Home Again

I just returned from a quick visit to North Carolina. I had not been back since I left almost 9 months ago. My best friend completed her PhD and is moving to Washington DC so I figured that I should get down and visit her one more time while she is still a local. It was so nice to visit old haunts like the Loop for a milkshake and Carolina Brewery all decked out in Carolina Blue for the first football weekend. It is so nice to know where to go and how to get there and have places to go! A weekend cookout, visiting with friends, bumming around the mall...a little hint of my former southern life.
I was able to make a quick visit to the hospital and see my weekend crew...both shifts with a 1830 arrival! The time went to quickly and I wish I had been there for a week day visit. It was good to see everyone and get a quick update about life in the CCU. Little equipment things were different...computers everywhere, e-charting-good, bad and ugly, and a new table in the break room. The most caring people are still there and that is the important thing!

New Year on June 26th!

I know that June 26th isn't typical for a New Year celebration but in the academic medical field this is the day when the new doctors freshly released from medical school start their hands on 'practice of medicine'. I can relate to the newest residents as I was in their shoes 6 months ago, the difference is that I started alone and there is a whole class of newbies who are all new together. I am well aware of most of the systems at this time and got to share some helpful hints for survival on their first day at work.
I gave them the Super Doc extension (the Bed Commander's arch nemesis), showed them how to order labs so they are done properly, and showed them how to flag an order to be taken off. Simple tasks that just need to be passed along. Too bad there are no second year residents to show them around and the fellow never writes orders so there is little help there... I get to help them as much as possible, and it reminds me how far I have come in 6 months! Yeah. We shall see how day two goes!

Busy Week

My brother came for a visit this past weekend before he starts graduate school (his second time around). His program is an intensive 363 day program at Union College for which he will acheive a master's of arts in teaching. I figured that this past weekend was the last time he would get to be away and not have homework to do! We had a nice time exploring the Lebanon/Hanover area and checking out some local eateries. We hiked at Quechee Gorge and we got to meet lots of people at church. I am always amazed at how friendly folks are here.

I hiked Mt Cardigan on Wednesday with some coworkers. We left after work (hiked up about an hour at my pace) and were able to watch the sunset through the clouds. The view was spectacular and I am told it is the best view for your hike in the area. It was a full moon that night but the clouds blocked the view so the moonlight hike will have to be post poned until next month. It may be summer but you still need coats and hats on the top so I guess that my winter wardrobe can't be put away just yet.

Kristy and Ed had their baby on Monday, (for reference my bridesmaid dress was highlighter green). Sienna Sofia arrived at 3:08pm on June 16th. Mom and baby are doing well and they are all home now. Sienna didn't have a name for two days, which is ironic since her mother has had a baby name list since before I met her 12 years ago! Sienna has a head of dark hair and blue eyes in the photos I have seen so far. Her mother is amazed at her hair color but I remember when she wasn't a blonde... Her name reminds me of the burnt sienna crayon I used to use in my 64 count crayon pack, so I have gathered together a crayon bouquet to give to Sienna later today.

A couple of college friends will also be in Boston today so it will be a nice reunion of sorts and we will all get to meet Sienna. I can't wait to meet her!

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home for the past four and a half years is now under contract for someone else to call it home. After 5 months of multiple viewings a couple is interested and an offer to purchase is completed. Now the fun begins....home inspection.... closing dates.... and all that fun. It so far has been much less stressful selling than buying. But we will see if that holds true through the rest of the process. But then I have had a winter home and a summer home for 5 months so it will be nice to be down to one residence!! Yeah!!

Driving Round

So I was driving down the road last week on my way to Manchester NH and as I was zipping down the highway and there was an unusual finding....a wild turkey smack dab in the middle of the road! I zipped by him and ruffled his feathers a little. The car I had just passed caused him to zip across the road. Just another reminder that I truly live in the great north woods.

As I moved to NH my car passed 100,000 miles, and now that I am able to attend all the spontaneous celebrations by driving I find that I am often on the road many weekends. . I have been to Portland Maine twice, the island of Manhattan once, home to my parents twice, CT once, Boston twice, Burlington Vermont twice, Essex Junction VT, and Waterbury VT. I have cris crossed the northeast almost every weekend. However, I have been to four birthday celebrations in four different states, one visit to welcome a friend from Carolina to Boston, a chocolate festival, Ben & Jerry's factory, Easter and a shopping trip for professional dress work clothes. How I miss the non-thinking scrub days!

I had my first visitors up from Boston...Kristy and Ed came up to NH last weekend. We walked around Hanover, saw a native American exhibition, walked the bridge across Quechee Gorge, and had ice cream at a service station that boasts 55 flavors. It was quite the afternoon excursion. Since they are expecting in 4 weeks it is probably the last time we will have a quick tour around without any baby items!

Traveling

I found the above map and decided that 7% isn't a bad place to start but I have some decidedly bare spots on the map. If we were going by land mass then I am doing pretty well thanks to Russia. Once my 'summer home' in NC is sold then I will have to work on coloring in some more of the countries, after I get a new passport that is!

Today I traveled to Burlington VT for a little shopping and people watching. I reconnected with my cousin who lives nearby and we had a great afternoon trading stories from the last 12 years since we saw each other. It is weird hanging out with someone who answers to your last name. At dinner it was just like being in the basketball unit in gym class. Go Jones! Yeah Smith. Over here Stender! Too funny.

Two inches of snow received yesterday for the flurry count
April 4th and still snowing. ****** Beautiful but a little late for two inches!
Then the rain washed it away. However, today I didn't even have to button my jacket so there is some spring weather progress!

Flurry Count

Spring is officially here however the snow flurries are still greeting me each morning. The good thing is that the ground has warmed up and the snow is not sticking to the ground anymore. I believe that I will keep a flurry count of how long I see flurries into the spring/summer months. A patient's family member suggested June and if that is the case then I might need to return to the hot summers of NC before long!
Today my patient gave me a kiss on the cheek when I let him know that his son was in the loop with our plans. This after he heard that he had three vessel disease and may need surgery. People will never cease to amaze me! It is nice to be appreciated for the little things that we do for one another even if it is part of the job.
I had dinner with some fellow nurses tonight at the Mexican restaurant here in town. I don't know that any Mexican has darkened the door of the restaurant however I can tell people think that they are eating ethnically. I seem to eat there at least once a week and the minute that I walk in and someone greets me by name then I am out of there! In my weekly trips to the local joint...I have discovered that it is ladies night there every Thursday. Amazing. 40% off your meal in the bar area if you are a lady! What a deal. I am surprised that every Dartmouth coed isn't hanging out here for the bargain meals which aren't cafeteria food! Anyway I might need to make my weekly trip on Thursday after all (plus the Carolina game was on last week which was an added bonus!)