Someone Toss Me A Cold One

It's been one of those weeks. Ok, three weeks to be exact. And I'm not sure when it'll get back to normal. No one, not even Briley, could have prepared me for how awful school is. Briley warned me, but it didn't get through. I hate it. I despise it. It even made me show my landlord my "angry face" (but he didn't care, friggin moron). There's some days that I like it. The only reason I am making it through is because I've wanted it for so long. But I hate it. A lot. This week.

A Lot of Gratitude

I have been overwhelmed this week by the kind acts of others. Although it has been a non-stop on-the-go past week with school, studying, work, and apartment finding, and wedding planning, it has by far been one of the best weeks I've had in a long time. Heavenly Father really knows what I am in need of and he has sent a lot of people into my life to help me out. You know who you are. Some small, others very big, each one meaning so much to me, especially this week.
Two people in particular offered to do something very big for me and both said "just do something nice for somebody else". Well, the next day (today) I walked across the street to Filiberto's for lunch and bought a bean burrito. As I sat outside at the table eating, up walks this guy, staring at me and making me nervous. He didn't quite look homeless, but he didn't look like he had too much money on him. I carefully set my wallet that was sitting on the counter on my lap and as far under the table as possible so he wouldn't snatch it. Totally stereotyping. It was a fight or flight moment. I quickly took my last bite, picked up my trash and stood up to throw it away when I looked at him and politely smiled because I could feel his eyes on me and I had to look in his direction. He asked if I had any money to spare so he could eat and I told him "I won't give you any money but I will buy you something if you are hungry" and he said "Are you serious?". I wasn't expecting the look on his face when I asked him what he wanted. He really was in shock. I told him I would order it and tell them that he could come pick it up. After I ordered it, I walked back to him and told him they knew that he would pick it up. I can't even tell you the expression on his face was like he was in disbelief. He said "That was incredibly nice of you. God bless you, really."
I walked back to work with a few tears streaming down my face. It was only about $4.50, but it meant so much more than that today. I am indebted to a lot of people for their example to me. It has really helped me out much more than I think they will ever know.

Ready, Set, GROW!!!

Remember this hair?

I'm getting it back! I went almost 3 1/2 months without cutting my hair (mostly due to a lack of "funds") and Briley was so impressed with me (note sarcasm here), for not cutting it once a month that she challenged me to grow it out again. I'm taking her up on that challenge, even though I am in love with this hair...

The picture below was taken sometime in October when my hair began to grow out. It is about the same length in the front as it was on October because I really have just been growing the back of it out since the back was cut very A-line. Therefore, I will consider this picture my January picture.
I'm very excited, but I also understand the long road I have ahead. I know there will be days when I am weak and feeble, but Briley and Brady (and Scott for that matter) will be there to coach and encourage me. To show me that I CAN go on. They need to be strong. Be strong... for me, friends.

I always tease Brady about how wonderful it is to be marrying Ryan Gossling:



And then one day he says "so I was watching tv and I saw your TOTAL LOOK-A-LIKE!". So non-matter-of-factly, I say "Mandy Moore?" (because I always get her)



No. "Oh, okay, then Julia Stiles" (because I always get her too).


No. "Okay... well that's wierd... I have been told that I look like lisa Marie Pressley, but that was just once..."

"NO!!! YOU LOOK EXACTLY LIKE ALICIA KEYS!!!"



"But Brady, I'm white...?"
"Ya ya, but you're like a white Alicia Keys!"

That's a first. But I'm not disappointed!

"Brittany, I'm so glad I'm not you"

This is what I hear on a daily basis from everyone I work with.
Since we've moved to the new hospital, I've been hearing stories of the secretaries on the new units (specifically the more intense units like PICU) get up and leave the unit to start crying. Could it really be that bad? I mean, on my unit, it gets crazy, don't get me wrong. And being the secretary most of the days I work, I can see how one would want to get up and leave to catch their breath. Doctors, nurses, Social Workers all in your face "page this doctor", "page this social worker", "you put this order in wrong", bells ringing everywhere, phones ringing, call lights going off, nurses freaking out... it's MADDENING!!! And that's a normal day on a 24-bed unit.
But let's take this on a higher level. Eight kids off the unit getting some sort of medical imagining, nurses HIGHLY UPSET, lab calling about missing orders (who knew the orders that have been "waiting in line" to get into the computer had actually been "waiting in line" for almost two hours, oops I forgot to fax this page for this kid to get anesthesia... no Lumbar Puncture for that kiddo that just fasted for 12 hours for it...
I yelled at people. I called the techs in for help. I left the unit without giving any type of report to them as to what was going on, and I cried.
Amazing hospital, I love it to death, don't get me wrong. Best place I've ever worked and I fully plan on working there five years from now. But that day, Ooohh that day... was awful. So awful.
Luckily now, our THREE doctors (did I mention we lost two of our senior doctors?) ya, I'm not even going to talk about that, Team Leaders, and Clinical Managers, and others are rallying for hiring an extra person to do my job. I hope that happens!
However, I do love my job and I do love the kids I work for.

Here, shi* in this cup

Yesterday at work a couple of nurses run up to me laughing hysterically. Apparently they overheard Mariona, another CNA I work with, walk into two different kids rooms (with the parents there) with stool sample cups and saying in her VERY THICK spanish accent (from Spain...) "I am going to leave 'dis cup in your bathroom so that when you shi* later on in the day, I will put some of it in this cup and get it tested, okay?"
She didn't know that was a naughty word. That's why they gave her wide eyed looks when she said it. Ya think? She went back in to apologize and explain, but they were laughing so hard it didn't matter.

College Should Be Outlawed

I knew that once I started school Opposition (whomever you want "Opposition" to be) would do everything in his power to keep me from doing well in school. I'm doing OKAY for right now, just barely passing (it's only been three weeks) but could I have become any more distracted than I am now?
Having Dad in and out of the hospital...
Missing Brady...
Still working (everyone in class is quitting their jobs)...
Living ALONE (Whitney still hasn't had time to move in yet)...
I keep forgetting to get a can opener so I can eat my beloved canned food sitting in my pantry...
I miss my family...
I miss my bed...

But I do have a bunch of diamonds on my finger I keep staring at. ;)