preschool climbing genius

We woke up today
And I thought I was yesterday
-A L'oree Des Bois, Plants and Animals

It's summer and it's weird to have life continue as is. I've had summer jobs and taken spring courses in the past of course, but none of them have been particularly grueling. Actually- strike that. Taking organic chemistry in the spring after my 1st year definitely falls into the gruel category. Regardless, at the end of the year, I've always had some time off....until now. I'm not sure if everyone has this sensation when they first leave school, but it's not a pleasant one. Every morning, in that period between sleep and waking, my brain starts congratulating itself on a good year and gets ready to shut off for the rest of the day, when it is rudely interrupted by the realization that I am, in fact, required to go do something useful. I'm not sure if it is this phenomenon that is causing me the cognitive dissonance I'm feeling these days or my brain is just syncing with some of the patients on the ward. Who knows. It kind of helps to remember that most people work year round with inadequate holidays, and although it apparently feels like working in a salt-mine to some people (I assume that feels hard..... and salty), my gig is a pretty good one.

Psychiatry can be crazy-making and depressing, but there are glimmers of hope. And more often, moments of entertainment. For example.

Me: And can your fiance use telepathy as well?
Patient: Yes, but he prefers to use the telephone.

Me: What do you think of the time you spent here?
Patient: Well, it was great, met a lot of good friends for life. People you will never want to see again but people you would really like to meet up with in the future, you know?
Me: Not really

Patient: ...and we used to have a painting company, look, here's our business card! (pulls tattered card out of wallet). Do you know what it's missing?
Me: Ummm....not sure
Patient: A SEAGULL!
Me: Ahhhhh....yeah. That would be good.

One more week of Psychiatry.

getting prn'd

To the surprise of many people, this barbaric brain-damaging and memory destroying treatment not only exists, but is expanding.... It's main targets are women and the elderly, particularly elderly women.

-Notes on Psychiatric Fascism by Don Weitz

I've had a cold for the past couple of days and it sucks. I'm really not that sick, which is good I guess but it kind of back fires, cause then you still have to go to the hospital, where, in general, people aren't that sympathetic towards people with mild cold symptoms for some reason. On thursday I was having a particularly difficult morning. Courtney had left her keys at her parent's house by accident so we had to devise a pretty complex system to make it possible for both of us just to leave our over-secured condominium complex (which didn't work). It was raining, the garbage exploded on me and I couldn't find my biking gear. I wanted to show up to the psychiatric ward where I worked and tell them I live in a maximum security prison, I've been infected with an alien virus and my girlfriend is conspiring against me. This is how you get attention on a psychiatric ward, and I was feeling like a shot of Ativan and some time in the Quiet Room might be nice. Alas, I thought better of getting myself certified and just sipped on my chamomile tea, feeling decidedly less delusional by the end of the day.

So to compensate I've been feeling extra sorry for myself, which has been working out pretty well.

communication error

Sic transit gloria. Glory fades. I'm Max Fischer.
-Max Fischer, Rushmore

It's getting a late and probably I should get to bed, but I had a great day and I think you should know about it.

Firstly, I slept in to about 9:00am. If you happen to be in your teens or early 20's, you may not think this is that impressive, but I'm 27 now, and believe me, that is pretty sweet. (Conversely, some of you have children, and probably hold some degree of resentment for someone who gets to sleep past 6:00am).

Secondly, summer has arrived in Vancouver and it has been actually sunny this weekend and quite lovely.

Thirdly, we went to the beach with friends, played frisbee and went slacklining before Courtney had to go to her ER shift.

This was quite a contrast to my Saturday, the duration of which I spent in VGH ER PAU doing a Psychiatry emergency shift. While today could be described as "Beautiful Day at the Beach", yesterday could be described as "Cinder Blocks, One Way Mirrors and Crazy People".

Anyhow, this is slacklining.

And I can't resist posting this one...Courtney after a particularly spectacular bounce off the line.