I forgot to mention previously that the mailman even brought us our mail during the hurricane. Bless them! Well, we've been without power now for 79 hours. The electrical company estimates our power will be turned back on tomorrow between 5 and 11. Their estimates keep getting pushed back! Ugh. We were blessed to be able to take our "frozen" aka defrosted foods over to our friends, Adaire and Will's house. My work gave every employee without power a bag of ice, so we'll use that for our refrigerated foods. Jordan has stayed at school almost all day studying for his test tomorrow, and using the school's electricity and air conditioning.
This is so monotonous. I'm tired. Being without electricity is really draining, and it's hard to explain why.
Here's hoping that we get our power turned back on tomorrow.
Additionally, there is a tropical storm brewing out in the Atlantic Ocean, projected to become a category 3 hurricane. I really, really, really hope it doesn't head for us.
8.30.2011
8.29.2011
The Bad Week.
So as you can tell by the following posts, this has been a bad week.
Tuesday: 5.8 earthquake, patient elope from work.
Thursday: patient dies at work.
Saturday: Hurricane Irene, category 1.
Wednesday: first Microbiology test for Jordan. :P
Tuesday: 5.8 earthquake, patient elope from work.
Thursday: patient dies at work.
Saturday: Hurricane Irene, category 1.
Wednesday: first Microbiology test for Jordan. :P
The Onslaught of Hurricane Irene
*Pictures are currently on Jordan's phone, and since we don't have power at home, I can't add them yet, but hopefully soon will.
Have any of you been in a hurricane before - besides my aunt and uncle in North Carolina? Let me tell you - it's terrifying. You can't just blow it off, and think, "Oh we deal with wind speeds like that all the time." No. No.
I worked Thursday night, tracking the progress of Hurricane Irene as she blew up the east coast. Weather.com updated every three hours, and I followed it religiously. The nurse I was working with would recount story after story of several hurricanes she had survived, including Hurricane Isabel in 2003, a category 2 hurricane. She told me of trying to get to her mother's house to save her, only to have to turn around two minutes later due to trees snapping every few seconds. Together, we found several websites stating that this hurricane could be just as bad or worse than Isabel. I cannot express how terrified I truly was. There were several paths that the hurricane could take, with the scariest one being within 40 miles of Richmond. They were projecting that, worst-case-scenario, we would be without power for a week.
I left work at 0715 and drove the 40 minutes home and went to the grocery store. Based on what I knew about people in Virginia (they freak out at the littlest snow-storm and raid the grocery stores), I knew that I had to get there early so I could get the essentials. At 0810 in the morning, most of the bottled water was already gone. I was, fortunately, able to get 15 gallons of water (enough for one gallon per person per day). Food though...I was at a loss. I called my mom in a panic, and she was gracious enough to give me advice on what to buy: ice, canned dinner, canned veggies, applesauce, granola bars, etc. I was so grateful for her! She emailed me tons of advice on hurricane preparation. I got home from the grocery store and slept until 3.
Then I broke down to Jordan because I was trying to express my terror to him, and how serious this storm could turn out to be. Literally bawling my eyes out. He said that he was just as worried as I was. I headed to Target, Wal-Mart, and REI to pick up essentials. The stores were MADHOUSES. Madness I tell you! Never go to the store the day before a hurricane. Always go two days before! That entire night, I prepared everything in case we needed to evacuate. Clothes, paper, propane stove, 15 gallons of water, enough food for a week, medical supplies, medications, blankets, hygiene items, flashlights, candles, radio, matches, cash, and important documents. It was all by the door so we could take it to the car in case the storm took a turn for the worse.
Friday night we went to bed and awoke to torrential rain. Sheets and sheets of rain. Power was still on, so we went to the gym, came home and got ready, ate lunch, and then the power went out at 1230. So it began. The weather continued to get worse. The rain never stopped. The wind never stopped. The wind was bending the trees over and pounding our house. At 1600 our flower pot was entirely full of water (over 8 inches). I just read that winds in our county got upwards of 71 miles per hour. The worst winds in Virginia were 83 miles per hour.
Can I express how B.O.R.E.D. I was without the Internet? Holy cow. I love to read, but man! I get tired of reading! We couldn't do anything! I had Jordan print his notes out (because he had a test scheduled for Monday - what a great weekend, right?) so he could study. But literally, there was nothing to do.
We went to Alan and Lyanna's house for company and games around 1800. The wind and rain kept getting worse. Around this time, Richmond was upgraded from a flood alert (possible flood) to a flood warning (most likely to flood). Lovely. And to think - the storm really hadn't even hit us yet! It was set to hit even with Richmond at 2000. I called into work at 2030, with the trees leaning even more dangerously and the wind howling in our ears. Asked the nurse how bad it really was, and she told me not to come in. She said trees were down all along the highway and that there would be flooding from the river, one of the biggest rivers in Virginia, that's literally 20 feet from the hospital. She transferred me to the supervisor and I was shocked to her her say, "You should have come in early to work because the CNO said there are no call outs. We've known about Irene for a whole week and you should have come in early to work and planned on staying over if needed." Um, excuse me!? First of all, no one told me that I was supposed to come in early. Second of all, if I thought it was safe to drive to work, I would have. Third of all, no one said there weren't supposed to be any call outs. Ugh!
We went home from our friend's and then went to bed. It's too dark at 2130 with a hurricane blowing outside to do anything. I found out from my mom that over 900,000 people were without power in Virginia.
Couldn't sleep hardly at all that night. People from the ward kept texting us saying church was cancelled. The rain kept beating on the window and wind howling, keeping me awake. At 0512, I was suddenly woken by a snapping, popping noise. By then, the rain had finally stopped after raining non-stop for over 24 hours. Jordan and I got ready as best we could. We didn't want to use any of the water in the pipes for fear that it was damaged by the storm and we had limited water, so we did sponge baths and ate tons of cereal and milk to get through the milk before it spoiled. We walked around our neighborhood to survey the damage and found the source of the popping noise that woke me up - a ginormous branch broke off one of the biggest trees. Multiple small trees were torn up and branches and leaves littered the entire property. For the rest of the day, we read, studied, and played games. We went to the park to play frisbee and took lots of pictures of tall, uprooted trees.
Then we drove toward downtown to see where power was restored. Surprisingly, most of Richmond seemed to have power. Except for our apartment complex! Stupid power grids! Around 2030, the apartment complex directly across the street from us got their power turned on. Dang the power company! Didn't they understand that it was 78 degrees outside and we didn't have air conditioning!? That our food was slowly getting spoiled?! And that we desperately needed the Internet!?! Gah! Jordan called the power company and they estimated we would have the power on by...wait for it...tomorrow between 5-11 PM!
So, lessons I've learned:
1. I'm grateful for electricity, and all the things it powers. Internet, computers, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, washer, dryer, AIR CONDITIONING, lights.
2. I'm grateful that we were prepared. In the event we would need to evacuate, we would be able to do so and live off what we had.
3. I know that I need to buy another large cooler and buy at least 3 10-pound bags of ice next time.
4. A full freezer will last for 48 hours if not opened, and a half full freezer will last for 24 hours. A fridge will only last for 4 hours if not opened.
5. I need to research what people did in the "olden days" before there was electricity! What did they do to fill up their days?
6. Jordan and I haven't gotten through an entire bottle of propane yet. We conserve well.
7. When you know a hurricane is coming, buy supplies two days before, not the day before.
Have any of you been in a hurricane before - besides my aunt and uncle in North Carolina? Let me tell you - it's terrifying. You can't just blow it off, and think, "Oh we deal with wind speeds like that all the time." No. No.
I worked Thursday night, tracking the progress of Hurricane Irene as she blew up the east coast. Weather.com updated every three hours, and I followed it religiously. The nurse I was working with would recount story after story of several hurricanes she had survived, including Hurricane Isabel in 2003, a category 2 hurricane. She told me of trying to get to her mother's house to save her, only to have to turn around two minutes later due to trees snapping every few seconds. Together, we found several websites stating that this hurricane could be just as bad or worse than Isabel. I cannot express how terrified I truly was. There were several paths that the hurricane could take, with the scariest one being within 40 miles of Richmond. They were projecting that, worst-case-scenario, we would be without power for a week.
I left work at 0715 and drove the 40 minutes home and went to the grocery store. Based on what I knew about people in Virginia (they freak out at the littlest snow-storm and raid the grocery stores), I knew that I had to get there early so I could get the essentials. At 0810 in the morning, most of the bottled water was already gone. I was, fortunately, able to get 15 gallons of water (enough for one gallon per person per day). Food though...I was at a loss. I called my mom in a panic, and she was gracious enough to give me advice on what to buy: ice, canned dinner, canned veggies, applesauce, granola bars, etc. I was so grateful for her! She emailed me tons of advice on hurricane preparation. I got home from the grocery store and slept until 3.
Then I broke down to Jordan because I was trying to express my terror to him, and how serious this storm could turn out to be. Literally bawling my eyes out. He said that he was just as worried as I was. I headed to Target, Wal-Mart, and REI to pick up essentials. The stores were MADHOUSES. Madness I tell you! Never go to the store the day before a hurricane. Always go two days before! That entire night, I prepared everything in case we needed to evacuate. Clothes, paper, propane stove, 15 gallons of water, enough food for a week, medical supplies, medications, blankets, hygiene items, flashlights, candles, radio, matches, cash, and important documents. It was all by the door so we could take it to the car in case the storm took a turn for the worse.
Friday night we went to bed and awoke to torrential rain. Sheets and sheets of rain. Power was still on, so we went to the gym, came home and got ready, ate lunch, and then the power went out at 1230. So it began. The weather continued to get worse. The rain never stopped. The wind never stopped. The wind was bending the trees over and pounding our house. At 1600 our flower pot was entirely full of water (over 8 inches). I just read that winds in our county got upwards of 71 miles per hour. The worst winds in Virginia were 83 miles per hour.
Can I express how B.O.R.E.D. I was without the Internet? Holy cow. I love to read, but man! I get tired of reading! We couldn't do anything! I had Jordan print his notes out (because he had a test scheduled for Monday - what a great weekend, right?) so he could study. But literally, there was nothing to do.
We went to Alan and Lyanna's house for company and games around 1800. The wind and rain kept getting worse. Around this time, Richmond was upgraded from a flood alert (possible flood) to a flood warning (most likely to flood). Lovely. And to think - the storm really hadn't even hit us yet! It was set to hit even with Richmond at 2000. I called into work at 2030, with the trees leaning even more dangerously and the wind howling in our ears. Asked the nurse how bad it really was, and she told me not to come in. She said trees were down all along the highway and that there would be flooding from the river, one of the biggest rivers in Virginia, that's literally 20 feet from the hospital. She transferred me to the supervisor and I was shocked to her her say, "You should have come in early to work because the CNO said there are no call outs. We've known about Irene for a whole week and you should have come in early to work and planned on staying over if needed." Um, excuse me!? First of all, no one told me that I was supposed to come in early. Second of all, if I thought it was safe to drive to work, I would have. Third of all, no one said there weren't supposed to be any call outs. Ugh!
We went home from our friend's and then went to bed. It's too dark at 2130 with a hurricane blowing outside to do anything. I found out from my mom that over 900,000 people were without power in Virginia.
Couldn't sleep hardly at all that night. People from the ward kept texting us saying church was cancelled. The rain kept beating on the window and wind howling, keeping me awake. At 0512, I was suddenly woken by a snapping, popping noise. By then, the rain had finally stopped after raining non-stop for over 24 hours. Jordan and I got ready as best we could. We didn't want to use any of the water in the pipes for fear that it was damaged by the storm and we had limited water, so we did sponge baths and ate tons of cereal and milk to get through the milk before it spoiled. We walked around our neighborhood to survey the damage and found the source of the popping noise that woke me up - a ginormous branch broke off one of the biggest trees. Multiple small trees were torn up and branches and leaves littered the entire property. For the rest of the day, we read, studied, and played games. We went to the park to play frisbee and took lots of pictures of tall, uprooted trees.
Then we drove toward downtown to see where power was restored. Surprisingly, most of Richmond seemed to have power. Except for our apartment complex! Stupid power grids! Around 2030, the apartment complex directly across the street from us got their power turned on. Dang the power company! Didn't they understand that it was 78 degrees outside and we didn't have air conditioning!? That our food was slowly getting spoiled?! And that we desperately needed the Internet!?! Gah! Jordan called the power company and they estimated we would have the power on by...wait for it...tomorrow between 5-11 PM!
So, lessons I've learned:
1. I'm grateful for electricity, and all the things it powers. Internet, computers, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, washer, dryer, AIR CONDITIONING, lights.
2. I'm grateful that we were prepared. In the event we would need to evacuate, we would be able to do so and live off what we had.
3. I know that I need to buy another large cooler and buy at least 3 10-pound bags of ice next time.
4. A full freezer will last for 48 hours if not opened, and a half full freezer will last for 24 hours. A fridge will only last for 4 hours if not opened.
5. I need to research what people did in the "olden days" before there was electricity! What did they do to fill up their days?
6. Jordan and I haven't gotten through an entire bottle of propane yet. We conserve well.
7. When you know a hurricane is coming, buy supplies two days before, not the day before.
8.24.2011
Earthquake...Whaatt?!
In Jordan's own words, "I had to come to Virginia to experience my first earthquake. Weird."
In Melyn's own words, "Ahhhh!! Jordan get under the door frame!!"
Yes, I was freaked out. Yesterday at 1:51 PM, right before I left for work, Virginia experienced the strongest earthquake since 1897, a 5.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was only 50 miles from our house! The house started shaking and the TV and vases were shaking, and the walls were rattling. I was just in shock (ha, punny)! I screamed and ran into the door frame for the closet under the stairs. It lasted only for a minute, but was so scary. Apparently it was felt all up and down the coast. My aunt Jenae felt it in North Carolina, uncle Mark felt it in New Jersey, aunt Marianne felt it in Ohio, and good friend Paige felt it in New York. DC was evacuated, and JFK airport was shut down.
In. Sane.
In Melyn's own words, "Ahhhh!! Jordan get under the door frame!!"
Yes, I was freaked out. Yesterday at 1:51 PM, right before I left for work, Virginia experienced the strongest earthquake since 1897, a 5.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was only 50 miles from our house! The house started shaking and the TV and vases were shaking, and the walls were rattling. I was just in shock (ha, punny)! I screamed and ran into the door frame for the closet under the stairs. It lasted only for a minute, but was so scary. Apparently it was felt all up and down the coast. My aunt Jenae felt it in North Carolina, uncle Mark felt it in New Jersey, aunt Marianne felt it in Ohio, and good friend Paige felt it in New York. DC was evacuated, and JFK airport was shut down.
In. Sane.
8.21.2011
Goals!
I have been very bad since my birthday...spending too much time relaxing! I didn't work out for TWO whole weeks, and yesterday was the first day. It was great. I walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes and now my thighs are killing me! Yes! So - My new goal is to work out 3-4 times per week. I'm not losing weight like I want to, and will be doing more cardio rather than weights (instead of the other way around, which made me gain weight).
Also, Jordan got the phone number of a class-mates wife who is also a nurse and I'm making it a goal to start the VCU Medical Student Spouse Association! I also spoke with Lyanna about it and she thinks it would be a fun idea! I really want to network with these other spouses so we can bond and be friends, because honestly, we are the only ones who know what we're going through.
These are my goals. I will update you with my progress!
P.S. I realized today that the pool closes on Labor Day. I'd better get out there as often as I can!
P.S.S. I'm addicted to the website pinterest.com. It's awesome. You should check it out.
P.S.S.S (does that even exist!?) I'm very ANXIOUSLY awaiting my welcome letter into Pottermore. I will get sorted into a house in Hogwarts, get a wand, and get to experience the stories like never before. I'm veryveryveryvery impatient!!!!!!
Also, Jordan got the phone number of a class-mates wife who is also a nurse and I'm making it a goal to start the VCU Medical Student Spouse Association! I also spoke with Lyanna about it and she thinks it would be a fun idea! I really want to network with these other spouses so we can bond and be friends, because honestly, we are the only ones who know what we're going through.
These are my goals. I will update you with my progress!
P.S. I realized today that the pool closes on Labor Day. I'd better get out there as often as I can!
P.S.S. I'm addicted to the website pinterest.com. It's awesome. You should check it out.
P.S.S.S (does that even exist!?) I'm very ANXIOUSLY awaiting my welcome letter into Pottermore. I will get sorted into a house in Hogwarts, get a wand, and get to experience the stories like never before. I'm veryveryveryvery impatient!!!!!!
8.15.2011
Congratulations to Matt and Lindsey Lambourne!
We just came back from a very quick weekend trip to Utah! Jordan's sister, Lindsey, got married on Saturday to none other than the awesome Matt Lambourne. It was such a great weekend!
Their wedding dinner on Friday night at Carvers in Sandy was beautiful. It was very well put together, delicious, and sweet! We loved when the parents stood up to give their speeches - especially when Jim said he would sing for us, but there wasn't enough time. Dang! :)
Saturday morning was spent preparing and transforming the Henderson's backyard into a Hawaiian luau getaway. Lots of work, but it was BEAUTIFUL! We didn't get the chance to take pictures of everything, but just imagine tropical flowers everywhere, two pigs roasting on a spit, and more pineapples than you've ever seen in your life.
Saturday afternoon, Matt and Lindsey were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake LDS temple. The weather was perfect! They were so beautiful together, and some very poignant words were said for their marriage. This was the first marriage I've seen, and it made me realize how important being sealed to your family is - it is the pinnacle of everything we do on this earth! After the sealing, we went outside to take the classic family pictures on the temple steps, and then went back to the Henderson's to prepare further for the reception.
The reception was a big party! Tons of delicious Hawaiian food, hula dancers, a fire dancer, snow-cones, and amazing wedding cake! There was even a dance off between all of us bridesmaids and groomsmen - it was HILARIOUS!! Oh, and of course the bridesmaids won! Matt and Lindsey's first dance was so sweet. They danced to the same song his Grandma had danced to at her wedding. I didn't see who caught the bouquet, but a little boy caught the garter! Haha! Matt and Lindsey drove away in a car decorated with oreos, toilet paper, condoms, and vaseline, but they were happy nonetheless :) Still don't know who the culprit was on that. The perfect weather held out until we were done picking up from after the reception and then it rained that night.
We are so very happy for them and wish them the best of luck in their marriage! Love you both!
Their wedding dinner on Friday night at Carvers in Sandy was beautiful. It was very well put together, delicious, and sweet! We loved when the parents stood up to give their speeches - especially when Jim said he would sing for us, but there wasn't enough time. Dang! :)
Saturday morning was spent preparing and transforming the Henderson's backyard into a Hawaiian luau getaway. Lots of work, but it was BEAUTIFUL! We didn't get the chance to take pictures of everything, but just imagine tropical flowers everywhere, two pigs roasting on a spit, and more pineapples than you've ever seen in your life.
Saturday afternoon, Matt and Lindsey were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake LDS temple. The weather was perfect! They were so beautiful together, and some very poignant words were said for their marriage. This was the first marriage I've seen, and it made me realize how important being sealed to your family is - it is the pinnacle of everything we do on this earth! After the sealing, we went outside to take the classic family pictures on the temple steps, and then went back to the Henderson's to prepare further for the reception.
The reception was a big party! Tons of delicious Hawaiian food, hula dancers, a fire dancer, snow-cones, and amazing wedding cake! There was even a dance off between all of us bridesmaids and groomsmen - it was HILARIOUS!! Oh, and of course the bridesmaids won! Matt and Lindsey's first dance was so sweet. They danced to the same song his Grandma had danced to at her wedding. I didn't see who caught the bouquet, but a little boy caught the garter! Haha! Matt and Lindsey drove away in a car decorated with oreos, toilet paper, condoms, and vaseline, but they were happy nonetheless :) Still don't know who the culprit was on that. The perfect weather held out until we were done picking up from after the reception and then it rained that night.
We are so very happy for them and wish them the best of luck in their marriage! Love you both!
8.12.2011
Birthday Celebrations!
I love my birthday. I think it's the best day in the whole year! It helps that I have NEVER had to work on my birthday (ever)! I love making my birthday relaxing and memorable and fun. Last year we had some good times, but it was not the best birthday ever. Mainly because we had just moved and didn't know anyone. This year, however, was a blast.
We celebrated over the weekend, because I wasn't sure what my schedule was for work. On Saturday, we went to Maymont, a 100-acre property in Richmond right on the James River. It is beautiful! Dozens of gardens, arboretums, streams, and waterfalls. The property was owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Dooley from the Civil War era. Mr. Dooley was one of the key people to re-build the south after the war. They built a huge mansion on the property, never had children, and then donated the property to the city of Richmond after their deaths. The mansion is kept in impeccable condition, and we toured it on Saturday afternoon. I love architecture and interior design, and this building is a dream! You have to see it.
After Maymont, we went back home and then went out to dinner at Texas de Brazil. It was amazingly delicious again, but we decided that we can never eat there again because it's breaking the bank! So yummy though. They have the best flank steak and ribeye!
We went to the grocery store so I could get supplies for my 100-Grand Birthday Cake. I made the cake on Sunday, and although it took about 4 hours to make, I decided it was totally worth it. We invited our medical school friends Alan and Lyanna over and had such a good time talking and eating. Pictures soon to come on the cake! Called our families and had a great time talking to everyone!
On my actual birthday, Jordan had school for the whole day. I worked out, ate cake for mid-afternoon snack, and then went out to lunch with Lyanna at a place called Can-Can. It's a french place in Carytown, and was yummy! I ate something Jordan would never get, quiche! It had shrimp and gruyere cheese - delicious! Then I had a doctor's appointment (on my birthday, I know) and came home, took a nap, and got take-out for dinner cause I was feeling lazy and didn't want to cook on my birthday.
All in all, this was probably the best birthday I've had in a long time. Mostly because of all you lovely people that called, texted, and Facebooked me! Thank you! It helps me feel so connected to home when we're far away :)
(PS - if some of this doesn't make sense, or there are billions of run-ons, ignore them because I'm working a 16-hour shift tonight!)
We celebrated over the weekend, because I wasn't sure what my schedule was for work. On Saturday, we went to Maymont, a 100-acre property in Richmond right on the James River. It is beautiful! Dozens of gardens, arboretums, streams, and waterfalls. The property was owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Dooley from the Civil War era. Mr. Dooley was one of the key people to re-build the south after the war. They built a huge mansion on the property, never had children, and then donated the property to the city of Richmond after their deaths. The mansion is kept in impeccable condition, and we toured it on Saturday afternoon. I love architecture and interior design, and this building is a dream! You have to see it.
After Maymont, we went back home and then went out to dinner at Texas de Brazil. It was amazingly delicious again, but we decided that we can never eat there again because it's breaking the bank! So yummy though. They have the best flank steak and ribeye!
We went to the grocery store so I could get supplies for my 100-Grand Birthday Cake. I made the cake on Sunday, and although it took about 4 hours to make, I decided it was totally worth it. We invited our medical school friends Alan and Lyanna over and had such a good time talking and eating. Pictures soon to come on the cake! Called our families and had a great time talking to everyone!
On my actual birthday, Jordan had school for the whole day. I worked out, ate cake for mid-afternoon snack, and then went out to lunch with Lyanna at a place called Can-Can. It's a french place in Carytown, and was yummy! I ate something Jordan would never get, quiche! It had shrimp and gruyere cheese - delicious! Then I had a doctor's appointment (on my birthday, I know) and came home, took a nap, and got take-out for dinner cause I was feeling lazy and didn't want to cook on my birthday.
All in all, this was probably the best birthday I've had in a long time. Mostly because of all you lovely people that called, texted, and Facebooked me! Thank you! It helps me feel so connected to home when we're far away :)
(PS - if some of this doesn't make sense, or there are billions of run-ons, ignore them because I'm working a 16-hour shift tonight!)
8.05.2011
I'm With You
Growing up, Que often rebelled against the same things that I liked, particularly music. However, over time he came to like many of the same bands I listened to. When I left on my mission 6 years ago, he gladly inherited my CD's and music library. When he wrote to me, he'd often talk about all the new music that was coming out that I would have liked to be listening to. My family would also record messages on little tapes that I could play on a tape recorder. I remember on one of these tapes Que recorded a few snippets from several of the songs off a new RHCP that had been just released so I could get a "preview" of what I was missing. I'll admit, I did enjoy listening to it.
Now our position is reversed; I'm able to listen the new album when it comes out while Que is off serving his mission somewhere in the spirit world. I wish I could send him a tape with a few samples of the new songs. The new album is entitled "I'm With You", and I like to think of it as a reminder that Que is indeed right here with me. The spirit world is located here on earth, I just can't see him now. We're going to have a lot to catch up on someday.
8.04.2011
Seriously?
Are you kidding me? I've been reading a lot of "resident's wife" and "medical student's wife" blogs and they ALL seem to mention in one or more posts how worried they are about their husbands being stolen by the nurses they work with. Is that all that people think of nurses? That we are just a bunch of floozies? Let me just get it out there - nurses are NOT out there to get your husband, we are professionals who care about our patients and care about our jobs. We don't spend our entire existence giggling in the background about the "cute" doctors. Nurses are P-R-O-F-E-S-S-I-O-N-A-L-S. Thank you. Sorry for the rant!
8.01.2011
I Feel Happy!
Oh so Happy! Pretty too, haha. Oh how I love musicals.
Anyways, I seem to have reached a consensus about what to do - thank you to everyone who responded with advice. I'm going to document occurrences of bad nursing and bad management and then when I have enough evidence, I'm going to compile it all into a letter or report of some kind and give it to the Chief Nursing Officer. I'm still not sure whether I should present it anonymously or not. Upside to doing it anonymously is that they can't get mad at me or fire me. Downside is...that they won't know it was me promoting the change, that they won't know I'm a leader and problem solver. If my report doesn't change anything, I'm going to move on. There's no point in staying at a job when I KNOW that there are better ones out there. Speaking of which, I want to get a part-time med-surg/ICU/ER job to keep my skills up, and REALLY want to work at VCU! That way I'll get my foot in the door. I've wanted to work there since Jordan applied for medical school there!
I've been to the pool four times in the past week. It's been great, and I'm getting so tan!
Jordan and I had FHE for the first time in about a year tonight, and it was fabulous. I've really been needing to feel the Spirit lately, and this helped tremendously. I've also started trying to read the scriptures more by myself and praying more often.
I've kind-of decided that I'm going to work full-time until Jordan graduates, and then I'll work part-time. Even though we'll have kids, I really don't want to have a humongous mountain of debt (like $200,000 worth plus interest). I'm so blessed to have this profession, to have a degree, and to have a job. It will make the financial strain that much less painful. It will be hard, but the baby wouldn't even remember (we're not planning on a baby until next year) that we were working/studying all the time. Plus, when Jordan's a resident, he'll be making an income. Even though it will only be about $15 per hour (for 80 hours a week!!) it's something.
I've also started narrowing down "my" choices for Jordan's residency. So far the following states and cities are out:
Anyways, I seem to have reached a consensus about what to do - thank you to everyone who responded with advice. I'm going to document occurrences of bad nursing and bad management and then when I have enough evidence, I'm going to compile it all into a letter or report of some kind and give it to the Chief Nursing Officer. I'm still not sure whether I should present it anonymously or not. Upside to doing it anonymously is that they can't get mad at me or fire me. Downside is...that they won't know it was me promoting the change, that they won't know I'm a leader and problem solver. If my report doesn't change anything, I'm going to move on. There's no point in staying at a job when I KNOW that there are better ones out there. Speaking of which, I want to get a part-time med-surg/ICU/ER job to keep my skills up, and REALLY want to work at VCU! That way I'll get my foot in the door. I've wanted to work there since Jordan applied for medical school there!
I've been to the pool four times in the past week. It's been great, and I'm getting so tan!
Jordan and I had FHE for the first time in about a year tonight, and it was fabulous. I've really been needing to feel the Spirit lately, and this helped tremendously. I've also started trying to read the scriptures more by myself and praying more often.
I've kind-of decided that I'm going to work full-time until Jordan graduates, and then I'll work part-time. Even though we'll have kids, I really don't want to have a humongous mountain of debt (like $200,000 worth plus interest). I'm so blessed to have this profession, to have a degree, and to have a job. It will make the financial strain that much less painful. It will be hard, but the baby wouldn't even remember (we're not planning on a baby until next year) that we were working/studying all the time. Plus, when Jordan's a resident, he'll be making an income. Even though it will only be about $15 per hour (for 80 hours a week!!) it's something.
I've also started narrowing down "my" choices for Jordan's residency. So far the following states and cities are out:
No Residency Programs:
Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
Very Violent Cities:
Birmingham, Alabama
Little Rock, Arkansas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Charleston, West Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Washington, D.C.
Baltimore, Maryland
Camden, New Jersey
Charleston, South Carolina
Miami, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Detroit, Michigan
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Kansas City, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
Toledo, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Memphis, Tennessee
Springfield, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Houston, Texas
Albany, New York
Buffalo, New York
Wow that's a lot longer list than I though it was. Like I said, this is "my" list, and Jordan will have the ultimate choice. Just don't really want to live in a violent/crime-ridden city. The GREAT news about this is that Richmond, Hawaii, Salt Lake City, California, New York City, Boston, and Raleigh all made the cut!
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