wiernerschnitzel with milk

It's been 2 weeks since the new year, and only now am I coming up with my New Year's resolution. At the end of the year I always find myself with stacks and stacks of loose papers. I keep all the handouts in a stack but am too lazy to go the extra step and hole punch them. In addition to hole punching my handouts, I am trying to get over my aversion to 3-ring-binders (I guess the resolutions go hand-in-hand).

I tease my mom about believing almost everything that has stumbled upon her path. She is particularly trusting of "facts/ideas" that have been published. To her, if it's published in a magazine/newspaper is pretty credible, but if it is written in a book, then it definitely must have some truth to it.

On the last night I was in Houston, she shared with us that she heard of people remembering the past lives. There are even professionals who earn a living telling people about their past lives. Of course when I interjected my skepticism, she responded by telling me there was a great book out about this. I mean, she also tried to use the fact that it was written by a doctor to her advantage.

While I was home, I found a tape (yes, like the super old tapes that go in Walkmans) in my room entitled "Self-Hypnosis." It had a disclaimer warning the listener from driving while listening to the tape. I turned on the tape just long enough to hear a chilling monotone voice. Her voice gave you the uncomfortable feeling nails on a chalkboard echoing in a large empty room. I'm channeling images of The Ring. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

Books I Actually Read Over Break: The Namesake and The Year of Living Biblically. I recommend both books. The Year of Living Biblically was absolutely hilarious - he chronicles his attempt to follow the Bible literally for an entire year. It's done in a way that it's also very tasteful and thoughtful in his process. His writing is so entertaining that I'm going to read his book The Know it All, in which he reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. May sound super boring, but he won me over when he described himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant."

I also started Eat, Love, Pray. This list much shorter than my original ambitions, but I got a rush each time I completed a book (a huge sense of accomplishment for me). Next on my list is Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality, How Doctors Think, and NYT The Essential Guide to Knowledge.