"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

finger vs tuna can
April 07, 2003 - 5:02 pm

around 6pm, i decide i want something to snack on. i choose a tin of tuna. now my eletric can opener sucks. if you ever want to see dull blade thing with lots of crusty junk on it, come look at mine. it's also a ugly lime green color - it was my grandmothers. it's old. it also has the nasy habit of not cutting all the way around. it always leaves a little bit by where it first started, which is good as it would make a nice 'flap'. the problem is that about halfway around it also decides to leave anothet snipet of tin uncut.

this means i have to pry and rock the damn lid off. usually i get under it with a fork and lever it up. I then rock it for a while until one of the bits of metal gives and i'm free to get my food.

last night, however, i decided to try a 'faster' way. i used the fork to get the lip up and then decided to use the side of my finger to pry it open.

yes, i did graduate from college.

as i'm sure you're guessing, things didn't go as planned and i ended up with a nice gash on the outside of my pointer finger. well two actaully, one at the big knuckle and one at the tip.

the tip cut is small, more like a papercut.

the gash at my knuckle is, well, a gash.

i stood for a moment and cursed myself, but blood didn't well up right away, so i thought perhaps i just has two papercuts. i flexed my finger and out came the blood.

so i spent the next several minutes washing my finger, looking for bandaids and debating on how bad i'd actaully cut myself.

i got things all wrapped up in a papertowel and it occured to me that i had no idea when i had my last tentus shot. all i know about tentus is you can get it from metal - rusty metal i think. i'm not sure.

it's a long drive to the emergency room, so i call my brother, the doctor, instead. he laughs at me and tells me to make sure i washed it out well and, unless it looks deep, not to worry. he advised me to stop at my doctors office tomorrow (today) and get a booster shot and all should be well. i tell him that if i die from tetnus i'll be upset with him. i then peel off the powertowel and flex my finger a little.

i start to bleed again, and i can hear his two year old yelling NO in the background, so i hang up.

i'm thinking this is what i get for not going swimming. i don't have a suit, so what could i do about it?

i realize that the gash at my knuckle takes the biggest bandaid i have and i only have one left. so i decide to go to walmart again.

i find the bandaids, but (as i later found out) i got the next smallest size. i also decide that i've learned my lesson and i'm determined to find swimsuits. i finally find them. i pick one and head to the check out.

i wait a bit and offer up my box of bandaids and suit to pay. she rings the box, but starts to fidget with the suit. she sighs and gives me a disgusted look, showing me that the tag is ripped. she can't ring it up.

i say just cancel the box, i'll go get another suit and you can ring people up until i get back. she says she can't do that. the customer service manager person comes, points at some number for her to use and leaves. the number doesn't work, so back on goes the flashing light. the people behind me in line look annoyed.

i offer to go get another suit, she agrees (i'm still not sure why she couldn't cancled the box, but what do i know). i get back to the rack and a guy is looking at suits. there was only one other one in my size that i liked and he's looking at it. as i'm sorting how i'm going to explain that that suit is going to be mine, he drops it and looks at another. i snatch it and walk back. checking out all goes well after that.

i opt not to drop in on my office, but to call and let them know i'll be there around 4:30/5.

this is a saga huh?

my doctor quit like a month ago, mebbe more, so i have to get assigned a new doc. she tells me she'll call me back. i say i don't need a doc, just a tetnus shot. she says she'll call back. fifteen minutes later she calls back and says everything is all set. she pauses and say 'wait, does this say you don't need one or that you do? i can't read his handwritting.'

she says she'll have to call back.

she calls again ten minutes later and says everything is all sorted out now. she asks when i can come in. i say after work. she says no good, we stop shots at 4pm. i say at noon. she says no good, office is closed for lunch. i say 8am tomorrow. she says while they are open, they don't start giving shots until 9am.

i'm about to say "don't worry about it, i'll find a doctors office who actaully gives a shit about their patients." before i get that out, she says "well let me see when so-and-so will be here until." i go on hold. i'm near pissed. all i need is someone, anyone to stick a freaking needle in my arm. if they will give me the shot, i'll do it myself.

she comes back on and says as long as i'm here by 5pm, so-and-so can do it.

i'm placated. i ask about the copay. she says don't worry about that. i'm actaully near happy.

i get there at 4:25. i sit on my ass for 20 minutes before so-and-so can see me. i'm annoyed again, but hey.. free shot so i really can't complain.

so ends the saga of finger vs the tuna can.