That’s three blog posts in one month which is not bad considering how it all started in June with a once a month-ish mandate. I find sometimes my pesky nursing career gets in the way of my writing leaving you blog readers to suffer. Well, suffer no more. Blog Post #12 is here!

My wife and I had a great trip to Bellingham last week. No Trump talk; just food, beer, and shopping. Beyond Borders: We bought beers, brew bites, and bacon burgers at Boundary Bay Brewing in Bellingham. Bay bat bree bimes bast (just read that to my wife and she shook her head and said, “No.”… so I’ll leave that as is). Anyway, it was nice to get away for a bit. Bedside nursing can be very mentally taxing and taking care of yourself must be a priority. From exercise and eating right to relaxation and time for yourself, it’s important to focus on what your needs are. I think that goes for anything in life really. If you don’t take care of you, there’s always someone or something that will take your time, energy, and capacity for working with little care or thought about how you’re doing and what your best interests are.

Last week saw me twist my knee slightly. I just went to turn and felt a sharp jolt. No structural issues and able to work and workout. I injured my knee as little as is possible and still call it an injury. Turns out that my improved posture (last week’s blog post) is changing how my feet, knees, and hips function. It will take some time for my body to get used to the changes. I went to my physiotherapist who said that my IT Band is tight causing some knee alignment/tracking issues. He gave me some stretches and exercises and I’m feeling way better already. There was a time when injuries really got me down. I didn’t look at them as a part of things and the chance to get better or stronger. Instead I looked at them as a setback that stopped me from doing what I wanted. Now, after a short period of frustration, I get on with doing what I can do (safely) and use the opportunity to get better in other areas (e.g. workout the upper body more). The real lesson is focus. After something bad happens (or good), what do you focus on? I now focus on what I can do and not what I can’t do. Appreciating what we have instead of what we don’t have can make for a much happier life and way of being. It took me a long time to learn that lesson.

When things aren’t going well, it can be very easy to focus on the negative and look at it as the glass is half empty. When it feels like you’re carrying a tonne of the world’s problems on your shoulders, Remember that the mass is half M.T. (metric tonne). * head-shaking wife so SAVE!

In all seriousness, appreciating what we have and what we can do can make a big difference to how we see the world and how we live day to day. I appreciate having the ability to write this blog …and sometimes even having other people read it.

As always, here’s the ending/joke story. These things have taken on a life of their own. Friends and co workers are often commenting on this joke, that story, or some comment from the blog. Some of my friends, when I’ve made plans to meet up with them, are reading my blog in hopes of avoiding that awkward moment when I inevitably ask them, “hey, have you read my blog?” I should stop that and appreciate the opportunity to write it. Here’s a weird true story and bonus add-on joke.

My wife and I were at a hockey game. After the first period ended, she went to the washroom and found a very long line up going all the way out to the concourse. So she got in line and started waiting. Then two guys got into the line up behind her. One guy said to the other, “This is a long line up. It must be for something good.”

After a bit of time and the line slowly moving the other guy said to my wife, “Do you know what this line up is for?”

She replied, “Yeah, it’s for the women’s washroom.”

The guy looked at her blank and turned to his friend and said, “See! I knew it would be for something good.”

Bonus Add On Joke.

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