My name badge got fixed yesterday! I can now open doors all by myself; I am excited! I think people were just getting used to opening doors for me. If someone was walking out of a door, they would see me coming and hold it open for me. My favorite was when Li was walking past the office room and opened the door with his key and then continued on his way. So sweet, I did not even have to ask.
We have these wonderful glasses at the door of each laboratory that have plastic added to the sides to turn them into goggles. One rule in the lab is that you must wear goggles for safety. Basically these glasses are the geekiest things anyone can imagine from decades past, with absolutely no class whatsoever. I love old things because I feel like older things tend to have a classy look about them. . . . Not these glasses.
Anyway, I've seen people wear them, and they really aren't the most atrocious thing I've ever seen, but they aren't amazing either. Well, Curtis put some on yesterday and words cannot describe how funny it was. I was laughing so hard that I teared up! I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. Hopefully I will be able to get a picture sometime this summer, because that would be well worth it! Oh Curtis!
Curtis taught three people that work in the lab with English as their second language, a new phrase they could say: owned it like a boss! What a character! He really has gotten along well with all of the Chinese people in the lab, since he speaks Chinese. That seems to be a convenient skill for him to have.
Today was a wonderful lab experience. Kristin and I were starting the project that Emily told me I would be working on for the summer. First, we had to collect milk samples. Kristin had brought in some 1 % milk from her house in a cute, little Tupperware dish. We took the elevator to the first floor and searched in the cafeteria for the small milk cartons. Result: chocolate milk and milk with vitamin D added with a note that said, "Not from your average cow!" Whatever that means. Sorry, but we need average cow milk. Also, we need to know what milk we are getting. We wanted to get samples of skim milk, 2% milk, and whole milk. We found 16 oz bottles of milk, which we almost bought, but we decided to look somewhere else first.
After a wild goose chase around the hospital, and no success, we returned back to the cafeteria. Einstein Bagels had three pitchers of milk in front of the coffee table, so we resolved to use that. We asked for some small plastic containers from Baja Fresh (we totally ruined their day) and the guy gave us options: 2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz . . . we asked for two of the 2 oz ones and he gave us like six containers and four lids. We filled up our little salsa holders with skim milk, whole milk, and half & half (since it was there, why not?) and bought the 16 oz. bottle of 2% milk. Mission accomplished: milk acquired! What an absolutely wonderful way to begin a summer experiment.
As I was working with Kristin today, extracting our milk protein, and chatting, she was surprised at something that I said and asked, "You haven't been scared in Baltimore?" I was only scared once so far, and I told Kristin about my scary experience on Sunday. This also led into a conversation about smiling at people.
Baltimorians either are never happy or do not like to show that they are happy. Since I genuinely think that everyone can be happy, I will assume the latter. However, I think that is so silly! Smile when you are happy, it just might brighten someone else's day! I had a discussion with Kristin about smiling. I told her how I discovered that you are not supposed to smile on the street. She agreed --- about not smiling on the street.
Inside the building, I decided that I could smile all that I wanted. People think I'm up to something. It seems to them impossible that someone can smile for no particular reason other than to smile.
On our journey to the cafeteria for milk (see above story), Kristin and I walked into an elevator with two other guys. One guy asked me what I was up to because I was smiling so big. He did not believe me when I told him I was just a happy sort of person. "Okay --" he read my badge,"--- Elizabeth." I have decided the one thing that I do not like about Baltimore: people just do not smile. Utah will be exquisite to come home to, if for none other reason, then I can send out smiles all of the time! Heaven only knows how much I enjoy smiling.
Maybe people just are not happy with their life as it is. If that is the case, then change it! Yes it might take some time to make a transition, but at least explore where you want to go so that you can begin to work toward a goal.
I love making goals. I have a lot of goals that I started compiling into a master list, but for some reason I keep losing. I should make a goal not to lose it . . . or email it to myself. Basically, I have a whole bunch of goals that I store in my brain all of the time. If I find myself mundanely going through the motions, then I like to remind myself why I am doing things.
Remember the end goal. If there is not an end goal, or not a goal worthy to pursue, then why would you put the time into it? Stop right away, or immediately begin to search for other possible avenues.
At least that's what I think. I don't understand why anyone would want to live a life without purpose. Find a purpose! Life is the best thing that ever happened to you! You have a wonderful chance to make choices every single day. That is something I am grateful for, and definitely willing to smile about. :)
I made it to the grocery store after work today. It was about time. All I had left were pop-tarts since I ate my last slices of bread in sandwiches for lunch today. It was a much needed venture. I took my backpack to pack some of my goods into for the walk home, which was worth it. Although, when I was packing them into my backpack after I bought everything, I felt like I was breaking the law or something. It just is a weird feeling to pack it all in before you walk out of the store.
There were dark clouds in the sky on my walk home and some wind. I thought it was going to rain. It would have been the most inopportune moment for it to rain --- hands full of groceries, wearing my dress pants (I thought I had clinical rounds today, but it didn't work out, I'll go next week), and no umbrella still. Fortunately for me, it did not rain. A tender little mercy.
When I was about two blocks away from my place, a guy had just lit a cigarette and was walking towards me. He asked if I needed help, to which I responded, "No, I got it. Thanks." "You're welcome." At least he offered. Sorry guy, I don't know you, and you are smoking --- which not only stinks, but will probably kill you --- so I am not going to associate with you. Well apparently I'm judgmental, but I hope that guy finds happiness.
Thanks for the offer.
I appreciated the thought, that's what counts.
Oh, and please remember to smile, every so often.
No comments:
Post a Comment