BIG FAT Ego Strokin'
2005-08-15...3:50 a.m.


(edited for crappy html content) Well, this night has been fabulous. But I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Starting with yesterday...Corey and I went to the party for the lab being thrown by our resident pathologist. The good doctor opened his home, pool, fridge, and massive amounts of liquor to the lab employees. It was interesting to see how my coworkers react to alcohol, in amounts large and small. I got to enjoy compliments on my figure in "civvies" (i.e., clothing other than scrubs), and non-work-related conversation. I already knew that I liked one gal and her boyfriend, but it was really nice getting to sit down with them for awhile. However, I think the most fun I had was in the pool: My boss's son kept picking on me every time I started to get on a floatie, saying, "Are you getting on MY floatie?" So I waited until he got on one of the floaties, snuck up underneath him, and dumped him off. Which was quite a feat, because he outweighs me by probably about 80 lbs, and is about 8 inches taller than I. A little later on, I rammed his floatie with my floatie, and it was on. It was war every time I got back in the water. But fun, and funny, as hell.

Afterwards, we went out for karaoke and billiards, which was fun but uneventful.

Today I got in a lot of cuddle time with Corey, which was nice. Again, an uneventful evening, aside from hanging out with Mercedes while I was peeling and deveining shrimp. I didn't have the heart to tell her those weren't blood veins, by the way. I just couldn't.

After dinner and putting the kids and Corey to bed, I headed over to the J for my coffee time with Christine. I hope things get better for her. I could tell when I first saw her that things weren't exactly going her way, and it hasn't been all that long since I was last in her position. But anyway, a huge load was released, and I got a little alone time with her.

Then Jen, her roomie, showed up. Now, I'm not saying that I don't want her around. I enjoyed her company, although I felt a little pressured to include her in conversation. However, this is the third time in a row that my time with Christine has been interrupted and usurped. One incredibly good thing I can say is that she's really good at not hogging the conversation. Unlike Homeless John. He manages not only to commandeer a conversation, but to make it all about him. Mrph. I think next time, we maybe need to find another forum, where we're not going to be found. Like, at the other end of town...there's another truck stop there! lol.

On the way out, we stopped by the claw machines, and wasted inordinate amounts of money on trying to win prizes. I won a stuffed Stewie and a stuffed Brian (both from Family Guy), and Christine won a pocket watch. I gave Brian to Christine, kept Stewie for myself, and Christine gave the watch to Jen.

Anyhow, I had to leave so Corey wouldn't feel freaked out about going to work and leaving the kids at home with nobody but my sleeping dad (amazing how that conveniently doesn't bother him when we go out together, isn't it?), so Christine and Jen followed me home. We hung out some more, and talked some more, and listened to DD, and had a bloody moment.

Which is to say that for the first time since I started my new career, I've felt confident enough, and had a needle at the same time, to draw Christine's blood. The first couple of times, I was still pretty inexperienced, and was kind of afraid to draw blood from anyone whose veins I couldn't actually see. She and Jen gave me a big ol' swelled head - Christine saying she couldn't believe that she basically didn't even feel it, and Jen saying she'd never seen it done that well or that swiftly before.

For a little while, I was actually able to put the insurance situation out of my mind.

the last trail...the next path

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