January 10, 2010

Today is my LAST day of work for a little over a week!!! YAY!! Yesterday and today I have spent alot of time helping one of my nurses learn to give IV antibiotic infusions as well as blood transfusions on our unit. We get alot of infusions over the weekend since the hospital's infusion center is closed every weekend. When the patients come to our unit for their infusions there are several things we have to remember to do along with different charting. I am SO proud of the nurse I assigned to the infusion patients. She is a newer nurse, and she did a wonderful job. She takes instruction very well and is a very fast learner. Today was a little stressful for us both as we received one patient for a blood transfusion who was EXTREMELY impatient and difficult!! He was a real pain in the bootay. I helped her more with the blood transfusion to get it done and get him out of there ASAP!! He made the nurse a little nervous and anxious due to his lack of consideration for our policies and procedures and because he was SO demanding, but she did not allow it to show. She has such a positive "can-do" attitude and truly is just a breath of fresh air!! I am so proud of her. :o)

I am home now...got SO much to do!! From laundry, washing my dogs so they will smell good when they go stay with Aunt Sherry, then taking them to Aunt Sherry's, to packing and running to Wal-mart...oh, AND gotta eat dinner in there somewhere. Gonna be a looong night! Still waiting for Colin to get home from work...poor baby had to work all weekend. He found out on FRIDAY that he won a contract he was bidding on and that he wanted badly. Good news that he won the contract....but bad news being that we are leaving in the morning for New York. He has a business trip next week to New York. I am going with him, and we fly out in the morning. We're making it into a mini-vacation. It's going to be such fun!! There are a few guys from Colin's work who are also going and one of them, Tony, is bringing his girlfriend, too. Colin and Tony are good buddies. So, while the guys are in their training Tuesday-Thursday Tony's girlfriend and I are going to hangout...I haven't met her yet, but I know we'll have lots of fun. Anyways, gotta go for now....too much to do to keep chatting on here. Can't promise I'll be able to blog next week. I will TRY, but hey, I'm on VACATION. I'll have lots of pictures though!!! :o)

January 9, 2010

Saturday, January 9, 2010 was a VERY cold morning!!! The temp was in the 20's (see pict) this morning and stayed in the 30's all day in HOUSTON!!! What is the deal with our weather?? Snow last year, snow again this year and now temps in the 20's??? I don't mind it getting colder...but man, it had to be this cold on the weekend I was working! :o( It was so hard to pry myself out of the warm bed (thanks to my electric blanket) next to my nice warm hubby, BUT it was "time to make the doughnuts." Haha! (Does ANYone remember that doughnut commercial?? Or am I just showing my age? lol) Can't complain about work this day though cause our unit was FULL (from the previous crazy, hectic day-see yesterday's blog). Today was busy, yet fairly "Q." (Can't say the Q-word ("Qu-et") cause it's nurse taboo). Thanks be to God for a good day on 5west....today erases all of yesterday's stress and frustration. :o)

January 8, 2010

Friday, January 8th = NOT a very good day at work for me!! To start the shift off one of my nurse techs was running late...no big deal cause we can handle that. Then, I found out the discharge nurse called in sick...a little bigger deal but she has not been feeling very well so it's understandable, and her health is more important. However, at the beginning of the shfit we only had TEN patients on the unit (our unit holds 24 patients) meaning that we had MANY open beds to be filled. Bedboard was going CRAZY all day!!! Between trying to help my nurses as much as I could and bedboard ringing my phone off of the hook I couldn't get anything done. I work with some really terrific nurses. Yet several are newer nurses who need a little bit more guidance and tend to ask a few more questions than the average nurse. So, much of my day is spent answering questions and showing the new nurses how/what needs to be done. We also have a few more "seasoned" nurses who are very willing to help and teach...that alone is such a relief!! Thank goodness for team players!! All day long we were trying to fill the empty beds at the same time as discharging several of our already existing patients...which meant MORE empty beds to fill. UGH!! It was just one of those days where my head was swimming. After a long day of overstimulation I had a bad headache. What a relief it was to come home to see that Colin had checked the mail and had my "Cooking Light" magazine of the month waiting for me!!! I love to try new recipes, and so I subscribe to this particular magazine. It's one of my favs!! It's like a present to myself everytime I get a new edition!! Dinner, a hot bath while reading "Cooking Light" and my bad day was just a memory.....aaahhh....

January 7, 2009

I spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon at the doctor's office with Colin. He needed to see his urologist because he has kidney stones again...bless his heart...they are SO painful!!! So, I went with him cause he likes for me to go as moral support and since I am a nurse he also likes for me to explain things he's unsure about. I like to go as well so I can find out and remember what the doctor has to say, also because Colin is a poor historian when it comes to remembering the doctor's orders. Plus, I know if I go with him he will follow-through with the treatment. I often worry about Colin because he was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple of years ago (a very young age), and he doesn't take his blood pressure medicine every night like he's supposed to despite all of my preaching and teaching. He's been doing much better, but even last night he didn't take his medicine and his blood pressure was elevated this morning at the doctor's office causing the doctor to be concerned. I can't stress enough to him how important it is to take blood pressure medicine EVERYDAY as it is prescribed. Sometimes it's like talking to a brickwall!!! I pray he will not have a heart attack or stroke one day, and I warn him of these things...still he will forget. I try to kindly remind him even though sometimes he seems to get annoyed. I am just concerned for him, and I need him to be around as long as God will allow. I love him more than I am concerned about him being upset with me over his health!

While at the doctor's office I started re-reading a really great book called "How to Win Friends, and Influence People" (see above). I found this in Barnes and Noble awhile back, and then a dear friend also told me that it is one of his favorite books. It really is very interesting and helpful in dealing with people and relationships at home and work. I was surprised to find that I naturally did several things suggested in the book, but I have also learned so much valuable information from it. I have read it already once before...now it's time to re-read it again. I need all of the help I can get!!! lol

January 6, 2010

Okay, so I'm still playing catch-up and I will probably have to do that more often than not...but I will at least try to blog something for everyday of the year which will be a HUGE challenge for me being that I am not much for writing (as you have probably been able to tell). :o) Tuesday, January 6th was a LAZY day for me and my puppies (see Sydney's pict above)...FINALLY got a day to myself to relax! So, besides doing some dishes and laundry I was also able to read a little, do quite a bit of blogging to get caught up (that took most of my time! ugh!) and I watched this movie (500 Days of Summer) that I have watched probably about 5 or 6 times now...I love it! Such a great movie!! Funny thing is it was due back at the video store a couple of days ago, but I haven't wanted to return it yet. Haha!! Now, I'll have a late fee....oh well, it's worth it. I do plan on taking it back soon though (sniffle). I tried to buy it but haven't been able to find it yet. Both of my dogs did not want to move because it was too cold. They stayed curled up under their blankets all day. It took some major coaxing just to get Syd to stick her head out so I could snap her picture. lol She wasn't having any of it!

January 5, 2010

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 was not a very good day at work. Our day shift unit secretary called in sick again, and one of our main printers was down all day and will not be repaired until tomorrow morning. Was a crazy, busy day! Thank goodness one of my nurses didn't mind helping out and working as the unit secretary for me!!! That was a tremendous help and all of my nurses were eager to offer their help as well. (I love all of the wonderful people I am blessed to work with!!) Our unit was full...we can definitely tell the holidays are over! Our ER department was so full our hospital was put on "drive-by" status...meaning we cannot take any more patients through our ER so the ambulance has to drive on by to find another ER. Anyway, we made it through the day and I was relieved to go home knowing I have the next two days off to recuperate.



Meanwhile back at the ranch...Colin and I relaxed for a little while as each of us talked about our day at work. Shortly after taking my bath I was ready for bed. However, before going to bed Colin and I wanted to protect our plants and kitty from the COLD winter night. So, we took some Christmas lights and wrapped them all around our plants and tree, and then covered it all with a couple of blankets. We then took our kitty Fraidy's kennel and put it in the middle of it all so that Fraidy would be able to stay warm. See, Fraidy doesn't like coming in the house cause we have to keep him in his kennel since I am highly allergic to cats. It was SO cold while preparing the plants that we decided to bring Fraidy in the house instead and just let him meow all night in his kennel cause at least he'd stay warm inside with us. We brought him in, and to our surprise he didn't make a peep!! lol (We are missing Leilah, our other kitty. Haven't seen her in a week and we're afraid she got caught in a trap that the neighbors had set for skunks. Colin is brokenhearted (I am too), but he thinks she'll come home soon....I am not so sure. Wherever she is I just hope she is okay and warm...we miss her!!) :o(

January 4, 2010

January 4th, Monday, I worked. BOY I was NOT feeling the greatest...STILL hormonal, cramping, and dragging!! (Sorry to any of my male friends who might be reading this, but it's life, I am a female and we are all adults here, right?) :o) To top it off one of my unit secretaries called in sick and staffing was not able to find me a replacement which made more work for me and my day to seem so much loooonger and hectic. Did I mention that I was horomonal?? lol But I was determined to keep a good attitude and to "pray my way through the day"...that's my saying for when I'm having a not-so-good day. At some point during my crazy day I received a text message from one of my best friends, Chloe. She asked if I had seen the news today. Concerned I said, "No. Why?" I remember having a few uneasy thoughts and hoping nothing tragic had happened on the news that I had missed. I was nervous to see what she would say. Then, I got a reply. It said, "At long last...they found Boy George!!!" And it had the picture of Colin (above) attached. I had to laugh!! With the day I was having and with everything seeming so overly serious, including me, I was caught off guard. Oh the beauty of friends!! They can bring a smile to your face when you least expect it!! It was that moment I realized I was taking life and myself too serious today...I needed that and Chloe brought it to me just at the right time. :o)

Oh, and the pictures are from an '80's party Colin's boss was having. We went as Boy George and Cindy Lauper. Colin looked JUST like Boy George! (Me, not so much like Cindy Lauper) It was FREAKY!! Colin let me and my sister talk him into allowing us to dress him and do his makeup. We told him if we're gonna go, we're gonna do it up right! We found a picture of Boy George on the internet and just went to thrift stores looking for props. We had so much fun dressing him up and his costume turned out BEAUTIFULLY!! And we won the best dressed couple award at the party!! The party was a blast!! He hates the pictures though...lol

January 3, 2010

Sunday was of course "football Sunday." We met my sister, brother, Leah, and Travis at Bayou City Wings in Baytown so Colin could watch the Steelers play. I wasn't feeling completely up to going due to not feeling very well of which only my female friends can relate (wink), BUT I went anyway cause it's difficult to tell my hubby no and to see him disappointed. I was drained from working the past Thursday-Friday then going out after work Friday night, running around all day Saturday then being at my sister's the rest of the day, and today, Sunday, well, I really would've loved to just stay home...I mean, I had to work Monday and Tuesday AGAIN and I just wasn't feeling great. My tummy hurt, and I was completely hormonal! I mean, all I wanted to do that day was be at home...that's it. Needless to say, by the time we got home I was G-R-U-M-P-Y!! Poor Colin. The grumpy, hormonal me that he sometimes has to put up with. lol

Once we were home he suggested we watch a movie...so I, in my great wisdom, suggested the movie P.S. I Love You since several of my friends had said it was such a great movie. Little did I know it was a HUGE tear jerker!! I was not prepared to soften my grumpy ol' heart yet, especially not for HIM who had made me (not really) sit at BCW's all day watching football longer than I had wanted! But, oh, we started watching the movie and I cried....I felt horrible for being such a grump to Colin. :o( So much that I had to stop the movie about 20-30 mins into it to tell Colin how very sorry I was for being mean and grumpy to him. I told him that I loved him so much and never wanted or meant to take him or his love for granted. He was (always is) so very sweet to accept my apology and told me how much he loves and adores me and how I am and will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him. At that, tears streaming down my face, I asked in a silly little childlike voice, "Even when I is mean and grumpy to you??" And Colin, my wonderful husband, replied in his silly childlike voice, "Even when you is mean and grumpy to me." At that we snuggled together and finished watching the movie...I am so blessed!!

January 2, 2010

There is alot to be said about living out of boxes for months!!! We have been building a house since July 2009. However, before the house was completed in November we found out from our mortgage broker that an individual by the name of Tina Salley, formerly Tina SMITH, was being reported on my credit!!! Now I wouldn't have complained if her credit would've been GOOD credit, BUT that's not the case!! She was killing my credit!! I could not figure out why Cres, our mortgage lady, told my husband a couple of times that we needed to pay down several of our credit cards. I knew we didn't have any credit cards with large or outstanding balances because I pay our bills every month. Finally, we asked Cres to send us a copy of our credit report. There it was...Tina SALLEY all over my credit report with all kinds of outstanding accounts!! I wanted to die! Not only that but my BIRTHDATE was not even correct!! HOW does that happen...don't they use your "individualized" social security number to identify you anymore??? There were several employers listed which I have NEVER worked for, and various addresses of places I've never even lived. AND credit cards that had a joint account with a "Timothy Salley." After almost two long gruelling hours on the phone with the credit bureau I was finally able to convince them I was NOT Tina Salley and I did not know Timothy Salley either. Long story short...they have finally deleted 27 bad credit accounts of hers off my credit report, corrected my birthdate, employers and previous addresses where I've lived BUT my credit score has only been creeping back up over the months. I am currently 8 points away from where I need to be to be approved AGAIN for our house. So, we are paying an extra $800/month (plus our current note where we are living now) in hopes that our builder will continue working with us, praying we will be able to close soon, and living out of boxes until then....I know no matter what happens though God is still faithful!!!

January 1st 2010

These first several days I will be playing catch up since I did not actually start on January 1st, but fortunately I have a picture from each day until now since I love to take pictures of everything and everyone!! (Wish I had a better camera.) This was taken New Year's day, more like evening, because I had to work both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. My family, friends, and I love to hangout and do fun things together...so here we are having fun bowling. We had a great time!! I love spending time with everyone. We are all very close, and I love that, despite all we've been through as a family, we always make it a point to get together regularly. We've come a long way from being a family that fought and argued alot to one that recognizes we are still family...and that's all we have. But what's most wonderful to me is that we tuly, genuinely love and care about each other.

Project 365

Ok, some of my friends are doing this, and I think I'd like to give it a try. It's called Project 365 because we take a picture each day of our lives starting with January 1, 2010 and blog about it. Finally, at the end of the year we can look back to see how much our life has changed, as well as the many things we have gone through and hopefully overcome. If you are a self-evaluator like me,then you will also see the areas that you had wanted or hoped would change but for some reason or another it didn't...which is a great opportunity for improvement!! :o) So, here goes...welcome to my project 365. Feel free to stop by anytime to read some or all of my blogs and please make comments if you like.