Beaten to the Punch: Lesley Ann Machado

Has anyone seen the latest Rosetta Stone commercials running on TV? I know it's a great system and people in the military get free access to it, but every time this commercial comes on, I usually stop what I'm doing and watch & listen intently. Why you ask? Because someone in wardrobe worked very very hard to get my attention; the least I can do is admire their talent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Vx9Tz6AA0


Up until today, I thought I was alone. Looks like I arrived late to the party.....again.

Army Fat Smoker Testing

The APFT (army physical fitness test) is coming up. From what I understand, in the past, officers (particularly non-combat) who were not meeting minimum PT standards were reprimanded, but not really punished. I am willing to bet medical officers were a respectable percentage of those numbers. Cuz we don't take shit from no one and we roll like that....

Lately, though, Big Army has been cracking down on us fatties in the officers' corps. Apparently, those who do not pass the PT test may flunk out of residency and be immediately deployable as a general medical officer. Suck.

So I am putting my floor to good use, practicing the front leaning rest position and beating my face, as they love to say. Max pushups in 2 mins, max situps in 2 mins, 2 mile run. Where are my gym shoes....

Through rose-colored glasses?

There are certain things that trigger memories of childhood for everyone. Sights, smells, songs, foods, textures....

When something triggers an old memory for me, it always seems like I am viewing the memory through a sepia-toned filter. Everything seems warm, a little yellowed with age, and static....frozen in time just the way I remember it, never changing.

Being away from home means being away from Chicago. Plainly put, my heart feels beaten and ripped sometimes because I miss it so much. I think I haven't really settled into Tacoma and the Northwest yet because I am having such a hard time letting go of the Midwest.

But you know what they say: laughter is the best medicine. As a physician, I can attest to that fact. What better way to kill 2 with 1 than this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNPp6x7j9I8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MxPoxxt7n0

I think John Hughes and I would have been great friends. RIP, John.


An entry dedicated to Chicago, the Midwest, and everything I like about it (and the few things I don't) is on my to-do list. But like a PERSONAL STATEMENT (also in the works), it is not something easily tackled. But it's on there.

As a token of how much the Windy City means to me, I even watched The Lake House. And.....hey, it wasn't that bad. Right?

Wow, this relationship might be a touch unhealthy.

*Addendum: I googled "rose-colored glass" and the first hit after the dictionary was for a play called "Rose Colored Glass" set in 1938 Chicago. Coincidence? I think NOT! Actually, it probably was coincidence.

Survivorman

The second month of my intern year is ending. Anesthesia has been educational, but sometimes frustrating. One day, while waiting for my microwave soup, I flipped through The New Yorker and this poem caught my eye (mostly because I am a fan of the TV show by the same name):



"Survivorman"



Here's a fact: some people want to live more

Than others do. Some can withstand any horror



While others will easily surrender

To thirst, hunger, and extremes of weather.



In Utah, one man carried another

Man on his back like a conjoined brother



And crossed twenty-five miles of desert

To safety. Can you imagine the hurt?



Do you think you could be that good and strong?

Yes, yes you think; but you're probably wrong.



-Sherman Alexie



I think people who have never been truly physically tested, like myself, think that they're hard or very capable of handling physical adversity. For myself, my default frame of mind is "I can do that." But like the line says, I'm probably wrong.