Options, Options

So, I'm thinking about different things lately. I love my job at MCCG, but I still want to check out more of my options. The variety of career paths is why I chose nursing to begin with, and having tucked my first year of experience away I am ready to begin considering new journeys. I want to see more of the world, and our country alone offers many places on my must-see list. California, upstate New York, Seattle, Hawaii, and the list goes on and on. What better way to do that than with travel nursing? I've grown to love orthopedic trauma, so I may stick with it at MCCG and/or explore the Atlanta-area hospitals that offer the specialty unit in the future. I am drawn to the ICU environment, and also think that physician offices and urgent care centers would offer an easy work schedule when I am ready for a break from shift work. I have lots of ideas - I think this is a good problem. Nursing is so flexible.

I am also considering furthering my degree, especially now that GCSU is offering an entirely online RN-BSN program. I still think there are too few incentives to obtain a BSN vs an ASN, but in the meantime while I consider the master/nurse practicioner track, a BSN couldn't hurt. And it wouldn't over-qualify me for the hospital positions that I currently desire. So, like I said...options, options.

Totally unrelated - I am seriously craving Sonic! They are bombarding me with commercials tonight! Yummy :-)

Silly Cute Love

A clip from spring of 2007, recorded during our Spring Break trip in Greenville, SC. We rediscovered all kinds of video clips when J finally repaired our Flip video camera. Score!

Scary Waters

No, not referring to a hurricane this time.

A Ukranian ship is currently moored after being seized by Somali pirates.

There are criminals everywhere, even in the ocean. Unfortunately, pirates still exist, and they are not of the Disney variety. Still, hope this incident has a happy ending....

Fondue Flashback: First Dip!

You Go, Paul!

Paul McCartney, my favorite-ever Beatle and all-time top old dude crush rocked Israel in a monumental performance of peace, despite terror threats and turmoil.

Rock on, Paul! <3

Seasons Changing...

I am absolutely in love with the weather this week. I think it's heavenly. Chilly mornings giving way to beautiful, sunny afternoons with temperatures in the 70s, and clear nights that usher in a cool breeze. This week's goal: to spend at least 15 minutes on the patio every single day. Yesterday I enjoyed it so much, I nearly missed my chance to grab a bite before work. A good problem to have...love the days you can get lost in.

Back to reality, this is interesting to me. How will it unfold? Guess we will just have to wait and see, since the weekend is supposed to hold allll the answers.

In other news, a good friend of mine has selected a beautiful name for her baby girl due in January. Isabella. I can't wait for the shower! :-)

So many things to look forward to in this new season of the year.

Two Things of Importance Today

1. To debate or not to debate?

2. I was watching Oprah today and caught a segment on Suze Orman, a financial expert that is part of Oprah's dream team. I thought she had some very interesting and timely things to say about the current (sad) state of affairs in he financial world. She has plenty of resources available, so I may check into a book or two and see how her ideas might fit into our lifestyle. There is always room for improvement.

Hotel

Getting ready to go out for REI, dinner, and the concert.
Good times!

Outdoors + Live Music = Bliss

We spent the weekend in Atlanta and saw David Byrne at Chastain Park Amphitheater. The music was great and weather was beyond perfect, which made the experience even better.

September 20-21, 2008.

Be Pro-Change

Repower America
For Your Future's Sake.

Wish Trees

What a glorious concept.
Somewhere in California, you can handwrite a wish and tie it on a tree...
Photo Credit:
The Famous Matt Logelin, via Flickr.
You can also find him here, here, and here.

I highly recommend all of the above, especially if you haven't heard his story. Warning: it's a tearjerker...and a beautiful one, at that.

Stormy Skies

Driving home after getting caught in the rain during a grocery store run for a few finishing touches to perfect our homemade mexican feast last night.

The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market

Finally, Macon is home to a great specialty foods store! We are officially in love with this place, and have already frequented it on several occasions. They offer many of our hard to find favorites like gnocchi, imported specialty beer brews, fresh spices, organic produce, pure peanut butter, a bakery that makes me drool, shelf after shelf of wine selections, and a deli counter that is to die for with its jalapeño pimento cheese, impressive array of pasta salads, and homemade hummus to name just a few. In addition to the pick-your-own six pack of beers, which is my favorite offering, there are also isles and isles of scoop-your-own varieties of trail mix, candy, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and more.

Happy Birthday to Felicia!

Drink Up
and
Rock Out!

My Beautiful Best Friend, Felly, is 23 Today- I LOVE YOU, CHICKY! :-)

5 Years Together: Now & Then

Now
Celebrating our past and future - September 12, 2008.

and

Then
Our second date, taken at Stone Mountain - September 27, 2003.

5 Years!

Today J and I are celebrating 5 happy years of being together. On this date in 2003, we met and begin our relationship, which has blossomed through dating, engagement, marriage, graduation, buying a new home together, and much, much more. The fact that we continue to grow and blossom together is by far the best accomplishment of all.

Pictures and an update on how we plan to celebrate to follow.

XOXO to my Sweet J!
:-)

Update:

After a long bike ride together, we undid all that good and had a delightfully unhealthy dinner at Fondue: A Dining Experience. We had the works - a five course meal complete with drinks (martini for me, beer for J), an appetizer course of Old World Cheddar fondue, caesar salads, a main course full of yummy tidbits for dipping into a red-wine broth including lobster tail, mahi-mahi, vegetables, shrimp (and more!), and finally for dessert, a tray full of goodies ranging from brownie bites and cheesecake to fresh fruit and oreo-encrusted marshmallows to complement a dark chocolate fondue spiked with Grand Marinier. Indeed, we were stuffed to the rafters...but it was something new and different, and a lot of fun to dip and drizzle our way through a special meal.

Labor Day Weekend, Family Style!

First, a long weekend away for a great mountain visit with J's Dad & Sharon, who treat us like royalty and are always fun to be with! After returning home, it was off to my parents' for a cookout and pool party with my cute little cousins. I don't think the holiday weekend could have been better :-)

Also, I can't forget what happened on this day in 2001. I still remember exactly what I was wearing, the high school history class I was sitting in when we first saw the news coverage before all the TVs were cut off, and how my mom hugged my brothers and me extra tightly when we got home from school that day. Everyone aged in some way on that day...I remember.

Yeah, We're a Bicycling Couple Now! :-)

So, J has found a fabulous new way to stay in shape, and now I am completely into it too! Of course, the journey has already been horribly rocky after he was hit by a car less than two weeks after purchasing our fancy bikes, but he recovered well and has been brave enough to get back on the bike, back on the road, and back to his commitment to health and fitness. We have a sweet set of Treks - Lance rides a Trek, too!

We had a great time cycling the trails in Townsend, Tennessee during a wonderful family visit with J's dad & Sharon. That was my first feat - 10 miles. A few days after that, I successfully completed and actually enjoyed a 20.9 mile group ride with the cool dudes from The Bike Store. I even kept up with the boys! :-) Since then, J and I have been out together for a challenging yet fun 15 mile ride in a less trafficy section of town. Now, hubby has been doing these crazy 33+ mile rides, but he's a machine! I just hoping to keep improving - cycling is so much more fun than running, and it's nice to be outside while the weather is nice, rather than indoors at the gym.

So, if you happen to be driving around our town and see a bike, or several bikes, please be cautious and feel free to wave hello! :-)

Can You Name the #1 Song on the Day You Were Born?

Well, now you can! Thanks to my good friend Mary Lou for passing this on :-)

My song is "Out of Touch" by Hall & Oates. Never heard of it before now, and I must say it is painfully 80s, but I am proof that good things did come out of the decade. ;-)

This is a fun thing to do - check it out!

So, what's your song?

Kumbaya

To begin on a lighter note, we are nearing my season again :-) I got an email today from Pier One advertising it's self-proclaimed Awesome Autumn deals. Sweet! While I am melancholy about bidding farewell to summer, fall is a fun time.

Now...the real issue on my mind. I am truly sick of election coverage...it's so sad that it causes such deep divides between people who don't vote the same way, even people who are related. For instance, it's especially sad that my own brother-in-law can only respond to things he finds negative, and somehow overlook all the positives that a person, a mind, or even a blog has to offer. It's sad that people will avoid each other for months on end just because they can't agree to disagree. It's sad that each side wants to shout unity, but apparently there is nothing further from unity than an election. Everyone gets their own opinion, and everyone is allowed to display those outlooks, but they have to do it in a caring manner...why try to hurt another person, or take everything as a personal attack?

Granted, I am relatively new at this thing - in fact, this is only my second election being eligible to vote. Was it always this way? I shudder to think...it's sad that we keep falling into this trap, this little hamster wheel of thinking someone is lesser if they do not agree with our point of view. The angriest of those viewpoint holders seem to be the ones who think they aren't doing the name calling...or the damage. Once again, it's sad. Why can't we all just get along?

P.S. Currently watching the RNC so I can get an idea of "both sides". Not getting into it, but I will say this from an entirely pro-environment point of view: Clean coal? Seriously? Hello, oxymoron!