The End of Buffy

As I have discussed before (I think), Jill2 and I had the crazy idea of watching all the Buffy episodes (seasons 1-7) in order.  Well, that stroke of genius occurred back in the early days of 2003… and here we are in Aril 2005 and we’re done.  Just like that, no big hoopla or shebang… just another Buffy night that happened to be the last.  It was fun while it lasted.

Of course, we have no intention of abandoning our weekly get togethers, and we’re lanning to move on to Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. 🙂  We definitely won’t have time to get through all of them before graduation, but whatever we do get through will be fun!  And since "Star Trek The Next Generation Nights" is just way too long to say regularly, we’ll still be calling out little soirees "Buffy Nights".

My drive to work

So I thought I’d blog my drive to work this morning.. it’s the last time I’ll be driving out to the VA and a time will come when I don’t remeber this city as clearly… However, it was a gloomy, rainy, overcast morning and I was taking pictures on my cell phone while moving – so I don’t know how much of this will really be nostalgic later, since I can’t recognize a whole lot. 🙂

So this first picture is on Kingshighway heading north, right by Tower Grove Park.Picture(87).jpg

This one is the World’s Fair Donut Shop that I pass every morning (on Vandeventer).  It’s hard to see because of the rain on the windshield.  I’ve never actually been here… I wonder if they have maple bars (probably not).
Picture(88).jpg

Here is the construction at Vandeventer and Chouteau that has inconveniently removed a nice route home from school by removing a bridge.  Hopefully they will be putting it back up.
 Picture(89).jpg

This is at Vandeventer and Forest Park.  Not very interesting. Oh well.
 Picture(90).jpg

And here’s Vandeventer and Lindell – if you turn right here you’ll get to AJ’s school.
 Picture(91).jpg

This is the parking lot for the VA.  Kind of empty … guess I’m early. 🙂
 Picture(92).jpg

This is the semi-scary alley I have to walk in to get between the parking lot and the VA hospital.  I think homeless people might take refuge there sometimes, but I’ve never seen anyone there.  Today was my last day at the VA so I don’t have to walk there anymore.
 Picture(93).jpg

And here’s the front entrance to the VA.  The big black building with the air conditioner is the smoking shelter.  But it doesn’t do a very good job of sheltering the smoke so my lungs get just a little bit blacker each time I walk past it.
 Picture(95).jpg

Lunch

AJ and I had lunch at Applebee’s today – I had the grilled steak ceasar salad and AJ had the grilled chicken ceasar salad.  Afterwards we went to one of those car washing places and washed the Jeep – and I think we’re going to try and do my truck next weekend because it really could use a wash.  I only have 1 week left at the VA now, which is a little sad since I’ve actually been enjoying myself there.  I head over to SLU hospital next for 4 weeks.  Hopefully I’ll be lucky there and get a good team of residents and a nice attending.

Picture(84).jpg Picture(83).jpg

Next Steps…

… toward doing an away rotation in Seattle

#1 Complete the UW visiting student application and send it off (check)
#2 Be sure UW actually receives the application (check)
#3 Complete very thorough online interactive UW HIPAA training module (check)
                         (HIPAA = Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
#4 Send certificate of completion of #3 to UW (not check – have to do that this weekend)
#5 Wait
 – then hopefully –
#6 Get word that I have been accepted
#7 Do an away rotation in Seattle 🙂

… toward taking the USMLE Step 2 CK and CS

#1 Complete online portion of application (check)
#2 Pay approximately $1300 for the privilige of taking the exams (check)
#3 Complete paper portion of application complete with photos, signatures, and official school seals (not check, I hope I can do this tomorrow)
#4 Send all paper materials (not check, I should do it this weekend)
#5 Receive confirmation of registration in the mail with my super secret registration numbers
#6 Go online and register for the specific dates/locations I want to take the exams
#7 Study
#8 Take exams
#9 Wait
#10 Receive score reports
 – then hopefully –
#11 Smile and do the dance of joy for I have  done exceedingly well! 🙂

TV Shows I Like

So I admit that with the evolution of the PVR (personal video recorder) I have gone a little – or totally – hog wild on my TV watching.  The PVR just makes it so easy to search for and record anything that might strike my fancy.  I started with just recording my "must-see" shows… but now I’ve gone down the path of recording so much more.  Here is a sample week for my trusty PVR:

 Sunday  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy
 Monday How’d They Do That?, 7th Heaven, Las Vegas, 24
 Tuesday  Scrubs, The Office, Committed, American Idol, House
 Wednesday  Lost, Alias, American Idol Results Show
 Thursday  Joey, The Apprentice 3, Without a Trace, Tru Calling
 Friday  Medical Investigation, What I Like About You, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica
 Saturday  Enterprise, SNL
 Random Tonight Show (every night), random episodes of Sliders, Trading Spaces, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Forensic Files, The Office (BBC version) and any SciFi or Lifetime made-for-TV movies that may have struck my fancy 

So – I think that’s about it for a week. 🙂  I must say it is nice to be able to skip commercials and to always have something to watch when I want to veg out for a few minutes or before I fall asleep at night.  There were even some other shows that I wanted to watch this season – but (believe it or not) even with 2 PVRs I still get some conflicting time slots – which all in all is not really a bad thing.  I really don’t need MORE television in my life.

UW Got my App!

I just got an e-mail from UW saying that they received my Visiting Student Application! 🙂  This still doesn’t mean anything except that my $100 application fee is now theirs (ie: I don’t know if I got a rotation there yet) but it’s the first step!

Big smiles!!  🙂

Long day, stiff neck, glazed eyes….

I am currently sitting in the Med 2 conference room at the VA hospital.  I am on call today and so far I have had NO patients.  Believe me, I’m not complaining since it gives me time to get my "homework" done (I have to write out my History and Physicals to turn in to my Attending this week) but I have been sitting at this computer since 10:00AM (it’s now 5:00PM) with only about 1 hour break total (a few minutes at a time each).  That’s because I’m working onthat H&P – but now I’m finished with that.  Whoopee.  But now I also have a stiff neck and a little headache.  It’s because I don’t pay attention to how long I’ve sat here and hours and hours go by without me really moving at all…

But now I will.  Move that is.  Perhaps go get a snack.  Or go to the bathroom.  Or just walk up and down the stairs and watch my pedometer rack up the steps. 🙂  Yeah, that might be fun.

Only 4 more hours on call!  Then tomorrow’s a short day and I think AJ and I might go see a matinee movie since our weekend was cut short by this call day of mine.