Juneau

It was a beautiful day when we pulled into Alaska's capital.  The weather was predicted to be mostly rainy, so we were thrilled at the chance to spend the day outside while staying dry.

We rode a tram to the top of Mt. Roberts, and did some hiking and exploring.

Juneau:

There was a teeny tiny mountain goat on that mountain.  You can't see it.

I loved all of the breathtaking views, as well as the beauty at our feet.

Overlooking the channel by which we arrived.

After our hike, we met with some of our old friends who just happen to live in Juneau now.  Stephen and Sarah gave us our very own private tour of Juneau, and took us to see the Mendenhall Glacier.  No sooner had Stephen told us to watch for bears than we spotted a couple.

The young black bears were feasting on the dying salmon.

Mendenhall Glacier.

There was also a loud waterfall.

Our friends dropped us off next to our ship, and just in time for our late departure.

Alaskan Cruise

Bryan and I went on a cruise to Alaska.  All by ourselves.  We left the girls with my parents for two nights, and then they went to Bryan's parents' for five nights.  It was a very long time to be away from our babies, but Bryan and I had such a wonderful time.  We thought it was the perfect blend of lounging and relaxing, and exploring and adventure.

We had been watching last-minute discounted cruise fares all summer, and booked our trip just one week before we embarked.  So we got up early a couple of weeks ago, drove to Seattle, parked our car, and sailed off into the sunset!

Watching the gray Pacific Ocean roll by.

The swells weren't too bad at this point, but we had some pretty choppy seas that first night.  I got a little bit sea sick.  But funny thing, the inner ear.  I adjusted really well (and very quickly), and felt great for the rest of the week.  But coming back home to solid ground made me feel a dizzy sort of rocking when I sat still.  I've been back on land for over a week now, and I think my balance is almost back to normal. Apparently this is a fairly common overcompensation of the inner ear.

The ship was 14 stories tall.  With a crew of over 1000 people, we felt a bit pampered.

Our tiny little inside cabin.  It was about two feet wider than our queen sized bed.

The first evening we checked out some of the on ship entertainment.  And of course they required a few volunteers from the audience. 


One of our views from deck 12.  We soaked in the hot tubs almost every day.  And the water slide was pretty fun.

We were a little bit spoiled with the endless supply of food.  We usually air on the side of frugal, so it was quite the splurge to sit down and order whatever we wanted from the menu.

Since we were all dressed up for dinner, we thought we should get a few pictures.

We really had a hard time keeping straight faces while we tried to be suave.  We just like to laugh.

One of our favorite places on the ship: the Spinnaker Lounge.

Breakfast one morning.  We loved being able to watch for whales (and other wildlife) whenever we wanted.  And we loved eating a half pound of bacon every morning. 

I took lots of pictures during our various shore excursions, so stay tuned.

Idler's Rest

We went on a little adventure on a recent Saturday afternoon. I had the iPhone.

I love summer in Idaho.

A Nurse's First-Aid Kit

We went camping last weekend, and as usual, I brought along the little first-aid kit that my husband brought into our marriage... almost seven years ago.  I knew it had some band-aids and gauze, but never gave much thought to what else it could (or should!) have. 

So we were camping.  With 150 other people.  In the woods.  With yellow jackets, and splintery wood, and rusty nails.  It wasn't until I tried to help with a couple of minor injuries that I realized how worthless my first-aid kit actually was. 

I wished I had a medical supply closet in my back pocket.  Or at least a little more than what I had on hand.  So yesterday I put together my own little first-aid kit.  Most of this stuff is available at Walmart, or your neighborhood drug store.  A few of these things you would have to get from a medical supplies supplier.

First thing was finding a new container to hold everything.  An old salad container was just the right size.  As a bonus, it's transparent, so I can easier locate what I need when I need it!  (Plus, I get bonus points for upcycling, right?!)

Everything I came up with (except the hand sanitizer, which I forgot to include in this picture).  There are still lots of things I wish I could have on hand.  Like sterile saline, hydrocodone, nitroglycerine, and a suture kit (y'know, in case there's a doctor around). Oh, and oxygen and IV fluids, while we're dreaming.

The creams, ointments, and skin glue.

The oral medications. (yes, I spelled Benadryl wrong. I always do.  I blame it on learning Latin in grade school.)

I emptied my medicine cabinet, and included pretty much everything that wasn't a supplement.  I wrote down the various uses of the meds, just in case I'm not the person using the first aid kit.

Tools and instruments. You never know what you're going to need, right?

Bandages, absorption, and cold compress.

This handy dandy little First-Aid Guide booklet was in the old kit I had.  It has some pretty good information in it, so I decided to throw it in.

Other good things to have.

Everything neatly tucked into my new and improved first-aid kit.

Master List for a Nurse's First-Aid Kit

Basics:
-gloves
-hydrogen peroxide
-alcohol based hand sanitizer
-alcohol pads
-ace wrap
-safety pins
-gauze wrap
-pen light
-bandage scissors
-hemostats
-dull tip tweezers
-sharp tip tweezers
-fingernail clippers
-transpore tape
-paper tape
-various size band-aids, including butterfly band-aids
-various sizes of sterile gauze
-abd pad
-eye patch
-q-tips
-tongue depressor (for finger splints, etc)
-cold compress pack

Topical Treatment:
-baking soda (mix with a little water for bee stings)
-liquid skin glue
-triple antibiotic ointment
-pain relieving ointment (20% benzocaine)
-topical benadryl
-hydrocordizone cream
-antifungal cream (miconazole nitrate)
-lanolin

Medications:
-Aspirin (in case of heart attack)
-Ibuprofen (take for pain, inflammation, or fever)
-Tylenol (pain, fever)
-Excedrin (pain, migraines)
-Benadryl (any kind of allergic reaction. Or if you have trouble sleeping)
-Suphedrine (nasal congestion, sinus pressure)
-Tums (acid reflux, upset stomach)
-Zofran (major nausea)
-Preggie pop (mild nausea)
-Amoxicillin (just in case someone needs antibiotics, and a hospital is a thousand miles away)
-Codeine (pain, or severe coughing)
-Imitrex (migraine)
-regular lollipops (either to raise blood sugar, or as a reward for a brave kid)


Now I'll be at least somewhat prepared for splinters, bug bites, bee stings, scrapes, cuts, gashes, sprains, vomiting, and even heart attacks.


Just a little disclaimer:  Always seek professional medical attention if severely injured.  First-aid kits are not meant to treat major injuries or illnesses. Most of the things listed here are pretty basic, but some of it requires a good understanding of medicine to use correctly.  The fact that I went through nursing school, passed my boards, and worked for several years as a nurse is really a bigger asset than any of the things I put in this kit.  Some of the medications, for instance, shouldn't be given to everyone.  I noted the expiration dates of medications, because expired meds are not always safe to take.  They can become less effective, more potent, or even dangerous.  I plan on replacing the expired meds as soon as possible.

Cheers, and keep those band-aids handy!