There is now. As of today our friend (and Sara’s sister-in-law) Audrey is a Ph.D.!
This morning Audrey defended her doctoral dissertation on Src Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Sarcomas: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Or at least that’s what she told me.
Audrey,
More than just becoming a doctor today you have fulfilled your dream. And this is just the beginning.
Love,
Liz & Tom
The night before Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Eve if you will, Tom came to my office just minutes after I left for the day. He knew I was headed for a spinning class and I wouldn’t be working late. The front doors of my building lock automatically at 5:00 and the door to my part of the building is locked 24/7. Somehow he made it to my desk and left a cookie bouquet for me to find in the morning. On Valentine’s Day my colleagues tried to convince me it was from all of them, but I knew my little cupid had been there. Sneaky surprises like that are Tom’s trademark.
Meanwhile, it was a good thing he personally delivered the yummy bouquet himself as Valentine’s morning a Nor’easter was just rolling in. The office closed early and it took me 45 minutes to get home when it usually takes ten. You know things aren’t going well when a city bus is coming towards you, in reverse. And when a woman on cross country skis passes you in your car. The worst part was the McDonald’s lot wasn’t plowed and I really wanted a Big Mac to ease my stress.
The snow had barely cleared when my mom and I drove to Massachusetts to see family. My mom spent the night at our house and in honor of her arrival we finally had the new dining room furniture delivered and we rearranged the guest room to be extra comfy cozy. Making the trip with my mom to see cousins and their families, my aunt, and especially my grandma made for a perfect weekend. We may not see each other often, but they are all always in my heart.
People are a creature of habit, that’s what they say. So it’s not surprising when someone goes to the same grocery store, doctor, florist, gym, route to work or hairstylist for their entire adulthood. Often times one or two bad visits isn’t enough to break the routine. You get overcharged on your frozen peas, there are no elliptical machines available at 5:00 on the occasional Monday, you were late to work that time a tractor trailer was trying to make a tight right hand turn. It happens, you continue your routine. And for some people the thought of changing this routine can be stressful, create anxiety and therefore never happen. Then one day, like a light bulb over your head you decide to change your routine, to step outside of your comfort zone. No more poor bedside manner, no more wilted lily’s, no more short bangs. And with your stomach in knots you make a change.
This is all a very mellow dramatic way to say that after more than ten years I went to a new hairstylist. My hairstylist has been working with my stubborn, straight, flat hair for years. We’ve been though long, short, curly, colors and even my wedding day together. Then one day she canceled my appointment. An appointment I was looking forward to, needed, wanted, even scheduled my day around and it was gone. Her reason was lame, I guess that was the catalyst, a lame excuse.
I asked my fellow Dirt Girl for a reference at her salon and I did it. I had my haircut by someone new. And it was OK. It was better than OK. It was great. Granted I think it’s too short, but that always goes without saying. But the cut is new and fresh and when I walked in the front door Tom’s face lit up (I know, I know, you thought that happened all the time). He called me cute, all day long. If that ain’t worth an extra $15.00 I don’t know what is.
I haven’t told my prior hairstylist that I did this. I just never called to reschedule after she canceled. Do you think she figured it out? Do I owe her a phone call? An explanation? Ten years is a long time.
I contemplated all of this while looking cute at the mall.
I am back from my trip to Lake Placid with a group of girlfriends. We had a wonderful time letting our hair down, laughing a ton, and dancing the night away. It was so much fun we didn’t even notice the subzero temperature – just kidding – we noticed. I wish I could tell you more, but you know what they say, what happens in Lake Placid stays in Lake Placid. As a group we are already planning our next trip.
Lake Placid is one of those places I wish I could wiggle my nose and be there. It’s a beautiful drive to a quaint little town with an Olympic past, just one problem, the two hour drive entails winding roads and high elevations which is a recipe for headache and nausea on my part. As soon as I forget how bad the drive was, I’ll be back.
As promised, photos of the mountains…
More seasonal photos of the Hudson River. This time the sunny, mostly frozen river caught my eye during a coffee break (i.e. Dunkin Donuts run).
“Babe, can you finish getting dinner ready? I cut myself.”
Tonight while prepping a red pepper for our dinner salad Tom cut himself. That’s the nice way to say it. The reality is he cut a chunk of his finger off. It wouldn’t stop bleeding. I offered him some super glue, but we went to the ER instead.
When we got there we were “fast tracked” to a room where Tom was cleaned up, wrapped up, and tetanus shotted. Not much else they can do about a missing chunk of skin. We were in and out in about an hour. Then we went to McDonald’s. I wasn’t about to eat the dinner he was making.
Today Tom and I were in the mall, shopping, for me. We were on the second floor leaving Coach and headed for Banana Republic when I had to go (shocker). I did a quick mental scan of mall bathrooms. All I could picture were ones on the first floor. Not good. I look at Tom with desperation and he says, Pottery Barn. Excuse me? You want to shop for overpriced trinkets when I gotta go? I snapped, “Pottery Barn?!” He calmly explained that there are bathrooms in Pottery Barn. He was wrong, there wasn’t a bathroom but rather an oasis. Could this be true? A clean, private, stylish bathroom in the mall? As I disappeared down the hallway I looked back at Tom and mouthed…I never knew.
PS We bought some curtains on clearance while there. It was the least I could do.
While walking the dogs last night we stopped at the Mobil station at the end of our street for some Thursday night TV snacks. First I went in while Tom watched the dogs then he went in. He asked me if I got Zinger’s or Orange Cupcakes (both equally delicious). I told him I didn’t see the Zingers and Cupcakes and to please tell me where there are immediately so I can go back in and get some. So here I am two minutes later buying more crap I don’t need. The cashier (who I think is the owner) took the opportunity of my pigginess to tell me about his wife’s struggle with weight using is arms to puff himself out to describe her size. I felt necessary to explain that I won’t eat all of these goodies in one night and that I recently lost 20 pounds. With a straight face and in all seriousness he said to me, “You’ll gain it back.”