Al and Dave's Elective

Viva Las Vegas!

2006-09-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo! One thing to say, Vegas is awesome! This place is full of as much 'upmarket' tackiness as you could possibly imagine, and more... Dave has being going crazy on slot machines brewing up a nice gambling addiction, whilst Tom is 'training' with dave in our 5 star suite at the MGM Grand Signature Rooms (believe it, it's the truth!). Jack is cooking himself by the pool, before he plans to go and take apart the female population of this glamoruous place. In the meantime, I'm wondering how on earth we're going to manage days without booze, having indulged ourselves every night for the last three weeks, withdrawal symptoms are a serious possibility. Oh well, maybe Yosemite National Park will bring us back to the ground from the 5 star luxury (currently we're laughing about how the maid arranged our razers, toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste in meticulous parallel lines on fresh soft white towels - gotta love it!). Time to start thinking about how much money we can afford to loose tonight, if we win a million i'll let you know!

Al x

Arizona

2006-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody, it's been a while since we've bumped into free internet access. However, we're in the most dodgy ghost town in the middle of arizona. We arrived late last night and wanted to find somewhere to get a drink and food - it was ten pm and EVERYTHING in this crappy town was shut - just to give you the idea.

Anyway, since santa monica we've been to the O.C. (newport and laguna beach areas), san Diego and then inland to Phoenix. Yesterday we did the big G.C. and now in the middle of the desert - gotta love it!

Hope you're all well at home and life's not too much of a drag at the moment. By the way, if i've not told you already, EMBER DAZE are headlining at the Metro Club on Oxford St on Saturday 30th September with support beforehand - please come, it will be a really good night and our first headlining spot at this prestigeous venue.

Anyway, gotta dash, Dave needs sugar!

Al x

ROAD TRIP LOCATION: Santa Monica, L.A

2006-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi there everybody! Yes, it's been a few days since the last update. Dave and I flew from chicago to San francisco on the 19th august where we met up with Tom and Jack... so from now on it's Al, Dave, Jack and Tom's elective. So, got ourselves a pretty sweet Ford Taurus - nicknamed 'The Bull', and drove from san fran to Santa Cruz, then Monterey, then Santa Barbara, now in Santa Monica... as they say over here: AWESOME!

Just a quick plug, just got confirmation that Ember Daze will be headlining at The Metro Club, Oxford Street on saturday 30th September with support from 3 other acts. More info at www.emberdaze.com shortly!

Keep an eye for the next california road trip update!

Al xxx

well hellllo!

2006-08-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there everybody! Hope all is well in the homeland. We're back in the apple store after having consumed the most indulgent burger ever, and i (al) couldn't even finish it - now you see how rediculously huge this thing was!

Dave and I went out with a really nice doc called Quoc (pronounced 'Wook') and his girlfriend who happens to be the reigning Miss Vietnam (in the USA). We went to a proper Chicago Blues bar called Kingston Mines which was absolutely awesome, i was getting so itchy, wanting to get on the drums!

So i'm post call now, got back to the apartment at lunchtime having not slept for 31 hours - body clock screwed, 8 am cortisol rise is a phenomenon now extinct (excuse that geeky comment). Saw lots of stuff last night, closed a 'stab' wound and put a drain in some guy's head this morning which was fun, scrubbed in to the O.R. at 4am for a laparotomy which was pretty crazy (i wish i could elaborate more).

Ok, enough of me, here's a note from dave!...or not, now getting hassled by the Apple staff, better run!

laters! xxx

what time is it???

2006-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

As you may guess, my body clock is totally out of sync and i'm on call again tomorrow. But all will be ok in a week when we finish! Off to california for some sun, sand, sea and serious chillin + partying.

So i stitched up somebody's hand, helped with the resus on some guy who'd been smashed in the head with a bat - pretty cool.

Went to lolla palooza (the big music fest)on sunday and saw several bands including the shins, queens of the stone age and the chilli peppers! chillis were on at the end and my goodness, i've never seen such a f**king crazy mosh pit - totally crazy, uncontrolled and people getting properly crushed. I stayed there for the first half, but I had to get out when i started feeling dizzy - it was hot in there and after i wringed a cupful of brown juice from my t shirt, i watched the rest from the side. Was amazingly good though, musically and entertainingly awesome.

Ok, enough for now. WTS...

Al xxx

Hello there!

2006-08-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! So just been to see Taladeger Nights - a hilarious film with Will Ferrel about this crazy Nascar driver, really funny!

So, it seems like the monthly shipment of bullets hasn't reached the hood yet as it's been rather quiet during the last week. However, come monday i'm sure it'll all heat up again.

Went out last night, was gonna go to Lolla Poluza (big music festival) but ended up sinking a variety of beers, and Magner's on ice! I'm gonna go along tomorrow and see if i can get a tout ticket - the chili peppers are headlining at the end of the evening!

Right, hunger strikes, gotta go!

AL x

Mullet Update...

2006-08-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

My mullet is now at 3.5 inches with a general Shaggie-Doo style going on.

Go on call? No way, I'm on vacation

2006-08-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, on call update.. had several doctors trying to convince me that the american medical system is a lot better than in europe. Their bragging about how great they are soon ended when I gave thanks to the EU for the working time directive. "So you mean you guys have a limit to how long you can work?" Yes, we do actually. Anyway, I've yet to start the hard graft of elective because lets face it, we're on vacation. Lots to look forward to this weekend.. a large music festival called lullapalloza and some tall ships festival (joy). Still have the plane'arium to visit before we leave. Mins on call for jerry springer tickets... 18. mins doing medicine... 5. peace out! Dave x

2006-07-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yo biatches, back in the apple shop and having a play with the photo software, hence the tacky 'art' we've added to the blog.

Dave's post call, I'm on call tomorrow and tonight we're going to get mastered - great idea. Luckily, i've asked the whole trauma department to come along, that way tomorrow we'll all be as hungover as each other and I won't get singled out for smelling like a tramp at Christmas.

Al x

hey hey!

2006-07-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

Yo people!

Hope all is well back home. Have been hearing about the scorching temperatures you're all getting - crazy. It's really warm here too, and I think the heat and humidity pisses people off - namely gang members with guns (apparently July is the busiest time here).

So, all the medics are starting back today? Crazy stuff, oh well, i'll be making the most of what i've got. Feels kinda weird, i'm already nearly half way through this placement, it's going sooo quickly. Oh well, sutured up some nice guy's arm today which had been pretty mangled by some machine part on his truck - NASSSTY!

Just joined the GYM - time to tone up me thinks (if i want to avoid the influence of North American 'cuisine') - namely the Bennigan's 'Big Irish' 1lb Burger.

free shots of coffee

2006-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

My accent has officially gotten me so much stuff. All these massive women who look like they have jumped off a chat show keep saying how amazingly I speak and they would love to learn how. This is in the middle of me demonstrating a bloody bristol accent. If simon or honor turned up they'd think royalty had arrived.
Anyways, It seems I can handle the long hours after all.. ive rediscovered mountain dew.. a drink we used to have at home before it got banned for causing arrhythmias. Awesome stuff... i was wired. Highlight of the week was some rather arrogant female surgeon asking why I hadn't been in the O.R. yet. "Because I'm not really that keen on surgery" I said, "Its a bit boring to be honest." she bloody stormed off. I do enjoy antagonising. Miss all you guys. Hypo of the week... sat watching letterman on CBS thinking, why is the room spinning? ... Glucose level... 0.8 loves it!!

On call again...

2006-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

So, a nice quiet sunday apart from the remnants of last night's chaos. Scrubbed in on this multiple shot-gun wound case this morning - true county trauma. I think i'm becoming numbed to some of the stuff you see here, quite a weird feeling when you actually remember that this is not a 'normal' trauma department and that you wouldn't see a chicago night's worth of gun shot wounds in six months at home...so odd. All I can say, is thank god for English Law. Although, i have to say, the police here are hardcore and put our pot-bellied mentally retarded bobbies to shame.

I'll let you all know how tonight goes,

Al x

Howdy ho!

2006-07-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well hello there everybody! It's another call shift - 30hours of pure endurance (physical and mental)...pleasure and pain combined.

So, what have we/I been up to? well mainly work, am on call every 3rd day for the next 2 weeks(30 hour shifts)so i'm right at the grindstone, it really is interesting though. Am going to the 'O.R.' this afternoon to assist with a skin grafting, should be different.

Dave and I have seen practically every film released within the last 2 weeks, you must see Nacho Libre with Jack Black, oh and You Me and Dupree for the kinda comedy chick-flick angle.

by the way, if you haven't realised FEEL FREE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS PAGE! - it lets me know that I am actually writing this crap to somebody.

Ok, take care everybody and enjoy any holiday you have left to the max!

Al xxx

Hidden Camera

2006-07-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

here is a secret picture I took after Al had clerked a patient. Brace yourselves.

Nail Biting

2006-07-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone..
I'm doing an on call whilst Al is giddy with excitement about doing an ATLS course. Id also like to clarify that I was

Biting my nails

because I always do, not due to nerves. Putting stitches in was pretty scary but also fun. Jack, remember that if I start getting enthused with medicine you have to shoot me. Actually, id better not say that round here. Laters

Sizzling...

2006-07-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's bloody hot today, up in the thirties and the beaches next to lake Michigan are absolutely packed to the limit. We wen't walking around Lincoln Park area today, to the zoo (which is absolutely free - bonza).

Dave made me go in Abercrombie - again (i'm getting sick and tired of that shop). Admittedly it was probably so he could get a butchers (photo) of the half naked store staff - dude! It was soon apparent however that the old boy was off on a hypo so an emergency visit to Maccy D's was in order - one coke, large fries and caramel sundae later the job's a good'un and we're back on track in the Apple store for another update.

I'm on call on Monday so I'll let you all know how it goes, hopefully my patients won't get arrested this time.

Al x

Here's my two penneth...

2006-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

yo homies! Hope all is well in the homeland. Dave really suprised me this morning when he presented at 'rounds'. God, he actually sounded and looked like he gave a shit, he even looked nervous and was biting his nails whilst presenting - don't think i've ever seen that 'dave' before!

So, chicago is really hot and humid today with a high chafe factor. Went walking round Lincoln Park, and (as I would) found myself wandering into 'the guitar centre'... 2 hours later i reappeared to find the streets soaking wet and the sun bursting through...turns out i'd managed to drum and strum my way through a 2 hour storm (-love it), during which i'd played two drumkits and 5 acoustic guitars, one guy even asked me to join his band...overall a productive afternoon. By the way, if you don't know, check www.emberdaze.com - soon to take over the world.

Ok, time to move on and find a bar for a nice cold bud or maybe a Samuel Adams, or more likely...both.

Laters!

Al xxx

First day of real work

2006-07-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the Apple Store.. our new home from home. I just did my first on call last night.. wasn't busy at all really.. but I got to take some blood and suture up some tramps face. Mega-tired at the end of the night, just had 9 hours of sleep. Cinema update...... just seen "you me and dupree" very funny, al cried. Gearing up for my 23rd birthday tomorrow.. got some of the american students coming out tomorrow. Also.. i must make a correction which was brought to my attention by Team Canada (the cool canadian girls matt and I met in barbados to those of you who dont know). They did indeed introduce me to the phrase 'loves it' although it was ann-marie who started off love it. Anyway... hope everyone at home is cool. will speak soon! love/loves it! dave x

3.40am...It's early, or rather it's late, depending how you look at it...

2006-07-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

Currently at hour 21 of 24h shift. Must keep eyes open...zzzzzzz

Oh and one more thing...

2006-07-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

I thought I should all prepare you for something on our arrival in a few months time... I have to warn you that even after a few days, we are steadily developing (mainly upon dave's influence) a language of our own, mainly consisting of phrases from TV adverts over here, so if you are wondering why we keep saying...

"I'm thinking Arby's"
"I'm so hot right now"
"America runs on Dunkin' (Donuts)"
"Love it"..."Loves it"..."Do you love it?"

###Dave is aware that copyright of love it is retained by its creator Ann-Marie Tully, here after known as Skinny Bitch###

But in the words of B.A. Baraccas on Saturday Night Live "I got work, fool"

Laters peeps, watch this space...

Al and Dave xxx

...loving it.

2006-07-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dave here.. again in the apple store. Think Al wants a mac now. Im loving the chicago life at the moment. Was sat on monday morning thinking "this is it dave.. its time for real medicine.. these americans mean business." well for once I was wrong... they may be mostly nerds with the occasional hottie but they are a bunch of secret slackers!! Ive met a student called "Jo-hannah" loving her name but in the words of Babes' she needs to sort that out. Rounds are, to coin a phrase, a load of wank. 35 people mill about trying to look important for 4 hours before they tell us to go home.. so basically i've been doing quite well. This morning they had a 30min discussion about the correct use of car booster seats... for f#*cks sake get a life, talk about decent stuff. Anyways, i have been slowly increasing my intake of Sbarro (the italian fast food eatery place), mcdonalds, starbucks and subway. I'm also loving the TV, getting a sneak preview of all the TV coming back to blighty. Oh yea, Abercrombie is so hot right now. Al and I walked into the shop to find a half naked hot guy and a girl in a bikini saying "yo.. welcome to abercrombie." well let me just say their advertising ploy worked... ive spent nearly $60 and that was just the first visit. Anyways, off to check out the hotness at abercrombie again. Miss you all! Dave x (ps.. medicine is overrated)

Another trip to the 'Apple' Store and another free surf...

2006-07-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hey there people! We've just been to see Superman - now our 3rd film of the trip, having seen Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Click (boy that left a lump in my throat!)

So, another quite chilled half day but tomorrow it all kicks off, i'm (Al) on call from 8am until 1pm the following day, after which Dave will take over (with multiple tracker bars in his pocket - thank goodness for snack food, it might actually make all the difference).

Anyway, we'll let you know how many bullet wounds we see over the next three days. In the meantime, here's a quick note from dave...

We're here!

2006-07-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there everybody! After getting over dave's phobia of hard work, we've finally done our first day in the department. Well in fact it was something of an introductory session but the box is ticked, and before I forget, we're officially final years!!!

So, Chicago is very tasty, but dammm it's been hot! We're very steadily learning the lingo and are due to receive tutorials in ghetto speech from another student at the hospital... wattup g! I've already sunk my teeth in to a juicy steak, in fact, Jerry Springer was in the same restaurant at the same time - man has he got a big nose!

Right, so this is our blog page and keep checking up on it for latest photos and stuff and leave your blog as you like.

Ok, will be in touch soon!

Al and Dave xxx