OK, I'll jump in and, rather than whine about my lack of Medicare reimbursements for almost 5 weeks, I'll reveal my inner self. I live on a 300 acre farm in the rolling hills of southern Indiana with my husband. He farms full time and raises beef cattle. My sister (who chucked her job of 30 years and moved to an old house on the back of the farm) and I raise horses, donkeys and mules. Many of my patients lovingly (I think) call me that JackAss Doctor. She and I put up our own hay, build fences, bushhog,trail ride when we can and love to camp. We have a neat spot on the farm at the base of a bluff which overlooks a small river where every year we set up a tent city. We spend every available weekend camping there. We read mystery novels by the campfire, drink amaretta coffee and ponder what our next campfire meal will be. My office staff and their husbands frequently join us and on those occasions, we drink some beer and play some Texas Hold Em.
My other favorite past time would be traveling (which seems to be harder and harder to do because of the pressures of maintaining a cash flow in a solo practice). A perfect vacation for me is to fly into Seattle or Vancouver or Denver or Jackson Hole, rent a 4X4, hit the nearest camping store for a cheapy tent and head for the mountains. Even better would be to take a bush plane to the costal mountains of British Columbia and then horse pack into the mountains...no cell phone, TV, computers (or snakes!!)..and watch the Dall sheep, elk and bears. I honestly think the worst part about getting older is that it becomes increasingly clear that you have so little time left to see so much beauty and to realize your aging body simply will not accomodate your youthful mind.
Anyway, I am so fortunate to have seen and done the things I have. I also feel fortunate that I at least got a small taste of medicine "back in the day".
And I will have to fess up and admit that I saw the original episodes of SNL frown

Leslie
Hospital Employed Physician Who Misses The Old AC

"It's a good thing for a doctor to have prematurely grey hair and itching piles. It makes him appear to know more than he does and gives him an expression of concern which the patient interprets as being on his behalf. "