Coffee Shop Junkie

I'm the definition of a coffee shop junkie. I pretty much post myself in a joint at about 9am and don't leave until my stomach begins to curl...On top of that, I find a quick spot to grab some food, and head right over to the next joint. I try to switch it up so that the owners dont think I'm homeless. But the truth is, if they would let me crash there, I would. I don't know what it is, but thats the only thing that really does it for me...the great smell of roasted coffee, random people doing random things, and an occasional eye candy (dont get that at home).

Am I addicted? Most definitely. Don't fuck with my eye opener or you'll hear it! I'm on my 3rd cup of the day contemplating an espresso around 9pm...allowed during finals week...

Latest spots:

Sargent's House of Coffee (off Alhambra)

The Naked Lounge (Q & 15th)

When to discuss STATUS

So I think it's safe to assume that when a guy approaches me in a Trader Joes, starts talking to me, walks me to my car, offers to take me out to dinner...that his STATUS is SINGLE.

You would think it's safe to make that assumption? Guess again!

Went out on a date with homedude to a cute hole-in-the-wall papousa place in Sac, took a little walk along the American River and called it an evening (date ended by 7:30pm). And yes, he kissed me, emphasis on the HE kissed ME.

Time to set up the next date: Regardless of the fact that we changed plans 4x, it was always weird that he could only hang out during the day. Random excuses, but believable ones. Date numero dos was supposed to be at a shooting range...yeah, kinda scary, i know. Don't know what I was thinking, but I consented and thought this would be an interesting experience (gave all his info to my friends in case I didn't come back in one piece).

Saturday morning all prepped and ready for the big "Daytime Date": At about 20 minutes prior to his arrival, he calls me to tell me that he had something personal to discuss with me.

So we never got a chance to discuss our status' so I wanted to be honest
with you and tell you that I'm kinda in a 2 year relationship.
We've been trying to figure things out, and well I would just feel awful if I
took you out on a date and had to lie to her. So what's your status?

WTF????? In my head I'm going, did you not ALREADY take me on a date AND kiss me! Now you want to tell me this? What do you mean what's my status?

Uh...usually when a guy asks me out and I go on a date with him and
stuff, I'm probably single...

He was sketch if you ask me, everything about him was kinda suspicious...and for good reason! Homedude did not realize who he was dealing with! The story only gets better as he tried to stumble his way through his explanation, the best part was that he lived with her...hence the lack of ability to hang out at night!

Still want to hang out?

Obviously he didn't give a rats ass about his girl and definitely thought he was smoother than he really was.

Moral of the story: If dude can't hang on a Saturday night then he's fishy! And now what? I have to ask every dude I go out with whether he's single/in a relationship/married or whatever...

I feel really bad for his girlfriend or probably wife that he is probably in a stable relationship with...MEN ARE GROSS!

In Memory of Allie Greene

Unfortunately, I am saddened to say that we lost another member of the UCD medicine family. Allie was a fourth year student on her way to a residency in Emergency Medicine. She was an awesome person for the breif time I knew her. She was a mentor for many of us pursuing EM. One thought I remember having about Allie the last time I spoke to her was that now I was going to have someone in the ED that I could feel comfortable wtih. I wouldn't have to be so intimidated in going in there cuz I knew she'd help me out and make me feel more comfortable, she was that kind of girl. She was vibrant, smart, enthusiastic, and was going to make a fine doctor. Thanks Allie for the inspiration...

Practice Makes Perfect

Can't decide if I want to rule out Surgery or not so I decided to see if I have any skills by sewing up some PIGS FEET! Thats right...we do our practice suturing on nasty little four toed pig's feet. But after a semester of anatomy, nothing is really that gross anymore.

But I must say, that I had a little nac for it. I did pretty well, following instructions that is. Suturing and tying knots is just about practice, after you do it a couple hundred times, you learn the skill that's necessary. I wasn't a crazy video gamer when I was a kid and I don't know how to sew a button on my shirt, but I can learn and I can learn quick!

This gives me hope and keeps surgery up in the running...think I have the skills? we'll see ;)

UCD Hospital...Here I Come!

We entered the lottery and tried our best to determine the fate of our 3rd year in medical school which is equivalent to finally getting the opportunity to be the bottom of the totem pole...at least we're on the totem pole...excited, nervous, nauseous....

Many say that the order you do your rotations really doesn't affect your performance or your experience...but...I beg to differ...or at least I like the drama that led to the lottery.

I got lucky number 69...ironic, I must say! But either way, it definitely was lucky...

My order (all my 1st picks):

1. OB/GYN- get over my fear of the Vag! Deliver some babies...cry a little.
2. Internal Medicine- This is intense, it's what I like, let's just hope I survive!
3. Psychiatry- I want to take Thanksgiving weekend off...and take a break after the nightmare of IM
4. Surgery- DunDunDun!!! Taking this rotation with the hardcore surgeons...gotta know if I can hang if you know what I'm sayin...I'm going to die!
5. Pediatrics- End the roughness with a cheerful rotation playing with kids :)
6. Primary Care - This is deferred into my fourth year...Gotta take care of business before I hang out at the Doc's office.

Date when these unfortunate patients will start receiving care from me: July 2nd 2007

Another Briliant Proverb

Like water off a duck's back...

why not off a shark's stomach? a fish's scales? or a flamingo's beak?

I'm struggling dude...this has been my biggest struggle in med school...these things just dont make any sense! Since when is a duck's back smooth enough to create a proverb from it?

Mental Status Exam

In psychiatry, we learn to perform a Mental Status Exam on patients. It's our way of assessing a patient's cognitive level. It's pretty basic information that you would think anyone could really answer unless you had something really serious going on..

What day is it? What time? Where are you right now?

It even pushes you to your outer limits, well at least mine, by making you count backwards from 100 by 7s...try it, its tough...

Now all of that is really doable and all until we get to the abstract thinking...Now, how do you test this ability you ask? You ask the patient to interpret a proverb...Doesn't sound difficult but it definitely raised my eyebrow about what these proverbs really mean...

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Interpretation by most people: You should be careful in sticky,
fragile situations...but ultimately having just a reflection on
oneself...
The Real Interpretation: We shouldn't complain about others if you are as
bad as they are...

This sounds more like the proverb:

The Kettle shouldn't call the Pot black

WTF? That's what I'm talking about! If we don't really comprehend these proverbs accurately, we meaning those who are undiagnosed and consider themselves sane, we definitely shouldn't be asking those who are losing it to really pull an explanation of the proverb when most of us dont understand it anyway...get my drift...

Sorry but found this Japanese proverb and would like to end on this note:

Never rely on the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your
mother-in-law

Those japanese know what they are talking about ;)

The Jokes on Me...

Every year for April fool's day, if I have a man of some sort, I pretend to break up with him. I know it sounds stupid and not so funny at times, but trust me...its funny!

It all started back in the 8th grade when I did it to my boyfriend then of 2 mos., not that that meant anything really...but to see his face in ultimate shock and confusion was quite entertaining...he was Mr. Tough Guy on campus and never really showed any emotion, but that day after school at the end of the hallway where I would "say" goodbye to him everyday, he broke...is that mean? no its funny.

So, this year, the joke's on me...I have no dude to play the joke on...but if you're a dude, I'm breaking up with you!