melted smoosh

for as long as I can remember, outdoor activity and exercise have been a huge part of my dad's life. he swam competitively in college, ran the Boston marathon when I was a toddler, led us on hikes and backpacking expeditions when I was a kid, and continues to participate in triathlons and Masters swim meets now in his 60s. during previous Geigerpalooza reunions, he has organized various family athletic events including a run/walk through a local nature preserve, and a hike up a nearby mountain with arrangements to paraglide back down to the base. when we were tossing around ideas for this summer's get-together, he mentioned it would be fun for those so inclined to participate in a local sprint triathlon (1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 5K/3 mile run) and those otherwise inclined to spectate. for various reasons, we realized that that wasn't going to pan out, so next he thought of holding our own mini triathlon suitable for even the youngest members to join. and it was the cute

our annual summer family reunion took place at the end of July. as always, it was loud, chaotic, and full of so much love, fun, and good food!  now with four kids in tow, we are so grateful that Alaska Airlines offers nonstop service between Pittsburgh to Seattle. we have spent many layovers in Chicago, Houston, and one particularly ill-fated stop in Denver during tornado warnings (!) on previous trips back home. now, as long as our plane takes off, I can be reasonably sure, trusting in Providence, that we will be arriving at our destination as planned!  I did have a fair bit of anxiety about actually being able to board our 7 AM flight on time. Pittsburgh Airport was absolutely swamped with extra travelers this summer -- so many airlines added flights to vacation destinations, without a commensurate increase in TSA agents and airline staff to adequately handle the extra traffic. the entire month of June and July, we were reading horror stories in the news and on Facebook of people wit

sitting outside the new independent coffee shop that opened in the neighborhood this summer as a physician assistant with an undergraduate minor in psychology, I've always been fascinated by the connection between the mind and the body. that interest serves me well in my chosen specialty of primary care/internal medicine, as mental health comes to bear so frequently on physical, or somatic, complaints like fatigue, upset stomach, and dizziness. in any given day, I'll typically have one or two appointments that are scheduled specifically so someone can address their anxiety or depression, and it often comes up as a subject of conversation during routine physicals. I have probably recommended therapy to my patients literally thousands of times, whether it's to deal with an isolated situational stress or grief, or more pervasive issues like OCD, chronic insomnia, bipolar disorder, depression, or borderline personality disorder. when we're discussing starting antidepressant