Arizona and cabin trips

I went down to Phoenix to visit my sister and my mom a couple of weeks ago. My mom flew in from Salt Lake the day after I got there. We had a lot of fun. One of the highlights was dinner in this revolving restaurant above the Phoenix skyline. We sat and watched the changing scenery and even saw the sunset. We went with a group of my sister's friends who are all very funny and cool.

This picture of me and my sis was taken in the restaurant. It looks like I photo shopped my blog page picture into this one but I totally didn't. You all must think I wear that necklace constantly...like I can't take a picture without it. But I seldom wear that necklace, honest!

We had breakfast at that cool breakfast place that I can't remember the name of and also visited with some of Jeri's kiddos. My mom had plenty of energy and she kept right up with us.

We also did some stuff at Jeri's house like painting some touch-up areas on her livingroom walls and getting some flowers for her outdoor pots...pretty tame stuff but fun. It was over before I knew it and I was back on the plane home.

I caught up with Kevin at the cabin this past Saturday. He took off on Thursday to open it up. Turns out there was a broken pipe but he fixed it like the handy-man that he is and then went fishing!

Chelsie and Michael came with me and we went to West Yellowstone that first evening to goof around. I love that little town. Here they are in a store trying on hats...

We had fun just doing stupid stuff like that.

What else happened...my neice's hubby fixed dutch oven food in a major rain storm, and Kevin shot a squirrel in our basement (totally unrelated events).

Dirt and dust, beautiful views, and the occasional spotting of a cool animal. We saw a bald eagle, a coyote, and some antelope this time. No moose, sadly. Then back in the car! Drive Drive Drive. The end.

Still alive

Yes, i'm still alive and kicking. I'm on a break right now so I thought I'd throw a quick note up here.

Laura's last day with us is today! She takes off for home this afternoon. We will miss her. She's probably glad...driving away she's just so relieved to be OUT OF THERE! What with our crazy "reality tv" habits...

Speaking of which...what an upset! I was totally off. Chris Allen wasn't even on my radar when I posted about a-MER-ican Idol. Just goes to show you...something. I'm glad he won though. He deserves it. He was SO shocked. He kept trying to give the statue back or give it to Adam. You could tell he didn't think he'd get there in a million years.

It's CABIN time! Kevin is already up there. He went up early to make sure we can still get water and that there aren't any bears taking up residence in our house. I head up on Saturday with Chelsie, Michael, and Jasper. Should be fun.

Well, gotta go...p.s. Arizona was fun...tell more later.

Updates

Blog:
Updates:
Chelsie’s house hunting is still underway. The one for 59,000 that we were so excited about was bought with a cash offer that Chelsie couldn’t compete with. But she hasn’t given up. Her and Michael are still out there most weekends looking at fixer uppers of the most extraordinary kind…one such house we all went to take a look at was filled floor to ceiling with junk…little pathways through the house, just like those crazy hoarders you see on Oprah. (Ok I’m exaggerating just a little but it was pretty amazing).

They have put an offer in on one that seems within reach if someone else doesn’t snatch it up, 75,000 for a three-bedroom 1400 sq ft house in a halfway decent neighborhood. It has a full basement and a huge back yard. It looks to be a ton of work, I mean a TON of work. But the upstairs is mostly livable with a few little details like finishing the kitchen remodel that was started and putting in a working bathroom. Other than that, it’s only a matter of a few windows. Oh, and the hole in the ceiling and the leaky area under one wall. But it has a new roof! And this awesome (I mean it) gazabo thing outside built with log poles and a fireplace. So, at best a mixed bag. But it’s an opportunity for growth and learning to say the least, and a hell of a cool house when it’s done to say the most. I’ll post before’s and after’s if they get it.

Pop tarts: Just kidding, I promised no more pop tarts.

Chickens: sadly no chickens yet, but I did see this Dateline special about how these huge chicken farms are polluting America’s waterways and causing “dead zones” in the water where fish and plants can’t survive. Just another reason for everybody to have a few chickens in their back yards.

Laura:
I can’t believe Laura only has three more weeks with us, and then she’s on to a different clinical site. She’s been great to have around. As an example of how awesome she is, tonight she’s making tortilla soup and a layered dip for Cinco de Miyo (however you spell it) and we are all watching Dancing With the Stars and A-MER- ican Idol together while we eat. I got to sit and watch her participate in an online chat with her classmates last night…too funny. It brought back a lot of memories of school for me. She’s going to make a great anesthetist.

Work:
Wow, it’s so weird to have my schedule. I end up working about 40 hours a week but I have a ton of time off too. This last weekend, I worked Saturday and Sunday nights and slept both nights in the call room…no cases except for a labor epidural. But my schedule gave me yesterday and today off. I don’t even know what to do with my time. I should probably still be studying but I got so burnt out in school that cracking an anesthesia book is almost the LAST thing I want to do. I did look something up the other day though because I needed a refresher.

I am sitting in Barnes and Noble (my old haunt when I was in nursing and anesthesia school) typing this to just feel a little more comfortable in my own skin…a little more familiar than sitting at home typing this. Besides, the cat will NOT leave me alone for a second when I’m at home. He is the neediest cat I’ve ever seen. You know how cats are supposed to be all aloof? Not Mafia. He will YOWL at the door if you shut it against him. I was upstairs a little while ago and he didn’t know where I was so he wandered through the house crying until I called him. He probably spends his days crying when I’m not home, poor little thing. (Notice, this did not make me feel bad enough to stay home with him).

I am heading down to Arizona in a couple of weeks to spent time with my mom and sister. We are going to do fun stuff like eating at this cute restaurant that serves breakfast food and getting jamba juices in the mornings. We may even run up to Sedona for a day or something depending on how mom feels. She has Parkinson’s and it’s hard to predict how she is going to feel from one hour to the next. But we’ll have fun just sitting around talking so it doesn’t matter.

Well, that’s it for updates. In the near future, I may be mentioning a kitchen remodel with some pics…we are getting our cabinets redone and maybe a new countertop.

Guilt post

Ok, I feel guilty for not posting! I was afraid this would happen..I would run out of "interesting" stuff to write about and just start making stuff up so I wouldn't feel like I let anybody down that checks this site.

I can't write about my experiences at work anymore because we had a staff meeting and they told us that it didn't make the hospital look very good when people put anything negative about surgery or even describe medical situations online. I guess there was a nurse that was describing specific patients and their problems on her Myspace page. Well now she's ruined it for everyone. I didn't cross the line (I don't think) but I guess I should just shy away from anything to do with my experiences. I can say though, that I am still enjoying my work, more and more, in fact. And that all my coworkers have been great to me.

I broke down and bought the organic poptarts from Costco...I was starting to worry about the preservatives after all. I haven't eaten them yet because I'm still finishing up a box of the REAL ones...I'll keep you posted when I do try the costco ones...just kidding. I won't mention poptarts ever again.

A-MER-ican idol (Ryan Seacrest's pronunciation) was fantastic this week. I still haven't watched the results show but one of my favorite contestants is in trouble I'm afraid. Matt Gerard just isn't cutting it. I am not sure he will beat out Anoop. I think what's-her-face is gone, Lil. She just fizzled out after the first two weeks. I guess I'll find out when Kevin and I watch it tonight. Dancing with the stars is getting interesting...just the really good ones left.

OK...guilt post over.Whew!

Been long time

Well, it's been a little while since I posted so I thought I'd get on here and type a few lines. I have been having frustrating problems with my computer. This stupid error message pops up every time I type anything... it makes me not want to type...go figure. It's call TFncKy and it "encountered an error and needs to shut down...SO SORRY for the inconvenience" yeah right...also " please send the error message to microsoft"...done that several times. They never once called me to see if I resolved the issue...never even sent a card.

I tried the Toshiba tech support website..what a joke. Not able to understand anything they have on there. I did download a different version of "Bios", (whatever the hell that is) to supposedly work better with my operating system (which is Windows XP)...no difference. Oh well, I am just keeping the error message on my computer face only moving it over so I can still type. It seems to be happy just hanging out. If I close it out, it just pops back up the next time I hit the shift key. I guess I can play mommy to it for awhile until I figure it out. Maybe I'll dress it up so it won't look like such an orphan sitting there off to the side.

We had a nice Easter...great food at a friend's house, followed by a house hunt with Chelsie and Michael (a little like an easter egg hunt only MUCH bigger eggs). They are looking into taking advantage of the low prices and favorable climate for first time home buyers. They have a family friend, a very understanding realtor to go out on Easter...found a fixer-upper for them. He knew about this townhouse that was for sale. It has two bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths, fully fenced backyard and close to work and school for Chels and Michael...wait for it...59,000. And it's not even rat-invested! (I saw a couple of those eight legged things though that shall remain nameless in case Chelsie reads this). It definitely needs work..no doubt about it but at such a low price, they can afford to put in some $ up front to fix it up. Chels and Michael put in a low offer so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you all posted and if the deal goes through, I'll post some before and after shots.
Kind of exciting to see them get into a place of their own.

Jasper already knows the joys and sorrows of home ownership (he rents his house to a couple and lives in a condo that he bought downtown). He has had to replace toilets, fix the water heater, the furnace, the air conditioner, paint the outside, and deal with contracts, homeowners associations, etc. What a good experience for him. He has learned a ton.

Anyway, later on Easter, the kids all came over and we had dinner and sat around watching Super Nanny. Great end to the day.

Pop tarts

I used to love pop tarts as a kid but got away from them for years at a time. I would buy them for my kids and have a few myself but never really DUG them, if you know what I mean. Just recently, I was walking along the isle at the store and a box of raspberry frosted pop tarts jumped into my view. I don't know if they were waiting for me, specifically or if any ol' housewife would do...but there they were and they looked SOOOOO good for some reason. I bought them and ate them within three days.

Then the addiction took hold. I bet the manufacturers put something in them to hook people because, first of all, the box looks good...some subliminal message must be just underneath the picture of the pop tarts...like, oh I don't know...a picture of some hot actor. The thing is, it's subliminal so you can't register it with the conscious mind. Then the pop tart itself is just chewy and a little crispy and the frosting tastes like marshmellows over a campfire...and the memories of eating them as a kid rushes in...you know...addiction.

So I currently have four more pop tarts in my cupboard (I just ate two). The box is on the third shelf down and a little to the right as you open the pantry door. I only buy one box at a time so that I can fool myself into thinking that I could give them up at any time if I wanted. There are only eight tarts in a small box you know. Not nearly enough. I tried the organic ones from costco...ummmm NO. They don't have that preservative aftertaste that goes with the marshmellow glow.

I like raspberry best followed by strawberry. No "brown sugar" or "smore's" flavors for me because those are just TOO sugary.

Night shift

The last two nights I'm on the night shift at work. So far, I haven't been very busy at all. I know you should never say the words "quiet" or " not busy" in a hospital...that's the first rule of nursing. Last night, I "slept" most of the night on a lumpy couch in the breakroom with my face smashed up into a pillow that is NOT my pillow if you know what I mean. Hospital pillows are covered in some weird synthetic fabric that is easy to clean so they crinkle under your ear when you breath.

Tonight I'm going to try to get downstairs at some point to use the massage chair...yes a full back massage chair with a remote control. It's hidden away in another part of the hospital. A little creepy wandering around the basement of hospitals at night though...ever read "Coma"? This room that has the chair is in the most remote corner of the hospital basement imaginable so maybe I am talking myself out of this as I type. But...my neck has a kink in it that will not go away (cue the "Jaws!" music please).

American Idol

Well, after lots of thinking and watching, I've decided to make a prediction...I'm going out on a limb here. I think the final three in this season's cast are the following... Danny, Matt, and Adam. I don't think the girls are going to go the distance this time. If pressed, I'd have to say that Adam is going to walk away with it this year. He's otherworldly. He's like the vampire Lestat (for those Anne Rice fans out there), lived forever and developed this crazy talent that can't be touched. He's made a deal with the devil, he's so good. This last week he sang "The tracks of my tears" by Smoky Robinson and made Smoky tear up give him a standing O. He cannot put a note wrong and he's very creative. A little cold though, like he's too polished if that makes any sense.

Next one to have a possibility of giving Adam a run is Danny. He has the emotional connection that Adam maybe doesn't have. Danny sings from the heart ever time and is extremely watchable and cool. He is humble and it shows.

But let's not rule out Matt, the dueling piano player. He is extremely talented also and does his best when at the piano. He can also connect with the audience. I don't think he'll win though unless Adam or Danny really blows it (unlikely). All in all, a very exciting year to be watching American Idol!

Yaaaanimals!

Here's some pics of our furry family members.

We inherited Mafia from our daughter when she got a hyper little puppy named Ju Ju (Mafia went into hiding). Now he is the king of the castle at our house. Here he is on the top of our staircase like a puma in a tree just daring our dog to walk underneath.

It's hard to see in this picture but he has a paw on either side of the wall and is resting on his chest.

Mocha is our pomeranian. We have had her since we bought her from a puppy mill-associated pet shop. She was sick when we bought her and had to start her on antibiotics right away. She has been a good dog. I just had her fur cut for summer...before and after shots here.

Anyway, no chickens yet in case you are wondering.

Various topics

Work is going well...at least I know which way to turn out of most rooms now. I have about 25% of the names of people I work with memorized, and I have received a few pay checks! On the down side, I am experiencing every bit of the learning curve that I expected. I have had a few cases that I would do differently if given the chance (no major problems). But these lessons have a way of sticking with a person...for instance, never undo the suction on a stomach tube and THEN fix the bend in the tube! You are asking for gastric contents down your leg.

Chelsie and Michael's first year wedding anniversary is coming up next week...amazing that a year goes so fast. Just this time last year I was in scramble mode getting stuff done for the wedding.

They are the cutest couple...have two dogs and a ton of family and friends. They host game nights at their house and fix up all their single friends. They have two couples to boast of (at this time) and are always looking for matches.

The first year of marriage is known for the hard adjustments that you have to make but these two make it look easy!

The cat has stopped throwing up since I took the branches out of the house...whew!

We planted a branch off our willow tree in the front yard. It is listing to one side at this time due to a heavy wind storm yesterday...Kevin's going to have to get right on that.

Ta ta for now (ttfn in text language)