What's up doc?

Please visit my other site if you are interested in reading a bit about my thoughts on the world of medicine. Here is the link for my blog, What's up doc? It is a little more organized and a little more focused than the one I have here. So check me out!

The Boneyard

*Please note the delay: written on the evening of November 30...not posted until today! 

Is the eeriness of fall not eerily beautiful? It is the only time of year, in my opinion, when the dark days are more lovely than the sunny ones. And since it is devil’s night, what better time to blog! Especially since I just bought my pumpkins...in the blustering wind and rain I might add which will be carved tonight and will remain inside, safe and sound from destructive drunk college kids on the prowl for hallowed out gourds.

In celebration of Halloween, this past Saturday evening, my housemates and I decided it was an opportune time for us to head out to the country and go to the BONEYARD. Only a 30 minute drive away, but nonetheless just west of Hell! (sorry for the confusion. The town, not the underworld). So the Boneyard, just west of Hell, is a haunted house/forest-of-terror/cornmaize. It is an hour in duration. 

The Mighty Huron Earns It's Name

Summer is the time for adventures, and if there is anyone who enjoys a grand adventure of riveting discovery and more than likely mishap, it is Ella and I. Unfortunately we are both taking spring semester classes and haven’t been able to adventure as much as we would have liked to, but we’ve still managed to have enough to hold us over until the end of classes. 

After my second spring term exam we went down a nearby river, which is all natural, but also shallow and the river floor is ridden with rocks so sharp and pointed, I mistook them for arrow heads at first. 

Ella was in charge of going to Meijer and buying floats for us so that we could of course float down the river. Like any college student would do, she bought the cheapest tube and raft she could find. For her, a tube built for a toddler for herself, and for me, a raft built for a runway model. To say the least we were off to a good start. 

Considering I didn’t have much experience with the Huron River, my biggest fear was not being able to stay on my raft, because I presumed the Huron would have a strong current and possible rough water, due to my experience (as a rower), on many-a-rivers. I was astounded at how peaceful the Huron appeared to be. The current was gentle, the waters were shallow and clear, overall seeming to be a serene river. But I should not have let my guard down so quickly. Little did I know, jagged teeth like that of an Orca whale composed the river basin. Something between the mouth of a saw-fly and a saw itself! Within 5 minutes of floating down the river, the treacherous river gnawed and gnashed at my raft, leaving my butt exposed only to taunt the hungry beast. I scrambled up to grab an extra tube which my friend brought along. Blew it up swiftly with the help of another friend. And lunged back onto the river with a tube under my belly. The rest of the float down the river was smooth sailing, but every now and then, I could feel the snarling teeth of the river lurch up and try to snatch at my knees.

For those who think the Huron is a tranquil river of crystal waters, go to it and experience it yourself. It is of the most dangerous that I have experienced. And I stand by it. But if you are looking for a thrill, I recommend it!

*Please note: If you are planning to float down the Huron, dish out a little more than $3.99 for a raft or inner tube. It is the only thing separating you from the river. 

What sound does a dog make?

Y: Why am I really stressed?

A: For reasons unknown.

Y: Do i have stress problems?

A: I have stress problems.

E: Tell me about that

Y: I don't have a lot of work this week, I'm just stressed.

E: Is it about a girl?

Y: I would end up hating her.

E: Why would you end up hating her?

Y: I would just end up hating her, it would just happen if I dated her.

E: Why would that happen?

Y: It would just inevitably happen. I'm not saying that i would hate everybody, I would just hate her. I'm a dick. Uhhh, i just know that she would start bothering me.

E: What would bother you?

Y: Everything.

E: Tell me about your childhood. Did you have a happy childhood? What's your earliest memory?

Y: A family photo on the front porch.

A: You rambled that off quickly. I wouldn't know what to say if someone asked me that.

Y: People always ask...

E: I've asked him about it before. What do you remember from that?

Y: I think i was 2. Yeah, I must have been like 2. I only remember that image.

A: Maybe you remember it because of the photo. 

Y: No, I've never seen the photo. If it wasn't that it would be Disney World when the waiter gave me ice in my fucking milk. Have i told you this?

Y: I was 5 foot as a freshman in high school.

E: I was 5 foot in high school.

Y: Yes, but I was a guy and I also had an obnoxiously high voice

E: Aw, Yuri went through puberty.

Y: Nothing like my cousins who's balding and started shaving when hes was 11...no 10

E: My friend had a beard in 6th grade. He'll shave in the morning and have 5 o clock shadow by 6...he's super jewish, but hes a stoner so it works.

Y: First thing, wow, I am going to sounds ike a dick.

E: I think I know.

Y: What do you think?

E: No, I want you to say it.

Y: First, she became a fucking vegan. Stupid as shit. I would get so pissed off. Second, she's too much. Over the top happy all the time. Too much enthusiasm. It's attractive, but it would piss me off after while. She's horribly bad at math, like to the point it's embarrassing. She couldnt add the dice. Like 6 and 5 ...like 11. Embarrassing. I would piss her off. She strikes me as prude. She's never gone past kissing. I told you, I am going to sound like a massive dick. What were you going to say?

E: Something about you being smarter kinda. Sorta what you said.

Y: No, shes smart, like she goes to a good school, but shes not an intellectual. We have different interests.

E: Whats your happiest memory? 

Y: I dont know.

A: That's a vague question, but i guess I could name 3 or 5.

Y: Whats yours?

A: Playing lion king on my hill. I was Mufasa and my sister was Scar and then I'd tumble down the hill.

E: Nora and I would play on the slide. Only I would always die.

Y: I didn't see lion king until I was 16.

A: What are you doing? Valentines!?

E: No, you're going to have to sign this.

A: What is it?

E: My certificate.

Y: You're a shitty therapist

Great Minds Making Potentially Stupid Decisions

For a week and a half, my room mate and I had been planning a camping trip for MLK weekend on Lake Michigan...

Yes, it is the middle of January, but where I am it appears to be spring, so a camping trip didn't sound like a terrible idea. We prepared ourselves for it to go completely wrong while holding onto the excitement of an adventurous weekend away. We had little to no expectations for our "camping" excursion. 

We left on friday for the great outdoors with two of our friends, a tent, 4 sleeping bags, and duffel bag of food, and 4 backpacks nearly 100% full of wool. Our plan was to camp outside my cottage, which we did not have a key to. After our departure we learned that we could use the cottage although there would be no heat or running water. It was my mother's attempt to deter us from staying outside in a tent for 2 nights. Little did we know at the time, the cold would defeat us, and my mother's "attempts" became a success. 

The tent was pitched, but only 3 of us tried sleeping in it including myself and my roommate. After an hour, I could stand it any longer. Although it wasn't the cold that got me, but rather the scarf around my neck that was strangling me. I went inside the cottage into the one room we filled with space heaters and closed off from the rest of the house. I woke up at 7:30 to find that the other two still had no come inside.  I  was about to go outside and check on them for fear they had frozen to death, but then I heard foot steps on the patio. They had barely slept all night and had been up since 5:30 to wait for the sun to come up. They crawled into bed to de-thaw and fell asleep until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. To say the least, we decided to stay in the house the second night. 

Later that day, we wandered down the beach bundled up in our winter gear with lunch trays in our hands, climbed a dune of at least 1000 feet tall, and sledded down it. That night the sky was cloudless and filled with stars. 

Even though the first night wasn't ideal, the second night was magnificent. The trip was more than we could ask for. At the end of the day, it's great to have friends who will make stupid decisions with you whether they go horribly wrong or incredibly well, although this trip proved that some day it may be the death of me. 

It's that Time of the Year: Where's My Winter Coat?

I recently read Alone for the holidays? It could be worse, an article in my local newspaper. It's about a craigslist ad a man from San Francisco posted in hopes of finding a temporary girlfriend for the holiday season. He didn't ask for much; simply someone to accompany him to holiday parties, to make being single during the holiday season a little more bearable, a drama-free break-up after the new year, and the possibility of friendship if there was a connection.

The holiday girlfriend is similar to what I call the "Winter Coat." If Alone for the Holidays had been from the Midwest, I think the stakes for his seasonal relationship would have been a little higher. While I relish in the joys of the single life, whenever winter blows in during late November, I find myself looking for my Winter Coat.

The Winter Coat is not a down-filled waterproof wind-breaking jacket with a fur lined hood, but simply a temporary boyfriend or fling to keep you warm during the winter months. It might have the promise of back massages, someone to share hot cocoa or watch movies with, but most importantly someone to fend off the bite of Old Man Winter.

Since winter is not necessarily blowing, but rather creeping in, it has given me more time to find my Winter Coat, but it seems this year, it will be that down-filled waterproof wind-breaking jacket with a fur lined hood, and me braving Old Man Winter.

And so I say, Alone for the holidays? It couldn't be better.

Happy holidays and happy New Year!

XoXo Strange Sailor

Peacocks and Ambrosia

Woke up early this morning after being haunted by french dreams which is still better than waking up in a hot sweat after having an army of albino peacocks wielding daggers at me. The french nightmares successfully got me out of bed because I kept sleeping when I should have been studying for my french exam which I had this morning.

Right now I am in the basement of Ambrosia studying for Biology which will probably haunt my dreams tonight. Water and sugar transportation in vascular plants, how the body deals with stress, and the kidney. Thrilling and completely unrelated. Somewhat like my life.

Before sitting down to study, I ordered a black coffee and a vegan cookie. I then put a splash of soy milk in my coffee. It was too full for me to carry down stairs so I started quickly sipping it so I could settle in and begin studying. Upon walking downstairs I noticed that it had accumulated milky snowflakes which floated around and gently settled on the bottom of the glass. The bottom of my glass seemed to be getting thicker and thicker and turning into a solid. This is generally not what my coffee looks or does, but it made me feel nauseous thinking about how many flakes I had just drank. I got a new one which I refrained from putting milk in...but I still don't trust it.

The cookie was delicious.