you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole

I was casually perusing through the [paper] records of all my patients' lab results today, and was intrigued to discover that he had been tested for both the Plague and hantavirus  before he was admitted to the ICU, in order to rule out both of those afflictions; I later found out that this is a routine test for most patients admitted in this area.  Plus, as the weather grows colder, I am finding more and more dead insects that can only be described as the locusts of biblical fame around my house and yard.  The striking differences between Washington DC and Gallup NM are numerous and many, friends.  They continue to multiply with alarming frequency.

I met a respiratory therapist at work this week, his name is Ernie.  He's a great guy.  He asked me what I do for fun, as I don't eat meat, I don't drink, and I don't have a TV.  Now, what eating meat has to do with having fun, I do not know.  At any rate, I didn't have a whole lot to respond to him, but this past weekend was simply chock full of fun and excitement.  The horseback riding thing was great, and yesterday I explored the Gallup High Desert Trail System, which was pretty amazing.  I took some photogs, please to see below.

So where did I get the title for this posting?  It's the eponymous line from a song by Tom Waits, one of my favorites of his, and I think it's applicable to everyone.  I won't go off on a long tangent about the eternal struggle between good and evil that resides inside every human being, but you get my drift with the title of this entry.  We all have the devil inside us; it's important to remember to acknowledge his existence and take precautions, then to keep him way down in the hole.  Just as it's important to remember to make every attempt to avoid the Plague and other potential unpleasantnesses.