Bunnies and Lay-Ups, This Year's Harbingers of Fall

For the second year in a row, I didn't post a September entry. But fear not, dear readers, as I will return back to that first month of Fall to recount my adventures.

The first few weeks of September Karin and I had a serious case of Seattle Storm fever. At the risk of seeming lesbian cliche, we were swept up in the excitement of WNBA finals where Seattle's best ever sports team (both subjectively an objectively) fought for the championship. Names like Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson (MVP) and Sue Bird were tossed around on a daily basis. Personally, I am a Tanisha Wright fan (she's smaller and has a killer sneak-attack lay-up that gets me every time -- see photo at right). We managed to score free courtside Western Conference play-off tickets from a friend early in the month and were hooked on play-off games, making every one in Seattle thereafter! Like good Seattle fans, we stood in the rain for hours to see the victory parade (I got a high five from Sue Bird!) and then, dripping wet, we continued the celebration in Key Arena downtown. It's been a long stretch since I've been able to enjoy a home sports victory (Go Wings!) and it felt especially sweet celebrating a woman's team and one so gay and family-friendly! Have I mentioned how much I love Seattle?

Coming off the high of Storm championship wasn't easy, but we managed well enough. I played for Lullaby Moon again (recall I did this with Karin last year in the pouring rain). This time is was a smaller group of musicians (Karin opted out this round) and a much larger (and thankfully drier) crowd. The estimate was around 4,000 spectators. The images from the event are, of course, spectacular and you can see them here. I peppered this blog with them as well. Seattle is certainly quirky and fun and it pleased me immensely to see thousands of people show up for such an esoteric arts event in a city park!

Later in the month I attended GLMA's annual conference and my last board meeting as Resident/Trainee Representative to the Board of Directors. I also ran two workshops and did one evidence-based presentation. Overall it was a very busy conference for me and while I crashed a couple nights with my Aunts in Ocean Beach I didn't get to see much outside of the six days of meetings and conference. I have mixed feelings about being off the board, I am glad to have one less thing on my very full plate but I will miss having some input into the organization.

I'm not going to lie. It will be nice to have more time to devote to wedding planning and preparations! We decided a wedding planner was out of our budget and have been doing everything ourselves. Honestly, it hasn't been too bad, but we haven't done anything really hard yet. We refuse to be bridezillas and big and schmaltzy isn't our style, so that helps a lot. We have started working on a website (or "wed-site" as they call it in the wedding website world) and made save the date cards with pictures from our fun photo shoot. Seriously, folks, planning a wedding is work! I'd joke about going to a Justice of the Peace but that's not an option in our state. Still, it's a party and it's going to be a blast. I only wish we had unlimited budget so we could invite everyone! Alas, food and places to eat it in cost a pretty penny.

And speaking of pennies... it's time to start thinking about work for me. I am still having occasional nightmares about residency and occasionally even hear a phantom pager going off. Nonetheless, at some point I will need money. October 1st I made my first loan payments since med school (24 years and 11 months to go!) and reality is kicking in. So despite the past month of grown men dressed as bunny rabbits, clocks riding ponies, sneaky Tanisha lay-ups and gay medical conferences I have been smacked by reality and need to be pragmatic. But not right this second. I can play summer vacation just a little bit longer...