The Simple Things

The older I get, the more I realize that the simple things in life make me the happiest. When I buy a new pair of shoes, I'm only happy when i buy them. When I get my credit card bill, I'm extremely unhappy.

Last night I decorated my Christmas tree while Julie and Whitney were making holiday treats (and quite a mess) in the kitchen. It was fun; we were silly.

My tree has absolutely no rhyme or reason. This year I bought a fake tree. I realized I just wasn't in the mood for watering it and having a huge fire hazard in my living room. I bought the really HUGE light bulbs to decorate the tree. I love them. They make me feel like I'm 8 and should be wearing footie pajamas and drinking hot cocoa with a few too many mini marshmallows crammed into the top of my mug. My ornaments are random. They are a conglomeration of ornaments people have given me over the years and a few I have purchased on my own. I also have some really old Winne the Pooh ornaments that my brother and I had on our trees growing up. Eeyore is missing an eye but I still love him.

It's Sunny Outside

I got off work this morning and realized it was no longer raining. For some reason, this made me sad. This past week, I enjoyed leaving the hospital in the rain. I enjoyed crawling into bed... my room extra dark from the clouds, and drifting off into blissful sleep. I've had better sleep this week than I've had in the 3 years I've been working night shift. Despite the sun, I slept amazingly well today.

And on the coattails of that experience, I only have one more night shift to work. I start working dayshift on Monday. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. I'm excited because I get to return to the real world and sleep when everyone else sleeps and fight the crowds at Target during normal hours. I'm terrified because the "night shift pace" is all I've ever known. I'm going to have to start dealing with more than just two doctors a day. I'll have to take my patients to unknown places in the hospital (don't even ask me how to get to the endoscopy suite). I won't get to hear Ashley yell at her crazy patients. I won't get to laugh until I cry with Gina and C. Lo. No more dancing in the halls with Rachel and no more singing bad 80's songs with Jim. No more Lost recaps with Steven and Tommy. No more "miracle mist" sarcasm with Greg. No more wondering who is watching Brea's patient while she is out of her district. No more sweet treats from Mandy. However, this is a good change for me. I need change. I've been stuck in a rut of comfort for far too long. I'll find new friends to laugh with.... to cry with.... and to eat with... but it will all be done in honor of my night shift peeps. I love you guys!

And in honor of the MICU night shifters, I leave you with this...

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I came upon the following blog this evening. Since I love snacks, especially cake, I found it cry your eyes out hilarious. Enjoy!
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Ferris and Cameron's Great Adventure

Jason is one of my best friends. We worked together about a year ago. He's one of those people who always makes me laugh even when he's trying to be totally serious.

Earlier this week I asked him if he could come over to help me fix my lawnmower. He wanted us to run some other errands first but he agreed to help. First, we had to pick his car up from the shop. He arrived at my house driving a late 90's model BMW Z3. For those who know me, you know I can't stand sports cars.... especially small ones. We felt so cheesy driving around town in this little jelly bean.

Before we could pick up his car, we had to go buy a car battery because the shop said they had a hard time cranking his car. I would have just let the shop replace the battery but he didn't want to spend the extra money. While I was waiting in the car, a song by Foreigner came on the radio. I had to turn down the volume because I was feeling REALLY cheesy at that point.

When we arrived at the repair shop, I hopped into the seat of the Z3 and Jason drove his car. We had to go to Barney's house to drop off the jelly bean and replace the battery. As we turned down the main road, we noticed the road was blocked off due to construction. Jason tried to turn his car around but it stalled. He was going to have to change the battery in the middle of the road. Of course, all the bolts were really corroded and we couldn't get them off. One of the neighbors offered assistance and we even tried to just jump it but we had no luck. Finally we got it done. Jason was so frustrated with the car. I think in his head he was wishing he had just let the shop change the battery but he would never admit it. We crossed our fingers and turned the ignition... it worked!

What was supposed to be a 30 minute errand turned into a 3 hour errand. Needless to say, my lawnmower is still broken.

Vacations are no vacation

I love to travel but I never consider it a vacation. Vacation is supposed to be a time for relaxation. Travel is stressful. If you drive, you are worried about the price of gas or whether your car is going to break down. If you fly, you are worried about catching your connecting flight or whether you will be sitting next to the creepy guy who wants to tell you his life story. Once you arrive at your destination, you are on a schedule of events (at least I am) so you can accomplish all the things you set out to do.

Earlier this summer, I decided I needed a vacation. I scheduled it around my birthday. Who wants to work on their birthday, right? I'm on my fourth of 16 days off. People keep asking me what I have done and what I am going to do. Here's a run down:

THINGS ACCOMPLISHED (b/c I wanted to, not because I had to):
mopped the kitchen floor (finally got that sticky ice cream film off)
cleaned the bathroom
vacuumed the house
mowed the grass
had a fitting
went to the new Target in Bessemer
tried out a new recipe
went to the gym three times

THINGS TO DO (which may or may not get accomplished; totally up to my own discretion):
finish reading 'Twilight'
go to the gym
travel to Nashville
sing karaoke
probably mow the grass again
wash clothes
do NOTHING (I like this one best)
touch up paint around the house


Now THIS, my friends, is what I call a vacation....

4th of July

I slept most of the day today. I forgot it was the 4th of July until about 5PM. Luckily, I remembered to wear my "bedazzled stars" shirt to work. It's SO an inside joke. I have one for every holiday. And seeing that I end up working most holidays, I always wear my shirts to work. People love them and get a kick out of the shininess. I didn't bedazzle them myself (I'm not that redneck)...Target did it for me.

We also had the opportunity to watch the fireworks over Vulcan from bed 11. It is by far the best seat in the city. You can crank up the music on the TV, watch the fireworks, enjoy the air-conditioning, and better yet.... NO TRAFFIC!

Thank You Stephanie

In the last few months I've become friends with a girl I work with. Her name is Stephanie. I guess that makes us kindred spirits. Anyway, she forwarded this email to me tonight. I thought it was appropriate. I never read forwarded emails but I felt compelled to read this one....

I Believe... That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe... That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I Believe... That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe... That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe... That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe... That maturi ty has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe... That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe... That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe... That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I Believe... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.