Vacation Fragments, Dec 10-23

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A few things I have observed/experienced while on vacation, in no specific order just to keep y’all updated. This has been backdated to the 23rd as that’s when the last bullet point was written, but the post itself was a draft that was added to little by little. Rather than lose all those random thoughts since it never amounted to a coherent post, I’ll share them as they were written–no real connection between them. More in a bit…

• Always the optimist, my vacation is almost half over.
• As I predicted, not having my own space (both for us as a family (ie, our own house/apartment) and my personal space–both are vitally important) is wearing on me, psychologically. It’s also screwing up what little schedule baby had, leading to cranky parents.
• My dad watches way too much “House, MD,” a show I can’t stand (that’s for another post). He’s been through ongoing life-and-death medical issues in the last two years after escaping most of his life w/o having to deal with doctors at all, so I find the recent fascination with things medical both not surprising and pretty cool. However, this has some unfortunate side effects when combined with the fact that he is an attorney (estate/family planning, so there is hope for his soul on Judgment Day). Within two days of getting home, my mom’s dog (small terrier mix) of 15 years spiraled downwards to the point of being nearly non-reponsive. Mom asked me to go with Dad to the vet. To my mild embarassment, my dad proceeded to present THE DOG as if he was presenting a patient on rounds. He stopped short of differential diagnoses (for which I was thankful), but a medical dictionary in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing…
• My mother, always hungry to read/believe in something “new” about health and wellness, has a copy of that charlatan Kevin Trudeau’s Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About book. I’ve been toying with the idea of a Kevin Trudeau’s Lies, Lies and More Lies weekly column wherein I take quotes from his book and make fun of the excerpts with wild abandon.
• This is the last time I stay in the parents’ house for more than a week. Ever. Period. It’s not natural.
• I was so planning on going Christmas shopping, getting into the holiday spirit and all that jazz given that I, for the first vacation in forever, am able to be here before the final buying rush. Usually, I come in on the 23rd or the like, so the shopping has to have already been done or, more like last year, not really much at all given student budget constraints. Now with a baby, fergetaboutit. But still, I enjoy giving; however, the lack of disposable income combined with an ever-increasing intolerance for crowds, slow drivers, lack of parking, idiot drivers, kids out of school (junior/high school), and people who can’t drive all add up to a potentially negative experience.
• I wish I knew what caused such dryness and cracking in my nares, just in the first few mm or so. It’s not rubbing, it’s not excessive tissue use, but vaseline barely makes a dent and I’m chronically having cracked skin there and on the corners of my mouth. You’d think with a year and a half of medical education I’d at least make some stabs in the dark and get close. No zebras here, I’m sure, just a a seemingly unresolvable problem.
• Baby duty and other commitmnents aside, I’d love to spend some time in the OR. Too bad I’m not in Mexico anymore, because it’s not like I don’t have willing instructors (surgeons and anesthesiologists), just no way to justify the legal morass of the hospital for not having a “legitimate” reason to be there, even with the patient’s consent. Been there, done that. The maids have free reign of the surgery wing but I can’t be supervised and learn as a documented medical student. (obviously maids are not in an OR during a procedure, I understand, but you get the point–it’s not like they had to attend a 3-day inservice to learn all the rules, either)
• Mexicans. Not people from the country of Mexico as a whole, I mean the special ‘fresa’ variety that come from across the border (especially Monterrey) to shop and think they own the place because they have some money. Waving some large bills might impress your friends and delude you into thinking the world revolves around you, but it doesn’t. This bullet point deserves and will get its own post soon lest you think I’m some sort of bigot. My home town swells to more than 70% of its census size between the seasonal Winter Texans escaping the midwest/northeast/etc. and the Mexican commerce on any given weekend during this time. Trust me, you have to be from a border area to understand this.
• I am very grateful to have a family to come home to. As crazy as my relationship can be with my parents, with all the weird dynamics, side-stepping, and lack of effective communication, I never have to worry that I am welcome whenever I want to come in for a visit and stay for as long as I need. It’s hard to remind myself that annoying parents mean that they are still around to annoy you.

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  By Kevin, January 24, 2007 @ 3:02 am

  What is your damm point your rambling on about nothing
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  By Kevin, January 24, 2007 @ 3:11 am

  What im saying do you have a opinon about kevin tredeau book negative or positive im thinking on buying it
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  By enrico, January 25, 2007 @ 10:50 am

  I think the Kevin Trudeau book would be perfect for you. You seem to be among the target audience for which he was writing. Enjoy!
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  By Foofie, January 27, 2007 @ 12:19 am

  You gotta be kidding me.

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