Nursing is a stressful job. Lots of responsibility. They change the meds on you all the time, change your charting all the time. This week you can do this, next week you can't. It changes daily sometimes.
This has been a stressful week. Lots of changes which dramatically increased our work load and stress level. bells and alarms ringing all night long. It drives you crazy. Makes it hard to think and get any charting done. I feel like the the insane asylum are running the hospital and it is just a matter of time before they drive all of us away or fire us. Moral is way down.
I long for my day off and this craziness to end. It is amazing how much change can be brought on a floor by people who don't work in a hospital under these setting. I love it when people who don't do my job tell me how to do it..
Anyway, my shoulder is killing me, my nerves are shot. Time for bed so I can wake up and do it all over again.
I hit the floor and ran all night. It was so busy. Every call light was going off and the bed alarms were going crazy. We aren't allowed to use restraints anymore so all of confused patients who can't understand they are not to get up without calling us are on bed alarms. Which go off every 5 minutes. We have so many people on bed alarms you don't know what direction to run anymore. It's crazy. With a vest posey the patient was safe from harm. They could move around in the bed but couldn't get out of the bed and fall. Now we have to beat them to the floor. And some of the fastest patients seem to be the most confused. We are so busy doing that it is hard to get anything else done. In fact one nurse got written up by a patient for being late with his med. You just can't win.
I am getting used to the kids being gone. Don't like it but getting used to it. Catching up on some sleep. Of which I will be doing soon. My pillow is calling my name. We went for a drive the other day so I got quite a few shots I hope to post to my photo journal soon. I have some horse pictures posted. I love horses. Well, it is time for bed. Night all.
This bug on my tomato, pretty cool. And my tomatoes are looking pretty cool, soon BLT's, yummy.
You all know my take on global warming and this terrible Cap and Trade bill. Yesterday we took a drive up to Sioux Falls and I got to thinking, dangerous things I know. But I am not against saving our earth. That is what they are using to push these agenda's though. Don't you want to save the earth? Well..... yes I do. But I think if we pushed a world wide anti littering campaign it would be better for the earth then taxing us all on a natural by bi-product like carbon emissions. If every country would commit to just picking up their trash. Wouldn't it be wonderful to drive down the roads and not look at bottles and plastic bags hanging from trees. How hard would it be to make biodegradable packaging, worm containers that went back to the earth, sacks that melted away. Instead of teaching your children about insane things like carbon footprints and carbon credits, teach them to clean up after themselves.
I know they have the technology to do this as I used to get biodegradable worm containers. No Styrofoam containers littering the banks of every good fishing hole. Because in my experience a lot of people who fish are pigs about messing up a beautiful area. Hiking in the back woods of a beautiful park. Don't throw you glacial water bottle on the ground for Pete's sake. Why should I or anyone have to look at that crap while I hike.
And it would be cheaper then this global warming scam and honest. Course no politician will get rich at it, or maybe they would as I bet they would find some type of tax on it.
You want government control? Have them insist everything biodegrades in a healthy matter. Have the police force enforce littering laws. Teach you children its the cool and environmentally correct thing to do. In every country. World wide. Now That would be a goal I could get behind. Not this Ponzi Scheme called global warming.
We went on a lovely ride yesterday. This pretty park, went to sit a table and take some photos. The family before us enjoyed the spot enough to have lunch there. They didn't enjoy it enough to pick up their crap after they got done eating. With their children. Here kids, give me your garbage so I can put it all in this bag and leave here on the ground. Aren't I such a good role model.
I hate people who litter. I once made a friend wade into a lake when he tossed his pop can in while we were fishing. I followed a lady and her children home and tossed their garbage sack in their yard that they through out the window in front of my house. I am really really really against littering. Because a pretty spot should stay that way. And even a ugly spot wouldn't look as ugly if there wasn't trash all over. So this should be everyone's goal. Not planning on how to wisely use your carbon credits, Sheesh. That one goes right on my Lame list.
And why get passionate about it? Because its a beautiful world......isn't it.
What job wouldn't be worth the money and their is no way in the world they could talk you into doing it?
Could you defend a child murderer because it was your job?
Could you kill a person because it was your job?
Could you day after day refuse help to someone because it was your job?
I am happy the job I do is one will it helps people. There are many jobs I would never do though. Do the lawyers who get some scum off Scott free go home with a warm glow about a job well done? Or does it eat at you like a larvae growing into a worm in your gut. I would rather scrub floors then do some of the jobs people choose to do everyday just to earn a buck.
So tell me. What job is there not enough money in the world for you to consider doing? Me? Probably any of those above. A guard at a concentration camp, helping to put children and humans into the ovens, kill me first. A lawyer who watched the butcher grin when found not guilty because you got some positive proof of guilt thrown out of court letting man walk free? Or my favorite right now. A work comp person telling you to just suck it up and letting you suffer day after day because it was your job?
I love taking photos as you probably all know but to me it is almost a art. I was really into art when I was younger. Pottery, drawing, painting. I did it all. So digital art is something I really found interesting and fun. Yes I do take photos and don't alter them at all. But part of the real fun with digital is the personal touch. Putting the art in them I like to call it. So here are some I have done.
The bottom one is Mackenzie looking her age. I took some shots of her that gave me a glimpse of the woman she would become. But some shots, the child she is shines through. This is one. You can still see the little girl in her. I do recommend looking at these full size. You just can't get a good look unless you click on them.
I hate hate hate getting my picture taken but rarely...... very rarely I do let someone take it. So here is one with my grandchildren on our last day. You can tell I am not a natural. Very uncomfortable getting my picture taken. The kids and Rick though, naturals.
I call this one a study of Gabe and the temp of his mood. I did this in 4 different moods and temperatures. Luke wants a copy of this so I am having a large one made for him.
In the flooding area's of Iowa City sits this lonely angel. Under water almost again she was just calling to have her picture done.
In the photo below I wanted to give it the type of look it would have if I painted it in watercolor. The sky was so red so I didn't have to do much except play with the grain and lighting. Rural Iowa, so quiet.
This photo cracks me up. Zoey begging but pretending she isn't. Every time you look at her she looks away. So sly and silly looking. I know your begging Baby. Silly dog. You can't fool me.
Another Iowa sunset shot using the mirror frame.
The shot below has been worked on more then the others believe it or not. I had to turn her beautiful brown hair black and enhance the color so I could delete it. Then I did infrared on her to bring out the detail and put a frame on it. I think it shows her beauty but also shows her aging. Have I told you she is a wonderful dog and that I love her immensely. A few hundred times I bet. My old cancer survivor. A great dog.
Another one I put some art into and grain to let it look like it could have been painted, or drawn.
Nothing done below but increasing the temp and adding the perfect frame. This looked so close to what we saw that night. So pretty.
So art, and photos, which are art. I think. I hope you clicked on the shots to see them full size. They really do look better that way.
Surprisingly enough we got out of town by 6:30 and it was because of me we left later. Shame on me. Got half way to my son's house and realized my blouses were still hanging in the closet.
The weather was simply awful. From Des Moines to Dubuque Ia it rained. And hard. The picture below was from right before the heavens broke open. I took it from a moving car so the bottom is blurry but check out those clouds. It was so cool. Until it rained.
It didn't just rain alittle, it poured so hard we could barely see the road. We stopped at a rest stop and got saturated just running in and it turned out the storm was on the same path we were. It was probably 100 + miles in blinding rain driving at 35 miles a hour.
When we finally got out of the rain we hit the rush hour traffic in Chicago. The roads were simply horrible as soon as we got on the toll road. Wasn't the man they put in office suppose to fix those? Pot holes big enough to break an axle. However. The traffic was much more organized during rush hour in Chicago then in Omaha. In Omaha no one slows down and they ram all over the lanes forcing themselves in at breakneck speed. There are accidents after accidents after accidents. In Chicago they actually drive slower and let you merge into the traffic without taking your life in your hands. We only saw one accident. It was a lot less stressful then I feared. Took forever though. We ended up being on the road for 12.5 hours.
The kids were good and our room was wonderful. Not very expensive and a 42 inch hi def TV and separate sleeping area. Mackenzie said it passed her nose test, smelled good. The place looked new and the owner just happened to be there so the service was wonderful. Maybe it always is though as it had high marks which is why we stayed there.
The next day was very hard. We went to IHOP, my first time, and then the other grandparents arrived to get the kids. Gabe was sobbing and holding onto his dad who was crying then Mackenzie started to cry and then we all joined in. I bet the people in the restaurant wondered what the heck was going on. Oh man. It just was terrible. The fastest 3 weeks I ever saw and blink...... they were gone again.
I wanted to spend the night in Iowa City but my son just wanted to get home. We did drive around and look at the flood damage from 2008. Many buildings are still abandoned. There was so much damage it was sad and the art center is empty. Where we ate the water would have been over our heads.
When they flooded in New Orleans everyone around the country sent money and help. Here in Iowa...... they got nothing. No concerts raising money, no actors raising money. No day after day, week after week, month after month media coverage. But in Iowa, neighbors help neighbors. And they did. The mayor pitched in and got dirty. Oh enough of that, onward.
My son's were born there and he had never been there so we showed him around and ate supper. The weather was much better and we made better time but it was still around 12 hours before we got home at 11:30. Exhausted. We did have a lovely sunset to enjoy though.
So now the house seems empty and I am missing the kids, until the next time.
And we are getting ready at this ridiculous time in the morning. I hope they will be up when we get there. My son is notorious for not being ready on time. We shall see.
It looks like we will run into some challenging weather and if all goes well the trip should take up about 10 hours or more. Hope we don't run into miles and miles of road construction.
I can't believe how fast 3 weeks have gone. Today will be my last day with the kids until later this year.
Well, I have to finish up, my hair is a mess but I am all packed.
