Happy Wednesday!

Half way through the week! We have tied our all time record for snow here and there is more forecast for tomorrow. I know several of you are in snowier areas than northern Illinois and I'm sure you are also ready for Spring. I've already been away once this winter and I am ready to go again! We are near NIU where the big shooting was and so now the Medical School is also on lockdown. It is a huge hassle for my patients because they have to walk two blocks within the building just to get to our offices. At least it is warm inside. One of the med students came out to me last week and has told me there are a couple of others. This is the first class with more than one who is out. Exciting for me! I'm the only out faculty although I know there is one more. Everyone has been supportive of me here--a total non-issue. How is it for you all? Connie

Hi Connie. Things are going well on this end. Putting the final touches on the CU plans...only a couple weeks away. I can't wait for Spring to get here. I'm so done with winter...and we certainly had a mild one this year. I'm out at work also. While I'm the only out one in my office, there are quite a few in the Firm...moreso in NY and CA. The Firm is very GLBT friendly and the people I work with are very accepting of me. Chris has been to several work functions with me. Rachelle

Hi Connie, I am SOOOO sick of the snow I can't even begin to tell you! It's enough already--thinking of packing up and moving somewhere a little more temperate--I think its the isolation that this weather creates, just drives me nuts. I was telling my partner that I'm becoming like Jack Nickolson in The Shining...lol Doesn't somewhere like SF sound so great?? Actually i will be in Chicago this weekend thru middle of next week, and although I love it there, I am not looking forward to your weather. Maybe I'll see some old friends--or just keep to myself and do some power shopping along Michigan ave on Sat, Or millinenium park -can't believe I have not checked that out yet! Anyway, I am very out wherever I go. I have nothing to hide. A lot of people I work with are like family--and there are a lot of us anyway in my business. i don't advertise my sexuality, but if someone asks me about my MR. Wonderful, I be sure to let them know that MR. is actually a MS. Although I have to say there have been 1 or 2 people that are def. uncomfortable around me--but that's their issue.

What will you be doing in Chicago? Work or vacation? Connie

Amen to spring coming!!!! I'm very out at work. Not necessarily to all my patients but all the staff knows. I don't know if anyone has a problem with it or not because they have never said anything or treated me any differently. It's nice to just be ME!

Hi Connie! It's really Thursday now, but I'll give my update anyway. I finally gave in and went to the Dr. on Tuesday and started on some antibiotics. Thankfully, I can tell that there is some improvement already. At the very least, the stabbing pain upon breathing has subsided. I ventured out to a rehearsal for the first time in two weeks last night. It was good to be with my friends, make music and discover that my voice does, in fact, still work. I work for a small gay-owned company where we actually outnumber the straight people most of the time. Z

There are 2 out guys with my organization but I am the only woman. This is the first place I've worked where I have been able to be out with my co-workers and its really nice.

What do you do Connie? I work for a bank and it is very GLBT friendly. My hubby works for a small company and they accept the one person there that is gay. She had a CU and invited some of the people from work there. She would bring Terri with her to the work parties too. Everyone liked her.

Kathy, I have a very interesting job. I am a licensed counselor seeing adults for all kinds of adult issues--depression, anxiety, grief, marital, sometimes all the above. I am also the Course Director for a course called Essentials of Patient Care which is one of the five courses our medical students take during the second year of med school. This is the course which teaches ethics, culture, communication and listening. (Basically it covers how not to be a jerk doctor). Every med school has something like this now but as I'm sure you know, not every doc pays attention. This is the class they complain about the most. (It isn't hard science!). I have a much thicker skin after being the course director for several years. Our school is a campus of the University of Illinois. We have a med school, a couple of masters' programs and will have a school of pharmacy in two years. There are also campuses in Peoria, Chicago and Urbana, IL. We're not identical, but part of the same system. I have been here ten years. Before that, I had a private practice. This is more fun for me. I like the mixture of everyday being radically different. Connie