Today Was A Good Day

In fact, it was probably the best day I've had at this job ever. I got down to medical records a couple of minutes late and... no one was there. The lights were still off and everything. So I turned on my computer and my phone and sort of settled in by myself, enjoying a bit of quiet downtime before work really started. Roughly 30 minutes later, V showed up, fully prepared to turn around and leave again. As it turned out, though, T had called out sick and V was stuck. I happen to like it when T's not there (I know, right, who knew?) and it was pretty slow, so V and I had the chillest morning ever in which we did as little work as humanly possible. It was great.

V, though, had a doctor's appointment, so she had to leave at 1:30. There is another temp part-time in records now, a girl who just graduated high school and may be on the verge of termination, so it was all fine.

Except, the other temp didn't show. As in, she didn't call out or anything, she just didn't come to work today. That means, in three weeks as an employee, she's called out twice, left early once and skipped a day entirely. She may not make it much longer.

So, anyway, V left as planned and my supervisor sent down a woman, Z, who I really like. With almost nothing for us to do. I did the Washington Post crossword puzzle, and read online news and enjoyed other such methods of killing time because the work that trickled in from 2 to 4:45 (when I left) probably took an hour total. And, just adding to the overall awesome, A (the main dental receptionist - he's a lot of fun) bought Z and I coffee from Top Pot at 3:30. Just because.

Best day ever. Monday is going to be such a disappointment.

In other news, I was randomly surfing Facebook and I noticed that someone I went to high school with and actually hung out with a little bit senior year (the other Alexis, for... Ashalyn is probably the only person reading this who might have any idea who she is) has changed massively from when I knew her. Like, she used to be pretty Christian and she dated the same guy for a long time, got into another serious relationship when she went to college, pretty 'normal' middle class white American teenager. Well now, based on Facebook, she's out as a lesbian, no longer religious and has gone pretty dyke-y. It makes me wonder how many EW people she's successfully kept up with, taking into account such big personal changes. Pretty awesome, though, if you ask me.

As of, like, the last year or so, I've managed to successfully keep up with two of my high school friends (Dana and Ashalyn). Hannah... dropped off the face of the earth (I don't even know, but I gave up awhile ago) and I haven't really thought about anyone else in ages. But, hey, two isn't bad! That's more than a lot of people, I think.

Work story time!

This is a pretty good one, too, just to show off how ridiculous my lead really is.

The set-up: It was the very end of the day Wednesday. Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I saw a midnight showing of Harry Potter with Dana (go see it, it's great), got home at three and had to get up at six to go to work. So I was pretty much a zombie and, by four, was at the giving up point because, honestly, I really don't care that much.

Anyway, M (the light duty person who actually had her last day today) asked me why I looked so out of it, and the following exchange occurred, involving T (my ever-loved lead):

Me: I am pretty tired, yeah, I saw a midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie. It was kind of a stupid thing to do because I had to work today, but I've been a Harry Potter fan for about ten years, so it was worth it.
T: Why do you like that stuff? It's so satanic.
M: It's not satanic, just harmless kid's stuff.
T: It is not harmless!
Me: ...Right. I'm just... gonna go over here now. Yeah.

I couldn't even make this stuff up - she's so crazy. She also was under the mistaken impression that, now that M is gone, I'll be working in medical records full-time (rather than just from 7:50-2). She said at one o'clock today, and I quote, "you can go upstairs early today, because this is the last day I'm gonna be able to let you go up there."

I just kinda went smiled and nodded... and went straight to my supervisor to ask her about this statement. Supervisor said, no, I will still work upstairs from 2-4:50 because that's part of my job. T does not have the authority to 'let' me do anything. So, um, she's gonna get a little bit of a surprise on Monday when I pack up and leave records at 2, same as usual. I'm probably a little bit too happy about that, but she's so vile I can barely stand it, so I've decided I'm entitled to my tiny victories.

Unfortunately, due to potential monetary troubles in my near future (my family may not be able to give me the money they have in the past), I have had to extend my work plans to 21 August. So, I'll only have a week off before moving back to Salem, but it'll get me another thousand dollars, which can only help. But I was looking forward to quitting on the 7th, so I'm a little sad about that part. Oh well, it's only another two weeks, right? Right.

Stay tuned for further updates in the crazy.

Also, Ashalyn! When are you gonna be out here? Even though I'll almost certainly be working, we'll have to hang out.

College Experiences?

At about eleven o'clock tonight, I helped heat up a kitchen fork with a borrowed Zippo lighter in order to get a tick off the back of someone's neck.

It was not my favourite thing ever.

Unfortunately, Josh does not have health insurance, so he refused to go to the ER to get his neck looked at properly. We're 97% sure we got the tick out whole and everything's fine, but he can't afford proper medical care, so that slight possibility of a problem is sort of looming in the shadows. This, to me, screams a need for universal health care. Because, when someone can't afford to go look into the (however remote) possibility of Lyme Disease or some other nasty shit, you know there's something wrong with the system.

Our health care is so beyond broken.

Putting that aside, today I went to Uwajimaya (the big Seattle-based Japanese grocery store) and bought things like Kirin Lemon (a soda) and plum wine and yakisoba-making supplies. The Uwajimaya in the International District up in Seattle is nicer than the Portland one - much bigger, with a great food court and a two-storey Kinokuniya Bookstore - but it was still really nice to get some Japanese things I'd missed. I'm definitely hitting up the Uwajimaya in Seattle at spring break, though. For the Kinokuniya, if nothing else.

I wish there was a Book-Off in this area, but the closest one is in Vancouver, BC. If we had one in Washington or Oregon, I'd be all over it. Or, equally, Book-Off's counterpart Hard-Off. Hard-Off, despite the really funny name, is a used electronics store. Why they called it Hard-Off, the world may never know.

And... now I really need to get some sleep. Sleep is good.

But, I have another Zuka clip to post! This time, the Epilogue to Elisabeth. I'm gonna have to start seriously searching Youtube for new stuff - I can't let you guys down on the video posting front.