Where's my social calendar? You know, mixers and clam bakes on the cape?

Lots of people cry at airports. Theoretically it happens all the time. It certainly happens in most Colin Firth movies, so I suppose it might be more common in Brits than Americans. But I digress.

To complete my move-in story, Monday night after wrapping up projects in the house (incidentally, yesterday the little white rugrat that I call Annie the Escapist found a hole in the fence. Luckily, I think she got scared of not knowing where she was, because I found her (sometime between zero and thirty minutes post-escape) sitting, soaking wet, in the neighbor's front yard. It was a sad sight, but I highly doubt she learned anything from her misadventure.) - Dad said he wanted to go check out Lake Erie.

So to the beach we went.

Sunset on Lake Erie at a boat launch that smelled like algae.

Sunset selfie. Sue me.

Sandy beaches.

Tuesday, I got permission to skip lunch with my new peers to take my dad to the airport. Insert symbolic rainfall commencing at the precise moment he texted me that he was through security.

Now, down to business. Later in the week, after several grueling days of orientation, several of the girls in my intern class and I were discussing how this was the first orientation week we'd ever been to where NO ONE went out after the day was over. No happy hour, no debauchery, nothing. So we appointed me unofficial intern social chair. Which makes perfect sense because I know Erie so well (not).

So I sent out an email trying to get some ideas for things (family friendly and everything!) that we could do after our step 3 shelf exam Saturday. Getting suggestions was similar to pulling teeth, but at least when you pull teeth you have a little leverage. Actually, I'm not sure about that. I'm a doctor, not a dentist.

Anyway, after 9 hours of biostatistics on Friday, a fellow psych intern mentioned happy hour, and several of us were SO IN. This is the only city I can think of where you can drink 4 solid beers (not natty, not bud, not coors) and eat a pizza for $20. Just saying. Taphouse, for the win. (I may also have a solid lead on a place to watch good college football.)

Saturday's shelf exam BLEW. I'm talking, whale blow hole blew. But at least people wanted to go out after! So Jekyll and Hyde it was. Then Brewerie (clever name, eh?)

Interns with our DME.

I think everyone will be relieved to know that the Taco Bell menu is the same here as it is in Oklahoma.

This all just about brings me up to date on the goings-ons of orientation week. At some point, perhaps, I'll get around to discussing the cluster of a day "DAY 1" turned out to be, but in the meantime, I have just a brief note.

If you're a med student, and you're in morning report, offer your chair to a female resident who might be standing behind you. One, it's what I did when I was a student. Two, I outrank you, even if it's barely. And three, if you're a guy, it's the chivalrous thing to do. Note to students: I will remember your faces, and I don't like to stand for 30 minutes of a lecture directed at residents even when I get there on time (but if I'm late you should still offer me your seat). End rant.

You can take the girl out of Oklahoma...

Week one of my time away from Oklahoma is quickly drawing to a bittersweet close.

It's possible that Erie isn't THAT bad. (Something tells me, though, that those words will come back around to bite me in the butt...)

Thursday, Daddy and I drove from Tulsa to Pittsburgh. Contrary to expectations, we did not listen to The Eagles the entire way, so that was a plus. My genius self made the executive decision to drive across Kentucky instead of Indiana... which - while we missed the one lane construction zone that is, in fact, the state of Indiana - meant we hit Cincinnati right at 5pm, and we sat in the interstate parking lot behind an onion truck for almost an hour and a half.

After three square meals from gas stations, the three of us (of course Annie was in tow!) got to Brooks and Julie's house, where we stayed until early the next morning, when we headed to Erie for my pre-employment physical.

I wandered into the ER (where there were zero patients, by the way), where I donated a urine sample and had my arm abruptly poked for my TB test (no worries, I'm TB-free(!) but I did almost pass out), we headed to my new house for a final walk-through prior to closing.

By the end of the paperwork, my signature no longer had any identifiable letters, but I had the keys to my very own home.

 

Annie and I waited - not so patiently - for the truck with all our furniture and "stuff" after lunch. Speaking of lunch, the Imperial China Buffet is actually not at all disappointing.

Once the trucks were unloaded, Daddy and I got right to work unpacking. As you can see, Annie was her usual helpful self:

The bedrooms came first: 

Guest room

That's right. I got that walk-in closet. Be jealous, PA people.

It took Annie all of 12 minutes to get comfy back in her usual spot.

We stopped late in the evening to explore a pizza place a few blocks away, Skippereno's. Incidentally, Skippereno's may be the ruin of any health and fitness aspirations I've ever had.

Saturday, we started with a trip to Lowe's, because task number one was fixing the fence so my escape artist of a white dog couldn't get through any of the gaps. The backyard:

She found the gaps behind the trees in record time.

Another trip to Lowe's got the washer and dryer installed and paint purchased. Sunday, the real transformations began!

The bathroom before...

And after!

The kitchen before...

And when I got home from my first day of orientation. Daddy took care of BUSINESS while I was filling out tax forms.

His organization skills make more sense than mine would have...

Dining room.

Diploma.

Dining room.

The bathroom after a few more decorative touches. 

 Of course, Annie was particularly helpful...

Monday, after I signed more releases and insurance forms and I-9s and W-4s and 742Qs (made that last one up...), I got my long white Doctor coat... and it crossed my mind that I should invest in some longer skirts...

That brings us almost up to speed with the end of my first day of my big kid job orientation... The Doctor and her dad explore Lake Erie next time... when big hair conquers soft water. :)

-Rachel