Fun Night!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Yep, you heard me right, I had a fun night at work.

I had only four patients.  All of them were pretty stable (one lady with a chest tube, but I did okay).  I helped my fellow nurses.  I did NOT get an admission.  I got to chat and catch up on hospital gossip.  I got out on time.

All in all, a GREAT night 🙂

Who knows what tonight will bring.  But at least it is the last of my long stretch.  I think I’m going to be able to do it!

Off for a walk with Izzy before I fall asleep.

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One is Not Enough…

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

All I have to say is that ONE DAY off is NOT enough to do everything I want to do!

Plus I had to spend a little over two hours today driving up to the hospital to complete ACE day (hospital wide education that occurs one time/year).  The way they set that up is so frustrating.  There are multiple tables to visit and get information about stuff.  A lot of time is spent waiting if you didn’t catch the beginning of a presentation.  Some of the presenters are LONG-WINDED.  And there is not enough printed material handed out to supplement the spoken word.  But, it’s required and so I had to go.  I skipped the prior two times that it was offered because I was working the same day, which is the case today as well, but this time I had NO choice.  Thankfully it only took me 1 hour and 45 minutes, and there was minimal traffic.

Even though I felt rushed…

I still got to go grocery shopping and watch two episodes of Gossip Girl last night.   I still got 8 hours of sleep.  I still got to have my coffee this morning.  I still got both of my walks in with Izzy and Kimm.

BUT…

I do still have over 100 items in my Google Reader to catch up on and I did not get a nap which I desperately wanted.

Such is life.

Time for shower, dinner, and the first of two more nights on.

Then FIVE glorious nights off 🙂

*Pixie Dust*

Monday, September 28, 2009

Currently I’m sucking down some pixy stix (remember those?!) for some quick energy.

The thing I hate most about working three nights on, one off, then two on again, is the fact that I get SO tired that one night off.  It doesn’t really even feel like a night off.  And the worst part is, I DID sleep during the day.  Frustrating…

Anyways…

So not too much exciting.

I got my pneumonia vaccine this morning.   I hate how sore it makes your arm.

We went grocery shopping for a few things tonight to make it until Friday evening.  I have to do the math yet, but I believe we are UNDER our budget for this month.

We watched the last episode of Gossip Girl Season One tonight and WHOA!  What a cliffhanger.  LOVE that show.

See…what did I tell you, pretty boring 🙂

We’re staying up till midnight then hitting the sack.

I’m going to go attack my google reader inbox (over 200 items!) with pixie sticks in hand.

Enjoy your night!

Sleeping Weather…

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Such a rainy, gloomy morning.  PERFECT sleeping weather.

However, not so good for walking Izzy.  Not sure if I will take her for a walk yet.  We have decided we don’t want her smelling like WET dog 🙂   The rain was coming down pretty good when I was driving home.  I was trying to give it a quick opportunity to stop while I ate my breakfast.  Now I’ll have to go check the situation out.  The decision will have to be made soon though because bed is calling my name.

Two down, one to go.

Edited:  I DID go on a short walk with Izzy this morning.  It was only drizzling and I felt so bad for even thinking of missing her morning routine!  And while we were out I met a few more neighbors, one who has a yellow lab.  Izzy and Rosie sniffed each other, got into aggressive mode (which freaked me out!–that’s the first time I ever saw Izzy’s fur rise), but then eventually Izzy started playing with Rosie.  It was so cute and I was so happy she was socializing well.  When I got home, I literally FELL into bed…I was exhausted.

Nippy!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

It’s 42 degrees out this morning!  BBRRRR!!!

I can see my breath.

Out for a walk with Izzy.

One down, two to go 🙂

Two Weeks

Friday, September 25, 2009

Hard to believe but it’s true.

Isabella Riley has been a member of our family for TWO weeks.  Time sure does fly.

“Izzy”—the day we adopted her at the pound

And we’ve done so well, keeping a routine with her.  She’s had her two walks every day so far…which has been good for her, and really good for us (don’t ask us if we’ll keep it up when it rains!).

I can’t say anything else except that we’re happy 🙂

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Thursday, September 24, 2009

This week has just zipped by.  I guess that’s what happens when you have off for the majority of it!

Tonight I FINALLY got to make this recipe that I had planned for quite a while.  It’s from one of my cookbooks, Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals.  I altered it only slightly.  This is a keeper.

Good news!  I have a new kitchen companion 🙂

Izzy loves to be with you all the time.  So when I was in the kitchen cooking, she plopped down next to the oven and stayed the whole time.

Cuteness!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped (I did not have on hand…substituted with 1 teaspoon garlic salt)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 jar (16 ounces) mild salsa (I used Nature’s Promise, organic, mild)

1 cup water (I used three cups)

2 cans (15 ounces) black beans with their liquid* (I did not use the liquid–I rinsed the beans well)

1/2 cup sour cream (not used because no cilantro)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (sadly did not have on hand)

To make:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add onion and garlic (or garlic salt).  Cook, stirring occasionally until soft (approximately 5 minutes).

Stir in sweet potatoes, chili powder, salsa, and water.  Heat until boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender (approximately 15 minutes).

Add beans and cook another 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and cilantro to combine.  Serve chili with cilantro sour cream.

*I don’t like using the liquid from the canned beans.  I ALWAYS rinse them.  So to make up for that, I added extra water.  I added a lot more water–2 additional cups!–because I like chili to sit on the stove and reduce down to have a stronger flavor.  Worked like a charm!

BTW–I would have LOVED the cilantro sour cream but had none on hand.  Will definitely try this when I have it.  Instead, we served ours with a side of bread (Kimm)/toast (me).

I LOVED this meal and know that I will be making it very often.  It was so easy too which I absolutely loved.  I’ve never really eaten sweet potatoes, so I’m glad I’m incorporating another different vegetable into my diet.

For dessert I whipped something up as well.  I took four small Jonamac apples that were past their eating fresh prime and made caramel apple sauce.  I put it in the fridge to cool down while we ate dinner.  Then placed a small amount of yogurt (maybe 1/4 cup) in a bowl, half the caramel apple sauce, and 1/4 cup of some homemade granola.  Mixed it all up–holy yum!

Lunch was good too…two slices of multi grain toast with roasted red pepper hummus, cottage cheese, 1/2 a black plum, and 1/2 a kiwi.

Of course, coffee for breakfast.  Great as usual.  I have a new cream I got that was on sale…Caramel Vanilla Brownie–divine.

We are gobbling up Gossip Girl.  Almost through the two discs we got yesterday.  I saw online today that there are two seasons on DVD and the 3rd season just started.  I hope this show goes for quite a while.  It’s addicting.

It will be a quiet night.  Bed early so the day will start earlier tomorrow.

A Fuzzy Navel at 8 am

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Last night was one of our “long time” CNAs last night at the hospital 😦  She’s worked there for over 12 years!  The good news is she got a new job that she is wicked excited about, mostly because it is days instead of nights.

To celebrate, after work we went the Holyoke Legion and had a little ‘goodbye party.’

Let me tell you, it was strange to be having a drink so early in the morning!  But it was nice. It was a tough night[non-stop busy from the moment I got there until 1:30 am!!, people having to go to the bathroom non-stop, incontinent people, pain issues, an admission right in the middle of med pass, overly talkative patients, straight cathing, annoying doctors].  Knowing that I was going out with friends gave me something to look forward to.

My drink of choice was of course the Fuzzy Navel.  Cheap–only $2.50.  I had three.  Tasted pretty darn good.  They even cooked up BBQ chicken with sides of baked beans and pasta salad–I had the pasta salad and it was amazing!  It was a good time with those who can commiserate with the hospital environment.  At the end, one of the lab techs played a few songs on the bagpipe.  I didn’t even know he played.  It was awesome–I absolutely love the sound of bagpipes…just a feeling of nostalgia floods over me for some reason.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  I came home and found Kimm and Izzy on their walk and joined them.  It was so nice to see that Izzy recognized me right away and her ears perked up and she fell on her side and wanted her belly rubbed 🙂  Then I even had a cup of coffee.  It was like I was having a second wind.

But, it was short lived.  Within a half hour my eyes were closing at the computer.  So a nap it was.  Until the next walk at 4 pm. It was hard to walk today because it was SO humid.  Sticky icky.

Black bean quesadillas for dinner. Then a quick stop at the library.  Izzy came along for the ride.  She loves riding in the car.

After that we watched a few episodes of Gossip Girl.  We are SERIOUSLY obsessed with that series.  I’m so glad I read about it on a few blogs and decided to check it out.  Definitely an item for the Christmas list.

And now some relaxation before bed.

Another night off and then starts the weekend from hell (need I remind you that I have three on, one off, and then two on…).  But the reward will be the five days off after I make it through.

Fall!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Today is OFFICIALLY the first day of fall!

Happy 1st day of fall to everyone 🙂

It’s a beautiful day here in Massachusetts.  Temp in the 70s, with a cool breeze.  I opened up all the windows in the house this morning to air everything out.  I LOVE the smell of fresh air.

Hard to believe but I have to start getting ready for work in a little over an hour.  Before that comes Izzy’s second walk of the day.  I believe her walks are tiring her out 🙂  She definitely has her little routine down…up in the morning, a walk, food, and then a long rest on the couch.  It really is too funny.

And PROGRESS!  Both cats are upstairs today.  Charlie is no longer hiding out in the basement!  He is curled up on the bed, in his old spot.  I’m so happy.  Now this is not to say that there is friendship between all the animals…rather, I think the cats are tired of the basement.  So they are venturing up. Which is good.

Looking forward to “chicken” parm tonight before work.  And probably a little sliver of fudge for dessert!

I love fall for so many reasons…the changing of the leaves (which is ALREADY happening here!), the crisp air, autumn decorations (scarecrows, and geraniums, and pumpkins), smelling people burning leaves, the crunch of dried, fallen leaves underfoot, warm soups on a chilly night, and definitely caramel apples!

What do you like about fall?

Fair Food!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today Kimm and I finally made it to the Big E after a 2 year hiatus 🙂

So of course that meant yummy fair food.  Although I have to say, after being vegetarian for three years, fair food is not as much fun.  I REALLY miss my corn dogs.  And Kimm always loved a steak and cheese or chili fries.  Thankfully we are not so tempted in our daily lives!

So what did we indulge in??

We had to get our fudge.  Every year we get our fudge from the same place–Mount Moosilauke Candies.  I always get penuche (similar to a brown sugar flavor) and Kimm always gets peanut butter.  We didn’t eat any there, but each got 1/2 a pound to savor over the next week as a treat.

Then of course we got our cider donuts and fresh cider.  The donuts are only 50 cents each!  You can’t beat that.  And the flavor is so simple–hints of apple, cinnamon and nutmeg, a cake texture, but still melt in your mouth goodness.

Next was the Kettle Corn!  Freshly popped and seasoned in front of our eyes.  Had just a taste there and brought home a medium sized bag to eat tonight!   I love the combination of salty and sweet.

Two honey sticks made our way into our mouths at some point.  Mmmm.  I love the taste of fresh honey.  We got the wildflower flavor.

Sadly, the booth where I always get a glass of coffee flavored milk was OUT OF that flavor.  I was disappointed.

We had our homemade pierogies.  3/$4.25.  We got two cabbage and a cheese/potato.  I liked the cabbage best.  While we were there we ran into our mortgage loan originator from our bank!  That was so cool and a total surprise to run into her there.  She says that she has worked at the pierogi place for the last seven years.  After working her regular day job.  Wow.  That’s more than I could do!

Next was a plate of curly fries.  At this point it was almost 8 pm and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet so they tasted so good!

And last, but certainly not least, was fried dough.  OMG.  Seriously.  This was so good.  We got half butter and cinnamon sugar and half powdered sugar.  Perfectly light and pillow-y!  The butter and cinnamon sugar side was crisp and crunchy, the powdered sugar half was soft and melty.  Really the perfect ending to our fair food day.

We had a really good time at the Big E, even though EVERY YEAR it is the same ol’, same ol’.  The crowds of people are annoying as usual.  I think I am just more cranky and irritable in my older age 🙂

But we had some finds.  Kimm found this cool little shop that made lights out of old liquor bottles.  It was called Bootlegger: A Shady Business.  She bought a light made from an old Grey Goose Vodka bottle.  It came with a red light and looks so cool when lit up.  It will be the perfect addition to the office when we do it.

And then I spent a pretty penny on some shoe orthotics from a place called Action Orthotics.  They are based out of Las Vegas but have been coming to the Big E for 15 years and have had MANY happy customers.  Basically they take an impression of your foot and see if orthotics would be beneficial for you.  And of course my horrible feet are perfect candidates.  My feet are flat, but not as flat as I thought.  But you could totally see where the bulk of my weight was distributed on my heels, which is not the correct place at all.  Basically the arch of my foot needs to strengthen up.  And hopefully the orthotics I bought will help.  She told me that it should also help my bunion from getting any worse.  Thank goodness since that sucker is sore as all heck.  We shall see.  I have to work myself up to wearing them more and more time each day, starting with about 1/2 hour a day.  I’m very excited to see if they work.  If not, it’s just money.  That’s me trying to think positive 😉

It’s been a long day.  I’m pretty tired, but in a good way.  My four days off went by SO fast, as they always do.  But maybe because I had such a nice time off, and the fact that I only have one day to work, I’m not really dreading going back tomorrow.  I am sort of dreading this weekend…three on, one off, then two on.  I know it will be a lot.  But I’m going to try to keep positive.  For one, I enjoy working the weekends more, because it usually seems more calm.  Plus, working three days in a row generally means by the third day, if I have any of my same patients, I know them pretty well.  I just take it one day at a time.

And lastly, can you believe that Izzy pooped THREE times today!  WHAT THE HECK.  And one time was right in the middle of the road 🙂  That crazy dog.  I guess she doesn’t need anything to help move her bowels 🙂

Night all.  Happy last day of summer.