Winterim + Minor Pursuits

My productivity appears to go through the floor when I do not have classes or other time-absorbing events scheduled for the day. Depending on how we define productivity, of course. Today I got all the pants that needed to be shorter hemmed up, learned to stitch a hand-rolled handkerchief, and now may be going to go get a needed haircut and if I am really on top of things, will go for a walk. I am simply drowning in excitement.

On the other hand, yesterday I was struck with a relapse of whatever nasty cold has been making the rounds. I thought I had outmaneuvered it last night by going to bed last night at eight, after a thoroughly nutritious dinner (there were vegetables! And seafood!), but then I woke up at midnight. Therein followed four hours of more or less abject misery, until my deranged sleep schedule felt satisfied with the havoc it had wreaked on my plans for the next morning. I did get my ranking for the match finalized. Unfortunately, that just meant I spent the remaining 3 hours in insomniac brooding. And congestion.

During the sewing today, I listened to "The Checklist Manifesto", Atul Gawande's book on how to manage complicated (i.e. made up of many simple tasks) processes in fields as divergent as construction, high-end restaurants, and, of course, surgery. It is excellent, as Gawande generally is, although for me it builds up contradictory inspiration to work in public health or to work hard in medicine...

I begin to think there's not a good way to work in public health until you have managed to excel in something else.

Taking a year from veterinary medicine to "do public health" sounds great, but in reality I am mostly sitting in classes and finding out about whole new fields I can simply not learn enough about in a year to be useful to myself or others (biostats...). On the other hand, I have spent a lot of time among people who, morose or excited, are still in school, which does color one's perception of life in such a way as to feel time is running out to become anything other than a perpetual student. But that sounds too much like insomniac brooding. Time for a walk!