Days in Turkey Round 1 (Çanakkale)

Landing in Istanbul was wonderful. (Despite lost luggage and being treated like a security threat). It meant I got to spend the next twelve days travelling with an amazing man and learning more about his home country.  The first few hours were spent in Istanbul traffic and on the road to Çanakkale Province, along with a ferry ride across the Dardanelles. 

I just happened to have a small bag of Garrett's popcorn from Chicago to accompany us, and it goes very well with a nice glass of Turkish tea. 

Slept late and then did some shopping to replace some of my missing clothes after a wonderful brunch of typical Turkish breakfast. 

A country after my own heart with cheese and bread at nearly every occasion. (Not sure what jellyfish have to do with that, but I'd never seen 'wild' jellyfish so I was amused.)

And who wouldn't be wooed by a seaside beauty like this. (No idea who's child this was, but she was cute and apparently much more cold tolerant than I am.)

I liked the trash can. (I know that's odd)

Went downtown to be a bit touristy. Walked along the waterfront promenade for a bit. This is the "Trojan Horse that was used in the 2004 "Troy" movie that starred Brad Pitt. (He wasn't there, and much to Love's chagrin neither was Angelina.)

I enjoyed the walk and all the people.  A very diverse country to say the least and I'd only been in two cities.  I'm a people watcher, but am still not brave enough to take pictures of strangers, especially not in a foreign country.

Sometimes you can tell a lot about people from their outdoor spaces, but this on the other hand I can't quite pinpoint.  (Though they did find a use for the abundance of plastic bottles that are used here.)

Prepare to be inundated with photos from my arms length.

These little beauties are delicious, and I would love to find them in the states. They are called eriks, but rumor has it they are sour green plums in English. Anyone who has seen them around central Illinois should let me know!

Met with Love's friends downtown for a night out.  Fun find on the drink menu was a very familiar bourbon list. (Makes a Kentucky girl feel a bit at home.)

But the end decision was Raki.

The Raki made this guy/girl a bit more entertaining. You can tell when someone can't really sing even if you don't know the language.

The view for the night was amazing, such a beautiful city. 

 Apparently Domino's  maintained their 30minute guarantee overseas. 

 Love and I were meant to be together, he's from the country that makes these little bits of heaven, my favorite dessert, baklava. And they make lots of it! If I lived in Turkey I could bypass chubby straight to fat in lightening speed. 

The only thing better than Baklava, eating Baklava with this man!

The end of the first full day, amazing.

Maybe we need to work on our definitions of "abnormal"

Being tucked away in my dark cave can occasionally have perks, not the least of which is people think they are alone in the Rads hallway.
At a fairly loud volume...Random male physician in the hallway, " This is the part of me, you're never ever gonna take from me, I kissed a girl and I liked it,UH UH UH uh uh, hmm hmm hmm."

The same security guard has walked past five times tonight whistling, from the best I can tell, the theme to Super Mario Bros.

A quote from me, "It's more than half way around the world."
Just further proof of my lack of geography knowledge ;-)

Unnamed Resident, " His forth, proximal phalanx hurts on the volar aspect." ...."And I really like bananas"... "Just FYI."

Non Rads Attending, "Radiology must be a sweet gig, but I bet your butt gets numb and you have an increased risk of carpal tunnel."
Me, "My butt is a bit numb."

Same Attending, "If I CT my hand will you 3D reconstruct it so it looks like it is going to smack you, I need a visual to text my children when they act up."... "I'm mostly joking."

Same Attending, " You are a tiny frightening woman."
Me, "What?"
Attending," I'm sure you get the tiny part, but the frightening is just a 'quality'. You know like Chandler on Friends had a homosexual 'quality', you have a frightening 'quality'."... "That's a compliment."
Me, "Thanks?"

A, "The pizza looks hot."
Cafeteria worker, "Nah, they never really get more than luke warm."
A, "Um, OK." (walks away without pizza)
I admire his honesty in the matter, no false advertising of cafeteria food there.

And for your furthur amusement and to see other people having fun at work, some Friends Bloopers...not my video, just thought they were funny.

Apparently home ownership costs around $2000 a day.

I got up the nerve to buy a condo.  

Something of mine. 

The American dream. 

A thirtieth birthday gift to myself. 

After getting a great deal on a condo, inspections, mortgage paperwork, appraisals, walkthroughs, more paperwork, more paperwork and cashiers checks I started moving things in this past Thursday.  Dropped a few things off the first night and had my little, "This is my home, I own it." moment before heading back to my apartment for some much needed rest and packing.  I was on call on Friday into Saturday.  Following a brief post call nap I began loading my car and driving across town to unload.  Load number two was being unloaded when I realized I was a bit warm. I thought to myself how ironic this was because I had been wishing for warmer weather for weeks, and, of course, Mother Nature obliged with 90+ degree weather the day I decide to start moving boxes in and out.  

To reward myself for all my hard work on a tender ankle I decided to take a break.  This "break" included installation of a cat door into the garage. Simple, straight forward, and we (my lovely assistant/babysitter had joined at this point) got to use power tools.....Ah, power tools.  There were a few other first home activities---- such as finding a better use for the 1970's curtains....The lovely model decided a long skirt was in order. Apparently the proportions weren't correct for an evening gown.

Again though, I felt a bit warm.  

Bingo, the Air Conditioner had been turned off at some point in the past weeks of inspection/appraisal/closing/walk throughs etc. Easy fix...I turned on the air.  After living in my 100 year old apartment with a window unit the cool air was a happy little homeowner moment. 

The evening continued on.... two girls and a solid core door with power tools.  More than a few laughable moments occurred, and we bet on which muscles would be more sore in the morning.  After standing back to admire our handy work. (or in Teddi's case scrutinize the placement of the cat door and whether my fat cats would fit through it) we each headed back to our apartments to sleep.

At 02:30 I was greeted by multiple police cars just outside my apartment....arresting two of my neighbors (see why I wanted to move out of the "good neighborhood").  I was instructed to "Remain in my vehicle." I did just that until the nice officer escorted me to my apartment.  

I drifted off knowing I had another day of moving ahead of me-- even if my neighbor was currently resisting arrest out back.

Up and at 'em Sunday. Car loaded again.  A slow moving day.  unpacking boxes cleaning things etc. until.... drip.... drip drip....drip....drip drip drip...drip...dripdripdripdripdripdripdripdrip...   I hobbled back and forth along the first floor searching for the sound.... What I discovered to be the sound of water dripping through my first floor ceiling/second floor closet floor on to my carpet.

All said and done at least $8000 dollars in repairs to the floor/ceiling/AC will have to be done.  And my previously cool/comfortable new home is now sweltering hot for at least another week. The inspection company/AC company/homeowners insurance details are being worked out, but here's the general math.

$8000.00 (not including down payment/taxes etc)/4 days = $2000.00+/day for home ownership.   

I really hope this trend doesn't continue, I can't afford $62,000.00 a month to live.

Aortas and Subdurals and Pennies.......oh my.

A night on call of iffy findings and hilarious findings.  Makes the adage about not doing anything you don't want to explain to a paramedic ring even more true.

Refering doc, "Are those pennies?"
Rad, "No, that's seventeen cents."
Doc, "I only see four coins, where are the other thirteen."
Rad, "Um, There are only four coins."
Doc, "You said seventeen cents."
Rad, (pause) "Two pennies, a nickel and a dime."
Doc, (longer pause) (hangs head) "Go ahead, laugh, I know you want to."
These conversations are always more fun in person. And, oh how happy I would have been if they had let me keep the film!

Oooohh! Cookie!
(Exclaimed three times tonight by three different people) (about the same cookie) (which is still sitting in the same spot) (the lack of known cookie origin makes it less desirable apparently)


A, "I want to die of a massive stroke in my sleep."
B, "If we're going to discuss this random morbid thought...Why not a massive heart attack?"
A, "I like my heart, it's done nothing to me, but my brain...it deserves it!"
C, "Is there any way for an ischemic insult to your fat to kill you, because i have a real bone to pick with it."

If you add All Bran flakes to your Corn Flakes they are suddenly a health food.

Person A,"why is water the main ingredient in everything we eat?"
Person B,"maybe because it's the main ingredient in humans."
Person A, "nerd."

If it hadn't been for the one hour whale harpooning the night may have been salvageable.

A-"where do you think all that stool goes?" (regarding a quite overloaded CT of the abdomen)
B-"it Depends" (I'll give you a bit to think about that one.)

Random on call thoughts.

A night on call.....The important thoughts, from myself and the anonymous. 
Crab cakes with chipotle mayo, lime vinaigrette couscous...and a Pepsi max.  $3.94.
This was my cafeteria dinner on call tonight.  Sounds frightening from a hospital cafeteria, but surprisingly nice.
How do you stab yourself in the eye opening bacon? Be a good girl scout and cut AWAY from you face.  Who am I to judge, I burn myself on the oven on a nearly monthly basis.
You are heartless if you don't cry during "The Vow."
Bochdalek.... Bochdalek..... Bochdalek....still sounds funny no matter how many times I say it.
I was cold all day, why is my Twix melted?
Apparently we have started a nonagenarian clinic in here tonight.
Nonagenarian (plural nonagenarians) -One who is between the age of 90 and 99, inclusive.
When we grow up we want to be disgruntled Wal-Mart greeters. It's good to have goals.
Look at the tiny little enhancing mass, don't you just want to put it in your pocket to take it home and feed it.
Support hose at 29 = no varicose veins at 30.
Sure, there were more educationally valuable thoughts of the night, but these are the ones that make life interesting.
Recap of the week:
Survived the presentations. Never made it to the gym. Planned a mini vacation for my 29*th birthday. Hugged the best boyfriend in the world as many times as I could (you would hug him too if he had helped with your research citations!) 36 days remaining.

Quotes from the zoo

Got to spend some time at the St. Louis Zoo with Teddi (more on call thoughts to come).

As she noticed all the strange noises people make at zoos- I noticed all the strange things people say at the zoo.  Below are some chosen quotes.   The names have been eliminated to protect the innocent.




Small child, "Hey, wake YO sleepy head up." (loudly to the innocent napping bear)


Adult A, "Why don't they put all the gazelles in the same pen?"
Adult B "That's an Alarming Honk...not a gazelle."
Adult A " No, that's a gazelle that speaks with an alarming honk according to the sign."
Adult B "Never mind, I have no idea why they spread out the gazelles, and in my defense, on the sign, Alarming Honk was bolded."
Adult A, (snaps picture of sign to remember the moment)

(After spotting the large pair of brown leggings draped over a random rail,) "Oh, ...look..., pants, .....someone is walking around without pants,..... how unfortunate."


Teenage girl," What is this .....Ugh.....it's JUST a raccoon."  (As we all read the below sign)

Adult C "I don't know what they are, but they poop."


Adult A, "Stop that!! There are little kids everywhere!" (To the preening penguin.)


Adults talking TO the prairie dogs "I wonder what they think of us." "Stand back up and pose for me!" "you're so much cuter when you stand up."

Adult A," I hope he's not dead, after the park the other day with the dead duck and turtle, oh, he blinked, we're good"

Adult A, "I'm just chilling...eating my plant....no big deal." (narrating the movements of the gorilla)

Adult A, "Ooh do that again...IT WAS LIKE YOGA!!!"  (to the gazelle)

Adult A, "I'm glad they can be friends, these ostrich and for legged things,  along with the stork and the gazelle."

Adult A, "Look I found the zebras, well half of them." (See Okapi pic below)

Adult A "We are finding these giraffes!!! .. You think they hang out in the antelope house?"


Adult B "I think we're going to see some okapi copulate...is it twisted that I'm waiting for it"

Adult B "They're so cute!"
Adult A "No, I've seen 'Kangaroo Jack' they are not cute they are evil evil creatures"

Small girl, "They look like Bambi, my tummy hurts. " (never even took a pause between thoughts)


Adult D to her husband and the Blue jay in the cage, "Hey, look at you....you're massive ... if we can train ravens we can train Jays... can we get a Raven...and a blue jay?"

Little brother " What are they eating?"
Adult E "Watermelon." (father walks away)"
Big brother "That's frozen water."    (FYI, it was frozen water)

Bonus-
"I don't have to die in a cornfield tonight, the Backstreet Boys are not 40."

30 ain't half bad

   The dreaded day came and passed and I'm amazingly not twenty something. 

Still alive and breathing (about five pounds heavier after all the celebrating).  Still the occasionally "What have I done with my life?!?" moment, but all said and done 30 --- didn't kill me.  This is thanks, in no small part, to the best friends and family that a girl could ask for.

Honorable mention to a girly who makes me feel old every time the fact that she's younger than my baby sister comes up.  She gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received for my birthday.  It was about the time, planning and absolute caring that went into the gift. A thirtieth birthday survival kit of sorts, and it was totally personalized. It was not so much the gift itself as the fact that it helped me appreciate those things I have accomplished. (Mind you all of this reflection was after almost having a Sheldon/Amy Big Bang Theory Tiara moment)  I've spent the past 12+ years in pursuit of my career, and that has taken me through many stages.  Undergraduate, Medical School and now Residency.  Each of these tosses your prior life in the air and you are left to gather the important pieces and move forward.  It can be quite exhausting to be shuffled from place to place and group to group.  You are often left to wonder if you will have a "normal" life.  One of the disconcerting things is having yourself or your friends spread cross country with little time left to nourish past friendships. The ones that are important will stick with you and be there for you.  The new ones are sometimes just as wonderful as those you've known your whole life. 

What does this have to do with thirty? Well, It also made me realize that even if I wasn't doing the same things as the average of my generation I was indeed doing something worth while. I have all the important parts.  The friends, the family and most importantly my own unique life experiences that make me what I am. I wouldn't trade them for anything. People who know me well might think that's crazy, but it's true.

No experience or lack of experience in my life is worth giving up so that I can meet arbitrary milestones by an arbitrary deadline.  I will get there on my own path and in my own time.