29 December 2009

gee... that's news to me

I really hate going to the eye doctor. It's worse than going to the dentist for me. Right now, only my right eye is dilated because the chick missed my left eye with the drop (twice). Seriously. This is what went down:

Eye doctor: "So... the vision in your right eye has changed a little bit."
Me: "It has not. When your assistant was checking it, I told her I rubbed my eye and then she found an eyelash in it but said it was fine."
Eye doctor: "K. Lemme check real quick."
*checks real quick*
"Yeah, you must have had something in your eye because her readings don't make any sense compared to the ones I just got."
Me: "...told you."

18 December 2009

modern-day hitchhikers

I'm stuck in Hermiston because my stupid car died on the freeway. To be fair, it didn't die, it just stated making a horrific clunking noise that was scary enough to make us stop and call Triple A. Also, my parents don't love us enough to come and pick us up, so we had to get a hotel room.

Turns out that the hotel that the tow truck driver brought us to is the one I got in trouble for sneaking out of during a state theatre conference trip my senior year in high school. This time we snuck Panda in. Also they gave me two free beers. And they have FSC. Woohoo.

You know what I learned today?

Never leave home without your towel.

11 December 2009

welcome to my life.

Last night I found out what happens when you drop your ID into a conveyor belt.

Not a lot, actually, it's more anti-climactic than I thought, but does involve a few seconds where you and the cashier freeze and stare at each other helplessly until some nice dude in an apron comes round to open the little drawer under the belt and free the Lost Goods from the Dark Place.

It's kind of freaky, watching your adult drinking life slo-mo over the black rubber like a barrel over Niagara Falls and disappear into the abyss.

It's good she checked it first, or I really would have needed that holiday porter I was buying.

04 December 2009

it's the most wonderful time of the year

Nothing brings the world together like the World Cup. The UN has got nothing on the beautiful game.


OMG so shiny!


The World Cup draw was held today in Capetown, South Africa. Results:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E: Holland, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

I'm so excited. We're not in the Group of Death (G)! Four years ago our group was certainly death to us, despite drawing when we played the eventual champions. Italy has an annoying habit of starting slowly in competitions and gathering speed until they're pretty much invincible by the last stages. Dirty, sexy bastards.

I think Group A will be the most interesting to watch. While South Africa (who qualified by hosting) is possibly the weakest team in the tournament, historically the host team has never failed to advance to the second round. France is very controversial now, partly due to Henry's qualifying handball, and partly to their abysmal performance this past year. If they want it enough, they could easily go through. Mexico... I just hope they don't advance. The archnemesis of American soccer. Slovenia I don't know much about. In summary: never underestimate the host team, no matter how much you write them off outside of the Cup. Mexico, France and Slovenia depend on who wants it the most and who can use handballs and dirty hack behavior (*cough*Thierry Henry*cough*Rafa Marquez*cough*)to advance.

I just want to see the US pull a 1950 World Cup manuever on England. :) Love the English people, not so much a fan of the English national team. I prefer the sport as played in warm countries, like Brasil and Spain.

ETA: Soccernet's draw analysis.

02 December 2009

clear blue december

It's cold now. Most of the leaves are in the street now, and the rain has stopped, but I think there's no point in having cold without snow.

Why do they call the week before finals "dead week"? It's never stopped my professors from assigning stuff, me spending ridiculous amounts of time in my books, and generally wishing I didn't have to drag myself out of bed at the crack of early. Wait... maybe that last one is the reason. I think they should call it "undead week." Everyone looks like zombies, and I'm pretty sure they gave up bathing and sleeping.

I got my nursing school schedule. I'm leaning to the right on the terrified/excited scale right now. I'm quitting my job tomorrow to spend the holidays with family before the hard work begins. I can't wait. :)

World Cup draw on Friday!

22 November 2009

re: mls cup 2009

:)

MLS, Garber and Anschutz, all your monies cannot buy you a trophy. Woohoo Real Salt Lake!

21 November 2009

let's do shots and get craaazy

Woohoo. I am officially re-certified to bring you back from (clinical) death. I had to drive an hour to my CPR class this morning. It turns out that the easiest way to get to a fire station is to follow a fire truck after getting off the freeway. I met three girls who will be in my class.

The instructor was reminding us to work from the top down (head, chest), and then commented that for those of us attending my school, perhaps we should throw in a gesture to the right and then one to the left. The school is Catholic.

Anyway. I treated myself to some retail therapy on the way home as a reward for my lack of sleep, thus breaking my own cardinal rule: no shopping on Saturdays between Halloween and Christmas. It was ugly.

I have a mass of school paperwork to finish before Monday (ew), but I did find out that the H1N1 shot is recommended, not required. I can't tell you how much this delights me.


My cat ate my homework. She shredded the darn thing all over the recliner and now is curled up on top of the poor decimated tree pulp. See?


Sigh.

18 November 2009

haters to the left

Last day of World Cup Qualifying. The last six slots went to, in no particular order: Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, Uruguay, Algeria and France.

I love Yoann Gourcuff so much. He's one of the world's most beautiful men. However, even he can't make up for Les Bleus earning a spot by cheating Ireland. Ireland and France were one goal all on aggregate, then Gallas scores the winning goal in overtime. Assisted by an offside player with two blatant handballs? Really?

I hate tainted wins.

I hate Thierry Henry even more. Soulless hack. I have not forgiven him for his behavior versus Spain in the 2006 World Cup.

Ireland deserved to go to South Africa.

stabbity stab

I got my second hepatitis B shot today. I was supposed to do it ages ago, but I thought I was afraid of needles, so I "forgot" on purpose. Then I found out that I definitely had to have it for nursing school, and the flu shot got me over my residual childhood needle issues, so I'm back on track.

Ha. So, they're regularly out of the hep B vaccine at work, but they had it in today. It was the proper needles they were out of. The nurse found a 22-gauge needle.

It's big.

Bigger than they usually use.

The nurse told me not to look at it. The medication aide couldn't tear his eyes away. She loaded the syringe and shanked me in the left deltoid.

It wasn't that bad... or maybe I was just playing tough for the med aide's benefit.

That doesn't mean I didn't guilt-trip her for the rest of the shift, just for fun.

16 November 2009

'nursing school' is synonymous with 'blood'

Getting ready for nursing school is scary.

On one hand, I think whoever let me in must be crazy. On the other, I think about some of the nurses I've known and then I fear the classes, clinicals and boards far less than I did previously. I think I'll be fine once I get there, but I have seven weeks to worry about it.

Right now I have to catch up on my immunity. Yippee for me. Today I needed a TB test, so I went in to work on my day off to let somebody stab me. Voluntarily.

She told me I had thick skin. I told her it's because I have three brothers.

The RCM told me that it looked like the nurse had done it wrong, and maybe I should let the RCM do it again in my other arm. I suggested she do it between my eyes instead.

I have two more shots to get, a CPR class to take, and infinite papercuts by way of Necessary Forms to receive. Booo.


I'm gonna go brush up on the rules of Keno and roulette for my stats class now.

15 November 2009

the doomsday clock is ticking

Old people say weird stuff.

On Friday (the 13th), I walked into a lady's room to check on her. She was curled up in her armchair and her eyes were wide. She was staring intensely at the bathroom door.

Me: "Hi! What are you doing?"
Her: WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON
Me: "Oh... is that supposed to happen today?"
Her: I HOPE SO

Guess it didn't happen.

14 November 2009

down the rabbit hole

I needed a space that wasn't topical. Anything to avoid muddying the magic of my world adventures with the daily grind. Voila!

Welcome to my head.

The worst part of those wonderful, fleeting moments of perfect happiness is that they go so quickly. And when they're gone, no matter how much I try to recreate them, loneliness is gouging at my heart like a rusty knife. I don't know if it's harder to never do anything interesting, or to do interesting things two months of every year and then miss it so badly the rest of the time.

For the record, I can't look at pictures of my trips without getting homesick.

I don't have time to be homesick right now. I'm starting nursing school in eight weeks.