My Thoughtful Spot

the most un-deserving award winner... ever

Over a week ago, CelticBuffy gave me an awesome award. The "Love You, Love Your Blog Award." I must say, given the lack of posting in the last one to two months, I am probably the least deserving of this award possible. I humbly accept it and am honored that she would even think of me.

But this award comes with a catch. It's attached to a meme. Here are the instructions:

1. Take a picture of yourself... NOW!

2. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture.

3. Post that picture with NO editing.

4. Post these instructions with your picture.

5. Tag 10 people to play along.

I'm not a big fan of tagging other people, but if you wanna play, please do! Maybe we'll get more than ten! This picture is one I took, when I *originally* read her post and I was planning on making my own post right away. I was at work and we were about to go out for our Christmas lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

I realize this isn't exactly fair. I *was* at work and we *were* getting ready to go out. So I took another photo now. I'm in my living room, a cheesy 80s movie is on in the background (Brewster's Millions) and I'm catching up on the 189 things in my Google Reader. Ugh. Bad lighting. Like in that Seinfeld Festivus episode.

random tag

I'm sitting here, catching up on reading blogs, and ran across this little exercise on Mary's blog. Play along, if you like!

List sixteen random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. The instructions say to tag other people, but I'm gonna ignore that part. Here goes!

1. I'm a morning person. Big time. I actually enjoy running between the hours of 5 and 6:30.

2. It has to be really cold when I sleep. Because I get really hot. But I like the covers on. So the A/C gets turned down to 72 or so...

3. We only have one car. Name one other southern California professional couple who only has one car by choice and I'll eat my hat.

4. When I like a movie, I'll watch it so many times that I can (and do) recite the dialogue.

5. One day, I'd like to camp at the bottom of Mount Rushmore. How cool would it be to wake up to that?

6. One of my worries is that, when I actually become a mom, I'll be a really mean one and mess up my kids.

7. I've stayed awake so long I felt buzzed.

8. I've never left this continent.

9. I get really sea sick and can't snorkel because the boats are little and bounce around. Whale watching is just plain out.

10. I'm always worried that people think I'm incompetent or they plain don't like me. It's gotten better as I've gotten older, but it's still there.

11. As you can probably gather, I worry a lot.

12. I adore old Hollywood movies. Cary Grant. Katherine Hepburn. Hitchock.

13. I want to learn two more languages fluently. German (study to commence once I pass the oral boards) and either Arabic or Persian.

14. I cry at baptisms. Even when they're people I don't know.

15. When we can get a dog, I'd like a Jack Russell Terrier or some other smart dog.

16. (Ready for this?) I have been known to play Dungeons & Dragons. There. I said it.

saturday survey

I have some things on my mind that I want to talk about, but not the concentration on a Saturday afternoon to compose them into a readable form. Which means... it's time for a survey! Got it from Rebecca.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? Until just a few hours ago, it was my graduation certificate from residency, which was left over from when I had to take it to my new employer to be copied. Now... nothing.

2. When was the last time you threw up? Last month. I'll just leave it at that.

3. What's your favorite curse word? I'm going to have to go with sh*t. What else did you expect a general surgeon to say?

4. Name three people who made you smile today? My step aerobics instructor Jill (she's too cute), Dawn, and the guy at the BevMo! store who told me they don't sell alcohol to Red Sox fans (I was wearing a Red Sox shirt).

5. What were you doing at 8am this morning? Pumping my biceps at the gym. LOL. I just cracked myself up. I should have said "trying to get biceps at the gym."

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Cleaning up the pan I grilled chicken in from lunch.

7. What will you be doing three hours from now? Watching the Red Sox game!

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? No. But I want to, just to say that I've been. I'll even go to a girls one. But I will not pretend to be a lesbian.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? "At least." Which was in response to a grocery store clerk who asked me if I was at least 21.

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. Yes, I know they're crazy liberals, but they make damn good ice cream. And at least that endeavour is healthily capitalistic. ;-)

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Diet Coke.

13. What was the last thing you ate? Chicken ceasar salad. Chicken grilled by ME!

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No. Still in the process of getting my ass smaller, so that'll have to wait.

15. When was the last time you ran? Yesterday. Ran a mile warm up before my lower body and chest weight routine. Which was then followed by more cardio.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? In person? Angels game. Don't ask me who they were playing, it was last week! 

18. Who is the last person you emailed? Daniel and my brother Steven. With thoughts on going to the Apocalypse film festival in Santa Monica later this month. 

19. Ever go camping? Yes! The last time was when we lived back east more than 5 years ago. During residency, if I have any time off, a significant part of that is going to be spent getting quality sleep, which doesn't exactly jive with camping. But now that residency is over, we're going camping with my sister and her family at the end of the month!

20. Do you have a tan? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! ::wipes tear from eye:: Ok. Next question.

24 (?). Do you drink your soda from a straw? If it's of the fountain variety, yes. How else am I supposed to get it outta that plastic lid thingy?

25. What did your last IM say? I think it was "Ok. Hope you feel better!" to someone who had just returned to work after taking a day off for being sick.

26. Are you someone's best friend? I hope so!

27. What are you doing tomorrow? Going to church, running 6 miles plus doing triceps, shoulders & abs, and going to a friend's house for dinner.

28. Where is your mom right now? She's in Fresno. Probably. She could be in Clovis, depending on any errands she's doing. Beyond that, I can't get more specific.

29. Look to your left, what do you see? I see the Poo Fields. This is what I call the moderate sized patch of grass just below the guest room window where everyone takes their dogs for a sh*t (see? I told you it was a good word.). Half the time they just leave the sh*t there. >:-[

30. What color is your watch? I haven't worn a watch in over a year. I have some sort of electronic device on me that tells time almost all the time. Pager, phone...

31. What do you think of when you think of Austrailia? Sparkling shiraz, which I can't find here except at a restaurant called Bondi in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. I love shiraz...

32. Would you consider plastic surgery? Yes. Nothing major... just... maintenance. We all need a little help, dah-ling.

33. What is your birthstone? Officially, it is yellow topaz. But there is now a worldwide shortage of yellow topaz, so they cheapened it to citrine, which I hate. Now if I want jewelry with yellow topaz, I have to call around to various jewelers to see if they even have any.

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through? We usually only get fast food when we're on a road trip. Which means we eat in the car.

35. How many kids do you want? At least three. This has recently changed from "no more than two" because of something Mark Steyn said in his book America Alone. It's one of the few autographed books we have.

36. Do you have a dog? No. We live in an apartment and dogs need a backyard to run around in. Or at least someone who is home more than we are to hang out with them and take them on lots of walks.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Daniel. He's in New York visiting his grandparents.

38. Have you met anyone famous? Politically famous, not Hollywood famous.

39. Any plans today? I'm going to confession and then watching the Red Sox game. Most of my friends are on call. :-P

40. How many states have you lived in? I guess that would consider what length of time would constitute as "living." I "lived" in Texas for a month and Maine for six weeks. Anything longer than that would only include California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

41. Ever go to college? Oh, boy, did I...

42. Where are you right now? In the guest room...

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? The scale. It won't budge. I've been killing myself at the gym, spending 1-3 hours a day there for the past four weeks. And eating all the right things. In the right amounts. And the scale resolutely won't move.

44. Last song listened to? 3's and 7's by Queens of the Stone Age

46. Are you allergic to anything? Mold. And something at the border that I haven't yet identified.

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Bronze platform wedge sandals with little jewels across the straps. From last season. I don't think they'll make it to next summer...

48. Are you jealous of anyone? I'm jealous of anyone who is skinny and hot without giving a second thought to what they eat or what activity level they have. Sorry to be stereotypically girly here, but it's true. I work my ass off to be chunky.

50. Is anyone jealous of you? I think so. I have a really terrific husband.

51. What time is it? 3:26

52. Do any of your friends have children? Yes, a few. Definitely not the majority.

53. Do you eat healthy? YES!!! With the exception of holidays around here, you'd be hard pressed to find someone else who ate healthier! Come on, you f**king scale!!!

54. What do you usually do during the day? At the moment? Study.

55. Do you hate anyone right now? Goodness, no!

56. Do you use the word hello daily? Weird question. Yeah. Hello is a regular part of my vocab.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 33. Yikes. I don't feel almost 33. Except when people call me ma'am. I hate that. We live in California, moron, not the south.

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain when I was younger a few times. I haven't been in a long time; Daniel isn't a fan of roller coasters and it's no fun to wait for someone to come off a ride by yourself.

60. How did you get one of your scars? I have a 1cm scar on the top of my foot near the ankle. It was during a brilliant move when I decided to ride my aunt's 10-speed bike in flip-flops (previously known as "thongs.") My foot slipped off and the little spikes on the pedal meant to give traction jabbed into my foot.

since i'm waiting...

I'm on call today. At the moment, I'm in the CT scanner trailer babysitting a trauma patient who is getting scanned. There has to be an MD with the patient at all times until the scans are completed. She's doing fine, so I thought I'd do this little fill-in that Dawn got from April. I'm not sure if April got it from anyone...

Maybe I should... eat my morning snack when I'm done here. I'm starving.

I love the smell of... freshly cut grass, benzoin (a skin adhesive we apply around incisions after they are closed), star jasmine

People would say that I'm... a little high-strung, but not high-maintenance.

I don't understand why... it takes so long to get pathology results around here.

When I wake up in the morning... I make sure to squeezy Elizabeth a lot. She is very receptive to it in the morning. Athalia's time is between 7 and 9pm.

I lost... my willpower and ate some things I shouldn't have recently. Dang it!

Life is full of... little gifts every day.

My past is... full of lots of training and long-term goals.

I get annoyed... when people don't fulfill their responsibilities and try to pawn off their work to already overloaded co-workers.

Parties are... so much fun!I think I should host one soon.

I wish... I weren't on call today.

Dogs... are loyal and loving; a trade off for the fact that they're kinda smelly.

Cats... have a very calming effect on me.

Tomorrow... is a post-call day for me and we have an Angels game to go to. If I don't sleep at all, I won't feel much like going.

I have low tolerance... for drama. My home is an anti-drama zone.

I'm totally terrified by... hurting my hand(s) and not being able to operate any more.

I wonder why... this freaking ENT resident won't call me back.

Never in my life have I... wanted to try smoking.

High school... sucked. Thank goodness *that's* over.

When I'm nervous... I fidget with my fingers.

One time, at a family gathering... my dad and I played a practical joke on my mom with her big present.

Take my advice... wear sunblock daily, even if you tan. Melanoma really, really sucks.

Making my bed... is usually a task that falls to Daniel since he's still in it when I leave for work!

I almost always... eat dinner while watching tv. I know, it's bad. I won't do it when I have kids.

I'm addicted to... caffeine. Literally.

I want someone to... invent a negative calorie chocolate.

fridays feast

Feast One Hundred & Eighty Eight

Appetizer
Name something you would categorize as weird.
Ladies at the gym who put on a bunch of make up and perfume is weird.

Soup
What color was the last piece of food you ate?
Red. Tomatoes from my leftover dinner of Capellini Pomodoro.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?
Eh, 2. If I really didn't like people and wanted to be alone most of the time, I certainly picked the wrong profession! Sure, there are times when it's good to be alone like at the gym or studying or something. But I have the most fun when I'm with my friends and/or family.

Main Course
Fill in the blank:
I will definitely not vote for a candidate who opposes 2nd amendment rights in any election.

Dessert
Describe your sleeping habits.
I have to "turn my brain off" to be able to go to sleep. That means no new or interesting conversations, tv, or movies at least an hour before bed. So I usually fall asleep watching something I've seen a million times. Ideally, the temperature should be in the low 70s because I like to cuddle up with a lot of blankets. I also can't lay on my back because (according to Daniel), I snore. So if I ever find myself there, he rolls me over onto my side.

riddle me this, riddle me that

Stole this from Dawn: now I can play!

1. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. Those fudge fish swimming in ribbons of caramel and marshmallow are so tasty!

2. What shampoo do you use?
Loreal Professional Color... I don't know the technical name. It's in a pink bottle though.

3. How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled with a bit of chedear cheese. Or in omlete form.

4. What's the first thing you do when you get online?
Update Twitter! I love twittering.

5. What is your favorite tv show?
The Simpsons and Family Guy are equal favorites

6. Which do you prefer, the sunrise or sunset?
I like sunrises better. Each day is a gift and the beauty of sunrises breaking over a sleeping world usually take my breath away.

7. When is the last time you went to the mall?
This past Monday to return something at Banana Republic and get mascara.

8. What was the last food you ate?
A whole wheat pita that went with my black bean soup for lunch.

9. What is your favorite animal?
My two kitties are my favorite animals. :-)

10. Do you collect anything?
Baseball t-shirts (Red Sox first, then Angels) and Disney shirts for when I spend time at the parks. Which is not infrequent. (LOL! When I first typed this, it was a mistake and the question came out "Do you collect any clothing?" I kept the answer though.)

fridays feast

Feast One Hundred & Eighty One

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged?
Daniel, as I scurried out the front door this morning at 5:45.

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick with us.
To really make your lipstick stay on during dinner, try this: Apply lip liner, then powder your lips with your face powder. Apply a first coat of lipstick with a lip brush, powder again. Apply a second coat of lipstick with the brush, blot.

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of?
The sun, happiness, and... here's the weird one... fat. Fat is yellow.

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?
Two things immediatly spring to mind: baseball (including stadiums, the players, and the equipment) and carnivals/state fairs.

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read?
Some Tolkein afficionados state that The Lord of the Rings is one book, broken up into three for ease of publishing. I don't disagree, but I didn't read them in that way, if that makes sense. So that means the longest book I ever read was The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

questions, questions

Swiped this from Dawn; because I feel like typing but don't have that much to say.

1. What team would you like to have season tickets for? Where would you want to sit?
Well, the Red Sox, of course! I'm not that familiar with Fenway Park, but knowing me, I would want to sit in the part that is the most exclusive and difficult to get into. Wherever that is will have the great seats, I'm sure.

2. What was the best day of the past week for you and why?
It was Thursday, because we had moved our Valentine's Day dinner to then. We had an amazing dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Oops! I sense another post coming on!

3. What is the best thing about the city in which you currently live?
It's close to everything! Disneyland, the beach, Angels baseball, tons of venues for huge concerts, mountains. Plus, it has the most perfect weather of any place I've ever lived.

4. What do you love most about yourself?
That I can have fun in almost any situation.

5. What celebrity crushes did you have when you were growing up?
Michael J. Fox. He was everywhere... on tv in Family Ties and in the movies. Back to the Future (I, II, and III), Teen Wolf...

6. What's the weather like where you are today?
It rained overnight, which is pretty unusual. It's been gray all morning and drizzly, but it's dry now and the sun is trying to poke through the clouds. It's currently 56 degrees.

7. So, tell us, what three things do you think of when I say elephant?
The Nursery Necessities stamp set from Stampin' Up! that is arriving tomorrow, the zoo, and the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland.

8. What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Is it the same from when you were a kid? Did you then, and do you now, read the cereal box while you eat your cereal? And one last question... do you drink the milk from your cereal bowl?
My current favorite cereal is Kashi Go Lean! Crunch. Keeps me full and energized. Unfortunately, I don't get a chance to eat it very often. Cereal poured over milk isn't portable enough for me. I can't eat it before I leave for work in the morning, because that would mean I eat breakfast at 5:30 or earlier and then there is no way I could make it to my mid-morning snack at 10, let alone lunch. So I have to eat a bar like Clif around 7 or 7:30. My favorite cereal from when I was a kid was Cocoa Puffs, which is my favorite junk cereal of choice currently. When I was little, I always read the back of the box while eating. If I'm at home eating breakfast, I'll just watch tv. And, no, I don't drink the milk. ew.

9. What are your three most favorite articles of clothing?
1. A very flowy skirt with small orange and brown flowers on it.
2. A scoop neck, sleeveless t-shirt with a bit of gathering around the neck. It's very feminine.
3. Cargo pants, tan. Totally comfy and flattering.

10. When was the last time you checked out a book from the library? What book was it?
Oh, gosh... it's been years. I think it was about three or four years ago. It was some medical book; I think it had to do with colorectal disease. I haven't checked out a "fun" book for as long as I can remember.

11. 5 things you often put off until the last minute.
Putting my clothes away, recording my work hours, charging my phone and iPod, getting ready to go somewhere... and I can't think of a 5th one!

12. What do you do to kill time?
I usually leaf through my Stampin' Up! catalog looking at the ideas in there. Or their monthly publication for demonstrators. Or one of my exercise magazines.

13. What is one item that you own that has minimal monetary value, but that has such sentimental value that you wouldn't sell it for any amount of money?
When Daniel and I first got together, we were so poor we usually ate Hamburger Helper most nights with the cheapest grade ground beef. We cooked it in an electric skillet we got from his Grammy that, if you weren't careful, would shock you when you moved the cord. But we didn't have a spatula or anything. So at the grocery store, we bought the cheapest plastic spatula they had for a few dollars. We have held onto that spatula throughout the years, despite having it's handle nearly burned off and later ground up in the garbage disposal. Sure, we have other spatulas now, but I would never throw that little guy away.

14. What are three things you are putting off doing until later?
Filling out tax forms for my (likely) new job, going to the gym (not much later; just until lunch settles), and weighing myself (haven't been able to work out for weeks and am afraid to see what the scale says).

15. You have been accused of something you did not do, but no one believes you. What will you do?
I will gather all the evidence that points to my innocence and hope that my track record of honesty will convince people to believe me.

16. So, tell us, how do you like your peanut butter?
I like it any way! Most recently, I had it on top of a whole grain waffle with honey. Never had it before, but it was damn good, lemme tell you.

17. What is your favorite snack?
I like a good handful of grapes, if I'm craving something sweet. If I want something crunch, I like cucumber slices with hummus. Of course, these are my healthy answers. ;-)

18. What three things do you think of when I say lemon?
Lemon tree, lemon bars, and lemonade.

19. What is the oldest coin in your wallet?
My wallet doesn't have room for coins. It only has room for 4 cards and some folded up bills. Super slim!

20. Never in my life have I...
... successfully carried on a conversation in another language. I've written in Spanish at more than a grade school level, but the speaking part never really developed. After I pass the boards, I plan to learn, and become fluent in German.

friday's feast

Feast One Hundred & Eighty

Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?
I am a terrible liar. No poker face whatsoever. And yet, every April Fool's and I try to trick someone. It's usually Daniel, but he always knows. Last year, I tried to be clever about things and tell him I crashed the car when he was in the shower, so it was steamy and his glasses were off. But he heard the smile in my voice and simply said, "Nichole, just stop. I'm onto you."

Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?
We don't have salt and pepper shakers for our daily dishes because we just don't use it. But when we set the table for a holiday, we have salt and pepper shakers to match the theme. Easter = easter egg shaped ones. Thanksgiving = turkey shaped ones? Christmas = they look like ornaments.

Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit?
I don't have any definitive plans at the moment. But I have a weekend off coming up in March. If it doesn't fall on Easter weekend (which I'll have to double check), then we may go visit my mom and sister. Haven't seen them since the first week of December.

Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?
I have all kinds of lotions strategically placed so that I can use it whenever I have a chance. I have a little bottle of Enchanted Orchid from Bath & Body Works in the pocket of my white coat. My bag has Magnolia Blossom. At home I have Velvet Tuberose. If they are really dry, I have Hand Relief from Aveda, which is my absolute favorite, but it's pretty pricy, so I save it for "emergencies."

Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us the ingredients, and give us a name.
Oh, man. I'm always bad at these. If I were good, I'd be a chef! So I'll just list one of my favorite desserts... a mini chocolate lava cake. mmmmm....

friday's feast

Feast One Hundred & Seventy Nine

Appetizer
Name one thing that is unique about you.
When I cry, my eyes change color: from blue-green to brilliant green. I'm not sure if this is completely unique to me, but I've never seen anyone else do it!

Soup
Fill in the blank:
My favorite vacation is Walt Disney World, but I like Disney Cruise Line, too. (tee hee!)

Salad
What type of wood do you have for your home furnishings?
Crap. I don't know. Cherry maybe? It's dark. That would be in the living room. In the bedroom it's something else, but I can't even guess. That's so sad... I was heavily involved in picking it out and I can't even remember!

Main Course
Who do you talk to most often on the phone?
I'm going to have to say my sister, Kate. We're both really busy, though, so it only ends up being a few times a week or so. I'm so lucky that we have a good relationship.

Dessert
What level of responsibility do you have in your job?
Wow, good question. I am responsible for managing the day-to-day care of the patients on our service. That includes minor decisions, mostly. Also, I have to direct the more junior residents on my service as well as the medical students to ensure that the operations and clinics are all staffed. I am responsible for presenting complications. Ultimately, though, the major decisions about when to operate and what surgery we're doing are made by my attendings. They ask me what I would do, just to make sure that I'm learning the right things while on the team. Hmm... that doesn't sound like much, but it feels like a lot!