Holy Pictures Batman

This is going to be one of those posts with a lot of pictures complete with Gabe-ified commentary. 

First. I have yet to completely finish a book. I have checked out probably 20 books from library in the past 6 months and can say I haven't finished, or even make it through half of them. Isn't that the pits??? I'm in a slump. I requested a book I saw in a bookstore while I was home, The Postmistress, and started it yesterday. It seems interesting so let's hope this one turns out to be a winner. However, tonight I found myself reading one of my favorite things: 

cookbooks

Yes I read cookbooks, from cover to cover. It's fun! 

Anyway. I went home last week (here's where I blow up your screen with pictures)!

I brought Scotty back to New England and into the loving arms of my brother and sis-in-law. He's back to stay. Lucky pooch!

 So. To make this brief, I was going to give Scotty some happy meds to make the flying experience a little better for him (because last time it most definitely was NOT enjoyable). Well, we were sitting a few gates away so Scotty wouldn't freak out being around a lot of people and all of the sudden they made a final boarding call over the PA system and that the doors were closing. FREAKOUT!!!!! So I ripped open my bag and tried to get Scotty to eat his happy meds. Well. He didn't, but he did eat his treats. Punk. I shoved the stuff back in my bag and ran to the gate, boarded the plane, got situated, and then realized the pills were in my backpack. In the overhead compartment. And I was sitting in the window seat. Great. Once again we were flying with Scotty un-medicated. I was so nervous that my leg was shaking and shaking so hard that the nice elderly gentleman next to me kept looking at me. Oh boy. Well, by some miracle, Scotty was actually very good on the plane and even managed to sleep for 45 minutes. He was none to happy with me as we tried to get off the plane but I can't blame him. I hate his stupid carry-on bag too. But we made it and that's all that matters. WAHOOO!!!!

Cuddling safely in my bed at home. Cutie. 

To say I was happy would be a vast understatement. 

 

 

 I got to have Squamscott Soda! 

The raspberry lemonade is delish!

 

 On one of our adventures, we went to Newburyport, MA. I love this quaint little place, especially their antique shops!

And whattayaknow I found this while I was thumbing through some golf cards-Prestwick is in Myrtle Beach! Whaaaaaat?

I bought some new sandals. Don't mind the outfit but daaaaang I love those flats!

We went into the Best of British shop where Emma and I coveted Hunter rain boots and then we overwhelmed our noses with the delicious scents of Crabtree and Evelyn. I want this new one! OHMYLATNUS it smells sooooooooooooooooooo good!!!!!

 And I also had to get my pound of chocolate covered raisins from the general store. I opted out of getting 2 pounds because I'll be back next month (bad sadly they are already gone...maybe I shoulda gotten more...?) 

I found this in my favorite antique shop, Flukes & Friends & Finds, and fed my anchor obsession. My mom also found an anchor skirt at a consignment shop...$12 later it was mine. Oh happiness! And thank you Mom for letting me get it!

Miss this furball. 

I was delighted to be a part of the surprise retirement party for my high school English teacher Mrs. Miles. 

She taught at my high school for 40 years. I doubt I will see that kind of commitment with my generation. The lives she has touched! She's a dynamic lady, if I've ever met one. A rare gem and a woman who has influenced me in more ways that I could ever say. It's a very special thing being part of a small community that becomes your family and I just can't describe how happy I was to be a part of this special landmark and to celebrate this amazing woman with the rest of our Sanborn family. 

Now. Tangent time. This is my grandmother Barbara.

She's a babe and also one of my absolute favorite people in the whole world. She's the best cook and baker I have ever known. She's also sassy and funny and I hope to be as witty and awesome as she is when I grow up. Whenever I go visit we like to go through her closets and play dress up in some of her old fur coats and things. She has the coolest clothes. I LOVE HER. I actually found that picture on my mom's phone (thanks Mom) and then as I was going through some of my old things from college, found some old pictures she had given me during a visit while I was in college. So, it's throwback Thursday time.  

Eh hem. Back to New England.

I like my traditions. And for the love of ice cream I have only be thinking/talking/dreaming about my favorite ice cream place since Christmas: Lago's. My mom tried to talk me out of it. Have you lost your marbles???? 

                          

 I got cookie monster and oatmeal cream pie with chocolate jimmies!

 It's all homemade ice cream and the flavors are sinfully wonderful. I can't wait to go back!

Home was great. Wonderful. Amazing. Exactly what this girl needed. I honestly can't be without New England for greater than 6 months and even that is stretching it. Someday New England, someday we'll be together again.

Can we talk about surprises for a moment? I love surprises (good ones...obviously). I have been and am being tortured by upcoming surprises. My mom has a surprise which she is very elusive about and usually I can crack her for information. Not this time. I'm going nuts. Then, Mark has some surprises and won't tell me, though I have been given some useless hints. My curiosity-meter is OFF.THE.CHARTS. I'm going to go mad!!!! THEN a few weeks ago, Amy said she had a surprise for me too but I would have to wait. Let me tell you friends, I cannot crack her. Nope. She is tight-lipped. She doesn't even humor me. Well. I got home Sunday morning and she came over with my surprise because she finally got it and couldn't stand waiting any longer!!!! 

She got me a Garmin. 

OH.

MY.

LANTUS.

I teared up after she left. 

A) That's extremely generous. EXTREMELY. B) Ohmygosh it's a GARMIN. That's for legit runners. And Amy, who I respect, admire, and deem a legit, hardcore, and amazing runner, called me a runner and said it was time for me to have one. That's a high compliment friends. Whoa buddy. C) She even got it in the color I had been eyeing. I've already used it a few times this week and it's SO COOL!!!!!

 I get to see Mark in 3 weeks.

FINALLY. 

By the time we see each other it will have been 3 months. Three. That's practically an eternity. I am not a fan. If I could even tell you how excited I am, if I could even somehow allow you to feel the excitement and anticipation that are bubbling inside of me, I would. But I cannot. 

Plus. We'll be in New England. Together. HAPPINESS!!!!!

AND! He's never been to New England before. 

He doesn't even know what's about to hit him.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And. I went to the doctor's today. I don't think my experience is blog appropriate so I won't share (sorry), but I will just say, Brian Regan was right. When they say, "you're going to feel a little pressure," IT'S A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy catscans. Lies. But it was hilarious, albeit someone embarrassing. Jeepers.

Oh! And I  have a Dr. W story from today. I had a patient who was ordered to start TPN today (total parenteral nutrition aka feeding someone through a vein where they just absorb the nutrients because it's already "digested" for them). TPN is more of a last resort option and really only for patients with a gut that don't work because of surgery, obstructions, fistulas, etc. This patient does not fall into the TPN-appropriate category but some doctors love to order TPN willy nilly, which drives me NUTS. It's expensive and really not that great for the body in the long run. Well. I get really riled up when some of the docs order TPN because 80% of the time it's not appropriate. I was riled today because it was absolutely not appropriate. So. I fumed with the pharmacist about the TPN and had my case ready to argue. My argument was rock solid. I was ready to fight this one. So, I patiently waited for Dr. W to finish chatting with a patient and then said hello to him and asked about the patient and started to argue my case (calmly, despite the fact that I was totally ready to bust out the facts, especially since this patient is rather complicated), when 3 seconds into my prepared argument Dr. W said, "You had me at Hi Dr. W. That's fine. Cancel it."

That's it? That's all?

Why can't all doctors be that awesome?!?!? I'll admit I was speechless for a second and then skipped (yes, yes I did skip) merrily down the hall to the charting room to inform the pharmacist that there would be no TPN.

Gabe-1 TPN-0. SUCCESS! 

Hello Old Friend

I was sitting outside on my balcony watching and listening to the lightning and thunder storm a few minutes ago. Apparently we have weather warnings for high wind speeds and possible tornadoes. Nifty. The wind was rocking my windows earlier. I loooooove thunder. I cherish the nights where I fall asleep to rain and wake up in the middle of the night to booming, cracking thunder and lightning storms. The best-ever thunder storm I have ever experienced was in August 1998 a day or two after I moved to NH. I have yet to experience thunder of that magnitude. It was awesome. 

I went running this morning....OUTSIDE. It was in the 70s, hazy, humid, and overcast. Perfect for running, at least for me. And I'm pretty sure I got some new freckles. Hooray!!! It was a rough run being that I've felt a little blah this week but I did a little over 3.5 miles in 30 minutes. Not too shabby. Then I sped walked through the residentials near my condo complex. Lots of copy-cat houses but still, it was fun to meander through neighborhoods. Except, there was one peculiar neighborhood where the houses reminded me of stepford houses, not pretty and elegant or anything, but bizarre. The only way to enter the house is through the garage. So instead of having the front of your house face the street, the garage faces the street and then behind that is the house, all of which are surrounded by an ugly fence. I didn't realize we lived in the an uber-private area. It looks so weird, like a street of storage garages but no, they are houses. UUUUUUG-ly. No thank you. Nope. 

Events of the day:

Got gas.  I felt pretty spiffy finding a cheaper gas station. And by cheaper I mean a whopping $3.44/gallon. Ouch. Then I put air in my tires because that stupid light came on again. But now it's off and my OCD/panic is once again at ease. I was going to get my car washed but the first car wash I went to was asking $25-$150???? Uh no. $5 and I'll do it myself thanks. Oh the luxuries of living in a home: a hose, a street, and the ability to wash your own car. I like washing my car. I miss being able to do that. I decided to wash my car tomorrow or Monday. Good thinking because it's raining right now and I got a sweet coupon in the mail today, for a car washing place in the mail. Score! 

Next--the library. Returned some books and got some new ones! I couldn't find any fiction books that caught my eye or attention so I settled for some educational books. EXCEPT. Hold the phone people. One of my ALL-TIME favorite authors FINALLY has a new book coming out in March or April. I can't remember the date exactly and it doesn't matter but for the love I cannot wait. Ladies and Gents, I bring you "The Shoemaker's Wife" by the one, the only, Adriana Trigiani. I love this woman. I love her books. I love her life. I love her family history. I want to be her friend. I love Italy and she fuels my passion, love, desire, and admiration for all things Italian. I am STOKED for this book. Yes I already reserved it.

                                     

Anyway, having no luck with the fiction section, I stumbled up a book called, "10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America." It's pretty interesting so far and doesn't discuss the days you would think like the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln's assassination, the Gettysburg Address, etc. Rather, the less-known, but equally important events like Shay's Rebellion and the assassination of President McKinley. 

The book was written in conjunction with the series for The History Channel but the author did not work with the filmmakers so he offers some additional facts and insight (I didn't watch the series but that's what the introduction said!). I also got a book called, "Salt: A World History." Yes, it's a book about salt. Table salt. NaCl (fun fact, salt is actually only 40% sodium. If you go on jeopardy and get this question and win because you read it, I only ask for 10% of your winnings. Deal? Ok, great!). The stuff I tell people with hypertension, strokes, massive heart attacks, etc. to stay away from. When I was doing my internship in Tucson, we worked closely with the AWESOME sous chef at the hospital, Jonathan. He has got to be one of the coolest, most talented, level-headed, fun people I have ever met. He recommended the book almost a year ago and it popped into my head today and now it's mine to read. I suspect it will be very interesting. Additionally, I found three films for me to watch over the weekend and I'm tickled! An Audrey classic, a delightful romance, and a French foreign film. Yes please!(Second only to my obsession and love for Italy is France: the language, the food, the people, the history. Actually, it's not second, it's a rival). 

Finally, I went for a stroll on the beach. OH. MY. LANTUS. It was wonderful. I went to the Garden City Pier but the pier is apparently off limits until tourist season, (uh, ok. LAME.) so I took a leisurely stroll along the Atlantic and for a wee bit of my day, I was back at home: the mesmerizing, soothing, crash of the Atlantic to my left, sand under my toes, and beach houses to my right. Bose headphones have nothing on the Atlantic and the wind roaring in your ears. I was basically in heaven. The only thing missing were ginormous rocks for me to climb, seaglass for me to spot and add to my ever-expanding collection, and the Isles of Shoal in the distance. But it was really cool to see a long line of my footprints in the sand behind me. And it was super fun to watch seagulls chillin' on one leg in the seafoam (why do they do that? One leg?) and flocks (Groups? I have no idea of the correct term here) of pelicans flying in formation overhead. It was absolutely soothing. I didn't find any seaglass, but I did find some treasures! I collect seashells, seaglass, smoothed over pretty stones, and any other nifty things I find at the beach. Herein begins my new collection from SC! I may go for another stroll tomorrow. And Sunday. And Monday. And as often as I can before the tourists take over. 

Delightful to be with you again my dear old friend

Photo from here (I forgot to bring my camera! Again!)

Gabe the Ravenous Chocoholic and Mondays

First of all let's just talk about yesterday. I was going insane for something sweet and trying my hardest not to binge and eat the entire bag of 100 Grand bars. Plus...they were frozen and I refused to wait for them to defrost. I didn't feel like trying to make chocolate chip cookies again but I needed something STAT!!! Enter: No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, introduced to me in 2006 by the one and only Shawna Gobble. I was doing the ultimate multitasking: talking to Clary (while she was making cookies and chicken-fried rice), making the cookies, eating the "dough," cleaning, and doing the dishes. I was so impatient that I stuck them in the freezer. Mission accomplished. They were (are) scrumptious! I scarfed down...well it doesn't matter how many but there are plenty left over. Yum. YUM! YUM! YUM!  

It's Monday. This means that Sunday nights I don't sleep well. I know that Mondays are always busy at the hospital because we have to do additional work from over the weekend since we're not fully staffed on the weekends so that kept me tossing and turning. Plus, I had some crazy vivid dreams last night. I was living in NYC (which was incredible!!! BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!) and I was friends with Reagan (I love her blog) and her husband Jake. It was awesome. I woke up at 2am and for some reason kept thinking I had to get up soon. When I finally realized it was 2am and that meant I could sleep for 4 more hours, I happily slipped back into slumber only to toss and turn and re-position myself dozens of times, fall asleep and repeat. Then I work up at 6:05 which is basically a death sentence since it's pointless to go back to sleep when I know my alarm is going to go off in 20 minutes! I got out of bed and the first thought that came to mind was, "I can't wait to get back into bed tonight."
Then I got in my car and my gas light blinked...drats. Last week I saw gas for $3.07 and I don't know who got ticked off or what but now gas is $3.32 and I'm severely annoyed. Please, PLEASE just stay under $3 (and while you're at it feel free to go back to $1.50). And another light stayed on. Let me just tell you, when ANY light stays on, I freak out. A light stayed on. I panicked. 
                               
Usually my thoughts immediately go something like this: My car is going to explode or Something is going to internally blow up or My tire is going to go flying off on my way to work, I'm going to swerve, kill myself and maybe someone else or My tire is going to pop and I'm going to lose control and flip over and then my car will explode. Clearly I watch a few too many action-packed movies where cars explode. I like those movies. Anyway, I looked it up in the handy dandy driver's manual and discovered it was telling me the tire pressure was low. Ok great, thanks...WHICH TIRE?!?! So I called my mom, because that's what I always do when I start to panic about something, and she told me to just bring it to the dealer. Well, that would involve me being tormented from now until I brought it to the dealer. And that would involve me finding the closest dealer, figuring out when I could bring it in, and then bringing it in. Do you know how long that might require me to be tortured by this horrid light????? TOO LONG! I was convinced I just needed to put air in my tires so I did and that annoying little light went off. YAH! Feelin' good. Feelin' good. 


But despite the restless sleep, crazy morning, tire fiasco, and it just being a Monday, today was pretty swell. I saw a whoppin' 12 patients today and all on my own but one. I wrote orders, called nurses, made jokes with patients, busted out notes like I was a veteran, and had a good day. BUT OH MY LANTUS can I just tell you something AWKWARD that happened??? I cover the rehab floors (which means hip and knee replacements) so I went upstairs during lunch time to check on a few patients while they ate and one notorious patient (who is REALLY sketchay) stopped me. He has a deep, hoarse whisper, and a gaze that makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, and he speaks in puffs like this: Hey. How. are you? What. is. your name? Pictured it? Creepy right? Well keep reading. I introduced myself and he shook my hand and then...he KISSED my hand. Now, had he been younger, not in the hospital, and attractive, I might have blushed and been flattered. But since the circumstances weren't even close to that...OHmylantus. OHmygosh. Ohmylantus. Ohmyuncomfortable. Oh my. Oh gosh. OH gosh. Oh please don't touch me. I know, some of you may think I've overreacted but forthelove, no. NO. I'm a woman and I think we are born with a little innate alarm that goes off when we sense a creeper. At least I'm convinced I have an alarm and it goes off when I sense as sketchy situation and a creeper. Just sayin'. Shockingly enough, I maintained my composure and chatted for a moment more and then off I went to bathe my hand in hand sanitizer and soap and water. OOOOOH creepy. Gotta love working in healthcare. 


So that was my day. It was good. I can't wait to go to the gym, shower, and then curl up in bed and read. Well, really I just can't wait to curl up in bed and read. I'm currently reading, "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. I highly recommend it and any of his books. I've read his book, "Outliers." VERY interesting and insightful and just delightful reads. Peace out! 

What's a holiday?

Working at a hospital you sometimes forget that there are such things called holidays where places actually close in honor of these wonderful people or events. Such was the case yesterday. Excitedly, I zipped over to the library to get a library card only to find the library parking lot all but abandoned. I thought that very strange and as I approached the doors--locked--I realized it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and thus it was closed.

Drat.

So I was DELIGHTED today when after work I not only found a short-cut to the library from work, but it was open. Hooray! I approached the desk trying with some level of difficulty to contain my excitement and eagerness and then explained I would like to get a card. I patiently waited and then the librarian had me sign the back of my card and I almost clicked my heels. Then she was explaining to me all the services of the library and I think she could tell I was super excited because there was a smile playing on her lips and a twinkle in her eye as I was about ready to rip the card out of her hands like a greedy kid getting a plate full of cookies. OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Little did she know I already knew where the closest libraries are located, how the online catalog works, and that I had already searched for a few books I wanted to check out before I even moved to the state. I have my priorities. I was on a mission. So I thanked the librarian and all but bounced over to the computer to search for books, placed 2 on hold and scoured the floor looking for the remaining books on my list. Success! Currently I'm hooked on the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith, the same author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. His books are delightful, insightful, cozy, amusing, and comforting. I highly recommend them. 

There are a few places I look for immediately, or before I even arrive, at a location: the nearest grocery stores, clothing stores, and public libraries. Having a library card is a must. 

Off to prepare for my CPR class, read a little from ASPEN, and then...reading for pleasure.

I am one very happy girl.

(Please pardon the natural craziness curl of my red mane. I embrace it.)