So... my treo won't sync with my computer and it's pissing me off. It used to work just fine and I have no idea what happened.

So I went to palm's notoriously mac-unhelpful website to look for help.

And lo and behold, the first thing I see is the new Palm 'Foleo'.


And I have to say.... I don't think I get it.

From what I can tell, it's NOT a computer. It's a "mobile companion". It's basically just an expanded screen/keyboard to use WITH your treo. It has wifi and bluetooth, but not its own internet access. I don't think it really has installable apps or anything- just email, photos etc from your palm/treo.

And it's $500.

Now, I like my treo. And sure, there are times I wish I had a full size keyboard and/or a bigger screen. But is there that much email that is really SO URGENT that you need to be able to type a major reply at the grocery store, or wherever you are?

It's way too big to fit in your pocket, which means you need to have some kind of other bag or purse or something, which kind of defeats the purpose of 'mobile email' to me. But it's too small/underpowered to replace your laptop...

Am I missing something? Can someone tell me why this is a fantastic thing that I should spend $500?

[of course, if it was made by Apple, I'd probably pay twice that just to have their newest thing, sight-unseen. This iphone is going to kill me. I want one. But I really SHOULD wait for them to get the bugs out, to make sure it's worth it, etc, before shelling out $500 or whatever it's going to cost. But... but... I know I'm going to HAVE TO have it, the second it comes out.]

So... I just had a delightful little picnic lunch from Globe Market. Yum yum. Fizzy lemonade and caprese sandwich and a spinach/strawberry salad... delish.

But after I had been rung up I saw this little book at checkout... I forget the exact title but it was something like "cheap eats in buffalo" and it was a little restaurant guide. I was in a hurry and couldn't get back in line to get it, but now I want it. Has anyone else ever seen this little book? Google was no help.

The next few weeks of work are going to suck. I wish I could just fast forward about a month. Or better yet, just skip it all and be on vacation. God, wouldn't that be fantastic...

This makes me cry.
Watch the video.

dammit, i missed allentown? Bummer.

So... I just got back from my reunion.
It was fun. somehow not quite what I was expecting though, but I'm not sure what I was expecting.... It was quite the baby-parade. Which I guess I should have known, but I hadn't thought of. I guess we had record attendance- 800+, from a class of ~1100. Though that might include spouses. And there were 75 kids registered. The "not married no kids" women like myself were few and far between, which made me feel lame. Whatever.

According to my friends, the 5th reunion is 'your chance to hook up with people you wanted to hook up with in college, but didn't' [too bad i didn't know that at the time] and apparently the 10 is the time to bring your kids.

I had a great, great time at my 5th. Not sure what it was. I didn't hook up. But it was a great time. So I was hoping for that again, but somehow the vibe was just different. But I got to see my old friends, even my freshman roommates that i haven't talked to in ages- and immediately it was like no time had passed at all- like we had just seen each other the week before, not ten years ago. So this was fun too. I guess just a little more mellow. Too mellow for some of the guys, apparently, who went to "crash" the 5yr reunion, because there wasn't enough 'young skirt'. Whatever.

Getting there was a disaster. Fucking air travel. But I'll save that rant for later. I did have a few creepy old guys on the plane though ask if I was a current student, and i said no I was going for reunion, and they asked what year, and when i said ten they said 'time has treated you well!', which I thought was a weird thing to say. But I guess it was a compliment, so I guess it was nice. shrug.

Finally got to eat at the ethiopian place I love, which is a good thing b/c I was so tired and cranky by the time I got there, that if i hadn't gotten to go I think I would have cried.

ended up pooping out early friday. But saturday caught up with people, and checked out the art gallery- they have some amazing stuff in there. Picasso, etc. And a piece they called the 'oldest known painting in america'

They had all sorts of lectures and stuff, but I wasn't feeling that ambitious.

then saturday night was the big reunion event. Everyone got all dolled up, and drank too much. One gay guy told me I make him wish he weren't gay. And one guy too drunk to even stand up called me beautiful. hey, I'll take what I can get. One of my close friends asked me why we had never hooked up. i realized I didn't have a good answer. [but no, we didn't last night, either.] And I saw two guys from my high school class, who I had had huge crushes on in HS, who are both still cute, but kind of boring... Which somehow made me a little bit happy.

And we finished dinner (at which they served ONLY decaf coffee, btw, which I thought was very odd) by singing our alma mater... It's only two verses, but somehow I can never remember the words. I know the beginning, and the end, but not the middle.
but I've always liked it- especially the part that goes 'bright college years, with pleasure rife, the shortest, gladdest, years of life...'

Bright College years, with pleasure rife,
The shortest, gladdest years of life;
How swiftly are ye gliding by!
Oh, why doth time so quickly fly?

The seasons come, the seasons go,
The earth is green or white with snow,
But time and change shall naught avail
To break the friendships formed at Yale.

In after years, should troubles rise
To cloud the blue of sunny skies,
How bright will seem, through mem'ry's haze
Those happy, golden, bygone days!

Oh, let us strive that ever we
May let these words our watch-cry be,
Where'er upon life's sea we sail:
"For God, for Country and for Yale!"

Aww crap. Gives me warm fuzzies.

And then at the end there's a big crescendo and we all wave white napkins and belt out the last line.

A very ridiculous line, I realize, but... it is what it is. I dunno. It's so embedded in the culture of the school. it actually makes me tear up a little. Queer, I know. but i got in almost an argument with someone over it, and i felt like an ass. A big privileged spoiled brat. Which maybe I am... but what am I supposed to do about it? I'm trying to do something good with my life... bah. [I was also told that I act like a retard in relationships. I wanted to say "no shit. I know this. I am working on it."]

From the definition of 'anticlimactic' in the American Heritage Dictionary. :/

A sudden descent in speaking or writing from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential, or an instance of it: "Waggish non-Yale men never seem weary of calling 'for God, for Country and for Yale' the outstanding single anticlimax in the English language" (Time).

What can I say. it was my college experience. i can't, and wouldn't, change it for anything. I understand that 99% of the country may not be able to relate and may think I'm some ridiculous snob... but... I dunno... I try not to be...

And to end, a few pix. I barely took any pix, which is a major bummer. I wanted tons.

Crap! it's 1am?! I have to work at 6. boooo!


Me and 2 of my 3 freshman roommates- who I hadn't seen/talked to in YEARS. Apparently whoever took the pic didn't know how to focus, which is a bummer.


Probably my fave friend... which I didn't realize til last night. He cracks me up. We were staying on campus (i.e. in dorms), so there were random desks in the rooms, and we're just hanging out, and he goes "hold on, just let me lie down for a second" and we finished our conversation with him laying on a desk. Seemed very uncomfortable.


I always had a bit of a crush on this guy. Well, everyone did. Well not so much "crush" as I thought he was a great guy, and a catch. He's greek. We have the same birthday. And this is his new (as of last week) fiancee. Also greek, which makes his family happy. She's a sweetheart (and beautiful, no?) so I'm happy for both of them.


Me and my friend and her fiance- they're getting married in a few weeks and I'm the MOH. Hadn't spent much time with her fiance before, but he seemed cool.




Sunday brunch in the Freshman Commons. This place is huge, and looks like a train station. And that banner is absolutely ginormous. They only get it out for special occasions, so I had to take pix.

ok, new and improved post. Much less whiny and depressing! If you missed the short-lived previous one, consider yourself lucky.

I was just talking to Paul, and he made me realize that I totally haven't even mentioned-

I'm going to my 10 year college reunion this weekend!
How insane!
I'm so old!!!

I'm so excited though. The 5 year was super fun. I hope this is even better. I'm really excited to see friends that I probably haven't seen... since the last reunion. :(

But unfortunately, in order to make up for getting the weekend off, I'm having to work all sorts of extra hours. Like- 27hr yesterday, and 27hr tomorrow.
That's why I missed the parties this wknd. BOOO.

and while we're talking about religion, sort of...
I was just telling paul this story too, and he said "omg you have to post that" so here goes.

So last night I was on call. I was in the OR from 1 to 4pm or so doing a bypass surgery for this lady's leg. I kind of hate that surgery, and it takes a long time. (3 hours is fast. The one I did the other day took 6. ugh.)
But so I had JUST finished. I was in the recovery room writing orders. i was thinking 'ahh... now I get a little break. maybe i can go to the bathroom and get something to drink. maybe even eat lunch."
But noooo.
The med student comes in looking for me, nearly in a panic. "omg there you are thank god you're done! You need to go help in the ER! Like right now! It's bad."

ugh, so much for a little break.

So I go to the ER.

Now, this is the ER at Suburban. It's usually BUSY, but pretty straightforward. Gallbladders and appedicitis and bowel obstructions are the bread and butter. no gunshot wounds, nothing like that. (thank god.)

So I get there... and it's a 21 year old girl, with abdominal pain. She went to her doctor, who sent her for a CT scan. When they saw the CT scan they sent her to the ER immediately.

She was bleeding internally, and she looked like shit.
She was pale as death, moaning and shivering... she looked awful.
Her vital signs were crappy. Her blood counts were dropping.

She was literally bleeding to death.

She needed surgery. NOW.

So we're talking to her and her family. She's practically a baby, and her baby-faced husband was there with her holding her hand and crying and kissing her forehead and telling her she'd be ok. I almost started crying just watching them say goodbye as we started to roll her away.

We didn't know exactly what was wrong, and there was no time for more tests. We thought it might be her spleen bleeding, but we weren't sure. But it didn't matter. We just knew we had to go in there and find the bleeding and make it stop.

So we're talking to the family about consent for surgery. And then we get to the part about blood transfusions, and they say oh no, absolutely not. Because they were jehovah's witnesses.

Now, I feel like it would be one thing if it was your own life you were dealing with... but for your child?
I think I'd be like 'fuck you God- my baby is dying. give her blood!'

But they didn't. We said "you just need to know the risks and benefits. But she is bleeding a lot, and she could die if we don't give her blood." And they said "we know. No blood." And that's their right. We tell them risks/benefits, and can give recommendations if they want, but it is THEIR decision, and we are bound to it, even if we disagree.

And as we were walking down the hall, I said "i just can't imagine being willing to DIE, or to let your child die, over religious beliefs."

And my intern replied "me neither. But I also can't imagine not believing in god, and I try to remember that."

I mean it's one thing if you're a million years old and have cancer and don't want to go through hell. But 21 and healthy, newlywed, with her whole life ahead of her... she's too young to die.

And the conclusion of the story... we took her to surgery, and she lost about 2.5 liters of blood. That's about 50% of your blood. We thought maybe she had a ruptured spleen, but it ended up being a ruptured ovarian cyst.

We didn't give her any blood transfusions. And when I left the hospital this morning, she was doing pretty well. Fingers crossed!

Ok, and one last thing- I got a belated birthday present today. Apple tv. I'm going to try to get it set up tonight and will give a report. supposedly it plays youtube now, too.