Random Pics

I am sure he will not like this one, but for some unknown reason, I do!

Shaun and his cousin's little girl, Rachel

Rachel sleeping. This is from the day at the Baltimore Zoo







Rachel's sister, Sarah



Jill, Shaun's cousin. Mom to Rachel and Sarah





In New York with Mara, at Ground Zero

Falls

Well that was fun! I was sitting here at my computer minding my own business when I heard someone scream. Sounded like little kids, so I didn't think anything of it. I just figured they were playing, and running down the stairs.

Well, the next thing I know, I hear someone calling the ambulance...so I get dressed really quick. By dressed I mean throw on some sweat pants and a bra. I head out of me foor to find a little old lady had fallen down the stairs and is bleeding from her head. Of course EMT/RN girl kicks into high gear. I saved the day. I held pressure on her head, and kept her calm until the ambulance got here.

I didn't really do too much. What can I do? With no first aid kit...I used paper towels, no gloves...I was as careful as I could be, and no medications for her chest pain. No oxygen, no gurney, no nothing. Oh well. I was a Good Samaritan, and I still feel like I helped her in some way.

I am sure she will be fine. Had quite a "goose egg" on her head, and a small laceration to the top of her head...but I bet she is fine!

Okay, back to my boring mundane house chores...Grrr!

Blue Man Group

Went and saw the Blue Man Group last night, and it was amazing. We headed down to Baltimore and met up with Shaun's cousin and her husband. Went out to dinner at Capital City Brewery, in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. It was fun. It was the first time in a long time the weather was nice. I think it got to be about 78-80 yesterday. We actually ate outside. How cool is that? Pretty darn cool, if you were wondering.

So anyway...after dinner headed to the arena. First up was a man named Mike Relm. He did some pretty cool artistic things with music and video. Then, on to the Blue Man Group. They were hilarious, and really talented. It was just an overall great show. Very entertaining.

I would recommend them to anyone who can go.

Other than that, nothing terribly exciting going on. Shaun and I were going to look for a church to go today, but we were out really late last night. It was after 1 before we got home. So, needless to say...we didn't go to church today. Oh well. We still have to find one. Next week, I guess.

Nothing New

Nothing new to post about. Our lives just haven't been too exciting lately. Been working lots and picking up extra shifts when I can. Sunday was Shaun's birthday. WE went out to breakfast and dinner, and I baked him a carrot cake. It turned out great, but I was really worried. Thanks mom for the recipe. He loved it.
So, no great big plans going on now...just counting down till Bloomsday, and when I get to go home. I can't wait. I haven't been running, but I am gonna try to get a few runs in before then. I want to be able to run most of it. I know I will have to walk, that is ok. So far, several of my girlfriends have agreed to go, and do it too. So I am really excited that I get to see so many people. It has been (almost) three months since I have been home. Probably the longest I have ever been away without visiting. Crazy. I miss everyone so much, especially my babies. Of course, I will post pics when I go home. I hear Grason is talking lots, and Kaitlyn is learning to say more. They are both growing like weeds, and I can't wait to give them big hugs. Sis's...give me babies BIG hugs, and tell them I am on my way!

Some pics from Mara

Mara, I am working at getting them all uploaded on Kodak gallery for you. I should have them ready by tomorrow. I couldn't upload them all together, so I have to do it separately. You will get them asap. Thanks for coming, I had the bestest time ever!!



Ground Zero


Jefferson Memorial


Mara in Times Square


Deanna, Me, and Shaun in DC


Shaun and I on the Metro in DC


Mara and I in DC, Jefferson in the background. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, but a lot were blown away, due to the wind the previous day. Oh well.


Mara and I at the FDR Memorial, in DC. This was my favorite part of DC so far. I am glad I didn't get to see it all the first trip. It was neat to see some more cool things this time around. Next time, I am sure I will see some more cool things.


All of us together, under a beautiful Cherry Blossom Tree.
Deanna, Shaun, Me, and Mara.

NY was a blast...as always!!

So Mara and I headed up to NY City yesterday. Woke up early, at 4:30am. That is 1:30am Mara time. Headed off to NY. It was really cool. I got to drive through Chinatown and Brooklyn, and parts of Manhattan. How cool is that? Yeah, pretty cool.

I really love NY. I loved it last time, and I loved it this time. However, it was still COLD. Brrr! Yeah, she decided to come visit me on a bad weekend. Why she wasn't checking the weather when she booked the flight 2 months ago, I have no clue. Oh well. She seemed to acclimate well. Good job Mara. That winter coat needed to come out of the closet, it was getting lonely in there. :)

Anyway. Had some fun. Walked around Times Square some more. Visited the M&M store again. Got some yummy (read: expensive) m&m's. In the evening we saw an off-Broadway play. It was called Perfect Crime. It was good, but I don't think that I got it completely. Normally I like figuring these things out, but we were really tired. We did get up at 4:30am, so that explains things.

Stayed over night, then headed to the airport today. She has the coolest GPS system, and we used it to get all over NY and to/from as well. I want one now. I will do some research for prices and types, then get one before my cross-country trip. It is really neat. We called her Betty. She helped alot. However, at the last step, she tried taking us through a small city with major traffic congestion, so we had to override her a bit. Oh well, she tries.

Also, saw the movie Borat this weekend. It was funny, but not what I was expecting. Oh well. Got some pretty funny lines out of the show though.

Shaun and his sister had fun in Baltimore with their cousin. Hope everyone had a great Easter!!

Visitors

Mara and Deanna arrived safe and sound on Thursday night. I had to work all day, so after work, I came home, changed out of my scrubs (into normal people clothes) and we headed off to get our guests in Baltimore.
Friday, we hung out all day in Washington DC. We had a ton of fun, walking around seeing the cherry blossom trees. We say a few more things than I saw last time I was there. This time we saw Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and The Capital Building (from afar). We didn't go into the Capital bldg, thinking there wasn't much to see. We also took them to the Natural History Smithsonian Museum to look at the Orchids, and the Hope Diamond. Then we ate some dinner at Elephant and Castle (British Pub Restaurant) and caught a movie. We saw the new Will Ferrell Blades of Glory. It was HILARIOUS. If you like Will Ferrell, even just a little, you have to see it.
Shaun and his sister stayed in DC last night, and hung out with Shaun's friends Katie, and Ashley. They saw a hockey game today, and hung out. Mara and I went shopping, and just did fun girl stuff today. Tomorrow we are getting up early and driving to New York.
Yup. New York City. She has an old friend that lives there now, that we are gonna meet up with. But first....tourist stuff!! Woohoo! Gonna take her to Times Square, maybe catch a play, and whatever else we can fit into the day. Then, we are staying overnight, and heading back home about 10 am. Basically taking her back to the airport. But, that is cool, get to see some more sights, and have a fun road trip!!
So, I will post pics of DC and New York as soon as I get them, but this time they aren't on my camera...Mara bought a couple disposables, and we will wait till she gets those developed, and uploaded for me. I am sure we will have some good ones on there. Yeah!!

Happy Easter to you all. I hope you get to spend it with someone you love.

Long Awaited Updates

Hello All. I know it has been quite a while. I have no excuse. Well, I do, but they aren't good. First off, I want to post pics, but I don't have a card reader, so I need to look into getting one. That way, I don't have to go to Wal*Mart everytime that I need to upload photos. Also, way cheaper. Those CD's cost a few bucks each time, and if it isn't full, then it isn't worth it.

We had a ton of fun in DC last weekend. WE walked all over, saw the White house, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the World War II Memorial. What else did we see? Hmm, well we went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. I think that was the coolest of the whole trip. I wasn't too impressed with the rest, but it was still cool to go see. I didn't get to go onto the White House. Apparently, you have to make an appointment to do that. Next time...that appointment will be made. However, I am a taxpayer, and I pay for that house, therefore I should be able to go into it. Whatever... I am sure they have heard it all. I also didn't get to sit on Lincoln's lap. He is sitting up way high, and there is a sign and roped off area. "No Sitting". Apparently others want to do the same thing. I think it would cool to let people up there, but it may hurt the structure and integrity of the statue. Again...whatever.

So, we also met up with some of Shaun's friends for dinner Saturday night. We wanted to go to Dave and Buster's, but it was a three plus hour wait. So, we hunted all over for a less of a wait, and landed at a smaller restaurant. It was a lot of fun, and his friends all seem really cool.

Sunday we were supposed to have date night, go to a cool audience involved play, then to a nice dinner. Well, traffic was backed up and we didn't make the play, so we ended up eating at Cheesecake Factory before heading back home. It was yummy. We decided to get our cheesecakes to go, so we could enjoy them for days to come. And we did, enjoy them, for days to come. Okay, two days, but still good.

Hmmm, what else is new. Well, Shaun is living with me now. He was staying over a lot, and eventually we just decided he might as well make it official. So, it is really nice to have him there with me all the time. :) He is so great. I love him so much!

Up next...next weekend Mara and his sister Deanna are coming to visit. We are gonna head to DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival on Friday, then part seperate ways. He will go spend some time in DC with his sister and friends, while Mara and I find something else fun to do. Then for Easter, Mara and I, are going to make a nice dinner for us, and make it a fun day. I am so glad I have someone familiar coming to see me.

In a few weeks, we are going to King's Dominion for Shaun's birthday. It will just be a day trip, but fun none-the-less. His friend, Andrea, is coming up from North Carolina, to go with us. I can't wait. I think it is a lot like Silverwood. How fun!!

Then, only about one month away, I get to go see my babies. I get to go HOME! I am headed home for the weekend of Bloomsday, then again for a week with Shaun, the following weekend. We are driving back cross country, to bring my car back. We are gonna try to stop at MOunt Rushmore, and maybe Yellowstone. How cool is that???

Well, those are about all the updates that I have. I will try to do better. As soon as I get that card reader, I will post more pics. Oh yeah

Yesterday, we went to Baltimore and met up with Shaun's cousin and her two little girls. One is 5, the other 3. They are super cute. We headed to the zoo. It was so much fun. Didn't get to see all the animals, but saw the cool ones. The polar bears, chimps, giraffes, lions, and elephants. It was a ton of fun. It was nice to get out for the day. It was really nice out.

I am so glad Spring has arrived!!!

DC

Headed to DC today. I will take lots of pictures. I hope the weather is supposed to still be nice. Earlier in the week, it was. I will go check that out now. Have a great weekend, and I will return with some cool stories and even better pictures.

Trips

Yeah. We have lots of trips planned, I can't wait.

Friday we are headed to DC for a fun-filled weekend. I can't wait. Then...well, okay we aren't going too many places, but I am headed home for Bloomsday. I bought my plane ticket today, and I will be home Fri-Mon. (May 4-7). Yeah.

Also, Shaun and I bought our tickets to come home for a week between my contracts. We have decided to fly home, then drive my car back. It will save me about $500 per month on a rental car, and that gives me a chance to see a few more things....like while driving cross country. We figure a good 4-5 days at home, then leave for the open road. Take 3-4 days to drive back here. Yeah, I am pretty excited, plus I get my car back!! I miss my car. :)

Well, hope you enjoy the pics below of Shaun and I, and our trip to see his friends (Andrea and Tammy) in North Carolina. Next up will be pics of us in DC. :)

Dude....pics

Shaun and I in North Carolina


How cute!!


Kisses!!


Apparently I am comfortable


Wow, I am HOT!


Group photos are fun! Shaun, me, Andrea, and Tammy


Me and Tammy...Shaun's 2 favorite girls! :)

North Carolina

Got back really late last night from NC, so I am pretty tired again. No sleep! :(

It was a ton of fun. I got to meet a few of Shaun's friends. They were really cool, and we had a ton of fun. Basically a lazy weekend, went out a few times, stayed in a bunch, and I tried something new.

Yup, you heard me right. Shaun took me (well all of us) to a sushi bar. *Gasp*. Yes...I tried sushi. Well, I am not sure if it is really called sushi....I didn't eat the raw stuff. I tried some crab roll, and something with Eel. I don't know. It was ok. I am really excited that I tried something new, especially something that has freaked me out for so long. I am sure the look on my face was priceless. The girls were great though, they helped me get past my fears....well Shaun helped too.

St. Patty's Day we got all dressed up...I didn't, because I didn't have anything green, and headed to a bar. We stood outside in the freezing cold for about 30 mins, and the line didn't move AT all. So, we decided to leave, and get drunk at home, on our own. By our own, I really mean, their own. Since you all know I don't drink. Of course, Shaun and I were asleep by 1, and the others carried on a bit longer. It was still fun.

Sunday, was a lazy day, but we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was pretty good. Headed home a lot later than we wanted to, but we got home safe and sound. Next weekend is DC. Woohoo! Oh, and the girls and Shaun all got pics of the weekend, so I have to wait till someone takes pitty on me, and shares! :)

Tidbits

This weekend I get to head out to NC. I guess it is at Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville. I hope I spelled that correctly. But first, I get to hang out with a new girl friend. I can't wait. Tonight I am headed to Kristy's house to have a girl's night in. I guess I will see what we do when I get there. I am sure it will be total girly things. Yeah. It is so nice to have a friend.
Today, I am going for a run. It is a little breezy, but I don't care. I really want to start running again. Besides, I have got to get ready for Bloomsday, coming up in May. I am so excited I get to go to Bloomsday this year. I haven't missed it since I started running it in 2001. This will be my 7th year. Yeah!
For all those that don't know what Bloomsday is, it is a 12k race that has over 50,000 runners in it every year. I feel like I have already mentioned this in a post before, so sorry if I have. Either way, I can't wait to go. I usually get my family and friends to go too, so I am really excited to be able to see everyone. Can't wait.
I am almost 100% sure now that I am going to renew my contract. If I renew here for another 13 weeks, I will be around here through August. Yeah.

Long awaited...

Here are some pics of my trip to NY...enjoy.


Times Square


More Times Square


I didn't see this play, but it is famous, and I thought the sign was cool.

Over looking NY


Superman!!


Planet Hollywood-where I had to get my NY Pass


Central Park


View from Empire State Building



This is Pete. He is my New Zealand buddy. My NY foreigner!!


Me, with NY in the background. A view from the observatory from the Statue of Liberty.


There she is, isn't she beautiful?


NY Firefighters pay tribute to Ground Zero. Granted it was wax, but I liked it best.


Another picture of the NY firefighters Ground zero wax sculpture.

Well, I think that is plenty for now. I will post a pic of Shaun, as soon as I can. Please be patient, my goodness. I am headed to NC this weekend, I am sure I will get some more pics, then I can go get the put on a CD, so I can upload them to the computer. Hope you enjoyed my pics from NY.

Updates

I am so sorry I haven't gotten my pictures posted. I have been a busy bee. I have them ready to post, and I will send the rest home so you can see all of them. They are really good. I was very pleased.

So, my trip to NY. Awesome. I left monday morning, got to my hotel and checked in. Unfortunately in was 10:30 am, so I had to leave my bag behind the desk. Then I was off to the streets of NY. I headed to Central Park, since it was so close. After that I needed to find Planet Hoolywood to pick up my NY Pass. It is the pass that allowed me to get into many attractions for free. It was sweet. My life saver. They even gave me a cool book that gave me directions, maps, numbers, and hours of operation. It proved to be the best investment I did. Well, I wasn't sure where it was at, so I decided to just start walking, and hope that I find it.

I did. It was in the middle of Times Sqaure. Now, Times Square...it is amazing. I loved it. It is as cool as it is in the movies. Big building, lots of people, bright electric neon signs. So cool. It seemed to be the hub of NY.

Monday night I went and saw a Broadway play. I saw Avenue Q. It was so good. I had never heard of it, but heard when I bought the tickets it had one a Tony award. I got all dressed up, and took a cab downtown. It was the best play. Hilarious the whole time, and very risque.

Also Monday, while I was walking around downtown, I headed to the Empire State building. That was cool. I bet the view would be even more spectacular in the spring and summer. It was a bit hazy, but I still got some good pics. Which I will post either tonight or tomorrow. Yeah.

Next day, had an issue getting to my massage appt, which happened to be in another town. So I had to take the train up north about 45 mins. Well, because there was some confusion, I didn't get there in time. Then, they wanted me to come back at 4:30, but I had already wasted a few hours of my morning, so I managed to get them to give me a gift certificate, so I could use it at another location. This is a much longer story, but too hard to explain in this post. Needless to say, I wasted my morning, and it was about 10 degrees with a wind chill factor to -12. Not fun for me. Oh well.

After I got back into town, I headed to the NBC studios for a couple neat tours. I got to read the news from one of the news desks and read off the teleprompter. It was really cool. Too bad it wasn't recorded, because everyone said I did a great job, and I was a natural at it. Sweet. It was a ton of fun.

Then I went to the wax museum, Madame Tussaud's. It was neat. Most looked really good. I took pics, but they all came out bad. Well, not all of them, but they aren't my favorite. I will post one or two of them, just so you can see them.

As I was paying for my gift shop purchase, this guy from New Zealand started talking to me. He seemed really cool. His name was Pete. He came over to NY to meet a girl he had been seeing, but at the last minute she ended it. So, he was visiting NY alone, too. We started walking around together, then headed to an Irish pub for some food and drinks. We sat there and talked for a while. It was getting late, so he walked me to my hotel, and we agreed we would meet up the next day.

After my long awaited massage at the NY location, I met up with Pete again, and we got on a bus tour, heading to the statue of Liberty. I didn't have time for much that day, as I was headed back home. But, even though it was cold, it was still really cool to see her. She is really big, and amazing. We walked up the 156 steps to the top of the observatory.

I made it back to my hotel just in time as the shuttle was there to pick me up. Then headed to the airport, to wait and wait. My plane was delayed. The downfall is...they didn't have any clue when the plane would arrive. They just knew it wasn't there. Normally they have a clue, and can say it was held up because of this, that, or the other thing, but not this time.

Oh well. I made it home safe and sound. I even stopped on the way home and got to go to a late dinner with Shaun. Because nothing is open, we went to Denny's. It was fun.

This weekend, I got to spend lots of time with Shaun. He dropped me off at work Fri morning, and picked me up Saturday night. It was a very long day for me, becasue I got absolutely no sleep Friday night. So, by Saturdya night, I had been up for 36+ hours. He cooked us some food, and we watched a movie. But, by the time the movie got started, I was nodding off.

Our plan was to go hiking the next day, but that didn't happen. Got up late, and basically had a lazy day. We did manage to run an errand or two, take a stroll in the park, and watch a movie. We were thinking of going to Cheesecake Factory, but didn't get there either.

Oh well. We were supposed to meet up with a girl from work, Nicole, but we had some mis communication, and some phone tag, and never managed to meet up. That is ok, we will go have some fun again later.

Also, the hospital has asked if I would be interested in renewing my contract. I said I wasn't sure, but I am thinking I will renew for a while at least. I figure I am having fun here, and I have some more fun to be had. There are several more places I would love to visit, and do. This weekend Shaun is taking me to North Carolina to meet his friends, and the next weekend, we will be going to DC. I still want to go visit some places in Pennsylvania like Dutch country, Hershey, and Gettysburg.

I guess you have all been updated. I will keep you posted on things as they progress. I am still hoping to come home for Bloomsday. I asked for that weekend off, and I will likely get it, so plan to go. I am even trying to convince Shaun to go too. He has some previous plans that weekend, so I am not sure if he will be able to come. I will keep working on him. :)

Next up...pictures of NY and a few of Shaun and I at the park.

Date #2

I still haven't had a chance to get all the pics downloaded to my computer, don't worry they are coming soon, as is a post about NY. It went awesome, and I can't wait to go again.

As for the date with Shaun. He took me out to a Japenese restaurant last night. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it, and it was good food. I am glad he is helping me expand my food horizons. After we wanted to go bowling, but they had league, so we decided to go to a movie instead. We saw Wild Hogs. It was hilarious. Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, and William H Macy. Just plain hilarious.

Then, we ended up bowling after the movie. We played three games and I lost 2/3. After that we hung out at his place, and watched another movie. Overall a great date, and yes...we are seeing each other, and will be seeing lots of each other in the near future. I am gonna go with him this weekend to North Carolina to meet his friends. Then, next weekend we are headed to DC. Tomorrow, a fun hike, and maybe Cheesecake Factory in Baltimore.

He is a ton of fun, and I really like him. Things are great :)

Addendum: Okay, so the first meeting wasn't considered a date, soley because we were first meeting. But for all who are wondering, it will from here on out, be considered a date. So, we have had 3 dates then, if you consider the first meeting in Baltimore, the second night at Denny's on my way home from NY, and then yesterday. There you go, are you all happy??

Under Construction

NY pics soon to come. I am working hard to get the best all downloaded and ready for viewing.

Please be patient.

I am home

Hello All! I know you are all very anxious to hear how NY was, and I can't wait to tell you.

However, I have to wait. Today I have to work, and tomorrow I will go get my pics uploaded to CD so I can download them to my computer, so I can share them all.

I took about 150 pics, so there will be lots to see. Yeah.

Just wanted everyone to know I am home safe and sound. Oh, and my last post....it wasn't a date.

But, I did see him again, and I am going to continue to see him, and things are progressing well. Enjoy your day!!

Baltimore

So, yesterday I met this guy that I met on match.com. His name is Shaun. We met at a little coffee shop, sat there for a while, then decided what to do next. There wasn't much to do in Hagerstown, becuase it was raining, and getting cold/windy. So, we decided to head to Baltimore.

As we were leaving town, it was getting sunnier, and warmer. It was nice in Baltimore. We headed to the Inner Harbor and hung out there all day.

I got to go to my first Hard Rock Cafe. I had never been to one before. So, as he was suggesting places to eat, I stopped him right there, and said we had to go.

That was fun. Of course, since I have been sick all week, I didn't get to enjoy it nearly as much as I would have liked.

Then, we went to the Aquarium. That was fun. I haven't been to an aquarium in years. We also stayed and watched the dolphin show. Man, are those dolphins so cute, and talented. It was pretty short though, I wish it was longer. Oh well.

Then, we walked the pier for a while, and decided to head back to Hagerstown to catch a movie. Well, when we go there, all the movies started at ten and we were there at like 8:20. So, we decided to get dinner.

Went to Ruby Tuesday. Again, didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I would have liked to. I am sure I will get over this soon. Just the post sickness stomach cramps hurt really bad, and knock the appetite right out of me. Well, by the end of the meal, we sat and talked to waste some time before the movie. It took forever for the waiter to bring the check, then we never saw him or anyone else again. So, we left. Yup. Dine'n'dash. I had never done it before, but it was kind of fun. Of course, I doubt I will do it again, but everybody's got to do it at least once in their life.

The movie. It was good. We saw The number 23 with Jim Carrey. I really like him in more serious roles. It was good, but Boy was I tired by the end of the night. Night ended at about 12:30 am, but the time I got home and in bed, it was about 1am. I had to get up for work at 5:30...I pushed it till 6 am this morning. :)

But, next up...New York City. Here I come!!! I cannot wait. My plane leaves 7am tomorrow morning. I have to get up at 4 am to leave and get to DC in time. Yeah for me!

Don't worry. I will post pictures soon. I don't have any way to get them to my computer, so I have to wait till I have enough to put on a disc. I bet after NY, I will go get them ready for uploading.

More flowers for me!!

I work for the best company ever!

While I was sick, my recruiter, Eric, sent me a e-Hallmark card, telling me to rest and relax, and get better. Also, as I mentioned before, the hospital where I am working, brought me a get well care package.

Well, today I had a knock on the door, and it was some flowers. A beautiful get well bouquet of wild flowers, from Eric, and my travel liaison, Allison.

How cool is that?

Better

I feel better today. I actually feel like I could eat/drink without any problems. I still feel weak, and I slept in until 1130am, but I feel better. I was worried my night of sleep was gonna be like it had been all day, wake up every hour. It started out like that, but after about 11 or 12, I slept till 730 this morning.
I hurt all over from sleeping/laying too much, but I just feel so weak standing and sitting. I hope that passes soon. Off to eat some chicken soup.

I *think* it finally stopped

So, it is 5:30 now. I have kept some water down for at least 4 hours. Yeah!

This whole time I was freezing cold, and I am finally warm again. I am gonna try to eat some food. Oh yeah. I almost forgot. My new hospital is awesome.

I called about 1 o'clock to get some advice from the nurse contact I have there. And, she sent someone over with two cans of chicken noodle soup, some cracker, and some jello.

How cool is that? I mean, not only did I call in sick and make it so they have to have a crappy day, but they went out of their way to make sure that I had some "comfort" food, and that I would be okay.

Wow. Talk about God's wonderful children. Thanks!!

The Good Ol' PB

No, it doesn't stand for peanut butter. It stands for Pepto Bismol.

I love that stuff.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have that same excitement when I wake up at 5 am, sick to my stomach, weak, and shaking. And I don't have ANY PB in the apt.

So, I wake up thinking, this too will pass. It didn't. So, I called work, letting them know I wasn't going to make it in today. They seemed nice about it, but you never know what they are thinking.

I got dressed, made my way to my car, headed to the store.

First stop Weis Markets. It is the grocery store just around the corner. But, I pulled up at 5:30am, and they don't open until 6. Yeah for me.

So, I headed to the nearest gas station, and they were open, and had a small bottle for sale. I say "I'll take it."

That will be $3.59 please. Oh my goodness....I can buy three regular sized bottles at that price from the store. But, I don't care. I am sick, and I want my comfort PB.

I head back home, and as I am walking up to the door, I am feeling really sick. As I get in the door I have just enough time to throw my coat on the floor and run to the bathroom. Short of going into details of what happened in there....the toilet was my friend.

So, afterwards, I don't feel sick anymore. Of course that is the way it usually works. But, because I felt instantly better, it led me to believe it was something I ate. I had a tuna sandwich last night for dinner. I didn't think tuna went bad, does it?

Well, even though I felt better, I still took my PB. I thought about calling work back to say I could come in now, but I think I will take the day to sleep, and get better. You always feel weak after throwing up. It just takes so much out of you.

I have a couple days off after today, so I might work a shift to make up for today. My job requires me to make up hours not worked. Of course, I have put in plenty of extra hours...I wonder if those will count toward make-up. I don't know.

I am off to bed to get some sleep. I feel better, but a little bit of "uncomfortable-ness" is starting again. I hope it passes.

UPDATE: (9am) Still at it, that makes three trips to the bathroom.

Brandi's Blog

Brandi, if you are reading this...I can't read your blog. Please send me an email, so I can read your blog. I miss hearing how McKenna is growing. It says I have to be on the "list" of acceptable readers. Of course, that is if you still want me to read it. :)

It's Snowing...Again

I can't believe it. I thought we were done with this mess. I woke up this morning, and it had freezing rained (that didnt sound right, but oh well). The weather man was right. HE said it would be a wintry mix early am, and into late morning. But by morning, would be over.

Well, After I got up this morning, I noticed it has started to lightly snow. Ok. No big deal. It will be over soon.

WRONG!

I decided to go back to bed for an hour or so. Now, as I wake up (okay a few hours later, it wasn't just an hour. You would think I would learn, but I don't), it is heavily snowing and an inch or two is accumulated on my car.

Still snowing hard as I write this. So, I am going to go take a shower, get dressed, and go somewhere, because I do not want to get snowed in again. I had better get going, or there will be four inches on my car soon.

Almost Home

I was just about to purchase a ticket to come home. I found a $400 round trip ticket into Pasco. I had assigned my seating, it was a perfect flight. I was just about ready to push purchase...then I didn't.

I am sorry mom. I can't come home. I came here to have fun on my days off, and if I use my 4-day-in-a-row to come home, then that will take away from seeing something here.

I haven't decided what to do yet on those four days, but I am sure I will go somewhere. Maybe back to New York, maybe somewhere else.

I really miss everyone at home, but I have only been gone for a month. I can last just a little longer. Please give my Grason and Kaitlyn big kisses for me. I miss them so much. (And everyone else too).

Love you all bunches...

What is it with Credit Cards?

I am currently working really hard to get my credit cards paid off. Matter of fact, I am about 4 weeks away from having them ALL paid off.

The point of this post...I just noticed my credit limit shot up about $5000 on each credit card. There are two from the same bank. How come when I needed the extra credit, and I promised it would get paid back, they wouldn't give it to me. Now, when I don't need it, they don't have any problem jacking up my credit limit.

What is up with these people? I swear. Now, I have to make a call to the bank, telling them to lower my credit limit, because I don't want all that "possible" money hanging over my head. I know in the business world there are names for all these things...but I don't care. All I know is I don't want it.

Happy Birthday MOM!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!





I love you!! I hope you have the bestest day ever.

Trip through Amish Country

I just made reservations to stay in Lancaster, PA. It is really close to Amish Country, so I will get to see it up close and personal. I have always admired their way of living, and thought it would be cool to really see them.

I won't be able to take pics of them because they believe that you hold the soul if they are in pictures...something about souls, and not believing in pictures. Ok, so some things I don't agree with, but still. I need to respect their choices.

My trip. I am gonna head up to Gettysburg, Pa. Spend half a day touring that area. Then head up to Lancaster. Stay in a guest room of a working farm. The owners are Mennonites. They have a guest room, named "Pigs Palace" I reserved that room. Yippee. Unfortunately they don't have any real pigs on their farm, but goats and horses, and chickens, and um, maybe cows. I can't remember. I would love to learn how to milk a cow. It just seems cool, and something I have never done before.

Then, I will head up the next day to Philadelphia. Stay one night there, then come home Sunday night. This will all take place March 16-18. Yeah. I am so excited. I have me another trip planned.

Now, I have to decide when to go to DC.

The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is March 31-April 15th. With a parade on Saturday April 14th. It would be cool to go during that time, so I will have to see. I may go once before then, and go again during the festival. I think it will be really pretty, and I head the festival is cool, and they have special exhibits at the museums during that time.

Ching, Ching $$

I have decided to pick up an additional shift. I will do an extra day shift on Thursday. I haven't felt burned out yet (way too early for that), so I still like coming to work. Plus, when it is bad weather, I would rather be working, making contacts, and more importantly, making money.

Ching, Ching. $$$$

I will just rack up the money. I love it. Since I am working a night shift right now, it won't really even seem like extra shifts.

Tonight I am doing ok. I am just past half way, and approaching the push hour. Usually from 3-5, I have to really keep myself awake, but I think I will do okay tonight.

Addendum: (5am) Yeah!! I did ok, now I just have afew more things to do, give report to the next nurse, and go home. Yippee!!

I'm out

I finally got out of my parking space. The maintenance crew was driving by, and I asked if I could use their shovel. They offered to come help me. Yeah.

It didn't take too long either. A little shovel here, a little shovel there, and a big push, and I was out. Yippee!!

I got to go to the store today, got some stuff. Bought a new pair of tennie runners, and got my brows done.

I was only out for a few hours, because I didn't get started until about 3, as I took a nap because of my night shift tonight. So, it was nice to be able to get a few hours before working tonight. Which I am off to, before I am late! Tata!

Another change

I have agreed, yet again, to switch shifts. I was supposed to work tomorrow, but they called me today and asked if I would be willing to work tonight, and have tomorrow off. Good thing is...if I have tomorrow off, I get three days off in a row, but I have to sleep all day, so that throws things off, and basically cancels out that day.

Oh well. Today I took a little nap until 2. Now I am gonna go get my car out of the snow, head to the store, and maybe go out to eat dinner. That sounds good.

Mom, sorry but your card is going to be late. I appologize. It will get sent out today, but I think it will arrive a day late. I love you.

Have a great day/night all, I will see how my night shift goes. Hopefully it will go as smooth as last night shift, however I doubt I will have flowers waiting for me when I arrive. Oh well.

Ambulance

Yesterday I was headed to my car to see if I could get out of the snow yet. I wanted to go out to get a card for mom, and something for my friend, as she is having a baby in March. I wasn't getting anywhere with the car situation. I am still stuck. This week it is supposed to be in the 40-50's with one day high of 61 I think, so it will melt, and soon I will be able to move again.

Back to my story. Well, Hospital called and asked if I was able to do a transport. NOt quite sure what that meant, I said sure. She told me that someone in ER needed to be transported to a hospital in Baltimore, and they needed a Critical Care Nurse to ride with...just in case something happened.

So, I arrived at the hospital and met my patient. She is fairly young, and came in with chest pain. I think because of her insurance, she needed to go there. She needed to have a cardiac catheterization done on her heart, to see if/where a blockage was, and to hopefully fix it.

I had a non-eventful ride with my patient. I, on the other hand, didn't. There was a few times I got the icky feeling of "motion sickness". I felt bad for the paramedic in the cab, because he basicly now had two patients on his hands. I was riding in the back, on the side of the ambulance, and I could see out the front window, but all I could see is the side of the road rushing past. It was a very bumpy ride, and the wind was making the cab swerve. So, I think my motion sickness was well deserved. I don't think that is the word I am looking for, but you get my drift.

I switched places with the medic, so I could sit above the patient, and face forward. After that, smooth sailing. Didn't have any problems. Then on the way back, I sat up front and had a great conversation with the EMT. He is in nursing school, so we had a lot to talk about. He was really nice and very easy to talk to, so it was cool.

Overall, I got about 5 hours of extra work in yesterday, so that was cool. If I pick up an extra shift this week, then I will get some overtime. I like overtime. I don't like working for it, but it has to be done. I figure while it is icky, cold, and wet outside, I might as well work some extra shifts now, that way when I want to go play....I have some extra money. Sweet.

Extra

I am working extra today. YEsterday after my shift, I mistakenly offered that if there weren't enough people today, I would be willing to work extra.

The only reason I am saying I mistakenly did it, is because it is early, and I am tired. I am sure the day will go fine, and I will be happy that I worked extra. I figured, there is no reason I shouldn't do it. It is icky out again this weekend, at least supposed to be, and I will just stay in. So I might as well get some extra work in.

So, I am off to work this morning. I have to call security because my (rental) car is still snowed in, so I can't get anywhere. I hope they don't get mad for having to pick me up twice. I think the staffing office wasn't happy about it, but the security guard yesterday said he was more than willing, and I should call anytime I needed a ride.

So I am gonna call today, and if they have a problem with it, then I just will have to tell them that I can't come in extra then. Too bad.

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Tonight I arrived at work, okay yesterday night. And I introduce myself to a crew I have never met before. The first thing they say is...are you Kathleen S******, I say yes. They tell me I have a package that arrived today, over on the counter. I glance over and it is a box of flowers. I think to myself...I have no one that would send me a Valentine, why am I getting flowers...at work none-the-less. I was afraid to open it.

So I get report, and about an hour passes. Now my curiosity has gotten to me. I go ahead and open the box. Everyone waiting in anticipation. The card says Happy Birthday Kathleen! We appreciate all the hard work you do. Hope you have a fantastic day. From, Access Nurses.

How sweet. My company sent me tulips...they were pink tulips btw...to me at work on Valentine's Day. Of course, it isn't my birthday, so they obviously messed that one up. I will have to tell them. Of course, I will do it after expressing my great pleasure in receiving them.

My recruiter knows when my birthday is because he wished me Happy Birthday back in Jan, when it really was. Also, he called me today and wished me Happy Valentine's Day, so I am not sure why there is a mix up with the rest of the company. Oh well. I don't mind getting flowers...ever. I will post a pic of them as soon as I can.

Tonight's shift was awesome. Time went by really fast, and everyone is really nice. Oh yeah one more tid bit. I went outside about 6pm to leave early get to work and eat, and be ready to start by 6:30. Well, when I went outside my car was buried, there was no way I could get out of it. So, I locked my car, bundled up, and walked to work. Of course when I got there, I met someone from the place I am staying, just a few buildings away. She has offered to take me home. How sweet, I don't have to walk home in the cold. Actually it wasn't so bad. I stopped 3/4 of the way at McD's and got me some dinner. That helped me warm up a bit.

Well, I am still at work, and it is about time to give my 6 oclock meds and finish my notes, then I can go home. Night wasn't as bad as I remember it to be. Of course, if I do lots of them, it may start again.

Switch

Today the hospital called and asked if I would be willing to work tonight, instead of tomorrow. I didn't have anything going on today, so I agreed. I figure too many people called, and said they wouldn't be available to come to work because of the storm. Lots of the other nurses live in the outlying areas. Some have up to an hour commute. That really isn't possible in this storm. I think we got like 4 inches of snow, and last night/this morning it was freezing rain.
I on the other hand, live just half mile away, so I can go to work. They also said that if I wasn't able to drive, security would come to pick me up. That is sweet. I think I will be fine though. It really is just down the street.
So, today, when I need to take a nap...of course, I won't be able to. I think I am gonna go try to sleep for an hour or so. I haven't worked a night shift in a long time, so this may be a rude awakening for me. We will have to see.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

Happy Valentine's Day!!

No romantic date to report. No pretty roses on my doorstep this morning. No candy in the mailbox.

But I am ok with that. It is just another day, that is here. I have today off, so I might head out to shop the outlet mall, or maybe the Valley Mall. However, it is now freezing rain out there, so I think it best I stay inside for now.

Maybe that is why my roses and candy haven't arrived...hmmm?

Grrr

Still snowing. Luckily it is now a fine snow. Of course that is after a couple inches have fallen already. I haven't been outside yet, I decided to go take a nap. Yes. Just after I woke up. You know me.
It was only about an hour long, so not my usual.

Maybe I will go see if it is running weather...tata.

Snowed In

I guess I won't be going anywhere. The weatherman was actually right this time. There is a BIG winter storm hotting the Midwest ans stretching across over to Maryland, and Washington DC area. So, I don't want to go walking around DC in the snow and rain. So far, it has snowed here about an inch+, and its still going strong. Supposed to last all day, turning to freezing rain later in the day.
I can't believe it. I was looking forward to going and doing something on these days off. Oh well. I guess hot cocoa and movies will do too. Can't really go explore around here, because it is all wintery. I might go for a run if it is warm enough. 30's is good, 10-20's not good.
Of course, I haven't ran in over a month, so I am not sure how that will go. I need to get back into it soon though. It is making me so mad, I just keep eating and eating, and no running. I am gonna be back to where I was if I don't watch carefully. Jeffrey...I need to get started on that Meltdown Monday. I guess this Monday is as good as any to start. You have motivated me to get going on it.
Maybe tomorrow the snow will let up, and I can go to DC then. Of course the winter storm alert is in effect until 2pm EST tomorrow. Grrr!

A day in the life of the President

Okay, not really, it will be more like a day in the life of a tourist, but that wasn't as catchy of a title. I am sure you can guess...I am off to DC. I have a couple days off, and DC is just a few miles south of me. Okay...more like 70, but who's counting. There is a park/ride metro that I can get on just 50 miles away. That way I can pay WAY less for parking, and not have to deal with traffic.

I am so excited. I will just go for the day, and if I find I didn't have time to see/do all I want to see/do...then I can go again on Wednesday.

Don't worry, I will take pics. I have always wanted to go and sit on President Lincoln's lap. You know, the one with him in the big chair, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. At least, I think that is where it is at. Hehe. I will pretty dumb, if it isn't. Oh well, I have never been there before, so that is my excuse for not knowing.

So, wish me luck as my first sightseeing tour gets underway. I will leave here about 8:30 or 9, and be there by 10am. Don't worry, I will bring my pepperspray, but I doubt I will need it. Just in case though...I will have it!

5:30am

Wow. This sucks. I hate getting up early. Especially when I awoke almost every hour after getting to sleep at 1am. I think subconciously, I was afraid my alarm wasn't going to go off, or something. All I know, is I am DEAD tired, and I have to work today. Here goes nothing...

I'm going to NY

I just made reservations for my first trip to the big apple. I can't wait. I have a stretch of three days off in early March, and I am taking advantage of it. Yippee!!
I managed to get onto travelocity's website, thought I would check flight prices to NY from DC. $100 round trip. Wow, can't beat that. The next thing I know, I am checking out hotels, and costs. Then checking out attractions vouchers. Wow.
I am so excited. I am headed up on Monday March 5, returning March 7. I am staying at a Manhattan 2 star hotel. Nothing major, but I won't be in my hotel all that much. I also got a 3 day NY pass, that gets me into lots of cool attractions like Empire state bldg, Statue of Liberty, and lots of museums. I also reserved a dinner cruise (sounded like fun), a massage a fancy spa, broadway play ( I have ALWAYS wanted to go to a Broadway play), and then I will go visit Central Park, and just go visit places all over. I know I am not staying long, and I won't get to see it all. That is fine. I will go back. But, I just can't wait to go. I will see/do as much as I can. DOn't worry, I will take pictures.
Woohoo. NY City here I come!!

Angel of Death

So, I started my job yesterday. I think it is going to be good. I really like everyone that I will be working with...well at least those that I have met. YEsterday was paperwork day, and orinetation. Finished paperwork about 10 am, then headed to the PCU and worked with Sarah. She is really nice. I didn't really do much nursing, mostly just watching and seeing how things are done there.

Today I got to orient in ICU. I will be working days in either the ICU or the PCU. Sweet. I like switching, that way I don't get bored, and it keeps things interesting.

I did however, mess up already. I set my alarm last night, thought I turned it on, but apparently didn't. So this am, I wake up about 5:15, think...great, I have another 15 mins to snooze. So, I doze off, and wake up at 6:31. I am supposed to be at work by 6:30. So, my first day on the floor (still in orientation) and I am calling in late. I just about, actually, I did, bawl. It was horrible, I was so embarrassed. I don't live far, so washed my face, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and I was outta there. I was on the unit ready to work at 6:45. Record time.

Day went well. I had a patient that didn't do well. Due to confidentiality reasons, I can't divulge any more info, but my patient won't make it. I didn't do anything wrong, except bad luck. I was dealt the wrong hand. I haven't gotten the title Angel of Death yet, lets just hope my next patient is alive and well when I get done with them...or I just might become the "Angel of Death".

Basically a title we give to anyone who frequently gets patients who are about to die, or actually do die. I have many patients that have died, just not in a row, or not that frequently. So, here's hoping I don't get another one anytime soon, so that I don't get named appropriately.

I'm an East Coast gal

So, I am here. It was a long journey, but I made it. Yesterday I flew into Dulles Int'l Airport. That was a flight. Left Spokane, 2 hour + flight to Vegas, then had about one and half hour layover. I lost $20 on the slot machines. I had fun, so who cares, right? Then a 5 hour flight to DC from there. Got into town late last night. About 11:30 my (new) time. Took a shuttle bus to my hotel, couldn't sleep until about 4 am. Yuck. Then woke up at 8am, tried to sleep in till 9, then got up and got ready to go.

Called for a taxi. It was gonna be $74 to get a ride to the Greyhound station, for the second set of my journey. Yeah, like I have $75. So, I finally called around and found one for $55. It was right on the nose too. Total was $55.65 (after $2 baggae fee for excess baggage). He was great though, showed me the sites and pointed out what they were. Even gave me the low-down on what part of town to stay away from. He said if you find yourself in Southeast, turn around immediately, and get out. Too many innocent people get shot. He said thats were the mofia are. Scary, I know. The rest, all the other parts of town, he said were good. As long as I stay out of SE mom, I won't get shot. I hope! :)

Managed to get to Greyhound, the bus ride was semi-non-eventful. The only funny thing was when we reached the top of a hill, I saw a sign that read " Braddock Mountain, elev. 985 ft" Ha. You call that a mountain? That's the distance up my parents driveway. Okay, I am exaggerating a little (okay, a lot), but you get my point. Next hill was elev 1200 ft. A bit better, but not a mountain.

There was a McD's right by the station, but I didn't eat there, because I had too much luggage, and I was afraid of leaving it be while I standed in line. A lot of people were very helpful. While I was calling 411 for a taxi company, this lady handed me a phonebook. I called three cab companies before someone finally picked up. The gentlemen was very pleasant. The great thing was...cab ride only $5 even. There was no meter, I think anywhere in Hagerstown is $5. I might have to keep him in mind for later. He even helped carry my bags to my front door. Which brings me to my new furnished apt.

Certainly not an apt I would rent for myself. Then the furniture...well, think Grandma and you might have a good idea of what it looks like. However, the dresser, nightstand, and armoire are Stanley furniture. Very nice. I didn't know we made furniture, but ok. The bed...well, we will have to see. Some walls have a mint green paint on them. Nice touch, I like it. However, there is a smell. I can't pinpoint what it is, but it does smell. My guess I will get used to it. I don't want to, but I will.

I went ahead and unpacked what I brought. Deosn't seem like much, but it will do until my packages get here. I can't wait for them. At least I will have a few more things to make it feel like home. Oh, and I don't have a DVD player like they said, I have a VCR. Which is cool, I can record my shows, but how will Ibe able to watch all my DVD's that I brought along. Oh well, I will be too busy to watch tv. Yeah right. It's me were talking about.

Well, I am off to get some groceries, and explore my new city a bit. Not too many things terribly close, but I will get my exercise in.

Traveling

Travel day is here. I am off to Spokane to catch a plane to Washington DC. East Coast, here I come!!!

Plane leaves at 12:45 , and we still need to drive to Spokane. I have a few more things to take care of at home, then we are off. Mom is driving me, and Ashley has decided to come along. How nice.

Well better get going, see you on the other side!