What I Learned at Jack Quinn's

I went to Jack Quinn's again tonight. Night #2. One step closer to my free t-shirt. Becky didn't go with me so I was free to run. And run I did. Here are a few things I learned...

(A picture of the bar afterward... A record number 936 runners participated last week!)

1. I don't do altitude.

2. I don't do hills.

3. I'm stubborn enough to run hills at high altitudes so that the people behind me I just passed won't see me walk. (But wanting to stop every second of the way.)

4. I get very excited about red lights and "Don't Walk" signs.

5. I will do A LOT for a free t-shirt.

6. It doesn't matter that I don't have anyone to run with me or drink beer with afterwards because NOTHING in me wants to drink beer after running.

7. Running is a diuretic. (Okay, so I knew that.) But I probably should've used the bathroom in the restaurant afterward... I drove home as fast as legally possible, but I really thought I was going to pull a Charlotte York for a minute. (I didn't.)

That's all-- Happy Tuesday!

Show Us Where You Live Friday (...or Saturday)

I can finally participate in Show Us Where You Live Fridays! The past few weeks have been things like children's rooms, home offices, playrooms, etc... You know, all the things a tiny condo doesn't have. But Friday was finally master bedroom day, and that I do have. I also planned ahead and took pictures since I'm in Colorado for another six weeks. It's been three weeks since I've been home, so these make me a little sad... I miss my bed. And my husband.

Anyway. I'm pretty satisfied with our master. I love the color of our walls with the blacks and neutrals. I would like to hang different (longer) curtains and put something over the TV armoire. We're also trying to think of a way to ask our landlord if we can install crown molding... I think that would make a big difference.

Furniture is the Thomasville line at Target. Bedding is a combo of Crate & Barrel, Pier One, and Homegoods. Curtain behind the bed is World Market.

We have a total of 10 pillows on our bed... That's not too many, right?

This is my dresser... We have built-ins in our closet, so most of Tyler's stuff is in there. I found this old mirror in college and painted and distressed it. It's nothing special, but still one of my favorite pieces. (It's also very heavy, so once it's hung...it stays there for awhile.)

I think a little something is needed over the TV cabinet.

This is a close up of the picture on the far left wall. This was displayed at our wedding reception. I bought this old window at Eastern Market (possibly my favorite place in DC) and added these pictures. They're pictures from all of our parents' and grandparents' weddings with their names & anniversaries. Of course, we added ours up there afterwards...

Thanks for taking a look around-- let me know if you stopped by!

Week in Review

Yes, another one. It's what I do when I'm overdue on blogging, but I'm short on time and need to write SOMETHING. And I'm always a little disappointed in myself because I have good ideas floating around in my head and the best of intentions to share them (because you're SO interested, right? Yes, I thought so.)

I think my body is stuck on east coast time... I'm EXHAUSTED by 9:30 every night and getting up at 6am every morning is surprisingly not difficult, which is completely opposite of what I usually do. I work until 5:30, which means I'm home by 6 and then decompress for an hour or so. Then I've got to eat dinner, get some form of exercise in, and...then I reach my waaaay too early bedtime, which leaves no time for blogging!

Anyway, enough about me.

Just kidding, this is my blog.

So, I've reached the end of week 2 in Colorado Springs. Some of this week's more exciting events?

1. A local restaurant in Colorado Springs, Jack Quinn's, has a running event every Tuesday where everyone comes downtown and starts a 3 mile run that begins at the restaurant. Afterward, everyone that participates gets $2 beer and free spaghetti. Fun, right? (And counterproductive, yes.) Except I went with my pregnant sister and her 9 months pregnant, already 4 cm dilated friend. So, we didn't run, we didn't drink beer, and we didn't stay for the spaghetti. BUT, I did join the running club and received credit for showing up, so I'm one step closer to getting my free running shirt!

2. Nine months pregnant, 4 cm dilated friend went into labor Tuesday night and gave birth to a teeny tiny, adorable little girl named Stella early on Thursday morning, so Randy, Becky, and I went to visit the proud new parents in the hospital after work. She was so small and very un-newborn looking (read: cute). They even let me hold her... Adopt-a-friend count is now up to 5.

3. Conducted my first eval this week (when a pt first comes in and you review their history with them, assess their strength, balance, ask special questions, etc...). Was a bit nervous but had it all planned out. We'd picked a new patient with a seemingly straight forward case. Then she arrived at the clinic, filled out her paperwork, and five minutes before the eval I was able to look over her full medical history. Why was she there? She'd just had brain surgery. For a brain tumor. Awesome. (I managed to make it through.)

4. I drove to AND from work today WITHOUT using my GPS. I've done to and I've done from, but never both in one day (I always manage to miss a street somewhere...)! I think that makes me an official unofficial Colorado Springs-ian.

5. I was finally able to by a fleece vest with the hospital logo yesterday, which means I can now wear my regular clothes to work and just throw the vest on to make me official. This compared to wearing either a maroon or hunter green logo polo with khakis (pretty much the only color pant you can wear with maroon or dark green...and I am NOT a khakis girl. I look like a man in khakis and a polo. I mean, come on. Tyler asks me what he should wear to a function and I say "khakis and a polo." It's a man outfit. And I am not a man. Anyway...) So, moral of the story. I don't look like a grocery bagger at work now.

Stay tuned, I PROMISE I'm going to blog about more interesting things...things promised weeks ago. Like wedding stories, road trip stories... Even Show Us Where You Live Friday has been moved to Show Us Where You Live Saturday (NOT my fault...husband deleted all of the pictures I took of our bedroom...). I really promise. Now I have to do it.

I'm off to Ft. Collins to see Christie tomorrow and if Christie's involved, there's likely a good story to come of it. Stay tuned.

(I know, I already said that. But really, stay tuned. I promise to be a better blogger.)

Drumroll...

Becky and I are settling in for tonight's episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 HOPING the big announcement isn't what we think it is, but... I fear it is. They sure are dragging this episode on.

The big "announcement" was finally made... I feel sad for everyone involved. I had my opinion formed and "team" picked prior to the episode, but after watching that...I may have switched.

Poor everyone.

What I've Learned So Far

I'm starting week 2 in beautiful Colorado and here's what I've learned so far...

1. They're not kidding about the weather. Temperatures haven't gone above 85 and humidity is like... -5%. I'm going for my first sweatless run today. What a concept!

2. They SAY they don't have bugs, but oh they do. Giant moths. Everywhere after dark. Kind of gross and scary.

3. Taco Bell gives away free tacos from 4-7pm the day after any Rockies game where they score 7 or more runs. I have yet to partake, though they did score 8 runs on Saturday night... I look forward to the next big win.

4. My sister's house has more light switches than the population of the Springs. And none of them turn anything on...

We're having fun so far! My sis and BIL returned home on Saturday so I finally have some friends here. Randy (BIL) and Chico (the dog, my valiant protector my first week here) are hiking all week, so it's just me and my sis. We have big plans ahead.... Like seeing My Sister's Keeper and The Proposal. Wild and crazy girls-- I told you...

P.S. I FINALLY bought 30 Day Shred over the weekend! I start today...

I Can't Scratch My Butt!

Hi Readers!

So, I've been away for awhile... I was in Savannah last week in preparation for my brother's wedding (pictures, stories, and recap to come) and then jumped immediately into my drive out to Colorado the next morning (pictures, stories, and recap to come) and am currently working on my first week at the hospital.

I. Am. Exhausted.

I felt so bad for being away, though! I even missed my first blogiversary, which was on Monday! I had this whole post planned out... I was bummed I couldn't get to it. Again, that is to come...

Things are great at the hospital though and thanks to my trusty GPS, I'm getting around Colorado Springs just fine (except today, I punched in Old Navy and it drove me clear across town to end up in front of someone's house. Awesome.)

The PT I work with is great. You never know what your CI is going to be like, so I was one nervous lady on Tuesday morning, but she's a fun, laid back, knows-what-she's-talking-about PT, so I consider myself very lucky. I also LOVE the clinic. Just a great atmosphere in general...
We played Bunco at lunch today.

My most interesting patient so far?

Woman from New York with a very thick accent who, among other things (SEVERAL other things), consistently farted throughout the appointment, told us "My ahm only goes up to my tits" and "I can't scratch my butt, but I can pick my nose" and was wearing a dress with no underwear-- something she loudly declared, but we didn't need to be told since she was lying on the table with her knees propped up.

Fun, right? Yep, that's the price of my education.

If I Only Had a Toothbrush

Lindsey and I are 23.5 hours into our 24 hour road trip from Georgia to Colorado and oh man do I wish my toothbrush were not in the trunk of my car.

We have driven through the night, feasted on Chedder Bunnies, cupcakes, apples, bananas, Fiber One bars, M&Ms, Sonic Blasts, Subway sandwhiches, Arby's meals, and gross gas station coffee drinks. My hair is greasy and only half way through our trip did my updo from the Saturday night wedding finally come down. I want a bed like you wouldn't believe (not a 2 hour orientation at the hospital immediately upon arrival). I'm getting pressure sores on my butt.

But, really- what I really, really (really) want is a toothbrush.

Let Me Introduce You

Ladies & Gentlemen, my mother...

My mom, the lucky lady, received this weird bug sucker contraption from my stepdad for Mother's Day. Isn't that what you've always dreamed of, mothers?? (We are from Georgia, but come on...) So this afternoon, my nephew Drew discovered a wasp in the playroom and Mom decided it was the perfect time to try out her new toy. What you just witnessed is the conclusion of a very long scene of Mom "oooh ooooh-ing" like that battle with the pesky bugger.

Mom = 1,200 points. Wasp = 0. Rick = -14.

Brrrrr....

I have cold feet!!

Sad, cold, feet...

It's my last day here before I head off on my unpaid deployment summer adventure. In theory, it sounded like all fun and games to move to Colorado and hang out with my (pregnant) big sis and her husband for the summer. This was back in January that I decided to do this. Me and Mr. Man, who are pretty non-co-dependent, were both like, "Sure! It'll be fine! It's just a few months. It'll be a great experience...once in a lifetime..."

And NOW it's time for me to pack up all of my stuff and kiss my hubs goodbye for NINE weeks.

Nine.

Weeks.

My clinic doesn't actually start until the 16th, but my brother is getting married next weekend so I'm heading south for all of the festivities leading up to it (for that, I AM excited). Mr. Man, though, the one with the yob, can't just take the week off so I'm essentially tacking an extra week onto my already 8 week absence.

I KNOW that I'll have a GREAT time with my sister (and Randy, Reed, Alana...and all of my other adopt-a-friends for the summer). I'm actually very excited. I'm just not jumping out of my chair to say sayonara to my husband...

So here I am...sitting in the middle of the living room with a few open suitcases and lots and lots of piles of clothes...being kind of sad and pathetic.

Don't Do It!!

On the off chance you've cruised your grocery store aisles and spotted Dannon's new Light & Fit Watermelon yogurt and thought, "That sounds delicious!"....

It's not. It's disgusting. Let me save you fifty cents.

You're welcome.

P-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y

Check me out, folks! I am getting so much done these days! Everything ranging from re-hanging those darn pictures to sending emails to squaring away paperwork for clinical. I'm feeling productive. And I love it.

And since we have a fancy dancy camera (and nothing too interesting to take pictures with) we took pictures of my ever-so-exciting adventures!

Well, of course, after an afternoon at the pool with friends yesterday...

Doing this...

(Yes- those are pineapples and peaches...)

We came home and did this... Can you guess what our goal was??

Poking more holes in belts! (Who would've thought this is what it takes.) Man, Husband and I make a good team... We had this whole system going. I measured and marked, Tyler drilled, and THEN (I thought this was genius) he held a nail in a flame until it was nice and hot and cauterized the leather. Smart man.

And of course, an update on "the wall." Here's the final resting place of our pictures... I like it and I think Tyler does too (though he's still having trouble adjusting to the pictures themselves, calling them "Grandma-y").

And here's a picture of me framing them. This is my "Okay, I see that you're taking pictures of me sitting here, so I'll look up and give you my 'Please stop taking pictures of me' smile if you'll please stop taking pictures of me..."

I admit, I have a ridiculous collection of Pottery Barn catalogs. I have catalogs from winter, early winter, spring, late spring, summer...dating back to 2005. I even have surviving catalogs from my parent's house fire. Stained black covers and all (the inside is perfect!). Well, I decided it was time to go through them and rip out the ideas and products I liked and chunk the rest. I was really running out of space to keep them... (And not living up to my "Get Organized" resolution-- yes, I'm still keeping up with my New Year's resolutions!) It's been fun going through them, except now I want to re-decorate our whole place. (Cue trip to Home Goods)

(This picture doesn't do them justice, but man- look at the quality of that picture!)

Took a trip to Home Goods this AM... They must get their shipments in on Mondays mornings because HOLY COW was I overwhelmed. I could have easily spent a few thousand dollars in there...but I only spent $8. I'm taking Tyler back when he gets home from work so we can daydream together. Poor sucker.

THEN, I went to Giant in search of Baconnaise and alas...couldn't find it. I will not give up my search though- are you kidding? Bacon flavored mayonniase?? Does it get any better? I think not, my friend...

Then there was the bank, the post office, blah, blah, blah, and the CVS Minute Clinic. I am now completely, without a doubt SOLD on the Minute Clinic concept. Good luck ever getting me to find a GP now. I walked in without a wait, registered electronically, got the shot I needed (TB test to work in the hospital), had a pleasant conversation with the nice young FNP, paid $20, and walked out. I have tried to get a GP up here before but the wait to get an appointment is ridiculous (like, months) which is no good when you're sick. I mean, I do have other doctors, just not a GP... So next time I need a doctor (or nurse practitioner) I'm going to the Minute Clinic. Consider this my official endorsement. (I did not take a picture, however...)

LASTLY, I did some decorating/re-arranging... I decided I'm subconsciously trying to make myself feel less guilty about leaving Tyler by himself for two months by fixing up the house (even though I know he probably doesn't give two scents about what's on the wall, but...). Lindsey, I finally framed those pictures of Savannah we bought last summer!

Anywho- aren't I being good? Some people are probably this productive everyday, but not me... So I had to brag...