Pharming

For those of you whose blogs I read and comment on, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth the last few weeks! I've been interning--read "working for free"--to become a pharmacy technician. I'm not used to an 8-hour day on my feet any more and it really kicks my butt! By the time I get home, all I want to do is have a glass (or 3) of wine and soak in the bubble bath my husband has waiting for me every night (God bless him)!

I'm enjoying this internship. Nat, the pharmacist, is a consummate professional; yet he's really nice, has a great sense of humor, and believes in laughing while getting the job done. His licensed techs are the same. It makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere and, I think, helps the learning process. Sure, we interns make mistakes (which are ALWAYS caught before any possible harm could happen), but it's not so intimidating because a joke is usually made and it's so much easier to learn when you don't have any personal stigma about what went wrong--you just do it right and get on with things. And hopefully get it more right the next time. Nobody expects us to get it ALL in one shot right away (which is a HUGE relief!). My God, it took me two days to master taping a label on straight on the stupid little plastic bottles, what's up with THAT?! (but then, I've always been adhesively challenged . . . packing tape is NOT my friend, lol!).

So I have about 50 hours done of my required 120. And I'm sure I'll be asking Nat if I can put in more "free" time while I'm waiting for my license and looking for a job. Several techs who haven't found jobs yet have come in to practice while I've been there. It keeps everything fresh in their minds, they help train us newbies, the scrips get filled quicker, and Nat has more people to joke around with--a win-win situation all around! Sometimes it feels like a little party, laughing and joking, but all the while, prescriptions are getting filled, people are getting what they need to feel better, and real learning is going on.

Very cool.

So don't give up on me! I'll be commenting more soon and keeping up better, promise!

RIP Henry Gibson

I was saddened to see the obituary for him in the LA Times on Thursday. He was awesome on Laugh In and I liked him as the judge on Boston Legal, too.

This was in his biography about his days on Laugh In. I remember actually seeing this episode and the thought of it still makes me laugh:

Gibson was best known as the poet, holding a large flower and beginning his brief recitations with his signature catchphrase, "A poem, by Henry Gibson."

"He wrote all those himself," Jon Gibson (his son) said. It was a point of pride that he only read poems that he himself wrote."

During one of his frequent guest appearances on the show, John Wayne spoofed Gibson by coming around the wall holding a flower and delivering "A poem, by John Wayne."

"Roses are red, violets are green," Wayne said, "Get off your butt and join the Marines."

Can you imagine being spoofed by John Wayne?! How cool is that?!

I'll miss ya, Henry.

I love my Mom & Dad

That's all.
Just wanted to say that.
They.
Are.
Awesome.
I am the luckiest person in the world, and I come from the 2 best people in the world.
Alice & Frank.
Or, as they are known on some mailing lists, Slice & Flank--which is really funny considering they both are golfers.
I love you.
Love, Susie

Julie & Julia

I loved this movie.
The books were awesome--and the movie does a good job. I laughed, I cried . . . well, who could possibly refute the talents of Meryl Streep?! And I have to say, Amy Adams has certainly impressed me lately. I've seen her in "Doubt"--also with Meryl Streep--and "Sunshine Cleaning." I like this girl! She makes all her characters believable, no matter what situation they're in. Yeah, that's a simplistic description of acting, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
I can't wait for this to come out on DVD--it absolutely gets a space in my collection.
Have you seen it? What's your opinion?

The Fruits of My Labor (Part II)

The plants we put in a regular pot did REALLY well! Look at this little guy--isn't he cute?!
Here's a good way to eat tomatoes: cut them into bite-size wedges and add to a sliced avocado in a shallow dish. Sprinkle on some garlic powder, and pour balsamic vinegar over it all. Let it soak for a while, basting occasionally, then enjoy! And the seasoned vinegar is GREAT to dip bread into!

The Fruits of My Labor (Part I)

Yes! We have tomatoes!
The Topsy-Turvy ones didn't do very well. I don't think they liked being watered upside down because the excess drained on the plants. We got a few from there. We're thinking of maybe planting a flower in there next year.

Progress Report

My baby is growing!!!! (Scroll down a few posts to see photos of the newborn). And it has a friend!!!

And does anybody know what that squiggly line is on the leaf there? I spray the plant weekly with veggie-bug killer and haven't seen any pests, but who knows?