Columbia^2

Yesterday found me walking home at 0730 in the frosty sunshine of a cold December day. I had finished a laparoscopic appendectomy around 0130, and wasn't called again after that.

My lazy morning consisted of a nap on the couch, an episode of Frasier, and a bowel of oat bran with honey and raisins, not necessarily in that order.

My main goal for the day was to purchase a couple "Angel Tree" gifts for two kids whose fathers are are in prison. When selecting my "angels", I'd steered clear of the kids asking for an MP3 player. For one, an MP3 player is hard to find when one tries to stay within the $20 limits. And when I saw a couple other children asking for a warm coat and long underwear, those were hard to pass up.

I thought Target would be a good place to find such items. Unfortunately their paltry kids' clothing section meant I would soon wander next door to Marshall's after an unsuccessful hunt. The girls' underwear section of the store was a new and strange place for me; I can't say I felt entirely comfortable there.

Alas, Marshall's did not have long underwear, either. In a bind since this was the only day I could really get shopping done before Sunday, I settled on a set of feminine blue flannel pajamas (Liz Claiborne; ordinarily $59, mine for $19.99). I hope the thirteen-year-old likes them. She gets some little gourmet chocolates too.

There was a large selection of boy's coats, but surprisingly many had fake fur lining the hood. Is this a new trend? Polyester coats with fake fur? The boy is 9 and had asked for a black or navy coat. I found a black one for $20, but it seemed awfully thin. I pictured him trying to stay warm in the blustery New York winter as he gathered his flimsy coat around his thin body, and passed on it. It wouldn't do.

And then I found it! Navy blue. Down lined. Rugged Columbia brand. It was perfect! There was even one the right size! Only it was $40. Reminded of The Office episode where Michael buys a $200 iPod for the $20 Secret Santa gift exchange and feeling slightly guilty, I bought the coat anyway. Can't I buy a coat for a child at Christmas?

After that, it was coffee with William at Columbia, where the late afternoon sun slanted across the campus and shone radiantly on column and green copper-clad rooftop. Early morning and late afternoon sunlight is amazing. I sat in on William's undergrad "Great Texts of Western Civilization" seminar where he led the discussion that evening on the Gospel of John.

I finished the day with the anesthesia department's holiday party at an Irish pub close to the hospital. Good food, a lot of my new anesthesia friends, music that was too loud, and a glass of champagne...guess it was a success.