Labor day this year was truly a weekend of labor for me. Between covering trauma call and retina call, I was stuck at work for more than 10 hours each day – repairing retinal detachments in the operating room, performing tap & injects for endophthalmitis, or rounding on inpatient consults with the residents. I was reminded once again that this fellowship is meant only for those who truly love their job. Fortunately, all that busy work also meant more surgeries for me, although I had little time left to prepare for our research presentation on Tuesday . After 2 hours of discussion, I was still left struggling to find a clear direction and good mentor for my research here. Outside of work, I’ve been trying to unwind by picking up some cooking again, regaining skills that had begun to dwindle while living with my wife. I’ve also explored the Durham dining scene some more with my co-fellows over Indian buffet at Sitar, and brunch at Guglhupf. My otherwise introverted life here has kept expenditures low as I prepare for my move to a smaller apartment at the end of the month.