2008 Reading List

Continuing in my quest to read less and less each year:

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

This book was pretty engaging, an interesting account of the author's life in Afghanistan.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver

An account of a year's worth of sustaining a family by only buying locally, growing fruits/vegetables, and harvesting poultry. Is this really possible? Probably not for your average working family, although it did make me think more about supporting my local economy.

Bringing Down the House - Ben Mezrich

This one had been in my reading pile for a long time, but I had to read it before going to see "21". Still can't seem to win at poker.

I am America (And So Can You!) -Stephen Colbert

If 1,000 monkeys typing on 1,000 typewriters can randomly peck out "War and Peace", this is what 10 crackpots armed with macbooks and endless coffee can do. Ridiculously goofy.

Not So Funny When it Happened - Tim Cahill

I don't remember this one too well, but I think that it did make me smile.

Intern, A Doctor's Initiation - Sandeep Jauhar

My mother sent me this one. It's the story of one guy's progression through residency. He struggles to find balance between family life and work. A lot more sunny perspective than "House of God".

The World Without Us - Alan Weisman

If you suffer from insomnia, this one's for you. There were some interesting points along the way, but so slow and painful.

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

Haven't seen the movie. I read this soon after returning from Alaska. Kind of a bizarre story, and tragic to die so close to aid under the delusion of a wilderness adventure. Wondered if the guy wasn't an undiagnosed schizophrenic.

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Joined a book club, read the book, then missed the meeting (oops). I have another book of his sitting on my shelf, but this one was kind of weird. I think I missed the romance behind the protagonist's delusion that if he could seduce one widow, he was fated to wait out the marriage of his one true love and get the girl in the end. Also, enemas? Not an intimacy to be shared between lovers! Ugh.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I decided to finish off 2008 by breaking my right pinkie toe. It was stupid-- I was putting away laundry and just managed to stub it hard on the corner of the bed. I've iced it, buddy-taped it, and have been taking ibuprofen when I can remember to. Most of the time, it's fine, but it has caused me to hobble around and try to heel walk on that side at work the last two nights.

Behold, the unhappy piggy (ignore the sad state of my toenail polish):

All in all, 2008 has been a great year: I fell in love, ran a half marathon, had a great Alaskan adventure, and have signed a contract for my first "real" job. My family and friends are doing well, and I really can't complain. Overall, I feel happy and confident, and can't remember the last time that I have had so many things to look forward to.

2009 however, is off to a violent start. I worked the overnight shift, and despite starting out with an empty ED, it was crazy. At midnight we wore party hats and toasted each other with sparkling cider. We potlucked, and waited for the chaos. It finally started at about 1:30. Multiple patients with multiple stabbings, several overdoses, too many head lacerations to count, and every kind of skull fracture/head bleed combo imaginable: depressed fractures, non-depressed fractures, subarachnoid bleeds, subdural bleeds, intraventricular bleeds with impending herniation. That last one is going to turn into the first homicide of the year... our charge nurse was joking at the beginning of the shift that there should be a door prize for the first homicide of the year like there is for the first baby born in a local hospital (yes, we are a dark-humored group).

I spoke with AG this morning, and he sounded in good spirits (although getting tired of lobster, poor boy!).

So here's to 2009: Bring it on!