A Communication Space for Jaeteuk and bestVase7265 only. (Please do not reply or respond, thank you)

I've got good news. All five of my students have been hired! Four of them will start May 11th, with the 5th one to start in July, as she will have surgery and needs time to recover. Which also means, we need to plan to have a get-together very soon, before they start their Orientation, which doesn't leave us many days left, since I'm only available Mon, Tues, and Wed. 

I had a biopsy taken out of my upper palette this morning, thinking it would be like a small cut, but I think my dentist removed the entire piece of lesion. It's like near the back of my throat, so for the few days, can only eat soft, cold, food/beverage. At first, my mum said it's a small procedure, that in the past, with hers, they just used a small needle to remove parts of her palette to send for biopsy. But for me, it was a bigger area, and it bled and soaked two cotton balls. They applied some silver nitrate to stop the bleeding. I originally planned to have breakfast with my parents afterwards, because I believed my mum about the small procedure. But I ended up watching them eat at a restaurant this morning for breakfast, I only ordered a cold drink as the numbing was going away, and once we got home, my mum blended some greek yogurt, a banana, some whey, and coconut water for my breakfast. I went to take a nap afterwards, as I took a Tylenol for the pain. Just woke up 30 minutes ago, and ate half of a sweet potato. My parents bought some potato salad from Costco, as it's cold and soft. But I'm not sure if I can eat it.. as it still requires chewing. Because whatever I swallow, water or food, it passes by that spot. So, there's discomfort. Even swallowing saliva bothers me.

I'll see how I am by Wednesday, if I'm still unable to eat normal food, I might need to call in sick for Thursday, as I'll need to eat real food if I'm working a regular shift, otherwise, not enough energy to work.

By the way, my dad had a fall Saturday morning, when he and mum went for a walk around a track and field park. Dad was distracted and flinched when he saw two people playing catch and the ball was being hit in their direction. He lost his balance and landed on is left side. Using the palm of his hand to break the fall. His left arm is bruised, left shin is scratched, one of his fingers is cut. Now, his left hand, from wrist to finger tips, it's swollen to twice the size. Mum took him to the emergency a couple of hours after the fall, as that was when the swelling appeared. Had an x-ray done, no broken bones, just said the swelling was due to impact and bruising. Was just told to ice it and take Tylenol and Advil if it hurts.

Mum didn't tell me until I got home from work on Saturday, from what dad said, he didn't want to tell me at all, but mum was like, I would able to see the swelling and ask about it anyways. They just said to not tell my brother yet, as he's on a business trip and will return tomorrow. 

Hope you can find some sort of relief soon~

My dentist called me today with the biopsy results. It was a benign oral fibroma polyp. She mentioned that it's rare, but some may regrow. So, she will keep an eye on the area in each dental visit. The wound has healed over, it almost looks unnoticeable. Once it's all good, I can make plans to grab a bite with the person I had postponed our plans with. I can also arrange to meet with past colleagues for lunch soon too. 

I finally got my snow tires changed out this morning, we bought a set of new tires (as mine are 10 years old) from Costco, as it's found out that having them change tires is cheapest compared to other auto shops. Tomorrow, I plan to make an appt to get my brakes changed as well. I wanted to wait until I got my new seasonal tires back on first before I get new brakes. 

So, the Program Coordinator sent me the evaluation that three of the six students filled out for me.. Someone wrote that I wasn't professional enough, and another wrote that because I do not work in all areas, that there are some things I do not know about..

The meeting I had with the Program Coordinator yesterday, she suggested that for this summer, to have me work in those unfamiliar areas, and to possibly meet with someone on campus that works one-on-one with instructors, guiding and supporting us on how to be more professional, set needed boundaries between, instructor-student and instructor-staff. I think I need it, I'm too nice. I also need a more detailed explanation of confidentiality. As a staff apparently emailed the PC in regards to leaking confidentiality of a student's progress.

Officially had the house to myself since Monday after noontime. Sent my parents off to airport through Uber, they're going on vacation again. Flew to Japan, will enjoy a week, before getting on a cruise there. Brother left the past Saturday for a business trip to Slovenia, France, and the UK. I get 10 days to myself.

I'm getting a massage for the first time, in about an hour. My neck had been sore since last Friday. I worked too hard over the weekend, but I felt very productive at work. I've finished many things and even worked on a project my Supervisor asked me to do on Sunday. Although I didn't finish it (would be never ending), but I did as much as I could. At the end of my shift, I felt so satisfied with what I have accomplished, I was all smiles as I sat in my car. It was busy on Saturday too, had two nurses kept giving me instrument sets to complete, as they've bought the missing instruments and they removed and added others. I was definitely multi-tasking a lot on Saturday. So, my neck pain got worse over the weekend. Of course, I didn't feel anything when working, I feel it the next morning. 

That being said, I'd better go get dressed now. The clinic is close by, just up the hill, maybe a 10 minute drive away, as there will be two school zones to pass by.

How was your chiropractor appointment?

My brother comes back tomorrow (Thursday), but he'll be gone for another weekend business trip after a week. Hahah.. I just did a brief vacuum of the floors, and took out the garbage I've saved up. Well, not garbage, garbage.. but plastic bags.. I did have to toss out a few veggies my mum had left behind in the fridge, they were starting to mold a little. I'll take it out to the green bin tomorrow morning, when I head out for work.

How was the ride?

Friday night after work, I stopped at an intersection where one of the traffic lights was malfunctioning, the red wasn't lit. So, I told myself, if I end up stopping at the same intersection the next day, and it still wasn't working, that I'd report it. I actually looked up the numbers to call when I got home Friday night, figured out which city that intersection is a part of, so that I'd report it to the right people.

So, I was lucky enough Saturday night, to have stopped at the same intersection, this time, I was the first car to drive up to the red light, so I glanced over a few times for confirmation. At least the green light worked. Since I had planned to stop for some groceries (I found a place that closes at 10pm every day), so I go there once a week, either on the Friday or Saturday. Once I was parked, I pulled out the phone number online, the one I had checked for the night before. Hesitated for a minute before pressing the Call button (had to briefly practice how I'd word it). The moment the call went through, it went straight to being on hold, as it started playing music, but someone answered the call in less than a minute. I got right to the point, that I wanted to report a traffic light not working, that it wasn't showing the red. Gave the dispatch the intersection street names, saying that I was heading Eastbound. The guy said he'll send an Engineer over to check it out, and thanked me for the report. What I didn't expect was, he asked me for my name and number. Hope it's only for records and that they wouldn't actually call me back.

So, I'll see if I get lucky tonight after work, to stop at that intersection, then, I'll know if my report had been addressed immediately and if it was fixed.

But you know, making this phone call, I wouldn't have done it if it was the me, two years ago. When I saw it on Friday, I was like the 4th car from the light, with a big truck in front of me, so I couldn't see the traffic lights up ahead, so I looked at the one that was on the lamp post of where the pedestrian lights is, and noticed it was dark, the red light was not lit. During the ride, I was already thinking about looking up on Google once I got home, how I could report it. Then, told myself, if I luckily stop at the same intersection Saturday night, and noticed it still didn't work, that I'd report it once I'm parked at the grocery store. So, that's what I did. To me, that pep talk the night before, and thinking about reporting it, that's like a promise to myself. Something that I would want to do, and like all promises I make, whether that be for someone else or myself, I don't make promises I can't fulfill. So, that's why I ended up with making the call, after rehearsing what I'd say in the report. From Google, I already knew I had to provide the details of the intersection, and since I'm not good with directions, I had to look up whether I was driving Westbound or Eastbound. 

Let's just say, it felt good. Something out of the extraordinary from my usual self. These type of changes, have been slowly surfacing, ever since I started working at this Hospital last April. It feels good, I think that working here, finding my purpose, a calling almost, has definitely built confidence in myself. Making me do things I wouldn't have compared to two years ago. 

On Friday, near the end of my shift, my right knee locked for a second, then, during the drive home, my foot and toes were a bit numb and tingly. So yesterday during my shift, I requested to work in another area where I wouldn't need to be crouching down continuously. I even wore an elastic bandage in support of the knee, as it usually works help ease the pain. So the area I was supposed to work in, someone else is there. We received an equipment where everyone knows it's a priority to clean. It was already there when I started my shift at 11am. By 1pm, it was still there, so I reported it to the management on site, and then, was told to mind my own business.

As usual, I messaged my Supervisor, who doesn't work weekends. Most of the time, it's just venting for me. But I know that at times, she would end up messaging the management person on site asking about it. Well, yesterday, it came back to me. And the guy had a "chat" with me about it. Basically telling me to not report things to her during her time off, and my concerns, I should address the staff myself first, then, if not resolved to go to him. Let's just say, near the end of our long "chat", he probably saw I was upset, so he said, he's telling me as a friend, not as a Management personnel to employee. He was also saying, instead of messaging, that I should send official emails instead.

I sniffled a few times during his lecturing, and it put me in a bad mood afterwards. Was very upset and depressed, and all I thought about for the rest of my shift was "I'm going to have a drink when I get home later". I listened to music with earphones until almost 3am before I slept, and I was in bed by 10pm. Waking up this morning, I'm still depressed and saddened.

With my Supervisor, she had said that I could message her anytime about work, she may not reply, but she'll read them. A lot of the times, it's just venting for me, not necessarily asking her to act on it, let alone, tell the management guy on site about it. So, yesterday, I ended up sending her an email, asking if it's okay for me to be sending her messages during her days off? If she doesn't like it, I'll stop. The Management guy, that nurse, in the beginning, I thought we could be friends, but aside from yesterday's chat, he said something else to me. I usually arrive earlier than my start time, most of the time, I'd drop by his office to ask where he wants me to work, as I can be moved depending on the workload. Well yesterday, with my knee pain, and I had forgotten to grab the elastic bandage I have at home, I remembered I put one in their office cabinet, where they kept bandaids. So, when I arrived earlier, I when there to use it. As I was wrapping my knee, another staff came by asking about an instrument. Then, after I've finished wrapping it, he was like, "Do you come into the office and chat with nurses here on other days?" Basically telling me to stop going to him, as other staff may see, and say things about me.

You know me, I like what I do, so sometimes, I feel joy in something, and I would sometimes message him to share, but it's when he's not working on site, and he said he didn't like to hear about work, when he's not at work. So, fine, I've refrained from sending him work-related messages when he's not at work. When my parents and brother were on vacation, I tried to arrange a mealtime with him on his days off, that never happened either. We couldn't pick a date where it works for him. And he never followed up about it afterwards either. Here I am, trying to keep some sort of friendship going outside of work, and there's no response. Then, at work, I'm told to mind my own business, to not go to him to chat whenever I arrived early, to not report to my supervisor on the weekends about every little thing, etc.. 

To tell an Aquarius to not care about others or the big picture in things, and tell them to mind their own business, and telling me what I should and shouldn't do, that it's for my own good, that totally changed how I think of our relationship. At least with my shift later, he'd be gone by the time I start, but I think I'll be depressed for the next few days. You know that feeling when you feel you could trust someone, then, something happens and they kind of push you away? For me, it's better to cut off ties earlier on, than to give more chances and then be hurt in the end anyways. So from today onwards, I will no longer drop by the office when I arrive earlier, I will not message him outside of work or during work about anything (will only go to him with instrumental questions), and just keep my distance. 

It's okay, when I think about it, he might not be around to stay anyways.. he's mentioned before that maybe sometime next year, he'll take time off work from both his jobs and go backpacking with friends for a few months, and that he might not even return to our site for work. Looking it that way, as friends, we probably won't be able to keep in touch much. It's just unfortunate, as in the beginning, when we shared more of our personal stories, I really thought he'd be a good listener to me. But outside of work, we really have nothing of common interest to talk about. There goes a potential friendship down the drain.

A lot of things happened this morning.

I had a dental cleaning appointment for 9am, as usual, I parked my car at the mall across from it. When I returned to my car, a lady was standing by it. Turns out she drove her vehicle into mine. So ended up calling for a claim, had it towed, and just got a call back from the claim centre. The other driver has called in and is 100% responsible. So now, they put me through to get a rental car, the moment we hung up the phone, the rental company called me to set up a time and day to pick up my car. I made it for Sunday at 9am, as it's mainly on the Sunday, that I need to drive to work. Other days, I could take transit. My dad says to pick it up sooner, so he can drive it too. Since everything is covered, even gas, I could reimburse. But I'm like, I'm the primary driver, using it because I cannot drive mine, why would he be driving it (in his mind, because it's basically free, he wants to use it as a benefit). But whenever, I made the appointment with them, that I'd drop by on Sunday and 9am to pick it up. He did say the earliest is Wed. Dad's like, pick it up sooner, so he can drive it too. I'm thinking "what the heck, I'm the one who's car is non-driveable, you have your own car. This rental is for my use, not you to use as a benefit." Even when I have my own car, my dad doesn't drive it on my days off or when I don't need to use it. The most he'd do with my car, is change sides on the driveway. Depending on whether my brother needs to drive to work or not. So, no, I'm not going to pick it up any sooner, so he can drive it. Getting the rental is not for that purpose, it's for work. I can transit to work Thurs to Sat, so I'll stick with Sunday for getting that car.

I got a message Saturday morning, my long-distance online friend from South Africa lost her father. He's still young, my mum's age only. I hope her family is okay, he was a very humble man and she was always proud of him. He was a great man for their small community, really gave back to the people. They were a very close knit family, I've sent my condolences and a virtual hug. 

My assignment for next week, I'm a bit stuck. I need to create a feedback questionnaire with at least 5 questions, something that would be collected from my students that may help me with my teaching. I need to create the actual questionnaire template. A two part assignment, create the template questionnaire, then, write a rationale report on it. Every week, there are two assignments to hand in, I'll need to work on another thing too. I'm a bit tired this morning, so, I'm not doing any readings. I'll do it in my next 3 days, I usually hand in my assignments by Wednesday, since I work Thursday to Sunday. I've got another one hour workshop tomorrow evening.