Penny for your thoughts

The other day I noticed a shiny new coin in my change with a striking design. At first I didn't recognize it as a U.S. coin, but when I turned it over I found the familiar Lincoln portrait of the penny. But the reverse is now my favorite bit of U.S. currency redesign. Check it out:

It's dynamic, yet dignified; a combination of early 19th-century elements with the quasi-modern look of Captain America's shield! It's enough to make me want to keep the penny, after all.

A dangerous place

When I show up for a shift in the emergency room I scan the board, looking for how many patients are in rooms, how many are in the waiting room, and what injuries and illnesses they're billed as having. My last two night shifts in a row, unfortunately, there were familiar names on the patient list: before each shift one of our own residents was registered as a patient following an injury or exposure during the previous shift.

We sometimes get complacent about it, but it was a reminder that the emergency room can be a dangerous place -- physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Via maritima

There's a store around the corner from our new place that rents containers for shipping. Not that I have anything to ship to foreign ports at the moment, but it's comforting to know it's there.

Edge of the clouds

Between night shifts at the moment, which can be pretty disorienting in lots of ways. I went for a coffee earlier and couldn't quite tell if the sun was out or not. Turned out that the fog cap that generally sits over the western part of the city during the summer was extending to just about a block from here, making the sun fade in and out. Cool, although a bit much for my sleep-deprived brain to process.

Family business, part 2

Tonight was our first shift working together! It was fun, and a reassuring glimpse of our hoped-for future, working together in the field.