Down to burn

2002-12-19 - 7:13 a.m.

I think I officially have all my Christmas shopping done. With only a week to spare. Hey, that's pretty good for me. Last year I was out shopping on Christmas Eve eve. In the pouring rain. But last year I actually had a vacation at that time so it made sense for me to put stuff off until the last minute. This year no vacation. I did the vast majority of my Christmas shopping online. I spent the gift certificates I've received as gifts from Christmas past and for graduation buying other people Christmas presents. But really, I feel pretty good about the presents I've purchased. I think everyone will like them. I usually don't feel that way. I usually have no idea what to get people so I just end up getting them something knowing that they probably won't like it too much, but not being able to think of an adequate alternative.

Last night I went to BookCrossing. This is a website where you can register your books, and then, after reading them, you can "set them free." You put them where someone will find them (or you could just give them to someone, I suppose) and then, presumably, the person who finds it will see the note you've left in it telling them to go to BookCrossing and they will write a journal entry telling you where they are and what they thought of the book and then they will pass it on and repeat the process. I think it's a really cool concept. My problem is I have problems parting with my books. But I'm known among family and friends as a great lover of books so I often receive copies of books I either won't read (not my genre) or have already read and already own. These books I'm willing to part with. On this website you see how this has worked for lots and lots of people. However, I've released 154 books and not a single one has been "caught." I don't know what the deal is. But anyway, I haven't given up hope. Right now I can't think of any reason that would've brought me there last night, but regardless, I was there. On the webpage there is a place that lists the three books most recently released. While I was there last night one of them popped up as "Xenocide" by Orson Scott Card released by Griff in Sunnyvale, CA. Now I don't know about you, but I don't know very many people named Griff. In fact, I only know one. And he happens to be from Sunnyvale, CA. And I haven't seen him in 9 years. And 9 years ago I had a huge crush on him. He's the one who gave me the nickname "Mad Dog." But there's no real way to contact another user through BookCrossing except through anonymous BookCrossing notes. I sent him one last night. For some reason I had expected him to write back immediately. He hasn't yet, but that's ok. Maybe it wasn't him.

Also while I was there I ran across something they've recently started up. A contest. They list a certain book and if you release that book and submit a picture of you doing it, then you get entered into the contest to win a $250 book shopping spree. I looked and thought, "Bah, I don't have that book and it doesn't look that interesting anyway." But then I looked at the contest and saw that only 12 people have entered upon which my thought changed to, "Woah, a one in thirteen chance of winning a $250 book shopping spree! That would be worth the $7 to buy the book if I won!" So since I was doing my online shopping at the time anyway, I added that particular book to my shopping cart. I'll keep you posted about whether or not I win! :)

And in case you haven't noticed by my general chattiness, I have been in a much better mood today and yesterday than I was the previous three days. I wonder what causes my shifts in mood like that. Patients died yesterday too and my good mood was unphased, so it's not that. I don't know, I'm just weird.

Oh, yesterday the Mole totally freaked me out. It was around 12:30 and I was sitting at the residents' desk eating my lunch and going over my antibiotic orders. The Mole came up to me and said, "Can I borrow you for a minute?" I said, "Sure," and put down what I was doing. He asked me to precede him into the administrative conference room where he shut the door and the two of us sat down at the table. He said to me, "I'm about to have to do something I hate doing." At which point I was internally losing it, "Oh $#@! I know I suck, but I didn't think I suck badly enough that someone would actually complain to my boss and my boss would have to have a chitchat with me about how much I suck! Oh $#@!, oh $#@!, oh $#@!" But outwardly I remained totally calm. I acted like I had no idea what he was going to talk to me about. I acted like a totally confident and innocent good-girl. I said, "Oh?" But it turns out he didn't want to tell me how much I suck after all. On the pharmacy network there is a place where people can save their files and then be able to retrieve them from any pharmacy computer. Apparently they had been having trouble with someone getting into other people's files and modifying them or deleting them or something. So everyone was getting the don't-touch-other-people's-stuff lecture. Which in my case is completely silly because I have never ever used that network, being a tad paranoid about my privacy. When he was done he said, "I'm so embarrassed. I haven't offended you, have I?" I said, "No, of course not. I understand you are giving this lecture to everyone." How could I be offended? I was so relieved! Now that I think back on it I do find that lecture to be a bit offensive...but oh well.

Anyway, it's Thursday morning and it's time for me to head off to the lovely family practice clinic. I think the Russian chest pain lady is coming back for her pharmacy appointment today. Great, one patient, eight hours.