In New Jersey!

Yesterday I drove east, through rain (pretty much the whole way) and snow -- yes, snow! -- in western Maryland. I'm in NJ/PA for the rest of the month, and have a lot planned.

First, we need to find a place to live. This Friday we're meeting with three or four real estate agents and hope to narrow it down to just one. Tied up in this process is getting our mortgage figured out -- after lots of leads for a doctors loan, we only have one good lender option, so we're in the pre-approval process right now. The doctors loan is absolutely awesome -- 100% financing, no PMI, and your student loans aren't counted against you in the debt-to-income ratio calculations. Of course, you need to be a doctor (!!).

This weekend we're heading down to DC for an engagement photo shoot we won last fall. I'm really excited to meet Carmen, our photographer, and to get a face-on, eyes-on-the-same-level photo to support our New York Times wedding announcement submission!

This month Eric is having his bachelor party (Phillies game and other debauchery), I'm having my bachelorette party (no idea what that entails), and we're running a 5K together. It will be my first race, and the first time I've ever run that far in my life (I was a swimmer!). Today is supposed to be my first workout on my training schedule, but right now there's a cat asleep on my lap and it's chilly outside, so I'm still trying to work up some motivation.

Also on the to-do list in the next few weeks: do my taxes, figure out what to do about my student loans next year (public health services deferment vs. forbearance vs. income-based repayment), and create my own personal electronic medical record (I'm going to scan in all my old lab, vaccination, and procedure reports and put everything on its own thumb drive).

I also have lots of small wedding projects to take care of, like programs and assorted other printing projects. Speaking of wedding projects, our invitations got out ahead of schedule and we've started receiving RSVPs back. The only flaw in my plan? The RSVPs are being sent to Louisville, with a due date of May 1, and I will be on the east coast through May 3. The post office is holding my mail, so at least I don't have to rely on my never-home roommate to pick it up for me. I won't be able to keep tabs on the RSVPs as they come back, but I'll make it my first project as soon as I get home!

On the school front, we are planning for Senior Week, and lots of fun activities, like a trip down the Bourbon Trail, a group outing to a baseball game, and, of course, Senior Skits. I'm supposed to be working on a couple skits/videos while I'm here. Graduation is May 9, and I have to give a speech, and I have no idea what to talk about, so that's causing some anxiety. I'll just put my speech writer on it -- that would be Eric, not Sam Seaborn.

OK, time to get this cat off my lap, go for a run/walk, and look through MLS listings!