tri state weekend

Had an awesome time in the city with my buddy, Yoni. Went to this very classy performance space (an old firehouse, converted into a loft/stage) in Brooklyn, where we saw his friend, Joe play the horn with the Buffalo Band. Then it was off to Forcella, a high end pizza shop where we (Yoni, Joe and I) ordered a bottle of wine from Sardinia and scarfed down some choice pizzas (I had a mozzarella di buffala with figs, Parmesan and prosciutto, and they had the mozzarella with home made marinara and basil). Next was more drinking, then it was Yoni making a physics innuendo, then Joe buying more drinks, then me giving a random compliment to a random chick at the bar, then back to the upper west side.
Next day, it was off to Jane at Houston St. where Yoni and I had a late brunch. I had a bellini, he had the bread (which I quickly realized, was pretty damn tasty). Next was the mushroom and truffle soup. Could'a had that for lunch all by itself. After that was the vanilla bean french toast and benedict johnny (eggs benedict using chicken sausage and tomato hollandaise).
After all that full deliciousness, we started making our way to Washington square park where tourists get humiliated by street performer at the pleasure of other tourists. We saw a rainbow in the fountain and a lonely bell pepper sitting on a bench. Also, there was a grand piano performance in one of the side streets. Cool. Later on I mistook a random girl sitting al fresco for an old college friend (walked away plenty fast from there).
We kept walking to Union square where the remains of a farmer's market was coming to a wrap. Vendors were still selling lots of fruit and veggies, I took lots of pictures, then we had a quick pee at the B&N a few blocks away. That's when Yoni decided that it was a good time for espresso and ice cream.
Went back to the upper west side (I love it that Yoni has this awesome convenience store on his block that sells almost everything, and the quality is awesome too!), bought some fresh ground italian/colombian roast blend and made some home-brewed espresso. Sat down, watched TV, ate ice cream, enjoyed the coffee, jammed on the Uke and guitar, and then said my thank yous and good byes to a good friend and wonderful host.
On my way back home, I saw a Boyz II Men billboard and I said to myself, "self, you haven't heard from them in a while." I started humming the song "Water Runs Dry" and turned on Spotify Radio. Sure nuff, guess what song was first to play...yup! It's like Spotify was in my brain...creepy. Got home ok. Woke, up wished Tatay Happy Birthday and we made our way to Philly with the rest of the Berberabes for a Sunday dim sum. Once again, I was quite full with lots of Chinese goodness. So many dishes, most of them I couldn't even name or identify. All were super tasty.
Went back home to NJ, decided to do some afternoon apple picking at the local orchard and got 12 lbs for the fam and another 12 for me (it's a lot of apples). Had a fine late dinner with the folks, they packed me some more food for the drive back to Danville, and then I was off, on the road again.
Lots of driving, but it was a damn good weekend.

Song of the day: " Love Letter" - Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes

Hello!

My sister just gave birth to a 7 lb 2oz baby girl this past Monday.
Olivia's the name, don't wear it out.
C-section.  Had to be done.  She was stubborn from the get go.
Both mom and baby girl are doing fine.
I'm an uncle now! Officially!
Thankful, proud, and happy.  That's me in a nutshell right now.
Now if only the allergies would stop, I would feel even better.

Song of the day: "Something Beautiful" - Trombone Shorty

Amazing! Simply Amazing!

Something I came across while perusing through NPR's All Songs Considered Blog, by Bob Boilen.  This music video is quite post-worthy all on its own, but it was also reminiscent of my most recent visit to my GF's place of residence.  She took me to a local park that was absolutely beautiful. This reminded me of that beautiful moment with her.

Enjoy!

Song 2 of the day: "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring" - J.S. Bach
 

New stuff!

OK, just an update, no specifics.
1. I got matched into a program! I will be starting this coming July for Peds! (Hot sh...ut yo' mouth!)
2. Went to go visit my lovely GF for the weekend. Quite the trip, but well worth it! I <3 her :D. I miss her already!
3. The left headlamp of my car is out. Grrr. On the upside, it held on until AFTER my car inspection. That's my little sooper trooper.
4. I start my very last rotation on Monday! 1 month of pulm. I hope it all goes uneventfully.
5. My sister is getting ready to pop a new addition to the family anytime now. Condition status in the household is holding @ DEFCON 2.
6. Lots to do for the internship! Paperwork, background checks, looking for a new place to live, starting repayment on my loans!!! $200K+ in debt is quite the kingly sum. This is me, being sad... T_T (You like that emoticon, don't you? Yea, you do).
7. There are so many things vying for my attention right now that I have more free time...(catch up on my shows in Netflix vs. catch up on my light reading vs. sleep vs...) WHAT AM I SAYING?! I have paperwork to do and I still have to hunt for an apartment! Oh and study for Step 3!!! CRAP!
8. (It's raining + it's cold)^I forgot my dinner = sad^10.
9. Warmer weather is on the way, so at least that's something to look forward to. Gotta get me that fishing license and then I'm out w/ my tackle to the lake! Here, fishy fishy...
10. Nachos. Na-chos. With ranch or 7-layer dip. Or Buffalo wings. I need.

That is all.

Song of the day: "Poisoning Pigeons In The Park" - Tom Lehrer
I've been saving this one for such an occasion. Bon apetit!

Blah...and not so blah.

I'm tired of winter.
I'm tired of waiting.
I'm especially sick and tired of HOMEWORK!
Normally I don't mind doing some work especially if it's important for my medical edification. But if the powers that be start giving us busywork, then my eyes start to bleed and my brain starts to liquefy and leak out of my ears. That's what my next two weeks look like with my current rotation (pain and palliative medicine).

And now, I'm becoming more anxious and paranoid with every day the match gets closer. News of other medical students not matching for the osteo match is making me quite on edge. Sad part is, I can't do anything about it.

Good news is, my ankle feels better and I think I'm set to go for volleyball tomorrow.

Oh and I have a girlfriend now. We've been seeing each other for a while. She's cool. And I love her. =).

Bye for now.

Song of the day: "Crazy" - Alice Russell (Gnarls Barkley Cover)

2011, here we go!

Finished my ICU month, fairly unscathed.  Learned a few things which were really good.  Going to do an Emergency Medicine rotation month next.  Wish me luck!  The rest of my 2011 is also looking good so far.  My last interview (Massachusetts) is in sight.  The end of my interview road is near and I am really happy its close by.  All this traveling and spending is really taking its toll on me and my car.  I'm also in the process now of making my rank list of residency programs that I want to go into.  Yet another stressor and source of headache for me, but it must be done.  Match day is this coming March.  Wish me luck!
In other news, I joined an intramural volleyball league that should help me be less sedentary.  Lots of fun and makes my weekends less crazy.  And also there are other new changes that are making me smile more nowadays, so that is always good.
That's all for now.
New Year's Resolution: Less procrastination.  Seriously!

Song of the day: "Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)" - The Old 97s

Give thanks

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

There are always many things in our lives that we can gripe about (please see the previous numerous entries), but we must always remember the few things in our lives that we can be thankful for.  These are the things that help to sustain us in our hard times.  These are the things that help to put our minds and lives into perspective, knowing that so many more people out there are much less fortunate than us.  And perhaps we all should be moved to share such good fortune with our neighbors and fellowmen.  Not just so we can feel better about ourselves or prove to others that we are charitable or better than they are or gain brownie points for heaven, but more so to remind us that wishing for a better world doesn't begin with the next person...No.  It begins with us.  And it doesn't take much to do a good deed...a simple thank you, a smile for the day, a helping hand, hell a simple silent moment so we can listen better to what the other person is trying to tell us.  Whatever you can think or do to make another's day a little better does count for a lot.  Now, imagine if that simple human decency is carried out by everybody...wow.  I think it would blow many people's minds as to how peaceful our race can really be.  Perhaps then, we might be recognized by the aliens as a species that's worthy of inclusion in the grand galactic federation of planets.  Perhaps.
The point is, it is only too easy to fall into hard times.  There is no talisman that can ward off the next illness or the next financial loss or the next catastrophe.  Our good deeds may not prevent the end of the world, but we can always hope to inspire a few more souls out there with our humble yet powerful actions, and maybe, just maybe...even at the end of the world, life itself, wouldn't be so bad.  Not when we can be thankful for each other.
And so, here are my thank yous...
1. To my family, for being themselves.  Despite all my arguing and bellyaching, they are always there for me.  Love you and thank you!
2. To new friends.  You know who you are.  Thank you for your time, support, and most of all, your acceptance of this eccentric, odd duckling.  It's nice to know I have a place to stay when I'm in your neighborhood.  And yes, you can stay with me when you're in my neck of the woods.
3. To old friends.  It's nice to know that we can always pick up where we left off even if we haven't seen each other in a long while.  That, and I can always rely on you all if I need to get rid of a body...figuratively speaking, of course.
4. To my health.  While it may not exactly be good, it can always be worse.
5. To those who helped me along the way...through med school, rotations, sub-I's, for sharing their couches, food, wisdom and good company...many many thanks!
6. To my car, for being such a trooper after all the miles of driving up and down Jersey and many points outside...way outside!
7. To the hard times.  Yes, I know what I said.  They always tear me down, but somehow I find myself always built up.  Better (It also helps when you have family and friends to back you up).
8. To my Garmin Nuvi, for ALMOST always getting me there.  One request...please learn how to navigate through the Philadelphia suburbs.  Other than that, you're golden!  Thank you.
9. To Haribo Gummy Bears.  Even though you chipped one of my fillings, I can't stay mad at you.  You're just so good!
10. To Wikipedia.  Well, I'm sure many of you can figure out why =).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  SHARE THE LOVE!!!

Song of the day: "The Elephant Love Medley" - Moulin Rouge (Soundtrack)

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

Music and the mind

 Ok, remember a few posts back when I featured Ms. Melody Gardot in my "Song of the day" portion?  Well, just recently, I came across an article that was featured in my school's website and it focused around Ms. Gardot and one of my professors, Dr. Jermyn, who had a hand in helping her to rehabilitate after an unfortunate accident that happened to her a few years ago. Shortly put, Ms. Gardot was hit by an SUV, which left her in chronic pain and other debilitating sequelae.  After exhaustive treatments with drugs, physical therapy, etc. with many doctors, Dr. Jermyn finally suggested that she should restart what she used to do for fun as part of her rehab program, which was playing the piano.  Sure enough, it helped her to heal, and in a big way too, since she's now a very accomplished jazz performer and recording artist.

Here's the school link and the Elle link as well.  It's called "Composing Melody: The Enigmatic Melody Gardot."

Hope you likes.

Song of the day: "Over The Rainbow" - Melody Gardot

...like you didn't see this coming.

Week 1, dun!

One week down, 7 more to go, with call duty, step 2 and step 2 PE. Bring it!

Today, I pretty much tried to be as productive as possible. Got up early, read a bit, went to the local farmer's market, got some fresh produce and hightailed it back to the lair to cook up my catch all before 11am.  Not bad.

Once belly was full and amply caffeinated, I proceeded to hit the Q-bank with gusto.  Looks like I'm ready w/ peds and surgery questions.  IM, however is still proving to be a tough nut to crack.  did about 200 questions.  Will probably do 200 more tonight if I don't get all comatose-like after dinner. 

6pm.  Off to Whole foods to get more provisions that I wasn't able to get from the FM.  Big shocker: 13 bux for almond butter.  WTF?!?!  While it is fun to peruse the aisles for all the colorful, organic fare, the prices are just ridiculously out of hand.  Looks like I'll be sticking to my good ol' Shoprite for the time being.  I tell you what tho, I found this amazing can of butter beans, and I might just be tempted to go back, just to stock up on them.

A 1/2 hour later, it's off to the neighboring liquor store for some cold beverages.  This place had a crazy variety of local beers...I was so tempted to buy at least 3 different 6-packs.  But, good sense and lack funds did sway me back to sobriety, so I just bought the Sam Adams coastal wheat (wheat ale w/ California lemon peel).  I must say, I found a new Sam favorite.  This went well with the steak and bean-carrot-tater hash that I prepped for tonight's supper.

So far, so good.

Song of the day: "Rubber Duckie" - Ernie from Sesame Street

Ok...just follow me on this one...

Step 1: Get up and go.
I started the day out right. Had about 8 hours sleep, decent breakfast, Did my 3 S's and caught a little bit of the world cup goings on, all before 1pm.

Step 2: Errands.
Got some groceries, returned a few dvds from the public library (btw, the circulation desk librarian was looking mighty cute today), and even went to my eye doctor to pay my bill, personally. Pretty good so far.

Step 3: Caffeination.
Went to my school library to do a little Boards studying, but first thing's first: coffee. So I met up with one of my friends who's also studying there as well, and we hiked it over to the hospital next door for some joe. Dun and dun.

Step 4: Down to business.
Back to the library wherein I proceeded to crack open the books and fire up the ol' comp for some online tunage and Kaplan study gudnis (if you can really call it that).

Step 5: Cue distraction.
This step once more proves my original hypothesis back in college: I have ADD. And, being a competent student of science, I must have a null hypothesis which is: I'm a slut. To the point, new students for the med school, the nursing school, PT school, and Graduate school just happened to be in the same library with me. It's tough to keep your focus with all these new faces around.

Step 6: The incident.
So, finally going back to the studying, I decided to bust out my traditional gummy bears (my one study vice) as I slogged through the next round of internal medicine questions. As I chomped down on the first gummy bear, I hear my teeth crunch, loudly. A few things ran through my mind: 1. This gummy bear's stale as hell! 2. Since when did Haribo start putting prizes in their gummy bears? 3. I'm pretty sure gummy bears aren't supposed to have crunchy skeletons. 4. I'm rich! I can sue the gummy bear factory for having glass in their product! 5. Am I bleeding? Nope. No blood. Not yet.

Step 7: The realization.
One of my fillings cracked on the gummy bear. Upper right, 3rd molar from the front. This means, I have to go to the dentist. Some people don't like doctors. Me, I don't like dentists. I'm sure they're nice people, but there's just something sadistic about that bunch. I mean, they lay out all their instruments (of torture) right in front of you and they don't even have the decency to put you to sleep. And what is it with them and asking you questions while they're injecting a horse needle into your gums?

So aside from the cracked tooth and the potential visit to the dentist's, everything else was pretty cool, albeit I was quite distracted today. What's a single guy to do? C'est la vie.

Song of the day: "In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry

Just remembered something

This past week, I was @ the Jersey Java and Tea and was having my afternoon coffee when an old vet sitting by the window struck a conversation with me.

It happened while I was paying for my drink. I only had the exact amount to pay the barista, but not enough to give him a tip. So I ran back to my jacket pocket and scrounged up enough coinage to give him a buck...looks cheap but it's still legal tender. So the vet says "Those coins sure are a pain in the ass to carry. I don't know why the government still keeps making them." To which I replied "Perhaps they like the sound the coins make when they jingle." And from there, a conversation was struck between us about all sorts of things. Mostly I let him talk because he seemed like he had a lot to say. He had amazing stories, from the time he was kicked out of high school for kicking a couple of racist kids' butts (they started it btw, just because our hero in question was black and was at the wrong neighborhood), to the time he joined the marines and his training days in Parris Island (to which he recounted his experience as being "a peach"), to his tour assignments throughout the Far East during Vietnam and beyond. He recounted his accession into the Navy SEALs, his many promotions and his numerous travels throughout the world in his 35 years of service. He beamed with pride when he spoke of his two sons, both in the armed forces.

He tells me that while in the during his tour in Vietnam, he was exposed to agent orange and from that, how he developed cancer. He says that he's just hanging out @ the cafe before he had to go to his doctor's appointment. To this, I said nothing. I couldn't say anything. What could I say? Somehow, "sorry" just could not encompass the gravity of it all. He spoke of his condition as if it was a random, daily thing, or rather more like an inconvenience. I suppose seeing and knowing what he'd been through all these years in the service, Cancer is just an inconvenience to him, even if it meant his mortality.

He wasn't resigned, sad, or regretful, at least not from what I can tell of how he spoke about his life. He was just an old bloke, happy to be alive, trying to tell a youngblood like me about a really good and honest story...his story; as if imparting to me his most valuable treasures, wishing that I should have such an adventurous and amazing tale to tell when my time comes.

I shook his hand and thanked him for his story and his service. He wished me luck and with a nod, he left for his appointment.

So, to Chief Warrant Officer ______, my sincerest thanks.

Song of the day: "Sawdust Saloon" - The Low Anthem

What I saw today...

1. Me, being a pig in the diner @ 10am, housing down 6 thick pieces of french toast, 2 eggs over medium, and 5 pieces of bacon. I had to celebrate my good fortune of being let out early from AM class ;-)

2. A gargantuan 18-wheeler making a freakin' wide-ass turn onto mid-day traffic, skirting the middle-line divider of a 2 way street, and barely missing my poor, diminutive Honda by a hair with its over-sized chromed fender. Everything was in slo-mo.

3. A heart-broken mother, weeping for her unborn child who is dying inside her, knowing that no medical intervention can save it.

4. A cloudless, sunny afternoon with bursting cherry blossoms waving in the cool breeze.

5. A school library, nearly empty for the holidays, and me getting first pick @ all the empty cubicles! (I'm easy to please)

6. A close friend, visiting, saying good-bye and borrowing a pair of scrubs he'll need for his "medical mission" to Jamaica.

7. A Mel Brooks movie marathon on AMC! SEDAGIVE???

8. A "first look" of a movie I might catch tomorrow after work.

9. Mangoes in the fridge!

10. My bed. (I missed you!)

Some happy, some sad, some scary, some funny, but all in all, a good day.

How was yours?

Song of the day: "Heavenly Day" - Patty Griffin

Push!!!!

I can honestly say now that I was late for my evening work because I helped delivered a baby.  A slimy, gooey, slippery, bloody, beautiful baby. Mommy barely even pushed and she came out just like that! The resident was barely gloved and I was frantically looking for gloves myself when the baby began crowning. I was supposed to catch the baby, but this one wasn't stopping for anything or anybody.  The whole thing didn't really dawn on me until The mom started delivering the placenta. There was so much goo and blood, I thought it wouldn't stop. But it did.  Mom and baby are fine.  Will check up on them again tomorrow.   

P.S. It's a girl!  Mazel Tov!

Song of the day: "What A Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong

Week 4

Recovering from 32+ hours of being awake (studying, putting together a presentation on burns, making jambalaya).
I'm realizing that this fear of public presentations is getting way out of hand.  I was so nervous that it took me forever to piece a 15 minute powerpoint presentation.  I stayed up all night rehearsing and re-rehearsing and coming up with all all sorts of possible questions my preceptor could ask me about my topic.  Then when I got home from school (At this point, I've been up since 9am, Sunday to 4:30am, the next day), I couldn't even sleep a wink.  So I took a shower, got dressed and went to the hospital an hour early for morning report...an hour early. 
Good thing my Resident that day was cool and the service wasn't too busy. We spent most of the morning just talking about my presentation and peppering it with random bits of baseball news.  We even got time to get breakfast and coffee! So We finished by 11:30am, and I was off, driving back to school to give my schpiel.  It went without a hitch.  My Preceptor liked it and I felt stupid because I had all this other material that I did not even get to present nor needed to present.  Completely over-prepared!
So back home I went. It was now about 5:30ish by the time I dropped my bookbag and crawled into my jammies.
Fade to black.
Woke up at 12:30am, Tuesday morning.  Thought I overslept and almost fell out of bed, scrambling to get dressed.  After swallowing my heart back into place, I went back to sleep.
3:30am, same day. Woke up this time, a lot calmer, and was coming off of a dream of me thinking about how much I love my bed...

"My Bed"

By TOitB

My comfort, my fortress,

My tall ship on the wild sea.

Ain't no place I'd rather be.

My inspiration, my destination,

At all times with no reservations.

And parking is always free.

My real estate, my property,

I know its peaks and valleys,

Every inch of space just for me.

My dream maker,

My battery charger,

My diesel generator...

My Proton Pack-

My sex machine-

My...peachy keen, jelly bean...

My Protest to War and Corruption-

My Green Power to End Pollution-

My Solution to Health Care 

and this Great Recession!

Everybody loves it.

Just try it, you won't regret it.

I promise, you will enjoy it!

My One,

My Only,

My delicious Bed.

 
OK, not exactly Oscar Wilde Material, but hey, I have my aspirations still.
And now, I'm back in the library, blogging to y'all instead of reading my articles. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I'm doing for your sakes.
FYI, nothing too crazy going on in surgery land.  Last week's Anesthesia rotation was pretty tame...and abbreviated, due to snow.  Lots of snow. Like 30 inches of it in 2 separate days! But I digest...anyways, the coolest surgery I saw thus far was a thyroidectomy...this woman's thyroid was about the size of a small baseball or a big golf ball...and it had a long ass tail (pyramidal lobe for all you sticklers out there) that went all the way up to her chin! 5+ hours of surgery.  Lots of standing.
Good times.
That is all.

Song of the Day: "Something" - The Beatles

...cuz Abbey Road Studios is up for sale =(.

Watch out for that first step, Part 2

It finally happened. 

No, I didn't fall in love. Again.
But I did fall. Hard. On a nice patch of black ice.  On the incline at the end of the driveway.  Where my foot went through slush the last time.


Oh, I'm ok for now, but we'll see what tomorrow brings. Possible stiff back and achy shoulder and a nice black and blue bum.

Again, just so we're all clear...I officially hate winter.

P.S. More snow is in the future. Next Tuesday, I believe. Grrr.

Song of the day: "Baby It's Cold Outside" - Leon RedBone and Zoey Deschanel

Eyes on the road

One of these nights, I'm gonna get into a horrific accident. I have a bad habit of scoping out houses while I drive. Not because of any clandestine, illegal reasons, No! Are you nuts? My interests lie on the architecture itself. I picture myself as the home owner in the not-so-distant future. What kind of house would I get? A ranch, an old victorian (queen anne style maybe), some sort of Colonial, A&C, contemporary or mediterranian? You get the idea. I get a kick thinking about how the grounds would look, what type of lighting to put around, colors, trim, furnishings, THE KITCHEN!

If I wasn't studying, I'd probably be watching DIY or This Old House (among other things, of course).

OK, so the story behind my madness is this...back during my university days, I would take almost-daily 3-5 mile runs through this little town called Montclair. Near the University, there's this street (Upper Mountain Ave) that goes up a fairly inclined hill. This street has some of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen in my life. I figured, Not in a million years would I ever come up with the scratch to by such beauties. Then, there it was...this corner house, Victorian by style, 3 floors and a basement, a modest front and backyard...and absolutely falling apart at the hinges. And it was for sale! I figured, "Perfect! By the time I graduate, I'll get a job and hopefully save up enough money to buy the property and basically make this house into my renovation project."
But fate and the real estate market, as we know them, are cruel bitches. The lot was sold in the fall of my sophomore year and by the spring of my junior year, the house was all fixed, new paint and all. The people who bought the place even made the front window bigger so now every time I ran by the place, I'd get to see how great it looked on the inside as well!
That was my house, my project!
I'm bitter.
At least the house got a nice second chance.

Fast forward to now...
As for the potential accident...Driving at night through a fairly affluent residential area, where every house is practically a centerpiece does not do wonders for my concentration.

I just love to torture myself. Perhaps I aught to stick to the main highway...

Song of the day: "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" - Al Green

FYI: This song is crazy good on night drives.