April 30, 2002
Today is Tuesday. I think I have a cold...runny, yet stuffy nose and a lot of pressure in my head. Yuck. I hope it goes away before I have to go back to work tomorrow. It will not be fun to work with all of this going on. I just got back from aerobics. Only a few more weeks left, then it's summer vacation, baby! But that doesn't really mean anything. Shane is taking classes this summer and it basically means I will have to try to sleep during the hot summer days. I hope it's not too hot.
Work called yesterday to see if I wanted to work an extra shift. I always feel so guilty when I don't go in extra...they obviously need help and we could use the extra money. I decided to
see what Shane thought. I didn't really want to go. I asked him if he wanted me to go when he got home from school and lucky me, he said he wanted me to stay home. What a nice husband. We hardly see each other when I work. We get a few minutes to say hi when I awake from my sleeping stupor, and then he leaves for school. It would really be lame if I had to work any more than three nights a week. So, it's nice to be home.
April 28, 2002
Yesterday we had a get together with our neighbors. It was a good time and we finally got to meet our neighbors. They were all very cool. Carl and Charlene, the couple responsible for planning the "Reba Court round up," made Tri-Tip and everyone brought stuff to share. Everyone was very friendly and now we know everyone! It's been lonely up here, so it would be nice to have some friends.
I woke up a sore throat. I'm not sure if I caught Shane's cold or if it's allergies. It could be allergies because my throat is also itchy. I hope it's just allergies. Well, who knows what we will do today. I think Shane has to do homework, so I probably will just hang out around the house. I am just happy to be off for a few days!
April 25, 2002
Tonight is my last night of three...it has been busy at the hospital lately. Everything has gone smoothly the last two nights, which is very nice. I had a funny thing happen on Tuesday night. I was admitting a 66 year old lady and as I was finishing the paperwork, she asked me if she could ask me a personal question. I told her to go ahead and she asked, "are you pregnant?" What!?! I said, "I better not be!" I asked her what made her think that I might be. She said she just had this feeling.... It was very strange and made me laugh. Not yet, I told her.
Shane is sick...he has a cold, poor guy. He has had it since Monday, so he should be getting better soon. I hope I don't catch it. I feel so bad for him and there really isn't anything I can do for him. I haven't been able to take care of him because I have been gone at work. We haven't seen much of each other lately. I am looking forward to my time off. I get five days off before I have to go back to work! Yipee!
April 23, 2002
I have heard so many ambulances today! We live about a minute and a half away from the hospital and hear the ambulances on their way to the hospital. I usually don't care, unless I am going to work that evening. I have to work tonight. That means we probably will have a lot of admissions. And the later in the day I hear them, the greater the chance they will be admitted on my shift. Ugh! We have students coming to work with us tonight and tomorrow night. They make the beginning of the night a little hectic, but they are learning and we need nurses. I really do like working with them and they are helpful.
I was reading our union contract and it looks like I would be making more money working in the ER, which would be cool. I would make about three dollars more, plus the differential for working nights. I would like that! I am just waiting for the manager of the education department to call me back so I can sign up for my classes.
My garden is still empty. That stupid gardener guy. Well, we probably wouldn't have eaten them anyway.
April 22, 2002
Today I went down to the hospital to introduce myself to the manager of the ER, Scott. I was a little nervous about it, but it went really well. He seemed very impressed that I had my BSN and said that he wished all his nurses in the ER had their Bachelor's Degree. He said there aren't any openings right now, but I shouldn't have a problem getting in. He told me to take the EKG (electrocardiogram) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) classes and I should be set. He went on to add that it shouldn't matter that I am coming from Med-Surg, considering the need for nurses everywhere right now. It was very encouraging.
Today is my last day off. I am reading and probably going to go outside and try to get a little sun, since it is a nice day. I am reading a book called The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant. I am enjoying it. It's only around 250 pages, which seems like cake compared to the thousand page Wheel of Time books I have been reading lately. It's about Dinah, Jacob's daughter from the Old Testament. It's interesting reading about what it might have been like for the women in bible times. It shouldn't take me too long to get through it. Then I think I will read The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. I want to read Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (the ninth book in the Wheel of Time series), but Shane is reading it at the moment. I may snatch it from him, since he is busy with school and not reading much right now. Well, off to sun bathe!
April 20, 2002
My heart is broken. Well, not really. I am bummed though. I just went out to look at my garden, and it appears that the gardener mistook my little vegetables for weeds. They are all gone. What the heck??? Shouldn't a gardener know the difference between weeds and vegetables? I don't get it. I am disheartened. Maybe there are a few slower seeds that haven't sprouted yet that will still grow. I guess I could start over, but right now I am too bummed to want to do that.
Work went well all three days. My supervisor talked to the guy in charge in the ER. He said they aren't hiring at the moment, but to fill out the paperwork and take the classes I need to take and maybe a position will be available by the time I am finished with the classes. Either way, it will be good to take the classes and be able to put them on my resume. So, the transfer form is in and I think I may go to see the ER manager on Monday, just to introduce myself and let him know I am interested. Another thing I think I have in my favor is my Bachelor's degree, which a lot of the nurses up here don't have. I would think that might work in my favor. I hope I am up for the challenge!
April 18, 2002
Seven and a half hours of sleep. Not too bad. Now I am ready to embrace the world, help the sick, and do lots of paperwork. I was just doing the dishes and there was a ladybug walking around on sink faucet. I am partial to ladybugs. This one had lots of spots on its back. There was almost more black than red on it. I scooped it up and deposited the little guy outside on the plants near the back door. He just stopped by for a little visit, I guess. It was a nice little surprise. Well, gotta iron my uniform so I look spick and span!
Work went well last night. I "oriented" a new travelling nurse to the unit, so she pretty much took care of things and I just helped out. Very cool. I told my manager that I was interested in applying to the ER. She said she would talk to the manager over there and see if they were hiring. Kind of scary that I have now officially said something about it. Many of my coworkers are supportive about it, as was my manager. There is one person who I sort of work with, who works in the telemetry (heart monitor) unit who told me she thinks I need to work down there for a little while first. She is going to start working in the ER next month. But, hey, if they are hiring new grads straight into the department, why wouldn't they hire me? That is just a rumor I heard, about the new grads.... Almost everyone I graduated with from SDSU went straight into a specialty area. I am the only one who had to go into Med-Surg first. (Med-Surg, which stands for the Medical Surgical unit, is the bottom of the barrel as far as most nurses are concerned.) I have learned a lot there and feel like I have the basics down now. I think it is time for me to move on. If all the people I graduated with can go straight into the ER and the ICU and such I can do it after one year of experience! Just giving myself a little pep talk.
I am still tired, and have decided to skip aerobics and sleep instead. One my way home from work, two deer were running along the other side of the street by the hospital, which was a pretty cool and unusual thing to see. They looked pretty freaked out. I have seen a deer one other time up here, dead along the side of the road. It was much happier to see these two alive, even though they looked pretty scared. I just finished my Cream of Wheat, so I suppose it's time for bed. Well, here's to two more nights like last night!
April 17, 2002
Well, it rained last night/this morning. I should have known, since I just washed my car and watered yesterday. I like when it rains. It's pretty sunny out now, although I am very cold. Tonoight begins my three night stretch of work for the week. It isn't too bad, only working three nights a week, when you think about it. But those three days are pretty hard to deal with. I like my job, but it can be very stressful. A law was just passed in California regarding nurse to patient ratios. Currently, it is the law that we have no more than six patients per nurse in my unit. Occasionally, we will have seven, but the seventh is usually an admit in the middle of the night. But even six is a heavy load, especially when they have a history of dementia or are incontinent all night. By next January, the ratio is supposed to be 5:1, which would be better. Having at the most five patients wouldn't be too bad. Especially if it meant starting the shift with four patients. The problem is, we are short staffed as it is. It is so hard to retain nurses and to find nurses to hire. I don't know if it's the area up here or what it is, but there aren't a lot of nurses up here. I don't know how they will meet the ratios when the 5:1 law is in place. They probably will have to lower the number of patients they admit to the hospital. I don't know how it will work. It will be interesting to see how it is when it's all in place and if they will be able to pull it off. And what will happen anyway, if they don't? Will the police come and arrest them for breaking the law? Will they get fined? Who knows. I am seriously considering the ER. We will see.
April 16, 2002
Garden update: Seeds are sprouting up everywhere! There are flower sprouts, little carrot stems sticking out, and a little tomato sprout! I am very excited that I actually made stuff grow. What do you know...
I think M*A*S*H is one of the coolest shows ever made. I used to spend the night with my grandparents when I was little every now and then and my grandpa would watch M*A*S*H while I was there. My grandma and I were allowed to talk during commercials, but once M*A*S*H was on, we couldn't even whisper. I developed an aversion for the show and didn't give the show another chance until a few years ago. I think the show is so classic! I could watch episode after episode and never get tired of Hawkeye, Radar, and all the other 4077th doctors, nurses, and others serving in the Korean War. The actors all play their characters so perfectly and have such chemistry with each other. It's definetely one of my favorites, right up there with Little House on the Prairie.
April 15, 2002
I just got back from a walk. There is this really cool path alongside the train tracks just a few minutes from our house that I like to walk on. It is about 2 miles total, I think. I used to walk on it a lot, but I have been slacking off lately. I am going to try to get back into it. I think it helps me be in a better mood and gives me time to think. I stay at home a lot, attempting to avoid spending money and it gets kind of old after a while. Anyway, it was a good walk. It was a windy walk.
Shane is at school. He works so hard. I feel lazy compared to him, seeing how busy he is and how hard he works. I guess I should just be thankful that my life is pretty simple right now and enjoy it, knowing it won't always be like this.
April 14, 2002
I just returned from the grocery store, where the checker was telling an older man that she had the right to refuse service. I don't know what his problem was. Why do old people have to be so grumpy? And I have to deal with them when they are grumpy, sick, and can't sleep.
Yesterday was blazingly hot. It was a nice change and made it feel like summer. My three day work stretch is over for the week and I have a few days off until it begins again. Work went very well, which makes it a lot easier to deal with.
I went outside to check out my garden yesterday to find little sprouts! I think they are radishes. I was very impressed that something is actually growing. I told Shane about it and had him come look. He said he had seen them a few days ago and assumed they were weeds. Glad he didn't pick them. I need to keep on top of the watering, especially if it stays so hot.
April 12, 2002
Friday morning...I made it through the night. One more night to go and I will be set. I think I have four days off after tonight. The night went well and I kept busy. Maybe I will get to sleep more today. I think I am adjusting a little more to the night shift routine. Lots of little birdies out at the bird feeder. They are cute little guys! There is one that always comes and hangs out on our porch. He's hopping around right now.
So, I am entertaining the idea of seeing about transferring to work in the ER.... I don't know. It would be different and I would see a lot of action. I would have to take a lot of classes in order to do so, but I think it would be good to have them under my belt anyway. Especially for when we leave this little town. I think I might like it. It also kind of scares me. It is just something I am thinking and praying about. Might be a nice change of pace and good experience for my future as a nursie.
April 11, 2002
I am just about to go to work. Tonight is my second night of three. It was a busy night last night and I am still feeling kind of tired. Nobody wanted to sleep last night...don't ask me why. It didn't help that I went to my step aerobics class this morning and got to bed late. Oh well, hope things go smoothly tonight.
April 9, 2002
Well, I have decided to make a scrapbook with the baby pictures my mom gave to me. There are a ton of pictures, but I think it will be cool. I just started and am currently working on the second and third page. It is really cool to look at the pictures. My mom and dad look so young! It should be fun and will keep me busy. The pictures I am putting in now are of my great grandma Lucy. She had pink hair. I think she thought it was red. It's kind of cute!
Well, no little sprouts or anything out there in the garden. I did water it all. I wish I could remember the other type of flower I planted. I do care! Well, it's a pretty one, I know that much. The scrub jay is visiting the bird feeder right now. He has good manners today and isn't knocking seed onto the ground. Probably because I just put a bunch of need seed in there and it's all fresh. Good little scrub jay.
I planted a garden last week. We have two plots out in the backyard that I planted in. I have never had a garden before. I hope it works out and something actually grows. I really don't know what I am doing. How hard can it be? Plant some seeds and water them. I planted carrots, tomatoes, and radishes in one of the plots and then snapdragons, cosmos, and another type of flower in the other. I can't even remember what the other kind is.... So, I think I planted them about a week ago. I have watered them three times with the sprinklers set up back there. We will see if anything grows.
When I was little, my parents planted a garden. We had lots of tomato plants and I can remember them being taller than me. I kept picking green tomatoes, before they were ripe. After picking one too many of the unripe tomatoes, I was told the next one I picked, I would have to eat. Well, of course I picked another one and disliked tomatoes for quite a while after that. I like them again, twentysomething years later. Especially home grown, vine ripe tomatoes. I haven't been out there today to look at my little garden, but I think it would be good to water today.
We have a lot of birds out in our backyard. I don't have any clue what kind of birds they are. Little brown hoppy birds. We keep a few bird feeders out there and they just love to come and eat. There is a scrub jay that comes and eats, too. He pushes all the eaten seed or the seeds he doesn't want onto the ground, which kind of makes me mad. Shane has caught me yelling at him before. I suppose it's okay, as long as he doesn't scare all the little birds away. I really like our back yard. It has a little picket fence and arbor with a gate that leads back to my garden. The arbor has wisteria growing on it, which smells so refreshing and delicious. It is so beautiful to look at. We also have fruit trees growing in the back. I think they may be apricots, but I am not sure. Guess we'll have to wait and see. I hope they are apricots. We had apricot trees growing up and I think they might be my favorite.
April 8, 2002
My name isn't Buss. It's Erika. Buss is my nickname, although only my husband Shane calls me that. I am so used to him calling me Buss, that it is strange when I hear him call me Erika. I wonder if the nickname will follow me to the grave..."Beloved Buss, RIP"
The name is derived from a combination of Buzz (Buss) Lighyear and the fact that I was a busser at The Old Spaghetti Factory a few years back. I think Buzz Lightyear is cool. I didn't think being a busser was cool. I am a nurse now and being a nurse is much cooler than being a busser. So, Buss it is.
