The two things I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavor is taking the first step, making the first decision.~~Robyn Davidson
I've been doing some thinking...it costs a lot to live in Phoenix. I mean really a lot. Oh I know that there are more expensive places to live, like say, California, but Phoenix is really expensive. And it's really hot in the summer (no duh it's a desert). So I've been making a mental checklist:
1. House: 3x the amount of Oklahoma
2. Electricity: 3x the amount of Oklahoma
3. Water/Gas: 10x the amount of Oklahoma
4. Salary: Mine is 1.6x and David's is 1.2x the amount of Oklahoma
...see the trend? We have to work more just to live here. And no, I do NOT want to move back to Oklahoma, lol. But I am thinking maybe a less expensive market back closer to family in Texas and Oklahoma might be a good idea.
What is the first step? Look into the job market in an area we might be interested in living. I've got my eye out on a few areas and you can get much more for your money there. And let's face it, there are always health care jobs.
Second step? Okay well we just bought a house last May so we have to see if it has appreciated in value so we won't lose money if we sell. Homes in Phoenix went through a boom about the time we moved out here 2 years ago and the market seems to be correcting itself. But have we lost money or made money by buying this house? Enter appraiser...made money. House is worth $50K more this year than last in "as-is" shape. So more if we continue our home improvement projects in the works or planned.
Third step is to decrease bills. Down size. One example is I bought a 2003 BMW X5 in November. Sell it and get a less expensive vehicle. Start chunking down extra on the hubby's truck and get it paid off in 6months instead of 12months. Etc.
As much as I love our home and the awesome view from my back porch (sigh), I think we need to make a change. The move will get us into a more affordable living area and closer to family.
Okay...now we just need to get working and get going. Wish us luck!
Ciao! De ;)
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Be A Miracle in Someone Else's Life
Instead of looking for a miracle in your life,
look to see if you are the miracle in someone else's life. ~~Nola Rohde Vollmer
Oh jeez, can you tell my mood. I know we can't all be the "miracle in someone else's life", and I probably get more chances than most considering I'm an ER nurse, but sometimes I just get plain tired of trying to make a difference. And I really, really hate being scammed. Like the other night my patient right up front asked me to get her some Valium for her back pain because that is "the only thing that works". First off, I'm not the doc, NP, PA, or whoever, and all I do is follow their orders, not the patient's requests. So when I went into the room to give this lady a pain pill she was like "where is my Valium?". I told her the PA didn't prescribe her one and to take the pain pill and we would see how she feels later. I could already tell where this one was going. So, over the course of the next 45 minutes her friend came up to the desk repeatedly requesting Valium for her friend. I very firmly each time told her I would be in the room in a little bit (and I was three more times). When I went into the room to discharge the patient she became very irate and started screaming at me that I was a horrible nurse, that I had no bedside manner, that I was "trapping her in the bed" when I tried to take her blood pressure and demanded that I "get the charge nurse". I really, really, really hate it when patients think they can get what they want by demanding a supervisor. Thank goodness the charge nurse that night stuck up for me and even stated he was standing by the PA when he handed me the chart and said that he was not going to prescribe the patient any Valium. So the patient left all in a huff and trying to act like she was going to throw up because she was so upset and needed her Valium. As she passed by me she said "You are mean!" That got everyone laughing, but it really wasn't funny because I mean, jeez, this isn't why I got into nursing. KWIM?
Ciao! De;)
look to see if you are the miracle in someone else's life. ~~Nola Rohde Vollmer
Oh jeez, can you tell my mood. I know we can't all be the "miracle in someone else's life", and I probably get more chances than most considering I'm an ER nurse, but sometimes I just get plain tired of trying to make a difference. And I really, really hate being scammed. Like the other night my patient right up front asked me to get her some Valium for her back pain because that is "the only thing that works". First off, I'm not the doc, NP, PA, or whoever, and all I do is follow their orders, not the patient's requests. So when I went into the room to give this lady a pain pill she was like "where is my Valium?". I told her the PA didn't prescribe her one and to take the pain pill and we would see how she feels later. I could already tell where this one was going. So, over the course of the next 45 minutes her friend came up to the desk repeatedly requesting Valium for her friend. I very firmly each time told her I would be in the room in a little bit (and I was three more times). When I went into the room to discharge the patient she became very irate and started screaming at me that I was a horrible nurse, that I had no bedside manner, that I was "trapping her in the bed" when I tried to take her blood pressure and demanded that I "get the charge nurse". I really, really, really hate it when patients think they can get what they want by demanding a supervisor. Thank goodness the charge nurse that night stuck up for me and even stated he was standing by the PA when he handed me the chart and said that he was not going to prescribe the patient any Valium. So the patient left all in a huff and trying to act like she was going to throw up because she was so upset and needed her Valium. As she passed by me she said "You are mean!" That got everyone laughing, but it really wasn't funny because I mean, jeez, this isn't why I got into nursing. KWIM?
Ciao! De;)
The Sunday Seven - Episode 90
When your question writer is on a diet, food is just going to pop up as a topic from time to time. This week, we’re going to belly up to the salad bar.
But first, Wil of "The Daily Snooze" was first to play last week. Congratulations, Wil. (And thanks to Liz for pointing out the adjusted release date for Apple’s Leopard upgrade.)
On to this week's question!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name seven ingredients you can’t resist at one of those Super Duper Mega Salad Bars.
Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)
1. Lettuce and/or Spinach
2. Sunflower seeds
3. Bell Peppers
4. Green Olives
5. Jalapenos
6. Boiled Egg
7. Cheese
But first, Wil of "The Daily Snooze" was first to play last week. Congratulations, Wil. (And thanks to Liz for pointing out the adjusted release date for Apple’s Leopard upgrade.)
On to this week's question!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name seven ingredients you can’t resist at one of those Super Duper Mega Salad Bars.
Either answer the question in a comment or answer it in your journal and include the link in a comment. (To be considered "first to play," a link must be to the specific entry in which you answered the question.)
1. Lettuce and/or Spinach
2. Sunflower seeds
3. Bell Peppers
4. Green Olives
5. Jalapenos
6. Boiled Egg
7. Cheese
It's Sunday
So how ya been? A whole week gone again! What the heck is going on? Oh yeah, me working, lol. Well dumb me picked up an extra day on Saturday making it 4 days last week. Stupid because by the end of the shift I was so worn out I got a fever blister and gave up my shift for Monday night. It's only money, right?
How was everyone's Mother's Day? Pretty good here with the only thing missing being Hannah (first time apart on Mother's Day). I told Mr Caleb to wake me up at 3pm so he could take me to Spiderman 3 for my Mother's Day gift, but (and can you believe this) he forgot. David woke me up at 5pm and said, "What time did you want to get up today?" School night so we went to see Spidy this evening. It was pretty good, but I think I agree with the critics in that 3 villains were a bit much. If you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil it for you, but I can tell you I liked the Peter Parker who wore the black suit to the degree he had more self-confidence and stood up for himself (not Spidy) more. Not as much a nerd. But then the "blackness" did consume him to a degree. Okay, enough because I did just promise not to spoil it for you didn't I? My bad. But that does lead me to the thought for the day...
Thought for the Day: Take time to accept responsibility. Your life is exactly that - It's your life. It is created by you. You are constantly making choices, constantly creating new experiences. And although we can be affected by circumstances which can seem to be completely out of our control. Essentially, we decide the direction in which we walk. ~~Nicholas Watkins
From Patrick:
| You Are a Black and White Cookie |
 You're often conflicted in life, and you feel pulled in two opposite directions. When you're good, you're sweet as sugar. And when you're bad, you're wicked! |
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