forever young

This past weekend was Nick's wedding weekend!

Corey and I spent Thursday through Sunday in Owasso for the wedding and had an amazing time.

First of all, Skyfall is the best Bond movie ever.  We saw that in the IMAX theater Thursday night.

While the boys went and shot things in Bristow, the girls stayed at Nick's parents' house in Owasso drinking mimosas and making the wedding flower arrangements.  We all became amateur florists that day.  And we were pretty good at it!  That night was the rehearsal dinner at TiAmo's in Tulsa.  We had some delicious Italian food at a beautiful venue!

Saturday was, of course, wedding day.  We arrived at Bridle Creek Ranch in the morning to set up tables and ice down the beer.  The wedding party took pictures and everyone looked fabulous!  The ceremony was wonderful and the reception could not have been more fun!  We danced all night!

Sunday we drove home tired as can be, but I think it was worth it.

--

"in my heart you'll always stay forever young"

kiss me

Who's been too busy to blog in three months??

Me.

I'm trying to think back and remember what I've been doing.  I started 10 hour shifts at work.  So I get an extra day off!  (Still no weekends) *fist pump*  Oh yeah.  Also found out I get plenty of days off for Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend some time with my mommy.  I am cross trained in both stages of PACU now, so I am a much more useful employee!  Which makes me feel good.  I have a very fun and rewarding job, and I must say that I am very blessed.

General election is tomorrow, so by the end of the night the USA will know the next president!  I am voting tomorrow which will be my first time to actually vote on election day instead of early or absentee voting.  Exciting!

I suppose a recent interest I've had is replaying my old Pokemon Blue version Game Boy game.  I got that game when I was 11 and have beaten it a couple of times.  I am enjoying playing again!

I will need to find some interesting things to blog about and start posting more.  I miss blogging!


--
"strike up the band and make the spotlight stand silver moon sparkling"

wide awake

Time to get those photos up on the blog here.

--

These first three are of the very friendly Arabian camel.  He checked out all sides of the car.

This is one of the many emu friends we made.

I think this is a water buffalo.  (Yours is fast, but mine is slow.... That's for the people who watched "Veggie Tales" as a kid)

One of several peacocks hanging around.

Corey being cute.  As usual.  :)

An ostrich chasing me along the fence!

Video of a monkey swinging around.

I hope that video upload works.  I may have to fool with it some or upload it to YouTube.

Charge nursing is going well in preop.  Still have some things I'd like to improve greatly on, but overall I am getting better at it.

Happy weekend!

--

"I was falling hard with an open heart"

call me, maybe

I'm just posting a quick update today.  Hopefully, later this weekend I'll have a bigger post (with pictures!).

Corey and I had a great Fourth of July!  We slept in (both off of work!  yay!) and then went up to Gentry to visit one of his friends at their Freedom Fest.  We watched some "amateur wrestling" and ate a ridiculously expensive corn dog.  After leaving there we decided to check out the Drive-Through Safari still in Gentry.  That place is pretty awesome!  They had all kinds of animals (some that will walk right up to your car... I'll post pictures of the camel and emu later) and a petting zoo section.  We managed to snuggle a kangaroo before going home :).  When it started to get dark, we went back to the Freedom Fest to enjoy the city firework display.  It was great!  We were glad cities were still doing fireworks (safely monitored by the fire department) even with all the burn bans.

My sister, Ruby, is in NWA this weekend!  We have plans tomorrow to do some swimming and ice skating.  I'll post more on that Sunday or so.

Work update:  Going pretty well.  Still not training in PACU :(.  However, I am starting to train as the pre-op charge nurse.  I had day two of that today.  It is pretty special.  You definitely earn that little bit more an hour for charging.  It was fun, though, and while I wouldn't want to do it every day, I enjoyed it so far.

Pottermore update:  Slytherin won the house cup!  Always good to be a member of the winning house :).  The prize is getting to see the first few chapters of Chamber of Secrets before everyone else!  Color me excited.


--
"I just met you, and this is crazy..."

creep (2)

It has been far too long since I wrote something.

Work is same as usual.  I'm getting good at it and enjoying my co-workers.
Today was pretty nice.  Spent the afternoon outside (adorable puppy picture to follow) and watching Arkansas baseball on tv.  Right now, Corey is at a friend's bachelor party.

It was pure luck that I got that picture.  He jumped up in my face less than a second after I got it.

There isn't a whole lot else going on lately.  Summer in Fayetteville can be pretty boring.  But I like it that way.  Also, we aren't moving this year.  One more year in this apartment and then we'll find something else.  Maybe?  In any case, I'm glad to not have to deal with the hassle of moving this year. :)


--
"you're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry"

one and only

Today I am going to redo the ol' blog again.  Time for a summer theme.

I'm making cream cheese tacos again, too.  Pinterest recipes are going to get me in trouble.  I'm also watching Paula Deen, so today could go anywhere.

Hank is watching the show with me.  Abigail wouldn't sit still for a picture.

On the subject of puppies, Hank is growing really fast!  He is getting to be a big boy with long legs and big ears he hasn't grown into yet :)  His little excitement peepee problem is starting to get better, too.  Happy days with the baby boy.


--
"you're the only one that I want"

la vie en rose

So I had a pretty horrifying dream last night.  And it seemed like it lasted all night.

It's hard to remember where it starts, and a lot of it doesn't make much sense, but I'll try to explain it.

I think it started with me being late to work.  And work was at this big old mansion (think The Secret Garden).  So, turns out, that me being late was a mortal sin.  No one would talk to me, and in fact, they managed to pull a curtain around their work station shutting me out.  That was the horrifying thing about it.  I spent all day discharging cataract surgery patients by myself.  Also spent the day getting dirty looks from my co-workers.  Got told near the end of the day that I needed to call my boss to see if I got to continue employment at that job.  What was strange about the patients I was taking care of was that they were people I knew.  I took care of Scotty's brother and Mario's dad.  So strange.  After I sent my patients home, I decided to explore the mansion to get away from everyone who hated me.  There were a million staircases and rooms.  Weird things started happening, like the curtains on the walls rolling down and back up covering the pictures.  I went outside and there were lots of gardens that looked like they used to be well taken care of, but were overgrown and dirty now.

It was such a strange dream.

This morning I am cleaning up a bit and perhaps will coerce Corey into taking me to the library or playing Gator Golf or something this afternoon.  I am hoping to have a relaxed weekend.  The weather is finally warming up (no more gloomy winter!) and it is really beautiful outside!


--
"il me dit des mots d'amour"

creep

Well, I have been all over this Pottermore shiznit the past week.  Like on it every day.  I'm trying to gain some confidence in life by finding my Slytherin ambition.  It's all in all a lot of fun.  I really hope it's out of beta soon, so the rest of the books will be available to look at.  I'm dying to get into the rest of them.

Today I am making my first Pinterest recipe.  It is crock pot chicken tacos.  Or nachos if you choose to eat it with chips.  It involves frozen chicken, toppings (diced tomatoes/Rotel, black beans, corn, etc), cream cheese, and your crock pot.  Apparently, you throw all this stuff in and let it go on low for 6-8 hours.  My kind of recipe.  I'm excited to see how they turn out!

I am also casually cleaning today.  Steam cleaning the carpet mostly.  Housework may be one of my least favorite things to do ever.  But I do quite enjoy the end result, so I guess it's worth it.

Yesterday, we got a great surprise in our friend Jordan driving up from Dallas to visit for the day!  He was in Fort Smith with Stephanie and elected to make the extra hours trip to come hang out with us.  We met up with Monica and Emily for sushi (which was great) and then went for froyo (also delicious).  After that, we went to campus to take a look at Senior Walk since they recently put down the class of 2010's names, only to find that it is apparently not finished!  Names from "F" to "R" were missing!  That, of course, means that Jordan was none to be found which was rather disappointing.  We proceeded to walk around campus to find out parents' names and chase squirrels.

I always count it a good day to catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while or friends who live far away.  I miss college in that respect.  I realize how easy it was to take for granted being able to see those people every day.  Now that my two closest friends from school (besides Corey, that would be Jordan and Nick) live hours away, I cherish every time I get to see them.


--
"you're so ***king special, I wish I was special"

drive by

Pottermore.com is finally online for everyone.  Jesus, that took forever.  It was supposed to be open last October.  But it opened yesterday.

I'm still getting used to everything on there.  I've made it through the first book.  So that means I have a wand (Cypress, Phoenix feather core, 10 inches, slightly yielding) and I've been sorted (Slytherin house). I have been playing around with spells and potion making.  What's fun about it is that stuff actually takes some practice!  It makes it pretty interesting!  I am excited for the rest of the books to be unlocked on there.  I think there is much more to be discovered, for instance, there is opportunity to make fan art and comments, etc., and I haven't delved much into that yet.

So if you are a Harry Potter fan, you should check it out!

In other news, I have been working on being better at IV starts.  I have improved a lot just by observing others at work.  I also watched some archaic nursing education videos on youtube about it.  Crappy thing about those, though, is that they don't use the safety catheters that everyone with half a brain uses now.  It's still interesting, though.  The following videos are actually really good.  CRNAs, turns out, make pretty boss teachers.

I'll leave you with those.


--
"oh I swear to you, I'll be there for you"

set fire to the rain

My first post-apocalyptic blog post.

I mean....

My first post after I started my new job :)

I am working in the pre-op area of an outpatient surgery center.  It is so fun!  I basically prep patients for surgeries.  For example, I help get them properly dressed, start IVs, have consents signed, give kids "Goofy Juice" a. k. a. Versed (a magical drug!), run labs, and whatever else needs to be done for their specific surgery.  At some point I will learn recovery room, but for now, I am doing pre-op.

My before and after pictures:

I am missing my friends at my old job quite a bit.  I have thought about asking to be a volunteer nurse on the floor to help with admits and discharges.

I am loving having a Monday through Friday job.  I think working every day and having a consistent schedule makes the week go by faster, and I don't feel as tired!  Even though I arrive at work at 0530 now :)

This afternoon has been pretty lazy.  Just watching Abigail be lazy and listening to Corey's dub-step radio station on Spotify while he works.

--

"until you kissed my lips and you saved me"

I will always love you

Lots I could write today.

I finished my job at the hospital.  I start at the surgery clinic tomorrow!  I am getting nervous.

It was weird to read a status with the floor census.  I had a panic moment at first, like worrying/hoping I would be put on stand by.  Half a second later, I realized:  wait, I don't work there anymore.  Phew.

I had a good, unemployed weekend. :)  Nick and Nichole came to Fayetteville yesterday.  We went to dinner and Dickson with several college friends.  It was a great group to go out with (minus Corey not being there :(((( ) and we had a lot of fun!  It was good to catch up.  It's interesting to catch up on people I used to be friends with.  People that, turns out, only were "friends" with me because they had to see me every day.  People who slandered mine and Corey's names as soon as we were not regularly present to defend ourselves.  I'm glad I ended up with the friends I have.  They are amazing.  :))  Denny's afterward was absolutely classic.  See the video below for part of the fun.

For the "The Lord of the Rings" nerds out there, see this:

Ha.  Yeah.  So that was the funniest thing ever.

I am way bored today.  Way.  Bored.

I'll try to update some more tomorrow after work.  At my new job.  :)

--

"bittersweet memories, that is all I'm taking with me"

up in flames

4 shifts.

4 shifts left on the medical surgical floor.

4 shifts left on the medical surgical floor, and then I change my "About me" and employer and all that business.

Monday after next, I start a brand new job at a new place.  It's closer to home.  It's clinic hours.  It's surgery.  I'm excited. :)

I will miss the people I work with very dearly.  They are my friends, work family, and a good support system.  I am hoping to find the same kind of people at my new job.  I will not miss the cranky old people and their crazy families who think our hospital is the Marriott hotel and the nurses and aides are waitresses and housekeepers and their family member is the only person we're assigned to care for that day.  I'm tired of being given retarded tasks to make our cares look good on paper, but tanks our actual bedside care if we do all of it.  Sorry, but I'm going to take care of my patient before I chart IVPB stop times (when it's documented how long the med runs) and I'm not staying 2 extra hours after my shift is over.  It's not the 1800s and I have a life to get home to after work.  Sorry.  Nursing Executive Who Sits Behind A Desk All Day can kiss my rear end until she does our job for a week with all the BS she thinks we should be doing and then harp on patient satisfaction.  Those people don't give a crap about patient satisfaction or safety.  It's all about the dollar signs.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Whatever.

Outpatient surgery is my new gig.  And I am SUPER PUMPED about it.

***

In other news, I went to the eye doctor today.  I hadn't been in a couple years, and needed to get a check up anyway.  I also wanted to use my vision benefits from my current job before I lose it.  I used my flex spending card while I still have it, too.  Found out my eyes are healthy, and my glasses prescription hasn't changed much at all in the past 2 years!  I was excited to hear it, because my prescription had changed a lot between the previous 2 appointments while I was in college.  I got some new glasses, just to get them since I had it covered by insurance.  I got some cute Vera Bradley frames.  During the exam, they dilated my pupils, so driving home was interesting.  My next vision goal is to get prescription sunglasses.  Hopefully those can be covered under insurance with my new job :)  That would be pretty awesome.


--
"so it's over, this time I know it's gone"

I'm taking you with me

I changed my blog background again.  It's sunshine-y and I like it.

Today I went and learned how to be a preceptor.  I took the class at work that teaches a nurse how to properly orient new hires, especially new grads, to the nursing unit and to nursing in general.  It was fun!  I have already precepted for a few nurses, but this class gave a look at the whole process of teaching a new nurse.

I guess I don't have a whole lot to say today.  Just making a note of a good day!


--
"I've made a habit of not making promises that aren't easy to keep"

the long and winding road

I am at a career crossroads.  It was never my long-term career goal to work on an inpatient nursing unit.  As a new graduate nurse, other specialties ask for usually a minimum of one year's experience in clinical practice.  Medical-surgical floor nursing is a common source of this experience.

I have been a nurse for a year now, and I am looking to find my long-term career in nursing.  I feel like this year has been filled with all kinds of learning for me.  I have truly learned how to be a nurse.  I don't think I could have gotten the amount and variety of experiences on any other type of unit.  I have an absurd level of time management when I want to, and know a lot about a lot of different types of patients.

Surgery and peri-procedure nursing is where I want to go next.  I am not completely sure that I will stay there forever, but I was always interested in that in school, and it is my current goal to get into those departments.

I have had a few frustrating moments.  Like not being enrolled into ACLS.  I understand not having it paid for by the hospital, since it isn't "necessary" for my specific job role, but I am willing to pay for it.  I just want to be given the opportunity to take it.  I want to do what I can to increase my competence.

I have enjoyed this past year at work.  It's stressful and draining, but I still loved it.


--
"I've seen that road before, it always leads me here"

waiting on the world to change

Corey bought Abigail a pink and white polka dot bed pillow.  She has it in her new inescapable crate.  She loves it.  She has it arranged with one corner way up so she can lay her head on it like a pillow.  I think it helps comfort her when we're gone, too.  I was gone for about 4 hours yesterday and I left her in the crate with the pillow and that baby didn't move.  I think she took a nap.  She has a couple toys in there to chew on and occupy herself when not sleeping.  

I think she is finally okay with being left at home in her crate when we have to leave.  She still pees on the floor, so leaving her to roam the house is not an option for her.  We are taking baby steps!  Maybe she will finally learn to behave! :)

So I interviewed for two jobs yesterday.  One of them I did not have what they wanted and should never have been called to waste my time interviewing.  I was really pissed off.  I have no idea what the other group thought of me, so we'll see on that.

I'm presently watching the beginning of the 2012 Cotton Bowl hoping my Hogs will win!  I feel proud to be an alumnae of the U of A. :)

--

"it's not that we don't care, we just know that the fight ain't fair"