I am a LPN not a RN - A rant of sorts!

I have what is called a "float" position at work. This means that if someone is sick, on vacation or away from work for any reason they can fill the shift easily with some one like me as I am already booked to work. Typically I am an extra staff and put on the schedule as "workload" and in the few incidences where no one is away from work I go to my "home site" and become extra for them. At all times I know what days I am working and whether I am doing a morning or afternoon shift. The only thing I am uncertain about is which of my two sites I will be at. I am usually called the night before or the morning of my shift to be notified of my worksite/unit for the day.

This past week during my last rotation I received a call that I would be going to a particular site to work on a unit that could use another LPN. I was told I would be "workload". It is the nature of my position for this to happen so I was okay with it. I prepared for work as per usual and made my way there. Five minutes after I arrived I wanted to leave.

It is annoying when you go to work expecting one thing and something you weren't prepared for happens. I was there as an extra person expecting to work as a regular LPN, instead I was put in charge and told that I would have to do the duties of the RN as we didn't have one for the day. I was not expected to do all the duties that the RN is usually assigned and responsible for doing. I was overwhelmed and stressed to say the least. Thankfully I had an ESN (employed student nurse) who just finished her RN program. She was able to help me out with much of the work. I was extremely mentally exhausted that day. It is times like this that my job is not loved by me.

I was called and told I would be back at the same place for the next day. I asked them if there was a RN booked for the day and the staffing office said no. I told them I was not comfortable with the situation they put me in the last shift and I was not willing to be put there again. I told them to make sure the got an RN for the day. They said "we will do what we can". Damn. I got to work and it appeared as if it was going to be a repeat of the previous day as we ended up without a RN again. Staffing was still unable to find someone willing to come in on either day over the course of the weekend. No surprise. The staffing office was able to make things easier by scheduling two extra LPNs for the day. So between us two extra LPNs and the ESN that came in again the unit was well staffed and all the work was accomplished as it should have been.

Just so you can understand why this was such a hard couple days for me and those I work with I will explain a bit about what things are like.

On this residential care unit in particular there happen to be 70 elderly residents (in residential care units the average patient compliment for each section ranges from 20-35).  It is expected of one LPN to administer medications for half of these residents and a second LPN to administer to the other half of the unit. In essence the unit is split into two sections and a LPN is assigned to each section and made responsible for the medication for up to 35 patients.

 Giving out the medications is not a case of popping a pill or two and saying "Here you go." We have several steps we go through to ensure that we are giving out the right medication to the right person in the right dosage in the right route at the right time. You want to make sure that you are correctly and safely providing the medications that are prescribed for each person and in many cases there are patients who have a lot of medications to receive first thing in the morning. While you are doing this each patient is getting ready for the day. It is also expected of you to check blood pressures, blood sugar monitoring for the diabetics, visual/physical assessments, dressing changes for those with various wounds/injuries, receive calls and visits from multiple doctors and document everything as you go along.

If you have a RN on the team with you then much of the latter stuff can be done for you while you concentrate on medication administration. You typically start giving out the medications around 07:30am and if you are fortunate you are done by 10:00am. If you are unfamiliar with the unit as I am at this time then the medications can take you longer and you might not be done until 11:00am, just in time for the next round of medications. On a heavy unit you can be stuck doing nothing but medications while the RN accomplishes all rest. The unfortunate part is because of that the RN is also overloaded with work as she/he is looking out for all 70 patients. As I said each unit is typically separated into two sections with a LPN on each section and the RN oversees the whole unit. As a LPN I only am expected to focus on my section, not the whole unit.

When I arrived the first day of my rotation I was told I was the one doing the overseeing of the whole unit like the RN is expected. Between myself and the ESN we accomplished all that we needed to do that day. It was stressful and wore me out. I was like a zombie when I got home. The next day was a repeat of the same. That is a situation that should not be happening.

Alphabet Party!

**DISCLAIMER**
This blog is only about my personal experiences with recreational drugs (aka street drugs). It is NOT about promoting or condoning them in anyway. Recreational drugs are dangerous as they can become addictive and they can kill. Any experiences I had were under the supervision of another person (that I could trust) who had previous experience with the drug and was able to keep an eye out for me to ensure I didn't have an adverse reaction or experience. These drugs are also considered illegal. If as an adult you decide for yourself to try street drugs then please research them first and inform yourself. Do not do it just because your friends offer them or say that it is fun. Do not allow yourself to become a victim. PLAY IT SAFE!

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I grew up in a household with a parent that did recreational drugs. She didn't do a lot of them but she did partake once in awhile throughout my childhood. My mother never felt it was worthwhile to hide things from my brother and I. She did do most of it while we were in bed, especially when we were younger but as we grew and became teens we were often still up and about doing our own thing when she would do her thing.

My mother also believed that if we kids were going to do any drugs she wanted us to do it at home where she could keep an eye on us. I feel she played it smart. She never told us not to do drugs and made it clear she wanted us to be safe if we chose to experiment. I think it was her bit of reverse psychology. If teens are told NO then they will, but if told IT'S OKAY then they usually won't, at least the teens of my generation. The teens today are a completely different animal.

As a teen I was a quiet one. I preferred to stay home and read my books and/or watch TV. Sure I had friends that I would hang out with sometimes but we never felt the need or peer pressure to do any kind of drugs. The worse thing that anyone I knew did was either cigarettes or pot. I did have one experience with a recreational drug and that was "magic mushrooms". My mother knew of a few people the would pick them and she once took us out for a 'picking party' with her friends. On our way home mother offered us each a couple 'shrooms' if we wanted some. I remember that they tasted okay and becoming very hyper. I was naturally a hyper kid and the mushrooms made me more so for the rest of the afternoon. I don't remember much else but then I was only about 12 years old.

It wasn't until I was 29 and living in Victoria that I tried my next recreational drug. I was out with some people at a bar and having fun. One guy that I kinda liked invited me to a house party after the bar closed. I knew no one there. I was offered some LSD (aka Acid). I remember taking it and letting it dissolve on my tongue. About 30 minutes later nothing had happened. My friend got me another 'tab' of acid and within 10 minutes I was definitely feeling it. I had the intense need to dance. My thoughts kept telling me that if I didn't dance the world would stop revolving. After an hour or so of dancing my thoughts changed and reversed on me. If I didn't sit still the world would fall apart. It was totally real to me at the time. I also recall that I was coming off of a cold at the time and while I was 'high' I couldn't feel myself breathing so I made sure that I had a breathe every 5-10 seconds. My friend asked me what I was doing and I responded saying that I couldn't feel my breathing so I am making myself do it. He told me I was hyperventilating and needed to stop or I would pass out. He told me to trust my body, it would take care of itself.

Throughout the course of the night I had a fun time experiencing a lot of new things. I was sitting on the couch at one point laughing with my buddy as we stared at the drapes. We were laughing because we thought the curtains were making faces at us in Technicolour. LSD is of course a hallucinogenic. The next day I was so hungry and I also remember my lungs feeling like they were tingling. Overall it was an interesting experience but not one that I feel the need to repeat.

The next time I did any kind of drug of that kind was the one referred to as E, X-tasy or Ecstasy. I was with some home town friends in Kelowna at a Rave. I was living in Victoria at this time but had gone home to visit everyone that summer. I was sitting at a table chatting when I felt it hit me, a sudden rush of well being that bordered on euphoria. Before that I was feeling slightly uncomfortable as I was in a place I didn't know surrounded by people I had never met, my anxiety was giving me a hard time. Once the 'E' started that all changed. I went from feeling like I wanted to leave and go home to loving everyone and everything.  I have always enjoyed music and getting up on the dance floor and with the E coursing through me I felt an urge to shake my boogie! I was having an excellent time that last all night. Through out the night my friends kept watch over me, made sure I maintained my hydration with water and pop and ensured I made it back to their place in one piece. The next day as I was feeling the after effects or 'come down' they continued to take good care of me. A common down side to 'E' is the depression like feelings the next day or two.

Ecstasy is a drug that uses up all the serotonin in the brain all at once and that is why you feel so good. Once the drug is out of your system there is no longer any serotonin left to moderate and balance your emotions and you then feel depressed until your body and brain can create more of the serotonin to keep you feeling normal. I was fortunate because my friend made sure I ate well and took care of myself until I was feeling normal again. It took about a day for me. After the Rave if was a quiet weekend with my friends. Since then I have tried 'E' a number of times and enjoyed myself; I always made sure I played it safe. I would ensure I had a safe way to get home, was out with friends that I was comfortable and secure with and was in an environment that was familiar to me.

I never felt the need to try any of the other street drugs like many of my friends and therefore I limited what I  experimented with. I avoided anything that needed to be smoked, snorted or injected (Crystal Meth, Cocaine, Heroine, etc). If I was gonna take any I told myself it would have to be something I ingested. I figured that it was safer in the sense that I wouldn't be exposing myself to health problems that are associated with drugs that enter the body in other ways. So in my limited fashion I have partaken of  pot cookies/brownies, chocolate covered mushrooms, LSD, E and MDMA (it is similar to E) and of course Alcohol. Another thing that has helped me when it came to this kind of experimentation is that I don't have what is referred to as an addictive personality. I try something because it is new and interesting but I do not keep doing it to the point of it becoming the focus of my life. I have so many other things in my life that are worth holding on to that I will not allow myself to become stuck on something that I know could destroy my life. Experimenting can be fun and worth doing some times but never at the expense of a good life.

**FYI**
Most party drugs are usually referred to with a letter of the alphabet and as such are referred to as 'alphabet drugs'. Some of the common ones that I have heard about and been exposed to are ones like LSD, E, MDMA, GHB, K. There are many others. If you want to know more about recreational drugs there are any number of sites out there that can tell you more. I only talk here about the ones I know or have experienced.

I encourage you to become informed about this but to given it serious consideration before you ever try any.

I learned how to make Butter Chicken

O-M-G! This was SO GOOD!

Earlier this week I extended my afternoon shift 4hrs into the night shift to help out because someone called in sick. One of the ladies at work that night brought in the ingredients to show one of her co-workers how to make the delicious dish. Because I am an avid foodie and self proclaimed home chef I stood by to watch her make it.

It is such a simple recipe. I have looked online at many butter chicken recipes and they are so involved; a long list of ingredients and multiple steps. This lady had a short list, few steps and it was done in 30 minutes. Some of the best butter chicken I have had in my life.

After enjoying two helpings of this scrumptious food I wrote down the recipe and had her approve it. This week I am definitely going to make this for dinner. Here's hoping it turns out for me the same way.

She started things out simply by cutting up about 1-2lbs of chicken and then adding some plain yogurt, Madras Curry powder, Cumin seeds and Chili powder. She mixed it all up and then let it sit in the fridge for awhile to let it marinated. She suggested I let it sit over night to let the flavours soak into the chicken. She also claimed that you could use Tofu as a substitute for those that wanted to go the vegetarian route.

She brought the marinated chicken to work and then started to prepared the rest in the pan. In a large deep pan she heated up a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil then added some garlic puree, ginger puree and tomato paste. After cooking that for a few minutes she added more cumin seeds, madras curry and chili powder and sauteed it for a few more minutes.

Next the chicken and yogurt mixture were added to the pan. As the chicken was cooking she would add a bit of water to help prevent the food from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. You have to constantly stir it. When the chicken was pretty much cooked she added some salt, butter, a can of coconut milk, regular milk and cilantro. She let that come to a light boil and then simmer for a bit until the desired thickness of the sauce was achieved.

She served it on rice with a bit of extra cilantro on top. YUMMY!

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So I made it this week for me and Danny boy and it turned out quite good! I think I will add more chili and some cayenne spices next time to give it more zing as Dan and I like the more spicy foods. It was so creamy and rich tasting. I will absolutely be making this dish again! I made so much that I had it for my lunch twice! Yum!

Smoking versus Non-smoking

I am non-smoker, always have been. Never smoked anything in my life and never will.

The closest I have ever gotten to smoking anything is 2nd hand inhalation from other smokers, the deep inhalation of the smoke from a BBQ grilling the tastiest of meats, and campfire smoke as a kid that burned and made me cough for several minutes afterwards. The thought of being a smoker makes me nauseous. I really don't see how anyone could become one. Yes, yes I know Peer Pressure is a factor, but still, how does being cool and accepted equate to your breathe and clothes always smelling bad, the yellow stains on your fingers and teeth plus the grayish tinge to your skin because your body cannot absorb enough oxygen to keep your skin as healthy as it needs. There is also the growing expense.

I grew up in household with a mother and step-father that were smokers. Even my father and step-mother were heavy smokers. My dad's household was worse than my mother's. The constant haze in the air was nasty.

I can remember my mother doing a lot more than smoking; my mother had a lot of the less savory vices! My mother was someone that smoked, toked, drank and did recreational drugs. Of all the things she did it was the smoking that affected me the most. I figure it is because she did that more than all the rest of her bad habits.

I can only recall two times when she was not smoking. The first was when she was pregnant with me, she stated she knew it was bad and felt it was important to not smoke while pregnant. Little did she know that her smoking after I was born affected her breast milk and my tender lungs. The only other time was after she had her nervous breakdown. My mother found her personal faith in God to be her salvation and cure for her emotional issues that led to her nervous breakdown. She claimed it helped her to quit smoking and drinking, etc. God helped her kick all the bad habits out of her life. Years later she returned to smoking for a little while. I think she was going through something and smoking was her stress related response to it. I don't know if God helped her kick it to the curb again or not but that is irrelevant to me. Her and I don't talk.

Over the years as I have grown up I became used to the smoke around me. I grew up in a smoker's house, friends and family around me were smokers, and everywhere I went there were smokers. I just adjusted to it. One of my peeves as a young 20 something was coming home from the night club with my clothes smelling of cigarette smoke and my eyes stinging from the atmosphere in the bar. The only time I seemed to be 'okay' with it was when I was intoxicated. I loved everyone and everything then! Oh how times change...

Over the years I seem to have become less and less tolerant of it. I am not totally sure if it is because of my changing attitude towards it, I detest it more and more, or that my body is changing as I age and cannot handle it so much. I have gotten to the point that if someone is smoking around me I will hold my breath and walk some distance away to get fresh air so I can breathe. If I am exposed to 2nd hand smoke when I am not prepared I find that I have a difficult time breathing. It is almost like an allergy as my throat feels like it is closing up. I think that part is mostly in my head. The brain/mind is a mystery sometimes.

In all my years the only 2nd hand cigarette smoke that I found I could handle was the smoke from those clove cigarettes. I knew a guy who smoked the Djarum brand that were dipped or soaked in clove oil. Whenever he exhaled it smelled like cloves and it didn't affect me like a regular cigarette. It is a brand that seems to be more popular these days but with the advent of smoking bans in Canada I rarely come across many that smoke them. I tend to avoid most smokers anyways as I just don't want a lungful of their exhaled carcinogens. The Djarums may smell nice but they are still cigarettes.

I am a strong supporter of the laws we now have in Canada regarding smoking in public places. If you want to smoke then do it in your private homes/cars/places. If someone doesn't want to be around it then they have the choice to stay away from your environment. In public places that choice isn't always available.  If I could have my way I would want smoking eliminated completely. It is not healthy in any way. What was once something that the indigenous people did in moderation as part of certain ceremonies and occasions has become something horrendously unhealthy. Smoking is one of those things I can say with complete confidence, I HATE SMOKING.

Don't get me wrong I don't hate the smoker per se, there are some exceptions to that, it is the habit itself that I detest strongly. It is one of those disgusting habits that need to be eliminated. I applaud, support and cheer on those that have quit and are in the process of quitting. I understand it isn't easy but it is so worthwhile. The financial rewards and health benefits are tremendous for both you and those around you, especially those you love.

I could beat this topic to a pulp but I figure you understand my point and how I feel about it. I don't ask for your acceptance or agreement on this subject but if you do then I am happier. What you do and how you feel is your prerogative, this is mine.

A quandary

Recently I have been having a bit of a blog quandary.

I enjoy blogging. Unfortunately due to time issues and the occasional lack of inspiration I haven't had much to say and really had to dig for something to write about. This made the experience let enjoyable as it made it feel like a chore. I don't like chores.

I went into this the whole blog idea thinking that it would be interesting to blog on a daily basis the things that come 'n' go in my life. I figured it would be fun and interesting to share my thoughts and feelings, to tell you all about me. The interest is still there.

Well as interesting as I feel I am, I also find that there isn't always something to say. I had high expectations of myself as I figured I could find something to share each day. I came to realized that not everything is truly share worthy and even if it was, it isn't always easy to write about it. I knew it wouldn't always been easy but I still wanted it to be fun. The fun was lacking.

So after a bit of discussion with some of my friends who read my blogs and have blogs of their own I have decided to ease back a bit and write only a few times a week instead of daily. I will still stick with my original plan of sharing about me and life and what goes on. This allows me the time to write something fun and enjoyable and to make it more worth my while. Make it something you as my reader will enjoy more too.

As the inspiration hits me I will express myself and still be able to be myself. That is the important part.

So, my quandary has been fixed.

Blog ya later!

Prevention of 

Violence Against Women

April 15 - 21

Everyone in this city or country, on this continent or somewhere in the world has a woman that is dear to them; whether it is a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, friend or lover. At no time in your life would you want to truly wish any harm to come to that person. At no time in any women's life should she be the victim of any kind of violence or harm. Unfortunately there are too many that are made victims by someone.

During this week we should put a fair amount of thought into how we as human beings can prevent this violence. Ways of preventing any kind of brutality not just during this week though but every day of the year. We also should find ways to prevent assaults of any kind towards anyone, regardless of gender! The only reason we tend to focus on women is because historically they are often the ones that have been taken advantage of the most. Men have also been the victims but not to the same degree.

Without the women in our lives we would not be who we are! As the ones who give us life and the nurturing we need through the early years women are the ones who shape the person we will become.  We should all celebrate and cherish the ladies we hold dear each and every moment they share our lives...

I could probably go on and on about this but the message is simple: STOP THE VIOLENCE!

There is nothing more that needs to be said except LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

I don't like cleaning.

But I also don't like a messy, dirty home. It is usually my dislike for a messy home that motivates me to clean up. If I am gonna have company over that is a good motivator too as I don't want to have my guests judge me on the state of my mess.

Part of my problem is that I also have a cat and a dog who shed like crazy! The cat hair sticks to everything and the dog hair gathers together in small little puffs in the corners. With the amount of animal hair I can collect in one week I could make myself a pair of hair socks or a hair vest. Now that Spring is here the pet hair is increasing as they both shed the 'winter' layer they both built up last year in preparation for the colder weather.

I often wonder why nature makes my indoor cat grow a winter coat. She rarely goes outside and it is usually only when it is warm enough to be comfortable. She is not a fan of cold weather any more than I am. She doesn't like snow, hail, sleet, rain or any other cold & wet winter like weather. There are even days when it is fresh, sunny and warm out and she still won't cross the door threshold to run outside. She just sits about a foot away and sniffs the breeze that is blowing into the house for a minute or two then walks away, with that typical cat attitude.

I love my cat and the dog but the hair they constantly leave lying around is a constant ordeal to clean up. It likes to hide behind and under things as well, not just in the corners. When we vacuum we move some of the lighter furniture around so the little clumps of hair can be found and sucked up. If the cat would let me I would take the vacuum to her on a weekly basis with one of the brush attachments to see if I could remove the hair before it collects everywhere else. Alas, the cat has declined that option, quite vehemently.

Another problem with the house cleaning is my boyfriend. He doesn't mind doing some vacuuming, sweeping or washing laundry. He does have a problem with dishes, kitchens in general, bathrooms and folding laundry.  I am the one that does the majority of the cooking so I figure that when I cook he can clean the kitchen. When he cooks I will clean. I believe that is a fair deal. I don't make big messes when I cook as I tend to clean a little as I go along. He on the other hand makes a bigger mess than me anytime he cooks. He doesn't agree with this deal because he just doesn't want to do the dishes. He will straighten up the kitchen a bit but will go as far as he can without actually washing the dishes unless I refuse or the pile has gotten more than he can handle.

In our small kitchen it doesn't take long for the dishes to pile up. After 1-2 meals there is a pile that looks huge in the teeny tiny kitchen that we use. There are also some meals that tend to use more dishes in the process of prepping and cooking than others. In this small kitchen it definitely does not take much to fill the sink and blanket the counters with the dirty dishes.

It all gets done eventually. We typically don't let the mess pile up too much as we both do not like living in a mess. For the most part the bathroom is my job with the vacuuming, sweeping and general tidying up is his job and we both grumble & complain about the kitchen but it is done on a regular basis. With the laundry we pretty much do our own clothes. If I start doing his then he will expect it all the time. He is a little spoiled that way. If you do something for him he expects you to keep it up. If he can get away with some one else doing it then he will. He grew up with others doing much of it for him so as an adult he wants the same. Too bad the big wide world doesn't quite work that way, at least not in this household!

I was raised to do it on my own. So I expect him to show his independence and use his skills by doing it by himself as well. I was also taught that if you don't like something then do it well the first time so you don't have to redo it again later. This works for cleaning too. Do it well then you won't have to redo it until the next time it is due!

And as we all know, there will always be a next time!

Are you Superstitious??

I am not a superstitious person. To me Friday the 13th is a day like any other. I usually have a great day. This particular Friday it was sunshine all day and my work shift went well. So no bad luck for me.

Others don't seem to have such a good time on the 13th. The superstitious ones will do all kind of things to try and avert the bad luck they feel is coming their way. 

Personally I fell that it is just all a matter of a positive attitude and not to let such silly things get the better of you. 

For more information on how the Friday the 13th superstion started check out the link here! 

Back to work...

You know that feeling you get when you return to work after a few days off and you really don't want to? I am having that feeling today.

I enjoy my job and I do look forward to working. There are some days though when it is hard to get myself motivated to return. It is usually because my days off weren't the greatest or I need more time off. On my days off this week there was some rain so I spent a good part of that day inside and that wasn't too great. There is only so much I can accomplish online or playing video games. There is only so much television I can handle watching and when it comes to books to read I am not always in the mood. Times like this I get bored inside, that is when I want the sunshine so I can be outside in the fresh air.

I typically enjoy afternoon shifts as I am not a morning person but it is a pain when I don't have a lot of time to get things accomplished before work. I have a routine when I get up that I like to go through that takes time as I do not like to rush. I wanna take my time and relax. When I have to work afternoons this routine gets rushed and that is another reason why I do not want to return to work. The upside is that I got to sleep in and that was so wonderful. After a couple weeks of early mornings it was nice to not have to be up by 6am!

All this week I am booked for afternoons and that is going to be a week worth of lazy mornings and not getting up till after 9am. I am hoping that there is sunshine then I can get the gardening done and enjoy the great weather in the process. Provided I can motivate myself on the those lazy mornings!

Work tonight wasn't too bad. I find that I can get into the work mode once I am there. Before hand I have no motivation to go to work but I do go as I am required to be there and I want to get paid. After I arrive my mood changes and all is well. Is the typical situation for me. I often have no interest in something but if I force myself to check it out and try it then my interest is sparked and away I go!

So tonight was good. Slightly quiet and boring but it is coming up on the weekend and we don't mind if things are quiet and boring at work on the weekend. It is better that way than crazy and exhausting. I will have to make sure I get all my sleep and bring a good book so that I am prepared for it going either way!

My little bit of Gardening

Before the weeding or mowing was done.

Well this year I would like to finally get the yard and garden to look good and maintain it for the season. I have done basic stuff in previous years but I would like to do more this time around.

We don't have a large yard or big garden areas so they really shouldn't be too difficult to do the upkeep; the only problem really is the time and effort needed.

In this picture you can see the yard before it has been mowed or the larger flower bed weeded. You can also see that it isn't a big yard. This is pretty much all we have and it is at the front of the house so everyone who walks by sees it. Our back yard consists of a patio above a two car carport and the other half of the duplex. The people behind us have a back yard about as big as our front. They just have a higher fence and more privacy.

I have slowly been getting out there. I got the side garden weeded and some seeds planted that should sprout within a couple weeks. Most of the growth in the gardens is perennials from years past that I like. I have been planting annuals around them to add colour and prettiness each year. What is kind of cool is that there is a small rose bush and oriental poppies in the side garden and they look amazing when they bloom.

I also got the front round garden weeded. As you can tell from the pic there is a fair amount of the previous years plants starting to pop up and they should be blooming by mid May sometime. What I would like to do is dig some of them up and re-position them so that the taller ones are in the back with the rose bush and let the smaller ones look good in the front. There is also some ground covering plants that would look really good along the edge with the rocks. Behind the trellis is a rock bed that is under the front porch and it needs some weeding as well. Weeds can grow anywhere.

There is still another small flower bed in the one of the yard corners that needs weeding and some new plants for color. I am thinking that some of the taller plants in the round garden will be relocated to a new flower bed that I want to create under a basement window. It will look nice from the inside as it will give some colorful flowers to look at from the inside even on a wet day.

The lawn need some attention too but that will come in time. It has a lot of dandelion and other broad leaf weeds that are very tenacious. We have been battling them for the past couple years plus! The battle will probably continue on even after I move to another place.

With the rain and my work schedule I haven't had the time or energy some days to get things done. I figure that if I do a little bit each time then it will eventually come together. Each part that has been weeded is easy to maintain after the initial clean up is done. It is just getting all the initial stuff done.

I figure by the end of April I should have all that I want accomplished. As a follow up I will write another blog to show you how it looks once done.

Got a new freezer!

Years ago when I lived in the Okanagan I had a small 3 cubic ft. chest style freezer. Unfortunately when I moved I had to sell it as it would've been too much to move. When I moved to Victoria I came with the basics. I sold most of the large stuff and downsized a fair amount.

Since moving here I have not had the space I wanted for a freezer. In the few places I have lived where the space could have been made for one I didn't have the funds. Things have obviously changed over time and now we have the space and the funds.

In the place we live we have such a small fridge freezer which can hold a few things but it severely limits what we can buy and how much. Dan and I have discussed it a few times and we both wanted one; more me than him. Today I was looking through some ads and came across a few that I wanted to check out.

I had looked on www.craigslist.com and found nothing that looked worthwhile. On www.usedvictoria.com I came across several. I walked around town today wanting to check out a few. The first one was at a thrift store and they said they had sold it a couple days ago. The second one I called in advance and the man on the phone said that he had just sold it. I was hoping that the third one would be the lucky one for us. I wanted to call before I looked to make sure it was still available. It was. I made arrangements with the gentleman on the other end to check it out before dinner time.

Dan and I drove over the the Mt. Doug area and checked it out. It was very nice looking. The sellers were an older couple whose children had all moved out and it was now just they two of them. They had just renovated their kitchen and didn't need the freezer anymore. As you can see in the pictures it is in great shape for a 7yr old freezer (Kenmore brand) and it was very clean. It had some dust and dirt on it from sitting in the garage for a bit but that was so easy to clean.

He was not sure of the cubic size of the freezer but I figure it is a 5 or 7 cubic one that is just right for us.

While it sat for a couple hours I took the time clean it of the dust and then plugged in. It should be ready for use by tomorrow. That should give it enough time to cool itself down to the right temperature. I figure this week we will go do a really good shopping trip and buy some freezer goodies!

Now we can stock up on sale items that we really like. We know we have the freezer space!

Easter Monday entry (a day late).

It was a good day for me yesterday. For the first time in about two weeks I got to sleep in. Oh was that ever nice!! I am more of a night owl than an early bird, so when I get the chance to sleep in I am loving it!

Monday was a nice end to this Easter weekend. I worked all of it but I still had a good time. I had great shifts at work and wonderful evenings at home with my sweetheart.

My boyfriend spent most of the long weekend out and about with friends off-roading with their dirt bikes around the island. He would be home in the evening and we would spend it together once I got home from work.

The Easter Toby

On the Sunday I dressed up the dog (picture to the right) with ears and bunny tail and he became the Easter Toby delivering stuffed bunnies and easter treats to our household. Some think its a bit cruel to dress up your pets like that but Toby is a sweetheart of a dog and as long as you reward him with treats and lots of loving, then he is willing. He is a smart dog and he knew that we were not hurting him in any way and that we loved him for doing it.

A Bunny for my Hunny

When Dan came home his gift basket and bunny that was delivered by the "Easter Toby" was waiting for him on the bed. It was a funny moment when he saw the dog with the ears and discovered his basket. Dan loves presents of stuffed animals and chocolates.

The only thing he complained about was that he wished I had hid the treats around the house and made him go on a Easter egg hunt. I didn't have time this year but promised I would do it next year. He is such a big kid at heart!

He loved his new bunny, the basket, the treats and the sweet card from me. You can see in the picture all the bunny stuff I got him. In the picture you can see his old bunny with the new one and the basket of treats; the card is hiding most of the chocolate that he got and ate that very night. He had such a sugar rush!

I enjoy giving present like this to people I love. Sometimes I plan it out in advance and make it real special. Other times I am spontaneous and make it a nice little surprise. As long as it puts a smile on the face of the one receiving then I am happy.

That is what the spirit of giving is all about!

I'm a busy busy bee!

Busy Bee

I have been so busy this week that I have not had the time I wanted to do my blog entries on a daily basis. I apologized to those of you that read each one. This a my late entry or April 07, 2012. I figure that a late entry is better than none.

Once things start to settle into a more routine like schedule I will be able to continue with my daily entries and any late ones will be a more rare event.

A couple weeks ago I started a new job position at work. It entailed some new training as I would be working with patients with tracheotomies and an orientation to a new work site. I have enjoyed it all. This week was my first rotation in my new position and it has been a blast. This work site allows me to be the LPN I have become and also makes use my old skills from my Care Aide years. I consider that a win/win scenario for me.

It has definitely been tiring as I am using skills that I haven't used in over a year and of course learning all the new routines with my new group of residents. My fellow nurses and care aides have been great. It is nice to work with people that enjoy their jobs and make it fun to be at work. Like I said this is a win/win for me. I won't always be at this site because me position requires that I work at another site as needed; a site that I am already familiar with. Whenever I am assigned to this new place I will be looking forward to working there.

So my week has been one full of new information and the formation of new work relationships with staff and residents. As the time progresses I will be doing my best to expand my skills and become completely comfortable in my new environment. I love my job!

Becoming a nurse was one of the best career moves I have ever made! Yeah Me!

Happy Easter to One and All!

Whether you celebrate a secular or religious time this weekend I wish you the best. Enjoy the moments you spend with your family and friends. Take a second or two to also enjoy the beauty of Spring.

An Easter tree in Germany with 10,000 hand decorated eggs.

Be a leader not a follower...

I believe most of us are taught as we grow that it is important to be independent, make our own choices and to decide how we are going to live our life. We are taught and guided in such a way that our parents hope we will become someone worthwhile. Someone important, successful, and makes a difference in this world. They had such high hopes for so many of us!  

I was told as a child that I had two main choices in life, to be a leader or be a follower. As a leader I would make my own way in this world and would be setting the standard for others to follow. Some people are able to lead naturally, others have to work on it daily. Of course there are those that just naturally follow the leader. If I was gonna be the follower I had to make do with what was set out for me as I would be stuck with it, at least that is what I was told.

I am one of those that who doesn't like to follow or lead, even though I have done both in my life and will continue to do it that way. In some situations I seem to be a natural leader and in others the follower. 

A couple years ago when I was doing my nursing course I was told by one of my instructors that I am a leader. I don't see it but she noticed that in many of the projects that we did through the course, any group that I was in, everyone seemed to defer to me. Some groups I would take charge and in others I would be put in charge. Not sure how that would keep happening but it does. I don't feel like a leader though. Maybe that is why I did so well at it; I didn't try to be something, I just was.

I know there are times when I don't want the responsibility of leadership so I don't mind being a follower. I find that I am the follower when I'm unsure of a situation or there is too much of the unknown around me. I want someone that is knowledgeable of the situation to take charge and I can willingly follow their lead. Of course the opposite is true as well. If I am the knowledgeable one then I am most comfortable being the leader; I almost demand to be so.

I am somewhat contradictory that way. Somewhat strange too!

Another good quote...

Do not follow where the path may lead you,

Go instead where this is no path and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A quote that I like. Just thought I would share it.

Quotes from my Life

Got busy again and forgot to post. So here is the entry for April 04, 2012...

In this blog entry I have included a few quotes that I really like and have some meaning to me in my life. I will list each one and explain what it means and how it reflects in my life.

Life is full of music and dance, make the rhythms and moves your own. This one I made into a tattoo which graces my left upper arm. I have always been a fan and had a strong love for music and dance. In elementary and high school I was in several choirs. I enjoyed singing then and to this day I still do. My voice isn't what it once was but that has not stopped me from enjoying the act of vocal expression. Dancing is something that I do when my body feels the need to physically express itself when good music is on. I am not a great dancer but I dance with my passion and that is damn good enough. This quote is one that in a nutshell expresses how you much make your own through the world with what is handed to you. Make your own choices/decisions and life without regrets.

Aim for the stars and you will reach the moon. This quote to me always meant to reach for the unreachable and in the process you will achieve the goal you really needed to reach. It also means that as long as you always have a goal in mind you will always have something to work towards and achieve. If you have reached all your goals then what is left?

Hope for the best and prepare for the worse. What happens always falls somewhere in between. This is something that my mother always told me. She was always telling me that if you lived your life in this manner you will never be unprepared for what life throws at you and you will also happy in whatever happens. It is about keeping a positive attitude and being ready for whatever.

Risk it all, for if you don't, you achieve nothing. I find that this one scares me the most. By nature many of us don't want to risk it all because we are scared to end up with nothing. We know it could happen. The quote means that you must be willing to risk it all, not that you really have to. By being willing to risk all that you hold dear you are then ready to achieve great things in your life. I have done this a few times and have been fortunate to never having fallen too far. This one goes well with the previous quote!

In order to take care of others you must first take care of yourself. By changing around a few words you can have this quote talk about Love and Respect as well. It all comes back to the fact that it all begins within You. To Love, Respect or Care for another you have to be able to do that for Yourself. If you are unable to love yourself then how are you able to love another? If you are unable to love yourself then how can you say you know what Love, Respect or Caring is all about. Self-love is important as with it you are able to understand and express it for and with others. The Love of oneself is the source of the Love you share with others. This is the same for Caring and Respect.

You must love if you hope to be loved. This quote goes hand in hand with the previous one. It is just the other side of the same coin. If you Love yourself then you can give Love to others and in return they will give Love to you. It is the whole "give to receive" idea. If you want Love from someone then Love them. The same can be said for Respect and Trust. If you want something from someone then you have to give it first. Give it to receive it. Simple as that.

Politics is for those that like to poke their noses into other people's business. I think this is one of the truest statements I have ever come across. I don't like Politics. It gives me a headache. As important as it is to stay in contact with those you love and care about and you want to be in the know about them and their life, there is a limit to how much you are entitled to know. Politics is all about not respecting those limits/boundaries. It is about telling others that you feel you have the 'right' to know it all and then judge them on it while telling them how to live. It's all Bullshit.

Life is good, life is grand, life is what you make it! I make it filled with love and am blessed! This final quote is something very personal. I truly believe that life is good, it is grand and it is what you make of it.  I make decisions every day that make my life one I can enjoy. Some of those decisions are big but most are small. Simple things like food and clothing. Other decisions relate to work and money. Some about friendships, family and love. I do my best to share my love on a regular basis and when I do that I am blessed as the love is returned.

Plus size

I know that I am one of the many who have a love/hate relationship with our society. It is a society in which we were born and raised and even have shaped by our contributions. You would almost think we should love it as we are in part its creator but we don't. Hence my comment that we both love and hate it.

We have as many reasons as there are people in this country to say why this is so. Many of us will have similar if not the same reason(s). I could pick just one topic and probably have a half dozen reasons pop into my head and start a discussion that would last for hours. Sort of reminds of the Jewish female character done by Mike Meyers on the "Coffee Talk" skit for SNL where she would say "I'm all verklempt, talk amongst yourselves." She would pick a topic and then tell them to discuss. Loved it! You can find many video clips on youtube.com with Mike Meyers that are worth checking out.


One of the topics that I am gonna discuss here is the one regarding "Plus Sizes". This will not be a huge write up, just a bit about what I think and feel. I know a lot of people that would be classified as a plus size person. I know that a majority of the population would fit into this category as there are so few that are not a plus size. A lot of this is due to the "image" that society has created.

According to this chart I would be considered acceptable with a body fat percentage of 18-25%. I do not know what my body fat percentage is but I do believe that I am at the higher end of that range. I know so few people that would fit in any of the lower range categories at all.


Body Fat Percentage Categories
Classification                                 Women (% fat)                                  Men (% fat)
Essential Fat                                        10-12%                                                 2-4%
Athletes                                                  14-20%                                               6-13%
Fitness                                                     21-24%                                               14-17%
Acceptable                                            25-31%                                               18-25%
Obese                                                       32% +                                                  25% +


The problem with image these days is that if your body fat percentage isn't below 15% then you are most likely considered overweight and/or a plus size person. Image is based on what we see in the media and how the people with less than 10% are seen as the "Ideal". I think they are too skinny and verging on anorexic.

I personally find that if some one is healthy in mind, body and spirit then they are a much better "Ideal" than anyone seen in a magazine. I feel that a person with a bit of extra weight on them looks healthier to me. I like someone with a good appetite and who eats well. Why is there such a fine line between what is deemed acceptable and what is obese?

I was told once in a health class that if you were more than 20 Lbs overweight then you were clinically obese. If that is the true case then I am borderline obese as I am almost 20 Lbs over what my doctor feels is right for me. If I lost the twenty pounds then I definitely would be thinner but I wouldn't necessarily be healthy. If I could lose that twenty pounds in fat alone then I would be healthier as long as it was balanced with good muscle tone and development. My ideal for me would be about 10 Lbs lighter and better muscle tone. I totally need to be more active in my life. It is the one thing I enjoy but am horribly bad at achieving. I know that I am not the only one either.

I try and try a fair amount. I succeed for short periods of time then when I am doing well I figure I deserve a treat and this leads to my eventual downfall. One treat proceeds another and so the dominoes fall. This is another thing that society throws at us as well. "Be thin and beautiful but eat eat eat!"

The last time I was in the United States I went to a restaurant for dinner and ordered a nice meal. I went to Denny's and ordered the Chicken Fried steak, a personal favorite. At the American Denny's I got a meal that was twice the size of the Canadian Denny's for the same price. My meal was enough for two yet they expected one person to eat it, and you wonder why so many people are overweight! There are a lot of other issues/reasons as to why people are overweight as they are but this doesn't help. We are constantly bombarded from so many angles it is hard to stand your ground day after day.

I have been there and I understand.

We need to fix our society and its Ideal Image. Because we are the creators of our society we need to change it. Turn our attitudes around to include more Love and less Hate. To achieve this we need to give ourselves reasons to feel more of the Love. We can start with redefining what is considered acceptable and normal for ourselves. Start with yourself first then work on the masses later. Be proud and confident in who you are and tell those that see you as 'plus size' or 'overweight' to take a flying leap off something tall.

Start there and along the way you will find more that you can do to improve yourself and everything around you. It is a lifetime endeavor but in the final frame you will feel like it was worth it. You just may be lucky and change things for the better for others as well! Is a great goal.

Didn't post on Monday so here it is a day late!

Got sidetracked last night and didn't finish my Monday blog entry. To save some time I have written a short one and will blog about another topic for Tuesday's proper entry.
                    ________________________________________________________________ 

You hear all the time people complaining about Mondays. It is the official start of the work week and signals that another weekend is truly over. Poor poor maligned Monday. I have made those same complaining comments about it myself once in awhile.

This Monday I made one about how it started off badly for me due to migraine pain and body aches. That doesn't mean it was a bad day just because it was a Monday. I could've woken up on any day of the week and had a migraine and aches all over; the body isn't too picky about which day it likes or dislikes when it starts to hurt. It just so happens that this was a Monday and that was the day for my aches to make an appearance.

The upside to this particular Monday is that the sun was up and it brightening things up. For me that makes a world of difference. My migraine didn't go away because of the pleasant weather though. Thankfully a really good nap helped with that and when I woke the sun was still shining nicely and I was able to enjoy the rest of my day.


Many people just complain about Monday because this is the day they are returning to work. They actually have to get up to be somewhat productive and earn their wages. If they could all have their wish come true the week would start on Tuesday.

The problem with this wish is that the day we would all start hating would then become Tuesday. It isn't Monday itself that we truly dislike, it is the fact that the weekend is over and our work week has started. No one ever wants to the fun to truly end. We always want just one more day. So which ever day it is that your work week starts is the day you will dislike. And your "Friday" will always be your favorite work week ender. We always look forward to our weekends!