Yo estoy en El Deerhaunt.

Welcome to the Deerhaunt!

 Mailbox!!

 Pond, relaxing in the morning rays.

 Apartment 4.  Had I backed up any more I'd have gotten my neighbor's window and/or door on either side in the picture.

 Vero

 Creek, on its way to the Hudson River.

 Oscawana Park

 

 Tarzan!

Hasta!

Yo estoy manejando.

1. A year ago while driving back from Mexico, my driver's side window got stuck halfway down.  Since then whenever opened more than a crack its gotten stuck and I've had to pull to get it back up.  Instead of taking care of it, I just got around the problem by opening my door instead of window, or giving it a pull.

2.  A couple of weeks ago while driving back from CT in the middle of a rainstorm, my windshield wiper broke.  Did I get it fixed?  Of course not.  I just got around the problem by hooking the wiper back on and then refrained from using it.  Since then NY has gotten inches and inches of rain, and there I was driving around with water flooding my vision.

3. Then just in case it isn't clear that I don't take superb care of my little car, it was due for an oil change a couple weeks ago....and over 1,000 miles ago.

Tuesday all three collapsed on me at once.  When I got to the hospital in the morning my window would not close no matter how I pulled on it.  I knew that rain was in the forecast, but I eventually had to just give up and continue on with the day.  Sure enough by the time I left the hospital it was raining, and my window still wouldn't close.  So I headed home.  Halfway home the wiper broke again.  So I was driving blind and wet.  I wasn't exactly having too much fun.  Sometimes it's a little harder to put a positive spin on things.  I'd try going through mental exercises reminding myself that I like running in the rain, playing soccer in the rain, so how is this any different?  And then someone would cut me off, and I'd be yelling "Pick on the little guy why don't ya!!"  Of course yelling in my head that is. ;)

I wondered, "Really Lord, you couldn't wait until it wasn't raining?" But his timing is perfect.  Rainstorm or sun.  Wet or dry.  It really is...

This is my friend, Veronica Salazar (Vero).  My first guest at The Deerhaunt.

 

I have known her since July 2008 when we started med school together in GDL.  She's just moved to NY to start the program I just finished.  She called asking if she could crash Sunday while looking for her own place. Of course she could.  I haven't seen Vero in a year, and yet the friendship picks up like no time has passed.  And then when the house she and another friend are going to rent won't be ready until the 29th, I told her she could stay as long as she needed to. 

So Tuesday, Vero ended up getting home seconds after I did.  And when I greeted her with a, "We need to go to the mechanic." She didn't pause to think about it, but was ready to help me.  And when I needed to leave my car overnight she was willing to drive me around for the day.  I've been blessed by my friend!

In the past God's had to resort to whacking me pretty hard to get my attention.  Sometimes, I guess He just has it rain on me to clue me into timing.  In this case, overdue timing to fix. the. car.

We study so well together!!  Duuutch Bliiitz! ;)

Hasta!

Yo estoy abrazandote.

About two months ago individuals in CT started asking about how much longer I would be here.  I didn't mind the question as for awhile I was asking the same thing myself.  (and to answer truthfully, still don't really know the answer.) But now even more time has passed and they flat out ask, "So when are you leaving?" It's to the point that going to CT on the weekends I wonder how many, and who will ask this week?  This past weekend I got the question twice.  It became awkward, and has now painted a pretty clear picture that I have overstayed my welcome in CT.  Perhaps I should add unwanted houseguest to my CV?!

But you know what?  Awkward and unwanted?!  I can handle that.  And in the meantime, I'll just love you more.  So Connecticut here I am...

Give us a hug!!! ;)

Hasta!

I've been feeling a bit guilty and so have returned to post a disclaimer: The members of the Rockville, CT congregation are the epitome of hospitality, and I am sure that nothing other than pure curiosity is motive behind those asking when I'll be leaving.  I just couldn't resist to post poking fun at how the situation potentially could be interpreted. 

I have nothing to disclaim about my response however.  Give us a hug!! ;)

Happy Father's Day!

Papu!!! :)

Yo estoy ajustando.

I've been in my current place for a month already!  Time flies when you're having fun! 

Don't mind the traffic on my commute as it really isn't that bad.  About 1/2 hour commute.  I turn my music up, probably too loud, but no one's complained yet.  Sometimes I want to wave at my fellow commuters and invite them to join me in my morning song and dance.  I'll glance over and they're inevitably staring straight ahead, dead-pan expression that tells me one of three things.  1. They haven't had enough coffee yet.  2. They need a vacation.  3. They're trying to ignore that annoying person to their side.

I'm trying to adjust to my new schedule.  Unfortunately this is going to be a process.  I've got to get myself waking up earlier so I can study before the hospital as well.  So I keep setting the alarm earlier little by little.  Last night it was just 5 minutes earlier.  Trouble is....I just get tired earlier in the evenings.  Next step is probably gonna have to be an increase in caffeine intake.

Dr. Blood is out this week, due to seizures Sunday evening and then all day Monday.  The Trauma director is also gone this week. So I'm kind of on my own.  I wasn't exactly ready to be on my own, but sometimes that's how life rolls.  Just gotta roll with it.  I've got stacks of reading to get through so work on that in the mornings.  Then in the afternoons I move over to medical records and work on going through charts for data extraction.  I set up my computer, put music in my ear and have a good time of it.  I said 'ear' on purpose.  I leave one earpiece out so I can catch myself if I start to absent-mindedly sing along. Everyone down in medical records is super nice, but don't think they'd appreciate a soundtrack of interspersed hums and croons for their afternoons.

Hasta!

Yo estoy investigando.

Week one as a Clinical Research Assistant went well, praise Jesus!  It was exhausting, not horribly, but still exhausting.  I'd have to really work to keep my eyes open until at least 10pm.  And even then I know studying is still getting the short end of the stick.  But I'm not too worried about it as I'm sure it's just a matter of adjusting.  It's not the research, but rather the social aspect of being back at the hospital that's causing more of the mental stress.  Trying to figure out where my place is, and how to socially navigate amongst the narcissistic personalities, intellectual tension, and shear brilliance that populate the  General Surgery/Trauma/Critical Care Teams.  And Lord knows I was not blessed with the gift of pretty speech!  So when I stand there and stumble over my words, I realize I just made a horrible first impression, but it's easier to let it go and move on when I also realize that I'm here for awhile and their opinion of me is not ultimately going to be based solely on first impression. 

Hasta!

Yo estoy siguiendo.

I had the unpleasant experience of cell phone fraud this past weekend.  As I understand it now (as explained by the nice lady in the verizon fraud dept.) someone had gained access to My Verizon, removed my device from the account replacing it with their own device, and then proceeded to make multiple calls to Cuba.  The lady explained the 'fraudster' commonly sells these phones to immigrants who use them to call home.  I sincerely hope those calls to Cuba were worth it.  That they were able to talk to every single member of their family before the calls were noticed and the account hotlined.  Because as I was rendered accessless for the weekend, I'd feel better about it if it wasn't for nothing.  And also if anyone tried calling/texting this past weekend and couldn't get me.....it's cause someone was calling Cuba.

The most interesting part of not having service on my phone was not having my GPS to guide me.  I would not have considered driving between the Deerhaunt and CT as 'down pat' just yet evidenced by hidden stop signs that would jump out at me as I'd drive right by, and accidental exits. I was most anxious to discover just how lost I could get driving through the forrest of the Hudson Valley.  In the end, though I couldn't use the GPS, I realized I could still access the maps and view my current location.  And that's how I got home Sunday night. Instead of being told step by step, I just followed the map.  Worked well.

On the other hand, this morning drive did not go as well.  My phone still had no service.  So I needed a phone other than mine to call Verizon.  And I had to get it done before 8:30 when I was supposed to text Dr. Blood.  So making it from the Deerhaunt to the hospital this morning involved wrong turns, but made it eventually and used the phone at the PreInternship Office.  In the end, I didn't make it by 8:30, but neither did Dr. Blood. :)

Feels good to be back in a hospital again!  And this time I don't have a student ID. It's a really good feeling!

Hasta!

Yo estoy sudando.

I have a mailbox at the Deerhaunt.  Like a box out by the road, unlocked, with a little red flag, that the mailman drives by everyday and puts mail in.  A legit mailbox, like the kind I grew up with by haven't had since moving away from home.  And apparently I had forgotten how to use such a mailbox.  I had a letter to mail this past week, and was puzzled for a bit trying to remember if I'd seen any post office, or any blue mailbox in which I could drop my letter off.  And then I remembered the little red flag, and got all excited about mailing my letter from my own mailbox. When the mailman came the next day I got excited all over again and watched anxiously from my window.  When he moved on and the little red flag was down I just about danced a jig and had to restrain myself from running out to the mailbox to confirm that my letter was indeed gone.  Ahh, so easy to amuse myself sometimes!

I am thankful that I finally heard from Dr. Blood on Friday evening that I do get to start research on Monday.  It was such a sigh of relief.  This whole month I've been living based on something verbally communicated 6 weeks ago.  I'd go to buy toilet paper or ketchup and ask myself, "should I really be buying this?"  If I'm just going to be moving next month, why should I settle in so much?  But then I'd recognize my question stemming from the common humanly fear when we don't have control.  My future is not in my control, but in the hands of the Creator, and so I'd buy the toilet paper.  Sometimes all we have to go on is faith.  But how sweet it is when faith becomes sight!

And last a little treat.  Saturday nights music often happens in the Viens household!  This was a few weeks ago.  Bekah on her 12 string and Dorothy on the autoharp.  They started out on this particular song to annoy Steve (who is sitting in the corner and you can see just his feet in the video) and ended up having way to much fun in the process. I particularly like the ending when they're laughing to hard to actually finish.  (Disclaimer: permission was obtained from all parties involved prior to uploading)



Hasta!