RehabRN book club: Fall edition

Yes, the days are getting shorter, and since I'm burning the lights anyway, I might as well read. RehabLand has wonderful library folks, so check out your local library. You'll enjoy it and it's cheap.

Here are a few items on my current reading list:

1. The Great Escape by Angus Deaton. The newest Nobel laureate's book is on economics, but unlike it's common description (the dismal science), this book is very readable, even if you haven't sat through one, two, three (or like me, even more) economics classes. Professor Deaton writes a readable book that even a rehab nurse who's thinking of going to the dark side (insurance or anywhere outside the Hotel) could love.

Highly recommend this, especially if you want to learn something new, without trying too hard. Thank goodness he has a sense of humor.

2. The Joy of Work by Scott Adams. Dilbert at his 1990s finest.  Reminds me of the good old days before I was a nurse. Gives me street cred with the technical folks, even though many of the tricks mentioned are dated.

My favorite escape book: I keep a copy of this in my bathroom.

3. My secret fetish lately: cookbooks. I read any and all for ideas on how to snazz up meals and bake new cakes, cookies, etc. Bubba is becoming an eating machine (and a picky one at that) so this helps keep him fed and out of my cabinets (for a while). Yes, you can get these recipes on the internet, but since my kitchen is too small for a computer and dangerous for an iPad, etc., I'm erring on the side of caution with a real book.

My current favorite: the old, reliable, Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I got a healthy one from work, but haven't tried it out yet.

Hope you enjoy these. Will keep you updated on the next exciting book. I will be attending a meet and greet at a bookstore this week, so I hope to have a new review soon.

Happy reading!

Spring forward

It's that time of year again. So far, I don't feel tired. I'm sure I will tomorrow.

Bubba and Dahey were helping a friend move this weekend, so it really threw off my normal schedule of errands. Thankfully, I was able to finish up most of them today, while they laid around the house. To celebrate the end of the week, I decided to cook a nice dinner. I made it myself since Junior Chef Bubba passed out on the couch when he was watching TV earlier. Of course, the child wakes up AFTER all the prep work is done.

It's been warm and sunny, so I'm enjoying every minute. I sat outside for coffee today and I walked two miles yesterday. So on my breaks (someone has to do all this stuff around here) when I'm not outside, I'm  checking Cake Wrecks, and watching silly dog videos. It makes me miss WildDog.

Stay tuned and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, wherever you are!

Fascination

This was interesting, even though I can't eat it.

Gluten free naturally colored cake

I would not have thought the carrots would have made a decent color for icing on a cake.

Ah, the weekend!

It's  a lot of work celebrating Easter at our house in RehabLand, but we have fun. Lots of stuff going on. I got up and assembled all the ingredients I needed. I found out that Dahey ate one of them (you just can't leave him alone with certain kinds of canned fruit), so that went on the shopping list.

Next, it was run over to one of Bubba's soccer games at 0800. (So glad it was not an 0700 one!) Bubba got up early anyway, and asked me if I saw what was outside. RehabLand was covered in a huge fog.

Once we got done with soccer, it was back home to start some of the baking, with Dahey on watch (and warned not to eat anything else.) so I could go to the store to pickup the missing items and a couple of other things.

While I was out, I also returned a movie. I'd wanted to see The Intouchables forever. I finally did with Dahey last night. As a rehab nurse, it was an absolute riot. I especially loved the references (and reactions) to teaching the caregiver about bowel programs.

It would be a riot if any of our folks had a Maserati. I can only imagine what might happen with a similar setup.

More later...

Heaven is a place on earth...

But it's sure not here in RehabLand! It's been so hot lately that some of the locals are taking to cooking outdoors: frying eggs and bacon on the sidewalk, and baking cookies on the dashboard.

When life hands you lemons...stay tuned for radiator chicken next (that's what Dahey's asking for.)

Too bad my commute isn't 50 miles longer...

I'm on vacation...

But my mind drifts, here, there and everywhere.

I talked to one of my former coworkers, who is now a code monkey for a major health system here in RehabLand. Before you know it, I have a contact (actually four) for a project I'm doing at work.

The part I really love about being on vacation: cooking. I cook more when I'm on vacation than any other time. I have time to check my recipe books, plan, shop and actually cook. I've made soups, stews, cakes, pies and all sorts of other goodies while I've been on vacation. I even made my first duck dish.

My absolute favorite thing, though, is actually budgeting time for myself and doing what I plan: exercising and taking long baths. Yes, it may be terrible for the skin, but as Winston Churchill noted to one US president "I have nothing to hide." 

Just let me hide in the bathtub with a good book for a while, and all will be good.

Back to cooking. Bath (and book) to come...

Who says Sunday is a day of rest?

Not at the RehabRN household...at least for me.

No cleaning, lots of laundry and plenty of cooking: Endives with ham in bechamel sauce, leek, potato and carrot soup, cheddar beer bread, and stewed apples.

Now I can go back to work for a short week. Thank you relatives for inviting me (and the crew) to Thanksgiving dinner. We (especially me) appreciate it!

More to come...

A sweet tribute

I love Cake Wrecks. As an amateur cook/baker/decorator, this is one of my favorite sites out there.

So I really enjoyed the latest version of Sunday Sweets, where they feature really cool cakes. Check out this week's version dedicated to police, fire, ambulance AND medical personnel, including nurses.

Hope you do too! More later...

Burnin' down the house

I wasn't just thinking of this song...I had a rack of spare ribs browning in the oven, when a little too much grease met a little extra broil power. Kitchen fires are just not my thing.



Thankfully, everything survived intact. The smoke alarm didn't even go off. Boy, it sure made my safety director Dahey jump, though.

I'm not coming back!

That is, until Monday. Oh, the joy I will have, until, of course, I have to submit the class paper that's due on Monday, very early since I have to work.

I was busy, busy  all day and the special lunch we were going to have was canceled, so I just started the Christmas spirit by dressing one of the department skeletons in holiday attire. It's all been approved by the director, and since one skeleton is in his office, thereby sanctioned, and can be easily hidden in a large closet should the PC police come around.

Our patients showed up for the most part and I got to do my first random drug screen. It was interesting to say the least. I was happy that I was not required to accompany the patient, nor was I required to find someone to accompany the patient.

Finally, I got to see a lot of patients rolling around on the sister unit going to therapy and getting lost. It was a lot of fun. More than one of them told me they miss me there.

Happy Thanksgiving all! Off I go to cook and prep!

What happens when I'm off a weekend I should be working

1. Cooking. Steaks, tater, and I even tried a new Italian recipe. Oh, my! Sure I steered clear of the carbs, but with the heavenly scent of sage sauteed in brown butter, I could not resist the final product.

2. I worked on a project I've neglected for a long time for work. It has to be done by the end of the year. And now it will be. Much joy!

3. Finally, I've studied and studied some more. We don't have a test for another week, but I figure it can't hurt to prep a little earlier than usual. All-nighters were never my style, because I enjoy sleeping so much.

Which I also did and even took some naps...heaven!

Tomorrow, it's back to work, to the sister unit, to finish orientation. Before you know it, I'll be on my own.

Stay tuned...

Simmering Sunday

It may well be that later. Our simmering heat is getting pounded by massive thunderstorms flooding everything.

Since I'm on vacation, I've been cooking here and there (one of my favorite hobbies) and drinking up all the good liquor with Dahey, since I can sleep in every day. (not to excess mind you...gotta keep some for later!)

Why am I drinking? You would if you had your nose buried in these spreadsheets. Class will be over soon, class will be over soon, I keep telling myself.

More later.

Bubbling...

Not frothing, mind you, bubbling, like a nice pudding cooking on the stove.

There's a post in my mind that I just can't get out. I'm hoping my writer's block is not contagious, nor long-lasting. Grad school started for me yesterday and the assignment list is pretty long.

Off to clean and cook on today's day off...more to come, so come on back a little later.

Cookin'

That's what I'm doing on my day off, enjoying the overcast skies. If I could sing on key, I'd probably pen an ode to my favorite kitchen appliance.

A little housecleaning, a little shopping and a little visiting with friends will make my day complete.

Stay tuned...it's back to the ranch soon, so more fun ahead!

Cookin'

Yes, literally and figuratively, I've been cooking and baking for Dahey's party today. He's celebrating his upcoming natal day with a gathering of his friends at the house. Thankfully, we have a place to put all of them while they're eating, drinking and being merry.

Work was hot, but not as bad as it has been. The spring is turning back into winter again as we get that old, crazy weather back again. One day, it's 80, the next, 30 with snow. I just make sure I have a coat handy to handle everything!

I've kept busy reading the charts again, since I'm prepping for a couple of exams. I've decided I'd better take the GRE since I need it for most grad schools. I'll be doing that in a couple of months and I've sunk my money into the exam, so now I'm stuck! Guess I'll really have to read those study guides!

My first certification exam will be the week following the GRE and hopefully, it will include another conference trip. After all that, I'm sure my head will explode in mid-air sometime around June 1. If all goes well, I'll round out the year by testing for the CRRN. This week I found out I'll be working on some stuff for the October annual conference, so that was really exciting.

Since I'm always nosing around to learn something new when I'm not pestering the specialists who visit us, here are a few things I've turned up recently.

One patient of ours had a nasty case of pyocystitis. Another we read about another who suffered a traumatic intraperitoneal rupture of the bladder (due to accident). This Google Book on Urology called the House Officer series, has a lot of interesting information on urological topics.

Finally, I got to look up some drugs. I'd say 90% of our people take similar stuff. Baclofen (or Lioresal) is pretty much the drug of choice on our unit for a variety of patients. I wish I had a $1 US for every Baclofen I've given since I became a nurse. (It hasn't been long, but boy, do we hand them out!) This week's excursions into the drug lists included Forteo (aka teriparatide, which is a drug used for osteoporosis) and prazosin, an anti-hypertensive.

Gotta go back to the party...stay tuned!

Happy Monday!

Reasons I'm happy:

1. It's my last evening shift this week...today! Hopefully, when I get back later in the week, I'll get some new people. I've had a doozy this week, but it's not his fault. When you're a trainwreck, you're gonna have issues.

Thank goodness for therapeutic communication (and some very understanding coworkers) or I'd have jumped out the lunch room window by now.

2. My turkey is thawing. I'll be cooking for my family Thursday, which means Wednesday night will be a late one prepping, chopping and baking some stuff.

3. I am feeling good. So many people I work with are getting colds, etc., and feeling crappy. I went back to sleep this morning and I feel much better. It's amazing how sleeping works!

4. I'll be hosting CoS (Change of Shift) also on Thanksgiving. Another reason to stay up late on Wednesday.

5. Finally, if you're feeling ambushed, check out Jo's latest post at Head Nurse. It made me laugh so hard. My, how people infer things from these blogs!

More later, stay tuned and stay well!

The holidays are coming...

And, as usual, I never feel like I'm ready! I've been busy shopping for Thanksgiving dinner and cleaning out cabinets and freezers. After that, I'll get to clean some more in between working.

On top of it this year, I'll be fluffing and buffing around here as I get ready to host the Thanksgiving edition of Change of Shift. The submissions are trickling in, so if you're so inclined, get going on yours and send it in!

You know it's the holidays on our unit because food is appearing everywhere. It's tough to be a nurse or hospital employee when wherever you look (in only JCAHO-approved places, of course) there's food--candy, cookies, you name it. A few people have dropped hints to families that no nurse can deny a good piece of chocolate. I'll second that, thank you. Bring it on! I'll just have to do a few more laps around the Hotel to burn off that candy!

More later! Send those posts in...I'll be waiting!