So, if you had asked me on Saturday, I would have said that my little sisters may be dead-set on never allowing me to get a full night's worth of sleep ever again. However, I am now convinced that other people are involved in this conspiracy...
First disturbance: Little sister calls in the middle of the night (1:30am, I have been asleep since 10pm), crying, wakes me up, her issue was worth waking me for, but it still did wake me. Then I couldn't fall back asleep for over an hour, I thought that my heart was going to burst out of my chest from the stress of being woken from a deep sleep.
Second disturbance: Little sister calls again, this time actually right before I went to sleep, but I am going to count it anyway, as it prompted a delay in my bedtime. Another good question. Glad that we have that kind of relationship where I am her go-to person for so many issues. It never used to be that way. It is empowering and fulfilling to know that she trusts me that much and that I can help her develope into one kick-ass, cunt-lovin' woman (hopefully:). Anyway, I'll be damned if either of my sisters is uninformed on their bodies, sex, choices, and feminism.
Third disturbance: Middle sister calls at 4:15am (I've been asleep since a bit after 1am, probably) to tell me that she and her boyfriend are on their way to the ER because she just can't stop throwing up, she thinks it may be food poisoning, has been like this for 3ish hours, can I please be sure to bring the insurance card with me. I pull on clothes, run a toothbrush over my fuzzy teetch (why can't I just brush them constantly? wouldn't that be glorious, constantly freshly cleaned teeth?), grab a book, a bottle of water, a granola bar, and trivial pursuit cards to keep busy and fun while we are there. Get there, give the insurance info to the triage nurse. Sit and wait in the reception area with Chris (the boyfriend). He is not interested in trivial pursuit (the jerk) and my few attempts at conversation fizzle quickly. He seems to make no effort. We finally get called back (50min later). No, let me rephrase that, HE gets called back, I tell the nurse I am the big sister I live with her and she's like, "well, I'll have ask if you can come back." I followed anyway. It was a nasty UTI, they had her on fluids and were just giving an anti-emetic when we got back there. The nurses were nice. One of them had even spent her x-mas eve in the ER with her best friend for the same reason. Cate is sleeping, Chris is still totally uninterested in trivial pursuit (which I KNOW that he likes) or conversation. So I read my book about contraception. I got five good hours of reading it in. He got in five good hours of staring at the floor and my sister, like a lump. I don't really like him anyway, longish story, and this didn't help. Things that also didn't help: He calls her "hon" every other word! Now, I don't mind pet names, fine, but give me a break! That is overkill. Why does she even have a real name, huh?He calls her Cathryn, her given name. No one has ever called her this unless she was in trouble. Catie, Cate, those ones are right.He isn't even making an effort to get along with me and play nice, which is annoying because I AM.He actually has the gall to tell me that I can go home if I want to, he will stay with her. Yeah right, buddy, over my cold, dead, stiff body will I leave my little sister with you when she's in the hospital, even if it isn't a big deal that's wrong with her. I'm family. As far as I'm concerned, right now he is just an inconvenience.
So, to make story short, are there for 5 hours, then they release her. I have him take her home while I run to the store for clear liquids for her to ingest due to the nausea. The weather sucked, I was cranky, grumpy, and really fucking annoyed with the entire situation. I fumed as I went to Hy-Vee. Piced up some gatorade, diet 7up, and chicken noodle soup. Didn't even think to grab a cart of basket, couldn't manage the beverages and the soup, stuck the cans of soup in my coat poackets. I then spent the rest of the time in the store paranoid that I would be ambushed and get in trouble for shoplifting, which I wasn't even doing.Left for home, fumed some more. I thought, "he'd better not be in spot in the driveway, dear lord, just don't let him be in my spot again, that will be the proverbial straw!" Home I returned and guess where his jeepy thing was parked?? You got it! My spot! So, not only is he killing the environment and people in the middle east with his gas-guzzling SVU, but he is inconsiderately parked in my spot. I live here. I DO. And I had to park on the street. I got inside, he mumbled that she had thrown up the 7up from the hospital, I asked him to repeat it due to the mumbling. Terribly inconvenienced, he repeated himself, not much better, and proceeded to leave without another word. Well, let me tell you, I have one word for you: jerk.End of third disturbance.
I was able to catch 2 hours of sleep before needing to get up and go over to the school in order to study anatomy with a group of people who have different animals than my group does. That went well. So much accomplished in 1.5 hours!
Went home to study, ended up putzing around online, talking to people online. Contra dancing was that night. I had decided that I couldn't go since my sister was sick. However, the more I told someone else onlin about it, the more I wanted to go. Finally, I asked what she wanted and she said I should go and have fun. So I did. I invited a new friend to come along. Supper was eaten (delicious), dancing was done (delirious), and ways were parted (fairly indifferent). Shower was had here at home, felt so so good as I was incredibly sweaty from the evening of dancing. Then talking with said friend commenced online. Feelings were shared, desire to see each other more was expressed. An amazing ~12 hours followed. Such an interesting and attentive guy (with really great hands;).
The final two disturbances were really totally my fault, but if the new people that I have met in the past few days weren't so awesome, I wouldn't have been compelled to spend the last two evenings supping and hanging out with them. So, really, I think that I blame them.
I did get to see "Full Metal Jacket" on Sunday night. Now, I would be lying if I said that this movie has ever been on my "to see" list. I am glad that I have seen it though, from a cultural literacy perspective. Also, it was quite good, some very funny lines and things, although some of them were dementedly so. I am haunted by a few scenes and images from the movie, though, which isn't the greatest. So, in conclusion, I won't go out of my way to see it again, but if I am with a person or persons who would like to watch it I will not abstain.
Last night was full of adventures in cooking. An experimental sweet potato pie was concocted and then partaken of, largely to the satisfaction of all involved.
Alhtough I don't often (ever?) make it my priority or mission to meet new people, this weekend was full of new meetings, both in my class and out (the latter of which makes me particularly happy). I have come away from it with a renewed sense of confidence in my ability to interact in many different situations with many different people despite whatever anxiety and uncomfortability may be involved on my part. Also, I count my lucky stars that I am witty, intelligent, a bit cynical, have an interesting sense of humor, and a have a way with one-liners. Successful weekend in my book. Point-set-match.
Now, if only I didn't have a radiology test in an hour....