Happy anniversary?

So, I logged into the time call system at work the other day (the 23rd to be exact) and the automated voice on the other side reminded me it was my two year anniversary at the hospital. Has it really been that long? I mean, honestly, it hardly seems possible. Of course, bets are being taken now to see whether I make it through to year 3.

I have been wanting to blog more frequently, but of late there has been a confluence of events including a protracted though not necessarily severe cold, an absolute assault on my allergies, too many long after work meetings with our financial adviser and trying desperately to get started on some sort of exercise regimen in spite of the aforementioned ailments. This along with my job's seeming inability to get and maintain adequate staffing levels. I worked last Sunday, and am off today (Friday) because I work tomorrow. Of course, they called to see if I could work today too (which, including tomorrow would have been 7 consecutive days of work), but I just don't have it in me. I like what I do, but I think I will burn out quickly if things don't change. There is so much pressure to never miss an hour or a day or, god forbid, need assistance with anything. I have to balance between having too few patients (which makes me the go-to backup for the in hospital chaos) or too many (which means I might need a second person......and there is no second person to be had). I am trying not to get frustrated, but of course I do. All I know is that it never does seem to stabilize in health care. That is the one constant.

So, sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice to go back to school and pursue nursing. Financially, absolutely (well, after another year anyway, and then I will be on the positive side of that ledger). Emotionally/mentally.........hard to say. Mostly yes though. Its just that the tough days are so much tougher when they come because the stakes are a lot higher.

There is so much more I want to write about, but I feel utterly scattered. Our adviser meetings have been so odd. The summation is this: the more you make, the less you take home now. Everything is put into different pots per our adviser, but I think of them more as time capsules. You stick your money in now, bury it, and dig it back up when you are 50 or 60 or 70. Only the system itself is predicated on continued earnings and no life-changing events such as having children, buying another home, or losing said jobs and finding lesser paying ones. Of course, the thought then is you re-evaluate from there. In the meantime, do we stash what we can or do we kind of enjoy the moment in time when we can (or theoretically should be able to) enjoy ourselves a bit?

Well, speaking of living in the moment, I really ought to catch up on all the household things that have fallen by the wayside while I have a few hours. More to come as always.