Little Cousins

I have over 45 first cousins. One of the newer additions to this group is little Nico, I got to see him this Christmas and boy is he growin'. He's even walking. There's also Ashlyn and Ryan. Ashlyn and I went to go see Bedtime Stories this week starring Adam Sandler. It was a mildly appropriate movie fora seven year old, and I enjoyed it too. Little Five year old or so Ryan didn't come, he said he had plans. Then there's Erin and Ethan. Erin and Ethan are from the Reimann side of the family and go to my school. Unfortunately, I still don't get to hang out with them very much. I'm very proud of what Ethan is becoming, he's a Velocity intern and taller than I am now. Good job E. That's what we call him... E. Darron and Michael are also from my dad's side and came into town tonight. Everytime they visit I am out of the country. Not this time! I hope to see them in the next few days, maybe Thursday.

Christmas Shopping

I didn't do much this year. It was kinda disappointing, I enjoy buying presents for people. I know that's not what the Holiday's about, but it's still a blast and I sure wish I could have done more of it.

Snow Day

I shall spend it at the gym.

Grandparents

I had a wonderful last two nights with my grandparents. If you know me, you know that I like them. We went to Indian Kitchen, played Kanasta, talked about nursing... all sorts of fun activities. Here's a taste.

"Cheap"

James (Brother): No, Jaden, you can't get on the computer
Jaden: Well, that's Cheap
Grandpa: Wow, Jaden, what agreat insult. If somebody said I was cheap, I would probably get in the fetal position and suck my thumb... I may even think I'm cheap because I was born during the Great Depression.

"Chances"

Grandpa: Well Katie, you can take a chance. Columbus took a chance.
Katie Lynn: Yeah, well so did Grandma...
Grandpa: So you wanted to go to Africa this Summer? How's Bernalillo sound instead?

"Nursing"

Grandma: Back when I was a graduate nurse, we'd have a hundred patients on the floor for two nurses.

Grandpa: Yeah, and by the time you made rounds at the end of the shift, you'd find five of them dead.

"Nursing 2"

Grandpa: We used to have these machines that would chnge pressure to help you breath, it was before traches and intubaters were all the rage. One of the patients was in it and the power went out... his last words were "Uhhhh."

Blood... not funny

I was just thinking this weekend about how I'm nearly eighteen years of age. I began pondering all of the legalities that go along with turning eighteen including tobacco purchase, ability to sign for tattoos and peircings, taxes, marriage, lottery tickets, alcohol in canada, buy a monkey... the list goes on. As I was thinking about all of these foreign ideas, I realized that there was somethings that I could do under eighteen that I hadn't yet done. For example, I was able to get my liscense at fifteen... and I did so. I could go see pg 13 movies at thirteen, that was exciting. I could no longer use my fingers to properly convey how old I was once I turned eleven. With seventeen came rated R movies and blood donation. Blood donation? I had yet to perform this, and decided I'd better get a move on before my eighteenth birthday. So, after school on Monday Patille and I headed to the blood bank. The interview was easy enough, just had to convince them I didn't have AIDS. I don't. Needles don't bother me so I wasn't afraid of that, and I'm not one for blood and guts but it never has gotten to me too bad. What worried me was that when I got my blood drawn a few years ago I passed out. This experience was a parallel. I was doing fine through about half a pint, then I went pale and couldn't squeeze the ball they'd told me to squeeze to make the blood pump out. Fortunately, they finished the pint. I was ready to go. But when they put my chair up so I could get out of it, I quickly experienced tunnel vision and excessive warmth all around my body. I was quickly put in the Trendelenburg position (head down, feet up), covered in ice-packs, and swarmed with blood bank employees. The entire blood-donating event took my two hours... that's too long. Nevertheless, I felt like a hero. They gave me a T-shirt that states I'm a hero. I didn't get a picture of the T-shirt but my arm is still pretty bruised from the IV catheter. It was only a 16 G needle but I guess whoever poked me rubbed my vein the wrong way or something. The subsequent picture shows a picture of my arm today, a few days after the heroic act. That line isn't a shadow, I'm not sure it's really a bruis either. It's most definately my swollen vein. Battle wound. I'm going to go re-hydrate myself now.