caved

I finally caved and did the 25 random things via Facebook. I enjoyed it. Damn. I enjoyed it enought to pass it on via the ol' blog as I know some of you (wisely) have not succomed to the Facebook yet.

1) I love writing, but I become resistant to writing when I am pressured to do so…this extends to many other facets of my life, such as making pancakes.
2) I make really good pancakes.
3) I rode an ostrich once. True story. In South Africa. It threw me after about 7 seconds.
4) Thanks to my parents, I had visited all 50 States before I graduated high school.
5) I was voted most likely to succeed in High School
6) It took me 4 tries to get into medical school
7) I was Class President 3 out of 4 years in Medical School
8) I am really good at selling things
9) I hate to lie, but can be very good at it
10) I complain about my children and consequent lack of sleep a lot, but I don’t know what I’d do if I was well rested anyway. (read that as: I am extremely proud of my children)
11) Self depreciating humor is my primary defense mechanism, and I’m terrible at it
12) I still want to be a rock star, or more specifically, a one-hit-wonder
13) I love the way my dogs smell
14) My wife also happens to be my best friend
15) If I could chose another profession right now, it would be as a writer
16) I love my job…really, love it. How many people can say that?
17) I make a lot of plans which Jana describes as “The Hamster Wheel”
18) One of my hobbies is visiting National Parks. We have been to over 150 of them.
19) When I was a Forensic Scientist, my favorite part of the job was testifying in court
20) I have difficulty with the dichotomy of needing to be social and wanting to be alone. This is why I go to the gym to work out and refuse to speak with anyone
21) I wish I was a better guitar player
22) I once got a fortune cookie that read “You long for the pyramids of Egypt,” but I had already seen them
23) I collect Native American artwork and my most precious pieces are Jana, Jackson, Jonathan, and Ella. (They were all recently voted into the Kenaitze tribe)
24) I like it immensely when people anticipate my needs and meet them. It makes the transition from work at the hospital to purchasing cheese in the grocery store very difficult. (Why won’t these people get out of my way, don’t they see that I am a doctor?)
25) I have managed to commute on bicycle intermittently yet consistently for most of my adult life and have a hard time envisioning a home where I have to drive all the time.

25 Random Things

"I am fast. Somewhere between a snake and a mongoose...and a puma." I like The Office. Not such a random thing if you know me. As most of you know, I spend a little too much time on the FB. Fortunately it is addicting enough that many of my "friends" spend far more time than me. Thus, the "25 random things about me" note that is working its way around the ol' interweb via FB. Should I do it? Does anyone care about my randominity? How does one create a list of random things and how should they be numbered?

No good answer. I guess I'll play along. All the other cool kids are doing it.

Vamos a la playa

For all of my friends and the great Lucha Libre times we had in Mexico...

I have to see a man about a horse...

Houston, we have poop in the potty. Okay, so maybe not allowing your child to wear a diaper and feeding him dairy based products is not the most humane thing in the world, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We had one accident earlier today (fortunately at daycare, well, fortunately for me) but after nearly 48 hours of holding it, the boy's backside and the potty collided at an opportune moment and briefly, everyone was happy. Keep you fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Our Wars: A New Hope

(I made that title up all by myself. So clever and so modest.) Inaguration day. A new President, and many of us are hopeful for change in America. Will it happen? Unlikely to the degree that the cult of personality around President Obama has built up, but at least we will be heading in a new direction. Political posts are far and few between on this site, because it is not my specialty. If I were given the choice of becoming President of the United States or a one-hit wonder, I would choose the one-hit wonder path in a blink of the eye.

I hope that our place in the world is viewed as less of a bully and more of a model to which other countries would aspire. Unlike our previous President, I think there is more than just good and evil. Unfortunately there is a marked gray area in the middle that our country has fallen into over the past few years. Okay, maybe it has always been there, as that is the nature of international politics. The simple idea that we are all that is good, and can do no wrong, is delusional and hurtful to people, cultures, and governments all over the world. There are few people or entities that can rightfully claim this (Jesus, the Beatles, Joe Francis). I am just looking forward to the change and the ability to listen to my President without cringing at every other word coming out of his mouth.

'Nuff said. Now to something more important...we got the peeing in the potty thing down. How to we get the poop there? Jackson "ran out of diapers" a couple of days ago and is getting really uncomfortable. For the eight of you who seem to check in every day or so, thanks. I have resolved to try and write something, anything every day. It may be short (hallelujah, you say) but I need to keep in the habit. It is a necessary release in my life. Peace and hope to all.

Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers took my seat. Well, more correctly it was Melissa Rivers, her daughter, but I really blame Joan. We are on our way back to civilization - Yelapa, Mexico to Los Angeles - and as a minor treat and as a side effect of the airline reservation process, Jana and I are flying First Class. Well, we're supposed to be flying First Class. Did I mention that Joan Rivers stole my seat? There is also a seven year old child up there. A waste of amenitites if I have ever seen one. (Truly the plebian, cattle car mentality from the back of the plane. WHo really deserves to sit in First Class?

It has beena pretty odd day. Recovery from a wedding, snorkelling, and a water taxi ride forty five minutes from civilization. At the start of our ride we were flagged down by a simillar boat asking if there was a doctor aboard? Jumping to obligation with lead feet, myself and an Obstitrician offered our services. A young man had been run over by one of the ponga type obats and had a fairly severe laceration to his elbow. I could see the head of his humerus and the adjoining (no pun intended) joint space. Fortunately minimal bleeding. The OB offered to stay with him (I take back everything I have ever said about an OBs medical skills) as our plane was pending and he was skiffed off to a near by puerto and awaiting ambulance. I speculate that he will need orthopedic surgery. The cut was fairly deep. It is rare (read: only happened twice...did I tell you about the guy who had a seizure at the gym?) that I have been called to duty in public situations, and despite initial relucatance as is human nature, I am comforted that I stepped up. Jana said she would have ratted me out anyway.
The delay led us to meet with one of the most creative and above the law cab drivers that I have ever encountered and our timing at the airport. Right behind Joan Rivers. Who took my seat. Why do I have to sit back here with all the mortals in Coach? Stupid Joan Rivers.