Did you really mean that?

Seen: Target Sunday ad "Extra in-store deals -- not found in your print ad" (uh, that's what I'm looking at right now)

Seen: Old Navy Sunday ad "100% real faux-fur" (uh, ok, I'm not fluent in French, but seriously...)

Zuppa toscana

Touring Italy via food.

Legal Beagle

Here is a definition found within the NC Statutes:

"(3) Entity. – A person that is not a human being."

Anyone else confused?

Pieduckin

Ok, technically no duck nor chicken, but you get it: the combo of Charlene's yummy pumpkin pie and a cream cheese walnut spice cake. Char whipped up a fabulous thanksgiving meal, sans turkey since we all were in favor of pork and sauerkraut. (Yep, we live in the pork capital). Add the mashed potatoes, buttered carrots, and voila.... a feast.

Thanksgiving Article

I doubt too many of our readers are enthralled with the Cleveland sports scene, so I'm mostly posting this one for posterity.

As a kid (pre-internet, mind you) I looked forward all week to reading Hal Lebovitz in the Sunday edition of the Mansfield News Journal. A lot of times, my dad and I would drive down to Mifflin and pick up the paper before Sunday dinner, which was always fun. Anyway, Hal managed to fit a lot of information about all the Cleveland sports teams into one article. He was not sensational; he just presented interesting information. And if he predicted something would happen (i.e. a trade, manager change) it usually did.

Terry Pluto is a writer in a similar mold. Terry tends to use metaphors a bit more than Hal, but he seems to have solid sources and well-reasoned opinions. I will admit that Aaron, Nate, and I did make fun of Terry's comparisons from time to time. (Such as the time he referred to Jim Thome's legs as oak tree trunks.) But overall, I still look forward to Terry's articles just like I used to look forward to Hal's. If you read his latest article, you can see why he relates so well to the average I-never-even-played-varsity sportsfan.

Here is Terry's thanksgiving article. He also writes a faith article twice a month in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

freak ail

Actually, that should be free kale. Random savings. Local wholesome food store. Price rings up incorrectly. Assistant wanders off to check price. Returns to confirm incorrect price. Cashier says it's free. Uh, ok. Extra special zuppa toscana since it has a tail (er, tale).

Someday I may be old and cranky too

Dr. Blunt sees the world through his jade(d) colored glasses. Dr. Blunt is angry. Dr. Blunt lashes out at unsuspecting woman. Dr. Blunt refuses help. Dr. Blunt needs to retire. The End.

Troy's Poster at the Symposium

For details on the poster, please follow this link. The symposium was quite interesting, and filled beyond capacity. The best part was the free snacklicious snickers.

A surprise bloom

I had almost given up on my bougainvilla as it had not bloomed in nearly a year but this week, it is putting on a pretty show.

Mystery Cartoon

What is happening with Betty Blonde?! It's a new look, a new font! Theories abound.

It looks like Kelly's taking a break while in Mexico and we're getting a chance to see Christians graphic novel...

More abundant food

We enjoyed our annual Thanksgiving feast at work today. Everyone brought a dish and I learned that I work with some really fine cooks. Much to be thankful for, even food-wise.

Seen today on a message board: "Please take my advice since I don't want it."

Abundant food

We weren't scheduled to have lunch brought in today (yes, shhh, we still let drug reps bribe us with food) but just before noon, one called and asked if they could bring us some. Uh, sure. Apparently they had scheduled with a different office that was already booked so we ended up with the loot. The other office must have fifty employees or something crazy because they brought enough Mexican food to feed the neighborhood, like 7 huge containers of shredded cheese, etc. We divvied up the leftovers, giving most to our medical student. Yeah, we'll listen to your schpiel for a few minutes in exchange for lunch. Wonder why you pay $8 a pill?

With apologies

to our readers in Southern California, Texas, Argentina and other warm places who are accustomed to balmy climes in the "winter" months, it is still odd to me to hear Christmas carols in the stores when the thermometer reads 70 and the sun shines brightly. "Jingle all the way" and tank tops somehow clash in my head.

Official North Carolinians

Other than our drivers licenses, we could be identified as Carolinians by our enjoyment of eastern-style pulled pork. For the first time tonight, I tried to make it at home, and it passed the hubby test!

Ahhh, bliss!

What a fabulous weekend so far! Lazed about all morning yesterday, still in my bathrobe... a fantastic indulgence. I once knew a lady who was perpetually looking for the perfect robe; she wanted one that was warm and cozy for winter but also would allow her to bake and lounge all morning if she wanted. Her husband tried buying her several different kinds for different occasions but none fit the bill. Too long, too short, too thin, too thick, too clingy, too loose, too fleecy, and definitely needed a zipper. Wonder if she's found the right one?! I'm totally understanding her now.

Marijuana

Sorry about the hiatus in posting, but I developed a dull, heavy, and annoying headache like the ones I got several years ago. Probably caused by lack of sleep; finally caught up and felt good yesterday.

Also, for the first time in my life, I prescribed marijuana yesterday (not for myself although it might have blasted the headache). It's a rare person who needs to gain weight but hopefully this treatment will help her. No, it's not in our backyard. No, I can't give you an rx; see your own doc. Yes, it comes in pill form which takes the allure away. Yes, it should be legal.

Driver's Ed

Talking with Kelly about her driver's ed class has me reminiscing about high school! I took my driver's ed the summer before my 16th birthday, and actually got my license on my birthday. I rode my bike to class every morning, sat in lecture for an hour or two, then two of us hopped into a car with the instructor for the practical half of driving. One of my friend's dad owned the local Ford dealership that allowed the high school to use? borrow? buy? the driver's ed cars. I don't think that dealership exists anymore, and I've since lost contact with Shelley. The greatest part about obtaining my license was not having to ride the school bus one mile, but instead driving my parents blue Chevy Impala station wagon every day. Yep, I was a cool junior with a parking sticker!
Later that year, my cousin Tim taught me how to drive stick shift in his new car. I drove around the block with him and remember the car dying about 80 times, as I tried to coordinate the clutch and gear. The worst was stopping on a hill and rolling backward with a car approaching from behind. I thought we were dead, but somehow the car sputtered and we lurched forward enough to progress onward. If you ever wondered why Tim has lost his hair, it's my driving.

Mondayne? NOT!

No, today has not been mundane. Mondays are rarely mundane, since patients have had 1.5 days to snag a fever, sprain an ankle, cough up phlegm and swell with allergies. This Monday carried the additional benefit of a Duke medical student at my side. She's quite pleasant have around, and I've dusted off my teaching hat for a nice change of pace.
After work, we whirled down to Angier for a study and raced back home, just in time to empty the dishwasher, think about tomorrow's meals and breathe for a minute. Whew!

Uh-muh-nah, uh-muh-nah

It has been a topsy turvy day, starting with accompanying an older lady to the ER, ending with unexpected company. Fortunately everyone's fine and happy. As Pa Ingalls always said, "all's well that end's well."

Saturday fast food tour

So, after running early this morning in the frosty air, we decided to walk to the Evil McEmpire for breakfast as it is located in front of our neighborhood Ace hardware which was also on our list of stops. After bumping into a friend there, and a quick chow down, we walked over to Ace and happened to find the store was on sale 20%. By that time, we got a call to meet some other friends, so we ran home to shower and change, finally ending up at Taco Bell. We might have to bat for 3 fast food meals in a day. A record for me, definitely NOT a record for Troy.

Company

We enjoyed having some friends over last night for dinner. Since they seem to like different types of ethnic foods, we decided to try more authentic Korean food that ordinarily might be less appealing to non-Koreans. They were brave and even ate the spicier dishes without difficulty.

Fingertip towels and iceberg lettuce

My favorite part of last evening's dinner meeting at the finest hotel in the Triangle area was checking out the ladies' room: tastefully appointed wall coverings, with elegant chairs to rest weary legs, individual stalls closed by slatted doors, and actual fingertip towels (i.e. not paper) to dry one's hands. The air of sophistication floats in the hotel as staff simply glide around, earnestly attentive to everyone's needs.

As the ballroom doors opened and we were invited in for dinner, before us on beautiful dinnerware was a wedge of iceberg with a round of bacon. Iceberg! The disdained, most-discriminated-against vegetable in recent years for nutritional value equivalent to cardboard, has certainly made its vengeful return to the plates of the upper crust. I had heard rumors, seen menus with iceberg salad, but was doubtful of such a possibility. But it IS true, iceberg is back!

H1N1

Someone called it H3N3 because it was 3 times more severe than he had expected. Clever, and probably true. We've been seeing 3-5 cases daily, and some have been very ill. Today the last of our meager vaccine supply ran dry, leaving many kids unprotected and their parents disappointed. Even the regular flu vaccine has been scarce. Hopefully it won't be a terrible winter.

Thisclose

After working for several weeks on our office's application to become a nationally recognized medical home, we sat down for a few hours today to review the application, upload all our documentation, and finally maneuver the unwieldly web-based program. Just as we clicked the submit button, yet another pop-up requested more information. ARGH! For the umpteenth attempt at reaching a warm body (attached to an actual functioning brain), our efforts were stymied and we have to wait until someone calls or emails us back. Good thing we are slightly ahead of deadline!

Do you EVER REALLY...

... know what another person is going through at a particular moment?
... know how that person thinks about himself and others?
... know how to measure maturity? (What makes you mature?)
... learn everything about life, much less about a subject? (What defines an expert?)
... efficiently manage time?
... LOVE to do something you're not good at?
... have the opportunity to travel, see, smell, hold, hear, play, do, check-off a life's dream to-do list?

Just some musings from today.