Haha, I am just smiling as I prepare to write this blog. SO much stinking fun! Last Saturday, so about a week and two days ago, I went with Katie, Rebecca and Marie to the Festival of Nations in Red Lodge, Montana. It was SO good to get out of the house and being there just brought lots of joy to my heart. It was full of Cajun, Bluegrass, Scottish, and all sorts of other music. They had dancing, dancing lessons, food, and just a good atmosphere. We ate ice cream and I had a GIANT turkey leg...I felt like Nick at Disneyland because he would always order those. Now you might be wondering what this has to do with boys. Well...I was asked to dance! I know! SO fun! There is just something about being asked to dance that makes a girl's heart smile. Turns out he lives in Cody and he asked all of us to dance. Thank goodness my mom put lots of extra effort into teaching me the basic steps and how to follow, I didn't make a complete fool of myself!
So the high of having had a social life for one night in three weeks has been my upbeat food for the rest of work (I've been working nights up, which means I basically pull many consecutive all nighters and sleep during the day. Last night I got to go out at night for the first time since my surgery nearly three weeks ago. Katie and I drove to Cody and went to adoration, then a coffee shop, met Amanda, and then we all went to Walmart and the rodeo. The rodeo was such a good one! The barrel racers were actually good, two bull riders stayed on for the full eight seconds, and one of the bulls rammed a bull fighter! Two horses reared and one horse nearly fell...it was crazy!
After the rodeo we headed to the Silver Dollar, which is a bar (kind of a sketch bar, but its where the younger crowd goes). Now let me preface this with something. I never, never get hit on, boys tend to avoid me like the plague and so engaging men in conversations is kind of a scary thing for me...especially in such a foreign environment as a bar! So, Katie and Amanda got a beer and I decided to stay with water. I did receive a little trouble for my choice, but I stayed strong, no chances for me. We went outside and were talking about something when low and behold we get approached by a guy and four shots, one for each of us and him. I declined the shot and we chatted for a little while. Well, God bless him, but he was a little...well...to put it nicely...out there. So we went inside and sat next to a guy all alone. He was hilarious (and drunk), but got strange guy away for us. It was rather unfortunate that I wasn't drinking, because I believe Katie and Amanda only bought one drink the entire night (the rest were bought for them)...CRAZY! Well, John (shot man) came back and when the other two were distracted asked me if I was single. I couldn't lie! And then I got asked out on a date. It was all I could do to maintain my composure and not laugh. I kindly replied that I was enjoying the single life (which is partially true, but I was NOT interested in him). He persisted to ask me out to dinner. I kind of mumbled something while he continued with that he was leaving on Sunday for two weeks. I lied at that point and said I had work. How was I supposed to respond? Sorry to hear that? You know Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice...yeah...definitely not for me. THEN he proceeded to pursue Katie. SO NOT OKAY!
The rest of the night I ended up in a great conversation with a guy named Cody, and we ended up staying until closing time. Katie is great at bar ministry and I learned something new about my feminity and faith. I have such a great opportunity as a young (pretty good looking) female to witness to these frequent bar visitors. With Cody I found God's grace really pouring out on me (and his drunken-ness I'm sure helping him answer), but to pursue WHO he was past the walls, to see the BS, and persist beyond it, and not in a preachy way was something that has really stuck with me. I don't want to go every night, but for the first time in my life I started to see the bar environment as a place to meet new people rather than just a place where people get blankenly drunk and sleep around. And my confidence grew immensely in my own abilities to socialize in such a foreign environment. What really surprised me was that I had fun, and was comfortable, and it didn't matter if it was just us girls, or if we chatted with others. I didn't care. I must be growing up.
Oh yeah, it probably helped that we were close to the only ladies in there that night.
A few nights later we went to a bar between Belfry and Red Lodge that has pig races! Speaking of random midwest entertainment. We didn't bet, but we had fun watching the little rascals run to the finish where they were rewarded with pig weed. Yes, it does exist! We had dinner, shared our stories, and on the way home stopped at a local bar in Belfry. REALLY local, like only the locals go to. It was kind of awkward, but nice. They had a live band, and pool tables.
It was on the way home that I realized a little deeper the culture I've immersed myself in. The west is not a fantasy Hollywood-ized culture. It exists, it is real, and because the area is so remote, and I'm not sure why, but there are a LOT of alcholics here. It is sad. Don't worry, I won't be taking that route, but my heart has gone out to all these folks who just don't know any better.
So here is my start to learning bar ministry, to entering the end of tourist season and really immersing myself in the local culture of the west. Lower prices, fewer people, no more rodeos. Cheers!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Hollywood, Hospitals and Broccoli...oh my!
Two weeks have come and gone and I finally am ready to attempt to dive into "hospital stays according to Tracie." Now I don't know how many of ya'll have ever stayed in a hospital before, but it is not exactly a five star hotel and not a place that I would consider restful. They say that the best way to heal is getting lots of rest and sleep. I think I've done more healing at home then the "healing place"...strange.
Have you ever noticed in movies how comfortable patients look in hospital scenes? Well rested, mostly smiling, etc? I feel deceived that hospitals are not as pleasant as portrayed on TV. In fact they are a reason in and of themselves to stay as healthy as possible, and a great motivation to eat more vegetables, fruit and exercise more. I've always thought of hospitals as a comfortable place to rest and recover. Wrong. Since returning (and before then too I suppose, but especially since then) I've learned that rest is not necessarily staying still...one can go white water rafting, horseback riding, and hiking in one day, get home feeling completely exhausted, but rested. Vice versa, one can lay on the couch all day sitting in front of the computer, or watching movies and at the end of the day not feel rested at all. I make this point because laying in the hospital bed was not an experience I would have considered restful. First off you have the machines beeping whenever your IV bag is empty and the nurses who refuse to come fix it for at least ten minutes. Then you have the every two hours vital recording (blood pressure, temperature, etc). When you make it through the day laying there (unable to move really due to the pain) and finally try to sleep, one of the above happens, or you have to use the restroom (which is a forty five minute ordeal of humiliation). Once that is over, you finally start to close your eyes again and your foot or something falls asleep keeping you awake. Sometime around the hours of two or three am you fall asleep and at 6 am you are woken up for a blood draw. Well, the agony of the pokes forbid you to fall asleep again. If you manage to, you'll only be woken up a half hour later to try to eat jello which is disgusting anyways.
I always thought it'd be kind of fun to be a patient, to be fussed over, attentively have every need met...I learned the hard way that this is another Hollywood-ized idea. I was blessed the first day and a half with wonderful nurses who really helped me in my nausea and pain, and were quick to respond to my needs and patient in listening to my slurring and uncoherance. After that I started to feel like a nuissance. One can not fully explain the struggle of needing assistance getting to and leaving the restroom, of not being able to position yourself comfortably in bed and feeling like a burden whenever you hit that button for help. I learned a lot of humility (help in getting dressed, taking a shower, everything) those few days that felt like an eternity. I am forever grateful for the flowers, care packages and visitors that came for they alone were reprieve from my experience as a patient. I one time only experience I hope!
Moving forward, I went to my follow up appointment last week and got the A-Okay to resume a normal life. WAHOO! I am doing much better, with the wounds healing nicely. I've returned to work and am so glad to have purpose to my days again! I don't have much else to share for now related to hospitals, I'm closing this blog and leaving it all behind. To push me into post "I don't have an appendix" life I am going to share with you my very first time cooking a broccoli.
So, I've never cooked a broccoli before (as obviously stated by first time cooking a broccoli) and I bought some at the store in an attempt to eat fresher and healthier, hospital avoidance and all, :). Marie told me it was easy, just put some water in a pan, cover with a lid, let it steam, and cut off mushy part. Simple right? Lets just say I forgot to ask for how long to let it cook. So I found my own way.
1. Boil a little water.
2. Insert broccoli, cover.
3. Facebook, forget broccoli
4. Smell air, what smells good? Oh yeah!
5. Check broccoli. Is it done? Eh, few more minutes can't hurt
6. Resume facebook, forget broccoli again.
7. Smell air, what is burning? OH CRAP!
8. Look in pot, see all water gone, hear sizzling
9. Quickly toss broccoli on plate, throw pan in water
10. Sprinkle with cheese and seasoning
11. Watch movie and enjoy, relieved house is not burned.
I learn by trial and error, but it was quite good...first broccoli, next steak...maybe.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Have you ever noticed in movies how comfortable patients look in hospital scenes? Well rested, mostly smiling, etc? I feel deceived that hospitals are not as pleasant as portrayed on TV. In fact they are a reason in and of themselves to stay as healthy as possible, and a great motivation to eat more vegetables, fruit and exercise more. I've always thought of hospitals as a comfortable place to rest and recover. Wrong. Since returning (and before then too I suppose, but especially since then) I've learned that rest is not necessarily staying still...one can go white water rafting, horseback riding, and hiking in one day, get home feeling completely exhausted, but rested. Vice versa, one can lay on the couch all day sitting in front of the computer, or watching movies and at the end of the day not feel rested at all. I make this point because laying in the hospital bed was not an experience I would have considered restful. First off you have the machines beeping whenever your IV bag is empty and the nurses who refuse to come fix it for at least ten minutes. Then you have the every two hours vital recording (blood pressure, temperature, etc). When you make it through the day laying there (unable to move really due to the pain) and finally try to sleep, one of the above happens, or you have to use the restroom (which is a forty five minute ordeal of humiliation). Once that is over, you finally start to close your eyes again and your foot or something falls asleep keeping you awake. Sometime around the hours of two or three am you fall asleep and at 6 am you are woken up for a blood draw. Well, the agony of the pokes forbid you to fall asleep again. If you manage to, you'll only be woken up a half hour later to try to eat jello which is disgusting anyways.
I always thought it'd be kind of fun to be a patient, to be fussed over, attentively have every need met...I learned the hard way that this is another Hollywood-ized idea. I was blessed the first day and a half with wonderful nurses who really helped me in my nausea and pain, and were quick to respond to my needs and patient in listening to my slurring and uncoherance. After that I started to feel like a nuissance. One can not fully explain the struggle of needing assistance getting to and leaving the restroom, of not being able to position yourself comfortably in bed and feeling like a burden whenever you hit that button for help. I learned a lot of humility (help in getting dressed, taking a shower, everything) those few days that felt like an eternity. I am forever grateful for the flowers, care packages and visitors that came for they alone were reprieve from my experience as a patient. I one time only experience I hope!
Moving forward, I went to my follow up appointment last week and got the A-Okay to resume a normal life. WAHOO! I am doing much better, with the wounds healing nicely. I've returned to work and am so glad to have purpose to my days again! I don't have much else to share for now related to hospitals, I'm closing this blog and leaving it all behind. To push me into post "I don't have an appendix" life I am going to share with you my very first time cooking a broccoli.
So, I've never cooked a broccoli before (as obviously stated by first time cooking a broccoli) and I bought some at the store in an attempt to eat fresher and healthier, hospital avoidance and all, :). Marie told me it was easy, just put some water in a pan, cover with a lid, let it steam, and cut off mushy part. Simple right? Lets just say I forgot to ask for how long to let it cook. So I found my own way.
1. Boil a little water.
2. Insert broccoli, cover.
3. Facebook, forget broccoli
4. Smell air, what smells good? Oh yeah!
5. Check broccoli. Is it done? Eh, few more minutes can't hurt
6. Resume facebook, forget broccoli again.
7. Smell air, what is burning? OH CRAP!
8. Look in pot, see all water gone, hear sizzling
9. Quickly toss broccoli on plate, throw pan in water
10. Sprinkle with cheese and seasoning
11. Watch movie and enjoy, relieved house is not burned.
I learn by trial and error, but it was quite good...first broccoli, next steak...maybe.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
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