Impressions from an ordinary week

Since sleep is eluding me, I might as well do something! I don't have any big inspiration to write about, just some impressions from last week.

This is my weekend to work, and yesterday was a good day. It started out with a caramel latte from McDonald's - my work weekend treat. One of the pharmacists who is an amazing cook brought in food for the whole day. For breakfast, homemade quiche made with eggs, potatoes, ham, broccoli, onion, and cheese as near as I could tell. Also fresh fruit, consisting of watermelon, grapes, blueberries, and strawberries. And of course, cronuts!! There was a beautiful looking salad for lunch that included chicken, black beans, tomato chunks, colorful sweet peppers and purple onions, with toppings of tortilla strips, cheese, salsa, and homemade Ranch dressing. It was all so delicious! It amazes me that she went to all that work for only the six of us who were working. It's not like that every weekend - it depends on who's working if food gets brought in. There hasn't been much food brought in lately so on Friday I took in whoopie pie bars, which went over well!

Last week I trained for the 6:30 am  - 3:00 pm position. The lead technician usually works that shift, although everyone gets trained for it. The 6:30 person is the one in charge of keeping the front pharmacy running smoothly. I enjoyed it and especially liked getting off earlier! Now I am officially trained in all areas of the pharmacy, almost a year after I started. I'm really glad I have all that behind me. The first few months were a steep learning curve and I feel like I've learned so much in the last year!

One special moment last week was when I had to go in the C-section room to refill Pyxis and heard a baby's first cry! Another sweet, unexpected gift was a bouquet of wildflowers from Shelby. He picked them along the road and delivered them to my house just for me! 😍

We've had some beautiful summer weather this week and my flowers are showing it. Looking out my windows and seeing flowers makes me happy!

Maybe I'll get up now and make a coffee cake to take to work this morning. I've been inspired by the pharmacist who so generously made all that food yesterday!

Five senses of summer

Summer

Tastes like...

• A caramel sundae on a warm evening
• Juicy watermelon       
• Fresh-picked blueberries 
• Sweet iced tea

Feels like...

• Silky, warm bedsheets against your skin
• Comfy flip flops 
• Heaven

Smells like...

• Sunscreen
• Fresh-mown hay
• A hamburger fry

Sounds like...

• Birdsong
• Children's laughter 
• An evening thunderstorm 

Looks like...

• Freckles, sun-kissed skin, and lighter hair
• Queen Anne's lace and blue chicory blooming along the road
• Winking fireflies 
• Porch-sittin at the end of the day

What are your five senses of summer? I'd love to hear!

seven small positive thoughts

This has been a soggy week and I've been struggling to find joy in the daily grind. When day after day the clouds and downpours continue it starts to affect my mental health. My work schedule has been so topsy turvy the last few weeks and I'm experiencing bullying at work which adds to the unhappiness. I believe it's time to list some positives!

1. It's officially summer and the longest day of the year! Plus, the sun came out this afternoon and it's supposed to be a nice weekend! 🙌

2. A delicious supper at Charles & SaraBeth's tonight and time spent with my nieces. 😍

3. Donuts! How can you be sad when you're eating a donut? Some things are just worth the calories. I believe a trip to our favorite bakery tomorrow would be in place.

4. Cliff isn't picky about having full course rounded-out meals. Taco salad suits us just fine for supper!

5. Scented lotion. Such a small thing, but it makes me happy when I'm wearing it!

6. Books - the ultimate escape.

7. A good night's rest. Helps to clear the mind and prepare for another day.

Favorite home and garden tools

I thought it would be fun to write about some of my most used/favorite home and garden tools.

Favorite garden tools

1. Brentwood Wheelbarrow

I'm so pleased to own a pink Brentwood wheelbarrow! It's sturdy, easy to manipulate, and one of my most useful outdoor tools. Every bit of our mulch was shoveled and unloaded from this wheelbarrow by yours truly. It's hauled loads of rocks, weeds, and plants as well.

2. Dewalt cordless blower

I was skeptical when Cliff bought this little blower because I thought a battery operated blower wouldn't have much power. However, I found out it works wonderfully for blowing off the walk, porch, and deck. It's lightweight and so handy!

3. Nitrile touch gardening gloves

These gloves fit snugly and don't feel bulky, allowing full use of your hands for gardening. They're tough and will last awhile too.

4. Amish reel-type clothesline

My grandma used to have a reel-type clothesline that I always thought was neat. They are very popular among the Amish, who have looonng clotheslines for their big families. My wish for one was granted several years ago, stretching from the deck to the storage shed. Mine is only long enough for approximately two loads of wash. As I mentioned before, I like hanging wash outside and I love my clothesline!

Favorite household items

1. Simplicity cordless vacuum

This is definitely one of my most used household tools. It operates like a regular vacuum, without a cord. The salesman at our local vacuum store highly recommended it over other brands. A fully charged battery lasts for around an hour and the suction is wonderful. The only thing I don't like about it is that there's no attachments - it's just a bare bones vacuum (but not a bare bones price 😬 FYI, I did not pay the amount you see if you click on the link!) It's so quick to pull this out when you have a little mess to clean up, but I even use it to vacuum the whole house sometimes. Cliff often comes home with bits of spray foam on his clothes that fall off in the bathroom. He can grab this vacuum and sweep them up, no stress!

2. Yeti Rambler 30 oz.

I keep this cup at work and use it every day. It keeps my water colder for longer than any other drink cup I've had. Plus, it's pink!

3. Fly lady purple rags

Several years ago Keela gave us ladies each a set of these rags for Christmas. I keep one under the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and in the laundry room for quick cleaning. They do a great job!

4. Norwex microfiber dusting mitt

I got one of these at Christmas and have used it a lot. See some dust? Grab your mitt, run your hand over the spot, and done! For some reason it makes dusting seem much easier!

5. Heavy duty clothes drying rack

Another Amish favorite! I use this a lot in the winter when it's too cold to hang clothes outside. I set it up in the basement and heat from the woodstove quickly dries the laundry. It holds a surprising amount of wash, and won't collapse. Well worth the cost!

Night shift in the pharmacy

My second night at work is over, three more to go! Working night shift is a little different than days, and I've been seeing new parts of the hospital. At night is when we restock the OR, cath lab, and other areas associated with procedures. There are eight operating rooms, two endo suites, and four cath labs, each with a Pyxis machine.

Pyxis anesthesia system

Unless there's an emergency, the OR suites aren't used at night. There's only a few operating personnel on call, and you might not even see them. I've never had a good look at the operating rooms - I've had to go up during the day a time or two when they ran out of something, but usually they would be in the middle of a case and I had to get in and out as quickly as possible. It's quite a feeling to be in a cold, silent operating room at night, surrounded by expensive equipment and technology. It makes me even more intrigued with what goes on there. I'd love to watch a procedure in real life sometime. One of the rooms is for robotic surgery.

Da Vinci robot

In a robotic surgery, the instruments are held by the robot while the surgeon sits at a console, controlling the arms. When I was studying medical coding, my course gave me access to videos of real-life recorded surgeries. I watched one of a robotic surgery and was totally fascinated.

Our job during night shift is to pull all the drugs for the OR Pyxis machines, label all IV fluids and OR solutions for the day's cases, and deliver them. At night there's only one pharmacist and one tech working, so you are also responsible to answer phones, make any stat IV meds, and deliver meds to nursing floors as needed. The first night I was training was a lot busier than last night and I didn't even have a chance to sit down until around 5:00. Last night was slower - it depends somewhat on how many cases are scheduled for the day. The first night went by pretty fast, but last night seemed to drag because I had more time to watch the clock.

The first night I felt good and wasn't tired until towards morning, but last night wasn't so great. Being up all night and sleeping during the day messes with your internal biological clock. I worked night shift one week when I first started at the hospital as a secretary and was training in the ER. My stomach was upset for the first few nights and I'm experiencing that again. I had a few snacks and tried to drink lots of water, but that didn't really help. I feel like I need a caffeinated drink to keep me awake and alert through the night, and that probably doesn't make my stomach issues any better. Both nights I got a McDonald's large sweet tea and sipped it throughout my shift. For some reason a coffee drink didn't seem enticing, but now sweet tea doesn't sound good to me either. I'm not sure what I'll have tonight. After tonight I have one night off, then finish up Sunday night. I kind of wish my five nights were all in a row instead of broken up like that. It's hard on your circadian rhythm and you can't really get in a routine. But this too shall pass!

Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny day and after sleeping until noon, I worked outside for several hours. Today is rainy and dreary and I don't have much motivation to get anything done. Maybe it will be a curl-up-on-the-couch-and-read type of day!

work and leisure

Random happenings and thoughts are on my mind, so I'll just start writing and see how this turns out!

Last night at work there was a little excitement. A patient in CCU had to have an emergent bedside TEE. Normally this procedure is done in the cath lab, where they have all the needed meds and supplies. Since it was being done bedside, pharmacy had to send some meds. I took a call from the cardiologist who said, "Listen, I need you to get that Hurricaine spray and lidocaine up here NOW." I told him we were working on it, and he said "Yes, I know you're working on it, but the patient is sedated and I need it in the next 30 seconds." He wasn't mean about it, but definitely put the pressure on! Interesting side note, this cardiologist is a nephew to Joan Rivers. He's very talkative and intense, and I think he's a good doctor. Awhile later, the pharmacist told me this same patient needed Kcentra, an IV medication given for an uncontrolled bleed. I never mixed it before, and they already called asking for it. After getting a brief instruction from the pharmacist, I headed back to the clean room to figure it out. The method of mixing is a little different than normal, and I had a few problems so the pharmacist ended up coming to help. Thank goodness I didn't mess it up, because the dose the patient got was worth at least $60,000! Next time I have to do it, I'll know much better how to do the manipulations. It seems most people, including me, learn a lot better by doing, rather than watching. That's how we get trained in the pharmacy, anyway! 

My work schedule is a little undesirable right now. I have 9 work days of 2:30 - 11 PM, followed by night shift training, which will be 5 nights of 11 PM - 7 AM. By the time that's over, it will be the middle of June. Such a lovely month and I'm confined to being indoors working or sleeping the day away. I find it hard to get a routine when I work until 11 PM. When I get home, I'm not ready to sleep right away, so I end up reading or something until 1 or 2 AM. Then I sleep late, maybe do a few things around the house, leisurely get ready for work, and start all over again. It makes me feel sluggish and I find myself procrastinating even more than usual. 

My flowers and woodland gardens are looking great even though it feels like I haven't given them much attention. Thanks to Preen, the weeds in the woodland beds are staying quite manageable. I still need to plant some flowers by the mailbox. I wanted to try bubblegum petunias but when I checked at two greenhouses today, they were gone. 

Today was a perfect sunny day and my day off, so I spent some time reading in my chair on the deck. I believe in seizing the opportunity to enjoy a perfect day when you get one!

The sky was the clearest blue, and it wasn't humid. It was a perfect wash-drying day, and I can't wait to sleep on my sun-dried fresh sheets tonight! Hanging wash outside is so satisfying. 

After supper I took a walk. The last few weeks I've been sporadic in keeping up that habit. Maybe if I publicly acknowledge that I've been slacking, it will motivate me to try harder! I always feel better when I do it, but my self discipline is lacking.  

It's June... live in the sunshine, smell the flowers, spend time porch sittin', and seize the day!