I visited someone at Parkland

tonight and it almost made me wish I had gone for a hospital internship instead of the School Nurse job. A choice has been made. I could probably go for a June 08 internship if I change my mind.

Week One - Orientation

So this week I've been going to new nurse orientation. There are about 20 in my "class". Most of them have many years of experience and this is to be their last job before retiremant. But there are also a few younger nurses. Needless to say, all have way more experience than I do. I am the only new graduate. Because of my lack of experience, I don't get my own school and clinic for at least the first six months. The BNE says I have to work with another RN. Actually I will be working with three other RNs. I will spend Monday and Tuesday at a high school, Tuesday and Wednesday at an elementary school and Friday at a different elementary school. The Friday school is the same school where I did my clinicals for my Communities class last fall. So I already know the nurse there - she's about my age and has been there for 10 years or so. I'm happy to be working with her again.

We were also trained on the school's computer system and got a benefits and retirement presentation, so I have a bunch of paperwork/red tape type things I need to sort through.

Emma Comes, Emma Goes

So Emma got home from her European trip last Sunday morning and was home for all of 2 days before taking off for Utah to visit her friend Anne for a few days. She tried to come home on Friday afternoon but a Delta cancellation ate up all of the available seats to DFW so guess what!?

Another overnight at the airport!

It may seem tacky to those who can afford a hotel, but overnighting at the airport has its advantages. First and foremost it is cheap. In fact it is free. Second, it is relatively safe, since you are on the secure side. No one is going to approach you with a gun or an appeal for spare change or anything like that. And third, there are not many people about and it is fairly quiet. You can usually find an airplane blanket or two and at the larger airports, they sometimes pull out cots or mattresses. Steve got a fold out pad from UA at Minneapolis to sleep on and we have had cots at Chicago. And last, but not least, there is the advantage of being there to stand by for that 6 AM flight. No early morning rush to the airport. And those early flights are often good for standing by since revenue passengers have been known to sleep in.

So yes, Emma got on the 6 AM flight out of Salt Lake and was home for the rest of Saturday. Sarah and Loren came over and we took some family pictures, since we will not be together again until Christmas. AND it was Stephen's birthday, so we all went out to eat which was fun. Then today Emma was off again to Minnesota. She will work for 2 more weeks at Danish Camp and then drive her car to Idaho. We expect to see her one more time before school (BYUI) starts since she is going to Disney World with Sarah and Loren in September.

We are not hosting this year -

but we got to pick up Jullyano Braga da Silva from Brazil at DFW today. Our friends, the Romneys will be his host family and they got a good one! His English is great and he is handsome and charming. Here we are at the Airport.

About Steve

Stephen just finished his 5-week summer camp counselor experience at Concordia's Hometown USA. He had a great time and, schedule permitting, will probably go back next summer. Better still, he accumulated plenty of language tutoring hours to complete his TESOL minor. However he is still recuperating from his 24+ hour wait at the Minneapolis/St Paul Airport, standing by for a flight to Dallas. He checked in at about 2 PM on Sunday and didnt get out till around 4 PM on Monday. So he joined the ranks of family members who have recently overnighted at an airport. At one point yesterday there were more than 60 people on the standby list (he was #21) and no seats available. I was convinced he wasn't going to make it. So Emma, James, Melissa and I drove up to Ikea, shopped and had a meal. And missed his call saying he got on a flight. So he had to wait a while at DFW to be picked up. Next week he will go to Utah to visit his friend Spencer and tie up loose ends.

Gainfully Employed!

This morning I signed a contract with the Dallas Independent School District. So I am officially a school nurse. They have not yet assigned me to a specific school, but orientation starts next week on the 13th. And next summer, maybe I will apply to be a camp nurse at Concordia in MN and see why Emma and Steve love it up there!

Last Minute

I still haven't sent out my E-announcements and my Lesson Schedule to my anxiously awaiting fans in the Lakewood Ward. Who am I kidding... but it still needs to be done. Preferably tonight.

Emma... almost home

So last night, which was Friday night in Denmark which is 7 hours ahead of Texas, Emma and Elle missed the 1230 am train back to Odense and had to wait an hour and a half for the 200 am train. She said she finally got to bed at about 4 am and had to get up at 730am to get the KLM connection from Billind to Amsterdam to London (LHR). She stood by for the AA flight from Heathrow to Chicago and got on it, but it was late so she missed her connection at O'Hare and is spending the night at the airport. She sounded so tired when she called. She said she didn't sleep on the plane. So now she's probably sleeping on the floor at the airport. I've done that before. In fact I did it in May in Denver. And Emma has overnighted at O'Hare before too. The trials and blessings of non-revenue travel! It's wonderful to have those privileges. It will be good to see her in the morning.

August 3, 2007

Three years ago today, my dad, Rollin T. Young died. I miss him. He was a wonderful father and a wonderful companion to my mother and a wonder person.

Sixteen years ago today, my son, Joseph C. Arnquist was stillborn. I wish I had had the opportunity to know him. It was a shock to us, since I was a week past my due date and went to the hospital in labor, not knowing that his heart had already stopped beating.

I just wanted to remember them today.

The 99 Cents Store Will be the Death of Me

I can’t resist a bargain. Even at the expense of my health. Lately I have been buying Silk Chocolate Soy Milk. It’s only 99 cents a half gallon. It costs $3.99 at Whole Foods Market. Such a deal. The problem is that I drink it. I don’t think anyone else in my house does. It’s delicious. But after I do, I go into a sugar funk which feels bad and is another indication that I am probably an undiagnosed diabetic. Then there is the Bryers Ice Cream at 99 cents for 1.75 quarts. I should probably be buying low sugar, low fat Tofutti for $5 a pint, but my goodness, who can afford that??? And then there are the Pillsbury Simply Bake Turtle Supreme Bars with Chocolate Chips, Caramel Drizzle and Walnuts. For 99 cents. Hard to resist. Where did my self discipline go? HELP!!

I Love the 99 Cents Store

There are lots of things it is good for: Decent reading glasses for 99 cents. Tomatoes, zucchini, celery, a 5 pound bag of potatoes, a package of 2 or 3 red bell peppers, a bag with 4 lovely fresh peaches.. all for 99 cents each. Canned goods are as good a buy or better than anywhere else. They haven’t had brown rice for a while, but 99 cents for 2 pounds is good. It’s a great place to get greeting cards and gift bags – 50 cents each! And I have found good deals on things like health/beauty/cleaning supplies. Right now they have a VHS copy of Quidam – a Cirque de Soliel performance. I’d buy it if we didn’t already have it! And the best thing is that it’s only 2 ½ blocks from my house. I just need to set myself some limits on the too good to be true sweets.