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Monday, March 28th, 2005:
It's 6:39am. I'm going to be late for class but that's ok because registration
opens at 7:00 and if I miss THAT... let's just say I'm in trouble. I'm all set -- I've already
got the page opened. At 7, all I have to do is click "login" and I should be in and ready to
go... and FIRST! Mwa ha ha! Okay, a little obsessive. But this is my last
semester. Serious business!
Anyway so I had the strangest dream the other night. Actually it was about
a week ago but it was so weird I thought I'd tell you anyway. It was the night before Easter.
I was going to Kathy's house to babysit (and Kathy's house in my dream was 3 doors down from my mom's
house). I walked in the door and there were Christmas decorations everywhere. A huge
table was set up in the living room and my whole family was there for Christmas dinner. Evidently,
my mom decided she was in a "Christmas mood" and decided to have Christmas Eve that night.
Even though it was Easter(eve). Yeah. Anyway, there were a whole bunch of kids
running around and the party lasted till late in the night. Finally, at one point, Kathy came
home. She looked a little confused to have all these people in her house but once my mom just
casually explained that it was Christmas, Kathy was great and decided to join in the festivities. I
eventually got really tired and decided to go home. On my way out the door, I noticed that my dad had
parked this huge sleigh in the driveway! I'm thinking this is a little weird and then
it started snowing. At this point, the Christmas theme has just set in so much that I began to think
to myself, "If tomorrow's Christmas, does that mean I get paid double time?" Then I remembered that
tomorrow WASN'T Christmas. It stopped snowing and I realized "Hey, it's actually spring now!"
Then the dream was over. Weird, huh?
Gotta run.
Friday, March 11th, 2005
Once again I find myself apologizing for not updating in so long. The thing
about it is that I actually have a lot to update ON but hey, even more proof that I'm unreliable.
On a lighter note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVAN! My little bro turns 12
today! ((We never thought he'd make it this far...))
Now for the big news.... we're finally MOVING!!!!! Dan keeps telling me not
to get so excited since we haven't even applied yet but screw that! We found an apartment
in Ramblewood which is just so close to everything (and everyone) I love that I'm beside
myself with excitement. Yeah, I know, it's not buying but with our schedules (and our finances)
we decided that renting for a while would be a better solution for us. We could move out sooner
and we would be able to save a little money instead of spending every dollar we make on a mortgage.
The apartment is great. It has 1 bedroom and a den (which
is basically a second bedroom) and it's been completely renovated. It has brand new
carpets, bathroom fixtures and appliances, new washer and dryer, dishwasher, microwave, countertops and cabinets
-- you name it. Plus it has nice corner fireplace, a lovely view,
and plenty of closet space. We're so excited about moving. Not exactly
sure when that will be yet but the tentative date that the woman gave us was April 15th which means
we'd be moved in by my birthday!! Yippee!
I got accepted into Psi Chi yesterday. I applied like 5 months ago
-- was beginning to think I didn't make it. But, I guess they're just lazy!
The perfect organization for me!! Anyway, my induction is April 7th and you're ALL
invited! :-)
Guess that's about it for now. Later dude.
Sunday, February 13th, 2005
Yeah so it's been a long time but hey, my computer's broken. Plenty has happened
I guess since it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day for all the crap I have to do, but I guarantee
I won't remember half of it...
Ok ok bad news first. The house didn't work out. Awwww....
We're trying to not let it get to us. The worst thing about it is that we're back at square one now
and as busy as we both are, we're getting just about nowhere. We're considering apartments
-- some of the apartment complexes even have townhomes for rent and while renting is basically throwing
your money away every month, it would be cheaper than a house so we'd at least be able to save
some of it instead of being perpetually poor. And let's be honest here, ANYTHING would
be an improvement from our current situation. Some of the apartments I've looked at are really nice.
Let's just say we're keeping our options open.
On a more positive note, we celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday.
It was nice. Ooh I got tickets to see the Dali exhibit which I'm super excited about.
Totally shocked me -- not Dan's particular cup of tea and he's actually GOING with me (I'm
determined to find something he LIKES) -- and he got my favorite picture of us on one of those crystal cubes
which is just really cool. Of course, he also made me his scrambled eggs for breakfast. In case
you didn't know, he makes the BEST scrambled eggs in the entire world and every time I say that he thinks
it's sarcasm but it's not. Try them. I guarantee you'll never go sunny-side up again.
We went to the movies (saw Hitch -- thought it was good.
Funny.) and then went out to dinner at A Touch of Italy. In case you've never heard of it, it's this
little restaurant in Egg Harbor that we went to one time and the flounder was probably the
single best piece of food that I had ever eaten in my entire life. (Except for those scrambled
eggs!) So, we drove like an hour and a half last night to go there (partially my fault
since I forgot how to get there from the AC Expressway and we had to take 73). I got
the flounder again and it was still fantastic. The service SUCKED though. Quite
disappointing. Our waitress was one of those people who has the attitude "oh they're young people.
Lemme just hurry up and get them out of here so I can work on a REAL table." We don't take too well
to that attitude. We thought at first that the 5% tip would get that across but then we realized we
just might be playing into her stereotype so we had to ask for the manager too. We
kind of felt like jerks -- we hate to complain -- but geez we drove a long way for a nice dinner and she
just.... wasn't very nice.
Anyway, that's enough complaining for today. It really was a very
nice day yesterday. I hadn't seen Dan in like a week so it was nice to remember what
he looked like.
Today's list has on it unbelievable amounts of homework, grocery shopping, and this
meeting with the realtor so I've gotta run. Have a good week!
Sunday, January 23rd, 2005
Ah so what's happened since the last time? Well, I quit my
job at the doctor's office. It's way too much of a commute to be undertaking when school is in session...
so much easier to go back to the pharmacy -- especially with that $2/hour raise I got...
Speaking of school, phew is that a long day. Granted, I was sick the
first day so that may have made it just a tiny bit worse but man by the time I get to chemistry
I can't wait to go home. It doesn't help that the professor for my first class is
one of those guys that just loves the sound of his own voice and is perfectly happy keeping his voice in
one flat tone for a full hour. At 8am. But then I get to go to Calculus and
that keeps me up because my professor's just really mean. I can't think of another word for it... he's
just mean. I'm hoping to not fail -- this is the best goal I can really have in his class since he
says he fails 50% of his students. My Chemistry teacher practically whispers when
she teaches -- she's impossible to hear. And her method of teaching is to photocopy pages from
the book onto transparencies and have us copy them down while she talks. Ridiculous, huh?
Anyway, I guess that's about it. Boring stuff I guess but
damn I've been sick for the past week and I'm too tired to think interesting. Have
a good week everyone.
| This is my calculus professor |
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| He looks like Satan (I think he is...) |
Friday, January 14th, 2005
Could it be? Have we actually found a house? Here's some advice
to all of you still living with your parents: your parents have worked very hard their entire lives to afford the nice
house that you live in. Why spread the misery? Stay there AS LONG AS YOU CAN!
Anyway, the house in Berlin didn't shape up. The area was still skeeving us
out a bit and no one ever got back to us about the electric heat issue. To be honest, I don't think
our real estate agent even brought the issue up. The following weekend, we went out to look
at a bunch of properties with our agent. It was a disaster. First of all, they all SUCKED
big time. Everything in our price range was a piece of crap in crappy neighborhoods. Most of
them had had renters who didn't bother to keep up with the place since they didn't own it anyway. I
mean, we're talking about paint just stripped off the walls, light fixtures missing, appliances
that didn't work, cigarette butts and beer bottles left on the floor..
it was just disgusting. To make matters worse, our real estate agent had NO idea what she was
doing. I mean, she didn't even know where she was going. We spent half the time driving
around in circles because she kept getting lost. She took us to properties we didn't
even request to see in areas we didn't even want to look. Basically, it was an enormous waste
of time.
BUT... the serendipity in it all was the fact that while we were driving around
(one of the times she got lost) we drove past a new development of townhomes going up in the area.
The sign out front said "starting in the low 100's" so we decided to check it out. Of course, our lovely
real estate agent never even thought to mention it to us -- why would we want to hear about new and
affordable construction when we can drive all over South Jersey looking at crap? ANYWAY, needless
to say, we dumped the agent and decided to call about the townhouses.
To make a long story short, the townhouses were absolutely perfect for us -- the
model we like has 2 bedrooms and a study with 1.5 bathrooms. We found out it was a bit out
of our price range because the prices had recently gone up but we figured we'd talk to our
mortgage agent and see what we could work out. We had an appointment with her yesterday and it was basically
a let-down. The best numbers we could come up with required us to pay a little over $200/month more
than we could afford. Even if we put some of the money we saved into a down payment, we would only
be saving about $6/month for every $1000 we put down. We were starting to think it may be time to go
back to the drawing board (with a new real estate agent).
This morning, I sat at the computer and started fiddling around with our budget
to see if there was anything we could do. And lo and behold! I found just the loophole we needed.
My car payment (a little over $200/month -- ie. just the amount of money we need) has only
a little less than $4000 left on it. SO, if we take the money we would otherwise be using toward the
downpayment (that would only give us about $24/month off) and instead use it to pay off my car, we'd be saving
just the amount that we need! PLUS, my insurance would go down considerably since the car would no
longer be financed, giving us an even better cushion!
Ok... these are all numbers and it's kind of boring but as far as I'm concerned,
it gives us an inkling of hope which is a good thing!! And of course, I'm so proud of myself
for thinking of it and I'm completely ignoring the fact that I'm probably just dumb for not thinking of it
sooner.
The model we're interested in is the Aspen, 2 bedroom.
Have a good week everyone!
Friday, December 31
So guess what I did last night....
Dan and I went to look at our first house!! It's so scary
because everything's moving really fast. I'd called the real estate agent just the day before and she
sent me a whole bunch of listings. I'll be honest, most of the places in our price range were a bit o' crappy
but one house was brand spankin' new so I made an appointment to check it out before someone else snatched
it.
I was pretty damn excited (worked myself up to a headache for the first time since
I was in like 3rd grade) and we set up an appointment for 5pm. Of course, I wanted
to leave like 20 mins early, which turned out to be a good thing because we couldn't find the road.
When we finally found it, the first thing we noticed was some rather suspicious-looking folk about... the
house is in Berlin and our first impression of the neighborhood was not so hot. BUT,
as we drove down, the area seemed to get a bit nicer. There's another new house next to ours with a
nice family living in it who says that they like the neighborhood a lot. We're not
convinced but willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
We get in and the first thing I notice is that it's pretty damn tiny but that's
ok because we're only 2. It has 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a decent-sized kitchen
and a living room. Excitement is starting to set in and I'm planning color schemes in my head while
Dan's mentally arranging the furniture. I ask about a million and a half questions
but leave pretty well pleased with everything. The real estate agent says that the house is a great deal
-- the best we're going to get in our price range -- and we should snap it up. We're tending to agree but at the same
time, we want to check out our other options first and not rush into it. It's a little on the high
side of our price range and it doesn't have a washer, dryer, or refrigerator so we'd have to buy
all of those as well.
THEN we find out the crummiest part. It has electric heat.
Of course, we being the amateurs that we are, had no idea that this was a problem until both of our parents and my grandmother
assured us that we'd be paying about double what we pay now on our electric bill. This is not so cool.
Our bubble is officially burst. BUT there's an inkling of hope that the seller
will CONSIDER converting it to gas or oil in exchange for a price increase. Not likely but who knows.
Anyway, we're going to look at a few more properties this weekend so I'll keep you
posted. Any good painters out there -- be ready because I'm gonna be goin deco-crazy!!
December 16th, 2004
Hey, gimme a break... it's been a busy month.
Finals are almost over. I have one test and 2 papers left to write (both of
which I'm putting off until the last minute). I was a good girl, though... spent most of last weekend writing
papers for my other classes.
Our little vacation was great. This is especially good because we practically
haven't seen each other since then. Dan's been working like crazy to get his store
in shape and my hours just suck in general.
Speaking of which... yes, I did go back to CVS. Strangely enough, I was really
starting to miss working there. I was starting to forget some of the things I'd learned and
I was just missing the whole fast-paced thing in general. Besides that, I knew that I wouldn't
be able to get enough hours at the office during break because they don't need me Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.
I can't just stop working or I'll die when I have to start school again and have to re-adjust to my usual
crazy hours. Anyway, I figured it would work out great because I could just pick up some hours
there when I had breaks and in the meantime I could just work every other weekend or something just so I
could get my pharmacy-fix in. Plus there's the money...
So yesterday, I'm on my way to work and as I'm just cruisin' down 70 I notice that
there is a car just spinning around in the intersection ahead. My first thought is "Is that car spinning
around?" followed by "I don't think it's supposed to do that..." and finally "Oh shit! It's an accident!"
At this point I come to the realization that this is one of those moments where people decide: am I
a decent human being? Will I stop and help? Or am I an asshole? It's a weird kind of realization to have.
Usually those kind of moments go by unnoticed, you know?
Anyway, it occurred to me, then, that I didn't have a cell phone so it's not like
I could have called the police or anything. BUT I did learn CPR in 10th grade which means there's a
CHANCE I could do SOMETHING. So, I stopped. I didn't see anyone else stop so I figured I could at least check
her out and maybe go find a phone if I had to. Then about 4 other people stopped at
the same time as me, which was kind of cool to see. Plus, 2 of them had phones so we were able to get
help. Of course the other like 50 people who actually witnessed the accident just kept driving,
(in fact everyone who stopped hadn't actually seen the impact so we were all worthless witnesses) but hey -- what can you
do?
Anyway, the car that had been spinning landed in a ditch across the street from
me. The other car (which had run a stop sign and hit it) drove like 1/4 mile away and stopped there. Everyone
got out and looked ok. That car didn't really have as much damage either, so
I went to check out the lady in the ditch. I remember as I walked over there I was scared shitless
thinking that if she really did need CPR or medical attention I wasn't sure if I'd know what to do.
God forbid I screw up! Luckily she was fine. Pretty upset but uninjured and not in shock or anything
like that. Hey, seatbelts save lives!! Turned out she works at the police department
and her buddies were coming to help her out (that other driver's screwed!)
So, in the end, everything worked out fine and I went to work. I didn't actually
DO anything except help her out of her car and ask if she was ok. Then we all just stood
around for a little while and said the usual kinds of things you say in a situation like that: "Good thing
you were wearing a seatbelt," etc. But it was an interesting experience nonetheless.
And hey -- don't forget your seatbelt!
November 21st, 2004
Tomorrow is our 3 year anniversary! Wow! I remember when 3 years seemed
like forever. (It was about 3 years ago.) I don't know why, but this seems like such a big one to me.
Anyway, speaking of which, it seems like some pretty big things are happening!
It's been a pretty busy week so I haven't really been able to tell anyone so before you get mad (like you
did if you found out 3rd person that we pushed the wedding date back... I SWEAR I thought I told you!) keep
in mind that you're not the only one who "was the last to know."
Ok so this week's been pretty interesting... managed to come down with pneumonia
and have felt pretty much asleep through most of it but it seems to be getting a little better now which
is good because vacation starts in 19 1/2 hours. On Wednesday, I got home from school and got a very
mysterious message on the machine from Dan telling me to call him at work. He sounded a little
upset and I'm thinking "great. He's working overnight." Pretty much, it's not unusual
for him to be upset at work because something ALWAYS goes wrong.
Anyway, as it turns out, it was actually good news because he just got PROMOTED!
He's been an assistant manager for 6 months and next week he will be the manager of his own store in
Pennsauken. Yes, I know, Pennsauken is kind of reminiscent of the yellow slime that sits on top of bacon grease if you
leave it out too long -- too close to sludge (Camden) for comfort. BUT the store itself is actually really nice
(despite the questionable demographic). It's not too big and not too small, and it's
not a total mess like you might expect it to be. In fact, it's rather neat and well-stocked and with
"great potential." The employees are actually pretty good and work pretty hard (I
guess they're not quite so spoiled as they are in Medford) and he's got a full staff including his own assistant AND
no overnights. Plus it comes with a $6,000/year raise which isn't too shabby.
But wait! There's more! Dan got a call from the HR manager
for the district who TOLD HIM (CVS doesn't tell anybody anything, so this is a big deal) that they were looking
at him to be a trainer! This is another big promotion -- generally store managers
who become trainers are always conveniently next in line for a district management position. This is
incredible for someone who's only 22. I'm so proud. :-)
Anyway, so now that he's got the promotion he's been waiting for, we're going to
take a look at our financial situation after the holidays and then go see a real-estate agent!!
We're thinking about buying a condo or townhouse... probably staying somewhere in this area (for now at least).
It's a big decision... I wouldn't mind getting something a wee bit north of here in case we decide to stay
there while I'm in medical school. (I REALLY loathe the idea of commuting an hour or more throughout medical school
especially since I want to have the campus accessable to me for homework, meetings with professors, studying, library, etc.)
But that's not for another year and a half so we'll see what happens. Haven't even gotten in yet.
So tomorrow we leave for our vacation which I'm TOTALLY psyched
about... our room has a hot tub in it!!!! It's going to be one big week of celebration. :-)
We've got lots to celebrate. Things are finally beginning to really look up.
((fingers crossed))
Hope everyone has a fantabulous Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 11th
Today was my first day running the front desk almost entirely by myself. I
think I lost my grip on reality sometime around... oh... 10:15am. I know this because I don't remember
anything that happened between then and about 1:45....
But the good news is that the whole experience of being thrown into 10 ft. of water
(knowing nothing more than a doggie-paddle) has enabled me to develop a fantastic list of people-pet peeves
that I guarantee you will totally understand if you work with patients (or even people of any kind since
I've heard they're still crazy even AFTER they leave the office).
It helps to begin with an example of a typical phone call. As you read this,
imagine about 3 other lines ringing off the hook, a desk full of charts that need to go up and 3 patients waiting in line
staring at you. You answer the phone praying that it's just something quick (like one of Louise's kids calling again)...
ME: (answering phone) Dayton Family
Practice, can I help you?
PATIENT: Hi.
ME: Hi.
(long pause)
Caann I.... help you?
PATIENT: I hope so.
(long pause)
ME: (Because I can't just say WHAT THE $%@# DO
YOU WANT?!) Ooook... what can I help you with?
PATIENT: My name's Bob. I'd like to make an appointment
for my son.
ME: What's your son's name?
PATIENT: Timmy.
Do I need to go further?
HERE'S THE LIST:
1) Every patient who calls assumes you know them purely by the sound of their voice
over the phone.
2) The ones you DO know by the sound of their voice over the phone are hypochondriacs
and drug addicts.
3) Coworkers that are way too happy to allow you to do their job for them (even when you don't
really know how yet) while they make personal calls ALL DAY LONG.
4) When asked what they need to be seen for, patients tell you about 15 things that
are completely unrelated like, "Well, my hair hurts, I'm congested, I think I pulled a muscle in my left leg, and
there's this mysterious growth on my left shoulder that my mother's hairdresser's brother-in-law seems to think might be a
reaction to this medication that I borrowed from my neighbor because HIS doctor said he had a tapeworm and I think I might
too because I've been really hungry lately and (can you believe it?) I haven't gained A POUND."
5) Self-diagnosis:
PATIENT: I think I have PTSD.
ME: Is this in response to something that happened recently?
PATIENT: Well I had unprotected sex last night and now
it burns when I pee.
(For those of you that don't get it, PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and
is thus probably not sexually transmitted... Although, one can never tell.)
Well the tiredness is kicking in now and I'm beginning to forget to be annoyed
so you'll have to stay tuned later for more...
But just as a disclaimer... I love my job. Really, I do. And I absolutely
love working with the patients because people really are fascinating and with a little bit
of understanding, you can really learn a lot (even from the dumb ones). But damn... sometimes....
Monday, November 1st
So I had a dream last night that I had to walk to and from school.
Yes, this is the same school that is an hour away by car. Anyway, as I'm walking in the dream, I'm
being totally weighed down by my books and like a million things that I'm carrying and as
I think to myself that I can't bear to take another step, I realize "hey! at least I'm losing
weight..." Then this morning, I wake up and before my shower I decide to weigh myself. Lo and behold
I've lost 3 pounds since the last time I checked! Weird, huh?
Now, granted, this loss of three pounds means little, as when the effects of my
recent Kit-Kat bar addiction set in, all 3 will return (with friends). Regardless, I should have at
least one day of feeling nice and skinny.
As I'm writing this down, I'm thinking about the dream, and I'm remembering all
these other things -- like when I'm totally boggled down with all the junk I'm carrying, my friends
appear and begin to take some of the things away from me and help me carry them. And the weird
thing is that they're not necessarily the people I know now, but all the friends I had in high school --
some of whom I don't even really talk to anymore. Bizarre. I'm sure someone could say it all
has some "deep meaning" but it could also just mean that I'm weird.
Anyway, that's about all I had to say.
October 31st, 2004
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I'm excited that it's Halloween..
but mostly because it means that tomorrow it's NOVEMBER! Can you believe it? Because I can't.
It seems like fall is just flying by this year. Plus I'm more than halfway through the semester
and still looking at straight A's. Yeah, who'd've thought I'd turn into one of those little overacheivers
that does her homework BEFORE it's due? Even more surprising is the fact that all signs still point towards
me being GOOD in MATH... something which I've never experienced outside of Yanno's class.
College sure is full of surprises.
So I know it's been like eons since I've been on here and I have to say that even
today I really didn't feel like posting anything. It seems like there really isn't
much to say. I've finally reached a place where my life is pretty routine -- between
work and school all the time it's pretty stagnant. Not that I mind a little routine...
it just doesn't make for interesting writing. Goodness knows the last thing I want is for you to read
this and be like, "You know, her life's pretty boring. Why do I bother?" because then you wouldn't
come back and I'd be lonely! Ok... perhaps I exaggerate.
Here's what we'll do: I'll give you a mission. Yes, a mission.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help me think of something to do for my dad for his 50th birthday.
His birthday is on November 29th (coming up!) and he is not only very hard to shop for,
but also not exactly social enough to want a party of any kind. He likes motorcycles, art
(he does graphic design), and history (particularly WWII). He also has a thing for some particular
year of Corvette but I can't ever remember which (but my mom probably knows). Anyway... anything you
can think of would be much appreciated. This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.
October 20th, 2004
You know that rule that everyone learns freshman year of college? If the professor
is 15 minutes late, you can leave... and of course this time varies with the amount of education the professor
receives i.e. wait 20 mins for a doctor, 15 for non-doctor. Yeah, it sounds like bullshit but most
college students will swear up and down that it's totally true. Some "loophole" or something.
Well, in case you were wondering what the real deal is.... guess what I learned today!!
Dear Class,
I was pulling into the parking lot, having been delayed in serous traffic, when
I saw students leaving the building. I apologize for the delay, HOWEVER there is NO WRITTEN RULE that you are allowed
to leave class if I am late, especially when you all knew that this was an assignment day. I checked this in person,
with both the department secretary, Lynn Barbato and the department chairperson, Dr. Corison. It is a common misconception
among students that you are allowed to leave if a professor or insructor is late however, the correct procedure is to check
with the department secretary to see if that professor or insructor has called in or to ask the secretary to contact the professor
or instructor. Our department secretary is in before 8AM (AS I USUALLY AM) and is located ONLY ONE FLOOR UP -- in the
office listed on your syllabus. Before deciding to leave, someone shold have gone up one flight of stairs to check.
Group
3 will speak on Monday. IF there is time, I will TRY to accomodate those epakers who left the class without checking with
the department secretary first -- but I make no guarantees.
Contact me individually and immediately upon receipt of
this message.
Ms. *
Now, in our defense... we're not totally stupid. One would think that by senior
year we would have an idea of what the "correct procedure" was. We saw a girl in the hallway who told us that she worked
for the dept. secretary and that one of the professors called out -- a woman, but she forgot the
woman's name. Well, our professor is usually 15 mins early and was now 15 mins late
so my response was, "good enough for me."
Besides, we're the ones who are paying them. WE'RE expected to be on time
every day -- lateness could result in a grade penalty. I think it's only fair that we expect
the same in return. If we'd known she was running late (if she'd called the secretary
and had her come tell us -- as many professors do) we all would have waited. DUH I don't think people want to fail their
speeches (although mine was yesterday so I'm home free). A little common courtesy. That's all
I ask.
(Note also: the above e-mail was written by a professor in the communications
department and yet she clearly hasn't quite grasped the concept of a complete sentence. I'm perfectly
aware that my grammar in here leaves something to be desired, but I ain't no teacher neither.)
October 13th, 2004
Ok, bad news everyone. Looks like the wedding is going to be postponed.
((Gasp!)) Not to worry -- we haven't broken up but we decided that it would be best to hold
off on the wedding until after I REALLY graduate, which now won't be until December of 2006. ((Gasp
again)) Yes, I know. It's going to take me forever to graduate, but this is the price you pay when you decide
to go pre-med in your senior year. So now I'll be attending medical school
in the fall of 2007, leaving plenty of time for a fabulous May wedding in '07. Guess
I'll just have to accept the fact that I'm doomed to be one of those losers who's engaged for FOUR YEARS.
Can you believe it? Talk about your commitment-phobia. Why bother to get engaged if you can't get married for
4 years?! Just get it over with, already! Trust me, I hear you. Dan even
offered to take the ring back and re-propose in 3 years or so, but I decided to pass on
that one. I'd rather be a loser. Sorry.
Ah so I started a NEW job on Tuesday! I was a little nervous
going in... it's strange to go from knowing everything at your job to being the least-knowledgable
person there. I was a little nostalgic for my CVS comfort zone (we've already established
that I'm a loser, remember?), but other than that, everything was fantastic.
I managed to pick up everything quickly enough and I just know I'm gonna learn a ton.
Everyone I'm working with seems to be really great and the day went by REALLY fast. Honestly,
it was the least stressful day I'd had since last week -- everything moved by at a nice,
steady pace. Not fast at all by Mt. Laurel standards, but not so slow it was boring, either. There's
always plenty of work to do so I'm never just spacing out, but instead of running around like a headless
chicken, I actually got a high-backed swivelly chair with wheels! Oh boy did I have fun with that.
Talk about luxury! Anyway, overall everything seems good. I think I could get
very used to working there. As first days go, it may have been my best yet.
Stay tuned. :-)
October 7th, 2004
Today's DAN'S BIRTHDAY! Basically, this means that I have plenty of time to
catch up on my computer time while he plays with the new XBox and GameCube that I got him. Yeah, there
goes my idea for a Christmas present too but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Turns out I did get 100% on my math test -- I've discovered my inner mathematician.
In reality, I just happen to be engaged to my own personal tutor. Anyway, it's good to have something
like that to keep me going because now that I've decided once and for all that I'm going to medical school,
I'm learning that the next 8 years are going to be absolute hell.
I met with my new pre-med advisor, Dr. Brooks, who told me that I should be able
to graduate with a pre-med concentration as early as Fall of 2006. This would be fantastic,
as it would get me into medical school a lot sooner than I had anticipated. However, it would also
mean that I would be taking the MCATs in April of 2006 (and taking a course to prepare for them that would
cost about $1500). Anyway, April, 2006 is a pretty busy time, in case you hadn't noticed, as my wedding
is planned for MAY 2006. I would also be taking fun courses like Organic Chemistry that semester,
the finals of which would be the week of my wedding.
I don't know what to do. I was thinking about pushing the date of the wedding back to June
or July so I wouldn't be preparing to get married and studying for the 2nd biggest test of my life
at the same time. But Dan doesn't want to do that. He says that maybe I can get my finals
moved up or something and he'll help me out with the wedding so I don't have to worry about it as
much. Unfortunately, however, I'm having a difficult time believing that he'll be able to handle as
much as he seems to think he can. I really just don't think it's a good idea to do it all at once. I've thought
about taking the semester off, but I also don't think it's a good idea to take off just when the medical
schools will be watching. Any advice in this would be REALLY welcome.
I'm also having a difficult time scheduling my classes because I have to try and
fit them all into 2 days so I can work, and it doesn't seem to be working out all too well because most of
the classes I need are on opposite days (or have labs that fill up another day). Ugh.
Guess that's about it for today. Sorry for the general lack of merriment...
Why couldn't I pick an easier career like mowing lawns?
October 1st, 2004:
Things That Sucked About This Week:
- Basement flooded
- Missed one class (because basement flooded)
- Nearly lost limb due to close encounter with poisonous spider.
- Nightmares due to close encounter with poisonous spider.
- Rained all friggin week.
- Paid bills
- Our phone's broken.
Things Accomplished This Week:
- OK, dammit... I'm going to medical school
- 100% on my math test?! Could it be true? Stay tuned next week and we'll see...
- Discovered source of mysterious basement odor. (yes... it all goes back to the flooding...)
- Dan cooked dinner! (and it was fantastic!)
- Worked out the best birthday-present surprise ever.
September 26th, 2004:
Okay, I have to say that instead of updating this, I really should be reading for philosophy
as I'm terribly behind... however, I realize that if you're reading this, you're probably one of those people I haven't had
a chance to talk to in... well... too long so just pretend we're talking now. :-) But only about
me. ;-)
Well, I got a new job. I'm going to start working at my uncle's office in
a couple of weeks. I'm a little nervous starting something new but it should be a good experience.
Plus, it makes more than CVS and I'll probably be working more hours since they don't have Lynn to bitch
at them if they go over. Of course this means that it will be even longer before I get a chance to
come up for air, but hey... I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy working there so let's make the best of it.
I just don't know what to wear. Plus, I made the mistake of saying I could start on Dan's birthday
(not realizing the date when I said it) and now have to go back on what I said making me look like an unreliable fool..
for the second year in a row.
I got a phone call the other day from the National Guard. About two months
ago I had requested information regarding the program where they help to pay for school because I was hoping I could find
a way to cover medical school. They finally called back, gave me some basic information over the phone,
and set up an appointment to come in and talk to them this Sunday (Oct. 3rd). I'm more than a little
nervous about that because I'm afraid I'll get scammed into having to make up my mind about
something so important before I have all the information. Even more nerve-wracking is... well... hello! I'm a
girl -- I don't do that whole "combat" thing too well. I evidently would not be expected to go into
combat while I'm in school, but that's only for 4 years and the contract is for 8.
It's not like I want to scam our government into paying for my education while I don't really want to provide
anything in return but come on -- don't they have like a pharmacy I could work in or something like
that? Preferably an AMERICAN pharmacy that doesn't get BOMBED on a regular basis?
I can do that.
Anyway, that's about it for now... I've only got an hour before
I have to go to work and that philosophy won't read itself. Or will it...?
September 20th, 2004:
Ok, funny story:
My PreCalc class was canceled for today so I had a nice long break. For all
of the wonderful things that come along with my nice long break, however, I also had to deal with the unfortunate problem
of losing my good parking space (you know, the one I get for being one of the only people crazy enough to
be half an hour early for my 8am class on a Monday morning). I realized this would be a problem, so
I was not surprised to see the parking lot in utter chaos when I returned to school at 4:30. However,
as my class began at 4:45 (I was running late due to our union friends "making New Jersey
beautiful" all over 295) I was in no mood to play games when it came to landing a parking
spot. And for those of you who don't know, I take my parking spots at Rowan very seriously -- something
that has come from having to walk about a mile in 10 degree temperatures (in the dark! and uphill both
ways!) last semester. Anyway, I'm cruising around, looking for a spot, and as I turn into an aisle, I see a car nearly
at the end of the aisle backing up towards me. I'm wondering what the hell is going on, thinking
bad things about all the people who can't manage to understand basic driving rules in a parking
lot and will only end up delaying me -- a person who is more than willing to obey such rules, but will also
be late for class in a few minutes. Then, I see the reason for the careless driving: another student
walking to her car in this aisle (ie - a spot is opening up for those of you not too quick
on the uptake). And, sure enough, the intended car is smack dab in front of me. Well, ahem, but
I'm sure as hell not going to let this backward-driving lunatic think she can just do whatever she
wants and take a spot that just landed in my lap (a lap that was obeying the "laws of the parking
lot" and thus deserving of such good fortune.) So, flick! on goes the turn signal. I
see some gestures through the window of the other car, still in reverse, and clearly expecting me
to move. Well, once again, if you've heard anything about my previous experiences in Rowan's parking lot, you'll
know that I would do no such thing. The girl then puts the car in park and proceeds to step
out so she could speak with me. "Well," I'm thinking, "at least she's got guts." Here's our (brief)
conversation:
Girl: What are you doing?
Me: Parking.
Girl: Didn't you see I was backing up?
Me: Yeah. I thought you were just stupid.
At this, the girl decides the conversation is over, and gets back in the car, puts it back in reverse
and begins to back up, assumedly to just back right into me. Well I've been in this position before
and had no intention of moving. I've got Frank Sinatra playing and the class I'm going
to is three hours long... so I've also got all the time in the world. Finally, the
student who was leaving had to ask reverse-girl to move as she was actually blocking the very spot
she so adamantly wanted to take. Moral of the story: I win.
Oh... but it's not over yet, is it? Because that just wouldn't be interesting enough. I
park my car and am silently gloating at having stood up for my rights to park. While walking to class
I'm mulling the whole situation over in my head and I think, "Hmm... she looked a little familiar.
Wonder where I've seen her." Not coming up with anything, though, I put the thought out of my head and concentrate on
walking to class very fast in heels.
I get to class just as it's starting, sit down and begin to get out my notes when I hear someone else
come in. I'm thinking "at least I'm not the last one here," and look up to see the very girl
I was fighting with not 15 minutes earlier. Looking very out of breath, she gives me one of those looks that
wilts plants on the cartoons and takes her seat. I'm trying to keep my cool thinking
"hey, it's not my fault she can't drive," but deep down I know that really I'm just a bitch and it was just
a parking spot and now we both know it. Oh well. I think I can survive the semester as long as
she doesn't beat me up. It's a small class and I'm imagining that at some point I'll have to talk to
her and we'll hash it all out and come down to the basic point that the parking situation at Rowan
sucks and most students would probably give their firstborn for a good spot and it's nothing personal.
Then we'll hug and be all chummy and friendly and hang out on weekends. At least... that's how it works
on tv. But hey, come on... it's a pretty good stinkin' story after all. I mean, how often does
THAT happen?
Lesson learned: hold back on the road rage because you never know when it will
come back to bite you. I just hope that doesn't hold true for the guy I flipped off on my way home tonight... ;-)
September 17th, 2004
Ok so it's been a while. But I have an excuse. My life is boring.
See? There ya go.
Since the last time... let's see... well the next day I got the worst headache
known to man. I almost had to drive myself to the emergency room by the time it was all over. My main mistake
was going to work even though I was in immense pain. Of course, the stress of being in the Inner
Circle of Hell only made it like 10 times worse. I came home, called the doctor hoping he'd
drop everything and call me in a script for... I dunno... morphine or something (we're forgetting for the
moment that that would be illegal because I don't care) and then laid in bed sobbing for about 3 hours.
The doctor finally called me back telling me to "take more Motrin" to which I responded with further sobbing.
He told me that if it didn't get better to go to the ER. Oh yeah... because the hospital is JUST the
place to go if you want to feel BETTER. Anyway, despite my rancor at getting "the brush-off"
from the doctor, the Motrin actually worked well enough to allow me to sleep. The headache was gone
in a couple of days, after probably a few thousand milligrams of Motrin and Tylenol PM.
After that, life continued as normal. School is beginning to get a little
better, just need to learn a trick of getting up early enough to beat my grandmother to the shower.
I have a nice long break this week since babysitting doesn't start till October, and yesterday
(Thursday) I didn't have to work since it was Dan's Dad's birthday. Plus it's my weekend
off! Go me. Plenty of time to learn me some pre-calculus.
Anyway, today is my day to catch up on all the things I've been needing to do like
laundry and various errands, so I'm off to do that. Hope everyone is still doing fabulous.
'Till next time...!
September 8th, 2004
Traffic in, traffic out...
This was the worst day of my life. No really. It's MUCH worse than the
last time I said that. Much worse than the day after I got my tonsils out, even. No ice cream today. Not
even a stinking CUP OF COFFEE!!!!!!!! Sigh... ugh... ok....
I was running a little late this morning. A little groggier than usual for
some reason, which is strange because I got up before the alarm. Maybe that's it... maybe I need that
morning jolt where the alarm goes off and I jump horizontally 3 feet in the air. Anyway, I'm running
a little late, but JUST a little and I'm thinking that overall, I should make it to class on time.
No biggie. Maybe walk a little faster. Maybe will have to wait until AFTER class for my coffee
(which I need so badly). So I get in the car and the Morning Show this morning sucked which is never
a good way to start the morning. But, hey, I'm optimistic. ...Until I get on 295. Today
was one of those days where traffic was backed up for NO REASON. No. No reason at all.
It was backed up from Rte. 70 all the way to 42 bumper-to-bumper. No mention of it
on the traffic report (as usual, they always leave out the traffic jams I'M IN)
Anyway, needless to say, I'm 1/2 an hour late for class (oh, and duh, it's raining)
and I get the LAST spot in the parking lot (super DUPER far away). I think to myself, "umbrella
or no umbrella?" and I decide, "hmm... looks like it's clearing up and do I really want to carry around a damp umbrella
all day?" so I decide "no." Lovely. And, of course, as soon as I get far enough away from
my car that it becomes senseless to turn back, the downpour begins.
Now I'm a little stressed because this is the class I missed last week
due to that whole typo-fiasco and I'm imagining myself the way the professor will: a total slacker
who comes to school only on even-numbered days and is often either too high or too drunk
to contribute anything of value. I get to class and, yeah, that's pretty much the gist of the look she gave me...
Right after she casually reminded me of what time class began. You know, in case I was too high to
know exactly HOW late it was, or WHERE I was for that matter. (At least I was on the right floor this
time!)
UGH! So class ends and I have to run to the bookstore for ONE thing and realize
that I left my bucket for ceramics in my car. Well, I think, I am NOT going all the
way back to my car for the stupid bucket... and then I realize that I left my money in the car too!
Ok, no biggie... will stop at the MAC in the Student Center. Will take out $20 and have enough leftover to buy the biggest
coffee ever conceived by man. Ok... brightening up. I get to the Student Center and I see a piece of
white paper taped carelessly to the MAC machine. "Oh no," I'm thinking, "That had BETTER not say 'out
of order.'" But indeed it does, as this is the worst day of my life. So, instead of spending
my only break of the day lounging about with a nice warm coffee and my philosophy reading, I spend it trudging through
the rain about a mile BACK to my car. When I finally get back to the Student Center, I have enough time to
drink about 1/4 cup of coffee (small coffee... no time for a large) before my next class... end up having
to throw away the last of a perfectly good vanilla-flavored stimulant before plunging into the rest of my
day.
The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. Realized around 3:30 that it was "that
time of the month" today and I had totally forgotten and was thus totally unprepared. Got
nauseous around 4 from not having any time to eat, got my second wind around 6. By 7:15 when my classes are over, I'm
ready to feel better. The crappiness is over, it's time to put in some mellow music for the
ride home. Dan comes home at 10:30, about 2 hours after me, which gives me time to mellow out a little bit, and then
I can totally dish on him and he can pity me and I'll feel better. :-)
Then... haha... I get on 295 again. This time it's backed up the other way
-- my direction again! Of course, as is often the case on 295, the culprit is construction (why are
they doing construction at NIGHT?!) and I'm contemplating the senselessness of traffic and nighttime construction.
I mean, honestly, there's no "thinking" your way out of traffic. You figure "right lane ends ahead,"
means you should move left but no, everyone ELSE is moving left too. No matter what lane you are in at any given time,
you have about a 10% chance of getting anywhere. And if you ever switch lanes, you'll
notice that the lane you WERE in, is now the only lane that is moving; that it is, in fact, defying natural law and going
about 3 times as fast as it was moving about 5 seconds ago when you were there.
Furthermore, let's see why we hate driving at night:
1) It's dark
2) Assholes don't turn off their highbeams when you're coming
Now, here we have construction at night. It's dark. So, as a solution
to this problem, our lovely union friends have decided to bathe the highway in stadium-esque lights positioned
in exactly such a way as to completely blind every motorist on the road. As you can see, we are now
all faced with the dilemma of it being simultaneously dark and bright as hell, making us see purple spots
where cars should be. Accident waiting to happen.
But, I digress. Finally, I walk in the door eager for a sandwich,
and eager to call Dan and complain about my day. Turns out the mayonnaise has spoiled (I'd never seen
spoiled mayonnaise...). There goes the sandwich. I call Dan and instead of being consoled, I get to listen
to him complain about his schedule and to wrap it all up, he tells me he probably won't come home tonight
after all, but work an overnight instead.
So, here I am: It's 9:19pm and I haven't yet had anyone to whine to
so I wrote this impossibly long journal entry that probably no one will read. Probably no one will
finish anyway. And, once I close my computer I'll think of about 100 other comically-sucky things that
went wrong today that I should have whined about but didn't so now I'll just have to deal with them myself.
I think what I will do now (and especially if Dan doesn't come home) is drive to Mom's liquor store and buy alcohol
so I can get seriously drunk and forget today existed. Hope all is well with all of you... Happy Wednesday.
September 6th, 2004
Hmm... not much going on right now. Just figured I should update since it
has been a while. I'm watching The Wedding Singer on TBS now (even though I have it on DVD.)
Ever notice that? You'll have a movie on DVD/VHS and never really be in the mood to watch it, but as
soon as it comes on tv (where it's butchered to crap) you're saying "I love this movie!"
Ok.. maybe it's just me.
Gotta go into work early tomorrow. Ok, so I don't HAVE to, but Sandy asked
me so nicely and I can't say no to anyone. I'm almost looking forward to going back
to class (change of pace) but I keep thinking I'm going to forget something. I have this whole list
of stuff I need to buy for Ceramics (like a 1-2 gallon bucket, wooden spoons...) and I just know I'm going to forget the most
important thing.
Hey here's a good tip: if you're going away on vacation for
a week or so, put some ice cubes in a plastic bag in your freezer. When you get home, if the ice cubes
have morphed into a frozen blob, you know that the power went out while you were away and all your
food is spoiled. Yup, bet you didn't think of that. Now you can safely avoid salmonella,
complements of TBS. Dan says you could just check to see if all the clocks are blinking... smart-ass.
Anyway, I'm sorry but I really have nothing to say. :-) Stay
tuned -- I'm bound to have stories on Wednesday when I get back from class. My philosophy
prof will be interesting if nothing else. Plus, if I get my way, we'll go out to Olive Garden for dinner.
Oh yeah...haha... my grandmother saw my certificate from when I got my PSA certification
in December (it had been hanging up in my old store still so Dan brought it home so I could take it to my
new store) and got me a gift certificate to Olive Garden so I could "celebrate" my new achievement.
Oh I feel like a jerk because I didn't work hard for it at ALL (plus I got it like 10 months
ago). Ah well...
Guess that's it. Back to Adam Sandler.
September 1st, 2004
Back in the saddle again....
Well, ok, so it could've been worse for a first day. I've dreamt of worse.
Like last week. Anyway, I couldn't sleep at all last night. I gave up around 5:30am and watched
the news for half an hour. Kept getting this feeling like I was going to forget something or screw something up somehow.
Perhaps it was a minor premonition....
The good news is that I actually remembered ALL of the things I was supposed to
do today. AND I actually did them too. Good for me... now onto the parts where I screwed
up:
I made up a little schedule to bring with me -- just saying when and where all my
classes were. You know, so I wouldn't wander around aimlessly all day. Anyway, the schedule
told me I had Public Speaking at 8am (oh the horror, I know) in Hawthorne 310. I showed
up there dutifully and went through nearly the entire class before the prof told me I wasn't on her
attendance list. I'm directing mental curses to the registrar, wondering what documented proof I
have of their obvious screw-up. Now, of course, I can't focus on the rest of the class because I'm stressing
over my schedule which was, I must say, organized very meticulously and cannot be changed in any way without disrupting
my life in a most unpleasant manner. Furthermore, I'm stressing because I have only a 1 hour break
before the rest of my classes (all in a row) and I was planning on spending the majority of that time in line
at the book store maxing out my credit card (we'll get to THAT in a moment.)
Fortunately, however, the registrar didn't take too long. Turns out there
is ANOTHER Public Speaking class at the SAME time one floor below -- Hawthorne 210. Either I made a
typo or they did... doesn't really matter because at least I'm registered and can explain the obvious innocent
blunder to the new professor whom I hope I will like better than the one in 310. Still,
I'm feeling rather dumbfounded and quite like a freshman.
The bookstore, luckily, was also short and sweet. I did, indeed, max out my credit
card without even buying everything I needed as books turned out to be more expensive than I'd thought. Slight
bummer. Need money by Wednesday as the one book I chose not to buy was the one I now have homework
in. Go me. (Donations accepted)
Oh geez there's so much more I could say about the rest, but I'm rambling so I'll
sum up.
Philosophy: forgot I had this class until I got to the bookstore.
Heard on the radio this morning a litany of horror stories from philosophy classes. Laughed then.
Not feeling to giddy now. Anyway, Professor walks in, I look up, and he's a hippie. Dude, he
gives a new definition to "hippie." I know, yeah, he's a philosophy prof, what can you expect?
But I swear to God, this guy is the most strung out WEIRDO I've ever SEEN. But, hey, he's easy-going
and lets us play kick-ball. Should prove to be interesting, to say the least. Stay tuned.
Ceramics: Not much to say here. Should prove to be a much-needed
release. We get to use the wheel (like in Ghost?!) at the end of the semester.
Ooh mommy. Anyway, the guy only gives A's and B's so I figure I'm ok.
College Algebra: Evidently this class was misnamed
-- actually is "PreCalculus," the class I was "working myself up to" with this POS class... Prof says I shouldn't
take it but move on to PreCalc but that makes my tummy hurt so maybe we'll ignore her just this once.
Psych: Duh. It's psych. I'm a psych MAJOR. Need I
say more? (Tee hee... already planned out my (15 pg minimum) research paper topic....ask me sometime.
It'll blow your mind. Ok...maybe not.)
Ok phew! That's it. Long day, long entry. Overall, nothing one wouldn't expect
from a first day at Rowan. Here's to another semester...
August 31st, 2004
Well the first day of school is almost here! (No backpack yet... wasn't even
SHIPPED! Bastards.) Do people still worry about what to wear on the first day of school?
Is this something I should be thinking about? Really, I'm thinking more about the whole having to get up at
6:30am thing... ugh. And I'm thinking about that stupid math test I have to take on Friday...
duh after 1 day of class!! It's evidently a "Math Readiness Test" that they give to anyone in an entry-level
math course, in order to determine if they've had the proper background to allow them to understand the material
in the course. Well, hello... if I remembered any of my math, I'd be movin' right on to Calc. instead
of taking "College Algebra." As it is, they're testing my knowledge of "Basic Algebra" and if
I do bad (ahem... poorly) on the test, they're going to "strongly suggest" that I drop the course.
Well, the thing is.... I haven't taken Algebra in SIX YEARS! I don't remember a single
one of those stinkin' formulas, how to apply them, etc. I can solve for x like nobody's business but that is the
limit of my algebraic capacity. I THOUGHT that was why I was TAKING the course called "College Algebra." If I
end up having to take some remedial class full of stupid people.... let's just say I won't be happy.
At least it'll help my GPA... can't afford to take a hit because of some stupid Algebra class. Also
can't look to hopeful for medical school if I fail my first Algebra test... Chin up,
though. Maybe they'll give us a cheat sheet. Yeah... they still do that in college...
Well, I've got to go to work now. Hoping it'll go by as quickly as my last
shift -- didn't realize what time it was until 15 mins before my shift ended! Now THAT'S a good feeling. Much
better than the "I still have FOUR hours?!" and then trying to convince myself that at least it's HALFWAY over....
August 28th, 2004
August is almost over which means school is almost here... Unfortunately, all of
the things that were supposed to have happened by September 1st haven't. I ordered
this really awesome bookbag on the internet (I discovered last semester that I simply can't carry
all those books around all the time if I don't want manly arms) and it's not supposed to get here until September
2nd. Boo. Especially since the 1st is the day I'd be getting all my books and would thus be the day I'd
have the most books to carry (since I usually take them home and leave them there) and thus the most pressing
need for a bookbag. I'm hoping it'll come early. Hey, it happens.
Also, when I sent in my bill for the semester, I included a check for my parking
permit, which was supposed to be mailed to me. The check cleared on the 10th but they didn't
bother to actually mail me the permit until like 2 days ago and it is not expected to arrive until after
school starts. I told them that that was just fine... I'll send them a bill for my parking
tickets and towing fees. I'm sure I could get out of the ticket if I explain my case to the Security Dept. but I don't
have time for that crap so if the Bursar's Ofc. would like to explain to security that they screwed up, that's
fine with me. I, of course, have it all in writing.
So I didn't get out of that crappy Friday shift... I don't have the balls to be
mean so I just told the girl she could work for me today. Turns out it was dumb because today's the grand opening
and I wouldn't have minded the shift after all, but oh well. My shift yesterday was rather interesting...
the overnight pharmacist was (I'll call him Tom for the sake of privacy... and so I don't get fired) and
for those who don't know the story about Mr. Tom.... ohhhh it's a juicy one. I've been instructed not
to tell anyone but I guess doing the exact opposite couldn't hurt. Tom is an overnight pharmacist
who just got off the boat from Calcutta (got his degree there, no doubt). He sometimes covers shifts
in various stores throughout the district and covered one night at my old store in Medford. During this night, around
2am, one of the front store clerks went to the bathroom, and was sitting in the stall when Tom walked in. They
evidently don't understand the concept of urinals in Calcutta, as Tom proceeded to pee in the
sink and all over the walls instead. YES... he PEED ON THE WALLS. A registered pharmacist peeing
on the wall like a hobo. Just goes to show how desperate CVS really is. Become
a pharmacist. You could be a convicted felon and you'll still make $100k a year. Trust me, they've
got one of those too.
Anyway, upon meeting this "Tom", I tackled the objective of staying at least 20ft. away
from him at all times. I figured that if he started peeing on things in the pharmacy, I'd be far enough away
to escape the onslaught unscathed. Now, peeing history aside, this guy is an absolute MORON.
I had to direct him on what to do and he still couldn't do anything. He just followed me around
like a puppy (making that 20ft rule quite the challenge). Seriously, I went out on the floor to help a customer and
he FOLLOWED me. I turned around and said, "Hey, shouldn't somebody be in the pharmacy?" and he told me he was afraid
to be there by himself because he didn't know what to do. What a winner. Tried to get me to stay
until 2am because he didn't know how to deal with the customers. Way to pick a job in retail, Smart Guy.
Anyway, it appears as though I rambled on long enough. Hope you had a nice
laugh at CVS's expense and I hope I don't get fired tomorrow for putting Tom's peeing history on the internet.
Have a good week all.
August 25th, 2004
Killing time before work. I'm really hoping I don't have to work on Friday.
This girl called out yesterday, saying that if someone would cover for her, she'd return the favor. Well, I work 4-11
on Friday and I was not really looking forward to it. Besides, I just happen to know that she wasn't really "taking
her grandmother to the hospital," and I don't want to have to pull out the threats -- especially since I've
never even met her.
So I was going to use this time before work to try out SimCity since it came today, but then I got
an instant message from someone I haven't talked to in... oh about 2 years. But then
of course, he didn't even SAY anything -- what's up with that? Seriously, what is the point of messaging
someone you barely know anymore just to say... "yo." Boys are stupid.
Speaking of which, mine shaved the other day. Yeah, duh, they do it all the
time, but I mean his WHOLE face. He's done it before and I've been on the fence as to whether or not
I like it, but now I've decided that I definitely do like it. Unfortunately, though, it's not
meant to last. He hates it and is attempting to grow it faster through the powers of his mind. Ok, maybe
not... but he looks in the mirror like every hour to see if it's grown back. Ok... maybe not that either. But
either way, it's gonna grow back. And there's nothing I can do about it. Unless....
Ok you know what? I'm a little bored now. I'm sick of my job... here's the thing:
BEFORE work, I hate my job with a passion. I DREAD going in every day. But when I get there,
the time flies so fast because I'm busy all the time. I don't hate it when I'm there (except
for the developing carpal tunnel) just when I'm not there. Guess I'd better get over it, though, because
I doubt I'm going anywhere. And I'll have to work in hell during school... not looking forward to that.
I was thinking that spending every ounce of free time at work wouldn't be so bad because I'd be working at a job that
I like. But now that's not going to happen so my optimism about the coming semester is rapidly
disintegrating.
I'm going to go play SimCity and be a zombie for an hour or so. Ciao.
August 23rd, 2004
I put my watch on upside-down again.
Ok here's what's going on since the last time. I went to the hospital on Friday
to talk about volunteering but no one was there. Bummer. I did happen to run into Palma, an old
lady who's been there since I volunteered years ago. She remembered me! We talked for a little while about what's
been happening in the past... geez... seven years and I noticed that the entire hospital has changed
immensely since I was there last. Still, though, I guess seven years doesn't erase memory quite so well as
I thought because I still knew my way around... more or less. I found myself remembering "Hey, same-day
surgery used to be on the second floor," and "There's the cafeteria where they served some meat concoction
over rice like EVERY day." It was an interesting experience. And yes, I'm referring to both the reminiscing and
the meat concoction. Anyway, I called the volunteer office again today -- you were right, Mom, Linda doesn't work there
anymore. :-( -- and spoke with the new director. Evidently I'm supposed to fill
out an application and then I'll be called in for an interview, where we can discuss the opportunities
available to me through volunteering. Exciting stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed for shadowing a doctor.
Wondering if they still make senior volunteers wear Pepto-Bismol-pink jackets.
I went to the beach yesterday with Sonia. The weather was perfect. Not
quite perfect enough to give me any sort of tan, evidently, but it certainly was a great day. The water
was a tad bit cold but once numbness sets in, it's all good.
Still no news about a job. Today's my first day working in the new store.
I haven't even seen it yet -- had some stupid notion of making it a "surprise." We'll see how that
turns out. Today's Monday so I'm expecting to walk in to the same inner circle of hell that it always
is on Monday. But NOW.... there's a drive-thru. Would you like to Biggie-size your Percocet?
August 16th, 2004
Hmm... what's new, what's new? Nothing much, really. Still looking for
a new job. My grandmother was supposed to talk to my uncle about it this weekend but since I've been working until 10pm
I haven't seen her since Thursday.
Geez other than that... I really don't lead the most fascinating of lives.
Went out with Sonia yesterday. That was nice. It prepared me for dealing with work which was
a good thing because it was a little awkward and possibly the most boring day of my life
(NO customers). Today will be busy at least and I only have to be there for 5 hours. I'm planning on running over
to Virtua Hospital before work to talk to Linda (Volunteer Office Secretary) about me volunteering
again. I'm planning on doing it on Saturdays during school. Should be interesting.
Well, that's it. Sorry if I bored you. :-)
August 12th
Had a day off of work today. It's not that it's been so terribly long since
I've had one (Monday) but it feels like I'd better enjoy it since I won't have another until... Tuesday. That's not
that long either, really. But, hey, it IS Mount Laurel. I need a new job. Still
looking... in case you were ever considering it as a source of a serious job, spare yourself the effort and
learn from my experience: Monster.com sucks. Every other career search website is progressively
sub-par from there. Ultimately, all it is is an excuse for weird crazy people to post false information
in order to get your personal information. If you ever do use it, do not put phone numbers, addresses,
or personal information of ANY kind (including references, I suspect... sorry guys!) on your resume as you
will most certainly be screwed if you do. I think 5 million telemarketers are having a field
day right about now. Yes, even now... at 9:21pm... because it NEVER STOPS!
Anyway, I've broken down and decided that the thing to do now is swallow my pride and
go begging at doctor's offices, hospitals, or really anywhere that needs help. I'm up for almost anything
as long as it pays better than CVS (you know, like Wawa, K-Mart, garbage pick-up) and gives me the chance
to get any sort of experience in the medical field. Hell, I've even
crossed over to Walgreen's (not that they're likely to pay any more, and if I have to go through another
crappy party-line training session I think I'd pass out.) I guess it all works out since they, like
every other remotely legitimate job opportunity, haven't called me back.
Still holding out for the possibility of working for my uncle... I haven't
heard from him or my aunt. My aunt is sick again so they are probably preoccupied.
It's better to think of that than to think that they just plain don't want me there. Honestly, though,
I have what I believe to be a very compulsive argument for why I'd be the most perfect employee.
Even Dan thinks so. Unfortunately, it's too long and I'm sick of typing so if you cared enough I could
tell you in person.
Back to that whole sick of typing thing... I'm really thinking lying in bed with
a good book sounds pretty good right now. Or a movie... Either way, Dan's at work all night which means
I won't be sleeping anyway so I'll have plenty of time to do whatever I want. Guess I'll go do it.
August 11th, 2004
Well we're back from Boston. The trip was pretty good --
wish it could have been longer. Not much to say other than that, though... check out the pictures if you want.
The dreaded day at Mount Laurel has arrived and it was everything I'd hoped
for and more. When I had talked to Lori (Rx scheduler) previously about my schedule, she informed me (much
to my chagrin) that there were no daytime hours available. So, consequently, I should just come in
Tuesday afternoon sometime -- she wouldn't put a set time on the schedule -- and we'd work out my schedule
for the rest of the week from there.
8:05 Tuesday morning: The phone rings. A little pissed off that someone's
calling about 30 seconds after I'd fallen asleep (I'd been tossing and turning all night) I answer it, only to find out it's
CVS! Evidently I'm 5 minutes late for my shift and she would like to know why. We'll
forget for a moment about the fact that she called my house when I was only FIVE minutes late and focus on
the part that really pissed me off at the time. I informed my friendly caller that I had been told to come in
in the afternoon. Unfortunately, though, this is not what Lori had told them. In fact, she told
them something quite the opposite, something that would have required me to be simultaneously in New Jersey and approximately
300 miles away in Boston. This discrepancy, of course, means nothing to the pharmacist who called as she's infinitely
more likely to take the word of someone she knows over someone who's already FIVE minutes late for work, God forbid.
So, realizing that this is a perfectly fantastic start to a day that I hadn't had
such high expectations for to begin with, I hustle my butt to work thinking that perhaps I'll put
in my 2 weeks on my first day after all.
I got there, and despite my morning hastle, everything seems pretty much ok.
I spent the day entering scripts and answering the phones, not bothering anyone and not being
bothered by anyone which was a little lonely but at least I wasn't getting bitched at... yet.
Lori came in a little before noon and the fun began. I was only there for another 10 minutes after
she came in but in those 10 minutes, I came frightfully close to either quitting or permanently disfiguring her face.
I've learned of Lori in the brief time I spent with her that she is one of those people who is JUST MEAN.
She has no desire to be polite or civil to anyone, but is perfectly content to treat someone she has NEVER
MET like they are her worst enemy. She walked into the pharmacy ready to hate me (not
that I was particularly disposed to her myself, in light of our little "misunderstanding.") I was not-too-politely informed
that since I was a lowly technician and not yet nationally certified, I was no longer qualified
to take new prescriptions over the phone. Yes, I have taken thousands (literally) of new prescriptions
before, but I am a slug and slugs don't know anything about writing prescriptions so if I would kindly leave
that to her, she would appreciate it. I hate her instantly.
Yadda yadda yadda, "hilarity" ensues, Lori looks at me a few more times like I have 3 horns
and... To make a long story short, I restrained myself from quitting that day, telling myself that it was
only one day and I can't make such hasty decisions. I'm determined to give it another shot
and see how it goes -- to go in today with an optimistic attitude and hope for the best. We'll see.
August 5th, 2004
Killing some time before we go out. Dan's at the Playstation again. So as it turns out,
last week wasn't my last week at work after all. Jerry left a message on my answering machine Sunday
night sounding... a little distraught for Jerry. I called back Monday morning (Jerry'd gone home by
the time I got the msg) and the pharmacy was completely swamped. Two people had called out indefinitely
due to family and car emergencies and there was no one to cover. Still, I couldn't go in because Dan was working that
day.
Then, Lynn (you know, that bitchy regional Rx manager...) tried to call the pharmacy and was waiting
on hold for over 20 minutes. Heaven forbid. All of the sudden, my working there didn't seem so
terrible after all. I had been planning on enjoying my time off, working on my scrapbook but
instead I dug my pharmacy out of the hole. I ended up going in on Tuesday and Wednesday too, but now
I'm definitely done (or so it seems.) I'm going to miss that job. I guess it
doesn't help that there hasn't been any new news about getting a NEW job and my future with Mt. Laurel is
looming ahead of me like impending doom.
So that Bridal Expo on Tuesday night, that sucked a lot, didn't it? Oh, so
it turns out it wasn't a bridal show at all -- just a 2 hour long advertisement for a company I was never
really impressed with in the first place. They specialize in DJ's, photography, AND videography, all of which I have
covered. The DJ's put on a show which I guess is kind of funny but they SUCK so much! I can just
hear the guests at my wedding whining already. They've got (among other exciting things) one guy who looks like a caveman
with missing vertebrae, who's probably acutely psychotic, and some big guy with a fake "Caribbean"
accent. Haha they also played a video (to sample their fabulous videography) and it was totally screwed
up -- it skipped like 5 times and the music wasn't synced up... it's a comfort to know that while they wasted
2 hours of my life, they will not get any business.
Guess that's it. Going out soon... look for new pics when we get back from Boston!!
August 1st
We went dress shopping today! The whole thing seemed kind of surreal.
It still does, in fact. It feels awkward to have people looking at you, sizing up how everything looks.
It felt especially weird since my hair looked like crap and I left my glasses on. I should have pulled
up my hair before the appointment instead of having to do it real quick with no mirror.
Now I want to go again so I can make sure to do it right. I think, in retrospect, the whole
bridal-gown viewing session was a little bit too serious... I had so much more fun with the bridesmaids'
gowns when we were fooling around and loosened up a bit more. There's so much pressure connected
to picking "the" dress.
I guess it doesn't help that I'm now hearing that the place we're having the reception "sucks"
and of course, hearing this AFTER we placed out $500 non-refundable deposit. "Oh and by the way, there's
this GREAT place that does outdoor garden weddings and it's affordable and close-by -- why didn't you
look there?" ALL of this information would have been SO MUCH more helpful BEFORE making a
deposit. No one seems to pay attention until the decision's made. I've never done this
before!! Every place I seem to find is like an hour away and about $1000 out of our price range. Maybe
I'm looking in the wrong places, but if you know something I don't, do me a favor and toss me a hint at least.
Instead, I feel like I'm making all the decisions and finding out in retrospect that they're all
the wrong ones. God forbid the groom care about any of it. Sigh... I think maybe it's time for
a little break from wedding stuff because it's beginning to get a little depressing.
July 31st, 2004
I'm supposed to be cleaning now. I planned my weekend a few days in advance
this time -- I was supposed to clean my car yesterday and the house today. I think the car took all my cleaning
energy out of me. It's looking like today's gonna be half-assed again.
Work yesterday... what can I say about work? It was my last day and I worked with Lindsey,
Dustin, and a floater. The very definition of anti-climactic. I mean, Lindsey's great -- really
nice and can carry a conversation -- but yesterday was probably the first time I'd ever worked a full shift with her.
Dustin is just Dustin -- he's like wallpaper to me. I work with him about EVERY time I work.
The floater (Amish) is a very nice guy, but I've worked with him for all of about 2 hours before. Not much of
a grand finale. I was hoping to get out early but I must've been on crack because I should have known that
Augusta (overnight RPh) can't do anything by herself. I was lucky to get out on time. I've
never had to work for 2 hours straight with Augusta... the death wishes began at about 9pm, an hour after she got there.
Of course, customers started coming in (it had been dead all night until then) and I was thinking that Jerry's
idea of keeping loaded rifles in the pharmacy was not so bad after all.
On a more pleasant note, the kittens are adorable. I seriously didn't want
to leave for work -- I was much happier with the idea of just playing with them for a little while longer. It's kind
of funny because they're so small and I think Semper (the dog) thinks that they were bought for him to play
with. He is absolutely fascinated by them and won't leave either of them alone. Sunny's kitten
(Merrick) is more afraid of him than Evan's is, so of course, Semper finds Merrick way more interesting.
Poor thing.
Well, guess that's it. Back to cleaning....
July 30th, 2004
Ok so today was slightly better
than yesterday. I got some good news yesterday evening involving the job hunt. I had sort of been
hoping that instead of working somewhere that could very well be crappy, I could get a job working in a doctor's office
-- more specifically my uncle's office where I could learn lots of stuff since he likes to have his staff certified in
things like drawing blood and doing EKG's. This, I'm thinking would help in my decisions about med school
or PA school.
I didn't, however, really consider that this might be possible
because I knew they didn't really need help (or so I heard last). Lucky me, though,
because I found out that they DO need help -- to the point that they were considering taking an ad out in the paper.
I told my grandmother to tell them NOT to do that, that I would be more than happy to fill the position.
They're on vacation now so I'll work this out when they get back. But needless to say, I'm pretty excited that the hunt
may be over.
Also today, in case that falls through, I got a call setting up
an interview with Weichert Realtors. This isn't a scam, I know, since I've actually HEARD of them.
I don't know that a realstate agent is really what I want to be, but it's part-time with flexible hours so I'm willing to
give it a shot. I work on commission which sucks but I imagine that you make a lot of commission on
houses, being that they cost SOO MUCH! (and, being poor, I know this all too well) Besides, maybe I get a discount.
Ha.
That's about it for the job hunt. I cleaned my car
out today. Finally. Now I'm going over my mom's to see her 2 new kittens that they got
a few days ago. Then, it's my last day at work. I'm sad but I won't cry because I'll be in there
to visit them constantly anyway. I have an excuse since I'm sleeping with the boss.
On that note, I think it's time to call it a day. I need
to brush my hair.
July 29th, 2004
Went on a job "interview" today. I place "interview" in quotation marks for a reason -- a reason which will become
evident in a moment. To begin with, let me tell you a little bit about HOW I went from loving my job to desperately
looking for a new one.
I love my job. Really, I still do. I'd stay if I could, but honestly $6.75 an hour isn't
cutting it. Oh, and yeah, I know it's a big faux pas to discuss salaries but really... who am I kidding?
Anyway, upon hearing that the techs at Mt. Laurel (668 -- the store I have to move to anyway) make at
least a dollar more an hour, I was feeling a little better about the move. I deteremined to ask Diane (district
mgr) about it when I talked to her. Diane says it's a lie -- techs at 668 don't make more. "Ok,"
I say, "fine. Bummer, but fine." I hang up after being told to call Lynn (District Pharmacy mgr) later on.
Upon talking to Jerry, I learn that Diane is full of shit (surprise!) and the techs at MtL DO make more,
so I mention this to Lynn when I talk with her. She reiterates that it is a lie, the techs there are just as poor as
me and after all, why am I asking for a raise when she's doing ME a favor?! Oh, well excuse me... I
was under the impression that forcing me out of a store that I love and into a store where I don't particularly want to go
AND doesn't even have the hours that I want was not exactly considered a favor, but then again Lynn is a
bitch. Guess that explains that. So yadda yadda yadda, now I need a new job. I start in MtL on Tuesday
the 10th and I'm not particularly looking forward to it. Hoping to get a new job in time to give my two weeks
notice before I leave for vacation, meaning I only need to work 1 week in hell.
SO I acquainted myself with Monster.com (lots of scammy, crappy jobs on there, people... beware) and
lined up an interview with DeFrancesco Acquisitions, a company that claims to be involved in marketing
and sales and is offering an entry-level position in their marketing department. A little fishy
but I'll give it a chance. My interview was at 9:30am today.
First of all, it doesn't exactly work in their favor that they decide to call me at 8:00am (Dan had
just gotten home at 5 and thus had only had 3 hours of sleep at this point) to "confirm" our appointment.
Sorry, but that's bullshit. You don't "confirm" an interview.
So I walk in at 9:15 thinking I'm making a good impression for being early and there's already like 5 or 6 people
there -- all dressed better than me (honestly, I was going to go shopping but suspecting the job
was a scam anyway, I decided not to waste the money). I have to fill out a sheet and wait for about half an hour, making
small-talk with the receptionist and other interviewees until I'm called back by a guy (the owner of the company)
who is probably about a year older than me. Right.
I'm in his office for all of about 5 minutes. He rapid-fire bullet-style gives me the typical
questions: "What motivates you?" "What are your strengths?" "What are your weaknesses?" and I give him the
best and most bs-like answers I can muster. At this point, it's not about the job but about beating
the nicely-dressed prissy college grads in the waiting room. Then he gives me a 30-second shpiel about
what the company does (NOT what I would do, how much I would make, or, you know, ANY of the things you're supposed
to hear at an interview) and asks when I can come in IF they call me for a second interview (emphasizing the IF like
"IF everyone else I talk to can POSSIBLY suck as much as you.") This second "interview" is from 9-5
(aka a full day of work that they would not pay me for) and they would like me to come in... ohh... tomorrow.
The fact that I said I needed two weeks has quickly been forgotten. After all, they are a rapidly-growing company so
they need to move fast. They'll call between 2 and 4 IF I get a second interview. On this note, I'm practically
shooed out the door to make way for the next sucker. Guess my immeasurable charm
paid off, though, because he called me promptly at 2:30. I let the machine get it.
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