A Little Bit Stronger

Today was a tough day. Those close to me know why. I don't really feel like talking about it here because this is a place for happiness and joyous moments. I feel like I'm in a good place right now and that's what I'm going to focus on. Taking care of myself is a top priority. I haven't lost my positive outlook and intend to keep finding the good in all situations. Life goes on and you learn to live in the moment and cherish those around you.

Finally Home

Tonight I was finally reunited with my home unit, and boy oh boy did it feel good to be home. Not only was I back home, but I even got to see some of my awesome friends and coworkers. And let me tell you, they were totally awesome. I've been feeling down lately, and my wonderful friends were so amazing and supportive tonight. Just what I needed!! I'm so thankful they are in my life. I am a lucky girl! Again, I'm pretty tired from a busy shift so it's time for me to try and get some sleep. Since going on strike, I have not gotten a good nights rest. My nerves are still kind of running hot and will take time to settle down a bit. Perhaps a benadryl or 2 will help me get some rest!

Home Sweet Home.... Sort Of.

It feels good to be back home at work! Well, almost home. I was back at work, but wasn't on my home unit. Actually, it was kind of a nice change of pace. I was even asked to dance by a patient. First time anyone has ever danced with me! It was actually kind of sweet! Made my night a little sweeter. Added to the lovely lady I chatted with this morning. Both of them have no idea just how much those small moments meant to me and just how much they were needed. I wish I had the energy to write more tonight, but I took some benadryl to soothe some insect bites that have gotten quite out of control. On one of my thighs it looks as though someone punched me super hard. The swelling has gone down a bit but now it is bruising. Ok, enough about my ailments. That's not what this blog is about! It's all about finding those small moments in the day that you don't know you need until they happen. 

Family Day

Today was spent with my mom and my aunt. We sat around talking, laughing, and eating delicious cake. They really enjoyed my new recipe and added it to the "make again" list. We also spent some time looking at old pictures of my grand parents and my great grandparents. I marveled at how much genes get passed along. My aunt looks exactly like my great grandmother, and there were a few pictures where my mom looked exactly like her mom. I was able to see a few pictures of my mom when she was a baby and a little girl. The strange part was that when I was that age, I looked just like her. Imagine that. Then my mom pulled out my grandparent's wedding album. My grandma looked so beautiful and happy. My grandpa looked so handsome. Their love for each other was evident in the pictures and it made me hope that one day my wedding pictures will capture a love like theirs. The genuine smiles. The stolen glances caught on film. The loving gazes shared between them. I can't wait for that. They were such a beautiful couple and shared such a beautiful life together. I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, but my mom talks about her all the time. It makes me feel like I sort of knew her. This afternoon was a fun time to hear my aunt and my mom share stories about my grandparents. My mom said that up until my grandma passed away, my grandpa would always grab my grandma's hand while they were out. I think that is so sweet to see older couples show affection like that. Seeing that love can last through the years makes my heart happy. And to know my grandparent's had a strong love like that made me hopeful for my future. I want a love like theirs. 

Fun Saturday

Spent the day with some awesome people and celebrated a cute little guy's birthday. Then came home to get out of the heat, spent time on the couch, and then later this evening I decided to try out a new recipe and bake a cake! Looks pretty tasty so far! Can't wait to have my testers give it a try!!

Burnt to a Crisp

Today was a relaxing day in the sun and some fun at the pool was had with an awesome friend. I am totally burnt to a crisp despite my futile efforts of applying sun screen. Guess my new red skin tone sports my fellow nurses more than I'd like to admit. This pasty girl should be more careful in the sun. That bastard keeps trying to kill me. My night was spent at a fun grad party and I even made a new friend! We had tons in common and enjoyed getting to know each other while our boyfriends went off and played. The sun sure has drained my energy and I am looking forward to a deep sleep!

Picketing Day

Another day of picketing with some pretty amazing people. The bonding that has happened this week is incredible and only makes us stronger. I'm looking forward to the next few days and spending it with some great friends. 

Hump Day

Tonight will be a short post. It was a relaxing day and I did a lot of cooking. For dinner I made apple bourbon pulled pork and corn on the cob. Earlier in the day I made some chicken salad. Later this week I will be trying out a new recipe for chocolate cake. It looks delicious and I can't wait to try it. Might need a few taste testers!

Blah

I have had a rough day. My view has mostly been of the bathroom, but I won't elaborate on that. I'm exhausted and probably a little dehydrated. Looking forward to some sleep. Hopefully, it will be uninterrupted sleep. 

Strike Day Two

Day two of the strike and thankfully the heat had died down a bit! Another exhausting day, but all for a good cause!! I'm pretty pooped after 4 hours of walking and don't know how people do it for more than that!! You guys ate rock stars!!

First Day of the Strike

Today was an emotional day. The strike started at 7am this morning and I was there to support the nurses that had worked over night and were escorted out. It was very powerful. I'm sure the nurses could feel the love as they came toward the waiting crowd of cheers. With no sleep last night, I was quite tired, but knew I had to be there. Luckily for me, the heat got to me and I had to head home before passing out. The last thing I wanted was to be the first one to pass out and I sure as hell didn't want to be taken into the hospital with all those scabs. Rest assured that I will get a good night's sleep tonight and will be at it again tomorrow! #nursesneedcare2

Eve of Strike

As the night turns into the morning, my nerves are ramping up. I know I need to get some rest, but my mind is racing and the thoughts just won't leave me alone. Tomorrow is a big day for us nurses and it is our time to finally stand up for what we deserve, as well as what our patient's deserve. 

Low Need

Today was my turn for a low need. I spent it cleaning, playing with Easter,  took her for a long walk, met our new neighbor and her dog, and then spent the evening with some amazing friends. Lots of laughing. So much so, that my lungs feel like they are on fire! It was definitely a stress free night that was much needed. I haven't been sleeping well which only prolongs this damn cold. My frazzled nerves also reak havoc on my intestinal issues...which means frequent stops to the restroom. Fun times. I'm hoping my nerves settle a bit since I'll be spending more time with my amazing friends. We gotta keep each other laughing through this hard time. 

Broken Record

I know I sound like a broken record, but I really do work with some awesome people!! When I see I'm working with some certain people,  I know a few laughs will be had. Tonight was one of those nights. I really love my awesome friends!! 

Day off

I almost took a day off from writing because I'm still feeling crappy. Even with low energy, I still pushed myself to work out, get groceries, and do a little fun shopping. I love going to pet stores and buying stuff for my fur babies. Easter got a new blinged out collar, and Elvis got a new toy! Can't wait until he sees it. He loves getting new toys! Even if it's a paper bag. Work is becoming more and more difficult as the strike nears. Tensions are high and my nerves are shot. I'm just so thankful I have a wonderful work family who will support one another through this difficult time. 

Smiles

The message of the day today is that a smile can go a long way. It's the simple action but oh, how it can make a difference. Just be very careful though because I once got in trouble for smiling too much!! True story!! Tonight on my way home from work, I was gonna stop and pick up groceries but decided not to. I stopped to get gas and went inside to get a gatorade. After my purchase, I said thank you and smiled to the lady behind the counter. As I left, I turned to her and said "have a good night". Her face brightened, she smiled and said thank you very much. I could tell she didn't hear it very often and I hope I made her night a little better!

Not Sure

I can't believe I almost forgot to wrote a post tonight. Must be this crummy sickness that just won't go away. Today the body aches set in. But the good news is that work went by fast tonight and I got to work with some great people! Hopefully I will start feeling better in the next few days so that my posts are slightly more in depth. 

Missed a Day

I'm upset at myself!! How could I completely forget to do a blog post? Must have been because I had such a fun and busy day!! Yesterday, we spent the day at the aquarium, zoo, driving along the shore, shopping in Two Harbors, and walking in a park along the lake. It was a lovely day and I even got to see an otter AND a kangaroo!! A wonderful day!! Today wasn't quite as busy since it was back to reality, but it sure was nice to finally get home! There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed!! Speaking off going to bed, I am absolutely wiped out and ready to call it a night!!

Relaxation

I'm in Duluth at a beautiful bed and breakfast. I was just settling in to bed after a busy day, and realized just before closing my eyes that I had a blog post to do. Well, Duluth is beautiful as always, not too hot up here, and this bed is pretty comfy. Good night!!

Sicker

Woke up feeling even worse than yesterday and even had a temp. Lovely day. I decided to head tiny mom's because no one takes care of you when you are sick quite like your mom. Wait a second. Mine usually just tells me to suck it up. Well, she was kind enough to let me crash on her couch for the day and even finished the laundry that I started. I'm a lucky girl to have such an awesome mom!

Hump Day

Sick day. Didn't stray too far from the couch today. Easter got all of her walks in though! I attempted to make some soup but it had other plans and landed on my floor. Sums up my day pretty well. I'm still alive and I lived to see another day so I am the lucky one. 

Average Tuesday

Today was a low key day compared to yesterday. I probably should have gone grocery shopping, but really didn't feel like adulting all that much today. I went to a movie with a friend and it was great! We saw Money Monster, which is the one with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. It started off slow, but once it got going, it held my interest and was really good! I came home thinking that I would finally make it to the grocery store after working out. Well, the most important thing is that I got my work out in! And so what if I don't have food... less temptations around right? I had a lot of time to think about things today, and that's not always a good thing in my case. I'm gonna go to bed knowing that I did the best I could today and that's what truly matters. 

The Fight is On!

Today was voting day for all the nurses in the Allina hospitals. We had a great turn out and stood together in solidarity. Tonight, the results were tallied. I was anxious to hear the outcome of the votes for all the hospitals. When the results were posted, I was relieved to see that all 4 hospitals came together and voted for the strike! We are all united and are ALL standing together to show this money hungry corporation that we will NOT settle for less than what we deserve. Some people have brought up the question "Why should nurses have great health care over the rest of us?". The answer is- we don't. In all honesty, EVERYONE should be as lucky as we are to have the option to have great insurance. But if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, here's the truth: we risk our own health to help you while you are ill. If you follow the news, you know that two nurses recently contracted TB. We are exposed to TB, Ebola, Hepatitis, HIV, and many many more contagious diseases. Not only are we at risk for diseases, we are also at a higher risk for work place violence. Again, I'm sure if you follow the news, you may recall a story in which a man severely injured several nurses when he took apart an IV stand and began to ruthlessly beat the nurses that were in his path. How does that compare to someone who sits at a desk all day? Sure there are other dangers, like carpel tunnel, but not immediate. In an ideal world, the person sitting behind that desk and nurses would have the same good insurance. In essence, what we are fighting for isn't just for us, we are fighting so that perhaps one day, you can sleep easier knowing your family is protected with health insurance that fully covers your needs. Nurses spend our days caring for everyone else. Today is the day we ask for you to care for us! 

Productive Day

Being on call today gave me the much needed extra time to finish cleaning and get everything on my list done. My dishes have been washed and put away. The kitchen floor has been swept, vacuumed, and mopped. The living room has been picked up and vacuumed. It's a lovely feeling to have everything neat and tidy. I'm hoping it stays this way! Today, I'm thankful for the motivation that I had to get everything accomplished. I will also admit that I did allow myself to break down for a bit and have a good cry. After I was done, I picked myself up and moved on. Nothing will be accomplished if you stay down in your own pity party. No one but yourself is gonna pull yourself out, so why make it cozy down there all by yourself? It's something I still struggle with, but I'm getting better about letting things go. I allow myself a minute to do what I need to do- which is usually cry for a bit- but then, instead of staying in that mopey place, I stand up and move on. I'm not perfect at it yet, but I'm getting there. 

The Golden Rule

So I have been feeling pretty down the last couple of days, and have found it difficult to stay positive. I found myself in an emotional slump and I didn't want to slide further down that slope so I tried to pick myself up by getting my mind off of things. I did this by working out. Which, yes, it is a new habit I'm making myself get into. Once the endorphins were flowing, I had a realization. I'm gonna start treating people the way they treat me. The people that are amazing have nothing to worry about. It's the people who treat me like shit and act as though I only exist when it's convenient have something to worry about! Perhaps people need to evaluate their own actions as to why a person feels a certain way around them. Oh, your friend is sad? Maybe you should ask them about it. Hmmm. What a concept. I appreciate the people that genuinely care about me and know that I truly care for you and my love will be given back 10 fold to the people who SHOW me they are truly there for me. I have a lot of love to give to the right people. I know I'm not the easiest person to love, but when I love you- I fall hard and will fight for every last friendship/relationship I'm in. If you don't feel the same, you know where the door is. Eliminating negativity is all about what this whole process is about!

The Struggle is Real

I really don't feel like writing tonight. Not because it was a crappy day or anything, but because I just got done putting new sheets on my bed. We all know that's a work out in it's self. So, positive of the day- I don't need to sleep on ripped sheets anymore! My new ones are here and are super cute. And that makes me very happy! Yay! Time for bed now in my fancy new sheets!

Great Day

I had a great day off!! I had lunch with such an amazing group of friends a girl could possibly ask for. We spent the afternoon, laughing, saying inappropriate things, and passing babies back and forth across the table like they were hot potatoes. I haven't laughed like that in a long while. I don't want to sound like a broken record going on and on about how funny and awesome my friends are, but I really am so lucky. I finally feel like I can be my complete self, no matter how awkward or inappropriate I might be. Some of them even think I'm a little bit funny, which is always a plus! With all the talk about an impending strike, I think we all needed an afternoon like this. We were able to just enjoy each others company and laugh about things. It was a way for us all to de-stress and relax for a minute before having to get back to financial planning and work topics. 

After I got home, I was in a cleaning mood. Now, normally I only clean when I get angry, but this time I wasn't. Well, not TOO angry at least! I deep cleaned my bathroom with a freaking tooth brush and it is now sparkling and beautiful. I even started on my living room and kitchen. Work still needs to be done, but it WILL get done because I'm in the zone and I am all about being productive lately!! 

Fun Weirdos

I'm so thankful to have so many inappropriate weirdos in my life. They keep me laughing and teach me how to get through life without committing murder. I'm such a lucky person to have found people who share my inappropriate humor and laugh at my terrible jokes! They make me think I'm actually funny.