A New Season

Believe it or not, for the first time in a long time- the past week was pretty calm. A lot of the week was spent at work, both at Children's and at my new part time job-Anthropologie. Since I am one of those people who feels like I have to be doing something at all times, I felt that during this "in between" time , I should be doing things that I love. So, what better way to spend my time than spending part of it working with the TS clinic and the other half getting to work in my favorite store? Since John is wrapping up med school work for this year, he too is looking for a fun part time job. I mean, we probably won't have a chance like this again- so, why not do something out of the ordinary?

In between work and training, I did have time to go outside and enjoy the tiny bit of springtime weather last week. Last year John and I invited some friends over for a BBQ and outdoor game night. When we did, we invested in a ladder ball set and were so happy to be able to pull it out again last week. 

On Thursday, John and I went to the newly opened TrimTab Brewery located downtown to hang out with our small group. It was our first time going and we were most impressed. As we walked up to the building, vintage large bulbed Christmas lights were draped above along the alleyway. The inside of the building was very "hip" too with lots of seating throughout the space. I chose the ale and was most pleased. It was pretty strong though. So, if you're like me (a social drinker who doesn't drink that often)- one will be just enough. 

Last Friday afternoon I was thrilled to do something extra special with the TS clinic. One of our outstanding young clients asked that we speak at his school regarding Tourette Syndrome and what the clinic does. I had done a school presentation before, but last week was the first time that a kid stood up and did most of the presentation themselves! It was so empowering and made me so thankful to have a career like occupational therapy. After we made one of our final presentations, we were treated to lunch at a hidden Alabama gem- the 1220 Cafe. It's a classic mom and pop Southern joint with food that tastes like it's right off your grandmother's table. I chose the blue plate special which consisted of chicken and gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole and English peas. It was out of this world! Although Tallassee was a little bit of a trek from Birmingham, I definitely wouldn't mind going back for some of that good home cookin'. 

Friday night John and I attended the University of Alabama School of Medicine's Best Medicine Show at the Alabama Theatre. The annual event is put on by students and faculty and showcases films and live acts, all of which feature med school students. John has been in a production every year, and this year was featured in the opening film! Before we headed to the theatre, we met up with some of his classmates to eat dinner. We had originally intended to eat at El Barrio, but after hearing how long the wait was, we mosied down 2nd Avenue North to Urban Standard. I had eaten lunch there before and had coffee numerous times, but it was my first time dining in for dinner. John and I split two sandwiches (the Grilled Chicken Panino [chicken breast, smoked bacon, caramelized onion, herbed cream cheese spread & balsamic jam] and the Tomek's Polish Street Sandwich [ham, capicola, salami, swiss, provolone, pickled red onion, & mustard sauce]). Yummy!

After filling our bellies, we made the trek to the theatre just in time to catch the opening film (which featured John)! I have to say, it took me by surprise to see him with a mustache, but he did such a good job! All of the acts were so entertaining, but one of my favorites was when a student proposed during the middle of his performance!! Thankfully, his girlfriend (a fellow student) said "YES!" It was a wonderful evening and it made it that much better to know that the proceeds went to Equal Access Birmingham, a student-run medical clinic serving the under-served and vulnerable populations in the Birmingham metro area. After the show was over, we hopped in the car and headed a few blocks over to B&A Warehouse for the after party. Since B&A is a catering company, all of the events held at their facility are catered by them which always means that the food is exquisite. Since I knew this ahead of time, I made sure to save a little room for their cookie bar and was so happy that I did. We had so much fun celebrating John's final Best Medicine Show as a med student! 

Saturday evening John's parents came in to town for a quick visit on their way home from the Alabama basketball game. So, we met up with them, John's sister Kelly, her husband Jason and baby William for a bite to eat at Urban Cookhouse. I had a shower to attend immediately after. So, I couldn't stay long, but it was so nice to catch up with everyone and see William! 

After I said my goodbyes, I hurried on my way to Trussville for my friend Kaitlin's lingerie shower. Let me tell you, her hostesses pulled out all the stops and had everything decorated to the nines. They even had a pink candy bar! One of the first things we did was a toilet paper wedding dress competition. My team won (no surprise) (; ! It was a blast! 

Sunday morning we woke up to blue skies and warm weather. So, John and I decided that it was the perfect day to see the newly reopened Birmingham Botanical Gardens Conservatory. The building had been closed since 2011 (the year that I moved to Mountain Brook), which meant that Sunday was my first time to see the inside of it. There is obviously still work to be done since it just reopened, but it was still stunning. There were tons of tropical plants and flowers and a whole wing full of cacti. If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out!

Although the spring like weather was just a tease, it was just enough to get me excited about the new season! John has already mentioned that he wants to start tackling some of the activities listed on our spring bucket list this weekend. So, I'm crossing my fingers for some sunny blue skies!