Photo from www.nationalballoonclassic.com

Friday kicks off the national Hot Air Balloon Classic in Indianola, (a short hop south of Des Moines). This is such a fun, unique event. And if the weather is right, a great thing to do in the evening! It’s only $3 per adult and free for kids 12 or younger. OR bring a whole carload for $10. There are food and merch. vendors and usually kiddy rides, etc. along with all the hot air balloons to see.

My favorite part to see is at dusk when the balloons are all lit up against the night sky (like in the above photo). You can bring lawn chairs/blankets to sit in. No outside food or drinks or pets allowed.

Today our goal is to check out Tamale Industry. The only rule for the bucket list is it has to be new for one of us. Today’s will be extra fun because it’ll be new to ALL of us. I’m hoping to try a lunch tamale AND a dessert tamale.

What new place is on your list to try out? What place would you add to our list?

Thanks for the alert, Melissa Odermann, D.O.’11.

•    The first-time pass rate on Part I of the National Board Exam for the CPMS class of 2011 was 98%. The national pass rate was85%.
•    The first-time pass rate on Part II of the National Board Exam for the CPMS class of 2010 was 93% compared to the national pass rate of 83%.
•    The pass rate for the June 2010 administration of Part III of the National Board Exam for CPMS graduates was 100%. The national pass rate was 89%.
•    The American Board of Podiatric Surgery recently released the first time pass rates for the Foot Surgery Qualification Exam. From 2005-2009 the pass rate for CPMS graduates was 89% compared to 76% for graduates of other podiatric colleges.

Way to go, podiatric faculty, staff & students!!

Imagine being a medical student on rotations and not having to worry about where to live – a portable house! Yes, it is less than 100 sq feet (yep, one hundred) but imagine the possibilities. You don’t have to worry about mortgage, utility bills, cleaning, and all that stuff.

Stuff!! It seems like the more space there is, there more STUFF fills it up. Isn’t that the truth. How sweet it would be to go on rotations and not have to pack and unpack every month. What do you think of the tiny house? To crazy for you? It is for me!

There’s more info on YouTube.

It’s yet another way we’re providing health outreach to our community. Our Homeless Camp Outreach group uses it and our friends at Free Clinics of Iowa use it as well. Read more in today’s Register!

You will see it on Saturday at the Flatland Kids Triathlon in West Des Moines in case of any injuries, overseen by a grad and staffed by Des Moines Fire & Rescue.

The early contributions of African American surgeons is called “Opening Doors” and the exhibit about global health is “Against the Odds.” Both displays come from the National Library of Medicine and can be seen Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The library is open to the public and there is no charge.

Offices are closed. The Clinic is closed. (If you have an emergency, visit your local ER) Even the Wellness Center is closed.

Cya tomorrow! Enjoy this glorious summer day.

Head to the ballpark to witness a citizenship ceremony, I-Cubs game & fireworks on Sunday, July 4.

Yankee Doodle Pops is a huge annual tradition in Des Moines. This year it’s on the 1st at about 6:30 p.m. with jazz, then the orchestra begins at 8:30 to kick off the fireworks! Find a spot of grass or bring a lawn chair. The fun happens on the capitol grounds.

The suburb I live in, Urbandale, does a weekend long celebration of the 4th and I know I’m biased but their parade is THE BEST. Check it out Saturday morning!

And of course there’s the huge annual 2-day music festival, 80-35.

From Friday through Sunday you can see some cool restored cars and hot rods down at the fairgrounds. It’s the annual GoodGuys show! Or maybe you’re a “kick back outdoors” type person on the holiday. In which case you should check out a state park!

Here’s more info & a more complete listing of when/where to catch fireworks!

I have had a wonderful month on my current rotation. A typical day starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends around dinner time, 5:30 p.m. During the day, it doesn’t feel all that bad because I’m up and running around, hanging out with patients (my only social time it seems) and learning a whole lot from other professionals. But by the time I get home, kick off my shoes, and do some reading on my bed, I feel the exhaustion kick in. I’ve found myself skipping dinner to catch up on sleep. My Fridays are the most uneventful because I’ll get home and clonk out for the next 14 hours. Amazingly, that seems to help me last throughout the work week.

How do you spend your Friday nights?