The ER and more J disaster waiting to happen

Taren it was so awesome to hear from you! I meant to write back/comment on your post earlier, but I was in NY when I got it. I seriously start laughing out loud, DYING, when I think back to the mysterious 'phone in the wall' incident. OMG, freakin hilarious, I have yet to see such a collectively air-headed performance repeated to that degree. Miss you guys like crazy all the time.

Ash its so good to hear from you! Sounds like you had a great weekend with Brent's family: that's awesome. I am SO anxious to find out where you'll be place next year: maybe even more anxious than you!

I'm just getting ready to work my 2nd (and last) day of orientation to working in the ER. I agreed to float down there when they need people. Partly because we had been going through a period for about 3 months where our unit had a really low patient census and a lot of people were getting canceled, but I'm really just doing because I think it sounds like a great opportunity to get some work in a different area. The ER is still a "critical care" area so they'll probably tend to give me the sickest patients, but I'll get to see lots of non critical patients as well, which I think will be a big step closer (or at least a good window into) more primary-like healthcare (because the ER is actually where most of our population goes to get primary healthcare). I'm really excited and nervous about this new role, but I think once I get handle on the new pace and patient flow I'm going to like it a lot.

The ICU has been pretty fun lately, although because we've been so 'slow' lately I haven't gotten to see many open heart surgery patients. A big part of us having so few patients was nobody was signing up for elective surgeries: people not going into the hospital or doctor...possibly because they've lost there insurance lately. But the slow bubble as already seemed to limit itself: none of us could believe that less people in the hospital was actually a sign of people getting healthier. We are already getting busy again: now with patient's needing emergent OHS. I'm going to keep myself from ranting about this right now...

Emily, I'm excited to hear about your anniversary weekend with Mitchell! How was Colorado?!

J and I hung out over the weekend. It was actually almost a date had not Chris, Katie & Richy not come along. We went and saw "where the wild things are." It was kinda weird that he had asked me to go with him, bought the tickets in advance...awfully 'date-like.' The weekend turned out pretty awkward because he pretty much overstayed his welcome, invited his friends to hang out on Saturday, and I didn't really handle it well because I was too polite, I guess in letting him hang out for longer than he should have. He admitted later when everything hit the fan that he did want to take me out on a date, reminded my that it would have been our 3rd year anniversary, and we had to have the whole conversation all over again about why our relationship it not going to work. It made me realize that I am getting over things because I truly believe that we are over. Maybe he isn't getting over it as well, and I don't think I'm helping at all because I'm being too nice. Of course I can't help it though because I do still care about him and don't want to keep hurting him. ugh. Somehow I've agreed that it would be fun to hang out halloween weekend, but the more I think about it the more I think that we are just foolishly setting ourselves up for a disaster.

I am excited about putting together my halloween costume though! I'm going to be "the government bailout." Its going to be fun.

Gots to go. Loves & hugs to everyone of you.