In the Nick of Time

It's been a while since I've had this happen on my day off of work.
Where I stay up really late, because I can, because I don't have to get up early in the morning....

Only to be called by work....in the morning, to see if I can come in to cover a shift of a coworker.

It's rare, especially when I'm getting my max hours, since big bosses don't like handing out overtime.

But that's exactly what happened.
I stayed up til like 2 or 3 am...
And at like 9:45am....I got a call from work.
-Which to be honest isn't that early, I've gotten calls at 6am before after staying up til 3. Amazing that I could hear my phone and answer it.

In any case.
I was confused as to why they were calling me.
Because I had my max hours already scheduled for the week.
Having me cover any shifts would mean anywhere from 4-8 hours of overtime....
-Which they have approved off on occasion when they were desperate. Aka absolutely nobody else could come in.

This was one of those days apparently.
Where they'd called absolutely everyone.
And finally decided to call me.

The difference being that I would just be switching my days off.
I would cover this day,
and then the next day when I was supposed to work, they'd find someone to cover that shift.

Admittedly, I doubted it would work out like that. More than likely I'd end up working 6 days in a row and get overtime.

Still I agreed to it.

Got ready.
Drove into work.
And literally, as I pulled into my spot and turned off the car....
I got a call from work.

Confused I answered it, ready to say "I'm here, don't worry I'm here." As I wondered if they thought I should have been there sooner.

But no....
The manager was calling to say that a couple of the other people they had called earlier, and gotten no response from, had shown up to cover the shift.
So the manager was wondering if we could cancel me covering the shift.

lol. I doubted he realized how close I am to work.
And that I was already there.

And while I had been halfway looking forward to having the next day off ....
I was perfectly fine with not coming into work on my day off either.

So I said sure. It was fine.
Turned on my car, and pulled out of the parking lot. And went home. To relax.

lol. I halfway expected the manager to call as soon as I got home to say "Never mind, we really need you." But no....
It didn't happen.

The manager was probably totally clueless that I'd been in the parking lot when he called. lol.
And I'm not in any hurry to let him know.
No need to guilt trip needlessly. :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Waiting Game

I never understand going to Doctor's places.
Because they have you show up early, you know, so you can get in on time....
Only to have you sit and wait and wait and wait before you can be seen.
Past the time you were supposed to have been seen at.

I understand that doctors would want to see as many patients as possible within their work day.
So scheduled appointments would obviously be close together....

Yet...there is always that one patient....that throws the whole schedule off track and puts the doctor behind on seeing their other appointments on time.

I showed up yesterday, for a recheck on my arm with the doctor.
Showed up 10 minutes early as requested.
....and ended up sitting in the waiting room for nearly 40 minutes after I was supposed to have been seen.
Then I was taken into a room to wait for the doctor....for another 20 minutes.

I mean, I've had to wait a while before to see doctors/dentists/eyedoctors etc....
But it was over an hour after my scheduled appointment before I finally got to see the doctor.

*shakes head*

Good thing I hadn't had anything planned afterwards....because I would have been very late to it.

It was just one of those days with multiple difficult appointments that the doctor had to deal with.

In any case,
I got to check in with the doctor once more about my arm.
To see if it's improving.

Which the lymph nodes on my arm are improving.
Only one is still bumpy maybe two of them are still bumpy. The others are now just shadows on the skin if not completely gone. :)
The redness on my knuckle....about the same.

I expected the doctor to just say 'oh it's still looking better so let's keep watching it."

But no.
We ended up talking a bit more than that.
Because I was in the 'grey zone' of what we should do next.
Because my lymph nodes weren't completely better, nor were they healing in a normal way. (the nodes are in a line on my arm, but they're not healing in a line. They're going away out of order even though they showed up in order.) Nor were they getting worse either...they were improving.

So there were two things we could do.
We could continue to wait and see if my arm continues to improve.

Or since my knuckle still isn't healed....
We could do a biopsy on my knuckle -which would require me being sent to a hand surgeon to get the biopsy because....the knuckle is kinda a delicate area. and test it to see what the specific bacteria is.

We could biopsy the lymph nodes on my arm....but since they're all improving, it's possible that the bacteria is already gone, and my arm is just taking its sweet unique time in healing up. So biopsying that area may bring no results.
Possibly doing my knuckle will bring no results either....so who knows. *shrugs*

But it would give us a better idea of what types of medications to put me on, if any bacteria is discovered.

As on this visit, the doctor was more inclined to consider the fact that it may not be a bacteria from a fish tank/fish water that is my problem.
As...after all, I do work in a pet store. I work with all sorts of animals in the store. Birds, Snakes, Lizards, Guinea Pigs, Mice, Hamsters, Cats, Dogs....not just fish.
So its possible that the bacteria had been transferred from one of those creatures as well. *shakes head*

So the doctor left it up to me.
As he didn't want just put me on various drugs and hope that one of them works.

So after brief consideration.
I decided to wait it out another month.
As I'm pretty sure my lymphnodes will healed by that point.
The main focus is to see how my knuckle continues to heal. If it continues to heal or still remains basically the same.

If the knuckle remains basically the same, then the plan is to have me do a biopsy. It's unclear what we'll do if the knuckle is getting better....
if it's healed....then yay no worries!! lol.

So. Once more...
I continue the waiting game.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Immediate Action

President Woodruff told of an experience of being prompted by the Spirit.
He was sent by the First Presidency to "gather all the Saints of God in New England and Canada and bring them to Zion."

He stopped at the home of one of the brethren in Indiana and put his carriage in the yard, where he and his wife and one child went to bed while the rest of the family slept in the house.
Shortly after he had retired for the night, the Spirit whispered, warning him, "Get up, and move your carriage."
He got up and moved the carriage a distance from where it had stood.
As he was returning to bed, the Spirit spoke to him again: "Go and move your mules away from that oak tree."
He did this and then retired once again to bed.

No more than 30 minutes later, a whirlwind caught the tree to which his mules had been tied and broke it off at the ground. It was carried 100 yards through two fences.
The enormous tree, which had a trunk five feet in circumference, fell exactly upon the spot where his carriage had been parked.
By listening to the promptings of the Spirit, Elder Woodruff had saved his life and the lives of his wife and child.

That same Spirit can prompt you and protect you.

-Boyd K. Packer -Prayer and Promptings -October 2009 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Day Dreaming

It's been in my head for the past two days.

I really really really want my 125 gallon fish tank.

I mean, it's basically been like 2 years since this giant fish tank first entered our stores.

And guess what?

I really really really still want it.

And.....if things play out well, I may soon be able to get the fish tank!

And my brain has taken it waaaay out of proportion. Again.

Because even if I can get a big fish tank.

I'm not planning to get one until November when the sales are better in my store *coughblackfridaycough*

Still though.

I can't stop playing with the idea....

Of what kinds of fish I would put in there.

I mean, the tank is big enough.

That I think I can get fish that usually don't go well together....to go well together.

Really, if one has enough space....surely I can manage to make the semi-aggressive fish play nice with the mellow fish.

Won't know until I get the tank.

but it doesn't stop me from thinking about it right now.

Could I add in Goldfish?

What about Balloon Belly Mollies.

Of course I can't have a tank without guppies!

Maybe this Cichlid would be able to do well.

Ohhhh I would love to have Platys in my tank. Especially if they have babies. I'd love to play with colors with them.

Maybe some Barbs?

Of course we need the algae eaters....

And on and on and on it goes.

I really hope that I can convince myself to be a bit less gung-ho about it. At least until I move into my new place. And see if I can actually fit a giant fish tank in there in the first place....

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Is this Soda?

So there I was,

Having just gotten off work.

Hungry beyond measure.

And very happy to be waiting for my favorite meal at Wendy's.

Ah. So delicious.

But when I sit down,

And take a drink of my Dr. Pepper....

It didn't taste right. O.o

I took another sip wondering if I'd mis-tasted it.

But no.

It didn't taste like Dr. Pepper.

Really....

It kinda just tasted like water.

Plain old water, with maybe a hint of a shadow of some flavoring.

I debated for a second.

Just to be satisfied with this odd tasting drink...

Or go ask for another drink.

I decided, that hey. I bought this thing. I should get what I paid for.

So I returned up to the front, and waited a minute for the people to notice me.

And I said "This tastes like water." As I placed my cup on the counter.

The guy raises an eyebrow, and goes to the soda machine, grabbing an empty cup and put in a little bit of the Dr. Pepper and took a taste.

After half a second he nodded. "Yep. It does."

And then walked off without another word.

I hoped that that meant that he was going to go fix it...and not that he was just basically saying "Yep, sucks to be you."

Lucky me. I was right. He had gone to fix it. Get more Dr. Pepper flavoring or whatever.

But in the meantime another worker was like "Can I help you?"

"I'm just waiting for a new drink, this one tastes like water."

"Oh. That happens all the time."

O.o "Really? It's the first time I've experienced it here." I told her.

O.o "Really?" Apparently it happens enough that it surprised the worker that I hadn't yet gotten water instead of soda.

Guess until this point I've been rather lucky. lol.

So the other guy came back, and after a few seconds of 'rinsing out' he grabbed a sample cup and asked me to try a bit of the Dr. Pepper to make sure it tasted like Dr. Pepper.

Which it did. :) Yay.

So he filled up a cup for me, and sent me on my merry way. :)

Yay for getting the right flavor drink. ^^ lol.

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

October 2009 General Conference -Priesthood Session

M. Russell Ballard -Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship

• When you put your trust in your dad, he will feel the responsibility of that trust and try harder than ever to understand and to help.
• Let's be honest: he is probably going to give you his advice whether you ask for it or not, but it just works so much better when you ask!
• In my experience, fathers who are asked for advice try harder to give good, sound, useful counsel. By asking your father for advice, you not only receive the benefit of his input, but you also provide him with a little extra motivation to strive to be a better father and a better man. He will think more carefully about whatever it is that he advises, and he will work harder to "walk the talk."
• A one-on-one relationship should be a routine part of your stewardship with your sons.
• Remember, conversation where you do 90 percent of the talking is not a conversation.
• Don't think you have to try to fix everything or solve everything during these visits. Most of the time, the best thing you can do is just listen. Fathers who listen more than they talk find that their sons share more about what is really going on in their lives.
• Continue to do all you can to maintain strong family relationships. Never give up, even when fervent prayer in their behalf is all you can do. These precious sons of yours are your sons forever!
• Dare to have the 'big talks' with your sons.

Walter F. Gonzalez -Becoming More Powerful Priesthood Holders

• "As we read the Book of Mormon and the other standards works, as we put the teachings to the test, then we will know of the doctrine, for this is our promise; we will know whether it be of man or whether it be of God."
• The full application of the teachings of the Book of Mormon does require priesthood ordinances with their associated covenants.
• God, in His infinite wisdom, reserved the Book of Mormon for our benefit. Its purpose is not to become a best seller. Nevertheless, we can t urn this sacred book into a best-read and best-applied book in our life.

Yoon Hwan Choi -I Love Loud Boys

• "May I now direct your attention to the importance of attending all of your Church meetings. Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way."
• Dear brethren, let us love our boys--although some of them are loud boys. Let us teach them to change their lives. Modern sons of Helaman come not only from our precious families within the Church but also from new and young converts who do not have parents in the gospel. You and your wives are to be their "goodly parents" until they become like the sons of Helaman.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Two Principles for Any Economy

• How I admire men, women, and children who know how to work!
• Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and to the Church.
• The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can--that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be.
• Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents.
• When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer--no matter how eloquent the oration. President Thomas S. Monson put it this way: "It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we'll make the effort. ... It's in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled."
• A great part of our work on this earth is to endure joyfully to the end--every day of our life.
• Whether you are the youngest deacon or the oldest high priest, there is work to do!
• Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire.
• "Knowledge does away with darkness, [anxiety], and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is."

Henry B. Eyring -Be Ready

• Yet all is not perfect in Zion. Not all of the youth choose to prepare. That choice must be their own. They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lord's way in His loving plan. But many young men have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord. A father who neglects or interferes with a son's development of faith or his ability to follow inspiration will someday know sorrow. That will be true for anyone placed in a position to help these young men choose wisely and well in their days in the preparatory priesthood.
• As we lead and influence young men, we must never do it to gratify our pride or our ambition. We must never use compulsion in any degree of unrighteousness. That is a high standard of example we must set for our youth.

Thomas S. Monson -School Thy Feelings, O My Brother

• "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath."
• "Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything."
• "A man's a fool who takes an insult that isn't intended."
• "Can ye be angry, and not sin? Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."
• "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that ha the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
• "Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away."
• To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Little Joys

The best kinds of days are when you find joy in the simplest of things.

Today had one of those moments.

Where after church, we had a break the fast- aka you get free food for staying for the full three hours of church.

Which since it was fast sunday, was a double blessing, because....I hadn't eaten all day.

And with 1pm church and 3 hours of church...

and the fact that I woke up at like 8am this morning already starving...

Had me literally rushing into the room to get something to eat as soon as they said Amen on the prayer.

And among all the goodies....

was a bag of baby carrots.

I can't really remember the last time I had a carrot. :S Which probably isn't a good thing.

So I grabbed a handful of them along with other things.

Let me tell you.

Those baby carrots were delicious!

Cool, sweet, the right amount of crunch.

If I had no self control that huge family sized bag of carrots would probably be mostly empty by now. lol.

Because they were so good!

Like rediscovering a food. Like having it for the first time good.

Ah.

A small joy. ^^ Loved it.

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi