Waitin on a contract

So, I'm waiting on 2 contracts right now. Number one is for the house pictured above. It is in the neighborhood right next to our apartment. It is a foreclosure and has been vacant for a year. Yeah, the pool is a little low and green... the weeds are a little high in this picture...luckily the HOA has since cut them down for us. The inspection is done but we are still waiting for the OK from the lender...so that's one contract. We are hoping to buy this house at a discount, live in it for a year or two and then sell it for a profit.
The second contract I am waiting for is from Banner for an extension to stay working at the hospital I am in now. About a month ago I asked my boss if she needed me for the summer and she said she wouldn't know for a few weeks. So, now that it is getting close to being a month away from the end of my contract, and with everyone elses contracts ending the end of May too, we are all getting a little nervous. I would just like to be able to stay at this facility for a little longer. I like the people I work with for the most part and the work is not very annoying. Let's just say I can tolerate it for a few months longer. At a increased rate of pay, because I will get a housing stipend instead of an apartment...that stipend should pay my mortgage, plus I will still get my same hourly rate. Of course at the other end I will not get a bunch of write offs for my next years taxes but, I'm ok with that.
All that aside I had a very phlegm filled week this week. Our cardiac unit has turned respiratory on me. I had 2 COPDer's , one CP and a suicide. Yesterday my suicide was discharged to inpatient psych and I got an ESLD. My least favorite was the 49 year old Cerebral Palsy patient...he was nice enough but barely functional and just coughing and coughing and I was so afraid he was going to choke when I fed him. Speech therapy said he was ok, just a delayed swallow, just not in my comfort zone. But, I have 2 days off and next week is another week.
Remember non noc nocere.

Poem Crabby Old Man

This is a great story whether true or not...

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte, Nebraska,
it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions,
They found this poem.
Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Missouri.
The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health.
A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this ' anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.
Crabby Old Man
What do you see nurses? .What do you see?
What are you thinking.....when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ...not very wise,Uncertain of habit ........with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice.....'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice ..the things that you do.
And forever is losing .......... A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .....as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .........who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen .with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now. ......a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows......that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now ........ I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide .... And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ......... My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ...... With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons ..have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me.......to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . Babies play ' round my knee,
Again, we know children ....... My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me .. My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ..............I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing......young of their own.
And I think of the years....... And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass .. A young guy still dwells,
And now and again .......my battered heart swells
I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living.............life over again.
I think of the years .all too few......gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .......open and see..
Not a crabby old man.
Look closer....see........ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....
we will all, one day, be there, too!

More days off

This tomb is in Papago park next to the Phoenix zoo...it is a great place to look out over the city...especially at sunset. It was one of our stops with my niece because it's right next to the hole in the rock.
I had another 3 days off this week for my husband's birthday. We didn't do anything spectacular but we did go house hunting. Hey, what can I say ,it's what he wanted to do. We found a cute little house right down the street from our apartment that has been vacant for almost a year...sounds about right for us. It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath with a pool...we'll see what happens.
Work has been frustrating because we still have our doctor's father. I feel badly for the doc...trying so hard to keep dad comfortable. We have been having some staffing issues...people not showing up for their shift and late call offs. Sometimes it can't be avoided...and I prefer if you call instead of not showing up at all or coming in and then leaving because you don't feel well. You know you don't feel well when you get up so, just take the points or the attitude from the staffing people and call. Don't, don't, don't think you will feel better once you get to work because you will just end up going home and leaving everyone in a worse position.
I have to ask...how many people will go into work if the staffing office calls you and asks you to come in? Does it depend on how you feel? How much they beg? Do you even answer the phone? Would you be more likely to say yes if they called you the night before if you are a dayshift person? When is a good time to call a nightshift person to come in? How likely are you to stay a couple of extra hours if you are already at work and the next shift is short?
Here's my position. I will pick up extra days when it is convenient for me...not 4 in a row or more ...don't even ask me if I have been there for more than 2 days in a row. Call me the night before if you have an idea...I will most likely not come in if you call and wake my butt up at 5:30 am and ask me to come in. Now, when I was working agency, that was the norm, I had to wait for them to call and tell me where I was going to work that day so I was up anyway. It also depends on my wallet...and how much cash I need. What's your take on it? Just wondering.
Remember first do no harm.

Desert in bloom

What a great week! We went for a little nature hike one day and got to see the desert in bloom...some really vibrant colors. Not a lot of color, which makes it even bettre just splashes here and there. I had so much fun sitting by the pool and shopping with my niece. We took her to a little restaurant that we had gone to with our friends. They serve a lot of senior citizens...lots of cheap food...it was fun. We went to the workout room at the apartment complex and played racket ball as well. It was fun playing the cool Aunt.
Went back to work on Saturday and Sunday, nothing too exciting. The boss actually came in on Saturday. She told me one of my crazy patients had called administration and told them how nice I was. Yeah, how much weight does that statement hold when they know he's crazy? Does it just show my attraction for the bizarre? This is a guy who has been admitted to the hospital 15 times since the beginning of the year...not to mention all the times he was in the ED and was not admitted...for chest pain. When I had him he got a Psych eval and the Psychiatrist even said he was and odd bird...she couldn't tell if he was schizophrenic, drug seeking or just plain odd.At least he didn't tell them I was crazy,huh?
Headed to class today...at least I got to sleep in. It's a refresher so, hopefully I'll retain something. Then tomorrow, it's back out to the pool. Yeah, traveling sucks.
Remember first do no harm.