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.  :)

Flexibility is key

They tell us that in nursing school. Be flexible. Both figuratively and literally. Healthcare workers are the #1 group at risk for back injuries. And in the medical field, things are ALWAYS changing. Just like in 'real life.'

Pretty good chance (like definitely) we will not be attending The 16th Annual Southern Brewer's Fest this year...awwww, too bad. But there's something even better happening the next weekend!!!! My Lil' Bweeze (Lon's younger brother) Paul is coming to visit us!!! Woo Hoo! :) We can't wait to see him!

Less than four weeks til the first day of class...and when I find out the dates of my Psych rotation. Looking forward to it and nervous about it. Should be interesting and educational!

Time to get ready for work...again. Happy Tuesday!

It's my BIRTHDAY WEEK!

Lon introduced me to the 'Birthday Week' concept many years ago and I still think it's a great idea. You have a whole week to do a lot of fun stuff, a little fun stuff or fun stuff here and there. That way, if you have to work on your birthday or it rains or plans change, you have 6 more days to make up for it! We kicked off my birthday week last Thursday. I picked last Thursday because we have plans to finish it off this Thursday (even though my 'real' birthday is Wednesday). Technically, that's a week and one day, but well...I think I deserve it. I also work every Friday, so I couldn't start last Friday to finish this Thursday, well, you get the idea. After I got home from class Lon took me to one of our fave places downtown, The Mushroom (most of you probably know it as Mellow Mushroom, but we nickname most places we like). Split a yummy toasted hoagie, drank some seriously tasty beer and did our weekly crossword puzzle. (We're going to make a great retired couple, don't you think?) For some reason, we thought it would then be a good idea to head over to a not-so-great Mexican place only because they have a rooftop bar that overlooks the TN River. Of course, if you only order margaritas and queso, they can't screw it up too bad. They really should have people of some type of Hispanic heritage working there...they'd do much better! Just ask El Meson (THE best Mexican restaurant in Chatt!) Anyway, got a table on the rooftop, ordered a pitcher and basked in the sun. Fantastic start to a great week!
For Easter we had a super yummy breakfast (at home) and then went hiking on Moccasin Bend. Got a little muddy, but it was fun to explore a new trail. Afterwards, we went 'house hunting' (really just fantasizing). Watched 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Kind of disappointing. Cute enough, but not one we'll want to watch again. Been let down by several of our Netflix choices lately. The Hangover, Couples Retreat, Four Christmases...all let downs. They weren't bad enough to turn off, just none that we wholeheartedly recommend. Tonight we have Juno. We'll see...
The big finale for my birthday is....drum roll, please...another movie! But not just any movie, a Tim Burton movie...with Johnny Depp. Two of my faves! Yep, we're risking everything and venturing out to the theater (please wish us luck!) We have a new theater downtown (first LEED certified in the country...something to do with being 'green'). It has a VIP theater (with adult bevvies, real food and electric recliners) that comes with a VIP price tag. We will NOT be going to that theater (even though I think it would be cool...the tickets alone are $15-20!) Instead we're going to a matinee (hoping most people have already seen it) on a Thursday (hoping most people are at work/school) to HOPEFULLY enjoy the 3D Alice in Wonderland experience without cell phones, people talking and kicking the backs of our seats. I'll let you know how that goes.
Right now, the windows and doors are open, a nice cool breeze is blowing in, the sun is shining and it's getting up to a record-breaking 90 degrees today! Don't know where this summer weather gets off showing it's sweaty head in April, but we'll have our 60's back by this weekend. Silly summer...just can't wait for June. But it must, it really must. I NEED my Spring! And to think last year it SNOWED on my birthday! I remember...we were at The Dog (Hair of the Dog Pub, that is). This officially starts our 3rd year in Chattanooga...and we still love it! I don't know that Lon and I have lived anywhere (together) for more than two! Crazy...
Guess that's enough for today...hope it's beautiful where you are. :)

St. Patty's Day = Spring!

I love, love, LOVE Spring! It's peeking around the corner and teasing me right now, but I know it's coming. It'll be sunny and in the low 60's this weekend. Woo Hoo! Just an update as to what's been going on in my world...Exam 2 down. Two more and the final then 3 months off of school, but full time work. Made an A...yippee!

Currently doing my Pediatrics rotation in clinicals. I've worked with a 3-yr old and a 17-yr old. I was really hesitant because I had no idea how working with kids would be, but you know what? They are just patients with different problems and developmental levels. Just like there are differences in working with an 80-yr old client and a 20-yr old client. I am enjoying it...now there's another area I can consider. Good grief, I have no clue as to what discipline I'm going to want to focus on. Guess it's pretty cool that in Nursing you have tons of options! I can try something for a while, then try something else. And the travel option is available for most of those options, too.

My 2010 goal of dropping 50 lbs is going, but slowly. I'm on track, but would have liked to be ahead of the game by now. But now that Lon has exposed me to the world of tasty beers, that's going to be even harder! When I say tasty, I mean having taste. Not that yellow, fizzy, mass-produced stuff that the three mega companies put out. No, I mean REAL taste. Like when you pair a wine with a certain food to bring out nuances in each...did you know you can do that with good beer? It's not just for pizza and wings anymore. I'm currently really enjoying the more bitter beers (IPA's, Double IPA's, bold ales). The stouts and browns are good too, but they are a little too smooth and creamy for my current palate. Much better in the cold weather, like a hearty bowl of hot soup. I'm ready for spring and fresh flavors bursting in my mouth! Of course, the tastier the beer the more calories it tends to have. Oh well...we do what we must. Life is short and should be enjoyed and savored. I'll get the weight off, it just may take the full year. :)

Next week is my Spring Break...and I need it. I'll still have some school work to do and I work a few days, but the mental break will be so nice. Especially if the weather continues to warm up! That will do LOADS for my brain.
Guess that's enough for now. Back to my homework...
Until next time...try something new and different. I think keeping an open mind keeps you young!

Funny thing happened on the way to Wal-Mart...

...we ended up 140 miles SE of Chattanooga in a little town called Helen. Helen, GA. Alpine Helen to be exact. Did you know there was a German/Bavarian-themed city in the mountains of Northern GA??? Neither did we until a week or so ago. Got up Tuesday morning, loaded the recycling, planned to go grocery shopping, ended up in a little town 3 hours away over two mountains in another state. Lon is so proud of me for becoming more spontaneous. I'd say this was pretty spontaneous! Especially since, after having a great time and not quite ready to leave, we found a cheap hotel room (on the Chattahoochee River no less!) and stayed the night. No toothbrushes, no change of clothes, no deodorant! Luckily for us the weather was pleasant, almost fall-like. Driving over the mountain the temp got down to 69 degrees and in town it was in the 70's with a nice breeze. Had some yummy German beers, some brat/knock/bierwurst & cheeses and enjoyed the cute little town. Lon wouldn't let me buy him any lederhosen, but was all for me getting one of the cute little St. Pauli girl dresses! Most of the town was closed (off-season) but they were getting ready for the Annual GA H.O.G. Rally that was headed into town today. They also have one of the longest Oktoberfestivals in the nation...lasting from 9/11-11/2 this year. Guess they do a full on Christmas thing, too. Got to have some way to pull the tourists in...this place is definitely OFF the beaten path. Beautiful drive, though...can totally see why the bikers love it so. It's smack dab in the middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest...winding mountain roads, waterfalls, gorgeous vistas, all with a little taste of Germany. They also have a year-round haunted house...Haunted Helen. Very creepy, even in the daytime. Especially the Headless Horseman...see the hazy image...why would that be hazy when the others were all clear? Had fun, met some friendly & some not-so-friendly people, but maybe the economy has got them down, too. Wouldn't imagine they've had a banner year. If interested, check out www.helenga.org.
Instead of coming home on Wed, Lon decided it might be fun to check out Little Five Points in Atlanta...give the big city another try. Well, we found it and we still don't like it ('It' being Atlanta...Little Five Points wasn't bad). Found a cool incense burner and had some yummy food, but the overcrowded, big city thing...WAY overrated! Guess we've always been small(er) town folk at heart. Good to be home...
Here's some more fun pics from our impromptu getaway:

Life is meant to be lived

Wow...what an absolutely gorgeous spring day! Ever since we moved to one of the most beautiful cities I've ever lived in (and I've lived in quite a few!), I have developed a new appreciation of nature and all the beauty she has to offer. Today was a perfect spring day...high of 71, low of 43. Not too hot to make you sweat, but not cool enough for a sweater. Lon and I had a yummy breakfast of homemade bran pancakes with fresh strawberries. We took a few hours (windows and doors open, of course) to hone some critical skills. He practiced (played) Texas Hold 'Em on the internet and I made a few pieces of hemp jewelry (which I promptly put on). Then it was time to head out and soak up this glorious Sunday. We headed close to downtown, parked, and walked about 2.5 miles into downtown via the Riverwalk (one of my favorite-ist parts of Chatt!). We passed a group of kids (age 6-17) playing amazing music (sounded very Irish when we passed by) under one of the TN Aquarium bridges. They were Bow-Dacious, a string band from IL...very talented kids! They had a good crowd gathered, complete with parents/kids dancing all over the place. Always seems to be something going on around town (which makes us wish even more that we lived in the heart of it). Then it was on to the 'Deal of the Day.' Almost every bar/restaurant in town seems to have some sort of deal on Bloody Marys and Mimosas on Sunday (Brunch rocks!) So we popped into Mellow Mushroom to have one of the best Bloodys in town. Nice and spicy...and apparently enhanced with a splash of Guinness. Yummy! There we split a small Kosmic Karma pizza for lunch. Delish...what's that? You don't know Mellow Mushroom? I truly feel bad for you...it is a very tasty, very laid back, very cool little pizza place with some of the best microbrews available. Besides, who could turn down pizza from a mushroom dude named Mel? What's Kosmic Karma, you ask? Only one of the most flavorful little pizzas you could put in your mouth, that's what! Picture it...freshly tossed spring water dough (nice and chewy), spinach, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, mozzerella and pesto...all with a nice sprinkling of parmesean on top. Goes perfectly with a spicy Bloody (and water, too!). Afterwards we headed down to the river, took a new path, saw some beautiful forsythia, cherry trees and Bradford pears...everything is trying to bloom! Headed back to the Jeep for a nice round trip jaunt of a mere 5.8 miles. We earned our Bloody Marys today and we enjoyed every drop! :)
Now, I'm just working on some study questions on the respiratory and digestive systems and Lon went to a local R/C track to watch some races. It's going on 7 pm and the sun is still high in the sky...I LOVE SPRING!
Ahhhhh....been a while since I really posted....feels good. I hope the weather is gorgeous wherever you are. Get out and enjoy it!

(Side note...if you are being picky, that pic IS from downtown Chatt, but was taken last fall...we didn't take the camera walking with us today. However, it is very similar. There were no clouds today, the sky was bright blue and the trees are green. Just trying to keep it real!)