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24th July 2008

For those of you without the $90 to spend on DVDs…

iTunes has just released Season 1-3 on the downloadable DVDs, for a mere $25.87 ($1.99 each episode). The Christmas episodes aren’t there and obviously, there’s no “behind the scenes” commentary or David Tennant diaries, but still, it’s an option.

I was also going to say that X-Files season 1-3 is also available. But those are much more expensive and Season 1 is missing one of the best episodes (Beyond the Sea), so personally I’d wait (well, personally, I already own the DVDs, so the point is moot. Moot. I love that word).

My X-Files party went splendidly, by the way. There was a newbie in the crowd, so we watched The Pilot (always a favorite), Squeeze and Post-Modern Prometheus, which was voted the favorite. I gave a quite the girlie scream and betrayed my cool demeanor during Squeeze, even though I’ve seen it a dozen times and knew what was going to happen…. I’m never going to survive tomorrow/Saturday when I finally get to see the movie.

I got recertified in ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) yesterday. Man, it’s so much easier after two years of experience. I haven’t run a code in months, but just knowing exactly what the drugs do and the thought process and the pathophysiology helps so much. At the end of med school, I was so clueless and ignorant. I’m still behind the time (ask my attending when I was unable to tell him what the common side effects of niacin are), but at least, I’m better than I was two years ago.

And other than that, not much going on. My life revolves around the various clinics and I’m getting a little wearied at the constant change. Every place has different expectations, different places to hang your bag, different places to find forms, etc, and it’s tiring learning it all over again, both morning and afternoon. Plus, clinic patients always drain me. I don’t get the chance to review their labs and their images, or whatever. They’re there for those 20 minutes and they want answers, regardless of whether I have them, so I’m always thinking on the fly and I hate that. Still enjoying the free evenings. Tonight I picked raspberries, tripped on one of the bushes and lost the entire bowl. Luckily, I have a very abundant crop this year and was able to pick more to use with the Yogurt Cream that I made for my XF party (sooo good. Sooo creamy. So many calories (we’re ignoring the advice about using whipping cream and going with milk next time. It may taste better, but I’m the only one around to eat the leftovers and golly, the guilt!).

I really need to do laundry.

Oh, yeah, and Happy Pioneer Day! I rather miss the middle of July state holiday. Any special celebrations? BBQs? I wish I was there, but in the mangled words of Brigham Young, “This is the right place for me.” Hee.

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2nd May 2008

maybe I should be checked for early onset dementia

So I’ve been sitting here on my sister’s couch, catching up on the internet, trying to figure out her TV so I can watch LOST (still catching up on season 3. Two disks to go!), and wondering why my flist wasn’t alive in DW gushing about the latest episode. No reaction posts, nothing. It’s only dawned on me now, that it’s Friday, not Saturday. πŸ™

My flight yesterday was delayed by 3 hours because of a blizzard in Denver. A blizzard on the first of May. I shouldn’t be so surprised, my mother couldn’t make it to my college graduation because of a blizzard on May 5th (and my roommate’s mom and sisters were actually in a wreck because of that same snowstorm in Colorado when they were driving out). But still. SO I didn’t arrive to Phoenix until almost 1 in the morning, which is 3 in the morning my time, and I’ve been utterly exhausted all day long. I’ve taken one nap, am contemplating a second, but I’m still in my PJs. and I probably shower before they get home from work. Usually a wise idea.

I’m also getting a cold sore. Usually a harbinger of other symptoms. Maybe that’s why I feel so drained.

I’m in Phoenix for the weekend, to see my sister and her husband and my mom’s family. As usual, it’s been the comedy of errors trying to figure things out. But I hope to spend good quality time with my grandma and I should catch up with a friend from high school as well.

It’s 90 degrees today here. And it was snowing in Denver. Weird. I was going to swim this afternoon, but May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and I know better than going out at noon to go swimming with my fair skin. Even with SPF50. So instead, I’m lathering up, and going to go take pictures of baby ducks. Ta!

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12th April 2008

I swear I did not fudge the results


In a Past Life…


You Were: A Redhead Warrior.

Where You Lived: Central Africa.

How You Died: Consumption.

I like this meme. It only asks one question. I can do those. πŸ™‚

(The song was a random iTunes choice as well)

I went out to dinner with my friend Erika, who is having a much worse time (and for more legitimate issues) than I, which helped getting me out of my funk. We had Indian food, which I swear, makes everything better. I, of course, had the chicken tikka masala, which is the perfect comfort food, creamy and savory. Afterwards, we came back and watched Enchanted which was almost enough to get me out of my cynical mood. I am supremely jealous of Amy Adams’ long, gorgeous, vibrant red hair. *frowns at hair that’s becoming more strawberry blond every day* I loved all of her dresses, except for her ball gown, which was a lovely shade of purple, but the bodice was all kinds of ugh.

I then finished my day by watching Doctor Who that featured another gorgeous red head (I didn’t like Donna’s hair the past episode, the bangs and style made her face seem square; today’s was perfect), and she was wearing a toga in that same shade of purple! I loved this episode. cut for mild spoilers

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17th December 2007

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1st September 2007

Tardus Semita

Title: Tardus Semita
Author: Julia (jcd1013)
Characters: Ten/Rose, Eleven/Rose
Rating: All ages
Warnings: General spoilers for Doomsday and Gridlock. Character death.
Summary: Living the slow path means facing the fact that someday, he’ll lose her.
Author’s Notes: Written for the Anywhere But Cardiff ficathon. My prompt was: Blackpool, England, 21st century, which turned into a rather “blink and you’ll miss it” mention. Sorry about that. Especially big thanks to shirerain for looking over it and reassuring me that it wasn’t terrible and valancy_s for the last minute editing job.

Humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you…
~ Doctor Who, School Reunion

She’s twenty-five when her family convinces her that she needs a vacation.

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21st August 2007

do I twist or do I fold

When my family came and visited, I introduced my sister to Doctor Who. She watched the whole first season while she was here and then, I, being the wonderful sister that I am, lent her the second season. She finished it, loved it appropriately and mailed it to me last Tuesday. Priority. It’s now A WEEK LATER and I still don’t have it.

!!!!

I’m about to start a search party. With torches and flyers. Who’s with me? My poor DVDs. Luckily, she insured them, but, oh my babies! *sniff* I’m going through withdrawals! I tried to watch my X-Files DVDs last night to make up for the loss, but I’m on the early part of season 4 and the episode was Home, which I have to fastforward anyhow because it’s too disturbing (I’d skip it entirely, but it has some of the best Mulder/Scully snark of the entire season) and it just didn’t make me feel light hearted and schmoopy. And I’m in the mood for some DW schmoopiness. Either that or dance movies. I got a hankering to do a Strictly Ballroom/Shall We Dansu/Shall We Dance (should I add in Havana Nights, Liz?) marathon. I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with me.

****

It’s my last week on the “easy rotations,” my last weekend free for 3 months. I’m looking forward to next month, I’ll be in the medical ICU, but it will be Q4 call and they will be very busy calls and very long hours, so it’ll be back to the grind. I just got an email with the 18 page orientation document. 18 pages of “Thou Shall Not’s” which is just succeeding in making me irate. Nothing like treating a bunch of professional physicians as junior high schools, where we’re threatened with “disciplinary action” if we miss a conference.

Oh and to add to the fun, I’ll be taking Step 3 the day after I finish the rotation. The day after. When I tried to register for it this month, they were completely booked, I even looked as far as Urbana Ill and nothing. So, all of my free time this next month will be spent craming. Even more fun! Oh, and I’m still doing the whole application thing for my license. Yeah, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.

I’m off to the gym, as my attendance will be sharply decreasing next month. I was doing great, down another pound, until this morning, when I stepped onto the scale and it put me back to my starting weight. The scale has been banished forthwith.

ETA: So as I step out of my house to go to the gym, I catch a flicker of movement. Tiny movement. Of a mouse scampering into the foliage right next to my house. And of course, right next to the sidewalk to my garage. I already battled a huge moth in the shower today (in the shower!!) and lost, so I’ve been a little edgy most of today. So I ran down my sidewalk to my car, having these horribly fantasies that the mice are invading my house–I haven’t seen any evidence of them inside, and I’ve had enough mouse problems in the past that I know what to look for… but, I don’t know how that moth got inside either.

Continuing. I get back from working out, open up my garage door, and there, on my sidewalk, is a huge, dead squirrel. The size of a toy dog. Dead. I don’t know if it got poisoned or missed a limb, but it’s dead. Right outside my garage. I let out a shrink, slammed the door and am now parked out front and sitting on the couch shuddering.

I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t touch rodents. I can’t. Live, dead, it doesn’t matter. Irrational, I know, but I’m afraid that they’re going to jump at me. I guess I’m going to have to be girly and see if my next door neighbor can help me out. Either that or one of the church guys. And I think I’m going to have to get a visit from the Orkin man, because I am not having a mouse infestion this winter. Anybody have any experience with a pest controller, as in a price range?

ETA #2 And it’s supposed to down pour tonight. Which means I’ll have soggy squirrel to deal with in the morning. Oh, and my trash is being emptied in the morning, which would be an ideal time to get rid of the thing. If I could just force myself to get rid of it! *cries*

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14th August 2007

Question for (classic) Doctor Who fans

A quick internet search didn’t reveal any answers, so I come to you.

Did the Doctor ever have any older companions? And what’s the longest, canonily, that a companion was with the Doctor?

Thanks. πŸ™‚

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3rd July 2007

Late as always

This went through about three days ago. Yeah, I’m slow like that.

When you see this post a quote from Doctor Who on your LJ

“Doctor, they’ve got guns.”

“And I haven’t. Which makes me the better person, don’t ya think? They can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine.”
~ Army of Ghosts

I rewatched Army of Ghosts, Doomsday and then Fear Her this evening. And it’s still such a sucker punch. I still cry. πŸ™

Found one of the best ever reviews/exploration of season three and the finale, (which I liked, btw, flaws and all) here. I disagree with some of the premises, but it’s really well written and literature based and it almost, almost redeems everything that was weak about this season. Really. Go read (but only if you’ve seen this season, because I will not be responsible for spoiling you!)

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14th June 2007

Another great gem found LJ mining.

A discussion of the Doctor Who episode, Blink, and how a certain TARDIS got moved from one place to another.

HERE (slight spoilers)

I giggled over that one for a good five minutes.

Blink, by the way, was one of the most brilliant episodes of the season. It doesn’t quite stand up to deep questioning and probing (but the serious time travel episodes on any sci-fi show rarely do), but it was scary (I’m a wuss) and funny and the guest girl was phenomenal. Great times. (That wasn’t spoilery, was it?)

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10th June 2007

perchance to sleep

The opportunity to sleep trumps all when you’re on call (except the pager, but that’s unavoidable).

But uh, that has never been tempted against watching Dr. Who. Even if it is just a rerun of “World War Three.” (I had forgotten how much I love Harriet Jones! And Ninth Doctor!! He’s sooo fantastic!)

I guess the most important question is how is it possible that I actually have time to debate between watching tv and getting sleep??? I am not complaining one little iota.

I think sleep is going to win this battle today. πŸ™

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13th May 2007

Home

Arrived home this afternoon after a 7 hour trip that only took 2 hours. Just downloaded last week’s Doctor Who (thanks, Ali!), and I think what I best feel is summed up in those first few minutes when the Doctor drops Martha off, and she’s staring around her house, thinking that after all of her adventures, she’s back to the humdrum of daily life.

More later. I have over 300 photos to share and lots of stories. It was a lovely time. But right now, I’m needing to mourn.

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15th April 2007

For Ali

It’s been a long, long, time since I put pen to paper and pulled anything creative out of my brain.

After last night’s Dr. Who, Ali (watcher_junior) demanded “Gah. Someone rec or write some Rose/Ten fluff. Now. Please?!”

Well. I’m a slow writer, so I couldn’t comply with the “now”. And I wasn’t doing so well with the fluff part either; trying to rewrite certain scenes at the end of Gridlock turned into a big angsty blowup between the Doctor and the TARDIS… And of course, in the process of trying to do a bit of research on it, I discovered that already, somebody had written out the little idea that I had and did a much better job, well, that completely killed my little story. It was a crappy anyway, painfully stilted with too much “telling.” Nearly a thousand words, though, miscarried. That hurts.

Instead, I’m posting a drabble, that would have served for the introduction (albeit in a lengthier form). I hope you like it, Ali!

Astronomy Lessons

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2nd April 2007

The year is now, officially, three-fourths of the way finished!!!

GUESS WHAT??

I am done with call, done with working weekends until June!!! That’s right, baby! Two whole months of no every-fourth-night (or third, really) call, normal sleep (if I’d ever go to bed), no discharge summaries (behind by 10 now. Did about 6 of them today), no “only four days off a month.” SWEET.

My last call was on the 31st, and it was brutal. 5 patients, essential after midnight. Because it’s the end of the month, I should have been done and gone by 7, but I was three patients behind by 4 in the morning, and falling asleep in my chair. I was there until 10, and by the time I crawled home, absolutely collasped into bed. I didn’t wake up until 9 that night. I know that there are amazing people, who come home post call, take an hour nap and spend the rest of the frollicking. I really wanna know their secret.

I almost posted that night that I was quitting residency and going to go work as a pharmaceutical consultant, as an April’s Fool joke…. but at the time, it was too close to the truth. There are times when I hate what I do. Hate the long hours, the lack of sleep, the inability to have a normal life. And then when I get pages that state roughly that I’m a horrible person for leaving rounds early (!!! I shouldn’t have been at rounds at all! I was nice to stay and actually present a patient, because I knew him best!) and *cry* not updating the patient list, this desire to run away is amplified (I wish I could caulk those to April Fool’s jokes, sadly, I think that these particular persons do not possess that kind of humor. My comrades from last month, oh yes (I’d have done the same to them, the little rascals), but not these ones.

Enough with that. I’m happy now. Today, I spent working on discharge summaries and reading articles in between critiquing the new Dr. Who season, as we have no patients on the hematology/oncology service right now. Not that I mind being bored for once! Oh, and I also bought rose bushes and blueberry, raspberry (I don’t think all of my raspberry bushes made it through the winter. πŸ™ ), bosenberry, and grapes bushes, and strawberry and asparagus bulbs, so I’m so excited to be planting a garden! Ah, my friends, spring is here!

Besides YouTube, how is everybody (ie… the four of you on my flist) watching Dr. Who? Waiting until it shows in your neck of the woods? I did try to do torrents, but my connection is way too slow. It was going to take something like 6 hours to download one hour, I decided it wasn’t worth it. You Tube’s fast and it was there, right after it aired, so that’s a plus. I can deal with the fuzzy screen.

In any case, yay! New season!!

Thoughts about Season 3, dar be spoilers

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25th March 2007

Hmm

8 second spoiler for Dr. Who:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frGVZdl4q2Q

Waiting until I can see it in context before I jump to conclusions, but really, what I want to know is why nothing like that happened to me as a medical student. *pout*

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11th February 2007

dangerous for the pocket book

*blinks*

eBay is dangerous. It is. I know it, which is why I avoid it. Just exploring there makes me see all of the good deals and I start saying, “hey, I can afford that” and bid on it… then a few hours later, am outbid. Well, of course, I can’t have that, because it’s MINE, and before you know it, I’m in possession of something that is no longer the wonderful deal that it was before.

So.

I am now in possession of Season 2 of Dr. Who. I got it for cheaper than I could have bought it anywhere else, but it’s still more than I wanted to pay for it in the first place. Okay, I am very excited about it, especially since I’ve discovered that the YouTube videos were missing scenes, and I’d like to see the episodes in a less pixelated form on a bigger screen. Plus, commentary! Deleted scenes! All mine!

I’ve got a bid in for the first season…. This time, will resist pressing the button when I’ve been outbid. I will. Really.

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25th January 2007

I’m talking to you… and you…

For those who have been to Ireland, tell me how you travelled. Bus? Train? Rented a car? Tour? And any must see destinations? The trip looks like it might actually fall into place after all (YAY!), so I’ve been trying to figure out logistics. There’s a awesome touring group, called Shamrockers, for pretty cheap, but unfortunately, the tour starts before I could actually get into the country, so I’ve been scrounging the internet looking for alternatives.

***

For the other Dr. Who fans on my list, watcher_junior has made these awesome animated icons, just because I asked her to. *hugs the Ali* They can be found here.

Next up. Changing my mood theme. Obsessed? Just slightly. πŸ˜€

***

Post call today (only one more call night this month!). For most of the month, I have had very sweet call nights… gotten 1-2 patients early in the evening and slept 6-8 hours with only a few cross cover issues. Last night was a different story. My team admitted 10 patients yesterday, four of those patients were mine, two came in at the same time, two hours *before* I was suppose to start call, and the night just continued from there. DId manage to grab about 2 or so hours of sleep, but I’ve been very spoiled and it wasn’t enough. I came home and just crashed, and didn’t wake up until Chris called me with the good news about Ireland.

I go back on medicine wards at the Big Hospital again in February, where I’ll be lucky to get 15 minutes of sleep…. so I guess I’d better get used to the sleep deprivation again.

I’ve been (somewhat) working on creating some tables of drugs for a neurology book that one of my attendings is publishing, on treatments for insomnia, sleep apnea, etc. Part of it is the Epworth sleepiness scale (found here), which btw, I fail. I especially like the “Fit for Duty” scale. I don’t think I’ve been awake for an entire noon conference or Grand Rounds yet…

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    • Books read October-December 01/01/2024
      My goal was to read 120 books this year. I just finished number 129. (Some of these I reviewed as part of my WWW posts). October: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I had high expectations for this book, as it had been so praised, and I felt let down by it. Still enjoyable, […]
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