So believe it or not I was the sober responsible one at Oktoberfest. That basically means that I did not get cited for public urination or pass out in the bushes behind Graneys, and on top of all that I made it home safely and slept in my own bed. Yes it was that good of a time. Tim and I showed up at 11:30 and beat the crowd so that we even got in for free. We met up with Lou, Grassi, Randy, Keimer, Amar, Scott, Jon, and Raj throughout the course o f the day. We all had a good time enjoying the beer, sausage, liederhosen, beer, das boot, a dunking booth filled with beer, and of course beer. You know you have had a good afternoon when you go to a bar in order to sober up. Our friendly bartender Aubrey took care of us, and except for Tim's outdoor powernap a good time was had by all. I lied when I said I made it to my own bed, I made it back to the futon in the guest room at Morris, but that is basically the closest thing to my bed that I have. If I can make a recommendation to everyone with the option to sleep on a futon for 5 weeks DONT DO IT.
Sunday I worked at the Colonie store. Things are pretty crazy at all the Walgreens in the area because of the flu shots. Each store is doing 30 to 90 each day on top of the normal prescription load. It seems that we are extremely understaffed to do this. When you have only 1 tech to handle the entire pharmacy while the pharmacist is spending 5 minutes each to shot it really adds up. On top of that there is a mountain of paperwork that needs to be done for each shot. Since this is the first year of shots I assume things will get straightened out for next year. The entire climate of Walgreens appears to have changed with people rushing around and working more and more. I actually enjoy being busy most of the time so I dont mind it, but those people who have spent the past 2 years working in extremely slow stores have had a rude awakening. I really admire how much Walgreens has been able to do for the flu shots while Lindsays hasnt been able to do anything. At the independent it is easier to make small improvements, but they fall short when making any sweeping changes because they have to do everything themselves. Seeing the contrast, especially working a shift at Lindsays then going to work a shift at Walgreens, is a really eye opening experience.
Other than that I am working a lot this week (67 hours) between Lindsays and Walgreens, but I get 2 days off at the end of rotation so I can take my time heading to Arizona. I went to a seminar on finances and am meeting with the financial planners on Tuesday. I hope to spend some time in Arizona learning about how finances work so that I can get set up when I graduate.
Ive got a few things to take care of for the road trip. Now that my car is set I have to pick up supplies and organize everything I am going to need for the next 2 months. The hardest thing is predicting what to bring for all the places I will be going and the change into late fall and winter throughout the country. I will hopefully get as much of the stuff done that I can on Sunday so that I can enjoy my last few days in the Northeast.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Two More Weeks
So time is ticking down. The day of reckoning is approaching and im starting to get excited. I havent been this psyched in quite a while. No im not talking about the Epic Roadtrip, Im talking about Oktoberfest at the Biergarten. Am I willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to drink beer and eat Schnitzel? FUCK YEAH. Friday signifies the 18 week point for rotations, Im half way done (Bon Jovi interlude), but im just about ready for rotations to end. Luckily I work my ass off for 6 months then I get my 2 electives and the 1 week public health in the spring. To celebrate the half way point (repeate Bon Jovi interlude) I will being going to the Light the Night walk for leukemia and lymphoma on Friday night then celebrating like das Germans do.
I really havent done much recently for the road trip. I still need to make a few plans and get a few things sorted out. My car is all tuned up and ready to go. Ive got a rough idea of where I want to go and a GPS. Im still not sure where to stop or what to see so any suggestions will be appreciated. Ive got a strategy, but I still have time to fine tune it and there are more pressing things on my mind right now. For now my strategy is just to make it through this week and deal with the planning when I get a chance (possibly before Oktoberfest, but probably not)
I really havent done much recently for the road trip. I still need to make a few plans and get a few things sorted out. My car is all tuned up and ready to go. Ive got a rough idea of where I want to go and a GPS. Im still not sure where to stop or what to see so any suggestions will be appreciated. Ive got a strategy, but I still have time to fine tune it and there are more pressing things on my mind right now. For now my strategy is just to make it through this week and deal with the planning when I get a chance (possibly before Oktoberfest, but probably not)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Brothership
This weekend has been filled with brotherhood of all types.
Friday night was the rush dinner when we try to recruit new people to join the fraternity. This dinner is always a fun time where we gather and try to meet the new crop of brothers. This year it appears that there are a few 2nd and 3rd years who want to take the step and try to become brothers.
Saturday several of us went out to Rochester for the activation of the Gamma Zeta chapter of Phi Delta Chi. Myself, Neil, and Whitney took my car and left Albany on what had the prospects for a decent road trip. We stopped in Syracuse to have lunch with my brother (also confusingly named Neil) at Dinosaur BBQ. I feel that I am a bit of an expert on que, and these were some of the best ribs that I have had in years. I also stopped at a Tim Hortons for some coffee and was enticed into buying a "Canadian maple" donut, only to fine out that the thing that made it different from their normal maple donut was that it was filled with Boston cream. The irony of Boston cream making something more Canadian was apparently lost on the clerk. After that we continued on to St John Fisher for the activation. Randy, Grassi, and Lexie met us out there, along with Lysiak, Badass, and some brothers from Beta Tau, Beta Nu, and Beta Alpha, and two of the national officers. Everything was pretty standard and by the book, except for the fact that someone (me) cut themselves on broken glass and bled all over. I hope that this chapter can continue to grow and make something out of themselves. I feel pretty previalaged to have been involved with the setup and initiation of this chapter. After a quick stop at Wegmans for all the Wpop gingerale that my car can carry we headed back to Albany. I had forgotten what a long drive it was and how much longer it feels when driving at night, I didnt wind up getting in until almost 4am and had to work the next morning.
Sunday was a pretty standard day at Walgreens. I worked with Lonny and basically did my best to handle the pharmacy while he was giving a ton of flu shots. The initiation of the flu shot program has completely changed the way thing are done, at times when we would just be sitting around talking football a year ago we are now swamped and running around. actually enjoy the fact that we are busy, but I just wish that people could space out and not come in packs to get their shots. After work I watched the end of the Bears and Steelers game and got to see my team win against the defending Super Bowl champs. After that I headed to Graneys to catch some of the Giants/Cowboys game with Goose, Tim, Aaron, Dave, and Johnny. I also had to say goodbye to OD who had come up from Texas for the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with him on the Epic return roadtrip.
Plans for the Epic Roadtrip have not made much progress, except for the fact that I may not be able to leave early on Wednesday the 7th because of a diabetes screening at my rotation site. This kind of throws a monkey wrench in my plans and may make me readjust my plans, but in the end it should be no big deal. This week looks to be pretty packed with 2 trips home to get my car in for a 10,000 mile checkup (only 4,000 miles overdue) before I take off. I also have to go to a financial seminar and possibly to the beer and chicken wing fest on Friday and oktober fest on Saturday. That's about all for now, maybe ill update later
Friday night was the rush dinner when we try to recruit new people to join the fraternity. This dinner is always a fun time where we gather and try to meet the new crop of brothers. This year it appears that there are a few 2nd and 3rd years who want to take the step and try to become brothers.
Saturday several of us went out to Rochester for the activation of the Gamma Zeta chapter of Phi Delta Chi. Myself, Neil, and Whitney took my car and left Albany on what had the prospects for a decent road trip. We stopped in Syracuse to have lunch with my brother (also confusingly named Neil) at Dinosaur BBQ. I feel that I am a bit of an expert on que, and these were some of the best ribs that I have had in years. I also stopped at a Tim Hortons for some coffee and was enticed into buying a "Canadian maple" donut, only to fine out that the thing that made it different from their normal maple donut was that it was filled with Boston cream. The irony of Boston cream making something more Canadian was apparently lost on the clerk. After that we continued on to St John Fisher for the activation. Randy, Grassi, and Lexie met us out there, along with Lysiak, Badass, and some brothers from Beta Tau, Beta Nu, and Beta Alpha, and two of the national officers. Everything was pretty standard and by the book, except for the fact that someone (me) cut themselves on broken glass and bled all over. I hope that this chapter can continue to grow and make something out of themselves. I feel pretty previalaged to have been involved with the setup and initiation of this chapter. After a quick stop at Wegmans for all the Wpop gingerale that my car can carry we headed back to Albany. I had forgotten what a long drive it was and how much longer it feels when driving at night, I didnt wind up getting in until almost 4am and had to work the next morning.
Sunday was a pretty standard day at Walgreens. I worked with Lonny and basically did my best to handle the pharmacy while he was giving a ton of flu shots. The initiation of the flu shot program has completely changed the way thing are done, at times when we would just be sitting around talking football a year ago we are now swamped and running around. actually enjoy the fact that we are busy, but I just wish that people could space out and not come in packs to get their shots. After work I watched the end of the Bears and Steelers game and got to see my team win against the defending Super Bowl champs. After that I headed to Graneys to catch some of the Giants/Cowboys game with Goose, Tim, Aaron, Dave, and Johnny. I also had to say goodbye to OD who had come up from Texas for the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with him on the Epic return roadtrip.
Plans for the Epic Roadtrip have not made much progress, except for the fact that I may not be able to leave early on Wednesday the 7th because of a diabetes screening at my rotation site. This kind of throws a monkey wrench in my plans and may make me readjust my plans, but in the end it should be no big deal. This week looks to be pretty packed with 2 trips home to get my car in for a 10,000 mile checkup (only 4,000 miles overdue) before I take off. I also have to go to a financial seminar and possibly to the beer and chicken wing fest on Friday and oktober fest on Saturday. That's about all for now, maybe ill update later
Thursday, September 17, 2009
in the beginning there was blog
First of all I would like to publish a disclaimer:
If you dont know me well then please leave. Its not that I am trying to be antisocial or secretive, because after all I am posting this stuff on the internet. If you dont know me that well then you probably wont get my humor and most of the things I may write or say wont make sense. If you still feel the need to read this even if you dont know me then please dont bother me with comments or feedback, Im pretty busy and dont want to waste more of my time than this blog already will. Sorry to sound like a prick but this is now it is.
Now on to what is really important.
By now im sure that everyone knows that im a 6th year pharmacy intern on a series of 5-10 week rotations. I have completed a 10 week institutional rotation at Porter Hospital in Middlebury, VT, a 5 week rotation at Kinney Drugs/Rite Aid in Burlington, VT and am currently at Lindsay Drugs in Troy, NY. My next stop on rotations is at the Chinle Comprehensive Health Center in Chinle, AZ on the Navajo reservation. This poses several difficulties, first and formost is that it is 2400 miles from home and the cost of renting a car for 5 weeks is over $2000. So how will this problem be solved? Answer: Epic Roadtrip. The tentative start date is October 7th with tentative overnight stays in Canton, OH, St Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Albuquerque, NM and finally arriving in Chinle on October 11th. So where does the blog fit in? Answer: Im not sure. Im not trying to chronicle my travels like Jack Kerouac or Anthony Bordain, but im simply trying to keep a record. I dont know if anyone will read this, or if they will care, and im ok with that. If you do want to read it then fine, Ill do my best to keep it updated with my adventures but I am staying at a place with no internet so updates may be few and far between.
Over the next 3 weeks I will update sporadically to both make sure that this works and to record the buildup for the adventure of a lifetime. I have wanted to go cross country for years and will be glad to finally be living the dream. On top of the 5 weeks in Arizona I will be taking about 2 weeks to drive home, hitting Nevada, the Pacific Coast, Texas, the Dirrty South, and the Easter Seaboard. If you have any requests for me stopping in to visit, or can put me up for a night while I pass through then let me know, I would appreciate it.
Thats all for now, ill try to get in the swing of updating this as regular as I can, but I make no promisies
-O
If you dont know me well then please leave. Its not that I am trying to be antisocial or secretive, because after all I am posting this stuff on the internet. If you dont know me that well then you probably wont get my humor and most of the things I may write or say wont make sense. If you still feel the need to read this even if you dont know me then please dont bother me with comments or feedback, Im pretty busy and dont want to waste more of my time than this blog already will. Sorry to sound like a prick but this is now it is.
Now on to what is really important.
By now im sure that everyone knows that im a 6th year pharmacy intern on a series of 5-10 week rotations. I have completed a 10 week institutional rotation at Porter Hospital in Middlebury, VT, a 5 week rotation at Kinney Drugs/Rite Aid in Burlington, VT and am currently at Lindsay Drugs in Troy, NY. My next stop on rotations is at the Chinle Comprehensive Health Center in Chinle, AZ on the Navajo reservation. This poses several difficulties, first and formost is that it is 2400 miles from home and the cost of renting a car for 5 weeks is over $2000. So how will this problem be solved? Answer: Epic Roadtrip. The tentative start date is October 7th with tentative overnight stays in Canton, OH, St Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Albuquerque, NM and finally arriving in Chinle on October 11th. So where does the blog fit in? Answer: Im not sure. Im not trying to chronicle my travels like Jack Kerouac or Anthony Bordain, but im simply trying to keep a record. I dont know if anyone will read this, or if they will care, and im ok with that. If you do want to read it then fine, Ill do my best to keep it updated with my adventures but I am staying at a place with no internet so updates may be few and far between.
Over the next 3 weeks I will update sporadically to both make sure that this works and to record the buildup for the adventure of a lifetime. I have wanted to go cross country for years and will be glad to finally be living the dream. On top of the 5 weeks in Arizona I will be taking about 2 weeks to drive home, hitting Nevada, the Pacific Coast, Texas, the Dirrty South, and the Easter Seaboard. If you have any requests for me stopping in to visit, or can put me up for a night while I pass through then let me know, I would appreciate it.
Thats all for now, ill try to get in the swing of updating this as regular as I can, but I make no promisies
-O
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