To buy or not to buy, that is the question

Though at the moment, the answer is not to buy. Of course, that is subject to change.........weekly perhaps. The summer is a hard time NOT to want to purchase something. To have a yard to hang out in, a garden to root around in, and space to spread out and soak up the sun's rays in private. Its the best way to enjoy all the wonderful things about a Portland summer. Mind you, that summer is, in the scheme of things, relatively brief. The remainder of the year the idea of a yard to maintain in the steady drizzling rain under the dead sky of winter is not at all appealing. So, looking for houses in the summer is the equivalent of beer goggles as far as I am concerned. Unfortunately sobriety doesnt happen the next AM, but rather months later after you are locked in for 30 years.

Other than the constant flip-flopping on housing, not much of note has occurred. Work is starting to smooth out. It is now down to just a few rough patches a day instead of the off-roading feeling it was before. The phone calls still flummox me and there are patient situations that I have no earthly idea how to manage, but mostly I am holding it together and seem to be progressing. I definitely feel fortunate to have landed somewhere that seems fairly stable........though I very much enjoyed my position with the clinic.

Been reading a lot of late, having stumbled upon a series of enjoyable new books. Just finished Lost on Plant China which was another great travel journal by Mr. Troost. I highly recommend his other books as well. I can say, with absolute certainty, that I am forever cured of wanting to visit China after reading this book. Also read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakuer that was fantastic. His personal accounts of the Everest disaster were simply amazing and he boasts a spectacular command of the language. His other books, such as Into the Wild, are also worthly reads. My next forays are back into my geek books, so I will spare anyone those recommendations.

I suppose I should collect myself and actually go out and enjoy the sun.........but lying here staring at it through the window for the time being is compelling in its own right. Such are the difficult decisions one has to make when you have a day off to yourself. Sometimes its nice to just feel content.............that is, until we see another house we want to buy :)

Sticken em

My skills at poking people with a small to medium gauge needle are improving markedly. Yeah for small steps. I am also learning more about the computers and getting the grasp of some of the medications. I still have no idea about most of the paperwork side and I am constantly learning new or better techniques from my coworkers which are a solid group. The weird thing is that the way the schedule works out, you often see certain people maybe once or twice a week tops. Actually, because of vacation, illness, and training, I have only seen my boss maybe one time in the past 4 weeks altogether.

Other than work, I am finally on the official mend. I am nearly normal. Tia, however, is still climbing up that hill. With hope, this will be the last dalliance with the flu for at least 6 months.

Saw Wolverine on the big screen. Kind of like the last Hulk movie........it was better than I expected it to be, entertaining with amazing special effects, and ultimately fluffy and forgettable. Perfect summer fluff.

Tia and I are off to Bend for the weekend to celebrate our 1 year anniversary which also means it has been a full year since I finished nursing school. Bizarre! Hopefully year 2 will yield more stability. I can't handle all this job hopping. It would be truly strange to only have one w-2 form at the end of a year.

The joys and perils of antibiotics

Ah, antibiotics, pharmaceutical's original laxative. How I abhor your side effects. I am, at writing, in my third and final go round with western medications answer to my sinus infection. Thankfully either it is working or something else has changed because the sinus infection is finally clearing. Of course, the rest of my body has been in an unusual state of shambles (a state shared by my now laryngitic wife). I was forced to call out ill on Friday and Saturday and was wiped out from working the majority of my shift on Sunday. I have spent the better part of the last two days prone with either tv remote, laptop, or novel glued to my palms. Thankfully, the weather has cooperated by being unusually damp even by Portland standards, detering all by necessary excursions.

As I have had little experience the past week, I have little to say. I did have opportune to speak to a supervisor and will hopefully get some more focused practice on specific skills rather than the more or less scattershot learning I have been doing. Still, for what I have experienced, the job is a good one. Now if I could get my own proverbial s%$t together.

Have, by and large, given up on the whole housing market for the time being. Or at least will try to ignore it as best as possible. We are intractably tied to this lease, and it would serve us best financially to stop struggling with the knots. A few more months is the mantra of the moment.

Three days in a row begin tomorrow...........then a nice mini-holiday anniversary away in Bend.