Dinner with the Two Men in my Life

So my sis and mom are back in the home country doing my wedding clothes shopping and I'm babysitting my dad.

I asked my dad to go out to dinner tonight...and he wanted to bring my fiance along.

Very wierd having both of them out to dinner with me at once...especially b/c they don't have much to say to each other but thank god there weren't too may awkward silences (in part b/c my dad talks a lot, in part b/c my fiance was able to get my dad talking about stuff :P)

On our way back for the first time my dad realized that my fiance and I meet on a regular basis (man he is in such la la land) and he told me that my fiance is a "good man" (hear the indian accent in ur head when u read good man :P)

I really do think my dad likes my fiance more than i do :P tres cute...hopefully it will last! Amazingly, he's mellow around my fiance and doesn't insist on being right all the time...

Residency Training

Of late (actually since August), I've been bitching quite a bit about work and I've sorted out some issues in my head as to why.

1) Being a senior is tough...you make the final decisions, especially at night. You run the hospital. You often have nobody to turn to (ie a fellow senior). If your lucky the emerg doc on will be good and you can run things by them however, their focus is emerg not internal medicine. All in all, it can get very lonely

2) Now that I have things to do, I find work very intrusive, especially the hours. I always feel like that is the # 1 priority and everything else has to take a back seat. Even on my weekends off when I am doing other things, work is on my mind as there is SO much I have to do (ex. studying, working on a project, writing up a couple of case reports)

3) For some people, medicine is a calling. For me it's a job...I've said that before but now I truly feel it. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do and I enjoy it but I like my friend's philosophy...I work hard until 5 pm and then I go home...I walk out at 5 b/c then someone else is on. I don't need to stick around at all endless hours b/c some things can wait, other things can be handled by someone else. And this friend is a phenomenal resident.

4) Medicine is draining. Aside from the hours and all the stuff you have to do on your own time, the constant having to perform at 100% (and how people notice when you don't)...the things you see is draining. Aside from the medical issues, the social issues, the depressions, people's circumstances get you feeling down. It sucks the life out of you at times.

5) There are things in place to help residents lead a balanced life however if you are not proactive, they will not come searching for you. There should be some way to incorporate into our training tips and strategies to make yourself a priority despite having such a high stress and high demand job.

6) I wish I could go on a beach and veg for 6 months. Sigh :P

7) Can't wait till 3rd year starts and I get some of my life back

Orlando...land stuck in the 80s

So I went to Orlando for a conference in December...I must say, I've never seen so many peach and green or pink and blue or yellow buildings. I felt like I was back in Miami Vice. There is not much to do there except go shopping at the outlet malls which are OK...it's next to impossible to find a really good dining experience (although I do reccomend Pio Pio...this small Latin place in a strip mall that serves rotisserie chicken and some other items. VERY good food, very fresh, cheap (you could eat for about 20/person all inclusive) and felt like home cooking. Atmosphere is cute.

My impression of Orlando...I'm shocked it is a tourist city as there is no culture there...but then I guess I'm used to a more cosmopolitan/metropolitan thing and that's what I enjoy.

Drove down to Daytona Beach...hmmm...there isn't even a nice coffee shop to sit on and look out at the water. What there is instead is a few fast food places selling fries, and hot dogs and such along with an arcade/chucky cheese type establishment. Tres "classy"

Saw some jellyfish on the beach...kinda creep me out.