Notes from me to you

hi all!

sorry i've not written much since the first update. our internet has been down... long story.. ugh.. but i'm currently borrowing someone's nearby wireless and its proven to be less than reliable (the nerve!) ;) So i just wanted to pop on and say that all is well. baltimore is lovely.. although i just spent the weekend in colorado loving life near the mountains, so who knows! spending time with andrea and her friends here has been a lot of fun. my roommate and her friends, also a great deal of fun!

great little church nearby where i attend evening mass on Sundays with the other young adult catholics in the neighborhood. it really is special to watch everyone walk from home to church.. feels like a small town. :)

weather is hot and humid.. bit of a change from the dry but perfectly warm, with a cool breeze, air in CA!

the hospital.. interesting. they reeeally expect a lot out of their nurses.. slackers need not apply! ;) not only is it primary care (aka: no support nursing assistant staff) but the nurses are pretty much in charge of everything. ie, they have to take each order from the chart and make sure its followed through. they aren't entered in anywhere (unless its a med) so there's no double-checking system. from consults to tube feeds, the nurse has to call them in or order all of the equipment, etc. the secretaries hardly do much at all! so basically its like you're doing everything without any support staff! kind of scary. terribly stressful at times but the other nurses are really helpful and actually work like a team so that's great! everyone's been really friendly.. most of the nurses seem to be young-ish (20's -early 40's). manager is GREAT! CNS.. also great!

so its definitely a better experience than that in CA.. the building is amazing, the technology is much more advanced, the physical environment is perfectly clean and organized, but i'm still realizing more ways to appreciate the overall system organization and safety procedures that are in place at united! yes, so.. all in all.. another good experience. :)

hope all is well with each of you.

will write more later.. oh and PS! i busted my camera during the move so thus no recent pictures. its currently being fixed in IL.

love and miss you

laura