cakecups.

Whipped up a half-batch of some beautimous Toasted Coconut Lime Glazed cupcakes this evening. A little butter [substitute canola oil if you want to go vegan], light coconut milk, flour, shredded coconut, and a few other ingredients.... and voila! Powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest for the glaze. These baked off in just 22 minutes. Mmmmmm.

The summer night is like a perfection of thought.

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Love/hate.

LOVE: 90+ weather, headbands, freckles, sitting in the backyard with a hefe.
HATE [or dislike]: Being so terrible at studying for the NCLEX.

Thus, the face.

4th...

4th of July weekend is complete.

Spent the 4th, the Lord's Day, of course, spending time with the family and attending church [which was lovely]. Laura made her delicious vegan green curry that was fantastic [and served as my dinner today!]. After evening service, scattegories, fireworks, and artichoke dip & vino with friends filled the evening.

Today I had possibly the best NT shift of my very short career. A completely "all there" patient who I sat with for the sole reason of making sure his lower extremities remained still and to monitor the HOB. To be honest, he didn't require a 1-to-1, but I didn't complain. I even thought [for just a moment] about doing a double shift [but for just a moment]. An easy-going, humorous patient who loves baseball. I sat in the CCU recliner next to his bed [with a view of Mt. Rainier] to my left, watched a baseball game, and read "Into the Wild." [and ate leftover green curry for dinner, of course]

When the staffing office calls me in to work, I always say a quick prayer [for my sake] asking for a non-difficult patient [I've had one too many of those kinds]. These are the kind of patients I pray for.

Oooooooof.

Went to the gym last night for a 6pm workout. Walked past a fitness class that was just starting in the main gym and decided last minute to join. So great... but so tiring. It was a circuits class with trips out to the parking lot for sprints and lunges. Lots of males and females my age, which kept me [the ever competitor. ha] going. I was spent by the end; my body was done.

I've been pushing myself these past two weeks, and today I am feeling it. Oof. Went kickboxing this morning and did some free weights, but was not able to muster my usual "gusto." Rolling out of bed today, my glutes were screaming at me! I'm forcing myself to take a day off tomorrow. My body is tired. I felt like a slug today. Which was ok... spent the day with my nose in my Kaplan study book both inside and outside in the sun, painted my toenails in the sun, and watched Felix pitch a gem of a game against the Yanks. A perfect day for me, the slug.

Musings.

At work the other evening, I was summoned from my watchful post in the ICU to help out on the extremely short-staffed med/surg/oncology floor. I was immediately given a shift report [half way through the shift, mind you] on 8 patients. Before leaving, the charge nurse asked me to check in on a patient who she thought might be turning septic. [Deep breath] I plunged forward. In reality, the patient was overloaded with fluid, making him feel extremely uncomfortable and just "not right" [a cue for patients who might be septic]. A dose of lasix and shedding of 1400 ml of fluid was blessed relief for the poor man.

It was hard to watch this patient; in mid-life, struggling with some diagnoses that are, in general, pretty fatal. Another patient of mine for those few short hours was a teenaged boy with an acute GI bout. He reminded me so much of what my sister Laura is going through. She has never had to been hospitalized though, thank the Lord. Finally, another patient of mine turned out to be taking an unfortunate turn toward unwellness. Going in to take her normal Q4hr vitals, I noticed her BP was extremely high [200+ SP] and that she was febrile. These two changes in vital signs are significant, especially in geriatric patients. Tylenol and some BP meds gave her some immediate relief, but her current state of health was not looking hopeful that evening.

I am very ready for my transition from Nurse Tech to Registered Nurse. In a little over a month, I'll be exchanging my 1 CORA/COSI patients or 10 med/surg patients for 2 critical neonates. For the life of me, I cannot tell you what I expect. Most recently, I have asking for special guidance from the Lord; asking Him to prepare me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as I prepare for these precious patients.

bum-life

While I am working a bit in this interim period of life, I can't help but love being a bum. I'll work a day or evening shift every few days or so, and then the sweet bliss of taking naps, reading my stack of summer reading books, making soup, eating fro yo, vino in the backyard. walking around lakes. sitting in the sun. reading NCLEX study books [not as blissful as other noted activities]. walking to places instead of driving. kickboxing. long runs. reading blogs. catching happy hour with friends. eating nectarines. making joy journals. The list could be endless.

A side note; I ran down to UrbanXChange yesterday with three bagfuls of unwanted clothing. I sold almost all of it. It has been a good three years since I have actually spent money at that store. As soon as my credit slip dips below $10, it always somehow get's a helpful boost. Yes, I've recycled unwanted clothing that I've purchased, and have even returned pieces from Urban that I no longer want, but still don't feel as if I'm actually ever spending money at Urban. It is a beautiful and vicious cycle. I don't tend to find extraordinarily remarkable items at Urban, but do find some interesting things for myself or as gifts for others. Wading through the unique [but unneeded] jewelry and shoes that don't fit, I generally find dresses or scarves to purchase. Yesterday though, I found a plaid romper! I like rompers, and I generally like plaid things, but not together [aka both plaid and being a romper]. But, I brought it home and transformed it. It is now a type of shift dress and PERFECT.

Bedtime, bedtime, bedtime. Went up to Safeco for the M's/Cubbies game [an unfortunate 14 inning loss] and got too much sun; which makes for a sleepy Erin.