This is my first post from Europe. I've been here for two weeks.
It's been an up and down time - make no mistake.
For those who read this (perhaps for the first time?) and don't know, both Gwen and I were told that we would be going to Iraq in the near future. Despite an underlying and fairly longstanding knowledge of this eventuality (i.e. we would be deployed at SOME point), the news came fast and furious and hit us both like a fist in the gut.
From there we both had several days of grief. We heard the news (in a quite tactless manner, I might add) from some higher ups at our new "duty station" (prepare for military term and acronym overload) exactly 10 days after arrival. That was last Monday. We heard in the morning, from our department chief. Following that, we spent the rest of Monday in a semi-daze, doing various tasks we had lined up for the day (mostly continuing the car purchasing process). That night, we went out to dinner with another newcomer here in Germany (an oncologist who was in-processing as well). The dinner was fairly somber; Gwen chose to indulge by drinking more than a half of bottle wine. Then we all sat around and bashed current administrative politics and bitched and moaned about it all. By the time we got back that night, we were both pretty bummed and Gwen was about as drunk as I'd ever seen her. (Personally, I had a large beer, then got more depressed, and hence stopped drinking for the night.)
The next day, Tuesday, I went to the gym first thing in the morning and worked out VERY hard. It helped. The rest of the day we continued doing our moving-to-Europe busy work. Overall, we continued to be pretty bummed.
On Wednesday, we met up with another doctor who had arrived about 2 years earlier and put in a similar situation. She is a pediatrician who ended up going to Iraq by February of her first year in Germany and she spent 12 months there. She talked with us and sort of told us how it was - both elaborating on details and demystifying the whole process somewhat. She said the worst part was the feeling BEFORE you went and all the associated unknowns. Overall she said it wasn't fun but it wasn' t nearly AS bad as she'd feared. She told us some random and odd stories about people in war doing odd things (like multiple people having sex in port-a-potties for some privacy). I actually found my mood improving after that lunch.
By the end of Wednesday, I was actually feeling a little better. I have continued to work out hard almost every day which has been key, I think. Getting back in shape has been the biggest plus of arriving in Germany, I must say. The military does have some nice (and free) gyms.
By Thursday, Gwen and I found out an amazing fact - that is that our friend Pete (of taint fame) will be OUR BOSS while we are deployed! He is a brigade surgeon, stationed about 40 minutes north of us. Medically, his appointment out of residency is kind of depressing - he's being used as a medical admin whore more than anything else, which sucks. However, since he is a notch above us at the 1st Armored Division, he turns out to be in charge of all medical units in the second brigade of that division. Of the second brigade, there are 5 battalions which have doctors assigned to them on a deployment; Gwen and I are 2 of those 5. Pete will be "in charge" of both of us as well as 3 others.
We picked Pete up last night and hung out. It was obviously, good to see the guy, though I don't envy his job, as he is definitely more involved with the "real army" than I would care to be. Gwen and I will become a part of that same army as well, for a time, at least. After that, we are allowed to fade back into our more natural niche in the medical core.
So last night Pete, Gwen, Tony (the oncologist), and I had dinner in a cool German restaurant in Kaiserslautern. We kicked backed some drinks and laughed about the times. By now my attitude is somewhat positive. I don't like going, but we all knew we would go. Looking at the numbers, it looks like a full 5 of the graduating 10 residents from my class will see the desert by the middle of 2006. Probably my chief resident as well - all of this is unheard of in previous years and is nuts. It's comforting to know we'll be in it together, however. Pete, Gwen and I will be on the same airlift down to Kuwait, where we'll hang out together for a few weeks prior to convoying up to our respective duty stations in Iraq. (Let me tell you how much we're all looking forward to the convoy).
The facts of our deployment have changed somewhat. It looks now, like we'll be leaving for Kuwait sometime in early November. After that, it will likely be a full 12 months in the desert. Good bye world cup. Good bye visiting friends from the states. Good bye Olympics in Turin, Italy. (There is still a chance of ONLY going for 6 months, but it seems less likely now).
To all this, I heave a big sigh and then look ahead to my fate. I've been told that I have to go "qualify" with both a 9-millimeter pistol and an M-16. I will be walking around Iraq with a "nine" strapped to my leg constantly. Weird. I may be issued an M-16 as well. Funny how ironic the thought of a physician with an M-16 is. Who would have thought that as a young kid playing GI JOE in the basement it all could have been a prelude to the real?
More to come in time, of course.
As for the rest of Europe, it's actually pretty sweet. I love my new apartment. I await my move in day of 15 August. My new (used) BMW is pretty sweet. After 13 years of driving trucks, it's a quite a blast to crank on a stick-shift, accelerate forcefully, and hug some turns.
Germany is a funny place - every dinner out is an adventure. The service at restaurants tends to suck (as advertised). Whenever you go out for a meal here, you have to be prepared to spend no less than 2 full hours (and mostly 3) at the restaurant being ignored for 30 minutes at a time. My (very) fuzzy German is improving slightly and I can recognize some things now. English is a Germanic language, of course, so some translations are easy. Others are comical. I definitely plan on learning German as best I can through my time here. The people are more friendly than not, I would say (especially the younger ones), though the some of the older ones are so stereotypically stone-faced German that is laughable. I thought it was funny initially that about half of the men over age 45 here look vaguely like Iwan's dad.
I like the food, though it is heavy and you can't eat it every night. The Italian restaurants are especially amazing.
Unfortunately, I have yet to even take a single picture here. I'll try and work on that in the coming weeks; maybe get myself a full "Fun Boy" outfit and everything.
And there it is. The state of the Mick. I'll try and update this thing more frequently. My new apartment will have DSL and the library here isn't so bad (they have wireless so I can bring my lap top). Let's see if can stay more on top of things. I'm still working slowly on the redesign of the web site, but that won't happen until after August at the earliest.
I re-read "The Gunslinger" while in Houston. Oddly enough, it's the story about some lost soul chasing after a dark tower. I don't know why, but that seems fitting.
Mick out.
PS - Enjoy this link - i'm being assigned to the 1st Armored Division, affectionately known as "Old Ironsides". Within that Division, I'm in the Second Brigade, Second Battalion, Sixth Infantry. Pete is the Brigade Surgeon for the Second Brigade. The whole second brigade, based out of Baumholder, Germany, will be going to Iraq together. Other Brigades from the Division, (for example the Third Brigade), are already in Iraq. See if you can follow the link/units icons to my actual infantry company! It's fun! (Not really.)
More Catch Up
I have too much going on in my dome today to try and sort through all the thoughts. Its my last day in the United States (as a resident) for a while. I can't quite get my head around that.
Tommorrow, I'm moving to (FUCKING!) Europe. It all seems a little unreal. But rather than focus on it, let's do the catch up thing instead.
More Houston:
-Overall, it was good to see the fam. We're never home all together very much and it was kind of cool to just sit down and have dinner together at the kitchen table, like the old days. Every time I go home, I learn more and more about my childhood from my parents' point of view, which is always fun and enlightening. My sister is doing well, currently studying for the MCAT (despite my discouragements), which is mind boggling to me.
-I saw Eric Hurtado one day. He lives in Houston now, and will be there for three years doing a Uro-gynecology Fellowship. That's right - EHurt will soon be making a living by surgically correcting incontinent old women. Despite this, it was good to see the Hurt, and of course his little son Carlos. Ehurt is the classic "nice guy". He's warm and kind, and he always seems cheery. His son is a cute (and very fair skinned which cracks me up) little guy who was running around all over the place and yapping away in a combination of English and Spanish. He's growing up fully bilingual, which, of course, is the coolest. Hurt and I and the 'Los hit up my parents' pool, which was enjoyed by all. (Then Papa Stup wanted to take us for a ride to show Eric the Woodlands - "Take Five Minutes," he said. And Eric - too nice to say no. Hilarity.) Pics below.
-I saw the following movies while at Houston withe following quick reviews:
Almost Famous - Second viewing, good movie. Not as good as everyone says, I think, but very good nonetheless. I think the film's major weakness is Crudup's 3-star (at best) acting. While not technically 'bad', I didn't think it matched the talent of some of the other main characters. Still, definitely an enjoyable film with a big thumb's up.
The Rundown - Whoa. Papa Stup had this on DVD and I popped in one night after splitting a bottle of wine with Mama Stup over dinner. Actually (prepare to gasp, people), it's not a bad movie. Now granted I was pretty sauced when I watched it, but I must say I enjoyed it. For one thing, I must admit a guilty pleasure of enjoying "The Rock". (I recently also saw "Walking Tall", which is the story of The Rock cleaning up his old home town with a humongous 2x4 - how can you beat that?) The Rock is big and tough and he just works for me. (And I like Dido too, I admit it, so there!) For another thing, the film has Walken as a bad guy, playing essentially a parody of himself, and he nails it. Cool setting, etc. I seriously did like this movie. Again, though, I was drunk.
The Matrix - Papa Stup impression aside, this is a tight sci-fi movie. Much better than either sequel. (Though I liked the second one, and thought the third was complete crap).
(Speaking of movies, has anyone seen the preview for "Stealth"? This looks like the single worst movie idea/event in the past 10 years. The preview leaves me shaking my head and speechless everytime. Sad, really.)
Back in Seattle
Seeing the sites. Saying good bye to people. Last night, had dinner with George for the last time. Then saw Heath for drinks. (I can't wait to meet up with Heath in London someday where his accent, fashion, and flair for the dramatic will be able to bloom to their full potential.) Today, walking about Seattle, and meeting Gwen's brother and boyfriend for one final dinner. Then down to a hotel near the airport, and then tomorrow.
Another major shift. A lot on my mind - more to follow in the coming weeks. Enjoy the pics.
Heath strikes a pose
E Hurt and C Hurt
Big Mick - Wired in H-town.
Little 'Los schools my parents' house
Tommorrow, I'm moving to (FUCKING!) Europe. It all seems a little unreal. But rather than focus on it, let's do the catch up thing instead.
More Houston:
-Overall, it was good to see the fam. We're never home all together very much and it was kind of cool to just sit down and have dinner together at the kitchen table, like the old days. Every time I go home, I learn more and more about my childhood from my parents' point of view, which is always fun and enlightening. My sister is doing well, currently studying for the MCAT (despite my discouragements), which is mind boggling to me.
-I saw Eric Hurtado one day. He lives in Houston now, and will be there for three years doing a Uro-gynecology Fellowship. That's right - EHurt will soon be making a living by surgically correcting incontinent old women. Despite this, it was good to see the Hurt, and of course his little son Carlos. Ehurt is the classic "nice guy". He's warm and kind, and he always seems cheery. His son is a cute (and very fair skinned which cracks me up) little guy who was running around all over the place and yapping away in a combination of English and Spanish. He's growing up fully bilingual, which, of course, is the coolest. Hurt and I and the 'Los hit up my parents' pool, which was enjoyed by all. (Then Papa Stup wanted to take us for a ride to show Eric the Woodlands - "Take Five Minutes," he said. And Eric - too nice to say no. Hilarity.) Pics below.
-I saw the following movies while at Houston withe following quick reviews:
Almost Famous - Second viewing, good movie. Not as good as everyone says, I think, but very good nonetheless. I think the film's major weakness is Crudup's 3-star (at best) acting. While not technically 'bad', I didn't think it matched the talent of some of the other main characters. Still, definitely an enjoyable film with a big thumb's up.
The Rundown - Whoa. Papa Stup had this on DVD and I popped in one night after splitting a bottle of wine with Mama Stup over dinner. Actually (prepare to gasp, people), it's not a bad movie. Now granted I was pretty sauced when I watched it, but I must say I enjoyed it. For one thing, I must admit a guilty pleasure of enjoying "The Rock". (I recently also saw "Walking Tall", which is the story of The Rock cleaning up his old home town with a humongous 2x4 - how can you beat that?) The Rock is big and tough and he just works for me. (And I like Dido too, I admit it, so there!) For another thing, the film has Walken as a bad guy, playing essentially a parody of himself, and he nails it. Cool setting, etc. I seriously did like this movie. Again, though, I was drunk.
The Matrix - Papa Stup impression aside, this is a tight sci-fi movie. Much better than either sequel. (Though I liked the second one, and thought the third was complete crap).
(Speaking of movies, has anyone seen the preview for "Stealth"? This looks like the single worst movie idea/event in the past 10 years. The preview leaves me shaking my head and speechless everytime. Sad, really.)
Back in Seattle
Seeing the sites. Saying good bye to people. Last night, had dinner with George for the last time. Then saw Heath for drinks. (I can't wait to meet up with Heath in London someday where his accent, fashion, and flair for the dramatic will be able to bloom to their full potential.) Today, walking about Seattle, and meeting Gwen's brother and boyfriend for one final dinner. Then down to a hotel near the airport, and then tomorrow.
Another major shift. A lot on my mind - more to follow in the coming weeks. Enjoy the pics.
Heath strikes a pose
E Hurt and C Hurt
Big Mick - Wired in H-town.
Little 'Los schools my parents' houseHmmm...
I'm not thrilled with the way these pics come out on Hello. Too small. Separate posts = boo. I'll play with it some more, I suppose. Once the website is up in full, this shouldn't be a problem.
Mick
Mick
More Catch Up
Here we go, topic by topic.
Portland
After spending the Friday night of my last full weekend in Seattle with Heath, I cruised down to P-town on Saturday to hang out with the Yarris clan and my friend Leah. On Saturday I met up with Jonny and his fam; he had just graduated med school (and Lainie residency) and Lainie's family was in town as well as her friend Dana. We had a little barbecue and I got to check out their new house which was really nice and should leave Papa Jon some cool fix-it-up type projects. Little Jake (almost four) is growing like a weed a looks like a little mini-Jon which is hilarious. Little Ella is just about to walk and so she was cruising around all over the place. It was cool to hang with Jon and his scene - everybody seems pretty happy with everything which is good. Its nuts to think that Jonny is starting residency just as I finish up. I would have liked to have spent more time with him over the past three years, but so it goes. Portland is a great town - its definitely on the short list for places I could live. And it looks like Jonny and crew are settling in there for the long haul.
Moving
Mama Stup rolled in on the Tuesday of last week to help with the moving proceedings. It turned out that there wasn't much for her to do, which was good in a way, because it gave her time to hang out with cousin Cynthia and the rest of that fam. Cynthia, Mike, Heath, Heidi, Justin, Marcus et al have been great during my time in the Northwest. They were sort of undiscovered family prior to my living there, and they always gave me a place to hang during the holidays, etc. And of course Heath is one unique dude - a lot of fun to hang out with.
On the Tuesday night of that week we all had dinner over there. Mama Stup began getting tipsy and started emoting about her kids - one of her favorite moves. Then she told the story of my quitting the hoops team in high school from the concerned mother perspective which was mildly enlightening and also somewhat embarrasing. I felt bad everyone else had to sit through the long story. They were polite, however, and simply kept nodding and drinking. Following that, Mama Stup drunk-dialed my sister at like 1 am which was hilarious. Ah, Mama Stup - we are definitely related.
On the Wednesday night of last week Gwen and I took them all (including my mom) out to dinner at Wild Ginger and treated them to say thanks. It was pretty cool - and I think it was the first time I've ever treated my mom to a meal, which was cool.
On Thursday after the movers had finally cleared out (see an earlier post), I cruised over to Mike and Cynthia's and we had some food, some drinks, and busted out the battle croquet of which I have grown so fond. I got there late, so I was only able to play one full game. Gwen had won an earlier game as a croquet newby, so she was pretty pumped. During my game, it came down to Mama Stup and I the last two peeps battling. I missed her ball by about an inch on the penultimate shot of the game and then she killed me the next turn, making her victorious. It was all very amusing.
X-Country Drive
Friday morning we set off on our drive. Mama Stup and I were in my truck and Gwen was caravaning her in her Honda CRV. Both of us were driving our vehicles cross country. Me to Houston here. Gwen was taking her car to her mom in Chattanooga. Neither of us will be taking a car overseas.
The driver was pretty good, or about as good as could be expected. We did our leg (my mom and I) in about 3.5 days, so not too rushed. We opted for a more scenic route cutting south through Utah and then heading over east. We stopped for the night at hotels in Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma City, and then finally got home on Monday the 4th. On the second day we went by Moab and spent a couple hours cruising around Wile E. Coyote National Park (Arches), which is one of the cooler National Parks I've been to. It was hot. See Pics.
The IPOD came in handy on the drive as did the walkie talkies we bought. Mama Stup and Gwen got along swimmingly which was pretty cool. My mom was all hugs with her one night while drinking at Cynthias which was cracking us up pretty good.
On Monday morning, Gwen set off east from Oklahoma city and Mama Stup and I headed south for good old Planet Houston. (Though technically the Stuparich Compound is about 40 minutes north of the city in an all American suburb known as The Woodlands).
I'll get to this in another post, but I must say that the definite highlight of my week to date here has been hanging out with good old Papa Stup. Stay tuned for a post dedicated to the Papa Stup stories of the week. You better believe that they are good, good stuff.
Mick out.
Portland
After spending the Friday night of my last full weekend in Seattle with Heath, I cruised down to P-town on Saturday to hang out with the Yarris clan and my friend Leah. On Saturday I met up with Jonny and his fam; he had just graduated med school (and Lainie residency) and Lainie's family was in town as well as her friend Dana. We had a little barbecue and I got to check out their new house which was really nice and should leave Papa Jon some cool fix-it-up type projects. Little Jake (almost four) is growing like a weed a looks like a little mini-Jon which is hilarious. Little Ella is just about to walk and so she was cruising around all over the place. It was cool to hang with Jon and his scene - everybody seems pretty happy with everything which is good. Its nuts to think that Jonny is starting residency just as I finish up. I would have liked to have spent more time with him over the past three years, but so it goes. Portland is a great town - its definitely on the short list for places I could live. And it looks like Jonny and crew are settling in there for the long haul.
Moving
Mama Stup rolled in on the Tuesday of last week to help with the moving proceedings. It turned out that there wasn't much for her to do, which was good in a way, because it gave her time to hang out with cousin Cynthia and the rest of that fam. Cynthia, Mike, Heath, Heidi, Justin, Marcus et al have been great during my time in the Northwest. They were sort of undiscovered family prior to my living there, and they always gave me a place to hang during the holidays, etc. And of course Heath is one unique dude - a lot of fun to hang out with.
On the Tuesday night of that week we all had dinner over there. Mama Stup began getting tipsy and started emoting about her kids - one of her favorite moves. Then she told the story of my quitting the hoops team in high school from the concerned mother perspective which was mildly enlightening and also somewhat embarrasing. I felt bad everyone else had to sit through the long story. They were polite, however, and simply kept nodding and drinking. Following that, Mama Stup drunk-dialed my sister at like 1 am which was hilarious. Ah, Mama Stup - we are definitely related.
On the Wednesday night of last week Gwen and I took them all (including my mom) out to dinner at Wild Ginger and treated them to say thanks. It was pretty cool - and I think it was the first time I've ever treated my mom to a meal, which was cool.
On Thursday after the movers had finally cleared out (see an earlier post), I cruised over to Mike and Cynthia's and we had some food, some drinks, and busted out the battle croquet of which I have grown so fond. I got there late, so I was only able to play one full game. Gwen had won an earlier game as a croquet newby, so she was pretty pumped. During my game, it came down to Mama Stup and I the last two peeps battling. I missed her ball by about an inch on the penultimate shot of the game and then she killed me the next turn, making her victorious. It was all very amusing.
X-Country Drive
Friday morning we set off on our drive. Mama Stup and I were in my truck and Gwen was caravaning her in her Honda CRV. Both of us were driving our vehicles cross country. Me to Houston here. Gwen was taking her car to her mom in Chattanooga. Neither of us will be taking a car overseas.
The driver was pretty good, or about as good as could be expected. We did our leg (my mom and I) in about 3.5 days, so not too rushed. We opted for a more scenic route cutting south through Utah and then heading over east. We stopped for the night at hotels in Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma City, and then finally got home on Monday the 4th. On the second day we went by Moab and spent a couple hours cruising around Wile E. Coyote National Park (Arches), which is one of the cooler National Parks I've been to. It was hot. See Pics.
The IPOD came in handy on the drive as did the walkie talkies we bought. Mama Stup and Gwen got along swimmingly which was pretty cool. My mom was all hugs with her one night while drinking at Cynthias which was cracking us up pretty good.
On Monday morning, Gwen set off east from Oklahoma city and Mama Stup and I headed south for good old Planet Houston. (Though technically the Stuparich Compound is about 40 minutes north of the city in an all American suburb known as The Woodlands).
I'll get to this in another post, but I must say that the definite highlight of my week to date here has been hanging out with good old Papa Stup. Stay tuned for a post dedicated to the Papa Stup stories of the week. You better believe that they are good, good stuff.
Mick out.
A Look Back at Lake Powell
I have a lot of catching up to do on this thing. I give you my thoughts on the recent past. This post is about Powell. This should be a busy posting week indeed...
Lake Powell
(NOTE: For a nice full recap of the events of Lake Powell, please see Adam’s or Iwan’s blog posts about the subject. And of course check out the videos on E’s site.) Here are some of my thoughts about the trip:
Powell was of course, awesome. I pretty much had an unbeatable time with a smile on my face from start to finish. The ability for multiple good friends who are also busy adults to come together and get totally away from it all and have a blast is just about priceless. For me, the trip was two things. One part was the celebration of Eryn’s birthday. The other part was a vacation for myself to celebrate the end of residency. Appropriately, somehow, the trip started and ended in Vegas.
To make things even better I was on call the night before I left. The call - the last one of my residency - was brutal. I didn’t sleep a single wink and had about 10 admissions. Nuts. I finished up my work, got to Pete’s house and napped it up for about an hour, then showered and was driven to the airport. My flight was delayed and I ended up skulking about the airport for several hours, unable to nap there for fear I wouldn’t wake up and actually catch the flight. On the plane, I slept some more, about 1.5 hours or so. So upon arrival in Vegas (and that was a LONG day), I had about 2-3 hours of sleep over the previous 36 or so hours combined. And of course as the night went on it only extended the ‘percentage awake time’. Ridiculous.
To solve the fatigue issue, I began drinking. A couple of shots at the bar and a beer or two later - I was sloshed. There are a series of things that night that I recall in hazy fashion and here they are:
Losing money at black jack, making fun of Iwan and Adam for playing Let it Ride, winning money at roulette, getting foot long hot dogs that were nothing less than incredibly fallic, calling the resident call area at (my old) work while drunk at 3 am, cruising to OG, watching some chick do crazy leg/pelvis/butt muscle isolation ‘quiver tricks’, busting out the “I’ve never seen that before and I’m a doctor!” line to that same chick (oh the shame, Michael), rolling out of OG only to be unintentionally driven to our hotel by some scamming hooker (this was hilarious), and finally, oh finally, getting to sleep.
The next day I felt awful. I still had too little sleep and was hungover to boot. Though looking back, I really think it was the fatigue and dehydration which killed me that day (of which the alcohol was a smaller part of than usual). Of note - never try to cure a hangover by going for a five hour drive in the desert. It’s pretty much a bad move every time. Luckily, I was able to sleep away some of the hours and pound a gatorade or two and then feel better by the time we arrived at the lake.
The first night on the boat was pretty cool. We slept on the docked boat, outside. It was a calm and clear night initially - we assembled the “Man Bed” and fell asleep looking at the stars. About 4 or 5 am, I remember waking up and there was a crazy wind and the stars had been replaced by blackness. I turned to Iwan (another lucky Man Bed member) and we joked about the inevitable rain. Sure enough, a few drops started and then it started coming down harder. The wind was howling and all of us (save Papa Roston and Senior Dips who were in a hotel that night) started scrambling around and picking stuff up and getting it below decks. I’m not sure why, but I have vivid memories of all this. I remember thinking, for lack of a better term, how “alive” the whole thing made me feel. Out of the hospital, out of the grind at work, a thousand miles away sleeping under stars, dealing with wind and weather. It was a hectic 20 minutes, but incredibly therapeutic as well. I didn’t mind that “squall” one bit. There were several moments like that on this trip - both hectic and peaceful - which were incredibly therapeutic. Ah the power of vacation.
Other stuff:
-I was extremely glad to finally hang out with one Liz Randall. I had known her more through Eryn than directly all these years. We’d sent books to each other and emailed a few times and such, but I’d never really hung out with her to any significant extent (high school prom in the limo doesn’t count). So that was pretty cool for me, and probably cool for Eryn to see all his peeps and Liz get to hang out. Liz is, as advertised, pretty much the coolest. So nice work Liz on being Liz. And nice work by me on getting to hang out and shoot the shit with her. Liz, you are one cool chick - best of luck to you in all your endeavors.
-Papa Roston and I shared a pretty cool moment out on the boat. It was some good after-dinner cigar time, and PPR and I got to talking about all sorts of stuff. Some of it was jolly and trivial, and some of it was deeper and more meaningful. Its kind of hard to describe, but the whole conversation was one of those feel good moments where things just seem to come together and life briefly seems to make perfect sense. I have a tremendous amount of respect for old PPR, and I was fired up to spend some quality time with him like that.
-Some of my other favorite times on the trip were when we were both coming and going to our spot in the rocks on the house boat. When we ‘shoved off’ the first day, and PPR put in his Traveling Wilbury’s (or whatever it was) - that was pretty cool. And during the trips I enjoyed looking out the side, watching the scenery float by, and thinking about things. All this normally happened while someone’s IPOD was blaring away. I vividly recall the song “This is for all the lonely people” playing once, and another time it was “Everything counts in Large Amounts” (Depeche Mode) that got me going. Both songs are now featured on my ipod.. And when they come on, my thoughts immediately turn to Powell.
-Quality time with the boys (in this case E, Iwan, and Adman) is always rock solid. I love, simply LOVE, that no matter how far away I go or no matter how many new places I see or live in, or no matter how much more divergent our lives seem, I can always come back and hang with the crew and pretty much resort to an older mentality that uniformly results in having an absolute blast. When I get to see ‘my boys’, I’m always giddy about a day or two before, because I know that I’ll spend the entire time laughing and smiling. And Powell was, of course, no different. I’m convinced we could hang out at the DMV (or play hangman in a car) and have a good time.
-I gave wakeboarding a good five or six attempts with little success. My foot popped out of the binding once, which didn’t help. But in the other four or so attempts, I just wasn’t getting it. I suppose I would have liked to have given the old WB another shot, but given the immeasurable fun of dueling tubes, I figured it wasn’t worth wasting everyone else’s time in the boat as they watched me learn. I still would like to try it - seems like a blast. Next time. (Although when will dueling tubes NOT be an option?!) The sheer euphoria of dueling tubes will not soon be matched, methinks.
-Sleeping outside in perfect weather under the stars (and in a Man Bed no less) is damn good for what ails you.
-Despite the presence of Eryn’s mom, there was no political fall outs. This was a good thing. I think it reflects the fun of the trip. Everyone was having such a good time, there was no point in bringing all that shit up. It was good to see Eryn’s mom again. As I age, I’m definitely enjoying the transition of treating friends’ parents as equals rather than as the authority figures as they once represented.
-The cab driver at the end of the trip, who took Iwan and I (the last of the Fellowship of Lake Powell) to the airport was a nut. He can best be described as an ‘active conversationalist’ (“You see what I’m saying, right? .... RIGHT?!”) who was channeling Papa Stup something wicked in his discourse on the proper way to play roulette. Iwan and I were in stitches.
My Big Take Home Point from Lake Powell:
Residency is over. This is mind-blowing to me. For me, Powell was a way to usher in the new era of my non-residency medical career. Powell is the celebration of the end of a tumultuous and difficult three year period. I can honestly say (and this is not a small thing) that residency was the worst three years of my life. The intern year was the most brutal. And during a lot of my second year I sort of felt lost. It wasn’t all bad, of course. And the good part is that things are definitely on the upswing and I’m downright excited about my future. I think that the only giant hurdle I have left in settling in to my full fledged adult life is the whole Iraq issue. But I’ll get to that on a different day (and probably on many different days).
I think that during residency I kind of felt both “locked in” and at the same time without direction, which is a strange thing to figure. Graduating residency is like coming up for air. Near the end, I started thinking about a new question, which is, “I have four years left in military servitude and then what”? I never knew the answer to that question, but I think Powell, time with friends, and maybe a conversation with PPR has helped shine light on the answer and solidify things a bit.
I have essentially four years to freedom. (July 1st, 2009, to be exact). I never had a definite plan after that. But now, I think its clear that I need to bring my ass back to San Diego. Thanks to the Powell crew for helping me see that.
Eyes on the prize, boys. See you in four.
“Don’t give up until you....drink from the silver cup...”
(and if you can't do that - Bird Dog it Chet!)
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