I have been assured by many people, that it rarely snows here in the winter time. If it does, there's very little that falls and it melts quickly. This news comes from both natives and people who moved here from colder climes (namely Minnesota and Maine). I believed them, for a while anyway...
The first "snow" we had was maybe an inch: roads were moist and grass blades could still be seen through the dusting. People here FREAKED out! They really couldn't handle it. Drivers crept along the roads, and Danville schools were put on a two-hour snow delay. Many of my native co-workers were aghast that school wasn't cancelled altogether. A school bus (from a non-Danville district) did take a turn too fast that morning and slid off the road. All passengers were taken to the hospital: some had minor injuries, most had no injuries, two were hospitalized overnight. So, with fears confirmed, people around here officially became chionophobic.
Temperatures remained in the 30's for the next week and we got rain (which did indeed melt the snow). Then another "snow" storm was predicted. This time school was cancelled the night before the storm hit. People were braced for the 2 inches that were predicted. The next morning dawned cold and cloudy. Every now and then a flake could be seen. The day went by and nothing happened. By afternoon the clouds were lifting. There was no snow. Karen (my nurse co-worker from Maine) and I were shaking our heads over how fanatical people around here get when it comes to "snow". I mean really? What if it actually snowed around here? Would the world as they know it, end? I was soon to find out...
December began with mild temps, rain and a day so warm and humid that it felt like a summer's afternoon. This balmy weather was soon to be squelched by the real deal. An actual snow storm. The predictions called for a few inches of snow here, 4 at the most. We ended up with 6 whole inches of snow! People did indeed freak out. School was closed and some shops were too, but as it turns out, the city's infrastructure held up. Roads were appropriately cleared and the apocalypse did not occur, which, like the rest of the folks around here, was a major concern of mine. What a relief!
Since then, a few more snow storms have hit. Warren and I flew in from CO January 2 to a storm in the area that brought frigid temps, wind and another 4-5" of snow. With all that, I think folks around here are acclimating to the concept of snow in winter time. Shops are open, streets are clear and drivers are able to navigate at regular speeds. Although, with this latest storm school was cancelled for two days. And our bathroom pipes froze. But other than that, life is fairly status quo around here.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
It's the Holiday Season!
Well, true to my journaling track record, I experienced a steep decline in posts starting in August. And by steep, I mean that I haven’t posted anything since August. As you may have guessed a lot has happened in that time. Summer turned into fall, which rapidly turned into winter. I’ve taken up archery, Warren’s gotten a new job and we’ve both gotten into our routines/grooves. We’ve gone through Labor Day, the Bloomsburg Fair (it’s a holiday out here), Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and began a new year! Let’s explore some of these unfamiliar events in more detail, shall we?
Archery
My friend, Joanne, and I decided we would take up archery together. We’ve both always thought it would be fun, and given that it’s quite popular around here, we decided there was no time like the present. We each bought a re-curve bow (think “Katnis Everdeen” from ‘The Hunger Games’) and three arrows, from a shop in Middleburg, PA. The shop owners, a husband and wife, have some of the best customer service skills of any retail shop I’ve been to. They not only take the time to help with your current retail wants, but they will have your name and needs memorized from that point forward. It may not sound like a big deal, but how many stores do you go into on a regular basis, see the same clerk and it takes months before you feel like they know you by name (let alone what you’re in there for)? Joanne and I made one visit, and promptly ordered bows and arrows. When I went to pick up the orders, Judy (who had originally helped me and Joanne) was busy with another customer, but with just a glance toward me and the freshly closed front door, she was able to tell her husband, “Kristen is here to pick up both her re-curve and Joanne’s.” I thought maybe it was a fluke, because two non-camo wearing, females without male companionship in an archery shop is quite a unique sight. However, every time I've been in since, I’ve observed Keith and Judy greet their other customers in this manner too.
I'm ok with the bow, I generally manage to hit the target Warren got from Wally-Mart. But, it is very difficult to aim with a traditional bow. It's not so much aiming as it is getting a feel for the bow and hoping it hits near where you'd like. There are no sights, it's just repetition. To the point that you have to breath the same with every draw and release. It's not a sport you can excel at if you're not able to get calm and focused. Good thing a yoga studio opened up in town around the same time I took up the bow and arrow ;-)
The Bloomsburg Fair
This is an annual, state-fair style event that is coveted by both the locals and carney folk, alike. People drive from several states away, just to experience this fair. There are carnival rides and boardwalk games, agricultural competitions (giant produce, anyone?), concerts, rodeo performances, trinket vendors and of course, copious amounts of food; primarily of the fried variety. Most stands offer your typical deep-fried fare (potatoes, random veggies, oreos, twinkies, etc). Some have more exotic offerings such as deep-fried, bacon-wrapped, Snicker’s bars. There’s even a stand that will deep-fry any food-item you bring to them. So, chances are that if it’s edible and been deep fried before (say at the Texas state fair), someone will offer it at the Bloomsburg Fair too. And this, the sheer selection of (fried, junk) food, is the main draw to the fair. Every year there is a heart attack or two on the grounds, and this year was no different. Although, I think someone has yet to die at the fair from their heart attack. My cardiology office-mates like to joke that they need to have a Geisinger cardiology stand at the fair, just in case someone needs a coronary cathed or stented emergently.
The Bloomsburg fair has its own permanent grounds, located at the west end of the town of Bloomsburg (normally a cute, quiet college town.) Throughout the year, various small events can rent out space on the grounds, but otherwise it’s deserted most of the year. However, for the week of the fair, the whole area turns into a place of grid-lock and pandemonium. The local schools get the week off, people set up parking lots in their yards (apparently a very lucrative endeavor), and some (who are dis-enchanted by the whole thing) just leave town until the fair has cleared out. Hundreds of thousands of people attend annually.
View from the sky ride.
A people mover to easily get from one end of the fair to another.
Luiz and Joanne
I'm on the left.
We spent Thanksgiving here in Pennsylvania with Luiz, Joanne and another couple Jared and Amy (he's a urology resident). We had a wonderful holiday with them, and learned a delicious new way to cook turkey. Warren and I even managed to get through our Kale salads; the dressing was very yummy!
Christmas and New Year were spent in Colorado. It was Warren's first trip back home since moving out here in April! (I'd made it home in late August for a few days) We both had a wonderful time, and were sad to leave the bluebird skies of CO for the freezing temps and whipping snows of PA.
And if you're still with me on this post, you'll (hopefully) be as delighted as I am, to hear that Warren and I got engaged on New Year's Eve. We'll technically very early on 1/1/14, but you get what I'm saying. We have no date, venue or any details really, but we do know it will be in Colorado. Probably the mountains. Probably this year.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
You know your patient's constipated when...
You know your patient's constipated when...
Their abdominal pain is trumping their surgical pain
You know your patient's constipated when...
The usual Colace, Senokot and Dulcolax haven't even addressed the problem,
neither has the Dulcolax suppository
You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received a Fleet's enema, followed by two soap suds enemas, with no results
You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received the aforementioned within a 24-hour period, plus a half dose of the bowel prep regimen used for people undergoing colonoscopy, with zero results
And finally, you know your patient's constipated when...
The pharmacy voluntarily pages you, in order to inform you that your patient has been pre-approved for an 8mg, subcutaneous dose of an anti-constipation medication so potent, that results typically occur within seconds of administration. A medication so potent, and coveted, that it is ordinarily reserved for palliative care patients only. A medication that is so coveted, and secret, that neither I nor my supervising Physicians have even heard of it, let alone ordered it.
Subsequently order it, I did. And sure as shit, it worked within seconds...
Their abdominal pain is trumping their surgical pain
You know your patient's constipated when...
The usual Colace, Senokot and Dulcolax haven't even addressed the problem,
neither has the Dulcolax suppository
You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received a Fleet's enema, followed by two soap suds enemas, with no results
You know your patient's constipated when...
They've received the aforementioned within a 24-hour period, plus a half dose of the bowel prep regimen used for people undergoing colonoscopy, with zero results
And finally, you know your patient's constipated when...
The pharmacy voluntarily pages you, in order to inform you that your patient has been pre-approved for an 8mg, subcutaneous dose of an anti-constipation medication so potent, that results typically occur within seconds of administration. A medication so potent, and coveted, that it is ordinarily reserved for palliative care patients only. A medication that is so coveted, and secret, that neither I nor my supervising Physicians have even heard of it, let alone ordered it.
Subsequently order it, I did. And sure as shit, it worked within seconds...
Saturday, August 3, 2013
"Working for the Weekend"
I think I can officially say that Warren and I are "working for the weekend." Each weekend we seem to find something new to do or just enjoy time hanging out with Joanne and Luiz. Here are the highlights of our weekends in July:
1) Kayaking the West branch of the Susquehanna river. A nice wide, smooth flowing river, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. And with 4 hours on the river complete with snacks, water fights and conversations with good friends, who wouldn't enjoy themselves?
2) A long weekend with family. See my previous post about my sister and dad being in town. Great memories
3) Archery shopping with Joanne. Joanne and I decided we'd like to learn how to use a bow and arrow. Not to hunt anything, but for target practice, especially on those days when you need to release a little tension. We took a few practice shots with different bow types (recurve vs. compound). We both like the wooden bows more than the modern ones (like they use in the olympics). In fact, we ended up ordering the same bow. No date yet as to when it's supposed to arrive, I'll keep you posted...
4) A brand new yoga studio has opened in town, studioB (www.studiobyogacenter.com). It is owned by a young lady, Becky, who moved here from NYC, because her sister is starting residency at Geisinger in Ob/Gyn. She said that she was planning to open a studio soon in Long Island anyway, and when her sister was accepted here, she decided to relocate too. If nothing else, but to have an opportunity to thrive in a place where there isn't a yoga studio on every corner (I'm sure the rent's cheaper here too.) I took my first class there today. It's a great space, very open and inviting with a positive energy. I was amazed at how much my body/spirit was craving a good yoga class. I will definitely be back there.
1) Kayaking the West branch of the Susquehanna river. A nice wide, smooth flowing river, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. And with 4 hours on the river complete with snacks, water fights and conversations with good friends, who wouldn't enjoy themselves?
Me and Joanne
Warren
Luiz
3) Archery shopping with Joanne. Joanne and I decided we'd like to learn how to use a bow and arrow. Not to hunt anything, but for target practice, especially on those days when you need to release a little tension. We took a few practice shots with different bow types (recurve vs. compound). We both like the wooden bows more than the modern ones (like they use in the olympics). In fact, we ended up ordering the same bow. No date yet as to when it's supposed to arrive, I'll keep you posted...
4) A brand new yoga studio has opened in town, studioB (www.studiobyogacenter.com). It is owned by a young lady, Becky, who moved here from NYC, because her sister is starting residency at Geisinger in Ob/Gyn. She said that she was planning to open a studio soon in Long Island anyway, and when her sister was accepted here, she decided to relocate too. If nothing else, but to have an opportunity to thrive in a place where there isn't a yoga studio on every corner (I'm sure the rent's cheaper here too.) I took my first class there today. It's a great space, very open and inviting with a positive energy. I was amazed at how much my body/spirit was craving a good yoga class. I will definitely be back there.
Family Visit
Two weekends ago, I was very happy to welcome my dad and sister to Danville, PA. They arrived late Thursday night after flying directly from Denver to the Harrisburg airport. We'd been experiencing a heat wave that whole week prior, and I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough AC in the house to keep us all from melting (or choking on the humid air). Luckily, the heat wave broke on Friday and we were able to enjoy outdoor activities without too much discomfort.
On Friday, we went to Rickett's Glenn for a hike touring the famous waterfalls. Rickett's Glenn, as I may have mentioned before, is a recreational state park complete with lake, cabins, camping grounds and hiking trails. The park is 13,050 acres at the top of a "peak," measuring 2449 feet above sea level. The most famous of the hiking trails is the aptly named "Falls" trail. This trail takes you down the hillside through old growth timber on a tour of waterfalls. There are 22 waterfalls in all, with varying heights up to 94 feet. The scenery is gorgeous, hike is moderately difficult, and the best part is that there are areas to wade into the water to cool off from the humidity of the area. We had eaten a picnic lunch before our hike, and rounded out the afternoon with ice cream cones from snack shop after our hike.
Saturday Warren was able to joins for the day's activities (he'd had to work Friday.) We all went to the gym (Warren and I belong to Anytime Fitness) and got in a great work out. We then headed to downtown Danville to see what was going on at the Iron Heritage Festival and find a place to eat a late breakfast/early lunch snack. We ended up at a place called "Pappas." Warren and I had never tried it before, probably due to low expectations and very limited hours of operation. It ended up being an experience to remember. The short of the long of it is:
It reminded me of the "Olympia Restaurant" sketch from the early days of SNL (click here to navigate to the Hulu page, then scroll down to find said sketch: www.hulu.com/best-of-snl ) We hung out in Danville the rest of the day, had an early dinner, then drank wine and played Scattegories at the house until late. The night was rounded out by a nice fireworks display that we could view from our porch, courtesy of the Iron Heritage Festival.
Sunday morning we met at the Pine Barn Inn (the hotel where my dad was staying) for breakfast, then headed out to Lewisburg for the morning. Lewisburg is a cute university town about 20 minutes NW of Danville. It is home to Bucknell, a private liberal arts university with Bucky the Bison as a mascot. We wandered the main street which has some cute boutique shops (most of which are closed Sundays, as is the norm in these parts). When then had a nice dinner from the grill at home. Complete with a grilled brussels sprout dish Katrina made. Dinner was delicious. We then played Jenga on the patio well into the night, with fireflies and a fire-pit fire in the background.
Monday morning the clock struck midnight, and Katrina and my dad had to leave for home. I was sad to see them go, but treasure the weekend we spent together. It made me that much more excited for my trip home at the end of August.
On Friday, we went to Rickett's Glenn for a hike touring the famous waterfalls. Rickett's Glenn, as I may have mentioned before, is a recreational state park complete with lake, cabins, camping grounds and hiking trails. The park is 13,050 acres at the top of a "peak," measuring 2449 feet above sea level. The most famous of the hiking trails is the aptly named "Falls" trail. This trail takes you down the hillside through old growth timber on a tour of waterfalls. There are 22 waterfalls in all, with varying heights up to 94 feet. The scenery is gorgeous, hike is moderately difficult, and the best part is that there are areas to wade into the water to cool off from the humidity of the area. We had eaten a picnic lunch before our hike, and rounded out the afternoon with ice cream cones from snack shop after our hike.
Saturday Warren was able to joins for the day's activities (he'd had to work Friday.) We all went to the gym (Warren and I belong to Anytime Fitness) and got in a great work out. We then headed to downtown Danville to see what was going on at the Iron Heritage Festival and find a place to eat a late breakfast/early lunch snack. We ended up at a place called "Pappas." Warren and I had never tried it before, probably due to low expectations and very limited hours of operation. It ended up being an experience to remember. The short of the long of it is:
- They didn't have half the items listed on the menu (it may have been closer to 2/3, I'm not kidding)
- They stopped serving breakfast promptly at 11am (it was 11:04 and we were made well aware that there were no more eggs, toasts, sausage or bacon)
- but if you really wanted something breakfast-like, you could order the lunch-time egg and bacon sandwich (choice of toasted bread, including English muffin), if it was ok that the eggs had an essence of hamburger flavor (the apparent difference between breakfast eggs and lunch eggs)
- Oh, and cash only to pay thank you very much (phew, good thing that's all we had on us)
It reminded me of the "Olympia Restaurant" sketch from the early days of SNL (click here to navigate to the Hulu page, then scroll down to find said sketch: www.hulu.com/best-of-snl ) We hung out in Danville the rest of the day, had an early dinner, then drank wine and played Scattegories at the house until late. The night was rounded out by a nice fireworks display that we could view from our porch, courtesy of the Iron Heritage Festival.
Sunday morning we met at the Pine Barn Inn (the hotel where my dad was staying) for breakfast, then headed out to Lewisburg for the morning. Lewisburg is a cute university town about 20 minutes NW of Danville. It is home to Bucknell, a private liberal arts university with Bucky the Bison as a mascot. We wandered the main street which has some cute boutique shops (most of which are closed Sundays, as is the norm in these parts). When then had a nice dinner from the grill at home. Complete with a grilled brussels sprout dish Katrina made. Dinner was delicious. We then played Jenga on the patio well into the night, with fireflies and a fire-pit fire in the background.
Monday morning the clock struck midnight, and Katrina and my dad had to leave for home. I was sad to see them go, but treasure the weekend we spent together. It made me that much more excited for my trip home at the end of August.
Fall at Rickett's Glenn
Danville as viewed from across the river in Riverside
Candid shot of Katrina and Dad
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Overdue Update: the synopsis of the June mini-holidays
It has been well over a month since I last published. A lot has happened in that time, and the time somehow managed to fly by.
Highlights from June include:
1) Long weekend in NYC with my very dear friend Lucy B and 5 German tourists (I feel the name of a band coming on... And no, they were not all random German tourists, we knew one of them before hand.)
2) Long weekend of "camping" in the woods near Pittsburgh with my dear friends Megan and Ron (the quotes are because they take this trip every year and Ron has tricked out their campsite with potable, filtered, running cold and hot water. Yes, there is a tarp shower stall in camp.)
3) Long weekend in Las Vegas for the wedding of one of Warren's very good friends, and
4) Birthday weekend in Vegas (we killed two birds with one stone that weekend)!!!!
Plus, there was fourth of July, though neither Warren nor I got a long weekend for that (we both had to work Friday and Saturday afterward). We did however, get to watch the Bloomsburg fireworks show. The display was punctuated by the dancing fireflies in the yard we were sitting in (I'll have to gush about those later.)
Last Sunday we took a rare full day off and decided to check out some of what Pennsylvania's outdoor recreation has to offer. We went to a state park called Rickett's Glenn to hike the famous water fall trails. The park is heavily wooded/forested and located at the tallest point in PA, over 2400ft! The creek that runs down the hill (mountain really) has been dammed up toward the top and a reservoir has been created. There are canoes, kayaks and a beach, plus a snack shack with plenty of fried food and ice cream. The park also features camp sites and cabins for rent. We however did not know any of that before going, we just wanted to check out the water falls. And check them out we did, along with a lot of other people. This put a damper on the tranquility of the place. Fortunately, we were too sweaty and hot from the sheer humidity of the climate that we wouldn't have been able to take in the tranquility of the place anyway. Despite our glistening discomfort, we enjoyed the hike. And by the end, we were very grateful to know that we could purchase an ice cream to help cool us down a bit.
This coming weekend we are planning to go kayaking with our friends Luiz and Joanne (Luiz is the general surgery resident I've mentioned; Joanne is his wife, she and I get along very well.) They're a great couple and I am so glad we've met them. There is a company out here called Canoe Susquehanna and they offer private guided trips of the river as well as planned group events. We'll be participating in one of the planned group events. It should be fun!
Enough with the words, on to the pictures!!
Highlights from June include:
1) Long weekend in NYC with my very dear friend Lucy B and 5 German tourists (I feel the name of a band coming on... And no, they were not all random German tourists, we knew one of them before hand.)
2) Long weekend of "camping" in the woods near Pittsburgh with my dear friends Megan and Ron (the quotes are because they take this trip every year and Ron has tricked out their campsite with potable, filtered, running cold and hot water. Yes, there is a tarp shower stall in camp.)
3) Long weekend in Las Vegas for the wedding of one of Warren's very good friends, and
4) Birthday weekend in Vegas (we killed two birds with one stone that weekend)!!!!
Plus, there was fourth of July, though neither Warren nor I got a long weekend for that (we both had to work Friday and Saturday afterward). We did however, get to watch the Bloomsburg fireworks show. The display was punctuated by the dancing fireflies in the yard we were sitting in (I'll have to gush about those later.)
Last Sunday we took a rare full day off and decided to check out some of what Pennsylvania's outdoor recreation has to offer. We went to a state park called Rickett's Glenn to hike the famous water fall trails. The park is heavily wooded/forested and located at the tallest point in PA, over 2400ft! The creek that runs down the hill (mountain really) has been dammed up toward the top and a reservoir has been created. There are canoes, kayaks and a beach, plus a snack shack with plenty of fried food and ice cream. The park also features camp sites and cabins for rent. We however did not know any of that before going, we just wanted to check out the water falls. And check them out we did, along with a lot of other people. This put a damper on the tranquility of the place. Fortunately, we were too sweaty and hot from the sheer humidity of the climate that we wouldn't have been able to take in the tranquility of the place anyway. Despite our glistening discomfort, we enjoyed the hike. And by the end, we were very grateful to know that we could purchase an ice cream to help cool us down a bit.
This coming weekend we are planning to go kayaking with our friends Luiz and Joanne (Luiz is the general surgery resident I've mentioned; Joanne is his wife, she and I get along very well.) They're a great couple and I am so glad we've met them. There is a company out here called Canoe Susquehanna and they offer private guided trips of the river as well as planned group events. We'll be participating in one of the planned group events. It should be fun!
Enough with the words, on to the pictures!!
Me and Lucy at dinner. This restaurant/bar turned out to be very nice, we even became "regulars" for the few nights we were in town. Though we have a sneaking suspicion we may have eaten pigeon being passed off as chicken (Lucy's suspicion more so than mine.)
We took a helicopter tour of Manhattan
The WTC memorial as seen from the air
Weekend of camping. Photography was not high on my priority list. As such, I only have a few pics, more so to get a feel of things than to capture any one thing in great detail. Soooo, this is not a great example, but the white tents in the background are Megan and Ron's campsite.
VEGAS! The night of Jarret and Marisa's wedding, the groomsman all wore black suits and purple ties, and it was hot at night easily in the upper 90's (I was overheating in a sleeveless dress)
Birthday dinner at Nobu (in Caesar's Palace)
There are 22 waterfalls at Rickett's Glenn, they are all named. I don't know what the name of this one is (cause I didn't bother to remember it...) But it's a high/tall water fall (see the person in the lower right corner for reference)
Another named, yet unknown name, water fall
This one has a large tree that fell into it.
It's very green here
(and have I mentioned the humidity? Shvitzing, it's the story of my life right now!)
And to wrap things up, here are a few pictures of the cutest kids in the world (though perhaps I'm biased... then again, maybe not) enjoying Tastykake chocolate cupcakes all the way from PA to CO.
Sage (well posed for the camera little man) and Willow (I hope she gets her last bite in before it's smashed)
Daddy and Brooke (she is super excited!)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Urban Poison Ivy
I mentioned in my last post ("the humidity cometh") that the poison ivy out here grows to epic proportions. Little did I know at the time, that it also thrives in urban settings. No sooner had I finished that post, than I was standing at my kitchen window, staring at a plant that looked suspiciously like poison ivy in my back patio. Now, something you should know about my back patio is that it is made entirely of pavers. There is no lawn, there is no garden, there are no flower beds, it is comprised solely of gray paving stone. Of course there are weeds, but I'm plucking them out like a teenager pops their pimples: aggressively and knowing the darned things are just gonna sprout back up. Anyway, between my patio "wall" and my neighbor's yard (which is elevated above mine, so they have a wall too) is a gap. Occupying this gap is an assortment of weeds, included in this assortment, much to my chagrin, is poison ivy. How in the h-e-double hockey stick did it get there? And how is it thriving? My weed "garden" offers very little shade and in fact the poison ivy is located such that it gets direct sunlight all afternoon. Those not versed in poison ivy lore may be saying "so?". Poison ivy is a plant that thrives in shaded, cool, damp locations. It has innocuous looking, bright green, leaf-shaped leaves (think of a leaf that a 4-year-old would draw). They are broad with smooth edges, some larger ones have scalloping along the edge, and a mild sheen on the top surface (though most things around here have a mild sheen, thanks to the humidity). The hallmark of poison ivy, and what tipped me off in this case, is that the leaves grow in clusters of 3 on a single stalk. We have poison ivy in Colorado, it is most commonly seen growing on the shaded slopes of mountains. There it grows as a ground covering, which has always made me wonder why it's called poison IVY. Well, now I know. The plant in my back patio did not originate from the soil between the walls, it's a tendril that has creeped its way down the wall from under a bush my neighbor's yard. Which simultaneously solves the mystery of why this piece of poison ivy is in a sunny-ish location instead of the favored shaded, damp, cool location: the majority of the plant is in the latter-mentioned locale. Which brings me to the next problem of, how am I going to get rid of it? I can't very well just rip it out (I don't want to test the waters of that itchy, red, rash) and Round-Up isn't going to target the root very well. As my sister said when the diagnosis of 'poison ivy' was confirmed, "have fun with that. :-)"
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