What I Did (And Didn't Do) On My Vacation
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: 'Couldn't Love You More' by Sade
Hey ya'll!

Sorry if this entry sounds...weird. I took my migraine medicine a little while ago, and it leaves me feeling kind of...euphoric.

From April 13 to April 22, I was on vacation in Europe. This was my first time out of the country (I live in the US), so I was very excited and eager.

I went on a package trip that consisted of touring five countries in ten days. For anyone that has never done a trip like that before, let me tell you. It was *grueling.* The constant packing and traveling by bus, train, or boat was exhausting. I was lucky the group I was with were so good. It could've been hell.

Anyway, the trip was with a touring company called Globus, and this package was called the European Sampler. The tour began in London (in England), then went to Amsterdam (in Holland), Cologne and the Black Forest (in Germany), Lucern (Switzerland) and Paris (France).

London, when I first arrived, was a shocker. The driving is so different from America, the money system...I was shell-shocked. Because of that, I didn't really enjoy London as much as, thinking back now, I could have. I had been traveling for 10 hours straight, and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. (Which I did time I got to the hotel). Plus it was rainy, wet and cold. Coming from a place that was always hot and dry, even in winter, I wasn't a very happy camper. But once the skies cleared that afternoon, I spent my days in London getting lost, sightseeing, going to the pub (Queen Head's Pub two blocks from Hammersmith street) and loving the trees. (The trees there are BEAUTIFUL!)

Next was Amsterdam. Talk about different! Anybody who hears the word 'Amsterdam' automatically thinks 'Red Light District,' and that was *exactly* where I went. The hookers were hot, but the guys were a disappointment. But the coffee shops were great. Man, I got so high, I kept losing my money in my *wallet*. (I'm not kidding).

Germany, I didn't get to do much in. I didn't understand any German, and they didn't know much English, so I stayed in my hotel room much of the time. (Much of that was to recover from Amsterdam!) But the Black Forest was great. It really *does* look black!

Lucern is...phenominally beautiful. The Alps in the horizon, the lake...it was the perfect picture of serenity. It also damn near bored me to tears. The people there were so quiet and humbled...none of the ruckusness of Americans. Coming from the brashness of London, and the wildness of Amsterdam, I was kind of at a lost. Thankfully, we were in downtown Lucern, where ALL of the stores were. I shopped like there was no tomorrow.

Paris, I'm afraid, was kind of a disappointment. I don't know if it was because I was tired and ready to go home, or the people. I just didn't realize how many social nicities the French had, and I was (apparently) offending all of them. I was really stressed out and annoyed at my lack of understanding. Plus the riots had stopped, what, three weeks earlier?...a month?...and the air was still very tense. You could feel it. But I did end up going to Versailles and the Moulin Rouge. (Whoo! The Can-Can!) It was really cool. I wish the men had less clothing though.

That was another thing. No matter where I went, there weren't any hotties. Why? I had hoped to have gotten some ass on this trip! *wails* Where the hell did all the yummy men go? Where were they hiding? *sings* Oh where oh where did my hotties go? Oh where, oh where can they beeeee?!

That's about all I can really tell you. Other memories will pop up after I finish this, I'm sure, or when I look through my pictures. Looking back, if I had to do this again, I would in a heartbeat. But now knowing what I will have to endure, I will NOT be doing this again in the future. This is one of those things you will only do ONE TIME. It was worth it though.

Next stop...Japan!

Going on Vacation!!
Now Playing: No Music
Sorry!

I can't believe I forgot to announce this on the site! I'm going to Europe for 10 days (I live in the US) and won't be back until April 22. I will write as much as I can, although more than than likely I won't get much done. Sorry this is so rushed, but I'm trying to type as I walk out the door. We're leaving now-literally.

Bye!

New Year Started With A Bang!
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: No Music
A week and a half ago I saved someone's life.

I didn't do it own my own, you know. I had PLENTY of help. But the feeling I had was something few others will ever experience.

I'm a nurse, for those of you that don't know. I've only been a nurse for a year and three weeks. I work at a dialysis clinic. I don't get to do as much as floor nurses do, like start IV's or put in foleys, but our patients are pretty unstable. So I get to do alot of other things that floor nurses don't do because their patients are stable.

Right after the new year started, (the day after, actually), a patient of ours coded. The charge nurse had left for the day, and me being the next RN, I was in charge in her absence. We have this particular patient, where every (and I mean EVERY) treatment she passes out. It pisses me off when this happens because even though we know this, it still keeps happening because her nurse won't pay fucking attention to her! (Sorry, but it REALLY pisses me off). Anyway, one of the technicians called me over because she passed out again. Pissed, I went to see the patient. Only problem was was that she was blue. For that patient to be blue, that meant she wasn't breathing. Instinctively, I grabbed at her neck and wrist. I didn't feel a pulse. I turned to the technician, and tried to tell her to get the crash cart. Instead, I said, "Fuck!"

Yes, real professional. But I was forgiven.

After a few more (swear) words, I got her to get the crash cart. Next problem was getting the patient to the floor. This person was 107.0 kg (235.4 lbs), and me and the other tech, being 5'2" (with our shoes on) didn't have a chance in hell of lifting her. All of the commotion got the attention of the clinic, so a few guys helped us get her to the floor. It took SEVEN of us. Trust me guys; lifting someone heavy is one thing, but trying to lift someone's dead weight is something else.

Anyhoo, we got her to the floor, stuck what's called AED pads on her (which are connected to a defibrillator) to get a heart rhythm. The great thing about this device, is that it tells you what to do. It wouldn't shock her, but it prompted us to do CPR, so we started CPR while another technician bagged her (put the Ambu over her mouth for air, like seen by paramedics), and started to give her oxygen. Thankfully, she became less blue. It wasn't too long after that when the EMT guys came and got her the hell out of there. She became conscious just as the EMT's got there, but she could've still gone south afterwards, you know? But I found out a couple of hours later that she had lived and was just fine. I have been walking on air for over a week now.

I can't tell you how often patients have pissed me off to the point where I just think that being a nurse is not worth the shit. I really do. Doctors make me feel the same way. But for the past week, every time I have looked at that patient, and she has looked back at me, I can't help but realize that she is still on this earth because of me and my great coworkers.

That is one hell of a high, man. No drug can compare.

Aloha!
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: Lady Marmalade by Patti Labelle
I'm going to Hawaii!

From Oct. 2 thru Oct. 8, I will be in Oahu, Hawaii, enjoying the sun, the sights, and the laua's. I want to say that I will continue to work on my stories while I'm there, but...I would probably be lying. In fact, I'm sure I will be. But hopefully when I get back, I'll be about to burst from all of the ideas I'll have. I'll tell ya'll all about it when I get back.

Wish me a safe trip ya'll!

Talking to God
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: No Music
Tonight I talked to God.

It's been a long time since I've done that. It's just that, the mood has to be right for me, you know? I don't like alot of noise, and I don't like to be surrounded by people. When I pray, I like to be where it's dark, and where I can hold a conversation without any interruptions.

God and I talked in my hammock. I just bought it two days ago, and I love it. We were outside, in my backyard, staring up at the full moon. I fussed about the clouds on my drive home, but by the time I changed clothes and made tea, he stripped the sky clear for me. A few bright stairs twinkled here and there against the midnight blue sky. It was stunning.

First, I thanked God for my health. Every day I watch my patients deteriorate, and die. I am so lucky my heart, kidneys and liver work. I'm blessed that my spine and brain work. You guys have no idea how much of a miracle it is to be able to take a dump. Trust me, it is.

Next, I prayed for the safety of my family. Especially my brother. He is doing things he shouldn't be (like drugs), and he got kicked out of the only high school that would have him. He needs help in the worst way, but the only one that can help him is himself. Lord, give him strength.

After that, we talked about me for a while. He listened patiently as I whined. "I want an adventure!" I told him, my fists shaking in frustration. "I want some excitement. I want to live!" He didn't answer me, and I didn't expect him to. But I could sense that he acknowledged my words. When I'm ready, he'll have my adventure set out for me. In the meantime, I felt infinitely better by saying the words out loud.

Lastly, we just stretched out on the hammack and stared at the moon in silence. The breeze he added felt wonderous against my skin, making me want to buy a tent so that I could sleep outside. But then I heard the neighbors come outside, with their rough voices flowing across the yard, and it destroyed our quiet atmosphere. Sadly, I collected my things and went back into the house.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth, listening to my bones pop as I wandered to my room. Oh yeah: "Thank you God, that I'm able to walk and hear."

Finally, I crawled into bed. I'll go to sleep after I finish typing this.

Thank you God, for the talk. It's always a pleasure.

The Murder Saga
Mood:  down
Now Playing: 'Knives Out' by Radiohead
Just now I finished proofreading the lastest chapter of TFM, and I'm feeling a little down about it.

I'm happy with the chapter, don't get me wrong. But I'm unhappy with how long it took me to get it done.

This week has been chaos. I was only supposed to work three days. So I thought, 'hey, that'll give me plenty of time to go over chapters, finish off chapter 20 and blah blah blah.' Well, it didn't work out like that.

I ended up not only working a fourth day, but one of my days turned out to be a double. So on Friday, I worked from 5 A.M. to 9 p.m. Plus, I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which was the day I was supposed to have off. Tuesday was spent running around paying bills, shuffling money from one account to the other, and at the grocery store. It, literally, ate up my whole day.

To make matters worse, I was given a promotion I am not happy about. I am now training to be a charge nurse, and I don't feel I'm prepared for it.

How does this relate to the Murder Saga? Time. That story was built on the fact that I had all day to spend on it. That is not true anymore.

The thing that makes the Murder Saga different from the Running With The Moon Series, is that all of the stories in MS tie into one another. They all relate to each other, and all of the stories are built upon each other. You can NOT start anywhere you want to. You HAVE to begin at the beginning, and work your way up. Running With The Moon is not like that. Each story is going to be independent of the other. Yes, they are going to have the same theme, and things that happened and characters in previous stories are going to be brought up in later ones, but each of Duo's adventures is going to be separate from the other. That is why it's so much faster to write. I don't have to double check myself to see if it conflicts with laws or rules that I made three years before.

Also with the Murder series, not all of the questions in each story are answered. Many questions aren't answered until the story after it, but then new questions arise from the answers of the old. That is why I am so proud of this series; it is truly complex.

But that poses a new problem for me. The complexity. I have added so many details and twists, that some of these things I have forgotten. I get emails all the time that tell me, not nicely, to get my ass in gear or that I'm taking too god damn long. I also get emails about things that I haven't answered. Why? In all honesty, because I've forgotten that I asked the question.

I am truly sorry that it is taking me so long. I really am. And I'm also sorry about facts or things that I've brought up and didn't finish, and false starts. But at the same time, to those giving me such a hard time about it, piss off! This series is already five years old. That's how long I've been working on it, and at the rate I'm going, I might be another year finishing it. I also plan on revising it, and who knows how long that will take. So guess what? The shit is going to be a while.

I love the ones sticking with it, and I know who you are, (Kristen, Butterbrains, Sandra, Haruka Hana and *hugs* Valeria Wellnitz) and I love you for it. I hope I don't disappoint. But to everyone, like I said earlier, the series is already five years old. I've stuck with it this long, you've stuck with it for this long, so what's another year or two? I'm not going anywhere, and neither is the fic.

AHHHH!
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: No Music Playing
I want to write!

God DAMNIT, I want to write! Everyone, please, leave me alone! Not you guys. I mean the people in my life. My best friend who is my roommate, my mom, my coworkers, Wal-Mart (I can't seem to keep my ass out of there), and whoever else feels the need to call and/or come visit.

You know, this is something I ponder all the time. Why is having someone to talk to so important? I can go all day, hell, a few WEEKS without speaking to another soul and be perfectly happy. I know this for a fact, because I've done it. I mean, I just don't understand why it is so necessary to talk all the time.

The same thing is said about me though. My mom and friends can't understand how I can be on the computer all day. The only way I can explain it is to say that I enjoy what I do. I LOVE writing my stories. I love trying to come up with something that will surprise you guys or knock you all for a loop. I enjoy challenging myself by trying to find a new twist that will keep you wanting more. I don't get that kind of satisfaction being around other people who are not into the same thing I am.

Maybe that's why I'm so antisocial, I think. I'm the only yaoi lover in town that I know. When I say 'anime,' the first thing that comes to ppl's minds is 'The Lion King.' No, bitches, that's not anime. And when I name off the great stuff like 'Ninja Scroll' or mention shows like 'Gravitation' or 'Trigun,' all I get are blank stares. I swear, in my town, I am truly an army of one.

I just want to get back to the way I was. When I lived with my mom, I could plop my ass in front of the computer and not be disturbed for HOURS. I would, literally, be on from sun up to sun down. That is not the case anymore. Even on my days off, when I want to write, I can't concentrate because (a.) my best friend usually comes in to TALK, and I can't write a hot Quatre/Trowa or Duo/Wufei scene while she's looking over my shoulder, and (b.) there's so much construction going on that I can't focus!

My problem is that I want to be alone when I want to, and I want company when I want it, and that's very selfish and arrogant of me. I mean, I love my best friend dearly, and I would be hurt if my coworkers didn't want to be friends with me or spend time with me, but these are the same people that I see everyday. And if I see them everyday, what the fuck is there to say that we haven't said already?

Exactly.

I've Got The Blues
Mood:  blue
Now Playing: 'Use Me' by Bill Withers
Hey all. I hope everything is going right with you.

If you're depressed, then don't read, because I don't want to bring you down with me too. I'm just feeling blue right now. Today, I had a bad day at work, and even though I'm home, I just can't shake it off.

I work hard at my job. I mean *really* hard. I've already lost 5 pounds (11 kg) in two months, when I didn't lose ANY weight when I was exercising! It's physically and mentally exhausting, having people's lives in your hands.

What makes me depressed is that every day, I think that I'm not cut out to be a nurse. Doctors make me anxious, irritated, and uneasy. I don't like them. ANY of them. And this doctor, although I thought he was okay, irritated the living shit outta me today. *sighs heavily* As if I didn't have enough work to do....

The charge nurse for the shift that overlaps mine is...he's not necessarily on my case, but I feel that he thinks I'm a fuckin' idiot. The way he looks at me sometimes...I don't know. There always seems to be some animosity between us, and no matter how nice I try to be or how modest and humble (which I am most certainly NOT) I act, it just doesn't work out.

For me, he sends too many mixed messages. He'll say hi to everyone except me, but then just strike up a conversation out of the blue when I least expect it. Or, he'll bitch at me about how much of a mess I made, but then offer his help to clean it up. Worse of all, it's not a big mess! Three pieces of gauze wadded together under a chair do not constitute a mess asshole! I didn't even SEE it, that's how god damn small it was!

Sorry ya'll. I'm just not a...submissive, bite-my-tongue kind of person, and I've been having to do that. I just want a job where I will be left the fuck alone, you know? Let me do my thing and let me be. But nursing is not like that. Regardless, I'm going to try and hang in there. I'll do what the doctors ask, even though it's petty, silly bullshit, I'll continue to bite my tongue (hopefully not off), and when I finish my contract, I'll take my experience and go elsewhere. It may not be any better, but it's worth a try.

Wait, there's more.

My mom has been an ass too. My best friend is having her house built (it should be finished next week) and she wants me to move in with her. We used to live together before, and by GOD we had a blast! That year in our apartment (I based 'Because of a Game' off of one of our many adventures) was the best year of my life, hands down. I can't wait to live together again. Best yet, I can afford to! The house is a 4 bedroom, two and a half bath, with a den, huge kitchen, living room and dining room...it's beautiful! When I get pictures, I'll put them up.

Anyway, my mom has been SO unenthusiastic for some reason (that reason being my grandmother. She thinks my best friend is trying to take advantage of me. WTF?) She has negatively criticized everything we wanted or liked, she's being unsupportive (which I don't mind, really), but she's just hassling me! I'm 25 fuckin' years old! Excuse me if I don't want to stay living in my mother's house! I want to get laid damnit!

She did the same thing about my job. It wasn't the one SHE wanted me to have (she didn't care until my grandmother put in her ear how working in dialysis was bad), and since then she's been giving me shit about my job. She's not a medical person. What the fuck does she know? But she knows enough to tell me my job is no good? I make more than HER, and I'm HALF her age!

I've just been so bummed out lately, and any little thing that is negative has my mood swings going way out of wack. I just hope that things will be better soon. Hopefully stuff at my job will settle down. Hopefully, when I move out, the distance and lack of communication will mellow her out and cheer me up. (Sad, isn't it?)

Have a good night ya'll.

My Second Week at Work & Rant #2
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: 'Meeting In My Bedroom' - Silk
My second week at work went much smoother than the first. I am learning the routine, I'm getting my stuff together, I'm becoming more familiar with my coworkers, and I'm feeling more confident in my abilities. My preceptor and I have alot of similar interests (too bad he's not a yaoi fan, or gay) so we're becoming friends. At least, I hope we are. I only hope that I'm not being bothersome to him. I feel like I am.

My rant is dying down right now, so it won't be too much. Just that I can't wait for my house to be built. They poured the foundation two days ago, and I'm very disappointed that that's as far as they've gotten. My mom and I aren't at each others throats--no where near that actually--but I don't like us bitching at each other. We've been doing that daily, all week. I keep thinking 'how is this happening? Is it something I'm doing?' But every argument has started when she approached me with something, and it got out of hand from there.

I'm a homebody, you know? I don't like going out. If I'm not at work, I'm at home. Guaranteed. Maybe that's why we're butting heads so much lately.

This is how it starts: I'm usually in my room, on the computer, minding my own business, then in she comes, starting shit. The truth of the matter is that we have a huge personality difference. She's very gung ho, and has a black-and-white view of everything. I'm the procrastinator from hell, and very laisse faire, seeing the world in all shades of gray.

I just feel that she treats everything like the world is going to end if the shit doesn't get done the way she thinks it should. Just now, she came in and started bitching about how I needed to get gas put in my car right now, and how I needed to get a thank you card for my aunt that sent me graduation money. We got into an argument about that! Can you believe that? A fight about gas and a card? How trivial is that?!

Of course, I could've did what she said just to shut her up, but I couldn't. I didn't. That's the problem with my grandmother: she always gets her way because everyone does what she says just to shut her up. I'm not going to do that with my mother. She is not going to pester the shit outta me like her mother does her. I'm not having it.

Okay. Now I'm pissy all over again. *sighs* I guess I'm still stressed out. I have a job that is paying me well, but I still have a long way to go to get my finances in order.

I'll do it though. One thing at a time.

My First Week As A Nurse
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: 'Sweet Amber' - Metallica
On Monday, I started my new job (I can't believe I got a job!) in a dialysis clinic.

The first three days there were awful. Because I was new, I was making alot of mistakes (I hate making mistakes) and had to be corrected quite a few times. The staff wasn't mean or condescending about correcting me, but that didn't stop me from feeling like an ass.

To add insult to injury, I thought that the charge nurse that day was really hot and I wanted to have sex with him. You all have no idea how much that irriates me. I'm shy when I'm attracted to someone, so I spent the entire day running away whenever he came near. And since he and my preceptor were friends...god, it was torture!

On Thursday though, I kicked ass. My preceptor and I were so ahead of schedule, the charge nurse thought that some of our patients didn't show up or something. I felt really good about myself, talked to some of the other staff members...overall all, I had a pleasant day.

That's it for me. We'll see what next week brings.