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

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

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...

...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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...