This -n- That

I learned to make ganache (gonosh) yesterday. I like to think of myself as a "foodie" but I really am just a "wannabe". I love chocolate and found that making ganache is really quite easy and fun. Just check out this link and follow the directions-wicked simple. I wish I had the foresight to snap a quick photo of my creation but alas, I did not. I made a zesty lemon cake and used lemon filling between each layer (I froze the cake and used my electric knife to slice the layers) then covered it with the ganache. Oh, so yummy. I made it for the staff as a repast during a presentation I did at work. At first they wrinkled up their little noses at the combination of chocolate and lemon. Hah! Forgive them, for they know no better...to paraphrase a quote. I also made a Pineapple Orange Dream Cake.

On to other things, since I gave the last presentation for the Cardiac Program today, I can finally move on to the projects I want to work on. And amazingly enough, 3 of the books I ordered for a Preceptor Program that I want and need to get started on, actually arrived via the mail and were on my desk this afternoon after the presentation. I was so thrilled. How fortuitous!

Bill had a friend in from out of town yesterday and the day before. He used to fly with him when he was in the AF. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and it was interesting to see someone tease my husband other than my mother or his brothers! He teased Bill about the amount of trivia-type knowledge he possess and it never occurred to me that we share that particular trait. I guess I just took it for granted that everyone loves trivia and in general, knowledge. (Thanks, Mom) I must be surrounding myself with intensely nice people or geeks like me! Speaking of surrounding myself...

Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row
Life is a theater - invite your audience carefully.

• Not everyone is holy enough and healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.
• It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships! Observe the relationships around you.
• Pay attention to: Which ones lift and which ones lean?
• Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
• Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?
• When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse?
• Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

The more you seek God and the things of God -- the more you seek quality, the more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God -- the more you seek things honorable -- the more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.
You cannot change the people around you... but you can change the people you are around!
Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.

Caution...Turbulence Ahead!

Well, it’s a cold and blustery morning. It may snow. This is good thing because today we will roast our turkey and bake cookies and cakes and pies. Yummmm.

You know, I have a thousand different fragments of thoughts going on in my mind at any given time. And this morning, while stretching in bed and contemplating my day, I realized that if I were to blog them…you would all know for sure that I am absolutely OTL. Mental illness runs in my family. Of course, I think it “runs” in everyone’s family but that is another blog. LOL. So, I always have “radar” on for the first hint of a descent into the Twilight Zone. I don’t want some stranger to have to shake their head and quietly “tsk, tsk, tsk” under their breath, while they are bundling me up either chemically with drugs or physically with a straight jacket (yeah I know they don’t use those anymore but…). I want to be able to say, Okay I have gone down the rabbit hole and you’d better do something before it’s too late.

But truly, I am not like most people. I would have put that in quotations but I have had enough of that and it gets old. I previously posted the “what Peanuts character” I am and one description that struck me as interesting and probably true was…”I am on the fringe of things”. (And I continue to use quotations when appropriate though...I don't want the grammer police on me! :0]) Since my reintroduction in to the corporate world with my new job, I can say that is totally the truth. For example, I will be in a meeting with a bunch of other folks and I will comment on something in which I think I am clever or funny and I get the “who said you could talk” look. Or the “what the hell are you babbling about” look. Now, for the most part, these coworkers are very kind and pleasant to be around so I don't think it's not that I haven't fit into their culture, at least I don't find any other evidence to that probability. So, either I am a social retard – which I accuse most doctors of being because of the amount and intensity of their education process they loose a lot of their social skills….if they ever had any that is- or I am permanently out of sync with society.
Yeah, yeah, don’t give me that crap about marching to a different drummer. I enjoy being different in that I am not a replica of someone or someone’s idea of what I should be, but it’s difficult to be effective in your job when everyone tilts their head when you talk.

I just keep reminding myself, that it makes no difference as long as I continue to get paid and I get good performance evals. If my boss is happy with my work, who am I to rock the boat? I mean, it has occurred to me that maybe I scare folks or intimidate them in some way and that is their way of protecting themselves. Or possibly, I am just light years ahead of them. (It’s amazing what your brain will come up with when your self esteem and/or your self efficacy are threatened.)

In any case, be prepared. This is your official warning of possible Twilight Zone-like or Bermuda Triangle-like postings. I can’t be sure when these things will dart from my fingers on to the keyboard. Ha, already I am setting the stage for disavowment!

I do have one theory though, that wind makes people edgy and jumpy and maybe I'm not physically jumpy today but mentally instead. Will you buy that for a buck?

So friends and family, I bid you happy blogging. Caveat Emptor (Claire, what is Latin for “let the reader beware”?)

Use it or lose it

I love it when I visit an elderly person whose apartment is 95 degrees and they are wearing sweaters and it's 85 degrees outside! I finally figured out why this is so. For one thing, they are usually pretty thin with minial fat stores. For another, they don't do anything. Either they are too afraid they will hurt themselves or feel like there is nothing to do or they feel like since they can't do anything like they used to do it...why bother. So they sit. And they get cold. My motto in the winter is: If I feel the need to add a sweater then I need to be up and doing something.
If nothing else, being around seniors has taught me what to look out for as far as pitfalls are concerned. Another motto I have found to be the penultimate truth is: Use it or lose it! Since I plan to be able to ski for free after age 70 at local ski areas, I will definitely not be "losing it"!
Something else I've figured out: You must be productive! I mean, if you retire or experience a significant change in your health, you've got to feel that you are a necessary, needed part of life or you get depressed. Let me tell you, it's a sneaky depression. Which then makes your recovery more difficult etc. So find a way to stay productive, no matter what.
Okay,
Here endeth the lesson!

I've been "tagged"?

Okay then...my friend Claire's aunt...Claire has "tagged" me with this survey and I am new to blogging so I don't know if I am doing this correctly or if I have missed any steps so be sure to let me know if I have.
Here are the rules. Pay close attention because you may be the next to partake in all the fun! Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump everyone up one place; then add your blog to the #5 spot.

1.Tammy
2.Erin
3.Suz
4.Claire
5.Pam

Next select 5 friends to pass this on to: Well, I only know 2 people with blogs that can post...
1. Mom
2. Claire (not Claire Bug)

What were you doing 10 years ago? We had just moved into our first house 7 months earlier and we probably had company for Thanksgiving dinner. Didn't own a computer yet but had a cell phone because I was a Home Health nurse and it's really hard to do that without a phone.

What were you doing 1 year ago? Same thing I'm doing now. Went out to get a Thanksgiving meal and waited until my husband woke up to eat, then he went to work and I played on the computer.

5 snacks you enjoy:
1. popcorn
2. almond rocha
3. fresh, MacIntosh apples
4. M & M's from the reception dish at the Denver branch office...I don't know why they taste better there but they do!
5. shrimp, boiled, cold with cocktail sauce

5 songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1. Rawhide
2. Margaritaville
3. Somewhere over the rainbow/Wonderful World medley
4. theme song to "The Flintstones"
5. Old Red

5 things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. buy an enormous working ranch either in Colorado, or western Wyoming or Montana for "at risk youths"
2. pay off bills for us and key family members
3. travel to Australia, NZ, western Europe, Egypt, China, Japan and India
4. move my sister to wherever I lived and take care of her
5. Buy land

5 bad habits:
1. interrupting people when they are speaking
2. finishing people's sentences for them
3. not always following thru on projects or promises
4. being messy
5. taking things personally when I shouldn't

5 things you like doing:
1. Organizing
2. sharing/instructing
3. being outdoors
4. travel
5. being with my family and close friends

5 things you would never wear again:
1. bikini
2. wedding dress
3. military uniform (more like can't..too old)
4. anything currently being worn by the twentysomethings of today!
5. high school uniform

5 favorite toys:
1. Brother label maker
2. iPAQ
3. Laptop
4. internet
5. most Pampered Chef gadgets!

Thanksgiving Day

Well, the cold temps have given way to the milder, early fall temps....at least while the sun is out! Yesterday, it was in the 60's in the middle of the day! My Mom, Perky or Joan to the rest of the world, says it is snowing in Massachusetts and my Sister-in-law, Donna, in Anchorage Alaska says they are having a big snow storm there too!

This morning I have been inspired by one of my favorite authors/artists...
Susan Branch. Well, I tried to insert the picture, cut and paste the picture which turned out horribly blurry, so you'll just have to click on this link to see the recipe I was hoping to share with you this morning.

Bill had his first night of work at his new job last night. I missed him soooo. Y

So, as I type, he is peacefully slumbering because he must work tonight as well. I am going to be heading out here shortly to Whole Foods to buy our turkey dinners (we sampled some last weekend while we were shopping and oh...YUM!) I love to make Thanksgiving Dinner but Bill can't sleep with all the delicious smells so we have a turkey dinner on the weekend. You can never have enough turkey!

My Thanksgiving thoughts:
I am so thankful for my loving family (which does include my dogs and cats), my new job with all it's challenges, my husband's new job, my health, my opportunites and my country. I have certainly been blessed and I remember that daily. I hope each of you is able to recount your blessings today. Have a Safe and Wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
Love Pam

Sunday at the Zoo

I must admit, I am quite happy and a little proud of myself for suggesting a day at the Zoo, but also suggesting we bring Bill's "harem" along for entertainment. The neighborhood girls (Savannah-6, Jordan-8, Kimberly-6 pictured here with Bill) like to hang out with Bill in the driveway when the weather cooperates. He sits on his tailgate and smokes a cigarette and sure enough, after a few minutes, they come out of the woodwork. They must have "Billdar". Most of the time they just play with each other but sometimes Bill will play Uno with them or help them with their bicycles or something like that. Kimberly and Jordan's dads are in Iraq and I think he's a substitute father figure for them. Savannah's dad is very hard working with several jobs. I think the fact that he just hangs out with them is important to them. Anyway...we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I, with much trepidation, the girls with unbounded excitement and Bill, well, he's a guy...(who knows?) we pile into the 4-Runner at 930 am and head towards Cheyenne Mountain. Now, you might assume my aforementioned trepidation is related to spending time with 3 children. But you would be wrong! The last time I was at this particular Zoo back in the early 90's, it was...sadly and disturbingly - lacking. Especially if you've ever been to some of the more progressive zoo's like the National Zoo in D.C. As a matter of fact, I was so disgusted at the Primate House last time that I swore I would never go back. However, they have done some major revamping and redesigning and it is quite nice. We absolutely loved feeding the giraffes....

They sell special biscuits for the animals and they are so very gentle. A little shy, probably from so many hands reaching and grabbing at their heads. The babies are adorable. You kneel down and feed them at the bottom of the railing. Their tongues are delicate and tentative but the adult's tongues are creatures unto themselves. Prehensile and slimy and very inquisitive! We spent the most time here. We love to watch them bend over to drink or eat something off the ground. So humorous in their ungainliness. They have bears, Rocky Mountain goats, bobcats, cougars, leopards, hippos, penguins, naked mole rats, peacocks, pygmy goats, okapi, tapi, elephants, lions and cubs, to name of few species. They had wolves, we didn't see them but later in the day, we heard them howling. And the Bengal tiger was missing it's mate so it was hanging out by the door out of our sight.

Although very chilly when we started out, it soon warmed up. Very little attendance, which was a great thing. We pretty much had the place to ourselves until lunchtime. The staff were helpful and enjoyed talking with us.

The Meerkats were one of my favorites. Just an armsreach away. Intelligent eyes peered out from the black ovals and high pitched chatterings make these little guys too cute. Bill and I

saw a National Geographic Special about a scientist who spent 3 months with a troupe in Africa. They are quite interesting little animals. Of course, anything with fur is interesting and worthy of love and cuddling in my book! Animals with feathers are growing in esteem as well. Anyhooo...I also spent a lot of time at the Gorilla enclosure. Only inches of glass or Plexiglas separated us and it was absolutely the most fascinating experience just sitting there. Unfortunately, my camera batteries had pooped out by then. But next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I will have plenty of batteries. I do think the Gorillas were bored though. So did Bill.

Later, after the girls had gone home, we talked about what we would do if we had a chance to do our "after high school thing" again and we both would have chosen animal care (not veterinary). I guess, 4 dogs and 3 cats just isn't enough! Speaking of cats, check out this leopard-

Well, I could go on and on about our day. The girls were good. Not much whining. Very little bickering. Bill was in heaven with all the attention and I was ecstatic to be out side doing something with my husband! All in all a great day.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is not publicly funded and they do everything (feed, vets, build and maintenance etc) from admissions, donations and sales from the gift store. We are thinking of doing a membership and at a certain level, one of the perks is getting to spend some time with the enclosure of your choice..behind the scenes like. That would be cool.

One last picture to close the posting....

Which Peanuts character are you?

50th Anniversary

WOW! That's all that I could say when I clicked on this link to an invitation to Shaklee's 50th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco next August. I was impressed when I went to a Science Symposium 2 years ago. I cannot even imagine how cool it is going to be now that Roger Barnett is the owner and CEO. I am pretty sure no one who reads this will either want to go or have the resources to go but....if you could, if you had an opportunity, even a slim chance to go, then I think it will be the best thing that happened to you all year. Actually, maybe even this decade! I wish I could take everyone I know with me. I know health and wellness is not everyone's hobby or interest but it should be everyone's goal...to be healthy and well.

Most likely, everyone reading this would benefit from more exercise, better eating habits, more stress reduction activities and skills and most of all, Shaklee products. I have not been one to embrace anything to the point of fanaticism. As a matter of fact...people who do kinda scare me. I hope I am not a fanatic but just a passionate Aficionada. I have done the critical research (examining sources, data, study size and all that scientific stuff) and I have experienced it for myself, my husband, my dogs and cats, my mom, my sister and close friends and their friends. I believe in the possiblity and you can't know until you try. I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, betting my nursing credentials and my entire career, that there is not A company that has the efficacy, the integrity or the innovativeness that Shaklee has. I would not recommend anything else if you want to "get what you pay for". Otherwise...you might as well be... well, playing powerball!

So, come next August, Bill and I will be in fabulous San Francisco and wishing you were with us.

Another weekend together

I am in absolute heaven. No qualifications, no if's and's or but's. Another full weekend with my sweetie. We've had 4 fires in the fireplace this week. Made wholesome, delicious meals every night except tonight- had pizza and wings. Played Phase 10, hung out with the dogs. Just normal, regular everyday folks. Big, contented sigh.
Tomorrow we are doing a little shopping, stopping at a friends open house, going to a coworkers play and Sunday, if the weather is good, its yard work. Chopping up the tree we cleared from another coworkers yard as well as raking leaves and other winter cleanup. We've had some very cool temps this week. Hence the fires in the fireplace. I am so grateful for this week. It has been a life saver. I was really getting to hate life there a few weeks ago.
On this past Wednesday, the local branch of my workplace had their holiday meal-potluck style. I got lots of compliments on my pumpkin cake so I thought I would share it with you.

No Fuss Pumpkin Cake from Light and Tasty-online
In Larsen, Wisconsin, Nancy Heider makes the most of convenience items to come up with this moist old-fashioned cake. "It goes together quickly," she writes. "That's a plus for me, because I have a husband who loves desserts."
INGREDIENTS
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

SERVINGS 20-24
PREP 15 min.
COOK 25 min.
TOTAL 40 min.

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugar and oil; mix well. Add cake mix and pumpkin pie spice; beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a mixing bowl, combine the frosting and cream cheese. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.
I actually put this in a bundt pan and poured powdered sugar and water mixture over the top. Very easy and very tasty.

Green Thumb Blogroll

I Did It!

Well, I put a message on my boss’s desk first thing and met with her after lunch. I was very apprehensive about this dialog. I mean I think I know her well enough to assume she will be supportive but…what if I am wrong? I have been burned so many, many, times that I can’t be a hundred percent sure anymore. But, she was supportive. Her direction was for me to assemble a list of concerns and changes with the associated pro’s and con’s and she will help me present it to the staff. I mean, that idea of how to present it to the staff was almost as daunting as the idea of talking with my boss! You know, people get funny ideas about what you should be doing and when and where. It doesn’t even have to be true, it just has to appear that way or whichever way they say. Ah, the joys of working with people.

On a MUCH happier note…yesterday was my three year Shaklee birthday or anniversary. My business partner and friend, Patty, and I decided that when one of our members has been a member for a year and then every year after that, we would celebrate that accomplishment by giving a little congratulatory gift as a thank you. So Patty brought me some Shaklee organic toothpaste (which I already use) and a bottle of Nutriferon plus a calendar and a card! How incredibly sweet she is. I am so lucky she is my “upline” and my friend. I can not emphasize how much improved my life is since I started on Shaklee. Some other day I will tell you that story.

Let me end with this small piece of advice, happiness is a miraculous thing and should be treasured and cherished at all costs.

Finally, a "real" Fall day!

Yesterday, the wind was blowing but it was quite comfortable with temps in the 60's. But here in Colorado, when the sun is out-it's always much warmer. So we loaded that wood in Bill's truck in t-shirts and jeans and were very comfortable. Of course, as soon as the sun heads over Pikes Peak, it's a different story. By 1630 or 4:30pm for you non-medical/non-military types, there is a distinct nip in the air. But despite a day of snow in early October, it has been very "Indian Summer" like.

Today, a 180 degree change. High altitude, solid clouds made it a little overcast. Temps only got to the low 40's and the wind didn't stop. Perfect Fall Day. Did some baking while Bill watched football and searched the internet for peripherals and accessories for my iPAQ. Just another "normal" day. I feel so content. I desperately needed a weekend like this. I knew I did but what can you do. I finally feel rested and re-energized. I guess I really miss him more than I realized since I started this new job. I have solid plans to talk with my boss tomorrow. He's on orientation this week. Day shift. Another week like real people. Yeah!

Next Saturday we have tickets to see a play directed by one of the physical therapists where I work. It's at the Fine Arts Center so it should be a semi-professional production. I am so excited. I used to have seasons tickets at The Hartford Stage Company, when I lived in Connecticut, and their productions are professional and wonderful. I have seen quite a few actors that if I mentioned their name you wouldn't recognize them but if you saw their faces...you would say, "oh yeah, she was so and so in the movie about the high school kids who take that advanced math..." etc. One of just 2 or 3 things I miss about the east.

My mom just sent us apples from an orchard in Northampton, Massachusetts. My step father, Sandy, used to send me apples (and later both Bill and I) for Christmas. I just adore MacIntosh apples. My mother truly spoiled me and I cannot abide any other apple save a Granny Smith. We haven't gotten apples since he passed away and the other day, I asked my mom if she would go to the orchard for apples and she started laughing, saying that was precisely what she had planned for the day.

Cool weather, fresh, crisp aromatic Mac's, and time with my husband. Who could ask for anything more?

A "Normal" day

"Normally", today being a Saturday, Bill would be sleeping. Regardless if he has to work that night, he is non-functioning without a good 6 hour sleep. So when I was seeing patients, I scheduled to work every Saturday. They were always shorthanded anyway and then I had Sunday and Monday off. Well, last year this month, I stopped working Saturday's, but increased the number of patients I saw daily to maintain the same income. By this time, I am much better organized and can do my job and do it very well. Life is good. My bosses are....lacking in most management techniques, but I avoid them by only going in to the office when it's mandatory, say once or twice a month. Usually I drop paperwork off at a courier station or go in when everyone else is gone for the day. I am working my Shaklee business and it's starting to grow. I mean I actually have a steady monthly income from my efforts and people look and feel better! All because I shared Shaklee with them. Again, life is good. Still with bills and stuff, but all in all, I wake up happy to start the day.

I have always wanted to get into staff development/nursing education because I like to teach or rather share what I know and I'm pretty good at. At least that's what my preceptee's have shared and my patients as well. I knew if I wanted to be hospital based or academically based, I would need an advanced degree. I can't tell you how much I hate theory. Precisley what my masters would almost fully entail. So...I am happy where I am but I tell my bosses repeatedly that our company would benefit from a staff development/education person. We have no "official" patient education sheets to give to patients and are not allowed to utilize the internet. We only have classes on how to do the paperwork better (Oasis for those in the know). They say they hire education staff at the corporate level, but we never see them in the branch level. Not to mention that the orientation process is sad, sad, sad.So I plod along, quite happy.Then, out of the blue, an acquaintance emails me an opportunity at a competing home health agency. Wow. I hadn't thought of leaving. I had planned on staying at Centura until I retired. Decided it was time to put some roots down and despite the management issue, I was quite happy as I have mentioned repeatedly. But, the job was just what I wanted to do. Staff Development Coordinator in home care. Hmmm.“Well”, I think to myself, “I will go on the interview. It's always good to interview. Good practice.” I had no intention of taking the job. Even if they paid me lots more. I mean, I am really happy right where I am. Life is fabulous.I must tell you that I did have a momentary panic. This irrational fear of the unknown when I considered the possibility of changing employers. So deep and profound was this gut reaction that it also shocked me. At the tender age of 42, was I afraid to try something new? The job I knew I could do, but it was learning a new company that terrified me.

Harrumph. I will not let a little thing like changing employers scare me! So I bravely march off to interview with this homecare agency. I met with the Director of Clinical Services and the Agency Administrator. We talked for about an hour and a half. We finished each others sentences, laughed at the same things, commented that "that's exactly what I was thinking" etc. I had no nervousness because "I wasn't going to work there". Had a ball. Interview over, left her office and before I got to the top of the stairs some 20 or so feet from her door, I said to myself, "if they offer me a job, I just might have to come work here!"The Agency Administrator, is awesome. A few years younger than me, but sharp as a whip and hard working. She's done every office and administrative job, as well as all management positions. I mean she's a nurse, so she's never seen patients as a therapist would and I believe that is the only job she's never done. Knows this company inside and out. Very committed. High standards. Well, they did offer me a position, obviously, with a mighty hefty salary and I happily left Centura. Too bad, so sad, their loss!I knew what this job would "cost" me. I discussed it with my husband and my mother and business partner Patty. It would mean less time with my husband as now I am working 8-5, M-F. Lots of energy learning- new processes, my job, new people and relationships. I really wasn't looking forward to intraoffice relationships. I am pretty blind to subtle nuances and hidden agenda's. I take people at their word. Share what I know easily and often, which unknowingly gives some people fodder. I would lose time spent on my business. I would not be anywhere as independent as I had been. Now I would have my boss just feet away from me all day. I wouldn't get the feedback from taking care of patients. I wouldn't have the flexibility to do what I wanted every day. I wouldn't be making a difference in people’s lives. These things were and still are very important to me. You see why I was so happy!But the challenge of creating from the ground up, a staff development program, now that was an intoxicating proposition. I had and still have, so many ideas. I just don't have enough hours in the day or days in the week to create and implement all my ideas.

Unfortunately, the "costs" eventually did come to fruition. Was that because I anticipated them and therefore gave "life" to them? Or, was it because I understood not only myself but the dynamics of office life. In any event, I have managed to step in "it" many times already and have completely lost patience with the whole social dynamic/political process of the 9-5 grind. Too much energy wasted on people who could care less if I dropped dead tomorrow but I have to bow and curtsey so's not offend.I have begun the process of trying to find a solution that will work for the company and provide me with some of the things I need to be happy. I hate to go to my boss who is truly an awesome woman and say, hey I need this and that, which is not what we agreed to, to be happy.You know, once you've experienced happiness and purposefulness, it's addictive. I want it back. So, I am going to go to my boss and say....this is what I need. How can we make this work?I miss my husband. I miss myself. I enjoy most of what I do at this job, I just don't/can't tolerate the minutiae. The sticky, entangling, almost invisible threads of political correctness and behavior that get stuck to your shoe or sleeve and when you think you've gotten through it safely you find all those hidden and almost invisible threads hanging just out of sight pulling you down to waste your time and energy.

So, who knows. I can accept the consequences. Looking for another job would of course be an outcome I am not wishing for but for which I am prepared. It would be the other fallout for which I can't prepare, the oh, so subtle change in opinion about my work ethic or abilities, based on my requests. Those things I can't identify much less measure. But I trust my boss. We've had several conversations where I have made it plain that if I have forgotten something or done something wrong, I will endeavor to correct it as soon as I know about it. I know that she will let me know immediately when I have stepped in "it" or am about to step in "it" again.The moral of this diatribe is.......growth is painful.
But the point of all this rambling is that Bill has been off all week and has caught up on his sleep and recreation. So, we had a Friday night off together. A Saturday where he didn’t have to sleep! We went and helped a coworker by loading up a downed tree from her yard. Hey, firewood for us next year! So, it feels like we are “normal”. Twenty some odd years in nursing and I actually have a nursing job that is “normal”. Normal hours, holiday’s off, no call. Wow! Wish it could last. Just one more week while he’s in orientation before he goes back to working nights. I know what you are going to say. Why doesn’t he just switch to days….lots less money. Significantly less money. So, nope, it’s night shift for awhile. Maybe once we are caught up on bills but you know how that will go.
So here is a quote to end this discourse.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates

Long Day

Hmmm. Long day today. Lots of new thoughts and ideas floating and coalescing in my brain. Not enough to write about. However I will say this. If nothing else, movies at least give you something to talk about in a group or social situation. Unfortunately, the group I was with tonight was enamored with "Napoleon Dynamite". I think it's a lot like "Monty Python's The Holy Grail" in that when you watch it, it's really not all that funny and in the case of ND, it's down right painful to watch. But when you are standing around with friends and someone is really good at imitating one or some of the characters...it becomes quite funny. What that says about me or the people I was interacting with I surely don't know. So, I will sign off with, "Bring me my chapstick"! See, not that funny....

Bill on the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland

Okay, so I had some extra time tonight and I really should be preparing for my presentation tomorrow. The PP is done, I just need to review my notes and refresh my memory. But I thought I'd put up a picture I had taken for my Shaklee website. Taken this summer when I had a good tan. Nope, not a real one. With freckles and fair skin I can't afford to baste in the sun.
It took me forever to get to this point. I finally resorted to the help files and even then I still didn't get that you had to go to "post" before you could edit anything. Ah well.
We just got back from a movie. "The Weatherman" Very different. Not quite sure what to make of it. Gonna have to mull that one over a bit. Well, I am off to see what other things I can do with this before I hit the hay. Going to be another long day at work tomorrow. Early to the office to carpool to Pueblo for a seminar and during the lunch break I have to present the Cardiac Recovery Program and Pathway to the Pueblo Branch staff and then go back to the seminar and when that's over it's a working dinner in Pueblo. Pheww. I am already tired just thinking about it.

Tadaaa!

Well, Here is my first post. I really only wanted to post a comment on a friends blog but somehow ended up with my own. If I can post pictures to it, my family, my husbands family, plus our enormous array of friends scattered across the world, will love it. As it is right now, I am late for work and have a presentation due by 5. Bill's off this week while he changes jobs, Atmel to Intel. So, no quiet time tonight, because he isn't going in to work. Therefore, it may be several days before I get this set up and figured out. Probably, no one except strangers who stumble across this will read it anyway. And...if you are a stranger who has stumbled across this...don't be trying to sell me something. If I want what your selling, I will find you, trust me.