A weekend in Oregon!

Raoul and I spent the last three days in the Portland/Columbia River Basin area. It was soooo great to get away for a few days and see civilization again (LOL), and now I'm refreshed to return to work for the whole 2 1/2 days I'm working this week. Yippee for vacation time!!! As for this weekend, it definitely had its ups and downs. . .

It rained. . .and I mean rained! In fact there were only 2 hours of time where there was no rain the entire two days we were in Portland. Now, you say, "you went to the west coast, what did you expect?" So yes, you would be right. . .but the rain made it hard to make a statement regarding what I think about Portland as a city since we didn't get to do all the things we had planned. The first day it rained all day, so we took advantage of the time by doing one of my favorite past times. . .shopping! Poor Raoul! He was a great sport, though, even when I made him help me decide on which pair of pink pumas to buy (I'm pretty sure he really didn't care) :) We did get him a new suit for his sister's wedding, though; and I must say he looks pretty darn snazzy. After shopping for about 8 hours straight, we went to the Olive Garden for dinner and then to X-3 for a late night movie. A fun movie, not exactly following the comic book (what the heck, Cyclops dies?), but definitely entertaining.

Day two. . .the day with two hours of dry weather. We decided to tackle some of the sights since Raoul was definitely tired of shopping. First we went to the Portland Zoo, where we spent the entire two hours of dry weather. Then it was off to the Rose Gardens, Raoul's favorite. It was pretty spectacular, even in the rain. I haven't figured out how to upload pictures yet, so check out my facebook for the full weekend of pictures. We spent a little bit of time downtown doing yes, shopping, and then to Border's for awhile to get a guidebook for hiking next weekend. Boy do I miss Borders!!! That evening we ate at McCormick and Schmicks which had some fantastic food! Then it was back to the hotel to rest up for day three of the trip.

Day three. . .we left Portland early so we could stop for some neat sites on the way back home. First we stopped at Multnomah Falls, a double waterfall that was simply awesome! We walked up to a bridge that was at the top of the lower falls and then took a VERY steep 1 mile hike up to the top of the upper falls. The scenery was amazing, even though we were getting wet both from the rain and the waterfall. It was a great early morning workout! Then we went on further down the highway to Mount Hood. It is the only mountain in the northwest that you can ski on 365 days a year. It's 11,000 feet tall and a beautiful sight. We saw it from the North side but it was covered with clouds, so we drove to the South side and got a much better view. By the time we'd seen all of this, we were dead tired and headed back to Clarkston.

A whirlwind of a trip, but fun and saw some awesome sights. Again, check my facebook for more pictures until I figure out how to post them here.

7 1/2 days and counting. . .

Yes, I am still counting, but not much further to go until vacation time! To recap the last couple of weeks: Raoul's parents came up to see us, and we all had a blast. We took a trip to Walla Walla, WA to check out some of the wineries, and they also got to come see where I spend the majority of my days and the cool people I spend them with (a.k.a. work). I definitely think, though, that I ate WAY too much while they were here. . .need to hit the gym overtime for a few weeks :)

Last week at work actually eased off a bit. . .Yippee! I worked this weekend, so I will be able to save up some extra cash for all our summer trips. And speaking of summer trips, Raoul and I are getting ready to head to Portland, OR on Friday for the weekend. I'm looking forward to a much needed weekend away for some retail therapy, get a glimpse of civilization, and see some awesome sights (waterfalls, rose gardens, Mount Hood). Then we're back in Lewiston on Monday evening to get ready for my sister and her boyfriend to arrive on Wednesday evening for the marathon week with my family (with a relay handoff from my sister to my parents in between). A lot coming up. . .definitely motivation to keep my apartment clean.

We had a crazy storm this week. On Friday, we had thunder/lightening/rain after 3 nearly unbearable days of 95 degree heat. It helped cool things off, but the river looks pretty bad littered with a lot of tree branches/trunks. The bridge actually shut down for awhile when a car stalled in a puddle. One telephone near one of my co-worker's homes was split in two. We also had the electricity go out at the clinic 3 times Friday afternoon, so I did a lot of stretching in the dark, and not many modalities were performed that day. I figure that lightening storms and electrical stimulation machines don't really mix that well. Rain has been on and off since then, with a pretty fabulous rainbow today.

Bugsy has turned me on to reading again, so I started "In Cold Blood" after we saw Capote a couple of weeks ago. I ordered a few more books online, and borrowed a couple of others, so hopefully I'll be more well-read after all the traveling I'm doing this summer. I'll comment on them as I go as Bugsy has taken to doing on her blog.

Have a great Memorial Day everyone!!!

It's official. . .America is completely stupid!

So, why is America stupid? It has nothing to do with politics or materialism. . .it has everything to do with tonight's episode of American Idol. It is completely obvious to everyone who has the ability to hear that Chris Daughtry is the best singer and performer on the show. And, I believe, he's the only one of the final four that could actually make a record that is marketable to the masses beyond just American Idol fans. It is an absolute crying shame that he was voted off tonight. He is the only one who deserves to win that competition, and I will be the first to run out and buy his first album. Get the boy a band and let him sing!!!

17 1/2 days and counting. . .

What, you may ask, is 17 1/2 days and counting? That is exactly how many days of work I have left before I get my first official vacation day!!! Can you tell I'm excited? I honestly had no idea the first year would be quite this difficult to adjust to. I mean, I definitely like my job and co-workers, but I had been used to having a week or two off of school 2-3 times a year even in graduate school. Now I have work straight from July 20th until now without taking a single vacation day (per the employee handbook). In fact I'm technically not supposed to have any vacation for a full year, but my boss is being very gracious (perhaps he doesn't want to me to crazy, hmmm. . . .) and letting me taking some time a little earlier. To be paid not to work, definitely something to look forward to!

Raoul has officially finished his first year of graduate school and now has way too much time on his hands (for a couple of weeks anyways). This, of course makes me extremely jealous. . .until I remember that paycheck thing, nice to have around. Plus, this means he can run errands for me and pick up family members at the airport, right?

Next weekend Raoul's parents are up here for a visit. We are very excited!! On Saturday we are planning a day trip to Walla Walla, WA for tours of the vineyards and some wine tasting at the wineries. Plus that weekend there will be several hot air balloons in the sky. . .pretty!!! And definitely loving that Raoul is such a willing designated driver.

Plans for the following weekends:
May 20-21 working
May 26-29 Portland, OR

I am definitely excited for Portland since Raoul has finally given in and is letting me take him shopping!!! He needs a new suit for the wedding and a new jacket since he got paint on it during Habitat for Humanity. I am going to find something pretty for myself as well, because we can't have those east-coast folks thinking we're all backwoods out west. We do have running water and electricity now, you know! :)

That's all for now. . .off to an evening of relaxation and not thinking about anything productive.

Help is on the way!

We had a sigh of relief and a shout for joy this week at work. . .the therapist that left for a new job in October is coming back this summer to work for us again! Yippee! Talk about awesome, no training needed, and we really love the guy too. We will once again be graced with the lovely sounds of random movies and a hilarious impression of a frenchman. We've also put out another offer, and will find out by the end of the week if he will come on as well. If we were fully staffed with 7 therapists, we'd be rocking out and doing some really cool stuff!

After a month of rain, we have had two weeks of amazing sunshine! This allowed us to finish up the whole exterior of our Habitat House (I got to help paint after the building was done). Raoul and I took a walk along the river on Sunday, and it was fantastic to get outside and enjoy the great weather. It definitely gets me excited about all the outdoor activities for the summer.

We have finally solidified plans for our families coming to visit--Raoul's M&D in two weeks, my sis and her boy the first of June and my parents and brother shortly after that. It will definitely be good to see them all again!

This Friday I am going to see Air Supply in concert right here in Lewiston. . .any of you 80's fans are I'm sure extremely jealous! :)

That's about all for now. . .off to attempt to get some ironing done. . .

It is officially flip-flop weather!

Yesterday after coming home from church, I ran inside to start celebrating. . . it is officially warm enough to declare flip-flop season open! Yippee!!

Things keep plugging right along here. Work is work, but we are interviewing some people for our job openings, yippee! Still plugging away with my class as well, but boy is it hard to study after coming home from work. And never fear, the queen of percrastination lives on! I worked this past weekend and tried to get stuff done around the house. . .and yes, I have finally made it through the massive pile of ironing that has been on my couch for 2 weeks now.

I officially finished the 5th season of Gilmore Girls last night. What a truly fantastic show! I never really caught on to it until last year, but going back through all of the episodes definitely made things more complete. And, I love the fact that I can watch them over and over again and not get tired of them!

American Idol continues to be one of my obsessions, though things have not been as great the past couple of weeks. Hopefully the contestants can really start to put something together now before they get kicked off. This week should be awesome. . .the songs of Queen. My fav. is still Chris, though I'm a fan of Katherine and Taylor as well. Ace has really got to go. . .I mean really, if you are going to have long hair, do it right not like some big poof ball. Bucky is on his way out as well. And I do have to disagree with Simon on one thing. . .Kelly Pickler is NOT a better singer/performer/personality than Carrie Underwood. She really is just Jessica Simpson (pre-Nick break-up) with a country flare. . .naiive and irritating.

This week is Easter and Raoul and I are going to Bill and Kathy's for dinner. The following weekend we are working with habitat for humanity and our church to build a house in a week! I love power tools!!! April is looking to fly right by, but I am excited because May/June/July are coming and they are going to be fantastic.

I leave you all with one question to ponder. I have really been craving Girl Scout cookies and finally they were at Wal-Mart yesterday. . . and they charged $4 a box! It really wasn't all that long ago that I last bought cookies and I'm pretty sure that they were $2.50. I personally think that the girl scouts are overcharging for their product and then hording up the money to buy a compound and take over the world (which they have fattened up with all those cookies!). Thoughts?

Pride and Prejudice: Theatrical version vs. A&E

This weekend I rented the theatrical version of Pride and Prejudice. I must admit that I had some apprehensions, knowing that a lot of material would have to be left out and considering how much I absolutely love the A&E version. Suprisingly, though, I really did enjoy it. Thus a movie comparison began and these are my thoughts:

Things I liked more about the theatrical version:

1) Mrs. Bennett's character was SO much more tolerable! Although she did retain the essence of her character, she also portrayed a woman who was just desperate to have her family cared and provided for.

2) The casting of the Bennett sisters as a whole was great! I liked Jane much better in this version, more human and less like someone straight out of a renaissance painting. Keira Knightly did a fabulous job, though I think I like her and the Lizzy from A&E equally. They each portrayed the character well with little different nuances. The rest of the girls were pretty much identical to that of the A&E version, but that's probably because those characters and fairly one-dimensional and leave little room for interpretation.

3) The cinematography was fantastic! I just liked the overall feel of the movie rather than a more "mini-series" feel of the A&E version.

Things I liked better from the A&E version:

1) Mr. Bennett's character was more what I pictured him to be like rather than how he was done in the theatrical version. I like him to be more sarcastic, not at all caught up in the craziness of the family, and more of a idealic character. The theatrical version made the character a lot more human with several flaws, and I just preferred the other interpretation.

2) Details, details, details. They did have to leave a lot out for the theatrical version. Most importantly, I think, they left out much of the development of Mr. Wiccam's interaction with the Bennetts and Lizzy in particular. Leaving out many portions of the book did not take away the central idea and I think that it helped the movie to flow more quickly, but I would rather see the whole picture and more character development.

3) Last, and most importantly I think, Colin Firth is THE Mr. Darcy. I didn't like the way that they interpreted Mr. Darcy's character during the beginning develpment of his relationship with Lizzy. There was definitely romantic tension beginning on their second meeting, and I did not believe that Lizzy actually "hated" him at any point in time. She acted more like she was just trying to shove him out of her head. I much prefer how the A&E version developed their relationship. Mr. Darcy shows absolutely no hint of his feelings prior to his first proposal and Lizzy does not even begin to think of him romantically until the last 1/4 of the movie. This, I think, more clearly reveals the "Pride" and "Prejudice". Aside from how the relationship developed differently, Colin Firth was so much more attractive and was able to achieve a truly "arrogant" and "aloof" character prior to swallowing his pride. He is, I believe, the epitimy of the true gentleman and I can pretty much guarantee that every single girl will swoon as he begins to woo his love.

Regardless of which version you watch, however, the scene of the second proposal is quite possibly the most romantic instance in all of cinematic history. I mean, who wouldn't want to be told that "You have bewitched me body and soul" ? I get chills just thinking about that. Plus Mr. Darcy's character becomes such a gentle person to the one he loves, and you can just tell that he intends to love and protect her, while still respecting her and her mind, for the rest of their lives. Now, tell me what girl doesn't envision that as what she truly wants in a relationship?

So, that is my commentary. . .those who are fellow fans of this wonderful love story please comment away!

Why are girls so stupid and guys are so icky?

So, I know that I just posted yesterday, but my boyfriend insists that a blog is a place to post things that you just care to rant about for a bit. Here goes. . .

Girls drive me crazy! I have definitely had some good girl friends over the years, but I wouldn't call them girly girls if you know what I mean. They weren't caddy and petty and just downright mean. And hey, we all have our moments of insanity, but man. . .girls can be absolutely crazy. All of you who know we know that it drives me absolutely insane when girls become bridezilla. Once they are engaged, they are all of the sudden too good to spend time with people who are not married and morph into this clingy person who's entire worth is established by the fact that she is getting married. Yuck! It's so disgusting that it honestly makes me consider surpassing the wedding part and heading straight for the marraige whenever I get to that point. And girls become so mean about it too, because they then become so much better than their single counterparts and basically become completely self-absorbed because, afterall, shouldn't the world revolve around them? They are getting married after all.

Girls also have this tendency to confuse people profusely. One minute they say one thing and then turn right around and find the need to revisit the subject that had to be set aside for a certain time period. And, of course, if they can't handle a situation, then it's time to turn and run though they expect to have a secure place to come back to after their rant is over and they establish some sanity.

I do have to comment on the fact that I am indeed a girl, not a girly girl, but a girl nonetheless. I have my moments of temporary insanity just like everyone else. I do not however find it fulfilling to pick petty fights and put others down just so I can feel better about myself. And, as I have learned in the past, running from problems does not fix them, and you may not have a second chance. So yes, there are times that I have technically driven myself crazy. . . but hopefully not on a regular basis.

Some boys aren't much better, though. Over the past several weeks, I have discovered that there are a few patients in our clinic both middle-aged and teenagers that think it's fun to hit on their therapist. Some are just clueless and end up being very clingy, trying to show off their fabulous personalities. Others are just down-right disgusting with very inappropriate comments. I mean, really, I'm not saying that I am ugly, but I know that I am definitely not a "bombshell". My whole life I've avoiding being hit on because being the tall girl scares people. I'm a fairly conservative dresser--it's not like I wear mini skirts and hooker boots to work! So why, please tell me why, they insist on continuing this crazy cherade that they have no prayer of actually carrying out? I've honestly started thinking about buying a ring just to wear so that maybe they'll leave me alone. Any advice? I could just stop being a nice person. . .but that wouldn't be fair to my sweet elderly patients now would it?

That, is my rant. Take from it what you will and comment away!

I emerge from the deep, dark lagoon. . .hehehe!

So it seems that I've been pretty bad about posting, and have been reminded several times by those that like to check up on me. You got it. . .here goes!

Work:
Work is good. Very busy but good. It's crazy how one minute you feel like you might have it together and the next you are feeling quite clueless again. Ah, humility! We are interviewing another PT in a couple of weeks, and there might be a very remote possibility that the therapist that left last fall might return. What can I say but who wouldn't miss a bunch of crazy people like us? I am taking an online course in medical imaging this semester to slowly work towards finishing my DPT. We had our first test last week and it was pretty successful. . .96%! It's hard to remember after getting home that I need to keep up with the reading and start putting together my paper, but I'm attempting to stay on top of things.

My new goal:
So after being out of a regular exercise routine for several years, I've definitely started to see things take a toll, so back in the saddle I go. I got a membership at a gym and go workout 3-4 times a week. So far only a cardio routine, but I'm hoping to get strength training going as well. My new motivation? I want to be in shape to be able to play volleyball again!

Reality TV addiction:
Yes, it does continue. I've been hooked on watching Jerry Rice ballroom dancing, entertained by Beauty and the Geek 2, and of course, American Idol. And man, there is some great talent in the top 24. And then again, there are some people that you're like "how the heck did they get through to this point?" The guys are definitely looking better than the girls this year. . .I think the girls might be too young to pull it off. And the whole time I'm thinking, "why does Paula get so emotionally attached to the contestants. . .I think she might need a kick in her social life. In the next few weeks I'll start to figure out my favorites. . .stay tuned!

KU Basketball:
For a string of 10 games, they were looking so good. . . until last night. I mean, I was not expecting them to even beat Texas, but talk about faltering on the fundamentals of the game. Texas played a phenomenal game. . . and I'm not sure what game we were playing. Even though our shots weren't falling and Texas' defense was stifling, I do expect the fundamentals: DO NOT turn over the ball and REBOUND!!!! I mean seriously, that game should have been a whole lot closer, especially if we would stop passing the ball directly to the other team. That would help. I mean, don't get me wrong, KU has come a LONG way in the last two months, and they are a real quality team that deserves its ranking. They look like a team when they play well, but being young results in these inevitable blips. So, we'll look to wins against Colorado and K-State and see if Texas drops the ball with A&M or Oklahoma.

Weekend in KC:
Last weekend I flew to KC for the weekend to hang out with my sister since I didn't get to see her at Christmas. We had a blast playing with her new puppy, shopping (I'd almost forgotten what a mall looked like!), and touring the KU Hall of Fame exhibit which is pretty incredible. I got to see my parents briefly and had brunch with the bro. A quick weekend for sure, with extremely LONG lay-overs, but good to see my family.

Church:
Raoul and I decided that the church in Pullman just wasn't cutting it for us, so we started church shopping once again. We have landed at the First Presbyterian Church in Clarkston. Talk about a VERY friendly group of people, and the pastor is really good as well. I'm joining up with a small group this week, and we are both just looking forward to getting involved and meeting all these neat people!

So, that's the update. I promise I'll be better in the future, and if I figure out how, I'll post some pix from my recent weekend get-away.

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!