Why we hate paint

Deciding to paint two small walls in our dining room seemed like such a good idea to begin with. How hard could it be to add a bit of color to our dining experience? Brianna envisioned a "non-intrusive-not-too-dark-olive green" as the color of choice. Two shades of paint later, we are perplexed, chagrined, and definitely not satisfied with the final outcome.

Lessons learned: 1) The end result won't look anything like what you have extrapolated in your minds eye from the 2" X 3" square sample. 2) Paint can radically change color depending on the lighting, time of day, and the current market value of pinto beans. And probably 37 (at least) other random variables. 3) Not only is Shagreen much too minty and pastel-y, its also a nasty eye disease AND a kind of rough leather.

So we're still searching for that elusive "non-intrusive-not-too-dark-olive green". We're hoping third times a charm. Any suggestions on finding the right color from you painting experts out there?

Justin C. Wheeler, 1/4 MD

After 10 intense months of classes, more late nights than I want to remember, and a wonderfully patient and supportive wife who made sure I always had fruit snacks to keep me awake during lecture, I am officially done with my first year of medical school! (pause for raucous celebration). I can now tell you the names of most bones in your body, possibly explain the mechanism of pyrimidine synthesis (with a little review), and offer proof that Sonic Hedgehog is more than just a spiky blue Mario-wannabe.

Unfortunately, pretty much any experienced mother is more proficient than I currently am at diagnosing and treating the majority of common illnesses. So if you have any medical questions, I will quickly and firmly refer you to your local family doc. For now I'll stick with learning the science minutia and wait for the big day in a few years when I can confidently tell someone to open up and say "Ahhhh....".

Yeah, We Garden...

We are kind of a big deal these days because, yeah, we garden.

Gardening is the new black among young couples here in C-bus. We jumped on the band wagon, and planted a few veggies this year on our back patio. It is kind of fun seeing seeds sprout. Kind of like that third grade lima bean and plastic bag project, but better. It should be even more fun once we start getting produce. We planted garlic (which grows amazingly fast), radishes, lettuce, carrots, green onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, some flowers, and have plans to get some herbs over the next few days. Anyone else out there gardeners? What are your bumper crops of choice? Any advice for us new green thumbers, especially in regards to squirrel repelling?