the great the ick and the ugly...

 

lots of all of it. the great was the trip with friends to Tonsina Cabin.  we had amazing weather and beautiful scenery.  we also had a lot of laughs and good chats. i had purchased a new sleeping pad for old ladies.  thankfully SH knew how to easily inflate it and it was so comfy and packs down pretty nicely. these are all photo's from April as well so a current posting.  so far behind.  i'll just continue to surprise myself with what photo's get in. 

we did have a whale sighting on the boat ride back, humpback. we also saw tons of birds and sea lions, otters and seals of course. the dogs had a great time out there. 

i had the colonoscopy, cleared for another 10 years. crazy to think in 10 years i'll be 70! where does it all go? so nuts. i'm looking down my 60th Birthday now.  as an introvert sort Birthdays are tough. strange mix of expectations and fears. you feel a bit like an obligation and so in some ways i dread the obligation of it all. that some will feel obligated to reach out who normally never reach out.  at the same time you feel this desire to have some attention that is normally not the norm. introverts often want the invite but then don't really want to participate. 

60 is supposed to be a big deal but i don't see any big deal on the horizon.  i have tried to remind myself this week that a. i don't like that much attention if i'm honest b. many never get near 60 years of life and c. there are many who have nobody to wish them Happy Birthday at all. life is always about perspective. i am trying to keep things in perspective but i'm sure i'll have some internal conversations that include some mini meltdowns. 

my bowels were not happy enough with the bowel prep i put them through last week. last night i was at work and the GI tract began to do some cramping.  there has been many sick calls for gi bugs of late.  i was working ER and it just kept getting worse so clean out #2 had hit...literally #2! i had to admit defeat and head home before midnight. fears i'd get a nick name of VonShitzinpants like a certain ex potus. that nick name is now enshrined in a public document in court.  there is some happiness in that. 

happily i was able to survive with out shitting my pants. nobody wants that. it was a long night of cramping and pooping.  sorry. details. it's improved a bit at this time.  luckily gi bugs are usually fairly short lived. i have braved a jello and toast.  we shall see. 

poor Ivy has been suffering a bit this week as well. not gi though but i am now thinking she got a huge hot spot on her neck from the Tonsina trek.  she is a wet dog at the beach and i left her collar on the whole time.  that made her neck skin fold up.  probably got irritated then when we got home the licking took over. she required a trip to the vet.  i feel like she has forgotten all the joy from her time camping and has been going into full armadillo mode for fear of the treatments of neck cleaning, sprays and pills. she does seem to be getting a bit better now but it's been a rough few weeks for the dogs with a perfect weekend mixed in there.

i need to put her spray on and give her the antibiotics still. haven't had the heart for it today. not sure where i picked up the bug, could be anywhere. the night before i had worked in PCU.  fun as i worked with LS son who is just starting down the road of nursing. it's me and a lot of young nurses most nights. the experienced ones on the shifts have less than 5 years. not sure what will happen with nursing in the next few years. just hoping i'll be out of it before too long. 

the hospital is apparently getting fake robotic animals? something about patient comfort.  there was also talk of adding remote nurses to buddy up with in house nurses. that could be a good gig! nursing from an office or home may be the perfect end to my career. haha. we shall see. may have to see how to get in that. 

coming up this week is another trip to Homer for another low tide and then the cruise for a cause out of Seward. may be some whales to see. 

i'm working slowly on the yard/shed demo and other projects.  haven't gotten too much done with all the other stuff. the neck, i've just felt so bad for her. 

they gave been a bit ripped off the last few weeks.  hopefully, my gut continues to improve today and we can at least hit the dog park. she at least seems a bit more normal. not hiding under the table as much. 

the snow is melting really quickly. it's pretty shocking really what sunshine and longer days does to change up the place. 

all this snow is gone. Sunny can no longer look over the fences.  he'll have to wait until next winter now. there are just a few little piles of snow left. 

i brave my way into the shed a bit more every few days. pull stuff out. i have a trash pile collecting. more stuff salvagable than first thought. the bike needs some new tires i think but is intact. the mower...not sure. 

we did hit the beach last week before the trek to Tonsina. the dogs got good and muddy. they love that place. lots of zoomies. after the trip i shaved off the long hair on Sunny's legs. shorter for the season. it's just gets a bit knotty after the winter. 

i attempted to shave Ivy's neck when i saw the hot spot but she was not having it.  i was wrestling an octopus and i lost. so to the vets. they were good, she was so adorable. sunny had to come in as well since he's such a big baby.  

i was on call the week before but got called in pretty early so that is good since i had to leave early last night. ended up being a sitter that night. i think i worked pcu the other night on that 2 day stretch. while a sitter i ended up keeping the patient entertained by playing speed or spit with him.  the other staff was laughing as i ended up playing cards for probably 5 hours of the shift.  getting paid overtime.  that was a good night.  the guy was odd but i kept him calm and i guess they'd called like a code strong on him before i'd gotten there. i tend to keep a deck of cards in my work bag for just this sort of thing. it's come in handy just a few times. often with teens who are suicidal and bereft of their phones. 

we didn't have crazy low tides in Seward but low tides in Alaska tend to be pretty dramatic even if they aren't huge changes. the tides aren't really low i guess. we move in and out of the water buldge as the earth rotates. 

went down to the spit to look for sea stars last time i was there. did not see even one star where in years past i've seen hundreds here.  stars do migrate so it may be very different this week when i go. i think they go to deeper, more stable seas to miss the winter extreme weather. they can migrate about a mile a week.

i seem to have had a lot of sick days and such this year already.  it sucks and my pto has plummeted. hopefully, i can start to rebuild that now. less taxing doing the 2 shifts.  i'm again trying to remind myself that though i've had a lot of health issues this year it's all been very easy to heal from.  i've checked out pretty healthy overall. again it's about perspective.  

we had a lovely sunrise/sunset out in Seward and this is sunset in Homer. 

i only saw the sunrise in Seward because the bladder called. well, i think i would have been fine rolling over but the dogs were awake and i didn't want to wake others. so out we went...and boom beautiful sunrise. the birds are making their way north so there are so many of them out there right now. just a constant cacophony of all the various birds calling away. 

Ivy trying to get me motivated last week.  this week it's me trying to get her motivated. she's up on the bed and slept with me last night.  it was great to have her out from underneath the coffee table. 

like the pink hues. 

should be a lot more birds in Homer this trip. i could also head north and drive a bit in Denali National Park.  the road is apparently open to mile 30. 

the cranes and swans should be coming in thicker.  the snow should be less and less. i have scheduled the tire change over for after the Homer trip.  they finally have a shuttle service again, which is great. it stopped with Covid and then there just wasn't enough cars to have one up and running i think. 

the roads are clear again.  no slip sliding on ice for a few months. not sure what all i will see and do this summer. again, my Birthday is still something i'm not sure what to do with. 

i haven't been fired yet.  another sick call though, i'm sure i'll get another verbal warning.  

these stars were at the low tide at Bishops Beach.  

there will still be a lot that isn't open. the summer in Alaska doesn't really begin until Memorial Day. then the wildness begins. the cruise ships are starting to arrive and i think so are the cruise ship patients.

just a few swans sighted on my last trip to Homer. 

the spring iridescent foam is back. 

haven't looked what weather i'll have. i'm going to be in room 12 again at the Driftwood.  place fills more after the Memorial Day weekend and the prices go up. 

sad puppy wanting my attention.

loved this seaweed draped over the rocks at low tide.

i'm getting hungry.  i'll take it easy for a few hours.  hoping to feel up to meeting my friend for a meal.  i'll just keep my distance.  

no hugging today

except the dogs.

it's funny, often after a gi bug my body craves fast food or junky food. seems to set it back right. 

a couple bald eagles above and below a sea anemone

Ivy, always the Alaskan dog, continues to seek out the snow to stay cool.  we were hitting 50's last week...way too hot for my Alaskan dog

selfie at the pilings. guess i'll get some more cleaning done and play in the yard a bit with the dogs. as you get older you find it harder and harder to find photos of yourself that aren't too ugly. some of the Tonsina photo's ick and ugly. other times a shot makes me think i'm not that ugly for my age.  haha. we are our own worst critics though. i feel like middle age is like those awkward teen years. a time of transition.  perhaps i'll be an adorable old lady.  lol. 

grateful for A. a fun and safe trip with friends.  B. for none of these medical issues being a big deal C. that Ivy is feeling a wee bit better.