Ten things you don't want to see on moving day

It's the start of another semester, and for my husband and I - residing in walking distance to two colleges - it's the week of brand-new neighbors. Ugh, people! Further ugh - young people!
After grouchily observing various move-ins through the blind slats, I've compiled a list of things you don't want to see as your neighbors move in.
1. Diesel truck pulls up. As the wrangler-wearing occupants open the doors, six or seven empty beer cans tumble out as well.
2. The back of the moving van opens, and you stare in horror as 4 pet crates in successively larger sizes are removed.
3. Random car parked in your driveway.
4. Moving van blocking your driveway.
5. She's installing a red light bulb on the porch.
6. Drug trafficking before his parents have even kissed him goodbye
7. The movers carry a bed into the single-bedroom apartment, followed by eight folding cots. EIGHT?!
8. Any item with a Marlborough or Corona logo on it.
9. Enough bumper stickers to obscure the color of your new neighbor's car
10. An empty electric guitar box in the trash.

Katrina Anniversary Reflections

Four years later, I want to express my gratitude to the brave people who worked to rescue storm victims. Many rescuers were neighbors, volunteers, or Coast Guards. Most had no personal stake in the rescues but risked their lives out of the goodness of their hearts. My brother in law spent days helping boat people to safety before he fled the city himself. Thank you, Chris.
I'm thankful to the medical personnel who stayed in fetid, hot conditions and cared for patients by hand. These people gave up their own food, water, and resting places for the patients they cared for. I remember an image I saw in the newspaper of patients being lifted to helicopters hovering over Baptist Hospital. I recognized the man holding up the sick baby - he was a pharmacist I had worked with. Thank you, Glenn.
I am still disgusted with FEMA for not even knowing that you could take River Road into the city when the I-10 was flooded - this lack of research caused a dramatic delay in the arrival of help and many died because of it. Thanks a LOT, FEMA.
Our ex-governor Blanco is the epitome of poor leadership. She allowed her ego and her pride to make decisions - and in doing so cost innocent victims their lives. Thanks, Blanco - I know it is hard to make decisions under duress but you were foolish and ineffectual.
I'm thankful to God for allowing this city to crawl back bravely and I'm thankful to all the people who moved back to their homes and tried to build their lives back. We're a brave city! Keep your chin up, NOLA!

Signs of Fall

The ear-splitting hum of cicadas announces that Fall is on its way in Southern Louisiana. This week I started hearing the insects - and I saw a few, too (including one that parked in front of my back-porch laundry room, with the result that we had no clean towels for 6 days. These guys don't move much). The rather shabby Blackberry photo above shows a cicada that just climbed out of its molted shell! I spotted him in our church parking lot. Pretty cool!
On a more disgusting note, my dad eats these. He read that they are a fantastic caloric source and he occasionally pops one in his mouth in order to terrify teenagers into submission (he's a high-school teacher). Barf.

CREEPY OLD GUYS!

Really. I want creepy old guy stories. Prize is pearl earrings, you pick the accent color. How about that.

The creepy old man contest

This is a contest for the creepiest old man story.
THERE IS A PRIZE.
In case I forgot to tell you, I'm a jeweler. I make fabulous jewelry. The winner of this contest gets some fabulous piece of jewelry...I haven't made yet. I'll post a pic of what I think of to make later today.
So! Here are the rules. Contest ends Sept. 7th. Post your creepy old man stories, as many as you like, I'll pick my favorite and send you awesome jewelry! I'll start things off with this little tale:
A guy called the pharmacy for advice last night. I helped him out over the phone and I thought his problem was solved. But he showed up at the pharmacy anyway and introduced himself; he said he had to come meet me because I "sounded cute over the phone" (bet he was disappointed, haha!). The guy was 70 if he was a day! He looked live Steve Tyler's DAD! Ugh!

My worst day of work as a pharmacist...so far!

I had the perfect storm of miserable working conditions this past week. It started with an hour's drive to a store I'd never been to. I kicked things off right by going to the wrong store. I showed up all cocky and ready to go and there was already a pharmacist in the pharmacy. She informed me that there are two stores on the same street and I needed to head east for 3 more blocks. Yeah. Probably should have checked the address...So I finally made it to the store where I was supposed to be working and walked in to relieve the night pharmacist. He greeted me thusly: "Your 8 am technician called in, your 11 am technician will be late, and these people here will eat you alive. And if anyone tries to rob you just give them the drugs, they're probably armed. Good luck." Seriously. So I introduced myself to the cashier and tech trainee and got to work! I basically had to do all the work the technician would have done, because the trainee was new. I realized in about an hour that our 9 am cashier had never come in...she never did, and she never called either. I noticed three things about the clientele of this store as the morning heated up: 1. No one can figure out the automated refill line. Every single person held to speak to a pharmacist just for a refill. 2. Mainly addicted. Lots of drug abuse going on, and frankly I am not that stupid people, your story that you dropped a full bottle of Lortab into your toilet is just not going to fly with me. 3. Subsidized. I never saw so many able-bodied people picking up Medicaid prescriptions in the middle of the day when they should have been either working or looking for work.
By mid-morning things were insanely busy and I could not wait for the relief pharmacist to show up at 11. She walked in at about 11:20...and it was someone I know. Someone I know and do not like. I had worked with her on a case study at school and frankly she did not pull her own weight at all. I was very disappointed in the shifty way she tried to get everyone else to do her work. I guess it was a character flaw and not some fluke, because she continued such behavior all day: she not only made multiple errors (always check your meds, folks. Always.), she got on the phone and made a 45 minute personal call right off the bat! As the lines were ringing crazily with people requesting refills!
I was dying for my eleven o'clock tech to come in, but of course she was late that day; she made it in at about 1 pm. At this point the pharmacy was mildly controlled chaos. In walks my tech...I am not kidding. She was a midget. Honestly. She could not reach any of the counters so I had to continue to do all her work for her! Did nobody think to buy this girl a step stool?!
God help anyone who bought medication that day is all I can say. Phew.

Rather late Foody Friday: Try the new Vitamin Water

Did anyone else quit drinking Vitamin Water when a rival company ran this add pointing out that one bottle had the same number of calories as a super-sized Big Mac meal (or something close)? I did, and I used to drink them as a pick-me-up when my work day was dragging. Now you can buy a version that tastes similar but has just 25 calories per bottle. I do not usually recommend anything with artificial sweeteners in it, since they make most people crave sugar (stop trying to trick your body! It's smarter than you think!) and since the safety of many of these sweeteners is still questionable. However, Vitamin Water 10 is sweetened mainly with stevia, a natural product. Stevia doesn't give that artificial aftertaste, but it does sort of have a medicinal quality to it. That's ok though, because it suits Vitamin Water. Your body might still think it deserves more calories after getting all that sweet taste and you could feel hungry...but I guess it's ok for a snack. I give you permission. Go drink one.