Awesome!

From this:

To this:

I love that President Obama is down-to-earth enough to throw a bipartisan Super Bowl Party at his place.

P.S. How much do I love the pic of Obama at the Oval Office desk?! A whole heck-of-a-lot!

I got an award

Thanks Angela for the award...


The rules to this one are:
Find the 7 most beautiful ladies that you follow.
Give them this award.
Hopefully it'll truly mean something to each and every one of them.
Don't be shy to give it to the same person!
Don't forget to tell them!

And now for the 7 beautiful ladies.... let's see.

1. Jane at Jane in the Jungle (yes, it's my mom, but she's beautiful):
2. Anne at Simple Fair (not only is she gorgeous, I love what she's doing with her blog, and she's my best friend :) ...)
3. Eileen at The Catcher in the Rye (med student/my roommate, who is A-MAZING)
4. Ewok at Ewok, MD (another med student...):
5. Sophia at Chic and Charming (LOVE this blog, it's full of some many pretty things):
6. Yeti from Searching for the Yeti (just started reading this one, and really like it):
7. Rachel from Confession of a Jersey Girl (a fun blog that I always look forward to reading)

Please be proactive!

Click the image to read the article.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but PLEASE check on people in your area if the temperatures are cold. Many people in our communities go without heat and need others to look out for their well-being. Call the elderly, knock on neighbors' doors.... just do something.

A Many Thanks

I have to share some thanks.... because right now I'm very greatful.

1. A BIG thank you to Doctor A, whose has posted my ridiculous videos on his blog... and welcome to his readers that have found their way to my small corner of the blog-o-sphere.

2. THANK YOU to all you followers, you make my day. On a side note: please know that I do follow people, just not through the blog "followers" function, but rather through google reader. So, if you're sitting there going, "WTF?! I'm following you, why aren't you following me?"... I am, just in a different way.

3. Thank you also to all the new commenters/ readers that are coming out of the woodwork. I'm so glad other people find at least a little of what I put out there at least a little amusing.

So.... again... Thanks to basically everyone who reads this blog - new and old - and to those stopping by.

A lesson in self-control

How much do I want this right now??


A whole heck-of-a-lot.

But I'm controlling myself and not letting myself push the "add all three to cart" button... Even though I can totally justify the purchase as being for my Spring Break Cruise.

Control, Katie... Control.

it hurts.....

Letting Stephen write my story

** Warning: Religious post ahead**


I don't really know where to start with this post... so I guess I should start with a little preface. October and November of this school year were complete hell for me - academically, emotionally, spiritually - basically in all areas of my life. I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say, it was bad. And I dealt with the crappiness of it all by becoming more cynical, sarcastic, and judgmental.

Things started getting better in December, which I can partially contribute to not being as overwhelmed in school. I felt like I was starting to get back on my feet again and my outlook on like was becoming more positive.

Needless to say, one of my friends didn't seem to notice the upswing and said some very hurtful things at the beginning of January. I'm sure they don't realize how hurtful their words were, or how I've been reading into all of our interactions (or interaction within our group of friends) since then... but it's been very hard for me to engage with the group since then.

I resorted to one of my coping mechanisms from college (which is good academically but not socially) - I withdrew more deeply into my studies. I maintained contact and still tried to be there for my friends. But I spent more time alone, or talking to my mom and roommate.

Over the past month I've started to become a little bitter towards this one person, who seemly throws another jab my way at any point they can. Maybe I'm reading into things, but they've given me no reason not to up to this point in time.

Yesterday while I was driving my to my apartment from home I wasn't feeling the radio and I remembered that I still had half of a sermon left to listen to in my iTunes. So, I plugged in the head phones and started listening.

For those of you who are Christians you can probably relate to the next part (and those who are not, have probably had similar episodes of serendipity), but as I listened to the message it seemed as if it was directed to this very situation. The timing of it all was too perfect.

The message came from the young adult ministry at my church (which meets on Sunday nights). I haven't been able to attend since the summer, but keep meaning to go, and will probably continue to try to no avail (but that's not the point of this story). The message called "Forgiven" was on the life of Stephen (Acts 6-7).

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Stephen was one of the early followers of Christ. Because he was proclaiming Christ as truth the Jewish leaders of the day claimed that he had committed blasphemy (basically meaning that he was being completely disrespectful to God). They brought him before the Jewish counsel on false charges, and then the counsel decided that he deserved death by stoning.

According to the message, when someone was stoned their arms were tied behind their backs and they stood on an edge of a pit. The first accuser would push the person back into the pit. If they didn't die from that, they would watch as the second accuser began to throw large rocks down at them, aiming for the heart.

Now, for Stephen this meant looking up at people who were trying to get rid of him out of spite and anger... not because they thought he was truly guilty. And as they were stoning him, Stephen asked God to forgive his accusers.

This is a parallel to what we see in the story of Christ's death. He stood before the people as they threw false testimony about him to the counsel and he then asked that God forgive them as they crucified him (for they didn't understand what they were doing). Christ's life helped to write Stephen's life.

Now, I'm not saying that everything my friend said about me was false... some of it was true. However, it was said in a very hurtful manner and actions since that time have seemed to be like small stones that are continuing to be thrown.

The message, however, said it right when it said we don't need an apology, we just need to forgive and not become bitter. Stephen never got an apology. And the fact that he asked God to forgive his accusers means that he himself had to have already forgiven them.

I am not saying that forgiveness is easy either. It's a slow road, and one with continual check points and obstacles. But it's a journey that we must embark on. As a Christian, a road I'm called to take.

So, as the message challenged: I'm going to let Stephen's life help write my life...

The Review of Systems

... good lord I gots lots of practicing to do...

Mixed Wild Mushroom Saute on Toast with Jarlsberg

Yummy in my tummy.... ;)



Ingredients

2 tbs EVOO
2 tbs unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lb assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tbs chopped thyme
Salt and pepper
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine/sherry
1 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
8 slices wheat, whole-grain bread, toasted
2 cups shredded Jarlsberg (technically should be Gruyere)

Directions

1. Heat skillet over medium heat
2. Add EVOO and butter
   
3. Once butter melts, add garlic and shallots - swish for 30 seconds
4. Add mushrooms
5. Sprinkle with thyme and cook until brown
6. Add salt and pepper to tast
7. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook 1-2 minutes
8. Whisk in wine and cook it off for 1 minute
9. Whisk in stock
10. Thicken for a minute then add cream
11. Simmer for 5 minutes
12. Once done, pour over toast and top with cheese and thyme

(Taken from Rachel Ray: 365 No repeats)

This may have made my belly very happy. I highly recommend you try it!

Spciy Shrimp and Penne with "Puttanesca" Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb penne pasta
Coarse salt
1/4 cup EVOO
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
(8-10 anchovy fillets)
1/2 cup cracked, pitted, good-quality black olives, coarsely chopped
3-4 tbs capers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb shrimp, tails removed
2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. Add penne pasta and salt.
3. In a large, heat a deep skillet over medium heat.
4. And EVOO, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes (and anchovies).
5. (Break up fish with back of wooden spoon, until they melt.)
6. Add olives, capers, and tomatoes.
7. Bring the sauce to a bubble and add shrimp (scatter in one layer).
8. Cover pan to cook shrimp 3-4 minutes (or until they turn pink, opaque, and firm).
9. Uncover the pan and add the parsley.
10. Toss and adjust seasoning to taste.
11. Add sauce to drained pasta - toss and serve.

This is super yummy... It's not a true puttanesca because I could not bring myself to add anchovies. but that doesn't make it any less delicious.

I was planning on making it earlier in the week, but there was a test and no time to grab the ingredients. So I finally made it last night for some friends and served it with Relax white wine (a great riesling that is big within my circle of friends... probably cause it doesn't cost that much but is still yummy).

We followed up dinner by going to see Bride Wars, which was cute... although besides a twist at the end, most of the movie is given away in the trailers.

Speaking of wine... Off to celebrate my friend's birthday at a wine bar out in the 'burbs. Ya!

*Picture by: Teardrop.

Improv Everywhere Mimic

Thanks Nora for sharing... Found on SwissMiss.

For more like it: Improv Everywhere.

An Idea For You All...

Forgive my ramblings... I did not intend to post another vlog so soon on the heals of the first one. But, I figure if you didn't like the last one, you don't need to watch this one.

What builds a good blog-ecosystem?

| View | Upload your own

I already retweeted this... but I thought it was interesting enough to post as well. Credit: Sandnsurf

I think I like it cause I'm such a bio-nerd.... I cannot help that, it's just who I am. :)

Beyond Scope?

The above image is taken from the 1500+ page Robbins and Contran Pathologic Basis of Disease, which is basically the bible of pathophysiology. Now, if the 5 categories of myelodysplastic disorders are out of scope for "the beast", why did we have an hour lecture and 40 pages of slides on the subject?


By the way, if you're interested (at least according to our lecturer):
1. Refractory anemia (w/out ringed sideroblasts)
2. Refractory anemia w/ringed sideroblasts (a.k.a. RARS)
3. Refractory anemia/cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia
4. Refactory anemia with excess blasts (a.k.a. RAEB) - types 1 and 2

If you want the real classification: Myelodysplastic syndrome
If you want more info, let me know and I'll send you a little discourse on their differences (as long as it's sometime within the next week or so... when it's still in my head)

"You are Home"

Saw this on another site and thought it was really cool...


Levi Weaver "You Are Home" from Paper Beats Rock on Vimeo.

The New Term

Does anyone else think that it's kind of poetic that MLK day is the day before the inauguration of the first African American president? Because I think it's a beautiful coincidence.

First Vlog

Please forgive my randomness.

Pupils not equal but reactive.

"I thought you had a compressed nerve"

That is what one of the peds residents said to me tonight at our 3 hour dinner meeting. Why? Cause today we went to the Eye Institute to properly learn how to do an eye exam. Some of us had the "lucky" opportunity to get our pupils dilated (so that our classmates had a better chance at actually seeing anything in the eye).

But, we didn't get both pupils dilated... nope. Only one. Leaving me looking like some crazy person.

Case in point:
Needless to say my vision was a little blurry for a bit. And although I can see straight again, my right eye still has yet to return fully back to normal (it was supposed to take 4 hours and it's been about 7... its on its way, slowly but surely).

It did leave me walking out in these rocking sunglasses* after the session though:

* But according to Vogue, geometric patterns are in for this coming spring... just a little ahead of the curve. ;)

The First Step to Recovery...

Hi, I'm Katie and I'm a sleep-o-holic. I don't know how long it's been, but I know it's been at least a year.

What's the problem? I like my bed too much and I'm always SUPER exhausted.

This leaves me going to bed early in an attempt to wake up in the morning to study. However, it seems impossible for me to wake up before I have to be someone in an hour.

I need to overcome my biological sleep debt and learn to survive on less. But it's getting harder and harder... meaning that 3rd year is going to be hard on sleep stupidity alone.

And as with any addiction problem there must be steps to recovery. Here's my plan:

1. Set my alarm for later in the morning, forcing myself to not hit the "snooze" for an hour, but only 1-2 times.

2. Once I can get it down to an appropriate number of snoozes... start moving the time set back by a 15 minutes every few days.

This will slowly allow my body to reset to needing only 6 hours of sleep a night. Hopefully. Now if I can only get it to work. Hmm.

Salsa Stoup and Double-Decker Quesadillas with Gaucamole

I might have cheated a little on this week's recipe.. I did make it from scratch, but it's a recipe that I've made numerous times before.

What can I say... I had the ingredients, it's freaking delicious*, and I've been in a soup mood lately.

All that being said here's the recipe (taken from Rachel Ray's 365 cookbook**):

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped with greens
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
• 6 flour tortillas, 6 to 8 inches
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar***
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 4 ounce brick Pepper Jack or chipotle cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
• Sour cream, to pass at table
• Gaucamole

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat.
   
3. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and the jalapenos, bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper then saute veggies 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock and bring soup to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cilantro.
5. Paint 1 side of 2 tortillas with oil and place them next to each other, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet.
   
6. Mix cheddar with scallions and divide the cheese between the tortillas evenly.
   
7. Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of Pepper Jack cheese.
   
8. Set the last tortillas on top and brush tops with extra-virgin olive oil.
   
9. Cook 10 minutes in the oven to melt cheese and crisp up tortillas. Cool quesadillas 5 minutes to set then cut each quesadilla into 6 pieces.

I did not have the recipe for the gaucamole until I got home from the store, so I opted to just buy some. But if you want to make your own:

• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 plum tomato, finely chopped

1. Remove 1 avocado flesh to a bowl.
   
2. Add the cilantro and scallions.
   
3. Pop the lime in the microwave for a few seconds.
   
4. Add the juice of 1 lime, the sour cream, and season with salt and pepper.
   
5. With a fork or spoon, smash up the mixture, leaving chunks for a good consistency.
6. Chop and seed the plum tomato and fold into avocado. Serve.
   

Hope you all enjoy it!

*And by "freaking delicious" what I mean is that my friend was upset she couldn't come over for dinner when she found out I was making this.

** I know some people cannot stand Rachel Ray, but when it comes down to it.... her food is effing good. So, if you can't stand her... don't watch the show and just get a cookbook. ;)

*** Dude, Mom... you'd be so proud of me... I bought my own cheese shredder (don't know how I didn't have one already, but, oh well) and shredded my own cheese. Look at me... "I'm a big girl now."

Quote of the Day

In pathophys lab today (about iron saturation/ total iron binding capacity in anemias):
"At least that's how I think about it, but I'm an idiot"

Two minutes later from the same person...
"That's all you need to know... and I'd tell you, cause I'm the course director."

It's great when the course director calls herself an idiot.

Can I just say, I love our course director. She's so funny and down to earth. And I might laugh everyday due to something she says... She just makes so much sense to me (I think we think similarly).

Yesterday we discussed where in Africa you have to take antimalarials (one type of hemolytic anemia is G6PD Deficiency) because she's going to Africa is a few months. When asked why she said, "My daughter made 'worlds' in horse... I don't know where she got it though cause I would never in my life get on a horse."

The One Where I End Up in a Ditch

... and profess my love for the iPhone (yet again).

Not my car, nor the weather conditions.

* PS forgive me upfront for mispelling winch as wench in all the convos on Tuesday. My bad, I'm and idiot.

Tuesday was an interesting day. It started with me waking up early to fetch my roommate from the airport (she lives in Cali and was coming back for school). Her flight was supposed to come in at 8... so I got there right about then and starting waiting. Around 8:30 I started to wonder what was taking so long... and about 8:45 I called to see if she lost her luggage or something. As soon as she answered her phone I realized my mistake. Her flight came in at 8pm, not 8am. Ooops. (I blame me being blonde/the fact that Roomms always comes in on morning flights.)

So, I went home, took a 20 minute power nap and then went to school for the day. Which turned out to be a rather good day.

At about 7:40ish I got back in my car and headed back to the airport. This is where the problems began. You see, I live in Michigan... and it was misting out. Now I thought nothing of this until I was getting off the exit (which for the airport is like a mile long and is actually 3 exits). As the first exit was branching off my car started to fishtail. Rut-row.

In a matter of seconds my feeble attempts to fight the fishtailing failed and I ended up facing the wrong way in the ditch... about 15 feet from the road. Luckily for me there was a bunch of tall grasses to slow my car down (and kept me from hitting a fence on the other side of them). And even luckier, my car/I was completely fine... my worse fear was that another car would fishtail and end up in the ditch on top of my car (which might have almost happened).

Thus started the fun: I called my parents first to let them know what had happened and to get the AAA number. Then I called my friend Jacki to see if she could pick my roommate up (so she wouldn't be stranded for hours); this was followed by a call to my roommate to let her know that Jacki would be getting her as my car was currently indisposed. Finally I called AAA... only to find out that my name was not on the account.

This lead to a 4-way call which included: my mom, the AAA operator, their cashier, and me. During this craziness Jacki tried calling me to see if she needed to pick me up. Since I could not take the call I took a different chance. Is it possible to text someone while also talking to people on the phone? WIN!!!!

And proof of said win:


After letting her know I was on the phone via text, figuring out the AAA stuff, talking to the tow-person, and returning Jacki's phone call/checking up on roommate I had some time to spare (while waiting to be pulled out).

And here my iPhone helped me out with games... and the ability to update my facebook status. Can we say, "thank you awesome iPhone for providing me something to distract me from the frigid cold encroaching on my car!"


A little while later I was saved and back on the road. I met up with Jacki and Roomms at a McDonalds, where Roomms jumped into my car and we all headed back home. The roads were even worse now, and people were in the ditches everywhere... but we made it home safely.

Thus ends the random story. :)

Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla

Remember my NY Resolutions? One of them was to make a new dish each week; I started this week! I had to run to Meijers to get binders/ food (since I had none in the apartment). While on the way I realized I had forgotten to look up a recipe... so I did it on my iPhone (God, I love that thing). And this came up:

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbs. finely chopped onion
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup salsa
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter, divided
8 (8 in) flour tortillas
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well.
4. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
5. Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
6. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture.
7. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side.
8. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Recipe and images taken from AllRecipes.com

Can I just say it was yummy! I added the extra bean/corn mix to rice and brought it for lunch the next day.

P.S. I'm on a roll, I actually cooked veggie-meat with Taco seasoning and made tacos on my own tonight (this is a first... usually I make nachos, and I'm lucky if I just heat up some refried beans from a can)

The Museum

Entrance/Main Hall of the DIA.

I've been telling myself that I would go to the DIA since I moved to Detroit. Well, I finally did... and here's some pictures to prove it.

"Zephyr Dancing with Flora" by Giovanni Maria Benzoni

I think what I liked about this one is how Benzoni makes the marble truly look like fabric. It amazes me that you can sculpt something that looks like there are layers underneath.

"Self Portrait"

"Mao"

I've always loved Andy Warhol's work. How he takes celebrity and paints it to look like advertising is such a comment on our times and popular views.

"Cases" by Jane Lackey

I LOVE this piece. I think it's the nerd in me... " When I say this I thought it was brilliant. Under the title it says "Dictionary. And I had to laugh when two other people looking at it mentioned that it wasn't a dictionary. I merely mentioned, "It's genetic code."

Fresco in the main hall of the Detroit Industries.

For some reason I sometimes find people looking at art more beautiful than the art itself.


Can you tell that I like Modern Art... I'm weird, I know. But I'm strangely attracted to it. Needless to say, I love all art and must say that some of my favorite times in NYC a few years back was when I went to the Met by myself for the day.

Driving Tour

On my way back to the city the other day I decided to drive through downtown and take in some of the holiday festivities. During that drive I decided it would be fun to do a little driving tour. It's short, and all photos were taken on my iphone, but I thought I'd share.

Anyways, welcome to Detroit:

The GM Ren-Cen...

Turning onto the beginnings of Woodward, the 1st "Highway" (you can kind of see the Spirit of Detroit in the middle)

The arm (Joe Louis)... near Hart Plaza

Campus Martius... Complete with ice skating.

There's the Spirit... and my dirty windows (boo winter nastiness).

Although it's not the city I want to live in, at least it's a city. I love cities....

Resolutions 2K09

WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR!

Yes, I know... It's technically the 2nd, but in my mind it's never too late to wish others well or post NY resolutions (especially if they've been in your head since before the year started).

Now, I could go back and list highlights from 2008 or do some reflection... but let's me honest, unless you were there for the most of it, a lot of it will fall on deaf ears. So for reflections (unless they come at a later date), let me quote the local radio station, "2008. It happened."

And now to the point of this post -- the resolutions (let see if I remember them all):

1. Work out at least M,W,F. I was really good about this last year until after Spring Break and then good again during the summer. The times in between were crazy crazy busy with school and super overwhelming... I need to be better about this.

2. Make a real meal at least once a week. Now, we're not talking throwing pasta in the pot. We're talking find a new recipe and make it. I think I've regressed in my ability to cook since starting med school. In undergrad my roommates and I would have dinner parties with our friends at least once every 3 weeks and make some new yummy dish. I need to relearn how to cook for fear that my bank account will be empty before the March cruise.

3. Stop being an iTunes whore. Strong language, but it's true. I mentioned a few posts ago that I have a very bad propensity to buy music before exams. But I also rent movies on there (and that's just not very cost effective).

4. Be better about reading my mail and paying my bills before they're almost past due (or past due). Mom, I blame you for this one... That or my fear of actually becoming an adult... Or my hatred of money. But either way, mail sits unopened for sometimes weeks. Bad, Katie. Bad.

5. Be a better student. Vague, I know. But with boards coming up I really need to step up my game. I know I can do and be better than I am... I'm disappointing myself and letting myself down.

6. Swear less. It was on here last year. I was doing well for awhile and then life went crazy again/ I drove and it all went downhill.

7. Gossip and pass judgment less. 'Nuff said.

8. Be a better friend... and reach out to the "2nd tier" more. I know this sounds weird, but it's true. We all have those few select individuals that we refer to as "our people" (to quote Gray's Anatomy). And then there's the next tier that are also really close friends, but that we may not reach out to or seek out nearly as often as we should. We need them just as much, and they might need us too, you never know.

9. Be more optimistic about life and myself.

10. Be better about cleaning my dishes/ vacuuming/ cleaning in general. I'm usually "tidy clean" but never really do real cleaning (don't judge, it's a time thing... and hatred thing). Roommate this is partly for you. Sorry I suck at the dishes.

I'm sure there are others, but I'll leave it at 10 for today. I know some of them are a little intangible and others are clearly tangible, but that's how my mind works. And before I actually end this post, I want to leave you all with a list I've had on the white board in my room all year:

May it help guide you as we all seek to be "Better" in 2009.