Git 'er Done

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

★ I am in serious Getting Shit Done mode, and I like it.

Work out: check.
Cook a week's worth of dinners: check.
Clean out closet: check.
Get GA driver's license: check.
Register car: check.
Take car in for maintenance: check (and ouch).
Order books: check.
Answer email: check.
Give the dog a bath: check.
Basic Life Support certification: check.
Do taxes: check.
Wash white coat: check.

★ Also, there is this:

My Colorado plates... on my dining room table.

Brand spankin' new GEORGIA plates... ON MY CAR.

Yes, it has taken me this long to get new plates for my car. (Don't turn me in... I have actually also lived in Massachusetts and Virginia since buying my car six years ago, and didn't ever get plates in those states, either.) Part of it is that I hate taking care of stuff like "registration", and part of it is that I didn't want to take those green mountains off of my car. I feel like Colorado is a big part of my identity... it's kind of sad to have to give up this sign of my home state. Sort of silly, I know. 

Random Things

★ A couple of weeks ago I discovered the best-ever chili topping: goat cheese!! I had a bunch of friends over for dinner and I made so much chili that there was a ton left over, but no leftover sour cream. What's a girl to do? Well, when I have goat cheese in my fridge, the answer is usually "put it on top." Because the result is pretty much guaranteed to be delicious. (The same principle applies to cilantro, avocado, peanut butter and Nutella. Trust me.) 

★ New fuchsia lip gloss:

Three Weeks Into Clinical Rotations

... and I am the happiest I have been thus far in med school.

I am starting out on the Ambulatory Care block (referred to derisively by some as "shambulatory", but whatever). This just means out-patient care, and it has the reputation, deservedly, of being one of our easiest rotations, mostly because the hours are regular, we have weekends off and there is no call. 

The first six weeks consist of mornings in pediatric primary care and afternoons in subspecialty outpatient clinics, a week each in six different subspecialties: ENT, ophthalmology, orthopedics, palliative care, dermatology and urology. Everything so far has been very interesting, although it is obvious that there is no way I can go into ophthalmology, because I can never spell it correctly. The second six weeks will be all adult primary care. 

My pediatric clinic is actually the same one I went to every other week for OPEX during first/second year (I am with a different attending this time around).  It is 95% Spanish-speaking, and I love the crap out of it.  So many adorable, fat, beautiful Latin American babies everywhere... I want to take them all home all the time.  The Spanish part is my biggest challenge so far; I am sure that I would have no idea what was going on medically, either, even if I could understand everything that was being said, but mostly I feel like an idiot every minute I'm there, just trying to communicate on an embarrassingly basic level.  I am slowly, slowly getting a little more comfortable, though, and am so glad I am doing it. 

So many stories already, but they will have to come later... Martin just got here for some Atl fun!  :)