Ducks in Ireland

Match Says Sean's Coming Home......

2009-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is official, the results are in. Sean has obtained a categorical position for General Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University. I am overjoyed with this result and look forward to coming back to treat the citizens of Oregon, spend quality time with family and friends, and reunite with Belinda who continues to work on the hill. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me throughout this great trek. My world perspective has been greatly enhanced by my time in Ireland, which has become a second home. I will dearly miss my classmates and the people of Munster who have taken me in and supported me on every occasion.

Match Day Success

2009-03-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

To all those who continue to follow my career path, you will be happy to know that I have indeed Matched to a General Surgical Residency program beginning in July 2009. At this time I still do not know where I will be located, but with fingers crossed and a word to the Man upstairs, Oregon would be a true blessing. Will post the final results as they come in around Thursday 1PM Eastern time. Slan

My promise for Lent...

2009-03-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

...is to avoid my snooze alarm. This may not sound like a big deal, but it is REALLY hard to do, especially if you love the snooze button like I do (although I will have to say that I am not as bad as Sean!) Anyone tried this? I dare you...see how long you last!

Anyone else have a promise for Lent??

Meet Missy

2009-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

This is Missy ..she is the newest addition to the Houghton family! My parents were thinking about adopting a dog for about a month, so they finally went ahead and got her! According to the shelter, she is a 2.5yr old female beagle/australian shephard mix found on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. She is super sweet, cute, although still a little quiet and shy, for she is still getting used to us. She does really well in her kennel at night and absolutely loves her pillow. She hasn't been playing with her toys much yet, but this could change in time.

Here are some initial pictures, I hope to take more this weekend...

A Great Birthday!

2009-01-31T19:48:00.001-08:00

First, I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughtful and warm birthday grettings today! I don't do well with lots of attention (which will make my wedding day interesting...) but part of me has to admit that it is nice, so thank you everyone!

Overall, I had a great birthday. The celebration started the night before when Amanda and I had dinner at Paragon followed by a much needed girls' tea session at Tea Chai Te on NW 23rd. I then came home and found this bouquet of roses and lilies which Sean sent to me...

...attached with this note

This morning, Sean and I had a nice long chat on Skype, which was followed by pedicures with Sarah and Diane!

Tonight, my parents, Mick, Sarah, Finn and Diane and myself went to Piazza Italia for a great dinner! Diane, Sarah, Mick, and Finn also suprised me with a beautiful bouquet of paper flowers and my very own bubble tea set, which I am excited to try!

At the end of the meal, the owner was very generous and treated us with a big plate of tiramisu! He wanted to sing happy birthday to me, but apparently wasn't a fan of my name. Instead of 'Belinda', he renamed me 'Rosita' and led the restaurant in song!

The only thing that could have made this day better was to have Sean here. I am hoping that the residency match computer will give me a belated birthday present on March 19th and send Sean back home to me! Thanks again everyone for making this a great day!

General Surgery Rank Lists

2009-01-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

As the past three months have passed, I have personally logged some 12,000 miles of travel distance, and have put down one heck of a carbon footprint. Apologies to Mother Nature :) It has been a great experience overall to visit some very prestigious institutions of medicine and surgery, and my five years in Ireland has led to very interesting questions during my interview sessions. Favorite questions asked of me:

1) So is the buzz about Ireland really true? Is it more green than Oregon?
2) What's your drink?
3) If one was to travel, where would they go?

All great craic really. I have been well received and amazed by the exceptional comments Chairmen/Chairwomen and Program Directors have made about my experiences and accomplishments. I remain humbled by the whole process and excited that my dream of a career in surgey will be answered in less than 50 days! At present my ranking list has not been certified, but at present this is the list to date:

Catagorical

1) Oregon and Health Science University
2) Mayo School of Graduate Education
3) Penn State (Hershey Medical Center)
4) University of Kansas, Kansas City

Preliminary

5) Johns Hopkins
6) University of Washington
7) Hospital of University of Pennsylvania
8) Yale University
9) Oregon Health & Science University
10) Mayo School of Graduate Education
11) University of Washington
12) Penn State (Hershey Medical Center)

Wish us luck, and thanks for continuing to check in on Belle and I through the days, months, years. Slainte.

A Houghton-McCully-Posner Christmas

2009-01-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

I know that I'm a bit behind on this blog, but thought I'd post a few picutres from Christmas (courtesy of Sarah).

Sean arrived safely in Portland during the snowstorm(at 1:30am) and we'd like to thank Mick again for providing the ride to and from the aiport. We felt bad because he lost a chain on I-84 in the process, although I found out last night that Les Schwab gave him a new set of chains, free of charge!! Apparently the chains are not supposed to snap in half while you are driving (which is exactly what happened!) The next day Sean and I played with Finn in the snow and took him for a ride on his new sled that Mick built.

Christmas was nice and quiet, which is exactly what we needed!! Sean and I made Christmas Eve dinner at Sarah & Mick's. Sean experimented and made pancetta-wrapped scallops. He said they were a bit over done, but I thought they were to die for!!!

The next day we all headed to my parents house for Christmas Day dinner. I just think it is so great that our families come together for days like this.

The week after Christmas, the McCullys & Posners headed north for their annual trip to Whistler, while Sean and I stayed in Portland to watch Mina and Brodie for the week. I love going to Whistler, but it was nice to stay home and relax. Sean and I also don't get to spend a lot of time together, especially now since I live in Portland and he's in Cork, so it was nice to have that quiet time together. Taking care of the dogs was fun too (although waking up at 6:30am every morning to Mina licking my hand was a bit rough!).

Sean is now safe and sound back in Ireland, but it was sad to see him go on Sunday. However, five months isn't long compared to a lifetime together, right? We hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year, and we wish everyone all the best for 2009!!!

More snow and upset electricity gods

2008-12-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

After our last post, we got another six inches of snow another 4-8 inches are forecasted for today. The snow is absolutely gorgeous, and I just can't believe how much we have!

However, with lots of snow and ice comes power outages. At one point, close to 70,000 people were without power in the Portland area, and unfotunately the electricity gods were not happy with the Houghton household. The power went out around 8:30am on Monday. Luckily our house is very well insulated so it took a little while for the temperature to go down. Dad also had the propane well stocked just in case this happened. He was actually quite pleased to use the BBQ to cook our lunch that day.

When the power did not come back later in the day, we started to get a bit worried, especially with temperatures dipping into the 20's that night. So, Mick came to our rescue in the FJ and the Houghton clan stayed at the McCully-Posner's for the night.

Power is back on now (YAY!), and we're really excited about our prime rib Christmas dinner tomorrow! Happy Christmas everyone!!!

Anything else weather gods?

2008-12-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

The icebox otherwise known as Portland, Oregon has been hit with almost a foot of snow, freezing rain, sleet, and wind over the past week. As long as I can stay home and can head out for walks once in a while, I really enjoy the snow. Its pretty and gives a real quiet feeling in the air, which is nice. However, it makes for quite the commute up to Marquam Hill for work each day. Luckily I was able to stay a couple days with Amanda over at her townhouse in Beaverton, which is conveniently next to the MAX line. I love being out in the snow, but I really REALLY hope that my boss lets me have a 'work from home' day tomorrow! The two-hr commute to and from work is starting to wear on me a bit.

Sean has been in Pennsylvania since Friday and had his interview at Penn State on Saturday morning. He said it went really well and enjoyed the interviews he had! He also said that Penn State would be an exciting place to do a residency as the medical center is quickly expanding, with many new opportunities in the near future. We'd also like to thank Gregg and Jenni for letting Sean stay at their apartment! I haven't seen it (only pictures) but he was really impressed with it! Sean just arrived in Philadelphia this afternoon for his interview at the University of Pennsylvania tomorrow morning. After that, he will head to the airport to come home...well, we hope! Most flights to and from PDX have been cancelled this weekend, which is making me a bit nervous. So everyone, please keep your fingers crossed for a safe trip and on-time flight for Sean! He has been travelling so much lately, and the last thing he needs is to be stuck in an airport.

Dad and I were getting a little bit of cabin fever, so we decided to 'hike' out to the store.

Dad ready to brave the elements

Snow covered cars

Check out this tree. Something tells me its not supposed to be that droopy...

...especially since it almost took out this street sign!

A Good Use of Lab Supplies

2008-12-11T12:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, the Brooks lab had a beer & pizza party with the Andresen and Habecker Labs. It was awesome! Definitely a great way to spend my Wednesday afternoon.

I knew there was a reason for having that ice machine!!

Sean and Belle go to Mayo...Part 2

2008-12-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

Sean and I had a great time in Rochester, despite the cold! Sean's interviews went really well and we both have to say, from both a medical and research perspective, that Mayo is one impressive place! I also found the 'subway' quite memorable. When Sean told me that we were taking the 'subway', I pictured concrete walls and a dodgy train. Oh no, this was a heated, carpeted underground network which linked pretty much all of the buildings (and hotels) associated with the Mayo Clinic. The only exception was St. Mary's Hospital, but instead there was a shuttle bus that ran between the hospital and the clinic. Quite an impressive network if you ask me.

At this point, OHSU and Mayo are at the top of his list, and he has a big decision to make when he submits his rankings in January. After that, its up to the residency match computer to determine where we spend the next 7 years of our lives!

After our visit to Mayo, we drove back to Minneapolis since I had to attend a training session at Data Sciences the next day. We stayed at a nearby hotel and came acorss a great restaurant which had 2-for-one burgers and an impressive beer selection. Sean ordered a pint of the winter ale, but I think the waitress thought he was cute and brought him the 'tall' order.

Seriously, this beer was huge. Here's how it compares to a standard pint.

Sean was also very excited that corn dogs were on the menu, and couldn't help himself. I love the smirk on his face! I title this pic 'Ohhh...so happy....'

Afterwards, we decided to check out the arcade which was attached to the restaurant. There was a bowling alley too, but I think it was league night as all the lanes were taken.

Sean's favorite arcade game of all time, Ms. PacMan.

I have to say for our first Mid-West experience, it was pretty good!

Sean and Belle go to Mayo...Part 1

2008-11-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to write a quick posting that we are in Rochester, MN for Sean's interview at The Mayo Clinic. First impression of Rochester? It is COLD! Well, I think its cold, but I'm always cold. Sean says its not that cold, but he's used to -20F windchills during his ski racing days. My Filipino blood is not accustomed to this yet, so 25F and snow is cold to me. However, the town is nice, and the hospital is very impressive! I'm looking forward to touring more of Mayo tomorrow.

As for plans tomorrow...Sean has his interview and his day starts at 6:30am. I'm taking the day to meet with some researchers to learn more about postdoctoral opportunities, just in case our next move is out to Rochester! We're both really looking forward to tomorrow!

Ducks v Cats

2008-11-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Dad and I headed back down to E-town this weekend for another Duck game with the McCullys! This time we played Arizona, and in true Duck fashion they gave us another nail-biter in the 4th quarter. Lucky for us they pulled off the win, 55-45!

Here's Dad and I at the game, and me sporting my new hat. Thanks Auntie Jan for taking our picture!

We tried to be as spirited as we could, but I think this guy beat us. Is that a real tatoo?

The Ducks have next weekend off, but Thanksgiving weekend they play the Beavers in Corvallis. It'll be a great game for sure. And better yet, Sean will be home!!!! If anyone in P-town is around and wants to watch the game with us, let us know! Unfortunately we have a 8pm flight out of PDX up to Seattle, but we can at least hang around for the first half. Just our luck, we'll probably have to board our flight during the last minute of the game.

A Perfect Weekend in Eugene

2008-11-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend I headed down to Eugene to visit the McCully's. I have to say that it was the perfect weekend. The only thing missing was Sean, but he'll be home in two weeks!

First, Diane scheduled massages for Sarah and I at Gervais. It was SOOOO great! My therapist was Melinda (love her name!) and she was fantastic. After 24hrs of travelling back from Cork, it was exactly what my body needed. If anyone schedules a massage there, ask for her.

After our massages, Sarah, Finn and I headed to pizza dinner at La Perla with Sean's parents, their neighbor Connie, and our dear friends Greyson and Renee. I'd tell you my favorite dish, but everything on the menu is equally delicious, so I really can't single out anything!

The next day the McCully's + me + Connie headed to Autzen Stadium for the Oregon/Stanford game. Our good friends Cliff and Karen usually join us for the game since they are Stanford alum, but unfortunately they couldn't make the trip this time.

I was so stoked to go...I hadn't been to a game in 4 years, and I finally made it back. I have to admit that I was a little choked up when I heard the band play 'Mighty Oregon.' We truly have the best fight song in the country!! **Note: these pics was not from the day...I still need to get those from Sarah. It was acutally pouring rain that day, but I can't officially say that because 'it never rains at Autzen Stadium!' The game was a bit sloppy in the first half, but the second half was great. In the last two minutes, the Ducks pulled off the win!!

After the game, we headed to Beppe & Gianni's for dinner. After going to La Perla, we couldn't ignore the other restaurant!!! I also realized that I never made it to B&G's during the summer, which is shocking. We indulged in great wine, my favorite appetizer (Roasted Garlic with Cambozola Cheese and Grilled Bread), and of course, the house ravioli.

On Sunday, we hung around the house, mainly to recover from the weekend. On my way out of town, I met up with Grant and Nicole at Chapala's for lunch. It was so great to catch up with them, and there is so much to congratulate them on!! Not only did they just have the most beautiful wedding on Sept 20, but Grant just submitted his PhD disseration last Friday, and they are moving to Missouri at the end of the year where Grant will start his post doc and Nicole may begin nursing school!

Sooo...massages, the best eats in town, watching the Ducks beat Stanford at Autzen, and most importantly, time with family and friends. Can anyone come up with a better weekend? I think not!

So many changes: a dual life and a new president

2008-11-05T05:38:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, Nov 3, was my last day in Cork, which means that Sean and I have officially started our long-distance relationship. So far, its been OK. I don't miss the guy at all (just kidding...I actually miss him very much). We knew this was coming and know that we are in this for a lifetime, so six months apart is nothing in the grand scheme of things. He is also back in Oregon on Nov 22 for his OHSU interview (YAY!!), which makes the transition easier. We were apart longer this summer when he went to The Mayo Clinic, so this will be a breeze!

I want to thank all of my friends in Cork for two lovely send-offs. On Thursday I went out with the Physiology Dept, and Friday had dinner with our friends from Sean's medical school class. I am very sad to leave all of you, but as I said last week, this is only a 'see-you-later' rather than a good-bye. My time in Ireland has shown me that strong friendships will go the distance, no matter how far apart you are or how long you are away. I have made some amazing friends in Cork and I know that we'll always be in touch. And...I'll be back in May! The time will undoubtely fly by!

I have to admit that its nice to be back in Oregon. On my first day back in the US, I did the most 'American' thing that I can think of...I voted! Thank goodness that Oregon is a blue state!

My parents and I watched Sen. Barack Obama's speech on television last night. It brought tears to my eyes, as it did to millions of Americans that night. Will he live up to all of his promises? No. I don't think anybody on this earth can completely dig us out of the hole that we are in. Are his intentions genuine and will he make the effort to start the transformation of this country into a place that can be respected by the world once again? Yes, I truly believe he will. It has already started. At this stage, what more can we ask for? And does he give me that 'warm-fuzzy' feeling? Damn right he does! I need warm-fuzzy. This country needs warm-fuzzy. We need someone that brings tears to our eyes because he's an inspiration and gives us hope, and makes us feel that the people of this country actually matter. This country hasn't been inspired in 8 years, and its finally time for a change!

Kerry in October

2008-10-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our friend Kirk came over from Cambridge for a weekend visit. Sean and I visited him and his wife Sarah last month in the UK. Unfortunately she was unable to make this trip, but we're hoping that they will come back next year for another visit!

During Kirk's visit we decided to rent a car and explore the country a bit. Most of our driving was in Kerry, which is our favorite part of Ireland! Sean and I drove around the Ring of Kerry last Christmas, and we just can't get enough of it. Below are a few pictures from our day trip. The rest are posted in the picture gallery.

Sweet Maya

2008-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

We are saddened to say that Maya has left us. After a battle with bone cancer, she is now on her puppy cloud in the sky. Although this is hard for all of us, we take comfort in that she looking down on us and is chasing as many squirrels as she wants. We love her dearly and will miss her always. Below are a few of our favorite pictures...

Off to Offaly

2008-10-14T15:20:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Sean and I headed to County Offaly with our friend Ciaran to stay with him at his family home. We had a great time! We saw a monestary, a castle, went horseriding in the mountains, and had lunch in a dungeon. Ciaran also introduced Sean to hurling and 'the best Guinness in all of Ireland', which is served at his local pub, Dan and Molly's. It must have been, for Sean had four pints!

The pictures are posted in the gallery, but here some of our favorites...

Feet for Eric

2008-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Callao Salvaje, Tenerife July 2005

The Pac-10's Most-to-Least Hated

2008-10-06T01:06:00.000-07:00

After Brett's last posting, it reminded me that I had this in my email from Sarah and forgot to forward it on! Its a bit outdated from being posted this summer, but still a fun read none-the-less.

And I have to say, the reasons to hate USC are endless, but for some reason I still like Pete Carroll...I mean honestly, how can we truly 'hate' him?

From ESPN.com's Ted Miller... The Pac-10's most-to-least hated.

1. USC: UCLA fans hate USC just because. The rest of the Pac-10 hates USC because it's won six straight titles. The nation hates USC because it's clearly without peer as the nation's top program. Many fans hate USC because they believe the national media favors the Trojans. That's not true. It just seems that way because, unlike most elite programs that are needlessly paranoid and difficult to work with, USC is completely open with its practices and players.

2. Oregon: The Ducks are rich, rich, rich. With billionaire, hands-on booster Phil Knight opening the coffers, Oregon owns perhaps the best facilities of any program in the nation. When folks out West talk about an "Arms Race," they point at Oregon. Moreover, Oregon is loud. Loud uniforms. Loud promotions. Loud stadium. That's why Oregon State and Washington aren't the only teams that stick pins into Ducks voodoo dolls.

3. Arizona State: This is a recent hate elevation. The Sun Devils used to be middle-of-the- pack for all teams other than Arizona. But now the program, long hailed a sleeping giant, appears to be waking up with Dennis Erickson at the helm. That breeds jealousy. And lots of folks are quick to insist that ASU is easier to get into academically than most Pac-10 schools.

4. UCLA: Hiring Rick Neuheisel boosts the Bruins here. That means Washington joins USC in hating UCLA. Moreover, there is a certain holier-than- thou vibe around the program -- you know that whole "we care about the 'student' part of "student-athlete' " thing. Also, the dominance of the basketball program carries over some. And, come on, pastels?

5. Washington: This middling ranking shows that being bad makes folks like you better. When the Huskies were a Pac-10 power, they easily were at or near the top of the conference. The L.A. schools hated the Huskies because they felt they should rule the conference. And the Northwest schools hated Washington because, well, the Huskies were a bunch of arrogant, big-city jerks from Seattle. But with the football program struggling ever since Neuheisel left, some might actually feel pangs of sympathy for the team. And how can you hate Tyrone Willingham?

6. California: How could anyone hate Berkeley -- Tree Sitter U? Well, some point out that the academic standards for the football program aren't the same as they are for the rest of the student body (many of those "some," who often hail from a place called "Stanford", point to JC transfers). But, really, this hate arises for folks who pine for the days of yore when the Golden Bears were mostly terrible. Jeff Tedford brought success to Strawberry Canyon, and hate followed thereafter.

7. Oregon State: Again, being good is a big reason the Beavers went from lovable losers to hateable winners. There is another part though: Let's just say OSU's reputation is to play -- and deliver hard hits -- right up to the echo of the whistle. And maybe a few moments more. That would count for more if coach Mike Riley wasn't such an easy-going guy.

8. Arizona: The only team that really hates Arizona is Arizona State, but that hate is pretty strong and keeps the Wildcats registering on the Hate Meter. And, if the program's turnaround.. . any second... any second... finally arrives, expect a more confident Mike Stoops to find ways to annoy fans from schools outside the Grand Canyon State.

9. Washington State: Washington fans hate Washington State, but they hate Oregon more. And it bothers Cougars fans that their biggest rival has a bigger rival. Plus, look at the coaches: Jim Walden, Mike Price, Bill Doba and now Paul Wulff. There might not be four nicer guys in coaching.

10. Stanford: Cal hates Stanford. Fine. And some schools are jealous of Stanford's singular standing as Division I-A's most elite academic institution. But it's hard to muster much hate for a team that plays in a half-empty stadium, even when it's good. And the Band is so much fun. And the Tree (spinning, spinning, spinning... getting in trouble for intoxication) ! Sorry, there's just too much love here.

Life of Surgeons - One Viewpoint

2008-10-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Starring: Bobby "Sexual Chocolate" LaMar &
Sean "White as Fallen Snow" Mc Cully

Belinda L. Houghton, Ph.D

2008-10-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I officially passed my thesis defense (also known as the viva voce in Ireland/UK system). The defense lasted three hours, and overall it went well! I answered some questions really well and confidently, others maybe not so much, and some I just misunderstood. All I have to say is that three hours of questioning is exhausting! I am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, followed by moving to my couch and watching chick flicks for the day.

I should note that technically I can't officially say that I have my PhD until the final copy has been submitted and approved by the UCC interdisciplinary committee, but that won't be for a while. But the thesis is written, I passed the viva, and the examiners signed the paperwork, so its close enough!

Happy Birthday Sean!!

2008-09-30T01:52:00.000-07:00

Today is Sean's 31st birthday! Talk about old!!(Just kidding sweetie). Unfortunately he has an exam on Friday so he can't party hard tonight. However, we do have reservations at our favorite restaurant, Les Gourmandises, for Friday night so we can celebrate then!

This is the week of birthdays! We also want to extend b-day wishes to Lacy (her 30th was yesterday, Sept 29), Jake (also Sept 29), Roisin (today, Sept 30th), and Sean's sister Sarah (Oct 2). Happy Birthday everyone!

Finn Walks!!!

2008-09-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how fast kids grow and learn. It was only a year ago that this little guy looked like this:

Now, he's walking!! Where has the time gone?

Visiting Kirk and Sarah in Cambridge

2008-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sean and I went to Cambridge this weekend to visit our friends Kirk and Sarah, who just moved there from Chicago at the beginning of September. Like Sean and I, Kirk is also a native Oregonian and we've been friends since high school! Kirk will start his PhD in Engineering this fall and is enrolled in St. John's College.

On our first day, we stayed in the Cambridge and strolled around town for most of the day. Cambridge is a beautiful city! We didn't realize how big Cambridge University really is, both geographically and the fact that it is composed of 31 colleges!

Here are a few photos from the first day:

Belinda during our walk into the city centre

St. John's College, Cambridge University

Kirk's attempt at punting, a Cambridge tradition

On the second day we took the train to central London. I had been twice before and Sarah had been once, but it was a first for Sean and Kirk. Kirk actually works in central London, but never had the chance to really enjoy the city.

Here are a few photos from the second day:

Streets of London:

The London Eye and Big Ben

Sean and Belle at Buckingham Palace

Belinda, Kirk and Sarah

And here you go Potter Fans, its Platform 9 3/4! The scene was actually filmed in a different part of King's Cross station, but based on the location of Platform 9 3/4 it should have been filmed in Euston Station.

There are more pics in the Picture Gallery from both Cambridge and London.

Overall we had a great trip! And the fun continues...Kirk and Sarah are heading to Cork in mid October! We are so excited to have them over for a visit!

Sean and Finn

2008-09-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite pictures of Sean and Finn from the summer...

Here they are playing with blocks

And studying for the USMLE (Sean says you gotta start early!)

And this is what happens if you let Sean play 'dress up' with your child...

The Revival of the Blog

2008-09-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, it looks like my last post was June 11th, 2008. To those who frequent our blog (or began to lose hope...)we are very sorry for the hiatus in postings! Its been a whirlwind of a summer for Sean and I, but we are now back in Cork and settling into a more normal routine. The highlights of our summer included:

Sean -
1)Sitting at the Houghton's dining room table for 10hrs a day throughout June to study for the USMLE Step 2 Exam.
2)Taking the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (August)and Written (June) Exams, by which he scored a 234/97!!!
2) Summer elective in pediatric surgery at Doernbechers Children's Hospital in Portland, OR
3) A second summer elective in general surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
4) Meeting nephew Finn for the first time!
5) Using what time he had left to spend with his family, friends, and most importantly his loving fiance!
6) Frequenting his favorite eateries, including the weekly sushi feed since we don't have such luxuries in Cork.

Belinda -
1) Writing my dissertation, which I submitted in mid August! My defense is scheduled for October 1.
2) Waking up at 4:45am every morning in July to take Sean to OHSU for his elective because the bus wouldn't get him there in time for rounds. He sooooo better love me after that. Its amazing how quiet everything is at that hour, how much you can get done when you start your day at 5am, and how impossible the 'K103 nearly impossible question' really is!
3) The Annual McCully Firepit BBQ (Sean was there too!)
4) Hosting Ciaran's visit to Oregon. Ciaran is my officemate from UCC and this was his first trip to the US!
5) Sailing around the San Juan Islands with Sean's parents (George and Diane), sister (Sarah) and nephew (Finn) on their boat, Swansong.
6) Wedding planning, finally!!!
7) Travelling to Ireland and Croatia with my best friend, Amanda.

See, we've been busy!!! I've also posted some pictures from our summer and travels, which you can find in the picture gallery. Sean's sister, Sarah, also has pics from our summer visit on their website.

We hope everyone had a great summer and we really enjoyed spending time with everyone back home!

Visiting Rowan and Ciara in Seattle

2008-06-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sean and I returned to the states on June 7th (after unwanted but expected delays in Chicago). Sean flew into Portland, but I scheduled my flight into Seattle so I could visit with Rowan and Ciara. Rowan (aka Dr. Flynn) was a PhD student with me at UCC and my officemate. He graduated last winter and is now a postdoctoral fellow with the Dept of Medicine (Cardiology) at the University of Washington. It was great to spend some time with him and his wife Ciara, and I'm so glad that they are settling well in their new home

Below are a few pictures from my visit...

This is their apartment complex. I found it ironic that the exact same complex was being advertised in the Alaska Airlines magazine I read on the plane!

Rowan and Ciara at Gasworks Park. It was a little cloudy that day, but we still had a great time in the city.

Rowan and Belinda

This is the troll who lives under the bridge. A classic Seattle landmark, and I think he is grabbing a real VW bug!

A night at the dogtrack...

2008-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, we had a postgrad night-out at the Curraheen greyhound track, which is conveniently just down the street from my apartment! I had never been to any kind of racetrack before, so this was a new experience for me! I wasn't sure how the system really worked, but as a test run I chose 'Scapegoat' to win the first race, and he did! Unfortunately I did not have any money on it, but felt lucky after that and starting placing some bets. As expected, all of my dogs came in last. =( Regardless, we all had a great time!

I also took these pictures with my iPhone (and a little touch up with Picasa). I was really impressed! Not too bad for a camera phone!!

Entrance to the dogtrack

The dogtrack!

Georgina, Ciara, and LiMian

Will, Belinda and Ciaran

Ciara won!!

I really thought she was a winner. I even placed a fiver on for the win! She came in last. Georgina picked dog #2, which was an irish name that none of us could pronounce, and she won 24 euro!

Happy Birthday George...and welcome to your surprise party!!!

2008-05-10T03:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Diane and Sarah (Sean's mom & sister) threw George (Sean's dad) a surprise birthday party at Gerlinger Hall on the University of Oregon campus. They spent months planning the event, trying to find a venue and getting a hold of as many people as they could for the big day. Everyone from family, friends, dental patients, neighbors, ski patrol buddies, and even old friends from high school were in on the surprise. In the end, about 100 people showed up for the party, but there were probably close to another 100 who really wanted to come but couldn't due to schedule conflicts or were out of town (such as those loved ones who happen to live in Ireland!)

Below is the video from the party, when George finally realized what was going on!

Sarah also put together two books for George - one with pictures from when he was born to recent events from this year, of things that he's done, people he's met, and the ones he shares his life with. She spent months emailing people for pictures and stories so she could make the book as complete as possible. The second book was a comments book, by which all of us left him messages of love and thanks. Supposedly there is a third book in the making based on the party. Sarah is a VERY creative and talented artist, with a focus in photography. She's made several other books, mainly from trips, family events (such as the annual McCully Firepit BBQ...which is July 19th this year, so save the date!), when she was pregnant with Finn, and memories book for her grandmother. She creates her books through a great company called Photoworks. I'm hoping that she will make our wedding book as well!

Playtime for Finn and Maya

2008-05-10T03:14:00.001-07:00

Sarah and Mick posted this video on their website, and we just love it!

Vactioning in ....Croatia?

2008-05-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

My best girlfriend from Oregon, Amanda, and I, are heading to Croatia in September for a 4-day vacation. I cannot wait!!! We decided to weave it into her first European trip, by which we will head to Ireland for a week, and then onto Croatia. I never really thought about Croatia as a holiday destination until my mother-in-law, Diane mentioned it. Its recently become a popular vacation spot, particulary for its location, scenery, fabulous beaches, and its affordability since its not on the Euro (well for now...I think it will be by next year).

So, where exactly is Croatia? It is on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea, east of Italy and northwest of Greece. Below is a map:

These are a few pictures of Dubrovnik, the city we will be visiting:

Spring Updates and Summer Plans

2008-05-05T14:45:00.001-07:00

Whooops, didn't realize it had been so long since our last update!

My biggest news is that I am officially done with data collection!!! I received the offical approval from my advisor last week, and to be honest I never thought this day would come! My current plan is to finish a draft of my thesis by the end of May, revise in June, and submit in July. Unlike the US system, there is a 3-month grace period between the submission date and the oral defense (or the 'viva'), which means I get to chill out for almost three months! Although I have a lot of work to do between now and July, I feel like have this odd sense of freedom. My time is finally my own and I don't need to adhere to a daily time schedule. I'm also stoked that I have time each day to go workout, which alternates between swimming, running, and rock climbing. Without it, I think I would crack up!

Sean, on the other hand, is dealing with a very busy and strict schedule. He is currently studying for his fourth year exams. He had his 15 station OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) last Thursday, and a General Practice exam this Friday. Following that, he has three exams the next week, followed by another three exams the week after, and I think they've thrown in a few oral exams as well.

As for this summer, we are both heading back to Oregon on June 7th. I am flying into Seattle to visit with Rowan and Ciara, our friends from Cork who moved to Seattle last fall. Rowan was my officemate at UCC and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington. After that, I'll be finishing up my thesis and Sean will be studying for the USMLE Step 2CK, which he will sit on June 27. We're not sure if we'll be in Portland or Eugene during that time, but we promise to keep everyone posted!

Our plans for July and August are still up in the air...Sean will hopefully be at OHSU for an elective in July, and possibly to the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic in August. Sean then sits his hopefully final USMLE Step 2CS exam, August 26th, in Los Angeles before departing back to Ireland to begin his final medical year.

After I submit my thesis, my plan is just to hang out and visit before we head back to Cork at the end of August.

That's the update for now! Hope everyone is well, in good spirits, and enjoying some nice spring weather!

Oregon Reunion in San Diego

2008-05-01T07:25:00.001-07:00

Here are few pics from my San Diego trip (courtesy of Nicole and Grant - thanks guys!) Although there is the lack of photographic evidence, we attended a conference as well.

A pic from the city. Except for the cloud and wind when Mollie, Eric and I went for a swim, it was beautiful and sunny, just like this!

Group pic from our Mexi night

We all stayed at the Embassy Suites, which was awesome. Not only are the rooms posh and super spacious, but they give you free stuff!

Classic G$ / B-wong moment

Group pic at ES happy hour (clockwise from top: Nicole, Tom, Jenni, Brett, Grant)

After happy hour, we (Lacy, Brad, Nicole, and me) thought it would be a fantastic idea to head to the hotel bar to continue the fun.

My iPhone...

2008-04-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

I really try not to be a conformist, but there are exceptions to every rule. And in this case, yes its true, I bought an iPhone. I guess what...I love it! This phone is so incredibly cool! Not only can you call/text people, but you can listen to songs, surf the web, check mail, map out traffic, watch videos...the list goes on and on. I know that you can do this on other phones, but this one is really user friendly (although figuring out how to adjust the sound took me a little while...at that moment I was not the brightest star in the sky). I just couldn't help myself, especially with the current exchange rate. I would like to offer my special thanks to UCC, who pays me in Euro!

Physoc Meeting in Leeds, UK

2008-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended The Physiological Society Cardiovascular Themed Meeting with Prof Johns, Maria, Chunlong and Ahmed. To be honest, I think this is one of the best meetings I've ever been to! The symposiums were really interesting, with a very impressive list of speakers. They also served unlimited wine and beer at the poster session! I'm telling ya, the British really know how to host an event! Why don't they do these things at US conferences?

Here is Maria at her poster, either estatic that she met one of the speakers, or delighted that there was an open bar. Chances are probably both. She had three glasses of wine that night, which made for an interesting experience when she had to explain her data. I found it to be quite entertaining!

Here I am with Prof at my poster. I only had half a glass of wine. If I had three, I probably wouldn't be able to recognize my poster.

Lab group photo (Ahmad, Hassan, me, Maria, and Prof)

A Physiologist's Guide to Wine

2008-03-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

This book by Peter Wagner has to be the best wine guide out there! It is absolutely hysterical! Physiologist or not, this book will definetly make you laugh (although there are few extra physiology jokes in there as well). You have to make a donation to The American Physiological Society (www.the-aps.org/donate.htm) to get this book, but I'd say it's well worth it.

Some of my favorite lines:

On assessing taste - 'After all, the stuff has a low pH, and in the back of the pharynx near the glottis, acid tends to cause unpleasant reflex activity. But intake to little, the wine gets lost in drool. You will need to self-calibrate the sample size, and only exeperience will tell you what's right for you'

On describing the color of white wines - 'For whites, colors range from that of clear water cascading down Mt. Rainier to that of urine after a day spend in the desert running in slower and slower circles...' (The environmental and renal physiologists will appreciate that one!)

On evaluating the aroma of a wine - 'Remember, this is not hard science, and you will not have to produce a t-test to support your conclusions. You will be judged by the firmness of your tone and by the arcaneness of your words, not by the accuracy of your observations - just like the symposium speakers at EB'

He even includes a scatterplot of perceived quality of wine vs. cost per bottle (including r-squared values, which ended up to be around 0.1). Seriously, this book is brilliant!

Experimental Cooking - Roasted Parsnip and Parmesean Soup

2008-03-23T15:41:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Sean and I love to cook. We each have our specialties - Sean prefers pastas and BBQing, while I enjoy Asian recipes, party foods, and soups. Baking is my weakness, but I'm working on it! As for who's the better chef...well I guess that's up for debate depending on who you talk to. Sean thinks he's better than me, but I beg to differ. Overall, we tend to get pretty good reviews.

Personally, I like to use cooking as a way to de-stress and detach from work related things. I usually dedicate one day on the weekend to 'experimental cooking', by which I try new recipes and cooking styles. My inspiration comes from allrecipes.com (which has pretty much every recipe you could ever want..it is awesome!) and a UK magazine called Delicious. For those in Ireland, you can find this in any shop. For those in the US, you can check out the recipes on www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk.

From a recent cooking experiment, I decided to make a Roasted Parsnip and Parmesean Soup. Its somewhat labour intensive, but turned out to be delicious! I topped it with green onions, croutons (the caesar salad type) and some toasted almonds (which was Sean's addition). We decided the almonds were nice, but masked the flavour of the parsnips, so better to go without.

Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try it:

Ingredients:
2 large parsnips
50g Parmesean cheese, grated
1 potato
50g butter
200g shallots / green onions
2 tbsp plain flour
1.5 litres hot chicken stock (or veggie stock for vegetarians)
4 tbsp cream
1 tbsp green onions
Croutons

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Cut parsnips into chunks and boil in salted water for 3 min. Drain and place on baking sheet.

2. Toss parsnips with olive oil and sprinkle with a small amount of parmesean cheese. Roast for 30min until golden brown.

3. Peel and cube the pototo. Boil potatoes in salted water and boil for at least 10min until soft.

4. Melt butter in saucepan and saute the shallots for about 10 min until soft. Stir in flour, then stock, and finally the parsnips and potatoes. Bring to boil and simmer for at least 10 min.

5. Using a hand held blender or food processor to blend the soup until smooth.

6. Shortly before serving, return blended soup back to the stove and gently simmer for 5 min. Stir in cream, parmesean cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Top with fresh green onions and croutons to serve.

Happy 1st Birthday Noah (and Happy Easter too!)

2008-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Our friends Tony and Meenakshi invited us to their house today to celebrate their son, Noah's, very first birthday! It was a rather large gathering of friends and family and we had a great time!

Here is his birthday cake...

In addition to great party, there was also a wonderful spread of food (including homemade samosas by Min's sister, Geeta). YUM!!

For Noah's birthday, we decided to get him a Brio train set. He's still a bit young for it, but we know he'll grow into it. Sean said his parents brought back these sets from Sweden and he loved them. In fact, Sean wanted to play with the set we bought yesterday, but I told him that he could only play with it if Noah said it was OK. After much pouting, he agreed. They hope to have a play date soon. This is the one we bought...

Updates - February

2008-02-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it's been a little while since our last posting. Its been a busy month for us!

Sean is finished with lectures and is now on full day rotations at the hospitals in Cork. He is currently on his clinical teaching rotation, which has exposed him to some interesting cases and given him the opportunity to take histories and diagnose patients. He is also working on his surgical elective applications for the summer. We found out that he has a letter of support for an elective at U Washington, but unfortunately it will cost him almost $6000 to go! He finds that to be outrageous, so hopefully his other applications will go through. He's applying to OHSU, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic and Baylor (and a few others but I can't remember them right now...) He's really excited about the OHSU elective, especially since Dr. Deveney said she wants to place him onto the trauma service. Keep you fingers crossed!

As for myself, I am slowly working on my literature review for my thesis and finishing up my last bit of data collection. If all goes well, I should be done in the lab by the end of March (and knowing my luck I probably just jinxed myself!) I also have a good bit of travel coming up, with a Physoc meeting in Leeds, UK (March 17-19) and Experimental Biology in San Diego, CA (April 5-9). And since I'm on the West Coast, I'll swing by Portland to visit with the family (March 31-Apr 4). It will be a very short stay, but I'm looking foward to it, especially since I FINALLY get to meet my new nephew, Finn!

As for 'non-work' related events, we hosted a spicy food potluck at our apartment last weekend. My officemate, Ciaran, and I have been talking about doing this for about six months, and we finally found the time to do it! It was great to see everyone's culinary skills, which I have to say were very impressive. Highlights included spicy crab cakes, Jamaican chili, jalapeno poppers, a habanero tofu stir fry with black bean sauce. Unfortunetly, it wasn't until AFTER the party that we realized we didn't take any pictures! Sorry!

That's the update from this side of the Atlantic. We hope everyone is in good health and spirits! Happy Leap Year everyone! =)

Cruzin' Finn

2008-02-29T07:56:00.001-08:00

I love this picture of Finn! He is so cute! I can't wait to see him in April!

Finn the Swimmer

2008-01-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that our little nephew, Finn, has started his swimming lessons! I can't wait to splash around with him in the pool this summer. Here are some photos from his first lesson. He is a natural!

If you want to see more photos of Mick, Sarah and Finn (and pics from our stay in Oregon this summer), go to www.mickandsarah.com.

Updates

2008-01-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry that its been a little while, but Sean and I have been crazy busy with med school and lab stuff. Sean has been studying non-stop since the beginning of the New Year. He has two exams next week and will start his full day rotations. As for myself, I am trying to wrap up two different studies, submit an abstact for a Physiological Society meeting, resumbit a manuscript..and the list goes on. Do you ever have the feeling where your 'to-do' list just keeps getting longer and longer and it seems like there is nothing you can do about it? Hopefully things will calm down towards the end of the month!

Our trip to Scotland

2008-01-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

While Simon and Lacy were here, we decided to take a short trip to our northern neighbor, Scotland. None of us had been there before so it was a new experience for all of us.

On our first full day, we took the train to Edinburgh. Given that the days are so short this time of year, we did not have much time to tour the city, but we tried to see what we could. We ended up staying on the Royal Mile, which we know is the touristy part, but there were some really cool sites and things to see so we decided to stay. We ended up walking to Edinburgh Castle (but did not go in as the queue was a mile long and the admission free was really expensive). The castle itself is quite a sight, along with the views from the top of the hill. We then headed to the tartan mills to see how Scottish kilts are made. Our last stop was the scotch whisky museum. Sean and I thought this would be interesting since we've been to two Irish distillery tours. The tour itself was educational (although a bit cheesy), but as a bonus, the museum was holding a distillers' fair that day! We were each given a 5 tasting tickets, so between the four of us we tasted 20 different whiskies. We had a great time, and if you look at the pictures in gallery we tend to appear happier and happier as the day goes along. =)

On the second full day, we walked around the city of Glasgow. Glasgow and Edinburgh are very different...Edinburgh felt more historial with the castles and cobblestone streets. Glasgow felt more modern, but still had a lot to offer. We started at the Glasgow cathedral, headed west towards the Science Musuem, and ended the day with a great dinner at Stravagin. Overall we had a great time and would love to go back!

A Happy Christmas with Simon and Lacy!

2008-01-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

On December 26th (St. Stephen's Day in Ireland), our friends Simon and Lacy travelled from Pennsylvania for a two week visit in Ireland. We are so excited to have them over! Sean and I were on our own for Christmas day, so we decided to have our Christmas celebration on the day they arrived. Sean and I made Christmas dinner (prime rib, yum!) and we even exchanged Christmas pressies for our guests! Simon and Lacy each got a Guinness pint glass and a wool scarf. They brought us some chocolate and Sean got a jar of Jiff peanut butter.

The Ring of Kerry

2007-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

On our third day of our Ireland tour, we headed west towards the Ring of Kerry. Three summers ago, we cycled from Killarney to Kenmare with our good friend Greyson. Sean and I agreed that day was the most memorable (and painful) experience that we've had in Ireland to date, so we decided to re-live some of those memories. Since we had the car, we were able to drive around the entire ring!

Ardmore

2007-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

On the second day of our Ireland tour, we took a short drive to the coastal town of Ardmore. It was a cute little town with a fun arts & crafts store which highlighted the local talents. We also took a cliff walk which sat on the perimeter of the town. The weather also cooperated with us - it was mostly sunny until the end of our walk.

Aherne's Guesthouse - Youghal

2007-12-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

After several months of lecture, exams, deadlines, and lab work, we decided that we needed a vacation! Sean's last day of classes was on Dec 14th, so after our trip to Dublin, we decided to rent a car and explore the country for a few days. Our first stop was at the coastal town of Youghal (pronounced Yall), which is on the southeastern coast. In Youghal, we stayed at Aherne's Guesthouse. Not only is it a very cozy place to stay, but they also have an award winning seafood restaurant which we could not resist!

Hiking in Glendalough

2007-12-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

During our visit with Henning and Kristine, we drove out to the Wicklow Mountains for a Sunday hike at Glendalough (Glen-da-lock).

Dublin with Henning and Kristine

2007-12-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed up to Dublin to visit our dear friends Henning and Kristine. Henning was in Sean's medical school class at UCC, but was able to tranfer north to University College Dublin (UCD) this year. His wife, Kristine, is a final year vet student at UCD, and for the past three years they were commuting between Cork and Dublin to see each other on the weekends. We miss Henning in Cork, but we are so happy that Henning and Kristine can finally live in the same city!

We had a great time in Dublin! Since we've done all of the sightseeing, we decided to just hang out and catch up. On Saturday night, we went to dinner at H&K's favorite restaurant, Roly's Bistro. It was wonderful!!

Congratulations Dr. Ahmad Ahmeda and Dr. Rowan Flynn!!

2007-12-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

We have two new doctors in the Dept of Physiology! Ahmad successfully defended his PhD thesis (known in the UK & Ireland as the 'viva')in August and walked in his conferring ceremony on Dec 12th. He's decided to work as a post doc in Prof Johns' lab and we are very happy that he is staying!

Rowan defended his thesis last Tuesday (Dec 18) and is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. Rowan was my former officemate - we had some great times together and it was sad to see him leave! I really miss him, but luckily he and his wife Ciera are only three hours away from Portland, so I'm sure we will be able to see them both this summer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-12-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

Since we had to work on Thanksgiving (don't worry...we'll be talking to the Irish government to try to get this changed)...we celebrated Thanksgiving on the Saturday after the true Thanksgiving Day. We had a great party, with five irish guests (Brendan, Marguritte, Micheal, Ciaran, Padraig) and three Canadians (Neera, Terry and Hilary). Our Canadian friends also invited us to their Thanksgiving celebration, which took place at the Flannery's pub 6 weeks prior.

The dinner was definitely a mixture of cultures! Sean and I took care of the turkey and pumpkin pie (with the pumpkin mix directly imported from the US!), and our friends each added their own personal twist to the dinner. Marguritte and Micheal made a delicious dish called bubble and squeak (potatoes, cabbage, and sausages), Ciaran brought roasted parsnips which were instantly devoured. Padraig wowed all of us with his Baked Alaska - a true culinary work of art. Thanks to everyone for sharing this special holiday with us!

The Minsons Visit Ireland!

2007-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

In November, my former advisor Chris Minson and his family (wife Julie, and kids Maia and Tyler) came to Cork for a visit! Chris is currently on sabbatical in Liverpool, England and was lucky enough to take a few days off from work to cross the channel and spend some time with us! We had a great time - we toured Cork City and took the bus to the coastal town of Kinsale. The Minsons also took a mini-trip on their own to the Ring of Kerry.

Chris also gave a guest talk to the Department of Physiology at UCC on his current work in womens vascular health (thanks Britta and Jessica for all of the data - it looks great!!) Our department was extremely impressed with Chris and very thankful that he was willing to put in the time and energy to give a very interesting talk!