Damn you, Nick Hornby! Why do you have to be so right?!!!

I heard this song a while back and I've been meaning to comment about it here, but alas, I've been sidetracked multiple times.

Well, not today.

Anyhoo...this is probably the most honest story I've heard in a very long time. And the saddest.

What do you think?

Song of the day: "From Above" - Ben Folds and Nick Hornby

Interview

For the curious...in reference to my last post.

1. Author: Paulo Coelho - "The Alchemist." Musician: Jeff Buckley - "Lover, You Should've Come Over."

2. Lock Picking. I think that would be a really cool skill to own ::sly grin::

3. Two sugars. I used to take it black, but I needed to cut the bitter with a little sweet. Kinda like life.

4. The Heimlich, proper CPR, how to use chopsticks, knitting, how to skip stones, changing a tire, opening a beer bottle with a lighter...

5. Marlon Brando, the younger version of him. Just check out his delivery of this Shakespeare monologue and you'll know why he's in my head.

6.  Yes, I do believe in destiny, but more importantly, I believe that the path we take and not our destination is what makes our life in this earth, special.

7. I think I was a grizzly bear, hunting wild salmon in the rivers of the great northwest United States in a former life.

8. Formaldehyde, more specifically, the smell of our anatomy lab.  No matter how many layers of gloves you wear, it still gets to your fingernails, hair, scrubs...just gross.  On the flip side, firewood burning during a crisp winter evening...there's nothing like it.

9. Ploosh (n.) - state of confusion or disorientation specifically caused by an overload of information, followed by difficult questioning.  Ex. Medical students rarely raise their hands after nephrology lecture because they are in ploosh.
 
10. 12:34am...I'm either super tired or extremely energetic.

11. CYRANO DE BERGERAC - technically, he did exist in real life, but the character in Rostand's play is much more interesting.  Poet, musician, philosopher, soldier, duelist, physicist, comedian, and true blue romantic.  He certainly tried to accomplish what he set out to do: excel in everything.

12. My inability to rein in my geekish sensibilities.

13. Never really had one.  I suppose I should start.  I would like to cross out this one in particular: travel ALL the States in the Union by eating my way through them or at least visiting all their famous national parks.

14. I'm currently writing my personal statement for my residency application.  EPIC FAIL.

15. Me, flying/hovering over white sand dunes.  Pretty much that's all there is to it.  It's fun tho, getting the sensation that I'm flying, especially if I'm having a vivid dream.

16. I answered this one before, but I do have others in mind: A Zebra F-301 pen is also a very good choice.  I like the weight of the pen and the thinness of the stroke.

17. Midnight picnic @ the beach a week before Memorial Day, when there were few people around.  A new moon was out, a bottle of red was at hand and bag full of fresh, sweet cherries was the main course.  We sat on the sand, dug in and buried our feet, and proceeded to have a cherry pit-spitting contest.  I fell in love that night.

18. See the answer to question 11.  Either him or Yoda.  I'd like to think that in some ways, I'm slowly figuring out how to be more like them...except for the using-the-force thingy.  That part, I can't seem to ever get the hang of.
 
19. "He loved and was loved in return."

20. My last meal...I really don't want a last meal but the whole course from breakfast to dinner and dessert.
Breakfast: 2 eggs over medium, kalo kalo (garlic fried rice), longanisa +/- daing (dried, salted fish) and strong coffee.
Lunch: White rice, Fried Tilapia with soy sauce (or almost any fish for this matter) and Apan-Apan.  Semi-ripe indian mangoes with sauteed shrimp paste as an appetizer.
Afternoon snack: Fruit (Lansones, Santol, Serguilas, mainly asian fruits).
Dinner: Grilled pork or a very large aged kobe beef steak, A1 steak sauce, sweet potato fries (or potato pancakes from the Nevada Diner) and a Sam Adams.
Dessert: rocky road ice cream over pecan pie (I can settle for vanilla).

What can I say? I'm a glutton.

Song of the day: "I Don't Know" - Lisa Hannigan

BTW, check the link I placed in Lisa Hannigan's name. It's the official video of this song and it is very cool.

Awkward...

Somebody contacted me a few days ago...an ex of mine from a few years ago. It was nice to hear from her, but at the same time, I couldn't help feeling weird about it. It was a few emails exchanged and in the interim, there was conversation about old relationships, what led to breakups and her most recent relationship or rather, ex-relationship. I get the feeling that she's only contacting me now because she's rebounding from this last breakup of hers.

I hate being rebound, especially if it's a rebound from an ex. I remember she was the one who broke up w/ me during college and for good reason. Both of us were just not clicking well.

And now this...

I don't want to be with her, but I don't want to ignore her either. I hate telling people that I am not interested in them. I told her that I was just over a relationship myself and that I'm not looking for another one. I don't think she got that hint.

There's always this lingering fear in the back of my head that somehow I'd get suckered into a match with the wrong person because I don't know how to tell them that I'm not into them. I wish I was already in a relationship so I can say "no" and not feel bad about it. You know?

Song of the day: "Watching You Sleep" - Bleu

Quick update of sorts

Another 6 weeks down. I finished learning about Vag and preggos (Ob-Gyn) and now moving on to the ankle biters (Pediatrics). I keep telling myself "It's almost over" but somehow, it never is. Another 6 weeks of peds rotation - at least it's not as intensive as the others.

My Ob-Gyn attending gave me a very good evaluation despite what I thought. And of course, lots of good pearls of wisdom:
1. Never stop reading - suck the marrow from the bones of knowledge
2. You're a professional - Do what you're supposed to do (or have a really good excuse for not doing so).
3. Learn to walk on your own - it makes you a competent doctor and a better person.
4. Question everything - just because somebody says so, doesn't mean they're right.
5. Guidelines are exactly what they are - guidelines...and may not apply to some people. So learn them well first before you deviate from the standard.

Lots of good stuff, but quite hard to follow. Especially if you're the type of person who loves to nap. But I'm quite thankful that I had this rotation with him and of course, I will do my best to follow his advice.

Other things on the burner:
1. Updating CV
2. Letters of Recommendations - I need at least 3.
3. 4th year elective rotations - I have 3 definite ones. 4 if you count my subinternship for surgery, but I'm seriously thinking about switching that one. I've settled on what I want to do, finally. Internal Medicine - GI.
4. Step 2 Board exam - I'm slowly studying for it. Slowly. D-day: Aug. 23rd.

Oh, I had a nightmare last night. It was about the Ex. I was in the Labor and Delivery suite, in the middle of assisting a delivery when I got a phone call from her. She told me the reason why she broke up with me was that she got pregnant and had to abort the fetus, but couldn't tell me the truth at the time. Then she put me on hold - "Eye of the Tiger" was the hold song. Then I woke up. Really creeped the hell out of me.

So, I will be starting Peds ER tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Song of the day: "Again And Again" - The Bird And The Bee

This music video is INSANE!!!

Musical theme

OK, I realized today that I have a crapload of articles to read (and I don't mean Maxim or GQ), but I had to post this one before it disappears from my mind forever.

So it seems that I've had this theme going on about songs that evoke unpleasant memories of late.  Well, today, on my way to work, I got WXPN blaring on the radio and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings were being featured on the show.  For those of you who don't know SJ/DK and are fans of just good ol' stick-to-your-ribs kick ass music, she and her band are a must-check-out for all y'all. I made a link for those interested. Anyways, her new album is out and I heard lots of high praises about it, so this might very well be my next online purchase.  Tonight, as I head to the library for some more late night studying, SJ/DK were once again, the topic of conversation on another radio station.  So far so good.  Then they play one of the songs from her new album, and that just made my whole night completely.  Not only was it just a solid song with amazing vocals and the musical chops to match, but the message is just so blatantly clear and solid, it was like a good slap in the face that just brings you back to your senses.  After a few weeks of being in a funk and being reminded of the Ex by any little ol' ditty, I think Sharon's song helped snap me out of it all.

So to Sharon and the band, wherever you folks are, thank you.  God bless.

Song of the day: "Better Things" - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings


That's right.  I see you bobbin' and bouncing to this song. G'head witcha bad self.

Post call

Remember when I was bitching about how I wanted to spite the Ex because I got to thinking about her just recently?
Well, it's still in the works...
It's just that more crap keeps coming up that specifically reminds me of her.
Case in point, this song by Irving Berlin...
This morning, my Attending was post call (been up 24+ hours) and was working @ the clinic with me.  Apparently he is given to acting goofy when he's been up for a whole day/all hopped up on coffee.  While he was working on a patient's chart, he started whistling this song.  Normally, I don't care if people whistled while they worked (my dad does it all the time), but why this song? Why this specific one???

So what makes this song so irritating to me, you ask? Apart from it's devilishly catchy melody, this was the song the Ex sang in a musical revue about Irving Berlin...where She met Him...where She lost Me...and the rest, as they say, is history...

Anyhoo, gritting my teeth, I excused myself from the office and wandered about in the lobby full of patients until I simmered down and had given more than ample time for my attending to finish his performance piece.  In the end, he did make me laugh tho by randomly singing this Dunkin' Donuts jingle, in a baritone voice and with oompa loompa choreography.

That's all I got for now.

Song of the day: "Hannah" - Freelance Whales

In spite of you

I found a new study nook. Jersey Java and Tea. I'd put the link up, but the site is not ready yet.

JJT has really good green tea, awesomely large windows, good ambient light, tasty almond biscotti, and comfy leather chairs and tables. Oh, and free Wi-Fi (a definite must). And the satellite radio it pipes in plays really choice tunage (an added bonus). Opens @ 6a, Closes @ 9p. Sweet.

So while busying myself with a few chapters on the luvly subject of gynecology, a song came up on the speakers by a singer/songwriter whom I really dig, Teitur.
Then I was reminded of the Ex, because it was Teitur's songs that I closely associated with her.
Then I got to thinking about how in a few days, she had dumped me exactly a year ago, which made me feel sorry for myself.
Then I got really pissed at myself for feeling sorry for myself.
Then I got really really pissed at the song...to the point where I almost walked over to the barista and asked for the song to be changed...but I hesitated, took a sip of tea, ate my biscotti, and listened. Slowly, it just became a song again.
Afterwards, I got to thinking about how it would be nice to spite her. Really Really Nice! To see her all fat and bloated, with her crap-ass boyfriend, cheating on her. To make her realize how good she had it with me, that she didn't know a good thing if it kicked her upside her head with a steel-toed shoe. Because nothing strikes a woman quite as painful as targeting her vanity...that, and a pair of steel-toed shoes for kicking her ass.
I was maniacally laughing, all mad geniusey-like in my head when my phone rudely interrupted me: an email from my lender, giving me an update on my school loans. Needless to say, the spiting of the Ex was immediately put on ice as my jaw dropped precipitously to the floor, shocked to see how much med school is costing me...
The past 2 years, the numbers were in the 5 digit range. But, sure enough, it has officially hit the 6-figure mark. Sticker shock? Abso-fucking-lutely.

So, exactly HOW am I going to spite her now? When? The mountain just gets bigger and bigger. And the summit is still nowhere in sight.

Song of the day: "Sentimental Heart" - She and Him

Burning bridges

It's relatively possible to forget even for a bit, the things that went wrong in your life when you're occupied.  You go to work, you're immersed in busy stuff, you fill your hours with charts and projects and facts and all sorts of information because it is asked of you...and despite the materials' dryness or difficulty or monotony, you plod on through, and before you know it, it's quitting time.  That's when you realized that the loud side of your brain, that nagging part that constantly prods, questions, shouts, needles you into hashing and rehashing all that crap that happened to you in the past...has been silent all this time.  And you say to yourself "thank God for the work."
The work this whole 3rd year has been very good for me.  It can be overwhelming at times, but it has kept me occupied and on track on a "more or less" even keel.  I can honestly say that I've had no time to cry about spilled milk.  When the last break up happened last year, I had a severely emotional breakdown that night, followed by a day of being a zombie.  It was difficult to concentrate on the work, but I decided to put the work to good use, and lo and behold, I got through that patch...not as well as I would have liked, but under the circumstances, I could've been a lot more worse off.
Fast forward to tonight.  I'm checking FB when I come across somebody who is in acquaintance with the ex. Feeling the need to satisfy my curiosity, I click on and follow the links to her. To my surprise, I can't fully access her FB page. It seems that either I'm blocked or have been removed from her list.
I can't say that I didn't expect it.  Take for instance after she broke up with me, I erased her phone number from my mobile. So why not her doing the same to me on FB? I was in shock...and a little bit confused, like "how dare you un-friend me?"-type of confused. OK, so maybe "insulted" is a more accurate term for this. I take a breath, compose myself, and slowly come back to my senses. I close FB and after taking a minute to myself, I slowly felt a heavy sense of sadness, as if I had crossed a bridge and then burned it.  Then more feelings of regret started creeping in and that loud part of my brain all of the sudden, woke up from its nap and is not wasting time at all with niceties, but rather is laying it on plenty thick on me.  "Did I do everything in my power to have prevented it? What did I do to her to make her go away? What did she see in that douche?"
So in my traditional fashion, I go back to the movies and find the appropriate quote for such an occasion, and sure enough...I find it.

"You know what's the worst thing about somebody breaking up with you? It's when you remember how little you thought about the people you broke up with and you realize that is how little they're thinking of you."           - (Jesse) Before Sunrise

Fuck it.
I'm going to bed.

Song of the day: "Miss Misery" - Elliott Smith

Breakup songs for Valentines day

I'm taking a cue from the NPR show "All Songs Considered" and at the suggestion of S&P, am posting a list of songs I think would be in my playlist for the subject of Breakups.

As always, feel free to add:

1. "Lesson Learned" - Ray LaMontagne
2. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley
3. "I'm Gonna Find Another You" - John Mayer
4. "Song For The Dumped" - Ben Folds Five
5. "Cry Me A River" - Harry Connick Jr. (The Justin Timberlake song w/ similar title is also substitutable)
6. "Sign On The Door" - Edwin McCain
7. "Parting Gift" - Fiona Apple
8. "Nothing But A Miracle" - Diane Birch
9. "The Reason Why" - Rachael Yamagata
10. "Interstate Love Song" - STP

Song of the Day: "All Is Full Of Love" - Bjork

...Just so everything doesn't seem too gloomy.

Say What?!

A girl I had a massive crush on a few years ago, made a matter-of-fact comment about a song on the radio while I was driving her home from dinner. What she said absolutely floored me at the time (it was amazing that I didn't get into an accident, but I digress). The same song was on the radio tonight and I got all deja vu-ey.

Picture this...
End of a long, long day, and the one that you're pining for has nothing but smiles for you as the two of you lazily talk about nothing over a heap of disco fries and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Next thing you know, it's almost 11pm.

So you take her home and pop in the CD in the player to make the ride extra nice.

It's the Shins, playing "Caring is Creepy."

You stop at a red light and you just see her grinning mischievously under the streetlamp light.

You ask "penny for your thoughts?" (You're a sap when it comes to classic movie quotes, btw).

She doesn't say, but keeps on grinning. You figure, she's having fun, so you let it go at that.

You get to her house and just before she steps out of the car, she says "You know that song "Caring is Creepy"? I think that's a "Fuck Me!" song. Yep. That's my "Fuck Me!" song."

She winks, then kisses you on the cheek, then heads for the doorway. She blows you a kiss for the road, smiles once more then heads inside the house.

All the while you're head is reeling, questioning whether she was messing with you something harsh or was dropping a crazy-serious hint. Your cheek, memorizing the feel, the smell of her kiss. WTF.

Since then, I've discovered other songs with the same "Fuck Me!" quality as did that Shins song back then. These may be potential points of contention with you, but it would sure make for interesting conversation.

The list is as follows (in no particular order):
* "Vancouver" - Jeff Buckley
* "Let It Be Me" - Ray LaMontagne
* "Clap Hands" - Tom Waits
* "Watching The Detectives" - Elvis Costello
* "Searching For The Satellites" - Bleu
* "Gold Lion" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
* "How Does It Feel" - D'Angelo
* "L'amour Ne Dure Pas Toujours" - Feist
* "Love And Happiness" - Al Green
* "Me And Mrs. Jones" - Billy Paul

These are just off the top of my head. Feel free to add. This would make for a crazy setlist.

Song of the day: "Caring Is Creepy" - The Shins

Easy come, Easy go

So either I'm suffering from what seems to be the beginnings of a cold or just a flare-up of my allergies. Other than that, the day was actually pretty good...I suppose I can say that since there's only 5 minutes left of this day and I don't really have to worry about jynxing it anymore. Tomorrow, I will wrap up my first rotation. It's bye-bye family med, hello radiology.

The last couple of weeks have been for the most part, fairly pleasant. Despite the long commute (1 hour from Cherry Hill to Vineland) to my community service site, I enjoyed my time spent in the Occupational Health Office. All the people in there were very chill and funny, especially my preceptor. He was good enough to let me see his patients and allowed me a decent amount of independence. I even got to suture 2 people (with him assisting, of course). I had a great deal of patient exposure and was very thankful for it. I even found a sweet Puerto Rican Restaurant that has awesome Yellow rice and beans because of this rotation. I wish the rest of the year would go as well as these past two weeks did.

In other news, I went to a bachelor party for my good friend CP this past weekend in NYC. It's weird, when I think about it, 8 years ago, we were just on the other side of the Hudson, looking out 12 miles to the east, on a beautiful autumn day, watching the tragedy of the two towers unfold before our eyes. We were so young then...technically we're still young now, but a lot has happened in the past 8 years. He's gonna be married soon, to a good friend of mine. And this past weekend, we celebrated his good fortune in a city that once grieved, but now seems rejuvenated again...but never forgetting. We took him through pub crawls, Chinatown dive restaurants, Irish taverns, Historic hole-in-the-wall joints, the bevy of strip clubs, and faux trailer parks. It's funny how a day can change its meaning if you just give it some time.

My phone buzzed with an email alert as I type this line. About 6 months ago, that same buzz made me swoon in expectation of text messages about mindless prattle, the kind that goes with infatuation. When the buzzing stopped 2 months later, the silence became my torment. The phone, my enemy. The red LED light that flashed when a message was delivered, failed to shine...signifying my neglect...like a forgotten ancient tombstone.

Now it's just a phone again.

You see?

Time.

Song of the day: "Waltz For A Night" - Julie Delpy in Before Sunset

An itch you can't scratch

Hmmm, one month into my first rotation and already I've managed to mess it up. Not too badly I hope, but it does sting me up a bit. I've somehow made a simple 20 minute presentation into an utter catastrophe just because I got flustered. A few stutters here, a forgotten term or two there, and next thing you know, I'm way over my time and not even close to finishing my presentation. I suppose that's what I get for cramming in way too much info and not keeping it simple. What can I say? I'm a hot mess. I've been that since April.

Other than that, I feel achy. Trying to get myself out of my self-loathing by hitting the gym. So far, so good. 2 pounds down...15 more to go. Today is a rest day. I made dinner for Chris and Rachel and decided on giving my bones (and muscles) a little R and R. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can run a good deal before it gets way too hot.

I'm also feeling surprised...well...more like resigned. I've had an assumption about an anomaly I've been pondering for a while now and as luck would have it, today has brought me some answers...which proved my assumption to be correct...sadly. Sorry to be cryptic but the nature of said anomaly is somewhat sensitive and disclosure over a public channel may not be the wisest of actions. Needless to say, the anomaly has finally resolved itself, despite my disappointment. I don't know if I should pat myself in the back for having my assumption confirmed, or paint a target on my wall and run my head through it. I'm not sure if I could have done anything at the time to diffuse the situation. This anomaly has certainly left quite a mark...one that would leave me more jaded in my appreciation of the world and its inhabitants. For a while, I was seriously giving optimism an honest shot, but the sad truth is that...as an optimist, there's only one way to go...and it can be a long and painful way down. I suppose it was my fault for leaving my nose wide out in the open...and in a firefight, you can't leave anything hanging out, otherwise it's liable to get shot. So there you have it. For me, it's case closed...lesson learned. Ouch.

Thank God for the weekend.

Song of the day: "Forget Her" - Jeff Buckley

Warm...

3 more weeks before I take the boards. I want to get this over with, but everytime I take a practice test, I still feel unready. Slowly getting to the score that I want. I'm glad I get a few more days before the big one.
Happy Memorial Day. I hope you got to spend it with loved ones, relaxing and enjoying the good weather. I'm inside the house, feeling unmotivated and a little tired.
I need coffee. Badly. I made a bad decision about drinking a red eye (my new favorite drink) this past Saturday night. I was able to study, alright, but getting to bed at a reasonable time was absolutely out of the question that night. I was reading a pathology book til 4 in the bloody morning, and didn't really sleep til 6. Woke up @ 10 for mass. I had awful dreams tho. It's like my brain was punishing me for making it stay awake past what it normally wanted. It was not a restful sleep at all.
I decided that I will take a small roadtrip up the northeast after the big exam. A chance to see some old friends, new places, and hopefully clear my mind. There's just way too much crap in there that needs to be emptied out. Crap that I don't need, never needed. This is a nice chance for me to reset myself before rotations begin. Also, I get to test out my new camera...it's actually my brother's old Canon Rebel. I bought it from him for cheap because he got a new, cooler one. I'll put some nice pics up when I get around to it.
I hope you're all well and doing well. If you're reading this, send some good love my way. I can always use it. If I haven't seen ya or talked to you in a while, I hope I can fix that sooner rather than later.
Ok, time I get myself going. That's all for now. More next time.

Song of the day: "It's Not True" - William Fitzsimmons

And so it goes

So, it's been almost a year since last I wrote something in here. Lots has happened. New Orleans (Habitat for Humanity) was a lot of fun. Just being able to put in a good day's worth of work for the benefit of those needing lots of help was a good thing for the soul. And getting to play in the Bourbon St. nightlife was also pretty groovy. Thanks to Meg and Mirv for coming to NOLA and showing me the sights. Let's do it again next time =).
The Migrant Worker Clinic turned out well too. There were lots of patients to see and they were very grateful for even the smallest thing we can do for them. Really made me realize that healthcare should be more accessible to the public. On a brighter note, I got to practice my Spanish and my vital sign skills.
Teaching or at least, assisting in the Prematric program was a great way to make new friends and review my anatomy/OMM. Also, it made me realize finally that I'm not cut out to be a teacher. I hate...repeat...HATE grading papers.
The fall and spring semesters of 2nd year were nothing but one big sequence of trials...droning on and on. Endless days and sleepless nights of learning Path, Pharm, and Medicine...plus other peripheral classes...oh and don't forget to season the whole thing with the day-to-day drama (yes, life still exists out of med school). After review for Boards, I felt like I haven't really learned anything solid in the past 10 months of 2nd sem. It was like, ok, lets memorize for the test, then regurgitate. Rinse. Repeat. And now, it's Boards time. Just when I thought I was done shoveling 500 medical pancakes down my throat, I have to do it all over again for Step 1. I have less than a month left to prepare. Saddle up kiddies...it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
On the upside, I'm looking forward to 3rd year. Every day is a day closer to my goal. Yes, it's difficult now (hell, it's been difficult all year long, especially the end of the spring sem), but all of this is just prologue to the good stuff. So far I'm still alive, still standing and keeping myself open for better things ahead. And all the prep work/heartache/backache/sleep-deprivation I'm doing now is paving the way for all of that, so no worry about a t'ing cuz every lil thing gon' be alright.
Yea, I have good and bad days, but so does everybody. I figure, it's just another opportunity for me to make things right. And pretty much that's all I can do, for now.
There are ideas in the making...I'll keep you posted as things progress.

Ciao.

Song of the Day: "Caroline" - The Belleville Outfit

Reaction

It's hard to comment on the subject of love, especially coming from one who is not as well-versed as others. It's very difficult for me to quantify my own experience, knowing that the influence of popular culture and pretenses on the subject have greatly influenced my view of it as far as I can recall. From what I can gather in my own accounts (despite being few and far between), the idea of love to me is as elusive as the mountain mist...visible, tangible, yet fleeting, burning away in the light of day. The times I thought I was in love only brought eventual heartache, disappointment, disillusionment. The thought of having one true love is also disconcerting because of my capacity to "move on" and thus finding a new love if you can call it that. I'm not quite sure whether that trait describes my ability to be emotionally resilient to romantic misfortune or perhaps a testament to my inconstant nature, my irreverence for such a noble emotion. Then again, I could be just as confused about all this now as I was back when I was 16...love or lust? Where does infatuation end and love begin?

I fear that with this examination, I may have grown mistrustful. You grow to like someone and they seem good enough to gain your trust, but they let you down the minute you lower your guard. I understand people aren't perfect and that promises do get broken, but what I don't comprehend is why people choose not to mend more often than not. Case in point, the high number of ballads about broken hearts only to be topped by the divorce rate in this country. Are relationships that disposable? I suppose it's cheaper to start a new fling than to patch up a broken bond.

Was it wrong for man to bind himself to woman "forever, till death do they part?" Is marriage really such an antiquated and impractical tradition for this day and age, especially when one can easily meet somebody new, somebody more interesting/attractive/etc. at a click of a mouse?

People change like the weather (present company included), so bring an umbrella. And be wary of love songs.