Dean's World

Had a visit with my family physician today. Best doctor I ever had. And I mean that without reservation: she's the best doc ever ever. She really listens, she's respectful, she cares, and she's not a wimp. She really knows her sh*t, she can disagree with me but respect my disagreement, and she really cares. God I love her.

She's also maybe ten years my senior. And I caught her today in a "senior moment." We were sitting there after the office visit and she was talking to her staff, and she said, "OK so check me on this, tomorrow is July 31, right?"

I immediately said, "Uh, no."

"OK, tomorrow is September 1?"

"Uh, no?"

Now, see, a really stupid person would say "wow, this doctor is totally addled and can't find up from down." But the intelligent person says, "This is my very intelligent doc, who just made a fencepost error."

If you think you're above a fencepost error, you're an idiot.

And you know how I know she is one of the best family physicians ever? When she asked that question, I said, "Do you know what year it is? Do you know who is the President of the United States? Can you follow my finger?" as I waved it in front of her face.

See, now, you think I was being sarcastic and snotty. But this is the moment in which I knew I loved her:

She busted out laughing and said, "Hahahaa, you got me!"

That, my friend, is a family physician you want forever.

I wouldn't just trust my life with this woman. I'd trust my wife and children with this woman. Not that she's perfect (she ain't, no one is) but she knows her calling.

(link)

Martin L. Shoemaker (www):

I am, indeed, immune to fencepost errors. I use a foreach loop.

(If you got that joke, send me your resume. There's probably a .NET job looking for you.)

8.31.2007 12:21am

Jerry Kindall (www):

I get that joke, but I'm already doing .NET stuff -- at Microsoft.

8.31.2007 12:56am

triticale (mail) (www):

I haven't made a fencepost error since I heard the term. It reset my thinking on such matters.

8.31.2007 12:58am

Jerry, that doesn't mean there's not another .NET job looking for you...

8.31.2007 1:08am

Elisha Feger (mail) (www):

I get that joke Martin, but only because I've made that mistake in C/++, FORTRAN, and TCL enough times to drill it into my head. -_-

8.31.2007 4:45am

Hint: I'm a really bad programmer. I just want to blow up stars with my code! Is that so much to ask?

:p

8.31.2007 4:46am

Bryan Costin (mail) (www):

Ah, one of those darn Obi-Wan Errors. My brain seems to be prone to all varieties of those. This has led to many amusing anecdotes of Bryan counting elements on his fingers as reality check.

8.31.2007 9:06am

Scott Kirwin (mail) (www):

Dean
You should have asked her who won the World Series. If she didn't know the answer you could have shot her for being a German spy.

Saw that in a movie once...

8.31.2007 9:42am

Kristian H. (mail) (www):

My Doc is also the county coroner. I asked him if being a coroner paid well. He said 'No', I said good as I would hate for him to try to drumn up business for his other job...

8.31.2007 2:28pm

B. Durbin (www):

If today is August 31st, then tomorrow is September 1st. I think maybe you said "today" when writing the post and then posted on Friday rather than Thursday.

Or at least, my copy of the blog puts the date of this post on Friday!

8.31.2007 8:54pm

Dean Esmay:

The discussion took place on August 30. ;-)

9.1.2007 3:02am

Matthew B. (mail) (www):

I'm quite familiar with fenceposts errors, having been a professional programmer for more than a decade before switching careers. And my private life is not immune to them. Periodically I will say something that makes my friends and families laugh out loud, owing to the sheer seeming stupidity of the comment. I just tell them that it's one of my many hats: unpaid comedian. Probably just as well that I don't try to do it for a living.

9.3.2007 8:20pm

Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.

Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.