A New Job

I'm the new Respiratory Therapy Manager! YIPPEEEEEE! I think!!!???

I received the offer on Friday afternoon and after thinking about it over the weekend, I gave them a call Monday morning. Now the hard work has started! I have to help the Day Shift Supervisor understand everything that I did as the Clinical Coordinator. This is proving to be a challenge since she doesn't have a lot of experience using the software that I find very easy to use. I'm now making instruction sheets on how to obtain the report, verifying the information and then putting in a format that the data can be manipulated. Plus, I'm still answering questions, following up on problems that I'm in the middle of and not letting my head explode! My current Director is trying to keep me in the loop about getting my current position approved for posting. Oh Boy!

I know I made the right decision. As my boss told me, my current boss's boss has "a hard-on to get rid of my position!" I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she never did understand what I did. Of course, she probably also thinks that the Respiratory Fairy created and compiled all the stupid reports she and others wanted. I feel sorry for the Day Shift Supervisor because I think she's going to be doing a 2 person job because of the "all other assigned duties" clause in her job description.

To greater and better things! My start date is June 8th...I can't wait!

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2nd n 3rd Interviews - DONE

Went back to the orthopedic hospital in northeast Columbus area on Tuesday. They went well! I hope to hear soon either yeah or nay!

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The Pajama Interview & Shadowing

I had my interview today and I think it went pretty well. I was able to answer questions and I had a few suggestions. I also "shadowed" a therapist to get a brief lay of the land. The next steps are a panel interview with some therapists and then another with some managers. Stay tuned!

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Job Interview - Round 2

Last Thursday, I got a call from the CNO at the small orthopedic hospital in Northeastern Central Ohio wanting to know if I was still interested in the Respiratory Manager position. I was very confused! After several attempts, I got a hold of her. Seems that the person that was offered the job declined it! So tomorrow, at 0900, I have an interview. I'm not quite sure what this is all about, but she wants me to "shadow" one of the therapists so that I can get an idea of what their job is all about. I suppose the interview will follow. Here's the weird part....she told me to wear scrubs!!!??? I don't know about you, but I've never gone to an interview in pajamas! So tonight I'm studying their P&P's and the job description. It should be interesting!

Wish me LUCK!

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A Brand New Bunny

Last Thursday I took Gizmo over to see her vet prior to them boarding her for the weekend. She is a geriatric bunny (8 years old) and was having some problems with balance in her back legs and wasn't hopping out of her house (hopping in wasn't a problem). I also noticed that she was sleeping a lot more than she ever did. These problems had been progressively getting worse over the past few months but I didn't think she was in pain as her appetite was very good. Dr. Ingrid came in wanted to know what was going on and did a thorough exam and said that Gizmo looked and sounded good. When she was examining Gizmo's back legs, she noticed a response and said she wasn't sure that Gizzie wasn't in pain. She then wanted to see her hop on the floor. We noticed that Gizzie would "list" to her left and would knuckle, at times. both of her feet. Dr. Ingrid wasn't sure if Gizzie's change was due to a neurological problem or arthritis but she said the treatment would be the same. She recommended Metacam, an NSAID, and that they could get it started that evening. She said that if it was neurological the Metacam wouldn't really help but if it was arthritis we should see an improvement in a few days. I got Gizmo settled in her new temporary home and then we got ready to go to South Bend.

On Monday, I picked her up. The girls said that they weren't sure of any improvement but I should be able to tell once I got her home and settled back in to her normal routine. Well, let me tell you! I've got a new bunny. She still has a little listing to the left but she hops around and is able to get in and out of her house. She also tried to get up to the 3rd level of her home; something she hasn't done in over a year!

Gizmo, has a new treat every evening. A 0.3 ml dose of honey flavored medicine that makes her smack her lips! I feel so bad that I didn't take her to the vet sooner but am really glad that Gizzie is feeling better!

Holy Moly It's Been A Long Time

Yep, it's been forever and alot of stuff has happened. Too much to go into now but this weekend was great fun! Well, it started out kinda crappy. I applied for the Respiratory Manager position at a small specialty hospital in northeast Franklin County about 3 weeks ago. I called the HR department after 2+ weeks and again last Monday to find out if I was going to be called for an interview. Well, Thursday, I got an e-mail stating that the position was filled and the HR rep didn't know why I wasn't called for an interview because I had an "very good" work history and resume. I gave her a call to express my disappointment and amazement that an internal candidate wasn't even interviewed (I know that wasn't right). She told me that she still didn't know why but the hiring person had an idea of who she wanted and that she just hired her. I then called the Manager Liaison for HR. I told her my story and she said that although she couldn't do anything about it, she would make it a teaching moment for the hiring person. Whatever! It still smells like last week's fish!

As I tend to make lemonade out of lemons, I now can go to camp this summer. I just have to complete my application and get it to my girl, Monica!

Friday morning (about 4 am) we left for South Bend to see the Irish Blue Gold Game. We had dinner with Don, Preston, Marshall, Mitchell and Micheal at Papa Vino's Friday night. What a great time! It sounds like the 3 graduating seniors have job opportunities and they are looking forward to graduation. We got some insight into the football team and we got them up to speed on the happenings in Columbus (they were just in town for Easter - oops!). Saturday, we met up with the Schaetzle's. Lina hadn't been to the Basilica or Grotto, so we showed them those sites and then headed over to the game. Of course the coaches didn't show much as far as plays were concerned, but it was a very warm sunny day and there is nothing like watching football and not freezing you keester off!

Last night, I went to Jesus Jam - Extreme Makeover. It was a wonderful night of laughs , talks and praise. Of course I got to see the kids and give them their "Shirts." Here is a short explanation of this years, "The Shirt."

Rise and Strike is taken from the song "Hike, Notre Dame," Rise and Strike is a call to action. Defend Our Honor is the answer to the call of Rise and Strike. On the sleeve, the year "2009" has been broken into "20" and "09". "20" refers to the twenty years of The Shirt Project and "09" refers to The Shirt 2009: the latest incarnation of a timeless game day tradition. The back design references a famous third-quarter goal-line stand against Penn State in the Snow Bowl of 1992.

Great Weekend!

I had a very interesting weekend!

First the adoption event: I did take Frankie. He is a great bun and is very good and friendly bun! We were sitting in our normal place and a little puppy came up without an owner. This little girl was probably 5-6 weeks old and she looked like a dachshund (maybe a miniature). On one hand I was angry that an owner would just drop off the poor puppy but on the other hand they couldn't have picked a better place to "dump" the puppy. One of the volunteers named her Emma and she is now with Cocker Rescue. Hopefully, she will find a forever home quickly!

During my time at PetSmart, I got a call from Aaron and he wanted to know if Gary and I wanted to babysit....of course we did! Shortly after that, Monica called and wanted to know if we could also babysit Sofia (Amber and Dan's daughter). Sure, how hard can it be to babysit 2 babies! We got to Aaron and Monica's around 6:15 - Gary had to run an errand so he got there a little after the parents left. Let me tell you, those babies kept us busy. Leah is almost walking (she's about 7 1/2 months) and Sofia can't quite sit on her own! It was pretty funny when one would cry and then the other would give a sympathy cry! All and all a very fun night and I was glad when the moms and dads got back! I hope we're asked again - QUICK!

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Busy Day With A Bun

I'm representing Capital Area Humane Society today at the Adoption Event at the Sawmill PetSmart. I'm not sure which bunny I'm going to take but I'm leaning towards Frankie. He is a Mini Lop who was bonded with Eva. They were both brought to CAHS because a child in the home developed allergies. After Eva's surgery, she didn't want to "live" with Frankie anymore....poor Frankie is now by himself in a strange place. I think an outing with me might cheer him up. If you're out and about, stop by and see us!

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Great Day For A Good Man

My cousin, Lee Distelzweig was named the Chief of the the Columbus Division of Police this morning. Lee is a great guy and he has a wonderful family. I think this promotion is so well deserved and Lee will accomplish the goals Mayor Coleman has laid out: open to new crime fighting tactics, run the division more efficiently and build a more diverse police force.

Congratulations Lee!

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On The Night Shift

I worked night shift last night. About 2 o'clock on Monday, we got a call off. Ann-Marie called around and got Roz to come in and work 7p-11p (Thanks Roz!) but no takers for the 11p-7a shift so I sucked it up and volunteered. Just a few problems with that - 1 being sleep. Guinness and I were to start the 2nd level of agility at 8:30 so sleep was pretty silly to even attempt. I went into work at 11 without taking a nap. Probably, not very smart but we were busy and the night went pretty fast.

After work, I went over to Blacklick for my daily walk. Let me tell you - it was COLD! I'm sure it was in the low teens! As I was walking the trail, I came upon some guy in grey sweat pants fussing around a fallen tree. As I approached, he picked up a log and started lifting it over his head. Pretty much gave me the creeps (could also be that I hadn't slept for 26+ hours). I talked to Momma when I got home; she thought I should have reported the weirdo (?). I probably should of but....

After the walk, I got home, talked to Momma, took a shower and hit the rack. 6 hours later, here I am! Problem is I still pretty sleepy but I don't want to go back to bed in fear that I won't sleep tonight. Oh Night Shift how you perplex me!

I think I'll get on the couch and play Animal Crossing - my new addiction!

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OH NO! I Guess It Could Be Worse...Like Illegal Drugs!

So I got this new game for my DS lite...Animal Crossing. I'm addicted! Pray for me!

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A NEW Toy

OK, so it's been about 6 years since we got new cell phones. Aaron convinced us that the I Phone was the was to go (could it be because he has one????). Saturday, Gary and I went to the AT&T store at Easton and made the leap. We both now have new 16GB I Phones and boy are they SWEET! Now, all I have to do is figure the darn thing out! Wish me luck!

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Another Year

Today was the 5th anniversary of Sean's death. We went to mass with Mom, Sue, Aaron, Jess, Leah, Bob, Rich and Betty. It was nice to have their support on a pretty rough day. We went to First Watch for breakfast with Jess, Aaron, Leah and Bob. I had never been there before and I will recommend the pumpkin french toast....YUMMY!

On a light note, Guinness and I graduated from the beginner agility class at Wild Weavers. We didn't get a diploma nor cap or gown but Guinness did wonderful (the handler on the other hand needs some work)! Mom got to see our progress and I think she was pleased too!

Gonna grab some dinner.

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Celebration

We just got home from a great evening and meal at Fado's with Bob & Stephanie, Lori and Al, and Fr. Jeff. Fr. Jeff and Bob invited Lori and me (and our husbands) as a "Thank You" for our help with the Fiat Conference. It was a great night of conversation and laughter...the food was very good too! Thanks Jeff and Bob, I don't feel like I did very much but the evening was wonderful!

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Good Dog!

Guinness and I did our 6th agility class tonight. Boy, is she talented. My fears of her being off leash are unfounded...she did really well (except for the shoot - which she didn't like at all tonight). Maybe we found something that she really excels at??? Next Monday, is the last class of this session. Wild Weavers will set-up a course and we'll go through all the obstacles that we have practiced in the class. Deb tells me that they'll let us go through twice. She suggested that I try Guinness on leash first and then off leash for the second run (just to see how she does) - I think I'll take her advice!

I'm gonna ice my knee now.

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Sunday...

Gary and I just got home from another hockey night. Boy, did the Irish look bad...especially the 2nd period. They just seemed flat. Pretty funny when the OSU fans started shouting "Over Rated" the Irish fans shouted "OSU Football." It shut up the OSU fans! I can't understand how a team can be "over rated" when the ratings come from their record. It isn't like ND has played a bunch of cupcakes to get their record...they have already played Miami (OH), Michigan, Alaska and they split the series with OSU this weekend. Depending how Miami does, they still will be 1 or 2 in the league.

After the game, we went over to the Sony Store at Easton to pick up our new VCR/DVD player recorder. The goal is to transfer all of the VCR tapes to DVD. It's a nice piece of equipment...we'll see how quickly we get the job done.

Tomorrow, is agility again with Guinness. It should be a whole lot of fun!

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A Nice Night

Gary and I just got home from a very nice evening with Dan and his wife Ayoung. We met them at The Rusty Bucket on Lane Ave and had a lovely dinner.

We then made our way down to the Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center to watch the Notre Dame - OSU hockey game. We had tickets in the corner (section 127) and had a pretty good view of the game. Because of parking, we arrived to a tied score of 1 all in the 1st period. The Irish looked a little flat until the 3rd period. They were down 3-2 when an OSU player committed a major penalty (he basically sucker punched an Irish player) and was sent to the box for a 5 minute "time out." With 1 second left in the game, Erik Condra scored to tie the score. Of course, we went to overtime with a 'Power Play" and about 49 seconds into the overtime period, Carl Ridderwall scored the winning goal. Needless to say, it was very exciting!

It was a great evening and hopefully we'll get to repeat it soon.

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Happy Birthday To Me!

Guinness and I went to Wild Weavers for my B-Day! It was great fun and she is doing so much better. She still is a little freaked out over the A-frame and the dog walk but she is coming along. I have to sign her up for the next level.

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OUCH!

I did it again! Twisted my left knee walking at Blacklick Woods. I had to take Guinness to agility tonight - by the way she did great until she fell off of the "dog walk" - so I'm back in my old brace and icing the thing. I've taken enough Advil to kill my kidneys and I'm just about ready to take my "little white pill that takes all pain away!"

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OK, I'm Back

The past week has been busy and stressful.

Last week, Mount Carmel announced that they were eliminating 300 jobs. I found out that several good friends of mine were losing their jobs in 45 days. Health care was supposed to be "recession proof" - WRONG!

Last weekend I helped with the FIAT conference at Seton. We had a small but mighty group for the Middle School Conference Retreat Day on Friday - remember they were out of school due to low temperatures. I then attended the Catechetical and Youth Ministry Leaders Symposium. On Saturday we had high schoolers for their retreat. It was a inspiring and long day. To assist with the kids discernment, we had 7 groups of men and women religious from across the US along with Eric Groth from Outsidedabox Ministries. They were all wonderful and gave great testimonials.

Monday night, Guinness and I did agility at Wild Weavers. She is getting really good although she still doesn't like other dogs or kids!

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Good Night At Wild Weavers

Guinness and I had a good time at Wild Weavers tonight for the start of agility training. I think she had a good time...especially with all the treats I gave her! We learned things like Table, Over and Through. She and I are going to have a lot of work to do on the basic stuff like sit/stay, down/stay and the hardest of all heal.

Going to bed...I'm pooped!

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Happy New Year and Good News

Happy New Year to all! Don't eat too much pork and sauerkraut!

I received some good news today via e-mail. Momma's dog, Guinness and I are in the class to start agility training at Wild Weavers on January 5th. It should be a BLAST!

Later...