This weekend has been absolutely perfect weather wise! Mike and I are really enjoying the two days we have off together. We did some shopping, and took a nice walk today through the forest preserve. I am feeling blessed beyond belief lately. I feel at peace more than I have in a long time, and I have an amazing husband by my side.
I am so happy that I didn't fail my last semester of nursing school, and that we were able to move into our own place again. I was extremely fortunate that my boss was able to give me full time hours again, and has been so supportive of me. I know someone up above is looking out for me.
My doctor appointment went alright. My blood pressure was up, but I have been under a lot of stress lately, and my anxiety was pretty heavy last week, but that has all subsided now, so I'm not that concerned. I also got my flu shot, and I can't believe I did this, but when the medical assistant started coming at me with the needle, I jerked my arm away from her because I didn't see any alcohol swabs in her hand. Of course, she did have one, and I allowed her to continue, but I felt so silly. That is one downside to being a nurse, you don't just assume medical professionals are doing their job. I find myself critiquing them, and I can't help it.
Hubby is running some errands, so I think a nap is in order for this girl! Then I'm gonna paint my nails. I put a nail hardener on instead of my regular base coat, and the manicure I gave myself last week lasted all week almost! Not too shabby! :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Weekend Update :)
This weekend has been nice and relaxing. Although I worked Friday and Saturday, only having to work until one or two on those days makes it ok. This week I am working Mon-Fri, and Mike took next Saturday off, so we are happy to enjoy our first weekend together I left the hospital and started working every other Saturday at my dental office. I realize this is something pretty minor to get excited about, as lots of people work M-F 9-5, but I have worked every Saturday for the last 5 years, so I am happy for the change.
We haven't done anything special with our time this weekend, but its just been nice to not have any plans and be able to relax. There is a forest preserve that is a 5 minute walk away from our place, so we have gone for a couple of walks together to check it out. It is absolutely beautiful to walk through it, one area is like walking through a field of flowers. Our last apartment complex was not in an area that I felt comfortable walking around in, so I am really happy to be in the neighborhood that we are, and to have this forest preserve so close by. We are going to try to take advantage of the weather as much as we can, because taking walks together is something we really like to do.
I am beyond excited that we will be getting to go to Tennessee for Christmas to see my family. We haven't been able to see my family for Christmas since 2008 due to school, Mike's work, and not having the money because I was only working 6 hours a week. This year luckily Mike was able to get the time off, I can get the time off, and we have the resources now to make it happen. We may drive this year since we will have more time off to travel. It is a 9-10 hour drive, so if we only have 3 days to take off, driving is just not an option. But we will have pretty much the whole week off, so we will still have a lot of time to spend with my family even if we drive. Plus, we can try to see how many Waffle Houses we can find along the way to stop at! :) But seriously, $600 airfare compared to maybe $200-250 in gas is kind of a no-brainer. We always rent a car when we go down there, so that is a savings that looks pretty good to me.
Sure, it is stressful traveling during the holidays, but its just a way of life for me. We always traveled for Christmas growing up. We never got to open our presents on Christmas morning because we weren't home until late at night Christmas Day. Yeah, I was pretty jealous of my cousins who came to my Grandpa's house wearing their new outfits and carrying their new toys, but it was just what we did every year, so we were used to it. Since I have moved up here, its been different because Mike traveled with me to see my family. He never had to travel, and here I am making him wake up at 3 in the morning so we could leave for Flora by 5 to get to my Grandpa's for my Mom's side's gathering. But it was the only way that he could still have Christmas with his family since they have their party Christmas Eve night, and for me to see mine. Luckily, he has been a trooper and gone along for the ride, and Christmas with the B-Fam is now a tradition for me that I look forward to every year. We found a way to make it work for us.
I am really excited for Christmas this year for some reason. While I suck at coming up with a wish list for myself, I LOVE coming up with gift ideas for others. I feel really excited when I come up with a good idea, and it just feels good to give to others. This may be a sore subject now, but I found these really cute camera earrings last year for my sister-in-law last year. And I thought it was perfect because she really loves taking pictures, and it wasn't a huge, extravagant gift, but I was really excited to give them to her. My parents are responsible for this. We were given a set amount of money each year, and we had to take that and find a gift for our parents and siblings. It was a challenge to find the best gift you could and stay within your budget. So, sure, they weren't big gifts, but it really drove home that its the thought that matters. Even when I first moved up here, and was super-super poor, I found a recipe for a sugar-free cake since my Dad-in-law is Diabetic and was on a strictly no-sugar diet, and I found a pretty cake stand to put it on that I could afford for my Mom-in-law. And I made my family's Santa cookies, which are now a B-Fam tradition,too! I put them in a really cute basket that was 50% off at Michael's. That was my gift to them since that was all I could afford. I have been fortunate that I have not been that poor since that year, but if bad times come, at least I know I can get creative and keep my Christmas traditions alive and still get that happy feeling I get from giving.
I am soooo excited to start collecting more Christmas decorations. We never had the space for much at our last apartment, and we certainly didn't have the space living with the in-laws. So this year, I am just really excited to dress up our place for the holidays!
And geez, its 3 months away, and I'm already babbling on and on about Christmas, I'll stop now! lol
In other news, the yearly violation is coming up on Tuesdays. Seriously, whoever made it a rule that girls must go through this awful exam just to get the next year's worth of birth control refills should be shot. That's all I am gonna say about that.
Oh, holy crap, I just realized I completely forgot that Grey's comes back this week! And Scandal is still coming on right after! Happy Dance!! Again, seriously minor thing to get excited about, but I can finally follow TV shows without having to catch up during a rare day off watching them on Netflix. We still have to catch up on Sons of Anarchy, but I am happy to be regaining some normalcy here. And Breaking Amish....Amish Jersey Shore, and we are loving it!!
We haven't done anything special with our time this weekend, but its just been nice to not have any plans and be able to relax. There is a forest preserve that is a 5 minute walk away from our place, so we have gone for a couple of walks together to check it out. It is absolutely beautiful to walk through it, one area is like walking through a field of flowers. Our last apartment complex was not in an area that I felt comfortable walking around in, so I am really happy to be in the neighborhood that we are, and to have this forest preserve so close by. We are going to try to take advantage of the weather as much as we can, because taking walks together is something we really like to do.
I am beyond excited that we will be getting to go to Tennessee for Christmas to see my family. We haven't been able to see my family for Christmas since 2008 due to school, Mike's work, and not having the money because I was only working 6 hours a week. This year luckily Mike was able to get the time off, I can get the time off, and we have the resources now to make it happen. We may drive this year since we will have more time off to travel. It is a 9-10 hour drive, so if we only have 3 days to take off, driving is just not an option. But we will have pretty much the whole week off, so we will still have a lot of time to spend with my family even if we drive. Plus, we can try to see how many Waffle Houses we can find along the way to stop at! :) But seriously, $600 airfare compared to maybe $200-250 in gas is kind of a no-brainer. We always rent a car when we go down there, so that is a savings that looks pretty good to me.
Sure, it is stressful traveling during the holidays, but its just a way of life for me. We always traveled for Christmas growing up. We never got to open our presents on Christmas morning because we weren't home until late at night Christmas Day. Yeah, I was pretty jealous of my cousins who came to my Grandpa's house wearing their new outfits and carrying their new toys, but it was just what we did every year, so we were used to it. Since I have moved up here, its been different because Mike traveled with me to see my family. He never had to travel, and here I am making him wake up at 3 in the morning so we could leave for Flora by 5 to get to my Grandpa's for my Mom's side's gathering. But it was the only way that he could still have Christmas with his family since they have their party Christmas Eve night, and for me to see mine. Luckily, he has been a trooper and gone along for the ride, and Christmas with the B-Fam is now a tradition for me that I look forward to every year. We found a way to make it work for us.
I am really excited for Christmas this year for some reason. While I suck at coming up with a wish list for myself, I LOVE coming up with gift ideas for others. I feel really excited when I come up with a good idea, and it just feels good to give to others. This may be a sore subject now, but I found these really cute camera earrings last year for my sister-in-law last year. And I thought it was perfect because she really loves taking pictures, and it wasn't a huge, extravagant gift, but I was really excited to give them to her. My parents are responsible for this. We were given a set amount of money each year, and we had to take that and find a gift for our parents and siblings. It was a challenge to find the best gift you could and stay within your budget. So, sure, they weren't big gifts, but it really drove home that its the thought that matters. Even when I first moved up here, and was super-super poor, I found a recipe for a sugar-free cake since my Dad-in-law is Diabetic and was on a strictly no-sugar diet, and I found a pretty cake stand to put it on that I could afford for my Mom-in-law. And I made my family's Santa cookies, which are now a B-Fam tradition,too! I put them in a really cute basket that was 50% off at Michael's. That was my gift to them since that was all I could afford. I have been fortunate that I have not been that poor since that year, but if bad times come, at least I know I can get creative and keep my Christmas traditions alive and still get that happy feeling I get from giving.
I am soooo excited to start collecting more Christmas decorations. We never had the space for much at our last apartment, and we certainly didn't have the space living with the in-laws. So this year, I am just really excited to dress up our place for the holidays!
And geez, its 3 months away, and I'm already babbling on and on about Christmas, I'll stop now! lol
In other news, the yearly violation is coming up on Tuesdays. Seriously, whoever made it a rule that girls must go through this awful exam just to get the next year's worth of birth control refills should be shot. That's all I am gonna say about that.
Oh, holy crap, I just realized I completely forgot that Grey's comes back this week! And Scandal is still coming on right after! Happy Dance!! Again, seriously minor thing to get excited about, but I can finally follow TV shows without having to catch up during a rare day off watching them on Netflix. We still have to catch up on Sons of Anarchy, but I am happy to be regaining some normalcy here. And Breaking Amish....Amish Jersey Shore, and we are loving it!!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Happy Dance at my Desk!
The last patient of the day at my office today has a long history with us. We haven't seen each other in a long time because I was busy with nursing school, so we were catching up. She was excited about my hair because I was a brunette the last time she saw me. So I told her I was done with school, and she kind of frowned because I'd be leaving. I assured her I would be there a while longer because of how difficult it is for new grads with no experience. She happens to work on the cardiology department of a big hospital in the area, and gave me her work e-mail so I could send her my resume. She is going to forward it along to the director for me. This certainly can just as quickly go the reject route like anything else, but to be able to bypass the HR system and get straight through to a unit is enough to make me a happy girl. I almost started crying.
So, that is all, I said I wouldn't talk about this anymore unless something positive happened, and this is a little spot of sunshine for now! Lol how little it takes to make me a happy girl, huh??!
So, that is all, I said I wouldn't talk about this anymore unless something positive happened, and this is a little spot of sunshine for now! Lol how little it takes to make me a happy girl, huh??!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Day Off!! :)
This is my first week only having to work 5 days, and I am enjoying it! Today was my first official day off, and I got to share it with Mike! He had some vacation/personal days to take, so he took today off to be with me! We had to get up early because I needed to get bloodwork done in preparation for my yearly check up and violation. But we got some yummy cheese and strawberry pastry from
Jarosch! I love this place so much. My boss is friends with the owners, and he insisted that we get our wedding cake from them, and it was the best cake I've ever had! It was a really nice start to our morning! :)
We did a little shopping and got some lunch. An upsetting thing threatened to ruin my day, but I refused to let that happened. Hubby and I took a nap, and then took a walk through the forest preserve by our place, and it was beautiful! The weather today was perfect for a walk, and we love getting to do this together. It was exactly what I needed.
Mike is going fishing tomorrow with Dad-in-law, and I have a nice short day at work. I am happy to not feel so overworked for a change, it's been about 2 years since I have had this kind of downtime! Loving it! :)
Jarosch! I love this place so much. My boss is friends with the owners, and he insisted that we get our wedding cake from them, and it was the best cake I've ever had! It was a really nice start to our morning! :)
We did a little shopping and got some lunch. An upsetting thing threatened to ruin my day, but I refused to let that happened. Hubby and I took a nap, and then took a walk through the forest preserve by our place, and it was beautiful! The weather today was perfect for a walk, and we love getting to do this together. It was exactly what I needed.
Mike is going fishing tomorrow with Dad-in-law, and I have a nice short day at work. I am happy to not feel so overworked for a change, it's been about 2 years since I have had this kind of downtime! Loving it! :)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
110 More Jobs Cut
My hospital's CEO sent out an e-mail today to all of us announcing that more job cuts were being made. So, the grand total in the last 5 months is at 330. I got another e-mail that an entire unit is being shut down in the old tower. This obviously doesn't affect me because I already put in my notice, but it is sad to hear. I saw this coming, the downstaffing happening as frequently as it was just made it obvious to me that there were too many employees, and not enough patients. I really do hope that the hospital bounces back, because I would love to go back there someday, and I believe it truly is one of the best hospitals in the area. But it confirms, again, that I made the right choice to put in my notice. I would be insane to hang on at a hospital that has laid off 330 people, in the hope that they may be able to offer me a position. I'd much rather leave than be laid off.
Work has been hectic this week. My boss has been on vacation, and I've had to make the judgement calls on some scheduling issues in her absence. The hygienists at my office are paid on commission, so I hate to cancel their shifts because they have gotten way more territorial over the patients in their schedules, and they get paid for only the patients they see, and when that bill gets paid. And they have no personal or vacation hours they can take because they are not salary employees. But September is always a slow month. All the kids are back in school, no one is on summer vacations......our schedule just falls apart, and you have to accept it. But I feel bad making the call that "Sorry, but you are not working today", because I have always been on their side with how unfair the pay situation is for them. I know my boss trusts my judgement, and I certainly did my best to make sure I tried to involve the hygienists as much as I could, but I still felt panic as I adjusted the schedule. Luckily, the boss is back tomorrow, so I won't feel responsible for this anymore! :) Plus, we pick back up in November once people remember that their benefits run out at the end of the year!
I am frustrated with what to do with our 2nd bedroom. I want it be functional for us, yet still work as a guest room. I don't want it to be super girly, because I want Mike to feel like its a room for him to use, too, but I don't want to look like a man cave, either!! My friend at work can describe a wall in her living room, and I can draw a design for her to use to decorate it like its nothing (and she is using it, she took my quick sketch home with her, lol), yet when I have a whole empty slate that should be easy to figure out.......I'm stumped. All I know is that I really want a daybed in there that can be used as a comfy spot to read or work on a project, but also be used as a bed if we have guests stay over. I hate how all the futons I have seen look (except for one that has been stuck in my head, but is expensive), and I still have no definitive vision for colors or anything. This usually comes much easier to me. But I have also never had a spare bedroom, either. I guess its not the worst problem a girl could have!
It'll come to me. I know it! :)
Random Note: I love T.I. and Tiny. T.I. brings me back to my TN days, driving around with Krista listening to Rubberband Man. No matter how far apart Krista and I are, or if there is a gap between how long we've talked, we always pick right back up like we were never apart. We have been friends since 3rd & 2nd grade (I'm a year older), and we share a unique birthday together. I miss her. Anyway....as ridiculous as rappers can be, and TI's not been free from arrests and charges.....he reminds me so much of my own Dad in his insistence on certain things, like how he thinks his daughters should dress or do their hair. Old fashioned, and out of date, lol. I love watching this show. :
Work has been hectic this week. My boss has been on vacation, and I've had to make the judgement calls on some scheduling issues in her absence. The hygienists at my office are paid on commission, so I hate to cancel their shifts because they have gotten way more territorial over the patients in their schedules, and they get paid for only the patients they see, and when that bill gets paid. And they have no personal or vacation hours they can take because they are not salary employees. But September is always a slow month. All the kids are back in school, no one is on summer vacations......our schedule just falls apart, and you have to accept it. But I feel bad making the call that "Sorry, but you are not working today", because I have always been on their side with how unfair the pay situation is for them. I know my boss trusts my judgement, and I certainly did my best to make sure I tried to involve the hygienists as much as I could, but I still felt panic as I adjusted the schedule. Luckily, the boss is back tomorrow, so I won't feel responsible for this anymore! :) Plus, we pick back up in November once people remember that their benefits run out at the end of the year!
I am frustrated with what to do with our 2nd bedroom. I want it be functional for us, yet still work as a guest room. I don't want it to be super girly, because I want Mike to feel like its a room for him to use, too, but I don't want to look like a man cave, either!! My friend at work can describe a wall in her living room, and I can draw a design for her to use to decorate it like its nothing (and she is using it, she took my quick sketch home with her, lol), yet when I have a whole empty slate that should be easy to figure out.......I'm stumped. All I know is that I really want a daybed in there that can be used as a comfy spot to read or work on a project, but also be used as a bed if we have guests stay over. I hate how all the futons I have seen look (except for one that has been stuck in my head, but is expensive), and I still have no definitive vision for colors or anything. This usually comes much easier to me. But I have also never had a spare bedroom, either. I guess its not the worst problem a girl could have!
It'll come to me. I know it! :)
Random Note: I love T.I. and Tiny. T.I. brings me back to my TN days, driving around with Krista listening to Rubberband Man. No matter how far apart Krista and I are, or if there is a gap between how long we've talked, we always pick right back up like we were never apart. We have been friends since 3rd & 2nd grade (I'm a year older), and we share a unique birthday together. I miss her. Anyway....as ridiculous as rappers can be, and TI's not been free from arrests and charges.....he reminds me so much of my own Dad in his insistence on certain things, like how he thinks his daughters should dress or do their hair. Old fashioned, and out of date, lol. I love watching this show. :
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Weekend Update
I have been in absolute love with the weather we have been having this weekend!! After all of the humid nastiness we have had this summer, a nice cool breeze is exactly what we needed! I am ready for more of this!!
We had our first bowling league game last night. And boy, I suck. The lanes kept switching and I accidentally bowled for someone on the other team. I felt awful, but luckily the girl was cool with it. I did get a strike and a spare, but I need to work on my game!! I am glad we did this, though!
I woke up feeling really good this morning. I slept like a baby, and I love waking up with a cuddly hubby, who happened to be in a goofy mood and kept cracking me up! We were really productive today, and I actually enjoyed cleaning up our place. I finally unpacked my shoes. I was tired of them being in a box, so I just set them in the floor of my closet. I still need to find a way to organize them. All in good time!! :)
I am excited that this is my last week of working 6 days! Saturday is my last shift. I am gonna have to celebrate it somehow! Maybe a mani/pedi, or date night with da hubs. Or both! :)
After talking to my mom-in-law, I think I am gonna try my hand at sewing. I can hand-stitch with no problem, but using a sewing machine is something I have only done when my mom set up the machine for me. I would like to make a table runner that matches our curtains in the kitchen. So in order to do that, I need a sewing machine. I am a bit intimidated, but I am a self-teacher, so I know I can do it! I have started looking up different blogs that have tips for beginners, and trying to see what kind of machine is best to start out with. My Harriet at work is an awesome seamstress, so I know she will be a great resource for me! It should be fun!
That's all for now, so off to sleep!! :)
We had our first bowling league game last night. And boy, I suck. The lanes kept switching and I accidentally bowled for someone on the other team. I felt awful, but luckily the girl was cool with it. I did get a strike and a spare, but I need to work on my game!! I am glad we did this, though!
I woke up feeling really good this morning. I slept like a baby, and I love waking up with a cuddly hubby, who happened to be in a goofy mood and kept cracking me up! We were really productive today, and I actually enjoyed cleaning up our place. I finally unpacked my shoes. I was tired of them being in a box, so I just set them in the floor of my closet. I still need to find a way to organize them. All in good time!! :)
I am excited that this is my last week of working 6 days! Saturday is my last shift. I am gonna have to celebrate it somehow! Maybe a mani/pedi, or date night with da hubs. Or both! :)
After talking to my mom-in-law, I think I am gonna try my hand at sewing. I can hand-stitch with no problem, but using a sewing machine is something I have only done when my mom set up the machine for me. I would like to make a table runner that matches our curtains in the kitchen. So in order to do that, I need a sewing machine. I am a bit intimidated, but I am a self-teacher, so I know I can do it! I have started looking up different blogs that have tips for beginners, and trying to see what kind of machine is best to start out with. My Harriet at work is an awesome seamstress, so I know she will be a great resource for me! It should be fun!
That's all for now, so off to sleep!! :)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Last PM Shift as a Tech!
I am scheduled tonight for my last PM shift. As always, I am hoping I get downstaffed, but I know it probably won't happen. I just hope I don't get floated to another floor. I didn't care for that so much! I am feeling more and more at peace with my decision. I know my next night shift will be as a nurse, and that is totally ok with me!
Otherwise, job search is the same....probably not gonna speak about it again until I actually get some calls back, or heaven forbid, an interview. It's just too depressing, and I get asked about it enough as it is at work or from friends, and I'm just done talking about it until things start looking more promising. Now that I will have more time on my hands, I'll up my efforts, but that's about it for now. I am blessed to be employed with a good job, and until my RN position comes along, I will be content with that.
I had a debt collector cuss at me at work yesterday. A former coworker who happens to have the same first name as I do had a debt collector call for her, and he thought I was "f$*#ing" with him when I said she doesn't work there anymore, because he thought I was her. I was seriously shocked that he cussed at me. I've heard debt collectors are fierce, but I didn't know they actually went to extremes like that and cuss at people. Luckily, I put the man in his place very quickly....but I was still a bit upset about that. I was always nervous that her debt collectors would confuse me for her when they called, but I was surprised it didn't happen until she was long gone.
We have our first bowling league game this weekend. I am excited about this! I really hope we get t-shirts! I know I suck at real-life bowling, but maybe I will learn a thing or two! It would be pretty kick ass if I scored higher than all the boys for at least ONE game! :) A girl can dream, right?
I'm sad I am working tonight and missing the MTV VMAs! But that is what DVR is for, I guess!! I knew this was worth the extra money every month. Especially with Grey's starting soon, and not knowing what my schedule would be like once I get a RN job, it was a necessity. lol Now if I could only get used to hitting the pause button instead of mute! lol, so many times have I come back to the TV to see the show is almost over, and I had just muted it rather than pausing it! I just have to stay away from Twitter and FB while I'm at work tonight so nothing is spoiled!!
Otherwise, job search is the same....probably not gonna speak about it again until I actually get some calls back, or heaven forbid, an interview. It's just too depressing, and I get asked about it enough as it is at work or from friends, and I'm just done talking about it until things start looking more promising. Now that I will have more time on my hands, I'll up my efforts, but that's about it for now. I am blessed to be employed with a good job, and until my RN position comes along, I will be content with that.
I had a debt collector cuss at me at work yesterday. A former coworker who happens to have the same first name as I do had a debt collector call for her, and he thought I was "f$*#ing" with him when I said she doesn't work there anymore, because he thought I was her. I was seriously shocked that he cussed at me. I've heard debt collectors are fierce, but I didn't know they actually went to extremes like that and cuss at people. Luckily, I put the man in his place very quickly....but I was still a bit upset about that. I was always nervous that her debt collectors would confuse me for her when they called, but I was surprised it didn't happen until she was long gone.
We have our first bowling league game this weekend. I am excited about this! I really hope we get t-shirts! I know I suck at real-life bowling, but maybe I will learn a thing or two! It would be pretty kick ass if I scored higher than all the boys for at least ONE game! :) A girl can dream, right?
I'm sad I am working tonight and missing the MTV VMAs! But that is what DVR is for, I guess!! I knew this was worth the extra money every month. Especially with Grey's starting soon, and not knowing what my schedule would be like once I get a RN job, it was a necessity. lol Now if I could only get used to hitting the pause button instead of mute! lol, so many times have I come back to the TV to see the show is almost over, and I had just muted it rather than pausing it! I just have to stay away from Twitter and FB while I'm at work tonight so nothing is spoiled!!
Really?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/travel/airline-down-syndrome/index.html
A family with a teenage son who has Down Syndrome was told they couldn't fly because he was a flight risk. This strikes a nerve with me because I know how easily the same thing could be said about my brother. My brother Zach has Down Syndrome. He absolutely would be agitated in that kind of scenario. It makes me sad that people with disabilities are judged by their appearance and other people's ignorance, even today when there is so much knowledge out there. Down Syndrome is one of the most common conditions that babies are born with, yet people are still ignorant and treat them like they are ogres or something.
My brother was more popular than I was in high school. He was in ROTC, helped with the football and basketball teams, all the popular seniors would give him high-fives in the hallways. He loves to dance and sing to N*Sync, and is a huge goof. He is slow to warm up to people, but once he does, you are stuck with him! lol The little stink has always been a ladies' man, too. He would go into the gas station when we were little and flirt with the female cashiers, and he'd walk out with a bag of candy. Or would pinch the butt of my aunt's friend at her high school graduation, and got away with it because he was so cute. He is just full of life.
Growing up, we had our share of dealing with people not understanding what was wrong with him, or staring. My mom was always very direct with people staring at my brother, and fought so much for him to get the schooling he needed. Neighbors would call the cops on him if he wandered over to their garage sale, not caring that was used to the neighbors before welcoming him over. I didn't get to hang out with my friend because her sister said something stupid about my brother. Teachers actually tried to get him kicked out of their classrooms because they didn't like that he has his own will and shuts down if people tried to pull or push on him.
I have always felt so strongly against the use of the "R" word because of my brother. Most people just mean "you are being stupid", and probably truly don't understand how hurtful is to the people or families of those people who are disabled. There was a boy in my high school graduating class who decided to say this in class one day, and I told him why don't I just start saying "You are being so Dirk" the next time I wanted to tell someone they were being stupid. Sure, I was the new girl in a small town, calling one of the popular kids stupid, but I didn't care, and my teacher had my back. :) I just feel like there are so many other words that I'm sure are far more creative and fun to use when trying to insult someone, why use one that is a medical condition that one has no control over??
Anyway, I don't know if the whole story is being portrayed in this news story, but it does seem odd that he was calm while they were being told they couldn't board. If he was agitated and running around, he obviously had calmed down, so why not let him board at that point? It does make it seem like they thought he might not be super quiet in 1st class and disturb the other 1st Classers I really hope American Airlines comes around and issues an apology to this family, or witness come forward to offer a neutral version of what happened. I just think its kind of ridiculous. How many kids are running around, being loud because they are bored or had too much sugar? They aren't considered flight risks, so why was this boy labeled as such? Something does seem pretty off about that.
A family with a teenage son who has Down Syndrome was told they couldn't fly because he was a flight risk. This strikes a nerve with me because I know how easily the same thing could be said about my brother. My brother Zach has Down Syndrome. He absolutely would be agitated in that kind of scenario. It makes me sad that people with disabilities are judged by their appearance and other people's ignorance, even today when there is so much knowledge out there. Down Syndrome is one of the most common conditions that babies are born with, yet people are still ignorant and treat them like they are ogres or something.
My brother was more popular than I was in high school. He was in ROTC, helped with the football and basketball teams, all the popular seniors would give him high-fives in the hallways. He loves to dance and sing to N*Sync, and is a huge goof. He is slow to warm up to people, but once he does, you are stuck with him! lol The little stink has always been a ladies' man, too. He would go into the gas station when we were little and flirt with the female cashiers, and he'd walk out with a bag of candy. Or would pinch the butt of my aunt's friend at her high school graduation, and got away with it because he was so cute. He is just full of life.
Growing up, we had our share of dealing with people not understanding what was wrong with him, or staring. My mom was always very direct with people staring at my brother, and fought so much for him to get the schooling he needed. Neighbors would call the cops on him if he wandered over to their garage sale, not caring that was used to the neighbors before welcoming him over. I didn't get to hang out with my friend because her sister said something stupid about my brother. Teachers actually tried to get him kicked out of their classrooms because they didn't like that he has his own will and shuts down if people tried to pull or push on him.
I have always felt so strongly against the use of the "R" word because of my brother. Most people just mean "you are being stupid", and probably truly don't understand how hurtful is to the people or families of those people who are disabled. There was a boy in my high school graduating class who decided to say this in class one day, and I told him why don't I just start saying "You are being so Dirk" the next time I wanted to tell someone they were being stupid. Sure, I was the new girl in a small town, calling one of the popular kids stupid, but I didn't care, and my teacher had my back. :) I just feel like there are so many other words that I'm sure are far more creative and fun to use when trying to insult someone, why use one that is a medical condition that one has no control over??
Anyway, I don't know if the whole story is being portrayed in this news story, but it does seem odd that he was calm while they were being told they couldn't board. If he was agitated and running around, he obviously had calmed down, so why not let him board at that point? It does make it seem like they thought he might not be super quiet in 1st class and disturb the other 1st Classers I really hope American Airlines comes around and issues an apology to this family, or witness come forward to offer a neutral version of what happened. I just think its kind of ridiculous. How many kids are running around, being loud because they are bored or had too much sugar? They aren't considered flight risks, so why was this boy labeled as such? Something does seem pretty off about that.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I'm Totally Cracking Up!
http://whatshouldwecallnursing.tumblr.com/
A couple of my nursing friends posted this on Pinterest, and I have just looked at every single entry! It is so dead on! I can't wait for more posts to pop up! It is hilarious, and so true! lol
A couple of my nursing friends posted this on Pinterest, and I have just looked at every single entry! It is so dead on! I can't wait for more posts to pop up! It is hilarious, and so true! lol
Saturday, September 1, 2012
I Believe....
Today was a sign from God that I made the right decision. I got floated to another unit, and it was not the best day. I am sore, and exhausted. But my hubby made dinner, and brownies.....and I had a 2 hour nap, so I feel like my day has balanced out! :)
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