Thursday, August 10, 2006

Scrubbing In



I haven't posted in a bit, what with trying to survive Life In Hell and setting up the logo foster care program and all (thanks to everyone who volunteered). I'm dropping in now for an update.

After three consecutive days of 100 degree weather, I ran out and bought some scrubs to sweat through. They were the height of fashion and it was quite fun throwing everyone for a loop: "Doc, what're you doing in those? Aren't you a psych doc?" (Yes, and I'm dying here. The Shrink is shrinking. Can you get me a fan?) The colors were fashionable. For the computer nerds among us I was wearing #993333 or rgb(153,51,51) (not a browser-safe color, really a maroon), #006633 or rgb(0,102,51) and #330099 or rgb(51,0,153). (I like hex numbers best myself, but for Foo you have to use RGB values in Java. Other than that I think Java is a very fun programming language.)

But back to the point.

Like JW, I have been online since before the World Wide Web existed. (My favorite Dinah quote, after showing her the Web for the first time in the 1990's: "This Internet thing will never catch on. It's too slow.") I remember those early flame wars he referred to, and it's interesting to see how civilized posters are now. I'm amused by the number of people who expressed concern that Dinah might get angry if she were teased. It's thoughtful of you all, but trust me that Dinah is quite resilient and has a wonderful sense of humor. I should know. Several years ago when we were both in training together she once put something...um...rather disgusting in my mailbox and convinced the department secretary to page me and demand that I come down right away and remove it. She brought it for my cat and she meant well, but it was truly disgusting. I am probably the only resident in the history of that program to ever have vital organs placed in my mailbox. And they wonder why I became a forensic psychiatrist.

The first time I had ever heard of Dinah was through a mutual friend who was in my medical school class. When she found out where I had matched, she said I had to be on the lookout for her. "You'll love her," mutual friend said. "You have the same sense of humor."

Oh dear. This might be dangerous.

I'm convinced that the computer that does the residency matches is designed specifically so that all the extremes in a given training year are evened out. You know, short people are matched in programs with tall people, thin with fat, etc. In my case, Dinah and I were placed in the same training year. She was extroverted, I was introverted. She was creative, I was a nerd. I was the sweet, quiet, compliant resident and she was...

Well, you get the idea. Practical jokes were one of the things we had in common. So now when she insults my logo, I don't take offense. I get even. And really, who could resist the tempation of a global practical joke? I'm grateful for the opportunity she gave me to be evilly creative. Also, I rather enjoy the idea that a tiny logo-sized memorial to my friend has now been preserved in cyberspace forever; her name cached redundantly on Google servers and on hard drives in computers worldwide. It's like a modern-day cave drawing that will last a long time, dedicated to my good friend.

I'm sorry the blog is ruining your life but it sure is a fun trip downhill. Watch your back and remember: the duck is loaded.

17 comments:

Dinah said...

MEMORY LANE: --posted by Dinah

Okay, I NEVER said the internet wouldn't catch on because it was too slow. I tried to use it to house hunt and the dial up was excruciating, but I never said the Internet Wouldn't Catch On. I bought a house without it.

What I do remember is using your computer to check out this EMail thing. You had the address of a mutual friend, I sent him an email across the country on your account, and he sent back an email saying that he and his wife and 2 children were coming to town for a week and could they stay with us (in our then tiny house with our two children). That was the end of E-mail for me for a few years, though it was wonderful to see old friends.

I simply thought of you while cooking chicken and brought in the necks/gizzards/stuff wrapped inside for your cats. There was nothing malicious about it. If I had you paged, it was because it suddenly occured to me that the stuff would spoil in the mailbox (and since I also spent time in the residents' office....)

Re: the friend in your med school class, do you know she ALWAYS remembers to send me a birthday card? And I got an email from her 2 days ago, so I'll have to let her know about the Blog.

Since you've now, for reasons not quiet clear to me, dieted yourself down to a size 4, it's fine if you skip the discussion about computers matching thin & fat. Please don't take a poll about my reputation for "sweet and compliant>" oy.

Was putting chicken gizzards in your mail box the most interesting thing I've ever done to you? I'm slipping.

When you're 80, you can talk about how back in the day you were dragged into the blog thing.

Thanks for the sweet post, and it's your turn to walk the duck.

Dr. A said...

You mean I have to keep that freaking logo on my blog forever? Did I sign up for that deal? Just kidding.

Psych in scrubs? That would be interesting. Do straight jackets come in different colors as well?

Mother Jones RN said...

I hope those scrub pants have an elastic waistband, and not a tie-string top. We can’t have strings on a psych unit:-)

Mother Jones RN

ClinkShrink said...

Yes, dialup is still excruciating and even moreso when you're loading pictures of real estate. I love the giblets story & that will be one of my residency favorites. I skipped over a few of the also-interesting-things-you've-done-to-me stories because a blog post can only grow so long. Maybe I'll have to be the one writing the next novel. Let's see, there was the fake-consults-in-mailbox trick, the keep-Clink-in-the-ER-post-call trick...

Of course, I'll conveniently forget the things I've done to you (except the faux-emergency page about your inpatient was a good one).

Dr. A, when I was a resident I had a special t-shirt I wore under the scrubs. It had a big FBI logo on the front (from the FBI Academy gift shop---now there's a story). Talk about going undercover.

MJ, it never occurred to me about the drawstrings. Dang. Now I'll have to walk around holding my pants up like my prisoners. Do I have to get a tattoo and gold teeth?

Jessica said...

While on the psych unit I was amazed by the amount of stuff you couldn't have (eg. string, make-up cleaner, nail polish, rubber bands, bra, necklace, and much, much more). But there is (many of us spoke of this, while complaning about what we couldn't have) MANY other ways to harm/kill yourself that they have readily avaible to you. So it doesn't make much sense to me. I mean really, my get well card from my cousin and my blankie (that I have to have to sleep) can not be used to kill myself, there were much better ways in the dayroom and bathroom or the hospital gown w/ the strings that tie in the back.

I had dial-up untill a few years back, horrible!!!

I love hearing about the pranks you guys pulled on each other, keep them coming! :P

drytears

Dinah said...

fake emergency pages and consults? I don't remember any of this.

Of course you are etched into my family's hx: there was that time I was covering for another resident and I called to ask you to break into my office and get his patient list because, oops, my baby arrived a little early and I wouldn't be coming to work on monday afterall. And what a sweet baby he's been.

Mostly, I think I've repressed my residency years.

By the way, most people don't refer to the late 80's as "a few years ago."

ClinkShrink said...

Eyeww on the piercing; they'd never let me in to work.

On the other hand...you might have something there.

When I see the little Britney Spears clones at the gym with their navel piercings I always want to ask how many keys they can get on that ring.

And yes Dinah, he was a very sweet baby. And to think soon he'll be Driving Miss Dinah. Crazy, but driving you nonetheless. You can quote me to him on that.

NeoNurseChic said...
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Steve & Barb said...

Interesting, Carrie. I used to run a depression forum
on AOL ~'98 to '02. Ahh, those free-wheelin' chat room days. Do you know how long it's been since I typed "GA" to someone?

>GA

NeoNurseChic said...
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Shiny Happy Person said...

Oh, how CUTE are you two? Just like an old married couple.

ClinkShrink said...

Yes, you got that right SHP. One of is married and one of us is old. Fortunately it's the same person.

Gawd, I'm in for it now...

Dinah said...

Clink is the oldest.

and she's supposed to get her own pics....

Steve & Barb said...

GA (go ahead).
Small world. I ran the Sunday night Ask the Doctor chat in DIF for about 4 years. I volunteered at first, but later it was my first paid internet job. I seem to remember a Lizziebeth...cool.

NeoNurseChic said...
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NeoNurseChic said...
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ClinkShrink said...

Thanks for the pic Dinah, GA and put them up anytime. I was going to find one today, really I was...