Day 57

Waiting for Weezer to start at Del Mar.....

...then Weezer rocking the sh*t ouf the place....

Day 56

I'll admit, this is a photo from a few weeks back......Day 56 involved L&D all day and then a pseudo call at Mercy that involved me going to bed at 9pm in the event I got called in. I needed to be fresh for Day 57......

Day 55

It's getting sunnier and sunnier in the morning, leading to warmer and warmer days....

Day 54

I saw this in the window of a gallery in Little Italy and it reminded
me of our final rest stop before reaching Flagstaff at sunset....

Day 53

View from C-Level Lounge on Harbor Island...

Day 52

Trying to catch a plane directly overhead with an iPhone camera....

Day 51

I took Kalmia Street home and was struck by this beautiful expanse of the bay in front of me. If you look closely you see a huge aircraft carrier docked on the other side of the bay....

Contemplative Interlude....

It's been 50 days since I set foot in California, and while I hope folks have gotten a glimpse of my daily life here through my pictures, I figure this is a good time to throw in some narrative as well.

The drive from coast to coast was about as straightforward as any one could ask for. Justin was the perfect co-pilot. That's not to say it was smooth sailing throughout, but considering the crap we've shared over the last 20 years of friendship we weren't about to let a snotty bitch of a GPS or a near-death experience in the Mohave Desert bring us down. We had crosswords, cows and a mutual addiction to coffee to keep things in perspective. Along the way, we were housed and fed by a group of friends we will always be indebted to.... specifically:

1. Chris Learn, Columbus, OH: We rolled in at some ungodly hour (mainly my fault for leaving late and getting stuck in Manhattan trying to take the Holland Tunnel) and still Chris, bless his heart, was up and waiting to greet us with a smile. We chatted, inflated the most comfortable air mattress I've ever slept on, and fell dead asleep. In the morning, he treated us to an amazing breakfast at a true local's place and we were off. Too short a stay for the hospitality we were shown. Hopefully I can pay it back at some point.

2. Kelle Oberle, Denver, CO: This is the second time Kelle has been so gracious as to open her home to me. The first time was during fellowship interview season last year when she and her now-hubby Mark treated me to a three-day Denver extravaganza. While this second stop was not as long, it was no less appreciated. Justin and I were treated to cold beer, good conversation, and the lap of luxury in terms of accommodations.

3. Jaime Migdalene, Flagstaff, AZ: I had met Jaime once, 6 years ago, at Jamie and Colleen's wedding when she came as Justin's date. I hadn't seen her since. But the way she opened her home to us, took us out for food and drink when we got in to town and then introduced us to a fantastic breakfast spot before we headed out, you would have thought we were long time neighbors hanging out as usual. That's how fantastic she is. Couple that with our mutual enjoyment of pissing off Justin, it was a great last stop before Cali.

We finally hit the Pacific Ocean around 6pm on Friday, June 25th. I had left Stony Brook around 2pm on June 21st. 97 hours total. Not too shabby... but I still don't want to do that again any time soon. While it was a relatively painless journey, it wasn't exactly the magical experience some tend to label it. Perhaps I'd feel different if I didn't have the specter of the written OB/Gyn boards on June 30th looming over me and making me feel rushed at all times. Maybe spending more quality time seeing monumental sites like the Grand Canyon or exploring the wineries of the midwest could have touched the soul.

Or maybe we would have ended up killing each other. Who knows.....

On to the next 50 days.....

Jerry.

Day 50

Lazy afternoon of recreational reading and people watching at The Living Room in La Jolla...

Day 49

Found this little piece of Christmas on my walk home from the movies...

Day 48

I walk by this gallery nearly every day and I haven't built up the guts to go inside....

Day 47

Girlfriend from Grenada....

Day 46

Coffeeshop? Check. Highlighter? Check. Free WiFi? Check.

All's good....

Day 45

I'll admit, this picture was not taken on day 45, but you know what?
It's my first day without girlfriend for the next 4 months, so sue me
if I want to look at her...

Day 44

The US Open of Sandcastles 2010 at Imperial Beach...

Day 43

With the return to the land of the living, I ordered what was, perhaps, the most preposterous breakfast dish I have ever seen a Hash House a Go-Go...

Days 41-42

So, Days 41-42 involved my first attending call at UCSD Hillcrest and then half a post-call day in the office. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity nor the will to take pictures by the 34th hour of being awake, at which point I fell into a deep coma, not to awaken until day 43......

Day 40

Movie night at Point Loma!

Day 39

Girlfriend's big day out today! This is our favorite tree as you enter Balboa Park....

Day 38

Kitchen is coming together quite nicely. We finally got a microwave!

Day 37

Though not taken ON Day 37, here is the fruit of our labor from the day...

Day 36

Pit stop at Newport Beach on our way down Highway 1....

Day 35

West Coast sunsets vs. East Coast sunrises....the jury's still out.

Day 34

A little bit of home to make it feel like home....

Day 33

The moon over Huntington Beach...

Day 31

A surprisingly family friendly place for dinner... 1st ave & Washington.

Day 32

I love antepartum patients with a good sense of humor....

Day 30

Back at the zoo...this time with some rug rats...

Day 29

Free couch...somehow, we got it to fit!

Day 28

Members!!

Day 27

You just can't complain when your walk to your car looks this nice!

Day 26

This is where you can get good coffee at UCSD, instead of the crappy coffee in the cafeteria...

Day 25

Coming home from our date night! Mexican food and a movie...

Day 24

Okay....so I'm lying a bit about this one. This was actually taken on Day 25. But I found another neighborhood sign! So all is forgiven...

Day 23

Getting some work done at Lestat's in Normal Heights...

Day 22

San Diego Pride Parade 2010

Day 21

Think I'll take my lunch in the courtyard...

Day 20

Sunset walk....

Day 19

Got my iced coffee, outdoor seat, perfect weather and free WiFi....what else does a nerd need?

Day 18

Most picturesque sunrise yet! Finally, no gray!

Day 17

It's not quite a corner office, but it'll do for a fellow...

Day 16

Just thought I'd snap a shot of our apartment building at night...we're first floor corner apartment overlooking the Union & Laurel intersection....

Day 15

So, San Diego has these neat signs throughout the city labeling certain neighborhoods and streets...my goal is to find them all. I've already posted Little Italy's....this one is from Normal Heights, where girlfriend and I found a supercool coffee shop...

Day 14

Awesome day....beautiful night! Just getting out....

Day 13

On Randi's recommendation, I took Regina to Yogurtland in Little Italy.....

Day 12

Day 11

A sunset stroll through Seaport Village. Note the rock formations on the lower right...a guy balanced those rocks one by one....

Day 10

A fitting end to a holiday weekend....

Day 9

4th of July...first day of call!

Day 8

She just couldn't resist....

Day 7

One week down, and so far so good...

Day 6...Happy New Year

First day as a fellow hasn't been too rough... was even able to have
lunch with Regina between office hours!