Packing

Sam makes fun of me because I pack my bags in advance- sometimes several days to a week ahead- every time I travel regardless of my destination.  The idea behind my method is that I have time to let the items roll around in my head and I have the chance to see something and remember that I meant to pack it, or to change my mind about a certain item of clothing that I did or didn't pack to begin with.  In short, it allows for reflection and possible change of mind.  Also, the trip REALLY starts to feel REAL once my bag is packed and sitting by the door.  

As you can probably imagine, seeing as this is my longest trip to date and it's international, I am packing in advance of our Saturday departure.  I stopped by The Container Store and bought a new 22" rolling suitcase today and some neat organizing bags to go inside of it: one for clean socks and underwear, one for medicine and first aid, one of those neat hanging cosmetics bags, a watertight bag for wet swim suits, and a watertight bag for several bottles of sunscreen.  The weather is supposed to be a high of 90 degrees and a low of 75 degrees throughout our trip, so I'm packing mostly tank tops and shorts of varying dressiness (some to walk around in and some to hike in) and lots of swimwear!  

Tomorrow I'm making a run to The Persimmon Tree to buy a new suit (or two!) for the trip and to the grocery store to pick up the fixings for Nonna's Santi's spaghetti and meatballs.  I also need to stock up on sunscreen!

Alrighty, I am off to watch the royal wedding of Prince William and Princess Catherine!

Sailing the Pacific

Sam and Kirellos had been planning yesterday's sailing trip since before Picnic Day.  It turned out to be a perfect day- the wind was blowing, the sun was shining, and we had some awesome hamburgers to grill.  

Kirellos taking us out of the harbor

Captain Kirellos & Sailor Sam 

Sunset over the Newport Harbor

A's v Angels 2011

Tonight was our annual A's v. Angels baseball game in Anaheim.  It also provided a great way for me to learn how to operate my new camera and get a little one-on-one training with Kirellos.

Working on the grill

Photo of the WHOLE group (medical students, dental students, significant others, etc)

Photo taken of a pitching mound conversation from our seats

Photo taken of first base from our seats

Sam's 424 roommates from CDM, in our seats for the game  

First Day of Unemployment

I haven't gotten the hang of sleeping in or going to bed early just yet, but I was very productive today.  I made myself a do do list and accomplished several more tasks than I had anticipated- yay!  Which is good because I feel like as soon as I cross something off I find out I have less over-all time to complete everything before we leave.  

The big ticket items were to do all the laundry (clothes, sheets, towels), and tidy the house.  I am going to leave the sweeping/moping for Saturday so that I'm sure everything is spic and span for graduation weekend after our return in June. 

I also bought a new camera for our trip- a fancy canon.  It's just nice enough that I think I'll have a lot of beautiful photos to commemorate our trip, but not so nice that I can't figure it out.

After I finished my errands and tasks for the day, Sam and I headed up to LA to have dinner with Pete & Margaux before our vacation.  They have very graciously offered to make our traveling easier by letting us keep a car in their parking garage rather than pay for parking at the airport/shuttle services, Margaux picking us up at LAX when we return, and having us stay in their guest room the night we arrive back in the US.  They are such amazing people- definitely some of my favorite relatives on either side of Sam and my families. 

Happy Easter

My last day of work on Friday went great.  I had a wonderful lunch with Michelle and Kelley before my exit interview with our HR manager, and then a few of my coworkers met up with some of the medical students and we all grabbed dinner and drinks at Durty Nelly's bar in Costa Mesa.  Kevin came down from Santa Barbara to visit his cousin Caitlin and they met up with us too.  It was quite the night!

Yesterday morning Sam and I left for Ventura to meet up with some of his relatives and celebrate seder.  His parents, grandpa, aunt, and uncle came down from Northern California, and Justin came down from Santa Barbara.  It was great. We stayed at a beautiful resort with HUGE rooms and had an amazing Easter Brunch.

On our way back to Orange County we stopped to check out some potential apartments for next year.  We're debating between Villa Coronado in Irvine and Gateway in Orange/Anaheim.  Both places 2 bedroom/2 bath floor plans, similar kitchens, washer/drier in unit, dishwasher, at lots of closet space. The former is in a very nice community in Irvine near parks and grocery stores.  The later is about a half mile (if that) from the UCI medical center, but it's right on the highway and the surrounding area isn't very nice.  I personally am leaning toward the Irvine location where I would be closer to our friends and feel more comfortable in my surroundings, but we'll have to think about it and see how much better it would be for Sam to be next door to the hospital and able to ride his bike.

Tomorrow I have a VERY long to-do list followed by dinner with Pete and Margaux.  I can't wait to see them- we are overdue to celebrate Sam's match as well as catch up before we leave on vacation.  A week from now we'll be getting ready to land!

One.More.Day.

Last night I went to my first professional basketball game- an LA Lakers playoff game with Amy. I think basketball was the last professional sport I hadn't seen live- clearly baseball and football were big family events when I was growing up, and I went to my first hockey game a couple of years ago, so this rounded out my pro-sport fandom.  

The game was really fun- the Lakers won- and it was really fun to see the players (omg they are tall).  Hopefully we can bring Sam along if we go to another game this post-season because I think he felt a little bit left out.  :-)  He went to watch the game at a bar with Steve, Mason, and Nick- who were pretty jealous from what I hear.  Lucky me!

On another note, my last day is tomorrow- YIPPEE!  I am really looking forward to Happy Hour with my coworkers tomorrow night, but I'm a little overwhelmed at the reality that we're leaving the country in a week and I won't be back for 31 days.  A few of the people I work with have asked if I have my bags packed, the truth is I still need to buy a suitcase!  I don't have a converter, I am nervous that the next 10 days are forecasted to be lightning and thunderstorms in Bangkok, and I am paranoid I am going to forget something major behind!  And I want to look at some of the apartments we might potentially move into next week before we go so that I have an idea what is available when we get back in June.

Picnic Day Recap

Picnic Day was a smashing success!  We slept in considerably compared to last year because my water polo game was at 11:00 instead of 10:00.  Sam, Kirellos, Lindsay and I took the bus over to campus while everyone else finished getting ready at Jackie's house.  The bus was relatively empty- just us, another couple, and 2 police officers- until the last stop before campus.  

We made it to Hickey Pool in time to see the end of the alumni boys club game.  They had hired two referees and the whole course was set up with shot clocks, the scoreboard, benches, etc.  A little different from when we had the first game last year!  We had Jonny ref for us, and we put the alumni team together from all of the girls who had completed their undergraduate coursework.  It was great to play with some of the girls I haven't had the opportunity to spend that much time with.

After the water polo game our crew wandered around the quad and munched on hot dogs for lunch.  We then trekked across campus to the Animal Science area to see the Rodeo Club exhibition, the work horse exhibition, and finally, Heidi's equestrian polo match.  The alumni won, as they should, and we all got to bake in the sunshine sitting in the bleachers. I think it was the first time Sam, Kirellos, and maybe Lindsay had seen equestrian polo.

All-in-all, it was a pretty mellow Picnic Day, we came home, napped, ordered in Chinese (our annual ritual) and rather than going out downtown, we stayed in and watched Role Models all lounging on Jackie's couches. 

Epic Picnic Day 2011 Road Trip



Jackie, Joe, Kirellos, Sam at Sushi

Friday was awesome!  Sam, Kirellos, and I picked up Jackie and Joe from their cruise at the port in Long Beach and we set off on our Epic Picnic Day 2011 Road Trip to Davis.  We took Kirellos's Chevy Tahoe instead of Sam's Acura Integra so there was plenty of room for us to spread out and for our bags in the trunk.  I hadn't seen Jackie and Joe since Halloween, and they looked great- probably because they were tan and rested from their crusie! 

The drive up seemed a LOT shorter than it ususally does, probably because we had so many people in the car.  When we've driven up in the last 2 years we've been alone in the car, and Sam usually sleeps while I'm driving so I tend to get a little bored.  Having more company was MUCH more entertaining and it was great to not be the one driving. 

We stopped at Joe's on the way through Sacramento and picked up his car and his X box so that the boys could play Black Ops while Jackie and I hit the store.  Before we ran errands, the four of us walked over and ate sushi at Sushi Nobu.  Lindsay came and met us at the restaurant and joined us on the provision-procuring mission to Safeway.  It was so strange to be rolling through Davis again, and Picnic Day is such a special weekend in that I have always felt like a college student again.  Although, this year I felt pretty much like an adult.  :-)  When we got back from the store, Heidi and Jared arrived from Ferndale and we were ready to begin the festivities!

Happy Trails

An email sent out by one of my favorite co-workers (Thanks B. Burnes!) to my closest friends at work, this made my day & reminded me how much I will miss some of my fellow Big Train-ers:

Gianna’s Big Train ride has reached the end of track and as she rides off into the sunset please join us to say “Happy Trails To You” after work on Friday April 22 at Durty Nelly’s, 2915 Red Hill Ave Suite G101, Costa Mesa CA 92626 (cross streets Bristol St N & Red Hill). So get off your caboose, bring your significant other, and join us for some good food and drink and to celebrate Gianna’s new adventures!

IT Band Issues

Lately, when I get home from the gym my right leg bothers me quite a bit.  Sam thinks it's my IT band, because I have a tenderness and soreness that starts on the lateral side of my leg just above the knee and moves up my leg toward my hip.  The pain stops before my hip, and the stretches I found online for the IT Band seem to stretch the area in question.

Sam asked me if I had taken time off since this started and I told him that it was really bothering me Saturday after I jogged for 45 minutes so I took Sunday and Monday off.  He laughed and told me that sounds like an athlete.  Looking back, it might have started after spin on the 31st, but I didn't really notice it until I had come home from running.  It's also something that tends to start bothering me after I get home from the gym rather than while I'm on the treadmill.

I'll have to email Amanda tomorrow and see what she thinks!

Ode to Sam

Sam is really awesome.  I mean over the moon awesome.  Tonight, while I'm sitting here catching up on archived episodes of Parenthood online and breaking in my new hiking boots, Sam is stuck taking call at the last minute.  He carpooled with Anna, who didn't have to stay late, so I'm waiting for him to call so that I can go pick him up.  It's unreal to me how hard he works.  He's up before me (most of the time) and he gets home after me (most of the time), and sometimes he's so exhausted he doesn't even have the energy to do fun things in his free time.  I know that in the long run this will pay off for him, but in the mean time, I am so in awe of his dedication to becoming an orthopedic surgeon.  

I am so thankful that we have this time before graduation to go off on our adventure.  The partners of orthopedic surgeons (I know a few) have assured me this will be a really good break for him and an opportunity for me to be stress-free while we both prioritize having fun and living each minute to the fullest.  Until then, here's something to focus on... only 18 days until I am in Thailand!

Let the Countdown Commence

And by countdown, I mean both of them.  

• 12 more days as a Big Train, Inc. employee.  
• 20 days until we leave for Southeast Asia

And believe me, the next 3 weeks will be busy!  

I'm responsible for planning the portion of our trip in Bali.  I've reserved hotels, set up SCUBA diving, booked guided tours of the mountain temples, and arranged travel to and from the airport.  Sam is responsible for planning Cambodia and Thailand.  He had me email potential hotels and diving programs today.  Later on this afternoon we're hoping to go by REI and try on some hiking boots so they're broken in by the time we arrive in Southeast Asia.  Dear God, we still have a LOT to do.  

Friday Sam and I are driving up to Davis with Kirellos, Jackie, and Joe for Picnic Day.  Kirellos, a fellow UCD alum is joining us this year, and Jackie and Joe are finishing a cruise out of Long Beach on Friday so they're catching a ride up with us.  Road trip!

April 22nd is my last day of work, and also Earth Day.  I imagine it will be pretty sad to walk out those doors after 3 and a half years, but I'm so looking forward to our vacation.

April 23rd is seder dinner at Sue's cousin's house in Ventura.  Sam and I are going up to celebrate passover and spend time with Sue, Rich, and Justin.  As always, I am really excited because passover is my favorite of the Jewish holidays.  The best one so far was when Sue and Rich hosted and Justin lead dinner, but the first ones at Lisa and Scott's house will always be special to me, as will the ones in Ventura, and last year's seder at the Nageotte's house.

And then it's the home stretch and final few days until we leave the country.  We've got an A's v Angels game, some hanging out with friends, trying to figure out our housing for next year, and a LOT of packing.  Before we know it, it will be April 30, our last full day in the US!

Resignation

After 3 and a half years at Big Train, Inc. I submitted my resignation today.  If you're paying attention to this blog, you know that Sam and I have been planning our vacation to Southeast Asia, as well as a move closer to the hospitals.  Unfortunately I can't justify the expensive and time consuming commute and I'm also ready to move on to a new adventure where I have a chance to continue growing.

It was incredibly difficult breaking the news to my regional sales director who has mentored me and given me amazing opportunities to grow professionally and personally in the time we've worked together.  I sincerely hope that someday I have the chance to work directly for him, I think he brings a LOT to the table and I could learn a lot from him.

I also had a really great conversation with our VP of Sales, whom I respect greatly.  He said some really wonderful things that made me realize that I am capable of a lot more than I really give myself credit for.  It was a very empowering conversation and I think I'm ready for this new chapter, although I did tell him that I was leaving the door open and would love to work with him again in the future.  You never know where the road of life will take you...

After that, I made the point to break the news to the IT Director, Logistics Coordinator, and National Accounts Director personally because I have grown to know them personally as well as professionally over the last couple of years.  I am so thankful for the lessons I've learned and the friends I have made.  2 weeks to go until the new chapter of my begins....

Carpe Diem!

Grades are Back

I didn't realize this until college, but it turns out I enjoy school.  Sure, I stress about finals and projects, but I actually enjoy learning and taking exams and seeing how much I've learned.  I realize that school is just like sports- you practice (study/learn) and compete (take exams) to see how you fall in comparison with your peers.  Of course, with that mentality, winning is the only option since every Santi knows 2nd place is the 1st loser.*

I got my final grades back from my winter quarter classes through the UCI extensions program.  The class I took on campus with lectures came back an A, which was no surprise.  The online class, a B.  I have some serious issues with that.  First of all, my professor graded each assignment and test prior to submitting final letter grades to the registrar.  According to his initial scoring, I earned an A.  Two days after I had calculated my final grade I received an email that he had submitted a score for an assignment I had already received a grade for.  He had knocked me down 1 point extra, giving me 89% of the possible points in the class and demoting me to a B.  Seriously?  Look sir, if you want to give me a B because I didn't post discussion comments on 2 of the 10 weeks of the class and 4 of the 10 weeks I didn't comment on the posts of my peers that is fine by me.  BUT DON'T MODIFY THE SCORES YOU GAVE ME AFTER THE FACT BECAUSE YOU NEED THE MATH TO REFLECT ME GETTING A B. According to your first calculation, the gut feeling you had when you graded each component of my final score, I earned an A.  Jesus, at the very least can you keep all the grades to yourself and just tamper with it privately so that I don't know you screwed me over?!?

Needless to say, I did not love the online class. In general, I feel the program doesn't take itself very seriously, and even though we're staying in Orange County I'm not sure I'd continue the marketing program unless it would help me professionally.  It's pretty expensive, I won't be able to walk to classes after our lease in graduate housing is up, and the certificate may not even be taken very seriously by employers. 

* Yes, this is probably an unhealthy level of competitive spirit, I know that.  Deal with it.

April Already?!?

The last 8 days seem to have passed in the blink of an eye.  My cousin and my Aunt flew in from Hawaii for a volleyball tournament April 1-3.  Sam and I got to visit with them and my grandparents, which was really nice because my cousin and Sam both graduate on June 4th  (her from high school and him from medical school) so we won't be able to celebrate altogether.  Ali is headed to Georgia Tech to play volleyball, and I am pretty impressed by her.  Here's a clip from one of her games- Go Ali:

After two exciting games, Sam and I started looking for housing in Long Beach.  Let's be real, I know NOTHING about Long Beach, but the good thing is we have some friends in the area who can give us some input from before we sign a lease.  We mostly looked in Belmont Shores but also Seal Beach, and most of the vacancies were for immediate rental.  Obviously, that's not quite what we're looking for!  Emily told Sam the first thing he needs to do is figure out at what hospital he'll be spending most of his time, and then we should move accordingly- sounds smart to me!  We'll see how that goes.

In recent news, on Monday after work my Mom called from Northstar to tell me my Dad had injured himself skiing with their friends Lisa and Michael.  These are the photos I got from her today:

Turns out he did in fact break a bone... well done, Dad!  So much for softball season.  I don't have all the details yet, but I think it's pretty bad ass that he is rocking a purple cast.

Also today, Sam finally got his packet from UCI with the information for his residency program.  Please note the way in which they addressed Sam... his ego is mighty large tonight, but I can't deny that I'm pretty proud of him.  Sam did notice the date the letter was written and he hopes this isn't the cruelest April Fools Day joke of his life.  

He also got confirmation that he will in fact be getting his diploma in June- yay for graduating!  So exciting, and yet unreal at the same time.  It feels like we just finished college, and here we are getting ready for him to complete graduate school.  My God, time flies!

Speaking of big moments, stay tuned for a big announcement on Friday!  And no, it does not involve the exchange of jewelry or me saying yes.