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Jenks's Journal

jenks
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04/18/2006 11:10 #23836

adelphia
Category: quickie rant
No offense mrmike, but-

WTF is up with adelphia! My cable bill is like $140/mo. That is for ONE person.
Granted, I like my tv, and I choose to pay that much. But still. For that much money, I feel like they should fly to my house on golden carpets and make sure my service is fast and pristine at all times.
I love my tivo. I have no idea what time/channel ANYTHING is on anymore- I totally rely on tivo, and haven't watched "live" tv in ages. So I will come home from a crappy day at work all excited to watch lost or whatever, and I lean back and hit the remote only to find- an hour of blank black screen recorded. (or even worse- two hours of QVC when I tried to save the Amazing Race premier for timika). Because the cable went out without my knowing it. And stays out til I reset it. This happens maybe once a week. That's a LOT.
And today all of the sudden it went out. I lost a post. I lost some emails. Some downloads. Lost my phone service. Had to reboot cable modem/ wireless router/ voip adapter/tivo/ cable boxes like 5 times for stuff to come back. But seriously- no tv, no internet, no phone- what do they expect me to do with myself?? Read? Go outside?! Who are they kidding?!

So aggravating!!!
mrmike - 04/18/06 21:51
Thanks everybody - Some of the decision making does make think of that commerical where the one guy is surrounded by the office of monkeys. I do have some cache on the internet side of things. If you have trouble with it, I might be able to yank some strings for peeps.
leetee - 04/18/06 19:30
I feel for ya, (e:Jenks)! We have adelphia dvr service and we use it sooo much. Thank goodness (KNOCK WOOD!), we don't have much probs with it. Ours tend to lean more on the spotty internet service.

Poor (e:Mrmike)... don't worry, i won't hold you responsible for the place you work. Even if you get a job after the take over!
ajay - 04/18/06 19:28
No worries, Mike. Most of us are mature enough to separate the individual from the company. I felt like ranting about Adelphia, and it wasn't directed at you at all.
metalpeter - 04/18/06 18:42
I don't have a Tivo or Adelphia DVR or their internet service so I can't comment on them. But luckly My service has been preaty good. Granted some times the indemand service hasn't worked for some reason and everyonce in a whiel a digital chanel will get those weird digital glitchs that are strang but my service is usaly preaty good. they do have competetion in Direct TV and a couple other satellite companies but not everyone can have a dish where they live. Sorry that you have gotton bad service and have had problems. It sucks that when it goes out you lose everything.
mrmike - 04/18/06 16:44
On the up or down side, it isn't gonna be in existence much longer. If I hear the lowdown on what prices are going to be like after I get sold for scrap I'll make some noise. The powers that be are working on how to force roadrunner onto the area. I respect you all too much to regurgitate the company line about costs and crap. Bash all you want. I can't do anything about the costs other than say if I didn't work here (for the moment)I wouldn't have it.

On the other hand, I got a funny feeling I'll be the least popular guy in the room at any estrip gathering. Can you say social leper?
ajay - 04/18/06 15:54
No offense too, Mike, but Adelphia is a total ripoff. They can charge so much for internet service because they are a monopoly.

I was paying $55/mo for just internet access. The rates actually went _up_ over time, which is unthinkable in the computer world, where prices for goods and services go _down_ over time. There's a bandwidth glut today, and Adelphia continues to charge so much for access.

Here in NorCal I'm paying $25 for DSL. Heck, you can get DSL for $15/mo. And Google/Earthlink are going to be offering free WiFi to all of SanFran.

Seriously: Adelphia needs competition. But thanks to your corrupt politicians, they will never face competition.
mrdt - 04/18/06 15:03
my cable is about the same, maybe a little more with the hd channels, which half of don't come in. with dvr when they change a show time I usually end up missing that week, which is kinda aggrevating cause the appentice relies on elimination from week to week. besides the simpsons and the family guy I don't watch regular tv.
and how come it records repeats???
deeglam - 04/18/06 11:46
man, that shit happens to me too....i pay a small fortune for my cable, and my screen went totally blank the other day after a long shitty day...and all I wanted to do was watch some good television. is that too much to ask? apparently. I agree with your comments...and I feel your pain!
mrmike - 04/18/06 11:24
None taken. This place does more to make people think that monkeys are in charge than anyplace I've ever been. I do have an "in" in tech support that you're welcome to take advantage of while the company continues to take advantage of me.

04/13/2006 17:13 #23834

Turning around?
Category: :) ?
So.... feeling a little more my normal self today- full of rambly thoughts.
Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's that my (intended) 2hr nap yesterday turned into 7hr (at the expense of work, but whatever). Who knows, but I'm not complaining. And thanks for all the nice comments/ emails peeps.

Had a nice day at work today... A little frantic, but I worked with an attending I am just getting to know, and it's really nice because he lets me do everything, which is a big change, and a sign of respect. Monday night I got to do most of our 5hr case, too. (a guy was shot at CLOSE range (2 feet?) with a shotgun. It was a mess. But he seems to be doing ok so far...) Now if I can just make myself study a little more...

And on my way out to my car when I was leaving, I saw a bumper sticker that made me do a double take. It said "body piercing saved my life", and I thought 'huh?' and went to investgate... Well it had a picture of what I assume is Jesus' wrist with a nail through it. Oy...

Not to mention it's so nice and warm out... Had the windows down, sunroof open, music blaring... I hope this weather is for real and is not just a phase.

Then I came home to an easter package from my mom. I love my mom. Lots of impeccably wrapped little gifts, and a big easter basket. Very Martha-ish. A sappy card for "our special beautiful gentle sweet daughter". A Dora the Explorer paddleball game, a scary rubber rabbit that blows bubbles, a crapload of candy, peeps (what's easter without peeps, right?), and a book: "The Spotter's Guide to the Male Species". I will have to read that one ASAP. Oh and a pad of post-its that says "You're not the boss of me. Oh, wait, you are. My mistake."

Well I guess that's it. I need to go do all the shit I didn't do yesterday while I was sleeping. Including making vacation plans!! Enjoy this lovely weather, peeps!

[New song: Weezer- Island in the Sun (since that's what I want more than anything right now).]

-J

P.s.- keep your calendars open for fri 5/5. It's fri, it's cinco de mayo, it's my big 3-0 [and (e:codypomeray)'s], and I'll be on vacation. No idea what my plans are, but I will certainly be out and about and would be happy to share shots with peeps along the way.

04/12/2006 23:40 #23833

Alex's Awesome salad
Category: food
So I ended my last mopey post saying I was going to go eat too much.
Well I decided instead to not be self-destructive, and to take advantage of all my fresh veggies before they go bad, and I made a ridiculous Salad Extravaganza.
I put in every single thing I love in a salad. (Even if they don't necessarily go well together.)
Featuring:

Spring Mix
baby carrots
cucumber
grape tomatoes
mushrooms
zesty sprouts (I love sprouts. Put 'em on a sandwich- mm mm good.)
green bell pepper (excellent source of vitamin C, better than oranges, as I "proved" in my 6th grade (Gold Medal Winning) Science Fair Project ;) )
radishes (love love love radishes. What an underrated veggie.)
an apple
craisins
crumbled gorgonzola
candied walnuts
good seasons italian dressing (makes me think of home.)
salt and pepper

I am in salad heaven.
Who said dieting is hard... I could melt away to nothing, happily, if I could have a salad like this every day- it's just keeping fresh veggies in stock, and washing/chopping/cleaning up that I don't motivate to do. Unfortunately it's just a lot easier to eat tim horton's at work, and hard to resist the pizza and wings that is always ordered when we're on call.

Slightly happier now,
-J
leetee - 04/13/06 10:24
I love a good salad, too... and not just 'cause i am a vegetarian. Often, we have a "big salad" dinner and i throw in as many raw veggies as i can find. We also like chopped up hardboiled eggs.. yummie yum yum.

04/16/2006 11:58 #23835

what a bust
Category: sex
Happy Easter, peeps!
Now that the fog in my head is settling, I can relay the tale of my stupid night.

Ok, so like several peeps have been lamenting lately, I have not had a good fuck in a LONG time. Like >6mo. A few opportunities, I guess, a few "almosts" but it just never happened, for various reasons.
And I was sick of it.
So I decided to do something about it.
I usually don't do casual sex well b/c it fucks with my head, but in this case I thought I had it all figured out.
I had the perfect guy in mind... I've slept with him before so it wouldn't be random, and wouldn't "increase my number" and make me slutty. I know he's at least a little into me b/c he'll get in touch with me out of the blue once in a while to hang out. (He's got a thing for my tits.) He's hot enough that he can turn me on and the thought of sex with him doesn't turn my stomach. (and it was decent the other time.) And smart/funny/interesting enough that I can talk to him. But he's got enough issues about him that I don't want to date him (one being that he makes more than I do, lives rent-free, but is always totally broke which makes me wonder how big his weed habit REALLY is, and another that I think he's kind of homophobic which I can't tolerate), and am totally fine with it being just sex and I won't be sad if he doesn't call. [clarification- it's not the 'always broke' that bugs me. I just don't know HOW he's always broke when i'm not, and he makes more than me and has less expenses.]
Next-to-last time I saw him, I was still with the ex. But he wanted to cook me dinner. After making it clear that I was seeing someone, I agreed.
I got to his house, and he was shirtless, and high. (and hot).
We had a nice dinner, a few bottles of wine, and some flirty conversation, and left it at that.
And then I saw him again a while ago, and we slept together. Literally just slept, and spooned, and that was it. And I told him I wasn't sure if I was impressed or offended that he didn't try anything while i was drunk and naked and in his arms in bed. And he said he had no idea if I would have wanted anything, and didn't want to take advantage of me. But in the future, just to let him know.
Since then he has on several occasions let me know that it's my turn to cook him dinner, topless.

So, I invited him over.
He accepted, and commented on how he hasn't had sex in a long time. I figured we were on the same page.
I went to wegman's, got everything for dinner. Pasta Amatriciana. Awesome spicy pasta with pancetta. Easy and delicious. And salad and garlic bread.
Then he suggested that he come over earlier, like at 2, so we could have more time to hang out.
Now I wasn't sure if he really just wanted more time to hang out, or if he just wanted to "put his time in" so he could bolt as soon as dinner/sex was over- i dunno.
But then I had a hellish night at work (motorcycle accident, three shootings and a stab wound (on top of all the usual shit). I had hoped everyone would be at church and on their best behavior for good friday, but I was quite wrong), and I got NO sleep.
So I came home in the morning, cleaned up my house etc, and got maybe 1.5 hr nap.
So he comes over at 3.
Now mind you, I didn't not have the evening all scheduled out. But I guess I was sort of assuming that we'd chill for a while- maybe go for a walk if it was nice, then cook/eat dinner later. Hopefully fool around after that, and eventually go to bed. Almost (but not quite) more than the sex, I was looking forward to waking up (or at least falling asleep) in someone's arms. (yeah fine so I'm a sappy chick that likes to spoon).
Well he walks in and looks around and goes 'ummm... I don't see food."
wtf? I said 'well it's not really dinner time...'
And he said he hadn't eaten all day. Neither had I, but whatever. And he was starving. Not my fault he didn't eat lunch...
So I said I guess I could start cooking, but he was impatient. I don't have too much snack food in my house (trying to be good) but I offered him an apple. He said we could just go out. Which was kind of annoying, b/c I had bought all this stuff. Though he asked what I'd planned on making, and I said this awesome spicy pasta dish, and he was disappointed that it didn't have enough meat in it. And didn't like my choice of pasta (bucatini) since he likes angel hair. I said to just trust me. (nice, I invite you over for dinner and you criticize the menu.) So I told him to have a beer and chill.
Then he mentions that he's high and brought some, and said we could do that then walk down elmwood for food.
Now if I DO smoke I usually don't like going out in public, but I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to cook either. But it had been ages and ages so what the hell.
Well holy shit did I get retarded. To the point that I was talking and sort of hearing myself and thinking to myself, while talking, "what the fuck am I saying?" Or mid-sentence I would totally forget where I was going with my story. I hate that feeling. I hate the way it often makes me antisocial and paranoid. All I want to do is sit on the couch and eat chips and not talk.
No way in hell was I going ANYWHERE like that.
So I started to cook, and made a gigantic mess in the process. And I forgot the cheese for the garlic bread (since I don't usually do that but he requested it), and I skipped the salad since I wasn't sure how much I trusted myself with a knife.
And put one of my gorgeous filets out to defrost so he could have some damn meat. (which we never ate and it sat out all night and now I wonder if I have to throw it out, which would be a crying shame since it's a beautiful piece of meat and I was saving it.)
Anyway. So I made dinner which was delicious and he actually liked it after all. And we drank wine. And had beers. And I was way fucked up.
And we had weird conversation. I think.
But so eventually we were making out... then a little more... and then I was on the couch and was tired... and then I remember him saying he was leaving.
And I was so tired and fucked up (only running on 2hr sleep, remember) that I couldn't even put up a fight and just said "ok bye". Woke up later on the couch, sure it was like 8pm, and it was 2am.
Fortunately I had laid down the law with my interns, and was going in at 8 (like I wanted) not 6 (like they wanted).
So I woke up this morning for work, in a total haze. And thought of a recap of the night.
The final score-
Him- yummy dinner, great blowjob, no awkward goodbye.
Me- hangover, kitchen that looks like a warzone, a few minutes of not-great sex, no oral sex, no orgasm, no waking up in someone's arms.
He totally won that one.

WTF. How did that all go so wrong.
But I guess it's my fault for getting all fucked up. Or his for getting me all fucked up.

Oy. Maybe we'll try again someday. If he's still talking to me.
jenks - 04/17/06 19:50
haha good point josh. I guess it serves me right for thinking I could do casual sex, when deep down I know I hate it.
joshua - 04/17/06 13:11
Haha - wow, what an asshole!

After that though, I'm not sure why you'd go back for seconds.
libertad - 04/17/06 01:45
I enjoyed that story. It can be hard to keep me readin that long, but you did it.
mrdt - 04/16/06 23:01
wow jenks, dinner and a great blowjob, I would have shown my appreciation by cleaning your kitchen and making you breakfast after spooning all night.
A few things:

this august will be two years...

the number of people you sleep with does not make you a slut or loose... it makes you more experienced. if i was judged by the amount of people I slept with you girls and guys would consider me a big time player/whore.

No offense but the few times I have told a woman I'm broke its cause I just want to sleep with her and not spend any of my money, other than that I keep my finances to myself. and isn't that guy an architech??? when i'm at my worst I could spend about 80 dollars a week. but I'll tell you good grils are hard to come by broke or not for your sake we would have a good time.

I learned a long time ago you can't cook bacon naked...I think shirtless is a little takey.

Your choice of bucatini was proper...angel hair would have been wrong. usually the thicker the pasta the thicker the sauce. ie angel hair is for broths (not to mention it over cooks itself after plating and sucks).

maybe he felt ackward after your conversation because the weed makes people over critical and sensitive. meaning he didn't have a clue where you were coming from and could have felt rejected by you...maybe I said

lastly, I talked to that guy on Mardi Gras and he kinda seemed like a jerk. I asked him a question at the pink after the drag show (did he think the girl he was talking to was actually a girl) he got all offended then snotty and told me to take a hike. and I was like wow what an asshole. not to mention what else he told me that he probably should have kept to himself.
I guess thats it...if you ever need someone to decode men for you dont hesitate to ask. we really aren't as complicated as you may think.
metalpeter - 04/16/06 17:06
Sorry things didn't work out for ya the way you planed. Maybe no plan works better in the future. Maybe i missunderstood so if i did sorry for this next comment, if there is a next time you be his dinner and once he gets you off return the favor.
mrmike - 04/16/06 15:00
Happy Easter, anyway. Thanks for the sitcom seduction. Somehow I could see that a tad too clearly.
jason - 04/16/06 12:58
Ouch, he got over! I don't know why he wouldn't want to ram it from behind though. Weird.
enknot - 04/16/06 12:09
Woooh, I don't belive I read that whole thing. That was the awsomest adult story I've ever read. I totally thought the hero was going to ride off with the, uh, dude, in the end, but it ended more realisitcly. It kind of reminds me of a sweet line from a poem a local (Buffalo) open mic artist delivered. It was the only good thing that happend that night kind of like your dinner (sorta). It goes: "Orgams or no, the dishes will get washed". Sweet huh?

--muja

Happy Easter Jenks

04/12/2006 23:38 #23832

funkity funk (let's try again)
Category: :(
I wish I could feel better.
This is unlike me.  I'm always miss happy-go-lucky.  But ever since yesterday, everything just feels wrong.
I made the stupid ass mistake of talking to my ex.  Or texting him, to be more precise.
We'd made contact again recently, which made me happy.  I hate having people leave my life on bad terms.
So we were tossing around the idea of coffee.  I was actually looking forward to it.  Because when all is said and done, I enjoy his company.
So he asked when, and said he's "really busy".  I said no shit i'm busy too, and gave him some options.  And in typical fashion, he didn't respond.  That is my ULTIMATE PET PEEVE, and he fucking KNOWS this, since we fought about it many times.
I gave him a week or so, then last night just texted him "hi".  We chatted a bit, blah blah blah.  I asked him about coffee, and he says "i said yes let's go" and pretended he didn't know he had never answered me.  Then all of the sudden he disappears.  Two hours later "oh... I was eating."  Why couldn't you fucking tell me that, instead of leaving me hanging?  I don't know why this gets to me so much, but he just pushes all my buttons.  Then he came back and we chatted a little more, and (as usual) ended in a fight, with him saying "some things never change", and me crying.  So it looks like we won't have coffee.  And I don't know why that bothers me so much.  Why do I want to see a guy who makes me so fucking miserable? (this is the guy who, after all, broke up with me (after a YEAR) b/c I wanted dinner and he wanted to watch Lost.)  I guess I just hate to think I "failed" at the relationship.  Which makes me think of all my other "failed" relationships/attempts/etc, and makes me feel like I can't do ANYthing right.
Blah.
So anyway, that got me down.  Spent the rest of the night in tears, until I went to bed early.  And still just had a black cloud around me all day.
And then my dumbass coworker locked the call room from the inside so I couldn't get to my locker my car keys to go home.  And it took security almost 3 hours to come open the door.  but so I killed time on estrip. (where else?)  And (e:sbrugger) asked "what is so bad about your life?"  And I guess that's hard to answer...  Aside from boy drama and being alone, I guess there is nothing so BAD.  But worse than that, there is just nothing so GOOD either.  Ok I have my health, I have a roof over my head, I'm more fortunate than most, blah blah spare me.  But there's just nothing to get out of bed for in the morning...  My family is fantastic... estrip is pretty cool... I have a few friends... but as (e:vincent) put it, these things don't keep me warm at night.  And I wondered what the common problem is.  And maybe it's work.  I dread work lately.  I get there, and all I want to do is go home.  I can't WAIT to leave the building.  I find myself getting annoyed with my patients (sometimes rightfully so, and sometimes not.)  Annoyed with my interns.  Annoyed if I have to actually do any work.  Upset when a trauma makes me miss out on food or sleep.  I haven't slept past 5am (in buffalo) since March 4th.  (yes I was away two weekends ago, and I slept some there, but even that was a frantic whirlwind weekend.)  This weekend I COULD have a day off (Easter), but only one of us can have the day off- me, or the chief.  And there's no way the chief will work a holiday so that I can have a day off.  So that means yet another week without a day off.  I'm so sleep deprived I can't stand it.  I fall asleep at red lights.  I just fell asleep now while typing this.  I've gotten to the point that 4 hours is "a lot" of sleep.  It's just getting to me.... wearing me down....  And that makes me feel weak.  All 53 other residents have it just as bad as I do... and they manage to pull off lives and relationships and have fun- and they even manage to study, which I NEVER do (and it's showing.)
So then I asked the ultimate question- Do I like what I do?
I always instinctively snap back "yes of course" to that question.  But now I'm wondering- do I?  I mean yes, operating is way cool.  And I still do like that.  But is it enough?  I mean, I'm supposed to be EXCITED when a gunshot wound comes to the ER at 3am, because that means I might get to operate!  A chance to cut is a chance to heal!  Rah! I am macho surgeon!  But instead I think "god DAMMIT I don't want to get out of bed, why did this stupid fucker have to go and get his stupid ass shot grumble grumble."  Looking at the OR schedule today- pancreatectomy.  Huge case.  Probably 8hrs.  I should probably have been fighting to get in there, but all I could think was "no thank you.  I'll stick to my 45 min hernia repair."  Does that mean I'm lazy?
But to get back to my point... do I like what I do?  I always say yes- but is that just because the alternative is so bad?  Admitting I don't like it would be.... I can't even imagine.  It would flip my whole world on end.  Because this is my whole life.  There's no going back.  And I'm not a quitter.  So I can't even entertain the thought that maybe I'm not happy.  So am I going to be miserable?
For now I tell myself this is just temporary... only 2 more years of residency.  Then things will be better?  God I hope so.  Because this sucks so much right now.  I am ALWAYS tired and cranky and whiny and miserable.  No wonder I'm alone- who in their right mind would want to deal with this shite.

so on that depressing note, I think I will go eat far too much, starting with some spicy italian peppers.  I went to the grocery store thursday.  For the first time since 2/13.  And now I have so much food I don't know where to start.  It's like I want to eat it all at once.  At least I don't have to eat popcorn for dinner anymore...

Later peeps.  I love you.  Thanks for letting me vent.  Even though I feel totally broken, you can usually make me smile.  So thanks for that.  I guess not ALL men suck.  (but I'm still not convinced.)
-J
metalpeter - 04/13/06 18:44
I admit I don't know the systomps of Sleep Depervation but i do know it can be verry serious sometimes. If you could find someone who is an inturn or someone guy who works fulltime and goes to schoool and dosn't have much time either and understands the lack of time I think things would be fine.
mrmike - 04/13/06 14:42
It's a cliche, but it's true -- This too shall pass. I've spent a lot of time in similar straits. And we don't all suck, some of us just haven't been rediscovered yet.
leetee - 04/13/06 10:32
I hope that this blah you are feeling is a temporary head space fueled by lack of sleep and contact with someone that stomps on your self esteem. Transitory.

I think it's odd that we all feel what you are feeling at some point in our lives. It's like a damn rut that makes the good we know we have in our lives seem... well, less good. Why do some of us have to drag our asses through that from time to time? Maybe it's to show us how good things really can be when they start to look up again?

I'm sorry that contact with your ex left you feeling crappy. You deserve better than his treatment. So easy to remember the good bits when you haven't seen him in so long, huh? So damn easy to slide back into hanging out with him, eh? Know that YOU didn't fail in the relationship... you both did... he is at least 50% to blame. And perhaps it wasn't failure, but that you and he broke up so you could find things out about yourself you didn't know. Like that you want someone to actually answer you when you are texting with them?

Anyway, i am blabbering on....

Hope your spirits lift soon. Hope you are able to get some sleep, good, sound sleep.
theecarey - 04/13/06 07:38
I think you are right-- all this is temporary, as much as it must really suck-lack of sleep and everything else combined.

Seems like burnout--A couple more years..time passes no matter what and this is uilding towards something. You love your profession-- its evident.

Anyhow- I jumped online before heading to work.I have three minutes now to get ready, lol.