Texas Two-Step?

Dear Derrick Rose, et al,

We love you too! Way to go Tigers!

The final 3 minutes of that game had to be the longest in the history of the world, am I right?

Despite the fact our beloved Tigers were never behind, I was too nervous to say anything really realize what was unfolding before my eyes until the final buzzer sounded.

I was able to pull off a “WOO HOO” everything the ball went through the hoop though.

WOO HOO count? 59
which puts Memphis with 85 points (Texas 67).

I even celebrated the victory by finally doing my Math homework (which hardly took anytime at all). I know--I'm SUCH a rebel!

Records are meant to be broke, while listening to the broadcast I learned that Memphis is only ONE WIN away from the most wins in NCAA history. WOW!

Someone coined it at the end of last season and apparently, these Tigers do remember the Alamo(dome)! How else could they fight their way back with such fire?

We’ve got another week to go until glory. Stepstep, Step (pause) Step!

~~J

Eye of the Tiger(s):

I am dying here. Totally dying.

Sports, Schmorts.

In less than an hour from now the "little team that couldn't" tips off in the Regional Finals in Houston. Yes, Houston. Come in, Houston.

Against Texas, yes Texas.
Hook THIS, Texas.

As always, Mr. Geoff Calkins wrote a beautiful Sports Editorial published in the Commercial Appeal today, which you can read HERE.

I understand that any college basketball team/program in the country would be quite excited about being in the Elite 8 once, but as this is our THIRD year in a row...IT has become the 5-Ton Gorilla on our collective backs (pardon the over-used expression).

We're seen as the team from the wrong side of the tracks. We're not as prestigious as North Carolina, Kansas, or Duke. We're completely blue-collar and represent the underdogs even though we're seeded FIRST in our region and have won 100+ games in 3 years. Weird, huh?

Literally, it's difficult to get any respect whatsoever!

This city has been painted BLUE for months now--Memphis BLUE. We all want this so bad, SO BAD! There is energy in the air and I can feel it AS WELL AS see it. Every single day I see people decked out in their best Memphis Blue.

I particularly like seeing our seasoned fans wearing items from YEARS ago. Complete CLASSICS on so many levels!

Okay. I just finished reading the Calkins article and I'm totally on the verge of TEARS. This is just too much to handle. May they have another first half like the one they did Friday night.

I should be studying. My stomach is in knots. I tossed & turned and turned & tossed all night. It's a completely gray day here in Memphis. It's been storming & pouring and I can NOT shake this feeling...this ELECTRIC feeling.

T I G E R S, gooooooo TIGERS!

~~J

Blogging in the Dark is...

almost like Dancing in the Dark but with less Springsteen.

For a single solitary hour I am going to do my part and observe Earth Hour like millions of others worldwide.

You probably think I am breaking some rules since obviously I am using power to run my laptop—fear not. The point is to turn off THE LIGHTS and they are OFF…plus I’m UNPLUGGED.

*insert images of Bon Jovi & Wanted Dead of Alive*

Now I admit the television is ON and I am watching the second Elite 8 match up. Carolina versus Louisville. If you know me, you know who I am rooting for...and my team has nothing to do with the color red.

"Live Blogging" Thoughts:

*the keyboard on the MacBook Air has got to feel awkward
*why are the mascots lying/sitting down instead of standing up?
*would Elvis be happy with the Viva "little blue pill" commercials?
*they call Hansbrough "Psycho T"? He does have "crazy eye".

I learned this past week that my laptop will not quite make it through two History lectures without a little plug in. I ran out of power with about 10 minutes left in class on Thursday and I had to WRITE notes.

I knew I typed faster than I can write...but I had NO idea how MUCH my professor says during our lectures. I abstractly wrote about 2 pages of notes in a VERY short amount of time!

More "Live Blogging" Thoughts:

*Carolina up at the half, this is a good sign!
* Cory B. Trotz has a tan--is it "real" or spray on?
*I think Google looks better with "the lights out" anyway.

And so ends Earth Hour.


~~J

Are You Afraid of The Dark?

So I was reading about Earth Hour this morning.



Essentially it's a clever way to make people "think" about their individual energy usage & global warming by having several cities around the world "Turn Off" their lights and conserve energy.

Very Clever.

Don't worry, it's only for an hour and involves landmarks (such as the Sydney Opera House) as well as individuals spending 60 minutes in the dark...nothing to be afraid of--and something to be very proud about!

In the United States there are a handful of cities participating including Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, Miami, Phoenix, San Francisco, Honolulu...just to name a few.

EARTH HOUR: March 29, 2008 at 8pm local time. Merely turn OFF THE LIGHTS for 60 minutes. Just the Lights. It's not too difficult to be revolutionary.

Can it be done? Can this yearly event take off and turn into a monthly or weekly event?

~~J

Come in, Houston.

Too close, WAY TOO CLOSE!

Did anyone else chew your fingernails off this evening?

Or maybe you prefer the more subtle "yelling at the screen" method to make it through?

(I enjoy a combination of both)

By the way, thank goodness we're not that other blue & gray team, because their going home.

I'm not going to focus on the negative (the Free throw phrase) and just praise all that is holy for the amazing ability our Tigers have to get it done by any means necessary. The defense was quite brutal & how many blocked shots or deflections were there?

I'm waiting for a Twilight Zone moment to occur because I swear I could feel all the bumps and bruises. Maybe they will psychically manifest too?

If you've caught most of the tournament action over the last few days, you've probably seen the new SPARQ Nike commercial...doesn't it make you want to run up and down any court or field?

The song, List of Demands (Reparations) by Saul Williams is absolutely fantastic--both in rhythm and lyrical content. Pure poetry put to soul. You can almost feel your heart jump out of your chest if you pay attention.

Or maybe that's just the Tigers causing my heart to thump thump thump. I hope we have no problems, Houston.

~~J

Basic Bracket Mathematics:

Essentially I am showing you THIS little snippet from my bracket because all the other little snippets are pretty embarrassing.

Sienna? San Diego?

Okay, I don't know TOO many people who had that right (unless you attend those schools or like the number 13).

But I went with a "feeling" on a couple and basically picked the "wrong" upsets. (But I got K-State right!)

Oh well.

I guess officially I can say my Math homework will be easier to figure out than the NCAA Brackets (which I actually KNOW something about as opposed to the Math).

Observe: Decimal notation is the writing of numbers in the base-ten numeral system, which uses various symbols (called digits) for no more than ten distinct values (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) to represent any numbers, no matter how large.

We do this EVERY day. It might sound scary to read, but you know HOW to handle it, I promise. 75= 7x10 + 5

Now we're converting from different bases and using a lot of paper to figure out problems. It took several sheets to be able to say:

342 converted to base 3 is 110,200(3)
323 to base 5 is 2,243(5)
243 to base 6 is 1,043(6)

(I don't know the point to this either, so don't ask me what I can do with this information aside from passing the appropriate exam!)

Somehow the Brackets are a lot more FUN (even though I've only "guessed" 62% of the games correctly and everyone knows that a D is completely unacceptable)!

~~J

Ramblings of a Pharmacy Technician (#5)

Your Simple Helpful Tip (to make your Pharmacy Experience as Wonderful as Possible) for Today? DO NOT believe every commercial you see...

So I was having a conversation the other day with the pharmacist. We were discussing the misnomer "non-narcotic" used in a commercial for a popular prescription sleep aid.

I was wondering if maybe I didn't quite understand the word NARCOTIC because this particular commercial made it sound as if its product was not addictive. But I also KNOW this particular medication is classified as a schedule IV controlled substance.

What's going on?

Pronunciation: \när-ˈkä-tik\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English narkotik, from Middle French narcotique, from Medieval Latin narcoticus, from Greek narkōtikos

Date: 14th century

1 a: a drug (as opium or morphine) that in moderate doses dulls the senses, relieves pain, and induces profound sleep but in excessive doses causes stupor, coma, or convulsions b: a drug (as marijuana or LSD) subject to restriction similar to that of addictive narcotics whether physiologically addictive and narcotic or not

So by definition this particular prescription IS A NARCOTIC! And being classified as a controlled substance by the DEA means it has a high potential for abuse.

Then HOW exactly can the drug company even call this product NON-NARCOTIC? It's FALSE ADVERTISING. I've gone to the drug company's website to see if they have this false information written anywhere on their page. Nope. It should definitely NOT be heard in a voice over for their product either!

remember if it sounds too good to be true...talk to your doctor or pharmacist!

~~J

5 x 4:

1. Tonight at the end of Math class,
2. we got our second exams back.
3. Just as I assumed I got another
4. B! But I didn't miss any of the expected problems.
5. WHY do I always flub the easy ones?

1. I found out this evening/night,
2. that my History exam was moved to April 1st--
3. while my next Math exam was revealed to be
4. scheduled for April 1st.
5. Let the STRESS begin!

1. On a whim I put ATONEMENT on the top
2. of my darling Netflix Que.
3. Guess what is scheduled to arrive tomorrow?
4. ATONEMENT!
5. Did someone say James McAvoy?

1. Have you filled out your Tournament Bracket yet?
2. I've entered TWO separate online pools
3. (with somewhat similar choices).
4. In my imagined life, I win lots of $$$!
5. Should I share my bracket?

~~J

Happy Anniversary, Student: Revisited!

*throws confetti*

Wow. It's happened. I have reached the ONE YEAR mark (3/18) and with every passing second I'm well into Year Two.

Time really flies when you're (having fun) working full-time and attending classes part-time!

I'd like to Thank the Academy...okay, just kidding. But feel free to send cake (or money for tuition) to help celebrate ONE FULL YEAR of my blog.

When I started last year the whole "back to school" concept was not only EXCITING but I was relatively NERVOUS about being able to handle it!

Now that I am here, I have to mention some accomplishments, etc.

If you click on my nifty "state visitor" pie chart you'll notice the great state of Tennessee ONLY made up about 32% of my visitors last week.

With only 1/3 of the views, I know I'm reaching more than a regional reader base. I definitely didn't expect to see that! Stop lurking and make yourself known! WHO ARE YOU?

Thus far this year (2008) I've already had over 1300 "blog views"...although I bet I account for most of those (rereading, rechecking, formatting, editing...)

The Blog-o-Sphere has been blessed with 150 official musings from me (plus a few I've added after the fact). I've had the same "format" aka template for the entire year, but I've been pink, orange and blue.


Most importantly I have been re-accepted to the University of Memphis and have added 20 more college hours/credits under my belt. My GPA for ONLY those 20 credits is a 3.83! Of course I am currently in the middle of an additional 6 hours/credits.

By this time next year I hope to be into my second full-time semester at the university. THANK YOU for keeping up with me, we'll see what happens during the SECOND YEAR!

~~J

Beauty in Everything:

(from our March snow fall)

Michelle Stone Photography

I've been lucky enough to call Michelle a friend for almost exactly 10 years now. We've made more than one concert road trip during our friendship!

Although she specializes in maternity, baby, and child portraiture (and does a great job)--my favorite shots of hers (oddly enough) are the "nonliving ones" (both natural and man made). She has a great eye and can find beauty in just about everything.

We went to Nashville last autumn and I got to watch her work. She wandered around, camera in hand noticing unusual ways of looking at things and finding peaceful moments in a very bustling downtown.

If you are searching for someone to capture your special moments, visit her site--you can see her client work and check her availablity.

~~J

Math, The Musical!

1. ~(P ^ Q) = (~P) or (~Q) to be sung: not P and Q equals not P or not Q
2. ~(P or Q) = (~P) ^ (~Q) to be sung: not P or Q equals not P and not Q

I'm picturing Julie Andrews circa
The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins...anybody? anybody?

Okay, so it doesn't really work. But it's De Morgan's Laws and now I have to add this STUFF (or another S word) to my mathematical repertoire.

I'm sure Augustus De Morgan was a wonderful guy. BUT he is really driving me nuts (not in a good way) right about now. I sat in class (after our second exam, of course) for at least an hour, with a perpetual gaze of frustration.

Basically, in logic, De Morgan's laws are rules in formal logic relating pairs of dual logical operators in a systematic manner expressed in terms of negation. (Yeah, sure, okay, whatever!)

Speaking of the Second Exam...I think I handled the Truth Tables (pun intended) rather well. I won't know for sure until next week, and you know what I think about multiple choice math exams. Who knows what will happen.

I guess I'll have to make up a song about it later.

~~J

Ramblings of a Pharmacy Technician (#4):

or Simple Helpful Tips to make your Pharmacy
Experience as Wonderful as Possible (part 4 of a series)






5. We Don't Know Exactly Where [insert random item here] Is.

I'd like to think it's because we look really smart or have adorable smiling faces (more than likely though, it's probably because we are trapped in a permanent location)...

BUT in every pharmacy I have ever worked in, we are interrupted on a daily basis by "strangers" asking where completely random un-pharmacy related items are located.

Notice I used the word "strangers," I don't mean regular pharmacy customers. I mean people that we've never seen before--sticking their heads into the pharmacy and shouting out their shopping lists.

Seriously--SHOUTING! There is normally no "excuse me" or "pardon me" involved here either. And I know their collective mothers taught them better than that.

A very short list of examples for your viewing pleasure:
motor oil (get your motor runnin')
light bulbs (aside from the one above my head?)
milk (2% or whole?)
shoe polish (is it prescription shoe polish?)
DVDs (I only play a movie critic in my spare time!)
super glue (because we're busy gluing our fingers together?)

Now don't get me wrong. We like to help people, obviously. But interrupting the pharmacist in mid-sentence while they counsel a patient about their blood pressure medication with LAUNDRY DETERGENT?! is a little on the RUDE side.

Oddly enough, these are the same people who try to bypass the line of people trying to pick up their medication so they can purchase their Hamburger Helper and get home as soon as possible (while talking on their cell phones<---another topic right there).

So before hollering "Frozen Food?" at a random person as you pass the "Frozen Food" sign and ignore the mother with a screaming baby with an ear infection--STOP! THINK! Look around or AT LEAST wait your turn.


~~J

Welcome Back!

So, it's official.

I have been re-admitted to the
University of Memphis!

*throws confetti*

I came home from work on Friday to find an extremely snowy mailbox. Some how the door has been left open and it was filled with crystallized bacteria (did you read that report?)....

Thankfully the contents had been rescued earlier in the day & were strewn about the kitchen island. Guess what I found? A "welcome back" letter...

I have to mention my excited has an undertone of sadness because I was accepted several days PAST the "deadline" for the Adult Scholarship application. So I don't even get to imagine winning aforementioned scholarship anymore. Does anyone have a Money Tree planted in their backyard?

I do still have another scholarship application out though and it's "almost" April so keep your fingers crossed!

I applied to return this Summer. My plan is to hit the second summer session running with my first literature class in YEARS (British Lit to 1750 OR since 1750 OR American Lit to 1890). I'll probably take the first or last listed (they all are required).

I am both very nervous & excited both at the same time.

WOO!

~~J

Toothpaste for AWESOME!

(actually, it's for Dinner)Oh yes!

I never miss an opportunity to visit either Natalie Dee or Toothpaste for Dinner. Normally I click over for super laughs on a DAILY basis! When I see something that fits me perfectly I get even more excited. This particular cartoon has been a great bringer of "Joy" for me for some time now. I'd LOVE to waste time at pretty much any newspaper.

I HAD TO SHARE!

~~J

Ramblings of a Pharmacy Technician (#3):

or Simple Helpful Tips to make your Pharmacy Experience as Wonderful as Possible (Part Three of a Series)

4) If YOU can't Read it, Maybe WE can't either.

When I was a little girl, (for a short time at least) I was interested in Archaeology. More specifically I was intrigued with the Ancient world of Egypt.

Ya know, the Pyramids, mummies, temples & tombs, pharaohs & queens and of course, hieroglyphics. Do you know where I might be going with this one yet? No?

Here it is: Never in my life did I dream I'd be able to study and interpret hieroglyphics on a daily basis (without having to excavate tombs and tunnels first).

Now I don't want to pick on doctors too much. Obviously they are very important in our society. They are our healers and perform miracle upon miracle. You can probably tell me at least 2 stories in which a doctor saved your (or a loved one's) life.

Also, we understand doctors and nurse practitioners are extremely busy people. They have large amounts of pressure and situations to deal with...

BUT the handwriting! OH the handwriting! (links to two stories about sloopy handwriting and mistakes)

And they know this...more and more offices are going to electronic prescriptions and prescribing. This makes practically everything clear & precise, not only avoiding errors but shortening YOUR wait time.

Now looking at the particular prescription UP THERE...I know the picture is a bit blurry, but I took it with my cell phone. It's an actual example of the creative handwriting we see daily. Can YOU read it?

What if I told you it was a list of three ingredients to be compounded together PLUS the directions for the patient on how to use the concoction...can you read it now? (oddly enough it seems we have more trouble with dermatologist's handwriting...)

Today's simple tip: Look at your prescription before you LEAVE the doctor's office. Feel free to ASK what they wrote (ask the nurse if you have to). It's always a good thing to have some idea what your prescription is for anyway.

If we CAN read it, we probably don't have to call the doctor's office for clarification. Then you will GET your medication faster.

Plain & Simple or Clear & Precise!

~~J

Conjunction (dis) Junction:

What's your function?

In GRAMMAR:

a conjunction is a PART OF SPEECH that connects two words, phrases or clauses together. In general, a conjunction is an invariable grammatical particle, and it may or may not stand between the items it conjoins.

Hey, that's clever!

But here's some NEW ones I need to memorize for a certain Exam next week...

In LOGIC and/or MATHEMATICS:
logical conjunction "and" is a two-place logical operator that results in a value of true if both of its operands are true, otherwise a value of false.

True AND True = True
True AND False = False

logical disjunction "or" is a two-place logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true.

True OR False = True
False OR False = False

Okay. Now add in Conditional (-->) and Bi-Conditional (<-->) to the mix.

I like tying up words and phrases and clauses.

A conditional is a compound statement formed by combining two sentences (or facts) using the words "if ... then." A conditional can also be called an implication.

if True then False = False
if True then True = True

A bi-conditional is a compound statement formed by combining two conditionals under "if and only if." Biconditionals are true when both statements (facts) have the exact same truth value.

if True and only if True = True
if False and only if False = True

I'm going to get you there if you're very careful.

Conjunction (dis)Junction, what's your function?

I'm going to get you there if you're very careful!

~~J

p.s. thanks for the help, School House Rock!

Rambings of a Pharmacy Technician (#2):

or Simple Helpful Tips to make your Pharmacy Experience as Wonderful as Possible (Part 2 of a Series)

3) THIS IS MEDICINE,

NOT FAST FOOD.

Just because we have a Drive-Thru window, does NOT mean we're throwing out pills every 5 minutes. Your Prescription will not be done sooner if you: honk, cuss, cry, or haggle.

We care about YOU. We care about the person IN FRONT OF YOU. We care about the person BEHIND YOU.

We don't want to compromise their lives to "rush" your medication along. This is normally a "wait your turn" process. That's the only way to make it a fair and orderly.

We want to be as fair as possible. Why? Because we CARE about you.
We want to be as orderly as possible. Why? (see above for answer)

There are so many factors that go into HOW LONG it is going to take to get your prescription.

If we can't read your doctor's handwriting (I'll be sure to show you some examples soon) and we have to call and clarify something, it's going to add time to your prescription.

If someone walks up to the Pharmacy counter and asks where the "Milk" or other un-related pharmacy product is--it is going to add time to your prescription. (again, stay tuned for examples!)

If you don't have your insurance card, guess what?
If there are 15 people in front of you, guess what?
If 4 people call and ask "what time do you close," guess what?

Can we control this from happening? No.

But YOU can help us out...so remember some of this and try not to be one of those people who calls or haggles or interrupts or forgets their insurance card (see Part 1). This affects everyone involved.


~~J

Dark Horse Darcis Rocks RMK:

(or I like Alliteration)

I admit to not knowing exactly WHO Steve Darcis was (is)--until this tournament. I feel like many people can say the same thing.

But after this week, we definitely know his name, blue eyes, and serving prowess.

When asked after the championship match if it’s the "chocolate" that’s bringing about the current onslaught of great players from his country, Darcis had to laugh and offer up other suggestions, “maybe the French Fries, or maybe the beer.”

Ha Ha. Good humor translates in any language.

The 23-year old Belgian beat Spadea, Becker, Bjorkman, and Soderling along his way to the second ATP tour title of his career. His first came last summer during the Dutch Open where he not only won his first ATP match, but went on to win the title as well.

With this title under his belt, he is projected to move up to number 45 in the world according to the ATP. This is his highest ranking thus far. I look forward to following him this year and seeing if this win catapults him like it has other former winners.

~~J

Dear Lindsay Davenport:

Congratulations on winning another tournament in Memphis (of course I have to mention it’s been way too long since we last saw you here). It was a pretty good atmosphere, don’t cha think? Could you hear us talking about you all week? (US being everyone in the place!)

“Who’s up next? Lindsay?”
“I’m staying for Lindsay!”
“Did you see Lindsay last night?”

It’s as if you were our very best friend and we could NOT get enough! Was there any doubt you could not handle the fresh-faced teenagers? (I know there was, I’m not crazy) Nevertheless, you showed them & it was truly amazing to watch.

Age trumps Beauty (although you are quite beautiful and graceful too).
Experience trumps Youth (although you had a youthful step out there too).

So when did 31 become “old”? I guess we could ask Jonas Bjorkman about being almost 36-years-old and beating the up and coming American player—Donald Young on Friday. Donald's age? 18. 18+18=36, right?

Bjorkman was fantastic on Friday afternoon and then YOU followed, Lindsay. Of course Jonas fell in the Semis, but that’s okay. He was wonderful this week anyway.

I decided to wait until you won your 55th career Singles title before writing about you (a letter). Or mentioning the whole "new mom" thing either.

You especially held all the Moms in the audience captive too. I spoke to one on Friday (age 38) with two young children of her own (2-years-old, 5-months). She was actually hoping to catch all of your semi-final match before having to rush and pick up her children. Mission Accomplished.

We also talked about "rooting" for the older players (Jonas, we were cheering for you) and about turning 30 (that's me). She told me that while 30 is a big deal, it's definitely better than 20 as far as being a woman is concerned. I've heard that somewhere before...

So THANK YOU Lindsey for swooping in, letting us see your handsome little man, and playing (& winning) wonderful tennis all week long.

~~J

Ramblings of a Pharmacy Technician (Part 1):

or Simple Helpful Tips to make your Pharmacy Experience as Wonderful as Possible

1. ALWAYS BRING YOUR (NEW) INSURANCE CARD TO THE PHARMACY.

I know you haven't changed employers recently. I've had the same job for the last 13 years--but in December I always, always, always get a new insurance card.

More specifically--a PHARMACY card, and there is always, always, always a nice little letter that reads, "Be sure to bring your new card to the Pharmacist".

Telling us you work for FEDEX doesn't help us.
Telling us you haven't changed jobs doesn't help us either.

We actually HAVE to see your card. We literally see hundreds of cards a year and they each have specific information about YOU and YOUR specific plan. If we had access to this information WITHOUT seeing your card, we wouldn't ask for it. Honest.

We're never going to keep you from getting your medication (unless it's harmful to you) but you'll end up paying A LOT MORE if you're one of the lucky ones who HAS insurance, but decides to leave your new pharmacy card at home.

2. KNOW YOUR INSURANCE PLAN. This is probably asking too much because it can all be very tough, I know. Insurance is very confusing and always changing.

Questioning the pharmacy staff about different co-pays or deductibles or such is usually not going to get you anywhere. Why? We're NOT your insurance company.

We can tell you everything you would ever want to know about your medication (how it works, side effects, etc.,) but the co-pay structure, that's insurance.

Calling the dreaded 1-800 number on the back of your card & actually being able to talk to someone is a very daunting process. I know. I know because I have called so many insurance companies in my career, I can't even begin to count (even in groups of five).

But while we're calling YOUR insurance company, We're not filling YOUR prescription or the prescription belonging to the person who dropped off their prescription after you. We are stuck on the phone for 20 minutes only to find out that we need your new insurance card (see #1).

Or (and) because WE ARE NOT YOU, they usually are NOT going to tell us anything special or specific either. They usually want to talk to you, NOT US.

& WE don't even get to talk directly to YOUR insurance company or employer, we are merely talking to the company that PROCESSES CLAIMS for YOUR insurance. I bet you didn't even know that, did you?

In Short: Always bring your (new) Pharmacy card & know the specifics of your Insurance coverage. More helpful tips are forthcoming.

~~J