The Mormons just left (well, within the last hour or so). Huh? Yeah, so, I got out of lab quite early and was home by 2:30, and when the two sweaty LDS's showed up at the doorstep around 3:00, I asked them if they wanted to come inside (it seemed like the nice thing to do). Plus I've always wanted to talk to the missionaries that come by sometimes (LDS and Jehovah's Witnesses), but I have always been in the middle of something when they came. This time I wasn't, so I invited them in. They were actually two very nice boys, one from Washington, the other from Idaho (neither had seen Napoleon Dynamite). WA boy, the talkative one, was in his 20th month of missionary work, while ID Boy was only in his second. We chatted for a bit, and then Em wandered in, making sure I didn't need rescuing. She decided to join in the conversation, which added an interesting element to the discussion, because she comes from a position that is much more opposed to their teachings than me, who takes it all in with a shrug. But the two guys were very polite, and I came away from the conversation (which lasted over an hour) with these impressions: 1) you must have really strong convictions to give up two years of your life, work from 9-9 without getting paid, being assigned to who knows where, and stick with it, and I respect that; 2) Mormons, in general, seem to be some very nice people; and 3) you must develop a very thick skin to do missionary work for the LDS church - I can't believe (wait, yes I can) some of the stuff those missionaries have to put up with from people. All in all, it was a nice chat (less than half was very religion-related), and while I'm not planning on converting any time soon (a lot of my thoughts would have to change for that to happen), I do have a greater respect for a church that is one of the most hated-on groups in the US. I also learned that you find the Book of Mormon in Marriott hotels because the guy who owns it is a member of the LDS church.
In other news, the urine production lab today was cool. I got to the room early, before anyone else was there, and I heard some yelling coming from the adjacent lab prep room. Specifically, I heard "No! No! Oh my gosh!" "What?!?!" "He's PEEING!" Yes, Harvey the hound dog that was to participate in the lab by producing urine relieved himself right before he was to be put under anesthesia. It worked out okay (they gave him lots of fluids through the IV), but the frantic yelling was pretty funny. I got to watch him wake up from the drugs, too, after the lab. He's a very big, very cute, one-year-old hound. He's a member of the teaching colony and will be put up for adoption in two more years. And that makes me happy, knowing he didn't have to follow in the footsteps of the rat and turtle.
The name of the game tonight is studying and watching health lectures. Big surprise. Oh, and no news on the Liz front (none of us have even seen her today), but comments would still be appreciated!
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