Feeling pretty good

I am feeling pretty good about my ability to drive in snow/ice. I have been parking at the bank up the hill from my house and walking up/down. It's worked well...I don't have to worry about not getting off my street and I get some exercise.

Tonight was my community groups Christmas party on Queen Anne...not a pretty place to drive in the snow/ice. I had pretty much decided this afternoon not to go as it was slushy and very cold, which equals ice! Long about 4:30 I decided that I had to get out of the house and that I HAD to go to the party. I quickly threw my side dish in to the oven (turnip gratin....yum!), and tossed on some decent clothes while it was cooking. As soon as it was done, I put on all my snow gear and started hiking to my car. I had planned on giving myself 1 hour to get there, as it usually takes me 30 min. Group started at 6:30 and I didn't get to the car until 5:55.

It was compact snow/ice with a nice sprinkling of sand. I actually was able to go 30 most of the way, with the occasional down shift for hills and such. Not once bit of sliding the whole trip down. I made it up Queen Anne, going a back way to avoid the big steep hill. Found the place and surprised everyone by actually showing up!

We had a great dinner, conversation, and white elephant....I got this key chain that beeps when you whistle so that you can find it...very handy. I opted to leave around 8:45 as I wanted to get home before it got too cold. I made it off Queen Anne and onto Hwy 99 without any problems. Pulled into the bank and walked back down to the house.

Yep, I'm feeling pretty good! Now the real challenge is going to be braving the Eastside to get to work and back this weekend. They got a ton of snow last night/today. I'll just give myself plenty of time and pack an overnight bag in case I need to stay there (it is supposed to snow again this weekend).

Wednesday List

This list thing is kind of addictive....

- Sleep for at least 4 hours -Done
- Weather permitting, go Christmas Shopping -DONE!!!!!!
- Laundry
- Clean/organize desk
- Make candy trains for community group

I'm sitting at work typing this, hoping and praying that it won't snow until after I get home this morning. I really do not want to deal with snow on top of ice...bad news! I keep checking the windows every hour to see what is going on out there. So far, there have been just a few flakes, but nothing major.

List

-Brave the ice to get new tires for the front end of my car. Done - but no tires purchaced
-Go to the store -Done
-Laundry - Partially Done
-Put away Christmas boxes - Done
-Clean Living Room - Done
-Attempt to go to work tonight and find a place to sleep for tomorrow so I don't have to drive home Done

Snow, snow, snow

I love and hate snow. It is so beautiful and clean, but a pain to drive in.

I had a big Christmas party tonight down on Queen Anne that a girl in my community group is putting on with her roommates. Its a big swanky event.....its actually called The 4th Annual Swanky Christmas Party.

I got dressed up, really dressed up, and looked, well, hot! There was only an occasional flake or two when I left. I got there early because that is what I do. There were a few people there, but most didn't show until 7:30-8. Rodney played a few carols for background music, there was a ton of food, lots of company, and there is a white elephant exchange yet to come.

Anyway, it started snowing more....and more.....and then started sticking. I decided to leave around 8:30 simply because I don't know how my car handles in the snow. There wasn't much accumulation on the road, but I have about 1/4 in so far at home and its still coming down.

I'm sad I left the party so early... I probably could have stayed for another 1/2 hour or more, but I didn't want to chance it. So, I am now eating roast beef and about to watch a movie. I'm sad I'm missing out on the gift exchange and the carols :-(

Friday List

Taking a suggestion from my sister and cousin...I am posting my "to do" list for today (or what is left of it)

- Grocery shopping (in preparation for snow) Done
- Clean kitchen
-Put away laundry
-Finish putting up Christmas lights
-Make Christmas shopping list
- Go to dinner and a show with the girls
- If time, take a nap before afore mentioned dinner/show

2am

Well, its 2am and I am sitting at a desk at work wondering how in the world I am going to stay awake until 7:30am. I am so not a night person....

It is super silent (I can't use the 'q' word here as it causes all hell to break loose) tonight. Most of the patients discharged home today. My patients are sleeping (or what passes for sleep when you have a new baby). I tried to convice one of my parents to let me watch their baby for them, but they declined, for which I am sad. It makes time fly when you have a baby in the crook of your arm. Seriously....who turns down a safe person watching your baby for several hours so you can sleep.....crazy!

Its now 2:05 and I am still bored and tired *sigh*

Well, I think I'l go meander over to the main desk and see if there is any excitement happening.

Vent

FYI, I am going to vent about work. If you don't want to be subject to this vent, please do not read.



Ok.......I'm very upset with my work, specifically the person who deals with payroll. I got my paycheck this week and noticed that I was not paid for 4 hours of overtime I had worked. I got regular evening pay, but not the time and a half we get for working over our 36 hrs/wk. Now, our work has started having the employee sign off their electronic time card at the end of the pay period to make sure everything looks fine. I signed off my time card after working the 4 hour extra shift and didn't notice that it was put in the wrong column (I was tired, it was after all extra work on my day off).

So, I wrote a note to the person who double checks our time cards to let her know of the error and could they add the overtime money to the next paycheck. I got an e-mail back from her today saying that I didn't qualify for overtime pay on the extra four hours. Here is where it gets complicated....we can't clock out more than 6 minutes before 7:30am or we get docked a full 15 minutes of pay (so only get paid for 11.75 hours, instead of 12). I clocked out one morning at 7:19am (was tired and just wanted to go home and not sit around for 4 minutes just so I could clocked out), and this is where the problem apparently arose.

Apparently, by losing those 15 minutes, I did not meet my full time requirement of 36 hours for the week, which means, the 4.25 hours of overtime I worked became regular pay, not overtime pay. Apparently there is some clause in the contract that if we don't meet our 36 hours, we forefit any overtime pay, unless we work over 40 hours. So in the end, by clocking out 4 minutes before I should have, I got penalized 4 hours of overtime pay (despite the fact that I had made up the .25 hours by coming in for my extra shift).

Thus I am mad, very mad, but not sure what to do about it. The lady in charge of payroll actually said "I'm sorry the rules are so picky". She actually used the term "picky"! Picky applies to the "clocking out more than 6 minutes before 7:30, you lose 15 minutes of pay". It does not apply to docking someone 4 HOURS of overtime pay when they come in on a day off to help out because you can't staff the unit appropriately! That is called "robbing" someone of their deserved pay, not being "picky". AAAAaaarrrggghhhhhh!!!!! &@#&** (insert desired swear work here).

Anyway, thank you to listening to my vent. I'm going to talk with some others at work and see if they've come up against this before and what the best way to handle it is. I'm also going to look at the contract and try and figure out where this clause is.

Whosits and Whatsits

Oh, where to begin.....

Last Friday I joined my sisters, mom, and chiblings at the Children's Museum in Everett. What a magical and lovely place (I know Kris...only if you haven't been there a bazillion times). It's how I remember the Seattle Children's Museum being when I was younger. Ahhh....the memories of "working" in the grocery store, the restaurant, the telephone operator booth, the bank...they all stay with you, even at my old age. Anywhoo....it was really fun, and I got to hold Elsa a lot, which made me happy. She always looks at me with this curious "who are you and why are you holding me" look, and then breaks into an Elsa smile that just melts your heart and makes your uterus do flip flops. Here are some pictures:



As of late I have been on a Patrick McManus book kick. If you have never read any of Patrick McManus's books, I highly recommend them. He is, by far, the best outdoor humor writer of all times. Growing up, my dad had several of his books, and I remember reading them and laughing so hard tears were running down my face. Not much has change, I was laughing so hard at work (tears and all) that one of my coworkers came in to see if I was ok. I read her the portion I found hilariously funny and she just gave me this "Becki is a weirdo" look. I think it has to do with the fact that she lives in downtown Seattle and has never been camping. How else can you explain her not laughing about your tent attacking you in the middle of the night after hearing a "bear" outside? With titles such as : Real Ponies Don't Go Oink, Rubber Legs and White Tail-Hairs, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, and They Shoot Canoes, Don't They...how can you go wrong! Check them out from the library and be prepared to laugh until you cry (unless you are cold and heartless, live in the downtown of a major city, and have never been camping).

I also want to encourage you to check out the sermon series my church is doing. It's on the Song of Solomon and is called The Peasant Princess. It is amazing and has fabulous teaching and information for singles, young married, old married, and anyone not in those categories. You can watch the sermon or download the audio from www.marshillchurch.org. I highly, HIGHLY recommend taking a peak.

Well, I'm off to go clean my bathroom. Until next time....

Risk

So last Saturday, I got to hang out with some friends and some of us played a game of Risk. I haven't played that game in ages! I made it to the final two, thanks to the kindness of my friend Rodney.

Here are some pictures:

Playing Risk


Still playing risk

Me after losing Risk...trying to not look out the window (we were on the 18th floor and I hate heights!)

My wild, passionate love affair

Tricked you.....you thought I was talking about a guy, didn't you? Read on...

I went to TjMaxx today, a place I rarely visit, as in never! I'm looking for a shirt to go with this cute skirt I bought and I as I drove by, I figured why not stop in for a look. Well, I found a shirt that should work as well as two other cute ones...and then I noticed all the bedding on sale. I needed a new set of sheets, so I meandered over there. The quality of these sheets are amazing! 300, 310, 400, 600 (!!!!!) count sheets for $29-59! Not just one sheet, but they whole shebang (fitted, flat, 2 cases)! I found a 400 count set that looked nice and felt, well, like I'd imagine our beds in heaven will feel like, should we have beds.

I continued to meander and went over to the sale table where I can get an additional 25% off already reduced items. Nothing much of interest....until.....on the edge, tucked under some towels, was this gentle purple (I hope you know what I mean by that) that caught my eye. I had to find out what this color belonged to as it was heaven! After lifting away the towels, I gasped....a 400 count sheet/duvet set (flat, fitted, 2 cases, duvet cover, and 2 shams!!!) reducded to $58 dollars plus an additional 25% off!!!! I unzipped the corner and reached my finger in to feel the material. It was as soft as a baby's bottom! I prayed, "Lord, I know you don't encourage us to steal, and I plan on paying for this, but at this price I feel like I'm stealing from this store. Forgive me, Amen"

Anyway, I wandered up front to the cashier, sure that when she scanned it I would be informed that this wasn't really on sale and I would have to pay the full price, $225! I held my breath, and it rang up at $43.50! I dashed to my car, screeched into my parking spot and sprinted into the house as I was ripping open the package. Everything was shoved into the washer and it was started, the whole while I was mentally calculating if I could get it washed, line dried and on my bed before I had to leave for work in 3 1/2 hours. I'm not sure, but by all that is holy, I am going to try. They could try and kill me tonight at work, and I won't care as long as I can come home and sleep on these sheets!

Thanks for listening to my story about my love affair with these sheets. It just proves it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Phantom of the Opera

I went to see the Phantom of the Opera last night with some people from church. Overall I enjoyed it (it is the Phantom after all), but I was disappointed in the quality of the production. I felt it was more like a college production, rather than a Broadway production. The singing was good, but the performers mics weren't balanced, so when when they sing as a group, all you heard was noise, not individuals voices. The volume on the mics for most of the main characters was so low, that you could hardly hear them, even if they were the only ones singing. The special effects were lacking, and the set design was lame. Maybe it was the fact that is was at the Paramount and they don't have quite the fancy stage like the 5th Avenue (I think thats where I saw it last). I felt bad for the people that came with me. None of them had seen the Phantom before, and this was not a good showing. I think they kind of regretted putting out good $$ to see it. Lacking is the best way to describe it....very lacking.

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

Star Wars Dreams and the Puyallup Fair

Have I told ya'll about the Star Wars dreams I randomly have about my friends? If not, I do have random SW (star wars) dreams in which my friends become characters...its a sign that you are a good friend. Anyhoo, has I have a SW dream in which a friend in present, I go and get them a figurine of their character...to mark the momentous occasion.

Well, I finally had a dream in which my friend Ben (Rachel's brother, for those of you who know Rachel) appeared. He is officially known as Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi. I gave him his character on Sunday and he promptly used his Force powers to find me some Otter Pops (the push up sugar water popcicles).

I had been unable to find them in several stores, and after mentioning this on Sunday, he was adamant that they were at QFC (the one by my house, where I went, did not have them). So apparently after dropping us off at the girl's house on Sunday, he drove to another QFC, found them, and then drove them back to the cabin (which I had left only 5 minutes prior), where he left them in the freezer with the following message : I used my Obi-Wan Jedi powers to find these (or something along that line). After getting back from church that night (which I chuckled through because of the message), I left him the following voice message :Master Obi-Wan, your power in the Force is quite impressive. The Otter Pops will be enjoyed for many planetary rotations.

I don't know why I shared this story, you really would have had to have been there, but it reminded me of 3 things: 1) I'm blessed to have such good friends, 2) Otter pops are so good, and 3) Ben does not like to be wrong.

On other news, I just got back from doing the Puyallup Fair. I haven't been to a fair in probably 10 years and I now remember why. It was hot, crowded, and boring. I swear the craft exhibits and animals were just as I remembered the last time I was at the fair, nothing has changed, except the price! I went with Beth, which made it fun, so I don't regret it. I'm now good for another 10 years. I also don't like how the Puyallup is set up in comparison to the Evergreen State Fair. The craft and animals barns at the Evergreen are nice and lined up and flow pretty well. To contrast that, the Puyallup is all over the place! There is a craft barn next to the cows, which is in the middle of the food booths, which is next to the rides, which is next to the rabbits and birds...???? Random! Out of courtesy for the fair gods, I ate a corn dog and had a elephant ear, both of which were less than stellar. Then at the bathroom stop on the way to the car, some wonderful person decided to smoke in the stall next to me! I ended up with a massive headache, which is still lingering. Yuck, I hate smoke!

Trip to PCC

So I braved a trip to the opening of a PCC just down the street here in Edmonds. If you are not familiar with PCC, it's a market that has all/only organic produce/food/products. Now I am not 100% into things organic. I mean, does it really matter if my paper towels are made organically, or if my mac and cheese is organic? Especially when it costs more? I do however, like my organic meats and some vegetables and fruits, and am willing to pay more for them.

Anyway, so PCC moved in and I am very excited. I drove down the street and as I got closer I started noticing many cars parked on the side of the road, which is unusual in this part of town. I keep driving and traffic is getting worse. I turn into PCC and it is like a car lot, seriously...a car lot! People are honking, blocking traffic, cutting people off. Not a picture that goes hand in hand with mellow organic people, in my opinion. After driving around and parking wwwaaayyy away, I meander in to the store where I am now blocked by human traffic. It takes me three minutes to actually push my cart through the doors and enter the store. Insane! I realize now that I should have waited at least a week before coming here.

I head to the meat department to get some chicken and I am astounded by how rude people are. Not verbally rude, but grocery store manners rude. Am I the only person who knows its rude to stop and "park" in the middle of the aisles? I know you are looking at a product, but please park your cart to one side or the other so that others can get by....not in the center where you hold up traffic while you debate the merits of this organic pop over that organic pop. You also should not leave said cart parked while you wander to another aisle so that you don't have to fight the traffic you caused. I managed to grab my chicken and the other items on my list and fought my way to the front where the lines where 15 people deep in every lane and there I sat for 35 minutes while waiting to get to the register. Another lesson in manners....you don't get in line and then send someone out to grab 20 more items you purposely didn't get because you knew the line was going to take a while. RUDE! One item, sure...two items, ok...but not 20!

I felt so bad for the employees..they had people commenting on how unorganized and crowded everything was and how long they had been waiting. People, really....its opening day! Did you expect to get in and out in 5 minutes? I thought everything was as well organized as could be expected and said so to the friendly employee who was working the line trying to sooth the ruffled feathers around me. Poor woman, they are not paying you enough to deal with this...I understand customer service completely. Sometimes they don't pay me enough to deal with the crap I get from patients (by the way, my new favorite slogan is: RN - trained to save your a**, not kiss it!). I left the store and decided that I would wait for a few weeks until I went back, but I am still thankful they opened.

In other news, I'm working on my Guatemala support letters for this next year. I can't believe it's time again, but it is. I also feel uncomfortable sending these kinds of letters out, I feel like I'm begging for money. I know that people like to donate and that it's not money for me, but for a very good cause, but I still feel uncomfortable. Last year, my whole trip was paid for by donations, and I'm hoping for the same this year. I'm going to put word out at work, and at church, so hopefully, some of those single people with extra money want to donate. Look for your letter soon!

Camping Trip to Camano Island

Back in July, my friends Abby and Beth and I went camping at Camano Island State Park. The campground was very nice, the beach was very rocky and a loooonnngggg hike from the campground (it actually was just steep, not long). Abby and I came over on Friday and then Beth came Saturday night. The weather held until Sunday morning when it poured. We managed to pack up the camp (everything except the tents was put in the car the night before in anticipation of rain, this is Washington after all), in just under 30 minutes. Then we went to some cafe for lunch where I had the biggest club sandwich ever...I mean EVER! It was about 8 inches tall (ask the girls if you don't believe me) and I was only able to eat one fourth of it. I wish I had gotten a picture of this sandwich, just so people would believe me. Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip.


An early version of the headlamp.

I was trying to look coy, but instead I managed to look very evil, especially since my black coat blended in with the night. Scary!











I'm king of the world! It was really windy.

Trip to the Zoo

Yesterday Mom, Jenni, and I took Ethan and Gwen to the Zoo. The weather was great..overcast and cool in the AM and then sunny and warm around lunch time. I think we managed to see everything we wanted (except the nocturnal house as there was a line!). The kids even got to pet goats at the "petting zoo". Whatever happened to a variety of animals, such as pigs, cows, chickens, etc....just goats! That hardly counts as a zoo. Here are some pictures from our trip.



The kids riding the Komodo Dragon


Mom and the kids on the Monkey sculpture...they couldn't stop climbing for a good picture.



Gwen and I riding the baby elephant (don't worry, no baby elephants were harmed in the taking of this picture)

Night Shift Type A Personality

So folks, as much as I would like to deny it, I have a type A personality (at times, but especially at work). The other night (I can't remember which, a side effect of working nights is losing all sense of the date, day of the week, or time of day), I realized that I have not been sleeping enough. I have been moody (shocking I know), overly emotional, disoriented, and paranoid (especially about sleeping in my very safe apartment).

After much evaluation, I came to the conclusion that I was only getting about 5 hours of sleep on my days off, which is the direct result of me trying to keep a day schedule on my days off. After working my last 12 hour night shift, I would sleep from 9-12 and then take a nap from 2-3 and 6-7. Then I would try and force myself to go to bed at 11pm so I could wake at 9am so I could feel "normal". The result, is that I have deprived myself of sleep for too long and am now having a hard time sleeping due to paranoid delusions that there is some crazy demonic presence in my apartment (lack of sleep combined with to many late night episodes of Ghost Hunters and TAPS will do that to you). Note: I don't actually think there is anything demonic in my apartment, but when you are tired and you see something "move" out of the corner of your eye, the imagination runs wild!

In an effort to fix this lack of sleep and the ensuing problems related to that, I have set myself a pretty rigid schedule for sleep, eating, exercise, and even vitamins. Thank you type A personality I have inherited from my mother (its not a bad thing mom, really). Anyway, I thought you might be interested in this schedule, and feel free to beg, borrow, or steal anything that fits for you if you work nights too.

Sleeping:
Work Days: 9am-5pm
Transition Day (first off day following my last night shift): 9am-3pm, nap early evening if needed
Off Days: 4am-12pm, nap if needed mid afternoon.

Eating:
Work Days: B 5:30pm, Snack 9:30pm, L 1am, Snack 4:30am, D 8:15am
Off Days: Whenever I want, but am only allowed to eat out twice a week, not every day
*No processed foods on work days!*
High protein B and S. Balanced L and S. High Carb D

Exercise
Transition Day:5pm
Off Days: 2pm
No exercise on work days (sleep is much more important)

Meds/Vitamins:
BP Med: 5:30pm
Fish Oil/Multi Vit: 8:30am on work days and whenever I eat B on off days.

You will notice I have not assigned bathroom visits....somethings just shouldn't be scheduled!

This has gone into effect as of last night, so I haven't tweaked anything yet. Hopefully, this will get me up and running better in the next 2 weeks or so. I have also applied for a day position, which if granted, I won't actually start until next summer; but hey, at least its something to look forward to.

Well, I think I should get back to work. Good night (or morning to you day folks).

Snail races and other things single people do to entertain themselves

So...what do a bunch of single 20 somethings do for fun on the 3rd of July....we have snail races! Actually, we had a BBQ for community group, THEN we had the snail race. The house we were at had a ton of snails, and one of the guys thought it would be fun to have a contest to see which snail was the fastest. Out came the fingernail polish to adorn the particularly lucky snails...they were covered in dots, a smiley face, and several styles of racing stripes. It was then decided that we needed a finish line, so the ribbon basket was brought outside and a nice pink ribbon was adorned with "finish" and stakes between two twigs pushed into the grass across the sidewalk. The contestant were lined up and then off they went! Smiley took the early lead, but then Norman put out the slime and pulled ahead. The race was antenna to antenna the whole time, but Norman won by a fraction. After a round of cheering, he was given the place of honor in the bushes, where he would be safe for a while. There are pictures and a video floating around, so when I can get a hold of them, I will post them here.

The other entertainment that us single people like to enjoy is making fun of the other members of the community group who are singing old school worship songs while playing bongos and keeping time with sticks. They were inside the house, singing away, while 5-6 of us (me included) were outside snickering at them and remembering how dorky we were in junior high and high school.

Fun times!

Anyway....my life is boring, hence the need to race snails. Work is going well, although I have not been overly busy for the past few weeks. I think I've read 3 books in the past two weeks and that was only reading them at work! I shouldn't complain, as there are days when it is super busy, but it sure makes the nights really long!

Not much else to say...so I guess I'll get back to work...I mean reading my book :-)

Amazing Sermon

If you have a spare hour, I would really encourage you to listen/watch this sermon that my pastor preached on Sunday. It's on worship...but not music, etc.....more like what we worship besides God. All I have to say is WOW! I can't get it to link properly, so...

www.marshillchurch.org
On the left hand side, click on Worship: God Transforms. Then just hit the arrow to watch the sermon, or go down a bit farther and you can download the audio.

Song

I was listening to some music by Bebo Norman today and I just wanted to share one of his songs with you. If you have never checked his stuff out, I would really, REALLY encourage it. I got to see him in concert a while ago and got hooked. I don't know how to get music to play on here, but if you go to my mySpace page, I have the song playing there.

I Will Lift My Eyes

God, My God
I cry out
Your beloved needs you now
God be near
Calm my fear
And take my doubt
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

Chorus:
I will lift eyes
To the maker of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift eyes
To the calmer of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes
To the healer of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, My God
Let mercy sing
Your melody over me
And God right here
All I’d bring is all of me
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

Chorus

'Cause you are and you were and you will be forever
You’re all that I need to save me
Because you fashion the earth and
You hold it together, God
So hold me now

Chorus
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, My God
I cry out
Your beloved needs you now

Tired....

Well, I've been on night shift for.....actually I don't even know how long I've been on night shift. Long enough to lose all track of time, days of the week, or even what month it is. Ughhh...I now remember why $$ is the only reason to work nights, which is why I'm working nights. I have several pictures of Guatemala on my locker and one on my clipboard to remind me why I am putting myself though this misery.

Right now I am listening to Enrique Iglesias on my computer, in Spanish no less. I can only understand a bit of what he says, but I figure its good exposure. It also reminds me that I need to work on my Spanish today.

Lets see...what else is new......

I have a "new" car. The quotations are there because its a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, which is 4 years older than my other car (piece of crap that it is). Its older, but it has less than 75,000 miles on it and is in good working condition. I bought it from a couple at my church for a good price. It doesn't get the best gas mileage, but I don't have to worry about it making very funny noises, leaking oil, shimmying in strange ways on the freeway, or just afraid to go anywhere because the car might die. It was a good buy and hopefully will serve me well until I get back from Guatemala next year.

Not much new news on the Guatemala front. I'm still waiting to hear back from Dr Tito, the head of the medical team down there. He's been busy with clinics/trips and both of his boys have been very sick (which always happens when he is out on clinics...a definitely attempt by the enemy to disrupt work there). I'll be e-mailing him again here in a few weeks, just to touch base. I did, however, hear from Oscar...now don't get all excited...it was just a quick note asking how I was, how my Spanish was coming along, and when I was coming back to Guat. I'm hoping that Tito and Rolando are coming for a quick visit this fall to attend a medical missions conference in Tennessee and that Oscar will be able to join them. They usually make a stop in Seattle to speak at some churches to raise support, but I haven't heard anything for sure. I'm tentatively planning on going to the conference, as I'm definitely interested in medical missions.

Well, I need a nap.

Patience

I've been reading through My Utmost for His Highest and this was my reading for May 2nd. I thought I would share it with you all...enjoy!

The Passion of Patience

"Though it tarry, wait for it." Hab 2:3

Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he has a vision of God. He "endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things comes with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure and the power to endure is there because you see God.
"Though it tarry, wait for it." The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. "What shall I render unto the Lord?" said the Psalmist. "I will take the cup of salvation." We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves - "Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." Of we have only what we have experiences, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxtion spiritually.

Musings

3 movies you must all watch...

1) Dan in Real Life (you laugh and cry)
2) Lars and the Real Girl (don't let the sex doll keep you from seeing this movie, its very clean!)
3) Once (musical in nature)

I love movies that make you think, cry, laugh, and reflect on things in your life. I found that all three of these movies caused me to do that. Also, the soundtrack for Once is amazing!!!!

Anyway, I have a ton of musings, but they just don't seem to want to go on "paper". I kind of feel like my head might burst, but not quite sure how to process it all. I'll probably have a few weird sleepwalking dreams and then they will be sorted out and processed...I just hope I don't walk around naked outside or any of the other things I dread when I know I'm sleepwalking but have no control over.

*sigh* I think I'll go to bed. A tired, overly emotional girl should never be allowed to blog...

Chapin

Today I made Chapin for breakfast, which transported me right back to Guatemala. Chapin (for those who aren't familiar with it) is a traditional meal in Guatemala. It is often eaten for breakfast and sometime dinner (the main meal is usually lunch). Chapin consists of several items....eggs, fried plantains, frijoles negros volteados, queso fresco, fruit, salsa and a bread of some sort.

I had received the black bean recipes a few weeks ago and just didn't get around to making it. There are actually three ways of eating then as you go through the stages until you reach the final product for Chapin.

1) Caldo de frijols (broth of bean). You cook black beans overnight in the crock pot with a whole onion and a whole head of garlic. Serve with rice, sour cream and croutons.

2) Frijoles colados (beans strained). You blend the beans to a puree and then mix with sauteed onions and garlic. Serve with eggs or however you want to eat them (they are kind of runny).

3) Frijoles negros volteados (black beans turned). You saute some onion and then add the black bean puree with some oil and stir....and stir.....and stir until you think your arm is going to fall off. Once it drys out and forms a ball, it is ready.

Spoon on a plate, add some scrambled eggs with salsa on top, a few pieces of fried plantain, a tortilla, the cheese (I used cheddar since I don't like queso fresco). It totally took me back to sitting in the Italian restaurant in Panajachel in the morning with the team waiting for our Chapin breakfast. Yum! I made a big batch of bean puree and plan on eating it all week....its soooo good!

Langugae School

I thought everyone might be interested in checking out the language school I am planning on going to in Guatemala. I've heard good things about it, and even got a recommendation for who to do my home stay with. They also do some community service, offer dancing and cooking classes, bike rides through Antigua, and an opportunity to climb an active volcano! Anyway, here is the link...

http://www.ixchelschool.com

First Day of Work

Today was my first day on the new job and boy am I tired. My brain hurts! The physical assessment stuff came back pretty quick, but the 20 step process (I kid you not) to give any medication or IV fluid is insane! It takes me 10 minutes to give a Tylenol and its not because I am busy or tied up anywhere! Anyway, I'm tired and I have another 12 hour shift tomorrow so I am going to bed.

Numb Tongue

Yep, my tongue is numb, actually its only the right side of my tongue. My adventure started on Tuesday when I went in to have the final work done on my crown. They numbed the right lower side of my mouth real nice, did the needed work, and then off I went. Everything was going away nicely when I went to bed, except that the right side of my tongue, and my lip was still numb. I figured it would go away overnight, so off to bed I went.

Well, I woke up the next morning and something just seemed wrong. Not in a bad way, just different. Once I woke up enough, I realized that my tongue was still numb. "This is odd", I thought to myself. I reasoned that I had been lying down for the whole night, so maybe it didn't just go away, but it will surely get better as the morning wears on and I am up and moving about.

It didn't, which then made me call the dentist. The nice receptionist (who also works as an assistant) explained that this can be normal when you get injections. Sometimes the needle bruises or partially severs the nerve. It usually resolves......in 2 weeks to 6 MONTHS!!!!!! Yep, it can take up to 6 months (or sometimes longer) to regain taste, hot/cold, and sensation!

Has anyone else had this happen or heard of this before? I hadn't! So, right now the right side of my tongue is numb, I can't taste anything on that side, nor can I tell if something is hot or cold. It makes drinking hot coffee or tea mighty interesting to say the least. I hope is resolves sooner than later as you don't really appreciate your tongue and what it does for you until you can't feel it.

On a brighter note, today was my last day at the office. It was filled with a lot of goodbyes, instructions, and tears. Dorothy (the other nurse) bawled as I was saying goodbye. To be honest, I think it has more to do with her being left with all the work, and not so much with her missing me personally. I understand, I know how much work there is! She got a full realization of how much work I plow through each day when I was gone in Guatemala. I can process a stack of 25 charts in under 15 minutes *brag, brag*. Anyway, I am completely going to miss the people, but not the work, paperwork, or phone calls ("Yes, I am 2 seconds pregnant and I'm wondering if I can open my door to go outside? Will this hurt my baby? Are you sure? Maybe you should check with the doctor and call me back.") Laugh away, but its pretty close to the calls I get. How ever did we manage to reproduce all these years if breathing will hurt your baby???

I start orientation at the hospital on Monday, and then the following week I start my orientation back to the maternity center. That will probably be on day shift for the next 4-5 weeks and then on night shift for 1-2 weeks. It all depends how quickly everything comes back. I'm aiming for only a 3-4 week orientation if I can help it.

The time line for my 6 month trip to Guatemala is tentatively set....meaning I will either 1) be going mid Feb for language school, doing the RRB clinic trip mid March, and then start with Tito, or 2) do the RRB trip mid March, then language school, then Tito. I'm looking into various language schools and picking the brains of a few friends who have been down there doing this type of thing. I'll be contacting Tito probably in the next few months to make sure he can use me for the spring/summer next year and then I'll start firming up plans.

I will close with a picture from Guatemala, which reminds me why I want to go back, and no its not Oscar related (mom, I know that is what you are thinking!)

New News

Oh, where to begin......

I am adjusting to being back from Guatemala, although I REALLY miss it there. I am still working on my "thank you" letter to send to those who prayed/donated for me to go....a month later isn't too bad, right?

Still haven't heard from a certain man in Guatemala, and am beginning to think I won't, so I have been struggling with letting it go. It sounds so easy, but for me, its one of the hardest things to let go of. It's one of those areas that I have always struggled with trusting God. Maybe thats what I'm supposed to learn through this situation....I just don't like it though! When you are getting up there in years (don't laugh anyone who is older than me), seeing younger (much younger) siblings/cousins getting married and having kids, knowing your eggs are wasting away, and are super lonely, it makes it REALLY hard to trust in God's timing.

Anyway, as a result of a very strong desire to go back to Guatemala for 6+ months next year (2 months of language school, and then the rest working with the clinics there), I have decided a job change is in order. Actually, I've been considering a job change for a while, but this really kicked me into gear. Last week, I approached the maternity center here at Evergreen about coming back to work full-time. The manager just about jumped over the desk to offer me a job, which after much consideration, I accepted. What I really had to weigh, was the fact that I would be on night shift (horror of horrors!). I do awful on nights (7pm-7:30am), and I will warn everyone now, I'll most likely be a sleepy grumpy person until I can get a day shift. The plus is that I get some flexibility in how I want my schedule to look. I'm going to request Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. This will allow me to pick up an extra shift every so often, and still leave my Sundays and Thursdays free for church. I start hospital orientation April 7th, which lasts for a week.....can we say boring!

Dr Dydell took the news very well, and has been very supportive. They are actively looking for a nurse to replace me. Dorothy is doing ok, although I notice she is getting a bit more panicky every day. I think that if we can find someone before I go, she will do better.

I also resigned from being the CO of Alpha Base (the good guy Star Wars costume group) and have notified both bases that I will mostly likely not be active. As much as I love, LOVE Star Wars, there are more important things in life and Guatemala really opened my eyes to the excess and waste of money that I am guilty of. Convicting!

I am learning some Spanish by using Rosetta Stone online software, which is working ok. My vocabulary is improving, but my grammar is not doing so hot. I've never been good even with English grammar and the Spanish stuff is even worse! Here is a sampling of my Spanish to wow and impress you all....

Hola
Adios
Una manzana es verde.
Un perro es grande.
Mi camiseta es azul.
Cafe es calor
Come estas? Muy bien

I know, I know....impressive! Have a great weekend!

Snow

Well, I tried to get into work this morning, but after being on the road for 1 1/2 hours, and still just being in Lynnwood, I went back home. I had about 2-2 1/2 inches on my car this morning...I know...you people on the other side of the mountains are laughing right now. Its already compacted to ice on a lot of streets, which combined with the snowfall they are predicting tonight, means a very, VERY thick layer of ice tomorrow morning. I'm going to try to head to work around 9:30-10 and if I can make it, I'll probably just stay the night at someones house so I don't have to make the drive again tomorrow. I just hope its better soon. I need to get my paycheck (curse the fact that we don't have direct deposit!), and go get last minutes things for my trip. If its not better by Wednesday or Thursday, I'll have to skip the ministry meeting/worship time at church on Thursday night so I can get all ready. Bahh....why does it have to snow the end of January!

Assorted things

A compilation if you will.....

1) Leaving for Guatemala next Friday. Feeling nervous, excited, and blessed to be able to go. Just have a few more things to get, then I shall pack, and check over everything 20 times.

2) Being blessed by my community group at church, although when asked about my stance on predestination (that was the topic of the sermon last Sunday), I just sat there probably with my mouth hanging open and drool coming out. I definitely need to study more on this topic. Its not something I've ever struggled/wrestled with, and isn't a key part of my relationship with God, therefore I've neglected studying it.

3) Best homemade laundry soap ever!

1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup 20 mule team borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 2 tablespoon. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons.

Smells great, cleans great, is cheap, easy on the environment...what more could you want! Was able to find all products at Fred Meyers, which is handy.

4) Reading the Golden Compass....I know its quite controversial in the Christian community, but I want to judge for myself. The key is to be confident and firm in your beliefs/convictions and then read said books with an open mind. Don't go in with a bias...just go and read it for what it is...a piece of fiction. So far I wouldn't say its a fabulous book like Harry Potter, (I know Michelle disagrees with me on this point, but this is my blog, so too bad), but it does have a semi-decent storyline. I plan on reading the other two in the series as well. Told a person at work and she chewed my ear off, and then chewed my other one off for reading HP. I felt like saying "its really sad you can't just read a book and make your own decisions, but have to let others do your thinking for you." Apparently I am going to hell and all my future children will go to hell as well for me being willing to let them read the series when they are older.

5) Working a lot of overtime the last couple of Friday's, good for the paycheck, bad for me...I'm tired. Its not that I have anything else to do on Friday nights, but I like to know I have the option of doing something if I wanted to. I am really boring, lol.

Can't think of anymore assorted things for now, so I will end this blog.

Wow!

Has it really been that long since my last post! Crazy!

Anyway, now that I am striving to be regular on my blogging, I thought I would tell you about what I did for my birthday. Yes, I am officially ancient and old.

Abby, Beth, Rachael, and Brett (Rach's BF) took me to this Moroccan restaurant in Seattle called Kasbah. I have never been for Moroccan food, and well, this was fabulous!

From the outside it looks like a dump (it is in Ballard after all), but when you walk in.....wow! They have lush tapestries, water fountains, metal objects of all sorts. We were lead to the back corner on the room surrounded by red drapes, the ceiling had white fabric draping from the center, which reminded you of being in a tent. They had this big metal plate with a raised edge that served as the table. On two sides were benches with pillows and the other two sides had poofs. I choose the bench as my balance leaves something to be desired.

They have a 5 course dinner thing, where you get to choose your entree. While we were deciding, this man comes up in traditional garb with a big teapot/kettle and a basin. We washed our hands while he poured the water, and then dried them on the towels at the table. Then another guy came around and asked what we wanted. I got the Vegetable Tagine. Thankfully, I was familiar with what a Tagine is (thank you Andrew Zimmer from the Food Network). The others got Lamb and Chicken dishes.

The meal started with this amazing soup....it was really good. Tomato based with Garbanzo beans, lentils, veggies and spices. They served this with a Caraway bread. The next course was the salad...which didn't have lettuce. There was some spiced carrots, some tomato salad and something else which I didn't know what it was, but it tasted divine! Once again, more bread, and....you got to eat with your fingers. After that came the appetizer, which was something called B'stilla, which was ground chicken, eggs, and spices wrapped in Filo dough, cooked and then sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I didn't like this dish at all. The combo of the meat and sugar just didn't work for me.

Our main dishes came out next. All I can say is that it was great! So flavorful! Served with more bread. After they took the plates away, the guy came back with rosewater which he shook into our hands and then after rubbing our hands, we dried them off. They smelled, well....like roses (imagine that). Then came dessert which was honey poached pear drizzled with chocolate and served with a sweet mint tea. The perfect ending!

Oh, during our meal there was a belly dancer..she was not bad.

Anyway, it was a blast...the company, food, environment, and music was all wonderful. I would highly recommend this place. I put the website below, so check it out.


http://www.kasbahmoroccanrestaurant.com/