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.