"Texas" Pics

Before leaving the great state of Texas and moving to Wichita, Jason and I took the opportunity to capture some memories with a photo session. Desiree' with Double Take Photographers was so much fun and did a great job! We took pics at the Las Colinas Canal (about 1 minute from where we live) and in a "Texas-sized" field. Here is a sampling of our pics. Enjoy!

National Lipid Association Meeting: Miami, FL

This weekend is the National Lipid Association Annual Scientific Sessions. As part of my residency program, I am required to present my research poster at a national meeting. Since my topic involves lipids, this meeting was a perfect fit! I was considered a "Young Investigator," since I have not been in practice for >5 years. Although it was lonely to be in Miami by myself, I tried to make the best of it. The meeting was at the Fontainebleau Resort which has been recently entirely renovated. A guy at the hotel told me it was the site of the opening scene from the James Bond movie, Goldfinger. My hotel was much cheaper than the $250/night Fontainbleau...it was called Ocean Spray. It was much smaller and the room was cute. It was only about a 10 minute walk from the meeting, and the beach was right across the street. Speaking of the beach, you think that I would've been more prepared by packing "beach" attire! Nope! Luckily, I brought a pair of capri's and some flip flops in addition to my business attire, so at least I wasn't out on the beach in my suit! Unfortunately, I also forgot to bring sunscreen, so I had to hide under a beach umbrella to prevent myself from frying in the sun. Anyway, I am leaving Miami this evening, but I have to check out of my hotel at noon. I guess I will spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach and enjoying the view of the beautiful Atlantic ocean! Darn! :)

Lata's Wedding

You won't believe this, but I forgot the memory card for my camera on the day of Lata's wedding!!! This was quite a disappointment since I took 650 pics at my friend Ashley's wedding! I will post more when I receive them from friends, but I wanted to post a pic of Emily, Lata, and I at Lata's reception. Didn't she look absolutely beautiful!!! We have all known each other since we were 6 years old, and we were all able to be a part of each other's weddings. It is not traditional to have bridesmaids in Indian weddings, but Lata wanted to incorporate some American traditions. So...she had bridesmaids and a regular wedding cake. As bridesmaids, we got to wear gorgeous Sarees. I will post a pic soon! Lata wore another beautiful outfit (different from above) for her ceremony. We had a great time, and the venue was awesome (Skirvin Hilton in OKC). Best of luck to Lata and Suneal!

Dallas Arboretum

Every Spring for the past 6 or 7 years I have visited the Dallas Arboretum for the annual "Dallas Blooms!" I absolutely LOVE it there! Here are some pics I took in effort to capture the beauty!

Sweet Treats

Have you ever heard of Sprinkles cupcakes? They are the most amazing cupcakes I've ever tasted! I don't know what it is about them, but they are delicious! I tried one at a baby shower several months ago, and before we move, I wanted to make a visit to the actual Sprinkles store to make a purchase. They are kinda pricey ($3.25 each), so I decided to get four for Jason and I to enjoy over the week. Yeah right...they lasted about 24 hours!!! Each day the cupcake-ery changes their available flavors. My purchase included a red velvet cupcake (Jason's favorite...although not sugar-free :), a vanilla cupcake (my absolute favorite), a black and white cupcake (made with Belgian chocolate), and a banana cupcake (not pictures because it was partially demolished). Now that I have "fed" that craving, I won't be going back because otherwise I would buy the whole store! However, if you are ever in Dallas near Preston Rd and NW Highway, I highly recommend you stop by! Click here to see their website and find out the daily flavors and descriptions of these little "bites" of heaven! :)

Ft. Worth Zoo

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Since we only have about 3 months left in Dallas before we move, Jason and I have a "to-do" list of things we want to do before leaving. One of the places that topped my list was the Ft. Worth Zoo! I have always heard that it was a great place, so we decided to go on Sunday. We had a great day in Ft. Worth, starting with breakfast at Ol' South Pancake House..."a Ft. Worth tradition since 1962." Next, we spent the next 3-4 hours at the zoo. They had a ton of animals, and since we were there in the late morning, all of the animals were out and about. As usual, I was camera-happy and took lots of pics of the animals. After the zoo, we hit the mall for a while. Finally, we had an early dinner at Joe T. Garcia's, another "famous" Ft. Worth restaurant (since 1935). It was nice to have a relaxing day! Too bad everyday can't be that much fun! :)

Lata's Bachelorette Weekend

This weekend was Lata's bachelorette weekend!! Lata is one of my best friends. Lata, Emily (see above), and I have known each other since we were 6 years old!!!! Lata and Emily were bridesmaids in my wedding, Lata and I were Emily's bridemaids, and now it was our turn to help Lata celebrate! We all met up in Austin, Texas, and the group included several of her friends from her undergrad years at Emory University in Atlanta, GA (where Lata currently resides). First, we met at our hotel (Embassy Suites) to catch up and watch Lata open bachelorette gifts. Then we headed to an AMAZING restaurant on Lake Travis called Oasis. We had a beautiful view over the lake, and our 45 min wait turned out to be a 45 second wait...seriously! After yummy Mexican food and drinks, we went back to the hotel to freshen up. Then we headed out to Sixth Street. This is a street in Austin that is known for being a huge entertainment area...with bars, restaurants, music, etc. Saturday happened to be the last day of a huge music festival called South by Southwest, so the street was extra-packed. When we found a place with good music and drinks, Lata had to start completing her bachelorette "tasks"...some more embarassing than others! She was a great sport! Several of the girls danced at the bars, and Emily and I (the non-dancers) were able to catch up a little more. We finally made it back to the hotel very late. It was a lot of fun, and we were certainly excited to help Lata celebrate. Only a few more weeks until her wedding!! (This should be interesting...I have to wear a Sari!)