Okay-so the wild turkeys and other fierce animals will return. However, my creative juices (if we can call them that) are not flowing.
Dena Jo is getting knee surgery. Torn ACL torn meniscus. tons of not fun. So far I haven't had a break down. I'm just waiting for that. Been keeping it together though. Which is a little rough. And I know everyone keeps saying it's for the best, you'll be happy when it's all better, it's not that bad-this stuff has come so far in the years. Blah blah blah. I know I'm not having heart surgery here. But I also know that I am a single white female alone in Chicago on a tight budget. That's the stuff that sucks and worries me. I've worked pretty hard on trying to maintain and stay on top of finances. Improve my credit and all that jazz. I'm just dreading yet another bill that I have to pay and don't always know where the money's coming from. Or not where it's coming from but I guess it just mean that any sense of a social life is gone. Ugh.
With my impending trip under the knife brings the first visit from the parents. 2 1/2 years and here they come. So I'll be able to show off my sparsley furnished apartment and Northwestern Hospital. And the hospital is downtown so they'll see a little of the city. And we do have to drive past my current B&N store to get there. Not a completely lost cause.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The turkeys will have to wait
Today started out pretty good. A little drowsy-but that's usual.
I saw my very first opera-Damnation of Faust. Riff Raff from Rocky Horror made an appearance-so it made me feel a little more at home. But it was really cool. It was a modern interpretation so there were no long braided wigs or viking hats-but hey that's ok. Lighting was pretty darn awesome. As it was a dress rehearsal there were a few technical moments of interest for me. So I loved it.
Then a trip to Garfield Park conservatory-pictures and video coming soon. It was pretty and warm and smelled good! And then I checked my voice mail...
Which I guess I should've done last night-or this morning-or well anytime before I did-cuz then I would've been able to call and get some more details-instead I was left with a voice mail and google. Not a good combination. The voice mail you ask? It was the results from my MRI of my knee. Yeppers-a voice mail. So, apparently I have a ruptured ACL and torn maniscis something. She had a name for the tear in the maniscis but I couldn't understand what she said. Now for all I know this may not be too terrible-however the words surgery and surgeon were also in the voice mail. And online it said when the ACL and manisicis both have damage-you should probably just have the damn surgery. But i don't know if we're going with total ACL replacement or if they're just trimming some stuff or what. Thus my worried state.
And thus why medical people should not leave you voice mails with this kind of information. Or at least a little more clarification! Cause now i just have google and key words and put that together and I'm looking at some pretty scary stuff.
And nothing really defines the difference of a rupture compared to a tear-or if there is a difference. I don't know! It's all meshed into one-which is why I'm confused worried and mad!
Ugh. I wanted to write the second installment of the Turkey blog. But my creative juices are just not flowing at the moment. This sucks.
I saw my very first opera-Damnation of Faust. Riff Raff from Rocky Horror made an appearance-so it made me feel a little more at home. But it was really cool. It was a modern interpretation so there were no long braided wigs or viking hats-but hey that's ok. Lighting was pretty darn awesome. As it was a dress rehearsal there were a few technical moments of interest for me. So I loved it.
Then a trip to Garfield Park conservatory-pictures and video coming soon. It was pretty and warm and smelled good! And then I checked my voice mail...
Which I guess I should've done last night-or this morning-or well anytime before I did-cuz then I would've been able to call and get some more details-instead I was left with a voice mail and google. Not a good combination. The voice mail you ask? It was the results from my MRI of my knee. Yeppers-a voice mail. So, apparently I have a ruptured ACL and torn maniscis something. She had a name for the tear in the maniscis but I couldn't understand what she said. Now for all I know this may not be too terrible-however the words surgery and surgeon were also in the voice mail. And online it said when the ACL and manisicis both have damage-you should probably just have the damn surgery. But i don't know if we're going with total ACL replacement or if they're just trimming some stuff or what. Thus my worried state.
And thus why medical people should not leave you voice mails with this kind of information. Or at least a little more clarification! Cause now i just have google and key words and put that together and I'm looking at some pretty scary stuff.
And nothing really defines the difference of a rupture compared to a tear-or if there is a difference. I don't know! It's all meshed into one-which is why I'm confused worried and mad!
Ugh. I wanted to write the second installment of the Turkey blog. But my creative juices are just not flowing at the moment. This sucks.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wild Turkeys Attack! (and other fierce creatures that don't belong in a bookstore)
It was a chipper February morning. The sun was out-and it wasn't too cold. In your local Barnes and Noble things were probably very normal. Story times, coffee brewing, customers browsing, booksellers zoning, music playing, etc. All very normal and quiet. Except for one particular Barnes and Noble...
Down in farthest depths of the downstairs portion of this Barnes and Noble, a music manager, we'll call him Bernie (names may be changed to protect the identities of the survivors), was merrily receiving in his new music and DVD product for the store. He liked these quiet mornings, being so far from anyone else in the store; the music department was in the farthest, deepest corner of the store, sepatrated by a wall and plexi; the only opening being the single doorway at the northeast corner of the department. Anyways, Bernie is humming along to the Barbra Streisand instore play, going about his day to day business, unawares that today is going to be different than any other.
Out on the bookfloor Merch Manager Dena Jo was assigning out tasks to booksellers Jerry, Millie, Ruby, Caramel and Patrick. Endcaps needed to change, tables moved, customers shooed from areas that were awaiting events, etc. Phaedra was dusting and straightening away in Health and Exercise.And Patrick was cleaning up after story time. Everyone was clipping along, when all of a sudden a creepy silence came over the store, and hairs started to prickle on the back of necks. Jerry, being uber sensitive to creepiness, looked up from his project (a Mountainous Animal Endcap-appropriately displayed in the main aisle of an urban city store). He scanned the aisle with his eyes and nothing seemed amiss; so he walked toward the epicenter of the store, where there was customer service and stairways and escalators, and other signs customers wouldn't read. As he approached he realized he wasn't imagining the silence, the Babs was just over, and as soon as he got the the customer service desk, Seal blasted through the overhead speakers.
WIth a shake of his head and a chuckle to himself, Jerry pushed away the prickliness at his neck and stopped to take a good look at his second home. A gorgeous store-2 stories, the size of a football field downstairs, and open atrium allowing hte second floor to look down at the epicenter. And windows to let all of the sunshine in from the top floor. As he scanned the line of windows, he thought he'd go see how Patt, the head cashier, was doing today and headed up the escalators towards cash wrap. What he found was a most gruesome scene! As he entered the door at the end of the row of cash registers, he turned to continue into the area, which, oddly, at the moment, had a dark red stain on the carpeting-and on the back shelves, books were sprayed with what appeared to be (and he would know from "other" experiences in his life) blood. Blood all over everything! And down at the very end of the line of 10 cash registers, where the gift wrap table was stationed, he saw, what was left of, the source of all of the blood. Pieces, and I mean Pieces of Patt were scattered under and around the gift wrap table. He knew it was Patt because of the pieces of his shoes, and khaki pants that he always wore, were slightly visible. Apparently, whoever, or whatever did this had not taste for polo shirts and old leather shoes-because that was the majority of what Jerry could make out in all the blood.
What Jerry did next we won't know-because all of a sudden a piercing scream was heard throughout the whole store-and our focus would, of course, follow that person, and Jerry will jump back in when he decided to join the living. To be continued...
Down in farthest depths of the downstairs portion of this Barnes and Noble, a music manager, we'll call him Bernie (names may be changed to protect the identities of the survivors), was merrily receiving in his new music and DVD product for the store. He liked these quiet mornings, being so far from anyone else in the store; the music department was in the farthest, deepest corner of the store, sepatrated by a wall and plexi; the only opening being the single doorway at the northeast corner of the department. Anyways, Bernie is humming along to the Barbra Streisand instore play, going about his day to day business, unawares that today is going to be different than any other.
Out on the bookfloor Merch Manager Dena Jo was assigning out tasks to booksellers Jerry, Millie, Ruby, Caramel and Patrick. Endcaps needed to change, tables moved, customers shooed from areas that were awaiting events, etc. Phaedra was dusting and straightening away in Health and Exercise.And Patrick was cleaning up after story time. Everyone was clipping along, when all of a sudden a creepy silence came over the store, and hairs started to prickle on the back of necks. Jerry, being uber sensitive to creepiness, looked up from his project (a Mountainous Animal Endcap-appropriately displayed in the main aisle of an urban city store). He scanned the aisle with his eyes and nothing seemed amiss; so he walked toward the epicenter of the store, where there was customer service and stairways and escalators, and other signs customers wouldn't read. As he approached he realized he wasn't imagining the silence, the Babs was just over, and as soon as he got the the customer service desk, Seal blasted through the overhead speakers.
WIth a shake of his head and a chuckle to himself, Jerry pushed away the prickliness at his neck and stopped to take a good look at his second home. A gorgeous store-2 stories, the size of a football field downstairs, and open atrium allowing hte second floor to look down at the epicenter. And windows to let all of the sunshine in from the top floor. As he scanned the line of windows, he thought he'd go see how Patt, the head cashier, was doing today and headed up the escalators towards cash wrap. What he found was a most gruesome scene! As he entered the door at the end of the row of cash registers, he turned to continue into the area, which, oddly, at the moment, had a dark red stain on the carpeting-and on the back shelves, books were sprayed with what appeared to be (and he would know from "other" experiences in his life) blood. Blood all over everything! And down at the very end of the line of 10 cash registers, where the gift wrap table was stationed, he saw, what was left of, the source of all of the blood. Pieces, and I mean Pieces of Patt were scattered under and around the gift wrap table. He knew it was Patt because of the pieces of his shoes, and khaki pants that he always wore, were slightly visible. Apparently, whoever, or whatever did this had not taste for polo shirts and old leather shoes-because that was the majority of what Jerry could make out in all the blood.
What Jerry did next we won't know-because all of a sudden a piercing scream was heard throughout the whole store-and our focus would, of course, follow that person, and Jerry will jump back in when he decided to join the living. To be continued...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The merits of frozen green beans...
Frozen vegetables as ice packs are handy. I've used corn, peas, beans, and medley mix. So far I'd have to say that the Jewel brand of frozen Cut Green Beans is the best. Corn and peas tend to be too small and that too quickly-whereas the beans stay pretty frozen for a while and are a bigger bag. They can wrap the knee a little better than the smaller vegetables. So that is my recommendation when using frozen vegetables to ice limbs.
Also, General Hospital. It's good to know that I can stay caught up just by seeing the previews. So now that I've watched 2 episodes this week-I'm not lost. The plot is easy to pick up and predict where it's going. Jason is still hot. The kids that were toddlers 3 years ago are now tweens and teens. Luke-a GH staple is still around. He comes and goes but it's ok. And Jax! My Aussie man is still lookin good! Along with some new people that doesn't take too much to figure out who they are-I'm all caught up on General Hospital.
Ellen-I think there should be TV's in every place in America so that the country can stop when the Ellen Degeneres Show starts. It should be the American Ciesta. Dance a little, laugh a lot, and have a good time.
Let me also give a shout out to the free ebooks available at bn.com. mostly bad romance titles and things you've never heard of-or some Jane Austen classics. So i've been getting my fill of Jane and Harlequin-cuz hey they're free! It passes the time when I can't clean for hours or cook for hours-sad i know. But standing that long will be saved for when I go back to work on Thursday.
Tomorrow-looking forward to taxes online and some free netfix steaming movies.
Also, General Hospital. It's good to know that I can stay caught up just by seeing the previews. So now that I've watched 2 episodes this week-I'm not lost. The plot is easy to pick up and predict where it's going. Jason is still hot. The kids that were toddlers 3 years ago are now tweens and teens. Luke-a GH staple is still around. He comes and goes but it's ok. And Jax! My Aussie man is still lookin good! Along with some new people that doesn't take too much to figure out who they are-I'm all caught up on General Hospital.
Ellen-I think there should be TV's in every place in America so that the country can stop when the Ellen Degeneres Show starts. It should be the American Ciesta. Dance a little, laugh a lot, and have a good time.
Let me also give a shout out to the free ebooks available at bn.com. mostly bad romance titles and things you've never heard of-or some Jane Austen classics. So i've been getting my fill of Jane and Harlequin-cuz hey they're free! It passes the time when I can't clean for hours or cook for hours-sad i know. But standing that long will be saved for when I go back to work on Thursday.
Tomorrow-looking forward to taxes online and some free netfix steaming movies.
The Couch Chronicles!
As i reminisce for the next couple days on the couch...
How it all began:
Ozzy Osbourne. Yep-that's how it all began. I was just working the event. Everything going well. Heck I even sprinted down the line outside (a few hundred people) to find Natalie in the middle of leather clad, Sabbath T-Shirt wearing, chain jingling from pockets, people. I was feeling good! I get back inside, check in with my awesome G group-they were chilling in Bargain and cleaning up after themselves. My DM radios that Ozzy has arrived and I'm needed in the music department to take my post at the table. (Yep I was at the signing table-shooing and thanking all of the fans for coming and waiting for insanely long hours). In the few brief minutes before Ozzy came out to the table, and I was patiently waiting at my post, the next name that is infamous in this story is Bernie Gonzalez. He was at the entrance to the music department.
He called my name; for a reason that I've still yet to figure out. Because I think he just wanted to tell me that we were starting soon or something (which I already knew). Well i travel on over to him-a mere 10-15 feet from my post. Not far, not rocky or difficult terrain-flat-like comepletely flat-in a store-so it has to be flat. Nothing to trip over, because well there usually isn't anything to trip over, but we were being doublysure of that since Ozzy would be walking through. So Bernie shares his message with me (again I don't remember it being of any real importance, but I honestly don't remember because after that moment I was in a whole lot of pain, and on an adrenaline rush working at Ozzy's table); and i turn to head back to my post, I believe as i was turning a corner around a fixture perhaps is when my knee decided it didn't want to continue in the most logical sense. I felt weird-wasn't where it should be. I thought it would go back to it's place in a second. Stepped down. and realized that this was not the case when the shooting pain shot through me and my eyes welled up with tears.
I don't plan on ever giving birth-but lamaz is good to get through any kind of pain-and that's kind of what i did. and a whole lot of asprin. and adrenaline.
Ozzy fans are crazy dedicated people. And they range in ages from very young to very not. They were waiting in line starting Thursday night. It was absolutley insane. A blast. it was fun. and I'm so happy i got to be a part of it. bummed I didn't get to meet Sharon-but hey those are the breaks. I follower her on twitter-so it's ok.
So chronicles from the couch. My butt hurts. I'm so sick of sitting forever and ever. Leg up leg iced horse pill taken. Can't move in my sleep. Ugh it sucks. But it's getting better-and I'm hoping it keeps going that way.
How it all began:
Ozzy Osbourne. Yep-that's how it all began. I was just working the event. Everything going well. Heck I even sprinted down the line outside (a few hundred people) to find Natalie in the middle of leather clad, Sabbath T-Shirt wearing, chain jingling from pockets, people. I was feeling good! I get back inside, check in with my awesome G group-they were chilling in Bargain and cleaning up after themselves. My DM radios that Ozzy has arrived and I'm needed in the music department to take my post at the table. (Yep I was at the signing table-shooing and thanking all of the fans for coming and waiting for insanely long hours). In the few brief minutes before Ozzy came out to the table, and I was patiently waiting at my post, the next name that is infamous in this story is Bernie Gonzalez. He was at the entrance to the music department.
He called my name; for a reason that I've still yet to figure out. Because I think he just wanted to tell me that we were starting soon or something (which I already knew). Well i travel on over to him-a mere 10-15 feet from my post. Not far, not rocky or difficult terrain-flat-like comepletely flat-in a store-so it has to be flat. Nothing to trip over, because well there usually isn't anything to trip over, but we were being doublysure of that since Ozzy would be walking through. So Bernie shares his message with me (again I don't remember it being of any real importance, but I honestly don't remember because after that moment I was in a whole lot of pain, and on an adrenaline rush working at Ozzy's table); and i turn to head back to my post, I believe as i was turning a corner around a fixture perhaps is when my knee decided it didn't want to continue in the most logical sense. I felt weird-wasn't where it should be. I thought it would go back to it's place in a second. Stepped down. and realized that this was not the case when the shooting pain shot through me and my eyes welled up with tears.
I don't plan on ever giving birth-but lamaz is good to get through any kind of pain-and that's kind of what i did. and a whole lot of asprin. and adrenaline.
Ozzy fans are crazy dedicated people. And they range in ages from very young to very not. They were waiting in line starting Thursday night. It was absolutley insane. A blast. it was fun. and I'm so happy i got to be a part of it. bummed I didn't get to meet Sharon-but hey those are the breaks. I follower her on twitter-so it's ok.
So chronicles from the couch. My butt hurts. I'm so sick of sitting forever and ever. Leg up leg iced horse pill taken. Can't move in my sleep. Ugh it sucks. But it's getting better-and I'm hoping it keeps going that way.
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