oh hai November!

BURR! The temperature only went up to the mid 50s today, a perfect start to November I suppose! Just makes it super difficult to pull myself out of my nice cozy bed...

I tried to start the day with a bang, sick of hearing my poor Lilo scratching, so I popped both the dogs in the bathtub (at 6am) and tried my best to relieve her of itchy skin and just clean Beau up (because I've discovered that boy dogs are just so darn DIRTY all the time!). After feeling so productive so early in the day, I made a Pumpkin Pie Monster, one of my many favorite treats from Angela at Oh She Glows, a perfect breakfast on the way to class & work!

Pumpkin Pie Monster

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp blackstrap molasses

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2 large ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth!

I have added a banana occasionally when I am super hungry, which thickens it up nicely and fills me up more and longer! A girl from one of the units I work on frequently at work called me at work the other day to say "I just thought I'd thank you for telling me about Pumpkin Pie Monsters... They ROCK!". Nuff said :)

The rest of today was moderately productive after class... went for a 2 mile walk with the pups, cut the grass (hopefully the last time this year), weeded the front flower beds (hopefully without getting poison ivy like last time), studied a bit, and cooked dinner (Baked Chicken Parmesan) and some Buttery Apple Streusel Oat Squares... maybe a good desert with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream tonight?! The whole house currently smells like baked apples... YUM! John called me Betty Crocker... I asked if she was also a runner, then I would take the nickname ;)

Running in the COLD tomorrow morning... better get my fleece, gloves, beanie, and long pants out! Only 12 days until the half marathon!

Please live healthy!

So after two straight days of working, I have been absolutely burnt out by caring for people who never took care of themselves and their bodies are in shambles due to poor lifestyle. These are also the people that treat hospital stays like a hotel room at the Embassy Suites. Constantly on the call bell, asking for the 10th pair of disposable underwear, asking for that other type of juice because the juice that they chose this morning on their menu just won't due now, even going to the point of asking me (who also has 21 other patients) to go to the cafeteria to buy them chicken nuggets. Really?! I mean really?! There is a patient two doors down that actually NEEDS my help and feels bad even asking for me to hand them a urinal out of their reach when they can't walk. ANYWHO! Over it, moving on!

I applied to my first real nursing job today! Pediatric ED... could definitely be exciting! I am at a crossroads on what I want to do with myself. I am definitely not a general floor kinda girl, I would be bored out of my brain. I have absolutely LOVED my cardiac rotations (post-LVAD, post-CABG surgical patients) and also had a blast in pediatrics. My clinical for my management class is on a pediatric unit, so maybe that will help me make a decision one way or another! Cardiac vs. Pediatrics, both very fun and exciting and the awesome thing about my career decision is that at some point of my life, I know that I will be able to do both :)

Off to bed early without much more fun to say (due to a burnt out brain). Early workout with Caroline in the AM so she can whoop my but into shape! I am pretty sure that I won't be able to walk by tomorrow night or laugh because we are doing lots of abs... I'll be sure to share her insane workout with everyone :)

Also, I'm having my brother & his girlfriend over for dinner tomorrow... what to cook?! Cooking Light will be my bedtime reading material...