What is inside of a pumpkin?

Today I'm doing paper work for the school nurses. Their office is located in the same building as a preschool. I have to walk down the hall to make copies and on one trip a poster caught my eye. It asked the students what is inside of a pumpkin? Next to each name was their response. About half of them were some variant on "seeds," "goo," or "seeds and gooey stuff." But the others cracked me up:

• Eggs
• Cheese and salt and cabbage
• Seeds and eggshells
• Books and bugs and Clifford
• Glue and shoes and feet
• Scary
• Halloween and snakes and a bunny

Lyrics Quiz

This one was really fun! I'm not familiar with 7brides for 7brothers. And I think I was tricked on Guys and Dolls.

The Golden Age of Broadway Musicals Score: 85% (11 out of 13)

My trip home

Like I said yesterday, I drove to Grand Junction a couple weeks ago to spend time with my family. There are a lot of pictures, especially of dogs, all posted on flickr now. Even a couple videos. I put a few of my favorites here.

Bits and Pieces on my mind

I haven't said much about community health nursing and that's probably because it bores me. I think the only thing I have learned so far is that there are three levels of prevention and intervention: primary, secondary, and tertiary. I'm sure that tidbit of information will serve me well. Pretty much everything else I either already know or guessed using intuition to get good grades on our tests so far. Lots of group projects. You all know how I feel about those.

Clinical for this rotation is silly. From what I can tell it's a total crap shoot whether you get a good experience based on the nurse preceptor they pair you with. Some people sit around for an hour in the morning waiting for the nurse, then watch them type on the computer for a few hours, then get told they're done for the day. Some do busy work that the nurse does over again. Some were assigned to clinics where they were told to have a little spanish knowledge, but then find out that that's ALL they speak there and they're not prepared for it. Others are having an okay time with pretty good nurses. This includes me, working with school nurses. But we're not getting enough hours. All the nurses at my location (I've worked with a few different ones) are great teachers and pleasant to work with, but they're only there part time. However we're responsible for getting 8 hours W/Th/F. It irks me that they hold us responsible for hours that they can't assign to us. Also, even those of us with good placements feel like we've stagnated. Just halfway through and we're bored, ready to move onto the next place. I think that's because this placement is mostly about management. There's little patient contact, mostly education (which the nurses prefer to do themselves), and a LOT of paperwork.

I figured out what I'm going to be for Halloween. It's not that hip or specific, but I already have the parts for the costume. You'll have to wait and see. Tonight I helped Miranda make the tutu for Azalea's bumblebee costume. Who would have thought that my tutu-steaming skills would be needed again? We enjoyed my coconut-cardamom rice pudding and watched America's Test Kitchen while we worked.

Tomorrow night I'm babysitting while the rest go to a haunted house. Wednesday is Movie Club, Thursday is the ward Halloween party and our mini 30 Rock party, and Friday is a big party at Brian's (of course). I'm baking treats for movie club and Halloween too. It will be a busy week! To top it all off, I signed up to work a (literal) drive-thru flu shot clinic at Kaiser on Saturday. In Northglenn. Be there at 6:30 AM. The day after Halloween. It's a crazy idea but I really need the hours (we get 8 hours for working 6!). Who knows? I may be so deliriously tired I'll enjoy standing in the freezing cold car fumes, leaning over windows and stabbing people in the arm.

Last weekend I drove home to GJ for an impromptu trip home. Andy and his girlfriend were going to visit as Amanda drove back to Denver, and they wanted our dogs to play together. I couldn't resist! It was a fun reunion not doing anything in particular but watch the dogs wrestle. Jem went ballistic with joy. I have lots of photos I'll post later. I need to edit them down a bit and upload them, and it's 10:30 so I'm calling it a night now. Sorry no fun photos this time, but I felt guilty about not writing for so long I needed to just write. (Usually I read it over and fix typos, but I'm even going to skip that this time.) Ok, one lolcat to say goodnight.

No spirit

Here I sit 8 days before Halloween without a costume plan. I haven't even carved a pumpkin. Sigh. I don't know what it is lately. School isn't too hard, as I've told several of you this rotation is pretty light on the clinical hours and assignments. Money is tight as usual, but that's not the demotivating factor. I don't know what it is that has me in a funk lately.

The dangers of boredom

I'm stuck in my last class session for our Evidence-Based Practice class. We're spending the whole 4 hours giving group presentations. My group is done (100%, thank you). There are four more to get through before I meet with my next group for another group presentation tomorrow. Group group group.

Luckily I have my computer to distract me by studying for my exam (also tomorrow). I'll admit it, I wander onto the internet occasionally. Suddenly I've decided that I need to learn to spin yarn. Not only will it be a fun new craft, but maybe I can save money on good quality yarns for knitting! Am I silly to think that?

I found a class at Fancy Tiger that Ben says I can go to (as a gift!). Now I'm getting carried away, dreaming of keeping a couple angora rabbits to gather my own fibers and maybe work my way up to a pair of sheep.

Ok, the next group is starting (does acupuncture really help with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting?). I better close up here and pay attention again. I think I would name my first ewe Annabelle.

Creepier in Dim Light

Creepier in Dim Light, originally uploaded by Brian Omura.

Brian finished his hanging corpse - behold!

Follow the links to the rest of the set, where I make a cameo appearance with my super-craft-woman knot-untangling skillz.

I started my rotation as a school nurse in Littleton. Today was not so bad. Lots of following around and watching the nurse *manage* but not much actual *nursing.* It's kind of interesting though and a nice change from being in the hospitals. I'm sure I'll tell you more about it later. My cozy flannel pajamas and kitty-warmed bed are calling to me.

Rainy weekends are the best

This has been a GREAT weekend. Friday night we had lots of friends over for dinner. I made two apple pies this week, the first being a regular pear and apple pie with cheddar in the crust (left). The second one was a sour cream apple pie (middle) from this website. Justin's mother in Iowa sent him home with oodles of apples from her yard and he shared the bounty with me. I gave some away, made two pies, and have enough to make applesauce still! Miranda made beef stew and biscuits and the others brought side dishes. Later we played the Action Movie game with a terrible Dolph Lundgren film.

Saturday we woke up to a rain and fog. Together with Nate, Miranda, Izzy, Jem, and baby we trekked to Boulder. I got some lovely brussel sprouts and baby squash. We went to Half-Fast subs (wow their website is crappy) on the Hill for lunch (above right). I felt like I was back in school, studying for finals. But wait, I am back in school . . .

We parted with the boys, baby, and animals down in Lakewood and met Amanda at Fancy Tiger. Goodness gracious, so many pretties! We wondered in their tiny store for almost two hours, picking out the perfect fabrics and patterns. Amanda and I got fabric to make matching cats based on this free pattern. Miranda and I ventured into needle felting and it is FANTASTIC. Seriously, so much fun and so easy. I made a robin and she made an owl. We have enough roving leftover to switch kits for a second bird. I hope to make a whole forest of woodland creatures and hang them on a small tree for Christmas. By the way, felted creatures are a hit with babies and cats alike.

(After Miranda posted her owl pictures I had to get fancy with my robin too :-)

Today I started on my new calling at church - Young Women's secretary! The presidency is a great group of women who I'm very excited to work with and get to know better. In this ward we only have YW for the third hour, so I can still go to Sunday School. Best of all, this means I'm off the hook for organizing the Christmas party. Sing Hallelujah!!

Tonight we're doing more crafts, this time Brian will join us to make a hanging body covered in spider webs.

I <3 Elaine and Liz

I'm so starved for 30 Rock and this clip from Conan whets my appetite. Oh Kenneth I miss you!

Up to

Reading books by James Herriot. I loved his stories when I was a kid and I love them now.

Renting my textbooks instead of buying them at this site. Saved me a lot of money!

Studying the history and basic components of community and public health nursing.

Playing Wordigo. I'm terrible at it and I need a lot more practice!

Baking apple pear pie with cheddar cheese. Yum!

Shopping for the many many birthdays in October.

Savoring the early fall weather.

Discovering that I love chard! I hate cooked spinach and collards and mustard greens, so I'm thrilled to find a leafy green that tastes delicious.

Crafting a large crewel embroidery project.

Drinking coke zero and apple cider. Not together.

The Baking 100

I'm surprised how few of these I have eaten. Actually there are many that I have never heard of.

1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you’ve eaten!
3) Cross out any of them that you’d never ever eat.
4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your “To Do” List.

(I also ?? ones I don't know and !! ones I want to make now!)

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar !!
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle ??
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah ??
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca “pearls”)
18. Dixie Cup ??
19. Rice Krispie treats !!
20. Alfajores ??
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche ??
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake ??
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar ??
29. Baba au rhum ??
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte ??
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits ??
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas ??
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby ??
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake
52. Rusks ??
53. Daifuku ??
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Crème brûlée
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe ??
62. An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake ??
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi ??
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha ??
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail ??
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata ??
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse ??
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen ??
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci ??
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S’mores
94. Figgy Pudding !!
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers ??
97. Sables
98. Millionaire’s Shortbread ??
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa ??

Short Family Weekend

My folks came to visit us this weekend, just for fun! I love just sitting around and catching up with my parents. They spoiled Jem with lots of treats and a new stuffed duck. She adores it and carries it everywhere. Molly got some new catnip toys that she seems pretty happy about. I also got an early Christmas present from Ikea. That store is so great. I can't wait the two years until they build one in Centennial, CO.

Saturday we went to Amanda's school and dropped off a trunk-load of young adult novels from our personal collection for her classes to use. It was so fun browsing through those old, musty pages. It brought back memories of riding in the car for hours, me in the backseat reading the latest Sweet Valley High. Here we are laughing at Amanda's note on the cover of what would have been her newest acquisition:

"Don't open, that mean you Rachel!"

After that we loaded up Ben and went to Boulder! Oh, how I love and miss living in Boulder. We arrived in time to visit the farmer's market and I'm so glad we did. I used to walk down the Boulder creek path to the market nearly every weekend when Ben and I lived in our first home there. I would visit every stand, searching for the best prices with the best quality. We found many late harvest delights! Dad took lots of pictures of me packing my sack with yummies. I'm going to make a leek soup with parsnips. Dad insists that I use the entire leek by boiling the whole thing until tender, like his mother used to. I don't know about that. I've always sauteed the tender parts and tossed the thick green tips. I might have to get her recipe. I also picked up some rainbow chard - too pretty to pass by, and sunchokes. I've always wanted to try sunchokes but they're expensive in stores. Not here! Mom went wild for mums and got us each a plant and several for herself. I also picked up a lavendar plant for just $4.00 (instead of $20 at a nursery!). Miranda, I need to take you to the market one day. There's only 4 weeks left so we have to hurry.

We ate out a lot this weekend, at 3 Margaritas, Brasserie Ten Ten, and Pei Wei take-out. I love taking my parents to NIJ resteraunts ("not in Junction"). This morning we had a delicious breakfast of bagels, fruit, bread pudding, hot chocolate, cider, and OJ. Yum! I sent Dad home with more homemade peppermint marshmallows. He doesn't mind that I got a little girly with my decorations. These remind me of My Little Pony.

Thank you Mom and Dad for coming and for everything you do for us!