Life Goes On

   One of the main reasons I haven't posted in a while is because I've been so busy having a blast on my OBGyn rotation, obviously.  But also, in my small amount of spare time, I've been having some fun too.  One of my favorite fall activities is to go to Apple Hill, where you can pick your own crisp apples and gorge yourself on a million apple-themed foods.  A few friends and I went last weekend, and it was as awesome as ever.  Here are some highlights from apple hill and other recent adventures:

E and I getting glitter tattoos. Yes, we're 10 years old.

   

Glitter tattoos!!! Yay! Sparkly things!

BF climbing to reach a good apple

Apple pickin'!

               

Who says you can't have a romantic date in your own backyard? 

   And just in case you wanted an update on the kitties (honestly, no one probably cares.  Except mayyyyyybe Solitary Diner lol) they are doing fabulously.  They spend their time napping, staring at each other awkwardly, chasing each other around, and every once in a while, they rub their faces together.  If you know anything about cats, you know that this is a *scandalous* gesture in feline body language.

Sif being a drama queen about getting attention

Zoey is too fat to sit in the window, so I open the door and let them look out the screen so she can participate too.  I call it "equal opportunity kitty window time"

So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

Yesterday was the first day of fall (my favorite season), and although it was still hot here in Sacramento, I could totally feel it.  Traditionally to most people, fall symbolizes dying - whether it's the sparse but colorful trees withering with the loss of each leaf, or mourning the final disappearance of the summer sun. To me, however, fall represents a time of change, and while I'm not entirely sure what changes are in store for me, I have a good feeling about this season.

Lately, I have been learning a lot more about myself and others, and I've started to get a really good grasp on the things I want out of friendships/relationships. I am finally starting to have the courage to refuse settling for less.  I think my yearly horoscope put it in terms that totally make sense:

"You'll no longer be able to give yourself short shrift or buy into co-dependent dynamics that put your needs on an eternal backburner. You're learning the hard way how to love yourself the way you want and deserve to be loved. Relationships must honor, dignify and respect your noble qualities to pass your stringent litmus test. But the good news is that you're learning to stand up and voice your romantic needs. No longer will you fall prey to the trap of giving in hopes of getting -- and that makes all the difference."


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On another note, this morning was the Body Donor Memorial Service for the families of the cadavers we have the privilege of exploring in anatomy.  It was a beautiful ceremony, with touching speeches from my classmates, and moving musical performances.  I sang with some of my classmates in an acapella group we like to call "Acoustic Shadows".  The name is a subtle nerdy med school joke (see what an acoustic shadow is here).  We have been practicing for about a month, (besides our two week fall vacation), and I think the performance turned out really nicely!  It was nice to be able to show a little bit of our appreciation for the donors, and I hope that the families at the service appreciated our song.  

And here is a video of our performance!

Photography Excursion

So lately I have been really wanting to get a nice camera.  I am super tired of the "point and shoot" cameras; their quality sucks and they are not very reliable.  I decided to save up for my first grown-up camera (still not sure which one to get yet).  I am considering the Canon Rebel XS or the Nikon 3100 depending on how much money I save up.  Anyway, my dad was kind enough to let me borrow his Nikon D80 until I save up for my own big-girl camera!

I decided to take out the D80 for a little stroll today, a photography excursion, if you will....  Now, please keep in mind, I have no experience in photography, so if you hate my pictures, well... I warned ya!

Zoey wasn't very excited about the excursion... maybe it's because she wasn't allowed to come

I started out in my own backyard...

And realized I had a whole "surprise harvest" waiting for me!

I thought my veggies were done for the year, but these were a great surprise!

My Deck

 The rest of these are just a collection of the trees in my neighborhood.  I told you I love fall! 

 Made a friend on the way....

 And when I got home, this little guy was waiting on my house!