Posts Tagged 'stress relief for nurses'

Get a Life by Loretta LaRoche

Posted by kbuxman on June 7, 2010

I recently read that CVS is doubling its food sections in thousands of stores this year as part of a new strategy to grab market share from supermarkets.

Retail consultants call this “channel blurring”. Yet another doublespeak that tries to get us to feel comfortable with how convoluted retail is becoming. The rationale for this combining of food and drugs is so that customers can get “what you want, when you want it”.

So that if you are filling a prescription for a yeast infection, you can also get a loaf of bread.

Supermarkets have had pharmacies in their stores for years, so perhaps putting the shoe on the other foot is certainly fair play. However, I have shopped in both these stores and also noticed that you can purchase, balloons, baskets, electric toothbrushes, books, DVDs and assorted other items that were once not indigenous to either store.

The so called “blurring” seems to be occurring in a variety of places not just in the food and drug markets. Bookstores sell music, stationary, pens, games, and have coffee, frappes and sweets. Gas stations sell food, newspapers, magazines, and often have a Dunkin Doughnut on premises. Coffee shops sell CDs, mugs, posters, lottery tickets, magazines and newspapers. Some physicians are now selling their own products.

I often find myself feeling overwhelmed and somewhat disoriented when I’m walking through aisle after aisle of stuff looking for something I need. Even if I find what I need, I have to go through tons of the same product that all have slightly different ingredients, but essentially do the same thing.

I often feel like I’m part of some weird experiment that is testing to see of I will end up sane after leaving the store.

I love shopping in small stores where meat, or cheese or wine and spirits are the only things sold and the salespeople are present and interested in what you need. I realize that big stores are in, and that Americans like the notion of “one stop shopping”.

Perhaps someone should consider building houses with all the aforementioned in them. Then we wouldn’t have to leave the premises, or if we get bored with our own stuff we can go next door and buy a cup of sugar from our neighbors.

Loretta LaRoche writes the Get a Life column for the Patriot Ledger.

Tags: Loretta Laroche, nurse humor, nurses stress, retail therapy, shopping, stress relief for nurses

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Get A Life by Loretta LaRoche

Posted by kbuxman on April 5, 2010

Every other magazine I pick up has an article in it on how to increase the amount, quality, or intensity of your sex life. If the amount of information is comparable to the amount of sex people are engaging in, then emergency rooms across the nation must have standing room only.

I’m particularly fascinated by the statistics—-or, more important, how they’re compiled. I have never had anyone stop at my door and ask me how many times a week I have sex. Yet it appears that someone is doing that.

How else do they know that 5000 individuals around the country were found to have sex twice a week, 3000 do it once a week, 1,000 have it once every nine days, and 500 never do?

My question is : Who cares?

What used to be considered an intimate and private part of life is becoming as ordinary as advertisements on a box of Wheaties. We’re assaulted with commercials that tell us we need to be hot, hot, hot! That used to mean you needed a cool drink and a fan. Now if you’re hot, you’re sizzling, oozing with sexuality.

The criteria usually includes huge lips—the bigger the better—and breasts that are lifted and drawn together in special bras left over from one of Madonna’s world tours.

Another must is sexy hair, which means it should be wild and having a resemblance to a Hawks nest. You’re supposed to look like you just got out of bed after a night of sexual gymnastics. When I get out of bed my hair is flat, and I usually have on a flannel night gown and knee socks.

There are also a myriad of books that are geared to helping you recapture whatever you might have had going for you in the sex department in the early days of your relationship. It’s not uncommon to see titles like “How to Increase the Love Life You Used to Have Before You Lost it?!” This facet of life is often based on one partners needs or perceptions of what used to go on.. You might have tried reading a portion of a chapter to your mate only to find that they fall asleep to it as if it were a lullaby.

Most of these tomes leave out a fundamental ingredient, which is a sense of humor. I wonder if laughing together about most things in life is perhaps one of the sexiest things you can do. Life is supposed to be fun and that includes sex.

Loretta LaRoche writes the Get A Life Column for the Patriot Ledger.

Tags: Loretta Laroche, sex, sex for nurses, stress relief for nurses

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Get a Life by Loretta LaRoche

Posted by kbuxman on March 29, 2010

I am always amused at how products that are commonplace have been expanded to include every possible situation.

For example; deodorant was fairly straightforward. There were several brands, but they all did the same thing. Now each brand has developed multiple categories for specific problems.

If you are sensitive to odors, there is now an odorless version.

Hate roll on? No problem, there’s a gel.

Perspire a lot? No worries, they have you covered.

Women, of course, have the most selection, since advertising executives have discovered that we spend more time trying to find just the right product. They also charge us more, because we’ll pay the price, especially when we think it suits our particular problem.

This splicing and dicing of product development is growing by leaps and bounds. You can now expect to spend precious moments of your life standing in front of hundreds of jars and tubes in the hopes that you’ll choose the “right” thing.

Well, the other day as I was flipping through a magazine, I stopped to read what I thought was an article on women and humor. The headline began by stating, “Women Who Laugh Have LBL”; subtitle, (So What? The Joke Was Funny.) It then went on to explain LBL. No, it wasn’t some humorous anecdote about how women perceive life, but rather an advertisement for a new product that has been specifically created for those of us who have Light Bladder Leakage.

Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience this problem? I never knew the statistics, nor did I care to know. I simply thought some of my fellow sisters dealt with bladders that were not up to par, but I didn’t realize how varied the situation was.

It seems the product called “POISE” is twice as absorbent and it even neutralizes the odor. They’ve obviously been able to integrate a little of what they learned about cat litter into this “new” luxury liner.

What happened to using “Always” for light menstrual days? Obviously that’s not going to work, because it wouldn’t generate additional income which a lot of this is about. I can’t wait to see what’s next. What if you’re only dealing with a few drops?

I imagine someone will come up with a postage stamp sized liner called “bulls eye” for those days when you simply can’t hit your mark.

Hey, I may be on to something. I just may have to change careers.

Loretta LaRoche writes the Get A Life Column for the Patriot Ledger.

Tags: humor for nurses, Loretta Laroche, marketing, stress relief for nurses

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Get a Life by Loretta LaRoche

Posted by kbuxman on July 13, 2009

As a mother of three young children, I would often read magazines when I had a few minutes to myself. I got relief from some of my parenting paranoia, by reading stories of other mothers in the same situations. I loved the recipes, and the tips on makeup and clothing. Not that I had time to look like a “fashinista” , but it was fun to see what was possible.

There were also occasional romantic short stories. The kind that alluded to titillating assignations but never went much further than “he removed her earring”. I loved imagining the rest.

Well, times have changed and so has some of the content of the magazines. While waiting in the doctors’ office the other day I picked up an issue of one of my old favorites. The name was the same, but the content was a far cry from what I was used to.

Oh it had some of the usual but the lead story was about sex. Now I am far from a prude, but it seems that as a nation sex advice is big business. This article was touted as being “The best sex advice ever”.

I thought “Okay, I’m game!” Who knows? Maybe they’ve come up with some amazing criteria that is life altering!

The first suggestion had me practically yelling “DUH” in the waiting room.

Are you ready for this one?

“Clean your bedroom. Get rid of all clutter, clean off your bed of any animal hair, replace family photos with some of just the two of you, play soft music and light some candles, but not too close to flammable objects”.

Please! If this advice is supposed to bring you to the heights of passion then my mother could have subbed for Dr. Ruth. She must have said “clean your room” everyday of the week.

Gee, I thought we should get it on surrounded by piles of junk, and have a portrait of our parents staring at us while we were oohing and aahing.

And I love to have candles that are close to my nightgowns! Just in case whoever I’m with can’t ignite my fire.

Included in this pathetic plethora of suggestions was the idea of making sure you had some sexy lingerie. How novel!

I think she should have suggested that the men go out and buy some sexy nightwear. Let them deal with trying to look alluring in a tiny Teddy that can make you look like a sausage with legs.

Ultimately, sex should be fun, spontaneous and delicious. When it becomes something that we have to do from a list, we might as well go food shopping.

Loretta LaRoche writes the Get A Life Column for the Patriot Ledger.

Tags: funny nurse, Loretta Laroche, nurse humor, nurse relationships, nurse romance, relationship advice, romance, romance and nurses, sex, stress relief for nurses

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Nurse Marge In Charge

Posted by kbuxman on April 27, 2009

Dear Nurse Marge

So lately, I haven’t been feeling so great, so I finally did what most nurses hate to do: I went and saw the doctor. In the 2.2 minutes I spent with him, he determined that I’m fine, I just have too much stress. His recommendation is that I get more exercise. What’s the best way for a nurse to exercise?

Signed,

Wondering about Workouts

Dear Wondering

Personally, I’ve found that kickboxing and most martial arts to be great exercise — ask your doctor about the health benefits you’ll be enjoying while you’re knocking him over his clueless head! More exercise? You mean running to codes, jumping to answer every call light, and carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders isn’t enough exercise?

If that’s the case, you could consider expanding your exercise regime to include:

Running, rather than walking, to hide in the bathroom when a ‘frequent flier’ comes to the unit.

Climbing the walls (most common after the computer system is ‘upgraded’ — but this healthy activity is available anytime!)

Shifting responsibility onto other employees for your workload. (A popular exercise, this serves as some people’s sole physical activity!)

Of course, you’ll want to find the exercise routine that’s best for you. It might even be worth consulting with your doctor!

Good Luck

Nurse Marge

Tags: Enjoying Humor, exercise, funny nurses, nurse marge in charge, stress relief for nurses

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