the radio's installment

This is a...what's it called...out of print? No. Like when they don't make it any more, or something like that? Yeah, that's what I meant, but I guess I totally blew that moment.

These are my tools. I should have had Mark's hands in there too, but I didn't think about it 'til now. I think they were invaluable tools. I never could have done it with him. Oh yeah, notice the dark chocolate? A very necessary necessity. When I get frustrated, I use it :)

The initial incision

Oh, I'm sorry, it's sideways. I forgot I had a few that were like that. Turn your head. Or your computer, which ever is easiest.

Whoa look at it's guts!

Good-bye old. Can you see my toenails shining? I painted them right before I went over there.

Hello new.

My wonderful husband using his muscles to crimp those nasty crimpy things.

They make a pretty good picture, dontcha think?

I took over the part of the taping, so it would be even and nice. I know it's not going to show, but just the fact that I'd see it all ugly and stuff...it drives me nuts!

Don't ask.

Beautiful, no?

I was waiting for Mark to come back and help me out, so I decided to see what it looks like in the middle of my car. Nothing to get excited about.

Remember what I said about that chocolate?

Almost finished...

All done! Doesn't it look sniffy and cool? I just forgot to plug the lighter plug back in.

I think we make a pretty good team.

Partying and Working

This is one baby who's growing up fast! McKenna is 13 months, and the biggest flirt ever! Don't be alarmed that she looks a big drunk or something, it's just the strawberry juice. She was in heaven with them. Those and sitting on her granddad's lap. She even managed to wipe her face on his shirt once or twice.














See that bit of strawberry poking out? That's not even 1/10 of the monster. It was probably as big as four of her fists. She devoured like 2 1/2 of them before moving on to juicy watermelon, which she ate by breaking pieces off then putting them her mouth. The poor strawberries just got shoved in...and up her nose it looks like there.













Did I mention that Wonder Woman from the last post also help head up this conglomeration of graduates, family, and friends? See that big strawberry on that plate? That's the one she was eating in the previous picture. The one that's half gone in her mouth was about that size as well. It's pretty much squishing that piece of watermelon. Oh, that's my brother Nick taking pictures with Bekah and Dad whilst McKenna munches away.








Now, I accomplished something that I had never tried before. I grilled. Not just "dad, let me flip them" but from start to finish, with the exception of lighting the grill. I have to admit, it was pretty fun. Now I know why guys like it so much. The flames, the smoke, the flames, the food, the flames!









You can kind of see some of the flames here, but that's nothing compared to what it was real life. Oh, yeah baby! Talk about flame broiled, those patties were basking in the flames! The hot dogs didn't fare to well, but I had never done it before, so how was I supposed to know to put the hot dogs on when the hamburgers were almost done?


Mark's playing X-box Live right now, and when I upload the pictures, it messes it up, so you'll just have to be patient to see the rest of the pictures tomorrow. I'm excited about putting them up here.

I can blog about my most recent accomplishment, since I can't blog about the previous recent one.

Today was my very first day all by my onsie on the floor as a nurse. All by myself as in, no one checking behind me to make sure I've charted on time, no one looking to see if I've given all the meds, no more "I'm Krystina, I'll be *one of your nurses today*." Nope, it was, "I'm Krystina, I'll be your nurse until this evening." I have to be honest, the day started out as very suspicious for a bad day. I woke up at 6:2somthing. Normally I'm up and stumbling about at 5:55 and out the door by 6:2something. Do you get the picture now?? Yeah, it was not a good start. Mark, he was so helpful and sweet, asking what he could do to help me get ready. He didn't have to work today, but he was up anyways. He toasted and cream cheesed a bagel for me :) I did make it to work on time though, well, on paper at least I clocked in at 6:45. But it turned out ok. Four of my five rooms were occupied. They all contained very nice people. I let one of them loose before 11am, so I had three peeps and two vacancies. I was praying all day that I wouldn't get two admissions. It doesn't sound like allot, but two admissions in one 12 hour shift is enough to make it a bad day. I think I had other people praying too, cause those two rooms sat empty with not even a prospect to fill them until about 6pm. Then was when IT happened. I realized that the new patient had the same last name as one of this neighbors. That wasn't going to fly. Can you see the confusion?? It's bad enough when there's two with the same names on one side of the tower, but on the same side of the hall, next to each other?? No way, Jose'! But I put him in the other empty room, that made him across the hall from same name guy. It all worked out. I have to go to bed, my husband is turning out the lights on me. I'll post the rest of the flaming pictures tomorrow, along with the radio fiasco.

What I can do, What I can't do

So much has happened since I last posted, how will I ever catch up? I don't know. I probably won't and you'll miss out on all the funny things that happened since...whenever I last posted.

This weekend, Mark and I did some car work. He worked on his air conditioning unit, and I worked on replacing my radio. No really, I did it mostly by my self. You'd be so proud of me! Working like I knew what I was doing :D I have a few pictures that I got with my cell phone. So I'll post them when I finish typing, so that blogspot can mess up my paragraphs.

I ran into a few snaggles along the way. Ok, maybe more than a few. I used Mark's electric screw driver to remove the face plate around the radio and stuff. Impressed yet? Mark had to come and rescue me. I wasn't able to get the plate off, it was snapped in place, and I was afraid to break it. Passing that hurdle, I, all by my onsie, took the radio out and disconnected it. Then I was stumped. But these things always come with some directions, right? And they'd be helpful, right?

Wrong. Now I know why guys throw the directions away. I threw them away (read, I threw them into the backseat in case I did need them after all). It came with these plastic boxes with wires sticking out connected to nothing. Weren't they supposed to connect something, rather than dangle like octopus legs?? I guess I was mistaken. I called my backup. He came riding in on his white horse with...you get the point. He said all the wires are supposed to connect to each other. What the-?!? He brought these boxes of....wire connectors?...or something. Sure, he made it look easy when he crimped the thingy on the end of the wire. I was thinking, "Oh, just like crimping beads with jewelry making, huh?"

Wrong, again. I can start IV's, I can draw blood, I can attach a 12 lead EKG to a chest, I can interpret EKG rhythms, I can't replace a radio. I'm flawed!! I couldn't crimp those things to save my life! My poor little arm muscles, they were worn out. And I had only done 2, there were like 12,549 left. And you know what else?? Not all of them had a matching wire to be connected to! I was shocked! I did about half of them before I had to surrender the crimping tools to my husband. He did the other half in about 1/16th of the time it took me to do the other half. But I couldn't figure out, where the black wire attached to. I guess that's why I'm not an electrician.

We decided to see if it worked. I turned the car on, pressed the power button...nothing. turns out, I blew a fuse playing with the bazillion wires. Imagine that. Still didn't work after we replaced the fuse. Mark worked his magic and connected it to an outside power source and that proved it did work, at least outside the car. Inside the care was another story. We were both frustrated. Neither of our projects worked. His AC was still broken, and my radio was...not. I put the old one back in (no wire connecting, this time, just snapping parts together), in hopes that it would work....

Wrong, again. We drove home, him with his uncold air conditioning, me with my silent radio. My whole life of driving flashed through my head during the 3 minute drive home from the shop. How will I be able to drive more than 10 minutes without getting bored or sleepy?? How will Mark and I take long road trips?? We'll have to...t-ta-talk.

Then, Mark had this great idea that there must be another fuse that I had blown. Great, now I'll forever be known as the wife who blew both fuses in the car, trying to change the radio. Sure enough, he found it. Yay, now my old radio works! If only we had thought of that while were still at the shop.

I do have this plan to go over to the shop later today for attempt #2. I'll still have to figure out how to get it mounted in the car...I guess I'll trip over that hurdle when I get there.

Now for pictures...I think they turned out pretty good. I'll try to remember to take some today. I don't want people gawking at me, so I'll be over there later today, about 3ish, after most everyone else is gone. So perhaps by tonight you can see my new cool sounding radio :)

Gotta run!