anniversary

we've been together 5 years as of today! yay!

random list

temperament
sleep / wake cycles
adhd
lighting
color

quote

"when i was young, the future was where all the good stuff was kept, the party clothes, the pretty china, the family silver, the grown up jobs. the future was a land of its own, and we couldn't wait to get there. not that youth wasn't great, but it came with disadvantages; i remember the feeling i was missing something really good that was going on somewhere else, somewhere i wasn't. i remember the feeling i was missing something really good that was going on somewhere else, somewhere i wasn't. i remember feeling life passing me by. i remember impatience. i don't feel that way now. if something interesting is going on somewhere else, good, thank god, i hope nobody calls me. sometimes it's all i can do to brush my teeth-- toothpaste is just too stimulating. the future was also the place where the bad stuff waited in ambush.... now i know i can control my tongue, my temper, and my appetites, but that's it. i have no effect on weather, traffice, or luck. i can't make good things happen. i cna't influence the future, and i can't fix the past. what a relief." -Abigail Thomas (A Three Dog Life: A Memoir)

Work Mostly

So...it's been awhile. Lots happening in my life right now...

Work:
work is okay. it's hard. i've switched preceptors so that's thrown a kink into the whole learning process. and my preceptor has a sweet schedule so she never does weekends or 12's. so when i do those kinds of days, i'm with ANOTHER person. so i've had to learn 3 different styles and do everything the way 3 different people want me to do whatever it may be.
i feel like i can't do things the way i want to, and that people are breathing down my neck although they're meaning to be helpful. i can't wait to be in the icu with a maximum of 2 patients.

in other news, the nurses are planning on striking this next week...however, if you're under 6 months of hire, you aren't allowed to strike because the union doesn't cover you yet. so if i strike i'll most likely be fired. so i may be even a nurse in charge (NIC) or something because the hospital has 10 days to find ppl in advance notice of the strike, and who knows how many agency nurses they can get....i may be taking care of 10 patients or more.....who knows, all i know is, things are going to get scary. i won't have a preceptor or anything there with me, i'll be entirely on my own. and the best part is...JCAHO is supposed to be coming soon and they might show up right in the midst of this. i'm crossing my fingers...........


Home Life:
jordan, moose, and sigmund are all quite well. we're all settled in nicely and loving living together. we're really really happy. moose and sigmund LOVE each other. you should see them play together. hahah. :)

We're planning on moving to the north or south shore after our lease ends for our current apartment. So we'd be living on the beach. It's cheaper to live right next to the beaches than Boston believe it or not. And it's absolutely gorgeous. It'd be like a dream come true for me. Then we're planning on moving back down to the Mid Atlantic for me to start my Master's. That's all still tentative. Probably in Philly.


Extras:
i do want to say, i do love neuro. i'm really glad i picked it. the float nurses say it's one of the hardest areas, and i am figuring out why. from an academic standpoint i feel most stimulated and simultaneously challenged in neuro, which is good. i thrive on the neuropsych stuff...
i'm taking care of lots of seizure pt's where we bring them in then take them off their meds so we can monitor some of their seizures and see if they're candidates for surgery. it's cool. i saw a hugeeeee tonic clonic seizure (they're no longer calling them gran mal). 20 year old kid too.
Lots of pt's of mine have brain cancer, or aneurysms, epilepsy, subarachnoid hemorrahages....

it's very cool. i just can't wait to be off orientation. that happens the week of dec. 16th. and then i practice on my own for 2 months on the intermediate care neuro floor that i've been on for the last 2 and a half months. then i go to the ICU and start a whole new orientation down there. although i like that unit much better and the people seem nicer. much more of a family.

went to the world record jack o lantern festival in keene, NH. Most jack o lanterns in one location at one time. It was amazing. That weekend we spent out in western Mass with another couple and we did a lot of fun things, it was beautiful and so much fun.

Jordan got me the game apples to apples -- so finally i own it too! :)

i'm super excited for this new show 3lbs to start (nov. 14th i think?)...it looks like it's going to be a neuro based medical show.

And I'm making lots of my beaded jewelry, which is fun and I've been enjoying a great deal.

anniversary

Jordan and I just reached our 3 year anniversary.
Things are great... :)

August/Sept Update

Alright, I'm averaging about a post per month these days, so I'm due.

I start work on Monday. I'm super psyched. And a tad nervous....the good kind of nervous. The I can't wait to get this started kind of nervous. The I can't wait to meet new people kind of nervous. After having and enjoying a few months of introversion, I'm ready for a bit more balance in my life. The boards are over -- I passed, and I'm ready for the next chapter to begin.

I got my new crocs -- light blue -- to match my scrubs. of course. My name IS rachel allen afterall. Things DO need to match. The cool thing is, the hospital is going to give us our scrubs...that means no spending of my own money, and no laundry for the majority of what my attire is going to consist of. Sweet. I'm psyched. Plus, they're light blue, which will go well with my complexion. If it was like teal, or magenta or something god awful I doubt I'd be so into it. The one thing I have realized about hospital issued scrubs is that I'm going to need to get a bit more creative when it comes to expressing my own individuality and personality. Afterall, we're all going to look the same. I think I will be making a beaded neck badge holder type thing for one.

The month of August has been incredibly refreshing and peaceful. I spent a good chunk of time with the family, and David, Tracy, and Jason all came up to visit. In addition to those guys, Mary is coming to visit me this weekend which should be a blast. I can't wait. I'm glad I've gotten to spend time with a lot of good friends before the real world hits in T-6 days.

Jordan started his classes today. He finishes his Master's Degree in December so this is his last semester for it. He came up with his Master's thesis Sunday in the shower. It's fantastic and he's really excited about it, so that makes me really excited. I'm really happy it's starting to come together for him. Last year was a bit rough, with starting at a new school and doing the whole long distance relationship thing. This year he's looking forward to feeling much more established and developing his friendships into stronger longer lasting bonds. Jordan's birthday was also last week (24th). We went to the zoo, the common, had dinner with 2 of his friends at his favorite restaurant, and then went to the birthplace of boston cream pie for dessert. Lots of fun. We also hit up the aquarium the next day to see our favorite 70 year old sea turtle -- Myrtle. And the punk penguins. You will have to check his journal to see pictures of them. They're absolutely hysterical looking. I can't even explain it. www.greatestjournal.com/users/tentperson Everything is great on this front. We are loving the whole living together thing and the transition has been smooth. We are celebrating our 3 year anniversary on the 16th of this month. :D

Moose is adorable as always. So is Sigmund. He's figured out how to climb up the ladder of the loft bed -- it's so so funny to watch. Moose will be getting her little operation in the next month or so, and going to a puppy class. She is almost 6 months old now! Sigmund turned two this month. The 4turtles and 4 fish + 1 algae eater are all well also.

I think that's all for now. I will most likely update after I start working. Tomorrow morning (early early...ugh) is my physical for work.



this is a picture jordan took of me about 5 minutes before i went in to take my boards. i passed. 75 questions later. :D

The Kids

Sigmund

Moose

NCLEX exam

I took the boards yesterday (the NCLEX). It shut off at 75 questions. Hopefully you'll be calling me Nurse Rachel in another day or so. ;)


I'm also going to be seeing Damien Rice and Fiona Apple in concert this Friday! I can't wait.

the boston common

this is the "frog pond" at the boston common which is more or less a foot deep wading pool for kids to use during the summer months. it's also where ice skating takes place in the winter. it's one of my favorite things about boston. i love the concept, and i love that it's smack dab in the middle of downtown boston.

a picture i took at cape cod this past week

cake batter

well, last night i had "cake batter" ice cream from coldstone creamery.
one word......... WOW.
it was way too too good to be true! especially for an ice cream lover like myself.......i just might die from eating that. the richness was out of this world.

amazing.

We're Getting a Puppy

Puppy.

:-D

New Pictures

jordan and i in front of the humanities building at lvc (i lived right across from it when i went to school there)
harrisburg, pa

update

So the update is as follows...

right now i'm in the middle of my critical care rotation. i'm at thomas jefferson hospital of neuroscience in the neuro ICU. it's awesome. i love it.

i'm still waiting to hear back from mass general. i had interviewed for their neuro ICU in february. they only have 2 new grad positions TOTAL available. talk about nerve racking. and i got my application in back in october, so that means this process has now taken over 6 months, and it's not even over yet! AND i was the first person to interview at all, so i'm waiting til they finish getting through the other applicants and then hopefully i will hear back soon. i went up and shadowed a week ago. it went really well.

i'm really busy studying for the boards (nclex). we have a huge practice exam on tuesday and if we don't get whatever score they want us to, we have to go into all this remediation and shit, so i'm hoping i do well. we have to have 1000 practice questions handed in by tuesday...ugh...

we had our critical care exam last week. i got a 92 so i'm psyched about that!

this week i got to see brain surgery (a tumor recection/craniotomy), it was really awesome. and last week i got to see the surgeon place a VP shunt (drains cerebral spinal fluid from the brain and drops it into the abdomen). very cool also. i always find some excuse to work my way into the OR. i love the OR. it's my favorite place to be. so when i get lucky enough to go, it totally makes my day. my preceptor is amazingly cool. her name is robin. she's the best! she invites me to come out for drinks with her and some of the other staff after the shift like, every week.
we do a twelve hour shift (7-7) on thursday, and again on friday.....so it's a lot, and in that regard, i'm anxious for the rotation to come to a close. but that's nothing against the rotation, i'm just starting to get senioritis.

i want to be done so bad. i can't WAIT! the warmer weather is the source of my more recent impatience i believe. it's crazy when i think about it....like...i hadn't really thought about this until this week, but i'm going to be going through 3 huge life changes all at ONE time!
i'm graduating from college, moving 8 hours from my home, and moving in with my boyfriend.....all in the same month. that's CRAZY. hahahah
oh well, i'm so excited. we've been doing the long distance thing for a full 2 years so i'm just thrilled to think we'll actually be in the same place in only a couple weeks.

jordan's really excited about sig coming up to move in with him in 2 weeks. lol. i think he's more excited about that than me moving in. haha. the apartment is really nice, we really really lucked out. we will have all new appliances, permission to have a dog, hard wood floors, 2 bedrooms (one will serve as an office mostly for jordan since he's a grad student), and it's literally RIGHT across the street from a whole foods. talk about being spoiled...rotten. it's insanely good. it's also about half a block to the T stop right on the green line (the public transportation we'll both be using to get around). we're going to have a car for the summer only so we can easily take little trips around MA and elsewhere in new england if we want. also, jordan's mom has a swimming pool at their house and this will be my first summer not having a swim membership somewhere, so i want to be able to easily get out to her place and stuff.
AND....we're getting a puppy this summer too. so we want to be able to have the car for convenience while the weather is warm. i'm hoping to go out to cape cod and stuff, and i know my family is spending a week on the cape at some point this summer. so yeah....i'm so excited i can't wait. And this will actually be my first summer not taking classes/being in school. That's also a reason to be excited. haha.

Countdown

The Countdown.


2 weeks til i get to see jordan
2 weeks til i'm done with classes and clinical!
2 weeks til we bring the first load of stuff up to MA
2 weeks til we bring Sig up to MA for good
2 weeks til hopefully i finally get to go to cape cod
3 weeks until finals
4 weeks til the official move!
6 weeks until graduation!

which sex and the city character am i?

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

i'm not MIA

lots has been going on. my computer died, and when it came back supposedly "fixed".... it died again! so that whole ordeal took a couple weeks and finally now i have a brand NEW computer!
so i'll update very shortly. :)

my trip to Boston

a snowy tree.

jordan's street.

i love this windowbox arrangement.

city hall.

quincy market.

quincy market.

quincy market.

beautiful.

quincy market.

Fanuel Hall.

Me. :)

Duncan, Jordan's Roommate and best friend from high school.

Me.

Jordan in the snow!

Fanuel Hall.

I love this angle of Fanuel Hall.

Just to show how much the snow was blowing.

The window box again.

The Boston Common.

The Boston Common.

The Boston Common.

Sledding on the Boston Common.

The three of us on the common.

Sledding!





Here are some pictures from my recent trip up to Boston (I was up visiting Jordan for Valentine's Day and doing my job interview @ Mass General). I had a wonderful time. It was the best Valentine's!

three months...

3 Months.
the shelf life of a jar of pickles. a third of a pregnancy. the length of time it takes to get marijuana out of your system. a third of the entire school year. a quarter of a year. one season. length of a hibernation. training time for a marathon/run -an avg. of 5 or 6 holidays.