absent minded at times.

First off, we have finally decorated for Christmas! We actually got a REAL tree this year, which the smell is AMAZING, but good Lord the needles keep falling! Especially with the crazy cat running under it.... My parents, sister, and nephew came over last night for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday. I was really really REALLY excited about making a butternut squash soup that I adapted from a coworker's recipe that she shared with me. We ate this, chicken with pomegranate (not the best thing I have ever cooked...), and orzo. The soup was SO easy to make!

Butternut Squash Soup

3 tbsp butter

3 medium butternut squash (cubed)

5 cups chicken broth

1 medium white onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup light cream

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 4 minutes. Stir in cubed squash and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and cumin and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add light cream and salt/pepper to taste. Stir well and serve!

I served it with a dollop of sour cream on top and some basil sprinkled and it was delicious and such a beautiful orange color! I loved it so much so that I just had a second bowl for lunch today and will probably do the same tomorrow :)

So on to today. I feel SO incredibly stupid and have no excuse but my absent mindedness. I had my Surfn Santa 10 miler this morning in VA Beach, so after scurrying around this morning, stopping at several gas stations trying to get gas (or a OPEN gas station), we were on the road for our 1.5 hour drive to the race. At Williamsburg, about half way there, I discovered that in our hurry, I had totally forgotten my running shoes. I mean REALLY? REALLY? How does a person leave for a RACE and forget her running shoes? So, needless to say, we turned around and drove back home with my tail tucked between my legs like a dummy. Oh well. There's always other races, but I was pretty excited about this one. I need to sign up for another, but definitely need to wait until money isn't so tight, so it may be a little while. I better keep motivated! The good news is that John is running the 10k this year with me on April 2nd!!! I'm SO excited he has committed to this and we begin training in January!

I did have a cool, new experience yesterday at clinical :) I put in my FIRST NG tube! For the non-medical peoples out there, this is a nasogastric tube placed in the nose, down the throat, and into the stomach either to administer tube feedings or medications, or to relieve distention from "back-up" or undigested food due to a blockage somewhere along the GI tract, among many other things that could be wrong. This poor 18 year old chap had a belly so distended that he looked 7 months pregnant. I initially was in the room to just assist, but the nurse asked if I wanted to do it, which I responded "well, I never have...", and she said "ok, you can do it now!" AHH! I was definitely shaking and nervous, but did it with no problem! Very exciting for me, not so much for my poor patient. Hope he is feeling better today...

Also, we went bowling Thursday for the annual memorial bowling tournament for my grandfather. My grandfather passed away about 8 years ago around Thanksgiving, and since he was such an avid bowler, every year our family, both here and in Cincinnati, OH & Charlotte, NC, all go bowling. Whoever gets the highest score gets to hold the trophy thru the next year, in which we use one of my grandfather's old bowling trophies. It's a pretty cool tradition, but I unfortunately did not inherit the bowling gene. I am a HORRIBLE bowler! But the shoes are pretty fun :)

Time for some studying for my exam Monday. Only a presentation, one clinical, and one final exam left to get through after Monday! The suspense is killing me!

xo