Work at the hospital is business as usual.  I've had a bit of a dry spell in the last month or so as far as operating goes -- I've probably done only 3 or 4 cases.  But I did run my first "Code" last week (ventricular fibrillation in a post-operative CABG (heart surgery)) and the patient not only lived, but he walked out of the hospital 5 days later.

We continue to struggle to find a church right for us.  I'm on call tomorrow so I won't even be able to go, but Jenn is going to check out a church about 45min away that she's heard good things about.  Quiet times are a struggle for me with a 100+ hour work week (definitely much worse than med school), but I am slowly getting through Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline and his perspectives on what it really means to dwell in God's presence are quite welcomed and applicable for folks with this kind of schedule.

Our marriage is doing well (though there's always room for improvement).  We enjoy going to movies and not having a TV.  Last night we found 2 unique places which I suspect we will revisit.  The first was an old movie theater that is set up like a lounge with armrest chairs and little round tables.  Admission is $2 during the day and $3 at night.  They sell longneck domestics for $1 and foot-long hot dogs for $2.  The second place was a coffee shop owned by a Christian woman.  They frequently have live music and the atmosphere is very relaxing (good mocha too).  I think I'll try and get my bro a gig there if he ever comes to visit.

We like our new apartment and especially like the complex gym and swimming pool.  Jenn has a new washer and dryer in the apartment which are much welcomed additions.  At the end of this month, I have a week off, so we're going to Wyoming to visit family.  Jenn and I will also be spending a night in the same room where we spent our wedding night (at a rustic resort in Saratoga, WY).

7 July 2000

Jennifier and I are pretty well settled into our new life here in Mississippi.  I spent the month of June getting "re-oriented" to the Air Force and becoming "oriented" to Keesler Medical Center where I began my General Surgery Internship on 30 June 2000 (I was on call one night early because one of the previous interns had to leave early!).  It has not been very easy getting back into the "surgery routine" (up at 05:00 every morning, every 3rd night awake in the hospital, often not getting home until after dinner on the other 2 out of 3 nights, and only 1 weekend day per month on which I don't have to go to the hospital), but getting to be the primary surgeon on appendectomies, hernias, breast biopsies, etc. makes it all worth while!

Jennifier was blessed with a very interesting job within only a couple of weeks of our arrival.  She now works with the South Mississippi Child Advocacy Center (a branch of the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse) as a "Child Witness/Victim Advocate."  She is responsible for:

1. Helping families who have been victims of abuse get connected with social programs

2. Forensic interviewing of child abuse victims and their preparation for court testimony

3. Leading "Interdisciplinary Team Meetings" consisting of law enforcement agents, social workers, and lawyers from the District Attorney's (D.A.'s) office

In July, the agency will be flying her to Alabama for a week where she will attend "Court School" and learn how to better prepare children for giving legal testimony.  Her main office is in Gulfport but she also has a branch office in Pascagoula which is a good 30 miles away -- she loves this because she gets to spend a good bit of time on the road.

We have moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in Gulfport which is about equidistant from Jenn's Gulfport office and Keesler AFB in Biloxi.  The apartment is a bit smaller than our Baltimore apartment, but we like it very much and love the fact that the complex gym, tennis court, and outdoor swimming pool (which does not close in the "winter"!!!) are about 25 yards from our building.

We would love to hear from you: