yep, i'm definitely psychic!

As predicted, since today I needed to sleep in order to stay awake at work tonight, both the recruiter for the travel nursing agency I applied to called AND the repair men showed up to fix my microwave. I think I precicted BOTH these things would happen in yesterday's post. The repair men had WAY over a month and SEVERAL weeks where I was off and at home fully awake that they could come but... nope... today... oh well. They are here and making a mess of my kitchen which will hopefull end with a fully repaired and functioning microwave...and I can get back to making fully microwaved meals ;)

I talked at length to a recruiter for a travel company today I am excited to report. I like him and I like that he can probably place my friend and I together. So I'm pretty sure his is the company we will go with. He couldn't promise GOBS of money like other companies were claiming but the pay was comparable if not exactly what I'm making now plus tax free travel expenses and housing and benefits (health,dental and life insurance). SOOO... as long as I can continue to make what I am now...I'm cool with it. I'm more interested in the travel part of it anyway. He also explained that the compainies that offer the GOBS of money specialize in strikes so its a short term kinda thing, whereas his company offers longer term, career-in-traveling-type contracts. So I liked what he had to say and have submitted my application. I'm trudging through a barrage of skills check lists that are making me feel a bit...not A LOT under qualified... I'm excited to have a definite company and a definite recruiter and have half the process already over and done. YAY!

Oh by the way, the repair men just told me that they are going to have to come back tomorrow to work on my microwave.... OF COURSE YOU WILL!!!! UGH!

Anyway.. if off to start my work week.

Happy Wednesday!

and we wait...

As predicted no one came today to fix my microwave...here's another prediction: tomorrow, while I sleep in prep for going back to work... someone will come to fix it and I won't get much sleep...we'll see.

I gave the maintenance folks a half a day before I decided to call the manager and complain. So around lunch time I called the front office but alas the manager was at lunch. So the assistant manager asked to help me (the same girl I spoke too yesterday). So instead of complain to her again, I decided to get more details about ending my lease earlier and get a final tally on how much this is going to set me back. I already have a pretty good idea and it is ugly! Anyway...she tells me that since I am moving because of my job, the manager waves the early termination fee...which folks is a savings of... drum roll please......$1400!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Um so never mind about the microwave! They can fix it... or not.... I don't care! But in the meantime...I wait. I turned in my 60 day notice to the apartment complex I'm in now so officially... I'm outta here! December 1st!

I talked to a travel agency today and got the ball rolling on applying with them. A recruiter was supposed to call me back but the receptionist told me they were having a new phone system installed and it would be several hours before i would hear back from the lady...still waiting. (see the theme?) But I was warned so no complaints. I called another recruiter but he was out of the office today. I'm sure I'll hear back from him about the same time someone comes to repair my microwave...haha! So at least there are 2 balls rolling toward my career on the road.

Let's see, what else happened today? UM... nothing to write home about. The DREADED trip to the grocery store finally happened...I decided I'm tired of food...tired of preparing it, eating it, storing it, cleaning up after it...so i got mostly meal shakes...they are easier when I work anyway. My fridge looks like a bachelor's. Its funny. I cleaned out the fridge...ya'll I had one HECK of a science experiment in there! G-R-O-S-S!!!! So I'm on my 2nd load of laundry for the day and I have plenty more domestic duties to occupy my time tonight.

I have to stay up late tonight so this may the first of several rambling blogs about nothing at all really...Hope you all had a great Tuesday!

Blog at ya later!

Its the most wonderful time....of the year!

Folks I believe it is officially Fall in Alabama! I turned my computer on around 1130 this morning and to my surprise the weather icon on my desktop only read 77 degrees! UMMMM.... that's huge! Sure 'nough when I walked Harper, the heat was...well, there was no heat! The sun was shining but there was the slightest hint of cool and there was a breeze to boot! I am SOOOOO excited! I LOVE fall! It is definitely my favorite season! The leaves are beginning to turn on the trees around my neighborhood, football is on every weekend (WARRRRR EAGLE!), sweaters and jeans are on display in the store windows, Fall wreaths and Halloween decorations are replacing beach towels and sunscreen in the Target aisles! I LOVE IT! I am so excited!

I have fallen in love with a new accessory... scarves! I bought two in as many days! I bought a very lively green one that I just so happen to be wearing as I type this and a grayish-black one that has silver stripes. These aren't the keep you warm in the winter type of scarves...just the drape around your neck, wear with anything scarves. They are cute and hide a...i wouldn't say a multitude...but a few sins around the midsection. Who doesn't love that???

I'm a little disgruntled with the maintenance folks at my apartment. My microwave died when Hurricane Fay came through town...i think its been over a month now. The power flickered and when it came back on, my microwave stayed off. So I called and reported it. I was told someone would come look at it. So when no one came and the next day, I called again... I was told that it wasn't considered an emergency and someone would get to it as soon as all the "emergencies" were taken care of. Fair enough... nearly 2 weeks went by and still nothing. Not even a phone call to update me on where I am on the repair list. So another week passes and I call again and talked to a very apologetic girl who seemed appalled at my brush off and ensuing wait. I was assured it would be taken care of and still... nearly 2 weeks later... NOTHING!!! I know its just a microwave... its not entirely a big deal... lots of folks don't have microwaves... but now its about principle and I'm getting mad! OK, so I am so fired up about this so i took a minute to call the front office and GUESS WHAT??? They LOST MY WORK ORDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am furious!!! I have called 4 times!!!! How do you lose a work order all of a sudden when at least 2 or 3 different people all looked it up and assured me that there was indeed a work order? I'm a bit curious about that! She assured me that someone will be here tomorrow to look at it...so we'll see! GEESH!!!

Let's see. No new plans on traveling with my job. However that may change tomorrow. I am supposed to talk with a couple of recruiters tomorrow. Still thinking out west somewhere.... but there's a lot of west to pick from so who knows. I started weeding out junk from my apartment and closet. I've also started packing things away that I plan to store since I will be living with 2 other people.. mostly books. I took a BIG step and threw out old nursing school stuff! I can't believe I did it! Its like a security blanket. But i haven't even begun to refer to it in 3 years so I figure I'm ok without it.

I am turning in my 60 day notice to my apartment complex soon to let them know that I won't be renewing and in fact ending my lease early. That's scary! I am officially moving! yay!

Sorry, I know this blog is long... its been a while. I'm adding a picture of one of my new scarves. Happy Monday night! Blog at ya later!

Leatherface...

I love a good tan! I feel better about myself when I have a nice glow... who doesn't? However a good tan can go awry...as is the case with my recent tanning overkill. I AM PEELING! UGH! My forehead feels unreal... like it doesn't belong to me! Its all scaly and dry... and still bright red mind you. My nose is all flaky and gross. Some sections have peeled off revealing very new, very tender, very pink skin underneath. So in addition to flaky, I have pink splotches on my nose. Unfortunately, there is no amount of lotion that makes it look any better :( There's no telling how long this will last as I'm sure I fried multiple layers of my skin. Sigh..

So again...SPF SPF SPF!!!!

Its on now!

I told my boss today that I'm planning on traveling after my contract is up. This kinda makes it official! I'm still not sure of the actual date that I will leave so I was kinda worried about what I would do if I don't get a travel contract pretty soon after my hospital contract ends... he assured me that I can work PRN (as needed) at the hospital until I leave with pretty much the same schedule I'm working now. So that's a huge relief. Plus my salary will pretty much be the same. It'll be a little pay cut but I have plenty of time to save some money just in case ;)

Also, we put a security deposit on an apartment today! YAY! I'm excited about that but at the same time I did a little investigating and realized that its going to cost a little more than I was expecting to break my lease a little early... No fun! I knew it would be expensive but I was thinking only a little inconvenient. NOPE! Gotta save up for this too! OH WELL!!! I'm really excited to travel and I guess I'm willing to make a few sacrifices to do so. Plus I should get all my money back after one or two paychecks with the travel company.

So we're planning to move December 1st... my fingers are crossed that we don't hit any huge snags along the way...

I had lunch with my girls today! I've known these girls FOREVER! One of them literally since we were in diapers. Its a bit like coming home to hang out with them. We don't get to see each other much and the time we do get together is usually a quick bite thanks to crazy work/baby schedules :) But it does my heart good to spend a few minutes catching up with these ladies! (I miss you Kimberly and Steph

So I'll end with a few pictures from the AU game last Saturday and the highlight of today's lunch... Ice CEAMaaa!



1/2 of Rebeccah, Jeff and I pre-game, pre-near melting, and pre-torrential downpour


TOUCH DOWN AUBURRRRRNNNNN!!!!!


One of the offending rain clouds... don't be fooled by it's fluffy exterior. It packed a brief, but soaking punch


One of the highlights of our lunch! Asher FINALLY got his ice cream! Its he the cutest?

My Tiger Stripes...

I am SO burned! Sunburned... not an all over, evenly dispersed shade of pink that will evolve into a golden brown, late summer glow. NO I am crispy fried... in patches! I have 2 random "V" shaped scald marks on my chest from the neckline of my shirt as well as the cute beads I was wearing. The back and side of my neck are a beautiful shade of FIRE RED since I had my hair in a ponytail. I have a nice farmer's tan on my arms and legs. However, it wasn't my entire leg that burned...just the tops of my knees....the ONLY part that bends...reminding me with every step that I should have remembered to take my SPF with me. My ears even have white circles on them where my cute little studs sheilded a small area from the sun. And my left wrist has a watch shaped singe mark. I can't escape the pain either. My hair just brushes the top of my shoulders where my neck is burned. It feels a bit like rubbing sandpaper on an open blister. And since I have to stand, and sit, and walk...my knees are a source of constant excruciating pain. Ya'll my knees are so tender it feels like driving needles into my leg just to apply aloe vera (the ONLY pain relieving medication i can find).

I haven't been this burned in YEARS! I think I was in 3rd grade the last time...WAY before we discovered just how important SPF is! I lathered up before I left the house but I was running late and I simply forgot to slip it into my bag. Where did I get such a toasting??? Why, the AU/So. MISS football game of course!! It felt a bit like we were sitting directly on the surface of the sun. Any hope I had of my sunscreen lasting, melted off probably 15 minutes after kick-off. So essentially I sat out in the direct mid-day sun for 4 hours straight! Um... yes I'll take skin cancer for a 100 Alex! My poor poor skin! Nothing I can do about it now but you better BELIEVE I will NEVER forget sunblock again! EVER!!!!!

We had a blast despite being boiled alive in the inferno that was Jordan-Hare Stadium... We cheered Auburn on to victory along with 81,000 of our closest friends! I'll have the memories until all the peeling stops!

WARRR EAGLE!!!!

I can't believe it's September already! My mom always said time flies when you get older...Man I had NO IDEA!!! I feel like it just turned 2008 and now its almost over! My days go by so fast and I have very little to show for them. OH well...

The past couple of weeks I've been apartment shopping with 2 of my best friends. We have been all over the city... in and out, up and down, both excited and unimpressed, but mostly we've been indecisive. Most of the conflict comes down to bedroom size. But the more we look, the more options we give ourselves and the longer it takes us to decide. So today the bit the bullet...We actually put in an application today to this brand spanking new complex. We are awaiting news as to whether or not we are approved. Its nerve wracking. We're still working out all the details about when we will move in and when Rebeccah and I will start traveling but the plans are definitely in the works. I'm getting more and more excited about traveling the more I think about it!

My grandmother turns 80 next week! She doesn't seem a day over...oh say 60 :) She is starting to have more and more joint problems but if i can be half as spry at 80 as she is... bring on the joint problems! I am blessed to have her in my life! Thanks be to God for her!

I'm going to the AU/So. Miss game tomorrow! YAY!!! Its an 11:30a.m. game which should prove to be hot as blue blazes but I am excited nonetheless! I'll post pictures (hopefully) later. WAR EAGLE everyone!