Employment

I am now employed in the fine state state of Texas. In fact, I have two jobs, which is the way I like it. Both are per diem, so I only work when they need me & I want to. One is at a private psychiatric hospital that is actually two floors within a larger acute-care hospital. I completed my orientation week there yesterday. I was quite worried about the commute - I actually drive through downtown - but it was not bad, and that was for arriving at 8:30. It took me 35 minutes from our house in Bee Cave, and (again), it's a pleasant scenic drive along Bee Cave road. And I actually like driving through downtown -- a part of me loves being back in a city. Should be less than 30 minutes when I am arriving at 6:45 am for regular work. Look, I even have a badge.

I see good signs that I will like this job. The employees seem capable and friendly and the patient population is more interesting to me -- these are people with acute psychiatric needs and with insurance. I am hopeful that with many of them, I will feel like I'm actually making a difference in their lives -- helping them through a crisis and getting them back on their feet. Hagedorn was a different situation, one that I grew to appreciate, but very few patients did I ever feel like I was making a difference in their outcome.

I also signed all the papers yesterday for my other job - it's as a woundcare nurse at a wound clinic in south Austin. This is very cool, can you believe I was able to find jobs in my two specialty areas? And dayshift? Woo hoo! This employer is part of a large system, there are 6 hospitals in the metro area with a total of 1088 beds. It's big. I also see signs that it's a good place to work. I start that orientation on the 30th of August.

The kids went to their "round ups" at school, got their schedules and books. Dani met two girls that just moved here and I am hopeful friendships will develop. Nile is fitting right in at Tae Kwon Do. The school bus stops only a block away at 8:00. Ken has a good apartment in Houston during the week and finds his new job interesting. He says it's much less stress than Clinton, so hey - that's really all I care about. It's all good. Summer is winding down, one week left for playtime. But the nice hot weather & the enjoyment of the pool continues. I'm getting in the habit of getting in there every evening. It is so relaxing and pleasant, especially if I spent the day working indoors. I have figured out that I can swim laps if I do the breast stroke and that's not too annoying. Trying to do freestyle is just too much turning, too fast. Here's another pool pic -- can't take enough of these I guess. I can't believe we even looked at houses without pools. What was I thinking?