another year....

 it was my Holiday to work.  at least the eve.  so 3 nights are done.  worked adult icu for a few nights then spend much of last night in the ER.  the last little bit i was shifted up to  PCU.  i thought i was going up after 4 am with just one patient.  seemed odd...in the end PCU just wanted help getting the patient tucked in.  there were actually another float nurse there to do the same thing.  i think some miscommunication.  it all worked out.  we got the patient tucked in and then i gave report to the other nurse and got home a bit early

 of course, i also got news that a patient i had the night before had creepy crawlers all over...i've been feeling itchy ever since.  that is how that works.  highly doubt i will get creepy crawlers on me...some days it helps that i'm not all that huggy..right?  still once you hear of the bugs you start to itch.  these are neighborhood walks.  i did great walking until the last 2 days.  as you can see wind and then the ice.  trashcans all over.

 tonight a friend and her family are up from Ketchikan.  my old town.  we all headed to the Sullivan Arena for an Aces game.  i love hockey so i was pretty happy that they suggested we go to a game.

 the Aces didn't win, but we all had fun out there.  always great to catch up with my Ketchikan friends.  some great folks live down there and i do miss them.

 love these huge neighborhood trees that get decorated during the holidays.  very cool looking.

 Blossom using Miss Breezy Chatterbug as a pillow.  the cat is always snuggled up to her, she may as well take advantage.

 these are a bit jumbled.  i keep getting confused as to what day it is.  my schedule got a bit mixed up with the holidays. will be working several weekends in January.  i wasn't happy about it...but then i figured out it's probably just these holidays that messed it up.  all these silly union rules though.  hard to keep track of some times.

 the arena got a bit of a remodel so nice to see it all shiny and new looking

 have continued watching an episode here and there of "an idiot abroad".  i suspect things are a bit better for him this season as he is traveling with one of the producers dwarf friends.  even though he still gives Carl the crap room in the hotel it's a better hotel.  he seems to want to keep the dwarf guy comfortable and happy. Carl was accused of bullying the guy into getting carried by these big balloons.  first Carl tried to do it as was the plan, but he was too heavy and wasn't able to get lifted up.  so he, with the all there, kind of pushed the other guy to do it.  he whined a bit about it and then Carl gets accused of being a bit of a bully.

 of course, Carl just says, you weren't worried about me doing it? i mean he does get bullied into doing many things he's not comfortable with or feels he is being put in danger...the guy doesn't care.  there are sometimes double standards.  probably some merit to them.  things that are risky to a full sized guy are probably more risky for a dwarf...still i can see it being annoying.

 Carl ends up carrying the guys luggage and stuff...entertaining show for me though.

 at the game.

 it is good to get out of your comfort zone some times.  many go too far.  there is big difference between going out of your comfort zone and being bat shit crazy

 there was an Alaskan episode.  perhaps because i know Alaska, i really felt like the producer went out of his way to make the trip horrible.  seems like he tells whoever he sends the guy to, "treat him like crap".  they camped in those cabins up at Independence Mine.  you can drive to them but the "guide" that took him made him walk in deep snow dragging a sled...no snowshoes. nobody would do that.  the guide guy kept looking back repeating "are you ok?".  people sometimes think this is helpful or encouraging when in actuality it is just obnoxious.  so is the fake..."you are doing awesome".  Carl went on about the American overuse of words like "awesome".  feeling it should be reserved for something truly awesome.  he does make a good point.

 these are from a walk with speedy and her little one.  this was the post coffee monday walk.  i'd worked the night before so no way could i make the 11 am walk time.

 we wore out both our "kids".  haha.  at some point i jokingly did the play by play thing.  she insisted on it for every throw after that.  i used to do the play by play for Rio when i'd throw the toy for Blossom sometimes.  usually at home. i try to keep my silly self from making a fool of myself in public more than i already do.

 anyway, it's like when i'd hear my brother Tom (he is who i remember doing this as a kid the most).  he would be out in the back yard shooting hoops and i'd hear him doing the play by play of his imaginary game.  "Tom shoots, he scores, the crowd goes wild.." followed by the sounds of the crowd going wild.

 so i'd be all "she's got the ball, she's throwing the ball, Blossom is chasing, she's chasing, and she has the ball, she's on the way back...the ball is dropped..." you get the idea.  silly.  the kid enjoyed it though.  simple things can be entertaining.

 someone put up several decorations in trees along a section of the trail, mostly dog related. very cute.  :-)  i think there must have been some dog toys under the trees.

 didn't even watch any of the parade today...the parade to me is the Rose Parade.  i slept today.  catch up sleep day.

 she really has gotten much better in her chuck it skills.

 thought these were adorable.  Blossom really was enjoying her kid time.

 a great smile on both of them i think.

 headed up to another trail to catch the tail end of the sunset.

 always love the light through the empty branches.

 more fun tomorrow.

 New Years Resolutions... i'm not really one to be too serious about resolutions for an entire year. always seems like too much to think of that far in advance.

 the usual:  lose weight, get in better shape, eat better.  blah, blah,  blah...and then i buy oreo's in late January and that's that.

 get the walrus more attention, get a remodel project started in the house, find a canine friend, hike exit glacier, get to Kennicott.  plan the big trip.  go kayaking.  don't get any bugs from patients.

and as usual...always be grateful....today's list of things i'm grateful for A.  seeing friends and being able to catch up live! B.  not falling on all the ice out there and getting injured.  C.  the beauty that i get to enjoy in nature every day.