Girl, Do Your Thaaaang!

Sometimes, all a girl needs to feel better is bottle of hair color and a new shade of lip gloss.

Tonight, it’s a warmer hair color =)

Tomorrow, it’s a warm hug from my beau =)

Bazooka Fortunes

• “A penny saved… means it’s time to ask for a raise!”

• “Time is money.. especially when it comes to parking tickets”

• “Whether a ballplayer or a monkey… Always keep swingin’!”

• “Parents are like plants.. To thrive they need to be talked to.. and watered..”

• “Two’s company.. Fleas a crowd!”

• “Work like a dog…but don’t give your work to a dog.”

• “A dog is man’s best friend.. but maybe not man’s best date.”

• “Cats are good for computers.. they like playing with the mouse.”

 

It’s Love!

Fall has to be my most favorite season!  I have certainly enjoyed the crisp, cool, morning drives back and forth to the hospitals and school.  It is so wonderful to breathe in God’s glorious creation.  Paris Mountain is elaborately  painted in gold, oranges and warm red colors! I only wish I had time to be outside to enjoy it =)

 

I guess my front porch will do for right now..

“Falling Slowly”

Here lately I feel as if I may be falling slowly..

For now I will just close my eyes and rest in His peace..

For those who know me:

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.”

Audrey Hepburn

Baaa humbug. For me, the swine flu was …

Baaa humbug. For me, the swine flu was just like my case of severe Mono. Only a shorter time frame and with severe… well we won’t go there! (NVD- abv for the nurses) Hospital ER visits are no fun and neither are shots in the buttocks. Haven’t had one of those since I was probably 1. At one point I was yelling “PLEASE NO!! NOT THE BUTT!!! THE DELTOID, THE VASTUS LATERALIS, ANYWHERE BUT THE BUTT!! I DONT HAVE A BUTT!! ouch..” Nurses make the worse patients and so its true So much for great hand-washing technique, multivitamins, extra C, 1000 mg of vitamin D, orange juice, and a healthy appetite. However, I will suggest those precautions and supplements with others to prevent the terrible virus at ALL COSTS. I’m still rather nauseous and hardly able to eat. Thank you to everyone for the sympathies, prayers, get well wishes and phone calls! It meant a lot even if I was incapable of sounding gleeful.

Great movies to watch while on your sick bed:

Lassie- oh the nostalgia
500 Days of Summer- lovely clothes, lovely hair, lovely humor, and what a true “story about love.”
You’ve Got Mail- Its my comfort movie
Runaway Bride- Julia Roberts can wear no makeup, her boyfriends flannel shirt, grandma pants and still look great. It gives me hope.
Reba- not a movie, but Van cracks me up. Laughter is the best medicine.
Transformers- the 1st not the 2nd. The 2nd was terrible.

Bambi- This was when I wanted to feel terrible

The Lion King- and this was when I wanted Timon and Pumba to cheer me up.

Here’s to the end of H1N1! May I never see it again! TAKE THAT!

Adventure: Athens

Well I guess I can spill the beans…

Jittery Joe’s is Ahhhhh-mazing! Once entering the door you are not only greeted by friendly faces and oodles of local treats, but the addicting whiff of freshly grounded beans and a perfect latte to warm your soul.  Jittery Joe’s in downtown Watkinsville, Ga provided a quiant study spot for nursing school for hectic nursing care plans. Latte after latte provided a nice substitution for a central caffeine line. I especially enjoyed sitting along the window seats to watch the rainy afternoons glide endlessly by. I ventured to another cute local spot with my handsome beau another rainy morning, Ike&Janes. Unfortunately, not only was the customer service rather poor, but the latte was quite bitter and mimicked  that of  watered down coffee delivered right out of a vending machine. The sweet,crumbly, melt.in.your.mouth blueberry muffin top(however)- excellent!   The best latte, hands down, goes to Jittery Joe’s @ 5 points from a nice young man Saturday late afternoon.  Not only was he exceptionally nice and welcoming, but he gave me extra foam!!!!  I’m really not a coffee snob, but after working as a barista it is difficult to find other baristas who take the time to make a nice latte and offer a warm smile.  I’m quite terrified of the barista whose facial expression or attitude is parasitic and contagious.
School Kids Records- an Athens Treasure.  Not only can you find tickets and information to the thriving music scene of Downtown Athens but I was itching to buy The Beatles Abby Road album for only $16.00! Apparently on any given day, certain musicians will  set up and play randomly before shows.  O.A.R. for example.. and I’m quite jealous I couldn’t have been within 10 ft of them.  Seriously, I could spend hours listening to albums and easily lose myself for an entire day.

I loved walking the streets and noticing the victorian achritecture of the buildings.  The streets were of course filled with UGA students who were rather interesting.  If you enjoy people watching- downtown Athens is certainly a place to take note of “individuality” seekers and stereotype(rs).  People are rather amusing to me..  What’s up with the sweat-head-band trend? Or the boys with long beards, long hair, cut off ripped shorts and plaid shirts? Its tough distinguising between sk8r girl or hippie? Poor hobo hairy boy or ..weird dude?…  Never the less, watch and you’ll be amused.

Doc Chey’s.  Noodle house. Spicy Thai Basil.  Eat and experience heaven.  It’s THAT simple!

OMG! S-A-V-E ME!

Girls (and dudes)! CILLIES!!!

Bring in your clothes, sell, and buy new clothes!  7 Jeans- $20! Absolutely ridiculously cute and like new clothes for cheapcheapcheap!  Of course I saved the best for last and I can’t wait to have a real job to buy the store out!  Well not really but “think pink” and think Cillies! Boots, scarves, hats, jewelry, and endless retro jackets.. As a girl, this store completely made Athens for me (and you thought it was just the latte)

This would conclude my favorites for visiting Athens.  I will say 5 points and downtown were my two favorite areas.  If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to know.  I’m eager to experience the eclectic/hit music scenes and snuggle up the 2Story Coffee House next time I’m in town.

I’ll drop some more news: I’ll be looking in the Athens/Atlanta area for a job after nursing school. Of course this is tentative with the job seeking market- but I’ll be expanding my Nightingale Wings.

Till then- my search for interesting unique Athens  continues…

In the beginning.. I decided to Blog

I thought I would take a spin at the blogging idea. Technically what is really with this blogging concept? Do we really considering ourselves that interesting that we must write down our experiences to intrigue the minds of others into our lives? Honestly, I could really care less who reads about my life or the things that I write down. Tonight, I had the gut urge to write. I have not written in such a long time. Therefor, I’m sure my grammar and use of vocabulary sucks. Many moons ago when I took english classes before the hectic life of nursing school and dozens of science classes, my english professor tried her best to change my mind on my career path. She explained to me that I had a way with writing eloquent essays and making comical points within my writing. I thought she was a lunatic. While I enjoyed critically humoring Madam Butterfly with words on paper, I guess it was mere way of keeping myself interested in a class full of uninteresting people. This is not to be confused with the material- I loved reading and I especially enjoyed Madam Butterfly. The assignments- not so much.

I miss writing. Let me discern- I miss reading and writing abstractly. Everyday is full of “objective” insight. What are the signs and symptoms of classic diseases such as diabetes. My patient is tacycardic, his electrolytes are below normal, his skin is dry, mucous membranes dry, BUN and creatinine levels are increased. He is showing signs of acute renal failure. Acute renal failure is the kidneys inability to concentrate urine, maintain homeostasis of body fluids, regulate blood pressure, and excrete wastes. As I look at my patient, what is the story behind this man defined by ARF. There is more to him than excessive diarrhea and inability to produce urine. Yes, I take note that he has the nastiest mullet and reeks of Camel. However, he is a person and he has a story. I feel that nurses lose sight of their patients. Heck all medical professionals do. We’re told to administer and start IV and medications yet we neglect to take the time to ask about their family- if they even have one. Of course this deletes the critical emergency situations where you have to focus of patient care immediately. I took notes on a regular floor Thursday. I sat with my other patient, a 72-year-old woman completely overcome by dementia. She was currently reliving her past as a 13-year-old girl running home for dinner and caught in the most terrifying moment of life. I held her hand and almost cried with her as she explained that she was raped. I do not doubt in my mind that this happened to her. I recognized the same “Alzheimer” conversation that I have with my grandfather all the time. It’s like this disease completely captures its victims and relocates them into a moment in their younger life. As I obnoxiously floated from room to room helping other assistive personnel, every individual was old and frail. At what point in life does it seem we lose our dignity? At what point is it that we are looked at objectively instead of abstractly? I come to the conclusion that we are always prone out of habit to objectively look at another person.

I find myself fighting this on the floor as a student nurse. I find myself getting frustrated with other nurses and how they view their position only as a job for monetary value full of ordered duties. I know my view point is coming from the patient side as I have experienced the patient side of nursing. I know what it feels like to lose dignity, I know what it feels like to be forgotten or overlooked… I also know what a life shaping experience it is to be taken care of by doctors and nurses who know me as Elizabeth- 22-year-old ambitious and stubborn nursing student. I pray that I take that experience and forever change others view on nursing and patient care. There is a person on the other side of the patient.