Ayla

We have our kitten now and her name is Ayla. It took forever to name her, but I wanted her to have a name that was a little bit nerdy and yet still pretty. I think "Ayla" does both. According to our good friends at Wikipedia, Ayla is turkish and means "circle of light around the sun or moon". Since Ayla is reserved for the feminine, it is usually synonymous with "moonlight".
Ayla is considered to have originated from the Arabic word hala (pronounced hă-lă') meaning "circle of light." The english word halo, derived from the Latin word halo meaning "radiant or golden circle," shares a similar etymology. It is also indirectly related to the English word aura which has its etymological roots in Greek and Hebrew languages. In ancient Hebrew, the word aur, meaning "illumination", but also "radiance," "happiness" and "joy," was used in the Old Testament to describe the faces of the prophets Moses and Elijah after they had spoken with God. The Greek word aer meaning "mist" or "air" and also aura meaning "breeze" or "breath" came to be connected to the concept of the Eastern Wind, Heaven and the Rising Sun. This rather tenuous connection created a whole new set of related words, including aurum meaning "gold" (hence the elemental symbol Au), the English word aureole from the diminutive of "a golden crown," meaning "radiant energy" or "halo," and the Germanic goddess Eastre whose feast was celebrated at the Spring equinox and therefore gives us "Easter". This goddess is comparable to the Roman goddess of dawn Aurora and the equivalent Greek goddess Eos.

I know...that was a lot, but I still do have a love of words, even if I did decide to do more "science-y" things with my life.

As for the nerdy part...I'm hoping most of you know. ;)

She seems to like us and is super-cute. There is something quite satisfying about having a kitten fall asleep in your lap. Anyway, I should stop going on about her- long story short, she's great and I'm so excited and I'll try and get a pic up soon.

An end and a beginning

Today was my last day at the peds clinic. Honestly, I'm pretty sad about it, even more than I would have expected. I really liked working out there and will miss the patients, staff, and the doctors.

In happier news...the shelter called today and I've been approved for my kitten!! So, I'll be picking her up on Sat and posting pics when I have them. I'm so excited!!

New Year, New Post

Well it's a new year... a new "sneaky year." (Cmon, 2007...007? It's the year of the spy!) I, for one, am quite excited about this year, though when I realize all of the things that will be happening this year, I am overwhelmed. For starters, I'll have decided what specialty I want to apply to residency in. I will also have applied to said residencies and begun the interview process. Shesh. This year I will also turn 25, which will mark several turning points- 1) I will be able to rent cars at all rental companies. 2) And, I will be a quarter of a century old and no longer be able to hide behind the "early 20s" as an excuse for my naivete. Too bad. And, in a couple of days, I will be getting my new kitten (crosses fingers). There is lots of paperwork involved in adopting small furry things from the shelter, so it's taken a little longer than I would've guessed befor starting. However, she's beautiful and so worth it. She's a dark gray with bright blue eyes that will melt your heart. When I get her home, I'll def post some pics.

But, I suppose a post about the new year should also recap the old one. Last year was pretty rough, but it also was the start of my clinical education. And, let me tell you, I LOVE that part of medicine. I love the stories of patients, not just of how their illnesses impact their lives, but their lives in general. People will open up to you and learning from these people has been one of the best things in my life. I've pushed myself to do things I didn't think possible and learned a lot about who I am and what kind of doctor I want to be in the process. They say some of the best things are the most difficult ones, so perhaps I can say this was a great year for what I take away.
This year I became an aunt and a godmother to my niece Sophia. She's growing like a weed and I can't wait to go home for awhile so I can spend some time with the little chunk. :)
This year was also the first time Chris and I spent Christmas together ( I know, 6 years and this is the first...:( ). We didn't go home this year and instead spent the holidays together. We got a tree and some ornaments, and I must say, I still rule at the whole tree thing. I've never had a Christmas without Santa, so of course, I had to make sure that happened as well. He brought me a trampoline. I've VERY excited.
I've also lost and rediscovered my love of cooking. Every now and then I seriously consider going to culinary school. But, for now, I'll have to make due with my creativity and the wonders of the Food Network. (Have I mentioned I love Giada?)

Speaking of New Years, I'd like to say thanks to my friends in VA for a spectacular party. Girls, music, booze, and bouncing...what could be better?

Ok, that's it for now...I'm sure I have more, but the new year also requires me to shower. ;)