Now 3 months into the new relationship, and my previous assessment of this gal as a keeper has only grown more certain. She and I are incredibly well-suited to one another -- it's a very nice feeling.
I made my way to New Jersey at October's end for a friend's wedding. One of the best people I know, and his wife seems incredible, though I didn't have much time to meet her. Very very happy for them both. Then it was just an overnight stay in a little town on Long Island before I would fly back to -- HOLY SHIT, A HURRICANE!
Scratch that, 3 days of extended stay in a house near the shore surrounded by water and with 3 feet of same in the basement before I and a couple other wedding refugees could escape. But it was actually a good time spent with entertaining people. We made the best of it very well and hardly even lost power. Damn lucky Sandy turned west when she did, though.
Life is good -- definitely better than any time in the last 10 years at least. I'm knocking on a lot of wood and hoping the good times continue.
-TTm
I made my way to New Jersey at October's end for a friend's wedding. One of the best people I know, and his wife seems incredible, though I didn't have much time to meet her. Very very happy for them both. Then it was just an overnight stay in a little town on Long Island before I would fly back to -- HOLY SHIT, A HURRICANE!
Scratch that, 3 days of extended stay in a house near the shore surrounded by water and with 3 feet of same in the basement before I and a couple other wedding refugees could escape. But it was actually a good time spent with entertaining people. We made the best of it very well and hardly even lost power. Damn lucky Sandy turned west when she did, though.
Life is good -- definitely better than any time in the last 10 years at least. I'm knocking on a lot of wood and hoping the good times continue.
-TTm
2 weeks into a relationship with a rather incredible gal. Definitely "The One" material except...
in 14 months she goes back to Poland to finish her PhD (in molecular biology, heh). After that...hard to say.
But for right now, things are better than they've been in a long time.
-TTm
in 14 months she goes back to Poland to finish her PhD (in molecular biology, heh). After that...hard to say.
But for right now, things are better than they've been in a long time.
-TTm
Serious pain at work on Thursday. Into the ER that night. Surgery that morning. One less gall bladder in the world.
My stomach is shaved. It looks freaky.
-TTm
My stomach is shaved. It looks freaky.
-TTm
Best workout ever: Lie down on floor to work the abs. Wake up an hour later.
Should have a six-pack by tomorrow~
-TTm
Should have a six-pack by tomorrow~
-TTm
Right...updating!
Dragon*Con was absolutely amazing. Great guests (including Carrie Fisher, Martin Landau, and WTF Ernest Borgnine), great bands (much love especially for Abney Park, Hellblinki, and new fave Frenchy and the Punk). Friends new to the con enjoyed themselves and already purchased their memberships for next year. You should, too.
I took some pictures but have been too lazy to upload. Maybe I'll fix that over the holiday. An alien in a bikini with a googly eyed strap on isn't something you see every day~~
Friday I have to work, covering a procedure room somewhat new to me. As of last week, I'd not worked it at all, and it occurred to me that I could end up staring at a drain that needed dressing and attachments without the slightest idea of what to do. So I've spent four of the last five workdays shadowing to learn the ropes. Usually people spend 3 weeks, but I think I'll be okay. On the downside, my Thanksgiving will have to be relatively tame so that I can get up the next day. 5 hours of sleep was fine for my old desk job -- not for procedural nursing.
Otherwise, life is good. I've gotten a raise and bonus and will get a little more of each over the next couple months. 1.5 years into the new career, and my only wish is that I'd changed careers sooner. That all this came about because of a completely off the cuff remark from an old co-worker of mine is rather mind-blowing. I'll remember her at Xmas. Cheers,
-TTm
Dragon*Con was absolutely amazing. Great guests (including Carrie Fisher, Martin Landau, and WTF Ernest Borgnine), great bands (much love especially for Abney Park, Hellblinki, and new fave Frenchy and the Punk). Friends new to the con enjoyed themselves and already purchased their memberships for next year. You should, too.
I took some pictures but have been too lazy to upload. Maybe I'll fix that over the holiday. An alien in a bikini with a googly eyed strap on isn't something you see every day~~
Friday I have to work, covering a procedure room somewhat new to me. As of last week, I'd not worked it at all, and it occurred to me that I could end up staring at a drain that needed dressing and attachments without the slightest idea of what to do. So I've spent four of the last five workdays shadowing to learn the ropes. Usually people spend 3 weeks, but I think I'll be okay. On the downside, my Thanksgiving will have to be relatively tame so that I can get up the next day. 5 hours of sleep was fine for my old desk job -- not for procedural nursing.
Otherwise, life is good. I've gotten a raise and bonus and will get a little more of each over the next couple months. 1.5 years into the new career, and my only wish is that I'd changed careers sooner. That all this came about because of a completely off the cuff remark from an old co-worker of mine is rather mind-blowing. I'll remember her at Xmas. Cheers,
-TTm
It's been a good couple of weeks. Friends held a 4th of July party yesterday that drew plenty of guests, primarily from the local belly-dance community and their menfolk. The husband is good on the grill (wings especially) and the wife makes terrific pomegranate martinis in particular. It ended with drumming on the deck and s'mores at the firepit and a little dancing on the side (most of the ladies were happy to have the opportunity not to dance for once).
More than Independence Day, I was celebrating one year as a nurse -- it remains one of the best ideas I've ever had. Work goes well, with more orientation to new areas since my last entry (primarily a cardiac clinic and a procedure recovery unit). I wasn't sure, at the beginning, how well I'd interact with patients, but I seem to have a knack for interacting with the most depressed or crotchety. Not always intentional -- during a particularly painful biopsy I bent down to talk to the moaning and wailing patient (who was halfway in a CT machine) and my scrubs ripped, audibly through the crotch. I've never seen someone go from wailing to laughing hysterically back to wailing in the space of a minute. I've come pretty far, but I'm still closer to the beginning than any end point. Much to learn, and it's quite fantastic.
I've always tried to keep up with some level of exercise, but this year is going particularly well. Dropped 13 pounds thus far and am actually showing signs of nascent belly definition. Who knew I had ribs?! Donating blood on Wednesday, my blood pressure was a very reasonable 118/86 -- this after a couple years being in the 130s and 140s (I blame nursing school). If I can find a way to remain asleep for 8 hours I'll be golden.
Those few hours of rest net some quality dreaming, though. My favorite of late: I had given some rousing speech to neighbors encouraging activism and liberty and so forth. A Tea Party crusader took offense and began terrorizing myself and friends...with kudzu, planted in our lawns. Not a plant I think about very often, but somehow it had gotten into my subconscious. That shit really can grow everywhere!
Cheers,
-TTm
More than Independence Day, I was celebrating one year as a nurse -- it remains one of the best ideas I've ever had. Work goes well, with more orientation to new areas since my last entry (primarily a cardiac clinic and a procedure recovery unit). I wasn't sure, at the beginning, how well I'd interact with patients, but I seem to have a knack for interacting with the most depressed or crotchety. Not always intentional -- during a particularly painful biopsy I bent down to talk to the moaning and wailing patient (who was halfway in a CT machine) and my scrubs ripped, audibly through the crotch. I've never seen someone go from wailing to laughing hysterically back to wailing in the space of a minute. I've come pretty far, but I'm still closer to the beginning than any end point. Much to learn, and it's quite fantastic.
I've always tried to keep up with some level of exercise, but this year is going particularly well. Dropped 13 pounds thus far and am actually showing signs of nascent belly definition. Who knew I had ribs?! Donating blood on Wednesday, my blood pressure was a very reasonable 118/86 -- this after a couple years being in the 130s and 140s (I blame nursing school). If I can find a way to remain asleep for 8 hours I'll be golden.
Those few hours of rest net some quality dreaming, though. My favorite of late: I had given some rousing speech to neighbors encouraging activism and liberty and so forth. A Tea Party crusader took offense and began terrorizing myself and friends...with kudzu, planted in our lawns. Not a plant I think about very often, but somehow it had gotten into my subconscious. That shit really can grow everywhere!
Cheers,
-TTm
Yeah, decided to resub, a few months later than originally planned, but everything in its own time, right?
When last we left our intrepid hero, he was about to graduate from nursing school with a shiny new bachelor's degree. And he did! Ending up in the ER about 6 hours later with really impressive abdominal pain that a CT and ultrasound couldn't diagnose. Not quite what I had in mind for celebration, but it faded, I lived, and so on.
I now work in the radiology department of a fairly massive hospital, doing all sorts of things. Mostly, I help with different kinds of biopsies and cardiac stress tests, certain kinds of treatments for chronic pain, and giving drugs to people who freak out over MRIs. Pretty soon I'll be doing even more procedural stuff in the Vascular Interventional Department, so there's a lot left to learn. I received my advanced cardiac life support certification today as well -- plenty to keep me busy!
Most of the past year has been spent adjusting to the new professional life, and I must say it feels good to have a real career and a semi-decent paycheck. Granted, most of the excess pay is going to loans and such right now, but that'll resolve in time.
Looking forward to catching up with old friends. Be in touch!
-TTm
When last we left our intrepid hero, he was about to graduate from nursing school with a shiny new bachelor's degree. And he did! Ending up in the ER about 6 hours later with really impressive abdominal pain that a CT and ultrasound couldn't diagnose. Not quite what I had in mind for celebration, but it faded, I lived, and so on.
I now work in the radiology department of a fairly massive hospital, doing all sorts of things. Mostly, I help with different kinds of biopsies and cardiac stress tests, certain kinds of treatments for chronic pain, and giving drugs to people who freak out over MRIs. Pretty soon I'll be doing even more procedural stuff in the Vascular Interventional Department, so there's a lot left to learn. I received my advanced cardiac life support certification today as well -- plenty to keep me busy!
Most of the past year has been spent adjusting to the new professional life, and I must say it feels good to have a real career and a semi-decent paycheck. Granted, most of the excess pay is going to loans and such right now, but that'll resolve in time.
Looking forward to catching up with old friends. Be in touch!
-TTm
Today marks the 1 month point until I graduate. A month or so after that and I should be an RN. Woo.
It's all very exciting, of course, but I got 2 hours of sleep last night after working on a paper, so the celebration is a bit muted at present. Classes are going fairly well, but I really enjoy working in the ER. Every day is different, and I'm learning quite a lot. I've applied for a job there, but the market is tight in my area the competition fierce.
My account will run out on the 20th and I won't be renewing. Money is getting tight, and I may have to stretch my dollars thin before I finally get settled. But hey, if all goes well I may return! So I just want to give thanks to friends and SGs who have made my stay so much fun for one reason or another: lilli, Jewelz, Ash, Feyne, AnnaLee, Rubix, and Paprika. You're all fantastic! I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others; I'm tired, don't be offended.
Cheers,
-TTm
It's all very exciting, of course, but I got 2 hours of sleep last night after working on a paper, so the celebration is a bit muted at present. Classes are going fairly well, but I really enjoy working in the ER. Every day is different, and I'm learning quite a lot. I've applied for a job there, but the market is tight in my area the competition fierce.
My account will run out on the 20th and I won't be renewing. Money is getting tight, and I may have to stretch my dollars thin before I finally get settled. But hey, if all goes well I may return! So I just want to give thanks to friends and SGs who have made my stay so much fun for one reason or another: lilli, Jewelz, Ash, Feyne, AnnaLee, Rubix, and Paprika. You're all fantastic! I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others; I'm tired, don't be offended.
Cheers,
-TTm
Spring break! Which means I get to work on all the papers, projects, graduation prep, NCLEX prep, car maintenance, resume` wrangling, job applying and other entertainments. Fun.
School goes well, overall, though the workload is fairly ridiculous. I finished my clinical rotation on the cardiac floor and will start in the emergency room next week. Definitely looking forward to it. The international nursing honor society invited me in, and I've graciously allowed them to accept my presence.
Went out for Thai last night with the girl I got to know back in December. Only our 3rd time out, which rankles, but she's quite focused on school as well (she's in the 2 year version of the program I'm in). Definitely liking her, though! Smart, motivated, attractive, and shares a lot of my interests. We'll see how that goes, especially as summer arrives and we both have more time available.
There really hasn't been much else -- there's no bloody *time*. Eight things I need to do today, and I'll probably manage three, but it's all good. Now I'm off for CPR re-certification. Ciao,
-TTm
School goes well, overall, though the workload is fairly ridiculous. I finished my clinical rotation on the cardiac floor and will start in the emergency room next week. Definitely looking forward to it. The international nursing honor society invited me in, and I've graciously allowed them to accept my presence.
Went out for Thai last night with the girl I got to know back in December. Only our 3rd time out, which rankles, but she's quite focused on school as well (she's in the 2 year version of the program I'm in). Definitely liking her, though! Smart, motivated, attractive, and shares a lot of my interests. We'll see how that goes, especially as summer arrives and we both have more time available.
There really hasn't been much else -- there's no bloody *time*. Eight things I need to do today, and I'll probably manage three, but it's all good. Now I'm off for CPR re-certification. Ciao,
-TTm
January update time!
The semester has begun full force, and it would suck hard were it not the last. First week of May I'll be finished, so long as all goes well. This semester's array of classes:
Med-Surg 2 (aka CAPSTONE): This is the heavy hitter, 8 credits worth of class and clinical time. I'm starting with one-two 12 hour shifts a week on a Cardiology post-op floor at an excellent local hospital. My preceptor reminds me of Starbuck from the recent BSG, in a good way (so far). I've had a couple tough patients and a couple great patients thus far, par for the course really. 2nd half of the semester I should be in the ER, which will be fantastic.
Public Health: It's a good field though not for me. My clinical is set at a Montessori School where I and another student will be giving presentations on a variety of subjects, starting with advertising, alcohol, and tobacco use and the intersection of the three.
Leadership: All about organization, structure, and leadership styles. Even dryer than it sounds, though the teacher thus far seems better than I had heard. We'll see how the project grading goes.
And a dinky 1 credit course not worth mentioning.
Very little else going on due to lack of time. Got to know a girl from the program recently and we plan to go out in the next couple weeks. She knows her sushi, which is an excellent start. I hope the new year goes well for all of you. Cheers,
-TTm
The semester has begun full force, and it would suck hard were it not the last. First week of May I'll be finished, so long as all goes well. This semester's array of classes:
Med-Surg 2 (aka CAPSTONE): This is the heavy hitter, 8 credits worth of class and clinical time. I'm starting with one-two 12 hour shifts a week on a Cardiology post-op floor at an excellent local hospital. My preceptor reminds me of Starbuck from the recent BSG, in a good way (so far). I've had a couple tough patients and a couple great patients thus far, par for the course really. 2nd half of the semester I should be in the ER, which will be fantastic.
Public Health: It's a good field though not for me. My clinical is set at a Montessori School where I and another student will be giving presentations on a variety of subjects, starting with advertising, alcohol, and tobacco use and the intersection of the three.
Leadership: All about organization, structure, and leadership styles. Even dryer than it sounds, though the teacher thus far seems better than I had heard. We'll see how the project grading goes.
And a dinky 1 credit course not worth mentioning.
Very little else going on due to lack of time. Got to know a girl from the program recently and we plan to go out in the next couple weeks. She knows her sushi, which is an excellent start.
I hope the new year goes well for all of you. Cheers,-TTm
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