February 15th, 2010 by DrCharles in Better Health Network, Opinion, True Stories
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It is 4 o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon in February, and I’m sitting in a chair with a laptop computer warming my thighs like an obedient lapdog. I’m swaddled in a cozy bathrobe. My feet are toasty warm inside slippers as I sip hot tea with honey. I’ve raised the blinds on the windows, and as I watch the wet snow swirling sideways in a chaotic display of white, I can’t help feeling giddy that work was cancelled today. I have an overall sense of unproductive euphoria as the gears and pistons of capitalism freeze over. Could blizzards be good for health?
On a normal day I would be 30-40 minutes late seeing patients by now. I would have a dull headache from concentrating all day on hundreds of problems, symptoms, and questions, and my blood pressure would be about 135/84, pulse 89. But the white flakes of water drifting on the winds seem weightless, elemental, and self-sufficient. They certainly have no interest in me as I enjoy their infinite procession. I estimate my blood pressure is 108/72, pulse 61. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles*
December 20th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in True Stories
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Like a good Rochesterian (Rochester, NY that is), my husband decided to shovel the snow off our balcony after the 2-foot-deep deposits threatened to melt into our condo’s window cracks. I was comfortably blogging away in our living room when I looked up to find Mr. DrVal had built me a miniature snowman, complete with a heart made from the last tomato of our now fully dead Roma tomato plant.
A few amazing things about this photo: 1) How can ripe tomatoes still be growing at the end of December in Washington, DC? 2) How did he get Frosty’s hat to stay on his head? 3) How did he find my secret scrub stash and why did he wear them out to shovel snow?
Anyway – I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a rather charming and creative way to spend a Sunday after a snowstorm. But watch out, Frosty: I’d like to eat your heart out!
December 19th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in True Stories
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How deep is the snow? Judging by my balcony, at least a foot and a half. I asked Mr. DrVal to demonstrate for you with a tape measure – of course, our mischevious kitty, Ona (full name is Ona Riss Kitty) wanted to be in the photo as well.
I caught these guys (second photo) digging out a Politico newspaper vending machine. Seemed like a very DC thing to do.
Of course, having grown up in Canada, the snow storm didn’t faze me much. I ventured out to get a salad, some frozen yogurt, and to see the movie Avatar. That was well worth the walk to the theater (saw it in all its 3-D wonder)!
Mr. DrVal summed it up with his usual dry wit, “It’s The Lion King meets An Inconvenient Truth.”
Please go see it though – the effects are really amazing.
All in a winter’s day…
