My New Goldendoodle

Here he is! I have been waiting since August 1st for him! I am still having a hard time naming him. It's going to be either Gatsy, Bronte, or Cleveland. What do you think???? I need help!

Puppy Update

My puppy is on his way! He will be old enough to come live with me sometime in early October. I am way pumped up about it. Naming him has been the hardest this thus far. I have narrowed down to the "short list". What do you think? What's your favorite?

Boaz
Luca
Bronte
Gatsby
Maverik
Darcy
Gabe
Beau
Amadeus
Dakota
Oberon
Augustus

Things going on in my life

I really need to update you all on my life. I wish I could tell you about all of it, but a girl has to keep some secrets. Be prepared this is going to be a long one.


1) I am on a four day trip to Kansas City for the Grand Council Midterm Meeting. I am the VP of Communications for Kappa Epsilon and even though it is volunteer, I really enjoy serving in this position. I get to creatively develop and edit our magazine, The Bond. I help develop and update our website. I do about three or four chapter visits every two years, which is not too bad of a travelling deal, even when you add on travelling for midterm and convention. I love the rest of the Grand Council and Nancy (the exec director). They are an eclectic group of pharmacists. Some have a better sense of humor than others but we get along well. We got so much done these past few days, but now the hard work starts with school starting up again soon.


2) Working in the Emergency Department A LOT. One of our ED pharmacists has been pregnancy leave and the other has a pretty tight schedule because of her family. That has left me working A LOT! Multiple days in a row (ex. 10!) with a day or two off and then back again with multiple days in a row. BUT the light of the end of the tunnel showed up on Monday...our new ED pharmacist! She just finished her two year residency at MUSC and she seems like good people. I will be working with her for 4 evening shifts this week to introduce her to everyone and get her used to the flow of the evening shift.

3) I have been being an inexcusable flirt lately. I have no idea why! Either I am feeling extra feisty or maybe I am trying to do something with my time now that residency is over, the first year getting used to the ED is over, and now I have my home. I know it is going to get me into trouble someday, but that's life right? I have to learn somehow. : )

4) The new house is frickin' amazing. I don't know if I made the best deal in the world getting this home, but I can't think of one that I saw that would make me happier. I still have a few things that need to get done before the big "House warming/Erin's B-day/Belated Graduation Celebration/Life is Good" party. First, I need to figure out how to use this damn sprinkler system. I don't know if it's not built correctly or I, as the operator, am retarded. There are three spots that just are getting browner and browner. Second, I need to so some cosmetic things to the upstairs bathroom. I need to retile about 4 floor tiles and I need to regrout the shower. I think. I am hoping my friend Nicole (See #7) will help me out, but her life if crazy right now. Between the two of us, we could not think of a day we had off at the same time. I also need to start getting the house pet proof (see #8). Other than that, it's just some rearranging, hanging pics and paintings, and buying furniture. Which, by the way, I just got this AWESOME wine sideboard...I cannot wait to see it when it comes in. I hope I am not disappointed.

5) Not only am I loving the new house, I have a great housemate: Crystal. For those of you who do not know Crystal yet, she is a pharmacist also, and we were in residency together. She took a job after residency and she is giving it a go for a year or so to see if she likes it enough to stay. There is not enough time for me to write about how great she is. She is shy and aggressive at the same time. She is a real pit bull for her patients. At the same time, we have a joke that all Crystal says on dates or around new people is, "Yes, No, Please, Thank You, and Pepsi". She puts up with my mood swings and anger issues. She is clean and quiet. My friends love her....how couldn't you?


6) I have a few friends/family coming to SLC soon. I cannot wait to show them the new house. So Aunt Jan, Nancy/Jim, and the KE ski crew....can't wait to see you! Maybe the most excited I am for a visitor is my friend, Ernesto, from Peru.


7) My friends who are leaving or have left. When I started in the emergency department the success we had with our practice was largely due to the people that worked there already. Orion, Jacob, Lani, Shay, Brad, Rachel, Jenni, and Nicole just to name a few. Well, now I have been in the ED for over a year and I am starting to see the crazy turn over the ED has. Orion. What can I say about this guy. He's funny, smart as the devil, and mischievous as the devil as well. I was seriously flirting with this guy, probably too much because I found out he had a girlfriend (After-the-fact). He moved onto medical school in Washington which he will train to become an amazing physician. I just don't think he realizes it yet. If he just keeps the goal in site, treats everyone the same as he does now, and remembers where he came from, he can't fail! Jacob is an interesting guy. He has had more different jobs in his life than I probably will ever have. On top of that, with him leaving for law school in Miami, I might have lost my best Democrat friend. Finally I found someone active in the party and he leaves! I am still bummed that I had not met him earlier. It's not like he was not there, it's just I cannot get to know everyone at the same time! Lani will be leaving in late September at the latest. I don't know what I am going to do without Lani on the week days. When she had her baby, I missed her then, but having her whole family leave soon makes me totally bummed. I was just getting good at entertaining her baby! Shay went to days and Brad went to 4's, so I don't see them as much as I'd like, but at least they have not left yet. Rachel left to go work home nursing (and transferred her black cloud to a new charge nurse). Jenni went to work dialysis. My Nicole got hired by AirMed. I cannot be prouder of her so I can possibly stand letting her go. We talk about what an amazing role model she is going to be for her daughter. We imagine her saying to her friends, "my mommie takes care of really sick people and rides in the helicopter to save them". She is a lucky lady. (I still say I will be a sister wife if it's okay with her!)

8) I am getting my first dog! I have put a deposit down on a male, first generation goldendoodle. I am getting it from a lady in Oregon and she will either arrange for him to be sent here or she will drive him down since she has family in the area. As of right now, he will be arriving somewhere between the end of September and the beginning of October. They look cute and cuddly, but the males get up to 65 lbs sometimes. I know I don't have a clue what I am getting myself into, but I think at this time in my life I need something new to keep me active and less of a homebody.

9) My daddy loves me! I hate to say this, but no man will ever replace the love I have for my dad! I was whining about missing Ohio and its sweet corn. I know that sounds weird, but I really miss sweet corn. It's not the same here in Utah. Corn on the cob here is more starchy and tough. SO, my daddy bought two dozen ears of corn, cooked it, cut the kernels off the cob, vacuum sealing it and sending it to me!!! Like I said, my daddy loves me!

10) Crystal and I are the concert addicts this month. James Taylor, Jack Johnson, and Sheryl Crowe with James Blunt. YEAH!!!

I warned you it was going to be long....I tried to cut it down, but you know me, I am not exactly someone who you have to pull teeth out of to chat!

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Moving Day

Moving day. I cannot explain to you how much I am abhorring moving. Pack a box, unpack a box. Break down the bed, carry the bed out to the moving truck, remake the bed. Carry furniture that has no business being carried by someone who does not normally do hard labor. I AM PAYING SOMEONE TO DO THIS FOR ME NEXT TIME!

I am encouraged that this will be (cross my fingers) my last move for about five years. I have thought about it. I have moved somewhere between 10 and 12 times since 1999 and I am just simply over it! I still find it interesting how many people offer to help you move and how many actually show up to do it. Luckily, Crystal and I are good Midwestern girls raised on beef and corn. Strong as an ox and twice as stubborn.

I do have a more bright note. My neighbors came by and helped for a few moments today. How sweet is that? The neighbors across the street, Erin and Trent, are a young couple. I am not sure if they have children or not, but they were friends with Mellisa and Eric (the past owners). They probably know the house better than I do! They seem very hardworking and friendly. Even "Cash", an older gentleman in the area, came to help. I am not sure how old he is, but easily in his 70's! He insisted on helping carry and arrange things. I was terrified that he may drop over from a stroke or MI in my new home. How about that for a bad omen! I can just imagine the EMTs' faces that I see daily at work when they walked in my home. The Horror! I must say though, it's rare in this day and age that neighbors would take time out of their day to help! I am truly impressed!

So ladies and gentlemen, more to come on the ongoing saga of the new home and the move.

EM Trifecta

I was super excited to be invited to this year's EM Trifecta. Good times, good people, great memories!

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My Favorite Niece's First Recital

This is my niece's first recital that she performed when I was back home in Ohio in April. (Okay, she is not really the one playing, but she is too cute!)

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Temple Square with my Mom

My mom visted SLC in May. Her first time in the West! I can't wait until she comes back again to see my new home and all the rest that Utah has to offer!

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My First House!

My first home. I am so excited and scared! Buying your first home at 26 years old is either crazy or incredibly smart. We will see! Enjoy the pics.

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Living in Salt Lake City

I have lived in Salt Lake City for TWO years now. As you can see already, I have bought a house, so it can't be so bad, right? The preconceptions people have about Utah is amazing. So here are some of the myths and maybe not so mythical truths about the big SLC.



1) Everyone one is a polygamist. Okay, not true folks. I have only met ONE polygamist family personally and they are the most organized and most loving family I have ever met. Now there has been lots of talk about polygamy in the news lately due to the shenanigans in Texas, but I have a pretty strong opinion about this. These are basic civil rights that we are denying people. My personal opinion (and you are free to disagree) is that marriage is a legal institution. So we are denying these people the basic rights that we allow others to have. (Oh and don't get me started on gay marriage....when are people going to learn?) Yes, polygamy can be bad, but so can "a marriage is between one man and one woman". I will have to admit though my feminist side burns through on this subject for two reasons though. A) Utah did not grant women the right to vote until 1957, because the politicians were afraid that women would vot against the right to be a polygamist. B) When have you ever seen a plural family with multiple husbands? Tit for tat people!

2) No one knows how to drive in Utah. False, but true! In my own defense, I am a decent driver. I pay attention, I don't try and do three things at once while I am driving. I have made my share of stupid mistakes which luckily have been minor or rectified just in time. I am willing to put myself out on a limb here and say that Utah drivers SUCK! They might as well make blinkers a luxury option on new cars sold here because they don't use them anyways. Also, Utah leads the nation in the number of ROAD RAGE DEATHS. Can you imagine grandma driving away from church humming Come, Come, ye Saints and deciding to take a side swipe at an oncoming car for not fulling stopping at the stop sign. Vigilante grannies...seriously...this is true!

3) Conservatives rule the joint. Well, you would think this would be true, and possibly in it's own way it does. BUT guess what ladies and gentlemen? SLC has a DEMOCRATIC as mayor! Now I hear you asking yourself, "Yeah, but would he pass as a democrat back east?" Hell yeah he would! He has established a city registry for domestic partners so that they can extend benefits to their significant others and have access to retirement earnings. He's bringing the downtown area back to life for the people with a state of the art, Broadway rivaling, theater district. He is focusing on the environment and making the SLC valley a cleaner, healthier place to live. In fact he is requiring all of the city departments to report and improve upon their carbon footprints.

4) Hobbitville. This is TOTALLY TRUE! There is a community near Westminster College that is entirely built for and by Little People. There are rumors that people of average height cannot go into this community. I don't particularly like the name of "Hobbitville". It just encourages teenage pranksters to bother the LP, but I won't lie. I would love to see the place.

5) The snow is the best on earth. I have not been to all the fancy ski resorts in Europe, but I have been skiing in the east, in Colorado, northern Michigan, and now Utah. We all live and die for those monster snow mornings when you brave the drive up the canyons to be one of the first on the lifts. I have many friends who are severely hard core telemarkers and I am totally jealous of their skills. I am just happy to take some runs and started hitting the blacks at the end of this past season. Now it's time to work on some deep powder and tree lines. The goal this year is to beat last year's number: 35 ski days.

6) Pioneer Day AKA the Days of '47 AKA Day of Deliverance. I swear the next statements are true. This is the biggest state holiday in Utah. It beats out Christmas and the 4th of July put together. July 24th is the day that celebrates the arrival and pioneering of the Great Salt Lake Valley by Brigham Young and the Mormons. The parade is bigger (THREE HOURS) and the fireworks are grander for Pioneer Day.

I have to say, Utah is better than I thought it was going to be. Obviously since I am staying. Anyone else have Utah Myths to share?

July: First Year Interns vs. Rattlesnakes

I have found in my short time outside of the academic world that there are two things I dread the most in late June/early July: First Year Interns (FYI's) and rattlesnakes. This has come especially into play the past couple weeks as the FYI's and baby rattlesnakes have invaded my life. I do not pretend to be an expert in this area of study. I do have some real life experience from being the NGOTB (new girl on the block) that there are ways to get to where you are going successfully, but there are many stumbling blocks along the way. My advice is novice at best, but take it or leave it.

Here are my words of wisdom when you come across either of the previously mentioned. Proceed with caution! Both can cause significant amounts of pain if handled inappropriately. When approaching a FYI or rattlesnake, size them up. Do they look distressed? Or are they calm, cool, and collected? Have they raised their heads back ready for attack? Have you had experience with this particular creature in the past or is this a first time experience? Do you have a large stick around (literally a large stick or figuratively a more experienced doctor around to back you up)? Do you have the experience needed to guide the FYI or snake to the proper destination? These are all questions you must ask before approaching either of these fine creatures.

Rattlesnakes. When they are young (yearlings) they don't know any better. They think you are a large creature that wants to eat them. They don't have the experience to hold back their venom if they decide to bite you. They put the whole amount they have stored into you.

FYI's. When they are young (yearlings) they don't know any better. They think you are a mean nurse, pharmacist, attending that wants to eat them. They don't have the experience to communicate with you properly and to see that you are trying to help them. They put the whole amount of frustration they have stored into you.

Rattlesnakes. They may learn as time goes on, but they will still end up biting you if you mess with them badly enough

FYI's. THEY LEARN! If you set them up for success, they will in turn get better and better, by the time they are third or fourth years you trust them as much as you do their attending.

My advice to the few FYI's I have met so far the past few days has been simple. If a nurse, pharmacist, attending is talking to you, it's not because we are trying to eat you. We are trying to make you better, faster, stronger, smarter. FYI's need to appear to be calm, cool, and collected....EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE. A calm demeanor and collected thought process will convince us that you are listening to our concerns and you will follow up on them. ALWAYS FOLLOW UP! Don't ever let a nurse, pharmacist, attending catch you not following up on something when you said you would. This will make us angry and assume that you do not value our opinions or your patient's welfare. As time goes on, you will be able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate questions, updates, pages, etc. At this point of time you do not have that experience. If you come at us with your head reared back ready to bite (because Lord knows you have had four years of medical school, and damn it, you already know all this), we will most likely hit you with a very large stick. Literally or figuratively. Accept the fact, that at this point of time, we do know more than you do. Accept advice, our concern, and our suggestions knowing that we are doing this foremost for the patient and for your education. Learn names...especially your nurses! This will help you in so many ways in the future, I cannot even begin to explain to you.

Nurses, pharmacists, attending the FYI's are an excellent example of first impressions are not always the right ones. Do not judge your FYI off of one interaction. Give them the benefit of a doubt. The first few weeks are tortuous for them. Do you have the experience to guide a FYI to their proper destination? Ask yourself this before lighting into an FYI. They are there to learn and you have the responsibility to help the FYI with their communication and patient management skills. If you do not feel you have this skill set yet, learn! FYI's do not go away, they just change what they look like every July.

This is my novice advice to one and all. Remember that we are all here for the same reasons, some of us just see the big picture clearer than the rest!

I am a home owner....kind of.

I have closed on my first home. It has taken almost two months of searching, negotiating, paperwork filing, phone calls, and emails to get to this point but here I am! I am now the proud owner of a thirty year mortgage.



I have looked at many homes in Salt Lake City's Sugarhouse and Millcreek areas. I wanted somewhere close to my workplace, but not right there in downtown SLC. It had to be what I like to call "move-in-able" but still have room for me to make it my own. It is in a great neighborhood with almost Ohio-sized trees and looks to be very safe. So here I am moving into the Millbcreek area by the end of July.



I am super lucky to have my friend Crystal moving in with me! For those of you who know me better than others, we all know that I may not be the best roommate known to man kind. I am controlling and demanding and maybe a bit self-centered, but damn it, I am fun! Luckily for Crystal, we have completely different schedules. She works weekdays and I work my strange 8 days on-6 days off swing shifts. That gives us around 2 weekend days and 4 weeknights on the same schedule every 2 weeks. I can even put up with me that long!

The sellers should be moving out this weekend and then I will hopefully move in over 4th of July weekend. I will post pics when I get in there!

BBQ, bonfire, and guns....oh my!

I had a great time last night with some on my emergency department friends! I love ED people. They have seen the worst and the best in people. They have seen the drunks, the crazies, the old couple who still take care of each other 60 years later, the concerned neighbor for her sick friend, and the jerks that drop off their 85 year old mom at the ED doorstep and leave because "they can't take care of them anymore". There is little that can shock them anymore.


I have learned a lot from the ED lot so far. 1) Give everyone great care, no matter who they are or what they do. 2) Be careful of judgements and give people a second, third, fourth chance. 3) Protect yourself, document! 4) If you say "good game" it's not sexual harassment. 5) Sometimes you have to let yourself be angry, sad, happy, frustrated, or anxious. Don't keep it in.

Anyhow, we went to the far side of Bald Mountain yesterday. Got the barbie going, set up a wicked fire, and got down to business shooting some guns. Erin likey! Enjoy the pics!


Did you ever know an Ohio girl who couldn't shoot a gun?

Erin and Strech by the camp fire.

Salt Lake City's finest. Ladies, come and get it!

This was one of the days that Grace was from "a big city".

Our awesome spot that we set up at.

Grace, Steve, and I at the summit! We didn't climb it, we drove!

Killer view for June!
Come on....it's not THAT cold!
Top of the world, ma!

BB (Before Blogging) Pics

Here are some of my favorite pics of my friends, family, Salt Lake City, Peru, and other interesting things from 2008.

I miss my Univ. of Utah residency friends! We should have a reunion!

Everyone loves a giant check! Made out to the Young Survivors Coalition.

My favorite pic from Charlotte.

Kappa Epsilon Convention 2007!

My mom is so pimp in this pic! Rockin' the red hat and everything!

Who would have thought Erin would ever live in Salt Lake City, UT?

My mom at Antelope Island. She flew out here to visit me in May. Ask her about rocket propelled wheelchairs!

Children in line for the medical clinic we did in Chocco, Cusco, Peru.

Chad and my hut at the Cortes Maltes in Puerto Malandado, Peru.

Long nose bat at Lake Sandoval, Peru.

My favorite picture from Peru! This little girl is eating sugar cane at the school in Chocco. She thought she was sly and told me that this was a vegetable!

We gave this little girl one of the many blankets that we flew to Peru with us. She was so curious and sweet.

This is me at Pisac. No one knows why the Incans deserted these ancient dwellings, but they were awesome to explore!

View along the Madre de Dios River in the jungles of Peru.

Did I ever mention how much I hate snakes? Our guide, Michel, killed this on the dock of Cortes Maltes. Can we say "Fer-de-lance" kids?

Cusco's Plaza de Armas

This is my second cousin, Rebecca. She will call me Aunt Erin when she gets older! You can tell that she is going to be a mischievious one already!

Kappa Epsilon's Beta Zeta Colony at the University of Findlay.

Why blog?

I have finally joined the world of blogging. I have had a hard time coming to a conclusion about how I feel about blogging. Several concepts came into play with this decision. First, who cares about what I have to say? Don't people have better things to do? Second, is blogging just a subvert way to make yourself look good? Kind of like reality TV, but without producers and writers wanting to make you into a "character". You can use a blog to make yourself look WAY better than you really are by simply omitting the bad things about you that you do not want people to see. Third, is this the new substitution for communication. Just in the past fifteen years of my life it has gone from phone calls, to cell phone calls, to emails (if you are lucky), to instant messages, to text messages. It is like we are trying to find ways not to have to talk to each other face to face. Forth, blogging is not all bad. It's a way for your friends and family to keep up to date without feeling guilty for not calling last Sunday. Fifth, it's therapeutic. You are forced to sit down and put your feelings and thoughts into writing. Sixth, if you are thoughtful about it, it forces you to get back into the habit of creative writing.

There are probably dozens of reasons I could find to not blog. On the other hand, I found just as many TO blog, so here I am! I hope to use this blog as a way to share my new life with my friends and family, help me realize that there is more to my life than work, and help me get back into creative writing. Welcome!