Book #6

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I have a new friend at work who loves to read as much as I do.  Unlike me, she buys her books at a second-hand bookstore north of town.  I wait until I have a nice coupon for Borders and get mine.  I really ought to check out the store that she goes to because I prefer to own my books because I tend to read them over and over again.

Anyway, we have started loaning each other books.  I'm not big on loaning things to people, but I know that she'll take care of my stuff and she knows that I'll do the same.  So yeah... she loaned me a book last week and I just finished it.  

The book is Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.  I won't lie, the book started out kind of slow.  So slow, in fact, that I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading.  Two things kept me going.  One, I have this need to finish books I've started.  I feel incomplete if I only know part of the story.  Two, I borrowed the book.  I don't want to go back to the gal who loaned it to me and tell her she loaned me an awful book that I couldn't finish.

So the book is about two sisters living in Washington.  They grew up on an apple orchard with their father and their Russian mother.  All their lives, they can't understand why their mother doesn't love them, doesn't want anything to do with them.  All they ever got were parts of these old fairy tales.

Upon their father's death, their mother tells them the rest of the fairy tale they heard growing up, only this time it was different.  Through her story, the girls are able to better understand their mother and eventually come to love her.

Okay, that's as much as I'll tell you.  I don't want to ruin it for you.  That's like reading the last page before you read the first.  Check it out for yourself if you're interested.

Check out the updated book list for this year.  I have another book that I'm anxious to start, but my house is in disarray.  Once I can see my coffee table, I'll start and let you know how it goes.

What have you read lately?

Happy Happy Joy Joy

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I've been tagged!  Mrs. B sent me this cute award/survey, so I thought that I would be nice and pay it forward.

Here are the rules:

#1 -- List 10 things that make you happy

#2 -- List 10 bloggers and link back to the blogger who sent it to you

My List

1.  Snuggling up next to the hubs after a long evening at work

2.  Sunshine

3.  Cuddling with my pooches on the sofa

4.  Visiting family

5.  A clean house [the last time the entire house was clean was when I unlocked the door for the first time]

6.  Hearing my residents say my name [or at least trying to]

7.  Trying a new recipe and doing a good job [I'm a disaster in the kitchen]

8.  Getting hugs and kisses from my nephew, Adrian

9.  Hearing 'I love you' from my sleepy husband

10.  A good book

Tag!

Laura at Horton Family

Sarah at Classy and Fabulous

Melissa at Simple. Positive. Happy.

Little Woman at Little Woman, Little Home 

Kim at ilaxSTUDIO 

Sarah at A Bit of Silliness 

Tristan at Tristan*Time 

Jenn at Meet the Robinsons 

Amanda at Bachelor Pad Lady 

C-Diddy at Keeping Up With the Joneses

Happy Birthday To Me!

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No, today is not my birthday.  It was on the 5th, which is the week my blogging funk began.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of regular posting, so I thought I'd start with the day I turned the big 2-4.

Yes, that's right.  I am 24 years old.

It hurts to say it.

I am in my mid-20's.

My youth is slipping away.

Of course, you'd think by now that I should actually look like an adult.  That's not the case.  My residents all think that I am 18 or 19 years old.  It's true, I asked them.

I am sure that I will appreciate the fact that I look young when I'm 40 and look like I'm 27.

Anyway, this isn't supposed to be a post where I whine about being old.  What I really want to do is show you what I got for my birthday! [presents, hooray!]

Here's what I bought for myself...

A new purse!  Hooray!

With spring hopefully around the corner, I thought a bright colored handbag was in order.  This is a big bag.  I can carry SO much stuff in it, which probably isn't a good thing.  I also bought myself a new pair of sunglasses.  I finally admitted that my $4 Charlotte Russe sunglasses that I bought in August 2008 had, in fact, died.  Apparently I was in denial until one side of them was literally no longer attached and I couldn't repair them.

We also have this fancy new popcorn maker!  Isn't it pretty?  We have been having some problems with our old popcorn maker.  Since we can't live without our beloved popcorn, we went with this model.  I love that the top is also a bowl.  It definitely makes less of a mess than our old one did.

And last, but certainly not least...

Isn't it beautiful?

I have wanted one of these for the longest time.  It was even on our wedding registry.  

The day after I got it, I went to Kroger to pick up supplies to make oatmeal cream pie cookies.  The next week I made walnut chocolate chip cookies.  Let me tell you, this machine is amazing.  It works cookie batter together in no time.  Baking used to not be as much fun because it took so long to mix things.  Now, however, I want to bake all the time because I have this fancy gadget.

What's the best thing you ever received for your birthday?

Big News -- Are You Ready?

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No, I am not having a baby.

Okay, I just wanted to put that out there immediately so that you wouldn't get your hopes up while I skirt around the issue with vague comments.

I also know that some of you out there have your fingers and toes crossed, hopeful that one day I will appear in your Google Reader announcing that I have given half of my DNA to a living being.

Have fun waiting.

Annnnnnnyway...

As you know, back in the fall I made a huge career change -- making the leap from the awful world of retail to the scary world of healthcare.  Instead of selling lawn mowers and Christmas trees, I care for residents at a nursing home.

I really enjoy my job.  I have a few residents here and there who are a little cuckoo, but, for the most part, I love the folks I take care of.  They make me laugh and they care if I'm having a crummy day.

Ultimately, though, I do not want to work as a CNA forever.

Sooooo....

I've applied for nursing school!!!

HOORAY!!!

I've applied for an LPN program at a local nursing school.  I sent in my application on Tuesday.  I still need to take the entrance exam to see if I can actually get in, but I'm really excited about it.  The class starts in August and would end in May 2011.

So there's my news.  I'm taking the necessary steps to improve my future.

You can cross your fingers that I'll get into the program.

Reading Update

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Check out my 2010 Reading List to see what I've added this week.

I first read Beverly Lewis back in high school and fell in love with her writing style and ability to tell a story.  Lucky for me, the woman cranks out new books like she's simply baking cookies.

If you have a chance to read one of her books, take it!

Funny Joke

Pin It Now! A cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral.  A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service.

Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside.  The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.  At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter.  As all eyes stared at him, he said, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral... I'm a gynecologist."

That's when the proctologist fainted.

I Need This

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Enough said.

Ketchup!

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My husband mentioned the other day that I wasn't posting enough and that my lack of updates made my blog boring.  In fact, he said he was considering no longer following if I didn't get with the program.

Tonight, he sent me a text that said, "geez, when I said blog I thought you'd post about v day, not death."

Perhaps next time Mr. Picky-pants will be a little more specific.

Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, mister!

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On Saturday, we headed to Springfield to do a little bit of shopping.  I casually mentioned that I needed to look for a new pair of tennis shoes because the ones I'd been wearing since November were literally falling apart [this is what I get for buying shoes at a big box store whose name rhymes with 'fall apart].  He mentioned that he, too, was in need of a new pair of tennis shoes.  So guess what we bought each other for Valentine's Day... tennis shoes!  We both chose Nike+, which are really cool.  They have a sensor in the heel of one shoe that you can sync up with your iPhone.  You can set up specific workouts and everything.  I'm looking forward to trying it out.

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The weather here has been pretty terrible off and on since the beginning of the month.  I've had just about enough snow for the time being.  It's really pretty, but my dogs hate it.  The only way they'll go running off into the snow is if the neighbor's dogs are outside and need to be barked at.

Oh well.

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Is there anything you'd like for me to blog about this week?  I'm taking suggestions! 

A Sad Post

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I've been thinking about this post for the last week or so, but couldn't decide exactly what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.

So I'll just say it.

My first resident passed away on February 2nd.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be.

He was one of my residents both Monday and Tuesday.  On Monday, I went to get him up for dinner and realized immediately that something wasn't quite right.  He got out of bed and went into the bathroom.  While sitting on the toilet, he collapsed and became unresponsive.  

As scary as it was, I am proud to say that I kept my cool.  I pulled the call light while I did my best to hold him up.  Another aide came in and immediately ran out to get the nurses.  They put him back into his bed, gave him oxygen [he's DNR, so no CPR], and he came started talking again.  We decided to leave him in bed rather than send him to the dining room for dinner.

The dining room in which his wife, who also lived at the facility, was waiting for him.

Later that night, after his family left, I sat in his room with him and held his hand.  I fully expected him to pass during the night, but he was still there the next afternoon when I arrived for work.

He finally passed away around 7PM, surrounded by family with his wife holding his hand.

Each time I saw him, he would tell me how pretty I was.  He also talked about his wife of 70 years constantly.

I had a chance to spend some time with his wife the next night.  She is the cutest little lady ever.  Each time I told her how cute she was, she gave me this look that totally said, "you need to have your eyes checked, sister."  I also discovered that she's my neighbor.  Literally.  I can see her house from mine.

The resident that passed was the first deceased person that I had seen who was not yet embalmed.  I will spare you the details.  If you really want to know about the stages of death, Google it.

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The Mr. tells me that I'm slacking on the blog-front, so I'm going to be working harder to post something each day.  Sorry if I've been awful lately!

Funny Work Conversations

Pin It Now! Res: Oh, hello.
Me: Hi there.
Res: You're very pretty.
Me: Thank you.
Res: Do you have a hot date tonight?
Me: No... I'm at work.
Res: Oh, I could only see your top and you looked so dressed up.
[I was wearing scrubs]

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Me: How old are you?
Res: I don't know. [she's 102, by the way]
Me: What year were you born?
Res: I'm not sure...
Me: Were there dinosaurs?
Res: Red ice? No, there was no red ice.

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Me: She's going to take your blood pressure.
Res: Oh good, that hasn't been done in a couple of days.
Me: Oh my! Then it's a good thing we're here now.
Res: He spanked you?  I didn't know that.
Me: Yes.  I didn't tell anyone, I was embarrassed.
Res: Oh, okay.

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Res: What services do you offer?
Nurse: I'm sorry?
Res: I asked what services you offer here.
Nurse: What services do you need?
Res: Well, I need to go to the bathroom.
Nurse: I can offer you a bedpan.
Res: Oh wonderful!..... Do you have breakfast here?
Nurse: Breakfast? [this was at 10PM or so]
Res: Yes, is this a place that serves breakfast?
Nurse: Of course.  We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  We won't let you go hungry.
Res: Great.  Now, do you have any literature?
Nurse: Literature?  For what?
Res: This place.  I need to read about this place to see what services you offer.

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Me: Hi there, did you need something?
Res: Yes.  I need a doctor.
Me: Oh?  Why do you need a doctor?
Res: Well, I'm having a heart attack.
Me: A heart attack?  Are you sure?
Res: Oh yes, I'm having a heart attack.
Me: Are you in any pain?
Res: No, no pain.
Me: Does your arm hurt or tingle or anything?
Res: Oh no, they're fine.
Me: I don't think you're having a heart attack.
Res: Yes I am.  I'm having a heart attack.
Me: Let me check your pulse.  Feels strong to me.  I don't think you're having a heart attack, but I'll tell the nurse.

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I'm back & a Weight Update

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So I've been MIA for the last week or so.  I apologize for the lack of posts, I know how much you've missed them!  

But seriously, I just wasn't feeling motivated to write.  Or clean.  Or get out of bed at a decent time.

I did manage to make it to the gym a couple of days last week!  Want to hear something crazy?  It felt pretty good.  I felt good about myself for going to the gym and I felt good the rest of the day because of my workouts (even if they aren't as intense as the people on Biggest Loser).

It also helps the number on the scale go down.  Here are my numbers from yesterday:

Starting weight: 210 lbs (August 2009)

Starting BMI: 31.0 [obese]

Current weight: 194.8 lbs

Current BMI: 28.8 [overweight]

I've lost 15.2 lbs!

I feel pretty good about that.  I've been following the WW plan a lot better the last week.  I was at 198.2 lbs on January 31, so a lot of this is probably just water.  I don't care, though.  Seeing the number on the scale go down feels so great!

I do have a few other updates, so watch for them over the next few days.

Weekly Weigh-In

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Yes, I realize I've taken a little hiatus from announcing my weight.  I thought it was time for a little update.

I am officially below my pre-Thanksgiving weight!

Starting weight: 210.0 lbs

Current weight: 196.2 lbs

Total loss: 13.8 lbs

My BMI is down to 28.9 from a starting point of 31.0.

I wish I could say that the nearly 14 pounds came off over a period of a month or two rather than nearly six.  It's time to get on the ball.  I'm working on managing my time a little better.  My weight-loss journey and my house have been suffering.  It's getting better, though.

Reading -- Lovely Bones

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I've once again updated this year's reading list.

Over the weekend, I read Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones.  I'm not sure if I want to see the movie or not, but the book wasn't bad.  

From the previews, you know that the movie is narrated by Susie Salmon, the teen who is murdered at the beginning.  The entire book is written from her perspective.  It was an easy read and I would recommend it to anyone.

Sorry for being so vague, I don't want to give away too many details!

Bargain Shopping

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This weekend, Old Navy had 30% off of everything in their store.  Did you know that?  

I didn't.

When I walked into that store on Saturday, I was like a kid in a candy store.  I love walking around and browsing through the racks, wondering what would look nice and me, and wondering what the heck is happening in the world that day-glo orange booty shorts are in style.

But I digress...

While I do love to look around, I don't often buy anything.  I did manage to find something this trip, though.

How cute is this top?  I found it on the clearance rack for $6.49 or something like that.  With the discount, it was $4.54.  Score!

Oh, and it's so cute that I bought it in another color.  I could have had blue and black, but I exercised a slight hint of restraint.

 

Ignore how horrible I look.  I'm slouching and carrying a food baby.  [literally... a bowl of stir fry and a horribly delicious chocolate brownie]  I love the coral color, though.  It feels like springtime when you have a closet full of bright clothes.

Of course, it's not springtime here.  Not even close.  I don't want to look at these in my closet for the next three months while I wait for it to warm up.  Here's how I wore the shirt yesterday:

Not too shabby... right?  It's comfy and it's long.  I am a tall girl, so it's important that I stay covered when I sit down and bend over (hush mom, I know what you're thinking!).  Also, please don't judge me about the mass number of toothpaste spots on my mirror.  My husband is a vigorous tooth-brusher.  It's his fault, I promise.

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Oh, and one more thing.... it's my birthday at the end of this week!!!

In honor of leaving my early 20's for my mid-20's, I thought I would extend you all the opportunity to ask me questions.  Ask away!  I'll post the answers later in the week.