Jack's Adventures

Jack is having a great time living here in AZ. As you can tell from the picture, Jack is our little watch dog. He keeps things under a close watch and barks at things that aren't right. He is also having a total blast going running with me. Tempe town lakes is a short 2 mile drive from our house and is a great place to get outside for some fresh air. It is a big man made lake with running trails around the whole thing. It is a great workout for both of us!

Jack has a tendency to get bored when I am not around. If I am at work

or out shopping, he finds that he has too much time on his paws, and finds a way to create a little trouble. Most of the time, he is a great dog!! But every once in a while, I come home to some trouble. Like last night when I came home from work, I had an unpleasant suprise waiting for me. I open the door and find a brand new box of tampons completely ripped up and destroyed. I don't know what he thinks they are or why he thinks they are a toy, but they were all over the place. It was so funny. I made him pose for this pic. I think he was embarrased. My favorite part, is that he knows when he does something wrong. I walk in the house and all I have to do is say, "Jack" in a shocked voice, and he immediately sits down and his ears lay flat to his head. His little tail is wagging like crazy on the floor and he just hopes that I will forgive him. He is my baby, so I do forgive him. I just have to remember next time to shut all the doors before I leave.

The Pottery Experience

Friday night was so much fun! My roommate Jessie and I went to dinner at this restaurant called Cadillac Ranch. It is a fun BBQ place with crazy loud music. Afterwards, we had a total blast painting pottery. What an experience!! I started out by choosing what I wanted to paint. They had picture frames, vases, platters, plates, chips and salsa platters, large bowls, etc. I chose to paint a vase. Then you have to choose your paint. You know, they shouldn't have so many choices, for people like me who can't make a decision to save her life. It is a hard place to be in. As many of you may know (just by knowing me) or may be able to tell by reading my blog, that I absolutely LOVE the color orange. I chose to paint my vase brown and orange. The only problem with painting pottery, however, is that I am a perfectionist. It is pretty hard to get exactly what you want when you are painting pottery......I mean for me anyway. The pottery shop guy gave me some great tips and I was off and painting. I had to learn to accept imperfection.

Honestly, it was so therapeutic! I had the time of my life. It was very relaxing and peaceful.....except for all the times that I got upset cuz the painting wasn't turning out like I thought it should. I felt truly creative, which is a huge jump for me, considering I have no artistic talent at all.

This is something I definitely plan on doing again. Surprisingly, I found that I was pretty good at it, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. What a totally fabulous way to spend a Friday night. I mean, I guess if I am not going to have a date, I might as well have a total blast!

The picture of me painting my pottery came from my cell phone. I thought it would be nice to have photographic proof of my work.

My Job

Sometimes I wonder how I ever got myself into this career of mine. I mean, honestly, who in their right mind wakes up one day and says to themselves, "you know, I think I would like to stick things in people that they don't want in them (needles, foley cathethers) and wipe their bums while I am at it". I am not a betting type, but if I were, I would bet that not one person would choose this job (based on above requirements). But alas, here I am doing the whole nursing thing day in and day out.
I have come to the decision that nursing might not be for me. I like people. I like them a lot. I just don't like sick people. And I HATE germs. Can I emphasize that enough? This is where it all went wrong in my life. How can I be a nurse if I hate germs? It is something that I have had to come to terms with, this whole germ-hating thing. I am not winning the battle. You can only wash your hands so many times in one day. My hands look like blue-collar man hands. Not the best look when you are trying to get a date for Friday night.
Honestly, I think the only reason that I do the things that I do, is that every once in a while you get a really rewarding experience. Like my patient I had today. After being intubated (breathing tube for you amateurs) for an extended period of time and incredibly sick, I was able to talk to him and get him up into a chair and start his rehab process. And you know what? He was the most enjoyable guy to talk to. He had the best sense of humor and had me laughing all day. I guess in the long run, that is why I do it. To be able to see someone near death one week, and then three weeks later see them cracking jokes like we were old friends. And I guess we are.

Easter Weekend 2008

First things first. This is a cute pic of baby Noah (my nephew) and cute Jack (my baby).
So, Jack and I spent Easter weekend at Brooke and Spencer's house. We had a great time. The kids were so happy to see us. When I got there and was unpacking the car, I told Chase I had a special surprise for them. I pulled out a big container of fresh strawberries from Costco. We went inside and were eating them and he turns to me and says, "aunt Kim, you're pretty much the best aunt ever!!" It made me laugh, and totally made my day. What a cute kid!
So friday night I put Jack in his kennel in the garage and went to bed. About 1230, I am having a dream about this dog and he is howling like crazy. In my mind, I think to myself, "why won't someone do something about that poor dog?" Then I awaken and realize that it is my dog howling. I went out to the garage and told him to stop. He would not. It is very unusual for Jack to be howling. It just isn't something he does. So, to make a long story shorter, I ended up sleeping in Brookes Toyota Sequoia because the only way Jack would stop whining is to have me out there with him. About 330 in the morning I hear Brooke yelling at me from the house, "what are you doing? get in here right now! just bring your dog in and sleep in your bed" So, the lucky, howling dog got to sleep inside after all.
Saturday Brooke and I went shopping and got Pedi's. I honestly think every woman should get a pedi at least once a month. The most relaxing and rewarding thing you can do for yourself. The kids played with Jack. They had so much fun. Noah absolutely loves the dog, and wanted to spend every waking moment with him. He had no fear which is a huge thing considering four year old Chase wont go near the dog. Caden also loves to go out and play with the dog. He plays fetch and tug of war. I know Jack has the time of his life with the kids.
It was such a fun weekend. Jack and I had a total blast with the kids and with Brooke and Spencer. It was really nice of them to let Jack stay inside with me at night. I know he really appreciated it.