It's been a bit, but lots of things swimming inside my head (no not literally....this time!)

As promised - photos from the trip! Excuse the low quality of some of the photos - they were from a phone.





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Listening to: Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman

waiting for pictures

YES, I know I still haven't posted pictures from the trip - I haven't picked them up yet. So to appease you, here is one of Kate at our church tail gate party this past Sunday...another artist emerges! (oh no........) Kate is the one in the hat, that would be Leala facing the camera.

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Listening to: Joel McNeely - The Kiss
via FoxyTunes

A very smart blog from Kate

Hey Ladies,

Well Im going off on a tangent here, because this is something I feel very strongly about!
Alright so first off lets get the reason behind this little chat: I was sitting in study hall and the two girls on both sides of me agreed the shorter the skirt the better. And I got to thinking about that. Like why do we show ourselves off like that? Well duh to attract guys! Right? Then I got a bit ticked. Why do guys get called 'Hott' when all they do is wear jeans and a t-shirt but a chick to be considered Hott has to put on loads of make up, and dress showing great amounts of flesh??THAT AINT RIGHT!
Then I thought what would happen if our 'dress codes' were switched!! And what if a guy's hottness was determined on the amount of makeup and flesh showing? Think about Brad Pitt in a mini skirt and a v necked tank with tons of eye shadow on! It just wouldn't look right! So why does it look right on a girl? Why cant girls be judged on the masculinity and smarts that we have?
Listen to the song "I'll make a Man Out Of You!" Sing it to yourself the next time you look at a skirt.
Now im not saying we shouldn't wear skirts and make up! But lets go Modest and say if a 'guy doesn't look right wearing that then we shouldnt either!' Or rather, "If you were going on a date with Jesus would you wear it?"

Just another rant,
By
Katie M

We're Back

This will be short as I am feeling a bit "yuky". (I like technical terms like that.) We are back from our most excellent adventure. We had camera trouble after the first day - so I am unsure of what we will be able to post. I have a few saved on my phone, but am finding that the Pixel-ness of them is rather irritating. C'est la vie.

On a whole other venue, I have found the "clinical" name for what I suffer with. It is called "destructive thinking". I personally thought it should be called "can I badger myself any further??" Self-doubt, persecution complex, spiraling into I haven't got a clue on anything...... Well then. Now that I know what I have been doing to myself for years is real and that others suffer from it also (so I am not just being dumb). I can work thru it better. My goal is to no longer wake up in the middle of the night and beat myself up over money, past relationships, future expenses, work, etc... I look forward to mornings when I can jump out of bed and not feel that apprehension that usually attacks me before my eyes are open. So why am I babbling on about this. In case someone else out there has the same issue. Read this blog for a tongue in cheek description. Peace. Seriously.

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Listening to: Downhere - Remember Me
via FoxyTunes http://wenchwisdom.blogspot.com/2005/10/destructive-thinking-orchestra-non.html.

Summer

A long break it has been from posting......this summer certainly is flying by. Between the 2 midnight shifts and then leaving the next day with an hour of sleep to catch up to the MS TRAM bike tour at Wadena.....this week has just zoomed by. Hoping to catch on my sleep at some point this week......warning to the wise -- the trains that zoom thru Wadena (all night long) use their whistles very liberally!!

The MS Tram is a 290 mile bike run over 5 days that raises money for Multiple Sclerosis. This year over $1 MILLION was raised by 1200 riders. Youngest independant rider was 8 yrs old and the oldest was 88. There were kids riding on tandems that were 3 years old! And the volunteers that support these amazing people were a fun group to work with. This is a benefit that I would be happy and proud to help with again! As first aid I saw very minor medical things which gave me ample time to converse with riders. The farthest someone had traveled to do this, was from outside Manchester, England. Most folks were just good ol Minnesnowtans.

Kate has been gone basically for the last 5 weeks to church camp as a 1st year counselor. She reports that she doesn't want to leave! but then again she is a bit homesick at times. This upcoming week will be her last of the summer. I imagine next weekend will be tough as she will be leaving all of her new friends.

Well, more later as I am falling to sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................................

<----Loch Katrine (yep that's the one Kate is named for) Did you know that this is the Loch that the "Lady of the Lake" poem written by Sir Walter Scott was referring to? Did you know that this is the home of Rob Roy.......Do you wonder why my daughter is such a unique and creative person?!? ;) Yes, you are going to have to suffer through the pre-trip wonders as we finish up our planning :) The more we work on what we want to see and do, the more we become aware that we just want to "wing-it". There were moments that we thought about dumping all the traditional castles, towers, etc in place for hiking the West Highland Way - a 96 mile foot path from Milnagvie past Fort William and ending at the foot of Ben Nevis. But since this is Kate's first trip to Scotland, a more historical and "sight-seeing" trip needs to experienced. Which is no loss as Dunnitar is waiting along with Glamis and the spooky Slains Castle - in which Bramm Stoker wrote "Dracula" ........note to self: bring silver bullet and crucifix !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUdMLTuphKw



Take a look - then vote for these guys! The bass player (in the lavender jacket) is the son of one of my co-workers. Excellent video work.

Of course

Of course you can come with Trish - but I'm only taking a backpack - so you might be a bit cramped in there! And I always have space when you need it! Got your back girl :)

And of course I remember the awful mess you left in Paris 007. The horse barn alone took months to set right. I, however, do not plan on parachuting off the Eiffel Tower. I am a bit nervous about the chunnel train though. Not sure I can hold my breath that long ;)

Alright I will admit it - I can't wait for our trip to Scotland! I spend hours drooling on the keyboard while looking at pictures or granite mountains and grassy glens; the Spey River and the North Sea. Yep - hooked - line and sinker! Now for the kicker - 36 hours in Paris! Hoho! What am I thinking!! Another adventure sidebar! So to those of you have been to Paris - let us know what your favorite site or event was. We plan on packing in as much as possible. Oh Kate, btw, I was able to get us into Paris!

You say the sweetest things

Mr. Bond - you bring the car and I will bring the Bollinger and glasses! Please do be sure the tank is full of petrol, won't you?
M

PS I get to drive!

Dear Mr. Bond

Having not had the opportunity to harass you of late (would it be 5 years?? at least...) anyway, I am sure you are in the "swing" of summer. That your game is excelling beautifully. And what is with your new film anyway???? I would expect more from an x- Calvin Klein under garment model. Seems we need to send you on a more dangerous assignment! M

P.S. Please return the Aston-Martin. I need it for my next holiday!!! WOO HOO back to Britain!

Whew - this summer is already going too fast!

Its off and running - summer that is! And blowing!! Who let this wind in here or did we suddenly all move to North Dakota?!!?! Its so windy that the gas grill started moving across the deck - via its sail (the cover came loose on one end).
Matt & Corrie's wedding was simply the nicest event I have ever been to. How lucky we are to have this bright, lovely young woman attach her branch to our family tree.

This was sent from 2005 Katrina/Biloxi Deployment. I was fitting a young boy with crutches who was injured when he and his family had to climb to the roof of their house to be rescued. Thanks Bill for sending the photo - proof that I do work and not just sit on the beach!! (If you're wondering what that is on my pocket - it is hand sanitizer.)

Time to relax

If you enjoy the view from the Hubble Telescope as much as I do, check this out - its very relaxing :)

http://www.trdaniel.com/somewhere%20in%20time/index.htm

Battlefield Band in concert 2006

Enjoy!! This is one of my favorite bands :)

Don't read this Mr. Bond

Ever had one of those weeks?!? Maybe I should have just left the computer in the shop and then nothing else would have happened. The good news is the computer is fixed! Hurray!! Evil bugs in the system. growl. The bad news? Well, I think I broke every other piece of electronic equipment I own and some of the hospitals as well. Talk about a black cloud over your head - geez. Let's start with the hit-and-run of my Hp Ipaq (this is HP's version of a Palm Pilot. Also known as my spare brain). It's smashed. Somehow it got off my belt in its holster and under the back tire of the tractor. This was before the rain - so you can only guess how hard the ground was. It didn't stand a chance.
Next came the equipment being used in the ICU for my patient. At least I was able to fix what was broken there. Except for that IV line that I snapped in half with my hand. Stressed? Oh, a wee bit!! These were just minor issues with equipment that were testing my patience.
Then the cell phone and blue tooth headset decided they were not on speaking terms for most of the week. And then Friday. The replacement Ipaq arrived - hot synced perfectly and then died. Soft reset, hard reset, charged it. Nope. Its got power, but the screen is just as black as the one murdered on Monday. Go figure.
Then this happens:
Here's proof of guardian angels.... after having my oil changed (yes, I no longer do this myself) I dropped $49.70 into the fuel tank and went to start the engine. Tried again.... and just what was that odd odor coming from my engine....I DON"T WANT TO LOOK!!!!! (cause its the smell of money going out of my pocket into the mechanics - arrrgggghhh) At the gas pump, at my favorite service station, the post blew out of my 4 year old battery just mere hours before leaving on a trip into the woods of northern Minnesota.

Boy am I glad that week is over.......now I just have to explain to my daughter why she can't hang out at the mall with people I don't know............... :) I think the iParent series at Meadow is coming just in time!!

Note: do know that most of my diatribe is written tongue in cheek because life just happens....and its messy and to quote Rebecca - I have a grubby God. He's hands on. Usually, no always, when these things happen He's trying to tell me something :) Be happy I have a whole bag of animal crackers and I share!

Happier Notes

My good friend 007 tells me I've been rather a grump in my last narratives. I'd have to agree but sometimes life really is well.....P & V. So for you 007 - my normal nonsense.

It's my first day off after the 36 hour weekend in the burn unit. The sun is out, the cat is bouncing from drinking my ice tea (dag nab it! get out of there!!) and trying to knock over the new plants waiting to go into the garden. Oh, good - she's settled down for a nap on top of the fresh laundry....I miss my dog. I REALLY miss my dog. The guardian of plants and laundry, she would have marshaled this cat into behavior generally regarded as acceptable. For rent: 1 cat - good at catching spiders and possibly missing her tail come the end of the day!

Peace of mind and heart to all on this glorious Monday :) M

Ok girls - listen up

Let's make this perfectly clear - I do not want your husbands, boyfriends or significant others. I can not believe that I actually have to say this out loud. And guys, I am not "after" you. Just because I am divorced and single. I really am too flippin' busy to have time to pursue anything but what is on my plate right now! Here's the scoop. I am not Jezebel. I do however, have many good men friends (at least I think they are....maybe its all in my mind) whom I like to talk with, associate with and do things with. This may look like a ploy but it isn't. I really don't know that many women who like to talk woodworking, mechanics, building and other non-domestic stuff. And you're making me nervous. I'm now worried about talking to my friends as a result of your rude remarks, nasty looks and inability to get over the fact that I do not want your men. Look, I was married - for 12 years I was married. It was enough. I don't want to go there again. Besides, I think God has something different in mind for me at this point. Then we could get into what the Bible says about divorce. So you see you can keep your men, I don't want them. They are not mine. They are my friends. If you are that insecure about your relationship, then perhaps you should be looking at the relationship itself and not on outside influences. Really, don't make me take you into the garage to help overhaul a carburetor to prove my point.

Assault of My Daughter

Let's just start by me saying I think justice doesn't exist for the victims. A minor sexual assault (is there such a thing as a minor sexual assault?) to my daughter. During school. Unprevoked. Caught on tape. What did he get from the school for punishment? 5 days out of school suspension. What did my daughter get from the school? Squat. With one large exception - she found out she which friends were true friends and which ones were not. I know she lost a lot of respect for several people she used to hang out with prior to school. She's even decided that hanging with that bunch and in that area is not the image she wants to project. Especially when she found out the perceiption other people have of that group - not a pretty picture. Not the label she wants. But here's where we are at with doing something for her to feel vindicated. A "Diversion of Justice" program for the young man in which he is to apologize not only to my daughter but to everyone else he hurt or affected and explain to them how he hurt them. The next part is to fix the hurt - a plan of action. Finally, a narrative of which laws he would be procacuted under and the penalties of the laws if he was actually charged. This all goes in writing by this young man. .......... Here's the a twist or 2 for your concideration. The young man attempted suicide a few months back. Common knowledge in the school. --> Should this have an affect on whether or not we prosecute? ...... Come today it seems it is trying intimidation tactics. What is your opinion in how I should proceed? Personally, I think a knee to the groin might straighten out his mind......... Before I finish let me add that my daughter had been telling this person to keep his hands off for 3 months. ........very tempting to just take him out at the knee caps...but that of course would just create more work for me at the hospital......go figure.

Dork - why didn't you read your Bible first this morning??

The whole concept of Rev. 2:1-7 hit home the last few days. The last few days II feel as if I have lost my lampstand. That I was wondered away from that first "blush" of new love and forgot what it was that meant so much. Remaining faithful to the truth of God by focusing on Christ has become muted so that I feel lost and empty. It is no wonder that the spark has grown dim. Rather feels like a vicous circle.... we forget, we move away from God's path and suddenly we find ourselves like Nicolaitans. Those who do not put God first. hmp. I have forgotten to keep my eyes on the Lord and not on myself.

It feels like there is this constant struggle inside my heart..... to stay on the path of God or to let it slide and things wouldn't be an issue. HA! Guess what. I feel more miserable than during the constant struggle!! Oxymoron or just a dork? Here's the inspirational part..... I have felt absolutely beside myself and miserable for 2 days. Figured out I need to revisit Rev. chpt 2......... God works in such amazing ways: the sidebar comments in my Devotional Bible "Good things take time before they are good.... Develop an attitude of trust, God can change situations, His name is Deliverer... One of the most often repeated commands in the Bible is to "wait on the Lord". Waiting on him "grows you up", it keeps your eyes off yourself and on Him; it gives you staying power...."

Is it going to be a good day? Yes it is!

Why I am grumpy

I have figured out what is making me so unhappy = having to deal with everyday medical/surgical patients. I know this sounds very.....contrite? egotistical? too big for my britches? Maybe all or not. I know I get severely depressed by the situation. To the point where I hate my job, I hate going to work and I don't even like being here. Period. It is extremely depressing to do nothing but wipe people's bottoms and pass meds. Sounds like a rather simple day doesn't it? Yuk. Egads, I can't even stand myself when I get in this blue-funk. Then I start to wonder about my qualifications as an ICU nurse and are people really giving me patient (has nothing to do with the fact that we only have 2 burn patients in the unit) assignments because they lack faith in my ability...can I beat myself up in any other direction??? Then I start the spiral about my weight and being single and if only, if only and so forth and ....... what an icky day off. And its only 0830. Nope, coffee didn't help. I don't want chocolate (that might be at the root of the problem ;) I need to do something..........

MEN!!!!

If you've read any of my previous babble on the old web site, you'll know that I agree with Wheezer (Steel Magnolias) "Men are evil creatures, they will ruin your life." Keep in mind that Wheezer is the one who winds up happily dating an old high school friend and lives (presumeably) happy-ever-after. To add to this diatribe, I don't agree with the "Men are from Mars & Women are from Venus". Good grief! Any hard working women KNOWS that most men may be aggressive - at least when it comes to possession of the remote control and that they will get angry about it, but passion of self-assertedness?? Please! I am having a very hard time meeting men that not only are forth-rght, but can channel all that "raw-energy" into being adventurous. And not to just shoot daggers at men, most women (of course I am not talking about myself and I am mentioning it just so the men don't get agressively angry!) are confusing love and money in their simplistic interpretation of Venus. Girls, I don't think the reference to "artistic inclinations" had anything to do with revamping your wardrobe everytime a fashion designer sneezes. Personally, I will stick to Jupiter, the planet of plenty..... plenty of attitude, hope, patience, tolerance and expansiveness. The sense of humor, good will and mercy. Of course, my down side would be blind opptimism as I continue to hope that there are truely good men of an adventurous nature still on this planet!! later mater!

I apologize for being away from this for so long..... The change in worlds took more wind out of my sails than I anticipated. But Never Fear!!! (shall I wear the red super hero cape or the 1940's navy blue cape today??---> life is full of important decisions!).

Hopefully, I will have the 2007 Adventure Page up and running again! Yes, it is meant to tempt you into expanding your horizons! For the time being check out the pictures of the area we plan to hike for a few days.....enter now into Poolewe------>

More to follow..........but for now, Ciamar a tha sibh?