Farmer's Market

So, today, on the way home from work, I decided to visit the farmer's market that is on the other side of the fence from my apartment.  I've heard good things about it, and fresh produce is always really nice.  So, as I walk in, I see a bunch of people who brought their own bags (which is something I'm trying to do, because I hate plastic bags).  I have probably purposefully stayed away from stores like Sprout's because I am kind of anti-organic foods.  I am pro pesticides.  Anyway, I was kind of nervous, but I decided to give it a try anyway.  Inside, there's this magical smell of fresh fruit and veggies.  It was great, and the prices were fabulous!  For less than $9, I got the following: celery stalks, a green bell pepper, a bag of grapes, 2 very large onions, peaches, and 10 pounds of potatoes!  I'm so excited to eat it and see if it tastes as good as it looks.  I also saved a whole 10 cents for bringing my own bags. 

It's been raining this weekend, and people in Arizona don't know how to take it.  I've seen more umbrellas in the last 3 days that I have in a whole year in Utah.  People hang out in eaves of store entrances so they don't have to get wet.  They drive a lot slower, which is probably good, because there is not drainage systems, just the bowl-like areas that are usually parks that catch the water.  It's been kind of funny to see so many different reactions to the rain.  Some people like it a lot, and others start grumbling if there's a gray cloud in the sky.  I just remind them that it snowed the whole weekend where I'm from, and they usually get really grateful really quickly. 

I have not posted a medical word recently, so the word of the day is: sphygmomanometer (sfig-mo-ma-nom-e-ter).  An instrument to measure arterial blood pressure consisting of an inflatable cuff, inflating bulb, and a gauge showing the blood pressure.  It's really a fancy name for a blood pressure cuff, and again, it's fun to say.  Have a great day!

Family

Now, all of you from Arizona, it's time you met my family.  I am the oldest child of 10 children.  My parents drive a ginormous van to fit us all in it (which is great when you're moving by the way.)  Here is a picture them:

This was a while ago, I think probably over a year ago now, but it's what I have.  I think this was taken in December of 2008.  Since then, one of my sisters got married, and her husband is not pictured here.  But, here's a lovely picture from that day: 

I think we had plans to take a family photo, but then I moved 600 miles away, and Melinda went to Manilla, Phillipines for 4 months.  We'll get one some day...  Okay, so Matt and Caroline are married.  The rest of us are as follows:

From left to right: Elmina, Cordell, Andrew, Henry, Me, Melinda, Edith, Caroline, Heather, and Herschel.  Somebody thought it would be fun to line up according to height.  Sadly, I have now moved down the list again.  Only the 3 youngest are shorter than me.  The age range between Elmina and me is 21 years exactly.  She's so funny about us sharing a birthday.  She called me the other day and told me that it was almost our birthday, and that we didn't have to sing cause it was our birthday. 

That's a little about the fam.  More to come I'm sure.  

New things...

So, this week, I worked on the unit itself and tried to learn the charting system, which is a little tricksy, but I'm getting used to it I suppose.  I also went to the simulation center.  We each had to be the "primary nurse" on one of four scenarios, and help out with the others.  Of course, my scenario was the code.  I couldn't get the MI(heart attack), or the cardioversion, or the 3rd degree heart block.  No, about 2 minutes into things, it was V-tach and no pulse.  CPR for about 10 minutes (at least it felt that long).  But, the patient survived, and so did I.

So, as I was driving around the other day, I came to a hill, and I was so baffled because Mesa doesn't have any hills in it at all.  It's weird that such a normal thing in Utah seemed to entirely weird down here.  

Now I know I'm going to show you all how truly naive I am, but I saw a real live nun this week at the hospital!  That's so lame, but we don't have a lot of nuns in Utah.  Also, this week happened to be Ash Wednesday.  I had no idea what this was, until I got to the simulation center and there was a black mark on an instructor's forehead.  Through the day, I saw several people who had them, so I will explain what I have learned.  Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter (40 days, not counting Sundays.)  It is a time for people to repent and think about transgression, give up luxuries, and fast.  I'm sure this a very crude assessment of the purpose of this, but at least you understand a little.

Last Saturday, I bought a couch and a chair, and I now proudly show it to you.  It is the most comfortable of any of the 400 couches I sat on:

 It's not what I was expecting to buy at all, but it's so comfy!  It makes my living room feel a lot smaller, and I'm glad that I did not get anything bigger.  It's fabulous to have something to sit on!

Deja Vu

So, we all know that feeling of "I've been here before, but I don't know when," right?  Well, as weird as that feeling is, it is even more weird to have deja vu about having deja vu!  I was sitting in orientation at work today, and I felt like I had done this before, but not only that, I felt like I had had deja vu about that situation before, so I was having double deja vu?  So bizarre.  I kind of felt like I must have time traveled somewhere.  How else does that happen?  Don't tell me that it doesn't happen because it has happened to me twice before today.  Man, life's weird! 

Anyway, work is going well.  Lots of borientation and computer stuff, but hopefully I'll be done with it soon.  I feel very lost when I am inside the hospital itself.  It makes Utah Valley Regional's mess look like a cake walk.  I've had laryngitis this week, and so asking or answering questions is kind of awkward.  I feel like I'm yelling while whispering.  Not easy my friends.  Have a great day!

Tachypneic

Or tachypnea (tak-ip-nea): meaning fast breathing.

My Apartment and the Interesting things about Arizona

So I'm sure that my mom is dying to see pictures of my apartment because she couldn't come down with me.  So, I have taken some pictures, and here they are for your viewing pleasure.  Keep in mind, that not everything is the way it should be, and most of my stuff is put away, although some still needs a home. 

      

Kitchen/Laundry

 

                                                                  Kitchen/Living/Dining Room

 

 

                                                                            Bedroom

                                                                               Closet

Bathroom

Arizona is great...I can wear capris and flip flops at night when I'm out on the town, and it's wonderful.  I went to see Sherlock Holmes yesterday cause I had nothing to do, and I went to the 1640 showing at this ginormous theater a mile or so from my apartment.  I haven't been to a movie by myself in a long time, and I figured I could go again.  I got into the theater as the previews were showing, and looked around, to see nothing but people over 60 years old.  I immediately looked around for people near death, because I'm a nurse, and old people at an action movie is kind of weird for me.  I think there may have been one couple under 40, but that was all I could see.  It was a very strange phenomenon.  I may have to pay full price (matinee's $7) and go later at night when people my own age see movies. 

Other funny things: I saw a license plate with "Warthog" on it.  I saw a paint store sign that was a rainbow colored triangle about 20 feet high.  And the sunsets are pretty good.  It's weird without the mountains so close, but you can see so much more in the panorama.  This doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea.

I was so worried after years of having Utah sunsets like this one:

 

 Everything is going great!

 

Moving

My family and friends helped me with packing, and then my dad, Heather, and Andrew left Genola (my home town for those of you who don't know) at 0430(yes, using military time.  It comes with the job).  We made good time and arrived at my apartment at 1530.  My cousin and her family came down to help us unpack and I am so grateful!  Things have gone really smoothly.  Now if I could just get all the boxes unpacked.  Almost there...  Thanks everybody!