If you like olives

2004-11-17 - 6:59 p.m.

"So how's it actually feeling being up there all by yourself and working?" Just thought I'd answer this question here publicly. It feels...good. The biggest difference for me is respect. I should say self-respect. Being twenty-five years old, unemployed, and living with one's parents is just not cool, no matter how you look at it. (Well, ok, it did have a few perks.) But at least now the answer to "What's up?" isn't embarrassing.

As for the working, I don't feel like I'm actually working yet. I mean, technically, I've never had an actual honest to goodness job. I don't think doing relief work really counts as a job and I don't think being an intern or a resident counts as a job. Nor do any of the jobs I had before I became an intern. And right now, I still feel like a student. I guess I am, being the trainee and all. At work today they had a couple of pharmacists call in sick and so they were really, really busy. Too busy to do much of anything with me. I read the whole policy and procedures manual (a three-inch binder stuffed with papers) and then sort of hung around in the pharmacy doing the little things they would allow me to do in my untrained state (such as checking IVs (not chemo though) and delivering verbal messages) and trying not to look bored or be in the way. It was boring and tiring. I can't wait to actually start working.

And as for the being all by myself, well, so far I'm not having a problem with it. I've always been a bit of a loner, really not minding being by myself. And I've managed to wall off the part of my brain that wants to freak out about being 800 miles away from everything I know. So there's been no freaking out. And besides, my parents just left, what, three days ago? I haven't even had time to be lonely.

And last night I gave in and told Tigger she could come visit me this weekend. So I'm happy that she's coming. She understands the whole no furniture messy apartment thing and the fact that I'm not particularly familiar with all the ins and outs of Seattle yet. So anyway, that should be fun.

Unfortunately my parents just called. That in itself isn't bad, but they decided they were going to come visit me this weekend. OK, they told me before that they were going to visit my grandfather this weekend since his birthday is Sunday and then come up and visit me perhaps for Thanksgiving day. So I said yes to Tigger last night for this weekend and she bought plane tickets. And now my parents call me and tell me they want to come during the weekend. And of course you can bet my dad took the news well. "Fine then, we just won't come," I believe were his words before he hung up. My mom complained about always being caught in the middle and then hung up with the promise to call me back after they'd discussed it. Ergh. What's wrong with me? Am I insanely dense somehow always misinterpreting what people say to me? First the thing about not going to work on Monday because I thought I wasn't supposed to show up until Tuesday and now this!

Today after work I went for a pretty long walk. I had a few things on my list that I needed to buy. I went to Office Depot to buy paper and ink for my printer and then I tried to find RadioShack to buy a new battery for my cordless phone, but it didn't seem to be where the internet said it would be. So I kept walking and headed over to the International District to try out a new bubble tea place. The last bubble tea place I attempted to try was another one of those things that turned out to not be in real life where the internet said it would be. I ended up at a place called Gossip and I have to tell you, it was by far the best bubble tea I've had in Seattle. Plus the guy behind the counter was really nice. That's pretty rare. I don't know, it seems that people behind the counter at bubble tea places are usually really rude. But this guy was nice and helpful. He actually gave me recommendations for other flavors to try. And I think he may have upgraded my drink after I ordered without charging me extra. The bad part, though, is that it's a pretty long walk to get there and it's not all through the nicest areas of town, no matter how I go. I guess in the future I'll have to be more conscious of making sure I do it before it gets dark.