Just Because I have Nothing Else To Write About
Ten Years Ago: I had just moved back from a miserable year and first practice with a large multispecialty group in Bellingham, WA. We went from a close network of friends to essentially no friends (Bellingham was not very warm or welcoming.) The practice was a stress-laden nightmare. 17 docs who all shared weekend call (Each specialty shared weekday call, which wasn't quite so bad, except for the whole horror of "call" in general.) I am sorry, but having a brand-spanking-out-of-residency newly minted internist covering for the pulmonologists, cardiologists, hematology-oncologists, etc, is not a good idea, in my opinion. I would get knots for weeks before my weekends "on" and spend the weekend itself in a blind panic. Yes, I could reach someone if I had to, but I was on the front line of all that. After a year, I hadn't killed anyone but felt it was just a matter of time. So we packed up and headed back to Portland, where I joined a wonderful group of 6 internists who I had known previously, practicing out of the hospital I did my residency at and knew better than my own house. The hospital also had, obviously, house staff (physicians-in-training, aka: interns and residents) who would admit your patients and care for them in the hospital with you as teaching attending (very much fun and very good to not have to go in quite so much at night) and marvelous specialists who I had basically grown up with, having taught me for those years. Plus, back with all our friends.
Five Years Ago: We moved to a small town in Illinois, where Charles had gotten a job in the central office of the school district. I was, once again, stressed out from what turned into a very busy and all-encompassing practice. I would leave at 6am, go to the hospital, dash to the office, see patients, leave the office around 7pm and pray that I didn't have to go back to the hospital afterward. I had stopped sleeping, I missed every one of Colin's milestones, like first word, first steps, etc. Hell, the dog hardly knew me. We pulled into our new town with me in the car, with son and dog, and Charles in the U-Haul van, that held his precious stereo equipment and a few other things. He had been there once, for the interview, I had never seen the place. The real estate agent Charles met on his way out of town that one day found us a rental, which we moved into, sight unseen. The local health network hired me in my dream of a job and all was rosy, at least after the whole unbelievably inept process that was becoming medically licensed in the state of IL was completed.
One Year Ago: We spent our first summer as Wisconsinites, cheese all around. Colin was about to start kindergarten. Sara was mobile and dangerous. Emma was a 6-month-old puppy chewing a child's toy a day.
Yesterday: Charles had his interview and written test as his next step in becoming a dual citizen.
5 Snacks I Enjoy: Chocolate cake with thick fudgy frosting, soft chocolate chip cookies, chocolate candy bars, lemon bars with double the lemon goo, warm berry cobbler with ice cream. And an insulin chaser.
5 Songs I Know The Words To: Well, here are the songs I know that I am most fond of: 32 Flavors (Ani Difranco), The Galaxy Song (Monty Python--probably by Eric Idle), I Don't Want to Live on the Moon (Ernie--probably by Jim Hensen), Gravel (Ani Difranco--just learned this one, finally), Lola (The Kinks). I know lots and lots more, including the alto part for Vivaldi's Gloria.
5 Things I Would Do With $100 Million: Pay off all debts I and my family owe, of course. Turn our outside into an amazing arboretum/garden. Buy every damn book I have ever wanted to read and the shelving to hold them and the building to hold the shelves, in the garden/arboretum. Buy a very gas efficient hybrid car. Set up a kick-ass children's charity, to be thought deeply about later, with the rest of the moolah.
5 Places I Would Escape To: The Greek Isles, Ireland, England, a walking tour through any part of Italy, a walking tour through the Provence region of France.
5 Bad Habits: Not letting poor Charles just do things without comment or looking over his shoulder. Lord, but I am annoying! Trying anything to get out of calling people. Making snide, snarky comments to whoever is sitting next to me in the back of a meeting and paying absolutely no attention to what nonsense the speaker is yammering on about. Reloading the dishwasher every damn time because there really is a right way to load it, people! Wait, I don't think that really is a bad habit. Picking at scabs. Just can't leave them alone.
5 Things I Like Doing: Reading, eating, making anyone laugh, gardening, organizing closets. (I know, weird, huh? You'd never believe it, looking at my house, but that is because the others in the house prefer to turn organization back to chaos and I don't like doing it over and over each week.)
5 Things I'd Never Wear: Short shorts, green with orange, anything midriff baring, stiletto heels, my hair in a tight perm.
5 TV Shows I Like: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Farscape, Angel, While you Were Out, Gilmore Girls.
5 Biggest Joys Of The Moment: Both my kids laughing fit to burst, successful cooking experiments, the masses of produce exploding from the garden, going through the whole existing Harry Potter series from the beginning, curling up with Charles after the kids are asleep. Ahhhhhhh.
5 Favorite Toys: Well, the computer attached to the internet, Charles's home theater system for watching movies, though I'd never admit it to him, my trusty bread machine, the sundial I finally splurged on, the Game Cube for playing multiplayer Mario Party with Colin and Charles and anyone else who wants to be a 4th (come on, Sara, when ever you are ready...)
This is from Linda, who I swear I am not stalking.
Anyone else want to do this one? I'd love to read this from any and all of yous.
Five Years Ago: We moved to a small town in Illinois, where Charles had gotten a job in the central office of the school district. I was, once again, stressed out from what turned into a very busy and all-encompassing practice. I would leave at 6am, go to the hospital, dash to the office, see patients, leave the office around 7pm and pray that I didn't have to go back to the hospital afterward. I had stopped sleeping, I missed every one of Colin's milestones, like first word, first steps, etc. Hell, the dog hardly knew me. We pulled into our new town with me in the car, with son and dog, and Charles in the U-Haul van, that held his precious stereo equipment and a few other things. He had been there once, for the interview, I had never seen the place. The real estate agent Charles met on his way out of town that one day found us a rental, which we moved into, sight unseen. The local health network hired me in my dream of a job and all was rosy, at least after the whole unbelievably inept process that was becoming medically licensed in the state of IL was completed.
One Year Ago: We spent our first summer as Wisconsinites, cheese all around. Colin was about to start kindergarten. Sara was mobile and dangerous. Emma was a 6-month-old puppy chewing a child's toy a day.
Yesterday: Charles had his interview and written test as his next step in becoming a dual citizen.
5 Snacks I Enjoy: Chocolate cake with thick fudgy frosting, soft chocolate chip cookies, chocolate candy bars, lemon bars with double the lemon goo, warm berry cobbler with ice cream. And an insulin chaser.
5 Songs I Know The Words To: Well, here are the songs I know that I am most fond of: 32 Flavors (Ani Difranco), The Galaxy Song (Monty Python--probably by Eric Idle), I Don't Want to Live on the Moon (Ernie--probably by Jim Hensen), Gravel (Ani Difranco--just learned this one, finally), Lola (The Kinks). I know lots and lots more, including the alto part for Vivaldi's Gloria.
5 Things I Would Do With $100 Million: Pay off all debts I and my family owe, of course. Turn our outside into an amazing arboretum/garden. Buy every damn book I have ever wanted to read and the shelving to hold them and the building to hold the shelves, in the garden/arboretum. Buy a very gas efficient hybrid car. Set up a kick-ass children's charity, to be thought deeply about later, with the rest of the moolah.
5 Places I Would Escape To: The Greek Isles, Ireland, England, a walking tour through any part of Italy, a walking tour through the Provence region of France.
5 Bad Habits: Not letting poor Charles just do things without comment or looking over his shoulder. Lord, but I am annoying! Trying anything to get out of calling people. Making snide, snarky comments to whoever is sitting next to me in the back of a meeting and paying absolutely no attention to what nonsense the speaker is yammering on about. Reloading the dishwasher every damn time because there really is a right way to load it, people! Wait, I don't think that really is a bad habit. Picking at scabs. Just can't leave them alone.
5 Things I Like Doing: Reading, eating, making anyone laugh, gardening, organizing closets. (I know, weird, huh? You'd never believe it, looking at my house, but that is because the others in the house prefer to turn organization back to chaos and I don't like doing it over and over each week.)
5 Things I'd Never Wear: Short shorts, green with orange, anything midriff baring, stiletto heels, my hair in a tight perm.
5 TV Shows I Like: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Farscape, Angel, While you Were Out, Gilmore Girls.
5 Biggest Joys Of The Moment: Both my kids laughing fit to burst, successful cooking experiments, the masses of produce exploding from the garden, going through the whole existing Harry Potter series from the beginning, curling up with Charles after the kids are asleep. Ahhhhhhh.
5 Favorite Toys: Well, the computer attached to the internet, Charles's home theater system for watching movies, though I'd never admit it to him, my trusty bread machine, the sundial I finally splurged on, the Game Cube for playing multiplayer Mario Party with Colin and Charles and anyone else who wants to be a 4th (come on, Sara, when ever you are ready...)
This is from Linda, who I swear I am not stalking.
Anyone else want to do this one? I'd love to read this from any and all of yous.
Labels: I Am A Sheep (Memes), Past Life/Life Past
posted by Diana at 9:31 AM
12 Comments:
cool... it is fun to read about each others past.. I will have to do it when I get back from Florida...
Why does it not surprise me that getting a medical license in Illinois involves an inept process?
I have totally never thought about wearing green with orange, but you are *so* right about that. Ugh. I think I have intuitively avoided it. (Fortunately.) Such a color scheme conjures up Halloweeny/Thanksgivingsy cartoons of dancing jack o'lanterns wearing green pilgrim hats and buckletop shoes.
Really cool, Diana...I enjoyed that. I might do it too the next time I haven't got anything else to write about.
Mojavi- It is fun, isn't it. I definitely look forward to reading yours. I also would love to read about some of your army experiences.
Rozanne- It took 5 months, I kid you not. Both my OR and WA licenses took 1-2 months. The hang up was that my college transcript was under my maiden name and my med school and other info was under my married name. They had 2 files on me. I had called down to Springfield multiple times to make sure that they did NOT have the college stuff misfiled and was told each and every time that this had not occurred. Finally, after a full 2 months of calling and calling, I spoke to someone who actually gave a damn and truly went and looked, instead of just putting me on hold and getting a cup of coffee and coming back and lying to me that they had checked. He found the problem and I got my licence within the week. Cost me 2 months of pay with the late start. Sadly, the health network thought this was just par for the course when dealing with the state. What? Am I still bitter? Well, yes, as I just went through 3 months of snafus to get my license renewed with my new home address. Green and orange ARE a vile combination, aren't they?
Jamie- Thanks. I certainly and selfishly hope you do!
Am literally dropping from exhaustion and incoherent. Just ask Rozanne, I was there earlier. Ha!
[Surgical semiology today, ie, how to cut and bandage and transfuse blood, dehydration signs, that sort of thing. MAjor anguish insomnia bout, slept all of 1h30m. Dead Like Me.]
Will come back and re-read but look here, ME TOO!!! I love tidying up other people's closets, I do it everywhere I go! And also their office files wehn they let me. I am also rather brillliant at it - see? You must come.
Which reminds me, WHY IS PT NOT ONE OF YOUR REFUGES?? WHY OH WHY?
[Oh, watch Crash, I think you'll like it.]
Well, I a now both convinced that you are my evil twin AND convinced that you are not my evil twin.
I may do this one of these days - it would probably take some serous thought. The last 7 years or so have been spent in a fog of sleep deprivation, so they've all kind of mushed together...
Johnny- Oh, honey, you have DONE the insomnia thing and it doesn't look good on you, remember? I AM sorry. It really sucks rocks. As I typed the refuge part I giggled, knowing you would call me to task. OF COURSE Portugal is on the list. Just teasing. The food alone! Crash. Check.
Teri- Ok, what is twin and what is not? Or do yours and I will see for myself.
Twin: Bad habits. I do all of those things to some degree.
Not twin: Snacks. I prefer mine salty, salty, salty!
Teri- I am fond of salty, too, especially chips and hot, spicy salsa or nachos or....
This was fun.
We have much in common foodwise (or dessert anyway). Thanks so much for making me hungry. Of course, I am on lunch so it's not too bad. I am breaking out the Ding Dongs.
Why is orange and green so bad together and yet orange and black is so classy looking (in my mind anyway)? I don't understand. I have done it before but it was for Halloween so leave me alone.
What is a dual citizen? I think I'm missing something here.
Buffy and Angel. I adore you so. Now if you'd only watch CSI: I'd be quite at ease letting you feed me and organize my closets. If you could find said closets in my room.
I'm going to have to work on this one. I love memes.
I had not read this properly AT ALL! Scary.
All right, all those shows (except Farscape, never heard of it; and the American While you were out? Oh you so need to get BBC Prime! It'd change your life for the coolest!) PLUS Will & Grace (go on, it's pure unadulterated bliss!), BBC's What Not To Wear and Sex and the City! Is everyone but me chocolate-obsessed? And I find your annoying habits endearing - I seem to have them all but for the ringing people, I do that well.
Dana- Oh, those Hostess products...I think Ho Hos are my very favorite. Dual citizenship is for those with more than one personality, you see, so that each part can feel separate but equal. Either that or it is for someone, like my lovely Canadian, who wishes to be a US citizen but not relenquish his Canadianess. Used to be pretty much impossible but now is a viable option. Currently, he is a resident alien and has a green card. He has all the responsibilities of a citizen (pays taxes, registered for the draft, etc.) but can not vote. Yes, I am married to an alien.
Johnny- Honey- You already know I love Sex and the City. Farscape is briliant: Australian sci-fi show. Very well written, funny, interesting, excellent characters. I will show you episodes when you come. Better plan on staying for a few months so you can see all the Buffy, Angel, Gilmore Girls, and all the rest in order, start to finish. We get BBC stuff on satellite, including What Not to Wear, the British version. Is v. v. good.
Post a Comment
<< Home