I've Got A Story, It's Almost Finished.

( Elementary, my dear Watson )

I didn't get the opportunity to update while I was in Haiti. Honestly, I only made it in to Port-au-Prince once a week, if that, and the camp where I lived and worked had no electricity or running water, so it's safe to say there was no cell phone service or internet access. But when you're in a place like that, doing the kind of things I was doing -- construction, digging foundations for buildings, but mostly medical assistance -- the technological things we rely on so heavily at home just don't seem so important. I was quite glad for the email and the phone access when I could get it. I'm not sure I was quite ready for the kind of separation from my world in Miami that met me in Haiti.

The earthquake was months ago, but many of the people in Desab and the surrounding areas are still nursing wounds sustained from the incident. The hospitals are overcrowded, and infection control is still a very real problem. So we gave immunizations, removed stitches, and treated illnesses. I'm not qualified to diagnose, of course, but I know my way around most simple medical treatments.

( Unless your name is Jayne Thomas, you can read this )

( Private ramblings of a terrified doctor. )

Embarking on a great adventure. I can't even imagine what it'll be like over there in Haiti. I mean, I've seen videos and I've talked to the volunteer coordinator, but I guess I won't really know what it's like until I'm there. I know I'll be living in community volunteer housing, and probably helping out with a wide range of things -- everything from construction, medical treatments, loading and unloading, distributing food and supplies, and possibly even some translating, since I know a bit of French.

I don't know if I'll have access to the internet there. I know there are some places in Port-Au-Prince with internet cafes, but I don't know how often I'll be able to get to one.

Adventure of a life time, and for such a good cause. I'm excited. I don't think I'll let out this breath I've been holding in until the plane touches down in Haiti.

I've decided to do something sort of incredible. Well, I think it's incredible anyway.

After speaking to my partners at the clinic, they've told me that they think they'll be able to handle the influx of patients from National Spay & Neuter Your Pet Month (still had to plug that -- can't help it, I'm a vet, it's my job) for the rest of March, so I can be free to take some time off and volunteer.

I'm going to spend a month aiding relief efforts in Haiti.

You know, people talk about it. They give money and everything, which is helpful... but as someone who has experience both in medicine and (in a far smaller capacity) construction, I think I could be a valuable asset to the people down there. It's months after the telethons, months after the tragedy actually happened. People are starting to go back to their lives. They're starting to let their world focus slip from the fronts of their minds.

I'm spending another week at Coral Gables Clinic, helping tie up loose ends and prepare the place to run smoothly in my absence. On Saturday, though... that's when I head to the airport.

All I've ever wanted to do with my life is help people and animals. I think it sounds a lot crazier than it actually is. It's not just an excuse to avoid my family. If I have the means and the time to give, then that's what I'm going to do.

Jayne, just so you know, I'm going to gloat about this commercial for a really long time.

March is National Spay & Neuter Your Pet Month, so starting with this upcoming week and going for the entire month, the Coral Gables Clinic, as well as most of the neighboring shelters are cutting the prices of these simple procedures. It makes the clinic busier than usual, since we do accept walk-in appointments, but it's the kind of busy that I don't mind at all. Especially since my mom keeps bugging the crap out of me, wanting to visit. It's a lot harder to pretend they don't exist when they won't leave me alone. Especially since it's for such a good cause. The animal overpopulation in this town is pretty atrocious.

A very generous benefactor has donated a new surgical laser to the Coral Gables Clinic. I must say I'm very thankful for it. My practice, even though it's just a moderately-sized vet clinic, will surely be able to do a lot of good with Mr. Kingston's gift. I can't say I ever expected anything like that when I spilled the guy's coffee a few weeks ago. Fate is a strange thing, isn't it?

Smoking. Quitting smoking. No, I've decided. Three weeks into January and I probably won't be quitting this year. But the other resolution -- doing more positive things instead of subtracting negative things from my life -- it's working out well. I've been making donations where I can. I've been eating better (I think. But I wonder how long that will last). I've even been a bit more social. I know that resolutions are the kinds of things that start out strong in January and peter off as the year progresses, but I like to think I'm entirely more stubborn than I am lazy. I leave the laziness to my dog.

I'm tired of football. I'm tired of it being on television, hearing people talk about it, and more importantly, hearing my brother talk about it. Baseball is alright, but football? It's time for it to be over, so we can all go back to our regularly scheduled lives.

I had some drinks with a few of my old college buddies to sort of ring in the new year a week late. I haven't seen most of them in awhile -- we always mean to get together, but we always get so busy and wrapped up in our own lives. I know I don't take as much time to go out and do fun things as I should, so it seemed like a pretty good fix for the time being.

Of course, most of my old friends are doctors, so we met at McDonough's Pub down the block from Mercy Hospital. It's a veritable hive of doctors and surgeons, so I felt a bit out of place until I ran into the guys I knew. Then we got right into it, carrying on about work and the holidays. God, I'm so glad the holidays are over. Forced familial interaction just isn't my cup of tea. At least I got to comiserate with them, even if it was for different reasons.

A lot of people think they should give up their bad habits for the new year. I think that's the wrong way of looking at things. Instead of trying to eliminate negative things (lose weight, stop smoking, quit drinking, et cetera), I think I want to try to impliment a few more positive things into my life. It has a better feel overall, and I don't realistically see myself quitting smoking altogether anyway.

Sure, it's a lofty idea, this trying to be positive. But where do I begin?

Now that is a mystery.