Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sad

Everyone tells me you're out there. Everyone says I'll meet you one day.

But what if you aren't? What if I don't? Will I be okay with that?

Some days I think I would. Other days I'm not so sure. Today is one of those other days. It's one of those days I feel like I'm always on the verge of tears. A day I feel so emotionally fragile that I cry at reruns of 'Sex and the City'. The one where Mr. Big breaks Carrie's heart. The one where she feels so hopeless and lost. The one where she fears that she'll never meet Mr. Right.

Today I'm a Carrie.

Today I feel lost without someone in my life. I have so many wonderful friends and yet I still feel like I'm missing something. Something so vital to my person. I feel like I'm missing a piece of myself. This all sounds so cliche. Like it belongs in a Katy Perry song.

Today I walked the park eating my frozen yogurt, wondering if this was what my life would be like from now on. Living alone with my cat. Walking around by myself. No one to hold my hand. No one to tell me they care. No one to offer me a bite of their yogurt.

I have these days from time to time. I feel sad. Perhaps I cry. I listen to a Dolly Parton song and let the tears flow. I then go to bed and wake up refreshed. Still a little sad perhaps, but better. More confident. More sure of myself. I remind myself that even though I'm single, I'm still fortunate. I have a great job, wonderful friends, and family that loves me.

I know I will feel better in the morning light. Tonight, however, it's okay to cry. 

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Dead Nurse and the car wash

I was bored today, so I decided to try my hand at video blogging. When ever I see myself on video, I am always surprised at how gay I sound.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Just call me Jaws

I hate going to the dentist.

If I were prone to quoting Seinfeld (which I’m not) I would call myself an “anti-dentite. This started when I was a child and my mother (being the good mom that she was) trotted my brother and I do the dentist every 6 months. Each of these visits always included the dreaded “fluoride treatment”. This entailed placing a foam mouth piece in your mouth filled with fluoride paste. In an effort to make this whole process seem like fun, you got to pick the flavor of the paste.

Bubble-gum? Chocolate? Peppermint?

Whichever flavor I picked, the result was always the same. I would get the mouthpiece in for about 30 seconds and I would promptly vomit. This became so commonplace that my mother took to bringing a change of clothes for me to each appointment.

I endured this for many years, until we switched to a dentist who didn’t really enjoy having her office covered in and smelling like kid puke. She took to swabbing my teeth with the flouride past instead. It still tasted awful, but it no longer tested my gag reflex.

Until the age of 18 I visited the dentist every 6 months. Then I went away to college and my teeth were my own.

One of the nice things about being an adult is that you don’t have to eat your vegetables and you don’t have to go to the dentist if you don’t want to. So, I didn’t go for many years after I left home. When I finally went, I discovered that my teeth were in sorry shape. Last year I spent several months just getting two teeth fixed. During this process I endured two root canals, some slicing of my gums, and the placement of two crowns. I was a bit disappointed to learn that unlike the Queen of England’s crown, mine came without any encrusted jewels.

After last year’s many procedures, I decided to take a few months off. I received several calls from my dentist’s office asking me to make an appointment. I wasn’t ready to go back, so I never returned their calls.

I went back earlier this week.

“Well, at least there’s nothing else new!” she told me.

While I was happy that I had no new rotting teeth, there were still three cavities left to fill. Having these cavities make me feel a bit dirty. Like I’m less of a person. When I walk out of the dentist office, I feel the need to cover my face in shame. Don’t look at me! I’m a man with poor dental hygiene! My dentist assures me that even though I brush my teeth daily, that some people are just prone to getting cavities.

Aaron on the other hand has never had a cavity. This is a fact that he never fails to mention after every trip he makes to the dentist.

“She says my teeth are in excellent condition! Not a cavity to be found!”

He says this with a smugness as if to suggest that he were Mother Teresa and his teeth had been cleaned by the hands of Jesus himself. Or at the very least Jesus' dental hygienist.

The one thing I have going for me, is that while my teeth are littered with cavities and silver fillings, they are perfectly straight. Aaron on the other hand was not so blessed in this area. Do you think Jesus had an orthodontist?

For the first few years of our relationship, Aaron wore braces. He got them rather late in life, so he was walking around with braces on his teeth for a large part of his early twenties. I found the braces endearing and incredibly cute when we first met. Now I just see them as ammo. When Aaron starts in about how his teeth are without a cavity, I manage to mention his years of braces and smile wide so he can see how perfectly straight my teeth are.

“Look, aren’t they beautiful! I think the silver really make them pop!”

In two weeks I have an appointment to fill the first of the three cavities left in my mouth. These days you get to choose how your cavities are filled. You can choose the traditional silver or a white resin filling. Not wanting to look like that guy with the metal mouth from James Bond, I have opted for the white resin. While the silver may indeed make them “pop”, I don’t want to start looking like a super-villain.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Poem

One of my friends from work gave me a nice going away card. In it she wrote a Chinese poem which I really like. I wanted to share it with you.
Go to the people,
Learn from them,
Love them,
Start with what they know,
Build on what they have:
But of the best leaders,
When their task is accomplished,
Their work is done,
The people will remark,
"We have done it ourselves."

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Thought for the day

There is nothing in the world that will make an intelligent person feel like a complete idiot faster than starting a new job.

Monday, June 09, 2008

My new job

Tomorrow I start my new job. While I'm excited about my new position, I'm also very nervous. I'm going from a job in which I was an expert to one where I will be the novice. I like to think I will handle this change, but that certainly remains to be seen.

When I went into nursing, I didn't know anything about taking care of sick people. I had worked in arts administration for five years, and I don't think you can really count offering comfort to suffering artists as "taking care of sick people."

During my first clinical in nursing school, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't sleep the night before. I was so afraid that I was going to be a terrible nurse. It turns out, I was a terrible nurse. But I got better. I learned how to take care of people and over the last three years I've become the one new nurses and students turn to for help.

I feel like I'm going to my first clinical again. I worry I'm going to be a terrible critical care nurse. Of course, I probably will be in the beginning. I just hope I get better.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Dead Nurse's guide to backyard renovations or How to make your backyard beautiful in 20 easy steps

  1. Get price quote from straight male friend for constructing new brick patio in backyard.
  2. Determine that price is too high and decide to construct patio yourself.
  3. Research patio building options online.
  4. Decide that building a patio is too hard and instead opt for installing new sod in backyard.
  5. Choose day to begin project.
  6. Push back start date a week in order to accommodate activities that are more fun.
  7. Begin tearing up backyard with shovel and rake.
  8. Have realization that a wheelbarrow would make completion of project much easier.
  9. Travel to Home Depot and purchase cheapest wheelbarrow available.
  10. Spend an hour and a half assembling wheelbarrow.
  11. Bandage cuts on hands.
  12. Break for lunch.
  13. Watch two back-to-back episodes of The Amazing Spider-Man
  14. Begrudgingly return to your project.
  15. Use wheelbarrow to remove 20 loads of gravel that were placed in backyard by previous homeowner.
  16. Curse previous homeowner.
  17. Injure back while attempting to remove enormous rosemary bush planted by previous homeowner.
  18. Curse previous homeowner.
  19. Call straight male friend to see when he is available to complete project for you.
  20. Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

The skinny guy

I've always been skinny. It has been my curse since childhood. For the last nine months or so I have been trying to gain weight. I've been going to the gym regularly and eating more than I did before. This has allowed me to gain a solid 20 pounds of which I'm very proud of.

So imagine how I felt when someone today referred to me as "an Auschwitz victim." This particular comment was said with a laugh and was after they stated that I was looking "rather waifish lately."

Waifish?

People always think it their business to comment on my weight. It just seems that most people think it's alright to comment on a thin person's weight. However if I were to say something like "gee, you're looking rather tubby these days" I would probably get my face slapped.

Most of these comments are normally followed by "I used to be like you..." Really, you used to be like me? How nice that you feel that I will one day become an enormous fat ass. According to most folks the only thing saving me from the inevitable obesity in my future is my age. Given enough time, my waist will expand and I'll grow man-boobs.

I'd like to think that the amount and type of food one eats also plays a big part. Throw a little exercise in there and you've got yourself a recipe for staving off a beer gut. You see, those Little Debbie snack cakes you insist on eating every day with lunch may be delicious, but they're also the cause of your increasing weight. Please don't just blame it on your "slow metabolism" or "bad genetics". You are fat because you eat too much. I am thin because I eat less and exercise.

I am no "Auschwitz victim". I am a man of a healthy weight. I've worked very hard to get to the weight I'm at and anyone who insists on calling me names and making rude jokes is basically just an asshole in my book.

So why the hell does it still bug me so much?

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

All by myself

Today for the second time ever I went to the movies by myself.

I had the day off and didn't have anything else to do, so I went to a matinée of Sex and the City. The boyfriend had already refused to see it as had the majority of my friends. I was going to see it with some gals from work, but those plans fell through. So I decided to go ahead and just see it alone.

I really enjoyed the movie and also enjoyed the experience of being by myself. I always enjoy my midweek days off. They allow me to spend time alone doing things for myself. Usually this involves a hair cut, some time at the tanning bed (I know, it's bad for me), and working out at the gym. After today, I might just need to add some private movie time.

In case you were curious, the first movie I ever saw by myself was The Crying Game. I guess none of my friends at the time were into films about transsexuals.

Monday, June 02, 2008

More filler

The last few days have been long and rather exhausting. I can barely form sentences at this point, so the ability to compose an even mildly amusing post is beyond me. Here are some pictures of some guy named Angel Bonanni. Apparently he's a model.

I think he's rather fetching...



Sunday, June 01, 2008

Filler

Because I can't think of anything to write about today, I'm giving you a picture of a shirtless and jogging Mario Lopez.

No need to thank me.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Steps (part deux)

Disappointing results with the pedometer today. While I had expected to pass the 10,000 mark, I came quite short at only 7,734 steps. I attribute this to the fact that I left work early for a dinner with some family.

I know you find this stuff fascinating.

In other non-pedometer news...I'm seeing Madonna in concert in November! I'm flying back to Florida to see my family, but really it's just an excuse to the see Her Madgesty in concert. This will mark the third time I've see her live and this time around I sprung for some floor seats. Woo, hoo!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Steps

Today I wore a pedometer at work. I was curious to see how many steps I actually took in an average day. I set the pedometer to start when I exited my car and stopped it when I got back in my car at the end of the day.

The results?

After a 10 hour day I took 8,133 steps. I was actually expecting it to be much more. There's this movement of sort that says you should take 10,000 steps each day. I was really expecting to hit the 10,000 mark easily in 10 hours.

I researched a little how many miles 8,133 steps was. According to The Walking Site:
The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.
So I walked about 4.1 miles. Since I was expecting more steps, I'm going to repeat this little experiment tomorrow. Today I was the charge nurse, which meant I hung around at the nurses station a bit more. Tomorrow I will have a full patient assignment. If my hunch is correct, I'll be hitting that 10,000 mark.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Observations

Just a few observations I made today...

-Why is that the man you least want to see naked at the gym is always the one who seems most comfortable with his own nudity?

-I saw a commercial for a company that promises to give you "beautiful garage floors." I wonder if it's every really necessary to have beautiful garage floors. Do the oil stains just look better if you paid thousands of dollars to have the floor finished?

-In fact my new shiny running shoes do NOT make me run faster. They do look cool though.

-I love The Price is Right.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

"Do you sing karaoke?"

This was the question posed to me by a patient whose bottom I was currently wiping. (Ah, the life of a nurse!) It was a strange question, but frequently patients will make conversation while your in the middle of doing something involving those areas of their body only spouses have seen in the last 20 years. I guess it helps to make them more comfortable.

I don't sing karaoke. In fact the last time I sang karaoke was in Florida about 10 years ago. I got on the stage of a crappy country bar with two female friends and did a version of Love Shack.

"I'm sure I've seen you doing karaoke before at..."

She pauses slightly.

"...at The Embers."

For the uninitiated, Embers is a gay club here in Portland. A gay club I have never even been to. I explain this. She is unconvinced.

She proceeds to tell me about people at the club. People I don't know. She tells me about their families, partners, karaoke selections. These are people I've never met, but I smile and nod at all the right places. It makes her feel good so I play along.

When I finish cleaning her up, I tidy the room a bit. She continues talking about her friends. Friends she is convinced we share. I break into her story.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

She needs nothing else. Just an ear to listen. I say goodbye and tell her to call if she needs anything.

"See you at karoke," she tells me as I leave.

I'm sure I won't, but I smile and nod.

"Maybe I will."

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The long goodbye

So I got this new job.

My last day at my current position is next Friday. I've been at this job for three years. I love all the people I work with, I just decided it was time for a change. So I got a job working in the intensive care unit. It's a change I've wanted to make for awhile, so I'm pretty excited.

At any rate, I would really like to leave quietly and with little fuss. However my coworkers aren't going to make that easy. Today a sign up sheet was hung in our breakroom for the Mexican themed pot luck that's being planned on my final day. (There's something really strange about that last sentence but I can't figure out what it is...) Now I would prefer that no potluck be held, but if I protest than I know I'll just seem ungrateful. I'm not ungrateful, I just don't like the attention.

I hate being the center of attention. I was recently nominated for "Nurse of the Year" at my hospital (I didn't win). I had to go to this ceremony and was called up to accept a certificate and some flowers. I was terribly embarrassed and just wanted it to be over. I was honored by the nomination, but felt it completely unnecessary. I do my job because I love what I do. I don't need an award.

So I'm expecting that my last day will be filled with long, emotional goodbyes. I mean my manager actually cried when I handed her my resignation. I'll be grateful and have a smile on my face, but secretly I'll just really want it to be over.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Because I said so!

One of the greatest pleasures I get at work is telling a physician “no”. Most physicians are used to getting what they want. They order something and expect it to be done. Normally this is the case, but sometimes I get to exercise my big charge nurse muscles and tell them to keep dreaming when they’ve ordered something ridiculous.

One doc ordered us to transfer a patient to ICU because he didn’t want the patient to fall out of bed.

I literally laughed out loud and almost spit my coffee across the nurses station when I heard this request.

I calmly explained to this young doctor that we couldn’t occupy a critical care bed because he was afraid of the patient falling. We have lots of other tricks to prevent that sort of thing from happening.

Today, a physician ordered 1 to 1 care for a patient. This means that the physician wanted someone to be at the bedside with this patient 24 hours a day. Now normally this sort of thing is reserved for our suicidal patients; you know, the ones who swallowed a whole bottle of Excedrin in a lame attempt to off themselves.

“Why does this patient require one to one care,” I asked.

“I’m afraid the patient will fall.”

Sigh.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The full monty

Aaron and I saw Portland Center Stage's production of The Little Dog Laughed today. I just loved it. It was absolutely hysterical and and all the actors were great. As an added bonus there was some well placed full frontal male nudity.

As good gay men, we discussed all the merits of the show on our way home. The story. The sets. The lighting.

And yes...The male actor's genitalia.

I should mention that there was an audible gasp from the audience when the actors emerged in the buff.

I guess Aaron and I weren't the only ones impressed.

A new habit

I'm such a shitty blog owner.

I leave for months without updating and here it just sits feeling unloved and neglected. I'm often envious of those bloggers who find something to post every day. I find it amazing that people keep their enthusiasm for their blog over an extended period. I also find it amazing that Marc continues to find something new to do each day and then proceeds to write a witty post about it.

Maybe I should come to terms with the fact that I'm just not that funny or interesting.

An old roommate of mine once told me that if you could do something consistently for a month that it would become a habit. I don't know if that's just a load of crap or not, but I'm going to give it a try. I'm going to post something every day for the next month and see if it becomes habit. I'm not making promises about the level or quality of the posts, but at least the two people who visit here will have something new to look at.

To start off my new project, I'm giving you a picture of David Beckham. He may sound like Mickey Mouse when he speaks, but I still think he's a hottie.