Sharing the Windy City

Being a Travel Nurse is a ton of fun.  The ability to travel to new cities and live there as a local is the draw that kept me traveling for the last 7 years.  The best part, however is being able to share the new city with others.  This weekend, I got to share the city with my daughter; Trinity. 

We braved temperatures in the teens, bundled up like little snowmen and went out to explore the city.  The 'cloud gate', State street lights, watched the ice skaters, and of course I drank lots of coffee. 

I've been able to intice Trinity to enjoy the theater and we saw one of the most interesting performances that I think I've seen to date.  "Let My People Come".

 This play was originally performed in NYC in the '70's and was controversial at that time.  Wow....I can see why!  It was an amazing exploration of sexuality, both personal and societal .   I can only imagine how this was accepted (or not) in the '70's when the general public was pretty prudish when it comes to sexuality, nudity, and alternative life-styles.  It was raw, vulgar, emotional, and engaging.  If you can step outside of societies boundaries and go with an open mind.....it's eye-opening.


The train ride back home was nearly as engaging as the play.  Between the drunk blond that everyone was afraid was going to hurl on the train, the old black man screaming about "I paid $45 dollar for a cheesecake", the egotistical romeo sitting behind us, and the banter between the other sober passengers; it was a riot.  I think I laughed nearly as much on the ride home as I did during the play; maybe more.
There is an improv show somewhere here in Chicago that I had read about the is based on personal experiences on the  "L".  It sounded interesting before this engaging trip but now I think it's a must see while here in the city.  (Remind me to put this on my 'to-do' list).

Livin' life and enjoying Chicago....

Chicago

A great way to start out a day in Chicago or any city for that matter is to take some sort of 'free' walking tour. There are a couple of companies that I like to use.  For Chicago, I headed straight to Chicago Greeters Website and set up a FREE Greeter Tour.

The Greeter tours in Chicago are done by volunteers at the Cultural Center and are really totally free. There is no push for tips or donations. In fact, your not even allowed to tip your tour guide. The guides are locals. People living in Chicago that want to show you what makes the city important for them, what their favorite spots are, and/or anything that you have a direct interest in.







My tour was of the 'Loop" area of Chicago. It was great because it showed me places that I would have walked by without even giving a second glance. To start with, the Cultural Center. It's a destination. Not just for the tourist office that's located inside but for it's history and ambiance. There is free wi-fi and and very comfortable reading or studying area with comfortable chairs and tables. Like your local coffee shop without the coffee.




The cultural center is the city's old Library.  After the Great Chicago Fire, books were donated to the city of Chicago and believe it or not, the city had not ever had a library before.  So, one had to be built. (After doing some internet research on this; I found that this isn't true.  Chicago DID have a library.)


It's beautiful.  Go and explore.  The moaisc murals on the walls are made from glass and marble, and the Tiffany glass dome is reportedly one of (if not the) largest ever made.  It's outstanding.








I also learned a little of the architecture in Chicago; specifically the "Chicago window".  Check it out on Wikipedia.  We actually have a lot of the "Chicago window's" in my home town.  Interesting.

After the tour, I wandered around and found the Marilyn Monroe pictured above.  There is a ton of controversy surrounding Marilyn here in the city but the tourists (myself included) seem to enjoy it...especially some of the men getting up close and catching a little more than a peek at Marilyn's panties!

Check out my daughters Gallery for additional Chicago inspiration.

How does one become a Travel Nurse?

A friend asked me today "How does one become a travel nurse?" I have given it some consideration and come to the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Divorce your husband. If you choose not to divorce him, realize that he will probably divorce you before your finished with Nursing School.

2. Give custody of your children to your parents or another responsible adult. If you think you'll have time for Nursing School and KIDS....think again.

3. Aclimate yourself to sleeping only 2-4 hours a day. Between the reading assignments, the studying for exams, clinicals, and two to three part-time jobs...this is all the sleep your going to get. If you did not follow steps 1 and 2 then plan on 1-3 hours of sleep.

4. Take a seminar on self-esteem. If anything can break a persons self-esteem it's nursing instructors.

5. Prepare for failure.

Wow....I wrote the above back in 2005 and never finished or published it.  I think the thoughts listed above are still quite correct.  In addition, I would add the following.

1.  Get two SOLID years of experience in your specialty before you even consider travel nursing.  Your going to be thrown to the wolves when you arrive in a new hospital because "your making the big bucks" so everyone thinks you should work harder to "earn your pay".

2.  Work as a car salesman for at least a year to get your haggling/negotiating skills in check; your going to need them when dealing with all the recruiters and different companies out there.

3.  Buy a good pair of shoes.  This isn't just for Travel Nurses, but nurses everywhere.

4.  Gather a good amount of emergency cash in your savings account.  If you want the reasons for this; just read:   The Recent Drama   or   Just a Simple or Not So Simple Rant

5.  Go with an open mind and an adventurous spirit and enjoy your surroundings.

6.  When things get hard, remember:  IT's only 13 Weeks!!

A Quirky Travel Companion

On my drive home from Providence, I had decided to stop by Gettysburg and visit the sites. As I was approaching the town of Gettysburg, my Dad called and we started chatting (via bluetooth) about how my trip had gone....etc...etc...

Next thing I know, I'm at the park and admiring all of the statues.  Dad asks about what I am seeing and as I'm telling him, he is looking it up online.  He then reads about the statue to me via phone and I got to hear about the history/significance of the statues as I was seeing them.

We continued this way for well over an hour....and even had a couple of drop-in companions when Dad's friends Dan and Doug showed up and Dad put me on speakerphone.

I know that this sounds really stupid to all of you out there.  However, this was quite significant for me.  I really enjoyed having Dad there with me (even if it was only on the phone).  I have wanted Dad to travel to see me forever and it has just never happened.  Somehow, having him on the phone was like him being with me.  I enjoyed sharing my thoughts and chatting about the different sites as I was seeing them.

I wish that he could have been there in person but I will always remember the trip that Dad and I took together to Gettysburg.

What is My Motivation?

Every day is an attempt to understand what makes Candy happy. What makes me tick? What is it that excites or motivates me? I used to be happy exploring as a travel nurse. Being able to go all over this huge country living, working and exploring used to motivate me and excite me. Now? All I can think of is leaving....the next trip, the next adventure, how can I travel longer, where can I go.

In retrospection I have noticed that I am much more willing to brave the elements and explore on my own when I am out of my own country. I feel less inhibited when no one around me speaks my language. I am happy to be wandering aimlessly amidst the locals when I am an outsider. I'll sit comfortably for an afternoon at a local cafe and watch the people pass by and think about where they are going or watch them carry on with their daily lives, watching them work or play. I love to engage in conversation or share a knowing smile or laugh at something going on. Why is it that I feel like I 'fit' better where I don't belong? Here I sit in Chicago..... No motivation to do much of anything. There is tons to do and see but I feel lost and alone. I don't have the motivation to go on my own. I long for someone to share it with. I'm lonely.

So, what is my motivation?

 Leaving.....going somewhere new......the feeling of an aircraft taking off.....the unusual sights of a new culture.....the smells of food unknown....not understanding the voices surrounding me......not knowing what to expect.

This is my motivation. My desire. The 'puts a smile on my face' moment.

February 11, 2011

What's significant about this?

I'm leaving....going somewhere new....going to feel the airplane take off....transporting me to a new culture....with new sights...new smells....new sounds....new voices....not knowing what to expect!! There is a smile on my face just thinking about it. It's one of my moments....

The date/time-frame was set months ago. My plans have changed multiple times. Travel partners have come and gone for various reasons. Finally, I decided to plan it on my own. I picked a place I could travel alone. Decided that it was useless depending on others to travel with me. Besides, this was about me. Me being motivated. Bringing the smile back to my face.

So, where am I going? South America. It was decided after a friend mailed me a wedding invitation for Playa Del Carmen at the end of March. I needed to be somewhere that i could easily travel to the wedding. This is the person that inspired me after all!! (About Me)

Once I decided to make the leap alone, I was discussing it with a friend and she has decided to join me. Teresa and I will be traveling together.....I'm very excited. We are spending 7 weeks together in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.  Teresa and I traveled together last year in Scotland and had a wonderful time.  She is such a great travel companion and I'm looking forward to sharing some of Latin America with her.

For some reason, I never got a blog posted about out trip to Scotland, but here is a photo journey:





After exploring South America together, Teresa will fly home and I am onward to the wedding in Playa Del Carmen. I'm very happy to be included in such a special day for a special friend.

I keep running through the finances, the timing and everything else and I really want to extend the trip and spend some time on my own. i am tryiing to figure out how to add an extra month after the wedding to travel in Central America. I would like to try to settle into a place for at least 3-4 weeks and see what I think about living as a local in a culture so unfamilar to me. I want to see if it will bring the 'puts a smile on my face' moment.

I'll keep you posted......

Feeling Sorry For Myself in Providence

17.07.2011 - 27.10.2011 

So, I really want to get to where things are today and my upcoming plans...... But, first things first! Providence! Providence was interesting. On arrival at the location of my new apartment I was a bit, ok I was a lot intimidated. It's a very run-down neighborhood and didn't appear to be a safe part of the city.

I went ahead and took a peek at the apartment, was reassured by the maintenance guy that it's a safe place and fell in love with the loft type apartment. It was beautiful. If only it was in a different part of town.... Trinity helped me settle in and we explored the city a little. We were both worn out from the road trip and decided that neither of us was up for a whole lot of exploring. Too soon, she had to leave and I started work.

 Working at Providence VA was a great experience. The crew there is awesome! Love those nurses and will miss all of them. Unfortunately, I was working 8 hour night shifts and hated them. I used to having several days a week off to go explore and I was just exhausted working 5 days a week. So, I didn't do hardly anything of note during my time in Providence...it's sad, there is so much to see and do in the area that I feel like I truly missed out. (Insert feeling sorry for myself, here)

I did meet some great people and feel like I made some life-time friends so all is not lost. Thanks to the crew at Providence for all the fun after work drinks and making me feel welcome.

If your interested, there are a few Providence pictures HERE

Highlights:
 - Quatro Fromagio Pizza at 0200
 - My Loft Apartment
 - The Night Shift Crew!!
 - Afterwork Drinks!

Downtime

11.04.2011 - 11.07.2011 I arranged and planned to stay with my friend Lisa so I could have foot surgery in April after returning from New Orleans with Mom and Dad. Just a quick run-down of several months of much of nothing... April 15th: Surgery April 24th: I became a Grandma 11.04.2011 - 11.07.2011 April 25th: interviewed and got position with VA Travel Nurse Corp May 20th: Second Surgery June 20-29: Phoenix AZ for Orientation with TNC Most of April to June was spent sitting around on my ass trying to recouperate from surgery. I had a great time visiting with Lisa, getting to know my new Grandbaby, Charlotte, enjoying time with both the kids Corey and Trinity and generally feeling useless. Trinity decided to take a road-trip with me to my newest travel assignment with the VA TNC in Providence, RI. We had a great trip. My camera was broken but Trinity got some great photos along the way...she has yet to share them with me though! I'll have to get her busy on that. We were disappointed by Hershey, PA but enjoyed all of the covered bridges in PA.

Next Stop...NOLA, Again??

07.04.2011 - 10.04.2011

When I left New Orleans after MG, my Mom and Dad were getting ready to embark on a road-trip of their own. Mom mentioned NOLA. I was instantly ready to go. I knew that the New Orleans French quarter Festival was occuring during the time frame that they were considering so I suggested that I meet them there as an extension of my trip back toward home. My contract in KC was ending around this time and I was looking for something to do.

We made our plans and headed out planning to meet each other somewhere part-way. Note to anyone that is traveling with family: PATIENCE!! Mom, if your reading this....I still love you and always will!!
Our plans to meet were constantly changed due to Daddy's interest in taking the "road less traveled". I love him and I think that I get some of my wanderlust from him, but REALLY? Do you need to change your route every couple of hours?? I kept trying to figure out how to meet with them and they kept changing their route and making it impossible....

We finally met up together somewhere at a rest stop in the middle of no-where.....

The drive into New Orleans was stressfull for me as I was certain that Daddy was going to get killed in the traffic. He didn't (thank God). We made it to our hotel together all safe.

We spent several days exploring New Orleans together and I got to introduce Mom to crawfish (still not sure if she liked them or not). I got to see Trombone Shorty, one of my favorite New Orleans performers. I think they enjoyed themselves?

Click here to See Pictures

Road Trips to remember

27.01.2011 - 05.04.2011

I wanted to break down my time in KC as most of it wasn't really spent in KC, but road-tripping. I love a good road-trip and most of my KC co-workers decided that I am a nut with all the driving I did while there.
First, I drove up to Minneapolis, MN to visit a fellow travel Nurse friend. Teresa and I met back in Seattle and were fortunate to work in the same city again in Elko, NV. Just before I headed off to Germany .

Although distance separates us most of the time, I consider her one of my very best friends. We had a relaxing and enjoyable extended weekend. Teresa and her daughter Heather showed me all around downtown Minneapolis and we had a great time together.

The next road trip was with another very good friend of mine to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Lisa and I have shared many Mardi Gras together and some great experiences that will not be shared here. This year was very different. First....it doesn't happen often, but if you ever plan to go to MG and it happens to be near Spring Break for Colleges...DONT GO.

It wasn't the MG that I was accoustomed to, it was a hyped up Spring Break experience and nothing like the TRUE MARDI GRAS. You may thnk to yourself that I was just overwhelmed with the 'party' atmosphere due to spring break....your wrong, very wrong. The mood was nothing like the many previous years that we attended. It was a bunch of broke young kids that didn't have a clue how MG 'works'. I guess you would have to have been there to understand.

So Lisa and I rented a great place to stay from Craigslist and totally got scammed! We lost the money that we had paid for the week in NOLA and with everything else booked or way too expensive, we parked in the garage on arrival and decided that we would get a few drinks and ask around to see if we could find a place to stay....

Four days later.....

We pulled out of the parking garage and decided not to come back for MG during Spring Break.

Cupcakes, Cabaret and Road Trips: Part I

27.01.2011 - 05.04.2011

I realized yesterday that it's been almost a full year since I started this new blog and I haven't put a single travel entry in. I am ashamed. Actually, not really. But I figure that it's time to start putting down my thoughts and experiences once again.

I've been caught up this year with feeling sorry for myself, having surgery (elective), more feeling sorry for myself, attempting to spend time with my family, and lots of planning.

Where to start? It's been a busy year, although not the busy that I would ultimately enjoy and really mostly lazy at times. Let's start where I last left off, Kansas City. KC wasn't as enjoyable as I had planned for it to be. Actually, nothing has been very enjoyable lately (see feeling sorry for myself) but it's mostly me.
North KC Hospital was a hard and busy place to work. Three months there flew by. I really didn't do much there as it was one of the worst winters I've had in a long time. Lots of snow and really cold tempuratures don't do much to entice me to get out of the house to explore. I'm sure that there is tons to do in KC, but I really can't comment on it.

There are a couple of things that stand out from my time in KC. First being my daughter, Trinity and her friends chose to come visit me in KC for their Jr year Spring Break. Can you imagine that? I would never have choosen KC for Spring Break, given a choice. Oh, well. It was a great time with three teen-age girls in the studio apartment of mine...imagine it....make-up, clothes, shoes, for 4 females scattered all over my tiny little place of solitude.

We enjoyed the week seeing the play Cabaret (which we all loved), playing around at the Crayon store in the local mall, and a night of comedy at a local Improv show.

Click here for Pictures

The other thing that stands out from my time in KC is the CUPCAKES!!! Yes, cupcakes! I your ever in KC, give 3GirlsCupcakes a call and ask for a drive-by, or better yet follow her on FB and do like I did the first time and see if you can chase her down somewhere in KC. These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. Tell her "hello, from the travel nurse on 8th". Maybe she will remember me, I was a very good customer during my sulky days in KC.

One more thing that stands out from my time in KC is that I didn't stick around KC a lot during my time there. I was on the move! I traveled a lot, now that I really look at it. In February I drove to Minneapolis to visit my friend, Teresa. Then the first week in March, Lisa and I took the most interesting trip to New Orleans I've ever had (this deserves it's own post so I'll fill you in on the details later). Then in March the Girls arrived for a week. Before I knew it, the contract was done and I was heading on a road trip back to New Orleans to meet my parents.

It went by so fast and looking back on it, I really did have a good time although I still can't tell you a thing about KC, other than if you get a chance you should give it a try. I think that there is a lot to see and do and maybe someday I'll go back and actually stay in town and explore.

Some Clarifications

The timeframe between November 2006 and July 2008 I didn't do any blogging.

Starting in July 2008 you should read the links to the related blogs on the right side-bar in order listed.  I am picking back up this blog due to the fact that I like the format and am hoping that I will be able to keep all of my blogging in one space.

Unfortunately, due to moving my blog several times I have lost blogs that were previous to this one.

I hope that you enjoy reading and please drop me a comment, say hello, tell me what you think. 

Here I am...

Ok..so Here I am in Phoenix Arizona. How did I get here you ask? Well....a very long car ride got me here. I started out from the Outter Banks in NC (it was great there and I already miss the beach), and headed West on I40. I was able to stop along the way and see a friend of mine in Little Rock Arkansas...but other than that, the trip was basically L O N G.....

I'm here for work. That was an event in itself! I applied for and accepted two prior positions before they both fell through for various reasons and finally got a position with the same company that I had been working with in NC.

North Carolina....let me fill you in a little bit about Atlantic Beach. It's an awesome beach with some wonderful kind locals. I frequented the local coffee shop and became somewhat of a 'local' myself. Please realize that these 'locals' are all over 60 and retired, but it was still fun to talk with them and they really gave me a feeling of community, almost like family. The beach was a lot of fun for the summer, lots of people and activity on the beach. Then I moved onto the beach Labor Day weekend....and everything got quiet... No, not because I moved there but just because it was the end of the summer season. After Labor Day, the beach became more of a ghost town....even my local coffee shop changed their hours to close at NOON!! You know me...lucky if I get out of bed before NOON on most days. So, you can imagine...how lonley and bored I was. I will miss the beach but the lifestyle is not for me. I need a little more activity in my life.

Phoenix....WOW! What a huge difference!! I drove into Phoenix from Flagstaff...which is totally different than I ever expected. Flagstaff is actually mountainous and green and reminded me more of Colorado than I would have thought of Arizona. I decended the mountain into Phoenix and it became a lot more flat, but still remained quite greener than I imagined. There are palms, and grass (greener on lawns that are watered) and the weather has been beautiful... I have been here for three days and already feel like I'm 'home'. I haven't met any of my neighbors as of yet but I have met more people in the community here so far than I met during my entire time at Atlantic Beach.

My first night here, I ventured over to the local Irish Pub (right across the street), Rosie McCafferty's. Here I met Mike, Marc and Gina...some really nice 'locals'. We talked and visited and they gave me their favorites in the area. They offered me a shot of Tequilla (I declined...ewwww). The bartender is Jay and he's a little slow on the refills but pretty nice to talk to and even nicer to look at!! ha ha My second night, I stayed at home and rested. Man, was I tired from the driving and unpacking (did I mention that I am on the third floor with NO elevator?) I could have used some help with packing all my stuff upstairs, but am really glad that I decided to change my packing from the large totes to the small 10gallon ones!! Much easier to haul upstairs!! Just a few more trips to take is all.... So, I have everything moved in (except for two cases that hold my scrapbooking stuff) and it feels like I've been here for months...except NO dust!! ha ha

On Thursday, I am going to meet with a local 'singles' group to go to a coffee shop and listen to some poetry. I think it will be interesting and something different for me. And at least I'll get to meet some more new people. On Friday, I am meeting a couple of other travel nurses for lunch. I've talked to them via email several times and it will be nice to meet them in person and share travel stories. One of them, Sharon worked at the hospital in New Albany at the same time that I was in New Albany doing home health....interesting that we never met, yet were working for the same hospital and in the same area. New Albany is home for her and considering that I lived in the area for 6 years, I'm sure we will have something to talk about.

Last night, I had dinner with a friend of a friend...Wes. He is friends with my old neighbors in Atlantic Beach. Barry and Mandy know him from Pensylvannia and forwarded him my email address when they found out that I was heading this way and didn't know anyone. Wes is a nice guy...kinda what I would call dull and geeky sortof...but we still had a good time. We went to Wally's for dinner and it was AWESOME!! Great food and great atmosphere. I let Wes talk me into having red wine....I'm usually a white drinker...and it was GREAT! I think maybe I'm converted!! ha ha

WOW...I have had more social activities in the last three days than I've had in the last three months!!! It's really nice to be in a more metropolitan area that actually has things to do for single people or people in general....think I'm going to chill and watch movies tonight.

I am waiting for my fingerprints to come back to start work at the Vetrans Hospital. Hopefully, I'll be working Monday...in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the area and scope the place out a little more. I finally broke down and bought a new digital camera....wish I had done it sooner!! So...watch out for lots of pictures to come!

bored

Wow...Three months and a complete assignment since I last posted. I'm still in Morehead City, NC right now with only two and a half weeks left on my assignment. The plan is to go to Phoenix, AZ next....

I extended my contract here with hopes of living on the beach and enjoying all that the beach has to offer.... Little did I know that after Labor Day, the beach is like a deserted Island!! There are many days when I am the only person on the beach within sight. Aco love it and has been able to run free of her leash and play in the sand and the water. She has been great! She listens a lot better now (although she still gets distracted easily).

I'm sitting at work right now and quite bored at the present time. I shouldn't complain, it's a nice break when it's quiet. I'm just looking forward to leaving here and moving into a new place with new people and new problems...yep...every place has them and I'm sure that Phoenix will not be any different than the many other places that I've been.

Trinity was here and just went home yesterday....I miss her already. She has been talking with me over the last year about living with me and we discussed it in depth during her visit. I thought that she had decided that she was moving after this school year then tonight...she called me (at work) to tell me that she thinks she is going to stay in Kendallville. I really just want her to be happy, and to make a decision. A lot will change if she chooses to come and live with me but change is good...right?

I haven't been home to visit for about two months and am not sure when I am going home again....dont really care to be there anymore. I would much rather have Trinity come to visit me although it doesn't always work out that she can and it gets rather expensive too. I dont know what it is about Kendallville but I just dont want to be there....

A lot has been happening:

Lisa and I dont talk any more...
Mom and I had a major fight....it's better now....
Mom bailed out Shane and he is living back home with Trae....
I have made a new friend 'Donna' and I think she is going to travel to Arizona with me...
I'm having second thoughts about being alone (as in 'no man in my life)....
Trinity is growing up and beginning to like 'boys'....
Corey is living in Corydon, still without a job or a drivers license....
Donnie is still in Jail and waiting to be transferred to a state facility....

Silence

Is is ever really silent? I'm sitting here at the computer working on MySpace and there are a hundred sounds around me. First, I hear the hummmm of the computer and the ticking of my fingers on the keyboard. I stop....and I hear the crickets chirping outside. Blocking those out...I hear the soft sounds of my daughter breathing as she sleeps in the next room. The crackle of the candle burning on the desk mixes with the crickets....almost loud...far from silent.

Summer

Summer on the beach in North Carolina....

Trinity and I have been enjoying the beach and we have both gotten a nice tan from the summer sun. We are having fun watching the surfers, and the sand-castle makers, and the general "beach-bum". It's been a good summer so far.

Trinity is leaving soon to go home for school. I'm going to miss having her here with me. We have been getting along great except for my occasional "time-for-my-medicine-outbursts"!! ha ha We visited Ft Macon, the aquarium, and found a great coffee shop right on the beach. It's going to be wierd here without her.

Corey is in Corydon with his buddies and I am finding that I miss him terribly!! I think he is doing ok. Still being the bum that he is...but I love him.

It's going to be different for me when Trinity leaves. I'll be alone for the first time EVER. I dont know if I'm going to like it or hate it. I've always had someone with me. I think that I am going to like being alone, but then again?? I still have the dogs to keep me company. I guess I just need to learn to be a little more outgoing. Maybe I'll find a local bar that I can go and have a drink at once in a while.

I'll try to keep you posted on the happenings here and how things are going with me being alone....maybe I can find a nice man to keep me company? Sounds like a good idea.....

When was the last time....??

I'm sitting at work minding my own business and one of the nurses asks "whats wrong?". I try to convince her (and myself) that nothing is wrong.... She probes a little and finally I come to the realization that I, yes, me . . . dont laugh. . .

Well, I guess that I'm feeling a little homesick.

When your patients start reminding you of people at home, you should know that there is a reason. I had a young man for a patient last night that reminded me so very much of my brother Donnie. I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him to make the right decision for once in his life...just like I would like to do with Donnie. Weird, I guess. He really bothered me...ended up leaving AMA and I tried at first to get him to stay and then I just "couldn't". I couldn't deal with it....he hit me way to close to home and I could barley talk to him, to convince him to stay for the needed treatment.

Then tonight I have a patient who is having some family problems. Fighting...yelling...cursing. The patient is depressed and feels like her family is taking things from her that are rightfully hers. She reminds me so much of my grandma. I can just see my uncle taking the same sort of advantage of grandma and it makes me so mad and so sad at the same time. I want to take matters into my own hands (like I would if it were grandma) and deal with all the idiot family members!!

Well, having written this, I guess that i feel a little better.

Interesting weather...

Well, I arrived in Scottsbluff with 70mph winds...for several days straight!! Then the weather turned great: sunny and warm (in the 80's). Over the weekend, we got 4 inches of SNOW!! Today it's great again...no wind...no snow...and high 70's!! The weather has been interesting. I can't remember the last time that I saw snow after Easter. Guess it's abnormal for this area too.

I have been taking the dogs to the dogpark as often as possible. They have made some new friends and I have too. I met the Chief of the Rural Fire Department, Ron. He is pretty nice and has two beagles. I met a "bounty hunter" Rodney, and his (cant remember the breed) large dog Rex. There are several others that we have met but I have only seen them once and you know how awful I am with names!! Ha Ha

Aco and I took a drive up Scotts Bluff and the view is amazing!! It was like driving up a giant sandcastle! The valley below is beautiful from that height and you can see forever! Aco has NO FEAR and was teetering right on the edge...I think if I had let her go she would have scaled the side down to the bottom!! I couldn't get too close...felt like the ground was moving! We went on the spur of the moment so I didnt have my camera with me. I'll get back there again before I leave and get some pictures....

Nothing else to report today...

Arrived in Scottsbluff Nebraska

I've left Norfolk and am now in Scottsbluff Nebraska. What the he## was I thinking when I accepted this contract? I'm in the middle of NOWHERE!!! The hospital is nice and so far, the staff seems reasonable. My apartment sucks! The furniture is from Goodwill and the "housewares" package that the company told me was here is miniscule. I've purchased a few things (like window treatments to keep spying eyes out) and the place is a little "homier" now. I have been in orientation three days this week and will be working the floor tomorrow and back on nights. Oh, how I love nights! I just cant stand getting up in the mornings....

The blufs here are beautiful and the sunset tonight was awesome. I'll try to get some pictures soon. The bluffs remind me of HUGE sandcastles! The weather has been horribly windy...gotta hold on to your hat here!! It's supposed to warm up this weekend and I'm hoping that means that the wind will go away also.

I found a dog-park here in town and have taken the dogs a couple of times. Hopefully when the weather clears a little we will be able to enjoy it a little more.

Not much else to report for now....

Mermaids all around Norfolk, VA

Ok, I realize that I haven't posted in something like four months. No excuse really, just haven't. Well...I'm back now!

I spent several months working in Cincinnati and met some great people. Imagine that...I meet wonderful people everywhere I've been. Marsha...love ya girl and let me know how things work out with the grandkids. Amy, where-ever you are or end up..good luck to you in your traveling and our paths will meet again.

So, where am I now? Portsmouth, Virginia. Not a great a place as you might imagine. Portsmouth is pretty run down and mostly ghetto. But Norfolk (norfik as the locals call it), right across the river is pretty nice.

I have signed up with an online dating service in hopes to enhance my social life and so far it's working out pretty good. I've actually only had one date from this but I have a couple others set up for the upcoming week so I'll let you know how things progress.

I'm working in one of the local Hospitals and so far it's ok. The hospital itself is a little in the "dark ages" still doing everything on paper and a little backwards in my opinion. But the patient load is good. Usually 5 or 6 patients to each nurse and a free Charge RN that actually does help you!

I dont have any recent pictures as my digital camera is broken and I haven't had the money to get it fixed or replaced yet. I hope to take care of this very soon. I'm dying here without being able to take any pictures!

Norfolk is full of mermaids!! Well, not real mermaids...did you think I lost my mind? They are actually artistic statues of mermaids. They are all over town! I dont know how many in total but they are all themed and named and have some cute stories behind them. Pretty cute, I think! I'm planning to go on a "mermaid hunt" at some point (hopefully with a camera in hand so I can capture the elusive creatures on film).

What else? Well, I have a second dog now. His name is Ridley and he is a Jack Russell/Greyhound mix...boy is he fast!! He is a little lover though. Loves to snuggle just as close as he can to you! I hope to get some pics of him soon too. He and Aco get along pretty good for the most part but sometimes...they drive me crazy!!

I think that's about all for now. I'll do better about keeping things updated.

Americans with huge hearts!!

I posted yesterday about how I was ashamed to be an American when the concern over gas prices took precedence over the concern for human lives.... Today, I am finding that I was a bit presumptuous in my anger.

If you follow the link below you will see an outpouring of personal and I believe heartfelt ads for assistance for those devastated by Katrina. These people are willing to open their homes to let Katrina victims live rent free in open apartments, spare bedrooms or other sources of housing that might otherwise be rented, sold or sit empty!

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/sub/

Today I am proud to be an American. I can't say that I would personally offer up a spare bedroom (I don't have one anyway) to someone that I don't know or wasn't personally recommended...guess maybe I'm a little ashamed to be me today?

For anyone that is interested, I have however offered my volunteer services to the American Red Cross for nursing relief work during this time of need. I'm sure that the medical personnel are tired, stressed and it is only going to get worse in the upcoming weeks as the water is pumped out of the city and the sickness and disease begins to spread due to mal-nutrition, poor living conditions and the like. I have not yet heard anything from the Red Cross but will keep trying....