Shopping

I've had many people ask me what my shopping secrets are...as most you know, I like nice things but can't pay top dollar for them. Thought I'd post a few things here to see if they can help others. Alternatively, I am more than happy to go shopping with you and spend UR money :P

1) Go often and for short periods of time. I get frustrated after about 1.5 hours or so unless I am specifically looking for something. You don't always have to buy something when you go.

2) Always have a running list of stuff in ur head (or ur purse) of what you need (ex socks, undies, tank tops, etc). Keep an eye out for it and buy it when u find something that you like.

3) Basics: very important to not only have them in ur wardrobe but also keep replenishing them. Remember, these are the things that you use most and will wear out faster. If they are on sale, even if you just bought some, get them! The worst is having to pay regular price for something you need at the last minute when you could have gotten it on sale. Some basics I reccomend every girl have:
a) black, white tank tops to wear under stuff
b) a few nice black pants/skirts that you can dress up and down
c) a few good pair of tights
d) good bras: white, black and skin color. If you wear sleeveless, have some
that can become strapless
e) if you needed, tummy slimmers/push up bra
f) a really hot pair of bra and undies that make U feel good even if nobody
else is going to see it

4) If you absolutely fall in love with it, JUST BUY IT! If you are like me, you are
going to think about it over and over again and then when you go back it's gonna be gone. If you really like it, you could wait for a sale :)

5) Trends: do not spend ridiculous amounts of money on very trendy stuff. The trendier or more out there it is, the less you should spend on it. These things don't last long (ie in a season or two you can't wear it any more). Take the extra money and spend it on the basics

6) If you kinda like it but not really or are wavering, leave it. You can always come back for it later

7) For any item of clothing or pairs of shoes you buy, think of at least 3 occasions where you can wear it (and 5 occasions if it is expensive).

8) If it costs $9.99 or less, just buy it...it's worth the price to make your closet look fuller :P

9) Never buy stuff that doesn't fit right unless you are willing to get it altered, especially if it is too small for you. You will NEVER lose that extra 5 lbs to fit into it (trust me). Lose it first then go back and buy it.

10) Know when stores have sales and always check out the clearance racks first. Good times to go: after the 2nd week of January, and the 2nd week of August.

11) Even if it is a store that you normally do not go into, if there is a sale, do a quick sweep through (no more than 5 minutes). You'll be surprised at what you can find!

12) Jewelry: have many pieces, different types and colors. Know the colors in your wardrobe that predominate. If you are buying something to match one thing, don't spend too much on it. This is a great place to experiement and go outside of your box. You can take a very simple outfit and totally dress it up or make it trendy with a piece of jewelry. Plus when u get sick of it, you don't feel bad about not wearing it anymore

That's it for now...if I think of anything more, I'll post it.

As for my life: Same old, same old. Will be very busy the next few months at work but May and June should be nice and light :)

Sweet and simple

Timing is indeed everything :)

Multiplicity

I had perhaps the oddest experience of my life. I'm a little skeptical of some of the diagnoses in the field of psychiatry (mind you, I believe that there are real psychiatric conditions that are organically rooted, however I believe some "diagnoses" are simply behaviors that some people adopt as a coping mechanism). One of them being, Dissociative Identity Disorder (or more commonly known as multiple personality disorder). Now all of us, at times, act like we have multiple personalities (you should see me some days when I'm super hyper :P) but for the first time I think I met someone who may have it.
My attending and I were examining a patient and all of a sudden she starts addressing herself by her name, and telling "her" what to do and how to behave (as if she were talking to someone else). While she is doing this, her facial expressions, her body language, etc. all changed...it's like I was looking at someone else. And when you tried to address her by her name, she just ignored you as if you weren't talking to her.
I must say, that had to be one of the oddest experiences of my life...and both my attending and I were freaked out.
If there is something in her brain, that allows it do so completely dissociate itself so as to adopt a new personality, then that just truly speaks volumes to how remarkable our brain is. Our personality, who we are, is the core of our being...and for one person to really be two (or more) people, is truly remarkable. This person had no idea that she had just switched on us like that. This "other" person speaks to us differently, has a different perspective, experiences life differently. I wonder if she is aware that she does this.
Left a chill up my spine that I can't seem to get rid of. As much as mankind has advanced with its understanding of how the world and all that is in it works, there is even more that we do not know or understand.

Serenity

"God to grant me the serenity to accept those that I cannot change and to accept those that I can change, namely me." Cunningham (internist, cardiologist, addiction doctor, recovering alcoholic and drug addict)

Doctors are intelligent beings...or so they say.

How long does it take 2 doctors to find their car, having parked it only 1.5 hours ago? at least 20 minutes. And how many times did they argue over whether or not they were in the right place/floor of the parking garage? too many to count. How did they finally find their car? They had to ask the guy directing the cars out of the garage.

Patients: we are supposed to know our patients. First thing they teach in medical school is make sure that you look at the name on the chart/report/lab work etc. to make sure it is the right patient. Well obviously we've been trained to do that. What we haven't been trained to do is make sure that the person you are talking to is actually the right patient. And the family u are talking to is the right family. It took my attending and I our second visit to see Mrs. X to realize that the patient we thought was Mrs. X yesterday was actually someone else...her room had been changed. And the family we spoke to for half an hour about their mom...well let's just say teh whole conversation was very confusing and didn't make sense...now it makes clear sense that the reason we were so confused is that we had spoken to the wrong patient and hence the wrong family. It's kinda scary how our common sense leaves us sometimes...