Year in Review (2011)

Year in Review (2011)…

Highlights:
1. New Zealand (AMAZING TRIP),
2. Thanksgiving hut trip (hard but amazing),
3. Telluride Blues and Brews
4. Burning Man (AWESOME)
5. Jenny joining AMC (with Shari it makes our provider staff PHENOMINAL)
6. Patti’s visit/The Adnan's visit
7. Strawberry music festival and the trip out there
8. Xavier and March 4th
9. Rafting
10. Shinta getting her work permit and then her green card and then another fun surprise
11. My first Sign Language Teacher coming to Aspenand re-connecting with her

Lowlights:
1. July 4 and its long aftermath…
2. Clifford’s surgery but he is finally recovering
3. Back country scare

In General:
1. Worked a lot of >90 hour weeks in 2011… hopefully that will change in 2012 with more
people in the office and more people sharing call…
2. Found a favorite new quote… “In the meantime livepeaceably and do good works for the universe.” And a new stance… “in our family we stand for peace and love”
3. Got Mercy and used it a lot this year!

Feeling old and curmudgeonly with the end of the yearthoughts… (see below pix and reference to article)… But also very happy to be alive… I hope next year is even better for me and everyone…

Love and Peace…Kim


http://www.epmonthly.com/columns/in-my-opinion/treating-a-nation-of-anxious-wimps/?_ft_qid=5687861710390121300

Tis the time of the year for giving...

Gave to about 15 charities today... wish there weren't so many needs but happy to be able to give a little (or more than a little) here and there...
Twas also good to have a day off to catch up on sleep, exercise, giving...
Happy Holidays to you all...
Love and Peace sent out to the Universe...

Re-entry 2011...

I just finished another 90 hour week after my return from NZ so no pictures of being back and wanted to add more from the trip. Again the trip was fantastic with unbelievable scenery, folks, foods, activities...

Since back on-season is in full force... worked in the office and 52 hours of call in the ER with a VERY busy weekend. Didn't stop until this morning at 7 am with very interesting cases but I am happy it is over for now... Will have another call this week but hopefully will catch up on sleep by then. Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th in France with Jeff and that sounded like a great trip... All in All very lucky and thankful for that. Good night :)

trouble adding photos

having issues with this weeks blog and adding photos... sorry!

New Zealand 2011

Day 1... long flight, Richard Simmons safty video cracked me up... met the 5 people on the trip... Mo from Dubai, Gerry from Canada, Larissa a navy nuclear physiscist from the US, Julienne an American studying in Australia and our guides H and Lofty... hiked to waterfall on Arthurs pass, saw waterfall that kept washing out the highway so they just built a bridge for it to extend it over the highway... then another hike and walk along the beach from Christchurch to Aurthurs pass to Hokitika to Okarita

Day 2... great breakfast then hike to 2 different glaciers and into a cave then a great lunch and then lots of bugs on Ship creek with green stone, fossilized ice, dolphins playing in the ocean etc... from Okarita to Franz Josef Glacier to Fox Glacier to Makarora

Day 3... took FUCKING SMALL PLANE to Siberia Valley and then hiked out wading through rivers etc... Mo and Gerry got in the river before the jet boat picked us up and took us on a great ride... Makarora to Siberia Valley to Wilkin River... stayed at the Homestead which was awesome

Day 4... Awesome mountain bike ride of 24 km with only 1 acciednt... made it over passes to Queenstown for bungee jumping (not me since not interested) and incredible hikes... Makarora to Te Arora track to Wanaki bike to Arrowtown then drive to Queenstown

Day 5... day on our own with great hiking, walking, internet and Laundry... made a necklace out of Pauau, Jade and Kuru then hiked up Queenstown hill then an amazing Thai lunch and then walked through the beautiful gardens and then to Frankton and back and then an AMAZING Indian dinner

Day 6... hike to great waterfalls, Mo saw snow for the first time, way cool 1 way tunnel, lots of scenery as we drove to Milford sound from Queenstown

Day 7... early am kayak x 4 hours in the sound with seals, birds, waterfalls, mangrove area and then helicopter ride over the glacier to where Edmond Hilary practiced and couldn't ascend while trying to plan for Everest... then to a beachside hotel for our final dinner... Milford sound to Manapouri

Day 8-9... drive to Queenstown, fly to Aukland, fly to LA and then home... missing NZ and great folks already!

2 great lines from the trip... "she is lighter than a sparrow's fart"... Lofty talking about Larissa AND "like stupidity, intelligence is contageous" by Andrea Hirata from the book "Laskar Pelingi"

Thanksgiving 2011...

Happy Thanksgiving... I spent it NOT at a mall but with friends at the Lindley hut in the middle of the CO wilderness... It was fantastic! From Aspen go to Ashcroft (12 miles up the road from the hospital) then park and ski in 4+ miles... I went with the gang on Thurs and we had a great dinner (which we brought in by sleds) and then I skiid out at 4am to get to work by 7:30am, worked all day Fri and then skiid back and made GREAT time so I got back to the cabin by 8:15pm... had a great dinner with the folks there and listened to awesome music. We skiid out this afternoon and I am QUITE tired but very happy... it was a GREAT time!

animal kingdom...

They have come to play with Clifford... we are enjoying the season and life is good... I worked 36 hours between Tues and Wed and was exhausted at work on Thurs for another 10 hours and then a 2 hour meeting after but got to sleep last night, wake up fairly late today (8am) and am enjoying a beautiful day... then work again tomorrow morning (Sat) until noon and then off for the rest of the weekend (with only the pager waking me every now and then). Off for a walk along the river with Clifford and Brad. Hope you are all well... lots o love, ME

End of our first summer with Mercy...

Barely visible picture of Mercy put to bed for the winter. We bought Mercy with 8000 miles on it and more than doubled that this summer taking her to CA, NV, multiple camping/rafting trips etc etc. She has performed valiently for us. Unfortunately the cover indicates winter has truly arrived. We have been so busy we had to put the cover on at night which was not an easy feat as we had never done it before but we succeeded. Twas a good week at work after a VERY busy call weekend. I had 2am admits/transfers both Sat and Sun nights last weekend. It took me all of Monday to recuperate. Then worked hard, went to my friends birthday party on 11/11/11 which was wonderful and went to visit another friend in Salida this weekend. She had been a pilot since she was 17 years old (for over 25 years) and this year decided to quit flying into Iraq and other war zones and instead open a jewelry art shop called "Eye Candy". It was very fun to go over and hang out with her. Luckily we ignored the national weather blizzard warning and went (completely prepared with food/water and sleeping bags to use if we got stuck in our car) since the weather was spectacular on the way there and fine for 1/2 of the way back and only minor snow for the other 1/2 the way back. Then got to talk to my folks who just got back from China on a very interesting cultural exchange trip learning about their medical system (and teaching about ours). Other than that Clifford got his 2 month post surgery check up and the Vet said he can now start walking short distances off leash- I didn't tell him about the recent 8 mile walk Clifford had done off leash but overall he was pleased... Clifford is doing better every day but still stiff and old (like his mom).

a new favorite quote...

In the meantime live peaceably and do good works for the universe.

a long fall...

Sunbathing on my porch on a blue sky day! what a wonderful thing!!!! Work this week was ok until Fri when I worked with Dewayne again. What a pleasure to work with someone I like so much. Really made my day. Then worked Sat morning and consistent with my premonition Fri night of none of my staff showing up that is what happened so at 8am I had patients but no staff... that is a problem since manning the doors/phones and taking patients back and seeing them at the same time is quite impossible. Finally got people to come help me AFTER I saw my first patient and from there it went fine. Then hiked my dog a little and got ready for a night of Halloween parties. Went to a friend's new house warming party and that was awesome, then went to see Brad and his band Spore Favor play in Carbondale and really they were quite great at a very nice venue. From there didn't go to 3 other parties I was supposed to and just went home. Tomorrow is Halloween and I have a costume ready for work and call. Mom and Dad left for China today and otherwise life is good. Cheers...

Sekar Jamming with the boys...

So it was a good week... work was decent, had some time to be outside in the BEAUTIFUL fall weather and then went to see a band Fri night called March 4th. They are a funky marching band I saw in Strawberry last spring and got to see them again here. Had a great time dancing, hanging with members of their band family and got a great lamp! (you have to visit to see it)... Then worked a flu clinic sat til noon (ugg I was tired) and then came home and cleaned up for a party at our house last night. GREAT group of folks and tons of kids, awesome food, wonderful people and music. It was really nice. Sekar who is 7 and never played without sheet music who has been studying music about 2 years DID PHENOMINALLY playing with the band. She stunned everyone with her natural talent, great ear and amazing rhythem. She had a blast! Today we are going to a local Burning Man party and then back home to clean up, catch up and get ready for the week. hope you are all happy and healthy... much love, Kim

recovery...

Had a fabulous weekend of sleep, cleaning, organizing, paying bills, seeing friends, being outside etc etc etc... It feels good to be human again. Back to work tomorrow. Actually very happy I didn't go on the rafting trip with Brad since he still isn't back yet and I got SO much done with him not being here. If I had gone I would be exhausted starting the week and wouldn't have been able to do any of the things that currently make me happy when I look around my clean and organized house.

was gonna talk about my 140 hour 8 day week

but for some reason i couldn't publish it... maybe the universe doesn't want me to complain. ok so i won't. life is really good except the fact that it snowed the last few days and i am not ready for winter... ok maybe i will complain a little....

a very busy week ahead of work but with sign language class, working with Shinta, meetings etc interspersed. along with call...

hope you all have a healthy and happy week... get your flu shots :)

being back home and aspen colors

Sorry this is a late entry... Had a good week at work and got to see the Aspen colors change... truly magnificent. Then this weekend spent time Fri night on call, Sat working and then walking with Clifford on a beautiful day. Went on a date with Brad to the Glenwood Springs Vaudeville Review by some of the same folks that used to do the Crystal Palace. It was dinner theater and fun. Then went to a friends house and hung out with them. We stayed in Mercy and the next day had breakfast with our friends and came home, put the final picture we have of this summer's adventures in Mercy (the Grand Canyon) and enjoyed another beautiful day. I have a VERY busy next 2 weeks while others are on vacation and I am at work with lots of make up call but this is the last of the VERY hard stints since Jenny is on board and life will be so much better.

Hope all are happy and healthy... lots of love, Kim

missing burning man

Back at work and missing some of the fun things about Burning Man. ie the playa water skiier, exploring the art and the dessert and some nice times with Brad. It was really a spectacular experience. This week work was good and then got to spend Friday night at a Nepali place with Shinta and her family celebrating her getting her green card! This is huge since now she can work and they won't be SO strapped for money. They are so happy and I so enjoy being with her. She really is a special person! This weekend we are upgrading our server at work and that is an expensive and scary thing. Tonight I went to a party of a friend (Anna, a rocket scientist) in celebration of her moving. She is very cool and I will miss her. It was a tribute to her that the party was an 80s party and tons of people were there in costume and dancing up a storm. That is it for this week. Hope you all had a good week. Lots of love and peace, Kim

beautiful hiking near telluride

Sorry for the late update... was at Blues and Brews celebrating Brad's 45th bday... had crazy weather from rain, snow, sun etc but weathered it all in Mercy which performed stuningly. Listened to great music including live performances by Willy Nelson and others... hung out with friends and had a superb meal for B's bday. Had a great hike up to these waterfalls and did it all with a cold. Not a bad way to spend a weekend... back to reality and work though :)

Burning Man 2011

Burning Man 2011... we are no longer Virgins! WOWOWOWOWOW... I can't even describe the experience...

The pictures tell you so little since you can't hear the sounds, smell the smells, feel the heat etc etc. It was a mind blowing, wonderful, jaw dropping show of humanity, imagination, artistic talent and SO MUCH MORE.

There was TONS of love, lots of helping each other, working together, community, love, love, love...

You can see more pictures by checking out my facebook page or google Burning Man and go to their web site to learn more about it...

I loved the philosophy of Burning Man with no commerce but rather gifting as the philosophy.

People were very free with their hugs... it was SO GREAT! I would do it again in a heartbeat!