Practically Professional...

I must not tell lies, I must not tell lies

2009-10-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Approximately 6 weeks ago I made a reservation at a hotel to stay for an "extended" period of time. Well actually my reservation was for 3 days, but you get the idea.
I am driving on route in the middle of nowhere Maryland. My new Blackberry (that I am unable to operate)rings, and I answer, unsure if the state I am in allows talking while driving. It's the hotel. They tell me since I am not staying that long ,they will move me to the Holiday Inn next door. I ask if it allows dogs. It dosen't. "You're bringing a dog?". Yes, I am. Well there's a fee.
Now at this point in the story I should explain when I stay in hotels, I always stay in pet friendly ones. I usually don't mention the dog, to avoid the fee. My very honest friend KT ended up shelling out 150 dollars for 2 nights at a Hilton. I did not.
So my plan is to bring the cats in through the side entrance, on the DL.I arrive at the hotel, and ask for a room down the hall, "for the dog". They tell me they only have one room left. NEXT TO THE LOBBY. AS IN, YOU CAN SEE THE LOBBY FROM MY ROOM DOOR. CRAP.
Hmmm. Ok. Well after only telling them I have 1 dog, I can't say, well I forgot I have 2 cats, hope they can come in too. So I hatch a plan.
I place the 2 cats into Leroy's ginormus crate. (2 cats don't really care for each other, tolerate is better description). I place several large pillows over the cats, and hang a pillowcase over the front of the crate. I struggle to drag the big crate with 35 lbs of cat in it inside, and hope Teetums dosen't MEOW because he's freaked out. I put the crate down, and go to open the door.
My key dosen't work. After frantically trying several times to open the door, I determine that I have grabbed the hotel key from the night before.(They look the same! Stupid Dominoes advertising!) I leave cats in front of the door, begging them to be quiet, and sprint to the desk and ask for another key.
I get the cats in the room, phew! I'm home free. I open the door and go outside to get the litter box.
During my attempt to put the cats in a new carrier, I put the Tidy Cat liter bin into the front seat. Apparently upside down. Litter has now filled my front seat. Oh, ok, well, I can deal with that. I attempt to move the litterbox and litter into the hotel in a non suspicious black trash bag. The trash bag starts leaking in the parking lot. Litter, everywhere. In the parking lot. Now I'm piling litter into the litter box with my hands, hoping no one is looking out the window.
I get everything inside, leaving a litter trail to my room. No one has said anything yet.
I found a place to live. I used this as a reason to tell them about all 3 animals, and negotiated a place to live. We move tomorrow. When I leave with the cats, I don't think I will hide them.

The Heart of Life is Good

2009-09-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

This song by John Mayer is sticking with me today. I have included the lyrics here.

I hate to see you cry lying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But i know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
Then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But i know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But i know the heart of life is good.
I know it's good.

I am going to Pennsylvania alone now. Well, I have Lois, Leroy Brown, and Mitter T. I also have the support and love of my friends and family, and a new job to start, so I am not alone, not at all.

Changes

2009-09-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

There's a place that I go,
But nobody knows.
Where the rivers flow,
And I call it home.

And there's no more lies.
In the darkness, there's light.
And nobody cries.
There's only butterflies....

Big changes are being forced my way. I don't know if I can handle it. But there's only one way to find out I suppose...

Packing....

2009-09-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

I started packing yesterday. Although I assure you we have only been in this house 13 months, we bought alot of stuff this past year. It was like a buyer's deprivation that had built up over 3 years of us both being out of the country. When I explained to the PODS lady we had a 2/1, she assured me that a 16x8x8 container would fit all of our stuff. Carl is already planning to overfill the POD just to prove he was right. And while I have normal stuff to pack, let me introduce you to the person whom with I shall be sharing the POD.

This is a box of WIRES. There are many other boxes like this that will be making the trip. Perhaps I should forward this to the PODS people....(I love you Carl :P)

And now I'm back, from outer space....

2009-09-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

I apologized wholeheartedly for falling off the face of the earth. I shall summarize the last 2 months of my life as follows.

July
Chicago. Had a GREAT time visiting my sister, did an externship that I didn't care for, and had a job interview at a place that I wouldn't work for even if they offered me 300,000 dollars a year. Which they didn't. Actually they didn't offer me anything, or return my call or email after they asked ME to contact THEM after the interview. A-holes. I wouldn't work for them, but at the same time, wanted them to want me. Weird.
Also went to see Elton John/Billy Joel courtesy of sister Sallie. LOVED it. Didn't love feeling claustrophobic after getting stuck getting out of the concert. Apparently claustrophobia can come on later in life. Or maybe I'm generally going insane.
My Aunt B and Uncle John held a Congratulations to me/Engagement Party for Sallie and Aaron. I got to see my family, and it was nice to catch up with everyone.
Aunt Noraleen, Amanda, Beth, Sallie, and Kelly

Ummm, icing.

Love this picture of Wrigley Field. LOVE.

Sallie and I channel the inner Tyra Banks after a few Summer Shandys.

Sallie also chose her wedding dress! This is not it, but rather a dress I felt was designed for ladies in a more "delicate condition".

August
Finished clinics at UF. Got all A's in all things Large Animal over the summer. Had a great time, mostly because the hospital was very slow, and I spent alot of time looking for jobs. Also spent 2 weeks in South Florida spaying and neutering dogs and cats like it was, well my job. Which it sort of is now. Interesting. I stayed with sister Melanie, her hubby James, and nephew Avery! And the day after I drove home, their family grew by one more! Jackson Finn born September 6th, 2009, weighing 5 lbs, 5oz! His surprise arrival slightly ahead of schedule gets me excited because next year I see a combined birthday party! 1st and 31st!
Avery, Melanie, and aunt "Telly".

Which brings me to.....

Job
Sent out 12 resumes. Applied to one head hunting service. Went on two job interviews. (See results of first one above)
Result.....
1 new emergency associate position at Northeast Referral Hospital in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania!
Carl,Myself, Lois, Leroy Brown, and Mitter T are all moving to the great white north. I hope to instill a blog sub-section called the Great Snow Experiment. Stay tuned.

Why I cannot ride public transportation

2009-07-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hello my internet peeps. I have survived another large animal rotation, and my good luck streak of not getting called in much seems to have continued to another rotation. We shall see what the last month brings. Right now I am in CHICAGO. I go on my first JOB INTERVIEW AS A DOCTOR in one week. I am SCARED. I also have a SECOND JOB INTERVIEW, a mere hour south of KT. In Pennsylvania. When I was asked on the phone today if I would move there, I said sure, why not? (Is the place that bad they would have to ask? They want to pick me up from the airport, maybe to make sure I don't get back on the plane, like Ross did at St. Kitts....hmmm)
Anyways. Today I started my externship.
I took the bus. I don't really take the bus. One time freshman year in college Leya and I got on a bus without knowing where it went. (By the way, don't do that. It's stupid. And then you have to call someone and tell them to come get you, when you panic after about 15 minutes of getting further and further away from campus) Ahhh 1998.
Sallie was nice enough to purchase two 7 day passes for me to ride the bus everyday. Hurray! I get on the bus, and I insert my 7 day pass into the slot. The unmarked slot. The unmarked slot that was apparently meant for cash. The card didn't come back out. It went into the black hole the cash goes into. I said, "my card didn't come back out". The bus driver laughed at me and said, "you put it in the wrong hole!". Me-"oh.Can I have it back?". Then she dosen't say anything and I sit down. I mull options for 15 minute bus ride, and then pull cord to get off, and approach driver again. Me" Can I somehow get my card back? I need it." Her-" You can write down your address and we can mail it to you" Me- well its a 7 day pass so by the time it gets back to me, then it will probably be close to expired...then I panicked cause people were pissed the bus was still stopped, so I wrote...my Gainesville address, which makes no sense." My consolation prize....drumroll....
a 2 hour emergency pass that expired before I took the bus home.
Alas, I am meant to drive a car, do emergency surgeries, save pets, make complex animal shaped cakes, sing lyrics to every song created....
but not to ride the bus.
Sallie also got me surprise tickets to Billy Joel and Elton John on Thursday! On a rooftop overlooking Wrigley Field! Thanks Big Sal!

Dear Lois,

2009-06-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Lois you are my first cat. I remember the day I got you. It was 11/15/98, and my roommate at the time Lauren found you in Tallahassee on Campus Circle, and you were pregnant and all alone. We brought you home in a paper box from a copy center, and you ate a loaf of bread on the counter. You were forever home, and I was smitten. We had you spayed, and gave you a name, after the movie Corina Corina, with Whoopi Goldberg. My what a good cat you were. You would cuddle with me, and you loved to play under the covers.

You saw me through my college and vet school years, multiple boyfriends, roommates, houses, roommates pets, and 2 pets of our own. You didn't appreciate me adding either of them to our house, but you tolerated it, as you always did.You moved 1200 miles with me to St. Kitts, and when I knew no one and cried myself to sleep at night, you slept on my bed. You are the constant in my life that has been riddled with such change the past 10 years.
This last move was hard on you, physically. You aged greatly the past few years. But all I have to do is scratch your head to get your purrs started, and your place in my heart cements itself forever.

Lois today taught me that you will not be with me forever. I hope you know that I love you more than anything, that you are what taught me about everything cat related, that I will do everything for you to keep you as happy as possible.

(Today Lois went with me to school. She has some serious health issues that we are going to face as soon as we have the answers to them. I hope this is a bump in the road, and she has a few years left on her yet, but today was a sad, and scary day for me, and I needed to get this out)

Back to the barn....

2009-06-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well.
I am now on Equine Reproduction. This basically entails us assisting with the great miracle of life in various formats.
1)A BSE, or Breeding Soundness Evaluation. If it's a stallion, we basically "collect" things from them, and then analyze them. I'm talking amount, color, consistency, and smell. Yes, I said smell.
2)"Teasing" a mare. I asked if this consists of putting a carrot on the other side of fence just out of reach. I thought I was funny.
3)This rotation is now an elective for the Class of 2011. This means I am the only person on the rotation that did not elect, or would not have, elected this rotation. I fake my enthusiasm while watching the clock.
4) I have senioritis/large animalitis. My enthusiasm does not correlate with people who have 2 years of school left. I feel very lonely.
5) I cannot get autoformat to stop f*cking up my resume. I find a job that sounds good, then refer to the PAVE state list, and realize it's not on there. This whole thing is frustrating.
6)Here's the PAVE state list. I have made comments about certain states. If you have an opinion, give a shout out. I am comment-less, and it makes me not want to blog.

Arizona(there's something called a javalina that attacks dogs there)
California(EXPENSIVE, but Kathleen, Kevin, and Kerry are all in Los Angeles)
Colorado(a good prospect)
Connecticut(I hear property taxes are insane, which is why only the rich live there)
Idaho(no)
Iowa(no)
Illinois(BIG SAL!)
Louisiana(Hurricane Katrina)
Maine(where is this?)
Massachusetts(a possibility)
Minnesota(brrrr)
Montana(brrr. and no.)
Nebraska(see above)
New York(KT!)
North Dakota(uh, have you seen Fargo? Me either.)
Oregon(oooohhh)
Pennsylvania(possible)
Puerto Rico(no, gracias)
Rhode Island(a small but mighty place?)
South Carolina(yes, but NO jobs there)
Tennessee(see above)
Texas(I have a shirt that says "I'd rather go to hell than texas")
Utah(seems far away)
Vermont(Ben and Jerry's)
Virgin Islands(I've done my time)
Virginia(Urban=traffic, Not so urban= banjo)
Washington( I think I would LOVE this)
Wyoming(If I cannot ID on a map, I am not meant to go there)
Ohio(I enjoy the buckeye confection)

Why you no blog no more?

2009-06-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok.
I've been on vacation. I should be filling your lives with laughter. Or at least a chuckle or two. Instead I have been.....JOB SEARCHING. Ok. So I look at jobs, and wonder, is Paluso Washington a fun place to live? Would Carl be happy there? Would I be happy there? When it says experienced, do I count what I have already done as experience? Then I get hyperactivity of the gut and close the window. And go back to tweaking my resume. This is a scary time. I'm picking out where I want to live. Somehow I also need to finagle time off school to go look at jobs. Which given my Large Animal Surgery filled summer, I really don't care about missing, but also, don't want to have to make up.
Let's talk about graduation! I am too lazy/busy( I would just like to point out I spent 5 minutes googling how to draw a line through the word lazy)to post pictures at this point, and my computer's efficency makes me want to abandon it in an airline terminal, so you'll have to wait. I do have some other highlights.
1)
At the 99 cent Jack's store, a crazy man complimented me on my hair and eyes, and then explained why he was purchasing Close Up toothpaste to care for the few teeth he had left, so he could one day spend 10,000 dollars to buy new ones. And then he would be able to meet an attractive lady like myself. As I was in line to pay for my umbrella(and when an umbrella costs 1.49 and then 24 hours later literally blows apart, don't be shocked)I couldn't really leave, so I just kept trying to turn around and look for Carl, who saw me talking to a crazy man and KEPT WALKING BY. Thanks Carl.
2)
The empire state building. Two tourists asked me if I had one the biggest loser? Although one might find this insulting, she asked me if I won, not if I got voted off on the first episode. Commense googling of person I apparently looked like.

Tara looks better in spandex than I would at this point. I consider it a compliment. And two people looking for a celebrity sighting.
We did see the lead singer from Warrant in McDonald's on 7th. KT pointed him out to me but I thought she was gesturing towards an asian business man, and was confused that there was an asian lead singer to Warrant.
Graduation was fantastic, and deserves it's own post. With pictures.

Alone=lonely?

2009-05-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here on a Friday night, having just enjoyed a delicious tuna and avocado sandwich(a delicious but odd combination, which was put together after discussion with Leya on the phone- Leya=BFF). I am currently alone. I am almost never alone. Carl is almost always home, and I am the one "working"(working implies payment after all) 12-14 hour days, and then I come home, and then I leave again, and I'm never alone at work, and I get used to having people around.
Today Carl went home to enjoy some quality time with his version of a BFF. I went to the mall by myself. As I wandered around looking for jeans(is 70 dollars alot for jeans these days? Is that what the kids are paying?), and I felt akwardly too old for the junior department, but not old enough for the grown up department, I realized I had no one to go the mall with. Being on the island for almost 3 years pretty much inundated you with a constant stream of friends who always had the same free time you did, and conseqently, things became a huge group affair. Living with one of my best friends(yay KT!) also ensured that on a Saturday afternoon, there would be someone to hold up the other sofa(I always got the actual sofa, KT got the loveseat. There's a 7 inch height difference.)and watch silly TV with. I miss that. I miss my friends who graduated already. I didn't, even if I HAD to call someone to go with, have anyone who is in town to call. I enjoy my alone time, but I don't want it to be because that's my only option.
5 days till the Ross Reunion and Graduation!! And until then, I will watch the Real Housewives of New York, and enjoy the silence. And call my sisters and friends on the phone. :)

Bradenton, FL

2009-05-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I've been busy.
I started Neurology this week, I found out I passed my boards, and I am gearing up to start the job search. I just wanted to share Laura and Mike's beautiful wedding from last weekend. Truly one of the best I had been to. Lots of dancing, fun, and most of all, friends.
Our table.

We had a great time! New York City in less than 2 weeks....

Why you shouldn't go to CVS at 3am.

2009-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

So I am in Tampa until today, and while I am supposed to be cleaning the apartment I'm staying in(it says to clean both bathrooms....I didn't even step foot on both bathrooms. Ok, not completely true. Some days after arriving here at 3am I would inspect behind the door and shower curtain to make sure I was alone. Which really, if I wasn't, what would I do?. Ok, back to the story), I have 1 hour to clean this apartment, and I'm writing a blog. I'm such a procrastinator.
I'm still awaiting my national board scores in the mail, because Tennessee couldn't do electronic reporting like 15 other states that appparently all my classmates applied through. If I see one more facebook update with I passed, I may have to call Tennessee and explain why it's so important they just tell me over the phone. Because my facebook status deserves to be updated too. Congratulations to all those who passed, and know they did. And now most of you are probably asking me why I applied through TN, being that I've never been there before. Well, I did go to Graceland once, because my sister Sallie insisted we stop there to visit the home of Elvis. Then she couldn't find a shirt in the gift shop she wanted, blah, blah...it was overrated. Tennessee can be it's own blog. Back to CVS.
I needed contact solution. So after my last shift at FVS, I decided to take advantage of the 24 hour CVS. I was tired people. I walked in, took a basket, and compulsive shopping set in like it was my job. OOOH, 75% off Lip Gloss! I never wear lip gloss, but it's so cheap! OOOOHHH, a new item! Organic Shampoo and Conditioner! Sulfate Free! I need it! OOOOH, Greeting Cards! Laura and Mike need one for their wedding(that was actually justified, the dairy milk candy bar and sprite zero not so much). I spent 34 dollars. Oh, I forgot. I bought clear nail polish, because after having the first manicure in approximately 5 years, I chipped one of my bright red nails at work. Actually I think I subconciously chipped it with my other nail, then remembered WHY I never get my nails painted, because this always happens. Also, when I went to get the pedicure yesterday, I feel that my legs were perhaps slightly less "shaven", then they needed to be, and spent my head buried in my Glamour magazine avoiding eye contact because I feared judgement.
Off to Bradenton for a wedding and Ross Reunion! Then back to school on Monday. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Today=my first day off in since March 9th. Freaking FANTASTIC!

From a Distance

2009-05-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. This day conveys mixed emotions in me for several different reasons, ones most of you know, but for others, I am just not ready to discuss with the internet world.
I talked to my grandmother(Geema) today for a while. Geema is my mother's mother, and is my only living grandparent. She tells me she wishes I were a mother today too.( I suppose Leroy, Lois, and Mitter T do not count to everyone).
We talk for a while, and she convinces me that I need to live near family when I am done. I feel like I do too. But what is my family? Is it my friends that I consider closer than my family? Is it my family that I share blood relation but no relationship with? Who do I want to say is most important? I cannot pick just one person I think. I feel like I am torn in so many directions right now, should I take the test to practice in Florida? (This test is 8000 dollars, and there's a bit of a waiting list), or should I just move to a new state and try something new? Alone? Carl is going to be deployed shortly after we move, so I really will be alone. I also am afraid of living in a place that snows, but something tells me I'm going to have to deal.
I feel like I have a few really big decisions to make in the next few months, ones that will impact the rest of my life, and I just don't feel ready to do so yet. I always wanted to go to vet school, that was my dream, but no one told me what I was supposed to do when I finished.
For now I will be happy with these little guys.

Happy Mother's day to every Mother, Step-mother, Mother in Law, Grandmother, or just anyone who helped to make someone's life better by showing them the way.

A picture is worth a 1000 words...

2009-05-02T18:28:00.001-07:00

So here's alot of words.
Welcome to large animal land.

DJ Tanner's comforter from full house.

Whoa.

This sign belongs to a pony that may work for a famous mouse, or rather a glass slipper wearing princess that is associated with said famous mouse.

One of my patients.

It's nice to see the sun everyday.

Sort of like the season finale of Flavor of Love....but not so much

2009-04-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well. It's been a week of the LAM(large animal medicine), and I've survived so far. I question how well, because people have started commenting on how tired I look, which is really a polite way of saying " You left the house like that?", but at 5:30am, some things start to become non-essential. Like moving the shower to the night before, which normally I never do because I am afflicted with the kind of hair that looks like I rubbed Crisco in it if I don't wash it everyday. Like 10 hours of clean hair look, max.
Let's talk about my patients. I had an ADORABLE goat with 2 little babies who were like tiny street performers who would rocket off the walls and leap into mid air. Best of all, they were 12 lbs, so I could pick them up, as innocuous as a puppy.This is a drastic change from the 8 week old 350 lb foal who tried to run me over today. Just because it's 2 months old doesn't mean it can't kill you. It also doesn't know how to walk on a lead rope(by the way, the LAM folks DON'T call this a leash. They also don't use the word stall and cage interchangeably. Whatev.)
Then I had the alpacas. Well, one patient, who wasn't really all that sick and a)came in on emergency yesterday therefore taking up my afternoon and b) brought along a companion alpaca. Sure a companion is all well and good, but that means I have to do loads of paperwork on a perfectly healthy animal. People don't have to write reports on friends that show up at the hospital with them do they? I'm just saying.Well, let's talk about the alpacas. A cute 150 lbs, I thought, oh this will be fun. And then they spit on me. WHAT? Yes. Alpacas spit on you when they are dissatisfied with the service. Such as an injection. Or you just trying to get a heart rate on the companion for crying out loud.
Somehow all 5 inpatients left this morning, and I am the only one of my team who is inpatient less. This also makes me first for whatever calamity walks in the door tomorrow. And I'm on call again all night. And it's foal season. And if anyone wants to know about something "interesting"....google dummy foal.
Tomorrow I plan to post a picture of what I feel is DJ Tanner's comforter from Full House. From when she shared a room with Stephanie. And I found it in the laundry room today. I just need to sneak my camera in. Stay tuned.

My first day in Large Animal Land

2009-04-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

I've been dreading this day since I arrived in September. While I toiled away in the bowels of the windowless small animal hospital, I would relish the fact that my schedule contained ALL small animal rotations for 7 months. It was what I wanted to do! Hurray! Learning my new job! To the back of my mind stayed the summer of large animal my schedule handed me. 4 weeks of Large Animal Medicine, 4 weeks of Large Animal Surgery, 2 weeks of Large Animal Theriogenology(fancy term for breeding horses. Artifically. Where you have to wear bike helmets, and someone holds an artificial....well it's called an AV, so you can fill in the blank)Sick.
Today was my first day of Large Animal Medicine. We have an orientation that includes a 16 minute video on how to treat a horse in the isolation barn. My solution is to not take a horse that needs to go in the isolation barn.

We go to meet the resident and clinican, and I watch an ultrasound, and provide the rubbing alcohol when needed. I feel somewhat useful.
I feel my skills are not meant for large animals. When the horse runs, I run. That's apparently the wrong thing to do. I re-learn diseases and facts that were shoved to the back of my mind for 8 months. I curse my schedule for not having this rotation sooner to get it out of the way, and also for not having it before my national boards, which I take on Saturday.
I meet my patient. He seems to know I don't know what I am doing. He disregards me trying to give him an injection and goes back to his hay while swinging his back to me.I try not to get shoved to the back of the stall, but somehow that dosen't happen. He bobs his head, and I am filled with panic. Did I do something wrong? Why when the animal weighs 50 times more than my average patient does it seem more delicate to me?
One day down, 59 more to go.(That's weekdays. Forget the weekends, I can't count them too, or I'll be depressed.)

Leroy is a sensual being

2009-04-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Meet Leroy Brown.

As most of you know, I found Leroy when he was a wee pup on the golf course in St. Kitts. A mere 6 weeks old and 2lbs, he was brought into our home and quickly decided how things were going to be done.

As Leroy grew, so did his penchant for showing his "pleasure" in meeting other dogs. He was neutered at an early age, because as most of you know I have an unhealthy obsession with inquiring if a dog is spayed or neutered. Well I don't find it unhealthy, but others might find it weird.

They also might have found me taking these photos weird.

Currently when I take Leroy to the dog park, he strolls the perimeter looking for a victim. When he finds a dog whom he takes a liking to(normally long haired,the bigger the better, male/female not so important)and will try to hop on. At this point I will akwardly exclaim "He's neutered!" and smile politely... and the owners will a) become disgusted with my pervert dog and try to discourage said encounter or b)laugh at Leroy's attempts to be ginormus or c)Leroy will find a dog dislikes his attempts to be friends, and then Leroy will narrowly escape an ass beating.
I must point out his humping is transitional. After spending 24 hours with a dog, the thrill is gone, and things must be kept platonic. He dosen't want anyone getting too attached. And really, can you blame him?

Is that your pen?

2009-04-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

So let me just preface with this. I do not steal things. Except for a potholder that "accidentally" fell into my cart when I was in 6th grade at the Sawgrass Mills outlet mall with my friend Melanie D. at Bed Bath and Beyond(it DID fall into the cart, but then I didn't remove it, because the guilt felt good)I've pretty much kept a clean rap. Well.
Let me take you back to last week, when I walked into the clinical pathology central receiving office. The purpose of this office is to tell you when you have submitted a sample wrong. Then make you feel like a moron because you didn't remember that one sample has 2 copies of a paper with it, and you had better remember to put it in the right bin, or it's like you've personally injected them with the needle you left on the syringe instead of a stupid black rubber cap when you turned in a urinalysis.(No? Just me? Ok then.)
I walked into the office to ask a question about some random sample testing for a random disease 12 people have written a paper on. In my hand was a pen. A free pen. A pen that arrived in mass quantities the previous Friday delivered by a company, along with dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts(of which I ate 3, but that's neither here nor there people). The lady in the office asked, "Where did you get that pen?".
Me: ICU, there are a bunch of them in there.
Her: Well I had a pen like that on my desk, and now it's gone.
Me:Um...I have another one in my pocket...you can have one if you want?
Her:Ok(with look like I had admitted guilt)

Several minutes go by, and I walk by the door of this office on my way back to the other side of the hospital, and I hear her coworker exclaim " I BET SHE DID STEAL THAT PEN!".
WHAT? The mental me walked in there and declared my innocence, with a witty remark. The actual me walked away embarrassed, and saved my story for a friend 3 hours later. I must work with mental me. She's a tough biotch.

This one is for Maddie

2009-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to start a blog, oh for FOREVER, and I guess it all started about a year ago, when I came across several blogs that I just fell in love with reading. I would come home from school everyday, and I would check for a new post. I loved reading about people who were my age, and while they have kids and I don't(not tax dependent ones anyhow, furry ones not so included)I really just let it become my escape, my happy place. One of the blogs was about an adorable little girl named Madeline Alice, who was the same age as my nephew, and her mom seemed like a really cool person too. Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately because I don't think there's a word that could adequately express the unfairness/tragedy of what happened, Madeline passed away unexpectedly April 7th. And when I found out, I was so, well, crushed. For this little girl who I had never met. For her parents whom I did not know. But I felt like I did. Their blog provided an escape for me, a bright spot in my day when I came home to relax. So I am starting this because I hope that humbly, I can provide an escape for someone else who might too, be having a bad day. And because what happened to little Maddie just reiterates that life is unfair, unexplainable sometimes, and far too short and precious to sit by and just wait around to start something. http://www.remembermaddie.com/