what else

bought a rocking chair for 20 bucks. Got a stool along with it free. So the stool was obviously in sad shape. The varnish was all peeling off. But the wood was great. Thought I could do a reasonable job with same sanding and painting.

So at home my aunt told me that she had a sander and stuff. I was under the impresssion that it would be a block with a piece of iron sticking out. She brought out a whole electrical unit, with special paper attached to do the job. And special stain and finisher. Now I really had to know stuff about sanding and varnishing so as to do justice to all the equipment I had.

Started out on the sanding. The purpose being to get the old varnish out and to make sure all the wood is at the same level. The stool is really good wood. It took me 3 hours to get a plank done [there are 4 planks on the surface]. The sander makes enough noice to wake up the neighbourhood, so I give them a break at 9 pm. I spent the entire weekend sanding, and I still have the sides to do.

The varnish needs to be used when the temperature is around 70 F. So waiting for the clouds to clear up and the sun to beam through.

The instructions say that I should get all the dirt off the stool, and have a clean brush. Thats gonna take some searching.

First, need to get the sanding done though. Then will think about the paint. I think the stool is looking a little rotten from all the humidity all week without the varnish. Should get done with it quick.

Good learning experience. Basically sanding and varnishing is painstaking stuff. Save yourself the trouble and buy new stuff.

the week

The nice thing about a US residency is that the program will tell you the problems you will face and how to avoid them. The problem is they just get a little caught up in it, and the result is I'm now really scared of doing a residency.

The fact that I will be under continuous scrutiny isnt the problem. Its just that if I let my guard down and make a mistake, it could financially wipe me out forever. Sobering thought. Hopefully the rationale that working in a crazily tough system without making mistakes, will make me a better doctor works.

Anyways I know I make mistakes and I'm gonna make them again. Should make sure I pick them up before anyone else does I guess.

Lets see how it goes. Gotta remember to enjoy the ride though. All these serious things have a real propensity to screw up a perfectly reasonable day.