I kind of took stock of my life and pinpointed some areas I really wanted to change and just started making the phone calls and going to the places to make the changes. I can't tell you exactly why the switch just flipped, but I woke up and decided I was still scared of how much hard work everything was going to take but I was just going to do it anyway. That's how I now have a schedule that includes Crossfit at 530 am a few times a week.
That's ass early to go work out. I'm barely coherent because I'm not getting up early to caffeinate and pretend I'm human before getting in my mamavan and driving downtown. I am waking up, quietly changing into workout clothes that are essentially scrub pants and oversized t shirts, applying En-R-Gee on my toes, and sneaking out of the apartment without waking anyone up. I get there and I'm bleary eyed, but I'm determined. I sweat so much doing things that I don't think anyone else there sweats while doing, but I'm doing it. I know people have some very strong opinions about Crossfit, and that's fine and respectable. This was a good choice for me right now. I found a box that is incredibly supportive and never says a word about how slow I'm moving or that I'm still lifting just the bar, or whatever. They fist bump me when I don't argue about a WOD and just grit my teeth and do my best and I finish it. They push me just a little bit. And form is way more important than intensity. I don't know when I will feel like burpees are not mocking me as I do them. But I keep doing them. I feel the workout, but I'm not sore. I keep going back. I committed to myself to go 3-4 times a week for two months, and then go from there. I think it is very likely I'll commit another two months at that point, but also, I think it's okay to look at yourself and realize you have a very significant amount of weight to lose and you want to build strength and stamina to support your family life and your career choice and instead of looking at the ultimate goal just choosing something to focus on for a couple of months.
Today I learned how quickly someone will come to your aid if you go to do a back squat and squat only to realize you're not going to be able to stand up again. Tomorrow I hope to learn burpees have been cancelled forever.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
The one about drama at work
Pediatric home health is a strange place to work because you're always in other people's homes. You have to hit the exact balance of professionally taking care of a medically fragile kiddo and having a relationship with the family. It's weird being in someone else's home and right in the middle of their life so much of the time. A nursing skill that is very important but not one of the ones that they teach you is to bring calm into the room by not falling into the drama. Drama of the situation, family members, whatever. It doesn't help to contribute and you might not be able to stop it, but you can diffuse it if you have the right knack about you. It's just extra hard when you're in someone's actual home.
I've never not accepted an assignment though. And I've had to address certain issues with a family or with my boss or with both, I've had to call CPS in, I've brought an entire bag of cleaning supplies to make sure a child had the best environment he could at least while I was there. So the other day when I emailed my scheduler to request to be taken off as backup for a case, she immediately jumped to action and offered to find someone to relieve me. The child was a pretty easy case as far as nursing care goes, but the family was set on bringing me into their dissatisfaction with other members of their medical team, asking me inappropriate questions that I didn't really answer but really just didn't even want asked, and ultimately what is kind of a short shift ended up being way more taxing than the long ass twelve hour shifts I do regularly.
I'm thankful to have a solid enough reputation to be able to politely ask to be reassigned and have it just happen. One of my biggest hopes is that I always have a reputation as a solid nurse, hard worker, and drama free.
I definitely have the best stories ever though!
I've never not accepted an assignment though. And I've had to address certain issues with a family or with my boss or with both, I've had to call CPS in, I've brought an entire bag of cleaning supplies to make sure a child had the best environment he could at least while I was there. So the other day when I emailed my scheduler to request to be taken off as backup for a case, she immediately jumped to action and offered to find someone to relieve me. The child was a pretty easy case as far as nursing care goes, but the family was set on bringing me into their dissatisfaction with other members of their medical team, asking me inappropriate questions that I didn't really answer but really just didn't even want asked, and ultimately what is kind of a short shift ended up being way more taxing than the long ass twelve hour shifts I do regularly.
I'm thankful to have a solid enough reputation to be able to politely ask to be reassigned and have it just happen. One of my biggest hopes is that I always have a reputation as a solid nurse, hard worker, and drama free.
I definitely have the best stories ever though!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
The one about reading and oils
My oldest is 6 and in first grade. He started working on reading last year but this year is an even more concentrated effort. I think we all have definite strengths and weaknesses, and if we know our weaknesses, we can work on them or take them into account as we try to reach new goals. He's too young for that kind of introspection, but I know that one of his definite challenges is the idea he should be able to just do things right on the first try. So, naturally, he's looking for shortcuts on this reading thing. He's got the basics down, and is so smart that he'll probably get away with some things for awhile at school that he won't at home. I have the advantage of just having two kids instead of 25 like his teacher does, I'm not knocking school at all!
Last night, he was trying to read a box of Nerds where it listed the flavor: Seriously Strawberry. I was driving us all home, and he was spelling out words asking what they were. I asked him to sound them out and figure it out based on that. This ended with him so angry he was crying, and me wanting a glass of wine. He's just guessing words when he doesn't know them. I tried to explain to him that it's not going to get him anywhere. If he takes the time now to learn how to sound things out and then how to figure out what a new word is based on the rest of what he's reading, he'll be able to read ANYTHING. We can pick a book and read it together and watch a movie and then decide if the movie matched the picture in our minds and which one was better. He can read instructions on how to do something he's never tried. He can look up information about a question he has. But he has to know how to sound things out and not just guess in order to really unlock this reading thing. I'm sure we'll have to have this conversation or similar ones several more times before he finally gets it. Or just gives up trying to argue with me and tries what I suggested without letting me know that he's trying what I said to do. Motherhood is exhausting.
Later, I was thinking about how there's probably something I'm doing where I really need to take a step back and make sure I get the basics instead of trying to rush forward. I know the biggest reason S and I have such a hard time sometimes is that we are very alike. Not completely, but the stubbornness, the desire to be successful almost immediately, and not being afraid of challenges but not always knowing how to take them on are big personality characteristics we share. I was in my thirties before I realized I could ask for help and get it easily rather than trying to do everything myself or just failing at it. I hope he can get that lesson sooner, but I'm sure my dad felt the same way about me learning it.
I'm building a business through Young Living, and I love it and it's going well. In order to go back to nursing school, I need to replace my current income with something that allows me to attend classes on ground. I see that flipping rank two more times gets me there and I have all the foundation for that in place, I'm just not sure how to get from where I am right this second up two more rungs on the ladder. I can't do it by myself, I need other people on my team interested in and invested in running the business side of things. I'm learning how to encourage and motivate without push and overwhelm. And how to stay in my lane and not look too much at how quickly people around me were able to achieve this same goal. I'm on a team of people who work together and work hard and set goals and go past them, and I think it will do me well to remember that in the company overall, I've already achieved a high enough rank that Young Living sent me a certificate and a pin. That's nothing to sneeze at! The next rank up comes with an all expense paid retreat to the headquarters and some of the farms and distilleries. Except to hear more about how this goes, it's definitely heavy on my mind!
Last night, he was trying to read a box of Nerds where it listed the flavor: Seriously Strawberry. I was driving us all home, and he was spelling out words asking what they were. I asked him to sound them out and figure it out based on that. This ended with him so angry he was crying, and me wanting a glass of wine. He's just guessing words when he doesn't know them. I tried to explain to him that it's not going to get him anywhere. If he takes the time now to learn how to sound things out and then how to figure out what a new word is based on the rest of what he's reading, he'll be able to read ANYTHING. We can pick a book and read it together and watch a movie and then decide if the movie matched the picture in our minds and which one was better. He can read instructions on how to do something he's never tried. He can look up information about a question he has. But he has to know how to sound things out and not just guess in order to really unlock this reading thing. I'm sure we'll have to have this conversation or similar ones several more times before he finally gets it. Or just gives up trying to argue with me and tries what I suggested without letting me know that he's trying what I said to do. Motherhood is exhausting.
Later, I was thinking about how there's probably something I'm doing where I really need to take a step back and make sure I get the basics instead of trying to rush forward. I know the biggest reason S and I have such a hard time sometimes is that we are very alike. Not completely, but the stubbornness, the desire to be successful almost immediately, and not being afraid of challenges but not always knowing how to take them on are big personality characteristics we share. I was in my thirties before I realized I could ask for help and get it easily rather than trying to do everything myself or just failing at it. I hope he can get that lesson sooner, but I'm sure my dad felt the same way about me learning it.
I'm building a business through Young Living, and I love it and it's going well. In order to go back to nursing school, I need to replace my current income with something that allows me to attend classes on ground. I see that flipping rank two more times gets me there and I have all the foundation for that in place, I'm just not sure how to get from where I am right this second up two more rungs on the ladder. I can't do it by myself, I need other people on my team interested in and invested in running the business side of things. I'm learning how to encourage and motivate without push and overwhelm. And how to stay in my lane and not look too much at how quickly people around me were able to achieve this same goal. I'm on a team of people who work together and work hard and set goals and go past them, and I think it will do me well to remember that in the company overall, I've already achieved a high enough rank that Young Living sent me a certificate and a pin. That's nothing to sneeze at! The next rank up comes with an all expense paid retreat to the headquarters and some of the farms and distilleries. Except to hear more about how this goes, it's definitely heavy on my mind!
Friday, October 14, 2016
the friday five with my five favorite nursing notes lines
Friday Five time!
Here are my 5 favorite things I've included in documentation as a nurse:
1. The father of the child then yelled, "Here comes one of those dumb bitches who calls CPS on us all the time."
2. Cleaned up presumed rabbit urine and feces with saniwipes from underneath child's crib.
3. Asked pediatrician to explain pros and cons of putting apple juice in enteral feeding bags for patient per mother of child request to mother of child. Pediatrician confirmed nurse's instruction that no changes should be made to formula without instruction from physician.
4. Suggested adult family members smoke outside and not burn incense inside due to child's compromised respiratory status. Mother of child stated "That's not going to happen, a little cigarette smoke never hurt anyone."
5. Unable to enter residence until 50 minutes after shift started due to family forgetting this nurse scheduled today as well as not being able to hear doorbell, phone calls, text messages, or knocking.
Here are my 5 favorite things I've included in documentation as a nurse:
1. The father of the child then yelled, "Here comes one of those dumb bitches who calls CPS on us all the time."
2. Cleaned up presumed rabbit urine and feces with saniwipes from underneath child's crib.
3. Asked pediatrician to explain pros and cons of putting apple juice in enteral feeding bags for patient per mother of child request to mother of child. Pediatrician confirmed nurse's instruction that no changes should be made to formula without instruction from physician.
4. Suggested adult family members smoke outside and not burn incense inside due to child's compromised respiratory status. Mother of child stated "That's not going to happen, a little cigarette smoke never hurt anyone."
5. Unable to enter residence until 50 minutes after shift started due to family forgetting this nurse scheduled today as well as not being able to hear doorbell, phone calls, text messages, or knocking.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
The one about the west wing
I had this friend who I used to watch movies with almost every time we spent time together. At the time, one of my very favorite things was to watch a movie and then discuss it thoroughly afterwards. I liked the movies that were mildly controversial or had some deeper meaning that I was able to try it dissect after viewing. I liked the stupid funny ones, too, but it really was one of my favorite things to do dinner and movie, but the movie first. I was also super music obsessed at this point in my life, obnoxiously talking about artists I felt were far superior to the rest and always trying to find a new artist to tell my musician friends about.
So my friend who I always watched movies with once invited me over to watch a show with him called The West Wing. The whole reason he did was because it was a show that didn't use a lot of music and he wanted to make the point that television could be thought provoking and interesting without music. Ironically, it was an episode where a concert kind of happened in the background, but I did enjoy the new to me show.
Fast forward a bit and I'm living alone in Riverside again and staying up ridiculously late because that's what I did in my twenties, and I stumble across reruns of The West Wing and realize it's being aired on the weekends. I set up my VCR to record it, hoping to catch the pilot at some point. But I really love it even though I've started watching right in the middle of the series. Bravo, the tv network currently known for all shows being "reality" based, used to air like four episode in a row of The West Wing on Monday nights. It was the best! I move from all these reruns to watching the new episodes as they air.
This show was just so well written and interesting with characters that were flawed but trying to do good. Not in an earnest fake way, but in a deep meaningful, "I want the world to be better because ot this action" good. I loved the political manuevering, I loved the strong female characters, I loved that there really was a lack of music. It became my favorite show and I still watched all the reruns I could find because The West Wing universe was such a happy place to be. The show ended in 2006. I got a few of the seasons on dvd as gifts later on. Netflix added it to the lineup the first Christmas we had Netflix and I honestly considered it a Christmas present. I love The West Wing.
A few months back, Allison Janney had an opportunity to speak to the press room at The White House and started off pretending to be C.J. Cregg for a brief moment and it was a complete delight. I happened to see the clip someplace that had viewer comments and someone mentioned there was going to be a podcast starting soon called The West Wing Weekly.
I have to take a break from my longwinded story to tell you that I hate podcasts. I love music. Everyone got obsessed with Serial and my husband is constantly listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and I just can't. Blah. But, this is about The West Wing, so maybe it's worth checking out.
It's two guys who have known each other for ages, and one of them was actually on The West Wing for half of its run. I'm completely hooked from the first episode. They are watching one episode a week and discussing that episode with as few spoilers as possible. They encourage listeners to follow along, one episode at a time, and promise guests on the podcast ranging from actors to legislators. When I hear the first actor who had been on The West Wing gushing about what an incredible experience the show had been, I realized that podcasts don't suck. They can be uplifting and entertaining and completely wonderful.
If I designed a celebration of The West Wing, it wouldn't be nearly as perfect as the podcast is. I listen to the new episode every week with utter delight, probably looking like a giant weirdo in my mamavan as I drive, listening, laughing, tearing up, the whole nine yards. I don't even mind being stuck in traffic that much because it means more listening to it in one piece rather than in chunks.
Because of The West Wing Weekly, I am open to podcasts. I went to a conference at the beginning of September where a very successful entrepreneur suggested to me that I be more intentional with my time and listen to podcasts when I can to learn things and raise my personal potential ceiling. I still need to write about this conference, and I totally will, but this in particular was phenomal advice. I wouldn't have been that open to it if I hadn't have recently discovered podcasts could be really fun and interesting.
I have other favorite tv shows that I will watch over and over again, but none of them have had the deep and lasting impact on me or brought such interesting and worthwhile things into my life the way The West Wing has.
And that is my love letter to The West Wing, The West Wing Weekly, and Netflix.
So my friend who I always watched movies with once invited me over to watch a show with him called The West Wing. The whole reason he did was because it was a show that didn't use a lot of music and he wanted to make the point that television could be thought provoking and interesting without music. Ironically, it was an episode where a concert kind of happened in the background, but I did enjoy the new to me show.
Fast forward a bit and I'm living alone in Riverside again and staying up ridiculously late because that's what I did in my twenties, and I stumble across reruns of The West Wing and realize it's being aired on the weekends. I set up my VCR to record it, hoping to catch the pilot at some point. But I really love it even though I've started watching right in the middle of the series. Bravo, the tv network currently known for all shows being "reality" based, used to air like four episode in a row of The West Wing on Monday nights. It was the best! I move from all these reruns to watching the new episodes as they air.
This show was just so well written and interesting with characters that were flawed but trying to do good. Not in an earnest fake way, but in a deep meaningful, "I want the world to be better because ot this action" good. I loved the political manuevering, I loved the strong female characters, I loved that there really was a lack of music. It became my favorite show and I still watched all the reruns I could find because The West Wing universe was such a happy place to be. The show ended in 2006. I got a few of the seasons on dvd as gifts later on. Netflix added it to the lineup the first Christmas we had Netflix and I honestly considered it a Christmas present. I love The West Wing.
A few months back, Allison Janney had an opportunity to speak to the press room at The White House and started off pretending to be C.J. Cregg for a brief moment and it was a complete delight. I happened to see the clip someplace that had viewer comments and someone mentioned there was going to be a podcast starting soon called The West Wing Weekly.
I have to take a break from my longwinded story to tell you that I hate podcasts. I love music. Everyone got obsessed with Serial and my husband is constantly listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and I just can't. Blah. But, this is about The West Wing, so maybe it's worth checking out.
It's two guys who have known each other for ages, and one of them was actually on The West Wing for half of its run. I'm completely hooked from the first episode. They are watching one episode a week and discussing that episode with as few spoilers as possible. They encourage listeners to follow along, one episode at a time, and promise guests on the podcast ranging from actors to legislators. When I hear the first actor who had been on The West Wing gushing about what an incredible experience the show had been, I realized that podcasts don't suck. They can be uplifting and entertaining and completely wonderful.
If I designed a celebration of The West Wing, it wouldn't be nearly as perfect as the podcast is. I listen to the new episode every week with utter delight, probably looking like a giant weirdo in my mamavan as I drive, listening, laughing, tearing up, the whole nine yards. I don't even mind being stuck in traffic that much because it means more listening to it in one piece rather than in chunks.
Because of The West Wing Weekly, I am open to podcasts. I went to a conference at the beginning of September where a very successful entrepreneur suggested to me that I be more intentional with my time and listen to podcasts when I can to learn things and raise my personal potential ceiling. I still need to write about this conference, and I totally will, but this in particular was phenomal advice. I wouldn't have been that open to it if I hadn't have recently discovered podcasts could be really fun and interesting.
I have other favorite tv shows that I will watch over and over again, but none of them have had the deep and lasting impact on me or brought such interesting and worthwhile things into my life the way The West Wing has.
And that is my love letter to The West Wing, The West Wing Weekly, and Netflix.
Monday, October 10, 2016
The one with some load up the fridge and freezer recipes!
Since K and I don't eat dinner together often and the boys always want a simple meal, something that works really well in my house is for me to cook a few meals on the weekend, portion them out, and stick them in the fridge/freezer for easy grab and go through the week. K and I take them to work as well as heat them up to eat at home. And if the boys do happen to be curious enough to eat what I'm eating, it's easy to get that for them!
I have gotten out of the habit recently though. Working longer shifts at my day job and then hustling to build my oils business in my other time while trying to be a good wife and mama and keep the house from overtaking us all with clutter is a lot. But I'm really trying to take better care of myself, and eating real meals is a good place to focus on. I recently switched from contacts to glasses and hope that switching from random meals of pistachios and granola bars to something more realistic will help cut the migraines down.
This weekend I made tortilla soup, beef fajita meat, and ham and cheese sliders. I also made a Dr. Pepper cake for K's birthday, which I'm happy to also share the recipes for, but it was a birthday thing and not a meal prep thing!
For my tortilla soup, this is basically what I did:
1. In 8 cups of chicken broth, boil some chicken. I used about two pounds of frozen chicken thighs that I put in my pot like it was some sort of weird frozen kabob and then submerged as it defrosted.
2. Remove cooked chicken from liquid, leave liquid in the pot. Cut/shred chicken to desired bite sized pieces, add back to pot.
3. Add one jar of good salsa to pot. You can substitute two cans of Rotel, a hearty amount of pico de gallo, or fresh diced tomatoes with diced onion and minced garlic. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer.
4. Dice a yellow or white onion, add to pot.
5. Mince one bunch of cilantro, add to pot.
6. Allow to simmer together for about twenty more minutes, taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Serve with tortilla chips on top! Additional optional toppings can include guacamole or avocado, sour cream, cheese, whatever you want!
8. If freezing, allow to cool in pot. Dish into freezer safe containers. Cool before placing in freezer to avoid ice crystals in soup. Defrost or microwave to enjoy later!
Ham and Cheese Sliders
This is specifically meant to load up the freezer. This is a great late night quick meal or something easy to throw in your lunch bag with a salad or some fruit.
1. Soften 1/2 cup of butter.
2. Add one grated yellow onion, 1 tbsp Worcester sauce, 1 tbsp mustard, and 1 tbsp poppy seeds. Mix well. Adjust to taste.
3. Spread sauce on slider rolls, top with shaved or thin sliced ham and swiss cheese. Spread more sauce on tops of buns, place buns on top.
4. Wrap in foil or place in freezer safe containers. We like to place two together.
5. Microwave aprox 2 minutes to eat! Can also place foil packages in oven at 400 for aprox 20 minutes.
Beef Faijta Meat
I'm lucky in that my local grocery store, HEB, has a lot of fun marinated meat options. This was a new one for us to try. I just cut the package open and put it in the crockpot on low to get the meat nice and tender. Once cooked, I shredded the meat and put it in one container in the fridge. For my lunch today, I put some meat in a bowl, some salsa in a small container, and a few tortillas in my lunch bag. I'll heat it all up and enjoy!
Later this week I hope to make teriyaki meatballs with coconut rice and buttermilk biscuits to have on hand.
I have gotten out of the habit recently though. Working longer shifts at my day job and then hustling to build my oils business in my other time while trying to be a good wife and mama and keep the house from overtaking us all with clutter is a lot. But I'm really trying to take better care of myself, and eating real meals is a good place to focus on. I recently switched from contacts to glasses and hope that switching from random meals of pistachios and granola bars to something more realistic will help cut the migraines down.
This weekend I made tortilla soup, beef fajita meat, and ham and cheese sliders. I also made a Dr. Pepper cake for K's birthday, which I'm happy to also share the recipes for, but it was a birthday thing and not a meal prep thing!
For my tortilla soup, this is basically what I did:
1. In 8 cups of chicken broth, boil some chicken. I used about two pounds of frozen chicken thighs that I put in my pot like it was some sort of weird frozen kabob and then submerged as it defrosted.
2. Remove cooked chicken from liquid, leave liquid in the pot. Cut/shred chicken to desired bite sized pieces, add back to pot.
3. Add one jar of good salsa to pot. You can substitute two cans of Rotel, a hearty amount of pico de gallo, or fresh diced tomatoes with diced onion and minced garlic. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer.
4. Dice a yellow or white onion, add to pot.
5. Mince one bunch of cilantro, add to pot.
6. Allow to simmer together for about twenty more minutes, taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Serve with tortilla chips on top! Additional optional toppings can include guacamole or avocado, sour cream, cheese, whatever you want!
8. If freezing, allow to cool in pot. Dish into freezer safe containers. Cool before placing in freezer to avoid ice crystals in soup. Defrost or microwave to enjoy later!
Ham and Cheese Sliders
This is specifically meant to load up the freezer. This is a great late night quick meal or something easy to throw in your lunch bag with a salad or some fruit.
1. Soften 1/2 cup of butter.
2. Add one grated yellow onion, 1 tbsp Worcester sauce, 1 tbsp mustard, and 1 tbsp poppy seeds. Mix well. Adjust to taste.
3. Spread sauce on slider rolls, top with shaved or thin sliced ham and swiss cheese. Spread more sauce on tops of buns, place buns on top.
4. Wrap in foil or place in freezer safe containers. We like to place two together.
5. Microwave aprox 2 minutes to eat! Can also place foil packages in oven at 400 for aprox 20 minutes.
Beef Faijta Meat
I'm lucky in that my local grocery store, HEB, has a lot of fun marinated meat options. This was a new one for us to try. I just cut the package open and put it in the crockpot on low to get the meat nice and tender. Once cooked, I shredded the meat and put it in one container in the fridge. For my lunch today, I put some meat in a bowl, some salsa in a small container, and a few tortillas in my lunch bag. I'll heat it all up and enjoy!
Later this week I hope to make teriyaki meatballs with coconut rice and buttermilk biscuits to have on hand.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
The one of things making me happy
You guys, I miss writing. So I'm going to try to do it on a regular basis again! I'm starting off nice and easy. Here's a list of things making me happy this week:
...A's requests for "2 hugs and 3 kisses" or other specific amounts at bed time.
...S is reading up a storm! He likes to read to me on the way home from daycare and then the same book again at bedtime so I can see the pictures. I'm not going to pretend it's not tedious sometimes, but listen, he's reading and I freaking love that!
...The West Wing Weekly podcast and reading the comments on the web site/Twitter when I get the chance. This might have a permanent place on my weekly list because it is really that great.
...quad iced venti vanilla lattes. K makes them without ice and puts them in the fridge for me to grab in the morning. It's worth every comment I get about walking into work with a Starbucks cup in my hand every day.
...Christmas Spirit essential oil from Young Living. It smells like happy! And it's really soothing on a sore throat.
...cold fried chicken. I like it better than super hot and fresh fried chicken. I hope we can still be friends.
...it's fall! Even if the weather doesn't really indicate it quite yet, it is still October!
...CC cream. Takes the edge off my tired eyes without being a pain to get onto my face.
...my giant stack of books to read from the library!
What are some things making YOU happy?
...A's requests for "2 hugs and 3 kisses" or other specific amounts at bed time.
...S is reading up a storm! He likes to read to me on the way home from daycare and then the same book again at bedtime so I can see the pictures. I'm not going to pretend it's not tedious sometimes, but listen, he's reading and I freaking love that!
...The West Wing Weekly podcast and reading the comments on the web site/Twitter when I get the chance. This might have a permanent place on my weekly list because it is really that great.
...quad iced venti vanilla lattes. K makes them without ice and puts them in the fridge for me to grab in the morning. It's worth every comment I get about walking into work with a Starbucks cup in my hand every day.
...Christmas Spirit essential oil from Young Living. It smells like happy! And it's really soothing on a sore throat.
...cold fried chicken. I like it better than super hot and fresh fried chicken. I hope we can still be friends.
...it's fall! Even if the weather doesn't really indicate it quite yet, it is still October!
...CC cream. Takes the edge off my tired eyes without being a pain to get onto my face.
...my giant stack of books to read from the library!
What are some things making YOU happy?
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
the one where it's fine to voice your opinion but you better have the goods to back it up yo
I loooooove the Olympics! I get prouder to be an American and become an expert on several sports I was previously vaguely familiar with. I stand up and yell at the tv, cheering people on despite the fact I'm thousands of miles away and could be watching an event that already happened several hours ago. Whatever. I love the PG mom commercials. They all make me cry and simultaneously hopeful I'm that kind of mom to my kids now even though they are not currently Olympic athletes. I love the back stories and the rivalries and just all of it.
Last night I watched some swimming and now Lilly King is on my list of people I'd like to meet and high five. She thought it was inappropriate that a Russian swimmer who had been disqualified due to doping was cleared for competition AND thought she would definitely win. Lilly King vocally but not inappropriately voiced her disdain for the situation. And then the very best part was SHE WON THE GOLD MEDAL after that, setting an Olympic record AND beating the Russian.
I. Freaking. Love. It.
Last night I watched some swimming and now Lilly King is on my list of people I'd like to meet and high five. She thought it was inappropriate that a Russian swimmer who had been disqualified due to doping was cleared for competition AND thought she would definitely win. Lilly King vocally but not inappropriately voiced her disdain for the situation. And then the very best part was SHE WON THE GOLD MEDAL after that, setting an Olympic record AND beating the Russian.
I. Freaking. Love. It.
Friday, August 5, 2016
The one with life lessons based on driving
I do pediatric home health care nursing right now. I currently have a main patient and then sometimes pick up extra shifts because overtime can be sweet sweet money mostly outweighing how tired it makes me to work. I don't have a work place that I can store things at, and it changes a lot. I like what I do--pediatrics is awesome because I get to wear brightly colored scrubs and watch children's movies and television more than the average bear. I honestly never get tired of kids' movies. Even when I know them by heart, I love them!
My main patient right now is a bit of a drive from my house. San Antonio is a weird place to live sometimes in that it's a huge very populated city but is so spread out it doesn't always feel like a metropolis. I'm used to driving 20-30 minutes to get where I'm going, and I don't mind anymore. My drive to work right now is kind of great because it's going against traffic both in the morning and afternoon. In the morning I have to leave so early that I'm driving with all the people who know how to freeway drive, especially where it's two lanes and the speed limit is getting up there. In the afternoon, the cluster I'm driving with isn't so efficient all the time. There's one particular spot of freeway interchanges that I am always half expecting to witness a car accident or be in one myself. Thankfully it's a 5-10 minute section of my drive and then back to smooth sailing.
So I listen to the radio a lot and I also think a lot. It's an easy drive, even if it takes some time. And I feel like there's just so many driving/life metaphors. Like when I'm in the left lane because the right lane is pretty slow moving and someone drives up behind me super fast and stays inches from my bumper until I finally can change lanes. The majority of the time, that person will try to get around me by changing lanes, only to find that the reason I didn't do that was because there's another big rig just ahead.
Life lesson: Sometimes the people in front of you who are not doing what you think they should actually have more information than you do. It would do you well to pause and try to see a bigger picture than what you are getting huffy about.
Sometimes I'll go to merge from an on ramp to the left lanes and come up on a cluster of cars going just under the speed limit. I have learned (luckily just from observation and not anything else) that this typically means there is a police vehicle just ahead. I have no problem passing a police officer when passing them means I'm exactly at the posted speed limit. A lot of other people seem to subscribe to the philosophy that as long as they stay at least slightly behind the police, they can't get in trouble. Not true, friends. First, they can write a speeding ticket if they can clock you from behind them. And secondly, it's rare that there's just one lone police vehicle driving a certain stretch of highway. Those vehicles have radios in them too, yo. Overall, don't drive like an idiot and you'll be fine.
Life lesson: Overall, don't be an idiot and you'll be fine. Also, pay attention to the crowd around you. Don't just follow what they are doing, but look to see what is making them successful and what is causing hardships. Adjust your own plan accordingly.
I never ever never get enough sleep. I have given up trying and simply try to get enough to function in a pleasant manner until at least the time when the boys are supposed to be in bed. Most of the time I make, sometimes I do not and on those days you will find me making lengthy bathroom trips where I will be staring at the ceiling and deep breathing. I always drink some sort of caffeine in the morning. My husband works at Starbucks and keeps me pretty caffeinated, but there's not ALWAYS a drink in the fridge ready for me to grab and go. I drive thru Starbucks sometimes on the days when I've only been awake for 30 minutes but know I need the jolt. And sometimes when I'm just super blah, I'll get a pastry. A warmed chocolate crossiant is super tasty. Not too sweet but definitely chocolate and chocolate makes me happier than is perhaps reasonable. But warmed means gooey.
Life lesson: A warmed chocolate crossiant is not a good choice in the early morning while driving because you could get all the way to work without realizing you have a. Giant chocolate blob on your shirt. If you're a nurse, it'll just look like you have poop on you. All day.
My main patient right now is a bit of a drive from my house. San Antonio is a weird place to live sometimes in that it's a huge very populated city but is so spread out it doesn't always feel like a metropolis. I'm used to driving 20-30 minutes to get where I'm going, and I don't mind anymore. My drive to work right now is kind of great because it's going against traffic both in the morning and afternoon. In the morning I have to leave so early that I'm driving with all the people who know how to freeway drive, especially where it's two lanes and the speed limit is getting up there. In the afternoon, the cluster I'm driving with isn't so efficient all the time. There's one particular spot of freeway interchanges that I am always half expecting to witness a car accident or be in one myself. Thankfully it's a 5-10 minute section of my drive and then back to smooth sailing.
So I listen to the radio a lot and I also think a lot. It's an easy drive, even if it takes some time. And I feel like there's just so many driving/life metaphors. Like when I'm in the left lane because the right lane is pretty slow moving and someone drives up behind me super fast and stays inches from my bumper until I finally can change lanes. The majority of the time, that person will try to get around me by changing lanes, only to find that the reason I didn't do that was because there's another big rig just ahead.
Life lesson: Sometimes the people in front of you who are not doing what you think they should actually have more information than you do. It would do you well to pause and try to see a bigger picture than what you are getting huffy about.
Sometimes I'll go to merge from an on ramp to the left lanes and come up on a cluster of cars going just under the speed limit. I have learned (luckily just from observation and not anything else) that this typically means there is a police vehicle just ahead. I have no problem passing a police officer when passing them means I'm exactly at the posted speed limit. A lot of other people seem to subscribe to the philosophy that as long as they stay at least slightly behind the police, they can't get in trouble. Not true, friends. First, they can write a speeding ticket if they can clock you from behind them. And secondly, it's rare that there's just one lone police vehicle driving a certain stretch of highway. Those vehicles have radios in them too, yo. Overall, don't drive like an idiot and you'll be fine.
Life lesson: Overall, don't be an idiot and you'll be fine. Also, pay attention to the crowd around you. Don't just follow what they are doing, but look to see what is making them successful and what is causing hardships. Adjust your own plan accordingly.
I never ever never get enough sleep. I have given up trying and simply try to get enough to function in a pleasant manner until at least the time when the boys are supposed to be in bed. Most of the time I make, sometimes I do not and on those days you will find me making lengthy bathroom trips where I will be staring at the ceiling and deep breathing. I always drink some sort of caffeine in the morning. My husband works at Starbucks and keeps me pretty caffeinated, but there's not ALWAYS a drink in the fridge ready for me to grab and go. I drive thru Starbucks sometimes on the days when I've only been awake for 30 minutes but know I need the jolt. And sometimes when I'm just super blah, I'll get a pastry. A warmed chocolate crossiant is super tasty. Not too sweet but definitely chocolate and chocolate makes me happier than is perhaps reasonable. But warmed means gooey.
Life lesson: A warmed chocolate crossiant is not a good choice in the early morning while driving because you could get all the way to work without realizing you have a. Giant chocolate blob on your shirt. If you're a nurse, it'll just look like you have poop on you. All day.
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