May started out fairly well. As attending on our inpatient team, I knew it would be a busy month, as it inevitably always is. At least this month, I never had to return to the hospital in the afternoon to finish seeing patients as I have had to do in past months. Nevertheless, we were busy most of the month.
The first weekend was great, with a party at Jenny's house to celebrate the Kentucky Derby (we made derby hats and had hobby-horse races in the living room) and Cinco de Mayo. Margaritas and mint juleps, who could ask for more?
The next weekend was equally crazy, as we decided to finally rid ourselves of our rusty wrought iron mailbox in favor of a nice wooden one that Jeff fitted for a coach light (which isn't easy, BTW); in the midst of driving back and forth to Lookout Mountain taking items to and from Allison's yard sale (we sold nearly nothing, the reason I don't do yard sales). We squeezed in a trip to the marble fabricators to pick out a countertop for the bathroom (did I mention we're remodeling as well?)
After spending the weekend in the yard, I was beat, and figured I felt bunk because of it. Until I noticed the fever. That kept going up. And down. For nearly 5 days. Two doctor visits and bloodwork for mono (negative, thankfully) later, we had to pack up for a recruting trip in NC. Initially excited to head to the Triangle for the weekend, I could barely drag myself out of bed. Luckily, my fever finally broke Saturday AM in the hotel room (at the not-so-shiny Millenium hotel in Durham. Don't stay there.).
Only at Duke would they plant poison ivy on purpose. Check out this picture from the Native Plants section of Duke Gardens, which we visited during our trip. Wonder what sorry sap got that job! 
Despite my disdain for all things Duke, the Gardens are beautiful. So much so that we d
idn't leave time for anything else. Jeff took many pictures of every manner of arbor you could think of (because they had them all) and I enjoyed the roses and paths, and bridges. Allison and Phil also enjoyed the flora and fauna. 
Elizabeth enjoyed the ride in her new Ergobaby (http://www.ergobaby.com/) carrier, which we absolutely love.
idn't leave time for anything else. Jeff took many pictures of every manner of arbor you could think of (because they had them all) and I enjoyed the roses and paths, and bridges. Allison and Phil also enjoyed the flora and fauna. 
Elizabeth enjoyed the ride in her new Ergobaby (http://www.ergobaby.com/) carrier, which we absolutely love.Sunday had us dining at a glorious German bakery in Durham (http://www.guglhupf.com/), then off to Chapel Hill for a short walk around campus. Elizabeth enjoyed the scenery, mommy and daddy enjoyed the quiet time. 
Elizabeth has now hung out in The Pit, and is an official Tar Heel after her attempt to drink from the Old Well. 
Then it was on to Charlotte to visit with Mary and Matt and the boys - a much needed reconnection with old friends(http://nevernegotiatewithtoddlers.blogspot.com/).
Elizabeth has now hung out in The Pit, and is an official Tar Heel after her attempt to drink from the Old Well. 
Then it was on to Charlotte to visit with Mary and Matt and the boys - a much needed reconnection with old friends(http://nevernegotiatewithtoddlers.blogspot.com/). Returning home feeling refreshed and nearly completely recovered from the fever, the rat race resumed with fury, with a busy inpatient service and a full office schedule. Looking forward to a weekend at the lake with some girlfriends, I muddled through. Until Thursday at noon. When my stomach turned upside down and inside out. Repeatedly. Convinced I had a giant gallstone, I called my PCP in a panic. Turns out, my little germ-monger was just sharing a wonderful little bug she brought home from school. I've never been so sick in my life! First the fever thing and now this?!? Two and a half days of missed work in a month???? (Don't forget the missed days in January and February, too!)
Luckily, though not eating a whole lot, I was able to enjoy a weekend with the girls sans children, at Lake Weiss in Alabama, and get back home to my bathroom-without-sinks.
(Is this sounding like the psycho month from hell or what???)
Our home is a constant state of remodeling. Moving from room to room in some fashion we claim to be orderly, we have again halted the basement renovation. To do the upstairs bathrooms. Because who wants to have to redo the basement ceiling in a year when we do the bathrooms? So the hall bath, which "only" needed a new vanity, toilet, countertop and fixtures is next on the list. Having found a long enough vanity at a salvage place here in town (http://www.bennettsalvage.com/), we didn't quite fathom the finagling it would take to install it in the space vacated by the old vanity. It's in, though, and the marble guy was here today to measure for the countertop, and the faucets are in the mail. The bonus of finishing the hall bath? We get to gut the master bath! YEAY!! (wanna move in?)
As I write this, Jeff is hopefully in bed, resting up for his trip to Ohio with Elizabeth. I'm on call this weekend, and his friend Will is getting married in Columbus. Grammy and Papa will get to have free reign over baby spoiling this weekend while daddy hangs with his homies. So what's mommy going to do (besides possibly deliver some babies)???? Put up her feet? Read a good book? Of course not! She's going to pull up errant wisteria, weed, weedwack, and hopefully not get poison ivy. NO rest for the weary!!!
In preparing for her trip to Ohio, Elizabeth tried out her Indians visor.
Which she insisted on putting on herself. Check out this video!
Which she insisted on putting on herself. Check out this video!I must get to bed so I can moderately function tomorrow, my last day on service. What a month! Sorry to have been blog-absent. Hopefully next month will be better!
