This is the archive of tumbledry happenings that occurred on November, 2011.
We had three trick-or-treaters this year. Down from four last year. Next year, I suppose things’ll be different. We might live in a different house. I’ll be working instead of going to school. I’ll have patients of my own, instead of patients of the school’s.
I don’t know, exactly, how it will be different. But I know it will be different. Exciting and scary.
Today, we ate donuts at a new place named The Donut Cooperative. I wish I had a picture of the fresh powdered cinnamon vegan donuts we devoured. Whenever these new restaurants open, Mykala and I joke that our visiting them condemns them to a horrible future of insolvency and closure. Thus far, I think we’re responsible for the closure of two bakeries and an Italian ice shop (shoppe).
177 days 16 hours 35 minutes until graduation. It’s actually getting close, now. This week, I’ll wrap up my oral surgery rotation. Then, 7 weeks of outreach over the next few months. They’re running out of hoops to make me jump through.
Someday, just one and a half seasons from now, I’ll post some pictures of a very happy version of me graduating.
In a discussion about today’s SOPA hearing was a quote from Darrell Issa:
I object to this bill in its current form because I believe it fails to use existing tools and does a worse job than those existing tools at solving this problem.
The Joy of Scarcity at “zenhabits”:
There can be joy in getting rid of things, in living with less, in freeing yourself of debt and possessions. It’s all in your mindset.
This morning, we went right down the line and took out three tricky teeth on a very nice fellow who didn’t speak English. Mykala picked me up for lunch (we’ve been lunching together a lot lately) and I shared a miniature revelation.
“I think I know why most surgeons have big egos.”
Our first snow of the season began before noon today. Though the accumulation isn’t expected to stick around, such facts are of little help when you’ve somewhere to be. So, just like I did last season, I pumped up my Nokian Hakkapeliitta W240 tungsten carbide-studded snow tires and began my commute to the gym.
Congratulations, John & Kellie. You’ll enjoy many many more autumns together. Plus, I won’t be (in the name of photography) telling Mykala to use a giant 3-foot diameter silvered reflector to shine way-too-bright sun directly into your eyes. Yes, here’s to many autumns without retina damage.
Had a little pre-Thanksgiving breakfast bite here on the couch, watching the Macy’s Day Parade on TV. Our picture window is just right of the TV, and I can see far more joggers than usual passing by, presumably burning some calories in preparation for their feasts later today. It’s fun to live in the city, feeling the heartbeat of a vibrant metropolis all around, your neighbors going about their lives. A few days back, I was biking back home in the dark along the East River Road. On the hill up to a bridge over I-94, I could see the river, Minneapolis, and the rush hour cars slowly winding along the freeway, all stretched out in front of me. I felt like I was really part of it all, and the thrill of it was very surprising. I got what I really like about it all. I bet that’s what people in New York City feel — when they take a step back from the crowded streets and subways, from the constant noise of traffic, it’s a thrill to be right in the midst of all the hustle and bustle.
Here’s a problem I have: I fear disagreement. Just in the past month, I finally realized how desperately I try to center all my conversations around agreement. Think back to any conversation I’ve had with you — I was subconsciously aiming at agreement. Then, there are times when I consciously aim at agreement: I’ll make a semi-strong statement, and the person with whom I’m speaking will disagree. Inevitably, I’ll do a series of linguistic backflips and contortions to align our just-stated viewpoints.