So much to tell for so few passed days…
Late Wednesday evening (Dec 29th), AJ and I trekked out to Seatac to meet our Aussie friends Anna and Jem, just arriving in America from a whirlwind tour of Europe. After a nice slumber, we took to downtown Seattle with what else but a traditional Starbucks beginning. Our next stop was Pike Place Market where we saw flying fish, eclectic shops, fresh veggies, and the very first Starbucks ever. We took lots of pictures, especially of Rainbow Bear and Gloria (she’s a vibrantly colored gorilla travelling with Anna and Jem – and she apears to be quite taken with Rainbow Bear :-)). Then it was on to more downtown exploring along the streets and through Gameworks on our way to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Afterwards, we hopped back in the car for a jaunt up to the Kerry park lookout (and more photos), then a quick driving tour of Seattle Pacific University, Ballard, Fremont, and Lake Union on our way back to the Seattle Center. We had our trip to the top of the needle (the Space Needle, that is) and a long leisurely stay at the top with (of course) more photos. We got to the top just as the sun was setting and so were able to see both day and night views of the city. The inner part of the observation deck was beautifully decorated – leftovers from Christmas as well as anticipation of New Year’s. Following the Space Needle, we parked down at the waterfront and explored a couple of the piers. They are much more interesting in the daytime… and even moreso in the summertime… but we did play a couple of games at the Bay Pavilion and bought a pirate sword for Rainbow Bear before leaving. The final events of the evening took us back up to Lynnwood where we saw “The Incredibles” (great, great movie!!) and had dinner at Red Robin. How much more could you possibly fit into one day??
The next day (New Year’s Eve), AJ and Chris took Anna and Jem up to Steven’s Pass, straped snowboards on their feet and turned on the video camera. 🙂 I hear they had fun, and can’t wait to see the videos! Meanwhile, I accompanied my mom and sister to visit Grandma and Grandpa Thomasson at their new home… which actually is brand new. It is very beautiful and quite spacious without feeling overwhelming. There’s still unpacking to be done and some decorating to do, but it already feels homey. I’m looking forward to visiting again sometime soon (maybe when I get back in the summertime). I really enjoyed chatting over lunch, we don’t get together often enough – as is the way it often goes with families.
Once the boarders were done on the mountain, they came and met up with my family down at the Starbucks on Alki. If the Coffee Club is the answer to “Where Will I Meet You?” for Australians, I’m sure that the answer here in America – or at least in Seattle – would definitely have to be “Starbucks!” The only problem is trying to determine which one, since they seem to be ubiquitously located. After some coffee and conversation, AJ, Chris, Anna, Jem, and I headed back up north and watched the Space Needle fireworks on tv before heading off to sleep… except that I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning reading The DaVinci Code. It was fun, and something I haven’t done for a long time. I really enjoy reading for fun, especially when I don’t have much reading for study to do.
Saturday was my last day in Seattle, and I spent the morning… well I spent the morning sleeping, then in the afternoon we drove to Mukilteo to watch the ferries, walk on the beach, and eat Ivar’s fish-and-chips. We also wandered around the new part of the Alderwood Mall, then met my mom at The Old Spaghetti Factory down on the waterfront for dinner. Once back in Lynnwood, we watched “Ella Enchanted” up at the office and then it was off to bed.
That leaves me with today – the flying part of my title, since I had to head back to St. Louis this morning. I just arrived here about 5 hours ago, got some errands out of the way and am getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow I start my OB/GYN rotation that I was looking forward up until I picked up my syllabus this evening… the schedule is so complicated and there are a lot of assignments… I think the information will be very interesting but I am already tired just thinking about the hours and the work; which I guess means I should think about getting some sleep now (7am orientation tomorrow morning!)
-shaped pizza for dinner! 🙂
 
Anyway, urogynecology is just what it sounds like (I mean, just what it reads like), and we mainly worked with middle-aged to older women who were having problems with pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence and we did clinic work as well as OR cases.