May 15, 2013

I love it when I'm done with my workout.

It means my daily obligations are over, and I can do what I want.

(Within reason. I'm on call tonight... )

How are all the Loungers tonight?

May 14, 2013

The thread-views have been restored. Crisis averted.

May 14, 2013

I just received this handwritten note from Will:

Mastr Robert o'th Subterranean Advocates of Self Rool:

I'm to Stratford for perhaps a fortnight, for to visit the huzziff and the little ones. I bring a fyne gift with me Anne shall surely bee fond of: I have commissioned a joiner for to prodoos a fyne bed & all necc. furniture, bedcloth's, &c., &c. This shall be our Best Bed at New Place for the lodging & comfort of all our honor'd guests. I look to my sweet brethren of The King's Men, visitors to Stratford, &c., &c., and always counting of course, your dear self, my good Robin. The second-bestt bed remains that given unto my wyfe for our weddyngg. And O! Robin! A cold territory it has becom since my time in London. Anne laments my long travails away from home, and laments even more my return from them. 'Tis true, sweet Robin, Susannah my girl is the onliest begetter of our marriage! As she was begott'n also by it!

But I shall harp no more on that string. I have left in your care my heart's desire for your missive upon this Satur-day direct. And we shall be merry when I return, for cakes and ale will all spring from my purse! Take with you my lover's embrace, good wishes for your continued health, &c., &c.

Your obn't servant,

Wm. Shakspere, gent.
New Place
Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Puzzling out Will's curlicued Secretary hand was a chore. But I think I got it all. So there will be an edition of WSTFTD this weekend. See you then.

May 11, 2013

Saturday, May 11th. The Weekend Edition of William Shakespeare's Thought For The Day.

Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all,
And art confederate with a damned pack..."

The Comedy Of Errors, Act IV, Scene 4, Lines 99-100.

May 9, 2013

Wow. I just had the most amazing experience with a patient.

He is one of my patients who refuses to sleep in the shelter. Prefers sleeping rough to spending time at a place that depresses him. So he's always a little rough himself; soiled, tattered, poor hygiene, you get the idea. He came in for a refill of his seizure medication, which I took care of for him.

Then he began to tell me about his recent depression. He always gets depressed around the anniversary of the death of his wife of 17 years. In the past, he has thought about killing himself in order to be with her again. Fortunately, he has a good friend who convinced him that if he committed suicide, he wouldn't go to heaven to be with his wife. Make of that what you will. There are non-believers, believers who view suicide as a mortal sin, and believers who don't. Whatever your view may be, I was just glad this friend had dissuaded him from killing himself.

My patient writes poetry to ease his depression, and console himself on her loss. Today, for the first time, he recited some of it for me. And let me tell you, the man has a gift. Subject matter, meter, rhyme, all of it was impeccable. I filled the purpose of his visit in 5 minutes, then spent the next 15 listening rapt as he recited these astonishing verses. He has one that is about the last two unicorns that would take your breath away.

I felt like I was in a movie; "Homeless man reveals divine gift for poetry and teaches us all a lesson about the value of life." That sort of thing. Make for a fairly standard Hollywood cliche, except it really happened.

I'm still in awe.

This is going in my memoirs someday...

I love this job...

May 9, 2013

It's good to know I'm not the only one who thinks the military's camouflage fetish has gone crazy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-military-has-10-kinds-of-camouflage-uniforms-government-duplication-at-its-finest/2013/05/08/58f2fe4e-b67c-11e2-bd07-b6e0e6152528_story.html?hpid=z3

As far as I'm concerned, bring back the old four-color woodland BDU pattern, and the simplified three-color desert pattern for all four services. And to hell with embedding the service logo in service-specific patterns!

I can appreciate the difficulty in eliminating these redundant, wasteful programs, though. If anyone were to cut funding for these programs, someone else would start screeching "You're cutting defense spending! You're leaving us vulnerable to terrorists!!!"

May 9, 2013

Having some chili in a bread bowl, and a nice Belgian ale. Wanna hang out?

Anybody?

Had a 'blah' day in clinic today. Nothing either bad or good. Just a day. Some company might be nice...

to all my Lounge peeps!

May 8, 2013

This is my "catch-up-on-paperwork" night at the clinic.

Then, off to the pub for ale and trivia!

May 7, 2013

One of my alcoholic patients is following up on his THIRD recent ER visit for pancreatitis.

I just had a conversation with him about this very thing two weeks ago. Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels?...

May 7, 2013

Whew! Allergy season is upon us!

I'm prescribing loratadine like it's going out of style!. It's going to be a busy late Spring...