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my super exciting day off!

That’s actually not sarcasm, my day was super exciting because I didn’t spend it doing errands, chores, or cleaning. Well, that’s not entirely true. I did laundry, the dishes, and finished putting together the chairs that we recently bought for our kitchen table. I also planned to cook dinner, but David decided to go fishing this evening so instead I’m cooking tomorrow night.

The bulk of my day was spent with my good friend Sara and her adorable 13-month-old daughter Rory. We went to the skating rink (which looks exactly like you probably remember the skating rink looking when you were a kid, disco ball and everything) for a cheap “Mommy and Me” skate time. Five bucks and I got to whiz around on my rollerblades and show those preschoolers who’s boss. But mostly I got a kick out of watching Rory have a blast.

Sara and Rory pushing their strollers!

Afterwards we had a leisurely lunch at Hungry’s where I indulged in some hummus and pita bread, along with some margherita pizza. Yum. And THEN we went to the neighborhood pool so Rory could play in the water, and I actually got to swim a few laps too. Not the best workout I’ve ever had, dodging kiddos, but I’ll take it.

When I got home and discovered I wasn’t going to be cooking I decided to watch Wall-E (so cute!) and walk the dogs. And that’s about it for my super exciting day off. On my next super exciting day off I will be painting the fireplace with the help of my friend Lauren. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I have to get to bed because, yeah, I have to work in the morning.

July 10, 2009
The Grind

At work we do self-scheduling. Every month there is a calendar posted in the break room and we are supposed to fill out what we WANT our schedule to be for the next month by a certain date. Then our boss will take and finalize it, usually giving us what we want but not always. I have had the same schedule since I started working here, which looks something like this (repeating every two weeks):

(OMG I could never be a graphic designer. It took me entirely too long to create this image and it made me want to throw my computer across the room.)

Well last month I forgot to fill out the self-schedule calendar, so my boss did it for me. She made one little shift: I am now off every other Friday instead of every other Thursday. This may not seem like a big deal, but my body is telling me that it is. “What are we doing at work today?” it’s saying. “Shouldn’t we be at home, cleaning the house like we do every Thursday?” I know I don’t always give my body a huge break on my days off, but at least I do let it sleep a few extra hours (till 7:30 a.m.! Such indulgence!) It’s just the difference of one measly day, but for some reason it feels like for-ev-er.

Most nurses do 12-hour shifts, and only have to work three days a week. I thought that I would hate such a long shift (I did them during nursing school), so when I was hired onto the only remaining unit in the entire hospital that actually offered 8-hour shifts I was relieved. And, I must say, it IS nice to leave at 3 p.m. (who am I kidding…3:30 p.m. at the earliest) every day, saying goodbye to those suckers working the long hours.

But the downside is that I have to come to work five days a week. And since I live over an hour away, it has started to wear me out. Many days David beats me home, which is depressing when you think about how he wakes up three hours later than I do and works approximately the same amount of hours. The thought of four blissful days off each week sounds like heaven to me now. I don’t care that the other three days I’ll have no time to do anything but work, eat, and go to sleep. It’s really hard to only have two days off in a row every two weeks.

I’ve been thinking more and more about requesting to change over to 12-hour shifts, but I’m afraid to rock the boat. The compromise I’ve made with myself, internally, is that I’ll ask to switch whenever I get pregnant (which I’m not, FYI). That way I’ll have a good reason to ask for it.

Hmm. When I started writing this post I didn’t intend for it to turn into a manifesto on the scheduling woes of nurses. But that’s how things go sometimes, and if I bored you then just wait till tomorrow…it’s my day off which is always super exciting. :)

Anyone else have crazy work schedules?

July 9, 2009
Honey Mustard Chicken

As far as homemaking goes, I may be a little behind the curve.

Strengths: cleaning, organization, scrapbooking, getting the bills paid on time, and taking care of you if you’re sick.

“Growth areas” (this is therapy speak): sewing, gardening, decorating, and COOKING.

I am completely inexperienced with cooking, which at times makes me feel like less of a woman, or something. (I’m exaggerating, people.) Anyway, I know I’m not going to go from newbie to chef extraordinaire overnight, so I’m starting slow. Hence my goal #2, cook dinner once a week for a month.

This is the meal I cooked on Friday, and hopefully I can follow it up for the next three Fridays to complete the goal.

Honey Mustard Chicken (from my friend Ellen)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika and parsley. Mix well. (I used a whisk.)

4. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture.

6. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes and serve.

My notes:
I made the full recipe so that we would have leftovers, but I have also cut it in half before and it was just as good. I made Rice-a-roni to go with it, and I’m so proud of myself for also making green beans! Neither David nor I particularly like vegetables, so it’s hard to get each other to eat them. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, this did sort of stain my pan yellow. So you might want to stay away from using any pans you bake brownies in.

Verdict:
The meal turned out nicely and David liked it too even though he doesn’t really like chicken. He said there was so much good sauce that he barely noticed the chicken flavor. I’ll definitely make this one again. Remember, if I can make it, you definitely can!

July 6, 2009
#55. Change Passport to Married Name.

Another easy goal out of the way! All I had to do for this one was shell out the $75 fee and get my paperwork together. It required me to mail in my old passport, and while I was not sorry to see that horrible picture go I was sorry to part with all the stamps I had acquired:

Three examples: France, England, Ireland.

Just the other day I got my new passport in the mail. All clean and blank and empty, full of potential. David has never been out of the country so I hope to take him one day.

Oh, and they also mailed me my old passport back. :)

July 4, 2009
Some Things I Bought

I decided to go on a random mini shopping trip after work last night and this is what I picked up:

1. Bath & Body Works foaming hand soap – I love foaming soaps. They make it so much easier to wash my hands. And I love these scents: Wild honeysuckle, sea island cotton, and rainkissed leaves. Only $3 each right now!

2. C.O. Bigelow everyday lip balm – I was in the market for a new petroleum based lip balm, and this looked like as good as any. $5, and so far I really like it.

3. Scentport home fragrance diffuser – Picked this up because it was on sale for $4, and who doesn’t love a fresh linen smell to their room?

4. White ceramic shell – I was browsing TJ Maxx, and thought that this would be a perfect place for us to collect our change. For $10 we have a cute little decoration that is now the centerpiece to our new kitchen table, and hopefully it will be the end of me finding change all over the house (a girl can wish)!

5. Nike swim cap and goggles – I hate the goggles that I’ve been using, and have been really wanting a smaller, less bulky pair. I’ve never tried a swim cap before, but I think it’ll make things a lot easier. (Speaking of swimming, I swam the entire race length – 750 m – freestyle, without stopping, this week for the first time! I was very proud of myself.)

6. Pedometer – I’m going to start wearing this at work. I know I must walk miles during the day, and I want to prove it!

7. Target woven mirror – This was a bit of a splurge at $60, but I’ve been stalking it for weeks (I’ve actually visited it several times at the store before this) and it will look so great leaning on our mantle once we paint the fireplace white!

I haven’t shopped in awhile and this was a spur-of-the-moment trip, so it made me happy. :)

July 3, 2009