I do this for a living?

Today, what a day! I worked with a surgeon I've had little experience with. He is very full of himself and talks all the time. Heart surgery consists of the same steps no matter where I have gone all over the country - but everybody does things differently and it takes time to figure out someone's steps and idiosyncrasies. This guy didn't really give me a break - and hey, I understand what we are doing is important and that time and perfection are of the essence. But he took things to a new level. He didn't yell but for example I passed him a scalpel and he cut his assistant with it AND HE BLAMED ME for passing the knife incorrectly - give me a @#$%J break.
When I have an experience such as this I wonder why I put myself through this every day for a career.
Oh yeah, and it's raining!

Pikes Market

Pikes Market is great! There are vendors selling everything you can imagine - food, french pastries, clothing, jewelry, soaps, honey, lavender (there are many lavender fields here) and of course coffee. In fact, right across the street is the first Starbucks. I couldn't catch it on film but at this fish stand there are guys in waders and when someone orders one of these fish, they all yell "hey, hey, hey" and toss the fish back and forth to each other - it's really funny.

Good Timing

I guess I picked a good day to go to Seattle! This afternoon I rode a ferry from Bainbridge Island to downtown Seattle. The ferry ride lasted about 30 minutes and I shared the ship with a bunch of crazies with blue and green hair and the most outrageous outfits. The view of downtown was great as I hope the pictures will show. I went to Pikes Place Market and Pioneer Square. The roar from Qwest Field was LOUD - It was a lot of fun to be down there while the game was going on but I am thankful I left before the game let out.
It's funny because all week long no one that I've talked to had been optimistic about the game. Everybody was a little blase about the whole thing. Now, even in Tacoma there are fireworks going off and I think it's going to be an exciting time to be in this area for the next couple of weeks. Go Seahawks!!

Point Defiance

Yesterday - the sun was out - sorta, in a mix of big grey clouds. In the morning I went to a yoga class in downtown Tacoma, called the Cedarwood Yoga Studio and I really enjoyed it. The class was a small mix of men and women from around my age to an older couple probably in their early 60's. It was a great style of class and we even did poses new to me which is always fun for a new challenge. I will definetley be going there again. They have classes everyday of the week so it should be no problem finding times to go.
After that I went and bought my first iPod! I'm really excited to be able to use it when I walk and on the road. I can also put pictures on it which may come in handy but I'm not sure when. I feel so "current" - a digital camera, an ipod, a laptop - whoa.
In the afternoon I went to a park called Point Defiance where I like to walk. Here is a great link to show the park. http://thepark.thenewstribune.com/
This is where I took the pictures below. As I was driving through the park after my walk I saw something crossing the road - at first I thought it was a cat but the closer I got I saw it was a racoon! I pulled over to the left side of the road as it was on my right (one way road) and got my
camera. I rolled down my passenger window and as the little guy got in my view he started walking towards my car just looking at me with the cutest face. He got closer and closer and I had a GREAT shot - closer and I started to snap the picture but he got closer - right to my window, I took the picture and he walked a few steps closer and I got scared that he would jump in my window!! I don't know if they can do that, but the last thing I need in my car is a wild racoon. I rolled up my window as fast as I could and the picture turns out to be of my car ceiling! Then a car pulled up behind me so I had to pull off the road more - I got out and tried to get another picture but it was dark in the woods and it didn't turn out very well, too bad - I would have loved to have a picture of that tame racoon. (or rabid, whichever).

Breaking a record

I heard on the radio news this morning and then it was conversation at work that we are going on 24 straight days of rain. We are on our way to breaking the record of 33 days. It is so unusual because in the past I have always been on the other end of the spectrum of records. "## days and no rain" "drought", "can the crops make it?".
The sun did peek out today - I saw it through the OR windows - ahhhh, what a sight for soggy eyes. However, by the time I got off of work at 3pm - it was hiding again and the rain was back in fine form.
I will say that my skin feels LOVELY and my lotion bill has halved itself.

The Puget Sound as seen from Downtown Tacoma. What you see in the distance is an island - Vashon Island which as I have heard is a posh residence - you can take a ferry to this island. (I kow it looks like two seperate pieces of land but is just one)

Reporting live from Washington

I know it has been awhile since my last post and that those of you who do read my blog are wondering what is going on in the new place. But the only thing I can report on is Rain, rain and more rain. It really hampers extracuricular activities - and totally rules out any great picture taking. I do have a few pictures - but I'm not really happy with them. I will post them in a second. The thing is once in a great while - the clouds and fog will clear and I will see landscape of such beauty - but wouldn't you know it - i don't have my camera on me. So, I will try harder to bring it with me.

The first week or so of an assignment is so hard as I've said before. It's a strange limbo stage where you don't know where to start exploring first. But what's harder is work. You don't know where ANYTHING is - important things, like the bathroom or certain instruments or supplies. You don't know the people, you aren't sure of your place. You see people in the halls and you don't know their names. You probably met them on the first day but everyone looks similiar in their scrubs and hats. You feel like such an outsider. That said - toward the end of the first week you have an idea of whether you are going to eventually fit in and like the environment or completely loath the remaining 12 weeks. And I can tell that I am going to enjoy working in this hospital and that when I finally get to go places and experience the Pacific Northwest it will be a magnificent time. That is what I'm waiting for - for limbo to make way for the good times.

I have been struck by the general easy goingness of the area - the friendliness of the people - the cultural diversity. I've had the greatest conversations with the cable guy, the mailman, the people I met yesterday at my hospital orientation. They have a way of making clumsy small talk non-exististent and instead take it to another level well short of a TMI (too much information). Most people have readily offered a lot of good information on the area. I like it!

First Day of Work

I have made it through my first day of work. The hospital is super nice - very new OR's so that is great. Everyone seems to be friendly and I am sure that I will enjoy my time here. The first day is always rough, however, because everybody is wary of you and tries to test you and feel you out. I don't blame them - I'd be the same way and maybe even worse.

I've gotten a lot of good tips today on where to go and what to do. There is so much to do here but a lot of things I am interested in doing can only be done in the warmer months, such as going to Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier. And depending on their needs I may not be here long enough to see the summer. One thing that is different is that they don't allow their travelers to take call. In one way that is AWESOME because it leaves me free to do whatever on weekends and nights but call is a great way to make extra money - maybe I can talk them into letting me take it when they get more comfortable with me.

The weather is still rainy - I think that's pretty usual in the winter - but people swear that I will see sunshine sometime - we'll see.

I have made it! I am all settled into my new apartment - I've found the basic necessities and my hospital. I've found a great park on the Pudget Sound for walking and have some great pictures of that but am unable to upload them today. It may be because I'm having to connect at one of the GILLIONS of Starbucks on my street. I should have cable at the end of this week though.
My apartment is in a nice neighborhood in a suburb of Tacoma called Lakewood. It is near McChord Air Force Base and a lot of my neighbors are military.

I love this environment! I mean, yes, it has been very rainy and stormy - but it's not terribly cold and everything is so green and lush. The peopleare so different than the east coasters. Everyone is mellow and no one has honked at me! Not once! Come to think of it - I haven't heard honking period! I'm hoping that my first day of work goes well tomorrow. The hospital is close to downtown Tacoma - I'm about 15 minutes away.

I will be writing more soon!

Oh - PS - when I said I wasn't worthy I just meant I'm no Mormon!