This is my weekend

It has been hard adjusting to working on the weekend. Mainly because everyone else in the world seems to work 9-5 Monday through Friday.  The Best Man and I have gotten into the bad habit of translating my work days into the corresponding day for the rest of you.  So when I have just finished my 2nd day of work and have two more days to go, that's my Wednesday even though it's Friday. When I finish my last of 4 days of work, that's my Friday even though it's Sunday.

This gets quiet confusing when I have appointments and things to do during the week. I may be calling it Wednesday, but it's really Friday and that means I have Fun Friday at yoga.  I'm getting confused just thinking about it.

I'm trying to get out of the habit of making my work fit around everyone else's schedule and lingo. I'm trying to get The Best Man to do the same. The hard thing is waking up on Friday morning to see all the TGIF posts on the web and knowing I have to get through a few more days until "my weekend." But, on the other hand, it's also nice to finish work on Sunday and read the web to see everyone is dreading going back to work.

Yesterday I spent the day lounging in the sun overlooking the beach, shopping online and drinking champagne brought to me by my waiter...I mean The Best Man. I also did a quick work out that I found on Pinterest from The Today Show.

Today, it's dreary again, so I'm glad I got some sun yesterday (though it was too much sun and now I'm itchy and red).

Happy

Today, I am wearing a gray t-shirt, old new balances and an even older pair of jeans, no make up and a smile. It's a beautiful, sunny day and I've been productive and maybe even made progress on getting some new freckles.

I wrote a few Valentine's cards for family and signed up for health insurance for the new job.

Now it's on to the post office and Target.  I need something cute to wear to my Valentine's 10k this weekend.

Happy Tuesday!

New Job

Did I mention I got a new job?  I have been moping around the past two months with "nothing to do." That all changes this week.

I will be working weekends (Fri - Sun) in San Clemente, CA.  I get every 7th Sat-Sun off.  And I get paid more to work on the weekend.  I also have the opportunity to pick up shifts during the week.  This means we will be staying in SoCal for an undefined amount of time.  I will have 3-4 days off during the week to play and explore and every other month or so, I will get 6 days off in a row. I am excited because The Best Man and I will still be able to explore, but will be forced to stay put and save up money to one day buy a home.

One of the things I am most excited about is getting a bigger apartment with our own furniture.  I haven't had my own furniture since leaving Greenville, SC in 2010.  I am excited to get a few nice pieces and a few fixer-uppers.  Something else to be excited about is the weather. It can get cold at night (think 30's), but really it's not that bad while the sun is up.  I can't wait to experience summer here this year!

A special shout out to The Crazy Cat Lady for giving me a stellar reference! You are greatly appreciated!

Obligatory New Year Post

Well, it's a New Year.

This past year I lived in Texas and California.  On New Years Day we drove from my in laws to my sister's place in NC.  We ate all the "lucky" food she could think of to give us all luck over the course of the year.

We then stopped in Memphis, were amazed by Graceland and underwhelmed by Beale St.

The drive then took us through some boring states to end up in big, 'ol "Everything-is-bigger-in" Texas!

The Best Man and I lived in Fort Worth Texas for about 7 months.  We lived "downtown" and loved walking to restaurants, shops (well, I did anyway), and the local trail system for running and biking.  The two of us got more into running and ran several races (a couple of 5k's, one 10k and two 1/2 marathons).  We made some really good friends with my local co-workers including other travelers.  The Best Man also found some local work and really liked have co-workers (especially local ones) for a change.

Some how we survived the summer in Texas, though it was not a pretty sight!

We then packed it all up at the end of the summer (including my new cowgirl boots!) and made for California.  Along the way we went to Monahands State Park and sand dunes, hiked the highest point in Texas (Guadalupe Peak), explored the caves of Carlsbad Caverns and wondered at the bats, hiked along and under the rim of Bryce Cannyon, hiked Angles Landing and the Narrows in Zion National Park, stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and hiked to the bottom and back up to the top of the Grand Canyon with hundreds of pictures, a few scraps and just as many new friends and one scorpion sting to show for it.

We've been living in California for the past 3 months.  The weather is perfect.  There is so much to see and do.  We have only been down to San Diego a couple of times, however have plans to continue exploring the city and the surrounding area.

Here's to 2013 and more adventures to come!

Guadalupe Peak and more Carlsbad Caverns

The Best Man and I celebrated Labor Day by hiking the highest peak in Texas: Guadalupe Peak.  The elevation gain was over 3,000 ft with the highest point measuring around 8,750 ft.  The total mileage was 8.4 which makes this one steep climb.  It was hard to say the least, however the views made it worthwhile.  It was amazing to look down and see how high we had climbed once we reached the top.  There was one small mountain range close by, otherwise it was extremely flat from our vantage point at The Top of Texas.

After the hike we managed to find ESPN on our motel t.v. and were able to watch the VT season opener vs. Georgia Tech.  VT was up (10 to 7) near the middle of the 4th quarter so we muted the game to do some trip planning.

I skimmed my notes on New Mexico and noted there were some hot springs in the general vicinity of our travels.  After looking into it we decided to book a small room at an inn in Truth or Consequences, NM.  Yes, that's the name of the city.  Definitely curious as to the history of this city's name.  After the inn was booked we glanced back at the t.v.

Overtime?!  14-14 with VT about to punt.  The kick was good and VT won their first game of the season.  Barely.

Today we headed back to the Caverns for two guided tours.  The first of which was a lantern tour where explored the cave on dirt trails with only the light of our lanterns.  We learned a lot about the history of the caves and how the first visitors must have felt venturing in the darkness with an oil lamp or candle.

After briefly surfacing for lunch, we walked down into the cave from The Natural Entrance to meet up with our tour of The King's Palace.  These chambers are the most decorated of these caves and are truly stunning to see up close.  My little camera couldn't do it justice.  The Best Man's camera however was able to capture a lot of the detail my pictures left lacking.  Even with The Best Man's Cannon, external flash and multiple lenses, it is so hard to get an idea of just how enormous these caves really are.  All I can do is recommend you make the trip and see for yourself.  You won't regret it.

After emerging from the caves for our final time we headed to Carlsbad KOA for the night.  We ended up with tent site with electrity.  We soon had a visitor- a bunny! It wasn't very shy, which leads me to believe it was hoping we'd toss it some food.  This KOA has a spectacular bbq dinner.  We split a beef bbq sandwich and 1/2 rack of ribs.  The sauce was fantastic!  I love vinegar!

Next stop: Truth or Consequences, NM for the hot springs.  We are both looking forward to relaxing and recharging.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

So, we lived in Texas for almost 8 months.  The basic run down is as follows:
- Loved the food (I really can't believe I ever liked the "Mexican" food I've eaten in Virginia all my life), co-workers, and job (until it got too busy)
- Lived in Downtown Fort Worth, hardly used the car except to go to work or travel out of town.
- Got back into running, ran several 10ks, a couple 5ks, and two 1/2 marathons.  I am now planning to run my first full marathon this spring in California.  More on that another time.
- Actually started catching up on my scrap booking.  Be on the look out for some extra pictures in the mail soon.  Okay, not soon, but maybe sometime this year.  

Run down on Texans:
- Very Texas-centric- to the point that most couldn't understand why I would ever leave.  Here's a (not very well kept) secret: there are 49 other states in this beautiful country.  I want to see them all. You should too. Many of the locals and some transplants from states close by think certain thoughts, trends or what have you are normal and the rest of the country MUST do/think the same.  For example, chicken tenders are served with gravy.  Now, I've never been a fan of gravy, but coming from Virginia, it makes sense to me to have biscuits with gravy.  But chicken tenders?  With gravy?  Why?  To me, the only thing I eat with chicken tenders is honey mustard. Just because I prefer chicken tenders with honey mustard does not mean I emphatically believe everyone else must agree.  For example, The Best Man would prefer BBQ or ranch with his tenders.  In Texas, no one can comprehend that the rest of the country may eat chicken tenders with a different condiment.  In contrast, several co-workers didn't believe that the large chain Texas Roadhouse could be anywhere other than in Texas. 
- Friendly, talkative.
- Many carry guns.  It was unnerving the number of times we ran across signs that read "We don't call 911" with a gun hanging below. Sick sense of humor if you ask me.

Overall, we really enjoyed Texas and all the wonderful people we met while there.  But, we could not delay our quest to reach the West Coast any longer.  We are in the process of moving to Southern California.

For the next 3 weeks we will be slowly making our way from Texas to California.  Stay tuned for more posts and pictures to come. 

The Old Dominion

I'm back in the Old Dominion. We are 20 minutes from "town" which consists of 2 realtor's offices, 3 cafes, a library, a craft store, two jewelry stores and a really good Thai restaurant.

The drive into "town" is definitely worth it because we are living on the water. Again. This time, the "rivah."

I have a few shoddy pictures from my phone. More to come soon. I timid to use the Best Man's data as we are having to use a MiFi which only has a certain amount of data in the monthly fee.

The Best Man is trying his hand at fishing- with nets, pots and rods. Hopefully, he will catch something decent sometime this week that we can fry up for dinner!

I've only worked two days so far. Day one consisted of watching videos and reading policy manuals. Day 2 I got to ride along with another therapist. This week I have at least one more ride along and computer training. Nothing terribly exciting to report at this time. Besides the fact that it's beautiful here. Words can not describe the serenity I feel while sitting on the dock watching the water drift by.

Life

Life has caught up with me again. I'm running full speed, trying to get it all done and enjoy it at the same time. I have 7 more work days left, before having dental surgery, packing up and driving (hopefully not too drugged up) to NC.

I will begin my traveling career with an assignment in Morehead City, NC, on the coooassst!. We will be living in Emerald Isle, which is also on the coast, a short drive away.

I've been busy trying to purge all the material stuff I don't need. I can't count how many trips to Goodwill the BM and I have made! There is still too much stuff left! We are hoping to sell some furniture, the washer and dryer, etc. I hope to get some more things packed over the next few days so come surgery time my car will be all packed up! I've also got lots of jewelry making to do. Several nurses on the floor are asking for earrings before I leave. Also, I've had a request on my site today for 5 pairs of bridesmaids earrings- from someone I don't know (this is a first!).

I must get cracking!

Hopefully, I'll be chill enough and not running around crazy when I get to the beach that I will be able to update more. But, its also likely I'll be busy playing in the sun and sand!

Pictures

I thought I'd post some pictures to prove that I am indeed talking to people and making friends.
Below is the evidence.

I decided to have a weekly girls night out. The second of which was last night. From left to right: 1) me, 2) new RN on my floor who works nights, 3) went to grad school with 4) new PT that I work with :)


Rehab Night Out: From left to right: 1) OT on my floor who is sadly leaving in 2.5 weeks, 2) guy who's job I took, 3) me, 4) new PT, 5) our lovely secretary :)

Orientation: Day 2

Today was much more boring. There were less speakers than yesterday, which meant we had to listen to the same few people talk ALL day. Here are a few highlights:

From the older black woman on risk management: "We had this woman about to walk up the escalator and two ceiling tiles fell on her head. Lucky for us she had thick hair and all I had to do was pay for her to go to the beauty shop."

From the 5 foot 2, self-proclaimed "little man with a little power" and thick rimmed Clark Kent like glasses on security: "When you leave work at night, I want you to take off your name tag, put it deep in your pocket, and be the meanest SOB around! I mean it! If someone asks you for money say 'Get a job! I did!'" aaaand...

When describing himself and his position ("The Security Guy"): "I am the scrawny, geeky guy with the thick glasses and pocket protector that you picked on in high school. Now, I'm back to haunt you. I'm here to make sure every little thing is in line. I'm here to catch you doing things incorrectly. When little men, get a little power...it's a scary thing!"

Another highlight, which I did not think was funny (unlike the two speakers above who had me in stitches the whole time): When a non-PT, non-health care provider presented the section on back injury prevention. Man, I get frustrated just thinking about it. It was all I could do not to shout out things she was saying incorrectly or missing on the slides.

On a brighter note, I'm going out for Mexican tomorrow with the pharmacist and his pharmacist wife. :) Yuuum!

Orientation: Day 1

The hardest thing about working, second only to actually waking up and getting out of bed, is taming this mane:


This is my idea of tame: wax + a hair tie = half up and almost professional???

Okay, so we all hate icebreakers, right? Orientation of course started with talking to your "new best friend" and then introducing them to the rest of the group (close to 30 people) . I was introduced as being "athletic, a runner." Half way through the day a young pharmacist cornered me and asked about my running. We ended up exchanging numbers so his wife and I can be running partners. She sounds a lot faster than I am, but maybe this will be the motivation I need to kick it up a notch. Plus, he's from here and she isn't and she needs to meet people and so do I. Perfect! I also met a new grad RN who will be working on the orthopedics floor. She's from here and knows where to go and where not to go. Again, perfect! I cannot believe that I, the girl who does not speak unless spoken to, got not one but two phone numbers today! Score!

About the orientation itself: boring of course, but it somehow managed to leave me excited to be working for this company (not to mention scared about determining my benefits and 403b plan!).

If you want to laugh, read The Best Man's account of being locked out in his underwear ;)

First Weekend

My first weekend here alone (without The Best Man) and NOT studying went a little something like this:

Friday:
- Began reading Inventing a Nation- Washington, Adams, Jefferson
- Lounged by the pool and got a tinsy bit burned
- Crocheted a scarf for someone from high school...I was supposed to finish this in 2000. . .
- Ran 1.75 miles on the treadmill
- Watched Bridget Jones' Diary & Wimbledon
- Drank wine
- Missed The Best Man (he's in Illinois)
- Texted The Best Man
- Talked to The Best Man

Saturday:
- Recycled the boxes I have unpacked
- Bought a really cute dress from Old Navy
- Ran 1.99 miles on the treadmill
- Finished the scarf noted above and started working on another half finished one
- Watched Serendipity
- Did not drink wine

Sunday:
- Lounged by the pool while reading, crocheting, and listening to the outrageous accents of the other people at the pool
- Cleaned my bathroom
- Grocery shopped
- Elliptical x 20 minutes
- Got ready for my first day of work! :)

Man, what an exciting life I lead!

Living out of boxes

The move this past weekend was relatively uneventful mostly due to assistance from The Best Man (I keep wanting to shorten his name, but somehow don't think he'd respond well to BM).

At this point, I have:
1) Studied- not as much as I would have liked.
2) Been living out of boxes secondary to trying to study.
3) Found my way around suberbia.
4) Started learning to cook- I have a sneaky suspicion I may be a decent cook. You know, so long as I have a recipe and a lot of spices- Any good recipes out there?
5) Stolen the internet- shhh, don't tell the guy next door!

I still need to:
1) Buy a LOT of things
2) Take and PASS the test.
3) Unpack
4) Upload pictures of my drive down- which I currently can't do because I don't have my cable to hook up my camera...grrr
5) Head back to VA for the rest of my stuff and for The Best Man's annual birthday camping trip :)

Happy (Early) Birthday, Sammy! :)

Packing up Ol' Bessie!

I've already started packing up Ol' Bessie over the past couple of days, but now it's time to get serious. So serious in fact, that I'll be packing not only my stereo, but also this laptop! Over and out! I won't have internet, except poolside and in the club house once I move. I don't have the money for luxuries such as the internet, when I have to worry about gas and food. I'll try to update sometime after the move and/or boards! Adios!

So Long, Farwell

I just wrote my own goodbye e-mail from my Y. I figured no one would do it for me, so I should write a lil something up to say goodbye. It's at times like this, when I'm not at the Y that I can't believe I'm leaving. Then I remember how crazy, hectic, and unorganized swim lessons were last night and I think how great it is that I am moving forward and will finally have a "real job." :0) But I know I will miss my young lifeguards and the patrons I've known since I was 17!

Finally!

Everything has officially gone through! Now I just have to wait to get a letter in the mail so I can sign up to take my boards! I'm SO glad this process is finally coming to an end! Yaaahooo!


Crap....now I really have to study!

Also, I move in 1.5 weeks! :D I'm mostly packed up and have managed to score the following from various friends (mostly The Best Man and his old roomies):
- Dinning room table and chairs
- Dresser
- Desk
- TV stand
- Deck/camping chairs
- Microwave
- Jumper cables

It's slowly but surely coming together, folks! :)

"I wanna talk about me"

I'm done taking care of other people.*

It's time for me to take care of me.

Why is this so hard for my family to understand?

*My new job is of course excluded from this statement- as that's the whole reason I went to school- to take care of other people.

Note: If you thought this post sounds emo raise your hand. Hey, I can't help it, I went to VCU for 7 years! It has rubbed off a little.

Moving Update

I was called this week and told that "MY apartment" would not be available because the current tenant is unsure if and when s/he is moving out. The nerve! So instead of my secluded, back-in-the-woods spot, I'll be directly across from the clubhouse. This of course has its pluses- I will now be in close proximity to the club house, pool, fitness center, laundry, and a picnic area. The only plus about the other location was that it had a wooded view. Now, my rent is 10 bucks cheaper a month because it overlooks the parking lot. That's a savings of $120/year, people! Do you know how many shoes/books/clothes from Target I can buy with that?! (I'm debating if getting my first big girl job means I should shop at more than just Target and Old Navy? Oh, and there will be the addition of Pottery Barn...where I plan on buying a ridiculous amount of furniture! Hey, I can't eat, sleep, drink, play, lounge, etc. solely on my futon for years people! But, I digress...) Seriously!

Officially one more weekend left to spend in Richmond. This coming weekend. Martha will be in town for a bridal shower and bachelorette, so I'll get to see her. I'm also planning on trying to con people to go out (Sine's anyone?) this weekend to celebrate/say farewell.

A rendezvous with The Best Man is planned for the weekend of the 4th. We're going to his old roommate's parents for a big cookout/firework shooting off/beer drinking shin dig! Should be good times. Then heading up to MD to see The Newly Weds in their trendy row house for the first time! They live 3 blocks for all the hip bars. Expect great things to happen! Plus, it's Brett's birthday weekend! Then it's back down to VA to spend time with The Best Man's family.

I move the 11th, but won't officially relocate until a week or so later. Kinda depends on when/if SC ever gets my transcripts and let's me take the test! If The Best Man's move goes well, then he may be able to help me move down to SC. That means, no renting a moving van (The Best Man drives a mini van in case you missed that some where along the way), sleeping on my futon instead of the floor all weekend, help with boxes, and someone to lounge by the pool and drink wine with.

In other news, I'm trying to save money for the big move. No sushi or Mexican this week in order to be able to go out one last time this weekend....I'm going to miss "Sushi Heaven"!! Le sigh!

HOME :)

I officially have an apartment!

I found a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom about 15 minutes from work. The second bedroom is going to end up as an office/guest room. It has two doors that swing open and can kinda extend the living room space, which is nice. The kitchen is small and open, so you can see into the living room while you're cooking. It also has a "breakfast bar" which I love! I can't wait to go shopping and find some cool bar stools to put there. The bathroom just has a the tub and toilet in it, with two sinks in the hall outside-nice if I actually have friends come visit. I also have a little deck off the living room and dinning room. Oh, and I can't forget to mention a real, working, wood burning fireplace! There are tons of windows, filling the apartment with natural light and offering wooded views. I'm SO excited about getting to play around with decorating/furnishing it! :) Pictures to come once I can distract them from The Best Man's camera!

Wedding Weekend

Ooooh, so you wanna hear about the wedding do ya?

Friday consisted of a girls day in which we got our nails done, lounged around watching bad home makeover shows, did our make-up and ate (Rehersal dinner had fab food!).

Saturday: The big day. Got our hair did early in the morning. I was surprised at not how big my hair was, because let's face it, I always have big hair, but how "long" my hair looked all wound up on top of my head! The bride was beautiful, radiant. The church was gorgeous. The ceremony was really nice. The reception had great music, food and company. Need I say more?

Sunday: Brunch with the bride's parents and their families.

All in all I primped a lot, mingled a lot, and ate a whole lot! What could be more fun?

The Best Man (not of this wedding) and I looking all duded up:



The wedding party jumping, duh, I'm the one with the coolest jump:

Andy, Brett's Best Man, and I being introduced: