Monday, December 12, 2011

MIA

I can't really say life has been crazy as much as it has been wonderful lately! But that means I've been a terrible slacker with the blog. Soon enough, the blog is getting a makeover and I'm hoping that will inspire me to get some more reader-friendly posts your way! 

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season! 

via pinterest

Monday, November 28, 2011

Working Out

I guess Thanksgiving has me feeling guilty. I've been meaning to be better about working out. I started with Camp Gladiator back in September, and it was awesome. The workouts are intense and there's always someone there to keep you going. The only thing I don't like about it is the times/places the workouts are available. While there are a number of locations, the times at the locations closest to me aren't all that convenient to my schedule. While I still do occasional camps, I'm not good about going every chance I get. I've been seeing the Bodyrock workouts on Pinterest for months. Today, I'm getting started. The home workout revolution has swayed me. All of Bodyrock.tv's workouts are fairly short and the results look amazing. Maybe for the New Year I'll consider changing my diet too. Maybe.

Today: I'm starting with some of her older stuff. Today we're starting with the first part of her Rock Your Body group of workouts. Wish me luck!

Think you wanna join in on the fun? Check it out: http://www.bodyrock.tv/ 



Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Turkey Day

From sweet--bits.blogspot.com

It's been a rough year in some parts. But I made it through my 2nd year of residency, my family survived the loss of my parents home, and I've got new people in my life making it a great one. There's so much to be thankful for this holiday season. What are you most thankful for? 

And on that note, what's your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner? I think I have to go with my mom's sweet potato casserole. Yum!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

All I Want For Christmas

Now that I've completed almost every bit of my own Christmas shopping, here's the things I'd love to find under the tree for me! What do YOU want for Christmas?
Etsy.com

Brookstone

Victoria's Secret

oneofakindantiques.com


ProShop


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Time For Thanks

Image courtesy of: http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2008/10/thanks-and-giving.html

Last night, I had the pleasure of enjoying dinner on behalf of my patient's family. Yes, the one I blogged about a while back. The one that means so much to me. His family has become more than just the loved ones of someone I was able to help, but dear friends of mine. Their friends treated me (and my date!) to a fantastic dinner at Lemongrass in Deep Ellum. For you Dallasites, I highly recommend it. Fantastic Vietnamese--and they even kept things peanut free at my request! I'll keep this post short and to the point. My boyfriend (yes, I said it!) and I had a terrific time catching up with the family and friends that I've spent so much time getting to know as their son recovers. I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, but nearing the top of the list is my patient's recovery, the new friends I've made because of his course, and the meaning which it gives me for my career. Thank you again to those of you who were so gracious in spending your evening with me. You know who you are. :)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Happy Halloween!


Happy Halloween readers! While I am on call for the official All Hallow's Eve, I'll be out with the rest of you enjoying my weekend playing up the likes of someone else! I can't wait to see the costumes! Please be safe on your adventures!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Small Town America

New England's Smaller Towns

Massachusetts
Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6
State Income Tax: 0%


Northampton
Location: Western Massachusetts
Population: 28,978
Ethnicity: 84% Caucasian, 7% Hispanic, 3% African-American, 4% Asian
Median Resident Age: 37.3
Crime Index: 259.1
Average High Jan/July: 33/82
Average Low Jan/July: 13/59
Median Household Income: $50,455
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Cost of Living Index: 112.2
Median House/Condo Value: $289,766
Average Home Price in 2009: $325,319
Median Rent: $844
Getting There: 45 minutes from Hartford Airport


Newton
Location: Boston Suburbs
Population: 84,600
Ethnicity: 81% Caucasian, 4% Hispanic, 2% African-American, 10% Asian
Median Resident Age: 38.7
Crime Index: 90.0
Average High Jan/July: 34/81
Average Low Jan/July: 18/62
Median Household Income: $108,686
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Cost of Living Index: 140.3
Median House/Condo Value: $685,400
Average Home Price in 2009: $745,249
Median Rent: $1471
Getting There: 45 minutes from downtown Boston




Edgartown
Location: Martha's Vineyard
Population: 4,067
Ethnicity: 93% Caucasian, 1% Hispanic, 2% African-American, 1% Asian
Median Resident Age: 40.3
Crime Index: 163.3
Average High Jan/July: 39/79
Average Low Jan/July: 22/62
Median Household Income: $68,675
Unemployment Rate: 16.4%
Cost of Living Index: 110.7
Median House/Condo Value: $667,632
Average Home Price in 2009: $875,155
Median Rent: ---
Getting There: 45 minutes from Boston airport or Providence airport to ferry

New Hampshire

Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6
State Income Tax: 0%


Nashua
Location: Southern New Hampshire
Population: 86,494
Ethnicity: 81% Caucasian, 9% Hispanic, 2% African-American, 7% Asian
Median Resident Age: 35.8
Crime Index: 201.0
Average High Jan/July: 33/83
Average Low Jan/July: 12/59
Median Household Income: $58,789
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Cost of Living Index: 118.8
Median House/Condo Value: $248,500
Average Home Price in 2009: $287,823
Median Rent: $1014
Getting There: 40 minutes north of Boston



Portsmouth
Location: New Hampshire Coast
Population: 21,233
Ethnicity: 90% Caucasian, 2% Hispanic, 3% African-American, 4% Asian
Median Resident Age: 38.5
Crime Index: 174.6
Average High Jan/July: 35/80
Average Low Jan/July: 18/59
Median Household Income: $58,492
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Cost of Living Index: 136.7
Median House/Condo Value: $309.723
Average Home Price in 2009: $385,926
Median Rent: $1077
Getting There: 55 minutes from Boston airport, 50 mintues from Manchester airport, 50 minutes from Portland airport

Maine

Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6
State Income Tax: 0%

Credit: Deborah Andrews http://www.preservationnation.org/
Portland
Location: Maine Coast
Population: 66,194 (516,826 metro)
Ethnicity: 85% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, 6% African-American, 3% Asian
Median Resident Age: 35.7
Crime Index: 303.0
Average High Jan/July: 31/79
Average Low Jan/July: 13/59
Median Household Income: $42,010
Unemployment Rate: 6.5%
Cost of Living Index: 104.7
Median House/Condo Value: $257,245
Average Home Price in 2009: $304,245
Median Rent: $830
Getting There: Portland Airport

Rhode Island

Average Medical Liability Premium: $44,000 to $57,000
# of MDs/100k: 376
# of cases/1,000: 2.85
State Income Tax: 9.9%


Newport
Location: Rhode Island Coast
Population: 24,672
Ethnicity: 88% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, 6% African-American, 1% Asian
Median Resident Age: 34.9
Crime Index: 266.2
Average High Jan/July: 38/78
Average Low Jan/July: 23/64
Median Household Income: $55,916
Unemployment Rate: 12.8%
Cost of Living Index: 117.5
Median House/Condo Value: $408,894
Average Home Price in 2009: $616,510
Median Rent: $1021
Getting There: 45 minutes from Providence, 90 minutes from Boston

Vermont

Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6
State Income Tax: 0%


Brattleboro
Location: Southern Vermont
Population: 12,046
Ethnicity: 93% Caucasian, 2% Hispanic, 1% African-American, 2% Asian
Median Resident Age: 39.2
Crime Index: 291.5
Average High Jan/July: 31/83
Average Low Jan/July: 9/57
Median Household Income: $37,382
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%
Cost of Living Index: 98.0
Median House/Condo Value: $196,999
Average Home Price in 2009: $206,378
Median Rent: $704
Getting There: Providence Airport


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Providence

Providence, RI


The People:
Population Metro: 1.6 million
Population City: 178,052 (July 2010)
Ethnicity: 41% Hispanic, 36% Caucasian, 14% African American, 7% Asian
Median Resident Age: 28.1
Crime Index: 440.1 (US average 319.2)

The Weather:
Annual Rainfall: 45.5
Annual Snowfall: 35.9
Days with Precip: 125
Days with Snow: 19
Sunshine Hours: 2607/yr
Average Jan/July High: 28/73
Average Jan/July Low: 19/63

The Money:
Median Household Income: $37,619
Unemployment Rate: 13.3%
Cost of Living Index: 99.3
State Income Tax: 9.9%

The Homes:
Median House/Condo Value: $227,600
Average Home Price in 2009: $345,750
Median Rent: $914

The Medicine:
Average Medical Liability Premium: $44,000 to $57,000
# of MDs/100k: 376
# of cases/1,000: 2.85

Getting Home:
Distance to Amarillo: 1897 miles
Airlines: Continental, United, Southwest

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Manchester

Manchester, NH


http://www.photopro44.com/

The People:
Population Metro: 400,721
Population City: 109,395 (July 2009)
Ethnicity: 84% Caucasian, 8% Hispanic, 4% African-American, 3% Asian
Median Resident Age: 34.9
Crime Index: 322.9 (US average 319.2)

The Weather:
Annual Rainfall: 40
Annual Snowfall: 47
Days With Precip: 121
Days with Snow: 17
Average High Temp Jan/July: 32/82
Average Low Temp Jan/July: 5/55

The Money:
Median Household Income: $48,720
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
Cost of Living Index: 119.5
State Income Tax: 0%

The Homes:
Median House/Condo Value: $230,900
Average Home Price in 2009: $256,276
Median Rent: $936

The Medicine:
Average Medical Liability Premium: $37k-$49k
# of MDs/100k: 275.0
# of cases/1,000k: 2.1

Getting Home:
Distance to Amarillo: 1971 miles
Airlines: Continental, United, Southwest

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Boston

Boston

www.hotelsbostonma.org/
The Place
Location: Eastern edge of Massachusetts on Boston Bay

The People:
Population Metro: 4.6 million
Population City: 645,169 (July 2009)
Ethnicity: 51% Caucasian, 22% African-American, 16% Hispanic, 8% Asian
Median Resident Age: 31.1
Crime Index: 420.5 (US average 319.2)
Politics: 32% Republican, 68% Democrat (2008 Results)

The Weather:
Annual Rainfall: 41.5 inches
Annual Snowfall: 42.4 inches
Days with Precip: 126
Days with Snow: 22.5
Sunshine Hours: 2638
Average High Jan/July: 36/82
Average Low Jan/July: 22/65

The Money:
Median Household Income: $55,979
Unemployment Rate: 6.8%
Cost of Living Index: 140.2
State Income Tax: 5.3%

The Homes:
Median House/Condo Value: $375,700
Average Home Price in 2009: $553,032
Median Real Estate Property Taxes: $2,652
Median Rent: $1,196

The Medicine:
Average Medical Liability Premium: $40,000
# of MDs/100k: 469
# of cases/1,000: 2.46

Getting Home:
Distance to Amarillo: 1933 miles
Airlines: Southwest, American, Continental, United

Monday, October 24, 2011

Where I'm Coming From

While looking into moving to New England, it's only fair to compare it to "where I come from", i.e. Amarillo and as of late, Dallas. Essentially, these are the only places in Texas I'd want to live if I stuck around.

Amarillo
www.redwingaerials.com/amarillo.html

The Place
Location: Panhandle of Texas

The People:
Population Metro: 249,881
Population City: 189,389 (July 2009)
Ethnicity: 62% Caucasian, 27% Hispanic, 7% African-American, 2% Asian
Median Resident Age: 33.5
Crime Index: 533.0
Politics: 56% Republican, 44% Democrat (2008 Results)

The Weather:
Annual Rainfall: 19.6 inches
Annual Snowfall: 15.5 inches
Days with Precip: 72
Days with Snow: 12
Sunshine Hours: 3299/yr
Average High Jan/July: 50/91
Average Low Jan/July: 23/65

The Money:
Median Household Income: $41,759
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Cost of Living Index: 84.4
State Income Tax: 0%

The Homes:
Median House/Condo Value: $102,800
Average Home Price in 2009: $121,401
Median Rent: $657

The Medicine:
Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6

Dallas
Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Place
Location: "North" Texas

The People:
Population Metro: 6 million
Population City: 1,299,543 (July 2009)
Ethnicity: 43% Hispanic, 31% Caucasian, 22% African American, 3% Asian
Median Resident Age: 30.5
Crime Index: 546.2 (US average 319.2)
Politics: 35% Republican, 65% Democrat (2008 Results)

The Weather:
Annual Rainfall: 33.3 inches
Annual Snowfall: 2.5 inches
Days with Precip: 79.2
Days with Snow: 1.9
Sunshine Hours: 2849/yr
Average High Jan/July: 55/96
Average Low Jan/July: 36/77

The Money:
Median Household Income: $39,829
Unemployment Rate: 8.6%
Cost of Living Index: 94.4
State Income Tax: 0%

The Homes:
Median House/Condo Value: $135,600
Average Home Price in 2009: $210,881
Median Rent: $784

The Medicine:
Average Medical Liability Premium: $20,000 to $107,000
# of physicians/100,000: 214
Average # of disciplinary actions of boards/1,000: 2.6

Getting Home:
Distance to Amarillo: 363 miles (Southwest, American Airlines direct flights 1 hour)


Sunday, October 23, 2011

Could I Make the Move?

I'll admit. When I travel, I often come home thinking "I could live there. Forever." But no where does that really feel more true than when I visit the northeastern coast and New England. So where am I headed when residency is over? These days, I'm looking to call New England home. My biggest problem is figuring out WHERE. New England isn't easy, and leaving Texas isn't either.


Yes, it's colder than Texas. I'm welcome to that change after this year's miserable summer. 

New England's cost of living is much higher than here in Texas, even Dallas. 

Besides Boston, New England proper doesn't have a lot of really BIG cities. 

New England has a lot of medium sized cities and thousands of small towns.

I have no clue what hospital does what, where, etc.

I have no clue what it's like to commute up there or even if it's worth commuting.

What I do know is that I love the architecture, the weather for 9 months a year, most of the people, and overall sense of infatuation I have when I'm there.

So, New England show me what you've got. Over the next week, I'm going to examine some of my top prospects for the next step. Feel free to chime in!

Also, if you have advice for moving to the Northeast, it's much appreciated.

Friday, October 21, 2011

New England: A Place in My Heart

Maine Coast

Maine Coast

York Beach, Maine

Oqunquit, ME

God Bless America

Taking in the breeze on Marginal Way

Catching the sunset in Kennebunkport, Maine

Seriously good sunset.

Luxurious night in Stowe, Vermont

Playing tourist in Killington, Vermont

Capturing history. You can't actually use this bridge except as a pedestrian or on a bicycle these days

Moose. Always Brake for Moose.

Essentially a watercolored landscape

More beautiful trees starting to turn

Can't get enough of fall

I love oranges and reds.

 
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