End of an Era

It’s June again. June has long been a time for change for old Discostup. In fact, looking back, from year to year, June has always been the most dynamic month of the year – full of change, comings and goings. This June is no different.

This is my last entry from Battlestation Tacoma. From here on out, it’s super-blogging Seattle-style. Tomorrow my high speed Internet is installed in the emerald city. Today, my computer leaves Tacoma. The last 2 weeks have been chock-full of downright bloggable activity. Sadly, the time to sit down and write just hasn’t been there. But today, post-call on 3 hours of sleep and with more moving to be done, time is being made.

The last post from Tacoma.

Let’s see – too much to talk about.

THE MOVE:

The move is going well, if perhaps a little arduous. I’d say I’m about 75-80% in Seattle now. What remains down here is my computer, mountain bike, and assorted storable items. A few lamps remain. A few kitchen items. Some things on my walls. There are several large pieces of furniture (desk, old night tables, etc) that won’t be making the trip up to the city. (Poor action desk just hasn’t been the same since that fateful moving day in San Diego when Iwan simply “wasn’t paying attention…”) I don’t sleep here anymore – I haven’t slept here in about 10 days. The nice thing about moving oneself is that it makes you stop and look around and all the complete SHIT you’ve accumulated. My ability to throw things away, or recycle things, or donate things, or sell things, has improved ten-fold over the past 10 days. I’ve come to rue the day my mom fell in love with sending me knick-knacks. Why do I have 6 collector’s edition Spider-man lunchboxes? Ugh, maybe a few of those can be left behind.

For the most part, the move has gone well. And then there’s the bed. Without telling the full story, I will say this – I watched my mattress fly out of my truck on I-5 at 65 mph. Obviously, it wasn’t tied down very well. After pulling over to the shoulder, Pete and I ran back down the shoulder of the freeway to get even with it. As we watched cars and trucks briskly switch lanes to avoid it, Pete mused, “Shit – I wonder if it’s still good?”

On cue, some poor sap in a Honda hit the mattress squarely at 70 mph and managed to bulldoze it several hundred yards up the freeway and finally over to the shoulder. I was mortified. Not for the mattress, but rather because I allowed it to not be secured and could have potentially killed someone. Luckily, everything was fine. (with the exception of the mattress). The guy’s car was fine. There was no large accident. The police officer didn’t even give me a ticket, though I probably deserved one.

With our tail between our legs, Pete and I hoisted the mutilated, black and ripped thing back into my truck and made off slowly with our hazard lights to the next exit. Soon the mattress was in a dumpster. The box spring remains, alone. (When it came time to finally move that, we secured the hell out of it on top of Pete’s truck – about midway through the drive, out came a downpour. So I drove about 15 miles behind Pete watching my box spring get doused. Something, somewhere, just doesn’t want my bed in Seattle. Hmm.)

But otherwise, the move is going well. My apartment is coming together. And though I’m on the wards and not able to enjoy it much yet, the few times I’ve had a night out down there have been great. I can’t wait until July 1st.

More to follow.

WORK

Wards, wards, wards. I’m not into being on the wards right now. The good thing is that my team is super-efficient, with two soon-to-be-third-year residents and a soon-to-be-second-year resident and a good staff doc. So we do what we can, keep the patients on the mend, and try and do our work and sign out early.

It’s also the time of year where the residency turns over. On July 1st, I’ll be a 3rd year resident. Sadly, as of last week, all the old 3rd year residents have graduated and are gone. It was sad last year, and it was sad again this year. Our Department of Medicine roast was a hit (this past Friday), and the last time I got to see a lot of those guys. I even won a “Best Actor” oscar statue for my staff impressions in the roast video this year. Go me. But it was sad to see those guys go. We’ve been here 2 years with them, and now they are all leaving for various fellowships and other things. Some will be in Iraq in a few months. I’ll be facing this kind of thing in exactly one year. That thought is a little sobering.

More to follow.

Speaking of work, the honored and privileged active duty military folk of Fort Lewis (my base) are getting a pretty important VIP visitor this week.

Check it out.

That’s right, old “W” himself will be rolling to Fort Lewis at the end of the week. Word has come down from hospital command that the prez will be cruising by the very hospital I work at. It’s hilarious, as we were walking around call on Sunday night watching battalions of cleaning teams scrub the hospital down inch by inch. It’s going to be a mad house – rumor has it that the president wants to visit some of the “war wounded” in our hospital. (Hilariously, he’s more likely to see people wounded from world war II or the Vietnam war than any current struggle, at least at our hospital). Regardless, the place will be in a tizzy. I expect it to take no less than 3 hours to cross the gate and get on base that day. All of us residents have been openly snickering at the idea of running into the president on the hospital floors we cruise around on a daily basis. They all laugh at me in particular. Ah, to meet that man. I don’t even know what to say…

More to follow.

OK, well, enough yammering for now. Hopefully posting will be a little more frequent once this compute is up and running in the sweet, sweet Emerald City. Today I have to pack this thing up, go by a new desk, and maybe even take a look at a new mattress. Till then.