u/MikeGinnyMD

So we are flying AF from SFO to CDG to ELC ALC on Friday. I usually get a little gift of See's chocolates for the crew before a flight like this and it's usually very appreciated.

But with AF, I feel like giving an AF crew chocolate is like carrying coals to Newcastle. Although, I once gave an LH crew See's chocolates and they were very appreciative, so maybe I'm overthinking this.

Any ideas for alternative gifts? They need to be able to fit in my backpack. They need to be TSA-happy. They should be the kind of thing the crew can share.

Or do I just stick with the See's?

EDIT: I can type god. I promis.

I just opened Google Maps and it's red with red/white indicating a closure. It won't affect me right now but I hope whatever it is, it's cleaned up by quitting time for me (5P).

Anyone know what's going on?

UPDATE: It does seem to be clearing. Maybe it was just a bad crash.

If there is one bit of advice I’d give you it’s this: don’t try to impress your new colleagues, seniors, or attendings today or ever.

Just do what you’re told, ask questions, and be ready to learn. As the year progresses, you’ll learn how to accomplish different tasks and when to do so. That’s how you impress people.

-PGY-22

I have some very nice Japanese chef knives and they need sharpening. I’d like a place that will sharpen them in expert fashion while I wait (sorry; can’t go without my knives for three days).

Any recommendations?

The formal recommendation is not to open them because the powder can be an ocular irritant. If I tell the parents about this, what do we think of opening the capsules and sprinkling the contents on some apple sauce? I do know it also comes as an oral suspension, but the insurance won't cover it.

-PGY-21

The formal recommendation is not to open them because the powder can be an ocular irritant. If I tell the parents about this, what do we think of opening the capsules and sprinkling the contents on some apple sauce? I do know it also comes as an oral suspension, but the insurance won't cover it.

-PGY-21

The formal recommendation is not to open them because the powder can be an ocular irritant. If I tell the parents about this, what do we think of opening the capsules and sprinkling the contents on some apple sauce?

-PGY-21

I'm a doctor (the UO weighed in on abortion and determined that the fetus is viable once it graduates from medical school) and my medical assistant is Filipina.

A beloved colleague is leaving tomorrow and we're doing brunch for her. I was going to bring bagels and my medical assistant (MA) asked me for blueberry bagels and strawberry schmear (I work in a region where there are maybe ten Jews, so Einstein is the closest to authentic bagels we get unless I want to make them from scratch).

So my question to this group is whether I need to be machmir and release the shedim on her (or space lasers, which must be the modern equivalent) or whether I should show some rachamim.

My bubbe, may her memory be a blessing, would plotz if she heard about this. Oy vey.

What have you done to deserve a CPS call today?

Vent/

Because every “well child” is sick. Cough, congestion, fever, vomiting, diarrhea. I don’t even remember the last time it was just a WCC with no other concerns.

I’m starting to believe “well children” are a government hoax.

Also, as long as I’m venting/ranting, two, yes TWO cases of FluB today. It’s the end of May, people! Come *on*! Get it together!

I want to talk to a manager.

/vent

-PGY-21

Geese come in gaggles. Whales come in pods. Wolves come in packs.

So some proposals:

Radiologists: “A ray of radiologists.” Alternatively: “beam.”

Neurologists: “A spell of neurologists.”

Pediatricians: “A silly of pediatricians.” Alternatively, a “giggle” or a “squirm.”

Urologists: “A gubernaculum of urologists.” (It’s my favorite word).

ENT: “A mucus of ENTs.”

GI: “A reflux of GI docs.”

And…go!

-PGY-21

My husband and son are going on his End-Of-Year camping trip, which will be pretty "glamping" at a campground where you drive up and unload. So no high-adventure hiking. I will not be joining them because I will be watching our dogs. (Also, as an Eagle Scout who got his Wilderness Survival merit badge, I learned I really don't enjoy camping).

They will arrive Friday night and depart early Sunday morning (so they won't need breakfast for Sunday morning because they can just grab it). The entire group is doing a group dinner on Saturday night. The rest of the meals are our responsibility. So I am going to meal prep for them to take a cooler.

Here is my thinking:

Friday dinner: braised beef ribs with mashed sweet potatoes and a side-salad for my husband (our son wouldn't touch a salad with a ten-foot pole). I will pack the ribs in one tupperware, the mashed sweet potatoes in another, and then the salad in a third and then include a small container with the dressing.

Saturday breakfast: Turkey slices and King's Hawaiian for our son and overnight oats with berries and maple syrup for my husband.

Saturday lunch: Herbed chicken drumsticks served with carrot sticks (or baby carrots) and a side-salad for my husband. I can include some ranch or blue cheese for the carrot sticks in addition to the salad and dressing.

What do you think? What pitfalls can you see? Do you think the cooler will keep the food cold long enough? One criterion I had is that all the meals must be OK to be eaten cold. I'm a bit worried about the beef ribs because the fat can congeal. My husband should be able to heat the meal over a fire with a camp frying pan.

Was pulling into a parking spot last night. There were no moving vehicles or pedestrians anywhere near me.

Suddenly, the vehicle SLAMMED on the brakes. I thought I’d hit something.

This is so unsafe to have the system hallucinating like that.

So I decided to try to make fresh pasta. I got a pasta machine and used the standard recipe: 100g of flour (I’ve tried with bread flour and all-purpose flour), one egg, a drizzle of EVOO. Knead until smooth, alllow to sit for about a half hour, and then roll it out and run it through the machine.

Well, the machine won’t grab it. When it finally does, it fragments the dough and little shards come out the bottom.

Do I just have a bad machine? The part that makes actual spaghetti works, kinda, but with the dough not having been rolled out enough, it comes out thick and chewy.

Advice?

So I wonder if there is a solution here. In the last few days, I have had to perform (or rather my MA has) a few irrigations for some seriously impacted cerumen. We got good results on two of them and fair results on the third.

The problem is that 1) they take forever. 2) For younger kids, they tolerate it poorly. 3) You're basically spraying water into a dark hole where you can't actually see what's happening or what you're doing.

My ENT has a little sucker device with an attached camera. I do wonder if there isn't a similar solution for primary care.

-PGY-21