We married almost 8 1/2 years ago.  Since that time we have lived in apartments, in close proximity to others.  Since that time we have owned a piano, and my wife has taught lessons.  Never before has this caused problems. Until now. Apparently, our neighbors find anything more than playing once or twice every couple of weeks to be excessive.  My wife teaches for about 2 hours an afternoon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Our daughter has to practice for a lit...

He stood at the edge of the precipice.  Thousands of feet below, he could no longer make out individual trees in the carpet of brown and green that filled the canyon floor.  Updrafts of sweltering air caressed his bare skin, ready to enfold him in a lover's embrace.  The pungent aroma of the desert filled his every breath.  He inhaled deeply, smelling, tasting, relishing nature's banquet.   Looking over the edge, he let the rock fall from his hand.  Fa...

Time and again, Sony has demonstrated its incompetence.    No example could be more obvious than with the upcoming launch of the Playstation 3.  Early reports are that the online component is broken.  Resistance: Fall of Man , one of the biggest and most important launch titles, has reported that they are going to have to build their own online sign in, friend list, messaging system, etc.  Tony Hawk 8 won't even have online play at launch on the PS3.  An...

Since I have, sort of, been getting the blogging bug back, I thought it might be worth an update post of sorts. It has been since immediately after the move that I wrote much in general about life, and since we are living it in its full glory, well, here you go. -The physical aspect of moving the NH went well. The emotional aspect has been more trying. For me, I was able to pretty much adapt instantly. I was thrown, head deep, into my new life as an intern. I spent every day around awesome p...

For years I considered myself a gamer.  No, that is not quite right.  I considered myself a PC gamer.  An important distinction. For while there are certainly those who game on both consoles and PCs, there is often a rift, a division between the two groups.  With the current trends in consoles, I believe the division is closing some, but in the past there was a distinct separation of what type of game you played on a PC and what type you played on a console. For many ye...

I knew it was wrong.  I knew it would get ugly.  But, in my moment of weakness, I did it anyway.  And I was write.  It was ugly. I fed a troll. I am not nearly as veteran as many here when it comes to internet communities, but I have been around for a few years now.  Certainly long enough to know that you never, ever get anything but a headache when you engage a troll. It doesn't matter how you reply.  You can be cool as can be, and attempt to reason with ...

I try not to hate. It rarely does any good, and generally only hurts the hater. There are some exceptions (my bro, Capt. Underpants , can attest to some of my more vitriolic thoughts) though. Some things and/or people are entirely deserving of hate. Upon them, I wish only the worst. One example comes readily to mind: Ignorant dill-holes who think they should dispense "medical" advice because they learned how to use a keyboard. I hate them. I hate what they do. I hate the misinforma...

My blogging has been sporadic at best.  I would chalk it up to being busy, because I certainly am.  My parents like to ask how many hours a week I am working, as if they expect some sort of surprise.  Perhaps after a few years of telling them "I'm working my 80 hours" they will catch on that this isn't going to change. But had I the desire, I certainly have had the time to blog.  Or even read other blogs. Yet I have not.  JoeUser, specifically, and blogging in gene...

The trial that is Cardiothoracic surgery is over.  Well, sort of.  I still have to (get to) go back for a couple more weeks this next 4 week block.  I am on vacation coverage for this next 4 weeks, meaning I get to fill in for the interns who are on vacation.  Next week: the ER. And say goodbye to sleeping well. Monday I work a 12 noon-12 midnight shift.  Tuesday I do the same.  No big deal.  But when I get home early Wednesday morning (probably aroun...

-Wow, been a while.  I didn't even realize how long it had been.  Bad BlueDev.  Bad! -The doctor-nurse relationship is one of the most fundamental, wonderfully helpful and potentially damning relationships out there.  Trust me.  It is a fascinating dynamic, one which I intend to explore in a future blog.  I suppose this is the teaser trailer. -I love being a doctor (in training).  My knowledge is surely lacking in many areas, but I already feel I have lea...

Every once in a while, a moment becomes indelibly etched into our psyches.  No matter what happens for the rest of our lives, these moments will forever be crisp and clear, in some cases disturbingly so. The call came early.  4 am to be precise.  Low blood pressure.  Nothing new, nothing too concerning for the most part.  There are lots of reasons a person's blood pressure can drop, some serious, some not too serious.  He was a dialysis patient.  Kidneys are...

I wish I had a backbone. If I did, I might actually let a few of the regulars here know what I really think and feel about them.  If I did, I wouldn't try so damn hard to be diplomatic in the way I present things.  In the end, I fear I just come off wishy-washy and weak. I'm sick of it. But I still don't know if I have the spine to just let it out, be honest, and name names.  I really, really want to, but am too weak.  Perhaps I can find a spare spine somewhere. ...

I'm a ho.  Really.  I am.  I am a HO. House Officer, that is.  And after 6 weeks of this, I feel like I am sort of starting to get the hang of things.  There is still way too much I don't know, and I don't even know just how much I don't know at this time.  But I am learning every day, and I am getting more comfortable with being a HO. I get dozens of ridiculous pages every day.  Some are from nurses who know better, but have to make the call anyway.&...

They say you are only as old as you feel.  Crap, I must be close to retirement today. I decided that I was decidedly sick and tired of not having time to exercise.  So Saturday I resolved to start riding my bike to work.  I don't live that far from the hospital, only about 4-5 miles.  But heading to the hospital is, well, uphill.  All the way.  One long, uphill ride.  It makes the ride home a lot of fun.  But the ride up, well. . . I'm feeling a bit ...

Sally wrote an article last week about listing some of your favorites from this site.  I have to admit, I was, and am, truly humbled to read that there were a few people who listed me as either their favorite (thanks bro!) or their "most interesting". In fact, NickyG prodded a little by pointing out the my blogging seems to come in spurts.  To that, I admit full culpability.  These days, I can attribute a lot of that to my schedule. But not all. So, I have decided to give...