Back in the Saddle (again)

Hello everyone,

Sorry for those of you who were disappointed in the attrition of blog contributions toward the end of my road trip. I was definitely experiencing blog fatigue. I now realize that I am just not very good about keeping up with the blogging, so I removed "books" and "movies" from this blog, and moved "Favorite Things" down to the bottom, so I don't feel so disappointed in myself when I finally do log back on. I also changed the title of my blog from "crises of a 10th year undergraduate" since I FINALLY got my degree!!! Yippee!!!

What have I been up to? Well, after my road trip ended, I got my wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday the 20th (well, two of them were pulled, and two of them were surgically removed) then I had an allergic reaction to the vicodin which left me sick for days and days.

Thursday - Sick

Friday - Sick

Saturday - Slightly less sick, but still not quite up to snuff

Sunday - Not really sick but in a lot of pain from the jaw tension and only being able to take tylenol

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Monday, August 25th - First day of work. (For those of you who don't know, I just began work as a technology consultant for a major international consulting firm.) The first day consisted of eight hours of powerpoint slides about various HR topics.

Tuesday, August 26th - Second day of work. Eight hours of slides of "core values"

Wednesday, August 27th - Stitches removed from surgery, and eight hours of online training on such scintillating topics as sexual harassment and data privacy.

Thursday, August 28th - see Wednesday

Friday, August 29th - See Wednesday and Thursday

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The next two weeks promise to be a little more exciting (well, for me anyway) with two weeks devoted to computer programming training.
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Then two weeks after that, I get to travel to another state for two weeks of training with all of the new hires from around the globe (who look a little bit like an alcoholic co-ed fraternity in business suits, if the recruiting materials are to be believed). I'm actually really looking forward to that too. I'm just excited to be starting this new chapter of my life. The powerpoint presentations and online trainings wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so anxious to get started on the "real" work.

Anyway, I'm definitely very excited about the opportunities before me. I'm working with some really great people (even if most of them are really young, and I can't help acting a little bit like their mom, or at least their nerdy older sister) and all of the experienced people I've met seem to be competent, if not always entertaining. I'll try to keep you updated, but I'm not making any promises. I'm an international consultant now. :)

The Doctor is OUT

So, no endoscopy today. This was the original consult, where the gastroenterologist makes me spend money to give him the same medical history I gave my GP, and then puts me on expensive medications before doing any expensive diagnostic tests.

Current diagnosis: acid reflux. I'm going to be taking a "proton pump inhibitor" to try to neutralize the acid. It could take up to a month for the symptoms to dissipate if the medicine is effective. Fun. I'm also supposed to start drinking metamucil. Nothing like purchasing senior citizen accessories while in your mid-twenties. Soon I'll be buying ensure and depends. I can feel it.

Differential diagnosis: allergies. Apparently, I may suffer from some seasonal allergies that are causing me to experience post-nasal drip in the nighttime, and making me throw up in the morning as I try to clear my throat (subconsciously) in the morning. Intriguing. And convenient, since I have no allergy symptoms during the day. And am not "stuffed up" in the morning. If you can just make stuff up, I think I'm ready to be a doctor. If it is "allergies" then my symptoms would likely go away this summer and come back at the same time next year.

Follow up: revisit the GE if the PPI doesn't get rid of the AR. If I have reflux, then I'd get an endoscopy in 5-7 years to make sure that the acid hasn't killed my esophagus.

Feelings: why don't we have one of those medical tricorders yet? I just want to know what's wrong with me by waving an iPhone over my body, and then I want it to be cured by some kind of painless laser/photon beam. On a positive note, my doctor was pretty nice, I think I'm just frustrated with medicine as a whole.

Superbad = super awesome

Superbad was so good! It reminded me of a John Hughes movie. I've been waiting for someone to start making 80's-style schlocky comedies that are both heart-warming and ludicrous. Thank you, Seth Rogen, you have satisfied my comedy cravings.

I've added some new critters to my aquarium: two new Emerald Green crabs to take care of the increasingly undesirable bubble algae problem I've been having. When I only had one or two bubbles it was cute, now that there are more than ten I just couldn't handle it any more, so I bought "Brownie" and "Greenie" the emerald crab twins. Presumably at least one of them will have an appetite for valonia and I'll wind up with fewer of the pesky macro algae, otherwise, I'm going to have to take the rocks out and pluck them myself. :(

On a happier note, my summer job has come to an end, so I'll be posting more frequently. It's usually more bittersweet when it's over, but with all the health problems and trickle-down nonsense, I'm definitely feeling more relieved than sad. Now I just need to write a 20 page paper for my Spring internship, get an endoscopy, travel to Colorado to visit my dad, and then set-sail on the cruise of a lifetime, all before classes begin again September 26th. Endoscopy notwithstanding, the last month of my summer could easily make up for the first two. I'm pretty excited.

So, for those of you who haven't heard from me all summer: I'm sorry!!! Let's catch up sometime in the next two weeks.

Better late than never...

So, clearly I've been completely remiss when it comes to posting blogs, but as those of you who know me will understand, I've been quite busy at my summer job.

I've finally taken some steps to preserve my mental and physical health by cutting back my hours, but it has been a bumpy ride. It's definitely a bittersweet feeling to be working so much less. I feel bad about the burden I'm putting on my staff by not being there 24/7, but I definitely need to put my own health first.

I've seen lots of movies and read lots of books in the month that I haven't posted to my blog.

I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The book, the final installment of the septilogy (is that a word?) was quite satisfying. I would have preferred a more "German" ending, but I think that the way it ended was appropriate for its target audience. The movie, however, of the fifth book, wasn't that good. Having the same kid play Harry at this point is laughable. He's supposed to be 14 years old, but there were some closeups that clearly showed Harry's stubble.

I thoroughly enjoyed Live Free, Or Die Hard. That movie made my summer. I also enjoyed the Transformers.

I was disappointed in The Simpsons Movie, and Stardust. And I CAN'T WAIT to see Superbad.

I've got to get back to work, but I wanted to post something for my "audience." (Hi Bernie.)

Derelict...

in my duties have I been. (Feeling a little yoda-ish today).

Setting up for my summer job is a rather time consuming task. Yesterday I worked non-stop from 8:00am to 9:30pm. My food yesterday consisted of one slice of pizza and a bowl of cinnamon life (which I ate at 9:30).

I love being busy, but the first thing to go seems to be food--which is why I usually weigh less when I am stressed out. At this point, that cannot be a bad thing, but I do need to eat something. I see a salad in my future.