Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?

Adding insult to injury, evidently, my college is the only one stupid enough to remain open in the face of another foot of snow. Fuck if I'm going in if East Bridgewater, Brockton, Whitman, Rockland, Abington, and Weymouth are all closed. Mind you, most of those are the towns I drive through to get there.

I'll get there tomorrow, when we're not in Blizzard 05 Redux.

Our toilet is finally fixed and the repair man seriously reminded me of Robin Williams. I could have hugged him. I missed going to the bathroom.

Steven finally agreed to give up the plunger and get some sleep. Yay! Tomorrow, we're going to buy some Drain-O and try that. For now, we can safely go potty.

I am now having a little rice with teriyaki sauce because the second pain killer made my tummy upset. Steven makes the most amazing rice. It's just sticky enough to eat with chopsticks and it good enough to eat completely plain. He also makes amazing teriyaki steak tips that, quite possibly, are my absolute favourite meal. I seriously live for them. When we talked about what I wanted to do to make my birthday better this year, I very seriously told him that I might just want to stay in, have a candlelit dinner, a good bottle of chianti, and his steak tips. Anyhow, tonight, since he knows how much I love the rice and teriyaki sauce, he made extra so I could have it for lunch tomorrow. I am truly lucky to have him (even when he makes bad fish flushing decisions.)

On a totally random note, I have the sneaking suspicion that I could be classified as a housewife. In fact, according to Cosmo, all I am lacking on the housewife front is the marriage certificate. Of course, I am going to school, so I don't know exactly if that qualifies me. I also would be, most likely, working if my knee wasn't useless.

All right, back to plunging and reading Cosmo.

So really, there are three parts to this update: the school part, the knee part, and the fish part.

Part I - In Which I Discover Higher Education is Full of Idiots

I think most people who read here know, I have been having some problems with Bridgewater. Right around Thanksgiving, I received a letter telling me that I needed to get several vaccines before I can register for classes. Most people who read here also know that I am allergic to latex, as well as a bunch of other things. This means no vaccines unless my life depends on it because of how they're manufactured, how they're stored, etc. I get a note from my doctor, which of course takes forever, but I get it it around the second week of December, when classes end/finals are.

Bridgewater dicks around and the hold doesn't get taken off until about the 6th. So yay, I go to register and find out that now, I must consult with my advisor before I can register. Great. The problem is, I have no idea who my advisor is. I make many more calls and eventually find out. I email her and wait more. After not getting a response from her by last Thursday, I call, bitch, and email the department chair, who gets the woman to respond to me. She wants me to come in randomly, I explain there's no way I can do this, since I'm on crutches and I had no car at that point. I suggest the next day, but she is allegedly going away for a few days. I reiterate that I need to get registered, I have a list of everything I need for the rest of my time at Bridgewater, etc. She insists we meet and suggests Monday, the holiday. I tell her fine, but I cannot get to her office (3rd floor, no elevator). She says she'll call and everything will be ok.

Cool. I email her the classes I want for this semester and wait for a call. The call never happens, so I figure she must have emailed me. She didn't do that either. I check the site to try and register and I still am blocked. That means when classes start Tuesday, I will not be able to attend because there's no where for me to go, nor can I just run around campus, randomly, trying to track people down.

Yesterday, I called the dean and bitched. They told me they weren't going to get involved, since it was only the first day of classes and I should call my department and leave a message. I do this. They never call back. I've called again today; no calls back. I have the feeling I'm going to miss the rest of this week. The only good thing is that I can call the dean Monday and then get them involved.

Part II - In Which My Knee Falls Apart

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the orthopaedist again for my knee. They had already bumped me up a couple weeks, so I had the feeling that things would be not so good. Anyhow, I spent the beginning of the visit telling him about the physical therapy, which I was very unimpressed about.

Within the first five minutes of being back there, the therapist had started talking about how nice I smelled, what kind of perfume did I wear, etc. I don't know if he meant to seem like he was hitting on me, but that's the impression I got. I'm there to get better, not to find a date. Worse yet was that I'd sit there and fiddle with my ring, hoping he'd get the hint. When he was talking about goals for therapy, I said I'd like to have full use of my knee back and be generally painfree. He countered with shouldn't I add personal care, like shaving my legs, as one of my top goals. Um, no?

The guy started pulling and twisting my knee, stretching it, and generally making it hurt, even though I told him I was not comfortable. After, when he decided to ice it, he put a bolster under my ankle and a 5lb ice pack on my knee to "force it straight". I was supposed to be there for ultrasonic therapy to reduce swelling.

You may wonder, then, why he was doing all this on the first day. Well, that's because he decided that the doctor's diagnosis wasn't good enough. He felt that my problem was not so much plica syndrome as subluxation of the kneecap and that he was going to treat it accordingly. Hence why I had all the massive pain and swelling, post-therapy. He was treating it the wrong way.

The doctor was pissed, to say the least. My knee is now in worse shape than it was before the therapy. More of the plica has slid out from under my knee and there's a lot more fluid/swelling of the joint. He made a last suggestion if I wanted a cortisone shot (no) and started talking about surgery to fix things. I will most likely be going in around the first week of March. It'll be done as outpatient surgery and I'll be home by the end of the day. I will be first on the list, as well, because of my latex allergy.

This is what I know so far. I will know more in the coming weeks. For now, here is some information on Plica Syndrome and arthroscopic surgery.

Part III - In Which the Day Just Gets Worse

We found Godzilla, our baby mollie, dead last night. We've had him since he was born in the tank, 5 months ago. It sort of ruined the rest of the night for both of us after we had to skim him out and flush him. All and all, it's been a crappy couple of days.

I am so damned tired. We have to go to a wake this afternoon and because of that, I am putting many, many things off. The only other thing that I now still feel I want to do is bring the damned fish and its babies back to the store. It's finally cooled down to the point where I can actually open the porch door and enjoy the breeze.

On a random note, scientists should certainly not have mistresses. Goddamned Shroedinger.

I had other stuff to write, but I'm very tired. I want to lay down and take a nap, but Steven should be back in like 10 minutes or so and we have an assload of errands to run before we could conceivably take a nap.

My feet hurt. I'd soak them if I had a pan big enough, but I don't. Someday, I'm going to buy a foot spa. Though I hope to be long out of retail by then, I'm sure Steven or I could still use it, since we'll both be in education and therefore, on our feet a lot.

Eh, they feel a little bit better now that I've rubbed some lotion on them and put my Hello Kitty slippers on. This is one of the many reasons why I love Target: adult sized Hello Kitty sneakers. I've also put on water for a cup of mint green tea and am surfing the 'net "window shopping". This all should help me relax from the mind-bendingly stupid couple of days I've had.

Yesterday was only midling on the irksome scale. Finally met Steven's brother, Mark, and his wife, Tracy. We went out to brunch (brunch because Steven's mother picked a huge fight with him about the fact that my mum bought the kid a pair of pants for XMas, as well as the fact that I was coming, which is another story...) with them, Steven's nephew Laine, and his parents. The latter are mad with Steven because a) he's not home, doing their beck and call 24/7, b) he's dating me. This is a no-no because we all know that people who divorce curl up and die, and c) they're cranky, miserable, old people who have nothing better to do than make everyone else unhappy. You know these kind of people: they refused to give your ball back when it fell in their yard accidently and possibly baked it black out of spite. These are Steven's parents.

I digress. Even though they knew when Steven left, post-argument, and we called to let them know we'd be a bit late because the roads were snowy, they had ordered by the time we got there. I think we spent a combined 20 minutes with them there and it was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I'm telling you, having a pap smear would have been more fun. His mother is not speaking to me for some unfathomable reason. His father follows his mother's lead because she's an unimaginable pain in the ass. On the other hand, after they left, I did comiserate with Tracy about being driven nuts by them. Yay! An ally!

We did a bit of cleaning in the basement to avoid seeing them and simulatanously see a bit more of Mark and Tracy. We're going to be doing some serious cleaning tomorrow, as well. Went to PetSmart for fish meds (the pleco has a fungue or something) and a couple more fish. We now have the diamond tetra (Jaws), the mouldy pleco, three neons (all named Karen, thanks to the kid), and a male and female pair of long finned leopard danios (1 & 2). I guess the medication is working fine. The pleco is less mouldy looking, except for the gross bubble on one eye, and is eating fine. Only 5 more days of medication. Yay. The stuff smells like an apothecary.

Hung out here, had coffee, unloaded the assload of tea, candy, and various sundry items we picked up at this discount candy store near Steven's. The place is dangerous. We picked up a couple boxes of Bigelow Tea for $1.49 each. We also picked up some funky Wimbeldon chocolates, some nice Swiss chocolate, dried apricots, 4 Bombas (energy drinks in grenade-shaped bottles) and Pfeffernuesse, which are spicier gingersnaps. Oh, and a pack of gel pens. This is a strange place, indeed.

Opened a couple of remaining presents here (pants from my mum and play-doh from my neighbour, Marilyn) and did Pizza Hut for dinner. Was dutifully impressed: there were no chicken & fries tantrums and the kid ate and enjoyed the pizza. Went from there to see Mum and Bruce, both of whom are far more interesting than Steven and me, most likely because they're new and more likely to say yes to things we've said no to. Gotta love kids.

Actually, the morning was good here, too. I got my fab absinthe calendar, which I still need to put up, but these are details. I hit Marshalls to try and find a plain, black turtleneck. You would not believe what a bitch this was. There literally were two in the whole place: one from Express in M and one from DKNY, also in M. Thankfully, the DKNY one fit, because I really wanted a black turtleneck to go with the new GAP skirt. Better still, I only paid $15 for the top. It was orginally $49.99.

Argh! Emeril just used the phrase "red gravy". This will not be funny unless you know someone from either Fall River or North Providence. Red gravy is, for the unenlightened, tomato sauce. No where else in the world is it called this. Another reason I love Rhode Island. (Also for the unenlightened: despite what Massachusetts believes, Fall River is not part of it, but part of Rhode Island. This is also true for Seekonk and other border towns.)

Digressing again. Had lunch at Friendly's, then off to my 6.5 hours of hell. It was super dead tonight and despite that, I did not read either of my newspapers or my absinthe book. I did put all my important dates on my calendar, eyed the posters that I want in the poster bin, played with the kid for a bit, and then... all hell broke loose.

I think I made the mistake of saying that my night was going pretty well. I had a woman come in with the More Butt, Less Buggy version of Sleigh Bells (aka the Horse's Ass picture) and decide she wanted a refund. She found something of for about half of what she paid and she wanted the rest of her money back. In cash. The flaw in this logic is that she paid by cheque and also that, normally, we do not give back cash refunds for anything $50 and over. She threw a fit, upsetting everyone else in the store, especially the customers behind her, who were planning on making a $100+ purchase. To quiet her, I gave her the money and sent her on her bitchy way. I, then, call my manager who launches into this tirade about how seasonal customers suck and if she wants the cash back so badly, she can come in Monday or talk to her over the phone and I am, under no circumstances, to give back the cash. I point out to the boss that our holiday return policy states anything under $100 has to be refunded, cash or charge. Only more than $100 has to be refunded by a cheque. Sigh.

As I'm finishing this fiasco, the help wanted sign falls. Just like BOOM! out of nowhere and shatters all over the floor that I have oh, so recently vacuumed. Between paperwork, cleaning up the glass, and time on the phone with Julie, I did not get out of there until 9:50. I hate retail.

This brings me full circle: drinking tea, lotioning my sore feet, and surfing the 'net. Took my codiene cough syrup and sudafed. I should probably think about getting some sleep, but I'm still a little wound up. I've volunteered to do some massive cleaning in Steven's basement tomorrow. This is either true love or I'm a gargantuan sucker. Probably a bit of both. I have ulterior motives, though. He has a disk chair that I want and also if I help him clean there, I can probably ask nicely for him to help me take the tree down here.

~*~

Well, back to reality Monday. I've totally enjoyed this vacation for the most part. Mum's basically not been home for the last two weeks, which means I have the place to myself. I love that. I can walk around naked anytime I want, I don't have to do the dishes 35 seconds after I've finished eating. I can leave things out and still have them there when I come home. It's fab.

Steven's back to work on Monday, as well. I know he'll be glad to be working again, but the vacation was nice. We've actually been spending more time at the house since it's been blissfully quiet. We visited with friends, went to a couple parties, watched movies, and generally relaxed. I'm ignoring that I was sick for some of it and work was still stressful, but things were basically low key.

I've got to call UMass Monday to have my application reactivated. I also need to register for classes and make sure my financial aid is all set. I also think I might hang out with Erin Monday.

Monday also starts my hunt for a new job. I'm tired of dealing with Julie's crap at work, I hate how the schedule is down, and, to be honest, I hate the 6-7 hour shifts with no double coverage. Because I love no breaks and it's totally legal, too. The only good thing is that my hours will be a little more truncated now. My week-ends are going to be reduced to mainly Sundays and I may pick up an additional Monday. I just can't deal with the bullshit.

I should go put up my calendar now.

I'm going to see Delerium on Sunday and I am incredibly excited! I'm inclined to believe that they've never toured before. I've hoping they play some of the music from the other bands that they perform under (Synaethesia and Frontline Assembly, for 2). Irregardless, I've heard some of the new Delerium material and it's good. It's a little more commercial friendly than most of the stuff on Poem (which actually did get radio play since Sarah McLaughlin sings on it), but it's still more than worth seeing. Yay, trance!

Anyhow, I finally got a job. I'm going to be working at Decor Images, starting on Tuesday. It's going to be 12-20 hours a week, which is what I need with school. It's retail, which I didn't want to do, but, then again, a job's a job right now and I need the money.

Ooh, Sugarcubes. I love Netscape Radio.

So I just realised I completely forgot that I had another job interview tomorrow at 9 and I have no real way of getting there and I definitely won't be falling asleep for a while longer. I guess I'm going to call and cancel around 8:30 tomorrow, since the interview is at 9am. Thinking about it, I actually don't know if I could even get into the mall that early. I'm so frazzled right now. It's been a long, fucking day, aside from getting that job. Bleh.

I want to buy more fish tomorrow. I know I really should wait, but the tetra is driving me nuts swimming around since Caesar died a couple days ago. It's absolutely neurotic; it drives me nuts. It does like techno, though.. The pleco actually does, as well. It was the funniest thing... we were watching the fish earlier and the stupid thing was moving its fin to the beat of the music. Of course, this is the same fish that hangs upside down on its column, as well.

I really need more of a social life. I've been so cooped up with this Keats paper that all I do is talk to the fish lately. I seriously started talking to them while I was writing Wednesday.

I need to remember to clean and buy a folder for French Monday. Must remember to do this, lest I get yelled at again. Who would have thought French, of all things, would be such a huge pain in the ass?

I feel so all over the place tonight. I've been in a good mood, just flighty.

Someone just pealed out across the street and the squealing tires scared the hell out of me. People have been driving like lunatic with all this hurricane phobia. All we got was rain and everyone is acting like the world is ending.

...Evidently Handel's Messiah now has an explicit sticker on it. I hate America and more specifically the recording industry. For god's sake, it's ecclesiastical; it's supposed to be religious. I usually don't buy things with the word messiah in it without thinking of god.

I need to listen to more new wave and ignore this article.

I should go to bed. I just took the ambien and am just killing time until it kicks in. That and I'm half-ass watching Food TV on school lunches. I can't believe it's almost September. In fact, a week from tomorrow is Labour Day.

Tomorrow is going to suck. I need to call the lady from The Limited back to let her know that I do, indeed, want to schedule and interview for the time being, even though the job is in Kingston and I do not want to drive that far; I need to call Massasoit and make sure that my financial aid stuff has gone through and, if it has, register for classes and I'm having more bloodwork in the morning. Yay for me. I hate having bloodwork. Steven's going to call me around 9 so I have time to get up, shower, take an ativan, and put my EMLA on before I go to the lab. Yay for fucking cancer tests.

Our fish, Caesar, is still living despite the odds of having spent $14.14 on medicine, new rocks, and a new filter for him yesterday, when he was literally on Death's door. He's looking better now; I guess the meds we bought for him really do a number on whatever he has when you catch it in time. I just feel really guilty that I couldn't catch it in time to save Uncle Creepy. I felt so bad yesterday when we found him dead...

We ended up getting to the game in the bottom of the 7th. They won 11-5, which they really needed, since they're in the middle of a penant race. I think they're tied for second in the league right now and a game or so behind Quebec, who are the league leaders right now. They're also first in the wild card race, if it comes to that. If they make the playoffs, we're going to have to find a way to get the money to see a couple games of the series. I'd love to see Brockton get a championship. They've played incredibly well this year.

New monitor makes funny buzzing sounds I'm not used to. It's kind of freaky.

No game tomorrow night. I think I'm going to work on my refinishing projects and maybe pull apart the fan and clean it because it's filthy. I'm considering hosing it down like I did the blind today. Seemed to work pretty well. If not, I'll clean it the old fashioned, elbow grease way. I think we're going to try (read: I'm going to start, get frustrated, and Steven, because he's a sweetheart, will end up doing it for me before I break something.) to put the DVD player/home theatre up. This is the same thing that happened yesterday with the TV stand. I got frustrated and he offered. He also vaccuumed for me yesterday as well. I could not have gotten all the work done without him.

Hopefully tomorrow is not a frustrating day. Maybe a trip to the maket and the fabric store, then some more refinishing. I think that will be my new hobby: refinishing things for my new room. I need to get picture hangers so I can put up my awesome silk embroidered chinese ...painting... I guess. I just don't know where to put it.

I do, however, have my little maneki neko back in my room in a promient place. Hopefully, she will bring me the good luck I need. I'd really like to get one of the big ones from Chinatown next time we go in. I think they're amazing good luck charms. Steven took my to this place called the Silky Way. I'm so in love with it.. I want to go back so badly. Well, when I have cash to buy things for the room.

Things I Still Need For Room:

material for curains

prints and frames to decorate walls

a bigger/more traditional maneki neko

dry erase/cork board

stuff to make shelves

That's all I can think of for now. I totally need sleep. I cannot type anymore.

Wow... It's July already. I really should try to update my journal a little more often. I think I only managed about 5 entries in June.

The job is still going pretty well. It feels more like hanging out than actual work, which I dreaded. Ironically, I work harder at this job than I ever did at Country Marketplace, but I'm a lot happier, too. Maybe it's just having a better staff?

We have fish now at work. Someone abandoned a couple of comets with us about two weeks ago and Steve didn't have the heart to flush them, so we bought a tank and named them Sashimi and Sushi, respectively. The next day, we bought a plecostomus, which Steve named Uncle Creepy because he lives upside down under the rock in the tank. The fish also happen to be completely retarded. Uncle Creepy has started stalking Sushi. I think he plans to molest him.

Sashimi unfortunately died yesterday. We came in and he was on the bottom of the tank. Not good. We gave him a dignified burial at sea (read: I flushed him). Steve wants to get a couple neons to replace him. I think we're all a bit mad. God knows we need fish. It's only worse because everyone talks to them.

I finally went to the doctor's the other day for all the strange little haemorages on my body. I had one on my left breast in the beginning of June that came up between when I drove Matt to work and came home to shower. I seriously thought it was marker at first. It looked like someone dotted bright blue marks on my chest. Since then, I've had a couple on the inside of my thigh, my arm, and my belly. I scheduled an appointment for last Thursday to get blood drawn. The bloodwork itself wasn't too bad; Steve was nervous and nearly passd out for me. I get blood drawn, he had to lay down.

I called Monday and they wouldn't tell me the pathology of the report over the phone. I had to schedule an appointment for yesterday to find out what was going on. After I got there, I had to wait for almost 45 minutes, which was peachy. Come to find out that my white blood cell count, my platelet count, and my neutrophillis counts are all fairly high. I get to have more bloodwork done sometime next week. Nothing makes me happier than this.

This is what my life has been like lately... more waiting.

I need to take a quick shower and get motivated to go and do my day-off errands.