The packing begins...

So the moving process has begun. The truck is reserved, the carpet cleaners are coming, the bills are set to cancel. Woo? I don't want to rush pack my apartment like we did when we moved out my brother. I want it to be much more relaxed. So every day I'm starting to put stuff away/up/in boxes. I started with the books...because I needed a break from those!!! Today I packed up my professional clothes, because obviously I won't be needing those in the next week. Over the course of the summer, sure, I'll probably need them, but they can go for now! In the process I did not realize how many pairs of dress pants I had!! At least ten!!! It was kind of ridiculous!

 Just the hangers from the dress clothes...

 Glory! There is a wall back there!!!

Thank goodness for Spacebags!!

Voy a Argentina!!!

I'm going to Argentina!! It's official!!! Honestly, it's exactly what I needed right now. Getting the hell away and doing nothing but what I want to, haha. I am also, I think, planning a fantastic set of things to do while we're there.

Originally we were thinking we'd hop over to Uruguay, but after consulting the ferry schedules (and their prices...) the thought of the moment is to just enjoy being in and around Buenos Aires. Why push it??

I'm watching this Shania Twain thing on OWN...I've been listening to her sing and speak for years...and she's never had a Canuck accent...but here when she's talking to her Canadian friends...good.lord. I'll admit it. I am/was a huge Shania Twain fan. I was a fan BEFORE the crossover nonsense!


I've been a bit bored today since taking the COMP on Friday. I was mostly exhausted, but I'm already a bit bored, haha. Hopefully tomorrow I can find some worthwhile activities that involve me getting out of the house!

Well done, sir!

I'm so glad that you're enough of a man to come talk to me if you have a problem with me or something that I did, instead of stooping to the middle school antics of some of those around you. To burn a bridge with a future colleague in such a fashion would be completely unexpected from someone of your age and experience...

Really, I should thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson about trying to be there for people one thinks his friends. Next time I see one of my friends about to jump off a cliff I shall force myself to keep silent... 

Whatever your endeavors, best of luck.

(A message from me to a colleague in a not-so-subtle way saying you're acting like an ass...)

It's amazing the things you don't want to put up with when you don't have to, anymore. It's also amazing the about face you and other people take on issues and opinions when, previously, all were on the same page. I think a lot of people have experienced reverse culture shock, which is totally understandable. Imagine going from one of the least populated, poorest islands in the Caribbean, to MIAMI, one of the top ten metro areas in the United States. Quite a change, no? Just for comparison, the COUNTY, that I grew up in is the same size geographically as Dominica, but has ten times the population. I also think that a lot of people who aren't here yet can be a bit envious and it shows in how snarky and snippy they get. Yeah, I'm still a bit cheesed. My feelings don't mend easily.

It took awhile for me to get used to the traffic again, just because I'd barely driven in over a year. I could probably live with it out, but in a way it energizes me. It shows that there are PEOPLE here, that there is life here, that there is STUFF going on. My primary complaint is the lack of lane etiquette. In Atlanta, more or less, there is a tendency for slower drivers to stay right. Not.so in Miami!

I've really enjoyed being in a more urban area. I like that all the stores are within a few minutes drive, or I can even walk to a few, although due to the fact that I don't want to care twenty pounds of groceries across US-1 I typically drive, haha.

Family Medicine

Soooo, for two weeks I'm was with with a Family Practitioner.

What I learned:

South Florida also has a very large Eastern European population...so much for kicking myself to learn Spanish. It was useful when some of the hispanic patients came in, but obviously useless with the Romanian doctor, the Russian PA, and their patients. Oh yeah, and some Yiddish, too!

I can recognize a pill seeker from a mile away. Addiction specialty anyone?

I am pretty good at talking to people about their personal problems.

COPD is pretty easy to diagnose, lol.

Saw a case of Raynaud's. Two cases of SLE. A couple myasthenia gravis. Sickle cell.

Saw a mom who wanted to put her 13-year old daughter on BC.

Mothers have no business running the office for their sons.

I learned that I really really really enjoy talking to patients be they difficult or cooperative.

Written quite a few weeks ago...oops

I ran into some MERP students today. MERP and 5th Semesters many days have class in the same building. As soon as we established our respective place in the medschool totem pole (doesn't really matter because we're all at the bottom) I was bombarded with questions about Dominica. My number one advice -- roll with it and just expect to have crap days, and chew on it.


Ok, fast forward to today:
I have had so fewer days like that!! Daily existence is not such a challenge here. Even though I'm not in a place where I grew up, or really had ever been before, I am comfortable here. I like it here. The culture here expects something out of itself, and isn't complacent with status quo or has the attitude "that's the way we do things here."