My week of call started with a bad omen. I was driving to work on Monday morning when I noticed a rhythmic rattle to the wheels turning. The sound turned out to be coming from a large metal screw embedded in my tire. With good enough sense not to pull it out, and thankful that it was my research day, I took my car to a nearby tire shop to have it fixed. Having been perpetually sleep-deprived, I napped in the waiting room for the next 2 hours, with daytime soap operas playing in the background, before I brought the car home. Fortunately, the rest of the week was relatively quiet, and I even got to do my first cataract surgery since residency. I celebrated the end of the call week with a trip to the NC State Fair. After attending a mandatory grand rounds on Saturday morning, I drove to a local park and ride for the bus to Raleigh. This turned out to be a good idea, as parking at the fair grounds was near impossible. This was my first time attending a state fair, and the agricultural theme was completely foreign to me, having grown up in HK and NYC. That day, I joined thousands of North Carolinians as they peruse antique farm equipment, inspect oversized blue-ribbon produce, and watch judges pick out the dairy cattle champion. Among the highlights were some impressive aerial BMX stunts at the King Action Sports Stunt Show and nail-biting barnyard animal races at Circle C Pig Racing. Despite the alluring giant turkey legs, donut burgers, and all things deep-fried, for which the state fair is known for, I found the turkey leg too dry and salty, and the deep-fried pecan pie tasting mostly like fried dough with a few crumbs of pecan. Nevertheless, being at the state fair and watching children and families enjoy the carnival games, the street performers, and the food – no matter how bad it turned out to be – was an experience that I’m glad to have had.

As I started to settle into my new apartment, I decided to look for some furniture this weekend. With the budget of a fellow’s salary, that meant looking on Craigslist and going yard sale hunting. To my surprise, a web search for yard sales in Durham alone yielded more than 30 hits! After mapping out the sites and plotting my plan of attack, I set out bright and early Saturday morning. What started as a furniture hunt, however, became an eclectic tour of the city’s diverse neighborhoods. As I pawed through the knick-knacks and paraphernalia from the spectrum of affluent to indigent households, I feel as if I were taking a voyeuristic peek into the lives of these families. Along the way, I also visited a few consignment shops and a store selling unfinished wood furniture, for which Durham is known for. In the end, I scored a few wall shelves, lamp shades, and a wooden futon, which I managed to convinced the short, stocky Hispanic father of 3 teenagers to help deliver to my home with his pick-up truck. For lunch, I stopped at the original Q Shack, where the sub-$10 pulled pork shoulder sandwich complete with a side of mac n’ cheese, hush puppies, and sweet tea made for a satisfying end to the day. On Sunday, I continued to populate my home with more household goods and groceries. My full-day shopping circuit included trips to Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Ross, Dollar Tree, Kroger, and Li Ming. Needless to say, it was a very unproductive weekend in terms of work. But step by step, I was beginning to turn my new pad into a home.

This weekend was Melody’s first time back to visit me since leaving for Cali, and also my second time moving in the past 3 months. When I first arrived from Boston, there were no availability for a 1-bedroom apartment, so I stayed in a 2-bedroom unit which vastly exceeded my needs – I used one of the bedrooms as a storage closet and kept the extra bathroom closed to avoid paying for its AC. On Friday night, I stayed up packing and awoke late the next morning with barely enough time to see all my post-op patients before rushing to the airport to pick up my wife. It was a bit early for lunch so we took a romantic stroll around the nearby parking lot and gas station until Pho 9N9 opened for us to fill up with warm, beefy nourishment. My sleep deprivation and Melody’s red-eye flight left us passed out for much of the afternoon until my co-fellow’s mid-autumn festival dinner party. Most of the moon cakes at Li Ming’s were gone, so we were left with only one option for the single-yolk lotus seed variety. Unsurprisingly, the cakes were dry and unflavorful, but the burgers, hot dogs, and good company made for a pleasant evening. On Sunday, we met up with my senior fellows for brunch at Foster’s Market for omelette, grits, and a $15 jar of tupelo honey to take home. Afterwards, we finished packing my worldly possessions into about 35 boxes, while taking turns freeing much of Constantinople from Templar influence in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. The beautiful architecture and scenery reminded us of our Turkey vacation, although playing together made us feel like we’re back home in Boston again. Dinner at Watts Grocery introduced us to a heavenly macaroni and farmer’s cheese gratin, which for being such a perfect but rich blend of creaminess and cheesiness, could hardly be considered an appetizer. By the time our movers arrived on Monday, we were all ready to go. Despite a few last-minute panics, including the threat of having to cover an add-on case and my neglecting to change the address for renter’s insurance ahead of time, we ultimately completed the move in just under 2 hours. We celebrated by stuffing ourselves at China Buffet before I dropped her off at the airport. Before this weekend, I had deliberated on hiring movers. I was glad that I did. The whirlwind of a weekend gave me time well-spent with my wife before I returned to the hustle and bustle of work.