fasten your seatbelts for 4 months summed up into 1 blog post!

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted, so I am not sure where to start.

The summer ended well, with a trip to Dallas to visit friend and catch a Rangers game. Work finished off well, with a promise to come back during the Christmas holiday - but now it's looking like that will be more of a hassle than a benefit to anyone, so I think I should go tell my Pharmacist in Charge in Midland that I won't be working the Christmas Break.

Since summer I have started working some weekends at a Walmart in Amarillo - and the PIC there has also changed. I tell you what - if any of the walmart stores are looking for a change in staff they should just transfer me to that store because I can run them off like none other (not actually the case, just ironic that each store I've worked in has had a lot of change while I was there). The DM of this area is also stepping down, or switching jobs or something, so that will be my 4th in the last 5 months. craziness.

School is good - this year is going a lot better than last. I am a lot calmer and am having a lot more fun than last year also. Transition periods are the worst - but now that I'm past it, I'm liking it - and actually learning some valuable information a pharmacist should know - go figure! I am actually taking time for extracurricular activities - like work, and friends, and bible study, yoga/pilates classes, etc. so that takes a lot of stress off as well.

I have joined St. Stephen UMC in Amarillo because I really feel at home there and love all the people I am meeting there. All of them are so friendly and nice - it is amazing and I am encouraged each time i'm around them. They've hired a Single Adult ministries coordinator - Lauren, who's about my age, and is coordinating activities and bible studies for the college/young singles group. She is an awesome person, and keeps me humble with her quirky comments and sarcastic humor - we keep each other on our toes, that's for sure!

She and I have started studying a book - The Sacred Romance, by John Eldredge - and are going through it and digging in, then discussing it, which has been a blessing to me - and keeps me accountable in my walk. Also - I've been reading through the bible - started, near the beginning of this semester, at the beginning (go figure) and am now in 1 Kings - and i've read many of these passages before, but I love going back and getting new things out of it each time. God is opening my eyes to many different things, and I'm really excited about this phase of my life.

I'm president-elect of NCPA (National Community Pharmacy Association), and have been trying to figure out ways to get the group more involved and doing more things, then got onto wanting more members since we are a small group. But then - after I'd been whining about members not showing up to meetings, etc. God reminded me that it's quality, not quantity that counts. I know that sounds cheesy to say - but in each of my groups i'm active in i've been wanting more members - but all of them are small. So lately i've been trying to redirect my focus on quality with the core group we have in each organization, and not worrying about how few members are there.

I'm also about to start putting together a business plan for NCPA along with a couple of other members. I am really excited about this since this has been my dream since I was about 16, when I first worked in a pharmacy (not to put together a business plan, but to own my own pharmacy). The business plan is essentially putting together a business - an independent pharmacy - from the ground up - you have to include everything from materials to build if you are building a new store, the price you buy an existing store for - down to the last pill you stock - everything has to be on it. We have 1 team member who's actually put together a few of these so thank goodness for that - or I'd be lost as to where to start. So i hope we can get that off the ground soon and start making progress and developing a business from the ground up!

Hmm - In home news - my dog, Chockie died - it was actually a blessing because it was breaking our hearts to see her suffering and losing weight and the struggles to get her to eat, etc. So after a long night of crying/moaning, she died. My parents have since steam cleaned almost all the carpets in our house, and are already talking of getting another dog. I'm happy for them and excited to see what dog they'll choose- they're thinking about a blue heeler, but are not sure yet.
Other pet news - turtle is still alive and well - cantankerous as ever, and getting huge - I can remember when he was just a baby and was about as big as a half dollar in size - now he's almost as big as my finger span (wow i sound old there :) ) Anywho - when i was cleaning out his tank in August when we moved back to Amarillo - i dropped it and it cracked, so... turtle got a new home - and it's bigger so he has more room to swim and make a mess and whatnot else. And he's got a new light to bask under, so he's happier now - i think!

The last news I have is that a new friend of mine - Kami has just left for South Korea for a year - she's teaching English at a private school there, and i'm super jealous because the town is absolutely gorgeous! I'm really excited for her and look forward to lots of email/ blog correspondence and lots of pictures documenting her time there.
Oh - so that reminds me - the faculty sponsors for CPFI (the Christian Pharmacy organization) on campus are putting together a missions rotation to Costa Rica for 4th year students. This summer will be it's first year so I'm not eligible for it - but hopefully they'll continue it so i can go next year! Also, one of the professors' church goes on a mission trip there each summer for a week building add-ons to a church (can't remember the town name). So, the rotation will be 1 week of building w/ the mission group then 1 week of medical service. I am super excited about it and really want to go!! First year through 3rd year students can sign up as volunteers and go for a week to build, so i am considering that as a part of next summer! I would LOVE to go back to Costa Rica!

Ok, i think that pretty much sums up most of what's been going on up to date - hopefully without boring any one - hitting the high points, at least most of them. Possible high points are hopefully developing...so stay tuned! ;)

Wal-Mart update

So sorry I haven't written in a long time... there's lots to report though!

I always expect my time in Big Spring to be boring...but this summer is definitely the opposite!

Well...I don't exactly remember where I left off in my last post, so I'll sum it all up.
I started working at Big Spring's walmart pharmacy the beginning of June. A new pharmacy manager had just been hired and was scheduled to start the same day as me. She showed up the next day, late, and I should have taken the hint from then because things went downhill from there at that pharmacy. She was a very nice person and had exponential amounts of energy, but couldn't seem to make it to work on time...ever. She was supposed to be moving to BS from San Angelo, but she never got her act together, so she was driving in every day. Other than that, she and the temporary pharmacist did not get along, and had it out a few times. As if that wasn't enough drama for 1 store, her pharmacist license expired on June 30th, and she was trying to renew it that evening and something went wrong with that, so she didn't get it renewed on time. But...she came to work the next 2 days anyways and worked...well...the new district manager checked licenses and found out hers had expired, so he sent her home early to get it taken care of. It turns out that walmart's policy is automatic termination if you practice on an expired license, so she was fired.

The walmart in BS is currently being remodeled also, which means everything is being moved around in the store, and most of it is moved overnight when the fewest customers are in the store. A new pharmacy was built right next to the old one, so when it was finished....late, I might add...we got to move everything over after closing one night...so, starting at 7:00 pm one Monday night (the busiest day in the pharmacy) we started moving everything over and stayed until 1:00 am, then came to work at 9 Tuesday morning. We weren't finished when we left, but thought we'd better get some sleep so we wouldn't be useless the next day. That week was totally exhausting and we were all dragging by the end of the week.

Skipping back to when the pharmacy manager was fired...I was transferred to one of the Midland stores for a "better learning environment." So now I get up at 5:30 am and leave the house at 6:05 with my dad and we pick up his friend who commutes with him and head off to Midland. They start at 7 am, and I start at 8. My first day was Monday and it went pretty well, but it is hard to stay awake in the car when it's dark outside.
Tuesday morning I woke up at 3:30 and threw up for the next 4 hours, so I stayed home for 2 days... wonderful way to start at a new store. By thursday I was feeling a lot better, so hopefully the stomach flu, or whatever it was is out of my system now.

In BS we filled about 300 prescriptions a day...well the midland store I'm now at fills 5-600 a day! I thought it'd be really hectic and crazy all day long, but it is actually alright and doesn't seem nearly as busy as the BS store. The midland store has a lot of help and more pharmacists, so it flows a lot better than the BS store ever did (despite my attempts to help out :) ).

So other than my new commuting lifestyle (which I do NOT plan on getting used to...it is not for me)...that's about all that's going on here!

Well this is a much condensed version of all the drama I've been through this summer at work, but I'm sure you can imagine some of the craziness. The Midland store is much calmer, so maybe the drama is over for the summer...here's to hoping! :)

Adjusting

Work started this week. I spent Monday in Personnel Management doing computer based learning modules (basically listening/reading a bunch of stuff and taking a mini test on it)...woo hoo. I have 10 levels of them to complete by the end of the summer, so I guess I'll be working on a few each week. I also have an intern packet that I have to work through over the summer. It has 6 sections, that I have 2 weeks each to complete, equalling 12 weeks. I don't have 12 weeks to work though, so I'll have to work through it a little faster than normal, but I have most of the first one done, so hopefully the others will go a fast also! (fingers crossed :) )

Tuesday I met the new Pharmacy Manager, a pharmacist in the process of moving to Big Spring from San Angelo. I also started learning how that pharmacy does things. Hopefully she will be able to teach me a lot over the summer...as soon as she gets settled in. She has a lot of energy and seems like she'll be fun to work with.

I've been learning a lot of things from the temporary pharmacist...she lets me counsel and take transfers and voice mails, etc. That's been very helpful in helping me develop confidence in my abilities. She says I'm doing a good job with it, so that makes me feel more assured. She also has a lot of energy. The pharmacy sure isn't boring! Something is always going on!

It's been a rocky start because the pharmacists have been late, and things get backed up when the pharmacy gets busy, but hopefully things will smooth out. This was the pharmacy manager's first week also, so hopefully next week she will be able to tell me what my role is and what I can/ can't do. I feel like I'm in the way sometimes, but hopefully soon I'll know what my role is as intern and will be able to do more things that will help me become a good pharmacist (and learn a lot too).

Other than work, Josh and I broke up, and it's hit me hard. I've been trying to keep busy so I don't have much time to think about things. I've been doing better the last couple of days, but I'm still adjusting. Michelle called Wednesday and we got to catch up, which was wonderful...and I felt a lot better after that! It was also nice to talk about something other than pharmacy for a change!

All in all, it's been a rough week...lots of drama and too many emotions, but I hope the weekend revives me and that next week is better. :) My parents have been really great this week and I'm glad to be home for the summer. I come home for lunch every day and eat with my mom, and today at least I had to vent to her because I was so frustrated. I'm really glad she's here for me to talk to, I would have been miserable without her.

and I'm back...

Well school finished up and I ended up doing well enough to make the Dean's List...a considerable feat since the cutoff is a 95 average, but I squeaked in just above the line! So I am pretty psyched about that!

We headed off to Colorado for our annual vacation to visit all of the family. We got to see most of the relatives including one aunt that was also visiting from Washington. It is not often that all of dad's brothers and sisters are all together, but it worked out this year, which was a huge blessing and meant a lot to my grandma.

While there we did some shopping and also drove up into the mountains for a day. We went to Echo Lake, which is at above 9,000 feet, so there was snow on the mountains and ice on the lake!

Now we're back in Big Spring and I was supposed to start working at Walmart pharmacy today, but as it turns out a background check and drug screen had to be done first, so I won't be starting until Monday. A new pharmacy manager has been hired for the Big Spring store, and Monday is her first day as well. I'm definitely ready for something to do...after going 90 to nothing all year, it is definitely weird to have all this free time. I thought I would enjoy it immensely, but I am already wishing for something to do! Hopefully Monday will come quickly!

I'm back at it.

So....it's been a long time since I've posted. I've been pretty busy lately what with the end of school and all. 


So...I went to San Angelo for a Wext Texas Pharmacy Association Conference the weekend of my birthday. It was a great conference, and I was able to catch up with 2 of the pharmacists I worked with at Myers. A friend of mine from school, Maxie, went also, so the drive was much more enjoyable! We stayed with Stacey and Wes at their HOUSE! It is so cute, and it was great to see them and the Lillys again! 

Maxie and I attended a few Continuing Education seminars as well as attended the banquet on Saturday night. Dale, one of the pharmacists I worked with, and his wife, Joyce, sat with us, so Joyce and I were able to chat for a while as well. So there was an auction that evening after dinner, and Joyce kept buying things when Dale wasn't looking, then she gave most of it to me, and told me to share it with Maxie! So we each got a Texas flag lawn chair and split a basket of Burt's Bees products!




Since then it's been pretty much studying, but I'm almost there...only 2 finals left, then it's off to Colorado for our annual family vacation. My grandparents are in the process of downsizing to an apartment in a retirement community, so we may be sleeping on air mattresses in their new living room, depending on how fast they get moved. So, this could be an interesting trip, to say the least!


Oh...also an update on my summer internship. A pharmacy manager has been hired for the Big Spring store, so I will be able to work only in Big Spring instead of commuting to Midland with my dad and his friend 3 days a week. So I'm much more excited about that, and I start on May 27th.

Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

Well, my "big" plans for spring break were spoiled by all the fires occurring in and around Big Spring. The closest one burning just down the hill from my parents' house, around the edges of the neighborhood, and completely destroyed a churchmember's house in the next neighborhood over. So...my parents were a little leery of leaving town, so instead....we got to clean up the backyard! That consisted of cutting down all the overgrowth and tree limbs, etc that was inside the fence as well as a whole lot of bushes, cacti, prickly stuff that was behind the fence. After 6 trips to the compost pile with a very full trailer and a few scrapes and splinters later, the back yard is clean and our property behind the fence is clear of big bushes. There's still work to be done, but we made a big dent in it over the past 2 days, that's for sure. I guess I did get my workout in, if nothing else...and my parents appreciated the help, so I was glad to contribute.

Ouch

Today I had a dermatologist appointment in Lubbock, because I was worried about a spot on my face, but he checked it out and said it was nothing to worry about...then I asked about a spot on my back and he thought that one was worrisome so he removed it. It was pretty quick "surgery", and didn't hurt at all except for the needle pricks of the stuff he used to numb it. I'm supposed to go back in 2 weeks to get the stitches out and have a chat with the doctor about the lab results on what he removed, so we'll see what he says.

Also, I have some prayer requests too.
My uncle (Dad's brother) is starting chemo on what started out as prostate cancer and has now spread to his lungs and liver.
My mom's uncle is going to have to start chemo then radiation on bladder cancer, and he recently had a stroke and is not doing so well (has been in the hospital since the stroke because he's unable to be out of supervised care).
And...Big Spring's been having a lot of fires lately, latest one was today, in town...down the hill from my parents' house and burnt 2 houses down (one family we knew, they're alright, but their house isn't), so pray for lots of rain!

It's been a pretty good spring break so far, very relaxing (much needed)...now I'm wasting time til midnight so I can try to register for classes next spring (and not get friday labs!) why they opened it during spring break, I'll never understand!

Puppy

So I've been thinking lately about getting a puppy, because...lets face it...living alone pretty much stinks, and I don't want to become one of those people who has conversations with themselves (maybe an occasional one, but not an all the time occurrence) :)

Anyways...I found this puppy online, a Golden Retriever mix...she's the cutest thing ever! And I'm currently trying to convince my parents to let me get her!

So, any one have suggestions on how to convince them? :)

Spring Break!

Quiz in the morning and class as usual, but friday's class was cancelled, so...apart from the required convocation on friday I'm on Spring Break at noon tomorrow!!

I'm so excited to have a week off!

Hangin out here until wednesday then heading home and to Big Bend with the parents Thursday thru Saturday, then back here Sunday.

The first of....

Well I started a blog thinking that if we're all on the same site we can keep up with all the others easier, so we'll see if I keep up with this and for how long! ;) Hopefully we can keep more in touch!