Well, this week has been a whirlwind of activity. Out past 11 every night (OK, for you hip, single, childless, 8-5 job people, that may sound routine, but just wait...), Tuesday and Wednesday we were transplanting (a liver and two kidneys, respectively), Thursday was the graduating chief resident's banquet, and Friday was the J. Bradley Aust Society black tie gala.

The Aust society comprises all the residents who have graduated from the surgical program at UTHSCSA. I presented some research I had done this week at its 32nd annual meeting, and for that I was invited to Friday night's ball. Well, I planned to stay home with the girls, since Carrie had planned for a while to attend a retreat for her mothers of preschoolers group.

Well, that plan was turned on its head when I got a call from the faculty surgeon. "You need to be there." I was humbled and grateful to find out that I was the first prize winner in the clinical paper competition! So I called Carrie, she turned her car around, we asked our faithful friends Bart and Denesha to let the kids sleep at their house, and we got our duds on. (I'm to the far right in the picture, along with fellow residents and one of the private practice surgeons).