7 Quick Takes, Vol. 21

It's Friday, and so I'm linking up with Jen.

1. I'm going to the zoo today with Clare and my cousin and her kids. I'll agree not to write an entire post about going to the zoo, but I can't make any promises about zoo pics. Sometimes, you need a random picture to liven up a post, ya know? Also, I may now be curious about how many times I can write the word "zoo" in a single take.

Since none of my old zoo pics would upload, you get Clare who is like a zoo animal.

2.  The weekend is only looking better and better from there! Date night plus iPhone day plus general weekend goodness sounds like a recipe for success.

3.  Meanwhile, Charles and I are going through yet another round of residency options (and applications) obsession. It might be his career, but it will directly impact the life of our family in so many ways that we are really treating it as a joint decision-making process. Even so, my main concern is that he is happy in whatever program he lands in. There are just so many things to process along the way, it's daunting.

4. It also means planning our summer around rotations and board exams and that fun stuff. I'm excited to actually make some plans and have some adventures, though. Last summer, I worked right up until Charles' board exam. Then he started 3rd year rotations. Then there was that little snag of birthing a baby, followed by months of rotating and child-rearing and sleep-deprivation. Good times. For real, it was awesome. But the adventures were more "first-time parent" than "explore and conquer."

5. In Wednesday's 5 Faves post, I included a comment about eating cottage cheese that I feel needs to be modified slightly. I am enjoying cottage cheese so long as I don't think about the stories my dad tells about watching the stuff get made. It is probably fascinating in a Mr. Rogers kind of way, but it always grosses me out. Stories of blood and guts and whatever from Charles? Rarely an issue. Stories of how cottage cheese is made...can't do it.

6. There was also this picture of the current Shamrock Farms (a local dairy and food distribution company) logo. My grandpa worked with and for Shamrock for most of his adult life. He loved the company and the company loved him. As a result, there was a lot of brand loyalty when I was growing up. Milk will always be from Shamrock to me, even when it's not.

7. Since someone is now cruising, at least somewhat, I figure she deserves to have her picture on here one more time.

Standin' tall and gettin' organized!

Have a lovely weekend, and be sure to check out Jen for more!