Christmas Memories

Seeing my niece and nephew during the days of Christmas heightened my memories of Christmas past. Very different from today, I remember having snow most Christmases. Maybe I am filling in the gaps though. That being said, the chance of seeing snow on Christmas in South Carolina is slim.

I remember though the excitement of the whole time. As I recall, we didn't get out of school until a couple days before Christmas day. I now fully understand that unlike Thanksgiving, Christmas Day marches through the calendar week. It only took me til about middle school to figure that one out. To me, Christmas time comes with memories of practicing basketball all through the holidays. As early as middle school, we were practicing up til Christmas Eve as we had games usually on December 27th. Those memories follow through to my high school days and on into college. I can remember the crisp air in the gym and the deadening sound of the basketball when I would bounce it on the cold gym floor. These memories come to me with smiles until I get to college and all of the above were true; though the time on the clock was 5 am. All of the descriptors above don't seem so neat at an hour when no one should be awake. 

Before I was an adult and had to worry about the hustle and bustle of Christmas time, I remember getting into the spirit of Christmas by helping to pick out of the Christmas tree, decorating the tree, going door to door Christmas caroling, enjoying hot chocolate by the fireside, and just enjoying time with family. When I speak of the magic of Christmas though; I am referring to my younger years when I couldn't wait to get home from midnight church service and get into bed so that Santa could come. Thinking back though I remember counting my gifts in comparison to my brother's and shaking each gift and somehow they never broke. While I was always cognizant of the true meaning of Christmas, the presents were a very close second.

As I don't have children, I cannot speak of the children's minds that I have molded. I can only speak of the young minds that I have corrupted. I can only brag about my niece and nephew that my brother and his wife have brought up. My niece and nephew are two of the most gracious children that you will ever meet. While like every child their age they are very much about the presents, they truly understand the true meaning of Christmas to their core. They were acting out the advent for me and telling lots of Bible stories. Don't tell their parents, but they have raised those kids right!

 

As I have aged; I have progressed from hoarding presents, to loving the art of giving presents more than receiving, to really just enjoying the family time and letting that be the bigger present, and fully embracing the reason for the season in hopes that someday I shall be reunited with my loved ones that have passed that I dearly miss during these precious times. 

I hope that all of you had a great holiday season and I hope to be able to answer the question of "Where are you going to next?" soon after the New Year!

 

Friendships, Heartbreak, and Adventure!

What have I learned in the last six months? I have learned that travel nursing is awesome! This is truly what I had hoped it would be and I hope the fun and learning opportunities only continue. I have learned that this job is full of nervous first days, growing new friendships, and many more sad goodbye's. I know that I will have friends all over the United States when I finish, but I didn't think about the fact that I would have to say goodbye so much. I had no idea there were so many great friends to be made out there! It was very hard to leave my home in NKY and I just love going home to visit!

Along with the goodbyes, it is hard to know where to take my travels to next. Boston is on my list of places to go, but it is still very much winter there in February. I kind of want to go somewhere warmer for winter so I can ride my bicycle. I mean I can be choosy right now, kind of. But then I think, "I am already all the way up here." What to do, what to do?

There are assignments popping up in Arizona and Texas. I do want to go west but do I want to head west now? Am I conveying my confusion enough yet? :-) I need to get my act together soon though, the first week of February is just around the corner. I can't show up in Cincy homeless and jobless! That might be tough to pass off.

My initial assignment in Arlington, I was one of only a few travelers in the whole hospital. Here at the "Hop" as I like to say, travelers are more plentiful. I have made two great friends here in Jeremy and Sylvia; a married couple from Cleveland, OH of all places! We have done a lot of things together and hang out on frequent occasions. They are leaving this week to go home for Christmas and will return on January 20th for another 3 month assignment. I like to spread the rumor that she is signing on here as permanent staff. That really brings out the Polish rage in her! All kidding aside, they have become good friends of mine and we have big plans of meeting up somewhere out west.

Well, this girl is off for Christmas and headed to SC! I am excited to see my family for a bit and shall mull over the possibilities with them. When I return I shall pay the price for my seven days off and will be working 5 days in a row. :-0 This spoiled girl in 10 years of nursing has never worked more than 3 twelve hour days in a row. And let me tell you, I hate 3 in a row! Should be interesting!

Well Happy Holidays to all of my readers! Thank you so much for following me along this journey! I am having a blast and I appreciate everyone's support tremendously! January is devoted to wrapping up my Baltimore activities yet to be conquered.

A visit to one of the pivotal Monopoly Railroads.

We all know that to win the game of Monopoly, one must first be the banker so you can cheat and slip yourself some extra money from time to time and you must own the four railroads on the board and put houses and hotels on those suckers. Logistically a property on each side of the board increases your chances of an opponent landing on your land. Let's all recollect that the four railroads are Pennsylvania, Reading, Short Line, and B&O. So it just so happens that nestled in downtown Baltimore is none other than the B&O railroad museum which stands for Baltimore and Ohio. I had no idea!

Needless to say, I had a lot to learn that day. I ventured out to the museum with two other travel nurses Jeremy and Sylvia Cupp. They are nurses from Ohio as well, the Cleveland Clinic, but I shall not judge. We had a great time. The only thing that can make a train any cooler than it already is; to see a train at Christmas.  They had the museum all decked out with lights, nutcrackers, elves, and little soldiers. It was awesome! Not that I don't think about my dad everyday, but I so wished he were here in Baltimore visiting me and he and Lu were at the museum with me. I know he would have loved it.

After reading up on the history of trains and how they have gone from using coal to now diesel and electric and how trains impacted slavery, we went out to a train yard to see dinner cars, passenger cars, and where the passenger cars were repaired. That was no small building. Actually not that long but quite tall. In the passenger car repair building we met the infamous Al Stominski. Al was quite knowledgeable of the trains here in Baltimore, but it is possible that we were his first customers available to share his knowledge with that day and it was an hour before closing time. He was a talker! We learned a lot about trains and once Al found out we were all nurses, yep you got it, we heard all about Al's colonoscopy, prostate exam, several orthopedic surgeries, and the unfortunate passing of his wife. Oh the curse of being a nurse!

What I did learn was that B&O stands for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. My question, why is Ohio so pivotal? It wasn't the state of Ohio that they were referring to, but the Ohio River. Access to the Ohio River gave access to the Mississippi and Missouri rivers which enabled the railroads to access more states. Well, somebody was smart. Another tidbit learned; passenger train cars were produced in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Lima, OH. My good friend Shannon is from Delphos, OH, which is near Lima, OH. If I recall correctly, Lima is not that big of a city. So the train museum that they just finished there must be a big attraction in that town.

Another great outing here in Baltimore! Pictures can be found in the photos section of the blog.

International TurkeyDay!

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Thanksgiving to me means a time to gather with friends and family and just enjoy each other's company while grazing on good food; of course. I have great memories of my Dad waking early to put the turkey in the oven. He always told me how early he got up, that is. He would also make these amazing homemade yeast rolls that he would set on the counter under a kitchen towel to let them rise.  Of course, I always wanted to lift the towel to see them actively rising and he would quickly say, "SSsshhhhh! They are sleeping!" Then there was another Thanksgiving dinner with my mom's family. Also great memories of my grandpa making the most amazing stuffing ever! He made it every year. Even in his later years, he would sit in front of the stove and make the stuffing from a chair. My mom would turn out an amazing turkey and my aunt Annette would make the most amazing peanut butter pie I have ever tasted. The peanut butter pie became such a hit that I started insisting that she make two. As time relentlessly marches on and two of the most amazing men I have ever known, in my father and grandfather have passed on, traditions have changed.

This year, I spent Thanksgiving with my friends here in Baltimore, MD. It was very interesting in the weeks leading up to the big day. It was shaping up to be quite the international Thanksgiving gathering. Poland, Korea, China, Trinidad, Baltimorians, and Midwesterners were going to be in attendance. We were quite the eclectic group. The list of food to be brought to the table was shaping up to be quite interesting as well. Foods such as fried chicken, grilled salmon, collard greens and smoked bones, blueberry and cherry cobblers were mentioned dishes to be added to the traditional Thanksgiving treats. Initially, I was going on and on about how these items are not what Thanksgiving is about. Then I stepped back and evaluated all of the diversity that was going to be in attendance and had a stern talk with myself. "Who am I to tell others what the Thanksgiving tradition is to them?" So I began welcoming all of the different dishes.

We had an amazing spread of dishes. There were a few rookie mistakes made. It began with a 14# turkey for 18-20 people. I immediately called my family and asked if we should be panicking. So we added a spiral sliced ham last minute. The spiral ham was cooked with fresh pineapple wedged in between several of the slices, which for those that don't know, the acidity of the pineapple breaks down meat into paper mache'. So we also added some rotisserie chickens. One small important detail we failed to cover prior to the main event: who has ever cut a turkey? The beautiful turkey and it's sides were presented and then I asked "Who shall cut the turkey?" Nothing but silence filled the room. I turned to my good friend and fellow traveler's husband, Jeremy, and said "Well, you are the man here, show us what you got." His response, "Have you met my wife? She tells me how to put my pants on." I laughed out loud, though I know he was speaking the truth. So, I grabbed that knife and fork and tried to recollect how my mom, dad, or any character from any movie I had ever seen cut a turkey. I am pretty sure I failed on all fronts. The turkey was eaten, that is all that matters. :-)

After we sufficiently stuffed ourselves we engaged in quite a few fiercely competitive games of Catch Phrase. If you have never played this game, you should. It will bring anyone's competitive side to the surface.

All in all a very good Thanksgiving spent with very good friends. I hope all of you had a great day as well!

Oh the things that nursing has taught me!

I think back to what I thought nurses did when I was in middle school. I thought it was getting people on and off bed pans and putting on band aids. When I was in high school, I unfortunately got an inside view of what it was like to have a loved one in the ICU, when my brother was involved in a serious car accident. Fortunately, I have repressed most of the memories of him being in the hospital, though I do remember thinking it would be cool to be one of those nurses. I vaguely remember seeing him on the ventilator and remember him having two chest tubes, as I vividly remember sitting on the chest tubes. Oops! He got really upset about that.

Now, I know that to be a nurse you get A LOT of people on and off bedpans; that is if you are lucky enough that they tell you in time, never put on band aids, and sterile gauze and lots of tape can really cover almost any wound. You must learn to have the patience of Job. You are a part time therapist and full time rule enforcer. "Don't use your arms to pull yourself up, they just cut your chest open. Please keep your arm down, that arm has an IV in it that is monitoring your blood pressure. Nope, sorry you can't sleep on your side like you normally would, because you have too many lines and tubes coming out of you."One must also understand the balance of wetting a patient's mouth enough that they don't feel as though they are in the Sahara Desert but not so much that you exceed your fluid restriction goal for the day in 12 hours. The fluid restriction goal if just post-op because cardiac patient's get a lot of fluid in the OR. It is not uncommon for them to come out of surgery 10-15 pounds heavier than they went into surgery. We remove most or all of that weight post-op with diuretics. You must also be persistent enough that when your patient says to leave them alone, you will return the next hour smiling and pretending that the prior rudeness never occurred.

I started thinking of all of this because the other night I took care of a gentleman that reminded me of an angry George Jefferson. I am not kidding this man looked just like him. I was walking around like George did and yelling "Weezy!' as this is what he called his wife Louise. Then my bubble was very quickly popped when a young lady said, "Who is George Jefferson?" My heart sank, as I can remember being her age and asking someone of my grand ole age a similar question. "Oh no! I am old to these 20 somethings." Where has the time gone? I am going to pick myself up now and continue on here.

Let me preface this conversation with, I believe this gentleman had some underlying dementia that the family has refused to admit for sometime. Then you put him in an ICU where the lights are always on, there is constantly someone in his room, strip him of all modesty that he ever thought he had, and give him a lot of different medications that are not usually in his medicinal regimen. This my friends is the perfect storm.

I walked into this gentleman's room smiled and introduced myself as I always do and then asked him if it would be okay if I listened to his chest and belly. His words "Nope, not today lady! Move on. I am very sick and tomorrow I am hoping to be better." This was a gentleman that had open heart surgery two days prior and was still in the ICU because he was on an IV medication to keep his blood pressure down. I explained to him that he was in the hospital because he had open heart surgery and that it was my job to take care of him for the night because he was still very sick. His words "Woman, I know I am sick. I am the one that told you! Now do me a favor and leave me alone!" Some people are a bit confused but you can act like you are doing one thing and actually perform most of your assessment. I pretended to be fixing an IV on his arm and tried to slip a thermometer under his arm. That went over like a lead balloon! Here came the fist flying at my head. Luckily, I spent a lot of years reenacting the karate kid wax on and wax off and I was able to deflect the left hook. I am persistent but not stupid. So I updated the charge nurse and provider for the evening and they said to just leave him alone as more stimulation would make him worse. Later he started pulling on his IV's and Foley catheter, so he bought himself some mittens. These are not restraints but look like Mickey Mouse gloves and just prevent him from pulling anything out. Those mittens took 3/4 of his fight out of him. He looked similar to a dog that has to wear "the cone" after surgery to keep them from licking
 their incisions. It made my night go so much smoother. The second night, while he was more agreeable to what I needed to do, he was still quite grumpy. I ended my two nights with him with him yelling "Woman! Just leave me alone!" I told him the pleasure was mine. :-)

But it got me thinking of the time a patient fired me as his nurse. The time I was kicked. I have been spit on. That ended quickly as I just put a mask on him. That really made him mad. He was restrained so he couldn't get the mask off. Don't get me wrong the good patients far outnumber the bad. Patients like this gentleman really makes me appreciate the good ones.

Nursing has only honed the skills that I have mentioned above. I still love my job and am loving traveling. Patients like this gentleman just make for good conversation. It would just be boring to talk about the normal and nice people that I have met. I have a select number of patient's that I still keep in touch with and I really enjoy that they choose to keep me in their lives.

Home Sweet Bittersweet

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

~Maya Angelou

Oh, how sweet it was to be home again in Cincinnati to see friends and many that I consider family. I knew I missed everyone, but I had no idea how much. I am loving traveling, but it was good to be back where people know me. I love that quote because the people of NKY give me a warm fuzzy feeling and that is "home" to me.

I cannot thank my friends and family enough for giving me the courage to start traveling. That first step was a doozy, though the experiences I have had have greatly enriched my life and made me a better person. A friend said to me while home in Cincy, "had you not left you wouldn't have known this feeling of how good it feels to be home." How right she was! They say, you don't know what you have til it is gone. I knew how good I had it back home in NKY though. I had and still have rich friendships that I know will last a lifetime!

I underestimated how busy I would be during my two week stint there. First on my list was to dine at Skyline Chili. It took 24 hours to get there, but I was able to get my fix before the shakes set in. Skyline is not something that I ever thought I would crave, but it is true. I am an addict. I dabbled in a bit of culture and went to see the musical South Pacific. It was very well done; though only two of the songs rang a bell with me. I believe the friends I went with were lip synching all of the songs as they were performed. Culture is something that I can always use though. 

My eyes were also opened to a few of the funny television shows that are airing right now. I had no idea. This time of year I have to limit my tv watching and make myself stay active, as it is easy to lie around and watch a lot of TV. That being said, the individuals that exposed me to these funny shows; they wake up and after finishing their morning exercise they then wake up the rooster to perform his morning crow. Half of their day was finished by the time I awoke at 8:30-9:00. Who really wants to see the sunrise that many times? :-)

In celebration of my birthday, several of my biking buddies gathered and we had a very nice ride in southern Kenton county. The weather was perfect in the mid 50's and the fall foliage was still in peak color. We did encounter a hearty headwind though. A great ride followed by homemade pizza and homemade apple pie. Can it get any better than that? Best quotes of the day: "It's just not fair when you have to pedal down a hill! That really goes against everything I learned in physics." Another good one was made by a woman new to bicycling but an awesome athlete, as she passes me about 3/4 the way up the hill as if I was sitting still, her words "Oh, is this where the climb starts?" As she is new to clipping in on a bike, I seriously contemplated nudging her just a bit to see if she would be quick enough to clip out to stay upright. I was the bigger person though and continued to focus on my heart rate of 170 and my goal of getting over the hill. :-)

I then moved onto my next gracious friend opening her house up to me. Wow, three kids keep you busy! Six, almost four, and almost two are so cute though! I had the pleasure of getting ready while playing hide and go seek, I got the hand snaking under the door of the bathroom while showering, and even was walked in on while dressing by a 3 1/2 yr old! I got the "full experience." I proudly or stupidly took all three kids and a dog to the park sans mom, while she showered. I was proud that we all survived and even made it back with no tears. I laughed because at one point I was carrying the toddler, holding the dog leash, two coats, had a pocket filled with pine cones, and was pushing a bike. It was then that I started delegating and putting those cute kids to work and I unloaded a few of the pine cones in my pocket. Haha! What a great time though.

Next I got to see some NKU basketball while in town, as well. I traveled to Purdue and watched our men put on a very nice show and almost beat Purdue University. What a nice arena. The next day was followed by a few more visits with good friends and then a basketball game at the Bank of Kentucky Center, watching our women play the University of Cincinnati. They played very well and won. I think we are going to see good things from those ladies this year. The atmosphere of the home basketball games was something that I was really looking forward to. I think watching basketball games from the sidelines brings back some of the good memories that I had watching the basketball games from the sideline when I got free tickets and even a free uniform. :-) When there is basketball on NKU's campus, the gym is filled with a portion of my favorite people that give me that feeling that Maya Angelou was referring to. While I loved the game and atmosphere it also made me a bit nostalgic because that is an atmosphere that for 18 years has been a large part of my life. This will be my first year out of that element. So, while I was very happy to see the Norse win, I was sad to see the game end. That was followed by a couple of almost teary goodbyes. I am hoping to get home for a couple more games this year.

So that is the abbreviated version of my awesome trip home. As I mentioned it was very bittersweet. It was so good to be home for two weeks, though this girl left almost kicking and screaming. My last stop was at my dear friend Rachel's because she has the knack to say, "I love you and we miss, but you have to get your behind back to Baltimore!" That was about the only way I was going to drive out of NKY. Til next time my friends! 

I apologize it has been so long since my last entry. I have been playing very hard. Next on my agenda is a game tomorrow November 15th at the University of Maryland against the number 1 women's team Uconn. I am so excited!

Sent from my iPad

Blurring the Lines of Racism

One of the aspects of travel nursing that I have continued to say that I enjoy so much is meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures. The past couple of nights at work a couple of us tore down the walls of prejudice and really talked about some of the racism that still exists.

I have always said that movies such as The Help reinforce that I would have had a very tough time living during segregation. I grew up in a predominantly white area and really only had a couple of African American kids in my school. So it is safe to say that I never really had any AA friends growing up.

Then when I went to college, my sophomore year I had a roommate that was AA. That was a culture shock in a lot of ways, but I learned so much from LaNervia. First off, it took me a couple of weeks to even pronounce her name correctly. Secondly, I learned that AA's have extremely thin skin, so LaNervia said; as the reason that the thermostat was set at 80 degrees. Needless to say, I spent much of that year with my window open dropping the temperature out of sauna range. Just little old Northern Kentucky University opened this girl's eyes in 1995. Geez, that sounds forever ago.

The last couple of days I was working with a gentleman from the African country Malawi,and a young lady that grew up in the inner city streets of Baltimore, a young lady that grew up in Massachusetts and this gal whom grew up in a pretty rural area. The discussions that ensued were interesting.

A is a very dark black man with a huge heart of gold, that exudes nothing but generosity and goodwill. I just adore him. He calls me his work wife and we are always cutting up together and having a good time.

J is the young lady that grew up in inner city Baltimore. She is quite a bit younger than A and I, but definitely has street smarts that speak volumes of experience. She listens to my Baltimore tales and just shakes her head. She feels that Baltimore gets a bit more of a bad rap than it deserves at times. I don't how much creedence she holds as Baltimore consistently makes the top 10 list year after year.

For those of you that don't know much about where I grew up, it was a small town in Indiana that only had a blinking red light for the longest time. We had a mini mart, that somehow is still standing in the same building as it was when I was younger, a tiny post office, a couple of churches and a community of individuals that pretty much knew everyone. It was a very safe community that had lots of kids riding their bikes on country roads and playing football, baseball, and basketball outside until the sun went down. The good ole days, remember? When it was safe to stray from your parents for hours on end and kids actually did play outside. It was a farming area with horses, cows, guineas and peacocks wandering out in the road. I just have such fond memories of my time in Greenville. As I spent time with my mom, I also got to experience other small towns such as Georgetown and Corydon that also had that small community feel to them.

I set all this preface just to expose how we all came from very different backgrounds and we have come together here in Baltimore. I was really brought up not to see color. I can clearly see that A is much darker than I, but I am more interested in the culture that he brings to the table.

A told a story of when he was in nursing school and he had a white female that was adamant that he not care for her. Several other nurses accused this young lady of being very prejudiced and wrong in her actions. Albert said that he figured she had her reasons and chose to move on and not dwell on it. Later on the young lady asked to speak to A alone and he gladly went in to speak with her. She went on to explain that she really wasn't prejudice; but that she had been raped my a black man. A said that the 0.5% that was angry with her, yet he knew there had to be a better reason in this day and age, melted. He said he wanted so badly to rectify the wrongs that this gentleman had done and try to rebuild this girls image of an upstanding black man in her eyes; yet he knew he couldn't. She didn't want anyone to know that she had been raped and had come to terms with the fact that unless she was willing to go down that painful path each time, she unfortunately had to bear the cross of coming across as prejudice anytime a black male came in to be her nurse or aid. Wow! That made me think!

I have noticed that it really isn't whom the ethnic group is around me, but being anywhere that I am majorly the minority isn't really scary; it's just a feeling that is palpable. Not a feeling that I ever noticed in the midwest. Does that make sense? It is actually a very humbling experience. I have felt this feeling once when I was in a Target in SC in a predominantly AA neighborhood. I experienced it in California when I was in a grocery store and everyone but me was Asian or Middle Eastern. I noticed it again when I was bike riding a couple of weeks ago through a very Hacidic Jewish community and I rode through just as synagogue was letting out. I was like a needle in a haystack.

It was interesting to me though to hear what a scary situation would be for me versus A and J; just having different skin colors. A situation that would alarm me is if I found myself driving through or walking through a predominantly AA neighborhood, project area alone. I just feel like this Irish girl would stick out and just be asking for trouble. That is a situation that would put me on alert. J said that 9.9/10 times I would be just fine because I would probably be viewed as an undercover cop. I had never thought of it that way. Or, unless I was disturbing them for drugs or making a scene, why would I be bothered? I realize that bad things can happen anywhere. It is just best to be cautious and wary of your surroundings.

Their walk in my shoes would be a situation in which they were in an upper middle class white area and be the only black individual there. They state that they often feel that they are targeted that they are going to steal something or encounter an individual that still holds very prejudice views. It blows my mind that this would even still happen. But, I believe them that it does.

It was just so interesting to me the dichotomy of what we both feared in the same situations. I feared bodily harm or just being messed with, where A and J feared character assassination. Both are equally devastating and both exist everyday sadly. It is just sad that the preface for such actions can start skin deep.

Big Apple photos

And I added my NYC photos! Enjoy!

The Big Apple

What does a five day weekend mean to a travel nurse? It means one must do something more than just a day trip. So, I booked a trip to New York City for the weekend. I walked a half mile from my apartment down to the Light Rail station and rode that downtown to Penn Station, where I picked up the Bolt bus to NYC. It was quite the public transportation weekend. Once there, I took the subway, rode a bike, and walked to get around town.

After my arrival on Friday, I promptly hit the ground running. I met with the kind lady that took me in for the weekend and she helped me find my way to the subway. I rode the subway uptown to Washington Park, where I was to meet a friend's son for lunch. While waiting for Gabe, in the park, I saw a very interesting lady holding a sign reading "Wanna Chat?" Suggested donation $1. I circled her like a hawk for a few minutes to see if anyone was going to take her up on her offer. So I decided if I had a dollar in my wallet I would take her up on it. My thought, "I'm in NY. Who is going to judge me? Nobody!" Once I was sitting next to Nancy, I can't tell you how many people wanted our photo. I am probably all over facebook. And yes, I am signing autographs! :-) I chatted with her about her craziest customer, her youngest customer, how profitable this job was for her, and if Washington Park is her go to spot. She has only been doing this since April, she usually mingles with people in Central Park, her youngest customer was 3, she tries to listen more than give advice, and yes this is her only source of income. How is that possible. She did mention that she lives in Harlem, though. She was a very nice lady and I found my calling post nursing.

After lunch and mingling with the locals, I jumped on the subway and went downtown to ride the ferry over to Staten Island to get as close as I could to the Statue of Liberty. It was a very nice 25-30 minute ride over on the ferry and I got a really nice view of Lady Liberty. Well worth the trip should you ever find yourself visiting NYC during another government shutdown and unable to actually visit Ellis Island.

Since there was still daylight after seeing the Statue of Liberty, I figured I better head uptown to see Time Square at dusk, as that is the best time to get pictures before the bright lights mess with your camera. I sat on the red steps of the TKTS pavilion where Broadway tickets are sold apparently, and just took in the sights and sounds of New York City. I found myself sitting next to a very nice lady named Julie from New Zealand and she of course had questions for me regarding the government shutdown and our healthcare system. I diverted her quickly referring to how beautiful New Zealand always is in photos. :-) I was yet again amazed at how very few of us were just sitting there absorbing the sights. So many people were on their phones. Couples sitting together weren't even speaking with each other. Julie pointed out the fact that we have made camera's so small anymore and now the phones are getting bigger and bigger. Funny how the trends come and go.

Saturday I spent much of my day in Central Park and walking around in Time Square. Central Park is a crazy busy park. People are running, walking, biking, there are carriage rides, fitness classes in the open fields, tag football, frisbee, Thai Chi and Yoga classes, rock climbing ........ You name it and it was probably going on there. That evening I went to Rockefeller Center and went up 69 stories to the top of the Observation Deck. What a magnificent view! It was a little bit cloudy, but it was still very cool. I would recommend this to anyone. This is recommended over the Empire State building because then the Empire State building is in your picture. Oh, I forgot, today I also went down to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked all the way across it and down to the waterfront on the other side. That was A L-O-T of walking. That is one cool bridge. Just a quick factoid for my Cincinnati friends, the Suspension bridge in Cincinnati was built by the same gentleman that built the Brooklyn Bridge. I did not know this. The Suspension bridge was built about 17 years prior to Brooklyn.

Sunday I did an NBC studio tour as well as a Rockefeller Center tour. Those Rockefeller's, they had some money! And they loved art. On the Rockefeller tour I learned that NEWS stands for none other than north, east, west, south. Really? I can't decide if that is clever or not. The Rockettes, yep you called it, named after the Rockefeller's. The Rockefeller's were big into gold, limestone, and very dark marble ( I forget the type of marble. It was black in color.), symmetrical clean lines, and neon lights; hence the lights on the Radio Center Music Hall. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree can be no more than 80 feet tall because one year it was 100 feet and when they were bringing it into the square they crashed it through the Today show studio window. Oops! There is a gentleman that flies all over the country looking for the perfect Rockefeller Christmas tree. People can submit pics of their tree but ultimately this gentleman will land his helicopter one day, knock on the owner's door and request the presence of their tree in Rockefeller Center. They always have the option to decline and his search begins again. The tree is 100% green as it is lit with LED lights that refuel during the daylight hours from solar panels. What a tradition! I was excited to see the Today show studio for some reason.

I also did an NBC studio tour, which was quite neat. I had the opportunity to see where Brian Williams does the NBC Nightly News. He is the most watched TV personality in America. And a good job he does too. His studio was very cold. They don't cool it with AC, as it is bad for the cameras. They pump in refrigerated air. I guess when you have 3*4 cameras worth $250,000 you want to take care of it. I also got to see the studio where Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is taped as well as SNL. The guests on SNL have a plaster mold made of their face that takes an hour to form while they breathe through straws, so that the makeup artists can master their makeup not in person. With each skit change on SNL they have 60-90 seconds between makeup and wardrobe changes; otherwise they have to go to commercial or skip the skit all together. It is so neat to learn the inner workings of all these shows.

So I had a great but exhausting weekend! I am excited to be back to my home away from home, here in Baltimore. Pics to follow soon. I have to work in the morning, so this girl is headed to bed.

Sweatshirt Weather

What could possibly be better than the crisp cool air that creeps in your window at night; while you sleep soundly, with your windows open? This is my absolute favorite time of year! I love it when the temperature is not warm enough to allow just a t-shirt to be worn, yet it is not cold enough to bust out the winter coat. That my friends, is because it is "Sweatshirt Weather." This gal's favorite season. I will ride it out until the bitter end too. It unfortunately is not a very long season.

Some of my other favorites about this time of year are bonfires with s'mores, awesome bike rides through the country where you can hear the crisp dried out leaves rustling in the wind prior to their fall from the trees, homeowners decorate their front porches with pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks, and you can smell the smell of fall. (Sorry, I can't describe that, but I know you understand what I am saying there.)  This time of year also brings fond memories to the surface remembering collecting walnuts, peeling the shells from around them and then cracking them open with a hammer to eat the fresh nuts inside. Man those were good times. It is interesting that these walnuts that drum up such good memories from my childhood are now nearly deadly to me when I am biking. Those suckers are like land mines!I am going to collect a few though, to drum up those good memories.

Last week I explored another area of my neighborhood on a nice 30 mile bike ride. It is interesting, because in 30 miles I wheeled through suburbia, crossed over two major interstates, rode through horse country, as they call it here; obviously they have never been to Ky, and dropped into an area with the highest concentration of Jewish families in Maryland. I spoke with a very good family friend today and she depicted what I went through as a Hasidic Jewish region. Fortunately, I rolled through just after synagogue released and they flooded the streets. I have never seen anything like it. I think what really took me so aback, was that I was on a bike riding with the traffic; as I should, and I was literally almost weaving through an oncoming parade. Everyone was just in the street. The sidewalks were empty. It was the oddest thing I have ever seen and I was only hoping that they did not oppose cyclists coming though their neighborhood. I really was not conveying any malice or prejudice, I just have never seen anything like this. I am learning quite a bit about the Jewish culture, religion, and community as I live just next door.

Get out there and enjoy this whether it be on foot, on bike, or just driving on the back roads with your windows down.

The day I disconnected and reflected.

A week ago this Friday I did something I had never done before. I waited 3 hours for a phone. But it was for an iphone. :-)

Prior to waiting for the much awaited iphone though, I mailed my phone in for some cash and went three days without a phone at all. Not even a landline people! I was a bit worried about living in Baltimore without a phone though. Indiana maybe, but I had to work the next two days and drive in and out of the city.

The lack of quality television, lack of technology tethered to my person, and the nice weather has induced deep thoughts by Shannon Roddy. It is really quite scary. I will be the first to admit that I love my iphone, but I will fully admit that we have become overteched in today's day and age. We are sadly living in an age where relationships are broken via texting, there are these ridiculously realistic video games (Grand Theft Auto) coming out and we seriously wonder why these kids don't think it is a far stretch to take guns into schools and violence is only getting worse. It is a scary world out there.

I love facebook for what it has to offer, I have kept in touch with many of you via my blog, and I love my new iphone, but I really took a bit to think if I was happy with me at this time. I determined that  I HAVE to read more. My lack of literacy is just embarassing. I want to seriously commit to working out more consistantly. I need to get my behind back to church since I am only working every other weekend now. I need to focus on truly being present when I am with friends and family. This is a tough one to do and not be distracted by all the garbage we fill our lives with.

Dane Cook, a comedian, did a set once that said it best. Two people meet for dinner and one says to the other," I am going to set my phone face up right here, so I won't miss when something more exciting than you comes in." Well said Dane, well said. I know people that choose cell phone carriers on whether they get reception at their job. Aren't you there to work? Emergencies can always call you at work. Apparently, I am old school on that thinking though. Sadly, I just see a lot of nurses spending the majority of their shift texting anyone and everyone. Maybe I am just jealous. I don't have enough people to stay texting around the clock.

I have a good friend from college that is on his honeymoon and he continues to update facebook while on his honeymoon. Really?! I would beat that boy down! Seeing this only drove my point home further.

I am not saying that anyone else has to make these changes. I am merely acknowledging that it took a couple days of being off the grid to get me to see this. For that I am grateful.

Progress already attained. I went to church this past sunday. I have met some good friends that I made in Arlington out for lunch and out to a Baltimore Orioles game. I am one week into a 12 week weight lifting program and thanks to this, I struggle to feed myself and sit normally on the toilet. I have really started watching what I am putting in my body. I am only going to watch tv when my favorite shows such as The Biggest Loser, The Voice, and Modern Family are on. Because let me tell you, I have wasted many an hour watching back to back House Hunters or Golden Girls episodes. Guess I should also legitimately study for my CCRN, as certification I have only been wanting to get for 8 years. Let's make this happen, Shannon!

Misc:
I am coming home at the end of October for a couple of weeks and boy am I excited to be coming home! Things are good here, but there is no place like home!

Bike riding is good here, but not nearly the same without my peeps.

Is it Basketball Season yet? :-)

Words Matter

Last weekend when I was in South Carolina I went to my brother's church and heard a sermon titled "Words Matter." It referenced the impact that your words good or bad can make on someone. I decided to do a self experiment this week and really listen to how I speak to others and to listen to those around me. I learned a lot.

I know you won't be surprised that it started with a panhandler at the train station on my way home from the airport in Baltimore. I observed this lady going from person to person asking each and every one of us for a cigarette. At least it wasn't for money this time! Some people ignored her. Others were belligerent to her. And then there were those of us that said, "No, sorry, I don't smoke." At least the people that ignored her adhered to the motto "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." I really don't understand the belligerent people.

And then I carried the experiment to work. I met individuals from Egypt, Ghana, Tennessee, and a local Baltimorian this week. I would say that the individuals from out of the country were by far the most gracious individuals I met this week. That is to not discount the lessons that I learned from the other two though. The respect alone that individuals from other countries show to their elders is impressive just in itself. Many American children today respect no one, not even themselves. It is a sad state.

The good news is; I have always thought of myself as a kind individual and I truly believe I am, after listening to myself this week. I was luckily raised to respect my elders and to treat others as I would like to be treated. The respect from the children and family of the Ghana and Egypt individuals identified the disparity that I too often see here in the states. It was refreshing to see and they were a joy to take care of.

The other two individuals I believe I identified with because they could have been my dad. They had both had several different extensive surgeries that all entailed lengthy recoveries. They had both been in and out of rehab facilities and nursing homes and really all they wanted was to go home. One of the gentleman really took me back when the radiology tech and myself were trying to get him flat for a chest xray. This gentleman had a very painful sore on his backside, which is why he said "I can't lie flat." The radiology tech said " I will be quick and this should only take a couple of minutes." The gentleman said "Nobody ever cares what I have to say." Those words shot right through me and broke my heart. His chest xray was really only to check on a pacemaker that he had just had placed yesterday. I told the tech to get the best picture she could get without lying him flat. I told her I would explain to the doctor. This guy broke my heart. He was such a sweetheart! I really try to acknowledge that what is normal to an ICU nurse is horrific to non-medical people. I learned with my dad that everyone is someone's father, brother, grandfather, uncle...... So I really try to treat everyone as I would have wanted my father to be treated. I often will throw this line out there when I think someone is being rude or insensitive regarding a patient. It always makes them step back and reevaluate things.

The other gentleman I got to know really well referred to me as the "sarcastic baller." Haha. He was a huge women's basketball fan that lived in none other than Tennessee. He and his family were awesome to get to know. They know Pat Summit personally. Really?!!! How awesome is that? I was sad to hear that Pat Summit really is not doing well with her Alzheimer's though. Pat was a coach like no other.

I love my job as a bedside nurse. I am a rare breed in nursing. Not many nurses will say that they love bedside nursing. I just love to meet new people, hear their stories, and meet their families. That has been known to backfire at times though. But 85% of the time it works out in my favor.

I have thought about words that have stuck with me for life. As the sermon went, I can remember everything about that moment; the color of the paint on the wall, where I was sitting, whom else was in the room, etc. It's always good to check yourself and intrinsically evaluate if you are really portraying your best image. So take a moment and listen to someone that you would not normally engage in conversation. You never know what you may learn.

Amazing Race Trial Run

The Amazing Race has always intrigued me; though I have zero sense of direction. That is why it would be key to partner with my good friend Christa. She is quite worldly!

On Friday, September 6th, after working 12 hours saving lives and stamping out disease; mind you, I rushed home from work to finish packing to head south for a surprise visit with my family in South Carolina. Everyone knew except my brother. I do so enjoy surprising that boy.

My flight was at 11:00 which seemed like way too large of a gap of time after getting off work at 0730. Back it up an hour for the pre-hour arrival. In order to not pay for parking, I was planning to take the train to the airport which would consume 50 minutes and I wanted to shower, eat, and finish packing. So when I got home at 0815 I felt a bit of a crunch as I needed to catch the 0900 train which is a 10-15 minute walk from my house. All was in order til I got behind a moderate walker. He was not going slow enough to pass that I could sustain my lead, yet he was cramping my style at my current pace. So when I arrived at the train station a bit behind schedule, I knew another train was coming at 0911. So I jumped on the train in front of me and comfort set in til I heard the conductor say "This train is headed to Cromwell." My sphincter tightened and I looked online to see that the trains headed to the BWI airport were the 0900 and 0935 trains. Arriving at BWI at 1030 for an 1100 flight was not going to be good. I immediately started formulating 22 different ways in my head that were not going to work to get me there in a timely manner. My only option that was feasible was a plan that myself and 2 good samaritans on the train came up with; which was to hop off the train in two stops and walk/run to Penn Station and get a taxi. They really make Penn Station sound close to that stop. My conjuring good samaritan gentleman and I both got off together and he told me to head in the direction he was pointing and turn left at the second street and then turn left when it ended. So I ran ahead and was ready to turn left though I noticed the street name that he mentioned and what the street sign said clearly said; did not match.  Sweating and very out of breath I turned around to check his cues and he was two feet behind me. I clarified the directions again and when we got the crosswalk I sprinted to the next crosswalk which was two blocks. I again turned to verify his cues because I had no time for a mistake and by the time I was cleared to cross, he crossed with me. 'Why I am I running?" Idiot!

Okay, I finally reached Penn Station and now I am dripping with sweat and out of breath and I jumped in a car with a foreign stranger. Sounds like a great idea! He was my only option to get to the airport on time, so cost was really not an issue here. The few times I have ridden in a taxi alone; I always feel like I am paying someone to drive me into the middle of nowhere and kill me so nobody will ever find me.  Am I the only one that has that random terrible thought? He was a very nice guy though. After he asked me the obligatory "How are you today?" and I filled him in for a couple minutes, I realized he understood about 5% of my story because he spoke very little English. Epic fail. Needless to say, I made it to the airport on time and had no other major glitches.

It was awesome, I flew into Greenville/Spartanburg, SC where my awesome sister-in-law and my favorite munchkins picked me up. My brother beat us home and I let the family go in the house prior to me. I knocked on the front door and got to see the expression of surprise on my brother's face. I'm pretty sure after this surprise he is never going to believe me when I say I am working.

I had a great weekend with the Roddy's and my mom! I got to play games, bike ride, sit around a campfire two nights in a row, make Smore's with some of my favorite people, tell ghost stories, and enjoy a zoo owned by a friend I met in Maine while biking. If you are ever in South Carolina, Hollywild is worth a visit. Lots of their animals have been in movies and commercials; hence the name. A very interesting setup. Their bears are pretty much the happiest bears I have ever seen in captivity. Their animals were not pacing and didn't look sad. It was a neat experience. A quick but awesome weekend! I love my family and always have a great time with them.

On the job front: Hopkins is treating me well. The people are very nice and they treat their nurses very well. I will not expand in order to keep friendships with my Christ coworkers. :-) I just today extended my assignment for another 13 weeks after this assignment. So I will ride the holidays out here; though I negotiated to be off for Christmas.

Momma hits B-more!

Tuesday evening my mom came in town to visit with me before heading north to visit with a friend up in Maine. I gave her the choice of what to do on Wednesday and DC was in her sights. Just happens that I know my way around DC quite well.

We set out early on Wednesday morning at 0700 to catch the light Rail to Penn Station in downtown Baltimore; to then catch the Amtrak train down to DC's Union Terminal. That was my first time really traveling via train long distance. It was a neat experience and much more roomy than an airplane. I would definitely do it again.

As we arrived to Union Terminal and walked toward the museums, we noticed that people were gathering outside of the buildings and we heard a gentleman yell, "Two minutes!" I learned the night before via the news; that Wednesday August 28, 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with Martin Luther King. Good timing there, Roddy! But now we can say we were a part of history! As we were waiting for the Natural History Museum to open up we saw the masses gathering for the March on Washington. There was definitely a buzz in the city. It was neat to be there for it.

After the museum, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed towards the Lincoln Memorial to join the other 400,000 individuals in attendance. Thanks to a kind gentleman and and some speakers that faded in and out we were able to see and hear King's son, King's wife, and President Obama speak. In case you don't know DC very well, the Washington monument is very near the World War II Memorial which is then separated from the Lincoln Memorial by a one mile Reflecting Pool. It reminded me of the scene from Forrest Gump where he is at the Reflecting Pool and he and Jenny reunite. There were so many people and people lined the entire perimeter of the the Reflecting Pool. It is amazing to me how many people DC can hold before it feels crowded. Other than the huge mass of people gathered for the big occasion of the day, the rest of DC felt rather empty compared to when I was there April-June. So we had a great time milling around.

After our moment in history, we took advantage of a great program that can be found in northern Virginia and DC called bikeshare. We rented two bikes for a couple of hours and took DC by storm and visited all of the monuments. Luckily, we did this about 2 1/2 hours after the MLK event finished so several of the roads were still closed to car traffic, but open again to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. This combined two of my favorite activities, bicycling and the Washington DC monuments.

After museum going, marking our place in history, and biking around to the monuments, we headed back to the beautiful Union Terminal to catch a bite to eat before catching our train back to Baltimore. We were both tired from a very full day. We had a great time together and I am really liking the train as a mode of transportation. Where can I ride the train to next? I am thinking New York or Philly.

A Weekend of fun

This weekend, I lived it up like a child. On Saturday, I went to the Maryland State Fair. I really had not been to a state fair in over a decade. The fairgrounds are only 5 miles north of me. I easily took the train up there and it dumped me off right next to the Cow Palace. I was in heaven. There were cows, and goats, and pigs, and babies oh my! They also had a birthing center where you could watch cows and pigs deliver their babies. I was amazed at how long people would sit there just watching a pregnant pig labor waiting for the arrival of her little piglets. Yes I was one of them. After seeing 8 day old piglets in another pen, I couldn't wait to see them minutes old. It didn't happen on my watch though.

I walked around looking at all the booths and steered clear of all of the rides and most of the fair food. After speaking with Blake, I did get a funnel cake; against my shagrins. I haven't had a funnel cake in over a decade either. So I splurged and got a funnel cake. It was just as good as I remembered.

On Sunday, I went down to Arlington, Va, my last homestead and got a haircut and went for a bike ride. I rode the Arlington Loop which was one of my favorites when I lived there. I saw the sites of Arlington and stopped at my ever favorite Gravelly Point where I could watch planes land and take off from Reagan airport. I just love that park. There is always a lot of activity there and I love seeing the planes.

Back to work tonight and then my momma comes to town this week. I am taking her down to DC for the day on wednesday to see the sites. Should be a good time. Til next time.

The Chill Runneth Down My Spine

Fort McHenry

Yesterday I made the trek to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The War of 1812. I remember it as the War of 1812, the forgotten war. That pretty much sums up my recollection of it from history class. In April 1814 the British had just conquered and burned Washington and were headed north to complete their siege and overtake Baltimore. On September 12, 1814 British troops attacked Baltimore on land but knew in order to totally take Baltimore, they would need reinforcements from the sea as well. They would need to conquer Fort McHenry. The significance of all of this is that the British did not overtake Fort McHenry and were forced to retreat. This was all witnessed by Francis Scott Key whom was a young Washington lawyer that had been captured by the British fleet prior to their onslaught of Fort McHenry. It was when Key saw the American flag flying post British retreat that he jotted down some words that became what we know today as our national anthem.

I am by no means a history buff, but found this very interesting about how our national anthem came about. The visitor center at Fort McHenry is neat because they play a movie explaining all of this and at the end the movie screen lifts and you are looking at a replica of the same flag that Key was looking at on September 14, 1814 which inspired him to write our national anthem. As a nation, the display of the American flag and the playing of our national anthem brings us great pride. Immediately everyone stood, removed their hats, and stood at attention for the anthem. I thought that was an awesome ending to a history lesson. It gave me goose bumps and a chill ran down my spine. I didn't remember it from history class, but I shall remember it now.

I thought back to all the times I heard the national anthem prior to all of my basketball games. How the national anthem is played each time an American wins an event in the olympics. There were renditions of the anthem being sung by Whitney Houston. I could go on and on. It was just a really neat history lesson. Then I got to walk around and explore the fort and imagine what the soldiers saw and experienced looking out into the bay. Well worth the trip.

Honest and open conversations with the Homeless

Yesterday I jumped on the Light Rail headed south to the Inner Harbor to visit the Science Center for the day. What an amazing center! If anyone reading this comes to Baltimore with children it is definitely a must see. I was so happy that I went when school was starting in this area because the Science Center was nearly empty and I got to play with everything without being bowled over by small children.

While on the Light Rail I saw a very sad situation. Two gentleman got on and barely were able to walk to their seats 3 feet from where they boarded because they were so incredibly high on something. Then a lady with a baby in a stroller and a toddler followed them. Let me just preface this with, I was luckily very sheltered through high school and college when it came to drug exposure. I credit sports for that. The two gentleman were in different phases of their highs. One guy was in the animated let me tell you every story I know phase and the other was moving in slow motion like a turtle doing unknown tasks with items in his backpack; though he literally could not muster the strength to open his eyes to stay engaged in conversation. Unfortunately for the toddler, this gentleman was whom she called Dad. It made me very sad to see this; though I know this family is not isolated. I am just so thankful that was not my environment for my childhood.

Yesterday was a very enriching day for me. I had a great time at the Science Center and then had a day of great conversation. Immediately when I got off the rail, I was approached by a gentleman of course asking for money. I find it very interesting the amount of money that these guys ask for. It is always 12 cents, 26 cents, one penny, 16 cents. It is always such an odd amount. So this gentleman approaches me and immediately started with "Hello miss, please don't cuss me out or spit on me. I was wondering if you had some 16 cents to spare?" This took me back a bit. I responded with " Why would I cuss you out or spit on you? You haven't given me a reason to cuss you out yet. Why would I spit on you? You are a human being just as I am." I spoke with him for a couple of minutes and learned that he says that he sleeps on the sidewalks and streets and hasn't eaten in a couple of days. I then said "You haven't eaten in days yet you wreak of alcohol. Maybe we should discuss priorities." He then went on to speak about the process of alcohol withdrawal which he really didn't know how to label it. He said that he would rather starve than go through withdrawal. I also discussed with him that I have heard too many stories about how many of the people that approach me are probably panhandlers and not really homeless and make more money in a week than I. I asked his input on how to tell whom was legit. I did not give this gentleman any money because I know he was just going to buy alcohol, but I think just giving him the time of day to listen made his day.

In the evening as I was waiting for my friend Silvia to come down and let me into her apartment building I was approached by several more people asking for money. It's just a gift I have, I guess. One of the gentleman lives in Ocean City, MD, but was up here because his old lady had to have some major surgery and the laundry list of organs that he listed that were removed, had they been healthy organs, she would have been the most complete organ donor ever. So I am pretty sure there were a few details missing in his story. After I figured out that "old lady" meant his girlfriend or wife and not his mother, I was back on track with him. He was actually a funny guy. His story was that he was walking around clearing some space in his head. He was only asking for 12 cents. I told him I had no change on me. He then asked for a dollar. Haha. I replied with "all I have on me is plastic." He replied "can we walk across the street then and you can buy me a beer with your credit card?" I credited him with his boldness, but told him I rarely buy myself a beer, so I am not going to buy him a beer. He laughed and said "Never hurts to try." Indeed it doesn't.

I really enjoyed my time in nursing school working with the homeless. I do hope to someday work with them again. As I have said before, everyone has a story and everyone just wants to feel heard. Many of the homeless around here are drunks but they are pretty harmless otherwise. Welcome to the big city kid!

Extreme Tourist Take 2 - Baltimore

After two weeks of pure exhaustion from my month of play, orientation to my new place of employment, and one week of flipping days and nights, I have decided that I must start exploring the city that I am currently in. I made a to do list of activities that I would like to accomplish while in Baltimore. While most of the activities are in or around Baltimore, I would also like to take the train up to New York and see some sites there. Philadelphia is also very near by. Lots of fun activities planned.

Today I visited the Maryland Zoo and the American Visionary Art Museum. The zoo is obviously self explanatory and the American Visionary Art Museum is a museum made up of art from artists all without formal art training of any kind.

The Maryland Zoo is not exactly a zoo that you should race to go see. I guess the Cincinnati, OH zoo is pretty big and one of the nicer zoos out there. I had no idea. I should say that I did not see any pacing animals which always makes me happy. I got to see several babies too. I got to see baby prairie dogs and baby warthogs. My favorite were the baby warthogs. They were all relaxed and eating some grub and then all four of them were scared by a noise and they took off running. When they run their little skinny tails stick straight up in the air. Once again I am amazed at the screaming children kept out way past their nap time and their parents reactions to the temper tantrums. I actually heard a lady ask her four year old "Do you want me to smack you upside the head?" Luckily the little boy said no and sat down in his stroller. My favorite was a lady probably in her thirties looking at the Okapi and she described it as a zebra horse donkey. This child looked at her and said, "Really?!" Her husband said, "Well, he has a point. That was a horrible description of that animal." I just chuckled to myself.

The American Visionary Art Museum is a museum as I mentioned above that houses art from individuals that have never had any kind of formal art training. There are only a few permanent exhibits and the rest are exhibits that are changed out every couple of months. Some of the stuff was quite interesting while some of it I was really wondering how it made the cut. It is one of the more talked about museums in Baltimore. It was not far off the beaten path and all in all a good choice of a visit.

More play next week after I work the next three days.

2 year Anniversary of an amazing man!

Today marks two years since my dad's passing. It seems like an eternity since I have spoken with him, yet the wound is still fresh as though it was yesterday. I don't really have much to say other than I miss him terribly. I am sad that I am not able to discuss my travel nursing adventures with him. As I went back and forth to MD appointments, radiation, investigational drug administrations, visited him in rehab, and of course to Dairy Queen; I spent a lot of time talking with him about the dream of traveling. I can remember telling him as a child that I wanted to be a truck driver. Like every encouraging parent, his response was "It is a great way to see the country." He was very excited for my adventures to come. I am so glad I promised him that I wouldn't not start traveling due to fear, because when I almost lost my nerve to uproot everything I knew and loved, I thought of my promise to him. I know that he would be proud of Blake and I today. I am living a dream that I have had since starting nursing and Blake is doing great in his career as well as raising two amazing children with an awesome wife. Thanks to our unbelievably awesome friends and family we are doing well. I do hope that he comes to me again in my dreams. I have had several really cool dreams. My dad was my Hero and I can only hope to touch and change the lives of as many people as he did. I know he is missed by many! Love you Dad!

Time to put on my Big Girl Panties!

Well, tonight I am out of orientation and on my own. I think I am ready. There are still some little nuances and quirks that I won't know that I don't know until it arrises that I don't know them. Did you follow that?

Friday, which was my last day of orientation, I was working alongside the other travel nurse that started the same time I did. We both had transfers and then were admitting post op OH patients. We both returned from our transfer only to find out that our patient was literally rolling down the hall coming our way. What a treat! I don't even have time to hydrate, pee, or eat and it is already 12:45. All of which would be nice. Okay, I will go with it because do I really have a choice? It was then that I remember why I have worked night shift for so long. Dayshift nurses are crazy, for one. And two, the schedule is ridiculous and you almost feel guilty if you should need to hydrate, pee, or eat. It is insane. Nursing has to be one of the few professions that the higher ups that regulate the hospitals really expect that you will work a 12 hour shift and not feel the need to quench your thirst. Luckily, the two go hand in hand. Since there is no hydration going on, the urge to pee really never hits you til 6 pm, which then I resist the urge because then I am exerting my final surge of energy to tidy up so that I can get out on time. So the result of a no open container law, you will find nurses in the clean utility room where the ice machine is bolusing themselves with water. I have never been a drinker, but I really think a water bong would be awesome and highly effective. Also nursing has taught me to eat small frequent meals whenever the chance arises, because there is no guarantee that the opportunity will arise again. All that aside, I do love bedside nursing. I guess every job has its challenges.

I spent the weekend out with Silvia, the other traveler, and her husband. We meandered down to Fells Point and walked around down around the Inner Harbor. This weekend there was an Otakon convention. What a treat! Apparently, it is the largest nonspecific anime' convention. Last weekend the convention center held PonyCon. That is a whole convention devoted to the biggest collectors of My Little Pony. Trust me, that is a whole different breed of human. I should really look at the convention schedule and let that be my gauge of if a downtown trip is warranted. I spent my Saturday evening watching street performers, which are very good in downtown, and taking pics of all of the people walking around downtown. It was quite the spectacle. I will post some pictures.

Wish me luck!

Street Smarts

What a difference a one hour drive makes in your importance in the necessity of street smarts. I have been in Baltimore for twelve days and I have learned so much! I thought I was learning the life in a big city when I was living in Arlington, VA which was nestled three miles from DC. Oh Contrare! DC is a very safe and well protected city. Don't get me wrong, Baltimore has some really nice areas and some really bad areas.

After conquering the Metro system in DC I feel prepared for any public transportation challenge now. So when I rode the Light Rail from my place into the Inner Harbor and then took the Charm City Circulator (free bus system in downtown) to various points downtown, I feel like I rocked it. Granted the Light Rail only has a north and south route. Nonetheless, I was proud.

The other night when I was waiting for the Rail I took a different approach with the homeless. When a gentleman approached me asking for a quarter, because that surprisingly is all he needed, my response was "I just spent every last penny I had on me on alcohol. Sorry buddy." He stepped back a bit and said "Well, did you enjoy yourself? Because that is all that matters." He smiled and moved on. I will have to use that approach again.

Apparently a big source of crime here in Baltimore stems from the theft of smartphones and especially Iphones. Thugs are apparently watching carefully and looking for people distracted while walking the streets whether they are talking on their phones or texting. Regardless, once they see you are distracted they will apparently jump you or purposely knock into you to knock your phone out of your hand. An Iphone is worth anywhere from $40-$500 on the black market. Who knew? I had no idea. So strong advice given and very seriously taken by this girl is to not have your Iphone anywhere in view when out in public. No worries there. I love my Iphone and really want to steer clear of any trouble.

I will say that I feel very safe anywhere on the Hopkin's campus. It is well patrolled and they are more than willing to give safety advice and help you to your car. I park off campus and take a shuttle a couple blocks to the campus. The police patrolling the campus are very good about telling you what streets you are safe to walk on and where to steer clear of. I missed the shuttle this morning and decided to huff it the three blocks in to work. The shuttle leaves at 0612 and 0642. I arrived of course at 0625. What to do, what to do? I have to say the three block walk in was through a pretty decent area. The very weird thing about Baltimore though is literally one street over can be the difference between night and day. I find this so odd. When I asked the officer about walking today, his words were "You are safe to take Broadway up to Orleans and then cut over to campus. Don't take Caroline! You will be lucky to arrive with your pants still on going up that street!" My response, "Thanks for making that a no brainer for me. I have trouble keeping these drawstring pants up anyway."

Day 2/4 of orientation is completed. Everyone is very nice here and I am going to learn so much. I mean that in the hospital and outside of the hospital. Everyone can stand to be a little bit more alert and aware of their surroundings. Despite the stories and occurrences I feel safe here and I am learning a lot about street smarts. I have admittedly lead quite the naive life up til now.

Maine Photos

Maine Photos

Boston Barb, Diane, and Anne

Mother/Daughter Peggy and Eliza.

View of Bar Harbor, ME

Buddy from the Ferry

Break Time!

Break Time w/ a smile.

Sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain.

WomanTour Maine 2013

Barb and Anne trying to make their kayak skirts look fashionable.

Starfish

Me, working hard of course!

Hoisting the sails.

The reason for all the elbow grease. There were 4 of these.

Jordan Pond

Eliza, Peggy, Anne, Jane, and Tammy

Laurie, Sid, Barb, Lucia, and Joan

Bubble Pond