when a minus is a plus

I'm HIV negative. The doctor called and told me and then asked, "Tell me again - why did we have you tested? The lab just called and I couldn't remember ..." "I was in Africa. I had open wounds that came in contact with bodily fluids." "Oh, right."

But mostly, I'm just all about the overkill. I have none of that privacy issue with testing, although if I were positive I'd be on the DL - I haven't seen Philadelphia, because if it's not on a plane I don't see it, but I know the story.

She's told lots of people they're HIV positive because she used to work at Charity Hospital - about 25% of their patients were HIV+. Were? Yeah, because Charity hasn't reopened. I just read a lawsuit by doctors who are caring for former Charity patients at pretty serious personal expense. Why on earth hasn't it reopened - or better yet, why aren't there better mechanisms in place to take care of people in need of medical care BEFORE they get to the emergency room. Better yet, why aren't there mechanisms in place to help people OUT of poverty in New Orleans?

Sigh.

I just saw a job posted for a part-time legislative policy analyst on education issues (that pays 3 times what a research assistantship does). Um, hello? Was that written for me? Well, after I talk to the prof next week about the assistantship, I'll make a decision.

I want to travel and have some fun this summer, I don't want to be all weighted down with boring policy crap that I studied and lived for years and years - but I do need something legal on my resume. Sometimes I wish I just finished my damn PhD in education policy, but the coursework was the easy part that I did finish - getting a committee to communicate with each other to get a dissertation through - that would have been a trick that I just really don't have patience for. Hm ... maybe I could do this job AND go back to that university for a PhD with the research I do there. Fat chance - I'm so over their dysfunctionality. My classmates complain about here, but it's SOOOO much better in so many ways than most other places I've been. It's not great, but it's not horrendous. That's all I'm asking for: not horrendous. Just let me in and out and get me a job.

My new power food for finals: chocolate soy milk. Yum, yum, yum + protein. I'm still way into hummus and pita, though this chipotle hummus I bought at Whole Foods is nasty, and I'll go clear back to Sav-A-Center for that yummilicious Tribe Jalapeno Hummus.

OK, I'm rambling. Time to study Legal Profession. Two more finals to go, and while this class completely de-inspires me because he didn't know how to teach and he sure doesn't know how to test (50 M/C questions and he'll drop any question that 50% of the class gets wrong - which shows he knows NOTHING about testing - and this is the basis of my ENTIRE GRADE), I should at least put a little effort into it to keep my conscience in check. I was going to go birding tomorrow but the weather's been so intense and I don't want to get caught in it. I am, though, looking at a new apartment tomorrow, so wish me luck.

Hee - I just saw the neighbor's dog, not wanting to get on the really wet grass to pee - just like Selma was and probably still is. She doesn't like getting her paws muddy, and she really doesn't like doing the girl dog squat to pee and getting her privates (Amy had a funny word for it, but I can't remember, and I've never been comfortable with genitalia euphemisms) wet. Yeah, that's my dog. Prissy thing that loves to kill.