I know, I know – it’s kind of blurry and not the greatest picture but it will do (and remember – camera phone in outstretched hand… this is not bad under those conditions!)  This is me and Arielle – my best friend from high school.  I had dinner at her house tonight and then we sat around and chatted till the wee hours… clarification, what we now consider the wee hours, so, like, 10pm or so.  🙂  I had such a great time, and like I said before the conversations just flow, which is nice.

We talked all about work (hers and mine) and especially about how we’re both in the midst of getting started in our careers – not just continuing on as students anymore.  We shared about how we both have found ourselves shaping what we let others see of us in our role as students – how we conform to what we think our supervisors (professors, attendings, teachers) would like us to be like so that we are well accepted.  Never going so far as to lose ourselves, of course, more just the little things – the order of activities, the phrasing of statements, how much of our "social" selves are divulged to those around us – things like that.  I am still painfully conscious of the fact that I am a student and that I am working hard to leave a good impression on those around me so that when the time comes for residency programs to decide who they want, I will be near the top of the list for Children’s…plus I’m trying to learn and make sure my patients are faring well.  I have learned that socializing is so very important since just being intelligent isn’t enough – and in fact is a negative if all you have is intelligence and no personality – so I have to make sure I take the time to shoot the proverbial… breeze… with the residents and attendings so they will see me as a person, and hopefully remember me.  It’s funny to talk about socializing as a chore like that, but getting conversations started often feels that way.  They usually end up flowing with ease, but I have been learning to take that initial step of introducing myself and asking questions in order to meet the people around me.

Hmm.. so yes, we chatted about those kind of things, but also about other things… like Battlestar Galactica!!!  I never would have guessed that Arielle would watch that show – but when she said she had been taping it, I just about burst to find out if she was up to date on the episodes… something like "Did you see last week’s?!?  With the reporter chick!?!  At the end?!? " and then us together "She’s a cylon!!!!"  It was a great moment.   And if that was a spoiler for you I am so so sorry… I only know of a few people (mainly my relatives) who read this blog and I don’t think any of you watch BSG… and Brasten, I know you already knew that tidbit – so I should be all fine there. 🙂

Anyway – I have a busy, busy week ahead – my last bit of Seattle time before heading back east-ish.  It is totally packed with engagements of the work and social variety – hopefully I’ll find time to pack before I have to leave on Saturday morning!!

I went to the Mariners v. Angels game tonight with Heather, Justin and Carrie.  We sat out in the left field bleachers and had a great time.  And the M’s won, right at the bottom of the 9th, so that was cool too.

Me out front before the game

 
This was a sign posted all the way up by the refreshment stands behind the 100 level seats… I found it entertaining.

 
My cool camera phone panoramic feature!

A cool fountain:

An impromptu bike parade… we never did figure out what it was for:

Enjoying some gelatto (coconut and blackberry flavors are very yummy!):
 

One of the new "natural" parks in the Pearl District:
 

Walking barefoot in the park:
 

Dinner at Typhoon, this was the "Fish on Fire" entree:
 

This is what my cool camera phone can do: panoramic pictures!  We (A.J., Chris, Brasten, and I) went to the Mariners vs. Indians game tonight and we sat pretty much behind home plate in row 30.  As you can see in the picture, Head was sitting right in front of us.  That is Head, pronounced "Heed", as in So I Married An Axe Murderer: "Head! Paper! Now! Move that melon of yours and get the paper if you can! Haulin’ that gargantuan cranium about! I’m not kidding, that boy’s head’s like Sputnik! Spherical, but quick pointy in parts. Well, that was off sides, wasn’t it? He’ll be crying himself to sleep tonight on his huge pillow!"  🙂  Head’s brother (the blurry guy in front of Brasten) was very unpredictable in the way that he would just join our conversations without warning or invitation – somewhat entertaining.

(click for a bigger picture)

So not even 24 hours after arriving back in Seattle, it was time to celebrate the 4th of July – or, as it is known over at the lake, the "Who has more fireworks" competition.  🙂  We went to A.J.’s dad’s house on Lake Serene (in the Lynnwood area) and spent a nice morning and afternoon playing outside – there was ping pong, basketball (with games of both "HORSE" and "JILL" :-)), kayaking, and swimming in the lake on the "Oasis Island" of fun.  This first picture is me with a braided water lily boquet that A.J. picked and braided for me.

These are some of the "getting ready for fireworks" pictures.  Chris has a propane torch that he and A.J. used for lighting off the massive show Al had stored up for the night.  There’s also a picture of some of the fireworks… just SOME, beause there were SO many more than what you see here.  It was really an amazing night – and a LOT of fun.

This last picture is me with a glow stick headband – also very fun.  Next year we will have a lot more glow sticks on hand for our audience to enjoy.  (FYI Mom, these were the glow sticks that A.J. got for us to use in St Louis that we kept forgetting to pull out.)

I am at the St. Louis airport right now, up in the Admiral’s Club – that’s where the fancy people hang out before they board their airplanes.  A.J. and I ate some complimentary cookies and drank some complimentary water and tea and OJ… and now I’m using the computers with complimentary internet access.  I suppose it’s not all "complimentary" since you pay for a membership.  BUt it’s really cool.  Nice and quiet and relaxing with leather chairs and magazines and newspapers.  Such a difference from waiting in the terminals.  When we get to Seattle we’re going to go check out the Club there too, so I can see what it’s like.  A.J. the traveler has already been to both of these clubs a few times, now it’s my turn to get all excited about them. 🙂

A.J. with a cookie:

Our morning snack: