Generation Gap

The scene: I am waiting in line at Kroger.
The players: Me and a 65 year old woman that looked slightly crazy.

65er says to me: "I don't know what's going on in this line, but I'm getting out of it and you'd be wise to do the same."
Me: "What's wrong?"
65er: "There are no cashiers in this line!!"
Me: "Oh, that's because this is the self-checkout line..."
65er: (Puzzled) "Self-checkout?"

Am I going to have a clue when I'm 65? I sure hope so...

Labels: random

Fashion Plate

I am so thrilled that I was chosen to be featured in the university newpaper's online fashion blog. I was stopped on my way to audit a class for work and I was approached and asked if my picture could be taken. Weird question, I thought. But as the girl explained, I was going to be in a FASHION BLOG! The note under my photo on the blog says, "Great ruching on this turtle neck dress." I think I am the only graduate student amid a sea of wild and interesting undergraduate fashions featured.

I am so proud. :)

Headed Home

Something about Starkville will always feel like home, no matter how long I have not technically lived there. Bert and I are headed tomorrow and are going to an engagement party there Friday night. Two of my friends from high school are getting married. I graduated with 53 other students and Jim and Missy did not date each other in high school...so it is really neat that they ended up together. What are the chances?

It will feel good to sleep in my old room, even though it is completely redecorated - but very beautifully. My parents just had some major renovations done in the study and their bathroom, so I am very anxious to see that as well.

Going there gives me the same feeling as snuggling up in a blanket still warm for the dryer. I can't wait.

Massage RX

Well, I got sicker. My sinus infection turned into a migraine that turned into a tension headache. Not fun.

I went to my regular doctor (read: NOT the quack) and he was great, as usual. He is the kind of doctor that will give you his full attention and the visit is not over until he and you are both satisfied with the treatment and you have a full understanding. I love that.

Anyway, my neck was having spasms that was making me have the awful tension headache. I could not even brush my hair without wincing in pain. He gave me all samples for my medication...gotta love that. AND he wrote me a prescription for 10 insurance-covered massages! How great is that?! DEFINITELY my favorite prescription ever.

Reflections

Another September 11. Has it really been six years?

9/11 evokes different emotions in people...sadness, anger, hurt, confusion. And for some, the thought of 9/11 evokes rage. Rage at all people who call themselves Muslim. And by default, that means me.

My life drastically changed after that awful day. I remember hearing it on the radio as I drove to lunch at the sorority house. I remember the looks of disgust that some people gave me when I walked through the door. My heart sank. I felt sick. My life for the next two years was such a sad time. I felt hated. I felt scared of what people thought of me. Of course not everyone hated me...but I was so paranoid and felt so alone. I should've had more faith that my true friends still loved me and knew that my faith was not violent. I don't know why I let that atrocious act affect me the way it did. I wish I could give that girl a hug and tell her to be strong and hold her head up and show everyone what a true Muslim is.

From being purposely not invited to sleepovers in high school for not being Christian to being discriminated against at a former job, I have felt ostracized in a way that I thought was surely impossible in this day and age. I have a good friend who is Jewish and we have such similar stories...being on a date with someone and wishing fervently they wouldn't bring up religion or being one of the only people left in class when the yearbook FCA picture was made or even being told by someone you think is a friend that you are going to Hell. But we have both grown since then, proud of our faiths...glad to talk about them. Not so afraid to be different anymore. Loving that we're different.

A spiritual life is full of peaks and valleys. That is my belief, anyway...someone who really delves deep and craves a really meaningful connection with God...the journey will not be easy. And, oh, how my faith has been tested. Mama says that makes me stronger. And much of my strength is due to Bert. He taught me that it was OK - more than OK - to be me.

Thursday starts a month of fasting, the month of Ramadan. For the first time, I am looking forward to it. I don't see it as day after day of being hungry and tired. I see it as a chance to get renewed. A new Qu'ran sits on my bookshelf...the first ever English translation by a woman. I crave reading it. I crave praying. My heart is open.

September 11 makes me sad. It makes me angry at the people who tried to hijack my faith. I used to say "They hijacked my faith." But that's not really true. No one can take this away from me.

Labels: politics, religion

Dr. Quack

Yesterday, I was really sick. I had caught a cold from Bert and I could tell that it had turned into a sinus infection. Those of you that suffer with sinus trouble know how painful those headaches are. That, with my runny nose, ear ache and sore throat made me stay home from work. I called my doctor's office and they said I would have to wait until Monday for an appointment. That was not OK...if you work, you know you can't just stay sick and keep taking time off. So, I decided to call the clinic that my insurances covers just for instances like this.

I was finally able to get up and take a shower and head to this clinic, grateful I switched insurances and have more than the ER as my backup. I went in, filled out some paperwork and and took a seat in the lobby. The clinic only takes walk-ins, so I thought it was pretty good I was seen in just 40 minutes.

Now, let me interject here. All of the doctors I have ever had have been overly cautious about prescribing medication. Even for a very painful outpatient surgery I had two years ago, the doctor wouldn't give me any pain pills. She told me to take four Advils instead...and I sure was glad I had some leftover happy pills at the house or I would've passed out from pain. But ANYWAY...

I went into the examination room and a nurse came in quickly and then the doctor came in shortly thereafter. He was very different than any other doctor I have ever seen. Flamboyant and prescription-happy is how I would describe him. For my diagnosis of sinusitis, he gave me an antibiotic (that's fine) and a steroid (um, OK) and he said he would give me something to help with my sore throat. That, my friends, was a big ol' prescription of Loritab. What? I was expecting some prescription losanges...not narcotics. But hey, I figured I'd fill it anyway so I can have it on hand, just in case. My personal prescription for a sore throat is a peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks, so I opted for that after leaving the clinic.

So, I take my meds yesterday. It was awful. My heart was racing...I mean RACING. I slept between three and four hours last night. I woke up and I was all shaky. I felt so weird. So, I got on the internet and looked up side effects for the steroid. I knew it was to reduce the inflammation in my nasal passages, but I was totally freaked out when I started reading about it. He prescribed me 40 mg/day...that is what is given to cancer patients, people with Lupus and people with MS. It is prescribed for sinusitis in very small doses...as small as 3 mg and at the highest, 25 mg/day with each day tapering off. And everyone was reporting awful side effects.

What?!

The shakiness has almost worn off and I am just on my antibiotics today. Good thing I take Claritin-D because the Quack Doctor didn't even prescribe me a decongestant for my sinuses. It was all so strange. But hey, I do feel better today. So that's good.

Labels: random