October in Pictures

October is quite possibly my favorite month of the year.  The arrival of crisp fall air, birthdays, a few vacation days, and endless pumpkin treats are just a few highlights.  Despite all of these things to look forward to, October 2014 flew by in the blink of an eye.  Between a busy month on trauma, call weekends, recovering from Ironman, and a weekend trip to present research, I'm not sure that I ever stopped to do much other than to think about the next "to do".  Here's a look at my month in mostly pictures and a few words.

Since Mom and I's birthdays are just two days apart, we celebrated together with a family dinner at our favorite Atlanta restaurant - Canoe.

The "Last of Summer Tomato Stack"

Crisped Rhode Island Calamari, Pickled Broccoli, Jicama, Sweet Chili, Smoked Peanut

Sweet Potato Creme Brulee, Marshmallow, Pecan Tea Cookies

The birthday girls and our pumpkin cake

In addition to diamond earrings from my parents,  I also received this handmade wood Ironman sign from Royce and Erin.  

After two weeks of easy short swims and and yoga, I felt mostly recovered from Chattanooga.  This 8 mile run on a cool fall morning was exactly what my legs and mind wanted.

Pancake breakfast!

Sauté of Gardein "chicken", peas, tomato, and arugula over quinoa and a lemon-white wine sauce.

I escaped to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC during the last weekend in October to present a research project at the North Carolina Orthopedic Association.

Peak fall color on the drive to Mt. Mitchell

Beautiful views looking back towards the city

Clouds built quickly during the day and temperatures hovered in the 30s with high winds

Happy Anniversary to my parents!

We hiked five miles before making the drive back down the mountain in search of a warm lunch.

Lunch at Rosetta's Kitchen
Buddha Bowl with mixed greens, brown rice with tahini BBQ sauce, sprouts,
avocado, tofu, and sea vegetable salad.

November 1st officially marked the start of winter.   We woke up to 5 inches of snow on the ground and it continued to snow all day.  Combined with the high winds, it looked like a blizzard.  Fortunately I stayed warm at the spa - enjoying massaging hot tubs, contrast baths, saunas, and a facial.

Dinner at Rezaz
Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potato Mash, and Fall Vegetables

A sunny clear day after the snowstorm