Blogging the Menu: Day 91

I worked a turnaround today, which means a rushed morning.  I used to work these turnarounds a few times a month, but I'm a little out of practice.  I took a shitload of drugs before heading out and I was able to keep the symptoms pretty much at bay until, well, right now.  I'm starting to sundown, but I still have to wash the kids tonight.  Time to swallow another handful of Sudafed and Benadryl.

This year has been craptastic for me from an illness standpoint.  I really don't get sick very often, but between the stupid sinus infection I had for 3 weeks and two shitty colds, I'm done with this winter.  Living with 3 kids 6 and under is like living with 3 noisy Petri dishes.  If there's a virus lurking in a 50 mile radius it's going to tear through this house like wildfire.  If it would just warm up enough to open the windows I might have a chance, but based on the forecast that'll be a while.

On to the Menu!
I forgot to photograph my cafeteria breakfast.  It was eggs, bacon, and fruit.  The usual.  Today I shadowed a tech for the morning and got a refresher on the automatic dispensing cabinets and the new carousel.  Carousel sounds fun, but it's really just a big boring machine full of unit dose drugs.  Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad, but I will admit to staring stupidly at the screen wondering what the fuck the damn thing wanted me to do.

Back to the cafeteria for lunch (I suck at mornings when I have to be somewhere early, and making a lunch is the furthest thing from my mind after a PM turnaround) which was a dullsville chicken salad and fruit.

So boring.  They ran out of bacon.  Whores.

I had to get a gallon of milk from the little convenience store, and while I was down there I got a couple of hard boiled eggs for an afternoon snack.  They didn't peel worth a damn and I was pretty pissed about it.  At least it proves that it's not my cooking method that sucks, but it certainly doesn't rule out shitty peeling skills.

Dirty little bitches, both of them.

I picked up the kids.  Initially I drove right past the daycare  lalalalalalalaaaaaaaa....and then as I was turning onto my street I was all "Shit!  The kids!" so I had to turn around and go back for them.  Luckily for me we live about 8 inches from the daycare so it wasn't out of the way.  On the flip side, I had literally driven right past the daycare and the sight of it failed to trigger the "Stop here and pick up your kids" reflex it should have.  I? Am a great parent.

It's leftover night since the fridge is filling up, so the kids had leftover mac and cheese and I had the meatloaf I wasn't home to eat last night.  Meatloaf and sweet potato, to be complete.

That's ghee, not butter.

I wish I could say it tasted good, but I'm so congested that my nasal passages and taste buds are completely dead.  It was filling.

I have resorted to the use of Oxymetazoline nasal spray again.  Nasal sprays make me feel like a fucking coke addict.  I hate snorting that shit up into my head, and it really works, but it hurts like a motherfucker.  So my choices are suffocate without pain or breathe with a deeply disturbing burning sensation in what amounts to the center of my head.  I know, I know.  I shouldn't say sexy shit like that on a blog.  I'll end up with a stalker who likes old women with nasal spray issues and shitty parenting skills.  It's a very specific fetish.  I bet if you Googled it you'd find "old nasal spray addicted shitty mom" porn.  Because people are sick fucks.

Off to the doctor with the boys tomorrow for a well child.  Next Tuesday I go have my eyes checked for reading glasses (I realize I get sexier by the paragraph).  

Now I want to Google random phrases to see if I can find weird porn.  Instead I'm going to clean the spawn.  Because I am a great parent. And because I fairly certain the pediatrician would appreciate slightly less stinky little boys.

I can go to sleep in an hour.  

Blogging the Menu: Day 90

Woo!  90 days!  I'm working a turnaround, so I'm going to make this quick.

On to the menu!
Breakfast was the same as yesterday.

Yummy

Lunch was...a sausage.  Because I'm lazy.

Saaaauuuuuusssaagggeee

I had leftover Vietnamese lettuce cups.  So tasty, but I did miss the pickled carrot, no matter what my husband says.

Amanda reminded me to take the picture.

Watermelon for dessert.  Tastes like summer.

I was pretty full the rest of the evening, but I ate this around 8pm.

When I got home I had some dates.  Why?  Because I really wanted cookies and this seemed less evil.

Sweet like candy, soothes my soul.

When I left the hospital last time I left behind my Magic 8 Ball.  I used to keep it by the phone, so when I would get frustrating calls I could consult it for the answer to the problem.  It was sometimes very, very funny.  I thought it was lost in the move, but one of the techs kept it.  It was in my brand new locker when I got to work yesterday, and I thought that was pretty fucking cool.

Was coming back the right choice?

It is decidedly so.

And now that I've pumped myself full of drugs, I'm going to finish watching the Daily Show and go to sleep.  Tomorrow is Technology Day.  What fun.

Blogging the Menu: Day 89

I'm a day behind.  I worked until 10:30pm last night and didn't feel like blogging when I got home.  I'm a bit under the weather and figured going to sleep was a better idea, so that's what I did.  I feel better than yesterday, but still a bit gurgly when I breathe.  I'm trying not to cough, because it hurts like a bitch.  I need to shake this a least a little, because there's still one Open workout left and I'd prefer not to spend it wheezing.

Yesterday was my first day back at my old job.  I've got a lot of computering to learn, but the basics are still the same.  I missed it.  My schedule is going to be a little odd for a couple of weeks, but I'm actually going to get days off during the week which is something I can barely wrap my brain around.

I'm going to try to make an appointment for the eye doctor on Friday, because frankly?  I'm getting old and my eyes are tired at the end of the day.  I'm a little excited at the prospect of glasses I don't have to wear all the time.  I had my eyes lasered so I wouldn't have to wear glasses for running or working out and I could just wear cheap sunglasses in the summer.  I do miss having glasses as an accessory, and I'm tired of squinting at the computer screen.  Since my job involves a lot of screen time I'm accelerating the crow's feet, and that can stop.

On to the Menu!
Breakfast was pretty basic.  Starting April 1st I'm going to give Zone a serious go.  I've been playing with it for the last couple of weeks, but I'm going to really hit it for a solid month and see if I can dump the last 10lbs of fat I'm still toting around.  After that first 30 days I should be in a place where I can balance my meals and keep myself from shit eating on the third shift as I make that transition.

Pretty Zoney.

I, um...didn't eat lunch.  I got busy and forgot.  I had best intentions of eating a RxBar, but I didn't, so sue me.

Dinner was in the cafeteria and there wasn't anything non-gravy covered so I got a salad.  Grilled chicken with many veggies and a little wing sauce for dressing (Frank's Red Hot, which is paleo).  I also got a couple of hard boiled eggs and an orange to round things out.  It filled me up.

Serviceable. 

I ate a RxBar later in the night, not because I was exactly hungry, but I figured I could use the calories.

Still my favorite flavor

Today I go back for a little more second shift fun, then Wednesday I'm going to be a tech for the day and learn about the new technology in the pharmacy.  I'm looking forward to it.  I've always been the type of person who likes to know how things run from every angle.  My goal is to be proficient in the function of the med carousels, the vault, and the Pyxis.

I'm hoping to be back at the box on Thursday for mobility and Friday for the Open WOD.  I also need to get out for a run this week.  Friday is looking good for that, provided my lungs are cooperating by then.  

And now I'm going to go back to drinking tea and trying not to cough.  

Blogging the Menu: Day 88

This morning I woke up to a 4 year old barfing in his bed.  That is not a good thing.  No idea what set him off, but he's been fine all day since a few dry heaves before breakfast.  Color me relieved, because if there's one thing I hate it's barf.  It's smelly, slimy, and with this particular boy?  Everywhere.  He's a crap barfer.  Never hits the bucket, or thinks he's done when I know he has 3 heaves left, tries to put down the bucket and then spews all over the place.

I hope you weren't eating.  My bad.

Today was a rest day, unintentionally.  I was going to run the Two Rivers 10-mile but couldn't get a sitter.  After the barf incident I wouldn't have gone anyway,  which is okay because after the last few days my ass is pretty sore.  I did some mom stuff.  Laundry, cooking, baking, knitting. I'm so fucking domestic.  I did not, however, clean anything.  It's okay, I can't keep it too clean around here or my husband gets suspicious.  Later I have to wash the children.  I'm not looking forward to it.

On to the menu!
Breakfast was banana pancakes again.  Mostly because I had one banana on the edge of overripe and the griddle was out.  I made chocolate chip pancakes for the kids by special request, so I figured might as well get double duty.

With blackberries today.

Lunch was leftover pizza.  Next time I make this I'll try freezing it.  I'm not sure how that will go, but the recipe is too big if it's just me eating it.  I end up eating it for days.

It's good, but it's a lot.

I spent the afternoon visiting with my sister and then cooking.  The cookie dough was tempting today, so I ate these to keep from eating those.

These.  Yes I ate them all.

Those.

Dinner was the last of my scallops.

Time to hit Costco.

I've been craving sweets the last few days, and I don't really know why.  Could be stress, that's a big trigger for me.  I turned the pager off for the last time this morning at 8am.  That was a big relief, especially since the husband is working and I was staring down the barrel of a day with a barfing kid.  That didn't materialize, but it was nice to have a day off between jobs.  Not that I got anything really accomplished, but at least my work clothes are clean.

We watched Frozen last night.  I don't get it.  I mean, it's less sharp-stick-to-the-eye inducing than some other Disney movies, but I don't get all the hoopla surrounding it or why "Let It Go" is on the radio.  The lesson is still "If you're different you'll fuck up everyone's life and also you should probably find a dude, little lady.  And try to be thin and hot with really good hair, m'kay?"  Meh.

I'm planning to finish the night with this bad boy.  

Minty goodness.  With veggies.

My throat is sore as shit and I'm coughing, which really sucks.  I blame a week's worth of stressing out.  I never get sick during times of high stress, but I do right after they end.  Time for some tea.  If I can swing it I'm going to re-do 14.4 tomorrow at 9:15 and see if I can get a couple of motherfucking toes to bar.  Then it's off to the hospital for training on the second shift.

The next chapter of my life is about to start.

Blogging the Menu: Day 87

The smalls are back.  It's loud in here.

Got to sleep past 7am today, which was pretty rad.  Then we got up and had a little breakfast before trucking over to the box for the Saturday Free WOD.  My husband has only been able to come with me once before, and we had to take the kids.  It didn't go well.  So we took the opportunity to go today, kid free, and we had a ton of fun.  It was a team WOD, and there was much laughing and some dancing.  Good stuff.

Tomorrow is the boys' 4th birthday, but since my husband had to work we gave them their presents tonight.  There are a million ninja turtles laying around, and P is wearing the new costume ninja turtle shell.  They are actually playing nicely with their joint toy...the Shellraiser.  Jesus.

On to the menu!
We ate before going to CFGB, because you never know what the free WOD is going to be and crapping out because your sugars are low is not fun.  Ask me how I know.  So I had first breakfast.

I didn't eat the pager.

This was plenty for the workout.  We laughed our way through burpees, lunges, squats, push-ups, running (repeat) for about 30 minutes.  Then we headed home to shower up.  I had second breakfast, because I'm a fucking hobbit.

Eating paleo is soooo booooooring.

I have to say, fresh strawberries are a dynamite addition to banana pancakes.  This was really, really good.  Also filling.  Since it was going on lunch time when I ate this, I ended up skipping lunch.  

I went to Target to round out the stuff for the boys' birthday present, and I got a call while I was there which meant I had to head to the office.  I was going there anyway, but it horsed up my plans a bit.  Still, I got to help someone out and get some housekeeping stuff done.  I hate leaving things unfinished, so I'll probably run in tomorrow and make sure all our ducks are in a row before my final exit.  I start back at the hospital on Monday at noon.  No down time for me...I swear I haven't been unemployed longer than 5 minutes in the last 22 years.

I made it home and wrapped presents just in time to sit for 10 seconds before the kids arrived.  Dinner was cleaning up some leftovers and a quick sausage.  Heh.  Sausage.  I had to go get my own because someone keeps forgetting to bring the hot sticks he promised to the box.  

That's ghee, not butter.

I finished off the last of the "vanilla" cauli mash.  I'm gonna be gassy tonight.  Good thing I'm home with just the kids tomorrow.  They'll just think one of the other kids farted.  I also don't have to do any squatting that isn't laundry basket related. It's a rest day up in here.

I'm considering buying some yoga classes.  I really felt like it helped with my mobility these last couple of weeks.  I can also never get too much balance work, and maybe a little more yoga will help me even up my legs.  I still feel like a bull in a china shop, and I could feel the yoga girls staring at my tattoo...probably didn't help that I was wearing a "Sun's Out, Guns Out" tank top, but fuck it.  To quote a friend "I do what I want."

Oh, and this came.

You have no idea how happy this shirt makes me.

On the docket for the rest of the night is watching Frozen and eating popcorn for the kids.  I may go for a shamrock shake, because why not?

My little babies are 4.  When the fuck did that happen?

Blogging the Menu: Day 86

Another active Friday!  Went to the box this morning and did a pretty extensive warm-up, then rowed 60 calories and got thisclose to toes to bar.  Never quite made it, though.  Did plenty of cursing.  I may give it another go on Monday-we'll see how my hands feel.

Work today was super weird.  It was my last day in the office and things were rolling along pretty smoothly, then we went to get some chow and when we came back?  The whole world was burning down.  Holy cats it was busy this afternoon!  We pulled it off in style, though, to many accolades from the transitional care coordinators and nurses.  It feels good to know you got your shit together right.  Everyone benefits.

This morning was pretty nice, weather-wise, so we went for a quick walk to break up the day.  It was nice to get some air, and I'm always up for a little movement.  After work I met my husband for hot yoga (hip hop music included!) and had an hour long session of deep stretching followed by drinks at S.A.L.T

I had a seltzer with lime.  Because that's how I roll.

On to the menu!

I had a banana on the way to the gym.

Breakfast was at the cafeteria because I barely had enough time to shower up and make it out the door. The WOD ran long and I didn't get home until 6:50.  I will say one thing for the hospital cafeteria, they make it easy to put together a Paleo breakfast.

Took me almost 2 hours to eat it....

Lunch was on the technicians for my last day, which was really nice of them and completely unnecessary.  

Fajitas with guac, no sides.

The afternoon flew by with my phone going bonkers and 157 instant messages popping up in the middle of my work.  That really fucks up my zone, but I'd rather IM than voicemail.  I hate voicemail.  I never had the chance to eat a snack, which was ultimately fine as I snarfed a RxBar on the way to yoga.  After yoga we joined some other couples for a drink, but we had to bail so I could do some work stuff, plus we needed dinner and shit is expensive at S.A.L.T.  

I need to find out if that's a real acronym or just some pretentious bullshit.  My money is on pretentious bullshit.

At home my leftover "pizza" was calling to me.  This reheated beautifully in the toaster oven and was actually more pizza-like today than when it was fresh.  Has to be reheated, though.  It would be fucking awful cold.  This one was pepperoni and green olive.

I heart this.

On the whole, today was good.  I'm going to head in tomorrow to finish up some documentation and make sure I have all my stuff before clearing out.  My husband is going to the in-laws to retrieve the spawn, so our nice quiet week is coming to a close.  It was nice.  I'm not sure I missed the children.  There wasn't time to miss them, really.  Too much other shit going on.  Tomorrow I need to get some home made mac and cheese together for the smalls and wrap the boys' gifts for their birthday.  I might have to come up with a birthday treat, too.  There will likely be chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday.

My little babies are 4.  Wow.

14 years left.  Not that I'm counting.

Blogging the Menu: Day 85

Today was a weird one.  I got up and went to the gym (instead of mysteriously becoming unconscious again) for some mobility.  It was painful.  Again.  But I felt better after, which is the point.  I made it home to cook breakfast and get my stuff together before work.

Most of today went fine, except for the couple of inevitable fires.  The inferno I was expecting seems to have petered out a bit, which is fine.  Still some stuff hanging onto the last-minute tree, but it's mostly low hanging fruit.  I had my eval today, which is always weird for me.  I feel like I do a good job, and I know I'm a competent clinician, but it's strange to sit in a room with your boss and have him tell you what he thinks of you.  Today I was told that I am a "gifted clinician".  That's a pretty cool feeling, especially since I'm on the way out the door and it would have been easy for him to torpedo me.  So, yay and stuff.

I made sure to let the boss man know that if I was "gifted" at my job it was at least in part due to the amazing support staff in the office.  It's easy to make things appear as if by magic when you work with the Compounding Whisperers.

On to the Menu!
I made breakfast!  Lazy whores of the world rejoice!  Banana pancakes and bacon with a teeny bit of maple.  Once you get the hang of this one it comes together really quickly.  You can have from scratch pancakes in less than 5 minutes.  Winning.

Belly full.

Lunch at the cafeteria today was my favorite.  MEAT SALAD!!  Well, technically it's called "Black and Blue Salad" and comes with blue cheese crumbles and crispy fried onions.  I don't get that stuff, but I do get double meat.  One of my favorite things in the world is to stand behind a whip thin dietician in the lunch line and right after she orders a "half salad", say "I'll have the full salad, please, and DOUBLE MEAT!" because the lunch line people seriously look at me like I've grown a second head.  I'm a big woman.  I eat big.  And I love meat (that's what she said).

The white stuff is horseradish sauce.

I had a couple of clementines in the afternoon.

He's just a wittle guy.

I got a call from our puppy breeder today.  She'd like to match us up with a female puppy instead of the male we were originally slated for.  She said that based on our family and our needs that the little girl would be a better fit-more of a people pleaser, more affectionate, and more easily trainable.  These are all good things.  I told her we had no objection to the switch, so on 4/5 at noon we'll pick up our new family member. We just have to decide on a name.  Lucinda (Jack Daniel's mother) or Finetta (his favorite sister).  Decisions, decisions.  

I got home this evening and figured I'd eat leftover paleo pizza for dinner, but I ended up making faux Shamrock Shakes instead.  I was mostly just fooling around, but after drinking one I was so full I couldn't eat anything.  The original recipe wasn't quite green enough.  If I'm eating mint, I want that shit to be greeeeeeen.  Technicolor green.  So I stuffed a big handful of spinach in the blender and voila!  Shamrock Shake.

Maybe next time more spinach for more green.

This was sooooooo gooooooood.  Minty sweet and creamy.  Perfect.

I went to the gym for the reveal of the next Open workout.  It's a beast.  I'll go tomorrow and do my best, because what else can you do?  Tonight I'll hit the sack early and get some good sleep.  I'm also hoping to hit hip hop yoga tomorrow night if all goes well at the office.  One more day in the office, two more days on call (three if you count today), then it's back to the hospital on Monday.  

Overall, life is pretty damn good.