc. My habit of TV-watching has come in handy this month with Dr.S. There's a lot of down time with him in the clinic and we often turn to the topic of TV shows. One of his regulars is "House," and we had a somewhate "educational" discussion of it today. Since TV is unabashedly a big part of my life, here's a list of some shows I'm a big fan of these days:

1. Kings and Queens (TV couples don't get funnier than these two!)
2. Gilmore Girls (love their witty fast talks)
3. America's Next Top Model (fashionistas and Tyra!)
4. Grey's Anatomy (getting a little less appealing, unfortunately)
5. Ugly Betty (she could be my best friend!)
6. Brothers and Sisters (makes me wants to have a lot of babies and make a BIG family)
7. Heros (hmm, mainly watch with hubby)
8. House (I could potentially get into this, maybe I'll rent the DVDs)

I Matched!!!

So now, on Thursday I found out where!

What Did You Say?

Had this conversation with hubby recently:

P: "Did you know that cats in the wild eat dirt to kill themselves when they get sick?"

L: "Eww, that's horrible! Don't tell me that!"

P: "Horrible, why is it horrible?! I think that's pretty smart of them."

L: "Smart?! I don't want to hear about cats dying. . ."

After a few confused rounds, I finally realized what hubby had actually said was, "Did you know that cats in the wild eat herbs to heal theselves when they get sick?"

Ha, ha, I thought that was funny.

Our Saturday.

We had lunch in a small Taiwanese eatery in Chinatown today. If you can get over the rather offensive odor of stinky tofu that is served there, the food is really yummy and authentic. After lunch, Paul played badminton while I settled with a book for a few hours at Texins, the activity center for TIers. And I brought my camera along just for kicks. Later that evening, we went to our usual small group Bible study where we had some rather lively discussions and conversations.

Hubby's favorite sport and favorite time of the week: badminton.

Here's me outside of Texins.

My spring outfit: comfy t-shirt, skinny jeans, and wedge peep-toe shoes. It's my only day to dress up in fun clothes as I'm either wearing unflattering scrubs or boring house clothes during the week.

A Good Day

I had a thoroughly good day today. I was home all day, nothing extraordinary or particularly wonderful happened, just a typical laid back day filled with mundane activities. But I really appreciate the "everyday" day, the expected and the normal. I appreciate what's not in my day (stress and work) as much as I appreciate what is in it. I can call my own shots, do things on my own schedule, and work as hard or as little as I like. I love it!

I had an early doctor's appointment. Then I came home and started my day as a slave in the kitchen, a willing slave, I might add. It's our turn to bring the food for Bible study tomorrow night. I got into my head to pre-make baozi for the group. I tripled the batch this time. While the yeast dough was rising for three hours, I took a nap with Kitty and then went jogging for 45 minutes. What a beautiful sunny day it was!

After the baozi was made, I started on dinner for hubby. After dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, I made daikon and pork rib soup for tomorrow's dinner. Then I tripled-washed a couple of times what seemed like an insane amount of spinach, also for tomorrow night. We all know how much spinach shrink with cooking so I hope it's enough for 8 people! Finally, I double-tasked TV watching and dish washing to finish the day off. I was really tired after all that. But it was a 'good' tired, like I can sit back on the couch without guilt and just enjoy the soreness of my muscles knowing its there for a good reason. There is still laundry that need to be folded, but no problem, there's tomorrow, I have no deadline to meet and no boss to answer to! I still have several pages in "The Jesus I Never Knew" to read for tomorrow's lesson, and that shall be my last task of the night. Meanwhile hubby is studying through the night.

I have decided to postpone my scarf-knitting 'til next month because I realize I'm getting too busy. It's enough that I initiated myself into the art of knitting for now. Here's my weekly schedule this month: spending roughly 20 hours at "work," exercising (jogging and aerobics classes) 2-3 times a week, cooking dinner and washing dishes daily, doing laundry, grocery shopping and other things that a housewife do to keep the home functioning. I am behind in studying for my CS exam, and I really need to step up thereby the decision to postpone my scarf-making. In fact, I'll celebrate the end of the exam with shopping for yarn in April.

Kitty has been sleeping what seemed like all day today. She sleeps a lot already, so more than usual for her means I have hardly seen her move. In fact, she only went out once. I would wake her up by picking her up, and when I put her down somewhere, she would go right back to sleep. Just today, she has slept on the bed, on the couch, on a chair, on the carpet, on the tile, in the closet, and in her "hole." Hubby surmised that she might have a fever. She's had her usual good appetite today so I'm not too worried that she's sick, but still, why sleep so much, Kitty?? I wish I could just ask her! I Googled "cat with fever" for enlightenment. BTW, I have been increasing my knowledge of veterinary medicine, but of course that's the natural thing to do when you're a pet owner.

I know one day Kitty will get sick and beyond help and she'll leave us. It'll be an upsetting time indeed. I think about this often, is that strange of me? But at the same time, I always feel a bout of elation when I see her knowing she is healthy for now. I can never take my loved ones' health for granted because I know it can be gone tomorrow. Yes I know that sounds trite, but it's a very potent truth to me. Fortunately, the ones on Earth I love the most, my husband and my parents, are all in good health right now. But I know one day, soon or late, their health will fail them and I will be faced with the reality of losing them. It is my single greatest fear, but I know God and friends will help me get through it when the time comes. Still, it is my fear, and I can only hope I'll handle it well when that day dawns on me. I'm not scared for my own health, however. I think it's much easier to be the sick one and have your loved ones next to you than being the healthy one taking care of a sick family member. Perhaps this is selfish, but when you're sick, you can concentrate on being sick and you know when you die, heaven awaits. I think it's much harder to worry about a loved one, to watch them suffer and then try to pick up the pieces in this world alone after they die. Hubby and I often jest with each other about who will die first. To my deep chagrin, he believes he will, but I secretly hope I will. Afterall, who will take care of me in my dying days after he's gone? Simply, there isn't anyone else I love as much and connects with as much as him. Dying without him next to me will be very lonely. Okay, one can say his spirit will be with me, but that's hardly the same thing! Is this morbid? Well, it's what's in my head. Perhaps it's not so morbid given that I deal with the sick, the suffering, or the dying on a nearly daily basis. I have had time to think about these things, and prepare myself for them. So often, I see very sick patients in the hospital and their families all around them. Truly, I don't know who suffers more, often I find myself really feeling for the family. In moments like those, I always feel grateful knowing my hubby is sleeping and well at home. Or when I get a call from my parents and they have no bad news, I always take a moment to be happy for the absence of disease in them. Yes, I'm always on the guard for bad news regarding my husband and parents. I think one day when the bad news come, I won't even be very surprised. It's way of protecting myself, you see. If I expect it, I'm not so defeated by it when it comes. It's a fear in me but also an armor around me. It's this mentality that enables me to fully appreciate a simple day like today. When we have our health, we are already rich and blessed many times over without anything else. Know that days like today are numbered and are to be treasured.

Signs of Spring

1. Pretty white blossoms on trees.

2. Shaving my legs again.

3. Flowery skirts and matching flipflops.

4. Kitty spending more time outdoors.

5. Being awakened by super chirpy birds in the mornings.

6. A happy and airy feeling.

Knitting Novice

I started knitting yesterday thanks to LeeLee. She gave me a CD, "Knitting Made Easy", which came with yarn and needles. I've been learning new words like "worsted", "skene", and "purl." Isn't it interesting how every area of speciality has its own technical language or jargon? I took a look at hubby's textbook today and here's what I saw:

I know that for as long as I live, I will never come to understand what those diagrams, equations, and coded words are saying to me.

Here's what I have to show for several hours into knitting. I "accidentally" switched to a different pattern for a few rows in the middle before switching back. Don't ask me what this is, it's just practice. I hope to knit a real colorful scarf soon.

~

I really love knitting so far. I love the repitition of it. I have never meditated but maybe knitting has the same result as humming one word over and over again, a state of relaxation. After all, knitting and meditation share the same elements of focus and repitition. In actuality, knitting can be quite complicated and requires attention and thought. I saw my friend Laurel's half-knitted stocking this weekend, it has personlized letterings, Christmas motifs and multiple colors. It's a work of architectual capacity with designs, patterns, and plans!! All I was doing was knitting alternate rows of the basic knit and the purl over and over again. I made several mistakes creating holes/gaps although you can't see it in the picture. Also, I was creating extra stitching/loops with every row I knit so that the edge is jagged. I'm going to hash out these questions with my knitting guru friends on the weekend.

~

The process is a little magical to me. I can't tell you how the steps leads to the organization and elongation of a created "thing." Yes, I'm creating something! I don't know how but I just know going through the motions of needling the loop, wrapping the yarn, and looping out will create something. These are just the thoughts of a novice knitter.

Spring Cleaning and Eating Hot Pot

Today was a major cleaning day for me, the kind that comes once a year. From 10am to 5pm I worked but I did have the occasional breaks. Aside from the usual laundry, sweeping and vacuuming, I also dusted off the TV, wiped all the nooks and crannies, cleaned the fridge, and even managed to wash our queen- size, dry-clean-only comforter in the washer! I didn't think I was able to wash the comforter, but it fit, barely, into our washer and dryer and came out good as new!

When a cat sleeps with you, the comforter needs to be washed often!

Later today in the evening, the "Twonafish" family came to town and we ate "huoguo" or Chinese hot pot/steamboat together.

Time

I love time and having LOTZ and LOTZ of it . What a difference having time makes! I wish I had the fate of being a bum, I would totally love it, given my hubby will sponsor me! Of course, I'd choose to be a bum that have productive days or hours, like cleaning out my e-mail inbox, organizing my pantries, keeping the house presentable, googling about cats or fashion, volunteering at the church, reading books just for fun. . .ahhh, I could go on and on. . . Here's all that I appreciated about my day:

Making the bed in the morning.

Running errands during a weekday.

Waiting in a long line at the ID place yet be in total peace.

Waking up late.

Sleeping late.

Naps during the day.

Playing with Kitty all I want.

Jogging along the sidewalk while passing by the evening traffic.

Cooking 3 dishes for hubby for dinner and being praised by him.

Looking up Shabu Shabu/Chinese hot pot recipes (my next conquest).

Blogging about my day.

So, the biggest part of my day was driving to the nearest army base 45 minutes away to have my military ID renewed. Afterwards, I went to military clothing and bought a pack of ACU T-shirt. Then I went the AFFES exchange store and bought a civilian T-shirt and matching necklace which I totally didn't need but they were on sale and I didn't have to pay tax since I'm on base so I indulged. Later, I ate a Cinnabon, another indulgence. I looked up the calorie content of a Cinnabon, it's too scary to record here!

The word on the shirt is "LUXURY" and that's what having time is!

Cinnabon. It should be rightfully called a "sin-a-bun"!!