How old am I?

Today was a perfect sun day. Not a cloud in the sky. And I was off of work. So, what's a pale, sun worshipping girl to do? Take full advantage of it, that's what. The only problem was that none of my laying out options with a pool were going to pan out. So, I decided to suck it up and just go to my Dad's house to use his back yard. After almost an hour I got to the point where I was just plain hot and contemplated going in. As I lay there sweating, I looked around the yard and noticed the rolled up hose and a sprinkler laying next to the house. What did I do? Yep, you guessed it. I hooked it up and "ran through the sprinkler". No, I really did't run through it like a 5 year old would. It was more like walk through/ stand in it, attempting to cool off. And, it worked. About every 30 minutes I would get up and go through it again. It was a good day.

Homeward Bound

I LOVED this movie growing up. My brothers and I just about wore the tape out. (I think it was one of the only times the three of us would actually sit there without fighting). It was randomly on TV today and of course I had to sit and watch the rest of it.

Stick a fork in me, I'm DONE!

Well, at least for the summer. Yesterday I took my last exam and will not have to endure another class or 5 am wake up for clinical again until August.
Here's a brief overview of the past 16 weeks:
-12 exams
-64 individual skills tests (everything from bed baths to catheter insertion)
-20 "how to" videos
-18 online tests
-80 clinical hours

Now what am I going to do with myself? I've been going mach 10 since last May and now I feel lost without something to do constantly. I need to find a hobby besides studying. Maybe I'll break out the golf clubs for the first time in 3 years...

I might be a redneck

Yesterday I hung out with my Dad in his garage while he was working on his motorcycle, watching Nascar (yes, he has a T.V. in his garage) and had some beers. After about an hour of this, I realized it was possibly one of the most redneck things I've ever done. The only thing that would have made it better was a car jacked up on cinder blocks in the front yard.

Perhaps I'll call Jeff Foxworthy so he can add that to is routine.

I'm so going to see this!

The wait will soon be ogre! Shrek 3 is finally coming out on May 18th. I very rarely go see a movie in a theater, let alone on opening day. But this is different, these are some of my favorite movies. Can't wait!!

If you haven't tried it, then you should

This is quite possibly the BEST ice cream, ever! Toft's Peanut Butter Cup. I haven't had it in years and forgot how truly tasty it is. In college, I recall several times when 3 or 4 of us sat down and ate the whole carton of it. It's that good. They have other scrumptious flavors as well, but I think this one is the best.

To go or not to go

I recently received a "Save the Date" for my 10 year class reunion coming up in September. (Several months away I know, guess my former classmates are super organized) While I realize I've got several months to decide, I'm not sure I want to go. I really have no desire to engage in hours of small talk with 100+ plus people, most of which I haven't seen in nearly 10 years. I'd much rather be a fly on the wall and just observe with out actually participating.

I enjoyed High School, well most of it. But was so glad to leave the small town and all the crap that goes with it. Do I really want to go back for a night??

Any thoughts? Did/would you go to your reunion??

Down with Sanjaya!

I really don't know if I can continue to watch American Idol. In my opinion the two worst performers are still on, Sanjaya and Phil. Week after week someone else gets kicked off and these two are still left to torture us. Sanjaya may be different, but I think he's tone deaf half the time. And Phil, well he's almost as bad as Sanjaya. Aside from their lack of vocal ability, they're not even fun to watch perform.

I'm not sure how much more I can take. I guess I can always not watch it or change the channel, but it's more fun to complain about it. Blah!

The Big 5-0!!

Happy Birthday to my Dad. Not that he would ever turn on the computer, let alone read this, I still had to acknowledge it.

To the man who gave me his smile, his temper and taught me everything I know about football and so much more, Happy Birthday!!!

Early retirement???

I think I'd really like to retire. Today, I didn't have class, didn't work and had nothing to do but enjoy the beatiful weather. So, instead of getting ahead in school work I chose to spend the day running errands/shopping and hanging out with J and little A. We took a walk, stopped and got some fresh vegetables, and then grilled out when her husband M got home. Oh, and did I mention the spectacular brownies we baked too??? Seriously, how much better can it get? I could really get used to that lifestyle. If only I could find someone to support me or figure out how to become independently wealthy.

St. Patty's Day Fun!

Your Irish Name Is...

Alannah Fitzpatrick

What's your Irish Name?

I kind of like it. You can also call me a copy cat :)

Welcome home!

Today my friends A & J (and their little one too) are moving back to the midwest from Baltimore. They're moving to Ann Arbor actually. For the first time in almost 6 years we will live within an hour of one another. And, I'm so excited! For years, I've been stalking the airlines for cheap flights to Madison and then Baltimore, but not anymore. Just a quick drive to one of my favorite cities and I can see them whenever I want.

However, I am a little bitter that I lived there for almost 5 years and within a year of me moving back to OH, they decide to move there. Funny how things work out sometimes :)

Cheers to new beginnings!

Remember this

This is quite possbily one of my favorite shows of all time. I'm not sure if it was the actual show or Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano) that kept me tuning in. The below clip is from one of the best episodes. I wonder if you can buy the seasons of this show??

Spring is in the air

*Today I wore flip flops
*Today I opened the windows for some fresh air
*Today I drove drove with my windows down (a tad)
*Today I put the snow shovel away in hopes I won't see it again until December

I LOVE the first couple days of it being warm. By warm, I mean 50. It's amazing how sunshine and the first signs of spring can really brighten your day.

What's a girl gotta do for some tickets??

Tickets go on sale for Jimmy Buffett on Monday morning. I'me not a fan of Ticketmaster, they always seem to screw me over somehow.

I can't decide which option gives me the best possible chance of landing some tickets. Phone, in person, or internet? I've tried all 3 in the past and only got lucky via internet once. (Luckily, my friends are better at this game than I am.) If I go in person, should I go to one of the many Krogers that's a ticket outlet, or the mall or Stranahan? Does anyone have any suggestions??

Vacuum envy

I want one of these. (Not necessarily this model, just a Dyson in general) I have several friends who have one and they love theirs. My old roommates bought one and when it arrived we did our own little experiment. We vacuumed with the old vacuum and the went over the same areas with the Dyson, and we were all amazed at how much dirt was left behid with the old vacuum.

Never in my life would I have ever thought I would actually be excited about a vacuum. (Must be a sign of old age?)

The only downfall... the price. But, I guess you get what you pay for. Perhaps one day when I'm a real "grown-up", maybe I'll get one.

Are you kidding me?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are making a comeback? Or at least trying to? I couldn't believe it when I saw an ad for the new movie, opening 3/23. Pretty sure I won't be seeing this one.

T-O-L-E-D-O, Toledo!

Congrats to the Rockets on winning their first (outright) MAC title in 27 years! It was the first game I've actually been to all season. And, it was awesome. I went with my grandparents and one of my brothers. It was a great afternoon!

I'm normally not a basketball fan, but the game today made me wish I would have went to other games this season. Goodluck to the boys on Thursday in Cleveland!!

I want them all

This commercial brings a tear to my eye everytime I see it. It makes me want to somehow help all of those homeless dogs and cats out there. I was recently obsessed with a little Siamese cat at Petsmart. And just about the time I talked my Mom into taking her for me, she was adopted.

According to the Pedigree website, the dogs in the commercial were adopted this past fall.

I made it!

Today was the first official day in the hospital, after being snowed out last week. It was definitely trial by fire, but I guess there is no better way than learning how to adapt to patient's needs than by just doing it.

Here is a brief list of the things I survived!

* A 5:15 am wake up call via 2 different alarms, one being far enough away to make me get out of bed
* A most unfortunate looking uniform- White scrub pants, a navy blue w/ gold trim tunic (that feels about 2 sizes too big), all white tennis shoes and a lab coat (which is the best part of the whole get up)
* A very fiesty, hallucinating patient
* Assisting another student get her patient out of bed. (Please remember those hospital gowns barely close in the back and I got to help from behind.)
* The dreaded bed bath. Lucky for me he was able to do a lot of it himself. (Whew... lucked out on that one!)

On a lighter note, there were a couple different versions of McDreamy and McSteamy resident's on our floor :-) Looking forward to next Wednesday!

I hope they're wrong

I am REALLY hoping that we do not get the 6-10 inches forecasted for our area. I'm really tired of winter in general, but I'm hoping and praying that we don't get pounded with the "blizzard like conditions" the weather man spoke of this morning.

You see, I've got about a million things to do tomorrow afternoon. On Wednesday morning, I have to be at the hospital by 6:30 am sharp! All of the wind and snow will not help me at all. I'm usually running about 5 minutes behind any given day, but Wednesday I can not be late! It's the first official clinical day and being late will not look good.

So, Mother Nature I beg of you, hold off on the storm. Direct it elsewhere. Or, keep it in the arctic where it belongs.

*UPDATE* 2/13/07
The university actually closed for the first time I can ever remember. And will remain closed until tomorrow at 11:30. Which means, no clincial for me. Yippee!!

Off to dream land

How great is it to get into bed when you have just changed the sheets and everything is tucked in perfectly and they smell like fabric softener? I love it! I can not wait to go to sleep tonight!!

Something fun

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

So, I'm a copy cat, but I couldn't resist!

Thanks Phil!

According to Punxsutawney Phil, spring should be arriving early this year! He did not see his shadow. I hope he's right!

I'm hooked!

I'm in love with The Office! I only saw bits and pieces of it last week, but enough to make me watch it again tonight. And, I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud. Can't wait to watch again next week.

Thoughts of the day

Good parts of going back to school:
-No longer stuck in a profession I grew to hate more and more everday. Hopefully in 4 semesters I will have another option.
-I don't have to dress up everyday and do my hair. (Or deal with the holes at a certain automotive groups headquarters anymore)
-Definitely makes me more productive and manage my time much more efficiently.
-Learning lot's everyday!


Bad parts of going back to school:
-Out of state tuition for three semesters until I can prove I've lived in OH for a year. Blah!
-Homework and the neverending list of things to do
-No more full time paychecks, i.e., shopping and travelling is kept to a minimum :-(

It'll be interesting to see what will be added to the lists by the end of the semester.

What would you do for $5??

Today while walking through the nasty, slushy parking lot at Kinko's I looked down (trying to avoid puddles) and there it was... a $5 bill. I stood there for a second and pondered picking it up. I contemplated how disgusting it would be, wet, dirty and not to mention the zillions of germs crawling all over it. But, I decided to pick it up anyway. I figured I would only touch a small corner and promptly put it on the floor of my car to dry. Then I went right for the good ol' bottle of hand sanitizer, twice.

I'll be getting rid of the nasty bill tomorrow on my trip to the bank. There's no way I'll be putting it anywhere near my wallet or purse. And, the bottle of hand sanitizer will be accompanying me as well.

Am I crazy or would anyone else have picked it up?

Congrats is in order

One of my best friends has officially been typed in a Boeing 737. That's the equivalent of passing the bar exam, state board, etc. This will officially guarantee him a position with a fabulous airline, hopefully beginning sometime in March.

You see for the past 4.5 years he's been flying for an airline out of Detroit. I guess you could say this is will be a step up (bigger plane with an airline actually making $$ and growing). Plus, it will hopefully allow him to be based closer to home in FL.

So way to go M! Still looking forward to the day I hear your voice while flying the friendly skies!

A moment of silence

You know what's worse than dropping and breaking a plate?? Dropping and breaking a plate that has been discontinued! Ticked! It's not like I would ever use all 8 plates (I don't think I've ever used more than 4 at a time), but it's just the idea that I now have an incomplete set. Hmph...

I did it!

I finally broke down and decided to give Soy milk a try. And... (insert drum roll here) I loved it! I bought the chocolate flavored variety. It was very tasty and even better blended with some frozen strawberries. Quite the refreshing treat after a hard workout.

So glad I tried it!

Blah!

I really, really am not happy with the outcome of the Patriots-Colts game. It's not even the Colts team itself that I dislike. It's their QB. Can't stand him. Sick of seeing his face in every other commercial on TV. Definitely not looking forward to hearing about him for the next 2 weeks until the Superbowl.

I hope he chokes. (not literally of course)

Optimism at it's finest

On my way to class this morning (and even in class while I wasn't paying attention) I was thinking about all the things I'm excited for, happy about, thankful for, etc. I'm not usually such an optimist on quite so many things, but I figured I might as well go with it while it lasted. Not sure what has gotten into me. Either way here's the list.



*Having a wonderful family and great friends (near and far)!
*Loving school! (even though it's kicking my butt the second week in)
*Looking forward to meeting Abby Marie (My friend J gave birth this morning!! I was definitely off, not a boy and born 11 days later than I picked, but she's healthy and that's all that matters. See earlier post)
*Friends A & J moving to Ann Arbor in March from Baltimore.
*My friend M getting the chance of a lifetime with a great airline

Pleasant surprise

Just had to share how funny and random my Dad is. Every now and then he does things that are completely out of the norm for him. Today was one of those occasions.

Upon returning from class, work and visiting a friend in the hospital (13 hours later) I opened the door to find someone had been in my apartment. Turns out it was my Dad (with the help of my grandparents). They delievered birthday presents and also tied b-day balloons to random items throughout my apartment. The remote, my camera, lamps, drawers, etc. Totally out of character for my Dad, but I loved it.

Just had to share.

Things that make you go hmm...

Your Lucky Underwear Is Red

You're confident and bold, and your lucky red underwear will only make you more sure of yourself. You have a great zest for life, and you tend to take on impossible goals - and succeed. When it comes to love, it's hard for you to take the time to open up. You're too busy conquering the world. So if you're looking for a little more romance, put on your red underpants. And see where their passion takes you!

What Color Is Your Lucky Underwear?

Thanks Free Turtle Rides for yet another fun quiz!

To soy or not to soy

I've always contemplated, but have always been a little apprehensive. I saw a recipe on Oprah the other day for smoothies that called for chocolate soy milk and strawberries. It looked delicious! After locating the ingredients in Kroger today I whimped out.

Has anyone ever tried this or regular soy milk? And why don't I just use regular milk? Well, I'm not a fan of dairy milk. Normally it grosses me out (along with several other regular food items). Plus, there are lot's of health benefits of eating soy products.

Maybe I'll have the guts to try it the next time I visit the grocery store.

This might be mean

Today after sitting through hours of lab and classes I came home to watch TV for a bit. There really isn't anything on at 3 pm, but chose the Greg Behrendt Show for lack of anything else. As I was watching it I kept thinking that he looks like someone,but couldn't quite figure it out. Well, at the end of the show it hit me. He looks like ALF! It's not like they're twins or anything, but there's just something that reminds me of him. I thought it was kind of funny, even chuckled out loud. As I type this I'm still kind of snickering inside.

Does anyone else see this?? Click on the links and see for yourself and tell me what you think. It's okay if you think I'm a complete idiot.

This is completely random and out of character for me, I don't normally pick on people. However, I couldn't resist.

Yuck

Divorce is not nice. And just when you think it's done and over with, the ugliness that is associated with it rears it's head and you're instantly transported back in time. A time that was not pleasant.

Yesterday the wind must have blown the wrong way, or the planets were out of alignment, or something. Whatever it was, it caused one parent to "vent" to me about the other parent bringing up events/occurences I was not aware of. When asked why I was being told this now, the parent replied "Because you're almost 28 years old and old enough to understand." Whether or not this story was completely true or not, I'll never know. One must sift through a parents tales of the other parent with a strainer. (Especially when there is still a lot of bitterness 7 years later)

Whether it was completely true, I'll never really know. Not without confronting the other parent, which I'm not going to do. It's just hard to believe that one of your parent's may be capable of doing something that devious. Definitely a hard pill to swallow.

I was also told there's a lot more to the story I'm not aware of, but I'll have to wait till I'm 40. Thanks, but no thanks, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

It's official...

I'm a dork. Today in an attempt to organize the plethra of information coming at me daily, I bought these little self-stick index tabs. There's four different colors, and they're removable for easy repositioning!

They're fabulous! They may have been around forever and I just found them, but it's the best $4.99 I've spent in a long time.

Just had to share :-)

Closure... sort of

In October of 2004, I received one of the worst kinds of phone calls one could receive. It was my friend, M. There had been a plane crash and our friend J, was one of the pilot's on board. Over the past two years, there have been numerous hearings, studies, press releases and delays. Today was the final hearing. Even though it's been well over two years since the accident, reading the press release today took me back to that awful day. I could tell you exactly what time my phone rang at work, what I was wearing and where we went to attempt to eat lunch.

The NTSB's finding was definitely not in J's favor. Below is a portion of the press release I received via email. As soon as I can actually find it on the NTSB's website, I'll add a link to it.

While the report doesn't paint him in a good light, he was a good pilot and person.

************************************************************
NTSB DETERMINES PILOTS' POOR AIRMANSHIP CAUSED 2004 PINNACLE
ACCIDENT IN JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI

************************************************************

Washington, DC -- The National Transportation Safety Board
determined today that the probable cause of the October 14,
2004 accident of Pinnacle Airlines flight 3701 was the pilots'
unprofessional behavior, deviation from standard operating
procedures, and poor airmanship, which resulted in an in-
flight emergency from which they were unable to recover, in
part because of the pilots' inadequate training; the pilots'
failure to prepare for an emergency landing in a timely
manner, including communicating with air traffic controllers
immediately after the emergency about the loss of both engines
and the availability of landing sites; and the pilots' failure
to achieve and maintain the target airspeed in the double
engine failure checklist, which caused the engine cores to
stop rotating and resulted in the core lock engine condition......
"This accident was caused by the pilots' inappropriate and
unprofessional behavior," said NTSB Chairman Mark V.
Rosenker. "Simply adhering to standard operating procedures
and correctly implementing emergency procedures would have
gone a long way to adverting this tragic accident."

I love the Muppets...

But not this one. Here's irony for ya. I love the Muppets, I even own the first season (it's awesome). However, Miss Piggy is my least favorite character yet that's the personality I'm most like?! I'm seriously questioning the validity of that test. I'm definitely not a princess or diva, so I don't get it.

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it. You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less. You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way. Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

Anticipation

Tonight my friend J called to tell me she thinks she's in the beginning stage of labor. She's not due until the 11th, but can definitely deliver a healthy baby anyday. So, I will now begin sleeping with my phone next to me, just in case I get that call from her husband in the middle of the night. (I've done this with all of my friends who have had kids).

Now for my prediction:
Sex: Boy Date: Sunday January 7th

I've either been a really good guesser or have an incredible talent for guessing the sex of my friends kids (I'm 5 for 5). I've even correctly guessed the date for one of them! (I think I just got lucky on that one though because I picked my own birthday)

This one is especially exciting b/c I will actually live in the same city! All of my other punkins live in the Nati, Ft. Wayne, and Baltimore (soon to be A2 though!) Now I can drive 6 miles to see the little one and not drive or fly for hours.

I can't wait!!

In memory and honor of

Today I heard that a former classmate of mine was killed in Iraq while serving his second tour. He left behind parents, siblings,friends,a wife and a little girl. While we were never friends (heck I even got into a slight "altercation" on the bus with him my sophomore year)it really makes you realize once again that life is short.


(Here is the link to the article in the Blade)

The day the music died

My factory CD player in my car died today. I listened to my new fave Justin Timberlake CD last night and 14 hours later, it just clicks and spits out any CD I put in. I hate regular radio (thank goodness I have satellite) but sometimes I want to just listen to a CD. What's a girl to do??? Good thing I have a birthday coming up, maybe Mom or Dad will save me...


Update 1/5/07: Today, I popped in Sugarland just to see what happened. And.... it magically worked!!! Yippee! Oh happy day! At least something went right today! The true test will be with my JT CD and if it still works tomorrow ;-)

A look back...

Despite some of the bumps of 2006, it was a good year. Looking back, even some of the bumps along the way ended up turning into something good.

Here are some of the highlights!

* Learning to live alone and love it.
* Moving back to T-town. Last March, I thought it was the end of the world when my school plans for Cincy didn't work out. But once again, I believe that everything happens for a reason. Afterall, I've got to spend more time with my fam, get reacquainted with old friends and make some new ones too!
*Kickin' a** in school and getting officially accepted into the Nursing program. Finally, my long time dream that I let sit on the back burner for way too long is finally in my reach. (December 2008 can't come fast enough)
*Two of my friends brought two beautiful, healthy kids into the world. And the bonus is that one of them shares my birthday!
*One of my best friends, E, got engaged to a wonderful guy, K! Can't wait until October 27!

Bring it on 2007,I can't wait to see what the next 363 days have in store for me!