I just got back from almost a week in Ohio. One of my aunts died in a car accident, she was my mom's brother's wife. The whole thing, for reasons I won't go into on a blog (protected or otherwise) was sad and strange. I didn't know when the funeral was until Sunday (last Sunday) day. I helped my mom book a flight online. I worked Sunday night and managed to trade days so that I could go for 2 days. I had worked Friday and Saturday nights as well and was the admit nurse all weekend, well Friday and Saturday, there was *nothing* going on, I was almost bored. Then, Sunday, the one night I needed to try and do something personal at work, I didn't sit down all night. I didn't have time to make plane reservations until 6am Monday morning. Then, the managers came in at 8am and took me off the schedule so that I didn't have to work the 2 days I had traded for (which was nice, but then I had to change my plane reservations).

Anyway, I went home Monday morning, made a car rental reservation, printed maps from the Cleveland airport to the three different relatives I might be staying with, packed, and then crawled into bed to get some sleep. Then I got up, took a shower, shoved a few last things in the suitcase, went to the airport and got on a plane, first to Las Vegas. I've never been to Vegas, or even flown through Vegas, before. Given how much that city must rake in from tourism and gambling, the airport is a pit. No decent food (and my standards for airports are not high). I'm not a fan of gambling, so I was rather turned off by the slot machines that sit in the center of all the gates so you can start throwing money away the second you step off the plane, though I can see how they might be a fun diversion between flights for those who are so inclined. I arrived in Ohio Tuesday morning.

I will write more about this later, I have to go to work tonight.

Coming Home

My car beeps hello,
Bag in the back,
Keys and wallet with me.
I drive the same way,
Everyday.

Up one hill,
Elation rises with the car,
One more night over,
Everyone's alive.
Down one hill,
Did I make the right call?
Did I forget anything?
Breathe.
Someone else's hands are on the baton.

Up two hill,
Sun in my eyes,
The city spreads before me,
The bay blinks back.

Down two hill,
Past the falling cherry blossoms,
Past the rainbow flags,
Through the valley of a friend lost.
Past the bars and cafes,
Past the blue and yellow flags,
The Castro has a special meaning to many,
And a specific meaning to me.

From her last name,
To her middle,
Across the back of Dolores Park,
Right on Dolores Street.
Palm trees up hill three,
And Palm trees all the way back down.
I can't go back and change things.
What's done is done.
Someone else's hands are on the baton.

Still, I come home the same way,
Everyday.

More photos, yay!

First, DP's Aunt and Uncle came up from San Diego to visit us, so we actually cleaned the apartment!  I took pictures so I could remember what it looks like.

The couch, also known as "my office" or "the Moffice" ("moffice" being a contraction of "my" and "office"). In our little couple language, this is one of three contractions used, Mot (short for "I'm hot" and indicating being very hot) and Mungry (short for "I'm hungry" and indicating extreme hungriness). You didn't ask, but now you know.   )

Okay... first, I rotated this (and all other vertical pictures to follow) in iPhoto before uploading them and apparently, it didn't stick.

Dining
area of kitchen with not very comfortable chairs. Also featured, my
keyboard and bike. Yes, I keep my bike in the kitchen, don't you?

Now, some wedding related photos:

The "mock up" of the centerpiece. It was totally worth it to meet with the florist again because, while the centerpiece he put together was beautiful, the colors were a little more muted than what I was hoping for, the fuchsia colored carnation on the table is a little closer to what I wanted.

We were going to go with cupcakes from Cupcake Royale, but thought we would try one more place just in case and, well, now we're going with Trophy Cupcakes because their cupcakes are AWESOME!

Lemon Strawberry, yum!

Green Tea Cupcake, also very yummy. The frosting and the cake are green tea infused. It's not something everyone would like (so we probably will get less of these), but those who like it, will love it.

Green Tea, view from the top.

The others (from the top left): Chocolate with Vanilla Frosting, Vanilla with Chocolate Frosting, Vanilla with Vanilla Frosting, Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

More pictures in the protected post above-- if you want to be on my protected list, just leave a comment and let me know.
 

DP brought this home the other day and I was like, "What, is this the chocolate that is mad at you, but won't tell you why?"

Okay, so I have been MIA for most of the month of March, here are some highlights:

1. The job:
    I have been gone through the training to become an admit nurse on my unit. There are two nurses each shift who come in and don't have (usually) patient assignments, the charge nurse and the admit nurse. The charge nurse is the one "in charge" of making patient assignments for the next shift, as well as managing staffing for the next shift, making any needed changes to any assignments on the current shift (like, if one of my patients got really sick during my shift and was requiring all of my time, then the charge nurse would arrange to have another nurse take care of the other patient in my assignment), going to deliveries that the pediatric team is called to, figuring out where we are going to put new admissions, etc. The admit nurse goes to all deliveries that the pediatric team is called to (which includes all c-sections at my hospital, so I've seen a lot of those recently, any situation where L&D is concerned about how the baby is doing-- mec stained amniotic fluid, baby comes out and is not transistioning well, etc.), prepares for any patients being transferred to us from another hospital and helps with (or does entirely, depending on staffing) all of the work to get the patient admitted and stabilized, helps other nurses on the floor with IVs and labwork and anything else they may need, and then there's the grunt work portion (checking all of the code carts and bags we take with us when we take the babies off-unit for procedures to make sure everything is fully stocked, checking the "set-up" room, the room that is located adjacent to the OR-- actually there's a take-out like window between the OR and the set-up room through which they will hand us the baby, we use the set-up room for any babies that we know ahead of time will require a lot of medical intervention-- preemies, babies with congenital anomalies, etc.). Anyway, one of my managers had asked me a couple of months ago what I thought about becoming an admit nurse and I said I didn't know if I was quite ready, then I walked in one morning to look and see where my assignment was and I didn't see my name next to any of the patients, only to find out I was being "oriented" to admit. By the way, the "orientation" consists of spending two days following around an experienced admit nurse, then you're set loose-- well, kind of, until you feel "comfortable," the charge nurse comes to all deliveries with you. So far, I kind of like it. It's interesting to go to the deliveries and see more of that end of things, though I only go to deliveries where something has gone awry-- though most of the time, at least with the c-sections, the baby comes out and is just fine so we just dry them off, let dad/ birthpartner cut the cord, weigh the baby, wrap them up, take them over so mom can see and kiss the baby, and take them to the well baby nursery (until mom is out of surgery and ready to see the baby, and the dad/ birthpartner is welcome to come with or stay with the mom, it's up to them). I was also kind of worried because I'm still learning to do IVs and arterial sticks (where we need to take blood from the an arterial source-- which is harder, because you can't see arteries, you just have to feel for a pulse and aim the needle in that general direction), but so far my "batting average" has been pretty high. I've gotten all of the IVs I've been called for in one attempt (except one that required 2 attempts) and I've gotten all but 2 of the art. sticks (and one of those I got on the 2nd attempt). You can't see me, but I assure you I am knocking on wood, because with both IVs and art sticks, sometimes you see exactly where a vein is, but just can't the frickin'-frackin' catheter in it and sometimes you can feel a great pulse, but just can't find exactly where the artery is. What I've learned about both of them, is you have to be patient, sometimes they go right in, but most times you have to insert the needle, then gently pull back and readjust where you've aimed. Anyway, this is all to say that, so far, it's going better than I thought it would.

2. The wedding:
    A. The invites have been sent out, I'm doing my best not to take the "regretfully declines" personally.
    B. I'm in Seattle right now to take care of some more details, like:
       I. Music: I need to talk with some musicians, right now, we're thinking of having a pianist for the ceremony and during dinner, then maybe a DJ(?). We'll see.
       II. Videographer: DP is insisting on this, primarily because his beloved grandma can't come and he wants her to be able to see the tape.
       III. Flowers: Have hired one, am meeting with them to discuss arrangements and to see a "mock-up."
       IV. Cupcakes: Need to meet with someone at Cupcake Royale and chat about "cupcake arrangements."

3. The mom:
    As in my mom. Is driving me. Slightly crazy. As are all moms. To all kids. Everywhere. Don't fool yourselves. This includes you. And will include me. No one knows how to push your buttons like the one who installed them. Case in point: When I was a young teen and double-piercing was all the rage, I asked my mom, in front of some of my friends, if I could get my ears double pierced. Her response? "Well, your lobes are certainly big enough!" Yeah. So fast forward to yesterday, I put on a pair of earrings that may or may not be the most flattering, considering MY GIGANTIC LOBES, and I just had this feeling that she was going to say something. Which she did. To which, I did not respond well. TO WHICH SHE THEN DENIED EVER HAVING MADE THAT REMARK IN THE FIRST PLACE. And said that she didn't know that I was even self-conscious about it until I said something to her. To which I responded, "Well, of course you don't remember saying it, it wasn't a big deal to you!" Listen, I don't honestly care that much anymore, but for her to deny having said it and won't even admit to the possibility that maybe she said it (and that I'm not making it up) makes me mad. And, we all say things that, in hindsight either came off not the way we had intended, or we just shouldn't have said at all, so it's not like I don't love her because she said that or don't understand that she is human, too... But, dammit, woman! You did say it! Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Overall, she's a terrific mom, and someday I will write a long post about how awesome and strong she is.

Stupid short month, I completely forgot to pay all of my bills for February, I guess I'll go do that now.

As promised, here are some photos of the interior of the Stimson-Green Mansion:

The Library (where the ceremony will be):

The fireplace, close up:

The French Room:

The ceiling is just beautiful...

The Room Where the Buffet Will Be Set Up:

(Same room, remarkably different light:)

The Staircase (obviously), the procession will probably come down the staircase and into the library:

The entryway (note the handpainted wallpaper)

I love the look on his face in this picture:

"Somebody save me from this girl. Please?" )

What could this be for?

Probably the same thing that these are for...

And him... )

We fought for three days straight to save her tiny little life, but nothing we did worked. Little baby, I'm sorry that you knew so much pain in your life, I'm sorry that we couldn't figure out what was wrong. In the gentle hands of heaven may you rest.

I know I need to write a long, end-of-vacation post, but MAN have I been busy since I got back. And I'm working tomorrow... and the day after... and I had a really long day today.

I don't think I sat for more than 30 minutes today, with the exception of my lunch break.

On the upside, when I left work at almost 8pm today, it was 64 degrees outside and I drove home with my windows open. It's going to be hard to leave SF when the time comes.

(I wrote this last night, but apparently forgot to actually post it.)