alright already

My cousin emailed me today and called me out for not posting in a while. This is following Jimbo and Vol Mom's emails, basically asking the same thing. So here we are with another exciting post.

Ta-da.

That's about as exciting as we've been lately. All things considered, it's been rather boring around here. But for the lack of anything else, we'll give the overview anyhow. Hang on to your seats, folks, it might get bumpy on us.

The Hater has really lucked out not having to go on any work trips yet this year. It won't be long before his weekends are claimed, so we're enjoying quiet weekends for now.

My work is going fine, too. I've been busy, but we could be busier. When I'm not busy, I try to look busy, and most times I succeed at this. I think I'm learning the art of looking busy by observing some of the people with whom I work, who I know cannot possibly be as busy as they want you to think they are.

Every year companies that employ nurses have to "test" them so that they can prove that they've provided minimal education to their nursing and ancillary staff. Most of these big companies have a "skills fair", where nurses go from station to station, answering questions and demonstrating nursey tasks... like starting IVs on plastic arms, restraining people with slip-knots, finding a list of things in the crash cart, etc. I had gotten an email that the fair was coming up and ALL nurses were required to attend, so I added it to my calendar. When I went to the fair I realized that I was the only non-traditional nurse doing the stations, but I was afraid that I'd get dinged on my evaluation if I didn't do it. While I was wandering around someone stopped me and said, "Oh! You're an advanced practice nurse!" I answered, "No, not really." She said, "Well, that's what your name tag says."

Hrm. I hadn't read my new name tag. I just saw it was my picture and ran with it. I finished the skills fair and learned that I'm now considered "advanced practice", a phrase usually used to describe nurses with master's degrees.

Ta-da.

Other than that, we're boring. We go back and forth playing Rock Band and Lego Star Wars. Sometimes we're able to play online Bomberman with Angry Dissenter, which is really fun because he and I team up against The Hater. I wish we didn't live so far apart, but between cell phones and live video games it's almost like old times.

Minus the Jack.

I'm still waiting until May to know how well my November's treatment worked. To say I'm pre-occupied with thinking about May is almost accurate. I think about it when I wake up in the night, when I hit the alarm clock, when I drop the soap in the shower, when I'm packing my lunch, when I'm stopped at a red light, during meetings, when I read email, when my patients at work come and tell me either really good news or really bad news, when I'm waiting for the microwave to cook my lunch, when I check my pedometer, when it's time for my three o'clock snack, when The Hater sends me sweet text messages to tell me he loves me, when I'm trying to look busy, when I actually am busy, when the cat runs to meet me at the door, anytime in church that anybody refers to faith or hope, when I water the plants (including John Wayne, which still isn't dead after 2 years under our care), when I'm grocery shopping, when I tie my shoes, when anybody asks me how I'm feeling... and any other time when I breathe.

I'm averaging one tearful breakdown a week, but otherwise am coping alright with it. I've got a hellova poker face, which serves me well almost all of the time.

And that's where I am.... about halfway there, living on a prayer. Keep on praying -- this stuff is still doing its thing, and someday we'll look back on this and find something funny about it to remember.