Happy New Year

A new day, a new year. Thankful for a warm, dry, home and healthy family and friends.

Let it begin!

Channeling another time

Enjoy the sweetness this Sunday. Cheers.

Just another Monday

Still Nurses' Week..YES! The psychology staff are celebrating on Florence Nightingale's birthday at the Hotel, but they have to send an e-mail every day so people don't forget.

I celebrated today by having lots of technical difficulties in my clinic. Now I have to find a creative way to get a gift basket of coffee, Mountain Dew, chocolate and other terribly fattening things to my favorite support technicians. Yes, it's been that kind of week and this is only Monday. We have a "special notes" section of our intranet, so I recognized two of the folks today. I had to...those two saved my derriere so much already.

Bubba got out of school early today and is counting the days when school ends here in RehabLand. Since his school had no snow days (we had a school boss from Minnesota who wasn't scared one icy day) this year, they'll actually finish on the day they said. Bubba, however, may notice those last days are different. For the first time ever, he has final exams. Should get him ready for high school!

Now Bubba is at his friend Jorge's house, helping him get some of the music homework done before the big party this week at the last band class. If Jorge gets the magic number, he'll be in. Bubba, his partner in crime, wants to provide moral support so it happens.

Stay tuned...one more day of Nurses' Week left. Enjoy every moment. You deserve it!

If it's Sunday...

It's time for Sunday Stealing again. Hope you enjoy the latest one called For old times' sake. My answers are below.

Cheers!

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When was the last time you swam in a pool? Months ago.

 Do you like to party? Sure.

Describe the shirt you're wearing? Green.

What is one feature film that you don't like? Most action films.

Would people describe you as happy? Yes.

Sleep with or without clothes on? On.

Does it bother you if people swear around you? No.

Do you prefer Wednesdays or Thursdays? Right now, Wednesdays.

Like to travel? Yes.

Think you're attractive? Sure.

Are or were you a good student? Yes.

Are you currently happy? Yes.

Colored or black-and-white photo? I like black and white.

Do you consider yourself the life of the party? No.

Do you drink? Yes.

Do you make fun of people? Only if they pick on me.

Do you think dreams eventually come true? Some do.

Favorite fictional character? George Bailey.

Go to the movies or rent? Both.

Have you ever moved? Yes.

How's the weather right now? Pretty sunny.

Last time you cut your hair? About a month ago.

Last person you talked to on the phone? Husband.

Last time you showered? Last night.

Loud or soft music? All depends.

McDonalds or Burger King? Burger King.

Night or day? Day.

Number of pillows?  One.

Piano or guitar? Guitar.

Current annoyance? Allergies.

Last thing you ate? Cupcakes

Last thing you bought? Groceries

Pick a lyric, any lyric or a song...Because I'm happy...

Pick a movie quote...Here's looking at you, kid.

If you thought you had a bad day...

Then you haven't seen this article (or the compelling pictures).

My day may seem crappy, but in retrospect, it's actually pretty darned good, thank you very much.

Hope your Super Bowl Sunday is going well, whether you're celebrating it on the unit or at a party.

Here's this weekend's Sunday Stealing below, since this is the All who wander are not lost (one of my favorite quotes) edition.

Enjoy!

1. Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first song
1. Relax, by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
2. If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you?
1. Right now, it would be somewhere warm. Otherwise, I'd take my husband and son to Paris, France.
3. What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)
1. Black pen. Always, and forever. It's legal!
4. When did you go on your first trip alone (without your parents)?
1. When I went to camp at 10.
5. Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them.
1. Only drive by ones. I'm related (by marriage) to a pharmaceutical inventor. I went to high school with a girl whose sister is a nurse on a reality show.
6. Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are.
1. Phone, paper, pens
7. How would you describe your sense of humor?
1. Offbeat
8. Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favorites?
1. I like Monopoly
9. A musical artist you love that isn’t well known.
1. Johnny Clegg and Savuka
10. A musical artist you love that is well known.
1. Paul Simon
11. What is your desktop background currently?
1. A graphic of leaves.
12. Last person you talked to, and through what you talked to them
1. My husband. The milk was sour.
13. What do you carry your money in?
1. Wallet
14. What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in?
1. My phone and my watch.
15. What kind of headphones do you use?
1. All kinds (mostly earbuds)
16. What musical artists have you seen perform live?
1. Midnight Oil, Stevie Ray Vaughn, TMBG, Air Supply, all sorts of bands, really.
17. How often do you clear your browser history?
1. All the time.
18. What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
1. I like the one I have, thanks. 
19. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
1. Burger King at 16. Got burnt on the fry basket.
20. What magazines do you read, if any? 
1. Lots. Fashion, computers, nursing, you name it.

It's BAAACK! Sunday stealing

This one was interesting. The Blerp Meme from Sunday Stealing. Hope you are enjoying the last of your weekend, wherever you are!

When you get a headache do you take painkillers right away or try to wait it out?
Depends.

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were little?
Yes.

What’s the last thing you touched, other than your computer?
Rubber bands.

When was the last time you talked to your best friend?
Yesterday.

How often do you listen to music?
Daily.

What color is your cell phone?
White.

What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you drank?
Coffee.

Do you like to wear sweatpants?
No.

What song are you currently listening to? Who sings it? 
Anyone who had a heart by Dionne Warwick on the Very Best of Burt Bacharach (I got a lot of collections from Dahey).

Have you ever gotten a black eye?
No.

How many times have you checked up on your ex?
Not many. He's dead.

If you had to get a tattoo what would it be?
My college mascot.

How many tabs are open right now? 
Three.

Are you scared of needles?
Only in the hands of inexperienced nurses or phlebotomists. No doctor is going to touch me unless he/she's an anesthesiologist.

Do you believe love can last forever?
If you work really hard.

Are good-byes easy or hard for you? 
Depends on who it is. Those eternal good-byes are doozies.

Would you rather sing or dance?
Depends on the song. Some are for singing, others, dancing.

Your sense of smell

Some things just stink. Your favorite team doesn't win a football, baseball or soccer game.

However these recent news stories had me wondering where the bad odors could be coming from.

Think the litter box needs emptying? Maybe it's just your laptop according to Dell. (courtesy of the BBC)

Can the smell of the famous "rooster sauce" (aka sriracha) cause headaches? Some people think so. (from the LA Times).

And you thought things were rough listening to Grandma's Lawrence Welk. Those darned Somali pirates can't handle this woman's music. (from www.military.com --thanks to my astute active duty brother-in-law).

Enjoy! More to come...

Sunday stealing

The latest meme (abbreviated because I couldn't answer all of them).


What was on your mind most today?
A friend who passed away. Today was his/her birthday.

Have a best friend?
Yes, a couple, actually.

What are you listening to?
Classical music.

Who were you last in a car with? 
Dahey and Bubba

Have you ever been called cute?
A couple of times to my face.

Has anybody ever told you that you talk too fast?
All. The. Time. I try to slow down.

Did you have fun yesterday?
Yes, I did. I like Saturdays.

Do you like to cuddle?
Yes.

Are you stubborn?
Yes. One of my patients used to called me relentless. I take it as a compliment.

How’s your heart?
Good.

Are you easily amused?
Yes. I like to laugh.

Do you speak more than 2 languages?
Yes. I know lots of culinary terms (I hate missing meals!)

Is your hair naturally straight?
I wish! Takes a whole lot of hair products to get even close to straight.

What were you doing at ten last night?
Coming back from a swanky place for dinner with Dahey.

Have you made someone happy today?
Yes, I made Bubba pancakes.

A little talkin' music

Everybody ran for the front door, 'cause the back door was nailed up.

I love the story of Lucille!

Take us away, B.B.

What I missed in 2011

Yes, since I was busy getting a new job, getting highly stressed from life and grad school, and running from airplane to airplane going to three conferences in the span of a week, I missed the good stuff on the internet.

However, Shrtstmtrooper posted about Guy on a Buffalo recently. Since Bubba has been obsessed with wild animals (such as the monarch of the Plains lately), I thought why not.

Two words: hysterically funny.

The back story is here from a 2011 Forbes article. (you know you're big time when you are in a business magazine's website)

Episode 2 is below. More available on YouTube.

It's been that kind of a day

A B-52s kind of day to be exact. Dahey decided it would be the music du jour as I was finishing up some stuff before heading back to the office tomorrow.

So in between cooking dinner, watching every sport that's on (football and hockey) and pumpkin pie (yes it's Bubba's favorite), I'm gonna do this in a little bit, just to get some time for me.

Roam if you want to...'til next time!

Yes, there's relief.

This week's assignments done. Laundry done, dishes in the dishwasher, little kid scrubbed and tucked in bed after a motherlode of goodies in a plastic pumpkin full of at least 5 lbs. of candy, and early to boot! Vegetating listening to this album.

WildDog at my feet after an Indian summer afternoon lounging in the yard, barking at passersby.

Dahey's celebrating his OT today by soaking in the tub.

Wish these hours of stillness could last a little longer!

Things sure look different up here...

That could have been the story of my day hanging in the Sister Unit.

In order to protect the guilty and the innocent, I'll present these out of order.

1. When you get a warning (as we do via our system) that a patient can be violent, you get a little worried. So glad I didn't know about that until AFTER I walked this guy here and there (because I had no place to go for him) and I got him to the doctor in the office with the panic buttons.

It became more ironic when the Doc managed to get him to agree to a treatment that can be quite painful. Thankfully, he was lying prone and I was out of reach. The doc was not, but all went well and the patient was happy with us.

2. No, the housekeepers aren't just happy people strolling around. They are strolling that way in violation of policy with their earbuds in jamming to whatever tune strikes them. And no, just shaking your head and smiling is not going to get me to tell you what you want while you bop your head to the tunes, buddy.

3. Yes, no really means no when the treatment team asks you if you've smoked with Mary Jane in the last month, even if it did help your spasms. Saying no and your pee says yes gets you thrown out of that rehab program. Better luck next time!

4. Finally, I got to redirect a lost patient to the elevator, then to his room. At first when the trainer and I came upon him in the hallway, I didn't recognize him. Then I realized he was one of the patients from my unit at the Hotel. Some people really do look different when they're up in their wheelchairs rolling around!

Stay tuned...tomorrow it's run, run, run as the procedures and exams rule the schedule. It'll be a fun day.

I'm not there...

But I'm inclined to go back again after this flew up on iTunes. Sometimes, you just need a study break wherever you can get it!

Harmless habits

I'm working on a couple of these habits. I keep telling my friends we need to get together more often, so now I have something for them to think about.

Back to cooking, studying, and writing, as Dahey jams the stereo with north of the border tunes, from Gordo to BNL.

Stay tuned. More from Vacationland to come...