Keeping my promise

Well, it's almost been one week, so I'm posting.  :D  I am working a 4 day work-weekend, so not a lot of 'fun' going on, but all is good.  Here's the update:
40x40:  I worked last Monday, but Tuesday I met with my trainer (two free sessions for new members) and took my first yoga class in a long while.  I love yoga and it was a great class (complete with scented oils and a scalp massage), but it kicked my wrists (carpal tunnel + down facing dog = excessive numbness and pain).  I'll wear my braces next time to see if that helps.  Wednesday I took my first pilates class (kicked my hips/shoulders).  Excellent class...wore me out.  Thursday, back for 2nd session with trainer.  It has been a LOOOOOONG time since I did push ups...not too shabby.  But holding plank for 1 full minute...good grief. That sucked.  Then I came home and Lon and I did some much needed yard work in 150% humidity...yucko.  Looks good, though.  So...not a bad start to my 40x40 challenge.
Looking forward to 6 days off (yay for a non-traditional schedule) and getting back to the Y.
Friday-Monday = at the hospital.

BTW, Geri Psych can be fun.  Today a patient was calling and feeding the chickens and shooing them off farm equipment.  All with his eyes closed sitting back relaxing in a recliner.  And something (who knows what) got him so tickled, he made himself cry laughing so hard.  I would love to peek inside his brain and see what he sees...but only for a moment.  The brain is such a wondrous and scary place.  Appreciate your intact memory and ability to do your mundane activities of daily living.  They are precious.

I'm baa-aaaack....

Isn't she lovely?  Would love to find the full size poster of this (I see wine bottles in the background!).

First off, please let me apologize for taking off so long from blogging.  I'm lazy, I'll admit it.  Yes, I've been working, but only 3 days/week (you know...the 12-hour shift thing).  We've been taking care of the cabin, but have plenty of down time.  I have no excuse other than...well, just haven't felt like it.  But all that is going to change.  Today.

Goal #1:  Blog at least once per week.
Goal #2:  Drop 40 pounds by my 40th birthday (that will be the subject of its own post.)
Goal #3:  Take more pics (and since I don't take hardly any, but always wish I had, some is more than none.)

Okay...Life Update:
Lon and our friend, Adam, have started brewing beer.  You know we tried the wine thing and enjoyed it (to the last drop).  We will be making some more wine soon, but Lon has wanted to try beer for quite some time.  Well...let me just tell you, they did AWESOME!!!  I got to help bottle and that was a lot of fun.  Capping bottles is way easier than corking wine!

This is our Nut Brown Ale that we bottled first.  Then we bottled the IPA.  Each batch made about 8 6-packs.  After about a week of sitting in bottles carbonating, they cracked one of each and let me try.  Delicious!!!
They just had another Brew Day and we currently have a Black IPA fermenting.  So much fun and it's ready way faster than wine!

Work is good.  Busy, hectic, some days are crazier than others, but they are always...always entertaining.  :)

That's good for now.  Still have another post to well...post.  :)

Trying to dig out...

(Friends from class at The Terminal right after our FINAL final! Tara, me, Mary, & Alissa)

That's what I feel like. I'm trying to dig out from under this pile of "must do's and need to's" I've placed on myself. Why do I do that? Why do we do that to ourselves? I need to do more questions to prep for NCLEX. I need to walk/hoop/do yoga/lose weight/start juicing/minimize. I need to appreciate more/love more/do more/be more. I need to BLOG more. I need to revamp my closet/clean the bathroom/organize everything/declutter the office (that I won't need very soon!!!). I need to get in touch with friends more/see my family more/put myself out there more. Why? Why do I need to do all this? Lon loves me just the way I am. We laugh every single day (quite a bit, actually!) Why, when things really are fine, do I put these pressures on myself that I'm not doing enough? Guess I am my own worst enemy...

Had dinner with a couple of good friends from school last night and their hubbies. We had a great time! One of them has already taken and passed the NCLEX (nice job, Mary!) and the other takes hers right before I do. I'm on track to have done over 6,000 questions in preparation for boards. That's the number I remember them giving us our 1st semester of nursing school. If you add in all the exams I took during school, I'm already well past that. Anyway, I found out yesterday that people from my class are passing boards and did as little as 180 practice questions. WHAT!!! 180??? I'm already over 4,500 with a schedule to do 200/day for the next week and a half. Why am I doing all this again? Can I stop now? No. My brain won't let me. I've had that stupid 6,000 in my head for two years now...how could I possibly stop with all this time left? However, I think if I slow down a bit, take some more time for me (yoga, walk, thrift store shopping???) and maybe hit 150 or so questions/day, I'll still be okay.

I can not wait for boards to be over and done with. When my 'off' days can be all-about-me days. When I have a few days off in a row, we can actually take a little road trip...see the fam or friends. Maybe, finally, go someplace new...like Savannah (are you reading this, Jenn???) We have been in lovely Chattanooga for way too long...we are itching to get moving and see new places, people and things. Three years...we have already been here over three years. Our longest stop yet. And, because I need some real nursing experience before we start our truly nomadic lifestyle (CAN'T WAIT!!!), we'll be here for at least another two. Good God! Five years in one spot...are you kidding me? Don't get me wrong. Chattanooga is a beautiful town. Lots of cool stuff to see and do...but we have seen and done most of it. Time for *new*. We LOVE *new*. Of course, we also do not enjoy summer. HATE this awful heat and humidity. So to move on to a much more temperate climate is something we look forward to as well. Chattanooga is quite pleasant in Spring and Fall...and Winter is almost bearable, but Summer...not a fan. When you start to sweat just by walking out your front door...how is that fun? Love being close to my family, but looking forward to saying 'See ya!' to the SE. At least for a bit. Ready to experience everything else this gorgeous country has to offer (yes, I realize I still have two years, but I'm ready!)

However...I do have wonderful things to say about work. I love working with my patients! And my coworkers are great too. :D Wow...did I ever think I'd say such a thing? No...but so glad I can. Part of me wishes I had realized how much I'd enjoy this when I was still in the Navy...let them put me through school and pay me to be an officer. No student loans to pay back. More money. But I don't regret a single moment since I left the military...how could I? I've enjoyed the last 11 years immensely and I got to marry my best friend...and I wouldn't change that for anything! Now look how much fun we're going to have! And I still have friends from the Navy that we can visit (and we'll even bring our own bedroom!) In fact, together we have friends/family that span the entire country...what a fun bonus to traveling and exploring...getting to visit and hang with good friends along the way.

Hopefully, this long, rambling post has made up a little for the lack of posting the last few months. The NCLEX is almost here and then the studying will be behind me. Life will be working, hooping, blogging, reading, road tripping, and moving forward towards that next chapter...how fun!

Still here...

I know, I know...I'm a horrible blogger. The last few weeks have been so busy with my final, starting management (7 12-hr shifts with a nurse for school), nurse tech-ing (shadowing a nurse at work), getting ready for pinning/graduation and just living life. I've started reading 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin and have 'The Art of Happiness at Work' by the Dalai Lama waiting in the wings. Been trying to hoop regularly (quite unsuccessfully, I must admit), but working on it. Finally got an SD card for my MP3/phone so I can download some fun music and get some hooping inspiration! Lon just finished reading 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell and that too is on my new reading list (now that textbooks are being sold to Amazon!) My pinning is the same weekend as Mother's Day and I'm going to have all our mothers here in town at the same time! Busy, busy...I hope to blog on a more regular basis once life settles down a bit...we'll see!
Time to get out and enjoy this super pleasant April Saturday! :D

Holiday Checklist

Test 4: Done (worst grade yet! But passing...) Okay day...on to Test 5.
Turkey Day: Done (worked 6-3 and the house smelled great when I got home!) Good day.
Black Friday: Done (worked 9-9 and if I hadn't, would have been home studying. You shoppers are crazy!) Really good day. :D
Today...
Update Blog: working on it
Clean out closets for donations: Done
Study my butt off: Next on the list!

I'm not an SEC fan, but most of my patients had the Iron Bowl on yesterday and...what a game! Way to go Auburn! Just squeaked by, but a win's a win. Wish we were going to be able to watch Michigan play in a bowl game this year, but it may be a while before that happens again... :( Still love my Wolverines, though! I'm not giving up on you boys!!!

Only 16 days and a wake up til the final!!! I think I may actually have time over the holiday break to get back to some crafts. Hemp jewelry, painting, tie-dye...I want to do it all! Oh yeah, and work on the massive study guides we're going to get for next semester. I'll do that too...
Happy Saturday!

What time is it???

Too damn early. Especially since I've already made my lunch, got the coffee ready and have my oatmeal cooking....ughh...Oh yeah, and I got off work at 9 pm last night.
Yes...in my honest opinion it's too damn early for me to be awake. But alas...life goes on.

LOVING Psych! So interesting, the patients (clients) are fascinating and I'm learning a ton. Hopefully it's all sinking in pretty good because my first test is on Monday (all Psych, including the drugs). And if you haven't guessed by my bright and early rising today...I work from 6-3. So it'll be a busy weekend with a bunch of review.
If I can manage a little break for some fun, there is a cool band playing (for free) on the river front. I've never seen Blueground Undergrass Reunion in person, but they sound like a blast! They've played with Phish and Widespread Panic (who I'd love to see!) We could use a little no-charge fun. :)

Have a great weekend! Here's to hoping for cooler weather soon (oh yeah...summer came back.)