Crate of Thunder: I Can't Help It; I Live Here!

It's been a busy few weeks, especially with moving to a new apartment, taking our second set of exams, finding time to appreciate the fall colors, beginning Anatomy, celebrating Halloween, and watching the World Series. As far as the first two go, it's exactly as it sounds: I moved from the 7th floor of one building to the 12th floor of another, which took more than a full weekend when combined with repainting the entire room. (I have to say, I think it turned out very well -- Starless Night, Mocha, and Clean Linen look quite nice together on my walls.) The exams were in Histology and Immunology, so I am now done with both classes. We have now begun Anatomy, which is really exciting because it's the class that everyone thinks of as the first "real" experience in medical school. We're all assigned to groups of 4-5 per cadaver, and I've already (with my lab partners) gotten to dissect the back muscles of our cadaver. Unreal.

After exams, many of us headed into the city for a night out. In the afternoon, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

It's also been an exciting time for New Yorkers, and especially for the Bronx, because of the World Series. There's no way I could have ever gotten tickets for a game (or even have wanted to spend that much), but it's been even better than I could have imagined getting caught up in the excitement of it all. Everywhere I go, I see Yankees hats, Yankees t-shirts, Yankees sweatshirts...and all talk is about the Yankees. Yes, I realize that I'm obligated to hate the Yankees. Normally I would, especially when the Twins are involved. But now -- with the World Series -- and living in New York -- I can't help it. I want them to win. How in the world could I not cheer for them? Plus, in my defense, it's almost a matter of safety. For a few of the games, I've joined a friend from school at a pub in the city. The first time I was there, one of his friends asked me (loudly) if I was a Yankees fan. Immediately, everyone surrounding me became silent, turning their heads to hear the critical answer. I laughed nervously and said, "I'm cheering for them tonight." It was a good enough answer, apparently, because the people at the bar quickly got back to their business of cheering loudly, cursing the Phillies, and clanging a bell every time the Yankees scored.

The Empire State Building dresses up for Halloween.

Halloween was also this past weekend. I didn't go to the parade, but I was in the city, and it was a sight to see. The normally serious, get-down-to-business New York mob exchanged its usual no-nonsense sense of fashion for giddy, brightly colored costumes throughout all of Saturday. At Einstein, costumes were equally as creative. I'll finish this post with a few samples: