NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

Blackburndulgence

2011-01-30T12:55:00.005-05:00

I am going to self indulgently post more pictures of Blackburn. One of the perks of all the snow Boston has been getting is that it's so much fun to take him out and watch him crazygonuts.

Blackburn completely misses the point of this toy

2010-12-07T16:05:00.002-05:00

Mustachio failio.

Rabbit activities

2010-11-18T18:06:00.001-05:00

I loves me some old timey research publications:

"following aspiration of neutral liquid...the animals go through a brief phase of labored respirations and cyanosis, but within a few hours they are apparently back to normal, able to carry on rabbit activities uninhibited."

"This danger could be readily avoided by emptying the stomach prior to the administration of a general anesthesia. The time-honored finger in the throat method is always available, but the oral administration of a warm alkaline solution would in all probability produce the same desired effect."

Mendelson C.L. The aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs during obstetric anesthesia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1946; 52: 191-205.

Findyourspot

2010-09-30T17:28:00.002-05:00

I took this quiz from Find Your Spot, and I am kind of offended by the results. How is Las Vegas #5?!?! Clearly I must have answered the questions wrong. Where is Boston? Where is NYC? Where is Durham??? (Although I have to admit that I'm pleased by the prevalence of OR, CA and HI places)

1. Honolulu, HI
2. San Bernardino, CA
3. El Cajon, CA
4. Portland, OR
5. Las Vegas, NV
6. Little Rock, AR
7. Valencia, CA
8. Ventura, CA
9. Albuguerque, NM
10. Lailua-Kona, HI
11. Corvallis, OR
12. Hartford, CT
13. Santa Barbara, CA
14. Sacramento, CA
15. Charleston, WV
16. Frederick, MD
17. Eugene, OR
18. Fayetteville, AR
19. Palo Alto, CA
20. Santa Cruz, CA
21. Las Cruces, NM
22. Alexandria, LA
23. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
24. Medford, OR

And on a side note, why does Mac Pages suck so much? Where is paste special? Why is cut and paste not actually cut and paste?? Effing Apple.

2010-09-25T12:54:00.000-05:00

Postcall brekky= "spicy gourmet" ramen and an eclair. These are the meals I dreamed of as a kid. And my parents thought I would know better by now. muahaha

Part of the problem

2010-06-16T16:51:00.004-05:00

ME: Patient's chest pain consists of GERD and menopause. I would like to discharge them home.
ATTENDING: I want to admit them and get a cardiology consult.
ME: ok....

CARDIOLOGY CONSULT NOTE:
Plan:
1. Treat GERD
2. Discharge home

ME: Cardiology says treat their GERD and discharge them home
ATTENDING: Let's get a stress test
ME: GAHHHHHH [HEAD ASPLODE]

Recycling

2010-06-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

At least someone has found a use for all the hair that Blackburn generates. Now if only I could get these sparrows to clean out the inside of my car. And under the bed and sofa for that matter.

Squeak toy

2010-05-25T17:49:00.005-05:00

I was walking Blackburn today and noticed some movement in the bushes next to us. The next thing I know, Blackburn has darted across my path, I am tripping over Blackburn, Blackburn is furiously squeaking on some brownish-gray furry ball in his mouth, I have landed on my ass on the sidewalk, a car has stopped in the intersection mid-turn and its passengers are openly staring at us. Did you know that when you compress little animals they bizarrely sound exactly like those squeak toys you buy in the pet store?

Damn dog.

Addendum: no, this is not the gory remnants of the walk; Blackburn is blowing his coat.

Belgium

2010-05-21T03:35:00.003-05:00

In Europe they speak many languages and Americans get upset when someone suggests that perhaps Spanish become mainstream in addition to English. Sad, narrow minded Americans.

Although, as I thought to post this blog entry, I couldn't figure out what link I should click. "Blog maken"? "Aanmelden"? "Misbruik rapporteren"??? Arrghh, why didn't I stick with a foreign language in college?

Surgery Rant & Rave

2009-12-27T20:10:00.004-05:00

To the radiologist who made the gross over-call on chest CT:
Your statement that "there has been interval removal or distal migration of the IVC filter" was:

#1: Wrong. If you had looked at prior abdomen/pelvis CTs you would have realized that this chest CT ended prior to the level at which the filter could be seen. Even an intern could see this.

#2: Resulted in 2 unnecessary consults as well as unnecessary imaging for the patient. Speaking of which, shame on the hospitalists for not being able to read the CTs themselves. Repeat imaging showed the filter in the exact same place it has always been. Surprise, surprise.

Gotta love those old crusty white men

2009-12-08T15:48:00.002-05:00

Actual conversation between me and an attending:

ATTENDING: Tsai. Is that Chinese or Korean?
DRE: Chinese.
ATTENDING: Oh. Because you can never tell with those rice cultures.
[Dre's Head explodes]

Circling...

2009-09-18T16:31:00.004-05:00

Copperkins is sicky.

Her blood work showed elevated liver function tests. Her abdominal ultrasound and chest x-ray showed liver (and other) badness, as expected.

For now the plan is doggy NAC + metronidazole (she also has diarrhea) + tramadol + food, TLC and waiting for the inevitable. I hope she's not suffering too much :-/

Don't judge me

2009-08-07T11:38:00.003-05:00

I felt so resourceful when I came up with the idea of saran wrapping my iPod Touch. I'm too cheap to pay the $5 or whatever for that clear sticker, but I did want some sort of scratch protection cuz I'm pretty rough with my gear. And then I had a eureka moment: cut a rectangle of cling wrap and stick it on to the front of my iPod! Instant protection! At a fraction of the cost! And a practically unlimited supply! Yay!

Then I realized that I always make fun of my mom for saran wrapping the stove controls ("It keeps off the grease!" she'll say)...Which immediately makes me think:
1. Wow, is there anything saran wrap isn't useful for?
2. I'M BECOMING MY MOM
3. At least I'm a generationally appropriate saran wrapper.

Top ten lists

2009-07-06T17:52:00.007-05:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while but always got distracted by one thing or another. Top ten lists are sappy-assed staples of graduating people, but I can't resist. Here are the two top ten lists that are probably the most meaningful to me in med school. Maybe I will do one for Durham at a later time (as crazy as it sounds, I heart Durham and North Cackalacky now).

The most mind blowing thing that I learned in med school:
10. You can take 800mg of ibuprofen at a time. That's FOUR pills. AT ONE TIME.
9. PAs can do surgery! I thought they could only do floor/clinic work.
8. It is really weird to pull a uterus and ovaries out of someone's vagina.
7. Plastic surgery is the rotation in which medical students are most often allowed to stitch patients shut.
6. The "hot muscle" on a man is not actually a muscle. It's a ligament!
5. There is a physical exam maneuver where you grab someone's eyeballs with tweezers and forcibly move them around.
4. The Van Nes rotationplasty. Heheheh.
3. When someone receives a donor kidney, it is put in just above their groin.
2. Sepsis does not equal bacteremia. That is, someone can be septic without a blood stream infection!
1. The axes of the vagina and the axis of the cervix are not necessarily in line, or even parallel. When you get to the end of the vagina, the cervix is not always there. Incidentally, it is also really hard to find the urethra in a woman.

This next list will be funny for medical peeps. Non-medical peeps - if you have any of these symptoms YOU MAY HAVE THAT CORRESPONDING DISEASE! Hahaha just kidding. (Seriously, I'm just kidding.)

Diseases I thought I had and presenting symptom:
10. Scabies - recurrent wrist rash
9. Anemia - fatigue
8. Carpal tunnel syndrome - grip weakness, tingling in 1-3rd digits (I think I actually do have this)
7. Deep vein thromboses - calf pain
6. Avascular necrosis of the hip - hip pain
5. Whooping cough - coughing fits x 4 weeks (actually, I really think I had that too)
4. Rib fracture - rib pain during the "whooping cough" episode
3. Diabetes mellitus - thirst
2. Zenker's diverticulum - dysphagia
1. Med student hypochondriasis - being crazy between 2005 and 2009.

Ping

2009-06-14T21:55:00.003-05:00

Jeesh, blog is getting dusty. Much bloggable stuff always happens in these transitions, but there's never enough time to blog about it. This one is sadly no different. FL and Belize were fun tho! Orientation tomorrow, and then official start a week from Tuesday. Yeekface.

Checking in

2009-05-24T21:29:00.002-05:00

I might have to switch to twitter simply because I don't have the attention span these days to post more than 1 or 2 sentences. Anyways, back in Boston now! (well, Massachusetts anyways).

Feeling sicky

2009-05-18T10:38:00.003-05:00

My morning tooth brushing was interrupted by Blackburn's puke prodromes (sounds like someone aggressively plungering a toilet). I immediately ran down the stairs, scooped him up and rushed him outside. We were both covered in toothpaste foam by the time we got out; however, instead of puking, he just stood there and stared at my foamy face. So I let him back in thinking the danger had passed, and he promptly puked all over his bed. That's just spiteful. Perhaps he's getting me back for something earlier this week, but I can't imagine what...

The weekend, part 2

2009-04-22T07:33:00.004-05:00

Will's rugby tourney, a.k.a. the 29th Annual MBA Rugby World Championships! Sounds fancy, no? I was actually really impressed. Teams from everywhere were represented - and I mean everywhere: all across the US, Canada, France, England, Ireland. And they all congregated so that they could play rugby...in Durham, NC. The pitches were actually in Danville, VA...which is just a few miles north of where I did my family med rotation. Ah, it brings back memories.

Anyhow, some highlights from the photo reel. This was a FUN event to photograph...and it was a lot easier to get good pictures too. The powwow, though a fun event, was actually difficult (for me) to photograph. If it's possible, I think there was actually too much going on. My pictures ended up looking incredibly chaotic and even garish. I'm not sure how to fix this...even when I opened up the aperture all the way it didn't sufficiently blur out the background. I think it's a composition problem. Perhaps I should do a better job of zooming/cropping/picking the subject? But I digress. Back to rugby:

Sizing up the opposition.

This seems like a fairly bad idea, but these lifts are a regular part of the game.

Will fights off the opposition.

This pyramid looks structurally unsound.

A "ruck"?...

Water break.

...Or maybe this is a ruck?

Tackled!

Pain is temporary...

Glory is forever! Victory for Team Haas!

The weekend, part 1

2009-04-21T08:40:00.008-05:00

Haven't been posting in a while because my computer is dying. Friends, if you are ever in the position to acquire an IBM ThinkPad T43, DON'T DO IT. RUN AWAY. RUN FAR AWAY. Note that this does not hold true for all IBM ThinkPads, but specifically the T43s. Though as shitty as this computer has been, I think I still prefer it over Dells, in terms of durability if not price.

But I digress. Happenings over the past week or so:

More quilting! I have a problem, truly I do. This is Ed's quilt. Will start NMK's quilt shortly.

The 44th Annual Haliwa-Saponi Powwow! It was freaking AWESOME. The drumming and singing were so visceral and alive, not to mention the dancers and their costumes. The powwow was over 3 days and it included (as far as I know) dance and drum competitions. I wish I could have stayed for the adult's dance competitions, but as it was, I only had time to see the Grand Entry, drumming, and the kids' dancing competition.

This kid (in the orange pom poms) was an absofreakinadorable dancer. A nice fusion of traditional and Usher moves. Dancing in the style of men's grass. The girl in the purple dress is dressed in the style of women's jingle.

Men's fancy. Kind of reminds me of Chinese Dragon dances, in the make of their costume.

More men's fancy, and a men's traditional in the foreground.

One of the judges for the drumming. I found myself rather in awe of his presence because he looked like he'd been lifted out of a museum or something.

Drumming. If I were a linguist, I would be able to describe what they were doing with their throats to enable them to sing like that. Since I'm not, all I can say is that it sounded awesome, but hard on the throat. Don't know how they kept it up all day.

Don't know what these butt feather things are called but they are freaking AWESOME and I want one.

Men's traditional

More men's (boy's) traditional

Women's fancy. In this dance, the women basically have a blanket on their shoulders that they swing around like a cape or wings as they dance and twirl. It's cool to watch, and the blankets are often works of art in their own right.

Pretty blanket.

There were also 2 other styles of women's dancing: jingle and traditional. In jingle, they wore dresses with lots of bells on the dress part, and it was a very hoppity, Irish step dancing-esque dance. In traditional, they had more long flowing robes, similar to Catholic priest robes, and they walked around looking very stately. No fair that the boys get cooler costumes.

Will post another pictoral highlights in a second-- Will's rugby match, coming soon!

History Repeats

2009-04-05T13:31:00.005-05:00

1). The sparrows have built their nest in our house vent again, although I wonder if it's a different pair from last year? Last year I'm pretty sure both parents were brown; this year one is brown and one is brown and reddish...perhaps house finches? In any case, their babies are pretty weird looking right now. Taken at a rare moment when both mom and dad were away and therefore not dive bombing my head:

2). A throwback from the puppy days. Hm. The bed seems to have shrunk.

Ok. Must get away from computer.

What is this, Etsy?!

2009-04-05T08:03:00.004-05:00

And because I still have nothing better to do with my time...

...Scrap tote bag!!

But wait, there's more!

Fully reversible for those more Bohemian days!

Meanwhile, my roommate was outside chainsawing the bushes. Pretty much all of my street cred is gone at this point.

Too much time on my hands...

2009-03-30T11:29:00.004-05:00

...And this is what happens:

A. I am convinced that I would be an outstanding sweatshop worker. Either that, or I have undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. See exhibit A - scrub hats for all my peeps. As addictive (and cool?) as socks! And like socks, thankfully difficult to clash. There are about 7 more that I've made that aren't in this picture. I shouldn't have admitted that.

B. T-shirt quilt #2! T-shirt quilt #1 was made after college, mostly of my high school and some college Ts. This one has a smattering of my favorite (but unfortunately no longer wearable) college & med school Ts. Ah, nostalgia.

Blackburn says my quilt.

This time quilting was made considerably easier by co-opting my roommate's cutting board, ruler and rotary cutter. Julesiana, I hear you re: the list of craft supplies you "need."

Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands.

2009-03-27T20:33:00.003-05:00

It turns out I was just a wuss last time, cuz I donated blood 3 days ago and tennis today RAWKED. 2 hours of singles and doubles, against dudes. What an amazing workout! When my game is on, tennis is such crazy awesome fun. I feel great.

There are three frustrating things about playing tennis against dudes though:
1) No matter what, they hit & serve harder than me
2) They constantly feel the need to crush the ball even (especially) if they have no control over its directionality
or
3) Their misguided sense of chivalry causes them to hit me softies. The most irksome thing about #3 is that though I'm no slouch at tennis, I'm certainly no star. Thus, I cannot crush their softies back into their faces. And often, I totally frame the ball if they crush a groundstroke/serve at me, further reinforcing their belief in #3. Well, to the Y chromosomes of the internet void, I say this: I would rather you play at your best than hit me the softies you think I need. I will never learn to be a better player if coddled. Plus, it's insulting.

Ok. Soapboxing done. Yayyy tennis! Next time: will blog on latest obsession - sewing things. Jo-Ann Fabrics has become my new favorite store. Oh god I am 70 years old. Bring on the Werther's and those socks with the rubber print on the bottom!

Love that dirty water

2009-03-21T19:17:00.003-05:00

Subject: Where Did I Match?
From: NRMP Staff
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:50:00 -0400 (EDT)
To: dre

March 19, 2009

AAMC ID: ########
School Code: 119
School Name: Duke University Sch of Med
Applicant Name: dre

Congratulations, you have matched!

Program Code: 1263999P0
Program Name: Transitional
Institution Name: Tufts Medical Center-MA

Program Code: 1261040A0
Program Name: Anesthesiology PG 2-4
Institution Name: Massachusetts Gen Hosp

*****

HOORAY.

Over Easy

2009-03-16T22:33:00.002-05:00

Subject: Did I Match?
From: NRMP Staff
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:50:00 -0400 (EDT)
To: moi

Congratulations! You have matched.

Check the Match Site at https://services.nrmp.org/R3/ on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 1:00 PM eastern time to find out where you matched. Because you are matched, you will not have access to any information about unfilled programs.

*****

Although I know no one believes me, I was actually quite relieved to receive this email. I wasn't as much worried about matching into a residency program. Rather, I was worried about the intern year because:
A. The intern year programs I applied to were on the competitive end of the spectrum
B. I was thrown off kilter by the odd questions I was getting, and so I interviewed poorly
C. I got tired and broke, so I canceled a bunch of my later interviews. And then regretted the decision when I realized that did not leave me a lot of intern year programs to rank

Anyways, it seems that it all ended well, I don't have to scramble, and I will be somewhere I want to be next year and the years after. And that's definitely something to smile for.

Double your dogs

2009-03-09T20:29:00.003-05:00

Double fresh double smooth!

In other news, 10 more days until match day. 113 more days until July 1st.

If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes

2009-03-07T21:35:00.003-05:00

Five days ago it was snowing. Today, the high was 81.

Blackburn says wtf.

Bipolar weather

2009-03-05T23:59:00.001-05:00

Monday of this week we had a snow day. Friday of this week it will be 70. NC weather makes no sense.

SNOWDAY!!!!

2009-03-03T22:04:00.008-05:00

It snowed about 2 inches yesterday, which in North Carolina = SNOWDAYYYY!!!!

Blackburn: SNOWDAYYYYYY

Blackburn: Did you hear!? SnOWdaYYYY!

Cody: I freaking heard you! Stop yelling at me!
Blackburn: sNOwDAAyyyYyyYYY!!

Blackburn: SNOwDaYYYY!!!
Cody: Gahhh this dog is crazy!

Cody: Cookie?

Blackburn: Snowday?

Cody: Why do I always have to be little spoon?

-3 on the MMSE

2009-02-23T22:37:00.003-05:00

The other day my awesome roommate found out that I was taking the boards, so she gave me an amethyst crystal for memory enhancement. I was totally psyched to use it and was carrying it around the house with me...except now I can't remember for the life of me where I put it. Very funny, irony. Very funny.

Trying to not feel old

2009-02-20T02:01:00.003-05:00

1000 warmup
200 IM on 3:30 + 100 easy on 2:00 x3
100 warmdown
-----
2000 total

Swam with a spry little undergrad today and was GASSING. Damn I wish I had a college body again. Although, I guess I'd better make good use of my 20s body while I have it...

swlogging

2009-02-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

Finally did a half decent swim workout. I think if I stick with it I could actually get back into semi-shape. Although, I have been wondering whether all this working out is making me net positive or negative (or neutral) as far as calories. I'm not gonna lie, a primary incentive for working is trying to burn fat. Unfortunately I get so damn hungry after my workouts that I'm pretty sure that the calories I consume might be greater than the calories I burn. Stupid exercise. Screwing me over once again!

Anyways, latest swim workout, ~45min:

1000 warmup
5x200, rest 30 between, alternate stroke & IM
100 easy
5x100 kick on 2:00, descend
100 easy
-----
2700 total

The 5x200s are a good set, I think I'll leave them in there. They're decently tiring, and burn a lot of yardage. I might have to do away with the stroke in between the IMs though, since it's too easy to just slack on the stroke sets.

Semper ubi sub ubi

2009-02-13T00:09:00.003-05:00

I was packing my swim bag this evening, and as usual, threw in a clean pair of underwear that I could change into afterward. However, after my workout when I was changing back into clothes, I couldn't find it anywhere. This totally weirded me out, since I distinctly remember putting a pair spring green with flowers underwear into the small compartment of my backpack. I thought I had maybe dropped it in my locker somewhere but I looked everywhere - in my locker, on the ground, in different pockets - and no underwear. So I thought, ok, I probably left it at home somehow. Or maybe never actually took it out of my underwear drawer. But I got home, and no spring green with flowers anywhere! Not in my room, on my bed, or in the drawer. NOWHERE. It seems that pair of underwear has evaporated. I'm wondering where they are, and at the same time grateful that it's a clean pair.

500 warm up
5x200 alternate stroke and IM
100 warm down
-----
1600 total

For the record, I did actually mean to do like a set of 100s after the 200s, but I was pressed for time. Here on in I hope to be swimming at least 2000yd workouts.

Seriously, I Quit

2009-02-10T23:33:00.003-05:00

500 warm up
300 kick, alternate 100 free, 100 fly, 100 free
5x100 on 1:50
200 pull
4x50 stroke on 1:00
100 easy
-----
1800 total

Not the most challenging workout, but challenging enough for my purposes now, and a good start. And it was SIGNIFICANTLY better than the mockery of a 1000yds that I pulled last week. CD, you're wrong. I am still going to give up on running, at least in terms of a marathon. It just ain't my bag, sadly.

Oh, and in other news - 2 of my friends are getting their VO2max calculated next week. I'm really jealous. I should have volunteered, except I was afraid that mine would turn out to be like 7 METS or something, and then I'd feel pathetic.

You can't fire me, I quit.

2009-02-07T12:31:00.003-05:00

I'm giving up on running. Here's the thing. I got up to 10 miles, and was pretty proud of myself, thinking, damn, I'm in shape! And then on one of my cross training days I decided to swim and I could barely do 500 yards. By 100 yards I was really gassing, and all in all that day I only ended up swimming 1000 yards. What's worse, the next day everything above my rhomboids was sore like the dickens. It was a day or two before I could change shirts without flailing about like my dog trapped in a blanket.

So here's what I learned. For some reason, running doesn't get me into shape. I probably don't go fast enough, and when I do (as happened accidentally once when I ran with my Ridiculous Long Legs Friend), IT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE. So, I'd rather go on slow and pleasant shorter runs, and do other things to get into shape, like tennis or swimming or taekwondo. For some reason when I gas while swimming (or any of these other activities), it's nowhere near as painful as gassing while running. I think that as an athlete (or former athlete), you get used to pushing yourself in certain ways, so that makes training for less familiar sports seem LIKE DYING. What I'm left wondering though, is whether my body sees any benefit from the way I run. I'd like to think that I'm at least getting good cardio, but with the way I gassed when I was swimming, maybe all I'm getting is gammy ankles. Darns it.

Hm.

2009-02-04T23:28:00.001-05:00

It's irritatingly beautiful here.

No longer a maniac

2009-01-31T16:51:00.003-05:00

Running didn't go so well this week. I was only able to motivate myself to get out twice, both of which were painful runs. It's so odd how some weeks the running will feel effortless, and other weeks (like this week) it will feel like I'm running through jello. Excuses for this week's crappiness:

1) The weather was cold and often wet
2) The 10 mile run might have burnt me out a bit
3) I gave blood
4) I rediscovered the deliciousness of Soft Batch cookies (not sure if this was a cause of or a result of Crappy Running Week)

Actually the giving blood thing seems like a good excuse. I wonder how much losing a pint(?) of blood matters. I really wanted to take my hemoglobin afterward, but if I found out that it went down anything less than a full point, I'd feel like a total wuss. Note to self - next time I donate I will at least record baseline HR and respirations before and after.

Maybe next week will be better? Or maybe - as I have long suspected - I am not the marathoning type and should just stick with swimming/tennis/tkd...

She's a maniac!

2009-01-24T12:48:00.002-05:00

New Drecord! 10.11 miles in 1:51. Yay :)

Addendum: Running Duke Golf Course is like east coast skiing. It's hilly and painful and will make you have low running self esteem. That is, until you run on a normal trail and realize that one mile on Duke Golf Course is like 1.5-2 miles on a normal trail.

A New Drecord!

2009-01-10T19:09:00.000-05:00

7.42 mile run today! I rule!

Except now it hurts to walk. Or sit. Or stand. Or move about in general. Ow my legs.

Enough to peel the paint from MY NASAL MUCOSA

2009-01-03T00:33:00.003-05:00

Last night, my dog farted such a rank fart that it actually woke me up from sleep. Phfaugh. I was so disoriented and confused that for a few minutes I thought there might be a natural gas leak (of the non-dog butt kind). Man, Blackburn must have eaten a wicker basket for dinner or something.

iYay

2008-12-29T23:24:00.001-05:00

My brother is le awesome. I heart my new toy.

This is some seriously awesome balls

2008-12-28T11:55:00.004-05:00

My new hero:

"Greg LeNoir was operating on pure instinct when he dove into the water off a pier in Islamorada, Fla., to attack the shark that had snatched his rat terrier, Jake. LeNoir said he punched the 5-foot shark as hard as he could to get the animal to loosen its grip on the pup. Fortunately for Jake, Greg's bare-knuckled pounding worked, and the shark released the dog. Jake suffered numerous puncture wounds, but his medical prognosis is good."

On the Road Again

2008-11-07T23:26:00.008-05:00

Whoa, where did October go? Where is 2008 going? Jeesh.

Been hitting up the interview trail lately, and more to come! Have switched into anesthesia, but most of y'all know that. Funny conversation with the UCSD anesthesia residents over a pre-interview dinner...

RESIDENT1: Yeah, on my transitional [intern] year, I had one attending who made us change out of scrubs and wear a button down shirt on the wards!
RESIDENT2: [Incredulous gasp]
DRE: That's what all the surgery residents at Duke have to do. All the time.
RESIDENT2: What!??
DRE: Except they have to wear short white coats and white pants in addition to a dress shirt.
RESIDENT2: Ew!
RESIDENT1: Oh my god!
RESIDENT2: Well wait, like nice white pants?
RESIDENT1: Yeah! Like a nice linen pair?

Ah California. So different from the East Coast. As with medical school, I'm applying pretty broadly for residency (while staying away from the midwest). This leaves me really wondering where I will be in July 08...and July 09 for that matter. I can honestly say that I have no clue. I am only reminded of that old saying: If you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans.

On a separate note, currently reading the Twilight series. Ah, such a guilty pleasure. If only the characters weren't so pathetically one-dimensional. Buffy is definitely infinitely superior.

dre's 2 cents

2008-09-28T14:39:00.001-05:00

Have you ever tried lying on your back and watching the clouds? Not to be cliche, but it's surprisingly relaxing. But don't try it after a large meal if you have reflux. Because then it tastes like burning.

Lies and the Lying Liars

2008-09-16T18:58:00.002-05:00

Hahah. I think it's funny that the villain in The Golden Compass is called Ms. Coulter. Evil woman! With the golden monkey! She will steal your children and cut them!

GAHHHH

2008-09-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

Writing makes me want to tear my hair out.

Next to the thieves and the fraudulent advisors

2008-08-02T06:40:00.004-05:00

Setting: mid afternoon in Hand Clinic. 50 patients down, 30 to go. Lunch consisted of a Diet Coke for DRE and peanut butter crackers, a Baby Ruth and a Frappuccino for RESIDENT.

DRE: Oh my god, I am so hungry.
RESIDENT: ME TOO.
DRE: When they were testing that kid's hand function, I really wanted to steal his crackers.
RESIDENT: Hahah I know right? He was just dropping them on the floor! What a waste!
PA: You wanted to steal food from a 4 fingered 2 year old? Dude, there's a special circle in Hell for that.
[DRE & RESIDENT pause to consider this fact]
RESIDENT: Yeah, but we're really hungry.
DRE: Starving.

I am le tired.

2008-07-30T18:57:00.002-05:00

My parents are awesome. Their note to me:

Dear Andrea: You are the best. May sunshine is always with you. And we are 100% wth you. Love Mom,Dad,Dogg

In other news, surgery sub-Is are kicking my ass. And I'm only working 70-75hrs/wk. Which brings up the question A) How am I going to survive 80hrs/wk and 2) How did people survive before the work week was capped at 80?? Maybe point #B explains the typical demeanor of the current generation of surgical attendings. In any case, all this ass kickage is giving me serious misgivings. (emoticon of sad face with tear, or else tilda face).

Lastly: I invented a new dessert! Take 1 scoop vanilla yogurt and add fresh blueberries, fresh strawberries (cut) and banana slices. Mmmm. I call it a "parfdre." I had no idea that healthy food could actually taste this good. All this time I thought my female friends were getting this shit just to spite me and my bacon cheeseburger with fries. Mmmm bacon.

Just a med student

2008-07-26T16:36:00.004-05:00

Interestingly, I've been mistaken for an MD several times this year. This has never happened to me before, and I can assure you it's not happening because of increased knowledge. (I can assure this with fair confidence because it has only happened before I have opened my mouth to speak. Haha.) I guess this has taught me the power of standing or walking like you mean it (or failing that, then at least quickly).

Addendum: still working the kinks out of using an SLR, but am having fun. Need to be less shy about getting all up ons peoples'/subjects' faces (either that or invest in a nice zoom lens)

Farmer's Market! Cherry tomatoes are in season

...And so is dog.

Obligate picture of Blackburn and B-F-F Samson. Happy birthday Blackburn!

And this is why I will be a terrible parent

2008-07-17T19:35:00.003-05:00

Conversation about Blackburn between me and a some of my 7 - 10 year old neighbors

Kid1: How old is he right now?
Dre: I guess in human years he's a teenager.
Kid2: So like 15?
Dre: Yeah I guess about that.
Kid3: Oooh, so when he turns 16 are you going to do something for him?
Kid2: Yeah! Like a big party or something!
Dre: Hahaha! Actually, I was thinking that when he turned 21 I'd give him a beer.
Kid1: Hahhaa yeah! A beard!
Dre: No, a beer. Beer.
[Sound of needle being pulled off record player, followed by crickets]
Kid1: Oh. Ok.
Kid 2: I wanna play dodge ball.

More The Ugly

2008-07-07T01:50:00.002-05:00

This is the WORST. My brain won't shut off. And it's 2 AM. Agh. I guess the silver lining is that tomorrow night I will be too tired not to sleep. But still. Someone please give me a roofie.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2008-07-05T18:50:00.002-05:00

The Good:
1). Playing with my neighbor's Nikon D100 digital SLR. Unfortunately, quality of photographic equipment remains uncorrelated with my skillz as an artist. However, my shit photos can be taken in darker lighting and at faster speeds.
2). July 4th BBQ and home brew raspberry hefeweizen. Delicious, despite originally exploding the mash.
3). The VA: rounding at 7:30a + weekends off = happiness.

The Bad:
1). Specialty identity crisising.
2). Specialty identity crisising.
3). I seem to have lost the ability to put in an honest day's work.
4). My shit laptop with a broken keyboard, power cord, hinge and screen.
5). Specialty identity crisising.

The Ugly:
1). Wanted: possibly the worst movie I have ever seen.
2). Trying to train for a marathon when I have no business doing so because I can't even walk up a flight of steps without getting winded.

For some reason this exchange makes me laugh

2008-07-03T04:44:00.003-05:00

[After seeing a patient in the ED with one of those black eyes you would only see in comic books - completely purple, completely swollen shut]

Dre: What happened to him??
Resident: He fell
Dre: On his eye?!?
Resident: Dude, I don't know

Prepping for ortho

2008-06-22T14:24:00.002-05:00

Stockpile food and cookies: check
Obtain bottle of red wine for health: check
Buy squeakies and chewies to alleviate guilt of leaving dog alone: check
Locate new student lounge: check
Study anatomy of arms and legs: umm...in progress

Pretty Darn Good Week

2008-06-19T07:29:00.002-05:00

Objective #4 accomplished! And also, every hyphenated American should watch this movie. It does an excellent job of capturing the immigrant mentality and dream, and the subsequent whitewashing of the 2nd generation. I feel like I understand my parents better after having watched this...And it makes me want to call them immediately and apologize for being such a punk ass kid :-/

Objective #2 also accomplished! Went hiking at Hanging Rock State Park, less than 2 hrs from Durham. Complete with a summit view, a lake with a sandy beach for swimmun, and waterfalls (which we didn't see on this trip, but trails here are certainly good enough to warrant a return visit). I'm excited about this park, and what's better, it's nearby!

Objective #3: canceled on account of bad waves and surf buddy stressing over Step 1.

Objective #1: in progress, but not looking hopeful

Before the plunge

2008-06-16T08:09:00.003-05:00

1 week of blissful nothingness before I start my sub-I. Though I'd like to say that I've packed this week with all sorts of fun plannage and outings, in reality I think I will just veg. However, perhaps on tap:

1. Finish Fast Food Nation or Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
2. A fun hike out west
3. A surf trip
4. Some quality time with my DVD player. Am in the market for ANY good flick, please recommend something. Preferably not There Will Be Blood. That was painful.

Coming of Age

2008-06-10T13:15:00.004-05:00

Blackburn's finally coming of age! That is, he's learning how to pee like a Man! Sure his aim and balance aren't quite there yet, but the 4th leg is up! Wooo!

And in separate (old) news, yes, I have indeed become a Crazy Dog Lady.

Back from my travels up North and back again. It was so great seeing all the college and old work peeps! Ah, the joys of conversation outside of the medical realm. Sadly, I can no longer contribute to them as I somehow manage to steer all conversation back to healthcare. But it sure is nice to listen to the things I used to talk and hear about 3 years ago...

Now for some pics. Yes, they are all going to be of my dog. Because I am a CDL.

Mr. Bags: I regularly beat up on black and white things, fool
Blackburn: Food? Toy? Does it squeak if I munch it?

Copper: Settle down now!
Blackburn: But I'm not tired! ...zzzz....

Sugar: Taste my pain!!

Blackburn: #^@*%&!

Sugar & Blackburn: I sowwies. Let's be friends.

Block

2008-05-15T17:50:00.005-05:00

I have writer's block, so instead I will post more pictures of Blackburn and his friends being cute.

Samson investigates the pool...

...A little too closely.

My stick! (Samson actually won the stick. Little did he know it was a bull penis)

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. Food?

New husky on the block

2008-04-28T21:54:00.002-05:00

Blackburn's little cousin. SO. CUTE.

Blackburn: You small
Samson: Rub my belly!

Samson: You big
Blackburn: I want to play but I'm pretty sure that if I pounce on you I might mash you
Samson: I like turtles

Samson: I'm going to chew on your toes
Dre: How do you like THEM apples, Blackburn!
Blackburn: No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong - you're supposed to chew on the human's toes

Blackburn: ...And when they're not looking, steal the pork chops off the coffee table
Samson: Pork chop sandwiches!

Addendum: no, this is not my puppy. This is a friend's new puppy. Blackburn has a new BFF!

Growing pup

2008-04-26T13:48:00.002-05:00

Whoa...Blackburn's a lot bigger than he used to be I guess.

Not quite Iron Chef

2008-04-22T21:58:00.004-05:00

What's the most random thing you've eaten for a "meal"? Today, it was cookies, a big K Kola, a steak, chicken cubes, cheesecake, hushpuppies, pulled chicken/pork, mac & cheese and baked beans for dinner. Yes, this was all for one meal. I was going to eat lasagna too, but it got late. I swear I'm not pregnant.

Pepto Bismol

2008-03-31T17:16:00.003-05:00

I tried to give my dog Pepto Bismol for his dietary indiscretion

He really hated it

Panic button

2008-03-23T07:46:00.001-05:00

It's getting close to that time. And yes, by "that time", I mean the time when I panic and realize that goat farming was indeed my calling and move to Minnesota

And now for something completely random:

2008-03-15T21:47:00.003-05:00

Translating things into Chinese and then back into English!

Your mother's so ugly, she looked out the window and got arrested for mooning.
Becomes:
您的母亲的很丑恶她看了在窗口之外和得到了拘捕为虚度
Becomes:
Your mother was very ugly she to look and obtains the arrest outside the window for to idly spend

There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.
Becomes:
没有下巴在Chuck Norris 的胡子之后。有唯一其它拳头。
Becomes:
Does not have the chin after the Chuck Norris beard. Has the only other fists.

The boards can suck me sideways
Becomes:
委员会能吮我斜向一边
Becomes:
The committee can suck me diagonally one side

Courtesy of Babelfish & procrastination

More Blackbloggage

2008-03-11T13:20:00.002-05:00

Blackburn wants ball! Damnit, it doesn't fit

Stupid ball

That's more like it

Another rainy day

2008-03-08T09:43:00.004-05:00

In other news, still studying for the boards. guh.

Destankify

2008-02-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

Blackburn: What did I do to deserve this?

More shits.

2008-02-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

Conversation last night with my neighbor:

DRE: So, how often are you on call?
NEIGHBOR: Q4
DRE: ...
NEIGHBOR: But I have a black cloud, I always have
DRE: I thought the craziness would end when you became an attending
NEIGHBOR: BWAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!

The shits.

2008-02-22T11:28:00.003-05:00

Has anyone ever heard of paroxysmal nocturnal diarrhea? Because I swear, my dog's got it. Ugh. Another sleepless night. The plan: 1) no more cheese for the Bburn 2) switching dog foods to one of those hippy dippy crazy dog lady brands 3) stock up on poo bags.

On a more fun note, Bburn's having his first slumber party! Whee! Pillow fights and truth or dare! Or maybe just a lot of running around and crotch sniffing.

It's like I'm on the colorectal team

2008-02-21T14:28:00.005-05:00

Got woken up again at 2am, and then 4am, due to another case of the Blackburn shits. Thankfully this time we had enough warning such that we could bolt outside before the shittage began. What the heck is that dog eating?? I blame it on puppy day camp yesterday. I can't imagine that dogs are cleaner than humans, and as everyone knows human children are vectors for disease. Bleah. Uh, I mean, awww cute widdle kiddies!

Anyhoo, the scary thing was that during this episode last night, I ran into my neighbor and yet again she was on her way to work. To explain: when Blackburn was stomach bugging last week, I had to take him out a lot at weird hours of the night and I swear I'd always run into her, either about to go to or coming back from work. My neighbor is a surgery attending in academics, which is kind of in the upper echelons of the totem pole and something I maybe hope to be one day. I knew that life sucks for interns, residents and fellows, but I had no idea that life continued to suck so bad for attendings. Farts. This is giving me serious worries about...I guess surgery, or the academic career path. How do people do this and still have a life??

Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper

2008-02-17T12:07:00.001-05:00

Holy crap, that's like 5 flavors.

Things you don't want to hear at 3 in the morning

2008-02-13T16:05:00.004-05:00

whine, whine, whine, whi- EEEP! PPPLBPPTPLTPLPBPLTPPTLTTTTTT

Ugh. My dog has a bad case of the shits.

Ah, Christianity...

2008-02-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

At dinner, the other night--

MOM'S FRIEND: This is Andrea, my friend's daughter.
MOM'S FRIEND'S FRIEND: Hello, Andrea! [pause] Are you Christian?
DRE: [taken aback] Uh, well, I'm Unitarian Universalist.
MF & MFF: HAhAhHAhahHAhaha!
DRE'S INNER MONOLOGUE: Um...that wasn't a joke...
MFF: You need Jesus's love. [Resumes chatting with MF]
DRE: [head explodes]

Hairy Eyeball for the Giants.

2008-02-04T08:31:00.001-05:00

Patriots, you hurt me. I expect this from the Sox, but not from you. Why, Patriots, why? Damn you, New York.

Dumb dog

2008-01-31T16:35:00.000-05:00

My dumb dog tried to eat his food dish today.

WHAT THE EFF. WHO DOES THIS?! There are freaking teeth marks all around the rim too, indicating many attempts at bowl eatage. I can maybe understand one bite, but multiple!? Damnit, if he obstructs, I will flip my shit.

Doldrums

2008-01-13T15:58:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to think of something non-Blackburn to blog about so I can show that I do indeed have a life outside of him. And I do...it's just that it's pretty boring: Study. Research. Berate myself over my lack of regular involvement with taekwondo. Stare at a Scrabulous screen for 30 minutes, only to finally play "rot". Study. So yeah, that's why I blog about Blackburn so much - as doggy as his life is, it's sadly more interesting than mine. Dog park! Cheese! Dog class! Testicle removal :'( New rawhide bone! Grunty hedgehog stuffy! Lick crotch! Ah, the life of dogs.

BUY JAPANESE

2008-01-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

I have HAD it with Volkswagen and their shit cars! I took my car into the dealer AGAIN today, and it's costing be over $1200. TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I could buy another car with that money. I could pay 4 month's rent with that money. I could buy 60 flocks of geese with that money. God fucking damn Western cars and their craptasticy. From now on, I buy Japanese exclusively.

Since bringing by car to NC, I have "had" to:
-Replace broken right axle boot
-Fix defective water pump that caused my car to overheat randomly on the highway
-Replace recalled fuel injector
-Fix recalled brake light
-Replace broken left axle boot
-Replace brake pads
-Replace brake pads
-Replace brake pads
-Replace brake pads
-Etc.

Not that big a deal, but when each line item costs $300-400 IT BECOMES A BIG DEAL. That does it, I'm through with dealerships. I'm through with cars and the crooked people associated with them. I miss public transportation more than ever :(

Happy Holidays from Blackburn

2007-12-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

Blackburn says that he's partied out. And that he should probably lay off the 'nog.

Hello from the Boston!

2007-12-24T17:03:00.000-05:00

As expected, Blackburn took to the snow...well not quite as gracefully as a fish to water, but in any case he liked it a lot.

run

*trip*

>faceplant<

Pics courtesy of Ed, who no longer blogs. Why, Ed, why?!

Teething Redux

2007-12-17T07:56:00.001-05:00

Haven't pulogged in a while so here we go:

Blackburn's been losing his baby teeth lately, which means that every now and then I will be walking through the living room and the carpet will bite me. Or alternatively, I will see Blackburn and he will be drooling blood. Hahhaa. Sorry, I know that's the wrong reaction, but really all I can do is laugh because holy crap he's drooling blood.

Why is this news?

2007-12-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

I don't get it. Isn't steroid use in baseball not only a well-known fact, but even condoned? Huhn.

On a side note, saw my first NHL game the other day - The ("my"?) Carolina Canes got destroyed by the Ottawa Senators. But it was still fun! Dip and Dots! Photos with Stormy the cow-bear! A fight! ... Another sports oddity that is well-known and even condoned. The two players were just pounding on each others and the ref just stood by and watched. Meanwhile, the crowd cheered.

Jet Blues. (Get it? Get it?? HAR!!!)

2007-11-29T19:02:00.001-05:00

3 days after my scheduled arrival, 2 days after my actual arrival, my luggage finally arrived. The ridiculous part is, I was on a direct flight from Boston to RDU...how on earth does one lose a bag on a direct flight??

I think it's funny that despite all the markings in BIG BLACK MARKER saying RDU! RDU! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD RDU!! My bag went to NYC...and then San Francisco. Which makes perfect sense, when trying to get to DURHAM.

The two sides of Blackburn

2007-11-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

Awww, isn't Blackburn the best, most cutest puppy ever?

(But sometimes not as much)

C-Street

2007-11-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday reminded me of the snowboarding days back in Boston...waking up ass early, on the road before/as the sun is rising, boarding all day and back in time for dinner...with one minor difference - I WAS SURFING. *Oh snap!* I have a bitchin' new board which at first I was skeptical about due to its pinkness, but since it catches every wave and is stable enough for me to dance a hula on it, I'm totally sold. Unfortunately I don't have any pics from yesterday, but I did take one today of the Bitchin' Board. The Jesus board has been usurped.

(I would love to get Blackburn into surfing too, how cool would that be?). (He spent yesterday digging holes and eating sand). (Resulting in a sand poo when we got back).

Fall?

2007-11-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

What happened to fall in NC this year? It seemed to have skipped straight into winter. Course, our winters involve lows in like the 30s, so I can't complain too much.

(Blackburn also wonders what happened to fall, but more importantly what's for breakfast.)

We took Blackburn to the beach...

2007-10-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

...He really liked it:

Fearing the Turtle

2007-10-08T13:54:00.001-05:00

Nadine, shout out to your Terrapins - I saw them this weekend! So THIS is what a college football game is supposed to be like! Fans! A lot of them! All decked out in team colors! Actually watching the game! And it seems like they really care about the outcome too! Where are the old fogeys in their leather gloves and furs??

PS. Just when you thought this was a Blackburn-free post, you thought wrong.

Blackburn and Cassidy

2007-10-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

Yayyy, a fluffy friend that looks like me!

Ackthp stinky butt

How'd he get so big?

Nadine, Blackburn does not fear the Turtle

2007-10-02T13:49:00.001-05:00

Eno fun

2007-09-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

Yay, I just got to walk along the Eno River where there's lots of leaves and twigs to catch! I can also wade like a pro! And eat mud!! I am such a fierce hunter! Arrrr! This is me on the car ride back. I don't know why dre insists on this silly towel.

Blackblogging

2007-09-28T11:41:00.001-05:00

Aaarrrrhghghg Vacuum is the bane of my existence!!!

We're fluffy friends! But I'm not sure about you.

You have something in your ear.

On the catwalk! Yeah on the catwalk! I shake my little tush on the catwalk!

And for those of you who are wondering, no I don't have anything better to do. Really, I don't. Just be thankful that I'm not longer staring at the wall.

Stupid Murphy

2007-09-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

I just went out and bought a freaking GALLON of this stuff and interestingly, no accidents today. However, now that I've said that, tomorrow Blackburn is going to simultaneously piss, doo doo, vomit and spill red wine all over the living room rug.

Doo doo.

2007-09-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

Foiled. No, yesterday was not accident free. And neither was today. Sigh. Tomorrow though, tomorrow will be a new day! And I will get my protocol done! And Blackburn will pee and poo exclusively outside!

Blackburn looking smug, maybe because he's thinking about how he's going to go inside and drop a deuce.

Accident free for 0 days

2007-09-24T06:59:00.000-05:00

The goal for today is to have an accident-free day. Oh right, and finish up that research protocol. So far we are off to a good start - both #1 and #2 have been outside. As for the protocol...well, right now it looks like it needs diapers.

Matt and Blackburn at Foster's!

More moments of Zen:

2007-09-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

Is that really what I weigh??

2007-09-20T10:16:00.001-05:00

Puppies sleep in funny positions

2007-09-19T06:36:00.001-05:00

Introducing...Blackburn!!

2007-09-18T10:33:00.001-05:00

Personality Quiz!

2007-09-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

It's personality quiz time again! Which of course means that I'm so desperately procrastinating that even staring at the wall is no longer cutting it. Anyways, this quiz made me chuckle. Also, it only has 2 questions which is nice. Damn, even when I procrastinate I have no attention span. How pathetic.

Your Score: 8 - the Asserter
you chose AY - your Enneagram type is EIGHT (aka "The Challenger").
"I must be strong"

Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me
- Stand up for yourself... and me.
- Be confident, strong, and direct.
- Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
- Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
- Give me space to be alone.
- Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
- I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
- When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a EIGHT
- being independent and self-reliant
- being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
- being courageous, straightforward, and honest
- getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
- supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
- upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a EIGHT
- overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
- being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
- sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
- never forgetting injuries or injustices
- putting too much pressure on myself
- getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

EIGHTs as Children Often
- are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
- are sometimes loners
- seize control so they won't be controlled
- figure out others' weaknesses
- attack verbally or physically when provoked
- take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

EIGHTs as Parents
- are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
- are sometimes overprotective
- can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Carless = Sucks

2007-09-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

It's crazy how being carless in North Carolina is like breaking your legs in Boston. Basically you can't go anywhere. And I mean nowhere. Can't bike anywhere. Can't blade anywhere. Certainly can't walk anywhere. It blows, let me tell you. This reinforces my need to do residency in a city with functional public transportation, or at least sidewalks (and dare I hope for bike lanes?). Damn South.

However, it's not all bad I guess. Instead of continuing to rant about the car situation, I will shout out to some awesomely helpful people:
1. That family that offered to help reinflate my tire, and let me chill with them while I waited for the tow truck to get my car
2. My rockin' friend Abe who chilled with me next to a crack(?) house while I waited for the tow truck to get my car
3. Claude the gas man who when my car was overheating, did everything he could to help me get home safely short of towing my car himself (though he did even offer that)