So long, 2019! Hello, 2020!

Happy New Year! As I have for the last 5 years, I collected tickets, photos, and snippets in a decorated jar that I wanted to remember from 2019. Here they are, illustrated and in roughly chronological order. For prior years check out 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

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Starting the year with a trip to the holiday lights display at the Phipps Conservatory in January.

And the fashion show at the Frick Museum. [Blog post pending time to write it.]

When I asked a "difficult patient" to "give me a big squeeze," and she held up her arms for a hug! (I wanted her to squeeze my fingers to check for grip strength but accepted the hug instead that day.)

That my book chapter (right) and poem were finally published!

Watching the Baltimore Orioles play the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park during Spring Training. We also enjoyed St. Petersburg's arts and culture [posts 1 and 2], as well as Ybor City [post 3]. However, the in-depth Frank Lloyd Wright tour of Florida Southern College I still need to blog about. (The last day of vacation often gets short shrift.)

Lewis Black's "The Jokes on Us Tour" at Heinz Hall back in April.

When my attending complimented my communication skills on rounds, and every time someone mistook me for a final-year resident while I was still a third-year resident.

A wonderful house concert with terrible angles for photos.

Indecent, the play about Jewish author Sholem Asch and his (in)famous stage play about lesbian love set in a brothel that we attended at the O'Reilly Theater in May on Yelp Elite tickets.

The time on pediatric night shift that theme for our weekly potluck was "RIP Pop Stop," and the menu consisted of "Bieber, milkshakes, snitches get stitches, and quesa-Dallas" (which were delicious, if you're wondering).

Attending a Sherlock Holmes-themed high tea [blog post]. in May Unfortunately, watching Quantum Theater's King Lear outside at the retired Carrie Furnace at the end of the month was a literal wash out from all the rain.

Taking a visitor from Iran to a pro-immigration rally.

"Thank you for being an excellent person." WOS

"Working" 364 hours as first jeopardy and never being called in, which might be a program record [blog post].

Attending our first Picklesburg street fair (sliders with pickles and a stuffed gecko):

Discovering a theater-going partner in a new friend at church; we saw Kinetic Theater's locked-door mystery from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Speckled Band, at the Charity Randall Theater in June, and Spamilton at CLO's Cabaret theater in August, which was hilarious even though none of us had seen the original.

The hottest Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game on a Saturday night in July. Those were free residency tickets, and we almost wished we had just stayed home. [This birthday blog post reminded me of the really delicious strawberry cake I baked and pretty much ate myself.]

Cutting a rug at Jett's Jazz Rally penthouse party:

Learning new games: Settlers of Catan, bridge [blog post], and Ticket to Ride. There was also bowling [blog post].

Pastor John's encouragement/thanking me for making church a priority despite residency: "You are an encouragement."

Everything about our family vacation on Smith Mountain Lake except not being able to sleep.

Being moved by Quantum Theater's world-premier of Looking for Violeta, with a friend in the cast.

Pirates vs Reds. The tickets were free courtesy of the blood bank, and we took new friend Eunice from Ghana to her first baseball game (above).

Saw the Downton Abbey movie at the local Manor Theater with a friend after work. It was fun to watch but not high art by any means; the plot really needed an editor's hand to be tighter.

Wandering the Portland Chinese Garden [blog post] and the Portland Japanese Garden [blog post] while on vacation at the end of September. Visiting the end of the Oregon Trail [post] and hiking Multnomah Falls [post]. Snapping this inadvertent selfie while trying to capture Dear Husband at mile 23-24 of his personal-best marathon.

The satisfaction of a clean team room. Also, referring to myself as a "super senior" since I'm in my fourth year of residency, when most people finish after three years.

The first time Rosamunde climbed up onto my chest for pets while I was lying the cough with my laptop. (This is her from another time.)

I still need to blog about the Japanese garden-themed Fall Show at the Phipps Botanical Garden, where we used the last of the free tickets I won in a photo contest.

The outpouring of concern when my Facebook Messenger was hacked.

Researching and writing a senior talk on Health At Every Size(R) and the anti-dieting movement that was well received. And lots of Med Peds people showed their support!

This quote board from work.

Seeing a really excellent play with a 100% African-American female cast, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, at the O'Reilly Theater, with a friend's free tickets.

The patient who wished me "Happy Thanksgiving" across the clinic parking lot, and getting to celebrate with my extended family this year.

Watching a friend's kid star in A Christmas Story at the local middle school.

Eating ice cream for lunch (twice!) at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, rated best ice cream shop in the country by USA Today in 1998.

That's hardly everything that happened in 2019, but it's more than enough to remember that, personally and professionally, it was a pretty good for me. I haven't decided yet whether I will continue the rememberlutions jar, but here are things I am looking forward to in 2020: teaching history of medicine again, graduating from residency (aka last graduation EVER), starting my first job as an attending, and celebrating 15 years of marriage.

What good will you remember from 2019, and to what are you looking forward in 2020?