31 July 2011

Phyllis

Ok so.

I work with some really strange people (2:30). I think it takes a special kind of person to be a phlebotomist, because a lot of them are a little weird. Don't get me wrong, they're not ALL strange, and they're generally nice people, just a significant proportion of them are just a little... off. At least the ones I've worked with. You can't really explain it; you just have to experience it. Never a dull moment.

Anyway, we hired this person, "Carrie," a few months ago. A sweet, middle-aged black lady. One morning, very soon after I met her, Andrea and I were sitting in the office eating breakfast when she joined us.

We got to talking, and at one point she told me that I looked like a friend that she had when she was a little girl. [Well, I do have that generic white girl look.] She told me that her name was Phyllis and that she was her first white friend and they were very close for many years. She went on for a few minutes and kept looking at me with a curious look saying that I favored Phyllis so much.

Ever since then, she has called me Phyllis. For a while she would come in to work and say, "Hey Phyllis!" and warmly hug me, like she'd met her long lost friend. At first I figured that she was jokingly calling me Phyllis, but it's been a few months and she's never called me Jennifer.

I'm starting to think that she either thinks my name is Phyllis or thinks I actually am Phyllis, reincarnated or something. Because she looks at me a certain way sometimes. And the only reason I can come to one of those conclusions is because of the history of the people I work with. Or maybe she thinks I'm the weird one. I don't know.

Not that it bothers me; I actually respond to Phyllis and figure that's just what she's going to call me. It's not creepy and she's just as nice as can be; I've learned just to go with it when things like this happen.

9 lives

Lesson of the day: Always purchase the safety collar for your cat.

One more time: Always purchase the safety collar for your cat.

I stopped buying them after Pumpkin kept losing them, and for the last few years she's had a regular collar.

Today, something crazy happened.

She likes to sit on the old bbq out in the yard. Well, today as she was jumping off of her perch, her collar got caught in the grate. My aunt was on the back porch and heard something, but dad was like, "Oh that's just Pumpkin." And then after a little bit they didn't see her, and that was when my dad saw her legs dangling.

I was hanging out with Akhtar in my room when I heard my aunt run into the house screaming, "GET THE SCISSORS! PUMPKIN'S CAUGHT!" She later said that her tongue was blue when they got to her.

I had no idea what was going on, but grabbed scissors and ran outside.

At this point she was literally hanging herself, and my dad was trying to get her loose. If she would have sat still it would have been no problem, but you know how cats get all crazy and she was scratching the shit out of him, continuing to choke herself in the process.

I ran outside, grabbed her, and tried to shove the scissors into any available space around her collar without hurting her. The way she was scrambling and trying to breathe, it wasn't happening. We were running out of time and it was like that "mom adrenaline" kicked in- my baby was dying and she was not going to do it in my arms, dammit.

I took hold of the collar and in one freakishly strong pull, I yanked it free. I could hear her take a humongous breath of air (Seriously, have you ever heard a cat breathe? I haven't, and this was definitely an audible breath of air), and she took off, leaving us all scratched, but my dad got the worst.

The collar had gotten pretty twisted in the struggle, and I was afraid it was still tight around her neck, but we couldn't find her. After a few minutes she had calmed down and came to us when we called, and I took it off immediately. Then I went to Walmart and bought 2 safety collars that come off at the slightest tug.

I don't care if I have to buy a new collar every week. Safety collars are the way to go from now on.

That was too scary. I am so thankful that someone was outside when it happened. Can you imagine if no one was outside, or no one noticed? I would have gone looking for her at some point and found her hanging on the edge of the bbq, dead. What a horrible thing.

The eerie thing was, when I was watching Marley & Me she was bugging me for attention and being annoying. But then I stopped to think about how she's going to get old and die some day. I know I'll be really upset when it happens, and after that I'd give anything for just one more pet. So I brought her up on the couch and gave her some, and wondered how long she would live. I sat there and wondered if she'd be hit by a car, get some disease, or die of old age.

And then this happened today and it was so close. I could be sleeping in a cat-less bed tonight. I could be packing up her food bowls.

She's been a big source of comfort for me lately, especially since Chris has been gone. It's a little less lonely in the middle of the night when there's a purring furry to reach over and pet.

Like I said, I'm just really thankful that she's ok. It was quite the scare.

30 July 2011

diggin' it

Some stuff that's been lingering on my desktop and bookmarks:

-First spotted on Suzy's tumblr a while back.

Makes me laugh every time.

-Recipe that I took a picture of in one of Dayna's magazines (which I still have, need to get them back to you!)


I need to make these. I may want to borrow your apple peeler/corer thingy too. :o)

-OMG. Need to recreate. So cute!


-Also been bookmarked for quite some time, this etsy site:


-Also digging:

29 July 2011

oh these times are hard

Yeah they're making us crazy...

Was supposed to crank out some kind of post for Akhtar tonight. Just haven't felt like I have much to blog about lately.

Got some wine, watching two and half men until Marley & Me came on. I remember seeing this in the theatre. Yes, I teared up towards the end. Makes me want a dog.

Anyway, perusing some blogs and trying to get my muse worked up.

Unfortunately, all I can think about is how much I miss Chris.
Ugh, it really really sucks missing him every day.

Heh, looks like you got schmoop!

24 July 2011

repeat

Gave punk her stinky breath meds, checked out postsecret, ate a cookie with my coffee, going to sunday matinee w/ akhtar, then getting some groceries in my fridge.

I live such a fascinating life.

23 July 2011

YES

This fucking rocks.


After all of my dishwashing bitching, I found something that actually works really well. My grandma has one, and I loved it so much when I got home I immediately bought one. I've cooked nearly every day, and I've also washed dishes every day. It's a miracle. The dishes get done, they are easier to clean, and they actually get cleaner. I love it.

Paying off debt sucks. My entire paycheck is gone. Time to go give my mom rent money and clean out the rest of my bank account.


I do have more interesting stuff to talk about, but I don't really feel like typing.

21 July 2011

baby i gotchyo number

Starting to feel human again.

I even think I'll start working out. Haven't been all month. Next week. You can't start working out again on a Thursday; it's just not the way things work. Gotta start on a Monday.

Heard that one of the Marines that Chris graduated boot camp with was killed in Afghanistan. Was a little shocking. Kinda made me realize that even though it seems like Chris isn't in danger, he probably is more than I've been led to believe.

He had me thinking he just walked around "on patrol" all day and didn't really encounter anything dangerous. I know goddamn well he doesn't tell me the things that will make me worry. The most I've gotten out of him is that he has come across those hidden roadside bomb things (won't tell me how many) and he posted a picture of a jeep that didn't get effed up on its own. I haven't heard from him in about a week, but at least when he "likes" stuff on Facebook I know he's still alive. I know there's no reason to worry; it won't help or change anything.

Just a few more months.

Anyway. I have been thinking about planting a fall garden. I think most of the things that I can't get to grow in spring is because they are things that like to grow in the fall. Already thinking about spinach & carrots, but I don't know what else grows in the fall. Need to research.

Tomorrow is FRIDAY PAYDAY! whoop whoop

^ heard this song when I was on hold waiting to report a critical. Certainly the first time I've enjoyed being on hold. Not the first time I've dug this song.

you gotta make me change my miiiind

19 July 2011

:o[

.

just haven't been feeling very well lately.


[no guilt; i don't think it's from the little gluten mishap]
[if it is, damn that stuff packs more of a punch than i realized]

18 July 2011

i'm aching now

dragging ass.
actually feeling sore, but I haven't worked out or exerted any kind of physical activity in several weeks.
want to go to sleep right now and sleep until I have to get up for work tomorrow. reality is, I'll probably wake back up at 11 and not get back to sleep for hours.
lunch did not agree with me. belly troubles.

hope this is not the start to that flu that's going around. [please just be tired & usual tummy crummy.]

think I'll just lay down.

btw, cute video ^.

also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SMASHLEY!!!!!

16 July 2011

good stuff

Increasingly excited about Harry Potter this evening. All it takes is those first few notes... Gah. Fantastic books, great movies. JK Rowling deserves every cent and every ounce of recognition.

Getting stuff ready to send another care package next week. The box has been sitting on my table slowly filling up with items.

Getting back into the swing of things. I'm glad I only worked two days this week because it was hard to get up after several days being a night owl on vacation.
The longer I'm on this early shift, the more I realize it's not ideal. I've been trying to make it ideal, but I've never been a morning person and I probably never will be. If I don't stick with the sleep schedule very closely, it's torture in the mornings. In the future I'd be ok with second shift, but for now this is okay. I always said the only time I hate my job is at 4am.

Is it supposed to rain? It looks like it, but I doubt we'll get the satisfaction of a good downpour. We haven't had any of those quick intense summer thunderstorms this year. I caught two in Wisconsin, which was awesome.

I should get going; have a busy day ahead of me. In addition to the care package stuff, I have four birthday gifts to buy. Or maybe I'll grab Pumpkin off the window sill and force her to snuggle me.

14 July 2011

my Wisco trip

The travel part was kinda sucky. Temporary anxiety over smallish airplanes and unusually young-looking pilots. Extended wait times in the airport (Although the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is kinda like a mall. Very cool). 2-hour Shuttle rides back to the airport at 3am on 2 hours of sleep and someone kept farting...

However, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I spent a lot of time with Grandma, who is still as sharp and witty as ever, if she does move around a little shower than she used to.

Got to bond with my Aunt Amy, and it turns out we have a lot in common. My cousins were fun to hang out with, too. It's been about 6 years since I saw them and it used to be kinda awkward to hang out but I guess as adults we mesh better because I really enjoyed their company.

What we did:

We made sun tea in a vintage glass jar out in the four-leaf clover patch. I swear, there were TONS of four-leaf clovers in that small area of clover. She'd be like, "Oh there's one. And another one. There, too."

We started a fire at night in the stone chimney outside and roasted marshmallows. You know I love a good fire at night when there's a chill in the air. Fun fact: Grandma does not have a trash pickup service. She composts what she can, recycles what she can, and burns the rest. Very little trash comes from that house. So, we burned the garbage, then kept the fire going with old branches.

Another fun fact: The water that runs through the pipes is from a well in the backyard. I snapped a picture of the pump (that works) and her cat Chloe.


My grandma went through old photo albums and showed me people like, "Your grandpa Chester's youngest sister Julie and her first husband Mark. His mother died recently of breast cancer. Julie remarried and lives in Dorchester. But I can't remember her husband's name."  You know how that goes...

I learned that my grandma was the second-youngest of 13 children, 12 of whom survived into adulthood. Most of her siblings are dead now, and she told me exactly how each one died, and she knows how old each of them were when they died.

Speaking of dead people, we visited the Proft/Jacobi plot at the cemetery, and said hi to Grandpa. Quite a few generations were buried there. It was neat to see a part of my history there.

I slept on hand-embroidered pillowcases and mended sheets that I found just charming.



We saw two deer crossing the gravel road at dusk, a bunny in the yard, and plenty of fireflies. I swear they were truly fluorescent, unlike the dim ones we used to see around here years ago.

We trespassed tromped through an old house that has several haunted stories connected to it. My dad used to know some people who lived in it back in the day, and the stories he tells of things he witnessed make it creepy to walk through it, especially since it's been empty for years and trashed.



We sat outside a lot in the pleasant weather and talked on the porch. I tried to catch a hummingbird at her feeder, but they seemed to only hang out when I wasn't around. I did see the Oriole, though. Grandma is quite the bird watcher and she gets plenty of activity at her bird feeders.

I ate cheese. Tomato basil cheddar, havarti dill, smoked string cheese that's hand-formed, and of course curds. I ate so much cheese that I haven't pooped right in several days. Worth it.

My grandmother's house is full of neat vintage things that have been collected over the years. It's got an old-house smell and a fabulously cool basement (both neat- and temperature-wise). My grandpa's old tools are there, along with a bunch of jars of food that she canned herself, and are probably still good. It's crammed full of antiques and generally neat stuff that you just don't see anymore.

Overall, I loved the simple, clean living for a few days. I mostly relaxed and the most work I did was help grandma with a few chores. Going back to work was hard this morning. But, back to the daily grind.

08 July 2011

Turn up the music

Oh oh oh oh oh

Tomorrow morning I board a plane headed to here. 



Well, to Minneapolis/ St. Paul.

Then I have to ride in a car about 3 hours to that little letter A in the upside-down tear drop.

I hate traveling.

I like the places that I go to, I just hate the process of getting there.

We need to hurry up and advance to that Transporter thing from Star Trek. Then, I'll see the world!

Anyway. I went through my old songs and uploaded a bunch on my mp3 player. Dug up a bunch of stuff I haven't listened to in a lonnnnngggg time. Like the Plain White T's before they got their 15 minutes, sold out, and started sounding like crap. Gunna get a blast from the past on this plane ride.

The flight is at 8, which means I want to get there at 6, which means I have to leave the house at about 5, which means I get to sleep in a little bit! Sweet!

07 July 2011

heatless curls

My hair is already curly, but this is so neat.

Plus, this girl is so beautiful with such a cute accent! I was watching this and found myself wishing she was my friend, haha.


06 July 2011

you keep on shoutin

YOUU keep on shoutin

My 4th of July was kinda meh.

No bbqs with friends, fireworks, or patriotic-themed baked goods. I was really looking forward to baking something and making it all fabulously red, white, and blue.

I was on call from 2pm-12am, and I wound up being at work for all of the good parts of the day. As I was about to leave around 10, I got some more specimens. No biggie, I'd run them really quick and then be out of there.
Then I realized that there was a lipase ordered, which requires a special treatment- a complete halt and special wash of the instrument's reaction cups- and takes about an hour to run. Also, you can't run anything else but lipase at that point or you will get inaccurate results. So you have to wait until everything else is completely done, run the lipase, and only then can you start running other stuff. We usually batch them and run them when everything else is done. They're such a pain in the ass.

In the middle of the lipase ordeal at about 1130, I got a stat. At that point I was pretty tired, but what can you do? The thing about chemistry stats is they take at least 40 minutes before you can even run them. They have to clot for a minimum of 30 minutes and spin for 10 minutes. So I just kinda sat there, dozing, while I waited for the time to pass.

I managed to leave at about 1230. When I got home at 1-ish, Ash and a few people were hanging out on the back porch. I wanted so badly to have a glass of wine and hang out. But, I had to be up at 4am for work. Those < 3 hours of sleep were precious and I was already feeling a little loopy.

So I changed into my pjs and flopped into bed. Just as I was falling asleep, I heard:

Meow.

Fuck, no. Ignore her. Maybe it was a test meow to see if I'm awake.


Meoww.

Don't move. If you move, she'll know you're awake.

Meooowwwww?
Meow!
Meeeeoooowwww!

Shit.

So I got up and opened the door. She stood there... just out of reach if I wanted to shoo her out with my foot, and peered outside. At the last second, she decided not to go outside. Kinda like this at 1:20. Oh hell no. I grabbed her ass and threw her out.

Finally got some sleep, and snoozed the alarm until the darn thing shut off. I was lucky to wake up at all, and made it to work only 30 minutes late.

Work was a daze. I was on autopilot and coffee.

Came home yesterday, and crashed hard for a few hours. Woke up only because my dad needed my car keys to move my car. So I chilled a bit with the fam, then went back to bed.

Even today I'm sluggish. I actually felt more tired today, I guess because yesterday I was on a no-sleep coffee-fume high.

How on earth did I used to party all night, go to class, work for a few hours, study well into the evening, then do it all over again-- and be totally functional??

I hear thunder. I hope it's not a rain tease.

01 July 2011

chuckle

Yeah I'm totally falling off the throne this week.

Curves is having this "Last Queen Standing" contest where you have to work out at least 3 days a week to win. I've worked out once this week, and to make 3 times I have to go both today and tomorrow.

It doesn't look like today is going to happen. It was a crazy day and my head hurts, and I want a nap more than the crown.

I sent Chris a package and put some Superman underwear in there just for fun, and it looks like he got it.


HAHAHA
Oh yeah, that's mine.