A Day in the Life of a Trauma Nurse

It's About Time...

2010-09-07T17:05:00.011-06:00

I figured since it's been over a year since my last post, I should probably update this thing! I think I get lazy since I put all my updates on Facebook, but here's an update for those of you still following!
This past weekend cousin Michelle, our friend April and I went camping up near Basalt, CO. We were in the White River National Forest on Chapman Dam and it was incredible!We went hiking, fishing and just relaxed around the lake. We originally had a pretty crappy campsite with no trees and no place to put a tent, but the camp host let us move and our view of the lake was so worth it!
Of course we made Tonka pies for supper - and even found a great new dessert combination: raspberry pie filling and dark chocolate! I think Dad would like that one!

Sunday we went hiking on the Henderson Trail toward Josephine Lake, but I wasn't feeling very well so Michelle and I only did about a quarter of it. I've had this nasty cold for the past week and hiking up at elevation was not helping it!

Monday morning I stayed back at camp and fished while the others went for another hike. I caught 4 lake trout after a very nice man gave me some advice on what bait to use. It worked! April and Michelle didn't believe me when I told them what I caught until I showed them. Those were some good looking fish! Hmmm, I think I'll grill them for dinner tonight...yummm..

The weekend before was the Susan G. Koman 3-Day for the Cure in downtown Denver. A bunch of girls from work and I were on the medical team and cheered on the 530 walkers who walked 60 miles in 3 days and raised over a million dollars for breast cancer research. Woo-hoo!

The pink tent city at dusk. A very cool experience to see 400 pink tents all lined up like that.

Ami, our fearless leader (and the girl I ride motorcycles with!) We had a blast!

The rest of the girls from work: Janice, me, Robin and Cheri.

Well, I think that's a pretty good update! Hopefully I won't wait another year to post on this thing...

Vacation!

2009-05-05T20:56:00.016-06:00

What an amazing vacation! Amy, Karen and I had the best time - we needed the break from work and enjoyed every minute of our time off! We started out in Ft. Lauderdale the night before the cruise, and had an awesome view from our balcony on the 15th floor.

Karen is a wine aficionado and kept us drinking the good stuff all week! We went to a wine tasting near the hotel, and had a great supper of good cheese and great wine. Oh, and sushi!

Saturday morning we cast off on the cruise and spent all day at open sea. We stopped at Cayo Levantado in the Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, Antigua and Bahamas. My favorite was Antigua - the beach was gorgeous and the water looked almost green. It was so great just to sit on the beach and play in the water. We did some shopping in Antigua and took a taxi tour of St. Maarten, which was fun.

After we landed in Nassau, Bahamas, Karen and I got off the ship and flew to Freeport. We stayed right on the beach for an extra 3 days! It was so nice to wind down after all the parties and dancing on the ship!

Here are a few highlights from the trip!

Cayo Levantado, DR - see the ship in the background? It's huge!

The beach on Antigua.

Formal night on the cruise.

The pool deck on the ship.

Muster drill! Imagine 3,000 people all in life jackets! Hilarious.

Amy and I catching some rays.
At the resort in Freeport, Bahamas.

And now it's back to work. I picked up a few extra shifts since it's been so busy with the flu and everything. But today I was able to do a bunch of yardwork that I've been meaning to do for a while.
I planted some new flowers in the tree bed in the front yard - French Lavender and 'Tiger Eye' Rudbeckia.

And it was time for a little color in the backyard! I put new red mulch in the raspberries and hung 2 pots of pansies and geraniums. It looks so much better! Now if only the grass would spruce up...

And my favorite - a confederate jasmine! I put a trellis up and hopefully it will start climbing! I also found a few solar sun dial lights at Costco that look pretty cool, too.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to! Up next: building a dog run on the side of the house so the two pups stop digging up the yard! :)

Birthday!

2009-04-07T22:22:00.002-06:00

I have the best friends! They took me out for dinner for my birthday tonight, and we had a great time! We went out for sushi - yum. I don't think I've laughed so much in a long time.

Suz enjoying her pina colada.

Me, Sasha and Amber - I love these girls!

Bob and Amy (he's so cute!).

A birthday toast with Suz.

And the best part is, Bob was so great today! He bought me flowers - orange roses, my favorite! - and chocolate and a new sweater. He's such a great brother! There's a reason birthdays only come once a year - if it was more often they wouldn't be as special! What a great day.

Mea Culpa

2009-02-17T22:37:00.017-07:00

Has it really been 3 months since I last posted? How ridiculous! And what have I been doing with all my time, you ask? Well, it's been a nice balance of work and play, and here are a few pictures to prove the play part.

In January I switched from nights to a mid-shift (10a-10p) which is suiting me much better. I'm sleeping like a regular gal, eating better and even getting to the gym on a more regular basis. Kinda makes life more enjoyable, too!

Jessica, Justin, the boys and I went to Steamboat for a few days of rest and snow. We got about 3 feet in 4 days - lots of good powder to play in! I got to be the nanny while J and J went out for their anniversary. Philip turned 6 months while we were there, and is oh-so-cuddly. I love when he squishes his cheek against your face and just holds it there. Quite cute.

So we took some pictures of him to mark the 1/2 year occasion.

He really is quite a sweetie!

And I love those big blue eyes. I'm a little jealous of those wicked-long eyelashes, however...

Benjamin being his typical "cheesy" self. He's pretty good, too.

We took a few walks in the snow - it was so beautiful! Philip stayed warm wrapped up next to me, and even fell asleep. The picture below is one of my favorites. Love the snowflakes on his eyelashes.

Jessica bought this cool little sled for Benjamin, but he wasn't sure about it in the beginning. Ok, so he cried for the first half hour, but then liked it so much he didn't want to get out! Typical 2 year old!
A week after that trip, I flew down to Anniston, Alabama for FEMA training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness. Another nurse from the ER went with me, and even though we learned A LOT we had a great time, too! We met a lot of people who do the same jobs that we do, and were shown just how much work we have to do for the hospital!

In the suites for decon training - it was cool enough that we didn't get all sweaty and overheated. And I felt very loved when members of my team put popcorn in my boots and hair gel in my gloves. Ewww!
The facility had the coolest patient simulators - anything that you can do to a real person you can do to the dummies. They even have syringes with barcodes on them, and when you "give" them to the patient, the computer reacts accordingly. It's pretty amazing! I learned quickly that it's a lot harder to intubate and start IV's when you're in a rubber suit with 3 layers of gloves and a ventilation mask! I guess that's why we practice...

And last, but not least, we have adopted yet another pet! Jack is my friend Joy's Border Collie, and for now we're long-term babysitting him because Joy's husband is not a dog person. Inu and Jack have become siblings already - being that they're both herders they chase each other around the yard all day! It's nice to have Jack around so Inu has someone to keep her company during the day, and they're both really sweet dogs!

So that's the latest from this neck of the woods! Sorry to have taken so long; hope you liked the update!

Party!

2008-11-12T02:12:00.005-07:00

Last week I hosted a wedding shower for my friends Joy and Dave. I'm going to their wedding in a week and a half, but we thought it would be nice to celebrate with people who couldn't make it to Wisconsin for the wedding. The funny thing is that of the 8 people who showed up, only 1 of them isn't going to be at the wedding. Oh, well!

Dave and Joy

There was lots of food, drinks and laughing - and even a little dancing! Plus it gave me a good excuse to really clean the house! We had a great time, and I can't wait to go to the wedding!

Here you go, Mom

2008-10-01T22:18:00.004-06:00

I got a hint from Mom yesterday that I need to update the Blog. So this one's for you, Mom!

I got my hair chopped off a couple months ago, but haven't had any recent pictures to post. Until now! It's so easy to take care of and I think it's kinda cute. Although the ability to pull it back into a ponytail does have it's drawbacks! We'll see how long it goes before I grow it out...

The other new-worthy item is that I went to the doctor on Monday and was diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism. I'm relieved because it's nothing too serious, it's completely treatable and it explains a rather frustrating recent weight gain. Here's to living life better through pharmacology!

Well, that's it for the update - still working, doing the schedule for the ER and riding my bike. The next big event I'm looking forward to is my good friends Joy and Dave's wedding in Wisconsin in November. Yeah for taking a week off!

Long time...no blog...

2008-09-03T12:24:00.008-06:00

I know, I know...it's been a while. I have no good excuses, only the lame one of being busy.

But here's a little update.

The girls and I went to a Rockies game when Michelle was in town.

Kelly and Lindy

A lot of fun, even if they're no where near as good as they were last season!

Me and April

And the latest big news, I finally got a motorcycle! I took a riding class the end of July and have been looking around since then. I put some money down on a Suzuki, but they strung me along for 4 weeks because the title wasn't cleared. And they had some pretty lousy customer service.

Then yesterday, on advice from Dad, I checked out the Harley-Davidson dealer here in Aurora. They were awesome! They sell some non-Harley motorcycles that they get on trade-ins. The sales staff was great and a couple hours later I walked out with a 2007 Yamaha V-Star 1100! Jessica dropped me off a little later and I had fun driving it home.

We went out to celebrate at Red Robin and then bought diapers at Costco - errands with Jessica is my typical Tuesday routine!

But when I get to hang out with this cutie, it makes me wish every day was Tuesday!

The Zoo!

2008-06-25T01:16:00.007-06:00

Today Jessica and I took Benjamin to the zoo! He loves the animals and I'd forgotten what a great zoo we have here in Denver. It was kinda hot so we only stayed for a couple hours - long enough to get our fix of the wild kingdom before Benjamin got too tired!

Looking for the otters - they were hiding in the cool shade and didn't want to come out and play. But Benjamin was diligent in his search!

Zebras!

Benjamin is pretty content to find his own entertainment - mostly involving sticks and plants (such a little boy). Our entertainment came when we bought Icees - he kept switching sides of the bench to get bites from Jessica and me. It was quite cute to see him run back and forth and then get a cold/sour pucker look on his face - over and over again!

I rather enjoyed the juxtaposition of this picture - the wild giraffe up against a very urban brick wall. Kind of amusing.

Jessica is quite pregnant (37 1/2 weeks!) and very ready for their next little boy to arrive. I hung out with Benjamin some more when we got home, stayed for dinner - thanks Justin! - and helped put Benjamin to bed. I'm loving the stage that he's in right now. Very determined to tell us everything that's going on in a language we can't even begin to comprehend. Very cute. I can't wait to see how he reacts to a new baby brother!

Peru Part II: Bellavista

2008-06-12T08:22:00.021-06:00

Welcome to Bellavista - the first village on our trip. We took a little Cessna plane out of Yurimaguas and once we were in the air I began to realize how remote we were going to be. The picture shows just how in the middle of nowhere we really were! It's pretty cool, though - being surrounded by the Amazon, miles away from cell phones, cars, tv's, work, and electricity. Kinda nice.
Here's our house. They built it 3 years ago after the first team came and they knew more would be coming. It was pretty comfy! The floor was a little uneven, so we had to arrange our sleeping bags at proper angles so we wouldn't feel like we were sliding. The elevated floor was nice, except for the roosters that lived underneath and crowed non-stop! A couple of times we were tempted to have chicken for dinner... The picture shows how foggy it was in the mornings. Cool. Quiet. Peaceful.

We had lots of room in the hut for hammocks - very relaxing! And even though we had 4 walls, we really didn't have any privacy. I now know what the animals in the zoo feel like! The kids were constantly in the house watching our every move. I guess when you haven't seen many foreigners they become quite a spectacle!

This was out typical crowd in the doorway. Very curious, but very shy. Once we learned a few words in Chaihuita they were even more shy! It seems they found it humorous that white people were speaking their language! But after a while they got accustomed to us and would actually answer when we asked them "Ma ninkenta?" (What is your name?) The answer the question was often funny as well - Nixon, Robinson, Edison - all emphasized with a Peruvian accent. My favorite was Ocea - he's the little one with the red and white shirt and the blue shorts in the front/middle. We became buddies by the end of the week.

Ah, the water source. A natural spring right out of the side of a hill. It looks really muddy, but the water was surprisingly clean. We had a 5 gallon water purification system and there wasn't much sediment in the bucket. It was pretty cold water, which felt nice to splash around in after a hot day in the jungle.

All I have to say is that I have a new appreciation for my washing machine! I never knew how tired your hands can get wringing out a load of laundry. But it was kind of a bonding experience - and we found that we wore our stinky clothes a little longer when we had to wash them ourselves!

My favorite part of Bellavista was the kids. Normally they don't play much - they're either in school or working on the chakras (farms). However, there was a national teacher's strike so we were able to play a lot! We had to think of games that we could teach through a language barrier, and duck duck goose was their favorite. The only animal names we knew were nini (dog) and mayu (turtle), so we played a lot of Nini-Mayu! They always picked us, so we got very tired and sweaty. The best part was sitting in church and having the kids whisper "nini-mayu" to us! Nice to know we made some sort of lasting impression! We also brought bubbles, frisbees, squishy balls, coloring books and face paint. They loved it!

One morning a man stopped by the house with this adorable baby jaguar. I think he was trying to sell it to us, but it was cute none-the-less. It was surprisingly soft! Not like a kitten, more like baby chick feathers. But it's claws were huge! I'd hate to meet its mother (unfortunately, I think she ended up as a rug somewhere). The little growly sounds it made was pretty cute, too.

A few of the girls wore the traditional Chiahueta dress on Sunday. The girl above is Awinda - a very sweet girl who spoke more Spanish than most of the women, so she and I got to talk and hang out. I enjoyed being able to witness to them - not about Christianity since most of them are believers, but about what women can do. I think it was good for them to see Bekah and Michelle and I in a professional view. Women in the Indian culture are very much property, and to show them that women can be educated and successful was hopefully a good example for them. The girl below is modeling the traditional necklace that she made. She sold it to Bekah, and the work was so intricate! Very beautiful.

At first these kids were rather camera-shy. It was neat having the digital camera so they could see their pictures as soon as we took them. They are such beautiful little kids, and very open to being loved. It was not hard to shower them with attention, and they gave it right back!

One afternoon a bunch of the villagers set up a market for us. Their pottery was very unique and beautiful. They use a berry called caspileche - kinda milky - as a glaze, and all their work is functional. We bought a bunch of pieces, and Bob found them quite interesting and wonderful.

And of course, Jim was a never-ending source of entertainment! We were so blessed to have him along. He is a McGyver type - can fix or make anything, and is always willing to lend a hand. I don't think we could have run the clinic without him. Here he is with the blow-guns that they made for us. Just an example of the fun we had with him.

See what I mean? We never knew what he was going to do next, and his antics kept us on our toes!

Up next: San Antonio.

Peru: Part I

2008-05-21T06:26:00.012-06:00

Finally! Pictures from Peru! But there are a ton of them (3,000 I think!), so I'll have to post the highlights in stages.

Enjoy!

Lima - my birthday! And a beautiful day at that. Lima is usually foggy, but we were blessed with wonderful sunshine and a great view of the ocean from the park. We spent an easy first day around the city and then caught a flight to Tarapoto that night.

We had many modes of transportation: truck...

...airplane...

(Bekah made a great co-pilot!)

...boat...(fun at the beginning, not so fun after 17 hours)

...and moto - my favorite!

We spent one night in Tarapoto, and then drove across the Andes to Yurimaguas. The trip started at 4am, but the sun rising in the misty mountains was well worth the early rise.

The market in Yurimaguas was an experience for sure - interesting smells and sights, and some foods I'd never even heard of! Fish, meats I couldn't identify, vegetables, foreign fruits and everything else you could possibly imagine made for an eye-opening stroll. And you're right - there are no refrigerators!

I'll spare you the pictures of the meat market, but let's just say the cow trachea is something we didn't try! The gargantuan snails, however, were pretty cool!

More to come! I wonder how many pictures I can post on this blog in a week... We'll find out! Up next: Bellavista and the baby jaguar!

Spring Gardening

2008-05-14T20:34:00.012-06:00

May first my lilacs looked like this:

I guess that's spring in Denver!

Last week was much warmer and today it was in the 60's. Jessica and Bob and I planted our container garden this afternoon- we decided not to dig up the whole back yard just yet.

Strawberries, green peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, rhubarb, beets and a LOT of tomatoes - all in pots and window boxes to give us yummy vegetables all summer!

And I thought Inu had destroyed my raspberries in the back, but they seem to be popping up quite nicely. Bob built some chicken wire cages and that seems to be keeping the dog from digging up all the new shoots.

Of course, it's supposed to rain all night and maybe snow tomorrow. So for now, the garden lives in the garage while my car stays in the driveway. Oh well, Colorado has taught me that the weather will probably change by tomorrow anyway!

Benjamin wasn't very happy today, but he did well watching the History Channel with Justin and playing with the kitties while we did our gardening. He isn't talking much yet, but I love it when he blows me kisses!

Home!

2008-04-29T23:14:00.003-06:00

The flight from Lima was long, and it's good to be home. My own hot shower and washing machine were welcome sights!
Sorry, no pictures yet - I'm waiting to get the disk from the rest of the team.
So it's back to work tomorrow and I'll post more as soon as I get the visuals! :)

Back from the Juncle

2008-04-25T13:20:00.002-06:00

Hello all!

Just wanted to post a short note to let you know that after 2 hot and buggy weeks in the jungle we made it safely back to civilization! We´re in Tarapoto now and fly back to Lima tonight, then back to the US on Tuesday.

Everything went well, no one got too sick and we had a great time with the villagers in both Bellavista and San Antonio. More posts to come with lots of pictures!

Miss you all.

It's a good thing I work with doctors

2008-03-06T10:53:00.004-07:00

It's a good thing I work with a bunch of doctors, and nice ones at that, because the last few days I've needed them. A lot.

Last week the PA I was working with wrote me a script for my anti-malaria medicine for the trip, and threw in one for antibiotics in case the dreaded Montezuma's revenge should show up while we're gone. (How nice - I hope it stays away.) It saved me a trip to my doctor!

Monday I went to the department of health to get all my vaccines. They were very knowledgeable and super nice. However, when I woke up to go to work on Tuesday I had a big red/hot/hard circle around the site where I got the yellow fever shot. I didn't think anything of it until it started spreading. And fast. By the morning the doc was a little worried and said he didn't think that was a typical reaction from the vaccine. So he wrote me for some antibiotics and said if it didn't stop growing I should take them. And one of the nurses drew around the redness so we could tell if it was still spreading.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the Peru team, and the redness had spread even more. I called the nurse at the health department who told me to start taking the antibiotics. And the doc who's going with us (Michelle) said that it looked pretty bad, too. So I started taking the antibiotics and when I woke up this morning the redness was all the way down to my elbow. Great. And it hurts!

So now I have to wait 2 more weeks to finish all my vaccines - the last one is a week of pills, but you can't be on antibiotics cause it will kill the vaccine. Let's just hope these things work! (Bob took a picture of my lovely arm last night, but it's kind of gross so I'll spare you all that one!)

But the fun part is that we all went out for dinner last night after our meeting for some team bonding. Then we went to Costco and bought a bunch of benadryl, motrin, immodium and vitamins to take with us to the clinics. Michelle and I stopped at the dollar store to pick up some little toys and coloring books for the kids in the villages. I can't wait to play with the kids! We got a lot of questions answered in our meeting and some of the logistics of things were figured out - every time we get together it seems more real and closer than ever! I'm starting to get really excited!!

Old friends, New jobs?

2008-03-01T13:07:00.004-07:00

The last 3 days have been so packed! I worked Wednesday night and then met my friend Seth for breakfast. He's been in Scotland for the past 4 months working on his book, so we had lots to talk about and catch up on!

After that I met up with my college roommate Erin and her new baby. We had coffee and got all caught up before she flew out to AZ for little Eli to meet his great-grandma. How nice to see her again! The amazing thing about the relationships I have with my old roommates is that we can go months without talking and then pick up right where we left off. Very nice. And I got to have some good "Eli time"! Then I went home and took a 2 hour nap before meeting a friend from work for dinner and a movie. By the time I got home I was ready to crash! Sleep after a good day like that feels so great!

On Friday I picked up Megan from work - she's been here in Denver all week for training - and we hung out all afternoon! It was just like old times - shopping at Goodwill, sushi, ice cream and movies! It felt like she never left. She and I are going to church tomorrow before she heads back to CA. But the whole Beeney clan will be back the end of March so I'll get to see my Joshua again!

On the business end of things, I had an interview at Parker yesterday. A few days ago the director approached me and told me he was impressed with the job I was doing. I was a little leery of the compliments, but he was sincere. That's nice to hear once in a while! Anyway, he said that he and the manager have been watching me and want me to be a charge nurse in the ER. ME! A CHARGE NURSE! As it turns out there's a weekend-only night position that's available and pays as much as I'm making with the float pool so I wouldn't have to take a pay cut and would be able to put down some roots and get involved with the department. Plus it has benefits, which I'm paying for out of pocket right now, and sick/vacation time! How great!

The only thing I was worried about was the fact that I've never been a charge nurse before - the director said that's why it was funny. The words "potential" was thrown around a lot - again, very flattering. So I'm getting the offer letter on Monday and I think I'm going to take it! Won't be able to go on month-long missions trips for a while, but the 2 weeks I'm planning for next summer in Africa will definitely be doable... :)

It's about time...

2008-01-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ack! I looked at my last post and realized it's been over a month since I put anything up! Sorry guys!

There are a few new things around here. First, I started my new job the first week of January. I'm still working at the same hospitals, just for a different company. I signed on with the Regional Float Pool which staffs all the Centura hospitals in the area. I'm still mainly at Littleton, but I've been picking up with Parker and Porter as well - kind of nice to be able to move around like that, and there's lots of room for overtime!

And now the reason I need all the overtime: I'm going to Peru in April! I've had a missions trip on my list of things to do for a long time now, and a friend from church steered me in the direction of this great trip! We're going to be down there for most of the month of April (the 6th-29th) and will be working in clinics in 2 remote jungle villages. I'm a little nervous about what the medicine will be like (ex: What the heck kind of worm is that?), but we're also going to be doing a lot of education which I'm looking forward to. AIDS hit the Amazon a few years ago and we'll be doing a lot of teaching on that subject as well as nutrition and development and such.
There are only 5 of us going - Alan, my friend from church who's a medic; Michelle, the doctor who's organizing all this; Jim, a non-medical guy who's converting microscopes to solar power for the clinics; and Becca, another nurse. The timing is perfect and I'm so glad that God has arranged it all for me to go!

So until then, it's preparing for the trip and lots of working. I have to go get my vaccines in a couple weeks, and of course we have to start taking anti-malaria meds before we leave. The joys of traveling to mosquito lands! And I've been working about 5-6 shifts a week - it's nice to have a job that lets you do that! But I still make time for church and friends. A bunch of us went out last week for my friend Angie's birthday and had a great time! Which reminds me even more that it's all about balance.

Bon Voyage Beeneys!

2007-12-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sad day.

The Beeney's packed up their Denver house and headed back home to California.

But not before we were able to hang out one last time and enjoy good beer, tasty food and the entertaining antics of Joshua!

I think Tuesday morning was the hardest day I've had in a long time. Sorry I had to bugger out of there so quickly, Meegs.

I'm realizing today just how much I already miss you guys.

But save a weekend in February, cause Cali here I come! :)

Hodge Podge

2007-11-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

It's about time to post some more pictures!

Halloween was great! I was babysitting Benjamin while his parents were on a get-away to the mountains, so we spent his first Halloween with the Beeneys and went to a Harvest Festival at a big church here in Aurora. The boys were dressed up as Piglet and Eyore - Joshua wasn't too happy about his costume at first, but liked it in the end. We had fun eating cotton candy and funnel cakes and seeing all the creative costumes that people come up with!

It was fun to spend time with Benjamin, too. Now whenever I see him he comes right too me, all smiles! We'll be spending Thanksgiving with Jessica and Justin, and Justin's parents who will be in town. Should be fun!

And here are some more pictures from last month in Maryland. I've been having a problem with my CD burner - it seems no one can open the pictures on the disks I send them! These are some of my favorites of the black and whites I took of the kids. Definitely frame worthy!

Luke, Erin and Auntie "Bef"

2007-10-18T06:13:00.000-06:00

I am so blessed to have the world's cutest niece and nephew. No joke, it's proven.

Always entertaining, always up for a story, always ready for a giggle and always up for a hug or a cuddle.

I got to see three of Erin's firsts - first haircut, first ride in the Model A and first Italian ice. And all in the same night!

I learned some new "Lukisms":
(When he doesn't know the answer to something) "I don't fink so."
(When asked how is his dinner) "It feels good."

I can't wait for the next trip.

Lately

2007-09-20T23:41:00.000-06:00

Lately things have been routine, dependable. I like that.
I go to work. I watch Joshua. I go walking with Jessica and Benjamin. I play with Inu. I work on whatever project needs to be finished.

Today that project was canning plums. A friend of ours has a plum tree and didn't know what to do with them. So we canned them. It didn't make a whole lot, but they sure look nice.I got to relax a little today, too. Last week I bought a hammock from a neighbor who is moving. What a great buy! It has a stand and sits in the shady corner of the backyard. And since it's been so hot this week, it's nice to swing out there and read in the afternoons.
This morning Jessica and I went walking at the park that's halfway between her house and mine. We do about 1.5 miles 3-4 times a week. It's nice to have the companionship and motivation, too. Benjamin comes with us and adds a little extra workout since we have to push his stroller in the gravel path. Today he fell asleep in his usual position of feet sticking out of the stroller. He's such a cutie!
Last Saturday Jessica and I spent all day together - walking in the morning and then running errands. She babysits another little one 2 days a week, so then we both get a kid! We've come to call Benjamin "Benjamino" which I changed to "El Camino". Jessica thinks it's cute. Benjamin just smiles at everything.

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Now playing: John Mayer - Waiting On the World to Change
via FoxyTunes

The life of a salsa tomato...

2007-09-02T05:15:00.000-06:00

Last week Joshua and I decided to give some ordinary tomatoes an extraordinary purpose - to become salsa. And who doesn't like salsa! So these little beauties went from this...

...to this...

...to this...

...to this...

Yum! Even Joffa thought it was good - or maybe it was the Cap'n Crunch he had for a snack! Either way, he did really well and played in his high chair for a couple hours while I got all the work in the kitchen done. And it turned out pretty well, too - not as blistering hot as the first time I tried it!

Latest Project

2007-08-18T02:50:00.000-06:00

I finished my latest project tonight - not much to look at and not really challenging, but a project none-the-less. A friend of mine has a weekly poker game with the boys and wanted something to protect his table during the games. So he bought some green felt which I hemmed into a 6ftx6ft square. Then I sewed magnets into the corners to add some weight.

I wanted something on the back to keep it from sliding on the table. I had an extra scrap of the anti-skid stuff you put under rugs, so I put that on the back and I think it will work pretty well! We'll have to see what he has to say after they use it next week...

Anyway, that's what I did tonight. ...after watching Joshua all day, cleaning the kitchen, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds and getting groceries! It's nice to get all your errands done in one day!

Walls no longer bare...

2007-08-14T01:44:00.001-06:00

The other day Bob and I finally had the same night off (shocker!) so we spent it hanging all the pictures and paintings that have been sitting in the living room for about 5 months! It took a while, but between both of our artistic eyes, I think it looks pretty good.

When I was home in January, Mom gave me some old family pictures, and I scanned and printed out some more. I have about 45 total, so we made a family wall in the living room. It's kind of a tradition since Mom, Dad and Katie all have one, and maybe Emily too. But it's a great way too see some of the history and genealogy of our family. And it makes all the empty white walls in that room a little less stark! This is the only room in the house that I hadn't done anything with yet, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

And since we were on a roll, we decided not to stop there! I had made a couple shadow boxes of pictures and mementos from Grandma and Grandpa that I finally finished. Grandma's has an old glass syringe from when she was a nurse back in the 40's and her class pin. Grandpa's is part of his old Navy uniform and a picture of him from WWII. So we put those up along with their respective uniform hats. It's pretty cool.

And then there was the stairway. I had originally put up some of the family pictures there before I got too many and ran out of room! So now that I have an artist in residence (sounds so royal, huh?!) we put up some of Bob's paintings. We also got a couple shelves to put some of his ceramics on as well. Bob said it looks like a gallery, which I think was what we were going for. Anyway, it looks good!

Finally, we put up the chickens. I still think they look like quail, but either way they're awesome! My friend Jessica and I found them at a garage sale earlier this summer, and they went so well with the couch that we had to put them up! Bob calls them road-runners. Kind of reminds me of all Mom's chickens in her kitchen.

So that's what's been going up here - literally! It's nice to finally have an office floor - those family pictures were starting to take up a lot of space! And it looks good to have things pretty much finished in the house as far as decorating goes. Feels like home.

Nothing much

2007-08-10T15:21:00.000-06:00

I was told by Dad the other day that I'm about a month behind the rest of y'all and need to catch up on the blogging! Unfortunately, there's really nothing new going on here. I've been working a lot - too much, in fact. There are a lot of overtime opportunities in the ER this summer and I've been taking advantage of them. However, working 5 days a week takes it's toll. I think once the summer's over I'll go back to my usual 4. :)

Other than work I've been trying to relax a little. Bob and I got a Wii a couple weeks ago and have an ongoing grudge match of nintendo bowling! He beats me terribly in everything else, but I can hold my own on the lane. Uncle Art would be proud!

It's been raining a lot lately. We've gotten into the late summer pattern of evening thunder storms which is nice for the lawn! Kind of reminds me of Florida. And it smells good, too.

The dog is doing well. She never barks and is really close to learning how to "come". We're still working on it. She's definitely got a lot of energy and likes to play outside now that we've got the fence done. Her one flaw is that she absolutely destroys every toy we buy her, so we've resorted to the "indestructible" ones. Fortunately she's only gotten a hold of one of my sandals!

And that's about all that's going on here! Pretty pathetic, I know, but hopefully once I stop working so much I'll have a little more to report! Like maybe a trip to see the niece and nephew - hint, hint Katie.

Until next time...

HP minus 5!

2007-07-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

Very interesting. Bob and I are going to see the movie tonight (after sushi, of course)!

What Harry Potter Character are You?

Harry Potter

You are an outgoing, fun person. You like taking charge and you're a leader. You would do anything to help someone in need and you don't understand why everyone is so infatuated with you.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Vacation Pictures (finally!)

2007-07-11T04:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I thought it was about time I put up some pictures from our camping trip to Utah. Michelle, Kathy and I went to Zion National Park and had a great time catching up and doing some amazing hikes! Hopefully you can see just a little of this beautiful place even though these pictures don't to it justice.

Michelle and I spent our first night in Mesa Verde National Park on our way down. It was interesting to see how much of it I remembered from when we went there as kids. We got there rather late in the afternoon and only had time for a short hike, but we got to see some of the ruins.

On Sunday we picked up Kathy in Arizona and continued on to Utah. After a disappointing speeding ticket at Lake Powell, we arrived at Zion and set up camp. Our first hike on Monday was called the Narrows. It's a 8-10 hour hike through the Virgin River and the gorgeous canyon it carved. The water was pretty chilly and the rocks were slippery, but the views were amazing.

A nice picture of Kathy and Michelle on the bank of the river.

Michelle and I navigating our way through deeper water. The hiking poles came in quite handy!

On Tuesday we did our most difficult hike. Angels Landing is a tiny little rock at the top of a very tall mountain. It's a 2.5 mile hike up to a spot called Scout's Lookout, and then another half mile up to Angels Landing. Kathy decided she didn't want to go all the way up, and Michelle's fear of heights only got her a little way up. I guess the fact that the trail is only 3 feet wide and there's a 800 foot drop to your right and an 1,100 drop to your left is a little intimidating. But I finished the hike and the view from the top was worth it! A challenge, but with a great payoff.

Coming down we realized just how steep the hike up was. There are 20-some switchbacks, all of them at a pretty steep grade. One section is called Walter's Wiggles and the name pretty much describes the direction of the path! We just went slow and steady and dealt with the blister as they came! :)

On Wednesday we did our last hike, Hidden Canyon. There was lots of scrambling up rocks which was fun. The park had bolted chains to the side of the rock for easier climbing, and at times it was definitely needed! We were told there was this great arch at the end of the canyon, but we were sorely disappointed when we got there - it was pretty puny. But the hike was nice and there were lots of great designs in the sandstone.

After our hike we went and sat in the river to cool off. If my memory is correct, that's where Emily lost a flip-flop when we were little! I remembered some of the park from when we went there as kids, but I don't think we did the more difficult hikes. Angels Landing would be pretty tough with little ones!

After Zion, we went back to Arizona to drop Kathy off and stayed with some friends of the Dainings for 2 days (no ticket through Lake Powell this time!) I was rather fortunate that the woman we were staying with is a doctor on the res. I had gotten some blisters on the river hike, and then smashed 2 of my toes in the river on the last day. They all had gotten infected from the water and I got a nasty, swollen case of cellulitis. It was providential because Julie had a cupboard of antibiotics and got me started on them right away!

It was a great trip - and very nice to get away for a week. But now I'm back to 4-5 shifts a week to make up for it! The nice thing about summer is lots of overtime!

Bonus picture: Yes those are Juniper berries in my nose. Just for you, Mom.

Extra bonus picture: It was Joshua's first birthday on June 10! We had a party for him and he thoroughly enjoyed his green frosting cake! He's getting so big!

Inu

2007-06-11T01:41:00.000-06:00

So Bob and I are adjusting well. Most of the boxes are unpacked and Bob's room is starting to look more like someone lives in there! We've been hanging up his paintings and re-arranging the basement to make a studio for him. He's been learning his way around town and applying for jobs. Some of the prospects look pretty good so hopefully he'll have a job soon!

And now for the big news: yesterday Bob and I got a puppy! We've been talking about it for a while, even before he got out here, and yesterday the Colorado Puppy Rescue had puppies at the pet store for adoption. There were 4 left when we got there - a scary-looking boxer mix, a huge black retriever, a blue heeler and our little red heeler. We think she's an Australian cattle dog mix and she's super cute! We named her Inu (e-new) which is Japanese for "dog".

She's been doing really well with the housebreaking, too. Only one accident (so far!), and she's learning to go to the door when she needs to go out. She doesn't bark very often and is very cuddly. Now, we'll see how she does at the vet on Tuesday... The best part is that she was found in New Mexico! We knew then that she was meant to be a Bosscher dog!

In other news, Mom and Dad's visit was short, but nice. Jake, Megan, Joshua, Jessica and Benjamin came over for dinner Friday night, and Mom got in some quality time with Joshua. Yesterday he turned 1 and is quite the ham!

Mom and I got some fresh Colorado fruit on Saturday and made 4 batches of jam. Cherry and strawberry, two of them sugar-free and all very tasty! And much easier with 2 people, I must say.

Then Sunday we went to church and did some yardwork in the afternoon. Dad helped me pick out some plants for along the back fence and now I have a spirea, 3 raspberries and a burning bush. It's really starting to look like a yard! Now Bob and I have to put up some smaller fencing to keep Inu in, but that's pretty easy.

After some great Chinese on Sunday afternoon, Mom and Dad took off for the next leg of their summer whirlwind tour on Monday morning. But it was so good to see them! Can't wait for Christmas, when everyone can meet the new "grand-dog"!

Playdates

2007-05-24T23:35:00.000-06:00

Meet Benjamin.

Benjamin is 2 1/2 months old and shares a birthday with little Erin.

Benjamin has a weekly playdate with me and Joshua.

Benjamin's mom and I used to work together at the hospital, and I worked with his dad in the ER too. Now we all go to the same church together. I may be just a babysitter for Joshua, but I love getting together with the babies and taking walks and going on picnics and finding garage sales, and being "Auntie Beth".

I get to play with Benjamin and Joshua every Friday.

I like Fridays.

The Smell of Earth

2007-04-30T01:02:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I started planting some Boxwood shrubs along the south fence of my backyard. I bought some for the north fence, too, but the blizzard last week derailed the plan to plant them for a couple days! Today's 80 degree weather, however, was quite conducive to yard work. Plus, all the moisture in the ground from the melted snow made digging holes in the clay that is my backyard much easier!

Now no laughing, I know they're little. They were actually on sale at Home Depot and will eventually grow to 3 feet high, which will be a nice hedge along both fences. Plus, it'll be cool to watch the house and yard change with time. I know I'm not going anywhere...

And what a great day today was! I got off work this morning - we all got our butts kicked last night. 1 ATV fatality, 3 stabbings and 2 gun shot wounds. And that was just in trauma! The rest of us (I was in peds) spent all night trying to empty the ever-refilling waiting room. Anyway, I got home and slept for a couple hours and then planted all 8 shrubs on the north side. I even got the lawn mowed and the garage cleaned out.

I've decided that my favorite smell of all time is earth. Especially after rain. And I really got to inhale deeply while digging all those holes. There just nothing as natural as nature.

Weather

2007-04-25T09:42:00.000-06:00

Monday I slept with the windows open.
Monday night I drove to work in rain and hail.
Tuesday morning it took me 3 hours to drive home in a blizzard.
Tuesday night I called in to work because I-25 was closed all the way down to the Springs due to snow.
Tomorrow it's supposed to be 60 and sunny.
Gotta love Colorado.

Snowy Birthday

2007-04-10T22:43:00.000-06:00

My Happy 26th turned into a very Snowy 26th! But it was good nonetheless. The Beeneys and Michelle came over for dinner - we had steak and potatoes and salad and strawberry shortcake. Yummy!
Joshua found the spoon especially tasty.

Although it wasn't the big party I had last year I think I liked this birthday better. Good food, good conversation and good friends are my favorite. And I got the best birthday present ever! Michelle made me a book full of pictures of Colorado wildflowers that she's taken over the years. It's beautiful! And the clothes from the Beeneys will of course come in handy, too!

We've been having weird weather here in Denver. It's nice for a couple days and then it gets nasty and snows again. And it's always different down in the Springs at work than it is at home. I was driving home this morning in rain that turned to snow that turned to bad wind, and ended up at home in Denver to sunny skies. Keeps me on my toes!

And speaking of work, the new job is going well. The ER is the biggest in Colorado - 68 beds! And we're the 7th busiest in the nation by numbers alone. The first night I worked was the night of the tornadoes in southern Colorado. We got 4 choppers in an hour and ended up with 6 trauma alerts. Not to mention the 3 people I sent to the cath lab for heart attacks and the 2 we had to intubate for respiratory problems. Whew! I was told that we daily see anywhere from 3-4 hundred patients! But with that many rooms and lots of nurses it doesn't seem too bad. And these guys are so well-staffed! The nurses complain about being short, but they have no idea how good they've got it! :) So far I kinda like it. I think I might stick around for a while...

Me Next!

2007-03-16T15:40:00.000-06:00

After 5 great weeks working down in Orlando, it was time to see the rest of the family! And what better reason than Bob's BFA show! His work was fantastic and it was amazing to see how many friends and family came out to see him. I think over half the gallery visitors were just for him! I've already commissioned him for a tea set like the one he had on display. I guess that
means I'll have to pay for his work now... It's definitely worth it!

The weather in GR was nice, but Dad and I couldn't resist a snowball fight. I think that all of us had a little kiddo in us - probably because we were so excited about Katie's new baby! It was nice to celebrate Erin's birth while we were all together. Nice timing, Kate!

A great bonus to this trip was seeing all my college roommates. Missy and Erin live in GR and Jenn and her family drove down from Canada for the weekend. What an awesome opportunity to catch up! We went shopping, had dinner at our favorite restaurant - Seoul Garden, drank chi at the Fish House and played Wii sports. (There's a video that may still end up on U-Tube. Sorry, Erin and Missy!) The amazing thing about this group of friends is that even though we only get to see each other every couple of years, and we don't email very often because all of us are horrible at it, whenever we're together we pick up right where we left off. We all know each other so well that it just works, no matter where we all end up.

Oh, and I didn't forget the next tonsil picture! Although this one is less vocal cords and more just silly. Love you guys.

Another week in Florida

2007-03-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday Mom and I had a girls' day. We went and got manicures and pedicures and went out for coffee. Fun! And then Mom and Dad had their "Mane Event" fund raiser auction for school. They looked so cute!Sunday we drove down to Nettles Island to visit Uncle Hank and Aunt Merideen. We walked on the beach and had lunch. It had rained in the morning so the sky was cloudy, but the water was very warm. Mom and I got our toes wet and looked for shells.

And last night was my last night at Fish Memorial. We had a potluck and weren't too busy, which was nice. This is Robyn, one of the nurses I became friends with. And the director said I could come back whenever I wanted, so maybe I'll have to do this again next year! But for now I'm just so excited to go see Bob's show and hang out with the family!

Florida

2007-02-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

The purpose of coming down to Florida for 6 weeks was to get away from the snow and cold of Denver, but I didn't know it would be this much of a vacation. And even though I'm working full time down here, I'm very much relaxed.

I get to spend time with Mom and Dad.
I get to sit out on the deck and read in the sunshine.
I get to go to the beach.
I get to see Dad excited over new bromeliads.
I get to laugh with Mom over stories from the ER.
I get to sleep.

Last week Dad and I drove down to Tampa to visit Tropiflora - the biggest nursery I've ever seen. Millions of colored plants filled the net-covered buildings and Dad was like a kid in a candy store. It's a joy to see him so passionate and knowledgeable about these unique plants.

Last Wednesday I drove up to New Symrna Beach and soaked up the sun. The water was a little chilly, even for my taste, but I listened to the gulls and squinched my toes in the cool sand and was warmed by the rays.

And last night I finished my first "real" quilting project. It's a little cheater quilt that I made for Mom's charity auction, but I did it all myself - even the binding! Now I'm starting one that Mom and I pieced together for a friend's new baby. Mom said she was shocked by my interest; I told her it was genetic.

Super Bowl!

2007-02-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Is it really a super bowl party if it's just you and your parents watching the game?

Of course it is!

Mom and Dad and I ate yummy snacks like potato skins, shrimp kabobs and bean dip and watched the Colts beat the bears! Yeah Indianapolis!!

Even Mom got into it (a little). It was fun and a good game. However, I wasn't impressed with the big "Superbowl" ads this year...

And the fun continues...

2007-01-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I went in to work yesterday not feeling very well. I've been fighting this cold for about 3 weeks now and was feeling better until a couple days ago. I had been working out yesterday morning and felt a little wheezy - not in my lungs but in the upper airway and my throat. I took my inhaler and felt better. But as the night wore on I was having a harder time breathing and every time I laughed I had a barky cough. Plus I had no voice - y'alls dream come true and you weren't here to enjoy it! :)

It got better when I went outside for some fresh, cold air. One of the docs heard me and called respiratory for a neb treatment - apparently I have croup! It's so weird because that's primarily a pediatric illness. Meaning no one over the age of 8 usually gets it! Strange. The PA who's a good friend of mine made some comment about me being the youngest nurse ever, which kept us laughing! But they put me on some drugs and I'm feeling much better now. I guess that's what I get for working in a germy emergency room... And I'm not even a peds nurse anymore! :)

This one's for Em...

2007-01-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

So the other day I went to Kid to Kid - a children's consignment shop - for some things for Joshua. The lady at the counter asked me if I wanted to be on the mailing list for coupons and things and I said sure. I packed up my things and went home, where I looked at the receipt.

The address was printed like this: leweesianna cir. I kid you not. And this girl had to have been in her 20's! I'm with ya on this one Em - it was pretty pathetic. Although I did chuckle a little...

It's been bitter cold here - when I got off work on Monday morning my car thermometer said the temp outside was -11. Yuck. Luckily today was much more balmy in the 30's. But I think it's supposed to snow again this weekend. Oh joy. I can't wait to get down to Florida!

Christmas Blizzard

2006-12-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday and Thursday Denver had one of the top-10 blizzards of all time. The official total out by my house was 37 inches! Needless to say, I was stuck at the hospital working for a couple days.

But when I got home on Friday morning, I had to shovel the 3 feet of snow in the driveway so I could get out and go back to work that night. It was very tiring...

Before:

After:

There's just enough room there for my car to get out. I'm counting on the sun to help me out with the rest!

However, we were looking at the weather online at work last night and groaned when we saw the next big storm heading our way. They say it's following the exact same track as the last one did and might dump another big load of snow on us. Not exactly what I had planned for my week. It's supposed to start on Thursday into Friday - the exact time I'll be working again. Great - another overnighter in the ER. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on this one...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2006-12-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

...if, that is, Christmas looks like a blustery snowstorm and a blizzard warning until tomorrow! It's 23 degrees outside and, needless to say, I will be staying inside today.

We've already gotten about 4 inches of snow with another 10 predicted. And I have the dreaded task of shoveling my driveway before it piles too high still ahead of me. But it's dark outside and blowing too hard yet. And my fire is nice and warm...

The Evolution of a Christmas Tree

2006-11-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

My house smells so good right now!

Yesterday cousin Michelle came over and we put up my very first Christmas tree in this house. It's a 9 foot fir that smells delicious! And combined with the cinnamon candles, it's like Christmas in your nose in here. Trust me, that's a good thing and not as disgusting as it sounds...

And what would decorating be without chai tea and boeter koeken? (Thanks Katie!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

What a great week in D.C.! There was nice weather, great food, my family and of course the world's cutest 2 year old - what more could you want!

It was cozy at Katie and Alec's with Mom, Dad, Bob and I there - but a good cozy. Oh yeah, and the cats made their appearances too! After a wonderful traditional Thanksgiving dinner (YUM!) on Thursday, we relaxed and watched football and/or Luke - which ever was more entertaining at the moment.

Then on Friday Bob, Mom, Dad and I took the train downtown and went to the National Art Gallery and the World War II memorial - pretty impressive.

It's fun to see how much Luke has developed since I last saw him. He now has his colors, animal sounds and numbers down - up to 14, the number of steps in their house! And he isn't afraid to show off his talents to curious relatives! Can't wait to see him put sentences together the next time I see him! Oh yea, and Katie was pretty cute herself as she's nice and pregnant with my niece!

Things to do in Denver...

2006-11-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night my friend Jason and I went to a Nuggets' game. In the almost 4 years I've lived here in Denver, I have yet to go to any of the many games available to us Denverites. But all that has changed! The Pepsi Center where the Nuggets' and the Avalanche play is super nice - clean and good seats from anywhere!

And it was a great game! The first half was pretty boring - unless you count the annoying little junior-higher next to us commentating and yelling "Snap!" after every play. But by the start of the second half my ESP was working and they began to play a little defense. Jason repeatedly told me that the players couldn't hear me from way up there, but I think it worked. Denver ended up being down by 2 with less than 4 seconds on the board. They threw the ball in play, got it to the man on the post, he shoots - he misses! But I'd rather go to an exciting loss than a boring shut-out any day.

Up next...an Avalanche game!

Some days just suck.

2006-10-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow's a big day: I'm quitting my job.

It's almost 3am and I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. Too much of the last two days is tumbling around in my brain.

I was vividly shown on Sunday night that authority may be given, but respect is earned.

I learned that just because they may be qualified, not every one should be a charge nurse.

I wish I could develop a test of character that would allow you to see how someone will react before they are in a situation where their character will be tested.

I wish people would respect the managerial-scratch that-Biblical code regarding the chain of command and actually follow it instead of going right to the top when the person at the bottom hasn't even been approached.

I no longer feel loyal to the hospital where I began my career. And my friends will stay with me no matter where I work.

I am glad there are enough jobs available in this city so I can find one where I'll be respected, and one where I can respect myself for working there.

I'm so lucky to have friends who call me three times in one day just to see if I'm ok, and then take me out to dinner just to make me laugh.

I'm scared of what I have to do tomorrow, but I'm excited about what opportunities are waiting for me after that.

I wish I could sleep...

Exhausted

2006-10-14T18:15:00.000-06:00

Things I learned this week:

...60 hour work weeks suck.

...the end of a 16 hour shift feels strangely similar to the end of a 6-pack.

...working 7 days in a row means you don't get a weekend.

...my week starts all over again tomorrow.

...I love my bed.

Fall Into Autumn

2006-09-22T21:08:00.000-06:00

The Colorado Trail is a long, winding path through the mountains leading from Kenosha Pass in Fairplay all the way down to Durango. Smaller and slightly less well-known than it's Appalachian cousin, but quite the hike nonetheless.
This is where Michelle and my friend Seth and I spent last Saturday. We discovered Middle Earth, South Park, snow and the joys of pirating (don't ask about the pirates; that's completely Seth's doing.)

Needless to say, we only hiked 5 miles of this colorful trail - Durango was not the destination as we had only an afternoon to complete our trek instead of the three to four days it would take to cross the entire trail. But we were handed a beautiful, early fall Colorado day complete with the bipolar weather for which this state is so well known. Cold and very windy, we began our journey with windbreakers, hats and mittens to block the needles of cold attempting to reach our resisting bodies. Then the sun broke through and we threw off our coats, only to return them to our shivering shoulders when the snowflakes began to float from the fog that rolled up from the valley.

We found tee-pees which reminded Michelle and I of building our own and singing in Navajo with Grandpa Art and Kathy Auntie on the banks of some lake in Iowa long ago. We sat in long grasses and ate our peanut butter and honey sandwiches and trail mix while comparing what heaven is like in each of our dreams. We imagined Rohan, complete with fluttering banners, on a perfectly New Zealand-looking rock conjured up in the vivid imagination of Seth.

We found and savored the perfect red-orange Aspen, the definition of a Colorado Autumn.

We hiked. We talked. We laughed. We enjoyed.

Ealasaid

2006-07-21T21:35:00.000-06:00

I love languages. Learning new words and phrases that roll off your tongue in a completely new and different way thrills me. And today I learned a new variation of my name.

My friend Seth and I went to dinner and saw Superman Returns - MUCH better in 3D IMAX! He's very Scottish and speaks Gaelic. In fact, he hopes to return to Scotland someday, and I will absolutely be visiting him there.

We got to talking about Gaelic words and he taught me my name. Elizabeth in Gaelic is Ealasiad - pronounced el-a-setch. And it sounds even better in Seth's brogue! So now when we work in the ER he said he's going to call me that. How cool!

Oh, and his name in Gaelic is "Heh". Mine is so much better!

To make amends...

2006-07-21T13:22:00.000-06:00

I was informed of a gross oversight yesterday while eating lunch with my friend Mike (mmm...sushi...). It appears that in all my excitement to relay to you what Mom and Dad and I accomplished on their visit, I overlooked one more big asset to the flooring project. So please accept this feeble attempt to remedy the situation.

On Thursday, my dear friend Mike came over for a few hours with his miter saw and created beautiful trim pieces for the awful corner angles in the hallway and kitchen. Even though it took us longer to figure out the angle measurements than it did to actually cut the wood, it was worth it in the end and it looks amazing! He also lent us some muscle so we could move the fridge out of its little corner - much appreciated.

So this is my thank-you to him, and now everyone else knows that he gets a little credit for the floors, too. And I'm glad you still read the blog, Mike.

Can't sleep...

2006-07-20T04:12:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know what time it is. Maybe this will help with my blasted insomnia...

Ten Favorites
Season: Fall
Color: green
Time: 3am
Food: Thai
Drink: lemonade or beer
Ice Cream: strawberry
Place: mountains
Sport: football or hockey

Nine Currents
Feeling: tired but not sleepy
Drink: water
Time: 4:13 am
Show on TV: VH1 videos
Mobile Used: Verizon
Windows open: none
Clothes: Pajamas
Thought: I wish I could fall asleep!

Eight Firsts
Nickname: Beeper/Bee
Kiss: mom or dad ?
Crush: Derek Wilhoum in kindergarten
Best Friend: Erin DeYoung
Vehicle I owned: 1987 Ford Mustang
Job: babysitter
Date: Jason VanGoor in college
Pet: Molly the cat

Seven Lasts
Drink: Water
Kiss: Mom and Dad when they left on Monday
Meal: Burrito
Web Site Visited: Yahoo mail
Movie Watched: Ladder 49
Phone Call: Mike
TV Watched: Night Rider re-runs

Six Have You Evers
Broken the Law: Yes - stealing road signs
Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Not that I know of
Been in the Middle of/Close to Gunfire: Nope
Skinny Dipped: Not yet!
Broken Someone's Heart: Maybe...

Five Things:
You Hear Right Now: ceiling fan, TV
On Your Bed: Sheets, quilt and pillows
Things You Ate Today: cheese and crackers, burrito, grapes
Things You Do When Bored: take walks, read, watch TV
Things You Do For Comfort: talk to friends, journal, watch favorite movies

Four Places You Have Been Today:
home, car, work, home

Three Things on Your Desk Right Now:
lamp
Jelly Bellies
paper clips

Two Choices:
Coffee or Tea: Coffee
Spring or summer: Spring

One Place You Want to Visit:
Scotland

Parents for Hire!

2006-07-19T00:59:00.000-06:00

Although it appears that I used and abused Mom and Dad on their trip out to Denver, it really wasn't that bad. My friend said they should charge for all their hard work, but luckily Dad said it was his pleasure to help out with my house projects!

And help out they did! We started last Tuesday by going to Lowe's and picking out all the flooring and padding and trim we would need for the new floors in the hallway, kitchen and family room. While we were out Mom offered to mow my very bushy lawn. It looked great when we got back - yea Mom!

Then Dad and I spent the rest of the day pulling out all the old carpet, leveling the floors and laying the padding. The next morning we got up bright and early to start laying the floor. Meanwhile, in the dungeon of the basement, Mom was busy covering the cushions on the couch a friend gave me and sewing new curtains for the kitchen and family room. I lucked out with some on-sale fabric and a pretty talented seamstress for a mother.

By Friday we had it all done and I am so crazy about the results! Jake and Megan came over for dinner and baby Joshua got some "Grandma and Grandpa" time. Whew! All that work really paid off - it looks amazing!

But it wasn't all work. We went to see Pirates on Tuesday, spent all day Saturday doing nothing except watching movies and then went out for dinner Saturday night.
Nice one, Dad.

Sunday morning we went to church and then headed up to Estes Park for a mini-Bosscher reunion with Uncle Dave and Aunt Rose, Michelle, Kathy and Deb. I can't remember the last time I've seen some of those aunties, but it was great to catch up!

We hiked about 5 miles up around Fern Lake and talked and talked and talked... Michelle and I introduced the rest of the family to our tradition of the Question Game while on hikes. This time it involved super powers - apparently Mom would like to go back and change the past while Aunt Kathy would like to be telepathic and know what her teachers really thought of her. On second thought...

The old folks didn't do too bad, despite the heat and altitude - we finished the hike in less than 3 hours. Yea Bosschers!

Back and the Daining's cabin we grilled burgers and talked some more. And of course there was chocolate. It isn't really a Bosscher get-together without lots of the dark sweet stuff. The best part was Dad and Uncle Dave photographing the table full of chocolate!

Then it was back to the city and to bed. Mom and Dad left Monday morning and I headed out to help some friends move. It was a great trip, but much too short. I realize how blessed I am to have the kind of relationship with my parents where a week is neither too long, nor a challenge for any of us. Can't wait for the next one!

2006-07-09T01:23:00.000-06:00

Totally creepy. And I promise I wasn't trying to sway the answers! I thought by the end of the questions I would end up Italian or something. Weird... I wonder if it will work for the rest of the Bosschers...

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant.
You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

...and the blood to prove it!

2006-06-20T23:21:00.000-06:00

I feel like a real Coloradan now. Saturday I bought my first mountain bike and tested it out this week. Monday I rode around Barr Lake which is about 20 minutes north of my house in Brighton. Stupid easy trail, but it let me adjust the bike a little.

Then today my friend Ryan from work and I went up to Evergreen and rode the Three Sisters trail. It totally kicked my butt. All the biking I've done over the years proved no help in preparing me for the world of pedaling up a mountain. Even with all the roading I've got under my belt and all the charity races we did in college, I still felt like I'd never sat on a bike seat before.

The technique is so totally different - you have to sit differently, pedal differently, gear differently - but it's so much fun! The fast drop down is completely worth the agony going up. But the trail did try to win today. We were going downhill and came to a switchback. I tried to pedal it but took a total digger on the turn. Good thing I was wearing my helmet (always) because my head landed on a rock, my knees were all bloody and I ripped a fingernail off. But the worst part is I had chapstick in my pocket, so now I have the perfect tube-sized bruise on my thigh surrounded by road rash.

And yet I can't wait to get out there and do it again. (And hopefully not suck as much wind next time.) Woo-hoo!

New Arrival

2006-06-12T00:30:00.000-06:00

Joshua Richard Beeney
June 10, 2006
9:17am 7lbs.12oz.

I thank you God for most this amazing day.

For perfect feet and even smaller hands that reach out for my own.

For squinched up cheeks and cashmere hair that already have my heart.

For quiet sighs and sleeping breaths that remind me breathing's all it takes to be a miracle.

For tired Mom and beaming Dad who's gift of love has only just begun.

For the patient months of waiting for this perfect babe that proves this to be the best day yet.

I thank you God for most this amazing day,
For the blessing that is a child.

A Michelle Kind of Day

2006-06-07T11:24:00.000-06:00

Saturday was definitely a Michelle kind of day. Our dear cousin got a job for the summer up in Estes Park working for the National Park Service doing children's education programs - how exciting! She officially moves up there today, but we spent Saturday together as it was the only day we both had available! Busy girls!

We went out for dinner - mmmmm...Red Lobster... - and then went to the Denver museum to see and IMAX film about Mystic India. Very intriguing and of course that theater is awesome!

Then we drove up to Boulder for the best ice cream ever! It's called Glacier Ice Cream and it's all homemade. Well worth the drive, and we got to chat and sing in the car like we usually do!

I'm going to miss not seeing her around all the time, but this gives me an excuse to head up to the mountains more often to see her. Plus she'll have the opportunity to scope out some great new trails for us to hike!

The Return of the Iowa Farmgirl

2006-05-13T00:08:00.000-06:00

As the transformation of my house and yard continues, the number of helpers I recruit increases!

Thursday I had 2 friends, Ryan and Mike, come over to help me prep my yard for a real lawn.

We tilled the clay that was the backyard, and hauled about 4 tons of dirt from the driveway to the back. Backbreaking work, but well worth it!

Mike was very impressed that I not only knew how to use a big machine like the tiller, but that I had the guts to actually get behind it and work! I guess that's part of the lessons I learned on the farm, right Dad?

Then this morning I had 3 friends help me lay the sod.

Noah, Justin, Ryan (he came back for more torture!) and I put down all 1,400 square feet of beautiful Kentucky Bluegrass sod in about 4 hours! Their cheap labor was definitely worth the pizza I bought them for lunch.

The end result was something I've waited for ever since the snow melted and I realized I had a giant sandbox behind my house! Great green grass! And we fixed all the sprinklers so that I'm not watering my neighbor's lawn. It was a lot of work, but we had a good time. I think now I'm expected to have a BBQ or something...

You know you live in Colorado when...

2006-04-25T04:15:00.000-06:00

...you take a walk on April 23 and get sunburned because it's so hot outside. Then you get off work on April 25 and you have to scrape the inch of snow off your car, surrounded by the green, blossoming trees in the parking lot.

When work is scarce...

2006-04-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

A strange and unfamiliar thing happened the other night in the ER. So there I was, working a typical Sunday night shift when I was confronted with a rarity that I have not had to deal with in a long time: no patients. It frightened me at first, and we all sat around the nurse's station waiting for the other shoe to drop - the inevitable 30 patients that would walk through triage or be wheeled in through the ambulance bay at any second. But they didn't come. 2:00am...3:00am...4:00am.... Out of 12 beds on the red side I had the only patient. And there were only 2 on the blue side. So very strange...

So we created our own entertainment. Bad idea. For some reason trauma nurses have a sick sense of humor. We started by tying up one of the docs with bandages.

And we took every quiz in every girlie magazine in the whole department.
And we made fun of the ER director as he fell asleep on the counter out of sheer boredom. (Ooh - that's going to end up in a slideshow somewhere!)

And we laughed.
And we were thankful for a night where there were no traumas, no COR's and no drama.
And then we came back the next night to the regular hustle and bustle of a major trauma center.
And we were thankful for the traumas, the COR's and the drama.

Birthday Party!

2006-04-11T17:39:00.000-06:00

To celebrate my 25th birthday (Ah! Quarter of a century!) I had a great birthday party with many of my great, awesome friends! My friend Patty (from the hospital) came over in the afternoon and we went shopping for all the great grilling foods needed for a BBQ. Then she made it a true birthday party by hanging streamers and balloons all over the house!

We had lots of great food and friends and fellowship which is exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday.

And of course it was wonderful to talk to all the Bosscher sibs and parents that day, too. It just isn't a birthday until you've had those 4 phone calls.

New Furniture!

2006-04-04T15:31:00.000-06:00

Oh, how this house has changed in the 3 1/2 months I've lived here! Last Friday I had all my new furniture delivered and now it's so cozy!

I bought a living room set for the family room. It's a gray/green microsuede and so comfortable!

The new kitchen table is counter height so it makes a nice room divider between the kitchen and the family room.

And the new king sized bed is so awesome! I get to stretch out and my back doesn't hurt at all anymore when I wake up. Amazing!

Of course now that I have a new bed, I actually have a guest bed, too! So hurry up family and come out for a visit!

It's A Hard Knock Life

2006-03-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

It seems that lately all I've been doing is work: hospital, hospital, ambulance, hospital, ambulance...
So I figured I may as well show you what I've been up to! This picture is of me and my friend Kim - one of the many great nurses I work with in the ER. Even though we stay busy and work hard we still find time to have fun. Fondly referred to as "shenanigans" by one of our charge nurses!
It's been pretty busy lately. I think one night I worked last week we saw 40 ambulances from 7p-7a and 225 patients in 24 hours - that's a lot! But busy is good. It makes the nights go by much faster. Especially last night. We were down quite a few nurses and by 3am I was the only one manning the Specials pod - a section of 11 rooms that usually requires 3 nurses to run. We usually have 4 patients, but I was proud of myself for keeping 7 rooms open all night. And the doc appreciated it too!

Here's more of those shenanigans - this is our secretary Andrea who was small enough to fit behind the paper shredder and fish out all the crap that had lodged its way in there over the past who knows how many months! Oh, the fun we have in the ER!

House Becoming Home

2006-03-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

My painting projects are finally complete, and if I do say so myself, they look pretty snazzy! I painted the red wall in the family room and the master bedroom and bathroom. I also accessorized - yes, I am a true girl - and now everything matches and looks very put together! And I decorated the guest bathroom that until now, had just a clear plastic shower curtain in it. Progress!

Cousin Michelle and my friend April came over to help me with the bedroom. Most of our time was spent just on the taping - my least favorite part. So their help was much appreciated. Plus April kept us entertained with interesting questions like, "Would you rather be eaten by a coyote or a dog?" Thanks, April.

Next on the list is furniture - like a couch and kitchen table and guest bed. But that, too, shall come.

A real Jonah of a day.

2006-02-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

WARNING!!! If you are one of the millions of tech-minded Americans who have learned to love the ease and convenience of paying bills online, beware!

So there I was, eating my lunch at work and checking my phone messages when a friendly voice from my bank told me I had some "suspicious" activity on my debit card and should call at my earliest convenience. So I did.

And then my day got worse. Much worse. Apparently a scheming thief in the Philippines got their grubby little hands on my debit card number and racked up enough purchases in a 24 hour period to completely wipe out my checking and savings accounts. All of it. Gone.

The good news is that it's protected by my bank and I'll get it back. The bad news is that I, the innocent victim, have to jump through hoops and file police reports and fraud affidavits in order to reclaim money that was mine in the first place.

What a cruddy day! And of course we were swamped in the ER and saw over 50 ambulances in 12 hours, not to mention the 150 or so that came through triage. And all I really wanted to do was go home and take care of this mess. I'm working on the ambulance tomorrow, but I think my partners will understand if I ask to make a stop at the bank as soon as possible in the morning.

So a word to the wise: stamps are good. Checks are better. The convenience of one-click bill pay does in no way outweigh the inconvenience of having all your assets swept out from under you. It just isn't worth it.

Love, your conspiracy theorist daughter/sister.

P.S. For my birthday I'd like stamps. Lots and lots of stamps.

Baby, it's cold outside!

2006-02-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

The thermometer in my car read -9 on my way home from work this morning. It was a very cold night.
And so to celebrate Critical Care Transport Nurse's Day (woo-hoo!) I'm crawling into my warm bed and doing nothing. All day.

Sweet!

2006-02-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Cool car! But I specifically hit the "no, I am not high maintenance" button! I guess my loudness and ability to change directions vetoed that!

Winter in the Rockies

2006-02-13T23:49:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago cousin Michelle and I took a Sunday and made the trek up to Rocky Mountain National Park - our favorite haunt! We hiked about 5 miles and had a great time. Most of the trail was pretty melted - we carried our snowshoes most of the way, but were glad we had them at the end! I guess that 1,000 feet in elevation rise equals colder temperatures and therefore, more snow!

It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind was out in rip-roaring fashion. Our red cheeks were proof! We had to schedule this outing a month in advance - that's what happens when two girls with busy lives try to fit in fun! Hopefully we can do it again soon.

But for now, the snow is gone in the city. But I can still see it on the peaks...

Superhero

2006-01-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting - yesterday cousin Michelle and I were hiking up in Rocky Mountain National Park and had a conversation about "I wish I could..." and somehow superpowers came up. I guess now we know who I'd be...

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		75%
Iron Man		70%
The Flash		65%
Superman		60%
Robin		60%
Green Lantern		60%
Wonder Woman		53%
Hulk		45%
Batman		40%
Catwoman		35%
Supergirl		23%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

New 'Do

2006-01-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Mom wanted to see pictures of the new 'do, so here it goes! I got a perm a couple weeks ago because I was tired of straigtening my hair all the time and there wasn't quite enough natural curl on its own. And today I got a couple inches chopped off and the back layered a little to show off all those curls!

Renaissance Woman

2006-01-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today I've added another title to my repertoire: electrician. Since having my own house the jobs at which I've become proficient have increased significantly. I am now a carpenter, painter, landscaper, interior designer, maid, seamstress and electrician. Whew!

This afternoon I tackled my first lighting project and am surprised and thrilled that it's actually functional! The light above the kitchen/dining room table was pretty dim and gold in color - it so doesn't fit my decor. So I bought one with 6 bulbs and a brushed nickel finish. It looks a little high above the table in the picture, but it's not really. I wanted it a little higher than the old one so that if you move the table you don't bonk your head on the light.

I also put up curtains in the office - my "jungle room" as Bob calls it. And the curtains are up in the stairway window as are all the Bosscher pictures up the stairs.

Sheesh - this is starting to look like someone actually lives here!
My next project is to replace the ugly chandelier over the landing on the stairs. But that's a little higher up than I can reach on the stepstool! Does anyone have a ladder?

Alright...my turn

2006-01-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ok sisters, now you get my answers...

Four jobs you've had in your life:
1. Babysitter/nanny
2. Office janitor
3. Summer camp counselor
4. Campus safety officer

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. The Sandlot
2. The Power of One
3. X-Men (both of them)
4. Ever After

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. One Tree Hill
3. Good Eats with Alton Brown on the Food Network
4. M*A*S*H (all 9 seasons!)

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2. Nockpatrick, Jamaica
3. San Diego, California
4. London, Ontario Canada

Four websites you visit daily:
1. Yahoo mail
2. Weather.com
3. AFCU bank
4. All the Bosscher blogs

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Grilled salmon with lemon and chives
2. Cooked carrots
3. Grilled cheese
4. Cream cheese, cucumber and sprouts on toast

Four things you would change about your house:
1. A coat closet
2. A deck (maybe this summer!)
3. Finished basement
4. Grass in the backyard (definitely this summer!)

Four bloggers you are tagging:
1. My Senior Years
2. The Quilted Bromeliad
Everyone else has done it!

My Favorite Room

2006-01-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

As my house comes together, I'm choosing favorites... rooms, that is. My office is by far my favorite room. It's not spectacularly designed or wild with color, but it's most definitely me. I wonder, are rooms like children where you're not supposed to have a favorite but everyone secretly does? I'm not sure how the other rooms will feel...

I bought a kitchen island of all things which houses all my scrapbook, cards and jewelry materials. It's the perfect place to sit and work on projects. And the view out my window is practically to Kansas, which it the appeal of the house in the first place. (Life discovery #417: Beth is NOT a city girl.)

A Merry Bosscher Christmas

2005-12-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

This year we all traveled from near and far to spend Christmas at Mom and Dad's in Florida - and the trip was well worth it. To have Katie, Emily, Bob, Alec, Luke, Mom, Dad and myself all in one house brought a comforting closeness that sparked the reminiscence of childhood memories and the creation of new ones. Plus we got to spend time with the world's cutest nephew!
We discovered that for all the gifts we could buy Luke, he was more than content with the wrapping paper and Grandma's spatula. We had fun seeing all the roses at Leu Gardens and hanging out on Dad's new deck.

I know that the last time we were all toghether like this was last April at Grandma Bosscher's 80th birthday, but I can't help wondering when the next time will be. Hopefully soon.

'Cause when my family's not around I kinda miss them...

Ahh...Moving...

2005-12-14T03:21:00.000-07:00

Ah, moving. The joy of a new house, the pain of unpacking boxes. The excitment at rediscovering things that haven't been used in a year, the frustration in tripping over the empty boxes and not having room in the garbage can for them. Lugging all your "stuff" into trucks and hauling it across town, realizing your new house is big enough to hold it all...and still has too much empty space.

Needless to say, I've got all my stuff in the house, but it isn't all unpacked yet. My friends Jason and Jake helped me last Saturday morning and we ended up getting it all done in just two trips with their 2 trucks and my car! And then Michelle came over and helped me with a little unpacking. But now it appears that I'm really in need of some more furniture. Oh well, good thing I'm in no hurry.

Thought I'd leave you with some pictures of the house as it is now - that way you can appreciate it as it evolves!

The kitchen...

...the living room...

...the office...

...at least my bed is all unpacked! And ready for sleep...

Brrrr!

2005-12-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

And today the thermometer read -3 degrees. Orlando is sounding really good right now...

Holy Crap, It's Cold!

2005-12-06T23:43:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Denver is in the midst of some of the coldest weather we've had in a long time. So cold that windshield wipers on the ambulance keep freezing and when you walk outside your breath freezes in your nose! Just to prove that I'm not kidding, here's a picture from my car thermometer.

Don't worry, I wasn't driving when I took the picture. I kinda thought this next one was funny. I have a tire pressure sensor in my car, so whenever any of the tires lose pressure or go flat, it let's me know. Well, tonight it was so cold that it showed all four as being flat! Ha! I checked them and they were all fine, but I guess the whole air-molecules-become-denser-as-temperatures-drop theory is actually true - I wouldn't know, I hated physics.

Anyway, we got about 3 inches of icy snow today and are supposed to get more tomorrow. It wasn't really fun driving emergent all the way to Boulder tonight, but we've got some great EMT's who really know how to drive in the snow. I'm just glad the lady we transported decided not to have her baby in the back of the ambulance after all...

First Tube!

2005-12-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today was a very exciting and educational day for me on the ambulance. As a Critical Care Nurse I have the ability to perform a procedure called RSI, but rarely the opportunity. This is a procedure that I'm not allowed to do in the ER. For all you non-medical people (ok, ALL of you!) RSI stands for Rapid Sequence Intubation and is used when people are still alive but not awake or alert. Most of the time it's used when people can't maintain their own airway and need help from us. So we give them a series of drugs to sedate and paralyze the patient and then put a tube in their trachea to breathe for them. Most patients that I transport are either already intubated or the transport is so short they don't have a chance to crash on me (too badly!). Needless to say, I haven't had the opportunity to perform this procedure except on a dummy. Until today...

We ran a 911 call this morning on an unresponsive man. We're not sure what exactly was going on with him, but he was definitely not awake or alert. So we dropped him off at the hospital and stuck around a little to help the ER staff with him. We were just about to leave when my medic came up to me and told me they were going to RSI the patient and I should ask if I could do it. I told him they probably wouldn't let me and we shouldn't bug the resident (yeah, I was really nervous). But this was a teaching hospital and Brian really wanted me to go in there and do it. Now Brian is normally very much the Southern gentleman, but on this occasion practically grabbed my arm and forced me back into the ER.

So I went inside and asked the resident if I could do the RSI. He said sure. This particular doc was a third year resident and his attending wanted him to have some practice teaching procedures to other people, so it really worked out well for everyone! We set everything up, discussed which drugs we wanted to give and in what order and my hands began to shake. Badly. The way they did back in nursing school when I started my very first IV. Hopefully no one noticed. So the ER nurse gave the drugs and the guy was well paralyzed. The picture here shows the instruments that we use. The laryngoscope has a light on it so you can push the tongue and the epiglottis out of the way and see the vocal cords. And then the tube is passed just through the cords so that both lungs can be ventilated. It's pretty difficult to get it in the right spot because a lot of times it slips down into the esophagaus and ventilates the stomach - not very helpful for the patient!

The first look I took was very much blocked by the man's tongue, so the doctor gave me a longer laryngoscope blade and told me to look again. This time I saw cords and passed the tube - in the right spot on the first try! The doc and the attending were so nice. They both told me I did a great job and were so helpful in talking me through the whole process. The ER where I work is not a teaching hospital, and you can definitely tell the difference in the attitude towards learning procedures like this. I don't think I'll be quite so hesitant to ask to assist on procedures next time we're in this particular ER. Plus we're getting to know all the docs and nurses so they are more comfortable with us coming in and helping out!

So that was my exciting day. Not that it sounds particularly exciting when I spell it all out like this, but it was a great day for me nonetheless! Yes, I'm an adrenaline junkie. Shocker. Now on to my next 5 shifts in a row...

Finally Finished

2005-11-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

As promised, I finally got around to taking a picutre of the quilt I finally finished. It's not quite Katie or Mom quality, but for a couch blanket it will do just fine. Plus it was fun putting it together all on my own without a pattern. And it's a nice was to keep all those memories close even though I don't wear the t-shirts anymore.

I'm in the process of packing and I'm reminded how much I hate it. I didn't think I had that much stuff, but once I got down to the basement and started sorting all that stuff out I realized I was quite wrong! Good thing I've roped a lot of people in to helping me next week! The best thing about buying a house? I won't have to move for a very long time...

Countdown...

2005-11-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today by either the grace of God or the simple stupidity of the loan company, a date was set on which I will close the sale of my new house. Next week Thursday, December 8, 2005, I will be the proud owner of my own house! We met with the mortgage guy today and he said that everything looks good and is in order for us to sign all the papers next week. Yea! And just in time for Christmas. I'm not sure if I'll get a tree and do all that decorating this year. There's not really enough time between when I move in and when I leave to go home. So I guess I'll just concentrate on the normal decorating - that's the part I love! And man have I got some good ideas...! But in the mean time, I still have to move... I hate that part.

Christmas Ideas

2005-11-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Alright kids, so I finally got things together and have a list of ideas for Christmas presents - and it's illustrated!

First, I need a new stethoscope. I really like the 3M Littmann Master Classic II. Color doesn't really matter, but blue or black always works.

And since I returned the dishes from my registry (heehee!) I might need a new set for my new house! I found a set at Kohl's that I like - it's called Sakura Samba and it's all white and square in shape.

There are also a couple cookbooks that I'd like. Yes, I cook. Just ask Bob about my awesome salmon! The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen are at the top of my list.

Ok, that's all I've got for now. Hope this helps whoever. Now I think the only list we're missing is Alec's...

Going once...Going twice..

2005-11-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Big news! I'm in the process of filling out paperwork so that I can - you guessed it! - buy a house! I've been looking into the option for over a year now and found the perfect house. It's out on the eastern edge of Aurora where there isn't anything yet. The backyard looks out over a huge, empty field with grass and sunflowers in the summer. And there won't ever be anything back there because there's a main gasline that runs through there all the way to Texas and they can't mess with it! Yippee! Over the past two years of living and working in the cities of Denver and Aurora, I've learned that I'm not really a city girl. I love the open space of this area and it's actually quiet! (Who knew that would be something I would value!)

The house currently belongs to my friend Mike, but he's moving and selling it to me. So now comes all the fun stuff like my meeting with the mortgage broker on Wednesday and moving - again. Yuck. That's the worst part. I think I've moved 7 times in the last 6 years - I can't wait for the permanency of a house of my own. (As you can tell, the "gulp" factor of my own mortgage hasn't quite set in yet!)

But I'm super excited. The house was finished in March so it's still new. There are three bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms upstairs. Downstairs there's a half bathroom, family room, living room and kitchen. And the basement is another 700 square feet that has great finishing potential. There's also a 2 car attached garage with lots of storage and cupboards that Mike put in.

So that's the latest big news out of Denver. Nothing's set yet, so I don't know when I'll close or move. But probably at the end of November/early December. Just wanted to show you all what my new place will look like! Obviously it needs some "Beth" touches, but that will come. Now for Christmas ideas. How about a new couch? :)

Why I Love My Job

2005-11-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

The other day we transported preemie twins back home to Ft. Collins after they had spent the first 91 days of life at the University Hospital NICU. They were teenie boys - about 3 pounds each, but man were they cute! While waiting for the nurse to finish paperwork I got to feed the smaller of the two and my medic snapped this picture on my phone for our work scrapbook. I'm always amazed at how easy things like this come to me. Changing diapers, giving bottles, comforting little ones - maybe it has something to do with all the babysitting I've done over the years, but I've come to realize that I'm pretty good with kids. My co-worker at the hospital calls me the "Pedi Queen" partly because I always end up in peds when I work the mid shift, and partly because kids respond to me. See Mom, I knew there was a reason that I never wanted to grow up!

Anyway, the twins did pretty well on the hour long trip up North. They both have pretty significant lung problems just from being born so early - they were born at 24 weeks and normal is 40! The little one decided to drop his oxygen saturation so I flicked his feet to wake him up. He pinked up and then he pooped for me, so I guess he was feeling fine! Then the other one decided that we weren't giving him enough attention, so he dropped his sats and I had to suction him and wake him up a little. Sounds scary, but all things to expect when babies are born so early.

These pictures alone remind me why it is I do what I do.

New pictures of a still-new car

2005-11-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

So I realized the other day when I was looking back through Katie's blog that I never posted a picture of the latest Denver Bosscher car. So better late than never!

And no, that's not actually my car in the picture, but that's what we were doing this weekend! I went to an Emergency Medical conference up in Keystone this weekend with a bunch of friends from work and we got dumped with 8 inches of snow on Friday night! So that's what the good 'old Pilot looked like in the snow.

The conference was pretty great, too. I did a cadaver lab on Thursday and was able to get some practice at a bunch of procedures I don't normally get to do. I put in a chest tube, did a cricothyroidotomy (emergency airway procedure), did a needle decompression of the chest, did a cut-down (last-ditch attempt for a difficult iv line) and even learned how to put stitches in! The class was run by a trauma surgeon and a surgical PA from Vail who both knew very well what they were talking about. I think the PA's job would be something I could do someday. He works with the trauma surgeons in the ER, but also does elective surgeries. Two medical aspects that interest me greatly. But we'll see. I think that would require me to go back to school...And we know how Beth feels about going back to school...

When I got back in town today I discovered that Hal had eaten some red gift ribbon and then barfed it back up on my bed. So everything's in the washer right now. Guess the picture of that quilt will have to wait. Now he's hiding from me because he knows he's in trouble!

Hmmm...

2005-11-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

You Should Get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)

You're a blooming artistic talent, even if you aren't quite convinced.You'd make an incredible artist, photographer, or film maker.

Very interesting...I'm the one in the medical field and yet supposedly I'd make a good artist. I guess all those photography classes in high school were trying to tell me something...

Beth, Domestic?

2005-10-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

So although I've never been the Katie-type with the beautiful quilts and awesome sewing skills, or the Emily-type with the creative costumes and show-stopping props, I feel pretty proud of myself this week. My roommates requested the use of my sewing machine and limited tailoring skills to help them with their Halloween costumes. They had a party to go to and Jake wanted to go as ladybugs. Megan went along with it and I pitched in with the sewing. The final product turned out pretty cute and I was pretty proud of myself! And I think Jake and Megan had fun being ladybugs, too!

And then after I finished their ladybug costumes, I finished a blanket that I've been working on for the last two years. I made it with all my old t-shirts from high school and college that I never wear anymore, but didn't want to get rid of. (I'll try to post a picture of it later.) So even though it doesn't happen very often, I can be domestic! Just don't expect it regularly...

Dying with Grace

2005-10-13T00:10:00.000-06:00

Today was not really a good day at work. Or maybe it was.

We were pretty busy when I came in at noon - they were resuscitating someone in room 4, room 2 was a motorcycle trauma, room 3 had been choppered in from the boonies for continuous seizures and I had to go up to triage to tell 17 people that there was still no room in the inn. By 3:00 or so we had finally gotten caught up to the point where we could at least breathe.

And then I got my little old man in room 8. Not really old in the grand scheme of things, though - only 65. He was brought from a nursing home for difficulty breathing. My friend on the ambulance actually responded to the call and did a great job of treating him enroute. He was only able to whisper, but he knew where he was and what day it was. He said he wasn't in pain. I put him on the monitor, drew some blood and did my assessment. The poor man sounded like his lungs were full of water. It was so bad that I couldn't even hear his heart beating over the sounds of his breathing. And I couldn't feel a pulse anywhere - hands, feet, neck. But he was still awake.

Our ER physician called the man's primary care doctor, who made it to the hospital in about 20 minutes. I love this doctor - so caring, mindful of patient's wishes and a genuinly kind man. He stayed in the room with the patient and me for the next half an hour while he quietly passed away.

The man kept squeezing my hand. Strongly at first, then with less and less pressure as his breathing became the focus of his remaining energy. His rhythm slowly decreased on the monitor and his breathing became more shallow. He no longer answered when we called his name.

A friend of his came to wish him goodbye, as this man's children lived out of state and across the country. The doctor contacted his sons and prepared them for the immenent. We put the phone to the dying man's ear and let his children say goodbye. And then there was silence. No heart rhythm on the monitor. No sounds of labored breathing.

As I finished my paperwork and called the funeral home, I was reminded of Grandma and how fast is was when she died. And I remembered the nurse in the hospice room at Holland Hospital and how caring and comforting she was, even though only hours before she had been a total stranger. I felt a lump in my throat as I hugged the lady who came to see him and suddenly my eyes felt like they were under water.

Later I talked to the man's son and signed the papers for all his organs to be donated. This patient's own son had received a liver transplant 10 years ago. The gift of life goes on.

And then I realized that I have the awesome chance to be Grandma's nurse. Monday I delivered a baby and heard his first cry in this world, and today I held a man's hand as his eyes closed for the last time. I've been told by weathered veterans of emergency medicine that after a while you don't care as much anymore. And I've also been told that I still care too much. But that's not a problem for me. I'm learning that death has it's own beauty, and if I get to be the gift of grace for one moment, then it's all worth it.

Ahhh...Winter

2005-10-10T08:56:00.000-06:00

As predicted, Denver received a nice batch of freshly made snow last night. And it's still coming down! It always seems amazing to me how it can be 80 degrees one week, barely Autumn and 60 degrees the next week, and then snowing and 30 degrees.

It's pretty much been snowing all day. And it's a wet, heavy snow. There are a lot of trees with branches bent to the ground under the weight and lots of branches in the road that have broken off.

And of course when the weather goes bad so does the health of a lot of people. I haven't quite figured out why that is, but I think it has something to do with O'Toole. Most people follow Murphy's Law, but the medical community has their own special one - O'Toole's Law. Basically O'Toole says that Murphy was an optimist. If something can go wrong, it will. And if more than one thing can go wrong at once, you'd better count on it.

Anyway, today O'Toole was out in full force, probably in cohorts with Jack Frost. I went in to work at noon and got my butt kicked until nine o'clock tonight. 2 cardiac alerts, 2 stroke alerts, 3 GI bleeds, 3 pregnant traumas, 1 delivery, 1 bravo trauma, 1 alpha trauma, 2 PE's, and a trauma CORE. Wow. Lots of running in the ER today!

But by 9:00 we pretty much had things settled down and they let me go home early. Whew! But I feel bad for the night shift, because when the roads freeze it's going to start all over again...

Fall Colors

2005-10-09T18:07:00.000-06:00

Cousin Michelle and I have a tradition of hiking the Colorado mountians in search of the best fall colors. Unfortunately, this year we were both so busy that we almost missed it. We took a drive up to Georgetown and Guanellas Pass looking for the Aspens. Pretty much all we found was fog and rain with occasional hail. But then we found a few streams and some trees that still had their leaves. I love Colorado in the Fall!

It was beautiful, but really cold! So we stayed in the car most of the time and got out only for photo opportunities. We saw some big horned sheep and a couple foxes. Unfortunately, the fox was the only one who would sit still.

And tonight it's supposed to snow in Denver 6-12 inches! Looks like winter's starting already. Good thing it'll be back in the 60's by the end of the week. Ahh...I love Colorado!

My "Other" Job

2005-10-04T00:58:00.000-06:00

I thought I’d give you all a little taste of my “other” job. The one I actually like…the one that pays me more…the one that I’m going to do full time starting in November. It’s a small team, but it means that we all know each other well and have fun working together. And it kind of makes us elite, or at least we think we are! And look at that rig! It’s the biggest one Rural Metro owns – it’s a duely! Just think, on Thursday I get to learn how to drive that sucker. Look out Aurora! These two are my frequent partners. As of now we work Fridays and Saturdays together. Vicki (right) is probably our most experienced paramedic. She’s worked in the field for 25 years and has a lot of know-how. She’s also the “boss” and runs the administrative side of CCT. And she’s kind of a mom for all of us young’ uns, too. Carrie (left) is probably my favorite EMT because she’s spunky and might even talk more than I do! The three of us have worked together so much that we pretty much know what will happen in any given situation. We know how the others will react and can read minds – that makes it so much easier when the poo hits the fan!

Most days we run anywhere from 4 to 6 calls. Not bad when you figure critical patients have more equipment, more drug drips and more history than most. So it takes an average of 1-2 hours to get them loaded up and transferred to wherever they’re going. However, some days we get nothing. Nada. Zip. Like the other day. Thursday we ran one call. Friday we ran zero. Boring. Luckily our quarters has cable and a comfy couch. And yes, I get paid for sleeping. Pretty cool, huh? But when it’s slow we also do things like go out to eat with certain B-shift EMT’s or shopping (we are the Gumby Girls, after all!). Oh, don’t feel bad for me yet. Last week we had 2 days in a row where we got absolutely pounded and didn’t eat until 8:00 at night. But that’s how it goes when you work the streets. And I don’t mean that in the hooker kind of way. But when it's not busy we do other things - like clean quarters, especially after the boys have been working. Why does it always smell like feet in there? And of course we take good care of our rig. The other day Carrie, Vicki and I spent 2 hours detaling that beast! We even took out all the equipment, the pram and anything that wasn't bolted down. It's amazing how much goo you can find when you're really looking for it. Yuck! Now if only it would stay that way...

Hopping on the Bandwagon

2005-09-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

Alright, kids.
So now that Mom and both big sisters have done the Blog thing, I guess it's time for me to hop on the bandwagon and do the same. Besides, I'm constantly told that I'm not the best at keeping everyone informed of the goings on out here in good 'ole Denver. So hopefully this will keep everyone happy and even let me share some of the cool things I get to do at work! (Don't worry, Mom. I won't share the really gory ones!) More to come...