a broken toe and other fun stories (like vomiting)

I was running late to work on Friday for my 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. shift, so I called my manager from Cleveland Circle to tell them that I will need 15 minutes. I got out of the Government Center T stop at exactly 1 p.m. and hurried to get to work. I was jaywalking across Congress Street when I didn't quite catch the top of the curb, and my left shoe went flying. And I immediately noticed a throbbing pain in my second left toe. I put the shoe (which a nice guy helped me to pick up) back on and hobbled across the cobble stones to work. Hahaha. Hobbled on the cobble stones. I get my salegirl attitude on and started to be nice to people when I noticed that the toe is starting to swell. Hmm. I thought to myself that I should be able to tough it out until 8 p.m., no problem. At least until 5 p.m., which was my dinner break.

By the end of the second hour of my shift, I noticed that the pain had elevated to a pulsing pain. I lasted another hour, during which many people commented on my limp/hobble. One of my fellow coworkers said that it could be broken. I said, no way, it doesn't feel broken. It's probably just a sprain. At 4 p.m., I ask my manager if I can take off early to go to Mass. General, the nearest hospital, which also happened to be ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. She said yes, and I was on my way.

I got to the hospital and did the paperwork. I wait. The nurse took a look at me and asked some questions and said she'd get me an X-Ray. X-Ray taken, and I was waiting again. The nurse came back and told me that I BROKE MY TOE, but it's a chip, and therefore too small to put me in a cast. So they're going to give me a hard-sole shoe and told me to return in two weeks for a look-see. I love it. I spent more time waiting in the hospital than getting medical attention, which was more than the give minutes I got with the orthopaedic resident. Well, YET another doctor (not the resident) wrote me a prescription for tramadol, which needed to be taken with Tylenol 650 mg. I got my prescription filled, and all is jolly good. Please note that the medication supposedly would make me drowsy and dizzy.

The next day at 1:30 p.m., I went apartment-hunting with friends of a friend, and I sat in the back seat of the car because the front seat was taken. Within five minutes of being in a moving vehicle, I started to feel my motion sickness coming on. Unlike other times, this was getting pretty strong. By the time we got to Davis Square around 2 p.m., I was fighting the urge to puke on the sidewalk. And I haven't actually puked from my motion sickness since I threw up on a plane (with the flight attendant holding back my hair) my junior year in high school. We got to the real estate agent's office and I thought I felt fine. But in 10 minutes, I was on my way to the back of the office to the restroom, where I immediately upchucked my lunch of canned peaches into the toilet. I rinse my mouth out and took a sip of water. In about 10 more minutes, same thing. More peaches, less dense. Another few minutes go by. More peaches, less dense, more water.

I ended up going in the car to see the five or so apartments for fear that I would mess someone's car up with more peaches, way more water. Instead, I walked to the nearest pharmacy without incident and bought Dramamine because it didn't have any anti-nausea medicine. I walk back to the real estate office (about 10 or 15 minutes) without incident to find the office locked because it was 4 p.m., and the office closes at 4 p.m. I was feeling really pukey after a little while in the sun, so I walked (calmly, I thought) to the sub place next door and asked the guy at the counter for a plastic bag. WHAT? A fire hydrant? No, a plastic bag. WHAT? Anti-histamine? No, a PLAS-TIC BAG. Oh. So I walked (quickly) out of the place after a quickly mouthed "thanks." I opened the plastic bag outside and immediately puked up more orange liquid. I threw away the plastic bag and they returned from the apartment hunting. Apparently, there were two real possibilities, and they ended up taking one of them. While two of the three roommates filled out applications and waited for the third to show up to see the place, I puked again. This time, all oatmeal raisin Powerbar, of which I had about a third. Tan chunks of grossness/former yumminess. We left Davis Square around 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. It was a fun day.

So. Note to self. Do not take medication that makes you drowsy and dizzy AND get into a moving transportation device. It is not a good idea.

summer school is over!

I'm done with summer school! And sorry about the horrible lack of updates recently. I've been busy. :) Writing papers take talent, you see, and pulling all-nighters aren't fun. But I've moved out of my apartment at BC and am now crashing at my friend's place for the duration while my new apartment (new as in some place different ... not as in new wood) is getting readied for habitation. I'm going to get keys to it tomorrow. Life is very exciting.

The job is going OK. I would like to think that I'm an OK salesgirl, but I really hate stalking people who come into the store. The way I figure it, if they want help, they will ask. I'm there. They know. But I have to hunt these people down and ask if they need help. Be cheerful. Be happy. Be helpful. Ugh. I would much prefer as little human contact as possible. Maybe I should've told them that when I hired me?

these last weeks ...

These last weeks has been a swirl of emotions and an ocean of stress. I feel like I've never stopped writing papers and reflections and trying to figure out what those obscure education terms are. And I am, apparently, also quite incoherent and inarticulate. I need to update more often, I know, but I think it'll be a tall order for the next week or so. I am currently crashing at my friend Kai's apartment while my new apartment is being readied for an Aug. 15 move-in date. Here's to hoping that everthing turns out well. I really should stop by the apartment and take a gander at the new digs. I have to write a psychology paper tonight and maybe even my inclusion statement that is due Tuesday for my diverse learners class. Wednesday is the last day of classes. I have one last project due on Friday for literacy class, and that's what's really worrying me. So I am going to go back to writing. Catch y'all on the flip side.

amazing lightning photo

from someone's kitchen in Toronto. You can see the CN Tower. Crazy.