Medicine Man of Norwood

My Favorite Memories of 2009

2010-01-01T19:43:00.004-05:00

After my friend Courtney was "inspired" by one of my posts for her own version, I became "inspired" by one of hers for this one.

Here are some of my favorite memories from 2009 recapped via photos:

In December 2008, I was able to finish a great Crafternoon project that ushered in the New Year right, and so that I could display my Christmas cards that I received for the Holidays.

In January 2009, I had my first post residency interview in Falmouth, MA, on the Cape!

The Cincinnati Snuggie Bar Crawl debuted in March of 2009, through Mt. Adams. Of course the Medicine Man knew how to doctor up his new snuggie.

The Norwood Community Garden was in initially founded and planted in May!

Residency Graduation at the end of June!!!! Also my first hard thoughts about again entering into another LDR.

July was a month of Farewells. Farewell Norwood. Farewell Wildfell Hall. Farewell Neighbors. Farewell Great Friends. Farewell Burgers! And also a month of Hellos. Hello St. Theodore. Hello Seattle Children's Hospital!

The month of August, I spent exploring Seattle and getting to know Green Lake, as I started my new job.

September, I went on my first trip to CA for Tim Chan wedding and caught up with old high school friends!

October. Back in Cincinnati for the RLH with Laura and Jonah, and also a look back at all the runs I've done over the years.

November was a big month for volunteering.

Who has a second going away party from Cincinnati, after not living there for 5 months? I do!

Here's a new year, where may the best of 2009 be the worst of 2010!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Seattle > Pittsburgh > Boston > Cincinnati

2009-12-25T19:39:00.002-05:00

Literacy pays off! Who knew?

Seattle topped the list of 75 major cities across the US! Sorry, Crystal, DC came in second, despite a Facebook quiz telling me that DC should have been the city of my choice. :-(

As the Seattle PI tells me, Dr. John W. Miller developed his rankings based on six categories:

1: Number of retail bookstores/1000 people.
2: % of adults with HS diplomas.
3. Total weekday circulation of a city's newspaper.

4: Number of web page views per capita to a city's "internet version" of a newspaper.

5. Magazine and journal distributions per capita.
6. Library staff and library volume per capita.

So, remember that you local library is also important!

Interestingly, smart cities usually ranks well against other quality of life indicators too!

"...Most active singles’ scenes (Boston, Seattle, Washington, and Atlanta), are safer (Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Cincinnati), more walk-able (Seattle, Washington, DC, Portland, Boston, and Denver), and healthier (Washington, DC and Denver)."

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

What are the five beaches of Normandy?

2009-12-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

In early December, I flew back to Cincinnati to clean up and clear out the Wildfell Hall. My mom was able to join me for four days, and we made it our Christmas and Holiday time together. Who would have known that my mom is so awesome that she knows that I love to play board games?

The last time I remember playing dominoes on a regular basis was when I was in early grade school, heading off to the library, sitting in way too small plastic chairs, and playing with my dad and sister. My mom bought me an early Christmas gift of Chicken Foot Dominoes and she even knew games that I didn't - Mexican Train! Pretty sweet!

After a solid weekend of pitching leftover furniture into a dumpster in my driveway, we rested on Monday evening and enjoyed Quiz Night at the Pub in Rookwood (#2, #3). Our team name: I'm so cool, I can bring my mom to Quiz Night!

My Mom and I

Elizabeth and Todd

Eric and Rachel

Eric and Janice

Amanda and I

Nick "The BBQ Man" and Rachel

Yes, I'm riding that Lion! Also, when Eric takes your picture, you're 6 inches shorter.

Kathy and Jim

It was Brian's birthday that night too!

(We all sang to him and slightly embarrassed him as well that night)

Despite what you think, Cristina, you still look better then me in this photo!

After attending Quiz Night almost religiously for three years, I finally got my picture taken with Kelly!

The Gang at the end of Quiz Night.

And now a look at all the hard work from Amanda, Nick, Stacey, my mom, and I:

Me, outside of the Wildfell Hall.

My old bedroom...

...complete with gun cabinet!

The Peanut Butter Room.

The Pink Bedroom.

The empty "I love me wall."

How my mom and slept since the first night and after tossing out the two older beds.

Her room. :-)

The Kitchen. Spicken clean.

One cleared out basement.

The Office.

Good bye back yard deck...

Goodbye tulips. Goodbye daffodils. Goodbye veggie delights. Goodbye avocado tree (!?)

The aftermath!

BTW, the five beaches are Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Our team got 2 of the 5!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

My Google Alternates

2009-12-22T02:17:00.001-05:00

Ever try Googleing yourself? Some people find they have hundreds of Google Alternates (GA), while other find they have only very few.

I feel, I'm one of the lucky ones with very few GAs, and I come across myself quite often:

Finding my name in text across the web:

A Temple University School of Medicine 2005 Rebuilding New Orleans Trip that included a Philadelphia PSR write up about our experience, and a Temple Medicine write up and my personal journal entry (check out page #36.)

My IMDB actors page, where I started as "Redsin's Victim" in The Redsin Tower.

Cincinnati Kiwanis Club meeting minutes about my presentation of One Laptop Per Child. Along with more Kiwanis meeting minutes.

When I was first starting to look for information about my family tree.

Alumni Listing of CCHMC residency graduates.

Penn State's NASA 2001 HEDS-UP Project: Mining the Foundation of the Future.

I actually made one meeting to the Fort Thomas Corvette Club!

My Race Times!

Honorable Mention in the Legible Script for Uncle Alex.

Poster presentation as a medical student entitled Linking Physicians To Their Patients: Using a CQI Model To Improve Continuity of Care In a Residency Practice.

Delta Chi Quarterly write up about advising with the University of Cincinnati Colony.

Temple Times write up, along with a Fox Update write up about pursuing and MD/MBA dual degree program.

Don't forget to look through the images after you Google yourself, you might be surprised!

Also, finding yourself in other peoples pictures and videos can be very enlightening. :-)

A Taft with a Twist event with Ari. Ariane, if you're out there - I still miss you! (Yes, that is a giant monkey sticker from Enjoy The Arts on my shirt.)

A Senior Roast video from CCHMC w/o sound.

Hitting up Club Bang! with Diane and Greg.

What's the deal with all the Kiwanis photos? :-)

2009 Hyde Park Blast photo with Emily and Tom.

Finding myself through personal, friends, and networking services:

Is Twitter ever going to learn how to make money?

My Google Profile.

LinkedIn profile.

Who still uses Friendster?

Lastly, random comments on other blogs (#2, #3, #4, #5, #6)

Over the years, I've found my name bring great respect and honor to many communities, my first GAs has been a junior high honor student, a long jumper and a 400 meter relay runner. After finding the wonders of Google Alerts, I've found another GA that is a JHS/HS football champ (#2), also a long jumper and hurdler, a basketball player, and interested in science and soil research (something I did as well in high school! However, I studied the viability of stocking trout along the Turtle Creek through researchers at IUP)!

What has your Google Alternate done today?

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Ohhh.... poor, poor MTC

2009-12-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

This is why the MTC (Midnight The Cat) is so great: She puts up with so much while I'm away... I owe you big Midnight!

You can tell she doesn't like beer either. I'm telling you - it's all the bubbles!

I know, MTC! We'll never speak of this again!

Just a warning for those of you who pet sit, or ask people to pet sit for you!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

How I Love My Food....

2009-11-30T19:01:00.000-05:00

All Cincinatians should come to know and love the gals from Cooking with Catlin! I started my obsesion with CwC on a Tuesday lunch break from CCHMC when I ventured down to Fountain Square's "Market on the Square" (#2) event. The taste and uniqueness of CwC's burgers and recipes kept me coming back almost every week that summer:

One time, out on the Square.

How many times I you find Dr. Alex eating a burger on a Tuesday in the summer?

Then I found the wonders of Cooking with Catlin's Third Thursday events!

My first Third Thursday event! (Yes, the blond is famous - Valerie is a weather woman!)

Third Thursday is also great for first date nights! Those Waffle Sandwiches rocked!

It's OK to get dressed up and come out and eat with Dr. Seuss and Co.

If you're luck you can also get your picture taken with Katie - Catlin's mom!

You can even go by yourself and have a great time!

After such fond memories over these past two years, I realized I was missing CwC's flavor and style of food. So, last night Maria and I tried out three of CwC's recipes:

Fresh Tomato Pizza

Starting off, Maria did a great job and made her own pizza dough from scratch!

After rolling out the pizza dough, a light glaze of olive oil was added. Then two oblong tomatoes were cut into thin slices and placed around the middle of the pizza.

Toppings of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar were added.

Careful with that balsamic vinegar, Dr. Alex, it flows very quickly!

The sides were delicately folded into a ring/bowl pattern and the pizza was baked for ~15 min.

Cut and sever. Makes 8 servings.

Next course:

Seared Scallops with Tarragon Dijon Mustard

Apparently scallops are in season this time of year. Who knew?

You can never use "too much" butter when pan frying scallops. Next time, I'll choose to follow CwC's advise and cut the scallops in half. I think they'll cook more evenly that way.

Two to three minutes on each side is all it takes to whiten the edges and leaving the middle slightly undercooked.

Just add the Tarragon Dijon mustard mix on top each scallop and they are ready to serve!

Dinner!

Dessert:

Almond Butter and Berries

Almond Butter is hard to find! Listen to CwC!

Be careful not to burn the toast. Longer then 3 minutes in the broiler and you'll asking for trouble. Always make sure you have an egg timer handy.

She likes it!

The two great cooks!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Pittsburgh > Seattle > Cincinnati

2009-11-19T18:54:00.001-05:00

Readers of the Medicine Man's Blog already know that Pittsburgh is much, much better then Boston from a previous post.

Now, Transportation for America ask "How dangerous is your city?" A study was conducted to find and measure the Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) of 52 US metro areas with populations of greater then 1 million people. "The PDI was developed to allow a fair comparison of metro areas according to their risk to pedestrians, relative to how much an ordinary person walks in that metro area."

Over all Pittsburgh was found to be the 4th safest city (based on PDI), Seattle the 5th, and Cincinnati the 7th. Philadelphia is an abysmal #15 in overall pedestrian safely. The worst city: Orlando (#52).

If you're over 65, the study finds that states such as Hawaii, California, and Florida are all the more dangerous for you! TfA reports that the "the higher fatality rate for older pedestrians can probably be attributed to several factors: 1) older pedestrians have a higher risk of death than young people given the same severity of injury; 2) older pedestrians are more likely to have perceptual, sensory and cognitive impairments that decrease their ability to avoid oncoming traffic; and, 3) existing pedestrian infrastructure, such as the duration of crosswalk signals, ignores the needs of older walkers."

I really think from point #2 that TfA is trying to say that older walkers are slower to cross the street, slower to react if they feel they are in danger, may not see the cars or trucks coming at time, may not hear the roar of the traffic coming at them, and may not know what to do if they feel they are in danger.

Even if you are young and quick, you still have to be lucky. This video just goes to show you that brightly warn crossing guard reflectors don't always avoid close contacts with cars either.

Urban Cincy did a great recap of the findings and expanding upon how pedestrian traffic relates to safety in our fair city.

At least Cincinnati > Cleveland. :-)

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Run Like the Devil is Chasing

2009-11-09T18:26:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati Bell sure knows how put on a great party for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! The Run Like Hell is half 5K run through Walnut Hills Cemetery and half celebration for Halloween - filled with costume contests, live music, and a Cincinnati favorite: Goetta. I've ranked the RLH #1 for fun runs for years! a close second is the Reggae Run.

All that running, eating, and sweating paid off! This year, marked my 3rd year running. While not having lived in the area for the past 3 months, I packed up my Bam Bam costume, complete with bone club and running shoes and flew back home to Cincinnati. It was also a special year, in that Binkle and her husband few out from Washington, DC to meet me for the run and celebration.

Costumes very from the fashionable "sexy nurse" to completely homemade to last minute throw togethers. While the RLH will never compare in scale to the New York City Marathon, and their best 25 costumes, it still holds a very special place in my heart.

So what were our results?

My over all place in the male category: 200th!

With a time of: 32:16.00

For a pace of: 10:34/mile

Binkle's overall in the female category: Better them mine! at 166th
Time: 33:30:00.
Pace of: 10.58/mile.

Cincinnati isn't the only city that schedules fun runs around Halloween. Seattle held it's 14th Annual Pumpkin Push, a "one-of-a-kind run" for the support of healthcare for Seattle's homeless. Sadly, I didn't pick up my complimentary pumpkin post race. :-(

Even the city of Salem, MA has it's own 6.66 mile race to embrace the holiday spirit!

The crowd at the RLH!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

P.S. Binkle was the first to inform me about her MovNat experience which lead to my MovNat training.

500 Days of Summer

2009-11-02T12:52:00.000-05:00

After seeing "500 Days of Summer" on my flight back to Seattle from Cincinnati, I got to thinking.

Just one day, I'd like this to happen to me. Well... I can forgo the animated birds.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Princess Zombies

2009-10-23T22:53:00.002-04:00

From long know Snow White to much awaited Princess Tiana, it's clear to see that the Disney Princesses can be idolized in a variety of manners (#1, #2, #3, #4).

Along slightly different lines then from an earlier post, the Fallen Princesses take a turn for the worst. In Jeffrey Thomas's Twisted Princess, he invokes the Halloween spirit through his frightful compilation.

All in all these aspiring queens are a far cry, yet a far more interesting rendition, of the traditional view of these beauties.

Then again... they could all just have issues with each other.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

This is why I <3 Google!

2009-10-01T17:18:00.002-04:00

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

How I spent my Sunday

2009-09-29T02:23:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday, I had an amazing experience in Discovery Park, Seattle, WA! First introduced to me by Binkle, was concept of MovNat, the brain child of Erwan Le Corre.

With my increased interest and along with others (#1, #2, #3) in Vibram Five Finger training, I came across a natural fitness program geared towards reconnecting with nature and finding a "context" in which to train.

What I, and ten other gentlemen learned from this 6 hour clinic with Erwin enlightening:

First: The philosophy of MovNat depends on finding situations that are adaptable and that require focus. Prior to MovNat, I could be found in the IMA gym working out on Life Fitness Strength training machines while listening to my favorite NPR podcast. With these machines, I could follow my progress and chart my total reps, weight, and the last time I isolated a specific muscle group. However, with this training regiment, I became dependent on the machines, and the machines only helped me to lift more weight in one particular motion. Learning from the MovNat philosophy, if I broadened my mind and the context in which I trained in, I could work more muscle groups, faster, and more efficiency. Plus, I could apply my efforts to a multitude of different situations, and I wouldn't be limited to just the repetitive movements on a pulley system.

Second: It's OK to be lazy. In fact, it's encouraged! Body weight exists because of gravity, but it doesn't have to slow you down. By utilizing the principles of "body weight transfer" and "body weight shift" one can use gravity to improve movement, balance, climbing, and positioning during a training exercise. Our "lazy training session" consisted of learning how to use minimal strength to climb a tree limb by developing a body weight transfer from our two handed grip, to a three point system = adding a leg! Then, using a body weight shift and swinging our free leg and allow the momentum to rotate and propel our body around the tree branch. Success!

Third: Creating context helps focus, increased motivation, and makes training fun! In a jumping exercise, the group focused on limiting our landing and take off points - as if we were jumping from small ledges and avoiding clefts down a mountain side. In our climbing example, it was important to focus on our
"body intelligence" and know when to have our arms tightened, and when to have them relaxed and ready for movement and action.

Lastly: Running is the ultimate training activity. Think about it - you rarely "walk for your life," or "bike for your life," but perhaps to a slightly more extent you can "swim for your life," but you always "RUN FOR YOU LIFE!" With increased focus and attention to running, it's possible (and preferred) to use gravity to propel yourself forward. Using your legs to catch yourself in mid fall. Again, with a body weight shift, minimal muscle movement and energy is needed to run. This concept can be used in other situations as well to increase efficiency.

Other activities we covered in our MovNat clinic included principles of Throwing/Catching, Balancing, and Lifting. Each of these single topics could have been covered exclusivity in just one clinic and by the end, we would have only learned the basics behind each movement.

11 + 1 at the end of MovNat training.

Several of us have expressed a continued interest in training together and have created the Seattle-area barefoot & Five Fingers running group and the Seattle Natural Movement group, both on Facebook. All are welcome and encouraged to join either group and to find out more information if so desired.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Next Leaders Summit

2009-09-21T19:43:00.001-04:00

I've only recently discovered City Talk Radio within the past few months, a talk show focusing on local issues in the Cincinnati area.

Last week, Michael Sweeney and Tom Hodges talked with Clara Rice, Rusdyn Lindsey, and Julie Bernzott, about the Next Leaders Summit, held Sept 17th-19th, 2009 in downtown Cincinnati.

To paraphrase form the NLS website:
The Next Leaders Summit was designed to focus and highlight on how far the YP movement has come. The YP movement is one that focuses the energy and minds of YPs on showing up, reaching out, and digging in to build better places to live and work. As a testament to the YP strength, there are more then 300 Young Professionals Organizations, representing nearly one million YPs in our cities and companies across the US.

Click to listen the Sept 13th show and hear the Medicine Man's comments, near the end of the show.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever.

2009-09-21T04:01:00.001-04:00

This month has been interesting with 1) two weddings in 4 weeks, 2) the grooms were childhood neighbors from Murrysville, PA (my home town, just outside of Pittsburgh) and 3) I was able to reconnect with an old high school friend at each wedding.
Men always want to be a woman's first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a man's last romance. -Oscar Wilde

Mike Pritts and I at his wedding reception!

"I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,

A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife." - Author Unknown

Reconnecting with Sandip at Mike Pritts and Mandy's wedding!

You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince. - Unknown

So.... at Pittsburgh weddings, everyone and their mother brings in dozens of cookies.

Guest are required to take home a goodie bag.

I think it's a Polish thing...

Marriage is the only war in which you sleep with the enemy. - Unknown

Tim Chan and Julie at their wedding ceremony.

"Marriage is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important" - Lisa Hoffman

Allen Chang, Tim Chan and I at the reception lunch!

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world. - Bill Wilson

A great view in Dana Point, CA from Tim's wedding.

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning

For those of you who are as "vexed" as me about the search for your sole mate, thank goodness we don't always look like this guy:

Entitled, "The vexed man."

From the Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. - George Sand

Ladies, try not to avoid cupids talent when he come to visit!

"You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without." - Anonymous

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

The Science Behind "The Way to Hook the Ladies"

2009-09-08T00:22:00.000-04:00

The August 29th, 2009 edition of The Economist had a short, less then two column, blue back grounded article in their Science and Technology section entitled "Mr Muscle." This article explored one possible reason for sexual selection in humans and "the price and privilege of beefcake."

Starting off the article reads: "Why are men's muscles so much bigger than women's?" And then proceeds to jump right into the evolutionary process and historical acceptance that all men are fighters and hunters, and we need to chase after big animals and then wrestle them down to the ground! [OK, the last notion was added by me.]

But, maybe more importantly, "women like men who can do these things well, and thus are attracted to muscular men." Hence why last week I decided to take a look at the Ballard LA Fitness, Signature Gym.

What I really found out was that "Signature Gym" mean a $150 initiation fee followed by a $55 (discount rate b/c I "work at Seattle Children's Hospital") monthly fee. This does get me "all states, all gyms" access, body lotion in the men's shower area, and free towels at the gym. However, as Cat pointed out to me last week over dinner, "The towel bins are always empty in the evening." Sad. :-(

Back to the article. "Resources get piled into [muscles], almost regardless of the consequences," and further goes on to state that "the more muscular a man, the more sexual partners he reported." And offered up a humorous (hopefully) answer to the increase in number of life time and past year sexual partners, that "muscular men [are able] to intimidate 97 lb weaklings."

Overall the trade off for increasing the number of sexual partners comes at a price of a man's immune system which is "less effective than those of women (which was known before), and become[s] worse the more muscular the men are (which was not [known])."

Thankfully, "modern medicine... means the hulk's weakened immune system is less likely to expose him to lethal infection."

Thank goodness! Now I can safely check out the UW Intramural Gym this coming week!

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Alex

BTW, did I mention the article had a photo of shirtless man fishing with the tag line "The way to hook the ladies?"

Exertps from my Google Reader today.

2009-09-02T18:23:00.003-04:00

If only 10000000000 kisses could make everything better everywhere... Thanks Found!

The Fake Doctor and I appear to have similar dreams about women when we're on call and holding a pager...

The Guild is back in action with Season 3! Thank you Felicia Day!

I had TGI Friday's last night!

Have you ever seen such a great movie about garbage?

And of course the Google Gmail Apology for last night's mishap.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

The Pepper are growing, the pepper are growing!

2009-09-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

Thanks Stacey, for capturing the beauty of the red peppers from our Norwood Community Garden, at our Norwood Young Professional plot.

I wish I could have been there see all the fruits (and veggies) of our labor!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

The complete contex of an e-mail this morning

2009-08-20T17:17:00.002-04:00

From a random e-mail from Cincinnati Children's this morning...

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Pittsburgh >> Boston

2009-08-18T12:37:00.003-04:00

"I don't know what's better - the YinzCam or iBurgh... Either way, it's always nice to see the Pittsburgh beat Boston :)" - Maria

As the Pittsburgh's Post Gazette's article, released on Aug 18th 2009 states, "Pittsburgh has won the 'space race' with Boston to adopt the first iPhone application for registering citizen complaints through a mobile phone."

The iBurgh, a free application and developed by YinzCam Inc., became available this past weekend and through the efforts of city council men Bill Peduto. Now residents of Pittsburgh can now snap photos of potholes and graffiti and have them sent directly to the complaint hot line!

This how great would this idea be in other cities! YinzCam, let me know when you're coming to Cincinnati and/or Seattle!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Who is the MTC?

2009-08-07T03:14:00.006-04:00

Midnight's Specialness Meter 2000

(it goes to 12!)

Midnight The Cat is my cute lovable almost 2 y/o cat with a unique personality. She was born on Sept 22nd, 2007 and has now made the trip with me to Seattle.

Midnight resting next to the coat rack.

Over the years she has made quite a few number of "friends" and continues to correspond by letters and e-mail behind my back. :-)

The first letter she received was from Ariane's Gordan and Jitterbug, or as they prefer "Thug and Queen of all Kittes."

The letter that started it all...

Jitterbug and Gordan

For a brief period of time, Midnight used to try to communciate with me via her personal e-mail address, Midnight T. Cat, but they were mostly full of meows and silly, i.e: NOTE: MTC's e-mail address is NOT managed by me.

meow i want to live in the pink room meow. meow dont make me live in the basement closet meow. meow meow meow. meow i am so cute meow. meow come home and purr with me meow. meow i want to eat a quatman burger meow. meow you didnt include me in your ad meow. meow i am upset meow. meow going to go drink the blue toilet water meow.

-midnight

AND

mmmmeeeeeeeeeooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww! wake up, im lonely! meeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!

Later, Midnight found friends Jack and Runa and graciously gave them her unused scratching post. Glimpsing through her correspondece over snail mail, I've noticed several references to a "P.o.F" and "P.o.L" which I've deduced is in reference to me (Provider of Food) and to Rachel (Provider of Lap):

Runa tells about her rebellion by "scratching nice things and squatting on laps" and sitting "on the eating platform without cause."

Midnight must have picked up some of her bad habits from Runa and even shares her adventures about "the OUTDOORS!" to add fuel to the rebellion fire:

Jack and Runa – Rulers of the Castle

c/o Rachel – the human and P.o.F.

Meow Jack and Meow Runa,

Thank you so much for your sweet card! It was quite the insightful glimpse into your lives and interactions with your Provider of Food (the human). I was beginning to wonder what happened to that scratching post – not like I ever used it. I much prefer to use the top portion of my human’s butt rest. It’s just so much more satisfying! I would highly recommend it. Lately, my P.o.F. has decided to discourage the use of my claws by placing a pad over the head rest. Little does he know, it makes his butt rest look horrible and I just scoot it around and continue on my merry way.

I feel I should tell you of the world beyond the door. I have experienced it, and I call it the “OUTDOORS!” I’ve been known to spend hours in the “Outdoors” but sometimes it’s frigid and I search for warmth after just a few minutes. It’s great that we have these build in coats that are easily shed, but I would still recommend only a short visit to the “Outdoors” if given the chance.

I’ve noticed that while our Providers of Foods are getting much friendlier with each other they have began to visit more often, and there has been a decrease in the number of hours that should be reserved for lap cuddle time. Have you noticed this trend too?

As the humans say “Merry Christmas” and my your bowels always be filled with food!

In loving paws,

Midnight

Sometime after the start of the new year, I began noticing Midnight walking around with more confidence and in reference to Runa's letter above, I too, have seen a caped crusader around my neck of the woods:

Yes! It is the caped crusaider - Midnight The Cat!

Midnight did eventually adopt more modern technology after abusing my e-mails to Jennifer and kept her longest running dialog with Gideon and Reilly:

Subject: To Midnight from Gideon and Reilly

Dear Midnight,

Hey! Gideon here! I can't stay on too long tonight because my mom says that she has to go to bed soon, and she's the one with the hands, so I guess I have to listen to her. You're a very cute cat, I have to say. I'm a pretty studly guy, myself, but my mom has to get her hands on a digital camera to take a picture of me so that you can appreciate my manly physique.

I hear you like to try to sneak outdoors sometimes. Cool! I'm a little scared to go outside, but I really want to get into the garage. Sometimes, I cry at the door, just begging mom to let me out, but she says it's gross out there. I don't care if it's gross! I'm a boy! I can take it! One night, when she wasn't expecting it and when she didn't close the door all the way to take out the trash, I did it! I saw some dead bugs in there. It was so cool! I also went under the car where my mom couldn't get me! Ha! I knew she would have to offer food to get me to come in, and that was good enough for me. The bad part was that she had to rinse off my paws when I came back in. I HATED that! Still, I got my food, so I guess it was worth it. I absolutely LOVE to eat-- and will eat pretty much anything: candy wrappers (a little hard to swallow and mom quickly takes them from me), plastic bags from wal-mart, but mostly cat food. Do you ever eat people food? My mom tries to keep me from eating it, but I LOVE salt. Have you ever tried it? It is the best! Oh... you haven't tasted anything if you haven't eaten a piece of a potato chip or a little pretzel. It's like heaven.

Okay... mom says she's starting to fall asleep at the keyboard now. Reilly's asleep, so she can't talk to you.

Bye!

Gideon (aka Gid or Gid Kid)

Hey! This is Reilly. Gideon is sometimes a bully to me. I was partly asleep, but I wanted to say a quick hi to you, too. My name sounds like Riley but is spelled Reilly because that is the Irish spelling of it, and my mom thought that was cool. The bad part about that is that the vet is always saying, "He this," "He that." Oh well... I like it well enough, I guess. Your name really fits you well. It's a pretty name, too. I'm glad you like to write. I've never done this before, but it's a lot of fun. I have talked on the phone before, though-- well, mainly just listened. I come up to the phone almost every time my mom is talking to her mom. I just love to hear grandma's voice. Anyway... I am glad that my mom finally met a guy who isn't allergic to cats! I have to go back to sleep now, as does my mom. I love sleeping almost as much as Gideon likes to eat! :) Which do you prefer? Eating or sleeping?

Talk to you later,

Reilly (aka Rye Girl)

"Gid Kid"

"Rye Girl"

And, Midnight's reply back:

Subject: To Gideon and Reilly From Midnight

Meow Gideon, Meow Reilly,

Gideon, really? Your MOM!?!?!? Now, let me tell you how we run things over here at the Midnight The Cat Household. First of all - Bed time is when I want it.

Often my Provider of Food insists on keeping me out of the his human bed, and even goes so far as to close the door ALL the way! Don't be worried, I have him figured out now. As soon as my POF sets foot on the stair case, I make a dash into the green room and hide in my quite spot.

See, POF placed a collar on me with a bell a few months back. Now, how am I to stalk birds, squires, my shadow, other intruders into the homelands with a BELL?!?! POF says its so he can find me when I explore "The Outdoors." (More on "The Outdoors" later). I think he uses to tell if I'm in his green room or not when the lights go out. So, I lay still and wait for 5 rounds of the large pointer to move in round ticky thing on the wall and then I know I'm free to move about.

Back to "The Outdoors:" It's great! New smells, new hiding places, new friends in the yard. I try and explore once a day if not more often. Sometimes though there is whiteness that covers "The Outdoors" and that scares me. You don't want to get lost out there... I've heard some stories from Stray (the stray who wonders into my Homeland. I'm not sure if we're friends or not... yet...)

"The Garage!" Tell me of this "Garage!" Oh how grand! New playmates and new hiding places! The Homeland has a second structure in the back with a small opening in the door, but I haven't ventured to explore there yet. It's often dark and sometimes I hear grumbling from within. Did I mention that one whole wall moves up and down! I'm afraid it might chomp me!

Oh, Gideon, I'm so glad to hear that you share in the same love of plastic crinkle bags!

I have found a liking for something described as popped corn, covered in orange florescent cheese. Sometimes my POF's other human, Steve, (Interlude from Alex: Housemate Steve, rents a room, and works at Children's, and is often gone all weekends to visit his GF in Ft. Wayne) offers me such delicacies when POF is not around. I LOVE it! But often now, I have my feeder which POF keeps well stocked and the water is aways flowing next to it. I can't understand how it keeps running, but I'm glad it does.

Reilly! How could you let Gid-Kid be so mean to you? Show him what you're made of. You know if you're POF is a girl like you then you OWN that house! :-)

I prefer playing and walking over my POF lap when he's not paying enough attention to me, or walking over the POF's face when POF is trying to sleep. To think, my Specialness Meeter is reading at an all time high of 12 tonight! Well I guess the POF is helping to translate and communicate with you. My pur really wouldn't make it more then an hour drive. Hm... Maybe we'll have to try purring over the phone one night. Let your POF think that one over and get back to me. Purrrr!!!!

Yes, POF is great to not be sneezing in my food and water.

In loving, cat solidarity,

>^..^< (That's me!)

Thanks for reading,

Alex

What's this?

2009-08-02T15:23:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Kate's Random Mussings' post...

Nope, it's not a condom...

But who ever helped me unpack my boxes for my move out to Seattle sure thought they were and placed them in my "personal drawer" in my nightstand!

They are really stethoscope diaphragms!

Just remember, practice safe sound...

Thanks for reading,

Alex

My Going Away Party

2009-07-25T01:42:00.009-04:00

Major thanks and shout out to Eric for planning a great farewell party for me and around 40+ guests last week at O'Bryan's Irish Pub!

It's been one week since I left my fare cities of Norwood and Cincinnati and it's only fair to pony up on the total for Eric's bet "on how many dates Alex will have his first week out there... The over/under is 32. ;-)"

Sadly for all those who voted the OVER the grand total is a big fat goose egg (meaning zero).

Thanks again, EVERYONE, who made it out to send me off. I hope everyone had a great time meeting new people and thanks for playing along with the name tags and Eric's ridiculous Over/Under bet. :-)

Enjoy the selection of photos:

A group of us at the O'Byran's Irish Pub

Elizabeth and I

Eric, the main party planner himself

Cristina and I in a great pose.

More of the group.

Phil and I

Michelle and I

Cristina, Patty, ME, Lindsey, and Casey!

Jessie, Steve Miller (not the band) and I

Patty and I - don't we look great with our name tags?

Who's not wearing their name tags?

Oliver, Tricia, and I

Alex with Nick the Barbeque Man!

Shannon, Andy, and I

Jack the future mayor of Norwood 20??, Todd, and me!

Where are all these girls coming from?!?!?

Joe Yoo!

Lyndsay, Kathy, and I, sitting outside on the deck.

See more photos via the Evite for the event.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

New blog? One is silver. The other's gold. Make new friends, but keep the old!

2009-07-17T14:26:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Medicine Man of Seattle blog, a sister blog to the Medicine Man of Norwood blog. Both just so happen to be run by me. :-)

On July 18th, 2009 I'm stepping out from Norwood, OH, and venturing out to Seattle, WA for my first position after residency.

I hope to stay active both in Cincinnati and in Seattle.

One of my first adventures I'm hoping to take on in Seattle is the Green Lake garage sales, found by first visiting the My Green Lake blog. I'll keep you all posted on what I found out here in Seattle.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

My Personal Time Capsule

2009-07-12T13:55:00.014-04:00

It's amazing what "stuff" you hide away, only to rediscover several years later, after opening an old bag, kept hidden away under your bed.

Today, I was cleaning out one of my black "businessman like" duffel bags I found a collection of papers that dates back to 2005. Namely, the notes I took on my first interview for along the residency trail, all starting at Rainbow Babies:

Along with my hand written notes, I also found a copy of my resume from that time, and a copy of my personal statement, later affectionately entitled "Uncle Alex" by John Kheir, which helped me get that first interview!

Resume, in three pages

"Uncle Alex" personal Statment

What treasures I found today!!!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

From the Friends Journal

2009-07-08T12:40:00.006-04:00

I came across a few saved pages of the February 2009 edition from Friends Journal - Quaker Thought and Life Today that I saved from my interview trip to Philadelphia, and when made a Sunday stop at the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia.

The cover caught my attention because of the picture of the sleepy cat and the poem, A Lesson:

My cat teaches me

the bliss

of a square of sunlight

on the floor.

- Christopher B. Fowler

Later in the Journal, Sally Campbell, now member of the Downtown Manhattan Friends Meeting, in her essay "Prayer that Works for Me" describes that she keeps a journal with her and scribes the the songs that come to her if she is "patient and listen them into being." Her most recent "gift song" at that time:

Stillness of stone

Flowing of water

Brightness of fire

Freedom of air

Let me be free

Flowing and bright

Let me be still.

And concludes her essay with: "I have become convinced the beneath the confusion and bustle of the world there is an amazing, subtle but real and loving force that is constantly wanting to work with us if only we let it. So, another of my songs says: 'Slow down, open your heart, rest in the Light, slow down.'"

Lastly, Phyllis Berentsen, member of the Milwaukee Friends Meeting (#2), in her essay "Joy of the Spirit" reaffirms her belief by stating: "I am a Friend - a convinced Friend. I grew up in another Christian church and came to the Quaker faith as an adult. I had friends who went to Friends meetings. I finally got curious and asked them if I could come too. Of course they encouraged me." At the age of 29, Phyllis felt a "magical happening" and a "spiritual centering that the group had created as they waited to experience God's presence." She uses affirmations to help enter into meditation and one that struck me was: "I am healing. God is healing my back and my knee. I will sleep soon. God is here with me."

Couldn't we all uses some healing?

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Big Week for Kiwanis

2009-07-05T22:55:00.013-04:00

This week Kiwanis' Amy Zimmeran, 2008-2009 Lt. Governor of the 6th Division of Ohio, asked fellow Cincinnati Club members to attend Interclubs (#2) this week. I was able to make it out to three!

From the 6/30 – Clifton Kiwanis at Lenhardt’s (Clifton)– 11:45 meeting:

Geneva, Here I come!!!! July 7-11, 2001

From the 7/1 – Riverfront Kiwanis at Chez Nora (Covington) – 12 noon meeting:

Stewart won the 50/50 pot... again!

From the 7/2 – Harrison Kiwanis at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, New Haven Road, Harrison, OH – 12 noon meeting:

Harrison club to have an Interclub at the RMcDH on July 27th with us!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

RE: New Kid on the Block

2009-07-02T00:36:00.010-04:00

In response to Courtney in the Queen City's (note: may have limited access) post on Monday, June 28th, 2009, entiled New Kid on the Block, Courtney comments in her blog about moving to Cincinnati and finding herself "adapted to life in Cincinnati," and how "in 10 short months, [she knows] some of the people and places in the West side of Cincinnati better than people who have lived here all their lives."

Courtney then goes on to share her suggestions that "could work for anyone in any city!"

My feelings has been, and still is after three years, that Cincinnati is a tough city to break into if you're not from around here. I too have adopted and used similar ideas to learn my city, to get to know people, and to find events around the city.

Go to church: When I first moved to Cincinnati in June of 2006, I started church hopping on my own, starting off with Crossroads, and then my friend Jackie (#2) introduced me to The Bellarmine and St. Monica/St. George later in my first few months here. In 2007, I found my friend Erica and went with her and her brother to Guardian Angle's Church. Finally, I've attended St. Gertrudes and Holy Trinity Church in 2008. Through these adventures I've found several different 20's/30's groups that have been great way to make new friends and become back involved with ultimate Frisbee, faith sharing, and even a road trip to WV for white water rafting on the New River.

Volunteer: Since moving to Cincinnati, I've joined Give Back Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Kiwanis Club, Norwood Young Professionals, and helped out at a variety of other local agencies. All of which have really helped to make me feel like a part of the community and have allowed me to meet young and active people living in Cincinnati.

Get out and do things in your neighborhood!: My neighbors Wayne, Aubry, and Jamie are fantastic people and I talk with them whenever they are out in their yard! I frequent the local burger joint, the Quatman Cafe quite often, and more so then I really should. Through the NYP, we are sponsoring a plot in a community garden and I participated in The Norwood Spring Clean: Beautify Your Block 2009 event. I've attend local church festivals during the summer and love to run around my block, to the Norwood library branch, to Yagoot, or the Urban Active in Norwood/HP. I feel as though I know Norwood pretty well - almost like the back of my hand. :-)

Join a social organization: How about joining The Greater Cincinnati Penn State Alumni Association, The Fort Thomas Corvette Club, or joining meetup.com and explore your interests in hiking, Spanish or French conversations, a singles group, or a dinning out group (#2) that enjoys new restaurants.

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook: I don't think I'll ever get tired of Facebook. I am glad that there are a lot less quizzes and random games to waste time playing. Staying connected via "What's on your mind?," photos, and responses to people's comments, actions, and uploaded photos has helped me broaden my interests and find new connections with strangers and old friends alike.

Thanks for all the great advice Courtney! I'm sure I'll take it to heart and put it to good use when I head off to Seattle in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Save the Libraries of Ohio

2009-07-01T10:27:00.012-04:00

I've come across a great many sites (#1, #2) asking Ohioans to write to their state congress men/women to continue the support and funding of the Ohio Public Library system, ever since Govern Ted Strickland has purposed a 50% cut in the coming year's budget.

I used this sample e-mail to send to my Norwood State Rep. Tyrone Yates, State Senator Eric H. Kearney, and to Governor Ted Strickland.

The only reply I've received so far has been from State Senator Eric H. Kearney:
This past, Monday at The Pub Quiz night, BZ and I had an interesting discussion over alternative methods for supporting a library system, including a nominal ($1-$2) transaction fee for the privilege of checking out materials, or a small ($10) yearly fee for all card holders. I'm sure there are more interesting ideas out there! Any of these methods can make make the community feel like they are continuing to support the local library system. Another interesting idea in our local area: A Quarter Auction!

Join the Facebook group: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

UPDATE: July 6th 2009

E-mail from Reprsentative Yates this afternoon:

Dear Citizen:

You sent an e-mail to my office regarding funding Ohio’s public libraries. Thank you for taking the time to write.

Ohio and the nation are facing unprecedented economic times that have not been experienced in decades. While the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate will undoubtedly have to make difficult decisions as the budget process concludes, know that I support the proper funding of Ohio public libraries. As Andrew Carnegie stated, “There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the free public library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” I will continue to stand with you as we fight for our libraries.

With esteem and best wishes,

Tyrone K. Yates

Ohio House of Representatives

(614) 466-1308

(614) 719-3587 fax

Update: 7/14/09, e-mail from Eric H. Kearney

Dear Constituents:

I want to update you on the status of library funding in Ohio’s Budget, House Bill 1.

Libraries now expect to receive a 10% cut, rather than the 30% proposed in the Governor’s framework budget. My office worked very hard on this issue and listened to many constituents’ concerns.

While I recognize that these cuts are painful, I am glad that much of the funding was able to be restored.

My office was inundated with letters, phone calls and e-mails from library patrons and staff. It is heartwarming to see the love for libraries.

As a regular library visitor, I can assure you that I recognize what an important resource our libraries are. My hope is that these institutions will be around to treasure for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Eric H. Kearney

Senator, 9^th District

I <3 The NK

2009-06-25T13:59:00.009-04:00

June 25th, 2009 marks the opening of the new Norwood Kroger! While I didn't get up early enough to ride my bike to the Urban Active for an abs work out, I did take a bike ride down Montgomery Ave to the Grand Opening of the Kroger.

It was great seeing all the suites mixing and mingling and showing their support for the Grand Opening. I ran into my pharmacist friend and Monday night Pub Quiz friend, Casey, handing out first aid kits, and into the Anthony Duo (#1, #2) each enjoying a cookie and a stroll through the store. We caught up over our soon departures from Cincinnati. :-(

I also got an autograph from Marty Brennaman, a Cincinnati Reds announcer.

The Chiquita Banana lady was hanging out in the produce section, and I swear I saw a women on stilts making balloon animals for kids.

Pulling up in my Fuji, I noticed the the NK will be brewing Seattle's Best Coffee (a nice alternative to the Starbucks being served at the HPK). I enjoyed the samples there were on display and running into old friends, and by the end of my trip, I was able to find everything I wanted to make my celery chicken dip.

My only two concerns with the NK are that (#1) I didn't find the bike rack for the store (if there is one, and plus I didn't look to hard), but instead secured my bike to one of the cart returns, and (#2) there's not an actual bank in the NK, bur rather the Kroger Money Store with an ATM that will start charring a transaction free in the next few days.

Otherwise I think the NK will be a big success!

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Fallen Princesses

2009-06-22T22:29:00.005-04:00

Just an interesting set of photos that I found while searching through the blogosphere via my Google Reader...

"These works place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues."

http://www.jpgmag.com/stories/11918

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Would this video be great if it wasn't for the marionettes?

2009-06-22T22:15:00.003-04:00

clipped from smartbykrae.com

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Five Guys Burger and Fries

2009-06-20T16:27:00.004-04:00

After coming across this post from Wine Me, Dine Me in my Google Reader this morning, I got the urge try a new place for burgers. I had spent most of the morning running the OTR 5K, studying for my pediatric boards and answering multiple guess questions - testing my knowledge about the care of babies to adolescents, and pulling down pictures and packing them away in boxes in preparation for my departure from Cincinnati.

The newest location of Five Guys is down in the UC District of Cincinnati, along Calhoun St. I called my dear friend Dr. Elizabeth up and we made a plan to give the Five Guys a try this afternoon.

Overall, I thought the burgers were good. The service was friendly and polite. The place was bustling and bit too loud with background noise for my taste. I would not recommend it as a first date location, but it can make for good alternative for a lunch break if you work in the area.

Lessons learned:

1. There is no need to order the large fries - I wound up taking home a 22 oz cup brimming to the top and over flowing of Cajun flavored french fries.

2. The "Little Burgers" are not that little - one bacon cheeseburger was more then enough to fulfill my deep hunger. Why would you ever need to or want to order the regular size?

3. Check to make sure you get your bacon on your bacon cheeseburger - hard lesson learned from Dr. Elizabeth! Sadly though with the option of "adding extra bacon and/or cheese, since it's already on the burger at no additional cost" maybe the way to ensure that bacon strips make it into your mouth.

Lastly, I came across Liz's get in mah belly blog, rating her experience with burgers in the local area, and noticed that "liz's cincinnati burger rankings for march-june 2009" is clearly missing one the great contenders: Quatman's Cafe!!!

And here's you Liz - I present an open invitation to come and join Steve Miller and the gang and I at Quatman's this Monday June 22nd, 2009 at 6PM. Be there or be square.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

LDRs

2009-06-18T23:14:00.005-04:00

Friday, June 5th was my graduation from residency! Marking the end of my time at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and the start of a new adventure through the University of Washington and theSeattle Children's Hospital Regional Hospitalist program.

I've become every accustomed to my life here in Norwood and the Greater Norwood area (Cincinnati), but how exciting it is to start something anew! A first "real job," starting off on a "career path," a whole new environment to explore, new foods to tastes, and of course the difficulty of maintaining or developing new romantic ties. :-(

I have very mixed feelings over the events which will transpire over the next few weeks. I'm in the early stages of exploring new romantic relationships; something that is grand and wonderful, but at the same time, with me leaving, adds a great deal of distress. I know, behind me here in Cincinnati will be a host great friendships, romantic interests, wonderful neighbors, and a calendar full of nightly events.

Some of you my know that I briefly tried eHarmony.com during the second half of my 1st year of residency. While overall the experience for me was pretty meager, I still do from time to time receive e-mails from the eHarmony advice section.

This pasts week's set of articles focused on a timely topic - "Do Long Distance Relationships Last?"

While a little disheartening and disturbing, at the beginning of the article, the author concludes with acknowledging that "partners that take active and conscious strives to get know each other will have a more realistic perception of their relationship, and will make their long distance relationships LAST!"

A quick search also lead me to three much more interesting and supportive article: "Long-Distance Relationship Survival Guide," "8 Signs you Shouldn't Be in a Long Distance Relationship," and "How Far Should I Go For Long Distance Love?"

Some quick highlights from these articles are:

"Long-distance relationships are not for the faint of heart." Check. I'm pretty strong willed and determined to work on a relationship that's nurturing, energizing, and has real potential. Just prior to the start of residency I entered into a very loving and successfully LDR which lasted for two years during my residency. While not most the ideal situation, we made it work very well for us.

"...it’s perfectly natural to feel doubt and fear in the lulls of a long-distance relationship." Who doesn't feel fear with such changes? We're not accustomed to starting off and continuing LDRs on a regular basis.

"...there are no "regular" relationships—only local and not so local." A refreshing look at almost all sorts of relationships, not just romantic ones.

"...make a conscious effort to not put your life on hold—do the things that you like to do and pursue interests that you've always wanted to develop" (emphasis added). During my first year of residency (and while in LDR) I learned how to cook with international and gourmet style, improved on and expanded my salsa moves, fulfilled a childhood dream of taking fencing lessons, and pursued all sorts of other "extracurricular actives" to round me out. I plan on keeping up my diverse interests while out in Seattle and expanding my interests as time allows.

"Make sure you’re on the same page with your partner by communicating your expectations about the relationship and by fully understanding theirs." Ouch! This is called the "hard talk," isn't it? Best to get things in motion and ironed out while still close and in person. For most people this is the crutch of the relationship and often where the decision of split paths takes place for those not willing to invest time, emotion, and money into making something last.

"The key is to keep the romance alive during the times you are apart." I have agree with the article here that sending flowers, mix CDs, and homemade cookies are great ideas! But, I also enjoy simple cards or "thinking of you" notes when they arrive via "snail mail." I'm really a mail junky at heart and think that the personal touch of a handwritten note is classically romantic. The "professing your love and post it to YouTube," and the idea of making an "All About Me" book to express your love may be a little far fetched in my humble opinion.

"Where there is mutual will, love will always find a way." Amen! If I felt the desire, connection, and need to be with someone half a world a way, I would surely make it happen! It's silly to end such a wonderful relationship over something like "distance." I mean there are so many more meaningful reasons for not wanting to be with someone...

"At least a few times a year you are going to have to visit the other person. Even if he or she is willing to do the bulk of the traveling, you’ll want to reciprocate the effort." A romantic relationship is about excitement but also about balance. This is also where the most money becomes invested in the relationship.

"Don't expect another person to jump at the chance to someday move to be closer to your job, your friends, your favorite places to hang out, if that's not something you yourself would be willing to consider for the right person." Again, a fair balance + open and honest communication will help foster the most meaningful and lasting LDR.

"...create as many opportunities as possible for face to face interaction before either of you move." This is the stage that I'm working on now! All while trying to balance my time to find help with relocating, secure my hospital credentials, study for my pediatric boards, and visit with friends whom I may not see for years. Not an easy task on my end, and coupled with having a romantic interest that keeps strange hours for work and/or school makes it only harder.

"Secondly, I suggest that you visit each other in as many different circumstances as you possibly can." Good, I love visitors for any reason!

This does give me a lot to think about, but also a lot of hope for any LDR.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

“We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another.” - Luciano de Crescenzo

2009-06-12T22:36:00.014-04:00

I finished reading Paulo Coelho's The Valkyries this afternoon and came across an interesting dialog between Paulo (the story's main character) and "an old women" whom he met in a restaurant in Ajo as Paulo is finishing his journey to find his guardian angle.

"Do you believe in angles?" Paulo asked her.

The woman was astonished at the question. But that was all that Paulo wanted to talk about.

"When you're old, and death isn't too far off, you begin to believe in anything," she said. "But I don't know if I believe in angles."

"They exist."

"Have you ever seen one?" There was a mixture of incredulity and hope in her eyes. "I talk with my guardian angle."

"Does your angle have wing?"

It was a question everyone asked. Yet he forgotten to ask it Valhalla.

"I don't know. I haven't seen my angle yet."

And there in lies the question. What would your angle look like?

Thanks for reading,

Alex

A Letter From The Past

2009-06-09T22:28:00.004-04:00

I went through an interesting exercises 3 years ago, at the start my residency. During orientation week, each one of the new incoming interns was asked to draft a letter to one's self, and then it would be delivered back to us sometime during our first year of residency.

About three months into residency I found a curious letter in my work mailbox. Dated 6/19/06 and addressed to Alex Hamling, #1 coolest intern.

The reads as follows:

Dear Alex,

I'm writing you during the second day of orientation to see how you're doing after a few a few months of internship [sic]. I'm sure things are going well. I hope you've made a lot of new friends, gone on a few dates, and still have big plans to look forward to.

Say "Hi" to Kristina for me. Just keep following these few simple rules: 1 Keep on smiling; 2 Have fun; 3 Stay active; 4 Don't get fat; 5 Keep your eyes and ears open; 6 Never stop loving; and 7 Never stop calling your friends.

I hope this note leaves you well and in good spirits.

Best of Luck,

Lots of Love,

Alex

I hope I've been faithful to myself and followed these 7 simple rules over the past three years.

It's rare that I don't have on a smile, and it's hard to catch me not laughing when I'm with friends. I always try to look for new adventures to broaden my horizons and keep a good attitude with me for wherever I go or for whatever I do. I've been a member of the Urban Active since starting residency and that's helped to keep the "on call - guilt free, fat free foods" from effecting my waist line too much. I haven't let the 80 hrs/week and 30 hrs/shift detour me from my journey for searching for true love. And lastly, all too often I find myself going over my cellular minutes because of keeping in touch with close friends and always making new plans for the week.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

NYP Community Garden

2009-05-30T16:39:00.020-04:00

Saturday, May 30th marked the launch to the Norwood Community Gardens at Linden Pointeon the Lateral. I first heard of this idea from one of my favorite Norwood Blogs.

Luckily the NYP was already on top of it and has secured us a plot - 12 W!

This morning's planting and launch celebration started off with the usual invited guest speakers, the Mayor of Norwood and other local politicians, and a Neyer representative for donating the plot.

12 W started off as a pile of dirt, but was soon transformed into a real garden.

The original planters - "Dr." Alex, Stacey, and "Norwood Adjacent" Nick

Our neighbor - His plot really loves compost!

More plots!

Our plot, completed!

Stacey was adamant about wanting to preserve all the tomato plants and make sure they all had a home - either in our garden or in one of the other gardens - despite ours not having enough trellises.

"Norwood Adjacent" Nick choose the stocky, thick carrot variety over the long and slender ones.

"Dr." Alex choose both red and orange peppers to add color to the garden.

For those who are interested in sharing the in the NYP Community Garden experience, I've put together a very "detailed" map showing you just where plot 12 W is located at.:

Located in the Southern and Western most corner is the NYP Community Garden.

The veggies of our labor are open to all who want to help grown and tend to the soil of the plot. If you're free one evening, come and walk down to check out the NYP Community Garden and remember to give show a little love and attention.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

A House with a Name

2009-05-23T23:24:00.008-04:00

I've always had the strange attraction and desire to live in a house that had enough character to earn it's own name.

As, of last week, I do now.

In preparation, asked a few friends for advice on what to name my house. The list was quite impressive:

Port of Change

The Running Lilac

Wuthering Heights

Canterbury Place

Octopus Garden
House of Nevermore
Pax Domini

However, the name I chose came from the recommendation from my friend Jess. Wildfell Hall, stemming from the classic The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte after informing Jess that a young women would be renting my house for this coming year.

A brief summary of the plot:

1. Mrs. Helen Graham, a mysterious widow arrives at Wildfell Hall.
2. She is a source of curiosity for the small community.
3. Gilbert Markham begins an infatuation for Helen, and scandalous rumours and gossip about Helen run rampant amongst the people.

4. Gilbert and Helen have a misunderstanding and a small quarrel.

5. From Helen's diary we learn of her marriage to the abusive and adulterous Arthur Huntingdon.

6. Eventually, with the assistance of her brother Mr. Lawrence, Helen finds a secret refuge at Wildfell Hall, away from Huntgingdon - and later we learn of his death.
7. Years later, Gilbert and Helen reconcile and marry.

It seems that over the past three years, I've had quite a few number of tenants come to live in the house: Kristina, Sybille, Sandra, Catherine, Melissa, Mark, Becca, Joanna, Joe, Magda, and now Steve.

All of them have been great additions and have added their own personality and uniqueness to the house, helping to create and enrich my house's character.

I have similar hopes that my up and coming tenet, Chu Ri, will also continue to nurture the Wildfell Hall.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Opportunity + Preparedness = Good Luck

2009-03-28T02:57:00.003-04:00

These past few weeks, I’ve been working with my Life Coach, Quanita Munday from Nzuzu, on the goals of accepting change and preparing for the next big move in my career coming to fruition in a few weeks.

Quanita, had recommended a book called The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire - Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, by Deepak Chopra as source of relaxation about being prepared for this change.

I’ve put together a few captions from that book that have inspired me and directed me to make the right choice in my career:

“Seeing the web of coincidence in our lives, however, is just the first stage in understanding and living synchrodestiny. The next stage is to develop an awareness of coincidences while they are happening. It is easy to see them in hindsight, but if you can catch coincidences at the moment they occur, you are better positioned to take advantage of the opportunities they may be presenting. Also, awareness translates into energy. The more attention you give to coincidences, the more likely they are to appear, which means you begin to gain greater and greater access to the messages being sent to you about the path and direction of your life.” [emphasis added]

“Something similar happens whenever you touch another object. Your energy fields (and electron clouds) meet, small portions meld, and then you separate. Although you perceive yourself to be whole, you have lost a bit of your energy field to the object, and have gained a bit of its energy field in return. … We are all correlated with one another.”

“Examples of synchronicity can be found most often in the animal world because animals are more in touch the essential nature of things. We humans lose our sense of connectedness in a welter of concerns about rent payments, which car to buy, or any of a million other distractions. As soon as we develop an ego, a sense of “I” that is different from everyone else, those connections are obscured.”

“We live like actors in a play who are given only one line at a time, going through the motions without understanding the full story. But when you get in touch with your soul, you see the whole script for the drama. You understand. You still participate in the story, but now you participate joyously, consciously, and fully.”

“Notice the coincidences in your life. Coincidences are messages. They are clues from God or spirit or nonlocal reality, urging you to break out of your karmic conditioning, your familiar patterns of thinking.”

“…‘Change favors the prepared mind.’ This can be converted into a simple equation: Opportunity + Preparedness = Good Luck.”

“Am I being true to myself?”

“First, say to yourself, “I’m totally independent of the good or bad opinions of others.” Second: “I’m beneath no one.” Third: “I’m fearless in the face of any and all challenges.”

“We spend our lives seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. The things that bring pleasure or pain are different for each of us. Pleasure and pain flow from the needs that you have. … It’s all about perception and interpretation.”

Thanks for reading,

Alex

My New Snuggie

2009-03-23T22:54:00.016-04:00

Look at my button!

I bought a Snuggie this week and doctored it up! I added a pull string to actually make a collar so that it doesn't slip off my shoulders, and then added a button and a lock of ribbon to help draw up the bottom part, so I wont' be walking all over it. This is all in preparation for a Snuggie Bar Crawl on Mt. Adams that I'm going to try and make Saturday night after work this weekend.

Hood wrap.

Hood wrap in action.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

I LOVE mail!

2009-03-12T22:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I received a very interesting letter in the mail. As usual, my mail was addressed to me, but this particular inspirational note was also written in my handwriting. Hmm…. Curiously, I opened it, thinking at first I had made the mistake of switching the recipient and sender address locations. However, to my surprise, this letter was indeed intended to come to me.

Entitled as Two Thousand Nine, and starting off as Dear Alex, I resolve to …

I remember that Kate Harrington had invited me to her New Year’s Eve Party, and one of the many events during the night was to write oneself a memorandum of what resolutions one was to keep to one’s self.

The rest of my letter was as follows:

Make many new recipes from my cook books
Find a job that makes me happy
Learn to play the ukulele better
Help my avocado tree grow
Dust around the house
Plant a new type of veggie

Live, Laugh, Love,

Alex

Thanks for reading,

Alex

if the Buddha dated

2009-03-07T23:25:00.002-05:00

After a several month hiatus from blogging – mainly from work, relationship changes, and the prospect of locating a future career outside of Cincinnati- I wanted to include a listing of several, more meaningful, passages that I found in a book entitled if the Buddha dated – a Handbook for Finding Love on a Spiritual Path. By Charlotte Kasl, Ph.D.

This book was lent to me by a wonderful woman, while we were struggling with the unraveling of our romantic relationship. I think, and hope, that Rachel lent me this book as a way to gain insight into her heart and mind, which I later learned were in conflict with one in other over whether to continue our romantic endeavor or to change our path of life. We are not on different paths.

This is by no means a complete synopsis of the 49 (2-4 page) chapters, but rather a collection of interesting and meaningful passages that I took away.

“Too often, we try to mold people into what we want them to be rather then honoring them as they are.”

“The spiritual lover doesn’t want a chase or a competition – he or she wants a lover who wants them back. They want to create a shared union and feel the sweetness of connection.” (emphasis added).

“When you say good-bye to someone or decide not to see them again, remember you are a moment in their story. Make it a story that doesn’t leave a scar.”

“… Love relationships thrive when both partners support, trust, and yield to the other partner’s path. Adaptability, devotion and unconditional support given in equal measure to each other bring the essence of equality.”

“Unresolved losses and conflict live in us as a form of energy.”

“When we crawl in love we are more likely to find the true fire of hearts meeting because our bond is based on a wide array of experiences, time together, familiarity, and the ability to talk over conflict.”

“I am filled by the light of a thousand angels
Softening my way, softening my way

I am filled by the light of a thousand angles,
softening my way to you.

I am washed by the tears of a thousand angels

Softening my way, softening my way

I am washed by the tears of a thousand rainbows,

Softening my way to you.

- A Dance of Universal Peace”

“Our task is to fearlessly, and with great compassion, listen to what our body, mind, and heart are saying and remember that obsessive thinking keeps us locked in fear. If you’re caught in fear, call forth your adult self to remind you that you managed your life before you met this person, and you are not dependent on him or her. You can get out of bed, dress yourself, feed yourself, go to work, and take yourself to the movies. It’s an illusion to believe that you need him or her so desperately, an echo from childhood.”

“In the journey toward finding your beloved, there may be several endings and new beginnings. They are part of the same circle. The grace we bring to leaving a relationship will help us gently untie the cord and let go. Forgiving ourselves and our former partners frees us to love more wisely the next time.” (emphasis added).

Thanks for reading,

Alex

A Random Chance Encounter Meeting of the Blue Ball Girl

2009-01-21T17:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, on 1/20/2009, I skipped my lunch work meeting (along with all the rest of my program) to watch the Inaugural event, and then later that evening attended the "Blue Ball" event at Northside Tavern that was in support for our new president.

Even though I didn't vote for him, it was a fun time seeing people I had neglected seeing in such a long time, and I actually ran into a women whom I had e-mailed off her blog about a year back. She thought my story (a super wonderful resident seeking an outside life and searching for a dance partner) sounded familiar. Plus she thought I also looked familiar to her.

Hmm... now here's where it starts to get interesting. I tried searching for her e-mail address in gmail here but came up short. :-( I did find the post that I commented on. So, at least I know she's not a compete stalker. :-) Turns out she works at Children's as well in the communications/publications/PR department.... Hmm.... stalker she may be....

Thanks for reading,

Alex

2009-01-02T20:24:00.004-05:00

I ran across a bunch of facebook "25 things about me" lists and decided to respond to Redcat's post and here.

1. I LOVE the the city of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh International Airport, and Primanti Brothers sandwiches (also from Pittsburgh).
2. I have no tattoos or piercings.
3. I've been to North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
4. I used deep fry a turkey every year while in medical school and still have a turkey deep fryer... somewhere...
5. Sushi is in my top three all time favorite types of food.
6. My cat, Midnight, is a pretty good pen pal to have, and often writes about me, behind my back.
7. My first cassette tape growing up was of NKTB.
8. I tracked town my best friend of grade school last year, after being out of contact for 15+ years.
9. I once did a 40 mile adventure/orienteering race complete with trail running, mt. biking, and canoeing.
10. Wild animals eat the veggies in my garden faster then I can pluck them.
11. I have bed room in my house that I call the "Peanut butter room" and another called "the Pink room."
12. I consider "cooking" to be combining 2 or more ingredients together.
13. I've played an extra in a movie - naked.
14. I've run up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum and topped out just like how Rokcy did!
15. I'm a tea drinker over coffee and a hot coco drinker over both of them.
16. I read comics on the toliet.
17. I've shot several hand guns and a shot gun.
18. The 4th of July is one my favorite holidays - Fireworks, hot dogs, and great music.
19. I used to play video games all druing finals week in college.
20. I'm addicted to LOST and Hereo's.
21. I just discovered Podcasts and Google Reader this past year.
22. I hope to complete a mini triathlon one of these years.
23. I don't like the bubbles in beer, pop, or soda.
24. Sausage is my favorite pizza topping.
25. I've lived in IN, PA, OH, and MN.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Which American City Suites Me Best?

2008-12-17T22:09:00.003-05:00

I'm on the J-O-B search and one of my many questions has been if I'll have to move, where would I move to? I found an interesting blog post off my Google Reader that linked me to a simple quiz that determined that I'm best suited for:

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Washington, DC

60% Boston

55% New York City

55% San Francisco

50% Austin

http://www.blogthings.com/whichamericancitiesbestfityouquiz/

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Being a God Father

2008-11-30T21:20:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was asked to be the god father to my friend Stacey's daughter, Isabella Michelle. The baptism was held at Saint Ignatius church last Sunday after mass for Isabella and her older brother Kaileb. Today I finished writing a letter for Isabella to include with an activity bible (small activities as you read along) for Christmas. Here's my letter to her:

November 29,2008

Dear Isabella Michelle,

This year your mom asked something very special of me – to become your god parent. This was such a great honor and I gladly accepted her request. Your mom and I have become close friends over the past year, and I have had the privilege of knowing you and watching you grow up.

You were baptized on November 23rd, 2008 into the eyes of god as Isabella Michelle. We celebrated that day, the mystery of God’s grace by welcoming you into his heart. No one can fully understand why God extends his love to us, but we know that God is love and loves all his children equally.

Being your god parents makes me feel so proud and loving of you. I will always be there for you to help you in life and along your spiritual journey. God intended the water used during your baptism to wash away your sins and unite you with Christ. Your baptism signifies God’s claim on you as his own—a child of his covenant with all men and an extension of his grace.

I hope you are able to see and embrace life with the same passion your mom does. She has a great and uplifting view of the world. Together, we have pushed each other to become better people – to do more, be more, and strive for more in order to experience life to its fullness. I hope I can be there to help you along your life’s journey.

Your mom talks of parents as “choosing feathers” for you and your brother, so that one day you will have a full set of wings and be able to fly on your own. I hope to be able to add my strongest and most colorful feathers to your wings.

When Jesus was on Earth, he blessed the little children. The afternoon of your baptism, I ask that this same Jesus would bless you and keep you, that he would make his face shine upon you, and that he would give you peace in your life, forever and ever.

With love and affection,

Alex

Thanks for reading,

Alex

Bring Your XO to School or Work Day

2008-11-17T23:30:00.004-05:00

Today, Nov 17^th 2008, was dimed “Bring Your XO to School or Work Day” by the One Laptop Per Child initiative, and I did just that.

The Downtown Cincinnati Kiwanis club had its regularly scheduled lunch/invited guest speaker meeting at the Banker’s Club today. Our guest speakers were fellow Kiwanian Bill Burwinkel and Kathy from the Adopt A Class program, focusing on local businesses and community groups to adopt a classroom of children to be their mentors and supporters as positive role models and to help these children develop practical and social skills.

Before our speakers began I was able to bring my XO (purchased last year during their buy one for a child, buy one for you campaign) for show and tell to Kiwanis group. The XO initially billed to be the $100 laptop is a small, light weight, nearly indestructible laptop running a Linux based operating system that works great in classroom setting for educating, sharing ideas, and exploring the internet in third world counties. While the XO isn’t a robust computer designed to be an everyday computer for most Americans, I think it has a great role as a tool for educating those in classrooms which lack resources such as books and paper. Watch the video from Amazon.com to learn more about the One Laptop Per Child philosophy.

I LOVE my XO,

Thanks for reading,

Alex

2008 CINCINNATI HILL CLIMB SERIES

2008-11-16T23:23:00.004-05:00

Today I had the hardest 4:13 minutes of my life when I decided that it would be a good idea to a run a 0.47 mile race, all up hill, in 35 degree weather, after work a 10 hr ED shift at Children's. The Cincinnati Hill Climb Series is a set of 4 races starting at the lower ends of 4 major street paved hills in Cincinnati and ending at their crust.

Per the Hill Climb Series's web site: "...the most he most grueling sub-mile runs on the planet, returns to Cincinnati’s racing calendar on Sunday Nov. 2. Begun over 30 years ago by the Clifton Track Club, the oxygen-depleting sprints up the city’s steepest inclines are back for 2008."

Further it goes on to say that the climb series is "two minutes of self-inflicted torture." How true, how true, how true.

During my first 30 seconds of the climb I was feeling well. Not winded, no lactic acid pain in my thighs, but soon after and for the rest of the run that's all I felt. Even after a good solid 5 hr nap my lungs are still on fire!

We'll see how the Straight St. run on the 23rd goes!

Alex

First Post

2008-11-14T17:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Medicine Man of Norwood blog!

This is an appropriately titled blog in that I live in Norwood, OH and I'm a medicine man of sorts - a pediatrician completing my training at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

I moved to Norwood in June of 2006 and have come to love Norwood and it's people. I've been heavily active in volunteer groups in the region such as Give Back Cincinnati and Cincinnati Kiwanis, but when my friend Virginia Patterson (of Norwood) told me of a a grand discovery I was sold on the Norwood Young Professional's organization, and have been all the rage since!

After never having a blog (or one that I really cared for), this will be my initial post on my infant blog. Maybe it will grow some day, maybe not... I cannot promise how often or if ever this blog will be updated. The creation of this blog and subsequent post has been influenced by the Citizens for a Better Norwood blog and so that I could feel secure in posting a reply to the latest post about the housing strategy of Norwood.

Thanks for reading,

Alex