Month in review

We all make decisions on how to start a new year- things to do, things to stop doing. Spend less, eat less, exercise more, study more. Few of us stick with them for more than a month or two.

I started the year with this list of challenges:

·         Packing my lunch

·         No book buying this year

·         No elevators

·         Back to school

·         Only post positive items on Facebook

·         Downsize my  belongings

·         Doing new things

For the most part, I have kept to not buying lunch and I brew my own coffee. And as of today I have not purchased a book in 2016- so expect Amazon stock to tank soon.

I have limited my elevator use and have started doing 2 miles on the treadmill six nights out of 7. When I walked up to the 6th floor last night in the parking garage, it was the first time reaching the top that I didn't fear I would require cardioversion. Progress.

My two classes keep me busy- school reading takes getting used to after being out of the habit for such a long time. As far as Facebook- my single remaining account has been pretty much positive- it is an election year so I may slip up there, and as a single person, I make no promises about Valentine’s day.

On February 10th, Ash Wednesday, 40 bags begins again at my house.

Embracing adventure to get in my 50 New Things before I turn 50. I have over 20 new things to go to make my goal of 50 by the time I turn 50. With just over 400 days to go, I need to stay focused on it.

So how are your resolutions going?

When over is really over- Ebola 2016

WHO says the Ebola epidemic has ended. I am cautiously optimistic, as we have been here before.

As Western Africa rebuilds after over two years of Ebola, I am hopeful- that these countries will get the assistance they need and that they will succeed in restoring their medical infrastructure.

11,000 are dead and thousands of lives were changed forever. Hopefully the world's nations have learned from this crisis.

Resolutions 2016

My goals this year are simple. I am going to do more things for me, my career and my life.

I am still working on being debt free and using cash only… this is a multi-year project but it is my priority. I am going to be buying things I need, and stop buying stuff I don’t need. So what does that look like?

It means I need to commit to packing my lunch instead of buying stuff in the cafeteria each day.

I have over a year’s worth of books in my house- so no book buying this year (Gosh it hurt to type that!!!)

I am not going to take elevators and will add steps when I can. The far away parking space- that is where you will find me.

I am going back to school- I begin two graduate level courses, one in Holistic Nursing and the other in Human Genetics, on January 11^th that run till May, so I will be dusting off the old grey cells and studying more- by default, that means less time on social media and less time watching TV.  So I am down to one Facebook account since I no longer need my work one, and on it I will only post positive items for the whole year! Can it be done??? We will see.

I am going to continue to downsize what I own. My daughter, who is fundraising for her travel with Up with People will be selling the items of value that we are letting go of and donating the rest.

I am also doing new things- embracing adventure to get in my 50 New Things before I turn 50. Life is a journey and I intend to enjoy the ride. 2016- show me what you’ve got!

Remembering Anton

I was told about Anton when he was 10 months old. I remember thinking he had an amazing smile

 

Then I met his folks on-line- these amazing people who became his forever family.

 

 

I met Anton for the first time in Florida in 2012 - this memory still makes me happy.

 

It has been a long hard road since then.

 

 

Today, my heart is heavy as we say goodbye for now to this little boy who changed us all so much.

I am praying for his family tonight.

 

 

 

Certified

I took a Pediatric Certification review course in October with an amazing instructor, Dr. Louise Jakubik of Nurse Builders. The course was sponsored by my hospital and over the course of two full days we “reviewed” everything a certified pediatric nurse needs to know.

Reviewed is in parenthesis because some of the information we reviewed was brand new to me. Remember, my Pediatric Nursing rotation was in the fall of 1988. Still- a good portion of the information was familiar- areas where I had practiced were easily reviewed and the tools we were given over the two days were invaluable.

After the course, I applied to see if I was eligible to take the test, and once I got approved, scheduled the exam for December 5^th. I reviewed and studied then did an on-line practice test. I barely passed and I got really nervous.

The test is 175 questions, of which 150 are scored. It is completely multiple choice, but it is the “best” answer of the four… which makes the test harder.

Passing and becoming certified means I can be considered for promotion at some point. That is a really big deal.

So I studied… did practice questions… reviewed.

Finally test day came. I had not realized how stressed I was. The day was foggy, and the 14 car pile-up closed the highway right in front of me, so channeling Tony Stewart, I swung over multiple lanes to get off the highway before I was trapped with nowhere to go.

Driving locally made the trip longer, but I had left a ton of extra time, so I got to the test center ahead of my 9am test time. I had to put all my things in a locker, show the empty pockets of my jeans, and then I was wanded before being seated for the test. 

The tutorial that explained how the computer based testing worked seemed to take longer than the 12 minutes the clock said elapsed.

Finally the test. 175 questions. Some were easy- I knew them cold. Some I outright guessed at. But mostly I just said what I would do in a given situation.

After the 175 questions, I had to evaluate the testing and center… It seemed to take FOREVER!

Finally my results were posted. I passed. I could not tell you if I passed by a point or twenty. But I am certified. And so very relieved!

When over isn't over...

Ebola is back in Liberia and I am heartsick. I am praying for West Africa. The infrastructure and economies of the affected countries will take years to recover.

Kyle Busch, a true Cinderella story

It is no secret the new Chase format annoys me- how can it be a Championship when the results are based on taking out another car to advance and plain out good luck, rather than who wins the most and has finished the best over the year? Or avoiding bad luck, perhaps.

Still, except for Kevin Harvick (who wrecked the Talladega field to advance) I was happy with the final four drivers.  And Harvick had an amazing year- was that 14 second place finishes? All the money was on Harvick to win. Gordon was the sentimental favorite, of course, driving in his final race, but it seemed everyone thought it was Harvick’s championship to lose.

I was with the underdog- The one car team from Denver, with Truex, who got a raw deal in the scandal at Michael Waltrip Racing a few years ago. Martin was my man going in. And can I say it completely freaked me out when they caught fire in pit lane?

Strangely, it didn’t seem to bother either driver or crew chief… WHAT!!

The car however did not cooperate with the dream- it was hard to handle and Truex finished 4^th for the season. His best season ever, but I was still a bit sad for him.

And so we come to Kyle Busch… who has, in a word, been terrible in the Chase races up until this year. Kyle Busch, who swept at Bristol in 2010, had never won a Chase race.

And then on February21, 2015, the day before the Daytona 500, Rowdy took part, as he often did in the Xfinity Series race. On Lap 113, we all watched as he hit a wall with no SAFER barrier. We watched his very pregnant wife race to the infield care center as Kyle had to be helped from his car. He was hurt. Badly hurt. But conscious, thank God.

11 races came and went while Kyle Busch recovered from multiple lower extremity fractures. He was still home when his son was born on May 18th. A  lifetime by NASCAR standards.

NASCAR said that if Kyle came back and won a race and could get himself in the top 30 in points, they would consider him eligible for the Chase. So back he came and race he did. In short order he won, first at Sonoma, then at Kentucky, Loudon, and the Brickyard back to back.

Superman made it into the top 30 and the Chase, and this chase was different. He was in Victory lane congratulating winning drivers. He joked at being a big Jimmie Johnson fan when Johnson snagged a win from Bad Brad. He made the final four… AMAZING!

He was playing with house money. And he raced like he was on the track by himself.

I will skip over the late race bogus debris caution… NASCAR really, I am rolling my eyes!!

Rowdy bringing it home was pure joy- even as I rooted for Truex, this is a fairytale ending I can get behind.

So the Drive for 5 is over, Harvick is a one-hit wonder for now, and the little team that could landed 4^th- which is nothing to shake a stick at. M&Ms all around- See you all in Daytona.