(Double post today because the other one was a saved draft that I needed to edit.)
Yesterday was my first day back at work at both jobs. At the Park it was School Patrol Day, where all the school patrollers in Calgary get to have a day celebrating them. (School Patrollers are grade 5/6s who guard crosswalks and make sure kids can get home safely.) That means 7000 kids in the Park during the day... It is a rather painful experience. I was in a site called The Rectory, which was the home of the rector or minister of the Anglican Church in a town. I stood in the kitchen because I could put a chain up and keep some distance if I needed to from the kids. Well, I had one girl who told me my clothes were ugly (I wear a mint green floor-length skirt and a flower patterned blouse - rather nice actually!) and was chased out by her friends who told her how rude she was.
I had another girl, closer to 11 or 12, ask me about washing dishes in 1910. I explained that we would wash them by collecting water, heating it on the stove and washing in basins. She replied "yeah and I know I just came from Dominican and the ladies were washing clothes in the river so I understand why they had rivers in the old days now." (Internal monologue: Ummm... What. The. What?!) External voice: "Um, we didn't build the rivers... They were there before." The girl: "Really? Ohhh..." I was tempted to go into an explanation about why most cities exist on rivers but I think it would have just flown over her head. The chaperone in the room (not her mother, but someone else's mother) didn't actually know how to react, so she just walked away.
It was also my first day back at the pharmacy, and was a rather nice night. Things were slow and I didn't have and difficult patients. I had one understanding regular when I called her 3 times after getting the cost of her order wrong... Then I got into a discussion with my PM about pharmacy history and the practice in other countries. As I told my dad when I got home, only I could go to work at my pharmacy and come home with a book on history. My PM gave me a book called "A History of Pharmacy in Alberta" because I enjoy history of my work. It's actually quite dry and a poor historical reference, but it's interesting that someone took the time to do the work and put everything together.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Sequel - Returns!
I'm back from Germany! The trip was more than wonderful. I had a fantastic time, and I spent time with some great people. That being said, I had a falling out with a friend whose reactions I'm still confused by. Essentially, he whined that I wasn't treating him fairly (reasonable) because I treated him like he was younger. He's a year younger than me and has been living in Germany for 6 months and basically just did another year of high school. I've just finished 2 years of university. Um, duh, you are younger, and yes I am going to be more mature, that's the way growing up works. No matter who did what after our fight and subsequent separation, I just left him alone until I sent him a message about getting his banking info so I could transfer the money I owe him. The answer was reasonable, then he asked about the hostel I stayed in while I was in Hamburg. I had an awesome place in Hamburg and told him so. His reply? "Oh, well I found a couple places in St Pauli and one right off the Reeperbahn." Umm, okay, good for you? I"m not in Hamburg anymore. "I'm going to see other friends and family anyways." Uh... What? Why did you ask for my opinion, then just try and slam me? Remember when we had that conversation about maturity?
Onto more interesting topics, my hostel in Hamburg! I had initially booked for Friday and Sunday because there were NO places Saturday night. I paid extra and booked an all female dorm. On my arrival, I explained the situation and the guy checking me in explained that there had been a few cancellations, so I could stay all three nights in the same room! And for 5 Euros, I could have breakfast each morning. Good deal! So first night is pretty uneventful. I went to a party and got back at 3am... and somehow lost my key card. *facepalm* Fortunately, the front desk is staffed 24/7 and the guy was nice enough to let me into my room, but couldn't give me a card. I had to pay 5 Euro the next morning for a replacement, but I deserved it. The second night something changed in my room. Suddenly of the 8 beds in the room, I was the only one who stayed from the previous night and the other 7 were filled with teenagers within a year or two of my age (around 16-18 I'd say) and coed. Now, I don't mind coed dorms, but I paid for all-female. So, I head down to the desk, calmly explain the situation and was told that there had been a minor mix up, but to compensate for the extra I'd paid, they would give me free late checkout (until 1pm). I can't praise the staff enough for the kindness and understanding I was constantly shown. Now THAT is customer service.
I enjoyed going over and seeing a lot of my family that I don't see very often. My brother is currently living in Berlin, and I hadn't seen him in about 6 months, and I missed him very much. I also rediscovered an adoration for Bavarian culture and German history. With any luck/motivation, I may begin doing historical posts similar to Dr. Grumpy. Seeing as the name of this blog is "Historically" I feel that I should do more historical posts.
Onto more interesting topics, my hostel in Hamburg! I had initially booked for Friday and Sunday because there were NO places Saturday night. I paid extra and booked an all female dorm. On my arrival, I explained the situation and the guy checking me in explained that there had been a few cancellations, so I could stay all three nights in the same room! And for 5 Euros, I could have breakfast each morning. Good deal! So first night is pretty uneventful. I went to a party and got back at 3am... and somehow lost my key card. *facepalm* Fortunately, the front desk is staffed 24/7 and the guy was nice enough to let me into my room, but couldn't give me a card. I had to pay 5 Euro the next morning for a replacement, but I deserved it. The second night something changed in my room. Suddenly of the 8 beds in the room, I was the only one who stayed from the previous night and the other 7 were filled with teenagers within a year or two of my age (around 16-18 I'd say) and coed. Now, I don't mind coed dorms, but I paid for all-female. So, I head down to the desk, calmly explain the situation and was told that there had been a minor mix up, but to compensate for the extra I'd paid, they would give me free late checkout (until 1pm). I can't praise the staff enough for the kindness and understanding I was constantly shown. Now THAT is customer service.
I enjoyed going over and seeing a lot of my family that I don't see very often. My brother is currently living in Berlin, and I hadn't seen him in about 6 months, and I missed him very much. I also rediscovered an adoration for Bavarian culture and German history. With any luck/motivation, I may begin doing historical posts similar to Dr. Grumpy. Seeing as the name of this blog is "Historically" I feel that I should do more historical posts.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
I'll do it tomorrow.
Dr. Grumpy is a nautical history buff and it's inspired me to do more historical updates.
Later.
I don't have time to write a whole blog post right now as I'm in the whirlwind of packing and preparing to leave on Saturday, so I will begin once I come home. I currently have almost no readers, but I'll put this out anyways. Are there any historical events that interest people that they'd like to hear more about? I'm going to attempt to have a once a week post. Any ideas, please send them in!
Later.
I don't have time to write a whole blog post right now as I'm in the whirlwind of packing and preparing to leave on Saturday, so I will begin once I come home. I currently have almost no readers, but I'll put this out anyways. Are there any historical events that interest people that they'd like to hear more about? I'm going to attempt to have a once a week post. Any ideas, please send them in!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Foodie Moment
I am a foodie. I love food. I love making it, I love eating it and I love trying new things (provided they aren't spicy or contain cilantro or bulgar/couscous.) That being said, this blog post is about one of the simplest things in your kitchen that I find utterly delicious.
Melted butter on toast.
Dead simple, but I like it. Why? I don't honestly know. I think toast is my comfort food and since I don't often like the jams that are in my kitchen, butter keeps me content. I don't like white bread, I really only eat whole wheat (the exception being hamburger buns and baguettes.) but even beyond that you can get breads with different things in them to change it up. Cinnamon raisin bread with butter or cheese bread suddenly make the plain and simple interesting and delicious.
---
I'm leaving for a month in Germany on saturday, so updates will be almost non-existent while I'm over there. yay spring travelling!
Melted butter on toast.
Dead simple, but I like it. Why? I don't honestly know. I think toast is my comfort food and since I don't often like the jams that are in my kitchen, butter keeps me content. I don't like white bread, I really only eat whole wheat (the exception being hamburger buns and baguettes.) but even beyond that you can get breads with different things in them to change it up. Cinnamon raisin bread with butter or cheese bread suddenly make the plain and simple interesting and delicious.
---
I'm leaving for a month in Germany on saturday, so updates will be almost non-existent while I'm over there. yay spring travelling!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Woes
Some people who come to the pharmacy make me want to tear my hair out. This may seem like a common issue but let me explain what happened last night...
This woman had been speaking to our pharmacists all week about getting her meds blister packed. Not a huge concern, we just have to work it out.
Well. She was in the store for THREE HOURS. She was talking to the only pharmacist for almost the entire time. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off doing as much work in the back as I can that didn't require a pharmacist. Then I had a gentleman come in picking up a cream that he'd never had before that had some special ingredients. I know nothing about it so I tell him he can wait if he'd like to speak to the pharmacist. He stood there for nearly ten minutes while my poor pharmacist talked to this woman. He eventually left and I apologised. Fortunately he understood.
When my pharmacist finally finally finally got this woman to agree on something, he wants her to pay. She then hands him a debit card but apparently doesn't know how to use it and doesn't remember giving it to him (30 seconds prior). So he then asks her how she wants to pay and she tells him "I don't know." Cash, cheque, another card? "No, no I want to know how much I spend I can't use those." Ohhhhkay... The woman then says she'll be back (I think she normally walks out without paying because she's afraid of admitting that she doesn't know what to do) and she certainly does come back... Ten times. Uggggggggh. I've started to work on her grid for her blister pack that ends up being cancelled half an hour before we close. I wanted to strangle her. She has no idea what she wants, she doesn't know how to pay and she claims she wants to continue administering most of her meds on her own... So the point of the blister pack was what?
Another woman called us in the middle of this asking about her prescription in the drawer to be picked up. It's a controlled narcotic which she normally gets in a different town but was with us for some strange reason this week. Well, she wants me to blister pack it for her, because she's supposed to take 9 a day (3 three times daily) but sometimes she "forgets and takes fewer." Yeah. Sure you take FEWER of your high strength narcotic than you're supposed to because "sometimes I don't need them so I don't take as many as I'm supposed to." This is fishy and I have less than an hour left at work and a counter full of baskets to be filled. So I tell her that if she's not staying with us there's no chance we will make it for her. She also was owed some pills because we didn't have enough last night. So I would not be making a blister pack for her, I would be making a comittment for the daytime staff to do something within the first half hour of opening. No freaking way am I doing that, they'd have my head on a platter! I told her it wasn't happening. She tried to pull the sympathy card, that her other drugstore does it and she has an appointment, blah blah blah. Call me insensitive, but I don't care in the slightest. The amount of work we would put in for her ONE TIME is not worth it because she'll be going back to her other drugstore as of the next day.
In other news, classes are done and I'm studying for finals. I really can't wait until they're over, because when they are, I get to leave for Germany for a month!
This woman had been speaking to our pharmacists all week about getting her meds blister packed. Not a huge concern, we just have to work it out.
Well. She was in the store for THREE HOURS. She was talking to the only pharmacist for almost the entire time. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off doing as much work in the back as I can that didn't require a pharmacist. Then I had a gentleman come in picking up a cream that he'd never had before that had some special ingredients. I know nothing about it so I tell him he can wait if he'd like to speak to the pharmacist. He stood there for nearly ten minutes while my poor pharmacist talked to this woman. He eventually left and I apologised. Fortunately he understood.
When my pharmacist finally finally finally got this woman to agree on something, he wants her to pay. She then hands him a debit card but apparently doesn't know how to use it and doesn't remember giving it to him (30 seconds prior). So he then asks her how she wants to pay and she tells him "I don't know." Cash, cheque, another card? "No, no I want to know how much I spend I can't use those." Ohhhhkay... The woman then says she'll be back (I think she normally walks out without paying because she's afraid of admitting that she doesn't know what to do) and she certainly does come back... Ten times. Uggggggggh. I've started to work on her grid for her blister pack that ends up being cancelled half an hour before we close. I wanted to strangle her. She has no idea what she wants, she doesn't know how to pay and she claims she wants to continue administering most of her meds on her own... So the point of the blister pack was what?
Another woman called us in the middle of this asking about her prescription in the drawer to be picked up. It's a controlled narcotic which she normally gets in a different town but was with us for some strange reason this week. Well, she wants me to blister pack it for her, because she's supposed to take 9 a day (3 three times daily) but sometimes she "forgets and takes fewer." Yeah. Sure you take FEWER of your high strength narcotic than you're supposed to because "sometimes I don't need them so I don't take as many as I'm supposed to." This is fishy and I have less than an hour left at work and a counter full of baskets to be filled. So I tell her that if she's not staying with us there's no chance we will make it for her. She also was owed some pills because we didn't have enough last night. So I would not be making a blister pack for her, I would be making a comittment for the daytime staff to do something within the first half hour of opening. No freaking way am I doing that, they'd have my head on a platter! I told her it wasn't happening. She tried to pull the sympathy card, that her other drugstore does it and she has an appointment, blah blah blah. Call me insensitive, but I don't care in the slightest. The amount of work we would put in for her ONE TIME is not worth it because she'll be going back to her other drugstore as of the next day.
In other news, classes are done and I'm studying for finals. I really can't wait until they're over, because when they are, I get to leave for Germany for a month!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Dreams are trending apparently.
Well now I'm hopping on the "dreams about work" bandwagon. Last night I was so confused and upset I'm not surprised that I woke up in a bad mood.
I'm at work starting the day by training someone on our opening procedures which now include pancakes apparently. So I'm making the pancakes on our server when I realize that we have TEN people working behind the counter to start the day. We never have ten people working in the back ever. Then the clients start arriving... There's a neverending line of them at the counter. Then, we have this weird dohickey that is apparently a dictaphone and a thermometer... All in one!
One guy wants to check his temperature but because I can't figure how the computer program it's hooked up to works, he can't. Then someone wants to record a message on the dictaphone part to my boss (who is ten feet away so I don't understand why they can't just tell him) But a computer error keeps coming up that I can't play it back on that computer, it'll only play on the "downstairs" computer (there's no basement in my pharmacy...) And to top it all off, there's a never ending line of people who need their prescriptions...
UGH, dreams suck.
I'm at work starting the day by training someone on our opening procedures which now include pancakes apparently. So I'm making the pancakes on our server when I realize that we have TEN people working behind the counter to start the day. We never have ten people working in the back ever. Then the clients start arriving... There's a neverending line of them at the counter. Then, we have this weird dohickey that is apparently a dictaphone and a thermometer... All in one!
One guy wants to check his temperature but because I can't figure how the computer program it's hooked up to works, he can't. Then someone wants to record a message on the dictaphone part to my boss (who is ten feet away so I don't understand why they can't just tell him) But a computer error keeps coming up that I can't play it back on that computer, it'll only play on the "downstairs" computer (there's no basement in my pharmacy...) And to top it all off, there's a never ending line of people who need their prescriptions...
UGH, dreams suck.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Not dead
I know it's been a while, I've been caught up with school and Stage Managing a play for the university.
I'd thought I'd come back with a story about a woman I called yesterday from the pharmacy. She *apparently* didn't have any blister packs left (even though she should have had another week left) so I had to fill 4 weeks for her (which was another story of a missing narcotic because someone hadn't cleared an owe... UGH)
Anyways.
I call her to let her know that it's done and she can send her grandson to pick it up.
Me: "Hello, could I please speak to Crazy?"
Crazy: This is her.
Me: Hi there, it's ME from the pharmacy, just wanted to let you know that your blister pack is ready to be picked up. We didn't have enough of one drug to fill all four weeks, so we've just got one week right now.
Crazy: It's ready and what?
Me: (A bit louder) We only had enough to fill for one week right now.
Crazy: WHAT? I can't hear you!
(At this point I realize that I can hear loud noises in the background, so I start yelling)
Me: You're only getting one wee-
Crazy: WHAT??
Me: ONE WEE-
Crazy: I can't hear you, the TV's on too loud, I'll figure it out when I see it dear!
Me: *facepalm*
I can imagine her anger when her grandson came home with only one week of her blister pack... Had she turned down the effing TV she would know why!
I'd thought I'd come back with a story about a woman I called yesterday from the pharmacy. She *apparently* didn't have any blister packs left (even though she should have had another week left) so I had to fill 4 weeks for her (which was another story of a missing narcotic because someone hadn't cleared an owe... UGH)
Anyways.
I call her to let her know that it's done and she can send her grandson to pick it up.
Me: "Hello, could I please speak to Crazy?"
Crazy: This is her.
Me: Hi there, it's ME from the pharmacy, just wanted to let you know that your blister pack is ready to be picked up. We didn't have enough of one drug to fill all four weeks, so we've just got one week right now.
Crazy: It's ready and what?
Me: (A bit louder) We only had enough to fill for one week right now.
Crazy: WHAT? I can't hear you!
(At this point I realize that I can hear loud noises in the background, so I start yelling)
Me: You're only getting one wee-
Crazy: WHAT??
Me: ONE WEE-
Crazy: I can't hear you, the TV's on too loud, I'll figure it out when I see it dear!
Me: *facepalm*
I can imagine her anger when her grandson came home with only one week of her blister pack... Had she turned down the effing TV she would know why!
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