Spent

When I first made my blog, it was because I was spending all day reading, studying, taking in as much as my brain could handle, and I needed an outlet and some place to generate something instead of just absorb. I needed to use my creativity.
Now, I spend almost all of my time writing and filling in spreadsheets (with enough reading to fill up every other free moment, let me assure you). But when it comes to the end of the day, I just don't have any more to give, writing wise. I often stay as far away from my computer as I can when I get home at night just because I'm sick of staring at a screen after 14 hours, which is very unusual for me. And whether it's trying to write an interesting introduction to entice someone to read the most boring article ever or just trying to remain social in my shared workspace, I am exhausting my creativity too.
I've been posting more of the articles I'm reading to the facebook because it's easier -- at least with the NY Times, there's a simple button. I think there might be something like that with Google Toolbar for blogger... If I can find that, more might start going up here.

I so want to live in a retirement village.

Coffee Crotch

This morning I had to go up to the hospital and bring Glen something so I stopped at ABP (that's Au Bon Pain, but Glen and I can't pronounce it even though he took like 4 years of French so use the abbreviation - thanks Mindy!) and got some coffee.  Back at my desk, I go to take my first sip and all of a sudden it's all over my pants.  So I figured a little must have spilt (I think that's a word) on the lid so I wipe it all off and try again.  AGAIN before the cup reaches my lips, I have coffee on my lap.  So I went to the sink and tried pouring some and low and behold, before it reaches the little sippy hole, it pours out from between the lid and the cup!  Even though it's tightly secured!  So I gave up on the lid and it's all good.
Then twenty minutes later my coworker comes back into our cubicle area and complains that she spilled coffee all over her pants this morning, there was something wrong with the cup.  I say Me too! and then all of a sudden she points over at my desk and says That same cup!  She had also gotten a large coffee from ABP this morning in the same Christmas themed cup.

So, beware of the large Christmas cups at ABP!  They will give you Coffee Crotch.  Or I guess Coffee Feet if you are standing.  The end.

Here's a map of honeymoon possibilities I've been working on... it should be interactive:


View Larger Map

216 days until 6/21!

http://www.attwheredoyoulive.com/index2.html

So disappointing...

How the Democratic Presidential debate last night in Las Vegas ended:

MODERATOR: Maria, would you stand, please?  Give us your full name.
AUDIENCE: Maria -- (inaudible) -- and I'm a UNLV student.  And my question is for Senator Clinton.  This is a fun question for you.  Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?
CLINTON: Now, I know I'm sometimes accused of not being able to make a choice.  I want both.
MODERATOR: Do we get to ask any of the other candidates or, I suppose, just Senator Clinton?
AUDIENCE: It's the only shiny thing up there.
MODERATOR: Okay, thank you so much.
MODERATOR: All right, so on that note, diamonds and pearls, I want to thank all of the Democratic presidential candidates for joining us here this evening.  Let's give them a big round of applause.

oh sorry, I should probably follow up to that Widener post...

I actually don't know very much, but it seems there was an anonymous threatening message written on a bathroom wall in one of the dorms.

Later that evening, they re-opened the campus with no explanation.

Glen thinks it was staged so they would have a reason to try out their new notification system where they email and text message everyone. My text message read:
SUBJ: EMERGENGY WARNING --- THREAT OF VIOLENCE
MSG: Report all suspicious individuals and activity to Campus Safety at 610-872-1392. Check email/web.

I'm not sure that was super helpful, since I would have to make it to a computer to find out I was supposed to stay where I was. But I guess it was a step in the right direction.

How do you get to be the artist in residence at a resort on St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands???

http://www.caneelbay.com/activities_watercolor.cfm

www.caneelbay.com

Main Campus of Widener University is closed Friday afternoon, November 9, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Public Relations Office <proffc@mail.widener.edu>
Date: Nov 9, 2007 2:08 PM
Subject: Main Campus of Widener University is closed Friday afternoon, November 9, 2007

All classes and activities scheduled for Friday, November 9, are cancelled.

Resident and commuter students should go home or stay in their rooms until further notice.

All non-essential personnel should go home or remain in their offices until further notice.

Widener University has closed the entire Main Campus on Friday afternoon, November 9 due to a threat of violence against university studetns and faculty.  The university issued an e2campus alert to the entire campus community.

Chester police are conducting an investigation including a sweep of campus.

I had some really odd dream about that chrome kaleidoscope.
It showed you something if you pointed it at... a light?  I can't remember :(

Addendum

also,
a tape measure
and 11 cents

Home Sweet Home

my new cubicle came with:

a stapler
a staple-remover
a box of staples
some dilbert magnets
a new umbrella
a drawer of full file-folders for me to sort through
out of which i gleaned six black clips and eleven paper clips of various colors
a weird hands-free phone thing with some sort of microphone stand
seven empty binders (that's got to be worth $100 right there)
two extra copies of the department handbook
a chrome kaleidoscope (seriously)
and at least four years worth of dust (i have something dated from below the dust)

i took my awesome ergonomic foam wrist support from my old cubicle :-D

I spent my lunch hour at work today writing a mini paper for one of my business school classes about the importance of data analytics. Then I went back to cleaning out my cubicle to move and make room for the department's new data analyst.

I've been missing the clinical part of school and today I got to get a little bit more of it in my life in two ways. First, I signed up to be involved with a clinical trial of a new automated blood pressure cuff and some of the primary care docs involved suggested that I have responsibilities on the clinical side, so I'm excited about that. I'll have to drag the white coat out of the closet again.
Second, I gave a physical exam in my cubicle today! One of my co-workers hurt her knee in her Thai kick-boxing class and it had only gotten worse over the past almost two weeks. I palpated and did the valgus/varus test and we decided it was most likely a tear in her LCL. Contrary to everything our department stands for in regards to conservation of medical resources, she went over to the Emergency Room and they confirmed our diagnosis. It was fun! Well for me, anyway... she has a torn LCL.