10 Things Making My Life Better Right Now

I don’t have a wrap-up for you this week: I’ve been with the Army in Orlando all week, and these have been long days. Posts have been tough to get to with internet access only happening after roughly 10pm when I’m back in my hotel room. I’ll bring it back next Friday, don’t worry (maybe even with a few new publications I’ve been waiting patiently to share).

Interestingly enough, several of you have asked me to talk about my own practice a bit. So I figured I’d give you a little something different this Friday as I am winging my way back to the CLE (for a whole 44 hours until I get back on a plane). Here are 10 things making my life better right now. Not all of them are practice-specific, because my professional life is only in part centered on practice. But all of them are necessary as I attempt to keep the chaos under some modicum of control:

1.)    The Welch Allyn cordless lighted speculum: Did a SANE case a couple weeks ago and it still hasn’t gotten old. There is nothing that makes me happier in the exam room than this piece of equipment. Had any folks recently approach you about donating some equipment? Put one of these on your wish list.
2.)    Jasmine Tea: I am non-functioning until I have consumed at least 16oz each morning.
3.)    My MacBook Pro: thanks to my new gig, a shiny new one of these showed up on my doorstep. The screen quality alone is unparalleled.
4.)    Around Me iPhone app: Out with colleagues after a long day at a conference and need a cab to get back to the hotel? Miss your connecting flight and now you’re spending the night in Houston? Around Me lets you find food, lodging, transportation, hospitals and more wherever you are, with phone numbers, maps and weblinks.
5.)    Olshaker et al,. Forensic Emergency Medicine: Have money for only one clinical text? This is my go-to book.
6.)    IAFN: I don’t work for IAFN, and they’re not paying me to say this. There is simply no other professional organization that supports my practice in all its permutations like IAFN. I get that people don’t have a lot of money for multiple memberships, but it’s such a rich resource, particularly if you’re running a program, you should join up.
7.)    My Google RSS Reader: Blogs and news feeds keep me current. And they all show up on my reader page (or on my iPhone through Byline).
8.)    Jaleo: If I had to name one restaurant I look forwarding to visiting more than any other, it’s Jaleo in DC. There are a couple of them, but my favorite is the one around the corner from my new office.
9.)    My Logitech remote: Made for PC, but works with Mac. Crazy good range that makes it easy to maneuver around my presentation, regardless of where I’m standing in the room (because I can’t stand still and teach).
10.)   Facebook: I was hesitant to go here, but the reality is Facebook lets me keep up with my people no matter where I am (or they are) in the world. A caveat, though—keep anything you wouldn’t want to be cross-examined on off your page and use the built-in privacy settings liberally.