Chillaxed Weekend

Ha ha ha. I don't even particularly like the word chillax let alone a conjugated form. I do like the word idiosyncratic.

Anywho.....Tyler and I had a nice weekend in Augusta exchanging Christmas presents with family. Yes, Christmas presents. At least it wasn't close to Easter this year. We had a nice dinner and exchange with my parents. And as usual it was nice to see my brother and his family. But the best part of exchanging presents,of course was exchanging them with my 8ish year old niece and 4ish year old nephew.

First of all, Zee handed out our presents proclaiming "Here, this is for pizza, and here, this is a movie." Talk about the element of surprise! Then of course we handed over their gifts. They didn't contain their enthusiasm. They shredded all that wrapping paper just about instantaneously. The part that made it absolutely worth it: they were more enthralled with the wrapping material than the actual gifts. Go figure!

We gave Ana a small Tinkerbell picture frame and a little Tinkerbell doll with holographic wings. Zee got a Buzz Lightyear Plush with Blanket. (Of course we had no clue this would be his THIRD). The following are images of what they actually played with, which was really quite amusing:



They played with that box and those ribbons all day except for the brief period we went to the park. It was nice to get some fresh air during daylight hours and stroll down the Riverwalk. I think the best scene was Tyler going down the slide. He was only going to sit at the top to pose for me when Ana gave him some encouragement *cough*SHOVED*cough*.



It was a good weekend even considering I almost caught the microwave on fire making a breadstick for Zee. I don't think I'll post that picture though. We'll just leave off with saying it really was a good weekend. Toodles! = )

Well, it's been a while....

....since I last posted, and other than "I've been busy" I have no excuses. But since I am home sick instead of working I figured I would make the effort.

Right now I've been focused on finding a job in Florida and Tyler has been focused on what things he needs to do to be able to FINALLY graduate. And I say FINALLY because I remember how exhausting and challenging it was to get through the final year. I know he'll be relieved when he is FINALLY finished and he reached his goal. And I'm so proud of him for stickin' to it.

Our first Christmas together was relaxed. No real decorating this year as we didn't have a tree and spent the holiday with Tyler's family in Florida anyways. We'll have to do better next year. We also spent New Year's with Tyler's family in Georgia.

All in all, we're learning to become well travelled and how to pack really well. One helpful hint is to stock up on little pop up laundry bags. Easy to fold to put into a suit case or under a car seat to store dirty laundry created during a trip. Also handy for piling shoes into for ease of travelling or presents. Just a very useful item.

And since it has been soooooooooo long since I last posted I will end on a cute picture of my niece and nephew. It just happened to snow when they went to visit our grandparents in North Carolina. Needless to say this was their first experience with the fluffy coldness because, yeah, we're from Georgia. I have to say I wish I had been there to enjoy this wonderful first time with them.

Double trouble right there! Those look like decent sized snowballs!

Blessings

We finally have a manager for our nursing unit! Tyler comes home from school in Jacksonville tonight! God has blessed us with the ability to take care of several surprise financial needs! Tyler received an extra scholarship for being so smart! I was rewarded with a gift certificate for working extra to admit patients! I have my requirements for my Florida nursing license figured out! I have a week off after this Sunday! And best of all.....I get to meet my new little niece next week.

Just felt like sharing some good news. = )

Down Time

I really should be asleep.....but I'm not quite ready to crawl into an empty bed just yet. (I sleep better when Tyler isn't in another state going to school since he answers the phone, the door, and keeps the bad guys away).

One of our new (a.ka. yicky) policies at work lately is that we have to sign a copy of our time card. (You're not supposed to get paid if you don't but I don't think that has been enforced.....yet). Since Ty has been in class I've tried to schedule my work nights while he's off at school. The only tricky part is that I still have to work some weekend shifts (because of another policy).

The point is that when Ty is gone I get bored and sometimes I go to the hospital to work extra. Because of our time card signing policy I noticed I actually worked 99 hours last pay period (two weeks). Okay, really only 87 because I was sick one night that I was actually supposed to work. That might not seem alot but at the same time my work nights come in 12 hour shifts with a good night meaning you get a full 30 minute (unpaid) lunch break. (Yeah, right. As if people sleep in hospitals).

That said....I'm really excited about getting to have some time off next week to go to Florida with my husband and relax. I've only gotta work two more shifts until I'm going to be off for a week. YAY! Not quite sure what the plans are other than meeting my adorable new niece Dallas Julia......but what's better than having time to relax and spend with family?

Up All Night

One perk to being a nurse at a hospital is that though the shifts can be long and grueling (at times) is that I don't have to work many of them. Right now I only have to work three nights a week AND since my floor has self scheduling.....I get to pick which three nights! This comes in quite handy if I know that something is going on a month in advance. Overall, I love the flexibility and it is a blessing that has allowed me the ability to schedule myself to work when my sweetbean (the husband also known as Tyler) is off to school in Jacksonville.....which is three hours away from here. Pooey!

I'm still working on getting a Florida nursing license so I can work legally down there and until that happens I just get to tough it out by myself half a week until Tyler comes home. Not really too bad when I am working since my routine is pretty much wake up, get ready for work, eat, go to work, come home, get ready for bed, sleep, and repeat as needed.

But the bummer in all this is that usually I have one night off where I am not working. I guess if I was married for a bajillion years with a half dozen kids I'd like, no CRAVE, this quiet time. But for the present I have to find ways to keep myself entertained.

The first part of my night has been no problem since I wake up usually around 6 pm (remember, I'm night shift *wink*). At this time other normal day walkers I know, including my husband, are awake for me to chat with on the phone or the net. Then I usually tackle the chores but that usually takes no time. But after that it's sometimes a struggle to keep occupied. I've finished a couple books, worked on some puzzles, played video games to the point where I need someone here to do the hard bits...... So what can I do all night to keep myself entertained, out of trouble, and out of Wal Mart?

Right now I think I will work a bit on my mailing list, I love sending snail mail to peoples but I'd appreciate ideas for some projects or something crafty that would be a challenge for me to complete each week. Any thoughts?

FINALLY!!!

The Georgia Board of Nursing has me listed as Kelly Marie Ryan!!!! This means I can sign with my married name at work! *YAYS*

Socialized Healthcare Rant

I do not believe in socialized healthcare. Have an issue with that and you may as well stop reading from this point on.

One of my biggest issues with socialized medicine is that it creates a generic stamp for how each CONDITION, mind you, not each person, should be treated. People are individuals, and more so are their bodies, and therefore health care should be tailored to the individual. (On a side note for perhaps a much longer rant, I also believe that each person's mind is different and therefore that education should be tailored to the individual. That is all on that matter for now).

Also, as long as hospitals, which on a basic level are businesses as it takes money to keep a hospital (and just about anything) open, have to compete for people to choose to come for care, procedures, etc, then hospitals must compete with each other in order to provide better services, more qualified personnel, more procedures, ect. If a hospital is going to get a certain amount of payout from the government regardless of whether they care for 2 or 200 people why would they bother competing with other hospitals to provide better care?

Well, if you want to know what prompted this rant, it was a quote from Obama posted as status on my friend Megan's facebook page:

"These are all fabrications that have been put out there in order to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core ethical and moral obligation, and that is to look out for each other." ~Obama discussing healthcare critics. Now, who here thinks that having the government pass laws based on their idea of morality is a *good* thing?

My response, which may further illustrate some of my views, is as follows:

I thought the morals of the men and women comprising the government should be all the morality that the government has...or at least that the government is not the decider of what is moral. And what business does the government have in healthcare? None. It is up to the individual to decide if they want a large screen television or an annual annual check up with their doctor. It is each person's choice to smoke, sit on their bums rather than commit any form of exercise, or to consume high calorie, high fat, prefabricated foodstuffs than to do what is necessary to keep themselves at their optimal level of health.

As a healthcare provider and someone who has spent the time and money on my education to become a nurse, what right does any other person have to demand my services for free?!?!?! If I had chosen to the learn the skills of an mechanic would people not EXPECT me to charge exorbitant prices?? I say the government should make it mandatory that EVERYONE is entitled to free oil changes at any place offering the sale of auto supplies and that ALL places offering auto supplies be forced to offer oil changing services. After all, it a ethical and moral obligation of the government whatever.... Okay, over and out.

People should take responsibility for their own actions. That is all and thanks muches for reading.