All I Really Want Is To Be Happy And To Find A Love That’s Mine…It Would Be So Sweet!

Wow, what a week! I’ve been struggling with sleeping for the last 2 to 3 weeks now. I average about 2 or 3 hours a night and it’s starting to drive me crazy. Good news is I’m starting to feel more like myself now. I think I’ve healed from the cough and all that I had.

This was supposed to be a summary of the week but there are only 2 major events to really write about:

Aug 22/06 – Mary J. Blige Concert: Truly one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Her set up was very simple, just her and her band…no dancers, no elaborate stage presentations…just a few strategically planned fireworks and screens at the back. That’s all she needed. Her voice was flawless and her 5 or 6 outfit changes were hot! When she spoke, you had no choice but to hang on to her every word. When she sang, you just knew that it came from way deep down in her soul. She made you feel like you were the only person that she was speaking/singing to. It brought me to back in the day listening and singing to all the songs when I was in high school. I was especially was happy when she sang one of my favorite songs Be Happy…which are the lyrics I posted as the title of this entry. It was amazing and money very well spent!

Aug 26/06 – Big L’s House Party: After a year of settling in, renovations and getting things just where she wanted it, Linh had her housewarming party. I just wanted all to go well for her because she had been so stressed the last little while. I am very pleased to report that with a few minor setbacks, it was a success! It was so good to see her happy. She really deserves it. The afternoon/evening was filled with good company, food and music with tons of laughter intertwined. We did take pictures so I may post them at a later date. Congratulations, Big L! I think I speak for everyone when I say thanks to you & your mom for having us. Your house is as beautiful as the people that live in it!

Blah, blah, blah....

I’ve had a rough few weeks. I’ve been sick off and on since the end of July and I am totally frustrated with it. People say it’s stress or perhaps I’m not taking care of myself but I haven’t been doing anything out of the ordinary. My mom and I shared a laugh because she said that she can’t even blame it on me going out partying too much because the truth is, I haven’t been ‘going out’ much at all! Right now, I’m hopefully at the tail end of a chest and sinus infection. I’m still coughing like there’s no tomorrow but I feel about 70% better.

Just wanted to spit out some random thoughts:

1. Is it possible for a marriage that has lasted for years and years to break up? I’m not talking 10 years, even though that is a long time nowadays. I’m talking more like 20 to even 40 plus years…couples who you think are invincible. The answer is yes. I’ve seen situations at work where couples wait until their children are grown then they separate, even divorce. Without going to details, people who really know me know that I almost saw it first hand last week. I was petrified.

2. Why is it that as you get older it’s so much harder to find that bonafide love one hopes for? Is it because you have higher expectations? You want more? Or is it really that all the ‘good ones’ are gone?

3. Is there no meaningful music out there? For the last long while, I find myself listening to a lot of music that I used to listen to back in the day. I’ve touched on this subject before. There are only a few artists that I look out for but for now, nothing really intrigues me. Is that a sign that I’m easing into my 30s? LoL!

4. Dating can be such a pain in the ass! I hate that awkward ‘getting to know you’ phase. The beginning stages of thinking, ‘should I call or would I look too eager?’ or fears of looking too needy or clingy. Some may say that’s a fun time but I just wish there was a way to just to be immediately comfortable with someone. No, I’m not talking comfort as in burping or farting in front of them! LoL! Just comfortable. Perhaps this is just my shyness talking, who knows.

I guess that’s it for now. I’ve got some things to look forward to in the next few weeks. Linh and I are going to see Mary J. Blige tomorrow and I am HYPE! Also, Big L’s gonna have her housewarming this coming weekend. She’s been busting her ass to get everything in order and I’m sure it’s gonna pay off in the end. I’m so excited for her. Darien Brockington (my boy, the singer that I was hyping up 2 entries ago) told me that he will be at the Urban Music Festival held at the Canadian National Exhibition with Little Brother on the September 2nd. I can’t wait to see him! Let’s hope my health holds up! Pray for me!

Misconceptions of a Medical Office Assistant

- Just because I am a ‘secretary’ doesn’t mean I work for the patients. I’m not here at your disposal, to type you letters, fax something or make phone calls for you unless it pertains to the bosses. My bosses ARE the doctors!

- I work in the medical field, yes, this is true but people assume that I know every doctor, hospital, pharmacy and laboratory in the city. Case in point, a woman came in with her son. I’ve never seen them before so they are not our patients but she asks me to find the number of her son’s doctor downtown. To top it all off, the name she gave me was so common; she may as well have told me to find Dr. Smith in Toronto! I am not 411 and frankly, I think people have some nerve to walk into an office to ask a stranger to find a number…PERIOD! UGH!

- I am not a doctor/nurse. I don’t need to hear every gory detail of your problem. I don’t need to know what hurts, what has a rash, what works or doesn’t work to make you an appointment. ALSO if you come in to book, you don’t need to show it to me! I ask patients what they’re coming for to make sure there is enough time for a physical. If it’s a knee problem, just say knee…no need for the history.

- You are not the only patient I have to do things for. Yes, the doctor said they would make arrangements to see a specialist but don’t call me the next day or the day after that to ask if it had been done yet! More likely than not, I wouldn’t have had the time to do it then. This also leads me to my next point…

- Calling all the time to ask if something has been done doesn’t speed up the process. In fact and other secretaries would agree, sometimes it motivates us to put it off even more. If it does work, which is rare, it’s because we want to get you off our asses!

- If the doctor is running behind, it is not my fault. It’s not because I’ve booked too many people and it’s not because I’m incapable of doing my job. I have been called every name in the book because of this and it’s ridiculous. I’ve learned the art of sarcasm. Someone calls me a bitch etc., I smile and say thank you. The look of surprise and the silence of the accuser is classic! If they tell me I’m incapable of running the office or something of that nature, I love saying “Well, I’ve been here for the last 12 years so I must be doing something right!”

I LOVE MY JOB…I REALLY DO!

Random Ramblings Volume 3

I got a phone call at work today from a patient that needed a note faxed over to their workplace. They were giving me the name of the person to put it to attention, last name Hornback (not real name but close). I asked how to spell it just to be sure and they replied with, “Well the first part is Horn…y’know, like on the horse’s head?” I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. I didn’t know horses had horns, did you?
************************************************************************************
For those who don’t know, I’ve been quite ill lately; hence the lack of entries. I’m very slowly on the mend. Thanks to everyone for their concern. On a side note, it’s amazing how people whom I’ve never met in person made me smile and even if it was very minimal, made me feel better. Honorable mention goes to Darien, Deedra, Davon and Kevin. You are now included in the very small group of people who can make me smile no matter what!
************************************************************************************
My best friend from high school, Josie recently told me she got engaged!!!! Chris proposed to her while they were vacation in Bordeaux, France. Everyone, say it with me, “Aww, how romantic!” When she called to tell me last Thursday, I had tears in my eyes. Jos, I am truly so happy for you. You deserve every bit of happiness anyone can give you…not that Chris isn’t just anyone! :) Chris, you are a very lucky man but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that. I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting you once but it was enough to know that you love each other.
************************************************************************************
Amanda and I were standing waiting for public transport along with my sister one night after having dinner. We spotted someone on a bicycle with their butt crack showing. We were laughing about it and I decided to make a joke saying, “Wow, there’s a full moon out tonight!” Amanda quickly turned to look up at the sky and said, “Really?? Where??” At first, my sister and I thought she was joking too but quickly realized that she wasn’t. I practically fell over my sister in laughter. Gotta love Amanda!!! :)
************************************************************************************
My boy, Darien is a very talented singer. In fact, I have a couple of his songs playing on this site. He will be releasing his first full length CD this October 6th, entitled Somebody To Love and I am extremely happy for him. So be sure to look out for it and he may be up in Toronto doing a show soon. I’ve taken the opportunity to post 2 things pertaining to him: 1st is a video clip of him performing Come Around. You may recognize the song from this site...it’s my favorite and I love his performance especially the last 40 seconds. Please be sure to pause the mp3 player to the right of this before you watch. 2nd is a picture of his album cover…if you click on it, you should be taken to his myspace page. There you can listen to a new track call Think It Over. Enjoy!

IF THE IMAGE DOESN'T SHOW, IT WON'T WORK. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CLIP!!