In the beginning...

...there was residency. And residency begat stress. And stress begat drinking. And drinking begat off-color, non-PC jokes with the cute boy next to me at The Mix. I got his e-mail address, and I thrust my digits into his hand, much to the chagrin of his "date", who turned around at just the wrong time.

That cutie has become quite important to me, and is one of SF's great bloggers. After 7 months, he still thinks I have a lot to say, and has been encouraging me to start a blog, so here we go.

The title comes from a dinner conversation about the possibility of my blogging. I'm a doctor here in SF, and was concerned about the legalities of occasionally blogging about medicine and later getting sued. Half my posts, I told him, would have to start with "This is not medical advice, but..."

To which he replied -- "There's your title."

Those of you familiar with the local blogosphere probably already know who my personal instigator is, but allow me my vagaries until I get used to this. I grew up in Erie, PA, an "All-American City" (yes, this is an official US designation) in the industrial midwest, where every Catholic church had a club, bar, and bowling alley, and the first Starbucks didn't open until I was in medical school. I spent my undergraduate years in Baltimore (that's Bahl'mer, hon!) and my most formative 7 years in Atlanta, where I discoverd my love of country music, hashing, Waffle House, sweet tea...and boys. Basically, this leaves me a fiercely loyal hopeless romantic with a puritan work ethic and an Irish liver.

I'll be leading a schizophrenic existance this year, working my ass off one week, with the next week off. My postings may mirror this schedule, so be patient. Others (especially the aforementioned) excel at finding the beauty in everyday life, and I will tread on their territory only on occasion. I prefer to point out some of lifes contradictions and ironies -- I have a few in mind that I will photo when I get my new camera phone (Instant poll #1: Is it worth $200 just to by Razor that will be less obtrusive in my pocket?). I'll also vent about things that drive me freakin' nuts. Feel free to post comments, and I'll try to respond to requests. Expect lots of quotes -- I used to be a debater and bar trivia afficionado.

I'll leave you with Annie Lennox, who pretty much sums up what to expect from all this:

This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread...
...These are the contents of my head...

Thanks for stopping by.