An update!!

Hey!! What up....

Here I am again, about to write an apology for my lack in social blogging... but for purposes of boring redundancy, I'll spare you the wasted eye energy to read such...; and instead just dig right in..!!

I really, really, really dislike leaving home (CT) every time I visit....and with each trip it gets just a little bit harder to do; i thought homesickness was supposed to fade??! Not with this guy... I feel more connected to people and community there more than ever before.  As much as this move has been a huge experience in growth and development both personally and professionally, I feel like I leave a giant piece of my heart here every time I trek back to the Mid-Atlantic.  I'm not sure exactly the reasons for this, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with....well, I'll just let the pictures do the talkin'....!!

Luv this girl !! :) she knows how to steal her uncles heart...!!

OWEN!! this kid has a never ending supply of energy...luv him!

School is pretty much the same; I'm taking two classes in addition to finalizing my portfolio for FALL 13' submission.  One of the classes is a seminar in public / community health with associated clinical rotations.  I included a screen snapshot of a recent exam for this course....I think I can speak on behalf of the entire class when we say....lady, this exam is hard enough without having to interpret any misspellings!  If you are interested, I would be happy to share just how many possible words that conglomeration of letters could be!!  

The other summer course is a source statistics class.  Those of you that know my math skills can already take a wild guess at how this class is progressing....LOL! Someone shared this with me...and, with amazing accuracy, it pretty much sums up my generalized feelings on arithmetic  whatever the type.

Work is awesome!! Seeing, doing, and learning sooo much.  The networks, that an institution of this magnitude can develop, are incredible.  There is a never ending opportunity that is available to anyone that wants to seize it!

On the days that I work, I make an extra effort to see either the sunrise or sunset, or if by chance, both! I'm not sure what has gotten in to my system, and perhaps I should have it checked, but me and sunrises usually don't...uh, ever...ever, ever, ever, occur in the same sentence, same time frame, same life, etc, simply because I have never had the energy to get up that early (unless by some exertion of extraterrestrial force).  However, whatever it is, I have been able to enjoy some recent sunrise solitude and WOW...simply amazing.  The stunned silence that hangs over Baltimore city in the dawning moments is surreal.  The relevance of this picture will be clarified in the next picture...

                           

In complete contrast to the peace pictured above, there has been a recent and tragic wave of violence in Baltimore...to the tune of 35 documented homicides in an approximate 48 hour period!!  This also may be adding to my homesickness...I'm pretty sure that my hometown doesn't see 35 homicides in a decade, but none the less, it certainly is not a comforting statistic and does not, in any way, shape or form garner the "warm fuzzies" for downtown Industry City.  A quick walk through the ER / Trauma bay will only confirm what we hope is not true....

                               

In fitting and hopeful summary..... a setting sun holds briefly over the Potomac!!

                                         

Until the next time...!!

Memorial Day

What's cookin'...??!! Sooooo its been a little bit, but I'm always happy to sit down and journal a few more notes about my life of recent past!!

I was able to spend a few days over Memorial Day with the parents and my very, very pregnant (and very, very nauseous) sister... a few hour road trip, a continued Zofran infusion, a few moans and groans, and a single order of the Cinnamon French Toast Tower from Country Diner and..... my sister and I arrived safely to the Vermont house, in one piece and nearly nausea free!!  Together we can add validate that the Cinnamon French Toast Tower when consumed with an 8 ounce OJ and chased by a lengthy nap, is a satisfactory way to curb the vicious side effects of hyper-emesis gravidarum!! YAY... 

a beautiful sunset to send me on my way as I head 
back to CT for an extended holiday weekend!!

road trippin' with the sister...!!
coming through southern Vermont, after a holiday weekend with parents (and others) .. :)

Summer is finally here!! and what a wallop it was...it seemed like we went from temps in the 40's F to 90's F in less than 24 hours!  The mid-Atlantic remains in the frying pan, sustaining sunny weather in high 80's...which is totally fine with me.. BRING ON THE HEAT !!! :)  This means that the sidewalk artists have descended to the Inner Harbor, setting up tents along the way and painting their days away!! More pictures to follow as they progress...

 

The Inner Harbor street artists are 
in full swing...sidewalk painting in ACTION!!

I was able to spend a few evenings down DC this past week, frequenting several of the monuments, National Harbor and the Potomac riverside.  For as much turmoil as originates out of this district, it is certainly not noticeable through the tranquility and beauty of its landscape!

Sunset through the portico of Jefferson Memorial - perfect for true reflection!!

Jefferson Memorial at dusk..!!

" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance " Thomas Jefferson

National Harbor - The Gaylord - an crazy work of amazing architecture!!

a gorgeous sunset, sinking over the Potomac !!

Finally, work continues as usual...!!! to offer an adequate summary of our work. reference the picture below!

for all of my professional peers....need I say more??!!

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME...!!! :)

A quick trip to FLORIDA!! :)

 A quick update from this week; the highlight being a quick trip to FLORIDA (FLL and PB) to catch some rays, enjoy the beach, and bask in the sun!! oh, and I got to spend some time with a dear friend of mine, TOM GERBER! Tom just moved down there as an engineering intern (until August) and was more than happy to welcome me (of all people) to the area!!  As much of conversation revealed, we are both equally sad to be away from our families and can largely appreciate the awesomeness of close family and friends!!

We were able to spend some time down in MIAMI; meeting up with a medical mission group headed down to HAITI (Eric Virkler + others...) and Evan Sinn - another resident engineer hanging in South Florida for a bit; good company, great food, prime location, awesome weather = PHENOMENAL!!

We nailed it, in terms of weather - beautiful days everyday, warm, sunny, gentle breezes...TOM did inform me that it rained pretty hard one morning around 1030 AM, however I must have missed it, because, again, I reiterate, I had beautiful weather to whole time...LOL; wink, wink, yawwwwnnnn, stretchhhhh!!

The best quote from the whole trip (courtesy of TOM): 

"the only people that move to Florida are old people....and their parents"....hahahaha :)

WING VIEW - coming home - in air delay of 40 minsssssss...lets go!!!

one of the "minis" on the inter-coastal !!  no big deal...

JET SKI !! amazing....

the classic palm tree shot...baking under the SUN!!

VIEW from da' suite... !!! :)

some of my favorites (and JOANNA), visiting me in BALTIMORE !!! luv u guys... :)

Until the next time.... :)

Mom and Dad; Just in case you didn't know...!

"My parent's rarely told me how to live; they lived, and let me watch them do it"

There are millions of parents in this world.  Some are really great.
Mine are.

There are parents who let you make mistakes; they know your life will be better that way.
Mine do.

There are parents who let you ask questions, even if they don't know the answers.
Mine do.

There are parents who love each other and give you a near impossible standard for your love.
Mine do.


There are parents who point and smile when they introduce you to someone.
Mine do.

There are parents who hug you after you make a mistake, and say "I'm just happy you are OK".
Mine do.

There are parents who call you after a hard day at work just to make sure you are safe.
Mine do.

There are parents who will text you to remind you that they love you!
Mine do.

Mom and Dad!!! 

I think I can freely speak on behalf of all your chillin's (and grandchillin's) when I say WE LOVE YOU more than you may ever know!

Your kids are here for your continued support!! We are here for you, whenever you need it.

God Bless you now and forever!

Until the next time... :)

7 months and counting...!

Greetings from the Innermost of all Harbors... the first of May marks the 7 month since up and moved to Baltimore; and what an incredible 7 months it has been - a total whirlwind of activity, an emotional roller coaster, and pure unending flood of excitement.  It is worth a big shout out to my family, friends (both local and distant), co-workers, students, and many, many others who have helped me through the last several months.

Life continues on as usual; I have been doing a fair amount of traveling through the greater Mid-Atlantic (and else-where); spending time down in National Harbor, cruising the Potomac River and visiting hidden American gems - like Old Towne Alexandria, VA - where I was this past weekend.  What an incredibly charming, quaint and lively section of historic America; bustling with a unique blend of western culture, we canvassed the gorgeous river-walk, listened to some incredible roadside musicians, stopped at a few shops and ate some amazing food!  Since moving into this area, I have made a distinct effort to enjoy some of the "local" attractions; it has certainly added a positive increase to my overall experience down here!!

BRABO - in the 1600 block stretch of King Street, Old Towne Alexandria -
a tasting room that has made it to the "must visit again" list...
the short menu is certainly no reflection of the quality or charm this place has to offer!!

downtown Old Towne!! lol;
parts of this town look to be taken directly from a history textbook..totally AWESOME! 

Jamey Turner - doing what he does best !!

Mr. Turner is an international musical sensation; most commonly known for his mastery of the  "glass harp" - a series of volume-variant, water filled wine glasses which he rubs his moist fingers over the top creating a unique and wild blend of musical notes!!

The music this man plays ranges from simple to complex; Beethoven to Mozart; classical to ragtime; new and old...its really something worth seeing!!

A little video of da "harpist's"... :)

SPRING HAS FINALLY ARRIVED to the City of Industry!
clear blue skies, green leafy trees, warm sunshine - welcoming and renewing!! :)

On one of my recent trips back from CT, I stopped in NJ to get gas...;
I never thought I would include "filling up with gas in NJ" as a life experience, but clearly, as this picture shows, it has made the list! I have no clue what was going on, but with 8 available pumps, I waited (and people watched) for over an hour to fill up with 87 regular!! thank goodness, I had just satisfied my physiologic fuel with two slices of Domino's pizza and Starbucks...if not,...ummm..I should probably leave this part out..!

A recent trip back home!! the perfect way to spend the perfect spring day!!
four wheeling with the cutest country princess everrrrr :) LUV U MADDY...!!

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.... :)

Blog??! What blog....?

Helllllooooooo!!!! Its been a while; almost too long since I've last embraced my inner scribe..and for this, fellow bloggers and readers, I am deeply sorry.  I fear that the activity of my life would be unfairly represented and tarnished if simply measured by the frequency of my social posting.  With this said, I've included a few captioned pictures to help guide you through my earthly existence of recent past.

As mentioned in the last post, I have been blessed with a new nickname at work and so far it has seemed to stick pretty well...."Bruce, Bruce, the two legged Moose" - and since, my co-workers have been very diligent in providing me consistent reminders of such!!  

This past weekend, I was gifted with a phenomenal four day visit from my oldest sister Rachel, her two kids (Allison and John) and my parents!!  Activities included a lot of swimming, walking, cooking (and eating), sightseeing (WASHINGTON, DC / Lancaster, PA) and chillin' like a villian... :) LUV u guys!

A visit to the Museum of Modern Art - directly across the street from where I live - certainly provides for an interesting afternoon!! and most importantly, the kids loved it...LOL!!

More sculpted and crafted artwork...certainly very unique!!

A view from Lincoln over to Jefferson during the prime of blossom season!

TOTALLY AMAZING!

I was able to spend a few evenings with some great friends down in DC; evening dinner and memorials by night; always makes for a good time!

On Tuesday I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak with several key US legislators about healthcare funding, specifically the National Institute of Health and American Heart Association.  I walked away from the day feeling very grateful for the "land of the free".  It is not very often that the American people get to see the candidacy of political figureheads as we did this day; their views often are misinterpreted and misrepresented undermining their heroic patriotism.  It was refreshing to see and talk with them "up close and personal"; it certainly was a clarifying and perspective altering experience for me and would encourage many others to take opportunities like this if they are offered / available. 

"Team Nutmeg"; halfway throughout the day...!! :)

Baseball season is here!! This photo was taken 2 hours before the opening pitch was thrown at Camden Yards - ORANGE = ORIOLES !! what a crowd!...everywhere!!

Photo taken from the roof of JHH; a beautiful moonshot as the darkness settles over this crazy, crazy town...

Several weeks ago, while working a shift on the ambulance, we transported a semi - "sick" patient; most our work involved carting about the 10 + bags of "personal" items she brought with her to the hospital....we almost had to call another unit to haul around her belongings; .....if you know me well enough, you probably can guess what is going through my head right now... LOL!!! :)

This is a sampling of my creative edge... a little "pick me" brotherly love to my dearest, but very pregnant sister!! love you DEB...glad u r feeling better :)

In the light of recent events, I reflect back on the words of singer/songwriter Judy Collins, " It is true that I have had heartache and tragedy in my life.  These are things none of us avoids.  Suffering is the price of being alive. "

Until the next time...

its time for an update...

Hey all! Finally, another update from the life of bruce, bruce...the two legged moose (compliments of my fellow co-workers)...not really sure of its significance, but it seems appropriate for now...lol!!

A few of my friends came down to Washington DC for an Emergency Medicine conference this past week.  I was fortunate enough to participate on the "Hopkins Dime" and  represent the critical care transport team!!

Dinner with a view!!

the fella's...

The weather was beautiful...a view outside my building!

This is history in the making...EVAC at Harborview!! :)

More views from the balcony!! :)

Walking around the complex...!

View from the helipad at JHH!! photo'd by M.Lontz

WASHINGTON, DC - CONVENTION CENTER

Sites around the DC!!

AWESOME art around the city!!

Chartered helicopter on the roof - $4,300/hr; beautiful machine!!

Your's truly!! 50 feet under... :)

soooo funnnnny... !!! lol

Until the next time!!