tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31982180623952730152024-03-13T10:47:19.137-04:00"Twentysomething"writer, runner, nurseSummer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.comBlogger348125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-26440498503612963562014-08-15T19:49:00.005-04:002014-08-15T19:49:54.924-04:00Pitch Wars Mentee Blog Hop! In this, another year of Doing Things, I'm participating in Brenda Drake's fabulous <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/category/pitch-wars/">Pitch Wars event</a>. I've heard about it, seen the #PitMad on Twitter for ages now, and figured I might as well join, since my MS is ready for the slush pile.<br />
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In this post, I am to biographically state my being, so here goes!<br />
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I'm Summer. I'm 28, married, and have four mostly-wonderful pets (3 cats, 1 dog.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monty and me, being sweet.<br /></td></tr>
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I'm from Georgia, mostly. The parts that count anyway, such as the sweet tea gene, taste bud for grits, and the proper use of "y'all" and "all y'all."<br />
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I did the English major thing out of high school, and even earned myself a nice big piece of paper from the University of Georgia that proves it.<br />
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Took me about three seconds to decide I didn't want to teach, didn't want to go to law school... didn't want to do anything with that degree, really, except read and horde books. And write. But that's been going on since I was 9.<br />
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Eventually, I went back to nursing school. Now I'm a registered nurse at a Top 100 hospital in the nation, where I work on a high acuity, frequently-depressing surgical unit.<br />
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I love it. I'm also in graduate school, working toward my Master of Science in Nursing for Nursing Education. Guess I'm going to be a teacher after all.<br />
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I love starting IVs! And I'm pretty darn good at it.<br />
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I started writing when I was 9, the tragic love story of a 14 year old girl. After that, I hit science fiction and fantasy and never really came out again. Some of my earliest memories revolve around watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men cartoon. Good memories, right?<br />
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I've embraced uber-geekiness my whole life. During my formative tween years, I was heavily involved in a Star Trek play-by-email RPG. I was always the Chief Medical Offer---makes sense now, huh? I go to Dragon*Con whenever I can, my Star Trek trivia knowledge is fierce, and I have two autographed pictures from LeVar Burton and John DeLancie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Q, baby!</td></tr>
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When I'm not working or doing grad school stuff (which is rare), I spend my time either writing or running. I'm a trail runner, adventure racer, and half-marathoner!<br />
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I tweet (@summerbp), mostly about being a nurse and nurse stuff, because the Twitter nursing community is hilarious and sage. But I'm always up for some writer interaction!<br />
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I'm excited to do the Pitch Wars thang this year, and wish everyone the best of success!<br />
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Check out the other mentees on <a href="http://dcmorin.blogspot.com/2014/08/2014-pitchwars-contestant-hop-now-its.html">Dannie Morin's blog!</a>Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-81991533860134634162014-07-06T10:21:00.001-04:002014-07-06T10:21:40.604-04:00A Change Will Do You GoodGood things have happened in the last 6 weeks or so since we have visited.<br />
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1. I did get a new job! This past week was the beginning of orientation at the new hospital. I'm <i>thrilled</i> at this development in my career and life. I wasn't able to get a job in the CVICU, but there's time for that in the future. I'll be working on the surgical unit, taking care of folks right before and right after the surgeries that change their lives. This floor specializes in bariatric weight loss surgery and late-stage ovarian cancer surgeries. I'm going back to <b>night shift</b>, but I get to make my own schedule. And the commute is only 15 minutes! Fifteen GLORIOUS MINUTES!<br />
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2. I moved my office. Hubby and I have shared office space for the 9 years we've been together, but I finally took over the small sunroom off the living room. Life isn't perfect, so I'm also sharing the office with the cats' litterboxes, but I have a clever solution for minimizing distress for all parties involved.<br />
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3. Percolating a new book. My latest is in the hands of final beta readers/critique partners. Then I have to decide what the heck I'm going to do with it.<br />
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4. I had surgery! At the end of May, I had an urgent choleycystectomy (gallbladder removal.) It was my first surgery, and I learned that I'm allergic to morphine and Dilaudid isn't my friend. It's definitely made me a better nurse for those who also have laparascopic surgeries, though. I was sore for a solid week (and actually interviewed for my new job 2 days after I went under the knife.) I'm all better now. The last thing to come back is my running stamina, and it's getting there too...<br />
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Hope all you Americans had a lovely Independence Day!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-86769507803113644412014-05-19T08:24:00.001-04:002014-05-19T08:24:10.921-04:00Good Vibrations This past weekend, Hubby and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We went to this famous semi-local restaurant/guest house for the weekend.<br />
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1. Don't call an old farmhouse from the 30s with no central heat, the smell of mildew in the air, and one bathroom so tiny you can't turn around inside it a <i style="font-weight: bold;">chalet</i>. Also: mega murder-house vibes.<br />
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Fortunately, Hubby was able to get us accommodated in one of the regular inn rooms, which did not have murder-house vibes. Also, we could turn around in the bathroom.<br />
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2. Southern food is great. I love it. However, it would be nice to have a <i>few</i> options that aren't covered in casserole, cheese, or generally fried.<br />
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Mega-expensive dinner that we barely touched---> acute gastroenteritis. Evening 1: ruined.<br />
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Eventually, we recovered enough to go for a walk around the grounds. The ground are very pretty, I'll give them that.<br />
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3. Don't expect breakfast to be any better.<br />
It wasn't.<br />
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The trip was, however, salvaged by an epic game of <a href="http://www.cryptozoic.com/games/dc-comics-deck-building-game-heroes-unite">DC Comics Deck Builder</a>, in which we mixed both games into one ultimate showdown. (I lost.) Also, on Day 2, we went to a very nice country club in the mountains and had a phenomenal massage. Before that, we hiked by the Coleman River and it was lovely.<br />
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Vacations for us are always hit and miss. Maybe one day we'll have a win-win-win, and we won't know what to do with ourselves.<br />
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All of this vacationing gave me a lot of time to think. I worked on the Friday before we left, and it was... Well, it was the worst day I've ever had at my job. The <i>only </i>thing that made it not as worst as possible was the fact that no one coded on us.<br />
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So, I came home Friday night and <i>finally</i> did was Hubby has been pestering me to do for a while: I applied to a new job.<br />
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I need some good vibrations out there. I actually applied to 3 listings in the same hospital, but the one I really want is in the cardiovascular intensive care unit. This hospital is a Level II trauma center now, and totally awesome, so it would be a great move for me. Plus, it's actually <i>in the town where I live</i>, so no more 40-mile commute...<br />
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Carry on!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-65952745864427971212014-04-22T12:14:00.001-04:002014-04-22T12:14:37.517-04:00It's Dusty In Here. Hey blog. Feeling neglected? It's okay. You'll get over it.<br />
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I thought I'd keep on the roll of the every-four-months blog post. Because, why not?<br />
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Things are good. I've been an RN for almost a year now, shy of a few weeks. It's pretty awesome, though it consumes 99% of my life.<br />
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Highlights are the patient whom I bonded with over urban fantasy novels, all the nursing students I've worked with, the preceptoring I've done, and all the shit I've learned.<br />
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I'm getting a promotion in May. I'll be the charge nurse on one rotation. Scary, exciting, good opportunity.<br />
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I'm through my first semester of grad school. I'm in the Nurse Educator program now. Turns out I <i>was</i> supposed to be a teacher--just not an English teacher! Between grad school and work, my life is very, very boring and all about nursing, all the time.<br />
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I write maybe once every 2-3 weeks. Nonetheless, I'm almost done on my last revision of The Book. The book that still needs a title.<br />
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Health is better. Veganism suits me, I'm running regularly again, and I only twist my ankles every other day at work. I fell trying to get into the house from the garage two days ago, and I lay on the concrete ground thinking, "this is what it's like to be old."<br />
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I'm going to have to change the blog name soon...<br />
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Oh, did I mention I got a new house? It snowed on us in Georgia. A LOT. I got stuck at the hospital for days....<br />
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But the dog loved it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with Dog Dad. Total snow accumulation was about 9 inches.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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And that, webby friends, is that. Life is monotonous, but good. It's that time when you talk to someone every six months and can genuinely say, "Nothing has changed."<br />
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And that ain't so bad.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-57567475502721837962014-01-01T12:25:00.001-05:002014-01-01T12:25:37.670-05:00Auld Acquaintance2013.<br />
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Quite the year.<br />
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I worked on December 31st. We had 4 codes in my 12 hour shift. The night before, 2. The day before, 3. The day before that, 5.<br />
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Not sure what that means. Maybe it's a new moon/full moon. Maybe people want to die at the end of the year? Probably it's nothing, but it gives me a strange feeling going into the new year.<br />
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I became a nurse in 2013. There's a magnificent road ahead of me, but I have already come incredibly far. Sadly, at the expense of many other things. Some of those things I'm slowly regaining, but some of them I'm afraid will be changed forever.<br />
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I'm a bad internet friend. I can't even apologize for that, really. My personal and professional life is very fulfilling. I still care, I still think about, and I still Facebook. Not sure I can do much more.<br />
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I bought a new house. I'm a landlord now.<br />
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I start graduate school in 5 days.<br />
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I only wrote one novel, and I still haven't finished editing/polishing it. Not sure when/if I'll be able to, but I want to try.<br />
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My running suffered greatly, as did my health. That is changing thanks to switching back to day shift from nights.<br />
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I don't know. 2013 was a fast year for me. No one close to me died, which is more than I can say for the two years before that. But I saw more death than I ever have, and I've come to believe in some things I never thought I would.<br />
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2014 has new things in store for me professionally, personally, and financially. I'm not going to do resolutions this year. I don't need a new date to change.<br />
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Somewhat gloomily,<br />
SSummer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-67154768290033599852013-10-22T09:12:00.000-04:002013-10-22T09:12:05.793-04:00That NaNo Time of YearAnd with it brings everyone's favorite stalking thread: <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/forums/all-ages-coffee-house/threads/119948?page=1">Show Your Space</a><br />
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So I am. Here's where the last two books have happened:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The office. </td></tr>
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I share my office with hubby, whose desk is off to the right. I just noticed that my cable situation seems to be out of control. I should probably bind all that up. Or not.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The assistant. </td></tr>
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Whose dog sleeps on two beds at once? My dog. The more pillows, the better...Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-66276622356334872332013-09-15T03:19:00.002-04:002013-09-15T03:27:46.264-04:00Random Things I've Learned About WritingThat's right, a post <i>not</i> about being a nurse! My needles and nitrile gloves are safely put away for this one.<br />
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Right now I'm doing revisions/edits on my sixth novel. I've also been pretty sick recently, and also trying to keep myself on a less slingshot schedule, which equals me awake at night, thinking deep thoughts and exploring the bowels of the internet.<br />
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I'm not an expert at writing. I don't think anyone is, truly. We all hack it out the best we can, learn from our mistakes, glean information from others, and try to cram it all into our little addled writer-brains so the next glut of word vomit might be slightly more palatable than the last time. Like throwing up mashed potatoes instead of Taco Bell*.<br />
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Here are some things I've figured out:<br />
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1) You <b>can</b> finish a novel. It's not easy. It takes mountains of faith in yourself, in the process. Dedication, determination, and most of all, time. From the day I started penning (literally penning--I didn't start writing on a computer until much later) "stories," it was 15 years until I finished my first novel. Guess what? That was three years ago. Since then, I've written 5 more. That's almost 2 novels per year, including while I was in nursing school and also my first year as a nurse. Which leads to...<br />
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2) It gets easier with practice. Savor the feeling of finishing your first novel. You won't ever capture that same feeling. I didn't, anyway. When I finished the second, I was more like, "well, duh." The reactions have dulled for each subsequent book. But the "writing of a novel" is no longer a mythical beast. It's a given. You know that, like a math problem, if you add x and y (words and time), you will = novel.<br />
Since I finished my first novel, I have only given up on one since then. And it was a NaNoWriMo project, so I don't really count it.<br />
The more you write, the more you learn about yourself. You learn your process. You learn how much time you have to spend lying on your office floor with your feet propped on the wall, rubbing your dog's ears, to untangle a plot problem. You also may learn that the fastest way to end writer's block is to shave your legs (or maybe that's just me). You get a feel for the cadence of your own voice. For instance, once I'm about 10-15k into an idea, I already have a rough forecast for the completed wordcount. So far, I've been within 2-5k of that projection.<br />
What's good about this is that you can therefore accurately plan your writing schedule. Say you can, 99% of the time, write 2-3k in one sitting of a novelling day. Well, because you know your usual style of plotting and pacing, you know that 2-3k is going to be, roughly, one chapter. If you can devote 3 days per week to that writing, and you estimate your novel is going to come in around 90k, that's roughly 3 months, give or take some extra writing flurry days as you near the end.<br />
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3) At various points in your current project, you are going to feel like a genius and a hack. And honestly, as long as you can be objective and you have extra eyes reading your MS who are also objective--and you listen to their feedback--it's okay to spend more time feeling like a genius than a hack. There's plenty of time to feel like a hack. You'll probably feel like a hack for the entirety of your writing career, at some point or another. I feel like a pretend nurse at my job all the time, and I have the degree, the license, and the letters after my name to prove otherwise. Feeling like a hack is human nature. When do you ever "feel" like an adult? You don't. Simple enough.<br />
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4) The time to throw yourself off your own pedestal is during revisions. You may be fortunate enough to ejaculate decent rough drafts. Good for you. Pat yourself on your back, then go ahead and use a little extra force to throw yourself into the dirt. Dirt is where you belong. Because now is the time for gritty. Repeat after me: <b>everything can be changed and probably should.</b> Okay, so that's some hyperbole. Maybe you're a talented plotter, and truth be told, your first draft is only as holey as baby swiss instead of a fishnet stocking. Congratulations. Everyone has a special talent as a writer. Believe it. The point of revision is to look past your special talent at all the stuff you're not so special at. That's where the work comes in. That's where you need to really sweat. If you're lucky enough to have someone in your life who has a real brain for plots, <b>use them.</b><i> </i>It's going to hurt. Believe me, it's going to hurt. Especially if that someone happens to be your spouse. But guess what? They're objective. They're smart. And they didn't write the thing, so they couldn't care less if you meticulously crafted that one sentence that throws the entire plot on its ear. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. <b>Listen.</b> And if you <i>are</i> married to that person, it's okay to occasionally remind them that hey, you are married and hey, it's okay if you wanna sometimes maybe say some nice stuff too, okay? Go ahead and work on your dedication, and make sure that person, whomever they may be, is the star. You may be capable of solving many of your own problems, but chances are you wouldn't have had some of those problems in the first place if you could solve them on your own. Know what I'm saying?<br />
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5) Research agents with care. I mean this in two ways. 1) the obvious. Don't throw your query to the wind. More important, 2) Don't put the cart ahead of the horse. In this case, don't put the agent ahead of the novel. It's easy, and very tempting, to get carried away when you're somewhere around the 75% complete stage. You may think that's a good time to start grooming your agent list, making your fancy Excel spreadsheets, and stalking their Twitter feeds. And sure, doing this in <b>moderation</b> is fine. You're excited about your book. It's only natural to let yourself daydream, because at this point <i>that is what you are doing.</i> Your book is <b>not ready.</b> 75 percent? <b>NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.</b> In nursing school, 75% is a failure. Would you want your surgeon to repair only 75% of your abdominal aortic aneurysm? Of course not. So why would you want to believe that your 75% book is ready to be seen by the world?<br />
This is the hardest part. Writing the book was not the hardest part. Revising is not the hardest part.<br />
The hardest part is being honest with yourself about your book's readiness. A lot is objective. The most important part is subjective. And we, as greedy writers with shiny book covers in our eyes, are more biased on our books than pretty much anything else in the world. <i>And that's a good thing.</i> If you don't think your book is the most shiny, beautiful dadgum manuscript to ever wend its way into the querysphere, then chances are things may not end so well for you.<br />
Don't be premature.<br />
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Read all the archives of <a href="http://queryshark.blogspot.com/">Query Shark</a>. Seriously. It won't take very long, if you're a dedicated stalker of information. Absorb the advice. Go elsewhere on the internet and do the same. Do <b>all of this</b> <i>after</i> your book is "finished." Maybe while it's in the hands of beta readers/critique partners. That's a pretty good time. Even better, do it after you've revised it from their feedback, after you've given it the spitshine and are rabid to begain to query. Chances are, you'll get lots of good advice in your internet searching that not only applies to your query letter, but applies to your MS too. Nothing is worse than hitting send, then going "oh wait!"<br />
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This is a long blog post. None of this advice is new. And most of it is aimed directly in the mirror. Especially the last bits.<br />
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Go forth, fellow writers. And get a cat.<br />
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* This disgusting metaphor brought to you by my Thursday night. Except it <i>was</i> Taco Bell.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-23176614365347748112013-09-03T08:55:00.003-04:002013-09-03T08:55:54.963-04:00Not So Much. Before I started my professional nursing career, I was scared of many things. Two major things pre-nurses are often scared of, me included, are:<br />
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1) The thought of phoning the on-call hospitalist at 2am to ask for something, especially something like Benadryl or a stool softener.<br />
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2) Very unruly patients.<br />
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Turns out--not so much.<br />
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Now that I've been working nights for a few months, I've pretty well gotten over my fear of #1--at least, depending on which doctor is on-call. Some are nicer about it than others, but none are allowed to be nasty to the nurses because we called--too many HR meetings about that. I mean, it <i>is</i> their job and all.<br />
<br />
<br />
As for the second, well, I got a little more experience in that then I'd wished this Labor Day weekend. My patients included a state prisoner and a woman almost 100 years old. Which one was meaner? Good question. One of them tried to bite me on four different occasions. One accused me of "putting dope" in her IV. One tried to kick me in the head--twice.<br />
<br />
Turns out, there's a Big Bad Bitch Nurse (TM) living inside me. That nursing student never would have thought I could go head-to-head with someone in handcuffs and come out victorious--then get teased by my coworkers for the rest of the night that I should be a prison guard. The nicely-raised Southern girl never would have thought I'd shout at a centenarian for "being ugly."<br />
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Did I enjoy any of this? Absolutely not.<br />
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Am I proud of myself for authoritatively handling two difficult situations without letting anyone get hurt, protecting the hospital, and making the best decisions for the patients? Absolutely.<br />
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<br />
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If anyone needs me, I'll be over here, practicing my sleeper holds...Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-60737719883225623972013-07-29T14:08:00.001-04:002013-07-29T14:08:14.700-04:00In Which I Make Grown-Up Decisions. So a few things happened this week:<br />
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1) I got a Keurig. Finally. It's red. I like.<br />
<br />
2) I got noise-cancelling headphones. For the writing and listening of too-loud music.<br />
<br />
3) I withdrew from my RN-BSN program and am now in the process of searching for potential grad schools for a MSN in Health Systems Leadership. I've made a tenuous career plan, y'all. It's weird and scary and exciting. Currently, my top two picks are Vanderbilt and Duke Universities. I'm taking the GRE in 2 weeks.<br />
<br />
This is real.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-29191972216874061632013-07-01T12:54:00.001-04:002013-07-01T12:54:14.547-04:00Learning humility. There are a lot of jokes about nurses, considering that the kind of work we do often involves bodily processes and orifices that don't make for good dinner conversation (except in my opinion.)<br />
<br />
What you don't hear so much about, at least not from outside the circle of nursing, is the great lessons in humility you experience day after day, sometimes every hour of your shift.<br />
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My job is in a very rural area, serving close to a 100,000 people who have spent generations living on conventional wisdom. Often that leads to poor health choices, low compliance with prescribed health regimens, and equals frustration for all members of the health care team. When I took this job, very aware of the area in which I'd be working (an area I grew up in), I was afraid. Afraid that I would lack compassion. Afraid that I wouldn't be able to see past the disease process, past the poor choices and unfortunate events leading to this person lying in the bed in front of me. Afraid that my middle-class, highly-educated judgment would get in the way of the empathy integral to the heart of nursing.<br />
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I'm grateful, and humbled, to say that I was wrong.<br />
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Do I still feel frustrated when I see people out in the community making poor health choices? When I see parents chain-smoking in the car with their children? Absolutely.<br />
<br />
But when I've had substance abusers overdosed and diabetics losing another portion of their foot, I'm finding that the compassion I thought I would struggle to find is eager to come to me, eager to show my patients that it doesn't matter how many times they've misstepped or screwed up, there is always a chance, a hope for a new beginning.<br />
<br />
The humility is everywhere. When I enter a patient's room at 1am and find their loved one quietly sobbing in the corner. When a proud diabetic admits they don't understand their disease, but they're finally ready to. When the bereaved spouse of a marriage older than my parents graciously bids farewell to their partner.<br />
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I grab this humility and I hold it close. Nursing is a profession where it's easy to become jaded, where patients stop being people and start becoming just another <i>insert diagnosis here.</i><br />
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I don't want that.<br />
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So in the still of the night, when the darkness is forgiving and offers a screen of protection for pride, when patients and families are at their most vulnerable, I stop and I listen and I feel. And then I do my best, day after day, hour after hour, to remember.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-47593122641071227662013-06-13T09:18:00.002-04:002013-06-13T09:18:58.262-04:00Getting in the Write frame of mind...Now that the major stress of nursing school is behind me, I'm trying to find my way through the new stress of a new job, a new career, and the sometimes seemingly-impossible challenge of being a new nurse. Most of all, I'm desperate to get back into a routine that allows for both working (and working extra), and still spending time on doing the things I love, like writing and running.<br />
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The running part is proving more difficult (spending 13+ hours on my feet doesn't incline me to want to run the next morning), but the writing part I'm hoping to get back on track soon.<br />
<br />
Enter...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpl52MwwQMY/UbnF6l9Z-II/AAAAAAAABw4/uaHToU9gyAk/s1600/WRiTE+Club+8s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpl52MwwQMY/UbnF6l9Z-II/AAAAAAAABw4/uaHToU9gyAk/s320/WRiTE+Club+8s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A lot of people in the writing/blogging world know <a href="http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/">DL Hammons</a>. I had the distinct pleasure of having breakfast with him and his lovely wife a couple years ago, when they were in town for a football game. DL has been hosting <a href="http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-club-2013-submissions-open_3.html">WRiTE Club</a> for 2 years, this being the third.<br />
<br />
WRiTE Club is a fun, simple, head-to-head weekly challenge between anonymous pieces of 500 word fiction, judged by the readers.<br />
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And there's an ultimate prize!<br />
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I think I'm throwing my hat into the ring this year.<br />
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<a href="http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-club-2013-submissions-open_3.html">Why not give it a bout? </a>Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-11533849803031482912013-05-30T05:30:00.003-04:002013-05-30T05:30:50.365-04:00It's Official Again. I passed my boards.<br />
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I'm a Registered Nurse!<br />
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Seems like just yesterday I started this whole journey, doesn't it? And now this morning I'll be going to HR to trade my badge in for one with "RN" under my name.<br />
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Crazy, crazy. But happy!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-80081436935632874032013-05-01T15:12:00.003-04:002013-05-01T15:12:43.420-04:00It's Official I'm done with nursing school, y'all.<br />
<br />
It took 2 years and moving <i>backward</i> in degrees, but I finally have letters after my name!<br />
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Now someone came in while I was busy studying and made my house <i>really </i>dirty. I need to get on that, stat.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-74806866800173459222013-04-18T08:48:00.001-04:002013-04-18T08:48:57.932-04:00First day vs. last dayYesterday was the last day of class for my R.N. program. I'd love to say we were all feeling surreal and full of respect for the major accomplishment we're about to complete, but the lecture was on genitalia and at one point the professor definitely drew a penis on the powerpoint, so you can just imagine. Also, we had an exam first thing and we all hate everything by now, so we just want to be DONE.<br />
<br />
I went back and found the post I wrote on my first week of school. I will now reflect on it:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"> "Homework" [as an English major] consisted of reading the text and being prepared to analyze and discuss during class. I grew tremendously as a writer during those years, both academic and non-academic, and I learned to think critically and analyze anything written. Those are skills.</span><br />
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<b>Still having to read and think critically, but in a far more important way now than I ever did then. </b><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">But now I'm learning </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">skills</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">. As I told my brother on the phone yesterday, it's a crazy, amazing feeling to walk into class knowing nothing, and walk out 4 hours later knowing how to do</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"> things</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>I do know lots of things, but I don't really think about them anymore. They're just <i>things</i> that you have to do. Still cool, though, I guess. But a lot of the times, it's more of a pain than excitement...</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Getting CPR-certified was another eye-opener. You suddenly have this weight of responsibility--if you see someone go down, more than likely you're the only one who's going to know how to respond. That's a lot of pressure. I constantly think about giving CPR, different scenarios in which it might happen, and run through the steps over and over in my head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>Yeah, I never do this anymore. I've been re-certified twice since then and done so many mock codes that I'm blue in the face (blue, get it? Code Blue?) Fortunately, I've still yet to have to do CPR, though a friend of mine did when he was shadowing in the ICU one day. Does it scare me? I mean, in a way, but mostly I know it's just something that must be done. </b></span></span><br />
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<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">This weekend I have to write a paper about Why I Chose Nursing/What Nursing Means to Me. I have so many feelings about this subject, some of which I'm not sure belong in that paper. Such as: I like </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">knowing</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"> things. I like having facts in my head like secrets the rest of the world doesn't know. When someone asks a question, I like to know the answer.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>HA. I don't remember what that's like. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"> I like being asked for an opinion because I'm the most qualified to answer.</span><br />
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<b>False! I am now my family's substitute for proper medical care, and even though I always start by saying GO TO A FREAKING DOCTOR, they still prefer my opinion. I do manage to fit in GO TO A DOCTOR about ten times per conversation, though. </b><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Anatomy and Physiology makes me giddy. I'm going to know the name and function of every part of your body. It's like a secret language, an In club that only certain people are part of.</span><br />
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<b>Yeah, I lost my membership to that club. Know the name and function of every body part? HAHAHAHAHA. </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">It's amazing.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><br /><b>Okay, that's still true. </b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Also, we're going to have a cadaver lab in mid-October and I am </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">so excited.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>That was totally awesome, I do admit. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">So am I a bitter old almost-RN now? No...but yes. And I haven't even started my career! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Happy trails! I have 2 weeks, 2 finals, and 6 standardized tests, and then I'm outtie! </span></span>Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-86212460747786875622013-04-11T06:50:00.000-04:002013-04-11T06:50:18.036-04:00The post I've been waiting for. I made an unspoken agreement with myself not to post again until I had something worth sharing, and I'm pleased to announce that I do. If you're Facebook friends with me, then you already know, but hey:<br />
<br />
I got an RN job!<br />
<br />
Phone interview last week, went in yesterday and already had the position before I walked in, basically.<br />
<br />
I'll be working at a rural hospital on a general med-surg unit. Basically, this means that I'm going to have to get my A-game from the start, since there won't be as much hand-holding for me as there would be at a bigger hospital. I'll be working quite a bit, but hubby and I are thrilled at the prospect of increasing our income by about 120%.<br />
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I'll start out as a nursing assistant, basically to help start orientation to the unit, and then as soon as I pass boards and my license number can be seen online, I'll switch over to the RN role!<br />
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So much pressure relieved. Now I just have 8 final exams and that pesky board exam to pass...Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-16088484580507194172013-03-25T20:27:00.000-04:002013-03-25T20:28:25.938-04:00times flies when you're...busy?So it's been a month since my last post. I'd love to say that so many things have changed, that I have exciting news, etc, but unfortunately I'm currently playing the waiting game.<br />
<br />
I have 5 weeks until my pinning (graduation) ceremony. Last week was my spring break, which I spent responsibly by finishing all the papers and care plans and case studies left for the semester. It was rough, but I'm so glad I did it, because guess what? Now it's done.<br />
<br />
So I have 2 regular exams and 3 quizzes before finals. Then we have the comprehensive finals from the supplemental textbook company we use, plus a comprehensive-comprehensive final that will cover the entire program. The latter is supposed to determine our readiness to pass state boards.<br />
<br />
I've had a job interview and am currently awaiting results. I'm torn on whether I want the job or not. A few more job-related things are in the works, but the hospitals aren't getting around to their new grads until end of April, maybe beginning of May.<br />
<br />
So I wait.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, my writing life is whizzing along. Current WIP is so much fun to write; I think it's my favorite thing I've written to date. It's also turning out to be surprisingly short, mostly due to the extremely quick pace (I think). I'm guessing this one's going to ring the bell around 70k. My last 2 novels were just a little shy of 100k each...<br />
<br />
My puppy got to swim for the first time last weekend. It was adorable.<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
How are you?Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-38509697176767733202013-02-26T21:57:00.003-05:002013-02-26T21:57:29.243-05:00when it's good to look backI sat down to start on chapter 14 of my current novel-in-progress, but as I was changing the font to Times New Roman, I thought <i>I haven't looked over some of this earlier stuff in a while.</i><br />
<br />
So then I sat down and read chapters 1-12.<br />
<br />
A lot of folks don't believe in going back during the rough drafting stage. I'm not one. If I leave off in the middle of a chapter, I always read over the chapter before starting the new stuff, mostly so I can get back in the rhythm of things.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I read through tonight, because it's already been 2 months for the writing of these 13 chapters. Funny how easy you the author can forget stuff that you wrote.<br />
<br />
For me, it was a good reminder of the current actual reading pace of the book, and not the writing pace. Now that I'm sitting at 36k words and eyeing the middle ground, it's imperative to know where I'm heading next in the journey towards the climax. This book, more than any other I've written, is <i>go!</i> from chapter 3 onward, so it was good to read through all that again and remind myself where my MC is at in her arc, where I can start pulling up some sub-plots, and where I can slow a little to let some development happen.<br />
<br />
I usually have a very good idea of how long my book is going to be, almost within a thousand words. This one I'm not so sure about, but I'm pretty certain it's going to be shorter--probably in the 70's and maybe early 80's. Hence, even more important to refresh on the old stuff, since technically I could be getting close to the novel's middle already.<br />
<br />
It would be nice to have a little recap available for myself, like they do on TV shows--someone to give me a highlight reel of what I'm going to concentrate on for the next chapter, along with some great music to pump me up. Someone should work on that...Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-14377435745669203382013-02-12T07:55:00.001-05:002013-02-12T07:55:07.963-05:00Week in Review (week 11?) Really only 11 weeks left? Surely that's not right... Nope, I just counted on my calendar and IT IS RIGHT!<br />
<br />
Eleven weeks until I'm done with nursing school! (This round, anyway. There's advanced degreeing in my near future. Just waiting on my acceptance letter.)<br />
<br />
The past week has been fairly uneventful. School is settling into the gentle slog phase, where it seems like you have class every time you turn around, despite it being only once a week. This is how nursing school warps time. And once the exams start (they have), it goes by even faster.<br />
<br />
Still enjoying my OB rotation far more than I thought I would. I witnessed two C-Sections yesterday. Still haven't seen a natural birth, but my chance for that is coming soon. I'm also getting much better at assessing the heart rate and respirations of a newborn. The first one I did was in respiratory distress, so his rate was in the 80's. It threw me off so much I thought I'd miscounted, but the nurse confirmed it for me. Crazy times!<br />
<br />
Cross your fingers for me on the job front. I've been selected to a meet & greet for a nurse residency program at a nearby hospital, which is step 1. I also emailed my nurse manager from my nurse extern program last summer, and her response was very positive. Hope beyond hope is that I'll have multiple job offers and will actually have to make a decision! Which will be really tough, especially since I feel a strong sense of loyalty to the people from my extern program.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I don't want to get ahead of myself there, but I'm excited to see some things happening.<br />
<br />
I hope you all are doing well! Next week's review may be more interesting. This Saturday I'm meeting up with a bunch of Atlanta-area writers at a pub... last time we had fun shenanigans, and I anticipate it only being better this time...Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-51839850051001208052013-02-04T07:06:00.001-05:002013-02-04T07:06:15.176-05:00Week in Review (week 12)85 days until I'm finished with school! Not that anyone is counting.<br />
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Nothing too majorly exciting happened since my last post. The puppy is phenomenal, very smart and sweet. She already has an arsenal of tricks and walks on the leash like a champ.<br />
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Hit 30k on my WIP this morning. Starting to enter that murky middle-ground territory where I have to keep reminding myself it's a first draft and it's okay if events aren't perfect this time around.<br />
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I've been reading Stacia Kane's <i>Downside Ghosts</i> series recently. It's urban fantasy, but completely unique and wonderful. I'm seriously addicted. The first three books are really cheap for Kindle right now. If you want to read some masterful world-building and voice, do yourself a favor and buy.<br />
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Hubby and I started watching American Horror Story. I'm a huge weenie with scary things, but now we're more intrigued by the story and our wild speculations as to what's happening/happened that the scary stuff is just something to get through for the plot.<br />
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I'm going to a birthing class tonight. Hold me.<br />
<br />
And tomorrow I'm doing half my hours for service learning (community service). I'm teaching for half an hour on "general health." What a topic! I spent about 8 hours writing material and putting together a tri-fold board. I have so much to print for handouts that I'm going to have to go to the college, because my printer won't handle it. I'm nervous, but excited. I won't say what type of facility I'm going to, for privacy's sake, but it's something close to my heart.<br />
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Happy February!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripley hanging out with her Scottish Terrier friend. </td></tr>
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<br />Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-15560545640748714902013-01-29T07:46:00.000-05:002013-01-29T07:46:40.243-05:00Week in Review (Week 13)Things that have happened:<br />
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1. Passed the 25k mark on my WIP.<br />
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2. Really enjoyed the newborn transition rotation & I saw a cesarean section. I gave a one-hour-old baby vaccines and I bathed him. Awesome! I guess I have a hard heart (not) because I didn't mind giving a baby a shot. Not one bit.<br />
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3. Making some strides on the future job hunt.<br />
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4. Hubby and I got a puppy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripley</td></tr>
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<br />Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-46120424552044791732013-01-15T08:45:00.001-05:002013-01-15T08:45:13.973-05:00Week in Review (Week 15)15 weeks until I'm a registered nurse!<br />
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What's been happening this week?<br />
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Well, I've started back to class fully. I had a long, adventurous day in Atlanta for my pediatric clinical orientation. I think it's going to be interesting, and my clinical instructor seems awesome.<br />
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Yesterday, I was traumatized all day by my obstetrics orientation. Including a still-frame slideshow of a live birth. It was amusing, watching the groups of students go in and out of the different stations. Amidst the smiles were a few faces of horror and despair (including my own). Fortunately, my OB clinical is 12 hours, so I only have to go 6 times this semester!<br />
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The job hunt is gearing up. I try not to think about it too often (what a joke), because it stresses me out worse than anything school-related. They advise graduating nurses to start applying in early February. It's a weird thought to be applying for something that requires licensure, knowing you won't have the opportunity to obtain that licensure for 3-5 more months. But I'm tinkering with my resume and making a bookmark list of all the hospitals in the area I'm interested in and trying to think of my answers to potential interview questions.<br />
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Getting up early to write is going well! My progress on the current book is surprising. The story seems to be just falling into place, with me only having to think about the details.<br />
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Current wordcount: 18,915<br />
Current weather: rainy<br />
Current music: Yoshida Brothers Pandora station<br />
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How has <b>your</b> week been? Tell me!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-29933413311385093342013-01-09T06:26:00.002-05:002013-01-09T06:26:20.265-05:00For Love of the GameIsn't that a movie? I'm sure Hubby would know it instantly--not just the title, but all the actors and the entire plot. He's good like that.<br />
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So today is my first day back to class. And even though it's my last semester of nursing school and I'll be free soon enough, I made a personal goal to try to work on my writing more during school. Since reading/studying takes up pretty much all my time during the day, and I try to at least <i>look </i>at Hubby during the evenings, I concluded that I have but one option for finding writing time: <b>get up early</b>.<br />
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Oh, it pains me! I've decided that on non-clinical days (T, W, Th), I will get up at <b>5:00am</b> and write for either an hour or until it's time for the day. I already have to get up at 4:00am for clinical days, so this really is just keeping me in the habit, I suppose. I do love my sleep, but sacrifice is necessary for all things.<br />
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This morning I got up at 5:30 and managed to write almost 600 words in 45 minutes. I'm happy with that. And now I won't feel the lingering guilt and desire to write in the evenings instead of doing stuff with Hubby.<br />
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Win-win. Right?<br />
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Let's hope so.<br />
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As for this semester, my classes are officially titled "Care of the Maternal/Child Client" and "Care of the Pediatric Client." So, you know, pregnancy, babies, and kids.<br />
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*sigh*<br />
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We'll see, folks.Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-37686788266196803212013-01-04T09:35:00.000-05:002013-01-04T09:35:47.634-05:00Getting off on the wrong foot. Literally.<br />
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So far, the year 2013 isn't being so nice to hubby and me. Hopefully this is some negativity hitting us early, so the rest of the year will open up to great things like raises and jobs and all that jazz.<br />
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1. On New Year's Eve, while displaying my Kinect Adventures jumping prowess to assembled friends, I landed wrong on my foot and sprained my ankle/bruised the 5th metatarsal. So I haven't gone running once this new year.<br />
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2. On January 1, we discovered that a car problem we thought was resolved is, in fact, <i>not.</i><br />
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3. On January 2, I had to argue with my university for the rest of my loan money to cover my last semester of school. (Granted, that worked out fine, but it pissed me off really supremely, thus making it a bad day.)<br />
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4. On January 3, I finally made a dentist appointment to see what is up with this jaw pain I've been having. Turns out, I somehow have an abscessed molar and will need both a root canal and a crown in the next few weeks. Even better, my dental insurance covers less than half the cost of the procedure, meaning hubby and I will be paying some big bucks out of pocket.<br />
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Now, believe me, I do see some silver linings. For instance, I've been turning my ankle a little every time I trail run, so I'm not surprised it gave so easily. I'm grateful it didn't break while I was running.<br />
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As far as my loan money goes, it <i>did</i> go through, as I said. And I feel bad for being a little sharp with the student worker I was talking with, but he was very wrong in his information. Later that evening, hubby and I went to Bonefish Grill for dinner on a gift card from his boss, had an excellent meal, and left a huge tip for our nice server after talking with her about the horrible serving jobs we've had in the past. That felt good.<br />
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For my tooth...well, I have been in a lot of pain. Obviously, an abscess isn't something you want to let stay. So it's good that they found it, and it's good that it'll be removed. I'm grateful that I have insurance that's paying at least a chunk of the bill, so we don't have to pay the whole thing. I'm grateful that they have crowns and such, and they don't just have to pull out my tooth. Yikes. And the dentist said other than the mysterious abscess, I have really health teeth (I swear, that tooth isn't all bajanked and rotten. There seems to be nothing wrong with it at all, but the dentist thinks it may have been too late for the root when I got my filling 2 years ago).<br />
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But in good news, I'm making fantastic progress on my new WIP. I'm on such a downhill slide toward graduation that I'm kinda scared. And I have my best friend and life partner holding my hand through all these tribulations.<br />
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Happy new year, folks! I hope yours is getting off to a good start. :)<br />
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Look at this picture of my fat cat:<br />
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<br />Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-57833385743337986812012-12-31T09:25:00.003-05:002012-12-31T09:25:54.369-05:00The year. Time for that customary year-in-review post.<br />
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2012 was, in all, a pretty great year.<br />
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Some highlights:<br />
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1) Finished 3/4 of nursing school with a 3.9 GPA.<br />
2) Worked as a nurse extern at my #1 choice hospital, where hopefully I paved a foundation for a job after graduation.<br />
3) Started running seriously, and consequently ran my first half-marathon in October.<br />
4) Finished my 5th novel, which I queried for a while before setting it aside due to school. Learned a lot.<br />
5) Finally convinced Hubby that we're getting a dog after I graduate. :)<br />
6) One of my best friends moved back within an hour visiting distance.<br />
7) Possibly discovered where I want my nursing career to begin and flourish (critical care).<br />
8) This one is a mixed bag, but I lost my grandmother in March. She was only 69 years old, but she'd been in an off-and-on fight with breast cancer for many years. We all hated for her to leave us, but I like to think she's at peace now, with my grandfather who passed in 2010. Her death was the catalyst for my dedication to running, which I began the day after she passed.<br />
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Our health is a gift and the only thing we can truly control is what we choose to do with it. At the hospital, I see people who have chosen to squander and abuse themselves, and others who treated their lives and bodies with respect, but still suffered from uncontrollable disease. It may be easy to leave things to Fate or chance or luck, but I believe that improving your own odds is the best gamble to take, and it makes your life much more enjoyable in the meantime.<br />
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If you're considering weight loss or health living New Year's resolutions, let me just urge you to make sure you do your research thoroughly on what avenue to approach. Personally, I believe in eating wholely, within proper portion and calorie/carb/fat/protein/fiber ratios, and exercising. They really do go hand-in-hand. Also remember that any commitment worth pursuing is going to require hard work and dedication. There will be bad days. Don't let them derail any of your success. One bad day isn't going to undo all the previous good days. Start slow and build up. Don't expect phenomenal results in weeks. Our bodies just don't work that way, and you should be thankful for it. The body is an amazing machine. Remember that.<br />
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*steps off soapbox*<br />
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Most of all, I hope you and I both find or continue to enjoy true happiness and contentment in the year 2013. I usually set a few resolutions for myself, and this year will be no different, though they may be shorter:<br />
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1) Finish my last semester of nursing school with a 4.0<br />
2) Find a job.<br />
3) Finish my current WIP.<br />
4) Be able to do 20 regular-style pushups by the end of the year (what? I have to be strong!)<br />
5) Hubby doesn't know this yet, but I'm going to try to convert 4/7 of our meals per week to vegetarian or vegan. We do pretty well already, but sometimes I let him talk me into throwing in some chicken. He won't be thrilled about this, but I think it's for the best.<br />
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If you're celebrating tonight, I hope you have fun, reflect well, and ring in the new year in the manner that best suits you! I know I will be!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198218062395273015.post-28907889653861719682012-12-14T09:43:00.002-05:002012-12-14T09:43:39.906-05:00Ends, Beginnings, and all the In-BetweenHi Friends.<br />
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For exactly 10 days, this blog was deleted. I downloaded its contents first, of course--can't be <i>that</i> hasty. I've also deleted my Twitter account, which won't be getting rebooted.<br />
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Why?<br />
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Because these things were stressing me out. And it's okay. It's okay to admit that seeing other people either constantly promoting their or their friends' successes grates on you when you're not in the place to be working toward that yourself. It's okay to admit that seeing just one more pithy, self-indulgent tweet from an agent is going to make you shoot a hole in your computer screen (though I wouldn't recommend it.) And it's okay to admit that you may not be sure how to remove yourself from these stressors.<br />
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But this blog has brought me a lot of joy over these past almost 3 years. I've met new friends and acquaintances, some who have become very dear friends in real life. I've learned a lot about writing and publishing, some which I wish I could forget. And I've learned a lot about myself, and how I feel interacting through this type of public forum, and what sorts of things I feel compelled to blog about. Just count yourselves lucky I'm restraining from most of what I want to say concerning your health, because I can go on for hours about that (sorry, hubby).<br />
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Anyway. Just wanted to get that off my chest. I know I'm not alone--so many people talk about feeling burned out, but there's not much talk about what you can do about it when terribly long hiatuses don't do a thing. And it's all well and good to <i>say</i> you're not going to worry about it, but if you're anything like me, that's just a waste of hot air. I'm the kind of person who holds on to things and nibbles at them worryingly for many years. It doesn't matter how hard try to "let go"--because believe me, I do try--I can't shake the thoughts and obsessions. I won't get much deeper into that, because you don't want to hear me regurgitate an entire semester's worth of self-insight I gained from my psychiatric rotation, but let me say I have gained a lot.<br />
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So. I'm not okay, but I'm not going anywhere.<br />
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Here's a picture of my cats:<br />
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You're welcome!Summer Freyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234534550255682010noreply@blogger.com6