Nurse Sean (dot) com

The Christmas Edition of Change of Shift is up. Click the picture to head on over to Caroline’s website Brain Scramble.

Your’s truly finally submitted. It’s been ages!

Nurse Sean

P.S. I learned today that there definitely IS such thing as too much espresso!

Witty but true tips on how to not fail out of nursing school

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I have a brand new friend to play with: The Starbucks Sirena:

It is a super-duper, BMW designed, Saeco built, espresso machine! I have been shopping around for a high quality (but not prosumer level) machine that I can play with on a daily basis.

I have had a long history of coffee drinking that all started when I was fifteen years old. I’m steel reeling at the fact that I am twice as old currently! So, I guess you could say that my coffee adventure started halfway through my life. I’m not counting the cups of massively sugar laden cups I would sneak after church on Sundays when I was a little brat. And let me emphasize the fact that I was a brat. But, I digress…

This job was at a coffee shop that served not just coffee, but espresso drinks. The world was still just at the start of the new revolution of coffee/espresso that was led by Starbucks. I worked at a dishwasher/busboy at this coffee shop and only learned about coffee from a distance. For my breaks, the staff would let me make my own drinks on the espresso machine. They would teach me their tricks and recipes. My favorite was the iced mocha; this was before anyone considered blending it, so it was simply chocolate mixed with espresso, poured over ice and covered in cold milk. Simple, yet amazing.

Shortly after, I bought an espresso machine and started playing at home. But, it didn’t interest me for all that long. It was a messy adventure to try and make espresso drinks at home. Plus, the steam was so weak that I struggled to make a drink. I used the machine a few times and then it was put away for good.

Years went by and that coffee shop eventually went from being that one location to having a large chain of shops. They are still respected in this city as an average cup of coffee by coffee geeks of the world. Trust me, average is a compliment in their world! I worked in restaurants working my way from dishwasher to waiter forgetting largely about the designer coffee industry, barely noticing that Starbucks was starting to take over the world.

Then, one day, a customer of mine mentioned that he ran an espresso bar at the university and needed part time help. I jumped at the chance (I was a university student at that time and needed the extra job). I had the chance to make hundreds of espresso drinks a day on a professional machine of incredible quality. I wish I knew then what I knew now because I could have done some amazing things with that machine.

At that job, I fell completely in love with coffee. I decided, with no exceptions, that my goal in life was to own a coffee shop of my own. I took what I thought was the best possible move: I got a job at Starbucks. Little did I know just how much I didn’t know about coffee!!!

During the classroom sessions of learning to become a certified Barista at Starbucks I had to memorize a wealth of information. I was learning the coffee regions of the world and how their flavor profiles differed, I learned the different methods of getting the fruit off the coffee bean and how this affected the flavor, I learned just why grind, proportion, water, and freshness were the most important factors in making a proper cup of coffee. I was taught how to time my espresso shots and how to change my grind over and over again until I reached the exact right time, colour, and taste.

At Starbucks, we were masters of coffee knowledge. We knew details that others had no idea existed. There was a strong emphasis on teaching customers and translating the importance of certain coffee making factors. For example, when a customer asked for an extra hot latte, we would let them know exactly why burning the milk is NOT a good idea when it comes to taste, or why non-fat milk is horrible for making proper drinks, or why they should go buy a grinder instead of having me grind their coffee.

But I have to tell you, making hundreds of lattes a day, most of them ladened with enough sugar/whip cream/syrups to successfully hide all tastes of the milk and coffee takes its tole. Three years later, I had become a certified trainer, had become adept at coffee tasting, but had become completely disillusioned with designer coffee. Nobody truly cared about the quality of coffee. And more and more, my managers were hiring people that hated coffee and didn’t even drink it. Have you ever tried to do a coffee tasting/teaching session with folks like that?

I left for a desk job with more flexible hours to help me finish my nursing degree. I left coffee behind.

That was until I left my desk job and needed a job for a few months before starting work as a nurse. I decided to go back to the familiar Starbucks that had taught me everything I knew about coffee.

The day I started, I was disgusted! In three years, Starbucks (not just mine, but I’ve really noticed it as a trend) had become so much more about quantity than quality. They replaced their espresso machines with super-automatics: no more grinding and tamping, their drinks had gone farther and farther away from showcasing quality beans and skills baristas, and further toward increasing the amount of sugar and flavors. I blame the frappuccino for the demise of Starbucks quality. It brought in a customer element that wasn’t interested the finer details of coffee and espresso. But that’s a whole other rant!

And no, I’m not complaining about customers. Frappuccinos are delicious, I drink them myself. I just think that it is drinks like that that take away from Starbucks original purpose, which was to make amazing coffee and spread the word of what coffee truly could be. I think drinks like that and aggressive expansion have turned Starbucks into just another Tim Hortons/Dunkin’ Donuts etc.

The lineups at this Starbucks were so long. I was generally working on 20-30 drinks at any given time. I didn’t have time to work on perfect foaming technique, or time my espresso shots, or even look to make sure they were the right colour. Training at the Starbucks had become minimal at best: The focus was on getting bodies on the floor rather than making sure they could answer question like, “What’s the difference between Arabian Mocha Java, and Arabian Sidamo?” It was more important that they knew how to read the recipe cards.

I left spontaneously in disgust over how these folks were trained, and how customers had gone from knowledgeable coffee consumers to fast food junkies. The customers were crass and rude and all wanted non-fat milk that was burnt (extra hot). Nobody had time to explain the science of steaming milk or extracting oils from coffee. And lets face it, the customers just didn’t care.

In the meantime, my GERD was getting so bad that I quit drinking coffee all together. I left that world completely behind me for good.

Then, one day, I wondered into the greatest coffee shop of all time (a few weeks ago) and had what I claim to be the greatest latte of all-time. And it was DECAF! I tried their drip coffee, espresso, and many other drinks. Each one continued to be absolutely incredible. I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing! The baristas were knowledgeable about coffee and took it to an art-form that I didn’t even know existed previously. I even got a lecture about having them grind my coffee, and I heard them teaching a customer why they didn’t want to do an extra hot drink. These people were what Starbucks was at one time: a haven for innovation and perfection in the world of coffee.

But they had taken it one step further. This is what they call the “Third Wave” of coffee. The quality of beans have leapt forward, and the brewing techniques have come a long way. It represents the return of certain expectations from a coffee shop. Those expectation are of quality, rather than quantity. It is a return of the “art” and “theatre” of making espresso. It is a return of a love of coffee that I thought had all but been destroyed.

I went to the doctor, got better pills for my GERD and started diving into coffee again. I bought a grinder, a press, and a bunch of coffee from 49th parallel roasters to taste. I still couldn’t believe what I was tasting. Starbucks was never THAT good!

I dived into the forums at coffeegeek. I was fascinated by all the information! Afterall, being a Starbucks trainer, I thought I had learned everything there was to learn about coffee. I couldn’t resist any longer, and that’s when I decided to buy the Starbucks Sirena.

I chose this model because of its looks and quality. Neither of these factors have failed me! It unfortunately comes with a pressurized portafilter, but that was easily remedied by taking it right out. Now I have a quality machine that works like a dream. I can’t believe how well it pulls espresso shots, and it makes beautifully foamed milk FAST! I’m already making lattes that are much better anything Starbucks makes. And now I can spend time perfecting my espresso shots: Time, color, taste, volume.

Many people in the coffeegeek world are doubtful about the Starbucks Sirena. They don’t trust Starbucks (for good reason), but I’m here to proclaim that this machine does an amazing job!

Anyway, I know this is a nursing blog, so I’ve gone on and on a little too long. So, I doubt there’s many people left reading at this point. But I think coffee has played such a huge role in my life that I just can’t leave it behind in my own personal story.

And I just finished my latte. Time to go play with my machine some more!!!

Having many days off in a row really stops the flow of nursing related ideas. It has even stopped the flow of non-nursing blog ideas–especially since I have been focusing really hard on doing as little as possible. Hence the reason that my recent posts have been about a heck of a lot of nothing…

I did have a very nice day yesterday though. It involved driving to a little town outside of the city to check on the progress of my new condo that is partially built at this time. This trip included a stop at the greatest coffee shop of all time to drink the best coffee of all time. *drool.* Then, we went a little further to another small town outside of the city. This tiny city is actually one of my very favorite places in the world to visit. I would absolutely adore it as a retirement location.

Is 29 too young to be dreaming of retirement? I don’t think so!

And now it’s Christmas Eve, one of my very favorite days of the year–if not my absolute favorite. Up until (and including some of) Christmas Eve, the world reaches a point of amazing frenzy; chaos is reigning and is particularly out of control; the noise is deafening.

But tonight, around 21:00, I will walk outside and listen intently. I may even go for a short drive to see what’s going on. What I will notice is that the everything in the entire world has come to a stop; Peace has settled over the continents and everything is instilled with a pure sense of calm.

Christmas eve/day, to me, has always been the Earth’s way of standing still for a just a few moments, taking a couple refreshing breaths, and continued on its journey.

I will have to decide if I would like to go to church tonight. I rarely go to church, and do not even consider myself Christian (at least not in a way that most Christians would recognize or acknowledge). However, there is something special about the Christmas Eve service that truly draws me to the pews. It is such an engrained tradition in my family that the experience resonates right down to my very cells. I would hate to miss it again as I have missed it the last two years.

I am looking forward to Christmas morning. Oddly enough, I’m not looking forward to opening my own presents, but rather, I’m looking forward to giving my dog his presents. Yes, I have become one of those dog owners. But, he really has become the child in this family–and this is his first Christmas! So, it really felt special to hit the local pet store and go wild, buying him presents.

It should be a quiet Christmas day. My parents and me (since my sister is off to another city to spend time with the other side of her family) will be getting together for a quick dinner–and that is all.

Then, once all that is said and done, I just have two more days off before going back to work. Twelve days off goes fast!

All is quiet in the blogosphere. So much for procrastination; I guess I will go clean my house and buy groceries.

So, since my sister spends Christmas in another city with another family, my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew gathered yesterday to trade gifts early. I must say, I really reeled in some awesome loot this year!

First off, my sister gave me:

Yes, I received a beautiful iTunes gift certificate with a substantial value. I’m just itching to hit my favorite music store to choose some items!

She also got me a bottle of cologne that I have been scouting out at the Aveda store at my local mall.

This stuff smells so incredibly great! You can tell that it’s made out of natural essential oils. It deep, yet clean smelling. I feel like it is interesting enough to get noticed, but light enough that I won’t cause allergy attacks on public transit.

Of course, I receive my very exciting new XBOX game:

In the past, I have been incredibly addicted to the first two titles in this series. So, I have been having a great couple days playing the third. Seriously, nothing beats Halo! Definitely a killer app!

I also received a fantastic new watch for Christmas. Here it is here:

I’m quite happy with this watch, and gush with joy every time I put it on.

And, last, but certainly not least:

Yes, my David Lynch/Twin Peaks obsession will continue on for many years to come with my new box set. Yes, it’s the entire series AND includes the pilot! Something that, due to legal issues, has never happened before.

Nothing makes me happier than a potluck. In fact, it’s one of the very few reasons I will go to work on my day off! I will be bringing two dozen of my very favorite cinnamon buns. Off I go!

Coinciding with the release of a new study from the University of Victoria that found hepatitis C can be transmitted on shared crack pipes, the Vancouver Island Health Authority has announced it will provide clean crack pipe mouthpieces and filters to addicts at needle exchange sites beginning April 1, 2008.

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I am one of those Christmas shoppers that loves to go shopping around the 20th of December. I can already hear the collective *gasps* of all my readers. But I’m tired of the stigma that goes along with being a “late” shopper.

First of all, I am tired of people thinking that I am unorganized, lazy or forgetful, simply because I do my shopping late. Seriously, try this: tell someone today that you haven’t done any of your Christmas shopping yet. What you will receive is a look of horror, shock, pity, and especially disgust.

“WHAT!?” They will say. “You haven’t done your shopping? What were you thinking?”

You’ll also hear people laughing hysterically (at the workplace or at other social events), making fun of those who haven’t shopped yet. They talk about the fact that these poor folks must obviously be in a state of panic, jealous of those that have finished.

Then there’s that annoying conversation that you must have several times a day that goes something like this:

“Merry Christmas!”

“To you too!”

“Are you all finished?”

“yes, I finished last week”

“Really? I finished two weeks ago. Thank God”

Yes, it’s true, “finishing” has become the Christmas buzz word that, too me, represents the absolute commercialization of Christmas. In one word, the entire experience is summed up. People are much more interested in everyone’s Christmas shopping experience than any other aspect of the season.

And “finishing” has become a competition amongst many. Every day you get to hear several people comparing and bragging about how early they finished their shopping. The winner is always the one who started in August and finished around Hallowe’en.

And don’t get me wrong, I think it’s fine that you did your shopping in September, but why does it have to be a symbol of your greatness? Why does it signify that your organizational skills are much better than other’s? Why does it obviously, yet subtly confirm your status as not being lazy?

Have you ever done your Christmas shopping (and wrapping) for fifteen people in three hours on a Christmas Eve Deadline? Now THAT takes preparation, organization, and energy!!!

Here’s a few reasons why I choose to shop later in the season:

1. I have no need to shop earlier. Around the 20th of December, I make a list of who I need to buy for, and what I want to buy for each person. When that all matches up with my budget, I head to the mall and buy all the items I need in one trip. All it takes is a few hours, so why worry about whether it’s done in August or Christmas Eve? You just need to pick one day–as long as you’re organized!

2. I am in the Christmas spirit at this time of year. This fact alone makes the experience much more fun, and less like a chore. It’s hard to feel “Christmasy” in October.

3. The malls aren’t as bad as you think they are. The reason: all those people who rushed around earlier to do their shopping–they’re at home bragging while only a few stragglers are shopping. Case in point, I went shopping near the beginning of December on an early Tuesday morning. It took an hour to find a parking spot that was far far away from the door. The mall was jam-packed with strollers and screaming toddlers. I stayed for about ten minutes before running in fear. Yesterday, I went to the same mall on a Wednesday evening. I immediately found a parking spot next to the front door, and inside, it was a much kinder, gentler, less busy experience.

4. To spite everyone who thinks I’m lazy, unorganized, and forgetful because I haven’t done my shopping.

I also want to note that rarely have I ever seen someone shopping at this time of year who looks “panicked.” In fact, most people seem downright delighted to be shopping.

For the record, my shopping for this year was completed near the beginning of December. This was an experiment to see if it really was that much better to start early. Turns out it was a WORSE experience.

Also, this post is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I fear it came out as a much too realistic rant!

Merry Christmas (or holidays) everyone!

The 2007 Medical Weblog Awards nominees are up at Medgadget. I want to say congratulations to all the nominees, particularly ernursey, who is the lone nurse blog representative (Tell me if I’m wrong).

So, head on over (click on the picture) to check out the rest of the nominees! And it’s not too late to nominate your favourites.