Five Things Are Late About Me
I realize that I'm kind of late to the Five Things Meme Party, but outsidetheparty kindly offered the following Five Things to Know About Me weeks ago, and I'm just getting around to tackling them. It's been...a little busy.
Philadelphia
Skin
Cooking
Motherhood
Spoo
Interested?
Philadelphia
W.C. Fields was interviewed in 1925 by Vanity Fair, and in the course of the interview, he proposed his own epitaph: "Here lies W.C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia", suggesting that the one place worse than Philadelphia is one's grave. (For those of you playing at home, Ronald Reagan also used this line as an homage to W.C. Fields when he was at GW Hospital recovering from his 1981 assassination attempt.)
Mr. Fields, I couldn't agree more.
Suffice it to say, I've never been a Philly fan (or "Phan", as we spell it in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection). As late as this past fall, I was hoping that the Red Sox would win the American League Championship so that Boston could teach these Phillies phanatics how to play baseball.
That said, cybersattva and I have been in Philadelphia longer than we've been anywhere else. Although many of our major life events happened elsewhere (engaged in Northern California, married in the Berkshires, honeymoon in England and Wales), we always came home to Philadelphia. Our first really-and-truly shared space was in Philadelphia, without the burden of a Little Jesus apartment for appearance sake. Our first house is here, and the pug we bought the house to have. (More on Spoo below.) Our son was born here, in The Little Hospital Ben Franklin Built.
So, it is a little weird that maybe 50 yards in front of me, in the middle of the front lawn, now sits a pristine Coldwell Banker sign that reads "For Sale". That's right, kids -- we're leaving Philadelphia. Which sort of brings me to...
Skin
It is interesting to reflect on this topic, given that Thursday is Match Day in the medical world, when graduating medical students find out what speciality they'll be practicing where. It's a big, big, big day for a med student. It really isn't an overstatement to say that one's future in large part depends upon that little white envelope they hand you at noon on Match Day. Inside the envelope is a little slip of paper that tells you where you'll spend the next several years of your life, and what you'll be doing with them. My envelope basically said "Skin, in Philly."
And, up until last June, I had been following the Envelope's instructions. I decided to stay for a fourth year, which is known as a fellowship, in Dermatopathology, and when I graduate from the fellowship this June, I will be just about as specialized and educated as they're going to let me be. Now it's time to get out there and work. In addition to my fellowship responsibilities, I did pass my Boards (Blessed Be!) and I've been practicing part-time at the same institution as a Dermatologist. It keeps me out of trouble anyway.
In Boston, I've joined a very large multidisciplinary practice and my office will be right next to Fenway Park. (!) I'll be seeing patients 3 days per week, and reading slides one day per week to start. Eventually I might want to tweak that schedule somewhat, depending on....
Motherhood
cybersattva and I had a baby too! I don't post much about it simply because I don't post to LJ that much to begin with. Believe me, he is quite made of awesome. Any ambivalence I felt initially about motherhood, (and there was plenty), has melted away. I still love my job, and I still think it was the right decision for me to go back to work, but I simply enjoy spending time with him more when that isn't the only thing I do.
So as means of segue, here's a poignant moment from the day after Jack was born. I think Jack was off getting his hearing tested or his foreskin cut off (oo!) or something, and I got all teary thinking of Spoo. cybersattva naturally asked what was the matter, and I said that (in addition to the hormones fluctuating), I was sad for Spoo, whose life would be changed forever, and he would never understand why. This is where The Therapist (played, in my montage, by Anthony Steward Head --hey! It's my montage!) tilts his head to one side and observes gently, "Spoo's life isn't the only one that's changed forever, is it?" ANYway, Spoo recovered, and so have I.
Spoo
My pug, and adorable Eldest. He's teaching Jack everything he knows. Spoo is named for mythically herding creatures in the Babylon 5 universe that happened to have exceptionally delicious meat. They also happened to have exceptionally harrowing sighs, which grew louder and more harrowing as the day of slaughter approached. I don't know. Naming our pug after a melancholy mythical animal seemed appropriate at the time. Besides, "Spoo" -- it's perfect, just like him.
Cooking
The thing about work is, it's funny how things that used to be chores slowly morph into hobbies. Cooking is that thing for me. I can happily fritter around in the kitchen for the better part of the weekend. This is a good outlook to have, since one of my weekend tasks is preparing meals for the rest of the week, including Jack's baby food. Jack, unlike his buddy Stellan, has not got any teeth yet so I'm continuing to nurse him as much as possible, and drag my breastpump to work each day. However, he has attained the age at which he has begun to put away childish things and eat as Men do. Today's Menu for Men, for example, included oatmeal, puree of golden beets, applesauce, and banana foam. I tell you, armed with my trusty immersion blender, I'm a menace to any vegetable!
Would you like to play this game? I will gladly suggest to you 5 items of interest.
Philadelphia
Skin
Cooking
Motherhood
Spoo
Interested?
Philadelphia
W.C. Fields was interviewed in 1925 by Vanity Fair, and in the course of the interview, he proposed his own epitaph: "Here lies W.C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia", suggesting that the one place worse than Philadelphia is one's grave. (For those of you playing at home, Ronald Reagan also used this line as an homage to W.C. Fields when he was at GW Hospital recovering from his 1981 assassination attempt.)
Mr. Fields, I couldn't agree more.
Suffice it to say, I've never been a Philly fan (or "Phan", as we spell it in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection). As late as this past fall, I was hoping that the Red Sox would win the American League Championship so that Boston could teach these Phillies phanatics how to play baseball.
That said, cybersattva and I have been in Philadelphia longer than we've been anywhere else. Although many of our major life events happened elsewhere (engaged in Northern California, married in the Berkshires, honeymoon in England and Wales), we always came home to Philadelphia. Our first really-and-truly shared space was in Philadelphia, without the burden of a Little Jesus apartment for appearance sake. Our first house is here, and the pug we bought the house to have. (More on Spoo below.) Our son was born here, in The Little Hospital Ben Franklin Built.
So, it is a little weird that maybe 50 yards in front of me, in the middle of the front lawn, now sits a pristine Coldwell Banker sign that reads "For Sale". That's right, kids -- we're leaving Philadelphia. Which sort of brings me to...
Skin
It is interesting to reflect on this topic, given that Thursday is Match Day in the medical world, when graduating medical students find out what speciality they'll be practicing where. It's a big, big, big day for a med student. It really isn't an overstatement to say that one's future in large part depends upon that little white envelope they hand you at noon on Match Day. Inside the envelope is a little slip of paper that tells you where you'll spend the next several years of your life, and what you'll be doing with them. My envelope basically said "Skin, in Philly."
And, up until last June, I had been following the Envelope's instructions. I decided to stay for a fourth year, which is known as a fellowship, in Dermatopathology, and when I graduate from the fellowship this June, I will be just about as specialized and educated as they're going to let me be. Now it's time to get out there and work. In addition to my fellowship responsibilities, I did pass my Boards (Blessed Be!) and I've been practicing part-time at the same institution as a Dermatologist. It keeps me out of trouble anyway.
In Boston, I've joined a very large multidisciplinary practice and my office will be right next to Fenway Park. (!) I'll be seeing patients 3 days per week, and reading slides one day per week to start. Eventually I might want to tweak that schedule somewhat, depending on....
Motherhood
cybersattva and I had a baby too! I don't post much about it simply because I don't post to LJ that much to begin with. Believe me, he is quite made of awesome. Any ambivalence I felt initially about motherhood, (and there was plenty), has melted away. I still love my job, and I still think it was the right decision for me to go back to work, but I simply enjoy spending time with him more when that isn't the only thing I do.
So as means of segue, here's a poignant moment from the day after Jack was born. I think Jack was off getting his hearing tested or his foreskin cut off (oo!) or something, and I got all teary thinking of Spoo. cybersattva naturally asked what was the matter, and I said that (in addition to the hormones fluctuating), I was sad for Spoo, whose life would be changed forever, and he would never understand why. This is where The Therapist (played, in my montage, by Anthony Steward Head --hey! It's my montage!) tilts his head to one side and observes gently, "Spoo's life isn't the only one that's changed forever, is it?" ANYway, Spoo recovered, and so have I.
Spoo
My pug, and adorable Eldest. He's teaching Jack everything he knows. Spoo is named for mythically herding creatures in the Babylon 5 universe that happened to have exceptionally delicious meat. They also happened to have exceptionally harrowing sighs, which grew louder and more harrowing as the day of slaughter approached. I don't know. Naming our pug after a melancholy mythical animal seemed appropriate at the time. Besides, "Spoo" -- it's perfect, just like him.
Cooking
The thing about work is, it's funny how things that used to be chores slowly morph into hobbies. Cooking is that thing for me. I can happily fritter around in the kitchen for the better part of the weekend. This is a good outlook to have, since one of my weekend tasks is preparing meals for the rest of the week, including Jack's baby food. Jack, unlike his buddy Stellan, has not got any teeth yet so I'm continuing to nurse him as much as possible, and drag my breastpump to work each day. However, he has attained the age at which he has begun to put away childish things and eat as Men do. Today's Menu for Men, for example, included oatmeal, puree of golden beets, applesauce, and banana foam. I tell you, armed with my trusty immersion blender, I'm a menace to any vegetable!
Would you like to play this game? I will gladly suggest to you 5 items of interest.