So I typed out an extremely long and whiney post complaining about the job search, moving, finding a sublet, the rain... it was just pathetic. Well I got it all out, and then I deleted it!! Had to put the kibosh on all the negativity. It felt good to write, but then looking at it just made me feel crappy all over again.
Only positive thoughts and forward thinking for this girl!
Lost another half pound, 165 on the nose. Time to kick the workouts into high gear!
October 28, 2010
October 19, 2010
Mechanic Comedy
Yay!! Jeep is all tuned up and ready for the drive south.
So I stopped at the service shop yesterday to get some estimates for a tune up, oil change, and coolant flush... $345, add new thermostat... $445, what!! Next, with estimate in hand, I went to the auto parts store and asked cute tattoo boy to help me add up all the parts and bits and pieces that I would need to do it myself, not including a few new tools I would need... $215, add new thermostat... $225. Yeah, a $10 part w/labor raised the estimate by a hundo!! Final decision was to have the professionals, and I use the term loosely, take care of the tune/lube/flush and to replace the thermostat myself.
Here we go.
After calling and making an appointment for the Jeep I begin preparation for the thermostat transplant. First, don the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment). Second, drape the appropriate areas with old towels rags. Here's where my planned procedures all went to hell. I placed a bucket under the radiator and slowly removed the plug, steady flow then it quickly slowed, I forgot to remove the radiator cap, duh. So I unscrew the cap and out gushes some more nasty coolant, about half making it into the bucket. Now I'm scrambling around sopping up coolant with towels. Okay, so I reposition the bucket, replace the radiator cap, and heat up the Jeep to get out the rest of the coolant. I'm back in control, or so I think. After running the engine for about ten minutes I'm still not seeing any fluid coming out. Back to the Chilton manual, a.k.a. car care bible... I forgot to remove the cap again... double duhh!! So I double check the position of the bucket based on previous trajectory and unscrew the cap, HOLY MACARONI!!! About 6L of brown nasty coolant came shooting out of the radiator missing the bucket by about 2ft!! Cue girl swearing like sailor and scrambling around with towels.
It just gets better and better... I had to sit on the engine block in order to get enough leverage to loosen the bolts. Let me paint the picture: 95 Jeep Wrangler, lifted, and really big tires...with the aide of a step ladder I climb in and sit on the engine facing the front of the Jeep. I bang my head on the hood when the first bolt broke free, should have added helmet to the PPE, scraped my knuckles when the second bolt gave way, at this point I had abandoned the gloves for better grip on the wrench, some more swearing. Fast forward another hour and a half, some more swearing, many more crazy positions, and I was finally done. Of course, now that I'm cleaning up, all the guys that have been following my progress from their balconies all start trickling out, "So whacha working on?" "Are you a mechanic?" "Did ya fix it?" then they start asking about all the specs on the Jeep... lift, tires, engine... Why didn't anybody ever tell me working on a car makes you suddenly hotter? I had four possible dates for Monday Night Football. Instead I opted to stay in and soak in the tub with a glass of wine and a book. Goodness, I need another bubble bath just thinking about the whole crazy ordeal.
And if you're wondering, knowing how difficult it ended up being, would I still have decided to do it myself, absolutely, it was kinda fun.
Current weight 165.5
So I stopped at the service shop yesterday to get some estimates for a tune up, oil change, and coolant flush... $345, add new thermostat... $445, what!! Next, with estimate in hand, I went to the auto parts store and asked cute tattoo boy to help me add up all the parts and bits and pieces that I would need to do it myself, not including a few new tools I would need... $215, add new thermostat... $225. Yeah, a $10 part w/labor raised the estimate by a hundo!! Final decision was to have the professionals, and I use the term loosely, take care of the tune/lube/flush and to replace the thermostat myself.
Here we go.
After calling and making an appointment for the Jeep I begin preparation for the thermostat transplant. First, don the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment). Second, drape the appropriate areas with old towels rags. Here's where my planned procedures all went to hell. I placed a bucket under the radiator and slowly removed the plug, steady flow then it quickly slowed, I forgot to remove the radiator cap, duh. So I unscrew the cap and out gushes some more nasty coolant, about half making it into the bucket. Now I'm scrambling around sopping up coolant with towels. Okay, so I reposition the bucket, replace the radiator cap, and heat up the Jeep to get out the rest of the coolant. I'm back in control, or so I think. After running the engine for about ten minutes I'm still not seeing any fluid coming out. Back to the Chilton manual, a.k.a. car care bible... I forgot to remove the cap again... double duhh!! So I double check the position of the bucket based on previous trajectory and unscrew the cap, HOLY MACARONI!!! About 6L of brown nasty coolant came shooting out of the radiator missing the bucket by about 2ft!! Cue girl swearing like sailor and scrambling around with towels.
It just gets better and better... I had to sit on the engine block in order to get enough leverage to loosen the bolts. Let me paint the picture: 95 Jeep Wrangler, lifted, and really big tires...with the aide of a step ladder I climb in and sit on the engine facing the front of the Jeep. I bang my head on the hood when the first bolt broke free, should have added helmet to the PPE, scraped my knuckles when the second bolt gave way, at this point I had abandoned the gloves for better grip on the wrench, some more swearing. Fast forward another hour and a half, some more swearing, many more crazy positions, and I was finally done. Of course, now that I'm cleaning up, all the guys that have been following my progress from their balconies all start trickling out, "So whacha working on?" "Are you a mechanic?" "Did ya fix it?" then they start asking about all the specs on the Jeep... lift, tires, engine... Why didn't anybody ever tell me working on a car makes you suddenly hotter? I had four possible dates for Monday Night Football. Instead I opted to stay in and soak in the tub with a glass of wine and a book. Goodness, I need another bubble bath just thinking about the whole crazy ordeal.
And if you're wondering, knowing how difficult it ended up being, would I still have decided to do it myself, absolutely, it was kinda fun.
Current weight 165.5
October 14, 2010
Time to shed some pounds!!
It has come to my attention that school followed by unemployment, growing debt, asking my parents for help, self-pitty, depression, and an all around lack of laughter has had some ill effects on the size of my ass.
So I'm putting it out there, not my ass, but the scary ugly number on the scale...
167!! I'm only 5'4" that makes my BMI about 29.5, and that's borderline obese! When did a size 12 become obese, or have Americans gotten so fat that we've convinced ourselves that it's normal to be this size? Whatever!
Actually seeing the number on the scale makes me cringe, some women don't even reach this weight 9 months pregnant!
My goal is 135 by February 2, and then a final push for 130 by March 1.
I promise to post my weight every Sunday, good or bad.
Last time I weighed 130 was junior year @ VT... only about 11-12 years ago!!
I've hovered around 140 until recently, so I'm hoping it won't be too painful to get back there.
Wish me luck!
So I'm putting it out there, not my ass, but the scary ugly number on the scale...
167!! I'm only 5'4" that makes my BMI about 29.5, and that's borderline obese! When did a size 12 become obese, or have Americans gotten so fat that we've convinced ourselves that it's normal to be this size? Whatever!
Actually seeing the number on the scale makes me cringe, some women don't even reach this weight 9 months pregnant!
My goal is 135 by February 2, and then a final push for 130 by March 1.
I promise to post my weight every Sunday, good or bad.
Last time I weighed 130 was junior year @ VT... only about 11-12 years ago!!
I've hovered around 140 until recently, so I'm hoping it won't be too painful to get back there.
Wish me luck!
October 13, 2010
Getting the H-E-double hockey sticks outta Dodge!!
Last week I finally got the truth out of Ms. Nurse Recruiter! I have been diligently visiting every hospital/rehab center/nursing home once a week for the past six weeks and I finally heard it... "I'm sorry Ms. Your Bartender, RN, it's just that we don't hire without experience." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry... laugh because this woman has been tolerating my visits for over a month and a half and just now has the cojones to tell it like it is... then I went home and cried because the scary truth is that my little beach town is just that, little, and individuals and businesses alike have been hit hard... blah, blah, blah.
First, step in with the right foot, next with the left, and hike up those effin Rainbow Brite big girl chones.
Your Bartender, RN is on the move!
In about two weeks I will be landing in another beach/college/retiree town, this one not so quiet and not so small, actually more of a metropolitan area than a town. You know what they say, when you leave New Jersey and head south eventually you end up in New Jersey, but this New Jersey has prettier beaches and no snow!
I'm moving in with family... How many Spics can you fit in that house? (What the nosey Jews on the corner are whispering, told you, just like Jersey!)
All jokes aside, I am so grateful for the family that I have... to my big loud crazy familia, I love you!!
Endorsement application... $223
PODS storage... $197
NURSYS verification... $30
CE credits... $25
Fingerprints... $15
Finding somebody to sublease my apartment... priceless!
So far I have a possible New RN residency that will be starting in March... still applying to every position I qualify for, even some I don't. March is a long ways away so it looks like I will once again be carrying steaks around a restaurant while I pound the pavement.
Well this post is getting long and boring so I will...
In future posts I will take shots at other creeds, colors, and the retarded... I don't discriminate, I poke fun at everybody equally!
First, step in with the right foot, next with the left, and hike up those effin Rainbow Brite big girl chones.
Your Bartender, RN is on the move!
In about two weeks I will be landing in another beach/college/retiree town, this one not so quiet and not so small, actually more of a metropolitan area than a town. You know what they say, when you leave New Jersey and head south eventually you end up in New Jersey, but this New Jersey has prettier beaches and no snow!
I'm moving in with family... How many Spics can you fit in that house? (What the nosey Jews on the corner are whispering, told you, just like Jersey!)
All jokes aside, I am so grateful for the family that I have... to my big loud crazy familia, I love you!!
Endorsement application... $223
PODS storage... $197
NURSYS verification... $30
CE credits... $25
Fingerprints... $15
Finding somebody to sublease my apartment... priceless!
So far I have a possible New RN residency that will be starting in March... still applying to every position I qualify for, even some I don't. March is a long ways away so it looks like I will once again be carrying steaks around a restaurant while I pound the pavement.
Well this post is getting long and boring so I will...
In future posts I will take shots at other creeds, colors, and the retarded... I don't discriminate, I poke fun at everybody equally!
September 16, 2010
Who me? I'm not bitter.
Busy GYN office is seeking an experienced RN, professional for a triage/staff nurse position. Must have at least 3 yrs. experience and be able to organize and prioritize responsibilities correctly. Canidate will be a motivated self starter with excellent people skills and have the ability to forsee potential problems and take appropriate action to avoid them. Must have proper certifications and excellent references from prior private practice positions. Applicants without this experience need not apply.
This is what every job post reads like, hospital or private practice, always the same thing. Here's where I'm gonna start offending peeps...
I can understand why a post for a NICU RN may state experience is prefered, but a doctor's office, really!? 3 years, no exceptions!? I've had lots of girlie issues and have spent quite a bit of time with the hole doctor. In all that time I've seen the RNs take history and vitals, set up euipment, ask for pee in a cup, and give depo shots... and one time start CPR, this guy was looking pasty in the waiting room, I asked if he was feeling okay, he said he was anxious about some test results for his daughter(wife and daughter had been back with the doc for a while). Moments later he fell out clutching his chest, the triage nurse started CPR, attached the AED, and yelled for the admin lady to call 911.
3 years? Really!? Give me 3 weeks and I'll prove I can do it. A few weeks ago I preformed 2 rounds of CPR and delivered 2 shocks with the AED, this happenned in the beer section of "The Superstore". EMTs arrived and wisked him away, breathing and with a pulse. I grabbed a six-pack and went to the beach. Can I put that on my resume?
I understand the knowledge that comes with experience is invaluable and that I can't learn it from a book, but would someone please throw me a frickin' bone... please.
This is what every job post reads like, hospital or private practice, always the same thing. Here's where I'm gonna start offending peeps...
I can understand why a post for a NICU RN may state experience is prefered, but a doctor's office, really!? 3 years, no exceptions!? I've had lots of girlie issues and have spent quite a bit of time with the hole doctor. In all that time I've seen the RNs take history and vitals, set up euipment, ask for pee in a cup, and give depo shots... and one time start CPR, this guy was looking pasty in the waiting room, I asked if he was feeling okay, he said he was anxious about some test results for his daughter(wife and daughter had been back with the doc for a while). Moments later he fell out clutching his chest, the triage nurse started CPR, attached the AED, and yelled for the admin lady to call 911.
3 years? Really!? Give me 3 weeks and I'll prove I can do it. A few weeks ago I preformed 2 rounds of CPR and delivered 2 shocks with the AED, this happenned in the beer section of "The Superstore". EMTs arrived and wisked him away, breathing and with a pulse. I grabbed a six-pack and went to the beach. Can I put that on my resume?
I understand the knowledge that comes with experience is invaluable and that I can't learn it from a book, but would someone please throw me a frickin' bone... please.
September 15, 2010
Another application...
Emailed of course, Telemetry 7p-7a. Decided to splurge, I'm off to get my hair did, then marching my ass (and cute new do) into that hospital and I'm gonna sell the hell out of myself!
Public WiFi Whore
I have found all the great public WiFi spots it this town. You see, being a broke and unemployed nurse, certain things had to be sacrificed... 1st went extended cable and HD, 2nd was to get rid of cable all together, and 3rd was my beloved internet. It's amazing how much more productive you can be when you turn off the TV and put down the laptop. I've even started using the facilites in my apartment complex. I sit by the pool... to use the free WiFi, I go to the gym more often... to watch TV. Too many kids at the pool... I sit on the recumbant bike with my laptop and watching TV!
My new home is a beach/college/retiree town. Lots of cafes and bistros, in all just a lot of places to sit outside and enjoy the great weather... with your laptop. The best part is no need to buy anything. The first time I went to Starbucks to use their WiFi I felt obligated to buy a coffee, then noticed that peeps would just roll up, grab a table, whip out some trendy little computer, and sit around for hours. Noticed the same behavior at Barnes & Knoble, people sitting around using their computers. Used to be you found a corner and read a couple chapters of a book, now all the damn comfy chairs are full of WiFi whores and I find myself sitting on the floor reading a CCRN review book.* Has this free public WiFi spawned a new socially acceptable form of loitering? If the crazy bag lady muttering to herself had a iPad would you think differently of her?
*Remember, I'm broke and unemployed, leaves me plenty of time to read but no $$ to buy the books, so I read in the store. Figure, as soon as I get the hours in I'll be ready for the certification exam.
My new home is a beach/college/retiree town. Lots of cafes and bistros, in all just a lot of places to sit outside and enjoy the great weather... with your laptop. The best part is no need to buy anything. The first time I went to Starbucks to use their WiFi I felt obligated to buy a coffee, then noticed that peeps would just roll up, grab a table, whip out some trendy little computer, and sit around for hours. Noticed the same behavior at Barnes & Knoble, people sitting around using their computers. Used to be you found a corner and read a couple chapters of a book, now all the damn comfy chairs are full of WiFi whores and I find myself sitting on the floor reading a CCRN review book.* Has this free public WiFi spawned a new socially acceptable form of loitering? If the crazy bag lady muttering to herself had a iPad would you think differently of her?
*Remember, I'm broke and unemployed, leaves me plenty of time to read but no $$ to buy the books, so I read in the store. Figure, as soon as I get the hours in I'll be ready for the certification exam.
September 13, 2010
New Grad, RN
The term New Grad RN seems to equate to unemployable these days. What about this growing shortage of RNs? So… I’m a New Grad, Dec ’09, then life happened and the RN didn’t get tacked on until a few weeks ago. Since then the job search has been disheartening, discouraging, demoralizing (redundant, I know, but I’m trying to make a point here). No experience, No job... Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200! And when did the application process become so impersonal? Please fill out the online application, do not contact us, we will contact you, that is when and if we deem you worthy of communication. These HR departments are making me crazy!! It was like pulling teeth talking to one recruiter, apparently the Chief Nursing Officer’s name and number are top secret, eff that.
Why do some people have to be so difficult…
One call to the very helpful hospital directory assistance lady and I had the CNO’s name, number, office location, email, her favorite movie, and how she likes her coffee …
Thank you to the very helpful hospital directory assistance lady, if I get the job* I will find you and say it in person, maybe even give you a hug.
So for now it’s back behind the bar, unless Mae and Kona (my canine and feline companions) are finding jobs…didn’t think so…
I swore I would not be returning to the bar scene, geez, my Danskos have barely even dried out and the martini elbow is still acting up, but here I am, Your Bartender, RN.
*Emergency Dept. 7p-7a… wish me luck!
Why do some people have to be so difficult…
One call to the very helpful hospital directory assistance lady and I had the CNO’s name, number, office location, email, her favorite movie, and how she likes her coffee …
Thank you to the very helpful hospital directory assistance lady, if I get the job* I will find you and say it in person, maybe even give you a hug.
So for now it’s back behind the bar, unless Mae and Kona (my canine and feline companions) are finding jobs…didn’t think so…
I swore I would not be returning to the bar scene, geez, my Danskos have barely even dried out and the martini elbow is still acting up, but here I am, Your Bartender, RN.
*Emergency Dept. 7p-7a… wish me luck!
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