Yo estoy tratando calentarme.

"Must be beautiful in Vermont this time of year...

...all that snow."

This past Sunday I drove up to Clarendon, Vermont with a few others from Connecticut for Sunday services. There wasn't a minister so we listened to tapes.  Morning service was from 1988.  When I heard that, I initially involuntarily wrinkled up my nose at the idea of listening to something so out-dated.  It ended up being one of the neatest services I'd ever heard simply because it illustrated so well the fact that God's Word spans across time.  A sermon given 24 years ago had as much significance and was just as applicable today. God's Word is alive.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

And then on the way home from Vermont we allowed ourselves quite a few detours.  We being Sis. Becca Moser and I.   Drove up Okemo ski mountain (see picture above).

Had afternoon tea with Mr. Darcy....well, not really, but we did stop and photograph the sign. Rather strategically so as to get Okemo in the background! ;)

And of course we had to stop at the Vermont Country Store.  Everything from cheese and maple candy to rust stain remover.  Deliciousness!!.....the cheese and maple candy that is.

I really enjoyed my time in Vermont.  I am partial to the smaller church.  But even the state itself seemed quiet somehow. 

Hasta!

Yo estoy pos-dia de accion de gracias.

Thanksgiving 2012 spent in Ellington, CT at the Ryan's.  A little backyard pre-Thanksgiving dinner wiffle ball with the grandkids enjoying the "warm" Thanksgiving afternoon.  I had previously been going over the "what am I thankful for" in my head and it was becoming unrealistically long to put in a post, so in a rather abstract way I summarized as follows. This year I'm thankful that the world keeps moving on and I can do so with it. Thankful that even though I'm out of place, there's still a place for me.

 Boston, Mass

A few of us decided to head to Boston for supper on Friday.  I was so excited to return to the city, and what an added bonus to see it in its Christmas splendor.  We left CT a little after 4 pm, drove into Mass, parked and rode the T into the city.  I have carried my Charlie Card with me ever since I left.  Knew that I'd use it again someday!! :)  (Charlie Card = to ride the T)  We basically spent all of our time at Quincy Market.  Enjoyed the atmosphere, the energy, and each other. 

Hasta!

Yo estoy guacala!!

I decided today that I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving! Wasn't terribly excited about it prior, and realized that the past four years it was a bit hard to maintain a celebratory attitude when you go out and the rest of the country could care less.  It kind of rubs off I guess.  Thanksgiving just starts to become less important.  I've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the Ryan's this year, a dinner which was already in the planning stages a month ago.  And today I was zoned out specifically thinking of gravy for some odd reason, and came to again still staring at the shredded mess of amputated legs of our most recent peds vs. auto accident and in horror mentally screamed, "What is wrong with you?!?!"  I am just praying it is just a matter of desensitization that allows me to not be disturbed by what I see and do at the medical examiner's office.

Recently our Chief ME, Dr. Ashar, was honored by being included in a list of the "Most Influential Women of Westchester County."  She was right up there with Martha Stewart!  I am really hoping she has a court date sometime this month so I can go to the trial and see her in action.  I've heard she's quite impressive, and from what I've seen so far, I believe it.

In addition to Dr. Ashar, there are three other forensic pathologists that work at the county ME office.  After today I've now had the opportunity to work with all three and observe their individual styles.  One in particular strikes me as very unique.  Although you can typically find such social nuances in extremely intelligent individuals...the type that have three board certifications minimum, etc..  Having a conversation is extremely exhausting with them as it takes every fiber of concentration to follow their line of thinking. For example, a typical one-sided conversation with this particular pathologist would be as follows: (with a Serbian accent)  "And you look at the...the.... and.. and.. then..and then you..you see....and....you know....hahahahhahaha!"  That last bit is your cue to start laughing although you have no idea what was looked at, seen or even known.  For some reason they seem to not realize that even though they know what they are talking about the rest of us aren't telepathic. They also have a tendency to jump subjects...suddenly...and without warning, also making the conversation hard to follow.  I typically find these jumps humorous for some unbeknownst reason and have trouble keeping a straight face.  He's called me out on it before, stopping mid-conversation to ask me why I was smiling.  Awkward!! ;)

Enjoyed my holiday this past Monday by going downtown.  I had dressed accordingly with the forecasted 60 degree predicted weather, but started feeling really self-conscious at the train station when everyone else had their winter coats on.  I was happy to be proved well prepared with my light jacket.  Met Kevin and Cheryl Ryan a Bryant Park for lunch.  Then Cheryl and I went to the top of the Empire State Building!

 From 102nd floor: lower Manhattan and Brooklyn

 From 102nd floor: lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island

 From 102nd floor: Central Park, upper Manhattan, beyond that the Bronx, beyond that New Rochelle...j/k can't see that far ;)

 On the 86th floor you actually get clearer views because you can walk around outside whereas on the 102nd floor it's all indoors.  But instead of taking a nice picture outside like normal people I had the "brilliant" idea to take a self portrait from inside the 86th floor with the city's reflection as our backdrop.  Oh so brilliant indeed.  Hence Failure #1.

And, well, got the actual city this time, but safe to say this would still be considered Failure #2.

Hasta!

Yo estoy muerta!

The Nor'easter is blanketing New York with a thick fluffy layer of heavy wet snow.  This made my commute home more on the negative side of enjoyable.  Starting off I couldn't get my car to move, and when it did it was any way but straight, and in bumper to bumper traffic that's always the wrong direction.  To tell you the truth it scared me almost to tears.  I had no idea how I was gonna get home in that mess.  Somehow I did though.  The snow plows better hop to it as I do not want to do this again tomorrow!

Started at the County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday. Taking a break from trying to keep patients alive and focusing on the dead for a few weeks.  Didn't know how I would take to dead bodies but really it's not bad.  It's just the shell of what once was.  What's important has moved on, abandoned life on earth and will never be needing the shell again.  The body's not a person anymore.  Really....it's just a thing now.  Im sorry if that sounds disrespectful.  I mean no disrespect to those souls that once lived and breathed.
I haven't had the chance to join the investigators on a call yet, but that will come.  Today we finished up by going over a string of scene photos from past cases.  At one point the Chief ME (Dr. Ashar), probably noticing the grimaces on our faces, asked us, "Are you guys sure you want to go to the scenes?"  I honestly replied, "I thought I did."  After seeing case after case of maggot infested bodies......my stomach had turned rather sour.

Hasta!

Yo estoy viviendo.

Literally rode out the storm in bed.  Snuggled under the covers with a book and read until I feel asleep.  Worst I felt the whole night was some random swaying of the building.  Kind of caught me off guard as I wasn't expecting it being on the 6th floor...I really wouldn't consider that high, but sway it did.  I woke up Tuesday morning completely shocked at what I saw out of my window.  Except for the lack of power on the street below all was still and calm, barely a leaf was moving. I checked my own lights and had power.  I had planned on the aftermath to be awful inhibiting me from going to the hospital, but what I saw was the exact opposite and I felt guilty for not going to the hospital. So Wednesday I was half expecting  someone to say something about my absence the day before.  No one said anything, in fact many were still missing on Wednesday, and talking with those who were there......I now understand how blessed I am.  It's literally as if I was in a little bubble and all around me was destroyed.  Everyday at the hospital I overheard new stories of this destruction.  Someone's neighbor had a tree go through the roof of his house and land on his head, wife and children survive.  No power, no heat and no hope of its return for yet another week.  And then Thursday gas started running out.  The tiny corner gas stations had 4 hour waits round the clock each with their own police supervision.  At the beginning of the week people couldn't get to work due to the downed trees and debris. Now they can't get to work because there's no gas to get there.

When I heard that Mr. Mayor of NYC was pushing with the New York Marathon I was honestly a bit upset.  He said that NYC needed to "go on." Tell me, how can you "go on" when you're not even standing again?  I mean its common sense, thousands of angry runners or millions of angry citizens still without permanent shelter, heat, and now gas.  What do YOU think the priority should be?  I later heard that Mr. Mayor cancelled the marathon due to receiving pressure to do so.  I felt a little justified at having been upset earlier...I hadn't been the only one.

I have no pictures to show, but just go to any news source and you'll find plenty.  It's the only thing on the TVs in the break rooms...I'm already getting sick of it.

Hasta!