1336 Nipsic/Via Terre Nere

Buon Ano!

2012-01-10T21:43:00.000+01:00

Although it's the new year, there has been a lot of hibernating around these parts. Once the Christmas tree came down, the gatti migrated from under the tree to the bed, where a warm human and her pile of clothes reside.

Ivy is still trying to catch up on her sleep from her busy summer...

2011 is done.

Ciao ciao.

Sayonara.

Nice knowing you.

I think Mark Twain summed it up best:

"New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anyone save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls, and humbug resolutions."

I mostly have to agree with ever-so grumpy Mr. Samuel L. Clemens. Maybe it's because I've never had a spectacular time on New Year's. No one has ever professed their undying love to me. I've never been in the middle of a crazy city counting down to the next year. I've never popped open multiple bottles of champagne at once. I guess I just never understood why someone has to wait until a new year dawns to change something in their life. Why wait? Just go for it.

But, yet, here I am, thinking of my New Year's resolutions...do I spend another year worrying how I'm not married...or how I have no children...or what a drag it is to be known as the single crazy cat lady doctor at work... or do I just embrace the fact that it could be a lot worse?

Here's to a better 2012.

Travel Inspired Cooking...

2011-08-28T13:41:00.000+02:00

My last little getaway trip involved a friend and I taking a fast ferry to the island of Pantelleria. The island is very close to Tunisa with more Arabic and African influences than Roman or Greek.

We spent just barely twenty-four hours on the island and enjoyed every last minute. The food, of course, was amazing...capers, mint ravioli, pesto pantesco, insalata pantesca (pictured below)...

After being blown away by the simple ingredients of pesto pantesco, I decided to try my own version, combining a few different recipes I found in my Sicilian cookbook and on-line. Pesto made in Trapani is very similar to pesto made in Pantelleria, so I mostly followed my cookbook recipe. Also, less ingredients were involved. What can I say, I'm somewhat of a minimalist in the kitchen.

Other ingredients such as mint, capers and hot chili peppers were not used this time but seen in other recipes. I will definitely experiment with the next batch.

Here are the ingredients:

Thank goodness for my lava molcajete and Cuisinart.

Crushed roughly 2/3 cup tomatoes.

Combined garlic, olive oil and almonds.

The amount of olive oil ranged from the various recipes were 1/2 cup - to just 'extra virgin olive oil'.

The Sicilians are so good at being non-committal and throwing caution to the wind...

...even with their cooking.

I chose one cup, because in my opinion, the more olive oil, the BETTER!

Post tomatoes, Pre-basil

Post basil.

My little Cuisinart was practically overflowing...yikes!

In addition to the FIVE CUPS of garden fresh basil,

I added a tiny bit of fresh oregano from the garden and a teaspoon of salt.

Had to try...

Che delicioso!

Un Giorno d'Estate

2011-08-03T10:14:00.000+02:00

Madonna Mia, how time flies!
Well, it's August, which means I've been on this funny little island for a year.

What a wild and crazy year. I'm lucky to say that I live on an island that has allowed me to watch an active volcano erupt from my bathroom window and a friend's patio; allowed me to be a foster mom to a litter of kittens from a stray that I never intended to permanently keep; has allowed me to experience a Mediterranean garden that grows stuff I never imagined I could grow...

Sure, it hasn't been a perfect year. When I'm busy, I'm extremely busy and have little time for myself. The little snippets of time before and after work that I spend in the garden or trying to exercise are sacred to me and often the only time I feel is my own.

So, what's new in il giardino?

The heat has killed off the nasturtiums, potted jasmine, beans, peas and some others. I'm still waiting for the great tomato explosion to occur. I have so many plants, so many BIG plants that have flowers, but no fruits. My upstairs patio had one cherry tomato plant that gave me a few little babies but died out pretty quickly. The upstairs patio ended up being way too hot to maintain.

The good news, though, is that my hot weather flowers, fruits and herbs seem to be cruising along, unbothered but basking in the intense Sicilian sunlight. My one zucchini plant and half of my cuke plants have been attacked by what seems to be a fungus--many flowers but fruits die.

The sunflowers are gorgeous as is the hibiscus. The dahlias and cannas have their good and bad days, the blooms don't last very long. My basil is out of control and is awaiting the great pesto challenge that a friend and I have proposed. We also are having an ongoing melon challenge--a blind taste test will be had once said melons are ripe. They both come from the same Burpee seeds--Sugar Baby Watermelons and a fast growing variety of cantaloupe called Honey Bun hybrid. I am happy to say that my melons are my pride and joy.

Here are a few photos of what my garden is looking like these summer days...

My Honey Buns

Sugar Babies

My hibiscus. Bought in Acireale from a sidewalk nursery. My best blooms, by far.

Sunflowers...heat and sun loving.

My only healthy cuke plants. Let's hope they do me proud.

My pepperonis.

Yes, the Italian word for pepper is pepperoni. People who don't know this and order a pepperoni pizza always get a weird look from the Sicilians...

Buon Giorno!

2011-06-19T09:06:00.000+02:00

What's New?

2011-06-11T08:07:00.000+02:00

I transplanted the last of my pepper and tomato seedlings that were started earlier this spring.

Don't be fooled by this small batch, I think I have over a dozen (maybe even closer to two dozen) containers full of tomato and peppers.

I originally thought I'd be better at keeping track of 'who's who' in the nursery, but I think I will enjoy being surprised.

Of the tomato starts, this is what I bought from Burpee...

--Early Girl

--Bush Big Boy

--Cherokee Purple

--Red Zebra

--Better Boy

For peppers...

--Friggitello

--Chocolate Belle

--Unknown pepper from a friend (maybe little red hots?)

I picked 6 or 7 green beans last night. Ate them straight off the plant. There are many other bush bean varieties I planted which I'm excited to see explode...Purple Queen and a PNW variety, Rattlesnake.

This was the cuke plant that Sassy was watching earlier this spring.

It appears to be enjoying our warmer weather.

Oh, my basil!

Three new varieties I tried...Purple Ruffle, Spicy Saber (the serrated plant seen directly above)

and Siam Queen.

Can't wait to see how the pesto tastes.

The Dahlia and Hibiscus.

No pictures of the gardenia because I keep clipping off the blooms to bring inside.

One of my all time favorite fragrances.

And finally, Ms. Ivy Kitten had her babies. A grand total of four!

A week before she gave birth, she started resembling a pot-bellied pig.

I thought she might have 2 kittens inside that belly, but no!

I've named the white kittens, who look just like their mamma (Pearl, Gertie and Mabel),

but have no name for the odd man out, the last to be born and whom I believe is a male.

50% of them have homes. I'm sure it won't be hard to get them adopted.

Liguria: Le Cinque Terre

2011-06-01T22:26:00.000+02:00

The train station in Milan.

Impressive architecture.

And so clean!

We began our hike in Levanto.

It was understood that the trail would begin behind a church.

That tended to be an unofficial rule of Cinque Terre. Look behind a church and you'd likely find the trail head.

Looking towards Monterosso, our first official stop along the trail.

We ate a magnificent lunch at a cute little place on the water.

We ate too much, though, and were a bit sluggish coming into Vernazza.

Yes. Those are cats.

Cinque Terre trail cats.

I thought I was hallucinating when I came upon this picnic area.

There was a sign posted in Italian and English explaining these two felines were homeless but hikers were more than welcome to scoop some food into their food bowls. They also had litter boxes. Who cleaned them out was a mystery to me. What I do know is that these two lazy bones were living large.

Maxine and Fred inspired me to take a break, too. They must have been taking their reposa.

I managed to help Fred get to his food. He didn't mind at all that I picked him up.

Something told me this was not the first time a human sucker helped him get to his food.

Maxine (yes, even though I sat with them for 10 minutes, I felt the need to name them both) reminded me of our family cat, Lucy, who passed away some time ago.

Ahh, Vernazza! Done for the day...what a rewarding view.

We celebrated by having our first of many gelati.

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-27T09:23:00.000+02:00

What a treat to wake up and be greeted by my sunny patio garden...yellow and golds everywhere...

lilies, freesias and nasturtiums are in bloom!

Cinque Terre...

2011-05-25T20:59:00.000+02:00

My busier than normal day (and night) job has given me zero time to post pictures from my recent trip to Northern Italy.

The week long adventure I experienced in Cinque Terre was one of my favorite vacations I've taken in Italy so far...if you're lucky enough to visit the region of Liguria, please do. And do so in the spring or fall, when the tourists aren't clogging up the trails, blocking one of the most amazing views you'll ever have of the Mediterranean.

Here's a few pictures, with more to come later.

Buona Pasqua

2011-04-24T19:31:00.000+02:00

First bloom from seed...the Nasturtiums win!

La Primavera

2011-04-12T21:08:00.001+02:00

As per every spring, I must include the perfunctory sugar snap pea picture.

I'm excited for these Italian beans.

I had to use an Italian dictionary to translate the seed packet.

"Fagiolini Rampicanti Anellino Giallo"

"Creeping/trailing yellow ring beans"

The only current flower bloom--bought four Cape (or African) Daisy plants

Two are from the NEX, the other two from Leroy Merlin

We'll see who survives the longest!

Another easy-to-grow favorite...nasturtiums

I find the lily pad shaped leaves to be so playful and cartoon-like

This is attached to the outside wall of my house, note the pink background.

I bought these from Caleca way back in August with the grand idea of flanking my front door with trailing nasturtiums.

So far so good.

It took awhile for them to sprout, mostly because the sunlight wasn't quite hitting the soil surface at the right angle.

I hope they bloom and not die from the scorching sunlight that this side of the house receives, which makes me hopeful for my bean, tomato and other heat loving veggies.

Ahhh, bleeding heart.

Another one of my favorites to grow.

Ivy "the Tail" Sicilian Gatta surveys the new location of the pyramid raised bed.

Had to relocate it to the balcony due to the outdoor cats using it as a litter box.

Sassy, patiently observing, is happy to report the appearance of new yellow cuke seedlings

And the first Morning Glory start of the season...

The plan is to train creeping type plants along the balcony railing.

I bought a jasmine plant and tied it along the railing, pictured near the pyramid in the above shot.

We'll also see how this pans out...

My favorite outdoor cat, George, looking up at us on the balcony.

I had thought George was a big, stocky male cat until one day he rolled over to have me discover that SHE had little mommy boobies.

She is an extremely friendly cat, unlike the other ragamuffin cats that slink around.

Ms. Ivy, sitting still for a nano-second

The Sicilian Sun, getting ready to retire

The Emerald Isle

2011-03-26T18:52:00.000+01:00

Day One: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Guinness Tour

(Religion + Alcohol = Ireland in a nutshell)

I was in awe of the perfectly arranged primroses

Learning the delicate art and science of pouring a perfect pint

Day Two: St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin

Instead of fighting for a spot with 500,000 people to watch the parade, my travel friend volunteered us to help out with the parade.

I held a 'Discover Ireland' banner in front of a crazy float that had a live band, a singer and a theatre group acting out what appeared to be 'down in the dumps'.

They looked like burlesque dancers who would've lived in Hooverville during the Great Depression.

Every year, the parade has a theme.

This year's theme was based on a short fictional story written by a local author about two children who try to hunt down the 'black dog of depression' who has stolen Dublin's funny bone. The magic word to say to the dog to get the funny bone back was, "Brilliant!!"

Ireland, like the rest of the EU, has not been immune to a terrible economy, so the story was meant to reflect on current events...

Day Three, Four and Five:

Trinity College (including the Book of Kells), Cliffs of Moher, More Dublin

So cold. My pants were soaked and the wind was terrible. I forgot my rain jacket and my hat.

Oh, Oscar.

Rough Day at the Office

2011-03-13T11:17:00.001+01:00

It's been awhile since I wrote anything medical-related on this blog.

Back in its early days, the Nipsic blog had several posts about my reactions and diatribes regarding my position as a resident physician. Once residency was over, I didn't think I'd have much to blog about besides the usual annoyances of trying to efficiently and effectively practice medicine, which can be a snoozer to read about.

Unfortunately, a recent patient death has prompted me to write a few things down.

Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of dealing with critically ill and dying patients. In my last year of residency, I lost two patients to complications of H1N1, one being a young girl weeks away form her 5th birthday. I also was part of a newborn code, where fortunately, the baby survived. During my 2nd year of residency, a new mother died from complications of pre-eclampsia. That same year, I spent a month rotating in the ICU where extremely sick people often spent their last days before passing away.

No one in medicine is immune to death and dying. Individuals who go into medicine do so to hopefully prevent death and dying. Yet, even when we try our hardest, there is no magic pill we can give to our patients to protect them from death. Especially the patients we least expect to die.

This patient I took care of on that Saturday, however, was my first death as an attending physician. I doubt I'll ever forget what happened...

Last Saturday, I was working a 24 hour shift in our ER. This 24 hour shift is part of the on-call physician's call week. At our little hospital, if you are a family physician, you take care of all admissions, including newborn admissions and daily rounding for these patients. Even at our somewhat sleepy hospital, the on-call doc is typically busy....

So, last Saturday night, a young sailor, 26 years old, came into the ER with an acute appendicitis. He was a very straight forward case. He walked into the ER pointing to his right lower abdomen as the source of his pain and had been throwing up for three days.

I called the surgeon, as the patient needed that 'pus pocket' taken out before it ruptured. He was a very easy patient to take care of. In fact, out of all the patients I took care of on that shift, he was the least needy patient, yet a true 'ER patient' due to the acuity of his illness.

The sailor was just a big, tall, scared kid. He told me he wasn't even going to come in but his great grandma told him he should. The surgeon came in and took our patient to the OR early Sunday morning.

Five minutes into the case, he coded. Cardiac arrest.

A code blue was called overhead. Seeing that it was the weekend, that usually means there is only one doctor in the house--the doc in the ER, which was me. It was odd, I usually would have been sleeping in the call room, but since I had been up waiting for results to come back for this patient, I decided to stay up and watch a movie (Old School, of course) with my ER team--two corpsmen and a nurse. When they called the code blue, I looked wide-eyed over at my nurse, who had been deployed to Afghanistan and saw some scary stuff. We immediately sprang up from our lazy lounge couch and started running.

As we were sprinting up to the OR, I ran through the list of things in my mind that could explain his cardiac arrest. Did I miss something? Was this kid a lot more sick than I thought? Outside of the patient being on the heavier side, he was healthy and had no health history to indicate he was at-risk for a cardiac complication. His vitals in the ER were not unstable and showed no signs of shock. Bleeding is always a risk to surgery but in this caes, the patient just had a 'hot appy'.

When we arrived to the OR we discovered the patient to be without a pulse and was losing liters of blood by the second. A vascular injury had occurred. The crash cart (contains everything needed for a code--medications, defibrillator, equipment to intubate) was already in the OR. The provider in charge of anesthesia was a nurse anesthetist and was, how shall I say this nicely (and understated), freaking out.

We all react differently to crises, but in medicine, one needs to stay calm to keep focused on the acute issue in front of you. I was once told by an experienced veteran labor and delivery nurse that I always seemed laid back and calm during wild and crazy deliveries. I laughed when she told me this. They couldn't see how fast my heart was racing or how knotted up my stomach would get during those scary roller-coaster deliveries....

Per ACLS protocol, I was identified as the team leader and quickly assigned jobs to everyone in the room--someone to give meds, someone to write and record what happened during the code, someone to be a 'runner' to get blood and other supplies. My code team and I placed shock pads on the patient and began performing protocol type medicine with chest compressions and doses of epinephrine. I yelled to someone to emergency release O negative blood and any other blood we had in the hospital, as this was his cause for him having no pulse. More people showed up as the code went on, including the two additional surgeons, ob-gyn docs, to help with the surgical case. Even the CO of the hospital came in. She was a nurse anesthetist before she was the commanding officer of the hospital. I had a line of 6 or 7 male corpsmen lined up for chest compressions and two other corpsmen pushing blood into his IV's. I've never coded someone in the OR before. It was quite surreal. And I had never been more proud of the young corpsmen and junior nurses who helped me run the code.

We coded him for 2 hours but never got him back.

I had been up for over 24 hours when 'time of death' was called. I had stayed calm up to the end and then slowly crumbled due to mental and physical exhaustion. Tears came, as they often do when something sad like this happens.

It was horrible to walk away knowing a young, healthy person just died.

As with any cardiac arrest, there was a de-brief, where everyone involved in the code sits down and discusses how the code went, even when the patient dies. That was rough, but details were clarified, like when I arrived to the code. When the patient went into asystole. When the last amp of sodium bicarb was given.

With any unexpected death, the case has to undergo a formal review. A separate review is done to look at how the code was run. I was told, on numerous occasions, that the code was run well and that I did a good job. I was told that my diagnosis of his appendicitis was appropriate, not that it had anything to do with his cause of death. But still, every detail of the patient's care must be reviewed, starting from when he first stepped foot into our hospital.

In an ideal world, I'd switch things around to have the end point be that the patient lived and maybe have the code not go as smoothly as it did. I'd bargain, like most people do when they grieve, and say that I'd much rather have screwed up and have the patient live vice having the patient die and me not screw up.

But it didn't happen like that.

So, I remind myself that I'm a doctor. And that I can't save everyone I come into contact with. And there will always be things I have no control over.

Including an unexpected death.

Zone 9

2011-02-24T11:17:00.000+01:00

Spring Fever has begun!

Had no idea this bush was a Birds of Paradise....

...until it started blooming in December.

The joys of living in the Mediterranean!

Getting excited to start my container vegetable and flower garden...actually, I have already started.

Local grocery store bulbs were bought over the weekend and planted...ranunculus, iris reticulata, anemones.

The seed packets have been laid out...

Small pyramid raised bed was constructed, with more raised beds in the mail.

Additional orders have been made to Burpee and Gardner's Supply.

Now I just need more containers and soil...

The Other Side

2011-02-21T10:08:00.001+01:00

Seafood Antipasto

Part One of Dessert

The Saltpans and windmills of Mozia

Saltpans

Duomo in Erice

Taken from one of two castles in Erice

Foggy day on the hilltop town of Erice (pronounced Eh-reach-ay)

Took a little jaunt over to the western side of the island. So very different.

Saw parts of Marsala and stayed in an area called Mozia. Spent Sunday afternoon exploring Erice, an enclosed, walled mountain town with spectacular views. We caught glimpses of said views through the fog...

Arabic and African influences everywhere but no less beautiful than the rest of Sicily. Fun fact: the western most tip of Sicily is closer to Africa than mainland Italy.

I will need to make a return trip to the west, so I can visit Zingaro, a natural reserve in San Vito Lo Capo. This town also hosts an international cous-cous festival in the fall.

Greens!

2011-02-18T16:24:00.000+01:00

Il rapini (broccoli rabe)
Onion (the one I used was a 'light Sicilian grown purple')
Local olive oil from Misterbianco (a nearby town)

Splash of red wine vinegar
Garlic
Lemon
Sea Salt + Pepper

Before I even fired up the gas burner, I was in love. Smelled so fresh.

And ended up tasting delicious.

The last attempt I made at cooking home-grown greens (the way my mom makes them) was when I was still a resident, second year, I believe.

I was post-call, in that weird twilight zone of being awake for over 24 hours.

Needless to say, I burned my hand and almost burned the house down.

I would not allow myself ever make greens in Nipsic again. Too traumatic.

But I've been redeemed. The local ingredients are just too tempting to pass up.

And I avoid the kitchen when I'm tired...

Buy Local, Eat Local

2011-01-19T20:16:00.000+01:00

Arance rosse (blood oranges) from my backyard...

PLUS...

Finochio (fennel) from my vegetable and fruit guy in Motta....

PLUS...

The typical for dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt & pepper

OVER...

a bed of rucola (arugula)!

Closest thing to a New Year's resolution...buy more local produce.

I worked a night shift in the ER on Monday, making Tuesday AM a perfect time to spend almost 30 euro on fresh vegetables, bread and local Nero d'avola (Novello) wine. The fruit guy is such a good and knowledgeable salesman, it's hard to resist, especially if it's been a while since I've paid him a visit.

Muncibeddu

2011-01-14T17:51:00.000+01:00

Mt. Etna spewed a little bit of lava the other night. From my view, I could see a floating campfire, sparking and throwing off a little firework display. My camera would have just showed a red glowing light against a black background.

There are much better pictures here and here.

The pictures above, courtesy of my bathroom window and my Canon, are from this evening, not quite 48 hours after her little eruption...

Muncibeddu is Sicilian for 'beautiful mountain'.

I Heart Music

2011-01-08T11:33:00.000+01:00

I'm not a musician (unless you count my brief recorder and flute career in grade school). But I love music and think I have a good ear for it. I especially love music that is not overplayed on the radio...or even on the radio, period.

I sometimes think my music library is the closet thing to having a personal diary. When I die, my music collection will be the best explanation of who I was.

I'm pretty particular on what music I like. I'd like to think I have good taste, but I heavily rely on KEXP for recommendations to boost my music library. I stumbled on this amazing radio station back in 2000 and haven't regretted a single song or album I bought after listening to them first on KEXP. I joke that the reason why I chose Bremerton, WA for residency is that I could listen to KEXP in Seattle, real time!

And yes, I will occasionally listen to NPR's All Songs Considered...

In honor of 2010, here are my Top 10 Favorite Albums and Top 10 Favorite Songs. Feel free to check them out on your own, especially if you're feeling that your own music library needs a little boost of fun indie rock...

Favorite Albums of 2010
This is hard to keep to just 10 picks but I looked at my iTunes to see who was played the most...Many of these bands I've been lucky to see live.

Live music at the Gorge!

Band of Horses--Infinite Arms. When I saw them at Sasquatch this year, I cried...that's how good they are live!
Arcade Fire--The Suburbs. Not their best, but still a very enjoyable listen.
The Walkmen--Lisbon. Between 'You & Me' and this album, I will be a fan for life.
Beach House--Teen Dream. Mellow and airy. This is the music I play while performing vasectomies, nary a complaint from my patients...it's that relaxing.
Spoon--Transference. Spoon always makes good music.
LCD Soundsystem--This is Happening. I will always associate LCD Soundsystem with WA. In fact, "Someone Great" was my theme song for 2007. Beepy and electronic, great music for dancing.
The National--High Violet. I love Matt Berninger's voice.
Broken Social Scene--Forgiveness Rock Record. Hooray for Canadians!
Phantogram--Eyelid Movies. Like Beach House, mellow but more electronic-mellow.
The Thermals--Personal Life. There is something nostalgic about the
Thermals.

My fellow Music Snobs

Favorite Songs of 2010...in no particular order

Airplanes--Local Natives
I Learned the Hard Way--Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
On Melancholy Hill--Gorillaz. This just sounds like a good 'ol Blur song.
Crash Years--The New Pornographers. I love anything Neko Case sings.
When I'm Small--Phantogram
Victory--The Walkmen
Bloodbuzz Ohio--The National
Crazy For You--Best Coast
Sweetest Kill--Broken Social Scene
I Need a Dollar--Aloe Blacc

Honorable Mentions:
Like the Wheel--The Tallest Man on Earth
The High Road--Broken Bells
In the Water--Beat Connection
Tidelands--Moondoggies
Boy--Ra Ra Riot
I Can't Stand--Zola Jesus
Sounds Like Hallelujah--The Head and the Heart
Numbers Don't Lie--The Mynabirds
Odessa--Caribou
Ambling Alp--Yeasayer

Arrivederci 2010...

2011-01-07T22:52:00.000+01:00

Felice Anno Nuovo!

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. Instead of resolutions, I like making lists. Top 10 Lists. Lists of things I like, dislike or just find curious that have to do with the last year.

So, here are a few random Top-10 Lists by yours truly.

Top 10 Things about Sicily I'm trying to get use to...

1. Driving. It's atrocious here. For awhile, I feared getting into an accident everywhere I drove. I wouldn't play the radio because I felt it was too distracting while I maneuvered though the billionth round-a-bout. I find myself to be a fairly aggressive driver, learning to drive in California. But not here. Compared to the Sicilian drivers, I'm quite conservative. They pass on blind corners. And speed while doing so. On their cellphones, hand gesturing the whole time. In the rain. On a country road. The vespas are the worse. They come out of nowhere and pass you on the right. Wacky. But, some silly things about driving here...it's not uncommon, on my drive into work, to come upon a farm tractor or a herd of sheep-goats and have to slow down. But what's even more ridiculous is that whomever is driving the tractor is most likely on a cellphone, gesturing into the air, the tractor driving itself.

2. Cavello. They eat horse here. Only in Sicily, not elsewhere in Italy, I think. The big grocery store I often visit, Auchan, has a whole section dedicated to horse meat. I think I've accidentally eaten it. And I think I might have liked it. I know, gross.

3. Animals. So many stray animals here. No such thing as the concept of the Humane Society here in Sicilia. The dogs flinch and cower away, obviously familiar to how mean humans can be. The cats are bold and beg for food. There is always a herd of stray animals hanging out by the garbage bins.

4. Women. Occasionally I might see a Sicilian woman walking or jogging, but it's a rare occurrence. I get funny looks when I run. Or even when I ride my bike. A woman, running? A woman, sweating? Why isn't she at home? Isn't she concerned about the way running makes her look?! And every Sicilian woman, no matter how old or young, is decked out in the latest and most ridiculous fashion. I've never seen so many uncomfortable looking shoes in my life.

5. Gas stations. They just close too early. And run out of gas. Frequently.

6. Ethnic food. In Sicily, they have Sicilian and more Sicilian food, which is pretty delicious, but one likes to mix it up a bit. Why would you want to eat anything else? There are two sushi places I'm aware of. A few northern African places in Catania. But Thai? Indian? Vietnamese? This ain't Seattle.

7. Sicilian mothers. And grandparents, too. It's not uncommon for a baby to be wrapped in at least 5 blankets, a snow suit and a wool hat. In the summer. Sicilian babies are not allowed to cry. It seems as though the world might end when a Sicilian baby cries. A Sicilian mom will sacrifice anything to get her baby to quit crying. I guess that's why you'll never see a skinny Sicilian baby.

8. Efficiency. Sicilians bring 'island time' to a whole new level. Not a lot of tasks are done quickly here. When will my car be fixed? When can I move in? When will the internet guy be here? Domani...no, dopodomani. Tomorrow...the day after tomorrow. That's always the answer.

9. Household comforts. I don't have a dishwasher. I hate washing dishes, especially when my kitchen sink is smaller than my bathroom sink. My dryer is outside, which is more funny than annoying.

10. Staring. Everyone stares at you. It's just the culture. It's not considered rude to do a once over on everyone that walks by.

And what do I love about Sicily?

1. Mt. Etna

2. Sunsets

3. Agriturismos

4. Road biking.

The only time Sicilian drivers slow down is when there are bikes on the road. The Americans are scarier around us riders than the Sicilians.

5. Travel.

The rest of Europe is just a plane ride away!

6. Shop local, eat local.

I think Sicilians invented the concept. Rarely does a Sicilian dinner table contain an out-of-season vegetable or fruit.

7. Mild winters.

I think my neck is sun-burnt from my 65 degree weather bike ride today.

8. Calcio (aka football)

Finally, a country where soccer is king.

9. Eating.

Never rushed, food is shared and enjoyed over more than a few hours.

10. Cafe.

Italian coffee is its own universe.

Love my Bialetti-made coffee in the morning and the afternoon cafe (espresso).

Next up...a tribute to my favorite music of 2010....I know, my chance to rant and rave about bands that most of you who read this have never heard of...

Napoli

2010-12-27T18:24:00.000+01:00

Christmas goodies from my landlord

I gave him a bucket of Italian chocolate and he gave me a very traditional 'cake in the box' (or rather cake in the cylinder) and homemade dolci from his wife, Graziela.

Cookies were amazing and the cake in the box is still in the box...more on this phenomenon later.

Rainy, rainy Napoli.

After enjoying a quick cafe in a very lively, disco-music playing cafe bar (Reminder: a cafe bar is not a bar the way we know bars...serves espresso, snacks), we huddled outside, waiting for the rain to let up. No way were these Vespas going anywhere anytime soon...

Best pizza in Italy served here!

Notice the couple wearing their Vespa helmets to the left...?

On the back of the girl's helmet, she had written "Miky & Sissy Sempre".

Ahh, young love.

Dr. Dan enjoying his pizza.

This place was famous even before Julia Roberts ate here in Eat, Pray, Love....yeah, yeah, we had no idea this place was in the movie until we got there.

The wet weather and wait were worth every single bite.

Kate, Dan & Scully

Scully's parents (obviously not pictured) just happen to know my brother.

Small Navy world!

Christmas Dessert!

Here's another cake in the box but now it's in a bag.

One must pour the frosting/powdered sugar over the cake,

then shake-a-shake-a-shake and SERVE.

We decided the cake in the box would have tasted better if soaked in liqueur.

This one just came with sweet wine.

These cakes were sold everywhere--in stores, on the street, in the airport. Quite the Christmas tradition.

Bay of Pozzuoli from Dan & Kate's balcony & living room view

This picture doesn't do this view justice...seriously one can just sit on their comfy couch, stare out and be mesmerized.

Trying to pose as the Neapolitans do...but failed miserably with my closed eyes.

Buon Natale

2010-12-20T16:39:00.000+01:00

Since I didn't buy and decorate a live tree, I just decorated my stairs...the ornaments are attacked daily by the white kitten.

Delilah doesn't mind Ivy all that much. Here, she's teaching Ivy to be a true calico and to blend in with her surroundings.

A small tribute to Christmas's past...yes, those were Care Bear pajamas we were wearing. And yes, that's Therese towering over her sisters. One of the few times in her life...

Here's Sassy teaching Ivy to relax and enjoy the holidays. After all, this is Ivy's first Christmas.

What a strange Christmas this will be...I can't remember the last time I was flying solo for Christmas. Far from Nipsic and the rainy, cold WA weather. No outings to cut down a live tree. No attempt to keep the annual Christmas throw-up to a minimum. No big meals to plan and therefore no trips to Pike Place Market to pick up the ingredients.

Instead, it'll be a Sicilian and Neapolitan Christmas....Buone Feste!

Winter?

2010-12-17T15:43:00.000+01:00

All of a sudden, the leaves are off the trees, the wind is howling and most importantly, Mt. Etna is full of snow.

FRG

2010-12-04T11:29:00.000+01:00

A German Thanksgiving...

A few photos from Cochem, where I experienced my first true German Bratwurst.

Cochem is along the Mosel River and part of a greater wine region. Riesling, anyone?

Although, I didn't get any great pictures, you can use your imagination and try to appreciate how steep the hill is behind the church steeple. And maybe, if you squint, you can see that the hills are terraced to accompany several grape vines. Very impressive in real life...

I just really liked the fact that there was a bratwurst-themed garbage can. Oh, and my brat, the best I've ever tasted! Notice the Gluhwein sign in the background. Hot, spiced red wine...didn't have any at the Christmas market, but did try elsewhere. Not too shabby.

No where near the size of the Christmas markets in Munich or Stuttgart, the Cochem market was full of advent wreaths and other Christmas crafts. I was disappointed, though, because I did not see any traditional Christmas Candle Carousels.

No visit to Germany is complete without beer. Here's my Bischoff, to accompany my schnitzel.

We also managed to torture ourselves with a trip to Ikea in Mannheim. Sent a few items back to Sicily. Wish I could have sent some furniture back! Very jealous of the Army and Air Force folks stationed nearby who are lucky enough to "ikea-ize" their apartments and houses.

Supposedly, Sicily is going to be getting an Ikea this spring in Catania....we'll see. Naples has an Ikea. A friend and I have a plan to take our cars on the ferry to Naples from Catania and load up on Ikea stuff. Yes, we're that desperate.

This just means exit. But I think it's hilarious. I love the German language.

All Things Sicilian

2010-11-28T20:07:00.001+01:00

Fresh and in-season vegetables. Sicilians know how to eat local.

One of many old stone castles overlooking the Mediterranean.

Classic Sicilian traffic. How many lanes are there, really?

Typical Sicilian trattoria menu. Handwritten, of course.

Typical Sicilian meal--this one is courtesy of Le Tre Sorelle in Palermo.

Ivy and Sassy

Typical Sicilian stray animal who is ridiculously cute (look at that ear!) and has suckered yet another American to feel sorry for her future life on the rough Sicilian streets.

Autunno

2010-10-24T14:29:00.002+02:00

Pomegranates, pumpkin, mandarins and.....radish sprouts.

I'm attempting to maintain some semblance of a container garden. The days here are still very mild and the rain and clouds help with the cold weather vegetables---peas, radishes, lettuce.

Mi Casa e Gatti

2010-10-18T22:01:00.001+02:00

Just a few random pictures. Sorry, no theme. It took me so long to upload these pictures, I forgot what I even selected. Below is a shot of my walkway (to the left), one of two patio areas and part of my lawn. The picture was taken from my 2nd floor balcony. Isn't that hedge impressive?

There are some rose bushes, though difficult to see, that produce some beautiful blooms. I'd take some pictures of the roses, but the weather was ick today, unlike the sunny September day that is pictured below.

The green kitchen and part of the living room, senza mobili (without furniture). I'll post more of the interior of the house. It's still a disaster zone. The living room is almost presentable for a picture.

Here is the outdoor cat family that came with the house. The little gray fur ball has been named Buster. The black cat is George. And Lucille, the gray mommy cat, is partially hidden by George. All three names were inspired from a beloved TV show, Arrested Development.

Don't even get me started with this semi-pathetic excuse for a kitten pictured below. I found her in my little fruit tree grove mewing, crying and shaking. I'm assuming 'her' since I believe her mother to be a tortie (sighted previously in said fruit tree grove) and you can tell by her calico markings on her head and tail. Most calicoes and torties are female by a genetic quirk...

So, being the sucker that I am, made her a little cardboard apartment, cleaned all the ticks and fleas off her little head, flea powdered (wearing gloves of course) her skeletal body and fed her. I thought she was going to die the first time I saw her. She weighs maybe one whole pound? When I pick her by her scruff, I only use my finger and thumb. That's how tiny she is.

Although I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't spend money on random stray cats, I do believe I'll take her to the vet and have her checked out. I'm pretty sure she has ear mites (all of her ear fur has fallen off) and round worms (she has a belly like a starving, malnourished kid), just based on my non-Vet observation skills. I also will pay to have her fixed when she's old enough. And maybe I'll consider giving her away to someone who needs an outside mouser. As it is, she runs to greet me at my gate every day.

Ridiculous.

Coming soon...

2010-08-27T13:28:00.001+02:00

...adventures in Sicily!

Ciao Ciao Nipsic

2010-08-08T18:10:00.000+02:00

I've been extremely homesick the past few days.

I miss my garden. And the bean tower!
I miss those rare but amazingly clear and perfect summer Washington days.
I miss my stupid barbeque and the hornets who felt it a cozy place to call home.
I miss my greenhouse.
I miss those darn spiders who spin their webs across every walkway in the garden. I miss Mr. Squirrel who ate out of my bird feeders.

I just miss home.

Here are a few pictures I took a few days before departing for Sicily.

Status Post...Everything

2010-07-15T06:26:00.001+02:00

So as we like to say in medicine, I'm s/p (status post, meaning done, following or after).

I'm s/p residency.
I'm s/p watching my belongings disappear into a crate to be placed on a maritime vessel set for a far away island.
I'm s/p my medical board exam.
And I'm almost s/p Washington.

I'm not quite ready for "What I'll miss about WA" post, but it's coming. Being in my wonderful garden this very clear and fantastic WA summer evening reminds me how much I'll miss my little house and it's therapeutic garden.

Here's the little garden path leading down to the only part of my garden that is considered a lawn and therefore needs to be frequently trimmed.

The Japanese Maple, aka Big Red, is brilliant as usual, although this picture does it no justice.

Rainier Cherry Tree trunk on the left, all its cherries gone to the crows. Always a gigantic presence yet never over-bearing nor annoying.

My nasturtiums. So tolerant. They have yet to let me down. Even when I ignore them. Alaska mix from Burpee...I wouldn't mind growing you every year.

A potted rose, donated by friends who are also moving overseas. I guess it doesn't mind its new digs.

I thought my broccoli starts from my favorite nursery were not going to make it. But, again, I basically ignored them, citing their punched out leaves as a sign of pending doom. Nope. They did just fine. Never in a million years did I think I would or COULD successfully grow broccoli.

My garden.
Always doing so much more than I expected.

More Peas Please

2010-06-03T06:54:00.001+02:00

Before...

During...

And now...

Lots of blossoms over at the pea tower.

Who wants some peas?

Here's a radish too, just for kicks. It was delicious.

My Friends

2010-05-26T03:47:00.000+02:00

MB and SP will always be friends because they both equally laughed hard at Gavin's first 'blow out'.

Rhys and Sara will always be friends because he has good taste in shoes. And iPhone apps.

Dr. Hartselle and Dr. Pope will always be friends because neither frowns upon eating two cheeseburgers in one sitting. And Dr. H will always refill Dr. P's wine glass.

Ryan, Talia and Sara will always be friends because they all understand the importance of ultimate nerdery. They will support one another when the entomological world calls in the form of the Bug House. Or encourage each other's excitement of river otters, Komodo dragons, armadillos and orangutans.

I love my friends.

Earth Laughs in Flowers

2010-05-13T06:54:00.000+02:00

I'm very much in-love with my garden right now. I can't wait until zinnia and dahlia weather!

I Heart Salad Greens

2010-05-13T06:24:00.001+02:00

Sassy is happy to have some fresh greens to inspect.

Sara is happy to have fresh greens to eat.

The Peas & the Green House Gang

2010-04-24T02:33:00.001+02:00

The pea trellis is looking a little out of control, no thanks to the random strings. I anticipate as soon as the peas start climbing up their respective strings, it'll look a little less disheveled. And more like a huge pyramid of peas!

The lemon cuke seedlings pictured are the stars of the greenhouse gang. They sprouted very quickly. I also have Yellow Submarine, Armenian and Palace King varieties sprouting. We'll see who will be the tastiest of the gang.

And lastly, I have my old stand-by growing like weeds--mesclun mix. I never grow tired of growing salad greens.

April Showers...Bring April Flowers!

2010-04-24T02:02:00.001+02:00

From the top:
~Buttercup
~Rhody
~Tulipa...yes, more pictures of these
~My Royal Army of English Daisies
~Viola
~Dianthus...these smell like cloves. Not the ones you smoke but the ones you bake with...such a pleasant smell!
~My most exotic colored tulips yet, from Burpee

Spring Update

2010-04-15T07:21:00.001+02:00

From the top down:

*Greenhouse seedlings of cosmos, coleus and columbines. The tallest seedlings are my cosmos.

*The sugar snap peas and lettuce greens just emerging. The peas have doubled their size in the last few days.

*Tulipa, Rainier cherry blossoms and one of my many rhodys.

Plenty of more pictures to come....the front yard is full of color. Hopefully my little Canon will do it justice!

Early Garden Happenings

2010-03-22T04:38:00.000+01:00

Although this is a fairly boring picture of dirt, I took it mostly to serve the purpose as a 'before' picture to compare with the 'after' picture of when the garden takes off.

The first half of this raised bed is planted with sugar snap peas (Burpee's RSVPea and Super Snappy), my favorite and in my opinion, the easiest vegetable to grow. The other half of the bed is divided into sections of a few different types of radishes, lettuce, mesclun mix, fennel, coriander (aka cilantro) and spinach. I have plans for the other two beds, but I won't reveal my ideas just yet...

Tulips gone WILD! These are tulips that have opened up. They look a little crazed. Below, is a tulip close-up. Pretty, no?

These are my very early seedlings I 'started' earlier this week. What am I growing, you ask?

--Gazania 'Kiss Bronze Star' Hybrid

--Gomphrena 'QIS Mix'

--Cosmos 'Antiquity'

--Cosmos 'Double Take'

--Columbine 'Harlequin' Mixed Colors

Let's see if they survive the germination and eventually the transplant, which I've had challenges with in the past. I usually get frustrated after losing a bunch and just buy mature plants to transplant...but will see this time around!

Other flowers I plan to have in my garden but are a touch early to sow or start:

--Zinnia 'State Fair Mix'

--ZInnia 'Jazzy Mix'

--Nasturtium 'Peach Melba'

--Nasturtium 'Alaska Mix'

--Morning Glory 'Celestial Mix'

--Sweet Pea 'Eckford's Finest Mix'

--Dahlia 'Victoriana Mix'

New Raised Beds

2010-03-15T04:02:00.000+01:00

The infamous rotting Nipsic Raised Beds were laid to rest today. Brand spankin' new raised beds were constructed out of treated wood to hasten the PNW wood rot that befalls so many wood products around the Puget Sound.

I don't know what was more exciting--the creation of lovely, symmetric raised beds or the fact that I was allowed to use a power tool.

Next up....planting stuff in the new beds!!

New Camera and the start of Spring

2010-03-10T02:09:00.001+01:00

Trying out the new camera, a Canon PowerShot S90. I don't claim to be all that tech savy, but I do know that this little guy's low light setting feature is perfect for cloudy Puget Sound weather. Thanks for the recommendation, John Hewitt!

More to come with this little pocket camera...so much to learn.

The weather was nice over the weekend--sunny and 60 degrees. Yesterday--snow and cold. Regardless of the weather, I need to get some seeds started indoors...

Passing the Time

2010-02-13T04:20:00.000+01:00

Oh, what a couple of weeks it's turned out to be.
First, my best friend Marisa decided to have her baby on my birthday. I was able to spend some very precious time with her, her husband and new bun (Gavin) in the immediate newborn period. I will always be able to tell her son (at our future joint birthday celebrations), when he's old enough and has his mother's sense of humor, that I was there to witness his first diaper 'blow-out'. So much fun.

Second, while I was in CA, I was able to spend a lovely afternoon with my best friend, Talia, at the UC Berkeley 'Bot Gardens'. Wow, what a place. We were oh-so-lucky to enjoy the rare presence of the CA native newts at the gardens. Newt loving at it's finest. Below is a picture of hellebores and the newts...look closely!

Next, my forced bulbs have produced sweet smelling hyacinths. My tulips are almost there. Notice Delilah intently smelling the hyacinth...and watching the peepers (birds), her sworn enemies she monitors daily.

And finally! I was extremely fortunate enough to attend the Northwest Garden and Flower Show in Seattle last weekend. I can't believe I missed out the first two years I lived here. What a show! I was absolutely impressed by the competitive garden displays. My digital camera has since pooped out, so all photos these days are coming from my iphone.

And! Audrey Clementine Pope, the first niece of my siblings was born on 02-10-2010. Look at that birth date! She is adorable. I can't wait to meet her.

Such a mild winter here in WA. My bulbs are already emerging...my outdoor hyacinths and daffodils will be here sooner than expected! The crocus have already made their appearance.

Spring is on its way...

January

2010-01-24T22:41:00.000+01:00

To keep me busy this winter, I'm attempting to force bulbs. Have you ever tried this? It seems fairly simple and straightforward. I feel like I'm semi-messing with nature, but it's uber-nerdy fun.

I watched this link by the Dirt Doctor to help guide me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F4Sflph-2E

If it works, which I think it is, my house will be smelling like early spring time hyacinths. In February! I also tried tulips and daffodils. The daffodils are the slowest moving...

Also, on MLK day, I somehow talked friends into going to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle to see the Butterfly House. I highly recommend it. The blue morpho butterflies were amazing, as were the others.

Year in Review

2009-12-22T06:33:00.000+01:00

My favorite new bun of a patient!

Merry Christmas and Happy Decade!

Holy Baby Jesus in the Manger!

I can't believe it's already Christmas. It snuck up on me like no other Christmas has before. I have a box of Christmas cards both in my office at work and scattered about the house. Don't be shocked if you get a combination Residency Graduation/Christmas card from me in May. I was just happy to decorate the tree as early as I did!

The year, and geez, the decade has flown by.

In this decade alone...

--I was admitted to medical school
--Joined the US Navy in 2003 with two wars humming along in Iraq and Afghanistan
--Finished medical school at the University of Vermont
--Moved to Bremerton, WA to begin my residency in Family Medicine (which is almost done, by the way, thank goodness)
--Became a home owner
--Flew around the world to join a floating hospital for 6 weeks and saw a part of the world that both amazed and frustrated me
--Became one of the Chief Residents, a sometimes challenging (think Vice Principal meets annoying mother who reminds you to change your underwear or ELSE) job
--Grew to love gardening, an activity that has made me take a step back, breathe and realize that I can't control all of life's challenges, including the death of patients and the poor choices of others

Milestones, a plenty.

My orders for next year haven't arrived yet, but the whispering on the street points me to a Mediterranean island hospital. Cross your fingers for me to have orders to Sicilia!

I leave you with a few sentimental Christmas pictures...

The end. Sort of.

2009-09-21T02:41:00.000+02:00

The finished product (mostly).

And lest we forget...

Development of the counter

2009-09-11T06:33:00.000+02:00

So here's s few pics of Sara and I pouring our concrete countertops. I'd made the molds several weeks ago but kept putting off the final steps. We finally just got it done, though it remains to be seen whether things will turn out well or not. The counter and backstop molds are broken up in several pieces. They're all poured face down, so the top now will be hidden later. Anyway...

Cutting the metal reinforcement.

Dry mixing the concrete.

Wet mixing the concrete. Lesson learned - mix small batches. That stuff is heavy.

Laying the reinforcement at the half-full point.

Removing the excess concrete from the mold.

A full mold.

A day later.

Once piece out of the mold, right side up, five days after pouring. Looks ok!

The right half of the counter, left still to come out of its mold. Sanding, sealing, waxing and polishing still ahead...

The Zucchini Who Ate Nipsic

2009-09-07T07:08:00.000+02:00

For dramatic effect.

Mamma and baby.

Don't worry sweetheart, some day you'll get big like me.

Arugula.

A mini cornucopia.

As I type this, the wind is howling and the rain is falling. Labor day weekend and it feels like autumn has begun. Didn't mind spending 12 hours inside the hospital today.

My zucchinis are still chugging along. My big bertha plant still has blossoms. I picked a 14 inch zucchini yesterday. Truly obscene. My tomatillos did not produce. I may have 2 or 3 'tillos with the husks starting to open up, but not enough for salsa verde.

I can't wait to start my autumn garden, though. I lurked around my favorite garden blogs (Garden Rant, etc) and perused the online Burpee Catalog. I was lured into thinking I could try my green pinky at a cold weather veggie garden.

My cool weather garden will contain:
Rocket arugula
Cherry Bomb II Hybrid radish
Fire 'n Ice radish
Mesclun Classic Mix
Spinach, Baby's Leaf Hybrid
Lettuce, gourmet blend

Any other suggestions?

I could also try kale and collards but maybe not. I would be happy with enough greens to have fresh salads on most nights of the week.

I've also been toying with the idea of outfitting my greenhouse with grow lights and heat pads. But that would be 'taking it to the next level' (think Murray on FOTC regarding his friendship with Bret & Jemaine).

I also noticed that, over time, this blog has become more about my little gardening hobby and less about my job. Which is a good thing. If the three people that read this want to me talk (whine) about my job, I can.
But I'd much rather talk about my obscene zucchinis and failing tomatoes than my patients who don't know how to cope with life.

Edible Garden Treats and Morning Glory

2009-08-06T02:06:00.001+02:00

The carrots are quite funny with their multiple 'legs'. My green beans are delicious. I only regret not planting more.
It's hard to say this, but I believe Morning Glory is my favorite flower. This picture does not even come close to its real-time beauty. I have a brilliant blue type of Morning Glory that I haven't grabbed a picture of yet. I only get a chance to witness their blooming on the weekends in the morning.

Garden Gallery

2009-07-23T05:37:00.001+02:00

My 1st attempt at a mixed pot presentation. We have dianthus, gerbera daisy, some fancy grass and a dahlia that hasn't bloomed yet.

Cherry tomatoes

Clematis. I'm still trying to find a home for its vines to wrap around.

Morning glory. When open, usually in the early am or evening, it's a very striking flower.

Our first zucchini of the season.

Tomatillo!!

Day lillies, above and below.

Several of my tomatoes never turned red last year. We'll see if the weather gets hot enough and the sun is bright enough.

Green beans...first time growing. And may I add that these skinny little guys are yummy.

Dahlia. They can get rather large. This is, I believe, an anemone form.

And pears. I'll have to make some baked goods out of all this fruit.

Just don't make me do anything with the figs except give them away.

The garden produces...

2009-07-21T07:20:00.001+02:00

Here's a few teaser photos from this year's garden.

I participated in a very therapeutic weeding session today. The veggie garden needed some beautifying, so I look forward to posting more home-grown vegetable photos in the near future.

I have a few zucchini that are almost ready to be picked, the cherry tomatoes are finally turning red and my green beans and tomatillos are slowing gaining momentum. The weather has been more consistently warmer, which has helped my cukes, green house basil and mini-watermelon plants to double in size. I wish I could say the same regarding my pepper plants! In an attempt to grow something different this year, I planted several mini multi-colored sweet peppers this year. I have a few blossoms but nothing resembling a pepper yet. Oh well, the summer isn't over yet.

Ridiculous

2009-07-13T20:27:00.000+02:00

Kitchen Advances

2009-06-28T22:52:00.000+02:00

First, I ripped out the old countertop, sink and base cabinets.

The new base cabinets fit pretty well, with some adjustments.

The new sink is functional and the plywood counter will have to do until the concrete counters are poured. When that will be none can say. Overall though, an improvement I think.

New flowers and cabinets

2009-06-08T04:41:00.000+02:00

Under Construction: Front Yard

2009-05-14T06:14:00.001+02:00

Zinnia--one of my all-time favorite annuals.

Common Lilac: Syringa vulgaris

Viola cornuta: Johnny Jump-Ups

Rhododendron, the Washington State Flower

Tulipa...these came with the house.

Aquilegia --> Columbine
I didn't even know about these.
I think they were hidden amongst the wild kingdom last year.

English Daisies: Bellis Perennis

View from the sidewalk. The tiny red flowers on the left are Dianthus (tiny carnations)

The Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is a perennial poppy of the genus Papaver.

Greenhouse Happenings

2009-05-14T05:53:00.001+02:00

The three musketter tomato plants. It's way too cold/rainy to move them outside.

This tomatillo plant is winning for tallest greenhouse plant from seedling.

My Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) project.

It takes two seasons for them to flower or so I've read.
I already have some growing, both planted by myself and the previous owners.

More tomatillos. Can't wait to make salsa verde.

I think these are dwarf zinnia...small and petite but still colorful and fun.

The weather this week has stunk. Wet and rainy. Because of this, my brick edging project has been placed on hold. The prior owner's had edged and divided the front garden with big gangly rocks. The rocks are great for making a rock garden, but not for making a border. So, when the weather allows, I shall dig up a trench and place bricks flush with the grass, making a garden path and garden edge at the same time. We'll see how it goes.

Odd and Ends

2009-04-28T02:50:00.000+02:00

Here's a few things from this weekend, filled as it was with satisfying work around the house.

Sara's greenhouse is looking great, so well organized and full of little plants and seedlings.

Row after row of seedlings...

I almost finished trimming our ridiculous laurel hedge:

Actually, no, not even close. I'll get you yet, laurel.

More cabinets rolling off the Nipsic assembly line, this time for under the sink:

And all of our many fruit trees have blossomed at the same time. Sara is anxiously awaiting sign of this season's fig crop. Keep your fingers crossed she gets a good harvest.

Cabinets in progress

2009-04-20T03:24:00.000+02:00

No doors yet, but it's looking pretty good. I also have a new saying, as a result of an experience yesterday: "measure once, cut once, try to install cabinets, disassemble a whole section, cut twice."

And again, for effect, the before shot:

A New Bun Record

2009-04-04T03:01:00.000+02:00

Just finished up a very busy month on Labor and Delivery. My most recent night on-call, which just happened to be April Fool's, was an absolute goat rodeo (wiki this term---used quite frequently in the military lingo, similar to herding cats). The joke was definitely on me and my desire to sleep for five minutes, sit for 10 or have enough time to eat the remainder of my dinner.

I delivered 5 babies in less than 12 hours, a new Dr. Pope record. It would have been six deliveries but I had to rely on a fellow resident to help out--we had simultaneous laboring moms pushing. One more mom was admitted for induction of labor, but did not deliver. I have no idea what was in the water that night but GEEZ. We are a sleepy little hospital most times, so when it gets busy, it's BUSY.

The breakdown..

1715--female, born to a 2nd time mom, pushed for roughly 45 minutes

2150--female, born to a first time mom, pushed for 90 minutes, an induction, though--had been laboring for awhile

2336--female, born to a 5 time mom, unmedicated, went from 3 cm to 10 in less than an hour, not enough time for an epidural, not enough time to break the bed down, three pushes! Last baby had been born in the car, so we were at least successful with the baby being in the hospital for her birthday.

0301--male, born to a first time mom, pushed for an hour, the only man of the night

0447--female, born to a first time mom, pushed for 15 minutes, unmedicated

Best name of the night...Stella!

I went home with the tune of that galloping fetal heart rate ringing in my ears....

Chapter Cuatro: Who Knew?

2009-03-10T04:05:00.000+01:00

Before....Ew.

And After...

Notice the corner. Remember the mold? The stinky yellow and turquoise wall? And can you believe we actually found a nice grate to cover the heat register? I know, shocking.

Chapter Tres: The day of many floors

2009-03-10T03:43:00.001+01:00

Under the tile, then the grody plywood subfloor, this is what we found...

Once again, the crowbar comes in handy to pull off the old plywood layer...

AND THEN....a few days later.....

Holy Cow. Look at the new under-layer. Look at the NEW FLOOR!

What do you think? The lighter shade of paint...the new shiny wood floor. A definite improvement, no?

Chapter Dos: We like paint and stuff

2009-03-10T03:34:00.001+01:00

What paint can do for a wall...

Hopefully you can appreciate the squares of sheetrock Joe has painstakingly measured out and placed.

The Kilz primer coat. That stuff will destroy any smell or wall-color.

And on the 6th (or 7th) day, God said, "Let there be paint!"

Chapter Uno: Where to begin...

2009-03-10T03:27:00.000+01:00

Sassy does not approve of such shoddy workmanship. She's glad we're doing away with the current set-up.

The craptacular wall without cupboards. You will see later that this wall is greatly enhanced by Joe's handiwork.

Above the oven, sans cupboards.

Ick.

Stay tuned for the on-going saga....Chapter Dos will include better walls, including paint and drywall.

Sayonara Suckers

2009-01-31T19:36:00.000+01:00

Here's what we started with...ugly kitchen tile.

The necessary tools for breaking up said floor: crowbar, rubber mallet, traditional hammer for pulling out old nails, leather gloves, eyewear and for me, although not pictured: knee pads.

Below, Joe is attempting to demonstrate the proper demolition technique: crowbar as parallel to the tile but still able to slip under the tile, striking the crowbar with a mallet and then using the crowbar as a lever to break up the tile.

The aftermath. It was both very satisfying and therapeutic to break the tile.

Removal of the gross, cheap cabinets revealed a lazy paint job by previous owners.

Removal of the other cheap cabinet revealed nastiness and mold. When we pulled up the tile in this corner, we discovered a heat register had been covered up. No wonder it was so cold in the kitchen.

The underfloor. Under this cork-like material is more plywood.

So begins our remodel of the kitchen. The kitchen has been the only true eyesore left in Nipsic that we haven't attended to. It'll keep us busy through the long months of the PNW winter. As I type this, though, the sun is shining.

We are waiting for the hardwood floor to arrive. In the meantime, we'll be prepping the walls for paint, removing the rest of the kitchen cabinets and contemplating a new sink. We were hoping to pour concrete counters. However, after Joe bought a book and did some further research, it appears that it'll be a challenging task. The challenge will be making sure the concrete is poured on a level surface. That is not a guarantee in Nipsic. The garage is not level, nor do we really have any other level solid surfaces indoors. According to Joe, the project leader, he states that the counters are 'doable' but the hipster book we bought really only gives a one-liner in the book about the manner. Joe astutely recognized that it's more than just a one-liner task. So, we shall have to create our own level surface.

The cats did not take the changes in the kitchen too well. They have been communicating their frustration by eating my plants, demanding to be petted while eating (not just in the morning) and 'meeping' up a storm every time the stroll into the kitchen, wondering where their favorite perches have gone.

Joe and I are taking the change just fine.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T06:32:00.001+01:00

What a year it has been and oh how it has flown by! It seems like yesterday I was on my way to Darwin, Australia to meet the USNS Mercy.

In addition to celebrating Christmas in just a few short days, we'll also be celebrating the halfway mark of my residency...unbelievable.

Here are a few holiday themed pictures from the Nipsic. It's been snowing up a storm...practically a foot of snow has fallen and it's still going...and Sassy wishes everyone a fantastic holiday season.

Merry Christmas,

Sara & Joe

An Olympic Hike

2008-10-15T02:04:00.000+02:00

Bilroy leads the charge up the staircase

Hood Canal in the left corner and Lake Cushman in the center

The summit

The summit, looking south east

A very rocky ascent

Enjoying the cold and sunny summit

A tough staircase to climb

This past Columbus Day weekend was well-celebrated. Not that it was spent praising that Columbus dude and all of the lovely things he accomplished--introducing venereal disease, smallpox and grabbing a few slaves-to-go...but I did very much enjoy the free weekend.

Not only did I have the whole weekend off (PLUS Monday), but the weather cooperated enough to enjoy a hike in the beautiful Olympic mountain range.

Sadly, the last hike Joe and I attempted was well over a year ago. We hiked up Storm King Mountain, which is on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula, near Port Angeles.

This past weekend, I was lucky to explore a different area of the Olympics. In fact, I hiked up one the southern-most peaks, Mt. Ellinor. If you care about mountains or hiking or know anything about the Olympics, Mt. Ellinor is one of Mt. Washington's closest neighbors.

So, on Sunday, I joined one of my fellow resident friends, his wife and their spry Westie, Bilroy, for a hike. Joe had lawyering to do, so he unfortunately missed a hearty day of hiking.

It was cold but the sun was out. Snow was scattered at various intervals of the trail. The trail was steep at times and quite rocky. As you see in the 4th picture, the trail was hard to find amongst the boulders and rock slabs. But we managed just fine. And Bilroy impressed me with his short legs but feisty doggie hiking abilities.

The summit was amazing! It was clear enough to see the Hood Canal, Lake Cushman and Mt. Washington. It provided one of the best panoramic views I've ever experienced. Not that I've done any major peaks, but I was oohing and ahhing for awhile. The hike down was much more painful than the hike up, but so it goes with steep hikes.

We finished up the day at a funny little dive of a fish shack in Hoodsport. I had the chowder and crab melt. Delicious.

PDX

2008-10-01T03:28:00.000+02:00

Trying to appear hip at Rogue

Trying to be a hipster couple

Eating hipster doughnuts

Enjoying the sunny weather at the rose garden

Joe wishing he could take the Rogue Brewery back to Bremerton

Well, this past weekend was my first full weekend off since returning from my little summer adventure at sea. It was well spent in the environs of Seattle and Portland.

Friday night was dedicated to reuniting with a friend who I met while on the Mercy. His twin brother's film was being featured at the South Asian Film Festival in Capitol Hill. Although we missed the screening of the film the night before, we enjoyed an unexplored part of the neighborhood, eating good food at the Broadway Grill and enjoying drinks at the Rosebud Cafe.

On Saturday, we were off to Portland in the Subaru, the unofficial car of the PNW. Or so I've discovered. I use to think it was the unofficial state car of Vermont. But hey, I'm sure the Subaru is a favorite in many liberal minded, outdoorsy locales.

Portland definitely qualifies as being one of my top three favorite cities...the other two being Seattle and San Francisco, of course. It had been almost six years since visiting the Rose City. Since Dr. H had moved away from the PNW, I no longer had a reasonable excuse to visit. Plus, I spent a good chunk of the past 5 1/2 years in the VT and the black hole of Internship.

In preparation for the trip, I sought advice from the internet, a Portland native and an almost Portland native for food and fun recommendations. In my googling, I came upon a somewhat amusing website called Things About Portland that Suck. At first I was a bit annoyed by whatever hipster decided to proclaim the negative aspects of such a fabu city. However, as I read on, I found myself laughing--especially after witnessing some of the said phenomenon. Street kids with pets, Duck fans, YPOP (young professionals of Portland), Tonya Harding and Your Band.

Regardless of the semi-obnoxious things about Portland, it will always trump Bremerton in hipness ANY DAY.

We hit all the highlights...stayed at the Benson Hotel on Broadway, ate at the very popular Andina, a Peruvian/Novo-Andean restaurant, drank magnificent Rogue beer (Joe is in looove with Dead Guy Ale), shopped the Pearl District, ate a kitschy breakfast at Byways Cafe, ran at Washington Park, smelled the roses of the International Rose Test Garden and waited in a very intimidating line at Voodoo Doughnuts.

And can you believe it was 80 degrees and sunny on Saturday? In Portland? Yes. This also happens in Washington. Sunny days in the fall. But you didn't hear that from me...

And now for something completely different...

2008-09-19T04:18:00.000+02:00

Weno Island, the Final MEDCAP

2008-09-19T04:08:00.001+02:00

My interpreter--a nurse.

Typical Micronesian family.

The coolest table at the MEDCAP--the resident table.

Fanapanges Island

2008-09-19T03:56:00.001+02:00

My new Fanapanges friends.

Notice the Pacific Partnership frisbees.

All dressed up to see the doctor.

Not normal. Probable osteomyelitis.

Just in case you forgot what shingles looked like. Not normal, though, in an 8 year old boy.

Sunglasses, all the cool kids are wearing them.

Siis Island

2008-09-19T03:48:00.001+02:00

Siis Island

2008-09-16T07:41:00.000+02:00

Today, I had the utmost pleasure of visiting Siis (formerly Tsis) Island today. It was amazingly beautiful and the closest thing to 'paradise' I've come across thus far. A much smaller island than the previous ones we've visited but no less beautiful. The shoreline was lined with coconut and banyan (I think) trees, green green grass everywhere, happy women and children decked out in brightly colorful clothing, purposefully going about their island lives. All of this in the back-drop of crystal blue Pacific waters.

Our MEDCAP was at a school, which also happened to be on a beach. When we arrived this am, we were told that since there was no proper pier to dock our little boats, we'd have to jump into the water, carefully avoiding jumping directly on the sharp coral and hand-carry all of the medications and equipment to the site. Well, off went the steel-toed boots and up went with the coveralls. It was another first for me....wading bare-feet, carrying medical supplies to a tropical island MEDCAP.