Italy- Day 2

I am such a bad blogger- How is a girl ever going to get followers if she can't BLOG on a regular basis?!? Well, I try, but sometimes my real life just gets in the way. I had grand plans when I was twenty and newly married to an E-3 in th Air Force. I was going to be a "kept woman"- the perfect little wifey. Obviously, that plan didn't work out. It didn't work out for many reasons:

1. I don't like being home alone, and my husband thought I should at least clean house- EWW
2. The US Gov't pays the young enlisted folks a wage that is well beneath poverty level
3. I am spoiled and need money to do the things I enjoy
4. Ultimately, I felt I should contribute to society
5. This list could go on for days...

Now, I am re-thinking this whole job thing. If I had never gone back to school in order to make more money for our family, my son might qualify for more financial aide for college!! It is like the ULTIMATE "catch 22!" We just paid off all of my student loans and now we are going to start paying for student loans, AGAIN!!! AAARRRGGGHHH! On the bright side, someday my son will be able to provide for a family of his own. RIGHT? Everything has a way of working itself out in the long run.

Enough of that, I am supposed to be blogging about ITALY!

SOOOO....Day 2 of our Italy trip started in Venice. If you remember, the first day was spent mostly on the bus. We were all tired by the time we got to our hotel. It was dark and we saw very little. I was really excited about today, because we were actually going to see some interesting stuff! After a quick complimentary breakfast at the hotel, everyone loaded back onto the bus (yes, there were some stragglers) and we headed to the docks for a boat ride across the Lagoon to the historical center of Venice.

See how excited my family is to be on this adventure? I think my son is merely tolerating it!

Although we saw some amazing places (St. Marc's Square, St. Marc's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sigh's), my favorite sights were the Murano glass blowing factory (where I spent a lot of money- thank goodness I have a job) and the Gondoliers- those are the Italian men who steer the gondola's through the canals of Venice. Upon first sight of these men I reminded my husband of how I used to tell him, when we were kids, that I was going to marry an Italian man someday- I don't think he was amused in the least- hehe!

This was one of the many glass blowers (I don't think his clothes could have been any tighter) at the factory we visited. He created a vase in a matter of minutes that was beautiful, but since it was not "perfect" to the man on the right with the tie, it had to be destroyed -CRAZY!

This is a picture of some of the gondoliers. It is a little dark, but you get the idea. I couldn't help but stare- this was the moment I realized I liked Italy, even if it was dirty!

This picture is of our personal gondolier, and a very nice couple on our tour who shared the gondola with us. I had my son take several pictures of our gondolier for me (my son was in a better position in the gondola for picture taking). My husband and I shared a bottle of sparkling wine on our ride, each group got a bottle to share, but no one else on our gondola wanted any so it left more for, well, mostly ME!

We were not allowed to take pictures in the glass factory, other than the one above, so I don't have any shots of what I bought. I will tell you I bought three beautiful vases, though. They are being shipped to my parent's home in the states. I am very excited to see them!

Following our fun in Venice, we took the boat back across the Lagoon, loaded on our bus and headed to ROME...

Italy- Day 1

WOW, I cannot believe it has been almost a month since my last post! My wrist healed up nicely, a small little scar is all (thanks for asking). I actually started to post about Spring Break as soon as we returned from Italy, but was so overwhelmed, I didn't know where to start. I am still not certain I can figure that out. In fact, I may just post several small stories rather than one long one. That would be OK, right? So, my family went to Italy for Spring Break- Yea!! This was not only to be our last big trip before leaving Germany for a new assignment in the states, it was also our last trip before our son goes off to college (I am very SAD he will be leaving the nest). My husband and I decided a bus tour would be the best way to go- not sure I would do that again for a six day excursion! Day 1, we had an early morning departure and were supposed to make it across the Austrian Alps and arrive in the afternoon at "beautiful" Lake Garda and have dinner at one of the lakeside restaurants, before driving on to our first hotel in Venice. Well, we never even saw Lake Garda, at least not on the way TO Italy. All was going well until we reached Austria. Suddenly, traffic came to a complete standstill. No joke, people were getting out of their vehicles, taking walks and picnicking up and down the autobahn. I cannot be sure if this was the cause of the "stau" (traffic jam) or the effect. Approximately five hours later it was over... just cleared up and traffic moved beautifully. Instead of eating pizza and looking out over a beautiful lake, we ate at a rest stop on the side of the road. Don't get me wrong, these are not like the truck stops one experiences in the states. These stops are usually quite clean and decent places to eat, it just wasn't what was on our agenda. So, instead of "beautiful" Lake Garda, we got:

Pretty view, huh? Just Kidding!!

Even though we were not at Lake Garda, we did have some beautiful views of the mountains! After our quick dinner/bathroom break, we loaded back onto the bus. Final stop, day 1, our hotel: Venice! It was very late and we couldn't wait to get to our beds to rest up for our next long day of touring........

The Haircut and a Swiss Army Knife

So, yesterday, my daughter and I went to get our hair done. This is a little something we do every couple of months or so on our "girl's day out." Anyway, I just love the German lady who does my hair- USUALLY! Yesterday, it seemed as though she was in a hurry to finish me up so she could leave for the day- I wish my work days ended in the middle of the afternoon. (Anyone that lives in Germany knows that "when the whistle blows" the Germans are DONE for the day. They never work one minute overtime- NO LIE!) Back on track, so I was getting the usual color, highlights, cut, and style. Now, my hairdresser does a good job, but she is a little sloppy with the color on occasion and dripped on my neck. She did not notice until the color had set (with heat) on my flesh. Not a big deal, except I have my hair cut very short in the back. She decides to scrub my precious skin with bleach and then shave my neck... OUCH----HELLLOOOO- chemical burn. I also have a slight burn on my cheek from the same thing (minus the shaving part).

Afterward, my daughter and I go about our day. By now she and my husband have generously pointed out the enormous red splotch on the back of my neck- mind you, I CAN and DO feel the spot burning like crazy. The day can only get better and it does... by the time bedtime rolled around, I decided that I could not take the discomfort any longer, and would just shower and apply antibiotic ointment to the area. As I am undressed in the bathroom, I grabbed my hand mirror to look at the burn before showering and noticed there was a "long spot" in my hair. Unable to let it go (it is the old cosmetologist in me) I thought, "Let me just snip this off before I shower!" Here is where the fun begins... Rather than get my hair scissors from the drawer on the other side of the bathroom (one step away), I opt for the SWISS ARMY POCKET KNIFE in the medicine cabinet. With mirror in one hand and SWISS ARMY KNIFE scissors in the other, I was ready for action.... that is when the knife slipped from my hand and headed straight for my bare breast, as I grabbed, it happened- I STABBED MYSELF IN THE *expletive* WRIST!!! That DID NOT and DOES NOT feel very good!! On a serious note, I am very fortunate to have not cut an artery, but I am not convinced that I did not injure a tendon. I pretty much shrieked, my husband responded with a, "What the hell were you doing?!?!?" and then proceeded to laugh as I lay crumpled on the bed in shear agony- still naked! (AWW, the love!) I never did get a shower, instead I re-dressed in case I might need an emergency transport to the ER.

Today, the chemical burns are better, but the wrist is extremely sore. Might I just say if there is anyone out there contemplating slicing their wrist(s)... don't do it- IT HURTS BAAAAAADDDD!

inSANE

I don't really have much to BLOG about today and am not in the right "frame of mind" to post an ethical question (besides, maybe those questions require too much thought, as I'm not getting much feedback), so I will just BLOG about my past week. Last week I was privileged to attend a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) course. This was a really big deal for me for a couple of reasons... 1) I have been working on my SANE certification for over a year now and 2) I am getting ready to move to a new assignment and the hospital I am currently at did not want to train me since I will not be staying here to benefit this facility. Basically, I had to do a little begging, but it paid off. So, Monday-Friday, I sat through long days of classroom lectures and videos of some pretty interesting and, at times, disturbing stuff. I have been learning how to collect Forensic Evidence from a victim of sexual assault. This is probably much more difficult than it sounds and is nothing like CSI makes it out to be. We did some role playing in class that was very difficult. Having been given scenarios, we were put in teams of three and were told to act out the part of the SANE, the victim, and an advocate. I can only imagine how hard it would be for an assault victim to come in and tell a perfect stranger of the atrocities that have taken place. I found it humiliating just acting out a scenario that was made up. As a trained medical professional, it is hard, as well, to use language that is on the level of the victim... because this is a medico-legal exam, you must remain unbiased throughout. I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in being a victim's advocate (this is the role of the caring/compassionate person) to contact their local emergency department or women's shelter to find out how you can volunteer. If you are associated with the military, contact your SARC (sexual assault response coordinator) to learn how to volunteer. To be an advocate, you do not need any medical background, just a kind, compassionate heart and a desire to give time to someone in need. This is not just a position for women, but men, too. There are many men out there who are assaulted who could use a helping hand in dealing with this crisis. This coming week, I have to go through a mock exam on a live model (who would volunteer for such a thing as vaginal speculum exam?!?!?) to prove my worthiness. I am very nervous about this part. As a NICU nurse, I do not really do adult assessments, so this is a new arena for me. Most others in the class are nurses that deal with adults, many from OB/GYN, labor and delivery, etc... Wish me luck and I will post later in the week to let y'all know how it goes.

Ethical Question #3

Well, here it is, the next BIG QUESTION! But first, I need to ask, how often should I post a new question? I am thinking one or two a week is good. Anyway, I guess I will just play it by ear until I get more feedback. So, here we go... "At what point does money stop making people happier and have you reached that point, yet?" I remember a time when I thought money held all of the answers. Sadly, for some folks I am related to, it seems they think it still does. When my husband and I were first married, we lived paycheck to paycheck, as many people do, and it was hard. At that time, I often thought if we just made a little more money life would be so much easier. I was wrong! Now, I am not saying we make a load of money these days. (Remember, we serve our country as military members!) As many of you know, this military thing is not some "get rich quick" scheme, more people would be knocking on recruiters' doors if that were the case! All I am saying is my husband is no longer an E-3 AND we are a dual military family now, so we do OK. Back to the question... As time has passed, I have come to realize that happiness comes in many forms and most of those have absolutely NOTHING to do with the almighty dollar! Take for instance my job as a NICU nurse. There is nothing more rewarding than being in a room when a new baby is born (you can actually feel the presence of the Lord) OR when a new father holds his baby for the first time- my all time favorite! Also, I get pure pleasure from being in the same room as my husband and kids, I could sit and soak them up for hours. I love them beyond belief!! Don't get me wrong, it is nice to not have to worry where our next meal is coming from, we can even eat out more than our fair share; but, that is NOT what makes me happy. I used to think that someday I would have my 1/2 million dollar home and my 7 carat diamond ring and all would be grand with the world. Not so anymore. All I want is for my children to be good, happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults and for my husband and I to have a good, loving relationship for many years to come.

Ethical Question #2

I have decided to post my next ethical question for those of you who enjoy a little thought provocation. I realize it has not been quite one week since the last question was posted.... I will be working the next few nights and honestly can say I am not certain when I will be able to BLOG next. So, here it is: "If you were asked by school officials if your child's best friend lived in the community and you knew the child didn't, what would you do?" Now, I happen to know that there are families in this military community who do not abide by school boundaries. My own kids go to school outside of our boundaries, but we played by the rules and requested an "exception to policy." This really sucks at times because we have to provide transportation to and from school for our children. Maybe, I should give a little background here. My husband and I chose the area we are living in very carefully. The primary reason we moved to this home was because it's location fell into the boundaries of the schools we wanted our children to attend. At the end of last school year, the district decided to re-arrange the boundaries as our son was entering his Senior year of High School and our daughter her Freshman year. Being as we are military, it is not unusual for kids to change schools frequently, but my husband and I both requested extensions at our current assignments so our son could graduate with his friends. Had we known that boundaries were going to change and he be forced to go to a new school anyway, we would have just accepted orders and moved on. So, we did the next best thing and jumped through the hoops of the school district to allow our oldest to stay with is friends at his current school. Our daughter just rode in on the coat-tails of her brother. The negative in all of this is having to provide transportation to and from school. Back to the question above... None of the re-zoning would have been an issue if parents here had been sending their children to the appropriate school in the first place. I personally knew of 3 people who had given friend's addresses to the school when registering their own kids so their kids could go to the "better" school, leading to an overcrowding situation. So, rather than have parents bring in proof of residence, the officials just re-zoned. The problem could have been solved so much easier if they had just asked me what to do... but they didn't so I will just BLOG about them ;) So... Yes, I would inform the school officials of the truth. WHY? Because it is the right thing to do and so that future parents won't have to experience what my family has had to go through! Also, since the parents are going through the motions anyway, they may as well do it legally!

Signature block

Well, because I am still very new to this blogging thing, I am still having to work the kinks out. Right now, I am frustrated with my signature block. "This post is a test of the "Emergency Blog Signature Block", it is only a test, if it were the real thing, you would be instructed to read further :)

Ethical Question #1

As promised, here is the first question for your consideration: "Do you feel a sense of responsibility for influencing other people's morals?" I look forward to hearing some of your responses!!

Table Topics

So, here's the deal, there is a product I am fond of known as "TABLETOPICS." Basically, it is a set of cards in a nice little clear box meant to be set near the dinner table, coffee table, etc... Each card has a conversation starter on it. The first set I bought was geared around "the Family"- questions to help open up discussions amongst family members. I thought, since my kids are a little older now, it would be a nice change of pace from the usual dinner banter. Also, being teens, they really don't want to make much small talk with Mom and Dad at dinner. The first question I pulled from the box, you ask? "What question would you ask your parents if they had to tell the truth?" I do not necessarily remember the questions my kids asked, but I do remember sweating through the process, wondering if I was really willing to tell the truth about any random thing they could think to ask. I have since bought several more sets of cards- all different topics. I have Politics (which I hate to discuss, but thought it would be interesting during the recent election process),Book Club(I thought these would be useful in the event I ever start a book club group- I'm prepared for many things), Spirit/Faith (some very thought provoking questions), but my favorite set is Ethics, the whole purpose of this post. Most of my friends know that I really get hung up on the issues of Integrity and Ethics at work. In my line of business, it is a HUGE deal! Anyway, I bought these cards mostly for thought provoking self talk. But, when they came in the mail and I started looking at them, I decided to bring them to the dinner table. The first question out of the box started a battle of wits between my husband and me. We were not going to see eye-to-eye no matter what. Thirty minutes into our argument, the kids got up and left, quietly. We did agree on one thing, this set of cards would no longer be brought to the dinner table. You would think, having grown up with the man I have been married to for 21+ years, my best friend since 8 years old, we would have similar thoughts. Not so!! So, I have decided that rather than stress my marriage, for the sake of conversation, I would post some of the "ethical questions" for others to peruse and comment on. Take them to your dinner table and see what happens. As for my husband and I, we'll find some other way to keep the lines of communication open! ;) If you are interested in purchasing TABLETOPICS for your home, check them out at WWW.TABLETOPICS.COM