Lucky to Find My Love

Stephie is such a loving beautiful woman, and I am thankful this day, like all my days, that I get to share life with her. Her tenderness, compassion, lovingness and beauty grow daily in my eyes. I love you Stephie.

Match Day

I'm going to Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency in Martinez. I will be living at home with Ma and will be very close to BTTT, MT, GM, FLA and many others. I will be far from J this year :( but not in spirit.  Joshie is SO sweet and he came all the way from MN to spend Match Day with me! It meant so much having him here with me. Thank you, baby!!!!!

For actual Match Day (long-awaited Match Day!), we slept in here in Oakland, then enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Cafe Gratitude. Joshie got his fav the tacos and I got a BLAC (vs BLT). To die for! We also got an "I am luscious." Everything uber yum!

Then we drove down to pick up Ma from work and went to the Heartland, Portola Valley. It was dark and rainy but still so lovely being back among all the trees and familiar sites.  We drove to Ormondale and walked down to the creek to "open the envelope" on Joshie's iPad. There in the rain, I got the "Where did I match?" email in my inbox!

We ate dinner at the Woodside Bakery. J and M were so understanding as I emailed, called, and texted several loved ones. I can't believe Match Day has come! It's been a long but enjoyable process. I've learned so much about myself along the way.  Match Day definitely feels like the climax in this tale but every step of the way, from filling out ERAS to writing my personal statement to scheduling interviews to interviewing(!) to sending follow up correspondence to making second looks to submitting the rank list to checking my email on Match Day to discussing all of this seemingly incessantly with colleagues and loved ones, has been meaningful in its own way.  When I describe to people how Match works, they always seem to be fascinated. It is a crazy process! I feel many emotions, including relief, that Match Day has passed.  I enjoy sitting in uncertainty, but knowing where I'm headed in June does feel good.

I'll be living at home(!). This is sinking in.  Hard to believe it! I've been longing to be back in the Bay Area for soooo many years, and I'm thrilled to be coming home! I'm also really sad to be apart from Joshie this year.  Many emotions simultaneously. Welcome them all. Honor them all.  As Rumi says...

The Guest House 

This being human is a guest house. 
Every morning a new arrival. 

A joy, a depression, a meanness, 
some momentary awareness comes 
as an unexpected visitor. 

Welcome and entertain them all! 
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, 
who violently sweep your house 
empty of its furniture, 
still, treat each guest honorably. 
He may be clearing you out 
for some new delight. 

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, 
meet them at the door laughing, 
and invite them in. 

Be grateful for whoever comes, 
because each has been sent 
as a guide from beyond.

Contra Costa is a Cowboy Program. From their website (and very cute):


Is Contra Costa a "cowboy program?"
If you mean a demanding program with residents given responsibility from day one, then yes, we are a cowboy program. If you mean a program that leaves its residents unsupervised and in over their heads, then we are definitely not. We provide very supportive faculty supervision on every rotation: We have in-house obstetrical staff present at every delivery. We have in-house pediatricians. Our internal medicine and surgical staff frequently come in at night to help with the patient who is critically ill or has an unclear diagnosis. Our registrar system ensures the faculty are keenly aware of each resident's workload and learning needs. And, since a majority of our current residents are women, we prefer to be called "cowgirls."

Good thing I've got me a nice pair of cowgirl boots. Giddy up, pardners!!

Goodnight. It's almost 3am. Brain slowing down...to....a....halt.  ;) Bonne nuit!

Food. We love it.

Some favorite food: (will add some links later) 

A recipe from the Rochester Co-Op. Will let you know how it tastes later!

 

Soups, Salads, Starters, Sides

salad with avocado

guacamole a la Joshie

watercress salad with beets, apples/pears, light vinaigrette and fish

salad with yogurt-based dressing

cornbread with whipped honey butter and

bread with butter and sea salt

rosemary, garlic potatoes

carrot, ginger, potato soup

butternut squash

French onion soup with thyme a la Mama Cheng

spaetzle

Daddy's sauteed mushrooms (olive oil, balsamic, garlic salt, butter?)

Lin Jia egg yolk tempura squash 

Pescara's avocado and poke appetizer
kale chips (homemade are best! olive oil, aminos, yeast + whatevs else!)

Mains

veggie cassoulet (recipe from epicurious, ask BT)

salmon

butternut squash au gratin 

gnocchi

butternut squash, brown butter, sage

grass-fed beef

raclette

fondue

tuna melts (ooh with pesto and avo)

Pok Pok angel wings, Marnee Thai angel wings

Lin Jia glass noodles

Arizmendi's pizza

TrueBurger's portabello burger

peking duck

chicken a la king and chicken Jerusalem a la mama cheng

 

Desserts

yogurt with banana, ground flax, kale sprigs, honey

carrot cake

creme brulee

TJ's gingerbread

angel food cake

mango and sticky rice

 

Beverages

kombucha with grape jucie and chia

smoothies galore! (with kale, flax, chia, banana, you name it!)

malted milk

 

Snacks

pistachios

nutritional yeast, parmesan popcorn

fresh fruit, especially U-Pick berries from Oregon :)

TJs seaweed

 

Breakfast

crepes

pumpkin pancakes

egg in a frame

eggs benedict

oatmeal with almond butter, yogurt, chia, flax, apples, banana

oatmeal with cinnamon apple and prune compote a la Spirit Rock

 

Anything from Cafe Gratitude!

Anything crispy-soft!

Anything from Spirit Rock and Kripalu!

 

Okay, I admit I'm a wee bit hungee...hence the 230am post about food hehe. :) 

 

Switzerland

I am now 7 hours ahead instead of 2 hours behind Joshie as I am in Switzerland. The crazy thing is that on more than one occasion, I have gone to bed at the same time or later than Joshie. Houston we have a problem!

Mama Cheng mentioned that she gets wifi for free...love those little iPhones...like having a mini-computer at all times. ;) As Facetime requires wifi...I thought I'd try it and lo and behold, it worked!! Ça marche!!  Joshie and I have been able to talk and see each other every day, and it's been such a joy seeing his smiling face on Mummy's phone!

I think I depend on technology a bit too much at times, but golly gee willikers I sure am thankful for it and that it allows me to connect with J even from so far away.

Switzerland has been lovely, and I can't wait to come back here with Joshie...I think he would really enjoy being here. And he could practice his German! 

It's been so delightful meeting so many of Ma and Pa's Omega friends. In most cases we have visited with couples, and I always think of Joshie and me and wonder what we'll be like 40 years from now.  :) We've also had a chance to meet several of the children and even grandchildren of these family friends, and I keep thinking how life is so beautiful!! I am so touched hearing so many stories about the Omega years, years since, transitions, families, joys, sorrows...this human to human connection has been invigorating.  This is what life is about! Connection, relationship, and love.  I feel very lucky to be here with Mama.

In our time here, Ma and these family friends have shared and reflected quite a bit....it's felt rather nostalgic and I've found this to be very moving. Life is so precious, and life is too short not to spend it with loved ones, too short not to live each day fully. Joshie very kindly made recordings for me for each day I'm here, and for each day he's also recorded lesson from Letting Everytzing Become Your Teacher. It has really set the tone for me each day.  Yesterday's had to do with acknowledging in every moment that "This is my life." This is really helpful because I think that many of us at times are so forward looking that we forget the present moment. We are often so future thinking that we're never really 'here.'  But knowing that each and every moment is an opportunity to be awake, to be present is huge.  I often think of the Young Adult retreat I attended at Spirit Rock. During of the dharma talks, one of the teachers shared with us that she tells herself "Welcome back" everytime she comes back to the present moment.  It's a shift in awareness. A shift in consciousness. And it makes all the difference in the world! " There is onlz one time when it is essential to awaken.  That time is now."  B-dawg said that. :) 

Anywho, I sit here at 00:54AM in Morges, CH, giving thanks for this beautiful day and my dear friends and loved ones. S'il vous plait forgive me for typos, especially ones involving the misuse of Y and Z as these two letters are switched on the keyboard here. Totallz confusing! Zou know what I mean? :)