apple pi

In the summer of 2001 I loaded all my worldly possessions [they fit in the back of a blue Buick along with all my brother's things, so let's not exaggerate what "worldly possessions" means] and headed from central Kansas to northern Indiana to start the next part of my life at Manchester College [now Manchester University]. Over the course of four years, I changed my major multiple times, added a music minor, deleted that minor, took 8 semesters of voice lessons, spent 24 months throwing heavy objects for sport, went to a total of about 7 parties [I was crazy], lifted a lot of weights, worked several nights a week, streaked monthly in the middle of the night [I said I was crazy] [only once in the snow, that was just stupid], went to Europe twice, ate 3 meals a day in the caf, and basically had the best time ever.

OH, and I made friends with these hooligans and we created a fake sorority.

These are the Apple Pi's [full fake-sorority name: Apple Pi Omega], there were a few others but this core group has stayed connected.

One of our Apple Pi sisters got married last weekend and she happened to schedule it on campus, so we all gathered and reminisced about the good ol' days.

You may think I'm joking, but I'm not. My eyes may have teared up when we went into the dorm and it smelled exactly the same. We piled into our old rooms and took pictures by the doors and made our way to the bathroom. Community bathrooms are EVERYTHING when you're a freshman in college and looking for friends. Imagine our HORROR at discovering that MEN are now living on our floor and using our bathroom.

NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.

It was so much fun to see everyone and it was extra special to be in this place where we first started and nurtured our friendships. These are women who build each other up and encourage and listen and stay present for each other.

I hope you have people like that in your life. It's amazing.

I met this booger-eyed farm cat on a farm and I want him.

xoxo

shenanigans

During my capstone experience I had started to transition to taking on complete care of a couple of our patients. For a seasoned nurse this would probably be minimally stressful, but for a newbie like me I was hoppin’ with trying to figure out discharge for this patient, getting that patient to a test, and waiting for the physician to let me know what was next for the other patient.

Things started to slow down around 12:30 [that’s am] as they sometimes do. [Sometimes 12:30 is when things are just starting to get busy.] Two nurses came up to me while I was charting and told me they had a new patient headed my way.

OK, give me the scoop.

The patient would be over soon, but they had this specimen that needed to be run up to the lab. A specimen? They had a urinal with some ice and this curved brown…thing…inside it.

They said that the patient had come in after this…thing…had fallen off of his privates. [Normally, I’d just use anatomical terminology, but internet searches can get weird and I don’t want weird randoms stumbling upon this just because I said peeeenis-t.] In my head I’m thinking, 'OK. This is plausible. Maybe he was degloved in some weird accident.’ [Don’t click the link on degloved unless you have a strong stomach. Suffice it to say it’s an accident that basically takes the skin off of an area of the body.] I read Figure 1, I’ve seen the TLC show. People come in to the emergency department with weird stuff from bedroom adventures. This is not a time for judgement.

E looks at me and says, "Let’s go up to the lab. It’s all you to explain this and give the handoff of the specimen.”

OK. I can handle this.

We silently rode up the elevator. I had to figure out in my head how to explain this specimen when I gave it to the lab technician.

We arrive. I ring a doorbell. I am sweating.

I start to explain, “Uh…we had a patient come in. This piece came from his genitals. Apparently it fell off, we’re not sure how…and they don’t know what it is but they’re worried about something...”

At this point the technician looks horrified, she doesn’t even want to take this out of my hands. I probably started to look a little panicked because E starts giggling.

And giggling.

She can’t stop giggling.

Then she says, “You’ve just been initiated, friend.”

…uh.

Those dorks totally pranked me…and since I’m gullible it wasn't the last time. The other story you’ll have to ask for in person.

Anyway, these are my new co-workers.

I couldn’t be more excited to work with them. This time I’m watching you, nurses.

#morningwalkswithamy

I love walking.

I'd probably walk everywhere if I could, but sometimes it's not the most...reasonable...mode of transportation. For example: after 10pm in my neighborhood by myself. I sometimes think about making intelligent choices, Mom.

Nia and I have had ants in our pants about our grown-up nursing jobs to start [she has one, I'm still waiting on DreamJob2015] and we get together for 7am morning walks around Indianapolis. This morning we hoofed it 18,470 steps.

Of course, we started by walking to the doughnut shop. Priorities.

There's a doughnut at General American Donut Company called The Bennie that was possibly the best thing to cross my lips in forever. It was heaven. Go get yerself one if you're in Indy. Then walk 5 miles to work it off. (-;

We followed paths and found flowers and trees and buildings and other delights.

"Look at mah leg! LOOK!"

Then we were back in my 'hood and walked on some of the smaller side streets I hadn't been down before. And I fell in love.

With a house.

It was tiny and beautiful and I wanted it.

Can I be a homeowner? Can I mow a lawn? Can I unplug a toilet? How much can I take out for a mortgage? Who will loan this new-graduate, pre-job human being money? Am I a grown-up? I love this house.

Then I did some more research and freaked out a little. I'm so not ready to adult. Maybe I'm ready to adult? House payments? Taking care of things? I can do that....maybe? No. YES. I can do that.

How much would payments be on that casita?

Nevermind.

Then I fell out of love.

It was a torrid, fast, tumultuous romance.

But now I'm thinking about homeownership. WHAAAAT.