For The Three People Who Read My Blog

You may have noticed I changed the name of my blog.

Why, you ask?

Because when I googled the last name 14 other blogs came up and they were all very bizarre, unlike my blog which so completely normal and dull.

The other title was created when I was applying to nursing school and fit my life.

I have now been a nurse for 5 years and honestly I am not chasing myself any longer.

I am still trying to figure out who I am and where my life is heading but in a different way.

Plus I just wanted a change.

I am struggling with several issues right now but I can only talk about one or two of them.  The other issues aren't appropriate to blare all over the internet as they include family members or others who strongly wish to remain anonymous.

I will still ponder the stupidity that exists in my world and the bigger world at large.

I will most likely continue to vent because if I don't vent my head will pop off, spin around seven times, and then messily explode on someone who doesn't deserve that misery.

I have accepted that I am firmly into midlife and sliding towards old age rapidly.  I don't like accepting that fact but hey, I will not be reverse aging anytime soon.  Unless I have a terrific scientific breakthrough and then you will be seeing me winning the Nobel Prize in the future.

Don't hold your breath for that discovery.

Thank you my three readers for sticking around.  I heart you.

Dust

I am not known for my housekeeping skills.

Now that I have no small children and own a grown dog, I just think dusting and scrubbing is pointless.

Yeah, I am piggy that way.

Today I decided it was time to dust and clean because frankly, even I was grossed out.

I live near Seattle.  It rains here more than 2/3 of the time.  One would think there was less dust in Western Washington.  One would be WRONG.

Oh my goodness.

It took me hours to dust all that lovely dark furniture you see above.

Note to self:  A) Never buy dark furniture again or B) Buy self cleaning furniture.

I went through 5 Swiffer duster pads.

Then I vacuumed.

Next I used a dust cleaner spray.

I cleaned the furniture.

I swabbed the bookshelves and the books, which are notorious dust collectors.

I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned under the furniture.

I stayed on my hands and knees to clean the wood floor in the corners.

I cleaned the chair rail and the edges of the furniture which are also notorious dust collectors.

I got rid of pounds of dog hair which was intermingled with the dust.

This little munch above now weighs 65 lbs and sheds every freaking minute of every freaking day.  How is it that he is not bald?

My spouse replaced the filter in the furnace.

Oh my Lord that was DISGUSTINGLY filthy.

At this very minute, my family room is as clean as it will ever be until we move out.

Damn, it looks good.  I know it will only last minutes but I still feel as if I accomplished something today.

Also I do not need to feel guilty about the dust for another 6 years.  Bwahahahaha.

Lessons I have Learned

Lessons I have learned since I graduated nursing school.....(aka the past 5 years)

1.  The much hyped cataclysmic nursing shortage applies to nurses with more than 3 years experience, it does not apply to new grads.  If a nurse gets CNA experience before she becomes a nurse she is much more employable right out of school.  I am speaking as a LPN.  The RN, BSN experience is likely very different.

2.  When sons leave home, they leave it body, mind, and heart.  They really don't look back much.  This was very hard for me to come to terms with.  Which leads into number 3...

3.  There is life after the kids grow up.

4.  There is also the adult son who still lives at home.  We could not keep the kid in the house at 16, we cannot get him out at 25.

5.  Life is unpredictable.  Just when I was feeling defeated in my latest job search the best job with the best pay came through in the same week I had two other very promising interviews.  Weeks of no interest to being the homecoming queen.  There are still lots of surprises and discoveries left in the world.

6.  Nursing in real life is extremely different than nursing in school.  HA!  I should have figured that one out before I graduated.

7.  Being a nurse will not completely fulfill me.  I need to find fulfillment within myself more than outside myself.

8.  I can still have dreams and goals just as I did at 20 years old.

9.  I really want to join the peace corps.  I want to be one of the 5% of Peace Corps Volunteers that are older than 50.  I will get my RN so I can achieve this goal.

10.  I have a whole lot of life left!

Cancer Sucks Wide

A friend of mine who really helped me feel welcome in the state of Washington was just diagnosed with breast cancer.

Cancer sucks.

It really sucks.

My friend is younger than me.

She's a good person.

I have some great memories from my time in Bellingham with her, her children and mine.

Cancer doesn't care about that and that's why it sucks.

I was in the labor room with her when she gave birth to her third child.  Such a joy for me.

We shared the ups and downs of newborns and toddlers.  We kept one another company when our respective spouses traveled.  She aided in my keeping my sanity some days.  We gave one another breaks when needed.  We supported one another as mothers and women.  We also had fun!

Fun in mother/baby classes.

Fun in visiting area parks.

Fun in watching our oldest children begin preschool.

Fun in just having someone who understood how crazy having very small children could be.

Then my spouse's job took us 90 miles south.

We sort of lost touch until very recently on Facebook.  I hope I can support her in a meaningful and useful way.

Please pray for her.

She has very young grandchildren and much of life ahead of her.

Please pray.