The Grumpy Doc is a semiretired physician who has practiced both emergency medicine and family medicine over the years. He still practices two days week because he enjoys seeing patients and needs to give his wife a break from having him around the house all the time.
The Grumpy Doc is a proud veteran of Viet Nam who has served on active duty both as an enlisted hospital corpsman in the US Navy and as an infantry officer in the US Marine Corps. He is on his second or perhaps third career, depending on how you count it (more about that in a later post). He keeps hoping that someday he will decide what he wants to be when he grows up (alas though, time is running out to make a decision).
The Grumpy Doc has many interests and will most likely talk about all of them at some point in this blog. He has a continuing interest in medicine and wellness. He believes that maintaining vigorous physical, mental, and social activity is the key to successful aging. And, Lord knows, he is aging.
He has always been interested in history, particularly the period of the American Revolution. The Grumpy Doc believes that the state of historical knowledge in our country is abysmal and shameful. This will most likely be the topic of his first post.
The Grumpy Doc is interested in art. He has a particular love of the French impressionists and post-impressionists, early 20th century modern art and mid-20th century abstract expressionist art. The Grumpy Doc has never really understood installation art or video as an art. He has only grudgingly come to accept photography as an art rather than a craft.
The Grumpy Doc does enjoy photography, although he would never consider his pictures as art. Unlike many photographers, he welcomed the advent of the digital age. In the days of film, he was limited to the number of pictures he could afford to develop; but in the digital age, memory is free, and it is not unusual for him to take 400 pictures on a one-week trip. The only drawback to the digital age is the overuse of photoshop, resulting in an avalanche of over saturated color pictures. (In case you missed it, that was another grumpy opinion.)
The Grumpy Doc enjoys walking and bicycling with his wonderful wife of 50 years, particularly in the beautiful West Virginia state parks. He has never played golf, but he is an enthusiastic, if not very successful, fisherman. We live in a beautiful country and The Grumpy Doc thinks that too many times we fail to appreciate the state and national parks that we have available to us.
The Grumpy Doc enjoys wine, particularly Rhone wines and California zinfandel. He mixes the best martini you will ever have. (Sorry James Bond, it is stirred, not shaken.) The Grumpy Doc also believes that wine and martinis are best enjoyed with a fine cigar and good company.
The one thing that The Grumpy Doc has an interest in but will not discuss is politics. When you agree about your politics there is no need to discuss it. When you disagree, there is no sense in discussing it. You never convince one another, and everyone only winds up mad. Much better to have a glass of wine and a cigar and talk about art. You won’t lose a friend in a disagreement over Jackson Pollock.
If you disagree with any of the above, The Grumpy Doc is glad. That will give us many things to discuss. Each topic will be taken in turn along with a little bit of background and general commentary from The Grumpy Doc.