Danielle update

Seems like this week has been very full.

Work is going well - I'm not feeling like a total idiot this week. Our first paper (on regional anesthesia) is going through the review process and Frank thinks it will certainly be accepted for publication. Most of the week I was doing data analysis for our second paper (on predicting anesthesia workload), which Frank is going to write up this weekend. Probably more importantly, I'm feeling well - I finally got through whatever virus was plaguing me after our trip to Cincinnati (Beth was sick last week too, and a cousin who was there).

We got a sitter last Friday night for my dept's annual dinner (for graduating residents). It was at a local country club with a really gorgeous view of the valley south of Syracuse. The food was decent and the speeches short. We sat with a lovely Vietnamese family, the parents live in Phx, whose youngest son was graduating and going off to a pain fellowship in Seattle. I was over-dressed (in a black velvet cocktail dress that a friend gave me) - I go out to these things so rarely that I forget how much times have changed. I have several dresses that would have been more appropriate - ah well, next year.

Larry worked last Sunday (Father's Day), so I took the kids to the YMCA across town which has a really stupendous kiddie pool (turtle-shaped slide, tubes spraying water - a real water wonderland). We had a great time and then had a late lunch at McD's. We went to the lake Monday after the non-dr-appt, it was a really gorgeous day. Tuesday we went to the library (rain threatening, so no swimming) - school ended this week and we need some books to read, since Caleb won't be bringing any home from school. He starts summer camp at the YMCA on Monday. I love it b/c it's a very active program and they really wear him out!

I left work early on Monday to take Caleb for his annual peds appt and when I got there, they had no record of our appt. Very annoying. Had to wait for Larry's work schedule to find a day to reschedule - I've used up all my time off at work (and then some, with trip to Cinncy, etc), so he has to do the honors. Our peds office in Philly had evening hrs three days a week, but here - none. The delights of modern suburban life. And our marvelous pediatrician is completely booked into July so I made an appt with the partner, who Larry saw once with Alana and who is completely acceptable.

Larry's sister, Beth and her husband Lee are visiting for the weekend (the first time they've been here). They're taking a little trip around the region (mostly NJ and here to see us), visiting and R&R before she starts work at her congregation in Wheeling (WV) in July. They brought their adorable bassett hound puppy with them that Caleb especially is quite enamored of. They agreed to babysit tonight (after Shabbat dinner) so Larry and I can get out to see a movie (I'm having withdrawal symptoms as I haven't been to a theater since Memorial weekend). We really haven't seen anything, so have many choices, but decided on Pirates 3 b/c if you've got a free sitter you should probably go see a ridiculously long movie, plus it seems like one that should be seen on the Big Screen.

Had to discuss various words for female private parts this week with Caleb. He was calling it "weiner" and that just seemed wrong (he got the term from his trouble-maker schoolmate Joey - he always gravitates to the naughtiest child in class and camp, and of course Joey will be at camp too, oh joy). He kept asking "what else?" but I couldn't think of many names, at least not that I was willing to tell him. I read an article a couple years ago about the various names that families use, but can only remember a few (I tried to find it online this week but couldn't). From that article, I liked "in between," which is what I've been calling it for Alana - as in, "make sure you wash in between." Apparently "vajayjay" has caught on from Grey's Anatomy. But we stick with the "correct" medical terms for the most part. He finds it hilarious - any words about the "private area" (what they called it when he took karate - a good fall back term). Farting is very funny too.

Hmmm, I can't end with that. I started taking the shuttle bus to work, from the stadium parking lot, as they're knocking down and rebuilding the old parking deck on campus. I think I'm saving quite a bit in gas each week, since the stadium is about half way btwn my house and work. Though I'm using up some of the savings with trips to lakes, etc, on the weekends. Still, any overall savings is good since gas hasn't been below $3 a gallon in this area for many weeks now.

P.S. on Larry - I forgot to mention that he finally had his Rolfing session (connective tissue massage) for his sciatica this week and found it absolutely marvelous; he has another appt scheduled. Maybe this is the silver bullet for his troubling pain.