nothing special

I'm officially on holidays. Holidays from university that is, but not really considering we have to look for two placement sites to finish off the final chapter of this pharmacy course! We've also got to get started on the large amounts of assessment which we'll be drowning in if we don't get a started on them now.

But I'm enjoying this little free time I have at the moment. Coming off a whole month of work experience at two pharmacies, based around the Inala area, I'd have to admit, it's made me even more motivated in becoming a pharmacist; especially one who is involved with the Vietnamese community.

Being able to speak Vietnamese was definitely an important trait to have working in this area. I mean, how were the Vietnamese patients able haggle with you? Cheap bastards! These two blocks of placement have no doubt shown the real representation of Pharmacy life. I absolutely fell in love with the interaction pharmacy staff have with patients. The abilities we have to change a persons life through supplying medications and correct counselling, I feel is very satisfying. Regardless of the occasional grumpy old patient who I guess can be understandably upset (medical condition/ other reasons?), I feel fulfilled each and every time when I am able to help a patient, even if they didn't seem appreciative.

I met some of the most wonderful and inspiring people on my placement. Patients ranged from those who were done with life and it's negativities, to those who were content regardless of what life brought them. It was these patients which I reflect back on whenever I feel down. The pharmacy teams consisting of pharmacy assistances, dispense technicians, retail managers and not to mention, the pharmacists themselves, all had stories, present happenings, and future beginnings.

It was such a pleasure meeting every single one of these people, an experience that has changed me as a person. It's rare enough finding someone who can change your life, but a whole bunch of people, all of whom have changed the course of my life...I feel very blessed.

But maybe it wasn't the actual people who I met. Maybe it was something else within me, my mindset even, that changed the way I looked at the world. I remember a particular conversation with my missus which discussed an ultimatum. Realistically, I have never worked in a pharmacy and wouldn't know the first thing about working in one; apart from sorting scripts in ascending order and doing bin runs once in a while.

I promised myself that within this full month of placement, I would make myself employable through my hard work. I would learn as much as I could about pharmacy and work my ass off in the process.

TBC

Practically pretty dead both physically and mentally but honestly, haven't been in a better mood.

Money is not on my mind because for at least now, it seems that having alot of it or not much of it (I'm sure you can guess that I have the latter), doesn't really affect me. I'm so tired, I think if I closed them just that little bit longer, I'd probably wake up on Sunday. But I'm fine. I feel great, maybe it's the way I've looked at a particular position and how I've made myself feel which may explain such current content. 'They' do say that with a strong mind, even a weak person can win a war; don't know who said that though...I think I made it up.

Off to work, so glad I'm able to sleep soon. See you all after my slumber.

thus the posts below.

 Fully sick fight.

13:20 - 2 x D - D1: Black in colour with gold colouring on the paws and neck, approximately 10 years of age, skinny build and D2: Red nose, gold/ brown in colour, muscular build, approximately 10 months of age were removed from front yard to back door after an altercation occured when D1 was involved in a verbal altercation with D3 - Black and White colour, approximately 50 kilograms, fluffy in appearance.

D2 in an attempt to remove D1 from the situation, moved in front of D3 and the situation escalated. I physically removed D1 from the front yard in a double handed cuddle lift to back door (3). D1 continued to be verbally abusive however left on foot. I ran back to the front door to assess the situation and D2 and D3 had become very aggressive, nearing physical contact. I removed D2 in a double handed cuddle lift to the garage when D2 resisted and got loose from my hold. In an attempt to restrain D2, I grabbed D2 by the collar to moved him with reasonable force to the back door where himself and D1 both became very aggressive verbally at myself and D3 (4).

Owner of D3 came onto the scene and removed D3 via motor vehicle. D1 and D2 later lapped some water and played with a ball. No further incident occurred.


Levels of force used:
(1) No force used
(2) Little force used
(3) Medium force used
(4) Large force used

It's May already! It really is quite amazing how quickly this year has passed us by. And here I was, talking smack, swearing that I just said that Christmas was just around the corner; it's actually so much closer now!

I hear the breeze moving the solar lights around outside (I just looked outside and they are off at the moment), and that burning smell the trees let off when it's nearly winter. As always, Jason Mraz seems to always find his way through my speakers around this time and winter, as we speak, is nearing, a lot sooner as it seems; it's quite cold already!

The year has already had many ups and downs, and although I had already anticipated it as one I'd remember, not solely due to the good things that happened, bad luck definitely has not dissapointed yet. But the good things have happened and it's bringing me along slowly, taking me much like a boat upon a run out tide, just about to anyway.

I've loaded up on coffee and I've given up on trying to fight the addiction. I'm sorry but without it, it's pretty much all over red rover for me; a term I've picked up again after our lecturer used it to explain a patient suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke. I can't remember the last time I used the term red rover. The coffees made me giddy, I'll need a refill soon.

I have to say, our feasting has in no way ended. With Meet Fresh just opening, we definitely had to give it ago, especially after smashing it in Sydney pretty much every night! Buffet'd our hearts out down at food fantasy after my couple of minutes of fame when I got to "dance" with the jabbawockeez. That was an amazing experience!

When I say Dance, it was more movement/ waddle than anything else. Getting picked from the crowd to help with a part, all I can say is, that although it was absolutely embarrassing and terrifying, it's definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life; they gave me a jabbawockeez mask too! HOW COOL IS THAT!

We've been experimenting a fair bit with the camera these past couple of months. What's really intrigued us is levitation photography. Thuy can't jump and I can't take photos but we've come up with our little own interpretation of the art. Not the best but hopefully we're getting there, albeit slowly.

With a phone.

With an umbrella .

With a sock.

With a tap.

It feels like just yesterday that I was 23, well actually, it was 5 days ago but still, it's gone by quick. Already it's nearly May and Christmas is like, just around the corner. I organized a little bbq with the missus for a few of the guys and girls who were around and it was good to finally relax and not have to be anywhere.

We spent the day down at Burleigh heads eating snags, beef rissoles, catching little crustaceans and becoming bait for more than a few sand-flies. The Missus and Bondy got a few good shots of DaSoom who was their practice model for the day. I guess the entire trip wasn't as unproductive as it sounded. When the night was still young, we decided to call it before the mosquitoes became larger, and headed back home to share some stories at Korean bbq, washed down with some taro milk tea.

The missus took Tien, Cassie and myself out for a feed at Sofitel during the week which was a good change of pace. Brisbane city I have to admit, is actually pretty beautiful. The architecture of the old buildings which tower us on the way to central station tells such an exciting story. It's hard to believe how the road would of been before the neatly arranged pavements under our toes. It reminded me of walking the streets in Melbourne, but hot, it was hot for an Autumn Brisbane morning, actually, Brisbane's pretty hot regardless.

The following week was filled with eating. I felt spoiled as when Christine took me out for some steak. The guys all contemplated on the 1kg rump but as always, Ross pulled out and Bondy was scared of the calories. Not really, I just bitched out, eating 1kg of rump is terrible! Dinner was followed by 3 bowls of soy custard and a little catch up with Martin and Linnie whom we bumped into at the cafe.

For that week up to my birthday, we ate pretty much Brisbane. Hit up Bentos at Sunny Breeze twice (compliments to Ricky), Sakura out in Westend (terrible), Funny Funny, Bazaar at Q1 and Little Taipei for a buy 5 get one free meal (which was shared by myself, Ross and Ricky). We've hit up pies and sausage rolls the size of coke bottles, pan fried dumplings, and coffee, so much coffee I think I've become addicted. Again.

So much for a freaking diet. Thank you all for the love, if only every year were like this!

P.S. Please help me eat this pizza sized biscuit/ cake, compliments of Molomolomolo.

A big massive sigh of relief is let out after finding out the whole semester for my final year is not being assessed. I have to admit, I wanted to jump as high as I could after hearing that news but in not doing so, I've come to realise that the good news is short lived anyway. You see, after failing 3 out of my 4 exams for the mid semester, to come up even close to passing, I've got to do above average for my finals, a fair amount above it...

But you know what, my optimism is back and it's finally summoning my final bout of motivation, put away deep in my soul, something I haven't been able to find in the past couple of months. Maybe my endorphins are high after taking a bunch of painkillers for my wisdoms or it could be from the insane chest workout I just completed with Ricky, but endorphins talking or not, I'm serious.

Seriously sick of wondering whether or not I passed an exam. Seriously sick of stressing out before an exam because I didn't study enough. And seriously sick of not wanting it enough to be the best. There comes a time in life where just passing and just getting by doesn't cut it. I think that time is now.

Time to get started. Relief levels = decreasing. Stress Levels = 1.

F*ck off! Honestly, it's really been something that I haven't been able to control lately. My temper has been absolutely out of control and apart from the rare occasion that it actually isn't, well, that's just the calm before the storm my friends.

Honestly, I haven't been that bad, but to be really honest, I'm getting there. I mean, who would say that they are an angry bastard unless they really did realise it for themselves, then again, I say what's usually on my mind anyway right. But it's true, everything ticks me off these days. From the stresses of university life, and an epic final chapter at that, to wisdom teeth pain, being a poor bastard and with everything else filling in the gaps, it's hard not to feel a little ticked even when the simplest things go wrong.

The beast suddenly started stalling a lot more than usual and even with my money saving techniques (not wasting 100 bucks on fuel a week by refueling every 150 kilometers at 160+ cents a litre), it shorted me 100 kilometers of what I usually got on a tank. Investigating the problem led me to buy a fuel filter which was wrong the first time, didn't fit the second time and upon fitting it anyway, I lost my banjo bolt in the engine. After an hour or so of trying to get the bolt, I headed over to Supercheap to find that I had to get it directly from Honda. How the f*ck I was supposed to do that still beats me but I decided to eventually try my luck and take it off of the accord (still a work in process I might add) and it fit (thank f*ck!). Not long after though, when it rounded off the new fuel filter which left me back at square one, I chucked the old one back on and threw the other one as hard as could, somewhere.

The other day after a whole year or so of parking at the same spot to get to uni, I parked a whole 10 meters closer and got chopped with a 75 dollar fine. Mother f*cker, if I had to throw away 75 dollars, at least be it in 75 dollars worth of streamers or balloons or even anything, at least it could of been a pretty photo or something.

Today I tried to disconnect my Ipod from my car and the prongs on the cable prevented it from coming off. That pissed me off. 

My girlfriend made me promise to be a little more patient with the little things and ensured that it would eventually lead to the bigger things. I think my ranting has actually helped me put things into prospective. It's actually not 'THAT' bad I guess. I did find 10 bucks though which made me happy. 

We went into a restaurant today for their lunch special because we were feeling cheap. Lunch wasn't available after 8pm. Can't f*cking walk out 'now' can we.

Random mumblings and sleepy speak, you have been warned.
'Just breathe....' Hello. Thank God we've passed that now. For the past month or so, the only contact that I have had with this blog is pretty much the glimpse I have of it's shortcut on my browser. That pretty much applies with everything else I've tried to be involved in this year, exams came, are coming and pretty much, starts all over again, again.

I have to admit, my results are nothing worthy of bragging and there's a clear indication that if I don't start to pick up my game, I'm going to have to spend another year, doing it all over again. I'm worried. I don't think I'm worried enough.

It's been really good with the shop closing for a couple of weeks. Tien, Cassie and the family are doing a trip back to their homeland (we all came from China somehow right, don't be racist...) Not being at the shop for the Friday night is definitely something I miss, I just need to get rid of the 'vale shift and I'd probably be in heaven, not too much longer to go, only a few more months, just keep telling myself that....

My only priority for these next few weeks will be to knuckle down and study. No way around it. I don't understand why my work ethic for study is just not there. I can force myself to wake up for a Saturday shift at the sixer on less than 4 hours sleep, and I can even drag myself to the gym and give a workout even Arnie would be proud of but to study, I'd just rather sleep. But I'm changing by trying to concentrate on the reward. The end, seeing it, the light.

It gets hard when history doesn't look good but I guess someone who hasn't failed, hasn't really succeeded right? It's time to breathe again before it all comes to an end, a long road ahead before the end that's for sure!