Charlotte from Charlottesville

When I look back on life for fortuitous moments, one that comes to mind is a day I knocked on the door of a dumpy house in San Diego and "Charlotte from Charlottesville" opened the door. That was 2005. I was a self-important journalist in need of a new apartment. She was a substitute teacher, sprung from Virginia, in need of a new roommate. We clicked.

I liked Charlotte immediately. Everyone who meets Charlotte likes her immediately. Charlotte sparkles. She's sincere when listening and sensible when giving advice. She maintained a sense of self, even in vapid San Diego. Today, Charlotte's a guidance counselor for at-risk youth in Virginia. She listens to fifth and sixth graders talk about their lives. If there is a phrase stronger than "She has a heart of gold" insert it here.

Charlotte sometimes reads this blog. I imagine that by now she is saying, "Oh my God. Shannon. Stop."

When Charlotte first cooked me Thanksgiving dinner, we had known each other about three weeks. I was wowed by the caliber of her cooking. Two days ago, we celebrated again, this time on the other side of the country as friends with a few years under our belts. We also added a few newcomers to the celebration: Alex (my boyfriend), Brian (her boyfriend) and Maggie (mother of Charlotte, adoptive mother of Alex, Brian and me).

Our dinner:

Turkey:

Gravy:

Table:

The following day, we toured Charlottesville (my favorite American town), which is the home of Thomas Jefferson (my favorite American person). Charlotte thinks my love of her hometown and its hometown hero is a bit excessive. To this, I say that the world hasn't created a person more talented, well-rounded and inspiring than Jefferson, so he's my man. He loved Charlottesville, so do I. This way we have at least one thing in common.

Here's Tommy and me (he's telling me a secret):

Me and Tommy again (his secret was very touching, I would tell you what he said, but it was between the two of us):

Tommy reminded me that what I was doing (perching myself on his lap) was, uh, illegal. So I jumped down and walked around the University of Virginia (which he designed and founded).

The U Va. quad:

The Rotunda, inspired by the Romans (and Greeks):

inside the Rotunda (reminded me of the interior of Rome's Pantheon):

Alex and I, upside down, on the steps of the Rotunda (it's a UVa tradition; I was laughing pretty hard):

And finally, our tour guides and good friends, Char and Brian:

This Thanksgiving, I was thankful for many things. My nephew. My family. My life, generally. But most of all, I was thankful for Charlotte-from-Charlottesville, who means so much to me.

:)

Shannon

You can take the girl out of the Middle East

Public health students smoke hubbly-bubbly with abandon

The weekend after my birthday, Alex came home and announced that he had made reservations at an Afghan restaurant in Baltimore. The reporter in me knew something was up. Alex has never made reservations for anything.

me, incredulous: You made reservations?

Alex: Yes

me: And you expect me to see this as normal?

A: Yes, of course.

me: So there's no surprise. Nothing that you feel compelled to mention?

A, eyes move downward: No.

me: Nobody else we might be dining with? No special pre-dinner surprise? If, say, I refused to go right now, that wouldn't ... you know... mean you would have to reorganize anything.

A: WHY DO YOU NEVER WANT TO JUST BE SURPRISED?

me, delighted with myself: HA! I GOT IT! Well Laura and Maria Cecilia LOVE that place so I hope they will serve as the surprise guests.

A: YEAH. WELL. THEY'RE COMING.

me: YAAAAYYY!

And so it happened that I celebrated my birthday with Laura, Maria Cecilia and Alex. First at an Afghan restaurant in Mt. Vernon and, later, at a hookah bar in Federal Hill. It was a truly wonderful day.

xo

Cha

K & G for men, for me, for we

It was a cold, Baltimore night. Shannon and Alex were on the hunt for a suit. Alex was nervous; Shannon was tipsy.

"The interview is in less than a week," he said. "I need a suit. Tonight."

"This sucks," she said.

Mens Wearhouse, a bust. Neiman Marcus, too rich for their blood. Desperate, they drove. The bleakness of Baltimore seemed to engulf them when, suddenly, it appeared. Shining from a hilltop above I-695 was a sign "K & G Men's Fashion: Men's Suits $99! We HAVE THE SUIT FOR YOU next exit".

They exited.

"This looks cheap," she said, surveying the empty parking lot and fluorescent, warehouse lights.

"Great!" he said.

Inside, adds for Sean John , Phat Farm and Mecca USA covered the walls. A clerk named Jerome approached. He seemed ready to say, "Are you two lost? What the hell are you doing here?" But instead "Uh, what are you looking for?" rolled off his tongue.

"We need a suit," they said in near-unison.

Jerome, an athletic African American male of moderate build with hint of bling (watch, earring, cuff links, necklace... okay, more than a hint), directed the young couple to several light colored suits. His hands ran along shelves of magenta and purple shirts. Before he had a chance to raise a hanger on a violet tie with lilac bubbles, she said:

"Jerome. This suit-tie combo is for a fashion-free event. We're looking for something that says boring and traditional."

Jerome laughed.

Two hours later, this is what we ended up with (thanks, in part, to Jerome our new best friend):

That's a Nubio tie.

And maybe the best news of all: the suit worked.

Alex was officially accepted to George Washington Medical School 3 days after his interview.

K & G ... forever!

Shannon

Cade William Koehler

In the scope of human experience, there may be something more exciting than welcoming a baby into a family. I can't imagine what that is.

Here is Cade William Koehler.

If you like your kids, if you love them from the moment they begin, you yourself begin all over again, in them, with them, and so there is something more to the world again.

- William Saroyan, American Author

I HAVE A NEPHEW!!!

I HAVE A NEPHEW!





HE WAS BORN A HALF HOUR AGO. HE IS 7 POUNDS AND A BUNCH OF OUNCES. HE HAS FUZZY HAIR! AND A REALLY CUTE MOUTH. Right now, as of 2:09 pm EST, he is eating!!!!NAME TO BE DECIDED!!!!

AM OVER THE MOON (BUT SITTING IN CLASS....)

AUNT SHANNON

oh oh the places you go

A year ago today, I celebrated my birthday in Jordan.

In 06, Istanbul.
In 05 and 04, California.
In 03, DC.
In 02, Illinois.
In 01, France...

Last night, I celebrated in Baltimore with people who I didn't even know just three months ago. That made this birthday feel very much like those in past.

To my (dynamic, thoughtful, rockin') friends in Illinois, New York, Mexico, Germany, Wisconsin, France, Turkey, California and Maryland... thanks for the birthday wishes.

xo

Shannon

steamy

FYI: if you're ever being tortured and the torturer says, "Shall I burn your hand with fire or steam?" PICK THE FIRE. DONT PICK THE STEAM. Steam burns kill. Steam seeps under your skin, melts it and then gives you pain that's ... a throbbing, searing, hold-back-tears-because-you're-supposedly-a-big-girl kind of pain.

Thankfully, most of my professors and advisers are also MDs so I didn't have to go far to find help.

Shannon

My vote

I voted for Barack Obama to be President of the United States. Like my friends, professors and former colleagues (but unlike my family), I picked a candidate who represented reform, change, hope, charisma, strength, togetherness, intelligence.... a lot of things I mistakenly thought George Bush possessed in 2000.

I'm not as excited about my vote as most Obama supporters. Maybe it's because of my Republican upbringing. Because I have a Dad who jokes about learning Arabic with Obama bin Laden as president. Because my e-mail is flooded with pro-Palin, "NoObama" e-mails from my grandfather. Because I don't consider myself fiscally liberal. Because I'm investing a lot of hope in someone I don't know.

But I voted for Obama because I believe in the power of gifted individuals to raise America's hopes when we are at historic lows (FDR, Lincoln), and I believe that through my vote I'm rejecting the incompetence of a Republican party that drove my country into the ground.

In the end, however, when the confetti settles, the speeches end and "the change we can believe in" begins, I hope this man keeps the momentum going. I hope he proves that beyond giving mellifluous speeches that hint at his place in history - he makes life better in my country, makes me proud to say I'm American and makes all the nay-sayers in my family and my hometown realize that, sometimes, change is good.

a funny professor

My favorite prof this semester is Thomas Burke. He teaches what may be my favorite course, Public Health Practice. Burke has worked under various administrations and has lots to say about political appointees "spending more time with their families." Burke was "encouraged" to "spend more time with his family" after a political fallout a few years ago.

Some interesting things prof Burke said today:

"Here's a chart of the department of Health and Human Services, which overseas the FDA, CDC, NIH and a bunch of other acronyms. The secretary of Health and Human Services overseas these health-related branches," his hand scrolled down the list, "In the history of HHS, how many secretaries do you think were trained in public health?? Ten? Two? No. ZERO. My goal in life is that someone, anyone who has ever studied public health practice will one day hold this position."

...

"I have a PhD in Epidemiology, this, I believe, excludes me from being considered for Secretary of HHS."

...

"The Surgeon General of the United States, he's a smart guy with an important job, but his operating budget is tiny. So really, the surgeon general is a smart person with no money" -pause- "why, that sounds like a Hopkins Professor!"

I suspect this semester will be better than the last.

xo

Shannon

The Condom Guy

A few posts ago, I wrote about viruses at the school of public health and an IT guy who told our incoming class that anti-virus software is "it's like a condom for a computer."

As luck would have it, Computer Condom Guy and I work in the same office. The other day I was walking down a hall and spotted him. Visions of giant condom-encased computers danced in my head and I said, "Computer Condom GUY! It's you! We meet again! How are you?!"

Computer Condom Guy, also called Randy, has no idea who I am. I was in audience of 1,000 on the day he gave the Computer Condom talk.

"You don't know me but I met you during your talk about computer condoms. Remember? Your talk? During orientation?!"... "The talk about the CONDOMS?"

If it's possible for a black guy to blush, Randy would have been purple. Randy choked on some air, tried to tuck his head into his neck and said, "I'm not sure what you're talking about but you've got to stop with the condom talk or you're going to get me in trouble."

me: "Don't even pretend that you didn't proclaim- before an audience of 1,000 people during orientation, that you are Mr. Computer Condom distributor."

Randy: still turning purple.

me: "Well, it was a great speech. Definitely unforgettable. Unfortunately though, my computer CONDOM BROKE."

Randy: now has nervousness radiating from every pore of his body.

me: "Thankfully though, your colleagues FIXED THE CONDOM and it is now UP and running."

And here I started laughing and walked away.

:)

Shannon