The Reluctant Jersey Girl

It's a Boy: Piper the Dog!

2009-02-07T17:22:00.004-05:00

My husband and I have talked about getting a dog for many years now. The time just was never right. Especially when we lived in small apartments in which we barely fit ourselves and all of our belongings. Two cats was not much of a stretch, as they tend to find little corners to sleep/hide in.

Now that we have the big house in the burbs, we started talking seriously about expanding our brood. We weren't sure how the cats would take to a new member of the family, but we really wanted to give it a shot.

When we heard the story of Piper, an adorable, 4-1/2 year old Lab mix, it just felt like fate was calling out to us. Piper's family was not able to keep him because their 2 year old daughter got scared of him when he got excited (as Labs tend to do). His family was heartbroken that they had to put him up for adoption, especially to people who they did not know. They asked family and friends first, of course, then expanded their search to friends of friends, etc.

We heard about Piper because my husband works with the neighbor of Piper's family. It worked out well...Piper's family could get a so-called background check on us through their neighbor, and we could hear about Piper from someone who wasn't his owner.

When we met Piper last weekend, it was love at first sight. I think for all 3 of us. He insisted on laying on our feet and getting pet the entire time we met with his family, all 30 minutes of the visit. Overall, there were just good vibes all around.

So, today was the day that we went to pick up Piper from his family. There were, of course, tears on their part. Piper is a sweet dog and they hate to say goodbye. On the other hand, we were excited to bring him back home and start spoiling him right away. Toys, walks, petting, anything he wants. Below, you can see him snuggling up to my husband, already looking quite at home!

We plan on spending most of our weekend helping Piper settle in to his new home.

(As for introduction to our kitties, Ben and Heidi, that will wait a bit. There have been a few close encounters, but nothing more, thank goodness.)

Superbowl Fun

2009-02-01T22:37:00.006-05:00

I wouldn't call myself a football fan. Over the years, I've grown to appreciate the sport, understand the rules, and even get excited about being part of a Fantasy Football League (in which my team placed 2nd this past season!!). But, a "fan" I am not.

However, I am always one for having some fun on behalf of a sporting event. While in college and a for a few years after, I did my best to make it to the annual Harvard-Yale football game, known in Ivy League circles just as "The Game". I usually made it into the actual football game for less than 25% of the actual playing time. But, I made sure that I was at The Game...that is at the tailgates, the parties, etc.

Since becoming more domesticated, I have come to enjoy the prospect of preparing fun party foods on behalf of sporting events. This evening's Superbowl (which I actually watched >50% of!!) was just the right opportunity to try out a few more recipes from one of my favorite Moosewood Cafe cookbooks. I whipped up a batch of the "Festive Black Bean Chile" and the "Almost Fat Free Cornbread". Check out the finished products below, along with the fancy German beer and veggies and ranch dip that I nibbled on throughout the game.

My husband and I didn't have any team favorites, so we watched the game just for fun. But, our cat, Bennie, had a clear favorite, as evidenced by the photo you can see below:

Bennie didn't tell me exactly why he is such a Steelers fan, but my guess is that he feels a kinship for a certain QB with whom he shares a name....

You can imagine that Bennie would be pretty psyched when the Steelers came back at the very last minute (literally) to beat the Cardinals, 27-23. But, no, he didn't even see the end of the game. He was busy sleeping and/or playing with some ribbon in another room. So much for supporting his team!

Overall, a pretty fun time!

50 Minutes!!!!

2009-01-02T16:57:00.002-05:00

That's how long I spent, collectively, speaking to a total of 5 (FIVE!) customer service reps in 1 single phone call trying to set up installation of my new clothes dryer.

I'm serious. Dead serious. I'm not exhaggerating one bit.

After making 2 (TWO) phone calls (prior to the above-mentioned call) in which I was transferred between multiple departments telling me I needed to speak with the OTHER department that had transferred me, I finally got a hold of the "right person" to PURCHASE installation. A sigh of relief on my part...until I was transferred to the SCHEDULING department and got lost in the telephonic maze.

It then took 3 failed attempts before I found a rep who was sympathetic to my plight and took it upon herself to try to get me back to where I had started. It then took this very nice rep 3 more transfers to get me back to the original rep that had helped me.

Another sigh of relief...until he tried to transfer me again to scheduling...and if you guessed that I was lost again, you would be correct. Only this time, I heard a pre-recorded message telling me that my "call had not gone through" and I needed to "hang up and call back".

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I was all ready to give up on the "pro" installation and try to do it myself. Until the rep who lost me TWICE at that point called me on my cell phone, apologized for losing me, and took care of everything himself.

Phew!

I only hope that the actual installation goes much more smoothly than its set up!

Merry Christmas from Connecticut

2008-12-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

Connecticut has numerous special significances for me...it's where I went to college (bulldogs! bulldogs! bow wow wow! Eeeee-liiiiiii Yaaaaale!), it's where my husband grew up, it's where I almost got married (my native Colorado eventually won out), and it's where my husband's family still lives.

Married life requires many compromises, one of the biggest being splitting holidays between the two families. In 2007, we spent Thanksgiving in Connecticut, and Christmas in Colorado. 2008, therefore, is the opposite: Thanksgiving in Colorado, and Christmas in Connecticut. (I have, unfortunately, never seen the movie referenced in the above image, but it's a neat coincidence!)

My parents-in-law were EXTREMELY gracious and invited my parents to join us for the Christmas holidays. There's just something about being an only child (for my Mom and Pop, aka Step-Dad, that is) that makes it harder to not be at home for the holidays for the first time...ever. Ok, ok, I'm in my 30's and I shouldn't be such a big baby...but I am. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

So, thanks to my in-law's generosity, my parents and I are easing into the splitting-of-the-holidays tradition. But, who knows...now that my husband and I own our own house, maybe we'll just have everyone come to us next year. (Note to parents and in-laws reading this: This has yet to be an official discussion, so no promises yet.)

Here's hoping that everyone out there is having as fun of a holiday as we are here in picturesque Connecticut!

Moving Day Approaches

2008-12-05T17:49:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day...we are moving out of our apartment in Jersey City and into our new house in the burbs. It's pretty exciting, except for the fact that we are not even half-way packed yet, and the movers are expected at 8 am tomorrow.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

It's been an exhausting week. Including flying back from Colorado last weekend, closing on our house on Monday, going back and forth between our house, our apartment, and our places of work throughout this past week, the week could not have been any busier....Ugh, I'm ready for a vacation.

With no internet or cable set up yet at our new house, we may just have nothing more interesting to do than to unpack all weekend. Then comes the start of another work week....I'm already worn out just thinking about it. This cute little kitty shown below is what I imagine I will look like in 24-48 hours time:

So, think lots of good thoughts on our behalf!

Home Jersey Home

2008-12-01T22:10:00.004-05:00

There's no denying my Jersey-ness now...

My husband and I closed on a house in the Northern NJ suburbs this afternoon.

We are now the proud owners of a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, bi-level house with an AWESOME 2 level deck off the back (with a built-in hot tub), a fenced-in backyard (perfect for our future pet dog), and a 1 car garage (perfect for George the Prius)! (There used to be a 2-car garage, but previous owners transformed the 2nd garage into an office, which works just as well for us!)

Here are some photos of our quaint NJ abode:

(above) A front view: If you look closely, you can see my husband and our home inspector standing in the middle of the roof.

(below) A view of the deck, which we will be making good use of next summer for BBQ's with friends & family (whoever is willing to make the trek out to the NJ burbs):

The only photos we have of the inside include the previous owners' furniture. So, for authenticity's sake, indoor photos will be shown at a later date, after we have actually moved in.

I am excited to follow in the footsteps of another blogger (http://www.melissacmorris.blogspot.com) who has spent the last year or so detailing the transformation of her home in New Canaan, CT. Of course, neither my new home nor its future contents are/will be worth (monetarily, that is) as much as those of Melissa C. Morris, but I guarantee that they will be just as chic and trendy, and will be well-documented here on RJG.

So, come back frequently for updates!

Happy T(of)urkey Day!

2008-11-27T14:45:00.002-05:00

I'm a vegetarian, so I don't take part in the turkey eating, but I enjoy eating all of the side dishes that my family makes for the day. Despite the title of this entry, I have never actually tried tofurkey, but maybe someday...

As always, I'm thankful for many things in my life, but this year, I am especially thankful for my Dad's health. After a very unfortunate motorcycle accident a couple of days ago, my Dad ended up with 3 broken limbs requiring 2 days of surgery. He has made it through with flying colors, in great spirits, and with a fantastic optimistic attitude. Please send good thoughts his way!

Dinner is almost on the table here at my house, so I'm signing off.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Queenlyd: My Hero

2008-11-02T22:30:00.007-05:00

My great friend, Lydia, credits me with getting her interested in running. Apparently, sometime back in our freshman year of college, we went to the gym together and I inspired her by running on the treadmill.

I've told her this already, but I sincerely do not remember this motivational incident of which she speaks. But, hey, I'll take the credit if she wants to give it.

Especially now that she has successfully completed the 2008 New York City Marathon!!! Wow, the unbelievable dedication, motivation, endurance, and, well, insanity, to train and then complete this feat is truly amazing.

So, Lydia is now officially my hero! (note to Lyd: this does not mean I will be running a marathon with you in the near, possibly ever, future)

Here are some photos of the champ:

Lydia waving hello as she approaches me along the sidelines at 5th Avenue and 90th Street. Isn't she cute as a button??

Off she goes to finish the final 2.5 miles!!

Here we are celebrating after her momentous finish! (With a sign made by yours truly).

I'm so proud of you, LYDIA!!!!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T21:07:00.006-04:00

I'm too lazy these days to dress up for Halloween. That's apparantly what being a working girl does to you. Maybe it'll change when I have little ones of my own to dress up, but for now, I just have my two adorable kitty cats, Heidi and Ben.

Ben, a docile, extremely laid back, accomodating kitty, allows me to dress him up and take photos of him, like the one below, where he is pretending to be a "Mountain man cat":

Isn't he such a cool cat in his hooded, zip-up fleece jacket?? (Unfortunately, I don't think he felt cool, more like humiliated...).

Heidi, an anxious, alert, and active cat, who would never keep any clothing on her long enough for me to take a photo, did not dress up for Halloween. Instead, here's a photo of her peeking out of her new favorite box:

She's such a princess! If only I had a small tiara for her to wear for Halloween.

Finally, here's another photo of Ben, posing with one of our decorative pumpkins. He doesn't seem all that interested, does he??

I think what he's trying to say is, "quit making me pose and give me my Halloween candy already!"

Unfortunately for Ben, he's on a diet (presumably, you can see why), so no candy for him! Just his always mmm-mmmm delicious Iams kitty food.

From Ben, Heidi, and myself, have a frighteningly fun Halloween!!

Trick or Treat...

The Fruit of our Labor

2008-10-26T20:07:00.005-04:00

After apple picking a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I had a lot of apples to eat. I took a bag to work for co-workers to eat, I ate several for lunches, and still we had a lot left. So, of course, we had to get creative in how to make good use out of all of the delicious apples we picked. That's when we both thought....

APPLE PIE!

I have never made a pie of any kind, but I figured that it can't be too hard. So, I searched the web for easy recipes, as well as healthy recipes. I found the following, which was by far the easiest out there (courtesy of Epicurious.com):

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp light butter at room temperature

4 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 refridgerated ready-made pie crusts

1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine apple juice, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Add apples and cornstarch. Fill 1 of the ready-made pie crusts with the mixture. Slice the 2nd pie crust into 1/2 inch strips and drape over filled pie shell in a criss-cross pattern; pinch edges to fasten to bottom crust. Bake 55 mins or until golden brown. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

Here's how the pie turned out!!

I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, but the pie is DELICIOUS!! My husband agrees (and he is not an easy one to please). I'm on my 2nd piece so far tonight. Yummmmm....

A Lovely Fall Afternoon in NJ

2008-10-12T21:35:00.006-04:00

I surprised my hubby this weekend with a "day of fun", which is a little tradition we have for adding some new and fun activities to our routine lives. Since we are now car-owning folks with easy access to all the quaint NJ suburban towns, I decided to surprise him with an afternoon of apple and pumpkin picking at Riamede Farms in Chester, NJ. For more info on the farm, check out their website:

http://www.riamede.com/

It was a beautiful day for our day of fun. Sunny, warm but not hot, and not a cloud in the sky. Many other people (especially families) were also taking advantage of the gorgeous day. But, the apple orchards at Riamede Farms are so big that you can easily be surrounded by plenty of trees and not another person.

We got pretty excited about the varieties of apples available, even this late in the season. We picked about 12 pounds of apples, ranging from Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gala, Macintosh, and some varieties that we had never heard of (and can't remember). We also got several great pumpkins and some Indian corn to decorate our little apartment hallway (check out the photo above). Here's a photo of my hubby wheeling our wagon full of pumpkins and apples. Surrounding him are apple trees galore!

On our way to and from Chester, we also enjoyed the amazing foliage along the large and small highways. I didn't have a chance to snap any photos, but believe me when I say it was amazing. All shades of yellow, red, orange, brown. If you happen to be driving around Morris County in NJ, you'll see what I mean.

Happy NJ Autumn!!

The Lesser of Two Evils

2008-09-21T23:59:00.003-04:00

The big news of my weekend is that I drove my brand new Prius into Manhattan, not once, but TWICE. I even parked it on the street and left it for several hours at a time...all of that without having an anxiety attack.

It is probably obvious that I am a neurotic freak about my car. Only neurotic freaks actually give their cars names (my Prius is named George, in case you missed my previous blog entries). So, the idea of taking my 3 week-old car into one of the most aggressively driving cities was not an easy decision for me. But, I cringed at the thought of having to deal with the Path train and several unpredictable Manhattan subways, especially in comparison to an air-conditioned, comfie car with my choice of audio entertainment.

So, George and I braved the crazy traffic of the Holland Tunnel, the West Side Highway, and the crowded streets of both the Upper West and East Sides this weekend. We had fun...well, that was when I wasn't swearing at the crazy NYC drivers. Seriously, George is BRAND NEW, and I don't want even a tiny little scratch on him, let alone a huge dent from some psycho driver who doesn't look to see what's in the way.

Some other not so fun experiences George and I had included:

1) Looking for parking on the UWS for 45 minutes (I nearly gave up and thought about driving back to NJ!). All the while having to deal with impatient NYC drivers honking at me if I slowed down to check out a potential parking spot. Grrrrrrrr...

2) Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 15 minutes to get to the entrance of the Holland Tunnel to come back home to NJ.

The entire experience made me wonder if driving into NYC is really any better than taking the trains. Yes, some time is saved getting from point to point, but that time is easily wasted while trying to find a parking spot. And, don't forget about dealing with the ungodly traffic while trying to get into and out of NYC via the Holland Tunnel. But, there is something to be said for being in a comfortable, quiet, air-conditioned, brand new car.

As interesting of an experience we had, George and I are very happy to be back home, safe and sound in New Jersey. I think we'll be taking a little break before our next trip into the big scary city!

A Day of Rememberance

2008-09-11T23:10:00.004-04:00

I captured this image this evening on the Jersey City, NJ, waterfront.

I don't think there's much more to say...

Please Help Me Welcome...

2008-09-07T22:09:00.005-04:00

George the Prius!

Adopted: September 2nd, 2008

Weight: 2932 lbs

Length: 175 inches

Color: Silver

Above is my 1st photo of George, his first night of sleeping on the streets of Jersey City, NJ. Let's just say that I was VERY nervous to leave him there. After all, he was only a couple of hours old!

More photos (especially daylight photos) to come soon!

Many thanks to the fantastic sales team at East Coast Toyota, Route 17, Wood-Ridge, NJ. If you are ever interested in a Toyota, check them out. Ask for Alex Pena (my sales guy extraordinaire who found me a Prius in less than 1 week's time).

Countdown to Prius...

2008-08-29T16:46:00.002-04:00

Leave it to me to want that car that can't be gotten...

When I realized that I would finally be needing a vehicle to commute to my jobs (no more PATH and NYC subways for me), I thought long and hard about what car I was going to buy. I considered a Honda, because I had one before and loved it. I considered something fancier, like a BMW, because that is what a yuppie who is finally making money often drives. I even considered the Cooper Mini, even though I've always said that it's a death trap.

But, my thoughts kept going to the Toyota Prius.

The Prius is a funny looking car, for sure. But after the explosion of gas prices in the past couple of years, mpg's are now extremely important. Furthermore, the "green" technology that the Prius has mastered is really impressive. Being a former tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, recycling, animal-activist vegetarian, this is THE car for me.

Problem is that even non-hippie types are going nuts for the Prius because of its crazy fuel efficiency. So, in June, when I finally got around to calling dealerships about the Prius, I was told there was a waiting list of up to 3-4 months.

But, I needed a car in July! I couldn't exactly walk the 16 miles between where I live and where I work. And, unlike Manhattan, there's no public transportation out here in the suburbs of Northern NJ.

It was a tough decision, but I decided to wait for the Prius. So, for the past 2 months, I've been renting a car and waiting patiently for the dealership to call me and give me the good news.

I started getting less patient.

Yesterday, I had it. I had been calling the dealership and getting different stories every time ("it's being built right now", "I don't see you name on the list", "the second I have the car, I'll call you"). I had the Sales Manager vow to me he would speak with his Inventory Manager and see what the hold up was. Then, the Sales Manager wasn't returning my calls. So, I decided to take a different approach...I decided to go back to the dealership and demand the truth. No more phone tag. As my parents say, "the squeeky wheel gets the grease". So, I squeeked on over to Mr. Sales Manager at the Toyota dealership.

I know that this was pretty gutsy. After all, the car is in their hands, and they can make it as easy or hard for me to get this car as they want. I had to get them a little anxious, but not enough to piss them off.

Well, not to toot my own horn, but my approach worked! I had the Sales Manager locate a Prius with an ETA within the next 1-2 weeks and promise to have it reserved under my name first thing this morning. There was the chance that someone else would reserve it before them, or that they would forget, or that they were just telling me a big fat lie, but I kept my fingers crossed.

I am happy to say that after 9 weeks of pain and suffering, not knowing whether I would ever get a Prius, I finally have a Prius en route ready to be my new car! I feel like Charlotte on SATC, when she found out that an adorable Chinese baby girl would be hers in 6 months. Only my baby is Japanese and will hopefully be no more than 6 more days (I can be optimistic!).

So, let's hope that the next time I blog I can post a photo of me with my new Prius!

Cross your fingers!!

The Not So Friendly Skies

2008-08-05T12:33:00.002-04:00

First of all, my apologies for the long hiatus I took since last blogging. I won't make any excuses...but a recent article I read inspired me to vent a bit.

Rumor has it that a certain large commercial airline (I won't use any names so that I can't get in any trouble) is going to start charging passengers for water, juice, and soda. So this may not be a big deal in general, but it is part of a growing trend of the commercial airlines charging passengers for every little tiny thing that could possibly make a long, uncomfortable flight more bearable. And, it has made me think about my experiences up to now of flying the not-so-friendly-anymore-skies.

Back in the day, when the skies were oh-so-friendly...
My first flight was at age 5, when I took a plane from Colorado to Florida to meet my Mom and Pop (i.e. step-dad) after their honeymoon. My Dad was able to walk me onto the plane, get me situated, and off I went. I don't remember many more details except for having lots of coloring books and getting a bag of peanuts (which I mistakenly thought--for many years, in fact--that the nice man sitting next to me bought for me).

Over the next couple of years, when I was between 6 and 8 years old, I had the chance to fly (accompanied by my parents) to Washington, DC, and Newark, NJ (with the ultimate destination being Cape Cod). I remember always looking forward to flights, getting excited about watching the take-off and landings and getting very excited about the cute, compact airline meals. The food may have been mediocre (or worse), but I thought there could just not be anything cuter than a mini salad, mini Salsbury steak, and mini dessert. Anything mini was SOOOO cool.

As I got older, I made a few more trips. I visited family in Georgia and Florida. During one of those trips, I was on crutches due to a broken foot, but don't remember the flight being all that bad despite not being able to walk.

In high school, I expanded my horizons and went overseas for the first time. I travelled from Colorado to Paris, France. That was a LOOOOOONG trip. I began to understand why some people would want to pay more to have larger seats, more leg room, and fancier food. But, I was content in my coach seat. Because it was an international flight, our meal was presented to us on a menu and alcoholic drinks were, of course, free (not that I was allowed to have any, but the concept of free alcohol was exciting).

My college years were when I flew the most. Four times a year, I had round-trip flights between Colorado and the NJ/NY/CT area. I was a travel pro. I knew what to pack, how to pack, how to get to/from any airport, what to expect on flights (flying time had to be 2+ hours in order to get a meal), etc. Going to college in the fall and leaving in the summer, I would have 2 large suitcases, both weighing about 70 pounds, a carry on bag and a backpack. Those were the days! There were no weight restrictions on bags, you could check 2 bags for free and take 2 carry-ons, you could bring your own food & beverages (though you didn't need to because you got it all for free on the plane), and there were no crazy security restrictions (a 1 quart ziplock bag would more likely have food in it than all of your toiletries).

The skies become a little grouchy...
I can't remember exactly when things changed; but I seem to remember big changes when I was in medical school. First came the weight restrictions on bags. As a heavy packer, this was bad news for me. I had to unlearn all my skills for packing densely and learn how to pack lightly. This was (still is) not easy. Then came the size restrictions for carry-on bags. This wasn't too big of a deal for me since my carry-on suitcase still fit. What was more annoying was the strict enforcement of the 2 carry-on item rule (previously, people would often get away with 3, even 4 carry-ons). I distinctly remember being in the New Orleans airport with my carry-on suitcase and 2 medium sized shopping bags and being told I had to get rid of 1 bag. After rolling my eyes and sighing, I simply put 1 shopping bag in the other, and voila, I had 2 bags total. I remember the end of free airplane food and the introduction of the $10 snack box. I got around that problem by bringing my own food and drinks. Then, I had the unfortunate bad luck of flying on the exact day that the "no liquids" rule went into effect. I was able to check my bag with all of my toiletries (which I had originally intended to carry-on) and all was ok. But, forget bringing my own food and drinks anymore, unless I bought it for some crazy price in the airport concourse.

Now, the skies are just mean...
I haven't yet had to deal with some of the new "fees", but anticipate I will in the near future. I was able to travel recently to Martinique without having to pay a checked-bags fee, but that's only because I bought my ticket before the airline cut-off date. I haven't had to pay an earphone/headset fee because I always have my ipod ear buds; though I'm sure the airlines will find someway to charge me for just plugging in my ear buds. I don't usually care if I have a pillow and blanket, but if they over air-condition a flight I'm on and have the nerve to ask me for a few bucks for a blanket, I'll tell them to kiss my cold butt. And when I have to deal with a fee to have water on a several hour flight, it's hard to say what I'll do (within reason, of course).

And the moral of the story...
I don't see any way of travelling to the places I want to go to without having to deal with the greedy airlines, but I am crossing my fingers that the airlines will stop using "rising fuel prices" as a lame excuse to take advantage of decent folks. They have already raised the cost of airfare; and on top of that, have a "fuel surcharge". Is charging passengers extra money for their basic comfort really necessary? After all the frustration airlines cause their passengers (flight delays, flight cancellations, lost bags, missed connections, etc), a cheap blanket and a free beverage is the least they can offer us!

Hello, lover!

2008-06-09T22:18:00.003-04:00

So, it's been quite a long time since I last blogged. Suffice it to say, I've had A LOT going on to occupy my thoughts and time. Firstly, I spent the entire month of June studying for my board exam in psychiatry, which I took on June 2nd. With the time I have freed up by not having to study for the boards, I am now working on a "research project" that I will be presenting as a poster at next week's Grand Rounds at the hospital at which I work. I am also finishing up all sorts of crazy paperwork on my current patients since I will be leaving the hospital clinic on June 30th....

Which brings me to the good news. And that would be my new jobs!! For most people my age (early 30's), a new job is exciting, but not the same kind of exciting as when it is your first REAL job. Yup, for all intents & purposes, I have been "in school" for my entire life. Yes, I've been paid for the past 5 years during my residencies, but not the kind of salary that one dreams about when they start a career in medicine.

But, now, is a totally different story! I have not just one, but two (!), real jobs at which I will be paid what I like to call "the big bucks". I won't disclose how much that is, because that would be tacky, but let's just say that I no longer need to worry about paying my rent.

As a reward to myself for having REAL jobs and making "big bucks", I decided to treat myself to a lovely Burberry bag that, in years past, I would have laughed at and thought to myself, "what kind of crack-head would pay that much for a purse???" (Answer: Me!) So, without further ado, here is my lovely bag:

And, as Carrie Bradshaw would say, "Hello, lover!!"

"Miracle Dan"

2008-05-07T15:22:00.003-04:00

My Grandfather recently got into a terrible accident. His truck went off the side of the highway, rolled 4 times, crushing the cabin of the truck and popping off all 4 tires. Very scary. This is what his truck looks like now:

Very very very fortunately, my Grandfather made it through this awful accident with only a bruise on his left shoulder where his seat belt had kept him tightly fastened to his seat. The State Trooper who went to the accident scene reportedly shook his head in disbelief and said, "I can't believe it...it's impossible...how did he survive??" The staff in the ER where he was taken thus dubbed him "Miracle Dan".

My Grandfather obviously has a Guardian Angel watching over him...to that angel, I would like to say: Thank you for the miracle!!

This Is Your Brain After Board Review

2008-04-29T23:30:00.003-04:00

In approximately 1 month, I am scheduled to take the dreaded "American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology" written board exams. For those of you not in the medical field, let me explain.

When one becomes a physician, there are a number of very painful, very long, and VERY EXPENSIVE exams that you must take to ultimately become a legit board-certified doc.

It all starts in medical school, when you take the first 2 exams of the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) "boards". The first exam tests mostly basic science knowledge...i.e. things you really don't need to remember to treat patients. The second exam tests clinical knowledge of ALL of the major medical specialities (Internal Medicine, Surgery, OB/GYN, Psychiatry, Pediatrics). And beginning in the past couple of years, medical students are now required to take another interactive "clinical skills" portion of the 2nd exam, in which you have to interview "patients" (actors who are pretending to be sick), examine them, and come up with diagnoses & treatments. I, very fortunately, did not have to take part in this. (Though I was forced to participate in the pilot, experimental clinical skills exam by my medical school).

The fun really begins once you begin your post-graduate training (aka "Internship/Residency"). Not only do you get to work super-long hours, be sleep deprived, have no social life, and get paid very little for all of this, you then need to take the third (and, thankfully, final) exam of the USMLE "boards". Only after all three steps have been taken (and, I should also say, passed) can you apply for a medical license.

Ok, so now you're wondering, "what the rush? why do you need a medical license anyway". Well, the short answer is: You can't practice medicine in ANY state without a medical license. Internship/Residency is a little different. Since you're still technically "in training" (i.e. you're a student in a hospital), the hospital essentially takes responsibility for everything that you do, so you're technically not practicing medicine by yourself. Technically, the "attending physician" (i.e. your master) is the one practicing medicine and telling you (i.e. the slave) what they want you to do. However, once you inevitably graduate for Residency, you have to start taking responsibility for yourself. And, as a way to monitor your actions/behaviors and make sure you're not doing anything crazy/bad/negligent, each US state has their own "Medical Board" that you must register with if you practice in that state. The process is basically bureaucratic, involving a lot of paperwork and, of course, MORE money.

Ok, so now you're a licensed physician in whatever state of your choosing. You've also graduated from a Residency program of your choosing and can start practicing anywhere you want. So, why am I still talking about "Boards". Because being "licensed" only means that you're generally legit; it does not specify legitimacy in a specific medical field. Hence, the term "board-certified". This is what you read on ads for various docs in the subway ("Dr. Zizmor, board certified in dermatology, he'll give you a beautiful face again without any surgery!!") or when you're looking through the panel of docs who accept your insurance (ex. Dr Kindheart, Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Cardiology).

At this point in my career, I am a licensed physician in the states of New York and New Jersey. Once I finish my fellowship in child psychiatry this coming June, I can even start seeing patients on my own. However, in this day & age, it is not good enough to just be "licensed". You must be board certified. For insurance purposes and for bragging rights.

So, getting back to what I said at the beginning of this long explanation, I will be taking the first part (of two) of my American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (ABPN, for short) board exam in a little over a month. This exam is BY FAR the most important exam I will take to date. It's no laughing matter. It's given once a year, it's SUPER expensive, and I don't want to take it more than once! So, this requires some serious studying. For those of us lucky enough to be in the NYC area, we are fortunate to be able to easily enroll in the NYC-based Psychiatry Board Review exam course given by David Kaufman & colleagues. Sure, you pay a chunk of change to take this course, but if it improves your chances of passing by even several times, it's worth it.

Here's the kicker...the entire course takes 5 full days (8:45 am to 5:30 pm). It's high yield so you pretty much have to pay attention every second of it. After being out of school for a number of years, thus not being used to sitting in a big lecture hall for several hours per day, it's an exhausting, brain-draining experience. The worst part is that the course runs from Friday to Tuesday meaning that a VERY LONG weekend is occupied taking this course.

Nonetheless, despite being exhausted and nearly brain dead now after the past 5 days, I feel about 100 times more prepared than 5 days ago. I'm giving myself a couple day "brain rest", and back to studying it is!

Wish me good luck!!

Taxes Suck!

2008-03-09T20:54:00.003-04:00

I dreaded how complicated it was going to be to figure out how to file my taxes this year. As a newly married person who worked in NY but lived in NJ & NY and whose spouse worked in PA and NJ but lived in PA, NY, and NJ (agh! that's a mouthful!), I was not sure where or how to start. This is what I looked like just thinking about it:

So I took my parents advice and decided to use Turbo Tax. Supposedly, the program would guide me through the entire painful process with as little pain as possible.

It was still very painful.

Even after gathering all the tax documents I needed (which is not as easy as it sounds when your husband can't find a copy of his W2 and has to talk to HR to get a copy), I had to do tons of calculations to determine allocations of incomes to each state, etc.

I began to look more like this:

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my Federal tax refund. I patted myself on the back for planning ahead of time and having extra money taken out of my paycheck once I got married.

Then I got to the NY Tax Return. I was absolutely sure there was something wrong with the Turbo Tax program when it counted nearly all of my husband's & my income as the "NY Taxable Income". I re-entered numbers, asked my husband if it seemed right, and read about other's frustrations with this same problem.

As it turns out, living in NY for part of the year is basically equivalent to living in NY for the entire year, at least tax-wise. So what if NJ gives me a credit on their state taxes for some (and I mean only some) of the tax you pay to NY state. It's just not fair.

I dealt with the unfairness and moved on. After many many more hours, everything was done. I looked something like this after all of the work:

My plan for next year:

Hire an accountant!!!!!

Saint Patrick's Day in Hoboken

2008-03-02T15:18:00.007-05:00

As any good Irish Catholic (or drinker) knows, Saint Patrick's Day is on March 17th every year. It is thought to be the day that Saint Patrick, who was a Catholic missionary who did much of his work in Ireland, died sometime in the 500's AD. The day is meant to be a feast in celebration of all of his good deeds.

In Hoboken, NJ, not only has the importance of the day been changed (to something like: "the day to wear a lot of green, start drinking really early, wait in line to get in bars that are charging a $25 cover, and stumble home at some point and pass out"), but the date has been changed. This year, Hoboken decided to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day on March 1st. Don't ask me why...

As a new NJ resident, I felt obliged to check the festivities out. Well, really, my husband wanted to check it out & I agreed to accompany him.

Our exploration began in Jersey City, where we hopped on the Hudson-Bergen light rail line to go to Hoboken. (We usually drive, but given that we would both be drinking, we thought not.) Instead of taking the train that goes to the main commercial street (Washington Street) in Hoboken, we ended up on the train that took us about a mile west of that.

Good thing we bundled up for the weather! I can't say the same for most of the people we walked by on our way to Washington St. Out of probably a couple hundred people we passed by, maybe 2 had coats. Apparantly, being drunk makes you either (a) not care about being cold, (b) not realize you are cold, or (c) forget that it's 40 degrees outside and not feel like going back home to get your jacket. Or maybe I'm just getting old and want to be comfortable, even if it isn't stylish!

Upon making it to Washington St, we decided to buy a couple of souvenirs to commemorate the occasion. My hubby got a clever button to wear. Check it out:

"Irish Whiskey makes me Frisky"

I got a cool headband with Shamrock antennas (we didn't get a photo of me wearing it, so here is my cat, Benny, wearing it):

We wandered up & down Washington St, only to find lines of people waiting to get into crowded bars. And even worse, all the bars seemed to be charging some insane cover charge to come in! Not because they had any sort of drink specials or special entertainment, but because they could. That just makes me angry.

However, we got lucky & found a place, Arthur's Tavern, that was cover-less with a short line to get in and plenty of room to stand. If you're ever in Hoboken, check it out. Here's my hubby enjoying himself there:

After finishing our 24 oz beers, we took off to find the Q'doba restaurant (fast food Tex-Mex, for those who have not enjoyed them before). As expected, the line there was huge, but the wait was well worth it. Chicken tacos for him and Veggie taco salad for me, and we were satisfied.

At that point, it was time to head home. After all, it was dark, cold, and...7:30 pm!! So we headed to the light rail and made our way home.

Overall, our fake Saint Patrick's Day celebration was a lot of fun. We're looking forward to celebrating, for real, in a couple more weeks!

Who says there is no such thing as a free ride?!

2008-02-25T19:40:00.003-05:00

I was happily surprised this morning when I learned that I would not have to pay for my PATH train rides into or out of Manhattan today. Apparantly, it's the Port Authority's 100th Birthday, and as a celebration, it wanted to reward its many customers! Check out the link below to read more about the PATH and it's Birthday:

http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&type=&topic_id=12550&forum=6

It's kind of sad how little it takes to make me happy...

Things To Come...

2008-02-22T19:17:00.002-05:00

I've been informed by my readers that they are sick & tired of my hiatus from blogging. I guess it's not enough to work full time, commute every day into Manhattan, job hunt, and take care of a husband & 2 cats!

I promise you, my hiatus is certainly not because interesting & important things have not been happening. After all, in the past month, I have had a birthday (no, I won't say how old I am), my hubby & I have celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary, and I've travelled around NJ doing job interviews (my child psych fellowship is ending this summer and I have to find my first REAL job!). But because of all of these things, I haven't had enough time to put the time & effort into creating interesting blog entries.

But worry no more, my readers! I have some fun blog entries coming soon. Expect to hear about my debacle getting a New Jersey state medical license, my new favorite video game: Guitar Hero!, and definitely some more cat news (cuz I can't say enough about my kitties!).

Until then...

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2008-01-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

Everybody out there send a Happy Birthday wish to my Mom today!

Love you, Mom!

A Place of Jersey History

2008-01-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

My husband surprised me this weekend with a trip to Red Bank, NJ, aka "the motherland" of Kevin Smith, creator of the greatest collection of NJ-based films in history.

Even before I was a NJ resident, I was a HUGE fan of Kevin Smith movies. You just can't beat the lude, crude humor of Jay & Silent Bob, Holden & Banky, Alyssa, and all of the other great characters from "Clerks", "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", and "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back". (Smith, of course, has made other films, but the above mentioned are the ones I've seen...many many times each).

We got to visit the "Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash" store, which was actually used to film scenes whenever Smith's characters were at "Brody's" comic book store. Here's a photo of the store front:

Inside the store, there are all kinds of movie props, scripts, movie action figures, T-shirts (my fave was the "CLIT: Coalition for the Liberation of Itinerant Treedwellers", a reference to "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back"), and of course, comic books.

I was also lucky enough to come across this bumper sticker that is ABSOLUTELY perfect for display on my blog:

After this very cool adventure, I must admit that Jersey is really growing on me!

Political Quotes of the Week

2008-01-07T14:41:00.000-05:00

I don't really keep up with politics, but my husband does. So, when he suggested (I think jokingly, but I'm not sure) that we watch the New Hampshire presidential primary debates this past Saturday evening, I had to chuckle.

I'm not sure how it happened, but we ended up watching half the Republican debate and the entire Democrat debate. What is more suprprising than my actual willingness to watch approximately 2 hrs of political debates is that I found it quite entertaining! Not necessarily because of the the dodgy answers EVERYONE was giving to almost EVERY question, but thanks to the unexpected comments that I just didn't think any of these politicians would say, at least in public!

Here are my favorites (with RJG's thoughts):

"If Musharaf does not cooperate with the U.S. in searching for Bin Laden in Pakistan, I would ask him to step down [from his position as President]."

-paraphrase of Bill Richardson (D), when asked what he would do if Pakistan refuses to assist in the search for Al Quaida and Bin Laden in his country.

RJG says: Good luck with that one! I'm sure he'll be happy to step down from his dictatorship!

"We don't agree on much, but I do agree with you on one thing. You are definitely the candidate of change!"

-a condescending comment by John McCain (R) to Mitt Romney (R).

RJG says: Ok, John, so you don't like Mitt. But what are you actually implying here??

"That hurts my feelings....but I'm sure I can get over it."

-Hilary Clinton (D), after being asked why people do not find her likeable.

RJG: For a minute there, I thought she may actually have feelings...my bad!

"You're likeable enough."

-Barack Obama (D), in response to Hilary Clinton suggesting/asking that she's "not that bad".

RJG says: OUCH!

"I suggest changes, Senator Obama suggests changes, but the 'status quo' won't let things change."

-paraphrasing John Edwards in his not-so-subtle critique of Hilary Clinton, aka the "Status Quo".

RJG says: Stop talking in code words...it's not like people don't know how much you dislike her!

All these comments, and just think, the primaries are just beginning! I can't wait to hear what comes out of their mouths when the REAL election happens!!

New Year's Eve in Times Square

2008-01-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to attend the festivities in Times Square from the moment I moved to the area. I thought about going last year, but was scared away by all the crazy rules that you have to follow if you want to actually be in the closed off area. I particularly didn't like the idea of standing outside in the cold for several hours with no food, beverages, or toilets.

This year, I was incredibly lucky to be invited to a party on the 22nd floor of a building at 45th and Broadway. The view was AMAZING! And I got to see everything in the comfort of a posh law office with plenty of food, beverages, and bathrooms.

This was by far my most exciting New Year's Eve ever. From the police escort to the building to the free-flowing champagne, nothing could have been better! Can't wait to see what the rest of 2008 brings!!

My 2nd Christmas of the Season

2007-12-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

My hubby & I have now returned to the East Coast from snowy Colorado. The snow was beautiful, but it's a pain in the butt when it causes delays/cancellations of flights back home. My hubby's itinerary was changed 3 times in one day by the airlines due to cancellations related to an anticipated storm (i.e. the storm had not even started). Luckily, he did make it on a flight, albeit much later than he had hoped, and made it home safely.

I spent one extra day with my family and flew out the day after the big storm, so no major problems for my air travel (excepting the 1 hour delay due to ?who knows what?). My hubby was a total sweetie and picked me up at the airport at 1:30 am. What made it even sweeter was that he had arrived just the night before at around the same time, had to get up about 6 hours later to go to work, then stay up and wait for me.

After a night of rest and sleeping in, we continued our holiday travels. We braved the NJ & NY roads and have come up to Connecticut to see my in-laws and celebrate a very nice 2nd Christmas. Tonight was "Christmas Eve" when we exchanged gifts. Tomorrow will be "Christmas Day" when we will have our traditional Christmas dinner followed by church.

Oh how great are the Holidays...especially when they never seem to end!

Rough Trip to the Rockies

2007-12-25T18:19:00.000-05:00

December 23rd began my annual trek out to Colorado to have Christmas with my family. Even more exciting this year is that my "new" hubby (we've been together for almost 6 years, but we just got married this summer and this is the first year he is joining my family for the Holidays) is accompanying me on the trek. We booked our flights for Sunday evening thinking we would have the weekend to pack/relax, then make it to my family's home in time for all the Christmas festivities.

The (not so) friendly skies had a different plan for us.

We planned our travel day well...gave ourselves plenty of time to make it to the off-site parking lot, thus giving us plenty of time to make it to the airport to check our bags, thus giving us plenty of time to make our 5 pm flight.

Being a neurotic planner, I of course checked the status of our flight before leaving home. The United website told me that our flight was delayed until 7 pm. Trying to be optimistic, I figured we ought to get to the airport in time for a possible 5 pm departure anyway.

We arrived at the parking lot at 2:45 pm. I had located & printed out an online coupon to save us $5 per day of parking. Unfortunately, I forgot that during the Holidays, lots of people fly to see family, thus parking their cars. The lot had room for us, but would not let us use our discount coupon. We had to weigh the pros & cons...ultimately, we didn't have enough time to find another parking lot that may or may not have been cheaper, so we agreed to pay the full price. Good decision, given that the airport was likely going to be crowded and we wanted plenty of time to check bags/pass through security/get to our gate with time to spare.

We arrived at check-in at 3 pm. Given that the Newark airport does not have many United Airlines flights, our check in line was about 1 person long. We got through in 5 mins. With so much time to spare, we figured we could hang out in the airport food court for a bit before going through security and limiting our options for food & entertainment. By 3:30 pm, we headed to security, just in case the line was super long. The line was actually super short. We got through in 5 minutes. That was with shoes, coats, backpacks, and a bag full of wrapped gifts (I had nightmares about the TSA agents demanding to open all of the gifts, including the ones to my hubby, who would have been standing next to me at the time).

As we approached our gate, we decided to check the status of our flight yet again. So much for my optimism...our flight was now delayed until 9 pm. Ugh. That meant 5-1/2 hours of waiting at the gate. Good thing I brought a few books! We were pleased to see a mini-TGI Friday's near our gate, and planned on having dinner there a bit later. We parked ourselves near an electical outlet so my hubby could play games on his laptop, and we settled in for our long wait.

Every now & then, I would get up and check out the flight status monitors...optimistically thinking that our flight would suddenly say "boarding". No such luck. Our flight was unfortunately not the only one delayed. In the area surrounding our gate, there were hundreds of people waiting to be told when their aircraft would arrive so that their flight could take off. Even worse, a couple of flights were cancelled. No sensible reason was given, just that "air traffic control" was not allowing flights to come into Newark. My best guess was high winds & rain, but that was never confirmed.

Right before we packed up our stuff to head to TGIF's, we checked the monitor again. AGH!! Our flight had been delayed again...we were now scheduled to leave at 10:40 pm. What bothered me most was not that we would have to wait another couple of hours (though I was certainly not HAPPY about this), but that at some point the airline reps would come on the loud speaker and say, "Sorry folks...we know you've been waiting for your flight for 6 hours, but it's now been cancelled and the next open flight is Christmas Day." I crossed my fingers and headed to dinner.

We had our mediocre dinner, sharing our 4 person table with a very nice couple who was waiting for their flight to San Francisco to leave, and headed back to find some seats to wait for another couple hours. Time was now about 7 pm. I was getting extremely bored with my book at this point, and didn't want to take out my i-pod (fearing that I would run the battery down with our long wait). I entertained myself for a bit watching my hubby play his computer game, watching a couple of kids run around like little maniacs, and walking around to look at the flight status monitors.

A miracle happened at about 9:50 pm. Our aircraft had arrived at the gate!!! Having seen a brand new pair of pilots walks behind the podium, I knew we were safe from the "timing out" issues other flights were having. Within 20 minutes, we were boarding and the end was in sight.

Four hours later, we touched down in Denver. It may have been 1 am Mountain time (3 am Eastern time), but I was awake & excited! We were finally in Colorado!

After a good night's sleep, our terrible travel day was a long lost memory. Who cares how long it took to get home?? We were just happy to be home!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The Office Holiday Party

2007-12-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

When it comes to the "office holiday party", there is about as much variance in how to put on one of these shindigs as there are towns in NJ that I have never heard of (i.e. a lot). Having never had a "real" job--meaning that even though I've been out of school for 5 years, as a physician-in-training, most people (family included) ask me "how is school?"--I can't say that I've attended any great holiday parties...that is until just recently!

When I was growing up, I remember going shopping with my mother for sparkly evening gowns or the like that she would wear to my Pop's company holiday party. The event was always held in the ballroom in a posh hotel in downtown Denver. There were, I imagined, amazing hors d'oevres, plenty of wine & spirits, dancing, and prom-like photographs for all the employees and their spouses/partners/significant others.

Suffice it to say that I was very disappointed when I went to my first "office" holiday party ("office" being in quotations because it's a stretch to call the department of psychiatry an "office"). To name just a few reasons why it was a disappointment: It was on a weekday, during the work day, and the attire was "come as your are" (i.e. in your white coat with your patient notes hanging out of your pockets), the food was mediocre, there was no alcohol (for obvious reasons, but still...), and there was no dancing.

Coming to my new job, now in a child & adolescent psychiatry department, I didn't expect much of a difference. I have been pleasantly surprised. Not only are there multiple parties to attend (one of the perks of working at multiple hospital sites), but all the parties have taken place after work hours, had GREAT food, plenty of wine & spirits, and great company. Still no dancing, but beggers can't be choosers. Here are some photos of the 1st party of the season:

Left: A group of happy kiddie shrinks plus 2 hubbies (mine is on the far left).

Right: A co-worker & his adorable son.

My family-friendly office holiday party was followed, the next evening, by my hubby's ultra swanky office holiday party. This event, thrown in not just 1 but 2 ballrooms in a posh hotel in the NJ suburbs, was exactly what I have imagined when the topic of the office holiday party has come up. The food was amazing (at least 5 types of food stations with different national cuisines), there was free-flowing wine, beer, & spirits, and more kinds of desserts than I have ever imagined (the cannolis were amazing, as was the white chocolate fondue fountain). To satisfy anyone's musical preference, they had a live jazz quartet in one ballroom and a DJ spinning dance tunes in the other ballroom. Everyone was dressed to the nines, including 2 men wearing kilts. Check out some of the photos below:

Left: From left, a kilt-wearing guest, a co-worker, my hubby, & I.

Right: A co-worker, after several drinks, doing a dare. (This photo has been removed at the request of my hubby, but imagine a well-dressed man licking an ice sculpture)

It's not even Christmas, and I've already had this much fun! Can't wait for the next party!

End of the Season

2007-12-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

The Fantasy Football season is officially over for my team, the New Jersey Commuters. It's a bittersweet moment for me. While I no longer have to worry about how much my players are sucking week-by-week, I will miss the competition that was all in good fun.

If you have read my blog previously, you'll know that I had accepted the fact that I had a sucky team, but had made one (and only one) goal for my team this season: TO NOT FINISH LAST PLACE. I am extremely happy to report that while this is a really lame goal, I did achieve it.

Yes, folks, the New Jersey Commuters came in 11th place out of 12 teams in the Vagina Mono-League.

Furthermore, the New Jersey Commuters, while having terrible luck with match-ups and thus having a 4-9 record (that is wins-losses), still scored MORE points than some un-named team who is now in the Fantasy Football Playoffs. (Sorry, la Commish, that was a pretty low blow, but being at the bottom of the Fantasy Football barrell, I have to find something, anything to brag about, as petty as it may be. )

So, here's to next year with (hopefully) better players, better match-ups, and coming in 10th place!

Urban Dog Fasion

2007-11-24T16:04:00.000-05:00

Half of my work week is spent on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. For those not familiar with the different areas of Manhattan and what they are known for, allow me to orient you to the famed UES. Just as 90210 is the most desireable zip code in Southern California, 10021 (i.e. the UES) is the most desireable zip code in New York City. Similarities between 90210 and 10021 include (1) every designer store you've ever heard of/read about in any fashion magazine, (2) lots of very wealthy people who wearing only the finest clothes, carry only the trendiest handbags, live in only the most glamorous homes, have drivers....(you get the picture), and last, but definitely not least, (3) lots and lots and lots of "little dogs" on designer leashes trotting around with their fashionable owners.

Where I grew up, dogs were not a rare commodity, but "little dogs" were. Except for my Uncle's mini dachsund, I really had no exposure to "little dogs" until I came to Manhattan. Sure, I saw them all over the trashy entertainment gossip magazines that I subscribe to, but I figured only the movie stars were vain enough to carry these hairy little creatures around as if they were THE must-have accessory.

Not only do the UES-ers have more of these little creatures per capita than I could ever imagine, they treat them just as they would their children: designer clothes, fancy beds, gourmet food, and only the finest SHOES (refer to photo, courtesy of http://www.glamourdog.com/, on the left) for these little beasts. When I saw it for the first time in person, I thought I was just hallucinating. "No way did that dog have SHOES on!" I said to myself. I'd seen plenty of dogs wearing little coats, sweaters, etc, but I can almost understand the logic behind those. After all, those little dogs weren't made for the cold, harsh, East Coast winter. Without some added insulation, they might freeze while taking their daily walks/poops/pees. But shoes?! I always assumed that the tough bits of skin on the underside of their paws were sufficient to keep them comfortable, even on cold sidewalks. But what do I know?

Don't get me wrong. It is fun to dress pets up like people. But to subject them to public embarrassment like this? My cat, Bennie, for example, tolerates me putting little articles of clothing on him and taking photos (see photo on the right). But, would I ever take him outside and parade him around like this? (posting his photo on the web is an entirely different thing, so no comments from the peanut gallery!).

Maybe a little more time in the NY area will change my mind about this matter, but for now, I'm anti-doggie-shoe, and I'm sticking to it!

Football...to like or not to like?

2007-11-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

Last year, I made the mistake of passing up the opportunity to join a fantasy football league. An all-girls, very hip & trendy league started by a great friend that she proudly named the Vagina Mono-League. I had various reasons for not joining, a few of which are:

1. I don't watch football.

2. Even if forced, I don't really enjoy watching football.

3. Only if adequately intoxicated at a pre-game tailgate party will I go to a football game, and even then, I can only take about 30 minutes.

As a psychiatrist, I always have to wonder why I like or dislike things so vehemently. After intense psychoanalytic investigation, here are a few reasons why I think I may not like football:

1. Growing up in Denver, Colorado, I was thoroughly disappointed when the Broncos made it to, count them, THREE Super Bowls in a span of 4 years (1987, 1988, 1990) and were absolutely CREAMED. So embarrassing! (You might want to remind me that they redeemed themselves in 1998 & 1999 when they won the Super Bowl both years, but I say, "Too little, too late!")

2. Though I always enjoyed going to the annual Harvard-Yale "Game" (the yearly battle between the schools' mediocre football teams), albeit for the tailgates (see #3 above), I never really had the chance to cheer for my school team since, well, they SUCKED!

So, you can probably understand why I declined my great friend's invitation to join the league. But, as time went by, I realized I was missing out on a great opportunity to learn more about the game, understand what she was talking about on her blog (http://www.leagueofourown.blogspot.com/), and well, she kind of guilt-tripped me into it this year.

So far, I have no regrets! I even got into football for a millisecond at the beginning of the season. I watched a few minutes of a couple of games on TV, tried to keep up with how my players were doing (when I remembered who my players were...doh!), and thought I may have a chance at doing well at this new hobby of mine.

Oh, how wrong I was about doing well, though! Sure, I now understand that when a player is listed as "Bye" on my roster, that I won't be racking up any points on them cuz they won't be playing that week (thank you to la Commish & her sis for pointing that out!). And I don't feel guilty anymore for dropping a player after only one sucky week (at first, I'd have given him a 2nd, maybe 3rd, chance). But, frankly, despite my climbing the football learning curve pretty quickly, my team has consistently ranked in the bottom 3 out of 12. I keep asking myself, "what am I doing wrong? what more can I do?" I'm stumped.

Suffice it to say, I am a sore loser. Always have been, always will be. Yes, it's just a silly little competition. Yes, it's all just fun & games with friends. But WHY, WHY, WHY can't I at least be in the top half??? Well, I think the chances of that are slim at this point (only 6 more weeks to go, and my team is 3-7-0). So, my new goal, you ask?

I JUST DON'T WANNA BE IN LAST PLACE!

I'll keep you posted.

Not So Down or Out in Jersey

2007-11-10T23:38:00.001-05:00

I rarely get my husband to come into Manhattan to have some fun in the big city. Unlike me, he prefers the quiet, laid back atmosphere of North Jersey. So, it was to my amazement that I convinced him to NOT ONLY come with me to Manhattan today, but to come to a 6 year-old's bowling birthday party at Chelsea Piers. It's not that bowling isn't fun (though we didn't actually bowl because the kids were having too much fun), nor that birthday parties aren't fun. But when you're 5 times the age of the majority of the guests, the fun is of a different sort. Nevertheless, he agreed (and, I must add, happily) to join me.

Given these incredibly lucky circumstances, it was predictable that something would have to interfere. Enter the unfortunate onset of cold symptoms that seriously sidelined me from the fun. Despite my best efforts to medicate my symptoms, I was sniffling, blowing my nose, and trying my hardest to keep my eyes open (sinus congestion makes it nearly impossible!) all day long. 10 mg of Sudafed (it would have been more had I not run out), 50 mg of Benadryl, and I was still a miserable sick mess.

In the end, I made it through the party, followed by a visit to the giant used bookstore, "The Strand", and dinner with friends. Now I'm back at home, laying under lots of warm blankets, and having a laid back night at home. With 20 mg more of Sudafed and 50 mg more of Benadryl, I am ready to curl up and fall asleep. As much as I would have liked to stay in Manhattan and have some more fun, I'm truly appreciating my quiet, laid back night in NJ. It only took a virus to make me see the merits of my new home town.

Help Us Save Our Feline Friends!!

2007-11-01T20:48:00.000-04:00

On my way to work every day, I pick up the Metro, a free paper that is targeted for commuters who need something quick & easy to read during their trip on the NYC subways. Yesterday, in the Metro's "Voices" section, I came upon a letter from a reader that infuriated the cat lover in me. To quote this reader, Nicki Rivers:

"I sympathize with the plight of the feral cats at JFK [airport] being rounded up and turned over to Animal Control to be possibly euthanized...[airport] officials have determined that the cat food is attracting birds that are dangerous to the airplanes...it isn't worth sacrificing human life on a jet plane because some people want to keep these cats running loose at the airport...it's a sad but harsh reality".

Before I could do more research on this topic (because there was NO question that I was going to blog about this topic), I read another letter in today's Metro, this time, a more conscientious, cat-friendly letter by Susan Davis:

"Nicki Rivers, along with others, has been duped by the Port Authority into thinking that the cats draw birds. On the contrary, approximately 10 percent of those birds will find themselves as lunch meal for the cats. In fact, it is the airports proximity to the ocean, where birds will always flock, and human garbage strewn about that pose the danger. JFK officials are taking the easy way out (for them, not for the cats) after years of lapses in security that allowed people to abandon cats there in the first place."

With the work day over, I had time to conduct my own research on this topic. This time around, I found a more credible source of information (sorry, Metro!): the NY Times. Check out this article for more information on this horrendous kitty holocaust at JFK!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/nyregion/26cats.html

Another NY Times article (10/30/07) provided me with the following atrocity of a memo from Susan Baer, the new General Manager at JFK to all of its employees:

The Port Authority strives to maintain a safe environment for the thousands of people and aircraft who pass through the airport each day. Feeding animals not only attracts animals that are currently on the airport, but also serves as an attractant to draw animals to the airport from other areas. These animals pose many dangers to both people and aircraft. While it may seem harmless to feed an animal outside of a building, that same animal may find its way out to the airport’s runway and strike an aircraft that is on takeoff or landing. Birds and other wildlife that strike aircraft cost U.S. civil aviation over $600 million per year and may result in the loss of an aircraft or human fatalities. These are serious consequences for a seemingly insignificant act that could be easily prevented.
Feeding animals also creates rodent and other pest problems. Leaving food out for animals such as cats in order to control mice and rats also means that there is plenty of food available to the very pests you are attempting to deter. It is much more efficient to keep the premises sanitary and use traditional pest control practices to control rodents and other pests.
Feeding animals also serves to spread disease to other animals more rapidly since animals are more concentrated at feeding stations and may come into close contact. This puts not only the animals, but also people who work or pass through those areas, at a greater risk of contracting a disease.
Finally, artificial feeding by humans hurts wildlife since they become dependent on handouts and less able to fend for themselves. The food given to them may also upset their digestive systems and doesn’t provide the right amounts of vitamins and minerals they need to survive. Some animals may become so dependent on human food handouts that they beg people for food and may mistakenly bite people in attempts to get food.

The last paragraph is particularly offensive to my intelligence...does she SERIOUSLY believe that JFK airport is some kind of wildlife preserve and that "feeding the animals" will disrupt the fragile ecosystem???? Give me a break, Susan. Oh, and don't feed me any more of that BS!

Call me a sappy animal lover, but it truly breaks my heart that after 3+ years of these kitties being kindly cared for in what is probably the most natural environment any NYC kitty could wish for AND not causing any significant problems (I challenge anyone to tell me the last time that an airplane at JFK was put in jeopardy by a rat, bird, cat, etc), that they are being trapped, taken from the only home they've ever know, and likely euthanized (because there are only so many cat lovers who will rescue them from Animal Control). Having flown out of JFK, I can tell you that they have MUCH BIGGER problems than a "happy cat camp" in an abandoned area. Here's my suggestion: Try focusing on your horrendously long security lines, your dilapidated buildings, your slow as hell baggage claim, etc. Leave the cats be!

There's no place like home...I still love you, Rockies!

2007-10-29T00:34:00.001-04:00

While the entirety of Boston is celebrating tonight after the Red Sox's sweeping victory over the Colorado Rockies, RJG feels bittersweet about the whole thing. Being a devoted Rockies fan, through the good and the bad (up until this past year, it's been primarily the latter), it's sad to watch the Rockies get all the way to their first ever World Series and let the BoSox trounce them like they did. On the other hand, the Rockies making it to the World Series is an accomplishment to celebrate, regardless of the outcome of any of the last 4 depressing games.

RJG has stayed up MUCH too late watching the game this evening, only to go to bed feeling very somber. Despite wearing BOTH Rockies baseball hats (mine & my hubby's), RJG was not able to bring enough luck-from-afar to assist the Rockies in making the 2 more runs that they needed to bring about a 5th game (i.e. another chance) to prove themselves to all the East Coast snobs who seem to think that only 2 teams really matter (you know which ones I'm talking about).

RJG wishes to send out a message to her beloved Rockies:

YOU'LL ALWAYS BE WINNERS TO ME!!!!

First Day on the Job

2007-10-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

This blog is a long time in the making. I've always enjoyed blogs, especially during those down times during the work day when I've already checked my email about 5 times and I don't even have new junk mail to delete, then checked for new Britney Spears gossip only to discover that there isn't any, then finally, out of desperation, tried to do an online crossword puzzle but got so frustrated about having to ask for help with every letter that I ultimately gave up.

To be quite honest, I never thought I had anything interesting enough to post on the web for other people to spend their down-time reading. Granted, some might argue that working in the mental health field would yield some pretty interesting stories. But who really wants to hear about all the nutty people I encounter day in and day out. Anyone who takes the subway in Manhattan could easily have as many stories to tell.

But, truth be told, if I can make even one person laugh with my (hopefully) darkly, sarcastically humorous blog entries, then I will have done what I set out to do. But be forewarened, there will be a lot of discussion about nutty folks, cats (because I have 2 of the most adorable ones in the world), the entertainment world (Britney gossip isn't the only gossip I keep up with), and who knows what else. There's not much going on in New Jersey, so I have PLENTY of time to write...until next time...