Fresh Meat

We have been increasingly busy, so we are hiring in my department.  Only the reviewers' numbers are growing, we have nobody new in my part of the department and we're barely keeping our heads above water so to speak.  We need at least two people as of a month ago!  There is always a lag when it comes to filling the jobs for triage so we get screwed.  To my knowledge, we have held two interviews and we need someone (or two) in less than a month or we're all gonna flip out.  Here's what I wanna know: if we have to enter everything into the system, then send the letter after it's reviewed and a decision has been reached, (that's touching each PA twice so double work) why, why, why don't we already have the process accelerated?  AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

The End.

Annoyances on multiple levels (Caution I'm talking bugs!) :0{

So, school is off to a good start, the kids like their new teachers, and are getting back into the daily routine of going to school.  So far, so good with one exception: It was discovered that our kiddos have lice on Sunday.  The SILs' kids have lice too.  We all treated like crazy, all wondered where it came from, and how long they have had this issue.  As far as we're concerned (hubby and I), it doesn't really matter where it came from specifically, who had it first and spread it, what matters is that it is treated immediately and the various household items exposed get vacuumed/treated thus eliminating the issue. 

We're not pointing fingers, but I guess it goes back to the childhood saying, "Whoever smelt it dealt it" therefore, we saw it first so it must have come from us.  Following the discovery, there have been comments made to my nephew about our home, comment to me "he was sitting on your couch", messages on the answering machine "they seem to be increasing on my daughter, are they increasing on yours?"  Um, no, I have been diligently checking twice daily and pulling off any nits I see remaining.  I have been working very hard to wipe out this crap ASAP.

It's maddening enough that we are on "Lice Alert", constantly thinking about it, wondering if we were thorough enough, asking eachother to check scalps, etc.  But it is 10 times worse when two family members blame their infestations on us and are concrete in their assumption. 

I say, think about where you have been, there is a possibility your kids got it first and gave it to my kids.  Who knows?  That's fine, it happens.  But don't go pointing fingers at me and my kids as if we are some sort of *%#$@!>?"{}+_ lice nursery that swallowed your kids up and spit them out infested.  I'm over it.  The next time I talk to either one of them, if they start in again, I'm giving the phone to MrCooksALot, he will gladly tell them off.  Hmph!

Dresses, work, and kid stuff

Dresses:  I just made two in the span of two lunch breaks from yesterday and today.  I have to get one more thing done for one of them but the other I did start to finish in less than an hour.  I'm felling pretty accomplished as far as my dressmaking is concerned.

Work: Overloaded!!  stressed!!  So glad it's Friday today!

Kids: Start school on Monday, are bugging me to go shopping for a jillion items that they don't know if they even need yet in addition to those we know are yearly staples like binders, erasers, folders, etc.  While I like shopping in general, I am half dreading this shopping trip tomorrow.  I get tired of the "I want, I want, I want!"  gibberish.  I always fire back with "we're focusing on You Need, you need, you need" first!  I also really dislike navigating the mob inevitably stationed in the Back to School Zone, I just want what the kiddos absolutely need, and get out unscathed. 

Since it's going to be summer until about mid-October, I'm not concerned with getting any winter clothes until absolutely needed (aka not right now)  Shoes are a big deal.  Mousie loves shoes like her momma so is particular, and isn't always receptive to what I suggest, which is ironic since I have pretty darn good taste in shoes of all sorts.   I combine my taste in shoes with practicality too, so we don't do super trendy, dumb to have in a kid's size type shoes like high-heeled boots, jelly sandals, wedge sandals (reserved only for home/going places, not school).  SoftballGirl is easier, but still picky, and inevitably wants shoes that aren't totally necessary for school.  That's ok, I always want shoes I don't always need too.

Lord help me survive school shopping this weekend!

Gross, simply gross

I just got a request for some lidocaine/hydrocortisone cream for a patient.  The diagnosis wasn't just hemorrhoids, no, no.  It was so much more descriptive!  This patient has. . .. . . .wait for it. . . . . .here it comes:  hemorrhoids NOS (not otherwise specified) with necrosis.  Yep, I said necrosis.  As in: Death of a cell or group of cells as a result of injury, disease, or other pathologic state. 
(dry heave)
Her hemorrhoids are likely becoming blackened as the tissue cells are dying.  The mental pictures are more horrifying than I can explain!  All I can say is EEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!  Poor woman!  Oh, and here's the cherry on top: she's got a bun in the oven. 

Here is my minimal emesis inducing example of necrosis:


And now, I have shared.  (shudder)

Well, off to lunch now!

Weekend Craziness and discovery

This weekend was an "adventure".  It was a learning experience in multiple ways.  On one hand, we discovered the joy of grilled potato salad, it is so yummy!!!!  On the other hand, we learned that sometimes helping out family can be a pain, and can end up becoming way more than just helping.  This will not be happening again, we have learned our lesson. (I think) ;0) 

Potato salad is just brought up a whole 'nother level if you marinate the potatoes an hour in olive oil and whatever seasonings sound good, grill the potatoes instead of boil them, then add them to typical potato salad dressing with whatever veggies you like.  We used red potatoes instead of russet, and man were they good!  Once you go grilled, you won't want to go back.

Southern Breeze cocktails are one of my new favorites thanks to our poolside bar at the hotel we stayed at in Las Vegas.  Mr.CooksALot was smitten with this new discovery as well, declaring that we must make them once we got home.  So upon returning home, I got some sweet tea vodka, Southern Comfort, and lemonade so we could continue to enjoy our newfound drink.

We helped out a family member by hosting a party for her son's birthday, he is turning 15.  Her situation is shaky right now so we (along with my hubby's parents) said we'd help.  Plus, our house is more spacious and better equipped to host 16 for dinner.  We were the hosts, but were expected to do the menu, and all the detail planning.  She originally asked if we could do it Saturday, we said fine.  She calls us Thursday, states she's going out of town for 2 days with her kids, the party is now on Sunday.  We were puzzled, but agreed.  We made the potato salad, did all the cooking, others brought things to contribute as well.  She calls me at 1:15 yesterday, asking what time it starts (???????) and if they arrive at 4pm if that is too late.  I about lost it but politely told her 4pm was no problem, we're getting everything ready.  We reminded eachother we're doing this for her son, not for her.  The party went off really well, we cooked up a storm and all enjoyed it immensely.  Yay!  Luckily, this family member tackled the hill of dishes that was building in my sink and thanked us profusely for hosting the party for her son.

My Daily Daydream

I want to learn something the exact same way Trinity did in the Matrix movies; I want to learn how to MMA fight so I can use those lovely skills to clobber a certain person.  I know that kicking someone's butt isn't a reasonable solution to a problem, it isn't productive, nothing gets solved, but it does allow you to work off some stress.  (there is always an up-side to everything!) 

Snort is an idiot, I have to fix his glaringly obvious mistakes, and he needs a good ass-whoopin'.  We all overlook some information periodically by mistake, but he just does not read!  Ugh!  I inevitably get the phone calls from the pharmacy or the MD office as the result of his seemingly growing mistakes that are easily prevented if.....he.....would.....just.....READ the medication request form!!!!!!!!

He's lucky I'm not the supervisor, he'd be gone by now.  He better count his blessings and shape-up because, I'm going to verbally go postal on him if he doesn't quit it!

Back from my Vegas Vacation

I spent Sunday through Friday last week in Las Vegas.  I saw some things I have never seen before and you may not have experienced this yourself.

1. On the way there, pouring rain in the desert: doesn't absorb into the earth very quickly, it puddles, creating flooded areas
2. Also on the way, an almost completely flattened top half of a Ford Explorer that rolled several times due to bad driving in the rain!
3. A really trashy looking woman on Fremont St. (downtown) dressed as a pirate wench, with the largest bosom (like a shelf) just barely covered at the um, "headlight" area.  Many men were drooling as they stared, I almost barfed.
4. An extremely talented spray paint artist-he created some really amazing artwork using spray paint, a crumpled up napkin, a plastic pitcher lid, and a makeup sponge. 
5. Innumerable women brazen enough to wear a bikini with all their rolls/jiggly bits/cellulite showing.  I have heard of this, and now I can say I witnessed it everyday by the pool. (dry heave) I even saw one woman who had laid out in the sun, complain that she had lines between her rolls that didn't tan. (should've been covered then!)
6. Women strolling down the Strip in super high heels, barely there dresses, and complaining how their feet hurt.  Um, use your brain, get some tennies dumb ass!

Overall, we had lots of fun.  We went to the Ethel M Chocolate factory and cactus garden, Hoover Dam, Lied Children's Discovery museum, GameWorks-good food and lots of games!, hung out by the pool most afternoons, wandered through some of the hotels, ate at Hash House A-Go-Go-yummmyyyyyyyyyy, got unknowingly chased then stopped by security at one of the downtown hotels because the kids were in tow and they don't allow kids in the casino-we were only there for the 0.99 cent shrimp cocktail!

We took pictures in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, practically coughed and wheezed our way through the Excalibur on our way to the Luxor, wandered the Cosmopolitan-very sparkly and had some great sculptures, went to Hard Rock hotel ate at Mr. Lucky's (great steak & shrimp special for $7.77 not listed on menu), took lots of pictures of all the music memorabilia, updated our gambling cards-but didn't gamble.  All in all, it was tons of fun and I can't wait to go back-without the kiddos.