Swim, Bike, Run....Potato Style!

So, as I'm sure you're all aware, Idaho is THE place for fun! Burley, ID, to be exact! Yup! Jeff & I were wondering what all the hype was about, so we decided to go on up there & check it out for ourselves...so we registered for the Spudman Triathalon as a team...awwwww!

We weren't disappointed!! We stayed in the Lake Walcott State Park in our toyhauler (THE way to travel, folks..I love camping, but a trailer ain't a bad way to go!). It was so pretty! And full of mosquitos! Yay! I have a gazilion pictures that I'm not going to bore you with..(I also do not have the patience to wait for my internet connection to upload them) but you should all be jealous!

Saturday was the big morning, it was perfect weather! Jeff did the swim & bike, and I did the run (I know, I know, I had it easy!) So, since there was (was? were? I'm a little sketchy on the appropriate grammar here) only the two of us, pictures were a little tricky to get..I got some killer ones of the swimmers..but good luck picking out who is who! After all the hooplah, we snagged a stranger to take one pic of us in all our glory:


And I DID get this one of Jeff lookin' all sexified in his swim cap...daaaaamn! haha


All in all, it was a really great way to spend the long weekend...good company, good exercise, good locale...Just look at that sunset!

THE END.

Exactly what you'd expect at 5AM...

I am tired. Physically so, yes. But emotionally, even more so. Please forgive me if what ensues is mildly emotional, & bear in mind I'm sleep deprived :)

I want to be a good nurse. I want to be a GREAT nurse. I really think that patients deserve the best. Everyone has their own definition of what a good nurse entails. To me a very large part of being the best is the emotional aspect. Especially in the field I work in. Oncology. The dreaded 'C' word: Cancer. This may sound twisted, but I love it. I get to know my patients & their families much more than I would on a med/surg floor, an ortho floor, or OB. But it's a double edged sword...because while I get to share the really great moments, the remissions & succesful transplants..I also see the suffering. I will never claim to understand or know what pain & sorrow my patients & their families go through with this battle. I would never presume to. But while they're fighting, I want to support them in any way that I can. If that means I cry with them, I cry. If it means I just listen, I listen. Or I just get them a red popsicle....

I've been crying & listening & popsicle-ing in this area for 5 years now. Some of my coworkers have been doing it for 3 times PLUS that. (I have A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. coworkers..that's a whole 'nother post.) And I go through these ups & downs, cycling through...doing really well at leaving work at work for a couple weeks, or months. Then a couple weeks where I have to go for extra runs just to get everything out of my system. These last couple weeks have just been a challenge. And I have to let it out...because it's not fair. And it sucks. And no amount of ativan or morphine or dilaudid can fix it the way I want to. I do not understand why these incredible people have to go through what they do just to live & take another breath..while the rest of us get to enjoy walking outside without worrying about an infection. And eating without nausea. And sleeping without pain.

BUT. I can't leave. And I won't. And I don't want to. Because I absolutely love my job. And I've done it long enough now that I know it's a phase. And soon my coping skills will ramp back up & I won't be so bummed...I really can't imagine any other area I would love so much. I take away a lot of perspective from my job. SO. On that note: thank you for letting me vent. And THANK YOU to my amazing coworkers! You guys help make this job what it is. You help make this job what I love!

This great guy I know...

Just graduated last weekend..(hard to do when you're working a fulltime + job & making your crazy wife happy!)
Put new brakes on my car so I won't die!



Man I love this guy!

Sounds So Sweet...Ooooh Mexico!

OK. So. Since our internet connection is slower. than. SNOT!! These pictures are not in the order I would prefer. But, really, what does that matter when I'm blogging about MEXICO!? I'm going to split the trip up into palatable bits..not only to increase my post-to-comment ratio (haha), but for my sanity's sake..I will lose it if I have to upload more than 3 pictures at a time!!

We started off the trip in Cancun (so cliche, I know..but a FUN cliche!) And basically spent the majority of our time on the chairs & in the water as seen in the picture above. Ahhhhhh! White, sugary sand between our toes! Slushy, cold pina coladas! Water SO blue & SO warm! The perfect amount of shade & the perfect amount of sunscreen (kinda, I got a really bizarre tan around my bikini line..I won't be posting pictures:)..& the occasional weirdo for entertainment..like the mid 40's mom hanging w/ her 18 y/o son & his 'entourage', who kept asking all the buddies if she was still hot. Seriously? She wouldn't want to hear my answer!

We were within walking distance of a shopping center that had lots of Oxxo's (the Mexican convenience store of choice) so Jeff got his fill of Manzana Lift..a mexican apple soda that he just can't get enough of..more on that later! And we hadn't been there long enough to be annoyed by being offered varied assortments of wares & services every 5 steps yet, so it was all part of the experience!

The water & view really were gorgeous & Jeff & I would end the night sitting on the practically empty beach listening to the waves..oh that I could end every night that way!

On our last morning there we took a group photo for some friendly folks and they reciprocated by taking ours:


As a side note: I considered it quite the accomplishment that I managed to make my hair look quasi-presentable most of this trip (hair really wasn't the priority). With how short it is I pulled off a faux-ponytail w/ headband look that was quite easy to do..yay!


I leave you with a pic that pretty much sums up the entire trip nicely: flip-flop tan lines & sandy toes..it doesn't get better than that!


Or does it....? Stay tuned!

It's that time of night..

THAT time of night! What does 'that' mean, exactly, you ask? It means that I'm at work. Sitting in front of the computer. Done checking my patients' charts. Done medicating them. Done poking them, prodding them, prying them...trying to resist the urge to go check on them! Because if I go in their rooms ONE MORE TIME they'll hate me! THAT time of night entails: Me drinking too much caffeine, yacking my co-workers ears off about random, pointless stuff until THEY hate me, checking the clock, checking my med lists...aughhhhhhh!!!! Basically, THAT time of night means that I'm going stark, raving mad! I've checked all the blogs that I like (people, update please!), dinked around on Facebook (no one's on at this time of night...honestly!), finished my book...*sigh*. I wish I were home right now, downloading my pictures of Mexico & blogging about THAT. Better yet, I wish I were back IN Mexico! Didn't take long for me to be ready for a vacation again! Speaking of vacations.....

I'm going to plan a trip to Boulder, CO for this fall for Jeff & I!! I read this great article in National Geographic Traveler highlighting Boulder (yup, we subscribe to it!) & I HAVE to go now! I mean, geez, CO isn't a long shot from Utah & I adore exploring new places! I love road trips! Hell, I just like being out of town! And as long as I have a trip on the horizon, I'm happy! I haven't quite decided yet if it would be better to fly or drive our toy-hauler up there (probably fly, with gas prices..esp when we're towing)...I'm comparing prices for places to stay. As far as I can tell there's no KOA super-close to Boulder..so that might get ruled out. BUT, we love our toy-hauler..having our own space, cooking our own meals..taking our doggy with us! With our toy-hauler we are a neat little package: We can pack our bikes, food, clothes, crap & schtuff & go play! And that's what I want: to be outdoors, sun on my skin, dirt under my nails, hubby & doggy by my side..hiking up a gorgeous mountain! Not sitting here, in a sterile hospital, listening to those grating call lights go off every. freaking. second. I'm so stir crazy!

So. Once of these days I'm going to post my Mexico pictures. Really.

*disclaimer: I love my job. Really & truly. But I love being outside more. And just so you know, not all night shifts are this slow. Just posting this will probably curse me with the shift from Hades tomorrow night!