Ramblings From Work…
I know, I said I wasn’t going to be able to update this for three weeks. Well, I just happened to bring the laptop to work during my weekend rotation and was a tad on the bored side (the Texas-North Carolina game just ended and I got to the end of one of my articles for my paper), so I figured I’d take a moment and write. I don’t think I realized how many people actually read this until my friends that I don’t get the chance to talk to too often started to stop me on campus or leave me an IM and tell me that they read something in my blog. It’s cool to think that people read this--I always did want to be a journalist, but somehow I got derailed on that road. This works though. Maybe someday I’ll revisit that. So thanks for reading everyone--I’m really flattered that you do!
-My brackets, they are a mess. Thursday was a glorious day, well, until 5pm, that is, when BYU lost to Syracuse. I had been 3-0 in the early games, having picked Manhattan to upset. When I left for art history around 4:15, BYU was leading. I was stunned. I had ended up picking BYU because I couldn’t allow myself to break my streak of picking them without fail, and because I had convinced myself that Syracuse stunk. Sure, Syracuse started pulling out some wins along it’s conference season, but before that it had looked just a tad glum. Plus, by the time that game started, I was convinced I was on a total bracket roll and could afford one loss.
But no, Syracuse had to pull it out, like the defending national champions they are and beat BYU. The poor Mormons. Maybe Steve Young can stop by school and deliever a motivational speech. And while he’s at it, can he stop by my school and do the same, for my brackets are now totally in shambles and I need some motivation to keep checking my standing among the Holiday boys (again, I am the only girl in the pool). I also need some thesis motivation.
-On that note, does anyone ever think that BYU ever brags about Jim McMahon? In their football recruiting materials or any admissions materials at all, do they ever actually mention the fact that he went there? I mean, if I’m a conservative, no-alcohol, no-drugs, no pre-marital sex, Book of Mormon reading parent, and my son or daughter receives promotional material from a school naming a bad-boy where-have-you-been lately, DUI committing, ex-NFL quarterback as one of their alumni, wouldn’t you just be a little skeptical? Even the Mormons couldn’t curb that guy’s image. How the heck are they going to control your kid, who, for anyone over on this coast, is going to be thousands of miles and several hours away from Mom and Dad? I’ll have to dig out the old BYU mailing I got when I was in tenth grade, if I still have it, and see.
-Keeping on the topic of NFL quarterbacks, Alex Van Pelt was released by the Buffalo Bills this week. This is very saddening to me, seeing that I felt deeply sentimental about him. I mean, he was around the Bills for most of my football watching life. Mind you, he never really played much during my football watching life, nor did he really do anything too often to merit any starting position, but I had a soft spot for him nevertheless. I think it was because anytime he was mentioned on TV or the radio, my father would say, “Hey, Lucy Van Pelt’s brother plays for the Bills!” Lucy Van Pelt, being of course, the full name of Lucy from the Peanuts comics. Why my father knows that, I don’t know (he has a knack for random trivia, one I think I inherited), but he always says it, even last summer, when I came home from Bills training camp disappointed that it looked like Travis Brown was going to move up on the depth chart and mentioned it to him. And just as he said that, the power went out as we were hit by that major power outage.
But don’t fret--Van Pelt (Alex, not Lucy) was picked up by the Bills Radio Network to work Bills telecasts. Which, of course, I won’t be able to catch anymore seeing that I’ll be spending at least the next year in Patriots country. Hmm…I’m giving up Van Pelt calling Bills games for having Tom Brady talked about every five seconds. I think I can live.
-I am addicted to the show Cold Pizza on ESPN2. I started watching it over the January break, and watched it again last week while I was home. Why can I only watch it at home you may ask? Because Binghamton is weird, and despite all my begging during DIFR committee meetings during my term as DTC President, and all of Rob’s begging on my behalf at them this year, Binghamton Telecom STILL hasn’t added ESPN2 onto campus cable. It’s a travesty--we get the Outdoor Life Hunt-o-Rama channel, but we don’t get ESPN2. Now, last I checked, most Binghamton students have no interest in watching programming about hunting wild turkeys. I don’t know--maybe I’m completely out of touch with these kids. Anyway, I would really like to watch Cold Pizza in the mornings before I head off to work. But I can’t. I may be here for only (checks countdown) 57 more days, but I’m thinking of my younger peers. Don’t deprive them any longer, Telecom. Give them their ESPN2.
-I am in love with the song “Aluminum” by, you guessed it, Barenaked Ladies. (All those who know me well, and even those who don’t, all know that any questions about things I love or adore can be answered with one of three things: Barenaked Ladies, Steve Young, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. For example, if I were to say, “You know what I just love?” you would answer, “Barenaked Ladies? Steve Young? My Big Fat Greek Wedding?” And I would say, “Well, besides those.”)
Anyway, so I am in love with this song, and the verse that was cut from it during recording that recently resurfaced (okay, I admit it, I’m a junkie who reads the band’s blog everyday, where this verse was mentioned, then I went to Yahoo and looked up the cut verse.) The cut verse reads:
“Why should it come as a big surprise
It's just an element of disguise
Even your emotions are anodized”
Now, if a song can teach me a new word, such as this one did with the word anodize (to coat in metal), it gets my everlasting adoration. Therefore, I adore this song. Hence why I keep quoting it as my away message. So here’s my caveat emptor for the week: I may be quoting this song in my away message a lot, but it means absolutely nothing. I just like the song. I think it’s got to be one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. But just because it’s so lyrically clever. I mean, the song is basically saying someone is so fake--they appear to be silver, but they are just aluminum, which is just about one of the best analogies I’ve ever heard. But I don't mean it towards anyone, so don't you all worry.
-I got into Northeastern yesterday. Unfortunately, at this point, I just can’t commit to two more years of school. I can’t do it. Maybe if I hadn’t burnt myself the past 2 ½ years, I could. But I’m exhausted from being a stressed out workaholic student since age 3, and I don’t think I’d make it another two. I mean, sure, once I’m out of school, my blood pressure will drop a good 20 points, making it even lower than it is now (which isn‘t a real good thing), but I think the bags under my eyes might disappear and I’ll stop getting gray hair. I am pretty much set to go to Boston University starting three days after graduation, and I’m happy about that. Then at this time next year, I’ll have to decide what I’m doing again. But at least I’ll be REALLY done.
Okay, at this point, I’m back in my room and I’m about to go to bed. Yep, my life is lame. I’m probably one of the most dull 22 year olds you will ever meet.
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Monday, March 15, 2004
The Blur That Was The Last Two Weeks
I warn you all: this may be the last time I write in three weeks. In the next three weeks, I have three papers (one of them being my honors thesis), a midterm, a presentation, SA and Mountainview Elections stuff-o-rama, and CDT Sweatshirt Distribution. Oh, and my brackets. And I'm behind on everything because of my oh-so-lovely illness (which is dealable with for now). So take this abbreviated entry and make it last three weeks, unless I decide to procrastinate at any point during the next three weeks of all-nighters.
And since the past two weeks have been a completely medicated and sometimes-not-medicated enough blur, I bring you a random bunch of notes.
-I have this sneaking suspicion that the Terrell Owens trade will be rescinded. I don't think it should, but I think it will. I don't know why. I've come up with a bunch of different reasons that I could easily argue against. We'll see, I guess. I just think it will. Premonition...meaning I'm probably wrong, because I'm never right when I chalk something up to that.
-Yes, I will still watch hockey, and I will still let any future children I may have watch and play hockey, even after this Todd Bertuzzi event. I think this combined with the McSorley event of a few years ago and the upcoming labor dispute will cause a decrease in the amount of violence allowed on the ice. As violent as America is, a brutally violent foreign product isn't going to sell. The NHL will try to curb the violence as best they can, as already seen in the almost-suspension of the Rochester American's goalie on Friday night for something he didn't do, that the accusing player did to himself. Binghamton is a dirty team. I'm not saying that the Amerks are angels, but what I've seen and read about Binghamton points to a pattern of violence.
-Speaking of any future children I may have, I was thinking the other day: could my children have all the makings of comedic genius? I'm part Canadian, grew up in what is practically just "Southern Canada" as Tricia put it, and I will be spending at least the next year of my life in Boston. Seeing that the best comedians are either Canadian or from Boston, my children will be on the stand-up circuit by the age of seven--well, at least on my end. Who knows, whoever I may marry might have no comedic genes and just ruin it. Maybe I will try to avoid that by marrying someone from Toronto--they breed comedians there like it's their global export.
-Why must the NCAA basketball tournament be during the busiest three weeks of my life? And why must BYU be playing Syracuse in the first round? I never pick against BYU in football or basketball--let me remind you that for my 14th birthday, my parents gave me a BYU Cougars baseball hat. I wanted to go there, even though I am nowhere near Mormon. I feel like I have gone over this before. Well, anyway, I can't pick against Syracuse either. Us upstaters got to stick together, and as the only true Upstate NY team in this tournament, I can't pick against them. Urgh. But I want to kick the guys' butts, so I will more than likely pick Syracuse. The sad thing is, I spent 10 minutes hemming and hawing this out while I should of been studying for my silly pointless monastery art history midterm. Procrastination, whoo-hoo. (But don't worry, I put my nose to the grindstone and focused right after.)
-Several people have asked me this in the past few months, and so I will address this in a larger forum: No, I never pick in pools with money. That's gambling, and that's something I refuse to do (you're looking at the girl who refuses to play even scratch-off lotto tickets.) I pick football and basketball for the pure enjoyment of making other people squirm when they realize the peppy art history minor with the cheerleader ponytail has kicked their butts. Haha, to quote my friend Brian, I rule.
-I think one of the most entertaining parts of the break-that-wasn't (aka, the 4 day long "spring break" Binghamton gave us) was Tricia and I busting out into Jessica Simpson's "I Think I'm In Love" in the middle of a coffee shop on Saturday night. Her fiancé, Olivier, is from France and therefore had not been exposed to the fun that is Jessica Simpson. (The second most fun was the dinner they made with her mom for us--very very very very good food.)
-My sister thinks she wants to go to Ithaca. Deja vu for my parents. I'm all for it, so when she's a senior there, I can vicariously take part in Senior Week through her. Let us see how this plays out.
-If I was not convinced completely before, Barenaked Ladies sure convinced me that they are the BEST BAND EVER. Totally. Completely. I love them. It takes me seeing them live again for me to break out all their CDs and play them all completely through, and I did that again, and......I love them. You know how people quote lyrics in their away messages? I'm doing that now with Barenaked Ladies lyrics, just because they're genius.
-I tried to watch Stars On Ice on TV the other day. Vastly disappointing. I ended up turning it off. I just can't get into any figure skating this year. I feel off. I just can't get into it. I haven't watched a whole thing of figure skating all season. It's gotten that bad. Am I just growing out of it? Was this just an age 2-21 thing? I still like to skate, I just can't get into watching it. 'Tis bad news for the 65 tapes of figure skating I've taped over the years that are now collecting dust in my attic and under my bed.
-Grad schools need to step it up and let me know what they think of me, otherwise I'm going to stop being patient and just send in my confirmation to Boston University. At least they like me.
Off to bed, or reading, or more procrastination. Yee-haw.
I warn you all: this may be the last time I write in three weeks. In the next three weeks, I have three papers (one of them being my honors thesis), a midterm, a presentation, SA and Mountainview Elections stuff-o-rama, and CDT Sweatshirt Distribution. Oh, and my brackets. And I'm behind on everything because of my oh-so-lovely illness (which is dealable with for now). So take this abbreviated entry and make it last three weeks, unless I decide to procrastinate at any point during the next three weeks of all-nighters.
And since the past two weeks have been a completely medicated and sometimes-not-medicated enough blur, I bring you a random bunch of notes.
-I have this sneaking suspicion that the Terrell Owens trade will be rescinded. I don't think it should, but I think it will. I don't know why. I've come up with a bunch of different reasons that I could easily argue against. We'll see, I guess. I just think it will. Premonition...meaning I'm probably wrong, because I'm never right when I chalk something up to that.
-Yes, I will still watch hockey, and I will still let any future children I may have watch and play hockey, even after this Todd Bertuzzi event. I think this combined with the McSorley event of a few years ago and the upcoming labor dispute will cause a decrease in the amount of violence allowed on the ice. As violent as America is, a brutally violent foreign product isn't going to sell. The NHL will try to curb the violence as best they can, as already seen in the almost-suspension of the Rochester American's goalie on Friday night for something he didn't do, that the accusing player did to himself. Binghamton is a dirty team. I'm not saying that the Amerks are angels, but what I've seen and read about Binghamton points to a pattern of violence.
-Speaking of any future children I may have, I was thinking the other day: could my children have all the makings of comedic genius? I'm part Canadian, grew up in what is practically just "Southern Canada" as Tricia put it, and I will be spending at least the next year of my life in Boston. Seeing that the best comedians are either Canadian or from Boston, my children will be on the stand-up circuit by the age of seven--well, at least on my end. Who knows, whoever I may marry might have no comedic genes and just ruin it. Maybe I will try to avoid that by marrying someone from Toronto--they breed comedians there like it's their global export.
-Why must the NCAA basketball tournament be during the busiest three weeks of my life? And why must BYU be playing Syracuse in the first round? I never pick against BYU in football or basketball--let me remind you that for my 14th birthday, my parents gave me a BYU Cougars baseball hat. I wanted to go there, even though I am nowhere near Mormon. I feel like I have gone over this before. Well, anyway, I can't pick against Syracuse either. Us upstaters got to stick together, and as the only true Upstate NY team in this tournament, I can't pick against them. Urgh. But I want to kick the guys' butts, so I will more than likely pick Syracuse. The sad thing is, I spent 10 minutes hemming and hawing this out while I should of been studying for my silly pointless monastery art history midterm. Procrastination, whoo-hoo. (But don't worry, I put my nose to the grindstone and focused right after.)
-Several people have asked me this in the past few months, and so I will address this in a larger forum: No, I never pick in pools with money. That's gambling, and that's something I refuse to do (you're looking at the girl who refuses to play even scratch-off lotto tickets.) I pick football and basketball for the pure enjoyment of making other people squirm when they realize the peppy art history minor with the cheerleader ponytail has kicked their butts. Haha, to quote my friend Brian, I rule.
-I think one of the most entertaining parts of the break-that-wasn't (aka, the 4 day long "spring break" Binghamton gave us) was Tricia and I busting out into Jessica Simpson's "I Think I'm In Love" in the middle of a coffee shop on Saturday night. Her fiancé, Olivier, is from France and therefore had not been exposed to the fun that is Jessica Simpson. (The second most fun was the dinner they made with her mom for us--very very very very good food.)
-My sister thinks she wants to go to Ithaca. Deja vu for my parents. I'm all for it, so when she's a senior there, I can vicariously take part in Senior Week through her. Let us see how this plays out.
-If I was not convinced completely before, Barenaked Ladies sure convinced me that they are the BEST BAND EVER. Totally. Completely. I love them. It takes me seeing them live again for me to break out all their CDs and play them all completely through, and I did that again, and......I love them. You know how people quote lyrics in their away messages? I'm doing that now with Barenaked Ladies lyrics, just because they're genius.
-I tried to watch Stars On Ice on TV the other day. Vastly disappointing. I ended up turning it off. I just can't get into any figure skating this year. I feel off. I just can't get into it. I haven't watched a whole thing of figure skating all season. It's gotten that bad. Am I just growing out of it? Was this just an age 2-21 thing? I still like to skate, I just can't get into watching it. 'Tis bad news for the 65 tapes of figure skating I've taped over the years that are now collecting dust in my attic and under my bed.
-Grad schools need to step it up and let me know what they think of me, otherwise I'm going to stop being patient and just send in my confirmation to Boston University. At least they like me.
Off to bed, or reading, or more procrastination. Yee-haw.
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Health Center, Smelth Center--aka, Why I Can't Write a Full Entry This Week
So, you know that running joke (on either campus I've been on, mind you) about the Health Center thinking everything is either pregnancy or a STD and really not being able to help any non-sexual or alcohol related issue at all? I always tried to give the Health Center the benefit of the doubt--even though my confidence in them had been blown on several occasions.
Well, I've been dealing with a cold/sinus infection for a few weeks now. No biggie--I get them about as often as Jason Sehorn has had season-ending injuries. I went to the health center, they barely glance at me, then have a doctor just take my tempature, and then diagonose me with a sinus infection and hand me antibotics. No biggie, right?
Now, take into account that in November my whole left side of my face went numb and tingly--and they told me it was all stress-related and I just needed to slow down (ha!)
Well, I'm at work last Friday, a few days after my course of antibotics was done, I'm still not 100 %, and it happens again--as I'm playing Go Fish with Rob the Computer Repair Center Guy, my whole left side goes crazy numb. I crawled back to my room after work, and I couldn't move all Friday night. I realized my sinuses were swollen. By Sunday, I was a zombie, and by Tuesday, I was blacking out during the SA meeting. I realized that I needed to see someone other than the Health Center, so I had my mother make an appointment with my real doctor (who I hadn't seen in a while, seeing that I'm barely ever in Rochester anymore) for Thursday morning, since I was going to be home Wednesday night for the Barenaked Ladies concert.
Rachel and I were both on our deathbeds for the concert--but so was half the band with the stomach flu, so it worked out. They cut stuff short, we had to leave early. And Rachel and I are Barenaked Ladies junkies or groupies or really obsessed or whatever you want to call us (it's our Western New York upbringing), so if we're sick enough to leave early, not stand the whole concert, and not be able to sing along to every song, you know something's wrong.
The next morning at the doctor's, I tell him everything that's been going on. He looks me over, then gives me the oh-so-wonderful news: I've become antibotic resistant. I've been on antibotics four-five times in the last year, and always the same two kinds, so now they aren't working. Plus my sinuses are in such bad shape that they are what is causing my left side numbness. And I am now battling a severe bacterial sinus infection that will get far worse before it gets better. And--if that all wasn't enough--I am probably looking at sinus surgery sometime in April or May. "You should've been to a specialist sooner, and they should of realized what was going on back in September and November when they couldn't figure out what you had," he said.
He loaded me up with a boatload of a new antibotics (super strong and super long course) and a bunch of other things, and appointment with a specialist. I spent the rest of the day unable to move on my couch before I went back to school. He was right--I'm far worse than I was earlier in the week. I sound like a 90 year old chain smoker, and I feel like Ted Washington has plowed over me several times.
So the lesson to this story is: don't go to the health center if you're sick. Try to find a real doctor.
So before weezy me goes on another coughing spree, I will finish this up. I will write more soon, when I feel up to it.
So, you know that running joke (on either campus I've been on, mind you) about the Health Center thinking everything is either pregnancy or a STD and really not being able to help any non-sexual or alcohol related issue at all? I always tried to give the Health Center the benefit of the doubt--even though my confidence in them had been blown on several occasions.
Well, I've been dealing with a cold/sinus infection for a few weeks now. No biggie--I get them about as often as Jason Sehorn has had season-ending injuries. I went to the health center, they barely glance at me, then have a doctor just take my tempature, and then diagonose me with a sinus infection and hand me antibotics. No biggie, right?
Now, take into account that in November my whole left side of my face went numb and tingly--and they told me it was all stress-related and I just needed to slow down (ha!)
Well, I'm at work last Friday, a few days after my course of antibotics was done, I'm still not 100 %, and it happens again--as I'm playing Go Fish with Rob the Computer Repair Center Guy, my whole left side goes crazy numb. I crawled back to my room after work, and I couldn't move all Friday night. I realized my sinuses were swollen. By Sunday, I was a zombie, and by Tuesday, I was blacking out during the SA meeting. I realized that I needed to see someone other than the Health Center, so I had my mother make an appointment with my real doctor (who I hadn't seen in a while, seeing that I'm barely ever in Rochester anymore) for Thursday morning, since I was going to be home Wednesday night for the Barenaked Ladies concert.
Rachel and I were both on our deathbeds for the concert--but so was half the band with the stomach flu, so it worked out. They cut stuff short, we had to leave early. And Rachel and I are Barenaked Ladies junkies or groupies or really obsessed or whatever you want to call us (it's our Western New York upbringing), so if we're sick enough to leave early, not stand the whole concert, and not be able to sing along to every song, you know something's wrong.
The next morning at the doctor's, I tell him everything that's been going on. He looks me over, then gives me the oh-so-wonderful news: I've become antibotic resistant. I've been on antibotics four-five times in the last year, and always the same two kinds, so now they aren't working. Plus my sinuses are in such bad shape that they are what is causing my left side numbness. And I am now battling a severe bacterial sinus infection that will get far worse before it gets better. And--if that all wasn't enough--I am probably looking at sinus surgery sometime in April or May. "You should've been to a specialist sooner, and they should of realized what was going on back in September and November when they couldn't figure out what you had," he said.
He loaded me up with a boatload of a new antibotics (super strong and super long course) and a bunch of other things, and appointment with a specialist. I spent the rest of the day unable to move on my couch before I went back to school. He was right--I'm far worse than I was earlier in the week. I sound like a 90 year old chain smoker, and I feel like Ted Washington has plowed over me several times.
So the lesson to this story is: don't go to the health center if you're sick. Try to find a real doctor.
So before weezy me goes on another coughing spree, I will finish this up. I will write more soon, when I feel up to it.
