Taking It on the Road

Moser

Although WebMD Health Experts are not obligated to post every day, it sort of becomes addicting, even when on vacation.

Over the last eight or so years, I have posted responses from cruise ships in Mexico and Alaska, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Maine, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Nevada (Vegas!), Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, just to name a few places.

When I list all of these places, it appears that I am some kind of world traveler. I attend a lot of medical meetings, and I do like to travel. After 9/11, I don't travel quite as often. I can't remember a time that I didn't take along the laptop.

I have used wireless networks in restaurants, hotel lobbies, conference facilities, and some of the oddest Internet cafes you can imagine. I have sat next to some dubious characters (probably setting up those infamous Internet scams), and waited my turn at the library when my satellite service fails, which is quite often (I won't mention the name, but it rhymes with Mirth Link.). I have even posted from my car outside of a hot link that I found.

I post quite often from my clinic desk (see photograph), between patients, when there are "no-shows," after my 12-hour shift, and of course, while eating lunch over the keyboard. If there ever was a global famine, I could live for several days on the crumbs that I could shake out of my keyboard.

Mostly, I post from my rural home nestled in the Sierra Foothills between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. My window looks out on the snow-capped mountains, lots of beautiful Japanese maples that I planted, and my neighbor's shack. He inherited the property from his grandmother and "improved" it by building an outhouse-like shack, where he spends the weekends, perhaps writing his manifesto. I like to keep an eye on him. We call him "Ted" and his shack, "Ted's shed." He likes to burn stuff; not a good pastime when you live in a high fire risk area.

When my home network is functioning, I can post from my vegetable garden, from the garage, or sitting out in the grass alternating between typing and dog-petting. I won't show you a picture of my home office, but I can describe it to you...

I enlarged my desk with a huge sheet of oak plywood (finished nicely, of course) so that it will hold the stacks of papers, bills, and stuff that I should throw away. My computer is about six years old. I would like to replace it, but my Internet connection is so unreliable that I would be like having a Ferrari just to drive around the yard. My laptop is newer, but not by much. As long as they work, I am fine with them.

I have three printers (I like to take digital photographs), a copy machine, two scanners, a paper shredder, and a television. I threw my fax machine away, since it wore out one day when a real estate office accidentally printed my fax number on their business cards. I had just added a whole ream of paper, too.

Behind my desk, you will find three bookshelves filled with my reference materials, two file cabinets, and a big, glass case that holds my lifelong collection of antique medicines, including my award-winning collection of antique laxatives. All of these (and more) will soon be on permanent loan to the new Gold County Medical Museum when it opens in the fall.

The floor (carpeted, I think) is my desk extension and axillary file. There are several piles of neatly stacked papers that do not fit anywhere else. In a cleared space by my desk, you will find my dog, Herman. He has been my constant companion since his birth in our bedroom seven years ago next month. Herman's mother, Maggie, is downstairs looking out of the window, hoping to see our seasonal coyote attempting to get another one of our cats.

I don't know what I am going to do without Herman. He was in a terrible accident about a month ago, and is slowly dying from his injuries. I was told on Friday that he needs to be euthanized; he will not recover from his wounds. We have done everything we can to try and fix the damage, but there is about a 99% chance that I will have to make that painful decision soon. While I know it will be the kind and compassionate thing to do for him, I have to come to terms about it myself.

This is why I am posting on the Ear Disorders Board and writing this Blog at 3 AM. I can't sleep and there is a sad rain outside. It even got my face wet...

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