Late night road trips...

Sunday night I got a call at work from my mom. My mom rarely calls me at work so I knew something wasn't right. She called to tell me that my brother was in a car accident... in Panama City, Florida. His car was totalled and he hurt is back were the only details she had at the time. Of course my mind, being medically inclined, assumed the worst! So I left work and off we went on a 4 hour drive in the middle of the night to go find out what happened and possibly bring home a mamed memeber of our family. I knew he had been discharged so I figured he wasn't paralyzed but...still. It was THE LONGEST drive ever!!!! So we got to the hospital at around 1 a.m. to find out that he had not only hurt his back but... IT IS BROKEN!!!! He isn't paralyzed and it will heal but his back is broken!!! Its the lower part of his back and its the front part of the vertebral body so the fracture is as far away from the spinal cord as you can get if you're gonna break your back. He is obviously in a lot of pain and will be for quite some time. He will have to be in a back brace for quite some time as well. He is EXTREMELY lucky to be a. alive and b. walking around. His girlfriend was with him and got pretty banged up. No broken bones but she has a pretty bad case of whiplash. She has a few cuts and bruises... nothing that won't heal. They were pretty lucky. I covet your prayers for a speedy recovery for the both of them. I'll keep you posted on their recovery.

Random Epiphanies

I'm moving in 19 or so days!!! Can i just say that I am dreading it like i dread a case of...oh let's see...diarrhea!!!!! I hate hate hate moving! Don't get me wrong, I am excited about my new apartment and the changes that will ensue. But the actual packing boxes and lugging them across town and up stairs and unpacking them... NOT my idea of a good time. It could be that in the last 12 years since I graduated high school, I have moved about as many times. My new roomies are so excited and gung ho about having friends and family all getting together and making a day out the experience.... BAHH HUMBUG is all I have to say! I think God invented big strong men with big trucks for just such occasions... who am I to deny them the opportunity to display their God given ability? And as frivolous as it sounds, I would be SO willing to pay said big strong men to do all the work for me! I think I am dreading it so badly that it is hindering my packing process... I haven't packed a THING!!!! *sigh*

I applied for my California nursing license. I have to get my fingerprints and school transcripts and ship them to the Cali state board of nursing... and voila! I'll be licensed in more than one state! I'm starting to anticipate the vulnerability of going to a new place. I have such a bubble of comfort here.... I know the doctors I work for; I know how they work, what they want and as much as you can in nursing, I know what to expect. The nurses and therapists I work with get along really well and have such a good time together...Its scary to leave my little bubble.. I'm going to miss it!

I just realized that I feel anonymous a lot of the time. I kinda think that when out of sight, I'm out of mind. I say this because a friend of mine...(friend because we work together) expressed to me that she was really disappointed that we don't hang out outside of work. She asked why i never call her to go shopping or to dinner and movies with my other friends. I honestly had no idea that she gave me second thought once we clocked out. She has such a busy life...as do a lot of my other friends.. with children and well, life. I don't know why it is so odd to me that people want to spend time with me...it just is...

So that's whats going on in my head...@ 2:30 in the a.m......

2nd blog today...

Because I am the QUEEN of procrastination and my job contributes to my putting things off, I have a TON of things to do around my house. The most daunting task is going through the GI-NORMOUS pile of mail on my dining room table. I have not 1, not 2, not even 3... but S-E-V-E-N magazines to go through, 3 movies to watch and COUNTLESS credit card offers that must be shredded and thrown out....deep breath and sigh....Here's a picture of the task in front of me....

My WICKED Birthday...

Ya'll I had the best birthday EVER! My mom and friend Rebeccah and I went to Atlanta to see the Broadway musical Wicked. It was in no uncertain terms.... AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is hands down my favorite musical so far... and I've seen a lot of musicals. If you've never heard of it... it is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before we meet her in the Wizard of Oz. It is completely unexpected! I am such a fan!!!!! It is supposed to come to Birmingham in April of '09
so if you live around here and have the chance to go... DO IT!!!!!! You won't be sorry! Here are some pictures to pique your interest

good friends, good food and carving pumpkins

Jeff is my best friend. We fight like cats and dogs on good days and on bad days... forget about it! He's like a brother to me honestly. We don't get to spend a lot of time together just being friends.. hanging out, watching TV, being silly, doing pointless things or having pointless conversations. This weekend was different though. We did all of those things.

Saturday we watched some really bad Auburn football. I cooked lasagna, salad, garlic bread and peach cobbler. Then... we carved pumpkins!!!! Oh SO MUCH FUN!!! Jeff had never carved a pumpkin and I, being the queen of holiday traditions, thought that was appalling and felt an URGENT need to remedy that astonishing fact. It's a bit early to display them for Halloween but I am not above re-carving new ones before then.

Sunday, we wandered around Wal-Mart grocery/whatever-we-wanted shopping. Then we baked cookies, ate ham sandwiches, flopped on the couch and watched our favorite TV show (shameless plug for Brothers and Sisters... love love love it!) and then a scary movie.

It was so good to not fight for once and just enjoy each other's company and do nothing in particular. Our lives are so busy and complicated at times, we forget to spend time just being friends.

I'm including pictures of our pumpkins. Mine is the more intricately carved one. My dad said he thinks I may have missed my calling... Thanks Dad! No more saving lives for me! I'm going to carve pumpkins for a living! HA HA!!!
Mine...a spider and it's web
Jeff's

Chatter Brained...

I have this thing that I do that drives me absolutely insane and there is nothing I can seem to do to change it. I worry and I wonder way too much... I mull things over in my head and examine it from every possible angle until I end up spending days completely distracted and nights wide awake and miserable. And the crazy thing is is that what I mull over are stupid, simple things that I should already be aware of or understand...like my opinion of or feelings toward things/people. I have the hardest time admitting how I feel.... even to myself. I guess for fear of feeling completely vulnerable or out of control. Why am I not ok with feeling that way in my own head... privately? I get not wanting to feel insecure in public...for the world to see but with myself. I've known myself forever and for the most part am completely accepting of myself. Hmmmmm....I only bring this up because I am completely exhausted. I haven't slept in 3 nights. Well, at least not like I need to. And its only because I can't shut my mind up!

Girls' Night Out

My friend Rebeccah's birthday was Wednesday so we thought it very fitting to have a girls' night out at our favorite restaurant.... PF Chang's. If you have never heard of it, you should IMMEDIATELY Google it and make your way to the nearest location. It is AMAZINGLY good. At first it was just going to be Beccah and myself but another good friend of mine is going through a pretty rough break up and another has been tied down to 4 kids for the past oh... 18 years and has never been, they decided to join us for a Happy-Birthday-Let's-Forget-About-Men-Hallelujah-No-Kids-Thank Goodness-We're-Finally-Off-Work! full out shindig...

We dressed up, got dolled up, found our little girl sillies and hit the road! We laughed the entire way up to Birmingham. We sang...badly... and at the top of our lungs. The ride alone was great. Just to get out of town for a little while...ahhhh! It was a bit chilly by Alabama standards but we braved the cold and sat out on the balcony looking out at the mountains.....except our view was obscured but a GI-NORMOUS ceramic horse's hiney... but it was a spectacular horse's hiney. We all ordered an adult beverage in celebration of being just that...adults! I had the BEST glass of Riesling....EVER! Its a soft, fruity white wine. YUMMY! The other girls sampled a PF Changs exclusive Plum Collins....a fruity, tropical drink of sorts. We all relaxed and laughed and ordered anything and everything we wanted. (Calories didn't count tonight) My friend Gwen (the one with 4 kids) was a blast to watch. She was like a little kid experiencing things for the first time! We had the best time forgetting about everything that has us stressed back at home.

It was the PERFECT beginning to my FAVORITE time of the year! Here are a few pictures of the night's festivities

The Girls
Our View
Rebeccah and Me
Gwen discovers lettuce wraps
Mr Pum Collins himself...
Good thing calories didn't count! Look at this Cheesecake!
Happy Birthday Beccah!
Hammin' it up for the camera

Finally

Picture this.. after nearly 2 months without a microwave, I came home after a brief outing to a BRAND NEW (to me) M-I-C-R-O-W-A-V-E!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!! I felt I should cook something in it but alas since it HAS been nearly 2 months... I have no microwavable food in my house. I guess I'll have to cook something so I can nuke the leftovers...HAHA!!! Such is life but PRAISE JESUS I have my microwave back!

I finished the first round of paperwork/applications for my travel company. I'll talk with my recruiter this week and find out what's next. I have a feeling I'll have to start applying for licensure in other states...Another friend of mine wants to travel with me so there will be at least 3 of us traveling together so it sounds like this is going to be good times! We've almost narrowed down where we're going first... Reno, Nevada is looking like the front runner.

That's about it for now...Happy Wednesday ya'll!

Blog at ya later!

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!

My vacuum is a CHAMP!!!!

i just spent an hour and a half vacuuming my car. To most this may seem a little extreme but Libby (my car) had about 6 years worth of Harper hair embedded into the carpet of the trunk space and floor board. So I kinda feel an hour and a half was a breeze to remove EVERY SINGLE dog hair! Now don't get me wrong, I have vacuumed my car many times since her purchase but nothing (including the industrial strength vacuum cleaners at professional car cleaning places) has been able to extract these furry nuisances. They were NO MATCH for my mean, green Eureka bag less vacuum! THis puppy is AMAZING! Libby is now fur-less and shiny like the day I bought her! I am no longer apologetic when new folks, or even old folks who are used to her fuzzy decor, hop in for a ride. YAY!!! I know Libby feels better too! She's like a new woman.. all clean and ready to ride... now, where should we go????

rain drops, lawyer meetings and light bulbs

Fay came through Saturday night dumping TONS of rain... and she's back again today doing the same thing! I love rainy days... but let me clarify. I love rainy days when I have no other plans but to stay home, chill on the couch and watch a Lifetime Television movie. There is nothing I hate more than being outdoors during a torrential downpour while trying to maintain a presentable appearance. I don't know about you but in the rain, my hair frizzes to unbelievable heights and my makeup melts to near disappearance. So imagine my frustration in having to attend a meeting this morning with the hospital attorney during the tornado warnings and blinding rainfall!! UGH!!!!

My meeting with the hospital attorney went well this morning. I think I blogged about this issue earlier. I am being sued as part of a lawsuit against the hospital I work for. I can't give a lot of details but I can tell you that my lawyer told me today that I have been ruled out as having anything to do with the reason the hospital is being sued. I had no doubt ;) It seems that the family's lawyer is just trying to get the family as much money as he can and there is no cap on how much money you can get by suing individuals like there is when you sue an organization like a hospital in general. Its a good idea... if the accusations were founded. But since they are not, my lawyer is going to file a motion on my behalf to dismiss this case. So that's good news! However, he said we may still have to present it to the judge and I may still have to sit through depositions. But that's OK. I'll do what I have to do to clear my name. All I have to say is THANK GOODNESS for accurate charting!

So since the rain has let up a bit... I ventured out to Wal-Mart because I had MAYBE 3 light bulbs in my house that were working and not nearly enough to replace them all. I decided I would try the new energy efficient ones...you know the swirly shaped light bulbs. I'm pretty excited about them. They claim to save hundreds of dollars a year on your power bill. My power bill isn't outrageous but who doesn't like to save money? So we'll see what happens. I can tell you that the light they put off is excellent! It's a bit like sitting on the sun in my apartment! WOW!!! I'll keep ya posted on my power bill savings!

So for now, I'm gonna put my frizzy hair in a ponytail, dry off, find a movie to watch, and listen to it rain... maybe I'll do some chore like laundry.. who knows.

Happy Monday!

There she BLOWS!!!

I'm listening to tropical Storm Fay blow through town! I LOVE IT! I only wish it were stormier. I know that is twisted (no pun intended) But there is nothing I love more than a good stormy day. I love curling up on the couch watching the rain blow in sideways while the trees hold on for dear life! Fay is not that bad right now though. Its just kinda grey, wet and gusty outside but my fingers are crossed for more... not displaced trees and ripped up rooftops but I'm definitely hoping for more drama from mother nature!

So Happy Saturday storm watching!

to travel or not to travel...

So as a nurse I have the option to stay around here and work and make pretty decent money and experience some pretty exciting things... ORRRRR I can contract myself out to other hospitals around the country/globe and make MORE money and experience exciting things in different surroundings, PLUS see the country. I've always thought that I would choose the latter of the two as my career path. During my college years I did a fair amount of moving around and now have a not so good taste in my mouth about living out of suitcases and not having one place to call home per se.

BUT... things at my current place of employment are not so good financially or administratively and I've been thinking and praying about trying my hand at travel nursing. I'm not 100% guaranteed that the hospital will renew my contract and I can't afford to live off the salary they pay full time nurses. Plus the management seems more concerned with dollar signs rather than patient care and I'm finding more and more that my values and work ethic clash with them.

However, I have some reservations about traveling. 1. My apartment. I don't want to leave my things unattended for 8-13 weeks at a time. And I don't know or trust anyone enough to sublet my apartment (and I'm not sure if my complex managers will allow it). And I don't like the idea or storing my belongings in a storage shed for who knows how long. 2. If I store my stuff, where will I come back to when I end a contract? I can't very well stay with my mom... my brother lives there and he and I do better when there is a LOT of silence and even more distance between us. 3. I'm nervous. I've gotten used to the doctors I work for and the procedures we take care of. I sorta know what I'm doing. I'm PRETTY sure health care is universal but I don't know. I'm afraid of looking dumb in someone else's playground. 4. I don't want to go by myself. plain and simple... I'm a social kinda girl and I want to do this with someone else. 5. I will miss my friends here SOOOO much. And that makes me sad enough to consider not going.

All that to get the real point of this blog. I've been talking to a friend of mine off and on about traveling together. She's on board completely but also has some of the same reservations. We've both been praying about it privately and trying to discern if now is the right time to go. I recently spoke with another nurse about traveling with us and she was interested going with us... turns out she is. Plus a friend of mine wants to get a place of his own and offered for us to share it with him so we could have a place to come home to and keep our things while we are away. So things look like they might be falling into place to go travel. There are still a lot of kinks that need to be ironed out and details that need to be planned. But the general consensus is that after the first of year, we'll shoot for all these changes. I ask for your prayers in trying to make sure this is a positive step in my life and career. God knows my concerns and I pray He will address them in no uncertain terms. He know me and knows I need CLEAR and precise road maps when it comes to directing the paths of my life. I need the courage to just take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

I'll keep ya posted.

Catching up...

I haven't written in about 2 weeks or so.. maybe longer. I've been kinda out of commission. I had a terribly emotional week at work followed by a 3 day migraine (no doubt stressed induced) companied by 4 or 5 days of insomnia. So needless to say i haven't had much to blog about. Things are going well otherwise. Nothing exciting. I am so enjoying the Olympics! I am so stinking proud of our athletes! I think I've teared up everytime I've watched a medal ceremony!

My week off hasn't been all bad. I did manage to make it to a play at the Shakespeare Theatre! WEST SIDE STORY to be exact! YAY!!! It was so good! I had the BEST seats EVER! I even saw a guy changing backstage...haha. Bonus behind the scenes footage! HAHA!

I saw Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. It was just a cute as the first one. Although WAY more despressing than I had anticipated. The ending left an opening for more. I could see Sisterhood of the Traveling Wedding Dresses on the horizon ;)

Its been raining ALL day today! The high temperature was only in the 70's today! Unbelievable for this time of the year in Alabama. I am so excited about fall. But I know this is just a tease. Just gotta enjoy it while it lasts!

I'm about to begin another 7 days on... I'm not looking forward to it at all. Things have been a little tense between the nurses I work with and we've had some really intense situations lately... the kind that stick with you. (example.. my last patient had to be defibrillated 137 times in a 24 hour period... and he walked out of the hospital!) I'm praying for enough work to stay busy but NO DRAMA!!!! No sudden train wrecks or prolonged drain circling. No combative and/or crazy folks. No demanding princesses. No out of control God complexes. Please Lord let this be an ordinary week at the "office".

I'm excited about a few things coming up on the calendar...
1. The beginning of AU football! WAARRRR EAGLE!!!
2. The start of the fall season of reality tv and reality based sitcoms! Grey's in particular
3. a trip to ATL to see the broadway production of Wicked! Happy Birthday to me!!!

To end this ho-hum blog... here's a picture of Harper trying her best to convince me that it would be in her best interst to have some of what I am eating...she almost got her point across....almost :)