Favorite Side Effects

Below are a few of the best "side effects" patients have listed as to why they do not want a particular drug.

1. Ambien: "It makes me drowsy" (Isn't that the purpose??)
2. Morphine: "I see my dead relatives and it creeps me out." (This is valid...)
3. Zofran (an anti-nausea med that does not make your loopy like phenergen): "It doesn't do to me what I want." -> These people always want the phenergen....

Some of side effects listed that are funny, but I don't remember the drug associated:

1. "That makes my teeth hurt."
2. "I felt like someone was holding me down." (I did not ask whether there were restraints involved.)
3. It gave me anal leakage. (yeah...)

There are a few gems for your enjoyment.

Breckenridge 2010

Our ski trip is again great fun! We all wish for more snow, but the slopes are groomed and the icy, slide-E parts are avoidable. I have done a great blue-black this trip and will continue skiing this trip. I won't say no to snowboarding in the future, but it has been great fun being able to hang with everyone and ski together. Never would have happened had I boarded.

I have not wiped out too badly either, falling only a very few times. However, I have had this crazy time of falling while getting off the lift. I have done this three times, at varying degrees of hysterical. The best was was my basically getting behind my skis and sitting on my skis while sliding on my palm all the while removing myself from the lift line. Janell pulled me up and they did not have to slow the lift. It is hard to get up while laughing hysterically.

The wrong turn by one of the group was also film quality distress. My choices for skiing were: mogels, grass, rocks, or ice.

Needless to say there was much falling down the slope. We made the mental note to never, NEVER do that run again. It was truly funny though.
Like I said, one of my goals this year was to laugh more....
Mostly at myself.
Check!

Car Maintenance

I took the Subaru in for its 105K maintenance. Not as expensive as I thought it would be but pricey enough.

I intend to drive the car until it throws its wheels up into the air and cries "Mercy!" No car payment is dreamy and I don't want another one. My goal is to save up now and pay cash or lots of cash for the next one.
I see no reason to ever buy new again. You can get that "new car" smell in a bottle if you so desire, and for a lot less money.

I have decided my next auto purchase will be a medium sized truck. So many times I have needed the functionality of a truck! John promises to let me drive his sports car at least once a week if I buy a truck, so the deal was made! We will see how long the Subaru lasts, but I think, short of an accident, it will last for some time.

It drives much better now too. I don't fear dogging it at this time either! I will try very hard to avoid speeding tickets!!

Ski Time Yet Again!

Saturday we leave for Breckenridge, CO. Ski-time is here again! This is unofficially mine and John's anniversary trip as this is where we got to know each other three years ago. Although I would not want to live in solid snow for 5 months out of the year, I love to visit, play in the snow, and ski.
Yes, just ski.
I believe I have, for one of the few times in my life, admitted defeat.
I have decided unless you live there and started snowboarding at a younger (read immortal here) age, snow boarding is just too hard to do once a year. I mean, I'm on vacation....

Skiing is great fun and I get a little better every year.

It is always a great time!
I do, however, have to get some diving in this year!!

A Year in Review

As 2009 closes, I find myself looking back at the year.

• I bought a house
• I renovated it
• I moved my mother to assisted living
• I gave my sister a place to crash for a while - she is on her own road to home ownership!
• Still lovin' my job
• Still lovin' my motorcycle
• Majorly lovin' my man (How did I get so lucky??)
  
• I actually put up two strands of holiday lights - get back!!
• Made substantial progress on my debt, still working on it though
• Every single day reminds me how precious my health is.
  

What do I want to do next year??

• Dive, dammit
• Buy a second house (My current one is almost done, what will I do with my spare time??)
• Go to Sturgis
• Eat better, buy closer to home, more healthy
• Ride the motorcycle a lot
• Go back to school for my masters (may not get to this, but it is a good goal)

Oh, and laugh as often as possible. Mostly at myself.

Food for Thought

I have done a lot of reading and have come to the conclusion I must change my eating habits.

I will do my best to purchase as locally as I can, and purchase those things in season.

I think the American people have decided they do not have any control over big business or how our food is brought to us.
But we do.

We vote with our dollars. If everyone decided to buy local and organic (such on overused word), the agribusiness machine would shift and upheaval would ensue. This needs to happen. If we as a population voted with our dollars, we CAN change how our food is grown, and how the people who grow and harvest it are treated. By making a conscious effort to buy only local, and buy from those who treat the animals they slaughter and the people whom they employee with respect and dignity, we can change how the food business runs.

• Buy at your local farmers' market: There are several throughout the metroplex.
• Plant a garden, even small one.
• Buy what's in season, that way there is less expense going into making the produce/product in the first place.

Buying making small changes in your purchases, we, as a whole, can change things.
It's about supply and demand.
If we demand it -with our dollars- it will be supplied.
Hold big business accountable for how they treat their livestock, their employees and you, their customers.
You do have a voice, you do have a vote.

The gift that keeps on giving

For Christmas, John gave me a Nook. I had been drooling over the Kindle and Nook for a long time and I think he did spectacularly on the gift!

Consequently, I was wish list shopping to build my reading list.

So. Many. Choices.

One of the titles I rolled across was "Survival of the Sickest, Why we need disease."

We do so need disease and as a society, we need to become OK with getting sick, slowing down so our bodies can heal and basically exercising our immune systems.

Disease keeps us healthy. Sounds strange, but it does. Us and our species.

Do yourself a favor and rest when you are sick, only take antibiotics when you have no other choice.

Even when sick, you are exercising....

You are exercising your immune system!!

Happy Holidays!

This is to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. Spend it with people who are important to you and realize that today, now, is the present.

The catalogs found me!

I have moved so many times over the last three years, most all of the catalogs and extraneous mail I used to get went away.

But alas, this holiday season they are back! Amazing how they find me...they are even addressed to me too. I mean, yes, I understand 'mail forwarding' but still....

One that has returned is Dover Saddlery. I have to admit, flipping through it (I cannot seem to resist) brought on pangs of sadness as I looked over all the cool horsey gear and clothing. It reminded me how much I miss it. It also reminded me how expensive it is.

I would like to start riding again, and with my house almost finished, I hope this next year I will have whatever it takes to get to do just that.

Of course I am thinking of renting my house out and buying a new one...The house stuff may never end...

Motorcycle Dilemma

John and I have decided to take a trip to Sturgis, one of the oldest motorcycle gatherings. It is South Dakota.
And yes, we intend to RIDE the whole way.

Considering I love my little Italian Pony, I have a hard decision to make....

Do I sell my beloved Ducati Monster 800 to buy something more fitting to the 4100 some-odd miles that lie ahead of us?

Or do I keep it, and rent (very expensive!) a bike to ride. (this option does not appeal, but rationally I have to keep it on the table).

Lastly, do I buy a cruiser and have two bikes? (Seems outlandish and I can't justify two bikes)

My frugal nature does not like any of these options. Since I also have a problem "settling" I am stuck.

If I could just go do whatever and did not have financial sense, I would sell it and get a BMW F800 ST, which I have drooled over ever since I sat on it at the motorcycle show two years ago...It has just as impressive a price tag...

Sturgis is in August, so I have a little time to think and chose. Gotta start putting the miles in to build up callouses in the right location....

Any thoughts from my riding friends out there??

Who Controls You?

This seems a stupid question... You may think, "I decide things!"
But, in fact, do you?

One of the things I have tried to do, and is so very hard to do, is to make my behavior mine and only mine.
It is not contingent on what I get in return, who does or does not do something for me or who is or is not rude to me.

I want to chose my own behavior regardless of others' actions toward me. I strive to be the person I want to be every day, even if others are not nice to me.

Therefore, I ask again, who controls you?

Do you let rude or mean people alter your behavior?
Are you still carrying baggage around from some previous encounter?
When you see someone does that person's past behavior still affect you in some way?

When you allow someone else's anger, hostility, or negativity alter your own behavior, you are allowing them some level of control over you.

Resist!! It is not futile....

It is very, very hard to pull off all the time.

Pictures soon...House remodel!

I have done the following to my house:

• Changed out kitchen counter tops from vintage 1962 to oak butcher block
• The above required installing a new sink and newer gas stove (as opposed to electric - how can you cook on electric??? Food requires fire!! But I diverge...)
  
• Sanded and painted the kitchen cabinets
• Changed out the hardware on said cabinets
• Painted the vent -a-hood
• Installed new bath vanities
• Reseated both toilets
• Redone the flooring in both baths

Totally love it! I am assembling the pics as I have been taking before and afters...

Oh! We mustn't forget the GYNORMOUS hole in the backyard that facilitated the city's cleaning out the blockage in the sewer main that forced the faster-than-planned bathroom remodels....

Still have to install the access to the main before I cover it back up....

A Few More Additional Things...

Yes, I stand corrected....

Duct Tape should be added to the "What everyone (woman) should have and know how to use...blog.

Also:
Cable Ties
Teflon tape - used to connect plumbing so it does not leak!

Thanks for the correction!

The Month to Reflect

Ah, tis' the month of Thanksgiving!! What are you thankful for? A quick few thoughts on what I am thankful for:

1. Health - You can't buy it and it is a gift
2. John
   
3. Love - Love of friends, love of family
4. The ability to learn from my mistakes so that I don't repeat them
   
5. The freedom this country offers
6. My attitude
7. The fact I really love my job
8. The fact that I really love my life
9. Being able to persevere
10. Being happy with what I have

Give it some thought...what are your really, really glad you have?

Tools every woman should own...And know how to use!

This a list of tools, a basic set, that everyone, especially a woman should own and know how to use:

1. Hammer
2. Level
3. Drill with accompanying drill bits and phillips and flat -head attachment
4. Tape Measure - good one
5. Carpet knife
6. Ratcheting screw driver - these usually come with interchangeable heads for different sizes and flat vs phillips head. A must have.
7. Picture hanging set - they sell little sets so you can hang your art work/pictures!
8. Pliers
9. Channel locks - these are the long-handled pliers with adjustable bite

And last but not least....a desire to get dirty and feel great about your accomplishment!!

Latest Movie Suggestion

If you want a moving, engaging movie that has an unlikely setting, Greenfingers is your movie.

It is about prison inmates that end up in an "open" prison. They are transformed by gardening and the trust the warden shows in them. Oh, and they end up entering a gardening show help at Hampton Place.

It is based on a true story and is a beautiful tale of how facing your demons is the only way to progress. Even if those demons are represented in bare earth, rocky, acidic soil and little outside help.

The movie is a definite watch for anyone. A wonderful story about life, learning to nurture one's self by nurturing and loving things around you.

A must watch!

Raw Food

Over the last two months, I have been getting my eggs, milk, beef and chicken from a co-op. Good Stuff Co-Op is a source for raw, unpasteurized, straight-from-the-cow milk, farm fresh eggs, and ranch raised beef and chicken. Usually the chicken is slaughtered the morning of when you pick it up.

All the animals are raised on pasture which is free of pesticides and they all roam around, well, like animals are supposed to. I had done lots of research on raw milk and the free range, ranch animals. It all points to a MUCH healthier way of eating.

Two points I can attest to: The milk alone has cured my digestive issues. Regularity and a life free of stomach cramps is my new existence.

My allergies, have virtually vanished. I had suffered for a long time of sneezing fits and watery eyes that itched until I thought it would be better to claw them out.
All gone.

Cooking with the chicken and beef is fantastic as it has only healthy, omega 3 fats and is so much more flavorful. I highly recommend it to anyone.

The down side: Expense. The "good stuff" is pricier but I think it is really worth it. I see all kinds of illness and know first hand that your health is a gift that no amount of money can buy. You have to feed your body the right stuff, and take care of your body, so it can take care of you. In that respect, I guess buying better food is a way to buy your health...

You are what you eat. Make sure it is really, really good stuff.

The List

Does any one else out there have "the list?"
You know, that list of stuff you want to do. People say it all the time, "That is going on the list!"

I keep trying to make progress on my list, but it also keeps growing. There are several things I've done but so much to do!

I hope to sky dive in the near future, toy further with the idea of a tattoo (WHERE?), get back to diving, travel, and do more remodeling on the house.

Oh, and the ever present get out of debt. I am making progress....

What's on your list??

CCRN

In October I will be going for a CCRN review: Critical Care Registered Nurse certification.

It is a tough test, but I am determined to do well. It will be a nice feather in my cap if all goes well. The test covers everything in critical care, even stuff I don't do a lot of at this time.

What I do will also change soon. In October two of our ICUs are combining; ICU1 (me-neuro) and ICU4 (hearts).

I look forward to learning about cardiovascular ICU but I am a little, well a lot, scared to death as it is serious stuff. There is a lot of gadgetry in heart management, and I like that part. It is heavy duty nursing and I hope I am up to the challenge. So much to learn!!

My hope is the CCRN review and subsequent test will help gear me up for being successful in the new combined unit!
Wish me luck!

Cooking

I am reminded how much cooking de-stresses me. This last week I work 5 days instead of the normal three. I agreed to work Tuesday as we were short at work, believing I would be canceled later in the week.
Alas, no, our unit was slammed and I worked all five days.
I was so mentally and physically exhausted by the end. Sunday I slept. We did manage to go to the gym and work out. I am pretty adamant about keeping up with my running now.

Today....well, I am cooking. Baking too. My co-workers will be happy!

I enjoy the prep, the smell of the food, the finished product...
I just enjoy cooking. It is a much needed de-stress-er. I made a chicken stir fry with garlic, ginger and soy, lots of veggies and rice on the side. Jasmine rice always smells so good.

Now I have lunch for the next two days for work, and I am content to go back to all the chaos that work can be.

Having problems?? Go Cook!!

A year of reflection

Last month marked 1 year as an RN!

Looking back, I can see just how steep the learning curve was and still is. I feel like I am at mile 4 of those 9 miles out of the Grand Canyon; It has been steep already, but I have 5 miles to go and it is still straight up.
Overall I have tons of fun at work. My colleagues are fantastic people, super knowledgeable and just as crazy and fun as I am. I am very fortunate to work with such an experienced staff.

Even the days like today, where none of us sat down practically all day, ran our behinds off and even someone passed away, we still had great fun, got it done and took excellent care of our charges.

I love what I do, and when/if the day comes where I don't, I will do something else.
I will not torture my fellow coworkers with a bad attitude.
And absolutely not my patients!

Unexpected Thankfullness

Strangely, I have come to really appreciate my difficult childhood. The trials, tribulations and abuse taught me coping mechanisms. Granted not all of them were healthy and thus I had to learn which to keep and which ones to discard. The coping mechanisms I kept have served me well in helping me get to where I am today. Despite my mistakes, I have learned a lot and really like where I am today.

At work I see so many people who had a nice, easy, spoiled, 'got whatever they wanted' childhood. They have no coping mechanisms and cannot deal very well when thrown into adult life. They turn to drugs, mostly, either illegal or prescription in order to function. Many also turn to food or destructive behaviors.

As horrible and difficult as it is, you have to face what you don't like about yourself, your choices and your life, deal with it - either with help or by yourself. The drugs don't solve the real problem, the food only makes you more unhealthy and more depressed, and still, there is a hole inside you.

Strangely, I have come to appreciate all the things I learned to do as a kid. Granted these things were in self preservation, but now as an adult, I love my life and have the attitude there is nothing I cannot accomplish if I really want it.

I do not see that attitude all people of my generation and definitely not in a generation after me.

Sometimes difficult is necessary. Pain is usually the best teacher whether that is physical or emotional.

My thoughts to parents?
Let your kids fail and have to try again, and maybe even again and again.
They learn how to do it and that they can.
There will not always be someone to solve their problems for them.

It is not PC, but I don't care...

I just finished reading an aritcle in CNN about how airlines are about to start charging people who are too fat to fit into one seat. There was this disenting comment:



Still, some larger passengers who need more than one seat believe being charged extra is discriminatory and the airlines are not accommodating the growing American waistline.
"The airlines need to be making bigger seats," said Peggy Howell, a spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a group based in San Francisco, California. "It's not safe to be cramming us into two seats."



Really...there is an association to promote accepting fatness??? Where is the society for acceptance for hypertension? Or to accept congestive heart failure??



If you are fat, deal with the fact you are fat, pay for the extra seat or whatever and decide to do something about it. Join weight watchers, count calories, something, but accepting your lack of health is not an option. Educate yourself on nutition, do something proactive before you develop diabetes and your extremities start to rot off.



The fact that America has just decided to accept being fat...well, I cannot abide by that. Obesity is so detrimental to one's health and well being. Not to mention it does not kill you out right, but slowly, at great expense and at great pain; to you and your family.



How can we have a National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance???



It is time to throw polically correct out the damn window and face up to realities. If you take more than one seat on an airpane you are are too large and it is no one else's problem but your own. Get your MD on board, get a plan and work your plan for weight managment. It won't be easy but the benefits are limitless.



to hell with PC!!

Humans need animals

This is a hear-warming story of puppies in prison. There isn't enough space to go into all the things that I think are wrong with our prison system, but this is something that is very right.
Puppies in Prison

Please take a moment to read. It brings up something important....unconditional love. I think in order to be well balanced, whole people, we all need to know what it is to be loved unconditionally. I think few people really understand what that truly means.

The Path of Alzheimers

As Alzheimer's progresses, you find yourself asking awful, bizarre questions:

1. At what point is it best to have professionals assit/perform the care of your family member?
2. When is the quality of life compromised to the point of not having quality?
3. Would your family member want to live like this?
4. How the hell will the average person afford any kind of dementia care?
5. Can someone please euthanize me in the event I get to the point of not knowing anything and not being able to care for myself....?

Our health care system is in no way, shape, form or fashion set up to deal with the coming onslaught of dementia care that is going to be needed. People will suffer, and families will suffer simply because no one knows what the hell to do.

Example: Right now my mother is at a lovely assisted living facility that I would recommend to anyone, Apple Tree Court in Richardson, Tx. The cost for the services there are about $2700-$3000 per month. Needless to say, my siblings and I pick up some of that tab. However, as she declines, as she is showing signs of doing, she may necessitate leaving there and being in a memory facility. These are a minimum of $5000-$8000 per month. A tab we cannot afford. Most people cannot afford this unless they have planned very well for their future.

I wonder, at what point would my mom not want to participate in life. Depression is a major problem because of the lack of mobility (can't drive) and because your life does not have fluid memories any more. We are no more than a collection of our memories....

I am thankful Mom can still do all the things she needs to do; bathing, grooming, feeding herself. What a blessing. But what is next? And worse....I feel 'next' is going to be less than good...

How are we to live out our days?
Where are we to do that?
So many questions and no answers, or at least, very poor answers.

Update!

It has been too long since I have blogged!

I am back to the grind of day-to-day, but am loving it none the less. I have only the back splash to do in the kitchen and it will be complete...OK, a little touch up paint here and there, but done otherwise!

Next?

Probably the guest bath. It needs caulking and texture/paint. So much to do!

I picked up my bike today, I am very excited to start mountain biking. With 20lbs to lose, I need all the exercise I can get!
When the kitchen is officially finished, I will post more pics!

This is not the best pic, but you can see petroglyphs on the rocks, especially if you look on the dark, farthest back rock. These were very old art left by the Indians that lived in the painted desert before it was so completely a desert. These rocks were very far away and it was hard to get good pics of them.

Monument Valley to the Petrified Forest…

I really enjoyed the Petrified Forest which was coupled with the Painted Desert. It was easy to see where the Southwestern palette of colors comes from. Pinks, whites, sand and red stripes decorate these hills. The bands of color are so perfectly arranged, so consistent; one could think these hills were painted, thus the name.

The petrified forest was just down the road a bit. I loved the colors the wood takes on once petrified. It fascinated me how the wood still appeared to be wood, except for the colors and lack of branches. The bark appears normal until you touch it. I loved looking at all the different colors. The samples of polished petrified wood were so beautiful.
However, even what appears to be a regular size piece weighs a ton. The piece we looked at was coffee table top size, beautifully polished and weighed 800lbs. It’s easy to see why the big pieces don’t run away! Sadly, the forest has been plundered and continues to be prayed upon. Leave the wood at the park!! A lovely time!

Monument Valley was on the list as well!
Grand Canyon to Monument Valley…
Our next park was Monument Valley. These huge monoliths of sand and rock are beautiful in their own, desolate way. Many photographers were there taking pictures. Here are the few I took…

Just a couple more shots...The hike out was BRUTAL, for anyone who has not tried it. It was about three days before we could walk normally again.

The Grand Canyon

Words cannot do justice to this natural wonder. Here are a couple of my favorite pics so far. John’s will no doubt be even better, feel free to view his website, they should be up in a week or so: www.johnwilkins.smugmug.com

We spent three nights and four days at the Grand Canyon. We camped on the rim for two nights and hiked to the river for the night of third camping. Backpacking in was fantastic with expansive views. However, the last 2 miles, were straight down and by the time we got to the bottom, our knees and calves were screaming.
Phantom ranch was lovely and the Ranger programs we attended were great. One was on the recovery and reintroduction of California Condors into the wild. The other was on bats and how essential these little critters are to our ecosystem. Of course, they were preaching to the choir on both accounts! An interesting point I wanted to tell everyone about; Condors were devastated by lead poisoning. Studies performed on how lead shot behaves once shot into an animal were very revealing. Any hunter who hunts and shoots an animal then brings this animal home to eat will be bringing home lead to poison his family if he has not change over to the copper shot that is being promoted now. The lead scatters and fragments once it enters the flesh. These microscopic fragments will accumulate in the body of whatever eats the contaminated flesh.Food for thought…

Annual Driving Trip

Below are some pictures of the driving trip so far!

This is a few of the early bloomers.
So pretty from something so prickly!

I fell in love with the Saguaro Catus. I found them interesting in their own right as well as beautiful. All of the vegetation's ability to survive in such a harsh climate was really impressive. We were a little early for the cactus blooms that happen every year. We did catch a few early bloomers.

View from Saguaro National Park

This is a vista from Saguaro National Park. We are on our annual driving holiday. This year the destination is the Grand Canyon. We have several other things to see along the way. So far the weather has been fabulous, and the radar detector usefull!

almost done

I have my sink installed. I got the deeper one, as you really need the room if you cook lots.











Here is a view of painted and new hardware. I have one section of counter top to mount.













New dishwasher! The original was older than the house, I think!!

This is a view of the oak counter tops. I thought oak butcher block would be more in keeping with the vintage nature of the 1962 house. I love my little house with its old quirks! It has kept me busy, happily so!
The back splash will be the same vintage copper tile. I think I have it located at Elliot's.

During part 2

For those of you who have witnessed my painting...you will know this is NOT overkill!! Sadly, the paint sprayer was a big giant waste of time and I just painted it all by hand. I got better at the painting as it went on. By the end I hardly got paint anywhere it was not supposed to be.

During...

These were during the whole deal. I was going to do the dishwasher myself, but once pulled out, realized it would require a blowtorch and electrical...so I had it installed.

The before pictures...

Here are the before pics... The cabinets are in good shape, but that counter top has to go!!

A movie to watch

I recently watched a very thought provoking movie, The Beautiful Truth. It is an independent film about the benefits of a fresh, veggie filled diet in treating disease. It centers around the teachings of Dr. Max Gerson, who practiced in the 1920's. It is very controversial, but brings to light very interesting points about our diet.

The other interesting points are in regard to the American Cancer society and the FDA. It is a worth while watch for anyone, especially those interested in health.

You are what you eat.

Kitchen Remodel...

The kitchen was one of two areas of the house that needed overhauling. I started the kitchen this week. I have not gotten as far as I wanted, but pics are to follow once I locate the camera again. the kitchen is in plastic and I pain today. Everything is sanded, the oven is the only thing other than cabinets that remains and it is draped for painting. Some of you know how, well, awful I am at painting, wish me luck! Especially since I borrowed the BF's paint sprayer....
Look out! I hopefully will paint things needing painting and not just everything else.
Now where is that camera??

Sometimes it is no one's fault

Sadly, sometimes bad things happen to good people.
However, it is not always someone's fault. In our litigious, "the world has to be perfect all the time" society, we forget that sometimes, shit happens.
It is unpleasant and it hurts and maybe we loose a loved one. Yet sometimes people just die. It is their time and their number was up.

That doesn't mean there is someone to blame. We see this lots in labor and delivery which is why lots of MDs are choosing to avoid this type of practice.

As sad as it is, sometimes awful things happen and it just is what it is.

A breather...

After moving, moving my mom, being sick, unpacking myself and working lots of overtime, I have finally had two days to sleep in, rest and simply take a deep breath.
So busy!!
It is nice to home and enjoy one's surroundings. I still have opted for no cable TV at the house. It is just not something I am used to doing: I don't sit still very well.

I think it is important to just enjoy where you are. I am certainly doing that! I intend to take time to smell the roses too. Namely, the ones in my backyard and at John's house!

Work, work and more work...

I have started working lots of over time. The money is great, and we are short at work. Plus, it is just that much more experience. I am so glad I am on days! It is much easier to go be with my mom and do things with her.
I am still having a great time at the nursing thing. I learn tons every day and have a great time doing it. The people dynamic is interesting as well.

One day I will get back to research, but with a stint toward nursing. I will have to see just how that pans out. Until then, I am having a great time.

Finally Moved!!

Yes, drum roll please, I am finally moved into my house! I am so happy about it! The floors look fantastic, as I had them done before I moved in. NO carpet ANYWHERE! Original oak floors are so very nice.
It is a lovely quiet neighborhood. I am putting in my garden tomorrow. I have tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lots of herbs. The trees and rose bush are busily making new leaves. I will lots of shade too!

I have some updates to do, and some of it I can do myself. I will be installing my oak butcher block counter tops and painting the cabinets as they are not appropriate to be sanded and refinished...Bummer, I would prefer to sand and stain another color.

The bathroom floor, however, I will hiring. I want tile, but with a pier and beam house, it is more involved. I am also pretty sure the sub-flooring will need to be replaced as it most likely has water damage. That is a little more than I want to do. I just don't have all the tools...
I love tools.
Both baths will need to be painted, but they are not humongous, so that should be fine. There is caulk work in the guest bath, but I have done that before.

I am going to have lots of fun! This also gives me something to do on my days off.

The lawn was done today, wow, was that an improvement!! Along with the garden tomorrow, I have hedge trimming. Nice to have stuff to do!

Housing update

I have not yet closed.
Due to appraisal drama, I do not have a current, useful appraisal. It is getting rectified, but it has been really awful. This is no fault of mine, so my hands are tied, I just have to sit and deal and wait for people to get their 'stuff' together. Sucks.

Mom, however, is moved. She seems to be really good in her new digs. She is in a very social assisted living environment in Richardson. She is close to all of the kids, so we can check on her lots.

I hope, with magic and the stars aligned, I might close tomorrow. Then I could move this weekend. Living in such disarray is not good for my energy. I can't even cook! Everything is packed!

I can't do anything about it so I am just going to go to Yoga.

Adding things back in

I am adding things back into my life. I close this Wednesday and will move the following weekend. The floors are being refinished, so I can't actually live there for a few days as every surface is oak wood floors except the baths and kitchen.

Martial arts is now a weekly part of my life, I am so happy! There are classes available three days a week, but I have to see how the work schedule goes.

I have also started at the gym near the new house. John and I both go and it is really great. No meat market, just lots of sweating. I signed up for a few personal trainer sessions as well. I always wanted to do the gym thing, and I am liking it as I thought I would. It is excellent motivation and the my trainer thinks of wonderful, new ways to torture me. I have one session a week and I will go to the gym additionally on my own or with John.

My next attempt will be a regular mountain biking day. It is really a lot of fun and a great work out! I have friends that go and the group biking makes for a fun-filled day.

Maybe, by the end of 6 months or a year, I will have my life all back to its "running at full tilt" regime again!

Day Two of a New School

My second class at the new martial arts school was great. We spent the entire class doing exercises to solidify front stance and the use of one's hips for connection in punching and stance.

I really love the attention to the smaller details. The instructor (this time the head of the school) is very simple and straight forward in his description: Verbalize the exercise, illustrate, then do it for the next 15 minutes. Then, add one tiny new move and do that for the next 15 minutes. I am a little sore the next day, but I feel like I am adding new layers to my existing solid foundation. Changing to a new vein or martial arts (Karate vs Tae Kwon Do) just shows me how intertwined all the martial arts are and yet how they can all be so individual.

I am working hard to empty my cup, so that I may refill it.

Trying something new...

I tried a kickboxing class.
It was entirely not my thing.
I did sweat and breathe a little, but it was just so "rah, rah, rah" and reeked of aerobics class.
And no one could punch.
Or kick.
Yes, yes, they aren't supposed to know that, really, but I just can't go back.
I love my yoga and I love my martial arts, but nooooo kickboxing.

The other really strange thing: I have trained in a gi for so long, putting on a t-shirt and work out pants to train feels like I am naked. I know I'm not, everyone else is wearing close fitting stuff, but it feels so weird.
If I am going to be up, kicking, punching and sweating, I need canvas.
Lots of canvas.

Day Shift

I have officially moved back to day shift. Although I am NOT a morning person, this is so much better for me and the responsibilities of my life. The most delightful thing is the day I have off...I sleep till I wake up!
Days are much busier, but I love that! Someone did finally die, my patient even, but I had lots of help and gained lots of experience in the code. Although very tiring, it is great to look up and see that it is 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The day just screams by. Busy is good!

Moving...Again

I have started to pack...again. I am really looking forward to settling into my little house. I never seemed to "bond" with my apartment, but I think the house will be better.

I am not looking forward to the beating that is moving, especially since I know it won't be the last time, but I am looking forward to more space and less cost. The neighborhood is very quite and the huge trees will be nice in the summer.

Moving weekend is the last weekend in February, as I have given notice at my apartments. I dread moving my fish tank yet again, but hopefully the fish will do OK.

I hope to take pictures when I get there!

Update on the house

We have a signed contract and the inspection is Wednesday. I think this will go very well and I will most likely be moving the last weekend in February. It is not the location I originally wanted but the house is so cute and the trees so old, I think I will really like it. Still close to the train so all is well there. Wish me luck on the inspection! With a pier and beam house, I know the foundation won't be an issue!

Obsessive Lists

I have several changes coming up in the next few months and foresee a great sense of overwhelmed-ness in my future.
Out comes the pad and pencil.
Despite my love of technology and my iPhone, I still can't seem to let lose of the small spiral and pen.
I love the act of writing and of scratching "done" things off the list. I do still use electronic lists (gmail lists and my 'ToDo' on the iPhone) but that paper list I cannot escape.

I don't just have a single list, I organize my lists according to project. Granted, this makes me even more nerdy, but it is the coping mechanism that works for me. Maybe this is similar to my reading multiple books at the same time...

Make your list, scratch off, and conquer!

This past Tuesday

I went to a new martial arts school this past Tuesday. It was just what I have been looking for. Lots of sweat, solid foundation and a no frills, *come if you can and if you don't, oh well* attitude. There is a great deal of experience in different disciplines in the three instructors I met. I will see how it goes with my work schedule. I will have to work to keep Tuesday night open and then pick whether to go Thur or Sat. It will be a bit of a juggle at first. Once I go back to days, morning sword can resume as well. This excites me greatly!

Care for our aging parents

There will soon be a grave problem in this country: Care for our aging parents.

I and my siblings are in that "rock and a hard place" right now with our mom. As her Alzheimer's progresses, we are faced with the decision to opt for an assisted living environment. The average monthly cost for this is between $2500 and $3000 per month. Granted, it includes all meals, medication administration and a safe, community environment, but---wow, it ain't cheap.

There is also the issue of the individual you are desperately trying to make the safest, best decisions for is really resentful for being told she can't live independently.
No good dead goes unpunished....

My siblings and I will have to split up the cost that is the difference between what Mom's pension pays and what the costs are.
But it is only going to get worse. Alzheimer's care is about twice that....

If Mom were mentally with it, she could stay with one of us, but, sadly, that is not the case. Working full time means the equivalent of leaving your 7 year old at home alone.
Not an option. Such a convoluted issue...

What of the people out there who do not have kids who care about them or the financial wherewithal to have care?
What are we to do with our elderly population? Our nation does not have the services set up to deal with this. This is just the beginning of the onslaught that is to come. I fear the worst as the gap between medicaid/medicare and financial capability of an individual widens. The cost of medications alone can really harm an elder's "fixed income."

So many issues we have to face in the coming future.

House bidding continued

I submitted yet another offer today. I think this one will go well. It is a pier and beam house and hopefully we can circumvent the foundation issue.
It is also not a foreclosure, it is an estate and it needs to be sold. It has the original oak wood floors throughout and will need tile laid in the baths and kitchen. After a new vanity in each bath and new counter tops, it will be ideal. The house is adorable with the old-loved feel I have so been looking for. It is in excellent shape which is drastically better than many of the foreclosures I have looked at. Hopefully all will go well and this can be the first of 2 that I purchase this year.

Keep your fingers crossed!!

The Face Book Experiment

I did it. I joined Face Book. So many people I know are on it and since joining (72hrs ago) I have found several people from high school and others I did not know had FB account.

I am having fun with it! We will see how it goes. I have stuck with the blog b/c I really love blogging too.

Ski trip coming to close

It is Friday and our annual ski trip is coming to a close. I have both snowboarded and skied this trip. Sadly, I don't think I will have the time on a once a year week long ski trip to become proficient enough at snowboarding to be able to hang with my friends. So for the last two days, I went back to skiing. I really enjoyed skiing with everyone! That is what this trip is about, hanging with the friends and my man.

A great week of relaxing!

Keystone Park

I am actually SNOWBOARDING!! Yes, that means I am making it down the mountain, connecting my turns and not on my ass the entire trip!! I am still kinda bruised - especially the knees- but overall, much better and loving every minute of it! The learning curve is so very steep, but I am on my way to being a real snowboarder.

To Write or not?

I have been toying with the idea of writing; letters, short stories, maybe a novel (one day). I have always thought writing would be somewhat "taboo" for me as my writing has always been so poor. That whole failing English twice before I passed it did nothing for my confidence either. This is why I originally began blogging. To learn to better express myself with written word. Well, also to improve my grammar. I have given up on spelling. When you grow up with words like, "growed" and "yellur" (insert yellow), it is easy to understand how writing and speaking properly would be a challenge.

At any rate, I am reading, learning and beginning to amass ideas and story-lines for a would be book. Maybe a short story first....but I am really thinking about it.
I am going to try. I mean really try it out! My chosen genre is a little interesting, but I think it will be an adventure!

On to the next one...

Well, the housing bid fell through as it had foundation issues and we could not come to an agreement on who pays to fix it.
Heavy sigh...
They won't be able to get rid of it b/c a mortgage co., won't write a note on a house with foundation damage.

Well, there are plenty out there!
Onward!

Holiday Wish

For this holiday I wish everyone:

Health - for it is priceless and cannot be gifted
Warmth - In the heart, in the home and in the house!
Friendship - A blessing we just seem to miss the importance of until you find an old friend..or a new one!
Love - It adds such meaning to life and those who possess it unconditionally for those around them
Contentment - Contentment in what you have, where you are, and where you want to head to
The capacity to learn - it sure beats the hell out of re-inventing the wheel and it is a lot less painful

Happy holidays!!

Haivng a cold blows!

It does it blows! All the time...You blow your nose and then you blow your nose again....
It blows!!

Housing continued...

I bid on a house today. A foreclosure, a great deal and it will make perfect rental property when I move on. At just shy of 1200 sqft, it is the perfect size for me! I will know if all goes well and the offer is accepted in a few days. The price is so great, even with all taxes, insurance and mortgage, it will be more than $200 less than my rent.
Amazing.

My Realtor states that 1 in 10 homes will foreclose in 2009. That's the estimate.
Very scary...
However, a feeding frenzy for investors.

At any rate, this will begin my real estate investing. My goal would be to purchase one more before the end of 2009.
We will see....

I am scared, excited, cautious and curious. What will I learn next?? I have wanted to do this for a very long time and have spent quite a lot of energy getting ready to do this.

Well, here I go!

If Alzheimer's had form...

I wish Alzheimer's had physical form,
Then I could smash it and hit it with large sticks,
Tar and feather,
Draw and quarter,
I could lash it to a large, wild beast,
so that it would be swept away with the beast's wild running.
I could incinerate it,
scatter the ashes far and wide,
there by disseminating its evil far, far away
into minuscule pieces,
no longer dangerous to anything or anyone.
I could jump up and down on it with both feet.
Squashing it flat,
stomping it to bits.
I could make it go away, release my anger and free my mom from its vicious grasp.
If only Alzheimer's were corporeal.
These are all things things I could do.

No Warm and Fuzzy

I have found that my house feels a little, well, lonely. I am really starting to miss not having a pet. My fish are great, but there is no warm and fuzzy with the little guys. I don't think I will be getting a pet until I am in a house as opposed to an apartment, but I still miss a pet at home.

Until I move into a house, I will have to visit my BF's kitty's. They are a very good substitute!!

Pets bring so much to our lives. Yes, some of what they bring includes hair, occasional vomit or "accidents" but little trouble in comparison to the joy and love they give unconditionally.

Holidays

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays with friends and family. Although I have never been crazy about this time of year, I am having fun relaxing and working. I do love the weather this time of the year brings. The cool is excellent for camping and one of my favorites...skiing and snowboarding! We will be going again in January for my fourth year in a row.

As for the working part, I work all the holidays this year. Yes, this time around it is by choice, but it will make for a really nice paycheck! My family hasn't celebrated holidays on the actually day in many years, so it is really a non-issue. So far it is proving to be a quiet, easy going holiday season.

I have done almost all of my shopping on line and shipped the gifts. The others I have made. Some of the home made ones were food, others were sewn things. Definitely the way to go.

I hope everyone is happy, well, and enjoying life!
Happy Holidays!

Why don't you have time to go see the MD?

In follow up to my post about not ignoring symptoms of a stroke, I got to thinking...

Why do people put off going to the Doc? Why do we say, "I don't have time," or, "It's probably nothing"? Where does that attitude come from; we don't have time to look after our health or we can't go to the doctor?

I really think that culture, that attitude, comes from our lack of available, universal health care and how driven we are for our jobs.

First of all, in other countries, annual physicals are required, you are scheduled time off for them. How does that simple fact affect attitudes? I would think it would make people more aware that their health is important, not to mention finding very treatable afflictions early on.

Often times I think people are worried that if they a) take off work (maybe not get paid) to go the doctor, and b) pay the ridiculous costs of an office visit, oh and c) waste an even more obscene amount of time waiting for your appointment - and then it was nothing.....Well, then you have wasted loads of $$ and your time and lost time from work.

Wow, you just made yourself sicker....

We have a culture in the US that work is so all important. For many, as hourly workers, it IS all important. It they don't work, their families don't eat. Even for those who have insurance and sick days, going to the doctor means your co-workers have already sent you home b/c they think you contagious.

Would it be different if we could go to the doctor, be seen and know it would be a more reasonable cost?
Would we look after our health more and our jobs just slightly less if our work/employers had the attitude of forcing us to go get physicals?

I do personally believe that the attitude of health and going to the doc would be better if health care was a given, not a gift through our employer or some other grace. I also think that people would look after their health more if they also thought medications needed could be had without selling your children on the black market to pay for said meds. I have already had folks in my unit who confessed to stopping blood pressure meds b/c they had a hard time paying for them.

The expense to our society as a whole and those individuals personally will be so much greater now that the person literally 'blew a gasket' and leaked blood all over their brain and are never going to be the same. The meds would have been oh so much cheaper...

Things to never ignore

There is one consist thing I have seen and heard so far in the neuro-icu:
"My right hand hasn't worked right for a day or two."
"I couldn't make the words come out since this morning."
"Dad seemed 'off' since Sunday." It being one week later, now.

People, when you or your loved one starts to behave slightly funny or a body part does not seem to work like it is supposed to, GO TO THE ER.
Don't wait. Dont' avoid. Don't be afraid of what it really means.

In the case of a clot (ischemic stroke), it has a very good chance of being reversed if you begin treatment within 3-6 hrs of onset of signs and symptoms.

A bleed in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke) can get worse or simply not heal and keep leaking, causing more and more damage.

Don't ignore subtle signs. If Mom or Dad seem a little "off," quiz them; Date? Day of week? Year? Names of loved ones? What was for breakfast? The answers should be pretty swift and accurate.

Just FYI...

"No I don't use no alcohol"

We wondered why the patient was so concerned with where her purse is. It is kind of common that the older ladies are very concerned with where there purse is. To prevent anxiety, we usually give them their purse. This night was interesting. After wondering why her blood pressure was still so very low, we decided to go through the purse.
Things found in patient's purse:

• 1/5 of whiskey
• 4 different bottles of narcotics
• laxatives
• Extra strength tylenol

Needless to say, when she went into respiratory distress, Narcan became our best friend as she was over dosed.

Note to self: Remove belongings from patient's reach and monitor access.

Never underestimate the cute little old ladies

Go Vote!!

I voted in early voting today. There were already crowds, thus my suggestion is to vote early if you can.

I think this year it will be a hot election. I must say, the electronic voting let me a little wary. How do I know those electronics won't be tinkered with? How are votes counted if the electronic system goes awry?
I have to look up the systems and back up systems that are in place to ease my fears.

My civic duty, however is done!
Go Vote!!
Whatever your beliefs and thoughts are, at least express them!
Vote!!

The Taking of Pills

I have become increasingly interested in how people swallow pills. I know, I know, a weird topic, but one that is integral to every part of my working day.

Some people take one at a time or even require the pill be cut up. Others take the whole bucket at once and knock back the lot, and, with a upward jerk of the head and a large mouth full of beverage, down those pills go! It is as if their gullet just opens up!

There are also the ones in between (this is me as well) who can take about 2-3 at at time with enough beverage.

Do throats come in sizes?? Are some blessed with this pelican-like gullet that accepts anything? While others of us have narrow throats and can't swallow anything?

It is just interesting to watch how people take their meds. I am now trying to guess; is she a head jerker, take-all-at-once kinda gal or is he a "please cut it up into 4's" kinda guy. You just never know!

Anxiety

I found this interesting article at CNN.com on anxiety and its relation to the fluctuating economic times.
Really??
I know that anxiety and other psychological problems are real and valid, but have we become a nation that cannot withstand any imperfection or "bumps in the road" of life? Sometimes life is really hard. You have to figure out how to deal with it and get on with it.
So many people seem unable to do that.
Why?
On the same note, I worry so much about our current generation; they thing they have to have new cars and the top designer items right now. All the girls have expensive handbags and perfect, manicured nails - they are about 12 years old....

What happens when they don't get what they want later in life as so often happens in real life?
With no coping skills, it will be a hard fall.

I think that is a big part of the problem, no coping skills, no "life skills." So many turn to medication. Medication helps, helps you get through the tough part. Without truly addressing the problem - what caused you to need the meds in the first place - it will never improve.
The injury is still under the bandaid...
Our nation faces several problems, many of which are our own making (buying houses we knew we could not afford) and those that simply befall us. Bad things do happen to good people.
It's what we do with the bad things that makes the difference, makes us who we are.
Even as a nation.

Unexpected Neighbors

As I was putting boxes into the storage closet off my balcony, I saw a wasp on one of my patio chairs. As I have an unreasonable, unrealistic fear of things that fly and sting - a behavior learned from my mom- I was deeply concerned to find that 6 wasps have decided my balcony light fixture is now home.
As horrified as I am of these little neighbors, I have been watching them regularly through my patio sliding door.
They really are fascinating. Watching them communicate and groom their antennas is so very interesting.
What I should do is go out there and spray them with the most vile wasp spray I can find and yet all I seem to be able to do is stand and watch as they do their little wasp-y things.
The scientist in me seems to have won for the moment.
Question 1: It is soon to be too cold for them to do much, why are they re-homing now?
Question 2: What species are they as I do not recognize them? (pictures to follow when I get the nerve up to get that close)
Question 3: Why MY balcony?
Question 4: Is there some scent or olfactory mechanism I can use to make them go away? In light of the fact I don't want to kill them now that I have watched them for several days??

I will keep you posted on what the outcome is.

Home is where the heart is

I have finally moved into my place. When your stuff was in four places, it takes forever to move. Finally, I have most all my stuff here at the apt and unpacked. It was like Christmas---"I own that??!! Wow, I totally forgot I had that!!"
Home could not be nicer. Living alone is nice, I don't want to do it forever, but for now it is great. I can cook how I want, run around naked or whatever I decide to do. The fish tank is up and running but no fish as of yet. I will be off to the pond store soon for new fishy friends. Both the bike and the car are happily settled into the garage. I think my BF's bike is lonely, as my bike was living in his garage, but the bikes see each other often as do he and I!
I feel like an adult again!

Shift Change

My internship is officially over! Yippee! However, I was politely asked if I would be interested in night-shift as I was originally hired for days. I thought, why not - the money will be nice and let's see if I like it. If it really sucks I have a day position I can have back. We will see.

I start this Friday and Saturday night. I have always kinda been a night owl so maybe this will be better than I think. Having had to get up at 0500 for the last several months, I am trying to transition this week. Wish me luck. I will have to find things to do in the night time I am not at work!

A New Beginning

When I started martial arts almost 10 years ago, I was told the learning does not start until after the black belt. No statement could be more true.

I had my first sword lesson yesterday and wow, I know nothing. I am a little sore and very happy about adding an obsession! ;-)
As my living arrangements settle down, I hope to keep adding back to the exercise. Studying sword is something I have wanted for a long time. It will take a lifetime to not cut off my own arm while drawing, but I am willing to put in the time. It is obvious to me sword will encompass all aspects of the other arts I have studied.

I have to discover where I will train for empty hand. I will not be returning to my former school, I just have to decide where to go and what to do.
A completely new discipline?
Similar discipline, new school?
I don't know yet.
I will be trying to return to the weapons class as a whole, I love the weapons. The empty hand will take a bit of figuring out. I am sure the right thing will come along.

Lessons From the Green Channel

I was at my BF's house (he has cable and a TV - two things I don't have) and we watched the Green Channel. It is all about going green and how to do little things to reduce your environmental foot print.
One thing really hit home with me. Mail. Junk Mail.
It showed this one family how much junk mail they get in one year. Mostly this junk mail consisted of catalogs. It was staggering - a wall of catalogs about 6ft tall, 2ft wide and about 8 ft long. Amazing! The discussion illustrated how much trash and land fill you can reduce by discontinuing your junk mail.

I started to do just that. Every time I get a catalog in the mail, I call and D/C it being sent to me.
I realized that I use the catalogs as entertainment; to sit mindlessly and flip thru the pages. Why do I do that? And a better question, why was I a teeny bit sad that this catalog was no longer going to greet me from my mailbox?
The power of advertising. The power of getting something with your name on it! Remember when you were a kid and you got that first piece of mail that was addressed to you? That feeling? I think that is what keeps us wanting this extraneous mail to just keep showing up in the mail box.
Crazy...
Well, I am trying to cut down on the trash! No more catalogs for me.
It's not like I shop any way!
Do the environment a favor, get rid of the crap in your life. No more extra crap!

I still dislike house hunting

My strange gift continues to get houses sold, just not in my favor. I have bid on more houses, all to be sold or under contract or the sellers want to negotiate some other things not initially discussed. I know why that one was on the market for 160 days!!

I put a deposit on an apartment today and will be moving this Friday unless some unforeseen house miracle occurs.
Heavy sigh....

I guess the house buying will have to wait for a bit...

The Best Thing Since Harry Potter

I have just finished a series of books. I have to say, it is as if I have lost a best friend. These are the books by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. It has been a really long time since I have read anything so captivating (much less fiction) and just plain FUN to read. The last time I enjoyed anything so much was the Harry Potter series. Yes, these rank up there with Potter.

The four books chronicle a story about truest of true, soul-mate love, its obstacles, acceptance and vampires and shape-shifters (werewolves). It is not the blah same-old-same-old vampire and werewolf thing. The story boils down to standing up for those you love, what is right and what is wrong and accepting people as they are, knowing we all make mistakes. It is a beautiful story any way you slice and it is absolutely fun to read! Beware, once you open the cover, putting them down is incredibly difficult.
Happy reading!

The Lucky Charm

Apparently, I have a previously undiscovered gift. The gift of getting houses sold. I have now bid on four houses in the last month. A couple of them were uninteresting to the the public until I bid and then, there were several simultaneous offers. I will know tomorrow if this most current bid will hold. I really hope so.

I also accompanied my Realtor to a showing he had to schedule that was for a leasing. It was a large house and the lease was $2500 monthly. The people were very interested. I saw my Realtor today, and they did lease the house.

He now believes I am his lucky charm. There have been at least 4 other houses that I called to come sign papers for a bid but, alas, they too were instantly sold.

"What is it with you?" He asked last week. "Will you go look at my two listings I can't seem to sell and think of putting offers in, so that I can sell them please."
My "gift" is not working to my favor. I am hoping, once I start the real estate thing in earnest, this gift WILL work to my advantage!

Rain in August??

Since when does it rain in August? With this strange occurrence, people still don't believe there is a global climate change happening??!!
Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, but does this mean in another couple decades we will be in a tropical rain forest? It is muggy enough!

I Dislike House Hunting

I did not win the bid on the house, not surprising, it was a deal! The hunt continues! I have found that house shopping is the same for me as all other shopping: I don't like it.

I don't care for any shopping unless it involves horses, cars or motorcycles. Houses do not fall into any other those categories.

I will either buy something in the next two months, or I fear I will be renting. My sanity is starting to fade with the level of disorganization that exists in my life. I lose stuff, I put things up and then can't remember where I put them up (the storage facility?? Under my bed? Is it at John's house?)
Heavy Sigh....

Yes, housing must be found and sooner rather than later.

Wish me Luck!

I actually bid on a house this weekend. My offer was pretty beneficial to me, so it may not be so tasty to the seller. Considering the seller is a bank, maybe they won't care...
We will see.

It needs updating, but is functional and intact. I can do lots of home repair things and work lots of power tools.
I really like power tools......(maniacal laugh)

The outside needs lots of grooming (Enter more power tools), but can be very pretty with not a whole lot of additions. Two mostly dead tress need to be turned into firewood that will be oh so nice this winter. Provided, of course, the 109F weather actually does ever cool off. The need of fire is but a distant dream....

The major stuff with the house is updating the kitchen (new counter tops, appliances, laying tile, painting cabinetry and new hardware), painting the house over all, and updating the bathrooms. New carpet is in order, but I can probably live with what is there for a bit. Eventually I will pull up the laminate and put down hardwoods in the front room and the hallway.

I could live in the house for a while or turn it next summer. It just depends on life and what the market is like. And that pesky thing of cash flow.

Real Estate is what I have wanted to get into for a long time. My nursing career will allow me to do that, and, house remodel will give me something to do on my days off!

I am dangerous when bored....
The question is; am I less dangerous turned loose with power tools...?

Popular but Unorthodox Drug Names

Levophed - Leave'em Dead: This is a vasocontrictor (tightens your blood vessels) and if overdosed, your extremities can necrose from no blood flow and lack of oxygen. It does its job very well. Use with caution!!

Milk of Amnesia: This is the slang for Diprivan (propofol). It is a milky white drug given IV that is used for sedation. It is VERY quickly metabolized so don't run out! By the time you get back from the drug room your patient will be waking up!

Vitamin A: This is for Ativan. Ativan is a wonderful anti-anxiety med that you give to your patients who are a pain in your neck and freaking out. Everything is better when everyone is calm.

MONA: This one is real: Morphine, Oxygen, Nitroglycerin, and Aspirin. This is the acronym for what the first line treatment for heart attack is.

Other interesting euphemisms....

Code Brown: This code occurs precisely after you have given your patient a bath and changed the linens...Yes, they crap everywhere!! Code Brown! Damn why don't we have a rectal tube on this guy??!??

First Hard Day

I had my first challenging day in the ICU. My patient who was on 7 different IV's tried to die...all day long.

It was a constant day of running, no lunch till 3PM and then you look up and see that it is already 5PM. Crap I still had lots to do! I feel as though I kept it together but it was oh so messy. My charting has a ways to go before it is good and knowing what drug to push when and how fast is a distant dream I hope to attain one day.

And FYI, when the monitor takes the blood pressure and it comes back with "unable to assess" that isn't a malfunction, that means there is no measurable blood pressure.

All...Day...Long....

Keep'em Alive Till Seven O Five!!

Motorcycles!!

I went to watch my friend ride his bike at the Eagle's Canyon track in Slidell, TX. Both cars and bikes race there. The track is about 3 miles long and has elevation changes as well as left and right turns.

It was great fun and definitely whetted my appetite to gear up and ride the curves there at the track. My friend rides in Level 3 and his wife goes for a while and watches thru her fingers as he zips around the track. ( He had a bad wreck on a country road last year) It looks like great fun! I am shooting for next year as a place to live is first priority. There were all kinds of bikes there, all fast of course, but I did see another Duc like mine in the beginner class. Lo and behold a woman was riding it too!

The track will wait for a while, but it is very close to the top of the list!! It looks like too much fun to avoid for very long!

House Hunting...

I have officially started house hunting. I am approved for a mortgage and am looking for a new residence. I have found some interesting places and am researching on in particular at the moment. All the ones I have looked at will need a little TLC, but I am good at the fixit thing and I like doing it.

Wish me luck in my searching!! It is kinda scary, but I think it will be just great in the long run.
You gotta live somewhere!

Shift Two on the Neuro-ICU Floor

In a nut shell:

• Busy as hell
• People ventilated
• More drugs than you ever imagined
  
• Keeping some people alive who should be happily dying at home

I know it's blunt and I know it is painful beyond words, but if I get to be 90+ and am in the ICU, will some one please unplug me.

'Cause I will be done by then.

What You Never Think About Missing

I am sure that all of us, at one time or another, have thought about what it will be like when our parents age and, inevitably, when they are no longer with us. I know I have.

What I did not think about was how it would be if my mom was here...but not. I never thought about what it would be like for her to be here, her body, her form, and yet she not be the same individual.
This is currently the case. The person who raised me is no longer present, only someone who looks like her and has some of her memories, although less and less with each passing day.

What I never thought about missing...
I miss having parents.

What Your Gut Tells you

After two weeks of ICU related classes, I have come to the conclusion that your nursing skills are indeed important, but what really is a necessity to the nurse is intuition. I have been told story after story of how that inner voice made the difference.

Learning to trust the inner voice is what separates nurses from the great nurses, as so I have been told. Another attribute required is a mouth and the comfort using it. Check, I think I have that one already. I'd rather be wrong and learn something and have my patient be OK than to be right, keep my mouth shut out of fear, and have someone's health decline or worse. Fear is so debilitating, but I diverge...

Trusting that "feeling" and developing that ability to listen from within when all hell is breaking loose is as essential as mastering the skills I have to learn not to mention the labs, assessment and the personalities of the Docs. In the last couple years I have had severe lessons in learning to deal with people, especially people who present one persona and yet are something completely different. Hopefully, this past experience will help with dealing with all the people I have to deal with. My hope is that all my martial arts will help me listen "on the inside" as well as keep it together when the fecal material hits the rotary machine.

I'll keep you posted on how things go. Now that I have a license, I want to keep it.

The Wait is Over!

It's official!!

There is an RN behind my name!!!

WooHoo!!

Please Excuse my Nausea!

This morning I took my NCLEX; or my state board exam for my Registered Nurse license.
I am so glad that is over!!

The test is a computer adaptive test, meaning it gets harder as you answer questions correctly. The minimum number is 75 and the maximum number is 265. My test stopped at 75 and my questions became really difficult. I hope this is a good sign. I will know for sure if I have an RN after my name or if I did really poorly by Monday.

Wish me luck, I have wanted to hurl all morning!!

Two Weeks Down

I just finished my second week at my new job and am having lots of fun! I have started the ICU specific classes as of Friday.
The difference when your instruction comes from someone doing what they are teaching is incredible. The instructors have great stories to help your brain hang the information on. Everything is interesting and memorable. Obviously there is the thought of needing this one day to keep someone from dying. I guess that is incentive as well!

My first time of 3-12s in a row is this next weekend; Saturday, Sunday, Monday. I am looking forward to being on the floor!

Motorcycles

I have acquired my next bike; a 2003 Ducati Monster 800. I am in love. It is, drum roll please, SHORTER than my last bike by about 3 inches (who would have thought three inches would be so amazing...but I diverge), it is my favorite motorcycle color, bright bumble bee yellow, and it is so well balanced it is a breeze to ride! I am already trying to throw it through corners. It had very low miles on it as well. I took it at the shop for a 6K mile tune up and to take it apart to look it over in detail. The sale "vet-check" had already went well. There are a few things I want to change, but overall, I am thrilled. I got a nice lesson in motorcycle maintenance and repair today when I went up to the shop to see how things were doing. Very cool!
Things I want to personalize:

• Clutch slave cylinder
• Handle bar risers
• New tail light package
• New grips (Done already - thanks Johnathon!)
• Find a manual

I cannot wait to take it to the track!!