life > blog

Sorry I completely left you hanging a few months ago… Life just kind of got crazy and I let the blog fall a little to the wayside.  Let me catch you up the best I can.

So… that work thing.  Yeah. I couldn’t quit.  I would go home every day crying my eyes out-being so heart broken I just knew that it would be a mistake to quit.  So I’m still at CI.  And things are pretty wonderful.  My patients are thriving for the most part and I am working 6-2 now! Woo hoo!  Also now I am more comfortable letting them see some of my spunk and personality.

The reactions I got from my patients were totally worth sacrificing my dignity and having a sweaty upper lip.

I have also aged another year.  I’m 23 now. Oomph. I kinda hate it.

I have a new roommate.  He is a talker, takes up way too much room on the bed, and judges me when I come home drunk.

Stonewall

I ran a 3rd half marathon.

yes that is a beer in my hand. breakfast of those who enjoy puking by 10am.

I did a MudderDash.

I was 3rd in my heat!

I have been to SC two more times.  I’m actually at the Charlotte airport now waiting for my delayed flight.  Good times.  The last time I was there it was St Pats and this time was just a random weekend.  Fun times though.

I have no shame

So typical. I love it.

My baby brother and me. He is finally old enough to buy his own beer…still young enough to buy Natty. Sigh.

I started a 2nd job. I now am a weekend nurse supervisor.  It’s wonderful, but after working 19 straight days I was starting to feel slightly bat shit cray cray.

It’s hard work to look this fab.

I did an online dating thing for a few weeks.  The result?  A few dates with some really nice guys.  But no keepers.  I didn’t really pursue any of them because……… I met someone.  Someone I am absolutely crazy about.  He gives me butterflies.  I’ll tell you our story later But here is 1 pic.

I just met him and this is crazy…but it just feels right.

So with all this that i have had going on. I hope that I am forgiven for just dropping off the face of the internet world.  Be back soon.

Where to even begin…

Since the last time I posted I have run my second half marathon and quit my job.  Which do you want to hear about?  Let’s start with work shall we?

I seriously feel like my heart is broken.  Putting in my 2 week notice at work was one of the hardest things that I have ever done in my life.  I can’t really go into detail about my reasons, but sometimes in life we have to do what is going to be best in the long term even if it hurts like hell in the moment.  I am not jobless.  I accepted another position at a facility that is very similar to the one I am currently at.  I will not be working in long term care anymore, instead I will be working a post acute floor.  This is going to be very good for my nursing skills.  I will be seeing all different types of patients and working with them to get them home.  I will still be PRN at my current job, which means I may be giving up some weekends and mornings, but I could not just walk away from the coworkers and residents that I love so much.  I’m crying as a type this post.  I am so afraid that I am making a huge mistake…abandoning people who need me…I realize that I am not the only nurse competent enough to work my floor and that my resident’s will get there needs met. But.  Who will decorate A’s room for the holidays when she gets depressed?  Who will paint T’s nails when she is crying about feeling hopeless?  Who will make sure that N not only is gotten out of bed but that she is brought to and included in activities and not just left alone by the nurses station?  Who will give V bed baths when she is filthy and will not let the CNAs clean her?  Who will feed D to make sure he eats but assertively make him wheel his own way down the hall no matter how much he screams, becuase it is for his own good that he maintains the ability to use his legs and arms?  Who will love these residents as much as I do?  Being new to the area and not knowing anyone when I started working I threw myself into work and providing the best care possible for my residents.  They became my friends.  They are my family.

I have my reasons though and I am a true believer in that everything happens for a reason; that it is the uncomfortable and challenging moments that create growth.

This quote has helped me the past week.  ”Give up avoiding change. – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change and realize that change happens.”

I think I’m going to just leave this post at that.  I’ll recap my race and life next time.

MIA (moved into apartment)

I meant to update my blog last weekend but life got in the way. Moving is time consuming. Also I don’t have internet at my apartment so I have to find free wi-fi (hello Starbucks) in order to do anything with the blog and last weekend I actually made it to Starbucks with my laptop  and every single outlet was taken  and my computer died after 15 minutes.  And then I went to another Starbucks and wordpress wouldn’t upload my pics.  Very frustrating to say the least.  But finally I’m back in business and I promise to not stay away for so long.

Anyway back to my move! I have been in my first apartment for 2 weeks now and it is wonderful!  If I give you some sneak peaks and update you with lots of pictures will you forgive me for being a bad blogger?

one side completed

cookbooks and coffee pot

entire kitchen view

mixed matched dishes. No I didn't stop here. I ordered more online. Make me stop!

The start of decorating my bathroom

This sofa chair was love at first sight.

Needs a little work but you see the potential right?

Just needs some more decorative pillows...

Pile of unhung signs and wall art. Anyone have a hammer and nails? My attempt to use command strips ended in failure and cursing.

My place is still a total work in progress as you can see.  I haven’t gotten any of my wall art or photo frames hung yet and I still have two beds in my bedroom (umm Unkie you want to come pick up the old bed soon?) but my apartment is coming together nicely.  Funny story.  When I was buying my bed frame at Gallery Furniture I was pick pocketed by a monkey.  Seriously.  This store has monkeys in it (they also have people walking around handing out ice cream sandwiches) and of course I wanted to pet one of the monkeys.  So I walked over to where a man was letting holding one of the monkeys and I reached out to pet it and the next thing I knew the monkey was climbing on me.  I almost peed myself.  Then in front of the crowd that was gathered around the monkeys this little monkey reached in my purse and pulled out a tampon.  I snatched it back from its waving hands and then before I could blink it had reached back into my purse from the other side and pulled out a small plastic cup (it was a sample cup that I tossed in there after not seeing a trashcan anywhere.  Yes my purse sometimes doubles as a dumping bag for trash)  I let it keep the cup and practically ran away.  Needless to say pet monkey if definitely off my list.

Tampon thieving monkey

 Of course I have been doing tons of cooking and baking.  I think having my own kitchen is my absolute favorite part of having my own apartment.

Very first meal

flippin quesadilla

my everyday breakfast

salmon burger > well any other kind of burger

comfort food in a bowl

First attempt at crockpot chicken. Note to self: don't start at night because then you will wake up at 3 am to the smell of delicious chicken and want to eat your hand off.

Friday night dinner. This counts as balance if I've been eating lots of veggies with my other meals right?

Crackled sugar cookies that I baked for my family.

Anyone want to come over for dinner this week?

While I am loving having lots of “me time” I have been making sure to get out of my apartment to have some fun with friends.

bowling

Beer tasting at a local brewery.

Yes I go out in my scrubs. I'm cool like that.

Baker St Sunday Funday

That almost catches you up.  Before you go though I did manage to get one sign hung up.

 

Yes I used a thumbtack to hang this. Somethings never change.

Cheers!

Talk to you again soon!  I promise.

 

B.I.N.G.O!

The rumors are true.   Old people love playing BINGO.  Add cash money as a prize and they get downright feisty. It’s AWESOME.  Hands have to be patted and shoulders rubbed to get them to calm down when they start to squabble over table space.  They seriously play with 3 or 4 boards each.  Told you.  They are hard core.  One of my residents made this exact request, ” I need one large card and three small cards”  A family member asked me if there was a difference in the cards,  she was really confused by this request.  The only difference is the font size.  No idea why my resident needed different sized cards.  I don’t question my residents.  Mine are an odd bunch and I love them.  Normally I don’t go watch them play BINGO,because umm I’m running around my hall suctioning, sticking, bolusing, ect. ect but tonight as I was about to start my post dinner rounds on my hall I stopped to ask one of my residents who was sitting up by the nurses station if she was ok.  I thought maybe she might be ready to lay down and go to bed.  At 6:30? What was I thinking?  Her response shocked me.  Quick background, she has Parkinson’s and mostly speaks in one or two word answers, but sometimes she has good nights and has conversations.  Tonight was a good night.  She said, “No! I’m lonesome!” Oooh I wanted to kick myself.  I had let her sit by the nurses station during dinner time, while everyone else was in the dining hall (she has a PEG and can’t eat due to high aspiration risks)  Still though it has to suck to sit and watch everyone walk/roll by in groups while you sit alone smelling food you can’t eat.  So I grabbed her and rolled her to the activity room for some BINGO.  I wasn’t sure if she would want to be there or how long her “good night” would last, but I had to try.  The activity director gave me a funny look, this woman was not one of the BINGO regulars.  Once I got her a spot and two cards I asked her if she liked it.  She schooled me with, “Well, yea! It’s a whole lot better then being left out to rot!”  I never wanted to see someone win at BINGO more.  She was so into the game, watching her board, trying to put the chips down herself, and whispering numbers.  The life and intensity of her eyes filled my heart with joy.  Her daughter came in about halfway through and I know she felt the same way (but probably 10x more) seeing her mom up, interacting with other residents, and smiling.  She had not won yet, but I let her daughter take my place next to her and returned to my hall.  I wanted to stay and hear her shout BINGO! but that moment should belong to her daughter.  Back on the hall I began my second round of treatments with a new attitude.  I took my time with each resident.  I did not rush.  I rubbed lotion on dry arms, brushed hair, tucked in covers, and listened to stories I’d heard 50 times before for the 51st time, but with ears that were really listening.  I finished everything almost 2 hours early, I think because I took an extra minute or two with each resident they felt taken care of and calmer, so I wasn’t having to go back to rooms I had been in just 5 minutes before because they are already on the call light again or worse screaming their heads off.  The only thing I had left was the medication and nightly bolus for my BINGO playing lady.  I went down the hall looking for her.  I found her sitting next to her daughter in the lobby.  She was holding a dollar in her hand.  Her prize. She had won a game of BINGO.  I asked, “Did you win a game?” Her daughter beamed, “She sure did!”  She looked at me with bright eyes, and said with a smile, “Yeah I won.  See?”  I chatted with her and her daughter for a minute, she said she was ready for bed now.  So I found her CNA and got her in her gown, fed her, and tucked her into bed.  She chatted the entire time.  Then at 10 as I am giving report and walking the rooms with the night nurse we peek in her room and see that she is still awake.  I told her goodnight and she gave me a huge smile and a little wave (the kind that makes you feel like it’s a secret wave meant just for you).  I gave her one back as I walked out.  I think BINGO has a new regular, and hopefully in a few weeks I will find a few more of the overlooked to join as well…

This year I will…

• move into my first apartment (that’s a given, I move in 5 days! oh my gawd!)
• do yoga at least twice a month
• stay single the entire year
• wash my face every night (except you know the nights when I’ve had a few too many drinks)
• Read 2 books a month
• create a budget and stick to it
• find a volunteer project

Also I want to do the 12 months to a more beautiful life.  Each month focusing on a different theme so that by next January I will be a more well rounded person.

January: Balanced Living
February: Ambience (finding beauty every day)
March: Organization
April: Solitude (regular quiet times)
May: Family
June: Healthy Living
July: Financial Freedom
August: Contentment
September: Routines
October: Hospitality
November: Gratitude
December: Giving

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?

 

2012 starts with a bang

That title could mean several things and possibly I mean them all, but I’ll never tell.

Soooooo.  My New Years weekend was fabulous! Except for the part where I got too drunk double fisting drinks to hold onto my camera .  My camera which has like a billion pics of my hotel room, the hotel gym, the drummer (from the previous post), my toes, and oh yeah. pics of me in lingerie.  I took at least 10 of me in my hotel room, so that hopefully I would have 1 really good one to choose for FB and the blog, and I wanted to see which angle made my boobs look best.  Don’t pretend like you’ve never done that.  So someone now has a camera full of pics of me in my skivvies in which I am trying to make my boobs stick out.  Winning.  I’m bummed too because I was counting on using my pics to put together those fuzzy pieces of the night.  Oh well.  Now I can just say I behaved, since there is no proof I did otherwise  This weekend really was awesome though. Saturday I got a pedi with my aunt before heading to Houston to check into my sweet hotel room.  I made my plans at the last possible second (Friday morning) so all the reasonable hotel rooms were booked. All that was left was a ridiculously expensive corner suite.  I was ::this:: close to not going to downtown Houston for NYE, but then I decided to “go big or go home”  and this girl was not about to sit at home on NYE.  In addition to my hotel room I also bought a ticket to the Black tie, Lingerie, Toga bash.  My friend Mare was kind enough to invite me to crash join her and her date.  I had a blast with Mare and her date.  We drank, danced, and toasted the night away.  And yes I did get a midnight kiss.  I know you were just dying to know. ;*  Today I lounged on the couch, iced my head, (there was a minor incident with a pole last night) and sipped orange creamsicle mimosas with my aunt until it was time for our 1 hour foot massage.  Which was glorious!!!  2012 you are off to a very good start indeed.

Here is a few pics from the weekend thanks to my Iphone.

Now I’ll just have to pick up double shifts for the rest of 2012 to pay for my extravagant weekend.  Totally worth it.

(Not) Sexy and I know it

Last Saturday I went out with my mom and aunt (coolest people I know)  to my favorite local pub to see a band that I love and have a few too many drinks. One of my girlfriends, who also loves this band, met us there.  After a few too many drinks we started to get our dance on.  We were the only ones dancing.  This is not unusual for us.  I had actually met the drummer the last time his band played there and in between sets we would chat. Towards the end of the night he whispers in my ear,”I’m sorry, but I have to ask, it’s been driving me crazy all night. Are you wearing thigh highs?”   My reply:”What? No, these go all the way up past my belly button. They just look like thigh highs because the have a support top.”  Then I walked away and resumed dancing.  He hasn’t called me. Weird right?