I gotta feeling, that this year will be a good year...

Yes I am singing that in my head to the same tune as the Black Eyed Peas song!

2011 is going to be a great year! There are a lot of changes that are going to be made in my life and a lot of things I want to accomplish. First I am running my second half marathon on April 30, I already signed up! I will also be changing by diet, for the better of course. I really want to change my eating habits, I will eat healthy foods not only to lose weight, but to also be healthier and prevent problems later in life. This will begin with me learning to cook a lot of different things which is something else I really want to do, cook more! Which will be great with my fabulous christmas present of a cooking class from a special someone...

I am also going to do the great urban race again in Atlanta this year. Last year was just too much fun not to do it again. And I will be signing up for the muddy buddy race as well....I can't wait! So many exciting things to look forward to.

I am hoping to take several trips this year too, but we'll see how my bank account can handle that one. My plan is to go to New York City this spring, I have never been! (I know, it's shameful!) I am also hoping to go to Europe at some point, but the place I would have stayed for free on the French Riviera may not be ready so, it may have to wait until next year....stupid tenants who won't move out! I may have a different job come August, I just can't decide what, either travel nursing and see the country or start in a NICU somewhere....I think I finally decided school is not an option yet, I like having a life too much! I went so many years without one, and well I am just having WAY too much fun! You only live once, I may as well enjoy it! And I don't want to spend it studying....again.

This year is going to be great, I can't wait to see what it brings! Hopefully nothing but happiness!

Black Friday

4am sales called my name on Thursday night. They always do. My mom, my sister, and I always look through all the adds in the paper and figure out where we will go the next morning. However this year was different. My sister had to work, bummer, so she didn't get to go early with us. My mom and I went early, but then she had to go to work. Our first stop was Belk, the line was all the way down the sidewalk, it was crazy. Although I guess with the amazing sale they had on boots and shoes who couldn't resist? My goal: to get sperrys for 50% off and boots for $19.99. Unfortunately I was out of luck. I didn't get anything I came for. The smallest size sperrys they had were size 6 and I needed a 5 1/2, that was disappointing. And the boots well they were all gone in about 10 minutes, and again my size was not there. Having such small feet makes it hard to find shoes...

I did get some fabulous rings for 60% off though, and a ring and earrings for my grandmother for Christmas. (one person got checked off my list!). We did get a mystery gift-card at the door on the way in. People were fighting to get them. There were several people who tried to cut in line, people were pushing and arguing about who was there and who wasn't. It was out of control. Some of the gift-cards had $500, some $100. A couple of people got gift-cards with $100 while we were in there, ours were only $5. Oh well. $5 is $5!! Although the lady did hand me one at the door then say "wait, your 18 right?!" Lady, try 25!! I know I look young, but not that young!

Our next stop was Khol's, we were late on that one, didn't realize they opened at 3am and not 4am so the line was wrapped around inside the entire store twice. Nothing was worth waiting for in that line so we skipped out. Then we went to Target and Sam's for some things, then decided to fuel up with some breakfast and coffee. We stopped at Starbucks then went to Chick-fil-a! It was about time to head home so mom could head to work and I needed to take my car to the dealership to get fixed. So my dad and I dropped off my car and then he took me to Victoria's Secret and The Loft. Both at which I got some fabulous finds! So excited!

I headed home to take a nap until my sister got off of work so we could head to the mall. They called about my car, $680 to fix it!! So there would be no more shopping for me! Met my sister at work and to the mall we went. It was crazy there too! Traffic was awful and the parking lot was packed! She got a few things, I bought a dress for new year's (totally shouldn't have though...but I splurged anyways, it was 40% off and fabulous!) My sister did more damage than me, but I did just go because I said I would. By the end of the day I was exhausted!!

Gonna check sales online for cyber Monday, and maybe I can get the rest of my Christmas shopping done. We'll see.

Love ya,

Maggie

Happy Thanksgiving!

First off...I know it has been FOREVER since my last post. Sorry! My goal is to start posting more often, I started a blog for a reason, so I need to keep blogging. Anyways....moving on!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I just want to say I have so much to be thankful for. I have the greatest family and friends in the world! I am so lucky!

I was supposed to work today, but I got a phone call at 5:30 this morning telling me they were pushing me back to 10:00, and our charge nurse would call me. Kind of annoyed, because I can't do anything just yet, but also excited at the possibility of getting the holiday off (I will miss the holiday pay though, oh well). So I was already up and showered and packing to go to my parents, so I couldn't really go back to sleep. So I caught up on my DVR, I totally needed that! Then I got a call at 10:00 saying they are pushing me back until 1:00...ughh! So annoying! I can't go to my parents yet, because they could call at any moment and ask me to come in, so more waiting! I'm still waiting....

She said if I didn't hear from her by 1:00 then consider me cancelled...well guess what! My car is packed and I'm dressed and ready and when the clock says 1:00 you better believe that I am pulling out of this parking lot and not coming back!!! (Just hope my car makes it...my check engine light came on yesterday and didn't want to start until after a few tries..)

I am so ready to eat all of my faves! I don't care how many calories are consumed today! It's the holidays, who doesn't gain a few pounds?! Besides I'll burn lots off tomorrow when I go shopping with all the crazies and fight for good deals! It isn't like I really even need anything, it's just tradition. We get up before the sun and make our rounds. We check the papers the night before and plan out our route...it's fun! People watching is really one of the greatest things though. Wall-mart last year was OUT OF CONTROL! People were pushing and shoving and within seconds the shelves were empty. It was complete craziness! Yet I still enjoy it! haha

I'm sure I'll end up buying too many things tomorrow, hopefully more for others and less for myself. I would really like to get most of my Christmas shopping done early this year. I work for the three days before Christmas so I must get everything done early, there will not be any time for me to do last minute anything.

Oh and P.S. I already decorated my apartment for Christmas last weekend...I know before Thanksgiving is a No-No, but I did it anyways. It looks fabulous! I'll post pics later, I gotta get a new memory card for my camera first...(that one is on the list for a good deal tomorrow!!)

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Love ya,

Maggie

On top of the World!

Ok so as you know last week I was totally annoyed. I was annoyed with work, with guys, with life, stupid reality tv shows, and just little things that shouldn't have been a big deal. I was in a funk and in a crappy mood. I don't know what was going on with me. But thankfully I got out of it!

It all started with last weekend. A friend of mine came to stay with me. We had signed up to run a 5K on Saturday morning. (I have run 10K's and a half marathon, and this was my first 5K! Crazy I know....I mean I run 5K's like 3-4 times a week, just not as a race but as my usual run) I was excited! And my time, for me, wasn't bad, 10 minutes and 20 seconds, not a great time for some people but it was surely a great one for me. I was happy! And there is nothing better than the feeling you get after you accomplish such a thing either. You feel on top of the world and feel really good. You just get this "high" after you run a race, no matter what the distance is. And it feels amazing!

Later that same day I went to a couple's shower for some really good friends of mine who are getting married tomorrow. It was really good getting to see everyone and hang out with great friends, not to mention one other person in particular....(not going into that right now though). The only thing was that I couldn't stay late, I had to leave and get home because I had to work the next morning, boo! I had to work on Sunday.

Surprisingly I woke up to get ready for work and was still in a good mood. Work was busy to start with but nothing I couldn't handle. Both Sunday and Monday were good days, nothing annoyed me, nothing to complain about.

Tuesday was another really good day. I just woke up in a fabulous mood and felt like I was on top of the world. I felt like I could have accomplished ANYTHING! I don't know where all of this good energy was coming from, but I'm not complaining, I love it! I went and ran that afternoon with a friend and I felt like I could have gone on forever! I love those days! The amazing fall weather and cool air coming off of the river we run next too probably helped, but I think my amazingly happy mood had something to play into it as well.

The rest of the week pretty much went the same way, and I'm still in a great mood this morning. There is just something about the little moments when you are in a great mood that makes you appreciate them more. Like last night I met some of my favorite people for dinner and drinks on a patio after work. Ending the day with people you love can't get any better, especially when you have friends like mine. It just makes you feel lucky. Knowing you have people there for you no matter what occurs in life is comforting. I truly have the greatest friends in the world and I know I can count on them when it comes to ANYTHING! I am one really luck girl!

My good mood is still here, and I'm gonna try to not let it fade away. Life is too short to be in a bad mood and unhappy. I'm heading to Perry, GA tomorrow for a wedding. I'm going to celebrate with lots of great peeps and we will have a fabulous time. I don't think my funk will be able to come back anytime soon!

Have a HAPPY weekend!

Love ya,

Maggie

Annoyed...

Ok so I've just been totally annoyed for like the past two days. It all started with work yesterday. First off I had to work on Labor day...who wants to work a holiday weekend? Then they had to let three nurses go home because our census was low, we had no patients. No one wants to be in the hospital on Labor day, not even sick people. Of course I wasn't even considered, why you ask? Because I have been there for a year but not as part of this unit. I started on the unit that combined with another unit to make the current unit that now exists and they treat me like I have no seniority. Even with the older nurses who have only been there for like 4 weeks. Annoying!! So I had to take over everyone else's patients and finish the work that they didn't do.

Then I came home to watch Bachelor Pad, which I love, but they sent the wrong couple home! Kovacs and Elizabeth are a much bigger threat than Peyton and Jesse. I love Kovacs, but Elizabeth is crazy and gets on my nerves and I don't know why Kovacs is even with her. I also love Peyton and Jesse, but Jesse is just weird and gross sometimes. But I think Peyton and Jesse should have had a little bit longer to try and stay in the game. Elizabeth and Kovacs have a stronger relationship than the others because they have been together the longest, but I really hope that it doesn't allow them to win. I would really love it if Tenley and Kiptyn win and I hope they stay a couple. They are just too cute together.

And well today I've been annoyed too. So today I was supposed to work, but I got a phone call at 5 am saying they were going to push me back. That was great because I got to get extra sleep! Score! So I called back around 8 am to ask when I may need to come in. She said she was going to push me back until 11, and to call her at 11 if I hadn't heard from her. Well that gave me 3 hours. I couldn't really go anywhere or do very much just in case I had to go in, I mean she could have called at any moment, so that wasn't very good. 11:00 rolls around and nada, no phone calls. So I call her back hoping to hear ok you don't have to come in today, but NO! Instead she says she is pushing me back until 1:00!! REALLY?! I'm supposed to just spend the day waiting around to know if I have to go to work or not! So not ok with me! Again I can't really go anywhere or do anything! Finally 1:00 arrives and she called to say that I was off and didn't have to come in. Well thanks so much for letting me have a day off to be productive!

Once it was determined with 100% certainty that I didn't have to work I got productive. I cleaned my patio, and my bathroom. I read some of my book (I'm reading Baby Proof, and I LOVE it so far!) , got my car washed and signed up for a 5K for Saturday morning. Then I went and ran this evening and I think all my frustration helped my run. I ran 3 miles in 29 minutes! It's a new record for me. Now that actually happening again is probably very slim, but I can hope. But I should be working on distance first, and then work on my speed/time later.

I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll wake up in a better mood with no complaints and not be annoyed. I think I've just been in a funk for a few days and I need to snap out of it!

Love ya,

Maggie

Sleep, TV, and Takeout (In that order)

I spent this entire weekend being the laziest I have EVER been in my whole life. I was originally supposed to go to Birmingham with some friends. We were going to leave on Friday and come back today, but I signed up to work Friday (to be nice, and help out) and said I would just meet them Friday night after work. Well, I woke up Friday morning with a killer sore throat and headache...I thought for sure I would be able to kick it by that night. But my "extra" day of work was KILLER! I was so busy and it ended in disaster! I didn't leave until 9:00 pm! I am supposed to leave at 7:15! It was crazy!

Needless to say, there was no driving to Birmingham for me that night, I was exhausted. So I went home and crashed. I ended up sleeping through my alarm clock and woke up to a text message around 10am. I never sleep until 10, not anymore. I was still feeling awful too...sore throat, headache, and I felt like there was drainage in my ear. I spent the entire day in bed, I slept so much. Then I got takeout for dinner, watched tv and slept some more. I did pretty much the same thing today. I do feel better now though, thank goodness.

I have been going going going for 3 months now and never really get a break. Between work, a puppy, weddings, bachelorette parties, family functions, and plans with friends, my schedule is always packed. I think my lack of sleep for three months finally caught up with me. I slept for two days, but I think I totally needed it.

My weekend was very much unproductive, but so needed! Maybe I got enough sleep to last a few weeks. That way I can continue on with my exciting life! :)

Love ya,

Maggie

Yes, I'm single...

It never fails...I go to work every single day and get asked the same questions...Do you have kids? Are you married? Surely you have a boyfriend!?

No people! I don't have kids, I'm not married, and I don't have a boyfriend! After I answer, the conversation always goes one of two ways...

1) I get that judging stare and they say: honey, how old are you? (me: 25) You know you are getting to that age. Why don't you at least have a boyfriend. You better go and find you someone fast and get to having some babies.

or

2) I get the pity stare and they look at me like they just put their foot in their mouth, and feel like they shouldn't have even brought it up. Like I am embarrassed or feel bad about it, and then they feel sorry for me and say...ohh honey you'll find you someone someday.

But the truth is...yes, I'm single, and you know what, IT'S OK! Why does everyone think that a 25 year old girl should be married or planning a wedding? I'm ok with it! Of course I sometimes think I would like to be dating someone, and yes I would like to be close to getting married (so I could plan a wedding and put on a white dress), what girl doesn't think about these things? But I am also REALLY happy being single. I mean I answer to no one but myself. I get to do my own thing, and I get to look at and flirt with every cute guy I see. I get to keep my options open. I am not going to just date the next guy that hits on me and make it a serious relationship. I am not settling people! I wish all these "old" people would see that waiting is so much better than settling!

Now don't get me wrong...if a hottie did come and hit on me, then I would surely go on a date and see where it goes, but I won't be planning some profound future with him or anything.

So quit judging and let me be. 25 is not old (I keep repeating this to myself...) and I don't have to be married. I am keeping my options open and waiting for the one that gives me butterflies!

So, in the words of SJP, " Some people are settling down, some people are settling, and some refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies." These are words that I live by, and I am refusing to settle!

Love ya!

Maggie

One Year of Service

A year ago this week was my very first week as an RN. I was no longer a student and the responsibilities of a nurse were all on me! I remember starting out and feeling so lost. I felt like I didn't know anything. I would hear report in the morning and people would say things like left heart cath with hematoma but no signs of a pseudo; or patient is a CABG x4 with right vaso view, POD#2 with two A's and two V's capped and taped; or left VATS with chest tube to -20 of suction, and the terms go on and on and on. These things sounded so foreign, even to me who had been in school so long and learned all about this stuff (I can only imagine what this sounds like to someone with NO medical experience!). All of these phrases now paint a very clear picture to me and I know exactly what is going on and what to expect about a patient's condition. I now speak in these same terms. But my first few days I would look at my preceptor and say "ok so what is all of that and what does that mean?" And the biggest question was what am I supposed to do with this patient? I never imagined that I would learn so much in just one year, but I truly have. There are things that I now just know like the back of my hand. However, I learn something new every single day....well actually more than one thing. But that is the good thing about nursing, there is so much new information to grasp everyday. I still have a lot to learn, and there are still times that I feel like I'm not really sure of what I am doing. That is when you look things up and ask for advice and second opinions from everyone around you.

The really crazy thing is that they just asked me to be a preceptor at work. ME! I am going to be teaching a new graduate nurse about being a cardiac nurse. Really? This should be interesting! Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered that I was even asked, I guess I must be doing something right, right? Although I still have many of moments when I get very frustrated and just cry. Crying is how I deal with my anxiety and frustrations (in all areas of life, not just work), which is good to some extent, but not when you have to do patient care with red puffy eyes (it doesn't look very good to the patients). I just gotta learn to keep myself together a little better when things get crazy, I can't be teaching someone when I'm crying....I must work on that for the next few weeks.

Wish me luck!

Love ya,

Maggie

Three 12's

So yesterday was my third 12 hour shift in a row. I've done three 12's in a row before without a problem. I've even done four 12's in a row before a few weeks ago without too much of a problem. Well I mean I was exhausted the fourth day, but that was probably because we went to see Eclipse at 10:30 at night after my third day of work. I didn't get home until 1:30 in the morning and then had to get up at 4:45 in the morning to get ready for work again, for the 4th longest day of my life! But seeing Eclipse with my girls was TOTALLY worth it!! I mean Taylor Lautner and his abs are so HOT, and Robert Pattinson...GORGEOUS, need I say more?

Anyways, this third 12 hour shift was ridiculous! The day started out rough which should have told me something. I woke up late! Spilt coffee on my scrubs and had to change. Then I got in my car and started it to find the gas light was on and the need to fill up my tank. Then I got stopped by the train and had to wait at the railroad tracks for the train to pass which felt like forever! I finally got to work in one piece with clean scrubs. I walked in so sleepy! The night shift greeted me with a large yell all at once, "MAGGIE!!! WAKE UP!! You got 12 hours to go!!" Thanks for reminding me guys! Side-note: Since my formal unit of 3 West became combined with 3 South (which is where I originally wanted to be) I have been "floated" to the front end of the unit, and I LOVE it so much more! The night shift loves me and I love them, to the point where I have thought about switching to nights instead of days. But I don't think it would so much work for my social life! Anyways, moving on...

It started out ok because I had my same patients I had for two days. But then things went crazy! I had a patient going for a pacemaker who wasn't going to come back to me. He was going to go to the back of our unit to another nurse because we needed the bed for an ICU Red patient coming up after open heart surgery. Well I saw him on his way back and he was talking to me and everything. He was completely fine. Not 30 minutes later I hear a code being called overhead about him! I sprint down the hallway to find my formally perfect patient unresponsive. Apparently his blood pressure dropped and he was out of it for a little while. He ended up getting WAY too much sedation during his procedure. But he ended up being fine, thank goodness!!

So I now had an empty room that needed to be filled, so with one patient gone, it was my turn for a new admission. And I got the CRAZY gypsy family! There were like 5o family member there who all wanted to be in the tiny little hospital room! I finally made them leave. They were so picky and so particular and kept saying I wasn't doing my job and looking close enough after him. They called me in that room every 5 minutes! I couldn't get anything done! I got so frustrated! I had a job to do, and I felt like I couldn't do it because they kept calling me into that room. I was so tired, hungry, and grumpy and finally I just couldn't take it anymore. (It was 3:00 and I hadn't even gotten to eat lunch yet! And I woke up too late to eat breakfast!) My name kept being called by everyone. Everyone needed me at the same time! I was standing in the nurses station and just broke down! I started crying. After my moment of weakness I was fine. But then I started to think....they asked ME to be a preceptor. How am I going to be a preceptor?! I still don't know what I'm doing, and I can't even keep things under control and I'm supposed to teach someone else how to do that?! That is going to be sooo much fun!! Can you hear the sarcasm?! I mean seriously I haven't even been a nurse for a year and they are asking me to teach a new grad on what to do!!? I think someone may have lost their mind! I mean the good thing is I get a raise, but I could be jeopardizing the life of someone else! I don't know when I get my first preceptee, but it is sometime within the next month. This is gonna get CRAZY!

Anyways, I'm just glad my three days are over. I don't have to go back to work until next Wednesday!! I got 6 days off!!! Spending the weekend in Charleston, SC for a bachelorette party and I cannot wait! I need to get away!

Love ya,

Maggie

It’s All In A Name

Most of my friends have recently begun blogging and writing about their lives in the online world. So I am now following in their footsteps and have been pulled into the blogging world with them. I’m not really sure where this is going to go, but our lives are pretty entertaining to us, so maybe you’ll find it entertaining too. If not then move along and find someone else’s life that seems more interesting to read about. But as for me I’ve added another thing on the Internet for me to keep up with, so we’ll see how it goes…

This is about the life of a 20-something, single girl who has the world at her feet. There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last year, and I have learned a lot about myself. I graduated, got two degrees and finally got a big girl job, I was in a serious relationship of almost five years that came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end (but totally for the best!), I moved out on my own, and I decided to get and raise a puppy…alone.

I went to school in Milledgeville, GA where I spent four years getting a degree that can’t be used for anything, a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Now don’t get me wrong I could have gone on and done research or taught, but let’s face it…research is boring and I could NEVER teach. So instead I went on to get by my BSN at Georgia State. Nursing is much more useful and much more interesting (I’ll have lots of stories from that later). So once landing an awesome job as a cardiac nurse and saving some money, I made a huge decision. I decided to move out, on my own, without a roommate. It was scary deciding whether I could live by myself or not. Part of me was really excited and part of me really nervous. I had never lived alone before. I always had great roommates who were my best friends. I wasn’t sure I could handle being alone that much. But I bit the bullet and took a chance, and I have no idea why I ever doubted myself. I LOVE, I mean absolutely LOVE living alone!! It is so peaceful and all my own. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, without answering to anyone. And it isn’t like I moved somewhere where I don’t know anyone; I moved less than a mile away from two of my best friends, so it wasn’t like I would never see anyone. I mean we all see each other, ALL the time!
After a few months I debated getting a puppy. I grew up with dogs as a child and couldn’t wait for the day to have my very own. Besides, I am a girl living alone in Atlanta and probably should have some protection. A friend of mine recently decided to move out on her own as well and her dad said she either had to get a dog or he was bringing her a gun. She still doesn’t have either one, but as for me, I went for a dog. I actually got a miniature schnauzer puppy that is now 14 weeks old. Miniature schnauzers are small, but they are a very protective breed. She is still tiny, only 3.8 pounds, and may not be able to do anything to protect me, but she at least lets me know if something is coming. She barks at everything she sees that is out of the norm and everything she hears. She is a handful at times but so sweet and loving. The down side though- raising a puppy alone is tough. It is hard work! All the potty training, chewing, and wanting attention 24/7 is enough to drive anyone crazy, but doing it alone is so hard because it’s just you, there isn’t anyone else to help or give you a break. So puppy training is my newest challenge.

So now that you know a little about me let me get to the real point of my first blog…it’s name. Pink Dragonfly Dreams. Dragonflies are often a symbol of change and a deeper understanding of life. Dragonflies live most of their life immaturely and it only flies for a few months. An adult dragonfly leaves nothing to be desired and does it all in a short period of time. This style of life symbolizes and exemplifies the virtue of living IN the moment and living life to the fullest. As you can see over the past year a lot has changed for me. I have grown as a person. I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned to take chances, and to truly live in the moment because it may be the only one you get. Life is a journey that is meant to embrace and enjoy. And I plan to do just that!

“Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If is changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

Love ya,
Maggie