20 AUGUST 2005 : SATURDAY
Saturday was a bit of a lazy day. Due to a scheduling mix up in her surgery rotation (“oh, we didn’t tell you that you are on call tonight?”), the surgery chief had a moment of generosity and gave Amanda the weekend off. Saturday, though, Amanda was still catching up on her sleep (she managed to be awake maybe 4 hours of the previous 24), but we managed to get mobile early in the afternoon.
We headed downtown to look for books. Amanda got a new knitting book. However, perhaps our real objective was to check out the Central Library.
It is a pretty cool place (11 floors!), although it does not seem to make good use of its inside space. We spent a while browsing about, although perhaps we should have taken a tour. Both of us did pick up a few books (which we can return at any library branch thankfully), and I have managed to read both of mine already.
Later, we met up with a couple of Amanda’s medical compatriots…Heather and Zubin…Zubin’s girlfrienf Megan, and James another intern (internal medicine perhaps). We had dinner and beer at the Elysian Brewing Company in Capitol Hill (walking distance from us). It was good; they had an interesting pumpkin beer that was quiet tasty. We walked about Capital Hill a bit after dinner and had ice cream at some place whose name I am forgetting.
21 AUGUST 2005 : SUNDAY
We met up with Heather early Sunday morning and went on a hike in the Cascades (the part closest to Seattle along I90). It was actually the first time I had been on the “Eastside” since we moved in a couple of months ago. We hiked up to Melakwa Lake, maybe a 10 mile round trip with a goodly elevation change. It was pretty nice; the hike itself was pretty interesting along the way to the lake (as opposed to being monotonous). My knees were killing me on the way back down. I probably need to 1) do more knee strengthening exercises 2) hike downhill slower 3) drop 30 pounds. Option 3 will probably have the most effect as when I was in great hiking shape after my sabbatical four years ago I was in that weight range and had less knee problems; however, dropping that much weight involved eating a few handfuls of trail mix plus one lipton noodle dinner while expending 5000+ calories a day. When I was in uber bicycling shape I actually weighed more than I do now. An interesting problem, although when I was in great bicycling shape my legs were undoubtably a lot stronger.
Hiking took up most of the day. We got home and had dinner and then when over to Zubin’s apartment (where more medical compatriots were) for wine/beer/snacks. He actually invited us over for dinner as we were finishing ours. Everyone left rather early because surprise they all had to work the next day… Amanda is on call again!