New Years Greetings 2018!!

 4 nights of work completed though last night could hardly qualify as work...i did get holiday pay for it. 

 my patient was okay with me playing classical music so i had that on and i watched the various fireworks from across town from the 4th floor.  not bad really.  classical was a much better option for a patient who i guess normally has Faux news on 24 hours day, every day.  that isn't healthy.  TVs shouldn't be on 24 hours/day.  they say more and more one shouldn't have any screens where you sleep. no wonder anxiety is at an alarming rate.  we are inundated with negativity.  classical is peace inducing.  when I've had surgeries i always put classical on as i am in that post op drowsy state.

 on the left is the bear tree....she is probably sleeping away in there.  sweet dreams bear. 

 the dog park had it's second new years fun run...so i didn't see all the lights but the lanterns were up.

 always love when the dog park looks all festive. i  was super tired today so we ended up back at the dog park. it's easy and the dogs like it.

 i also watched a movie last night....had to stay awake somehow.  "August Rush" hadn't ever seen it.  it had Robin Williams in it.  it was good.  lots of pretty music.  can't go wrong with that.

 had never seen this photo of my parents....those pants and hiking boots!! wow! who knew. i was pretty little when this was taken i suspect. it's funny how time really deceives you. in my mind as a kid my parents were always older... i think i had noted that WWII ended in 1945. in my mind that was decades away from my lifetime...but i was born in '64 so really it isn't as old of history in actuality as my mind made it out to be. of course, now it is.  haha. when i was a kid it was the Vietnam war that was in the news.

 this time thing does make it easier to see how history can repeat itself over and over.  it's forgotten so quickly.  watched a show tonight on the Watergate scandal.  when people get caught, their inclination is to lie and cover up...no matter what it is. power makes people do stupid things...nothing new there...nothing partisan there.  stupid covers all races, all religions, all sexes... power, arrogance.  you do have to have some level of arrogance and cockiness to even attempt a run at POTUS. i have written the same about these great explorers or adventurers.  they appear to be so cocky...but you must have some level of cockiness to make those leaps...the truth is they are just like all of us. we can all do just about anything....mostly we hold ourselves back.  we don't have the confidence.  you often must be overly confident...to rise to certain things...now confidence in no way means qualified. that seems especially true when it comes to power. 

 personality can help you rise or nepotism.  sometimes the stars line up. 

 doing a few sitter gigs this week.  last night all 12 hours, the other night just half the shift, then i was moved to ICU.  gave me a chance to catch up on some podcasts.  it was about Derrick Black.  he grew up in a well known white nationalists family.  his Dad started the first web pages for the groups.  he followed in his dads footsteps..it was all he'd ever known.  he did a kid section on the pages.  so he was being interviewed.  after Obama won, he said the white nationalists figured that their messages blended with those of the GOP as long as they kept the white nationalism a bit on the down low of sorts.  they started to run as GOP, to infiltrate it i guess.  he was even running on a down ticket and won i believe.  many white nationalists did.

 he was totally in, on that path....then he went away to college.  he started to meet others and at first he just mixed in unknown but eventually the internet caught up with him and he was outed as it were as a white nationalist.  one Jewish friend kept having him join his group.  through calm, rational discussions he eventually made his way out of white nationalism.  his family dropped him.  he said iitoo salvaged their message further with his messaging after Charlottesville.  he said it was a huge boost, having the POTUS be supportive in their eyes...moving it from more of a fringe to more mainstream. 

 hard to imagine being raised with that hate all around you.  how does one overcome that?  kudo's to him.  he would, in many ways, like to just put it all behind him.  he said, it always comes up though. the internet.  you can't hide from who you were.

 another interview was related to a young man named Abe and graffiti on a mosque in Arkansas.  many of those who attend the mosque are actually more financially stable than many in the region...resentments built up.  Abe was from a poor family.  still his mom was surprised to learn that Abe had joined a friend or two in this crime.  he put his family in even more dire straights financially because of his crime.  the members of the mosque eventually even wrote on his behalf saying they felt it should be a misdemeanor and not a felony...the judge opted to make it a felony to make a point.

 Abe was filled with remorse. the mosque members felt badly that he'd gotten the greater charge for what they felt was a youthful indiscretion.  eventually, they paid off his fines for him.  he was eternally grateful.  if people would only listen to each other.

 listened to a ted talks about communication when communication seems impossible.  that the need to communicate with each other is greater than ever.  the need to talk to each other not at each other.  talking does not mean you will agree, but it's still important to have that dialogue.  for me, talking to a variety of people has really changed how i view things. not always right at that moment, but words do sink in.  so often we are all thinking of our next argument, interrupt to try and get out point out instead of listening.   do not speak with the intention of changing minds.  they were also saying that liberals and conservatives view things differently so moral reframing sometimes helps people who see things differently.  for example, conservatives tend to see things as they relate to patriotism, moral purity, loyalty and liberals tend to have more protective, caring type of thought processes.

 diplomacy is an art form, a gift.  diplomacy can save many lives.  how do you get through to people? how do you help them to see things from a different perspective? 

 it seems to start with not having your only goal in communication to bring the other to your way of thinking only. open ended questions help some...

 listening takes extra time but it can work.  I've thought about that co-worker who stated that he had a lot of guns and is ready to go to civil war...what he is really saying is his way is the only way to see things.  he is right, all others are wrong and talking is not going to change this.  if the rest of the citizens of this nation don't come over to view all how he does then, just kill them.  i don't even think he realizes that this is where he leaves himself.  i suspect, to him, it just sounds intimidating.  it empowers him when he really feels weak. 

 i sure hope there are people left who are capable of communication...capable of listening.  who are capable of diplomacy.  it isn't easy in this twitter world.  people toss out 120 characters, or whatever it is now, and move on to the next thing. people scream at each other and never stop to listen to what the other has to say...since they already know what they will say. people scream out the talking points they have seen in memes or heard on news shows over and over again.

 my brother Tom and family went to the Rose Parade this morning.  i have thought about hitting CA for another parade, it's been years and it's always so fun out there on the parade route..the overnight gatherings.  i was out there all through my 20's.  when i was a kid we were out there selling programs to raise money for church activities. we also would stand outside the big arena's where they built several floats and people could funnel through and watch.  i may have to head out there next New Years! I'm thinking board games all night, giant Jenga?  could be fun! this is the float this year from my home town of South Pasadena. 

 i never actually worked directly on a float so that would be fun to try to add in on a trip south. so many great memories and that parade is amazing...it really ruined me for all other parades in life.  the other parades look so silly and pathetic. 

 one of the hinges broke off on my little free library...guess it's the cold or it's getting a lot of use.  I'll have to fix that up. the old guy across the street stopped by with cd's. music and a movie for me to walk.  he's so funny.  Vietnam War vet. for sure has some opinions on politics.  so now it appears i have 4 cd's of music and at least one movie to check out. 

 the big bear is losing stuffing...

 anyway, in conversations it's better to take them from a "what can i learn from this person" perspective rather than a how can i change them point of view. 

 we all are always thinking of that next point we can hit whoever we are talking to with...the speakers were just suggesting that you zip it and listen more. 

 of course, we all like to feel like we've been heard.  i write the blog...at least it gives me the option of feeling like i get the words out there.  screaming at people on facebook serves zero purpose.  all it has ever gotten me was frustrated and stressed out.  not to mention called names. 

 i did get called dumb the other day...another sitter gig and another Faux news addict.  it's a disease at this point.  the thing is all of those politicians lie...pretty much all people lie too...so if you are of the mind that iitoo is some sort of saint, we have lost you already.  that is cult behavior, not normal. 

 the program going over the watergate stuff was interesting.  i was pretty young. i think i was 10 or so when he stepped down.  this stuff now may be far worse.  these investigations take time. I'm willing to let it play out.  the more the right fights it all, the more it makes it seem that Mueller is on to something.  there is no time limit...there wasn't one for Hillary so why would there be one for iitoo.  i always think it's funny that people act like I'm all protective of Hillary.  if any of them have broken the law, i say give em hell.  they have looked at her for like 20 years and so far have come up with zilch...at some point, accept defeat. if you keep beating that horse with no results all you are really saying is that bill and hillary are super intelligent and have a load of friends out to protect them.  nobody is that good.  I'm sure they have done shady crap...as I'm sure they have all done shady crap. 

 i really just don't think hillary is likable enough for that kind of loyalty.

 there is just so much to the iitoo stuff.  so many ties, financial and otherwise.  to pretend it doesn't matter, to pretend that if this was obama or hillary who had these connections, it would be given a pass...no way it would be. why do they want us to believe it's a nothing burger? why are they working so hard to discredit Mueller and comey and Rosenthal when they all have excellent reps overall.  sure i won't agree with them on some of their politics, but they all seem to have excellent track records on ethics issues. they all seem to be decent people, dedicated to their work. 

 if it looks like shit and smells like shit...it's shit.  i altered it because I'm a nurse.

 frost all over and then other places zip.

 liked the light behind the frosted trees.

 more frost.  need to get the macro out for some more fun photos of frost

 they do keep saying snow, which will take out any frost

 so this week, sitter/icu night one, peds night two, icu night three and sitter night 4. 

 not a bad week.  some folks can be really frustrating because they are demanding.  nearly impossible to leave their rooms because it's just one thing after another. move this here, no that is too high, lower it.  a little up.  over to the left. oh pull it out totally, ok, put the table back over me and it all begins again.  put the ice in a pillowcase and then wrap it in a towel, use this tape, no tape it this way....finally i just started lying.  yes i taped it just the way you asked, bye. 

 picked up some frost and held it on my gloves as i snapped photo's. pretty.  will have to try more of that.

 they are very delicate.

 low tide at nearly 2 tomorrow...really should hit the beach with the kids then.  always fun. 

 trying to get photos of the sunset this evening was tough.  patches of fog kept getting in the way. this one was pretty

 beautiful purple light over the city of Anchorage, frost on trees below

 downtown.

 sleeping lady bathed in purple. was thinking i should make easy goals for the new year....like eat more pizza, exercise less...then i am sure to meet my goals!!  what are the goals you can easily reach this year?  leave dishes in the sink? 

 up at Basher, i ran into this...fog

 well, i shall crash so i can make it to the beach tomorrow.  always fun for the puppies.

grateful for A.  fond childhood memories washing over me today about the Rose Parade.  B.  easy money....can't complain really C.  the gift of nature, may we find ways to safe guard it over these next few years.