With the combined effects of my cough and the horrible smog, I feel like I'm about to hack up a lung each time I go outside. It sure makes it miserable to go anywhere. Hopefully there will be some rain to clear some of the nasty ammonium nitrate in the air. Oh, but wait, I'm looking outside now, and I see that it is snowing. Yay...I might be able to breathe soon.
It looks as though I'm supposed to be enrolled in a class that is only offered once a year, and I'm not. So, it probably means I will be in school yet another semester longer than expected. I'm a little irritated about that, but, financially it is probably the best way to go. This way I don't have to take any summer classes, and can get two jobs or something. Hey, maybe I can go gut fish in Alaska. I really am starting to get wanderlust...even to the point that a nice Alaskan summer scene makes fish guts look tolerable.
February 22, 2008
Fish Guts are Looking Tolerable
February 21, 2008
When Hillary Attacks
Whoa...I felt some seismic activity this morning. I guess there was an earthquake. It was pretty cool, I'm glad I was awake. Speaking of pretty cool, check out my poster. I'm not sure what the message is supposed to be here, other than that scientists are awesome and Hillary Clinton is...ghoulish. Haha, it's sorta funny, though, in a random sort of way :) And I didn't alter that picture of Hillary, you can find it on Google Images. Scary, no?
February 19, 2008
Truly, a Monday
I have no faith in the Jamba Juice Immunity Boost, because it seems as though I have a cold virus too now. I dislike the common cold more than root canal work. First of all, the virus comes in at least several hundred varieties, and thus, immunity is pretty impossible. Secondly, it is a virus, and so it has no cure. Thirdly, because it is "common," the world doesn't lend much sympathy. And yet as much as I hate the cold, it is only the annoying element to my ailments lately.
Well, the headache is basically gone by now, but will oddly resurface now and again with a brief and distinct pulse of pain in either Temporal Lobe (it's a mystery which until it happens). Wow, details of a headache... haha, what a blog. And sadly, this Tuesday is, in fact, Monday, and thus I should have had a 12 hr. day on campus. Well, I skipped school, but no one volunteered to work any of my classes tonight (but I sent out late notice, so, I don't blame anyone). So, I'm stuck at work now with a fever. Could be worse, my brother went to work yesterday with a bad flu. His job keeps him on his feet more, too. And I'm sure he doesn't screw around on the internet like I do. At least I'm proud of the fact that I've only had one sick day in my life.
In happy news, I don't have a Physics test tomorrow like I thought I might. But if that was the case, I'm sure I'd fail it. It's not for another week! And tomorrow is Wed., even though today is Monday. That's good too, I like Wed. Although, I guess I won't be able to keep up my semi-recent Wed. tradition of library movies and Tiny Spicy Chicken. I justify the expense of weekly Chinese food with the fact that library movies are free. The library really does have a lot of classics I haven't seen before. And they have a lot of Shakespeare, which is cool because there are a lot of versions to compare. I just started watching a version of Hamlet last night that has the actor who played Lockhart from Harry Potter...and he's really awesome. He's a much better Hamlet than Mel Gibson. Incidently, it also has the actor that played Peter Petegrin (sp?) in Harry Potter, as well. Maybe I'll finish it tonight.
By the by, did anyone catch Emo Phillips at Wise Guys this weekend?
February 18, 2008
ER Visit
I guess not a day goes by lately that doesn't have some drama or other to it, whether of my own or my friends. I still have a nasty throbbing headache from over a day ago, that doesn't seem to go away despite how many different kinds of pain killers I've been taking. Ah, not so bad. I am doing much better than yesterday. I'd been feeling sick all day, but at about 7 I was completely confined to my bed, pretty much unable to move. All of my roommates were gone for the weekend, and another was at work, so I felt pretty helpless. I felt like I'd faint of dehydration without a drink of water, but I didn't want to get out of bed to get one.
I eventually realized that my phone was only a foot away, so I texted Todd Labrum, the only guy in the ward whose number is in my phone (which I will soon remedy), and asked him if he could ask if some guys in the ward would be able to give me a blessing. A little later, Joseph and Kevin came over, and I was able to get a Priesthood Blessing. That was cool of them, and it eased my mind, but I was still in pain. It was right about the time when my roommate Jenny came home from work that I decided I needed to go to the ER. What luck.
Anyway, it wasn't such a serious visit as many ER visits can be, but, my insistence that I was having "kidney pain" wasn't dismissed this time. It has been in the past, and in general, I do not like General Practicioners. "You mean, back pain?" they would ask. "No," I'd say, a little annoyed. It was just a kidney infection, but the fever and nausa accompanying it really felt horrible. I was able to get an IV of antibiotics, which I was glad for because I wanted to get some fluid without having to drink any. And I had to stick around until my fever and crazy pulse of 155 went down.
Anyway, I'm obviously feeling better now that I have some drugs, and have the effort to eat and drink. So, not too bad of a situation after all, but it felt pretty bad for a few hours. I think I've had these infections on and off for quite a while without any medicine, so, my body was bound to get pissed about that. Next time I will do better to convince the doctor that I really DO know the difference between organ pain, and muscle pain. And if he doesn't believe it, he can believe my medical history. Or I will just make the effort to go to the doctor more often, when I know I should.
Anyway, a thank you to Jenny, Todd, Joseph, Kevin, aloof medical staff, and Dave for the big and little favors. And I'm happy to still be on mommy's insurance. Although, I'm sure most of you won't read this, especially the aloof medical staff. Ah well, aloofness is STILL better than patronizing skepticism.
February 16, 2008
Ucatastrophes
It has certainly seemed like the last couple of weeks have proved full of "volcanic changes," in the best sense of course. I might even dare say, I have seen a couple of "ucatastrophes." I'm not sure that is a word, but I remember reading that J.R.R. Tolkien used that phrase. Wait, I'll find my source. Okay, it says that "J.R.R. Tolkien was fond of a literary device that he called ucatastrophe. This is the notion that at the very moment when things look bleakest and darkest, when there is no hope, the light breaks through and the day is saved." And in both a very literal and a more subjective sense I can claim that a weighty and negative burden was lifted into a positive and hopeful outlook for the future. I love to sound overdramatic in part by being mysterious...but perhaps by so doing, I insist that you see the planet instead of the puddle in each entry.
Firstly, a good friend of mine was experiencing some moments of fear and doubt recently. Considering the friendship and the fears he had in mind, the darkness was incredibly contagious. However, his outlook has shifted, with miraculous speed I might add, and he seems resolved and enlightened. I sense the quick recovery as well, and am greatly relieved.
Secondly, only a few days ago I discovered that my banking account was...overdrawn. Incredibly. Let's just say that at a $22 overdraw charge, and my tendency to use my debit card on even such a simple purchase as a mug refill, a lot of charges can accumulate quite quickly. Now, since I don't consider myself to be financially negilgent on purpose, I'm not too ashamed to share this information. However, the exact amount of the overdraw I will not disclose.
Anyway, a sudden flood of letters from the bank, not unlike the flood of invitations for Harry Potter to Hogwarts, were invading the house within a couple of days. And upon opening them I got a horrible surprise. I was at the point where I thought I might have to sell my violin. It's not as though I really play the violin well, not well at all actually, but it represents my desire to learn and grow at something that is challenging. I've heard that it is one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play. That's part of the reason I chose to play it. Though, it is also a little difficult to play any instrument, as I hardly read music with great efficiency, let alone speed. Honestly, that violin of mine is the only tangible representation I have of any lengthy goal, and to sell it would feel like I was giving in, and acknowledging my life to truly be only a puddle.
This would be a tragedy, indeed, but fate is not so cruel. A little discussion with the bank resulted in a reimbursement of half of the charges. Good first step. And a check from work that arrived in the mail that day practically cleared all of the charges. And then came the difficult part, asking for money. Thank you, Matt, for giving me not only what I asked for to sustain me, but five times that amount. What's amazing is that the amount of money I received was precisely twice the amount of money I initially owed. And it so happens that both amounts were exactly the same, with the exception of that hideous minus sign.
And thus in a quite literal sense, the negative has suddenly shifted to a positive. And mercy yields at least twice the weight of a brief burden. In a small way, I feel like my friend and I learned a similar lesson this week, and felt a similar sense of relief. A lesson, at least, and at most a ucatastrophe.
Where I heard about a ucatastrophe: http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=2585
Cookie Monster at a Bakery Shop Window
