Hold me when I’m here, love me when I’m wrong, hold me when I’m scared, and love me when I’m gone. - 3 Doors Down, When I’m Gone

Isn't Patton the cutest? I just had to put my baby on here first. Seriously. Sickening. Too cute.

May 20th, Jim and kristi came up to visit! They had never been to DC and thankfully, after living here almost 3 years, I've got the tour down! Here are quick pics of most of what we saw. I have 4 albums on facebook that cover it all...

Started at Union station.
Passed by the Senate Houses
Stopped at the Supreme Court


Spent a lot of time at one of my fav's: The Library of Congress
Walked around the Capitol


Observed the Smithsonian American Indian Museum
Another Smithsonian. The modern and classic Art Museums
Smithsonian Natural History and Science Museum
Old Post Office Pavilion

Navy Memorial

Another favorite! National Archives
I couldn't find a good pic for the next one...the American History Museum
Walked around the National Mall
Ahhhh....the tidal basin. I love it.
Jefferson Memorial. So beautiful.
Sketching...
The Roosevelt Memorial
Lincoln Memorial

WWII memorial. We even waded our feet in on the hot day. It was very nice. Pretty social gathering.
Ford's theater, where Lincoln was shot.
Portrait gallery in Chinatown
Oh, yes. Matchbox. I shared my beloved restaurant with Jim and Kristi and they were in Heaven.
The Building Museum
I had an amazing time with them. Also, smoking some hookah and relaxing on my balcony.


Then, off to Colorado to commission Shawn and watch him graduate from the Air Force Academy!

Look at this: This is the Garden of the Gods. Beautiful area where Shawn would go rock climbing, etc.
No sad face....this is the academy's chapel
Commissioning Shawn!
Shawn and the folks!


Graduation
Shawn walking up to the stage after his name was called. He got to salute and shake hands with Joe Biden (who did the speech).
Thunderbirds did a crazy, sweet show after graduation.


Pfewww. It's been fun. Then, after I got home, went to spend some time in Baltimore with Tanya and Phil for my bday. We went to Medieval Times and then Howl at the Moon (a rockin piano bar). It's been fun. I'm so glad it's summer. I've laid out by my pool, which is very nice. Getting a nice tan already. Life is so much more fun when the sun is out.

Vacations and shopping sprees, these are a few of her favorite things. - Good Charlotte, Boys And Girls

I start leave tomorrow night! I'm picking Jim and Kristi up at the airport! Man, I miss those two. They haven't been up here to visit in DC and I'm sooo excited. So many things to show them! I know I won't get everything. There is just too much, but I'll get the good stuff.

This week has been tiring. Three doc appts, including one filling at the dentist that was supposed to be small, but almost ended up as a root canal. It was in the very back left top of my mouth so they had a hard time getting to it. I'm still sore.

Patton seems to be high after licking my foot lotion off.....such a strange cat.

Tonight at small group we discussed our spiritual gifts. It really reminded me as to why I am a nurse. My top two were Mercy and Leadership. I tied those two. Then, it was hospitable. I love taking care of people when they are sick and can't take care of themselves, but I wish I would remember to share God's love more. I did that one week. We had our missions month and I really thought about being more vocal with my faith and had some great discussions with patients and their families. I've really been blessed with this small group. I am not going to want to leave them this fall. I've really grown a LOT in my spiritual walk since I started going there. I don't think I've been this strong in my walk in years. It's such a great feeling.

Anywho, gotta get sleep so I can run errands tomorrow before work and then pick up Jim and Kristi!

By keeping her heart protected, she'll never ever feel rejected. - Kelly Clarkson, Miss Independent

Reasons I got a cat:
-I don't feel like "walking" it
-it doesn't cry at night
-I don't have to sit and feed it
-No dirty diapers
-No picking up poop in general
-auto litter box. auto food bowl. nothing to do.
-soft, cuddly. gives me love when I want it, but doesn't bug me and demand time.

Now, since I got my patio furniture and I've spent every evening outside, Patton has been so clingy and needy! The second I walk in, he won't leave me alone until I open my patio door, then he will walk out and look back to see if I join him. If not, he will come back in and follow me all over until I go out and sit with him and brush him, etc.

I picked him up today by his front legs and looked at him eye to eye and told him this is exactly why I don't want children or a dog right now! He's supposed to be independent enough that I don't have to go out of my way to play with him, but when I do want him, he's there. What happens when your cat becomes co-dependent? I didn't think it could happen.

I guess it's kinda cute. Now that I have the wire up on my balcony so Patton can't get between the bars, I feel much better leaving him out there and not watching him.

I try and leave the windows open while I'm gone so he can watch the birds. Maybe I need to get some catnip plants for him to chew on. It's kinda like cat prozac. I need the cat whisperer. Maybe take him to a kitty shrink? Hmm.

Other news: check out my facebook photo albums. I had a great time this weekend. Nurses cruise on the Potomac, hung out in Bethesda and then Baltimore.

I'll spend my mornings at the sunshine café. - Pete Townshend, Brilliant Blues

Again, patton being the judge and model, I think I chose well!

Tanya and I got out of class early today, so we took the long trek to sterling, virginia to go to the one store in the area that had this set! I'm so happy. I sat out there with patton for a few hours watching the birds, talkin on the phone and enjoying sun after monsoon week, dc style.

Tomorrow is our nurse brunch/cruise on the potomac! Pictures to follow!
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Happy Nurses Week!

This is my last nurses video for the National Naval Medical Center's nurse's week.....it was my third year doing it. I wonder who will get the honor after I leave! hahaha. Sucker!

No, I really had fun with this one because I made it a WWII theme and found some cute songs.



This week I'm in the wound/ostomy care class. It's so interesting. We have people from all sorts of commands and branches of the military and VA systems. It's great to hear all different aspects of wound care. War time/traumatic, chronic diabetic, ostomies, fistulas, products, research, the latest and greatest in wound care, bed selection, etc! I know. I'm such a dork. I wish I had this info when I had been on our med/surg floor!

I'm having a blast. It doesn't hurt that Tanya's taking it too. :) I have a buddy in class with me. It makes me want to go back for my master's.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

I have a pillow out on my patio until I get around to buying patio furniture. Patton likes to go out and knows the routine. I brush him and he watches the birds and lays in the sun. I'm so glad I got an apartment with a balcony!

The courtyard looks better green!

Hot child in the city, running wild and looking and pretty. - Nick Gilder, Hot Child In The City

This was at the corner market in greenville, dallas. They had dublin dr pepper and amazing food!

Small things are big, huge things are small, tiny acts have huge effects, everything counts, nothing is lost. - Project Pitchfork, Alpha Omega

Old Cowboys stadium in Irving. Yuck. Nasty roof. Bad design...there was a hole in the roof. There was no air conditioning because it wasn't closed, but it would trap the heat in...so it was always crazy hot!

New cowboys stadium in Arlington!!! Woo hoo! Dude. This place is MASSIVE. Beautiful, too.

These are just some random shots of downtown while riding with Courtney. I think Dallas is so pretty. I spent some quality time with Courtney and Shelley. I haven't seen either of them in almost a year. Way too long. I wish we could do this every weekend. They showed me some cute places in Dallas. We sat outside and enjoyed coffee, sun and good friends. I miss Texas.

Just look at this skyline...

I don't have pictures of Fort Worth this time. Everyone I know now lives here in Arlington or the Dallas side. We did stop by the Main Street Arts Festival in Sundance Square in Fort Worth, but my legs really hurt so I went home to ice and rest.

That was the beginning of the trip. It was weird. Today, I didn't even think about the fact that I had surgery almost 3 weeks ago. This was the first day, I hopped out of bed and was walking around and didn't even notice pain. They still feel "tight" and I can't move certain ways because of that, but no real pain anymore! It's been getting better and better every day. Thank you, Lord!

Going back home to DC tomorrow. Mixed feelings about that, but less sad than I have been in the past. I miss my friends in Maryland. They are good people. At least, I know I will be moving to Jacksonville in October and that makes it easier to go back too. I won't be there too long. I'm just not happy on my floor. I'm not challenged. I don't like the kind of work. Monotonous. It's all checklists, but no real "bedside" nursing. Ah well. This all makes me well rounded, right?? haha.

sign said beer bait and ammo - Kevin Fow

Hell of a Friday night in Texas. Sonic and the gun range. I've been really stuck in a rut with the leg stuff. Haven't done much of anything in the past two weeks, so it felt good to get out.

All the stores and even the gun range were sold out of the ammo Jeff needed. Wonder if it's the fear of a new administration, taxes, or the talk (possibly joking? Can't be sure) of Texas seceding. Chuck Norris has even stated he would run for President too! (That's no joke)

Applause, applause, life is our cause. - Joni Mitchell, All I Want

This groundbreaking occurred when I was in Kuwait, but I watched it this morning. Gives me chills when he talks about the caregivers of the armed forces and how special they are. Things like this always remind me how extraordinary it is to be a navy nurse.

It's a long video, but you can just skip through and scan parts of it. The President starts talking right about 8 min in. It's the groundbreaking of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. (Done at our campus tower) At 18:30 in the video a cute presentation happens as they are getting ready to do the groundbreaking. Makes all the guests laugh a bit. You might look at that part.

They are closing the current Walter Reed hospital in 2 years and will be moved over to join with the Navy at Bethesda. There's a lot of craziness going on around the campus, but it's kinda exciting.

When the working day is done, girls they just want to have fun. - Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Want To Have Fun

The past week I've sat around and iced my legs. Grew annoyed with not being able to walk and watched tons of TLC. I also realized that I've lost all the fun in blogging. my posts in college used to include stick pictures of my nursing exams killing me.

So, I'm going to bring the fun back. Before the navy. Before having a career. Before bills, metro, DC, and leaving to explore the world.

Other short news. My mom left today. It's kinda boring without her here now. I'll be going to Texas on wednesday though, so I'll see her soon. I don't know what I would have done without her. She even would straighten my rug when I got OCD and was going crazy staring at it. Mom's are the best.

We all have pain, we all have sorrow, but if we are wise we know that there's always tomorrow. - Bill Withers, Lean On Me

I had my surgery last Thursday. Thursday and Friday it was pretty painful to get up and I could barely put weight on my legs. Saturday was much better and Sunday was great. I walked a LOT on Sunday.

The more I got my legs going, the better it felt, so I thought it was good that I was walking. Then, I woke up Monday and it was like I had stepped back a day. My right leg seems to be getting worse since then. I'm back to not being able to put weight on that leg. My left one is okay. Just a little sore. I woke up last night in pain, which was the first time that had happened.

My mom still had to come in and help me stand to get on my crutches. Realizing that she was leaving today, I knew I had to learn how to do it without her. The sad thing is. I couldn't. I would get my weight up and then fall forward and have to step on my left leg and yelp in pain. I keep trying to mentally tell myself the pain isn't there and just try and put weight on it, but it's not working. I'm just getting frustrated. I was teased. Sunday was great. I was almost walking normal and since then I'm just getting more and more sore.

I've had more calf pain on the right leg, so I've been wondering if I could have a DVT, but I don't know. I may call the clinic tomorrow if it's not better.

I thought maybe some of my friends could come by and keep me company, but I was realizing that most of my friends are working or doing stuff this weekend for easter, etc. I'm kinda glad my mom is here. She can help get stuff for me and get me up to get to the bathroom, etc.

I hate not being independent. I hate pain meds. I'm mad I was better and I think I made it worse by doing too much.

I am a rock, I am an island. And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries. - Simon and Garfunkel, I Am A Rock

Wednesday night, I picked my mom up from the airport. She flew in to help out with me after my surgery. For a while, I kept telling her I was okay and had friends and she didn't need to come, but I'm really glad she did. I have amazing friends that would all be there if they needed to be, but I just never want to call and put them out.

Thursday morning we headed to the hospital to check in. I got changed and sat in the APU waiting for the OR to call for me. Dr. Dickens came by and checked in. That was nice. I didn't think I'd see any of the docs that day. Tanya came by to check on me on her way into work. Eventually, it was time to head over to the OR. Thankfully, it was nice and warm in the pre-op area. We all got in our beds and got warm blankets. My anesthesiologist and nurse came over and we started going through all the paperwork and getting me ready for the OR. I loved the anesthesiologist. He was pretty cool. He asked me if I drink beer, wine or hard liquor. I asked him, "what are you buying?" haha. He liked that. I told him I drink beer more than anything these days and he told me he was giving me my 12 pack and injected something into my IV. They unlocked the bed and asked me to tell them when I felt something. They pulled the bed away from the wall and I told them I was starting to feel something and that anything I said after that point could not be used against me! I vaguely remember getting in the room and getting strapped down and hooked into all the machines and the face mask on and that's it.

I woke up in the PACU with the nurse poking my toes. I could feel it. I woke up pretty easily. No nausea. No spinning feeling. I drank a whole can of ginger ale and felt pretty good. I got back over to the APU and had to have a lot of help getting to the chair. My legs were starting to hurt pretty bad, but I wanted to wait until I got some food in my stomach to take pain meds. Andrew stopped by to see me after the surgery, which was nice to see him.

After I got changed and my meds were picked up, I was ready to go. My momma wheeled me out to my car and we headed home. It took me a LONG time to get all the way to my apartment from my front door. It hurt really bad and I was going very slow.

I haven't really moved from my sleeper sofa or bed much. Only to go to the bathroom and back. It's feeling better than the first day, but still hurts pretty bad to get up. My calves are very swollen and bruised, but it's expected. I'm just so glad to have this part out of the way. A few weeks from now I hope to be up walking more and eventually running without any pain!

I have some great friends! Thank you all for checking in on me and stopping by!