This video explains perfectly why I like working public health better than working in hospitals. No one asks for narcotics when you're vaccinating them!
(Be sure to watch all of it--the last 30 seconds are priceless.)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Enabling my yarn addiction
I lead a fairly boring life. When you get right down to it, so does most of the family. Even the ones who may have been a bit wild in the past now have respectable jobs, like being a substance abuse counselor.
The extended family does a Christmas gift exchange. Pick a relative's name out of a hat, get them a gift. You know the drill.
A couple of weeks ago, my brother in law announced that he'd gotten my name and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I suggested a gift certificate to a local yarn store.
Then he had to ask the fateful question: "How much money do you want on it?"
Trying to be polite, I hemmed and hawed. But he persisted in wanting to know a specific dollar amount.
My sister in law knits, so I appealed to her better judgement. "Would you explain to your beloved why it's a bad idea to ask a knitter how much money they need for yarn?"
Since their household has close to 25 years worth of collective sobriety, she chose a metaphor that would be easily understood. "Baby, when you were on dope, how much of your income did you spend on it?"
The extended family does a Christmas gift exchange. Pick a relative's name out of a hat, get them a gift. You know the drill.
A couple of weeks ago, my brother in law announced that he'd gotten my name and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I suggested a gift certificate to a local yarn store.
Then he had to ask the fateful question: "How much money do you want on it?"
Trying to be polite, I hemmed and hawed. But he persisted in wanting to know a specific dollar amount.
My sister in law knits, so I appealed to her better judgement. "Would you explain to your beloved why it's a bad idea to ask a knitter how much money they need for yarn?"
Since their household has close to 25 years worth of collective sobriety, she chose a metaphor that would be easily understood. "Baby, when you were on dope, how much of your income did you spend on it?"
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wrestling with strange toddlers for a living
I realize people want their kids to behave in public. But this week, I've gotten a bit weirded out with parents making their kids say "thank you" to me after I vaccinate them. It seems well-intentioned, but a bit heavy-handed. Because I'm pretty sure that from the kid's perspective, they've been dragged to a strange place and held down while a lady they don't know just stabbed them with a needle--not exactly something to feel thankful for.
If the kids don't hit/kick/scream too much (and how much is "too much" completely depends on the child in question) I give them a sticker. (Or an extra Band-Aid, if we're out of stickers.) Having them say "Thank you for the sticker" seems appropriate (Although the Happy Hospitalist seems to have issues in this department) but forcing the kids to express unspecified gratitude confuses me.
If the kids don't hit/kick/scream too much (and how much is "too much" completely depends on the child in question) I give them a sticker. (Or an extra Band-Aid, if we're out of stickers.) Having them say "Thank you for the sticker" seems appropriate (Although the Happy Hospitalist seems to have issues in this department) but forcing the kids to express unspecified gratitude confuses me.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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