36 Hour Work Week

Another week of thankful

It's simple yet not bashful

I made a dreamboard¹ to store

Vision to inspire me and much more

My therapist showed me a cartoon²

Of a man walking to the sun

Where the sun represents fun

Besides his load, his life goes on

That makes me think and inspired

Of challenges on my sight that's not light

I can accept them and recognize

They are not just hell but part of life

I had some good things I enjoyed this week

Like this combo meal³ at work that was cheap

Burger with sauteed mushrooms and onions

With added sweet potato fries and a drink

It also came with salad

From the open salad bar

For just five bucks that is not bad

They were all good, I was so glad

One day I had a headache

It was more than I could take

So then I took a long break

Drank some frap⁴ and had some cake

At home to soothe some tension

I gave my face its needed attention

A mud mask⁵ to help my complexion

It was so soothing as I put it on

What is better than a dessert?

But more than one and unlimited⁶

We could choose anything we wanted

Isle of Casino had a lot of choices

We also attacked the crabs⁷

For all-you-can-eat deal that's just fab

We paid 70 dollars for 4 of us

And it went to fundraising⁸, that's a great plus

That's not all we did of course

We also spent some time outdoors⁹

Going to the park after doing chores

To watch a family of birds and more

It was also a time to take my dogs¹⁰

To a different park for a change

Look at them being silly and strange

As I rested on the bench and they played

Join us with this grateful group in a blog party organized by Lizzi and the gang.

I say, "Fake it till I make it"

My vision is dreamy, I admit

Will I be able to submit

Can I perform and commit?

I will do it, not just try

Little by little, I'll get by

I will be strong and won't cry

I will get help from up high

My dream board is pure, I am sure

Am I strong enough or mature?

I have my doubts and feel unsure

But each day I smile, and say, "Bonjour"

Join us in ABC Wednesday.
The letter this week is V.

For years I have worked at 7, either 7 in the morning or seven at night when I started working in a nursing home as a nurse's aide, and through February 2016 as a registered nurse. I would say, since I was 19. I am 45 now, so do the math.

It is the beginning of my self-sufficiency when I could support myself, pay for my rent, car payments, food, and tuition in the community college. It is when I started my shift as an aide in the nursing home. I wore all-white then—bright white, ironed, uniform in the beginning of the shift, and wrinkled at the end. I had a special cleanser for my white working shoes, and a polisher with a matching brush. I was so neat. Now I hardly clean the top of my Dansko shoes I wear all day in the hospital. I also do not own a shoe brush for a long time now. I even do not iron my scrubs. Thank goodness for a good clothes dryer. My royal blue uniform comes out wrinkle-free, well almost.

We had some interesting residents in my first job in the nursing home. One, I remember because he was so handsome. He looked like Bruce Willis, and even with amputated legs (he lost his legs from the war) he sat up so tall in his bed in good posture—stomach in, chest out. He was always sitting up when I get to work, waiting to get help to sit on the wheelchair for his breakfast. Always with his smile on his face, I help him first. He always won the first-smile-first serve of the day when it comes to me. He brightened my day.

Another resident I cannot forget was the skinny little lady who I could not figure out how to please. She was always grumpy and unsatisfied. I bet she had a busy, controlled life when she was younger and just frustrated living in the nursing home too weak to fend for herself. Looking back, I think she was so cute.

Both residents did not get visitors. I worked in that nursing home for four years and both of them did not get visits from anyone but the staff and volunteers. I tried to spend as much time as I could with this two however different they were with each other. I miss those years. I miss them.

Now, in the ICU, as a registered nurse, it is not common to bond with patients as before. My patients generally do not stay long enough in the intensive care which is a good thing. A few comeback walking to our units weeks or months later to give gratitude. I love these times. And I love to see them vertical and not lying down in our bed with all kinds of monitors, and tubes inserted in many orifices. They have big smiles on their faces. They make my week.

I do not work at 7 anymore. I start at 10 a.m. and leave at 7:30 p.m. working 9 hours a day, four times a week. It still adds as 36 hours a week, and so my little blog's title remains the same – 36 Hour Work Week.

What's the significance of the number 7 in your life? View more number Seven posts through the Sunday Scribblings or better, yet, join us.

ttot, gratitude blog, reasons to be thankful

Eggs Benedict breakfast¹ to start my day

With Paul,² my love, in this cafe

Gives me reason to smile and think okay

I would face the challenges that gets my way

Memorial Day we had some barbecue³

Overlooking my front yard with weedy view

I should be thankful, ignore the blues

At least I've got great food to chew

We also had some Carvel ice cream cake⁴

Small-size, so good, we shared and ate

And then I had a time with daughter⁵

Just me and her, we had a date

The Amazon Prime I use for music⁶

Is nice to listen to when stuck in traffic

Songs of all kinds, name it, they have it

Be it the 80s, 90's, or classic

The New York Times I have in Audible⁷

I get for free to listen to

It fits me right staying cheap and simple

And saves me time as I eat on the table

A slice of pizza⁸ from my store Costco

Enough for lunch with my free cocoa

They always have some freebie drinks

To gulp with whatever food I pick

To end my evening, I have some wine⁹

You know the red, that tastes so fine

It helps me calm my nerves on nights

When happiness fades and my smile dries

Piece by piece, the parts together¹⁰

Makes a fine week, in random order

It's not the best week of my life

But it's complete, with small highlights

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or join the grateful blog

team organized by Lizzi.

I finally nailed the headstand pose
The master pose in the yoga world
I was excited and asked Paul to join
But he answered, "no I cannot join"

I asked him why he did not want to
He replied, "that pose is hard to do."
And then I farted, quite unexpected
"That's another reason" he laughed and said