Fifth and Sixth Days of Gratitude

I am so grateful today for my friend, Amber.  She talked me into doing a 50-mile bike ride, Bike the Coast.  Despite her massive migraine last night, we had a fun time driving up to Oceanside yesterday.  I'm grateful for friends.  I'm grateful for a healthy, strong body.  I'm grateful to live somewhere with beautiful weather all year round.  I'm grateful for my awesome bike.  I'm grateful for my husband's 100% support.

Fifty miles sounds like a lot, but it really didn't feel like a big deal.  We started at Oceanside Pier and rode south to Torrey Pines on the Pacific Coast Highway, over to Carmel Valley and then back up the PCH to O'side.  I'm grateful for perfect weather, no crashes, lots of fun, and an easy ride.

30 Days Hath November

Yes, and there are thirty more days before the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Half Marathon!  I'm so excited!!  There's still time to donate to Team Challenge for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.  Thanks to many, many generous donations, I have raised $3,665 (I have a $20 donation that hasn't been processed yet).  Just $735 from my goal--do I know 74 people who can donate $10?  Probably.

There are only two days until the Bike the Coast 50-miler.  Amber and I are driving up to North County tomorrow night, and we plan on getting an early start on Saturday.  It's going to be tons of fun.  I hope to have pictures to post on Saturday.

Broiling Hot Gratitude

It hit 100 degrees here today.  I'm grateful for air conditioning and not to be digging myself out of a snow drift somewhere.  However, I was looking through the latest J. Crew catalog.  All of those cute layers and tights and things....  I guess I'm grateful that I can save money by not living somewhere where I can wear fall or winter clothes more than a couple of days a year.

I'm grateful for the ways that the internet can keep us close to and informed about people.  I've been watching a miracle unfold on Skyler's blog.  He's out of the ICU finally, alert, talking, smiling and peeing.  Crystal, Laurie, Neil and the rest of the Beckstrand bunch have been a great example of faith and steadfastness.  Am I grateful for their example?  You bet!  And I'm grateful to be related to such wonderful people.

Speaking of Skyler, if you live in the Salt Lake area, you should check out this benefit concert at the Blue Lemon on November 20th:

Arrggh! I'm struggling!

Three aborted blog posts...how to demonstrate real gratitude and not just say things like, "I'm grateful for oranges"?  Things this week are too chaotic, too stressful to give the topic of gratitude it's full and reverent due.

But I am grateful for whatever little blessings, the "tender mercies" if you will, that have helped me get through today--getting a good night's sleep, having time to eat, getting that little reminder in the back of my head at one point "these people are here to help you; let them". 

I happened to have a patient today that I did a biopsy on a year ago.  He has lung cancer and has been on chemo.  They needed a rebiopsy to do some more genetic testing.  That's how sophisticated chemo is these days.  For some cancers, certain genetic types respond better to different chemo regimens.  I'm grateful that I was able to help him and his biopsy went great.

This Was a Day I Really Needed to Work On Gratitude

This was such a tough day at work.  Just tons of things that needed to be done or dealt with

Grateful today for:

Mountain Mike's pizza 50% off on Tuesdays

IV fluids at the ready for a obviously-faltering Rowdstar

Fruit to snack on

Not being on call

Oh, and voting.  Living in a democracy is a good thing.

The Only Interventionalist In t' Village

Those of you who have seen Daffyd on Little Britain will understand the reference.  I would post a clip, but I fear that some of the language would offend.

I am grateful for my job.  There is really no reason to think that there will ever be a chance of becoming redundant when the referring physicians just love and rely upon us.  Thank goodness for that.  But I have to say that things get a little tricky when you're "the only (IR) in t' (hospital)".  Heck, thanks to one of my colleagues being on an around-the-world adventure and another deciding to show his six-year-old daughter the wonders of a New England fall/Hallowe'en, I am literally the only fellowship-trained, board-certified interventional radiologist for our nearly-500,000 subscribers. I am tired.

So that makes me very grateful for my support staff.  They work hard to make things happen.  The patients come to our department, they're treated efficiently and well, and we're on to the next one.  I can rely on them to have my back.  It's a great blessing, and I try to remember to thank them after every case and acknowledge their contributions in front of the patients.

Gratitude Month

Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future.--Elder Robert D. Hales

Thanks, Amberly, for the challenge to make November Gratitude Month.

Rowdy says, "I'm grateful for you, so you can be be grateful for that!"  Yes, I am grateful that my husband is grateful for me.

I'm also very grateful today for:

Oliva, my cleaning lady.  Oh, how I missed her the past month.

Mimi and Paul's visit last night

Paul is so darn cute, he really merits a close-up.

Being able to run five miles this morning.

The priesthood in action--Tyler and Max at Max's ordination to the office of Priest and Craig and Chase at Chase's baptism.