And the winner is...

Me. I'm the winner. But don't tell this guy, because he thinks that he is. Maybe we both win... I'm not counting.

 

So yesterday I was on call on general surgery. I was waiting for my patient to be called to the OR from 8 AM until 1 AM (and if you were counting, that's 17 hours). At that point, They told me to go see another case because my patient was likely not going to go to surgery today. It was an open laparotomy for a ruptured gall bladder, and we finished at 4 AM. Then I slept in a chair for an hour and got up to see my patients. I'm pooped. But i almost don't care, because I've got one of the most marvelous people I've ever met to call up at the end of the day. And now I'm falling asleep as I write this post, so I'm off to nap for a loooong time. peace in your barrio. I know I'll have some in mine.
mwoah,
Lauren Losefast

happy

have you ever been so happy that your cheeks started spasming from smiling for too long? or felt like a smile would simply not cover the enormous amounts of joy surging forward from your spirit, and you simply had to laugh? Not laughing from humor, but laughing from sheer happiness! If not, you should try it, because it's marvelous. Reasons for this blissful happiness will be discussed in a future post.

scenes from the fair!

Today I went to the Texas State Fair with a group from my sunday school class. I had never been before and I have totally been missing out! My first order of business when I got there was to eat a giant turkey leg, which is hands-down my favorite fair food.I ate that thing all the way to the bone and enjoyed every second of it. Then we went to say hello to Big Tex:

Jennie and her sister with Big Tex:


Me with some bagpipers


Ostrich? bgawk! this guy bit me a little bit

 

Me with a big sow.

 

Michelle feeding the mean ostrich

 

the Ferris wheel! I didn't ride this year but there's always next time.

 

I went on one crazy ride called the bodysurfer. It spun you upside down and then a fountain of water came up and hit you in the face! It was sooo fun. (this was before I'd had my fried s'more, naturally). I left happy and exhausted, covered with a thin lay of turkey grease, fair dust, and powdered sugar. My only regrets were that I missed the pig races and the dancing dogs. I did get to see a parrot singing "how much is that doggie in the window?" though. I can't wait to go next year!

yay

today I saw two squirrels fighting in a tree outside my window over a nut and I laughed. I love suburban wildlife.

Anna Lee must be voted the cutest in the land or I'll flip!

Please visit this photographer's website and vote for whoever you think is the cutest baby. If you think that any baby is cuter than baby #11, you probably have terribly bad judgment.

Note: my sister didn't enter Anna into this competition as a beauty contest or anything, she was entered automatically after they had their portrait taken by this photographer. But once in the competition, it's a matter of principle that the baby who is truly cutest wins!

More examples of this silly girl being awesome and lovable and totally worthy of winning any competition, whether for looks, smarts, or athletics.





OK that last one was really posted because I look good. Anna missed that we were taking a picture.

pillow talk

this post is not going to be as racy as the title may suggest. But it's still thrilling. I went to Horchow Finale today and scored a sweet deal on a really pretty hand-embroidered pillow!

It was originally $212.00 (who in the world spends over $200 for a PILLOW? that's insane. It's a pillow. The Finale price was $140.00, which is still insane. But then I looked... was there a smudge of green on the tag? That would mean 75% off! I took it up to the register. My hopes were trampled by a discontented-looking old lady who DENIED the green smudge, then walked away and left me at the register without ringing me up for my other purchase:

A younger, kinder salesperson came to the register. I explained my dashed hopes of green smudginess, and she took pity on me. Long story short, I got the pillow (down-filled, hand-embroidered, feminine loveliness!) for $34.00. If you come over, I'll let you touch it, but only if you wash your hands first. That pillow is technically worth more than my couch.

I did it all for the (fortune) cookie*.

Something you may not know about Doc Losefast-I save my fortune cookie fortunes. But only the good ones. Also, I only eat the cookie if I want the fortune to be true or if it is very wise. Here's a list of some of my favorites:

"It's sometimes better to travel with hope than to arrive"
"Failure is the mother of success"
- unfortunately I got BOTH of the above fortunes the night before a test. I don't remember exactly how I did, but if I did poorly at least I'll know that I was traveling with hope and will have successful children.

"Turn on the charm. you'll be glad you did." Thanks for the advice.
"a fun party is soon to be in your future" I'll be invited to the party after I turn on my charm!
"an exciting opportunity lies ahead of you" probably still talking about the opportunity of going to a fun party.
"do not hide your feelings. let others know where you stand" I see, so I am to become sloppily drunk at the aforementioned party and confess my love to a near stranger. Sounds like a good plan.

"Others admire your flexibility" HEY NOW!!!

"everyone feels lucky for having you as a friend" it's because I'm so charming.

"today is probably a huge improvement over yesterday." what the hell kind of GD fortune cookie fortune is that? it's like the debbie downer of all fortunes. But also hilarious.

So now you know my life in fortunes. Too bad there's no fortune cookie to tell me how to politely steer the conversation in another direction someone is speed-talking political propaganda at me. le sigh.

Peace in your hood.

*yes that was a really lame reference to Limp Bizkit. I'm so corny I'm about to become high-fructose syrup. mwoah mwoah mwoah.....

post-its

After viewing this blog I decided that I need to appreciate the mundane more than I do. I don't think I have quite the level of talent that these people do, though. I secretly suspect that their post-it art is not merely innocent workplace doodling; they look to have used artists markers and other professional tools. I know where I work I'd get in trouble if I started pulling out a bunch of markers and carefully shading my post-it doodles. I tried to start an index-card doodle today with the aim of making something cool, but I gave up halfway because it was work, where I'm supposed to be paying attention. Plus I started getting pimped on every aspect of how to read EKGs and how they electrophysiologically work. I didn't do too shabbily though. Yesterday I got pimped on diabetic ketoacidosis for like fifteen minutes. That was a bit more painful. luckily the intern was sitting just behind my attending mouthing answers to me! Ha.
great news is: it's finally getting cool enough for me to sit in my office-closet. For those who don't know, I had what was supposed to be an enormous closet in one corner of my house. I decided that it should be my office instead (it has bookshelves! and a window! It could probably function as a second bedroom in Manhattan.) Hopefully this means I will be able to get more work done without being distracted by the wide open space of the rest of my apartment.

four by four

Four jobs I’ve had:
1) barista
2) TA for human osteology
3) medical researcher (brain cancer, then degenerative spondylolisthesis)
4) waitress at Foster's Market in Durham, NC.

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:
1) the Sound of Music
2) Dirty Dancing
3) Steel Magnolias
4) When Harry Met Sally…
and a billion other ones. I watch most movies more than once.

Four places I’ve lived:
1) Dallas, TX
2) Austin, TX
3) Durham, NC
4) Savannah, GA

Four TV shows I watch:
1) Gray’s Anatomy
2) 30 Rock
3) The Office
4) That’s it. And I watch the other ones online. Because I don’t have my TV plugged into the wall.

Four places I’ve been:
1) Ephesus
2) swimming with dinoflagellates in Puerto Rico
3) The Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT
4) Florence

Four people who email me regularly:
1) Mom
2) Shannon
3) School
4) Church

Four of my favorite foods:
1) PB&J
2) Macaroons
3) hot sauce
4) strawberries

Four places I would like to visit:
1) Russia
2) Buenos Aires
3) Israel
4) Sweden

Four things I’m looking forward to in the coming year:
1) vacations
2) fall weather and food
3) surgery
4) napping