long time no talk [again]

This time I have an excuse though. I've been battling an epic sinus infection that KO-ed me for 3 weeks. I even missed 2 days of work--and we all know I go to work no matter what! I mean, I even went when I had laryngitis and had to communicate with a marker and whiteboard!

However, this adorable picture of my dear Demo-cat Tux will make up for my lack of posts. He really is a Democrat. He would run away from the TV when Sarah Palin was on, and he sat right in front of it last week to watch the Inaugaration. He used to be afraid of the Donkey because he thought it was another animal that would steal attention from me, but now he loves to snuggle it!

Off to work, off to work.

peace and love,

m

a few words to describe today

1.20.09

What a beautiful day.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

--Barack H. Obama

It is hard to put into words what I am feeling right now...there really aren't words to describe this bubbly feeling I have; although bubbly is pretty accurate!

1. Hope
2. Pride
3. Excitement
4. Faith
5. Patience
6. Determination
7. Love
8. Happiness
9. Peace
10. Respect

peace and love,
m

excuse me...

...while I wipe away the drool! Liev + Daniel = bliss!

peace and love,
m

she works hard for the money

That's right, I do, and so do [the majority of] my coworkers. That's why it was especially gratifying to be acknowledged by the OR manager for all of our hard work in December. Our volume for the month was up by 120% from last year, if you can believe it! And honestly, that's all it takes: acknowledgement for a job well done. It is really helpful when you are stressed to the limit to have someone recognize how hard you have been working and thank you for it.

www.fedoraband.com
Go there. Be amazed.

peace and love,
m

a little bit o' this, a little bit o' that

Since December 31st, I've had 4 call shifts, been called in on 3 of them, and in 23 minutes will be starting the 5th shift. Thank god I don't have any more until next week...wow, a whole week of no call! And unfortunately, it's going to get worse. We have several nurses leaving and no new hires. Additionally, people are even more disenclined to take call shifts because admin has cut our call-in bonus from $40 to $25 [bullshit if you ask me...if you want to cut the budget, I suggest trimming the fat at the top of the ladder...]. More work, less dinero.

Last night I went to Sylvia and Jeanette's wedding [I don't care what people say, that's what it was] and it was so fun! I cried like a baby when they said their vows--I'm such a romantic at heart. They are perfect for each other. Anyone who says gay marriage "ruins the institute of marriage" should take a look at the love, admiration, and respect these two amazing women have for each other and their families. It couldn't be any more obvious that they have found what so many couples are striving for--a person who completes the other.

The ceremony and reception were at the Eisner Museum, which was such a cool place to have it. They had a hippie theme, complete with a tie-dyed cake [mmm, chocolate with raspberry filling]. It was great to see all of my coworkers out of our ill-fitting baby blue scrubs, and actually in makeup and styled hair! I think I shocked some people :-) I have to say that many of them seemed to be quite in their element as hippies! Some favorites: Dan, who looked like a cross between Jesus and Yanni [Yanesus], Octavia wearing her Mom's fro, and Zena's fringed vest and boots. Of course, the dancing was wonderfully fun, especially the dance I had with Dr. Arole. He was so adorable [can I say that about a doc?] in his bowtie! And oh my, how can I forget Loran? She hit the sauce a little too hard, but damn, she can dance! And she's a cancer survivor, currently fighting a relapse, so I'm all for her living her life as much as she can.

Off to bed for me, here's to not being called in!

peace and love,
m

and in comes 2009...

Oh 2008, goodbye to you. You were good and bad and lovely and depressing in your reign, but now it's time to move on.

2008, you took my Grandpa, but you reminded me what family is all about. You broke my heart, but have led me to a new perspective on life. You made me work hard, but you convinced me that there is a reward to all that hard work.

I end 2008 in a much better place than so many people--I have a job that gives me satisfaction and the feeling of 'doing good' [nevermind the bureaucracy], I have a loving family, a roof over my head, and food on my plate. My furry, 4-legged roommate is healthy and seems sweeter every day.

And now, 2009, you bring challenges and the unknown. I am ready. Happy New Year.

peace and love,
m