An Unexpected Day OFF

As a part of my screening process last Monday, I had to get a TB skin test. This being because they don’t want diseased people infecting the already-ill throughout the hospital. However rare TB is….we must be tested. And not just once, no no….twice.

Guess what they do for this special little test….

The only thing they can do….inject a (very VERY) small amount of the TB antigen itself right into your poor little arm. With a needle. Yup yup. Fun stuff. Then, as we were told, “within a few days”, you have to go back and get it read (checked) by the nurses.

Somebody should always specify what they mean by “a few days”. Because apparently, what they actually meant was 48 hours. And past that, nothing is accurate. Nothing. Ehhhh. My logic=Clearly I do NOT have TB, because my arm didn’t freak out from this little dosage. Well…apparently that wasn’t enough to convince them that I’m just fine.

Instead, my supervisor was contacted due to the fact that I did not go back and get my arm “read” within the 72-hr MAX. And that means I might have TB. And that means I can’t work! Well, I can’t work until I have another test and I go get it checked WITHIN 48-72 HOURS (not days…). So I marched myself back down the Nurse station, got another dose of TB injected into my arm, and now I wait…because it can’t be read until Friday. Gah.

Point of this story–now I have today off! Which obviously works out pretty nicely, because ummm who doesn’t enjoy a random day off? I do! When you work 10 hours in a day, you come home and do preeetty much Nothing. So I made myself a “to-do List”, which I love doing (in fact, I’ll probably cross it off the list. To-do list made….CHECK). And I will get things done. And then I’ll enjoy some afternoon sunshine. And then maybe even an afternoon run. Followed by a late-afternoon drink while i cook up something delicious for dinner. Mmm hmmm. Lovely.

I wasn’t supposed to have today off, but since there’s a possibility that I am deathly ill with TB an nobody was aware…. I can’t work until my arm tells everybody otherwise. Til then…..

(( I do feel as though I should mention that I’m not by any means mocking the health care system. I am fully aware that you can have TB and not know it, and yes, that would be very bad. Very bad. So I am happy to spend 48 hours outside of the hospital until they know I’m good and healthy. ))

The story of Casey H

As soon as I’m done with school and the traveling/summer/relaxing begins….so does the reading!

I’ve confessed this before; I LOVE LOVE loooove to read. Usually it’s just books that my Mom recommends-she does about ten times more reading than I do-and I trust her judgment for the most part. If she says I’ll like it, 9 times out of 10 I love it.

We both have to have something to read on a plane, to keep us busy and attempt to make the time go by faster. So when my parents were traveling up to PA for my graduation, I was pretty excited to get this text from the Madre…

“I have a new ‘plane’ book for you”

….yay! Just in time for a trip down to FL, and a savior from the book I was currently reading. I attempted a Jane Austen novel, and um I’m not gonna lie….I couldn’t do it. I love the movies, and I love the stories themselves, buuut….something about the fact that sentences last for paragraphs (maybe pages!) and the dialogue is often hidden within the sentence (making it very hard for me to who was/wasn’t talking and when this was going on….ehhhh) and about 25 pages in I was already getting confused by all the characters….I just couldn’t do it. I was bored. I’d only be able to read about 10 pages at a time before I had to take a break. Basically I had started it in March, and made it about half way through two months later. Not a good sign.

Anyway! New book from Mom-for the summer-good stuff. I didn’t start it until last week when I got home, and I finished it tonight. That’s how you know it’s a good one. I was completely intrigued by each character and their separate stories and thoughts and lives. I was itching to know what was going to happen page after page and who was going to end up with who and how each story tied into the next.

So here I am, making my official recommendation. Read this book! It’s well written and it’s an “easy read”. Within the first 50 pages you are involved.

Free Food for Millionaires

by Min Jin Lee

The story of Casey Han…her life as a Korean-American living in NYC and surviving as a 20-something. She struggles with money, relationships, family and deciding what to do with her life. Who can’t relate to that?! It’s eye-opening to read and learn about her culture, the values and lives of her family, and how she copes with it all.

Go get it. Right…now. And then let me know what you think!

Three Days of…Busy!

Whew, I survived my first three day weekend. And I think I still remember what I’m supposed to do at work tomorrow. Good, right? Right.

The wedding on Saturday was GORGEOUS. It was held at an “Event Center” that is literally located in the middle of nowhere in a beautiful mountain state. It was outside, which I was not anticipating. So…um, I left my sunglasses in the car. And for the 6 o’clock ceremony, with the sun setting slowly to the left, they would have been much appreciated. But I surivved. sans sunburn-which is truly the amazing part.

It was relatively small, and completely beautiful. It’s SO weird to watch one of your friends say her vows and get Married….but it apparently means you get to see all sorts of friends you haven’t talked to in the last four years and catch up and take lots of pictures and have some wine with and allllll that good stuff.

Four of us got a hotel room in the near-by “mountain town” that’s about 45 minutes from home.  Oh, and apparently so did about half of those in attendance. We showed up to a bar, still in wedding gear (i.e. dresses, heels, looking snaazzzzyyyyy) and within about an hour the place was packed with wedding people..including the bride & groom themselves! FUN Fun fun.

Anywayyyyy. Sunday was spent driving home, catching up on sleep, eating good Mexican food (oh. YUM.), and getting sunburned while taking an afternoon walk with Mom. You know, good day. Ending with a movie and sleepover with my buddy from Hawaii whom I haven’t seen in like 2 years. The kind of friend that you just have to stay up with for hours talking, and catching up, and laughing, and looking at ridiculous pictures from high school….commenting on  the horrible choice of clothes and the laughable, but somehow still enjoyable, choice of CDs. These are the nights…..

And now it’s Tuesday and time for my work week to start. Back to the schedule, back to the money-makin’, and back to waitin’ for Friday night.

The First of Five

The first wedding out of our “group” from highschool–the girls I was friends with then and still keep in touch with now–will take place on Saturday.

We’re to the point where none of us are home much, except for holidays here & there, and for about a week or two every summer (obviously I’m breaking the trend this summer….). Over the last four years we’ve really spread ourselves out. It ranges all the way from Kara at the University of Hawaii to me at Penn State. We’ve got each coast covered to the extreme. In the middle we’ve got Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.

But as of tonight, and just for the weekend, we are all in one place. I guess these are the things will start bringing us together, replacing the “holiday breaks” and “summers off”. It’s been almost two years since our last FULL reunion, which is so crazy. So fun. Soooooo Needed.

I just have to survive ten more hours of work, which doesn’t sound bad at this point. I’m liking the job so far–it involves people interaction as well as the computer stuff, so I’m good to go. Mixin’ things up a little bit. I’m catching on pretty fast, and am able to do most of it on my own. Plus, free food for lunch and um, yes, I think I mentioned…scrubs!! Yeaaa, still pumped about that.

Knock, Knock….It’s Dietary!

That’s what I said…all day..as I wondered around the hospital, peeking into patients’ rooms and asking them:

“A few quick questions for the dietitian.”

Apparently the position that was described to me last month as “well…delivering some meals, maybe talking to the patients…you know…” (yes, great description, I know), is actually more like “well, walking into the patient’s rooms all morning, and getting the ones you missed in the afternoon, and taking phone meal-orders, and working with our computer system.” That would have been a MUCH more accurate description. In fact, it would have been right on the dot.

I hesitated at first. It has been so long since I’ve been in a hospital, luckily. Most people recognize my last name, thanks to my Dad, and assume that I know my way around and that I’m just so familiar with everything. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. It’s not exactly the type of place you meet up for a family dinner or a night out. In fact, the last time I was there was in high school–one of my best friends was a baseball Ump for the younger leagues and got a line-drive to the Jaw. Ehhhh that wasn’t fun–and since then they have added a Huuuuge new (beautiful!!!) section and it looks completely different.

Anyway! Where was I. Oh, patient’s rooms. Walking in. Uninvited, and mostly likely very unwanted. First of all, when you to wear a unisex gown that everybody knows has nothing underneath, ummm….well, that’s just a little embarrassing. In all honesty, I just felt like I was invading their space. They are sick, they have doctors and nurses in and out, they have nothing to do in that little room all day but lay there and maybe watch some TV here and there, or chat with some family.  My attention span would battle me to my death.

On top of everything else, they are sick. They are vulnerable and exposed. And here I come, waltzing in like it’s nothing and just asking a few questions. I realize this is completely harmless, and they likely think nothing of it, but it just felt weird. By the end of the day I was a little more desensitized to it. Good thing, because I have to do it all again tomorrow.

Alright , on another note, there are some pretty cool people hangin’ out in those rooms. I met one Korean lady, who at first seemed so fragile and ill, but as she woke up a little bit and answered some questions I found out something pretty cool…..she shares a birthday with me. And she was born in 1931.

And one guy said that he was so impressed by the hospital food and service he’d rather just come live here and eat all day. ( Little bit of a stretch, but we’ll take it buddy! )

Four Tens, instead of Five Eights?

Today I barely survived a  deathly boring 8 hours of Orientation, and “traditions”, and policies, and procedures, and safety, and Core values, and ahhhhhh. We were stuck in one room for breakfast, four hours of presentations, lunch, and four more hours of presentations. Oh, and it wasn’t air conditioned. Oh, AND we are in the desert. It was really fun. Really. It was.

No it wasn’t.

I was actually not a pleasant person at 4 o’clock when it was over. Not. at. all. The only interesting pieces of information presented to me were pictures of the brand new section of the hospital (whoa, gorgeous! nice work architects and construction-people! Kudos to you.). And some good stories here and there of how the oh-so-wonderful staff have used the Core Values to make some magic happen. In all honesty, good stories.

Anyway. It’s over and I made it. I was one of two summer interns, and we were among about 15 other people there who were “permanent hires”. They tried to tell us that we had to come back to the same room tomorrow at 9 a.m. to fill out paper work and I almost had to get violent. Noooo way. Turns out, we the “interns” actually didn’t need to come back, but need to report to our departments tomorrow at 8 a.m. Whew, close call.

So, when I got home I called my department to get some details. Well turns out that they were wrong too. Instead, I have to be there at SEVEN a.m. Ehhhhh. That’s very early. Oh, and I work until 5:30. And my response (inside my head, obviously. No need to freak out via phone call…) was….umm…whaaaat?!

I happily professionally responded “Oh, OK. Yah! That’s fine!” Then was told that I could wear scrubs, which honestly makes everything better. Because who doesn’t want to wear scrubs?! It’s like getting to wear comfortable pajamas with sneakers to work every day. And while I do like looking snazzy in cute “business casual”, nobody can pass up the opportunity to wear comfy scrubs. Seriously. Awesome.

I had to ask….”So, will my schedule be 7-5:30 every day?”. Here’s what I got…

“Oh, no. On Thursday you’ll come in from 9-7:30.”

Okay, I see. 10 hour days it is then. And apparently on Thursdays I get to sleep in until about 7:30 like a normal person. Oh, and I get to wear scrubs! (trying to focus on positive things here….)

At first I wasn’t excited about the 10-hr day starting at seven in the morning. So…four ten hour days, instead of five eights….

Then, the more I thought about it, the more I like the idea of three day weekends, every weekend. And a week that only consists of four days. I think I can handle this.

At least I’ll be able to catch “What Not to Wear” once a week, right?  And lay on the deck in the afternoon reading (and sipping on tasty drinks) for three whole afternoons every weekend. Alright, at least I have time for my priorities.

Day 1 on the Job

I spent about two hours today doing paperwork, giving fingerprints and blood (MMR test), and getting a TB skin test (ewwww). Luckily the little bubble went away, and I’m hoping that means I do Not have TB. But thanks for checking hospital-people.

I’m a little scared to actually be working in a hospital for the first time. I know it has to happen eventually, but it’s weeeird. I’ll be around sick people, all the time. Some really sick people, some healing people, some little people, some old people. That’s a lot of people. At least I’ll be delivering them food, so they’ll (hopefully) be happy to see me when I waltz into their room unannounced on a daily basis.

I realized something today–every job I’ve ever had has been for a decided period of time. Does that sound weird? I mean, I’ve always known when it will end. All my jobs have been one of three things–a summer job, an internship, or a school-job (only lasting until graduation). The longest I’ve ever been at one job is two years, and that was at the library. When they hired me (right before our Junior year) I remember them asking what year I was….and then saying “Oh good! We’ll have you for about two years…”….and I had a little mini panic attack in my head. Two YEARS?! That seemed sooo long to me at the time.

Here I am, yet again, starting a ’summer’ job. There’s a clear start, with an end in sight. I know there’s not much I can do about this. I do have to start ’school’ again in the Fall, and that’s just how it is. I just wonder….when I have to go out, and get that Real job, what will happen inside my head? Will the idea of no time-line–of the job being “indefinite”–cause mini-panic attacks over and over? Will I get restless?

I know (or..umm….I hope!) I’m not the only graduate who feels this way.

And until I actually have to face this, I’m going head first into Job #1 post-college. Wish me luck!

Traveling with Owen

I put my bag over-head and plopped down in my coveted aisle seat. Yet despite my position, I found myself sandwiched. Mom & baby by the window, man with a cat across the aisle. And I’m thinkin…hmmm, this could be a loooong four hour flight….

As we took off, the cat took her position under the seat in her little cat-carrier (that thing better be comfortable, because awww pooor kitty!). We didn’t hear from her for the rest of the flight. Impressive.

What’s more impressive? Owen didn’t cry once, not once!, the whoooole flight.

Who’s Owen? The 14-month old traveling in the window seat next to me. Actually, traveling in his mom’s lap & the middle seat & the floor between me and his mom. All the while plotting an escape under my legs and into the rest of the plane-world. Sorry Owen, not gonna happen.

But seriously? Barely over a year old, and probably a better traveler than half of the adult-people on the flight. He was perfectly content with his “Count the ladybugs” and “Dino puzzles” books, and his race car, and my iPod headphones, and pushing the on/off button for the overhead light, and repeatedly handing me the seatback magazines (always curious to see the new(?) things in the Skymall, right? ehhh) so that he could take them out and put them back in.

So.freaking.Cuuuute.

He had staring contests with me and he was relentless. Those big baby blue eyes did not blink once. Not once! Nice work little man.

Before we took off I was mentally preparing myself for a few screams, some tantrums, some ewwww smells from the diaper, etc. I was not expecting the little guy to make my flight much more entertaining. I also wasn’t expecting him to stick my headphones in his mouth, but we had to compromise.