Cancer and Surly, Stupid, Rude People

Teri told me I can't use the word stupid, it isn't nice.  So I asked her if I could use dumb-ass and then I told her I could write whatever I wanted!  Don't mess with me today.  So that  I will appear judicious in my judgment, the other people involved probably are going to complain about the stupid woman they met today.  I however was not surly and rude!  I strive for annoying over out-right confrontational.

I was down at JHU today for a follow-up MRI and had a technician who must be apprenticed to the grim reaper.  I feel lucky to have survived.  Three blown veins and contrast in my forearm did not endear me to this guy.  I think I may need to call quality control or something, I think he may need more training.  Yikes!

After this trauma I had an hour to kill, so I went to the Gobblestone.  It was there I got to listen to the first of my STUPID conversations. To quote Bugs Bunny, "what a maroon."  It is ironic this first conversation is happening after my post on prejudice.  Two black women employees were shooting the breeze near the table where I was sitting.  I am going to use the word black and not african american and you will see why.  Another black woman emploee walks up and says, "that african woman, I hate her.  They come here and they think they are better than us."  The other two women ask which women she is talking about.  She replies, "the nappy ended thin one."  There are probably 50 black women in the cafe and I don't really know what nappy ended looks like.  Now, whoever the nappy ended woman was probably worked her butt off in a third world country to get to medical school.  She probably endures white and black prejudice.  A world of stupid, surly, rude people.  A woman at the table next to me says, "there are so many people here with problems and then there are really people with problems."

After that exchange I leave the cafeteria and notice this cute, little village.  It was not there two weeks ago when Teri and I were there.  Past the little houses is the "information" desk, probably twenty feet past.  I stop to ask the woman what the little town is for.  Damned if that woman didn't sit with her head down until she figured I really wasn't going to leave.  She looks up at a point past my left shoulder and says, "yes?"  First off, what personnel moron put the woman with no social skills at the information desk?  I asked her what the little houses are for, of course she doesn't know.  If I sat next to that all day, I would find out!  I feel the need to be irritating, this woman deserves annoying.  "Is it an animal? Are they in there? Is it a turtle?  There is a turtle on the mailbox?"  She finally grudgingly says it is a turtle, they have a race.  "What race? Where is it?  Is there more than one turtle?" She briefly looks me in the eye (voodoo curse), puts her head back down in hopes I will go away. And I do. I am staying at home the rest of the day, I think it is the safest place for me.

Truth be told there are many, many, many things that bother me about my cancer, but having to go to see doctors all the time really gets me.  It is hard to feel well, when you are always being poked, prodded and questioned about ailments.  I never know if I should discuss something as minor as a chafing spot or in fact if I don't mention it will it be the most critical detail I forgot to share.  I hate having to analyze every gawddammid pimple on my ass.

I was on the radio this morning! I am a dork and always trying to win something.  Last year Ned and I were listening when they were giving away a brief case.  Ned shouts out, "call, Mommy, call, I can't breathe.   I need a breathe case."  We didn't get through.  This morning Jo Jo and Reagan interviewed a guy that wrote a book I wished I had thought of.  He wrote a book of awesome things, one thousand of them.  You could call in with something awesome.  They talked with me on the air, very exciting, I wish the kids had been in the car.  My awesome thing is waking up before the alarm and realizing you still have an hour to sleep.  His book is on day to day awesome. It is a great idea, but today I might opt for a book on one thousand stupid things.

Many of you have already seen the actual skin or the picture, but here it is again, because I think it is so cool.  My neighbor had a big black snake on her porch.  When she came back later, she just had a big skin on her porch.  We have all taken it to school to show it off.  I am glad the snake lives at my neighbor's house and not ours!