The Old Me Is Returning...

For over a year now, I have not worked in my chosen profession as a registered nurse. I hadn't intended on putting my career on hold completely but that is exactly what happened.

As you may or may not know, opening up a business with my son did not work out so basically I have been running the thrift store pretty much 100% on my own the entire time. While I don't regret for one minute opening up our cute little neighborhood shop, I'd be lying if I said it has been easy. It has caused much stress and dissension between my son and I and also between my husband and I. Yep, it's been a little frustrating to say the least.

I love my little store and the friends and customers I've made have been remarkable but I've felt for quite sometime now that a very important part of my life has been missing. I knew exactly what it was.

So, tomorrow I start back at my old job, doing what I love, and spending time once again with the coworkers and patients that I have missed dearly.

Luckily, my daughter is available this week to cover for me at the store while I work 3 days to get reoriented.  In the future, I will more than likely work one day a week or even just one day a pay period.

This Bird Has Left The Nest...

I worked Wed, Fri, Sat, and then again yesterday...

They all were days from (you know where!)...

Then, they had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to work again today...

I think they pretty much got the hint when I gave them the look...

I told the other birdies...

This momma bird is leaving the nest...

Don't call me for a few days, or a week...

Unless one of our other birdies completely falls out of the nest...

I'm tired...

And getting ready for Camping Club Weekend!

It's The Little Things...

And often the unexpected...

That make life so rich and full...

Such as...

1) My beautiful 22 year old daughter stating on Facebook that "my mom is my best friend";

2) Finding out on Saturday that I got a raise at work. It was out of the blue and substantial, something that isn't happening much in this economy;

3) Having one of the doctors that I work with give me a big hug today and tell me that she's missed me since I don't work as much anymore. We 're having lunch at her gorgeous home Friday at noon so that we can catch up and have girlfriend time. Not only do I feel blessed that she considers me such a good friend but I think it says alot about how she feels about me professionally. Even though we talk non-stop when we see each other (and some of it is about our patients!), I take it as a hugh compliment that she considers me one of her peers;

4) My handsome son sending me a message on Facebook, saying hello, just because!

It's often the little things, the personal things, that we treasure the most!

Be Happy!

I hope something about today makes you smile!

P.S. I wanted to tell you about something that made me smile at work yesterday. A woman that I trained a few years ago is transferring to another facility and they had a little going away party for her during break time. Guess what they had...CAKE! It wasn't chocolate but it sure filled my cake craving!

It's That Time Again

I have CPR class tonight. As a health care professional, I'm required to renew my CPR card every 2 years. It seems like I just took the class a few months ago! Really, where does the time go!?

Although my class tonight is just a refresher course, I always leave with a renewed sense of confidence should an emergency arise. Education is a powerful thing!

Regardless if you have taken a formal CPR class or not, if you are ever in a situation where CPR is needed, any help that you can give is better than no help at all. It truly may mean the difference between life or death for an individual.

If you are interested in taking a CPR class, calling the American Heart Association would be a good place to start. We always have EMT's from a local ambulance company come teach our classes at work. They bring all of the equipment, teach the class, then give us the written exam which is provided by the American Heart Association. Please don't let the idea of a written exam deter you if you are interested. Honestly, I've never seen anyone not pass a class. The goal is to educate and the instructor will make sure that everyone is successful in making that happen. If you get a good instructor, the class can actually be alot of fun.

The initial CPR class takes longer but my refresher course will be under 3 hours. If you've never taken CPR, why not think about it. The time and effort to get certified is minimal and will absolutely be worth it!

Just Shoot Me Now...

Cuz I'm gonna feel like dying later on!

It's 1:45am and I'm wide eyed and bushy tailed (is that how you spell bushy tailed?!)

My alarm is set for 3:45! I work at 5:00am!

Darn insomnia!!

Home Sweet Home!

We had a nice productive trip to Arizona but boy does it feel good to be home. As much as I love going places, I love coming home just as much. There really is nothing better than being home sweet home.

Arizona was hot hot hot this time of year. Our daughter was moving from one apartment to another this last weekend so that was the reason for the trip. We rented a U-haul on Friday, bought bedroom furniture at Ikea, and moved her into the new apartment on Saturday. It was about 106 degrees that day. I don't think I've ever been so hot. Oh, wait a minute, yes I have! I was in Rome in June about 8 years ago and was completely miserable. Arizona in July or Rome in June, it's a toss up.

Also, our daughter's good friend Jynelle was moving on Sunday and had planned on moving all by herself in that heat so on Sunday we packed up the U-haul once again and moved Jynelle to Scottsdale. It's no wonder I lost another 1.2 pounds but we were happy to do it. Jynelle is the sweetest thing and just got her first teaching job after graduating from ASU in May. This is her first "grown up" apartment and we're so happy for her. She and our daughter were beyond thankful for all of the help but like I told them, "this is what being a christian is all about!" People loving, helping, and being there for one another. That truly is what makes the world a better place.

Even though we just got home last night, I volunteered to work tomorrow because they're really short staffed (as usual). I do have to say though that I'm loving this per diem gig. It's great to be able to work when you want to work and when it fits into your schedule. Tomorrow will be perfect. I won't be in charge and I get to work with 2 good friends. It should be a fun, stress free day!

All Kinds Of Miscellany

* Knock on wood, my diet is going well. The food has improved greatly since that awful turkey burger. I've been sticking with the plan, drinking lots of water, and haven't had any regular Pepsi. Really, Jenny makes it very easy! I'm sure I haven't lost an ounce but I'm giving it time. Something is bound to happen within the next few weeks. It's just so strange for me to be eating this much food. I haven't felt hungry once!

* I went for a check up on Tuesday and asked the doctor to send me for lab work to check my Thyroid as well. I've thought that I might have an under active Thyroid, hence the weight gain. I also have the dry brittle hair and sluggishness that goes along with it. I'll go have the lab work done this morning before I eat or drink anything.

* This weekend is camping club weekend and we're camping(RVing!) at the beach. I'm really looking forward to the cooler weather and the long walks on the beach. We weren't able to go to the last few campouts so I've been missing my camping club girlfriends like crazy. I can't wait to see them!

* I didn't go outside at all yesterday. I had a list of things to do but stayed inside and got stuff done in the house. I dusted all the shelves in our built-in bookcase and washed all the knick knacks, even doing a little rearranging. It's amazing how fast things get dusty!

* I prepared 10 packages of good mail for mailing, wrote out a sympathy card, a thinking of you card, and 7 thank you cards. I still have 4 more thank you cards to write and more good mail to package up but I need more mailing supplies. That's on my "to do" list for today.

* I spent over an hour yesterday just going through all of the stuff that has piled up on our kitchen table since vacation ie., mail, bills, and all of my Hobby Lobby stuff that I brought home from Colorado. Hey, we don't have a Hobby Lobby here in California so I always need to stock up. Plus, that's why I was able to package up so much good mail today!

* Do you remember my daughter's friend Macey that was hit by the car in December. Please keep her in your prayers right now. Macey had a specially made synthetic flap placed over a portion of her skull a few days ago and her lab work now is very high, possibly showing infection, and/or rejection of the flap. Months ago when they surgically put her own skull flap back in place, it became infected and therefore she needed a synthetic one made. She was very fearful of this operation and the possibility of another infection occurring. Macey is a beautiful 19 year old who just wants her life back. She's tired of wearing that darn pink helmet that she's had to wear all these months to protect her skull! I know Macey and her family would appreciate your prayers tremendously.

* I went into work after my doctor's appointment on Tuesday and although I miss my co-workers and the patients terribly, I didn't wish to be back there! They are so so short handed that it makes working horrible, extremely stressful, and needless to say, dangerous! We need 9 nurses per day to make the place run smoothly, yet they will only have 4 nurses on Saturday!! I feel so sorry for those 4 nurses! Upper management does nothing to help out and they certainly won't reward those 4 dedicated nurses. I did break down and give them 2 days over the next few weeks. I figure one day a week or one day every two weeks will suffice and it will keep my per diem status active. It's really a shame because I used to love my job dearly.

Hallelujah!

Today is my last day at work, sort of. I will now be what is called a "per diem" nurse at my job.

I've been on the fence about my work for about a year now. I have a love/hate relationship with it, although it's been mostly love/love up until recently. We were sold to a large corporation 2 1/2 years ago and it hasn't been the same since, and neither has my heart. Big corporations don't put the patient first and foremost. All they care about is the almighty dollar! I've never worked so hard for so little and I just don't know if it's worth it anymore. When this corporation bought us, my pay was decreased by $3 an hour. I was told I could take it or leave it. I took it because I loved my job.

Something has changed in me and I'm now very anxious to break free. The friendships and the patients that have kept me there all of these years aren't enough anymore. It's been a great run but it's time for a change. Time to get out from under the pressure of the job.

Going per diem seems perfect for the time being. I only have to work one day every three months to keep my status active, but I'll probably work one day a week. We'll see!

Right about quitting time today, I might feel like shedding a few tears, but mostly I'll be singing Hallelujah!!

OH.MY.GOODNESS Is All I can Say

Something so crazy happened at work yesterday and I've got to tell someone! I may be a big mouth but when I tell someone that I won't tell their secret, I WON'T TELL THEIR SECRET. Well, except in blogland! No one at work and none of my friends know I have a blog, so the secret is safe here!

You all know that I am a nurse and work in a dialysis unit. Well, let me tell you, nurses see and hear it all! There is never a dull moment, NEVER!

We have a patient that I admitted a short time ago and during the admission process, his wife said she knew me from when I worked at the hospital 14 years ago. As soon as she said that, I remembered her immediately. We both worked on the night shift.

So yesterday she says she has some pictures on her phone that she wants to show me from when the patient was in UCLA hospital a while back. He had a great view from his hospital room and she showed me 3 or 4 pictures of the view and of emergency helicopters flying in and out. Good pictures really.

As she flips to about the 5th picture, there is it, OH.MY.GOSH! I had to walk away for a minute. The picture of a naked man's you know what, ready for you know what if you know what I mean!! She was horrified and sooo embarrassed, and kept saying so. She said it was a picture of her step-son who had used her phone. Hey, if I had a step-son who had used my phone and took a picture of himself like that, you bet it wouldn't still be on my phone! Step-son my eye!

I told her that her secret (now our secret!) was good with me. You have no idea how bad I wanted to pass that little bit of information around at break time yesterday, but I didn't.

Yep, her secret is good with me...well, except in blogland that is!

Making Up For Lost Time

My husband literally worked his life away during his 20's, 30's, and 40's. He was a business owner and everybody knows that no one works harder than the owner himself...at least that's what my husband always says. So when my husband and his brother decided to close up their business 2 years ago, I had mixed emotions, although I was more happy for him than anything else. I was happy that he finally would have some time for himself.

My husband never had the time to develop friendships of his own. Yes, he had longtime childhood friends but he didn't have the time it took to nurture the relationships to keep them going. He'd come home on Friday night from being out of town and ask what we had planned for the weekend. My friends were his friends. Our kids friends parents were his friends. We were his social network.

Well times have changed and I'm happy to say he certainly is making up for lost time!

I'm now married to a social butterfly!

He went to a fun lobster dinner and get together with friends yesterday...I was at work!

He went walking with his group of walking buddies this morning. Yes, my husband who tells me no every time I ask him to go walking with me, now has his "own" walking buddies. While they walked, I slept in, then cleaned. I needed to straighten things up because after their 1 1/2 hour walk, they come in the house to chat some more and drink ice water!

Tomorrow we were invited to brunch with his walking buddies. He's going and bringing the orange juice and ice. I'll be working!

He has developed such strong relationships with the men in our camping club group that he goes camping with them even if I can't. They are like brothers. These guys call each other, they text each other, they email each other, and most importantly, they're always there for each other!

My how times have changed!

Nurse Week

This week has been National Nurses Week, with yesterday being International Nurse Day, in honor of Florence Nightingale's birthday on May 12th.


"Inspired by what she took as a call from God in February 1837, Florence announced her decision to enter nursing in 1844, despite the intense anger and distress of her mother and sister. In this, she rebelled against the expected role for a woman of her status, which was to become a wife and mother. Nightingale worked hard to educate herself in the art and science of nursing, in spite of opposition from her family and the restrictive societal code for affluent young English women."

Florence did indeed become a nurse and gained the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp", derived from a phrase in a report in The Times:

"She is a ‘ministering angel’ without any exaggeration in these hospitals, and as her slender form glides quietly along each corridor, every poor fellow's face softens with gratitude at the sight of her. When all the medical officers have retired for the night and silence and darkness have settled down upon those miles of prostrate sick, she may be observed alone, with a little lamp in her hand, making her solitary rounds."

The first official nurses’ training program, the Nightingale School for Nurses, opened in 1860. The mission of the school was to train nurses to work in hospitals, work with the poor, and to teach.

In the 1870s, Nightingale mentored Linda Richards, "America's first trained nurse", and enabled her to return to the USA with adequate training and knowledge to establish high-quality nursing schools. Linda Richards went on to become a great nursing pioneer in the USA and Japan.

Florence Nightingale's lasting contribution has been her role in founding the modern nursing profession. She set an example of compassion, commitment to patient care, and diligent and thoughtful hospital administration.

The work of her School of Nursing continues today as the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London. The Nightingale Building in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Southampton is also named after her. International Nurses Day is celebrated on her birthday each year.

As you know, I have been a nurse for many years and have always been very proud of my profession. The job requires long, hard hours but at the end of the day, exhausted as I am, I always feel that I did my best in helping others, and truly, that is a great feeling.

So today, in honor of Florence Nightingale and all of the hardworking, loyal nurses out there, thank a nurse and tell them you appreciate their dedication to their profession. Guaranteed, you will make their day!

It's Been A Rough Week

As you can just imagine, with sweet little Nancie's death on Saturday, this has been one emotional and unforgettable week. I've worked each day so I've been witness to the raw emotions her close friends, coworkers, and patients have displayed. She was a very loved young woman!

Nancie's best friend and coworker (also named Nancy by the way) works directly with me each day and she is just breaking my heart, yet I am so proud of her at the same time. I'm so proud of my coworkers who have been such a support for Nancie's mom and brother. They have been in constant contact Nancie's mom daily, have arranged to bring all of the food to the gathering after the funeral, and even plan on serving the food at the reception. They collected funds for the family and will also be holding a yard sale on Saturday with all of the proceeds going to the family as well. A former coworker of ours gathered pictures and made a 45 minute video montage which will be played at the funeral. What a gift for the family! Our employer and coworkers have helped to lift such burdens for the family at this terrible time. It's truly been a humbling experience and a beautiful thing to see.

I've been amazed at the love and support that Nancie's close friends at work have given. She had a core group of about 8 girls and let me tell you, these girls have taken this task on by storm. They loved their close friend like a sister and they've been there lifting up the family and each other every step of the way. They already had my respect as hard working young girls but they've taken it to a higher level. I stand in awe of the love, support, and honor they've shown their beloved Nancie.

The visitation and Rosary is tonight with the funeral tomorrow morning. If you get the chance, please keep these coworkers of mine in your thoughts and prayers. Everyone is pretty much exhausted, mentally and physically.

You Just Never Know...

When God is going to call you home.

I wasn't supposed to work today but volunteered since they were going to be short staffed (as usual!) Already, first thing this morning we were scrambling because one technician called in sick and one just didn't show up. We kept trying to reach Nancie, the one who didn't show up, but she never answered our calls.

When I say we were short staffed, trust me, we were short staffed! We were so busy the day seemed to fly by and by break time at 2:30 pm, still no one had heard from Nancie. Not showing up for work isn't like Nancie so we were worried plenty by this time. One tech (Gina) decided to go to Nancie's house on break but came back because she couldn't locate the exact house. Two others (Alisa and Lori) said they knew where Nancie lived and off they went. Nancie's car was in the driveway when they got there but everything was locked up tight in the house and they couldn't see in. They called us at work and by that time we had located Nancie's mom's phone number and address. They went directly to Nancie's mom's house which was just around the corner and as soon as they told Nancie's mom that she hadn't shown up for work, she started to panic and knew in her heart it was bad. Nancie is diabetic and had been having trouble keeping her blood sugar under control. There was good reason to panic.

Nancie's mom, brother, Alisa, and Lori entered the house and while Nancie's mom was turning off the house alarm, the others headed to Nancie's bedroom. It was terrible. Apparently, Nancie's blood sugar fell dangerously low during the night and she didn't recover. She was 28 years old!

We are a tight knit group and let me just say the place fell apart when we officially got the news, especially for Nancie's two best friends who were working and had been worried all day. Lots of crying, LOTS OF CRYING, and just plain shock and disbelief. She was just 28 years old!

Whenever I think of Nancie, I'll smile and picture her as Frankenstein this past Halloween! She was the best Frankenstein ever!


Rest in peace Nancie! Gone, but never forgotten!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question(s):

* Will you be making Easter baskets for your kids this year?

* Do you actually use baskets or do you use something else to put the goodies in?

* If your kids are older like mine, do you still make them Easter baskets?

* How old is too old for getting an Easter basket?

I say you're never too old to get an Easter basket! My kids are 21 and 24 and I still try and make the holidays special for them...and for the AZ college roommates too!

This week I sent off 3 Easter baskets wrapped in cellophane to Courtney and her roommates in Arizona, along with some other treats tucked into the shipping box.

My son isn't big on sweets anymore so I did something different for him this year. I purchased and sent him a new Bible, engraved with his full name on the cover. I'm sure he still only has the Bible from his high school years, if at all. I wrote a personal message inside just for him. I hope he likes it and keeps it for years to come. More than anything else though, I hope he uses it and finds comfort in it.

I'll be making some treats to bring into work on Saturday too. A co-worker of mine who is about 25 years old told me a few years back that she loved it when I brought in holiday treats because it made her feel special and like a kid again.

So here's another question: Don't we all just want to feel special and like a kid again! I say YES!


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I'm checking out something new today...

Home Safe and Sound

I'm definitely not as young as I used to be because I'm one tired girl! I'm not used to keeping those late night Vegas hours!

I need to unpack and get ready for work tomorrow so I'll write more about it this week and share some pictures with you. We absolutely had a great time.

Why is it that when you're having so much fun, the time flies by so darn fast!?

Tonight's The Big Night!

Will you be watching the Academy Awards on TV tonight?

I used to get so excited for Academy Awards night and would watch the show from start to finish. I'd stop and get dinner on my way home from work, then I'd plant myself in front of the TV for the night. I didn't want to miss one single minute of it. Over the last 5-10 years however, I've only seen bits and pieces of it, if any at all. Since we don't go to the movies often, it seems like a waste of time to watch the awards when I haven't even seen any of the movies. Tonight will be different though. I'll be watching with anticipation, because...

1) I saw Blindside and Julie and Julia. I loved them both!

2) I'll have a connection to the show!

My friend Melanie at work told me on Thursday that her daughter Courtney auditioned and was picked to be one of the girls handing the Oscar to the winner tonight. She'll be one of those beautiful young ladies that brings out the Oscar and then helps escort the winners and presenters off the stage. Although Courtney has Paris runway modeling experience, she's nervous but very excited. Can you just imagine how many stars she'll be seeing face to face tonight!

I told Melanie it's no wonder her daughter was picked because she's tall, slender, and beautiful. Melanie said yes, but so was everyone else that auditioned! I'm so proud of our local, hometown girl and will be watching and rooting for her tonight. Not everyone can put something like this on their resume!

I can't wait to see Melanie at work on Tuesday. I'm hoping Courtney will have some juicy, star-studded stories to share!

By the way, Courtney will be the one wearing the yellow dress.

Monday Miscellany

* I worked Friday and Saturday and it was so good to see everyone, both the patients and my co-workers. I mentioned on Facebook Friday night that although the day went well, I 1) had a massive headache 2) had an incredible backache and 3) had a throbbing ankle by the end of the day. Other than that, everything went great!

* Saturday I was feeling much better physically when I went home, plus we had a really nice day at work. Saturdays usually are either really good days or really bad days, it can go either way. Thankfully, Saturday was a dream.

* I work again today and tomorrow, then I'm off for a week.

* I went to the gym yesterday for the first time since November. It felt so good to get out and exercise again.

* I got a new car last week. Do any of you hate the car buying process as much as I do!? Since I put on so few miles each year, we've found that leasing works well for me. This is my third leased car. I wasn't ready to give up my car just yet but the lease was up so I didn't have a choice. I ended up getting the same car, just new.

* I've reconnected with a few friends from Jr. High School/High School on Facebook. One of them just had her 17 year old son pass away unexpectedly. I don't know the details but I feel so bad for her. This was her baby, her affectionate child, and the one who she says always said "I love you Mom!" Please keep Debbie and her family in your prayers.

Have a great Monday!

Is It Just Me...

Or has this been a really nice Christmas season!?! We've had such a great, stress free time with family that I hate to see it end. My sister was right when she said she hasn't had this nice of a Christmas in years. My two sisters had a little spat in October when we were all in Colorado but things cleared up before Christmas. Maybe it paved the way for a "be nice and watch your words" holiday season this year. Whatever the case, it worked!

My parents arrived last Monday night and split their time between my sister Kim's house and mine. They left yesterday morning to return to Denver and I must admit I really miss having them around. Normally I would have been frazzled with pre-Christmas activities, work, shopping, cooking, company, etc., but with me being off of work I've just enjoyed it all...even with a hurt foot. We've played games, eaten out, cooked at home, gone to the movies, watched movies at home, entertained, and yes, shopped a little. All 5 adults here had laptops so we had lots of computer time too. Each of us sitting around the dining room table on our own laptop, reading things to each other. Gosh, I should have taken a picture of it! All of this has me wondering, even though I love my career and truly do enjoy my job, might it be time to step back and relax. Time to hang up my stethoscope so to speak. I guess we'll see what the new year brings.

I'll be busy busy today. We're going out of town tomorrow to spend New Year's with a group of our RV friends. I guess there will be about 30 of us so I've got alot of preparing to do. Lots of food planning and party planning going on.

Sooo, if I don't get another chance to talk to you this week, Happy New Year friends! Be safe and I truly hope 2010 is a blessed year for all of you!

See you next year!

How About Some Updates...

Happy Monday all! Can you believe Christmas is only 11 days away!?! Yikes is all I have to say about that!

We came home at the end of last week with Brandon in tow. He had an 8 day hospital stay and was treated for Pancreatitis. He's doing much much better now and is watching his diet very carefully. He has to be careful to not eat greasy or fatty foods and drink absolutely no alcohol or he could have flair ups from time to time. Trust me, he doesn't want any flair ups, ever!

Macey is improving daily and is a Christmas miracle for sure! She came out of her coma and has her complete memory in tact from what they can tell. She was also extubated recently and is now talking, but in a low, raspy voice. At least 2 surgeries are needed but they we're waiting for her brain pressure to stabilize, and thank goodness it has. Macey's family is so thankful for all of the prayers on her behalf, and say thank you to all. They have literally felt covered in prayer and give all the glory to God for sparing Macey's life. They are so grateful.

Although Macey has shown great improvement, they are praying for signs of movement on her left side. They've seen no movement there at all. She has come so far in such a short time but does exhibit problems associated with right side brain injury. She has a long, difficult road ahead of her but she definitely is our Christmas miracle!

As for me, I'm hobbling right along (with crutches) with the best of them. Believe me, this is such a royal pain but really, what can you do about it. It just makes me appreciate my health all that much more and I'm looking forward to and counting down the weeks until I can walk normally again. I feel like my life has been put on hold but I don't for a minute forget that I'm at least at home and not laying flat on my back in a hospital bed like Macey and so many others out there. My problems pale in comparison and I know it.

So much has transpired since Thanksgiving but there have been highlights, and yesterday was one of them. Do you remember last Christmas when my best friend Cindy moved to Oregon? Well, yesterday I got to see her and spend time with her, along with some other very close friends. I just love these women and spending time with them was great for the soul. It's so true that you don't know what you've got until it's gone because let me tell you, I've missed Cindy (and Kathy!) beyond words.
















(Lee and her grandson, myself, Cindy, Gina, and Kathy)

Cindy, Kathy, and I were the 3 musketeers at work for alot of years. Boy, those were the days! Last year Cindy moved to Oregon, Kathy started doing dialysis in the hospital setting, and would you believe those 2 girls left me high and dry...well not exactly, at least I've still got Lee and Gina!

Take care friends and Happy Monday!
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