Pretty pretty blue

I went grocery shopping earlier. I really didn't want to go and almost didn't, but I knew I'd regret it having only so much food left in my fridge and cupboards and knowing I won't have any time to go until Thursday- so I went. (I know, what an exciting thing to post about, but I never claimed this blog was about anything exciting. In fact "about nothing" is in the description so don't say I didn't warn you).

I went to 2 stores. I did most of my shopping at the first, and the second I went to just to pick up my dinner as a treat for myself since I didn't feel like making anything (and because I know you're curious, I got the Tuscan chicken sandwich from Safeway, it's a favorite of mine. And ginger ale. Yum) It doesn’t take much to entertain me and I usually find myself smiling at random things I see or thoughts I have even when I’m walking by myself. Here are few things I encountered on my dreaded shopping trip that made it entertaining for me:

1. A sign over the vitamins that said something like “Emptying vitamin bottles and leaving the empty container is SHOPLIFTING and you will be prosecuted.” Thanks for the warning. I had no idea. It’s sad that it was a problem to begin with.

2. The cashier telling the person behind me he should go to checkout #2 where there was no line after he already had his stuff on the conveyor belt and I was already done paying. She only had to bag 2 more things when she stopped and told him to go to the next lane so he wouldn’t have to wait. He got all his stuff, went to the next lane and the checker there stepped away before she saw the guy was coming, she had to get called back and in the end he wound up probably waiting longer than if he had stayed put where he was to start with. I had to smile at the irony when I saw the other cashier walking away.

3. Having the deli worker at safeway ask if I wore contacts (no) and then tell me they were a pretty pretty blue as he handed me my sandwich. Hahaha. I didn’t have the heart to break it to him that he got the color wrong, but it sure made me smile and laugh to myself after I thanked him and walked away.

4. Seeing my diet ginger ale on the conveyor belt between the beer of the person in front of me and vodka and ice of the people behind me. It didn’t quite fit the beverage theme for a Saturday night. I felt pleasantly innocent and enjoyed the contrast.

Super

I was super cranky today. I had a crazy shift at work, wasn’t able to fall asleep at all the 3 hours before I left for church so it was like a normal person going to church at 3 in the morning if they woke up at 7am the day before after working their third 12 hour shift of the week. I was so tired I felt like I could sit down and cry for no good reason. I wound up losing patience and spoke in a snotty tone to someone who was only trying to provide helpful although unsolicited instructions. I feel little for letting my crankiness win. I can’t remember the last time I let that happen with anybody other than immediate family. It might have been a first, and I hate that. I have my fair share of cranky days, but I usually have the presence of mind to keep myself in check when I’m dealing with people knowing that they don’t mean to ruffle my feathers and if I was feeling better the thing that had bothered me probably wouldn’t bother me so much. It really bugs me that I lost it today.


I feel super blessed. Every time I go for a jog whether it’s at dawn with the sun rising, dusk with the sun setting or in the middle of the afternoon when the pine needles are warm and fragrant; every time I drive to Chico on Skyway and see the pink/purple/blue sky as the sun sets with the purple mountain outline; every time I see the pink hazy clouds out of the windows at the end of a shift at the hospital as the sun comes up, I think to myself how awesome it is to live and work in Paradise. I love stepping outside, taking it all in and just breathing. It’s beautiful and so far I love it here. The stars in the sky are by far brighter than any other city I’ve lived in (which is only a few). Fall weather has come and it’s kind of fun to have the leaves fall around you as you make your way down the street. I’ve always felt that whenever a leaf fell near me that was God’s way of saying hello. I think it stemmed from when I was going to school at Sac State, and every time I got to the arboretum towards the pedestrian tunnel walking from the institute building a leaf would almost always fall as I passed. It made me sad the few times it didn’t happen. Sometimes without thinking I’ll catch myself saying hi to a leaf as it flutters to the ground near me, but whether I do or not falling leaves always make me smile.


I’m super lucky. I love that I have a job that is providing me with the experience I’ve worked so hard and long to get. I have super people I work with that make me feel super lucky to be there. I had a patient ask me the other day what my favorite part of nursing was. I thought about it for a minute and I told him I liked that I could increase my knowledge and skills while helping people at the same time. I find the most rewarding moments though are in the little things, like when I notice a patient looks cold and I bring them a warm blanket and they tell me I had just been sent from heaven.


I’m super grateful. Whenever I say my prayers I feel like I can never express the gratitude I feel for everything I have been blessed with this year. Sometimes I can’t believe how super blessed and super lucky I am. I’ll have to remember those the next time I’m super cranky so I’m not super rude.