-
More Time for Birds
I’m off service for a while, which means I have more time for birds. Right now, my wife and I are trying not to spook the cardinals. It looks like they’ve finished the nest and we’re waiting for the eggs. This will be the first time we’ve seen cardinals nesting in our yard. It’s a…
-
They Work Here Too
The cardinal nest is pretty much done—no eggs yet, though. At least we think it’s a cardinal nest. It looks typical according to experts; loosely woven of twigs, leaves, stucco, and ponderosa pine accents. They’re pretty fussy about us snooping around the backyard evergreen tree they chose to build a home in. Any day now,…
-
The Last White Coat I’ll Ever Wear
I’m a big fan of the Men in Black movies. I’m not going to tell you how many times I’ve watched them on TV (78 million and if that number reminds you of a scene from Men in Black, you’re just as much a fan as I am, if not worse). One of my favorite…
-
My Definitive Journey
About 15 years ago, I left my position at the University of Iowa to work somewhere else. The spiral notebook with a picture of someone crossing a bridge and the fine birdhouse in the picture above were going away gifts. There were many touching messages in the little book. Friends wished me well and reminded…
-
Long Day; Short Post
OK, it was a long day on the general hospital psychiatry consultation service. This post is going to be short. I put 3.4 miles and 29 floors on my step counter today and I’m feeling every one of them right now. It’s almost 10:30 at night and I’m trying to find a way to end…
-
Gauging My Readiness for Retirement
I’m noticing something about my readiness for retirement. Certain activities are starting to be at least as interesting as my work as a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at the hospital—maybe even more so. For example, my wife and I are hoping that the cardinals will come back to our backyard evergreen tree. They were building a Hoorah’s…
-
Wes Ely Brings House Down
I know I’d been saying that I probably wouldn’t have time to attend Wes Ely’s Grand Rounds presentation yesterday, “A New Frontier in Critical Care: Saving the Injured Brain.” But against all odds, I actually got to go, along with some medical students and a Family Medicine resident. As I expected, Dr. Ely brought the…
-
Meaning and Purpose in Retirement
As you know, I’m back in the saddle at work, according to the terms of my phased retirement contract. When I’m off service, I feel less pressured. However, when I’m on service, I’m like a fireman, thriving on pressure. I’ve done Consultation-Liaison (C-L) Psychiatry for so many years that, when I stop to think about…
-
Fine Weather for Ducks
Today we had fine weather for ducks—who waddled across our front yard lawn and across the street. They sampled the worms the robins evidently wouldn’t eat. They didn’t like them much either. I wonder what kind of romance life ducks have—probably about the same as humans. That reminds me; my wife made another Hoorah’s Nest…
-
Who’s a Hoorah’s Nest?
I asked my wife this morning if she ever got any food in her mouth, pointing to the floor under her dining room chair—where there was a small pile of crumbs and whatnot. It was a regular Hoorah’s Nest (also known as Hurrah’s Nest). That’s just about anything (hairstyle, person, place, situation, my so-called cooking)…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 