Congratulations Mike!

Volunteering resources: Volunteer Houston (there's a temp job op in there too for someone with writing experience), Volunteer Match, City of Houston Volunteer Initiative. Every art organization, hospital, non-profit will have their own volunteer opportunities too.

If you have any interest in a health related field there's a huge variety of jobs here both in and outside of the Med Center. One entry level full or part-time job... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:41 AM on June 28, 2008

Maybe check out the Steel Lounge at the Contemporary Arts Museum on the last Friday of every month. If I remember correctly there's no cover charge, fun d.j.'s, but not super loud. You can chat people up about the latest show going on and everyone's drinking sodas as well as some simple mixed drinks. No one is going to question you not having a cocktail in you hand there.

I've always found the events at the Aurora Picture Show easy to talk with strangers before and after... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 5:54 PM on June 27, 2008

Distraction. Good books, trashy books. Good movies, bad movies. Working out hard. Task projects. Alternate these things with being in the moment, enjoying where you are and what you're doing. I'm guessing the You in that relationship would want you to do that: be where you are and love that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 8:57 AM on June 23, 2008

We have one of those coolers that cgomez mentions and it works pretty well. We also have some laptop feet that do the trick too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:04 PM on June 21, 2008

The husband and I get away to Galveston with some frequency. We prefer the winter months - hotels are cheaper, it's not as hot, less people. The Greyhound Station is at 38th and Broadway. One of our favorite places to stay, The Commodore, is on 37th and the beach (it is a 17 block walk to the water from the bus station or you can take a cab). It's NOT fancy, but they have free wifi, cable tv, it's quiet, close to things and has a nice pool. It's one of those hotels that's begging for a mid... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:47 AM on June 15, 2008 marked best answer

Sounds like to me you followed the unspoken cues you got while waiting that it wasn't the right time to say something. Sometimes I have to remind myself that social interaction is best when it's organic and if I'm not trying to force a comment or conversation to happen.

Don't let this example stop you when you do get the right cues encouraging you to say something some other time. Often there is nothing better than one patient to another about hospital experiences. I'm... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:08 AM on June 14, 2008

That's funny. It will probably pass. When I first got my honda scooter in '03 I felt like the honda scooter spokes-girl. "What's the milage, how much did you pay for it, what's the insurance, do you need a license... " And yeah sometimes I wasn't in the mood for it. There weren't that many of us around then, but over the years the neighborhood has gotten more scooter drivers and it's not so unusual now. Small cars will probably have the same shift. In a few years or less most of the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:41 AM on June 14, 2008

The radiation floor at the hospital I work at has a bell people ring when they complete their last course of radiation.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:27 AM on June 14, 2008

I love this thread!

This may be off base but I'd like to suggest Los Skarnales. They are an insane fun hybrid of Mexican, Texas, rockabilly and ska to name just a few. Very fun stuff. There's some other fun stuff out there along that line of Mexican punk.

I'll second Molotov too. I love that song.

Also: La Tropa F out of San Antonio, Raymundo Chaidez, or maybe Eddie Gonzalez. I wish a knew more names for you. I am spoiled... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 8:40 PM on June 11, 2008 marked best answer

Debussy's Arabesque #1 is lovely.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 2:56 PM on May 8, 2008

Sentimental Walk on the soundtrack to the movie Diva.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:03 PM on May 8, 2008

The Piano Society link Jaltcoh links is amazing! Some of my finds on there that would fit this thread:

John Cage: In a Landscape - beautiful. Transcendent.
Paul de Senneville: Mariage de Amour
Albeinz: La Vega
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:02 PM on June 4, 2008

Texas has re-done some rest stops and they're pretty nice. CLEAN roomy barth rooms and info on local areas.

Caprock Canyon is a pretty cool scenic drive. So is Palo Duro. You could check out parts of old Route 66 in Texas or Oklahoma depending on how you go. If you're a Western Swing fan, Turkey Texas is home of Bob Wills.

Along I-40 you can pass Cadillac Ranch, a a giant cross that was in a This American Life story.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:33 PM on June 4, 2008

I'm so sorry for your loss.

It really comforts me to light a small votive candle or tea light and place it near me when I am in my house or near a place my dog who passed liked to sleep. It's been a few years and I still do this every once in a while. I like to think that flicker of light is a part of that spirit in her that was so bright while she was with me. The light gently dances around, comforting me, reminding me she's peacefully elsewhere, everywhere, and the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:13 AM on June 1, 2008

I spent a little extra for something that I knew was reliable and functional - maybe do that until you know if you want to get into tinkering with older models. Much of the time that's what you get with older bikes. It's good to have a working knowledge of how to fix them if you have to.

I drive a Honda Metropolitan as a commuter bike. Nothing fancy, but it's a little work horse and always starts when I need it to (a very green bike too - 80-100 mpg, 4 stroke). I have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 4:00 PM on May 31, 2008

ten pounds of inedita makes a good point. Think about where you want to ride your scooter and how fast does the traffic go on those roads then get a bike that can handle that. (Me, I like to and am able to stay on smaller roads where the traffic hits 35mph at most - usually less than that. So the 49cc is alright for me - others not so if they need to go faster). A Motorcycle Safety Course is always a good idea for any speed bike.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 4:40 PM on May 31, 2008

Verse for a Certain Dog by Dorothy Parker, for me contains both the love and joy dogs bring into your life, as well as how they wiggle into your life and your heart, making a little mess of all of it.

Sorry for your loss. Freyja was a lovely dog.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 12:11 PM on May 29, 2008 marked best answer

Vietnamese Tofu with Lemongrass. On steamed rice. Yum. Use Greg Nog's tip: freeze, then thaw, extra firm tofu.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:03 PM on May 27, 2008

The husband and I went to a small town in our state for our destination wedding. It had a beautiful old courthouse ($200 to get married in that cute room at the top!), a nice hotel and a great place to eat together after the event. After dinner we had champagne and cake in a park under the stars with our guests.

Do you have a town in your state or a nearby one that's charming? Go there. It was not horrifically expensive and very fun. I love that I can always go back to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:15 AM on May 21, 2008 marked best answer

Sometimes the Menil Bookstore has some nice small pieces on the wall from locals that are quite good. The folks that work there are also very knowledgeable about the community and how to find local artist art for sale.

Check out the Watercolor Society too. Any community art collective occasionally has shows where you can buy pieces from participants.

The Community Artist' Collective almost always has some pretty excellent figurative work.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 5:50 AM on May 21, 2008 marked best answer

I still think of white blood cells as the body's military, the body is a huge battle ground. The war goes on forever. I am of course rooting for the WBC Army, but the Foreign Microbe Armies are impressive in their own right (this of course if what microbiology was about).

The WBC army bases are (where WBC's are produced) in the land of the Red Bone Marrow. These are well protected locations in large bones for the WBC to gather and plan their attack (sternum, long bones... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:35 AM on May 13, 2008 marked best answer

And there's always Medical Mnemonics.com. Looks fun to browse, but don't waste too much time on there - could be more information than you need and clutter up what is already a well studied body of information specific to your class.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 8:07 AM on May 13, 2008 marked best answer

Asherah has the correct answer. Contact your State's Board of Nursing.

amyms - your broad generalization about 'the field' is missleading. State licensure is different from certification and is quite strict. CNA's are important and valuable to nursing but they are not nurses. They assist nurses. Both job titles involve very hard work, but they are very different jobs within the healthcare spectrum.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:34 AM on May 12, 2008

Check out Tennessee Williams, watch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (in parts on YT).

When a friend's mother is in a crowed room she says: "There's so many people in here you could stir 'em with a stick."
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:43 AM on May 8, 2008

"Look out for the Law." (means Patrol men are along the highway right now)
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:45 AM on May 8, 2008

Highway 7 through Hot Springs and the Ozarks is really fun, beautiful, and intense. North of Hot Springs is a small cave with a tour. It was a fun stop. The cave was small but the story was good - during prohibition people used to have parties down there and there's a burn mark where the stil caught on fire one night. Sorry I don't remember the name (maybe Mystic Caverns?) of the place but there were campy signs for miles encouraging you to stop beforehand. There was another odd stop and I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:00 AM on May 8, 2008

Quirky places in Houston:
Orange Show
Art Car Museum
Beer Can House
The Flower Man (he's very sweet, he'll invite you into his house, give you a personal tour, tell you his story - it's a unique experience to say the least).
Each of those places can point you to more local oddities.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:16 AM on May 8, 2008

This thread may have some good suggestions. I mentioned there and I'll mention here too that if you can fit Colorado highway 550 in there anywhere it's beautiful and fabulously intense. One of my favorite drives. Have a great trip!
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:44 PM on May 7, 2008

I like to give everyone the benefit of doubt whenever I can. I seriously believe that if I approach everyone as if they are honest, intelligent and kind then they will be that way in return. It's impossible to know anything about anyone without actually engaging with them in some way.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:32 AM on April 29, 2008

I'm an RN in oncology.

People often comment: that must be really depressing. Which it surprisingly is not. It's one of the more life affirming things I've ever come across.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 5:54 AM on April 29, 2008

I wouldn't do it. You don't know their history. I have a few friends who are born and raised in the States but have Mexican heritage and have spoken English their entire lives - they get these compliments from well meaning people and it doesn't come off well at all. Like others have said up thread, my friends are polite, say thank you, but are a little offended by the assumptions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 3:11 AM on April 24, 2008

Just South of DT used to be called Vietnamese Town. Many businesses have moved to the West side of town with the recent redevelopment of the area as "Midtown," but there are still some classic places for excellent Vietnamese. Mai's and Van Loc (both off the HCC rail stop) are probably the most famous, Pho Saigon on Milam (off the MCGowen rail stop), Givral's off the same rail stop has great Vietnamese sandwiches for $2.50 and free wifi. Same rail stop: Cali Sandwich is also a good... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:24 AM on April 19, 2008

Oops - add 77006 to that list of zip codes for food near downtown.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:26 AM on April 19, 2008

gcat - try Pho 20. Reviews of Pho 20.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:38 AM on April 19, 2008

Hey I just noticed Les Givrals has a Market Square (800 block of Congress) location right smack in the middle of downtown.

For other eateries downtown I like Treebeards, also on Market Square for really excellent Southern cooking with a Louisiana flair, and El Rey on Main @ Preston for tacos.

If you take the rail to the HCC stop there's Tacos a GoGo on Main @ Alabama (and an excellent record shop next door to browse).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 4:13 PM on April 20, 2008

Brono Bettleheim's The Uses of Enchantment looks at the moral lessons in fairy tales and how they teach good/evil behavior to children.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 11:49 AM on April 19, 2008

If you're ever on a day trip to Galveston, I really liked Galveston Bookshop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:57 AM on April 19, 2008

Talk to the nurses and find out when the doctors generally round the ICU. Be there at that time. It probably won't be an exact time - it will be something like 5AM to 10AM or 8AM to 12PM then be there. This is the easiest time to talk to them. The doctors see many patients and that's why the time is not exact, but they see them all daily.

His labs are monitored daily. You can ask the nurses for a print out and then ask them what the values mean. He's probably hooked up... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:34 AM on April 14, 2008 marked best answer

Durango Co is right near the 4 corners and a charming place to stop along the way. And Interstate 550 towards Silverton and Ouray was an amazing (maybe a little scary) road and really beautiful drive.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:26 AM on April 6, 2008

Nthing New Orleans. I was just there last weekend and it's such a wonderful city. I'll 2nd Preservation Hall - amazing. You can travel West to Lafayette Louisianna and see really fun regional music at the Blue Moon Saloon and stay at their guest house. The people that run it are great - they can fill you in on the area and give swamp tours I think. Louisiana would be a great place to go. No too expensive and rich rich rich in culture, music, food.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 9:42 AM on April 5, 2008

I agree with billtron - stay in the middle. Take the blues highway.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 1:40 PM on April 5, 2008

Again - not med school, but nursing school which is insane in it's own lovely way - these were the trendy parody songs at the time:

Paracetamoxyfrusebendroneomycin(mp3), is by a couple of singing junior doctors in the UK. Their pharmacology song (mp3) helped us through a grueling term. Diagnosis Wenchebach is what a lot of health care folks think of instead of Sexy Back.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 4:22 AM on April 4, 2008

I also meant to mention Finals Countdown. (YTube)
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 4:44 AM on April 4, 2008

I'm sort of trying to do the same thing and replicate this hotel room (self flickr link) sans the lights (it's the Thunderbird in Marfa Texas if anyone's interested). Nth-ing the clean sheets. I'm going to get a mattress topper, and keep clutter out of the room. Fold back the sheets in an attractive inviting way when you make the bed in the morning.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:10 AM on March 13, 2008

That Hugh Grant movie Music and Lyric had some funny re-done 80's looks. Anything similar to that video could be good. Dizzy's Police suggestion is really good too. Don Johnson circa Miami Vice could be fun too. Or you could go as Lloyd from Say Anything, every once in a while striking that pose. Picking an 80's movie character to mock could be a fun party conversational tool.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 5:29 AM on March 8, 2008

This thread makes me think of early Candi Staton songs:
I'm Just a Prisoner (I love love LOVE this song)
He called Me Baby
If you like those two you'll like the rest of the album.

She has an interesting history and musical progression into disco in the 70's, then gospel and christian pop which she still does now. That early album is one of my favorites of all time.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:21 PM on February 23, 2008

Maybe CB2? Lobster Office chair is cute.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 10:28 AM on February 19, 2008

Typical swing outfits that could be easy to mock.

Try Daddy-O's, and Uniquely Vintage's 40's Pin-Up section.

I'd go more for the 1940's. Dresses were pretty and flowing, hair soft with curls, draw a black line up the back of your leg to mock the stockings you couldn't afford because of the war-effort. For men I'd do gangster or sailor/army man on leave from the base. Both men and women could dress in factory gear ala Rosie the Riveter.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 7:59 AM on February 5, 2008

Oops - left this link out: Some 1930's/40's men's costumes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 8:07 AM on February 5, 2008

I agree with drpynchon and desuetude.

I'm an oncology RN. I work with leukemia patients often. What you're experiencing is fairly standard. The level of precautions depends on their labs a lot. If their absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is less than 1000 then they are at a greater risk of infection. Neutrophils are the white blood cells that are largely responsible for fighting general infections. For my hospital this is the definition of neutropenia. This is when our... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by dog food sugar at 6:54 PM on January 29, 2008