Baby Bris

The baby shower we attended last month wound up being for a beautiful boy named Jacob Lovy. We were invited today as guests for his bris (i.e. circumcision), which wound up going quite smoothly. Little guy took it like a champ, poor parents were all torn up and emotional during the ceremony! We had a nice luncheon afterwards to help celebrate, and hope to see more of the little guy later next month for a get-together.

Mommy visit :-)

Beth surprised us with a December visit to cold & rainy Michigan this week. We weren't expecting her until sometime next spring, but in all the timing worked out great given we were both off from work. Lots of quality time catching up, Michelle & her had a blast knitting all sorts of clothing products with yarn ... including a purse?! We toured the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, which houses hundreds of automoblies and relics from years past. Ginger also got to enjoy "Grandma's" company, too. Beth left us Saturday morning en route to Washington, DC where she will be spending New Year's with David. We hope to see her soon in Vegas next year ...

PETCO Birthday Party

The owners of a golden retriever (Sam) graciously hosted a doggie birthday party today at our local Petco store. The usual canines were in attendance, and were treated to carob cake as well as other treats. We're making Ginger's playtime a weekly thing, as she loves to interact with the others. This marks her second doggie birthday party in the past six months, I think she's getting used to this!

Holiday Party

Our hospital likes to treat its employees around the holiday season, and put on a nice spread at Andiamo's Restaurant. Open bar with appetizers, the wine and conversation was flowing throughout the night! It was nice to socialize outside the workplace and meet other people, too. Happy Holidays everyone!!

Birthday bonanza!

Michelle planned a wonderful day for my 29th birthday! We started by touring the Detroit Institute of Art (free tix in the mail), then had dinner at a well-hidden Italian restaurant nearby. To cap it off we caught a showing of Romeo and Juliet at the Wayne State University Hilberry Theatre. Of course it ended late and I slept through parts of it, but overall it was quite fun :-)
I can't believe 30 is right around the corner!!

A New York Thanksgiving

Michelle & I were able to coordinate our vacation time and traveled to NY for the week of Thanksgiving. Traveling with Ginger by car wasn't too bad, and allowed us to take her cages, food, etc. It was a LONG drive each way, about 12 hours with rest stops and the like. But overall it was quite relaxing, seeing some friends and family. Ginger got to meet our aging french poodle, Coquette, for the first time and was on her best behavior :-) My father surprised me with a grooming and haircut for Ginger, we were finally able to see her big brown eyes!

Thanksgiving spread was delicious, Michelle & my parents slaved away in the kitchen for hours cooking all sorts of meals: turkey, sweet potato, eggplant, salad, fruit, etc. They also broke out the fine china and put together a warm fire in our family room. We hosted my cousin Juanda's family and their new baby daughter Mia. In all a great time to unwind and relax ...

Whoa Baby

So we had the pleasure of attending a couples Baby Shower earlier this month. One of Michelle's colleagues in the pulmonary department is expecting a baby boy in late December, and we attended the event with great anticipation!! Overall it was fun, no games but good food and lots of cool gifts for the parents-to-be. We wish them well during the home stretch ...

Ginger's new duds

While in Las Vegas in October, my grandmother taught me how to knit. I had been wanting to learn for some time and then finally asked to learn. It is a lot of fun--great way to pass time and do something with your hands. I'm really starting to enjoy it. Unteachable? Me... well...

My first project: Ginger outerwear! Something simple at first, a cape/sweater. The finished project.... drum roll please:












What do you think? Ginger's kinda getting into it. She's a natural. I guess we'll have more to look forward to... hopefully not before next season. :)

PETCO Play Date

Michelle was gone all day today moonlighting at a nearby clinic, so I had instructions on how to keep Ginger occupied: take her to the weekly playdate at Petco Pet Store. They have an indoor play arena, where parents let the dogs run loose and tussle. It was a lot of fun, similar setup to the dog parks we frequented back in Florida. I also bumped into a fellow physician with her new puppie Zhowie, very cute all around :-) Ginger made several new friends as usual, and left after getting a good workout. We'll try and get back there later this month, schedules permitting ...

We Passed!

Just to pass along ... Michelle & I passed our Certifying Internal Medicine Board Exams! We're now both board certified internists (at least for the next 10 years), and will have to face the same grueling process in 3 years for our subspecialty boards. What a relief :-)

Fall & Halloween

When I arrived back from Las Vegas, I was greeted by wind and rain. We had arrangments to go to Greenfield Village Halloween. Rain or shine... and that's what it was. There were over 300 pumpkins in all on a sub-40 degree chilly night. It's about the time for the cold weather to set in. Halloween time and the first really cold night were the norm in Reno when all the costumes had to be modified so as not to be chilled to the bone. Last night we set out candy and dressed up a jack-o-lantern for Halloween night. I carved it into all sorts of patterns and shapes. It was a great time. We both got into our jackets and set out to beat the cold with all the kids and parents. Trick or treat everyone!

Home Improvement: Part II

Since Michelle was away this past week in Las Vegas attending a medical conference (and visiting her family), we decided this would be the best time to commence Operation Destruction/Renovation of our kitchen and bathrooms. The previous owners chose this cheap laminate surfacing (white & pink, respectively) that stained quite easily. Once again the before shots:











First step was removing the surfacing. Since we were installing two sinks in the master bathroom, the old cabinet had to come out and a new custom-designed cabinet was put in its place:











Next step was inserting the granite counter-tops. Michelle & I had pre-selected three different patterns, one for each room. Most of the pieces were pre-cut, but the sink openings and backsplashes were cut outside on our driveway:










It was only at this point that the plumber could begin connecting the sinks & piping. His job took the longest, at least 8 hours of labor involved:












An voila! A nicely finished project after all ... you'll have to visit to see the real thing :-)