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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.1) cynical_nurse
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) tudorpot | |
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Dear Patient , Yes, you have to get your arse off the couch and come and sit where I can (a) see the wound and (b) work without getting onto your filthy floor, or have your obnoxious dog crawl all over me. I know it's not what the other nurses do, that's their problem. Not sorry that you missed a whole 10 minutes of an old movie on TV. Don't expect me to want to come back again. no love your nurse Dear fellow nurses, Please consider, not booking patients who don't need daily visits on the weekend. I was asked to do other visits, but had to turn them down, as I had 10 visits and a lot of driving to do. It would also help if supplies were (a) available in the home or (b) organised so that I didn't have to dig through several bags and boxes to find the right stuff. It would also help tremendously if you could document wound size at least once in the last month, so I can do my job correctly. Reading, not measured for weeks at a time isn't helpful when I need to assess if the wound is healing. I know I'm covering for your day off, but I like to provide at least adequate care. no love your colleague Dear Supervisors, Get it in your head. I am not killing myself driving all over a huge area to do extra visits, when I am already overloaded with visits. Hire some more nurses. Can't find them? Well maybe it's time you raised our wages. no love an almost dead nurse who you need to work tomorrow Tags: cranky!, stupid patient tricks
Current Mood:  irate
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dancingwaves | |
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Note to self: Strawberry picking = amazing. Also? If it's super warm, they ripen super quickly. Good thing we were planning on freezing 95% of them anyway. (For smoothies. Which are also amazing.) Also? Homemade strawberry milkshakes are awesome. And Sarah and I have not done so well the past few days on the very-little-sugar thing. Trying to be gentle. And taking it in stride. I feel less sick, which is helpful. Keeping perspective. Doing Level I again has been quite good so far. It's giving me a chance to (re)visit the basics, (re)visit beginner's mind, and to really own my practice. I think these are all helpful. (There's an additional post percolating there, but not now.) Also? I was considering leaving school, for long, drawn out and (in retrospect) not necessarily interesting reasons. I have decided to stay in the pastoral counseling program, and am telling myself it's up to me what I get out of it. In that vein, I have applied for a graduate assistantship, I will be beginning research with a professor later this summer, and I am still exploring ways to own this decision, too. And, I know that I am in this to the end, as I have wrestled with the decision and know that I am making it purposefully and with intention. The rest is up to me. My reading is going slowly. There's been knitting, there's been sitting, there's been some writing, there's been NCIS watching. But not a lot of reading. Also? I'm already in need of new running shoes. I've put well over 300 miles on my shoes, and they say to replace anywhere between 300-500 miles; I also use the shoes for every day use, too. Plus? Now when I'm running, my foot's starting bothering me again. This will probably happen in a few weekends. I'm kind of excited, but also terrified, as I feel like I just got new shoes. Oh well. Better to be injury free. So glad it's a long weekend. What are you up to? This entry was originally posted at http://dancingwaves.dreamwidth.org/883131.html. Please comment there using OpenID.Tags: commitment, counseling.program, food, good things, life, running, school, shambhala training, tv
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dancingwaves | |
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[Trigger warning: Discussing regarding disordered eating, and how I'm dealing with it. If you are prone to triggering around this topic, please pass this entry.] For much of the past year or so, Sarah and I have been trying to watch what we eat, trying to eat out less, and trying, for the most part, to exercise more. You all know this. What I haven't talked about is how out of control I've felt the last few weeks. See, once I started training for the CUCB, I stopped counting calories. Which was fine, because I was logging 35-40 miles a month. We also stopped being as careful about what we ate. But since then, we haven't returned to any of those behaviors. We're not running (or even working out) very often. My food choices haven't been the best. I'm not counting calories. (The last I'm okay with, if the other two are in place.) But, we've both started feeling sick again and realizing that perhaps, ice cream every single night is not necessarily what we need to be doing right now. Last night, we drew up a weekly menu, moving back to the six small meals (as in three larger calorie meals, then three small, but dense, snacks; it works out to breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack). Looking at things that we both had in the house, but also, that we liked. We went to grocery store, since being in DC this weekend did not allow for us to do that. And we spent a good solid hour, hour and a half prepping things: chopping veggies, making the main course for dinner [roasted chicken legs, with a little bit of salt and pepper, but nothing else], and in general, trying to find some sort of middle ground again. I also got a few [herbal wellness] teas and am [gasp!] going to go off caffeine for a few weeks. I haven't been sleeping well. I have been having a crash of some sort every afternoon, so instead, I'm drinking a few different teas, all herbal, and a few with specific labeling for detox/refreshing purposes. (If you're interested, I have Celestial Seasonings Detox AM tea, Yogi Peach Detox, Yogi Breathe Deep, and Celestial Seasonings Peppermint.) We'll see how this goes, as I'm also drinking the teas without sugar. I have found sugar is my addiction and I'm working to work with this; for me, part of it is getting out of the habit of reaching for it as the main choice. See, last night, I made some pretty bad food choices and ended up paying for it in the middle of the night. Without going in to gory details at all, let's just say it was a form of aversion therapy and made me realize that taking a few weeks to do this is better than feeling wonky, groggy, and sick to my stomach all of the time. We are going to be working with running and DDP Yoga; and with the latter, he gives menu options and talks about food stuff. So, while we're not following it to the letter, we are taking up some of the ideas and portion sizing and working with that for the next few weeks, just to find some middle ground. An overall detox, you can say. I was kind of worried that, as we're running, there wouldn't be enough caloric intake, or I'd feel hungry all of the time. And while I won't be counting calories [at this point, I'd think I'd find it overkill], I was curious about what I'm putting in my body. And it's a reasonable amount of calories, where I'd feel comfortable going for a run and then having a protein shake before afterward (which is what we often do anyway). We'll see how it goes; it's all an experiment and we'll see how we fare :) The nice thing was, while shopping, there were only two items we had to go into the aisles for: bread flour and tea. I was very excited about this. (Not sure if you've heard the whole thing about trying to shop mostly on the outside aisles, if possible? Not sure what I think about it, but it's where the perishable items tend to be, which means we [mostly] know what's in things. At least, the items from the outside aisles go bad in time we expect, rather than hanging on for weeks, like some of the manufactured breads. I struggle with this, because I do know that I am fortunate to be able to have fresh, hearty food and that I have the means to be able to shop more frequently for more perishable items. That is another post, in many ways.) So, here's to each moment being a fresh moment, and that we always have choices in what we do. I'll keep you posted. This entry was originally posted at http://dancingwaves.dreamwidth.org/882657.html. Please comment there using OpenID.Tags: body, coffee, exercise, food, goals, good things, health, running, tea
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sweet3mich | |
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So I got past my irritation with Gerry and went to his place after work and started my project.
I started by sanding the top veneer down as much as I could. I hadn't looked at it close enough before to see that it was actually veneer and not just super varnished. The surface did look roughed up pretty good after I sanded it, so I am hoping that with a coat of primer over top of it I won't have issues of the paint scratching off. *fingers crossed* I was able to put on a coat of primer today and plan on letting that sit overnight to set up. Then I'll do the real painting tomorrow.
I found some really cute hardware from Menards. I picked up four knobs, two for each big drawer, and then a handle for the desk drawer. The handle doesn't fit, though. The screw legs on the the handles are actually 1/4 inch to wide so they don't line up with the holes already there. I hope I can find a handle that will match my knobs close enough so I can keep them. I like the knobs a lot. I might have to get creative and come up with a suitable home made substitute. Get crafty, maybe.
I've had a lot of thoughts floating in my head lately about where I want to be in 5 years. Hell. In two years. Where will I be when I am 40?? I have decided, that one way or another, I *am* going to be in my own house. Whether it is through Habitat for Humanity or not. I don't make many goals..even daily goals. It's like list making and I am horrible with lists. I write them and lose them all the time. For some reason having a "goal" feels the same way for me. I have them then I forget what they were. But I need to change that. It's time to reign in the big dreams and start focusing on some realistic and completely doable ones. Getting a home of my own is certainly doable. It's going to take some hard core commitment and discipline on my part. Budgeting my money, paying off debts, working on cleaning up my credit. These will be hard for me to work on because I have always had a difficult time with money. I honestly do not know what it is, but money is like water through my finger. I hate it. HATE IT! Sometimes I want to beg a stranger on the street to manage my money for me. I get stressed dealing with it. I would jump at the opportunity to sit down with in my same economic position and show me how they successfully manage a budget. I know there is someone out there.
It ain't me. That's for sure.
I guess I have the apartment to myself tonight. Kari is at her Dad's and Joey is spending the night at a friends house. Teenage bonfire in the parents back yard kind of deal. I like being alone. I rarely get to be alone anymore. I am always with my kids, co-workers or with Gerry. I get time in my car to and from work. I'll take what I can get. So, it's nice to have the place all to myself and the cats. I usually stay at Gerry's place when the kids are gone, but I think I just needed a break from people. I can turn on my Pandora, decide to clean the kitchen or give myself a manicure, Maybe watch some Jean Luc Picard on the Netflix, probably continue reading my book.
That reminds me. I went a joined a book club last month. We read "Still Life in Milford" which is a collection of poetry by down state author, Thomas Lynch. It was good stuff. This month we are reading "The Life of Pi". I haven't started it yet..I still need to pick it up (Monday). But first I want to finish reading "The Host". I am very much liking this book. It's such a neat idea for a story. Same author as the Twilight books, I don't know her name. I was never interested in reading the Twilight books (and still not) but I would read any other work by her based on this book. I like being in a book club. My friend Marty and his wife, Beth, host it. I have known Marty for years and he knows my sister through PAAC and he was my instructor for his first Good Books class at NMU. We work in the same office at the Med Center, though for different departments. Marty is still an adjunct professor at NMU teaching a class or two each semester. I was happy that he invited me to join the book club. I like having something to look forward to each month. And it's getting me back in the habit of reading for fun. I have missed it. I feel like my brain is waking up after having been asleep for years. Time to start that engine back up again.
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sweet3mich | |
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I am illegally posting this from work. I should be digitizing mammograms right now but my head it just so scattered right now I am can't concentrate on any one thing for more than a few moments. I don't know what my deal is.
Gerry, Miranda and I went out to Carrie & Mike's place last night. I am SO envious of where they live. They live in what's known as Suomi Location just outside of Palmer. It's basically a cluster of homes in the boonies. What's great about their place, though, is that their home is tucked back off the road and it is surrounded by trees. They have a nice deck that looks out over a marshy river scene and you can sit and listen to the red winged black birds, whippoorwills and peepers all day long. It's absolute heaven. They have a HUGE yard and a nice little fire pit. It's just nice.
Anyway, we had a nice visit with them. We BBQ'd and had a couple of drinks and just visited. I really enjoy them both tremendously. Just good people. They are both such giving people. Mike is looking at my car today. He says he'll see what he can do with it.."maybe get another 6 months out of it"...ha ha..according to Carrie he says that every 6 months with their cars and then he figures out another way to keep them on the road. If he can help me limp this one along until next tax season then I'll be happy. So far any major problems I have had with it have all been related to the body being rusted out. That undercarriage is just so bad. I think he'll figure it out, though.
So. I picked up this neat piece of furniture from St. Vinnies on Thursday. I only got it for $20 and it's a pretty big piece. It is actually a desk/dress/bench from a hotel room. I don't know how to really explain it. It's about 8 ft long and on the left end it's a desk and then to the right of the desk it's 2 dresser drawers and to the right of the drawers it drops to a bench. I think it's neat. I picked up some paint and primer yesterday from Lowe's and I am going to give it a make over today and tomorrow. I am picking up some new hardware for it today. Not sure what style I am going to go for, but I will be stopping at Menards for that. I looked at what Lowe's had yesterday and nothing really jumped out at me. I am painting it a nice deep red so I am thinking something dark will be best. We'll see. I'll be posting photos on Facebook of the Before, During & After.
I got a little irritated with Gerry yesterday. I have been trying to figure out if I am overreacting or if he was just being a bit of a jerk. All day yesterday I was thinking about my project with this piece of furniture and getting excited about how much fun it was going to be to turn it into something fabulous. He was kind enough to drive into Marquette with his truck to pick it up for me and even offered to let me paint it in his garage (I was going to do it in my yard). When I got to his place later and was helping him unload it he was saying that he didn't think I should paint it. I said that I wanted to paint it because I wasn't really thrilled with the color of the finish on it now, so then he said he didn't think it could be painted. That's when I started to get irritated because I didn't understand where he was going with these statements. I was excited about doing this...I think it was pretty obvious..but he seemed to be finding ways to shoot it down and I didn't get it. I told him I knew it could be painted but it would need to be sanded a bit and then he started pointing out little things that weren't really relevant to what I wanted to do with it, which even frustrated me more. Finally I said I had reading up on different sites on the internet on how to do it (I really hadn't) and it could be done (we are talking about just painting the damn thing, for petes sake!) and he comes back with "well, I suppose, of course if you read it on the internet then I guess it can be done." I suddenly got SO PISSED that I had to walk away. I just didn't get it. I almost feel like he was being critical of me, but not in any direct way. He wasn't telling me "you are going to mess this up" but he was just...kind of being an ass. *sigh* I didn't like it.
Back to work, though. These mammograms aren't going to digitize themselves. Only 3 more hours to go, though.
*whew*
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dancingwaves | |
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![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) groovesinorbit and paperkingdoms, I am going to attempt Hitchhiker's Guide via audio. After that, I will try Lord of the Rings. :) I'm wondering if the audio medium will help me. We'll see. I'll let you know. (I've been listening to Terry Pratchett, which always makes me wonder, Why don't I give the others a try again?. Sigh.) ETA: The introduction states that HGttG was originally written as a radio series, and his fans wanted him to turn it into a book. Maybe this is the way HGttG was supposed to be experienced ;) Been completely fascinated by Out of Our Minds. Thoughts running through, about creativity, education, and it's just meaty. Yay! I had the meeting with a professor in my department. It was a great meeting and I'm still pondering. But, it was wonderful and I appreciated her time. This weekend is a retreat. Next weekend is one, too. Should be interesting. I have started listening to my music starting at A. It's interesting listening to different versions of the same song. (Today, it was Adam and Eve; goodness, what memories come up with that song. So interesting to see where I am now, and where I was then, and the ways I can sit with who I was and not get tossed away by it. Sometimes, I can even find some compassion for the people that we were.) I've been having some wonderful conversation lately; on the one hand, it leaves me wondering, "What can one person do to change the world?" And yet, it's not just one person. And it's a constant choice of what to cultivate. Somehow, my meditation practice has allowed me to see that. It's about learning what I can and can't do. And not just throwing up my hands. I'm at baby steps, and while I'm no revolutionary in the traditional sense, I am as much a part of the big mess as I want to be a part of helping make it better... whatever that looks like. This entry was originally posted at http://dancingwaves.dreamwidth.org/881965.html. Please comment there using OpenID.Tags: books, counseling.program, links, music, shambhala training
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sweet3mich | |
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Kari has her Spring Choral concert tonight so I was trying to think of something quick for dinner since I was working later today. I decided on goulash; the way my mother used to make it. Simple recipe. Ground beef. Onions. Green Peppers. Canned tomatoes. Salt & Pepper to taste and just add pasta. Mom always made it with elbow macaroni, mostly because I doubt there was huge selection of pastas back when I was young, unlike today. I am making mine with penne. It's funny what sort of memories come rushing back to me when I smell these combination of ingredients together. It's kind of neat and I am so totally starving right now I can't not wait to bust into a bowl of goulash with a slice of bread and butter on the side. Just like when I was a kid.
Work was busy in spurts today, but slowed down around 3:00pm like usual. We had the occasional walk-in patient and a couple of add-on's but I still was twiddling my thumbs that last hour and a half. I don't enjoy that. This other position I am applying for has promise to be much more busy, which I prefer. Keep me working from the time I punch in to the time I punch out. That would be nice. Plus it's in the kind of environment where being busy includes being social so it doesn't feel necessarily like work. I can't talk about it too much, though, for fear of jinxing myself. That's always how it happens. I am excited about the possibilities, though.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a couple of tops from St Vinnies that I thought looked good on me when I bought them, but then when I went to wear them I was kind of "meh" about. Since I have been a lazy bones with my laundry the past week or so I was forced to wear them both this week and both days I was complimented on how nice I looked! To be honest, I did know they looked fine on me, but I think what helped was that I was able to put together an outfit around them which I normally don't do. Typically I feel somewhat mish-mashed with my clothing and as long as what I am wearing fits right and doesn't make me look like a total frump I am good to go. Back when I used to watch What Not to Wear I would daydream about Clinton and Stacey ambushing me and sending on an all expense paid trip to New York with a $5000 Visa card in my back pocket. Sadly it's never happened. But it's nice to be complimented on how I look. It boosts a persons self esteem all the same, $5000 Visa or not.
I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled an 8:15am PT appointment tomorrow morning on my DAY OFF!! Maybe sleeping in would have been nice. Not really, though. I am going to attempt at being productive and get up early enough to get some sunrise photos before I have to head to Marquette, or maybe even get to Marquette in time to take some. I am not a morning person, but I would like to think that the chance to get some beautiful shots would be a good incentive. Not to mention I'd be in Marquette already and I could get all my errands done and be home early enough to get some things accomplished here too. I wish there was a way to easily change my habits around from being a night owl to an early bird. I am always so much more productive in the morning but I stay up late too easy.
Time to get ready for the concert. Gerry and Miranda are picking me up at 6:30 and I want to touch up my make up before he gets here.
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dancingwaves | |
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As I go further in my counseling studies, I want to find an area where I feel stretched, strengthened, and where I will find some grounding. For me, that comes through knowledge, research, and integration. Over the course of the summer, I hope to find intersections between my interests in spirituality, creativity, and the use of those as tools for resilience. The resilience piece is something that I'm still exploring, but the following will also be supported by research articles on these topics. There will be a full listing at the end of the summer. ( Click for the Massive Reading List )If there are other titles that you think I might benefit from or like, please leave a comment! This entry was originally posted at http://dancingwaves.dreamwidth.org/881529.html. Please comment there using OpenID.Tags: books, counseling.program, creativity, goals, good things, links, reading, shambhala training, summer2012
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sweet3mich | |
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Hello Livejournal!
I'm in the middle of making dinner and since this part doesn't require much involvement on my part, I thought I'd see if I could write a proper journal entry.
In case you are wondering, tonight we are having Breakfast for Dinner which consists of a spinach & mushroom quiche like dish I whipped up with a crescent roll crust and topped with tomatoes and green onions. It smells good but I am not entirely sure of the cook time and temp so I put it in for 375 for 35 minutes and it was still pretty soupy so I set the timer again for 30 minutes. I am worried about the crust burning, but there is a chance it won't. We will see?! I am also making potato pancakes with left over mashed potatoes from last nights dinner and there will be some 'lil smokies on the side. I've been prepping and cooking since I got home at 4:30, maybe we'll be eating by 6pm?
I don't think it will be a big deal when we eat. Joey doesn't usually get home until around 6pm-6:30pm after working out at AdvantEdge and Kari is curled up on the sofa with her boyfriend (eep!!) watching Supernatural. No one is bugging me about how hungry they are so I think I am good.
I think I am going to go to Gerry's tonight and work on my resume. I found a job I am interested in applying for and I think I could stand a chance of at least getting an interview for. (Kari just asked when dinner was going to be ready! Ha!) I do well in interviews, I guess. I look back at all the jobs I have had and I have ALWAYS gotten the job that I interviewed for. So if I could get an interview maybe there would be a decent chance I could get the job?? Who knows. At any rate, I think it's one I could enjoy and it pays better than my current position and has better benefits, so...we will see.
Gotta take my car over to Carrie and Mikes on Friday. Mike did some "jimmy rig" work on my car last fall and it's starting to sound like I am having the same problem so I mentioned it to Carrie and Mike told her to have me bring it over on Friday. We're gonna BBQ and hang out while we are there too, which I am looking forward to. Carrie was one of my favorite people in my old office so I look forward to spending some time with her. Not to mention I think Gerry and Mike would get along real well. They have met a couple times before but haven't really hung out at length so this will be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other a bit. I think Gerry needs some guy friends to hang out with.
No work for me this Thursday since I work the weekend. I like having a day in the week off. I feel like I have a more productive week when I do. So far I have physical therapy scheduled at 8:15a (yeah..no sleeping in for me) and then I am going to the Habitat for Humanity office to talk with them about their application process. I started to fill one out back in February but had so many other financial issues going on at the time that I put it aside because I felt that I wasn't in the right place to apply. I got a letter in the mail the other day from Habitat inquiring about the application and asking if I was still interested, which I am, so I thought I'd go in and speak with someone face to face and find out really what my obstacles might be and how I can get around them so I can work on qualifying for a home for the kids and I. I am so tired of renting and not being able to afford to buy a home and having SO MUCH house envy. It makes me sick, sometimes. I just want a place I can say belongs to me and my kids. Anyway..can't put the cart before the horse. There is a lot to the whole process, but it's doable.
I've been thinking a lot about my photography skills lately. It seems like just about everyone I know is suddenly a professional photographer and trying to peddle their wares. I enjoy photography..it makes me happy to take pictures of the beauty I see around me, but I don't know that I will ever feel comfortable calling myself "professional". I've worked with Daniele now for five seasons and I really have had fun and it's totally given me a creative outlet I didn't know I had before, but..yeah. On the other hand, though, why couldn't I work on becoming a professional photographer. I could approach local restaurants about photographing their food. I could approach local galleries about displaying some of my favorite pieces for sale. I could work on selling stock photos. All great ideas...but I am just not motivated to do so and what sucks about that is when someone else DOES get out there and starts getting a name for themselves, well, I start to get a little jealous. Stupid!! I keep telling myself "When I get more time I'll be able to focus more" but that time isn't falling in my lap so it's up to me to make some. Bah. I don't know.
Anyway..looks like I have put together a successful journal entry, so I am going skedaddle on over to Gerry's and work on my resume. Then it's back home to give myself a quick manicure before bed. My polish is chipping bad and I need to trim down my nails.
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dancingwaves | |
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All over the world, governments are pouring vast resources into education reform. In the process, policy makers typically narrow the curriculum to emphasize a small group of subjects, tie schools up in a culture of standardized testing and limit the discretion of educators to make professional judgments about how and what to teach. These reforms are typically stifling the very skills and qualities that are essential to meet the challenges we face: creativity, cultural understanding, communication, collaboration, and problem solving.
from Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative by Ken Robinson ETA: I have more thoughts about this... it's mulling around right now. But, I am curious to your thoughts. Please comment :) This entry was originally posted at http://dancingwaves.dreamwidth.org/880990.html. Please comment there using OpenID.Tags: creativity, education, leadership, learning, quotes, school
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