Buy the ticket, take the ride. - Hunter S. Thompson

It's been awhile since I talked about what I have seen come through the doors of the hospital.  I do this because I forget about a lot of stuff because so much comes through the door, and also to help protect the privacy of those that seek help in our hospital.  In the last few months we have had a group of kiddos ranging in age from 1 year to 9 years old that all came in for STD screens.  I don't think I need to be any more specific about what I am implying in this.  How horrible. How tragic. How these people, these innocent people, are completely corrupted. By people that are trusted by them or family members.  I keep getting asked to get my SART (Sexual assault and response team) training.  I just don't think I would be able to stomach this.  This stuff happens all the time, and I guess I know that it does but it doesn't mean I want to be confronted with it, go to work anticipating it, knowing that I am going to be a part of a child/parents/grown persons worst nightmare.  I suppose the flip side is that I would also be the person that helps to start the forward progress of realizing the problem, empowering the family and the people affected and helping to gather the resources to push forward.  I just think that my emotions would get the better of me.

On another note that is completely unrelated I have seen what it looks like when a police officer introduces a noncompliant individual to the ground and a humerus gets broken. Although this person probably had it coming. No crazy new high BRAC's to report.  Just the run of the mill .300 and the like... which would kill basically most but the professionals that I see.  I was actually challenged by one person. I was told that I wouldn't be able to beat them.. I agreed and said I would die before they got drunk. This person actually thought it was funny.  Probably is.  This was also the individual who told me that in the last 6 hours, before coming to the hospital to sober up before returning to their home town no less... your tax payer dollars HARD at work, had drank two fifths of R&R whiskey (this is by far the NASTIEST substance I feel one can legally purchase currently).  They kept drinking cause they "just weren't getting drunk.".  How lucky am I to not know this beast called addiction? I know so many struggle with it daily, and I think they are some of the strongest people I know when they stay the straight, and on the wagon.  I hope to never know this struggle personally. Nor do I ever hope to meet one of these patients in a bar in a drinking contest.

Funny story for all you!  Moms and dads and soon to be moms and dads... did you know a one month old can literally (and I do mean LITERALLY) shit 10 feet across a room?!?!?!??! My mind was 100% blown by this fact.  Now I have been shat on by the elderly, a grown person with full control of their bowels and a newborn.... Yes we laughed hysterically as the mother was standing there in pure horror as the crap dripped down the wall, from the trash can, and down my arm.  Why do I want kids again?   We had a brat child come through who needed to have earring backs removed because they were swallowed into the back of her ears (Dear Mom, Thank you for being a grown up and telling me to turn my earrings and rubbing them with alcohol every night so this never happened....) The family gave this child (under the age of 8) a choice in the matter... this is maddening. I am starting to really hate grown ups and their inability to be a parent.  Like this is a CHILD. They do not get opinions. Sorry.  Welcome to what is called "Parenthood".  This was a child pointing to our doctors and nurses screaming "I don't trust you!", "Stranger danger!" and other such things... one thinks... what on earth is your home life like that you hear these things on a regular enough basis to say them to adults?  Best part... our doc that night was like "...listen little one, someone is going to get hurt if you don't cooperate with what is going on." and this kid was all "You aren't the boss of me.. only my mom is"... Congrats parents of the year. Great job of raising a COMPLETELY entitled monster.  Yes the earring backs were removed... yes it took 3 of us to hold this kid down to do it; But alas, the parent stepped up and was a parent.

In other news Bentley is doing great, it's sounding like my cat lady status may increase by one when Bentley comes up after spending so much time with so many playmates.  Sigh. I have no hope of not being a cat lady at this point.  Perhaps the new goal is just not to be a cat hoarder. No cats will be found dead under a mattress! I can do this!

Supervisors meeting. 

I am currently in Anchorage enjoying 80 degrees and sunshine. T is building a deck and I am a rock solid supervisor. Wine in hand, whilst sitting in the hot tub.... probably makes me one of the worst supervisors ever... but I digress. I have been studying for my CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse) certification which I am taking in October, and have been collecting things for my new home (Which won't be mine until sometime in September). T and I are going to a wedding Monday so tomorrow we are going to hit up Costco for the village run. Lots of frozen chicken breasts, milk, and gifts to those in my little town that have asked me to bring things back for them.

T just asked me about my grandpa. 5 years and 14 days ago.  Forever in my heart.  In Anchorage and in Nome I think about him a lot as the planes fly by overhead. I know that he would be smiling. The same way he did when we went to Seattle together to find me a place to live.  Watching his face as the sea planes landed in Lake Union.  Memories are incredibly powerful.  If it weren't for the passing of this incredible individual and the passing of my incredible grandmother, who affirms that I have indeed made the right choice, I wouldn't have made the career path change or the this move to the edge of nowhere. But you know what? I know both of them are looking down on me from up above and smiling.  What a crazy granddaughter. What an incredible adventure. Enjoy everything about life. You get one shot. Live it. Love it. Regret nothing.

Until later my lovelies!