My Favorite Things: A Light, Mindless "Fluff" Post for the Weekend

"Brown paper packages tied up with strings /

These are a few of my favorite things..." -The Sound of Music

The thesis of the song "My Favorite Things," of course, is that thinking of life's little blessings, things that make one happy, might take the edge of any unpleasantness at hand and actually remind us to be grateful.

Let's see if it works.

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster.

Earlier this week I walked in to help a couple of colleagues with a patient who was hypotensive with septic shock on the table and subsequently got a lot of appreciation from the people involved with the case.

Then a surgeon at one of my hospitals complained I had insulted her after I told her in a pretty determined way that her patient was not an appropriate candidate for surgery at that particular hospital in the current state the patient was in.

Then at another hospital a patient's family told me I was their favorite doctor during their whole ordeal at the place and that I had really made a difference in a way that reduced their anxiety about their loved one's care.

Then I got into a disagreement with someone in my anesthesia group (now smoothed-over).

At some point I had some good news, about an essay I wrote getting included in an anthology due to be published this fall.

Then yesterday a CRNA I was working with had trouble intubating her patient and I stepped in to try, certain that if she, who had been practicing anesthesia for as long as I'd been alive and had actually helped train some of my colleagues, couldn't get the airway, then I certainly didn't have a better chance. Relief replaced alarm when the tube went into the right place. But after that the O.R. kept running till midnight. Again.

Now I'm a little tired. But I'm also on call. As luck would have it the weather's supposed to be glorious this whole holiday weekend.

Thus I'm trying to think of my favorite things, so that

"when the call bites /

when O.B. stings /

when I'm feeling sad /

I simply remember my favorite things /

and then I don't feel so bad..."

Here they are, then, like a giant meme. I've grouped my "things" into four sections: general, books, movies/music/performing arts, and food. Thanks to Katy who writes the blog Funny Girl for getting me thinking about the book section!

My Favorite Things

Accent:  Scottish, Australian

Animal: Alpaca

Artist:  Norman Rockwell

Bird: Snowy owl

Building: The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.; Chartres Cathedral

Cities: Florence; Paris; Boston; London

Color: Blue
Country: France; the U.S.

Experience: hearing a brass concert at Gore Place, or Dixieland at Cate Park, on a picnic blanket w/ husband and kids; a great, relaxing massage

Flower: rose (red or white)

"Foreign" accent: Scottish

Historical person: hmm...gotta come back to that one

Hobby: blogging! and of course, oboe

Holiday: Christmas

Invention: writing; indoor plumbing; warm showers

Language: to hear – French, Russian; to express ideas – English

Make-up: MAC

Outfit: comfortable blue jeans, tank top, and button-down work shirt

Painting: Hilltop Farm in Winter by Maxfield Parrish

Pen: Sanford Uniball Grip Fine (micro tip)

Place: our cabin in New Hampshire

Saint: René Goupil

School: Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart; Harvard College

School subject: English, French, social studies

Scripture passage: Romans 8: 38-39

Sport to do: if dance could be considered a sport, I’d say that

Sport to watch: Men’s gymnastics

State: Vermont

Store: Borders

Time period: 19th century

Thing-to-do from a to-do list: Wrap Christmas presents

Books / Literary Favorites

Fictional characters: Atticus Finch, Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Proctor

Magazine/periodical: Image Journal; O

Nonfiction book: On Writing Well by William Zinsser

Novels for adults: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; The Help by Kathryn Stockett; Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson; Lying Awake by Mark Salzman

Novel for children: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Novel for young adults: A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle; Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes

Picture book for children: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciekowski and The Fourth Wise Man by Summers; Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester

Poem: Barter by Sara Teasdale, Stammerer on Scree by Owen Sheers

Poet(s): Herbert, Hopkins, Donne

Short story: The Expert on God by John L’Heureux and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton

Movies, Music, & Performing Arts Faves

Action movie: Independence Day; King Arthur; Troy; Kingdom of Heaven

Actor: Edward Norton, Hugh Jackman

Actress: Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, Anna Popplewell

Black-and-white movie: To Kill a Mockingbird; also, Roman Holiday & Casablanca

Cartoon: Pinky & the Brain

Comedy (movie): By the Light of the Silvery Moon; While You Were Sleeping; Elf; The Trouble with Angels; Little Miss Sunshine

Drama (movie): The Mission; The Illusionist

Movie moment: dictation scene in Amadeus

Musicals:  The Secret Garden, Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie, Chess, Les Miz, Miss Saigon, Wicked, The Sound of Music, Legally Blonde

Period flick: A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott; A Room with a View

Scary movie: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Sci Fi movie: Independence Day

Screen kiss: Jeremy Irons' in And Now Ladies and Gentlemen

T.V. Show: Bones; The West Wing; Star Trek: the Next Generation; Star Trek: Voyager; Boomtown

Cellist: Rufus Cappadocia

Choral piece: Os justi by Bruckner; There is No Rose by Stroope

Christmas carol: In Dulci Jubilo; Ding Dong Merrily on High; O Come, O Come Emmanuel; O Come All Ye Faithful

Concerto: Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo; Piano Concerto #17 in D by Mozart

Oboe piece: Concerto for Oboe and Strings by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Oboist: Celia Nicklin

Orchestral work(s): Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, and Rodeo by Copland; millennium parade music from Epcot Center; 4th Movement of Tchaikovsky's Suite #4

Piano piece: Prelude in G minor by Rachmaninoff; Sonata in B minor by Liszt

Pop Song: Who Knew

Violinist:  Gil Shaham

Religious song: By the Rivers of Babylon by Marty Haugen

Ballet, classical: Sleeping Beauty

Ballet, contemporary: In the Middle Somewhat Elevated by William Forsythe

Ballet, overall: Revelations by Alvin Ailey

Dance company: Alvin Ailey Dance Company

Sung play, not exactly a musical: Missionaries by Elizabeth Swados

Opera: Amahl and the Night Visitors by Giancarlo Menotti; Der Rosenkavalier; La Boheme; Tosca

Operetta: Die Fledermaus

Play, comic: Noises Off by Michael Frayn and You Can't Take It With You by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart (esp. the Jason Robards production that aired on TV in the'80's)

Play, dramatic: The Crucible by Arthur Miller; The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman; Proof; Copenhagen; Amadeus; Equus

Food Favorites

Appetizer: baked brie en croute with a bit of a fruit-&-nut layer

Beverage, cold: water

Beverage, hot: Viennese Chocolate Café coffee by International Foods

Breakfast: coffee & croissant, just like Dr. Crusher on Star Trek:  the Next Generation; cereal & berries with a little fromage blanc or Greek-style yogurt; tartines; Tita M’s ensaymadas

Cake: opera gateau; the Philippine cake known as sans rival; sachertorte; one at Whole Foods that has little pink flowers on it and beige buttercream icing

Cheese: Bailey Hazen Blue; Stichelton; Reypenaer; Comte; Boursin

Chocolate: Godiva; Toblerone (milk > dark > white)

Cookie: chocolate chip cookies from the now-closed “David’s Cookies” chain in New York (the online version’s not the same, somehow, and you miss out on the amazing aroma of fresh-out-of-the-oven, warm, chocolate chunk cookies at the bakeshop…); also, Taiwanese "ChocoRoll: pudding flavor" cylindral cookies covered with milk chocolate

Dessert: crème brûlée

Dip: Whole Foods' Smoky Harissa Hummus; fresh guacamole

Fruit: Philippine mango; blackberry

Hors d’oeuvres: bacon-wrapped scallops; crab rangoon

Ice cream: Oreo ice cream by J.P. Licks, slathered with hot fudge of course; Ginger Snap & Molasses ice cream at Rancatore's; Tres Leches by Haagen-Dasz

Main Course: really good Thai food

Meat/Fish: teriyaki beef skewers; great prime rib; grilled trout

Merienda: Philippine mangoes with bagoong; croissants; churros con chocolate

Pasta: butternut squash ravioli with a light sage-infused or maple-cream sauce

Rice dish: wild mushroom/porcini/morel risotto; Philippine garlic fried rice

Salad: my cousin Gaita’s Insalata Pacifica at her restaurant, Cibo; Thai Crunch Salad or Field Greens Salad at CPK; Cobb salad with sherry vinaigrette at Not Your Average Joe’s

Side order: the now-defunct Tony Roma’s onion ring loaf; sauteed onions and potatoes seasoned with a little salt and pepper; brown or white rice

Sidewalk snack: French crêpes

Soup: lobster bisque with lemon grass and coconut milk at Top of the Hub in Boston

Really, really, really bad, eat-it-only-once-a-year-in-small-servings type of junk food: Barbecue-flavored Doritos (I think they stopped making these…thank goodness…)

Really, really, really bad, eat-it-only-once-a-year-in-small-servings type of sweet food: chocolate-frosted Krispy Kreme doughnuts; cupcakes

Vegetable: green bean, I guess

I do feel a little better. I think I'll go have a cupcake...