jumped the gun

so, driving to and from work today felt like I was drunk driving... scary! probably should have skipped it I guess. Didn't realize it until I was already on the road. Had to deal with some stuff too. Glad I went in regardless. happy I made it home safely too. Probably need another day or so of rest. crazy!

back to work

ok, its interesting to note how long anesthesia stays in your system. as I was driving to work this morning I realized I was still high! was a bit scared to be driving... having said that, as co-workers asked how I was feeling my response has been "tired, sore and stoned"... that's true.
I've been typing all day, like usual, but today my hands are killing me. I looked down and was reminded that each hand has a huge bruise on it. the left one was an unsuccessful attempt to put an IV in and the right one was successful. So, more pain... nice!
I brought a vicodin to the office with me just in case. yes, I took it. now I feel like I'm sitting on hot needles with shooting pains, at a bar having had a martini or two. fun stuff! more will be revealed.

recovery

wow! should I say stimulus right now too! haha... not talking about our country, or our economy... referring to my recent "little surgery". The before mentioned IUD removal. Yesterday was the "procedure" in the hospital, under anesthesia. Considered an official surgery. What a crazy experience! Of course I am an HMO right now so I find myself in hospitals and doctor offices I would not have necessarily chosen as a PPO. Either way, the job gets done and you meet interesting people along the way. Kayla picked me up at 5am! and drove me to the Gardena Memorial Hospital where my procedure was scheduled at 7:30. Made it through admitting after they slammed me with a $700 COD charge for my insurance deductible. Of course nobody bothered to tell me about that! I could hardly wait for the anesthesia after that swift kick in the bank account.
In the "triage" getting "prepped" at least 4 different nurses or whatever swing by, review my file and ask me the same series of questions: when was the last time you ate or drank? do you have diabetes, strokes, etc.. One of which is a nurse who says she will be attending my surgery. I took that opportunity to ask her a couple of pending questions. How do they dilate me? Will it hurt when I wake up? for how long? I guess people don't ask questions as she seemed miffed by my interview.
Next the anesthesiologist comes in. Whatever she is saying I can't even focus because I was transfixed on her jewelry. Not diamonds, semi-precious set of lapis from spain as I am told by her. I told her as soon as she knocks me out she can feel free to drop that set into my bag of personal belongings under my bed! she laughed.
Ok, finally my doctor arrives, lets get this party started! I'm on the operating table feeling the meds (that was my favorite part). Next thing I know I am KIND OF waking up to this little Indian woman shaking this container at me and saying "we got it out Laura". And then she was gone! Was that a dream? It looked like my doctor! Moments later I am in EXTREME PAIN and shivering like crazy for what seemed like forever! (that was the worst part of the entire day) FINALLY someone approached me with some warm blankets and a shot of demerol... 10 long minutes later I could finally relax. Love demerol! and warm blankets, another favorite moment. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Half hour in "recovery", wheel me into "triage" again. They ask what "his name is" regarding who is waiting for me outside. As we all know, I don't have a "him" in my life. Kayla was waiting outside in her car. Of course everything I do, and probably most everyone I know as well, is done unlike the rest of society!
I was fighting with my bed trying to reach the bag of belongings underneath to get to my phone. Needed to text Kayla to get in here or they would not let me go! Finally someone helped me to get my phone. Soon after Kayla was in my room. Of course her and I were causing a scene, the usual bantering and teasing between us. She was trying to take pictures of me! for those of you who know her, not surprising!... they wanted to get us out of there! I was finally told I could get dressed. They checked my vitals one last time and said "no sex for two weeks"... as Kayla lets out a loud laugh on that note from across the isle! I tell her to shut up and place my focus back on the nurse who is happy for the comedy relief. They hand me a box with a sandwich and some juice and let me go. I left the box of food behind and we were out of there.
A day of vicodin and rest. Today is the final day of rest. Motrin is the drug of choice today. Pain is bad, but not that bad. Back to life tomorrow... whew! Glad that's finally over!!!

Gaycist...

I am so fed up with the double standard society we live in. I can hardly believe that the recent Proposition 8 passed! I can hardly believe that most of the people that voted against gay marriage are African Americans... HYPOCRITES! How can these people who have lived with racial limitations and scrutiny their entire lives chose to do the same to another group of individuals?! Regardless of their personal judgements. Yes, the degree of scrutiny is different, but it is a reasonable comparison under the circumstances. And, who are they to judge in the first place?! Furthermore, the "Christians" who believe that "the sanctity of marriage is between a man and a woman". These are the same people with over 50% divorce rate! Another hypocritical statement! I thought the choice of being Christian involved acceptance and non-judgement. But not unless you first judge. Are the Christians their GOD? I want to repeat that... ARE THE CHRISTIANS THEIR GOD... ARE THEY GOD? ARE THEY? Who are they to judge? Who are any of us to judge?! I am insulted! Let the gay people get married, be miserable or not and get divorced in the "sanctity of marriage" if they choose. The irony is that they will end up celebrating their status as a married couple and probably work through tough times as they can appreciate what it feels like to not have that choice. In turn celebrating the actual "sanctity of marriage" better than strait married couples. The gay people can die next to the strait people in WAR! They are considered hero's if they survive the war without being "outed" first! BUT if they are found kissing their same sex partner on duty or off duty, they are discharged! WTF!Is this the America our forefathers intended? I doubt it! Its infuriating to see these stories still popping up in the news. I am not saying by any means that EVERYONE in any of the above mentioned "groups" has these beliefs, however the ones that do scare me! And listening to the facts shows that the above mentioned "groups" are the majority that appose to Gay anything. It is scary to see all of the strong apposing beliefs AGAINST what I put here. I still cannot understand the dilemma? AMERICA IS GAYCIST!

sick of being sick!!!

ok, I've been trying to spare you people of the drama due to its sensitive matter but this is getting ridiculous! Now I have the flu! It seems I've been on my ass in bed for 50% of February! Started out with a friendly trip to the OBGYN... yep, told you! Routine visit turned disaster! For those of you who do not know I have an IUD. Its been in for 7 years and I want it out. Normally a simple procedure, but of course nothing is simple for me. Mine is lost! Detail sparing here... I had to get an ultrasound and voila! there it is. Still my doctor is conflicted on how to remove it because she is shocked I even have it since I have never given birth! HELLO! Ok, we need to DILATE me to get it out... after several attempts and some vicodin that is not working as we would expect (more detail sparing)... she cannot find it still! Two days later I end up in the emergency room with such bad pains I cannot breathe! Have you ever driven yourself to the ER? Me neither... in Santa Monica they ask you if you want to valet!... how much does that cost? yikes...I'll self park. 8 hours and 4 or 5 morphine shots later I am released, free to go. I'm TRASHED on morphine and can't even find my way out of the hospital much less get myself home. Instead of bothering any friends I simply call a cab. Felt like I had about 8 martinis! diagnosis: ruptured ovarian cyst, may or may not have something to do with the fact that "edward scissor hands" was digging around inside of me two days earlier searching for the "device"... UGH! Recommendation, go home and take vicodin as needed for 3 to 4 days until the pain goes away... "it will hurt badly, just rest". great!
So, now that that is over with, I had to schedule an appointment to GO INTO THE HOSPITAL TO GET THE FREAKING IUD REMOVED UNDER ANESTHESIA!! yep,its considered a surgery! great! I need to be knocked out to be properly dilated to get that M-Fer out of my body! so, that is scheduled for Tuesday and I am dying to get this shit over with... BUT now I have the flu. So, today and tomorrow I need to lay around and feel like shit and get over this flu so I can go into the hospital on Tuesday and then lay around and feel like shit for a couple of more days... and THEN hopefully this saga will be over! I am so sick of being sick!

who are these people?! this topic revisited...

yep, here we are again! seriously! WTF!!!
online dating, unbelievable comments by random individuals... who are they? At work I was talking to a new online client. I love these people that are IT people from "the real world" with a "new client"... this guy had a conversation with me that was insane! He thought I was insane too! He wanted all the answers to the point where co-workers heard my end of the conversation and gathered around with disbelief of what this guy was asking. Among other crazy things, he wanted me to tell him what size box each of the over 15,000 items in our warehouse would need. Which is crazy, not to mention what would happen if someone ordered two things? or more? or any combination of any of the items in the warehouse! He was beside himself that I could not unlock the combination to his freight charges dilemma with specific details! Who are these people?
Ok, the online dating scene. These guys from other states insisting on instant true love by seeing my, or I'm sure any number of women's profiles. First of all, I tell them all I am not interested in a long distance relationship of any kind. They insist we can still chat, maybe something is there and I'm missing out. OK, I choose to talk for a bit knowing it will just go away soon. However, one guy actually asked me to "start my life over and move to Tampa, Florida to spend my life with him!" I have never met him. I have talked on the phone with him 4 times... text a few times! Who are these people? I kindly told him to lose my number.
Local dating... men are lazy. they want everything to just happen. they don't want to call you, they expect you to call them. they don't ask you out in advance, they think its ok to text you and ask you out to get together later today? As if I have nothing else going on in my life. They they get upset because I'm already busy!WTF?! What happened to the chivalry in this world! It's exhausting! Again, who are these people?! I can go on and on but this entry is already too long.

facebook update

yep, suddenly all of the old school Friends, literally, are popping up. Its really fun to reconnect with a lot of them, some I can't remember and can't believe they remember me! Others I KIND OF remember. I wasn't that interested in school.. school for me is high school folks. Not to date myself but that was A LONG TIME AGO!!! meanwhile, I was recently reminded that I was "one of the super cool Sweet sisters"... by an old school friend. funny the things people bring up! one guy reminded me that my old boyfriend Bob told him to leave me alone! He remembers that! I guess it really bothered him then, now he says looking back its funny.
Super close friends you lost contact with sending you great, actually meaningful gifts on this thing! that's fun too! I'm diggin facebook for the most part.
We have scraped the surface of the "blending of my worlds"... I am slowly beginning to be asked how I make my living. Not sure what people are thinking, don't care really. They know I've always been fun, crazy, wild, whatever they label me... their responses I believe confirm that some things never change. keep on facebooking!

a bit more on dating

yes, its been a while since I've approached this subject. been on a few first dates lately. all really great guys, good looking, some shorter, some exceptionally tall, mostly all nice. its exhausting. fun. annoying. good too. I realize we have to go through this process. yes, a couple of second dates too. not much further than that. the good news is that there are no shocking events or unbelievable stories that have come out of these dates lately. some better than others and that's it. Progress!!!!
more will be revealed.
doesn't make for great blogging. I realize its more fun when I have stories. I'm sure there will be something to say soon.

facebooking

are you face booking? apparently, who isn't? I reluctantly set up an account in order to view some photo's that were taken in vegas january. I was at a couple of parties and had many many drinks, so, curious what compromising positions may have been posted, I signed up. Soon after I had a bunch of friends that I know from work. Suddenly old friends from high school began to surface. its a virtual class reunion. amazing to reconnect so easily with old close friends, see pics and check everyone's life out now. kids, husbands, wives, lives...
now my life is blended. funny, nobody has asked me what I'm doing out in LA yet. that should be interesting!

Luxe Interior

Many of you will not know, some will know who I am referring to. Luxe Interior, the lead singer of THE CRAMPS passed away this week. I think it was Tuesday. Died of heart failure in his Glendale apartment at the age of 62. The Cramps are one of my favorite all time punk rock bands. I've had the pleasure of seeing them in both large and small venues over the years. And, I'm proud to say that the ONLY star sighting I was really excited about was in my first year of living in California, 15 years ago... I was leaving The Good Earth restaurant in Glendale with the guy I was dating and Luxe Interior and Poison Ivy (his girlfriend and the sexy female singer in the band) were waiting to be seated. We had a conversation with them. Normally I would not talk to "celebrities" but they were right there and we had just seen their show two weeks earlier! A great moment and memory!
I included the cover of Fever by The Cramps in my Indie 103.1 Coup d'Tdat playlist. They are still to this day one of my favorite bands. Check them out. A good place to start is the song called Human Fly from Bad Music for Bad People.
Luxe, you will be missed! Rest in peace and thank you for all the great times and tunes!

update

I am measuring my existence by the level of pain medication I am taking these days. And for those of you "in the know"... NO... "it" has not been removed yet... for those of you not "in the know"... "it" is my IUD. Enough said! (trust me I can make this into a sit-com too, but I think I will spare you all the intimate details).
Down to taking Motrin for pain. Feeling ALMOST better... today, I guess 90%?... its been a tough week! Worked the whole day yesterday despite my boss saying "you look like shit, do you think you should go home?"... I flipped her off and went back to working.
The irony is that probably as soon as I get past this particular issue I will be in the hospital under anesthesia in order to remove "it". The saga continues!
For those of you sending well wishes and good thoughts of concern, thank you! I appreciate your support! More will be revealed.

this program temporarily interrupted

An unpleasant trip to the doctor, followed by some sever discomfort and a lot of pain. A couple more days off of work & a trip to the emergency room. Have you ever driven yourself to the ER? Where do you park? how long will you be there? "would you like to valet?"...
A few doses of morphine while working to set up a new account with the nursing staff, gotta make some money wherever you can these days! Make up for that parking expense!
They spin you around to face the tv to ensure your stay is comfortable. A poke and a prod... rolled away for a test or two, by the way, did we get some urine?...I'll get you a cup! No matter how stoned, I'd prefer to walk to the bathroom, thank you.
8 hours later and a shot of morphine for the road, you are free to go. Yes, you are in pain and this is why... but we cannot do anything for you. Bed rest and vicodin for about 72 hours. Please go see your doctor within 3 days for a follow up.
Here's a phone, call a friend or a cab. Only after you've gotten dressed, and only if you can find your way out! Remember, you've been properly medicated!
TAXI!... my limit is 2 martini's.. 3 or was it 4 shots of morphine?... feels like 4 martini's to me.
I'm ok now, about 85% better. Should be back on track by Wednesday.