Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Tuesday. What a weird day.

So we have finished two days of our summer week-long day camp and I spent the end of it in the emergency room with one of my guys on staff who got his finger's ass kicked by a craft saw and a pinewood derby block. Apparently, stitches were applied although I thought that my bandage of gauze and island green duct tape seemed to be working juuust fine. I guess that's why I'm not a physician. I am of the school of thought that most anything can be fixed with duct tape.

Geneva is a weird place. We walk into the ER (which we had to drive 25 minutes to get to because there is no hospital or urgent care at all in Seneca County) and the place is PACKED. There are hardly any seats open, but Ed checks in while I am out in the parking lot calling the office to give the heads up on the forthcoming worker's comp claim. Crap.

Anyway, I walk back in and my seating choices are limited. I eventually choose a chair fairly close to Ed because he is a relatively big guy and I know he's got my back if anyone decides to get a little funky with me - even with his duct taped finger. There is one guy reading out loud an entire little pamphlet type comic book about being saved and the Lord and he is doing his best to sound out the words in his monotone, droning-on voice. Eventually, the word "sublimation" caused his great consternation and I thought he was going to stall out, but he was a trooper (assumingly because God was on his side phonetically) and read on. I picked up one of the packets and tried to figure out how much of the story was left. He didn't distinguish between the thought bubbles and the regular narratives, so I had a tough time following along as I was trying to read "Health" magazine.

Then there was the eye guy. He comes in reeking of booze (much like I am drinking at this moment, although his aura smelled a little more along the lines of Milwaukee's Beast) and tells them at the front that he's got concrete in his eye. Ummm? Okay. It wasn't wet concrete and it wasn't watering, red, itching, or anything else that might indicate there was concrete in this man's eye. He and (presumably) his mom go and sit down.

Sitting up closest to the TV (showing the Disney channel) is a mother and daughter. The mother apparently has a migraine and is wearing sunglasses and spandex. In walks a large man holding his back who apparently tipped over in his apartment. He is happy to see the mom and daughter, though, and they start chatting it up. They obviously know each other. A few minutes later in walks a mother and little boy. The mom has three bags of snack Doritos and some drinks. They are clearly settling in for the long haul. This mom and son know the big man and the mom and daughter and I am just waiting for a block party to break out. The ER is becoming like old home days. Ole concrete eye wants in on the action and goes back to the front desk asking how long it is going to be, but then starts trying to get in on the reunion action. I am stunned at what I am witnessing, but I believe that what I am witnessing is a lack of adequate health care and people who don't have insurance.

My time in the ER ended with a shipment of residents and their smell from a local nursing home. Do you know that smell of a nursing home? My sister was an aide at a home for a few years and it is beyond me how she could do it. It's a total no go for me just based on the weird smell. I finally got the text that granted my freedom three and a half hours later telling me that my staff guy's wife was coming to pick him up. Hallelujiah.

When I got home I got good news that I begged my way into the last spot for Research in Life Course Studies for the fall. This is a required course and I needed it to stay on course with my program of study. I am also registered for Theories of Human Development, Using statistical software, and Teaching, Curriculum, and Change. There were some really other great courses that I was planning to take, but driving to Rochacha two nights a week is about my limit. Anyway, I was pretty happy that I got my schedule straightened out.

Have I mentioned that there is an unusual number of attractive men in my new neighborhood? Well, if I haven't let me tell you...there are. I was just heading to take Belle for a walk this evening and as we were coming down our outdoors stairs a very common, but nice looking man a few years older than myself came around the corner with a large German Shepard. We chit chatted a bit since dogs are always good ice breakers. I hope that our dogs get the chance to sniff each other again soon. There was something interesting about him along with the fact that there was no wedding ring (but I know that means nothing even though married men should be mandated to wear a wedding band).

And so with that I am finishing up my beer and heading off to bed. Just another day.

No comments: