So they say the nursing shortage is over. WHA-AH-AA-T ?!?!?

August 15, 2009 at 12:50 pm (Day to Day, Pictures, School News) (, , , , , , , , )

That's what this fish looks like it's saying! It looks surprised.

That's what this fish looks like it's saying! It looks surprised.

For now.

I love how my career choice (finally made after years of hazy plans for the future, AND three years of prerequisite education)  has coincided with the fact that I still won’t get a job!

Thanks to the recession. All the retired nurses have come back to the work place to cover for their husbands and families who have lost their jobs. Hospitals aren’t hiring. Medical places are trying to get by with what they have on staff already.  But people keep getting sick. People keep going to the hospital whether they want to or not.

I dramatize for effect. In the next paragraphs of all these doom news stories, they go on to say that most nurses will go back into retirement after the pressure is off, and there will be even more nurses leaving the field in the next 10 years, just because it’s their time. And that’s where all us newbies come in. Someone has to cover the exiters. So I am still moving forward with no fear.

I just thought it was kind of funny to read this early on Saturday morning and only one week before I start full time nursing school!

Now back to our regularly scheduled posting.

Permalink Leave a Comment

Bonus Cool Word! because I like to confuse myself, and I need this word typed out to understand.

August 13, 2009 at 11:23 am (Cool Words, Day to Day, Pictures, Random Images, Unusual) (, , , , , , , , , , , , )

Existential (adjective)

Definition: Relating to existence, living or occurring;  Based on experience.

Thereby, Existentialism (noun)

Definition: A philosophy that emphasizes the absence of supernatural authority and the freedom of  and responsibility of the individual in a universe that lacks essential meaning;  Randomness of the universe.

The problem I have here, is that I believe in the randomness of the universe, but not in the idea that things like a solid, physical object can suddenly appear with NO explanation at all. Even if the explanation is that there is no explanation.

Confusing? I know. That’s my brain right now. Which means I have to stop.  That’s what those philosophy courses are for at the big universities! My brain is going into shut down and I need it to drive my mom back to the doc for her eye check in a few hours. I’m going to go take a shower and watch TV. Hot water and television will restore all the brain cells I need to complete my day. Ciao. Internationale!

0721091221

Permalink Leave a Comment

I didn’t really think it would turn out

August 13, 2009 at 10:18 am (Day to Day, Phone Camera, Pictures, Random Images) (, , , , , , , , , , , )

0723091829

The deer pictures. I have two, well, I have about a hundred pictures, that upon closer inspection on the big screen are composed of a lot of grass, trees, leaves, shrubs, weeds, and sky shots, with a small, blurry, deer-shaped smudge in the center, or off to the side, or at the bottom. Just your basic professional camera-phone, nature-photo photography. It’s mostly crap.

But this came out pretty good. I’ll only bore you with one, because the other one looks just like this except the deer might have tilted his/her head ever-so-slightly to the left. (Nope, actually, I change that thought—one below—one above, if that isn’t confusing enough) I notice the change in color too, now that I have it here. One seems darker and more natural. Almost the same shot, from the same distance, from the same spot on the trail. All I had to wait for in between was my phone to save the picture.

And all you thought you were getting was long, rambling stories about nothing and here it’s a (could be) college-level (generous) type discussion on the technical and and artistic capabilities of camera phone technology. I am sure I can make up any number of time-frame-exposure-light sentences for you to read and we can all feel extra smart during our day today!

But, it’s the usual, simple, at my favorite running trail, deers so close they are trying to jump on me! See past post for THAT exciting story! Even the babies are bigger than you want bumping into you!

0723091830

Permalink Leave a Comment

Stop and smell the…

August 11, 2009 at 7:32 pm (Flowers, Pictures) (, , )

0809091708

Permalink Leave a Comment

Flower power buffer…post…er…

August 11, 2009 at 7:15 pm (Flowers, Pictures) (, , )

0809091707

This and the above belong to my neighbor. They’re pretty aren’t they?

Permalink Leave a Comment

A picture to jazz up the long paragraphs.

August 10, 2009 at 8:45 pm (Pictures, School News) (, , , , , )

It’s my school. In the winter. With snow. They only shovel half the stairs. I don’t know why.

(I was just looking at my phone camera and just wait until tomorrow(??) I have “Power Line” photos!! We went back to that trail on Sunday!)

0204081806

Permalink Leave a Comment

Pre-Class to the Pro-Class

August 10, 2009 at 8:31 pm (Books, Day to Day, Exercise, Flowers, Movies, Pictures, School News, TV Shows, Video) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

It’s Monday P.M. and I have to apologize to all my peeps who are counting on me to give them a little laugh…hahaha…I kid.

In case you were wondering, I was kind of busy. Again. My days of ever lasting freedom are drawing to an end. Had to get up like real people today to get to my first pre-class for Nursing. (Got another one tomorrow.) Starts at 9, which isn’t really early, but next week when I have to add 2 kids back into the mix and get them out for their respective school start times, it’s going to get a little hairy. I am OOP’s!! (Out Of Practice). I used to juggle complicated schedules like that chainsaw juggling guy, (nice lead-in), but now, I can barely coordinate the coffee and water  into the coffee maker! Ridiculous!

The class was good though. Getting some valuable information. I have no room for failure, basically. All my eggs are in this basket. But, it’s not SO dramatic as all that. I find it overly interesting and extremely exciting and I can’t understand, or do, yet, nine tenths of the stuff that are in these books I keep buying.

Fyi on the book thing: there are a lot. Thirteen on the list. They said there would be, but you never believe until you are looking at the shelves of them. And I mean, “shelves”. You are not required to buy ALL of them, just most of them. At the moment, I have about half. I am stacking them up in an area and will take a picture after I get the rest tomorrow. It’ll be more epic that way. I don’t want to be a teaser and just take pictures one at a time. There’s no flare in that! Besides you won’t get to appreciate the seriousness of these books or the height and weight of these books in inches (I’m going to measure them AND record how much they weigh) or the understanding that I may have to bring several, or 5 or 6, to the school with me at any one time. These suckers are HEAVY! One of the main reasons I didn’t buy them all today was the weight issue. I seriously could not have carried them all out to the car along with my binder and folder and purse and coffee cup I already had for class. Too much. Another reason is cost. Of course.

I spent $251 today. $140 last week. $120 and $50-ish for summer. And I have at least $300 tomorrow. I’m not saying it for sympathy (gotta have ’em! ya’ keep ’em forever! nursing library!)  or bragging (yeah right, credit card usage is not anything to brag about, especially these days), or anything. It’s just another wheel on the bigger machine rolling me to my future. It doesn’t exactly feel good to spend all this money, but it does feel like progress, if that makes any kind of sense. It also feels like mac and cheese every night for dinner and walks around the block for entertainment, but I digress.

At any rate, my birthday will be drastically  downsized this year (it’s a big-zero one). It’s gone from Vegas, for a long weekend, to “the boats” for an overnight, and now, as it fast approaches, and I am out of time and money, to a poker party at the house with myself and my Pocket Poker Hand Held Game! I can never lose any REAL money! It’s awesome. It’s all good. I can stay up all night drinking vodka, furiously pressing and re-pressing buttons (I can even turn the sound on for that real Vegas effect) then in the morning I’ll fill a bucket with some water, set a chair up next to it  and pretend I’m at the pool, burning off the “casino” from the night before! I have a good imagination. Believe. I could pull it off!

Anycheapyway, that’s all I got for now. I had a small assignment to do. Done. And prepare a joke to tell in front of the class. Done. (I’m guessing it has to do with communication—but I could be miscommunicating that.)

Yesterday was Sunday. Me and the BF did a nice 19 mile bike ride in the sweltering midday heat (92° and sun-nee!) then we went to his momma’s house for a visit. We bought her a Pierogi Magnet—real cute–and no picture!! I stink! From the Pierogi Fest, click for previous post if you care, and that was pretty much it. Went home, had dinner, watched half a movie and NatGeo, auto-tuned to Drain the Ocean! I love that kind of stuff. (Giant Crystal Cave was on right after but I missed the whole thing—watching the beginning will suck you in—you have to force yourself to turn it off and go to bed so you can get up and participate in the world week) (Tonight is Hooked! Snakehead FishFishzilla’s they tagged it) (I am LOVING the parenthesis!) (Problem)(Finished the movie too. Quantum of Solace. James Bond. It was ok. Not a big Bond-movie fan, but I like Daniel Craig. He’ll always be Alex West to me.)

What I was getting to with all this, was the picture I do have, of the beautiful gladiola that the BF’s mom has grown in her flower bed this year and every year for the last few. It’s perfect and spectacular and very prettily colored. But it falls over with its own weight. So we cut it and I took its picture for the site (cause I like flowers around) and I’m going to post it after this! I got the flower with its owner and without.

Enjoy your night. I got TV to watch!

Permalink 1 Comment

I grew it myself!!

August 10, 2009 at 8:30 pm (Flowers, Pictures) (, , , , , , , , )

That’s a little “inside” joke of the family! But that doesn’t mean you can’t gaze upon the pictures below! And I have to say, looking at them now, they came out really good! Exceptionally good, especially when you consider these were taken with my phone camera. No kidding.

This is "with" the owner! Looks good huh?

This is "with" the owner! Looks good huh?

Now check these out. Camera phone. Against the white garage door. Horizontal shot first, then vertical.

0809091657a0809091657

Permalink Leave a Comment

We need some pictures in all these words! How about…SUSHI!

August 8, 2009 at 10:10 pm (Day to Day, Giant Food, Pictures) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

I’ve been promising pictures. You’ve been waiting. This was after our 25 mile bike ride; that was after our 19 mile bike ride the day before. It was good. The sushi.

Never been a big fan. That black stuff they wrap the rolls in always makes me gag, but this place has a mild wrapping. Or I’m just getting more, “cultured”! (Hahaha, NEVER!)

Now, if I could just get the whole pieces in my mouth without looking like an idiot or like I’m about to have it all fall out, we’d be all set.

(Sorry, but I don’t know the names. My apologies to the experts and lovers out there…maybe next time!)

This was the better picture. The guy who prepares it made it special for us. Spicy crab, and something. It was large and delicious and hot! I'm sure he thought I was some kind of crazy person taking pictures of the food.

This was the better picture. The guy who prepares it made it special for us. Spicy crab, and something. It was large and delicious and hot! I'm sure he thought I was some kind of crazy person taking pictures of the food.

We already ate 3 rolls that I DIDN'T take pictures of. We ordered these from the specials. They were beautiful, BIG, spicy and so delicious! I was stuffed and I didn't think this kind of food would do that. (I think I want to go again tomorrow now!) The picture is making me hungry!

We had already eaten 3 rolls that I DIDN'T take pictures of, when we ordered these from the specials. They were beautiful, BIG, spicy and so delicious! I was stuffed and I didn't think this kind of food would do that. (I think I want to go again tomorrow now!) The picture is making me hungry!

Permalink 1 Comment

To the Zoo!

August 6, 2009 at 10:35 am (Day to Day, Pictures, Things The Kids Like) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

Quality time with the kiddies. Stevie is on board. Mason says no. Majority rules! Pictures and updates later! Summer is almost over!

It’s sunny and beautiful here in Chicago! 72° at 10 am. They say the rain is on its way. We better go!

Enjoy your Thursday wherever you are!

P1060346P1060347

EVERY time we go to the zoo! Alligators attack my kids!

EVERY time we go to the zoo! Alligators attack my kids!

Victory is sweet!

Victory is sweet!

Permalink Leave a Comment

« Previous page · Next page »