Meme

Kristen tagged me for this one...

In the Past year (I'm using 2007):
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Sadly, this one is SO easy. Some background: I was at work taking care of a few post-op patients. One of them was a 13-year old girl. She had just had a knee scope. The vast majority of our pediatric patients are ENT--tonsils and adenoids, ear tubes, cochlear implants, dental restoration. I have never had a peds patient with anything else. That being said, i went in, introduced myself, did my assessment on her (heart, lungs, vital signs, checked the extremity of her surgery). Then, continuing on in my efficient manner, i grabbed my handy-dandy flashlight and asked her to open her mouth so we could get a look at "where her tonsils used to be" and invited her mom to come take a look so she could know what it's supposed to look like. Her mom got up and played along until, just as i'm about to stick the tongue depressor in her mouth i have the terrible realization of what i've said and am doing. I laughed and certainly turned red and apologized and said something like, "Wow, do i inspire confidence or what?" The dad said he thought it was hysterical. The grandma said she thought i must have meant something about the tube they had down her throat for the anesthesia. The mom said nothing. MORTIFIED i tell you. All i can say is that i was on autopilot ("oh, a peds patient, i'll put my flashlight in the room she's coming back to so i'm ready for her assessment"), extremely tired, a little bit sick, had other post-tonsil patients that day and obviously not firing full neurons up there. Thankfully i can laugh at myself and shared it with my co-workers who got a laugh at my expense. And the dad was still laughing when they wheeled her out. Her mom? Not so much. I just can't believe i checked her knee and then continued on with the whole tonsils bit. Ok. Enough about that.

What are you proudest of achieving?
Hmmm. This is a hard one. This year has been a blur. I guess i'm proud of going ahead with my decision to go back to work part-time and all the things that involves--renewing my license, all the orientation, getting the kids to the sitter on the days i work and all of the organization it takes to do it all right (except the example above!).

What would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
I would have been the bigger person and gone and talked to my neighbor sooner and gotten over the issues.

What did you love about last year?
Bode's vast improvements and watching Keegen grow into himself.

In the Next year (I'm using 2008):
What do you want to say you accomplished next year on this day?
I really need to make exercise a part of my routine again. I used to love to run and spent lots of time at the gym. So specifically, I'd like to say i ran the Bolder Boulder. It's a 10K on Memorial Day. Here's hoping i won't be on-call for work!

What are you looking most forward to in the next year?
Traveling more. I've decided to go from part-time at work to per diem, meaning i will not have a set schedule and pick up time only if co-workers need unexpected time off, coverage for vacations and filling in on high-volume days. I made this decision long before Angela's "I'm moving" bombshell. I like having set days that i work, but being part-time has meant i have very little flexibility in my personal schedule. This way i say when i am and when i'm not available. So. I'm already planning a trip to SLC with the boys next month, with a friend a little later, the Boulder run, maybe a trip to Idaho to see family and friends, maybe a trip to DC this summer and we have a family reunion in August that i'll now be able to attend. I'm looking forward to having my life back a bit more. Working just two days a week ended up tying me down more than i'd expected (due to all of the unexpected on-call, but that's another story).

What goal of yours are you most tantalized by?
Hmmmm. Tantalized? Maybe i don't live life deeply enough. I'm gonna have to give this one some thought. Do i not have goals? Hmmm. I would really like to get a super-nice digital camera and get back to some of the creativity i used to have. But that's as far as i've gotten on that one.

If you knew you only had the next year to live, what would you make sure to do? What is stopping you?
I think if this scenario were the case, i'd stop sweating the little stuff so much! What's stopping me? My freaking Type A personality! (Thanks Dad!)