Posts Tagged ‘Lake’

wooo-oooo (the title is meant to be sung to the tune of the “Duck Tales” theme. Remember that show? My favorite part was when the uncle (what was his name) swam through his money-filled room.)

Warning: This post is going to have to been broken into parts, because it’s a) crazy and b) long.

Yall, three shifts in a row is C-R-A-Z-Y. Anyone who tells you otherwise is LYING. Just to clarify three shifts in a row means working 12 hours, 12 hours off, working 12 hours, and so on, not 36-hours of working straight. That is even CRAZIER! Pulling three in a row is the norm for nurses working nights, so maybe I’ll get used to it, but by the afternoon of my third day I was completely useless. The good news is it’s over! And my preceptor is AMAZING! I was a little worried because she came across as a bit hard-to-please when I was in clinical, but she is a delight! God is so good to me.
Be careful when you write “shifts” that you do not forget the “f”, I’ve had to edit the word every time I’ve typed it, eek!

Part 1
In other news, last weekend we went to the Lake (pictures to come). There were 14 of us there in all, which makes my heart swell with happiness. I love being around my family! One of my cousin’s husbands came for ONE night and brought the love of my life, little Ethan (stay tuned for naked baby pictures!). We had a HUGE steak dinner Saturday night, with every starch you could think of; rolls, baked potatoes and corn on the cob, yum!
As I drove down, I was envisioning all of us gathering in a circle to play spoons and laugh at the yunguns and such. Yeah, now that my cousins are grown, they like to “go out”, as in bars and such. Which are totally my style, as you know. So Friday we go to this place that has a pool. Unfortunately the pool water looked no more appealing than the lake water (sorry lake, I LOVE YOU but not your e.coli infestations). But it wasn’t crowded, so I overcame my obsessive need for sanitation and rolled with it. Later than night we ended up at the same place, only the bar side. Never one to lightly dismiss classiness, this place was having a “foam party”. For the record, I thought (and HOPED) that foam parties had died in 2000. Not so, or at least, not so at the Lake. We sneaked a peak at the foam party and spy two, maybe three girls dancing in the foam descending from the heavens, er, top of the tent. These girls were MAYBE, MAYBE 18. And wearing their bikinis and cowboy hats. Not to be outdone by the amount of absurd cliches ALREADY present, there were middle-aged men staring at the party, making no attempt to disguise their leering. I’m sure they were fascinated with the foam-making process.

to be continued….

LOVE!

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Yes, this is your favorite working girl FINALLY writing some updatage. I just finished my week’o'orientation, well, let me clarify, just finished my FIRST week of orientation. This was the fun week where we sat in front of computers and listened to “guest speakers” all day every day. Thankfully I had two amazing educators who made most things fun. I still have 12 weeks of on-floor orientation, where I learn how to be a nurse, woo!
After I got my NCLEX results I fled to the Lake for a glorious 5 days. It’s hard to describe what it felt like to have a truly responsibiliy/worry-free vacation for the first time in over a year. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I plan on repeating it next week when I have a WHOLE 6 consecutive days off and my dear cousins are in town. I can feel the jealousy as I read this, so I will move on.
Yes, it’s nice to join the working world, with all its paychecks and schedules and interaction with others. I am happy.

LOVE!

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Recovery, etc

Now that I have sufficiently relaxed at the Lake for 5 glorious days I feel it is time to say hello to y’all again. So hey.
I’m still thinking about the wedding and whatnot. For months beforehand I was worried about this big change and all it implied. The weeks before were high in tension and stress and therefore very emotional for me. So I didn’t know how I would feel during the wedding or after the wedding. I knew it would be wonderful to see so many of those who are near and dear to me, to have both sides of the family in one place at one time. I knew the reception would be a HUGE party with lots of fun to be had. But the part involving big change and LOTS of little changes? Not so sure about that. It really seems like he was 16 just yesterday. I was never hesitant about Kaitlyn becoming part of our family, in reality, she’s been a part of our family for 5 years, now it’s merely official!
I can honestly say that I am thrilled about all of it, and was extremely excited the day of the wedding. I chose to focus on the FIRSTS ahead of us all instead of the LASTS (last time Alex’s toothbrush would be in our bathroom, etc). I guess I was thinking of this as a big goodbye but really it’s a ginormous hello. Did I still cry like a big baby? Of course. I must be true to my “crying bridesmaid” identity. I have never seen my brother so happy and how can I not be happy about that? To know that he has found the love of his life, the one person God has chosen for him to spend the rest of his life with is priceless. Kaitlyn looked absolutely breathtaking and blew me away with her calm and peaceful air. Alex looked elated and joyous all day. The reception was CRAZY fun!
I have a few more pictures to share with you, hope that’s okay with you!

Merely minutes after becoming Mr. and Mrs.

My cousin, Andy and me (my shoes were KILLING me at this point)

That’s about it for now!

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hey yo

It’s been a while, what can I say. The Lake lured me away for a wonderful week of glorious sun and water! Now I am back in the real world trying to figure out what I’ll be doing for, oh, the REST of my life. Sheesh. I’ve gone from one end of the spectrum to the next.

Don’t worry, I have been doing SOME fun stuff. I started a new knitting project, which is VERY good. I love to have something to do while sitting around or watching t.v. while I try to forget about the real world. I also finished “David Copperfield” this morning. This was the book I chose to take with me to Australia. I love Dickens. I like to imagine he is my old British grandfather who sits by the fire and smokes a pipe while telling me triumphant stories. How wonderful.

Let’s hope that knitting and reading classic literature are skills necessary to get into nursing school.

LOVE!

this was at the Australian Rules Football (footy) game! fun, brutal, entertaining

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AHA!

Oh yes, I showed that printer who the invitation-boss is around here! Yesterday I printed off 21 perfect invitations and then mom and I put them together. That’s right, they are so cute that they need to be put together! Sometimes I wonder if I’m gifted at all in the creativity department, and now I think I have my moments. Those moments come, for my own sanity and forgetfulness, about every 5 years. I kinda want to put up pictures of them just so you guys can see, but is that against the rules? Will the wedding police come a-knockin’?

I am BOUND and DETERMINED to go to the Lake today. What bliss awaits me!

I had a dream last night that my teeth fell out. I may have already told you this but I have this dream about every 6 months and it never fails to freak me out. I’m sure I’ve looked up what that means but to me it means my subconscious is CRAZY and likes to creep me out. That is my most loathed recurring dream, in case you had just thought to yourself, “I wonder what Mandy’s most loathed recurring dream is?” Now you have your answer. Is there a certain dream you keep having and hating?

Well I’m off to finish some more wedding stuff (almost sounds like it’s my own wedding! Not for a while my friends! and gladly so!!) before I can drive off into the sunset!

this is one of my favorites!

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GOOD NEWS

1. I found a knitting store and they helped me so I can finish my project. I should post pictures once it’s done. Prepare to be awed people.
2. AND I found a dress to wear to the rehearsal which was something I was getting worried about. Mom found a dress for the wedding so we’re all set in the dress department.
3. I GOT MY STIMULUS CHECK! YAY!! Now the trick will be to NOT spend it so I can get the new iPhone in July.
4. Hopefully I’ll be heading to the Lake on Monday or Tuesday so I can get a wicked suntan for the wedding. Plus doing nothing is always more appropriate at the Lake so I won’t feel as useless there as I actually am here.
5. I’ve been skipping the dairy so no more tummy aches, woo!

That’s about all I can mark off the list from my previous post but it’s enough.

Yesterday was the second anniversary of Baba’s death. We miss you Baba!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

LOVE!

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