May 2009!

Hello all! It's been far too long since my last post! I finished up exams, passed my classes (haha), and went to the beach for a few days! I begin my 5th semester of nursing school tomorrow, and will ever so anxiously be counting down the days until August 8!!!!

It's always so hard to get back into the swing of things and master your routine after a few days off. After going through 117+ emails, I was quite shocked at one my dad sent. It was a link to CNN politics. Summary: The National Institutes of Health are paying researchers to cruise bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk. Whoa! Really? The researchers are getting paid $400, 000!! So much for the bad economy, eh? I think there are more pertinent things we could be 'researching'. I can tell you what information they're going to get out of that: Gay men tend to be more promiscuous and alcohol consumption makes you lose your inhibition. What happens when more people engage in sexual activity: rise in STDs. The end NIH. They should have hired me!!!

I went home a few weekends ago. Had a great time, of course. We had a family get-together for a cousin's 2nd birthday. This get-together was a little more peculiar though because my mom and dad were there at the same time in the same place. Long overdue. Both sides of my family were there. We all had such a terrific time! Even with drinking involved, mom & dad got along GUREEEEAT! What a pleasant surprise that left me totally content.

On the beautiful beach of Destin, FL, us 5 girls encountered a lot!! I was so excited for J from Philly to get to see the gorgeous water of Destin! One little problem- we were there during a full moon, and doesn't something happen with the gravitational pull and full moon with the ocean?! If not, I definitely like to think so. The first 2 days were stunning...then our 3rd, we walked up to a toothbrush, plastic fork, an onion. plastic containers w/ crustateans, etc. To top things off, some kids beside us that were about our age, pull a box out of the ocean. I'm not sure if it was a box-box, or like a coral-ameoba kind of thing. One guy pulled out an OCTUPUS!!!!!!!!! Yes. I try to uninitiate my gag reflex by seeing this slimy, squidy creature with 8 legs. We all gather around like we're zoology majors. This kid thew it back in the ocean!!! The thing was practically dead, and I was about to get back in that water. Goofball.

B & I walk down to escape the 'ocean fill' (not a land fill, since we were in water). We sipping on a few, playing on the sandbar, getting a tan. Of course, we get approached by an older man. We start to shoot the bull. I tell him about the octupus. He asks if it was still alive, so quick-witted me, I say, "Well, it was definitely on it's last leg." HAHHAHAH. He laughed pretty hard as well! Allllllrrrrrrriiiiight!

The ride down there was a little insane, as well. MG took her last final, and we hopped on the road. Right as we lock our apartment door, a monsoon comes and the bottom falls out. We contemplate running, but then a gravity wave force of wind comes through with thunder/lightning, everything else. 30 minutes later, we get in the car, go to the gas station- the rain stops!!!! Of course. We had to drive 40mph the whole way past Montgomery. I thought it was Armageddon. Two men (65+) pass us on a 2-lane road, neither of them with license plates. Hha. We stop at the gas station before reaching Destin and buy some beer. Well, ole' Tom Thumb likes to scan your ID any and every which way! The machine wasn't reading mine, so he's reluctantly gave it back and sold the beer to me. I said, "Look, it's legit!!" The Tom Tom got us a lost, but eventually, we made it, as frazzled as can be.

To be continued...

We All Put on Our Shoes the Same Way.

Hello again. I'm limited time b/c Saving Grace comes on next!!

If you are unaware, the Top 100 One Hit Wonders came on VH1 for like 3 dys in a row. J & I were watching it singing our little hearts out. "Don't worry, be happy" came on. I exclaim how much I love Bob Marley! Bob Marley doesn't sing that song :(

Saturday clinical 7-7- ew. Pediatric Rotation. I guess I'm spoiled by my unit because it's more acute care and 1-on-1. I'm not impressed by the floor I'm on for 12 hrs! You know, I'm about to graduate come August (HOPEFULLY!), & everyday I'm asked if I know how to make a bed or something ridiculous like that. It was just a annoying day, & I way to easily became cranky. I had to use my nursing judgment and turn the suction from Full Vacuum to Low-Medium. After doing so, the nurse I was with said it was okay for the suctioning to be on the HIGHEST! No, as a matter of fact, it is not okay. I double checked my resources & knowledge of other nurses. Then, after shift change, I have the nurse send me in a room to do all the IV settings/changes. Excuse me, I do not have a license & am not able to change any settings on my own. I hated to be such a Negative Nancy, but I was ready to throw the towel in. I did realize that it's much more difficult to change a dressing using sterile procedure on a baby much more than an adult, though.

It's 2009, & we're all different trying to test our limits. Who can stand out the most? Who can defy others? Reality is history repeats itself, so don't think you're doing anything new (for the most part!) I heard someone say the other day that "Everyone who goes to church is a hypocrite". I see where this is coming from- we all sin, we all do things we're not supposed to, & come together in this religious setting. Again, reality is that we all sin, & God is aware of this; otherwise there wouldn't be as much pain, suffering, & tests in this world in which we live in. This person went on to give an example: "She says she can do anything through Christ, but she still gets beaten by her alcoholic husband." Call me crazy, but from my perspective, this abused wife goes to church & prays. For all we know, she's praying to have the strength to leave. In no way does her getting abused & going to church make her a hypocrite. I've never been in the experience of being beaten, but I know that praying is a key. I'm not trying to be all "Our God & you should go to church." However, I do know that I would not be alive right now without a God & finding my cancer in the nick of time. My parents would not be alive from stupid attempts. My sister wouldn't be able to do all the things she does. I don't attend mass every Sunday, but I'm more spiritual than most.

What else can we be serious about?? Ahhh, I'll save it for another day. Would hate to overload you guys! Have a greaaaaaaat week!

29 Days until my 5th semester of Nursing school!!! YAYAY!

Volume II

Philadelphia, Philly, City of Brotherly Love, Home of the Cheese steak, etc. Things I loved- the houses. We have the beautiful antebellum/plantation-like homes, but most of theirs are made of stone/rock. Thinking of the city's historical past, it's just exciting to think about some of the 1st Americans living in the area, creating the foundation we have today! I am also fond of the 'ristorantes & pizzeria's'. So italiano :).

Let me introduce you to one of the greatest places ever- WaWa. Yes, WaWa. Kind of a weird name; comes from WaWa, PA. It's basically a little mini-mart (a little redundant, I know.) Some have gas, but others are just a convenient store w/ any & everything you need. They serve yummy bagels, flatbreads, hoagies, etc. They even have seafood salad in the cold section. I don't know why they haven't expanded throughout the US. Definitely would be an investment. Then again, they probably want to keep them all for themselves! Rita's -ice*custard*happiness- (slogan). They serve water ice (even more redundant.) Reminds me of shaved ice that we have down here. Soft pretzels- very good. I'm not a fan of mustard on my pretzels, so I ate them plain. I love marina/red sauce, so I loved the pizza.

We toured the city up & down. Went to Comcast- the tallest building in PA. I'm not too impressed w/ skyscrapers, but the view was awesome. You could see all these apartment complexes w/ pools & tennis courts on top. Pretty neat. However, I would be afraid that one intense gust of wind, & I'm a goner. Experienced my first train ride. The first train was an 'ole double decker w/ nice seats. The other one, not so much. Old wood vinyl or whatever that stuff is that old vans used to have in them. hah. I don't know if my anxiety would allow me to commute to & fro on a train by myself.

The Liberty Bell was a bit of a let down. I could have sworn it was a lot bigger than it is. We're at Independence Hall, and I'm looking all over. "Jackie, where's the Bell?!?" "Behind you." "That's a glass shed." "I know, it's in there." Pahhhh. What a misconception.

Listening to some jams headed to the NJ shore, we all sing along to "My prerogative"...I say "Galee, I love Prince!" "Well, that's cool, but Bobby Brown sings this." hahah.

Erin Express- one of the best experiences of my life. It was a St. Patty's celebration in which school buses took you from pub to pub at no cost! The city was drenched in green!!! (Only my favorite color!) We hop on the train to get there...it's packed!! The seats were full & the isles. Ppl were drinking cocktails, beers, & even out of pitchers! I score a seat w/ the 1 guy who's actually going to a real place. I've got a few brewskies myself in my purse. He looks at me, & assures me he won't tell. Plus, there were so many ppl on there that they weren't even taking up money. We engage in what seems to be quite the convo. I learned everything about him. For putting up w/ all of us so graciously, I give him a beer. He tries to return the favor w/ some illegal grass. I get really scared, & say, "No thanks!! I don't smoke!!" Awkward! It was a good thing to get off the train after that.

The Irish-Italian culture is significant! I LOVE IT! It's so much fun to be around ppl who grew up they way I did! In that, I mean, having the same values based on your ethnicity. That sounds weird, complicated, maybe even dumb. I can't explain it really. It just reminds me of every story I've ever heard from my dad's side (Connecticut/Chicago bred!) Every little thing reminded me of my grandparents & supplied my heart w/ a content feeling. Just like my TX trip in November. The culture there is so different, but made me feel right at home, as well. I totally embrace Irish-Mexican Catholic thing I have going on.

Don't get me wrong. I love where I come from. I appreciate Alabama w/ every little piece of my heart. You have the mountains/lakes, flat land, sand, beaches/bays. Variety. I will say it's difficult being Catholic here though. Spend half your days explaining to ppl that you do not worship statues or think that Mary is God. (Brief story: learning about dying in class, my ignorant teacher discusses religions/cultures, that she obviously knew nothing about. Says to a class of 120+, that "the child had been sprinkled Catholic". OH, this got me. I said, "WHAT did YOU just SAY? You mean Christened??" Sprinkled? You freaking sprinkle a cupcake, not a religion.)

Back to Philly. J has 3 brothers, a little different from my 3 sisters. Interesting to see the interaction. All I can say is thank goodness I didn't have brothers, I would have severe complexes. I'm too much of a scaredy cat girl. Her family was great, especially her Grandpop.

I've planned my next visit- Irish weekend on the last wknd in Sept! Yeauh!!

I also find it crazy that Rocky is all over the city, especially considering he's not real. But hey, it's the eye of the tiger...Hahha. I'm a nerd.

Have a good one! Love!

My Last Spring Break!

It is true that school/work consume my life, except for the ridiculously phenomenal VACAY I just got back from! Indeed, I did survive the north. Thank goodness I'm a female because I may not had made it as a guy. I scratched off 3 states on my list last week- NY, NJ, & PA.

I'll brief you on a few things & try not to ramble too much.

Packing was a disaster because ever since I forgot to pack undies on a 5th grade school trip, I over pack!! (Embarrassing, yes.) I had forgotten my suitcases at my dad's house, so J & I shared a big one and two large carry-ons. Mind you, I'm going to buy lots of things during this trip, esp in NYC. After sitting on suitcases to zip them, we head to the airport. I have a slight fear of planes, so I was already jumbled up. One happy pill later & an iPOD, I'm good to go.

It wouldn't be real if things didn't go wrong, hence, Murphy's Law, and unfortunately for my friends, my luck rubbed off. Hopping onto the next plane from Memphis, we don't get to sit together. I cannot have that. I ask a nice man to switch w/ me bc I know I'll have to clutch on to someone I know during ANY little turbulence. He so graciously gives up his seat. Thank you, thank you...wait NO! My freaking seat belt was broken! Then, the stewardess tells me she can "fix" it because it's just a burden to call maintenance. Losing a few more years off my life, I guess she fixed it??? I'm still here.

I cannot remember if I've told you the book I'm reading - I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Pretty much the most disgusting, crude, derogatory, repulsive book w/ the foulest language about a young guy's luxurious life of alcohol and babes via journal entries. It's funny though. For some reason, I like it. I would typically be offended. Well, I'm snickering at the book during the whole flight. The older man who had switched seats w/ me leans over to say he's read that book too. A-W-K-W-A-R-D.

We go to NYC..yes! Already have a room booked....and by room, I mean, laundry room. Undoubtedly, it used to be an ANCIENT apt. complex! We had to walk/climb through 2 fire escape doors to get to it! You couldn't even fit a bedside table in b/w the beds! The bathroom was moldy, and the duck-taped furniture had to have been found in an alley. The girl who booked it thinks we can fit 5 GIRLS in there. No ma'am. Three of us walk back down, luggage & all, w/ our heads held high. I am, in fact, better than this. (Not better than much, but definitely that!). We haul our luggage throughout the city, & happily enjoy our stay in a Hampton Inn. One problem- paper thin walls.

After God throwing a fireball at J's head (AKA- fire expelling from her hairdryer), the other hairdryer's coils turn lava red. Reminded me of Home Alone & the way the furnace always lit up in the basement. 3 girls w/ 2 minor explosions, we regress to our 12y/o days- screaming bloody murder. Knock, Knock- noise complaint! Of course, the one w/ the most severe anxiety answers the door. I apologized sincerely & whispered using hand motions the rest of the night!!!

Go to the bars...made lots of friends. Everyone I met, 'surprisingly' had a CEO-like job, had been to Alabama, won the Nobel Prize. They bought us drinks, which were &15/piece, so I didn't care b/c I'm a poor Mexican.

In the cab ride, a girl INSULTS & BELITTLES J & I. Not a fan, not a freaking fan of this broad. I did my best to be congenial & put her in her place w/ her David Yurman on that we all know she's didn't buy. I don't associate w/ ppl like her. They've never really experienced life, worked for anything, much less no anything of any intellect. She had a condo in NYC; she obviously was much better than my Alabamian self.

3:30a.m. approaches, we head back to the room...livid as ever. Now, regressing to our high school yrs, we're yapping like crazy! Ring Ring..."Girls...it's 3:30. Some of us our trying to sleep, or were sleeping." "Ohhh, yes ma'am, sooo sorry! We just got in. Hope you go back to sleep!!" Once again, who answered? ME!!!! We hit up a 24hr diner to finish our high school fest.

In reality, we had the best time ever!! The trip was much needed, & I took it all in. I'll be back soon to tell the rest about Philly!!

Hope everyone had a great St. Patty's Day!!!

1027p

Good evening fellow followers, AKA, Dad..hahah.

I should be reading about Algorithms, Tachycardia, and Nasopharyngeal Adjunct Airways, but I've been wanting to share my stories.

As you recall, Mary Merlot is my beloved cat w/ multiple cognitive impairments, bladder dysfunction, & basically anything else that you would like to diagnose her with. Well, she's going home to Grandma, my mom, for a few weeks. I need to de-fur my house. Plus, I've had to pretty much confine her to my room after she broke MG's deceased Poppy's plant and pot. God rest his soul & my stupid cat. Luckily, MG has got quite the green thumb, and brought it back to life. Phew! So basically, I'm pawning her off on mom until I can't any longer. I will miss her deeply though, dang it.

It has been quite the week for it only being Tuesday. Yesterday, I hopped in the shower at approx 5:51a. As I put my Lt leg in the tub, I slipped. It was an obnoxious slip, indeed. My foot went to the opposite side of the tub, my Rt shin banged on the tub (in which, I do have a bruise today!). I reached for everything as I was going down, stark naked...yes. I wanted to grab the curtain, but I didn't want it to fall down on me, so I reached for the soap holder...didn't make that either. Finally, after doing a 180, I fell onto rim to regain my composure. Then I giggled during my whole shower.

Well, this a.m. in the shower, I squirted Dove conditioner on my wash cloth & proceeded to wash my body. It was a good 28seconds later that I realized I was using conditioner. Being a Mexican, the last thing I need is a little extra grease to my body. Hahha. I kid. I kid.

I went to Wal-Mart last Tues, Fri, Mon, & today. What could I possibly need? You tell me. Yesterday was the best trip though. 50% off ALL Valentine's Day goodies!!! I bought some unneeded candy, a candle, pink napkins, etc. I have a disease. I cannot help but buy when I see 50% off, Buy 1 get 1 free, or like the little trinkets they keep in the check-isles, just for ppl like me. I wandered through the whole store today asking myself, "Do I need this? What could I do with this? Where could I put those?" Bad, I know.

However, I'm the same way about my belongings. When I'm on a Goodwill kick, I will search high & low for things that I can get rid of. It ends up being an all day affair bc I have to question myself 45x before deciding that I really don't need to keep that pack of stationary. I organized my socks, bathing suits, running/swimming accessories, purses, sweat pants, & Tee's today. I feel like a load of bricks has been loaded off my shoulders. I could almost just stare into my closet appreciating the organization right now. Hahhah OCD nut.

Lent is approaching- Feb. 24th. I'm trying to decide what to give up/ do more of. I always try to make it to church every Sunday during Lent, along with the Holy Days of Obligation. During Lent, I will be going to Philadelphia & NYC, so it kind of puts a damper on my annual giving up dessert. :( ...BUT I've come up with something better...giving up cussing/cursing. Not that I'm a sailor or anything, but I feel like it'll be a good thing to give up & something that will actually take working at. In addition, I'm going to not eat fast food, which won't be too bad. Usually, I only eat Taco Bell every now & again. (I know, prob the worst chains of the pick, haha).

Not sure if you're aware of this or not, but I GRADUATE soon...from college!! Oh my. Scared, I am. A recruiter talked to my class today. It's so stressful. I love everything for the most part: kids & adults, oncology, OR, OBGYN, renal, cardio. I do know that I do not want to work on a Med-Surg floor or a pulmonary/respiratory floor. I like more acute settings like a step down unit from an ICU, except for the Hematology-Oncology floor. I really enjoy my clinical rotation on the Hem-Onc floor. I know that the great thing about nursing is that you can work in a lot of areas, but I need to build up some solid experience first. I just don't know where!

More of my Life!

There is much to say in little time. Please follow closely and take notes:

It is very unfortunate that my beautiful cat, Mary Merlot, suffers from a medical condition. A few weeks ago, I noticed her always going into my closet. I have 2 purple baskets on the ground- w/ socks, undies, the whole shebang. I happen to see her take "stance" in the one in which my undergarments reside. You know, "the stance"...to PEE! That cat peed on 85+ undies!!!!! Ug. Beating her w/ 1/2 an inch of her life, I think I've taught her a lesson. Yesterday, she assumed position, once more, on some laundry on my floor. (Look, I pulled 40+ hrs over the wknd...no time for chores) I grab her up & turn her on her belly---she is dribbling!!!! Yes, dribbling urine! Taking it back a few steps, she has been spending A LOT of time in the litter box. She jumps in, tries to go, or does go, and jumps back out. Well before putting 2 and 2 together, I become a little frustrated w/ her infatuation w/ her litter box. I try to teach her not to hang out where she eliminates. So, I covered her litter box. MG and I are in the room when we saw her dribble, but we couldn't get to the litter box b/c it was covered!!! Ah! Then, MG notices more 'dribble' on the rug by the bathtub. Damn cat. Using my critical nursing skills- she has to have a bladder problem. I google the American Vet Association or something, & low & behold if I didn't get the 1 out 150th cat w/ FLUTD. FLUTD, you ask? Yes. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Of course, as a nurse, I shouldn't diagnose, but frequent urination & dribbles can only mean one thing. I've stopped giving her as much H2O, but it hasn't helped. What am I going to do? I'm going to call the vet tom!

Just to further elaborate on my OCD:

One summer home from school, I was staying the night at my Grandma Dora's. My mom was there too. I'll brief you on Grandma's house. It's a typical granny home- crap cluttered everywhere, the most random knick-knacks ever, a myriad of Sanctuaries, and probably hasn't been renovated in about 10yrs. In one of the bathrooms, there is wallpaper that is peeling off. Stressing out before I take a shower, I decided to pull it all off, birthday suit & all. 45min later, I'm sweating like a pig pulling off wallpaper! What an accomplishment. I can shower in peace now at Grandma's!!

As human beings, we should take most (not all) experiences to advantage to learn & take something away from it. In many instances, we have the choice to make ourselves happy or miserable. It's our responsibility to work towards happiness. It doesn't always come right to you. Towards the end of my 2nd yr in Mobile, I became pessimistic & unhappy. I was so b/c I was away from my family & needed a change of scenery. Looking back at it now, I totally regret not making the best of those last few months instead of dragging them out. I have wonderful friends down there, & should have been taking every minute for granted.

If you haven't heard about Michael Phelps, well, he's in big trouble. Some indecent human being sold a picture to British tabloids depicting Phelps 'smoking from a bong'. He is going to lose all of his medals & endorsements. I don't condone marijuana, but come on! He's worked his butt off to be the 'Champion' w/out use of steroids. If anything, it'll just make him eat more, which the poor kid needs. It's illegal, yes, and he does have a DUI on his track record. I don't know though; I just feel like the person who sold that picture is a worthless human being. They wanted the glory of Phelps going down & the bookoo's of $$$ for the selling the picture. What goes around comes around though.

Long Overdue

Today, a car was driving SUPER SLOW in front of me, and I had already had road rage b/c it was 5o'clock traffic! Well, as my frustration builds, I notice that their tire is flat. Having had a good 20 flat tires in my life, my condolences go out to this person. I ponder...should I stop and help? No, Megan, you're not strong enough to get the lug nuts off. Dang. Not my day to shine as a good Samaritan. Well, I notice it's a lady. Poor lady. However, there were plenty of places for this goober to turn off and get help. 4 stop signs later, she brakes, I pass her. Mind you, I can see tire debris flying from her what is left of a tire and rim. As I pass, I notice this lady does not just have a flat tire, but also half of her bumper is missing. Hm. Where could it have gone? What if she was a hit and run and taking the back roads so no one would know? The point is, it was freaking hilarious!

It's been a while since I've shared to world the stories of my life. Just like always, there have been plenty of awkward, foot in mouth, illogical, ridiculous moments.

Let me begin:
This past Monday, my roommate was gone babysitting, so it was me by my lonesome with Mary Merlot, of course! (P.S. I got a kitty cat for Christmas. I'll explain her greatness later:) Well, it's about 20 below outside, and I hear "KNOCK KNOCK"..."KNOCK KNOCK". Looking at Mary Merlot and wanting to depend on her if needed for safety reasons, obviously. She doesn't look to promising. I approach the peep hole, look out..and it appears to be a maintenance man. Should I answer? Well, if I don't, he'll come in anyway because they have keys. I answer. "Hey, I work for the newspaper.......blah blah blah...will you sign here...profits go to my schooling." Never judge a book by its cover his clothing does look creditable. (So did Ted Bundy's! AH!) Before I realize it, I'm back in my apartment writing a check for $27.70 to receive the newspaper EVERY SINGLE DAY for the next 3mos. I'm in nursing school...I don't have time to read. Okay, whatev, did a good deed for the city. I wanted to make sure he was legit, so I got a phone number and his full name. Way to think ahead, Meg. He did give me a carbon copy receipt to give me. So, the best part is he asks me if I'm looking for a job. "Well, no." "OH REALLY, you've got the BEST personality for this! If you ever need a part time job, give me a call." Oh, me. Yes, this is my life.

Back to Mary Merlot, the love of my life. All I wanted for Christmas was a kitten..& money for a plane ticket for my trip to Philadelphia (You remember, Jackie, the girl who fell, from Philly) ...& ink cartridges for my printer. Sad. Considering my mom just had her 2nd hip replacement, she was unable to find a kitty for me. Speaks volume. You want to get things done in life, you have to do them yourself. I go to the vet in which I worked a good 3yrs. They happen to have 2 felines- 1 CRAZY kitten & 1 somewhat grown kitty. I take the somewhat grown kitty, and proceeded to name her Mary Merlot.

She's phenomenal. A little crazy at times. And by times, I mean every a.m. when we wake, sometimes in the mid-afternoon & one more spell before bed. She loves to lie on you and any part of your body possible. When I'm lying on my side, she hangs on my hips, my head, my knees, whatever she pleases. Any time my cell phone makes a noise, she rushes to it. She's my own little Lassy! Actually, she's just the nosiest thing ever! She LOVES toys...and the top shelf of my closet. Mind you, I like to keep all my shoes in order by style, color, and texture. Well for Merlot to be able to reach the top shelf, she must topple all of my precious, strategically placed shoes. Damn cat.

I begin my adult clinicals tomorrow...Hematology/Oncology floor! I'm so excited! My instructor is a Oncology Nurse Practitioner, which is so admiring. I would love to learn more about that avenue for my nursing career. It's neat too, because the floor that I will be working on is the same floor where I had 3 of my radiation treatments some time ago. Crazy.

'Til next time.