My Friend's Wedding: Part I: My friends

I had the wonderful opportunity to go to my good friend Rebecca Rich's wedding this past (Memorial Day) weekend. I left on Friday from Akron-Canton and flew to Manchester. The pre-wedding dinner was Saturday evening, and I found out then that several friends from medical school were also there. It was a wonderful surprise, and made the trip. The wedding was Sunday late afternoon, and I came home on Memorial Day. More on all that later.
So, let me start by telling you about my totally awesome friend Rebecca. Rebecca is a crazy, wonderful friend (and former next door neighbor) that I met during medical school. She has an amazing history, but eventually she left northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C. behind and came to Kirksville to KCOM. My friendship with her was such a fun and eye-opening experience. Here I was, one of three conservative, Christian, suburban Westerners all from Phoenix (Aaron G. and Tim K. being other two), living next door to Rebecca Rich, a northeast liberal Jew. To date, those two years we all spent on Sundown Drive were two of the best ever. We literally WERE the "Friends" show. No locked doors, random sharing of food, clothing, books, furniture, you name it. It was awesome! And she even "took one for the team" one time playing Ultimate Frisbee when she got stitches in her eyebrow (thanks Truman State player!) I've never been the same since meeting her. Thanks Rebecca! Anyway, she started a Pediatric Residency in Detroit, but when her program closed, she took an opportunity at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she eventually became Chief Resident. She is now a Pediatric Hospitalist/Consultant for the Pediatric Surgery ward at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. Rock on, Rebecca! So, here is Rebecca with her New Hampshire husband, Jack Yukica.

The next couple that I saw (and the only other person that I knew was coming) was Jimmy (Boo) Hewitt (the 3rd, I think). He was another classmate and Ultimate Frisbee-er (as well as a great Osteopath). He's a great guy, and now he is engaged to a wonderful and beautiful Psychiatric Resident named Jen.

Boo is in the military, and did his family practice residency in Hawaii; he made up for it though by being stationed in Iraq for a year. He is now stationed in Hawaii again (where Jen is doing her residency), and Boo and Jen are getting married in October.


Above are John and Irene Hamilton. They flew John's parents to Chattanooga to watch their three boys, Toran, Mason, and Porter, while they got to enjoy a nice weekend in New England. (Actually, they report have small bouts of withdrawal... from their kids!) John was in my anatomy disection group in medical school. He too was a fellow Ultimate player (are you seeing a pattern?) He did his anesthesiology residency in Birmingham, Alabama, and now practices in Chatanooga.

The next couple could barely get caught actually together... one always had their beautiful 4 month old daughter Lizzie in hand. They are Ned and Rachelle Tognacci.
Ned is from my neck of the woods (Phoenix area) and he and Rachelle met at Northern Arizona University. They are just one of the most down to earth, laid back couples I know. They are awesome. And yes, they are BIG Ultimate players as well!

The final friend that I saw at the wedding was a surprise; I didn't know that she was coming. Her name is Ceci Rai, and she is a family physician. She was one of the Ultimate Frisbee gurus, that got me hooked on "the spirit of the game." She is married to Jim, a surgeon.

We had a great time. It was beautiful there, and great to get caught up.

Above, Boo and I, and then Ned and John.


This was our initial attempt to get a group picture. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good one on my camera; we were having some "dysfunction" ;-) trying to get set up.