Door County, the calm before the storm...

About 2 weeks ago, I went to the "thumb" of the Wisconsin mitten with Erica and her family. It's a picturesque rolling farmland peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan - like a blend of New England and the Midwest.

The first night, we went to a fish boil. Apparently, this is a local tradition where buckets of white fish, potatoes and a coffee can full of salt are boiled over a campfire with occasional kerosene-induced flares. The restaurant was pretentious but the food was simple and tasty. (Door county is also known for cherries and they make excellent pies!)

Afterward, we had our first run in with the bat-sized mosquitoes. If I don't have West Nile it'll be a miracle. Fortunately, the coast-like sunset made my subsequent hydrocortisone lather worth while.

The peninsula is also famous for it's many lighthouses. The first one was at Cana Island and the second at Washington Island. The area has very shallow bays and frequent storms. The local maps are dotted with shipwreck sites - it would be a great place to dive.

But we rented kayaks instead. This was probably the highlight of the trip. We rented 2-person boats, had a great guide and even saw the wreckage of a pair of ships. (The bay was probably a mile square and no more than 15 feet deep.)

The last day we went to Washington Island and rented bikes. There we found Schoolhouse beach, a crystal clear bay with snow-white stones under perfect weather. It was surreal, like being in a postcard photo.

But the serenity could not last. We had to leave Thursday, so Erica could start residency orientation the next day. I, fortunately, had a couple more days to prepare, but I'm barely treading water now. BTW, check back soon and I'll tell you about my first day when I delivered a baby in the hospital parking lot...

Spokaloo Visit

Hello all. Sorry for the delay in posts. I've been away from an online computer for weeks, kind of like having an arm termporily removed. Anyway, here's a recap:

Erica and I packed up the Iowa City house, drove the U-Haul to Madison, unloaded and drove back to IC to finish cleaning up. Then, we went to Minneapolis for her sister's graduation, rushed to Madison that evening and jumped on a 9:00 a.m flight (in Milwaukee) to Spokane. Once we got home, things slowed down a bit. Over the week we went to an arena football game (It's another Dishman Dodge FIRST DOWN!), went hiking at Beauty Bay (rainy but dinner at Wolf Lodge was super!), saw lots of family and friends and even got to do some gaming. The biggest disappointment was getting rained out the day we were planning to go to the Renaissance Faire. (Sorry we missed it, guys.)

It's always so easy to be at home and so hard to leave. My biggest sacrifice on this career path has been the time away from my family and friends. I miss you all very much.

Graduation!!

That's right! I'm finally finished with school...and it only took 20-some years. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive. I couldn't have made it without my family (who saved me from having to eat Ramen for 4 years) and my friends (who continually keep me humble, whether I think I need it or not). I love you all!

For those who don't know, I'll be starting residency in Madison, Wisconsin on June 19th. I'm planning on coming to Spokaloo around May 29th for around 10 days. I'm looking forward to seeing all soon!

Cody Comes to Madison

Last week, the Fam came to Madison (and then Iowa City) to visit. We stopped at Olbrich Botanical Gardens and got some great pictures.


This one is through a kalidescope. It's Cody's, my nephew's, hand. Cool huh?

I just liked this one because it looks like a senior picture. Cody is finally able to pose for pictures without his "cheeser smile."

Finally, here's a shot of him and a red-winged blackbird. I'm not sure who looks more tentative. ;0)

Ireland!! Need I Say More!?

We spent 10 glorious days in Eire! I don't even know where to begin - we had such a great time and saw so many amazing sights. History surrounds those people everyday in such obvious ways that it's hard not to feel small. We saw castles from 4 different eras, buildings that predate the pyramids, major sites of the island's numerous contemorary revolutions and more amazing coastline than any one country should have been granted.

Erica and I traveled with two of our best friends from school, Scott and Becca. Scott is a musical genius and Bec is one of the "funnest" people I know...and they got engaged in the middle of our trip. It was the rainest, but most memorable day of the whole trip!

We started in Dublin, rented a car and headed north. The driving was a bit harrowing (wrong side of the road, poor signage, random sheep, etc.), but it was totally worth it to be able to drive the coastline.

We saw Bru Na Boinne, commonly called Newgrange. It's an amazing 5000 year old passage tomb with an inner chamber that is lit up on the winter solstice. (Note the gardener to the left for a sense of its massiveness.)

Later, we drove the gorgeous northeast Antrim coast and stopped at Giant's Causeway, a stunning natural wonder where columnar basalt pillars clash with the relentless Atlantic. This place should be on your list of places to visit before you die - photos cannot do it justice!

Two of the coolest castles were Dunluce and Blarney. Dunlace is on the NW Antrim coast. It was built in the 1500s, financed by the salvage from a Spanish galleon that sunk off the rocky coastline nearby. In 1639, a large portion of cliff eroded during dinner, dropping the kitchen and many servants into the ocean below.

And everyone has heard of Blarney Castle. Its touristy, but still an amzing castle. We kissed the Stone (and Becca tried to Purell the thing but got denied) granting all of us "the gift of gab." Ooh...I feel more eloquent already!

We finished the trip in Dublin. We stayed right in the middle of Temple Bar and drank the local cuisine nightly. I'll miss the Guinness as much as anything. We also saw the Book of Kells, toured Kilmainham Gaol, ate boxties and much more. What an amazing place!

Merry Ough Wedding!

Yesterday we celebrated the marriage of Jory Fisher and Matt Ough, 2 of our best medical school friends. We’ve known them for most of the school and had lots of laughs together. We’re exceedingly happy for them!

Friday we had our house overrun by bridal shower attendees. They scrapbooked and ate and made wedding night innuendos. I think they had a good time. (I was evicted for the duration.) We had rehearsal and then dinner at Iowa River Power Company. It was great!

Saturday was the big day. The service was beautiful. They were married by a Methodist bishop, Matt’s dad. Thus, long homily but very good. The reception was fun too. Dancing. Lots of good stories. Dancing. Good food. Dancing. And a scheme between Jory and Erica to ensure that she caught the bouquet. Hmmm. Basically, an amazing day shared with fantastic friends.

The Golden Foley Comes Home!!

Last night successfully concluded the class of 2006's 4-year quest for the Golden Foley. (If you're asking what the heck is that, picture this: a 7-year-old, half-filled 2 liter of Mountain Dew with a crusty, cracked urethral catheter affixed to the cap with masking tape. Aaahh, the trophy dreams are made of.) Following weeks of rehearsals and props filling our living room (yeah, I'm responsible for that cartoony looking thing in the pic...), we went to Frolics, our annual med student "dinner theater" competition, with high hopes.


Following pitiable or profane performances from underclassmen, our show went off without a hitch to nearly continuous laughs and applause. Dr. Metcalf, one of our staff surgeons, stole the show with a spoof on "She thinks my tractor's sexy" called "She thinks my retractor's sexy." Erica choreographed and danced the accompanying line dance with several of our classmates. Basically, they looked fantastic and I think everyone had a great time.


Afterward, we went out with several of our friends. I'll save the bar pics for an other time. (You owe me one Cari.) ;o)

Tornados Tear Through IC!!

Last night around 2100 the tornado sirens sounded. Erica and I switched from 24 to the local news - 2 tornados were heading for UI hospital, 2 blocks from our house. We holed up in the basement (with Maggie), listening to the wind chimes beat against the increasing gale. The batter of hail started and the power went out. Then, everything was eerily silent. We waited a couple of hours before surfacing, and we began to learn of the damage.













The DQ just blocks from our home was leveled. So was the auto dealership across the road. Many houses were missing rooves or had trees laying in them. Several buildings downtown were damaged too, including our favorite Thai place. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the IC landscape is changed. It will be interesting to see what the local response is like.

Match Day!!

For my inaugural post, I thought I'd put up a pic from about 2 weeks ago...Match Day, the day where forth-year medical students across the country find out where they'll be spending the next 3-8 years of their lives. It's not quite as random as entrance into medical school but it feels pretty miserable until you get good news...if you get good news.

Fortunately, Erica and I found out we'll be going to Madison, our first choice. Woohoo! She's going into pediatrics and I'm doing Ob/Gyn, hence the t-shirts. Pink isn't my color but I got a lot of stares, smirks and come-ons that night. So did some of the girls - one was asked if she was lesbian. :0)

Now, we've got graduation to look forward to, but first I'm going to Ireland! I'm traveling with Erica and two med school chums, Scott (an amazing musician and Irish aficionado) and Becca (all around fun gal). It's sure to be a Guinness-drinking, good time.

After graduation, it's serious house hunting time. Then I'll come back to Spokaloo for a week or two and hopefully catch the opening weekend of Ren Faire (June 3,4 for those interested). Then, I'll probably go camping with Erica's family in northern Minnesota before starting residency June 23. Wow! What a whirlwind! Well, there should be plenty to report over then next couple of months - hopefully, some good pics too! Take care.