My Husband's Contribution

I am so proud of my husband for posting this last wonderful and joyous blurb last night. And believe it or not, I did not even say anything to him to make him want to!! I am not known to nag! Just ask him! I am glad that he took the opportunity to vent and let all his frustrations out without immediate rebuttal from someone else. I told him that this blog thing was actually very therapeutic and thought provoking for me. I hope that he keeps posting so that everyone can enjoy just some of the wonderful attributes that I adore about him. As you can see, he is very opinionated, sometimes sarcastic, and always funny. This is also another way we can stay connected from 2500 miles away. I feel like I am more apart of his day when I get to not only talk about how his day went but I can read it over and over. I'm so proud of you honey!! I hope the rest of you enjoy.

Since My Wife Says I haven't Contributed...

Hello to all those who frequent our page or those just stopping by! I am the infamous "non-posting" husband of the phenomenal woman that you all know as MONICA... Yes I capitalized her name because it should always be spoken with zeal :-) So.....My week has been filled with nothing but work. As exciting as the world of ER nursing sounds to those outside of it, the reality is that we see a great deal of mundane "clinic" quality complaints from our patrons. On the average I only get to see truly sick or injured people about once or twice per shift. Those are what keep you going back for more. Even less often than that do we actually get thanked for our attention to details like those pesky heart rhythms or balancing our work load with the pt in the next room whose family member insists that their need for a blanket or something to drink superceeds the CPR occurring steps away from them. Ahhh yes... the joys of the ER. All kidding aside, I truly enjoy my job. The idea of uncertainty and the opportunity to help someone in what could be their darkest hour is what keeps us going. BTW we are the only profession that has to sign a contact waiving our right to a lunch break according to the labor board. As I am writing this I find myself climbing right up onto a soap box and firmly grasping my megaphone. There are some things that Iwould like to vent...

1) I have found an amazing amount of people that refuse their own PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
2) Many in our society have subscribed to a "microwave" philosophy. Everyone wants what they want, when they want it and have no concept of patience or acuity of situation. I seem to get quite upset when people can not grasp the fact that just because they think they are having an emergency doesn't mean they actually are and that they are not the center of the universe...
3) The ER is not your primary doctor! Despite the fact that we can not turn people away does not give folks the right to abuse the system.
4) If people are having an emergency I assure you, I/We will know it almost immediately. Call it our 7th or even 8th sense :-) People's vain attempts at wild stories of how things happened, their ability to dry-heave on command, falling in the floor and refusing to get up because you say you are too weak when I saw you smoking outside just before don't cut it.
5) Antibiotics take around 24-48 hours to reach peak effectiveness. If you got your first dose this AM in the ER, don't come back telling us that you "just don't feel any better" before the end of my shift. We really didn't expect you to be at full speed and neither should you.

I think this is enough for now, but I have lots of "pearls" to bestow on the world in the coming posts. This has been quite therapeutic for me :-)

I will start posting cool stuff as well regarding interesting injuries and illnesses and will try to keep my moaning to a minimum. Till next time!

I have sinned...

It started when I finished off the last of the milk and half and half this morning. Since I was going to work today, I planned on getting another gallon of milk and some creamer before I headed home today. I have also been wanting a calendar for my purse, an attempt to become more organized. I have looked at all logical places to find one, but none have been what I have been looking for. The only other place I have left unturned was Wal-Mart (enter the evil laugh of the "machine"). My family has boycotted Wal-Mart for a long time now. It has been especially easy since Target is not that far away with all the other great quality shopping in our area. This afternoon I was going to go by the fabric store then to Wal-Mart, only looking for the calendar, and back to the grocery store for the perishables then home. I did not want Wal-Mart to have what I was looking for because I do not like supporting them, for numerous reasons that will have to wait for another post. Well I went to the fabric store, just browsing, not planning on purchasing anything. Then I went to the "machine" to look for the calendar. Well wouldn't you know they had exactly what I was looking for. Not only did they have it, they had quite a nice selection of calendars. So in my fleshly want for a calendar TODAY, I decided to go ahead and buy it. Well while I was there, did I mention it was a SUPER WAL-MART, I thought about the time getting close to 5:00 and not wanting to go to the grocery store also, I decided to go ahead and buy everything I needed at Wal-Mart. This was OK until I got to the check-out. I got in line for the self-check out. As I was scanning my items, I kid you not, I began feeling so shameful and like I had made a bad decision. I have no idea where it came from. This was the first purchase I have made from Wal-Mart in over a year. I feel like I have sold out simply for convenience and it feels terrible. Needless to say, I will not be going back, even if it will cost me a little more to pay for my items elsewhere or to drive farther to get what I need. LONG LIVE TARGET!

A Good Friend

Having good people around you makes life so much easier and enjoyable. My best girlfriend and I have known each other since pre-school. Crazy, huh? It is strange to think that a person I met when I was so young still remains an important and comforting person in my life today, twenty-five years later. We have different personalities in a few areas, yet in the areas that are most important; i.e. morals, religious beliefs, family ties, children, and our feelings about each other, we match so well. I think of how our different life experiences, logically, should produce different people, yet, God has an amazing way of keeping us together. I know that she is in my life because God has placed in each of us a piece of the other. I always know she is there supporting me and my family even if it takes me away from her. I know that when I am away for a long time and come back to visit, there will never be an awkward silence, moment of tension, or difficulty in conversation. It is as though we were never apart, always in each other's lives without even trying. She is such a blessing to me, a true friend. Other than my husband and immediate family, she is the only tried and true friend I have. She does not gain anything by being my friend, she does not have to like me or spend time with me to fulfil any obligation or commitment. It is sad that I only have one, but, if I only get one, I am so glad it is her.
On another note, my wonderful friend happens to be a freelance writer. Please visit her blog here. She is a wonderful writer and her latest article is my favorite by far.
I pray that everyone dear and unknown to me has just one friend like mine. That absolutely neccessary person that gives their friendship without expectation of anything other than friendship in return. A person that understands you and everything about you, supports you, and truly cares about your life knowing it may not be what she wants. I have that. I am blessed to have her.

YAY!!!

I woke up this morning to a wonderful email that informed me I was accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham Occupational Therapy program!! I am so relieved, excited, pensive, and thankful!! Relieved because I don't have to wait to go to school anymore, I will at least go somewhere in the fall. Excited because, well, I am excited to finally start this and get Trae and I on the road to where we want to be. Pensive because I really liked UAB and I was hoping I wouldn't as much as I did to make my decision easier. And I am so thankful because God knows where I need to go and I know He opens doors for me to go through. I will wait to see what UMC says, however, I must let UAB know by Feb. 15. Soo... if I do not get accepted into UMC my decision will be extremely easy, but logistically a more difficult situation. If I do get into UMC, my decision will be hard, but I will have the dreaded money issue to consider. So please be praying that God opens His door so wide that I can not mess up the decision and it is easy to see and walk through. I am so pumped. The only thing that could make this day any greater was is my supportive, wonderful, sexy husband was here with me to celebrate.

I guess I am boring!!

Being new to blogging, I am amazed at those who find something new to write about everyday. I am not sure my life is exciting enough to find suitable, thoughtful, and interesting enough to write about every day. I do not have children, so my life is not yet filled with the unpredictable and hilarious kidisms. How do ya'll do it?!! So... here is what was new with me today. I cleaned the bathroom in record time. Got to see my favorite 1 year old at work today as well as her mommy. I got to give the chief of police a hard time. Made a few people smile at work. I was delighted to see 2 comments on my blog when I got home. Had pancakes for dinner (always a favorite of mine). Tried to come up with a birthday present for my sister. That is about it. See, nothing very exciting or eventful. But hopefully, in the near future, my days will be filled with classes, clinicals, and studying, and of course all the things I am doing now. So I guess this will work for my blog topic for the day. We will see what tomorrow brings.

1 Down and 1 to Go!

I miss Trae.
Ok! Interview 1 at University of Alabama at Birmingham went very well. It was yesterday. Got to meet current 1st year students as well as faculty and some staff. Everyone was soo laid back, relaxed and comfortable. I did not once get nervous or have butterflies, surprising and very good. I feel really good about that interview and now I am kinda bummed. I was pretty certain on going to University Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson if I get in whether I got in UAB or not. This is primarily due to financial issues, i.e: in-state tuition, living costs, etc. However, I felt so comfortable and like UAB so much it is going to be hard to say no if they offer me a position. So that is the thought of the day. This is all assuming I get in both, but of course if I only get into one, well that solves that doesn't it!? I would like to thank my dear friend Riley Buck Phillips and her husband Blake who let me crash at their house Monday night. If not for this, I would have had to spend the night alone in a hotel in downtown Birmingham, something so much better done with Trae Bane! Thanks guys. I will keep everyone updated on how interviews are going, any subsequent results!
Have I mentioned that I miss Trae? Well I do. Glad he has Bella to keep him company.