There is a great disturbance in the fish.
Its not a good night for my fish, apparently. I was sitting at my computer playing the Sims, when I happened to glance over at my big fish tank. My small goldfish was acting kind of weird, so I went over to investigate. He was acting like he was trying to spit something out, and upon closer examination, I discovered that he had somehow sucked in a small rock from the bottom of the tank, and couldn’t spit it back out. I started freaking out, because if he didn’t get it out, I was pretty sure he was going to die. I called mom in, and we watched him for about 10 minutes, feeling completely helpless, because what can you really do in that situation? Finally, after what seemed like forever, he managed to spit it out, and there was much rejoicing! It was then that I noticed the funky white stuff.
On the bottom of the tank, near the cave, was some flimsy looking white stuff I couldn’t identify. At first it looked like soggy fishy food, but then I saw it was a bit more solid. On a whim, I decided to check on my sucker fish, Picasso. He spends a lot of time in the cave, so I used a long tube to lift the edge of the cave—Picasso wasn’t inside, but… (this is where things get disturbing)…
His bones were.
Are you cringing yet? Now, I’m sure I saw him just a couple of days ago. Can a fish really decompose that quickly? (Um, I guess the obvious answer is yes, huh?) I’m very freaked out by the fact that not only did I not know he was dead, but that he actually decomposed in the tank! Eeeeek! His death wasn’t much of a surprise- he was 8 years old, but this has got to be the weirdest fish death ever.
Now, as if all of that isn’t enough, Bogart seems to have a swim bladder infection. You can tell they have this because when they fall asleep, they float to the top of the tank on their sides, almost as if they are dead. I gave Bogey some of the medicine that worked on Figment last year, and put in some aquarium salt for good measure. Then I put aquarium salt in ALL my tanks, because at this point, I’m not taking any chances!
Someone save me from this bad fish karma!
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posted by Crystal 2:47 AM
Friday, September 27, 2002
Just what the doctor ordered... or ordered against
Today is Friday. Lets take a moment and absorb the full weight of that glorious statement. Today Is Friday. Friday is most usually followed by Saturday and Sunday, which are also known as “Days off”. I dig days off, don’t you?
I have a disgustingly long To Do list, but its out in my car, so I guess it can wait. I have about an hour before I have to get ready for work, which I plan to spend online catching up on journals and such, and then finish up “A Walk in the Woods”, so I can return it tomorrow. I have my painfully boring bank run at 1:30, and am almost tempted to burn a new cd for it, except that I think I’m out of CD-RW’s, and I really hate using CD-R’s, because I tire of any given cd in about a week, and it’s a pain to be left with all these cd’s I cant rewrite and am sick of. I’ll probably do it anyway, though. In fact, here’s what’s going to go on it, since I know you’re dying to know.
Only Hope-Mandy Moore (Walk to Remember Soundtrack)
Only Hope- Switchfoot (Walk to Remember Soundtrack- its such a good song, I need both versions)
Someday We’ll Know- Mandy Moore & Jonathan Foreman (Walk to Remember Soundtrack)
Cry-Mandy Moore-Walk to Remember soundtrack (Hey, it’s a good soundtrack!)
Life is a Highway-Tom Cochrane
Light in your Eyes- Nick Carter
Drops of Jupiter-Train
Steve McQueen-Sheryl Crow
Warning-Incubus
Elephant Love Medly-Moulin Rouge
That’s What She Said-Brian Litrell
The Lady is a Tramp-Frank Sinatra
I need a few more songs. I think I’ll wait and burn it this weekend, so that I’ll have it for next week. I can live with what I have for today, especially because I just got a call saying I don’t have to do Kryger today! I really do need the money, but some days, a few hours of free time is priceless.
The weather is absolutely beautiful today, so unless I can talk Susie into going riding, I think I’ll go walk another 5k. I have other possible vacation shoes that need to be tested, and I’ve been utterly lazy lately, so getting out and moving a bit will be good for me. Being so stagnant almost makes me miss having a job where I was always moving, although my current job is definitely better for me than the one where I sat in the condo and watched tv while eating cookies. Damn I miss that job. I would kill to get to do that for the next couple of months—I could even do it while still working for Executive, and it wouldn’t be that much different from my current daily routine, other than the hours I’d have to be awake at.
Tonight really needs to be writing night. I haven’t written much of anything in a really long time, and I need to wake my brain up. Keep your fingers crossed that I can get something good out of the effort. What’s most likely to happen this evening, of course, is that after I stop by Cox to return the cooler I borrowed from them a few days ago, I’ll go to BN and settle down with several books, and stay there until dark. I don’t even know if I’ll be doing Kryger tonight, they often don’t need me on Friday’s, so if I don’t, I’ll really have to make the most of the extra time I’ll have to myself.
So have I mentioned how financially screwed I am for this vacation? The main problem is that my silly premium annual pass is about $500. I have to get a premium this time, because an AP to Pleasure Island (which is included) would otherwise be $50, and the extra $50 is worth it for ap’s to Disney Quest and all the water parks. I hardly ever go to DQ, but two visits would make it worthwhile.
I have to tell you something completely remarkable. Today, I stopped at Taco Bell while I was working, and got a quesadilla, and had a sudden urge for cinnamon twists, so I ordered some of those too. Well, they were out of cinnamon twists, so they had to fry up a new batch (eww, I detest admitting that anything I eat had to be fried). Well, apparently the manager felt really bad that I had to wait, so he gave me a cup for a free drink, and pointed me towards the soda machine. I started to get water, but the little devil on my shoulder persuaded me, and I got Dr. Pepper. I felt completely scandalous. You have to understand that I haven’t had soda in about a year and a half. None. When something makes your throat close up and you have issues with not being able to breathe, it makes it a lot easier to give it up. I took one tiny sip in the parking lot, and oh man, I was in bliss. I had forgotten how good it was. Over the next couple of hours, I think I drank a total of about five sips, as I started feeling it in my throat after the first few, but I was still pretty excited about the fact that I actually drank soda. Monumental, I tell you. The next thing you know, I’ll be eating a cheeseburger or something.
So, while I was driving, I was thinking a lot about soda. Have you noticed how HUGE the drinks at fast food places are now? I had what was considered a “medium”, and I guess it may have looked disproportianatly huge to me, since it was more soda than I have consumed in about two years, but really, when did we start getting such big drinks? The normal “Large” drink on the taco bell menu is 44 ounces. That’s a lake! And yet, when you order water, they give you the smallest possible glass. That is very frustrating! If anything, they should be promoting the beverage that is actually good for you by handing out the big 44 ounce size when you order water, and keeping the soda sizes more conservative. Okay, so maybe I thought about soda a little too much today.
As you may have guessed, when I found out I didn’t have to do Kryger, my mind was pretty much made up. After my bank run, I drove up to BN in Springfield. I had written down a few books from my amazon.com wishlist, but the ones I found didn’t seem as interesting in person, and the ones I couldn’t find were many. I finally settled down with something from the “New in Paperback!” table which sounded really good on the back, but I only made it through the first chapter of. Its funny how some days I walk into that store, and could easily come out carrying a small library if I only had the cash, and other days I walk in and can’t find a thing to interest me.
I came home and watched some of the 3rd season of Sex & the City; thanks to Netflix, I am slowly catching up. Oh, my kingdom for HBO! Then I finished “A Walk in the Woods”, and spent some time reading another book that’s due tomorrow that I probably won’t finish in time. Just once, I’d like to finish something early.
But wait! I actually am! You may want to sit down for this one: I am sending in my car payment on time this month. How cool is THAT? I am pretty impressed, myself. My last check ended up being about $70 more than I expected, so I actually have money in the bank, and am sending the car people a check tomorrow. Me! On time! What a concept! I’ll probably jinx things by admitting it, but I think most of my other bills will be on time this month too! What’s the world coming to? Soda and an on-time car payment, all at once. Sometimes, I don’t even recognize myself ;)
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posted by Crystal 11:48 PM
Where in Heaven’s name are we going to find someone to read the role of a young, sensitive Swiss poet/goat herder?
Do you have a movie that you put on when you’re bored, just for background noise? My movie for that these days is Moulin Rouge. The only problem is that I put it on just to have a break from silence, and next thing you know I make the mistake of glancing at the TV, and I’m captivated by Ewan’s eyes. I should warn you now that since I’m watching it while I write, I’ll probably babble on about it quite a bit. You’ve been warned.
I’m almost finished with Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods”, which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying. Last night, it mentioned a city in Georgia called Tallulah Falls. I think Lula and I should move there, don’t you? Back on the subject of Moulin Rouge, did you know that Tallulah’s name was going to be Toulouse if she was a boy? (technically, it was going to be Henri Marie Raymond Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa. Instead, she is Tallulah Jane Lautrec. For now. You know, Tallulah Jane Lautrec McGregor has a nice ring.) Either way, she gets called “Tallu”.
I got my film back today, and it had tons of pictures I’d forgotten taking. There are quite a few of me with the little turtle that I had for a day a few months ago, a few from when Christa, Brandon, and I went to Silver dollar city this summer, some kitten pictures of Cassie and Lula, and the most recent- Lula drinking out of the toilet. I absolutely have to scan that one ASAP.
I think I can probably recite half of this movie by heart now. I want to meet the writers. “Right then, an unconscious Argentinian fell through my roof”. I want to say that some day.
Did you notice that I have started giving my entries titles again? This amuses me, we shall see how long it lasts!
Did you know that I occasionally find myself singing “The hills animate! With the euphonic symphonies of descant!” Must stop watching this movie.
Oh my gosh. You have not lived until you have watched your favorite movie with the subtitles on. While everyone is arguing about the Sound of Music lyrics, Satee randomly says “Frank is living in my foot”. The hell? This is my new favorite line in the movie. Well, that and “He’s got a huge…talent!” (If you’ve seen any of Ewan’s earlier movies, then you’ve seen him naked, and you really appreciate this line. Ahem.)
Have you seen the new season of The Real World? Oh my. There always seems to be one person from the cast that I identify with, and at first I thought it was going to be the chick from Louisiana. Then she hooked up with that one guy on the first show, and had a threesome with her roommates in the second. Perhaps I was wrong.
My second favorite dancer in Moulin Rouge is Short Guy. I don’t know his name, but he’s about a foot shorter than all the male dancers. Watch for him in the “Like a Virgin” scene. He is so much fun to watch on the bonus dvd dance section. I love my Short Guy! I am thrilled that they cast him because so many times, a dancer wont be cast because they want them all to be similar in size/height. You go, short guy! My favorite dancer is of course, Caroline O’Connor.
There is nothing in the world cuter than Ewan dancing around with a pink umbrella.
Nicole’s eyebrows are scary in this movie. That annoys me to no end. Frankly, Nicole is kinda scary in this movie. I’d like to see it with someone else in her part, but I doubt Baz would do that for me, do you? Kate Winslet could totally pull it off. I’m not sure who else though. She just seems like she’s concentrating on trying to be sexy most of the time, instead of reacting to what’s going on around her. And various other annoyances.
This entry is turning into a really odd movie review. Oh well. While I’m at it, Richard Roxburgh (The Duke) is the coolest guy. Zeidler’s hair is so funkily colored, I’d pay to watch the dye job that caused it. I am amused by the fact that the Unconscious Argentenian has no name. And that in the scene where they are partying on the roof, when he is trying to seduce one of the dancers, he says “You are a beautiful woman. I love sex”. I giggle every time. I want to live in the Elephant. Except they tore it down to make room for Star Wars sets, since they were filming there next. I love Toulouse’s character- I love when movies take obscure historical figures and give them life, so they are no longer just another name in the history books.
Why does Christian with a beard look nothing like Obi Wan with a beard? This fascinates me. That and the fact that Ewan can actually pull of having a beard and still be unspeakably sexy.
I never noticed the duke stomping the frog to death until the commentary pointed it out. Now it cracks me up every time. Watch for it! Also unspeakably sexy- Shirtless Ewan sitting in bed during Come What May montage. Yummy.
I have gotten nowhere in my vet stuff lately. I still have pharmacology, radiation 1 and 2, principles and instrumentation of aseptic procedure, and something else to do before I go on to my 3 electives. To keep on schedule, I need to finish all of these by the second week of October. Yuck.
I have been trying to decide for the last week or so wether I would keep my November reservations for my vacation, or postpone it until December so I could attend Dis-con. I was on the fence—in November I’d have Nate, in December I’d have a hundred or so Dis-ers. In November I’d have the food and wine festival, in December I’d have all the dis-con mini meets, a lot of which sounded like a lot of fun. I had finally started leaning towards December, so I emailed my travel agent to check availability for then, and I got an email back from her today stating that the only thing she had open was Wilderness Lodge concierge, which would be about $205/nt. This makes me sad, mostly because I didn’t get to make the decision for myself, the availability ultimately made it for me. I feel cheated, I suppose.
I only had her check availability for the Poly, Port Orelans, and WL. I suppose if I really want to go in December, I could check the other moderates, the All-Stars, or some of the other deluxe resorts, but most of the deluxes would still be out of my price range, and I really don’t want to spend my only vacation this year at the all stars (read: Motel 6 on prozac.), so I guess I really am stuck with November, which is 43 days away. I’m screwed financially, but still excited about it.
Tomorrow is Friday, which makes me very happy. I’ve been working a lot this week, and I can’t wait to have two days off. I’ve been constantly exhausted lately, it will be nice to have nothing to do. I guess what I really need is a vacation, but until then I have to make due with weekends.
Oh! In very good news, my cd player randomly started working again! I decided to test it yesterday, and lo and behold, it worked! I am very appreciative- I was getting really sick of listening to the radio. I have 6 stations that I switch back and forth between, and I swear that with all my flipping around, I’d come across both “Ordinary Day” by Vanessa Carlton and “Real World” by John Mayer at least ten times an hour each. They are good songs, but I am now very very sick of them. I really need to get some books on tape to keep me occupied while I drive- even the best of music gets repetitive. I stopped at Waldenbooks to check the price of some Harry Potter on tape—Goblet of Fire was $65! However, I found Prisoner of Azkaban on CD on Ebay, and plan on winning that for under $20. (Speaking of Azkaban, did you know Ewan might play Lupin? Hee.) OH! This also reminds me- Chamber of Secrets will be premiering while I am at WDW, and so I plan to catch the first showing at the AMC theater in Downtown Disney, even if I have to go alone. I am most excited about this.
I’m watching the tango scene now. Hooray for Caroline! And double hooray for how damn sexy Ewan is when he’s singing that “His eyes upon your face…” part.
So have I ever mentioned that I kinda like this movie? Even if it is mostly because of my Ewan obsession. Plus, you get a certain attachment to any movie you’ve seen 948754 times. It reminds me of when my friends and I used to watch the movie Fear all the time in high school- not because it was a really good movie, but because it was so much fun to make fun of. When the boyfriend would try to kill her family and such, we’d say “Aww, look how much he loves her!” Plus, it’s a very quotable movie. I need to rent it sometime and spend two hours laughing.
“Christian, you may only see me as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome, whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels, but I know about art and love…if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being.” (I adore this because they took this from actual letters Toulouse had written)
Zeidler’s shoes during the play rock my world.
And, as seems to be the trend lately, I came across a very disturbing listing in the closing credits:
Voice of the Green Fairy: Ozzy Osbourne
Um, WHAT? I went back and watched the green fairy scene, and its definitely Kylie singing, and the only part that I’m guessing could possibly be Ozzy is the demented scream/laugh at the end. That credit is false advertising- I want Ozzy singing the sound of music.
This has been a very long entry about nothing. Imagine that! So now I’m either going to go to bed (ha!), read some of the books I have to take back to the library Saturday, or watch Star Wars Ep. 1 for a little more Ewan action (I very much need this movie on dvd. Would someone like to buy it for me?). I have a feeling its going to be a long night.
I have to close with this quote from Monique’s journal, which completely sums up my life lately.
“There are days when I take pride in crossing things off, when I use my ten minute work breaks to run to the post office, when I wake up early and go get an oil change before work. Yes, on some days, I am a productive participant in my own life. Then there are days when I look at the list, tilt my head, blink a couple of times, and then wander off to find chocolate.”
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posted by Crystal 2:25 AM
Monday, September 23, 2002
We are the champions
Last night, the weather was beautiful, and I got the urge to go out and walk. Having to find some more motivation than that, I decided it would be a good time to test some of my walking shoes, to see if they would be comfortable enough to wear when I go to Florida (I average like 12 miles a day there. Ouch). So, I took my hair out of my Boo pigtails (I had just watched Monsters Inc, and we all know how impressionable I am) and got all comfy in some workout clothes. On the way over, I started thinking about how the author of Funny the World had done that 3 mile AIDS walk today, and decided I’d do 3 miles too. Frankly, I didn’t think I’d make it past 2 since I haven’t walked farther than from here to my car in ages, but I actually made it to 3 miles.
Guess what the very best part of today was? I finally found THE journal! (to simply call it “a” journal would completely underscore the search that went into finding it) Its quite different from what I had in mind (unlined, not spiral bound, plain leather cover which I wanted, vs. turquoise blue van gogh painting on the cover, spiral, and lined, which is what it is) but when I picked it up, I knew it had the right soul, and that is the most important part. I also found one almost like it, but larger and with Starry Night on the cover. I’m going to use this one as my quote/lyric journal. Yay.
Tonight I decided to satisfy my Heath Ledger cravings by renting A Knight’s Tale again. In a word, yum.
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posted by Crystal 10:31 PM
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Seduce me, Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!
I havent written an actual entry in a really, really long time. The thoughts that would normally go into one are still going through my mind, but it seems that the second I open up Word to put them down, my brain goes dead and the only thoughts are “Ummmmmm…. Two?” Right now, for instance, I typed exactly one sentence, and then became fascinated by my fingernail. This is my current state of attention.
Yesterday, my sister and 3 of her 4 kids came down (DK, Alexandra, and Hannah). First I took them out to see Emmett, and Hannah (the youngest at 5) was the only one brave enough to get on his back. Of course, the minute he moved, she freaked out and wanted off, but then she wanted back on. My kind of girl. We went home and had pizza, and then set off to IMAX to see Star Wars Ep. II. I’ve obviously seen it before, but they hadn’t, and DK loves star wars, so I considered it a crime that he hadn’t. The tickets were expensive at $7.50 (At the other local theater, $5 buys you drink, popcorn, and ticket), but they used most of the 13-story IMAX screen, and let me tell you, I’ll pay $7.50 for a 10-story tall soaking wet ass-kicking Ewan McGregor any day!!! Have I mentioned that Ewan is the epitome of sexyness in this movie?
I went riding out at Susie’s a few times last week, and never got around to writing about it. I rode a new Peruvian Paso mare she has named Valley, who I adore. Every time we would set out on a “short ride”, we would get so caught up in riding and talking that it would be dark before we remembered we should turn around and go back. This obviously led to a few hours of riding in the dark. Riding through the woods in darkness can be a bit unnerving at first, when you’re certain that a big black bear is lurking behind every tree, waiting to pounce on you. However, after a while you relax. I relaxed a bit more than I probably should have once—I fell asleep on Valley’s back. That was great J I ride with my eyes closed quite often, concentrating on the movement of the horse beneath me. I was doing that when I nodded off for a minute. Heehee. A phrase kept going through my mind from a book I’d read the week before – “He was as comfortable in the saddle as another man might be in a recliner”. That was me. I really am more comfortable on horseback than just about anywhere else. Maybe I should set my spare saddle up on a rack in front of my computer and just sit in it to type instead of my chair. Hey, it’s a possibility ;)
My excitement for my upcoming Disney trip is escalating, but so is my nervousness over my financial situation. I currently have enough money (and by “money”, I mean “available credit”) to pay for two days more than the two I’ve paid for (damn this new math, I think that means 4). And as happy as I’ll be just to get away from life for four days and be there, I really have my heart set on 12. Six nights in my beloved Polynesian is right up there with the 10-story tall handcuffed Ewan. (and that’s saying something!) I really thought I’d be doing better financially by now than I am- that I’d be able to tuck a little back from each paycheck, and have plenty of cash by the time Nov. 9 rolled around. Sadly, things aren’t working out that way, and I’m going crazy not knowing. I have two friends left on my List of People to Invite, but I really really really don’t think either one will come.
With all of that in mind, I am almost.. almost tempted to cancel my November trip, and go to Dis-Con in December instead. I’m sure that someone attending alone would want to split a room, and we have a $129/nt rate at the Swan. However, registration is like $225. And I wouldn’t get to see Nate in November. And I could be even poorer by December. But seeing all the DIS people would be fun… I’m torn. What would you do? I mean.. the Swan isn’t exactly my first choice of hotels, and I’d really miss my beloved Poly and DxL, but its not so bad, right? You can walk to Epcot and MGM, that’s gotta count for something!
Or maybe I’ll just win the lottery, and the whole matter would be solved. Um, someone loan me $1 for a ticket?
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posted by Crystal 8:51 PM
Saturday, September 21, 2002
(I wrote this entry on Thursday, but forgot to post it)
The rain is falling steadily outside, and its quite dark for noon, so all I really want is to turn off the computer, turn out the light, and crawl back into bed. I want to sleep until four or so, and then sit around and read the rest of the day. This sounds like bliss, but unfortunately, I have to leave for work in an hour and fifteen minutes. This of course means that I get to spend the next four hours driving around in pouring rain. Rain is so charming when you’re sleeping, but it’s a bitch when you’re driving in it.
I dyed my hair last night, and it is now a snazzy shade known as “Caribbean Mohogany”, which is, as usual, auburn. Its quite a bit redder and darker than usual, and I like it.
Now, take those first two paragraphs, put them together, and the smarter among you will have the exact same “Oh, no!!!” conclusion that I came to about thirty seconds ago. Its raining. Hard. I dyed my hair last night. Rain. Hair dye. Rain… anyone else see the impending doom here? Note to self- wear red shirt.
I really need to spend more time updating and telling you about the lovely horse I’ve been riding, but I just don’t have the energy right now. Blame it on the rain, yeah…yeah…
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posted by Crystal 1:34 AM
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
I finally got my perscription that actually lets me eat again. $90 for one month's worth. Isn't that crazy? I held the little yellow pill in my hand, thinking about how that one pill was three dollars. I was just reading the little insert of instructions they give you with perscriptions. I was very amused under the side effects to see "If you experience (various symptoms here)...difficulty swallowing, discontinue use" I take this medicine because I cant swallow. Oh, the irony.
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posted by Crystal 12:43 PM
Last night, at 2am as I lay in bed, knowing I had to be up at 8, I couldn’t fall asleep. My mind fell back to exactly one year ago, when I went to bed around 4 am on September 11, 2001. Everything was right with the world, or so we all though. I lay in bed last night remembering the terror. I couldn’t help but have those thoughts- what if I wake up in the morning, and it’s a repeat of last year? What if it all happens again?
This morning, as I drove up to Springfield, the radio station was having a 9/11 tribute. In the first hour, which I caught the very end of, they were taking listener’s calls to express their comments. Then they had on a program that I think was being aired nationwide. They were playing various media clips of what was going on as the planes struck the towers. They aired one transmission from one of the planes that was really interrupted by static, but you could barely make out something that sounded like “we have to land the plane, there’s a bomb”, and then it went dead. Then you heard the other people saying “What did they say?” “I think they said there was a bomb” and all of the hurried directions that followed. They played the local radio station saying “Something really weird is going on, a plane has flown into the North tower of the WTC…” and then you heard people shrieking as they watched the second plane hit on the news. They played a caller who had phoned in sobbing because her sister was in the building. I finally had to turn it off for a few minutes because I was crying and didn’t want to be a complete mess when I got to the office building I was delivering to. It was intense. As I entered the office building, I glanced up at the overcast sky, and was struck with the memory of constantly watching the sky last year, afraid to see a plane overhead after they had all been ordered to land. One very appropriate phrase I heard on the radio on the drive home came from George Bush, when he said they were wondering if it was going to stop, and that’s exactly what I remember thinking. What was going to happen next? Were things under control now, or was the next attack just minutes away? It was a horrible way to spend the next few days, thinking those thoughts until the general feeling of safety started to settle in again. I’m wearing a New York t-shirt today. I actually have one that I purchased pre-9/11 last year, with the NY Skyline, including the twin towers. I’ve never worn it. I almost did today, but it was just a little too much, so I settled with this shirt instead.
This is such an odd day. For one, it brings back memories of horrible things we’ve not thought about for several months. It still doesn’t seem like an entire year has passed. I guess I mostly feel unsure how to treat the day. It would feel wrong to go on as usual as if today were any other day, but what can one really do? There is a big memorial up in Springfield right now, but there was no way I could go to that and be back in time to work. I guess I’m just confused as to how I want to handle today, since it’s a bit unprecedented. Sure, we have Pearl Harbor day, but even though my dad was there, it doesn’t effect me in the same way, since I didn’t live through it. The whole concept of a day like today is one I’ll just have to find my own way of dealing with.
I have until either the end of November or December to finish up my vet assistant program. I can’t remember which, which is really not a good thing. The problem is that I have an insane amout of work left to do. Want to hear what I’m doing this week? (Keep in mind that if I’d actually followed the normal schedule, each section listed here would take about a month) By Monday, I plan to have completed: Small Animal Nursing part 2, Veterinary pharmacology, Radiology 1, Radiology 2, Insturmentation and Principles of Aseptic Procedure, Surgical and Anesthetic Perperation, and Lab Animal Procedures. Yeah. Its going to be a pretty hectic study schedule for the next few weeks while I try to cram it all in. The one good thing is that there is no exam over Radiology 1 (I’m assuming the radiology 2 exam will be comprehensive, though.)
The interesting part of this is that I have the choice of doing a work experience option now. I don’t know yet if I will do it or not. They want you to do 200 hours, but since you’re a trainee, you generally don’t get paid. Right now I really don’t have the time to devote to training, but perhaps this winter when work is really slow? I’m not really planning on actually becoming a vet assistant, but I could learn a lot that would be helpful to know since I’ll be working with animals for the rest of my life. And if I’m going to do it, the time would be now while all of this info is still fresh in my head.
Finally, I think I may have to sue yahoo.com. They have this new game called Bounce Out, and its so very addicting. Its kind of like Marbles on crack. Its taking over my soul, and I sit here playing game after game when I know I should be eating or sleeping or studying. Evil, evil Yahoo.
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posted by Crystal 12:32 PM
Monday, September 09, 2002
How funny is that? I'm Marilyn again!
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posted by Crystal 11:43 PM
It all started with my Anthropologie catalog, stuffed with beautiful curtains, pillows, and candle holders I could never afford. It even had the most beautiful silk quilt, for a mere $280! Knowing that there had to be either a) some pre-owned ones on Ebay, or b) some cheap knockoffs that were just as cute, I set out on a mission to find stuff for my house. The Goal- don’t spend more than $2 on any piece, and end up with an eclectic collection of really cool house stuff. It was all inspired by the Happy Panda toaster over at FootNotes. I haven’t found anything bid-worthy just yet, but I have not given up hope! If you happen to come across any camel-shaped salt and pepper shakers on e-bay, or something equally loveable that you know I would want, let me know!
I haven’t mentioned my fish lately, which is a shame, because they’re all so darn cute! I’m excited that Figment (the original) is back in the Journey into Imagination ride at Epcot, so they will now have lots of Figment merchandise, and I can bring back a little stuffed Figment (the dragon) to sit on top of Figment (the fish)’s tank. Hooray!
I just realized that I left out one of the most amusing parts of our ill-fated trail ride. While Becka was laying in the hospital bed, after the doctor told her she should stay off her leg as much as possible for about a week, and then be on crutches for a while, she looked up at us, and with complete sincerity said “I think I might not be able to ride on Sunday.” True to form.
I was just driving home and singing along to “Goodbye to You”, and started crying. Maybe I’m not as over it all as I’d like to think. I’m getting there, though.
"Its hard to want everything and nothing at the same time
I want what’s yours and I want what’s mine
I want you, but I’m not giving in this time
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
Goodbye to you."
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posted by Crystal 4:11 PM
Friday, September 06, 2002
My heavens, what a day. I’m currently kind of afraid that some random meteor is going to crash through my bedroom roof or something, its been that sort of day, and I’ve somehow managed to avoid getting hurt thus far.
First, as I was getting ready for work, my mom was chopping vegetables, and cut two fingers with the knife. They were bleeding like crazy, and a big chunk of skin was flapping on one. In a word, eww. However, being the only one who knows anything about medical stuff around here, I ended up with the lovely job of wrapping them. I did a beautiful job, if I do say so myself, but it was very icky. I offered to drive her to the ER, but she declined.
Well, life went on as usual, and after work, I met up with Monica to go ride with Susie and Becka. Monica was planning on trading her stupid idiot stud Tonto (the one who kicked the horse while we were team penning and bit my sweet little horse Emmett), for Susie’s pereuvian gelding, whose name starts with a C, and I cant remember, so we will call him C. So, Susie was riding Tonto to be sure she liked him, Monica was on C to be sure she liked him, Becaka was riding Susie’s mare Thumper, and I was on my super-horse Emmett. After a while we came to a field and had fun running around in it, but Monica was having a lot of trouble with C. Later on, Becka offered to switch horses with Monica, since she has a lot of experience with gaited horses. About an hour and a half down the trail, we decided to turn around and go back. We’d hardly gone any distance at all when Tonto suddenly kicked at C, and hit Becka’s knee with his hoof in the process. Becka got off and sat on the side of the trail in unbelievable pain, and her knee started to swell in no time. Since there was no way she would be able to ride back (We were a good 7-10 miles away), Susie rode back as quick as she could to get the car. Monica and I did our best to make Becka comfortable, taking off Emmett’s saddle pad and rolling it up under her leg for support. Susie got back in the truck with Brent, who drove Becka to the ER while the rest of us rode back (in the dark! I could barely see where I was going). We met up at the ER, and eventually found out that Becka had a fracture. I feel so bad for the poor girl! She handled it all so much better than I would have. They don’t think she will need surgery, but its still a possibility. She gets a cast and crutches and such, and is supposed to stay off of it for a while. Since Tonto and Emmett were sitting in the trailer in the hospital parking lot, we left soon after Becka got back from x-ray. So, I just got home at 11pm, since we had to go drop Em off, and then go drop Tonto off, and then go back and get my car at Monica’s. The particularly fun part was that Monica decided I got to walk Em back to his pasture by myself, so she could keep an eye on Tonto. Keep in mind that it was pitch black, so all I had was starlight, and about a quarter of a mile to walk, a cattleguard to avoid stepping in, and a gate to manage to latch and unlatch. That was all kinds of fun. I am one tired girl. The sad part is that otherwise, it would have been a really nice ride- the weather was perfect and my horse was behaving for once! Must ride again soon!
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posted by Crystal 11:21 PM
Thursday, September 05, 2002
Grr, sometimes I wonder why I even bother writing entries in the first place, since MS Word seems to be eating every other one lately. And I started writing them in Word because it was more reliable than typing them in the blogger window. Oh, remorse.
So, as you can guess, I had a very nice post all typed up, and they’re never as good the second time around, so if you fall asleep reading this, at least I have an excuse this time!
Today was one of those interesting work days. Generally, I like my job because no two days are really the same, but other days, such as today, I pine for the sort of mundane job where you go in at the same hour every day, and sit in the same room doing the same things. I guess its along the same principle as starting to want your own bed and the general familiarity of home when you’ve been on vacation just a little too long. (Yes, I actually said “vacation” and “too long” in the same sentence. This from the girl who has calculated how much it would cost to live in each Disney resort for a month. But that’s mostly because I’m a big dork like that.)
Right as I was getting ready to leave for my daily bank run, I got a call saying I needed to pick up a prescription at Walgreens and drop it off at the nursing home in Crane. This made me regret telling the office that I was really desperate for extra money, because that made it pretty impossible to turn it down. Crane is about three million miles away, and can only be reached by riding a mule down long, winding country roads. Okay, so I exaggerate a little, but its not a fun trip in my book.
I stopped in at Walgreens to pick up the prescription, and while that’s generally a process that takes about two minutes, today it was utter chaos. I told them that I was picking up to take to the nursing home in Crane, and the guy said “But the other girl already picked the delivery up”. No, I informed him, she picked up the one going to Kimberling City. I’m here for the one going to Crane. (WHY on earth they didn’t give me the one going to Kimberling City, since I was freaking on my way there in the first place for my bank run is beyond me. Why couldn’t they have given me that, which would have been about 10 minutes out of my way, and given the hour and a half diversion to Crane to some other soul? WHY?) Anyway, after searching, Pharmacy Guy rings up a prescription and hands it to me. I check- its for the nursing home in Kimberling City. I start to have this faint hope that maybe they were wrong, and I really do get to just go to Kimberling City—the whole Crane thing was just one big evil joke. Well, about that time, Monica calls the pharmacy and tells them that they gave her the one that’s supposed to go to Crane. We arrange to meet up and swap. Do I even need to point out how scary the fact that the pharmacy people MIXED UP prescriptions IS? Just because we work for the same company? Dude, you could KILL someone doing that!
My new fear of ever getting prescriptions again aside, I drove rather peacefully up to Nixa for my bank run. Peacefully, except for the fact that I had a major brownie craving. I have decided that there is this sort of embodiment of PMS that live in me. I have named her Beth. I think of her kind of like those Hawaiian fire gods that you have to keep happy, or they wreak havoc. Today, while I was driving to Nixa, Beth wanted brownies. I promised her brownies, and drove to Braum’s, since it was right across the street, and found some brownies. I got to the checkout counter and found out that I had left my debit card at home. Not only did this mean that I couldn’t have brownies, but it meant that the quarter tank of gas I had left had better make it all the way to Crane and back home, because I had no cash. I think I got very, very lucky here, since I actually made it. Whew! (And does anyone else agree that the fact that I have named my PMS persona and have started bargaining with her shows just how lonely I am driving 200 miles a day by myself?) Ten miles or so down one of the narrow two-lane country roads, it started to rain. No, it started to RAIN. The view out my windshield looked like an impressionist painting. No, it looked like an impressionistic painting that had been RAINED on. It was that kind of rain. The kind where each rain drop hits your windshield and SPLATS into a puddle the size of a golf-ball. That kind of rain. So, I’m driving along at about 25, squinting, cursing the fact that I even have to be driving out this way, when I start to have the imaginary conversation with 911 in my head. “Hi, my car slid off the road because of the rain.. I’m okay but my car is ruined, I’m stuck here”. I made the voice in my head shut up, and continued driving, with the weather alternating between perfectly clear and patches of aforementioned RAIN. I finally made it to the nursing home, which I may add is like finding a needle in a haystack, so its lucky I remembered how to get there, and started for home. I got to almost the exact area where I’d had the imaginary 911 call earlier, and saw a police car. Then I noticed the ambulance next to it. Then I saw the truck that had slid off the road and was now lodged in the side of a hill. The guy in the truck looked fine, but the truck didn’t look so good at all. It was a bit creepy.
On a completely different topic, I had a dream last night that I was best friends with Drew Barrymore, and we entered this singing contest somewhere, and she told the judge that her name was Pear, because she didn’t want anyone to know who she was. We found the name “Pear” really funny. I promise not to eat pickles before I sleep tonight. Well, maybe not.
The whole Virginia Road Trip Extravaganza is still up in the air. Will I go or not? Stay tuned, folks.
I rarely discuss my Sims here, but I just had to share this. I have a new house, and one of the chicks that lives there’s name is Caroline. She just hit the highest level of the medical profession, and was outside star-gazing, when she was abducted by aliens. When she was returned a day later, her personality had been flipped to the exact opposite, which seems to be the specialty of aliens in the Sim world. I decided it was no big deal, and bought a chemistry set, thinking she could simply make the potion that causes your personality to flip, and things would go back to normal. Well, the first potion she made caused Heath Ledger to fall in love with her (Okay, so it wasn’t THAT bad of a day for her!) The second one created an evil clone of her, which went around her house slapping and insulting her roommates for six hours. Charming. The third potion turned her invisible. I decided that was all the torture I could take for one day, and decided to get back to it later. Poor Caroline. At least she got Heath out of the deal, which is really a pretty good deal.
And how have I not mentioned that Kelly won American Idol yet? I am so very, very happy about this- Kelly rocks my world. I don’t even know what else to say, other than YAY!
I’ve spent all of my free time in the past 24 or so hours reading web journals I’ve never read before. It started when I visited someone’s link page, and then the link page of someone they linked to, and so forth. I’m having a blast, and I’ll probably be adding some new links to my sidebar soon.
Funniest moment in kitten raising history: Today, Tallulah discovered toilets. I left her alone for a few minutes, and came back to find her batting at the water with her paw, and then drinking from the toilet. She was THIS close to falling in. I got two good pictures. I love my kitten.
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posted by Crystal 11:41 PM
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
What is your Alter-Ego
Personality?
Lots to catch up on, I know, but I just havent had the inspiration. Soon, perhaps?
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posted by Crystal 6:35 PM
