Halfway

June 30th has always been an important day for me. It’s the day all (or at least half) of your coupons expire. And it is my twin sister Amber’s birthday!

This year it seems very significant. This morning at 8 am I finished my last night on call as a second year oral surgery resident (or my third out of five years if you remember my intern year). It seems fitting that a nurse made my cry yesterday when asking me to come do a procedure after a meth lab explosion, but that’s another story. Hopefully as a senior resident I will have the thick skin and the coping skills to not let that sort of thing happen. I am feeling more mature already.

And now I am ready to celebrate Amber’s Birthday! by doing whatever I want to do today (which may include laundry or cleaning the bathroom).

But despite the great feeling I have, I do feel some dread. Because after this nice day of milestones (both in my career and my age) there is a new milestones very fast approaching: July 1.

July 1 is the day our life changes (life being singular meaning the life Abe and I have made together). Or at least that is what I am expecting. It is the day that Abraham starts his five year residency. He will be starting tomorrow on the Neurosurgery team, one of the busiest rotations with the longest hours. While we have both been busy, Abe has usually been the (slightly) less busy one and has shouldered a huge part of the day to day responsibilities such as making us lunches and doing the laundry. I hope I can step up to the supportive role to be helpful to him like he has been to me. And I really probably will hire someone to help with cleaning (any takers?). I think we are both excited for him to begin this new step after such a long process getting here, but we are certainly nervous and unsure exactly how this will change things, particularly in our ability to run our household and most importantly, to see each other.

I also start a new rotation tomorrow in the surgical intensive care unit. I am a little intimidated (new rotations always make me nervous). I always feel like a dental imposter in a physician’s world. But I keep muddling through some how.

 

So, I’m going to try to enjoy today as much as possible and not worry about tomorrow (which starts bright and early at 4 am – at least for Abraham).

And thanks to all of your support everyone (including my stealthy readers). I have had a number of people lately tell me that they enjoy reading and to keep writing. I’m glad I’m not just writing to empty space. Feel free to leave a comment every once and awhile! I promise I wont think you are a stalker. Even if you are. Promise. No really. I try not to judge stalkers to harshly. http://www.erinsheffield.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-husband-is-japanese-celebrity.html

 

And a few pics for your viewing enjoyment

This is as close as I had to the first important June 30 in my life

A little later, probably 25 years ago today

 

Happy Birthday Amber!

Can you tell “which is which?” That’s what people always say, but shouldn’t it be “Who (or whom?) is who (or whom)?”