Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

This post is really dedicated to mom and dad. However, I want to share this with everyone because it is really important to me and I think that it is an important witness for the world.



Dear Mom and Dad,

Twenty-five years. Wow. That is a long time. I am really happy that you are still here together to celebrate this day. To me, it is really really awesome.

There are times where I wonder how you faced the challenges that smacked you guys in the face. It amazes me. I am sure it was overwhelming and hard but you guys went through them like a hot knife through butter. Yeah that was a really bad analogy. There are so many people who think that the grass is greener on the other side. You guys realize that the grass on this side is too beautiful to give up.

Your marriage has so many qualities: perseverance, strength, courage, loyalty, devotion and last but of course not least love. Each of us, your children, have learned these qualities from your marriage. My favorite, however, is the love that you two shared. I think that all the other qualities flowed from your love. This is I believe the greatest quality of your marriage.

Love is the basis for all that you do. You two love each other. All that I am, literally and implicitly comes from this love. Your love is not the flaky love that the world protrays and. You love is the true love. Love involves sacrifice. Love involves going beyond yourself to see the other person, to seek out the other person, before yourself. I see this continual interaction between the two of you. You seek each other in situations. You consult with each other on everything. You two submit yourself to each other to lift the other up.

This love has shown me that I too must go out of myself to see the people around me. In my personal and professional life, this is extremely important. I am totally, completely indebted to you, mom and dad, for giving me such an excellent example of what love really is. Thank you.

Magpie

Describe me in a song.....

I was thinking the other day as to what song sums up my whole being. I have so many extremes and dynamics that one song sometimes cannot cut it. However, I was looking through my iTunes, hoping to find a song that would not describe just one aspect of my personality but all the aspects.

Although I am very goofy and act immature, I also have an intelligent side. I love to learn and have a sponge as a brain. I can be mature when I need to and have appropriate conversations often peppered with bits of humor. I try to be childlike when possible. I find that children are very open minded. It is when we become adults that our minds become made up and we are less acceptable of others. Notice sometimes how younger children are so welcoming of people. Sometimes this is not always good but they tend not to be as narrow minded as their adult counterparts.

So hmmmmmm, let's go through my play list shall we to songs that describe me.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow-The Wizard of Oz-Judy Garland: I am a dreamer. Dreams produce goals. Goals motivate me to work. Thus, I make my dreams happen. It isn't easy, sometimes I wish that I were over the rainbow where I don't have to work so hard or struggle over the hurdles and obstacles people and life put up to prevent me from achieving my dreamy goals. They are oh so dreamy.

Prologue from Beauty and the Beast-Disney: This is where Belle sings her intro as she walks through the village? Remember? Ok so basically she is singing out boring life is in her little village and how she finds her excitement in books and her imagination. Often I can escape things for a little bit by just going inside my imagination. At least for a little bit. And I totally want to get out of my city right now. I grew up most of my life here and I am ready to see what else is out there for me.

Carry On Wayward Son-Kansas: How many times do you get discouraged at things? How many times do you feel tossed about like a ship on the ocean? Yeah, I stole those words from the song. There are so many times where I just want to throw my hands up and say, "Heck with it all!!" Yet the voices inside my head-because I am just that crazy-push me on. When all is said and done, when I accomplish what I set out to accomplish, there will be peace and a sense of achievement. Yes! I win!

Man! I Feel Like a Woman-Shania Twain: I love it. I am a woman. I love having fun. I love being crazy. It keeps me sane in life. Woot!

Ruby Tuesday-Rolling Stones: I don't know why this song describes me. I think that I have some mystery about me. I still have yet to figure it out. I think I cause it for myself. I like to hide things all over my brain in little spots. Similar to how I hide things so I remember where I put it yet never remember where I put it. So it is not to be mean, well maybe yes, because I am mean. No, really though, I don't have anything to hide. If someone asks me a question I answer it as honestly and bluntly as I can. It is harder to pin something on someone who is 1) not hiding anything purposefully and 2) you know nothing about. Mystery and honesty....ok yeah that had nothing to do with the song. But I still think the song describes me.

Jeździec-Illuminandi: "Uciekałem przed Tobą w popłochu, Chciałem zmylić, oszukać CiebieLecz co dnia kolana uparte Zostawiały ślady na niebie." Tak, ja jestem uparte, bardzo uparte. Istnienie uparte pomoce ja. To może przeszkadzać mnie też. Jeszcze, obmyślam to pomaga więcej niż przeszkadzać.

Ok back to English....that was hard....the Polish. Someday I'll do that without help of a translating program. There are only a couple of words I know and I can tell what they are in Polish but it is hard to translate and such. Someday.

What I've Done-Linkin Park: I have done things in my life which have been regrettable. I hope that other people will forgive and forget them. I hope that they can see that I strive to do things to make up for those times. I know that I will never fully heal wounds that I caused or fix the problems I created. Yet I pray to God that those that I hurt can come to forgive me.

Half Acre-Hem: In all humility, I have so much potential. I try to exercise this potential in every situation. Expand my horizons, grow personally and professionally and mature. Maybe potential is not the word I want to use. I don't think I will ever lose my goofy side. It is too precious to me. However, I think that I have so much more room to grow. I have to let go of the sadness that I had 20 years ago, 4 years ago, 2 years ago and even yesterday. Today is a new day. It is a new slate to write on. If I keep those sadness, anger, what have you with me everyday then there is no way that I can expect myself to reach my full potential.

Snow-Red Hot Chili Peppers: They have many songs that I like, I think that this one describes me best from them. "Come to believe that I better not leave Before I get my chance to ride When it's killing me, what do I really need All that I need to look inside" Live for the moment. You might just lose something that you will regret later. I try to do this. If I want to do something, I tend to do it. Of course I sort out logistics and figure the pros and cons but if the road is clear, I go for it. I might look back 20 years later and say, "Geez, I really wish I did that while I had the opportunity." "When to descend to amend for a friend All the channels that have broken down Now you bring it up, I'm gonna ring it up Just to hear you sing it out" I try to make others as happy as possible. When others are happy, I am happy. My day is not complete unless I am able to make someone laugh or at least smile.

Ok, before I bore you out now, here is the song that sums me up all together pretty well....ready??????? GO!


She's Always a Woman
Billy Joel
She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child, but she's always a woman to me
She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth, but she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give her as long it's free
Yeah, She steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me
Ohhh... she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants, she's ahead of her time
Ohhh... and she never gives out
And she never gives in, she just changes her mind
And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding
But she’ll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me
She's frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree
And the most she will do is throw shadows at you,
But she's always a woman to me
Yep, that's me: quirky, fun loving, with sparkles of intelligence, a splash of maturity, fore castings of mystery. If you love your life, and you are happy with who you are, why change things? Of course, I have faults to improve on, that will be another blog entry in and of itself, but if I work at that, I am sure I'll be heading in the right direction.
All in all,
Magpie

COFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEE

So yes, as you can see, this post is dedicated to a dear love of my life coffee. Among other things like family, friends, God, mannequins, dedication, patience, loyalty et. al, Coffee has helped me through some real tough times. I am deeply in debt to those who served me coffee. I am obliged to mention companies that provided me with my fix TID and PRN. You all really rock my socks.

Coffee has become one of my best friends. During school, when I would get very little hours of sleep due to studies, and um, studies, coffee would be a constant companion.

During my Med/Surg Nursing class, we would get a 10 minute break. During this break, I would go to get my delicious coffee at school. At first it became just something to keep me occupied during class. Then it became a habit. I would actually pay before class just so that I had it quickly without waiting in line to pay. Linda, I believe that was her name, was my savior-ess. She always knew what I needed. There was one time when there were no more big coffee cups left. I began to feel my hands tremble....my head ache and pound....wait! what was that running across the room??? Some dark black figure! Am I hallucinating? Yes, a classic case of coffee DT's. Linda then from behind the desk pulled out a large coffee cup for me to fill. There were times when I did not have the change to pay for my coffee. Linda was there to cover for me. I would always manage to give the money she needed the next day but she helped me out when I really needed it.

Coffee during school kept me going when my mind and body said no more. My professors always said that a sleep deprived, caffeine fueled mind would never do well on exams, assignments or anything for that matter. However, it was the only way that I could stay up to study for the exams to complete the various assignments: papers, portfolios, posters, concept maps et. al.

Starbucks was really the best. No, World. You do not need to get $5.00 coffees every morning. I could never afford that. I got my cheap drink every day I knew I'd need to do a 35.67892 hour day. Venti Hot Brewed coffee (preferably a bold flavor) two pumps peppermint, one shot (which actually came out to 2. I would get one free because they have to make 2 at a time. Thy just asked if I wanted the extra one.) and room (for cream). All for $2.14. There are two girls that I am indebted to at the local Starbucks. The one was the first person ever to memorize my drink. She rocked my day. My goal in life complete, "train" a Starbucks worker to memorize my order. She was so totally awesome. The second one, I want to say her name is Elizabeth but I know I am wrong, also has my drink memorized. She sold me my first coffee mug thingy. And she recognizes me even if I miss a week or two. She is awesome. Both of these ladies will never know how much they helped me through my day. Starbucks was a definite staple for me during the school year. Even on the way home from clinicals, my friend and I would stop to get something.

Dunkin' Donuts coffee also was what I'd drink on the way to the hospital for work and clinical. Along with school I'd work on weekends at a hospital near by. On the way was a Dunkin' Donuts. I'd get an X-Large coffee to drink on the way. Even now, Dunkin' Donuts wishes me good day for my drive into work.

So here is to you coffee givers and takers...a poem....of love.....for you:

Coffee Coffee! You are so sweet.
You have given me pleasure and glee!
Without you my day is incomplete
And I can be likened to a banshee.

My addiction is true,
My love is intense,
I cannot quit you,
My devotion is too immense.

When my days are tired and long,
It is you that I do find.
You are bold and strong,
And get me through the grind.

Not one day can I miss,
For my head will ache,
And will persist,
Until your sweetness I take.

Dehydration, ulcers, hypertension,
are definitely worth it all.
Our love is on another dimension,
You have me in thrall.

For the future , I swear,
Despite doctor's command,
We will always be a pair,
For you I will stand.

In other news besides obvious sleep deprivation, I have decided to join the National Novel Writing Month contest. It should prove to be a hoot. I have to write a 175 page novel with 50,000 words in the month of November. I believe that it will be exciting to try to win. They say that I really should just write and write and not worry about doing editing. I am an editing freak. I hope that I can do this without going back and reading through it. Spell Check is a must with me and so is rereading everything I write. Most of the time. I hope that I will do well in this contest. I'll keep you updated. It starts on November 1.

Here is the website :) http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I'm out!
Magpie

Liquid or Powder Foundation?

So I am not partial to makeup. I actually just started wearing makeup regularly. I have no problem going out without makeup. I think I look better with makeup but it is such a hassle sometimes to put on.

However there is a unspoken rule of girldom which states: It is required to wear makeup if you are born a girl. It is your doomdom/destiny/curse whatever.


Today, some people tried to over me some make up from some fancy dancy person who makes make up.

"Excuse me ma'am, are you wearing make up?"
"No."
*horror face on the woman ensues" "Do you EVER wear make up?
"No."
Ok, so I lied....I do wear makeup! I really do...sometimes. When I am not lazy....er....patient.




The first time I wore make up was in high school. I know I know. I was a late bloomer. I didn't really care. Until I saw a picture of my stupid shiny forehead. I started to wear makeup.

I recently started wearing makeup when I went into a store and they said, “Would you like your makeup done? It will only take 5 minutes. And it will be no cost.”

How the heck do you pass up that opportunity? Free? LOL sign me up.

So I sat in this chair and the lady asks, “What is your makeup routine.”


*wait...routine? You mean there is a routine??? Quick, Magpie, make something up!*
“Um…I wash my face.”


*UGH!!! FAILURE*
“I mean what do you do for makeup.”
“Nothing. I just wash my face and I am set for the day.”
“Oh….” She’s probably thinking, “I have a lot of work to do.”
I told her I don’t want to look fake. I was not born with blue eyelids, I’d rather not have blue eyelids. I was not born with Cleopatra eyes and would rather not have them. I didn’t say it that way I used the classic term: “I would like a natural look.” Makeup talk. J

Ok so she did my makeup and then asked me, “Will you use this…will you use that.” Well we got to the eye liner part. Ok, I don’t do eyeliner. Ever. Never ever. With my luck the pencil will be IN my eye. “Ok, for eyeliner….” “Oh wait…I can’t do eyeliner.” “Why not?” Obviously, she doesn’t know me. “I will poke my eye out.” Again, the face. The face I get whenever I say I don’t wear makeup. The face of horror. The face of oh my gosh how do you live with yourself. OK, it wasn’t that bad. She laughed and then said, “You HAVE to promise me you’ll wear mascara though. You have beautiful lashes.” “Um, ok *fingers cross*.” I have no problem with mascara except my eyelashes look like I am going the sleezy look. I think it is just that she put too much on. When I do it now, it is a bit better.

Ok so my make up:


What is there really to talk about it? Hmmm....tinted moisturizer, then bronzer, then eye concealer then blush then eye shadow that is pinkish so it isn't all OUT THERE and then mascara...optionally.




The woman says it makes my eyes pop. Ok? :unsure: Scary.




Mom says that I should curl my eyelashes. Now my eyelashes are super long. Not obnoxiously long but long. Have you ever seen an eyelash curler? It looks like a torture device. I never wanted to put that thing anywhere near my body let alone my eye. And then they have heated ones. Holy Cow, it is ridiculous. Make so nervous. I thought I was going to pull my eyelid off.


Well before my makeup I look like this:


After I look like this:





Ok ok...so I don't look THAT creepy with makeup.



I look more like this:








or this:




Pretty no?

Ok so make up is not for me.

End of Story.

Meg



Wait...Magpie's a boy?!?!?!

Ok, so no, last time I checked...which was like a few minutes ago, I am a girl. No boydom here. However, there are some days that I just wish I were a guy. Things look much greener on that side of the gender spectrum, like a rainbow with the fake gold at the end of the purple streak. Don't get me wrong, I love being a girl. I wouldn't have it any other way. I think I fit my girlness quite well, at times. At least in my mind. Society might have another idea but I won't get into that here.

So I am sure that there are many other girls who at some point in time wish that they were a boy. And I am sure there are plenty of men out there unwilling to admit that at least once in their life, thought about what it would be like to be a girl. Yes, if you were a girl, you could sit on the couches in the "Ladies' Lounge" in Macy's...er....Marshall Fields. *shakes fist* Macy's.......

Honestly, I think I am the only one who sits in those things. I went with a friend to the mall nearby me once. Well the big thing for me to do (besides touch everything, wreck mannequins, and so forth as you all know from my previous post on shopping) is to go to the Ladies' Lounge for the sole purpose of trying out the couches. Well, I never been to the one in Von Maur (I think that was the store). I mean I usually can't afford the hanger the clothes are hanging on let alone the clothes itself so why bother entering the store? But my friend convinced me to go in:

"Magpie, have you ever been in the Ladies' Lounge of Von Maur?"
"No! I usually pass by!"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS??? They are like the most comfortable couches to sit on!"
"REALLY???? Let's go"

She was right. The couch was so comfortable. I sank into the comfortness of the floral couch and looked around. It was just so fancy! And then they had other chairs there and desks type tables and such. So I went to explore. The other couches were definitely not as comfortable. And the desks didn't have drawers. I found that out the hard way when I tried to open it and the front came off. No one has to know it was me....no one.

I am a girl and all but I still don't understand the reasoning behind this useless luxury. It isn't like we have enough time to sit in them. Plus, if we wanted to sit, why not do it in public? Why in the bathroom...oops, Ladies' Lounge? It isn't like we are going to sit on the chairs naked or anything. And I do not sit there to have conference meetings with my friends. I never really saw anyone actually sit on them. Except me.

Ok....where was I. Yes, so I am sure that you guys want to be girls JUST so that you can try out the couches in the Ladies' Lounge. But back to being a guy. Yes, there are times when I wish I could be a guy...reasons that are more than just being able to write my name in the snow with my urine.

Reasons to be a Boy
1) Not being embarrassed to be in the wrong bathroom.
Yes, it has happened...more than once. Each time I was slightly confused as to why there were little toilets in the Women's Bathroom. I mean the second time I took a hint when I saw a guy standing in front of it. Right about face and out the door for that one. I did scare another guy who was going in though. However, it would be so much better to be a boy for those instances in my life when I do enter the wrong bathroom.

Really, I want to live in a fearless world where I can walk into a bathroom and not have to double check at the door. Or be in the stall, hear the door open and not think that it might be a guy. Yes, now every time I go into the bathroom my heart stops when the door opens. I try to get out of stall when I know no one is by the sinks so that I can scout out to make sure I am in the right bathroom. I figure that way, if I did enter the wrong bathroom despite my double check at the door, I can make a B-line for the door and wash my hands somewhere else.

I guess going in the wrong bathroom is not all that bad. I probably won't see the people I saw in the bathroom for the rest of my life. I am sure they will remember me though...oh geez that would be uncomfortable.

"Hi, my name is Magpie and I will be your nurse until 11 pm"
"Hey, aren't you the girl that was in the wrong bathroom?"

2) Hair
I love my hair. I really do. I like all the stuff I can do with it like color it all sorts of awesome colors and still look somewhat normal and cut it so that it looks awesome and what not. Like how there are about 3 different colors in it without actually doing anything to it. When I think about my hair, I always think of the movie Little Women where Jo cuts her hair and that one brat Amy said, "Oh Jo! How could you...your one true beauty!" Yep, my hair and my teeth...my one true beauties.
The problem lies in the fact that I have just recently figured out how to style it. Now normally I'd just blow dry it and ta da all done. However, when I "style" it, you know use something other than my hand and air, like a brush and hair gunk, I fail. Recently I figured it out but I've had this same style for about 2 years now. Plus, if I want to do something like play capture the flag, run, change a dressing or whatever, I have to put my hair back in bobby pins or a headband type dealie.

Being a boy would allow me to have short hair without looking like I am pitching for the Cubs and Sox. How would I have my hair cut as a boy? Probably a normal crew cut. 2-1-0 or 4-2-1-0 depending on the season.

3) Shaving
Ok, I know that guys have to shave their face and stuff. But you have the option of growing out that hair and not being considered a freak. Women on the other hand, they have to shave. I mean they have to. I am not disagreeing with this fact. However, we have more shaving then men to do. That is just so time consuming and boring. Although, I have to say, shaving cream is really fun to play with. So maybe it isn’t all that boring.

I used to love in school how we’d clean the desks with shaving cream. I really don’t know what good it did. I mean, us kids were probably sneezing, drooling, coughing, vomiting, et. al. over those desks. Shaving cream is not going to disinfect it. But it was loads of fun to spread it all over the desk and stuff. Lick it off….ok no I didn’t do that. I am sure that some kid did though.

Shaving also hurts. Especially when you have no time and you have to rush and your like oh shoot…I have to shave today. There was one time where I was running out of time. I think I ripped a layer of skin off that day.

Now there are tons of products out there to use as alternatives for shaving. Veet. Nads. Melt You Hair Today. Veet burns. Nads is torture, I don’t think I’d do that to my enemy it is just way to painful…and sticky.

You know about Nads. You can eat that stuff. It is pure sugar. It doesn’t taste good but you won’t die if you eat it. Actually it is really gross. But, I figured that if you want to save money, you buy honey and take a butter knife, spread it on your leg and then take a handkerchief and rip out your hair.

Man, if women had the option of growing out their hair…no nevermind, I don’t want that. That’d be gross.

Ok so all in all I like my girlness. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, some instances make the desire pop into my head. I just have to remember that the greenness at the other end of the gender spectrum is not grass but probably weeds so I am better off with my alfalfa here on my end.

Magpie

Musings on the Doc

So I was given something the other day and I thought that it kinda explained me to a T. So I am going to share it with you all. For the next few minutes please bear with the mush... :-P Oh I did add a few quirks.
These are bits and pieces from Dr. Suess. The original thing that I got gave an explanation of every day use. However, when I was reading it I was amazed at how many of these simple, childhood favorite lines I could really relate to! I could not relate whatsoever to the explanations given to me...they were too....grown up for me.




Dr. Suess's Wisdom for Magpie

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.

Yeah, I am so totally different than everyone around me. It is funny. I have no desire to look like everyone else, or dress like everyone else. I have no desire to do a lot of the things that other people do. I have my own dreams, my own desires: jumping out of airplanes, saving lives in the back of a helicopter, traveling the world, blazing new paths....the list goes on. I am so comfortable in who I am that it just is awesome. Finally I feel great.

Plus who else write a blog about everything and nothing at all? Who else can come up with all this stuff at one single sit down moment? Yeah, that's right, Magpie.

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat . I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

Life is full obstacles, big ones and small ones. However, I cannot let this bother me. I have to overcome them. How many dreams would not have been fulfilled if I allowed the troubles of my life take over? How many dreams would I still be dreaming if I did not fight back?

I do not think that my troubles saw me in a fight. If they did then the probably would never bother me. I am muscle man...er....wo-man.....like my picture down below. I could break some one's nose if I wanted to....WITH MY PINKY!

Ok, so I lied. Luckily I carry a big bat. Because if my troubles REALLY saw me fight, they'd be all over me like boys over Paris. Hilton....not Paris France. Are boys really all over Paris still? I don't know. Ok, next topic.

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

I need to see the bright things in each day. If the day went to pot, there is tomorrow. There will always be a tomorrow with something new to hope for. However, if you were to dwell on all the bad stuff that happens in a day then life would be miserable. Actively seek out the good fun things that happen each day. Look forward to tomorrow when more good fun things will happen.

Today in real life was really not all that great. Today was really not all that fun. But Tomorrow I am planning to start a lot of trouble. Wait, there was something fun today. At work I discovered that unlike the newer hospitals, this one has chutes. There is a garbage chute and a linen chute. Now I really didn't have a lot to do today at work. So I started to think up ways that I could utilize this new discovery. A secret escape route....HA so unoriginal. Why not just use it as a chute? Like, a human chute? How awesome is that? Now I was thinking about which one I'd rather go down, the garbage chute or the linen one. I figured, I really don't want to go down the garbage one. I know too much about what goes in the garbage. And it smells. Not that the linen is any better. But at least I could put clean linen down the chute before diving in. Yep, that is what I do....save lives.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.


I can be as smart as good ole' Al but where is that going to get me? I have to put it to good use and knowledge by taking initiative to go out and apply it.

Now, many will argue, "Does Magpie really have a brain?" Well, actually, I do have one. No one has seen it. Except maybe Joe but that is another story. Wait....who is Joe? Confusion ensues....

From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.

HAHAHAHAHA....yeah....I think that explains it all. I think I find things funny that people would just find stupid. I mean I will just start laughing. For no reason. Or at the worst possible times. I am very shocked that I am not in the psych unit yet. Makes for a good seating choice on crowded buses, trains, cabs. People just tend to avoid you. Makes for even better first dates.

"Magpie, I think I really like you....I mean, I never felt like I did around you. You give me this joy in my heart that..."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA"

"Um, did I say something wrong???"

"Oh...sorry, no...I was just er....uh....thinking of something."

"Dust unto dust....ashes unto...."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

"*tears*What is so funny about Whatsherface dying?"

"I....um....oh man."

Can someone say aWkwArD?

And will you succeed? Yes indeed! Nine-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.

Looking forward, I have not succeeded. I can never measure my success by seeing the rest of the stuff I have to do. However, when I stop climbing the mountain for a second and I look back, I can see all the stuff that I have accomplished. It is totally a lot. I have come a long way since...well....a long time ago. I mean I graduated college, I got a job, I developed myself into who I am today.

However, 98.75%? That leaves 1.25% of doubt left. I mean, failure is a part of success. This is what helps drive even more success. The fact that I am not 100% successful drives me to be more successful. Makes me want it even more. Like a competition, in my head.

GO MAGPIE, GO MAGPIE, YOU CAN'T DO IT...AT LEAST THINK THAT SO THAT YOU WILL.

Stop procrastinating! DO IT NOW!

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!

Hahaha.....yeah....all I have to do is sit and my brain starts coming up with all this random stuff without me even having to tell it to do so.

Class was a hoot at times. I think that my brain just thinks stuff up and then misses the filter to my mouth. Someone told me that...."I think I am missing the filter from my brain to my mouth." So there were many times that my classmates saw the inside of my brain. And the beat goes on....

If you want to catch beasts you don't see everyday, you have to go out of the way, you have to go places no others can get to. You have to get cold, and you have to get wet, too.

I want to travel all over the world. I have been stuck in one place for so long, I want to explore. There are way too many things in this world to see to stay in one place. I remember when I was younger...much younger and dad was in the Army. We moved 3 times, Germany to Kentucky and then Kentucky to Kansas and then Kansas to Illinois. I only remember the move from Kansas to Illinois. I loved the excitement of it all. The thought that I was going to see new things. My grandparents lived there and we visited them several times but the fact that we were moving there was just awesome.

In my life I have been to so many places. I've been pretty lucky. I have had some pretty awesome people who I don't know pay my way for some of these trips. And my grandma to thank too. Oh and the US government. Some of it I remember, some of it I don't. I've been to Europe, Canada, and all over the US. However, I want to see more, I want to meet more people, I want to see the things that you can't look out your window to see. The world is huge. I am young. It is time to conquer it.

The more you read, the more you'll know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go.

<_< class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Surg II Week 5: Renal
Wagner (barf) 648-682=34
Iggy: Chapters 72-75 = approx 80 (estimate about 20 pages per chapter)

Pediatric Nursing Week 5: Chapter 46=59 pages

Maternal/Newborn Nursing Week 5: Chapters 9-12=180 pages (approx. 45 pages per chapter)

Leadership and Management Week 5: ok so I didn't read for this class so I won't count it.

353+ plus because of rereading and extra reading assignments thrown in. Needless to say, I really have no desire to read anymore right now.

However, all that reading has made me who I am. It has allowed me to take information, process it, put pictures together, help people get better. I learned so many things and through that knowledge, been able to help others become healthier individuals. Or drove them so nuts that they told me that to shut me up.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

The world needs more caring people. If people thought more about others then the world would be a better place. Respect, love, empathy, compassion....this is what the world needs...oh and maybe chocolate. This is why I chose nursing. This single line sums almost all of my decision up. There are nurses out there who are not caring...who are too busy to talk, to listen, to understand. This needs to change. If I do not change my attitude to be different than theirs, how is anything going to get done? We will not be moving forward. We will remain stagnant in the present time. Patients need someone other than medicine, surgical procedures and diagnosis to get better. That is TLC: Taking Lots of Chocolate....er I mean Tender Loving Care. All the medical intervention in the world are useless if they are not given with love, care, compassion. You can teach a monkey to start and IV, give a pill, change a dressing. You cannot teach a monkey to start and IV with empathy, give a pill safely, change a dressing while putting yourself in the person's shoes. It just cannot happen. I am that person. I vowed this from the beginning of my journey into the medical field and I resolve to continue this endeavor.

If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.

Alright, so I know that I have said this so many times but bear with me. I was stuck literally in a nursing lab, or library for about 2 years. No fun. I mean me and my friends goofed around a lot: making fun of things that were said in class...stupid comments....like, well I'll save it. But for the most part, I missed out on a lot in the world around me. The world was not going to stop turning while I studied about how to save lives. So now I want to do everything. I want to go places. (I did go on a road trip to Washington DC. That was fun.) and do things (Like skydive...I will once I get the money). Try everything. If you don't like it, don't do it again. I mean if you don't try it, you may never get the opportunity again, and then you will regret it for the rest of your life.

A person's person no matter how small.

This is another important thing that I think that people tend to miss in everyday life. Human dignity is in EVERY human being and it needs to be respected. Yes, they guy who is mentally handicapped and is bagging your groceries is a human being. Those who are black, red, yellow, green whatever, they are humans. That one old person who yells at you for bending that one single blade of grass (yes....the exist.....I knew the man....God rest his soul.) yeah, he's human too. No one is better than anyone else. If you cut us all open, remove the skin and the hair and the outside appearance, it would be very scary....and you would also see that we are all the same. Maybe we have slight different variations between us. Like our heart is 1.65783724 mm deviated to the left. Whatever. We are all the same. We all have emotions, feelings, things that set us off, desires, dreams. So yeah.

Alrighties. Enough. I think I said enough. I have like three more blogs in my head so I'll have to write those out soon. Man, my brain never sleeps. Can get quite annoying.