Sad

I just saw in the Times that Dith Pran passed away.  This makes me very, very sad.  His story told through the movie was one of the most moving things I have ever seen in my life.

Pseudo-Epcot Dream

Last night, I had a bit of a strange dream (at least, geographically). 

 

We were walking down a street, sort of near a large field or a schoolyard, discussing what our dinner plans should be.  It was one side of my family, sort of like the family cruise over again.  I had been able to get a reservation at a nice Mexican restaurant, and some people were interested and others weren't.

 

We came to this split in the road which went in about 5 directions (sort of like those crazy Chicago intersections).  I was with my mom and a couple of other family members and said we needed to go down one of those streets.  For some reason, we were leaving the rest of the group.  I don't remember why.

 

After turning off, we walked a few steps and I recognized my surroundings.  It was one of the streets of New Haven and I recognized the dorms on either side of the street.  (Having not been to New Haven in over 5 years, I can't remember the street name for sure but I think it was York.)   We kept moving down this street and entered into a clearing where there was a parade going on.

 

Yes, a parade.

 

With many different countries represented.   Alvin and I looked a little bit ahead and saw the steps that led down into the restaurant.  It was a Disney World type restaurant and looked for the surroundings like it was in Animal Kingdom.  (The logical part of my brain started analyzing that there is only Africa and Asia (and the USA) in Animal Kingdom, but no Mexico...)  To get in there, we had to pass people waiting to join the parade.  There was a contingent of people carrying flags and banners for Somalia, but some of them were Asian.  And in the middle of the Somalia crowd were people with signs for Kota Kinabalu.  (I know this makes no sense.)

 

Eventually, we get into the restaurant and it ends up being more of us than originally planned, etc.  At one point we ask for separate checks.  We tell them we're not on the dining plan (so this is definitely Disney).  The restaurant looks nothing like the Epcot Mexico restaurant.  I don't remember the details but I probably got up shortly after this.

 

Not sure what to make of this.  At all.  Other than, maybe I want Mexican food.

Odds and Ends

1. I can't believe Knut has become a "publicity addicted psycho" (in the words of his keeper). Little Knut was so adorable. Polar bears are not as cute when they get huge. Not like little Knut. But psychotic sounds bad. How do you pronounce Knut? MSNBC pronounced it ka-noot.

2. Yay America's Best Dance Crew! Jabbawockeez! Yay!

3. Allergy season is starting early this year. It sucks. Especially when it's combined with post-plane sickness.

4. I want to go back to Disney World.

5. I have gone from not watching or listening or reading any political news last year (because I would get so frustrated and wanted to hurl things at W on my tv) to becoming a complete addict.

6. I am fine with the results of this week's American Idol. Michael Johns was great but seemed a little too satisfied with himself after the performance. David Cook was great but I tune out Ryan so I didn't realize it wasn't his own arrangement. "Hollywood's Not America" is on music choice channel right now. I like listening to the goodbye songs from AI and SYTYCD. However, I'm not very into Ruben's goodbye song so I'm a bit disappointed (and can't wait to see what SYTYCD finds this year!).

7. I was on the phone with my mom and (before she let slip spoilers about Lost) I asked if she was planning to watch tonight's Eli Stone. Mid-question, I looked up at the wall next to me covered in ads, and what was there? Posters for George Michael's new album.

8. I would like to have a nice hot stone massage, and then I would like to leave the spa and exit onto a Caribbean beach. I'll keep dreaming.

9. There are these little bugs that come up through the heating system into my office. I don't think it's me because I did not have this problem on the other side of the building in my old office, and maintenance says I'm not the only one. Apparently they eat some poisonous glue and they travel up to the office instead of dying like they should. And there are all these carcasses on my heater/windowsill. Sometimes they make it to the desk though, and it's really disgusting (after I flip out). Sigh.

10. I need to do spring cleaning, but the trouble is finding a weekend to do it! I can't believe it's spring already. Time is going way too quickly.

Question

I am annoyed at my doctor's office.

 

I am annoyed because when I called up on Friday to try to get an appointment, I was on hold listening to their annoying hold music for over half an hour.  It does not take half an hour to work your way through the queue on the appointment line.  At least it never did before.  Maybe they were closed.  But they didn't put up a message if they were.  I tried the other numbers, automatically on hold on all of them.  Seems a bit irresponsible to me.  What if someone had to reach the doctor urgently?  How long do you expect them to sit on hold?

 

I am annoyed because I finally got through today to make an appointment (after being put on hold twice, and being spoken to the second time as if I were a new caller), told them I was sick and would see whichever doctor was available, and they suggested an appointment on Thursday afternoon.  What part of "not feeling well" did you not understand when offering me that, considering that 5 seconds later you offered Wednesday afternoon?  Only after I said I would see if I could find another doctor?  Usually that's what sick people do, want to see a doctor as soon as possible.

 

That, combined with the inability to ever tell me when my test results come in (and the policy of not giving me a copy when I ask for it and making me come in again), just pushed me over the edge.  I want to find a new doctor.  But I can't find one.  I went to this place all the time because it was convenient and because I was always able to get an appointment when I needed one.  Now, it seems they're too busy to treat sick people timely which really isn't all that convenient, especially when I started calling on Friday to try to get an appointment and got stuck on hold loop.  What would you do?

Manners

I really dislike smokers who stand near buildings on one side of the
sidewalk and then fling their still-lit cigarettes into the street
across the entire pedestrian-filled sidewalk when they've had enough.
Mostly because they don't ever look when they throw it into the
street. There could be some person standing right in the pathway. The
number of times I have almost been burned by this is too many to
count. It's probably also how I ended up with a cigarette butt in my
pants cuff during first year of work and wondered my office smelled
like cigarettes.

In other news, if a doctor's office isn't going to answer their
appointment scheduling line, they should put up a message that they're
closed and not let you sit on hold for 30 minutes.

English

To the Class of 2010 that spent spring break at Disney with red class
shirts: Please have your teachers explain to you the meanings of the
following words - "No flash photography." Clearly you don't
understand. Or maybe you are choosing not to listen in which case
someone should teach you how to do that and that your behavior is
totally obnoxious and ruining rides for everyone else. Thank you.

Safari

Hello from Orlando! We are waiting on line for the Kilimanjaro Safari
at Animal Kingdom. It's supposed to be 40 minutes and hopefully it's
not freezing and pouring by then.

Yesterday we had lunch at the Biergarten at the Germany showcase in
Epcot. It was a lot of fun and they did a music show too. The beet
salad, frikadellens, cucumber salad, warm potato salad, salmon were
all great.

Unfortunately I am spatially incompetent and ordered a liter of
Franziskaner. Yes, a liter of beer. The glass was quite heavy. And
large. :)

Anxiety

I don't like negative ads. Therefore, I don't like where this looks like it's going. Sigh.

I also don't like candidates who state that the nominee for the other party is more qualified for the job than their primary opponent. So, in the event she doesn't win, she wants her supporters to vote for the other side? Nice way to bring the party together... I also don't like that the media isn't calling her out on it.

I am also having issues with the media. I never understood why they (a) talked about people "winning" states when it's the delegate numbers that mattered or (b) bothered counting superdelegates when they could change their mind every minute.