I mentioned in my last post that I'm having knee surgery. Many of you have sent warm, kind and concerned thoughts which are so much appreciated. I thought I'd take a second and give you the 411. "That means information, people." (Any Monk fans in the house?)
At the end of January, I slipped and fell on a rubber mat that was turned upside down. Luckily, this happened at work. This means I don't have to pay for anything and I'll ultimately get reimbursed for my time. It also means this whole process has been dragged out 17 times longer than if I had to pay for this. All I'll say about that is...if you have to get hurt at work, don't do it in North Carolina.
It turns out that when I fell I tore my medial meniscus. I've had ice, compression, heat, NSAIDS, a cortisone injection, yoga, physical therapy, x-rays, an MRI and a glucosamine/condrointon supplement (when I can remember to take it). You name it, I've tried it. No dice. Nothing has worked. I'm still in a lot of pain, can't walk far, biking and running are out of the question, and I'm still wearing a knee brace. Without the brace, I feel things moving in ways most unnatural.
At my last doctor's appointment, it was decided that surgery was the next step. It will be arthroscopic surgery and should take about 20 minutes or so. They will go in and look around, take pictures and cut out the torn piece of cartilage. I'll be laid up for a few days and on crutches for a few more. They expect me to be as good as new in 4-5 months. Sadly, my hopes of a robotic knee transplant have been crushed. Perhaps next time. I do however get souvenir photos of the inside of my knee, which is a nice touch. I wonder if they do t-shirts too? "I went to Blue Ridge Surgical Center and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."
The surgery is scheduled for May 7. My mom will come stay for a few days. It will then be up to Elvis to care for me. I have three weeks to teach him how to open the fridge and turn on the oven. If that fails, I am certain a few friends will come over to feed me if absolutely necessary.
I appreciate the well wishes. I assure you I will be fine. My 89 year old grandmother always says, "you just don't die as easily as you think you do." In the past 9 years, she's had breast cancer and mastectomy, a broken hip and replacement, an exploding gall bladder, and recently 5 staples in the back of her noggin from a fall. She's never been in the hospital for more than 3 weeks. So, I think she'd know.
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
So good, I had to post it twice.
I work with a girl, T., she about 28 or 29. As a coworker, she's merely okay, but as a person, she is a very sweet, soft spoken girl. She has a son, J., who is about 10 or 11. If I have extra goodies, I'll give them to her to pass on to J. because I know he'll eat them. I also do it because T. doesn't cook or bake and really, every kid needs a freshly baked cookie every now and again. I've also passed on goodies that neither she nor he have tried before and have yet to find something that they don't like. I think the last thing I shared with them was red velvet cupcakes. I've only met J. once or twice in the past. He's a super cute, super sweet kid. T is doing an amazing job as a single mother and I have no doubt that J will turn into a fine man someday.
Two mornings ago, T comes up to me and tells me that her son has just learned how to make those slice and bake Toll House cookies and he's going to make some for me. Yesterday, she tells me that J wants me to know that he didn't make the cookies the night before because he had to watch the wrestling draft and he hoped I would understand. I told her to tell him I would have done the same thing. This morning when I got to work, T hands me a little plastic baggie with 4 chocolate chip cookies. I almost cried. Seriously. He made me cookies because I am always sending things home for him.
I was late this morning because I had a doctor's appointment. I found out that I have to have knee surgery in a week or two. Getting cookies that J baked especially for me made my day!
Two mornings ago, T comes up to me and tells me that her son has just learned how to make those slice and bake Toll House cookies and he's going to make some for me. Yesterday, she tells me that J wants me to know that he didn't make the cookies the night before because he had to watch the wrestling draft and he hoped I would understand. I told her to tell him I would have done the same thing. This morning when I got to work, T hands me a little plastic baggie with 4 chocolate chip cookies. I almost cried. Seriously. He made me cookies because I am always sending things home for him.
I was late this morning because I had a doctor's appointment. I found out that I have to have knee surgery in a week or two. Getting cookies that J baked especially for me made my day!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Today's Horoscope for Libra
"You know your own shortcomings better than anyone else, but this doesn't mean you want to hear about them from an associate at work or a family member at home. There's no need for you to be reminded about your failures, especially when you are working hard to remedy them. If you are the recipient of unsolicited advice now, just smile and say "thanks," because a discussion could quickly turn into an unproductive argument."
You have no idea.
You have no idea.
Friday, March 20, 2009
This post has no title.
I had to drive to work three times this week. I hated every minute of it.
On Wednesday, I had a MRI at 7:30 in the morning. It was supposed to be for my knee, and eventually was, however getting to that point was difficult. Since it's a work injury, So And So has to call Someone Else who has to call me to set up an appointment for The Third Guy, but only after What's Her Name sends over the paperwork and approval for whatever I need. As you can imagine, there was a breakdown in communication. Someone Else called me to set up an appointment to do an MRI of my shoulder. Twice. My shoulder is just fine, thank you very much. My knee is not. The MRI turned out to be not such a big deal, thankfully. They set up the appointment for the morning after they called to set up the appointment. As I was doing some reading on their website, sometimes the patient needs an IV to inject some stuff that makes things show up better. I'm not really sure what this stuff is. I have a pretty strong needle phobia, and allergies to latex, and several drugs. I had no one to ask questions about what would happen, etc, so needless to say the last thing on my mind was being stuffed into a tube. As it turns out, the place I went to had an MRI machine that was like a donut with a table. I went in feet first, no IV, and got to listen to Foghat. That machine was really freakin' noisy. It all worked out well. May I never have to do that again.
On Thursday, I had to go to the DMV. There is a special place in Hell reserved for all those who work at the DMV. That's all I'll say about that.
This morning, I had my first physical therapy appointment. I'll go twice weekly, which means I'll have to drive to work on those days. Dammit. PT was good. I'm in the capable hands of Stephanie. As she was showing me some of the exercises I have to do, she asked me to roll over onto my other side to compare the flexibility in both knees. As I am rolling over, I nearly fell off the table. She had to catch me. I am so cool. Seriously, like ballerina graceful.
I hate to drive. I really hate to drive. A lot.
On Wednesday, I had a MRI at 7:30 in the morning. It was supposed to be for my knee, and eventually was, however getting to that point was difficult. Since it's a work injury, So And So has to call Someone Else who has to call me to set up an appointment for The Third Guy, but only after What's Her Name sends over the paperwork and approval for whatever I need. As you can imagine, there was a breakdown in communication. Someone Else called me to set up an appointment to do an MRI of my shoulder. Twice. My shoulder is just fine, thank you very much. My knee is not. The MRI turned out to be not such a big deal, thankfully. They set up the appointment for the morning after they called to set up the appointment. As I was doing some reading on their website, sometimes the patient needs an IV to inject some stuff that makes things show up better. I'm not really sure what this stuff is. I have a pretty strong needle phobia, and allergies to latex, and several drugs. I had no one to ask questions about what would happen, etc, so needless to say the last thing on my mind was being stuffed into a tube. As it turns out, the place I went to had an MRI machine that was like a donut with a table. I went in feet first, no IV, and got to listen to Foghat. That machine was really freakin' noisy. It all worked out well. May I never have to do that again.
On Thursday, I had to go to the DMV. There is a special place in Hell reserved for all those who work at the DMV. That's all I'll say about that.
This morning, I had my first physical therapy appointment. I'll go twice weekly, which means I'll have to drive to work on those days. Dammit. PT was good. I'm in the capable hands of Stephanie. As she was showing me some of the exercises I have to do, she asked me to roll over onto my other side to compare the flexibility in both knees. As I am rolling over, I nearly fell off the table. She had to catch me. I am so cool. Seriously, like ballerina graceful.
I hate to drive. I really hate to drive. A lot.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Gloom, doom, and five days of heavy rain.
It's been raining for four days. And when I say rain, I mean pouring. It's going to rain tomorrow. We can expect a nice day on Wednesday and more rain on Thursday. I don't usually mind rain, but seriously. Enough is enough.
1. Rain causes earthworms to come up out of the dirt at the office park. They squirm and float in the puddles, where they die and rot making the office complex smell like the docks at low tide.
2. When said earthworms die and the rain dries up, the worms shrivel up on the warm side walk which is equally gross.
3. I haven't seen the sun since last Thursday. It has been cold and grey.
4. I made matzo ball soup for dinner tonight. Matzo ball soup makes everything better.
5. Rain makes everyone stir crazy. Even kittens that have never gone outside.
6. All I want to do is sit around in my flannel pjs and drink tea.
7. Last night's Iron Chef America episode was awesome. It will be on again on Thursday at 9 PM.
8. This much rain is what it takes to flood Crabtree Valley Mall. Good thing the Apple, Bare Escentuals and Sephora stores are all on the second floor. Oooh, Williams-Sonoma is on the second floor too. Excellent.
9. Five days of 100% humidity is not good for my hair.
10. We've received 2 inches of rain in the past 4 days.
1. Rain causes earthworms to come up out of the dirt at the office park. They squirm and float in the puddles, where they die and rot making the office complex smell like the docks at low tide.
2. When said earthworms die and the rain dries up, the worms shrivel up on the warm side walk which is equally gross.
3. I haven't seen the sun since last Thursday. It has been cold and grey.
4. I made matzo ball soup for dinner tonight. Matzo ball soup makes everything better.
5. Rain makes everyone stir crazy. Even kittens that have never gone outside.
6. All I want to do is sit around in my flannel pjs and drink tea.
7. Last night's Iron Chef America episode was awesome. It will be on again on Thursday at 9 PM.
8. This much rain is what it takes to flood Crabtree Valley Mall. Good thing the Apple, Bare Escentuals and Sephora stores are all on the second floor. Oooh, Williams-Sonoma is on the second floor too. Excellent.
9. Five days of 100% humidity is not good for my hair.
10. We've received 2 inches of rain in the past 4 days.
Monday, March 9, 2009
At the risk of sounding like a Crazy Cat Lady...
Seriously, how cute is he? Those whiskers are ridiculous.
Save the date!
David Kinch of Manresa will battle Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America on March 15 at 9 PM. Why should this matter any more than any other ICA episode? Because this is my brother's boss, that's why. My brother started his second internship in July of 2008 at Manresa Restaurant in Los Gatos, California. It's one of the few restaurants in the US to be awarded two Michelin Stars and four Mobil Stars. After having dinner there, it somehow doesn't seem like enough.
This episode was filmed just before my brother arrived, so alas, Lil Brotha will not be there. Perhaps next time.
This episode was filmed just before my brother arrived, so alas, Lil Brotha will not be there. Perhaps next time.
Friday, March 6, 2009
In this economy....
I have a back up plan. In case this whole culinary school thing doesn't work out. I can tell there's someone out there that understands me, because I found this WikiHow today.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice my hobo symbols.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice my hobo symbols.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Oh, sure. He looks all sweet and innocent.
I took Elvis to the vet this morning for a second check up on the ear mite issue. He needed another squirt of medicine in his ears. He really is a happy cat. The vet's office was busy this morning...by the way, I love that my vet is open on Saturdays. We sat in the lobby for a few minutes with several BIG dogs. Elvis was totally cool. He was sniffing noses and making friends like he was at a cocktail party, through the mesh side of the carrier, of course. They had a room for us and we waited. Elvis is an investigator. He must check out everything. And I mean everything. We waited for about 10 minutes in a different room than last time. He thoroughly scoped out the Purple Room and found it to his satisfaction, mostly.
He climbed up on the table and was facing me. I was sitting in a chair, with my back to the wall. All of a sudden, Elvis' eyes get huge. He stands up, arches his back and makes ALL of his fur stand on end. He's looking at the wall above my head. I stand up and turn around to see what the threat is. It's a picture of a cat peeking around a wall on a poster for some kind of medication. I pick him up and bring him closer to the poster. He starts hissing and when he's close enough, the claws come out and he starts swinging. He picked a fight with a picture of a cat. I put him back on the table, but this went on for a good five minutes. No joke. He has lost his mind. There were other pictures on the wall, but this was the only one that was life size. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. We saw a nurse today, so as I was laving, I told the vet and his wife, who runs the practice, who laughed just as hard.
Tough Guy weighed in at a whopping 5.06 pounds today. Look out! He's dangerous. Especially if you're two dimentional.
Monday, February 16, 2009
iTunesU
By this point, it's been well established that I am a nerd. I am okay with this. Clearly you are too since you keep coming back to read this blog. So, that said...
I think by this point, we're all pretty familiar with iTunes, right? Download music and movies, tv shows, music videos and games to play on our computer, iPod or iPhone. Last night, I was poking around on iTunes and happened to come across iTunesU. Colleges and universities can upload lectures either in audio or video format, which are then made free to the public, whether students or not. I knew that such a thing was possible, but didn't pay that much attention to it.
Last night, I found an eighteen part lecture on Astrobiology and Space Exploration with Professor Lynn Rothschild at Stanford University. I am in the process of downloading it right now. Last night, I went to bed two hours later than planned because I sucked into the first lecture with Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA. It was so fascinating.
Also at Stanford, I found a ten part lecture series on Charles Darwin. I am also downloading a lecture given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and a lecture by Peter Singer on animal equality. I'm guessing not many of you will know Peter Singer. He is widely considered one of the greatest modern philosophers and the father of the animal rights movement. In the mid 70s, he wrote a book called Animal Liberation. To say that book had a profound effect on me is an understatement. I also listened to a little bit of his lecture last night as well.
I would highly recommend you look into this. It seems as though almost every topic at almost every university is represented. You're sure to find something you'll like.
I think by this point, we're all pretty familiar with iTunes, right? Download music and movies, tv shows, music videos and games to play on our computer, iPod or iPhone. Last night, I was poking around on iTunes and happened to come across iTunesU. Colleges and universities can upload lectures either in audio or video format, which are then made free to the public, whether students or not. I knew that such a thing was possible, but didn't pay that much attention to it.
Last night, I found an eighteen part lecture on Astrobiology and Space Exploration with Professor Lynn Rothschild at Stanford University. I am in the process of downloading it right now. Last night, I went to bed two hours later than planned because I sucked into the first lecture with Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA. It was so fascinating.
Also at Stanford, I found a ten part lecture series on Charles Darwin. I am also downloading a lecture given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and a lecture by Peter Singer on animal equality. I'm guessing not many of you will know Peter Singer. He is widely considered one of the greatest modern philosophers and the father of the animal rights movement. In the mid 70s, he wrote a book called Animal Liberation. To say that book had a profound effect on me is an understatement. I also listened to a little bit of his lecture last night as well.
I would highly recommend you look into this. It seems as though almost every topic at almost every university is represented. You're sure to find something you'll like.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Krispy Kreme Challenge
Overall, I enjoy living in my neighborhood. I can walk all over downtown, I'm close to all the bus lines, and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants around. I get to see lots of parades go by. Sometimes, I wish I didn't live in this neighborhood. Tomorrow will be one of those days. The Krispy Kreme Challenge goes down and back up Hillsborough Street. Somehow I missed this last year. I am not looking forward to 5,000 people vomiting outside my apartment tomorrow. I am deciding if I will take pictures, or even venture outside until the City hoses down the streets. I'm about a mile from the Bell Tower, so it could be ugly.
By the way, y'all can watch it on ESPN in HD.
[edit] I just looked on their website and am happy to report that they are running through the northern end of my neighborhood. Yay! I think I'll walk over with a cup of tea after all.
By the way, y'all can watch it on ESPN in HD.
[edit] I just looked on their website and am happy to report that they are running through the northern end of my neighborhood. Yay! I think I'll walk over with a cup of tea after all.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Megan and Irony have ended their relationship.
I've been around. I swear. It's just been a tough week.
Last Wednesday, I fell as I was leaving work. I slipped outside and landed on my left knee. Hard. It still hurts a lot. I filed a worker's comp claim Thursday morning and went to the urgent care Thursday afternoon. It still hurts a lot. When I went back to the UC for a follow up, the doctor treated me like I'm totally faking. She gave me 800mg of ibuprofin to take every three hours. Since I value my liver and kidneys, I've opted to deal with the pain and only take one of those a day. I go to an orthopedic clinic on Friday. The irony is it was my turn to handle worker's comp. Sigh.
On Friday, I was told I'm losing my job on May 1st. Yes, I am noting the irony of losing my job on May Day. I had another conversation about this yesterday, which did not go so well. I don't feel like going into it here, but I'm pretty angry about the situation.
On Saturday, I took His Highness to the vet. He had earmites and worms. Ah, the joys of adopting a shelter kitty. We got treatment for both in the vet's office. He is doing well. He weighs in at a whopping 4.5 pounds. I was advised that my flyweight prize fighter is too skinny. Partly because he's so damn active, partly because he's still growing, and maybe the worm issue might play a part too. He's a good eater. He ate a black bean tonight, just one. We're not worried right now that he's too skinny.
Alright, I'm tired. The dishes aren't going to wash themselves. I'll be back soon. Love to you all.
Last Wednesday, I fell as I was leaving work. I slipped outside and landed on my left knee. Hard. It still hurts a lot. I filed a worker's comp claim Thursday morning and went to the urgent care Thursday afternoon. It still hurts a lot. When I went back to the UC for a follow up, the doctor treated me like I'm totally faking. She gave me 800mg of ibuprofin to take every three hours. Since I value my liver and kidneys, I've opted to deal with the pain and only take one of those a day. I go to an orthopedic clinic on Friday. The irony is it was my turn to handle worker's comp. Sigh.
On Friday, I was told I'm losing my job on May 1st. Yes, I am noting the irony of losing my job on May Day. I had another conversation about this yesterday, which did not go so well. I don't feel like going into it here, but I'm pretty angry about the situation.
On Saturday, I took His Highness to the vet. He had earmites and worms. Ah, the joys of adopting a shelter kitty. We got treatment for both in the vet's office. He is doing well. He weighs in at a whopping 4.5 pounds. I was advised that my flyweight prize fighter is too skinny. Partly because he's so damn active, partly because he's still growing, and maybe the worm issue might play a part too. He's a good eater. He ate a black bean tonight, just one. We're not worried right now that he's too skinny.
Alright, I'm tired. The dishes aren't going to wash themselves. I'll be back soon. Love to you all.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Goin' for the Six Pack!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Long live The King.
Meet my new furry friend. I was the fourth or fifth person to submit an application to adopt him from 2 Paws Up Rescue. I was told on Christmas Eve my application was the only one approved to adopt him. Due to a nasty eye infection, it was about three weeks before he could come home. I picked him up today around 12:30. About five minutes after we got home, he was napping on my bed. He's been following me around the apartment. His fur is bunny rabbit soft and miraculously he doesn't seem to shed. I'm not sure if he's stopped purring since I brought him home. This super mellow cat loves to be held. He is about four months old and weighs about 6 pounds.
While he was laying on the sofa, I asked him if I could call him Elvis. He stood up, meowed, and licked my nose. Elvis it is! And he's a keeper!
Hello. My name is Elvis.
Why, thank you. I will make myself comfortable.
Smell my paw and guess where I've been. Go ahead. Guess.
I think he's moved in.
While he was laying on the sofa, I asked him if I could call him Elvis. He stood up, meowed, and licked my nose. Elvis it is! And he's a keeper!
Hello. My name is Elvis.
Why, thank you. I will make myself comfortable.
Smell my paw and guess where I've been. Go ahead. Guess.
I think he's moved in.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Say my name, bitch! Say it! *cracking whip noise*
Okay, time to come clean. Against my better judgement, I, um, well, I kind of, uh, ahem, signedupforeharmonyagain. I am such a loser. Unless it actually works out okay, in which case...YAY! I do have to say, this time I've only been matched with one Indian dude. He didn't even have a moustache. I can't believe it.
sigh
Dr. Neil seems to think I would be compatible with Terry, 42, Hillsborough, NC, among other people. In your profile, one of the questions is "what are you most passionate about?" Here is part of Terry's response to that question.
"I am also passionate and can be quite adventuresome and intense when it comes to sexuality and the boudoir."
Say what? Like chain-me-to-a-water-pipe-in-the-basement-with-a-ball-gag-in-my-mouth adventurous? Like my-nipples-hooked-up-to-your-jumper-cables intense? Cuz, I'm not sure that's what Dr Neil had in mind when he asked you that question. Just sayin' is all.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go break Terry's heart.
Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
Severin, severin, speak so slightly
Severin, down on your bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip, now plead for me
sigh
Dr. Neil seems to think I would be compatible with Terry, 42, Hillsborough, NC, among other people. In your profile, one of the questions is "what are you most passionate about?" Here is part of Terry's response to that question.
"I am also passionate and can be quite adventuresome and intense when it comes to sexuality and the boudoir."
Say what? Like chain-me-to-a-water-pipe-in-the-basement-with-a-ball-gag-in-my-mouth adventurous? Like my-nipples-hooked-up-to-your-jumper-cables intense? Cuz, I'm not sure that's what Dr Neil had in mind when he asked you that question. Just sayin' is all.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go break Terry's heart.
Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart
Severin, severin, speak so slightly
Severin, down on your bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip, now plead for me
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Is it safe?
I went to the dentist today. I hate going to the dentist. I had my teeth cleaned in November for the first time in seven years. That's how much I hate going to the dentist. I had to get two fillings on the left side, in the back. Because it had been so long since my last visit, I had sort of forgotten what getting a filling entails.
But first, I digress. I hate needles. A lot. Now, I can deal with getting a shot, because it's generally quick and the needle is small. Having blood drawn is a whole nother ballgame, as they say here in the South. The needles are larger, I can feel them in my vein, and it takes a lot longer. I was 17 when I went away to college. I, like every other new coed in the history of higher education, had to get a physical. That physical included blood work. My mom took me to an urgent care because I didn't have a doctor at the time. I was so upset at the prospect of getting blood drawn that I cried. Hard. The doctor came in, and in his best bedside manner, sat down next to me on the table to talk to me. In his most "I'm really concerned that you'd be better off in a mental institution than a university" voice asked me what was wrong. Was everything okay? Was there something the blood work might reveal that I didn't want my mom to know? He actually did not believe me that I was that needle-phobic. He finally let it go, but I don't think he was convinced.
Here we are back in present time. I still have big time needle-phobia, or belonephobia (your SAT word for the day). I'm in my dentist office. Let me tell you about my dentist. Dr Patterson. I randomly picked him because his office is near where I live and on a bus line. I also picked him because I read For Better of For Worse and the father, Dr. Patterson, was a dentist. I figured, with the same name, he has to be a good guy. To my surprise, my dentist was quite young, around my age probably. And HOT.
So, here I am in the office of Hottie-Pants, DDS, laying back in this lounge chair when he sticks this Q-tip(tm) in mouth. It tastes like pina colada at first and it's supposed to numb my mouth a little. The pina colada taste quickly wears off to taste like medicine. Gross! He removes the Q-tip(tm) from my mouth and tells me he's going to give me a shot to numb my mouth. Whachoo talkin' 'bout, Willis? Determined not to cry in what is only my second meeting with Hottie-Pants, DDS, I was quite composed. Yes, both my heart rate and blood pressure rose to record highs, I squeaked a little, but I didn't cry. I believe I felt my throat closing up a little, but I didn't cry. He tells me to chill for five minutes and he'll be back. When he returns, I starts poking in my mouth to see if the Novocaine has kicked in. It did not. In an effort to recreate that pivotal scene in Marathon Man, he sticks another needle in my mouth, which is pried open by two people as far as it will go in every direction possible. For those of you that don't remember, getting Novocaine is not like getting a flu shot. They have to go kind of slowly when giving you the shot and they have to be sure they hit several key nerves. Uh huh. Yeah. This time, I fought back tears. I think I freaked him out a little. After the second shot, he waited a few more minutes for it to kick in. We talked about the weather and the new surgery wing of the hospital across the street. Again he poked around in my mouth to see if I could feel it. I could. I told him I could not. He removed an old filling and gave me two new ones fairly quickly. When he was done, he asked me how it was and if I could feel anything. At that point, I told him I could still feel a little pain but told him I couldn't because I didn't want another needle in my mouth. He looked upset, like he felt bad. I tried to tell him I had a high threshold for pain so it was okay. He still looked like he felt bad.
The left half of my mouth was numb for the better part of the day. I came home and slept for two hours. Since my mouth was still pretty numb, I heated up some refried beans. I ate squishy foods until pretty late in a vain attempt to not bite my tongue. Unfortunately, I bit my tongue about three times, without knowing it. My mouth still hurts a little.
The best part is that I have to go back next month for two more fillings on the other side. Oh. Joy.
But first, I digress. I hate needles. A lot. Now, I can deal with getting a shot, because it's generally quick and the needle is small. Having blood drawn is a whole nother ballgame, as they say here in the South. The needles are larger, I can feel them in my vein, and it takes a lot longer. I was 17 when I went away to college. I, like every other new coed in the history of higher education, had to get a physical. That physical included blood work. My mom took me to an urgent care because I didn't have a doctor at the time. I was so upset at the prospect of getting blood drawn that I cried. Hard. The doctor came in, and in his best bedside manner, sat down next to me on the table to talk to me. In his most "I'm really concerned that you'd be better off in a mental institution than a university" voice asked me what was wrong. Was everything okay? Was there something the blood work might reveal that I didn't want my mom to know? He actually did not believe me that I was that needle-phobic. He finally let it go, but I don't think he was convinced.
Here we are back in present time. I still have big time needle-phobia, or belonephobia (your SAT word for the day). I'm in my dentist office. Let me tell you about my dentist. Dr Patterson. I randomly picked him because his office is near where I live and on a bus line. I also picked him because I read For Better of For Worse and the father, Dr. Patterson, was a dentist. I figured, with the same name, he has to be a good guy. To my surprise, my dentist was quite young, around my age probably. And HOT.
So, here I am in the office of Hottie-Pants, DDS, laying back in this lounge chair when he sticks this Q-tip(tm) in mouth. It tastes like pina colada at first and it's supposed to numb my mouth a little. The pina colada taste quickly wears off to taste like medicine. Gross! He removes the Q-tip(tm) from my mouth and tells me he's going to give me a shot to numb my mouth. Whachoo talkin' 'bout, Willis? Determined not to cry in what is only my second meeting with Hottie-Pants, DDS, I was quite composed. Yes, both my heart rate and blood pressure rose to record highs, I squeaked a little, but I didn't cry. I believe I felt my throat closing up a little, but I didn't cry. He tells me to chill for five minutes and he'll be back. When he returns, I starts poking in my mouth to see if the Novocaine has kicked in. It did not. In an effort to recreate that pivotal scene in Marathon Man, he sticks another needle in my mouth, which is pried open by two people as far as it will go in every direction possible. For those of you that don't remember, getting Novocaine is not like getting a flu shot. They have to go kind of slowly when giving you the shot and they have to be sure they hit several key nerves. Uh huh. Yeah. This time, I fought back tears. I think I freaked him out a little. After the second shot, he waited a few more minutes for it to kick in. We talked about the weather and the new surgery wing of the hospital across the street. Again he poked around in my mouth to see if I could feel it. I could. I told him I could not. He removed an old filling and gave me two new ones fairly quickly. When he was done, he asked me how it was and if I could feel anything. At that point, I told him I could still feel a little pain but told him I couldn't because I didn't want another needle in my mouth. He looked upset, like he felt bad. I tried to tell him I had a high threshold for pain so it was okay. He still looked like he felt bad.
The left half of my mouth was numb for the better part of the day. I came home and slept for two hours. Since my mouth was still pretty numb, I heated up some refried beans. I ate squishy foods until pretty late in a vain attempt to not bite my tongue. Unfortunately, I bit my tongue about three times, without knowing it. My mouth still hurts a little.
The best part is that I have to go back next month for two more fillings on the other side. Oh. Joy.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Get Snuggie!
When I was home at Thanksgiving, my parents were threatening to buy these for each other. At Christmas, they were still at it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Today's Horoscope for Libra
"You may have an idea of which chores you should do today, but chances are you still won't do them. Even if you were planning on doing things around the house, you might discover that you're more interested in giving yourself a real day off. Then again, if you can get into a creative flow that puts you in touch with your inner child, that's even better. Find a way to express yourself playfully."
Wow. Another good one. I went to the house of some friends last night, good food, good wine, good friends. This morning? No hangover, which was surprising, but plenty tired. Today's agenda? The Monk marathon on USA Network and five naps. I feel good about this. Really good about this.
Wow. Another good one. I went to the house of some friends last night, good food, good wine, good friends. This morning? No hangover, which was surprising, but plenty tired. Today's agenda? The Monk marathon on USA Network and five naps. I feel good about this. Really good about this.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
woop woop woop geek alert woop woop woop
"Good sense is, of all things among men, the most equally distributed; for everyone thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that those even who are the most difficult to satisfy in everything else, do not usually desire a larger measure of this quality than they already possess." Rene Descartes, from Discourse On The Method, published 1637.
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Peeps, if you're luck enough to have an iPhone, you need to download Stanza. It's a free app, and you pay for the ebooks you download. (It's similar to the Amazon Kindle, but it's missing a few features like a built-in dictionary.) Since most of the geek stuff I read is old and in the public domain, it's free. Yay Nerd Lit!
With Stanza, you get access to a huge catalog. Once you've downloaded your books, you can flip through the covers like you can flip through cd covers on iTunes. The downloads seem to be really fast. I downloaded both the Stanza app and Northanger Abbey while riding the bus down Hillsborough Street. (I had to restrain myself from the "YES!" and fist pumping outburst when I finished that download.) In fact, I've been downloading stuff as I've been typing. I've downloaded more that I could carry out of the used bookstore.
I am thrilled to see I can download books in other languages as well. To find books, I can search by author, subject, or even by book lists. I just found a list called "Banned Books" that begins with Sons and Lovers. If you're so inclined, you can even download magazines and newspapers.
Y'all remember I was a lit major, right?
I can't describe to you how impressed I am with this application. In the span of 30 minutes, I've been able to download 16 books. Tomorrow morning on my way to work, I will be able to choose from a number of fantastic books. I will never be bored again! Oh and next time I run into Dancing Queen and her sycophant friend, I can bust out the Stanza and go, "No, really. It's Kafka. See? Here it is!"
Because I know y'all are on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what I downloaded....
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Vanity Fair by Thackery
Discourse On The Method by Descartes (seriously? I get to read this on my iPhone? sweet!)
The Time Machine by HG Wells (they start you with that one
Les Trois Mousquetaires by Dumas (my favorite writer, and this one is in French!)
On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Portrait Of A Lady by Henry James
Washington Square by Henry James
Candide by Voltaire
A Room With A View by EM Forester
Dead Souls by Gogol
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas (I said he was my favorite. and I lost my copy)
The Divine Comedy by Dante (no, really, I did.)
sound of crickets chirping
Guys? Anyone still there? Hey! Where'd ya go?
-----------------------------------------------------
Peeps, if you're luck enough to have an iPhone, you need to download Stanza. It's a free app, and you pay for the ebooks you download. (It's similar to the Amazon Kindle, but it's missing a few features like a built-in dictionary.) Since most of the geek stuff I read is old and in the public domain, it's free. Yay Nerd Lit!
With Stanza, you get access to a huge catalog. Once you've downloaded your books, you can flip through the covers like you can flip through cd covers on iTunes. The downloads seem to be really fast. I downloaded both the Stanza app and Northanger Abbey while riding the bus down Hillsborough Street. (I had to restrain myself from the "YES!" and fist pumping outburst when I finished that download.) In fact, I've been downloading stuff as I've been typing. I've downloaded more that I could carry out of the used bookstore.
I am thrilled to see I can download books in other languages as well. To find books, I can search by author, subject, or even by book lists. I just found a list called "Banned Books" that begins with Sons and Lovers. If you're so inclined, you can even download magazines and newspapers.
Y'all remember I was a lit major, right?
I can't describe to you how impressed I am with this application. In the span of 30 minutes, I've been able to download 16 books. Tomorrow morning on my way to work, I will be able to choose from a number of fantastic books. I will never be bored again! Oh and next time I run into Dancing Queen and her sycophant friend, I can bust out the Stanza and go, "No, really. It's Kafka. See? Here it is!"
Because I know y'all are on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what I downloaded....
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Vanity Fair by Thackery
Discourse On The Method by Descartes (seriously? I get to read this on my iPhone? sweet!)
The Time Machine by HG Wells (they start you with that one
Les Trois Mousquetaires by Dumas (my favorite writer, and this one is in French!)
On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Portrait Of A Lady by Henry James
Washington Square by Henry James
Candide by Voltaire
A Room With A View by EM Forester
Dead Souls by Gogol
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas (I said he was my favorite. and I lost my copy)
The Divine Comedy by Dante (no, really, I did.)
sound of crickets chirping
Guys? Anyone still there? Hey! Where'd ya go?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Guess who's coming to dinner?
Ladies and gentleman, I am happy to tell you that I got a call this morning at 9:20 AM that my application to adopt Cupid was approved! Woo hoo! They had received three or four other applications to adopt him, and they liked mine the best. They need to talk to my landlord first to finalize it, but then he's all mine.
I found out that he's actually only somewhere around three months old. Maybe 14 weeks or so. Oh, and I also found out he's actually a long haired cat! I didn't realize that, not that it matters. So, to recap...my two qualifications were a cat that wasn't a kitten and that didn't look like Truman. Ah well, what are you going to do?
My mom and I stopped by Petco this afternoon, where she bought Little What's His Name two cute little bowls and a few toys.
Now I need names, people, names. Keep thinking and suggesting names.
Here's where we are:
Groove Holmes
Phil Collins
Barry Manalow
Barry Gibb
Henry
Chester
Chet Baker (I just thought of that one)
Hairy Truman (Har har. Thanks, Dad.)
He's from Harnett County. Those of you not from North Carolina, think Deliverance. I would welcome redneck names too.
I found out that he's actually only somewhere around three months old. Maybe 14 weeks or so. Oh, and I also found out he's actually a long haired cat! I didn't realize that, not that it matters. So, to recap...my two qualifications were a cat that wasn't a kitten and that didn't look like Truman. Ah well, what are you going to do?
My mom and I stopped by Petco this afternoon, where she bought Little What's His Name two cute little bowls and a few toys.
Now I need names, people, names. Keep thinking and suggesting names.
Here's where we are:
Groove Holmes
Phil Collins
Barry Manalow
Barry Gibb
Henry
Chester
Chet Baker (I just thought of that one)
Hairy Truman (Har har. Thanks, Dad.)
He's from Harnett County. Those of you not from North Carolina, think Deliverance. I would welcome redneck names too.
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