tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53161305329964555892024-03-14T01:18:44.405-07:00Sunny Side of LifeTravis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-63898729785993859292012-05-18T20:25:00.002-07:002012-05-18T20:25:58.344-07:00Two WeeksWe are down to the two weeks until we start the journey home to Texas! This next week will be my last at work. My replacement is doing well. We are at the point where she sits at the desk doing the work, and I sit back, bored to tears. It may sound enjoyable, but it makes for very long days. I've been helping others in the office out with any non-computer work they may have.
Travis has one more week at his last rotation which is good. It has not been a very enjoyable experience. But that's okay because a joyous event is soon to happen. We are looking forward to seeing the families and making our way down to the Civic Opera House in downtown Chicago on June 1st for graduation!
We have a rent house! It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath that comes with a washer, dryer, and refrigerator. This is a big deal since most of the houses we were looking at did not have these appliances. We have only seen pictures so far, but my in-laws were gracious enough to look at houses for us one Saturday. And I fully trust their judgement!
One of Travis's classmates will be a co-resident with him at Kingwood. He has a wife and two little girls aged 5 and 7. Last week we had dinner together to meet everyone and get acquainted. In the course of the evening we found out that we will be living only a couple of streets apart from each other. I also think we may have scared the wife with stories of Texas (they are originally from Idaho).
Still job searching--I have not heard anything as of yet. I have applied to a few different higher education institutes. Hopefully, something will start happening within the next few weeks.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-73423766467807698112012-04-29T16:37:00.003-07:002012-04-29T16:37:21.398-07:00Winding DownIt's hard to believe we only have about a month left in Illinois. I get more and more excited as each day passes. We are slowly marking things off our list. The packing process has begun. The girl who was hired to take my position brought me all the boxes she used to move here from Ohio. Everyone in my office has been notified to bring me any type on empty box. The best boxes are the ones that hold the reams of copy paper...and our office goes through those at lightening speeds!
We have a possibility of a rent house in the Kingwood area. Travis's parents were wonderful and went down to Kingwood to look at a few houses for us. We have the lease application in and are just waiting to hear back. I will put up more information once we have confirmation.
I have started the job search process. I'm having flash backs to 4 years ago when i went through all of this. I have a few prospects and applications out. Again, if I hear any news back, I will put more details up.
I know this month will go by incredible fast. We are trying to fit in as many get-togethers with people as possible, but I'm realizing the weekends are few and far between.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-9710655509735987762012-04-21T09:27:00.001-07:002012-04-21T09:27:19.517-07:00The CruiseWe left for our 7 day cruise on April 8th and it was amazing! We had such a relaxing time, and it was exactly what we both needed. Our boat left on Sunday afternoon from Galveston port and returned the following Sunday morning. We decided to save some money and have an interior room without any windows to the outside. We decided that if we go on any other cruises, we will continue to have the interior room. When you turn the lights out it is pitch black; you have no idea what time of day it is--awesome!
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Our first two days on the cruise were spent traveling. What was really amazing is there was always something going on somewhere on the boat. We received a schedule the night before to plan what we wanted to do. We decided to take it easy. On the traveling days, we typically found a spot on the upper deck and read/took naps. Although we did take breaks for lunch. We had heard from other about the amazing food on cruises, but were still blown away by the meals. Some of the meals we had included roast duck, crab cakes, lobster tail, and mahi mahi. And there was desert after every meal! The ship also had cafes that were open 24 hours in case you needed a snack in between meals...we were always too full to indulge in this.
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Our first port was Roatan, Honduras. We signed up for a snorkeling excursion. This was a first time event for both of us. We were taken to a private beach cove to get ready for snorkeling and to relax on after snorkeling. We found out that the coastal area of Honduras, Belize, and Mexico is the second largest reef behind the one in Australia. It was quite a wonderful experience.
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The next day we stopped in Belize where we went zip lining through the canopy. I was excited about this, but also a little nervous as I'm not a big fan of heights. However, once I completed the first line, I was hooked! We went down 5 lines and also did 2 short free falls. We both loved this experience and have decided that zip lining is a must for future vacations. After the excursion we received a Belize meal of chicken and rice and beans cooked in coconut milk. We were told that Belize has good hot sauce. Travis tried one with his meal that he loved. He bought a bottle of this hot sauce, as well as another one called Comatose...he has not tried this one yet.
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Our last stop was Cozumel, Mexico. We decided to take it easy this day and just do a little shopping. We found a few good buys. I bought two sundresses (of course I can't wear them yet because it's still in the 40's in Illinois). Travis found a great deal on an onyx chess set. I also bought a few bottles of Mexican vanilla. We then had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant. It was called Pancho's Backyard and all of the seating was in an outdoor pavilion. The food was absolutely amazing! This place had some of the best guacamole. We returned to the boat around 1:00 and proceeded to take a 3 hour nap in our amazingly dark state room.
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Each night after dinner we attended the show put on in the theater. They had a range of performers: one night we watched a magician; a couple of comedians; singers and dancers. On one night we went to the ice rink (yes, the boat had an ice rink). We watched a pretty good ice show.
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We had a great room attendant who would leave us a different towel animal almost every night. My favorite was the monkey.
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We came back refreshed and with a little more color...or in my case a few more freckles. It was a little difficult to get back into the swing of things at home. This was the most time I have ever taken off from this job, but I came back to everything in place. (By the way, this Monday is my last medical school interview day!)
We had such a wonderful time and are hooked on the cruise vacation option!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-84334135358256981002012-04-06T05:01:00.003-07:002012-04-06T05:05:38.151-07:00Match Day PicturesDuring the Match Day celebration, the University's photographer took many pictures to commemorate the event. She took quite a few of Travis and I. The pictures are located on the Rosalind Franklin University Facebook page:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/rfums"><br />https://www.facebook.com/rfums</a><br /><br />Click on Scholl Match Day.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-19014309257524222212012-04-05T15:02:00.003-07:002012-04-05T15:09:03.104-07:00Look Out Texas...The Bodekers are coming home! Today was the podiatry match day. We found out that Travis got his number one choice: Kingwood, Texas. We are so excited!!!<br /><br />The school had a celebration for those that were able to make it to the school. The students received letters listing their sites. Practically my whole office came out to support Travis. There was a fantastic spread of food and the students received a special gift, a very nice business card holder. <br /><br />It was very hard to concentrate the rest of the day; but my replacement started this week, and I desperately need to teach her as much as possible.<br /><br />More reasons to celebrate on the cruise next week! We leave this Sunday. The next post should be overflowing with pictures!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-91909055196556286952012-03-31T09:39:00.002-07:002012-03-31T09:47:37.986-07:00Time for a Blog ChangeWith the imminent changes on the horizon, I decided it was time to revamp the look of the blog--no more dreary winter scene. The northern adventures are slowly coming to an end. They have been enjoyable, but it's time for another chapter in our life. <br /><br />For quite a while I thought about a new title for the blog. Many different things came to mind, but just didn't seem right. Before I was married I had my single girl blog which I titled using words from a Harry Connick Jr. song, Wink and a Smile. I felt I would like to follow that trend and used Sunny Side of Life. I'm not sure who the original singer is, but I remember the song from O Brother Where Art Thou. I plan for the blog to be <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>mostly<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> about the sunny parts that life will bring us. That's not to say that an occasional grey cloud won't make it's way across the screen.<br /><br />To those of you that see this blog, I hope you enjoy the changes that have been made. Stay tuned for the long-awaited residency announcement which should grace the front page of the blog on either Thursday or Friday!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-32180689720208152092012-03-28T17:37:00.002-07:002012-03-28T17:39:48.070-07:00Match Day DateWe found out yesterday that the match day has been decided. Match day will be next Thursday, April 5th! It's nice to finally have a date to look forward to. It's also right before we leave for our cruise which will mean we will have even more to celebrate. As soon as we know where Travis's residency will be, I will post it.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-87861763363912847972012-03-24T08:04:00.003-07:002012-03-24T08:39:31.654-07:00Fell Off the BandwagonOh Dear! Well, at least I posted before a full year passed. I don't even know what happened. Perhaps it was the nice summer weather up here that pulled me out of doors and clouded my mind from blog posts; or the crazy travel schedule for Travis; or just my own forgetfulness. Either way, here is the long awaited update everyone has been holding their breath for (yeah, right). <br /><br />Probably the best way to do this is with bullet-points (the avid readers will know this is my favorite way to post). <br /><br />Travis<br />* Last time I wrote (back in May) Travis was finishing up his 4 months of away rotations (February-May). He was back in June for a Chicago rotation. It was great to have him home, but bitter-sweet when he had to leave again for 2 months. In July he was at Scott and White in Temple, TX and in August he was at UTSA in San Antonio. He was back here for September and October and then he completed his last away rotation in November at John Peter Smith hospital in Ft. Worth. <br /><br />* In early January Travis took the second part of his boards exam. We found out a month later that he passed! Of course, there was no question that he wouldn't pass. A week after the test he and his other classmates had interviews for residency. The podiatry residency interview process is centralized: all, or most, of the programs come to one central site to complete the interviews. All podiatry students travel to this site. And where is this elusive site? Frisco, Texas! I believe Travis had 6 or 7 interviews (some places do not go to the interview process and instead interview students after their rotation).<br /><br />* Right now we are waiting for the podiatry match to occur. Match is when the residencies are figured out. Each student ranks their sites and each site ranks the students. Then there is a process of matching. At this time there is not a set date for the match. We have heard it will be early April. This year they decided to change the process to allow students 2 chances to take the board exam---of course, this change would happen this year. As soon as we know where we are going, it will be posted everywhere!<br /><br /><br />* Once the test and interviews were over, Travis was so relaxed. He has been enjoying coming home and not studying. Video games have been played. He might as well get it in now, because the start of residency will be time consuming<br /><br />Erin<br />* Not as much has happened with me. While Travis was gone in August, my sisters came up to visit. We had some great girl time...and we stayed busy. One day we went downtown to the Sears Tower (some may wish to call this the Willis Tower). Another day we went to the Six Flags up here--we got there when it opened and left when it closed. It was a great time, but man, they wore me out. :) <br /><br />* Work has been good. I got through the stressfulness of fall. At least for the medical school program, fall is the worst admissions time--everything is happening at once! The interview season is winding down--only 5 more days over the course of a month. I have a couple more recruiting events to go to in the Chicagoland area: the first at University of Chicago and the last at Northwestern University. I have really been blessed with this job and the opportunities it has provided me. <br /><br />* We just hired a girl to replace me. She will start in two weeks. My boss wanted to get someone in soon so that I would have a couple of months to train her. I've been busy getting procedure manuals and all other kinds of tips prepared. I'm trying to think of the best approach to explain all that is done in this position without scaring her away. :)<br /><br />Us<br />* We were unable to make it home for Christmas this year. Travis had a rotation at Cook County Hospital in Chicago which was time consuming. On top of the rotation he was studying for boards and interviews. We were able to have 2 different Christmas celebrations with some classmates who were also unable to make it home. It was a little weird not being with family, but we realized this was, hopefully, not a common occurrence. <br /><br />* On April 9th Travis and I are going on a cruise! Travis has the month of April off. We decided during our first year that we wanted to go on a graduation celebration trip. We have been saving up for about 3 years to make this happen. Neither of us has been on a cruise before, and we are truly looking forward to it. It is a week Royal Caribbean cruise leaving from Galveston with port stops in Cozumel, Belize, and Rotan. We will be sure to take lots of pictures.<br /><br />* The winter this year has been very mild with very little snow. It's about time, Chicago! Even with the mildness for this area, it still was too cold for me. I'm ready for Texas winters! <br /><br />* Travis's graduation is June 1st. Our families will be making the trek up here, and then helping us truck all of our stuff back to Texas. It's hard to believe it is only about 2 months away. Where did those 4 years go to?Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-64649750867552009452011-05-10T19:39:00.000-07:002011-05-10T19:48:30.652-07:00Weird CommentSo today I spent an hour sitting at the front desk while our receptionist went to a meeting. On the desk, she has a picture frame with three pictures of her daughter who is in college. While I was sitting there, a director from a different department came to see our VP. As he was walking past the desk he noticed the pictures and asked, "is that your daughter?" Really? Yes, I was 7 when I had her--a medical miracle. Sheesh!<br /><br />Travis will be coming home for the weekend on the 20th-22nd. He will then be back home for a month starting the 27th. From what I can tell he is enjoying his rotation in South Bend, Indiana. This is his first rotation to be staying by himself, and I can tell he is lonely. <br /><br />It is <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>finally<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> beginning to warm up here. I think we reached the 70's today. I was talking with one of the men at church on Sunday who has lived here most of his life. He said this is the worst he can remember it being. Apparently, last year by this time we had 16 days above 70; this year we have only had 3. Maybe since this winter has lasted so long it means a very mild winter this year. One can hope!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-42009440384301600092011-05-02T19:38:00.000-07:002011-05-02T20:16:53.023-07:00New Business VentureHello Blog Friends and Family,<br /><br />I know what you are all thinking: two blogs in one week from Erin, are pigs flying? It's true this is not a common occurrence for me, but I am very excited to share a new project that I have taken on. I am now a Mary Kay Independent Consultant!<br /><br />If you had told me 5 years ago that I would take this on, I would probably have not believed you. This was before I fully tried the products and realized how amazing they are. I have been using the skin care line for only 3 days and have seen positive results. <br /><br />All this to say, I would love to help you or any of your friends out with their skin care or makeup needs. What's even more exciting is I have my own personal website with information about products and online ordering! Also check out one of my favorite features, the virtual makeover. I have already spent quite a bit of time playing with the different color combinations. Please feel free to visit: <br /><br />www.marykay.com/erinbodeker<br /><br />Feel free to contact me with any questions!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-8910460361440234932011-04-30T15:27:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:41:46.873-07:00Spring...ish?Well, once again I have fallen off the blog wagon. I need to just set up an alarm that will remind me to update the blog. <br /><br />The title of this blog refers to the lovely weather we are having up in North Chicago. I truly cannot believe it is almost May. True, it usually takes a little longer for it to warm up here, but this year has been pretty bad. April has been a month of 30-40 degree weather and rain--tons of rain. Believe me, I would have love to have sent it down to Texas to help with all of the fires. Two Mondays ago I woke up to a disgusting blanket of snow on the ground. It was somewhere around 1-2 inches. Needless to say, it put quite a damper on my day. Today I think we actually made it up to 60 with some sunshine...at least for a few hours. It's overcast again and probably in the low 50's. I am so ready to wear my flip-flops and skirts!<br /><br />Last weekend I flew down to Texas to visit Travis. For the month of April he has been at a program in Kingwood. He and his classmate have been staying at one of the doctor's house (a family friend of his classmate). My first night there we had dinner with the doctor and his wife. We spent some time with Travis's parents on Saturday. We also were able to spend time with some good friends we knew back in College Station, who now live in Kingwood. They have already decided we are moving there. This was my first time visiting Kingwood, and I have to say I would not be opposed to living there. We went to our friends' church on Sunday. I thoroughly enjoy our church in Illinois, but I truly miss being apart of a larger congregation that has more opportunities to get involved. I also was excited to sing a few newer songs in worship. And the weather that weekend was wonderful!!! I told my co-workers that I was not coming back from the trip, and I really, really wanted to stay. I have to keep telling myself, "only one more year, only one more winter." <br /><br />Travis is traveling this weekend to his next rotation in South Bend, Indiana. Apparently, South Bend is only about 3 hours away, so he will be able to come home on weekends which I am thoroughly excited about. (Hmmm...guess I need to start cleaning the apartment).Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-11628587204431917172011-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:28:13.991-07:00Washington DCI had a wonderful time in DC this weekend. The weather could not have been more gorgeous! When I landed on Friday it was sunny and 79 degrees. Saturday was a little cooler in the low 60's. I'm not fully certain of the area my hotel was in, but I know I was close to the zoo. The recruiting event was not until 2:00 on Saturday, so I got up early that morning (at least early for me) to do some sight seeing. There was a Metro station not far from the hotel which would take me to the mall area to see the monuments. The Metro is located underground, much like the New York subway. The particular station I went to had the longest escalator I have ever seen! We just kept going down. This escalator will come into play again during my day's events. <br /><br />I was able to spend about 2 hours at the mall area. I forgot how spread out the monuments are--I definitely got a good walk in. I was able to see the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial (which was not there when I came in 8th grade), the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. I was also able to grab a couple of quick pictures of the White House and the Capitol Building. <br /><br />By the time I had finished visiting each site, I realized I needed to get back to have time to eat and primp for the recruiter fair. When I got back to the station near my hotel (the gigantic, massive escalator), I realized there was only one up escalator working. There was quite a line waiting to get on. I also noticed there was a broken escalator that people were walking up. I decided to take the healthier option and walk--it's just a few stairs, right? Oh my word. I was half way up when my thighs started to burn and I was getting really tired. By the time I reached the top I was breathing as if I had just finished a five mile run. Never again. <br /><br />The event went well. I was sitting next to a recruiter from the University of Chicago who I got to know very well. I also saw another recruiter from the University of Illinois that I had met at a previous event. Usually when I go to the events I don't know anyone. It was rather enjoyable to see a face I recognized. <br /><br />Below are a few pictures I took of the monuments:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJEgqsch6lG0CovoE3aSBV8bxAm1_B9xR7xabBXXcTI9TUPHrLPaPl9Nyc6Bo5eBE_heKlXANV4anhGzM-ysJwdpoO_MAKkr99x0ZKj0-G6mo37C7XRdnGkmnLsRav-vmRykUnlU0yg/s1600/washington+dc+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJEgqsch6lG0CovoE3aSBV8bxAm1_B9xR7xabBXXcTI9TUPHrLPaPl9Nyc6Bo5eBE_heKlXANV4anhGzM-ysJwdpoO_MAKkr99x0ZKj0-G6mo37C7XRdnGkmnLsRav-vmRykUnlU0yg/s320/washington+dc+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586677948718850402" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdU84K9tEdztedzQhz3ADuzVv6Hda_bmMnBI4x10BfVreENe-VhVnCQMtCzztJxK0PEF4FxYppmIn82-X75PeTabVfB5dtG7vToJcpbPJ-jMqraym09I7ui5vYOYTLF76MYtXgOy5iA/s1600/washington+dc+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdU84K9tEdztedzQhz3ADuzVv6Hda_bmMnBI4x10BfVreENe-VhVnCQMtCzztJxK0PEF4FxYppmIn82-X75PeTabVfB5dtG7vToJcpbPJ-jMqraym09I7ui5vYOYTLF76MYtXgOy5iA/s320/washington+dc+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678094607619250" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePSa4fbtGNyIPpT7n9rxpBuls024Uu_ZC-f37eePIWSXgiB154NtlyjmPUl5gEZvbAVvDbwJXi1OB_Sk-BbmxHoXqZdyBR1wAUpXEaeKDLRUxDqKtLw1hUq9XLhLvVIwc2X8KB_0Plg/s1600/washington+dc+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePSa4fbtGNyIPpT7n9rxpBuls024Uu_ZC-f37eePIWSXgiB154NtlyjmPUl5gEZvbAVvDbwJXi1OB_Sk-BbmxHoXqZdyBR1wAUpXEaeKDLRUxDqKtLw1hUq9XLhLvVIwc2X8KB_0Plg/s320/washington+dc+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678239077502386" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZw0fboZSj5s1Dlv8kBhlS4RwWaCfSVoMWebrFCBzr4AgsOBvdcA6-DI7fWTGUmah_wS7nn6ZPLgeXorFpA8JTDi0SMVAbgeyZir-6ktPuExp_cPomAdWzozWGzUcBFO7Yt6Ipqx6-Q/s1600/washington+dc+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZw0fboZSj5s1Dlv8kBhlS4RwWaCfSVoMWebrFCBzr4AgsOBvdcA6-DI7fWTGUmah_wS7nn6ZPLgeXorFpA8JTDi0SMVAbgeyZir-6ktPuExp_cPomAdWzozWGzUcBFO7Yt6Ipqx6-Q/s320/washington+dc+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678541938492706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLHjohqZdlEZasBbApzFH3fFiKFZ0__xfTMVi8HgwlPNyb1Why4zEX963tMsTVpClOfxNl5OMeWmy3OppshsWujWmoITY9x_Zcy8_v_e7mG8qNdVYk0Rf-1cUzMxvaB_UC-ODs0BwJg/s1600/washington+dc+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLHjohqZdlEZasBbApzFH3fFiKFZ0__xfTMVi8HgwlPNyb1Why4zEX963tMsTVpClOfxNl5OMeWmy3OppshsWujWmoITY9x_Zcy8_v_e7mG8qNdVYk0Rf-1cUzMxvaB_UC-ODs0BwJg/s320/washington+dc+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678535012698498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqKWYw317kTObX2lc-QvEJv5r-HfXceDYcr5h2IMqJ8EUZRWVKKxM0ZVkwOH3Wf1IvjwtSiG43ZOw2Xjxi0NSwi8BqHTEzrBEobmSWfwotKYUANEtKQ44f87AMzXJMHvmi1CteFdZGg/s1600/washington+dc+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqKWYw317kTObX2lc-QvEJv5r-HfXceDYcr5h2IMqJ8EUZRWVKKxM0ZVkwOH3Wf1IvjwtSiG43ZOw2Xjxi0NSwi8BqHTEzrBEobmSWfwotKYUANEtKQ44f87AMzXJMHvmi1CteFdZGg/s320/washington+dc+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678531085322610" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Xn66fOh_sV4kyIU8FWjf0xYX6ncSqe6RY-ddHJvV0SLCyAAIDw8i-5T-ROleo07P0s26tVoBI36Qsu_0zIcFKfvS4ZIvuHaN9UVztc0RDBHVGw0m0yG8hymSkcMyMX_0WRqbSOk8Gg/s1600/washington+dc+037.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Xn66fOh_sV4kyIU8FWjf0xYX6ncSqe6RY-ddHJvV0SLCyAAIDw8i-5T-ROleo07P0s26tVoBI36Qsu_0zIcFKfvS4ZIvuHaN9UVztc0RDBHVGw0m0yG8hymSkcMyMX_0WRqbSOk8Gg/s320/washington+dc+037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678961234938370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_urRTyFeYEwwqpsWZ3wI-gBAGUxEM7NPsoF6gEuoAgBNnrURQTLYKuG1lIAI4SBOgScpZL6nMGRAN9amtUofAzRLUS0wYs_RMRTE6UkzWP6kKGU_FtisWvhrH_Xy3PmNUXpUh4W4Cjw/s1600/washington+dc+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_urRTyFeYEwwqpsWZ3wI-gBAGUxEM7NPsoF6gEuoAgBNnrURQTLYKuG1lIAI4SBOgScpZL6nMGRAN9amtUofAzRLUS0wYs_RMRTE6UkzWP6kKGU_FtisWvhrH_Xy3PmNUXpUh4W4Cjw/s320/washington+dc+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678952090988066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC76tlGY7xBCuF2fEtiYUQwv40h2p9Ae74yebq5SXIyyvbV-NODyWEkIK5Pt2rshgu6yf68YHhguegSOhAIyBFt8ByNCp4C5ViB6yVPtn3uXFLJ5MUzZCOyUkVASrB3GO3tyYvG-t87w/s1600/washington+dc+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC76tlGY7xBCuF2fEtiYUQwv40h2p9Ae74yebq5SXIyyvbV-NODyWEkIK5Pt2rshgu6yf68YHhguegSOhAIyBFt8ByNCp4C5ViB6yVPtn3uXFLJ5MUzZCOyUkVASrB3GO3tyYvG-t87w/s320/washington+dc+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678946550366370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTOZbakrJzAgyakmo1EiSVvkXZNb910HN0HgJ5AHCHzgw2mR5UoMLdhcOlBgFXoPM7oxI6A5kj-rduNf1OhBpQtQXdZyK87Ntss8lGgNhD0zCEyJ90CASyBqpaMQiBGpZdyGJZ12vew/s1600/washington+dc+032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTOZbakrJzAgyakmo1EiSVvkXZNb910HN0HgJ5AHCHzgw2mR5UoMLdhcOlBgFXoPM7oxI6A5kj-rduNf1OhBpQtQXdZyK87Ntss8lGgNhD0zCEyJ90CASyBqpaMQiBGpZdyGJZ12vew/s320/washington+dc+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678946338547810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5btHsqT0IvkwVLbYEgK384zqbXGgTB9FAWd-LJHq0p4gpKwGbG8ZyU9lKAOVIOs3dKVxRSOqAiXVHY8DK1x6lPTTevh444hCQ2rFQsMuIDOfhhi05-0mGxtT5e_u93Vw-bpZQGe5sA/s1600/washington+dc+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5btHsqT0IvkwVLbYEgK384zqbXGgTB9FAWd-LJHq0p4gpKwGbG8ZyU9lKAOVIOs3dKVxRSOqAiXVHY8DK1x6lPTTevh444hCQ2rFQsMuIDOfhhi05-0mGxtT5e_u93Vw-bpZQGe5sA/s320/washington+dc+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678941103172146" /></a>Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-351459902993471332011-03-17T15:46:00.000-07:002011-03-17T16:04:40.061-07:00Happy St. Patrick's DayHappy St. Patrick's Day to everyone, especially all you Irish lads and lasses. Today was Match Day for the medical school. This is one of my favorite events at the University. This is the day when all medical students find out where there residency will be. Every medical school has Match Day on the same date and at the same time. At our school it is held in the main lobby. It is quite chaotic as staff members stand on the coffee tables, calling out names and handing out the envelopes. If you can't see the action, you definitely know when the students receive their envelopes by the screams of excitement. There are also tears on this day, of joy and of sadness, but the overall feeling is one of excitement. It's exciting for me because I know a handful of the fourth years due to their help interviewing applicants. I made sure to scout out as many of them as possible to congratulate them and find out where they would be headed for the rest of their education. <br /><br />The month of March seems to be all about travel. Two weekends ago I traveled down to Texas to spend some time with Travis. It was so good to see him and talk in person instead of on the phone. It was such a thrill to step out of the airport into the 70 degree weather. It was not as pleasant on the return trip when I stepped out into 25 degree weather. I made sure to get some Texas food in while I was there. I had one of the best chicken fried steaks I have ever had at Saltgrass. We were also able to find a Freebirds which was so divine. It was so hard to come back, but it is remarkable how fast the time is flying by. I am planning to make another trip down to see him in April.<br /><br />This weekend I am traveling to Washington, DC. I am going to a recruiting event for the medical school. I haven't been to DC since 8th grade; so I am very excited. Kristi, in case you read this, with this trip, I have been continuously thinking about how we got lost in the massive DC zoo! The event is from 2:00-6:00 on Saturday. I am thinking I will venture out in the morning to see a few sites. I would like to go to one of the museums, but I'm afraid I will be too tempted to skip the event and stay all day! My plan is to go instead to the mall area and visit the monuments. Hopefully, my next blog post will be pictures from my weekend.<br /><br />Erin Go Bragh!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-56548959391412775462011-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:002011-02-18T15:02:36.465-08:00Happy AnniversaryThis past Wednesday was our 3rd anniversary. Because we knew we were going to be apart for this anniversary, we celebrated back in January. I was not expecting to have anything happen on the actual day. While I was in my office talking with one of our recruiters I happened to see our administrative assistant coming down the hallway with a vase of roses. I was completely shocked! Travis had ordered roses to be delivered at my office. <br /><br />All the ladies in the office commented on how sweet it was. I know secretly they were jealous. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J_HIrxXHxw9uSf1ZQ7HLBTswOlACGKNPkyBusipNb6ltchQ-96wW-IsFJDbfmSkYKpZgUHPsxGxML3MZUnro2HuXvxaHH-UKIc8h1ULRLIfxOykJO7n5JnQit2iObUwynDmxHv7dwQ/s1600/anniversary+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J_HIrxXHxw9uSf1ZQ7HLBTswOlACGKNPkyBusipNb6ltchQ-96wW-IsFJDbfmSkYKpZgUHPsxGxML3MZUnro2HuXvxaHH-UKIc8h1ULRLIfxOykJO7n5JnQit2iObUwynDmxHv7dwQ/s320/anniversary+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575168722250451506" /></a>Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-21844190990328312042011-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:002011-02-14T15:24:36.497-08:00Happy Valentine's DayJust to catch everyone up, we all survived the Blizzard of 2011. We received between 18-20 inches of snow. By the next day the roads were plowed, sidewalks were shoveled and it was back to life as usual. I know all you Texas people can't believe that, especially those of you who were stuck at home for 4 days. The past two days the temperature has hit about 40 degrees. It is amazing what above freezing temps and a little sun will do to a whole lot of snow. In certain areas, I can see the grass. Come on Spring!<br /><br />Travis and I are doing well. It's been two weeks since he left for the start of his 4 months of rotations. He is doing well in Colorado. He is not as busy as he was at his last rotation, but from what I can tell he is apart of more surgeries. We talk every evening before bed. It is a little weird that he is not here for Valentine's Day or our anniversary (Wednesday). <br /><br />I have been doing my best to stay busy. It's a little hard with the cold and snow. I would like to get involved with some volunteering, but I need to wait until it is warmer. My co-workers have been helping me by inviting me out to different functions. Last week I went with one of my co-workers to watch her daughter's choir perform different Disney songs. This Friday I am going with another co-worker to a battle of the bands/coffee bar event. It should be interesting. In March I am going to Washington DC for a medical school recruiting event, which I am looking forward to.<br /><br />To end today's post I will share with you one of the conversations I overheard on our interview day (these are both male faculty members):<br /><br />Interviewer 1: "What is today's date?"<br />Interviewer 2: "February 14th, Valentine's Day!"<br />Interviewer 1: "Uh-oh I'm in trouble."<br /><br />Happy Valentine's Day!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-3927652421553006202011-02-02T07:10:00.000-08:002011-02-02T07:19:14.804-08:00Still SnowingIt's hard to believe spring will come early this year when you are stuck in the middle of one of the worst snowstorms Chicago has seen in years. It is still snowing here and is scheduled to for most of the day. Last night my lights flickered once, and a little later the electricity went completely out for about 10 seconds. Other than that, everything has stayed in tact. <br /><br />I took a few pictures of the "winter wonderland" outside. This is the most snow I have ever seen!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp72ron-KFwlW-8Jnp56ozfDTSr0LRyU_fUxKUSozMhoddh-AaGxRYHli1XLu4Q43iUrQfL8-vH1QLrtXCXTPQIrlBIdmoRuzgzogARBC6vP5NBapazDYE8uZ5lA2s-JMyD6Ie0KReg/s1600/snow+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp72ron-KFwlW-8Jnp56ozfDTSr0LRyU_fUxKUSozMhoddh-AaGxRYHli1XLu4Q43iUrQfL8-vH1QLrtXCXTPQIrlBIdmoRuzgzogARBC6vP5NBapazDYE8uZ5lA2s-JMyD6Ie0KReg/s320/snow+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569110903108020642" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzWf5fcB7vhYbh0sGxQa5n8S6s8LAzrwncqpfHtghmyuBLkZJdyMOgUZm9L37m0h89JAJH-AxxvzTnYxrI3o6zNE075USjz5q1YEmn8_rvReUnQRvbcwNLSBGoSZiTv1sNG8fc_Wjog/s1600/snow+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzWf5fcB7vhYbh0sGxQa5n8S6s8LAzrwncqpfHtghmyuBLkZJdyMOgUZm9L37m0h89JAJH-AxxvzTnYxrI3o6zNE075USjz5q1YEmn8_rvReUnQRvbcwNLSBGoSZiTv1sNG8fc_Wjog/s320/snow+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569111143536022930" /></a><br />I don't think I will be going out on the back patio any time soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig72bdqBShkrxQq-cI5nRAXGh6iOeipbSiVbeICX7T_GbVEkwpVdq4sn1yIIw0bxDVObxL8OOOwlA_E54Sei0zaKkXzj9hIAZ0LH17goli4qHv4DlfD8rivansrig0U12QZs45_M4RdQ/s1600/snow+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig72bdqBShkrxQq-cI5nRAXGh6iOeipbSiVbeICX7T_GbVEkwpVdq4sn1yIIw0bxDVObxL8OOOwlA_E54Sei0zaKkXzj9hIAZ0LH17goli4qHv4DlfD8rivansrig0U12QZs45_M4RdQ/s320/snow+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569111400100420178" /></a><br />I'm glad our car is safe and warmish in a garage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXh1j6pKSH60FYIkHqozIY2Mk4hmj_JrqRrRIK8_MX_CrPxWaU2owDNbx0k9goXJ-7eUZfh85GTHwQ-y7PJ-yJi9ebwZmz_xg-bJebZs_0iMSg1Vl-2myuXQEM0Uwg5rzfDyZLtxADg/s1600/snow+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXh1j6pKSH60FYIkHqozIY2Mk4hmj_JrqRrRIK8_MX_CrPxWaU2owDNbx0k9goXJ-7eUZfh85GTHwQ-y7PJ-yJi9ebwZmz_xg-bJebZs_0iMSg1Vl-2myuXQEM0Uwg5rzfDyZLtxADg/s320/snow+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569111606251480514" /></a><br />I took this picture because of the trees. I have never seen them completely covered in snow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGVSunzdzWredARbK_J3NXqsKfh3jCfMg2EO0bZIYAXyaCSEI5d7r_O8_SF4aIP5foxu7ThhGmdAGujJPrFQwfeT7uBalVwx5ndHHu8lYgD3QXKjuVZEwAQMEo6NdEcshSQha-0_y4Q/s1600/snow+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGVSunzdzWredARbK_J3NXqsKfh3jCfMg2EO0bZIYAXyaCSEI5d7r_O8_SF4aIP5foxu7ThhGmdAGujJPrFQwfeT7uBalVwx5ndHHu8lYgD3QXKjuVZEwAQMEo6NdEcshSQha-0_y4Q/s320/snow+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569111813143963506" /></a><br />Hopefully you can see the mound of snow in this picture. This is one of the snow drifts near the apartment. <br /><br />It will be interesting to see if I go to work tomorrow or not.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-67334227046899763482011-02-01T17:59:00.001-08:002011-02-01T18:14:59.068-08:00The Snow and Wind are Here!Thankfully the school closed at 2:00 today and will be closed tomorrow as well. When we left at 2:00 it wasn't too bad. The snow was lightly coming down and the wind was fairly normal, at least normal for up here. It has definitely picked up since then. The worst of the storm is suppose to hit after midnight tonight. One of Travis's classmates posted a picture of an entire stop light that blew down in the downtown Chicago area. Sheesh! I tried taking a video of the events outside for everyone to witness. The video doesn't do justice, but enjoy!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZ6XoosRyClwKVhEYFZfQvbhJEfdqQKRIreYFo81SmvZUuTkg9bbAaSlFYzH_X5hFiuAE36V3pn_zZpmNHwA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-58731319633770490082011-01-31T16:01:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:06:48.906-08:00Snow Storm 2011?Travis made it to Greeley, Colorado safe and sound. And probably just in time. We are expecting a rather large system to pass through up here. The snow will start tomorrow afternoon and turn into blizzard conditions Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning. I believe they are anticipating 1 to 2 feet of snow. <br /><br />We are suppose to have medical school interviews on Wednesday, but we made the decision to cancel those for the safety of the applicants and also because I wouldn't be able to find any faculty to interview them (it's hard enough to find them on a sunny day). I'm hoping the school is closed on Wednesday. Thankfully, I went to the store this weekend and stocked up on food. Now I need to locate the flashlights in case the electricity goes out.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-80184277229026276432011-01-28T15:09:00.001-08:002011-01-28T15:23:22.252-08:00LeavingAlright, so a catch up on the Bodekers. I promise to get better at updating the blog this year. I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, but I think this should be one for me. <br /><br />We had a very wonderful trip back to Texas for Christmas. Thankfully it was not as eventful as last year's trip. We made it there and back without any weather issues. We surprised both of Travis's grandmothers who did not know we would be making it. Travis's new nickname is "the scoundrel" as dictated to him by his grandma. Everyone should feel free to use this name at anytime. My family came up to Lancaster to see us on Christmas Eve day, and we had a great time eating, visiting and opening presents. Each day brought more family members, some of whom I had not meet yet. Here are a couple of pictures with the grandmothers, along side Travis's brother Cody and his wife, and a few of the cousins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwa2cgzvaQyQ_HwCi3FvlqANIkZbclM392UfNXLWP8Yls5OtppSCAvdjx2DeVYFoRPLVpwmgmJNiCQ4y_s36Z-ncC_HPxnon7HLj5putk2M2Mv3sIq1VgUXEraDq5Q3oBw_ZUOLNQGg/s1600/bodeker+cousins.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwa2cgzvaQyQ_HwCi3FvlqANIkZbclM392UfNXLWP8Yls5OtppSCAvdjx2DeVYFoRPLVpwmgmJNiCQ4y_s36Z-ncC_HPxnon7HLj5putk2M2Mv3sIq1VgUXEraDq5Q3oBw_ZUOLNQGg/s320/bodeker+cousins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567379554431791234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv14xonqLpG1ofwNqT0zWq_a6D23owb40TSjCDJQwrlfXYWQHI_BOI6dj6YETBaoXZAG0AMP2TrS04nVdH4t4v3LPw2TIuKvHjNdiwMbJAbLgnHlFPlyIkkO_IhASF63WWI87ZrKctqw/s1600/hale+cousins.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv14xonqLpG1ofwNqT0zWq_a6D23owb40TSjCDJQwrlfXYWQHI_BOI6dj6YETBaoXZAG0AMP2TrS04nVdH4t4v3LPw2TIuKvHjNdiwMbJAbLgnHlFPlyIkkO_IhASF63WWI87ZrKctqw/s320/hale+cousins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567379696476215298" /></a><br /><br />Travis started his first clinical externship this month. He was at the Westside VA in downtown Chicago. He had to be there at 7:00 each morning which meant he would wake up at 4:30 each morning. Luckily, there were 3 other classmates there with him; so they would carpool each day. He has had the opportunity to sit in and help out a little in a couple of surgeries. I believe he said he has seen over 100 patients at this one hospital. He has had a wonderful experience her and truly enjoyed everyone at the facility.<br /><br />Tomorrow Travis leaves for his next 4 rotations and will be gone from February through May. We are both not looking forward to this time apart. Travis will be driving to Greeley, Colorado. I would ask that everyone please keep him in your prayers. I am hopefully planning to visit him in April while he is in Texas. I will be in the process of finding little hobbies to keep me busy throughout the next four months. It might be time to pick up my knitting and scrap booking again.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-48050313361228008142010-12-12T14:03:00.000-08:002010-12-12T14:47:29.682-08:00Baby, It's Cold OutsideOnce again I have fallen off the blog-wagon. I apologize to everyone who still reads this blog. I especially apologize to my friend, Kristi, who I told I would have a new post after Thanksgiving. So I have about 3 months of catching up to do. This might be a lengthy blog. And you know how much I love to use the bullet points for long update posts, so here goes...<br /><br />* We had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving. We had a small group gather at our place. Chris (Travis's classmate who has been living with us since June) and his fiance, Jasia, and her little girl, Chloe, came up, as well as another classmate named Luke. Jasia made pumpkin pies from scratch! I was so impressed. All I've ever known is pumpkin from the can. Travis made a fabulous, melt-in-your mouth turkey. The day was filled with movies and Disney Scene-It, which Chloe really enjoyed.<br /><br />* I have not pulled out all of the Christmas decorations this year. I have a few token items, mainly things my mom sent me in a care package. Our new apartment is set up in a way that our Christmas tree will not fit without causing major maneuvering issues. Because I could not stand the idea of tree-less living room, I made a make-shift Christmas tree:<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAJVewfsOxQSBLcfY0Az5ExMaPJDbP8iEZIPlcr2VYKJBHhktl8mXhqBC7HBVtNxQw-m8A68eAslWyLpcfQJsYKXms0ieh18hcGsxBwpnnhe4qtGE9q7UjYXMqXEHa6-usKkNenEA1g/s1600/022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAJVewfsOxQSBLcfY0Az5ExMaPJDbP8iEZIPlcr2VYKJBHhktl8mXhqBC7HBVtNxQw-m8A68eAslWyLpcfQJsYKXms0ieh18hcGsxBwpnnhe4qtGE9q7UjYXMqXEHa6-usKkNenEA1g/s320/022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549922873636083698" /></a><br /><br />* For the last few months the weather has been pretty mild, but all that changed a couple of weeks ago. We had our first snow last Saturday. You do not know the horrors of Christmas shopping until you have shopped while it is snowing. I called it quits after only a couple of hours. I don't know how people live daily lives in this stuff! Today it has been snowing pretty much all day with wind gusts of 40 mph. And because there was a nice layer of non-plowed snow Travis, Chris and I indulged in some much needed parking lot doughnuts. Here are a couple pictures from our patio. Sorry they are not very scenic...I was all about staying warm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ77b5NUZtcczGZX2hyphenhyphennDaF33FJJoPbV9-FNy_EcKKvBPcWJR39MU-w9i5TUoQKHOOvojk7jGFyY8NFW8wmfNkuaL8ZZ7u1jes5SQKb0LZrHqYaL6Q1wRKVT5V-I_PIi3rM3cS5MV6Q/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ77b5NUZtcczGZX2hyphenhyphennDaF33FJJoPbV9-FNy_EcKKvBPcWJR39MU-w9i5TUoQKHOOvojk7jGFyY8NFW8wmfNkuaL8ZZ7u1jes5SQKb0LZrHqYaL6Q1wRKVT5V-I_PIi3rM3cS5MV6Q/s320/023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549925073883672626" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBUvSmv5GtFkP1BocLkXR_jQbA7StaDwxG5l8XmqMlGZy9aaKuGx39SuxTrEKSCc-gaQY6G2e7NVI6itK8w6olu6D0GOQwjBQ0-B2cu0YLjY7aH408jijTEaRYXvTjAQbzcH32zalZA/s1600/024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBUvSmv5GtFkP1BocLkXR_jQbA7StaDwxG5l8XmqMlGZy9aaKuGx39SuxTrEKSCc-gaQY6G2e7NVI6itK8w6olu6D0GOQwjBQ0-B2cu0YLjY7aH408jijTEaRYXvTjAQbzcH32zalZA/s320/024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549925254657159458" /></a><br /><br />* Work has been rather intense lately. Fall is a very busy time. I have been dealing with applications coming in, coordinating the interview days, preparing committee meetings, sending out acceptances letters and everything else in between. December 1st was our deadline for applications. Deadline time is when we receive large amounts of mail. On one day alone we received over 250 applications. The past two weeks have been rather crazy around the office, but now that receiving applications are done, we can devout time to all the other tasks that need to be complete.<br /><br />* Because we have been understaffed, a few of us have been helping out with the recruiting events. I helped out with 3 different events. In early October I went to an event at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago). At the end of October I accompanied my boss to an event in Normal, IL at the Illinois State University campus. My final event was at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. All three of these events were great opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of the prospective applicants.<br /><br />* Travis has been doing well. He really enjoys his third year, mainly for the fact that he has more down time. This week is his last week of his capstone classes. Since June he has been involved with 6 week classes on devoted to different medical fields. He has completed Radiology, Orthopedics, Surgery, and this week he will be done with General Medicine. He will have two weeks off and then he will begin his month long rotations. He has mandatory rotations in the Chicago Area and then he has 8 electives. The schedule is fairly ok with the exception of this spring when he will be gone from February to the end of May. Once we get past that hurtle, he will only be gone for periods of 1 or 2 months.<br /><br />* Here is Travis's schedule for the next year and a half:<br /><br />January--West Side VA in Chicago<br />February--Greenly, Colorado<br />March--Greenville, Texas<br />April--Houston, Texas<br />May--Southbend, Indiana<br />June--Chicago Area (internal medicine)<br />July--Temple, Texas (Scott and White)<br />August--San Antonio, Texas <br />September--Chicago Area (emergency medicine)<br />October--Chicago Area (Stoger Hospital of Cook County)<br />November--Ft. Worth, Texas (John Peter Smith)<br />December--Chicago Area (Stroger Hospital of Cook County)<br />January--CRIPS (CRIPS is the interview process for residency. He will be in Texas for this.)<br />February--Chicago Area (Mt. Sinai Hospital)<br />March--North Chicago VA<br />April--Vacation Month<br />May--Chicago Area <br />June 2012--Graduation!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-75050544538747752792010-09-11T07:42:00.000-07:002010-09-11T07:58:47.145-07:00Cubs GameLast Saturday, Travis and I went with some friends to our first Cubs game. We had been to Wrigleyville before and seen the outside of the stadium. But it's not official until you sit in the stands, heckle the players and eat a hot dog. The day we went was actually pretty cool. It was in the mid 60's and the wind was blowing. I had jeans and a jacket on, and I was still cold at times. We were able to get cheap tickets...probably because the Cubs have not been doing so well this season. (Go Rangers!)<br /><br />Perhaps we brought along a little Texas luck because they won this game against the NY Mets. Here are a few pictures:<br /><br />Wrigleyville is set up to where surrounding buildings have rooftop bleachers. In this picture the stadium is on the left. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbvOUU-7wMN8yNCVRZMuIXOir5OcAADvrKJcrWgDijJ0bs8wsEVLQhZ0klaqS6ayo7OaZGdS5HmYX16gOcVBOuhFiyu-Gd0Ibo-sZYb9F6o_cR37slK5IF5J9hp_g8r24nVr49g6xlA/s1600/cubs+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbvOUU-7wMN8yNCVRZMuIXOir5OcAADvrKJcrWgDijJ0bs8wsEVLQhZ0klaqS6ayo7OaZGdS5HmYX16gOcVBOuhFiyu-Gd0Ibo-sZYb9F6o_cR37slK5IF5J9hp_g8r24nVr49g6xlA/s320/cubs+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515667808253078210" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlim3TdSwKRCEKMB1Rkuhs4KaFd2tPSVgg0en6L2hxHir5oNLHfQQZIfxVtm1nu2By1cT4FiZ2OSCbU7_ymU2x5V9VSsofIbllxw4KrJRrtiUFVheSzKhQkGG8gkVktPasXzK7fYxHAA/s1600/cubs+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlim3TdSwKRCEKMB1Rkuhs4KaFd2tPSVgg0en6L2hxHir5oNLHfQQZIfxVtm1nu2By1cT4FiZ2OSCbU7_ymU2x5V9VSsofIbllxw4KrJRrtiUFVheSzKhQkGG8gkVktPasXzK7fYxHAA/s320/cubs+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515668189844231858" /></a><br /><br />From the stadium you could see Lake Michigan:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCi0AOsYAffFq5VoC_4WtOt5_5-ItR2-XihgMn1zXtoVtch1iZOFoGaQ-Kkan1WkdePgzxSgzgVhrh-8Rb3zV7AAgVai8sE8pdML8fYwnX8Fy9JTiQQfYKDBiDuBIyn_NzAEbtdp3lg/s1600/cubs+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCi0AOsYAffFq5VoC_4WtOt5_5-ItR2-XihgMn1zXtoVtch1iZOFoGaQ-Kkan1WkdePgzxSgzgVhrh-8Rb3zV7AAgVai8sE8pdML8fYwnX8Fy9JTiQQfYKDBiDuBIyn_NzAEbtdp3lg/s320/cubs+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515668582602500706" /></a><br /><br />Here is our motley crew. Chris, Travis's classmate who lives with us on the weekdays; Jasia, Chris's fiance; Chloe, Jasia's daughter; and Kristen, another podiatry classmate.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIpJ6vS0nM1oNPEZGdYtEs7VnPH1rIFGFsMj6mdJea-Eyi4w_jJcoGf-Xi8ona5XjF9MjFrl7sP5buhiwCn2y5V6eD4QP3EbC7Dk5iSOo7e1O5dxkskGJ3HlMgg05_I5FPEC1ZeoF3g/s1600/cubs+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIpJ6vS0nM1oNPEZGdYtEs7VnPH1rIFGFsMj6mdJea-Eyi4w_jJcoGf-Xi8ona5XjF9MjFrl7sP5buhiwCn2y5V6eD4QP3EbC7Dk5iSOo7e1O5dxkskGJ3HlMgg05_I5FPEC1ZeoF3g/s320/cubs+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515669152907075794" /></a><br /><br />Proof that he was actually there!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y_tMzG23TyiuaTlRHdwddCDFybvT6uD6_3c8G-_EYEWhUyuRXFrgtEyjHG_nDjEFsxNX5Aq48jxeeyzrEdm2rVohxlEzdwhZ9HjinhtiBg7Kfb2gwK4zNk38HikEv1L2CjQLx5pZMQ/s1600/cubs+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y_tMzG23TyiuaTlRHdwddCDFybvT6uD6_3c8G-_EYEWhUyuRXFrgtEyjHG_nDjEFsxNX5Aq48jxeeyzrEdm2rVohxlEzdwhZ9HjinhtiBg7Kfb2gwK4zNk38HikEv1L2CjQLx5pZMQ/s320/cubs+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515669394863655986" /></a><br /><br />Cubs Win: 5-3! Apparently the Cubs have their own song for when they win. The words were flashed on the screen and almost everyone was singing along.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGv3cG9jdsHR5x6kDuFyFu_tiIDqDtc-do2ZGH4v3jsEvG7moV65rkQpxQtqQ_QGD6Z1mkrd6F3pD0gCfL5M1LCeVBve0lqzDLwGKM30d8uCf6tV1O9313ny93f0N5xRH84xuAyu-9w/s1600/cubs+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGv3cG9jdsHR5x6kDuFyFu_tiIDqDtc-do2ZGH4v3jsEvG7moV65rkQpxQtqQ_QGD6Z1mkrd6F3pD0gCfL5M1LCeVBve0lqzDLwGKM30d8uCf6tV1O9313ny93f0N5xRH84xuAyu-9w/s320/cubs+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515669827238624930" /></a><br /><br />This is probably my favorite picture from the trip. Please note the "radioactive" relish on the hot dog. Chicago likes to add green food coloring to the relish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKcNH0Cp8N0-sloGUozDHSZjjeAOZT6VjFKtH0MPBe1_KwlXAcp94JA2uLcNaC66BLMVlYCh_eqTvUUJHNaSDsCbrf1w9VpwQU6tKB37vB1QLLi7Pcsb3FllIWia0KAsTeCg50uyRJw/s1600/cubs+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKcNH0Cp8N0-sloGUozDHSZjjeAOZT6VjFKtH0MPBe1_KwlXAcp94JA2uLcNaC66BLMVlYCh_eqTvUUJHNaSDsCbrf1w9VpwQU6tKB37vB1QLLi7Pcsb3FllIWia0KAsTeCg50uyRJw/s320/cubs+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515670226767861410" /></a><br /><br />3 sports events down (Bulls, Black Hawks, Cubs); One to go (Bears).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgFiIdWr0Ht-EwfeD0NLMcjUb6AaFwbt_auLnu3IJztxifImqaTVsyNvPbBVPYc3Dj_Jeaggk2Uh37KkFTGOd6wUXbIWgjKA39Vviln9J_IAY513gBttQ2AuNMOuTyOOpzwfN9YzjGQ/s1600/cubs+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgFiIdWr0Ht-EwfeD0NLMcjUb6AaFwbt_auLnu3IJztxifImqaTVsyNvPbBVPYc3Dj_Jeaggk2Uh37KkFTGOd6wUXbIWgjKA39Vviln9J_IAY513gBttQ2AuNMOuTyOOpzwfN9YzjGQ/s320/cubs+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515670482750561762" /></a>Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-39146957105312656862010-09-04T16:36:00.000-07:002010-09-04T16:48:54.902-07:00The New ApartmentSo I have had these pictures in my camera since last weekend and have been meaning to upload them to the blog. Work got a little busy this week and many evenings were spent completing some stuff to stay ahead. But still, no excuse. Here are some photos of each of the rooms. Perhaps soon I can put up a video of a tour of the apartment to help but everything in perspective.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF9qnLOvaMpVVMwm-fQMl5hPEeIA9EGWO_qIcPZwODmaxUNUAiyyzR2Xgd8YrWWywKrBn-LF5KkLbMA5c3Q3FHO_gLiJrYUfmeo9TGpD8FRoG-NL5MuCe87gkYQ-SZLRGZUNccm4TYg/s1600/stuff+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxF9qnLOvaMpVVMwm-fQMl5hPEeIA9EGWO_qIcPZwODmaxUNUAiyyzR2Xgd8YrWWywKrBn-LF5KkLbMA5c3Q3FHO_gLiJrYUfmeo9TGpD8FRoG-NL5MuCe87gkYQ-SZLRGZUNccm4TYg/s320/stuff+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513207129569051266" /></a><br />Large, spacious kitchen<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionK0eYWTHRCTiVYQ2YD1XbbFk-PNLQC_eXe5LZ1JD6-kH6be9joqfDHICQ53YrCjxNyquCtOnnGcU0jCPA7LbtsJaM21MNUrYyWZbinqbkdCcCaLV2Sn-RTgfptgEBxz-HH0c-bWQTA/s1600/stuff+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionK0eYWTHRCTiVYQ2YD1XbbFk-PNLQC_eXe5LZ1JD6-kH6be9joqfDHICQ53YrCjxNyquCtOnnGcU0jCPA7LbtsJaM21MNUrYyWZbinqbkdCcCaLV2Sn-RTgfptgEBxz-HH0c-bWQTA/s320/stuff+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513207366760612658" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH7PTWUWLaBwpj00ZOF9mWsYB0pFCwfJXCdchVkeGVbMmvzsmDAl6uYPvFRtCjuMiAWXs7gA2UHkTcpCDq4vCk7OstXkelilqovvl4bW_VyHsg9ae5YCyDkzidiUMCXlPfnF4nXK5lw/s1600/stuff+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH7PTWUWLaBwpj00ZOF9mWsYB0pFCwfJXCdchVkeGVbMmvzsmDAl6uYPvFRtCjuMiAWXs7gA2UHkTcpCDq4vCk7OstXkelilqovvl4bW_VyHsg9ae5YCyDkzidiUMCXlPfnF4nXK5lw/s320/stuff+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513207607898336914" /></a><br />One view of the dining room/living room<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0jFNZBCktBDqWbIs8BS9uq8bkMQ-_ySNdock3H53DtNfPcUWaeORJJOZDCrqXLg771PdrLqlAhD9LU6ArFAyBnahoSKds6hqsGXIAr61JxSlUhgoISMue7QrIzPVlg9BY0wsY1hIkA/s1600/stuff+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0jFNZBCktBDqWbIs8BS9uq8bkMQ-_ySNdock3H53DtNfPcUWaeORJJOZDCrqXLg771PdrLqlAhD9LU6ArFAyBnahoSKds6hqsGXIAr61JxSlUhgoISMue7QrIzPVlg9BY0wsY1hIkA/s320/stuff+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513208138363044658" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQOjGMwBWhvPkZ18P9PvikOm8Rfq6T7QY7QUizQ0iWyjcBkqUsJnt7VOx7h4O5hKjO6VnF9MU07mtfLYhlyY6ZoIPwInx85ka_JSrQX-zog4PTI2deiwrsaLYSKHVQCDhUwrDqkMhGg/s1600/stuff+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQOjGMwBWhvPkZ18P9PvikOm8Rfq6T7QY7QUizQ0iWyjcBkqUsJnt7VOx7h4O5hKjO6VnF9MU07mtfLYhlyY6ZoIPwInx85ka_JSrQX-zog4PTI2deiwrsaLYSKHVQCDhUwrDqkMhGg/s320/stuff+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513208338732467794" /></a><br />This is our lovely patio that we have been taking full advantage of. The table, chairs and grill are on loan from a 4th year podiatry student. The tomato plant was given to us by another podiatry student.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kkw8-9DmqkFrG4vv5LEIMwcDJtpVHRFhQRYPZY2Ade64a1qgZrIWwB_D5kIav9eum0hhI_257UlxB0MDPdts8qdsSvJsstvh2cd5m5kE83J9ijFxeP_-yLTHxAFpdTqrQmqxIr6DVw/s1600/stuff+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kkw8-9DmqkFrG4vv5LEIMwcDJtpVHRFhQRYPZY2Ade64a1qgZrIWwB_D5kIav9eum0hhI_257UlxB0MDPdts8qdsSvJsstvh2cd5m5kE83J9ijFxeP_-yLTHxAFpdTqrQmqxIr6DVw/s320/stuff+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513208798985154130" /></a><br />This is the guest room/office and from now until January it is known as Chris's room, Travis's classmate who stays with us on the weekdays.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNZHqQK63lpxbdJS-mFMHBPnXf3zt_KCR6V3VGlHBsaQLsX6CkqEKQnEvlxSyp66Y-cYUrkXiUXwIujiQPgwHvd8doqgEtP0DEiqWg3A3-eVZG7-eElsru3W9r2tkGPaHwJJYLlQCTg/s1600/stuff+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNZHqQK63lpxbdJS-mFMHBPnXf3zt_KCR6V3VGlHBsaQLsX6CkqEKQnEvlxSyp66Y-cYUrkXiUXwIujiQPgwHvd8doqgEtP0DEiqWg3A3-eVZG7-eElsru3W9r2tkGPaHwJJYLlQCTg/s320/stuff+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513209137414241186" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbPosJjJISoT3BRwkYTriBT_EHjsfwmrVj39ecPS9LG6_KZXC6XiryYMY9joO0C9Csz7R35UHbMQo90ul1cmhBONIxhRc3q108oNM-nmzU35MTx_a3lspCqi2WV99pKTc92kSe1pT3A/s1600/stuff+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbPosJjJISoT3BRwkYTriBT_EHjsfwmrVj39ecPS9LG6_KZXC6XiryYMY9joO0C9Csz7R35UHbMQo90ul1cmhBONIxhRc3q108oNM-nmzU35MTx_a3lspCqi2WV99pKTc92kSe1pT3A/s320/stuff+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513209393240206306" /></a><br />Our super, big room. The picture does not do it justice--it just keeps going!Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-46041442750158722322010-08-21T09:56:00.000-07:002010-08-21T10:00:00.525-07:00The Official LetterBelow is a picture of Travis's official letter about his board scores. Sorry it's a little fuzzy. I edited as best I could. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpwzcsl0uq-TaSNtsujXppX_aTHXgz1W-iU1X-sDumDNPUCLKMZKIy8IkZnZAA_9kfsG7GgpSf7VwO_PcHDGOnvnudwzZ9teEEYtxGWn4d__-hiXo5c2diCwa5U4GO5h2Iy31fXUwVw/s1600/beard+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpwzcsl0uq-TaSNtsujXppX_aTHXgz1W-iU1X-sDumDNPUCLKMZKIy8IkZnZAA_9kfsG7GgpSf7VwO_PcHDGOnvnudwzZ9teEEYtxGWn4d__-hiXo5c2diCwa5U4GO5h2Iy31fXUwVw/s320/beard+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507908419110618082" /></a><br /><br />We are all moved into our new apartment. I should be able to put some pictures up soon. I am truly loving all the space we have in the kitchen. You don't realize how important a pantry is until you go two years without one. We have already grilled 3 times on our patio. Pictures to come soon along with updates on Travis's upcoming traveling schedule.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-49940741999130970372010-08-06T15:20:00.000-07:002010-08-06T15:33:47.043-07:00The Beginning of AugustAs August begins, we are enjoying the 70's/80's weather, although we feel for all our friends and family in Texas who are melting in 100's. Here are a few things that have been going on:<br /><br />* The big and most important news is that Travis passed the boards!!! He has not received his official letter yet, but his Dean informed him, as well as his other classmates, once she received the scores. This is a major weight lifted off of him.<br /><br />* This Saturday we are moving...to the first floor of our same apartment building. It's not a big move, but it's still a move. The new apartment will be bigger, especially in the kitchen. We will actually get to use our kitchen table as a table instead of a counter top for appliances. No more eating on the floor! We will also have a nice patio area. The person who lived in the apartment before us, a podiatry student, is leaving us his grill and his tiki torches. Party at the Bodekers!<br /><br />* Work is crazy right now! Next week is Orientation Week for the school and I am doing my best to keep the class at the projected numbers, although the students keep withdrawing. While doing this I am also working on keeping the applicant cycle rocking and rolling for the class of 2011. Also our receptionist's last day was today, so we have been training a temp. It's super busy, but I am still enjoying it. I can't wait to have the students on campus next week and see familiar faces.Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316130532996455589.post-66214645003881176112010-07-19T15:15:00.000-07:002010-07-19T15:27:26.426-07:00Beard Til BoardsBack in February I mentioned that Travis was growing a beard until his Boards test in July. We soon learned how fast his beard grows. Thankfully, he did trim the beard during those 5 months. I'm pretty sure if he had let it run wild he would look like an Irish ZZ Top member. The evening after the test Travis began the shaving process and I took pictures!<br /><br />The crazy, thick beard.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9Ab4ghpw_14y08qfC2vt8RjSvY83LUBUwFRsoEvuTD4y8pS6qP7ePuEQSHfD1N8nc5WKOaLwyRIlOE9YWUf4Wh7o6HZ1gk75AUMtlWWI6qbzNgFRbQyCDlStaoFGrsUm4gLQgiVPmQ/s1600/beard+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9Ab4ghpw_14y08qfC2vt8RjSvY83LUBUwFRsoEvuTD4y8pS6qP7ePuEQSHfD1N8nc5WKOaLwyRIlOE9YWUf4Wh7o6HZ1gk75AUMtlWWI6qbzNgFRbQyCDlStaoFGrsUm4gLQgiVPmQ/s320/beard+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495746038697444290" /></a><br /><br />I'm sure this style has a name, but I'm not up to par with my male facial hair lingo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAsljJO_nS7G2jZ56UPpUWxLus_UeTSGOoUCcGenfUcbZmn6RC_8iyjW_6sex0506VKc1jFiqr8N-TAR3UPlYBuTXk1oWI3VLgThR0VjJT5iCsaxfywnF03nGbRtYXLFZ4gWaWCNAGQ/s1600/beard+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAsljJO_nS7G2jZ56UPpUWxLus_UeTSGOoUCcGenfUcbZmn6RC_8iyjW_6sex0506VKc1jFiqr8N-TAR3UPlYBuTXk1oWI3VLgThR0VjJT5iCsaxfywnF03nGbRtYXLFZ4gWaWCNAGQ/s320/beard+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495746360643601906" /></a><br /><br />The Mutton Chops--kickin' it like it's 1836!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mXEE_F3N6302BhRi2U02n9MGCOpmVfz-ALsaQjHxgybSQTEov-5uCG__zHslLHXUEBnF5phZDoSZkVow0kLVonqrpFN-UKtWApNAZbI9oSObVqIkge7V6h0g0-SfXvEgGMVidp0nbw/s1600/beard+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mXEE_F3N6302BhRi2U02n9MGCOpmVfz-ALsaQjHxgybSQTEov-5uCG__zHslLHXUEBnF5phZDoSZkVow0kLVonqrpFN-UKtWApNAZbI9oSObVqIkge7V6h0g0-SfXvEgGMVidp0nbw/s320/beard+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495746834255760674" /></a><br /><br />Baby Face--It had been so long I didn't recognize him!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2w2N3AjmQ8IgvTPqhYLFWm8bel5k4z3UCUuUi0uXx-GpgaMO8d4t75eJaYSwybtps1Wcxju4fBgeMt7AZmMpfWbwIJiLuzAeJHzeZpq1fdDUfzEEJqW8KPPS0RKWHa5fzqn7TkV4dA/s1600/beard+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2w2N3AjmQ8IgvTPqhYLFWm8bel5k4z3UCUuUi0uXx-GpgaMO8d4t75eJaYSwybtps1Wcxju4fBgeMt7AZmMpfWbwIJiLuzAeJHzeZpq1fdDUfzEEJqW8KPPS0RKWHa5fzqn7TkV4dA/s320/beard+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495747077739795890" /></a>Travis and Erin Bodekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607460250799465948noreply@blogger.com0