ABOUT ME

 

CAREER

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I'VE SPENT THE PAST 11 YEARS DEVELOPING MY CAREER AS A REGISTERED NURSE IN THE SEATTLE AREA.  DURING THIS TIME, I'VE WORKED IN A VARIETY OF UNIQUE AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS THAT HAVE PROVIDED ME WITH IRREPLACEABLE MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE SHARED WITH PATIENTS, COWORKERS, AND FAMILIES.  IT'S BEEN POWERFUL.  I'VE GROWN A LOT.  I'VE EXPERIENCED A LOT.  AND I AM THANKFUL FOR IT.  I'VE MET SOME AMAZING PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND HAVE SHARED IN SO MUCH WITH SO MANY PEOPLE.  ONE PARAGRAPH JUST DOESN'T DO JUSTICE TO THE MAGNITUDE OF IT ALL.
 

I'M A BIT OF A QUIRKY INDIVIDUAL.  THAT COULD ALSO BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.  I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD DESCRIBE ME AS SILLY, FRIENDLY, AND APPROACHABLE.  THESE ARE QUALITIES THAT I FEEL HAVE BEEN REALLY POSITIVE FOR A LOT OF THE CHALLENGING SCENARIOS AND SITUATIONS I'VE EXPERIENCED IN MY LINE OF WORK.  SOMETIMES A SCARED PATIENT JUST NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH.  SOMETIMES THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IN A MESSED UP SITUATION IS SHARE A LAUGH WITH A PATIENT.  SOMETIMES THEY NEED A HAND TO OLD.  OR A HUG.  SOMETIMES AN ODD DUCK LIKE MYSELF MAKES AN ODD SITUATION FEEL MORE NORMAL.  AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED TO BE SEEN, HEARD, OR SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGED.  THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING. 

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AS FAR AS WORK ENVIRONMENTS GO, SO FAR I HAVE WORKED IN EMERGENCY, TRANSPORT (BOTH GROUND AND AIR), AND INTENSIVE CARE.  TALK ABOUT A WILD RIDE!  IT HAS BEEN FULFILLING, EDUCATIONAL, AND INSIGHTFUL.  WILL I BE THERE IN ANOTHER 10 YEARS?  MAYBE - IT'S HARD TO SAY!  LIFE HAS A FUNNY WAY OF HAPPENING SOMETIMES AND IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT I WANT TO EXPERIENCE.  BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT RIGHT NOW, I HAVE A JOB THAT I ENJOY, A JOB THAT IS FULFILLING, THAT PAYS THE BILLS, AND HAS A LOT OF SCHEDULING FLEXIBILITY.  THAT KIND OF FREEDOM BUYS ME THE TIME TO ENJOY MORE THAN ONLY A CAREER IN NURSING.  SO WHY NOT EXPERIENCE MORE?

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TRAVEL

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THE WORLD IS A BIG PLACE (I MEAN IT'S ALSO A TINY BLUE DOT LOST IN THE VAST COSMOS - STAY WITH ME HERE).  THERE'S MORE OUT THERE THAN I'LL EVER GET TO SEE, BUT I CAN STILL EXPERIENCE AS MUCH AS I CAN WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT.  I THINK EVERYBODY COULD USE A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE IN THEIR WORLDS.  THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LIFE AND WHO WE ARE THAN THE LITTLE BUBBLES WE TEND TO EXIST WITHIN.  AND I BELIEVE IT'S HEALTHY TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE. 

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COUNTRIES I'VE VISITED SO FAR:

• MEXICO

• JAPAN (OKINAWA + MAINLAND)

• AUSTRALIA

• THAILAND

• ENGLAND

• SCOTLAND

• IRELAND

• BRAZIL

• SOUTH KOREA

• TAIWAN

• CUBA

• PERU

• PORTUGAL

• SPAIN

• TURKS AND CAICOS

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SOAP

 

WHEN I WAS WORKING NIGHT SHIFTS, TYLER DURDEN (SEE MOVIE: FIGHT CLUB) JOKES OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY GENERAL NOCTURNAL LIVING SITUATION.  THEN CAME THE JOKES ABOUT MAKING SOAP.

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THEN I ACTUALLY STARTED MAKING SOAP.  AND IF WE WERE GOING TO BE JOKING ABOUT TYLER DURDEN, I HAD BETTER MAKE SURE MY SOAP WAS AS NICE AS (OR NICER THAN) HIS.

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IT TURNS OUT THAT I MAKE VERY, VERY GOOD SOAP.

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FOR THREE MAIN REASONS:

1.  I USE QUALITY INGREDIENTS - MANY OF WHICH ARE ORGANIC.  MOST OF MY SOAP WON'T CONTAIN MORE THAN AROUND 6 INGREDIENTS.

2.  THE PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT MY SOAP IS AMAZING ARE THE PEOPLE WHO IT MATTERS TO THE MOST: PEOPLE WITH FRAIL OR HEALING SKIN FROM THINGS LIKE CHEMOTHERAPY OR BURNS.

THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF USING JUST ANY OLD REGULAR SOAP.  YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW TERRIBLY INCONVENIENT THAT IS UNTIL YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN THAT SITUATION.

3.  I DON'T USE WATER FOR A BASE IN THE MAJORITY OF MY SOAPS.  DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE SOAP OUT OF JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S LIQUID?  YOU CAN MAKE SOAP FROM THINGS LIKE TEA, WINE, MILK AND COUNTLESS OTHER LIQUIDS.  MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY CHOOSE TO USE WATER AS A BASE.  IT'S CHEAP, IT WORKS, AND IT'S THE STANDARD.  WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I DON'T MAKE MY SOAP FROM IT.  I MAKE MY SOAP FROM GOAT'S MILK (OR STOUT BEER ON OCCASION FOR ITS SKIN-FRIENDLY AND LATHERING QUALITIES).  WHY?  GOAT'S MILK IS LOADED WITH SKIN-FRIENDLY VITAMINS AND FATS THAT MAKE FOR AN EXCELLENT NOURISHING AND GENTLE SOAP.

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WHEN YOU SET A HIGH BAR OR STANDARD ON SOMETHING, YOU'LL LEARN IT BECOMES IMPACTFUL AND MEANINGFUL IN IMPORTANT WAYS TO PEOPLE AROUND YOU.

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HOBBIES

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I TRY TO STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE WITH MY FREE TIME.  I ALSO RUN TO WORK - AND AS MUCH AS I WISH IT'S BECAUSE I'M SOME KIND OF REALLY HARDCORE AND AWESOME GUY WHO LIVES HIS LIFE TO THE EXTREME, IT'S NOT.  IT'S BECAUSE IT COSTS $150/MONTH TO PARK MY CAR AT A HOSPITAL NEAR WHERE I ALREADY LIVE.  THIS MEANS I'M JUST BARELY CRAZY ENOUGH TO RUN TO WORK, BUT NOT CRAZY ENOUGH TO PAY $150/MONTH.  I'D LIKE TO THINK THIS WILL MAKE ME LIVE LONGER, SO LONG AS SEATTLE'S HORRENDOUS DRIVERS DON'T GET ME FIRST...THE ODDS FEEL MEDIOCRE.

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I ENJOY VIDEO GAMES WHEN TIME PERMITS.  MY HEART IS WITH THE MORE RETRO GAMES THESE DAYS.  I DON'T LIKE CALLING THEM RETRO GAMES BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF SO MANY GREAT GAMES FROM THE 8-BIT AND 16-BIT ERAS AS BEING TWENTY YEARS OLD.

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I MEAN THIRTY YEARS OLD.  OH DEAR.

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GAMES ARE INCREDIBLE THESE DAYS.  BUT TO PLAY ONE HAS BECOME A BIG INVESTMENT AND COMMITMENT.  BUT WHAT I AM ABSOLUTELY FASCINATED BY IS THE WORK THAT GOES INTO THEM.  THEY'VE BECOME LARGE SCALE PRODUCTIONS - A THEATRICAL-CALIBER EXPERIENCE OF SORTS.  THAT AMAZES ME.  THAT PART REALLY DRAWS ME IN.  NOWADAYS THERE ARE BIG NAME CELEBRITIES VOICING THESE CHARACTERS IN GAMES.  GAMES TAKE YEARS TO MAKE.  IT'S BOTH AWE-INSPIRING AND DAUNTING. 

 

AND I WANT IN.

 

I WAS CONVINCED AS A CHILD THAT I WOULD GROW UP AND ONE DAY WORK FOR NINTENDO.  I HAD MY HEART SET ON BEING INVOLVED IN THE CREATION PROCESS OF VIDEO GAMES.  BUT AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, LIFE HAS A FUNNY WAY OF HAPPENING TO EVERYBODY OUT THERE.  WORKING FOR NINTENDO DIDN'T HAPPEN.  GEARS SHIFT, DREAMS REMAIN DREAMS, AND WE GET CAUGHT UP IN ONE THING OR ANOTHER.  AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT - I CERTAINLY DON'T REGRET IT, AND I WOULDN'T TRADE MY CAREER SO FAR FOR ANYTHING.  IT HAS BEEN THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE LIVED THROUGH ANY OTHER AVENUE OUT THERE. 

 

AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS?  LIKE I SAID, LIFE HAS A FUNNY WAY OF HAPPENING SOMETIMES.

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