Top Ten: Peace, Love and Souuuuuul!!!

"Peace, love and souuuuuul!"

As far as weeks go, this was a pretty good one. Work was good, family life (though frazzled) was good, and all of that swirled together made it fair for me give this week a good solid B+.

Why not an A? It's because I was bummed to hear that Don Cornelius from Soul Train took his own life. For that reason, this week could only achieve a high B.

Anyway.

I'm overdue for a top ten, aren't I? Alright. Then here it is.

Top Ten Moments, Thoughts, and/or Random Questions from This Week!


#10  --  Writing with Ant.

This is Antoinette. She is a senior medical student and happens to be the one student I still have remaining from my very first student small group. (She did an additional year to earn the Masters in Public Health along with the M.D.) Anyways, Ant is doing a writing elective with me this month and I can already tell that I am going to get just as much from it as she is!

Essentially, we read books together, we discuss them, and explore the themes and writing styles. But the other thing--the really important part--is that we write. Antoinette is already a gifted writer. So this presents an added challenge for me to push an already bad ass writer to take new risks.

So guess what we did at our last session (or "sesh" as we like to call it)?

I came up with imaginary scenarios. For example: Two men are standing outside of Grady talking trash and sharing a cigarette. One is very old and one is rather young and they aren't related. Despite that they are like old friends.

Then the challenge is to paint that picture with words. Don't tell me, show me.

And that is what we did. We wrote and we shared and then we wrote some more and shared some more. It was good. Really, really good.



#9 -- Legally blind.

Me floating through the halls in clinic on Thursday. Feeling good and girly in one of my favorite dresses with this cute empire waist paired with the happiest canary colored cardigan ever. Looked into an open room and saw one of my F.P.'s waiting on his resident doctor. Couldn't resist slipping into the room and sitting on the edge of the chair for a few moments to talk to him.

"Awww, Mr. James! It's good to see you!"

"Hey Miss Manning! I seent you on TV on Wednesday!"

"Did I do alright?"

"You did real good, Miss Manning! You was breaking it down."

"Thanks, Mr. James!"

*smiling as I stand up to walk out of the door*

"Hey! Miss Manning, I ain't even realize when I saw you on TV that you was with child."

*EErrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt! EX-squeeeeeze me?*

"WHAT?! Mr. James! I'm not pregnant!"

*starts fluttering his eyes and waving his fingers in the air.*

"Awww, baby you know I got the sugar and my eyes bad! Did you know? I'm legally blind."

*surly glare on my face*

"Mmmmmm hmmmmmm."

Never. Wearing. That. Dress. Again.




#8 -- Hawks Game.

I had the best time the other day! I joined a few members of my first year small group along with a handful of other med students at an Atlanta Hawks basketball game. I was the only attending which instantly makes me either cool or a chaperon. (I prefer cool.) Anyways, we laughed and talked and talked and laughed for the whole game. Actually, a whole lot more than we did actually watch the game. Which was probably a good thing considering how badly we got blown out.

Eek.

Funny part: When they said, "What do y'all want to get into next?"

I said, "Let's all go home and tuck our kids in and kiss them on their heads while they sleep! YEEEAAAAAHHH!"

Okay, maybe chaperon. Ha.


#7 -- That's no way to treat a ladybug!

Dude. What is up with all of these ladybugs in my house right now? They are chillin' in the sunroom. Posted up in the bathroom on a mirror. Lounging in the kitchen. Here, there, everywhere.

One of those girls was on my bathtub and I flicked her in the tub as I was washing it out. She floated right on down the drain.

EPIC FAIL.

Isaiah saw me do it. And let me just tell you: Washing a ladybug down the sink is right up there with littering in the park to that kid. The unthinkable!

He hazed me for no less than 72 hours after that.

#6 -- My first Nutella.

This little creamy potion of chocolatey-nutty goodness. For whatever reason, I had never had it. Tuesday, for the first time I did. With pretzels.

I really enjoyed it until I read the nutritional information. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

#5 -- L.L. Cool K.

I realized that I know every single word to L.L. Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" when it came on the other day. Like E-VER-Y word (give or take like one or two) complete with threatening hand gestures and dance moves. I recited the WHOLE thing in Zachary's face (with a couple of minor censors) which he LOVED. Loved do you hear me? He laughed so hard he almost peed his pants.

Then he asked me to do it again. Which I happily did.

Isaiah just stared at me like this: 0_0  and looked embarrassed. Kind of like someone who's mother is wilding out to a 90's rap tune and gyrating around like a hip hop back up dancer.

Hater.

(Why do I know every word you ask? Well, partly because this is a song I work out to often because it hypes me up. I guess I just didn't realize how many words I knew from hearing it on my iPod nano)




#4  --  Pumped up!

Those who have read this blog for a while know of my deep love for the best gym class in the whole world: BODY PUMP.  I fell in love with it as a resident in Cleveland at the Downtown Cleveland YMCA. I was super stoked when I found that my local Y had the class here in Atlanta! Woo hoo! So literally, twice per week at 6 AM, I was there with my favorite teacher in my favorite class.

But then Isaiah started "real school." That really cramped my PUMP style, for real. So despite my best efforts, I could no longer make my favorite class with my favorite teacher filled with all of my favorite work-out buddies.

WAAAAAHHH.

But guess WHAT? Y'all!!! My sister JoLai found out that Body Pump was now offering an "at home" version-- and she SENT IT TO ME!!!

YAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I am ridiculously sore because I've been over-pumping. For real. Now I'm calming down and about to get normal. I really, reaaly miss my class and my friends in that class. ..but for reals. . . .you have no idea how happy I am about having PUMP in my life again!


#3 -- Girlfriend time

An unexpected opening in my schedule became some wonderful girlfriend time. I texted my friend and fellow Grady doctor, Wendy to see if she could sneak away from her office for some coffee and chit chat and girlfriend time. The stars aligned and since they did, so did we and so did girlfriend time. Which was wonderful and genuine and great. (Even if it was during the middle of the day and without red wine.)

And! We did NOT talk about medicine AT ALL. (Which is an astounding feat for two doctors, especially ones of the Grady variety.)

At Java Jive in Midtown

Oh, did I mention? We met up at this extremely cute place called Java Jive that for reasons that are totally incomprehensible to me, I'd never been to. Totally retro and adorable with this fun server named Ron who assured me that the big ol' buttermilk biscuit I ate there had no calories at all. I will so be back.


#2 -- Feet don't fail me now!

Y'all!  I had a coupon to this place called Heavenly Foot Massage and used it today. O.M.G. A one hour foot massage. Foot massage, y'all! Twenty dollars. That's it!

They put me in this comfy chair with all kinds of serene sounds and smells such as lavender, eucalyptus and the like. And then this woman went to town on my feet and calves. I love a good foot massage so for me this was heaven.

Have I ever told y'all how I feel about full body massages? I could do without them. I can never fully relax. I'm always weirded out by having my body rubbed on like that by a stranger. Balancing my checkbook and trying to remember song lyrics in my head instead of imagining a babbling brook or something.

But feet? Now that's different.

Dude. I was KNOCKED OUT up in there. Seeing as it cost only twenty bucks, I had some sweet dreams, too. I WILL be back.

How do y'all feel about massages and such?

#1  -- Almost Famous.

Woot! Woot!

Hey! I was up in Publix supermarket and this little young chick with freckles on her face and a flouncy pony tail walked right up to me. She asked if I was the writer of that "blog about Grady."  I said, "Yes, I am."

Dude!

She was so excited! Like I was some kind of celebrity or something. She was a college student with an interest in medicine and she said the sweetest things!

"I feel like I know you and your kids and OH MY GOSH I am in love with the Grady elders! OMG!"

And seriously? She treated me with so much familiarity that I can honestly say that I was both flattered and weirded out.

Ha.

***

Okay. That's all I've got y'all. Happy Saturday!


Always playing on my mental iPod. . . . . best Soul Train performance ever. . . Ms. Re Re with Rock Steady!