Life One Liner

(I know this is supposed to be a medically related blog but lately it is more like a this is what I am eating and doing in my free time blog. Apologies. The heart-wrenching and hilarious moments of my emergency nursing days are long gone and I am starting to feel like a broken record of worn-out anecdotes. Also, I'm working like a fiend to finish up my research project and special study module as I hope to do an elective in March. I want to be able to leave the country knowing all my little scholastic ducks are in a row and life is organized. A very non-ABB behavior pattern. Usually when I leave the country there is a dizzying storm of clothes, textbooks, toothbrushes, running shoes, papers, granola bars, open luggage, garbage bags, and USB cables around me for 2-3 days...and then *POOF* I disappear. I swear this time, that shall not be. As a result I fear Asystole is not getting the attention it deserves. Hence, blogger guilt. It's like mommy guilt without the cereal in the hair and spit-up on the shoulder.)

Dr. Joe is on annual leave this week so I sat in with one of the other GP's in the practice, I thought I should branch out in his absence. Everyone here is lovely, though I must admit that I miss Dr. Joe's Prairie Home Companion version of social histories. During one of the consults the patient was talking about the age ranges of her four children, aged 6 - 13.  I thought she summarized things so brilliantly, "Ah sure, in my house there is everything from Santa Claus to maxi-pads". What a perfect slice of life. That is one of the things I miss about bedside nursing, the little glimpses into people's lives, scenes I could collect in a shift.

It got me thinking, what would my one-liner of life be right now?

It's all...tupperware and textbooks?

...Band-aids and backpacks?


...practice tests and data tables?


...scones and stethoscopes?


...residency worries and vitamin D supplements?


...bad skype connections and emotional eating? 


Dunno. All of the above I suppose. What is your one-liner these days?

Where Am I Going Again?

As I mentioned on twitter this afternoon, when I pack I am sort of like a dog circling a spot before lying down. Only my ritual seems to involve spinning around for hours. Packing has the tendency to flare up an attention deficit problem and I find myself vacuuming, baking, cleaning my hard drive, flossing, and online shopping while stuffing random articles into my suitcases.

This trip home is exciting and a little unsettling at the same time. I haven't been back to Canada for Christmas since 2008 so naturally I am looking forward to watching some crisp moonlight snowfalls with the Nana Mouskouri Christmas album playing in the background. I can't wait to see my mom, Tobie, his family, my good friend Liz...the Arab grocery store in Montréal that I love.

The unsettling part is that I don't know how long I am going for, and where I'll be for January. It is a little difficult to pack when you don't know if you'll be spending a month in Arizona or Nunavut, a GP office or an O.R. We're talking a lot of variety here. Heels? Hikers? Nylons? Blouses? Scrubs? Sneaks? Not to mention which books I'd bring based on the place / rotation. I am still trying to arrange something but my most recent lead is looking unlikely now as well. I found out this week that I also didn't get any electives at the University of Ottawa for the summer. Have I mentioned that I am tired of feeling like a medical pariah an outcast? Is this blog post turning into a pity party? Maybe...

So now, instead of coming back to Ireland at the end of January it looks like I might be flying straight back after New Years. Sigh. I just want an opportunity to learn, and to get some hands-on experience.  It is really disheartening to constantly feel doors close in my face when I am working hard and putting myself out there. It is true that at every turn medicine asks, how badly do you want this??

OK. That is enough whining. 


On a happier note...the ginger cake that I made today turned out beautifully. I may be turning a corner in this whole baking thing. Yes, yesterday my kitchen did look like I'd had a seizure in it while holding a bag of baking soda and I probably ate 4000 calories of "broken" brownies oh I can't bring the broken ones to the Christmas party...but with each event the baking part gets a little easier and the results get a little more edible. Maybe I should try to get an elective at a pasty school...hmmm...

Food!

This Easter things were a little non-traditional.

Tobie and I were getting over our colds and were a little sad at how our holiday didn't pan out as we'd hoped. To cheer myself up I went to the Farmers Market on Saturday and decided to make a fun non-traditional Easter feast.  The market here makes me happy and definitely feeds my soul in a landscape which mostly consists of the uninspiring confines of my study bunker.  If you are not a foodie this post is bound to be boring drivel. My apologies!

I call this one: 

Yummy market and Tesco Bounty

or Life is Better When You Have a Car

First is the pizza dough thanks to Jaime Oliver's Recipe.

If I can make it, anyone can. This is my fun fig pizza which I haven't made since Nature Nerd's wedding! You have to start by making the dough and letting it rise. While the dough is rising...

Slice several onions into slim rings and throw into a heavy pot with a slab of butter and a drizzle of olive oil.

Then add a few heaping tablespoons of brown sugar and several gluggs of balsamic vinegar. Stir and let the onions reduce into a pulpy mess of deliciousness. The longer they cook the better. I usually set aside at least an hour. Tweak the balsamic and sugar to taste.

While the onions are cooking...Trim the heads off a few bulbs of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven. They usually take about 25-30 mins at approximately 300-350 degrees F.

After the garlic is roasted (yes I did *slightly* overdo mine above) then mix into the onion jam of goodness and stir about. Roll out your pizza and spread the mix onto the dough.

I then cut up a few handfuls of figs and put them on top. Tear a few large strips of prosciutto and add to the mix. Finally put some nice big slices of Cambozola cheese (hey, I never said it was a *healthy* pizza) and a dusting of Parmesan. Bake until it looks golden and delicious.

I like to throw a handful of arugula on top at the end.

Then I made a nice salad with fresh greens and beautiful cherry tomatoes, arugula, walnuts, and a tangy balsamic reduction sauce. Balsamic reduction is cheap to buy and tastes exactly the same as what you will slave over for ages to produce. I am no purist when it comes to some store bought condiments which make my life easier.

Voila!

For dessert there was a rhubarb, walnut, prune and apple crumble. I wish there was some way to bottle up all the lovely aromas in the kitchen. And it worked! All that cooking made me forget that we were far away from our friends and families for the holidays.

Yum!

Happy Easter everyone!