Still Crazy After All These Years...

It's hard to believe that Sean and I have been married for 12 years. It's even harder to believe that this April, we will be starting our 20th year together!

It kind of blows my mind when I think that we have been together for more than half our life. It all started because the girl he was dating didn't realize what she had. Her loss, my gain!

Sean planned the whole evening!!! We went out to eat at this wonderful Japanese restaurant. It was absolutely fantastic!!! Next he took me to play miniature golf at a place where we went when we were dating. Before we went home, we took a walk around a fountain that we used to go to as well. The perfect ending to a perfect day!

He Loves A Parade!

The Liberty Fall Festival was this past weekend. Michael's cub scout troop was in it. I had worked Friday night and was not going to be able to go due to my need for sleep. He was pretty upset. I decided that seeing him in the parade was more important than sleep.

He picked a spot in the front of the trunk bed so he could be easily seen and waved his little heart out! What a cutie!!

I'm A Pusher!

Yep, that's right, today I pushed my first drug. Now, for those of you who do not speak "nurse", there is a difference between being a drug "passer" and a drug "pusher".

In all honesty, we have all been a "passer". If you have opened a bottle and provided medicine of any kind, you have been a "passer". Some people pass more than others. (see my sisters log of "passing" to her boys. My Handsome Nephews)

To be a "pusher", you have to spend 2-4 years in school. I won't even tell you how much it costs to learn this.

"Pushing" is when you have an IV and you get some medication through it. Today, I "pushed" Protonix. It is to be given over two minutes. That was the longest two minutes of my life. It makes it even longer when your patient is from the Philippines and has some trouble with English.

It's hard to start any kind of conversation with someone when there is a language barrier and you know that it will take longer to try to communicate then it will to give the medication. So basically, I spent two minutes looking at my watch, smiling and nodded towards the window and said "look, it's sunny out". To which she then nodded.

So, now I can officially add "pusher" to my "things to do in nursing school" list. I have "passed","pushed" and "shot people up".

All in a days work.

Are These My Kids????

Sean and I had an appointment the other night. Since we had no sitter, we opted to let them stay by themselves.

They had the same rules as always:don't answer the phone, (unless it's mommy or daddy), don't answer the door, don't get on the computer and don't eat anything.

As we were leaving our appointment, Sean called to say we were on our way home. Noelle said she was tired and was going to bed.

When we got home, Noelle was up in her room and Michael was in the kitchen. I came in and gave him a hug and kiss and told him to go to bed. He looks at me and says, "mommy, we did some stuff we weren't supposed to".

Suddenly, I have flashbacks to Amy and my own "Home Alone" experiences. The green cakes we would make, dressing up in mom's work clothes (yes mom, we did that) and roller skating through the house.

I looked at Michael and asked him what had happened. He said he had gotten on the computer and that Noelle had eaten pickles and chips. (I guess she needed some sodium) I then asked him how he felt about it and he said "real bad". I told him to go brush his teeth.

Next, I was in Noelle's room and told her I heard what went on. She said her tummy hurt, (I wonder why) and said she knew she was grounded. I then said that I thought the guilt they were both feeling was punishment enough.

Not 20 minutes later they are calling me back upstairs. They are begging to be grounded! I thought "I'm in the wrong house". I told them both they were grounded for two days and then they thanked me. Noelle's tummy felt better and Michael went right to sleep.

Now, when it comes to grounding, Michael will remind you he is grounded. He will also remind you when his sister is grounded. Noelle will tell you when Michael is grounded. I think she would spill international secrets to get out of being grounded.

Michael will take his punishment and move on with life, whereas Noelle will take her punishment while complaining and try to find some way that it "wasn't my fault". Oh the drama!!

I have always thought that Noelle Prideaux sounded like a good name for an actress.

Who Wants A Weekend Do Over???

ME!!!

I got to work Friday with a slight headache. I figured it was more than likely sinus junk. As the night went on, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. It seemed like 7:30 would never get here. I went by the staffing office to say I'd let them know if I would be in to work that night (Saturday).

As I was walking into the staffing office, one of the secretaries said, "what happened to you" while another said "don't breath on me". It's always nice to get that "man you look like crap" confirmation. They said they would put me down as a maybe for the night. I got home, took a nap, woke up and called in sick. They said they weren't surprised and that four other nurses had called in as well.

My whole weekend was spent in bed. I can't remember when I have slept so much. I pretty much missed all of Sunday. I think I was up a grand total of two hours the whole day.

So, now I feel wonderful and the long weekend is over. Isn't that how it always goes?

I signed up for this???

Notice, there has been no post for over a week! Between work and school, I can't quite catch myself coming and going.

This past week was my first work/school/clinical week. My week went as this:

• Monday: class from 10:00 am-12:45 pm, went home to try and take nap (ha-right!) work from 6:30 pm-7:30 am (Tuesday morning)
• Tuesday: slept most of day, up to study, TRIED to sleep at night, not very well due to sleeping most of day
• Wednesday: class from 10:00 am-12:45 pm, up to hospital to pick up patient assignment for clinical next day, worked on clinical paper work until 2:30 am (Thursday)
• Thursday: up at 5:15 am to finish paper work that included 14 drug cards clinicals from 6:45 am-4:15 pm, went home, fell asleep in tub, ate some dinner (between naps) out like a light sometime around 7:30 pm
• Friday: woke up at 9:40 am, class from 10:00 am-12:45 pm, ate lunch with Sean, home around 2:00 pm slept until 5:15 pm and then went to work

What the hell was I thinking! I know, it will be May before I know it and I will once again look back and think how did I do this, just like I did after LPN school.

I have learned that my clinical instructor is a moron. She wore a lab coat that had some sort of coffee/pop stain on it and it was wrinkled. The nurses at the hospital even commented on her coat! Not good. She pretty much half ass graded our paperwork. I have learned that you can add things after she looks at your paper and next week I will NOT be missing out on sleep.

At our "post conference" at the end of the day Thursday, I said "Friday is pajama day". Several people laughed and said "yeah right". My friend Abby said she would wear hers. We were the only ones, but hey, we were comfortable.

The "moron" said she would like to be there to see "the look on Gerry's face". I'm not quite sure what she thought I was talking about regarding pajamas. Given that she thinks it's ok to wear knee highs with a skirt, I don't think I want to know. Abby's were a pair of Old Navy plaid pants with an Old Navy shirt. Mine were a pair of AC/DC pants and an orange shirt. I sit in the back and it wasn't like we wore night gowns or something...maybe next week.