I had my review yesterday and it was more positive than I could have reasonably expected. I guess we are our own harshest critics, but it was nice to hear how your peers/supervisors perceive your work. As for what it means monetarily, who knows? Generally it just appears in the next paycheck if there is a raise associated. I have no idea how that is figured out, nor does anyone else outside of HR it appears. In the end, Tia and I both got stellar reviews (with Tia locking up a promotion as well) and neither of us has any idea if or what it will mean to our financial situation.
There appears to be a number of opportunities coming up at my job (speculatively), but all with possible drawbacks.
1. We have had a floor nurse out on leave for better than 6 months now. Evidently her time is up and they are finally able to cut the cord. However, they envision the position as a pediatric position as well as adults. It was intimated to me that, were I interested, it would be a position I could move into and that, in regards to job security, it is as secure as it gets. However, the idea of sticking kids with needles and placing lines in month old babies is off putting in the least and terrifying in general. Plus, it would mean 4-10 hour days that rotate bi-weekly including every other weekend. This would mean more days in daycare for Mr. Q. Well, at least we would have to pay for more days (he would only need to attend 2 days one week and three the next, a next 'gain' of one extra day every 2 weeks). It would cost us as additional $380/month, but I would more than make up for that with my extra hours and the slight addition of weekend pay. But I would lose half my weekends with the family and that would be a huge bummer. Plus it would largely take me away from the clinic. But Tia could possibly cut back to three days a week then.
2. The new RN I trained, who is excellent btw, is evidently going to relocate back to Texas. And this is going to happen very soon as she is turning in her notice on Friday. This of course could mean that they will need a new full time staff person there (assuming they replace the position) and that I could slide back into the clinic. This would be a better reassurance that I will have a position and that it will stay very local, but would necessitate that Q go to daycare M-Th every week (definitely not ideal) or we could look to a nanny, which would be better than daycare but a LOT more expensive. Plus there is always....
3. The clinic buyout which has been rumored and speculated upon since last summer is still lurching its way forward like one of the Night of the Living Dead zombies. The rumor mill still has much grist to grind upon, with the latest being that all clinics will flip over at the same time vs. a few at a time. So, the clinic position might not buy me any additional time in Legacy. But, perhaps this is a good thing? There is the possibility that the move to OHSU would be a positive one. Though it is likely to mean a pay cut of some degree (though I doubt an overly large one), it would afford me the opportunity to learn chemotherapy regimens and get certified as an oncology RN. I have no particular interest in that, but it would make me much more hire-able should we relocate. Plus, it is likely the benefits and retirement are at least on par with, if not superior to, the ones offered at Legacy. There is also the possibility that it will be a game of musical chairs with more RNs than positions available. If that is the case, I have the least seniority of any of the clinic nurses.
4. The possibility that, if the buyout occurs, they will likely offer a take it or leave it deal. Meaning, they will come to the affected staff and say "here is the offer to go to the new clinics or you can take a buyout (generally one week of pay per year of service)" This would allow me to (at least based on past instances from co-workers) collect unemployment and take Q out of daycare completely. The downside to this is that it also may make it harder for me to get back into the field down the line. Also, can I handle being a full time stay at home dad? Plus, Tia would then need to go back to work full time (an option she is mulling presently anyway). I might also finally be able to take a fair amount of time off and fly out to Florida to visit my family (though the idea of flying with an infant is terrifying.......I might need a sedative)
So, while all speculative at the moment, it appears there will be much to consider in the coming month(s). Should be interesting.
Q is starting to rock back and forth in an effort to crawl. Mobility is imminent. This will surely be novel, but we will have to keep a sharp eye on the little fellow. He is continuing to get more and more, dare I say, fun to be around. He still takes every bit of energy you have, and it is crazy difficult on the days you aren't feeling up to snuff, but for the most part these aren't problems related to him so much as they are things about me. I certainly try my best and it is getting easier than it was. It is fun to watch him grow and change and play. Now if the weather would just shape up a bit and warm up so we can go outside and enjoy it!
I better finish this and eat before Q awakens and I lose the opportunity. Going to try to take him to the soaking pool today. He loves it! It isnt the pool part that concerns me, but the to and from really. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Well played Mr. Q. Well played.
Dare I jinx things horribly, but things have been pretty darn good with Q of late. He still wakes up WAY too early and naps too infrequently, but he is a much happier dude altogether (and hence are we as well). He is still bothered by an infrequent and unproductive cough, but otherwise has been healthy. Plus, he is finally topping 15lbs.
Speaking of Q, he continues to be very very HIGH energy. When the MA at the doc's office (a pediatrician who sees kids all day every day) brings in other MAs to meet him because he hams it up so much at the office, you know he is different (and in a good way). He has such joy for everything. I wish I could be half as excited and happy as he is when he wakes up from a nap, let alone a long night of sleep.
Today we took him to a pool near Multnomah Village that had a water slide (he is unfortunately still too small) and some spraying water jets and a nice shallow end perfectly sized for his stature. It wasnt nearly as warm as the Kennedy School soaking pool, but he still had a blast. Then, he passed out in the car on the way home and had a nice nap before we wandered out to a local 'fruit stand' which also turned out to be a mini grocery with an array of house made sausages, home baked pies, and other delicacies. We capped it off by trying Lardo sandwiches for the first time while Q actually played and entertained himself enough to let us both eat at the same time! (As a sidebar, they had on tap one of the best/strangest beers I have had in a very long time (ever?) called Sweet Heat by Burnside brewing; sweet and spicy with a really nice flavor. Thumbs way up.) When we got home, Q ate and then, when Tia stripped him for his bath, he peed all over her pants and the rug. While she went to take off her pants, he then took a shit on the same rug! It was effing hilarious and ridiculous all at once :) Now I am trying to type a blog with cats draped all over me. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I will definitely try to remember today when days don't always go so well.
No new news from work. Trying to figure out the next move while possibly keeping a step ahead of any changes that might be coming down the road. Have my review on Tuesday, should be a nice chance to finally chat for a bit with the new manager. Still working everywhere while they try to figure out what to do with me. I guess for now, until rumors solidify a bit more I will just try not to speculate too much and keep showing up until something actually comes along. More to come as always.
Speaking of Q, he continues to be very very HIGH energy. When the MA at the doc's office (a pediatrician who sees kids all day every day) brings in other MAs to meet him because he hams it up so much at the office, you know he is different (and in a good way). He has such joy for everything. I wish I could be half as excited and happy as he is when he wakes up from a nap, let alone a long night of sleep.
Today we took him to a pool near Multnomah Village that had a water slide (he is unfortunately still too small) and some spraying water jets and a nice shallow end perfectly sized for his stature. It wasnt nearly as warm as the Kennedy School soaking pool, but he still had a blast. Then, he passed out in the car on the way home and had a nice nap before we wandered out to a local 'fruit stand' which also turned out to be a mini grocery with an array of house made sausages, home baked pies, and other delicacies. We capped it off by trying Lardo sandwiches for the first time while Q actually played and entertained himself enough to let us both eat at the same time! (As a sidebar, they had on tap one of the best/strangest beers I have had in a very long time (ever?) called Sweet Heat by Burnside brewing; sweet and spicy with a really nice flavor. Thumbs way up.) When we got home, Q ate and then, when Tia stripped him for his bath, he peed all over her pants and the rug. While she went to take off her pants, he then took a shit on the same rug! It was effing hilarious and ridiculous all at once :) Now I am trying to type a blog with cats draped all over me. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I will definitely try to remember today when days don't always go so well.
No new news from work. Trying to figure out the next move while possibly keeping a step ahead of any changes that might be coming down the road. Have my review on Tuesday, should be a nice chance to finally chat for a bit with the new manager. Still working everywhere while they try to figure out what to do with me. I guess for now, until rumors solidify a bit more I will just try not to speculate too much and keep showing up until something actually comes along. More to come as always.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
2 foot tornado, Euro hotels, and how you know when you are old
We have started calling Q the 'two foot tornado' now as he has a penchant for utter decimation of any area you put him in. Whether throwing around toys, smashing whatever he can on any hard surface, and projectile spit-up, he leaves a swatch of destruction in his wake. It should prove interesting when he can walk.....I might need to start child proofing now.
Q has also recently learned the 'bah, gah, and dah' sounds. He repeats them over and over. It is actually pretty funny because there is never any context for it. He just kind of starts babbling when the mood strikes him, wherever that may be. Also, he is really developing a funny laugh. Still runs at 110 mph when awake and flails his entire body about like he is on methamphetamines. Probably why he crashes out so hard when he naps. Nighttime sleep is still irregular. Mornings still begin anywhere between 5-630 (usually closer to 5). Night sleep is pretty consistently around 6. It is remarkable to see him evolve from this little crying lump over the past half year.
Tia and I (thanks to my mother-in-law) actually managed to have 24 hours baby free. It is funny what things you revel in after their absence. Things like eating a hot dinner at the same time, going places that are decidedly not baby friendly, having dinner at 9pm, and reading the newspaper while having your second cup of coffee. It was a wonderful escape.
We didn't go far, both because Q is still unpredictable and also because we didn't want to spend the bulk of our time driving. We settled on McMinville because it was close, inexpensive, and neither one of us had been there. The town is surrounded by vinyards and has at least one very notable restaurant (amongst a disproportionate number of them vs. the size of the town) and lots and lots of tasting rooms. Well, the truth is that the main drag is, as far as I can tell, pretty much all there is to the town. It comprises about 6 blocks along one main street. It is easily traversed in 10 minutes of leisurely walking. The hotel was one of the McMenamin's properties, The Hotel Oregon. We opted for the Euro room vs. having an en-suite bath as the idea of traveling a few feet down a hall to save $40 appealed to me (had you asked me that at 5am, when I was trying to locate my key card so I could wander down the brightly lit hall and pee, I may have reconsidered). It was all pretty typical, and pretty novel considering.
Our new manager started this week. I don't know when I will actually meet her though. I have been running all over the system of late as it becomes more and more evident they aren't exactly sure what to do with me. I will be out at the Hood tomorrow (in Gresham), and have been to the Tualitan and Vancouver in the last few weeks. I keep hoping that the deal will finally come through for the clinics, just to see if I would finally have an opt out that would allow me to collect unemployment and stay home with Q. I have doubts it will happen anytime soon, if at all. In the meantime, I will just keep showing up where they need me I guess.
Last but not least (and most recent), I realized, definitively, that I am getting old. I was washing the dishes after dinner and I sneezed. But, since my hands were wet, I tried to hold back a bit. This was a bad idea. I felt a tweak down the left side of my body and a tug in my groin. Now I am actually sporting a bit of a limp. This is all utterly ridiculous. If it gets worse tomorrow I am going to tell people it was a from jumping out of a plane, playing some pick up basketball with much younger players, or really anything that has slightly more cache than what actually happened.
I am going to bed to hopefully prevent further injuries. More to come as events warrant.
Q has also recently learned the 'bah, gah, and dah' sounds. He repeats them over and over. It is actually pretty funny because there is never any context for it. He just kind of starts babbling when the mood strikes him, wherever that may be. Also, he is really developing a funny laugh. Still runs at 110 mph when awake and flails his entire body about like he is on methamphetamines. Probably why he crashes out so hard when he naps. Nighttime sleep is still irregular. Mornings still begin anywhere between 5-630 (usually closer to 5). Night sleep is pretty consistently around 6. It is remarkable to see him evolve from this little crying lump over the past half year.
Tia and I (thanks to my mother-in-law) actually managed to have 24 hours baby free. It is funny what things you revel in after their absence. Things like eating a hot dinner at the same time, going places that are decidedly not baby friendly, having dinner at 9pm, and reading the newspaper while having your second cup of coffee. It was a wonderful escape.
We didn't go far, both because Q is still unpredictable and also because we didn't want to spend the bulk of our time driving. We settled on McMinville because it was close, inexpensive, and neither one of us had been there. The town is surrounded by vinyards and has at least one very notable restaurant (amongst a disproportionate number of them vs. the size of the town) and lots and lots of tasting rooms. Well, the truth is that the main drag is, as far as I can tell, pretty much all there is to the town. It comprises about 6 blocks along one main street. It is easily traversed in 10 minutes of leisurely walking. The hotel was one of the McMenamin's properties, The Hotel Oregon. We opted for the Euro room vs. having an en-suite bath as the idea of traveling a few feet down a hall to save $40 appealed to me (had you asked me that at 5am, when I was trying to locate my key card so I could wander down the brightly lit hall and pee, I may have reconsidered). It was all pretty typical, and pretty novel considering.
Our new manager started this week. I don't know when I will actually meet her though. I have been running all over the system of late as it becomes more and more evident they aren't exactly sure what to do with me. I will be out at the Hood tomorrow (in Gresham), and have been to the Tualitan and Vancouver in the last few weeks. I keep hoping that the deal will finally come through for the clinics, just to see if I would finally have an opt out that would allow me to collect unemployment and stay home with Q. I have doubts it will happen anytime soon, if at all. In the meantime, I will just keep showing up where they need me I guess.
Last but not least (and most recent), I realized, definitively, that I am getting old. I was washing the dishes after dinner and I sneezed. But, since my hands were wet, I tried to hold back a bit. This was a bad idea. I felt a tweak down the left side of my body and a tug in my groin. Now I am actually sporting a bit of a limp. This is all utterly ridiculous. If it gets worse tomorrow I am going to tell people it was a from jumping out of a plane, playing some pick up basketball with much younger players, or really anything that has slightly more cache than what actually happened.
I am going to bed to hopefully prevent further injuries. More to come as events warrant.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
It has been awhile........and will probably continue to be
For years, whether anyone cared to read along or not, I managed to post just about weekly....on average anyway. This through preparing for nursing school, nursing school itself, boards, new jobs, at least a half dozen moves, 2 surgeries, and Tia's pregnancy. Then, baby Q. Then, nada. The only reason I am writing this today is that I am home sick with Q in daycare (the last month has seen me with at least 2 colds, one course of ABX, and the norovirus; Tia with at least 2 colds and a course of ABX, though she has probably been sick the most frequently the last few months; T with RSV and at least one general cold).
And it isn't as though I don't have the time. I do. He falls asleep around 6 every night. It is just that, from 6 until bedtime, I have so little ability to focus an energy on a task such as this. Feeding myself, cleaning up from the day, and preparing for the next is just about all I have the energy for. Even reading is sometimes too much, let alone writing.
What I am learning is this is in part due to the fact that Q is very high energy. I didn't know this until other parents of little kids point it out. Perhaps he is just catching up from the months of general discomfort and malaise. He literally does not stop moving when he is awake though. Often to quite comical effect. Once he gets his arms flailing, legs kicking, and starts to unleash his pterodactyl screech of joy, he is truly in his zone. It does probably explain why he needs to nap as often as he does. Honestly, I want to nap just watching him. It can be exhausting just trying to keep him occupied (and woe to the person who does not try......he does not suffer such a lack of effort quietly). However, all things considered, even when he is waking us up at crazy hours and we are collectively worn out, he is just so infectiously happy you can't begrudge him any of it. It is certainly a joy to hear him laugh and watch him play, especially considering how far from that we were not so long ago.
Q is finally on the growth curve now as well. At the 3% side of the ledger, but there nonetheless. He LOVES solid food. It is funny just watching him try new things. He immediately lets us know if he is a fan or not.
My job remains largely the same. I float around a bit more than usual, though I am still primarily at the main hospital. There is still no concrete word on the new company taking over the clinics. Still endless rumor, though all proving false in time. It may yet not happen still. It may be next month. No one in a position to know such things seems to have any idea and, if they do, they are reluctant to share it. In the meantime, we all just keep plugging along and waiting. We do finally have a director and, at the beginning of next week, a manager (nearly 1 year to the day from the last one getting fired). Will be interesting to see if that changes anything.
Tia's job continues to be very busy and, if one of the rather large grants gets funded, will get more so. She is also looking around when the right opportunities present themselves, but it remains unclear if she would actually jump ship. There is a lot of frustration there, but a lot of camaraderie as well and the benefits are pretty amazing. But, she certainly has the capability to do other things and I understand the burn factor.
I have been looking around as well when the right opportunities come along, but have had little success getting so much as an interview. I believe that if I was willing to look at more general positions (med surg) and less desirable shifts (nights) I could find something, but at this point I don't think it would be wise. I generally like being home with Q and, though it is certainly not easy, it is getting incrementally better. I am very much looking forward to the spring/summer (which seems so far away at this point. This is the part of the year we would normally get away somewhere sunny for a week, a proposition not in the cards this year) when there will be much more to do outside and he will be much more capable of enjoying those things.
There is little else to catch up on. Apparently time passes quickly when you are constantly on cold medication. I will try, as always, to be more constant in my posts. I will also likely fail in the regard.
And it isn't as though I don't have the time. I do. He falls asleep around 6 every night. It is just that, from 6 until bedtime, I have so little ability to focus an energy on a task such as this. Feeding myself, cleaning up from the day, and preparing for the next is just about all I have the energy for. Even reading is sometimes too much, let alone writing.
What I am learning is this is in part due to the fact that Q is very high energy. I didn't know this until other parents of little kids point it out. Perhaps he is just catching up from the months of general discomfort and malaise. He literally does not stop moving when he is awake though. Often to quite comical effect. Once he gets his arms flailing, legs kicking, and starts to unleash his pterodactyl screech of joy, he is truly in his zone. It does probably explain why he needs to nap as often as he does. Honestly, I want to nap just watching him. It can be exhausting just trying to keep him occupied (and woe to the person who does not try......he does not suffer such a lack of effort quietly). However, all things considered, even when he is waking us up at crazy hours and we are collectively worn out, he is just so infectiously happy you can't begrudge him any of it. It is certainly a joy to hear him laugh and watch him play, especially considering how far from that we were not so long ago.
Q is finally on the growth curve now as well. At the 3% side of the ledger, but there nonetheless. He LOVES solid food. It is funny just watching him try new things. He immediately lets us know if he is a fan or not.
My job remains largely the same. I float around a bit more than usual, though I am still primarily at the main hospital. There is still no concrete word on the new company taking over the clinics. Still endless rumor, though all proving false in time. It may yet not happen still. It may be next month. No one in a position to know such things seems to have any idea and, if they do, they are reluctant to share it. In the meantime, we all just keep plugging along and waiting. We do finally have a director and, at the beginning of next week, a manager (nearly 1 year to the day from the last one getting fired). Will be interesting to see if that changes anything.
Tia's job continues to be very busy and, if one of the rather large grants gets funded, will get more so. She is also looking around when the right opportunities present themselves, but it remains unclear if she would actually jump ship. There is a lot of frustration there, but a lot of camaraderie as well and the benefits are pretty amazing. But, she certainly has the capability to do other things and I understand the burn factor.
I have been looking around as well when the right opportunities come along, but have had little success getting so much as an interview. I believe that if I was willing to look at more general positions (med surg) and less desirable shifts (nights) I could find something, but at this point I don't think it would be wise. I generally like being home with Q and, though it is certainly not easy, it is getting incrementally better. I am very much looking forward to the spring/summer (which seems so far away at this point. This is the part of the year we would normally get away somewhere sunny for a week, a proposition not in the cards this year) when there will be much more to do outside and he will be much more capable of enjoying those things.
There is little else to catch up on. Apparently time passes quickly when you are constantly on cold medication. I will try, as always, to be more constant in my posts. I will also likely fail in the regard.
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