Into the great wide open -->

5 months in...it's something, how time flies. Just flies. At this point I'm 5 months into my pharmacy residency - specifically, Community Practice Residency with the University of Iowa, at Mercy Family Pharmacy-Dubuque (and the Blogger dictionary doesn't recognize Dubuque? wtf?) - so, nearly halfway through my year, which ends next June. I was talking with my residency director today - actually, going through what turned into a 3-hour-long assessment of my first 5 months (which turned out well, if you're wondering) - and she asked me if I'd started looking for jobs/thinking about where I wanted to go post-residency. And I had...I just hadn't hit it too seriously. I haven't updated my resume/CV (maybe tomorrow..) and have only perused a few job opportunities. All of them are at least part-time pharmacy faculty positions, in fact. But, I suppose it's time, even if it's still 7 months until this gig finishes. I was in the same boat exactly 12 months ago, and about to head to Las Vegas for the annual pharmacy residency fair. Surprisingly, I'm also about to head back to Las Vegas this weekend, just for very different reasons. 

 It's my buddy Mike's bachelor party, of course. Based on a pure financial analysis, this might not be the most sound decision I've made in my life. However...however...and it has nothing to do with The Hangover - I've always wanted to do a bachelor party somewhere like Vegas, and I figured this was probably my only chance. Not that I had to...but what the heck.

In other news...the Sunfire is officially dead...and the Sonata, thankfully, takes her place!

Such a huge change from my little Sunfire - 4 doors, V6, A/C, power windows/locks/seats, moonroof, only 35,000 miles, huuuge trunk, every airbag imaginable. Real nice!


And now...for a list of things I currently like:::


- the thought of a 4 day Thanksgiving vacation headed my way in less than 48 hours
- on top of that, a 5 day trip to Anaheim the following weekend (unfortunately, it doesn't look like the weather will be all that fantastic for either trip...)
- wait, there's more: 8 days in Mexico coming up following Christmas at the Laird house (resort) in Mexico (and no, I did NOT know about this until Amy and I had been dating for a bit)
- the Packers playoff/Super Bowl chances this year. They are certainly the best team in their division, and no other team in the NFC really scares me, unless Michael Vick can play like he did last week on MNF.
- the Badgers chances of returning to the Rose Bowl (or a BCS bowl, at worst) this year for the first time in 11 years...Teach me how to Bucky!
- Skillet's Awake & Alive
- The Deathly Hallows Part 1: saw it this weekend, and yes, like the book, it gets a bit long in parts but sticks closely to its plot. Which is what you, I, and everyone else really wants. 
- the coming of snow, if only for two reasons: being at home with nowhere to go while the snow slowly drifts down outside and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, and the opportunity to finally get back on the slopes, albeit at Sundown Mountain near Dubuque. Amy finally traded her snowboard in for a pair of skis (check that: while she was at work, I stood in line for over an hour at the ski swap, making the exchange) and I can't wait for us to hit the slopes together!
- getting back in to the swing of things at the gym. The last month or so + has been rough, as busy as I've ever been before. I've worked out each of the past 2 days and feel great about it, and have Cali/Mexico to get ready for, of course...
- the new batch of winter lagers coming out...who doesn't love a little coriander in their brew? Check out Summit's Winter Ale and Sam Adams' Winter Lager.