Tahoe

I was going to continue my posting marathon with 3 or 4 posts on adventures at Lake Tahoe, but I decided to spare you and just make it a one-post summary with picture collages. Which meant I had to wait until the week was over to get all the pictures.

We left for the airport on Thursday morning literally right after my shift... actually, before it was even over. I had a nurse come in to relieve me at 6:30 so I could get to the airport on time. And then, OF COURSE, I got an admit at 5:50, so I was still charting at 6:40. HA. But that's another story.

So, we get to Reno, Gary and Cynthia are there to pick us up. We had In N Out for my first time ever on the way back to Tahoe, and it was delicious. My first day consisted mostly of sleep. The next morning, we (meaning me, a brother- and sister-in-law, their baby, and another sister-in-law and her baby) went for a hike. Sister-in-law's husband was sick with swine flu, as was Brit (not really, but that's what I like to call their nameless sickness). The hike was a lot of fun. It was very hard at the beginning, as we were pretty much climbing a mountain and I'm not in the greatest shape. But then we started on the return loop, and it was a gentle downhill slope on a wide path where we could walk side by side, and it was all talking and having fun until we got to the bottom. Yay! The only sad thing was it made me realize how much I wish I had a dog we could bring with us.

The rest of the day again consisted of mostly napping for me. That night, we went to Sunnyside, a cute restaurant right on the water with fabulous food. Saturday morning, we went out on the boat to explore the coastline a little and see Emerald Bay, which was gorgeous. On the way back, we stopped at Sunnyside to gas up the boat and grab some appetizers to munch. I spent the rest of the day napping, feeling like I had some sort of heat sickness.

By Sunday, I was back to a normal sleeping schedule. Sunday could be called the Day of the Billion Family Pictures. We took family pictures in church clothes before church, at the beach, and on the dock. It was nice to have so many good pictures of everyone, but some people (*cough*jordan*cough*brit) were getting irritated by the end. Spoilsports. After church, we stopped by this cute craft fair, and me and Brit got an ADORABLE spinny wind chime type thing as an anniversary/housewarming gift. We had lunch at a DELICIOUS pizza place, went home for naps, and went to the beach a few hours later, where (like I said) we took a billion more impromtu family shots. The beach was fun, not because we played in the water (Lake Tahoe is FRIGGIN COLD) but because we all sat around talking and watching the kids play. I love my in-laws so much. Sitting around talking with them make up some of my favorite memories.

That night, a lot more of the extended family got in, and we had a big family dinner with lots of screaming kids. Monday morning, we made DELICIOUS pancakes (and by "we", I mean me and my cute nephew), went to the pool, packed up, and left for the airport in the early afternoon.

It was a lot of fun. I'm sad we had to leave early, but Brit had to get back to class, and I have to work tonight. It's been a long time since the whole family was at Tahoe together- since before we were married. I hope we can do it again, though! Next year, anyone?

I feel like so much crap

Let's see. How many things can go wrong with my body all at once...

My back is tense

My ankles are sore

My shins ache

I got a sunburn

I have a headache

I have a terrible canker sore on the inside of my lip

AND

i have the hiccups.

I want to die.

I definitely do NOT want to be going into work after about 40 minutes of napping.

beautiful things

I realized today on my way home from the hospital that there are few things more beautiful than the springtime mountains with the sun rising behind them. And then on my way back tonight, the sun was setting and shining through gaps in the clouds with rain visible in the distance. It takes my breath away.

Yeah it's a long commute, but i think it's totally worth it.

Why I need to learn how to be a CTB

Monday was memorial day. At the hospital, that means holiday pay, plus bonus PTO. BUT, since people work around the clock, they have to set up some limitations: It starts at midnight Monday, and ends at 11:55. So people working day shift win, and people working night shift mostly get screwed. But, that's mostly fair to everyone. Mostly.

I was scheduled for Sunday and Monday night, so yay me, I was all set up to get the whole 12 hours of holiday pay!

If only.

Sunday night, they were looking for someone to go home by 1 AM, because they were overstaffed. NOBODY wanted to go, obviously. They all wanted their holiday pay. Well, since I knew I would be back the next night, I volunteered. It didn't bother me *that* much, and I'd still be getting a half night of holiday pay, and it really wouldn't mess up my sleep schedule TOO badly, and I'd get to see my husband. So being the nice person I am, I went home so somebody else didn't have to.

So, Monday night, I'm sitting at my computer in my scrubs, just ready to get going to work... And Central Staffing calls and puts me on call, because they go by seniority for holidays (and monday night was considered the "official" holiday by our unit) and all the more seniored people than me (ie, everyone) wanted to work the front half. Well, duh, cos everyone is a greedy bitch at heart and wanted their holiday pay. "Oh, and you're only on call for the front half, you'll have to come in at 1." ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME?

Let me explain for a second. Not only does this mean I miss out COMPLETELY on ANY benefit of the holiday by merit of simply not being there. I don't even get call-back pay for coming in at 1. If they put you on call for the night, and then have to call back and say "Actually, we need you, please be here in an hour," you get time and a half for "call back pay." If they put you on call and say "but you'll be coming in at 1," you get NOTHING but SCREWED.

So basically, I missed out on an entire shift this week, without any recompense whatsoever. Not just any shift, a holiday shift. So not only am I screwed out of 12 hours of pay or 12 hours of PTO (which i'll NEED in july), I'm also screwed out of what should be a nice, fat holiday check.

And this is why it never pays to be a nice person.

(As a side note... I did manage to pick up an extra shift on friday night, which brings me up to a WHOLE REGULAR PAYCHECK oh glee. But, now it feels like I'm working 4 days this week, because even though I only worked half on Sunday and Monday, I still WORKED, and it still feels like WORKING Sunday and Monday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday.)

No Sleep For Me

It's 5 AM, and I haven't slept at all. This could be due to the 5 hour nap I took in the middle of the day, or maybe the large amounts of chocolate, sugar, and caffeine I have recently consumed. Either way, I'm not even tired, so you get to listen to me ramble, because Brit's asleep and I have nothing better to do.

I signed up for an extra shift tonight, but I got put on call. I expected it. They put about 3-4 nurses on call per night, and extras go first. Because they don't want to give me extra money. Cheapos. Sad, because it wouldn't be extra money, since I don't plan on working Friday night. Which means I'll have negative money. (Not really... but I WILL have to use PTO, and that makes me a very sad panda.)

I watched American Idol tonight, and Adam totally makes me swoon. I can't express how much I big puffy heart him. Brit would be jealous, but I think he has a little crush on Adam, too.

I've been TERRIBLE about exercising lately, as in maybe once a week since I got back from Colorado, but it's so much less stressful to not care. And I'm starting to want to go to the gym again. I need to take advantage of that while it lasts!

We went looking at houses (townhouses, really) on Monday, and found two that we LOVE in Lehi. We're probably going to put an offer on one. Not the one I loved most, but the one I loved most is based on aesthetic value, and that doesn't really matter in the long run. If we get this one we like, I'll need major input from people more stylish than me on decorating and painting. I fail at that, but I do NOT want pure white walls with bland carpet and pale kitchen flooring. BLAH.

I feel like I'm running out of friends, very quickly. The only couple we ever hang out with anymore is moving way up north, an hour and a half away, and we're talking about moving into a whole new city. And I fail at making and keeping friends. It's a scary thought.

I am in DESPERATE need of a new book to read. Sadly, I started the first book in a trilogy, and can't find the second one ANYWHERE without buying it, and I am a cheapskate. The library has it, but apparently all of Utah county wants to read the same books as me at the same time, because all copies are out and about 10 people are in the reserve line ahead of me. It's a conspiracy, I tell you.

A nurse brought roasted garlic hummus to work the other night, and I totally fell in love. Now I need to find it, and I will be guaranteed to get in all my veggie servings every day. SO GOOD.

Speaking of work, I had a very interesting and exasperating weekend. No particular night was altogether overwhelming, but every single night something fell apart right at 6 AM when I should have been getting ready to give report to the next shift. Saturday morning, someone coded and died (not a patient, but still, it was intense). Sunday morning, I had an admit at about 5:30 AM, and was JUST ABOUT caught up, when I realized all her antibiotic doses were off and I had to track down the doctor to get them verified. I started charting her admission at 7:15. My shift ends at 7. Monday morning, I had another last-minute admit, medications to give to all of my patients at about 4 AM, and a billion meds to start and reschedule for the new kid. I managed to get everything charted by 7, but was still scrambling to get everything organized as I was giving report. And I'm the type who likes to have everything charted, printed, and lined up in a neat little row by 6:15 waiting for the next shift.

I love my life. I don't really see how it could get any better right now. Unless we had infinite monies. That would be nice...

On Call

I got put on call tonight. (Which, for the uninformed about healthcare professions, means we had not enough patients and too many nurses, so they told me to not come in unless they call.) So now I'm wandering aimlessly around the house going crazy. I've lain on the couch for far too long and my muscles and head all hurt. I'M BORED. And I'm considering going out to get a milkshake, but thinking I'm too lazy to even put shoes on.

Stupid.... healthy babies.