229) What's your name? Is it Mary or Sue?

March 27, 2008
Thursday

El Milagro: I arrive and weigh in before my chair is ready so I hand out the El Milagro News that they have finally copied for us. I notice as I hand it out that people seem to be ready and excited to see it… I think it is catching on. Now if only folks would submit things for the next issue. I am thinking I want to send one over to the doctor’s office too and argue with myself about whether I should send a hard copy or a PDF.

Carrie the Tech sticks me today and it is a milestone: for the first time ever I don’t feel the first poke at all! I mention that to her and she says that sometimes people say that… and “thanks”. I am amazed at the experience but before I can celebrate too much the second poke comes and I do feel it’s prick of pain and I am brought back to reality… wondering how that first stick happened… is it the case that we have places where there are absolutely no nerve cells?

Carrie and I talk about my work day and I share that it was okay… a meeting with the state folks where we tried to get their blessings on a research project… and, of course, they can’t really do much… blah blah… However, we did plant the seed and they did say they would write a letter supporting the project, so I guess that is the most one can ever expect with the kinds of constraints they always must work under.

When Carrie is done, the new nurse whose name escapes me right now comes up and does my nursing evaluation. What is her name? She makes it worse by saying, “So, Jack, how are you feeling today?” while I’m staring back at her blankly, thinking, Zelda?, Marian?, Christy?… trying each of these monikers on with her face. No help. I do know a way to meet someone and immediately remember their name and I search my memory for if I did that strategy when I met her… nope. I never come up with her name and she is now gone on to serve some other customer.

The strategy? Well, as you meet someone for the first time, look at their face, say their name aloud, imagine it written in magic marker on their forehead, and simultaneously ghost write it on your thigh. This works pretty well because it uses all your rep systems to anchor the name. Of course, you have to remember to do it.

I turn on the TV and watch the ESPN Sports-center, with Bobby Knight talking about March Madness, and then flip to the first game tonight, North Carolina and Washington State… well, you can guess how that one is going… and pretty soon we are flipped over to the most exciting game of the evening; Xavier and West Virginia. Even though I have Xavier winning on this level (on my brackets), I am cheering for WVU and their young-looking boy, Alexander. Great game which goes into overtime.

As it finishes I finish with the blood cleaning operation and am going home happy cause I love watching college basketball. Life is Good.

Notes: In at 78.2 and out at 74.9 Kgs.
New Readers: For an INDEX, click January 2008 on the Sidebar and page down to post # 207.