Most of you know I just moved to Miami, too.
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| We let Rafa drive the first leg. |
Running took a small hiatus during and after the move. Too much going on. Working like crazy. Still haven't completely unpacked. Dragon sleeping VERY poorly. And the excuses go on and on.
Moving sucks. I don't need to go into details on that point, I'm sure you've all been there at one point or another. It just sucks. Especially when you're downsizing by over half.
Nice things about the move:
1) We had a TON of help packing up the house in Pittsburgh. Thank you to all of you who helped, Katelyn and her mom, Mark and Ola, Dan and Layla, Jim, all of Diego's lab-mates from Carnegie Mellon, Hope and the kids, and many others who I'm probably forgetting now. We wouldn't have ever been able to leave Pittsburgh if it hadn't been for you all!
2) On our way to Huntsville, we took the Kentucky Bluegrass Highway and detoured to stop at the Maker's Mark distillery for a tour. Lots of fun. Took some pics of the old Samuels' family homestead, the distillery, and the beautiful grounds.
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| The Samuels family portrait. |
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| Apparently, Mrs. Samuels test-dipped lots of stuff in red wax prior to getting the recipe just right for the bottle tops. |
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| Guess we shouldn't have let him participate in the whiskey tasting. |
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| Aging barrels |
3) We stopped in Huntsville for a few days to spend with my parents. Days in which I essentially nursed the baby and slept. And did little else. Much needed R&R.
4) We spent the first day of arrival in Miami at Miami Beach Loews' Hotel. A one-day visit to paradise. We had a fabulous time, the dragon loved the beach, we let the sun and sand and sea air soak into our weary souls and sooth our travel-frazzled nerves.
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| Showering with Daddy in the fancy bathroom of the hotel! |
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| Who's that baby? That's baby Rafael! |
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| Eating every last scrap of rice and beans at Havana 1957 Cuban Restaurant |
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| My handsome husband. What a stud!! |
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| A little sea water wears a baby out |
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| Sandy feet |
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| Photo op in front of some famous hotel from a movie filmed on South Beach. You'll have to ask Diego which one. |
Since then the past two months have gone by in a flash. An exhausting whirlwind. I really like my job, but I am spending very long hours in the hospital. The two weeks I had in which to move FLEW by, and the guest bedroom was still packed ceiling high with boxes when I started working, so poor Diego has been stuck with most of the burden of unpacking, rearranging, donating, and moving things we absolutely cannot donate or throw out to a nearby storage closet.
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| Stuffed to the gills. And the piano hasn't even arrived yet. |
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| Our guest bedroom doubled as a storage closet for a few days in order to make room for the piano. |
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| Piano movers unpacking the grand piano. Admittedly a bit of an overkill for a 900 sq ft apartment. |
For the first two months, I was exercising once every two weeks or so...and feeling physically ill from lack of moving my body. Achy, irritable, tight, exhausted, even depressed.
Thank goodness I have not had time to miss Pittsburgh, because we don't know anyone here and I'm sure I would have felt very lonely if I wasn't working such long hours! And we had such a nice, nice group of friends in Pittsburgh.
In stops and starts, I have been trying to get back to my running program in the past few weeks, and have been motivating myself by dedicating each run to one of you, my fabulous friends. Picked up at various points in my life, you are all precious jewels to me and when I am at my most weary, I draw from your universal pool of energy (Katelyn - your sleep bank!). It may be the only thing keeping me going sometimes, and when I forget to use it, I grind to a screeching halt.
On my recent runs, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am now living in a rain forest, strange sort of magical realism jungle. The other day I came across something looking like a peacock in the neighborhoods behind my house, with three little baby birds running behind it. A home-owner who was out doing yardwork confirmed that peacocks in Miami are a protected species and cannot be willfully exterminated. A few days later, I saw this stunning male, with his brilliant plumage flat out for an evening stroll.
Three nights ago, I saw two green parrots fly across the sky above my apartment. Every step I take, a (tiny or not so tiny) salamander scurries to move out from underfoot.
Mugen ran with me last night. We only made it 2.5 miles or so, but poor Mugey doesn't tolerate the humidity of South Florida for more than that. So if I want to further than 2 miles, I have to leave the Rooster at home. I, however, LOVE to sweat and do it smartly. And copiously. I can't get enough of the hot, moist, tropical air. It is never too much for me. Just have to keep hydrated some how.
Last night, I ran for my amazing friend and fellow Team Awesome member, Amanda Brodish, who last weekend fulfilled her grueling goal of completing a HALF IRON(WO)MAN triathlon at Cedar Point. Give Amanda a huge pat on the back next time you see her! She is an inspiration to me for so many reasons, but mostly because when she decides to do something, come he!! or high water, by golly, she does it.
This weekend, I have recruited the love of my life and my baby dragon to run 5 miles with me, the most I'll have run in a LONG time, and we'll see how it goes!!
Coming up on September 21, I will be running in a 5K for Miami Children's Hospital. As you know, I became a pediatric surgery fellow there on July 1st. One thing that has impressed about this hospital is how forward-thinking it is, with many departments in the hospital being foremost in the nation in terms of excellence for patient outcomes. Another thing is how much everyone here LOVES what they do, and has a passion for helping children who happen to be unwell, and their families.
I know I ask you all often for money to support my running causes, and I am going to do it again. Please consider supporting Miami Children's Hospital, a haven of comfort for families of sick children who are terrified for their children and seeking answers.
The team I'm running for was organized by the mom of one of my little patients, a 3 month old baby who has been very sick for the past 6 weeks. When I think of the possibility of having to spend the first months of my child's life in the hospital like she has, I just thank the universe for being so benevolent to me. She is using it as an opportunity to give back. All money donated will be added to the goal for his team.
Here's the link:
http://support.mchf.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1005020&pg=personal&fr_id=1040
Thanks in advance for your support!!!
While I was unpacking, I found this old photo of Winston and me. I've put it up on the bulletin board in my office at work.
What a good friend he was. I don't think he would have liked the climate in Miami - waaaaaay too hot and humid. Kind of like my little dragon now. Who was waking up every hour during the night until we turned the thermostat down to cool the house to 72 degrees during the night. Hot little monster. As our friend Simon says, it is commonly known that dragon babies MUST be kept refrigerated. Silly me. The dragon preservation manual must have got lost in the move.
But Winston would have definitely liked the hustle, bustle, glitz and glamour of Miami, that's for sure! He was a fancy dog. Diego and I swear that if he was human he never would have associated with us. He was way too popular!! We were so fortunate we got to hang out with him for a short time while he was gracing the Earth with his presence. We miss him still, a little bit....but life is moving on, and the living demand all our time and attention. He will forever be in our fondest of memories. For now, the dragon and the rooster are keeping our hands full and helping us discover and experience the best that Miami has to offer our poor souls!
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| My three boys having fun in the dog park. I LOVE this picture of Mugen, my happy sweet boy. |
Mugen, Rafa, Diego and I all miss you dearly and hope to see each and every one of you soon!!!
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