Office Etiquette

Since I have been back to work for a week and a half now I have come across a few things I have to mention to get off my chest. While I am the "new girl" I don't dare express my opinion yet. They are still under the deception that I am "quiet" with my nose in the computer. If you have these habits please remember in the work place it is not only annoying, but socially unexceptable. So here's my observations...
First of all the "F" word is not in any type of professional jargon that I am aware of. (Well, unless you are a professional wrestler or on the Jerry Springer Show.)
"G D it" is not only not professional jargon but I am pretty sure that God doesn't answer that kind of request.
Loud belching and passing gas in the office and not only not excusing your self but rating your performance is not inpressive. Especially if remarks of "skid marks" are included.
Yes, I know not every woman shaves their legs everyday, but we do not want to feel your stumble or compare how long the hair is on my legs compared to yours.
Please refrain from plucking your whiskers (women) from your chin or neck in the office. The faces you make looking to the small hand held mirror is scary.

**Okay, I must stop here and admit some of this I have done, but not in the presence of co-workers, in the privacy of my home or with my group of friends (close friends, and you know who you are), not in front of patients and doctors.

By the way, this stuff is really happening in the Cardiology Office that I work in, with adults, educated, college educated, married or living with someone with children.

Now our dress code is black dress pants,kiaki dress pants, or nursing white pants. Pink, white, burgundy, or "french blue" (periwinkle) polo shirts w/ ebroidered logo, white lab coat and dress or tennis shoes. Okay. Well in the week I have been there I have seen low rider pants, not hip hugger but just above the pubic area pants, some with a red or orange stripe down the seam. The bottoms ratted out and hanging. Shoes that (no kidding) look like slippers, and one gal actually wore beige, pink and orange plaid shoes that were riped up. Shirts have been so low (v-neck) that clevage could be used as a storage closet.
There are approx. 50 + people who work on the floor I'm on and there is one bathroom for employees. Now I am on water pills and so there are days I am a frequently flyer. There seems to be an unspoken rule that there is at least a 30 second pause after someone leaves the bathroom before someone else is "cleared" to enter the bathroom. Otherwise the looks you get are almost paralyzing, and I have no time for a stop and go decision at that point.

Yet, I think my favorite is that a patient will call and someone will tell me that they took the call and what they advised the patient to do and then come tell me and say, "Will you chart that for me?" No, I won't "chart" that for you!

With being the "new" person there is one person who has told me everyday multiple times that she really isn't a "B", then proceeds to tell me everything about everyone else and what and who I should do and associate with. She is an "RN" and tells me that everyday. Her last day is Monday. Thank God for small favors. She has told the other new girl her story too, over and over. Any time I see her whispering I know that poor person standing there is hearing her sob story again.

So just in case you are worried, I do like my job and am tolerating a few people, but otherwise everyone is nice and helpful.

Well that is my story. Hope you got a good laugh.

Lions, Tigers, and Bear Oh My! Now Giraffes Too

We got free passes to go to Niabi Zoo again. This time Dave got to go with us. Dave was looking forward to seeing Kathy Shaboom, the elephant, I had to give him the bad news that she had passed on. But Riley and I got to feel one her teeth and to check that out. It was five pounds, amazing! The top of the tooth had grooves like tire tracks. We were very excited to see the Giraffe's , Zebra's, Ostrich's, Reptile House, and McCaws. Dave got to experience the Lorakeets. We even saw the Wallaby's making more babies. We told Riley they were wrestling and playing. He believed us so we left it at that. We really enjoyed the cooling stations, a high powered fan with a mister blowing a wonderful cool mist. As you will see I managed to get a boyfriend, he went "ape" over me. He loved my striped shirt. So enjoy our new pictures.

This week we started a new routine at our house. I started working full-time at Cardiovascular Medicine with the Electrophysiologist in Moline, IL. I am very excited to be back in "EP Land". The picture is my doctor that I will be working with. His name is Helbert Acosta (if you double click on the picture it will enlarge so you can see it better). He is very nice, actually gave me a hug my first day. The other doctor in EP at the Moline office is Mark Kovach. I haven't met him yet. Electrophysiologist are Cardiologists who specialize in the electrical health of the heart. General Cardiologist are plumbers and Electrophysiologists are electricians of the heart. So they deal arrhythmia's, pacemakers and defibrillators. Anyways, I worked for CVM several years ago before we moved to Michigan in the Davenport office, so I sent a resume there first. There weren't any openings at the time but God had other plans. Now they have 28 physicians, 5 nurse practioners, 4 offices and 10 outreach clinics in Iowa and Illinois. All the charts at the Moline office are on computer except for the pacemaker and defibrillator charts we have what is called EMR electric medical records, so it has been a challenge to get use to going to the computer to lookup a chart and then recording in every section that needs to be documented in instead of pulling a chart and charting. Vital signs are recorded in the computer in each exam room and the EKG machines are basically the leads plugged into the computer and unplugged when not in use, very cool. We have our own diagnostic center for stress, nuclear stress, echocardiograms, CT, coumadin clinic, lipid clinc and pacemaker clinic. So far every one has been very helpful and nice. A gal that I went to college with works there so we have been catching up. It has been great seeing all my old friends. This position was created for me. God just laid it into my lap. The kids are tired tonight from the last three days but have been doing well with the change which has helped me to not be so down about leaving them with a sitter. We have been very blessed this week. The Lord has blessed in unimaginable ways that would amaze you. He is truely our great provider, sustainer, and Mighty God. We have had some real struggles the last couple of weeks that we haven't spoken of, but know that not only is God a good God, but he is the one and only true God who is faithful even in the deepest darkest hour, God is there. Also it has been a real blessing this week to have God's people minister to us. I tell ya being ministered to is humbling. We appreciate all the prayers.

Riley has had the creative bug lately, he is wanting to build things with Lego's but we haven't been able to find all of them. He has been finding some here and there. I have been helping him. We started out making a city, but then he decided to change to a space station. He specifically requested I show these pictures to Joel Theissen, Jack & Maddie Christison, Leo and all his "Michigan Friends" and his cousins Jack and Cody Troyer in Fairview, MI. Now we counldn't find complete sets so we created with what we had.

I cut Cheyenne's hair Saturday and had to show you. Also we were at Slattery Park today and Cheyenne fell and scraped her elbow and had to have a band-aid so she wanted you to see that too.

DeLay Firecrackers

Tonight we had our own fireworks. It was Cheyenne's first time to hold a sparkler. She was generally afraid of the noisies. Our neighbors had some pretty rockin' firworks too. Not to sure those were legal for in town use. But we enjoyed watching them. We had sparklers, pop-it's, and blooming flowers. There is a lot of activity around us and Cheyenne is scared. It will probably a long night.

Knee High by the 4th of July

Okay, we've been in the corn fields again. Today is July 4th and our corn fields are bursting with corn. This is in Davenport. So Dave is 6'7" and the corn is over his head. There are already road side stands selling sweet corn. Yummy, Yummy!!

July 4th Church Picnic

Today we went to the church picnic at Illiniwek Park in Hampton, IL.
We ate promptly at noon. There was a "log toss" contest, Dave got 4th place. There was a frying pan throwing contest, I got 3rd place and won a ribbon. Riley and I partnered in the water balloon toss. We lost. Pastor Tim and Pastor Tim won that. There was a water slide for the kids and Riley just loved that. Cheyenne was very content running through the pavillion pushing her water bottle in the back end of Riley's dump truck.
Cheyenne actually ate, she never eats at picnics, Dave enjoyed the cherry cheesecake and reminded us it was Cherry Fest in T.C. Riley was just happy to get a cupcake. We had this great dish made of grapes, sour cream, cream chesse and butterfinger candy bars. I will get the recipe Sunday at Church. It was my favorite dish. It was hot and humid but tollerable. We had a breeze occasionally. Thanks God for shade.

Thunder Storms and Flooding

Last night Cheyenne and I were up from 1:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m. listening to the storm roll through. It was really loud here. Riley and Dave slept through it. Cheyenne was a wreck but I held her tight and sang to her and prayed with her and we made it through. When we got up the news said we had had approx. 5 + inches of rain. They were listing all the roads that were closed due to flooding. We drove by Duck Creek this morning about 11:00 a.m. and this is what we found. Duck Creek is usually a shallow creek and was up and over the banks. There was erosion and plants and weeds flattened because of rushing water. the bike path was covered and lots of mud. On the news we saw a police car with water mid way up the doors at South Park Mall in Moline, IL. It was reported 2,400 people without power. We were just fine. No water in our basement and no power outage. Praise the Lord!!

Red White and Boom

Last night we went down to LeClaire Park in Davenport for "Red White And Boom" It was a beautiful night, warm temps and a good breeze. We didn't get down there until 7:30 p.m. or so. We wanted to make sure that we missed Hillary & Bill Clinton. Yes, for some reason the City of Davenport planned a polictical rally and fireworks on the same day. We didn't any of the political activity besides people wearing "Hillary" buttons and stickers. As many "Hillary" propaganda we saw we saw "Obama" stuff too. Anyways we way to late to stand in line for anyof the fun things. The bouncy balloon things had lines that went on forever and so we stood in line for Riley to go up in the firetruck ladder, but an officer came and told us that it was probably and hour before we would get there and they were closing in a half hour. So we found our spot to watch the fireworks. Dave stood in line for approx. 45 min. for funnel cake and nachos. There was a band playing in the band shelter and we could hear the crowd from the baseball game going on in John O'Donnell Stadium. Fireworks started at 9:30 p.m. They were really good. The finale was awesome.

Picnic at VanDeVeer Park

Today we went on a picnic at VanDeVeer Park. This is one of our favorite parks because there is so much to do. Dave got to go with us today. So we showed him all our favorite stuff. The kids loved getting wet from the fountains today. They didn't go into the fountain but the spray from the wet got them really good. It was a joy to see them having so much fun. We really needed a day like today. Not planned just spur of the moment. Dad unfortunately got sent home early but we consider that "gift" time as a family because soon it may not be that way. We had lunch and looked at all the beautiful plants and flowers. Watched the bunnies and squirrels play. Played freesbie. The crocked street picture is me trying to take a picture of Dave in action with the freesbie and him hitting me in the forehead witht he fressbie and that picture was the results. It was beautiful and a nice breeze.