Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The end is in site.

My last day at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center is exactly one month from today. Woohoo!

Thinking about having some kind of freedom-themed blowout. You're all invited!:)

P.S. Happy birthday Grandma Marge!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I have a comment.

Some people are such teases. Enable commenting on one blog, take it away on another. Well, Mr-you-know-who-you-are. I have a comment.

Go with the gut. The gut is good.

The only problem with the gut is that, once acknowledged, it tends to leave you a little high and dry until its next intervention. No additional assistance on those pesky little details like: Where should I live? What will I do? Should I sell some of my plasma for a little extra cash?

You see, the gut is all about glory. Just the big should-I-stay-or-should-I-go decisions for the 'ol gut. You follow its lead and then you're hit with an aftermath of more decision making that makes one a little sick to the stomach.

On second thought:

Bad, bad gut.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Kinda on a quote kick . . .

Had Chinese for lunch and my fortune cookie bestowed the following wisdom:

Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.

Great. But, what if none of my actual opportunities are at all tempting? What then?

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Speak to me Al!

In the debth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. ~Albert Camus

"One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead."

Came across the above quote by Oscar Wilde this morning. Did OW just tell me I'm not in charge? Or, is he calling me delusional? I'm confused. Although, seems timely and appropriate either way . . . :)

Monday, November 19, 2007

ok, so I'm not perfect

Yea Mavericks.
Boo Methodist Health Systems.
Yea Cowboys.
Boo Methodist Health Systems.
Yea fall weather and Christmas cheer.
Boo Methodist Health Systems.
Yea family and friends.
Boo Methodist Health Systems.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

That was a close one.

Mr. Carwash has made yet another appearance! This time at the Mavs game . . . am I being stalked? Ok, maybe not. But seriously, I can't get "It's a small world after all" out of my head. I worked a single Christmas season at F.A.O. Schwarz my freshman year of college. And let me tell you: that is one hell of an annoying song.

"sometimes it's profound, sometimes it's Fritos"

P.S. I've decided. Sometimes it's ok to let the little things take precedence over the big.

Christmas Carols and State Pride

Currently watching Tim Allen's Big Trouble and drinking a cup of very curious coffee called "Lola Savannah Cinnamon Stick." It is also Saturday morning and I'm doing the above in my pajamas after having just finished a particularly yummy piece of peanut butter toast. So, probably not necessary to say but, I'm pretty happy.

Seems like the happy times aren't as prevalent as they once were. Could expound on that for days, but not going to because I've recently pledged to myself to do a little more of the positive thinking thing. More claps, less snaps.

I'm usually a little resistant to the early start of the (commercial) Christmas season. It's not even Thanksgiving yet and there are already continuous Christmas songs on the radio. My neighbors are already starting to put up the tree lights. And the seasonal aile at Target is already packed with those super-organized people that are finishing up their holiday shopping. Like I said, I'm usually resistant to this phenomenon. I mean, I'm a fan of the turkey. Give him his time to shine! Right?

But for some reason this year is a little different. I've already replaced the Killers, Brad Paisley, and Feist from my various CD players with Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong, Harry Connick JR's When My Heart Finds Christmas, and a really cheesy holiday mix that includes George Michael and Mariah Carey. And, guess what. They're making me really happy.

Earlier this morning I caught a little bit of CNN. There is a native Kansas women that is up for Senate approval to be the head of US Immigration. But, forget the politics for now. The news clip quoted both of Missouri's senators. And, it made me happy.

I see a MO license plate, it makes me happy. I hear a comment about the Show Me State, I'm happy. Someone tries to argue with me about the superiority of Texas barbecue over KC's offering and I smile. Mostly because I know just how delusional they are, but also because it makes me happy. There's this whole state pride thing that's been happening to me since my arrival in Dallas. But, lately it's been getting a little ridiculous. Because any mention of my home state and I am automatically happy.

So, if you'll excuse me, I've got some Christmas carols to listen to. I've got some state pride to flaunt. And, I've got some seriously happy thoughts to think.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

"If you're happy and you know it . . ."

The most amazing thing happened to me this morning. I was paged by the ER and instead of being given a patient to see (amazing enough!) the unit secretary asked if I had time to talk to a patient that was trying to find me. She connected me with her via phone and the patient proceeded to make my day.

I had a vague memory of her but no clear picture. She told me who she was and then thanked me for saving her life. She had come into the ER in August with very atypical chest pain and I was asked to see her in consultation. I remember her perfectly now: she looked like complete crap. Her symptoms weren't classic for a heart attack but she just made me really nervous for some reason. As soon as I finished examining her I was called by one of our cardiologists regarding results on another patient. I asked him to come by and see her in the ER. I remember telling him that I wasn't convinced it was cardiac but that there was just something about her and I felt like she should be cathed sooner rather than later. He saw her and said he'd take her right then.

About 20 minutes later he called and said "Amy, I like your eye. I mean I hate your eye but I like your eye." The poor lady infarcted right there on the catherization table and had to be taken emergently to one of our sister hospitals for intervention. He apparently told the patient later that everyone was stumped in the ER before I saw her and that I saved her life.

She only has a very vague recollection of me, she told me today that she just remembers me sitting down next to her bed and telling her that I was going to figure out what was wrong. She's doing fantastic now and came all the way out to the hospital to thank me for saving her.

Unless you do this job everyday you probably can't imagine how rare it is for a patient to make this kind of effort. So much of the feedback we get from patients is negative.

That's a global humanity thing: we are all so much more likely to complain than to applaud. But this one sweet lady made my morning. And, more, she inspired me to spend more time clapping.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hello neighbor!

Welcome to the 'hood Julie!

See? I'm not always right.

I saw Mr. Carwash out and about in Dallas this morning. What the HELL was I thinking?

Monday, November 12, 2007

Chick Flick Cherry

Yesterday I revisited the 80's classic Valley Girl. I'm going to go out on a limb and call this Nicholas Cage's best work. Or maybe second only to his cameo role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Definitely better than the depression-inducing Leaving Las Vegas. This opinion is based almost entirely on his hair in the movie. Gotta admit, I have a little crush on his hair. I tried to convince myself during the watching that I would have been so much more punk than preppy had I had any choice in my attire back in 1983. Since I was still doing the pre-K matching clothes thing with my sister at the time, I don't actually have to face the reality that I've never been cool enough to be punk . . . :)

Saturday, November 10, 2007

that end of the tunnel thing

I thought I'd lost my life. Work was everything. At first, by choice. And then? It just took over. So when work is going bad and it's everything, what's left? I thought I'd lost my life. But, I think I'm finding it again. It's amazing what friends, family, a long walk on a fall day, sleeping in on a Saturday morning, and an enormous pot of coffee can do for a girl . . .

Wednesday, November 7, 2007