I realize that my last name is complicated. However, there are still unacceptable things to call me.
I was born with a Polish last name that isn’t quite pronounced the way it’s spelled. It actually used to be far more complicated, but my great grandfather had changed it, assuming that people would still know the basic pronunciation of the Polish language. That essentially means that I was always really good at identifying telemarketers as a kid, since they always said my last name with two syllables instead of three.
For most of my patients, I introduce myself as Dr. So and So, but then normally tell them that they can call me by my first name if a wave of confusion washes over their face. However, I always have to say the “doctor” part the first time I meet someone- in the hospital, everyone and their mother is walking around in a long white coat. There’s also the fact that every patient tends to assume that any female they meet in the hospital is a nurse, and then I get paged incessantly about how the “doctor hasn’t been in to see the patient yet” when I’ve spent 30 minutes already that morning explaining everything.
But, I digress. To the story at hand.
It was the same drill as always, “Hi Mr. Patient, I’m Doctor So and So.”
Each day, this gentleman got more and more casual. At first, I was still Dr. My Last Name. Which then became Dr. Megan. Which became Megan.
Which then transformed into something else entirely.
When I was in the process of discharging my patient, he thanked me for providing him with good medical care during his visit.
Except he said, “Thanks Doctor Babygirl, I had a great time.”
When asked, he couldn’t even understand why this wasn’t appropriate to say.
Multiple Names Stuffing/Dressing
in my family you don’t dare call this by the wrong name unless you want a lecture
Ingredients (makes 3 cups stuffing)
- 5 slices wheat bread, toasted
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 c dried cranberries
- 1/2 c white wine
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
How-to
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Saute onions and celery in the butter (just do all at once- no need to pre-melt the butter) in a medium saucepan.
- In a large bowl, rip up toasted bread into small pieces. Add in celery, onions, butter, and cranberries.
- Stir in poultry seasoning (sometimes I go up to 1 1/2 tsp).
- Add in wine (start with 1/4 cup and continuing adding as the bread soaks up the wine). If necessary, add more wine to soak wheat bread (you want this to be pretty moist so it doesn’t try out).
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff into birds (this makes approximately 3 cups) for stuffing or bake in a casserole dish for 30 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, for dressing.
- Serve with gravy.
