Seizures

For any of you that might be tempted...

It is almost impossible to fake a seizure so well that a trained ER nurse or doctor can't tell. We have our ways. Sometimes those ways are hilarious.

So, don't try it. you won't get away with it.

Wifi

Haven't updated the blog lately. I can talk about that.

Like anything that brings great joy, wifi can also bring great frustration. At this campground it isn't any better than at Camelot. It might even be worse. The problem here is that the connection to the park wifi is usually really good. Then, the connection to the internet either stinks or doesn't work at all. This means that my precious few minutes of internet time a day are used up doing minor things like scanning and sending timesheets or arranging for ACLS and PALS classes. I can't get to the important things like updating this blog.

As it is, the website is warning me that the last autosave didn't work because the connection was interrupted. I guess it is time to take the crap shoot and see if this post ever sees the light of day. Wish me luck.

New job, new park.

I started orientation for the new job. This is one of things that goes on the 'con' list for travel nursing. I don't care who you are, a two hour video on corporate compliance is NOT fun. Hours in front of a computer filling out forms and testing over policy and procedure manuals that are all really similar. Oh well, small price.

We have landed in a new RV park as well. The park is physically set up with almost a cul-de-sac in the back. We are there with the rest of the longer term people. Some of whom are here every year and some who have been here for a year or more. It is quite a friendly and very socially active group. Much different than the park in P-Bluff. Very not used to this. One of the families is a younger couple with a 3 year old son. They seem really nice and our boys all get along well. That is definitely a plus.

The park has a private fish pond where Michael caught his first fish. He was very excited. Then the neighbor boy showed up and Michael forgot all about it. The attention span of a 4-year old.

I am still struggling with the switch to waking up at 0530-0600 every morning and commuting through traffic again. Don't miss that at all. I also scratched my eye over the weekend and appear to have developed a minor infection. Waking up with a crusty, gummy, glued shut eye every morning is no fun either. It also makes the computer testing and course work even more fun. Again...oh well.

Life is good.

New contract: Revisited.

And the winner is....

Houston Texas. Day shift 13 weeks. Just a couple of miles away from my old stompin' grounds. We will even land tomorrow in the same RV park we used when we left last time. Only for two days this time around though. Talk about coming full circle. Had to change agencies for this contract though.

Learned a thing or two this trip. Anything over 6 hours a day (driving) is too long for the 2 and 4 year old. Might be for me too. Gas mileage will be worse driving faster on flatter ground than slower in the hills.

Here is a tip for the RVer that might be reading this. Try as you might, you will have a mishap with the holding tank on your RV. Probably more than one. Wish and hope and pray that it is the gray tank...It won't be but it never hurts to wish.

New contract

Another lesson learned about travel nursing. The next contract is not certain. Apparently these things usually happen at the last minute. Well, it is nearing the last minute and nothing is done yet. This is a nervous time.

Just have to keep looking and be flexible. Something will turn up soon.

:)

Drawing near

The end that is. We are closing in on the end of my first contract as a traveler. I realized that one of the points of this blog was to provide information to nurses that were thinking about traveling and I haven't been doing much of that.

I am still trying to decide what information would be wise to present in a public, well publicly available forum. Not like a whole ton of people are reading this. I'm working on it. If you are a potential travel nurse and have a question, send me a message and I would be happy to help in any way I can.

Round Springs Cave

Another impromptu adventure day. WE decided to go to Devil's Well. This was an underground lake in a cavern whose top collapsed. The lake is 'bigger than a football field'. The picture on the map shows a canoe sitting in the water under a dome of light shining through the collapsed roof. It is a water level view. Sounds awesome, let's go. The map also states there is a spiral staircase leading down to the well. Even better.

Spiral staircase...check.

Underground lake...check.

4 foot opening with metal bars over it letting you peek in at the lake from 80 feet above...check.

Canoe...uh no.

Water level view...don't think so.

Awesome underground adventure...don't even think about it.

However, on the way to the Devil's well we passed by Round Springs.

The sign said Cave: Open.

So we stopped and it just so happened there was a Ranger led tour going into the cave in about half an hour. Turns out that it is a lantern tour. As in everybody carries their own lantern because there is no installed lighting. Cool.

Really neat experience. The cave has some improvements to make the path walkable, but not much else. No guardrails, no plexiglass, no lighting fixtures, gift shop, postcards or any of that nonsense. Just a really cool cave with cave wildlife. Small group tours. The effect of watching a trail of lanterns disappear in front of you through these underground canyons is eerie and fun. Sign me up for another Mister Ranger.

It was a cool day.