Italiablog

Follow Cindy, Charles, Jenny and Audra as they go to Tuscany.

The baby and the cowbell

OK, my daughter is obviously gifted -

We were riding in the car, and I turned to Jack FM. Well, eventually "Don't Fear the Reaper" came on, and I looked back there and L was just grooving away to the sounds of the cowbell. Head bobbing, clapping, I even got an "I like this song!!". I could imagine that if she had HAD a cowbell, she would have been clanging away. Cindy would have been so proud. If only I had ol' "Bevins" from Jim's desk. Sigh.

Sorry I have to do it one more time: CASINO ROYAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE baaaaaby!!

Yeah, BABY!

I am sooo freaking excited!

#1 - someone besides me posted to the blog! Doug, I am so glad to hear from you. I emailed you a few hours ago about the "news". I am, however, interested in whatever tidbits you have heard!

#2 - we had Cindy's and Priscilla's birthdays at Uncle Julio's tonight. Fun, fun, fun. I truly have the best and mostest-funnest friends in the whole entire world.

#3 - most important-most important-most important-CASINO ROYALE, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw the trailer FINALLY last night!! I had been a little apprehensive about the "new guy", but after seeing the trailer, and hearing his voice, his voice is definitely Bond-esque. So I am totally revved up now and cannot WAIT until November 17th. I already have a babysitter lined up.

I hear ASH is in Orlando. While I am most definitley NOT going to the meeting, since Doug and Andy are both rumored to be there, I may see if I can come for the weekend. After all, I have 2 sets of built-in babysitters in Orlando!! We'll see if I can afford it. You know, Budget 2007 and all. Budget 2007 and Diet 2007 are another post altogether!! hee hee hee

CASINO ROYALE, baby! Yeeeeahhhh!!

P.S. pictures of Cindy's new birthday t-shirt to come tomorrow.

P.P.S. - Freaking CASINO ROYALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post

Despite what you might have thought, I have not actually died and fallen off the face of the earth. I have just been running myself ragged between clinic (combined with everyone else going to meetings or vacation) and the never-ending house hunt, it seems like I never make it to my office long enough to add anything. Also, there isn't a whole lot going on here that would be very interesting to all of you in Dallas. The big news here is that our COG audit is coming up in about 2-1/2 weeks, and, needless to say, the stress levels are running rather high.

As far as the house-hunt goes, we may actually have found something for real this time. After 3 unsuccessful bids in North Asheville, Bonnie and I decided that perhaps we weren't meant to live in that part of town after all. Since then, we looked at a couple of other areas, and we found a brand new (not even completed) house in the "country" about 10 minutes east of town ( and a whopping 15 minutes from work for me) that had originally been a custom home, but the financing fell through for the original owner. If everything works out, we will be closing before Christmas. I will post a picture after I am more sure that it will all work out (so that I don't jinx us again).

I am interested to hear the Wednesday clinic news - I have heard of some impending changes at CCBD, but the news I have heard is not specific to Wednesday clinic. If you cannot post it here, can you send it to me in an e-mail?

My one bit of news here is that we had snow (actually just a few flurries) last night - and this morning it was 32 degrees - with a high in the upper 40's (not quite Dallas weather). The changing leaves are amazing - I had forgotten how pretty Fall can be (since it only lasts for about 36 hours in Texas).

I am looking forward to seeing anyone who is going to ASH in December, and I am trying to arrange to be get to Dallas a few days before the COG meeting.

See you soon, and I really do miss my Wednesday clinic friends.

Doug

Big news coming for Wednesday clinic....

There should be an announcement coming out very soon - but I can't post any other details yet (at least here, anyway). Stay tuned......

I am ready for some DULL times around here.

What a Wednesday clinic!

Wow, it was a doozy...

Cindy got "attacked" by the partition that separates the waiting room from the commnd post. She was walking through, and it started to fall, and she was worried about it falling on a kid and instinctually went to grab it - but it was too heavy and fell right on her foot! Poor thing - but to her credit, she bit her lip and did NOT utter any foul words in the middle of the waiting room in front of all the children! Now that is a dedicated pediatric hematologist-oncologist :) We made her sit with ice for a while, but then she got up and was dictating and said she was going shopping that evening. I wished Doug had been there to help us keep her in line. Cindy if it's purple and huge tomorrow, I want a picture of it on this blog.

Then, Corianna let out a belch that lasted, oh, somewhere between 10 and 12 seconds. It was awesome. I only wished that Andrea and/or Steele could have been there to witness it.

Dan and Shannon adopted a baby boy last week, I forgot to tell you, named Connor. He's really adorable and Avery is a cute and very proud big sister.

What else... the cowbell made its way from Jim's desk to the command post today for a limited time appearance. What can I say, we needed a little cowbell. We all need a little cowbell now and then.

Ask Cindy about Baba Ghanoush (I really don't know if I spelled that correctly!).

Doug - how are you guys and the kids holding up? We were all thinking about you today.

Signing out for now-

More Mid-Autumn party pics

I am posting these out of order because Blogger is giving me trouble with photos. Would only let me put so many per post.... so here goes.

Shelley, Kyle, and Syd

My not-so-impressive picture of the moon. But I thought it was cool you can see Mike, Cristina, and Jenny at the bottom.

And HERE is what you have all been waiting for:

Of course, we had to break out the cowbell t-shirt. Who knew it would actually fit someone??

I'm sorry Cindy, you know I had to post it. Couldn't let Doug miss out on a moment like this. Another moment you missed - I don't have a picture of it, but it is on someone's camera, somewhere!! - Cindy on Jenn's lap giving her a big hug. Oh wait, there's nothing unusual about that - but Jenn was hugging back. Now THERE"S a Kodak moment!

And serious again, now:

Our family. I hope Wu Qin Mei's mother somehow knows she is happy and safe, and loved very, very much.

I'm very lucky to have wonderful friends that I love so much! We miss you, Doug, as always. Sending big hugs across the miles to Asheville...

**NOTE: There are a couple other posts below this one, I was having blogger trouble so I had to split this post up. So keep on readin'.

Mid-Autumn party

Mike and I had our Mid-Autumn Festival party the other night. It was a wonderful night - the weather was gorgeous, we ate and drank and talked outside on the patio, and celebrated with our dear friends around us. The mid-autumn festival (also called the moon festival) is the second most important Chinese holiday. It is a thanksgiving and harvest festival and celebrates the biggest full moon of the year. The full moon (and the actual moon festival) was on Friday, but the moon was still bright and beautiful.

In China, people gather with their families and admire the moon. They also think about family and loved ones who can't be with them. Of course, I can't know this, but I imagine that Lucy's birth mother, and maybe father, are thinking of her. I was also thinking of loved ones - not just family, but Doug, Andy, Julie, Brian, Winston - all the people we miss so much around here! Doug, we wish you could have been there!

It was a wonderful time, and I did remember to take some pictures, even though I was not at my best as a photographer.

Allyson, Cindy, Kyle - and notice my table decorations, I was very proud of my efforts. Mike is usually the decorator at our house!

Shelley, Cristina, Jenny

My mooncakes, filled with red bean paste (the round ones) and mixed nuts (the square ones)

Amanda playing with Lucy

Charles and Mike

My lovely Lizzie

Amanda, Lucy, and Jenn

I posted this one so people could see my lantern light strings - don't they rock the house? Oh, and Cindy rocks da house, too!!

Baby Sydney - how cute IS she?????!!??!?

Check this out

Ah yes, medical school

Sad News

This morning, we woke up to find that our "first child" Kelsey, had died in her sleep. She was 13 years old, and for the last couple of weeks she has been losing weight and having a lot of difficulty walking. We had taken her to the vet twice, and all of the labwork, and even an abdominal ultrasound, had been basically normal. In all likelihood, it was just old age - after all, she was over 90 in people years.

This picture is the most recent one I have of her - it is from our drive from Dallas to Asheville in June

Cindy and I made a few "upgrades" to the command post...

We thought the clinic boxes needed a little sprucing up. For future reference, it is NOT a good idea to give Cindy and me a label maker on a slow clinic day. Without further delay, we would like to introduce you to:

- Cindy "It's not U, it's me" N.
- C. Quinn, "Medicine Woman" (which was taken down immediately, I will add)
- Jim "Cowbell" D.
- Jenn "Redneck Woman" C.
- Allyson "Don't get mad, get even" N.
- Robert "Lollipop" B.
- Jason "The Boy" L.
- "Martha Martha Martha" S.

I also wanted to make one for ZR where I put bunches of spaces in her name to make the label take up the W H O L E S H E L F, but I felt bad using up that much label tape.

That's all I can remember right now. Late. Tired. Hand. Foot. Mouth.

The Internets are a bunch of jerkheaded meanies....

My poor George has been in the news again. I log onto the web and immediately I see "GM found slumped over in car...AGAIN!!". Then, as if that isn't enough, I get emails from my friends with titles like "Your boyfriend's back" (Steele) or "Can't you find the man you're stalking a good rehab program??" (Jenny). If I didn't know better, I would think everyone was enjoying this.

Anyway, Doug, keep us posted on the house. If this one doesn't come through, it's only because the perfect one is still out there for you somewhere.

Lucy has had hand, foot and mouth. Fun, fun, and fun. At least the 105.6 fevers only lasted 12 hours. She's much better, but I would like her to be better enough to go to school again, please. Soon. Please.

This weekend Mike and I are having a party to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival. It's the biggest Chinese holiday besides the lunar new year. Got lots of Tsing Tao and Yanjing beer. Yummy food, too. No, Cindy, no fancy glutinous rice desserts like at Chinese New Year. I went to Central Market but I forgot to pick them up. I know how you and Tamra liked them. I do have some mooncakes sent from a bakery in Chinatown in New York, though. Always a new adventure. I promise I didn't get any with duck egg yolks in them for you less adventurous folk. My camera is not lost this week so I promise to try and get some pictures.

The only way it could be better is if Doug was here. I want you to know that from now on, Mike compares all parties to yours - "Well, will it be as many people as were here for Doug's going away party?" The answer is always "No".

And - I think a week and a half on call definitely beats being at that meeting. I've successfully avoided it for 2 years now! I am sure I won't be able to escape when it comes back to Dallas.

Miss you tons - like always. Oops, I forgot something - but I am going to make a separate post.

xxooxx

Back to Square One

Well, it looks like the house hunt will continue - the appraisal came in at about $50K under our offer. It is unfortunate, because we really like the neighborhood and the house - but obviously we cannot pay $50K more than the house is worth. Bonnie and I may make a new, lower offer on the house, but we haven't decided yet.

Otherwise, I am sitting here in Asheville - now on my 8th day in a row on call while my partners are basking in sunny California (well, actually they are probably sitting in poorly lit conference halls).

As I promised Maria - here is my attempt to keep the blog alive - more to follow.

Doug