So many updates -

So little time!

I should start by telling you all that yes, I AM now a Doctor!! Well, my graduation won't post until the end of summer, so if you want to get all technical about it and be a negative Nelly, then I'm unofficially a Doctor! I realized when someone emailed me to ask "I haven't heard anything since your defense date ... is it bad news?" that I may have left some of you in suspense. Not to worry! The defense went great.

I was so touched that not only did my mom and dad come out for the defense, but my in-laws both came and so did my sister-in-law Jenni (older brother's wife) with their five-week-old baby! It was incredible to meet my niece for the first time and get to see her when she's so tiny. And it was so special to have Jenni (the second Dr. Brace in the family!) there for the defense as well. Riding the high of seeing everyone, I wasn't too nervous on the big day. Thankfully, Nick (using his camera) and his dad (using mine) captured the day for posterity.

I got my computer hooked up and loaded the presentation:


And took a few minutes to regroup while waiting for my committee to show up (relax, it's just jasmine tea in that cup!):

And then before I knew it I was done and taking questions from the audience! I had a very short private session with my committee in which we discussed my written thesis (they were very complimentary, which took me aback a bit - I think this is when I finally started getting nervous, oddly). And then they signed my forms and we headed back to my building for a small reception!




My lab put together a great spread, and Nick brought a cake and some champagne to cap off the celebration. We had found these funny bottle labels (sadly, not really meant for champagne bottles, which are slightly rounded - they ended up a bit lumpy on the bottles):

And then the cake. Nick found a Vietnamese bakery in our neighborhood that makes this special cake for some god-only-known reason. But it's hilarious. This is the second time he's gotten it for me, and THIS time, he asked them to make it a red velvet cake! Iew ... but so tasty!

A toast with my advisor:

We managed to get a picture of the whole lab before people started going their own ways for the afternoon:

And as the realization started to sink in, I finally relaxed and enjoyed my party!




It was great to have the Doctors Brace there to embrace their bastard step-child, Dr. Brace-Sinnokrak (gasp!). Clearly, Kayla was so disturbed she expressed herself all over her onesie.


And the extended family:


We went to a great dinner that night and then spent the rest of the week enjoying San Diego all together. Friday night, Nick surprised me with a fabulous party at SOARbar. Years ago, we took a sushi-making class with a chef who had just opened this place in the semi-seedy East Village. It's a sushi bar used exclusively for private events, and it came to mind around the time of the disestablishment of Nick's old squadron, VS-33. Unfortunately, nothing worked out at that time, but Nick's been keeping it in the back of his mind for a special occasion ... like my defense / our farewell! As soon as he exited the highway in the ghetto, the surprise was over - there was only one place he'd take me for a party in THAT neighborhood! YAY!

We set up a bar with wine and booze from home and the sushi started rolling out. The food was fantastic, and the drinks were even better. Let's just say ... I had a few. Ahem.




I had many more surprises that night - friends we hadn't seen in a long time, and my high school friend Amy (in the yellow) who drove down from LA with her fiance Ben (checkered shirt). I think I shrieked so loudly when they walked in I must have scared away every criminal within a four-block radius. grin.

Nick also did a fantastic job with the cakes, which he got from Tartine. Chocolate-raspberry, strawberry-kiwi-coconut, and my absolute favorite, the lemon tart. Don't worry, I wasn't truly inebriated until much later - the knife was safe in my hands! The sushi chef actually commented on what a nice and speedy job I did of cutting the cakes!!



So, yes. It was a great week, topped off by a wonderful party with some fabulous friends. We successfully cleared out most of our wine stock - good thing I was drunk when I selected wines for people to take home, otherwise I might have cried! These are wines that we've been cellaring for years! - but we sent them off in good hands with people who will appreciate them. I hope. sniff!

In addition to gearing up for my friend Amanda's wedding here in San Diego this weekend, we're also trying to start getting mentally prepared for our fabulous Alaska vacation! Being gone for a week when there's so much to do around the house to get it ready for rental (oh yeah - we got a renter!) will be stressful, but I'm too excited to care. I also still have to file that pesky paperwork so that I can actually recieve a degree (or some such nonsense). But I have to say ... being a doctor feels pretty awesome.

And nope, can't write prescriptions. That's the other kind of doctor. Sorry, chums. =) Just call me Ross Gellar.