Nothing is better than a good day off!  

It all starts out with Fox & Friends and coffee, meeting with a friend and cute baby for some jammin' rhyme tyme and good heartfelt conversation, cleaning houses for extra cash, running at the gym, and ended by playing with some cute kiddos.

It was a good day.

Today my patient (older than me of course by 25 years) kept saying "yes ma'am" to me. Finally her mom said, "You don't have to call her ma'am. She is a little girl!"

Her reply, "Well, she is a registered nurse."
This is one of many different remarks given about my youthfulness. I suppose I'll be thankful for it some years down the road. I'm getting tired of at work, especially when people don't take you seriously. Boo.

SEMI-DEBT FREE!!

I have just sent off my last debt check to one of my school loans!!!  I am so excited to knock it out!  Hooray!!!  I am so glad to have that one finished and only have 2 more to go.  This morning I sat down to hash out my budget for this current paycheck and realized I had the money to stretch and make the last payment.  I feel like celebrating!!!

I have also started saving for a car.  Most of my money had gone towards paying off this loan, and now I'm going to put a little freeze on the loans and put some chunk change towards a car.  The plan is to buy a car that will last me for a couple of years.  I'm not really looking for a new car, which I think is a total waste of money.  I'm not looking to get another loan, which is a total waste of money.  I'd like to pay cash, which I have found is the best way to pay for things.  Novel idea, maybe if Americans would catch on to this idea we would not be in the situation we are in today.  I really thought that it was ok to have debt because everyone had debt.  I now see its CRAZY to owe people money!  During school I really was at a point I could not afford to pay my own way and I'm thankful for the loans and thankful for the help from my family and friends.  I only hope to be in a position in the future to be generous to others in return for the generosity shown me while in some financial difficulties.

I am so thankful!  Praise God!!!

I would post more, but there is not much to write about. Work has been increasingly stressful, we are short staffed and over booked in surgeries. I have been slammed day after day because I am fast and good. I guess its good that is recognized by management, but it is a little frustrating when you take the biggest load time after time. Or what seems to be the biggest.

Went to Lookout MTN last weekend for a surprise birthday party for a friend. It was great. The area is so beautiful, and I'm so jealous of my friend for living there. The party was good, she had no idea! A good weekend!! I went running on Saturday morning for an hour or so, and found so many different roads to run on and some huge houses. I would love to move there.

These pictures are out of order. But since I'm on my sister's computer, thought I would steal them!!
Hanging out at Melissa's

I parked really close to a car, it was hilarious. There is an old man behind me who watched while we took this picture

We Blue Toothed at Grandma's with cousins

Reading "The Night Before Christmas"

One of my favorite gifts, from my little brother

Today was a crazy day!!! CRAZY!! We started off with 5 nurses, prepping 15 patients for surgery. That's 3 a piece! Had me running in between hallways to do 10 different things at once. If it could happen, it did, like an IV blowing 1 minute before they take my patient to the OR. That was the fastest IV I've ever done!

Even crazier than that was being threatened by a patient that she would punch me if I did not get her IV in the first try. As I was putting in her IV, she proceeded to tell me the entire time I deserved a punch. I told her to be quiet and keep still or I would poke her again. I really didn't want to use lidocaine on her, but being the kind soul I am, I did. Hello, I know IV's suck and they will hurt, but welcome to the hospital. Its not the Ritz Carlton. I was so mad at her, after I stuck her I just walked out and didn't go back in.

Then I was put on postop, crazy over there. I stayed an extra hour to chart on my patients. At least I have a good memory.

I go back one more day tomorrow...

I am back to life now, after a time off from work. Christmas was really rather disappointing this year. I always build up Christmas but it rarely disappoints to this extent. I was glad for time off, glad to be able to see my family, glad to spend Christmas with friends instead of alone. It seems like the magic of Christmas is gone. I don't know if I should just accept the fact it will be this way the next few years until I establish myself in one way or another. Establish meaning where I can be closer to family to enjoy more Christmas festivities, get married and start my own traditions...I don't know.

I did enjoy, as always, the family hang out time. It is always refreshing and good to be with family, even though people are different and things change. There is always familiarity in family. One of my favorite times was New Years Eve and Day hanging out with my sister, my cousin, and his wife. Although my sister and cousin's wife were sick, we made and enjoyed breakfast, played Wii, laid on the couch, talked, laughed, played with the dog. It was just nice to hang out and be comfortable with family. Its like what I do by myself, so it was nice to be with people.

Well, a year ago I was beginning my last semester of school. I did not think I could finish school and I could not see beyond school. Now I am graduated, working, learning, working.

So, for 2009, rule number 2 is: Adapt. React. Re-adapt. Act.

It has been so nice being off work and being with family.  It feels like Christmas still needs to happen, because I missed all the pre-Christmas festivities.  I spent a few days in the country and have had a few days here in St. Louis.  We ushered in the new year with my cousins last night.  Today has been a slow and nice day of laying around, playing Wii Fit, hanging out, and touring the campus and city here.  If I were to do it myself, I would feel lazy.  But to do it with family, it is a nice change.