that's a wrap...

 

it's nearly 3 am and i should be sleeping. that is how it works some times though.  that is night shift life for you. 

low tide is at noon so i will try to wake up and get out there to enjoy the low tide. see what the weather does. 

tonight i opted to do the gift opening thing with the puppies.  it is always fun.  this year Ivy took the lead.  she jumped right in and began grabbing and opening prezzies.  Tusker just sat by, watching.  later he worked hard getting the squeakers out and de-stuffing.  that is where he shines. 

just dog park shots this week.  always a happy place though.  can't go wrong there really. 

it's where the dog people go at Christmas.  

i worked three nights, the last was Christmas Eve night. 

my first two nights were in the ICU.  i put the Hallmark channel on for my patients.  happy people, Christmas music, seemed like a win. one of my co- workers said she loves the sappy Hallmark channel even though they are all the same  really.  after two nights of it as background noise i can agree, she is correct. the plot lines vary little.  there is always some event/festival/whatever that suddenly isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons.

someone new in town or returns to town and gets involved.  works with someone of the opposite sex on the event but is going to leave or there is some other reason these two can't get together...but then, suddenly...it was love all along and it's all going to work out perfectly. so....Hallmark is the happily ever after channel now. 

personally, i got tired of the happily ever ending sort of movies that were beloved as a child.  at some point it just got too sappy, too unrealistic...the expectations our society puts on us to have this fairytale/romantic happily ever after perfect life.  seems more like it just leads to sadness and disappointment. 

who can keep up with that!?!

seems like it's covid and alcoholics of late.  our covid numbers are dropped right now...we shall see what happens after these back to back holidays.  the fools are still fools.

my first night back i did have some mild body aches and chills post vaccination.  that is pretty normal for me.  the slightest of fever. that just lasted from midnight til the morning sometime.  i just took some tylenol.  it wasn't something i worried about...that is just the immune system doing it's job. i do get that with all vaccines...the shingles vax was the worst one so far.  tetanus is a bother because my arm gets so horribly sore...so those two win, hands down. 

our cute little doggy hats....they were fine for the photo's but those aren't gonna stay on too long

i did take my tiny tree down tonight.  it's on the front deck now. 

these two...between them and the cats...life feels pretty good right now.  

this was one of those years that i had low expectations. i really try to have low expectations all the time. some years i am more successful than others.  expectations just drag you down.  the lower my expectations the happier i am generally.  

some were pretty decked out at work Christmas Eve.  i think i just had christmas socks on.  it was a happy place.  i was in the ER.  the hospital seemed to have beds...everywhere but ICU.  they had a few beds but staffing on Christmas Day was low so a few patients stayed in the ER.  so i did have a pretty easy night...for several hours i had no patient but was the second RN for the ICU patient they put in the back.  

i left a bit early at 7 am as that patient got transferred up to a room after getting downgraded...when the ICU doc came to see her i started chanting downgrade, downgrade, downgrade.  he laughed at me.  

my first night in ICU wasn't bad either.  i had one patient and a dead body waiting to be picked up. i think for staffing that room never got cleaned or filled. 

my middle night was a bit crazy at first.  other people have families way crazier than anything my family can cook up.  drugs and alcohol really take the drama levels way up in family units.

my work is a constant reminder that my life is pretty good overall.   we all have our issues and drama's but there is some really crazy crap out there.  there are some totally screwed up people.  there are folks who just have a crap ton of medical issues through no fault of their own and others that do through total fault of their own.

it's a reminder to cherish what you do have. to appreciate the friends and family who do see you and accept you just the way you are. those who bother to get to know you and still stick around despite all your personal flaws and failings and silliness and craziness and drama. 

reminds you to appreciate the simple life you have.  coming home to dogs and cats is not the worst life out there.  there are human partners that make your life and your health worse. 

lots of little decorations out at the dog park.  always happens. 

so night two i was booking getting my patient stable.  i always joke i like to get them stable quickly because i am generally a lazy person and it's much easier once you get those sick folks dialed in with all the drips.  it's a dance though.  titrating all those drips. 

my goofy face below. 

it is what it is. i am who i am.  

chatted with a few siblings, left messages for others, ignored one.  

always the cute pups out there.  

a few nice sunsets...still super early. the days will start to get longer so i will need to come out of my little nest and begin to explore the world out there.

Christmas morning i put a turkey  breast in the crock pot. later i made a few of the fixings and filled up on nummy comfort foods. 

crazy pretty cloud out my window one day. 

i am tired.  the spelling and grammar on here is probably terrible.  

cute pictures of puppies though.  

this is from the wind gust the other day.

Tusker went under this dog like it was some sort of obstacle, not a dog to get to the tennis ball.  goofy. 

i really need to get a to do list going and get some stuff to done.  it's super easy for me to veg out.

another silly selfie

they wore their scarves all week at the dog park.  they look super cute in their scarves!  

one year i made a bunch and handed them out.  

this wasn't that sort of year.  i did watch a couple Christmas movies yesterday...well two days ago now.  one was a cartoon version of "the grinch" but a newer one.  it was really sweet.  made the grinch even more lovable.  the other was on Netflix.  "Klaus".  not bad either.  not much movies or music that was seasonal. 

i think i pretty much shut off Christmas except for the most basic stuff.  

next we shut off New Years.  the Rose Parade is cancelled. i'm not a big New Years celebrator.  it was all about the parade most of my life. how do you top that really. 

so i'll work another holiday.

seemed easier than screwing up my work schedule. 

a few more adorable puppy pictures before i turn in for reals. 

i was watching mindless tv and snoozing off and on before.  

sometimes when you start to toss and turn it's best to just get up do something and wear yourself out.  i slept in yesterday until noon. i think i slept 12 hours straight.  i was beat...

scenes from the dog park. 

thankful for: A friends, family and furs...at least the ones who know you and love you anyway B. having a job..a lot of folks struggling out there.  this current President sucks and now he's having a hissy and not signing a bill that was passed to help with covid. spiteful fool.  C.  that the iitoo will soon not be in the oval office.