Yes, this is a shameless plug for an Amazon book, but also created to help readers that book to connect with all that is written. I ended up making 5 books out of blogs I’d posted during the pandemic. Musing through a Pandemic they were. In my haste to get them out in 2021, I omitted a considerable section of Musings II. Interpersonal relationships. It was supposed to contain a bunch of musings on my medical career, subtitled in the book “My brilliant career”. Well, I finally added those in, plus a few others that came in after the pandemic “ended”. The musings haven’t stopped, so they’re will surely. be more.
I post here the table of contents for Musings IIa. I’ll create a tiny URL from/ the URL for this post and include it in the book. Each of the 65 essay titles here is hyperlinked to the original blog, so readers of the paper book have a way to access the links in the original blogs.
Table of contents
friends and family – musings about those close and dear to me
Goodbye Sam. My first post. Sam, I’m sure, would have become my best friend had he lived. Tho’ our paths had intertwined back to high school, it took Facebook to bring us together. God, how I miss him.
1/12/20. 11
see Sam. Collected pictures of my late friend Sam.
1/14/20. 13
on the list? Something I sent to all those I notified of my new blog.
1/30/20. 25
Dinner with the McCarthys. Tall, willowy, athletic, and impossibly cute, plus a neighbor! A relationship smashed by my shyness grows now as mature couples interact.
2/1/20. 27
33 and a third. There are anniversaries and there are anniversaries.
2/4/20 29
How we met. In case you wanted to know.
2/5/20. 33
my mother-in-law. I got so lucky. Miss you Ruth. Found in “vault” and not published till 6/29/21*.
2/10/20*. 35
flowers. Ya know how when a band reissues an album they find things “in the vault” that weren’t on the original pressing? Here’s a Valentine’s Day story I’ll wait till next VD to post*
2/15/20*. 37
Docere. My wife’s company, she’s cut me in as equal partner. Knowledge is our product which, as you know, is good.
2/23/20. 41
for Annie Banannie. My fave of all of Kathy’s old school friends.
5/2/20. 43
missing Nathan. Boy, do I. What a doc. What a guy.
5/11/20. 45
remember. Thoughts and images after visits to family graves on Memorial Day.
5/24/20. 61
goodbye Sue. A danger of befriending octogenarians is they can leave unexpectedly. Without Sue, there would not have been a first “book”
6/5/20. 69
TDP. My friend, my chief, my best man. So sad to hear of his fate.
9/1/20. 73
My beautiful wife loves Michigan. She surely does. See how she prepares for MSU.
11/10/20. 77
Aunt Dorie. Why I’m where I am, I guess. The right nudge, oodles of encouragement and support. She understood more than any other relative where I might be going, as that was her game (Prof Psych Nursing WSU). But she taught me an awful lot about food, too. And life.
1/13/21. 79
fam. Here’s what I’ve got.
1/28/21. 81
Nurse! My friend Ott needed to hear this song.
3/6/21. 91
hey, Tim. My friend from the final frontier asked, and I unloaded. Much
sports here.
3/15/21. 95
bye, Barb Farewell to a dear friend and cousin.
7/7/23. 111
Capt’n Cosine. Golf, football, math, or driving, you couldn’t beat the Captain.
12/22/23. 113
“my brilliant career” – reflections on a career in rheumatology
varsity jacket. Of course, it starts in high school. And sports are a headier
achievement than academics
4/14/22. 117
make it add up, doc. Why an accounting journal would solicit an article
from me is beyond understanding, but here’s what they got, an
unforgettable series of events in high school.
4/28/21. 119
a letter to my English teacher. My first stab at updating my high school
English teacher on the last 50 years.
2/10/20. 125.
why rheumatology and, um, death? My high school English teacher asks me
why I chose rheumatology and how I confronted death.3/29/20. 129
Here Comes My Career. Riffing on an Andy Breckman song, I put to my high
school English teacher how my brilliant career unfolded.
5/4/20. 133
lab prattle. Talk about all that ree-search I was supposed to be doing.
10/1/22. 143
Hyde’n’seek. A romp through those old, cold, gray med school stomping
grounds, not seeming so these days.
4/28/23. 145
London ’79. Two magical months among garbage and disorder. And no,
Dr. Johnson, I was never tired.
11/10/21. 167
A Proud Line. My link to Britain’s greatest cardiologist through 2 of his
students, one my Professor.
4/7/21. 169
pair-o-docs. It’s all about the clothes.
9/3/22. 177
flea in the O.R. An account of my role in developing arthroscopy
as a tool of the rheumatologist.
11/20/21. 179
all that doctorin’. Some snaps from my young doctor days.
7/4/21. 185
thanks, Timbo! A tribute to a dear colleague for an innovative
arthroscopic intervention and a great recipe!
3/29/21. 187
Bend me, shape me. Reflections on an entertaining medical boondoggle meeting in San Diego.
7/10/20. 191
Dear Dr. Ripps. My appreciation of pharmacist Andrew Ripps’ efforts to remake rheumatology practice.
1/22/20. 201
Come back West, old man? Gavin Newsome gives this here doc with a lapsed California license a chance to go back to work!
4/5/20. 203
What kind of Army is this? The California Health Corps takes shape. Without me. 5/17/20. 205
News for Sara. News to my favorite former fellow and current co-author about the state of affairs at her old institution early May ‘20.
5/5/20. 209
Gesundheitsgier (“health greed”). The Germans have a word for it. Here’s an urge we should heed more often.
6/29/21. 211
Oxford. My big paper on arthroscopy was accepted by the world’s premier rheumatology journal and here’s the link
12/27/21. 213
Nayef. I explain to one of my better former fellows who my role models were (and still are), and why.
4/5/21. 215
Michigan chairs. Yes, it is possible to sit on your accomplishments.
6/1/22. 219
show-off. I like seals. Follow them and know my history.
10/8/22. 221
third phase. Reflections on retirement.
12/11/20. 237
“this life” – miscellaneous musings
a more perfect Union. Coming away impressed after a visit to the refurbished Michigan Union.
1/13/20. 243
Ann Arbor evening. Home by the fire after 10 days in the Golden State.
1/27/20. 245
Cross quarter. There’s more to it than the silly groundhog.
2/1/20. 247
Feed my worms. It was time for a new hobby.
2/23/20. 249
on Harbal. Welcome to my beautiful home. Links will give you a good tour around. I’m so lucky.
9/21/20. 255
I like being old. Yep. And here’s why.
10/2/20. 257
simplify, simplify, simplify. Inspired by my high school homecoming queen, I reflect on how COVID may be helping us feel better about some things.
11/18/20. 261
Commandments. From my brother Nick, Commandments for the 60 and over.
11/29/20. 263
more third phase. Reflections in retirement, again. 12/11/20. 265
Thank you, Jeff Bezos. What would we do without Amazon?
12/19/20. 269
Dandy dozen. More than just a refrain in a silly Christmas carol, there really are 12 days! Celebrate them all!
12/25/20. 271
An ode to 2020. Maybe not so bad after all.
12/31/20. 273
50 years. I relate to a high school friend what’s been happening.
1/22/21. 277
unscubscribe! Frenzied phone focus in a bar upon learning of an e-mail option to keep them away.
2/19/21. 279
happy 90th, Cap’n! Who doesn’t love Captain Kirk!
3/25/21. 281
batch. I learn some etiquette for the digital age
4/1/21. 287
makin’ t-shirts. A manly activity
1/10/24. 289
hooked. Hang-ups can be helpful.
1/11/24. 309
Certifiable. May I see your papers, please?
4/9/24. 319
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