January 7-19

Friday, January 19, 2007

My red heart

I am a pack rat. Sometimes it is a good thing and sometimes not so much. It's good when you consider the treasures I still have from childhood or things my children have made for me. Not so good when you find containers of misc receipts, coupons, junk mail, owner manuals for things we haven't owned in years, etc that I never did get around to throwing away. Okay it wasn't exactly containers, but enough to make even me think- What the heck! I am fortunate to have a husband who pushes me to get rid of the excess. Clutter makes him crazy. If he had his way there would never be anything out or stored, with the exception of tools and the christmas tree. Like when you go into a model home and everything is perfect, but very impersonal. I need every room to have something in it that means something to me. Maybe it's a girl thing. One thing I really want to do is have pictures up in every room of a places that are significant to us (a picture of where we meet and the lagoons where we spend our summers). I want to be surrounded by my memories. Memories not receipts. Which brings me full circle. Back to cleaning.
A couple of weeks ago, we cleaned the basement. We filled 12 HUGE bags of things to get rid of. In my own defense, most of it belonged to the kids. I'd say it was a 90/10 split. Now what remains is mostly mine. He won't give me a hard time about it because now it is out of the way.
We then moved on to the kitchen. While emptying one of the cabinets, I came across a birthday present my baby sister gave me when she was Jason's age. It is a wood heart she had painted red with my name on it and happy birthday. I had put it up because the boys had gotten ahold of it and decided to express themselves artistically too, only they used pen. I think it is safe to put it out again.
Who knows what I'll find when I go through the rest of the containers and closets. It's like a treasure hunt where instead of gold you find the little things that make life worth living.




Thursday, January 18, 2007

Over the Moon
About five years ago my husband came home and said you should become a nurse. I had never considered being a nurse before that day. I thought,"Am I smart enough? Will I be able to do the math? Can I handle taking blood and wound care?" I really wasn't sure. Eventhough I had my doubts, I signed up for the prerequisite classes figuring it doesn't hurt to try. Even after completing the requirements and entering the program, I wasn't sure if I would like being a nurse.
Then I had my very first clinical experience. It was amazing. I felt energized, in my element. Now in my third semester, I can honestly say that there is no job on earth better suited for me than this. I am in my OB rotation and I cannot stop smiling.
I am OVER THE MOON!


Monday, January 15, 2007

I have a monkey in my pocket

I bought my PDA with good intentions. A friend at school had one and said it came in handy during clinicals. I'm open to anything that makes clinicals easier, so I went out and bought one. I was able to get the clinical program off the net for free. Doesn't get much better than that. Unfortunately, I didn't like using it. I am too used to my pen and paper system. Now my palm is used primarily to play with my Portamonkey. He is a happy monkey when fed and hydrated. He gets hopping mad when you shock him with the lightening bolt or put him in a dress. I sometimes forget to check on him though. Miss one day and he dies. I think I have killed 7 so far.
Clinicals start up again this week. Keep your fingers crossed that the monkey survives the semester.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Godfather Trilogy

Why is it that when they have a Godfather marathon they do not show the trilogy? The first Godfather movie I saw was the final of the three, in the theater. I wasn't the movie buff I am today. I didn't know who Al Pacino was, let alone the significance of the Godfather I and II that had preceeded. Maybe that is what made it easier for me to accept it into the fold. The Godfather III does have flaws, but I think it was true to the story. Sophia Coppola and Andy Garcia were mismatched. Sophia is an okay actress, but she was mostly a distraction. I wasn't fond of the incestuous relationship presented in the film, but it laid the foundation for one of the best scenes in the film (when she is shot). There are few scenes in all the movies I have ever seen (and I've seen at least 200) that have evoked such strong emotion. Some other favorite scenes are when Vinnie (Andy Garcia) bites off part of Zasa's (Joe Mantegna) ear, the conversation with Connie when he says maybe SHE should be in charge, and the kitchen scene before he has the seizure.
I think the reason some people do not like III is because Michael is weak. He has regrets. He wishes his life would have been different and still has hope that it can be until his daughter dies. It is an incredibly sad story.
I am grateful for the Godfather III because without it I may never have seen the others. The Godfather I and II are 4 star movies and I can't imagine never seeing them. I think the third deserves at least 3 1/2 stars and to be included in the marathon.

Ketchup in my soup

One of my favorite foods is homemade beef shank soup. My grandmother used to make it for me when I was young and then gave me the receipe when I got married. Yes, I know, I have already admitted to not being the best cook. I like my soup even if no one else does. In fact, I like it better this way because I get to eat it all.
The soup is made with beef shank, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onion, and cabbage. I use College Inn beef soup as a base. I searched just about every can of soup on the market and have only found one that matches. Progresso stopped making it though. From that I have to assume I am the only person on the planet who likes this soup.
I don't make it often because the smell overtakes the house. I think the mixture of cabbage, onion, and potato is responsible. As with the taste of the soup, I am the only one in the house who finds this appealing.
What does all of this have to do with ketchup? Sometimes the tomatoes do not give enough flavor to the soup. My grandmother taught me to add ketchup to compensate for it. You are grossed out, I can tell. It is tricky. If you add too much, the soup is ruined. But then, I was the only person eating it anyway.




Friday, January 12, 2007

You too mom Current mood: happy

There are some things that stick with you. Everyday, when I drop off my chidren at school, I tell them "I love you. Have a good day." What warms my heart is when they say, "You too Mom."


Mechanical Engineer Current mood: calm

My oldest son is doing a project on careers for school. He has decided that he wants to be a mechanical engineer. I told him that was a great idea eventhough I wasn't exactly sure what a mechanical engineer did. So today I went on the bls.gov and researched the profession.
"Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between perceived social needs and commercial applications."
I can honestly say that he is light years head of me at his age. The profession he has chosen at the age of 12 plays to his strengths (Math and Science) and his personality.
I never settled on a career when I was young. There were many considered though. When I was in catholic school, I wanted to be a nun. Yes, I know, it is hard to believe. I also wanted to be a teacher. I used to make lesson plans and then line up my stuffed animals to be my class. Later on I wanted to be a dancer/singer/actor thanks to the TV show Fame. Very embarrassing since I am inept at all three. My poor mother had to endure more than a dozen performances before that phase passed. It helped that Fame went off the air. So without the inspiration of Danny Amatullo, my love for the arts died. The last career considered before high school was radio personality. This was very fun to do. My friends and I used to write and produce our own shows. I had one of those old fashioned (now anyway) black tape recorders to record our work. I came across the last tape a few years back. I regret throwing it away.


Thursday, January 11, 2007

That smells

My kitchen cabinets are circa 1972. They have a distinct smell. It reminds me of preschool/daycare. There was a child size kitchen there that I loved made of wood. You would think that love from childhood would make me love to cook, but unfortunately for my family, that is not the case.
I can make a few things from scratch that taste quite good, Chicken Kiev, Twinkie Cake, and Cheese Cake (not suprising that two of the three are desserts). I can't tell you the last time I made them.
My mother is a great cook. I guess it skips a generation.







Sunday, January 07, 2007

Bowling and pancakes Current mood: content

This morning Jason wanted pancakes. I went to microwave the frozen kind for him when I noticed something unusual. The pancakes had smiley faces on each and every one. Now I looked everywhere on the box to see if this was on purpose, but found nothing. I couldn't help but get excited by this. My husband just smiled and said, "Boy, you sure are easy to please." I guess I am.
We went bowling today. This isn't something we do often, especially since they charge $3 a person for the shoes alone. Devin had been bugging me to go for a while and so we went. Last year he bowled on a league so we bought him a ball that has his name engraved on it (smells like strawberries), shoes, and a bag. He loves to bowl. He likes it so much he will even watch it on TV. Now that is love of the sport. I cannot watch any sport on TV other than football. Devin has the most interesting throw. He does some sort of reverse hook spin combo. It is fun to watch. He was a good sport when I beat him too. I was very proud. Me winning is a fluke. I usually fight to break a 100. Today I had 129 and 137. Whoohoo! The bowling alley has a distinct smell. I can't describe it. It smells just like I remember United Skates of America smelled growing up. Maybe it is a combination of mold, dirt, and sweat. Whatever it is, I like it. It takes me back to my skating years. Makes me crave soft pretzels and Mr. Do!.
Now we are settled in at home. Devin wanted to make homemade pancakes because he could not have them this morning. So here we are eating pancakes at 6:45 at night. Jason also made me yellow, blue, and purple pancakes made of Playdoh. Delicious.
Life is good. But then, I am easy to please.