Daily Diary

Yo peeples... it is already 2 PM. I got up at 10 AM, brought Nannie her breakfast and pills, got 1/2 cup of coffee for me, and went back upstairs to take my AM meds. Decided I would stretch out until the meds kicked in, and fell back to sleep. Finally woke up at 1 PM so I guess I needed the extra shut-eye. It's very nice outside ... 73 and sunny. Also pretty dusty, as hubby is mowing the lawn and the breezes are blowing stuff around. Nannie has been fretting about whether or not she should go out and walk while he is mowing...back yard or front yard? What should she do? Should she wait? She didn't know where it would be best to walk. I said, "Just go out and walk, he won't run you over! " So she did. Whew! Thank goodness! Joe, glad you enjoyed your short trip up to Wisc. and back. You sound like I used to be, I'd go lots of places by myself (by preference) and walk around; in Nashville there were 3-4 parks where I wandered by myself all the time. Did the same when I lived in WNC. However, there aren't many parks here where I feel comfortable about walking by myself. Times have changed, and there are so many crimes taking place that I have lost my nerve about being out and away and alone. I could, I suppose, find a 'walking club' but that takes away the peace and quiet and contemplative time if other people are around. And the parks here are more or less kind of city parks as opposed to woodsy areas. Oh well! Tweety, the tedium of long, difficult shifts surely is wearing. Wish I had the ability to make changes that would finally BENEFIT you, instead of grinding you down. Just because you are a good nurse and a conscientious worker, you really shouldn't have to brace yourself and put your head down and plow through caca every single day! I guess you already know that, huh? Except for the last facility I worked at, I usually enjoyed working; it was work and it wasn't always easy, but back in the Team Nursing Days, I think there were more cooperative co-workers willing to help lighten the load of someone who got behind. It was the old-fashioned nursing situations; and Team Nursing meant you didn't have to do EVERYTHING on your own, because you had your assignment and we generally paired with someone who worked at the same rate and in the same way as we did. And having Ward clerks and secretaries, and CHARGE NURSES DID NOT HAVE PATIENT ASSIGNMENTS!!! 'Those were the days, my friend!' Heck, if it got crazy, the Supervisors would help out for a while! Other than Ted doing the helping out where he works, I haven't heard anyone here say much about receiving assistance from supervisors. BCg, I would not care at all to go to Hawaii or any other beachy places (well, except Good Harbor Beach in off-season) I spent so many weekends at the beach in my youth...alllll day....that I do not care for them much at all anymore. It quite bores me to sit on the sand in the sun. It really does not feel relaxing to me. Now, in Tenn, and WNC, I would walk in the woods, and I loved to find a place to sit and observe how the birds and little critters would reappear as I sat silently. Now THAT was relaxing to me! j22, I have had two big panic attacks in my life and they both were really, REALLY horrible. Once I thought I was having a heart attack while sitting in my car, parked in front of a deli; that time I called out to a passerby to please call me an ambulance. The other time I got so restless, and could not stop crying and puking. And it was nothing but nerves, but that's not very comforting mid-attack! I called a friend, who called my future hubby and told him to get over to my apartment. And we weren't even dating then! I guess I scared him to death, too, as he told me later that he spent the whole hour and 1/2 that he was at my apartment trying to decide if it was time to call 911. Glad THAT'S in the past!!! I'm not sure if the girl across the street has any health insurance, so I don't know how she is dealing with it, or even what sets it off. Not much going on today for me. Hubby has a hair appt. at 3:30 PM. Nannie has done 3 of her walks where she goes up and down the driveway about 8 or 9 times at each outing. I'd like to just go up to my room and piddle around. It seems I am never very neat or tidy anymore, as there is always something that keeps me from attending to MYSELF. Gotta do something about that!!! Good thoughts and wishes for and to you all.

Good morning! Joe, I'm glad that you had a good trip. Enjoy your day off. Ted, so exciting to get a new dog! Can't wait to see the pics. BC, understandable about having to change plans, especially if there are covid restrictions. I've canceled to mini vacations. I'm not making any plans right now. We are orienting quite a few new staff right now, but hardly matters because they are only replacing people that left and we're still short. One has already said she's going to probably quit over the 6:1 ratio. If I can't handle it, new grads are going to be a mess with it. Stars, that was nice of your neighbor. J22, that's a lot of vaccines! Dianah, sounds like a productive and relaxing day both. The new grad I'm orienting showed up unexpectedly yesterday. She is very green because covid canceled in person clinical. She can only handle one patient and needs everything explained to her. She was in a car wreck the week prior and hurt her back and she mentioned her back hurting multiple times and how she couldn't do anything because of her back pain. In my comments on her last two weekly evaluations I mentioned how unfair it was to her to have two preceptors (they gave her a part-time worker and myself) and also the preceptor being the charge nurse and having 6:1 ratio was unfair to her as well. I also had my student with me. A coworker said "you will have a good day with all that help". She jinxed me. I had three patients go to the OR and return, a patient's BP tank to the 60's, on and on. Didn't get lunch until 3pm and left at 9pm. While I was catching up on charting after shift change I heard a "Code Noel" being called on my unit which is an obstetric emergency. One of our patients there delivered a preemie in her room at 25 weeks. A girl. We are the high risk maternal OB hospital, so there were plenty of doctors and nurses that did everything and baby was sent to NICU and mom to postpartum. Baby came out pink and crying but apparently had issues. I stayed on the periphery, answering phones and being the go fer. Off today. I'm good at shaking off bad shifts and I lately I'm not too contemplative about wondering if I should quit or find a better position but not sure how many more bad shifts I can take and keep my mental health and physical health intact. I do appreciate everyone listening.

Tweety hope your next shift proves better Ted glad you did not get called in NJ22 I can see how partipating in vaccinations can be fulfilling Stars perhaps it's better that the goat saga is over BC I think a lot of us are reconsidering our vacation plans Hi Dianah Got back home in the early afternoon yesterday. Was a fairly good trip if slightly dull Spent most of the time outside. Did a little birdwatching, went to the univeristy's arboretum, and went to see if I could find any cranes (once again no luck). Only went indoors to get food for take out. Madison does have quite the variety of restaurants and coffeehouses Was good to get away, it does help give perspective. Though this trip didn't feel as special as some of my previous visits. Perhaps its' the pandemic, or perhaps I've got there too often. Guess we'll see if next year if I'm still interested in going Came home and did the cooking for the week, then rested the rest of the day Have today off, so going to go to the arboretum here later. Though rain may delay those plans. Dont' really have much esle planned

Argh! BCg, I raked my mind to remember who I was forgetting to mention at the end of my post, and I KNEW that I knew, but my synapses weren't cooperating at that moment, hence, the omission. Update of the girl across the street: she has a history of panic attacks, and I reckon this one was scary to the others just as much as it was to her. Hope she can get some help for that! Looked up Woodles. Soooo adorable!!! It said they a very active, so I'm sure it will enjoy the power walks and hikes, Ted. It also said they are very headstrong!!! Uh-Oh! Better get some good training in obedience!

Imma sitting in my car for a lunch break at the vaccine clinic. I’m assigned to draw up doses, and nursing students are administering. They did 900 doses yesterday and are hoping for the same today. It’s such a beautiful day to work, but it is gratifying to be a part of. Ted, that is a nutty schedule but I suppose it’s because you are so versatile. Oof, tweety, you have had more than your share of bad karma. yup spring and allergy season here. I depend on daily Claritin and Vancinase nose spray to keep my symptoms in check. Dh was going to take his mom on a drive past the tulip fields south of here. Lunch is over, but hopefully I can leave a little early because we have been very efficient at drawing doses, and we don’t want to draw too many.

A Woodle is a What + a Poodle mix.... I will have to look it up after I post here. No more goat news, sorry! I guess I could go down in back of the neighbor's house to take a look at them, but I'd want to do so when almost nobody is at home over there. / Last night there was an ambulance and the full array of First Responder and Fire Trucks over there. We thought that it certainly must be the old (well he's MY age but looks WAY older) fat guy who needed the ambulance. But it was the youngest step-grandson's girlfriend. She fainted and when she came to, her heart was 'fluttering' at a really rapid rate. Don't know how that all came about OR how it turned out, but I figure that over the course of a day or two, hubby will get the low-down from someone over there. The neighbors beside us came over and weeded out the front of the shrub and flower bed and planted a whole bunch of pansies of various sizes and colors. Now, it USED TO BE a spot where Ozzie took his first morning pee; he doesn't understand why I carry or tug him past there, because he thinks it is THE perfect place to go... Anyway they said they had over-purchased a bunch of flats and had nowhere to plant the extras. I told hubby it's kinda nice having younger neighbors doing things for us. Of course, we still feel like we are the 'younger' folks, but, nope, we can THINK that in our minds, but our bodies tell a different story. I gotta say I am still kind of pissed off that I am not strong enough, nor is it wise for me, to move furniture! Dammit! ( and a big "OOOOH WELL!") To everything there is a season and a reason. Ratz! Phooey! Nannie's sleeping and sleeping and sleeping in her recliner right now. Nice to have such peace and quiet down here in the den. I know her brain condition limits her abilities to converse, but repetitive, inane comments about the weather and how the yard looks are sooooooo tedious. And when the TV is on, we get a running commentary of how people LOOK. The one that makes me roll my eyes and smh is when she says about certain ballplayers with long hair..."If he knew how that looked, he wouldn't wear it that way." (!!!!!!) Uh, sure, the guy lives in himself 24/7/365 and he's NOT AWARE of how his hair looks? And should he, mid-game, hop down to the locker room and have it shaved off or styled differently? And it affects his playing of the game HOW? YIKES! Oh Tweety, it makes me stompin', snortin' MAD about how your employer wrings you dry all the time! Do they ever get on you about having to stay overtime every shift to get any charting done? They did get on me about that at my last facility job. I still think the other nurses knew some short-cuts about how to get around doing certain things, because inevitably while I was trying to finish med passing in time to do narc counts and turn the medcart over to the next shift, the other nurses had already completed EVERYTHING and were sitting at the nurse's station w/ their purses, ready to jump and run after giving a brief report. I smelled a rat, but I never could find out where it was. Ppfffttt! Joe....what is a vacation? Hope to find out myself, one of these daze/days. Have a good time! In m retirement I have become what I never was in my working days...a household drudge. Excuse me while I go switch laundry loads... Egads. Nannie just woke up to watch me fold clothes. I told her I was going to start charging her 50 cents a load to watch me pre-treat, and 50 cents per load to watch me fold. She says she has never seen anyone pre-treat and fold laundry like I do, and where did I learn how? My gosh! I have done laundry for so many of my private duty cases, and each person has their own preference for how things are folded, so I guess I just picked and chose what I preferred from all of those experiences. Good Grief! Ted, we have Spring in full bloom here. In another month, if not sooner, it will be like summertime. GAH. 80's and 90's and humid. It can get to feeling pretty smothering along about August. Let's not think about that though. I am thankful that two months after we moved here, Nannie had to have a brand new heating/cooling system put in, so we can survive the suffocating heat. Whew! dianah, amoLu, herring, j22, Joe, Tweety, Ted, and All the Rest (here on Gilligan's Island) please have a good day and an even better week.

Ted, I had to google Woodle. So cute! And apparently one of the calmer breeds of dog (though, of course, you will have to make it through puppy stage!). Congrats on the new addition! After you get him/her, you will wonder what you ever did without the critter! 🙂 Tweety, you can only do what you can do, in 12 + hr. You sound very knowledgeable and conscientious and capable. Sorry the assignments are so much. I know you consistently work short, and a lot can happen while you are there. Hope you can unwind and move on. Dh says it is already quite warm out (10am our time). Forecast is for 85 degrees. Today I plan to get the car washed, go to the fabric store, pay bills, change sheets -- the usual. Haven't been out since last week, when we went to Oak Glen. It seems like longer. Have a good day!

Good morning! Stars, hope you get the hearing aids you need. Joe, enjoy your vacation! J22 congrats on the 10 K! That's quite an accomplishment! BC, enjoy the gardening! Naked garden day is coming up. Just saying. 🙂 Hi Amo! Glad the mask is helping. I have bad shift change karma. Got an admission, another patient infiltrated her IV, and another decided to have a panic attack during bedside report and his blood pressure shot up to 180/110. My charting sucked and I while I did the admission data base just now remembered I didn't chart her head to toe. Oh well. Some days I go home and pray "please don't let this be the chart a lawyer or Joint Commission looks at". Have a great day!

Hello... I am currently watching the Braves get Whomp-zoopied by the Cubs. ELEVEN to NOTHING! It's the top of the sixth inning and the Braves have the bases loaded, so Cubs pulled their pitcher out and is sending a new pitcher in. This is a d'sgusting game 'so far'. Oh! At least the Braves are on the board now with their first run in. But, then they got their 3rd out. GADS it is hard to watch when they are not even close to making their score go up. yech. Sounds like everybody is going through some kind of difficulty these last few days. I have nothing exciting going on here. I go to have my ears tested next Thursday; I have a Care Credit card I can use for part of it, OR, can use one of the hearing place's options for payment. I will be getting TWO hearing aids and have specified that I can NOT get the kind that fits behind the ears ... my ears aren't "tall" enough to hold a hearing aid, a masks ear-bands, AND my eyeglasses. I don't care if a hearing aid SHOWS, I just want ones that will stay IN! It will be exciting to be able to hear clearly without cupping my right ear with my hand. Hubby says he'll get me an old-fashioned Ear Horn, and I said if I had one, I surely would be using it right now! The neighbors had trouble with their water well. The first guy who came to look at it said their pump was burned out and it would cost them around $2,000 or something equally outrageous. They had a different company come over and look at it ... turns out that all it was, was a blown fuse, and very easy and cheap to take care of. I HATE unscrupulous people like that first guy. Makes it hard to trust anybody! Well the score is now 13-1 ... three more innings to get 13 guys in at home to win. Yuh. Uh-huh. I'm outta here for now. Praying we ALL can get a grip and hang on until things get better for us. Which I pray will be SOON! j22, there are so many times when I am posting, and I click on 'submit' and see you got here just before me!

Tweety that does sound like a difficult shift, here's hoping today is better Hi Dianah and NJ22 Ted glad you have a week off after that crazy schedule BC hope your BIL is released soon Amo always good to find a doctor that does house calls. Work was stressful yesterday. Started OK, but then had to help our corwoker with her post discharge calls. Then I got some more people who need to be outreached before the end of the month. And we're going to get getting some new members any day. Was feeling overwhelmed for a while. The day ended well, I think I can get all the work done without things getting too bad. After work exercised and relaxed. Had some chamomile tea, which helped. Might start doing that more regularly. Talked to J, his BIL has been discharged home but hospice is only coming once a week, which seems inadequate given the care he needs. I suggested they seek an order for home heatlh and contact ACS for additional resources Today I go to Madison. Mostly packed, will get coffee then leave shortly afterwards. Will be on the cool side but sunny. Will spend most of my time there outside. Planning to get takeout but might have to eat inside if my room isn't ready in time. It'll be my first vacation in more than a year

Good Morning! Joe, glad you felt better and the vaccine had minimal effect. Sorry to read about J's BIL. Dianah, hope you had a good day. Ted, glad you had a good day as Shift Director. It's nice to have a string of days off to look forward to. BC, bummer about the G-tube getting dislodged. Should be simple to get it back in but what a pain. Glad the other BIL got a job. Things are looking up economically for people but the ever present Covid is making it hard. J22, good luck with the 10 K today! Amo, it's fun to get packages from Amazon. Seems like I get several a week. Florida is not one of the many states seeing a rise in covid, but we have over 7,000 cases yesterday. My county has a good percentage of people vaccinated at about 36% but not enough for herd immunity. Republican lead Florida is on the verge of passing an anti-protesting bill. I'm disgusted that the fundamental most American right of them all...the Right to Protest...is in jeopardy. There were protests here last night in response to police shootings and this anti-protest bill. Good. Work was stressful but I worked with the nurse's orientee that I replaced and she did a lot on her own. I had one patient that just would not stop pooping, this despite the fact he has an ileus that I put an NG in. He pulled out his IV, on and on and on was so high maintenance. I had another witchy patient which I'm refusing to take back today and asked a coworker to take her. She is just nasty from the second I arrived. She got furious when I told her 99.7 wasn't a fever and I was doing nothing about it. "I'm a nurse and I know that's a fever, call the doctor". Me: "No I'm not, we need to track where it's going, and if you are a nurse, you know that surgery causes an inflammatory reaction and the temperature is not static during this time and that is not a fever." An hour later she was 98.2 and shut up. I can understand not knowing 99.7 isn't a fever if you're a lay person, and even if you're a nurse, there is no need to be rude. I believe in universal healthcare and she is young and has no insurance other than the county and the good taxpayers are paying for everything and not that she should kiss our butt, but she can be a bit more thankful for the free care she's getting and be nice. As I was leaving she was ranting about not getting a dinner tray. A reasonable rant but she was off the chain. I tried to get her food, but had to turn it over to the Shift Director to deal with because the kitchen was closed. But to me that's Karma biting her butt for being mean. LOL Today there's only two nurses on so it's 6:1 ratio...again. End of rant. Have a great day.

Had cardiology routine follow-up visit yesterday. Didn't expect any problems. Expect that I am becoming one of those pts that are just borderline CHF. If my wt goes up a couple pounds, I can feel it. I become huffy-puffy and my legs puff too. I'm like just right on the cusp. No med changes and RTOV in 6 months. Found a new podiatrist that makes home visits. He'll be out next week. So disappointed that my last podiatrist just left me hanging. Not even the courtesy of an explanatory phone call. The office staff was always polite - "Dr will call you back for his home-visit schedule". If the travel was too much for him, at least a phone call would have been professional. Will be repeating CT scan post radiology and then tele-visit with radiologist for next chapter of care. Will be having first visit with new onc-gyn next month. Need to get back on board with a pulmonologist with sleep apnea care. Got a reference from cardiology. I need an all-inclusive one-stop shopping visit provider. SUPER BUMMER needing to get back on track with all the services that have been on the back burner for a while.

Good Morning, No snow here, in fact it is supposed to get up to 75. A meteor shower, The Lyrids, is supposed to start tonight, and for once the skies will be clear enough to see. We typically get 2 nice weeks of weather in April, and then it will be cool and rainy until July 5. I am going to run a 10K tomorrow, and I plan to start early before its too warm and the park is crowded. CPR training has certainly evolved, hasn't it? I think I first took it back in 1975 or 76, from a very cute Seattle firefighter. The manikins were quite crude by today's standards, and you would demonstrate breaths by putting your mouth directly on the manikin. Of course, you would use an alcohol swab to clean first, lol. I can still remember the mnemonic from NCLEX review for ACLS--shock, shock, shock, everybody shock. little shock, big shock. Joe, I bet you are having a vaccine reaction. Mine kicked in on the second day for both shots. But it only lasted a day. Ugh, I have to call giant lab company to see if I can straighten out a patient's bill from last July. I thought this was done in February, but apparently not. Wish me luck.

Good morning- It's snowing here , too. At first it was just wet, now it's sticking to the ground. Blech is right, Ted. I'm glad I'm working at home today. BIL is back in the hospital. His feeding tube somehow became dislodged. He can't catch a break. On the good news front, my other sister's DH just got a job after being out of work for 2 years. She is still out of work, but this takes some pressure off. Tweety-I hope the next 3 days go well for you. Joe-Sorry to hear about J's BIL. I hope he's not in any pain. Ted-You are going to earn those 7 days off! Enjoy 2nd coffee! Dianah-Have a great day at work! Hi to J22, Stars, Amo, Baloney, the goats, the dogs, and anyone else who wanders by. Stay warm and dry!

Hello all, and Happy Friday! When I last renewed my ACLS/BLS, it seems our hospital is adopting the newest version: take an online test then once you've passed it, work on the manikin, which is a quite new version that prompts and coaches you. THEN, once you pass, you come back once a quarter for a refresher on the manikin. It makes sense to keep skills current, but I had to shake my head and say (to myself), "really??" 😄 And I'm off to work. Have a good day!

Morning Tweety BC it is good that his cancer is treatable. I hope your friend does not turn out to have dementia Ted that was good of you to fill in. I'd have been angry in the same situation, if I didn't have all the information. Hopefully they can change procedure to avoid this NJ22 glad the dog is doing good Work was mostly OK, although the afternoon got stressful, a very long call with an interpreter who frequently had to pause for clarification. I sometimes wonder how good the interpretation is, as sometimes you get answers that seem tangential to the question The vestry meeting went fine, the interim minister clarified that the church was doing well overall, he was just highlighting some issues that needed to be addressed. Which was good to hear, after the focus on all the shortcomings Didn't feel that great this morning, not sure why. Delayed reaction to the vaccine? Could also just be stress. Feeling a bit better now Did exercise and laundry after work. Which leaves me little to do today, as I'm pretty much already packed Talked to J, his BIL is getting a palliative care consult as he seems to be in liver failure. They're also talking about inpatient hospice. Sad how quickly he has gone downhill Weather here continues to be dry and in the 50s. Bit cool for this time of year, but at least no rain expected

Good Morning! Ted, good to hear from you and good of you to cover for your co-worker in an emergency. I'm glad you were able to talk it out so there isn't bad blood, but an acknowledgement of a problem and working on getting it resolved. One good thing about a major metropolitan area is that staff for transfers is provided by the county, not the hospital. Unless it's a helicopter and there is always a trauma team on call for that and if one helicopter can't make it there's another trauma center close by that can jump in. Seems like your skills as a shift supervisor are adding up to a lot of unplanned call ins. Joe, hope the church council meeting went well and the anxiety has abated. BC, that's bad news all around. J22, that's also not good news about your coworker's ex. I had an uneventful day off. Did some minor housework, a little bit of cooking (I noticed I had a bunch of frozen meals I hadn't noticed this past week and well thaw those out), and went to the gym. Registered to get my CPR card next week. Waiting until the last minute again, I'm going to a live class and get it in a day. Hopefully like last year it won't take that long. Working the next three days. Have a great day.

Hey. Do your transport RNs get additional training or a stipend for the off campus duty and inherent risks associated with that practice?

Good Morning - Gotta type before I forget to do it. . . again. . . First. . . Seeing your post the other day, herring_RN, was a sight for sore eyes. (And, reading your response to my Private Message to you was also a welcomed and happy site to see.) On some level, we've all become friends on this web-site. I believe that I've known you the longest. I can not state this enough: You are warmly held for continued Recovery and Comfort. Well. . . On to continued typing. . . Yesterday. . . It was supposed to be my day off from work. At around 5:00 PM, I received a somewhat frantic phone call from the evening Shift Director. Apparently, one of his kids fell and needed to be seen in the ER. He needed to go pick up the rest of his kids from school, and meet his wife and child at the hospital ER. So, he asked if I'd finish the rest of his shift. Of course I said, "Yes!" Got to work around 5:45 PM. (It's a 40 minute commute to my hospital.) I was immediately "greeted" with the tasking of finding a nurse go on an ambulance run to Boston, which is a 3 hour drive one-way. Without getting into details, it was quite the task. I found out (later on) that one RN, with the training and capabilities to handle this particular case, has significant motion sickness. That person, in sharp terms, leaving no room to my imagination, refused to go. (Did NOT know that this individual had significant motion sickness at the time!!) My first reaction was to go to "Plan B", which worked, thankfully. That task to ensure an RN want on that particular ambulance run was completed. But my second reaction was to deal with my "red-in-the-face" frustration and anger towards that refusal, and the person refusing. Needless to say, I left little room to that person's imagination my frustration and anger towards that person's refusal. I said things that I now regret. We talked it over. . . at length. I processed the situation with, finally, a cool head, and composed a lengthy note to the Nurse Managers of the ICU and Emergency Room that our teeny-tiny hospital has some issues to deal with. First, apparently there is a shortage of paramedics for the two main ambulance squads that our hospital uses for patient transport. So, in all likelihood, the need for another RN to go on an ambulance run will present itself again until this shortage ends (if it will ever end). Second, there seems to be a small number of other-wise capable RNs who can NOT go on ambulance runs due to significant motion sickness. (As I've said time and time again, I work for a teeny-tiny hospital. Along with this comes the "teeny-tiny" number of staff available to go on ambulance runs, especially during the night shift!!) So, all of this was tactfully included in my lengthy note to the two Nurse Managers. Maybe, during this apparent crisis with paramedics, we can create a list of capable RNs (from the ICU and ER) who can be "On Call" for these Ambulance Runs?!? The thing is, I (we) used to go on ambulance runs all of the time. This was before paramedics were hired for some of the local ambulance squads that are used for transport. Anyway, I await a response from the two nurse managers. I offered my willingness to help problem-solve this situation that our teeny-tiny hospital faces - again. Today, this evening, I work as Mr. Shift Director. Again. I'm filling in so that the normally-scheduled full-time Shift Director can enjoy a two-week vacation, which he really, really, really needs. (That person seems a bit burned-out. But that's another tale best left untold for now.) Yesterday was a reminder that life just ain't perfect. That I surely am not perfect. That I need to step back, especially when I "See Red", and calm down. Yesterday was also a vivid reminder that our teeny-tiny hospital has significant "resource issues". It amazes me, at times, that we're still open and operating. We certainly have our strengths. But our weakness (or "challenges") must be recognized and dealt with, too. The few nights off from work were nice ones. I did some yard work, and some videography, when weather permitted. Apologies for the long post. I guess I'm still "processing". BCgradnurse - It's sad to read about your BIL. Hopefully the treatment is effective. Also, it's very sad to read about your friend. Watching a beloved friend or family member develop dementia is a painful process to witness. (((Hugs))) Joe - Conflicts in churches sure can be anxiety-producing. THAT is for sure! I hope all goes well with your church council meeting. Take care! Tweety - I do not miss working for a Big Hospital, especially with the higher acuity and higher staffing ratios. (Although, any sized hospital has it challenges.) When I think back to when I started nursing at that one Big Hospital (29+ years ago), I shake my head and wonder how I (and the patients) survived. On the worst night, I had up to 15 patients (when one of the RNs called out sick). I couldn't do that now. To everyone. . . Peace! Ted

Morning- I'm glad this week is almost over. I'm looking forward to 2 days to unwind this weekend. I will probably go and see my sister and BIL. He had his PET scan, and the cancer has spread to his left axillary nodes and his left adrenal gland. They are waiting to hear if they will do surgery on the adrenal gland, or do chemo and radiation first. They are calling it "treatable". It could be worse, I suppose. My BIL is in denial, and my sister is just overwhelmed. I also found out yesterday that one of our friends is being worked up for some type of early onset dementia. The left hemisphere of his brain appears to be shrinking, and he's having trouble with reading and comprehension. He's also become a lot quieter than normal. He's only 59. Well, aren't I just a ray of sunshine this morning? I'm glad the goats have been reunited, Joe got his first vaccine, that hopefully Angus the dog is well, Tweety got some new music. I also hope Dianah, Ted, and Amo are well and Herring is progressing with her recovery. I hope all have a good day.

Tweety I remember Columbia House. Find it interesting that records are getting popular again NJ22 hope you hear something from the vet soon, though I suppose no news is good good Stars glad to hear that the goats are now home Feeling strangely anxious today, not entirley sure why. We have a church council meeting that could be contentious tonight, which could be a reason. Or that I went off diet yesterday, I always worry that any backsliding will lead to a loss of progress The shot went fine, no reaction apart from a sore arm. And it didn't take as long as I had feared, so I didn't have to stay too much later at work. And work itself was fine, productive but not overly busy After work went to the bank and grocery shopping. Then we had bell choir practice. We're going to play again in about 2 weeks. I notice we seem to pick up new pieces more quickly than we started After work have to exercise then have the online church council meeting, I suspect it won't be as contentious as I fear but I know how much conflict can flare up in churches Might do some laundry if I have time, and might pack a bit more. Decided to skip the bike rental and just visit the arboretum as Madison will be in the low 50s this weekend and that's probably too cool to go biking Weather remains about the same, highs in the 50s without rain

Good Morning! Joe, congrats on the weight loss. Hope you have no ill effects from the vaccine. J22, hope the dog continues to recover. Hope the appointments with GI go well. Stars, glad the goat has been captured and is reunited with the other one. You have a good way of coping. Acceptance and gratitude certainly is the key to serenity. The cameras on Samsung are among the best rated, but are horribly expensive. I have a Samsung but paid on it monthly. Between Facebook and Instagram I do seem to take a lot of pictures. But nothing like my millennial niece. She shares her photos via Apple and just since May of last year she has 1990 pictures, mostly of her kids, but especially her toddler. Got some new vinyl in the mail yesterday from the record club I joined with my stimulus a while ago. I was reminded how as a teenager how happy I was to get those shipments from "Columbia House". Work was a long tiresome day. Left at 21:30. Seems like the days I work nonstop without charting much are more frequent, especially when I have 6:1 ratio. Something about that ratio ruins me because I can't cut corners and sacrifice patient care to chart. Bleh Hope everyone has a great day.

Hey, yez'all... The 'Gray Ghost' female goat was captured this morning by the two girlfriends who live across the street with their boyfriends (who are step-grandson's of the guy who owns the house where the goats went to live). A woman down the road called one of them this morning and said the goat was in her yard. The two girls hopped in the car and raced over there. The goat was in the back yard; each girl went down the opposite sides of the house. They saw the goat standing looking into a shed that had a door open about twelve inches. They took off running, the goat leapt into the shed, and one of the girls slammed the shed door. Then the most petite and skinny of the girls went into the shed and got the goat, holding it up firmly against her stomach, with the goats legs facing out and away from her; she said it was screaming and yelling like the other goat did when it was captured. Well, the got back in the car and drove home, then put the gray goat in the pen with the little white boy-goat. What a happy reunion; they told me the two goats were standing and sleeping with their sides touching, as if they were conjoined twins! WHEW! I told them they were my heroes. I did not say their stupid boyfriends were useless, and the goats never would have been caught again if it was up to them. But now we are all feeling quite relieved, especially the goats!!! Tweety, I can't make myself 'feel positive' if I don't feel that way, but what I do isn't necessarily what some feel comfortable about or inclined to do ... I have a way of accepting how I feel, but realizing there are so many things I have no charge over, so I can let them go. That's my "Oh, well!" thing. AND I do, every night in my prayers, do what is called 'laying down my burdens at the foot of the cross of Jesus.' And then leaving them there. I tell myself, "In God's way, In God's time." I know not everyone is spiritually inclined; I myself attend no church presently, but in the past I had accompanied many a private duty patient to THEIR churches services. Each were of different religions, so I got a broad idea of the options. Anyway, it is comforting to me. I know God isn't here just to comfort me, but it s one of the things He does and I accept that whole-heartedly. I have had so many blessings dropped into my lap through the years of my not-so-wonderful childhood and being a troubled young woman. It seems, looking back, that in spite of myself being depressed, etc....things generally have a way of working out to my benefit, even when I doubted anything would. But I don't EVER tell anyone to cheer up or SMILE! And the little voice that belongs to the woman who was my therapist for so many years, still is in my head, saying, "Just sit with it a minute..." by way of getting me to learn to listen to and accept my feelings, and then also realizing that feelings fade, emotions are not permanent. And if they feel like they are, searching through them proves, from past experiences, that they are NOT permanent. I consider myself to be both open and cynical. (My moon is in Gemini). Anyway, that's my two cents of the moment. I don't always manage to convert myself to feeling better, but I can wait things out (Nannie, anyone?) because "time changes all it pertains to" (Merle Haggard).

Tweety hope the bad karma holds off for you. And it's good of you to work three in a row even though you know it's tiring Stars glad someone is caring for that goat Hi NJ22 and Dianah Herring, good to hear from you! Here's hoping your vision continues to improve Work was not too bad yesterday. After work ran an errand and exercised. Have been reading over stuff for the vestry meeting Thursday. The minister wants to disucss some changes, apparently he's been getting resistance from the congregation, apparently something previous ministers also experienced. Little disappointing to hear but not suprising, I know how churches are. He thinks improved communication may help. Was glad to see this morning that I've begun losing weight again. Think in 2 or 3 weeks I can get back to where I was Have the Moderna shot during my lunch hour. Might have to work a bit late if the process takes longer than expected. Planning to work fairly quickly this morning to get my schedule clear before the appointment The heat is repaired and back on Temperatures continue to be in the 50s here, the rain is holding off. This will continue throughout the week. Might cause a change of plans when I go to Wisconsin, might be a bit cold to rent a bike. Might check out the local arboretum instead

Good morning! That poor goat. My tooth really hurt from the drilling and filing but ibuprofen knocked it off and I was able to sleep. Now just have to deal with the temporary and hope it stays in. Like I said my bad karma is that it breaks or falls off and doesn't fit well. But that doesn't have to happen and I don't have to be so negative. Lately I've been having some trouble with being real rather than positive. I don't think I'm being overly negative, but I'm more of a realist. Realists do tend to be more difficult people to be around and more depressed. I look at things like "well we got defeated last night at bowling", instead of "well there's always next week and life is so wonderful and look at the bright side, at least it's not......." and the one I hate the most "SMILE!!!!". I understand there are worse situations in life than dental work and I have gratitude for my many blessings. Working just one day as the boss begged me to take tomorrow off and work Friday Saturday and Sunday. The realist in me knows that history is working three in a row is exhausting and rarely ever having a good day and staying late most days that it isn't going to be fun, but I'll take one for the team and not complain and take it one day at a time. And who knows, I can't judge the future by the past and I need to just smile. My right hand is still bugging me and I can't bend that finger without pain. LOL......take it all with a grain of salt as my sarcasm is in full swing.