It's September, and to me that means only one thing: All New! That's right, all new seasons of my favorite television programs.
Now, as you may know, television and I went our separate ways years ago. Actually, I had to let her go since I'm a TV addict and there was no way I was going to get into medical school with TV as a distraction. Yes, it was that bad.
For a while, the No-TV Plan was working. I got through the hell that is the medical school application process; I was reading more; I was exercising more; I was participating more in life. Then I entered medical school and the workload took over my life. But then around halfway through the school year, I discovered ABC.com's Full Episode Player. And it was over.
I was instantly hooked on Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty. LOVE THEM! (OK, I'm getting a little too excited over here.) I caught up on all the episodes that I missed, and then every week I would wait for the new episodes, which, unfortunately post around 2 a.m. the night/morning after they air. And of course this year, we have Private Practice to look forward to. Oh, I can't wait for all the drama! September 27th. Mark your calendars!
And then my Oprah -- yes, my Oprah -- kicks off season 22 of The Oprah Winfrey Show this Monday, September 10, at NYC's Madison Square Garden, the only place suitable for the grand event. If I could just get a ticket to one of her shows. . . It's an obsession people.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Dr. C
Curses. Did Dr. C really just say what I think she just said?
Her lecture was dry and was running a bit long. We all had started shifting in our seats and many were surfing the Internet and/or chatting over AIM. How were we going to survive another hour of Dr. C?
Our schedule allows for a ten minute break every fifty minutes. Of course, professors often run over their allotted time and trim the break down to five minutes. As students, we don't mind when a great professor eats into our break time. As long as we're learning, we're happy. However, when a dull professor tries to do the same, we attack.
"Excuse me Dr. C," shouts a student from the rear of the lecture hall, "it's time for our ten minute break."
"No, I'm going to continue; I'm almost finished."
"But Dr. C, you have another hour -- Could we please take a 5 minute break?"
I don't think Dr. C heard this last request. All she heard was the grumbling throughout the lecture hall, and she wasn't pleased. This was her response, "Look, if you went to the grocery store and bought a loaf of bread and the cashier only gave you half a loaf, you would say, 'B-I-T-C-H, where's the rest of my bread?'"
We all just looked at each other and started laughing. Was she serious? From the look on her face, she was. We let her continue, and she finished the presentation 10 minutes later.
"Now you can have your damned break! All this break nonsense is a bunch of bovine defecation."
Bovine defecation? LOL! Well, at least she didn't use the S-word.
It turned out that Dr. C didn't know she had two hours and did not have another presentation for us. So, after a few tense moments and some laughs, we enjoyed a damned good one-hour break.
Her lecture was dry and was running a bit long. We all had started shifting in our seats and many were surfing the Internet and/or chatting over AIM. How were we going to survive another hour of Dr. C?
Our schedule allows for a ten minute break every fifty minutes. Of course, professors often run over their allotted time and trim the break down to five minutes. As students, we don't mind when a great professor eats into our break time. As long as we're learning, we're happy. However, when a dull professor tries to do the same, we attack.
"Excuse me Dr. C," shouts a student from the rear of the lecture hall, "it's time for our ten minute break."
"No, I'm going to continue; I'm almost finished."
"But Dr. C, you have another hour -- Could we please take a 5 minute break?"
I don't think Dr. C heard this last request. All she heard was the grumbling throughout the lecture hall, and she wasn't pleased. This was her response, "Look, if you went to the grocery store and bought a loaf of bread and the cashier only gave you half a loaf, you would say, 'B-I-T-C-H, where's the rest of my bread?'"
We all just looked at each other and started laughing. Was she serious? From the look on her face, she was. We let her continue, and she finished the presentation 10 minutes later.
"Now you can have your damned break! All this break nonsense is a bunch of bovine defecation."
Bovine defecation? LOL! Well, at least she didn't use the S-word.
It turned out that Dr. C didn't know she had two hours and did not have another presentation for us. So, after a few tense moments and some laughs, we enjoyed a damned good one-hour break.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Endurance
I pushed myself hard, both physically and mentally, this weekend, and I've concluded that I really need to work on my endurance.
The bike ride through Rock Creek Park Monday morning was wonderful. It was meant to be a short, one hour ride, but it turned out to be more like four! I was just having too much fun with my friend, whom I hadn't seen since early June. I had a strong suspicion this might happen, so I brought some study materials with me (I had to, what with exams yesterday!) so that I could quiz myself during our half-way-point break.
What caught me by surprise, however, was how fit my friend had become since we last got together. Or was it how unfit I'd become after a year of medical school and a summer in front of the television? I couldn't keep up with my friend. My quads were burning; I was sweating buckets; I was huffing and puffing like The Little Engine that Could.
When I got home later that afternoon, I was thoroughly exhausted. There was no way I could study for my exams the next day, so after cooling down and showering, I took a nap.
An hour later, I was back at my desk (a dining table, once upon a time) ready for a final review of all the material to be covered on my exams. After about an hour, I could take no more. I kept taking breaks and trying to come back to material I was having trouble with, but I just couldn't study anymore. I went to school, hoping that I would get a second wind from the study-all-night-before-the-exam crowd. No such luck. At 9 o'clock, this little engine went back to the depot.
Besides being tired and dehydrated from the bike ride, I think part of the problem was that I kept thinking of all the fun I'd had over the long weekend. I was missing out on a lot of fun because of all the studying I have to do just to stay in the middle of the pack at school. Is medicine worth it? I've been asked, and ask myself the same question from time to time. Honestly, I don't know. I hope so! Only time will tell.
In the meantime, I need to keep working on the whole "balance" thing. I've mentioned before that medical school is like a marathon. I have to pace myself; I need to build endurance. Otherwise, I'm going to end up burned-out and miserable.
The bike ride through Rock Creek Park Monday morning was wonderful. It was meant to be a short, one hour ride, but it turned out to be more like four! I was just having too much fun with my friend, whom I hadn't seen since early June. I had a strong suspicion this might happen, so I brought some study materials with me (I had to, what with exams yesterday!) so that I could quiz myself during our half-way-point break.
What caught me by surprise, however, was how fit my friend had become since we last got together. Or was it how unfit I'd become after a year of medical school and a summer in front of the television? I couldn't keep up with my friend. My quads were burning; I was sweating buckets; I was huffing and puffing like The Little Engine that Could.
When I got home later that afternoon, I was thoroughly exhausted. There was no way I could study for my exams the next day, so after cooling down and showering, I took a nap.
An hour later, I was back at my desk (a dining table, once upon a time) ready for a final review of all the material to be covered on my exams. After about an hour, I could take no more. I kept taking breaks and trying to come back to material I was having trouble with, but I just couldn't study anymore. I went to school, hoping that I would get a second wind from the study-all-night-before-the-exam crowd. No such luck. At 9 o'clock, this little engine went back to the depot.
Besides being tired and dehydrated from the bike ride, I think part of the problem was that I kept thinking of all the fun I'd had over the long weekend. I was missing out on a lot of fun because of all the studying I have to do just to stay in the middle of the pack at school. Is medicine worth it? I've been asked, and ask myself the same question from time to time. Honestly, I don't know. I hope so! Only time will tell.
In the meantime, I need to keep working on the whole "balance" thing. I've mentioned before that medical school is like a marathon. I have to pace myself; I need to build endurance. Otherwise, I'm going to end up burned-out and miserable.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor
Laboring on Labor Day. As Chris Rock would say, That ain't right! I should be poolside, at a cookout, drinking iced tea and lemonade. Instead, I'm up at an ungodly hour (though, it is nice and peaceful) trying to learn cramming as many details as my tired brain can hold for exams tomorrow.
It isn't all work and no play, however. In a few hours, I'll be meeting up with a friend for a quick bike ride through Rock Creek Park. Riding through the park is one of my favorite things to do. You can spot deer, all sorts of birds, and fish (especially when they return to spawn); it's so green and lush; the sound of the creek is soothing. The ride will be a nice break.
I hope you've enjoyed the long weekend. Happy Labor Day.
It isn't all work and no play, however. In a few hours, I'll be meeting up with a friend for a quick bike ride through Rock Creek Park. Riding through the park is one of my favorite things to do. You can spot deer, all sorts of birds, and fish (especially when they return to spawn); it's so green and lush; the sound of the creek is soothing. The ride will be a nice break.
I hope you've enjoyed the long weekend. Happy Labor Day.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Laughter
Tonight I had dinner with three friends from college. Although I have two exams on Tuesday, I took the break because it is so rare for all four of us to get together. You see, two of us are in medical school here in Washington, one just moved to the District from Philadelphia for law school, and the other was in Baltimore working on an MBA/MPH and is now working in New Jersey. As you can imagine, coordinating our schedules is quite the challenge.
We met up near the National Zoo on a little strip packed with restaurants. We walked up and down the block, carefully reviewing each restaurant's menu, before selecting a Japanese restaurant. Perfect. I love sushi, and I had my eye on the Chilean sea bass with miso and shitake mushrooms.
We caught up, enjoyed our food, shared some laughs. The waiter arrived to clear our plates, looked at our licked-clean plates and said, "Good job!" We burst out laughing. It was so unexpected and there was something about the way he said it -- he seemed so surprised. One of my friends was laughing so hard, she was having trouble swallowing the water she had been drinking before the waiter's comment. Of course, I tried to make her laugh even more. I could just see the water spraying all over the table. I know, aren't I nice. It didn't work. She somehow managed to calm down enough to swallow the water.
From that point on, we were laughing at everything. We laughed so hard I think we burned off most of the meal's calories. I'm sure everyone around us thought we were insane. For some reason, this always happens whenever we get together. (Yes, both the laughter and being perceived as insane.) I'm glad it does.
Medical school is intense and stressful -- especially during the days leading up to examinations. You have to be able to manage that stress. Social support, good food, and exercise are all key to keeping a level head. Tonight, I had a healthy dose of all three.
We met up near the National Zoo on a little strip packed with restaurants. We walked up and down the block, carefully reviewing each restaurant's menu, before selecting a Japanese restaurant. Perfect. I love sushi, and I had my eye on the Chilean sea bass with miso and shitake mushrooms.
We caught up, enjoyed our food, shared some laughs. The waiter arrived to clear our plates, looked at our licked-clean plates and said, "Good job!" We burst out laughing. It was so unexpected and there was something about the way he said it -- he seemed so surprised. One of my friends was laughing so hard, she was having trouble swallowing the water she had been drinking before the waiter's comment. Of course, I tried to make her laugh even more. I could just see the water spraying all over the table. I know, aren't I nice. It didn't work. She somehow managed to calm down enough to swallow the water.
From that point on, we were laughing at everything. We laughed so hard I think we burned off most of the meal's calories. I'm sure everyone around us thought we were insane. For some reason, this always happens whenever we get together. (Yes, both the laughter and being perceived as insane.) I'm glad it does.
Medical school is intense and stressful -- especially during the days leading up to examinations. You have to be able to manage that stress. Social support, good food, and exercise are all key to keeping a level head. Tonight, I had a healthy dose of all three.
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