A Family Packed Memorial Day Weekend

Now that we are in full fledged moving mode, Memorial Day weekend was a great opportunity to spend some time with people we care about. We kicked off the weekend with Tom and Sarah. Tom is one of Ari's college roommates that has fortunately for us lived just a few miles away for the past 2 years. We went to their son Conner's little league game (in near winter temperatures) then dropped Conner off with a babysitter so we could have some adult time. We had dinner at Chili's and then went to a local bar that has shuffle board, darts, pool tables, and bowling. We had a great time hanging out with Tom and Sarah... and beating them at all three games! But we all realized we are getting old when we were worrying about the safety of the younger bar patrons. We will also never forget Steve, who befriended us... it is better just to leave that alone.

The next morning it was off to Naperville for a Pope family BBQ. As is usual, we walked into a house smelling of wonderful food... with special attention to veggie dishes just for Ari. We enjoyed catching up with my dad and Lily while dad was the maestro and I played his sous chef. Slowly but surely the Pope's started rolling in, if I added correctly there were about 35 people there that I was related to! It was awesome to see some family members that we haven't seen since Kristen's wedding nearly two years ago. We feasted on Portillo's beef, pasta, a multitude of salads, and even made s'mores for dessert. Yum! We eventually went to bed after watching the Cubs lose to the Pirates... I might have been cheering all by myself.

The next day we had some tentative plans for golf since the weather was iffy. The weather held up but we couldn't handle the golf Gestapo so we only played 2 1/2 holes. That is a long story best shared over a beer. Next it was lunch at Jimmy's which was interrupted by a flash thunderstorm. We enjoyed most of our meal outside until the rain started pouring sideways! When the weather was clear we said our goodbyes and headed to see the Kohn clan. Chuck and Vicky (Ari's cousin) hosted us, Aunt Ellen and Uncle Kenny, Michelle, and of course their kids Brad and Dana. We had a great dinner, did a lot of catching up, and got to watch the Cubs lose again... why am I the only one cheering?! Aunt Ellen even surprised me with an early birthday present. Then it was back to Milwaukee. 3 1/2 weeks and counting!

Senior Retreat

This past weekend was our last resident retreat. Friday afternoon we were excused at noon (who doesn't like that?) and we planned to meet for dinner later that night. I got in a quick work out and went to pick up Jackie. We drove down to our resort Lake Lawn Resort on Lake Delavan. The trip only took about 40 minutes. Unfortunately there was some confusion at the front desk about room arrangements; I didn't want to room by myself (kind of defeats the purpose of last chance bonding) so I snuck in with Jackie, Sima, and Lindsay who had a four bed room/loft. After we got settled in our room, it was off to Popeye's on Lake Geneva... no, not that Popeye's! It is a family restaurant located right on Lake Geneva. Thankfully Jen had found a place to accommodate the 24 people that showed up. I think just about everyone got the fish fry (I wonder if Ohio is as passionate about year-round fish fry as Wisconsin is... might be better if it is not!). We had a great time catching up in a casual/non-work environment and seeing some of the spouses and kids. Unfortunately, Ari could not attend this year :( Afterward we headed back to the resort where Patrick set up rock band. Some of the guys, however, were itching to play poker. Never ones to turn down a poker game, Tara and I asked to be dealt in. We played a small tournament and took the boys' money! I won and Tara got second! Silly boys, we warned them that we knew how to play!!

The next day, we had a couple of scheduled meetings after breakfast: transitioning to become a fellow/hospitalist/community pediatrician, risk management and health literacy, and evaluations. The first session was the best as I am starting to get a bit nervous about starting my fellowship. Next it was off to lunch at Panera and then mini golf. Kevin, Rob, Jackie, and I paired up for the mini golf which was fun except for the swarms of mosquitoes and lake flies. Kevin won overall but Jackie got major style points for frequently hitting her ball outside the course! Afterwards, we all went to do our own thing. Jackie and I snuck in a quick work out while watching baseball (go Cards!). Then it was on to dinner, which was actually delicious! The Cesar salad was nice and garlicky, the chicken was moist, and the veggies actually weren't soggy (that can be hard in a buffet). The bread pudding was scrumptious as well and had this rich caramel pecan sauce...mmm... Afterwards all the little ones ran around the banquet room for awhile which actually seemed to tire out the adults because we did little more than sit in Brian's room watching TV.

Sunday we had breakfast and headed back to Milwaukee. I think it was a great way to end... now just 5 weeks left!

A Cardinals Filled Mother's Day

I was so lucky this year to have my mom up in Milwaukee for Mother's Day. She and John drove up on Friday and got here in record time (mom is more of a speed demon than I gave her credit for). I made a scrumptious carnivore feast of flank steak with portabello mushrooms, blue cheese mashed potatoes, and broccolini. It was fun to cook meat! Mom made a delicious chocolate cake to cap off the meal. Then I headed in to work a short ER shift from 9pm-3am. We woke up early... 7:30am, you do the math... to have breakfast and do some work around the house. Since Ari and I are not the handiest around the house John was a huge help fixing a leaking utility sink, a screen door, and an injury to our over hang in the front. What would have taken Ari and I a full weekend just to decide on a plan, John finished in just a couple of hours! We were then off to Miller Park to watch the Cardinals take on the Brewers. Dressed in full Cardinals garb we were definitely not alone in the stands! We had great seats and the game was great; the Cardinals pulled out the win in the ninth inning. We had just enough time to catch a quick dinner with Ari before he went to work over night. Since I had so little sleep, I crashed early. Sunday we were back to Miller for more baseball. Unfortunately, the Cards looked like their heads were somewhere else... maybe with their mom's?! After some atrocious base running and little to cheer about, the Brewers put us out of our misery winning 5-3. Despite the loss it was great to spend some quality time with mom!!

Gods of Rock

Last night, Mike had a "Gods of Rock" party so that the residents could get together and show off their Guitar Hero and Rock Band skills. Since I have never played guitar hero or any video game since the original Super Mario Brothers (am I dating myself), Ari gave me a brief tutorial before we arrived. Jackie and I took over the Guitar Hero corner, nicknaming it the "bunny hill" since we definitely were playing easy songs. They kept trying to get us to play Rock Band with the big boys but we just never were ready. We did really improve, though!! Ari did both. We then moved into the other room for a little pool. Ari won two games, I won one, and poor Jackie lost all three. We stayed until past midnight, contrary to popular belief I did not turn into a pumpkin!

Cancun

Finally, something to blog about! After buying our new house, we have been working like crazy and our schedules have been so off there has been little to blog about. So as a reprieve from our oh so exciting lives we went on vacation. We planned a trip to Cancun with our friends the Fords and we had the best time! We stayed at the Riu Palace Las Americas which is a beautiful all-inclusive resort. It has two infinity pools, five restaurants, multiple bars, nightly entertainment, and of course opens on to a beautiful white sandy beach. We arrived shortly before our friends so we threw on our swimsuits and headed right to the beach. It was amazing how white and soft the sand was and it was so cool despite the 85 degree weather. The ocean was a mixture of the most exotic and breath-taking blues that I have ever seen. We played in the water for a bit and enjoyed some pina coladas before Dennis and Davette came to find us. We had a nice dinner and crashed early (that may actually be a theme for the 7 days!).

The second day was a bit of a chill day, lots of pool and beach. We ironically met some people from Ohio who work at local hospitals and know some of the same people we do... the world is so small! We made our way through some more frozen cocktails and guacamole (another theme), enjoyed the evening show, and went to bed early because we planned a big day for day 3.

We got up nice and early on Wednesday to take a tour of Chichen Itza. It takes approximately 2 1/2 hours to get to the Yucatan via bus (which thankfully was a full sized tour bus). On the way to the ruins, we made a pit stop at one of the cenotes which are underground caves filled with water. Ari couldn't wait to get in; he jumped off a platform that was about 12 feet above the water. I was a bit of a chicken, especially when everyone was exclaiming how cold the water was so I just climbed down the ladder. It was definitely amazing. We had to dry off quickly and head back to the bus to get to lunch. After lunch it was on to the ruins. Pablo gave us an hour narrated tour through the ruins telling us about the Temple of Kukulkan which was the basis of the Mayan calendar. He showed us pictures of the spring and fall equinox which is when the sun hits the pyramid just so that the shadow looks like a serpent. Also, when standing next to the temple if you clap it sounds like an eagle squawking. He told us about the bloody games played on the ball court and the ritualistic sacrificing of the victor. He explained Mayan lore about fertility (he pointed me out as an example of a fertile woman... one can only hope...). After the tour was over we got to explore the grounds and the many crafts for sale. Can you believe I didn't buy anything?! We all passed out on the bus on the way back to the resort. It was then time for dinner, cocktails, and another crazy show. I guess I should explain that these shows are put on by young Mexican "activity directors" and range from interpretative dances to American movie themes to the Miss Riu contest which is not a beauty contest but more of a series of games of skill such as balloon popping. They really were hilarious.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were a blur of sun, reading (I finished 3 books during the vacation), eating, and drinking. Dennis and Ari went parasailing one day while Davette and I indulged ourselves with massages. I had a hot stone massage; if you have never had one I highly recommend it. We did try to teach Dennis how to play cards one night and found out there was a reason he was avoiding our poker parties.

We went out with a bang on Sunday. We got up early to catch a catamaran to Isla Mujares... or island of women. Apparently, the Spanish explorers named it that because the island was covered with statues of women in all stages of pregnancy and child birth. It is apparently sacred ground. Our tour guide warned us not to partake in "coochie coochie" after visiting unless we
wanted to get pregnant. Seriously, if this vacation doesn't work; I don't know what will! So we boarded the catamaran with about 12 other people. What an eclectic group: there was a group of Italians with their guide, a couple from South Africa, another couple of Americans, and then a few others from some unidentified eastern European nation. Herson, our guide for the day, let us know right off the bat that there were two rules on the boat: no siestas and no party poopers. We knew after that we were in for a good time. Our first excursion on the boat was a snorkeling stop. Herson had promised that I would see a sea turtle so I got my gear on and followed him very closely. Not two minutes after hitting the water we saw a turtle! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in person. I actually saw the same turtle twice. I looked up to find Ari but he hadn't gotten off the boat yet, bummer. After about an hour in the water, we all got back on the boat for a date with some sharks. Don't worry, they were cat sharks... no teeth! Teeth or not, I surely did not get out of the boat to swim with them, though Ari and Dennis did. After the crazies returned from the sharks, we set sail again. It was then time for the spinnaker swing. Basically what it entails is sitting on a rope swing that is attached to a large sail. Once you are on, the wind catches the sail and you soar through the air. I was definitely game for that. When I got on the wind really caught me and I got about 30 feet in the air! The crew started reeling me and I jumped into the ocean at about 12 feet... it was awesome! Poor Ari, when he got on the wind died and he got a wimpy ride. After all that excitement (and a few drinks) we arrived at the island for lunch. We chowed down and then headed inland for some shopping.

Again, I bought nothing... maybe the sun really got to me!! We boarded the boat to go back and it was party time. The crew cranked the music and the rum punch flowed like water. Despite the large waves, everyone was up dancing. Some poor guys hat flew in the water and we stopped the boat to let him jump in after it. Herson then came around with tequila shots. Despite the fact that tequila makes my stomach turn ever since my bachelorette party, I took a shot. Yipes! By the time we got back to shore we were three sheets to the wind and we felt like we were still rocking on the boat! What a great day... the memories are definitely worth the sunburn I got!

The next day it was over. We had breakfast and said goodbye to our friends and headed back to 37 degrees, wind, and snow flurries. It just isn't right...