When it comes to the holiday season, it just isn’t Thanksgiving without mooching. This year, my co-fellow graciously invited those of us here to join her family for dinner. The full spread included all the traditional dishes – roasted free-range fresh turkey, country-cured baked ham, roasted yams with marshmallows, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy – as well as other goodies like roasted brussels sprouts and braised kale. Melody landed just in time to join us for pumpkin and strawberry-rhubarb pies a la mode for dessert. We began driving early on Friday for lackluster Black Friday deals in Mebane before reaching Asheville for lunch at Corner Kitchen. Using my friend’s season tickets, we managed to pass ourselves off as a Bosnian couple to explore the Biltmore Estate. George Vanderbilt’s magnificent mansion was reminiscent of a small-scale European palace. The complex network of servant’s quarters, food preparation rooms, private bowling alley and swimming pool, as well as seemingly endless rows of guest rooms, gave hints to the luxurious lifestyle of the railroad magnate’s family. We finished touring the house and gardens just in time to check in at the North Lodge bed & breakfast, followed by dinner at The Admiral. Here, tasty Kumomoto oysters and PEI mussels were followed by richly-braised short ribs and delicate sea scallops with grits cooked to tender perfection. We spent the evening perusing the eclectic shops of downtown Asheville. The cold drove us to stand in line at the French Broad chocolate lounge for heavenly hot chocolates, liquid truffles, and other artisan delectables while enjoying live music from a local band. After basking in silky sheets in our cozy library room, we awoke to breakfast with a table of retired medical folks discussing how to deal with their ex’s. Feeling out of place, we excused ourselves and returned to town for tapas at Curate. Sitting at the bar gave us front row seats to our dishes being prepared – fried eggplant with honey, salt cod and potato puree, squid noodle paella, and braised oxtail – a gourmet experience that steered clear of the standard gambas & patatas bravas. We shopped around for rat-shaped ornaments before dinner at Table. The satisfying meal kept our bellies warm for the drive back. Despite getting home late, we pushed bedtime back to make further progress in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. On Sunday, we awoke at brunch time for French bistro food at Vin Rouge while getting the oil changed for the car. We had little time for anything else before picking up some locopops on the way to the airport. Having done so much over these three days actually made Melody’s visit feel especially short this time. I think we’ll have to plan less when I fly to Sacramento this Christmas.

Just one year after surviving fellowship interviews, I found myself on the other side of the playing field – greeting smiley, enthusiastic applicants vying for the same coveted positions. On Friday, we sneaked out of grand rounds early to greet the candidates and take them to one of our attendings’ house for dinner. The place was actually more like a mansion, complete with hired sushi and pastry chefs, a fondue fountain, and a theater room with leather theater chairs and a high-def projection screen flanked by Roman columns. The shindig ended late after the customary showing of an old AVS video skit, which made for a scant showing at after-dinner drinks. The interviews on Saturday sucked up yet another weekend day, but gave me a chance afterwards to hang out with my ex-co-residents applying in retina. One was actual a Duke grad and gave us a brief insider’s tour of the campus, including a nice find for homemade popsicles. I also hosted one of my friends, who became the first overnight guest at Casa Glenn. Luckily, I had just finished furnishing my pad with nightstands, a TV stand, and a Craigslist coffee table. And now that my new home is more or less decked out, I’ll be ready for Melody’s visit next week.

Moving down from Boston to Durham meant that I was leaving behind the Harvard Crimson and Red Sox nation for Blue Devil country. Fortunately, one of the perks of being part of an NCAA Division 1 school is having a sports team that actually mattered. Thanks to a very generous attending who had to attend a conference in Chicago this weekend, I was granted a free pair of tickets to the Friday night home opener for the Duke Men’s Basketball team against Georgia state. This was my first time attending a live basketball game, and I learned that all the time-outs that are typically filled with TV ads actually featured a variety of marching band and cheerleader performances. Cameron Stadium is small but cozy, and the crowds’ repertoire of taunts and cheers were amusing to watch. The other perk of moving South was finally having my vote matter in the Presidential election. Although traditionally a red state, North Carolina turned out to be a swing state this year. Waking up at the break of dawn to cast my vote, I felt invigorated by the democratic process. Election night was made even more sweet by my new flat-panel HDTV, which let me watch Obama’s victory unfold slowly across the networks in 1080p high-definition glory. The Best Buy bargain necessitated a late drive through the rain to pick up in person, and I nearly broke my back lugging the oversized box up the stairs. But it was all worth it to see our country in safe hands for another 4 years.