I thought this might be refreshing for those of you up to your armpits in flood water. It is a view of the desert below Acoma Pueblo about two hours west of here. The Pueblo was built on top of the highest mesa ("table" in Spanish, or a flat-topped mountain) in the area so that the inhabitants could see anyone approaching to attack. Then they dug pits to collect rain water.
The Iowa and Wisconsin flooding have put my issues in perspective this past week. I have been struggling with my work situation for several months now. It is becoming increasingly difficult to work my 12 hour night shifts along with the 1 hour drive each way. I've been looking for something closer but haven't found the right fit for my skills. Two days ago I decided to stay with my present position for now but change my shifts to 12 hour days. The new schedule will start July 13th. I will lose some compensation in the form of shift differential, but I think I can make that up by picking up an occasional extra shift which pays double time. That will be easier to do because I won't be constantly sleep deprived!
The only goal this solution does not meet for me is a reduction in commuting miles. I'm going to look into alternative modes of transportation. I think there may be more choices developing in the near future given the current "energy crisis". (The crisis isn't new, but it's finally getting the attention it needs.) And compared to being flooded out of house and home, $5 a gallon gas just seems trivial!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Desert View
Posted by
nancyturtle
at
10:30 AM
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4 comments:
Well, I must admit that I wasn't thinking about any phrases that might contain the word "arid" until you posted.
You've talked about the hours and commute. How do you like the actual work? Is some of this because you have chosen to live in beauty?
Once again you have hit the nail on the head. I'm a country girl at heart and thus have chosen to live "twenty miles from anywhere". The desert wasn't my first choice but this location made it possible to have the space I craved at a price I could afford. The commute is the ongoing price I pay, and it keeps increasing.
I love the real work that I do. I care for babies who cannot speak for themselves. I understand them. When I was young I wanted to be a vet, and five years into this career I realized that caring for the babies was much like caring for animals. I communicate with them non-verbally and seem to have a knack for it. I'm good at what I do.
The issue with the current job, aside from the hours, is the politics of hospital management. I'm tired of hearing in one ear how hard they are working to retain nurses and in the other ear how we have to jump through this administrative hoop or that and, "by the way, we are not going to give you a cost of living raise this year."
I've been around this block long enough to know that it is much the same with any organization. Moving to another hospital would just put new faces into the mix, not change any of the reality. So I decided to go for the more humane hours for the short term while I continue to look for something that will continue to pay the bills while allowing me more time to pursue my other passions in life.
Woo-hoo! I just got my government Blackberry! (Does happy dance).
Now we'll see what kind of computer I get. Nerds don't get better, we just get older.
S.
I'm sending your comment to my brother-in-law. He got his Blackberry two years ago!
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