Across The Bay And Back

I don't think I've brought this up yet, Tenaya will be moving out at the end of May in preparation for podiatry school in the fall.  The school is in Oakland and she is now looking at places across the bay to make her commute a bit more reasonable.  We went on an adventure today to scout out some potential areas and it was fun to get in the car and drive around on such a beautiful afternoon.

Our first stop was Treasure Island, which I don't think I've ever been to.  It's an interesting place with lots of potential, but there isn't much there at the moment.  There are apartments and an elementary school, but most things are run down and in need of a facelift.  The one thing the area has going for it is the view of the bay and the city.  Granted it was gorgeous outside, but looking at the water and seeing the city skyline was awesome.  I don't think we found a place for her to live but it was a nice stop on our tour.

Once we got back in the car we were off to Alameda which wasn't too far away.  We stopped at Starbucks before looking at a couple of apartment complexes.  The first one had a nice community feel to it and the outside layout was nice, but the inner hallways felt very sterile and kind of put us off.  The second area was by the water and again the views were awesome.  Due to the location it would end up being a little more expensive, but it might be worth it.  We were tired after looking around and decided to head back.  It's crazy how different the sides of the bay are...I just feels so much nicer over here (I may be biased) and I'm so happy to live where I do.  I don't envy T's search for a new home but I know she'll find the right place eventually.  I think she will take next week to work her way inland and then who knows where she'll go from there.  Looks like more adventures are going to be worked into our schedule in the coming weeks, woohoo!

Full-Time Busy Bee

All I can say is that this week has been CRAZY...fun, but crazy.  It was my first full week of work with Intuitive and on top of that I'm still coaching at Twisters.  My internship officially started on Monday and I was there early for an introduction session before meeting up with my manager, getting some materials, and starting my project.  My title is Clinical Engineering Intern which is really funny because clinical engineering the class I hated most in Melbourne, but luckily the stuff I'm doing now is in no way similar.  I'm officially staffed and the first procedure I'm looking at is a right colectomy (basically resecting the ascending colon and rewiring the remaining pieces).  Time seems to go by rather quickly when I'm working, especially on the days when I get to sit in the lab.

Every Tuesday and Thursday they feed us lunch and on Wednesday I snuck one of the boxed lunches they brought into the lab.  It was fantastic not having to worry about it and the food was actually pretty good!  On Friday the IT people came to my cube and set me up with all new equipment so now I have a monitor, laptop, docking station, mouse, computer bag...you name it and it's there.  It was so nice to have new toys to carry around the office as I went from meeting to meeting yesterday.

Even with all the work going on, I still managed to find time to play a little.  After season, SWG has a tradition called "E-Week" in celebration of the accomplishments of the year.  Each night a class comes up with a theme and everyone meets up dressed ready to have fun.  As part of the festivities one of the nights usually involves the alumni who are still around.  This year the theme for our night was "sparkles and bling" and so everyone was wearing the sparkly-est shirt they could find in their closet and we met at Jenny's dorm, Narnia.  The seniors set up food, drinks, and music and SWG members past and present reflected on the 2012 season.  It was a really fun evening and I'm excited to welcome Jenny, Alyssa, Peach, Allie, Cat, and Leni into the sisterhood we alumni have formed.  Weird to think that next year our little freshmen (the frosh when I was a senior) are going to be seniors next year!!  I can't even wrap my head around it.  SWG 2013 officially kicks off on Monday...back to the grind with girls who are ready to win.

Super Six

SWG 2012 continued the legacy of excellence today by placing fourth in the 2012 NCAA Super Six competition (flashbacks to 2010!).  It's been an up and down year for the team but they knew they were prepared to peak at the right time.  After the Pac-12 competition, it was questioned as to whether or not they would even qualify to the championships.  Even after they put together a meet and accomplished this feat, they were then assigned the fifth seed (out of six) in the preliminary session...with only the top three teams advancing on to the finals.  Once again, SWG was able to come together and use their heart and passion for the sport and pull through, competing yesterday and beating out both Oklahoma and Nebraska.  This group just wouldn't let down and they set a season-high score in the process.

Today they came together one final time and put on an utterly amazing performance, smashing their season-high set just 24 hours prior.  The momentum built from one event and one routine to the next.  In the end, the last three routines scored 9.925, 9.95, and 9.975 and the girls came away only three tenths behind the national champions.

To say that I am proud of this group would be an understatement.  I am honored and feel privileged to have been able to cheer for them on their journey over the course of this season.  There are many bright young stars that will allow the SWG culture to thrive in the coming years.  For now, the SWG team season is complete, but three girls will be competing tomorrow for individual titles:  one on bars and two on beam.  I have a feeling that we are in for more surprises and I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the men competed this week as well.  They were hit with many injuries this year and it kept them from really being in contention for the title on the final competition day.  They held their own though and can be proud of what they accomplished this year.  It's even better to know that no one from the current team will be lost to graduation so experience will be on their side as they prepare for next season.  Their individual competition is already complete and Eddie is the newly crowned national champion on both floor and vault!  He's one of the bounciest kids I know and the entire Stanford community is proud of him.  Cam, Sean, and Paul also had performances good enough to claim all-american honors, which is pretty exciting.  They'll be heading back bright and early tomorrow morning and we are all ready to welcome them with open arms.  Congrats, SMG!!  :)

Internship #2

Today was the kickstart of my second engineering internship.  It's been awhile since I've been in the office setting and Intuitive is a lot different than GE, but I think it's all going to work out really well.  My coach at Stanford put me in touch with one of the senior managers there awhile back and after working the contact I was asked to join her team.  I will be helping with one of their major projects and hopefully doing a good enough job to aid in getting their newest products to market.

I met with one of the senior engineers on the team this morning to go over what exactly I'll be doing over the next two months.  The conversation went in a bunch of different directions and there was a whole lot of information to take in, but I'm so excited to get going.  There is a ton of paperwork to handle this week (getting me up to speed on the specifics of the project) and I won't officially start until Monday.  I'm "working from home" for the rest of this week and meeting again on Friday to go over everything I've been able to digest over the course of a couple of days.

With what I know right now, the medical robot currently in use in hospitals can be used in a long list of procedures spanning many areas of the body; the problem is that any small change to the robot or the tools it uses requires many forms to be pushed through the system.  Over the next eight weeks I'm going to learn how to use the robot and watch many narrated videos of various surgeries.

This morning I was given many documents to go through, a nice medical atlas, my own spiffy notebook, and it's my job right now to try to dissect one of the minimally invasive procedures (out of about 30).  Amy, the senior engineer, took two hours out of her day to teach me about the documents and I found myself taking notes and hanging on her every word.  The time flew by and before I knew it she had to jet off to another meeting.  I left feeling completely stoked about things and I can't wait to see what I can make of project.  My only hope is that I can do an adequate job...it's going to be slow-going at first but the expectation is that I will pick up speed as I get more comfortable.  Day one is done, with much more to come very soon!

Happy Birthday, Abhi!

I just got back from a great evening at Reposado (nice Mexican-style restaurant in downtown Palo Alto).  A group of us got together to celebrate the birthday of a former member of the men's team, Mr. Abhinav Ramani.  He turned 23 yesterday and it was fun to be able to gather in his honor.  We all met at the restaurant at 8:30 and proceeded to the bar upstairs while we waited for our table.  We had a party of 16 so it took about 30 minutes for them to get everything ready even though we had made a reservation earlier.  Finally around 9 we were all seated and took our time ordering drinks (some of us enjoyed the margarita special while others chose mojitos, but everyone seemed satisfied) and looking through the menu.  We had chips and guacamole to tide us over and about an hour later we were finally tucking into our meals.  It was nice to have such a slow paced meal because I was in the presence of wonderful company (a mix of people from the men's and women's gym teams plus a few extras).  We continued talking and laughing until about 11:15 when we finally decided to pack up and head out.  Some people split off to go to another bar while others (including me and CJ) decided it was time to head home. It was the kind of evening I cherish; it's great to be with people I love in a nice relaxed setting where we can all joke, laugh, and just have fun.  It reminds me of how lucky I am to have such great friends...a support system that is invaluable to me.

Goodbye, Nana

I received the unfortunate news that my grandmother passed away yesterday.  While I can't say I had an intense relationship with her, it still stings to find out that a member of your family is now gone.  In the end she was very ill so the event itself wasn't too shocking; hopefully now she's more comfortable and in a better place.  Through life she was never one to let people in so if there is to be any type of ceremony it will be very small and probably contained to family and very few others.  My heart goes out to my mom and my aunt even though they are handling the situation very well.  I love you both and maybe now you can find some relief in the fact your mom and dad are together once again.

Happy Passover

The 2012 Carter Family Passover Seder is now in the books.  Last night we had family and friends over to celebrate the holiday by retelling the stories of the slaves in Egypt, eating yummy food, and of course indulging in more than a bit of wine.  I came home after work yesterday and the drive was nice and easy, though I was really tired from having to get up early for a private, so I made an essential Starbucks pit-stop.  When I got home the preparation was still underway and I was asked to make a hummus run...easy enough.  By the time I got back the first guests were beginning to arrive and the festivities began.  We enjoyed some finger food while we waited for our neighbors to show up but before long everyone was in attendance and we were able to get started.

My mom decided to do things a little differently this year and host the seder in the living room instead of more formally around the dining room table.  It was an interesting experience but I think everyone enjoyed the comfort of the couches over the rigidity of the straight-backed dining room chairs.  Even though I know the story of Passover, I always like hearing it again and find it interesting.  We always go around the room so everyone gets a chance to read and participate.  At one point, the "kids" (in quotes because there was only one of us involved who wasn't in at least in high school) were excused to go find the hidden piece of matzah...always one of the best parts of the seder.  Of course everyone knows I am very competitive and I swore I was going to win.  I came through and won $5 for my efforts, woohoo!!

After all the formalities were complete it was finally time to sit down for the feast.  There was so much so good food:  an amazing beef brisket, potatoes, asparagus, matzah ball soup, salad, and of course, KUGEL!  My mom has the best recipe for my favorite dish and it took everything I had to not fill my entire plate with it.  Everyone indulged while taking their time eating and talking before we brought out a variety of games.  I played a couple of rounds of Skip-Bo and I'm happy to say my dad and I teamed up to beat Kenny and his girlfriend.  It was late before our guests left and everyone got to go to sleep, but worth getting tired over.  I missed the seder last year and was happy to be able to take part again.  It's always nice to see my family and we had a great time...definitely worth the drive and all the effort my mom put in.  Happy Passover everyone!

Good Luck, SWG

Love, Your Alumnae :)
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We Love You, SWG!

Intuitive Surgical

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Intuitive Surgical, a medical device company located in Sunnyvale.  I had met with one of their employees at a coffee shop some time ago, just to talk about life after college and the transition into industry.  It was a very relaxed meeting and I ended up with the name of one of the senior engineers working under this lady.  We got in contact and decided to meet up at the office so I could have another perspective (the first lady went right from undergrad into industry, while this more recent one went the other route and did her masters and PhD first).  It was nice to know that there is no one right way of doing things and that there are positions out there that will suit my interests...I just have to keep my eyes and ears open at all times and take advantage of even the smallest of opportunities.

After the small talk, she decided to bring out one of the manuals for their product and started pseudo-quizzing me on engineering principles.  It was a little intimidating at first and I didn't feel prepared at all, but I guess I did fine in her eyes because after we talked for awhile she told me her group might be able to use my help.  She gave me a packet to take home and is giving me a chance to watch a couple of films, to make sure I don't get squeamish.  If I pass that test, I'll email her and we'll "work out some hours" where I can help out and get some experience!  It was a very exciting morning and I left feeling pretty great.  I watched the shorter of the two films while I was eating last night and everything was fine...I think I'm going to be okay!  We'll see what happens, but in any case it was an exciting step and my foot is now in the door...I'm not planning on taking it out any time soon :)

Team Hilton HHonors

USA Gymnastics Announces 2012 Team Hilton HHonors
Note:  The names in bold are ones of former Stanford Men's Gymnastics team members...Go Card!!

INDIANAPOLIS & MCLEAN, Va., April 3, 2012 - USA Gymnastics and Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide's 10 distinct hotel brands, have selected the elite athletes for the 2012 Team Hilton HHonors, including 2011World team bronze-medalists Jonathan Horton, Steven Legendre, Danell Leyva, Alexander Naddour and John Orozco.  Team Hilton HHonors is a program that provides financial support to selected male gymnasts to help offset their training and living expenses while they pursue their Olympic dreams.

The full roster of team members includes:  Chris Brooks of Houston/Cypress Academy; Alex Buscaglia of Stanford, Calif./Stanford University; Horton of Houston/Cypress Academy; Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics; Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center; Sho Nakamori of Albany, Calif./Champions Academy; Orozco of Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center; David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./University of Illinois; and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J./Ohio State Universtiy.

"As a proud partner of USA Gymnastics, we congratulate all of these athletes on their impressive achievements and look forward to supporting them throughout their 2012 season," said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president, global customer marketing, Hilton Worldwide.

"We appreciate Hilton HHonors providing direct financial support to our athletes," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics.  "This assistance helps defray training and living expenses and gives them the freedom to pursue their Olympic dreams."

As members of Team Hilton HHonors, the gymnasts wear uniforms bearing the Team Hilton HHonors designation at domestic competitions, as well as make appearances on behalf of Hilton HHonors.

The creation of Team Hilton HHonors was unveiled in 2011 when Hilton HHonors joined the USA Gymnastics family of corporate partners as the official hotel partner.  In addition, Hilton HHonors has upgraded the amenities provided at the USA Gymnastics National Training Center at the Karolyi Ranch, a U.S. Olympic Training Site.  Located in Huntsville, Texas, the USA Gymnastics National Training Center has housing and training facilities for women's gymnastics, rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling.

Hilton HHonors also offers USA Gymnastics members a discount on hotel stays when booking at any of Hilton Worldwide's 10 distinct hotel brands, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations.  The agreement also includes funds for activating various promotional initiatives and sweepstakes, USA Gymnastics member programs, preferred room rates, and exclusive USA Gymnastics experiences and benefits for Hilton HHonors members.

Level 7 State Championships

This past weekend was the level 7 state championships, hosted by Sac State University.  I was asked to come along and coach the group of girls we have a Twisters, and with the way the age groups were divided up that meant I had to be present for four different sessions.  I drove up Saturday morning and was there for the afternoon session and then I went back to all three sessions held on Sunday.  It was fun to see my parents in the audience for my first session and the girls performed really well.  They kicked off the weekend in style, including a 9.775 floor routine at the end of the day.  We ended the weekend hitting 28 for 28 routines and exceeding our goal of reaching a 113 team score.  We ended up with a few state champions and placed fifth as a team...right where we predicted we would be.  It was a fun experience and I realized just how much fun I have with Allan and Ericka when we're on the floor together.  It was also neat to see some of the other coaches and judges I grew up with in NorCal and I caught many second glances as these people realized I was no longer a little gymnast running around but was in fact a coach in charge of my own group of girls.  It's crazy how things have now come full circle.

After the competition ended on Sunday, I met up with my parents and my aunt in town from the Boston area.  It was the first time seeing her in a couple of years and it was nice to have an hour or so to talk.  I got on the road and picked up T on my way back to the bay, making for a rather late but very fulfilling evening.

I woke up this morning to meet Ashley and Annaliese (Alex's sister and niece) for breakfast before they had to get on a plane back to Chicago.  It was my first time meeting the baby and I just couldn't get over how cute she was.  She was a bit squirmy and curious about everything and it was fun just watch her attempt to take in everything new.  We ate and then walked around a bit before they piled in the car to try to get her to sleep.  I got to hold her and she fell in love with my necklace and the sparkles on my shirt, but part of me was afraid she was going to pull too hard and choke me, haha.

It's back to work starting tomorrow but I have the afternoon off today so I'll be taking advantage of that as best I can.  I think I'm going to stop in and say high to the SWG girls before they leave at the end of the week for NCAA Regionals.  It's an exciting part of the season and hopefully things will work out better than they did last year...only time will tell!