the problem with (trying to) study

I have noticed in these last several weeks of my attempts at studying for my upcoming written intern exam that I have been encountering a rather annoying problem with (trying to) study.

If I have a day off from work, in my mind I’m thinking that it’s a great opportunity to do some serious studying. But when the day comes and/or as the day progresses, I become weary of study and either get restless or get very sleepy.

But then just before dinner, or just before I have to go somewhere or do something, or in the lead up to bedtime – then I’m wide awake and full of concentration and ready to absorb absolutely every last detail of whatever I’m trying to cram into my poor skull. Why does this happen? Is this Murphy’s Law coming into play?

Sleep, why do you elude me when you are needed, but come when you’re not wanted? (Sounds like a bad mix between narcolepsy and insomnia…)

Time for bed. I’ll try to put myself to sleep by reading something boring and/or requiring too much concentration and brain power. It’s a win-win situation, though, right? I either become sleepy and go to bed like I planned, or I remain alert and actually learn something.

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back to origin

If I only watch three rugby league matches this year, they’d have to be the three State of Origin matches (and maybe I’ll watch the grand final too if I like at least one of the teams in it).

To be honest to fellow footy fans, I have not watched a full NRL match so far this season. But it was so good to just be able to relax and watch Origin tonight. Ok, being honest again, I missed the first 20 or so minutes because I was watching MasterChef but, come on, nothing really happened in that first 20 minutes, right?

I’m a QLD supporter, so I’m happy with the win tonight. Part of me kind of wanted NSW to win just to keep things exciting (winning all the time can get a bit tedious) but there are still two more games left…

I have to say, though, that I’m a bit iffy on that last try by Greg Inglis. I don’t know the rules of NRL back to front, but it seemed pretty controversial to award the try. Yeah, I know it was because that NSW guy wasn’t allowed to stick his foot in to stop the ball (because that’d be potentially dangerous?) but I understand if people think that shouldn’t have been a try.

The other thing I was questioning was why they had to put the roof up over the stadium. What’s wrong with just letting them play in the rain? Sometimes rain makes the game more interesting.

But, I guess, other than that, it was a good match overall. For a moment, I actually thought that NSW had a chance. It was weird when they chose to kick for goal (off a penalty) instead of going for another set of six, though. Even I knew that was a bad choice (for them).

injury inventory

I seem to have developed a knack for injuring myself over the last week or so. Sure, I haven’t suffered any major/life-endangering injuries, but I am definitely not usually this unco and/or have this much bad luck…

This string of injuries started … last Wednesday or Thursday, when I went to deliver something to a doctor in an adjacent building, and the door sort of slammed on my finger because I was trying to stop it from swinging back too forcefully. Surprisingly, my finger recovered within a day from that one.

The next injury occurred on one of the following mornings when I managed to burn my finger on the toaster while trying to retrieve a pancake. Recovered quickly, but it did sting a bit afterwards.

I think I managed to remain injury-free over the weekend, but back at work yesterday I walked into the corner of a shelf and got a superficial graze on my leg. No bleeding or anything, but a definite pink/red mark left behind. Not sure if that still qualifies as a graze…?

Later that afternoon, I was trying to fix a stapler (always having stapler problems at work – missing staplers, running out of staples, staplers not stapling properly, etc, etc) and managed to stab my thumb with a staple. It was inevitable, really, but, luckily (and surprisingly), there was no blood drawn.

But today… today’s was probably the worst. I was retrieving a wheelchair from the storeroom, and I guess the front wheels caught on something and I tripped on the wheelchair or something and managed to graze a few fingers.

Well, I think that was all. I’ll try not to hurt or maim myself any more.

things customers say

At work, we ask a lot of routine questions to customers when they present prescriptions, ask for products, or just walk in the door. I think it’s great when customers have a sense of humour and get a bit creative with their answers. But since I’m a bit short on time because I’m meant to be studying for my exam and writing a report and preparing for a workshop, I’m just going to give a few examples of some great one-liners that I’ve heard…

Staff: How are you?
Customer: I’m dying

Staff: Do you have any allergies?
Customer: Only to taxes

Staff: Can I get you anything else?
Customer: A bottle of gin

It’s moments like these that keep things interesting (not that there’s ever a dull moment at work!)

The latest conversation starter is the new syringe pens (pens that look like syringes) that we received from a drug company. I have lost count of how many people have commented on the pens.

Oh, and as promised a long time ago, here’s the photo of the plant growing on the underside of the ramp at a train station:

And just in case you were wondering, it is still going strong with no signs of dying.

chit chat

Sometimes I think I eat too much. I think there could be something wrong with my levels/regulation/whatever of leptin, the satiety hormone (this is stuff I barely remember from first-year uni biology).

People who know me reasonably well know that I eat pretty slowly. Theoretically, slow eating is meant to give your body enough time to realise when it’s full (i.e. register that there’s a certain amount of leptin floating around), which lets you know that you should stop eating. But that’s not always the case for me…

Maybe it’s because I haven’t been eating morning and afternoon tea, and have just been having three meals per day… Maybe it’s because of full-time work…

But I wouldn’t really blame work. If given the choice, I tend to choose to not have a morning tea break (10 minutes) – usually because I’m not even hungry/tired or because there’s too much stuff to do. (Sometimes I’m not given a choice and am forced to take a break; sometimes people forget to send me on a break; sometimes I just completely lose track of time and don’t realise the morning’s gone until it’s time for lunch).

But I’m really enjoying my front shop rotation at the moment. I just talk to customers/patients all day. Am thinking it would be nice to stay there for the rest of the year…