Category Archives: winter

what I won’t do to get 10% off

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Its colds and flu season which means it is time for flu shots. It’s kind of, sort of mandatory in my workplace…kind of…sort of… I mean no one is forcing me to get a flu shot but if I choose to defer I get to wear a mask while in the workplace throughout colds and flu season…wear a mask for a 12 hour shift.

I know.

I can scarcely handle a mask for 10-30 minutes at a time in a patient’s isolation room. I seriously can’t breathe when I have to wear a mask. Of course there was that one time but it is amazing the super-human powers a mother develops for the sake of her babies. I can’t handle wearing a mask and I prefer protecting myself and my family from that which I am exposed to in a hospital so I get the flu shot…except I missed the cut-off time to get it done for free from Occupational Health at work. I missed the cut-off by a couple of hours. My fault, I know. But I still had no intention of having to wear a mask at work all winter long…when I am lucky enough to work. I could have gone to my doctor’s office and paid for the shot there…or…I could go to my local grocery store, pay for the shot and get this:

I went grocery shopping. After all the cupboards were very bare. Thirty bucks paid for the flu shot and I get a $35 added discount plus $90 more off in coupons I’d say I did pretty good this shopping expedition.

I’m protected.

I don’t have to wear that damn mask at work.

My family gets to eat for the next week or so.

It’s a win.

ode to the local weather dude

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If I haven’t stated it before anywhere here in this blog, I will state it now that I am a bit of a news junkie. Being a child of the television era, I have to also admit that I enjoy some (not all) of my news spoon-fed to me via TV news. Which is why I force torture share the morning and evening news watching it with my circus act.

They love me for it.

Not really.

I tell myself that someday all five of these clowns of mine will thank me for force-feeding sharing the news of the day with them. For now I will be happy that, away at school,  Zoë is very likely to tune in any chance her 18 units load plus work schedule this semester will allow. And it has nothing to do with what color tie Brian Williams is wearing tonight…although she does admire his choices.

And I will enjoy the fact that my little man, er, my nine year old son (I’m not supposed to call him a little man anymore) loves and lives for the weather segment on the local news.

“SSSSHHHH!!! The WEATHER is on now!“, he will scold.

And he will watch and report back to us what the weather forecast is and will be offering his own advice on wardrobe choices for the next five days. My boy loves the weather forecast. He looks forward to it. He even has his favorite weather dude.

May I present to you, Mark Finan, the ultimate weather dude.

Sorry Al Roker, but your personality has nothing on this actual, real-life, bonafide Meteorologist…and not just any old television Meteorologist but one of the first Meteorologists in the country to earn the status of Certified Broadcast Meteorologist from the American Meteorological Society.

sidebar: Reading Mark’s bio right now I discover that “meteorologist” is capitalized. Who knew?

Back to the ultimate weather dude, Mark Finan. Daniel is a fan. Daniel is a believer, a true believer in what Mark reports and teaches him as he delivers the 5-day forecast with authority. Forget the news of the day…unless it is the weather…because there is weather. How does one even start their day without this information? You don’t. Or you start your day wholly unprepared dressed for a warm, sunny day when it is cold, damp and foggy. At least that is what Daniel believes thanks to the wisdom of his mentor.

As Daniel’s mom, I have to thank Mark Finan for teaching and inspiring probably the most amazing second grader you could ever know. Who knows where your inspiration will take him? Were it not for you and Daniel both, I would very likely leave for work every evening wholly unprepared for what I have to drive home in every morning.

I have to add, dude, you are THE weather dude. Don’t you have some control over this? I mean can we have more than an hour or two of sunshine any time soon? Please?

everybody’s working for the weekend

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I’m usually working them, weekends that is. At least I am usually working part of the elusive, awesome weekend that “normal” working folk look forward to. Such is the life of a juggling mom/Vampira the Night Shift Nurse. But surprisingly, I find myself with THREE WEEKENDS OFF IN A ROW!!!

Crazy for me!

I need three weekends off in a row. It’s been a rough start for the year…a tough month…a mind sucking, emotionally draining week. I am so freakin’ ready for a weekend off. A weekend off to perhaps run and find some sunshine. Rumor has it that it is out there somewhere past the fog and gloom of the Central Valley. I need a weekend off to catch up around the Big Top and tackle the clutter…or perhaps ignore it a few days more. I need a weekend to get out and accomplish a long run. I desperately need a weekend to relax!

I came home from work early Friday morning and entered the Big Top doing the “Happy TGIF” dance.

“TGIF, TGIF!“, I exclaim as I walk in the door.

Daniel asks me what is TGIF?

“Thank goodness it’s Friday.”, I tell him. “Aren’t you glad it’s Friday, Daniel?“

His reply:

Of course this means that the weekend starts that much earlier for him so hurray for minimum days! Hurray for weekends…even if the weather forecast promises more gloom and rain and I am desperately fighting the feeling that I am coming down with a cold. Hurray for weekends!

You’re welcome for the awesome 80′s flashback/weekend ear worm!