because this simple fact needs a research study....

THIS......is kind of a no-brainer. Nevertheless, thank you ANA email service for putting it at the top of my inbox.

Lara's Top Ten Albums: 2008 Edition

10. Re-Arrange Us, Mates of State
9. Oracular Spectacular, MGMT
8. Santogold, Santogold
7. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
6. Consolers of the Lonely, The Raconteurs
5. Fleet Foxes, Sun Giant EP, Fleet Foxes
4. When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that Shit Gold, Atmosphere
3. Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie
2. All Hour Cymbals, Yeasayer
1. Earth to the Dandy Warhols, The Dandy Warhols

With special recognition to: Beck, Cloud Cult, Coldplay, Elbow, Flogging Molly, Kanye West, Ratatat, Rilo Kiley, The Submarines, Thrice, and The Ting Tings.

"Oh George, you didn't jump in the river, how sensible of you...."

Boy has this been a week for the books. Or maybe week and a half, I don't know. Now I'm pretty convinced that things happen in threes. Case in point:
Thing #1: I blow a fuse. That's right, a fuse. Half of my apartment went black when my refrigerator turned on. My pops didn't think any buildings even used fuses before. Fortunately Wal-Mart (fortunately?) believes otherwise and still carries 15 and 20 amp fuses. All I had to do was unscrew the broken fuse and screw in the new one! SO SIMPLE. I never would have guessed. Thing #1 is thus resolved.

Thing #2: My computer gets a virus. But not really....? A fake virus that did not in fact steal my identity and less than mediocre bank funds, but instead decided to fuck with all of my applications and just be annoying. So again, I called Daddy. Turns out Daddy had a friend at work that could either fix the "virus" or wipe out my hard drive...just like what WSU Tech Support would have done. So I bought an external hard drive and a new Nintendo game while I was at it and stored everything up. Needless to say, Thing #2 is resolved.

Thing #3: My car gets a flat tire. This event was more anticipated than the others as the tire has had what I like to call a tumor (from blunt trauma) for the past year or so. Thing #3 is not quite yet resolved, but hopefully tomorrow, as I need an oil change as well.

In other news, my cat is the most neato cat EVER. I leave the TV on for her enjoyment. Monday morning I forgot my name badge at home. I go back to get it and when I open the door I'm expecting to see Lucy waiting for me on the rug. On the contrary, she had already made herself comfortable on the futon and was watching television. WATCHING TELEVISION. She's the most awesome feline ever.

In still other news, HealthEast is getting closer and closer to joining all of the other healthcare organizations in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area in beginning to lay off its employees. Pretty sweet.....On the lighter side of things, I will likely get my requested vacation for New Years. Woo! That is all.

let's just bypass winter

The thing I'm most worried about is getting my car towed. I want to go back to the days of alternate side parking...that was easy to remember. Now I have to actually put effort into determining where I can and cannot park. Not cool.

In other news, I have a new friend and her name is Lucy. Cutest little kitty ever! I took her to the vet today and aside from her being mildly underweight she's generally healthy. Yay! She's not a shy kitty at all except when it comes to other kitties and probably doggies. Over the weekend we trekked it to Winona and she isolated herself in a separate room, away from the three other kitties. I can only imagine the stress she was under all weekend....sorry Lucy, but grow a pair! I still love her.

In still other news, I have no Christmas shopping accomplished. Zero. I'm just that lazy. I'm thinking I'll get on that tonight, since there is nothing else to do except watch snow fall and sit on my ass. Maybe I'll do some knitting and play Nintendo too. The evening is full of possibilities.

And finally, recently I've been catching myself making future plans again. I've tried very hard not to do this because I should just chill for now, but making bigger and better plans has always been a hobby of mine. Ever since before I left St. Mary's I was making plans to move back and work there again after a while, but I find myself wishing to go back, despite the fact that Rochester lacks a lot of entertainment. I'm working at St. Joe's only to live in St. Paul. With that in mind I ask, why can't I still live where I do and work at a less sucky hospital? Well I justify that question with the fact that if I can deal with this hospital, I can deal with any of them. Furthermore, I'm making more short term plans to go with the broad spectrum plans I have for circa 3-5 years from now. I plan to be telemetry-trained in January, ACLS certified by the end of the summer and then try to apply for a position in ICU. Maybe my life will be better in critical care. Not that my life is bad now, but those little pieces of bullshit that I have to deal with on a daily basis at work sure are building up to be a decent-sized dookie.

Also, I want to go camping on South Manitou Island. This summer perhaps? That would be AMAZING.

i am becoming a yuppie

Please somebody help me!!!
I don't want to be a young urban professional...I don't want to be a sheep!!!!
Too late. Damn, I guess I am a yuppie. But I'm a cool yuppie. I go to work, exert my professionalism, and come home to a cocktail and the Discovery Channel. Might I add, "Extreme Bodies" is totally phenomenal.

In other news, here is what has been happening at the Holly Pad.....I have MICE. A mouse was candidly spotted whilst watching an episode of Dexter. I never doubted that something like this would happen, but I always hoped not. After all, I live in a 98 year old building. No biggie, I bought mouse/rat poison aka a derivative of warfarin aka a therapeutic medication for human heart problems. I've found that most people who take Coumadin know they are taking rat poison. Anyfuck, I proceeded to strategically place the rat/mouse poison aka therapeutic blood thinner medication around my pad, in every room. I found that the culprits aka the mouseys like the western wall (see photos below). I found after about 36 hours that the poison was gone from the strategic place in my kitchen and my bedroom. Unsettling to say the least, though I felt like a child just realizing the Easter Bunny or Santa had come and eaten the carrots or cookies and milk respectively....mildly scared but more excited because my scheme had worked. Because of this entire fiasco, my timeline for getting a feline companion has become very brief. I'm going to go see a kitty on Wednesday in Golden Valley (a kitty with puppy dog eyes....how wonderful!) and I hope to actually have a cat in my home by next week sometime. Call it another birthday present. I bought myself a Nintendo DS but that is another story (it's fucking awesome and I love it and it's my new best friend). I'm very excited at the fact that I am now somewhat forced to adopt a cat. I knew I wanted one but I didn't expect I'd have the balls to care for something other than myself for at least three or four months. I do now.





Rat/Mouse poison aka therapeutic cardiovascular medication in my living room.








My bedroom corner lacking rat/mouse poison AND a paper towel. I am assuming they brought it back to the nest and are using it as a death shroud since they ingested pure death itself.







A mousetrap in my pantry. No luck yet.










Paper towel lacking rat and mouse poison/bait in my kitchen. I have succeeded (somewhat)! Die, mouseys, DIE!!!

love rocks

I flossed today and it felt GREAT. Never underestimate the cleansing power of a minty fresh thread in between the chompers. Speaking of underestimating, I took a patient to MRI the other day and the MRI tech showed me this picture. "MRI eats patient bed". AWESOME.

even mother nature loves the maroon and gold

I feel more and more at home in my new abode every day, but sometimes it's necessary to go back to one's old haunts, thus, I am at the Eagan CBOU because obviously I have errands to run and there is no Target like the Eagan Target. And I lack internets. Hopefully that will change this weekend and I will be updating this more often from my futon. Or bed.

THIS WEEKEND= GOPHERS and BIRTHDAYS and ATMOSPHERE!

1) Gopher Homecoming game against Northwestern. The Gophers are 7 and 1 this season and the combination of Decker/A-Web is positively epic. Tomorrow is going to be a fantastic game.

2) Barry's birthday celebration, woo! It's been awhile since I really got shattypantsed but I'm going to attempt it and see how it goes...hopefully not to be terribly hungover for....

3) Atmosphere at 1st ave on Sunday. Mostly I'm really excited for the company I'll be in, and then of course the live music of a phenomenal local artist.

Needless to say, this will be a weekend for the books. Today I'm fixing up my costume (not gonna lie, I didn't think of it because I'm not creative but I love the idea so I received permission from the idea-haver and we're going to rock this maverick...) and I may pay a visit to the Rosemount vet to take a look at some kitties. KITTIES!!!

pooper de dooper!

One would think that, with all of the time on my hands that I would update this more. Not that I want to be a career blogger, but sometimes I feel non-productive just by existing. Oh, and by not updating. One thing though, I have NOT been wasting time in regards to looking at all of the beautiful foliage surrounding me. I insist on taking pictures of this beauty, but obviously I can only take so many pictures of changing leaves. You see one or two pictures and you've seen them all. I would absolutely like to forgo this whole moving thing because I'm so bored by it. I just wish my apt would be organized and decorated in an instant. Like, while I'm making my Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning that consists of pouring and stirring, I wish my apt would be all finished and pretty in the time it takes to perform said task. I did start decorating today though, and that was fun. I also put bed blocks under my bed so I could use underneath the bed for clothing storage. SO INTERESTING. When did I acquire so many articles of clothing? I cannot say. I have no flipping idea. How am I going to fit all of my clothes in my minuscule closet? I'll get back to you on that. Well I've had a lovely time house sitting for my parents and such....I am so very not interesting right now. A mailbox is more interesting than me at the moment. At least the mailbox has new things happening every day except Sundays and federal holidays.

moving is boring and i hate it

So, really that's how I feel at the moment. I need to improve my life somehow. Maybe improve is not the right word. Enhance. I need to do that with my life. How? Not sure. This life enhancement needs to be of low cost and it needs to be interesting. I'll come back to that later. Maybe.

I'm gradually moving stuff in to my new apt on the Hill of Crocus. I've been learning many things....open windows are good things, as are pans and BESTIES to help with random shenanigans. I've also been delving into the local lingo....my favorite thus far is from a preceptor at work who has lived in the area....Willy Mitchell Bitches. It really rolls of the tongue with oodles of ease. I hope to be all settled by the end of the month so I can start paying for not only rent and cable and expenses but also start paying my loans off. Fabulous.

Things to look forward to???
1. House sitting
2. My last rotation at work. Ortho/NEURO. Woooo!
3. The very first weekend in November, which promises to be epic with the following events: a) Gopher Homecoming Game, and b) Atmosphere at First Ave.

Oyyy, time for bed!

oh shnuggos...

T-minus 2 weeks until I have an apt! And T-minus like 17 days until I actually move in all the way. Wooters. I still need to do the following: buy a bed, buy a TV, set up my electric, research cable/internet deals, find a new bike, and go to Ikea to pretty much buy the whole store. I developed a budget, thus feeling more like a grown-up. Poopers to that. I'm missing WSU Homecoming. Poopers to the Nth degree. Work was interesting last night. Had my first drug-seeker patient....thought he could see right through me because I'm new but I could see right through him too. 1) He knew the classic textbook signs of heart attack chest pain 2) he refused nitroglycerin AND an EKG AND an angiogram. Sorry dude, looks like you're stuck again. Apparently he's taken the tour des hospitals around Les Villes. Funny. I also had someone try to convert me to being Baptist. I listened quietly while he recited bible verses about being saved and I couldn't help but get distracted in my brain by those scenes in O Brother Where Art Thou when Delmar says "I been redeemed" and Allison Krauss sings Down to the River to Pray. Some faithful follower I am. Believe in Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior! Believe in the Coen Brothers! Speaking of which, I saw some press media about their new endeavor and trying to find some old 60's shtuff around Les Villes. Neato. I shall leave this bloggerton with a pretty neato sky picture from Winoner earlier this week. Yay!









AND, a picture of my new neighbor/friend, one Seymour Batley.

well, it's a frigid cloudy thursday afternoon. a LARA DAY!

I haven't inhabited the local coffee chain just to be on my computer and such with a coffee in hand for a very long time. Yes, I'm at Caribou. Though I frequent said establishment very often, it has lately been in-and-out for me. Just a quick espresso at 6am because I have to get to work. Have I mentioned how glad I am not to be in Saint Paul until the weekend? I love my days off nowadays because I literally have NOTHING to do. I almost feel lost with out a game plan for the day, like I'm doing something wrong by not knowing what to do. Because of that fact, I have planned my day out for day off #2 tomorrow. I'm going to go to Burnsville to pay a bill and then go hang out in Uptown, go shopping, explore, and probably end up at Uncommon Grounds. It's good to have a plan.
TODAY:
I was thinking on my way to the 'Bou about how it is very much the center of the existential universe. For observers like me it is the intersection of all types of people. That's probably the biggest reason why I come here, or to any similar place, just to people-watch. And of course to indulge in caffeine, and of course to bring my plate to the table. Now that school has started again the 'Bou becomes slightly more polarized towards the younger population, but still it's interesting nevertheless. First I get pleasurable banter from the barista (-0? baristo? Is it one of those words?)....then I receive a small advertisement from the people sitting across from me at another table (photographers...they left in a hurry hopefully to fulfill my imaginative scenario where they sped to the convention to capture protestor shenanigans). I received dirty looks from the high schoolers....who were multiplying in number with their schoolbooks in hand and their monotonous hairstyles. I thought, I wish I could be as cool as you kids. I'm just a lowly twentysomething with a computer and a REAL coffee....Needless to say it's always entertaining at the Town Centre Caribou Coffee.
I think my favorite part lately about hanging out really anywhere is the fact that it's not work and I don't have to put up a social facade, though said facade has gotten thinner and thinner as years have passed. I don't have to act "worky"----defined as over-the top polite, helpful, organized, etc etc etc. It takes a lot of energy, no wonder I find myself falling asleep while reading Twilight. Jeebus.

i am starting to hate politics again

I'm not very savvy with the bloggins yet, but when I find out how to actually post a YouTube vid on my page you all will be the first to know. I just thought this was fucking fantastic.....

RATM at the Capitol

I'm finished with downtown STP for the time being. Back on Saturday, when all of this tomfoolery is over and things might be back to normal [see "Labels" for things that have happened at St. Joes this week]. If I get really bored or curious, I may venture downtown for a stroll along the borders of the Xcel. Could be interesting?

republican national convention....more like republican national conFUCK YOU......

i'm so very not excited to go to work during the RNC. i have a general fear of conservatives (especially conservative veterans) due to the bumper stickers on my car; i definitely do not need conservative cops following me all over downtown. the city of saint paul has become much like a war zone! barbed wire fences surrounding the government buildings and along the freeway, and of course they have to block off every exit from 35 to downtown except mine, so i'll have to leave for work on tuesday before the ass crack of dawn. fantastic. i wish i were on vacation this coming week.....speaking of vacation, here is what sister and i did on vacation to bluefin bay.


we became the masters of the universe---not unlike the popular 80s cartoon. while up there i also talked to a man who assumed that, during the flooding of southeastern minnesota last year, we all rode our canoes in downtown winona. naturally, i said of course. i also took a plethora of sky pictures.

glorious wonderful beauteous lovely THINGS!

Things are really falling into place for me nowadays. Work is going great, I think I'm doing pretty well and my preceptors all think so too, so despite the stress and constant pressure and nonstop action every 7-3:30 or 3-11:30 shift, I'm having a great time. My preceptor today told me I'll "go far" so I feel pretty special. Only one more week left of med/surg/oncology and then it's off to the telemetry unit! My clinical director is also trying to find time for me to float to the Neuro ICU/tele unit. EXCITING!

Things are also falling into place as far as apartments go--I acquired a free futon from my aunt and uncle and silverware from grandma and grandpa (early birthday present), my parents are giving me the kitchen table sans the chairs and the big comfy green chair currently residing in our family room. All I will really need to buy is a new bed and a TV! I'm super stoked for October to arrive.

Furthermore, I rediscovered the wonder and beauty of Rubber Soul. That album changes lives.

I am now watching the democratic convention with my ultra-conservative-nearly-fascist father. We'll see how this goes.

I am NOT excited to go to work next week during the republican convention. Bless your hearts you protesters, go all the way. Just don't block my already limited route to the St. Joes parking ramp! Right on!

they really do play EVERYTHING on the current (including Run DMC's "It's Tricky")

Yesterday:
-I had 3 patients (woah)
-I gave 2mg of Dilaudid precisely every 2 hours
-I failed to begin charting at a decent hour
-I found my patient with PICC removed, lying in a pool of her own blood

Today:
-I had 3 patients (day 2. meh)
-I actually started my charting at a decent hour
-I gave 2mg of Dilaudid precisely every 2 hours (day 2)
-I inserted my first Foley cath.

My job is pretty neato so far.

PAUPER

That's me. PAUPER. I haven't been this poor in a long long time. Fortunately, I get my first nurse paycheck on Friday, just in time for me to visit Winona AGAIN! Good times were had this past weekend down there and more good times shall come, I'm sure. Today I had a little mishap with my checking account but it cleared up within the day, which I'm incredibly grateful for because this morning I was just a worried wreck and I totally didn't bring my A-game to work with me. Tomorrow shall be different. Also tomorrow, mommy and I are going to look at a 1-bedroom on Cathedral Hill. It's in a building full of yuppies and law school students around my age in a very wealthy [thus assumingly safe] neighborhood. AND it's approximately 5 minutes away from St. Joe's! AND it has hardwood floors! AND they allow kitties! I would likely move in at the end of September and soon after get a KITTY. KITTIES. KITTIES. Kitty.

5 days down, 13,995 to go.....

That is if I retire at the age of 65. Orientation this week can be described by a word that I have not used since the very first week of college: BORIENTATION. Nice to know all the policies and procedures, but when the room is cold and there is no candy, things get a little tough to handle and I become ADD. Yesterday I went scrub shopping with TLewer, RN and for the next four days I intend on being a big bum. I do really want to go to the art fair though, maybe tomorrow. On Wednesday I went to see Yeasayer at the Uptown Urban Outfitters with Lafans which was pretty much awesome and I would see them again in an instant---with some earplugs. On the way back to my car I found some pretty damn adorable apartments on Lagoon but was quickly disappointed when I later looked online and found they were around $850 a month. I don't need to spend that much on a 1 bedroom....
Convenient free concert located in one of my favorite shopping areas.





On Thursday (after work) I trekked it through afternoon rush hour to north Minneap for a political candidate screening for Take Action Minnesota. Very informative and the snacks were yummy. Oh yeah, Al Franken was there too.



In other news, I'm very excited not to work for the next three days, but also pumped to start being a real nurse! My first rotation is on the Oncology floor so we'll see how that goes. In my downtime, I will also be checking Craigslist every day for new apartment openings and periodically delving into the Twilight series, my new literary obsession.

speaking of epic...

It's the final countdown...before my big girl life/job start. While I'm uber excited, I'm bummed because I'm not at the cabin anymore and that was one of the best times I've had in a very long while. Poopers. Now I am all tanned full of food for the next two months or so, I think I should start working on some self-improvement. I want to start doing some yoga (as inspired by the cabin trip) and I have decided to adopt some changes in my eating habits....but anyway, I hope this new lifestyle sticks around. Oh, and I swear I'm going to start running sometime soon. I'm also bummed because my future living arrangement plans are no longer in effect. My roomie needs another year or so to financially prepare. I'm totally cool with that; we have all the time in the world pretty much. So thus begins the working and the hunt for a 1-bedroom, cat-friendly, hardwood floored, off-street parking apartment. With character.

vacation on a vacation

I really think the weather people hype up thunderstorms wayyyy too much. Yesterday was a very productive day in my opinion; I found album art for most of the albums on my iTunes and reloaded my iPod complete with some photos and GARDEN STATE. Yes, I can now watch my favorite movie any time I want, as if I don't watch it enough (I don't think I do). Also yesterday, Katie and I started apartment searching. Many of the places we looked for were busts and we got extremely depressed/felt really dumb at one point because we were looking at the wrong address. However, we made our way around the Minneap and came across some places around 26th and Fremont. Hopefully they'll be adequately priced and offer a two bedroom because then we found out rather stupidly that we were a block away from Hennepin and within a two block radius of Uncommon Grounds AND Plan B....pretty neato discovery.

Today I am off to WINONA for KATE and TASHA's BIRTHDAYS. Then Saturday begins a vacation within a vacation as I trek it up to northwestern Whisk-HON-son for some cabin time with the birthday girls. I'm way super excited for some outdoorsy stuff. Haven't really done that all summer! However, if I do not return in one piece or at all, one should just assume that I either got devoured by a Muskie or a Muskie scared the living shit out of me and I died of a heart attack.

Speaking of heart attacks, I really should start running again.....

meet me in outer space

I have finished my copper tube candelabra. It's pretty rad if I do say so myself.

I also have an observation that I did not state in the previous entry. I observed on my walk to Primo Cafe earlier this week that neighborhood cul-de-sacs strongly resemble brain aneurysms. Really, they do. They stick out like raw arteries, ready to burst and give the whole neighborhood a stroke.

Lastly, I've decided that I want a Nintendo DS, so I think that is what I shall be purchasing when I receive my final Mayo paycheck. With this new endeavor, I'll also be wanting Sudoku, Tetris, and GUITAR HERO ON TOUR. Incredibly pumped for that! Maybe I can find a sweet deal somewhere.

That is all. Here we end week one of Lara's three-week freedom/vacation.

may lara's special vaca commence!!

Well, as of two days ago my three weeks of planned vacation have commenced. I haven't felt this free since high school summer vacations! The past week and a half or so have been eventful to say the least. I was down in Winona celebrating the 140th anniversary of the first dog show in Newcastle, England (and my new RN-ness and Becca's birthday) when Barry, Tim and I drunkenly decided that we wanted to see O.A.R. at Summerfest. This is one of the few drunken plans that have actually followed through for me, I'm glad to say. So, last Tuesday Barry and I trekked it across the great plains of Wisconsin. 5 1/2 loooooong hours later we were in Waukesha and exhausted. My confession for this little road trip is this: My perception of where Madison is in Wisconsin has been completely SKEWED for my entire life until our drive across the state. For some reason, I have had the delusion that Madison is in the very middle of the state, but noooo it's definitely in the SOUTH. Because of this misguided delusion of mine, the drive to Waukesha was painstakingly long. Nevertheless, good times were had in southeastern Wisconsin, O.A.R. was awesome, and the drive back didn't feel quite as long as the drive to. This past weekend was my last weekend as a PCA at Mayo. That being said it was very bittersweet and I almost got misty once or twice, just because I LOVE that floor. Never thought I would like Neurology, but I LOVE neurology and I'm going to miss everyone on 8 Mary Brigh.

Cut to today, Wednesday, day three of my vacation. I'm currently obsessed with searching for new music and whether I'm on top of the latest songs or not it makes no difference to me. My three faves right now are as follows:
1) Camper Van Beethoven "That Gum You Like is Back in Style"
2) Yeasayer "2080"
3) Iron & Wine "Boy with a Coin"

Today I woke up "early"--9:45... and I took a walk to the independent coffee shop at the edge of my neighborhood to finish re-reading Ishmael. If that book isn't amazing and awe-inspiring the first time around it surely is that and more the second time. It's not even enough for me to say that everyone in the world should be informed of the ideas in this book. I'm now excited that I have the time to read The Story of B and My Ishmael. I also have every intention on reading the follow-up to Dharma Punx (highly recommended) called Against the Stream and eventually on to The Tao of Pooh, because I hear it's neato. Woo!

registered NERD

I did it! I passed NCLEX! How did I pass it? I have no flippin' idea! I began the test feeling like my heart was going to burst open and then be swallowed by my stomach and and then be thrashed around within my torso and finally shat out. This feeling persisted throughout the two hours with little relent. Two hours and 76 questions later (I was very thorough with my question answering), I left the test center half-dead and positive I had failed. I spent the rest of the day meandering around Eagan, sporadically and compulsively checking the board of nursing website for my results. That night I got hammered. The next morning I hungover-ly checked the website to find I had miraculously passed, and now here I am!

In other news, I had recently been fretting about what blog provider to go with...this one, or the hipster one. The hipster one was suggested by none other than Alexander SuperCollegeHumor because he is a genius with all things internet. Unfortunately for me, I lack the finesse and expertise that is required to creatively cut and paste an HTML thingy, so I've ultimately decided on this website because it is the most user-friendly. And because my life is already being consumed by King Google.

As the summer progresses I hope to have stuff to write in here, otherwise it may seem quite pointless to have this site all together. All in good time, per se, indeed.

my own special NCLEX question

265) The nurse determines that the client is ready to take boards if the client states (select all that apply):

1) “I am having dreams about treating patients in sickle cell crisis.”

2) “I randomly discuss with my family the consequences of meconium aspiration during labor.”

3) “I am constantly anxious and on the verge of breakdown.”

4) “I can’t wait to actually begin my summer.”

i'm a big girl

Lately I have been browsing the internizzle more often than not and have stumbled upon many a blog. I began to miss sending out annoying updates on my life, thus this new blog [there’s that cursed word again] brought to you by King Google, ruler of all that is cyber. I don’t know who may or may not become interested in the petty circumstance that is my life, but nevertheless I shall ‘blog’—-What else do I have to do? I’ve graduated from college and am awaiting the dreaded day (next Wednesday) when I prove to the MN State Board of Nursing that I am minimally safe and competent and then do absolutely NADA until the end of July. I feel I may have a good amount of time on my hands in the near future. I chose this new format (if you will) and website because I found no reason to keep writing in the previous one due to unforeseen circumstances which never fail to bring about huge waves of emotion every time it’s mentioned. THEREFORE, I introduced myself to this exciting new thing! I’m not quite sure how I should end this monumental premiere entry, so I’ll just say later dudes.