tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17111742259177443552024-03-19T10:01:04.986-07:00CityRNinBushAKHippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-70503251235786828692016-01-04T18:00:00.001-08:002016-01-04T18:00:47.255-08:00The thing about Mumbai is you go five yards and all of human existence is revealed. It's an incredible cavalcade of life, and I love that. - Julian Sands <p dir="ltr"><u>India</u>. I have been here for only three days and already my world perspective is radically changing. And changing for the better. Changing to see the good in all mankind. To seeing the brighter side to even the most challenging or mundane minor inconveniences. And if you know me you know how bent I can get on things that I cannot control. From large scale to the most ridiculous first world problems you could think of.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mumbai is a special place. We have been taken around by a hired driver named Mr. Patel. Mr. Patel is our body guard, tour guide, takes us to where locals eat their food, "the best mosques and temples in town". He is compassionate in that he does not judge us on our travel faux pas, our swear words, or the way we eat Indian food wrong. Mr Patel is also a devout Muslim.  He has shown us where Hindu temple gates open to the gates of a Muslim mosque which is across the street from a Catholic church. From the kindness and the openness of Mr Patel answering our, often ignorant, questions; my travel companion and I, have both agreed that out views of Muslims has completely changed. In this big city we are looked at with what appears more inquisitive eyes than eyes of distrust or hatred.  What if a group of Indian men came to Anytown, USA speaking and laughing in their native tongue... They would be looked upon more with hostility than curiosity. </p>
<p dir="ltr">This beautiful and humongous city encourages and embraces all cultures. You will see groups of men from all faiths, in traditional attire, drinking tea on the street corner, perhaps trying to solve the world's problems, laughing and carrying on about with no cares in the world. The women all shop together. Some covered head to toe, others in tank tops and skinny jeans. But there is no persecution. There is no judgement. </p>
Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-12098275099505610872015-05-22T21:01:00.000-07:002015-05-24T14:32:48.808-07:00(part 3 of 4) Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. - Hippocrates <div dir="ltr">
I landed in Brazil January 3rd and by January 5th I was in an emergency room because I could no longer stand up straight and the handfuls of ibuprofen I was guzzling down were no longer helping. </div>
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I was chatting with an ER doc friend of mine from Anchorage on messenger about the symptoms I was having. Increasing pain in my right lower quadrant in my abdomen and a decrease in appetite. I was trying to explain them away as lady pain, or just a travelers stomach. I had just landed from 30 hours of plane travel and 8 hours in a car to Rio. I'm sitting at the Rio airport and starting to question if I can even get on a plane... is it safe? is my bowel going to explode? do i have a small bowel obstruction? I must contact someone that would know! So I fire up my trusty phone and the Internet dings on and i shoot a message off to my friend. She thought it was probably just lady pain as well, and as long as I could fart I should be okay to get on the plane and fly 2 hours to the north coast of Brazil. Feeling better about knowing that i could poop and fart and that my bowels wouldn't literally explode inside me; I walk on the plane close my eyes and wake up in Natal.</div>
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My tour guide Henrique who is a close family friend of my mom and step dad was showing me around Brazil. We checked into our hotel rooms and took a long nap. I woke up and tried to go to the bathroom. bearing down the pain in my low abdomen is now radiating up towards my stomach. I can't stand up straight. I am in trouble. I need a hospital. I need the place I was escaping. The emergency room.</div>
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We went to a private hospital in the center of the city. I was scared about how they would care for me. Thoughts of a pending medivac looming in my mind. The check in process was pretty much like it is back in Anchorage. Name, insurance, credit card. I sit in the waiting room an they call my name for triage. blood pressure, pulse ox and then the thing that reminded me that I was far from home. the nurse holds out a glass thermometer. I stare at it.... ummm where is that supposed to go? surely not in my mouth. No no only under the armpit. whew. I sit back down. the pain is only increasing. I know. I know what this is. I'm messaging my doctor friend "can appendicitis be cured with antibiotics? am i going to have to have surgery here?!" my friend was slow to answer... telling me I would have to have the surgery. I see the ER doc now. I'm taken to a small and private room. we discuss my symptoms through Henrique who is acting as a translator. The doc gets me on the table and presses down. the tears well in my eyes, "please don't let go. please don't let go." the dreaded rebound tenderness test. As the doc releases his finger from my stomach i roll to the side and cry. I can't even move the pain is so striking. i compose myself and sit back across from his desk. I look him in the eye and say "you are RUDE" smiling knowing he had to do it. He smiled back and said "I <u>am</u> sorry". That kind of pain translates across all languages. Into the ER we go.</div>
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An IV is placed, I am given IV tramadol..... funny thing... the hospital I was in has a no narcotics policy. I was super bummed. Across the whole 24 hour stay I was given 1mg of morphine, which I had to beg for. I tried to beg for 2mg. I could only imagine what the people that worked there were saying about me "drug seeking American!". The IV tramadol did cover the pain well, the nursing staff made sure that I had my pain medication constantly infusing. I was impressed by the care I was getting. Henrique was getting anxious: "we need to call your mother and let her know what is happening" at this point we still had not had a CT scan done or spoken to a surgeon. "No, we will call her when I'm rolling into surgery." I'm such an awesome daughter aren't I?</div>
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Time for the CT scan and wouldn't you know the consent form is not in English and the medical terminology isn't something that translate well from Portuguese to English.... Lucky for me I've filled out so many of them in my home country that I could just rattle off the answers to the questions that were arranged in some unknown order on the form in front of me. I sign the consent. I can't understand any of the instructions that they give me. i just hold my breath when I think I'm supposed to. It must have worked. my slowly rupturing appendix is glowing for the surgeon to see.</div>
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Surgery it is. The surgeon came to the bed side and asked if I trusted him enough to take my appendix out. I told him "Better Brazil than Mexico. Please leave my kidneys" He laughed, we shook hands. Now it is time to call mom.</div>
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mom: hello?<br />
me: hey mom it's me. don't freak out i'm okay i swear<br />
mom: lies<br />
me: i'm going into surgery. they are taking my appendix. I will call you when I wake up<br />
mom:ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ........... what?<br />
me: it's going to be okay. Henrique is here. it's a private hospital. I'll call you soon! Love you<br />
mom: i love you too</div>
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And then I was wheeled away to the pre-op area. the anesthesiologist comes and hold my hand and says hello in crisp english. I cry. someone that speaks english. don't go away! they roll me into the surgery suite. I am still wide awake. I don't like this. not one bit. i am shuffled on to the OR table. they are putting stickers all over my body. I AM STILL AWAKE. I look to the anesthesiologist and ask for what I want. Fentanyl, Propofol, Versed. I don't remember anything else. Thank you.<br />
Three small incisions later and a black appendix that had perforated was removed and "the power washing of my insides" was complete I was in post op. I don't recall calling my mom but I guess that I did. At least she tells me I did. </div>
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I spent the night in the hospital getting IV pain meds and antibiotics. I read when I wasn't sleeping. TV wasn't of any interest... no English channels. I remember wanting to walk to the bathroom.... they wouldn't let me. metal bed pans are a torture device. The next morning I was literally ordered to take a shower, and I could finally use a real bathroom. The surgeon came and chatted. He told me my plans to go to Jericoacoara were going to have to change. I was to stay within an hour or so of the hospital for the next week or so in case of any signs of infection or god forbid sepsis. I agreed. I was liberated from the hospital with restaurant recommendations and a slew of meds to take for the next 7-10 days.</div>
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I got to recover on the beautiful beaches of northern Brazil. My plans all changed, but it all ended up alright. I was inconvenienced but still got to see incredible places and experience a full immersion experience. I will never forget this trip. I am so incredibly thankful for having a friend that spoke the language with me. Thank you Henrique. From the absolute bottom of my heart. Thank you.</div>
Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-44037905726239979192015-05-22T20:55:00.000-07:002015-05-24T14:33:09.158-07:00(part 2 of 4) The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. – Saint Augustine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next on my journey in life.... I went to Brazil for 3 weeks! I visited a close family friend who lives there. I had the experience of a lifetime. I even left an organ in the country. Oops. Made some new friends who don't speak English, but Google translate helps to keep the communication going strong. I'll write more on my emergency appendectomy in a future post. All I can say.... I'm glad i had travel insurance, and I'm glad I had some idea of what was going to happen.... that being said.... People in the private hospital that I went to in Natal, Brazil did not speak English. The physicians spoke broken English. It was glorious. </div>
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All right on to the pictures!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pWL6lmX59mMaCY4AZLlb2vzTR3gTLiuNFxfA7wPinRKNVffZojsdC7cQ9LPhWlSH7imkMu71VlcY4HopZFG3A-8Z2q_MTcverfS_y80zASwIw9Dj5SmNmDWgCOpPUfJDKKcNsG6Khf8/s1600/IMG_20150102_003409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pWL6lmX59mMaCY4AZLlb2vzTR3gTLiuNFxfA7wPinRKNVffZojsdC7cQ9LPhWlSH7imkMu71VlcY4HopZFG3A-8Z2q_MTcverfS_y80zASwIw9Dj5SmNmDWgCOpPUfJDKKcNsG6Khf8/s320/IMG_20150102_003409.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champagne and a fold flat seat for the 8.5 hour flight from Miami to<br />
Belo Horizonte, Brazil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWou3fWBeiV_PiN00dsHjnLxYOOe6Dl2Jfd5hcgTzrXDLd4jtdIrHHkLzw_bIw7pyC3I3j59oZSj-rbkbPdyIxXYJatTjak_IOTW-7z0lOmIAhzRO76TodTBxXpLtyClVu3g9R45NxWE/s1600/20150102_210220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWou3fWBeiV_PiN00dsHjnLxYOOe6Dl2Jfd5hcgTzrXDLd4jtdIrHHkLzw_bIw7pyC3I3j59oZSj-rbkbPdyIxXYJatTjak_IOTW-7z0lOmIAhzRO76TodTBxXpLtyClVu3g9R45NxWE/s320/20150102_210220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caipirinhas. Delicious sugar cane cocktails! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s_9w8WXJJ1CJEN34u5J31qZE6kgp_tkRBPgGeuSSoY3Hudj2-pnlFVruojF44xdyHBmMg9878OUG7NuSMz7t7UvbBmfNiy-yenKz5uMEi3nYVlGiFYtBbRz8dQ1J6bB1B5gdYnbMv4k/s1600/IMG_20150103_094213504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s_9w8WXJJ1CJEN34u5J31qZE6kgp_tkRBPgGeuSSoY3Hudj2-pnlFVruojF44xdyHBmMg9878OUG7NuSMz7t7UvbBmfNiy-yenKz5uMEi3nYVlGiFYtBbRz8dQ1J6bB1B5gdYnbMv4k/s640/IMG_20150103_094213504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belo Horizonte, Brazil from afar. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuMX7Ts2Q-ge0qTFUNZnAVRzo1KUvcxTiFAjQJXieBV9gNJ4RnkPRAPztFodcnGwXPYwlrRM7M2eTf3MiDOikUDY2qneW-P8vZXwRln8nrRT1F6fg16x-zVvdJCGHJBq2Y0Niq4emTuw/s1600/IMG_20150104_101003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuMX7Ts2Q-ge0qTFUNZnAVRzo1KUvcxTiFAjQJXieBV9gNJ4RnkPRAPztFodcnGwXPYwlrRM7M2eTf3MiDOikUDY2qneW-P8vZXwRln8nrRT1F6fg16x-zVvdJCGHJBq2Y0Niq4emTuw/s320/IMG_20150104_101003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for my luggage I found a little piece of home! Alaska<br />
bakery!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pP9Gf8t-CG4Tgs7EU9f6Bir4xFhom-seagrSyfPB5BIHOdGLg0j0OEKgGU9Z9wtiX096otri-1oV7nN-P7lVsMXdCCILWnsKN-uNlk58gD_HWDqGENfZsy7z09Gcjo_-GhTVPW0MaF4/s1600/IMG_20150103_042230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pP9Gf8t-CG4Tgs7EU9f6Bir4xFhom-seagrSyfPB5BIHOdGLg0j0OEKgGU9Z9wtiX096otri-1oV7nN-P7lVsMXdCCILWnsKN-uNlk58gD_HWDqGENfZsy7z09Gcjo_-GhTVPW0MaF4/s320/IMG_20150103_042230.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even went on a tour of caverns.<br />
The tour was in Portuguese. I have no<br />
idea what happened here. None. Earth stuff.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoh-5SM9gUqXpjMJDb9SXyat4MUYAZ4DsFSbkgi1t-yxat0bE25bRr6z3mfGwKmgO9Pr3YcUaW_EXV68QpQQ1NqQbuWuszzxsSp1MrzeO_wFUDxctBoL_Pqy5przQty2QuT1ZaA2fkl8/s1600/IMG_20150103_072331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoh-5SM9gUqXpjMJDb9SXyat4MUYAZ4DsFSbkgi1t-yxat0bE25bRr6z3mfGwKmgO9Pr3YcUaW_EXV68QpQQ1NqQbuWuszzxsSp1MrzeO_wFUDxctBoL_Pqy5przQty2QuT1ZaA2fkl8/s640/IMG_20150103_072331.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the road from Belo to Varginha. Stuck in a 3 hour traffic jam. at least the view was lovely</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy3uh1Gdk4pMLPlNlBN7cM40WJXBWwVrteT5l3l8Xdkga2j-3Q-jxvCqLND40nHbeFU5InwK7x_Fq4Q8nDPrycSH5VFS8X77EgLaFlRfM_JmGmfcbGnCSN15aPVoKTeKKkKiNRjJ7U7Q/s1600/IMG_20150105_014612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOy3uh1Gdk4pMLPlNlBN7cM40WJXBWwVrteT5l3l8Xdkga2j-3Q-jxvCqLND40nHbeFU5InwK7x_Fq4Q8nDPrycSH5VFS8X77EgLaFlRfM_JmGmfcbGnCSN15aPVoKTeKKkKiNRjJ7U7Q/s320/IMG_20150105_014612.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Varginha is pretty much the Roswell of Brazil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_shFXWrf07RFJ4fDqcWo8jI75htvMjfJH4CKD4L6b27XiRT0R4tMQe7lSxj1LhNBOuBCdB_CxW7wKZB-BO-BvZypzy9F4Zd9j22ujFTe79u27WlsLOzBf4UEQDzZC6xp3_iLcaiVeZc/s1600/20150104_172340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_shFXWrf07RFJ4fDqcWo8jI75htvMjfJH4CKD4L6b27XiRT0R4tMQe7lSxj1LhNBOuBCdB_CxW7wKZB-BO-BvZypzy9F4Zd9j22ujFTe79u27WlsLOzBf4UEQDzZC6xp3_iLcaiVeZc/s640/20150104_172340.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming over the mountains into Rio. Torrential rain made the crazy Brazilian drivers that much crazier. It was similar to real life Mario Cart on the Rainbow Road course. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started my ER experience in this chair.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my scars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZSZYb2_ZQv0qRVA5qjffY-pW3CEV6HO9pDcSSWMolYxR5cT_IU0UXINUKdqYuKmQpeZ6q1Q5SshD3kpz3CZCUUxoJX0Tog_I66HcnNXZNTDH6-d3ziIZr2fOW6tMSpQcUTvleKjdAyQ/s1600/IMG-20150106-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZSZYb2_ZQv0qRVA5qjffY-pW3CEV6HO9pDcSSWMolYxR5cT_IU0UXINUKdqYuKmQpeZ6q1Q5SshD3kpz3CZCUUxoJX0Tog_I66HcnNXZNTDH6-d3ziIZr2fOW6tMSpQcUTvleKjdAyQ/s320/IMG-20150106-WA0001.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nasty appendix</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUjEG5uCLnSTtBTaSl6eRduVLBFfm2hSEJcxlCrQtouuC4r1LlDlqDi-eO8qjp7PHQj5DfusvCTdqi5h03qqOniGGcx4Ntom396M9GIVfTt7yUPvQ2tXS-bJ2tqJLuNYKlJH71WWq8UQ/s1600/IMG_20150106_150931644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUjEG5uCLnSTtBTaSl6eRduVLBFfm2hSEJcxlCrQtouuC4r1LlDlqDi-eO8qjp7PHQj5DfusvCTdqi5h03qqOniGGcx4Ntom396M9GIVfTt7yUPvQ2tXS-bJ2tqJLuNYKlJH71WWq8UQ/s640/IMG_20150106_150931644.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I left the hospital for this view to recover. Life was really hard on the beaches of Natal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg6xGFzODQBBJxG526etcrTz1qnblTMcnVUB3ODeTRJFfpTQS549rTH0Hhud4tQDXOdokCY6O4OvoTH8-B_naoauIzVM86hDYSMaQjPkn_nJUAQ8ji43RHyxUbvVHecCmE0FBoaUBEKA/s1600/IMG_20150106_155609394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg6xGFzODQBBJxG526etcrTz1qnblTMcnVUB3ODeTRJFfpTQS549rTH0Hhud4tQDXOdokCY6O4OvoTH8-B_naoauIzVM86hDYSMaQjPkn_nJUAQ8ji43RHyxUbvVHecCmE0FBoaUBEKA/s640/IMG_20150106_155609394.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KU0heUeuScJEgZ5gICjaQK0KijPuzh3Hsa-cSaBb0TQhtcUseTo0KFqadXamOtoU1VmK1ZJ0yHEOOMp1_IMvs_HIuK_ElfCjJxXstbYT4euKdSQwT5DYo1D9PHCxhe7S9cMdGKp0nak/s1600/IMG_20150107_110545148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KU0heUeuScJEgZ5gICjaQK0KijPuzh3Hsa-cSaBb0TQhtcUseTo0KFqadXamOtoU1VmK1ZJ0yHEOOMp1_IMvs_HIuK_ElfCjJxXstbYT4euKdSQwT5DYo1D9PHCxhe7S9cMdGKp0nak/s640/IMG_20150107_110545148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm ALIVE!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJHw2QUteNXZcp_ZfZySNwuTXJon7wIG6uaZB02nOlGPBS3o1yB40DCwhOPDxwLHzXbYg5iHPjoCmrHOrEA09k509NhyphenhyphenjlcgblX-UsONIVgcJiLSBkNnJVKDO_gPU7UAFOAYK_mN8g4g/s1600/IMG_20150107_111721636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJHw2QUteNXZcp_ZfZySNwuTXJon7wIG6uaZB02nOlGPBS3o1yB40DCwhOPDxwLHzXbYg5iHPjoCmrHOrEA09k509NhyphenhyphenjlcgblX-UsONIVgcJiLSBkNnJVKDO_gPU7UAFOAYK_mN8g4g/s640/IMG_20150107_111721636.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v7bxxadLt3m_U0DT7XAB6QyLcrTZlTu6fW6NJYvW4gMaN1JmpdI98wPkJkV6ZM1mp3NO1OovCjhcaa2WFkSmM_tZYU9U7N0R8IdJEj_WdI15flLMhv5LBAdb8Qmq3piFIAQtDGZ0jZM/s1600/IMG_20150107_112625980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v7bxxadLt3m_U0DT7XAB6QyLcrTZlTu6fW6NJYvW4gMaN1JmpdI98wPkJkV6ZM1mp3NO1OovCjhcaa2WFkSmM_tZYU9U7N0R8IdJEj_WdI15flLMhv5LBAdb8Qmq3piFIAQtDGZ0jZM/s640/IMG_20150107_112625980.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henrique my trustee sidekick through this adventure</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZL-C2LvgVhyphenhypheniXvPeDg7I5yxi1E5Nf3rVOZZeSgVJr6urHYUTvdmHmIqh8lTgmLSmheCr-wmuqNVomyCWUOJd_swxL2giO-4ZytuRjWBnvEIdrawoftgC1ZS5k_F1VJRWfCVUI-R5oCg/s1600/IMG_20150107_113221787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZL-C2LvgVhyphenhypheniXvPeDg7I5yxi1E5Nf3rVOZZeSgVJr6urHYUTvdmHmIqh8lTgmLSmheCr-wmuqNVomyCWUOJd_swxL2giO-4ZytuRjWBnvEIdrawoftgC1ZS5k_F1VJRWfCVUI-R5oCg/s640/IMG_20150107_113221787.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje26Squ_ZBvhR31cuFkzudu4VJyIBK0kZLOzio8pf_bUhhFzj8JG2RCR2T5PQLtFjEflXlqhAdb68FHe4uFAE8IwcrjNBwDdXdlqkmRQoUyXYwiWFYSNFSK6C0FrkveM6R-I8ye4AJbQc/s1600/IMG_20150107_123114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje26Squ_ZBvhR31cuFkzudu4VJyIBK0kZLOzio8pf_bUhhFzj8JG2RCR2T5PQLtFjEflXlqhAdb68FHe4uFAE8IwcrjNBwDdXdlqkmRQoUyXYwiWFYSNFSK6C0FrkveM6R-I8ye4AJbQc/s640/IMG_20150107_123114.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city of Natal </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ItvQXY6is8bbsnX_5tqfBKzJYQoMsS62lTFP2RUG1bxACtCn41Ws8mXvQ9W0z6WziivF8b1BJvkM4YMRLKLRBmceL_rCbVoS_yRY_6sfA2ir2toQmPB__zwKjsp8Gwe5hPXTFEPfSG8/s1600/IMG_20150108_195858005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ItvQXY6is8bbsnX_5tqfBKzJYQoMsS62lTFP2RUG1bxACtCn41Ws8mXvQ9W0z6WziivF8b1BJvkM4YMRLKLRBmceL_rCbVoS_yRY_6sfA2ir2toQmPB__zwKjsp8Gwe5hPXTFEPfSG8/s640/IMG_20150108_195858005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first post surgery cocktail. Surgeon approved!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU_vbtOfOBY_9qd5xSxEYvaYM_hA3j4nJ1o8n7Pfq-NK4Y3FlE_Ozb0OO4jFS5JEdw029cNColcQolmc9jFQepnvvoUgqw-1DMzUvKrcQZ5w_01a0WUIbk1HmsxTfBIgmY9bCzTUFy9Q/s1600/IMG_20150110_051913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU_vbtOfOBY_9qd5xSxEYvaYM_hA3j4nJ1o8n7Pfq-NK4Y3FlE_Ozb0OO4jFS5JEdw029cNColcQolmc9jFQepnvvoUgqw-1DMzUvKrcQZ5w_01a0WUIbk1HmsxTfBIgmY9bCzTUFy9Q/s640/IMG_20150110_051913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next stop on my north beach excursions... Pipa! </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM5VWxRs4fNye45etXvayN6dhOlccUTf-c2q4qGm_RMvmDv3yJDeIkJZiI4B8tSB_fOEgC-5v9mLMPN6QHrrZl_4q9Yod_ymqjmlGDjg_SNdiCpFG57H3dhYWS67sD0hng1QZb_AllTY/s1600/IMG_20150110_152039917_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM5VWxRs4fNye45etXvayN6dhOlccUTf-c2q4qGm_RMvmDv3yJDeIkJZiI4B8tSB_fOEgC-5v9mLMPN6QHrrZl_4q9Yod_ymqjmlGDjg_SNdiCpFG57H3dhYWS67sD0hng1QZb_AllTY/s400/IMG_20150110_152039917_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lunch date</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhhM1LxYuBtbsOO_uFoxGl9yJE8QyRcdQDD65Wwx27RIh9LGg82jUpOgDD4SRsglddb8P5r9Tqfb5qwYWSs-uX2EFuI55YlpvorO5L2U74mo8b_k9T5eoH8duueeHQzxd4qlUC-DU9_4/s1600/IMG_20150110_142152435_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhhM1LxYuBtbsOO_uFoxGl9yJE8QyRcdQDD65Wwx27RIh9LGg82jUpOgDD4SRsglddb8P5r9Tqfb5qwYWSs-uX2EFuI55YlpvorO5L2U74mo8b_k9T5eoH8duueeHQzxd4qlUC-DU9_4/s400/IMG_20150110_142152435_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beach date</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qKn85hpkjg9mcdu7IrynJdk-b7e_ZOxW_qTMbGZbDoF4wsOtDPTawpnt-v5WJ1xOLkIPeuSZYJjqWwCumqwnN9JYYdegO1ikxE1X0dpsJUAtSfr857FaKueCB1bI8zBsWsBGn6tfXOA/s1600/IMG_20150110_051809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qKn85hpkjg9mcdu7IrynJdk-b7e_ZOxW_qTMbGZbDoF4wsOtDPTawpnt-v5WJ1xOLkIPeuSZYJjqWwCumqwnN9JYYdegO1ikxE1X0dpsJUAtSfr857FaKueCB1bI8zBsWsBGn6tfXOA/s640/IMG_20150110_051809.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the fishing boats</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWwd6NrQSOOce0efa3Ffl-tzr2Ga0QXJ7TvHrrY_kRCyuphYV4zIariuF7Q7gm3ejHUR5ZSDHsWuU0tgXCxd-i8KrY1WCfS8dRcEJm4pRPAY0fivDX43TZDA32J70yQpDnsNoYx-Jj9U/s1600/IMG_20150110_081351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWwd6NrQSOOce0efa3Ffl-tzr2Ga0QXJ7TvHrrY_kRCyuphYV4zIariuF7Q7gm3ejHUR5ZSDHsWuU0tgXCxd-i8KrY1WCfS8dRcEJm4pRPAY0fivDX43TZDA32J70yQpDnsNoYx-Jj9U/s640/IMG_20150110_081351.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunner of a sunset</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TeTw8V9UwQusJ2CiGqtVh1EgP5lwTeZ_A9LQR3-94SGq2zGz0xN3IjehvlGPt9Mnrt2z0z6qRdC6OD3vlW1E-1BX_ivpBAmjUshIcg2ZFvQVxITHDGVBKhncYjRj4A4qy86bXk014Ss/s1600/IMG_20150113_104333194_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TeTw8V9UwQusJ2CiGqtVh1EgP5lwTeZ_A9LQR3-94SGq2zGz0xN3IjehvlGPt9Mnrt2z0z6qRdC6OD3vlW1E-1BX_ivpBAmjUshIcg2ZFvQVxITHDGVBKhncYjRj4A4qy86bXk014Ss/s640/IMG_20150113_104333194_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A side trip to a new beach. We came to these bluffs and views. I've never seen anything like it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWfuzoG1-HiuAtuKJOW6axbMiE1oJnT6CR4Wwoz8XCPXmaefPCjEZLruKB7iM0GpuhwNGFpTUrUhbxdExoPu0t2shliY4qO7zgZhI68mZbtBWPyaTlGa7O6DWJbaoYDQBy3bHAGzgnyI/s1600/IMG_20150115_161211996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWfuzoG1-HiuAtuKJOW6axbMiE1oJnT6CR4Wwoz8XCPXmaefPCjEZLruKB7iM0GpuhwNGFpTUrUhbxdExoPu0t2shliY4qO7zgZhI68mZbtBWPyaTlGa7O6DWJbaoYDQBy3bHAGzgnyI/s640/IMG_20150115_161211996.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ceiling at the Natal craft center.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wx8QrwshHDmD_vqAoUzHF6UxgeBFdYOQm4ZkhPCSLHygDvXOcjFeN2umsP9SGN_1bZNJLvtaex63AyYJohPQ2Mw3dlcnC1fMZ8HtwuVcVmiwBD61mtsrXMQbLdG23m7dirtjfWwPnSE/s1600/IMG_20150115_162914698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wx8QrwshHDmD_vqAoUzHF6UxgeBFdYOQm4ZkhPCSLHygDvXOcjFeN2umsP9SGN_1bZNJLvtaex63AyYJohPQ2Mw3dlcnC1fMZ8HtwuVcVmiwBD61mtsrXMQbLdG23m7dirtjfWwPnSE/s640/IMG_20150115_162914698.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the bridge!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBash8IuA4sfHuxs9noW7Z52R8IIf89sIbSGk-yWoyJ_YkBS-cgzbFMj_TsqAxRMmHqy7EqF71FuTbiGhOvI5XgeuMgaET5Tm6tiA6TLvmGS6LfY8_LWHc6IKd3pBP9ey2Q_9vwEtg1o/s1600/IMG_20150115_163226023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBash8IuA4sfHuxs9noW7Z52R8IIf89sIbSGk-yWoyJ_YkBS-cgzbFMj_TsqAxRMmHqy7EqF71FuTbiGhOvI5XgeuMgaET5Tm6tiA6TLvmGS6LfY8_LWHc6IKd3pBP9ey2Q_9vwEtg1o/s320/IMG_20150115_163226023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I visited a fortress!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9ZrRpRfCNWyIR_erGRJSTE-YY2oqUYVjXqlZY-uoi99LTyPDyhcqMAopGHge9-vC5gtshkS5GYOOkkqbjXQ8ZUVE9Cwx9x_DwWEirra-YFbyVO616cKo4tqFJ9-EG7afsY_E3v6w5pw/s1600/IMG_20150115_163919441_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9ZrRpRfCNWyIR_erGRJSTE-YY2oqUYVjXqlZY-uoi99LTyPDyhcqMAopGHge9-vC5gtshkS5GYOOkkqbjXQ8ZUVE9Cwx9x_DwWEirra-YFbyVO616cKo4tqFJ9-EG7afsY_E3v6w5pw/s320/IMG_20150115_163919441_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Natal bridge from the fortress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEY7sPR23YqrC9Dz4zMMEPDECIMcZC7zi5eIDEGNjXh5ZUlCXo6K5m3pUzyfFS7p3C-vRgO3K0_ue5FT6HrEV8Zm2_BAVHUZUSBmPLZ_xVs0LbTut6MYyTruosEro363nJbLCr9SRA1o/s1600/IMG_20150116_160713496_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEY7sPR23YqrC9Dz4zMMEPDECIMcZC7zi5eIDEGNjXh5ZUlCXo6K5m3pUzyfFS7p3C-vRgO3K0_ue5FT6HrEV8Zm2_BAVHUZUSBmPLZ_xVs0LbTut6MYyTruosEro363nJbLCr9SRA1o/s640/IMG_20150116_160713496_HDR.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Mexican restaurant didn't have Mexican food.The fish soup was still pretty tasty though, and the beer was ICE cold </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclEBwqdD5V3_xFvEet5V1Oq6RfLuqcMY_s6XVNF4wiIlzbfy5zyeNeCfMpq0kA1S-JFIf7eB853UfYY_0FR6OWbgWDE7ean4z9jFHQRNdxdtqbnjbkBmYPnYSa9cOlPIehkEOzV5tYyM/s1600/IMG_20150116_194650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclEBwqdD5V3_xFvEet5V1Oq6RfLuqcMY_s6XVNF4wiIlzbfy5zyeNeCfMpq0kA1S-JFIf7eB853UfYY_0FR6OWbgWDE7ean4z9jFHQRNdxdtqbnjbkBmYPnYSa9cOlPIehkEOzV5tYyM/s320/IMG_20150116_194650.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk4BbHR9hN69sy4Fwm6hupdKZYAfLfrOOMru9DyXhqf8AjmeLFtoqWTgEevphmPWhiraVRyzVnA6ArvpG72H4rsGVjT-1bQ1-0DSNkNUZn3F4WuDpm4sMO13OkiF2aqpJK7I4QEnESWU/s1600/VID_119131022_231156.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk4BbHR9hN69sy4Fwm6hupdKZYAfLfrOOMru9DyXhqf8AjmeLFtoqWTgEevphmPWhiraVRyzVnA6ArvpG72H4rsGVjT-1bQ1-0DSNkNUZn3F4WuDpm4sMO13OkiF2aqpJK7I4QEnESWU/s320/VID_119131022_231156.mp4" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the sunset in San Miguel, Brazil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpkXvcDKrgsx0L0Wq_ViIOXZrHorAPX2WwbyNCHc-LLNd1nKbtajmCgu4i0TZp2LBuLxztZKN4UEFZaoWKSQG_NhTYjecpk66Ddnnotn6GerKdBGOl53WZ3sQRjxuNa1cDbDJ_mASy0Q/s1600/IMG_20150117_103831720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpkXvcDKrgsx0L0Wq_ViIOXZrHorAPX2WwbyNCHc-LLNd1nKbtajmCgu4i0TZp2LBuLxztZKN4UEFZaoWKSQG_NhTYjecpk66Ddnnotn6GerKdBGOl53WZ3sQRjxuNa1cDbDJ_mASy0Q/s640/IMG_20150117_103831720.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Manu!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj027L_eZxEPf7hdYqXWNxDrEBaCwbRU6wQsvZh2ALT_wC4jmP4RGatyQppAWoRD2KByxsC-NEdjZH59SWKAj5O78gS5kfrfoKlu8GcMgVpE6ggIki9lulPPNEFo6ihjlTRyO6LjRoqYuI/s1600/IMG_20150117_132849781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj027L_eZxEPf7hdYqXWNxDrEBaCwbRU6wQsvZh2ALT_wC4jmP4RGatyQppAWoRD2KByxsC-NEdjZH59SWKAj5O78gS5kfrfoKlu8GcMgVpE6ggIki9lulPPNEFo6ihjlTRyO6LjRoqYuI/s640/IMG_20150117_132849781.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A storm rolling in, San Miguel, Brazil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJulAOwTZ8bi9CZbUikN-Xk82EWg78mDQJ2wp96lIdCvjrUVJfWb0HBTPDcov9vP1YohS95Xeabwtvt1Mmuh4Rz-OV8-cHwcw898fKcIGgDt8IBqVx3svb5Eym0nbQ-vqPbHmKT6kht70/s1600/IMG_20150117_120618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJulAOwTZ8bi9CZbUikN-Xk82EWg78mDQJ2wp96lIdCvjrUVJfWb0HBTPDcov9vP1YohS95Xeabwtvt1Mmuh4Rz-OV8-cHwcw898fKcIGgDt8IBqVx3svb5Eym0nbQ-vqPbHmKT6kht70/s640/IMG_20150117_120618.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cool scene. A boy washing his horse in the ocean by San Miguel, Brazil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnApIymfLUfwhaeODWFdeqFrJhUqonSvc8qySV9Y95ZVm-zchESa7CFMNT2DMQe11Q8sqyYXPtuGCIzRhwhLzpd0SmFRA8NG75bg6cRADVQZfhRaabtYjZP6aVZscdaUkVVlXkpQUBKSE/s1600/IMG_20150118_145915319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnApIymfLUfwhaeODWFdeqFrJhUqonSvc8qySV9Y95ZVm-zchESa7CFMNT2DMQe11Q8sqyYXPtuGCIzRhwhLzpd0SmFRA8NG75bg6cRADVQZfhRaabtYjZP6aVZscdaUkVVlXkpQUBKSE/s640/IMG_20150118_145915319.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the longest road in Brazil</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWLv0dToRLOmZqbuQsVC5kEWEM-I-IUsNLMp4nRAUeoUAOA0khQ-r3_roZ5psX2_BQSK_g-1_4_OyOgd1ZdfEtzKeuf7o_c9TS9eXUeoKl9LqGAsbCnrdk1PXG_bUg1Hs8ckEd4LGjtk/s1600/IMG_20150118_150653258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWLv0dToRLOmZqbuQsVC5kEWEM-I-IUsNLMp4nRAUeoUAOA0khQ-r3_roZ5psX2_BQSK_g-1_4_OyOgd1ZdfEtzKeuf7o_c9TS9eXUeoKl9LqGAsbCnrdk1PXG_bUg1Hs8ckEd4LGjtk/s640/IMG_20150118_150653258.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc2DWx7XS8i0ZklsCV7sMiDuW85X3Vpqyc17K-2fqquZ4Bw7oxXy-j0Jvhe4f1yUBO_FF-CGLrv1ezgOamEhaJC92JONLaxfYOMRJri74DQPdYO389DrvosNDuSZgadKh6piHJzhFCdo/s1600/IMG_20150123_062534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc2DWx7XS8i0ZklsCV7sMiDuW85X3Vpqyc17K-2fqquZ4Bw7oxXy-j0Jvhe4f1yUBO_FF-CGLrv1ezgOamEhaJC92JONLaxfYOMRJri74DQPdYO389DrvosNDuSZgadKh6piHJzhFCdo/s400/IMG_20150123_062534.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJQj9lIDAvvtqn_8-gIGNQR_vD9gFR8_YziApafk9jXGF9ycRVHwm7KQVo64ztp7IyDApwo9qiD2CTV31_T-Nkh3uQjOynCQPeIjB8Ondn-0LCWl5ZlKmM5GF6VtrPfEhz0zvb_HJmZ4/s1600/IMG_20150123_062635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJQj9lIDAvvtqn_8-gIGNQR_vD9gFR8_YziApafk9jXGF9ycRVHwm7KQVo64ztp7IyDApwo9qiD2CTV31_T-Nkh3uQjOynCQPeIjB8Ondn-0LCWl5ZlKmM5GF6VtrPfEhz0zvb_HJmZ4/s400/IMG_20150123_062635.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CVUF1ESyMCmQ3J5ZceGqAz1me34TCwkLlu1ySdPdYmc-isKvi2gTce-VTfeU7dMJuiIzIJ0-M_A7sBDDDqN7ygGkvkXXnZAunch9OkiQaWp68iIQq-r73K5ZUR210ZGxJxRTjzShTfs/s1600/IMG-20150118-WA0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CVUF1ESyMCmQ3J5ZceGqAz1me34TCwkLlu1ySdPdYmc-isKvi2gTce-VTfeU7dMJuiIzIJ0-M_A7sBDDDqN7ygGkvkXXnZAunch9OkiQaWp68iIQq-r73K5ZUR210ZGxJxRTjzShTfs/s640/IMG-20150118-WA0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New friends! Manu speaks little English, I speak little Portuguese. Google Translate for the win!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7GhDkqYDsDurf6N5g836DvmFm2-mSUfW3-uzuxa6UDZneF9T6nIi_VTQCivnEbpBroOCb3YpMGQJGkyxbFf8eaXed20_UcOBr25hAnSRyj4SJUYVgkCZP8qAGkP8Z43z12U5DgPtLL8/s1600/IMG_20150123_062300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7GhDkqYDsDurf6N5g836DvmFm2-mSUfW3-uzuxa6UDZneF9T6nIi_VTQCivnEbpBroOCb3YpMGQJGkyxbFf8eaXed20_UcOBr25hAnSRyj4SJUYVgkCZP8qAGkP8Z43z12U5DgPtLL8/s640/IMG_20150123_062300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoky Rio </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wpwdKc2Hb6vP0eQ4LLiVFYOIYvOuCAAxJJYuJvuXFHVw84MAoq7Uf-6BUl4u2vgEQ0JmTDi04V73PDpw6ViVI9TBLYXHxSJXLswI0BQtUMQWNC2V-y8pVbKe9bC-UDiNDSSwj3pj50U/s1600/IMG_20150119_191709907_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wpwdKc2Hb6vP0eQ4LLiVFYOIYvOuCAAxJJYuJvuXFHVw84MAoq7Uf-6BUl4u2vgEQ0JmTDi04V73PDpw6ViVI9TBLYXHxSJXLswI0BQtUMQWNC2V-y8pVbKe9bC-UDiNDSSwj3pj50U/s640/IMG_20150119_191709907_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The insanely gorgeous sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGJna3akowjgyuYhkPLuCRlSRT_OUdkPH0eVhTnh5ArHfELSCdLNGMfIZ2NY0FbTsr25qShqV0qysbhme3-PiWAPIgVh6cJHZZLX_Pg_x6lzpHrVmgFxl4PN9oPuOMrTbXUsQrFWZTdM/s1600/IMG_20150120_113423026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGJna3akowjgyuYhkPLuCRlSRT_OUdkPH0eVhTnh5ArHfELSCdLNGMfIZ2NY0FbTsr25qShqV0qysbhme3-PiWAPIgVh6cJHZZLX_Pg_x6lzpHrVmgFxl4PN9oPuOMrTbXUsQrFWZTdM/s640/IMG_20150120_113423026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henrique found Jesus too. I made him. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tW1Jk9pbw8r1cLG9_XVXnIVTXuGViIqf5VMIJtlhBwsbDmpuW6IYXVW1WwW5SMEe33P5q7zCWX89A0G6-Mqe6etMdVpW514aGQSJ9FemUtsh0_omtdOahv0glZvuP5qMfXv-53sULL0/s1600/IMG_20150120_150657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tW1Jk9pbw8r1cLG9_XVXnIVTXuGViIqf5VMIJtlhBwsbDmpuW6IYXVW1WwW5SMEe33P5q7zCWX89A0G6-Mqe6etMdVpW514aGQSJ9FemUtsh0_omtdOahv0glZvuP5qMfXv-53sULL0/s320/IMG_20150120_150657.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day I found Jesus. He was on top of a hill that is accessible only by a tram. Who would have thought!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb2KbG2_AXJaW_G_l-cboWw53RrFKOeKydn8adezF1oczjWu0x5Te2dCerJZedXNY_zLObk01wEIvaU0piFHqlUji0QKNYHB-gvbl4xwVjhzQRYILv72kUblMqfJdAGk2vg5KZ7KeQek/s1600/IMG_20150120_113749312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb2KbG2_AXJaW_G_l-cboWw53RrFKOeKydn8adezF1oczjWu0x5Te2dCerJZedXNY_zLObk01wEIvaU0piFHqlUji0QKNYHB-gvbl4xwVjhzQRYILv72kUblMqfJdAGk2vg5KZ7KeQek/s640/IMG_20150120_113749312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ The Redeemer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZhZcWkCT0V5o_m584eAeoX0Ta_WeXhOq3jkLNrO90ZYQVM2cqryBG4k1SJ-KdleAfFqGxuBeIKTROi80m5NnrOdJ88aRDD37ZkSFaePJELY2VbxUc_leFx4uyJ6sHlLs4tSK9Ntp0Q4/s1600/VID_20150121_114014508.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZhZcWkCT0V5o_m584eAeoX0Ta_WeXhOq3jkLNrO90ZYQVM2cqryBG4k1SJ-KdleAfFqGxuBeIKTROi80m5NnrOdJ88aRDD37ZkSFaePJELY2VbxUc_leFx4uyJ6sHlLs4tSK9Ntp0Q4/s400/VID_20150121_114014508.mp4" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street performers in Rio are completely legit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILtRYL1riLtz0vLiy6qCq95Zzbr8lp_rxpWDszh6mXsRZQdtxlb9Z7D7FPKPPuxiTbZHM_wNdOZKB0jtEX9tmcyyvShirEOKA-_foT5begDeHdFS1dLu_yrR7wHUzppXf34tB7l4R-tA/s1600/IMG_20150121_091717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILtRYL1riLtz0vLiy6qCq95Zzbr8lp_rxpWDszh6mXsRZQdtxlb9Z7D7FPKPPuxiTbZHM_wNdOZKB0jtEX9tmcyyvShirEOKA-_foT5begDeHdFS1dLu_yrR7wHUzppXf34tB7l4R-tA/s640/IMG_20150121_091717.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city of Ouro Preto, Brazil. I spent my last night in Brazil in a charming hotel that was built in the 1600's. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z4zYL5-qQAC_TyiO4ku4FCj2HZdaygBoXq7hxG4JpOIz9UVbiPSps32G28rBo-QRR5KI5WDaiBXR-7NsHPd8QxfUH_nypivZtT4Wwd071FCgrS1vKgD6boy8Cf17r40t9032tVMO2V4/s1600/IMG_20150121_192410074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z4zYL5-qQAC_TyiO4ku4FCj2HZdaygBoXq7hxG4JpOIz9UVbiPSps32G28rBo-QRR5KI5WDaiBXR-7NsHPd8QxfUH_nypivZtT4Wwd071FCgrS1vKgD6boy8Cf17r40t9032tVMO2V4/s400/IMG_20150121_192410074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking down the alleys and streets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvhD0ete4QavScqRikUNfT0EemB30oG_YQPEb-qQSVn2xXO9Fs-HcoH2Np59JcIix1OJd63B78nB9d9p9Nfd-Ws2YREyWh4hV9sYtLnuB7e5yYVsIbzRmc8ZSedU45NoTNFX81dVazk/s1600/IMG_20150121_193749490_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKvhD0ete4QavScqRikUNfT0EemB30oG_YQPEb-qQSVn2xXO9Fs-HcoH2Np59JcIix1OJd63B78nB9d9p9Nfd-Ws2YREyWh4hV9sYtLnuB7e5yYVsIbzRmc8ZSedU45NoTNFX81dVazk/s640/IMG_20150121_193749490_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clock tower in the city square in Ouro Preto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHc81Ez6g-7I-WuxHeSCT2Vhn3agM2kS0gVSrRaKlEQb-0Wde5YqmrKqY1GcbJHguGb0TqkljecjY2PMTe8I4pWrQJ27BlNGCFrevTAlWuuS0HAq9Gy7p_nCNCP2r9r5yAH7xKNYGOhw/s1600/IMG_20150121_091201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHc81Ez6g-7I-WuxHeSCT2Vhn3agM2kS0gVSrRaKlEQb-0Wde5YqmrKqY1GcbJHguGb0TqkljecjY2PMTe8I4pWrQJ27BlNGCFrevTAlWuuS0HAq9Gy7p_nCNCP2r9r5yAH7xKNYGOhw/s640/IMG_20150121_091201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wonderful last meal and wine in Brazil. What an incredible experience. </td></tr>
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-59056246322703325562015-05-22T20:54:00.000-07:002015-05-24T14:33:24.388-07:00(Part 1 of 4) It is not down in any map; true places never are. – Herman Melville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here is a quick run through of the last... has it really been 10 months already?!?!?! I will write a more in-depth commentary about what's been going on after I get these pictures up. Well.. lets get started. First on deck... Bentley. Because everyone loves that sweet little guy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQddtIsD8JbGvVOxSbbbLBq9_hsEnoSv4OdaMJ00uibBq_ueeyU6CuDJklp6mrKTAvQHmeAU-NhI6_C5dFi5dL8KDJ2ibQWdIZDoNPKD8LfXhLBMdl83meIvM0_tSMALN4zpfTV0epn8/s1600/IMG_20140811_080631596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQddtIsD8JbGvVOxSbbbLBq9_hsEnoSv4OdaMJ00uibBq_ueeyU6CuDJklp6mrKTAvQHmeAU-NhI6_C5dFi5dL8KDJ2ibQWdIZDoNPKD8LfXhLBMdl83meIvM0_tSMALN4zpfTV0epn8/s640/IMG_20140811_080631596.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1_fUIfukBTu0xAPuo-UVIHCPEe32fBY_l7m10YVJEwql-5iblafNjsLQRDNPeddBQqdwm4l9771GDzaqNYlqbaTjJjBmJ0fsuPDBa7UsrQUtQeFeXrMYj0OcGYbSB5sJAVaN3DQNqLA/s1600/IMG_20140816_142546428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1_fUIfukBTu0xAPuo-UVIHCPEe32fBY_l7m10YVJEwql-5iblafNjsLQRDNPeddBQqdwm4l9771GDzaqNYlqbaTjJjBmJ0fsuPDBa7UsrQUtQeFeXrMYj0OcGYbSB5sJAVaN3DQNqLA/s320/IMG_20140816_142546428.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went berry picking... i swear we picked berries as we drank only<br />
the finest of champagnes from a can</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYprAUylaf4ipCmRr8Z6cibJWmfICJ25r4_P4LN9zrtvr4Ete5hL_ZrLmDRurzPK0TamCH3j2UpX-C8XX_WkUFUV5vFqW4VOJoCZsPaBbcO-fjITakzBGq8NpZ8wAsRHhcmsb93PFmIyI/s1600/IMG_20140816_145530706_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYprAUylaf4ipCmRr8Z6cibJWmfICJ25r4_P4LN9zrtvr4Ete5hL_ZrLmDRurzPK0TamCH3j2UpX-C8XX_WkUFUV5vFqW4VOJoCZsPaBbcO-fjITakzBGq8NpZ8wAsRHhcmsb93PFmIyI/s640/IMG_20140816_145530706_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and the view whilst picking berries and drinking cans of wine was pretty spectacular. Hatcher Pass, AK</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1ovQpANSEPoAcXr6rzU5iULpZJPTVq33jx-MNM5u4eDm6bMzjM40A1SttjnGpIfS3l0BBTdiBJD4kRHoPG6oJvF0RcUk-tuHtIFOF9t8CiiPh00MvpjTAqBHksGm8zv2vqJc1PYvIn4/s1600/_20140829_090610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1ovQpANSEPoAcXr6rzU5iULpZJPTVq33jx-MNM5u4eDm6bMzjM40A1SttjnGpIfS3l0BBTdiBJD4kRHoPG6oJvF0RcUk-tuHtIFOF9t8CiiPh00MvpjTAqBHksGm8zv2vqJc1PYvIn4/s640/_20140829_090610.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went to Boulder! My favorite spot in the whole wide world</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaomhyphenhyphen5Iw-72y7HovzybxpPbSnWWRGJP-qNRgVZyIhu7b1BEk6ei08wWDwqhxoGo1LmCwwSv3kYTFRBYhIiDPm0fy1zpxsyhhBeejXu-psy1J3RMPAw0CPKDLsULraxdRi8WANlP2G5M/s1600/IMG_20140830_142311432_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaomhyphenhyphen5Iw-72y7HovzybxpPbSnWWRGJP-qNRgVZyIhu7b1BEk6ei08wWDwqhxoGo1LmCwwSv3kYTFRBYhIiDPm0fy1zpxsyhhBeejXu-psy1J3RMPAw0CPKDLsULraxdRi8WANlP2G5M/s640/IMG_20140830_142311432_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I had brunch with some of my most favorite people in the whole wide world</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb-UG-McX1FWJmP_eia5OliQrg6dJysi5dhoQjhVEs4y2nmWYnTNcE9gcH-AuFNEFDOFwmj4TRpIDRPsWntYbhGtHhufIq4fGuQLKZoFkjkL5WmEg0EuG-xTZvmqMCPdHLJC_-1sY62E/s1600/IMG_20140908_140705754_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb-UG-McX1FWJmP_eia5OliQrg6dJysi5dhoQjhVEs4y2nmWYnTNcE9gcH-AuFNEFDOFwmj4TRpIDRPsWntYbhGtHhufIq4fGuQLKZoFkjkL5WmEg0EuG-xTZvmqMCPdHLJC_-1sY62E/s320/IMG_20140908_140705754_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a picture of the last time I will ever wear Rx glasses! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8rUWtD-x81B45eLIhyphenhyphenHDsNaaYoPaH_-wR4hr0HM8_pmU1SK8r-jEPTU8BLt09fU6DU9cmG6UdEmHYtxq8OmEfUqXQGAcUFkKzHQ1X8yYBuAqphucqqYQZryrBKOAXlIHeqCWQ_tcYb4/s1600/IMG_20140927_103753146_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8rUWtD-x81B45eLIhyphenhyphenHDsNaaYoPaH_-wR4hr0HM8_pmU1SK8r-jEPTU8BLt09fU6DU9cmG6UdEmHYtxq8OmEfUqXQGAcUFkKzHQ1X8yYBuAqphucqqYQZryrBKOAXlIHeqCWQ_tcYb4/s400/IMG_20140927_103753146_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I met my friend from Denver in Las Vegas for some sunshine and warmth!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtBNjWAoV5wlyfD6JmKr7wicZaorCtchFtzpFZ3tqXpIKWtTH7C46k1XnFLoqVv5LfOE_JAlNHlND_O97toDopGHuFeySZDiCm4SwVRWNBHbHpwBrgdMVp4UWOi7UX0EfFbw9g-1nQts/s1600/IMG_20140927_224258489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtBNjWAoV5wlyfD6JmKr7wicZaorCtchFtzpFZ3tqXpIKWtTH7C46k1XnFLoqVv5LfOE_JAlNHlND_O97toDopGHuFeySZDiCm4SwVRWNBHbHpwBrgdMVp4UWOi7UX0EfFbw9g-1nQts/s640/IMG_20140927_224258489.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We clean up nicely if I may say so myself</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqkYFOnbMCqdhfFBTd96_XSi_LaM874mO5aZqDl470FTIfgLB4D9KB18ozHyzC4Q31OHcl44pjoLyUVrGYNNfEADivhC4Tn_nApXnF5Jqz38OGJjzb0M6qiKGDTEyScxMND5z478Ae3o/s1600/IMG_20140928_161406279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqkYFOnbMCqdhfFBTd96_XSi_LaM874mO5aZqDl470FTIfgLB4D9KB18ozHyzC4Q31OHcl44pjoLyUVrGYNNfEADivhC4Tn_nApXnF5Jqz38OGJjzb0M6qiKGDTEyScxMND5z478Ae3o/s640/IMG_20140928_161406279.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I saw huge turbines at the Hoover Dam!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtr0mq3TBnT1ER2at45j1zUAyNQA-JiXYYIcebdCa-8Dd22qFmtitNJqWYH6YlXNRacY7Zn1K6XVYhjW1XUo51g34JG0eqXAXsljqrUoGvjEjEDyNmp55CrDtPsF0YNS-CcmaJsWi9CM/s1600/IMG_20140928_153344576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtr0mq3TBnT1ER2at45j1zUAyNQA-JiXYYIcebdCa-8Dd22qFmtitNJqWYH6YlXNRacY7Zn1K6XVYhjW1XUo51g34JG0eqXAXsljqrUoGvjEjEDyNmp55CrDtPsF0YNS-CcmaJsWi9CM/s640/IMG_20140928_153344576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqZwOkgj11RL_sls9XUwhgseAPFfu5VUMXVDy28LPrKBh9-yWTowpEIunmL0i2fLuJ6OgJ4WTLtssA4skDpJxPFUHwmfcy5GOLMBCWIOang7zVSeJbO2VbWBG3IysSyAgy-wy8Iu7lhw/s1600/IMG_20140928_153136223_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqZwOkgj11RL_sls9XUwhgseAPFfu5VUMXVDy28LPrKBh9-yWTowpEIunmL0i2fLuJ6OgJ4WTLtssA4skDpJxPFUHwmfcy5GOLMBCWIOang7zVSeJbO2VbWBG3IysSyAgy-wy8Iu7lhw/s640/IMG_20140928_153136223_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mLEY1kDKtlNiw0ixMpCkzVbC_PGjZkboaEzSl-A752EQD98EMEAvMejisu5av586cMLWPsy1GpNEhd0ts_u3Q4uIHm7F9aSsfGMkjl48yo8rm1SE90ApN8lCykRs0j8Cg2rDGfjlAuQ/s1600/VID_20141001_191046308.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mLEY1kDKtlNiw0ixMpCkzVbC_PGjZkboaEzSl-A752EQD98EMEAvMejisu5av586cMLWPsy1GpNEhd0ts_u3Q4uIHm7F9aSsfGMkjl48yo8rm1SE90ApN8lCykRs0j8Cg2rDGfjlAuQ/s640/VID_20141001_191046308.mp4" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even worked a little bit. Every Tuesday night the dancers and drummers play in the hospital. I am so blessed to work in such a cool hospital. You can hear the drums resonating throughout the first floor when they play. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1Cq1I6sJnQzgcNHAMDolihiZcqm5lliCfi0hZ12jz8A2VfBG09P_HhOsnshJRcZPTKFwgGrWS-5JwFQsGWJ_4tTTkiTF3v-41rQT7NbkeWvXiQy8TAXq7bA3ndKE5PA7KErFhwy0jxg/s1600/IMG_20141009_130455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1Cq1I6sJnQzgcNHAMDolihiZcqm5lliCfi0hZ12jz8A2VfBG09P_HhOsnshJRcZPTKFwgGrWS-5JwFQsGWJ_4tTTkiTF3v-41rQT7NbkeWvXiQy8TAXq7bA3ndKE5PA7KErFhwy0jxg/s640/IMG_20141009_130455.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went home to Ohio. This is Mt Rainier when I flew through Seattle. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuGSaL_8u-icg09_P67OO8As0hxuiABqDtFUGZ1nUwE3TZmZqHIfnlEP4NlhsUVu3gJjpKivnK7YAQ5iQ50jzBpGClfFQEw5vaPblmIdGSSKSzHfIEQe6Qo5Nk6DG9T2zyQ9FHD7cXEo/s1600/IMG_20141010_121309670_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuGSaL_8u-icg09_P67OO8As0hxuiABqDtFUGZ1nUwE3TZmZqHIfnlEP4NlhsUVu3gJjpKivnK7YAQ5iQ50jzBpGClfFQEw5vaPblmIdGSSKSzHfIEQe6Qo5Nk6DG9T2zyQ9FHD7cXEo/s640/IMG_20141010_121309670_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and I went on tour of a local distillery. #OYO</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv25z6EQ8MnQ3HFwLy9JNE9DRSB6dhaIKl3OeIirL7guOXycnZOXMiiSl5dfZ7No0hfBViFEt3uLkCPZGmGVH7yo6vd8veRGki0NeFJVVJ2vcmgDBXMttyEVlkzaXoBPOJc41hSNzXiPY/s1600/IMG_20141010_190044181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv25z6EQ8MnQ3HFwLy9JNE9DRSB6dhaIKl3OeIirL7guOXycnZOXMiiSl5dfZ7No0hfBViFEt3uLkCPZGmGVH7yo6vd8veRGki0NeFJVVJ2vcmgDBXMttyEVlkzaXoBPOJc41hSNzXiPY/s640/IMG_20141010_190044181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That time that grandma asked for a selfie. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VWo-ZrHJDcz-kff_0cZKbtILAvhm9omFLjoZ8frHZ65Aq5JZGHJIaOiffcaZkdrZA_HNwrViegpCYAQIuhWknABFNSNmtp0dANryLFLZMiaIvSoxigFuvdPyaHGgIIieQ1Afknp7HbM/s1600/IMG_20141011_140924748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VWo-ZrHJDcz-kff_0cZKbtILAvhm9omFLjoZ8frHZ65Aq5JZGHJIaOiffcaZkdrZA_HNwrViegpCYAQIuhWknABFNSNmtp0dANryLFLZMiaIvSoxigFuvdPyaHGgIIieQ1Afknp7HbM/s640/IMG_20141011_140924748.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">big bro, mom and me</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0BP4kvl8t_MtM23gIgf2Kv6nONh2CKFMbsbtGtAJI2oHxv3YACfYh2-1V76y-NDYEE411JRh2euX01WmZNbwHqevaCtk9j59HGRsiqzFyI6PHpnj_rJfWrY4tMhMBSpDOlnaJFHm_4U/s1600/IMG_20141011_044759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0BP4kvl8t_MtM23gIgf2Kv6nONh2CKFMbsbtGtAJI2oHxv3YACfYh2-1V76y-NDYEE411JRh2euX01WmZNbwHqevaCtk9j59HGRsiqzFyI6PHpnj_rJfWrY4tMhMBSpDOlnaJFHm_4U/s640/IMG_20141011_044759.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Columbus, Ohio </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT-n_6ecdgXYSaLNdP4dCO1pZzVlVB52CeK4Y4h_cGGKTI8y2SdvNfbsDonsn-lNjFg6TAos6AvAGroVA1v9do4SbVYF7MRKRpUftCUJVrrkWMIZC3yYiqRLEWyiGpfJ3JVY5mZk9oHI/s1600/IMG_20141012_141735830_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT-n_6ecdgXYSaLNdP4dCO1pZzVlVB52CeK4Y4h_cGGKTI8y2SdvNfbsDonsn-lNjFg6TAos6AvAGroVA1v9do4SbVYF7MRKRpUftCUJVrrkWMIZC3yYiqRLEWyiGpfJ3JVY5mZk9oHI/s400/IMG_20141012_141735830_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Davis and I got ice cream!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ2DHHgp5ss0zQwwvHmJ5T3gbaBGjqe0s4mtnHxGlRHtOGXZQZc6zvFK90ZYNYvzmVT13a6nQ5vmoM68o480K2HE2FGbaV8uGba6dgCo8aMWCLGlYuuLAN2uZ6altsylREz1b6BXHkl8/s1600/IMG_20141018_231041092_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ2DHHgp5ss0zQwwvHmJ5T3gbaBGjqe0s4mtnHxGlRHtOGXZQZc6zvFK90ZYNYvzmVT13a6nQ5vmoM68o480K2HE2FGbaV8uGba6dgCo8aMWCLGlYuuLAN2uZ6altsylREz1b6BXHkl8/s400/IMG_20141018_231041092_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went back to work. We dubbed it 80s night.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTJp-OX66MW3O-HEhp2hjeTZYkBqFU3p1NDqOG9Ih4dBtwlWqEmi29FoW_hgeIJ9Sg6B7rmVmP8ctu91M8c8spbIhXg5w1IGvRDMnm6dbpkt_IbrB_cNbUFd72jfyLMml4K_1IY5yIL4/s1600/IMG_20141108_085840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTJp-OX66MW3O-HEhp2hjeTZYkBqFU3p1NDqOG9Ih4dBtwlWqEmi29FoW_hgeIJ9Sg6B7rmVmP8ctu91M8c8spbIhXg5w1IGvRDMnm6dbpkt_IbrB_cNbUFd72jfyLMml4K_1IY5yIL4/s640/IMG_20141108_085840.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bentley letting me know how much he loves his sun patch</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv5slsAOZucUasDFm4uXcfro-uSTMHOF77ww2PA9mnLbHFjnQmXw2tJajFd0Yy4oobqSzU_dNM04zIQEwfoPZgwvscjS2tuaO78KXACanDzIH5ewNCNxBdH55wF_a74ozOnilN0pFzoQ/s1600/IMG_20141110_073304797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv5slsAOZucUasDFm4uXcfro-uSTMHOF77ww2PA9mnLbHFjnQmXw2tJajFd0Yy4oobqSzU_dNM04zIQEwfoPZgwvscjS2tuaO78KXACanDzIH5ewNCNxBdH55wF_a74ozOnilN0pFzoQ/s320/IMG_20141110_073304797.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a lot of beef stew</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0fv6e7PhlYQj4epHdtRSxD_RxjIlIg1UsYkU342XKEm05xGNguuAi_PKGi7IYQUFwDVZhLjMd_QLs2J2sA3owiZDWPBeCZeh7j7e0HoN2tl_98ZcwHDkEZSnegZUkPR4oCTxZrsd-HI/s1600/IMG_20141122_184419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0fv6e7PhlYQj4epHdtRSxD_RxjIlIg1UsYkU342XKEm05xGNguuAi_PKGi7IYQUFwDVZhLjMd_QLs2J2sA3owiZDWPBeCZeh7j7e0HoN2tl_98ZcwHDkEZSnegZUkPR4oCTxZrsd-HI/s400/IMG_20141122_184419.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I visited Nome. This is the sun rising over the ocean at noon.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrs3ovi1V1284j1az8cIZSD7Ail2RPvZlhRmSnE-u6w8o8b12crweSzhLfo1LLerrkj1nEer9YV8cWg3keN5daelHcpIQm0YE0og4byi4V-VRwJbAjs7sPCDZUfoGFNHieqQ-6HcRsGE/s1600/IMG950002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrs3ovi1V1284j1az8cIZSD7Ail2RPvZlhRmSnE-u6w8o8b12crweSzhLfo1LLerrkj1nEer9YV8cWg3keN5daelHcpIQm0YE0og4byi4V-VRwJbAjs7sPCDZUfoGFNHieqQ-6HcRsGE/s320/IMG950002.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took care of a stinky patient and was happy about it</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqd59_uOR9wBB-pzVqL6M_Vc1r7bSqhN3owaDJAhD5ObvZg3iSjBEcZ7puHBjkIqpw_x6FpRAMYxbq0g8lcXsaAsCsNCYBrZtpF6CHzhFYx3f9WZgd8PjiSeFks69i50HtcU62qbyBB4/s1600/IMG_20141130_194413838_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqd59_uOR9wBB-pzVqL6M_Vc1r7bSqhN3owaDJAhD5ObvZg3iSjBEcZ7puHBjkIqpw_x6FpRAMYxbq0g8lcXsaAsCsNCYBrZtpF6CHzhFYx3f9WZgd8PjiSeFks69i50HtcU62qbyBB4/s320/IMG_20141130_194413838_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we had a visitor in the ER. He went home with one of our clerks. Crafty cat indeed!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVFPApxV4Txqw8Wz3b-CPecIdInP3Z7X5KrWcWevDX5joyLXxmLZxyI6cHXY-5OuVs5f8jIXaZTA9VNQ1oqSeTlmcRiieSdKddnI9luLd1_CwxWSbR6CBlyhRCYlmb9YBSkQVUM5ybK4/s1600/IMG_20141203_122112555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVFPApxV4Txqw8Wz3b-CPecIdInP3Z7X5KrWcWevDX5joyLXxmLZxyI6cHXY-5OuVs5f8jIXaZTA9VNQ1oqSeTlmcRiieSdKddnI9luLd1_CwxWSbR6CBlyhRCYlmb9YBSkQVUM5ybK4/s640/IMG_20141203_122112555.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I flew to Seattle for some much needed city time.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52o60lbFr1U2dTkdTQJyM5UD1UDgC9io10U6xtVEwQWBtbb8nEjWOw8qbC6gPzHOp1uENNyDSRERu5-NEZZaFPuCJTFqK0sfYR4d_H-2wa9x9Fk1ZoAbnXKMFdjQhjuxgFh_76ovm5zQ/s1600/IMG_20141204_094333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52o60lbFr1U2dTkdTQJyM5UD1UDgC9io10U6xtVEwQWBtbb8nEjWOw8qbC6gPzHOp1uENNyDSRERu5-NEZZaFPuCJTFqK0sfYR4d_H-2wa9x9Fk1ZoAbnXKMFdjQhjuxgFh_76ovm5zQ/s640/IMG_20141204_094333.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the market was getting ready for Christmas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3eRr6rfDuuKbEpx-UBYpBsaYSlmfgHDYXlLGuqWocaxRxV-WVL20TbJAL65Grw4ltsQDCRgH_yhWagXvhoxccd03aJTdwut1O4L5yHAqDZpFjuoPAo6VFG3NJ1Sd4xsC7dwE_6D9s68/s1600/IMG_20141221_170108061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3eRr6rfDuuKbEpx-UBYpBsaYSlmfgHDYXlLGuqWocaxRxV-WVL20TbJAL65Grw4ltsQDCRgH_yhWagXvhoxccd03aJTdwut1O4L5yHAqDZpFjuoPAo6VFG3NJ1Sd4xsC7dwE_6D9s68/s640/IMG_20141221_170108061.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bentley had to go to the vet for an overnight. He's much better now, but he wouldn't stop throwing up. Had his mama very distressed and worried. He's an older cat now. a spry 14 years. This September we will have spent 13 years of our lives together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbS57428e0o30pw4SVUAaICzMdLjxFNSjv7-p0nQLOppUY-STREyuir4B27DJc4DS-TaaznSR3uOAG8qwD6BXhzGfvcTMdjoThlcCYJ0N2CL2Z-0_0n2qtjOVev3i9J_ZOKlykhZcoZQ/s1600/IMG_20141221_091219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbS57428e0o30pw4SVUAaICzMdLjxFNSjv7-p0nQLOppUY-STREyuir4B27DJc4DS-TaaznSR3uOAG8qwD6BXhzGfvcTMdjoThlcCYJ0N2CL2Z-0_0n2qtjOVev3i9J_ZOKlykhZcoZQ/s640/IMG_20141221_091219.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely ladies celebrating the longest and darkest night of the year. Toasting to longer days ahead. Happy winter solstice!<br />
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Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-46151210157091012502014-08-08T11:13:00.001-07:002014-08-08T11:13:48.658-07:00True friends stab you in the front - Oscar Wilde <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1OZwZ4qJvvxLK5033xXR9zuGZasXYYcHsuct3gxa15InZ4S6kVPO2wul0RouiOKzFfVPBvkoNqXxkhbFwAUIicVPFnUxQLS-OuQ7667lIUhuH6ufwQsPDf9KqxSz_rbdUcPeFBZYinA/s1600/IMG_20140720_141646170_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1OZwZ4qJvvxLK5033xXR9zuGZasXYYcHsuct3gxa15InZ4S6kVPO2wul0RouiOKzFfVPBvkoNqXxkhbFwAUIicVPFnUxQLS-OuQ7667lIUhuH6ufwQsPDf9KqxSz_rbdUcPeFBZYinA/s1600/IMG_20140720_141646170_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
Lots of thoughts and musings, adventures and work. Sounds like a normal spot for me in life!<br />
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I recently took a lunch trip up to Talkeetna with my old roommate Megan who I used to live with up in Nome and when I first moved down to Anchorage. Megan is also a native of Ohio! So many things in common this girl and I have. The drive to Talkeetna is about 2.5 hours. We drove up had lunch watched the tourists scurry about and then drove 2.5 hours back. Who does that? We do. The size of Alaska is pretty mind blowing, even living here it's just madness how far one will drive for a day trip or adventure. We hadn't seen each other in awhile so the girl chat and gossip and life musings we had made the drive, both ways, fly by. I have some pretty amazing friends, I might not see them daily, weekly, monthly... sometimes not even yearly! but I know that if I pick up the phone and call them they will answer, and be there to help me. Just as I would answer the call for them, and do whatever I could to help them. Those are the best of friends I think that one can have. The true friends that have seen the absolute best in you, the happiest that you can be, watch and encourage your soul to shine as bright as it can. But they have also seen the darkest side of you, have held you while cry about things that may not matter in 10 minutes or things that are completely life changing; and when they can't be there they do things to show that they are with you in spirit. Text messages with inspirational quotes, or sending a stuffed orange cat in a green t-shirt overnight to be in their place. I am so incredibly blessed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzxGs6iERrbS-2L30uR5TdDtQFY7xvcS6C1UCp5Cwhs3kvjKeD7kPtJLiDrhZiiRHnzUnwBxOUAt4zZSY5dtY7yPQ8OmDN8BZs3YE4XV2NinP87sGoRmKRPNI1BqjXXeNLRmPt86EOOk/s1600/IMG_20140804_082603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzxGs6iERrbS-2L30uR5TdDtQFY7xvcS6C1UCp5Cwhs3kvjKeD7kPtJLiDrhZiiRHnzUnwBxOUAt4zZSY5dtY7yPQ8OmDN8BZs3YE4XV2NinP87sGoRmKRPNI1BqjXXeNLRmPt86EOOk/s1600/IMG_20140804_082603.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork over the mainstage at Salmonstock!</td></tr>
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Salmonstock came to the little town of Ninilchik last weekend so I packed myself up and headed to a hippie music festival. I think it's very safe to say that I am not a "festival" person. After sleeping on the floor of a barn in my tent, my neck was sore, my cough was terrible, I was freezing. I like flush toilets, or maybe i just don't like port-a-potties..., and access to clean water. Yeah I'm a bit of a princess I suppose. But hey if no one else is going to treat me like one as may as well treat myself like one!<br />
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So I met up with a new work friend (Buffie) and her husband, and an old nursing school friend (Ali) who just got a job in Anchorage at a different hospital. Pretty cool to meld two people from different spots of life into one. Buffie took me and Ali in and I only had to spend one night on the cold hard ground. The second night at salmonstock we spent in a trailer. Buffie's son let us have his spot in the trailer and slept with mom and dad. Ali and I slept head to toe in a space smaller than a twin bed... Hahaha SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE GROUND! We drank wine and watched an incredible sunset. Scaled a bluff down to the beach. Last weekend is what makes friendships so sweet. Building new, reinforcing old. brilliant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3B92UDEUxCR45IZ1YqCDKWMW65CfyR4mHGlcNsGhoaoo2dC-2NEsz1t37bzx-azweK2au1nt4MepHoSHi7qvvgRYRKLQYOHOa7R4eqd_SsjFP3HtH2VlRaKi0MIL-2b0KdhKAhD_pQU/s1600/IMG_20140804_082814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3B92UDEUxCR45IZ1YqCDKWMW65CfyR4mHGlcNsGhoaoo2dC-2NEsz1t37bzx-azweK2au1nt4MepHoSHi7qvvgRYRKLQYOHOa7R4eqd_SsjFP3HtH2VlRaKi0MIL-2b0KdhKAhD_pQU/s1600/IMG_20140804_082814.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Mt Redoubt... total stunner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0tzz71IdxaYKzWWar9tsiZrM33p1M9EWBcIH5Ff_TDv5HKLBLUh5L9nEpDdMzN5rHnUHzQovLbpSVkPDv4qWoBN3Tqvzubgkj85DrDf602wNhrleEL4D7XjaqgI0K9yrJLp4uyWVzTM/s1600/IMG_20140802_205257578_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0tzz71IdxaYKzWWar9tsiZrM33p1M9EWBcIH5Ff_TDv5HKLBLUh5L9nEpDdMzN5rHnUHzQovLbpSVkPDv4qWoBN3Tqvzubgkj85DrDf602wNhrleEL4D7XjaqgI0K9yrJLp4uyWVzTM/s1600/IMG_20140802_205257578_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bluff we scaled to the beach<br />
was pretty high up, Ali is the shadow<br />
down there</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPQTcYu3J12Y3SFxOS3E-l5GMZUUctkjJdB172ilMTXCkj1XyGEJIGEfasLLVq2Gj9S-kGKxw9XNVjXDAUpAuPm7bm4zuueKkgFa4ckQMDPYXI-YLJCpnBZKFQ5nPmfnFphkLbz70jR4/s1600/IMG_20140723_173117172_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPQTcYu3J12Y3SFxOS3E-l5GMZUUctkjJdB172ilMTXCkj1XyGEJIGEfasLLVq2Gj9S-kGKxw9XNVjXDAUpAuPm7bm4zuueKkgFa4ckQMDPYXI-YLJCpnBZKFQ5nPmfnFphkLbz70jR4/s1600/IMG_20140723_173117172_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a Bentley picture for good measure!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqe3TvMKXbpvycwKf_ZQhYcivoBh00ioI35X_u-o2qFrDbi-kcinu8Me9p2IEUs5SqB7LcbC04mfTktNd-3MLj17DqL4U5423fHT525Pvrn0zi45_BRaW4nQ8jiMRQT5UaJH5pkXZHCI/s1600/IMG_759935492228750.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqe3TvMKXbpvycwKf_ZQhYcivoBh00ioI35X_u-o2qFrDbi-kcinu8Me9p2IEUs5SqB7LcbC04mfTktNd-3MLj17DqL4U5423fHT525Pvrn0zi45_BRaW4nQ8jiMRQT5UaJH5pkXZHCI/s1600/IMG_759935492228750.jpeg" height="320" width="209" /></a>Life I think is a series of events that happen. And I think a lot of my sadness and heartache does come from when these events don't line up in time the way I want them to. I was talking to a good friend about this. Enlightened by the thought of logistics. Logistics are the key to anything that's supposed to be. How many wonderful individuals that have had a walk on part in my life, that just kind of faded away. Not that I wanted them to, but life happens and lives don't line up anymore and away they go. This isn't just with boyfriends. I can think of numerous girlfriends that have come and gone in my life over the last decade. Some that I would have considered to be my best of friends that I no longer speak to. Life has just taken our lines and has directed them left and right, and maybe they will meet again, but maybe they won't. As always waiting to see what the universe sends my way is a test of the virtue I lack least... patience. One day everything might line up. Until then I'll enjoy the lines i'm connected to right now. <br />
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Today a hot cup of tea, and the hum of my cat is what is making me smile. And the thought that in 5 nights I will have 5 nights off. And I will accomplish things that grownups need to do. Like buy a bike. More adventures to come!<br />
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With love!<br />
<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-2814784996170705592014-07-21T03:29:00.000-07:002014-07-21T17:53:52.103-07:00Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely. - Erma Bombeck Hello everyone! How have you been? Since we last spoke I moved into my new house! I have had visitors! I have worked more than I have cared to. I have laughed and I have cried. So basically... I've just been living life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjKLT_MWeqJPWsGnydFBOY1vsyb3XHyboNl1iqHaEWsBBYXo1189GG_MJ-mTNugwER8rOa5DqJZuQhmnmyH2kWu6hHhZNEfCTu_vqGoUdKoZ4Zb5qkn_QkS36Gw8A11WSvDz0Zjdk_-0/s1600/IMG_20140523_233207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjKLT_MWeqJPWsGnydFBOY1vsyb3XHyboNl1iqHaEWsBBYXo1189GG_MJ-mTNugwER8rOa5DqJZuQhmnmyH2kWu6hHhZNEfCTu_vqGoUdKoZ4Zb5qkn_QkS36Gw8A11WSvDz0Zjdk_-0/s1600/IMG_20140523_233207.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>We've had some pretty serious wildfires down on the Kenai Peninsula. That was back in late May. Made for some incredible sunsets, interesting breathing problems, and coming out of work to find a light dusting of ash on the car.... umm what? New experiences for sure. But Anchorage was never in any trouble of catching fire. But it was amazing to watch how the smoke would change directions. The first night the winds changed and the whole hospital smelled like a campfire. <br />
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I finally closed on my house. I am a homeowner. I love my little house. It has a huge lilac bush that drapes over the front entryway, and a pretty hedge (that has now been trimmed) that shadows the front. Two big birch trees in the front yard too. No thanks to the small children that run amok in this neighborhood. To say I have been waging a small war is an understatement. But I think I have found the key.. they stay off my property, I don't yell at them, drag them to their homes and then yell at them again in front of their parents for being on my trailer... that's on my driveway..... and leaving their jackets and bikes and trash in my yard. They don't do any of those things anymore because I am the mean lady. Works for me. But I also ply them with cookies and brownies sporadically as a thank you for respecting my space and for being quiet around my house. It's a give and take. and I think we have a good system worked out now. My neighbors are jealous that the kids are scared of me and not them. Hahaha well... you just have to be mean show your teeth, bark real loud. and be THAT neighbor. I have no problem being THAT neighbor. If you won't be a parent to your children, they WILL respect my property; and I WILL be a parent to them, setting a hard line of what is okay and not okay.<br />
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I've been pretty busy picking up all of these extra shifts as everyone has weddings and plans to visit family and friends out of state, or having them visit in state. Lots of overtime to be had. I am learning very quickly that when one gets greedy one loses their mind. Quite literally. There is a very fine balance between making it rain and being so exhausted that no one wants to hang out with you because the wrong color at a traffic light can bring you to an epic meltdown because the brain just can't handle anything at all. Yeah I've done that. It's not pretty. In fact I may have done it on more than one occasion. Ugh. No one said I was a fast learner. No more extra shifts for a month. Time to relax and just take in what this state has to offer, and get the weeds pulled, go 4-wheeling, enjoy myself. Granted you can't spend money if you are too tired to do so. It's such a double edged sword.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzX8fI0gAo-hArYZj9xtOcBDX9Q6kyZ_4eQbdqrVbIeMAddG7jn5f8HWjBt_28kM_-4Gbj30db7j-9Z1cOO-F8bZXRbViMh5SaMdiUvwk1cx5aAW6tymYbntYm4q_kWIQW1FEHtzVmcQ/s1600/IMG_20140605_024750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzX8fI0gAo-hArYZj9xtOcBDX9Q6kyZ_4eQbdqrVbIeMAddG7jn5f8HWjBt_28kM_-4Gbj30db7j-9Z1cOO-F8bZXRbViMh5SaMdiUvwk1cx5aAW6tymYbntYm4q_kWIQW1FEHtzVmcQ/s1600/IMG_20140605_024750.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64iL2JkZzTKy8kaLzy45J_Ak68u2UQDYZRbi-Q5lzWt4gA07XmFxs6ge4sP2nQJTnD1UujI249OYDVlDekewzd-Y3Cm0Nxz4v9kXxKGJQTYZzyDbvhdqLqZsXT2-aH3p0NtKICqqffVs/s1600/IMG_20140624_031955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64iL2JkZzTKy8kaLzy45J_Ak68u2UQDYZRbi-Q5lzWt4gA07XmFxs6ge4sP2nQJTnD1UujI249OYDVlDekewzd-Y3Cm0Nxz4v9kXxKGJQTYZzyDbvhdqLqZsXT2-aH3p0NtKICqqffVs/s1600/IMG_20140624_031955.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a>Harry from Respiratory Therapy says I should just intubate and sedate. I may do it the other way around if I like the person though. I have been getting better at my job, taking on patients that are more critical, and feeling more confident in my work. Feeling like I made the right decision to become a nurse of the emergency type. That I am an actual team player. That when someone is needed in the absolute worst shitstorm one could imagine.. I can be counted on to help. I love that i feel the exact same way about my teammates that I work with. We are becoming a very cohesive group, we help eachother out without question, without hesitation, without keeping score. When someone is down there is someone there to pick up what is left behind. A trauma comes in and who ever takes that patient the other nurses absorb that nurses patients care until that nurse is available again. What an incredible feeling. To never feel alone at work. To know the resources are there. And they won't turn their back on you. They will answer questions. No matter how trivial, benign, amateur, or otherwise that they are. It's almost like coming into a marriage. for better or worse, we have to have each others backs or everyone will lose.<br />
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So on the rare occasion that I am able to get out and about I run to the top of things! This is a view from the top of Flat Top, which is just outside of Anchorage.<br />
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I've been on a some dates. I'm finding that I just love broken souls. Ugh. Hurt souls. Souls that have so much potential. That are hurt and broken because others have been unkind to them. Like others have been unkind to me. Expectations are indeed the root of most heartache. I know that I shouldn't like these types. But it's what I'm drawn to. Emotionally unavailable, unable to use words to say what is going on. Out of my entire life this; finding a companion, is the thing I crave most. I chase relentlessly for. A buddy that will hike with me, ride wheelers and snowmachines with, someone that will go on 2 hour car rides just to get lunch in a cool spot, someone that will travel with me. Let me be who I am, crazy bits and all. Someone that will just give in return to me what I give to them. My life is like a beautiful brand new black shiny sports car. It's fabulous in every way. Until you notice that one spot on the door where the people at the dealership missed during their hand wash. That glaring small patch of not shiny black paint. It's there, and it's hard to overlook once it's noticed. That's how I feel about it. You can all write your cliche comments about how everything will fall into place when it is meant to be, and that you can't rush these things, and all of the others that fall in line with those sentiments.<br />
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Oh look. Mom sent me craft bourbon and whiskey! Perfect to drown my sorrows in!<br />
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On much happier notes! Here are the pictures you have all been waiting for!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ERpFYjUJrN_NoBC6DcsjCMCtzix8YVMDzg0CHKL1z7NmJoiFhZJ3gpD7S9zN3nnuqgQ2ae2xFHSJnVrzBjrIDZDZ758diEyz4q1YjYxYrmvGPrdKek7JbhEMEDk2sv_q_YUcbqQyAgs/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ERpFYjUJrN_NoBC6DcsjCMCtzix8YVMDzg0CHKL1z7NmJoiFhZJ3gpD7S9zN3nnuqgQ2ae2xFHSJnVrzBjrIDZDZ758diEyz4q1YjYxYrmvGPrdKek7JbhEMEDk2sv_q_YUcbqQyAgs/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My living room!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9gn4iHmtTuDpVFYqzt-pgHBJpqMkbiO1o3yYrjQHNJFrtUBDrtcESApb3USi2ajn5gp-UmRZ57_FPIZ9eiJScXURK7wCasY50z4YTJoNtdFthdlDvfGWy7M7N_Rd8WJ1iPAyFblChMk/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9gn4iHmtTuDpVFYqzt-pgHBJpqMkbiO1o3yYrjQHNJFrtUBDrtcESApb3USi2ajn5gp-UmRZ57_FPIZ9eiJScXURK7wCasY50z4YTJoNtdFthdlDvfGWy7M7N_Rd8WJ1iPAyFblChMk/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room looking down the hallway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHUNFQlMadrbIRobR3nEHGR3MUQtqAta3v14TI4NGNT3uFQOaEkXiF5Z6VZ6nG4mlfHku2NgeIact1Bgi44Ut8-yEP67qX7YQndSP3-J1EvVYZd1NLJ0MTrCx9_HGUzj2dvPExEoI0qA/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHUNFQlMadrbIRobR3nEHGR3MUQtqAta3v14TI4NGNT3uFQOaEkXiF5Z6VZ6nG4mlfHku2NgeIact1Bgi44Ut8-yEP67qX7YQndSP3-J1EvVYZd1NLJ0MTrCx9_HGUzj2dvPExEoI0qA/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kitchen! DOUBLE OVEN!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sHCK0j6uUbvUni734Em6ycQEOlk98ViUhHcOFAplGjMJAIsuO_FLmmTIFRhUfYvFwn7I7oA5GX71yWRmmp9THWR3Gaj-GtPR7UVbq5LZs0cZT0uI4rFkEO-Iocwavj6X78Lf2blAGgQ/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sHCK0j6uUbvUni734Em6ycQEOlk98ViUhHcOFAplGjMJAIsuO_FLmmTIFRhUfYvFwn7I7oA5GX71yWRmmp9THWR3Gaj-GtPR7UVbq5LZs0cZT0uI4rFkEO-Iocwavj6X78Lf2blAGgQ/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of my living room and kitchen from my dining room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg0OAdbohDgKtEa8zMDDq1ozC0K933Jav9Kl4Yl2b2gJ_2viRvnsULs9X6pispWO2fWq2ZeSb_eKyJL4wffgrZVgOio_l8VdIxROC9cxdykh0oKnn5risfxq_PEse5f8sOEXYZZCicVA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg0OAdbohDgKtEa8zMDDq1ozC0K933Jav9Kl4Yl2b2gJ_2viRvnsULs9X6pispWO2fWq2ZeSb_eKyJL4wffgrZVgOio_l8VdIxROC9cxdykh0oKnn5risfxq_PEse5f8sOEXYZZCicVA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view into the kitchen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCCrG3hgf107FlhyphenhyphenihAtDYpANEpbCcMM_XB4Ygw7_Kq45aSI09j2BQ0G2mhjLb-P6yDJAkqLUceSsuffWaUL17bcaD8mU0o3jDuMGPjyyygo4qgFQmFJyVna4WaaIDuUwb8qbPYjWaQs/s1600/IMG_20140713_154451218_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCCrG3hgf107FlhyphenhyphenihAtDYpANEpbCcMM_XB4Ygw7_Kq45aSI09j2BQ0G2mhjLb-P6yDJAkqLUceSsuffWaUL17bcaD8mU0o3jDuMGPjyyygo4qgFQmFJyVna4WaaIDuUwb8qbPYjWaQs/s1600/IMG_20140713_154451218_HDR.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and I are happy to be out exploring!Not in the house! Hatcher's Pass!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmfARe1yLSdNbW4ZNA2ky46wjuoazxbncUFgrEP_C3V27C-tIM5PwkFQikDnAmDKMzBWZPWNDefWert9UiSyOPqt8okAMXvfmBy4uXfEDJ7wflynCdNf5iC-ORQIjziSBFhNhyphenhyphenOxIZVg/s1600/IMG_20140713_153811529_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmfARe1yLSdNbW4ZNA2ky46wjuoazxbncUFgrEP_C3V27C-tIM5PwkFQikDnAmDKMzBWZPWNDefWert9UiSyOPqt8okAMXvfmBy4uXfEDJ7wflynCdNf5iC-ORQIjziSBFhNhyphenhyphenOxIZVg/s1600/IMG_20140713_153811529_HDR.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Hatchers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the drive up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qgNgDb5kr2OwgVfYSl6Ae17XfPylOEDEjZ9d9qru3Ti26eHFXHM6Quh8AhdAc94zH9jommSbqWU3EbdtWYqDBjKIirnWZZrpur9B-70WVyBMYAwuf_z-8W0_zbc-n95jTNHRzk5GZpU/s1600/IMG_20140714_124706696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qgNgDb5kr2OwgVfYSl6Ae17XfPylOEDEjZ9d9qru3Ti26eHFXHM6Quh8AhdAc94zH9jommSbqWU3EbdtWYqDBjKIirnWZZrpur9B-70WVyBMYAwuf_z-8W0_zbc-n95jTNHRzk5GZpU/s1600/IMG_20140714_124706696.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why the bunny ears?! hehehe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACxks4banWDcS8YtYl5vmCOeitzURi6LeXByHIyePiFgbmCbFrHZZWlDXijFIrhPv84Nihd811ZdAD60Uco5ghjGaJwhyUqWOkH0tvkIhJtdY5NBUYvaRSkQITk62qzyJK6oFkXoyJfw/s1600/IMG_20140714_115909907_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACxks4banWDcS8YtYl5vmCOeitzURi6LeXByHIyePiFgbmCbFrHZZWlDXijFIrhPv84Nihd811ZdAD60Uco5ghjGaJwhyUqWOkH0tvkIhJtdY5NBUYvaRSkQITk62qzyJK6oFkXoyJfw/s1600/IMG_20140714_115909907_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the deck at Alyeska.<br />
Tea in hand. Problem solving.<br />
It's what we do best.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCd6f7sudlYjGOiYDIVteHeaSXFnPuqR1cGEhNBVa1_9AZVBzUmPeAk2xvBsbqoDJkFXahr2nb00yFSB1kba1UmllcrSoIHVfvw-FTgM91wFkLmBiQPbHnmKzeTxmILE-Ld3X1FSkw2k/s1600/IMG_20140714_125057906_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCd6f7sudlYjGOiYDIVteHeaSXFnPuqR1cGEhNBVa1_9AZVBzUmPeAk2xvBsbqoDJkFXahr2nb00yFSB1kba1UmllcrSoIHVfvw-FTgM91wFkLmBiQPbHnmKzeTxmILE-Ld3X1FSkw2k/s1600/IMG_20140714_125057906_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom up at Crow Creek Trail head</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yk3CWJu7zCy2KAlvLhCtwa9qFPD20HgpyKQhQrFQgtmp0P4ROb-pskDAgbN5VvVhrB2OlpL9krzuykBb6q0Vwhy1Fz4gEM5615AO5trUAevtf-Pjm52FW00p8WdoSulTkQ_klvIllEA/s1600/IMG_20140714_125712599_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yk3CWJu7zCy2KAlvLhCtwa9qFPD20HgpyKQhQrFQgtmp0P4ROb-pskDAgbN5VvVhrB2OlpL9krzuykBb6q0Vwhy1Fz4gEM5615AO5trUAevtf-Pjm52FW00p8WdoSulTkQ_klvIllEA/s1600/IMG_20140714_125712599_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dirt road that leads back down the mountain. This state<br />
just doesn't stop with the sheer beauty.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u304ztDpbUU/U8sOWq8xprI/AAAAAAAAFGc/NyrC_ZLuz5A/s1600/IMG_20140716_153434132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u304ztDpbUU/U8sOWq8xprI/AAAAAAAAFGc/NyrC_ZLuz5A/s1600/IMG_20140716_153434132.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
Shortly after mom left my new skis came in the mail. No Steve this is not where they live. But you can see my awesome new skis and dining room table! And rug!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8UUfusD4I10gI7K3ed-KJNAQUUDehNquXcmyLnX5Ho2kzMHh3TGzkFtLvRUgtsrCH6ri0QRevtaXAYd_tbo1piVGjsByEJtHJtO2Wt8YWFQCh6BKUBAk8pUaOEykjtBxgUrkXA5twPs/s1600/IMG_20140719_161320246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8UUfusD4I10gI7K3ed-KJNAQUUDehNquXcmyLnX5Ho2kzMHh3TGzkFtLvRUgtsrCH6ri0QRevtaXAYd_tbo1piVGjsByEJtHJtO2Wt8YWFQCh6BKUBAk8pUaOEykjtBxgUrkXA5twPs/s1600/IMG_20140719_161320246.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
The yard work is done. The blog has been updated. My 3rd weekend in a row off is coming to a close. Life is being put back into perspective. It's messy and chaotic and beautiful. Everything as it should be. One day I won't worry so much about finding a mate. but if i didn't fret about that.. what would I fret about? I suppose there are worse things. Until then, I'm living the dream. I have my cat, my job, awesome friends that help me when I'm down, family that is always there for me no matter what, and I'm here for myself. And I do what makes me happy. Because if I don't no one else will. I know only I can make myself truly happy. Cheers to that!Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-85114966691693132722014-05-19T13:03:00.002-07:002014-05-22T06:00:16.418-07:00Live your life so well that death will tremble to take you - Charles Bukowski<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiV4j7DZtzcc-cVY1JH-xunOmG1aTSFnD9b32YfJfKk1PWcHOVq4QjW3OaOrr3XF1SRpjEeG6GIM94wel_CdeSpPjX8fAleT1dMt_oYliR0L42EZBgdC1qp3uCdmHF5HoMyzab_f5PQI/s1600/photo+2-3-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiV4j7DZtzcc-cVY1JH-xunOmG1aTSFnD9b32YfJfKk1PWcHOVq4QjW3OaOrr3XF1SRpjEeG6GIM94wel_CdeSpPjX8fAleT1dMt_oYliR0L42EZBgdC1qp3uCdmHF5HoMyzab_f5PQI/s1600/photo+2-3-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alyeska. Heaven</td></tr>
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So After I left Nome I found my way around Anchorage, met a pretty nice guy, in which I knew from the start that nothing would ever come of it, even though he was mighty pretty. Alas I have a thing for emotionally unavailable men that are very easy on the eyes... I think some of them might be slightly autistic... probably why they have no concept of emotions... anyway<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">s another rant for another day. I took my snow machine out in the nonexistent snow and over heated the engine more times than I can count... I also came to the realization that if I didn't have a man with me I probably wouldn't be able to start it on my own... so this summer.... automatic starter upgrade. yes please. I went skiing the last few days that it did snow, I went to Colorado and skied a few days too.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing at Alyeska</td></tr>
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I went to Nome and watched the end of the Iditarod! Still have to catch the beginning at some point... maybe next year ;) The debauchery that comes with the end of the Iditarod is nuts. It's kind of like Las Vegas... only the bodies are much softer and rounder, and there isn't any gambling. But you can be sure there is enough booze to drown a town in and enough skin to scar a person for an entire lifetime. The winner of the wet t-shirt contest seriously had six teats. it was tremendous. I'm so glad I got to experience Nome, I wouldn't change that for anything. I appreciate my car, roads, stop lights, and other things most don't think about ... an apple that doesn't cost $2.50 EACH.... What a cool story, and a cool place to start my nursing experience.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ehlcUjERqnecAMlQe6-8Zfu_BeC3IWydRJ7E3g30JVkHzGVP-vr7tKboiKX6VYv_5b522DYI-kj4ZswwBDKWEVGuDE0vFeCinphQMJitx4tEMAnfxTcehK945dm8nmcvbmnv1dGTMa4/s1600/IMG_20140311_101620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ehlcUjERqnecAMlQe6-8Zfu_BeC3IWydRJ7E3g30JVkHzGVP-vr7tKboiKX6VYv_5b522DYI-kj4ZswwBDKWEVGuDE0vFeCinphQMJitx4tEMAnfxTcehK945dm8nmcvbmnv1dGTMa4/s1600/IMG_20140311_101620.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to see the end of the last great race</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr5CBEfrSKI_ePtFikftMMwrlHuREqmMUn7XX6X5Ue6n2PyAJqg-PaPU0-8WhuzFYWa9fRJF3o8nSVo358AO7v7KkVyUHyeiMXaZ5w0neNuAuwOlv_ZS1DlrHsP_rWnAJgd5XwJKroug/s1600/IMG_20140311_241612539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr5CBEfrSKI_ePtFikftMMwrlHuREqmMUn7XX6X5Ue6n2PyAJqg-PaPU0-8WhuzFYWa9fRJF3o8nSVo358AO7v7KkVyUHyeiMXaZ5w0neNuAuwOlv_ZS1DlrHsP_rWnAJgd5XwJKroug/s1600/IMG_20140311_241612539.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu9P_010xLNxRDkIHpVpEVPcsWCzL8q6YEckqjVn3OXDU0YlNDJc1RJGud8xQlV7ZjmiVaJsQYurX0cZYpEzI8Fe2SKxgNCsc5ez6MfBQuqX99KgYyZ3ulc4-9WU1ZFTwG60_8Nr61zw/s1600/IMG_20140311_115125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu9P_010xLNxRDkIHpVpEVPcsWCzL8q6YEckqjVn3OXDU0YlNDJc1RJGud8xQlV7ZjmiVaJsQYurX0cZYpEzI8Fe2SKxgNCsc5ez6MfBQuqX99KgYyZ3ulc4-9WU1ZFTwG60_8Nr61zw/s1600/IMG_20140311_115125.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And wear my seal skin and beaver hat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzChHOcnwwosi1wQ2qZuMMQbJarbBlRjYLHsX8Vf9_pKzmK4XyYXlL-zugeVVg0hd_quz47WtsRhkwT_aQ7Ypl0-iWUYmxx1Za-aGVyUlEuW6tPr8s7xfTjWqinEg8UFX5N5_rNzlYzI/s1600/IMG_20140311_155842958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzChHOcnwwosi1wQ2qZuMMQbJarbBlRjYLHsX8Vf9_pKzmK4XyYXlL-zugeVVg0hd_quz47WtsRhkwT_aQ7Ypl0-iWUYmxx1Za-aGVyUlEuW6tPr8s7xfTjWqinEg8UFX5N5_rNzlYzI/s1600/IMG_20140311_155842958.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Buser coming in hot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC6Y-SuWL-WHioVcAlrmTQrCGCMDpS4ZiA-0UdCD3r2wmreSs1euJa23U0BBw2EZZvmQNCvZlHuDpyl8jg1Fjdc5GBCuFZlETdh5MPu6xsI70CD-1uXuglOQVNNf0aYucGb54mxUtWXo/s1600/IMG_20140311_072927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC6Y-SuWL-WHioVcAlrmTQrCGCMDpS4ZiA-0UdCD3r2wmreSs1euJa23U0BBw2EZZvmQNCvZlHuDpyl8jg1Fjdc5GBCuFZlETdh5MPu6xsI70CD-1uXuglOQVNNf0aYucGb54mxUtWXo/s1600/IMG_20140311_072927.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppies so happy to be finished</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictmaMGJVAMeOA65bQdN7XNqApiPC-K731dlr_dL5H30tHjKN-pxI27Y4-oLl1w95-LmeS9GuVMJqSaOfuyrly_60OqYzebnclxPAlvpe9VATV286KHDFZqOfPh7QEGiETRLKWT78HVlI/s1600/IMG_20140311_202437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictmaMGJVAMeOA65bQdN7XNqApiPC-K731dlr_dL5H30tHjKN-pxI27Y4-oLl1w95-LmeS9GuVMJqSaOfuyrly_60OqYzebnclxPAlvpe9VATV286KHDFZqOfPh7QEGiETRLKWT78HVlI/s1600/IMG_20140311_202437.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There I am!</td></tr>
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After Nome headed to the lower 48 for some actual city time in Seattle. I was able to see my good friends and go to all the places that I love to eat and drink at. I find I miss the sounds and the smells (even if that smell is bum pee) of the city. Sometimes it's nice to be completely anonymous.</div>
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Now I'm just hanging out here in Anchorage, doing hikes that are just outside of town... we're talking 20 minute drive to the trailhead. This place surely doesn't disappoint. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyRIeQxC6QLoRhy4dNHb7pU4sVBMoJldMb8mrbdlMD4dHvt0pAEqf5TcAKx3-sDwOEFpkVvlm_-tptXwXNW-BeBAC2XBMCSVPzisJdRZXMLF_exEpaXvmyGm0gqUmz4IWEX9fXhdkhSE/s1600/IMG_20140424_072358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyRIeQxC6QLoRhy4dNHb7pU4sVBMoJldMb8mrbdlMD4dHvt0pAEqf5TcAKx3-sDwOEFpkVvlm_-tptXwXNW-BeBAC2XBMCSVPzisJdRZXMLF_exEpaXvmyGm0gqUmz4IWEX9fXhdkhSE/s1600/IMG_20140424_072358.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up towards Big O'Malley from the top of the little one</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike up to Little O'Malley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Oe4xTBAxJ3_dcVvFPh5cDN7tgJMxhCfdMBSiy8LIio0m6_o2dTrOWf2mbK3kFgpKV0gRt9xfKKYxAXgXJ711rxjMRBof8hf-oRI-lQzeYsnx-9o2HycR1wjPKaAx9H3Pt79dtlDddtw/s1600/IMG_20140424_165401043_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Oe4xTBAxJ3_dcVvFPh5cDN7tgJMxhCfdMBSiy8LIio0m6_o2dTrOWf2mbK3kFgpKV0gRt9xfKKYxAXgXJ711rxjMRBof8hf-oRI-lQzeYsnx-9o2HycR1wjPKaAx9H3Pt79dtlDddtw/s1600/IMG_20140424_165401043_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Anchorage from the top of Little O'Malley</td></tr>
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I will soon have pictures of my new place. It will be a couple of week until the next update. But hopefully it won't be another 3-4 months.</div>
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Love to you all!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq1bJF4CynDOFRpwaSOGq6Q1tIFmbsWBfugtEG0GNVuusDEJXjcxsjOnNG6jhTin_Ouaxyhxs_1-QLGLBw_npHBEcyukE7Pvt3HZn0BZoQe3ey8wLiHmhU4GAasWDM83SHKFgKTRV824/s1600/IMG_20140504_174450715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq1bJF4CynDOFRpwaSOGq6Q1tIFmbsWBfugtEG0GNVuusDEJXjcxsjOnNG6jhTin_Ouaxyhxs_1-QLGLBw_npHBEcyukE7Pvt3HZn0BZoQe3ey8wLiHmhU4GAasWDM83SHKFgKTRV824/s1600/IMG_20140504_174450715.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it to the top of Wolverine! 10 mile round trip hike. The views were unbelievable! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ywmYvIyy1oxHwCI_dpljsbOR5v3-D9m7vnU68iV1JHdCgeVfPKrCimR967oyafqn_7ad_anvdtl5c6GTTY6HhGpFkS25maIaijl48swYZRSGJll_iL2yyqP9Fl9UCVmBF8-O2zlOyAU/s1600/IMG_20140505_000259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ywmYvIyy1oxHwCI_dpljsbOR5v3-D9m7vnU68iV1JHdCgeVfPKrCimR967oyafqn_7ad_anvdtl5c6GTTY6HhGpFkS25maIaijl48swYZRSGJll_iL2yyqP9Fl9UCVmBF8-O2zlOyAU/s1600/IMG_20140505_000259.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from Wolverine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NWFl8i8fVuztPQjGX3Hm4nL_wQAt5W9KzUz38UjaRdB-QV9mA0stO59sSCCixmy7TO4Gha46pmiEP8T-KdkSUOefvbepR6ypKuHJeIOGPkH0gNnd1H8Z-gCH4tbg4R2IkujvjCoEo80/s1600/IMG_20140504_145257825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NWFl8i8fVuztPQjGX3Hm4nL_wQAt5W9KzUz38UjaRdB-QV9mA0stO59sSCCixmy7TO4Gha46pmiEP8T-KdkSUOefvbepR6ypKuHJeIOGPkH0gNnd1H8Z-gCH4tbg4R2IkujvjCoEo80/s1600/IMG_20140504_145257825.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not a dog print ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_zzglKzQkK1S3W-Y6h0tKG5br3U9FvP0-5YxWuZeWaNvBY2xqfI-EHQyhpniLxT5XETDo9aXBgHp_ZouCKwhp_847QQyuCJZx_rHI5YpSZkeFptle2ibBPp9_K-XQNtsPXdK2_M_TOE/s1600/_DSC3302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_zzglKzQkK1S3W-Y6h0tKG5br3U9FvP0-5YxWuZeWaNvBY2xqfI-EHQyhpniLxT5XETDo9aXBgHp_ZouCKwhp_847QQyuCJZx_rHI5YpSZkeFptle2ibBPp9_K-XQNtsPXdK2_M_TOE/s1600/_DSC3302.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portage Glacier behind me. 5/18 day hike in Whittier, AK</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0L0lgz6SS9Itk1XPGLyYj1NPMnO-VN41yfHeWWZXEwrPuTfggmkqziZk8gp8zd1aDocE5X7Z2H7FQRqH2rkfwQ3Tw36IGPi6PWkr2c1Rdzgrn-eegk5HkLfw7aSVv5bbseROAOezzyM/s1600/IMG_20140518_192617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0L0lgz6SS9Itk1XPGLyYj1NPMnO-VN41yfHeWWZXEwrPuTfggmkqziZk8gp8zd1aDocE5X7Z2H7FQRqH2rkfwQ3Tw36IGPi6PWkr2c1Rdzgrn-eegk5HkLfw7aSVv5bbseROAOezzyM/s1600/IMG_20140518_192617.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming down the trail. This is what makes it worth it! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirycw7vgKidnw5Z-rCgNrKx_Yk0upM5iSgohp-KzlVTMezExPy9Tbbj8lRL_97zNCq9XjLmEY0sXun_L3wPRW_0OmnAUCxN773MmlP8t0tqJOxitYOQg0KykbKQWzgZYOXKmmh43wC9X8/s1600/IMG_20140518_161057545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirycw7vgKidnw5Z-rCgNrKx_Yk0upM5iSgohp-KzlVTMezExPy9Tbbj8lRL_97zNCq9XjLmEY0sXun_L3wPRW_0OmnAUCxN773MmlP8t0tqJOxitYOQg0KykbKQWzgZYOXKmmh43wC9X8/s1600/IMG_20140518_161057545.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 100 yards from the toe of the glacier. A raging river stopped us <br />short of our goal. Still... not a bad place to take a little nap. The scenery<br />is just unreal, Pictures do not do it justice </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakG-m_UWD9XEp89A1g9AwMDYc1GxEaolSwmDufK-zToGv80XLKQQ6ha0Jn8UxKncpCU33EPTpQ27bR7HuyJQjfRLGWbv6YqvT4hCTPiQznvRPQvbAmUl2vJkhEbKbixm_dcTxaI1siqs/s1600/IMG_20140518_153638599_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakG-m_UWD9XEp89A1g9AwMDYc1GxEaolSwmDufK-zToGv80XLKQQ6ha0Jn8UxKncpCU33EPTpQ27bR7HuyJQjfRLGWbv6YqvT4hCTPiQznvRPQvbAmUl2vJkhEbKbixm_dcTxaI1siqs/s1600/IMG_20140518_153638599_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very happy feet. Portage Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYbnq2RPuP3Rst3-ZaR9T2mZVZle_YKzS6EzU-F7_g7ikpYSJGKFvEG71FMg5toXT6XzBJV7ftZy26CDrjGZy2VMfdU6YJTItb5X9fFllB7FyXiB8-Uxp8Jq5WKBNsMJ_eupn3izQoP4/s1600/IMG_20140518_010326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYbnq2RPuP3Rst3-ZaR9T2mZVZle_YKzS6EzU-F7_g7ikpYSJGKFvEG71FMg5toXT6XzBJV7ftZy26CDrjGZy2VMfdU6YJTItb5X9fFllB7FyXiB8-Uxp8Jq5WKBNsMJ_eupn3izQoP4/s1600/IMG_20140518_010326.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh how green it is! On the way to Portage Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture just isn't good enough, Waterfalls everywhere!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px;">So there ya go! Some skiing, some Iditarod and of my hikes including Little O'Malley, Wolverine Peak, and the hike to Portage Glacier. So far so good here in the last frontier!! </span><br />
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-82064582143001498052014-05-16T08:27:00.001-07:002014-05-19T08:29:20.601-07:00I will find the right words, and they will be simple - Jack Kerouac<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFXk62wfZPJTQOCnP_wBNqs0CtwDuGsdyOxFey1aejH3MDn7MKLiNZoLpJ-pvbQLIxJ2RdXsh6U_Y_2lytAeDn-3Wf2-uUzhxz9u8Xjb02yxFHuTmy9oMd0jbdb0yuRB8gu0nWk-ELFI/s1600/IMG_20140331_024743590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFXk62wfZPJTQOCnP_wBNqs0CtwDuGsdyOxFey1aejH3MDn7MKLiNZoLpJ-pvbQLIxJ2RdXsh6U_Y_2lytAeDn-3Wf2-uUzhxz9u8Xjb02yxFHuTmy9oMd0jbdb0yuRB8gu0nWk-ELFI/s1600/IMG_20140331_024743590.jpg" height="320" width="180"></a>So I know it has been MONTHS since my last post. And it has been far too long for some, and not nearly long enough for others. Life has had it's ups and downs, but mainly it's been all ups. My job is great, I am making awesome connections and new friends, going on hiking explorations and making plans for future adventures. I bought my first home! I am moving in about two weeks. I can't believe it! I'm almost a grown up. I have Nome friends coming to visit over 4th of July, my mom is coming out the weekend after that. I can't wait! I've even got a trip planned back to Ohio in the fall. </div>
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I've gotten a lot of interesting and humbling experiences since being in this big town. I have yet to have a patient die on me, but I have been a part of saving lives that I'm sure Darwin was trying to take. Modern medicine is a pretty amazing thing. It also allows humans to be in general as dumb as they possibly can be, and still get away with it. We have had some tragic outcomes to some stories, uplifting ends to others. It seems that the good in people doesn't mean that they are immune to the bad in the world. Having surreal moments with people in their deepest moments of hurt, the loss of a child, when all you can do is hold their hand and cry with them. I cry not at the loss of their child, or even at the thought of maybe losing my own child one day (not that i want one anyways... i'm a way better auntie), but the raw human emotion of loss. I just wanted to crawl into bed and hold this woman as she choked and sobbed at the loss of her baby. The silver lining is at that moment I did what I could do; and it wasn't words, it was just a touch. and it was stillness. and it was quiet. I think in this big loud world we forget about the power of silence. listening. just being. I have taken in a lot from my yoga practice and my meditation practices in being in the present. neither 2 seconds ahead nor 2 seconds behind. just being. It's so foreign still, but it is a work in progress. With all the things in the world falling down, to go sit on a mat in a heated room and just breathe through the struggle. To embrace that struggle. The struggle of... jesus it's hot in here... I need to leave. But you don't. you stay put. you slow down. you breathe through it. you will be okay. The thought of ANOTHER backbend when all I want to do is lay in corpse pose and just close my eyes and give up. But no. you breathe through it, slow down, make purposeful movements, nothing that isn't necessary. Live in the misery, embrace it, and know that this too will indeed pass. </div>
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After taking the woman who lost her child to the floor I was reminded that even through someones own personal turmoil that life continues. The world will still spin, the sun will continue to come up and go down. My neighbors lives will stay their course, and oddly enough this womans course, while slightly altered, will remain. Slower at first, but it will go on. The first time I ever had this experience was standing in line at the United counter at the Denver International airport. The night before I had received the devastating phone call that my beloved grandfather had passed away, unexpectedly. My whole world came crashing to a halt. I was just having fun in Boulder with all my friends tubing down Boulder Creek, and I was headed to a business conference the next day. That weird eerie feeling of seeing my moms cell number show up on my phone. I knew before I even picked the phone up. Something was wrong. Very wrong. So I was headed to Columbus on the first flight the next day. I was standing in the middle of a 100+person line crying my eyes out. I couldn't get it together. All of these people in their business suits, with their children going on vacations, and me going to bury my grandfather. Why didn't these people understand? Why were they laughing and smiling. And in the middle of that line, in the middle of such organized chaos... clarity. I was going to be fine. The world was still going round and round. It's okay to feel the sadness. From my grandfathers death I was inspired to take a new path in life, and now look where I am. I don't know if papa was ready for this drastic of a change. But I'm sure he's smiling down now, shaking his head... that's my granddaughter.</div>
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So I have been making the most out of this new adventure I've partaken in. I've been out hiking and exploring, meeting new friends, exploring new places to eat and drink and be merry. I'm excited to buy things like tiki torches for my new back yard! How crazy! I'm thinking about getting Bentley a new cat friend once there isn't someone always around. Then comes the task of finding a nice older cat that he can tolerate. This should be a good time. I will fully embrace my inner cat lady! I may even make my mom help me find one! hahaha she's also cat lady :) I come by it honestly</div>
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I feel i should be keeping this up more, and hopefully now that life has settled a little more this will be the case. My love life is in the state that it is always in. Maybe one day; but that day surely isn't today or tomorrow, probably not the next day either. I guess if I stop looking I will find it. Although the pond is getting smaller and more shallow, my hopes are still there... somewhere... I guess. The bitterness is there. I can't help it some days. I am so truly excited for my friends that are all finding their soulmates, the ones that compliment their lives and the people that encourage them to grow as individuals. I love that I have been able to be part of their courtships and weddings. But it's hard not to think... I'm the last one standing sometimes. I know that I have a handful of girlfriends that understand as they are right there with me, but it's hard. The adage of "you will meet the right person when the time is right" gets old and under my skin and makes me mad, and more bitter. How much longer do I have to wait? patience I guess. Whatever.</div>
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And on a totally random and unrelated note. I would like to suggest to everyone reading this that they take the time to honestly talk to their loved ones about what should happen if that person is unable to medical choices for themselves. Moms and dads, grandparents, grown children. A Do Not Resuscitate order just isn't enough these days. It's important to discuss the options of Do Not Intubate and Do Not Ventilate. As all three of these things are separate<br>
and are not inclusive of one another. Just because you stop breathing doesn't mean your heart has stopped. Just because you still have a slight breath left doesn't mean they won't put you on BiPAP and alas keep you alive by pure science. I hate that death is still so taboo. When it is just as natural as birth is. As papa used to say: Life is terminal. No one gets out alive. Nothing could ever be more true. Also birth and death are the easy bits, everything in between is complicated.</div>
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Next entry will be about my adventures. I guess I've just needed a little place to vent my philosophies on life a little. So I'll step off this little soap box of mine and put it away now. Now to show you the fun parts of what I've been up to!</div>
Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-10752024911709906792014-02-04T20:18:00.000-08:002014-02-04T20:18:05.202-08:00Fortune knocks but once, but misfortune has much more patience. - Laurence J. Peter <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only thing missing is SNOW! Taken on a little trip to Girdwood this weekend</td></tr>
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Oh yay! 40 posts! I'm like a grown up or something! Nah that's not true... when you become a grown up you've bought into all the lies that society has been feeding you all your life, and you've given up the fire inside to live life and move forward, no matter the glacial pace, and just accept right now for the rest of your life. That actually sounds terrible. I want to be a responsible child forever!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YAY! FURNITURE! Only 3 mugs broke in transit! </td></tr>
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Trying to find a place to buy is a bit underwhelming.. pretty much like online dating. Ooohh the write up looks nice, the pictures are good... in real life? Oh what camera angles can do for a place! Why do hoarders list their houses and not clean anything up? You have your bed sticking out of a closet! WHAT THE FREAK?! You have boxes of trash everywhere in all of your pictures! I'm sure the car I saw at Costco was yours... the Jeep Cherokee with only enough space inside of it for one driver and NOTHING else.... Interesting way to get out of being the driver when carpooling comes up. So needless to say... the search continues. I saw 4 places last week, and will see 3 more places tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXmEPmohxBJ_zSQWn-bsykney_pmGGqG3SJh3vtrjLSIW608rIHFjWzIrhC02OYFO7jO-lmiyfFFLBKckk6isVhCXg3KD48eW2yrcJxsmJhVfEXJxUrSJY6dWq-hwLVxOBdxQv0cjq_g/s1600/IMG_20140202_160838819_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXmEPmohxBJ_zSQWn-bsykney_pmGGqG3SJh3vtrjLSIW608rIHFjWzIrhC02OYFO7jO-lmiyfFFLBKckk6isVhCXg3KD48eW2yrcJxsmJhVfEXJxUrSJY6dWq-hwLVxOBdxQv0cjq_g/s1600/IMG_20140202_160838819_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my Ohioan roomie Megan!</td></tr>
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Work is going awesome. I have great mentors, doctors and techs that I work with. I am exposed to more conditions, illnesses, and dumb things that people do to themselves. Snowmachining with no helmet and then your head stops your body from sliding for forever. Meth... Not even once. And other such fun things!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITSvDJYbvcbn0hFGJechJ3RhqNthLb_ihPUNOQI1YzVnKSckOdbGrFabGGLkSUXXV5kEd_4otH77Sem44Ovf2yTWvqdPNVGRr9VSeUaLL72hkA9p6ew_FtvrZh0mR3sNZGUe8rppROD4/s1600/IMG_20140202_163004552_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITSvDJYbvcbn0hFGJechJ3RhqNthLb_ihPUNOQI1YzVnKSckOdbGrFabGGLkSUXXV5kEd_4otH77Sem44Ovf2yTWvqdPNVGRr9VSeUaLL72hkA9p6ew_FtvrZh0mR3sNZGUe8rppROD4/s1600/IMG_20140202_163004552_HDR.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chugach Mountains</td></tr>
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In other news... Give us back out weather Lower 48! Granted the sunshine is really nice, but no snow on the ground isn't. I think Alaskans are the only ones complaining about too much sun and not enough snow at this point. So you guys can just mail it back in a box. We will gladly take it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF6zkvrnV08il068P6aG1aqpGAfmB9ORy5bj4QCwb30gFMM1lZoEMDZ7Mdh0aOqf5kx_UxSI5RURLsCc7iASK6EYb79-K09lnAMft9uBaWmrPqVGpKpEeSXUAzknVhM5FM37qDPhG4ro/s1600/IMG_20140202_161309393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF6zkvrnV08il068P6aG1aqpGAfmB9ORy5bj4QCwb30gFMM1lZoEMDZ7Mdh0aOqf5kx_UxSI5RURLsCc7iASK6EYb79-K09lnAMft9uBaWmrPqVGpKpEeSXUAzknVhM5FM37qDPhG4ro/s1600/IMG_20140202_161309393.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the reflection of the mountains on the water!</td></tr>
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Bentley is doing well. He is making the transition. He doesn't like the dog we live with part time. He ends up just hanging out in my room unless the dog is out of the house. Sigh. Oh well. Nothing to earth shattering to report. I'm just getting used to the real world again. It's nice. Just planning my next adventure. Perhaps I'll go to the Kentucky Derby, or skiing in CO since they have snow, maybe Hawaii for some warmth with the sunshine? Guess only time will tell! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCdW0JiLg8jgIzPfPrIC1j3VNRR5P4avUrENuSwsD0mv6ozSbF5KHJOW6CCTKrvqZOmqz5HHync-TlE8MRlm9xOH2NtaX1R5jTKhdlSk69lg-GVyDEqyd9ToR6wHiJd1Pc330ErB47Sk/s1600/_20140130_202039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCdW0JiLg8jgIzPfPrIC1j3VNRR5P4avUrENuSwsD0mv6ozSbF5KHJOW6CCTKrvqZOmqz5HHync-TlE8MRlm9xOH2NtaX1R5jTKhdlSk69lg-GVyDEqyd9ToR6wHiJd1Pc330ErB47Sk/s1600/_20140130_202039.JPG" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Zephy. Bentley's puppy "friend"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JTqBDcuzGlq6uQbOXkC5b2dEjalby_2ixm3eAAX2QAc8bwBlXWEnR5EMTOljxyZ4UbYiWZ3oNw13nXaglENGxxsJq-NLao2f-lwzfv0pgYV5ZOPMrwWTZdrj1hAaAC7aXQ1UAY7yxXg/s1600/IMG_20140204_152257455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JTqBDcuzGlq6uQbOXkC5b2dEjalby_2ixm3eAAX2QAc8bwBlXWEnR5EMTOljxyZ4UbYiWZ3oNw13nXaglENGxxsJq-NLao2f-lwzfv0pgYV5ZOPMrwWTZdrj1hAaAC7aXQ1UAY7yxXg/s1600/IMG_20140204_152257455.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bentley is hiding. Poorly.</td></tr>
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Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-15133098920480710902014-01-23T01:28:00.002-08:002014-01-23T01:34:50.183-08:00Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. - Morticia Addams So what have I seen? What have I experienced? What happens those nights when I come home and just fall asleep and pretend that what I have seen I haven't. Those things that shape my practice, my life, my stereotypes, my ability to help others, my compassion. <br />
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Know that when you come into the ER that we know a lot of things. I know that you have raped your niece. I know that you have punched your mother in the face more than once. I know that you would rather drink your child support payments than clothe your own children. I know that you were a victim of child abuse. I know that you were sexually abused as a child and you are now abusing your own children. I know that you love him, but is that what love really looks like? I know about the funny little tattoos you have placed in odd spots on your body. Yes even the ones on your private bits. It's my job to notice these things. I take in sensory information to get a picture of who you are and where you come from and how you got to be at my door step. Just because I understand why doesn't mean I feel the actions are right or even remotely okay to condone.<br />
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I have seen 8 children come through the doors at different times, all from the same village with less than 200 people. Those children between the ages of 1 and 9; that are all diagnosed with gonorrhea. I will let you, the reader, guess how that all happened. <br />
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I have seen the face of a mother who brought in her 4 year old child with tears in her eyes as she says her child is bleeding in their private parts. And knowing that that mother was sexually abused as a small child herself. To see the pain in her eyes as she feared the worst. <br />
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I have seen a woman come in drunk day after day, for weeks on end with new bruises all over her body. Who buzzes her hair because if she didn't the person that "loves her" would rip her hair out anyways. <br />
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I have seen the man who has drank himself almost to death on a weekly basis. And you think... Get it together!... I think... my god the human body is amazing! And then you learn the story of how his body can continue to withstand a blood alcohol level of .6 repeatedly. Yes. 0.6. The legal limit is 0.08. That is 7.5 times the legal limit. The persons dad and him were on a snow machine when he was 6 years old. On another snow machine was his mom and two siblings. The family was going from one village to another to visit friends. The mothers snow machine fell through the ice drowning the mom and the other two siblings. The father, having no coping mechanisms, started to drink heavily. The patient having no other way to bond with his grieving father sat and drank with him. At the age of 6. Like I said I don't condone these actions, or agree with them. But I understand them. I am horrified by them.<br />
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I have had to encourage a woman whose own son beat her in the face so badly that she had one of her sinuses and an orbital fractured, to press charges against him. She looks at me and pleads "Why would he do this to me? My own son!" and the only words I can say are "You must respect yourself and stand up for yourself, you have to press charges" and she just cries and cries. I could never imagine the feeling this woman was experiencing. <br />
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I was the person that brought an entire family back after their father/grandfather/brother/friend passed away on Christmas Eve. <br />
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How do I cope? I don't often find myself drowning my sorrows at the bottom of a wine glass... especially on the nights when you see what alcohol can do to a person or a family. I tend to make crass jokes and flippant comments about these situations to other colleagues who also have had these experiences. It puts a weird barrier between my reality and the patients reality. I don't really know how else to explain it. This can make me seem cold and uncompassionate. It is to save myself, my soul, my mind, my sanity. It is a shell that I have to wear. If I didn't I would be destroyed.<br />
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I think there is something that all of you reading should watch. It is something that happened all over the world in the 70's when missionaries were canvassing the world to "humanize" village people. Not just in bush Alaska but in other countries, and throughout the lower 48 as well. The village of St. Michaels is in the Norton Sound region where Nome is the hub town. The people in the bush had a HUGE disservice done to them, and it truly has never been rectified. You want to know how the circle of abuse began? This 28 minute video from Frontline on PBS will give you a pretty good idea. An entire GENERATION that was ruined, humiliated, dehumanized, and left without any retribution. I ask that you please take the time to watch this. This is not a feel good story, there is no happy ending.<br />
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-silence/<br />
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Until we meet again lovelies.<br />
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Be kind to yourself and to others. You do not know their struggles, and they do not know yours. In the end we are all just trying to get by as best we can.<br />
<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-90223243954245210302014-01-19T14:44:00.001-08:002014-01-19T14:44:28.944-08:00Life must be lived as play - Plato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx27hkQyX2FLR-RpjseVAHEON0oHbYemXcOxmU0ZmCMiCI1VXMMaKhyg06AP3JvTiCURv2vGCNtH2UY6hzl3OU-9HilOD4uU-ttnDaLbbzbkthKTRz3TUu8Q-4WP1S-irBYMpJSts2JZY/s1600/IMG_20131130_090951186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx27hkQyX2FLR-RpjseVAHEON0oHbYemXcOxmU0ZmCMiCI1VXMMaKhyg06AP3JvTiCURv2vGCNtH2UY6hzl3OU-9HilOD4uU-ttnDaLbbzbkthKTRz3TUu8Q-4WP1S-irBYMpJSts2JZY/s1600/IMG_20131130_090951186.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Lindy driving to Girdwood along Turnagain Arm as the sun is coming up (10am-ish) Also it was SO cold! -5F</td></tr>
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So it's been another VERY long pause between entries. I have since spent the holidays in Nome and New Years in Denver, watched one of my best friends get married in Mexico and had one of my best friends meet me in Anchorage at a time when I needed a friend more than I ever could have imagined (Thank you Lindy). I have moved to Anchorage, and my cat has followed me too. I am very excited about my new city, meeting new friends, and nurturing some of the older friendships that I have in Anchorage already. It was a little stressful because a lot of my newer friends in Anchorage I met through T. And T and I are no longer dating. I feared that I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with at all. But alas that is not the truth. The split was inevitable, and both parties were on kind of on the same page (Okay. I may have been on a page a few chapters back... neither here nor there... at least I was in the same book.), but the loss of the relationship still took its toll on me. Since moving down from Nome the friends that I had met have been inviting and open. Inviting me to dinners and lunch and asking me if I need any help during this transition. I wish the loneliness would leave, but I guess only time is the true healer in that department. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAeh6653KYjiuo4KaWLxf5yiwixBmfCx0kdWh5kvdqnj6y-3yk1J2b0xugmq5zv7vwDF7QfJ0ze-Isf-2WGC1Xg817c-Q0vGsC_G9KXXbyeeGszNnn4eoyvCjYlviZs17_BqdlxMSaU0/s1600/IMG_20140107_164630813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAeh6653KYjiuo4KaWLxf5yiwixBmfCx0kdWh5kvdqnj6y-3yk1J2b0xugmq5zv7vwDF7QfJ0ze-Isf-2WGC1Xg817c-Q0vGsC_G9KXXbyeeGszNnn4eoyvCjYlviZs17_BqdlxMSaU0/s1600/IMG_20140107_164630813.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAN9OMVq1ssAIL977RfrB2_7UCzNpkLPyZQi_8s03tF9YuQYzyp7IxQpx0gtFD4H7dAolY5SnqQfVuogHU3RILeDHaHexkF9opsupIkQVjAUOqYWV-IUC7AMXS8Pk64KMc_zoTwKTszQ/s1600/IMG_20140107_164600113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAN9OMVq1ssAIL977RfrB2_7UCzNpkLPyZQi_8s03tF9YuQYzyp7IxQpx0gtFD4H7dAolY5SnqQfVuogHU3RILeDHaHexkF9opsupIkQVjAUOqYWV-IUC7AMXS8Pk64KMc_zoTwKTszQ/s1600/IMG_20140107_164600113.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>So anyways. Bentley is here!! It was sad to take him away from the place that had taken such good care of him and take him away from all of his cat friends. Marie and all the staff at All My Kitties loved and cared for Bentley like he was their own cat. I am forever grateful for the care and love you gave to my sweet boy. I'm going to let Bentley settle in for about a month and see if he is lonely. If he is I may just add a cat to my cat lady status... It's okay I hear 3 cats and living alone is when you start navigating into spinster cat lady land.<br />
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Dirtrude made it to Anchorage, and all my stuff has been packed and placed on a truck that is going from Denver to Tacoma and then from Tacoma it's put on a barge to Anchorage... I'm sure most of it will smashed to bits by the time it all gets here.... Lindy says I need to be more positive... I'm positive half my stuff will be broken... thank God for insurance ;) I have been passing my time here by diving back into my yoga practice and getting into a normal gym routine again. It's nice to be able to go to the grocery and buy produce that isn't going to be bad within 24 hours of purchase. Such luxury.<br />
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I start real work tomorrow. The first week I was in orientation, learning about the hospital and learning their electronic health records system. It will be nice to get a paycheck again!<br />
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Here are some pictures from the last month or so:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTE4IYhi9cxxh9yuRo814D-J2t1m5YMTQ2JTNcliBNX7b7ZRouyyp7icNQlSeJAzisYEkjVEqHRx055vyT9mGkISqHu5FxHOG5zxlOm9wmPD81nJVgg0GPQaCEX84VsEqYyxd3NcKDYk/s1600/IMG_20131213_094324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTE4IYhi9cxxh9yuRo814D-J2t1m5YMTQ2JTNcliBNX7b7ZRouyyp7icNQlSeJAzisYEkjVEqHRx055vyT9mGkISqHu5FxHOG5zxlOm9wmPD81nJVgg0GPQaCEX84VsEqYyxd3NcKDYk/s1600/IMG_20131213_094324.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Lindy sharing a moment in Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxidmEQAWWxY0sjcLOk8xOpI04r0JZ9PfDbObAMIXsCaaa_4CUEuUgCHBAwKrFw3uZbwLmJ_4jLgt7LEucNnw_W3zFOiXpmb9Fus8wvq2nziNvGKULRGW4aHN9XPuNHUC1Lbgohh8S30/s1600/P1000198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxidmEQAWWxY0sjcLOk8xOpI04r0JZ9PfDbObAMIXsCaaa_4CUEuUgCHBAwKrFw3uZbwLmJ_4jLgt7LEucNnw_W3zFOiXpmb9Fus8wvq2nziNvGKULRGW4aHN9XPuNHUC1Lbgohh8S30/s1600/P1000198.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshine, pool and the beach! Heaven!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4UpaTayXHzcCMk8GFDDtFizrWqQZuShATdYAzQPzReQ9_WQ5O2k4H9_vWxRwX8aWrK6OxTwlHOZ4-FmiQN_n5LBUQxqZAksgwyG8o97EMI2G5xSY7LX_ZUFw-SWXlIQ9LGo-kxzpb-o/s1600/IMG_20131216_091634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4UpaTayXHzcCMk8GFDDtFizrWqQZuShATdYAzQPzReQ9_WQ5O2k4H9_vWxRwX8aWrK6OxTwlHOZ4-FmiQN_n5LBUQxqZAksgwyG8o97EMI2G5xSY7LX_ZUFw-SWXlIQ9LGo-kxzpb-o/s1600/IMG_20131216_091634.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridesmaid! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiLkG6KtKS8mVczzFK_m5GHzRonYYkMDNovwHGZbGHz9-Ei3_Opg3QiQ7o9-fweCMmuPligBqx61DUCNX1PIZwJqM3SbG0oBhAMPwH3IPMhiCdah2IOl6cjMP6qHmliji6_JGYkoyCfE/s1600/IMG_20131218_122326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiLkG6KtKS8mVczzFK_m5GHzRonYYkMDNovwHGZbGHz9-Ei3_Opg3QiQ7o9-fweCMmuPligBqx61DUCNX1PIZwJqM3SbG0oBhAMPwH3IPMhiCdah2IOl6cjMP6qHmliji6_JGYkoyCfE/s1600/IMG_20131218_122326.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the bottom of the Ce-Note looking<br />up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8j1nAEE9o2LoKhkFxdL1dTDG3-ndSwGe9gTdT4arZZbT3Lh9H5Hn-DGsceRnTI3ZJ7l-bEo5HItLXpkpEGOLqN9ZVGxl6usgAM2z0ao3kunFPoUteAeJQ_Vxhvt8k3txztt8t-BByGo/s1600/P1000227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8j1nAEE9o2LoKhkFxdL1dTDG3-ndSwGe9gTdT4arZZbT3Lh9H5Hn-DGsceRnTI3ZJ7l-bEo5HItLXpkpEGOLqN9ZVGxl6usgAM2z0ao3kunFPoUteAeJQ_Vxhvt8k3txztt8t-BByGo/s1600/P1000227.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture from the bottom of the CeNote</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTpp_BhVwnyHzmDhHh3BgGR82iLYzHmxmf9I95T9M0S1u4OUduN3QF9-h0UFyKKExPDMZv7n_1RidfD1sfFi4tcPfquNh-FAA28MAHGGspoPUkaKfheaSCtG0hGOsnIPlOyRL6nQK8c0/s1600/IMG_20131217_094837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTpp_BhVwnyHzmDhHh3BgGR82iLYzHmxmf9I95T9M0S1u4OUduN3QF9-h0UFyKKExPDMZv7n_1RidfD1sfFi4tcPfquNh-FAA28MAHGGspoPUkaKfheaSCtG0hGOsnIPlOyRL6nQK8c0/s1600/IMG_20131217_094837.jpg" height="168" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day after I landed back in Nome from my stay in Mexico. Snow covered beach, and snow pants. Beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaciNHO41RVQE1JVq0LUnmHOOTWdSS59kdogRQq9EjBMTZzA86-VPvZRmgCK15W9I2f9Xx4lrqW2X30HBtbdnFyTzt2PffhRy516rroC06Wt2_-yw0GG8z44Xdrh_Si8ikwU3Xhkt0gI/s1600/IMG_20140105_132607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaciNHO41RVQE1JVq0LUnmHOOTWdSS59kdogRQq9EjBMTZzA86-VPvZRmgCK15W9I2f9Xx4lrqW2X30HBtbdnFyTzt2PffhRy516rroC06Wt2_-yw0GG8z44Xdrh_Si8ikwU3Xhkt0gI/s1600/IMG_20140105_132607.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best breakfasts I have ever had. SO AMAZING.<br />The Buff in Boulder, CO</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiQfYsuQ9ridYuNnKyAy8hXUkRL11zFdPAcdB05XkVVqT5zJy5WDdi1ZFvYj_i2d0cafIMlWhLoUz51cZ01qGDGxsmFmavDUaGGyg1SHaVQKap6fQEhHwQ6j3JdRMz7lrPAKn4Yofedw/s1600/IMG_20140106_113200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiQfYsuQ9ridYuNnKyAy8hXUkRL11zFdPAcdB05XkVVqT5zJy5WDdi1ZFvYj_i2d0cafIMlWhLoUz51cZ01qGDGxsmFmavDUaGGyg1SHaVQKap6fQEhHwQ6j3JdRMz7lrPAKn4Yofedw/s1600/IMG_20140106_113200.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the more pretty approaches I've had into Seattle. Mt. Rainier is in the back, Mercer Island in the middle, 520 Floating bridge is spanning the water, the clouds are low and rolling over Elliot bay to the far right of the picture. The tip of the 737 wing on the left side of the picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6omolvQpgv8/UtxQY0BsDxI/AAAAAAAABIs/xlxZQfKfiHg/s1600/IMG_20131229_171040915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6omolvQpgv8/UtxQY0BsDxI/AAAAAAAABIs/xlxZQfKfiHg/s1600/IMG_20131229_171040915.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Until all the furniture shows up totes and camp chairs are where it's at. #GrownUp<br /></td></tr>
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I'm working on my next post right this second. Now that some time has passed since I have stopped practicing in Nome I can now speak to some of the things that I encountered and explain to you why sometimes when you meet nurses we have a "hardened" exterior. Why our humor is a little darker and why we may seem like we "don't care" when just the opposite is true. The weird things we do to distance ourselves from someone elses reality. <br />
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Long live the city life!<br />
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Love to you all!<br />
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-89309730507252633482013-11-29T07:31:00.003-08:002013-11-29T07:31:48.299-08:00Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys. - Fyodor Dostoevsky Happy Thanksgiving everyone!<br />
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It has been another long month without a post! So many things have happened in the last month. I have weathered through a little heartache, but mostly it's been a pretty good. I have accepted a position at the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), and will be starting Jan 13th. My last day at the hospital in Nome is Christmas, and I leave Dec 27th for Anchorage! YAY! I am headed to Anchorage tomorrow to find a place to live and to buy a car. I will be heading to Denver at the end of December to ship all of my stuff that was so carefully placed in that storage unit not so long ago. The four week count down has begun. In the Thanksgiving spirit I will list 30 things I am thankful for this year. In no particular order<br />
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1. One of the most supportive and accepting families. Even from 4 time zones away just knowing that everyone is a phone call away (and at absurd Alaska hours it's mildly early for mom and dad)<br />
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2. My old friends from Alaska, Ohio, Colorado, and Washington. That will let me call and just meltdown without any judgement at all. The best of friends are the ones that let you do this and support you all the way to the bitter end of whatever nonsense has gotten you so upset.<br />
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3. My new friends in Nome and Anchorage. A new adventure, and new companions to help make the journey worthwhile and unforgettable! <br />
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4. Bentley. I miss my kitty. He comes home with me Jan 6th. <br />
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5. The road system. <br />
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6. Milk that doesn't cost $12/gal<br />
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7. Gas that is under $6/gal<br />
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8. A car to sing in at the top of my lungs, to drive aimlessly when I need to clear my head, a place to cry and let the emotion out. <br />
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9. That my car can't talk, or express any of the above. Same goes for the cat... and the cat knows too much... we've been buddies for 11 years. College... both times, break ups, get togethers, too much wine nights... seriously... good thing Bentley can't talk.<br />
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10. Wine nights with friends!<br />
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11. Roads that are paved.<br />
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12. Roads that aren't paved <br />
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13. The ability to up and travel, move around, and not be held accountable to anyone but myself. <br />
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14. Crystal clear night skies in Nome. Stars like I have never experienced.<br />
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15. My general health and well-being. Even though it's really taken a toll the last month. Now that I know I am headed back to a city, things are starting to get better.<br />
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16. SAD lamp. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)<br />
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17. The sun. You never really miss something until you don't see it for weeks on on end. But I also now understand why animals look for sunny spots. I find when I am out and about during the day on my days off that I will stand in front of a window with the sun shining in and just look out and close my eyes and just feel the rays of the sun. It's like breathing in new life.<br />
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18. To have had the opportunity to live in a remote town, off the road system, on the edge of the earth and help take care of a population that most of the country has never heard of. To be part of the minority. To be able to make their day a little better because I can help them. To know that their culture has accepted me as I have accepted their culture. To have met a people that are so generous and giving that I could never repay what they have given to me.<br />
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19. I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given to see many parts of the great state of Alaska with new friends. <br />
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20. I am thankful for a resilient heart.<br />
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21. I am thankful that I can and will always wear my heart on my sleeve. I love with my whole heart. I don't know how to do it any other way. For the good or the bad. This is certainly a double edged sword, but at least my heart is resilient<br />
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22. Apple juice<br />
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23. Hot yoga<br />
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24. Friends that will just hop on a plane willy nilly and fly to Anchorage! <br />
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25. Friends that will just hop on a plane willy nilly and fly to Iceland!<br />
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26. Friends that accept you back into the fold no matter how long you have been gone. <br />
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27. All My Kitties. You have cared for Bentley for so many months and have made sure he has been healthy and happy, you have kept me updated, and sent me pictures. <br />
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28. "The Art of Happiness" by Dalai Lama<br />
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29. Hot tea on cold nights<br />
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30. Dirtrude. And that she is coming to Anchorage with me (she also can't talk!)<br />
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Lindy is coming to Anchorage today, me too!! Pictures will get posted probably early next week. Love to every one!<br />
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Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-34556936449658133852013-10-31T00:39:00.000-07:002013-10-31T00:41:38.129-07:00Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference. - Charlie Chaplin <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxfkCLA6a-mhSWxtclpdCxKAP7Ru7cXxjEUT7Z6ib7FGAdOvN_BRxa3rgSskz3FVSxBYT6ZTqL-5L9iSSeC1AV1txFB9spVSkO38u1AW-NYcfxZ6DFhYumleHr-rl8UX9NEPdib4UsJo/s1600/IMG_20131030_112352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxfkCLA6a-mhSWxtclpdCxKAP7Ru7cXxjEUT7Z6ib7FGAdOvN_BRxa3rgSskz3FVSxBYT6ZTqL-5L9iSSeC1AV1txFB9spVSkO38u1AW-NYcfxZ6DFhYumleHr-rl8UX9NEPdib4UsJo/s1600/IMG_20131030_112352.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">So long Anchorage. Until we meet again.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I have talked to a lot of you about Nome,and how I'm doing; how it's not nearly as cheery of a picture as I paint on this little blog I have. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I have been having a really hard time here. I sound really happy about it all, but this place sucks the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">absolute</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> life out someone that is a city person at heart. Sure I love to get out of the city, rough it in the woods, go days without showering, exploring places that others think... WTF? But this place? This place is a constant reminder that I do like the road system, I do like seeing more than the same 5 people every day... in the city you can feel so alone because you are surrounded by so many anonymous faces... turns out I prefer that kind of lonely to this secluded loneliness that allows me to dwell on the small trivial things in life. And those trivial things become huge mountains of anguish... because... there is nothing to keep me from thinking otherwise. I don't live in reality. I live daily in non-reality. It's interesting to think about, and it was pretty okay for the first little bit. The sun was always out, there were always people to go 4-wheeling with back into the hills, or up towards the fish camp that is 15 miles up the beach. But right now? We have 8 hours of daylight. We lose 6 minutes every day... that is 1 hour every 10 days. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Nothing is frozen over, there is not nearly enough snow to snowmachine on.., in fact there isn't any snow on the ground at all in town. It falls at night and melts during our 8 hours of daylight turning every street in town into a complete mud pit. It's blowing 25mph all day, every day, and pouring rain. Let me just say that riding a 4-wheeler in that kind of weather just sucks. No matter the windshield or the hand grip warmers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This place is also starting to take a serious toll on my physical well-being. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I can barely eat, I sleep all the time, I look forward to my three days of work because it is actually something to do. I can only go to the same three bars with the same group of people seeing all the people I take care of in the ER so many days in a row. There is absolutely nothing to do in this town. Nothing. I am going stir crazy. Literally crazy. No amount of wine, puzzles, small dinner parties, or the promise of trips out of town.. to a road system! and more than one radio station! and enough bandwidth to actually stream things from the internet (holy first world problems.. I know!)! has been able to help. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I went to Anchorage on Sunday. I had spent the last 3 weeks in Nome, working, and realizing that I was slowly losing my sanity. Some very wondrous things happened in Anchorage that I am not at liberty to post on this very public forum. If you are interested please email or text me. Things are looking up, and things are looking bright, and even though I have that in my mind... I still had to come back to Nome. Before getting on the plane my stomach turned to knots again, anxie-rrhea... I have 6 nights of work ahead of me then a day off to get back on a non-vampire schedule, then a trip to the lower-48! I will be giving a talk to the next class of nurses that will be graduating from Seattle University next Friday morning. Telling them of my experience. My adventure. My reality living in a place, that to me, is so far removed from reality. Perhaps if it was all that I had ever known it would be such a nice place to live. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I will always have that city streak in me. A place to get my eyebrows waxed, hot yoga, a place to get tea at any time, more than 3 restaurants to choose from, reliable cell service, reliable internet, paved roads, not having to wear ski goggles because of the dust/rain/wind... you know normal stuff. I can't apologize for any of those things. It is just me. Maybe being more off the beaten path but still having a city to go to that doesn't require an hour plane ride or a dog sled team to get to could be plausible. Just thinkin out loud. One thing is certain.. and that is nothing in life is certain.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">So if in the last month or so you have noticed a shift my mood, now you know why. I will keep trying to make the best of this situation that, in the end, I have chosen for myself. I chose this ride. I chose to live in Nome. I chose to work in Nome. And now I'm figuring out how to deal. </span>Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-59057387909100462872013-10-21T22:39:00.002-07:002013-10-21T22:39:47.958-07:00Wherever you go, go with all your heart. - Confucius <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A2ylU1YsWpbkWeLWfASsWo1IEyf2aeHLXUZX7U5G3j7FFEr3sEnib5nMjMWTd0jEVsg-1vuVbHrNprBT6J4fhRPv38-JXSBIol77kkYfxbjPdg8uxMdq44wn8AA34ZISY_xcCnSSk3Q/s1600/IMG_20130904_083435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A2ylU1YsWpbkWeLWfASsWo1IEyf2aeHLXUZX7U5G3j7FFEr3sEnib5nMjMWTd0jEVsg-1vuVbHrNprBT6J4fhRPv38-JXSBIol77kkYfxbjPdg8uxMdq44wn8AA34ZISY_xcCnSSk3Q/s1600/IMG_20130904_083435.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The harbor, and the view from dinner</td></tr>
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This is from the little trip I took to Seward, AK to visit one of the doctors that also works in Nome. She is one of the best docs in Nome and I was so thankful that she was gracious enough to let me stay at her place for a few nights!<br />
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The rest of the pictures are from Homer, California and pictures of Nome!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoycVbHt7KJ0cueLWyKGmnetpY02Yv2gxdP-WjLrjakh6gVJgNLRlqk8du9YVsV1pJXnIwiYVelhwQXhj0BK37Zbk1xmnlVVO8iTvhmCb0jk5zHg_UABzKDTzbLg9WmEkOG5H5Ep56SQ/s1600/IMG_20130905_020048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoycVbHt7KJ0cueLWyKGmnetpY02Yv2gxdP-WjLrjakh6gVJgNLRlqk8du9YVsV1pJXnIwiYVelhwQXhj0BK37Zbk1xmnlVVO8iTvhmCb0jk5zHg_UABzKDTzbLg9WmEkOG5H5Ep56SQ/s1600/IMG_20130905_020048.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit Glacier, just outside of Seward</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH24d9gt6Zz6JjCKejpF76mt1vD7MKMh8P-mFGnyAgJULbtlAi0fr8dHnWUp799rv-MX4aiiEvEwbzOANMnzmrGPwvPoD_Kv2EaEaQNUC593HlAslKBk-5kwgqUjuRcdMVCTxcCFJNMZI/s1600/IMG_20130921_055227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH24d9gt6Zz6JjCKejpF76mt1vD7MKMh8P-mFGnyAgJULbtlAi0fr8dHnWUp799rv-MX4aiiEvEwbzOANMnzmrGPwvPoD_Kv2EaEaQNUC593HlAslKBk-5kwgqUjuRcdMVCTxcCFJNMZI/s1600/IMG_20130921_055227.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view driving into Homer, AK</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaVi8Kd12CL4_6MTcI0wuJqXRiRQ9P1rjCG-w-dKRPTCFkoAP8mr_vjq0LMJiLNZSSD6jh9DAfh2pQph4tyvuEVexsnp3Vs9pebBN5z3VgLN4_Spqn6M2HY_R-sr4dIjaScDKyjRQy1c/s1600/IMG_20130919_223821_312-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaVi8Kd12CL4_6MTcI0wuJqXRiRQ9P1rjCG-w-dKRPTCFkoAP8mr_vjq0LMJiLNZSSD6jh9DAfh2pQph4tyvuEVexsnp3Vs9pebBN5z3VgLN4_Spqn6M2HY_R-sr4dIjaScDKyjRQy1c/s1600/IMG_20130919_223821_312-1.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leave it to the bathroom in a bar to have such a positive message!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Ww-y9l_WUiI9sbd8RkltzBcnnD8rSHZhewmDSxMybswzDyx_VTWn7fevkZtoj1FuCb2wdJOhMHyCHUkIKtufRs4OS7ZcoPflhvG-Xuyzx2T24GCCfKmVIP8DdR3CYvaGvpvVdbDRjg/s1600/IMG_20130921_055405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Ww-y9l_WUiI9sbd8RkltzBcnnD8rSHZhewmDSxMybswzDyx_VTWn7fevkZtoj1FuCb2wdJOhMHyCHUkIKtufRs4OS7ZcoPflhvG-Xuyzx2T24GCCfKmVIP8DdR3CYvaGvpvVdbDRjg/s1600/IMG_20130921_055405.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the little hostel/homestead T and I stayed at on our<br />
Homer adventure</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtms36ND4gzPRSWiQTvZ_F-vUAMvD5mGjZfLsLQmOSo_27UPU_ExMLSJgiqpcFj-MwtGgxlDHmWKGJ6rZ1K61EKNmZnoReQIsfXlRU-APT7TZmKEJA3wUwkovSlNecbwYc4yVnMYGXjsM/s1600/IMG_20130921_055555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtms36ND4gzPRSWiQTvZ_F-vUAMvD5mGjZfLsLQmOSo_27UPU_ExMLSJgiqpcFj-MwtGgxlDHmWKGJ6rZ1K61EKNmZnoReQIsfXlRU-APT7TZmKEJA3wUwkovSlNecbwYc4yVnMYGXjsM/s1600/IMG_20130921_055555.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ponies are doing it right!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6akXMG15jAajhqWaSkS6mx8Tp8ASCFJg61U5DYEVykXRB8aY5YTT9xtw1hDXBL416N5i3uqdTAw1j7W-8yTL2x_VU9_ED16zDGA265CkfijVoUhVyxTdw-OVzQgtveviBanGMjmpfGB8/s1600/IMG_20130920_122744_911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6akXMG15jAajhqWaSkS6mx8Tp8ASCFJg61U5DYEVykXRB8aY5YTT9xtw1hDXBL416N5i3uqdTAw1j7W-8yTL2x_VU9_ED16zDGA265CkfijVoUhVyxTdw-OVzQgtveviBanGMjmpfGB8/s1600/IMG_20130920_122744_911.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the owners of Seaside Farms has an incredible artistic<br />
touch. Loved this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qtTo760hruiLET83xdXm58UmiS2GqKbG3JOicSjrpVE93NlDbEUZqSwSngMGUnhJVVeiCj4CGeg2y_1COpQ5cfkgxzF7GGaFQO7PoiHb73L6S-B1ZUzBVOI2oKvqoGjKyCvGF3klv44/s1600/IMG_20130921_055828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qtTo760hruiLET83xdXm58UmiS2GqKbG3JOicSjrpVE93NlDbEUZqSwSngMGUnhJVVeiCj4CGeg2y_1COpQ5cfkgxzF7GGaFQO7PoiHb73L6S-B1ZUzBVOI2oKvqoGjKyCvGF3klv44/s1600/IMG_20130921_055828.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Highway ship coming in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bz5E97E3uMdKBfP8AN1dQ8YD5z2qE0-2yl0qN_UgzbN_XBcZr1a7cvYc8K82mRSDxC6M3WJUF72GoCSaBybBKjsO0wH0A7tuOf2q_TXp1gEp06EHbGgg4ly7NcKbYgCoRgY6hlH4zaI/s1600/IMG_20130923_040235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bz5E97E3uMdKBfP8AN1dQ8YD5z2qE0-2yl0qN_UgzbN_XBcZr1a7cvYc8K82mRSDxC6M3WJUF72GoCSaBybBKjsO0wH0A7tuOf2q_TXp1gEp06EHbGgg4ly7NcKbYgCoRgY6hlH4zaI/s1600/IMG_20130923_040235.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Kachemak Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little drops of heaven come from here ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPVQA8gJf2ugZ5L0xKLTU-9ETh_kWRC2HaOpsGxOU1lnCI62EfX9E2yzv9GuBw7ANjsaS8_WNVr6pRH1nY0MJbD9AItlKNbjIwd9pU7YkDTT2FfPbP_7oonKK-qGpPQHn4lmkp_uJ8cM/s1600/IMG_20130913_103137_281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPVQA8gJf2ugZ5L0xKLTU-9ETh_kWRC2HaOpsGxOU1lnCI62EfX9E2yzv9GuBw7ANjsaS8_WNVr6pRH1nY0MJbD9AItlKNbjIwd9pU7YkDTT2FfPbP_7oonKK-qGpPQHn4lmkp_uJ8cM/s1600/IMG_20130913_103137_281.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stop on the wine tour was Frogs Leap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJci_qwkMKanXdlqIGP-bUO1Z12ufDI9-se-Yuh4pzE1lZarD5ugMek_TO_lhRSH-KngcJ3d_s66Z-UkTnGLR_UtwsOAyxXhC4m23cKtK4RYmd-8tD-3j2BynmwwY4r1yxkhcsayCRJA/s1600/IMG_20130913_103645_517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJci_qwkMKanXdlqIGP-bUO1Z12ufDI9-se-Yuh4pzE1lZarD5ugMek_TO_lhRSH-KngcJ3d_s66Z-UkTnGLR_UtwsOAyxXhC4m23cKtK4RYmd-8tD-3j2BynmwwY4r1yxkhcsayCRJA/s1600/IMG_20130913_103645_517.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a Petite Syrah while taking in the gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5zvgUZDtRDm84UXF2d-GosfWGPtmUcOAPbJG7QlEK2NVFfXAslAPQD7ytRo-6wCOR8idQZ4XTcB_slNLyEbqpuv0XgVlSZuRuj3AkCOMcD7JMjjF7jQbZswnMPGY1xdVxF8B0WNVLME/s1600/IMG_20130913_104044_522-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5zvgUZDtRDm84UXF2d-GosfWGPtmUcOAPbJG7QlEK2NVFfXAslAPQD7ytRo-6wCOR8idQZ4XTcB_slNLyEbqpuv0XgVlSZuRuj3AkCOMcD7JMjjF7jQbZswnMPGY1xdVxF8B0WNVLME/s1600/IMG_20130913_104044_522-1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sporting CU stuff ;) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxA5QKQWtMbJLfWtVRvIDM_GxZSbHbf0Au-uC9HcUIi2ATOre34fP7QDaIfvUOXqkx4ufOhBU7Rb7BAo7WwLOO4wuRgwbRTBmEZRv0QF_GdNxkl0iWQneT86V68m1rmHuJ8YFtThFZBVw/s1600/IMG_20130916_115217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxA5QKQWtMbJLfWtVRvIDM_GxZSbHbf0Au-uC9HcUIi2ATOre34fP7QDaIfvUOXqkx4ufOhBU7Rb7BAo7WwLOO4wuRgwbRTBmEZRv0QF_GdNxkl0iWQneT86V68m1rmHuJ8YFtThFZBVw/s1600/IMG_20130916_115217.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next stop Francis Coppola winery!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDY8lIGA1BNSBfMUl-MODLF9XNXpposBrNFs00hNPWQOBfEjrsyMZafHfbyqHKSwKUS7SmPffZwaE080GVPuhOm2H7q3iD_vzS7xDQ-3_cmluY3EfD7CirHQ-fpyvmsCvqght6Zk-PWgc/s1600/IMG_20130916_115439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDY8lIGA1BNSBfMUl-MODLF9XNXpposBrNFs00hNPWQOBfEjrsyMZafHfbyqHKSwKUS7SmPffZwaE080GVPuhOm2H7q3iD_vzS7xDQ-3_cmluY3EfD7CirHQ-fpyvmsCvqght6Zk-PWgc/s1600/IMG_20130916_115439.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved the views of the endless vineyards</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Leah getting ready for a wedding!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eBPZjFNeXBxINwPYok1gGWrJqS3GNnAAUzuhcrns1FfHLe7oZlhA25tgzNO_Z8FPaZV0kt7QIQpqZqhxnLt7dnzktQkDWq8OrluAUig2lFNBujk5ImJgAwVhGN4mCOtF9N37K8HJoLs/s1600/IMG_20130927_122043_737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eBPZjFNeXBxINwPYok1gGWrJqS3GNnAAUzuhcrns1FfHLe7oZlhA25tgzNO_Z8FPaZV0kt7QIQpqZqhxnLt7dnzktQkDWq8OrluAUig2lFNBujk5ImJgAwVhGN4mCOtF9N37K8HJoLs/s1600/IMG_20130927_122043_737.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of my kitchen. My pots and pans hang over the sink! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alaska Airlines Eskimo on the tail is keeping watch<br />
at the airport</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in my fancy "Safety<br />
Patrol" hat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW89vHAd-k9uFRkofW5hcqD8AM2v0DMfUUcfFQGdPW3f0Bc52LpX8dcnS18NOIxBliD5bYm4JQ0ALKNbRjoGKGOEAF2yww_hHr1kIplBn4lZ3C4ipU6oDQc3T99NVttzR_glRBEQmvxts/s1600/IMG_20131019_164159_613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW89vHAd-k9uFRkofW5hcqD8AM2v0DMfUUcfFQGdPW3f0Bc52LpX8dcnS18NOIxBliD5bYm4JQ0ALKNbRjoGKGOEAF2yww_hHr1kIplBn4lZ3C4ipU6oDQc3T99NVttzR_glRBEQmvxts/s1600/IMG_20131019_164159_613.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gray house is my best friends house. This is the view<br />
from my living room window. Cheers Jesse!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgifSv9u2qnYIfXKGBE2eGRzObNQBvO2BOii8L2yO84NN8SLeAgNZ6tm3v8Z9FGDO1f3tU5eSs1V1iiRrCoa6VNj4uuMFZtMTwGDvjXKUf8Sjy_5lV99ScUo0y6IUUY1gvIIGT7yYsdiY/s1600/IMG_20131021_040041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgifSv9u2qnYIfXKGBE2eGRzObNQBvO2BOii8L2yO84NN8SLeAgNZ6tm3v8Z9FGDO1f3tU5eSs1V1iiRrCoa6VNj4uuMFZtMTwGDvjXKUf8Sjy_5lV99ScUo0y6IUUY1gvIIGT7yYsdiY/s1600/IMG_20131021_040041.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An angry sea today. </td></tr>
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Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-82821233251295159162013-10-21T02:52:00.001-07:002013-10-21T03:10:38.095-07:00Goodness is the only investment that never fails. - Henry David Thoreau<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">I know it's been a long time without an update and I am so so so sorry! It's been a busy past month, with lots of ups and downs, and me trying to find my way through life... you know the standard being 30 in a town far far away. Besides working at the hospital in Anchorage I also did a little sight seeing as well! I was able to make it down the Seward and to stunning Homer, AK. I went to Napa Valley in California to watch one of my best friends from nursing school get married, and spent some time with my incredible friend Leah and her husband bubby. I also took my certification test to be a board certified ER nurse. I won't find out the results for another 4 weeks or so. So fingers crossed! Plus do you know how daunting of a task it seems with every passing day that I don't write that I will need to write about that passing day... now times that by 6 weeks... I don't really know where to start.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"> I finished up my stint in Anchorage at the hospital there. I got to see and work with really sick patients, watch a few die, save a few, and deal with the drunk and disorderly. I have seen the best in people and the absolute worst. I reflect on the words of doctors and nurses a like. We had a woman brought to us via Anchorage PD for a suspected sexual assault. So that sucks. But then you get the story from the girl. You hear it, you want to believe it, you bring them back into the ER, you tell them that the doc is going to need to evaluate them. She refused the evaluation. And it was an interesting thing. Do you be naive and believe her or are you the asshole because you don't? The general consensus was that if you can't see it... it didn't happen. How weird to feel both naive and like an asshole at the same time, and yet I still haven't made a real opinion on what had happened. I got to see lots of overdoses, attempted suicides, WAY drunk people, lots of synthetic marijuana (spice).... which is HORRIBLE stuff... legalize the real stuff and ban that fake stuff! I got to help with putting in chest tubes, and rapid sequence intubations. All good things to have done a few times because the chances of doing them in Nome are few and far between. I also had a few "what the fuck am I doing? why am I nurse?" moments... Those weren't so fun. I asked a few of the new friends I made if this was "normal" and a few of them candidly told me that they had been having those exact thoughts for 5 years, and that it is indeed normal. Asking my nursing school friends the same question.... I'm not alone either. </span></span><br />
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Speaking of Nome I am finally in my own Nome nice place! It's a cute stand alone 1 bedroom house. Yes it has running water, plumbing, heat, windows, floors that aren't dirt, electricity, cable and internet! It's like I walk in and I am in the lower 48! Hahahaha!! Almost! I have my own little deep freeze freezer because i have a micro freezer in the fridge that doesn't hold more than ice cubes. My new little freezer holds my 10lb bags of frozen chicken breasts, and my 5lb of steak, ice, butter, milk, all the things I buy in bulk in Anchorage and bring back to Nome with me. I will post pictures of my place once all the boxes and totes are removed and my clothes are hidden from view! The weather is changing and it has been snowing a little, and raining and 35 degrees a lot. The wind is picking up and it most certainly feels like winter is coming. I bought a snowmachine when I was in Anchorage. T and his friends are going to teach me how to ride it and I will ship it to Nome in January some time. Don't worry there is plenty of snow on the ground in Nome until around May so I will still be using it as my daily driver for awhile after I get it up here. I have been asked to be the medical staff for the Nome to Golovin snowmachine race by one of the local snowmachine/4-wheeler shops (the one I frequent quite often)... that should be a nice resume booster... certainly unique if nothing else. Dirtrude has been upgraded again to nice warm grips for my hands. They get HOT! even on the lowest setting. I'm sure this is something that I won't regret.<br />
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I'm back to night shift now in Nome, it's a nice change of pace. I am really enjoying it. We get more actual sick people than people that come for a well baby check up (Yes they bring their healthy babies to the nasty, gross, germ filled ER for this.... WTF?). For those wondering we are still getting about 9 hours of daylight now. The sun doesn't come up until around 9am though. We've had some really good aurora sightings around here when the sky has been clear. So far we haven't much excitement at night. Just had a pt come in and drop a knife at my feet with cuts all over their arms saying they wanted to hurt themselves... talk about dramatic entrances... jesus. I know I may sound a little cold in saying stuff like that, but if you were to know the entire back story... This individual needs more help than may be available in the state. They know all the right things to say to get in the door and all the right things to be let out the door. Manipulative, and cunning. I also saw something I hope to never see again and that is a unilateral (one side of the body only) seizing 3-month old baby with absolutely no fever at all. The team in the hospital (Hey I was included in the team this time! YYYEEESSS!) got this very sick kiddo from door to in the air in 1.5 hours. This is medicine in rural Alaska. I am just so thankful that the baby stopped seizing after we finally got medication into it, and also that the weather was clear enough for our little King Air to get off the ground and to Anchorage where this kiddo needed to be.<br />
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So for now I have had 4 days off and I have stayed in Nome for all of them... I must be sick! It's been good though. I have been out with other nurses from the acute care unit, my old roommate Megan came back to town to visit her boyfriend, I was able to go and partake in a Mexican potluck dinner and other festivities! Making new Nomite friends! And keeping my old ones too :) I go back to Anchorage for a haircut and such on Sunday. It has only been like 8 months since my last trim and my hair is WAY to long.... it takes 4 hair ties to keep it up at the gym! That is just insanity! NO! So I will take about 4"-6" off and the best part? no one will be able to tell the difference. Long hair is awesome like that. <br />
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We have been having serious Nome problems lately. The post office is down two people and the packages are backing up for everyone! I fear when it is time for me to receive all the packages I have been ordering the last 3-4 weeks and my from Ohio box filled with flour, sugar and brown sugar (That stuff is SUPER heavy and dense and takes up too much room in my totes when I travel for how much they weigh!) that I will be yelled at for not picking up my boxes in a timely fashion.... or there will be so many that I will have to drive out by the airport to the annex and fetch them all!<br />
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Life is okay up here in the tundra. And hey fake it til ya make it right?<br />
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Until later (which I promise will be sooner than this post came about) lovelies! I will post pictures tomorrow some time! </div>
Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-24832831743075167622013-08-30T16:22:00.001-07:002013-08-30T16:22:19.833-07:00The dice of Zeus always fall luckily. -Sophocles It's been a week since I have been in the big city. I have been able to transition to nights pretty easily. Turns out my insomnia kicks in pretty well around 3am and I'm good until about 5am when I get really sleepy and then come 715 I will be showered and in bed. Then I wake up at 3pm and do it all again. I have seen some pretty crazy stuff since I've been here. I've seen what a high heel can do to a persons face when it is used as a weapon. I have seen what a brick can do to a persons face too. I have watched someone die. I have watched a man try so hard for so long to breathe and a heart rate above 150 beats a minute for over 5 hours get intubated and watched their core temp just sink sink sink. And I got to see the dysfunction that happens when the critical care nurse that is going to take that poor soul prioritizes her morning coffee over the care of this individual because we need to transport this patient around 5 minutes before shift change. Good to know that Nome isn't the only dysfunctional place around. Don't worry I still get see my fair share of drunks too. Had a lovely come in high on spice and a BAC of 331. Perfect combination for a person to be completely insane. And they were. Found completely naked running around a neighborhood. And I got to see when three teenagers beat up an elderly person and put him in the ICU with a brain bleed from the impact of his fall. What the hell is wrong with people? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IH4o-EV6_Zs5uKTSZWWrmlvI10kM1iQQtsrRC0GWfVm88TNMeU7EKS0Wv_FQDmF4f3b4iqVoG-vklb2c9xbxLqMVHekApYcCJRZx-T09z_LcpYB5l_lBX73ps3PIrTU3ND9dyq9PKO0/s1600/Femur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IH4o-EV6_Zs5uKTSZWWrmlvI10kM1iQQtsrRC0GWfVm88TNMeU7EKS0Wv_FQDmF4f3b4iqVoG-vklb2c9xbxLqMVHekApYcCJRZx-T09z_LcpYB5l_lBX73ps3PIrTU3ND9dyq9PKO0/s1600/Femur.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a>Also this is what happens when you have a few cocktails and decide that trimming your tree with a chainsaw on top of a 10' ladder and the branch you cut down first hit you and knocks you off the ladder and you land on a chair. Guess he was lucky enough to get away without anything but a broken femur.<br />
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I like driving a car again. It's also pretty nice going to Dairy Queen and getting an Oreo and Peanut butter cup blizzard. Also it's a little weird having a glass of wine at 7am. It's totally legit, but it seems weird. Oh well. Everyone is entitled to a cocktail after a 12 hour shift. Done and done.<br />
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I have the next 4 days off before my next shift. Who knows where I will go and explore. But I will surely let you know.<br />
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Until next time lovelies!Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-89448770666439216312013-08-21T11:44:00.002-07:002013-08-21T12:47:35.900-07:00I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. - Frank Lloyd Wright <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xyeheCiUpbsCl2foJuwbW9nC-wCZlNIdp0T1UT-dq7bBwVRjS0bvca7isaVpG76Ccn7JYE0QU6qEIgseSEFcJpDM9rSLhHz2gKt-Fbc7C3tlTt7jSvdWLNsqs8ufmpY0EWQO6bRPK8A/s1600/IMG_20130819_135811_650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xyeheCiUpbsCl2foJuwbW9nC-wCZlNIdp0T1UT-dq7bBwVRjS0bvca7isaVpG76Ccn7JYE0QU6qEIgseSEFcJpDM9rSLhHz2gKt-Fbc7C3tlTt7jSvdWLNsqs8ufmpY0EWQO6bRPK8A/s1600/IMG_20130819_135811_650.jpg" height="108" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon Lake</td></tr>
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Monday my new roomie and one of the other ER nurses went on an epic 4-wheel ride out to a place called Salmon Lake. It was a 35 mile ride north of Nome. Majority of the ride was on a really well kept dirt road. Here are some pictures of this awesome ride. It didn't rain on us, but man it sure looked like it wanted to. And that would have been a miserable 35 mile ride back home with the wind.... Thank you baby Jesus. And here are some pictures!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQa7BxB6Yf-ijRj-nJk4DX7DbwJarjm5JQg6Lu3HUarStHp5QX3C2HwlenNz7Ur7SeOYoilOEFYq6nKOfiTbqMBRLvNhIVsoblQjj_8_I0RN2Ey_Eu85YdoFrSJc8ImYjNtFpmjMnwtk/s1600/IMG_20130819_142235_293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQa7BxB6Yf-ijRj-nJk4DX7DbwJarjm5JQg6Lu3HUarStHp5QX3C2HwlenNz7Ur7SeOYoilOEFYq6nKOfiTbqMBRLvNhIVsoblQjj_8_I0RN2Ey_Eu85YdoFrSJc8ImYjNtFpmjMnwtk/s1600/IMG_20130819_142235_293.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds being chased away by the sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnq-VjMTOULIdvGcV_lgQpiRTCz564ycYYBLIkYCt08qB5jQqaPvL4WWTY3N6ZHeAv0bOySBthJ4EkfSaOq66ihzffCzJqNUujXhPd3HIo4p8yCg3BGFYgA_NtonAjS-Dn-UVn1_oLNw/s1600/IMG_20130819_144508_531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnq-VjMTOULIdvGcV_lgQpiRTCz564ycYYBLIkYCt08qB5jQqaPvL4WWTY3N6ZHeAv0bOySBthJ4EkfSaOq66ihzffCzJqNUujXhPd3HIo4p8yCg3BGFYgA_NtonAjS-Dn-UVn1_oLNw/s1600/IMG_20130819_144508_531.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river that flows into Salmon Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ge4aDUTkYyr-9C5XwqMuRd_6cAIvzPGCxCT2msBf0x8xEZK3ms51JShuj22V6qY91WwS1OL3NvQtJcqOaKdvWv5KhtsmeE0QtG9yJIeI4D3VHDy2cVvA2HNbHeTnYABF6tCTlvywoe4/s1600/IMG_20130819_144337_464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ge4aDUTkYyr-9C5XwqMuRd_6cAIvzPGCxCT2msBf0x8xEZK3ms51JShuj22V6qY91WwS1OL3NvQtJcqOaKdvWv5KhtsmeE0QtG9yJIeI4D3VHDy2cVvA2HNbHeTnYABF6tCTlvywoe4/s1600/IMG_20130819_144337_464.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see all the fishies... I want to catch one! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrqCbtMQijIkQxaLAyK0B0jwzmMHQBtbueAm1mUZHkUpg9QxXNGBwzsC36k9TceTcd3a6ZE3CoYfDqSwSDiz-MoyXx1fSF2cU2YAkXNPRz7mDs2daA0oNLhlNjyAvYENSiiWVqAqjxvo/s1600/IMG_20130819_144839_518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrqCbtMQijIkQxaLAyK0B0jwzmMHQBtbueAm1mUZHkUpg9QxXNGBwzsC36k9TceTcd3a6ZE3CoYfDqSwSDiz-MoyXx1fSF2cU2YAkXNPRz7mDs2daA0oNLhlNjyAvYENSiiWVqAqjxvo/s1600/IMG_20130819_144839_518.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunting Salmon</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZlHuK9pzlDVNRvqJhDnvqmncyovCJp8cPmzGgx-adMpSfQPvXCZ5Nm1_6MgxkImi_7B1ijo67Jtsd8F6ff0tg7bvKswaZnvzGP_KEomr8xcDQRUFXWs0w0HMIr-W2Nhz1JaD525jKc4/s1600/IMG_20130819_145013_575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZlHuK9pzlDVNRvqJhDnvqmncyovCJp8cPmzGgx-adMpSfQPvXCZ5Nm1_6MgxkImi_7B1ijo67Jtsd8F6ff0tg7bvKswaZnvzGP_KEomr8xcDQRUFXWs0w0HMIr-W2Nhz1JaD525jKc4/s1600/IMG_20130819_145013_575.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Failure. But hey at least I gave it the old college <br />
try. And we all know how good I am at college. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all these blueberries! They go for $25 a quart! and<br />
they were EVERYWHERE out here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75ioLkdxGShQ4jFxmtvF4oH8is1-a1RWMZBfO_FZQ9oWeMhnX2Z_RJn7SSLnMvFV_SlALWKawphoDleEFw-oL1FWSAOTlyRgL4Bg9qFBdA0RW26gf3-hTS4C3NwZ4BcxoUimJmcXkK04/s1600/IMG_20130819_150553_451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75ioLkdxGShQ4jFxmtvF4oH8is1-a1RWMZBfO_FZQ9oWeMhnX2Z_RJn7SSLnMvFV_SlALWKawphoDleEFw-oL1FWSAOTlyRgL4Bg9qFBdA0RW26gf3-hTS4C3NwZ4BcxoUimJmcXkK04/s1600/IMG_20130819_150553_451.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a beautiful ride. The way the clouds put shadows on the<br />
hills and the mountains.. Love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Came across these guys! REINDEER! EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-PAIPnE80cDKu8Z6j_5m8TsEfUBVa_a-coQTGoBfkyUuc8rWT4LGNqsZK_T8Z8noUeVoDcs-3W0r8oxd6cOf0XhrmzkfT0fKI8i9loSO8NZr3NVZF9DH7Zwwb12W_XRHXCkaDVztUQM/s1600/IMG_20130819_152519_103-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-PAIPnE80cDKu8Z6j_5m8TsEfUBVa_a-coQTGoBfkyUuc8rWT4LGNqsZK_T8Z8noUeVoDcs-3W0r8oxd6cOf0XhrmzkfT0fKI8i9loSO8NZr3NVZF9DH7Zwwb12W_XRHXCkaDVztUQM/s1600/IMG_20130819_152519_103-1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They must be on their way to find Santa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV3o9gPgfR4GAglL5ipTIuhHQTbLhWUvb6nyfTXcmYuZGxFdt0uqZWgGcp8xoHC_xatfVpUhhT0wTIr0gbv8k4QVEluAHuRpMD_eLeFbfikUoZBRzBh6yS31B6HImIdAM5zZjNkOvVY4/s1600/IMG_20130819_154850_577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV3o9gPgfR4GAglL5ipTIuhHQTbLhWUvb6nyfTXcmYuZGxFdt0uqZWgGcp8xoHC_xatfVpUhhT0wTIr0gbv8k4QVEluAHuRpMD_eLeFbfikUoZBRzBh6yS31B6HImIdAM5zZjNkOvVY4/s1600/IMG_20130819_154850_577.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small river crossing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSbv-GaujiI4ZMjMivEUByQAXh0El8FAXQutiHlmej0c0y__X04etnOFM4f5v-ablZeITzXFnYt5YcpiZg_mROyY-eG6yqPjr_rX79_PgaCbHF8tCBdNfco1zd-vWrdAW99W_FhhSkWc/s1600/IMG_20130819_154910_384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSbv-GaujiI4ZMjMivEUByQAXh0El8FAXQutiHlmej0c0y__X04etnOFM4f5v-ablZeITzXFnYt5YcpiZg_mROyY-eG6yqPjr_rX79_PgaCbHF8tCBdNfco1zd-vWrdAW99W_FhhSkWc/s1600/IMG_20130819_154910_384.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tundra beasts! </td></tr>
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Grand total of 72 miles of riding that day. My hips still kind of hurt! But we had so so so much fun. I love being able to go and check out the surrounding areas. I certainly did a little hunting for some good snow machining and skiing... this is going to be a fun winter :)<br />
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I am off to Anchorage tonight!<br />
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Until next time lovelies!!Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-62041304282568790342013-08-19T11:38:00.001-07:002013-08-19T21:38:50.039-07:00I tried being reasonable, I didn't like it. - Clint Eastwood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ztBRun4RtFVr4LfVyRBfJRtZSBsSw3xYLUCjYj8x6My97suwhLsAD0qdpIHOG671_hleCOVFLa5qd4fQ5oCLtVYULxxs4X5oaeFtgXwgMDGZKNfBdQ1vgcxcjwvzBxqzanC5ICt64MI/s1600/IMG_20130809_025333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ztBRun4RtFVr4LfVyRBfJRtZSBsSw3xYLUCjYj8x6My97suwhLsAD0qdpIHOG671_hleCOVFLa5qd4fQ5oCLtVYULxxs4X5oaeFtgXwgMDGZKNfBdQ1vgcxcjwvzBxqzanC5ICt64MI/s1600/IMG_20130809_025333.jpg" height="251" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved Boulder</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFjLV12PB9S3xgdUu-iqDMGQiTSfGlFpqfHNSVulbrWjHfuB1Y6lOFFq5_6wYruLr7a3GWgDv4MEQWcchVCmUzhTNxcyD9DgTaFo1-x9Cz6A_zHgFmRXRocM4tXbaXq8AcBcZdWjkTTw/s1600/IMG_20130810_120717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFjLV12PB9S3xgdUu-iqDMGQiTSfGlFpqfHNSVulbrWjHfuB1Y6lOFFq5_6wYruLr7a3GWgDv4MEQWcchVCmUzhTNxcyD9DgTaFo1-x9Cz6A_zHgFmRXRocM4tXbaXq8AcBcZdWjkTTw/s1600/IMG_20130810_120717.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mt. Evans</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fdgECzkolh-4B0VmXIbxbTItLstyQ_EMKuTMYP7C1McXOkw7mKXsOQ58jzanuKaLFh0TRN-Au-EaonczjrfK42q_maPlE0tAfdDO0nzMVJI0lSPj_RD1Ua8Le15oxRLErDF_ym160ZY/s1600/IMG_20130809_083649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fdgECzkolh-4B0VmXIbxbTItLstyQ_EMKuTMYP7C1McXOkw7mKXsOQ58jzanuKaLFh0TRN-Au-EaonczjrfK42q_maPlE0tAfdDO0nzMVJI0lSPj_RD1Ua8Le15oxRLErDF_ym160ZY/s1600/IMG_20130809_083649.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>This past week I surprised one my most bestest of friends on her birthday by showing up on her doorstep in Denver. It was absolutely OUTSTANDING! I had a 13 hour layover in Anchorage so I could spend a little time with T, and then headed on the red-eye to Denver. Danielle's fiance was in on the whole thing and picked me up bright and early and after I got to their house Danielle and I had some serious adventure time! We hit up Boulder, where I purchased my mandatory CU t-shirt (GO BUFFS! The goal this season is: win at least 1 game!), and Denver Broncos attire. It's also where D realized, after our waitress pointed out to us after ordering birthday drinks, that her ID expired that day and that she needed a new ID that day... perfect. Drunk and go to the DMV? What could possibly go wrong? Well we didn't make it to the DMV, but we did get it renewed online, in time, so the rest of our celebration weekend could commence without incident. Way to go Colorado. Making it hard for a 31 year old to get a drink the day after they turn 31.... Anyways. D and I were going to go drive up Pikes Peak and play tourist in Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods. We were so pumped to go! The next morning we wake up to the news that Manitou Springs (you have to drive through this to get to Pikes Peak) had basically washed away in a flash flood.... change of plans! Let's go to Mt. Evans! So we did. And we got to hike the last little bit in fresh <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah4zugt3DMo0UyLdAt8zbHxHTS8QS3QinAqBBCHV2PbnbR3cbcQLWIgBa2fS-PxOCh-gIJl1zyWvyntpaW3ZQC-cGWGA-3AktgzVSknEb-34s5wmdywyRJwR-02ZqGvxYvA4JrVLvSkk/s1600/IMG_20130811_104427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah4zugt3DMo0UyLdAt8zbHxHTS8QS3QinAqBBCHV2PbnbR3cbcQLWIgBa2fS-PxOCh-gIJl1zyWvyntpaW3ZQC-cGWGA-3AktgzVSknEb-34s5wmdywyRJwR-02ZqGvxYvA4JrVLvSkk/s1600/IMG_20130811_104427.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh snow dusted on the top!</td></tr>
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slushy snow... winter is coming :) I know. I am a completely sick individual. A lot of my favorite Denver people all came to a bottomless mimosa brunch in Denver. I felt like I had never left.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGDE4uN8h1n2HlBUXLut1_WJl5Xll9awNfhtZsC1-A7S4iwGAe5nmr9wtFjL8ndQcNjcUqzMiHb39_aqNV5fK9dxjxAwjFAq0oPoFmGh9mBR0xHIU9gJrdhW3mc-GwAOeO_zV7iHUIDw/s1600/IMG_20130810_121602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGDE4uN8h1n2HlBUXLut1_WJl5Xll9awNfhtZsC1-A7S4iwGAe5nmr9wtFjL8ndQcNjcUqzMiHb39_aqNV5fK9dxjxAwjFAq0oPoFmGh9mBR0xHIU9gJrdhW3mc-GwAOeO_zV7iHUIDw/s1600/IMG_20130810_121602.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14,258ft </td></tr>
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We had lovely afternoons by the pool, and went for a hike in the foothills a few minutes from D's house. It was so nice to fall asleep to rolling thunder one night, and the sounds of crickets the other nights. I miss those nights. In Nome I just hear dirt bikes and kids playing basketball until like 4am....(another rant for another day). Plus this is the view from my bedroom window... and they start work at exactly 650am. UGH.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTivftoHr4HkHkJT8Yjy70vGHOF-HEsa2E7A0eCPAefuZ8wFXHE-IAkJ-NZq7wTjytXo7goiwY0WO69EcO-Acl6a1jnq91jICeSnU5wUpGCpmY30jv2t8SQcllpK28oLhBkc6eDbc-XxY/s1600/IMG_20130814_173509_650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTivftoHr4HkHkJT8Yjy70vGHOF-HEsa2E7A0eCPAefuZ8wFXHE-IAkJ-NZq7wTjytXo7goiwY0WO69EcO-Acl6a1jnq91jICeSnU5wUpGCpmY30jv2t8SQcllpK28oLhBkc6eDbc-XxY/s1600/IMG_20130814_173509_650.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful view! Earth mover!</td></tr>
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After 3 days with D we had a custody handoff and I stayed with my friend Lindy who lives pretty much at the Denver airport, and she dropped me off on her way to work. I then landed in sunny and warm Seattle and got to see Bentley and some nursing school friends as I had a 20 hour layover there. I was again reminded of how at home I feel in the city of Seattle. Bittersweet for sure. I was accosted by a homeless person and it was like I had never left. Seattle you sure are different. And I like that. But at the end of this tour of the places I have lived in the last 10 years I was ready to go Nome. Like really ready to go Nome. Back to where life is slow and steady. Back to where shaving my legs is completely optional.... because why would I ever wear shorts or skirts here? It's not like it's necessarily... warm.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMEq9rERW84wvy8-qfWWfPidbFvXNgntHMnDdQS03air_s5Qb92RNDD2c8qJVxQs2pJf6fK3jLbhsN5WB1pCG5Zte4M1h0zj2YkzpPCKDD0Z-XwEOLV4PoLaHs7_TAQHrDDz0FjFnUIk/s1600/IMG_20130812_122825_044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMEq9rERW84wvy8-qfWWfPidbFvXNgntHMnDdQS03air_s5Qb92RNDD2c8qJVxQs2pJf6fK3jLbhsN5WB1pCG5Zte4M1h0zj2YkzpPCKDD0Z-XwEOLV4PoLaHs7_TAQHrDDz0FjFnUIk/s1600/IMG_20130812_122825_044.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Rocks</td></tr>
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I came back to 4 days straight of work (Thurs-Sun), and I leave for Anchorage for a month on Wednesday. I will be going to nights (630p-7a). Perhaps this will work better with my insomnia. It's been a rough couple of nights sleeping, which leads to really rough 12 hour shifts. Plus I think I do my best sleeping between the hours of 7am and noon.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHJSdkoXcou2pXm8Sqv88jK010o7JQ1505lcXvtpv2rKG3e4nqDP93K6nJRHgBNt8mVcjCefs54oEgVFg-e5ofXCUB7zQtm-LYorIk7J9YoYfGzWRnTnkkpxNSHoU1LaAglTOYeg2ljI/s1600/IMG_20130813_162022_704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHJSdkoXcou2pXm8Sqv88jK010o7JQ1505lcXvtpv2rKG3e4nqDP93K6nJRHgBNt8mVcjCefs54oEgVFg-e5ofXCUB7zQtm-LYorIk7J9YoYfGzWRnTnkkpxNSHoU1LaAglTOYeg2ljI/s1600/IMG_20130813_162022_704.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old stomping grounds as seen from the big ferris wheel</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHquvxbnw788SYX-2HFGgr9X6FbLlpuB03YOrsAB4_lFZ_ULshlNOyS84T5KYp0NNx2HAxzWDEHqGCH4rYSW8gpWFAKhjqgxBCLBs-sAbZthX4yanpkEqlmfbSWdgLXlXhAxVLBVNfq94/s1600/IMG953110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHquvxbnw788SYX-2HFGgr9X6FbLlpuB03YOrsAB4_lFZ_ULshlNOyS84T5KYp0NNx2HAxzWDEHqGCH4rYSW8gpWFAKhjqgxBCLBs-sAbZthX4yanpkEqlmfbSWdgLXlXhAxVLBVNfq94/s1600/IMG953110.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One ironically placed photo</td></tr>
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So I have now completed my 4 days in a row... rounded out the last day as more of a 14 hour shift. The storm clouds descended upon Nome and EVERYONE came to the hospital... at around 5pm... pleasant. Overdoses, falling off of ladders, chronic shortness of breath, drinking so much, so often that you throw up blood because your body has run out of ways to tell you.... stop drinking already, random abdominal pains, pink eye, and other such random crises that the people of this town have. Silver lining? No sexual assaults!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH63MdaUs1s8IT4G9rKI55Q2Vt9vfN1wqEsVLTwfr9TQYfcvcmuvw4K4Zfq3pQUomD2cm1cCxC6zXh9F4vY85a-hOJD0ImSH2x1txx5345zn7ONXqf_GjKUZah4asNu2dfXiMz9moQUM/s1600/723943495026B9B32.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH63MdaUs1s8IT4G9rKI55Q2Vt9vfN1wqEsVLTwfr9TQYfcvcmuvw4K4Zfq3pQUomD2cm1cCxC6zXh9F4vY85a-hOJD0ImSH2x1txx5345zn7ONXqf_GjKUZah4asNu2dfXiMz9moQUM/s1600/723943495026B9B32.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bentley loves this</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have really started thinking about home. Where it is? What makes it a home? I feel very transient in my life. I have half my life sitting in a storage unit in Denver, my cat lives in Seattle, and my skis and clothes live in Nome. I have amazing friends in all these places, wonderful memories. But none of them feels like home anymore. What an interesting and unfamiliar feeling this is. To be so scattered yet still feel somewhat grounded. Maybe this bird just isn't ready to nest yet. I wonder when that will happen? I think I'm like one of a handful of my friends that doesn't own a home, isn't engaged, married, having babies, has babies. I just work at the edge of nowhere, save for retirement, and travel where I wish, when I wish. The grass is always greener right? Probably been fertilized with bullshit though. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp2U9xsYKZ39NQdf19M2yj0D6pyVbp61afnUHFQVB_vCwqQtPVYbP5Ixx67qaKzt8OSc7uDTlN6SubXjaNU_zTgMP24NT5YJqoiKSLleX-xGGOwRVl5-JzH4MO9XVbJr4TRYR7Qi9Rw8/s1600/IMG_20130813_123130_280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp2U9xsYKZ39NQdf19M2yj0D6pyVbp61afnUHFQVB_vCwqQtPVYbP5Ixx67qaKzt8OSc7uDTlN6SubXjaNU_zTgMP24NT5YJqoiKSLleX-xGGOwRVl5-JzH4MO9XVbJr4TRYR7Qi9Rw8/s1600/IMG_20130813_123130_280.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone is enjoying his time on the deck in the sunshine</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi94cTkEM-M-Tc6BsBCEfS-EzpBJ8qvPdVReLgkgyXTFnZXKCmwCqxCsCeqGnRDO_YjwkCxDDQAyJJsoUHUfiuLO9oe_eVnF4UJErnfPTJO2MATYdJ_A6eiH-RPVukCHOxX7y5bOyFK4/s1600/94326196162BCC169.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihi94cTkEM-M-Tc6BsBCEfS-EzpBJ8qvPdVReLgkgyXTFnZXKCmwCqxCsCeqGnRDO_YjwkCxDDQAyJJsoUHUfiuLO9oe_eVnF4UJErnfPTJO2MATYdJ_A6eiH-RPVukCHOxX7y5bOyFK4/s1600/94326196162BCC169.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kisses for mama!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkGC0N_6x0N7iellPh_4grYuRBKjroH9WQWrdhxzJ2zbug_9VseW9_nb6OF5YHtD5djPaFK-ZHUwD0nKyFGybftnjpzZSrDFOWzwPI9o5NvjPJM62cwnXjEutoIxWKHl1162Bl_qEaks/s1600/IMG_20130813_130505_899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkGC0N_6x0N7iellPh_4grYuRBKjroH9WQWrdhxzJ2zbug_9VseW9_nb6OF5YHtD5djPaFK-ZHUwD0nKyFGybftnjpzZSrDFOWzwPI9o5NvjPJM62cwnXjEutoIxWKHl1162Bl_qEaks/s1600/IMG_20130813_130505_899.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't feel too bad for Bentley. This is his view over Lake Washington</td></tr>
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Time to enjoy my last three days in Nome before my month at the Native health center in Anchorage. I will continue to update!!! <br />
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Love to all my lovelies! </div>
Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-75156934230292042162013-08-04T14:42:00.002-07:002013-08-04T14:43:26.535-07:00If Pizza sizes were given in area not diameter, you'd see instantly that a 7 inch is less than half the size of a 10 inch pie - Neil DeGrasse Tyson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDM0Kfq1VfBbJl_2ubjVA_7P8D-bQYnPIBBgGu7BRYmpoTEyYd1JZSSS9cAi6zoSwSJ8D2Wwyb0gjbhN8EKQcmPoizAJE_bNuu5IETfuiPcj1345uCAp1o67i0ZGMGSrsFAx_DZ-UXxg/s1600/IMG_20130729_012853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDM0Kfq1VfBbJl_2ubjVA_7P8D-bQYnPIBBgGu7BRYmpoTEyYd1JZSSS9cAi6zoSwSJ8D2Wwyb0gjbhN8EKQcmPoizAJE_bNuu5IETfuiPcj1345uCAp1o67i0ZGMGSrsFAx_DZ-UXxg/s1600/IMG_20130729_012853.jpg" height="156" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hatchers Pass (Willow side)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5OKKSCt1gViwP0Srte9Lj4ZHMrXN8M00ioCOaIAZw-fOZJavWHBPO11-HFIEmFVjjQ5lLB8i6MnHHnDE_HSjsSdumrxXxOYLEKgNcsjAQ37s8b80ymG-kcP3bOgn068pljut3LdxUEQ/s1600/IMG_20130729_011621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5OKKSCt1gViwP0Srte9Lj4ZHMrXN8M00ioCOaIAZw-fOZJavWHBPO11-HFIEmFVjjQ5lLB8i6MnHHnDE_HSjsSdumrxXxOYLEKgNcsjAQ37s8b80ymG-kcP3bOgn068pljut3LdxUEQ/s1600/IMG_20130729_011621.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming around the pass</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcEWnHPiKZHxq50PCA8Ndwpqpv9O1ve7kH-4UgUTTTr8cvDRaHeR_aMPdNLcmC3FwRn1HvFeFgi3Vqd6NK3KfPLmY8UZSqOU8B8UF4nGZ2UBbHcaYRfc7MDnMATo4f4-dpyXgqWEiF5s/s1600/IMG_20130803_085603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcEWnHPiKZHxq50PCA8Ndwpqpv9O1ve7kH-4UgUTTTr8cvDRaHeR_aMPdNLcmC3FwRn1HvFeFgi3Vqd6NK3KfPLmY8UZSqOU8B8UF4nGZ2UBbHcaYRfc7MDnMATo4f4-dpyXgqWEiF5s/s1600/IMG_20130803_085603.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie with Hatchers in the background</td></tr>
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Welcome back to my reality. Nome! It was a good week in Anchorage, did a little hot yoga, sat around in a tub tub for awhile, crashed a wedding (It was just like any other outdoor wedding! Just happened to have the Chugach mountain range as its backdrop), and took a road trip up over Hatchers Pass. T and I stopped at the "worlds BEST ice cream" on our little road trip... I'm not gonna lie.. def NOT the best. God I miss being able to just hop in the car and just leaving. Going away, taking in sights and sounds of new places, or even just different places. I reminisce about all the drives back in Ohio to the barn and back, or when I would drive to Estes Park when I was in Boulder just to get away from normal. You don't realize how much you miss these little things until it's not really possible to do it whenever you wish. Granted I can take my Dirtrude out and just haul-ass down the beach... but man it's not supposed to stop raining here until maybe Tuesday... and of course I will be working. Ha! Nomed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxClI2xzqj1mffwRLeDzTJ1fdUsIUO5pPjwD_klnENCxRkYsSXJ4ravSA4lQRs5ftOfF6FZe060wcqLN5xiMwunm5YHN2sYWcmjhDwSiAZUGqbKyJEzT0BvOW3FLvUgcGNqZLeg45qoE/s1600/IMG_20130803_014954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxClI2xzqj1mffwRLeDzTJ1fdUsIUO5pPjwD_klnENCxRkYsSXJ4ravSA4lQRs5ftOfF6FZe060wcqLN5xiMwunm5YHN2sYWcmjhDwSiAZUGqbKyJEzT0BvOW3FLvUgcGNqZLeg45qoE/s1600/IMG_20130803_014954.jpg" height="361" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stormy beach days</td></tr>
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I just had three days of work and now I am hanging out on the couch trying to fend off some illness that some sick individual decided to share with me. GROSS.<br />
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It's looking like I will be heading to Anchorage for training for a month at the end of August. I will be starting nights there and continue with night shift when I get back to Nome sometime at the end of September. I am pretty excited about going to nights, different vibe, different speed, different clientele. Hopefully I won't have to see all the people that just waste away taxpayers dollars by coming to the ER for things like "my child has had a cough for the last 6 hours" or "I need an STD check".... uuuggggghhhhhh enough to drive you CRAZY! Instead I will probably end up babysitting drunk people... Guess I'm just picking my poison.<br />
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So 4 months into my 24 month stint, 30 posts, and roughly 2500 views from people all over the country and the world; this blogging stuff isn't so bad. <br />
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Not a whole lot more to say. Just ready for some more tea and couch time (read as nap time). Maybe some wine time too. Cheers to health!<br />
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Here are a few random pictures that I don't know where to put:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgXdZq_-42NrCdcmjjh18GxW6sAyJdluXDVqR7C2UahnMlPXtkwdwCAHHkQb8-vHNly4jBtGg3q-5iSSUc1aEVsbYHjBwAENc6f9J-jpRdLVzwETB0r1nO2uZhJpQPWymVTS8nM9NCHk/s1600/IMG_20130719_023828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgXdZq_-42NrCdcmjjh18GxW6sAyJdluXDVqR7C2UahnMlPXtkwdwCAHHkQb8-vHNly4jBtGg3q-5iSSUc1aEVsbYHjBwAENc6f9J-jpRdLVzwETB0r1nO2uZhJpQPWymVTS8nM9NCHk/s1600/IMG_20130719_023828.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look close enough that sign says: USSR Big Diomede Way to keep things current Nome... </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A horrible picture of my AMAZING print that I picked up in Chitina, AK during my last road trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds and sunshine from the plane back to Nome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGLFw1119eVrcMTv4ALjLScs2Qqhj3VrCCDcPizBUcRs6Fx7vuEc2cXRXfDBX3lFnPQzXUzlG3V1ED78ZC9jDjlMRUQU-kcYxkLaJcoH1twgFtIyGuRGsj79GQaBWUX1eMHzvOpN5lbE/s1600/1071563_10101653848655933_402318040_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGLFw1119eVrcMTv4ALjLScs2Qqhj3VrCCDcPizBUcRs6Fx7vuEc2cXRXfDBX3lFnPQzXUzlG3V1ED78ZC9jDjlMRUQU-kcYxkLaJcoH1twgFtIyGuRGsj79GQaBWUX1eMHzvOpN5lbE/s1600/1071563_10101653848655933_402318040_o.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnome from Nome! Hand carved walrus ivory statue<br />
made for me. I asked for a garden gnome with an<br />
Eskimo face and a harpoon :)</td></tr>
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So long lovelies!Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-2705747086918502882013-07-28T12:56:00.003-07:002013-07-28T12:56:40.830-07:00Buy 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fg90EEKdC2dIbS2F0mBYx9rP-jp5mPEGRXuEGNTeW46x39V9j_ne9ZevrA36uGG3G2dLY1ahYrPUpfJq7u_sYqaevMwiB3tw6qn_4W-4o3vFDzZRVhkH60VAiq_UeomOreviZJXFCI8/s1600/facebook_-1377512000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fg90EEKdC2dIbS2F0mBYx9rP-jp5mPEGRXuEGNTeW46x39V9j_ne9ZevrA36uGG3G2dLY1ahYrPUpfJq7u_sYqaevMwiB3tw6qn_4W-4o3vFDzZRVhkH60VAiq_UeomOreviZJXFCI8/s1600/facebook_-1377512000.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a>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.<br />
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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!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supervisors meeting. </td></tr>
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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Until later my lovelies!<br />
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-85131111962176866452013-07-14T12:10:00.001-07:002013-07-14T15:21:46.546-07:00Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. - Stephen King<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the fireweed. Once all the flowers die on the stem summer is over</td></tr>
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Okay since the last post a lot has happened! Lots of fun times, good friends, and adventures. However nothing too terribly exciting has been happening in the ER. Lots of run of the mill heart attacks, possible strokes, phantom abdominal pain, etc. We have been seeing some pretty cool hand lacerations from gold miners and contractors that are laying the fiber optic cable up the west coast of Alaska (OMG Perhaps one day soon we will have enough bandwidth for video chatting!). So needless to say we have been doing lots of tetanus boosters! Ohhh and I learned that rabies vaccine/treatment is crazy! We don't do needles in the stomach anymore, but we are going to inject you with basically 11-15ml of serum... that's roughly 2-3ml in each major muscle group. YOUCH! I was punched in the face by an unruly 3 year old and told the mother she could wash her kids head wounds out (they weren't super bad, 3 stitches and it was done... only took 3 people to hold this kid down). We had a kiddo with a finger that was gonna lose the tip. I don't know the full story on that one, but the tip of his finger was most certainly coal black.<br />
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I have also heard a vicious rumor that Verizon has put up a bunch of towers all across the state and that coming soon, hopefully October, they will flip the switch and perhaps Nome will stop owning my texts, calls and voicemails... maybe ;) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3Ip9wwwQ9d77WymtGSG2FRkiM3eYt7y3V7FknxZIJmnOJHifE0Xl9TEqHzqRPSVtBDfJz8xi1GNIgN4Xw51sOZtNc3f2DhoYVxqiEk3obuhkcjk8adPxDqFGLlcu8w699cKVdtWTeVI/s1600/980280_10101624608548343_1549252634_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3Ip9wwwQ9d77WymtGSG2FRkiM3eYt7y3V7FknxZIJmnOJHifE0Xl9TEqHzqRPSVtBDfJz8xi1GNIgN4Xw51sOZtNc3f2DhoYVxqiEk3obuhkcjk8adPxDqFGLlcu8w699cKVdtWTeVI/s1600/980280_10101624608548343_1549252634_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopped here for lunch on the way to our campsite</td></tr>
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I noticed while I was away in Anchorage so much the past few weeks that I really do start to miss certain aspects of this little town I call home. I do rather enjoy almost always knowing someone wherever I go. The post office, the gym, grocery store, a local restaurant, walking down the street. I also really miss riding around on my 4-wheeler (who just turned 2000 miles old today!), when I get back I just don't feel home until I take my machine for a little ride (my god... what is happening to me?) My first trip to Anchorage was more of a grocery and errand run for some friends and myself and to hang out with T. I flew back to Nome to work 3 days and left on the late flight out on 4th and T took me on a camping adventure. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnq9jlvQe9ZV0fb0dTMcvWzt3T_S9E27RMlc4Xl3luhnBVBxKXcuHF0HDf4RymOqxN2RaKaPo6w1S3FRkrkwkjKkQGnB-vdiGeUq1JZ0mrIUp9PSqqwkO8c2qNu7Rpo0hNnVO8m-OaZ_A/s1600/IMG_20130707_173139_221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnq9jlvQe9ZV0fb0dTMcvWzt3T_S9E27RMlc4Xl3luhnBVBxKXcuHF0HDf4RymOqxN2RaKaPo6w1S3FRkrkwkjKkQGnB-vdiGeUq1JZ0mrIUp9PSqqwkO8c2qNu7Rpo0hNnVO8m-OaZ_A/s1600/IMG_20130707_173139_221.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom of the mill looking up</td></tr>
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The first night we stayed outside of a little town called Chitina, and the second and third night we stayed in a little town called McCarthy. This state has some pretty incredible history to it. We visited the Kennicott copper mine which is 5 miles outside of McCarthy. To think that they built and started mining before they even got the train tracks built... in the early 1900's! We are a wussy group these days that's for sure (and yes I am most certainly in the wussy group!). The pictures don't do it nearly any justice. The mountains hid from me behind low clouds. I will have to go back and hope for a clear sunny day to see the 16,000-18,000ft peaks that dapple the skyline. Truly incredible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAgb2xdfL46b2Kj_vu1C0Z74epfQ9C9Q7R9nJr7-9z1Vz6IvLCgw_axPUGMSIYfKKzQI3xZQYwWSrgyRpM_acl22zW_wikaAgGsmoM3KnHPLYwb-RBrf185CMdsciutxLKXs4PyTT1GM/s1600/IMG_20130707_165816_656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAgb2xdfL46b2Kj_vu1C0Z74epfQ9C9Q7R9nJr7-9z1Vz6IvLCgw_axPUGMSIYfKKzQI3xZQYwWSrgyRpM_acl22zW_wikaAgGsmoM3KnHPLYwb-RBrf185CMdsciutxLKXs4PyTT1GM/s1600/IMG_20130707_165816_656.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kennicott Copper Mill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYp97ZIkLSBkgMX3uOUy-WpOb6B0Hmlz31v1VRtFUV04b9cUGEoFp87X6RrNeRoC-jnqSqOU5Q9kMOf1IcNNeDjUmY9R79sxCTtIVWJx-mUBJKdLKcf1i9TeeBwcsnKRN6x3l11dX2_Q/s1600/IMG_20130707_171801_760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYp97ZIkLSBkgMX3uOUy-WpOb6B0Hmlz31v1VRtFUV04b9cUGEoFp87X6RrNeRoC-jnqSqOU5Q9kMOf1IcNNeDjUmY9R79sxCTtIVWJx-mUBJKdLKcf1i9TeeBwcsnKRN6x3l11dX2_Q/s1600/IMG_20130707_171801_760.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the mill</td></tr>
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Our first night in McCarthy we took the mini bike (my first mini bike adventure!) into town (they don't allow tourists to drive their cars in, residents pay to use a car bridge into town, but ATVs and motorcycles/dirt bikes are allowed on the pedestrian bridge). T and I went to a bar and had a drink and ran into some crazy Texans also enjoying an adult beverage. We told them we took a little ride across the bridge into town on the mini bike together and they just said "You Alaskans are different". Hahaha I was called an Alaskan... and you know what? we are pretty different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zZNk0lDvFpH097a30G1A8D99pVWFk-iXJiGEUO5wAMCKvH0sKBWbBse-96Vh4CQsUU5bmbB9Y5BhMUF2YHOQWVykyLOxWEhVnljgmOcZP2zXB_nYBOhI_ysbiQrUdnAoQSrtoNRKGX8/s1600/1045244_10101624606242963_268552403_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zZNk0lDvFpH097a30G1A8D99pVWFk-iXJiGEUO5wAMCKvH0sKBWbBse-96Vh4CQsUU5bmbB9Y5BhMUF2YHOQWVykyLOxWEhVnljgmOcZP2zXB_nYBOhI_ysbiQrUdnAoQSrtoNRKGX8/s1600/1045244_10101624606242963_268552403_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the mini bike!</td></tr>
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Later the next day the mini bike and I got into a fight. I lost. My left lower leg took the impact of the crank case on top of a rock. Then I must have hit the peg on the other leg during the fall because I looked like a domestic abuse victim. For the record the really nasty bruise didn't hurt at all, and the one that looks like nothing was horribly painful. About a week out and the blood from the left leg is all pooling at my ankle and makes me look super tough. Silver linings. I haven't had so much fun on a trip in a long time! I hope to come back sooner than later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP4SHGofDrfUGtp0GXeGGX6zPhKTI8hp1xfV1UG0RF4ygiraXzWk4ItpjwRBgv4tqJbDfXtYLRfeo2ijAnTsWRi44U3bsxQKBtq4hG1qYt5fc-_HglJS9j0jaOENjQTaTNsxpx9RzFJc/s1600/1072143_10101624604765923_1531979258_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggP4SHGofDrfUGtp0GXeGGX6zPhKTI8hp1xfV1UG0RF4ygiraXzWk4ItpjwRBgv4tqJbDfXtYLRfeo2ijAnTsWRi44U3bsxQKBtq4hG1qYt5fc-_HglJS9j0jaOENjQTaTNsxpx9RzFJc/s1600/1072143_10101624604765923_1531979258_o+%25281%2529.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Root Glacier with a very hidden Mt Blackburn (16,391ft)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night after the fall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAHEcK4Hxyhz9354GdQrMoFvMbSjsDmPx8L8B8xQKlt3MexXkectMI05lbxVkfza_Vg5s65Fq7Epgp8oiXZx1uD8HAgLYIOUVgz9mASHdkd2gJkSV6BKtiaEgVJ1JB_B_5LCfmQmGt2k/s1600/IMG_20130714_242641_752-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAHEcK4Hxyhz9354GdQrMoFvMbSjsDmPx8L8B8xQKlt3MexXkectMI05lbxVkfza_Vg5s65Fq7Epgp8oiXZx1uD8HAgLYIOUVgz9mASHdkd2gJkSV6BKtiaEgVJ1JB_B_5LCfmQmGt2k/s1600/IMG_20130714_242641_752-1.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the blood pooling at my ankle a week later</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When a foot peg meets your calf</td></tr>
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I got back a few days ago, worked a few days and today went out with 7 others from the ER on a long 4-wheeler trip to a fish camp that is about 15 miles down the west beach from Nome. We took the long way in from the road and drove over the tundra and through tons of mud. We had a pretty great time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek crossing on the way to the beach from the tundra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUViTMvOz1jlkVr6Wn5UsM6lso2VdIvZoOnJOFjHJQZOOr8S2YQS6DKCPuEQ8Ve9SLqhbUH737UtwIIQKtGeHBhCdSDNejVmpyiME_gQUUmYD-DWNfDQgCagD5kpu9WP-hsziXiOXVCA/s1600/IMG_20130713_135136_359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUViTMvOz1jlkVr6Wn5UsM6lso2VdIvZoOnJOFjHJQZOOr8S2YQS6DKCPuEQ8Ve9SLqhbUH737UtwIIQKtGeHBhCdSDNejVmpyiME_gQUUmYD-DWNfDQgCagD5kpu9WP-hsziXiOXVCA/s1600/IMG_20130713_135136_359.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the tundra</td></tr>
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The last few days have been weird for me. A lot of my past has caught me off guard and I hate when my weaknesses come rushing in with no brakes. Letting the past interfere with the current is so ridiculous. I know I am human, and I know that so many people have the same insecurities that I have. I do have my head on pretty straight sometimes, and I am in a pretty good spot in life. Then a single event just brings me back to spots in my life that have tested me, and hurt me to my core, times that have clipped my wings and made me crawl. I feel like I get so overwhelmed and I over commit to re-righting the boat that in my head has started to rock. If you know me you know that I have an incredible ability to make mountains out of molehills sometimes and then I try to dig my way out. Then I spin spin spin and oh goodness it just gets worse and worse. Tonight after a lovely dinner at one of the doctors houses Emily and I took a very long walk down the beach and I was brought back to center when she told me that "...everyone thinks and feels a lot of the things that you do. You just come out with it, while most people just hold it in" Perhaps that is why I have added this little section in this post. Seems inner demons are always lurking and just wait until a little weakness shows and then they run rampant. I must rein these things in. It's absurd.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEy057jWeAZ27xTV6s1pgJOEM0QFVqdNLif03sWdpTuliaQB2VISSZ_78_7Kbrgv4pXkENeyrfhHTsa26rqOS4EIpCiuo3-GLss2S9b7JkpqRw0iwk0RRNlrIzFLMHBsMe3sC8CLMnXQ/s1600/IMG_20130713_135917_779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEy057jWeAZ27xTV6s1pgJOEM0QFVqdNLif03sWdpTuliaQB2VISSZ_78_7Kbrgv4pXkENeyrfhHTsa26rqOS4EIpCiuo3-GLss2S9b7JkpqRw0iwk0RRNlrIzFLMHBsMe3sC8CLMnXQ/s1600/IMG_20130713_135917_779.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting stuck in mud pits! Great day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBkJuN7Yg_QZmD2VXN9a_toTGPvVZqUTWj4h20c3DtAnDANteRD_qr2tv02H3vqeHAParYSN5N5vXmh7tg4bKjs2cHGelmGQ_rRKOHfCpMMSRcIqJ2D_reSZX6Zz2SaSuDOfL27_p-BM/s1600/IMG_20130713_141746_355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBkJuN7Yg_QZmD2VXN9a_toTGPvVZqUTWj4h20c3DtAnDANteRD_qr2tv02H3vqeHAParYSN5N5vXmh7tg4bKjs2cHGelmGQ_rRKOHfCpMMSRcIqJ2D_reSZX6Zz2SaSuDOfL27_p-BM/s1600/IMG_20130713_141746_355.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliffs on the side of trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOkw8ULA_BuHpIT5R0rQHcICKB-01wi3bvSrkQuuWsjKEzfiu00Urz2wQ4Xwc_Fg4g8ArhLORyMcX-4tqdvEWPQksHvN-Pu4r8paJWO3SphHFL-iprHYkuM3F2W4yuJ7AgMuzlHVPxag/s1600/IMG_20130713_150451_417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOkw8ULA_BuHpIT5R0rQHcICKB-01wi3bvSrkQuuWsjKEzfiu00Urz2wQ4Xwc_Fg4g8ArhLORyMcX-4tqdvEWPQksHvN-Pu4r8paJWO3SphHFL-iprHYkuM3F2W4yuJ7AgMuzlHVPxag/s1600/IMG_20130713_150451_417.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sledge Island floating on the horizon</td></tr>
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No matter how far you run you will always find yourself wherever you land. You would think I would have learned this lesson by now. Maybe this time...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkSWtwLoQ4ic28ruzgRbxwLu0PG11QND_oN_YZX7-yYFWUkkkAR-lfEWX9ukaafI1i4bxpLPYrEwNKs7adfg25B9mN3YMBQFPZF8dZX3mTYiJ0uoGiUokaeiL8WuvnX3FOumqzKuuwIQ/s1600/IMG_20130713_150507_656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkSWtwLoQ4ic28ruzgRbxwLu0PG11QND_oN_YZX7-yYFWUkkkAR-lfEWX9ukaafI1i4bxpLPYrEwNKs7adfg25B9mN3YMBQFPZF8dZX3mTYiJ0uoGiUokaeiL8WuvnX3FOumqzKuuwIQ/s1600/IMG_20130713_150507_656.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tame Bering Sea.</td></tr>
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I am thankful for friends at the edge of the world, the new place I will be calling my home in September at some point, warm sunny days that I don't actually work on, friends that don't let my inner demons get in the way, matte finished nail polish.<br />
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Love to you all!<br />
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Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-76140881971597388562013-07-10T21:39:00.001-07:002013-07-10T21:39:23.721-07:00To be continued. I have just got back from a five day adventure and my first day back at the hospital. I will update this weekend! Just wanted y'all to know I haven't forgotten you! Good times were had by all!Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-45766084185317194222013-07-01T15:11:00.000-07:002013-07-01T15:25:18.863-07:00Where there is no struggle, there is no strength. - Oprah Winfrey <i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“If you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of his strength, and the greater his effort the heavier the world bore down upon his shoulders - What would you tell him?" '</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I…don't know. What…could he do? What would you tell him?'</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">To shrug.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> - Ayn Rand</span></i><br />
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Let's discuss some of the things that I have witnessed over the last few weeks. I have seen when a loved one beats the living crap out of someone, I have assisted in a sexual assault exam on a 4 year old, I got to be in the room when a person was told that they have Hepatitis C thanks to the IV drug habit of their significant other. It's been a rough couple of week in terms of figuring out how to cope, absorb, learn from each situation and how to let it roll off the shoulders. I found my inner strength from talking to my family, but also from the incredible group of individuals that I am so blessed to have surrounding me where I work. Kindred spirits that have all had to walk this path of struggle. From what I gather you just have to take it at face value, to know that I did what I could in this persons time of need, and that's about it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqR86UQh30rDhytDKIUqfGkZaaEHqhu1Xig7wS459UdgviWDS2SZtkZfFFYJKCeAanRCD192LaqsHeHWZQ4_LsKs_frDn_iITL4nk1j6sOU1pbAmDkZsUl28mXRl22O00f_o0_O23Sls/s1600/1039951_10101594584561653_1632254272_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqR86UQh30rDhytDKIUqfGkZaaEHqhu1Xig7wS459UdgviWDS2SZtkZfFFYJKCeAanRCD192LaqsHeHWZQ4_LsKs_frDn_iITL4nk1j6sOU1pbAmDkZsUl28mXRl22O00f_o0_O23Sls/s1600/1039951_10101594584561653_1632254272_o.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset behind the hospital at 130am with low cloud cover</td></tr>
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I just got back from a few days in Anchorage. Did the Bush shopping spree at Costco so I picked up excessive amounts of chicken breasts, candy, salt and pepper pistachios, picked up stuff for others that don't leave Nome that much. I went to Target and touched all the things. Met some new friends, and hung out with amazing older friends as well. I was so proud of myself. I didn't even cry on the plane going back to Nome! It's like I'm actually okay with it now. I know it's not a forever home, but I do, at times, miss this little town. I do love that my soul mode of transportation is either my feet or my 4-wheeler. I find myself getting possessive of the Norton Sound region. In Anchorage there are lots of walrus ivory carvings and such for sale, but they aren't from the villages and carvers that are in and around Nome. And those are the carvings that I want. I guess I'm turning into a bit of a homer. <br />
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My mom has now gotten to experience being "Nomed". She had sent me a box of goodies and it said that it had arrived in Nome on June 15th... I got the box today. July 1st. Nome likes to hold on to things and when she is ready she will give you the goods. It's like that with weather, mail, text messages, phone calls, really anything you might actually like to have. For instance Nome likes to hold my text messages for a few hours at a time and sometimes I get a mass grouping of messages from a few people (like 10-20 text messages), or when I just get a voicemail and my phone never rings... Nomed. Nome looks out for me by screening my phone calls like that I suppose.<br />
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I have 3 days of work ahead of me, then I'm headed back to Anchorage for a little getaway with my friend T. We are going on a trip to a little town called McCarthy. I am looking forward to seeing more parts of this amazing state that I have yet to experience. Alaska is now closer to my 1.2 favorite state.... uh oh. So there will be many more pictures after that little adventure. <br />
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The weather has turned for the yucky. Low 50's and intermittent drizzle. Delicious. I wonder what will come through the door tomorrow. I kind of love that about my job, even with seeing the worst of the worst, it changes every single day. I love the variety. Keeps me on my toes!<br />
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My love to everyone. <br />
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Until next time lovelies!<br />
<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-25599243866750625842013-06-24T12:37:00.001-07:002013-06-24T12:37:41.497-07:00Worry is a waste of emotional reserve. - Ayn Rand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midnight sun from the of Anvil!</td></tr>
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I need a little more time to process the last couple of days at work. One day I will talk about it. Today isn't it. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcmXpjgqH7MRwuDHI-RuLVWuyMgzlEKFjTVQzO8S8R7OvdS6nw7XbUKz7ppuUMOweHF8iC98LXcKKDw6d02VgKIK4WZ1nYvyYcVdss33-0cRIygyhAeaU6_cv0aYl2jOIxqY1dWnSAmI/s1600/IMG_20130620_171630_896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcmXpjgqH7MRwuDHI-RuLVWuyMgzlEKFjTVQzO8S8R7OvdS6nw7XbUKz7ppuUMOweHF8iC98LXcKKDw6d02VgKIK4WZ1nYvyYcVdss33-0cRIygyhAeaU6_cv0aYl2jOIxqY1dWnSAmI/s1600/IMG_20130620_171630_896.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKWmGy6IYVjWwp185KNzinQvXu3dJRlYrdG-9dRzFzjEyoCt5fOGKXRFtjQqWKWaCgTu0sHYE13FJNNZedIRfyeoKCifTwBtMAuM-RKiWA1h6zx-e2X0k5Mv9uMjrOPEe-VIY5U5gL7s/s1600/1040054_10101580197184073_923986076_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKWmGy6IYVjWwp185KNzinQvXu3dJRlYrdG-9dRzFzjEyoCt5fOGKXRFtjQqWKWaCgTu0sHYE13FJNNZedIRfyeoKCifTwBtMAuM-RKiWA1h6zx-e2X0k5Mv9uMjrOPEe-VIY5U5gL7s/s1600/1040054_10101580197184073_923986076_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The approach to Dredge 5</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_I7586UA9_-BGU6ZUwbAIxopgoducR7GPDJXbRwCkWc-GN2RnRYDPg2bPxc_Q9ZszKT5vIJBEomj4GB9lbcTn3ax-Q9wHAs5ra3jAQNyov_nivHW0XhtZgyK7RS3WM3prEdrQ5hKSx8/s1600/1025857_10101580196715013_877604364_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_I7586UA9_-BGU6ZUwbAIxopgoducR7GPDJXbRwCkWc-GN2RnRYDPg2bPxc_Q9ZszKT5vIJBEomj4GB9lbcTn3ax-Q9wHAs5ra3jAQNyov_nivHW0XhtZgyK7RS3WM3prEdrQ5hKSx8/s1600/1025857_10101580196715013_877604364_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we go! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkuDAQS2jD6eateI4ah73ESdYNkP7M5KR5Z0MFmqieXmB98CXubevXUKRVYGTBAjvEaUnRG7bmi_go2B-36Ekxikm-D7Xp0nFX7Pl3H1KLy0_MDANdnYA28LWLxbkqHDwPDUJPmJFYWw/s1600/1014636_10101580193915623_1473910357_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkuDAQS2jD6eateI4ah73ESdYNkP7M5KR5Z0MFmqieXmB98CXubevXUKRVYGTBAjvEaUnRG7bmi_go2B-36Ekxikm-D7Xp0nFX7Pl3H1KLy0_MDANdnYA28LWLxbkqHDwPDUJPmJFYWw/s1600/1014636_10101580193915623_1473910357_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohio ladies! Me and my roomie!</td></tr>
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Before this stretch of work we had a few gorgeous days! So I took full advantage of adventure time. My roomie and a few of the ER staff went out to dredge #5 that is in the middle of the tundra between the town of Nome and Anvil. We had such an lovely time exploring this piece of gold mining history. This place was creepy to an extreme!<br />
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Having this really nice weather and having more people that have gotten 4-wheelers and wanting to get out more has really improved morale in this little town. It was the weekend of the Midnight Sun festival and I was stuck working EVERY single day of it. Ugh. So that kind of sucked. But now it's Monday and everyone everywhere is complaining about how it's Monday... and I am welcoming Monday in by lazing on the couch and writing up a little ditty about my week, all without a bra on. Have fun at work suckers. I'm not going and you can't make me! (I am on call, so technically I guess they can make me :( I'll go sit down now). So anyways the plan today is to go back to the scene of the rollover and not rollover Dirtrude. I will be headed out with a couple of nurses from the ER. What an incredible group of folks that we have here. I feel so lucky and blessed to have all of them in my life. Even when some of them just use my for my INCREDIBLE Microsoft Excel spreadsheet abilities... thanks engineering degree.. for the win once again! This week I also started on my epic studying spree for my CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse) course... I will be taking it the first week of October. Not gonna lie starting at the beginning of my study book and I'm all "Did I even go to nursing school?!" Oof. What a humbling experience. To say, the more that I learn the more I realize I know nothing at all, has never rang truer. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR3yPGSJ9aevghwZHeVOSJprHCsZxpMvpSyrvV7cKISyO9qq5-u9aQ8R8lqSQyWDDCXbX2xn7oAA4OOEIlTuUCmuDkr6_6QYOkOclnECEQB9WBaILByqNL1ae3eg9b2rjaCeVaZvZuGU/s1600/1015955_10101580194883683_844028674_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR3yPGSJ9aevghwZHeVOSJprHCsZxpMvpSyrvV7cKISyO9qq5-u9aQ8R8lqSQyWDDCXbX2xn7oAA4OOEIlTuUCmuDkr6_6QYOkOclnECEQB9WBaILByqNL1ae3eg9b2rjaCeVaZvZuGU/s1600/1015955_10101580194883683_844028674_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew!</td></tr>
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Okay back to Midnight Sun festivities. Thursday night they had a little air show. When I say little I think there was 4 airplanes (I'm sorry Jack I have no idea what any of them were!) and a blackhawk helicopter. It was held at the Air National Guard hangar. Pretty cool stuff. Since I had to work Saturday I wasn't able to partake in the Polar Plunge. So I had my own polar plunge when it was 80 outside! The water was about 35 degrees. It was soooooooo cold! But the sun and sand were still so warm on my skin. I had a lovely time! Yes I am that white. I was probably signaling NASA when this happened. Oops. I need to find tanning bed or something. It's kind of ridiculous. I need to tan up for Mindy's wedding in December... Mexico is going to be brutal on my pale white skin. hahahaha. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! Things I'm thankful for: Awesome friends, Ole Caliente! Nail polish, a crazy roommate, the midnight sun, a support system that won't let me fail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6r6iGgofA-aQeWRMLhbzLQDynJMXiq649Rt1bX2GeurYHdFS7pXSpw659A_fP9znzMdAiXFgBWu3BBHmCpThW4LiVkiZ8ZoKkQQPNrJE5vTQQTgdFDZcau6qJsMg_QFJXIK_JTQsLcg/s1600/IMG_20130619_122725_054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6r6iGgofA-aQeWRMLhbzLQDynJMXiq649Rt1bX2GeurYHdFS7pXSpw659A_fP9znzMdAiXFgBWu3BBHmCpThW4LiVkiZ8ZoKkQQPNrJE5vTQQTgdFDZcau6qJsMg_QFJXIK_JTQsLcg/s1600/IMG_20130619_122725_054.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeeah.. real cold</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb4hdtYzQOYRRbhE4Yc7fbsQt9zhhwi1zlcu5WTnAfGdlgWDkAq2ZoaFQm80KJt-9Hzk6BIA6MUFIwF7n2gIVDZCmMuJQ8uwob5UD_6o_t113YAUoSznGfs7KWUd1mahwWrXEqkVAll8/s1600/IMG_20130619_122832_870-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb4hdtYzQOYRRbhE4Yc7fbsQt9zhhwi1zlcu5WTnAfGdlgWDkAq2ZoaFQm80KJt-9Hzk6BIA6MUFIwF7n2gIVDZCmMuJQ8uwob5UD_6o_t113YAUoSznGfs7KWUd1mahwWrXEqkVAll8/s1600/IMG_20130619_122832_870-1.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an iceberg in the background!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5oODGV7DX6QFUcDk79riiSyysBay-1Z1FLmzgD-dipL54lrBwOs4y1QOpV_6S2ykva-a-5VU6pLzR9BeNw3dye9vVcrLvYRK-zacR4Jrs_WXzyRuxiECLhyphenhyphenDAc45tSgJlPgoFl0dMdM/s1600/IMG_20130620_174855_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5oODGV7DX6QFUcDk79riiSyysBay-1Z1FLmzgD-dipL54lrBwOs4y1QOpV_6S2ykva-a-5VU6pLzR9BeNw3dye9vVcrLvYRK-zacR4Jrs_WXzyRuxiECLhyphenhyphenDAc45tSgJlPgoFl0dMdM/s1600/IMG_20130620_174855_992.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward Sara in front of a plane pose! </td></tr>
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Okay lovelies it's time to have a beach adventure! Take care lovelies!<br />
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1711174225917744355.post-75470124133116951632013-06-19T11:37:00.000-07:002013-06-19T11:38:52.064-07:00I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. - Mae West<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehQj0dopa-LRZ9Kx1YbUPjKVybUL3KI9OaPl-LtXNhqenAZMiiSmkh5a1z8njtL-tCCbAap4XvNWCMuC2_I5nOCZaLFngupIYNOCJRLJD-6Ek_-0KiV1yIKX8XcsAUW7ZqVxlPFFJMaE/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehQj0dopa-LRZ9Kx1YbUPjKVybUL3KI9OaPl-LtXNhqenAZMiiSmkh5a1z8njtL-tCCbAap4XvNWCMuC2_I5nOCZaLFngupIYNOCJRLJD-6Ek_-0KiV1yIKX8XcsAUW7ZqVxlPFFJMaE/s1600/image.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach ride! (T taking action shots!)</td></tr>
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Seems Nome heard me talking all kinds of smack about her online and has changed her weather tune a bit! That's actually only like half true, but you know what? I'll take it. It was 80 Monday and everyone here was basically melting. It was absolutely OUTSTANDING.<br />
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So let's see since we last chatted I have seen a through and through self-inflicted (or the luckiest sneeze gun accident ever) .22 gun shot wound.. this was highly unremarkable. No bones hits, no organs hit, just a little soft tissue damage (I sound like such a sadist... I know.). I've seen what happens when an ATV hits a front loader and someone is inside the ATV (cooler than the GSW). We have had new babies born in town (not in the ER.. thankfully... the only time I will be delivering a baby is if it's in an airplane 30000ft in the air, or it's the apocalypse.). Seems there is a solid stomach bug going around town, lots of booze related health problems. Oh and I got to go to the ER myself... as a quasi-patient. And my boss is expecting me to completely redo out community medical emergency plan... Hey Todd.. you know I'm a new grad with 2 months of experience right? I know how to stop any more of these big plans from happening. I will bombard him with questions and exciting new ideas, that in the grand scheme of things are totally ridiculous (glow in the dark triage tags... come on Todd it's dark here 50% of the year!). I also see a large game of Risk being played where the goal is to save the monkeys from the mass casualty incident.. I shall use Todd's desk for this. It will basically be an epic monkey battle but this time lives are at stake. Perfect. (Pictures of this will follow when it happens in the next few weeks.)<br />
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Side note: One of the best conversations I have ever had in this ER to date:<br />
Me (Loitering in the triage area and approached by a gentleman): How are you doing today?<br />
Guy: I need to see a doctor<br />
Me: What's going on?<br />
Guy: I need antibiotics.<br />
Me: What happened?<br />
Guy: I may have loved a woman that is not clean<br />
Me: You can just write "personal" in the the "reason why you are here box"<br />
(Me in secret talk in my head: Welcome to Nome!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PH1zF1j9p-EAtsaXew4k5A1O0AaojZhVSiEW6D-_ym1xS72PZX-3QtXFM8t479YUF4mhLC7eF9jl7K7Ndfdf2d8lebrMyM1wCvo8P1Qb1yjFRggfxQNOOTJNAfDl__W-Px_JlRCXaLA/s1600/image_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PH1zF1j9p-EAtsaXew4k5A1O0AaojZhVSiEW6D-_ym1xS72PZX-3QtXFM8t479YUF4mhLC7eF9jl7K7Ndfdf2d8lebrMyM1wCvo8P1Qb1yjFRggfxQNOOTJNAfDl__W-Px_JlRCXaLA/s1600/image_1.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animal remains on the beach</td></tr>
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So anyways. Lets talk about my days off from work! My friend, we will call him T for now, from Anchorage came out for the weekend and we were lucky enough to borrow an ATV from a buddy of mine at the hospital. The weather sunned up and got nice and warm! So the two of us set out on an epic beach ride adventure west of town. We went about 15 miles down the beach and then got the novel idea to see if Sara and Dirtrude could do a doughnut..... When I wear a helmet I find that I am soooooooo much more likely to do something stupid than when I don't... Because hey! I'm wearing a helmet! So needless to say a wonderful re-teaching moment in physics happened; too much throttle, not enough leaning and too much turn... Dirtrude ended the wrong way up and I was able to make a jump for it, courtesy of all the training on horses and learning to bail on skis. It sounds far more dramatic than it was. I was up on my feet super fast and the only thing wounded was my ego and my thumb. It's not broken (this was my quasi-patient status) only pretty bruised. I still can't give a full force high-five though, this saddens me greatly. Dirtrude just has a little body damage, nothing some zip-ties can't stitch back together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEX9HhgfrCUfXa7UGGZFG6cghyphenhyphen6UWeOmUynN6C4aqTdH9rkLgiWzI2HDEyznYR68ZBLLJik3rS4wuLYjgAwop5P0ntWJIN2zoHxT5eFp6p6Xv3K2wnVqmZ7GdPNm4EaVm6YDKC7lUkzUE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEX9HhgfrCUfXa7UGGZFG6cghyphenhyphen6UWeOmUynN6C4aqTdH9rkLgiWzI2HDEyznYR68ZBLLJik3rS4wuLYjgAwop5P0ntWJIN2zoHxT5eFp6p6Xv3K2wnVqmZ7GdPNm4EaVm6YDKC7lUkzUE/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing Cripple Creek! (Thanks again T!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLE5wAijkdwuEENX6YJVVnwU3f_srL4duRFKr92It-Fq-osYRWYqY4FSJOnEiCC3IEQc2m7IrJViDxQH2VpYnLjqnMHq1xoSVVqKqTzUXyZ8btcvrGXqtjZ2vZa8VrywCJ4_4LCpAT9A/s1600/965220_4351834693542_995668518_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLE5wAijkdwuEENX6YJVVnwU3f_srL4duRFKr92It-Fq-osYRWYqY4FSJOnEiCC3IEQc2m7IrJViDxQH2VpYnLjqnMHq1xoSVVqKqTzUXyZ8btcvrGXqtjZ2vZa8VrywCJ4_4LCpAT9A/s1600/965220_4351834693542_995668518_o.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty much half the ER gang!</td></tr>
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So Monday after work a whole crew of us took our 4-wheelers to the top of Anvil mountain and watched a herd of musk ox wander around, then we rode down to Dredge #5 on the tundra, and that little extra excursion to the dredge led to an awesome mud ride. Dirtrude lived up to her name for sure! It was so nice spending time with work friends outside of work. I find that this trip was needed by lots of people in the group. A nice way to get out of town, without getting on a plane.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPyRqbUy-PKbtpxdHuY3i_qPjUUlVPyOSHkJZZ3LCdWZ_sWloQwtSL5RmkCg1CXGRofTXMLRyIuJh2tCHHjk0PEP1K52Ai36kyIgiLzxg8hUSI6SmjSjuOlvbFtQuAhdURJAF6KGSkmU/s1600/7260_10200711223296207_757300349_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPyRqbUy-PKbtpxdHuY3i_qPjUUlVPyOSHkJZZ3LCdWZ_sWloQwtSL5RmkCg1CXGRofTXMLRyIuJh2tCHHjk0PEP1K52Ai36kyIgiLzxg8hUSI6SmjSjuOlvbFtQuAhdURJAF6KGSkmU/s1600/7260_10200711223296207_757300349_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We sure are a motley crew. A gang of ATV riders</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiUm1Ba5j-KyfhlQz-8uQslIf1xy214LTw_vu0bIAqIjp3kTxKxXhC00LO-QnwCSzQ1xdaRNKHTp7U7qn_j_WuwVY1HDBxzoywA2TXdHQmo3VPW4xS8Cg2JIRrLSlyyvzkxUzKdF8-0c/s1600/1011908_10200711222056176_820055695_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiUm1Ba5j-KyfhlQz-8uQslIf1xy214LTw_vu0bIAqIjp3kTxKxXhC00LO-QnwCSzQ1xdaRNKHTp7U7qn_j_WuwVY1HDBxzoywA2TXdHQmo3VPW4xS8Cg2JIRrLSlyyvzkxUzKdF8-0c/s1600/1011908_10200711222056176_820055695_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolyn and I at the base of Dredge #5</td></tr>
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Today I will be hitting the gym, the post office (Christmas!!), painting my toe nails some rad color, and then at 9pm the crew is headed back to do a little mud running and go explore the dredge in more depth since none of us have to work Thursday :) And we may as well utilize 24 hours of daylight. The plan is take go up to the top of Anvil at midnight and get a good picture of the midnight sun. Hopefully Nome will cooperate with the weather... it's looking good. Perhaps more pictures to come tomorrow of this adventure!<br />
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I am doing okay. Nome has it's ups and downs. The ups are pretty sweet; while the downs are pretty low. One day they will hopefully level out a little more. Until then I'm just livin by the seat of my pants. My heart smiles when I see my friends having fun and having wonderful surprises like my friend Danielle in Denver. Never has a girl been more deserving of a surprise bachelorette party. I've been getting sweet snail mail from Lindy-Loo and Adrienne my whiskey sister. I love getting all the invitations to baby showers and weddings. Even though I know I won't be able to make it to all of them, or even most of them, I love knowing that my friends keep me in their minds when happy times and even sad times happen in their lives.. no matter how many miles are between us. Marissa I love you and keep your head up! At least you don't live in Nome ;) sometimes it's just the silver linings in life that keep us going. My friend Jesse told me that sometimes her and her boyfriend will take time out of their days, especially the worst of the worst days, and say out loud to one another three things they are grateful for. Some of the silver linings from the terrible days are along the lines of "I'm eating this bag of M&Ms, and I am thankful that I bought them in Anchorage and not Nome", or "I'm thankful for not having two twisted ankles". So today I am thankful for sunshine (all 24 hour of it), My incredible co-workers that take adventure trips with me in the night to help my soul laugh as I help theirs laugh too, my wonderful friend T, and my most amazing family that is behind me 100% of the time even when I'm following my most craziest of dreams. I will try to make this a habit in my posts. This could be entertaining...<br />
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Lovelies it's time to start this day. I will try to be better at updating more than once every 10 days! Yipes!<br />
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<br />Hippie Nursehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14750271576739222822noreply@blogger.com0