technology...

Technology...some guy text messaged me a marriage proposal today!! How weird is that??

misc snippets

At the post office a few weeks ago, and the Hispanic clerk was talking to the heavily-accented Hispanic customer in english. I watched him becoming more annoyed with the customer because he couldn't follow even basic instructions and he asked him to address the 12" square box, or put his finger here so the clerk could tape it closed for him. Finally, the clerk, trying to determine if the item was fragile, asked the customer what was in the box. The customer says "a toilet."

....

I thought to myself "this is a great place" the other day when the Russian doctor was showing an Indian (Hindi) doctor how to do something on a Hispanic patient while generic caucasians assisted.

speaking of firemen...

Many moons ago, when I was living in the dorms, we would have fire drills. Lots of them. Morning, noon, and night. Didn't seem to happen when we were in class, as far as we knew. It was downright annoying. My roommate would say to me "Come back and get me if you see smoke, I'm not going" and roll back over and go to sleep.

After a few months of this, and thinking that they really should have gotten this problem fixed by now (or condemn the building, one or the other), we find out that there really was a fire, in the kitchen wastebasket on the top floor. Same place the next day. And the day after that.

Then we find out that one of our classmates has been removed and withdrawn from school. She had been stressed and had begun setting fires. She was put into some kind of mental-health program. (I have no idea where she is today.)

At least 2 of my classmates dated a fireman they met at one of those many drills. And I met my future ex-husband that way too.

People are so weird.....

a great way to meet firemen

Today at clinic, smoke starts pouring into the building and a guy rushes in the side door and starts yelling for people to get out of the building. Apparently some city workers had been doing something outside (sewer line?) and smoke was everywhere. Everyone gets out, and we put out some chairs for those who couldn't stand, and we wait outside. Four fire trucks and five police cars show up and cordon off the block. One guy who lives across the street came over and wanted to know what was going on because his house was full of smoke too--he was thinking his house was on fire until he saw what was going on outside. The firemen checkout the area and give the all-clear about 30 minutes later. We have to wait a bit until the smoke clears the building, and then we go back in and resume business as usual.

Still have no idea where all that smoke came from. Never a dull moment!

English is a great language

A woman comes in to visit a patient at work the other day. In the course of conversation, she says to me, "You know we funeralized my cousin last week."

this happened July 12th

I'm in the McDonalds at work, drinking coffee, with my back against the wall. A homeless guy comes in to refill his water bottle from the water fountain, and decides he likes the music they are playing. He starts doing his dance moves--legs, feet, hands, hips--it's all swinging. After a minute or two of this, security walks in one door, and he dances out another, still swinging...No one even notices.

Where else could you get entertainment like this?

stabbing

Today one of my patients' was a stabbing victim. Turns out some guy told him to wait for him someplace and he would go over there and he would stab him. So the patient did, and the other guy did too.

Last year-ish, someone at work made the observation that people who get stabbed are usually not nice people. After today, I may be inclined to agree with that.

185/115

A few days ago at clinic, this woman comes in. For as far back as I can see, her blood pressure has been up in the sky, always 210/110, or thereabouts. Today it's only 185/115. Every time she comes in, we go up on her blood pressure meds and have to give her something in the office so she doesn't have a stroke. Every month, I'm sure she gets asked the same questions--are you taking your meds? Doyou have enough money to buy your meds? Today, I get this nudge after I ask her those questions, and I ask her "did you take your Blood Pressure meds TODAY?" And she says no, she never takes them before she comes to the doctor because she wants the doctor to see how good her blood pressure is. Then she tells me that when she takes them, she can't drive because she gets very sleepy and tired...Probably because her blood pressure is in the toilet now!!

(Tired and sleepy are signs of LOW blood pressure!!!)

Work...

Friday, on the way home, I went to Taco Bell. There's a guy slouched in one of the chairs there, about 25-28 years old, talking to one of the women working there, who was over 40. He says to her "yeah, I just gotta work at my own pace, not like they want me to. If I worked like that, I'd get tired."....Hmmm....work, a novel concept!!!

Photoshoot

Same day. Leaving work, I pull out of the parking garage and drive past the mental health building. It's an OK building, nothing stellar. A semicircular white brick driveway in the front with a palm tree or two in the center, and the building itself is a 3 stories, concrete & glass. So, in front of the building, there are 3 motorcycles. Real ones, not the ones wannabes ride. On one bike, a woman is lounging, arm draped dramatically across her forehead. A man is standing next to her, and in front of them is another guy, camera blazing. WHO KNEW that the mental heath building was a photoshoot opportunity waiting to happen??

DTs

We get this guy into the unit because they want to watch him to make sure he doesn't get DTs. His mother comes to see him, and the first thing he says to her is "Do you have any alcohol at the house?" She replies "Sure, you want me to bring you some?"