What sorts of details?

My friend, LMG, told me she wanted more details about how good things with S are, other than me just stating that I'm in a great relationship. What kinds of details? Last week was the holiday of Succot. We both stayed in the city for the holiday, although none of our other friends did (I was on call over the weekend so needed to be here as of Friday night, and the holiday started Wednesday night and ran right into Shabbat).

So Wednesday night we ate a pre-paid dinner at a restaurant near my apartment, which was lovely and kind-of romantic. Thursday I got up and studied and then we both left early afternoon when I went to meet my board study group on the East Side, and then he met me over there that evening and we went to a dinner at a restaurant there hosted by the Chabad on the UES (where strangely I met the guy who taught me Hebrew in 3rd grade at the Jewish Day School in Alabama! But otherwise the event was full of people we wouldn't otherwise socialize with. However, a lovely walk home from York and E. 84th to Columbus and W. 97th). Friday he slept while I studied, then left after lunch but came back for Shabbos dinner. Saturday morning he left when I had to leave for the hospital (I had babies to go round on) -- and I specifically told him NOT to come over on Saturday night, since I had work to do, and TV to catch up on. Sunday morning I went to round on babies again, and had a patient to see in the office, and came home to do my biostatistics homework. We had planned to go out around 1pm, but I was still working on my homework. He came over around 2:30pm but I was still working, so he watched a football game until I was done -- and then we went down to Little Italy, where there was a street festival going on. It was so fun -- ate a chocolate covered cannoli, yum! And a great dinner, and then there was a concert of some Rat Pack impersonators. But huge points b/c it was something he had researched, and it got me out of the house even when I was tired, and it was different.

And do you see what happened here? We spent 4 out of 5 nights together -- with no other people around -- and it was so fun, and easy, and relaxed, and enjoyable. There was no TV on (except for that football game on Sunday), nothing else we were doing other than being with each other. Sometimes we were talking (or families, our pasts, our dreams, our goals, whatever -- anything and everything) -- or just chatting idly. And lots of laughing. But we are just so happy together -- never bored with each other. And then again, he came over Monday night -- but he knows that on Monday nights, we order in food and watch TV b/c I have super long days on Mondays and I'm too tired to do anything else. And he gets that. Which is pretty amazing.

I'm such a bad blogger!

Life's been busy, what can I say? Although I don't take overnight call anymore, which is amazing, my job has gotten very busy. I'm supposed to spend 30% of my time doing "clinical" work -- which means seeing patients or precepting residents -- but that means another few hours a week documenting my patient encounters, filling out school forms, preparing for the hours I spend teaching, sitting in staff meetings, helping residents with journal clubs, etc, etc. Then I'm also filling in for someone who's on maternity leave for our big conversion to an electronic medical record for the inpatient units, and that takes up anywhere from 6-26 more hours of my time a week (I keep track so I can get paid for it!). On top of THAT, I started classes this week for my Master's degree (because what pediatrician doesn't need another degree?!). And oh yeah, there's this tiny thing called my pediatric boards in only 31 days (!!!). Plus I was home in Alabama for 8 days last week. Don't even ask me when I'm actually getting any WORK done for what is supposed to be a RESEARCH fellowship.

If those things weren't enough to keep a gal busy, there's this tiny thing of having a wonderful new boyfriend with whom I wish I could spend all of my free time. Because -- let's face it -- the two of us could seriously spend hours upon hours together and be perfectly happy. We can just sit and talk, or hang out, or whatever. It's so great. Even when I was home and we would talk on the phone, we would actually TALK -- it's still well over an hour most nights when we don't see each other -- and it's not just "how was your day" kind of a thing. When I got back in town on Monday, I had classes until after 7pm and he was waiting for me in front my apartment building and came running up to see me -- and neither of us could stop smiling. Last night I was SOOOO exhausted from a long week (and not sleeping well for a few nights), so he cooked me dinner and I basically fell asleep on his lap on my couch watching bad TV. And he was fine with that as well. We've talked about the fact that things are kinda moving quickly -- and that while neither of us would usually go for that, we are both okay with it because if feels right. But we aren't rushing things by any means, just letting things move naturally.

I can't really describe to you how amazing I feel now compared to how I felt a year ago. Last year on Rosh Hashanah, I was with J6 -- at his house, with his Mom who hated my guts, and I knew I was unhappy with the situation but I kept trying to make it better. This year I was home with my family, which was great (I hadn't been home for R"H since the year of Hurricane Katrina). I'm in a great job, and I physically feel really good. I'm also very happy, and comfortable, and in a relationship with someone who make me feel so good about myself. I want to see him and talk to him and spend more time with him -- and get to know him, and his friends and his family, and everything like that.

So now that I hopefully won't have any entertaining dating stories to tell, what else would y'all like to hear about? I'll try to be a little better about blogging than I have been the past few weeks, but give me some suggestions. :-D