Nurse Sean (dot) com

It’s a cold, winter day here. Snow fell overnight and stuck nicely to the ground. The dog won’t stop barking every time the snowblower drives past our apartment window. As a nice tribute to this weather, I have changed to a nice winter theme on my blog.I’m having a great week that has involved many exciting new things. Thanks to my new twelve-hour shift rotation, I frequently have several days off in a row. Right now, I’m smack dab in the middle of seven days off.

I have taken this time to work on many projects. First of all, of course, I’ve been continuing on with my critical care nursing certificate. I’m still on the physiology course, and have two more tests to go. I got over the two biggest challenges: the massive and complex cardiac unit, and the (in my own opinion) dull and difficult to learn neurology unit. Now I’m onto renal physiology; I’m enjoying reading a unit that interests me and is much more straight forward. Then I just have a unit on the body’s defense systems and I’m done!

The next course is critical care assessment–I’m looking forward to the change. It’s apparently a much easier course and takes up less time.

I have also spent a lot of time updating my technology. Yes, I’m a big tech geek and love to spend hours upon hours playing with new technologies and gadgets. Firstly, I got myself an iPod touch. This thing is incredible! The iPhone isn’t yet available in Canada, and due to carrier restrictions, I may never actually get one. The iPod touch is the next best thing. I can’t gush enough about how great this thing is! Anyone who doesn’t have an iPod touch/iPhone MUST get one right away.

I also updated my operating system to Leopard, and upgraded to iLife 08. I just can’t express how much macs are better than anything else out there. I used a mac back in the 90s, then a PC in the early 2000s before moving back to Macs. I really don’t think I will ever go back to Microsoft PCs: there just isn’t a good reason to.

I have decided to learn a little Cantonese. We have a large population of patients that speak Cantonese and I would love to be able to communicate basic ideas. As expected, it isn’t going so well. I’m still on the first three or four phrases and just can’t seem to get the hang of it. I’m determined to keep working at it though.

So, that’s how I’m spending my time off. I am so much happier with work now that I have switched to twelve-hour shifts. I feel much more relaxed and calm; I’m starting to love work again. Of course, my first shift back will probably be horrible and ruin that!

We’ll see…..

Have I ever sat here and raved about how much I am in love with iTunes
and my iPod? They are both so incredible. I loaded iTunes today,
and voila! It has a new podcast feature. So, now I’m
subscribed to several podcasts, and can’t wait to play around with them
some more. It’s like a make-it-yourself radio station. I
pick the shows I like, and they automatically update themselves when a
new show is ready. Add to the podcasts all my 3000 cds that I
uploaded (my entire
collection), many many audiobooks, and several hundred of my favorite
sentimental pictures. It really has become my media centre.
I hope the next step is the same thing, but with television.
Downloading whichever show I want, and when.

I think you’d need to be an iPod user to understand the power they have over their user.

In more interesting news, plans have been made for my official move to
R.’s appartment. After much debate and discussion, we have both
agreed that I would move to his basement suite. It’s dirt cheap,
which is what we both need. It may not be heaven, but it’s a
start. We’re both embarking on new, lucrative careers, and in
about two years–if all is well–we will be well positioned to buy a
wonderful house or condo.

Starting August first, I will start moving my stuff over. I
decided to overlap residences to ease the move. If you’ve ever
done this, you know the extra money is worth it! So, by September
first, I will be all moved in. That’s when the ackwardness of
learning to live together shall begin

This is all very scary! However, we spent the last five days
together and I must say, all was wonderful. Five days is a long
way from a lifetime though. I am, however, the type to just take
the plunge. No waffling for me.

So, let the moving begin. Ugh!

SO!!!

I have my iPod! And I must admit that I’m absolutely as
obsessed with it as I expected I would be. I bought the 30G iPod
photo. I’ve spent the last few days uploading the last of my CD’s
into iTunes and then downloading them onto my iPod. I have just
over 3000 songs on my iPod with about 20 CDs left to upload.

*phew*

I’ve also had fun dowloading pictures onto it…as well as taking more
with my digital camera. People get a kick out of my “old fashion”
camera which is only about six years old, but people give it looks as
though it was something my great grandmother owned.

“It’s SO big! Does it take good pictures?” LOL. I
spent so much money on it, that even now, years later, it takes better
pictures than most digital cameras. Even though it is big.

I took some pictures of my co-workers, and more of my research group
making our poster, and then some of R and myself. All safely on
my iPod.

iMac fever is destroying me lately. I MUST have an iMac. I
won’t do it though I can’t afford it. I guess since I don’t
have the money, I have nothing to worry about. I’m just worried
I’ll do something stupid like finance it, or put it on my credit
card. I just need to keep chanting “You have a good computer that
you love and cherish…..don’t do it….don’t do it…don’t do
it!”

I spent three days with R. over the weekend. Something
happened…I’m not sure what, but sometimes you can just physically
feel yourself falling for someone just a little bit more. We have
a pretty darn good time hanging out together.

Tomorrow we present our poster…I hope it goes over well….I’m not too worried though.

*Must not buy an iMac*

“I spent some time in the ER and the ICU as a student nurse to see if I
would enjoy it as a profession. I kept fainting.
Yes…consciousness…a key nursing skill in those areas!”

That was just a funny quote from one of our presenters in class today. She made me giggle with delight.

MAN! Am I ever tired today. Class all day long, worked on a
project, cleaned house, went shopping….now I’m going to try to stay
up and see some of the Pope’s funeral.

A lot of people don’t understand why I would do that since I’m not
Catholic. What can I say? I’m a pop culture junkie.
And lets face it, whether you want to hear it or not, the Pope’s death
has become pop culture. One of those “where were you when in
happened” moments.

Anyway, I’m still steadily loading CDs into my computer…converting
them to MP3s. I am up to about 2200 songs with about 60 more cd’s
to upload. MAN! I wish my tax return would arrive so I can
go purchase my iPod!.

*continues to wait patiently*

Do you know what sounds like fun, but really isn’t?

Taking all the hundreds of cds you own, and uploading them into
iTunes…all this in preparation for downloading to my new (crosses
fingers and chants *please let it happen*) iPod. My regular cd
player doesn’t seem to be working anymore, so I’m stuck using my older
one….and it’s taking FOREVER for each cd.

Oh well…it’s giving me an excuse not to study. And it’s easy to do while watching The View and Days of Our Lives.

The funny thing is: I’m sipping my last cup of coffee in the
house, wondering if I can afford to buy more. I had my last
granola bar a few minutes ago, and wonder how I’m going to eat
today…no food, no money. I’m worried about getting an interview
for a unit clerk or nursing assistant position because I’m lacking nice
clothes to wear.

But I’m buying an iPod. I know…sounds strange. But tax
returns are a magical thing. I’m getting more than I’m used to,
and decided that although most will go to food and new clothes, I
wanted something special for myself. I even started a debate at
work over which MP3 player is best.

In other news…I’ve begun craving an iMac. I had one for about
six years. When it just became too old to handle modern life I
had to look for a new computer. I dreamed of having an iMac
again, but I didn’t have $3000 to spend on one of those fancy ones with
the adjustable screens. So, I bought a cheap PC. I love my
PC, but there’s just something magical about having a Mac. As
though you’re part of a special club.

Still missing R. I miss his arms, and the way his clothes smell
of snuggy. I miss the way he takes care of me.

Am I a nursing geek? I bought “Gray’s Anatomy” for
fun. I am enjoying exploring the drawings and the
descriptions of human anatomy. That reminds me, I need to order
those books on blood gasses and fluid balance from amazon.

The clock is ticking until my RN examinations…eight hours of
joy….and I need to start the process of knowing all there is to know.

Pyrsos

Another day gone.

I hate that life seems to be on fastforward. I am also grateful
for that fact. I can’t wait to be done school, but it feels as
though my mid-twenties have been stolen from me.

I have started dreaming about my future. I see ads for cars and I
know that in a couple years, I can afford one. I see ads for
condos…and I start to see myself living there.

….in a couple years.

When it comes to focusing, I usually fail right about where the light
at the end of the tunnel begins to appear. So, I need to hold
onto those future dreams–keep them bottled up until I’m done school.

TWO MORE YEARS until I’m done! One more year until I can start
working as a nurse. Ack…that’s kind of scary. I don’t
exactly feel ready to start working.

I miss R. today. When you spend three days attached at the hip,
it becomes an issue when you suddenly find yourself alone.
It doesn’t help when you spend the morning studying
co-dependency…leads to self-diagnosis!

I have decided to buy an iPod. A completely useless purchase with
no real purpose in my life….other than pure prestige…and the joy of
owning a new electronic device. It was also the only way I could
talk myself out of buying a cockatiel. I made myself choose
between the two, and the iPod won. Both cost the same amount…

Anyway, I’m off to read my book and fall asleep. I’m reading “No
Crystal Stair: A Novel” Brilliant book, but very difficult
to get into. I’m glad I read it, but I’m not sure I would
recommend it. I know, I can be so full of contradictions.