Meeting PW

This past week Abbey and went over to Green Hills Mall in Nashville to attend the Pioneer Woman's book signing. Jeff and Abbey introduced me to her blog several years ago and I have been a faithful reader ever since.


The signing was at Davis Kidd Bookstore, and while Abbey and I have mixed feelings on the store itself, I will say that they were prepared for the mass of woman (and a handful of men) that ascended on the store last Tuesday night. We heard before Thanksgiving that tickets were going to be required so Jeff took care of getting us tickets one day on his lunch break over a week before the event. We were already in group 6! (Each group had 25 people in it!!!)


When we arrived at the signing there were lots of woman already there...fairly quickly an employee began giving directions to the masses and began assembling us in our groups. Group 1...Group 2...Group 2...well you get the picture except that there were 20 groups!!! Needless to say we had to wait a bit, but eventually it was our turn.


You can see Jeff and Abbey's version of the events here. (Oh, and I am Manya...that is what Reed calls me and no I don't know why!)

Slacker

I know...

It's Been Forever

I know it has been forever since my last post. Work has been very busy and there have been plenty of extra shifts to pick up. This week and last week have been the first two weeks in a while that I haven't picked up a fourth shift. Well, technically last week I only worked 2 1/2 shifts and this week I will only work 2. I'll explain in a second.

Other than work, I have been busy working around the house. The guest bathroom has been painted and the office is finally finished. Just some painting in the master bedroom and bath is left. I'll go ahead and post some pictures as soon as I remember to buy batteries for the camera.

So Saturday night I was at work...everything was going pretty well. It was my second night as charge nurse, but I things were moving fairly smoothly. About 1 am I sat down to catch up on a little charting and catch up with a patient that had spent the beginning part of the shift at dialysis. I sat and began writing, suddenly and I mean suddenly, I felt the sharpest pain in the left area of my back. All I could do was put my head down. I then broke out in a sweat and realized I had about 1 minute to get to the bathroom. Long story short, I realized I could not continue working and at the same time I knew it wasn't a stomach virus so the house nursing supervisor took me to the ER in a wheel chair. Can I tell you what great service you get in the ER when the supervisor brings another nurse down in a wheelchair? I think there were two nurses and a tech in the room. They started asking questions, an IV was started, some good medicine was given to control the pain and nausea, and fairly quickly the ER doctor came in. He told me it sounded like I had a kidney stone and he wanted to do a CT scan to confirm. Sure enough the scan showed a nice 3 mm stone. I left the ER at about 6:30 Sunday morning to pass my new found friend at home. I did not go home empty handed as I had prescriptions for pain medicine and anti-nausea medicine. Sunday and Monday were spent at home pushing fluids and napping. (And for the record I may go a lifetime before I drink any lemonade or lemon flavored drinks!) Finally, at about 11:20 on Monday night the whole ordeal was over.

I did keep my follow-up appointment on Tuesday with the urologist and have been given several things to do over the next month before I see him again. Mainly dietary changes like more vegetables, less animal protein, a 1/2 cup of bran cereal every morning, and lots of water. He did make a comment that it may be the water where I live but I won't know anything until I go back in a month and all the lab tests have returned.

Until then, I am really going to try to do a better job of keeping things updated! :)

I Wonder If This Is How Jacob Felt When He Wrestled With God

It's been 24 hours since I came home from work. Tuesday night was one of those nights you are convinced a full moon was out. Last I heard there were 9 patients in the ER waiting to be admitted expect for the fact there was not a single bed in the hospital that didn't have someone in it. I would have gladly exchanged one of those waiting in the ER for one of the patients I had. I mean you can only wrestle a grown man so long before it becomes too much. I would love to say that I won, but even as I left the floor yesterday morning the family was still trying to convince him to stay in bed. At least he was going to be the day shift's problem from then on.

Needless to say when I woke up from a nap in the early part of the afternoon I hurt in places that I don't typically hurt. My back and legs were quite sore and the only thing I can contribute it to is the grown man who refused to stay in bed all night.

So when work called and I asked if I minded coming in on Wednesday night instead of Thursday night, I said no. Well, at least that is the message I left on someone's voicemail at the hospital.

I also had some big plans for the afternoon. I have put off having my finger prints taken to finalize my background check because I just knew I was going to have to go into Nashville to have it done. Imagine my surprise when I realized that there was a location just up the road. Around 3:00pm I loaded up in my Tucson and headed to Guns and Leather where a very nice man took all my finger prints and emails them to the Board of Nursing. I also have my eye on a hot pink rifle now!

No afternoon is complete without a stop by Sonic since it was still happy hour and all their drinks were half off. I picked up a few extra drinks and headed to Jeff and Abbey's were I spent the rest of the day/evening. Nothing like hanging out with friends for dinner and then swimming.

My back is still pretty sore, but there is no time to complain because this morning I have a meeting at the hospital on foley catheters and then it is back to work tonight...Oh how my life has changed!

Brought To You From The Hall Bath

Rain is pounding on all the windows and the tornado warning siren just ended. The electricity is flickering on and off. Thunder continues to roll and I feel pretty sure there is lightning as well...I wouldn't know because I have taken cover in the hall bathroom. It's the only interior room besides the laundry room, which just doesn't sound like a safe place to hang out during a tornado warning.

I wonder if this is going to spoil the plans that Abbey and I had to work out this evening? So how did you spend your Wednesday night?

A Night on the Town

This afternoon Blair and I headed out of Springfield for a little big city action. I mean you can only keep a Tampa girl out in the middle of no where for so long!

We began by doing a little shopping at a cute little shop in Hendersonville. They carried a pretty good selection of Vera Bradley. The rug I have picked out for my living room is a Vera print and I needed something to use to match a sofa/love seat/chair arrangement. I ended up buying a placemat of the same pattern. I was very pleased to come home and realize that all my Fiesta matches so I will have to go back and get a few more.

Then it was on to Downtown Nashville. Several people told us we were crazy since it is the CMA festival. It actually ended up being a lot of fun. We were going to eat at BB King's, but it ended up being closed for a private event. We went further down the street and at the Wild Horse Saloon. Dinner was very good and watching everyone line dance was very entertaining.

Then we walked around the crowded streets, stopping in the stores we wanted until are feet hurt.

On our way back out of the city we decided to stop at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel (which is who owns the Wild Horse Saloon in case you were wondering about our choice of eating establishment...oh and we were finished eating by 6:45 and out of downtown before dark!) for some coffee and dessert. We almost gave up when we realized it was $18 to park, but eventually we figured out we could park at the mall and walk over.

We had a great day...However, we have to get to bed earlier...this is the second night we are up at 1:00 am! I guess we are trying to cram a lot in a few days. Tomorrow is our last full day as Blair flys back on Sunday and I have to work Sunday night.

Goings Ons

Friends
A few weeks ago Jeff, Abbey, and Reed went to the beach with their friend, Bill. (Well, I guess we are all friends, but he was their friend first.) Like the good friend that I am I agreed to make sure their mail was collected, their flowers watered, their house remained standing, the fish didn't die (although one did...I think it drowned!), and even that the grass was mowed. Also like the good friend that I am, I told them to make sure to bring me back a present.

I think it speaks for its self....

Nothing says friendship like an air brush t-shirt!

House Update
If you have been keeping track, you know that I am supposed to close on my house tomorrow. Well, that is not going to happen. The closing has been moved until mid July. It has to due with the fact that I am applying for a FHA loan and there is a clause that states that the house has to be owned for a minimum of 90 days by the current owner. That will be the beginning of July, but my mortgage broker says that since all the paper work is already ready, I can close in 10 to 12 days.

So I'll be putting aside all my paint swatches, leather samples, and even the sample bedding aside for a while.

Apartment Life
Since I'll be staying a while, I decided to clean up today. One of my goals was to vacuum, which never did happen, but I did collect all these in preparation to do so.

I am my grandmother's granddaughter!!!

Make sure to check back over the weekend. I have agreed to participate in a challenge over the next two and half months...as part of it I will be blogging about it...I'll share the details on Saturday.

Sick Day

I had to call in sick to work tonight. Apparently they don't want nurses who have pink eye to work with patients. I don't understand it at all! ;) Oh and I also have a sinus infection. I can work tomorrow night since I will have been on antibiotics for 24 hours by then. This was not in my plan for this week.

Will Work for Eggs?

A couple of weeks ago, I took care of a patient who owns a farm. When I went to work on Sunday night, there was a note on the bathroom door (all important information on our floor is posted on the bathroom door in the nurse's lounge!) telling me I had eggs in the fridge from a patient.

I honestly didn't know how absolutely wonderful farm fresh eggs tasted! Now, if you are wondering about the color of two of those eggs...

...they are actually green. I haven't tasted those yet, but if they are as good as the others, then there won't be a problem.

To Do List

When I have a lot to do, I like to make a list that I can cross things off as I accomplish them. Here is the list I started off the day with:

• Pay bills
• Clean apartment
• Laundry
• Trip to Target/WalMart
• Trip to Kroger/Publix
• Mail check for painting class
• Buy Webkins for Jacob's Easter Basket
• Mail Jacob and Madeline's Easter Baskets
• Call Jeff about Abbey's birthday
• Test drive Hyundai Santa Fe/Tucson
• Haircut
• Look into the option of having a house built

Throughout the day as I accomplish different tasks I cross off each item. Here is what my original list looked like by the end of the day.

• Pay bills
• Clean apartment
• Laundry
• Trip to Target/WalMart
• Trip to Kroger/Publix
• Mail check for painting class
• Buy Webkins for Jacob's Easter Basket
• Mail Jacob and Madeline's Easter Baskets
• Call Jeff about Abbey's birthday
• Test drive Hyundai Santa Fe/Tucson
• Haircut
• Look into the option of having a house built

Then there are items that are added to the list, like this:

• Buy Hyundai Tucson

Oh wait, I am sorry:

• Buy Hyundai Tucson

It's silver, it's pretty, it's brand new!!! I guess sometimes plans change. It drove it home in a torrential downpour, so I'll try to post pictures tomorrow.

Saturday Night

It's Saturday night. I've blown big bubbles. I've cut up hot dog and grapies. I've made chocolate juice. I've watched three episodes of Mickey Mouse Club House, one episode of Sesame Street, and now I've moved on to Handy Manny.

And they say it isn't fun to be 30 and single!!!

So, what are you doing?

Grandiose Plans

I had grandiose plans today after I got off work. Abbey and I were going to work out, which happens to be the only thing that I accomplished. After that I thought I would come home and clean up, which also happened. But after that my goal was to stay awake all day so that I could sleep tonight.

Well, it's 11:26 and I am wide awake.

You might be asking, what happened? Me too!!!

I did sucumb to the sleepiness around 9ish and woke up around noon. After that I was fine...fine until 7:30 and then before I knew it I had fallen asleep. I woke up around 10:45 and now I can't fall back asleep.

Oh and I am so sorry that my last several posts have been about sleep.

Weekend Fun

Sorry about not posting for a couple of days. I worked Thursday and Friday. Last night Abbey and Abbey's friend, Megan, picked me up from work and then we all went stamping. Let's just say, two very lucky people in my life will be receiving some very cute St. Patrick's Day crafts!

Anyway, I spent last night with Abbey and Reed since Jeff is out of town. We hung out this morning for a while and then I came home for a little while this afternoon to catch up on some cleaning around the apartment. (And no, the cabinet will not be finished until some time this next week.) I will head back over to their house in a little while where we will have pizza and movie night. Tonight's features are "Australia" and Papa John's.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

1. How are you doing?
I am doing very well. I am still adjusting and settling in. I knew it would take some time and am ready to establish some sort of routine.

2. Are you happy?
Yes, I am. I know a lot of people don't fully understand why I made the decision to move, but it has been a good decision for me.

3. What is your work schedule?
It changes from week to week. Last week I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This week I work Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I am also on my last week of working days. Next week, I switch to nights and will be working nights indefinitely. Once I get the hang of working nights, I feel like I get a schedule and routine going.

4. Are you excited about working nights?
I don't know, ask me in a week or two! I have hung curtains in my room that have a blackout liner in them, so I feel like I am as ready as I can be.

5. What do you do on your days off?
Lay on the couch, watch soap operas, and eat bon bons...Okay, so that isn't true. Just normal stuff...clean my apartment, laundry, etc. I also typically cook on my days off so I don't have to
on the days I work. For instance tonight I made a pot of chili (after being inspired by Abbey.) Speaking of Abbey, she and I try to get together on my days off and workout. I have also have been spending a lot of time working on my pantry.

6. Are we ever going to see pictures of the pantry?
I was hoping to finish it up today, but I had an interesting encounter with gravity that set me back a little. I still might finish up the painting tonight, but it still needs to be sealed and then all the hardware put on. I now hope to finish on Wednesday...check back for pictures.

7. Have you found a church?
There are a lot around here, but no. I have visited two different churches, but I think it may take some time to find the right one. I am definitely ready though.

8. Have you begun looking for a house there?
Not officially. I have looked online, but nothing serious. I can't do anything until this summer when my lease is up. I don't want to find something now and then it not be available when I can finally buy a house.

9. How are your neighbors?
Don't ask...That could almost be an entire post of its own!

Up And At 'Em

I am up at 6:00 am on a Saturday morning...actually I have been up an hour. I am getting ready for work. I actually work today through Monday, which translates to I most likely will not update the blog until Monday night or Tuesday.

On a separate note, I spent a nice chunk of time at the Jeep dealership yesterday. Nothing majorly wrong, but the parts have been ordered and I will have the privilege of spending one of my days off next week getting everything fixed. At least it is still drivable until then.

Other than that, the last several days have been quiet...well, besides the fact that I dropped the carton of eggs that I bought at the store. Even then, I only broke 4!

Have a great weekend!!!

Welcome to TN!

I woke up to this view from my balcony this morning.

By the end of the day all the snow was gone off the street.

I guess I should have taken these boxes to the dumpster last night. It was a weird feeling to sweep snow off the balcony so I could make a path to the storage closet.

It actually wasn't a bad snow, but I don't think my car is very happy with me at all!

Made It

742 miles later, we made it!

Headed Out

The truck is loaded. We are all up and ready. We should be headed out in the next 20 minutes. I'll check in again as soon as I can.

Goodbye Florida, hello Tennessee!

Today

1. Worked
2. Packed

And I Think I Saw Jerry Springer

Over the last few days I have broken a rule in my life.

Are you ready?

I have been to the mall just days before Christmas. On Saturday I ran in really quickly to pick up a few things...then ended up doing the same thing on Sunday. Today I ended up back at the mall to return a few things. Tomorrow...well, I still have one quick trip to make. The shirt that I bought yesterday still has the ink tag on it. How I managed to get out of the store with it, well, I'll never know.

The highlights to all this...I have gotten unbelievable parking spaces with each trip. And today...I think I saw Jerry Springer!