Homesick

I'm overwhelmingly homesick right now. No idea why. Listening to Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole while writing up a session. Crazy homesick.

That's a first

I just saw my first Emergency Alert for a civil emergency. They've been flashing them up for 4 days for the rain and flash floods, then this afternoon for a tornado warning, but civil emergency is a first.

Wish I knew where lake Needwood was. And where rock creek is. I don't think I live downstream of them! Apparently the dam's about to bust and people are being asked to evacuate.

Maybe I should hang a tea bag on my bedpost just in case. I might get tea for breakfast at this rate.

*gonna go check if the lake across the street is downstream of Lake Needwood*

Nope. It's north west of DC. I'm south west. I'm in the clear for that particular emergency. No tea bag needed.

Screwed by Security

Well, last night I tried to buy a MacBook online. All seemed to be well. I set the delivery address as my brother's because I didn't want the computer to be left on my apartment doorstep. I paid the extra $18 for 2-3 day delivery in order for it to arrive before Friday. Big bro is dropping off nephew, and hopefully the computer, on Saturday for a weekend of fun.

All seemed well.

Then I got a message from MBNA VISA. The were concerned about a series of purchases on my credit card and could I give them a call? I did.

Apparently, APPLE sends out a few test charges to make sure all is well before charging the big one. In my case, 2 $1 charges, a $5 charge, a $252 charge, then the $1300 charge. This raised some flags at VISA, so they denied the $1300 one.

So I had to clear it with them. Then call APPLE and explain what happened, have them re-submit. Then the guy at APPLE informs me that it may not be delivered by Friday because of the delay. So I'm supposed to call Friday if my bro does not receive my computer.

Okay, several points here. #1. Why the heck did APPLE charge me in a way that raised red flags? How stupid is it to send out 3 test charges prior to the actual charge (I understand the $252 charge- that was for my service plan and something else). #2. Why the heck did MBNA VISA deny a charge prior to contacting me? They had ALREADY denied the charge when I called. #3. Why would they bother to deny APPLE? I mean, if it was some joe-blow company then maybe, but this is a well-known legitimate business. I mean, it's APPLE! Good gosh!

I'm pissed, mainly because it may mean not getting my computer this weekend and I wasn't planning to drive to my brother's house the next weekend just to pick up my computer. On one hand, yes MBNA was trying to assess unusual patterns in spending to catch fraud, but on the other hand, it was APPLE! They don't normally dabble in fraud. And if the shipping verses billing raised a flag, all they needed to do was look at the last name. What's the chance of two people with an unusual last name getting together to do fraud??? Grrrrrr. I think mainly I'm just bummed about not getting it this weekend- now I'll have to make a special trip and I was planning a Baltimore trip that weekend. I'm spoiled. And in a bad mood.

But I did manage to hike 7.8 miles on Sunday, tour Luray Caverns AND Skyline Caverns on Saturday and hang out with 2 friends from Baltimore all weekend. We even managed to find a sweet B&B that let us bunk 3 people in one room (2 twins and a rollaway) for $40 each (cheaper than most hotels in the area) and the price included a full breakfast and advice for hiking places. It was a good weekend.

Things have picked up very slightly at work. The education director did not realize that I'm contract and will now utilze me to teach (I'm not sure why she wasn't in on that plan to begin with) and my caseload was 6 patients today (last week it was 2-3 every day). She's a weird one. Hugged me in front of the boss. Has been very professional and distant ever since. Both are weird behaviors. I'm doing my 4th MBSS in the morning. And Chris said I would only get to do 2 or 3 a month! I'm happier now that I'm busier. Still going to the gym despite the stiffness from hiking. 30 minutes yesterday and today I did 45 on the treadmill and 10 rowing, as well as 10 stretching. Tomorrow I'm getting a message to address tight muscles (any excuse whatsoever!) and Thursday I'm joining kickboxing.

It's going to be so fun! Still a bit boring here though. Not really any friends, though everyone is very nice. Mary and I may go out to dinner this week, and there's some speculation regarding speed dating oportunities. We'll see.

Week in Review

Gym time: 4/5 days with plans to hike tomorrow. One class (Power Yoga) and some time on the treadmill and rowing machine.

Patients seen: Average 3 per day. Yes, that leaves a heck of a lot of time to sit around. Time spent chatting with nurses so they'll send more patients to me-- 50% of my day. other 25% spent gathering materials to help with staff training. Final 25% with actual patients. I'm trying to produce as much stuff so they won't fire my butt. I honestly think they just need a place holder. I should sit back and enjoy, but my work ethic is screaming bloody murder "get back to work" so I find myself wandering the floors listening for the distant sound of coughing. I don't think it helps for the nurses to percieve me as bored, so I've just been lingering over the few patients I have and allowing myself to enter into conversations. I don't know how to do this building up a practice stuff. I've always gained trust through my work quality-- but what if there's no work to be done? How to gain trust and respect then?

Boredom has a name, and it is C***** Medical Center.

Staff is nice. No kindred spirits. Going hiking with buddies from Baltimore.

Dang bored. Can't even play on the computer at work. Dang hospital IT has all the pages watched or blocked.

Hopefully will pick up my spirits in the Shenandoah Valley tomorrow. It better be pretty or I'm going to boycott or something equally trite.

Socializing in the New Place

Ate pretty good sushi with coworker Mary tonight and her neighbor who is moving away this Wednesday. Let the social life begin! Actually, she didn't paint a great picture for possible things to do here. Dum dum dummmmmmmmmm...... I may be burning some fuel to and from D.C. on a regular basis.

KT Turnstill concert at the 930 club was AWESOME and well worth going to work on the second day souped up on 3 cups of caffiene. It was Emily's birthday so we had reason to celebrate and good music-- nice evening of bopping to a beat. KT is worth the time and money to attend-- way too much fun.

Joined a gym tonight too and actually walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Listened to the instructor SCREAMING at people in what I hope was bootcamp aerobics. If that was the normal class, I may not be attending. "COME ON LADIES, YOU ARE NOT SLACKING IN THIS CLASS. MOVE!" I was scared walking on the treadmill one room over! I'll try to join a class next week-- this week is all about increasing by 15 minutes. By Thursday I want to be there an hour doing STUFF (not just walking- that would be boring-- maybe 30 minutes treadmill, 15 precore and 15 bike or something like that. Suggestions?)

So, continuing the project of keeping busy and finding gems in my current place of living. We shall see what this new corner offers. Wish me luck. Oh, and it's great being an hour from big brother--liking the whole "get to know your family" thing.

P.S. Hotel Kelly has a pull-out couch. If you are in the area and need cheap dwelling place, let me know!

Up and Running with Addiction to TV

I've got internet, I've got cable, I'm up and running.

Break was great. Pictures of the following will be coming: Brad's wedding, visit with Guppy, Nashville with Kevin, and the Blue Ridge parkway.

Until then, I'll amuse you with stories of my TV addiction which I was not proud to discover. In Baltimore, I watched TV in the evenings before bed, usually about 30 minutes to an hour, and put the TV on timer to turn itself off while I slept. For 3 weeks, I've had no such convenience.

At the parents' house, no TV in the guest bedroom. I did manage to fall asleep in front of their very large TV (I come by my addiction honestly and genetically, apparently). Felt guilty when mom had to come out and remind me to go to bed at 2am. Both times.

At my friend's wedding there was no time for TV and it was not missed one iota. Too much fun to be had with friends that did not involve the boob tube.

At my brother's, we watched his shows including "Walk the Line" which I had not seen. Lovely movie that was closer to a musical than a movie. I'm still not sure if it's romantic he went to live his true love or if he's a creep for sleeping around. They did manage to put his first wife in a very negative and needy light. But control of the beeper was not to be mine during my stay at Kevin's. His house, his beeper, his TV. But I still didn't miss TV at this point, despite not having full control over programming for 2 weeks. No, this came later.

Monday I began the ride along the blue ridge parkway. It added about 4 hours to my drive to my older brother's house, but it was worth every hour. I drove, and stopped, and drove, and stopped. Eventually I stopped taking pictures because none of them were doing the environment any justice. The silence was velvet at every stop and I spent the day pretty much not communicating with anyone but the occasional deer which I advised not to "lay in front of the car". A very pretty spotted baby deer got spooked by the car and responded by laying down on the cement. Um, bambi, this isn't a meadow, that isn't grass, you aren't hidden, and you aren't going to make it to adulthood if your response to cars is to lay in front of them. Move.

Then I stopped at Sugar Tree Inn. Lovely inn run by a lovely couple whose son is actually a Clemson graduate living in my hometown in SC. Lovely couple decided to go pick up their lovely daughter and leave me in their lovely, isolated, mountainside inn by myself. All by myself. With just some angry humming birds to buzz me incessintly because I was sitting too close to their nectar. For 4 hours. So here I am, in this isolated inn, with only my maglight for protection. No other guests were there (all 5 of them arrived after 11 pm). What an opportunity! I sat on the porch enjoying the view, eating BBQ that I had picked up on the way in, rocking in the chairs, trying to ignore the buzz-bys of the humming birds. And about 2 hours later I was antsy. I paced. I explored the inn. I explored my small cabin. I walked in the garden. I tried to pretend I was writing Waldan. I tried to relax. I tried to enjoy the damn silence. I missed TV.

I was angry at myself for missing TV in this beautiful and unforgetable setting. I sat in the rocking chair and forced myself to enjoy the sunset. I like sunsets. Why did it take so darn long for the sun to set? Where did everyone go? Is there a murderer hiding in the woods? Never fear, I have my maglight to beat them to death.

I finally waved the white flag to lonliness and called a few people on my cell phone. And I felt like I was sinning by breaking the silence with a phone call. I mean, if you are going to call someone from an such a location, it should be on one of those old phones you have to crank or at least a rotary. But no, I sat on the porch rocking and chatting with friends.

Arriving in my present location, I was forced to sleep in a Holiday Inn for 2 nights and finally had TV. I moved into my apartment Friday and my TV is at my brother's house. The cable guy was supposed to come this morning to turn on internet and cable, but he didn't arrive until 4pm so I was forced to cancel my run to my brother's house for the TV/DVD and my flute. So I paced. And I explored. And I set up my house. And I cooked an elaborate breakfast and equally elaborate lunch. Then I went exploring for dinner, landed up at Best Buy, and bought a 15 inch flat screen monitor TV for $300 and so far I've watched the end of Harry Potter and the end of the Mask of Zorro. I'm pathetic. I'm addicted. Who goes and buys a TV due to withdrawel? I'm disappointed in myself.

And I enjoying the AMC show Hustle right now (have you seen this one? It's like Ocean 11, except it's a series!) At least I'm not missing TV in the face of breath taking beauty-- nothing beautiful about the urban sprawl I'm now living in. So if you'll excuse me, I've got to figure out how to set up the digital cable so I'll never miss another show again. Got to get my fix.