What's better than a raise? An unexpected raise!

If work were a playground implement, it would surely be a teeter-totter with all its ups and downs. The clinic has been unusually slow of late, so I have been trying to help more on the floor which does little more than reassure me that I am right were I need to be in the clinic. It isn't that it is awful out there, but my god is it different. Essentially, it is just me pushing around a cart and trying like hell not to get lost as I quite literally do not know where I am going most of the time, especially if it is a rarely visited area outside of the normal rounds to begin with (like CT.......evidently somewhere in the labyrinth on the first floor diagnostics side......I assume anyway as no signage exists). Then, the PIV starts themselves are often a high degree of difficulty, with one usable arm and littered with bruises from previously blown IV sites leaving you with nearly nothing to attempt at all. You definitely run the gamut from success to abject failure within most hours if not within the shift itself. In short, I will take my cocoon like clinic thank you very much!

Now I just need more patients to show up. I suppose some could be scared off by the fact that we close haphazardly when I am elsewhere, can't take certain patients because we don't have a second nurse, and turn away patients fairly frequently when I am busy and cannot get another RN here to help. Not exactly a business model that ensures success. I mean, would you go to a restaurant that turned you away one day because a server called in sick and so they couldn't seat you even though the restaurant wasn't full? Or if it closed without any seeming reason just because? Or what if they told you they could seat you, but not your partner? I know I would be looking elsewhere to eat. Especially if there was a restaurant right next door that had few of the same complications.

But, to the good, we did get a raise (or will get one starting in October) after a survey of other hospitals concluded that we were underpaid. While I understand nursing is a skilled profession and we do a lot of things that most people would not want to do, I can't say that I felt underpaid at any point since I have starting working in the hospital. Nor can I say that, looking around, our pay structure is lower than other hospitals. However, it evidently must be so as I am certain they wouldn't just be gifting us such a thing. As such, I will happily take my 4.8% raise and be quite content.

Tia's job is unfortunately moving in the other direction. She is over funded for her position, and there seems to be no let up in sight. Her job is different in that she is funded by percentages on different projects. So, in essence, she works for quite a few different people because of it. So, person A may fund 65% of her time and person B 35%, which would work out well. However, she also has person C for 25% and person D for 15%. So, when you get down to it, she has 40 hours to do 56 hours of work a week. I can't say I truly understand how it works, because to me it would seem like they would logically cap this number at something like 100% (reasonable) or 110% for short durations if needed and make that a hard cap. So, if you want or need to work on person's D's project, you have to reduce your time on another project accordingly. The other variable that makes that difficult however is that the projects don't have consistent start and end points and percentages vary within the span of a project as well. In short, it is a logistical nightmare. Suffice to say, it is all driving Tia a little batty, especially since the person with the bulk of her project time is rather unyielding and seemingly hopelessly daft. The kind of person whom would give you a dollar and then say she wants 2 items that each cost 75 cents and then suggest you find a way to make that happen.

In other news, we finally broke down and bought 2 real honest to goodness bicycles after coming to the mutual conclusion that our current bicycles, while in every sense bike-like (wheels, pedals, and all that good stuff), were woefully insufficient for our purposes. Now, I am not going to contend that I am a 'bike person', but in order to work towards becoming one my ride needs to be one I don't dread with every fiber of my being. We started out with some cheap bikes from, I believe, Kmart. The price is lost to me, but I know they cost less than $175 for the pair. They rode about as well as you might expect. I suppose it was quicker than walking, but only just, and far less pleasant. After selling them off, we bought some nicer bikes, more than doubling our initial investment. However, though they are twice as good (perhaps more) than the cheap pair, they were still heavy and a struggle to ride. Certainly, at no point, were we compelled to ride them for any purpose other than to work and to home and even then not with regularity.

As is my wont, I started to do some research and gather opinions. There is consensus about getting what you pay for, but not necessarily how much you should pay. From experience we now know that buying the cheapest bike is not necessarily the most advantageous decision. The same could be said of shoes, or cars, or on and on really. But, there is also a decrease in the utility of that statement over a certain dollar figure. A nice, solid pair of Danskos will last you a few years of very routine wear and, for this you will pay about $120. Or, you could buy a $50 pair of shoes that will last you 6-8 months. Or, you could by a designer pair of shoes for $500 that will last just as long as the Danskos but have more flash. For me, it is worth it for the Danskos, not for the designer shoes. I have no compunction to say, ride competitively so the benefit gained from spending more than $12-$1500 for a bike would be marginal for me (and they evidently go up to $10K). We finally settled on visiting an outlet of one of the local bike shops and, hopefully, we have found our matches in the $600 range (originally $850). They are lighter than our old bikes by far, have better components for easier shifting, more gears, and have a better power to effort ratio. In short, by far and away the nicest bike I have ever owned. Now I just need to get some spandex!

Let's get down to brass tacks, how much for the chimpanzee?

What does the title have to do with anything? Well, nothing. Just misdirection. Something to get you to read wondering about how one goes about purchasing a chimp or thinking about reading/watching Fear and Loathing. Either are good avenues for fervent imaginings. Certainly better than the droll recounting I will probably give you here (despite far better than that intentions).

I have been shy of my usual verbal self of late. No explanations. Sometimes the words just leave. I like to think they go somewhere fun, because usually they return fully energized (if somewhat scatologically prone).

So, without further ado, lets head full bore into the week that was (and what a week it was)!

Work was work, though slower and more methodical than it has been (and continues to be this week). Was and remains a nice change of pace, though I remain confused by the fact that I can't just call it a day early without some penalty (so long vacation time). I am on board with them paying me for time I am not here, but not with my time. In that case, I am in complete accord with the idea of me not being here and them not paying me for said time. Seems a good agreement and uncomplicated at that since they already don't pay me for the 2/3 of every day I don't spend within the confines of these walls. But, something is clearly lost in translation. Any translators out there?

Life has been pretty fun of late. I tend to get bogged down in the 2/3 (must be the fraction du jour) of the year that the weather vacillates between indifferent and mind-numbingly depressing and give short shrift to the beautiful season(s) in between. The time spent out doors working on the yard (and in my case red/bleary eyed), riding bicycles, jogging, hanging out on restaurant patios, going to parties, eating at cart pods, and generally just being outside.

We spent last Friday night out at said cart pods with current friend and former Realtor Joleen (I say former only because we don't need her services presently, though I would use her again). Cartapalooza 1.0 was born that day (and hopefully will breed many more). At Cartlandia we sampled sliders from a burger savant (something was off about him, though he made a damned fine burger.........especially since he professed to not eating meat) and I got my taste of the weird (as is my predilection) after ordering a lengua (tongue) taco for a buck and then asking what buche might be. Turns out it is pig stomach. Well, if you know me you know it had to be tried. Overall, not a fan. Not bad really, but texturally a bit odd (crispy/chewy). Leaving there we headed for greener, or fried greener, pastures, but were denied fried green tomato BLTs (much to Tia's chagrin) when the cart proprietor informed us they were out of supplies and closing up shop. Joleen grabbed a, per her, mediocre Italian pastry and we were off again to A la Carte on Division and 50th, probably my favorite stop of the group. So many choices, but many were a bit on the heavy side, so we all decided on a Fondue It cart that had some amazing chocolate fondue with fresh made zepolies to dip in it (think mini donuts). Joleen and her date opted for the cheese/sausage combination. They also got a deep fried, chocolate covered piece of bacon with various spices adorning it. Sadly, not a winner. We finished up in a food daze at the last pod group, not having the stomachs to pack in any more despite the tempting options of Whiffies Fried Pies and Potato Champion beckoning (as well as a wood fired pizza place in a cart).

Saturday night we had a great dinner out with Tia's work friend (and my current best foodie buddy) Jen and her partner Cindy at Grain & Gristle. It is a solid meat and potatoes type of place with solid food (like the yummy lamb sandwich with picked onions). We then headed to OMSI to check out a free Yelp event at the museum (the main exhibit was old video games). Free booze, free food, and free access to the museum made a fun, and somewhat informative, evening.

Sunday was football and the aforementioned yard work that, despite the fact that I kind of enjoy doing it, it clearly has no affinity towards me. I was enveloped in a Benadryl haze from about 4pm onward.

So, if you are similarly afflicted, living in the Pacific NW that is, I urge you to soak up every last ray of sunshine and get out there while the getting is good. Cause you know it won't be for much longer.

Next time we'll talk chimpanzees.

Its too damn hot

I suppose there is no such thing as a perfect weather city. I know there are some that come close (San Diego) and some that are so distant from such weather no amount of money could lure me there (Fargo). It is well documented in this blog how much I hate the winter weather here, but generally the summers are pretty damned ideal, even if they are only that way for a short time. The last week or two we have had our annual heat wave, with temps routinely in the 90s. Its funny how that used to not be such a big deal to me (hell, 90 was relatively mild for a summer day in south Florida), but now I wilt in temps that elevated. Another reason I always tell people that 'I am indoorsy'.

But, to thwart the heat, I try to get up and do my runs early. Today while out jogging, I noticed a car with a windshield banner with 'Pimpin aint Eazy' across it. This was maybe 3 blocks from our house. We also have the 'pickers of Piedmont' who come up our driveway to gather recyclables. And then, within a dozen blocks or so, the periodic shootings we read about in the paper. Conversely, all our neighbors are long time residents, and some with very young kids. The newest restaurants are always opening up within the same dozen or so city blocks and there are numerous flip jobs selling quickly in the neighborhood. This, of course, is pretty much East side living. You have to make the trade-offs you are happy with........unless you can afford not to make them at all (we can't). Will be interesting to see how things evolve.

Work is still kind of a drain. I wish it weren't, but I am at the point where a vacation is more or less a necessity than a luxury (though it is that too). The point that all the minor irritations start to become major ones and the only thing you can think of getting the hell out of there at the end of the day. It isn't as though anything has changed, but it is more or less much of the same and therefore just stagnant as ever. I was just told to 'close the clinic' on the Monday and Friday of my vacation because they 'don't have anyone who can work' on my behalf. How can I hope to make anything of the clinic when it is repeatedly evident that it is expendable? I am somewhat surprised that they don't just close it altogether because clearly the revenue stream is not one they are concerned with.

Back to Sunday ticket. What a fun free new toy.

How did it get to be September?

There is (was?) a TV ad for an insurance company (and I have no idea which one, so clearly not the most effective ad) that states "Life comes at you fast." It could not be more accurate.

We have now been in our new house for more than a month. In that time we have managed to pull a compost bin full of weeds and ivy 2 to 3 times over (and counting), paint most of the upstairs rooms and a wall downstairs, buy and assemble a seemingly never end pile of Ikea (or Ikea analog) furniture, hang shelves, and randomly move things from room to room in a seemingly fruitless attempt to find homes for everything we own (which still leaves us with more than 2 completely empty rooms save for some boxes/totes in one and our foster cat family in the other). It is, by degrees, both enjoyable and frustrating, but always takes more time and energy than you think. That said, it is thus far a HUGE quality of life improvement over the last 2 rentals.........at least in my opinion. Of course, we would have been fine with much less space too, probably 25-30% less really. But, its hard to really complain about that.

I spent a day last week (and a few hours the week prior) at the Hood in Gresham. They are the last group to 'go live' on Epic and, hopefully, it won't be another handful of treks out there. I won't hold my breath though. But, all in all, the gal who runs the clinic out there is much savvier, so I don't believe the need will be as great. We shall see.

We tried out a new HH place this past Saturday called Tapalaya, which is a tapas style restaurant with a New Orleans theme. It was somewhat hit and miss, but overall pretty damn good. The drinks were amazingly simple, tasty and cheap ($3 for a Hurricane and $2 for Martinis along with a slew of other discounted libations). The food had some pros and cons. The good: the crawfish fritters were quite good, they had Crystal hot sauce on every table, and the catfish on the po boy was flaky and moist. The bad: the mac and cheese tastes like something I could make at home without any effort (unlike the one at Besaw's which is INCREDIBLE), the bread on the po boy wasn't toasted which meant it started to get soggy quickly, and the beet salad was scant and fairly bland. Will have to try it again.

Saw Super 8 over the weekend as well, admittedly largely because of the Hurricanes at Tapalaya which put driving out of the question. I had heard good things about it though and, ultimately, I would tell people not to go out of their way to see it. Just so-so and immediately forgettable.

I'll leave this random assortment with another song which kind of reminds me of The Flaming Lips by a band called City Light (I have no idea what, if anything, the video is related to though).