It's Sunday and here I sit, in my office at the hospital, entering data. Open envelope, check for signature, enter into Access, get data from HCIS. Repeat ad nauseum.
I think my brain ran away, it got bored.
Thank God for Adam and Sam with all their old Cinecast episodes. At least there's something to which I can listen.
Showing posts with label work=boring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work=boring. Show all posts
07 December 2008
03 December 2008
OMG, snow again!
We're having serious snow today in Iowa; it started about 6am or so and is expected to continue through the evening. We will have more flurries tomorrow and a low of 8 degrees. Brrrrr. I happen to like snow (snow, not ice or "snane") but the city isn't doing a hot job at plowing. Thank heaven the morning bus driver is one of the good ones who can actually handle a city bus as it slides around because the bus routes weren't being kept open or salted. The mall on the other hand doesn't seem to have any salt or sand. I understand the owners are going through bankruptcy proceedings but GET REAL; you have to salt, sand, and PLOW the parking lot because snow on top of ice makes for ZERO traction.
Boss came back today; hooray, because hopefully the people who wouldn't listen to me will listen to her. And I still have enough work to do to choke a horse.
A little note to pushy, "brand new" authors:
If you want me or any other reader/writer/bookseller/editor/Joe-schmo to take you seriously, please learn to write with correct grammar and punctuation. I have absolutely zero interest in reading badly written advertising copy that has random capitalization and no punctuation. I also don't care that you acknowledge you have poor writing skills and need an editor; get a Strunk and White and start re-reading. Additionally, don't tout your work as "the next Harry Potter" - you sound desperate and inexperienced.
Current book-in-progress: Udolpho, bio on Eleanor of Aquitane, Desperaux
Current knitted item: Red variegated scarf (half-done, but I just put some sock yarn in my bag...)
Current movie obsession: Atonement and the original The Italian Job should be arriving in my mailbox
Current iTunes loop: old Filmspotting episodes (I'm up to Episode #44 of 197 that I've been listening to in order to catch up on the podcast)
Boss came back today; hooray, because hopefully the people who wouldn't listen to me will listen to her. And I still have enough work to do to choke a horse.
A little note to pushy, "brand new" authors:
If you want me or any other reader/writer/bookseller/editor/Joe-schmo to take you seriously, please learn to write with correct grammar and punctuation. I have absolutely zero interest in reading badly written advertising copy that has random capitalization and no punctuation. I also don't care that you acknowledge you have poor writing skills and need an editor; get a Strunk and White and start re-reading. Additionally, don't tout your work as "the next Harry Potter" - you sound desperate and inexperienced.
Current book-in-progress: Udolpho, bio on Eleanor of Aquitane, Desperaux
Current knitted item: Red variegated scarf (half-done, but I just put some sock yarn in my bag...)
Current movie obsession: Atonement and the original The Italian Job should be arriving in my mailbox
Current iTunes loop: old Filmspotting episodes (I'm up to Episode #44 of 197 that I've been listening to in order to catch up on the podcast)
21 November 2008
Writer's Block Friday
After yesterday's excitement today seems very blah. My office isn't being drooled upon (leaky water tank on roof caused serious wet carpet and ceiling tile issues) and UNESCO isn't handing out any accolades today.
I am once again inputting (verb?) data for our study. I'm way behind, so I need to work fast, but ... it's ... so ... mind-numbing. I can hear my brain cells die of boredom. The only reason I have to do it is because you have to be trained to recognize catheter-related blood-stream infections (CR-BSIs - crabbies, for lack of a better term). I'm the only one of the research team, besides the boss, who can do this.
I also need to start working with the burn unit on some observations of practice (in the tub room of all places) and MRSA cultures of various sources. I get to observe in the tub room because I'm the only one who won't faint or toss cookies. For anyone who doesn't know, the tub room is where the burn patients get scrubbed down, debrieded, and re-bandaged; there's lots of screaming and it smells really bad. I would be started on this already but the unit manager hasn't emailed me back, yet.
I've started back into the Newbery Project. After The Story of Mankind and The Voyage of Dr. Doolittle I decided I couldn't take all the Euro-American-centric viewpoints all together in order. It was a bit much. I'm going to come at it from a different angle. I've been wanting to re-read The Westing Game for a long time so I'll re-start with that one; plus, the movie adaptation for The Tale of Desperaux is coming out so I picked that up, too. I'll get there, by hook or by crook!
I am once again inputting (verb?) data for our study. I'm way behind, so I need to work fast, but ... it's ... so ... mind-numbing. I can hear my brain cells die of boredom. The only reason I have to do it is because you have to be trained to recognize catheter-related blood-stream infections (CR-BSIs - crabbies, for lack of a better term). I'm the only one of the research team, besides the boss, who can do this.
I also need to start working with the burn unit on some observations of practice (in the tub room of all places) and MRSA cultures of various sources. I get to observe in the tub room because I'm the only one who won't faint or toss cookies. For anyone who doesn't know, the tub room is where the burn patients get scrubbed down, debrieded, and re-bandaged; there's lots of screaming and it smells really bad. I would be started on this already but the unit manager hasn't emailed me back, yet.
I've started back into the Newbery Project. After The Story of Mankind and The Voyage of Dr. Doolittle I decided I couldn't take all the Euro-American-centric viewpoints all together in order. It was a bit much. I'm going to come at it from a different angle. I've been wanting to re-read The Westing Game for a long time so I'll re-start with that one; plus, the movie adaptation for The Tale of Desperaux is coming out so I picked that up, too. I'll get there, by hook or by crook!
06 November 2008
Public Transportation Etiquette
For all those people who somehow managed to escape kindergarten without learning basic rules of public behavior, let me give you a little lesson about how to behave on the public transportation system (which in my case means the bus, but this is applicable to subways and commuter trains as well).
1. Have your fare ready. If you don't have your fare or pass out, please step aside to let others board while you dig in your pockets.
2. Please seat yourself quickly. Don't stand in the middle of the aisle when there are seats in the back. The aisle is narrow and we can't get past you.
3. Once you are seated please don't take up more than one seat (unless you don't fit into just one). Lounging and putting your feet on the seats makes less room for other passengers.
4. Please keep your conversation to yourself. This includes both cell phone and in-person conversations. If your companion is sitting next to you then you shouldn't need to yell at one another; if you are not sitting close, please don't shout up and down the carriage. If you're yelling into your cell phone continue the conversation at another time.
5. Bring your headphones for your personal audio device. Do you really want everyone else to know that you have terrible taste?
6. If you are with small children, please discipline them. We none of us like to have your child kick us repeatedly throughout the ride.
7. If you are under the age of 18, and riding alone, keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself.
8. Please practice good personal hygiene. No one likes to ride next to someone who smells like decaying roadkill and who might also be harboring lice and fleas. Don't pick your nose, either.
9. Please exit off the back of the bus. The only time you would need to exit through the front is if the bus is packed or if you have a mobility issue (i.e. wheelchair) and need to use the lift. Being lazy is not a mobility issue.
Now that the lesson for the day is over, I would like to say that my new internal antenna N-network router is amazing. I have been able to use my laptop while in other parts of my apartment without losing the wireless connection. Just a note for others who have feline housemates - don't get a router with an external antenna; I had to replace mine because there were chew marks all over it and I'm assuming that's why I had trouble getting a decent signal.
I managed to reverse the idea that pulling me off surveillance was a good idea. I convinced my boss that surveillance was more important because it was so far behind, like six months behind. So they're going to hire a biostats person for the analysis and I'm full-steam ahead on the surveillance (I have another 4 days done). And then the boss departed for Europe, not return until December. Except now I have to take care of an IRB application that mysteriously came due this week after she left.
Current book-in-progress: The Castle of Otranto, The Post-American World, and The Shock Doctrine
Current knitted item: yellow secret item is almost done
Current movie obsession: Clerks but I'm not finding it as funny as the first time
Current iTunes loop: Filmspotting (there are a lot of episodes to go through)
1. Have your fare ready. If you don't have your fare or pass out, please step aside to let others board while you dig in your pockets.
2. Please seat yourself quickly. Don't stand in the middle of the aisle when there are seats in the back. The aisle is narrow and we can't get past you.
3. Once you are seated please don't take up more than one seat (unless you don't fit into just one). Lounging and putting your feet on the seats makes less room for other passengers.
4. Please keep your conversation to yourself. This includes both cell phone and in-person conversations. If your companion is sitting next to you then you shouldn't need to yell at one another; if you are not sitting close, please don't shout up and down the carriage. If you're yelling into your cell phone continue the conversation at another time.
5. Bring your headphones for your personal audio device. Do you really want everyone else to know that you have terrible taste?
6. If you are with small children, please discipline them. We none of us like to have your child kick us repeatedly throughout the ride.
7. If you are under the age of 18, and riding alone, keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself.
8. Please practice good personal hygiene. No one likes to ride next to someone who smells like decaying roadkill and who might also be harboring lice and fleas. Don't pick your nose, either.
9. Please exit off the back of the bus. The only time you would need to exit through the front is if the bus is packed or if you have a mobility issue (i.e. wheelchair) and need to use the lift. Being lazy is not a mobility issue.
Now that the lesson for the day is over, I would like to say that my new internal antenna N-network router is amazing. I have been able to use my laptop while in other parts of my apartment without losing the wireless connection. Just a note for others who have feline housemates - don't get a router with an external antenna; I had to replace mine because there were chew marks all over it and I'm assuming that's why I had trouble getting a decent signal.
I managed to reverse the idea that pulling me off surveillance was a good idea. I convinced my boss that surveillance was more important because it was so far behind, like six months behind. So they're going to hire a biostats person for the analysis and I'm full-steam ahead on the surveillance (I have another 4 days done). And then the boss departed for Europe, not return until December. Except now I have to take care of an IRB application that mysteriously came due this week after she left.
Current book-in-progress: The Castle of Otranto, The Post-American World, and The Shock Doctrine
Current knitted item: yellow secret item is almost done
Current movie obsession: Clerks but I'm not finding it as funny as the first time
Current iTunes loop: Filmspotting (there are a lot of episodes to go through)
15 November 2007
I have a clean office...
...and you do not. Hmmm. Doesn't quite scan as well as "I am a baboon and you are not." In truth, I had accumulated a great deal of paper (memos, print-outs, brochures, etc) and was unable to see the surface of my desk. So I had a cleaning day. Death to dust bunnies!!
This is also called work procrastination because it keeps me from doing something really boring like sending nagging emails. Now that my office is clean I have to send emails. Blah.
Current book-in-progress: Middlemarch, The Western Canon
Current knitted item: Second sock is almost done
Current movie obsession: American Ballet Theatre in Ashton's "The Dream" - Ethan Stiefel is so gorgeous
This is also called work procrastination because it keeps me from doing something really boring like sending nagging emails. Now that my office is clean I have to send emails. Blah.
Current book-in-progress: Middlemarch, The Western Canon
Current knitted item: Second sock is almost done
Current movie obsession: American Ballet Theatre in Ashton's "The Dream" - Ethan Stiefel is so gorgeous
27 February 2007
Bored again
As usual, I am sitting in the Pre-Anesthesia Evaluation Clinic (i.e. where you go to make sure you can withstand anesthesia if you're having a procedure) and I am so bored. I'm starting to fall asleep. Bad form. I wish people would just agree to talk to me about the study so I'd have something productive to do. Not that I'm not being productive for class ... let me re-phrase that, I have a book with me that's assigned for Modern American Lit, but I'm being paid by my boss to sit down here and enroll patients for our clinical trial. So I'm trying to be productive, but I'm productive in the wrong place, if that makes any sense at all.
But I've spent the last 4 hours reading news sites (dude, they had a guy flip out and threaten terrorism at the University of Missouri-Rolla), Barnes and Noble Book Clubs, Facebook, Yahoo, the comics, and now I'm updating my blog. Truly, I am lazy.
Oh, and my Dad's OK. He went home the day after his procedure and he hasn't had any problems since. We've been plaguing him with car trouble (my beloved '95 Buick Regal, The Beast, decided it wanted to start leaking oil and transmission fluid and my younger brother's Neon died), so everything is back to normal. Except for the weather. Ice sucks. And I was going to take a picture because the trees looked so pretty coated in ice - but it was too dark when I finally got home from work and then by 8am the next morning it had all melted away. Phooey.
Current book-in-progress: Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen (for class). And I'm about half done with Michael Dirda's Bound to Please which I've been chipping at for a while now.
Current knitted item: I finished the shawl!!!!!! (Happy dance - had a minor panic attack when an Addi Turbo snapped 6 rows from the end, but Edyie saved the day). Now I'm working on Eeyores for the nieces first birthdays.
But I've spent the last 4 hours reading news sites (dude, they had a guy flip out and threaten terrorism at the University of Missouri-Rolla), Barnes and Noble Book Clubs, Facebook, Yahoo, the comics, and now I'm updating my blog. Truly, I am lazy.
Oh, and my Dad's OK. He went home the day after his procedure and he hasn't had any problems since. We've been plaguing him with car trouble (my beloved '95 Buick Regal, The Beast, decided it wanted to start leaking oil and transmission fluid and my younger brother's Neon died), so everything is back to normal. Except for the weather. Ice sucks. And I was going to take a picture because the trees looked so pretty coated in ice - but it was too dark when I finally got home from work and then by 8am the next morning it had all melted away. Phooey.
Current book-in-progress: Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen (for class). And I'm about half done with Michael Dirda's Bound to Please which I've been chipping at for a while now.
Current knitted item: I finished the shawl!!!!!! (Happy dance - had a minor panic attack when an Addi Turbo snapped 6 rows from the end, but Edyie saved the day). Now I'm working on Eeyores for the nieces first birthdays.
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