Cady's first vet appointment

Well today was D-day for Cady...a visit to the vet! She got her 2 year old shots... as well as a very thorough physical exam and was tested for heartworm and intestinal worms, and passed with fly colors! She has some traces of fleas on her coat (but couldn't find any actual ones), but that doesn't surprise me since we have been treating her. They did poop, blood and ear wax cultures. And the only problem is she has 2+ yeast and 1+ bacterial infection in her ear. So now we are on antibiotics for 2 weeks. They say that this is why she has been throwing up randomly. She also came in to weigh at 89.2 lbs. They say this is slightly under the overweight side, and to increase her activity...all I can say is that she is very active, so how much more do you want her to be! So today as we were coming home in the snow (yes it's snowing again) I couldn't get my car into the driveway or garage, so as I was shoveling she was running around the field next door and having a blast in the snow. But anyways my puppy is doing well and she is growing like a good girl!

Puppy First's

Cady went to St Louis airport yesterday to help me get Geanya. She just loves to ride in the car, and therefore she got a surprise by meeting the big white and odd black shapes Manyard and of course Debbie. And of course Debbie couldn't resist so she gave in and gave Cady her first milkbones!

Cady has her first puppy play date today. Her and Sady seemed to have a blast. She wasn' intimidated at all by the blue hound, but remembered to have manners and respect Sady's home. She even did very well with the 18 month old...this makes it good news for me as tomorrow she will go on her first sleepover to Sady's for 3 nights, but shh don't tell her that. It's a puuppy Christmas surprise!

Early Christmas Week

Well Christmas week is upon us. To kick it off Caitlin and I threw a Christmas party. It was a total success with a good size of people showing up. However we got lots with tons of leftovers, so it's all I will be eating this week. Yesterday Steve and I went to North Park to see the Children's Musical "Christmas in Reverse". It was very cute. It is sad since this is the last two weeks of Pastor Howard and Sharon at the church, and lots of tears are being shed as we see a great servant of God step down after over ten years of serving in Moberly, and retiring due to severe pulmonary problems. Anyways Caitlin went home for 2 weeks, so now its just me and Cady left to celebrate Christmas. We shall see what the rest of the week has to bear, especially as the archeological world just announced today the discovery of Nazareth from the era of Jesus!

Congrats Kaytee!

my bestie graduated from RN school today. i am so incredibly proud of her and all of the accomplishments she has made. to think a few years back it seemed that one mistake changed her life overnight, and she could have went either way, to confront her mistake and move forward, or to not and live life miserably. but she chose to confront it and show the world she can do it. fast forward a few years, and look now, she has a beautiful daughter, and she just went from LPN to a GN. a graduate nurse. now all she needs is to do the official thing and get her license as an RN. all that stands before her is one test, that's it. she so can do it. and i cam rooting for her every step of her journey. to all that said she wouldn't make anything of her self...well what now? she is a very big influence on my life, and i am one incredibly proud friend.

rewards

it is such a nice feeling to come home to Cady. she is so excited to see you. it makes you feel so loved, like you are the most important person in her life. it's warming to the soul. i now know why they say a dog is a man's best friend.

anyways on a side note, i won $20 for working last friday. it was the DOC Christmas party. and they had door prizes, and for everyone who was working that couldn't attend got their names placed in the bucket. so i won told tonight that i won $20 from that...oh and tonight was CMS Christmas party...and our Christmas bonus this year...yep you guess right, a $25 gift card to Walmart. just like every year. we are so privileged....haha

p.s. i found out tonight at work that i won a bucket of holiday popcorn....

Winterizing Shoes

Well Winter officially hit with snow. We got about less then an inch, but it was white stuff on the ground regardless. And it is bitterly cold outside, with high winds and very low single digit numbers. Now that winter is here I need to winterize my apparel, and not just by dragging out my winter coat, gloves and scarves. But shoes. I can not stand tennis shoes. I find them very uncomfortable. I spend 9 hours at work on my feet, barely get time to sit down, except to chart, so I need comfy shoes and my solution in good weather is crocks (and the cheaper the better!). The bad thing about crocks is that there is absolutely no traction on them, and wholes, so they are very slippery on the concrete floors. So I broke down and spent the little money that I have on a pair tennis shoes. I found a pair of Dr Scholls at Walmart that have an air-pillo gel in the heel. Literally the heel is made out of gel, that you can see. It was comfy walking down the isle at Walmart. I work the next 7 days in a row, so we shall see if these work...more to come...

Living Windows....Small Town Life

I love living in a small town and the way the community does things. Tonight I was lucky enough to have the night off. So Julia and I took the kiddos to downtown where they were alive with the annual Living Windows. It's like window shopping on drugs. Every store front window had live Christmas scenes. There was Christmas carols, free baked goods, hot chocolate, and kettle corn...along with Santa and a horse drawn carriage. It was a tad bit nipply out but it was a fabulous time to reflect and remind me how much I love living in a small town where you know everyone...oh and I saw my first snow flurries tonight!!!

Se La Vie!

so my fellow evening co-workers were ticked off for me since they all got either Christmas or Christmas Eve off...and i was the only full time person that didn't, which stinks since i worked last year and now again this, and my family is coming to Chicago...let's just say life sucks when you grow up and get a job and become responsible. as the Haitian's say "se la vie". well so anyways my co-workers asked around to all the PRN people and one RN said she would do it since her holiday vacation plans fell through. so without me knowing they went to my boss and told them that she would work for me. and they said no! they said that she is a PRN person, which gets more money then a full-timer since full-timers are guaranteed 40 hours of work a week and benefits. so anyways they dont want to pay her the PRN wage plus time and a half for the holiday. it was so discouraging. then my boss started looking at my schedule and told me she was going to pull my other PTO day which i requested off for Kaytee's RN school graduation - she did this without my permission. so instead of having off just the Saturday and Sunday after Christmas, i now also have the Monday off...3 days which is nice for a quick trip to Chicago to see my family. sure i may not get to spend Christmas Day with them, but at least I get to see them...Se La Vie!

one holiday down and two more to go

With Thanksgiving being officially over, its now on to the Christmas season. Christmas decorations are slowly being put up around town, and even slower in our house and schedules conflict. Christmas songs on the radio...but of course not in church today. The entire service I sat their baffled that not a single Christmas song was played...yet 2 weeks before Thanksgiving that is all we sang about.

Thanksgiving was a hoot. Caitlin and I got to take Cady up to Peoria to my relatives. She had a blast with all the company and turkey she was allowed to eat, and only went to the bathroom once in the house when we were gone. It was a nice time of relaxation, shopping, food, and seeing the Blind Side. And of course Caitlin getting ottitis media along with a nasty cold. But over all it was good, but its always nicer to be back home in your own bed.

On a sadder note I got my December schedule for work. I asked off for Christmas, and instead of giving it to me, they gave me the Saturday/Sunday afterwords off. Oh well. Life sucks as your grow up and choose the medical field as a career choice. It seems like its one of the fields that is constantly up and running 24/7 365 days a year. So my Christmas agenda will be me and Cady just chilling at home to hot chocolate, Christmas movies, and enjoying the snow before going into the wonderful world known as a prison.

Annoyances

Several things annoy me in life...
- smaking gum
- hearing people chew food
- dirty dishes
- repeated laziness
- leaving the empty toilet paper roll on the rack and sitting a new one on top of the old one
- abrasiveness
- using people
- wasting
- the horn of the train
- manipulation

Hmm I am sure I can go on and on but I think I made my point.

Finally Gave In

Well I finally gave in and registered for classes. All I need for then LPN to RN bridge program is 3 math classes (fund of algebra, intermediate algebra, and college algebra) and the 3 credit hour Human Lifespan. I took Human Lifespan 1 credit hour in LPN school but the RN program requires the 3 credit hour one. Many people have said they are exactly the same, just more time to be boring, in which I also heard that fund and intermediate of algebra is very boring and doesnt get intense until you get to the college algebra one. The register lady asked me why I took so long to come back and finish. So I only have classes on M-W-F from 10:00-10:55 then 12:00-12:55...I still get to sleep in and only have 2 hours 2 times a week...a breeze!

LPN vs RN

I hate people that think that because they have one more year of nursing education than me that they think they know more. Come on, seriously? There is not that much difference then an LPN and RN. I know the protocols better then an orientation girl does. Even though she just graduated from RN school, that doesnt mean squat at work. You may have the title, but no experience in the correctional world of nursing. LPN's and RN's do the exact same job at the prison, there is no difference except pay. This is the second RN in a month time that a new employee has used their title and pissed off all the LPN's. Seriously why ask me, or any other LPN's for that matter, to help with emergencies and protocols when you make yourself look like a full by putting us down verbally and nonverbally in front of custody and the patient. Come on, grow up, admit you may not know more then us in all fields, and work together.

Never Give Up

I stumbled across this today and loved the story, and thought you would too.

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. they all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then,to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Accomplished

Today was an accomplished day, one of the most accomplished days I have had in a long time on an actual day off. Usually my days off is spent just relaxing around the house. Today however was D-Day. 4 hours to rake the yard. A few more hours spring cleaning the house. All but our individual bedrooms are sparkling clean (swept, mopped, dusted, ya know the whole 9 yards). We even went over to Steve's house where he made up this fabulous ham and potato soup in a bread bowl. Let me tell you I use to get really sick when eating ham, and I was kinda iffy on whether to try it, but oh my it was incredible. And I even got a pumpkin pie baked to take over...although we got locked out of the house when it was in the oven, we were able to break in with less then a minute to spear before the pie was scheduled to come out of the oven! It was a very good day, with alot of sweat and pain...but that means a good nights sleep!

A New Goal

First off, let me say that Cady went to her first doggie park today. She has a blast and it was a fabulous fall day for a little walk in the park....

So week upon week I watch biggest looser, one of my favorite shows besides Grey's Anatomy. I love watching the transformation of people's lives. I am very much a people watcher, even as work I find myself looking at inmates wondering what their story was. Often I find Caitlin and me talking about the challenges on the biggest looser and how we could never do that kind of stuff. Late last night as I was talking to God I realized the problem is that I said "I cant"..."there's no way"...etc... I have no clue who reads this blog, and I am ashamed to say how much I weigh, so I wont, but I will say that I made a goal to loose 33 lbs by Christmas Day. That is a little less then 2 months away.

Therefore I call upon my twin to start going on walks with me (and of course Cady). Also I am gonna follow my brother's footsteps and cut out soda. I tend to drink 2 cans at work...but I wont by any more. Instead I will go to my friend, Red Diamond UnSweet Tea, that has a wonderful taste and no calories, for work. As for home, I will just go back to making my own tea and water. Caitlin likes to drink soda at home, but the stuff at home doesnt tempt me at all cuz its out of sight for the most part. I also will try to cut out most sweets. Not all due to the holidays upon us, but especially the snack foods and what not. Oh and of course the yummy slim fast drinks, but I already drink those!

So this is my goal...33 lbs by Christmas.

New Season

As I entered this new phase of my life I was so excited to return to Moberly and hopefully get back involved in a church. I no longer can say that I am in town for school, no this is the place I have chosen to set my roots in for the next season of my life. I am in Moberly with a house, dog, friends, and of course a job that most of the time I love. Do I want to be here forever, umm yah probably not. But for the time being I like the small town way of life, and the way my life is going. I am content for the most part. I would love to get married and have a family, it seems like the majority of my friends are doing so, but that isnt in His plans for me right now, and I am okay with that.

On Friday I went and saw Kaytee and Carigan. I got to meet 2 wonderful Chrisitan couples that Kaytee has become a part of, like a mini family. One where there get together and rely on eachother for help raising their children and growth in their faith. It made me think of the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".

I began to realize a few weeks ago that I am not content with church. I have been going to North Park, and when I was in school I was teaching Sunday School. That was the one thing that kept me going there. However now that I have come back it seems like I am just another lonely person in the crowd. I attempt to drag myself out of bed on Sunday mornings, sometimes I don't win, but today I did thanks to Cady wanting to go outside and the lovely day light savings. I love Pastor Howard, but he is sadly retiring due to health. As I sat in the crowd today I found myself looking around and realizing they are all older people. Not one person my age was in the crowd. And this saddens me. Because I need a church where I can belong. A Church where I can meet people and feel connected, in a family way. Does this make sense? As North Park is changing I wonder if it is time for me to start looking for a new church family...

Med Room Relief

Well tonight I got told I am the new med room relief person. Ehh...grr...this was my first thought. When working the med room we have 2 main med passes, one at 3:30-4:30 and the bigger one from 6:45 to 9:00pm. Our goal is to always be done passing the meds by 4:30 and 9:00 and ultimately the 11:15pm time to clock out. Of course life doesn't go our way. Life would be just grand if all we had to do was pass psych and HIV meds. But nooo....we also have to sign out every single psych med, issue regular meds, identify single pills found in inmates cells, manage the narcotics and syringes, etc...The biggest challenge is keeping track of all of the narcs, syringe and every pill you give to an inmate has to be documented not only on the MAR's but also on the sign out sheets. It can be very stressful and time consuming. And during the 2 med passes the inmates are of course standing in line rushing you to hurry up so they can go back to their football game or recreation.

Before I left in May I was late leaving work at like 12:30-1am in the morning just because it is so much for a new job. I literally had anxiety the few rare times I was assigned this position. Now I leave and go back and as to date I have been in the med room 4 times and have surpassed the main med room nurse by being done between 9-10pm at night with everything. This is a major accomplish at my job. When I was told that because of how good I do in there that I am now the med room relief nurse when our main med room nurse has a day off, I am just like "umm wow". If you told me this 3 weeks ago I would have laughed in your face and walked away. Now I can say I have every field, from segregation, to infirmary, to charge, to float, and now the med room down. It's for sure a personal accomplishment.

Finally finished with STL

Well today I finally got word that I am finally done with the Sunbrook Apts in St Charles. They finally did the inspection and mailed back my deposit after going back and forth about whether they would or not since the lease was broken. I felt bad about breaking the lease...but I knew it was something that needed to be done. It didn't make much sense since it cost me $800 to do so...and then they still turn around and give me the refund back which was only $150 in the beginning. But I am able to save so much more money and get out of debt faster by being back in Moberly. Plus I love my house...and dog...and of course housemate. The house is old, with very cool built in hutches all over. And a nice fenced in yard for Cady to run around in. Life is finally back to normal. As the saying goes "Se La Vie!"

Se La Vie

I have wanted to start a blog for a while...a place to put my thoughts...who cares if someone else reads it...but recently I have had a lot of thoughts.

After graduating from high school I knew the one thing I wanted to do was be a missionary to Haiti. It seemed as if my life was leading that way. College came and went and I decided not to be just a missionary but to be a medical missionary. So I finally gave in and went to nursing school. God got me through every day. But I did it. Straight out of nursing school I became a correctional nurse. I had 2 degrees under my belt, a bachelors in religious studies with a major emphasis on missions and my LPN. I was going to bridge into an RN program...but ya know after spending lots of money on moving to the City, working on a alzheimer's and rehab unit I realized that city life wasn't for me...especially after the school was shut down by the MO State Board of Missions.

At this point I was in debt from Bible school, nursing school, and moving...and I just didn't know what to do. The only logical thing was to return to Moberly. I got my job back as a correctional nurse (in which I love my job)...there is something strange with working with 1800 male inmates. Most of the time it's the standard acute and chronically ill patients, psych meds, and men that are big babies when it comes to their health...but the other times its the emergencies. Seizures, fights, blood, heart attaches, shankings, and more fights. Cuts getting shoved up people's butts, ears getting bit off, rapes, and of course "falling" on the soap in the shower. Life is always exciting behing the bars...and I ironically love it.

So the other day I was driving back from KC and took the scenic route on 24 and enjoying the sight of fall. I began to think...what in the world am I doing? Was Gretchen right when she said that most people go to Bible college then tend to stick around MO and never get to the field? Really all I am doing is working ... and alot of my time I can see myself just growing old here...but is that what I really want. Yah not really. I want to go back on the mission field. And then I realized that I am still in the stinking prep work for doing so. I am working in a prison for a very decent pay so I can pay of that college debt. I can't go to the mission field till most if not all of that debt is paid off. So that is what I am doing, I am preparing for God's calling.