friday faves, vol. 7

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the last Friday before returning to work next week! here's what i've been enjoying during my time off...


 -- Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus protein shakes. the chocolate tastes just like a chocolate milkshake, and the vanilla version has a hint of nutmeg reminiscent of eggnog (a good thing in my book). they're the perfect sweet pick-me-up for the middle of the afternoon with staying power to quench the nursing-mama hunger! 

-- Scandal, starring Kerry Washington and created by Shonda Grimes (the master of drama behind Grey's Anatomy). i've never been too interested in politics, so when people would rave about this show i never thought i'd enjoy it. but one fateful afternoon, it popped up on the "Popular" list on Netflix and i decided to give it a go. and.... oh ... em ... gee. i can't stop watching it. not only are the storylines tight, fast-paced and intriguing, but the camera-work is fantastic and i want to own Olivia Pope's wardrobe. and her apartment.  

-- SoCo & ginger ale. what really boosts this to favorite status is the fact that, no, i do not generally drink Southern Comfort (i think the last time i had it was during my 19th birthday celebration while studying in Ireland. and that was taken as a shot, probably just after explaining to yet another Irish lad that while "birthday kisses" might in fact be the bona fide national custom, my heart belonged to a tall, handsome organist in Pittsburgh and a kiss on the cheek would have to suffice.) nine years later, Nick and i happen to have been gifted a bottle of SoCo, for the occasion of our daughter's birth, and by one of our absolute favorite parishioners, a diminutive Italian grandmother with jet-black hair, a fabulous collection of costume jewelry, and a flair for telling dirty jokes. everything about this is perfection. the drink is like a refreshing taste of summer, and it makes me happy that we have such stupendously colorful friends.

-- annnnnd last and nerdiest but not least ... the CME4Life board review DVD series. i purchased it last year but never quite got around to sitting down with it. so far i've finished the pharmacology review and am halfway through the gastrointestinal DVD. the information is fast-paced and tailored toward the recertification exam, which i need to pass by 2015 (but can take this year if i want). not only is it an excellent review on its own, but the mnemonics are fantastic (who knew that narcotics officers and cops could help one remember the phases of a cardiac action potential?). and his explanation of differentiating liver function test abnormalities caused by hepatic toxicity versus cholestasis (i.e. gallbladder problems) made far more sense to me than anything we learned in PA school. curling up in the recliner with my pen and notebook to review esophageal motility disorders while Greta naps? it's like scratching a brain-itch and it feels so good. 

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