Bak bak bak bak bak (think chickens)

OK, so as part of my preparation for the crash of our economy, I wanted to pick up a couple of hens and keep them in my back yard...in a coop...in the middle of a tight subdivision. Here's the thing, each hen will lay an egg a day if you provide the proper feed, lighting, etc. IF...the grocery stores were all cleaned out or there were no shipments of eggs or they cost too much or it was too dangerous to go to the store or you needed something of value (food) to trade for car parts or something (big breath here) then you would have a surplus of eggs to use! I mean, Kevin and I don't even eat eggs everyday so we would have extra.

Chelsie and Michael are having way too much fun over this...crazy mom and her doomsday preparations! They've told all their friends about it. I'm a laughing stock. Chelsie was thus cracking up one day on the phone when I mentioned that I would be raising these hens from chicks. She got all quiet and then in a heart beat started talking all high and cute, "you mean they will be babies?????!!!" And her heart just melted thinking about those cute little fuzzy chicks. She wants to name them. I told her she could come with me to pick them out. She's super excited now...go figure. She said at the end of the call, "ok mom, I guess it's not so funny if they are cute".

On the orientation express

Yep, I'm week two at work and in my last few days of orientation. I have had experience in OB, peds, neuro, ortho, and general. My next hurdle will be cardiac. Now this is not to say that I have MASTERED these areas...oh no, far from it. The good news is that I have a pager and can get help at any time. So next week when I am flying solo, I'll be keepin' that pager handy.

The cafeteria at work was a "wonderland of coolness" the first week, a "pretty good variety" this week, and I am afraid it will be a "can't stand the place" by the fourth week. As with all cafeterias, they have to repeat the menu now and then and when I get through it at least once, I will be ready to move on. Here is the problem, I will be working there for years to come. I will most likely pack a lunch a couple of days a week to shake things up a bit though.

I stopped by the bread store today after work...you know the kind...whole wheat bread with seeds and stuff in it. Well, since the last time I went, they've branched into baking cookies and not just whole wheat ones. Today they had white flour sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting, my absolute favorite. They also started baking quick breads like pumkin chocolate chip and rasberry/blueberry bread. Ok, so I spent 23.00 on breads and cookies today but it will all freeze. I'm not eating all this stuff TODAY...maybe just the cookies.

Still rockin'

Four days on the job and I still walk down the hospital corridor and the thought crosses my mind that I am not in Boise, that I am at some clinical site somewhere else. I have to remind myself that this is my job and that I'm in my home town...so weird.

And the job is going well. I am feeling ok about my progress. BUT....the scrubs they have there don't fit me AT ALL. The smalls are too small, the mediums are too big and the pants are cut so weird that I can't make them work. PLUS...the top has a pocket right at the bottom hem. This prevents me from tucking in the top. So there. I have seen other CRNAs in their own scrubs so that's what I'm going to do.

Well, are you all gearing up for the coming depression??? Better get things in order because we are all going down the drain. Not to be negative or anything...just get some food stored. If you want to scare yourself straight, check out this website, http://www.chrismartenson.com/ and listen to the "Crash Course". It's a series of powerpoint presentations that map out why we are in such a precarious situation.

On a lighter note (man, this post is totally bi-polar) the Bachelor is so stupid! He let the best girl go for a couple of immature ones. I think he just needs to be needed and Jillian was too much of a person in her own right. She should be the next Bachelorette. But I'm torn...she would probably end up in a broken relationship like the majority of Bachelor couples so that would be a bummer to see. But as for this Bachelor, he deserves to be in a broken relationship, he's so stupid.

1st day on the job

Well...it went better than I could have hoped. I envisioned getting lost, getting left alone, making mistakes, etc. But as it turns out, none of those things happened! I was put with a CRNA that had been there several months. She was very welcoming and nice. She showed me around and stayed with me the whole day. I guess I should say I stayed with her.

I got comfortable enough to do a case on my own towards the end of the day. My guide was still with me but she let me run the whole thing. It went well.....except for the KNOT that I managed to tie AROUND the ETT with the OG! If you are not in anesthesia, you will not know what I just said. Let me just say that I could not repeat that feat if you paid me "a million dollars" (picture Dr Evil).

At the end of the case, I went to remove the OG and it wouldn't come easily. Then I noticed the ETT moving everytime I pulled a little on the OG. So I held the ETT in place and gently tugged the OG up until I saw the knot. I couldn't believe it. My guide wanted a picture of it but I didn't have my camera phone on me. Damn!

I guess something memorable has to happen when there is a first day of anything. All was well in the end. I just pulled the OG out with the ETT on extubation.

What a weird feeling to actually be earning money for something I spent the last year and a half doing for free...in fact PAYING to do it. I tell you what, it feels good!

Getting the hang...

I'm still trying to get the hang of this blog and can't seem to post pictures but I will be getting some help from my neice Lindsey here sometime this week.

Kevin and I just got back from Kauai and I wanted to share a couple of pics so I hope to get those up soon.

Today is Saturday and I am still in my pjs at 9:15 am. I have been so spoiled for getting to sleep in for so long that come Monday, I will have a shock to the system when I have to get up at 5:30am.

New job jitters

Well, it's new job jitters time people! I went to my place of work a few days ago to get some paper work completed so I took the opportunity to look around a little. I'm glad I did but at the same time, I haven't been able to relax since then. Last night I sat up in bed while Kevin slept away. I was going through the anesthetic delivery of a typical patient in my head and I found myself moving my hands around like I was actually handling the oxygen mask, the syringes, etc. It's been a few months since I've been in the OR so I was rehearsing I guess. 

 Today I'm canning a bunch of dry goods with my sis-in-law and my mother in law at their church's canning facility. It's cool because you can preserve gallon cans of flour, beans, sugar, etc. for years. You may ask why I don't just go to the store and buy a bag of flour? BECAUSE...ok Pat, calm down...because the economy is scaring the crap out of me and we may have a major collapse of the supply chain one of these days. It may not be possible to buy goods at the store anymore. (remember Russia and their long lines just to buy toilet paper?) My kids laugh at me but they won't be laughing when they drag their starving skinny butts over to my house one day and I'm making muffins! Hah!

First entry

Well hello blogger world! I am trying my hand at this to see if I like it. I was inspired by my niece Lindsey because she has such a cute blog. I've been reading her's for years and now will at least give it a good shot. I thought it was a good time to begin since I just graduated from Nurse Anesthesia school and will be starting a brand new career on Monday! 

For those of you who don't know what nurse anesthetists do, we provide a majority of the anesthetic services for surgical procedures in the U.S. (65%). We can provide every anesthesia service throughout the surgical experience. Our training requires a registered nursing degree along with quite a bit of ICU nursing experience before we get to apply to an anesthesia school. The schooling takes 2 1/2 years with many hours of clinical training involved. I have had to put most of my life on hold to do this schooling so I am in a position to reshape a lot of my habits to fit my new career. I hope to be able to post some of my experiences in my job since I still have a lot to learn. 

A little about me...I'm 49! Wow...so old and yet so young, depending on your outlook. My husband Kevin and I raised two kids who both live in Boise. We get to see them all the time and love that. I started back to college when the kids were in high school because I had always wanted to finish college and do something challenging. I have spent the last 9 years in school so I am not sure how this new "not-in-school me" is going to pan out. I am so used to having to prepare for this or that test or paper or project. SO weird to not have anything like that to worry about. I find myself wandering around the house with no real goal in mind. I know I should be doing something like cleaning, getting organized, etc. because I have had to put all that on the back burner for so long. I will write more later. I have a lot of interests and fun stuff that I want to write about but for now, I'll let you in on a little secret...I LOVE watching reality TV. Right now I am watching The Bachelor and American Idol. Survivor starts a new season soon and Dancing With the Stars has already started! We missed the beginning episode so I will have to DVR it for sure.