Lil' bits o' life

So I guess it's about time that I write about something of substance. Sometimes I am more into blogging than others. This is one of those not-so-into-it periods :) I wish I had some pictures to share, of applicant dinners and things, but I have sort of been slacking in that department. I'll have to try to get some from Brenden who's been on the ball. For now, here are some bullets.

• Most importantly: my fridge is fixed! I have an awesome landlord who, one day last week while I was at work, came over, removed my food items from my fridge, defrosted it, replaced some part I don't know the name of, cleaned my fridge and then replaced, in uber-organized fashion, my food items in the fridge and freezer. How nice is that??! Now I just have to go grocery shopping to populate it. But one thing at a time.
• This rotation at Mather VA is much less painful than round 1. It is partly because of efficiency, but also partly because the schedule has been changed... again. In addition to your one (week) day off per week, and the "good" weekend day when your team is not admitting and when you can go home once your rounding/work is done (i.e. 3 p.m. for me today), we interns were given another half-day off per week! This is amazing and goes to show how important UCD (at least the medicine, and FP depts) take the work-hour rules and resident quality of life! Now, this makes things difficult for your resident (this week it was Shomir) who, for each intern (Anika and I are on together), has to completely round/write notes (the notes are the worst part!) on your pts on your day off as well as cover the admits on your half day, but this is wonderful for intern mental health and preventing burnout. I was able to nap today, go to the gym, do some errands, watch some movies, relax in general.... still haven't made it to the store, but we're working on it :)
• I like my patients and what I'm doing, for the most part. We have some funny patients... i.e. a super friendly bipolar guy sharing a room with a schizophrenic who swallowed razor blades and who we couldn't discharge until they had cleared his bowel without perforating... I got to do (with Shomir's help!) a paracentesis yesterday to remove ascitic fluid from the abdomen of the bipolar guy with hepC. I like sticking needles in people! :) I feel really bad about some pts... i.e. one young guy of 56 who has end-stage renal disease and will likely start dialysis tomorrow...
• But on a more positive note, I like Guitar Hero! Alvin rounded us up to try this at Phi's house on Thursday for the applicant dinner, and I can see how I could easily get addicted... I didn't try the drums (looks hard!) or singing (still have anxiety about singing in public) but had a fun time with the guitar :)
• My parents made me very jealous by telling me yesterday that they plan to go on a trip to the Amazon Jungle in March! I have no idea when the next time will be I'll get to travel to somewhere exotic, but I'm working on trying to get my sis to be "into" going to Japan sometime. Still want to go to Alaska (where, if you recall, Mom and Pops went over the summer months).
• My dear friends Laura and Tony have started a blog (yes! More people's lives to stalk!!). You can check it out at right or Here. They also have bought tickets to come visit me at the end of March-April, which I'm thrilled about!
• Similarly, I have bought tickets to make a little E. coast trip during my next vacation, which (believe it or not) is at the beginning of February (intern year will be more-than-half-over!!!). I'm not super thrilled about taking terminal Sunday call (meaning I'll be rounding until noon on the Monday the first day of my vacation), much less being in the MICU, but I have to look forward to a visit to the Kitsteiner B and B in and around the resort vicinity of Destin, Fla., as well as seeing my parents, sis, godparents and (I hope!) other friends in northern VA following the trip to the sunshine state.
• Sushi, anyone?? I still cannot get over how many sushi places there are around here. I checked out Nishiki Sushi downtown on Friday with Charmian and Alex, two of my OB co-interns, who I hadn't seen in a while, and it continues to amaze me. Wendi, you'd love it (:)).
• The Kite Runner, one of the best books I've read (if you haven't read it [ahem, Molly], GO get it and read it right now), is (as of 12/14) out in theaters. Apparently I can't find it playing in Sac yet, but I will stalk the moviefone sites until I see that it is playing.
• My first continuity OB patient is due on January 16th. I have followed her this whole pregnancy and am really hoping that I am able to make the delivery; however, being at Mather and in the MICU might make this difficult. In any case, I have spread the word to the night float and maternal-infant care resident to be sure to page/call me if she comes into labor!
• For my dog fix, I get to dog-sit Kate's dog Lefty for the next couple of nights while she's in Denver. It will be nice to have some warm-and-fuzzy company :)
• It doesn't really feel like the Christmas season! Maybe it's because there's no built in "break" this year (and I'll probably be on on Christmas. We don't really decide about our "days off" until around the week of, but I'm pretty sure Anika was going to take Christmas. Maybe I'll have the 24th off. Not sure). Maybe it's because it's like 50 degrees out (but it does get nippy, i.e. 30s in the a.m.s!). In any case, I can't believe it's already the 16th of Dec.! If it weren't for the holiday music, I might have missed the holiday altogether :) Anyway, there's a Messiah concert at the Davis Mondavi Center next weekend I have to look forward to. And I'm trying to get someone to go with me to drive around and see the holiday lights in Sac, which (I've heard) are impressive! Trying to get into the season here :)
• That's enough bullets for one day! :)