Gone Fishin'

Saturday Paul and I decided that we would go fishin'! I've been fishing before, many times, but Paul is pretty new to it. The first time Paul went fishing was with my older brothers when we first were engaged. It was winter time, and it was cold, so I made sure he had on some long johns before I sent him off into the wilderness. My brothers can be a little intimidating... they are men of the wild and regularly hunt and fish... the kind of men that make you want to growl like Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. Paul held is own and he had a good time.

I grew up going camping and hiking on a regular basis, so I want to try and get Paul into it a little bit more so we can do those things with our kids when we have a family. It's just way too much fun to miss out on! Settin' up camp, making a campfire, hiking, fishing, roasting marshmallows... we are talking good times here!!!

So, to start out slow, we ventured over to "Catchem' Lake" a fishing area near a park we frequently go to. I've wanted to go check this place out for a while. They have all the things you need to fish there, and since we don't really own a fishing pole yet, we rented a couple poles and bought a container of worms. At Catchem' lake you can fish all day from dusk 'til dawn for $2 a person. You pay for the catfish you catch. They'll even gut them for you if you want.

I personally enjoy fishing alone in a mountainous, wooded area compared to out in the open along a roadway, but for an unplanned adventure, it was fine.

I was on worm duty. I don't have issues with stabbing worms with fish hooks, Paul does. He is a sweet, kind hearted man who doesn't want to be cruel to any living thing. At least, that's what he said at first. Later, he admitted to me that the smell, the squirming, and the goo makes him queezy. I had no problem being the worminator. Next time we will probably buy some pretty colored fishing lures so we can spare the poor earth creatures.

We went through about 20 worms... Those fish are skilled at getting the worm of the hook without getting hooked. All we came up with was this:



A closer look for you...



Not sure what it is. It's not a fish... maybe a maxi pad, a diaper. I'm just proud that he caught SOMETHING.

This is the closest thing that came to a fish that we could find at this place.



Paul can't do a fish face. I said, "Babe, do a fish face!", and he does a kissy face...Aww. MWAH!!

From The Desk Of An RN.

I PASSED!!!! I PASSED!!!! I PASSED!!!!
Unofficially. I get my official results by mail in 4 weeks but I paid $8 to see my results early and it said "pass".

You are reading the blog of an RN. A Registered Nurse. Yeah. How do you feel about that? Cause if you are sick, I can help you.
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH I am SO happy.

UGH! I Took The NCLEX.

I just got home from taking the NCLEX-RN exam - thee exam that, if I pass it, makes it so I can work as a registered nurse. I've been studying for it quite a bit, for over a month, and going into it I felt like I was ready and prepared... WRONG. I felt like almost every question I got was a question I had to guess on. It was awful. My mind went completely blank. There was one minute there where I think my mind was stuck, like a record, cause I was trying to figure out the symptoms of Grave's disease and I couldn't stop saying the word "thyroid".

REWIND
May 21st - May 24th: I spend a week driving downtown to attend the Hurst Review - a great review for graduate nursing students preparing the take the NCLEX exam for licensure. It was a good week, and I felt like I learned a lot.

The next few weeks I study whenever I can. I allow time for rest, relaxation, and jubilation - yes - but I study good and hard, and long (don't be a pervert).

June 1st: I receive my "Authorization To Test" and I am able to schedule my exam for whenever I want to take it. I still need to study some, so June 22nd looks like a good day - plus it's the only day where they have an 11:30 am time slot open and I need to have time in the morning to prep.

June 4th: I start my new job, attending a week of orientation and studying in the evenings.

June 11th: The first day of ACTUAL training for my new job in surgery. I LOVE my new job. I study when I can after work. My educator, Jill, actually allows me to study at work! I get paid to study. It's awesome. They REALLY want me to pass.

June 22nd: I wake up, meditate, do some EFT, exercise on the elliptical, have a nice breakfast of blueberries and hard boiled eggs - research suggests that these two foods increase brain power.

10:15 am: even though the testing center is only 10 minutes away, I leave REALLY early- egg burps and all (eww gross) - cause if you are late, you forfeit your testing session and have to pay the $200 to test again and retake it 45 days later or something ridiculous like that.

Sitting in the parking lot, my awesome brother Greg calls to say that they are thinking of me and that they know I will do great. I feel like crying it was so sweet, but I gulp it down and say thanks. What a nice guy. I love ya man.

10:45 am: Time to go in. The lady is nice. She checks my I.D., takes my picture, has me read something, gets my finger print and directs me to the nice man who will be monitoring me during the testing process. HE fingerprints me, and takes me into the room.

It takes me 2 hours, but I finish the test answering the minimum, 75 questions. I took one break - which probably lasted 2 minutes where I went out to my car, sat, stared at my dashboard, and then when back in. Hilarious now that I think about it. What kind of a break is that? hahaha

Yeah - I cried when I got home. Paul was really good about it, and he probably expected it. I had not planned to cry. Apparently this reaction is expected and typical... I hate being a conformist.

Anyway - I'll find out some time next week whether or not I passed or if I have to take it again in a couple months. Cross your fingers, think happy thoughts, and wish on a star that I passed, will ya?

Tune In

I put a new music player on the blog for your listening pleasure as you read. It's a collection of various classical-type music. Good stuff! Just push play.

Look At Those Cheeks!!!

I just had to post this picture of Ushotosh that was taken in the hospital. He truly is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen... I had to share.

Welcome Little Baby!

This is my new nephew,

Ushotosh.

8 pounds, 14 ounces, 21 inches long

Born to two of the most special people I know, my little sister Amber and her AWESOME husband Sulav. He's cute, he's chubby, and he has more hair than all the babes in the hood (the nursery) combined.

He shares a birthday with Anne Frank, George Bush (Sr.) and Barry White.

ANYTHING

Listen to the MUSN'Ts, child,
Listen to the DON'Ts
Listen to the SHOULDN'Ts, the IMPOSSIBLEs, the WON'Ts
Listen to the NEVER HAVEs
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen child,
ANYTHING can be.

- Shel Silverstein

Cute Kitty

Try It.

Sometime, when you are writing a paper, cleaning the house, or... say, knitting, listen to some classical music. It will invigorate your soul!! AND bring excitement to a regularly mundane activity.

I was listening to Carmina Burana: Fas Et Nefas Ambulant while playing Texas Hold 'em online tonight and it was as if a ferociously mighty power from the universe emphasized every intricate move I made. Nothing could beat me... it was absolutely glorious.

La La La La Laaaa Laaaa

This maze is harder than it looks! Try it! The prize at the end if you make it is really funny.

It Is Time

Tomorrow is the day I finally start my new job. Technically, I spent all last week going to hospital orientation and I was paid for this, but all I really did was sit on my beloved bottom.

My day starts bright and early. While I am in training I will be working the day shift, which means I will be waking up bright and early at 5 in the AM so I can be at the hospital by 6:30 - where I will change into my hospital provided scrubs until 3:15 PM. When you work in surgery, they provide scrubs for you. It's all part of the sterility thing. This is actually great news for me. I don't have to worry about buying scrubs.

Another cool perk... the hospital provides nurses with a $250 voucher to a place where you can purchase scrubs of all types, along with other "nursey" things like stethescopes, socks, watches, and compression stockings so you don't get those ugly vericose veins so common among nurses who stand on their feet all day long. By the way - I purchased said compression knee-high stockings and I will be wearing them regularly.

Since I didn't have to purchase scrubs, I bought a bunch of other little things. I got some socks, compression stockings, some comfortable shoes, 1 pair of scrubs - just in case, a back pack, a bag, 2 decorative surgical hair covers, a watch, a mug that says "nurses rock" on it, and a hat that says "nurses rock" on it - obviously nurses rock. It's on hats, it's on mugs... you get the picture. You can get quite a bit with $250.00.

The huzzabus is out of town on business this week. He goes to this thing in Arizona every year to learn about new products and to network. It's a nice thing the company he used to work for does each year. I went with him last year when I was on break from school and not working. I wish I could have gone with him again but someone's gotta bring home the bacon. Seriously, I am excited to start working.

Oh, and I finally got authorization to take my boards last week and I scheduled my exam date for the 22nd. That's a week from Friday. I'm excited to get that over with. I know I will pass. It will be such a HUGE relief when that is over with.

As of this moment my little sister has not yet given birth to my newest nephew, but it could be any minute!! I am so excited!!

Spaghetti!

I can't believe it has been so long since I've been able to post something. It's June already (tomorrow). I can't believe time is going by so fast. I can't believe it's not butter! It tastes just LIKE butter... but it's margarine!

Things here in The Fortress of Immense Joy & Inconceivable Euphoric Merriment (a.k.a. our home) have been going well. I've been studying a lot for the NCLEX, and I start my new job next week finally. Hopefully I'll get authorization to test for my license soon so life can go on. In the meantime I have been studying when I can.

We have taken some time to do some fun stuff in between studying though. I usually take the evenings off. We saw the new pirate movie this past weekend, fed some ungrateful geese (they hissed at us... the audacity!) at the park, went bowling (can I just say I ROCK at bowling. I got 3 strikes and a spare in a row on one game and then I did it AGAIN on the second game. It was awesome!!!!), rented some movies, bought some movies (what can I say, we like movies), and we've been playing a lot of Scrabble - I recently upgraded to the nice board that rotates and has slots for each of the tiles. Paul is getting better at the game to so it is more of a challenge - which I like.

This next weekend we are going to the Italian Festival. A friend of mine invited us because her parents have a booth there and they compete each year. It should be fun. Paul's excited because it means free food. I plan to walk around spouting Italian phrases such as "Mama Mia!" and "Spaghetti" so I fit in.

!Exciting news!:
My baby sister will soon be giving birth to her very first baby. She is full term now and could pop at any minute!! I am so excited for her!! Ahhh!!!

Straight Up

I heard this song on the radio today. Paula Abdul kind of bothers me. She is a strange chap, with her above-the-head-don't-let-the-fingers-touch clap and her drunken slurred speech that is often displayed on American Idol. But I just LOVE singing this song. For some reason I know every word to it. So please, feel the joy, have some fun, sing along...

Straight Up Lyrics » Paula Abdul
Lost in a dream
Don't know which way to go
If you are all that you seem
Then baby I'm movin' way too slow
I've been a fool before
Wouldn't like to get my love caught
In the slammin' door
How about some information--please

[Chorus:]
Straight up now tell me
Do you really want to love me forever oh oh oh
Or am I caught in a hit and run
Straight up now tell me
Is it gonna be you and me together oh oh oh
Are you just having fun

Time's standing still
Waiting for some small clue
I keep getting chills
When I think your love is true
I've been a fool before
Wouldn't like to get my love caught
In the slammin' door
How about some information--please

[Chorus:]
Straight up now tell me
Do you really want to love me forever oh oh oh
Or am I caught in a hit and run
Straight up now tell me
Is it gonna be you and me together oh oh oh
Are you just having fun

You are so hard to read
You play hide and seek
With your true intentions
If you're only playing games
I'll just have to say--bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye

Do do you love me
Do do you love me, beh-beh
Do do you love me
Do do you love me? Tell me Beh-beh

I've been a fool before
Wouldn't like to get my love caught
In the slammin' door
Are you more than hot for me
Or am I a page in your history-book
I don't mean to make demands
But the word and the deed go hand in hand
How about some information--please...please.. ah please, please

[Chorus cont.]
I've been a fool before
Wouldn't like to get my love caught
In the slammin' door
Are you more than hot for me
Or am I a page in your history-book
I don't mean to make demands
But the word and the deed go hand in hand
How about some information--please
[Chorus out]

A Thought....

"Your outer circumstances reflect your inner thoughts"

And That's Your Traffic Report, Amen

Heather Armstrong, author and creator of a blog I read regulary - Dooce, recently posted a recording of a radio traffic report from FM 100 "soft hits, less talk"- a rockin' radio station in my hometown of Salt Lake City, UT. It made me laugh so hard, I had to share it with whoever I could. Something like this really would only happen in Utah.

Here's the link: AMEN