... is birthday laptop.
Oooh I am such a spoiled brat.
But this thing is awesome. The multi-touch trackpad is way cool.

And i saw a 1TB drive at Best Buy yesterday for $219, marked down from $350. I think I should go back and get it.

My mom's the best:



And on a totally unrelated note-
This looks cool. Right up Paul's alley, perhaps-

So...
I saw The Police at HSBC last night. (as my dad said, better than seeing them at the station. ha-ha-ha). They were awesome.
It was a great birthday present in and of itself- but then on top of it, we were in a suite, and even a GIANT limo. And started with dinner at Papaya.
Unfortunately I was on call and had to work in the AM, so that put a damper on the drinking, but still.

The Police were my first "favorite band". I think I was in 4th grade when I heard Message In a Bottle, and I went out and bought Synchronicity (on tape). The went back and got a couple of their earlier albums. So I got in on it at the tail end (they disbanded in 84), but you can't really blame me, since I was 8.

So this tour is a pretty big deal. They went on tour in '07, as a 30th anniversary reunion thing. They hadn't played together in 24 years. They said last night the last time they played Buffalo was 1978. (though someone said that's wrong, they were here in 84. I dunno.)

But in any case, I think it's fair to say they're a pretty influential band in music history. I think I would equate seeing this concert with seeing maybe the Stones (except it's actually easier to see the Stones since they still play sometimes).

So I was just surprised when I mentioned at work, and no one seemed even vaguely interested. Who knows... maybe they're too old? But really... who doesn't still start singing "Roxanne" every time it comes on at a bar?!

But, who cares what they think. It was a great show. They only played a couple songs I didn't know. Sting still has a great voice, and Stewart Copeland, the drummer, is amazing.

So... happy birthday to me. It was great. :)

• just to clarify- the limo was not on my behalf. The guy whose suite it is apparently gets limos often- whenever there's a big group and drinking is involved. I (and about 15 other people) just happened to luck out.

Unfortunately it was tough to get decent pix on my phone, but...


Our ridiculous limo


Elvis Costello


The Police

So... I'm at work. There hasn't been all that much for me to do today- but there's a case that's supposed to go at 5pm. Which has already been delayed til 6. I won't be surprised if it doesn't go til 9. But in any case, I've been sitting around all day killing time.
Went to a retirement lunch for one of my fave docs... had to fight back tears b/c I'm a huge sap... (but he's so great. I'll miss him).
[I do love all the people that come out of the woodwork for free food. All the housekeeping etc staff, that you can't find when you need them, is suddenly there for lunch today.... The food was almost gone before Dr. B even got there. ugh.]

Other than that, I've been killing time, doing a few little things, touching base with the interns, etc.

Really what I want to do is take a freaking nap for an hour before this case, but sadly there's no place to do that, and I don't really want to be zonked out in the middle of the lobby or something.

So I came to "my" office (an abandoned desk in the back of the secretaries' office) and have just been dicking around on the computer. Waiting for everyone to leave, and then maybe I can turn the lights off and put my head on the desk for a little snoozle.

But I got a page... ugh... annoying... so I answered it. I didn't think I was particularly nice, but I answered her questions etc. But, I didn't really know as much as I could about the patient, so I didn't know everything she wanted to know. So I was not especially impressed with my performance. Also, I hate talking on the phone back here, b/c I feel like it disturbs the other people working.

But after I hung up, this voice piped up "alex?" "yeah?" "have you picked your specialty?" and I said "yes, hand" and she said "oh, that's too bad."

And then went on to say "b/c I hear you talk to people, and I always think that YOU are exactly who I would like to take care of me."

Then she went on to try to convince herself that she has a trigger finger and needs a hand surgeon. ;)

But anyway... I know I'm obnoxiously bragging here, but that kind of stuff makes me feel good. A lot of docs are assholes... And I try not to be... Being the smartest or the fastest or whatever is impressive and nice and all that- but I think even better than that is to be the kind of doctor that people WANT to see.

So, yay.

Oh- and to totally pull a 180 and be a major bitch for a minute-
Who plans their wedding for 12/26?! One of the other residents has, and it's pissing me off. B/c now she conveniently "has" to be the only one to get the holidays off. Usually we fight it out, and end up flipping a coin or something. but this year she's like "nope, I get it. b/c of my wedding." [she misses NO opportunity to tell you: that she's engaged, about her wedding, about her fiance, about her [freaking hideous] ring.]

So aside from the fact that she's pretty much screwing everyone she works with by making us all have to work thanksgiving/christmas/new year's to accommodate her- it seems like she's also screwing her guests. I mean what are they supposed to do- cut christmas with their families short so that they can get on a plane and travel on christmas day to go to her wedding? (and yes, she does celebrate xmas so that's not it.)

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but it just strikes me as very selfish and attention-seeking.