Different Set of Challenges

The title comes from a conversation I had with my husband. I told him now that we are completely done with residency, now we face different types of challenges. This weekend was a new one and what joy (insert sarcasm) it was...

So, yesterday was an odd experience. I guess being in Hawaii, it was bound to happen, but didn't think it would happen where we were, and so early into hubby's career...

Basically, we were shopping at a certain mall yesterday and a young guy walks up to hubby and is says, "Hi Doctor!" Umm, I thought it was his friend, but in reality I guess it's a patient of his. No HIPAA was not broken, I do not know his name nor do I know what his dx was or what he came in for. I honestly, don't want to know those types of things, as I find the world of medicine to be sometimes rather sad. Moving forth, the husband was just so confused by having his identity being known outside of the world of white coats.

Speaking of this white coat world, apparently, the husband's picture and profile is now online on his employer's website. I won't mention where as we still are trying to be as stealth as possible, though I know it will come out especially since the internet exists.

So the weekend was kicked off on an unfortunate situation....

I tried to rent a movie from Redbox and my card wasn't working. I thought maybe I had entered the wrong zip code to my credit card and gave up and used a different one. I found out later that my card wasn't really working when I tried to pay for my groceries and had to resort to the other one yet again.

After that was all said and done, I go back to my car and it doesn't start. OK, this isn't good. The car is just a year old, bought brand new. While waiting for AAA to come and save me, I called my bank. When I called my bank, the person I spoke to, was rude and kept telling me only gas stations ask for zip codes. She is WRONG. I have rented from Redbox a gazillion times dating back to the days of living in the IE. Well, she didn't bother to even look at my account to see what was going on and told me wait 24 hours.

I waited 24 hours. We had intended to check out the first RiceFest at Aloha Tower and low and behold when I tried to access money. My card was denied again. I call and they tell me that my account has been compromised. The lady asked if I had made any transaction for $1,099.22 (something along those lines) to a travel company in Kuwait. Um, how's about, no? Why would I need to use a company in Kuwait? Also, if the bank found something fishy going on, why not call me and not just lock me out of my account and not tell me why? Then, it goes to the next question of, if the bank knows that this transaction was not authorized, now, why would you clear the transaction and make the customer wait? The wonderful thing about this conversation came about when the bank asked me if I check my online account. Well, yes, I do, but, the problem lies in the fact that it states that a certain amount is on hold, it doesn't tell you what, and when the transaction(s) were made. Husband looked at it online and found nothing really funny per se, he thought I had made a ton of transactions and didn't bother to ask me. Silly man. As he stated, he doesn't know how to handle income more than $500 at a time. LOL.

Now I have to wait for the transaction of well over a 1k to clear and then have to file for a grievance. The lady on the phone stated it could take up to 90 days to get my money back into my account. Well, honestly, it isn't about the money being gone, but more so my sense of security and the fact that the bank person on the phone the first time was out right RUDE! If 1k was gone from my account, I would have wanted to spent it myself, at least I would have some fun doing so, but not so.

It is now Monday and this happened on Friday... I managed to talk to the BFF who works for a bank, not the one I use, but told me what I need to do. I am so thankful for her, she will be able to walk me through everything.

Well, that was my weekend. How exciting, right? At the end of it all though, my husband got his long awaited LEGO Star Wars Death Star. Geek, I know.

Ohh, and lastly the car is OK. Needed a new battery under warranty. Got that changed out on Saturday.

All Drugged Up

After catching my Mom's and son's cold, I am officially knocked up on drugs. Loads of Sudafed and Advil. What can I say, when chasing a 2 year-old, there is no such thing as down time. Well, now there is, the husband went to take the kids to the MIL's house, thank the Lord! :)

So as I type this, I look at the fan setting on the AC and it says it's 87 degrees in my bedroom, and I am under two blankets and in a long sleeve. That is right, I had a fever. Well, in my medical books and the husband's thoughts, it's not a real fever, as it hasn't hit the 101.9, but heck, I felt weird, had chills, took Advil and then stood under the hot shower. Either way, I can't believe it's 87 degrees and I should be in a tank top and shorts, running the full on AC, but no, I am stuck under the covers hoping that I start to sweat.

I have to say, I have to thank my Mom so very much for taking care of the kids while I have been down and out. She has been making sure that Z is fed and I manage to pick up J from school. So very thankful!

Moving forth, I am catching up with the Kardashians, one of my secret likes. In the episode, Khloe lost her engagement ring, and it reminded me of my instance. I lost my ring at Disneyland when I was pregnant with Z. Thank goodness, my dear husband remembered when I took it off to put lotion on my hands, and ran all the way back into the park from the entrance to check, and low and behold, he found it! I was in hysterics and was so upset that I lost the one piece of material that he worked so hard for. It wasn't just a ring, it was ring he put all of his income into and saved just for me.

Also, watching the show reminds me of so many memories that we made in SoCal. I miss it. I miss my job there, and I miss all the stuff we got to do. I had so many experiences that many didn't/can't have (ie free ride in an Indy care going full speed around the track) and just being able to be up close with celebrities. Ahh. I miss it. Seriously, it must be the drugs talking at this point. Thankfully, we'll be there in October and I finally get to see our friends, family and most of all, my PETS! We are picking up our pets to bring back home! Hooray!

This is wrapping up and someday it will be TBC.

Reality Has Hit?

It's been a wild ride with moving, settling and getting the son registered for his new school.

So far J has adjusted well with his new school. I believe I had more anxiety than he did on his first day. He already has a new friend that he talks about all the time and that alone makes me a proud mama.

Then there's Z. She has already made herself known in the house. The cat even has to watch out for her. I don't think my parents were ready for her.

The husband has adjusted well with his new position and is now officially studying for his ABIM. He was surprised to see himself enjoying life as a clinician, though I believe he still yearn for some hospitalist work.

Lastly there is me, living the stay-at-home Mommy life. I miss California a lot. I seem to think in the distant future we will move back their permanently, but right now, here is where we are meant to be. I do like that I have more help with the children, but I miss the friends, shopping and Disneyland!

That is all for now....

Full Circle

We finished residency in mid June and now we await the husband's start to Attending life which begins tomorrow at orientation!

Done w/In-Patient

Hallelujah! We are officially done with in-patient as a resident. He may have to be called to do in-patient as a clinician, but that will be in Hawaii and I have family to help out with the kiddies. I am so glad God put the right people in my life at a time I really needed them.

Updated.

Okay, let's get updated.

• Husband found a job in Hawaii.
• Residency will be done in a couple of months.
• Moving back to Hawaii shortly.
• Back in school full-time. Done w/half of the semester.
• Will be doing on-line degree work in Hawaii.
• Thinking of also working toward a M.B.A. thereafter.
• Zoey is almost 2.
• James is finishing up second grade.

Time flies when you're having fun, or maybe just in general.

So this morning at work I realized God caught me on something. How desperately I wanted R to get the position at a certain hospital and when he didn't I was devastated. I cried for days on end and was angry that God hadn't answered our prayers. Well, God knew me better than I knew myself instead he gave us a position at a clinic (not hospital). Looking back at it all, it was silly to think I'd be happy with the husband gone for 7 days straight. Silly me; God 1,255,649,009 vs. me -xxxxx.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sleep and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. -Psalm 139:1-8

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. -Proverbs 13:12

We definitely

had our share of deferred hope and this time when we got this awesome job, is obviously was a tree of life. Renewed hope for the family.... We are feel so blessed. For a moment I felt like I didn't want to move back to Hawaii, but looking at the bigger picture, God had to remind me, Hawaii is where we are meant to be. It means we are coming full circle, at around the same time in 2005.

Before I close, I wanted to share quotes that I have become so fond of.

"If you can't fight it or or flee it, flow with it."

Seriously, once you realize that you can't fight the situation just jive with it. Things always work themselves out and later down the line you see how and why you were going through it.

"Where you are is where you are meant to be."

This is one I wish I heard 5 years ago, when I hated living in California. We had a lot of bumps in the road from day 1 of us moving out here to be with R. I never really saw this place as a home, but now I actually do accept it as a home and there was a big reason why I needed to be out here. The biggest reasons is my faith, it needed to grow and that it did.

So that's what's going on with us in a nutshell. Never a dull day in the Matsukawa family.

P.S. Congratulations to a friend that just told me she got engaged a few days ago, right when I was typing this. So happy for you two! He's a good guy and you and him totally deserve each other!

< 3M

We are at our home stretch. We have less than 3 months left of residency and we are done! I can't believe our journey is coming full circle!