Chillin' in the Hood!

I don't have much to write about this weekend. Not anything very exciting that is. The bad part of the weekend is that I am waiting for my paycheck to arrive.....it's in the mail. I haven't been paid since the beginning of August! So this weekend I am lying low! Low cost that is. I have enjoyed lots of time at the pool and even more time meeting my neighbors. Well I haven't exactly met most of them. But I have developed many stories in my head as to what they are all about. With me being on the ground level I can sit on my couch and see everyone walking by. As they walk by I give them names and create stories about them. One of my favorite's is Mrs. Doolittle. That's right. There is a real live Mrs. Doolittle. She is an older single woman (so i guess it's Ms. Doolittle) who has many animals. I first saw her walking her little "yippy" dog...not being good with the different breeds of dogs...I can only assume it was a Chihuahua....since it looks just like the "Yo Quiero Taco Bell Dog". She was walking him at a very slow pace, allowing him to mark and smell every last bush. Then then next time I saw her I thought that the Taco Bell Dog had taken some steroids and suddenly turned into a lab. As I looked closer...it was a whole new dog. Very cute and very friendly. He greeted me once as I got out of the car. Then yesterday I was sitting by the pool and I saw Ms. Doolittle walking by with a white parrot on her left shoulder. The parrot seemed to really be enjoying his little walk about. I was lucky I had sunglasses on...that way I could stare and not be caught. Then there is the occasional young guy, most of them look like they are from the same gang. The other morning I was going out to my car and heard a little fight going on a few cars down. As I look further, a girl was in the cab of the truck and the guy was trying to get in the cab. She was wailing on him. Hitting, kicking, and screaming, "I said get out!" Of course...I had to keep watching. The guy prevailed, and made his way into the truck. The girl then peeled out of the parking spot at about 60 miles per hour. Still punching her boyfriend. What excitement I thought. That little incident was the talk of the pool on Friday. There were a few girls asking if they heard the peel out...and I had to interject my story. I am fitting in well here....getting right in with the neighborhood gossip. I probably could have embellished the story a little...and said I knew why they were fighting...but I didn't. I just told my part of it, and the girls loved it. LOL. I have watched a lot of movies, and a lot of shows on Bravo. I think I have seen every Project Runway, Shear Genius, and Milliondollar Listing twice. So I am all caught up on my shows. I have really enjoyed having my Internet hooked up...so I can chat with people all over the world. It's how I have kept my Santity...lol. The IMing and text messaging has been my source of entertainment this weekend. I am sure I will look back on this weekend and want to have more of doing nothing.....someday. But as soon as I get out and about I am sure I will have more to update you all on. As for now...I am working on my tan, and chillin out here in the hood. No...that makes it sound terrible at my apt complex. It really is a very safe place. Just a few interesting characters here and there. What can I say, I'm easily entertained =)

Chat at you all later!
-Bev =)

The Recovery Room Experience.

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there.

My first outing here in the great Santa Rosa area was tonight. After a much better day on the stepdown unit. I felt up to getting out a little. And when I mean a little I mean a little. Heidi, from Water Valley, Mississippi...not Water Creek...(ooops, sorry heidi), and I made our way down to Cotati, California. Cotati California is the home to the Thursday night market place. Heidi had heard a band play that she wanted to hear again...so we made the long 10 mile treck down to Cotati. With Heidi's GPS system in hand, thank God for those, we eventually made it to the park in central Cotati; after re-routing once....because we were talking and didn't hear the GPS say..."Turn left you stupid girls!" We were laughing thinking that the voice coming from the GPS system is really this lady with a mic up on the sattelite getting a good laugh, "Look, they do what I tell them....lol.....TURN LEFT! HA HA!" During our re-routing we passed this great little hole in the wall called Red's Recovery Room. Being two nurses...we felt it only appropriate that we stop there after the market for a quick beer.

Upon arriving to the "market" we see children on animals, animals in cages, a big jump house, about a dozen tent shades all lined up, and the smell of kettle corn perminating the whole downtown Cotati. We quickly found a parking spot and rushed over to experience our first local market. Well, acutally Heidi had been to one before, but it being my first, I was taking in every little thing. As you can see. We sampled from fresh fruit that was to die for...I'm eating a peach as I type. We sampled about every kind of olive oil at the second tent shade we came upon. We also sampled from some really good gelato!! And of course I had to get me some Kettle Corn (look i'm already talking like Heidi). I love that stuff! Heidi talked me into trying the Indian food booth verses the BBQ food booth. A little frightening....seeming I alreaday had a little bit of an upset stomach. But she insisted I try. So there we sat, eating our Indian food...(and sweating...Did I mention it was 101 here today! Yeah. And Indian food makes you sweat already despite the weather)...and listened to the big band playing in the gazebo. They were great. And the crowd of 20 loved them also. Clapping at the end of every song, cheering for more, and getting it in return. We mosied back down the dozen tent shades they called the market....to retreive our purchases. I stuck to the fresh produce, which was half price by the time we walked back through. It pays to be late....lol. I got some great peaches, nectarines, and other various fruit. Heidi was a sucker to each and every olive oil at the oilve oil stand. After our purchases were complete we were feeling a little thirsty. So we headed to the car, which was parked right in what we were calling bar row. PERFECT! I guess there is a college located in Cotati so this particular location was called the Cotati Crawl. I was surprised to hear the Heidi didn't know what a pub crawl was! Being from Mississippi and all I totally thought that she had ridden horses, and totally knew what a pub crawl was...I found both to be not true tonight. She hadn't ridden a horse until this last year, and didn't know what a pub crawl was. Poor thing. I did share with her that I had been to horse camp as a young teen, and done a few pub crawls back in my Texas days! Anyway. We had a quick drink as we watched the fabulous people of Cotati travel to and fro.

We then decided to head to Red's Recovery Room. As we pull up at Red's Recovery Room we see some of the same people we saw at the previous establishment...always a good sign. As we make our way into Red's, I realize we are in for a treat. We meet..."Marie" I think her names was. Marie was the barmaid...not bartender...barmaid. She was wearing a stunning outfit that conisisted of grey sweatpants, and and a grey Southpark oversized T-shirt. Marie's hair looked like it had had one too many bad perms, and she parted down the middle. She reminded me of Marla Hooch from the movie A League of Their Own....remember her. Marla/Marie was serving us beer tonight. She was very kind to get us two Coors Lights in the bottle, right after she spent about 45 minutes examining our IDs. She was indeed counting the years since Heidi was born....1980 to 2008.....very hard for Marie....without using her toes. This bar was "hotter than a Texas whore house" as per Heidi's description (said completely in her thickest Mississippi acent). There was not one ounce of AC in this little building. The walls were plastered with little bumper stickers, signs with clever sayings, and various liquor signs. As we were bellied up to the bar, we noticed the Kiss t-shirt stapled to the very low ceiling. Right next to the Kiss t-shirt was a cardboard yellow submarine. Great deco. There were about four pool tables which every man in the bar was hovered around. We only could assume by the claps and hand shakes after each game that it was pool league. It was a great variety of people at this establishment. Including the day shift barmaid...Carol...who sat down next to us and was chatting about how she hoped it would cool down for her shift tomorrow. What I will never understand are the bartenders/barmaids who hang out at their place of work even on their days off. I don't get it. But Carol was a great addition. We had a little Oregon State/Stanford football game going on the TV so I was entertained. But as we sat in this bar with stagnant air, we were melting....so it was only one beer for us. As we slipped out the back door, hoping to be un-noticed, a regular said, "only one beer ladies?" We blamed it on the heat...and headed to the car. He did inform us that pool league was pretty much every night, but Sundays was also a good night to be at Red's Recovery Room. What a great place. My stay here in Santa Rosa is nearly complete...lol. All I need now is to taste some wine. LOL.

We called it a night and I am off to bed soon. I hope I painted the picture of Red's Recovery Room well. I really was trying to take in everything so I could relay the image to you all.

Hope all is well. I'll write more tomorrow. I am sure tomorrow will be filled with more exciting news from the hospital...followed up by a trip to "Friday Night Live"...in Cloverdale, CA. Just about 30 min north....live concerts in downtown Cloverdale! Too fun.

Later
-Bev=)

What a day!

Today I was on the step down unit of Santa Rosa Memorial. And it might just be my last....(just kidding Helen). Most of you don't know Helen, she is my FANTABULOUS recruiter that got me this oh so wonderful position here at Santa Rosa Memorial=), no really I do love her for it. Besides that, she also is making sure I am getting paid correctly (real reason why I love her). LOL. She was a little alarmed at my previous entries and how negative they all have been about this place they call Santa Rose (brian). I reassured her that I don't hate it her as much as it sounds. I just am trying to convey my days to my former co-workers how good they have it up at PPMC. Today started out nice. Three patients and by 9AM I realize that I have three discharges. Something a day shift nurse never wants to hear two hours into her 12 hour shift. This could only mean one thing....ADMITS! Now up until this point I have never done an admit in their system all on my own. Did this charge nurse care....NO. By 1330 I had discharged all of my patients and was getting two admits....no big deal. I finally take lunch at 1510, and head downstairs for a chocolate run, because that is the only thing that is going to save me. As I am trying to find the nearest chocolate, a patient's family member stops me in the hall with her loved one in a patient gown and in a wheelchair...she says, "Do you work here?" I almost say no as she is wheeling her mother into the public bathrooms in the lobby obviously needing me to help this women to the bathroom. I don't mind helping patients to the bathroom in the privacy of their own rooms, but the public restroom....not a place where I want to be exposing my butt wiping skills. But what does any nurse do...oh she had a gait belt on too...lol. I help her to the bathroom stall. Barley fitting in the stall with her...I help her go, get her put back together, gait belt and all, and I head out to find even more chocolate now. Evening shift comes on and I am up for the first two admits...GREAT! So when all was said and done I DC'd 3, and admitted 4. Well long about 1900, mind you I am to go home at 1930, I am told that I am doing the admits wrong. I have all this computer charting to do on top of all the paper charting and box checking that I have been doing all day on this all paper charting floor. Nice timing. I almost loose it. But I pull it back together and report off to the poor night nurse who is following me. I start out by saying sorry, gave him report and proceeded to stay 1 hour over to finish as much as I could. I was supposed to finish an admit history on my third admit of the day....when he couldn't get off the phone with his wife...so I left that one for the guy following me. WHEEW! That's not all. I don't know if I had mentioned that all day shift people have to park off at the Vets building across town, and they bus us in every day. That's right....I have to rush to catch the bus in the AM. I feel like I am a freshman in high school again. So today, with me being late...(do you see where this is going?) I missed the last shuttle.................SHIT! (sorry Helen). It was the topper to my fabulous day. I ask the security desk what I need to do now, and she looks at me and says "oh, don't worry I have a cab voucher for you." Poor lady, I lost it. I am thinking, I have to wait for a cab???? How long will that take? As tears well up in my eyes....I just want to eat, drink and go to sleep. Emphasis on the drink. LOL. The other poor security took pitty on me and went and got the "truck". It was a nice truck...NOT. But I didn't care at that point, I wanted to get to my car and get home. The young security guard, was so nice....dropped me off at my car and I got the hell home. Of course stopping for a bottle of wine and a chicken sandwich....great combo. One good thing is.....I STARTED AN IV!!!! Yes, all of my fellow PPMC employees know that they tried to train me to the IV team and I failed. Well today, when my patient pulled his IV out on accident....I was the only one around to do it. I sucked it up and got it....FIRST TRY!!! That's right 20G LFA and did I say...FIRST TRY! Someone please relay this to Terry Hauck, Jan, and Christina...all on the PPMC IV team who said I could do it, and I didn't think I could. WHEWW! That is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Hopefully all the rest of the IV that I try have as good of veins as my patient did. With my patient's permission...I took a pic of it on my phone. So if any of you want to see proof...I do have it. LOL.

I think that is it for today. Sorry for the two day lag (helen). But I had two days off and didn't really do much. I cooked dinner for my friend Heidi on Monday, we proceeded to drink too much wine while listening to my music on my i-pod. So all day Tuesday I wasn't feeling like doing much. So I just sat around in the AC and watched TV. Next week I will be out and about and have much more exciting things to write about. I plan on hitting some vineyards, and some little events here in the area. I also plan on going and visiting my aunt and uncle in San Jose....if they will have me. So I will have much more to write about other than work...I am sure you guys are getting bored with all my horrible stories.

Bottom line is I do like the challenge of working here in Santa Rosa. It is a total learning and growing experience. No matter how bad it sounds in my little stories, I really don't regret coming down here. It is just what I needed to wake me up. I love the challenge and how much I am learning. And I love my recruiter...Helen. lol.

I hope all is well with you all. Miss ya!
-Bev =)

Welcome to the Twilight Zone - A.K.A, Santa Rosa

Being Sunday and my third day of work, I had decided to sleep in a little, since I know where I am working, I could push the envelope and wake up as late as I can..but still get to work on time with a coffee in hand. I stayed up way too late finishing my book, so I was excited when I set my alarm for 0600. At 0530 my phone rings...as a PPMC this always meant that Kora was calling me off!!!!! YAHOO!! In Santa Rosa, it means something different. The voice on the other end said she was from the staffing office at Santa Rosa Memorial and that I would be going to their Acute Care Rehab at the Fulton location. In my sleepy state is say, "OK where is that?" She said on Fulton Rd. I said OK....and that was it, as if I knew right were Fulton Road was......a few minutes later I realized what this meant. I then remembered that the voice on the other end said, "It should be a good day, there are only three patients and you guys have three nurses, one is on light duty, so I have to send you there. " It is all setting in now. I realize that I am going to Santa Rosa's equivalent of 4K. For those of you who work with me, you know how much we all love floating to 4K!!!! And for only three patients?!!?!? What the heck? With three nurses? I quickly realized that this was going to be the longest day of my entire life. I then realized that I had no idea where this building was located. Thank God for the Internet and Google maps. I was on the computer at 0540, looking up the directions. Which by the way were totally different the what the voice on the other end of the phone was muttering during the sleepy conversation earlier. So I got ready and headed out to the Fulton location. PPMC nurses reading this, be thankful that 4K is in the same building as the rest of the hospital. At least you can escape and have lunch in the cafeteria and see your friends from your home floor. If you are floated to the Fulton Campus....there is nothing. Their meals get delivered from "The Big House", which I soon learned was the main hospital...not jail..contrary to my initial assumption. There isn't even a place to get a soda! Nice I thought. And three patients and three nurses...nice! Now these nurses live and die by their paper charting system. I was forced to carry my clipboard/MAR around with me all day. No computer anything. Every med...you initial beside the time. I don't think I have done that since nursing school....in 1999. These nurses also live and die by what is written on the KARDEX! If it says..."Mobility: PT" there is no way these nurses are going to get the patient up. I clearly learned that when I was giving verbal report at the end of the day and was telling the oncoming nurse that I got my patient up to the commode. She said....."WHAT? We aren't supposed to get her up." I replied, "Well I didn't know that, and she did ok with the help of two people. She was a little unsteady, but she did well with a pivot transfer with two." In a normal setting, the nurse would say, "Oh, ok. That's great! She must be improving." And move on! But not here in the Twilight Zone(TZ)/Santa Rosa Acute Care Rehab....We had to have a 30 minute dissertation on how and why it was written on the sheet of paper...numbered 2000002...that she couldn't get up without PT. Well again here in the TZ, PT doesn't work on Sunday. So that means that if the patient's mobility status is with PT....they aren't getting out of bed at all on Sundays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck???? I was the only one questioning this. I tried to argue that as a RN I have pretty good nursing judgement whether a patient can get out of bed to the commode or not. Or wait, I forgot where I was, when you cross into the threshold of Acute Care Rehab in Santa Rosa....all your nursing judgement is checked at the door. Again for those of you who have worked with me you all know well that I follow all the rules, and never speak my mind....NOT. At about the 31st minute of the small dissertation this RN was giving me on why I should haven't gotten her out of bed...i said, "OK. Well, please write me up then. Can we move on?" I immediately thought....oh CRAP I am going to get deported back to Oregon, loose my contract, etc. But by this time I really didn't care. I wanted to get out of that place and forget this little place even existed. I wish I could have just taped this interaction and posted it on my blog here. Because the look on her face when I said...."just write me up, can we move on?" It was priceless. She was shocked that anyone...especially a traveler would take that tone with her. Again, those of you who have worked with me know, this tone isn't new for me. I really didn't care. LOL. The patient was safe and proceeded to thank my for the rest of my shift for getting her to the commode. I may not be saving lives down here, but I sure am making patients happy and pissing off some of these regular nurses. Who by the way have been in the same job since the year I was born....1976! The other funny thing that happened today, was with another RN working at the rehab place. The charge nurse and I were talking and I was telling her that I used to spend a lot of time on a telemetry/cardiac floor. And she said, so you know what QT elevation is right? And I said yeah. Thinking this was a trick question. She said so if someone has QT elevation they should be looked at right. I again thought....where am I...what RN doesn't know that any EKG change should be looked at by a cardiologist???? Well come to find out the third RN that was on that day was having a little "heartburn" for two days. And she couldn't really get rid of the "pain in between her shoulder blades" for two days. And her "jaw was hurting now". And she just "felt funny" she "couldn't describe how she was feeling". So she had RN number 2 run an EKG on her. Well everyone can run EKGs here, but does anyone know what they say? No. Hence the QT elevation question. As I pieced this puzzle together, I told the nurse with the chest pain, shoulder blade pain, jaw pain, etc....to fricken get the hell out of there (before I was running a code on her sorry ass) and get to the Urgent Care that was luckily located in the same building! Turns out they shipped her off to the "Big House" for a complete cardiac work up...imagine that! The charge nurse, very sweet, but not all there, looked at me and said, "Man, I am glad you were here today. What whould we have done without you?" Again, where am I? The Twilight Zone?

I know this is a long entry, but the moral of my day is...if you ever have anyone needing rehab of the acute kind.....don't send them to the Santa Rosa Memorial Acute Care Rehab! Please I beg of you! It is the Twilight Zone disguised as a rehab facility.

That's all I have for you all today. Thanks for reading. Miss ya all!
-bev=)

It just keeps getting better.

LOL. lets try this again. I guess I just posted a blog with nothing on it! LOL. Please bear with me while I am still learning this blogging thing. I guess I hit the return key too much. I don't have much to report today. I did a 12 hour shift...a little tired, but all is well. I got to be on the same floor as I was on Friday, so I got some of the same patients....except the annoying one. LOL. He left and went to another floor. Thank God. I had a pretty good day. I have been meeting many different traveling nurses that are working at the same hospital. I am beginning to think that travelers are the only ones there...a little alarming. There were five nurses on today and four of us were travelers. Weird. Who the heck staffs these floors when we aren't there??? One must wonder. I have enjoyed meeting the other travelers, they are really teaching me a lot. This first contract is very much a learning experience. I am needing to get to bed so I can get up and do it all over again. One thing that is difficult is getting used to the 7a-7p shift. I was so used to staying up late and sleeping in late with the 11a-11p shift....i was spoiled. I can barely keep my eyes open and it's only 10:30. So I'm off to bed....I am sure tomorrow will provide a little more exciting experiences. peace out!

It just keeps getting better.

Same patients....different location

So today was my first day on the floor with my assignment...alone! A little scary at first, but I quickly realized....these are the same frickin patients that I was taking care of in Portland...just a different location. Today I had a the confused man near the desk (you nurses/MDs know what that means)....TROUBLE! Every five seconds....."BEV" he would shout. My shift started at 0730 and by about 0735 I wanted to tell him my name had changed....I wasn't Bev I was.....Rachel. But I thought that might not settle well as I am the newbie here. It is really interesting being on this side of nursing. Always trying to prove yourself as the new traveler. Everyone watching you, thinking that you don't know what your are doing. Well, even with the busy patients today, I felt that I did well. Those of you who have worked with me, you know I have a hard time delegating and letting others especially the CNA's do their job. Well today was no different. I am sure I could have sat down a little more if I delegated better, but it was just easier to do it myself. And the little CNA that I worked with...and I mean little, she was about 4'11'', I wasn't sure about her...so I just did most of her job too. No biggie. But it made for a busy day. But by gollie it went fast. Thank God. I am working two 12 hour shifts and two 8 hour shifts. So today was an 8 hour shift, and I was very thankful. I think I would have slit my wrists...vertically...if I had to stay another hour. Now I am home and drinking my new favorite summer drink...a Lemon Blue Ball (thank you Brian)! It's always something to look forward to at the end of the day. I am going to BBQ tonight. I thought I was being so resourceful by buying a little gas BBQ from WalMart for only 16.00. Well, the joke was on me, there were about 200 pieces to put it together. The some assembly required translated out to be total assembly required. I think it took me an hour last night to put together. So I am going to use it every night by gollie. That's it for me. I am going to bed early tonight, so I can get up and do it all again tomorrow. The beauty of floating....is I don't have to have the same patients tomorrow!!! PTL! Hope all is well with all of you. I still miss everyone! Take care, have a good weekend.
-bev =)

Much better day!

Today was much better. I was totally at home with taking care of patients. Even though i was just shadowing nurses, I was much more relaxed. Thank God. I really have been out of sorts these past few days. But I realized today that these are the same patients that I was taking care of in Portland. Just a little different way of doing it. I felt much more confident and just had to keep telling myself...."I am growing!" I am excited to go back on Friday and take my own patient load. I will be floating to all the different floors in the hospital, but only got trained to two. So that should be another growing experience. But when I get through this...I will be able to do anything. Thanks for all the support and comments. I love hearing from you all. I will do my best to keep you all updated on what I am doing here in Sonoma county. It really is beautiful.

Those of you who are my fellow nurses from PPMC, again be thankful for your interdisciplinary team. Here the direct care RN is in charge of five patients (on days) and all of the following: RT treatments, EKGs, VS, CBGs, assessments of course, IV starts, central line draws and drsg changes, wound vacs, and charting on all this.....PPMC isn't that bad.

Take care. I really do miss you all.
-Bev =)

First day.

My first day was interesting. I was at the staffing office all day for orientation. I was off to a good day until at 0825 the office called me and asked if I was coming to orientation. I guess it started at 0800. I was told to be there at 0830. So already I was off to a rough start. By noon I was a little overwhelmed of all the things that I was needing to retain. But 1330 I was having my first complete anxiety attack. I couldn't explain my high heart rate or the feeling of the room collasping in on me. But I had to get out of the building....so I did. After splashing a little water on my face and re-grouping....I came back in. It was the weirdest thing. I guess I am a little overwhelmed...to say the least. I got everything squared away...and was on my way home for a quick cocktail. I met this really fun girl, Heidi, from Mississippi! She is her all alone and is an ICU nurse for the same company I work for. I am excited to have at least one person here that I can pal around with. We went out to dinner tonight and explored the town a little. But I had to get home early and hit the hay, because I have my first 12 hour shift tomorrow in the hospital. I will only be following a nurse tomorrow, so that should be a good thing. But I think I take patients her real soon. It will take a little getting used to this whole thing, but I am sure I will like it. And I am very thankful for Heidi, she is going to be fun. More to come later. Thanks for reading!

-bev =)

I Have Arrived!!!!

I have arrived in wine country! I headed out on August 14th from Salem bound for Sacramento, CA. It was a very long day to say the least. I drove until I could drive no more. I left around 9ish and arrived at my hotel in downtown Sacramento around 6:30PM. It was about 110 degrees and I was hungry. I got settled in my hotel and walked down the street for a little PF Chang's takeout. My night was under my window. I was totally disorientated and didn't know why I was receiving the tryouts in stereo through my window. As I peered out the window I saw a lovely lady in a white jogging suit singing a wonderful serenade to God only knows who. Within about a half hour, the man came outside. They had a wonderful reunion and retreated up to one of the rooms there at the Holiday Inn Express. What a topper to my day! LOL.

I got up really early in the AM and headed out to get my CA nursing license. It went off without a hitch, and I was back on the road bound for Santa Rosa by 10:30. Getting a CA license was so easy it was almost scary. It wasn't a bad drive compared to the previous day's drive. I arrived in Santa Rosa around 12:00. I got into my apartment and was completely unpacked within two hours. I headed to the hospital where I will be working and got my info on their charting system. The hospital seems old com paired to what I am used to at PPMC. Patients are in double rooms, the tile floors all through the halls, just a cold feeling all around. It will be interesting to see how they do things here.

After touring the hospital I retreated home to make a grocery list for what I was thinking would be a quick trip to the grocery store. I headed out. Remember I don't have any Internet to map quest anything, nor do I own a map of Santa Rosa. I just figure, if I drive I will run into some kind of grocery store. So I drive, and drive, and drive. Turning in circles, not knowing where the heck I am. I occasionally hit Hwy 101 overpass, so I re-orientate as to my whereabouts. It was nearing 8:30 pm and the only store I could find was Trader Joe's , Target, and BevMo (my new favorite store...it has wine, hard alcohol, mixers, soda, beer, anything you can think of related to beverages and more, hence the name BevMo. I did become a member of "ClubBev". I felt it was appropriate with my name and all....lol). Upon my third appearance at BevMo that day, I asked directions of three good looking gentlemen at the counter checking out with their assortments of alcohol. They all looked at me like I was speaking a different language...and then proceeded to ask me, "Don't you have a GPS?" At this point in my day I felt that the only response coming out of my mouth would be.....*#@! OFF! But I kindly said no I don't and thank you for your time. I went back to my little Liberty and proceeded to start crying. I didn't know what I had gotten myself into. I couldn't even find a grocery store! Just a this time my friend Brian text'd me. "How are things going?" I immediately dialed his number and unloaded on him for about five minutes. After I finally paused, he asked me if I was ok? I quickly said, NO! After talking me off the ledge, Brian convinced me to head into Trader Joe's get a few essentials, head back home and open a bottle of wine, and tackle the grocery store in the AM totally refreshed. What words of wisdom. I did just that.

The next day was much more successful. I indeed found a grocery store, a map, and a great place to get a good carmel latte. What more can you want from a new city. With still having no cable and no Internet I found myself yearning for human contact. I think I talked the checker at Lucky's ear off telling him my story of finding his grocery store. People here are for the most part kind, and will listen to anything. Sunday was much of the same. Just reading this great book I got at Borders....Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Girls....if you need a quick read...this book is great. I have totally enjoyed it in my time of need here in Santa Rosa.

Between chapters of the book I have been going over the charting system for Santa Rosa Memorial. Those of you PPMC nurses who are reading this be thankful. The system at PPMC is wonderful compared to what is being used down here. There is no scanning of anything here. I am very nervous about this fact. No scanning the patient, no scanning the med, no scanning nothing. It is totally your say. With all the rooms being double rooms, this makes me very nervous. The room for error is huge! I just have to be that much more on my toes. It will be interesting tomorrow when I learn more about what to expect here....work wise that is.

Yesterday I ventured out to find the nearest Walmart. Of course Santa Rosa doesn't have one so I headed down to Rohnert Park, CA. I chose the wrong day to go to the only WalMart in the area.....day before school starts. I think everyone who had kids and lived in Santa Rosa or Rohnert Park was at the WalMart. I prevailed though. I got my elbows out and made my way through WalMart checking off my list. As I left, again I talked the checker's ear off. And headed back to my quiet apartment.

For the most part I like it here already. My apartment is nice, furniture is at a minimum.....less dusting! And the weather is great. Cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and cool again in the evening. The maintenance man is here now painting my walls. I guess I was a little early on moving in, but I don't mind. I do think though that he has a little ADD. He has left three times and returned 20 minutes later each time. Don't know if he gets lost or what. But I don't mind the company.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up on my new adventure. I have enjoyed recounting my last few days. Stay tuned for more. I will try to keep up with this so each entry isn't this long.

Hope all is well with you all. I miss everyone!

-Bev =)

Here goes nothing!

I've got my first assignment!!! Yeahoooo! I will be headed to the heart of wine country! And those of you who already know me, this could be dangerous for Bev. =) I have accepted a position at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. I will be doing med/surg float pool for thirteen weeks. I can't wait go get on the road. The Liberty will be headed south on I-5 on Thursday August 14. i have to swing by Sacramento to get my CA license, then off to Santa Rosa. I have heard that Santa Rosa hospital is a great place to start travel nursing. They treat their travelers very well. Hopefully I will find that rumor to be true. I have also done a little research on what there is to do in the area. Of course there are a ton of vineyards to explore, but also the town of Santa Rosa seems to have a lot to explore also. Art festivals, park concerts, various restaurants and bars in the downtown area. Not only am I excited to be in a new town, I can't wait to meet the people. Going to a town by myself, the closest relative 2 hours away, not knowing a soul....scarey...but exciting at the same time. I will do my best to keep this updated as to what I am up do. Keep checking back for more=) Thanks for reading.