Unsung Heroes

Hello all and greetings from chilly St. Louis! If you're reading this and not from STL we had quit a bit Sunday and Monday- I'm wondering if now we won't have any for the rest of the season.

So I'm staying at my folks' house in Webster Groves prior to officially moving out of town for a new FT gig (more on that later). I am cleaning out my apartment and enjoying sleep without an elephant clomping around upstairs and bowling, playing bocce ball- doing God knows what. Needless to say, I'm not happy with this apartment complex due to their lack of doing nothing about these idiots. Anyway, Bella enjoys being here and watching the world go by one bark at a time. She loves my parents and they love her too..

I am finished with my work contract here in Missouri. I have met some very wonderful and caring people including co-workers, staff members, and patients. It has been a great experience which is now leading me to a FT job with the company- hopefully a move in the right direction for me!! We've had some good times and laughs together my therapy team and I will miss you all. Even you Dan with your LOUD music. :)  If nothing else I hope have left you with the knowledge that you can recycle (!!!!) and can think OuTside the box for therapy!!! 

So, the title of my post. I've been thinking about this past week or so with this topic stewing in my head. Here are the definitions courtesy of Meriam Webster (valid) and Wicktionary (questionable). 

unsung

 adjective

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un·​sung | \ ˌən-ˈsəŋ  \

Definition of unsung

1: not sung

2: not celebrated or praised (as in song or verse)an unsung hero
WICKTIONARYNoun. unsung hero (plural unsung heroes) One who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition for them.
So, working in a nursing home you see and learn so much. You work with folks who are at or nearing their end of life and require a lot of care at times. It can be very trying and very rewarding. 
Unfortunately, not everyone gets appreciated or lauded enough for their abilities, skills, dedication, and generally showing up to work every day. You don't get paid enough, you work long hours, and you're typically under-respected by the powers-that-be. Unsung Nursing Home Heroes:CNAsNursesHousekeepingMaintenance
Without y'all these buildings wouldn't run and keep people alive. I understand that everywhere there are people who don't work as hard as others (and we all know who those people are) but the vast majority of these individuals who I've worked with work their tails off and are constantly being called to do 5 things at once. They're like Stretch Armstrongs. As a therapist, I try to do my darndest to make sure these people know that I appreciate them. 
What's unfortunate is that generally all fingers point back to Administration leaders not being supportive enough or understanding of their employees. They can't see the forest for the trees, you know? Your building cannot make money if you don't have staff to run it and you won't have staff to run it if you treat them like shit. Now this is NOT TRUE for everywhere as there are good people out there. I'm just speaking in generals here. If you've worked with me somewhere before you can draw your conclusions from there. I've worked with some super amazing DONs too (but I'm talking specifically administrators here). As a therapist who cares a lot about her patients and building acquaintances; it is frustrating from our end when people don't know what we really do. I'll leave it at that or we'd be here another hour. 
On that note, to my SP friends- I'm quitting PRN as I'm moving out of town for my new perm job and do not wish to keep my status there. I have LOVED working with all of my friends there but unfortunately, things aren't the way they used to be and I hate that for all of you... I'm hoping that this job will work out wonderfully and would not have time to come back to work PRN. I love you guys and I know we'll stay in touch because most of you I've known for 10+ years. Keep the dream alive. 

1st Grade Lindsey is the best Lindsey

That's it for now. Peace, love, and GOOD QUALITY CARE FOR SENIORS,ME

Where in the world?

Hello readers! I'm everyone is just chomping at the bit to know what I've been up to! I'm actually out here in Colorado visiting a travel friend but still working on a contract in Missouri More on my trip in the next post for pictures and anecdotal stories. 

I've been working west of St. Louis is 4 nursing homes- 2 mainly both those in Union and Sullivan MO. I am covering a maternity leave until mid-December. I will be jobless for about 2-3 weeks but new job plans are in place that I'm not going to divulge yet. 

Anyway, I actually like the nursing homes I work at and the colleagues with a few issues here and there that come with working in a nursing home and dealing with all that entails. It's been fun and nice feeling like I fit in, like I did when I was in California (Northern California). Nursing home therapy has been SO much easier since PDPM began October 1st. Click the link for a better explanation of PDPM if you'd like. 

I'm living in an apartment in Waildwood which is closer to my work. My apartment complex is not as great as the rent is but its clean and I have a washer/dryer. HOWEVER, the Achilles heel is that my upstairs neighbors are inconsiderate assholes. There's no way to sugarcoat. They are super young (not like my ripe old age of 35) and despite repeated notifications of noise complaints- nothing changes. Its the guy who must be seriously iron-footed to make that much noise when he walks and does everything. Maybe he's like an Animorph who is secretly Bigfoot? Either way I'm actually going to move my bed to the living room because it sees the noise is mainly coming from the bedroom (not what you're thinking...)- all thanks to my Carmen Sandiego skillz. 

PICTURES

We got a couch! Or rather, a 'chofa'

We got a new Lambchop toy- meet Spooky Lambchop

 

Wes and I before Cousin Ashley's wedding reception

Outfit change for the reception. No dogs invited. 

Wedding reception selfie!

Nursing home cat Smokey seeking pity for her new hair cut

Other nursing home puppy Billie Jean who although cute- whines too much

THANKS FOR READING! 

Until next time when I update on the CO trip-

Peace, love, & blanket scarves,

ME

Missouri Loves Company

Hello everyone and salutations from the middle of the country now, back in Missouri! The moving caravan consisting of 2 vehicles, 3 persons, 1 trailer, and 1 dog made it safely home.  Thanks to my folks for the moving assistance and thanks to the people whom I gave furniture to.  

Here are some pictures and stories from the trip home.

Somewhere in Nevada

Salt Flats, Utah

Scenic overlook off of I-70

Utah is so beautiful! I love this state! Our first stop was in Elko, NV. Nothing significant to report there. Second night we stayed in Moab UT- home to Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, and extracurricular outdoor activities in the area. I have been to Arches before with my road dawg Jenny and Thor (God rest his soul) but we were unable to go at night. It's been really cool to see the park from two different perspectives. 

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Mom and Dad traversing the trail to see the Delicate Arch viewpoint

#neotez shirt FTW

Yes, Bella is in the backpack. And she loves it.

I'm aware this picture doesn't show well. It's the Lil' Dipper. 

I'm so glad we all got the opportunity to see the park after dark- my measly little picture does not begin to show how beautiful it was. I swear I saw the Milky Way too. Sooooo pretty.

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK: Island in the Sky Section

Bella makes an appearance

At some point nearby (South of this area), the Green River joins the Colorado River

You'll notice this backpack has a safety whistle attached to it.

DRIVING THROUGH COLORADO

nice to see some green again

 

Our last night we stayed in Burlington, CO at a fabulous Best Western! Next day was a long drive home but here we are! 

I start my travel assignment in mid-September so there maybe a break in posts. I know, I know- don't be sad. 

Until then,

Peace, love, and home,

ME

Closing Time: Yearbook Superlatives and the 2nd Floor

Hello readers! I am writing this while on the road East to home; currently at a TravelLodge in Nevada. I have my trusty movers with me (my parents) and my faithful furry companion. I am headed home to work on a SNF assignment outside of St. Louis, but still a travel assignment. 

My time in the beautiful (but VERY dry) state of California has come to an end. I chose to leave my contract early because I wanted to go home to pursue a school peds. assignment. While that didn't happen unfortunately, it is what it is and here we are. It is VERY hard to get a good pediatric OT job in the St. Louis area. Anyway, this last assignment in California (first one in Fresno) was such a wonderful experience and a zillion times better than my first Cali experience. I have met some truly wonderful people and worked with some great therapy and building teams. It makes so much of a difference when you take the time to get to know co-therapists but also your fellow staff members who work their butt off and deserve a raise (and more respect). 

I've been stewing on this idea for a while, for entertainment's sake. I'm going to issue some Yearbook Travel Superlatives for random titles from all the places I've worked- no hard feelings and no offense intended to anyone. I'm only doing this for kicks. 
Candidates: 

• Virginia
• Texas (East TX)
• Texas (SE TX- Beaumont and Vidor)
• California (Fresno)
• California (Ukiah and Willits)

Titles Earned:

• Most Likely To Succeed: Virginia 
• Most Likely to Continue Committing Medicare Fraud: Fresno! No other nominees.
• Best Executive Director: SE TX- Vidor!!! 
• Best DON: SE TX- Vidor
• Best Furry Co-worker:  California (Willits)- Teton!!! My chubby lil Bichon friend who was very upfront about the fact that she only wanted me to give her treats and then she'd leave. When she figured out I brought her some to work she came by often.  Honorable Mention: Heidi, the sweet  and shy boxer who came to work with her momma (SE TX- Beaumont)
• Biggest PITA About Productivity: Virginia and SE TX- when is everyone going to realize that productivity is bullshit? 
• Favorite Town to Live in: East TX- I loved Tyler
• Least Favorite Town to Live in: Port Arthur, SE TX (not the apartment, just the area)
• Best Hospitality: Virginia! 
• Best Documentation System: Rehab Optima! TX and CA. Casamba sux.
• Best Gossip: SE TX- y'all are nuts! 😛
• Best Patient Stories (good and bad)- SE TX 
• Prettiest Drive to Work: Virginia
• Biggest Ice Queen Boss: East TX. No other nominees. 
• Best CNAs: California- Willits! You all rock!!! Select Ukiah CNAs as well. 
• State I Could Actually See Myself Going Back to: the country of Texas. I have grown to love Texas.
• Best Adventures: California- Fresno. I went to so many beautiful places around the area! Northern California and Virginia second runners-up. 
• Best Soda Access: SE TX, both buildings. It's important for me to be able to access a cold CAN of soda at work. Helps take the edge off.  
• Best Housekeeping: Northern California, both buildings. 
• Laziest POS Therapists: FRESNO. No other nominees. 
• Best Gas Station (for sodas and snacks): East TX, near work. They had a mean fountain soda with the touch screens so I could make a cherry DC. 

I could go on and on making up shit but I'll stop there. Let's talk real quick about 'The Second Floor'; a co-workers euphemism for patients passing on to Glory, the Eternal Life, the Pearly Gates, what have you.. I could expand greatly on this topic but I will not because I'm tired and you don't want to hear it. 

Please talk with your loved ones; (parents, grandparents, spouses, etc.) about their choice for when it comes to end of life care or when tough decisions have to be made. We have had several deaths between my 2 California buildings in this last month and it is sad to see people fade away. I'm not saying it was anyone's fault that anyone passed or trying to point fingers- we all know the situations I'm talking about- feeding tubes, DNR, comfort measures, palliative care, etc. I'm specifically speaking of the elderly here, no other populations. Please try to ensure your loved ones get to go in the way they want when/if possible with dignity. Think Quality of Life. 

I'm off like a dirty shirt,

Peace, love, and H.A.K.A.S.

ME

Sparkle and Shine

I know you periodically wonder what chemicals are making up these big bangs. 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! ⭐🌟🌠

I hope everyone had a good holiday! I started this post on the 4th and am finishing it on the 6th.  Last year this time I was in the great state (or country?) of Texas and this year I'm in Cali on the lake. Fireworks (outside of shows on the lake) are strictly illegal in this area as there is a HUGE wildfire risk. This area of NorCal (northern California, get it?) has been hit HARD by wildfires the last 2 years or so therefore no one's f-ing around. I have a beautiful view to see the fireworks from the lake as all local shows are shot from the lake for safety. The immediate area I'm living in did not have noteable damage but this entire county (Lake) and Mendocino county were overall pretty debilitated by the fires. Nevertheless, I move on. 

View from my house. Gives me a Hawaii-with-big-trees vibe.

I worked on the 4th. It wasn't bad- nothing significant happened- nobody passed, nobody got into a fight, no admissions, and most importantly NO ADMIN staff were there. It was a beautiful thing. The same guy who pees his pants and sits in it was doing his thing as was our grumpy resident who hates all of us and curses everyone out in Spanish. 

Bellers LOVES a car ride! 

Would you look at that smile??

So short version is that my time in California is winding down. I'm getting ready to leave soon so I can head back to the Middle West. That's all I'm going to say now because I really don't know what's in store completely.

This past weekend I took Bella and we drove down to San Fran- and when I say that I mean we didn't go into the city city because I ain't trying to drive around that or want to wander around on my own with a dog. I've been to SF for the day before with Jenny and it was cool. I'd love to go back but this trip wasn't for that. I did not intend to drive over the bridge but there was construction and I was confused about where I was going with GPS. We walked around by Fort Baker and enjoyed the sunshine. From there we drove through Sausolito and tried to go into the Muir Woods National Monument but that was a bitch. 2 Things.

1.  Why the F do they encourage bicycle tours in the city of and around San Francisco? Seriously. Let's make bike tours a thing in a city where the traffic is notoriously horrible, always construction going on, crime, homelessness, and TONs of tourists. So lets combine all those deficits and add bikes to the mix where a lot of drivers are tourists and a lot of tourists do not have a full grasp of English (no judgement, just affects communication in this instance). Let's  just stick with the bus tours, ok? 
2. Muir Woods- so parking is reserved. You have to make reseverations to park and go in. Normally, in another location, this might not be a problem. But here I think it's bullshit. It's down some very windy roads and then you literally have no option (if you don't have reservations) than to turn the F back around OR walk back up those windy roads, park, and walk back down. No thanks. We don't have time for that. The lady was like "you can call back around 6" to which I said "hell no!" Granted, it is well marked that reservations to be made but if you don't look it up or are unfamiliar with the area like myself, you're screwed. 

How many dogs can say they barked at chumps on the GG Bridge? This dog can

The sky over Fort Baker was so pretty!

Fort Baker Coast Guard station

Yes, that is Bella peeing. That's what I get for trying to take a nice picture of my dog with a pretty backdrop. 

 

Coast Guard dog wants to sniff. Bella wants to scratch. 

Sausolito!! So adorable.

And so out of my tax bracket. 

Muir Woods overlook

Since we didn't make parking reservations.. 

Have a great holiday weekend!

Peace, love, and Diet Dr. Pepper,