No Melissa Is A Good Melissa

I'm in Boston again... I just can't seem to stay away from here. Though I wish Matt and I lived in the same city, I'm not about to go on a job hunt to start all over again... unless he was sure he'd be here for some time. At this point though not only is he unsure of when he'll graduate, but he's also unsure of his post-graduation plans. So, being that I'm settled in my job and have a great rent-free residence, I'm not jumping to upset all of that. Still, we've been together I think almost 30 months, and have only lived in the same city for about 5 months of our relationship. And the longest visit we've ever had was this past January when I was able to get off from work and be with him for 10 days.

Pretty pathetic, if you ask me. We need some more "us" time.

So, here I am again. The good thing about this visit though is that his roommate Melissa's not here. You all read the post about how she behaved last time (and that was just one example of our interactions with her-- it's like that ALL THE TIME), so I was praying and praying that she'd be away. And voila-- she's gone! She told Matt she'd be visiting her parents in Connecticut for Memorial Day weekend, but being that she lost her job some months back, I guess there's nothing really for her to hurry home about. Yay!

Consequently we've been able to spend time together uninterrupted and it's been great. Actually, I'm only here for another day, so I'm going to get going. Matt's snoring loudly but it's after noon, so probably it's the perfect time to jump on him and get this day started. The last time I was up for a visit we walked all over the city and played catch with a tennis ball in the public gardens. I think we might go back to the Boston Commons for some more catch today as the weather's glorious...

Ciao!

BBQ

I'm having a Pot-Luck BBQ for my coworkers!

I've been debating on and off whether or not to have one over the last couple of months... and now I've decided. It's on!

I told my parents and got yelled at, but I think that's just because they're crabby. Man, I have to move out.

So I've been getting stuff ready, cleaning, shopping and calling around for table and chair rentals as we don't have enough of our own in the back yard. I'm psyched!

The other day my coworker Michelle asked me if Mr. Emily was coming. Honestly, I hadn't even thought to tell him. I'm such a good girlfriend. So that night I invited him. I mean, besides the company it'd be great to have someone cook all the meat for me! Blech.

I can't wait for this thing!

Splash!

I got peed on at work today!! While attempting to assist my patient with a sterile urine culture, a very forceful stream of urine shot at the wall and bounced back all over my arms!

He was very embarrassed and shouted "Oh! I'm so sorry!!" but really it was all my fault and I made sure he knew that. When I'd gotten enough urine for the specimen, I left him in the bathroom to finish up, sealed the container, and scrubbed myself in the sink for a good bunch of minutes.

In retrospect it was quite comical but at the time all I could think of was that someone'd taken a leak on me. Thank God urine is sterile!!

A Waste Of Skin

No, this post is not about circumcision-- don't you get all uppity for nothing. It's actually about one of Matt's roommates who I swear is an alien. Either that, or she's on drugs ALL THE TIME.

This conversation took place last Friday night while I was attempting to fix a romantic and relaxing dinner for Matt and me... and I promise, it's almost exactly word-for-word. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

Melissa walks into the apartment after having met a friend out for drinks. Speech slurred. Whoosh of booze breezes by every time she passes in the hallway.

Melissa: Hey guys-- whatcha doing? Plopping herself down on chair in dining room.
Matt: Oh, we're just about to have dinner.
Emily: Um... did you eat? Do you want to join us?
Melissa: Oh, no thanks... you guys are so cute. Look-- you set the table. I know, I'm not going to interrupt you or anything. You're so cute. Ems, you're so cute. By all means, how about just sharing a glass of wine, ok? You guys are so cute. I won't interrupt.
Matt: Oh, ok. You sure?
Melissa: No sir! You're so cute. No, where's the wine? Let's all just have some wine. Melissa sits down at the table opposite Matt and drinks a glass of wine. Where's the wine?
Matt: Uh... you already drank it. You want another glass?
Melissa: By all means! Can you get it for me? Where is it? Will you pour it? Where's the wine? Let's have a glass together. Matt pours another glass. Ems, what are you doing?
Emily: I'm cooking dinner. So that Matt and I can eat together. He's studying for a final so I'm just kind of leaving him alone... you know... so he can get his work done. Because he has a final tomorrow.
Melissa: Ok, I won't bother him. Matt. Where's the wine? Oh, is this mine? How come you're not drinking. You can't imagine what happened to me today blah blah blah blah (obviously paraphrased). Matt-- are you cooking?
Matt: No, I'm doing a project and studying.
Melissa: Ems, you're so cute. What are you making?
Emily: Pasta with broccoli rabbe and garlic, sauteed chickpeas and a big salad.
Melissa: Oh! You're so cute! Digging her dirty hands into the salad bowl on the table and eating every single one of the cucumbers and tomatoes, spilling many of the beautiful red and green pepper rings to the ground. But what are you cooking?
Emily: Macaroni.
Melissa: What are you doing?
Emily: Cooking pasta.
Melissa: What are you cooking?
Emily: Noodles.
Melissa: What are you doing?
Emily: Mixing.
Melissa: Why?
Emily: Because I'm mixing. And cooking.
Melissa: You're too cute. Matt-- you better lick her butt for doing all this for you. No wait... you better not... but you better say thank you. Did you say thank you, mister? You'd better say thank you. Say it! Ems, you're so cute. What are you doing?
Emily: Mixing.

Ten painful minutes later dinner is done and out on the table. Melissa is still there, digging her dirty hands into the bowl of salad despite my efforts at placing a dish and some serving pieces in front of her and asking her to use them. When the pot of pasta is in front of her, I spoon Melissa a bunch into her dish in an attempt at preventing her from digging her hands into that, too. Unfortunately I forgot about the chickpeas.

Melissa: Chewing, not saying anything for at least ten minutes. You guys are so cute.
Emily: Ignoring Melissa. Mmm, this is good. Did you finish your project?
Matt: Also ignoring Melissa. Yeah, this is good. No-- I got a little bit done but I still need to work on it more.

This went on for a little while longer until Melissa grabs the bowl of chickpeas from across the table, holds it all up to her face and takes a huge spoonful like it was a gigantic bowl of cereal.

Emily: Melissa! No!! Please don't do that-- just put some into your dish. Do you want me to help you with that?
Melissa: Clearly offended by my chastizing her and giving me tons of dirty looks. No sir. I'm good. By all means. No sir. By all means. No sir.
Emily: Spooning more pasta into her dish. Well please stop eating with the serving utensils. It's gross.

Melissa continues to give me dirty looks, finishes up most of what's in her dish, then grabs some of Matt's off of his plate, eats some of the noodles she's dropped on the table, then burps.

Melissa: Oooh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry, I burped. Sorry. Oops, I burped. Sorry. Sorry, I burped. Sorry. Sorry.

Melissa then puts down her dish, hand to mouth, and before getting up to lock herself in the bathroom with the sink running:

Melissa: No, uh uh. Nope. Not for me. I don't like this. Nope, not my thing. Gross. I don't like this stuff.

It was a nightmare, I can assure you. I was getting more and more angry with each passing second. Melissa managed to be offensive on so many counts that all I wanted to do was kill her. But instead, as soon as she got up from the table to puke, Matt and I threw all the pots into the sink, threw the leftovers into the fridge, quickly got changed and left the apartment for hours and hours so that she could sober up in peace.

The whole rest of my visit here, aside from spending time with my man, going to the gym, cooking and sleeping, has been spent avoiding Melissa. Sheesh. She's a piece of work.

Settling

Ok, so it's almost a month since my last post and things seem to be settling down a bit more. Well, either that, or I'm just leaving home more and more so I don't see what isn't settled. And you know the old adage-- out of sight, out of mind.

In any case, things with mom are doing better. She's doing almost all of her care for herself-- I just help out with her dressings from time to time and by filling up the bigger syringes. But she gives herself all of her injections, checks herself for her newly acquired diabetes very well and manages that appropriately, doses out and takes her medications diligently five to six times every day and now has started driving herself to her post-op checkups once or twice weekly. All in all, things are improving.

Socially things are ok, too. I'm currently in Boston. I tried to avoid my birthday by spending the majority of the day last week sleeping and doing laundry, and then spending the evening driving to Massachusetts. I had a week off from work and decided that it was time for a big visit to Matt. The last time I'd been able to spend more than two days with him was mid-January, so it was time. On Friday Matt and I drove down to New Haven to spend the afternoon and evening with Laura-- we walked to the park, played catch, ate fresh fruits, went out to dinner, and I got a fabulous back massage. Then about two weeks ago I got to spend a little less than three days with Susan on Long Island. We didn't get to take the nature hike I was looking forward to exposing her to, but we did get to meet up with my friends Tara and BJ for dinner, get a manicure-pedicure for the very first time together, hang out with her little brother Matthew who's about to graduate from High School, and of course we got to shop (the highlight of which was the purchase of a suck-it-all-in garment to be worn under the thin material that's going to make up my bridesmaid dress for Melissa's wedding in August).

There are still a bunch of friends I need to see... and a couple I'm just now getting re-in touch with by phone again. All you people I still need to communicate and visit with-- you know who you are!!

So I guess that's it. Things aren't bad. Another year has come and gone, my family is doing all right, and I think my psyche will make it. Can't wait to see what the next couple of months bring and what summer will have to offer.