A Good Quote

It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about."

- Dale Carnegie

Carla Espinoza

I was hanging out chatting with some of my co-workers at the end of the day, and a light bulb appeared above one of them. He looked at me and said, "Now I remember who you remind of!"

I thought to myself in those few milliseconds before he continued, "Some girl you went to high school with? A nerdy cousin of yours whom you haven't seen in 20 years? Maybe a one night stand from college?"

"Do you watch, 'Scrubs'? " he continued.

"Yes . . . don't say Elliott. Do NOT say Elliott," I reply.

"No, you remind me of Carla!"

I don't even remember what he said after that because I was trying to analyze this statement. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Carla? Really? Am I that smart-mouthed and obnoxious? I don't watch the show too often, but Carla? Really? Well, at least it wasn't Elliott.

Another post-call day

So, I was on call Friday (7AM until 7AM Saturday), then again Sunday (7AM - 7AM). I had been dreading this weekend for obvious reasons, but also because I was on call with an attending (full- fledged Anesthesiologist) that is notorious for over-working and pimping the residents. Now I must preface this by saying that I had been in a professional rut for the past couple of months. Residency has been a little on the abusive side. I was seriously considering quitting the program, and exploring other career options (who knew that people pay good money for professional organizers?). I questioned whether I had what it takes to have a career in anesthesia. Well, this past weekend turned out to be just what I needed to renew my interest. I actually saved a life this weekend. It was quite a rush. For the first time in a long time, I felt confident going into this tenuous situation (a hospital patient who was not breathing). I realize that we all have our good streaks and our bad streaks. I just hope that I don't get too comfortable with my good streaks, and that I don't hate my bad streaks so much.

On a lighter note, I watched another Dermot Mulroney movie, The Family Stone. Good cast. Unique plot, but a little weird. Some pretty funny scenes. At least Dermot was in it.

Spring Time Blues

My son just finished Kindergarten last week. He got his yearbook, which his friends and teachers signed- heehee. He had his school program. They had field day. They had this Senior luncheon during which the Kindergarteners each with their own senior buddy is "presented;" it was kind of like a "passing of the torch." Experiencing the end-of-the-school-year events with him has made me nostalgic for when I was in high school (and younger). The end of the school year always made me very sad. I'm not quite sure why. I remember at the end of 5th grade, feeling really sad, almost panicked, that I was not going to see busdriver Jim anymore. I have no idea why this made me so sad. I guess as I got older, the stress of finals and prom took a toll on my emotions. There was always so much to do in the spring time, and seemingly not enough time for everything. There was tennis season, the school play, the Spring music concert, not to mention the beautiful weather, and the desire to just hang out with my friends and do nothing. I remember in college, once tennis was over, wanting to go hang out in the quad in the nice weather, but opting to go to the library to study, only to lack the concentration to actually retain anything, and LONGING to go outside. Even though I am no longer on an academic calendar, my husband thinks that the spring weather just triggers these stressed emotions in me, sort of like Pavlov's dog. Woof woof.

My son has been out of sorts the last few days. I am sure that part of it is the end of the school year. He really liked his teacher, and was with her for the entire school year. When he had gone to daycare, he was not with any one teacher for as long as he was with his Kindergarten teacher. I guess I know how he feels. This, too, shall pass.

Movies, Movies, Movies

The only movies I had watched since the kids were born were animated ones. I recently got into watching them again. In fact, this past weekend I watched FIVE, yes FIVE, movies! Friday night we started the evening out with Finding Nemo (animated, of course), but then we put the kids to bed. Then, my husband agreed to watch The Wedding Date with me, since he knows I am on my Dermot Mulroney kick. He was such a good sport, because it is such a chick flick! Afterwards, Closer was on (we watched HBO), which stars Jude Law (yummy), Natalie Portman (adorable), Julia Roberts (eh), and Clive Owen (who?). My husband really liked that, so overall, it was a successful movie night. Closer was interesting. I liked it, but I'm not sure I got the whole thing. All the dialogue was rapid fire; short answers; back and forth. It kept my attention. Very sexy movie, but no nudity ( much to my husband's dismay).

I was on call Saturday and had a busy morning, but the afternoon and evening were pretty quiet. The CRNA on call with us brought in The Count of Monte Christo, which I had read when I was in high school. I remember the book being great. The movie was also very good.

I came home the next day, and after my usual post-call ritual of showering, hanging out with the kids, and napping, I watched my fifth movie of the weekend, The Interpreter. What caught my attention was the on-screen TV guide listed Catherine Keener as one of the actresses. She is Dermot Mulroney's ex-wife. I really liked her. She had a supporting role, not very prominent, but a good role. The movie was pretty good. Sean Penn was good. Although nothing could live up to Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times (dude!).

My Saturday call was somewhat monumental. I had my first inadvertant dural puncture while placing an epidural, aka "wet tap." The patient had a "shallow back," so that makes me feel a little better, but I am still disappointed. Oh, and she and her husband are lawyers. Needless to say, I spent much of my call checking up on her. Luckily she and hubby were very nice. She had a comfortable labor, and her headache was not too bad, so I got lucky. Well, another milestone reached.

Infatuation

I was on-call Saturday, so post-call (Sunday) I watched The Wedding Date while my son was out with my husband, and my daughter was napping. It was a nice, mindless kind of movie. Not very well written, but a feel-good movie. The best part was Dermot Mulroney, with whom I am utterly infatuated now. I have Googled him every day since. I don't think I ever have been this into a celebrity. I had gone through my Matthew McConaghy phase, but that passed, and I don't think I ever even Googled him. Well, I plan on watching each of Dermot Mulroney's movies until this, too, shall pass. As bad a movie as The Wedding Date was, I even find myself drawn to Debra Messing. I actually flipped to "Will and Grace" this evening.