I think I am in Thai food withdrawal. haha. I miss having saigon cafe right around the corner- I will have to find my new local faves.

I'm settling in ok... haven't met anyone yet, but then again, I haven't made a single effort either. My boards are a month from today (ACK!), so I feel like I can't really justify doing anything but work/unpack/study for work/study for boards.

Work is going pretty well though. There's so much to learn... but everyone knows that and is super understanding and helpful.

I miss Buffalo though. I miss my friends. I miss knowing where things are... It's been revealing though. People that I thought were my close friends, have disappeared. My one "best friend" doesn't answer the phone, doesn't call me back... She has a new BF... I guess he has replaced me. Which I understand... sorta... except- she and I have been close for like 4 years. She's known him since April. If I ever do manage to talk to her, it's via text, and then it's like 'oh shit gotta go, [BF] is coming." It's almost like he doesn't 'allow' her to talk to me, which is SUPER bullshit and makes me want to kick his ass. She's a super cool girl, and should not be with some dipshit who dictates when she can use her phone.

So, I went home for the weekend. It was nice, except I ate way too much, and did not do any studying. But I did get to see my dad's pix from graduation. 5 years, and we only took like 5 pix. All nearly identical (and not great) of me and my mom... none of my friends/classmates... ah well- guess I should have thought of that at the time.

So here's a random photo dump.


my kitchen. Those boxes are all gone now, thank god, but that kind of sucked.



Sunbathing in my [parents'] front yard. I think it was raining in Buffalo at the time. ;)










5 very similar pictures of me and my mom at graduation. Didn't get any with Dad. :( They did take formal pictures, but I'm not sure how/if I'll ever get to see them.

and I figured I'd temper the vanity of posting 5 pix of myself all dressed up with 2 terrible pictures of me in my apt, thinking about packing. (not actually doing anything about it, just contemplating.)
The one makes me think maybe there IS such a thing as too tan... I look scary.

So... I just finished my first full week of fellowship. And all things considered, it's going pretty well. Lots of work, tons to learn, but I'm making progress. And everyone is super nice.

And It's 3:30 on friday, and I'm home, and I don't have to be back at work until monday morning. What a foreign concept. Now just to decide what to do with this weekend.

I just found out that the best pizza place in the world (Pepe's, in New Haven), has a satellite branch here in Hartford. Pepe's is like my dad's favorite thing ever.

So, I just came up with a wonderful plan. I am going to go to pepe's and pick up some 'half-baked' pies [so you throw them in the oven for a few minutes when you get home and they are perfecto], and take them home and surprise my fam for dinner. Hopefully tomorrow it will be nice and I can go to the beach. Then maybe I'll come back tomorrow and hit ikea.

yay. I love my plan. Maybe next weekend will be Buffalo. :)

Ok...
Now, I know my taste in music is not always 100% mainstream.
But, I think I still at least recognize a lot of the 'big guys'. And some shows are worth seeing just to say you were there.

So... there is this website- eventful.com. Somehow I got signed up for it. It sends me emails about upcoming concerts and events. Usually nothing I'm interested in, but I haven't bothered unsubscribing, because once in a while it gives me a heads up to an awesome show.

So yesterday I got it, and realized the Buffalo version isn't really applicable. So I went to the website to update my info vs unsubscribe.

and what did I see?

A listing for a concert next weekend. At a stadium about 20 minutes from my apt.

And guess who is playing?

Bob Dylan.

AND

John Mellencamp

AND

Willie Nelson.

ZOMGWOW!

Well I figured there's no way in hell that tickets are still available when it's only a week away.

But I checked anyway.

They are. The "best available" are $65 and it doesn't say where they are.

They're probably horrendous nosebleed seats, but that's not even the point.

I mean, I'm not a HUGE dylan fan, but I like him fine. I don't listen to Willie all often, but I think he's awesome and definitely enjoy him. And mellencamp... well I think the only song I know is that little ditty about jack and diane.

But still... these guys are legends.

What is wrong with people?
Why is this not sold out?

But in any case... I now have two tickets.

Too bad I don't know a single person in this town.

Guess I have a week to make a new BFF!

Ahhh, 3pm. Finally sitting down to breakfast and coffee. :(

I am on call all weekend. Bummer, b/c I wanted to go home (or somewhere), but oh well.
But other than being on call, I have the weekend off, including yesterday. And I got a lot done. Unpacked every last box, got them broken down and into recycling, organized my closet/kitchen/bathroom/storage, did laundry, washed dishes, etc etc etc.
Then, I figured I'd go to bed early, and try to enjoy today.
Set the timer on the coffee pot for 7am, and climbed into bed around 11.

4am got the call- 52 year old guy (drunk, of course) had a firecracker explode in his hand. Dammit, here we go...

So, around 430, I ventured into the ER. For the first time. I didn't even know where it was.

And the guy had damn near blown his thumb off. (and, to make matters worse, he's a left handed construction worker.) I wish I'd thought to take pictures.

But- the amazing thing about hand surgery- we don't fix it now.
I washed it our really well, and put some stitches in the skin. Put a splint on it, and said "call the office to make an appointment monday". Then we're see how he's healing, take some more xrays,and will decide if we have to fix the broken bone or let it heal on it's own.

So I was done with that around 6... Then got the call- 16 year old kid drove a dirt bike into a parked car. At 1am. On his birthday. Ripped his pinkie finger off, so it was only hanging on by skin.

That is not something that can wait til monday. So, we went to the OR, and sewed his finger back on. Felt good to save it, but.... we'll have to see if it works in the long run. A lot of times, reattached fingers don't work very well. And while there, we fixed his smashed up toe, too. Which included pulling off the toenail. [shudder]. (I was told "toes are just like fingers, only less important"). The kid definitely tried my patience... I kept having to remind myself "he's only 16". But... man, what a little punk.

So... finally finished up with that around 230. So, now I'm home. Had a hot dog in honor of the 4th, and am now drinking my morning coffee. (thank god for a thermal coffee pot- it's still hot! from 7am!)

Now.... to sit around and hope my pager doesn't go off anymore.

Pretty lame long weekend. But.... even if I weren't working, I don't know anyone anyway, so it's not like I could have plans if I wanted to. At least this way I have an excuse for sitting home alone all weekend. (some consolation...)

Hi peeps.

Just checking in.

I'm alive.

I made it.

So did all my stuff, as far as I know.

My wireless is finally working again.

The move was RIDIC- I will post all about it later. And catch up on reading.

But for now I need to go try to learn everything there is about the hand, so I don't look like a retard when I start work tomorrow. ;)

I am leaving tomorrow.

I am sad.

Why, oh WHY, are people defending them???!!!



Why are people not more outraged that ATT cannot support MMS and tethering off the bat? MMS is due 'later this summer' and tethering "someday".

Yet all of the european carriers etc have it right away?

This dumb article just says that the iphone is so popular that it uses a lot of network.

Yeah, great excuse.

ugh. ugh. ugh.

PS- As of 9am, I am officially done with residency. Graduation is tomorrow night, and I am now a "board eligible general surgeon". After I take (and hopefully pass) my boards (the written part in August and the oral part sometime after that) I will be board certified.

In other words, I'm kinda like a 'real' doctor now. :)

And.... I'm leaving on TUESDAY!

Crap.

I have not even thought about packing.

And what else... I have lost 28lb. Have kind of stalled out this last month, which is annoying.
And it's wonderful/frustrating to need almost a whole new wardrobe.

And finally... boys drive me crazy. That's about all I need to say on that front.

Happy Birthday (e:Larsons)!!

A 'guest' just sent me a post it that said "ao did you have fun"

Ummm, sure?

So... I just got back from my grandfather's funeral. Sad, but all in all a nice day. Saw a lot of family that I don't see often enough.

My uncle gave a nice eulogy. I learned things about Grandpa I'd never known (he flew seaplanes?). But one thing he said that stuck with me... as he was winding up he said "so... dad was a great guy yada yada and he taught us right and wrong etc" but he said "he raised 3 kids. All three married. All 3 are still married. That says something. All 3 are here. He has 7 grandchildren, and one great grandchild- all of whom are here." And that made me really happy that I'd made the trip- even though it was a hassle, made me miss dave's party, made me miss allentown, was frought with my typical flight snafus, etc...

But so as I was driving from JFK wayyyyy out on long island this morning, I was thinking in the car "ok this will be sad and I will cry... (and not even so much b/c I'd devastated- but b/c I'm emotional and I cry) but at least I don't have to read."

Well... I get there... My mom is like "oh btw... will you read this poem? You don't have to..." But... I'm the oldest grandchild... of course I'm going to do it... Crap.

So... I did it... my mom and her brother and sister and all managed to do their parts without crying- and then I was the one up there blubbering. But I joked later that I figured it was my job to make anyone that wasn't already crying, start.

And afterwards everyone complimented me- which I didn't deserve.

But anyway, I just wanted to share the poem. It's a really nice sentiment.

Gone from my sight - Henry van Dyke

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her. And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad should, "Here she comes!"

RIP Grandpa.