Today has been the hardest since I have left. I awoke with my neck and shoulder in severe pain. I am still not sure how it happened, but I am thinking I have slept on it wrong somehow and it is just all tight and really hurts, to the point of tears at times. My left ear also hurts, so I am wondering if I may have an ear infection or something else that is causing the pain.
So my plan for the day was to just take it easy and do as little as possible. That was until the internet went out for the umpteenth time! The signal was so weak it would not hold a connection for anything. I wanted to write my blog, pay some bills and watch a a few episodes of television which I have not done since I left. So I got up and cleaned up around the condo and decided that I would venture out as I needed milk and trash bags.
As I drove to the grocery I decided that I would pop into the mall and see what it had to offer. It looked really small from the outside with Sears, JC Penny's and Dillard's. When you walked inside though it was much bigger and had a steady buzz of shoppers for a Sunday afternoon. I walked through the food court very tempted to get something way off my diet, but then remembered how good I felt when I stepped on the scale today and saw I was down 7.4 pounds after my first week and that did I really want to fall off the wagon now... over a few minutes of comfort?.
So I ventured into Bath and Body Works to get some lotion and I found a new sample of and Orange fragrence that will be coming out in April. The sell mini bottles a month or so before for a dollar to get people to try and see how they like it. So for $1.00 I was given a small comfort of relieving my dry skin from handwashing and cold weather.
Next was the Verizon store... it was like it was calling my name! As so yes, I caved in and got a wireless unit for my laptop. I have 30 days to try it and get out of my contract if I do not like it. The sales rep was very kind and for 30 minutes went over all the aspects of adding this to my current services and asking me why I was so far from home. Also informed me that it does not start to get warm here until the end of May... go figure, when I am going to be heading home. So I left this store with another comfort... the ability to get online and stay connected with my friends and family. $59.99 per month.
Then I strolled and just window shopped until I got to Sears and I found another little comfort.... Fleece Socks! My feet have been so cold since I have been here and the wood floors in the condo are no help so I purchased two pairs (on clearance) and for $8.00 I was looking forward to the little thing called warm toes.
I started to feel really miserable with my head and my shoulder, like a migraine coming on so I darted over to the Office Max and picked up my new day planner and ink pens for work... this little comfort of being able to plan my schedule and such was $25.00.
The last stop on my trip was to the grocery store and the first thing I grabbed was a tube of Icy Hot, then milk then trash bags and I was out the door... comfort item $4.99 for something that is hot/cold and smells like mint!
I barely made it home and in the door when I applied my cream took some headache medicine and laid down. I slept for a few hours and woke up feeling some better. Prestin called me and we chatted and he asked once again when we would be able to "space chat" (Skype). I told he I would try and set it up today and we would test it out maybe Tuesday after school. This got me motivated to get up and get something to eat, grab my warm socks and my new air card.
Let me tell you when I logged on and I was able to get video chat to work and web pages to flash by... It was like it was my birthday and Christmas all wrapped up into one! Jeff and I tested out Skype and I felt like I was at home in my own living room and for the first time in ten days I was not sad! If you have it you know what I mean.... if you do not, then click on the link I provided and join, it is free! My ID is Kimmee71.
After a few hours I felt ill again and decided to call it a night and back to the Icy Hot and medicine. I have to work tomorrow night so I need to get rid of this miserable feeling. So to sum it all up... the little things made life a bit more manageable here and sometimes just small little comforts go a long way.
Until then....
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Meeting New Friends
After spending all of yesterday in bed recouping from a long first week, I decided to actually do something today. I wasn't sure at first but I kept going on the fact that the weather was not so great here and that just not too far away the weather was in the 70's and sunny and did I mention WARM!
I spent the morning talking with Jeff and the kids and gabbing online with some friends. I then made up my mind and I decided to go to a Geocaching Event The Big 5000. I figured I need to take advantage of my time here and where else do I know how to find interesting people. People I know I have at least one thing in common with. There was a meeting in Peoria and when I looked it was only 117 miles from my condo. No big deal we drive that back home to go to meetings all the time. So I loaded up the GPS with caches in my area and in Peoria. Got in the car and headed off. The weather was in the low 40's here, but the sun was out and it was not that bad. Come to find out after getting in the car and entering in the address where I was going into the navigation system, that my destination was 140 miles but Two and a half hour drive. I figured oh well what else have I got planned for this evening.
So driving gave me the opportunity to read more of "Dear John" and by the time I arrived home I have just 2 short chapters left.
I got to the meeting about 45 minutes after it started and this place was huge and packed! It was at a place called Peter Piper Pizza and it is a huge establishment kind of like Chuckie Cheeses minus the live acts but open lots of games and people.
We had a section reserved over to the left and it was filled. Must have been about 80 people. I walked in and stood there for a moment scanning the group to see if by chance I recognized someone... well you know it is always a small world when you go places and I have been and worked at two Geowoodstocks. I decided to put down my bag and unload some of the trackable items I brought with me when two fellows greeted me. They immediately noticed I was the girl that was traveling from South Carolina and I was offered a seat at their table. They even offered me pizza, but I told them I was on a strict diet. I was so proud of myself for not being tempted to eat out of nervousness or convience.
I was then introduced to the hostess and we played a really neat version of Bingo as well as a raffle idea that I will be definitely using on once back to SC. I came close to winning several times and the prizes were all unactivated coins. There was even a custom one made that was super cool. They are one of a kind, trackable and cost fifty dollars each. My number was 36 and of course 34 35 and 37 were called.
After the meeting was over people were mingling and this event was to celebrate TD Lover 5,000 finds. Well she sought me out and was so nice and we had a nice conversation. She was excited that I had not only drove from SC to work but that I drove from Flagstaff to meet them. She said that they have all states but Hawaii completed. She even took my picture... which was so close up and I thought it was funny:
The cachers I was sitting with were Team Evil Fish Regan and Jake and they love coins, path tags and caching. I also found out that Regan was actually in an episode of Extreme Pig Outs that Jeff and I saw in the segment on Heart Attack Grill. It is a place where they have a burger that is 8,000 calories, and fires cooked in pure lard. It has a medical theme (nurses as waitresses), a doctor who cooks, and they even will use a wheelchair to take you out to your car. They both even have a characture on the wall with their times. Watch the segment and you will never look at burgers again in the same way. I am going to have to put this place on my to do list while I am here for sure.
After about an hour of chatting after the meeting, I left Team Evil Fish and headed off to cache with -one.
In the parking lot was the funniest car I had to shoot a picture:
It was a blast until after we got 4 caches it started to rain really hard and I knew I had to head back home as going back from 1100 ft to 7200 ft. The first cache was easy and LPC and then the next two they found first so the last one I said I was going to find it to show them I can actually do this and sure enough I found it not only in the dark but in the pouring rain!
So I said my goodbye and headed back home and sure enough once atop the mountain the rain turned to snow. I got home about 12:45AM and was asleep by 1 AM. Even though it was a 5 hour drive for two and a half hours of activity, I am glad I did it. I met some really great folks and have invitations to attend more events and caching while I am here.
I spent the morning talking with Jeff and the kids and gabbing online with some friends. I then made up my mind and I decided to go to a Geocaching Event The Big 5000. I figured I need to take advantage of my time here and where else do I know how to find interesting people. People I know I have at least one thing in common with. There was a meeting in Peoria and when I looked it was only 117 miles from my condo. No big deal we drive that back home to go to meetings all the time. So I loaded up the GPS with caches in my area and in Peoria. Got in the car and headed off. The weather was in the low 40's here, but the sun was out and it was not that bad. Come to find out after getting in the car and entering in the address where I was going into the navigation system, that my destination was 140 miles but Two and a half hour drive. I figured oh well what else have I got planned for this evening.
So driving gave me the opportunity to read more of "Dear John" and by the time I arrived home I have just 2 short chapters left.
I got to the meeting about 45 minutes after it started and this place was huge and packed! It was at a place called Peter Piper Pizza and it is a huge establishment kind of like Chuckie Cheeses minus the live acts but open lots of games and people.
We had a section reserved over to the left and it was filled. Must have been about 80 people. I walked in and stood there for a moment scanning the group to see if by chance I recognized someone... well you know it is always a small world when you go places and I have been and worked at two Geowoodstocks. I decided to put down my bag and unload some of the trackable items I brought with me when two fellows greeted me. They immediately noticed I was the girl that was traveling from South Carolina and I was offered a seat at their table. They even offered me pizza, but I told them I was on a strict diet. I was so proud of myself for not being tempted to eat out of nervousness or convience.
I was then introduced to the hostess and we played a really neat version of Bingo as well as a raffle idea that I will be definitely using on once back to SC. I came close to winning several times and the prizes were all unactivated coins. There was even a custom one made that was super cool. They are one of a kind, trackable and cost fifty dollars each. My number was 36 and of course 34 35 and 37 were called.
After the meeting was over people were mingling and this event was to celebrate TD Lover 5,000 finds. Well she sought me out and was so nice and we had a nice conversation. She was excited that I had not only drove from SC to work but that I drove from Flagstaff to meet them. She said that they have all states but Hawaii completed. She even took my picture... which was so close up and I thought it was funny:
After about an hour of chatting after the meeting, I left Team Evil Fish and headed off to cache with -one.
In the parking lot was the funniest car I had to shoot a picture:
It was a blast until after we got 4 caches it started to rain really hard and I knew I had to head back home as going back from 1100 ft to 7200 ft. The first cache was easy and LPC and then the next two they found first so the last one I said I was going to find it to show them I can actually do this and sure enough I found it not only in the dark but in the pouring rain!
So I said my goodbye and headed back home and sure enough once atop the mountain the rain turned to snow. I got home about 12:45AM and was asleep by 1 AM. Even though it was a 5 hour drive for two and a half hours of activity, I am glad I did it. I met some really great folks and have invitations to attend more events and caching while I am here.
Friday, February 26, 2010
One Down Twelve to Go
As the title of this entry states, I have finished the first week of thirteen here in Arizona. In some ways it has flown by and in others time has felt like it has creeped and almost stood still. When I think about at all that I have accomplished in the past week I am amazed. Not only did I drive cross country I started a new job and got settled in a new home. I have managed to stick to my reading, workout and dieting goals as well as writing this blog. For all this I am grateful.
Today has been one of just pure exhaustion and laziness.
Last night work was VERY busy. I was not only given a group of kids I was also left in charge or the unit for over an hour and had to not only lead staff and watch the unit I actually had to make decisions with supervision on admissions and staffing and yet I am used to doing that most every shift, somehow it seemed like a huge undertaking since I have only work one night here. My trial was a success I came to find out. Even though I was freaking out on the inside, I passed with flying colors and my coworkers have no doubt that I will be able to be a leader and work with them during my stay here.
The most frustrating part of what I had to encounter last night was once again THE PAPERWORK! It is always the hardest part of a travel nurses job is having to learn it all so fast and by the time you get the hang of it... it is a new facility and a whole new set of forms. We started out with only 9 of our beds filled and before we left this morning we had filled up to 13 and the other two beds were already spoken for and on the way.
I spent the first hour and a half working with a very sick five month old girl who was struggling to breathe. Then I was getting another patient a 12 year old male with a severe infection on his leg and so I had to move patients rooms around. Not all of the rooms on this unit are private and so if a patient has to be put on isolation due to infection it sometimes is a challenge to work it all out. The teamwork here is fantastic and everyone seems to pitch in and just gets the jobs done. It is not about "it is not my job" it is about... this patient needs something and we will all get out of here together.
Most of the patients at this facility are Navajo and the rest comprise of Hopi. I was told of an interesting bit of Hopi culture that the mother and baby after birth are not in light the first 20 days. On the 20th day they go on top of a Mesa and once the sun hits the baby it is given its name. The name of the baby is chosen by the baby's fathers family (usually by the women), although the parents can choose another name if not accepting a name from those brought. The women bring a name and a gift for the child. It was also interesting to learn that the children follow the Mother's clan. When a child is born, they receive a perfect ear of corn and a special blanket. The word Hopi can be translated as "peaceful ones" or "peaceful little ones" To be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, which involves a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with these things, and to live in accordance with the instructions of Maasaw, the Creator or Caretaker of Earth.
I have heard lots about Kachina dolls, which are made by the Hopi and usually the uncles make them and give them to the kids. Maybe I will ask and learn about them Monday night when I go back for my first solo shift!
I was finally able to get all of my patients settled and stable and sleeping by 12:30 and got all the paperwork caught up by 4 am to have to start the final assessments and charting for the shift. I got to take a break, although short to eat about 4:15 and before I knew it 6:30 had arrived and I was giving report to the oncoming staff. I filled out my time, got it approved and faxed it off so I can actually get my first paycheck next week!
I walked wearily to the car to find it covered in ice and drove the 75miles back to the condo. I am 2/3 of the way done listening to "Dear John". I was not able to see the movie before leaving and I tend to like the books better than the movies.
Needless to say I made it home and once again ran for the bed and guess what... I actually slept! I think it was honestly pure exhaustion. I woke up after 6 hours and just did not even feel like getting up. So my plan for today is just to finish out this lazy day as I even type this from my laptop in the bed. It is cold and the sound of water dripping is soothing... it is the sun melting the snow. It is forcasted to be 27 and more snow for the weekend.
Although I have been just resting today, I have still been able to get some thing accomplished, like writing some emails, and making some phone calls. I spoke with some loved ones which always makes me smile. I have though been frustrated again with the internet popping on and off all afternoon.
As for tomorrow I will not be this lazy and as a matter of fact may just take a day trip a little south where it will be 75 degrees and sunny! And to think it is only an hour away. I am thinking of also going to a geocaching meeting to meet some new folks although I will have to make sure I bring my food as it is a pizza place and I have stuck well with my diet. I did not lose weight today but no gain is the goal.
I hope the next twelve weeks go as quickly and I get as much accomplished as I have this week.
Until tomorrow!
Today has been one of just pure exhaustion and laziness.
Last night work was VERY busy. I was not only given a group of kids I was also left in charge or the unit for over an hour and had to not only lead staff and watch the unit I actually had to make decisions with supervision on admissions and staffing and yet I am used to doing that most every shift, somehow it seemed like a huge undertaking since I have only work one night here. My trial was a success I came to find out. Even though I was freaking out on the inside, I passed with flying colors and my coworkers have no doubt that I will be able to be a leader and work with them during my stay here.
The most frustrating part of what I had to encounter last night was once again THE PAPERWORK! It is always the hardest part of a travel nurses job is having to learn it all so fast and by the time you get the hang of it... it is a new facility and a whole new set of forms. We started out with only 9 of our beds filled and before we left this morning we had filled up to 13 and the other two beds were already spoken for and on the way.
I spent the first hour and a half working with a very sick five month old girl who was struggling to breathe. Then I was getting another patient a 12 year old male with a severe infection on his leg and so I had to move patients rooms around. Not all of the rooms on this unit are private and so if a patient has to be put on isolation due to infection it sometimes is a challenge to work it all out. The teamwork here is fantastic and everyone seems to pitch in and just gets the jobs done. It is not about "it is not my job" it is about... this patient needs something and we will all get out of here together.
Most of the patients at this facility are Navajo and the rest comprise of Hopi. I was told of an interesting bit of Hopi culture that the mother and baby after birth are not in light the first 20 days. On the 20th day they go on top of a Mesa and once the sun hits the baby it is given its name. The name of the baby is chosen by the baby's fathers family (usually by the women), although the parents can choose another name if not accepting a name from those brought. The women bring a name and a gift for the child. It was also interesting to learn that the children follow the Mother's clan. When a child is born, they receive a perfect ear of corn and a special blanket. The word Hopi can be translated as "peaceful ones" or "peaceful little ones" To be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, which involves a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with these things, and to live in accordance with the instructions of Maasaw, the Creator or Caretaker of Earth.
I have heard lots about Kachina dolls, which are made by the Hopi and usually the uncles make them and give them to the kids. Maybe I will ask and learn about them Monday night when I go back for my first solo shift!
I was finally able to get all of my patients settled and stable and sleeping by 12:30 and got all the paperwork caught up by 4 am to have to start the final assessments and charting for the shift. I got to take a break, although short to eat about 4:15 and before I knew it 6:30 had arrived and I was giving report to the oncoming staff. I filled out my time, got it approved and faxed it off so I can actually get my first paycheck next week!
I walked wearily to the car to find it covered in ice and drove the 75miles back to the condo. I am 2/3 of the way done listening to "Dear John". I was not able to see the movie before leaving and I tend to like the books better than the movies.
Needless to say I made it home and once again ran for the bed and guess what... I actually slept! I think it was honestly pure exhaustion. I woke up after 6 hours and just did not even feel like getting up. So my plan for today is just to finish out this lazy day as I even type this from my laptop in the bed. It is cold and the sound of water dripping is soothing... it is the sun melting the snow. It is forcasted to be 27 and more snow for the weekend.
Although I have been just resting today, I have still been able to get some thing accomplished, like writing some emails, and making some phone calls. I spoke with some loved ones which always makes me smile. I have though been frustrated again with the internet popping on and off all afternoon.
As for tomorrow I will not be this lazy and as a matter of fact may just take a day trip a little south where it will be 75 degrees and sunny! And to think it is only an hour away. I am thinking of also going to a geocaching meeting to meet some new folks although I will have to make sure I bring my food as it is a pizza place and I have stuck well with my diet. I did not lose weight today but no gain is the goal.
I hope the next twelve weeks go as quickly and I get as much accomplished as I have this week.
Until tomorrow!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
My First Night Shift
Well I have to say that even though the ride is almost an hour and a half each way, I was so glad to be able to actually see where I was going. No snow, no ice, not dark and it was a very beautiful drive. So much to look at and once you get out of Flagstaff and down a couple of thousand feet the snow was all gone and you could actually see the terrain. Very desert like for sure. I am hoping to be able to get some pictures this weekend as I will be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
I arrived for my shift at the required time of six thirty and headed to the Pediatrics Unit. I actually ran as I had to go pee so bad that I flew in the unit right past everyone and headed for the locker room! I have been doing so well on my diet that all the extra water I have been drinking catches up with me when I least expect it.
Tonight I will worked alongside the charge nurse to learn the ropes. We had five patients all children under the age of 2. The hardest thing about travel jobs is learning the paperwork, taking care of the patients is not any different where you go. I hate paperwork. I would rather spend my time given care to the patients and family then spending countless hours writing down what we did, how we did it and what we could not do. I know it is important but just aggravating.
I have found that also the cultural differences here within the Navajo and Hopi are very much different than anything I have experienced and it is interesting to learn of their customs and history. The native language is spoken so gracefully and the families are patient. As I learn new things I will post them here not only for reference but as to share the knowledge with everyone.
After about half the shift, I felt comfortable enough to just take tow of the five patients we had on my own. I am a very hands on and visual learner and I needed to do it for myself. I had chosen a six month old girl with the RSV virus and a two year old girl with pneumonia. If i did not mention previously, many of the patients we care for in this facility have no electricity, running water, indoor bathrooms or sleep on dirt floors. Many of the families have lung problems brought on by wood burning heat and there is an abundant of red cloy dust that blows everywhere.
The night went by slower than I am used to and I was very tired and my brain was on overload. The night staff I worked with were locals and they were very nice and lots of fun. Every time another staff member from another department came through I was introduced and they all think it is funny I am from South Carolina... like I am from a foreign country. It is refreshing that everyone is so kind and supportive of each other it makes that part of the transition to this facility a little easier. The pediatricians are very knowledgeable and care about great deal about not only their patients but to the employees they work alongside. Normally every place you work there is always a doctor or tow that is not the favorite among the staff or is more difficult to work with, here that is not the case and that says volumes.
At the end of the shift, we handed our patients to the day shift and headed out the door. My evaluation went well and I was deemed very competent with my skills and the plan for the next shift is for me to take an entire five patients as so they can evaluate that I can handle a full load and get the paperwork under control.
As I drove home I was so exhausted I had a hard time staying awake. I am thinking the exhaustion and insomnia are kicking my butt and after a long ride home I walked in the back door, undressed and plopped right into bed only to awake three hours later!
The diet is still going well and although I still cannot stomach lentils or sweet potatoes. I am still down another 0.8 pounds for a total of 6.4 pounds.
I am very frustrated with the wifi at my condo as it seems to work only when it wants to, disconnects all the time and it makes it hard for me to keep up with things like my facebook, journal and emails. I may have to look into a Verizon adapter but they are expensive almost seventy dollars per month. Although I do have the capability to use the activity center but with my schedule finding time to get there during their hours of operation is tough as well.
But can you really put a price on keeping your loved ones and friends close to you?
I arrived for my shift at the required time of six thirty and headed to the Pediatrics Unit. I actually ran as I had to go pee so bad that I flew in the unit right past everyone and headed for the locker room! I have been doing so well on my diet that all the extra water I have been drinking catches up with me when I least expect it.
Tonight I will worked alongside the charge nurse to learn the ropes. We had five patients all children under the age of 2. The hardest thing about travel jobs is learning the paperwork, taking care of the patients is not any different where you go. I hate paperwork. I would rather spend my time given care to the patients and family then spending countless hours writing down what we did, how we did it and what we could not do. I know it is important but just aggravating.
I have found that also the cultural differences here within the Navajo and Hopi are very much different than anything I have experienced and it is interesting to learn of their customs and history. The native language is spoken so gracefully and the families are patient. As I learn new things I will post them here not only for reference but as to share the knowledge with everyone.
After about half the shift, I felt comfortable enough to just take tow of the five patients we had on my own. I am a very hands on and visual learner and I needed to do it for myself. I had chosen a six month old girl with the RSV virus and a two year old girl with pneumonia. If i did not mention previously, many of the patients we care for in this facility have no electricity, running water, indoor bathrooms or sleep on dirt floors. Many of the families have lung problems brought on by wood burning heat and there is an abundant of red cloy dust that blows everywhere.
The night went by slower than I am used to and I was very tired and my brain was on overload. The night staff I worked with were locals and they were very nice and lots of fun. Every time another staff member from another department came through I was introduced and they all think it is funny I am from South Carolina... like I am from a foreign country. It is refreshing that everyone is so kind and supportive of each other it makes that part of the transition to this facility a little easier. The pediatricians are very knowledgeable and care about great deal about not only their patients but to the employees they work alongside. Normally every place you work there is always a doctor or tow that is not the favorite among the staff or is more difficult to work with, here that is not the case and that says volumes.
At the end of the shift, we handed our patients to the day shift and headed out the door. My evaluation went well and I was deemed very competent with my skills and the plan for the next shift is for me to take an entire five patients as so they can evaluate that I can handle a full load and get the paperwork under control.
As I drove home I was so exhausted I had a hard time staying awake. I am thinking the exhaustion and insomnia are kicking my butt and after a long ride home I walked in the back door, undressed and plopped right into bed only to awake three hours later!
The diet is still going well and although I still cannot stomach lentils or sweet potatoes. I am still down another 0.8 pounds for a total of 6.4 pounds.
I am very frustrated with the wifi at my condo as it seems to work only when it wants to, disconnects all the time and it makes it hard for me to keep up with things like my facebook, journal and emails. I may have to look into a Verizon adapter but they are expensive almost seventy dollars per month. Although I do have the capability to use the activity center but with my schedule finding time to get there during their hours of operation is tough as well.
But can you really put a price on keeping your loved ones and friends close to you?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Getting Ready for Night Number One
Well what a day this will be and long for sure as my insomnia has been really overbearing these past few days.
I made myself lie in the bed until 11 am and then got up to get a few things done.
I weighed and I have lost 5.6 pounds and it so totally made my day! I have planned to give myself a reward for every five pounds ($20.00) and now this gave me even more incentive to not only lose more weight but to get out and go find my reward.
I went to the Walmart which is about 8 miles from me and it is a very large and busy place. Thier grocery department is not very good and only has the staples and a few frozen foods. I got a few things for cleaning and my bathroom needs and I decided to treat myself to my reward! I purchased two pairs of jammies! Warm ones and I got them on clearance to boot. I did not even spend my entire twenty dollars!
Since I was not able to get all the grocery needs, I went back to the Safeway by my condo and shopped for the rest opf the week now that I actually remembered my list and had no attacks of panic or waves of homesickness this time.
On the way back I stopped at the gym, as I knew if I did not do it now I would not make it back out and over before I had to go to work and plus it was only 40 degrees out, the sun melting away more snow (yeah) and the groceries would be fine for thirty minutes. I went in and ran a half mile on the treadmill and I had to go after about twenty minutes as they were painting in the building and it made my head feel worse and I couldn't breath (other than the fact fat girl here was running).
I headed back home, put away groceries, made my meals for the day, and got ready for work. I am excited but also tired.
It's 5pm and I am on my way out the door.
Will post tomorrow about my night!
I made myself lie in the bed until 11 am and then got up to get a few things done.
I weighed and I have lost 5.6 pounds and it so totally made my day! I have planned to give myself a reward for every five pounds ($20.00) and now this gave me even more incentive to not only lose more weight but to get out and go find my reward.
I went to the Walmart which is about 8 miles from me and it is a very large and busy place. Thier grocery department is not very good and only has the staples and a few frozen foods. I got a few things for cleaning and my bathroom needs and I decided to treat myself to my reward! I purchased two pairs of jammies! Warm ones and I got them on clearance to boot. I did not even spend my entire twenty dollars!
Since I was not able to get all the grocery needs, I went back to the Safeway by my condo and shopped for the rest opf the week now that I actually remembered my list and had no attacks of panic or waves of homesickness this time.
On the way back I stopped at the gym, as I knew if I did not do it now I would not make it back out and over before I had to go to work and plus it was only 40 degrees out, the sun melting away more snow (yeah) and the groceries would be fine for thirty minutes. I went in and ran a half mile on the treadmill and I had to go after about twenty minutes as they were painting in the building and it made my head feel worse and I couldn't breath (other than the fact fat girl here was running).
I headed back home, put away groceries, made my meals for the day, and got ready for work. I am excited but also tired.
It's 5pm and I am on my way out the door.
Will post tomorrow about my night!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
My First Day Off
Well I will warn you all now that this will not be an action packed day for sure and you may find that my day was just plain out boring. I am writing though as I made a commitment to try and blog every single day so even if it is not the best of information.. I am still here none the less.
Once again I slept terrible last night. I tossed and turned. Got hot then cold. I watch some television and the shows are all on weird times here. This time change is weird and a show that I normally watch and 9 on Monday's came on here at 10. Once I fell asleep about 5 AM I woke up again to the sound of my cell phone ringing. Not even looking at it I answered it and it was 6:58 in the morning... It was a question from the insurance company about a medical bill I just filed and I told this lady the same thing I told the one who called me Friday with the same question. She said oh yeah I see that in the notes now! So I close my eyes and then at 7:17 the phone rings again and it was a family member that I have not spoken with in several years calling wanting email, physical addresses and phone numbers. It totally caught me off guard and I said I would just have to email it all to her as I was not near my computer. Since this was extra strange, I called my mother to discuss this with her and we talked FOREVER! Well one hour and four minutes... and I enjoyed it and then realized that my sleep was over now. Then at 7:53 another person called me and it was a friend I had not talked with in almost 2 years calling to see how I was doing. Now I know this is going to sound strange, but I got more phone calls today from people I never expected to hear from.... maybe they had a feeling I was needing some human conversation today and not to just talk to myself.
After a few more phone calls and an email with the required information I decided to try and rest some more on the couch but oh I totally forgot to weigh in for the day... I lost 2 pounds exactly! So something was going right for me. The sun was out but it was still under freezing and the melting snow was freezing so I decided not to venture out at the moment.
I tried watching Curling.. and it so made no sense to me and sis not hold my attention so I made a grocery list and as I was getting ready to head out my boys called me. Prestin was so cute and he asked how many days have you been in Arizona. I told him three days. He said okay mom I had to make sure I had my marks right you have 87 more days until you come home. He asked if I was all alone and I told him yes that I did not bring anyone with me. He told me about his day and that he had a new neighbor move in and that he was getting ready to eat supper. I also spoke with Martin for a few and he said he was doing very well in school and I am proud and he and his friend were installing a new stereo system in his car.
Just after that my Jeff called me and for the next nineteen and a half minutes I smiled and then he had to go as his phone was almost dead. He was going to attend the monthly Geocaching meeting. If you do not know what Geocaching is, it is one of our hobbies. It is high tech scavenger hunting complete with puzzles and sometimes a test of mind and body. It is played with hand-held GPS units and I have been doing it for three years. It is how Jeff and I met. Check it out at Geocaching Website It is free to join. My user id is My Profile and Jeff and I have a joint account under Our Profile. I am so glad I got to talk to him.
So now I decided I needed to get to the gym and the grocery before the weather got worse so I changed and took my list and headed to the gym. I had my membership card made and then I did a 5.25 mile bike ride in 35 minutes. The roads in the country club where I live were very icy so I just stopped at the activity center and grabbed a dvd New in Town as I felt it was a fitting title and I did not even get any of the Starbucks they serve! I will get the shopping done tomorrow before I have to go to work for sure.
I made it home and fixed some dinner, washed dishes and read all my comments on facebook and talked with a few more people. I have to say that I feel so loved even though I am so far away. Thank you everyone for making this transition a little easier as I try to adjust. The phone calls, emails, etc really do help.
I have work tomorrow night so I will have to adjust my blogging a bit to accomodate that I will be working nights... I am actually looking forward to it.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get some rest before I work
2. Go to the gym for another 30 minute workout
3. Have a positive attitude
Night everyone!
Once again I slept terrible last night. I tossed and turned. Got hot then cold. I watch some television and the shows are all on weird times here. This time change is weird and a show that I normally watch and 9 on Monday's came on here at 10. Once I fell asleep about 5 AM I woke up again to the sound of my cell phone ringing. Not even looking at it I answered it and it was 6:58 in the morning... It was a question from the insurance company about a medical bill I just filed and I told this lady the same thing I told the one who called me Friday with the same question. She said oh yeah I see that in the notes now! So I close my eyes and then at 7:17 the phone rings again and it was a family member that I have not spoken with in several years calling wanting email, physical addresses and phone numbers. It totally caught me off guard and I said I would just have to email it all to her as I was not near my computer. Since this was extra strange, I called my mother to discuss this with her and we talked FOREVER! Well one hour and four minutes... and I enjoyed it and then realized that my sleep was over now. Then at 7:53 another person called me and it was a friend I had not talked with in almost 2 years calling to see how I was doing. Now I know this is going to sound strange, but I got more phone calls today from people I never expected to hear from.... maybe they had a feeling I was needing some human conversation today and not to just talk to myself.
After a few more phone calls and an email with the required information I decided to try and rest some more on the couch but oh I totally forgot to weigh in for the day... I lost 2 pounds exactly! So something was going right for me. The sun was out but it was still under freezing and the melting snow was freezing so I decided not to venture out at the moment.
I tried watching Curling.. and it so made no sense to me and sis not hold my attention so I made a grocery list and as I was getting ready to head out my boys called me. Prestin was so cute and he asked how many days have you been in Arizona. I told him three days. He said okay mom I had to make sure I had my marks right you have 87 more days until you come home. He asked if I was all alone and I told him yes that I did not bring anyone with me. He told me about his day and that he had a new neighbor move in and that he was getting ready to eat supper. I also spoke with Martin for a few and he said he was doing very well in school and I am proud and he and his friend were installing a new stereo system in his car.
Just after that my Jeff called me and for the next nineteen and a half minutes I smiled and then he had to go as his phone was almost dead. He was going to attend the monthly Geocaching meeting. If you do not know what Geocaching is, it is one of our hobbies. It is high tech scavenger hunting complete with puzzles and sometimes a test of mind and body. It is played with hand-held GPS units and I have been doing it for three years. It is how Jeff and I met. Check it out at Geocaching Website It is free to join. My user id is My Profile and Jeff and I have a joint account under Our Profile. I am so glad I got to talk to him.
So now I decided I needed to get to the gym and the grocery before the weather got worse so I changed and took my list and headed to the gym. I had my membership card made and then I did a 5.25 mile bike ride in 35 minutes. The roads in the country club where I live were very icy so I just stopped at the activity center and grabbed a dvd New in Town as I felt it was a fitting title and I did not even get any of the Starbucks they serve! I will get the shopping done tomorrow before I have to go to work for sure.
I made it home and fixed some dinner, washed dishes and read all my comments on facebook and talked with a few more people. I have to say that I feel so loved even though I am so far away. Thank you everyone for making this transition a little easier as I try to adjust. The phone calls, emails, etc really do help.
I have work tomorrow night so I will have to adjust my blogging a bit to accomodate that I will be working nights... I am actually looking forward to it.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get some rest before I work
2. Go to the gym for another 30 minute workout
3. Have a positive attitude
Night everyone!
Monday, February 22, 2010
My First Day at Tuba City
What a long and difficult and exciting day all wrapped up into one.
I awake at 5:45 AM after a somewhat decent night of sleep and got ready for my day. I looked outside and to my surprise there was another 12 inches of snow! The road was not clear so I hurried up and got ready to leave extra early. I had planned to leave at 6:30 AM to arrive there at 8 but I ended up leaving at 6. The roads were terrible and I could not even go more than 10 to 20 miles per hour. My car is not very snow and ice friendly that is for sure.
It took me two and a half hours to arrive to the hospital and I was so glad that everyone was running behind, schools were closed as the snowfall in Tuba City was uncommon and they only got 4 to 6 inches.
I arrive and find a parking spot until I could ask where it is I am to park and I grab my materials and head towards the building. I went to take a picture, but the camera batteries were low so I will have to get one next trip. The building looked like a large schhol like a high school size all one level. There were trailers that were labeled clinics, etc so I found the first person with a hospital identification badge and asked which direction to the Pediatrics wing. I was quickly and politely given directions and I was on my way. I arrived on the unit and went to the nurses station. There was two nurses standing taling and a girl behind the desk who appeared to be the secretary. I introduced myself and said I was looking for.... I am wondering how to really talk about work without violating the privacy of my co-workers... I think I may just give them either initials or codenames or something... will work that out. Well the two nurses greeted me and welcomed me and stated that my supervisor was expecting me that she was off the unit and I could wait with them for her. They were so nice. They asked how my drive was and seemed to know a little about me already. One nurse has been there for 14 months of her two year contract and is from Kentucky... the other has been there six weeks of her two year contract and she is from Puerto Rico. The secretary who are called MSA's is a nice young lady from the reservation as are the day and night CNA's. After about ten minutes of introductions and chatter my supervisor arrives and hugs me and welcomes me. She says lets walk, get some coffee and chat. She even bought me a huge cup as I declined her to buy me breakfast. We went to the conference room and we talked like we had known each other forever not just 2 weeks. I had spoke with her when I interviewed for this position. She is great a previous traveller herself, she is very understanding and accomodating to the needs of her staff. She explained that most of the nurses here are contract nurses! We then finished our chat coffee and then she gave me the hospital tour and we headed top start the dreaded paperwork process. I got my ID badge made and then got the orientation packet. Went to get drug tested which I had been holding my pee for 3 hours!!! Come to find out they have a different method of testing that I had not seen nor heard of. They say it is cheaper and easier to administer... it was a cheek swab. It was this plastic blue stick with a white tab on the end which you hold on the inside of your cheek for two minutes... easy enough. As I was standing there holding this thing to my cheek... the Nursing Recruiter for the hospital and the man who offered me the job arrived and was chatting with me... he thought I had a lollipop! He was very nice and welcomed me... everyone all day would be this polite even the patients and families! We then head to education and signed up for Nursing orientation class which will be next Wednesday so I could at least take the medication test so I could work prior to the class it was a requirement to do patient care... Easy, done got 100 percent! I also got signed up to renew my certifications which will be needing renewal while here. My CPR for health care, Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Life Support. These are all essential to work in critical care areas.
After all that paperwork and two folders of other stuff to read and complete, we headed back to the unit and I got paired with nurse Kentucky. She should me the unit, the paperwork, the charts, equipment and we even went to see the two babies whom we would be caring for. The unit can hold 15 children. Currently there are lots of RSV babies being treated as this is the season and once the season has passed there will be lots of post op kids and orthopedic kids from the skate park injuries. I got a little history on the area and it was sad to know that many of the families here live in remote areas, on dirt floors, no heat/electricity or running water. Many of the kids stay with an Aunt or Grandparent at the bedside as the mother has to be home to care for upwards of 18 other children.
I spent the rest of the day going between a few patients, helping out where I could, reading materials and meeting doctors and staff members. The Pediatrician who was on today was very nice and we spoke at length... he has been here for 17 years after leaving medical school in Virginia. There are many surgical residents here who do a rotation and they staff Guard members as well.
During our lunch I decided to move my car and take a quick drive around the city. I noticed it was hard to see much with all the snow but they have two Mc Donald's within a mile, a Taco Bell and a KFC. They have a movie theater which has two movies playing and I went into the grocery store and bought some apples and gum. There are dogs everywhere! They are called the "res dogs".
Once I returned from my lunch I was given a gift from Kentucky... she bought me a stick of Cherry Chap-stick! She said "Welcome to Tuba City! You will need this so let me be the one to get you started! This item is essential as the winds and air will keep those lips dry." I must have used that Chap-stick all day.
The rest of the day was interesting but dragged on as I was really tired and the higher elevations here drain you.
It took me only one hour and 15 minutes to arrive home and there was a nice surprise on my door from my landlord. She paid for me a gym membership and arranged for my driveway to be cleared while I am here and the weather is bad. Also she left me the mailbox key so I can get mail while I am here!
I also started my diet today. I am doing the Extreme Fat Smash Diet and my goal is to lose 30 pounds in the 90 days. I think that is realistic as it is only 10 pounds per month about 2.5 pounds per week. I drove and ate my first meal... well fruit! The diet went well today with the exception of I did not get the fourth meal in as I was so exhausted from the long day!
So as for my goals today I think I completed them all except unpacking... I am ready to get offline, eat my salad and veg in front of the television and go to bed. I work again Wednesday night so I am off tomorrow for some much needed rest. I feel like I have been running for two weeks.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Sleep in
2. Go to the gym
3. Unpack
Until tomorrow....
I awake at 5:45 AM after a somewhat decent night of sleep and got ready for my day. I looked outside and to my surprise there was another 12 inches of snow! The road was not clear so I hurried up and got ready to leave extra early. I had planned to leave at 6:30 AM to arrive there at 8 but I ended up leaving at 6. The roads were terrible and I could not even go more than 10 to 20 miles per hour. My car is not very snow and ice friendly that is for sure.
It took me two and a half hours to arrive to the hospital and I was so glad that everyone was running behind, schools were closed as the snowfall in Tuba City was uncommon and they only got 4 to 6 inches.
I arrive and find a parking spot until I could ask where it is I am to park and I grab my materials and head towards the building. I went to take a picture, but the camera batteries were low so I will have to get one next trip. The building looked like a large schhol like a high school size all one level. There were trailers that were labeled clinics, etc so I found the first person with a hospital identification badge and asked which direction to the Pediatrics wing. I was quickly and politely given directions and I was on my way. I arrived on the unit and went to the nurses station. There was two nurses standing taling and a girl behind the desk who appeared to be the secretary. I introduced myself and said I was looking for.... I am wondering how to really talk about work without violating the privacy of my co-workers... I think I may just give them either initials or codenames or something... will work that out. Well the two nurses greeted me and welcomed me and stated that my supervisor was expecting me that she was off the unit and I could wait with them for her. They were so nice. They asked how my drive was and seemed to know a little about me already. One nurse has been there for 14 months of her two year contract and is from Kentucky... the other has been there six weeks of her two year contract and she is from Puerto Rico. The secretary who are called MSA's is a nice young lady from the reservation as are the day and night CNA's. After about ten minutes of introductions and chatter my supervisor arrives and hugs me and welcomes me. She says lets walk, get some coffee and chat. She even bought me a huge cup as I declined her to buy me breakfast. We went to the conference room and we talked like we had known each other forever not just 2 weeks. I had spoke with her when I interviewed for this position. She is great a previous traveller herself, she is very understanding and accomodating to the needs of her staff. She explained that most of the nurses here are contract nurses! We then finished our chat coffee and then she gave me the hospital tour and we headed top start the dreaded paperwork process. I got my ID badge made and then got the orientation packet. Went to get drug tested which I had been holding my pee for 3 hours!!! Come to find out they have a different method of testing that I had not seen nor heard of. They say it is cheaper and easier to administer... it was a cheek swab. It was this plastic blue stick with a white tab on the end which you hold on the inside of your cheek for two minutes... easy enough. As I was standing there holding this thing to my cheek... the Nursing Recruiter for the hospital and the man who offered me the job arrived and was chatting with me... he thought I had a lollipop! He was very nice and welcomed me... everyone all day would be this polite even the patients and families! We then head to education and signed up for Nursing orientation class which will be next Wednesday so I could at least take the medication test so I could work prior to the class it was a requirement to do patient care... Easy, done got 100 percent! I also got signed up to renew my certifications which will be needing renewal while here. My CPR for health care, Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Life Support. These are all essential to work in critical care areas.
After all that paperwork and two folders of other stuff to read and complete, we headed back to the unit and I got paired with nurse Kentucky. She should me the unit, the paperwork, the charts, equipment and we even went to see the two babies whom we would be caring for. The unit can hold 15 children. Currently there are lots of RSV babies being treated as this is the season and once the season has passed there will be lots of post op kids and orthopedic kids from the skate park injuries. I got a little history on the area and it was sad to know that many of the families here live in remote areas, on dirt floors, no heat/electricity or running water. Many of the kids stay with an Aunt or Grandparent at the bedside as the mother has to be home to care for upwards of 18 other children.
I spent the rest of the day going between a few patients, helping out where I could, reading materials and meeting doctors and staff members. The Pediatrician who was on today was very nice and we spoke at length... he has been here for 17 years after leaving medical school in Virginia. There are many surgical residents here who do a rotation and they staff Guard members as well.
During our lunch I decided to move my car and take a quick drive around the city. I noticed it was hard to see much with all the snow but they have two Mc Donald's within a mile, a Taco Bell and a KFC. They have a movie theater which has two movies playing and I went into the grocery store and bought some apples and gum. There are dogs everywhere! They are called the "res dogs".
Once I returned from my lunch I was given a gift from Kentucky... she bought me a stick of Cherry Chap-stick! She said "Welcome to Tuba City! You will need this so let me be the one to get you started! This item is essential as the winds and air will keep those lips dry." I must have used that Chap-stick all day.
The rest of the day was interesting but dragged on as I was really tired and the higher elevations here drain you.
It took me only one hour and 15 minutes to arrive home and there was a nice surprise on my door from my landlord. She paid for me a gym membership and arranged for my driveway to be cleared while I am here and the weather is bad. Also she left me the mailbox key so I can get mail while I am here!
I also started my diet today. I am doing the Extreme Fat Smash Diet and my goal is to lose 30 pounds in the 90 days. I think that is realistic as it is only 10 pounds per month about 2.5 pounds per week. I drove and ate my first meal... well fruit! The diet went well today with the exception of I did not get the fourth meal in as I was so exhausted from the long day!
So as for my goals today I think I completed them all except unpacking... I am ready to get offline, eat my salad and veg in front of the television and go to bed. I work again Wednesday night so I am off tomorrow for some much needed rest. I feel like I have been running for two weeks.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Sleep in
2. Go to the gym
3. Unpack
Until tomorrow....
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Arrived in Arizona
I made it.
At first I thought that when I got off the interstate that I somehow was teleported to Switzerland! It was so snowy. It was snowing and there was so much snow on the ground you could not see anything but snow.
Let's see if I can get at least one complete day of blogging done and then I can go back and work on the previous ones.
After a not so good sleep last night... less than 3 hours and it was restless and very noisy. I should have just taken my sleeping bag and slept on I 40 as loud as it was and I also could not get the temperature to regulate. I was either way too hot or way too cold. So at 5:30 I decided to just get on up. I chatted with Jeff for a few and then decided to start getting ready to go as I was getting sad as I miss him. I called the boys but the calls went to voice mail, but the weather was not the best all day and reception was spotty in New Mexico.
7:15 I am packed up with coffee and a better attitude... ready to get on the road. I have just a short ride today of 437 miles.
I am so glad that I chose to stop when I did last night as I would have been so upset to have missed New Mexico to the dark. It is absolutely breathtaking!! The weather was cool and the temperatures varied mile to mile. I stopped at Clines Corner which is at an elevation of 7200 feet. I sure could tell I felt like someone put rocks in a hat on my head! I got a geocache here and took some pictures. They had a nice diner and I ate French Toast and then looked through the large gift shop purchasing 2 postcards to send to Prestin and Martin.
As I continued through New Mexico there was so much to see. On one side of the road was rocks and mountains the other side would be green and fields. There were beat bridges and the I came to the quarter mile of billboards! I thought I was heading to South of the Border but without the funny logos... all these to advertise the next rest stop and it was the size of a Dollar General. I really need to figure out how to upload my photos here for everyone to see, I bet there is a widget or gadget for it I have not figure out yet.
I also drove through Las Vegas... the New Mexico one and loved that I could keep looking to the road to the side of the interstate and knowing it was Route 66! Actually my condo is 1 mile from it here in Arizona.
It was cloudy for a while then sunny and then once on the other side of Albuquerque it happened... SNOW! The funny thing is that I have never in my life seen people drive so great in these conditions. No one slowed down to a crawl and they continued their 75 mph runs. The highways were well maintained. I was very impressed. It snowed for awhile even until I got to the Arizona state line and then... it stopped, the sun came out and it even crawled to 50 degrees! Not much to see from the interstate except the tourist sites and when I was about an hour away from Flagstaff... these dinosaurs popped up on the side of the road and started to run out our way... thank goodness I was able to avoid them but got a great picture of them as I drove!
Okay back to reality!
I called the lady whom I am renting the condo from to let her know I was an hour away and that I would arrive at 2:15 and she sure does bust my bubble.. here I am enjoying the sun and warm and she said she was already at the condo and that her husband was shoveling the drive and patio as there was a snowstorm going on... I thought she was kidding.. so I said I would see her in an hour and hung up. Well over the next 30 miles it was wonderful and then it happened... the temperature dropped from 50 to 36 in I swear 4 miles! It started to snow and continued to snow all the way until I arrived 25 miles later. The interstate was clear and then it happened, I got off the exit and when I did I though for sure that I was transported to another country.... Switzerland was the first thing that came to mind! There was so much snow and white everywhere I was stunned. I made quick work to get to the condo just right off the exit and pulled into the Country Club. There is a golf course there... but you would never know! I got to the condo and out come my owners. 96 inches and it was still falling. They said it had been really snowing this week and it even had the interstate closed down for a few days. I got the keys, a quick tour and she told me how to find the gym, coffee lounge, country club lounge, hot tub, and business center all of which I have use of while here. Then she told me directions to the mall and grocery and such which is all a quick 2 mile ride. I was still so stunned over the snow I still to this minute have no idea what she said and I am sure it will result in a phone call or email tomorrow.
After unloading the car I post my facebook status to let those who care about me know I have arrived and I call my best friend Alaina to vent about the snow and I get sent to voice mail! It then realized it was already evening back in South Carolina and that Jeff would be up and getting ready for work so I called him and had a short brief call. Then I uploaded my photos and drank some hot chocolate.
I fully expected to hear from Joe, my cheerleader (oops, recruiter) but not a peep.. and then I decided that if I wanted to eat some supper I better go explore for the grocery store. So off I went. I drove through the country club and then found the mall and grocery stire right away. There was a Best Buy so all is well and the grocery store had a Starbucks in it... so a few comforts.
Then it hit me as I was in the Safeway... I was homesick. I realized that I had to grocery shop, not just get a meal like on vacation. and I suddenly started to feel panic and like I was going to cry. I quick text to Jeff to get my mind off of it and then Alaina talking me through what we were eating tomorrow (we start our diet and exercise program then look for details tomorrow) and what things I needed to buy got me through and then I was back on track and ended up with my first week of groceries ... $88.00 later! I was signed up for a Safeway card and the checker and bagger were very friendly and they immediately knew I was NOT from this area! I left feeling like I had accomplished something and headed home. It was now approaching dark and the snow was blowing pretty decent. Got back home unloaded and put groceries away got on some warm jammies and cranked up the heat!
Well that pretty much sums up my day and I am excited that I actually typed out a whole day. I am looking forward to doing this and maybe this will keep me sane. I am nervous about tomorrow and already have my alarm set for 5:45AM and will leave at 6:30 as I want to have plenty of time to get there and allow for the weather.
I made two of three of my goals for the day... I saw a sight and I got here before five. I have to give myself a fail for not crying... well two out of three isn't bad considering.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get up on time and be a morning person for once!
2. Start my diet
3. Start my exercise
4. Unpack
I am going to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, some soup and the TV. Until then.... Sweet Dreams!
At first I thought that when I got off the interstate that I somehow was teleported to Switzerland! It was so snowy. It was snowing and there was so much snow on the ground you could not see anything but snow.
Let's see if I can get at least one complete day of blogging done and then I can go back and work on the previous ones.
After a not so good sleep last night... less than 3 hours and it was restless and very noisy. I should have just taken my sleeping bag and slept on I 40 as loud as it was and I also could not get the temperature to regulate. I was either way too hot or way too cold. So at 5:30 I decided to just get on up. I chatted with Jeff for a few and then decided to start getting ready to go as I was getting sad as I miss him. I called the boys but the calls went to voice mail, but the weather was not the best all day and reception was spotty in New Mexico.
7:15 I am packed up with coffee and a better attitude... ready to get on the road. I have just a short ride today of 437 miles.
I am so glad that I chose to stop when I did last night as I would have been so upset to have missed New Mexico to the dark. It is absolutely breathtaking!! The weather was cool and the temperatures varied mile to mile. I stopped at Clines Corner which is at an elevation of 7200 feet. I sure could tell I felt like someone put rocks in a hat on my head! I got a geocache here and took some pictures. They had a nice diner and I ate French Toast and then looked through the large gift shop purchasing 2 postcards to send to Prestin and Martin.
As I continued through New Mexico there was so much to see. On one side of the road was rocks and mountains the other side would be green and fields. There were beat bridges and the I came to the quarter mile of billboards! I thought I was heading to South of the Border but without the funny logos... all these to advertise the next rest stop and it was the size of a Dollar General. I really need to figure out how to upload my photos here for everyone to see, I bet there is a widget or gadget for it I have not figure out yet.
I also drove through Las Vegas... the New Mexico one and loved that I could keep looking to the road to the side of the interstate and knowing it was Route 66! Actually my condo is 1 mile from it here in Arizona.
It was cloudy for a while then sunny and then once on the other side of Albuquerque it happened... SNOW! The funny thing is that I have never in my life seen people drive so great in these conditions. No one slowed down to a crawl and they continued their 75 mph runs. The highways were well maintained. I was very impressed. It snowed for awhile even until I got to the Arizona state line and then... it stopped, the sun came out and it even crawled to 50 degrees! Not much to see from the interstate except the tourist sites and when I was about an hour away from Flagstaff... these dinosaurs popped up on the side of the road and started to run out our way... thank goodness I was able to avoid them but got a great picture of them as I drove!
Okay back to reality!
I called the lady whom I am renting the condo from to let her know I was an hour away and that I would arrive at 2:15 and she sure does bust my bubble.. here I am enjoying the sun and warm and she said she was already at the condo and that her husband was shoveling the drive and patio as there was a snowstorm going on... I thought she was kidding.. so I said I would see her in an hour and hung up. Well over the next 30 miles it was wonderful and then it happened... the temperature dropped from 50 to 36 in I swear 4 miles! It started to snow and continued to snow all the way until I arrived 25 miles later. The interstate was clear and then it happened, I got off the exit and when I did I though for sure that I was transported to another country.... Switzerland was the first thing that came to mind! There was so much snow and white everywhere I was stunned. I made quick work to get to the condo just right off the exit and pulled into the Country Club. There is a golf course there... but you would never know! I got to the condo and out come my owners. 96 inches and it was still falling. They said it had been really snowing this week and it even had the interstate closed down for a few days. I got the keys, a quick tour and she told me how to find the gym, coffee lounge, country club lounge, hot tub, and business center all of which I have use of while here. Then she told me directions to the mall and grocery and such which is all a quick 2 mile ride. I was still so stunned over the snow I still to this minute have no idea what she said and I am sure it will result in a phone call or email tomorrow.
After unloading the car I post my facebook status to let those who care about me know I have arrived and I call my best friend Alaina to vent about the snow and I get sent to voice mail! It then realized it was already evening back in South Carolina and that Jeff would be up and getting ready for work so I called him and had a short brief call. Then I uploaded my photos and drank some hot chocolate.
I fully expected to hear from Joe, my cheerleader (oops, recruiter) but not a peep.. and then I decided that if I wanted to eat some supper I better go explore for the grocery store. So off I went. I drove through the country club and then found the mall and grocery stire right away. There was a Best Buy so all is well and the grocery store had a Starbucks in it... so a few comforts.
Then it hit me as I was in the Safeway... I was homesick. I realized that I had to grocery shop, not just get a meal like on vacation. and I suddenly started to feel panic and like I was going to cry. I quick text to Jeff to get my mind off of it and then Alaina talking me through what we were eating tomorrow (we start our diet and exercise program then look for details tomorrow) and what things I needed to buy got me through and then I was back on track and ended up with my first week of groceries ... $88.00 later! I was signed up for a Safeway card and the checker and bagger were very friendly and they immediately knew I was NOT from this area! I left feeling like I had accomplished something and headed home. It was now approaching dark and the snow was blowing pretty decent. Got back home unloaded and put groceries away got on some warm jammies and cranked up the heat!
Well that pretty much sums up my day and I am excited that I actually typed out a whole day. I am looking forward to doing this and maybe this will keep me sane. I am nervous about tomorrow and already have my alarm set for 5:45AM and will leave at 6:30 as I want to have plenty of time to get there and allow for the weather.
I made two of three of my goals for the day... I saw a sight and I got here before five. I have to give myself a fail for not crying... well two out of three isn't bad considering.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get up on time and be a morning person for once!
2. Start my diet
3. Start my exercise
4. Unpack
I am going to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, some soup and the TV. Until then.... Sweet Dreams!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Long Day of Driving
I have so much to write about today although I am so exhausted. I thought of things from yesterday that I wanted to write about and hoped to include them into today's posting as well. Driving sure does give you lots of time to think and talk to yourself. And yes, I do talk to myself out loud all the time. It drives Jeff crazy and sometimes I have no idea I am even doing it. I will go back and edit my first couple of blogs so that they are complete.
I started out today at 8:39AM and drive until 9:41 PM and you have to add an extra hour as I went through yet another time zone change and had to repeat an hour! The good part of the extra driving today is that I have less to work out tomorrow and hopefully will get to my new home at a decent time so I can unpack, rest and get a good night sleep before my first day.
I did really good with my goals today. I drove further and longer than I planned. I not only saw one sight I saw several! And for the crying... well I did not cry but I will have to admit my eyes welled up with tears a few times.
I have a list of notes in the car of things I wanted to blog about today and of course that is still where it is .. in the car. Just neat things I thought if I jotted them down as I saw them or thought of them it would help me make more sense and not forget things.
Highlights until I get my list and edit this log...
1. hit a bird
2. Oklahoma Visitors center
3. Geocache
4. saw Sequoyah's cabin
5. Trail of Tears
6. Carrie Underwood's home town
7. woman walking Llama at gas station
8. OKlahoma City -- how huge is that!
9. Route 66
10. Texas weather
11. New Mexico
Hope that will keep you guessing until I edit the rest of this. I wish there was a way for me to really learn how to get my thoughts from my head onto the paper... well screen in this case. I have always had a problem with this area. I never have a problem with composing thoughts and letters among other things in my head. Maybe on day I can just talk out loud and it will appear here. That would be so neat.
Well it is really late and I am exhausted so I will end this for now although it will get a makeover in the next day or so .. stay tuned
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get to Flagstaff before 5pm
2. See at least one sight
3. No crying
I started out today at 8:39AM and drive until 9:41 PM and you have to add an extra hour as I went through yet another time zone change and had to repeat an hour! The good part of the extra driving today is that I have less to work out tomorrow and hopefully will get to my new home at a decent time so I can unpack, rest and get a good night sleep before my first day.
I did really good with my goals today. I drove further and longer than I planned. I not only saw one sight I saw several! And for the crying... well I did not cry but I will have to admit my eyes welled up with tears a few times.
I have a list of notes in the car of things I wanted to blog about today and of course that is still where it is .. in the car. Just neat things I thought if I jotted them down as I saw them or thought of them it would help me make more sense and not forget things.
Highlights until I get my list and edit this log...
1. hit a bird
2. Oklahoma Visitors center
3. Geocache
4. saw Sequoyah's cabin
5. Trail of Tears
6. Carrie Underwood's home town
7. woman walking Llama at gas station
8. OKlahoma City -- how huge is that!
9. Route 66
10. Texas weather
11. New Mexico
Hope that will keep you guessing until I edit the rest of this. I wish there was a way for me to really learn how to get my thoughts from my head onto the paper... well screen in this case. I have always had a problem with this area. I never have a problem with composing thoughts and letters among other things in my head. Maybe on day I can just talk out loud and it will appear here. That would be so neat.
Well it is really late and I am exhausted so I will end this for now although it will get a makeover in the next day or so .. stay tuned
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Get to Flagstaff before 5pm
2. See at least one sight
3. No crying
Friday, February 19, 2010
To Arizona or Bust!
Well today was the day. I had to start on my drive. The car trunk packed full with the necessities of what I would need but in all actuality it wasn't very much, mostly clothes and uniforms. I set off at about 10 AM and the navigation was set in the car and it should 1982 miles and 29 hours and 52 minutes. I did cry for about 5 minutes until I got to the bank and had to dry it up... which was a good thing as I did not start back. I am however kind of teary eyed now as I rethink and talk about my day.
The drive today didn't seem so bad as I was able to cover 650 miles and ended up going from Columbia, South Carolina to Forrest City, Arkansas. I made a couple of rest stops one to eat and get an audio book, which I am listening to "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks and then longest break was so I could visit and tour Talladega Motor Speedway and I took the Track Tour. I will have to say that was one of the best 5 dollars I have ever spent! I was able to ride inside the infield of the track and we got out and played and took pictures on Victory Lane. I love Nascar and so this was a great spot for me. There were three cars running the track while our tour was going on. I have pictures posted on my Facebook Page and will add them here once I figure out how to.
Another great part of my day were the phone calls I got from my family and friends and especially my recruiter who has actually been my biggest cheerleader the last 2 weeks. Joe is a wonderful person to have on your team. He is not pushy and has kept up with me over the last year even though I was not ready to travel outside of South Carolina. The funny thing is, for the last year he would call me once a month and say... "Hey I have this job in Arizona..." and I would say, "If it was Vegas I would jump..." and then a few months later he called and said, "Guess what, I have something other than Arizona... how about Alaska!" Once again I turned him down. We did try and get a position, a rarity in North Carolina... I was submitted but was not made an offer. So every month at least once I would get an Arizona call and I think I stunned him this last time when I said... alright, submit me! I think I heard his jaw hit the floor.
So after driving through South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and part way through Arkansas and one time change I was beat and ready for a bed.
I hope as I continue on this journey I will become a better writer and I will not bore the pants off of those who choose to read this blog or stumble across it.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Drive 650 miles
2. See at least one site
3. No crying
Good night!
The drive today didn't seem so bad as I was able to cover 650 miles and ended up going from Columbia, South Carolina to Forrest City, Arkansas. I made a couple of rest stops one to eat and get an audio book, which I am listening to "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks and then longest break was so I could visit and tour Talladega Motor Speedway and I took the Track Tour. I will have to say that was one of the best 5 dollars I have ever spent! I was able to ride inside the infield of the track and we got out and played and took pictures on Victory Lane. I love Nascar and so this was a great spot for me. There were three cars running the track while our tour was going on. I have pictures posted on my Facebook Page and will add them here once I figure out how to.
Another great part of my day were the phone calls I got from my family and friends and especially my recruiter who has actually been my biggest cheerleader the last 2 weeks. Joe is a wonderful person to have on your team. He is not pushy and has kept up with me over the last year even though I was not ready to travel outside of South Carolina. The funny thing is, for the last year he would call me once a month and say... "Hey I have this job in Arizona..." and I would say, "If it was Vegas I would jump..." and then a few months later he called and said, "Guess what, I have something other than Arizona... how about Alaska!" Once again I turned him down. We did try and get a position, a rarity in North Carolina... I was submitted but was not made an offer. So every month at least once I would get an Arizona call and I think I stunned him this last time when I said... alright, submit me! I think I heard his jaw hit the floor.
So after driving through South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and part way through Arkansas and one time change I was beat and ready for a bed.
I hope as I continue on this journey I will become a better writer and I will not bore the pants off of those who choose to read this blog or stumble across it.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Drive 650 miles
2. See at least one site
3. No crying
Good night!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Night Before
This is my first attempt at a blog so I really do not know where to start. I promised my youngest son, Prestin, that I would write a daily entry to tell him about how I was doing and what I had done for the day. He is 10.
So for those who decide to read this and do not know me I will give a little background:
I am a Travel Nurse and have been for 5 years. The thing that is different about my newest assignment and my previous ones are that my new one is in Arizona. I am currently living in South Carolina and have been for 11 years. All my previous assignments have been within the state of SC with the furthest being 250 miles from home. During the assignments that are more than an hour from home I just work my three night stretch and then return home for three and everything worked out well. This will be a test as I will be over 1900 miles from home and on the other side of the country. I have three boys, Justin (19), Martin (16) and Prestin (10).
Some of you may be thinking why in the world would I choose to go so far from home.. well it goes like this. Sometimes you have to do what you have to to pay the bills. Also this assignment sounded really great. I will be working in a small community hospital with children. Most of my job experience has been in Emergency Departments or Critical Care units. I did do one assignment in Pediatrics and it was a nice change of pace. So this newest job will look also great on my growing resume and also allow me to work not only with the children but the families.
I am excited though about seeing another part of the country. There is so much to do and see here. Although the elevation change will be something to get used to I am sure I will adjust well.
The drive is 30 hours...
So for those who decide to read this and do not know me I will give a little background:
I am a Travel Nurse and have been for 5 years. The thing that is different about my newest assignment and my previous ones are that my new one is in Arizona. I am currently living in South Carolina and have been for 11 years. All my previous assignments have been within the state of SC with the furthest being 250 miles from home. During the assignments that are more than an hour from home I just work my three night stretch and then return home for three and everything worked out well. This will be a test as I will be over 1900 miles from home and on the other side of the country. I have three boys, Justin (19), Martin (16) and Prestin (10).
Some of you may be thinking why in the world would I choose to go so far from home.. well it goes like this. Sometimes you have to do what you have to to pay the bills. Also this assignment sounded really great. I will be working in a small community hospital with children. Most of my job experience has been in Emergency Departments or Critical Care units. I did do one assignment in Pediatrics and it was a nice change of pace. So this newest job will look also great on my growing resume and also allow me to work not only with the children but the families.
I am excited though about seeing another part of the country. There is so much to do and see here. Although the elevation change will be something to get used to I am sure I will adjust well.
The drive is 30 hours...
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