I decided that I should write a blog-spot on things that really just irk me. They can be some of the simplest things to ginormous things. For a bit of background, I work as a pharmacy technician in a local grocery store chain. I do my job and I follow the rules. I tend to never make exceptions to these rules simply because I really don’t want to piss off the Drug Enforcement Agency ..aka DEA. I also, thought not always, like my job, and don’t particularly want to lose it..esp when I need the income just like everyone else out there does.

*Disclaimer, this is just a bitch-fest kind of blog from me, so if you don’t want to hear it..please navigate away from the page now.. notice I did say please *                                     

1. Thank you notes. It doesn’t matter when you finally get them in the mail, but a simple acknowledgement that I thought of you with a congratulatory gift would be nice. It’s not like I spent the money on you because you didn’t warrant it, so don’t be a jerk back…and if you’re not nice this time, don’t bother with the next invitation because I will conveniently forget too.

2. This number will just simply have its own section.

A) Truly stupid questions. I know they say no question is a stupid question, but that ONLY applies to certain situations. Calling the pharmacy and asking if your prescription is ready is fine. If I say it it was filled yesterday, don’t continue to ask me again, “well is it ready then?” I think this was previously addressed.

B) I have no problem with people dropping off their prescription and wanting to wait on it. You’re most welcome to drop off your prescription and wait for it, but if I ask you when you would LIKE to pick it up, don’t be a smart ass and reply “Now” because you probably just earned yourself and an extra 5-10 minutes on it. Also, don’t ask me if I can hurry it up because you’re *whoever* is waiting in the car and sick. Duh, we’re a pharmacy, EVERYONE is sick..why else would they be getting medications?

C) Also, asking me to put you ahead of those who have already been waiting tends to peeve me. Occassionally asking me numerous times to do so will warrant you a response, “well, if you don’t mind going to the other end and asking each and every person down there [in the waiting area] if they mind you cutting in front of them, then I have NO problem with pushing you on through.”

3. Don’t come through the pharmacy drive-thru and immediately honk for service because we do have a doorbell that rings every 1/2 minute that you’re actually in the drive-thru window. First of all, you’re probably not the only customer I am dealing with. You WILL be dealt with in the order you arrived. Second, if you’re in line behind someone at the drive-thru, do NOT call on your cell phone and ask if we can speed things up because you’re in a hurry. I know you expect excellent customer service, so why shouldn’t your fellow human being in line ahead of you expect the same.

4. Don’t come through the pharmacy drive-thru with a debit card. The sign on the window clearly states that all debit transactions must be taken care of inside, and no, you cannot get cash back off of your debit card through the drive-thru. See the previous statement, also..there are plently of drive-thru ATM machines and we are NOT one of them.

5. I do not smoke, and if you do that is fine. My parents did for years, but I repeat, do NOT sit next to the smoking area and then complain about the smokers. I would like to dedicate this one to my dad’s ego-maniac sister.

6. If you took a bath in perfume or cologne earlier, please don’t bitch and hollar about people that are smoking. Yes they reek, but so do you. Yes, there are a lot of people allergic to cigarrette smoke, but there are ALSO alot of people allergic to perfumes and dyes, so are you really any better than the smokers?

7. Are you a pet owner? Yea or nea is fine by me, but if it isn’t your yard, clean up after your OWN pet’s poop. Otherwise, beware, you may get a flaming bag of dog poop on your doorstep one of these days. And your pets ARE like children. It is NOT okay to go off and leave them ALONE for more than a few days at a time. They don’t usually know how to turn on the water and may not be able to open that metal can of dog/cat food. That is just cruel.

8. If we’re friends, please don’t try to force me to do things against my will. I am naturally stubborn, and if it is against my morals, no amount of force is going to change my mind if I have anything to say about it. I don’t like always being told I am wrong about every single thing. I don’t like people trying to physically move me or touch me if I don’t know you very well, especially, if I think you like me in a way that I don’t reciprocate. It has nothing to do with you, but it makes me very uncomfortable and being naturally shy, does NOT make me want to come back and hang out with you. This does not include friendly hugs from good friends, but I think you get the meaning of this conversation.

9. Making fun of my family or good friends is not a good idea. First of all, it does not make me like you any better, but rather pisses me off. Yes, once you yourself make it into that circle of friends, then it is different, because it just becomes venting, but until then, I will think of it as a personal attack. I can gripe, fuss, or praise my family and friends, but if you haven’t yet earned that right, then just keep your mouth shut. We’re more likely to stay at least acquainances that way.

And finally..                                                                                                                          

10) Just smile. A smile has been proven to put you in a better mood. Where does taking it out on others get you? Nowhere. How hard is it just to grin and bear it. Yes you made a mistake, but smiling about it will probably make it easier on you and everyone else. Plus, you never know how just a simple smile might brighten up the gloomiest of days for someone else, because there is always someone worse off than you.

Sometimes I fear that I will become the crazy cat lady. I fear that I WILL end up all alone with just an apartment full of cats. I am naturally an animal lover. We have always had pets, usually cats, because of the pastures and woods around our home when I was growing up. At the moment, I do have a cat that lives with me. When I am feeling sad and lonely, she is there for me to snuggle up with and talk to..but although she yowls and meows a lot..she can’t talk back.

My cat Icey is a seal lynx-point Siamese mix. I took her in when she was at least 3 months old, wild, and covered with fleas. She got 3 baths that day to rid her of the fleas. She’s the perfect picture of health now and will be 4 this coming April. She is VERY perculiar though. She does not like other cats, but will tolerate dogs, probably due to growing up around my dogs at home during her kitten year. She can’t stand for any other animal to take my attention. On occasion, she just gets too rough and likes to bite and kick me like she would playing with another animal, but she loves me to death. Almost nothing better than snuggling up on a cold night with a warm, purring kitty.

She is also very protective of me around other humans she doesn’t know. With guests, she’s got to sniff your shoes first. If you check out, she MIGHT let you pet her. If she gets a bad vibe off of you, BEWARE. She will attack. I have heard that animals are a good indicator of how trustworthy people are. Luckily for me, she loves to curl up my guy’s lap. She enjoys purring and getting scratched and will bring her toys to entice play.

After much thought though, I don’t think I could stand to have more than one indoor cat. They are like children. They will bug you when you’re on the phone, can’t stand for you to close the door when you’re taking a shower, etc. So perhaps, a cat is just a good trial run for any children I may end up having one day. She has definitely taught me tolerance and patience besides unconditional love.

One thing I look for in a guy, he has to be able to get along with my cat. She is my protector and I hers. We are a team that can be added to, but not separated. CS likes playing with her, although she startles him alot. I guess that is due to cultural differences. He never had a pet, although he wanted one, growing up. So perhaps Icey will permanently adopt him one day too.

Have you ever wanted to visit a land unknown to you?

I do. I have a whole list of places to visit one day. I am unable to do so at this time in my life. I have too many obligations and not the money to travel, but one day..I will get there. Places I want to visit are below:

Ireland, The African plains, India, The Australian Outback, New Zealand, Prague, all over South America, and many places in the U.S.A.

Why Ireland you may ask. I want to see the shamrock green rolling hills. I hear that it is beautiful in spring and summer. With gentle cloud cover and rolling fog moving in when you never know it.

The African Plains I want to see before it is all gone. I want to travel on a safari, sleep in a tent and eat campfire food. I do NOT want to hunt the game, but to only observe it in its natural state. To see a giraffe stretch up its long neck, to see a zebra with its young or a lion on the prowl is the attraction. I know Africa has multiple civil wars right now, and I feel bad for the problems it and its people are experiencing. I would like to do some volunteer work there as well.

In India, I want to see the Taj Mahal, the beautiful jungles, the wonderous temples. I want to experience one of the oldest cultures the world has to offer in all its glory. I am very much aware of the problems India is suffering through..a cultural revolution for it and its children, but change is inevitable. It is what makes the world continue and go round.

The Australian Outback with its red plains, kangaroos and koalas. Its Great Barrier Reef, sharks and all. To Sydney and the sites to see it offers, and of course the great food it has to offer as well. To me, from the few Australians I have known, seem to be more like Texans than some people FROM Texas. They have that wonderful slow lilt to their voices too.

To New Zealand and its self-sufficient homes. A truly GREEN place to be, with its alternative fuel options, majestic sub-tropical/tropical forests and beautiful peaks. It is a land to be discovered.

Ah Prague. I have been given the opportunity to go with my university, but have simply not had the cash to go. One day, I will get there though. It has grand cathedrals, castles, and some of the world’s most wonderous music. It offers great food, a great nightlife and even the opera.

South America… with everything from tropical rainforests to beaches that hold large reserves of penguins. To visit and snorkle off the coasts. To visit ancient ruins of civilizations long since past. To visit the Andes and see above the clouds.

And finally home again. The Grand Tetons, Mount Rushmore, The Grand Canyon, The Rocky Mountains, The Appalacians, BlackJack Mountain, wild mustangs, buffalo on the plains, jaguar tracks from Arizona through Texas.

These are just some of the many places I want to visit and a few reasons for each. Leave me a comment about where you would like to go and why. )

Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am a 28 year old woman from Texas. I work as a pharmacy technician in a chain grocery store, and recently graduated with a B.A. in biochemistry with minors in Spanish and Biology. By no means am I fluent in Spanish, but I am getting better at it.

I am also an animal lover. I have a lynx point Siamese mix that lives with me. She can be very tempermental and loves to run the show. At my parents home, I have 3 cats and 2 dogs. I very much adore our 2 Pomeranians which will be 8 & 9 years old this year. Our 3 cats at home are outdoor kitties. Since my parents live in a wooded area with pastures nearby, we need good outdoor kitties to keep away various rodents and insects.

My goals in life are to become a successful pharmacist one day, married to a loving man, and to have children through either natural means or adoption. They don’t have to be achieved in necessarily any particular order either. I suppose I just want what everyone else wants from life as well. Nothing wrong with that, and I am simply glad that I have the opportunities to do so.

Well, that’s enough for now, you’ll find out more about me in later blogs I assure you

Did you ever wonder where you fit in in your society? My heritage is of a very mixed background. My father’s family has European (English, Scotch, & Irish), Asian (Russian) and Native American (Cherokee) backgrounds. My mom is mostly Native American (Cherokee AND Choctaw) herself, with her mother being half-British. So my question is, who do I associate myself with?

 Do I associate myself with being a white American? As a European-American? As a Native American? or even a distinctive Native American tribe? Sometimes it is hard to choose who I am. When someone asks me what I am..I ususally tell them a mutt. That because I am from the USA, I am a mutt. The USA’s cultural inheritance is so mixed up, that we are our own unique culture that can’t simply be associated with only one culture. That really, we can’t be defined as anything other than an American.

I am very proud of my ethnic backgrounds, but confused as to my identity sometimes. What exactly AM I supposed to check when asked race/ethnicity on the questionnaires we have all filled out? According to the US government, I am classified as white. One reason is because my great grandparents gave up their land rights in Oklahoma. Another is because of my European background, but this doesn’t really ideally classify my correct ethnicity does it? My father is red-skinned, my mother is brown-skinned, and my brother and I are white-skinned. I suppose, I mostly associate myself with being Native American Cherokee because of it being the most recent majority in my ancestry. So go figure.

Being a truck driver most of his life, my father didn’t do a lot of the raising of me and my little brother. My mother taught us tolerance and acceptance of all peoples. Dad..is well changing and growing in a better direction, to put it bluntly. He simply grew up different than my mom did. Perhaps that is the reason I have found myself dating a guy from another country. Perhaps it is because my mom taught me to look at all the possibilities. If I were to rule out a particular color, race, or ethnicity, I could pass up the opportunity of the lifetime. By this I mean, I might miss the man of my dreams.

Since we are all human beings, maybe we should just take that little question out of the questionnaires, and just ask if we are simply from Earth. But that would open a whole new can of worms, wouldn’t it?