Halloween
We have a test in a few days and a case tomorrow, so my roommate decided it would be best to leave rather than be interupted by trick-or-treaters. I on the other hand ended up with a pumpkin that had to be carved, and if I'm carving a pumpkin then I'm going to show it off, and therefore, I have to answer the door.
I have had more trick-or-treaters tonight than I have had in probably the last 5 years combined. I'm at just over ten or so. The best was a group of kids who seemed very excited that I had DARK chocolate. A little girl who was probably 7 (though I really have no idea how old any child is and that's a complete guess) who stayed behind to tell me that dark chocolate was good for your heart and if you ate a lot of it you could loose a couple pounds but then you'd throw up...But it's good for your heart.
The cutest was the last one to come to my door, probably a 2yo who was absolutely adorable in a cow suit. Harriet had just called me with an answer to my previous question and the kid was so teeny I had to bend down, I asked Harriet to hold on, even though I really didn't want to do that since she was doing me a favor and then the kid was so cute I nearly forgot about the phone. I hadn't had anyone for a long time before the cutey cow so I'm pretty sure that trick-or-treating is pretty much over. But it was a lot of fun and now I have to figure out how to get rid of that pumpkin since the trash people come on Monday mornings. I don't think it will last a week without some serious grossness.
4 Billion Dollars a Year
That's a lot of money.So...I'm switching to plastic. Okay, well, I mean credit. Credit plastic, not debit plastic. If you know me, then you know I live somewhere other than my permanent residence for the majority of the year. And that place other than my permanent residence that I'm residing at currently doesn't have a branch of my bank. Or even an ATM anywhere near me. Which is interesting because I thought it was supposed to be a southern centered bank, but when we were on vacation, which is more north than here, they had one. But there isn't one here. So I'm stuck paying fees, and sometimes I'm okay with fees, because I don't like NOT having any cash at all. But I think I'm going to go to the credit first then cash plan. Of course, this will mean that I will get a statement of my ACTUAL montly spending, and it will probably give me a heart attack, and we're doing all kinds of CV diseases in school and I'm pretty sure that 12 heart attacks a year is probably not a good thing, but at least I won't be paying all those ATM fees. I keep a lot of money in the bank (well, you know, depending on the time of the year) and I'm sure they make plenty of money off of the money that I give them that allows them to give other people money cause that's how banks work-I TOOK ECONOMICS PEOPLE!-and I'm sure that they don't need to charge me $2 every time I get $40 from the ATM. Also...I'm not really happy with my bank for that excessive withdrawal fee that they hit me with last month('cause I only had 4 withdrawals in 3 months from my savings account) even if it is only $2, I mean, I'm still a little mad at the Starbuck's girl and I'm not even sure that she really did steal a dollor from me. So that along with the facts that they have no banks or ATMs here, and that I STILL haven't gotten an e-mail from them about online banking aren't making me happy. I would go bank shopping but I just don't even have time to be writing this post.
This is why I'm cooler than you.
Because today, instead of studying for exams and getting caught up so that I have a better chance of actually finishing pharmacy school in the 4 years it is SUPPOSED to take I took a couple hours out of my day to do this.
I may be here forever, but I bet my pumpkin is better than yours!
Stop looking at me!
I followed a link today to the
site It looks like it could be a very cool idea. So, while looking around I clicked on the "about" link. And, wow, it is just freaky. Maybe it's just me. I couldn't even read the page.
pumpkin lattes aren't very good
I just signed up for bad charma. I just went to Starbuck's for a caffiene shot. When I was paying I counted out my dollars and wasn't quite sure when I handed the girl my money if I actually counted correctly, when I watched her count it I'm pretty sure it was a dollar over, but I wasn't exactly sure because a couple of the dollars stuck together and so I thought I might have mis-counted. But I was still suspicous. When I left I reached in my pocket to check to make sure the other money was there. I had two very crisp fresh twentys in there, I had just transfered them from my lab coat, because I worked today and my dress pants don't have decent pockets. But they weren't there, so I immediatly thought, "Oh! that girl stole my money, it was the two twentys that were stuck together and she saw it and instead of giving them back she just pretended like they were ones and she had counted correctly!" I got about a block away and decided I would go back just to make sure they hadn't dropped out of my pocket, or maybe if I did go back and ask if anyone had found them she would feel guilty and pretend like she had. So, I go back, but first I had to go another block to turn around. I walked in, and on the floor, kicked under a display were my neatly folded twentys waiting for my return, they had just fallen out of my pocket when I reached in for the other money, whew! It's a good thing I went back, I need that money, I'm poor.
But I'm still pretty sure I gave her an extra dollar and she didn't say anything.
Shortly after Katrina and Rita we recieved our electric bill and it was shocking. Well, actually not so much for me, because I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But my roommate was concerned because she knew that there was a increase coming for this month. We'll have to see what that does when the bill comes in the next couple days. But when it came we were talking about ways to save energy and we both mentioned how much we wanted to be able to just open the windows during the day, and that it wouldn't be long until we could do that. And...just to spite us the weather decided to skip the whole open window phase. I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed tomorrow. It's so cold my teeth chattered tonight. Forget about the open windows, we're going to have to figure out how to turn on the heat. It's a good thing I got my jacket last weekend, I'm going to need it. I heard that it was supposed to cool down with this hurricane, but I didn't figure it would be like this, I mean, hurricanes are tropical weather patterns, tropical implies warm and moist. I'm surprised the hurricane didn't just keel over and die halfway across the state.
Everyone should have an
amazon wishlist. They are awesome, I think they have everything. And...they tell you who makes it and everything so you can search around to see if there are better deals. I hope that link works for you. Right now I'm nearly completely in love with the backpack notebook case. I need one, and it's a better deal than dell is offering. And they have Nordstrom stuff. It's totally crazy that everyone doesn't have one.
More Clothes.
I'm forseeing weddings, and I have no wedding attire. Business attire, yes, wedding attire, no. So...I'm thinking this dress. It is on sale and there is no shipping if bought now. What do you think? Maybe it will just go on my list.
I would wear different shoes though.
So yesterday was a busy day. We had a full day on campus, which has become pretty usual on Thursdays. I get there at 8:30 or so and don't leave until 6:30 or so. Luckily we have lots of time in between classes so we can go over all of our work before class. We had ICS, which is easy for me now because I already did my presentation. Then I had a couple hours until PTX so we went over the case and argued our treatment suggestions. Then after class a few of us ordered pizza, which was quite an ordeal, first it had to be decided who was eating, what they wanted and how much to order. Then, it turns out that several places don't deliver to the hospital. I think it was the 3rd try by the time they found a place. Luckily I wasn't in charge of that process because I had a LOT of work to do. We got the Dose Opt case done and the homework. Then while I was finishing up the case (trying to watch a lecture I couldn't hear) some moved onto the IQMP assignment. I hadn't started on it yet, so I concentrated on the Dose Opt case, but when I was done I listened to enough conversations to get the gist and I was able to ask a lot of questions because everyone else was ahead of me. Then we went to class and went over the case. We had everything right except for one question, and there was some controversy about that. The key had the answers we had, but the person going over the case with us wasn't sure if they were right, so with all the confusion I asked if he would go back through the answers so I would know if I had heard everything right. I guess he thought I meant to go through all the answers to the rest of the questions, which he did because class was about to end (which I didn't realize at the time), but I really just wanted to make sure I had been heard the answers as they should have been. But hey, I'll take whatever you want to give me. So we just have to wait and see what the answers really are to that one question. Then I came home and went through the IQMP assignment, there were a couple that I didn't really agree with the answers, and when I asked other people they didn't know either so I e-mailed the professor and got a vacation response. Great! But this morning he e-mailed me back and told me what I wanted to hear, so I finished the assignment and turned it in, and of course, the one I had the question on was marked wrong. But I knew it would be ahead of time, now I just have to see if he will give me credit for it, especially considering he told me that credit would be given. At least it was only 2 points. And for the most part the assignment wasn't too bad, which is a happy change for that class. And that is about all the productive things I accomplished today.
How boring is that? Even when I'm busy, I'm boring.
Oh, and...have you seen this?
I first started "blogging" a long time ago. Back before I even knew that was what it was called. I posted a couple journal type entries to a web-site I created. The I moved over to an aol subprofile, but that didn't last long because it had so many pop-ups that it took me 10 minutes just to start my post and then while I was typing I would get interupted with pop-ups that would stop my typing and it was annoying. It's been a long time, back before pop-up blockers. Then I read an article in the newspaper about
salam pax. And that is where I first heard of blogger. I opened an account and have been blogging ever since. Blogger has changed a lot since then. They've added a lot more functions and are now owned by google, which is the best search engine out there. I've had very few problems that weren't directly related to their growth. I once found that my web-site had been taken over by someone else. It turns out that it was not actually taken over, but rather missplaced...or something...I don't know. I e-mailed them and they took care of it right away. But this was before blogger was bought by google. While I love google and the functionality they have brought to blogger, I am finding those problems that everyone worries about when the big companies buy the little ones. You see, now I have another problem. I think it probably isn't that difficult, but it's also not something I can fix on my own. So when I discovered my problem. A problem not covered by the multitude of faqs. IN fact, the faqs seem to say that my problem shouldn't be a problem. I should be able to move my blog, and then reclaim my old url. And when I do move my blog a copy of the old site shouldn't remain. But I can't reclaim my old url and an old version still exists at the old url. I understand that they no longer allow certain characters in their urls, but since mine was already being used, why can't I have it back? I really think it wouldn't be difficult for someone to address...and that leads me to my problem. You see, the people at Google, they are busy. They are a huge company and I guess they just can't have enough people sitting around waiting to solve the problems of all their users. So...it's been a week since I filled out the little help me survey and then replied to their reply telling them that I had already been through the faqs and they hadn't helped me and I still haven't heard anything back from them. Nothing. So...I have no idea if or when I will ever find out how they are going to help me out here. And until then, I have a dead web-site out there that I have no control over and no ability to redirect. Blah!
Why Lori is right and everyone should move to Ohio even though it is the land of white bread and picket fences and completely boring.
And even though her reasoning for it is slightly racist and makes me a little sick and angry to think about because of it.
Dude, did you know that you can get the US census online? You can. She was right. I looked up Homosassa, because who wants to live in Beverly Hills anyway. Anyway...in Homosassa the population is a nearly exactly evenly split between the sexes. 50-50. There are only 47 people between the ages of 20 and 24. That doesn't include me because when the survey was taken I was at school, and wasn't allowed to be counted even though Homosassa has always been my legal residence. But in a couple months I will not be in that age range anymore so...who cares about them. There are a whopping 98 people between the ages of 25 and 34. So, if we go by percentages here, there are only 46 males in Homosassa between 25 and 34. Only 16.2% of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher. And this is going to be off a little because 12% of the population of Homosassa is not old enough to have a degree, but just bear with me, the percentage is so small it won't really change it by much. So if there are 46 males 25-34 in Homosassa then only 8 of them have at least a bachelors degree. Not to mention the fact that a 34 year old could really be considered to be too old for us. But lets forget that for a sec, because true love knows no age... So...In Homosassa, the dating pool for me when i get back there is approximately 8 people. Now take into account that 65% of the male population is married. We'll say only 50% because we want to stack the odds in our favor, and because the elderly population is so high that I'm sure it is skewing the results. So lets just say that 50% of those 8 people are already married. Now we're down to 4. Now...Here comes the hard part because I've actually been thinking on this for a while. I can't name a single one. There are only 2300 people in Homosassa, I've lived there for the majority of my life and I can't name any one of those 4 college educated males. So...This proves...Lori is right, we should all move to Ohio.
new home?
I used to keep some really old stuff here, but I moved because the ~s in my old url were always such a challenge. A lot of things refused to believe that my address was even valid. As if I would lie about it or something. So I'm blowing the dust off and starting here. And look...I've already improved things I'm up 2 points from 0!
I have an exam tonight
-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 12:53 PM
To: Jacksonville Pharmacy Students
Subject: class tonight
At 3:00 we will be sending you a weather update regarding classes tonight.
Beverly
What???
CRAP! When did that happen?
It's a small world after all...
Every year when we go on vacation we make it a point to stop at every
Cracker Barrel we can. We plan our meals around it almost, and because there are tons of them along the interstate it's not too hard. There are two in Illinois that we regularly stop at on the way depending on timing. One in
Marion, IL and one in
Mt. Vernon. We never eat at Cracker Barrel except when we are on vacation. This past year Nikky got sick of it and I nearly didn't get to have French Toast!
When I was little, before I went to Daycare, I had a babysitter. The babysitter was Chris. She was Torri's Aunt. Her Uncle's wife. Later there was much drama and controversy in their lives, but while she was my babysitter, things were good for them, at least that's how I remember it. Torri and I were best friends. At least that's how I remember it. Later on someone moved or something, and Chris couldn't be my babysitter anymore. I lost touch with Torri.
The house we live in now, or rather my mother lives in now, was built about 12 years ago. We moved in when I was in the seventh grade. But mom bought the property quite a while before then. And before that we lived in a trailer next door to the property. When we moved in we learned of this weird it's a small world twist of fate. Torri lived across the street from what would one day, several years later (the thought had yet to be conceived really, I think) be our house. She lived across the street and down a couple lots from where we lived. I think I remember being shy at first, it was awkward meeting this person I couldn't really remember much of. But that was short lived and we became fast friends.
I attended Mrs. Linda's Daycare for a lot of years. And truthfully, if I had kids I would send them there. Dustin goes there now. But Debbie did a little babysitting, and she just happened to be Torri's mom, so we begged our parents, and eventually Nikky and I stopped going to Daycare and started going to Debbie's after school. She was an amazing person. And Torri was my best friend. We all had Chicken Pox together, or rather in a rolling fashion, Torri, Scott, Nikky, Nicky, and I.
Not everyone can say they have known actual carnies. But I can. Keith and Shelley traveled the country with the carnival for months at a time. They were Torri's aunt and uncle. But I think the traveling got to be too much and they decided to settle down.
As I think I've made clear, every year we pack into our car and take a trip up north. We used to only go to Illinois to see family, but now we go to Missouri as well. In the days when we only went to Illinois we would stay for about a week or so and then head back. One year Torri and Debbie came with us. Keith and Shelley lived somewhere not too far from where my family lived. The world is small. I didn't know where exactly, but it was far enough that it wasn't impossible for them to drive from where we were going to where they wanted to go. And the trip was awesome because Torri got to come.
One day the world lost one of the greatest people I knew. When Debbie passed away suddenly I think everyone was shocked. I wasn't even able to react. At some point we had built our house and I just couldn't believe that she wouldn't be just across the street. And of course, what I was feeling came nowhere near what those closest to her were feeling. I can't imagine what Torri felt. Not then and not now. But I knew she was hurting. I know she hurt for a long time, and I'm not really sure it ever got any better for her. I know she went to the Health Academy, and I know she had to take her drivers test more than once, but even though she lived right across the street we drifted apart. I just didn't know how to relate to her anymore. There was so much hurt there, and so I guess we both pulled away.
It turns out that Keith and Shelley had settled in Marion, IL. I heard through the grapevine, that after graduation Torri moved up there with them. She had a hard time dealing with her father after the death of her mother, and I think he had a hard time dealing with the loss. So the move was probably best for all. Later Chuck remarried, and had a baby. Then he moved and we've had to call the police on the new people across the street.
Every year when we go on vacation we make it a point to stop at every Cracker Barrel we can. We plan our meals around it almost, and because there are tons of them along the interstate it's not too hard. There are two in Illinois that we regularly stop at on the way depending on timing. One in Marion IL and one in Mt. Vernon. The difference between then and now is that the last few years we've wondered aloud when in Marion about whether Torri is still there.
The day after John Lennon was shot, I was born. At
Clay County Hospital in Flora, IL. I suppose it was a joyous day. Usually births are. There is a new Clay County hospital now. It's our on hwy 50. We only pass it when we go to Aunt Erma Dean's. We come into town from the other direction. We get off the interstate at
Salem and get on 50, we always know we're getting close when we get off the interstate. You have to wonder how big this town really is. Certainly bigger than Flora, but kids still ride their bikes unattended on the sidewalks and the store sit right on the road because the buildings were built long enough ago that they didn't consider what would happen when the road needed to be widened. I'm pretty sure everybody still knows everybody or could at least find out.
I have a site meter, so I pretty much know who reads my blog. And if they actually got to this point in the post then perhaps they are going hmmm. I wonder, how long we spent in that Cracker Barrel in Marion this year wondering if we might catch a glimpse of Torri. We never did. After my post yesterday, I know why. Torri doesn't live in Marion anymore. I know because I googled her. Google is always a helpful tool. She's also not married, or at least she doesn't use her husband's name (or at least she didn't as of August 12). I know all of this because of this
article. So...I'll have to remember this next year. Or, maybe, one of y'all could mention me if you see her. Her birthday is a week from today, the 10th, so you should also wish her a Happy Birthday.
The 100 most challenged books from 1990-2000
It is amazing to me that people still attempt to ban books. Especially here in America. As if people only think the first ammendment counts when they believe what is being said. As if your only allowed to express your thoughts when they are popular, I mean, look what happened when France a couple years ago. They just said they wouldn't support a war on terror that was directed at the country that was not responsible for the attacks that had triggered the war in the first place. I may not like a lot of things people insist on putting out there, but I've never questioned their right to say it. But I guess this belief that the first ammendment should only be upheld when the popular opinion is being expressed has it's roots in this ever present belief that it's acceptable to ban a book.
So here's the list of the 100 most challenged books from 1990-2000. Go ahead and read down the list.
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker I saw the movie?
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Sadly, I haven't read many on the list. Surprisingly, i read most of the in school, they were assigned. Most of them were assigned in Elementary school. None of them ever seemed controversial to me. And "Where's Waldo"? What the hell is wrong with "Where's Waldo"? When I posted about the BFG earlier today, it reminded me of "How to Eat Fried Worms," which I was considering reading again even though I read it in the 4th grade. This summer, I'm going to work on the list. But I'm not going to read "Cujo." Or "Catcher in the Rye," Mom read it over the summer and said it was not very good.
Hey Vern, it's Ernest!
There are some phrases that will always bring about a memory of a song. In my case, the memory is usually less about the song, as it is rarely a song that meant anything to me. I saw a link to a blog, "Life's Highway" recently, and immediately I was singing "Life is a highway" in my head. I never really listened to this song, or was a fan necessarily of Tom Cochrane, but I can hear the song quite clearly in my head whenever some combination of Life and Highway come up. I remember first hearing it and watching the video at Torri's house.
Another one that comes to mind is that OPP song. You know it, "you down with OPP, yeah you know me." And while that part of the song comes to mind, I don't know any other words, if there are any other words. What that brings to mind is the time when Scott Hicks wanted Debbie to shave OPP into the side of his head. She refused telling him that she didn't have the equiptment to do that. He still begged to have it done, but seemed to accept the excuse.
I think it's interesting that those two memories that came to mind are from so long ago, and I wonder what ever happened to Torri Hurn.
This summer, we went on our usual summer vacation. It requires 4 days in a car, 2 there, 2 back. This year on the way there while in the car, in the middle of who knows where Nikky all the sudden exclaimed, "Oh. My. God." We all just sort of paused waiting for her to explain. "I saw a goat." Since we were on an interstate, it seemed very unlikely, but she swears she saw it so that night in the motel we searched for goats. We went through every breed we could find. She's pretty sure it was some kind of Mountain goat. I'm pretty sure they don't have those in Alabama. But whatever. Later on she said, "Look, a butterfly man chasing 'em around and stabbing 'em." I was pretty sure she'd cracked so I laughed. I could totally picture some big tall skinny man with long grey hair and a beard gracefully chasing butterflies with a big butterfly net in one hand and a knife in the other, waiving the knife around trying to stab them. Wierd I know. The thing is, I for some reason associated the picture of him with the
BFG, according to the current cover art, I was completely off base there. But the picture of this butterfly man was so clear to me, and completely comical that if I can ever get someone to draw this for me the way I picture it, I'm totally getting it tattooed on me.
Oh, and it turns out she actually said something about a confederate flag on the side of the road, not a butterfly man.
