Wrong prediction

Just like recent hurricanes, I will NOT be hitting Tampa as I had otherwise predicted last month. I will be flying in and out of Tennessee for the weekend for my cousin's wedding (instead of making the road trip from Atlanta to Tampa) due a number of unforeseen circumstances.

Sorry if this disappoints anyone. :(

Blood donation(s)

On a whim four months ago, I donated blood. They pricked my finger and checked my iron level. I measured at 12.5 (the bare minimum level necessary). I also hadn't traveled to any foreign countries that they had designated as unsafe in the past 3 years. They deemed me worthy of blood donation.

For the past two months, I have been trying to donate again but my iron levels have only measured 12.2 or 12.3. Not high enough to donate!! So I get rejected and am instructed to eat more vitamins and/or beans. I start to take my multivitamins and still get rejected a week later. Apparently, some people are unable to absorb calcium AND iron if taken at the same time. Ah... the catch. So I start to take iron supplements and still, one week later... rejected. The nurse told me that it could take up to month for the iron to fully absorb in my system. Okay, fine.

So today, with my little bloodmobile appointment in hand, blood donation has not only turned into a good samaritan deed but my life's mission. I go in, tell the nurse my iron level situation before I fill out any paperwork. She has me enter a little room where she pricks my finger. She puts the blood on a slide and the blood is read using a small machine. There is about a minute pause where I am just waiting, waiting, waiting to see if this whole month-iron-absorption thing was legit or if the last nurse just wanted me to feel better about my inadequate and measly iron levels. The machine beeped, indicating that the score is read--- 13.5!!! Holy crap!

Mission accomplished.

Joe and I at Dan's On Broadway surprise party. 

Carpe no diem

When Ingrid Croce offered me a job at her restaurant, I couldn't turn her down. We all know how that ended. I worked for a weekend and quit. Balancing two jobs and school was pushing the envelope for me. A few months later, I was offered a job at A/X. After the Croce's incident, I happily declined knowing that I wouldn't save any money because I would spend it all on my discounted Armani Exchange clothes. Yesterday, I was officially offered job number 3-- ophthalmologist technician. I love that I am getting all of these jobs offers but I find that I am probably the least qualified for this last job position. Restaraunt-- yes, fashion and clothes-- yes, yes, but eye sight? ha ha ha. They must want to blind their patients.

Strange times in San Diego

Today I saw a guy in the check out line buy white bed linens and an orange, lacy pair of women's underwear. Even stranger, he managed to pick up a woman in the same checkout line before his credit card transaction was completed.

concert!

For the past three years, I have been waiting too see Death Cab for Cutie in concert. Last night was the time that I had been waiting for. A radio station out here hosted a 5 band concert for a mere 25 bucks a person. It started with some local band, DCC, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's. I bought the ticket just to see DCC but liked the music of Muse and that one song of FF.

DCC was great live-- they were having some bass problems but it was fixed by the 3rd or 4th song. I thought that they did a kick-ass job. Well, except for that one part where the bassist jumped off the drummer's platform and fell on his butt.

I must admit, though-- Muse stole the show. I wasn't expecting such a great performance from them but boy, they sounded better live than they do on their CDs. The lead singer kinda looked like a quirky, black headed version of Clay Aikon (is that how I spell his name?). The guy was pint-sized. FF was ok. Most of their music was much more mellow than I had anticipated. I was ready for a nap by the time they were done with their set... But then the 3Y's came on--my naptime quickly ended. The lead singer was dressed from head to toe in a tight shiny silver shirt/ skirt duo with little red ruffles around her neck and waist.Her feet were adorned with green converse high tops. She didn't sing at all-- she just screamed all of her songs. I would compare her scream to a loud, banchee like scream. It was ear piercing and mind numbingly bad. I really thought that they were just joking around at first but... to my dismay, their "act" was really who they were.

The reason why some things come in pairs

My pregnant friend, Charina-- "Won't it hurt to breastfeed?"

Her husband, Dan, promptly responded-- "That's why you have two of them."

Sheer panic

Have you ever had the feeling that you had to do something but didn't know what it was until it was too late? I had that feeling today. That's right, last month I told someone that I would go in and work for him today and completely FORGOT about it. Luckily, my butt was saved by another waiter. He kicks ass. Seriously.

And, I am glad that I actually did something productive today (I wrote one of my three papers). If I had spent the day watching TV and catnapping, this enormous amount of guilt in the pit of my stomach would probably be an ulcer right now.

Through the Grapevine

When I was at work on Friday, an older lady was telling me about her experiences in Thailand as a young, white female back in the 60's (in case you were wondering, she was traveling around Southeast Asia studying architecture). This one was my favorite story.

One day, she waiting for a friend in a hotel lobby in Southern Thailand. Her friend was running late so this lady decided to take a seat on one of the lobby room couches. Then, out of no where, she felt a hand come from behind her. This hand cupped her right breast. She was very shocked and incredibly mortified. She couldn't believe that someone would disrepect her like that at a very reputable hotel. Immediately, she turned around to scold the accuser when she realized that the "hand" wasn't a hand at all but rather the trunk of a baby elephant. The King's procession was walking by and a little elephant thought that he could be fresh with her.

Smog time in San Diego

After a long two days of running around trying to get Kevin's car to pass the California DMV smog test, I can officially say that I never want to get my car registered in the state of California. It's a big, big, big, big, big pain the arse especially when your car won't pass. In case you're curious, Kevin is handling the smog complication very well. If this had been my car, I would have driven it into a lake.

In and around Florida

Just like recent hurricanes, I, too, will be in and around Florida. My dates of arrival and departure are actually scheduled though. I will be flying the dreaded America West Airlines because it's the cheapest flight I could find online right now (I had a bad incident with them when I went to Las Vegas two years ago). My plan was initially to fly in and out of Tennessee but it appears that I will be making a road trip to Tennessee from Atlanta with my brother and co. for my cousin's wedding (by the way, I can't believe us "kids" are old enough to get married). Then we will be driving back down through Hot-lanta and onward to good ole Tampa Bay. We're going to arrive in Tampa on Monday, October 18. I leave for the west coast again on October 26. That's right kids, I will be there a WHOLE week.

I know I was just home. But I am going home again. See you there :).

New things to do

Maybe it's something in the air or just like-minded people trying to spend their free time productively. Needless to say, I wasn't going to document my brand new hobby (as of Saturday night)--crocheting, until I read Serena's blog about how she's learning how to knit. I am very impressed that she's already knitted a hat for Isaac. I, on the otherhand, haven't so much as even made a coaster.

The best thing since AIM

YAHOO INSTANT MESSENGER!!! Download it. For me. Please. My new screenname is vim792000.