Another New Job

I have a new job again this year. Last year at this time I was writing about how I was going from House Supervisor (and de-facto master of the universe) to a desk-and-data job that was in the new universe of Monday through Friday eight to five. It was a rousing and successful year, full of getting up at a reasonable hour and going home on time. I am refreshed after having a "normal" life for a year.

Now, not to say that what I will be doing is "abnormal," but it is back in the realm of the Big House as I like to call it. I will be the Assistant Director of Case Management. Ohhh. What's that?

Case Management is nursing, but it is not the bedside nursing I am used to. It is nurses assisting patients and physicians through the maze of hospitalization and the payment for such. Or something like that. 

I basically can't explain it yet, and since there aren't any TV shows with Case Managers running into closets with hot young interns, it probably means that it's not really one of the exciting parts of nursing. But it is necessary and valuable, and I have great esteem for things that make me feel necessary and valuable. 

I'm looking forward to it for all the career-nursy reasons: something new, challenging, patient-centered. This last one is the part that also appeals to the writer-me: being able to interact with patients again. I have to say I missed it. Check with me next month though, and I may want to retract that statement.

Let's see, what else has happened since October (October? Really?)? 

Ten of my poems were published with some writer friends in an anthology that I'm pretty proud of.  Found here to my utter amazement.

One of my dear friends died in December and I miss her every day.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were wonderful.

We got our new puppy, Abby the black Lab, and already she is so big. Cute too. Really. See?

I got to see an old friend (Kim!) and meet her wonderful family and for that I am so grateful.

I've continued to send out stories and poems to publications and have gotten quite a few personalized rejections. I guess that's not too common, but while it feels good to know they really have read it and liked it enough to comment, the over-achiever can't quit at ALMOST.  

I usually try to have my blog posts come around to some theme, or be conveniently wrapped in a point or two, but just the basics are all I can muster at the moment. I think with blogging, it becomes a slog (hey, that rhymes) and I certainly don't have the time or energy to really compose. But I'm not ready to give this up yet either. I have to learn to let it be mediocre sometimes (or dismally bad?) in order to end up with some gems. 

I don't think this is one of the gems, but I thank you for reading. I'm shooting for 1 post per week - we'll see how it goes :)

Peace,

Jo Taylor