What a way to end a year of life in Durham, and as an employee of LC Industries. I think, hope! well kind of? that Mother Nature has decided to celebrate this milestone with a party of her own. Cold confetti!
That’s right, it’s supposed to start snowing at any moment. At the time of this writing, my iPhone indicates that no such moisture has begun. It says that there is 100% chance of it beginning during the 4:00 hour, so if it does not I will no longer believe! I’m just wanting a day off, and we all know it doesn’t take too entirely much in the South to make that happen.
This day actually reminds me of the one on which I arrived in the Bull City, back at about this time in 2013. That was less fun though, as it was encapsulated in a yucky ice storm! I was surprised and very appreciative of the fact that my parents still opted to venture out in that and get me to my new apartment so I could get set up for the job that started the Monday of that next week. It was a moment that really demonstrated dedication to helping their kids out, and I was just glad that we all got to our destinations safely.
Then that nerve-racking Monday arrived, January 28th. My first aboard the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) bus, meaning I’d be exploring as I went. But this seems to be the only way I know how to do things, as it replicated my experience upon arriving at UNC for graduate school in August of 2009. Fortunately, I’d had enough time to find things as I didn’t need to arrive at work until 8 for orientation, but the next day’s events showed me that I should’ve paid more attention to the snafus that did occur involving finding the right streets and stops.
That Tuesday was my first go at making it by 7, and it didn’t really go as it should have. I wish I still had the blog post I wrote on that day, but basically I’d been told I could wait at a place right next to my apartment. I stood there from 5:45 till nearly 8, feeling sick to my stomach at the idea that I would be late to my first full day of work. I found someone who showed me again where the correct bus stop was though and eventually got to the plant. I think my supervisor was understanding.
He, the supervisor, the other employees, and my neighbors have really made this place home for e. An example of help from the neighbors can be seen in the follow-up to my ear wax horror story.
I’ve told this on most of my social media platforms, but not on the blog. The pain I experienced did continue to go away, but then I noticed that my hearing was again decreasing. Still thinking not much of it and ignoring the protestations of friends to go and visit Urgent Care to see what was up, I just kind of laid around for much of that Saturday afternoon.
I emerged from a nap, plugged the aids back in, and could hear… nothing! Nada! Well ok maybe if you got right up in my face and screamed, but that was about it. I was frightened.
I somehow managed to communicate what was going on to my neighbor, the sweet older lady about whom I’ve talked a lot on here. She called my favorite cabbie, because she can’t drive once it’s dark out, and the cabbie came to whisk me away.
I think we got about halfway through the intake forms at Urgent Care before they decided they didn’t have enough lung power to read them to me and went ahead and took me on back. The doctor then slowly flushed my left ear out with hot water.
“I can’t even see your eardrum,” she said.
The greatest pain happened as she penetrated that wall of fluid that had built up inside. It turns out that I had a pretty nasty ear infection, and was lucky to have given into having it treated when I did. In my defense though, I guess, I’d not really encountered such things and hadn’t realized that it was that serious until I couldn’t in fact hear anything. I’ll be quicker to the punch, if that happens again. I was just glad I had enough resources to quickly mobilize and manage the situation.
Fortunately, life on the whole hasn’t been that bad. Technologically speaking, one of the reasons this has been so is my beloved iPhone. On that subject, I recently participated in a promotional story with a local news reporter about the Tap Tap See iPhone app about which I have talked a few times before. You can actually view it by clicking on the “story” link above.
This experience was cool to me, because I got to watch some of how the reporter and her cameraman worked to put the story together. I also found it cool how she could slip into and out of the “News” voice.
It took her a few takes to really get the wrap-up the way she wanted. This was good for me to see as well, perfectionist that I am, because it demonstrated that even a seasoned reporter knows that just because things don’t go as wanted the first time doesn’t mean that one can’t go back and do it again and again until the desired result is achieved. I definitely just enjoyed talking to them as well.
So yeah, definitely an event-filled finish to my first year here. One never really knows what the next year holds, but it may well involve some great chances to volunteer and continue to grow for me. I shall go into those more as they fully unfold.
For those in the path of this predicted snow storm, stay warm and dry! I got off work early, and amd crossing my fingers that, ahem, I might get to sleep in tomorrow? If so, maybe I’ll write again too. Till then, from the Winter Wonderland, out!
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