Why does it seem that some days/weeks death seems to stalk us? This month we have had 2 major celebrity deaths. George Carlin and Tim Russert. At my work 2 of my co-workers have had deaths...  one thier only daughter was killed in a car accident and one thier father died while they were on the phone to them. They say "death comes in threes", if this is true then who will the third celebrity death be? and what co-worker will face the death of a loved one? 

Death sucks rocks sometimes.  

I have to share this absolutely yummy recipe a friend gave me! I havent made them, but I got to try them. In Texas heat they are scrumptious!

PEACH MARGARITAS

1 (20oz) bag frozen sliced peaches
1 (11.3oz) can peach nectar
3/4 cup Tequila
1/4 cup peach schnapps
1/4 cup sugar
1tbl fresh lemon juice

Garnish w/ fresh peach slices

In the container (blender) combine peaches and peach nectar, process until smooth. Add Tequila, schnapps sugar and lemon juice. Process until smooth and well blended. Place in chilled glass and enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is since you are using schnapps you dont have to use a top shelf tequila to get a smooth flavor! 

They say death comes in three's. Who will be #3? I just recently posted about the death of a favorite author (which ironically was someone I knew in every day life), and today I wake up to the headlines about the death of a favorite comedian. George Carlin. Over my morning coffee I have come to the realization I have now hit that age where all "the cool people" are dieing. This totally, thorourghly, and absolutely sucks.

 http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/23/carlin.obit/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

I may  not have always agreed with Carlin's humor but I have to admit he did make a generation stop and think about the absurdity of life at times.

Where has this year gone? Seems like just a few days ago we celebrated the new year and here it is June! WHEW! Life, as usual, is chaotic around here. This past Sunday 6/1/08 we watched oldest kidling walk across the stage and receive her high school diploma. I cannot believe she will be leaving for University in a few weeks (July) and out on her own. Virginia seems so far away when it is your kid leaving for there! 

Summer classes have started full swing for me and I keep asking myself "why am I doing this again?" over and over. It seems so overwhelming at times. I'll make it but I have my moments of doubt. 

I have missed so many birthdays of my f-list friends. Please know it is not because I dont care... it's because I just cannot keep up with day to day things like I used to anymore. I hope everyone has had wonderful birthdays and that this upcoming year brings each of you wonderful things!

Most who read my journal know that my family is involved in the SCA (Society of Creative Anachromism). Though the SCA, as well as through Sci-Fi/Literary conventions, I have been blessed to meet some wonderful writers. This was a note I recieved in my email and it makes me very very said:

Fw: OT: Passing of Yang the Nauseating (aka Robert Asprin)

From: "Alsinda de Rochabaron" 
To: gleannabhann@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Gleann Abhann] Sad, sad news
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 05:03:54 +0000

I write this with a heavy heart. Today, sometime between 2 pm and 5 pm,
Yang the Nauseating passed away.

I spoke to him around 2 pm - to confirm that I was to pick him up at
5 pm and take him to the airport. He was to go to a convention in Ohio
this weekend - MarCon. At 2 pm, everything was fine. When I arrived at
his house, he wasn't outside, didn't answer his cellphone,
didn't answer his landline. Of course, as I was trying to figure
out what to do, someone came up behind me and I had to drive around the
block. (The French Quarter.) I called him again as I made the block,
but still no answer.

I *thought* I had a key to his house, but I wasn't certain I had it
with me. I tried to call another one of his close friends (who works in
the Quarter), because I knew that he would have a key, but I
couldn't get him. So I parked the car and dug through my briefcase
and found the key that I thought was for his house. I did get in with
the key, but it took some tugging and pushing.

I found Yang lying on his bed, with a book in one hand (a Terry
Pratchett book, no less) and his other hand by his side, his glasses
just beyond. To all extents and purposes, it looks as though he had
decided to take a nap. But I could tell he wasn't breathing and he
had no pulse. I called 911.

The paramedics and firemen arrived quickly and were quite nice and very
good. They actually worked on him for 30 minutes, which sort of
surprised me, because there was no activity on the heart monitor when
they hooked him up. It might have been standard protocol. Whatever the
case, they tried very hard, but couldn't bring him back.

I have been in touch with his literary agent, who in turn notified his
family. Because Yang was also an author, the news is already spreading
very quickly. I am very sorry to have to share this news with my SCA
family, but I wanted everyone here to hear it from me before you read it
on some sfnet board.

Yang was 62 years old, born June 28, 1946. He had no obvious health
problems, but he was also notorious for avoiding doctors. To those who
knew him "way back when" - Isolda, John the Bearkiller, and many others
- he was very pleased with how the SCA has developed since the "bad old
days" of freon can helms with women not allowed to fight in the lists.
He would have come and played with us more if he could have.

- Lady Alsinda de Rochabaron



 I love Robert Aspirin's writing, and if someone had told me when I first started reading his writing that I would ever have met him, much less gotten to *know* him as a friend I would have laughed at them. Well, I am glad I didnt. 14 years ago I was introduced to a rather quirky though affable individual at an SCA event. I knew him as Yang. He was funny. I learned later (about 6 months or more) after my initial meeting who he was "mundanely". I am grateful to have met this very diverse and funny gentleman and I am saddened at his passing. His legacy lives on in his writting.

Seems South Korea has taken spamming to a whole new level.....

 http://uncle.blogs.com:80/photos/one_plus_seoul/spam_gift_set.html

Well its done. The last test taken and grades submitted. I have survived Spring 2008 and managed to pull 2 "A" 's and 1 "B" outta my classes. I can live with those grades. 

Summer I and II are registered and paid for. I have a 3 week break until Summer 1 starts so maybe I can get caught up here! LOL 

This is finals week at school. Seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that I was writing about the weird feeling of being back on a college campus. I knew going back to school was going to chew up alot of my time but WOW! I had no idea just how much of my time it was going to take. As each of you can see just by looking at my entries they have been dwindeling in numbers as the semester progressed. The good news is I have survived and am actually looking foward to the classes in the upcoming semesters. 

The job change was a godsend. I was really hesitant about changing jobs and leaving my "comfort zone" of having been at the other hospital for so many years but I have settled into a nice routine with the new place and am grateful for being back on 12hr shifts and able to get overtime once again. We are still readjusting to the new work schedule but all in all I really think this is what I was supposed to do.

Ok, I need to read one more chapter before taking my chem final. Wish me luck, light a candle and say a prayer!
 

I know, between the job change and school I have not been the posting maniac I usually am. School has been unusually hard the last couple weeks and I managed to tank (I mean "OMG what the hell was I thinking" kinda tanked! Thank goodness my chem teacher drops the lowest grade!) two exams. I am glad I had solid grades before the massive tanking but still... 

Kids are through with winter guard for this season so maybe I can fall back into some kind of routine. Would be nice. 

Hubby and I are trying to find a happy medium with my having gone back to night shifts and his needing to be up during the day. I dont want us to fall into the old communicating by post it notes on the fridge kinda thing.  

I have frequently refered to my household as "casa chaos" but the last week "chaos" is to mild a descriptive. Lets see if I can do a general recap:

Friday was my "last" day at PMC. I am still technicaly FT until tomorrow but I used up the PTO days I had left. The irony is I was oncall until Monday morning 0800. And work didnt let me forget it. My pager would not shut up! I spent most of the day Saturday and Sunday remote accessed into work. Joys of a management job. 

Sunday afternoon Kidling D said she had to go to the ER. She has been having what she attributed to mild "stomach flu" for about a week. Seemed a reasonable assumption seeing as it's been going around. When Kidling D says she dosent feel good she never says it lightly so off to the ER we go. After the usual round of tests we discover it's her appendex and at 1700 she is wisked away into emergency surgery. She did fine and we got to it before it ruptured and they were able to do it laproscopic so she only has the 3 tiny incisions (less than 1/4"). She came home last night, Monday, and is doing good. 

School is killing me. Or at least it fees like it. I am so confused right now in organic chemestry its not funny. It has been over 20 years since I last took a chem class and here I am sitting in Organic Chem! What was I thinking?! I should have taken a semester of Elemental Chem as a refresher first but I didnt. Oh well. My "a" is now a high "b" and if I can survive with that "b" intact I will consider myself lucky.  I have a major exam (1/4th of my grade) in Chem tomorrow and I am nervous as hell about it. I have exams in my other classes too (Music theory and Lifespan Psych) but I feel solid in those classes and I'm not stressing as much over them. I still hate to take the tests and I have to motivate myself to watch the DVD's and listen to the music assignments (they are classes I am taking via the internet) but I get the assignments done without much stress and manage to muddle my way through the exams with minor mistakes. I guess part of my stress with Chem is that I love sceince. Always have, always will. Thats part of why I became a nurse. The human body amazes me in its delicate balancing act it performs. We are walking chemical and biological reactions and the slightest "tip over" in a reaction can send our bodies into a cascade. Oops. Sorry. See what I mean? I can talk about us, the human organism, and find beauty in the simplist and basic of functions/reactions (which not all are pleasant to say the least) that our bodies perform every second without a concious thought on our own part.

Today I have General Hospital Orientation at my new job. I am typing this wearing my scrubs. I know this probably sounds funny to everyone but it feels like I have returned to what I am supposed to be doing as a nurse. Silly that something as simple as the clothes you wear making you mentaly feel different isnt it? As a manager I had to wear "business casual", but as a clinical nurse (which as a house supervisor I am again) I wear my scrubs; I think too the weight of my "ears" (my stethescope) around my neck is also part of the feeling. 

Last week was brutal as far as weeks go. Though it did have its high points. 2 of which were I had 2 hospitals calling me wanting me to come work for them. One is whats called an "LTAC", its an acute care hospital that specializes in patients who have illnesses that require long term rehabilitation (such as being on a ventilator and being weaned off of it, or having a complex wound that requires complex wound care, etc) and the other is another acute care hospital but closer to home. The "LTAC" has offered me a position as a supervisor at about $13/hr more than what I am making now, plus all the overtime I can manage (at time and a half of course) but it's the same driving distance that I am doing now. The Acute Hospital is "local" (meaning same town I live in) but it's $2/hr LESS than what I am making now, and OT about once a month. The insurances are about the same at each facility so thats not to big an issue. What I do know is that where I am, as much as I love the hospital I am at, I cannot survive. I am barely making our monthly bills. With the gas prices increasing, and with a house full of daughters all in HS and prom seasons looming ahead as well as graduations, colleges and so forth, I cannot afford to stay where I am. I did not go hunting for these 2 job offers, they came to me. So that tells me I need to change, but the decision is mine as to where. ugh.

On a high note I took some days off from work to attempt to enjoy spring break. I took last Friday, today and tomorrow off. It's been lovely not being a slave to the alarm clock even though I have been up, awake and moving no later than 0800. Go figure. LOL. 

EDIT 1353: Well I did it. I just called and accepted the position at the "LTAC". It's not exactly 100% what I want to do but my compramise is this: I will work FT (which is 3 days a week, 12hrs shifts) for them, and stay "PRN" (as needed) at my current position which means I only pull maybe one shift a month with them. This allows me to take the higher paying position even though it isnt a perfect match for me (I can do anything for 2 years, which is when I graduate with my MSN and would be leaving anyway) but I can still get my "ER Rush" by working PRN at my current place. Hopefully this will be a win/win situation. 

But I am gonna need the extra $$ as oldest Kidling got accepted to go to college in Virginia, and that means out of state tuition, but it's the best "fit" for her and her goals.

Ok midterms are now behind me. I walked (stumbled might be more like it) through the first half of the semester with 2 "A"s and a "B". I'm now on the down hill of this semester. Only 10 more semesters (including summer I and summer II each year) to go.  

stolen from fionnabhar

( What LJ Icon are you? )

To all my friends who are "power surging", or who know someone who is....

Decided to be silly today so here are some meme's 

fionnabhar  gave me 1980

 

I have never watched the television show "Biggest Loser" but it has taken my work by storm in the last 18 months. So much so that work is now doing its own version of "Biggest Loser" for the next 3 months. Yeah. I caved in and signed up. We'll see if having the entire hospital watching my progress, or lack of progress, will motivate me. LOL.

Saw the ortho Dr for my follow up on my knee. He has released me as I have reached my "MMI" or maximum mobility index. I am not anywhere close to pre-injury abilities but workers comp and the physician are releasing me and any further treatment needed will have to be on my own insurance or out of pocket. This means the needed partial knee replacement (as said by the WC Dr) wont be covered under WC and I will have to jump through hoops to get my own insurance to pay for it. Grand huh? Oh well. Could be worse I'm sure.

I have to head off to work and since they have blocked the site at work I can no longer log in from there; though sometimes I can get a signal and log in from my palm pilot it's not a reliable connection.

Life at Casa Chaos has been, well, chaotic. After surviving having had the flu 2 weeks ago and missing a week of work and a week of classes/lab at school I spent last week doing the "mad catch up".

Kidlings M and L have managed to pull up their grades and are passing everything this 6 weeks despite them having been out various days from school as well (Ok, M had the flu L had a migrain). Telling them they have to get their grades up and back on track at least keeps me honest in my school work too. How can I tell them to do something if I am not doing it too? Thankfully all my professors were sympathetic to my having the flu (despite my having gotten a flu shot in Oct) that they allowed me extra time to get assignments in and to take make-up exams (they all have a policy of if you miss an exam you cannot make it up until the end of the semester then you can take a comprehensive exam) similar to what the rest of the classes had taken. I cant complain, I squeeked 2 "A"s (90% and 92%) and a solid "B" (88%) out of my exams. I'll take 'em! LOL

As weird as it seems and as frustrating as my schedule is right now I am really starting to get back into the schoolastic thing. Even though it has added a huge burden to my already chaotic life I seem to find "comfort" (for lack of a better word) to studying again. Unlike studying for a certification like my CEN or my TNCC where I felt huge pressure being back in an academic environment is almost comforting. I cant say why, it just is. Go figure. Maybe part of it is with each quiz or exam I take it feels I am one step closer to my goal of my sitting for my advanced nurse practioner exam.

We were supposed to have gone to ConDFW this weekend but due to finances and our having to leave for Lufkin for my paternal biological grandmother's memorial service next weekend we couldnt make the convention this year. Since Kidling L had already taken off work for the weekend (she works part time at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken) and we had made arrangements for the Kidlings to spend the weekend w/ my ex (for those new to my journal yes, I am still friends w/ my ex) hubby and I decided to just kick back and enjoy a quiet weekend at home. Something we havent had in a very long time.

Since Kidling L and Kidling M will be home later this afternoon I think I am going to sign off and go attack hubby again. Hope everyone is having a fantasic weekend!

I have 2 nephews who are serving our country in the military. CJ is a Marine (3 years) and Martin is in the Air Force (he's still in training to be a cryptolinguist) 2 years. CJ is currently serving his SECOND tour of duty in Iraq and we just got notification today that he will be back on US soil in a week! He has to go to California for 2 weeks for "debriefing" then March 9th will be home for 2 weeks before shipping off to his next duty station.

I need a laugh so thought I would share these that were sent to me in email today.....

I want a "do over". Remember when we were kids and if we messed up playing a game we could hollar "I get a do-over!"? Well, I want a do over for 2008. 

I know no one lives forever, and that I should count my lucky stars that I have been surrounded by as much family as I have for as long as I have. How many middle aged people can say they still have surviving grandparents? I could, that is, until last night. 

My paternal grandmother passed away last night about 8pm CST.  I dont know why I am so "shell shocked" but I am. "R" was my paternal grandmother but her and my paternal grandfather divorced before I was even a twinkle in my fathers eyes. She wasn't a part of my life growing up. In fact, despite living in the same general area for almost 22 years I havent even seen her in 19 years; I made every attempt to see her but she always had something come up at the last minute and couldnt keep the "date". The only memories I really have of her are (1) when my brother (who is 9.5 years younger than I am) was born and she came and spent some time with us and my memory was of her commandering the television set and my not being able to watch after school cartoons; (2) When I was about 4 or 5 years old Mom, Dad and I went to Dallas to visit (I think one of my Aunts was getting married) and I was fascinated with the fact she lived in an apartment on the second floor and (3) when I moved to Dallas in 1986 to get married I stayed with her a few days and her not wanting me to answer the phone if it rang. And for a wedding present she put down the initial deposit on an apartment for me and my fiance' but when he and I went to go sign the lease agreement the manager told us she (my grandmother) had taken the deposit back. Needless to say we couldnt get the apartment as we couldnt afford the deposit. When I asked her about it the following day she told me she thought we had changed our minds about the apartment and since she couldnt make our wedding gave us her telephone (yes, for a wedding present she gave us a used speaker/answering machine/telephone), and (4) for years after I moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area I made attempt after attempt to involve her in my newlywed life but she always called the day we were supposed to get together and canceled. The last time I ever saw "R" was when I was pregnant with Kidling D (who turned 18 this past December) and I went to "R"'s place of employment to give her an invitation to my college graduation (I had tried mailing it but it was returned to me) and she told me she had plans that night but she was proud of me. 

Obviously I dont have the best of memories of "R"; in fact I never called her grandmother. My step-Grandmother Dot was always more of a grandmother to me than "R" was and she, Dot, got the honorific of being called Grandma. Why is her death upsetting me so much? Her passing wasnt unexpected. For once in her life she wasn't faking illness (yes, she was a class "A" hypocondriachic. If the news had said that there was an outbreak of "purple spotted rockey mountain leprosy" she would have been in the local Emergency Department within 24 hrs with every symptom the news reported had listed). "R" gave up. She lost the will to live and stopped eating, drinking or taking medications. In time she even forgot how to do those things. I'm sad she left this earth in such a state. Her memorial service will be in Lufkin on March 1st. I will find a way to be there. 

Of course they say death "comes in threes"; just a few weeks ago my cousin passed away and now my paternal grandmother. Who's next?

I found this funny... I blame my mother in law as she is the one who sent it to me! I hope the picture comes out OK in the LJ cut though.
 

Taking an exam in music appreciation while you have the flu and feel like your head is stuffed with cotton and everything sounds like its underwater because of all the congestion in your ears dosent make for a pretty scenerio. 

Despite my feeling like crappola and only able to hear parts of my exam I managed to pull off a "B" with a nice solid 85%. Not great but hey... I'll take it considering what I have been dealing with with this cursed flu. I have had 3 days to take my exam but I kept putting it off thinking I would get to feeling better, or at least get to where I was hearing normal and let me hear the music notations like I should. But nope. I got to take my first music exam under duress. blech.

I'm hoping since I managed to squeez an 85% under these conditions that when I am healthy and able to really hear what I am listening to I'll ace everthing else! LOL

I'm going to go bury myself under blankets now. I know I shouldnt as it wont let my fever break but damnit, I'm freezing my teeth are chattering and I'm grumpy.  

 If your really really bored heres a good time killer. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf

I hate being sick. Take this flu from me! Ok. I'm through whining, for now anyway.

Now this is a home theater set up. Wonder if I can get hubby to get it for me for our 12 wedding anniversary this year?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/07/kipnis-studio-standard-home-theater-shows-what-6-million-can-bu/