Winter has descended upon us

First of all, I want to say thank you for everyone who commented, emailed, texted, sent a card, and/or called to wish me a happy birthday. I felt very loved and special on the 24th anniversary of my birth. I did have to work that day, but came home to Kara, Dora, and Christine jumping out yelling 'happy birthday!' followed by some delicious pizza (from the place on a magnet that was stuck to the side of our fridge when we moved in) and a home-made ice-cream cake. Amy came over after dinner, and we had another slumber party in my room. Altogether a fun night.

So, my first week of 'real' work went pretty well. There are 8 of us in the Periop 101 course. Seven girls, one guy, and I'm the youngest of the group. We all seem to get along well so far. Every day is some combination of: sitting at a computer completing modules for the AORN Periop 101 course (there's a post-test at the end of each module that must be passed with an 80% or better, and we'll have to take a final at the end that we also have to pass with an 80%), and sitting in a small, freezing cold classroom in the basement (next to the morgue!) watching videos that were filmed circa 1980 over the same material we completed the modules on. I guess they are trying to drill the information in through repetition. 

We have two educators who I think of as mama ducks (because the 8 of us trail after them everywhere like ducklings). They are funny and sarcastic and supportive and honest...and I'm excited for what's ahead. They don't sugar-coat things, but they also aren't bitter (unlike many nurses who have lots of experience). I already feel like I could come to them with any problems/concerns/whatever, and it's only been a week. 

On Thursday, one of the educators, D, was off that day, and the other educator, J, got sick and needed to go home. So J arranged for each of us to 'shadow' a different nurse in the OR. She told us sternly not to let them make us 'do' anything because we were just there to observe. Having logged 162 clinical hours in an OR in nursing school where I was able to do things, I was not so happy at the idea of observing for 5 1/2 hours. But it wasn't too bad. Aside from the techno/dance dance revolution type music on the surgeon's playlist (when Castles in the Sky came on, I almost couldn't contain the urge to pseudo-dance along), I really enjoyed being back in an OR. And I got to see them cut out a rib bone...kind of awesome.

So on the bus ride home that day, I made friends with this cute little kid. He had to be about 6 or 7 (or a small 8 or 9), and at first I thought he was alone.  I sat down next to him, and had my cell phone out because I was texting someone. He looks at me, with his little fro and his little thug outfit, and asks, "what kind of phone you got?" We talked for the duration of the 10 minute ride, and I found out that he was actually with his friend Germaine (who appeared to be about 10 and was sitting on the opposite side of the bus), and that he wants to work at McDonald's when he grows up. Probably my favorite part of the conversation was when he asked me how old my mom was ("how old she be?"), and I told him, and his eyes got huge (sorry Mom) and he asked "how she get to be that old?." He was kind of great, and I walked off that bus feeling blessed.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

- I'm pretty sure Seattle has a higher than average proportion of crazy people. Like, walking down the street talking to themselves kind of crazy. And I wonder why.

- Post lunch burping inside a surgical mask is really gross. Really, really gross. Especially if you had a banana at lunch. 

- I was helpfully given an acronym to remember the street names downtown. Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest: Jefferson, James, Cherry, Columbia, Marion, Madison, Spring, Seneca, University, Union, Pike, and Pine. Those of you coming to visit should try and memorize that, it will be useful.

- The last three days have been cloudy and gray, and I don't feel like throwing myself off the top of a building yet. Hopefully that's a good sign. 

- I think this weekend will include more relaxing than last weekend did. Kara is working all weekend (she's been off since Tuesday), so I will have the place to myself. I'm planning to just be a slug and read some books.

- Found out that I have all holidays off while I'm in the Orientation period, and promptly bought a plane ticket to StL for Thanksgiving. Can't say I'm excited to put up with (and be one of) annoying holiday travelers, but it will be great to see the fam (and Tessa).

- Sorry for the super-excessive use of parenthesis in this post. I will try to do better next time.

Busy Fun Weekend

My title says it all. I find that there's a strange conundrum regarding weekends when you enter the world of the full-time worker...to relax or to play? I guess ideally there would be equal parts of each, but that can be difficult to achieve in practice.

On Saturday, Kara and I slept in till around 9, and it was glorious. We spent some time cleaning the apartment, then I went up to the roof deck to work on my chapters (that I'm almost finished with!). After lunch we headed to Target and a scrub store. That night, Kara was going out for a birthday celebration with a girl we met at orientation who lives by us, and I was planning to hang out with Amy. She caught the bus from her place to mine (it's just one bus ride away, no transfers or anything), and we went out for Thai food at a place in Ballard called Thaiku. We might be Thai food junkies.

Amy and I watched a movie at my place, and tried to stay up and watch SNL (but were bored to sleep...unfortunate that Phelps had some pretty un-funny material with which to showcase his talents). I was able to squeeze a twin air mattress into my bedroom, and we had a slumber party. Poor Amy had three blankets on...because my Seattle air conditioner (aka window fan) brings in down to about 62 degrees at night. But the next morning she said it was a cozy nest, so that was good.

Sunday we got up and went to Bethany Community Church, ab

out a 10 minute drive from my place. I (surprisingly) really enjoyed it. After the service, Amy and I were talking, when somebody behind me exclaimed, "Rachel!" It was my friend Dora's mom. Come to find out, they've been attending the church for 30 years. She told us about a group for healthcare workers and students that is forming up, with the intent of doing some kind of healthcare focused outreach in the community. Amy and I are going to check that out in a couple of weeks. 

After church we went to the Fremont Sunday Market, where lots of vendors sell their craft. I found some very cool stuff, and decided that no one is getting any Christmas presents from a mall this year :)

Here are pictures:

This is a shot of me, Amy, and Kylie from last weekend. Just to prove that they do exist.

This is the canal near the Fremont Market. Amy and I ate slices of stone-oven pizza while sitting on the wall dangling our feet over the side. I really REALLY need to meet someone who has a boat, of any kind.

Entrance to the Market. It's not nearly as crowded/overwhelming as Pike's Place Market.

Me, in the clutches of the troll under the Fremont Bridge. Bonus points to anyone who can name the popular movie containing a scene filmed at the troll.

So the sink in my bathroom had been draining really slowly ever since I moved in. This is what I pulled out of it this morning.

Life on the Bus

- I passed a girl on the street earlier this week who was wearing a big yellow button that said "I'm on the bus." It made me smile and think of my brothers.

- I like riding the bus. I like being part of the throng of workers who flood into the city in the early hours of morning, and then clog all the buses and streets on their way home in the evening. It makes me feel like a productive little worker bee, and gives me a sense of camaraderie with the rest of the swarm. 

- I have a weird-0 magnet when it comes to the bus. One morning, I had the pleasure of sitting next to an elderly lady who alternated between snatching 'nothing' out of the air to put in her mouth, and stroking her long creepy hair. That same day, on the ride home, an older gentleman sat down in front of us and began talking, and didn't stop. He told us how he gets three free months at the hospital because, and I quote, "they mis-diagnosed me for being crazy." Because I could tell that this man was pretty harmless (and had mace in my bag if he wasn't), I utilized all the therapeutic communication skills I could remember from my psych clinical. I was treated to scintillating pontification about everything from politics to soldiers who get STD's because (another direct quote) "they didn't listen when they told 'em to wear a raincoat." He talked all the way to my stop, and I listened, while Kara sat rigidly next to me staring out the window and using every ounce of willpower not to burst out laughing. The encounter provided us with lots of entertainment for the rest of the night.

- Highlights of the week included: going to Pike's Market one afternoon when we got to leave work early; sitting up on the roof deck after work with Kara watching the sun go down and hearing her hilarious poop-related story (that is funnier than my Lego one); and going out for happy hour last night with Dora, Kara, and a girl we met at orientation who will be working on Kara's floor named Christine.

I get a three day weekend now, during which I plan to enjoy the beautiful weather (seriously, if anyone wants to come visit next year, I'm going to suggest late August/early September, but maybe spring is this awesome, too...guess I'll find out!) and figure out the benefits stuff, and get my car licensed :( 

That's it for now. I'll try to put pictures in my next post!

Workin' hard for the money

I have officially been a full-time employee at one of Seattle’s finest medical institutions for two days now. I’ve decided not to disclose the name of said institution, mostly so that when somebody googles _____ Hospital, this blog won’t come up.

Anyway, not a lot to say about work so far. It’s been two days of sitting in an auditorium eating free snacks and drinking free coffee and listening to people talk while earning money! I’m still excited about my job, even after realizing how much of the money I earn will get taken away. Aside from the usual insurance stuff, there’s also a bus pass, union dues (1.5% of my monthly salary), and other stuff I can’t remember right now. So much for the piles of money I’ve been dreaming of. I guess I need to learn how to make and live by a budget.

Also I totally feel unprepared for the world of choosing insurance and a retirement plan. Apparently the insurance is pretty good…not that I would know. And do I really need to pay for long-term disability? And is a pension plan better than a pension plan/403(b) hybrid? Pretty sure I don’t know the first thing about investing money. I’m planning on having an 8-hour long conversation about all this with my mom later this week,  but any advice would be appreciated. 

So I think the mystery of the singing neighbor may be solved. I heard it again today, and walked outside, and it’s definitely the guy next door, who seems like a quiet, unassuming Asian man in his 30’s. But I turned my fan off, and I can definitely hear him alternately coughing and giggling…so I think I can guess what he’s up to.

We're getting more comfortable with the whole bus situation, so that's good. I really, really, REALLY enjoy not having to drive to work. It kind of makes life less stressful. Most favorite thing about the bus: catching glimpses of the water and mountains while riding during sunrise and sunset. Least favorite thing about the bus: having to brace my legs to keep from sliding off the vinyl seats.  

That's all for today.

It's a big one

So, I'm not sure how long I can keep up this posting pace. It helps that I have no job to go to yet, and can fill the days with fun and exploring. Also I'm joining my friend Amy's crusade to get people to visit and see how great the city is, so I have an ulterior motive.

Yesterday Dora, Kara, and I walked down Market street into ‘downtown’ Ballard (area where I live in the city of Seattle). There are lots of cool little restaurants and boutiques and such. We stopped for some deliciousness at Cupcake Royale (http://www.cupcakeroyale.com/), then walked through the botanical garden and saw the Ballard Locks. The locks are where boats move from the Puget Sound out into the ocean. Or maybe where they move from Elliot Bay into the Puget Sound...I'm really not sure. We stood and watched the boats all pull into the lock; ranging from pleasure boats (yachts and such), to hard-core fishing boats. The one closest to where we were standing had been salmon fishing in Alaska for 95 days. Once all the boats were in, they closed the gate/wall and raised the water level about 15 feet, then opened the other gate and let the boats continue on their way. It was pretty cool.

 As we were crossing the water, Dora spotted something black and shiny come out of the water a few hundred feet out (towards the ocean not the sound). We saw a bunch of seagulls swarming and then the large black shiny thing thrashed and splashed for a while longer. I think it’s probably safe to assume that I saw my first Orca today! Pretty exciting.

 We also saw the fish ladder, where salmon make their way back up to the watershed to mate…and then they die, having expended all their energy to get there. Wah, wah, WAH (to the tune of Debbie Downer). The fish we saw through the glass didn’t seem to be making much progress, but I found myself internally rooting for them anyway. Overall it was a very fun day exploring our local area (and finding more places to take visitors). I found a ton of restaurants I want to try, and shops that I’d love to explore more thoroughly.

So that night, my friend Amy called to say she was back in town. She’s been out of town since I got here, so I drove right over to her place (~10 minutes away). It is surreal, and exciting, and wonderful to be living in the same city as her. Our friend Kylie (who was a Segue participant with us, and whom neither of us have seen since it ended) was in town for a wedding and had been staying at Amy’s house. So great to see her and catch up on life. We went out to a Thai restaurant in the heart of the University District (where Amy lives, Go Huskies!)…and over dinner we realized that it was exactly four years to the day that we all met each other. Kind of amazing.

Today was a big day, too. My first ever ride on a Metro bus in Seattle. Kara and I got up really early for our test run in preparation for Monday. We caught the 5:57 bus downtown. It’s a straight shot down to the center of the city, then we have walk two blocks to transfer to a bus that drops us off right in front of the hospital at 6:45. I’m sure it will get old pretty fast (especially in the winter), but I really liked not having to drive, and the chance to walk outside in the morning. Also there aren’t too many weirdos on the bus that early J

 After figuring out where we needed to be on Monday and exploring the area around the hospital (called First Hill), we walked 9 blocks down a huge hill to Pike’s Place Market. It was so cool! Stand after stand of fresh produce, fresh seafood, grains, and other homemade and homegrown products. People hand out samples so you can taste before you buy. I ended up buying: one bag of carrots, a bag of the sweetest juiciest nectarines ever, some chili/chive/onion gouda (which tastes amazing), and some delicious red pepper jelly (to use as a glaze for meats and/or to mix with cream cheese as a cracker spread). I am officially smitten with local markets. It’s great, too, because my bus transfer spot is about a block away from the Market, so I can stop and buy fresh bread and produce for dinner on my way home from work.

 Here are pictures:

Here is a grassy knoll at the Botanical gardens, a mere 15 minute walk from my building. Doesn't it look inviting? It's refreshing to see a grassy knoll that doesn't have a mini-herd of homeless people camped out on it. Okay, that's not entirely true...they mostly make their camps under tall bushes or trees.

Me posing with a cool sculpture at the Ballard Locks. I kind of want to commission a shrunken-down version of these waves, because I think they're awesome.

A persistent salmon, who I have dubbed Sir Sherman the Salmon. I hope he fights valiantly against the current and makes it back to the watershed against all odds. 

One of Seattle's most recognizable signs. This place is famous for a reason people. And that reason is awesomeness.

The fish counter. It was so funny...crowds of people standing around just staring. The guy in the orange fish-pants (or whatever they're called), said "so...does anybody want to buy some fish?" I wonder if they enjoy dealing with hoards of people every day, the majority of whom are not actually interested in buying anything but just want to block the walkway while they snap pictures? I think I would get irritated by that eventually.

Sunny Skies

I have to start by apologizing for the overuse of the word "lovely" in my last post. In the future, I will try to come up with better adjectives.

That said, the weather for the past several days has been...amazing. Clear blue skies, highs somewhere in the upper 60's to mid 70's, and enough of a cool breeze to keep you from sweating when you're out and about. On Tuesday, my roommate Kara and I met up with Dora and went for a walk on a 2.5 mile trail around Green Lake. There is an alleged rabbit infestation at Green Lake, due to people who abandon their pet bunnies when they don't want them anymore. So after seeing all these signs explaining about the rabbits, and how I shouldn't try to touch them or feed them...I didn't see one stinking bunny. I did however, get to observe two crows eating a dead squirrel :( Poor lil guy. 

The past two afternoons I have spent up on the roof deck, trying to cling to the vestiges of my tan and soak up every last ray of sunshine that I can. It's quite peaceful up there, and I've been studying in preparation for my program (I still have 8 chapters to get through by Sept 15). It's better than school though, because I know this stuff directly relates to what I'll be doing every day at work...and I want to learn it. 

Another book that I've been reading and is making quite an impression on me is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a sort of memoir/recipe book/informative article, about a family that spends a year eating only what they grow and produce from their farm, or is grown and produced locally in their community. Quite a lot of insight into the american food culture (or lack thereof) and why it's harmful and what can be done to change it. Very interesting stuff. Also I want to try and make my own cheese now. I didn't even know you could make your own cheese, but apparently it's pretty easy.

I'm off to the DMV to get a Washington license, and if I feel really ambitious, I might even register my car today (unlike certain other members of my family who sometimes live in a place for a full year or more without ever registering their vehicle).

Here are pictures:

This is Green Lake, about halfway through our walk.

This is me and my roommate Kara. 

A kind passerby offered to take a picture of all three of us. 

I made Dora and Kara stop at this bench for a picture, but they picked the senior picture pose.

Celebrate!

Today my Washington State Nursing License is active! Meaning that I am now legally allowed to practice nursing here, and that the hospital can officially hire me. I'm not sure what would have happened had my license not come through in time, but thankfully I don't need to worry about it anymore.

My roommate is here now, and we are both excited to live and work and get to know this city. There are still a lot of little annoying things to be done around (and purchased for) the apartment, but it definitely feels like a home now. We're planning to take the bus to the hospital (so we know which one to take and where we're going) and then to Pike's Market on Thursday. Basically it will be a test run for next Monday. And I get to go on lovely adventures to get an emissions test, a new drivers license, and register my car. I think I'll just stay here forever, to avoid having to move again. 

We had dinner the other night with Dora, and then went to the beach. I didn't see any whales, but I did put my feet in...and the water is frigid. Why I put my feet in: Dora's dog Hattie (who is a cute little spaz) loves playing fetch at the beach, so we brought her with us. Unfortunately, her tennis ball had a hole in it, and when Dora threw it into the water, it sank to the bottom. Hattie kept paddling around in circles, frantically swinging her head from side to side, trying to find the ball. It was one of the most tragically funny things I've ever seen. We got her to come out, and could see the ball on the bottom in probably 1 1/2-2 feet of water. I was going to wade in and get it, but then I put my feet in and changed my mind.

Our other adventure this week involved a giant moth that's decided he wants to live with us. He's about 2 inches long, and enjoys fluttering right into your face. After chasing him around the apartment with a paper bag (and lots of shrieking), he flew up into one of our light fixtures. He's been there ever since and is still alive and crawling around. We brilliantly remembered (after the fact) that we own a vacuum cleaner, but we don't know how to get the glass part off of the light fixture so we can suck him up. Giant moth 1, Kara and Rachel 0.

Here are pictures:

This is the roof deck, and a lovely Seattle sky. I'm glad I got here when I did, and can make memories of this city in the summertime that will remind me that the long rainy winter is worth it.

Our little dining room. We love this table, and got a great deal on it, too! 

This is our lovely 32-inch flatscreen (Kara's contribution). Our couches should be here in a few weeks. 

My bedroom. It's hard to get a good picture of the whole thing, but against this wall is a bookshelf, bed, and nightstand (once I get it).

My lovely giant dresser from Ikea. I have never had extra drawer space in a dresser before, but everything fits with ease into this one.

I will post more pictures once all our furniture is here!