Category Archives: Paroxysm of Giggles

MiChart: Go Live!

Fun at Work, Paroxysm of Giggles

The first few days of Go Live were quite exciting for the MiChart crew! We wore our magical MiChart polo shirt to signify that we were Credentialed Trainers (and were *still* mistaken for Super Users, even though they had bright orange/yellow T-shirts). We deployed to various places around the Health System, ready and willing to field whatever problems might arise!

I was originally scheduled to be in the Command Center with Noel, as Carolyn was out, and arrived at Domino’s Farms early at 5:30 am.

A couple hours in, and Irene re-deployed me to the MPB, where Peds did not have any CTs or Super Users for the entire building. It was a good thing that I went, as their templates were messed up and we needed to fix things so that they could schedule RV appointments at the conclusion of clinic. It was fun to be in Peds Multispecialty again and I enjoyed working with the people there.

Cori, one of the Administrative Assistants, showed me how very dedicated they were to being green, as she jumped into a recycling bin to squish down the paper, so that we could fit more in:
We are DEDICATED to being green! :)

I was in Peds for a day and a half, and then was recalled back to the Command Center, as Noel was getting swamped with Remedy tickets.

The Command Center was a blast! People (like Kevin, here) had placed caution tape up on the entrances to their offices and cubes:
Caution tape in the Command Center!

For the first few days, we had yummy meals catered to us! They usually came in themes: Chinese, Mexican, etc. They fed us breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack, and there were snackies and drinks available throughout. This meant that you ate as you worked. 🙂 We knew it was going to be hard-core when they told us the location of the laundry facilities in the building, told us of the availability of showers, and that there was 2 hotel rooms nearby reserved for our use.

We even had Zombie Cake!
Mmmm... Zombie Cake!

There was a night pantry, well-stocked for the late nights on the job:
The Late Night Pantry!
The bison toys, canned meat and blankie were special touches, as well as:

5 Hour Energy Drinks! A whole CASE of them!
A whole box of 5 hour energy!

And the DAMMIT DOLL!
Dammit Doll!
This thing is perhaps the most awesome of all! 🙂

Warning: Morally Offensive! But SO Funny!

Girl Talk, Men, Paroxysm of Giggles

Okay, she swears constantly. The USCCB would not only label it morally offensive, but underline that and write it in all caps. Yet. This post is one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time!

And…

She speaks truth. This world needs more real men. (My conception of a real man is going to differ, however. 🙂 )

The 2012 Man Requirement List

Morning Jubilation!

Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Paroxysm of Giggles, , ,
Kermit

So this morning, while very early is off to a good start! I finished watching one of my favorite movies, “Captain America,” before heading in to work. On the way, I stopped and got a berry white mocha at Caribou, and was happily sipping on this while singing along to “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!” and “Come All Ye Faithful.” Hopefully, I will still have a voice when I have to teach, which is in less than 30 minutes!

I was also wearing a Kermit hat not too dissimilar to this one! I even wore it around the building for a while and considered wearing it throughout today’s training sessions. Alas, professionalism won out, but the thought was fun while it lasted. 🙂

Living Life … in Plymouth!

Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Paroxysm of Giggles, , ,

Today, we had a small class that didn’t ask many questions, so we finished rather early.  I popped in some of my fellow trainers’ classes to see if they needed help, but they were doing great and close to finishing.  I hadn’t had lunch yet and figured that I would head somewhere where I could hang out a bit and update some of my lesson plans to finish out the day.

I drove over to Plymouth, and was intending to go to the Box Bar, but because everyone had this week between Christmas and New Year’s off … Plymouth was overrun with people!  🙂  How fun to be out with all these people!  Much better than staying in an empty training classroom in a nearly empty building with no recourse to coffee!  After finding parking, I was right by this restaurant I’ve been longing to try.  It’s called Simple Sandwich, and as they are only open 11 am to 5 pm, I hadn’t caught them when they were open before.

I grabbed a big table and spread all my work stuff out.  As I updated my lesson plans, I got to watch the snow fall and people walk around downtown.  And eat this great turkey sandwich!  After finishing updating Front Desk 1, I decided to move my location (even though there were plenty of free tables) to the Plymouth Library.

I inquired about library privileges, but it turns out they are not reciprocal with Troy Public Library.  Not only that, but one cannot purchase a membership, and even though I’m in Plymouth nearly every day, my work address is not in Plymouth, so I can’t get a business membership.  Rats.  But, they did issue me a temporary library card and said that when it expired, they could give me a new one.  I thought at first that it was just so I could use the computers while I was there, but no!  I have lending privileges as well!  Score!

Let me tell you … Plymouth Library is NICE!  🙂  Colorful, cozy and lots of books!  What more could you ask for?  They even had a fairly big section on Genealogy, which was good, since my dad gave me the project of researching our family tree.  As it turns out, both my mother and my father’s ancestry goes back to 1630s New England, so many of the books on the shelves were relevant for me.  I used my cell phone camera as a pocket Xerox and took about 135 photo of relevant pages.  That should keep me busy for a while!

With both parents having history as founding settlers and the Native American aspect, I suppose I’m as American as it gets, right?!  🙂

By the time I got home, I was too tired for dinner and went straight to bed.  Which is why I got up at 1:30 am and am here at 3 am writing a blog post.  LOL!  It’s going to be a long day!  Dear Starbucks, expect my business!  🙂

Why the Wedding Ring is Worn on the Fourth Finger

Neat Things I Didn't Author, Paroxysm of Giggles
Why Wedding Ring on Fourth Finger?

The thumb represents your parents.
The index finger represents your siblings.
The middle finger represents yourself.
The ring finger represents your spouse.
The little finger/pinky represents your children.

Hold your hands together like the picture. Join your middle fingers back-to-back, and the remaining fingers tip-to-tip. Now, try to separate your thumbs. They will separate because your parents are not destined to live with you forever. Rejoin your thumbs and separate your index fingers. They will separate because your siblings will have their own families and lead their own lives. Rejoin your index fingers and separate your little fingers/pinkies. They will separate because your children will grow up, get married, and settle down. Rejoin your little fingers/pinkies and try to separate your ring finger. They will not be able to separate because your spouse is meant to be with you throughout your entire life, through thick and thin.

(Re-posted from a friend’s Facebook page).

Question of the Day

Paroxysm of Giggles, Question of the Day

What would it have been like when the apostles first celebrated the Eucharist?

It seems that Peter would be the one to lead. Can you imagine, though, going to your friends, “Hey guys, He said, ‘Do this,’ so why don’t we give it a go?” And then trying to figure out precisely what it is that you were to be doing, with everyone watching? Even if you remembered everything with perfect clarity, to ask yourself if this is what He meant? Would James and John be asking to be the celebrant for the next day?

I don’t think they would have celebrated Mass while the Risen Lord was with them, but what about the 10 days until Pentecost? Or did they have to wait until the coming of the Holy Spirit? I’d think it would have to be after Pentecost. Because 1) it’s the calling down of the Holy Spirit which transforms the gifts and 2) if they partook of the Eucharist, presumably they wouldn’t have been hiding scared in the Upper Room at Pentecost, but would have been able to draw upon His strength.

So, if they waited until Pentecost, what did they do on that Sunday in between?

How the Navy Taught Me to be a Better Catholic

Jennspeak, Paroxysm of Giggles
Navy

One of the first things you learn when you are in training to be a Reactor Operator is Basic Electricity and Electronics, or B-double-E. A solid foundation for the rest that you will learn in order to be successful in your job. In our training program, we have to go over a vast amount of material in a relatively short time. It is much faster-paced and dense than most college curricula. Because of this, there is not enough time to explain the origin of all of the theories and formulas which we employ. To try and diffuse our persistent, “But why?” questions, Chief instituted this simple practice:

The “I Believe” Button

So, there would be concepts that he would introduce, saying, “This is the way it is. You’re going to have to trust me and hit your ‘I Believe’ button, so we can continue.”

In a way, the Church is full of opportunities for us to hit our “I Believe” buttons. The very nature of the Church herself is a mystery. God is a mystery. Sacraments are a mystery. Faith is a mystery. We can understand these things to a degree, but never in totality, due to the infinite nature of God.

Because I have been conditioned by my military training to take some things on faith, I am better disposed to submitting my intellect and my will to the teaching of the Magisterium on matters of faith and morals.

I know that it’s possible to not know exactly how everything works, but trust that I will have enough knowledge to get the job done (or in the case of the Church, be provided with all the knowledge necessary for my salvation and my mission to evangelize others).

It is also a reminder to me to be humble, for there are things which I don’t know, and there are things I will never completely understand and that’s okay. My worth and dignity aren’t based on the knowledge filling my brain, or the sharpness of my intellect, but rather the way I live my life according to the faith.

I am glad that I have had this idea presented to me, so that when confronted with a difficulty, instead of allowing it to present a question in my faith because I don’t have an answer, I can hit my “I Believe” button and be strengthened in my faith. Because I trust in the Holy Spirit which guides the Church according to His Truth.

Some Things Shouldn’t Be Sung About in a Trivial Manner

Paroxysm of Giggles, Pop Culture

I admit it, my stereocilia dance to pagan music. If purgatory is the place where God pries our fingers from the sin we are still clinging to at the time of our death, then my iPod is surely to be found in the palm of my hand.

That being the case, I quite often run into morally objectionable material. I shouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore at this point. However, one song is making me wonder, “What were they thinking?!”

It’s called “Pumped Up Kicks” and is an infectious bit of bubble gum pop. The lyrics are simple and easy to remember and sing, the beat is catchy and makes you want to dance (or at least tap your feet, if you aren’t the dancing type)…

But the content of the lyrics is shocking.

Not that they are talking about sex, drugs or any of the other stuff that we are used to being assaulted by in secular media.

No, that would be too … common.

This song seems to be at least trivializing and at worst glorifying … events such as Columbine or Virginia Tech! What?! No way! You’d better believe it. I’m not going to repeat the lyrics here, but you can look them up on your own and check it out. It’s pretty obvious.

And this song is mainstream. They even played it between bands at the Enrique Iglesias/Pitbull concert.

Free speech is one thing, but shouldn’t we be responsible for what it is that we are saying publicly?

The Lipstick Paradox

Girl Talk, Paroxysm of Giggles, ,

Today, I decided to put my hair in pigtails and wear makeup. 🙂 I am rather fond of this lipstick as it lasts all days with only minor touch-ups needed, even through meals.

However, on the way home, I had some time to really think about this product. Visually, it looks great. Deep color and tons of shine. But what is the purpose of lipstick? Like most beauty products, it’s purpose is to make the wearer more attractive, right?

What happens if it is successful? What happens if you actually attract a man and he wants to kiss you? Here, the product fails. The base coat is quite sticky. You definitely don’t want to be kissing that. The top coat isn’t any better, as it is so goopy, I’d think that the guy would be totally turned-off by it.

So, really it’s a lipstick that you wear when you don’t anticipate actually kissing anyone. 🙂

A flirt’s lipstick.

No wonder I was drawn to it. 😉

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Dreams, Paroxysm of Giggles

I had such an odd dream last night — so vivid. It’s unusual for me to remember my dreams, but this one is sticking.

I was in a semi-darkened room, where there were seats along a wall. On my right was a person with a dark baby in his or her arms. I had some sense that this baby was something … evil. I took the baby into my arms and tried to bless it. I drew a cross on the baby’s forehead, saying the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I then went to kiss the baby in that same spot, but I just passed through the baby’s head, as if it were insubstantial. I felt evil and hatred coming from that baby and got scared. On my left, I saw my priest sitting in another chair along the wall and I crawled over to him. “Bless me, Father,” I asked, and he did. Then, the priest was Jesus Himself. I climbed closer, until I was in His chair with Him, which was somehow now large enough for us both. I looked back at the baby, but it was too dark and I couldn’t see. Jesus said, “He is looking at Me with such hatred.” I no longer felt fear, but turned back to the Lord.

Then, I woke up.