Rubber Sidewalks... Who'da thunk it ?!?

Scanning the news today, I came across this article. The company that manufactures the product, RubberSidewalks they actually use recycled tires, (the US produces 290 million used tires a year! thats 72.5 million sets of tires each and every year!) make sure to visit their website, as they also sell residential patio pavers and bricks as well.

Creator of the Philly Cheese Steak Dies

Creator of the Philly Cheesesteak Dies
- - - - - - - - - - - -
July 21,2006 PHILADELPHIA --
Harry Olivieri, who with his brother Pat was credited with inventing the Philly cheesesteak in 1933, had died. He was 90.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Philly Cheese Steak is one of my most favorite comfort foods... In fact, Dave made them for dinner tonight. Vidalia Onions are in season, so Dave sauteed one to add to the sandwiches. He seasoned the meat with onion powder, pepper, salt, garlic powder, soy sauce, and a little Tuong Ot Sriaracha hot sauce. The sandwiches were topped off with melted provolone cheese, and dressed with light mayo and sliced vine ripened tomatoes. Yum! So thank you Mr Olivieri for coming up with one of my all time, favorite sandwiches, the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. 

See previous post about testing the depth of the water ;D

Yes... as a matter of fact, I am in a silly mood today! Make sure to visit the website engrish.com for a few more laughs, especially the t-shirt section. 

A little light humor to make you chuckle :D

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.



Never test the depth of the water with both feet.


If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.That way, when you criticize them you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaking tire.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Some days you are the bug; some days you are the windshield.

Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

THE MOST WASTED DAY OF ALL IS ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE NOT LAUGHED! 

Progressive Care Unit (PCU) and Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006

Yesterday, I spent four hours during my clinical rotation in the PCU. The PCU is one of my first loves, I hope to have my ear to the ground, learning new and inovative procedures for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. I'm sincerely hoping that when I graduate in August, I'll be hired on in either the PCU, or the ER. Yesterday, I was fortunate to work with an incredible CNA, and great nurses! The floor was short handed, with only two CNA's and one of them working as a sitter with a disoriented patient, so I got the opprotunity to actually work on the floor giving basic patient care, answering call lights, giving bed baths, assessing wounds and interacting with the friendly, and knowlegeable nursing staff at Carteret General Hospitaland was actually called to D/C a Foley Catheter. Not that the procedure is difficult, but I was trully grateful for the practice and experience. I know that the patient was thrilled to get rid of the catherter, it was the final step before he was discharged, and on his way home! I still love being a part of the medical profession! I don't see that changing anytime in the near future.

On to local happenings and events, Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006 is underway, and I'm excited to visit Beaufort, NC to see all the tall ships in person. I hope to snap a few pictures, and spend a few hours with Dave relaxing! :) 

Passed My Final Exam---- 96%

I took my final exam for the CNA II class on Tuesday, June13th and passed it with a 96! Now all that is left is six weeks of clinical time, to utilize all of the skills I've been taught.
Hopefully it is off to nursing school in the fall of this year!
Today, after a few of my other class mates took their finals, I worked with my instructor, Mrs. Bell applying sterile dressings, trach care, ostomy care, and inserting and d/c ing a urinary catheter. I'm so happy that I pushed myself to get certified, I just don't know why I've waited so long to do it. Oh well, I have roughly 30 years to give the health care industry, I guess it' s
better late than never!

 

Yay! I Passed My Second Test For The CNA 2 Class. ---> 98%! Score!!!!!

Today, Mrs. Bell, my class instructor, gave us the review for the second test. She gave us the option of having the weekend to study, and testing on Monday, or to take the test immediately following the review. I chose to take the test. The material was still fresh in my mind, so why give myself four days to forget it?! I'm so happy, the first class test I only scored a 86%. I still have a 92% average. The certification is only pass or fail (score for each test can not be below a 75%) but my goal is always to maintain an A average. Now I can enjoy my long weekend, without stressing myself out. I've still got one more test, the "State Final Exam". We're scheduled to take that Thursday, June 15th. I'm hoping to score 100%!

Mrs. Marion Bell, if you ever read this, thank you so much for the knowledge and patient care skills you have so generously given me and my classmates. I feel that I will be a much better nurse because of it. You are definitely a great role model, and the nursing profession has been influenced, in a positive way by the example you set. I also thank you for your confidence in me and encouragement to continue my education. I'm going to make it, and you have a lot to do with my modified timeline. :) 

Currently Researching: The Effects of Medicinal Marijuana....

  

Update: My Voter Registration Concers Have Been Adressed! Thank You Ms. Lindy R. Lewis, Director (Cartertet County Board Of Elections)

I was shocked when I checked my email, and had a response to an email to the BOE in only two hours! Ms. Lindy R. Lewis, The Director of the County Board of Elections responded personally, and my name should be straightened out shortly. I will post the events as they happen!!! Kudos to democracy!

Which Political Party Are They Affiliated With (North Carolina) !?!

If you live in North Carolina, or were wondering about political affiliation of your: self, friend, boss, neighbor, teacher, student, religious leader etc. you can find out here. Make sure and change the boxes to the right of the first/last name to either search for exact or partial name. for instance, if you're not sure if the person might be registered as Jim or James Doe, search for J Doe and change the first name box to >begins with. Make sure to narrow your search by county if you know which to choose.

This site has been a great tool for me also to verify that my own info is displayed correctly, which it is not, and I'm not too happy about that right now. I did my legal name change in December of 2005, renewed my driver's license, and was asked by the DMV officer if I wanted to keep my political affiliation the same, I responded yes, so that should have been it, right? Wrong! I went to vote in the primaries
5/02/2006 and of course they had to find me by my maiden name! While I was there, I filled out a new voter registation card with my married, and legal name. Here it is a month later and they STILL have my registration as Tiffiney Paar! I wrote them at their website email address today, to try one more time before getting angry, and I hope to have this matter resolved shortly.

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I just took this survey, I think it's fairly accurate, give it a shot, and see what you think :)

Your Linguistic Profile::

60% General American English

15% Dixie

15% Yankee

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Beutiful Day On The Beach In Emerald Isle, NC

Wow! I just spent an incredible two hours at the beach. Beutiful azure water, not too rough, and not too cold! Dave and I turned the A/C on for the first time this season, and wouldn't you know, it didn't work! Since it was a bit hot and muggy (83 degrees F and 60+ % Humidity)I decided to finish up my homework at the beach. Normally, I don't swim in the ocean until late June, early July, I was surprised to find the water temperatue so increadibly warm, I had to swim! I'm looking forward to a long summer, swimming and playing at the beach full time! :)

Ten Most Common Concerns About Cannabis

I've been doing a little research for a friend who may or may not be pregnant, and is a recreational marijuana smoker, and I came acrossMedical Cannibis. The article that really interested me was this study done by Melanie C. Dreher, PhD. According to Dr. Dreher, research showed that children born to mothers who smoked, classified as light users 1 to 10 spliffs a week experienced no differences at all.

[Quote]
"No Differences at All."

When they controlled for the household ratings, Dreher recounted April 8 at the Patients Out of Time Conference in Santa Barbara, her team "found absolutely no differences" between the children whose mothers were non-users and the children from the three groups of users. "No differences at all."
[/Quote]

Okay, the one thing I would like to clarified is, as an American citizen, born in 1970,I know for a fact that you have to be very careful in choosing a supplier of marijuana. There are individuals out there that use insecticides, and other additives to the herb to intensify the effects of the high, but may also prove to be toxic! All I'm saying is , be aware that there may be other chemicals present in that bag you picked up so cheap! You will find more often than not, if it seems like the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. The demand for marijuana is at least as high as the supply rate, so, I would be mighty suspicious of that "great deal".

Okay, as always, I welcome comments in agreement, or debate....

What ever happend to our constitutional right to free speech!!!

This afternoon as I was reading all of my front page news articles, I came upon this story. You know, this is going to be a sticky situation since the school has left such a vague description. I'm sure it will be abused even further, because they are the ones to decide what "inapropriate" is.


"All students who participate in extra curricular activities, about 80 percent of the district's 3,200 students, will now be required to sign a pledge agreeing that evidence of illegal or inappropriate behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action."


Come on parents, wake up, and take charge! Get involved in your childrens lives, and take interest in their school policy... You owe it to our founding fathers, and all of those that have shed blood, sweat and tears to secure our civil liberties! I am alarmed that more people aren't taking notice to the way our country seems to be moving more and more towards a dictatorship. Apparently, the education institutions have already been brainwashed, or infiltrated.
It really sickens me, I encourage each and every one of you who have school age children, to get a copy of the student handbook, and make sure you know what the student codes of conduct contain. It's your right and duty to have a say in the matter.....

I passed my finals!!! Yay!

I went to class today and took my state board test for the CNA 1 test, and aced it with a 91%. Not only that, we had to demonstrate 5 patient skills.

I got these five:

1. Giving a partial bed bath.
2. Putting on/ Taking off TED hose.
3. Moving a patient up in bed.
4. Applying a nonsterile dressing.
5. Emptying a urinary drainage bag.

Okay, so it's not rocket science, but the one skill with the least amount of steps was #4 (nonsterile dressing) with 19 steps from start to finish. I was really nervous, because to miss a step, would have meant that I would have had to try again without studying my notes, and I can't tell you how many brain farts I had, where I just blanked out. I actually had to close my eyes and mentally walk myself through each step a few times. I was really worried about taking the skills test section, and it didn't help that I picked up a few extra 12 hour shifts last week, which really cut into study time. I actually had nightmares last night... I kept dreaming that I totally blanked out and forgot everything, and was unable to graduate with my class ( scheduled for 04-13-06).... Needless to say, I passed! I think I may turn in early tonight, and get a good night sleep! :)

Pamlico Joe featured at the Emerlad Isle, NC St. Patrick's Day Festival

Left to right Pamlico Kid, Pamlico Joe Cleanwater Flow



I meant to blog about this March 18th, but time slipped away from me....
My favorite part of the Emerald Isle St. Patrick's Day Festival is always the local artists, especially my all time local favorite Pamlico Joe. Please visit Pamlio Joe's website HERE. They are avaliable for school assemblies, teaching children about keeping the environment clean and reusable though an interactive assembly involving song and musical performance. I sincerely hope you are able to catch them in a live performance at some point, but their folky, environmental music is available for purchase HERE. If you happen to be close to any of THESE LOCATIONS this summer, please stop by and listen for yourself :)

Ode to the Power of Cow Dung

I was reading Happy News this morning, and came across this article. Wow! Read the complete article, they even extract vanillan from this wondrous poo to add fragrance to our shampoo and such! I read snippets of the article to My Love Dave, and I was all like "eewwww! I don't know that I want to smear vanilla scented shampoo through my hair, knowing that it came from cow dung!". Dave pointed out that I probably already do.... Sad but true...... who knows where those pleasing aromatic scents that we love so much REALLY come from...... In any case, it's nice to know that there is yet another source for auto fuel.
I almost wish I lived in a more rural area, and could ride a horse! More fun, less maintenance. How much healthier we would all be with the increased exercise and fresh air! The pollution levels would plummet, asthmatic children could play outside without going into smog induced respiratory arrest! Think about the reprieve from noise pollution!
Sure we would have to get up earlier to get to work, but without that extra $20,000 expense every few years for a new automobile, plus the thousands of dollars for insurance and maintenance! Geez people could spend more quality time with their familes, they would need to make less money to keep up with the Jones's!
How exciting, I think I almost have myself convinced!
Oh well, what a nice dream. Have a beautiful weekend all!

My first day as a student at Carteret General Hospital

Yesterday was the first official day as a CNA 1 student at the hospital. Keiko and I were paired up to shadow the CNA on duty on the 2nd floor. Keiko and I were happy to get a little experience taking vital signs, making beds (changing linens, and interacting with the patients seemed to make them and us feel better. The pace was a little slower than I expected. The staff were friendly and helpful, but I still noticed a few things that weren't done according to procedure. I don't really want to go into it here, because I don't know who might read this post. I will say that the individuals in question have probably transported a few unfriendly germs home to their families by letting basic infection control fall by the wayside. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, and I think I will probably seek employment at this hospital once I am certified.
The only down side I see is the 12 hour shifts. They are great for the alternating long weekends, but are going to be very difficult when I start my CNA 2 class. The shifts run from 7 to 7 (am/pm) 2 days on, 3 off, 3 on, 2 off. When classes begin for CNA 2, they are 8 hour classes, one day a week for appx. 4 months. I just can't see how I'll manage to work a 12 hour shift, and then sit in a class for 8 hours, knowing that I have 4 hours to sleep before repeating my 12 hour shift the following day. Fortunately, The hospital is directly across the street from the college building that I will attend classes in. Who knows, I may be able to get PRN work for a few months, and work 8 hour shifts until I achieve my CNA 2. I'm just so anxious to get started! I can't even apply for the job until I take my final exam in April!

Still Enjoying CNA Class

Okay, so much has happened since January when my classes began. I've learned theory of being a Nurse Assistant, as well as the skills of the trade. Some skills are less pleasant than others, but all are necessary for patients to get well. Tomorrow I start my clinical aspect of the certification. Three weeks at Carteret General Hospital, then, three weeks at Britthaven Nursing Home in Newport, NC.

I took a few group pictures of my classmates, and one with me, and my friend Keiko. I will post them shortly!

Well, I'm going to try and blog every day for the next few weeks, to record what is happening throughout the clinical learning experience.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe how quickly time has sped by since Christmas. Seems like 2 weeks ago! I'm still enjoying going back to school, and I'm learning a lot. I'll be finished with the CNA 1 class April 12th, and will have a graduating ceremony on the 13th. I think it will be only a matter of one to two weeks between classes, and then I'll start working on the CNA 2 certification. I haven't had a class that I didn't learn something, and that really makes me happy. I have a wonderful instructor, and am fortunate to be in a class with women who are very outgoing/outspoken, and they ask some really great questions, so we get more info than just the textbook offers. Of course, my very favorite class mate sits directly to my left. She is Japanese and has been in the US for 10 years. She has had to learn to speak English as an adult. She studies very hard using an English to Japanese translator for a lot of words, but on tests and exams always scores at least 4 points higher than me on tests! I'm not complaining, my average test score is 95.5 so that's great, but I wish I had the drive to get stellar grades like my Asian friends.

My best friend since the fourth grade, Ly always got better grades too! She studied harder I guess, and she is super smart too! Ly is now a Nurse, and has been one of the driving forces for me to apply myself, and decide to It seems that I'm finally trying to get the very best grades possible. It finally matters to me that I need a great test scores, for a great recommendation to get into Nursing school.

Where does the time go... Time for sleep!