August in review (so far)

I used to think I had little free time in medical school, but clearly I'd forgotten what it's like to have a real job with a fixed schedule. This month, I haven't had time to do much outside work, except try to maintain my skeletal social life with a couple of friends, one of them from work. I'm more-or-less satisfied, but I can't imagine what residency would do to someone more outgoing than myself. Or someone married with kids.

Anyway, since this blog has an audience of maybe ten people, I'm keeping it as a project for my future self. It's something for sixty-year-old me (hopefully I make it that long to peruse if she wonders what her twenty-something self was doing. So here goes:

1. Work: lots of cancer, and becoming more independent. Three autopsies so far. Learning to recognize simple things under the microscope:

Epithelial inclusion cyst of the ovary; from before I worked out how to use the microscope camera

Hyperplastic polyp of the colon, after my picture-taking skills improved

2. Exercising: I've left my sedentary vacation lifestyle behind. According to the pedometer on my Samsung Galaxy. . . I'm gonna say five, I'm averaging 15,000 steps per day. My weight is back to what it was before I vegetated on my couch for three months (which is to say, my clothes fit me comfortably again). Started a habit of waking up at 5:00 AM every morning to get to them gym at least three times a week, though the more ambitious goal is five times a week. Originally, I wanted to go after work, but 1) it's more crowded at those times, and 2) that's never going to happen, so I stopped lying to myself.

3. Movies: Now that I'm employed, I go to the movies every weekend. Teenager me would be shocked at my wealth. My plan was to review movies at my blog, but that hasn't really worked out on account of me passing out the moment I arrive at home. I guess the degree to which I remember a film weeks after haven't watched it can count as its own review:

• Suicide Squad: for this one, I arrived at the theater late and had to sit at the very front row. For the 3D showing (one day, I will write a post about how much I hate 3D). This probably means that I can't review the movie too well, but I can say that it kinda sucks. Film critics are perhaps being harsh. . . but maybe not. I can't recall a specific plot to speak of. After all the hype about Jared Leto's hardcore method acting, I strain to remember his role. The Enchantress was. . . okayish, I guess? The only character I vaguely cared about was El Diablo (though he was a bit of a racist caricature). . . and then he died for Reasons. I liked Will Smith, though his line about putting on the suit means that people die but he likes it. . . well, I remember the line and it wasn't in the trailer. So, good? Anyway, I regret paying to see this.
• Jason Bourne: this one I watched more recently the Suicide Squad, and I'm like ?????? From what I recall, Jason Bourne was in Greece (?) fighting in underground MMA rings because he needed food money (?), then his girlfriend (?) tracks him down to tell him a deep, dark secret about his father (?). Then the CIA (?) finds him and the girlfriend dies. There's also a younger actress working at the CIA, and some guy who has beef with Bourne because he betrayed the CIA and almost got him killed in an op (?). But then it turns out that the guy killed Bourne's father (?), so he's an unredeemable bad guy? And Tommy Lee Jones' face is melting off, and then he's killed by the new, younger actress. There will be more sequels when Matt Damon needs to finance his art house projects. Verdict: boring, should have watched Sausage Party. 
• Kubo and the Two Strings: I watched this yesterday, all the way at the AMC in Times Square (which is only a fifteen minute train ride away, but since I rarely go to NYC, I find it worth mentioning). The plan was to watch Final Fantasy: Kingslaive or whatever it's called, but the only available showing was at 10:35 PM, and I wasn't about to stay in NYC past 8:00 PM because I am old now. Regardless, I'm glad I watched Kubo instead because I've long since accepted that Final Fantasy isn't good anymore. While Kubo's dialogue and plot are extremely simple, the visuals and music are stunning. This is the only one of the list I don't regret paying for.

4. Videogames: I briefly got into the Pokemon Go, then the server issues and uneven difficulty curve exhausted my patience. Omega Ruby is sitting on my desk somewhere, under ignored offers of loans and credit cards I've been getting since graduating. I owe enough money already, banks and credit card companies. Thanks. Last week, I bought Shin Megami Tensei IV for the 3DS. Haven't even gotten out of the first dungeon yet, though I like what I've played so far. Charon is my favorite.

5. Books/stories/writing: I have delusions of writing a separate post about this. Until next time!