A night alone and...disaster strikes!

It's the end of a long week. Mostly ok until today. Earlier in the week I did some shopping for my sis, a late birthday prezzie, and that was super fun. It only would have been better if she was here. Work has been work and nothing major to report in life...until today. (cue ominous music) First lets rewind to the end of last week ( I think) when my partner told me about some quasi-plans with some friends from Roseburg who were coming up to play a pick-up soccer game with the opening band for the Sheryl Crow concert (!) and who could score free tickets to said concert(!!) tonight. This was all well and good for him, as he already had taken the day off to use some personal time and had planned to go to the University of Portland soccer in the evening. At the time it originally got brought up nothing was for sure other than he was meeting up with his friend and most likely going to the soccer as they were unsure if the band-pickup-soccer game was really going to happen. The pooper is that I worked today and work tomorrow, so I told him I was out, just can't do it all. Last night rolls around and I ask him if he is going to be home tonight, like coming home late or whatever. He says "Yeah." like why am I even asking, of course he is coming home, but late. So I plan leftovers for my supper and rent a movie to watch and today just go through my day. Then in the afternoon he calls and says he is getting a room because they got tickets and I should come up and do the concert. Except. I. Already. Said. I. Have. To. Work. Tomorrow. I know he just wants to make sure that I am included and can come and do with him, but it was just not feasible for me to drive up after work tonight, stay out late at a concert where there will be drinking, get up super early and drive back home to go to work the next day. On a holiday weekend. So, I am on my own for the night and I will see him tomorrow after work. So far he has called twice and just held the phone up so I can hear the music and said "Love you hon" before hanging up. It would have been fun to go, sometimes it sucks to be responsible.
After my lunch break today I came back into the clinic and noticed a funny smell. Mind you vet hospitals in general can have funny smells, but this was...different. After a few minutes I was able to identify it...a product called LymeDyp. It is a sulfur lyme "dip" used for treating skin conditions, it is a terrible color...and it reeks. I quickly ascertained that we had not, in fact, dipped anyone over the lunch hour and that a bottle in the pharmacy was leaking. Nice. So I glove up, and get to cleaning at which point I discover that the bottle has a crack in the bottom and can not be saved. So I transfer some to a crack free container and discard the rest and do more cleaning. Once everything is taken care of, I take off my gloves and....my hands are damp...hmm, I think, that isn't right...then I notice my rings. My heart just sank and I felt like vomiting. My ring from my sixteenth birthday, my pre-engagement promise ring and engagement ring...are..all...YELLOW. Not just a little discolored, like YELLOW. There I am standing staring at my own hands, in shock, quietly cussing and almost starting to cry. Off come the rings and into the ultrasonic cleaner, nothing. Then into a water bath with a gentle toothbrush scrub, nothing. At this point I am really beginning to panic. What have I done?!?! Then I take a breath and try to think...call the jeweler, there is one down the street they must have something. So I call, they were very kind and told me to come down, they have a silver bath and if that didn't work they would help me come up with something that would. As soon as I had another break I rushed down the street to the jeweler, they recognized me as soon as I walked in...it must have been the look of horror and panic in my eyes. The woman behind the counter took my rings and said she would see what she could do...seconds later...."it's is coming right off!" she hollers from behind the partition. I was so relived! I couldn't even think of how I would explain to Don how I had ruined my rings. And so back to work I went, valuable lesson learned, and labeled the "in-house" bottle...stains jewelry...lest I ever forget.

To my Sis: Know you gave the most loving gift you could ever give. Mag is in loving company with those who went before. I love you.