Christmas time is here!

The drought of not posting is coming to an end. It has been a couple of crazy weeks. . .and I finally have a moment to sit and rest before the mayhem continues.

The flood ordeal continues! I had the case manager for my claim come to visit my apartment and he has decided that I am not liable for the damages, so if this thing goes through then my apartment should pay for the damages and I'm only responsible for my electric bill. So, fingers crossed, the crisis should be nearing an end. I also got all the money back from my car incident thanks to my boss, so all looks to be well.

Things at work have been pretty hectic since we've had people sick and on vacation for the holidays. We've managed to get everything done, but it hasn't been easy and it's taken everybody's effort to make things work. I've never realized how important team work really is! I still love working there, though. And I've been able to see some results with some of my patients. It's amazing to think "hey, I can actually do something to make someone better". I'm planning on starting my DPT this January and my first class will be teaching me how to read X-Rays/MRIs etc. Should be an interesting course. I just hope I've got some of my school work ethic left.

Christmas has been good, being able to spend time with family. It kind of stinks to be away from Raoul for a couple of weeks, so I'll just have to stay busy with work, fixing up my apartment, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to do some skiing over some of the weekends in January. I have some co-workers who are planning on going, and I need some more lessons--badly. Otherwise I'll just be trying to get my life and stuff back in order after being displaced from my apartment. I'd love to get to see some of you if I'd only have more time to come home. But, if anyone has some time off of their own, and you'd like to go skiing, or visit Seattle, or go camping in the spring. . .come visit me! :)

What a weekend. . .

So, it's been a nutty weekend, but first. . .my Thanksgiving! I had a blast with my family and it was good to talk to them and see them at the same time! We ate lots of yummy food. . .way too much yummy food! The five of us went to Lawrence on Saturday and met Trina to see the KU vs. ISU football game. What a game! It was way great to see the boys play well and win against a good team. I picked up some great KU gear at the bookstore and then it was off to KC. My mom and I went shopping for a new dress for me to wear to our office party and came away successful! We got to eat at Jacks Stacks Fiorella BBQ. . .YUMMY! Then we walked down by the plaza to look at the pretty lights. The next day we ate a a good Mexican restaurant (which I haven't had in months!) and then my whirlwind trip home was over.

Now onto this weekend. So, I took my car into the Ford dealer on Friday to get my oil changed and transmission serviced. Serviced not flushed. I came back and they had indeed flushed my transmission and charged me $275 for the whole deal. That's $150 more than I was anticipating. On top of this, they told me my break fluid was 50% low, I needed new brake pads, my brakes flushed, and new tires. So, I promptly left, intending to call the managment on Monday about my overcharged bill, and had my car looked at somewhere else. They said that my brake fluid was full, my brake pads had at least 6 months left before needing to be changed, and my tires were fine. Now I'm really pretty steamed at the dealer and I will be talking with them on Monday because that is ridiculous that they would take advantage of someone like that.

Then it was on to my apartment. . .to find it completely flooded. I had a picture hanging above my toilet in my bathroom and it had fallen and broken the PVC pipe going into the toilet. Water pretty much went everywhere and got through almost all of my carpet. Thankfully my electronics are OK, my Christmas tree survived, and I only had water damage to a few books I think. I'll have blowers in my apartment for the next 3-5 days, but thankfully I have a wonderful boss who is putting me up for the next few days until I can get back in.

So that's it for now. . .I'll be in touch with more info as I have it.

Back from Seattle. . .

So, it was indeed a wonderful whirl-wind trip to Seattle. And, it definitely had its ups and downs. First, after arriving in this wonderful city, we headed off to the Supersonics game. It was really great to see the boys play again, but the game itself really wasn't that exciting. The Sonics were behind by like 15 at the half. . .and then the Bulls ended up losing by 15. It was a really lopsided game with first one team, then the other team playing really awful basketball. Kirk had an especially bad night, not like I remember seeing from him. Raoul and I did our best to hold up our sign with pride, but I'm afraid they did not see it among the huge crowd of fans. Then, there was supposed to be a news conference with Nick Collison and Luke Ridnour after the game. We went to the right place to wait. . .and nothing happened. No one seemed to know about any news conference, so apparently there was some miscommunication between the Sonics staff and the KU alumni Seattle chapter. So, huge bummer there. . .no Nick, no Kirk. The game was fun, but I do look back much more fondly of when they played together, and the crowd was a whole lot more enthusiastic. Also, the KU pep band is AWESOME!!! Electronic music and R&B/Rap stuff at NBA games is truly awful. It was fun to see the game, though, and maybe next time I'll be able to see Nick. . .going to try and use my K-Club connections.

Saturday was a way fun day. We started out by going to our favorite French pastery shop "le panier" and eating yummy apricot croissants for brunch. Then it was off to the underground tour of Seattle. Very interesting. . .and boy were there some stubborn people who founded that city! We then went on an afternoon of shopping. . .Raoul for comics and some plastic thing named "Thanos", and me for what else. . .clothes! He was very patient with me, but we were unable to find something for me to wear to our clinic's Christmas party. I'll have to keep looking in KC over Thanksgiving. Then we had dinner at PF Changs (yummy!) and went to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was good, very different from the others. . .and I've decided that I would have enjoyed it much more had I been in a comfy chair with a blanket. We did see some entertainment afterwards, though, when two guys almost started a fight because one of them accidently kicked the other guy's chair during the movie. Sometimes I wonder where all the common sense and courtesy has gone. Anyways, after the movie we topped off the night by stopping by the cheesecake factory and heading back to the hotel with our midnight snack.

Sunday was a short day since we had to leave town. We went down to Pike's market, and we ate lunch at a great seafood restaurant that we found on our last trip over. Raoul got his samon and chowder, and I enjoyed my chicken fetticine alfredo. At the market we picked up a couple of gifts to bring home to the family over Thanksgiving, and then it was back to "le panier" for French pastries and hot chocolate to go. After a long drive in the fog (I think we actually saw the space needle twice while we were there!), we finished our weekend at our favorite Pullman eatery: The Cougar Country Drive-In. Overall an exhausting, but fun weekend. . .and somewhere along the way a demented children's story about Steve the quesadilla making robot was created. You'll have to ask Raoul about that one.

I'm off to good 'ol Kansas on Thursday. Yippee! Wishing all of you a fantastic Thanksgiving and safe travels!

What a couple of exciting weeks ahead!

So, I'm at home right now, waiting for the paint on my sign to dry for Friday. And what, may you ask, is this sign for? I GET TO SEE NICK COLLISON AND KIRK HINRICH PLAY IN SEATTLE ON FRIDAY!!!!! Can you tell that I'm excited? And maybe, just maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to chat with them quickly after the game, get an autograph, maybe even a picture. Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Raoul got me tickets to the game for my birthday, and we're 16 rows up from the bottom. . .great seats! We're going to stay in Seattle for the weekend, so much fun will be had, and we're staying downtown so we won't have to use the bus to commute into the city. Hopefully the weather will be good and the pass will be clear so we can get there in time for the game.

In other news, next week is Thanksgiving! I got to talk with most of my family over the last week because of my birthday, but I'm really excited to get to see them again. I was doing pretty well. . .missing them of course, but overall having a blast. . .until we saw "Elizabethtown" this weekend. In the movie Orlando is driving down US 50 and there is a sign for Wichita, KS. . . kind of made me homesick. Plus I've heard I have a sister who is eager to have me home (and I am eager to see her as well). Over the break I will have plenty of time to spend with family, eat lots of good food, catch a KU football game, and eat barbeque! It will be a fantastic trip, and I am excited for it. Plus, I've really been missing the barbeque and there is no Sonic here. My sis and I will be stopping by Sonic on the way home from KC so I can get my cherry limeade fix.

Things are continuing to kick right along here in the valley. Work keeps me busy, but when you love what you do it's well worth it. I'm also loving having Raoul so close by. We get to see each other much more than we did in KC/Lawrence. Plus it doesn't hurt to have Seattle so close. . .it makes for a fun weekend.

Hope all is well, and I'll divulge all the details about my weekend when I return!

Isn't he the greatest!

After my evening has come to a close, I have to say a quick word about the amazing boy in my life. I had a long day today, but when I came home I had dinner ready waiting for me with candles and cheesecake, courtesy of my guy. What makes it really special is that he had a long day as well, but still made the 45 minute trip down to see me and help me relax for the evening. So, to that special guy. . .THANK YOU!!! You are AWESOME!!! --Much love

A super, and super-busy weekend!

Wow! What a weekend! So much has happened in the last couple of days, so here goes. . . and who knows, maybe someone will actually respond to my posts (my blog is very lonely :( ).

Weekend started out with a night at the LSCS basketball game. Got to hang out with the bosses and their families, and at half-time we were privelaged to be the first booster to be honored on the court. We got to go down to the floor, snap a couple of pictures, and received a way cool looking plaque. The neatest thing was that the bosses wanted all of us to be there, not just them, because it's all of us who are a part of clinic. Very cool to feel a part of something. Also, I get to have my picture in a welcome ad in the Lewiston Tribune soon, so everybody will know who I am. And, I've gotten several reserve orders from the family for copies to be sent of my first time in print. Overall, continuing to love work. . . except for all the paperwork stuff (death to Medicare!!!). The guys are awesome, and I'm continuing to learn constantly. . . and speaking of learning, I really need to get my TDPT application in (note to self).

History happened on Saturday. . .KU beat Nebraska in football for the first time in 37 years! YEAH!!!! And not only did they beat them, they clobbered them with a blunt object. . .40-15. Hooray for ending the second longest losing streak in NCAA history! And maybe, just maybe, if the offense can continue to play, they may actually help contribute like the defense has been doing all year. I mean, how can a team with one of the best defenses in the nation have so much trouble winning football games? We've got two games left, and if we can win just one of them (either Texas or Iowa State--both very good footbal teams) we'll be off to a bowl game! Rock, Chalk, Jayhawks!

Then, after a mad cleaning dash on Saturday (this place is cleaner than it's ever been!), a girl I work with and her boyfriend came over for dinner. Yeah for taco soup! We played a rousing game of Cranium and chatted till the wee hours of the night. They are very cool people, and we have vowed to get together more often. Along with the fun. . .my b-friend's sis (and also one of my good friends) is engaged! It is very exciting! In fact, this is probably one of the only weddings I will attend that I have been excited about in the last few years. While the news is very cool, I have to say that the reaction from the boy provided some entertainment as well. He did a little happy dance and went into a Cartman monologue (which he explained to me later. . .something about an empty amusment park). It's so sweet to see him so excited about B & B, especially since when bobo first entered the picture, his brother and he interrogated him for an hour over dinner. And, once again, I wash my hands of that whole incident!!!!! :) Anyways, excitement for all! Yippee! I'm going to try to get out to Boston in the spring for a weekend sometime. . . I'll let you know when bugsy!

And then there was children's church. I volunteered to help with the kiddos since they've been looking for help. I'm with the school-age kids, so no problem, they can actually read pretty well! Except. . .there are several children who have a certain condition that I've become more familiar with because of people close to me with similar experiences. It's not a complete problem, but with 4 or 5 of them, it can be pretty disruptive. I guess that God is bound and determined to teach me patience. I just hope with a lot of prayer and support, I can learn it as gracefully as possible.

So, now I'm back home from up north, settling in to get some dishes done, do laundry, and write that stinking 500 word essay for my TDPT application. A pretty uneventful end to an eventful weekend. But, nonetheless it must be done! :)

My experience with the Asotin Co. court system. . .

So, since most of you heard about my unfortunate ticket that I receive about a month ago, I thought I would post some closure to the drama. For those of you who haven't heard. . .here's the story.

So, I was leaving the hospital one morning after finishing my rounds and was heading to the clinic to start my day there, when all of the sudden I see flashing lights behind me, pulling me over. I'm thinking to myself, "what in the world did I do?". I had been driving 35 mph, which was what I thought the speed limit was, so I assumed that they were stopping me because I have out of state tags. Then another cop pulls up and I've got two cop cars with flashing lights pulled up behind me in plain view in this rinky-dink town. After they finished discussing my out-of-state tags (yes I can hear people talking outside of my car), the officer asked for proof of insurance and registration. I found the insurance, but was flustered because I was having a hard time finding my registration. When I had bee pulled over in KS last year, they just looked at the liscence plates to see my registration hadn't expired. So, I continued to be flustered and not able to find the paper, and the cop wasn't exactly very nice about it. He finally gave me a speeding ticket for 36 mph in a 25mph zone, which I want to point out is NOT MARKED going westbound on that street for almost 2,000 feet behind the hospital.

So, I decided to contest because of improperly marked streets. Everyone at the office thought I had a good shot too, because I was new and there isn't a speed limit sign anywhere close to the hospital. They gave me a court date which just happened to be smack in the middle of my work day, and it is tough since we have patients scheduled so far in advance. Another co-worker offered to cover for me while I went to court. Contested hearings began at 1:35 pm and the court clerk told me I should be out of there by 45 minutes later. She said she would put my name first on the docket. . . right!

I show up for court, ready to plead my case. After a couple who were divorcing and did not have their paperwork done correctly, several mitigation cases, and a harassment case, we finally got on to the contested cases. So, I should be first, right? NO! Every time a lawyer stepped into the room, their cases got pushed right to the front. To make matters worse, they were going through the cases by alphabetical order, and I was not put in the front as requested. At 3:00pm we still had not reached my case, and I really had to get back to the clinic. The judge called for a recess, and I just raised my hand and stated my predicament. He responded by saying he'd either give me a deferrment (which means I pay $25 on top of the ticket, which was already $132, and if I have no infractions in 6 mo. it doesn't go on my record) or I could wait around and he'd get to me when my name came up on the docket. I didn't really have a choice, so I paid the deferrment, and after some pathetic attempts at apologizing by the court clerk (she just couldn't figure out why I hadn't been put earlier, and really it was the fault of all the lawyers that showed up), I left, trying not to speed to get back to work in time to pick up my caseload. Needless to say, I am not exactly impressed.

I am still concerned about the fact that there are a lack of speed limit signs around the hospital. So many people come to visit friends and relatives there, and many of them have never been there before. How would they know? So, my plan is to call the county commissioner (the only helpful piece of advice given to me by the court clerk) and suggest that more speed limit signs will be put around the hospital going both directions.

So, you see that the drama of a small town really is just as interesting as life in the big city, right?

My how time flies. . .

So, I was looking at my blog the other day and realized, I haven't posted in awhile. Since I don't want people to think I've dropped off the face of the earth, I figured I should pass on some more info about my ever exciting life.

Work is continuing to go well, busy but well. I still love working here and love my co-workers. And heck, I'm even helping some people get better! My boss talked to me last week to kind of comment on my first 3 months here. He said that I was doing a great job, am very personable with my patients, and he had no doubt that I was going to be a great therapist. Inside I said a silent "yippee!". See, the thing is that when you graduate from school and get into the real world, you pretty much feel like a complete idiot that knows nothing. I still feel like I know very little, but the little that I do know seems to be helping people. Don't get me wrong, there are some patients that you are just like "I have no idea what's going on here and have tried everything, but nothing is working!" But then the guys remind me that they have moments like that too, and they are a great resource when the wheels in my brain get stuck in the mud. I LOVE working with people, and everyday is another adventure.

Aside from work. . . The Boy had his birthday last week and we got to celebrate with Scorbin! It was way fun to get to spend time with her again, although she had to hang by herself for a whole day since I had to work. We went down to Oregon last Saturday, spent some time in Joseph which is a pretty little mountain town. I got a way cool scarf, and met a guy who's dad played for Phog Allen, and another guy who was a KU grad. We took a short hike in the Wallowa mountains, overlooking Wallowa Lake, which is absolutely beautiful. There is an "air gondola" ride that gives people a view of the mountains, but it had already shut down for the winter season. Add in eating salmon a couple of times, and making a trip to Spokane, and you get a fun weekend with an old friend. We also had cake, and you can't go wrong with cake. Especially cake that's chocolate with vanilla cheesecake filling and cream cheese frosting. Mmmm. . .

And more on the note of exciting news. . .the boy is giving me my best birthday present ever! He got us tickets to see the Bulls play the Supersonics in Seattle in November. I'll get to see Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich play again!!! I am all ready to make a huge sign that says "we love you Nick and Kirk!" with a big Jayhawk on it. I'm hoping to get some autographs, and maybe a picture with them too! Keep checking here for updates from my birthday trip.

Excited for my birthday. Excited for Thanksgiving and Grandma's yummy food. So much to look forward to!

We finally get some rain!

So I thought that western Kansas was one of the driest places in the US . . . and then I moved to eastern Washington. I think it's only rained about 3-4 days since I moved here the first week of July. It was nice and refreshing. . .though I think the icky weather caused a few of my cancellations and no-shows at the clinic today.

Things are continuing to roll right along here. I have one more week of full time in the clinic before I go to my new permanent schedule of hospital and home health in the morning and clinic in the afternoon. It's kind of crazy trying to adjust schedules and have patients come at a different time than they're used to coming, but I'm sure it will all work out soon. Hopefully we will be bringing on another therapist soon, which will help with the large patient load that we are carrying now.

As far as non-work life, I'm going to take in a showing of Chicago at the Lewiston Civic Theatre tomorrow night, and the b-friend is graciously coming with me. We're going to meet up with a couple of girls from work and their husbands, so a good time should be had by all. I'm hoping to start playing volleyball soon. . .got to remember to call the lady in charge back. Scaborbin is coming to visit in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to it, and hoping I can get someone to cover my weekend for me--otherwise I won't get to see much of her. :(

That's all for now. . . more later.

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

So, I've been hearing about this whole "blog" thing from my b-friend and his family and thought, heck, why not? You can check here to see new and ingenious and not so ingenious thoughts from me. Since I have such trouble keeping in touch. . . especially with the time change and keeping my day minutes on my cell phone down, this is a great way to check on what I am up to. And, you can leave posts to say hello right back! Enjoy!