Rascal Vs Rabbit

Who do you think was better at staring???

Rascal or Rabbit....

Thermopolis

To experience the wonders of Wyoming, Jay and I decided to have a mini trip to Thermopolis, WY. Which claims to be the largest mineral hot springs in the world. It was pretty big; I never

really saw the open natural pools like that before. It was great autumn weather with the trees changing and the beautiful scenery of Wyoming.

We stayed at this hotel that had a safari dining room that can all kinds of dead trophy mounts all over which I’m now use to.

It was a pretty classy joint with Carlos Rossi as their house wine.

I guess it was fitting. J The next morning Jay and I walked around the hot spring fields and river. There was this suspension bridge that I was deathly afraid to cross and took me forever because every step it would swing and rock back and forth and I was also afraid the wood walk

way would break every step. Jay thought I was hilarious. I’m such a baby when it comes to heights and the fear of falling. Next we went to the Star Plung… one of the natural mineral hot springs for some old fashion swimming. It was an indoor and outdoor swimming pool with pretty warm water. Plus the extra hot tubes that were wonderful.

There were also water slides that Jay was a 5 year old about and super excited to go down. With the thanks of my waterproof camera that is actually waterproof we were able to have some under water fun. All in All Thermopolis was a nice little get away and experience a different part of Wyoming and the company was great.

This town was very different then the hot springs of Colorado. Not nearly as touristy, which is surprising since it is the World’s Largest Hot Springs J Ahhhh…...the attractions of Wyoming…

This and That!!!

Sorry for the non blogging lately. This month has been kinda busy. My schedule at work is horrible this month.

The last 2 weeks I have worked Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Not giving me anytime to recover in between. I also had ACLS training in the middle of it that I wasn’t getting paid for because my floor doesn’t require ACLS certification. But the good nurse that I am I wanted to further my education. I passed and now one of the only ones on my unit that is ACLS. Which I’m happy for, I will probably never be the “team leader” and give the instructions but at least I will understand the emergent and Code blue process and the purpose of the drugs that are being used. Plus I have had more exposure to rhythm strips and finally understand heart blocks and junctional rhythms.

One thing that really made me upset the last week in the ACLS class was how other nurses project that they are better then others because they work in a different part of the hospital. So I’m a Medical Nurse, I get a pretty broad group of patients that are pretty stable and dot require heart monitors and close supervision. Which is a great place for a new grad to start. But then you have the nurses in more critical areas that have this bubble/attitude that since they get more critical patients that they are a “Better” nurse then others. It makes me mad because we all essentially have the same training. I have friends that work in all these

areas and it seems like even them are judgmental towards me. I sometimes find my self saying I’m just a Medical Nurse. But you know what I can do my job, assess my patient and give medications to a patient all without a monitor always attached to them. I am proud to be a Med/Surg Nurse and happy where I am! And when I’m able to look at my patient and know when something is wrong in a second I know that I’m an excellent nurse anywhere I work. So its now where you work that makes you a good nurse its yourself and how attentive you are!

Ok enough of that tangent.

I’m soo happy that my friends cam

e up the last week and visited me here in Casper. I had a great time as always and feel like no matter the amount of time in between seeing each other we can pick up and joke around and have a good time. Thanks guys for coming and visiting me it made me feel special J .

Update: I’m continuing to go to the gym. I haven’t gone nearly as much as I did before I was so busy but slowing becoming more toned. It is hard to eat good when you have a boyfriend it just makes it harder for some reason.

The other day Jay and I went to Alcova Lake and just hung out and for those of you so patiently waiting for a picture of my mystery boyfriend here is a picture—it is a really bad one of the two of us though so no first time judgements.

Rascal

At 4am in the morning when I have to wake up in an hour I though I would talk about my wonderful cat, Rascal. Many people know that it seems like I have had her forever, which pretty much have, more than ½ my life really. She is 15 yrs old and probably seems like she has another good 5-7 years in her. She is a domestic black and white longhaired kitty and now that I have her hair grown out has grey racing stripes down her side.

She cuddles with me, give me massages, we have conversations with each other that only we can understand and she really only likes me. I have been told that she is a bipolar cat which she likes you and then the next minute wouldn’t care less. She had been through a lot in her long lifetime: she has moved 7 times and has been able to adjust pretty well, and be pretty content anywhere she lives. I do get her shaved about every 6 month or so the last couple of years and I know she doesn’t enjoy at all. She has lived with the crazy kitty, Kallie where she succeeded in teaching her bad habits J and she might get to experience a new kitten in the next couple of months, Sam that might be successful in her demise. She has had no health problems her whole life; she has probably been to the vet like 3-4 times total all for check ups. She is however skinny, skinny, but I guess that is better the super fat and insulin dependent. She even has a hand painted portrait of her hanging on my wall J.

I love her very much I wouldn’t trade her for any other cat. Just wish she would be more accepting to other animals and wouldn’t make me nervous that she could have a heart attack if she isn’t my only pet.

Hairless Rascal getting along with Kallie

Full-blown hair do, enjoying her limited time outside

Just after being shaved

I think this is the closest they had ever been, and I bet Kallie snuck up on her

Getting a massage

Artistic Rascal

My bed was actually made before I left the house that morning.

Autumnal Equinox

OOOH and this actually occurs tomorrow and not today....
According to Wikipedia:
“An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The term equinox can also be used in a broader sense, meaning the date when such a passage happens. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day are approximately equally long. It may be better understood to mean that latitudes +L and -L north and south of the Equator experience nights of equal length.
At an equinox, the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator (i.e. declination 0) and ecliptic intersect. These points of intersection are called equinoctial points: classically, the vernal point and the autumnal point. By extension, the term equinox may denote an equinoctial point.
An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (rather than two whole days), when there is a location on the Earth's equator where the center of the Sun can be observed to be vertically overhead (in astronomical terms, the subsolar point), occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23 each year.”

Why I'm Happy!

Happy first day of fall! I think fall is one my favorite season next to spring. The Aspen trees up on the mountain this fall are a pretty color orange and yellow (sorry no pictures of the orange ones though). And I love the smell in the air. The smell of decaying plant….LOL I know that sounds morbid but I do love that smell! I went for a hike on

Monday and a bike ride yesterday. It has been an awesome last couple of days of summer! And last week, Jay took me to this old crystal cave up on Casper Mountain that was pretty interesting.

Anyway, more important things to talk about would be me living in Wyoming for 3 months now! I do really like it here so some high points are: I have a great job that I’m getting better at everyday, finally found something that I’m great at and LOVE! Also, I was scared that I would sit in my apartment bored all the time because I would have no friends or things to do. Lately, it seems like I’m away more then I am home. I haven’t watch TV in 3 months which is great because that seemed to be a weakness for me and it would be the only thing I would do. Now if I have a show that I want to watch I’ll just go online (like tomorrow night Grey’s Anatomy J) and watch just what I want to watch there. I have some pretty good friends here and dare I say a boyfriend (that I actually like). I have been better at working out and eating better (Lost 3 lbs already), not eating out nearly as much.

It seems like moving here was a good change for me. Casper seems like a pretty good town and almost provides everything I need. I DO really miss my family and friends in Denver though L but at least it isn’t that bad of a drive. Plus, I think a couple may becoming to visit me soon (hint, hint). Starting next week I think I’m going to start taking horse riding lessons, I have been waiting till my health insurance started so if I do get hurt it wont cost as much. Also, I really need a hobby now that I’m not in school anymore and only work 3 days a week I do have plenty of time on my hands where I need to fill it with something productive. I need a hobby that is fairly cheap! Anyone have any suggestions?

All in All, I seem much happier for some reason and this is just what I needed to pull me out of the rut I have been in the last couple years.

Nurse Code

Today at work I realized that nurses and medical personal say a lot of interesting sayings/phrases that don’t really make since to non-medical folk. We have all our medical jargon and talk that we spend years on learning and understanding which totally confuses most people at times. But there is the little quirks and phrases that are used sometimes that totally throw people off as well.

So I had an older patient today who totally almost gave me a panic attack twice today as well as influencing this post. I was texting a friend and said: “I almost had a patient fall on me today”. Then the response I got back was “that sucks I hope they were skinny and not 400+ pounds.” Which is what I totally didn’t mean. So I ask a co-worker what I meant by my statement and she knew that my patient almost fell on to the floor today. But I can see how it was misconceiving. J Another phrase I noticed nurses also say a lot is: “The patient is on (or back on) the floor.” Which means that the patient is on the medical unit not the actual floor. I can’t help but laugh because it seems like we are talking in code.

One of my favorite sayings is: “That’s my kryptonite” meaning I can pretty much deal with everything but that. In my case mucus, ugh…makes me gag just thinking about it.

Anyway, are there any more phrases that nurses or medical people use that I’m not remembering? It seems like I just say these things as a second nature instead of stopping and thinking about it.

It could be a Staceyism but I think I’m on to something…

OHH and don’t forget about the initials: FLK J