I'm watching "Look Who's Talking" right now. Totally love this movie. Sorry I haven't been around lately. Sooo busy. I'm working like 50 hours every week if not more with salary pay, so no extra for me. Very stressful.

Tonya is sick today. Another sinus infection. One of the bad things about working at a health clinic is all the gerrrrms. You can try your damndest to wash wash wash your hands until they are so dry, and then that one little germy breaks through. My head is killing me.

We're going on a big cruise in 2 weeks! We're going on the Royal Carribean for 7 days. Stopping at Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Haiti, and Cozumel Mexico. Then we're staying an extra day in Orlando, FL and probably going to Universal Studios to Harry Potter land! So excited. We really need to get away. I'm going to go crazy leaving my pupples, but we really need this. Last time we left to go to the beach, I think I cried for the first 30 minutes leaving my baby. Wish we could take him with us.

Well that's all for now. Maybe be back again soon, but every time I say that, I disappear again FOREVERRRR.

Already started on goals. We canned some fresh green beans that we grew in our garden boxes (fat boy runners lol), and all 5 quarts were successful! It's exciting to grow and can something yourself and know that you have made food to feed your family. I've also read the first book of the 50. It's called Game of Thrones, and it's actually a whole series written by George R.R. Martin (also a new show on HBO that is awesome). The book is fantastic! It's a little longer that what I have been used to lately, but it definitely keeps your attention. The show actually comes right from the book, so it was interesting to read the book after watching the show to get some more insight into the characters. I've just started on the second book A Clash of Kings. Russell is on the third book. I think there are 5 books total so far, and he is still writing. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read. I have to warn you though, he is not afraid of killing off main characters which is a change from usual books. It's quite a shocker.

I've bought some more make-up (shocker), and I'm using a lash extending potion which I will do a review on after another week or two when I start seeing more results. I've been using it for a couple weeks now, and I think I'm starting to see a little bit of a change, although it says you will notice more of a change (40%) in 4 weeks. And I have stumbled upon a new AWESOME mascara that I bought a sample of at Sephora called Benefit BADgal lash mascara. It makes your eyelashes REALLY long looking, and it also separates them quite nicely and does not look clumpy. Kind of expensive, but apparently you get that if you want quality lol.

Almost forgot. We're headed out today, so I talked Rusty into taking me to the mall so I can go to the new Sephora in JC Penny's!! I'm really excited, and there are so many urban decay things I want to buy along with a few other things. I hope they have the things that I want...and that I don't go broke in there. If I get some extra time, I'll take some pictures of my treasures and post!

New 101 things to do in 1001 days

So here are the new goals! Hopefully, I can complete all 101 this time!! I'm excited to get started!! :)

1. Be approved for prescriptive authority

2. Get DEA license

3. Decorate my desk and office space at work

4. Get pregnant ;)

5. Get a tattoo

6. Plant a vegetable garden each summer

7. Swim in the ocean

8. Clean and package my wedding dress

9. Lose 10 lbs.

10. Lose another 10 lbs.

11. Take baked goodies to work for no reason

12. Make a blanket leaving the details up to me

13. Up-date blog at least once per month

14. Finish reading Game of Thrones series

15. Try two new Crockpot recipes

16. Make five new recipes

17. Learn to bake a pie or cobbler

18. Take new car through car wash three times

19. Go to an amusement park

20. Buy Christmas presents for a less fortunate kid

21. Clean out and organize the garage

22. Decorate our home for each Christmas during the 1001 days

23. Organize and file important documents again

24. Pack lunch for work every day for two weeks

25. Go to a drive-in movie

26. Get a massage

27. Take Russell on his first skiing trip

28. Get a manicure

29. Get a pedicure (even though I’m still a freak about people touching my toes)

30. Go to Comicon

31. Donate to goodwill

32. Create and notarize a medical power of attorney/living will for Russell and me

33. Write a regular will

34. Make Russell breakfast in bed

35. Pay off my student loans

36. Buy a handgun and safe

37. Learn how to shoot said handgun

38. Go fishing

39. Pack quilts not being used in space-saver bags

40. Organize all four closets

41. Clean out pantry thoroughly

42. Send my hair that’s been sitting in my cabinet forever to locks of love

43. Complete a 5k marathon

44. Rent a boat

45. Thoroughly clean the grill

46. Whiten teeth

47. Go to a concert

48. Buy a shelf and organize dvds

49. Buy a new king size bed

50. Take Dexter to the beach!

51. Buy new good pots and pans

52. Stain porch/deck

53. Stain picnic table

54. Hammer down nails in porch

55. Re-play all resident evil games

56. Clean out fire place

57. Get Lasik surgery

58. Establish care with a medical provider

59. Ride in a plane

60. Get a chemical peel or microderm abrasion

61. Get Dexter’s teeth cleaned

62. Get laser hair removal

63. Buy a new pair of glasses that I actually want to wear

64. Go on a cruise

65. Do something special with nieces/nephews (no parents allowed)

66. Read 50 books

67. Can something (meat or from our garden)

68. Send flowers to someone

69. Teach Dexter a new trick

70. Find a new hairstylist closer to home

71. Donate blood again

72. Take Russell on a surprise date

73. Take a picture every day for 30 days and document

74. Complete a coloring book

75. Go to Las Vegas

76. Identify 101 things that make me happy

77. Learn to knit

78. Go to Fright Farm

79. Buy a new car for Russell

80. Go camping twice

81. Attend high school reunion

82. Use treadmill x20

83. Protect and catalog loose photos

84. Finish a scrapbook

85. Give graduation photo to mom and grandma

86. Start my pig farm

87. Start a retirement plan

88. Answer the “50 questions that will free your mind”

89. Donate to a good cause that benefits animals

90. Take an online academic course (possibly anatomy or wound care)

91. Start a savings account

92. Go to church with mom for a special occasion

93. Dress up for Halloween (even if I have nowhere to go)

94. Lay out in the yard to get a suntan

95. Buy the puppies life jackets

96. Thoroughly clean and redesign the aquarium

97. Buy a new goldfish so Chi-Chi has a friend

98. Wash dishes every day for two weeks

99. Build a snowman

100. Fold and put away all laundry

101. Host family dinner party

Old 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days Project

Start date: November 3, 2008

End date: August 1, 2011

1. Wash dishes every day for 2 weeks. (0/14)
2. Wash or change the sheets every week (unless we are gone). (1/143)
3. Take my car through a car wash twice. (2/2)
4. Organize the shed and get rid of the stuff we don’t need. Completed 2/13/09.
   
5. Decorate our home inside and outside for every Christmas during the 1001 days. (3/3) 12/08, 12/09, 12/10
   
6. Fix and install light/fan in bedroom. moved in 11/09 and have one in new house
   
7. Organize and file important documents. Completed 10/2010
   
8. Re-gravel the walkway. Completed 6/2009
   
9. Get a teeth cleaning at the dentist. Completed 8/2009, 7/2010.
   
10. Lose 10 pounds. Completed 11/2010.
    
11. Lose another 10 pounds. Completed 12/2010.
    
12. Lose another 10 pounds.
13. Do 15 minutes Wii Fit every day for 2 weeks. (0/14)
14. Buy an incline for my side of the bed and sleep on it for 7 days straight. (0/7)
15. Pack lunch for work every day for 2 weeks. (0/6)
16. Take a daily vitamin with my other drugs for 1 month. (30/30) Completed 6/2010.
    
17. Go to my first WVU home football game.
18. Read all of the Southern Vampire stories. (9/9) Complete 12/08, 5/2009, and 5/2010.
    
19. Paint something at the wow factory. Complete 2/13/09.
    
20. Go to a drive-in movie.
21. Get a massage. From Rusty counts! Completed 12/2010
    
22. Get a tattoo.
23. Get a new piercing. Complete 11/4/08
    
24. Take Russell on his first skiing trip.
25. Go on a real date with Russell once a month. (0/33)
26. Host a slumber party. Completed May 2010
    
27. Visit a zoo. Completed March 2011
28. Get my first pedicure even though I’m a freak about people touching my toes.
29. Go to Blizzcon with Rusty. Completed 8/2009 and 10/2010
    
30. Swim in the ocean. Completed 8/2009 and 10/2010.
    
31. Visit friends in Texas.
32. Take a spontaneous, overnight trip with Russell. Completed 9/2010
    
33. Visit Dave and Buster’s. Completed 8/2009.
    
34. Replace all light bulbs in trailer with the more economic ones. Moved to a new home. All economic light bulbs.
    
35. Donate to goodwill twice. (2/2) Complete 2009.
    
36. Donate 50,000 grains of rice through www.freerice.com. (600/50,000)
37. Donate blood again (since I had a bad experience last time). Completed 7/2010.
    
38. Create and notarize a medical power of attorney/living will for Russell and me.
39. Get a professional family photo taken.
40. Move to a new home (new for us!). Complete 10/2009
    
41. Go camping with Rusty and Citi at least 3 times. (1/3) June 2011
42. Get all close family and friends’ birthdays, write in calendar, and send cards. Complete 1/09.
    
43. Make Russell an appointment to go to the dermatologist for a mole check. Complete 8/2009.
    
44. Make Russell breakfast in bed. Complete 5/2009
    
45. Put together a large picture frame with pictures of Russell and me.
46. Get pregnant. ;)
47. Buy a freezer. Complete 12/08.
    
48. Buy colored contacts.
49. Start buying a Christmas village. Complete 12/18/08. (thanks Andrea!)
    
50. Pay-off trailer loan. Complete 1/09.
    
51. Buy a hammock for home use.
52. Buy a pistol and a gun safe.
53. Graduate with my MSN. Completed May 14, 2011!!!! :)
54. Raise my hand and talk on Wimba without being called on. Complete 11/5/08
    
55. Get professionally fit for a bra. Completed 2/23/09.
    
56. Clean and package my wedding dress.
57. Use the bread maker. Complete 6/2009
    
58. Make a blanket (leaving the details up to me).
59. Use the sewing machine once.
60. Get a new job. Complete 5/2009 (moved from ICU to PACU)
    
61. Shoot a can with a real gun.
62. Make 20 of The 50 Best Cookie Recipes on the Internet. (0/20)
63. Make a new recipe once a month. (2/33)
64. Get my flute out and play it again.
65. Pack quilts not being used in space-saver bags. Complete 6/2009
    
66. Fill out a cookbook with extra recipes I like. (started)
    
67. Go fishing. Completed 3/2010.
    
68. Buy real silverware. Complete 11/08.
    
69. Get a 4.0. Completed Fall 2008.
    
70. Try a pomegranate. Completed 1/12/09.
    
71. Clean my car out completely. Completed 6/2010.
    
72. Visit an amusement park. (Disneyland) Completed 8/2009.
    
73. Wash all of extra laundry that I have collected. Completed 11/2009
    
74. Steam clean all carpet thoroughly. Completed 2009.
    
75. Spend one day at work without outwardly complaining about something. Completed 6/15/2011
76. Take 50 bubble baths. (30/50)
77. Take both of our cars to the Subaru dealership for complete check-ups. Complete 12/8/08.
    
78. Get O2 sensor replaced in my car. O2 sensor is fine; cannot complete.
    
79. Send my hair that’s been sitting in my cabinet forever to locks of love.
80. Completely clean each room in the house from ceiling to floor. Completed 11/2009
    
81. Organize kitchen cabinets (get rid of things I don’t use). Completed 11/2009.
    
82. Buy one piece of country decoration (have piece in mind – don’t know what it’s called). Completed 2009.
    
83. Can something. (deer meat) Completed 1/4/2010.
    
84. Give Russell a 15 minute back massage twice. (0/2)
85. Complete the Couch-to-5K running plan.
86. Buy a pair of flannel sheets because Russell likes them. Complete 11/4/08
    
87. Go to a family reunion in Ohio. Complete 6/2009
    
88. Update my laptop that I never use and actually use it. Complete.
    
89. Take a picture every day for 30 days. (0/30)
    
90. Set off fireworks. Complete 1/1/09.
    
91. Witness my first shooting star.
92. Swim in the Sutton Lake! Completed 8/2009.
    
93. Rent a boat.
94. Buy an awesome sticker for my laptop.
95. Fake Bake 5 times. (0/5)
96. Use the grill twice. (0/2)
97. Thoroughly clean the grill.
98. Tar the roof. Completed 7/2009.
    
99. Whiten teeth.
100. Buy a gas weed eater. Complete 5/2009
     
101. Make 5 new recipes in the crock-pot. (2/5) Mac and Cheese, Cornish Game Hens.

I totally just realized that my 101 things in 1001 days is over tomorrow! There are a lot of things that I have not done, but I am okay with that because there are many many of the things that I have accomplished, and I am proud of those things!! I guess I'll have to make another list! It was actually fun getting to mark off the things that I had completed. I finished 58/101 of the things on my list, and a lot of the ones that I did not finish, I completed partially. Here's to the next 1001 days....

Purple Nurples

Thought I would give everyone who even still reads this a quick update. I would say probably no one even looks at it anyway since I never post anymore. But, I have bunches of good news, so I thought I would share. I knew 2011 was going to be my good year! It started out rocky, but as I predicted, it has improved a ton.

I finally graduated with my Masters of Science in Nursing. I actually went to graduation, although I mostly did it just for my mom. Plus it was nice to kind of finalize my journey, I guess...get a little bit of closure. I have been working my ass off for years! I have been going to college straight for about 8.5 years minus a semester waiting to start another program. That is a long freaking time! Not to mention the fact that I have worked for most of that while taking classes and doing clinical hours. And taking care of my family. It's been a rough road. But now I have the diploma to show for it!

Not long after that I had an interview at a primary care facility, and they offered me the job! I could not believe I was chosen over all the other candidates! I really didn't think I was going to be offered a job anywhere since it seemed like no one was hiring, but they did! Even when most of my fellow students weren't being offered jobs. I was so excited! And then something even better happened....I WAS OFFERED A SECOND JOB! That is amazing to me that I get offered two jobs when most are being offered none. It's quite flattering actually. Of course, the second place is in Clay and is the facility where I completed most of my clinical hours, so they called me up and offered me the job without even interviewing me. I bet you could guess which job I accepted, lol. The first placed wanted me to run their school-based health program in Gilmer county and work at the clinic on days the school was closed. It was a nice offer (and where my teacher works actually), but it just didn't feel right. At Clay, I was offered to just work in the clinic seeing primary and urgent care patients of all ages. I was even able to talk them up an extra $10K of which I am very proud of myself. So, I started there on July 1st, and I have my own desk, and I've got to see my own patients (even though I can't write prescriptions for them, yet...so another provider has to write them for me for now). People show me lots of respect as a medical provider, and it's just so awesome. It's amazing how much more revered you are moving from a Registered Nurse to a Nurse Practitioner. I really like it there, and they were all really excited for me to be starting since they already knew me and everything. I share an office with two other providers which is nice so I can have their support and ask questions when I need to. I've already seen some interesting patients, and I'm really enjoying that aspect of it, although I still have so much more to learn.

The most exciting thing I have to report, though, is that I took my board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) on July 13th....AND I PASSED! I really though I failed, but I didn't. I'm so excited I could crap my pants! This just makes it all worth it! So now my new credentials are Tonya R. Young, MSN, FNP-BC, and I am a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner! It feels so good to be done! Especially when so many of my classmates still haven't taken it, and I can help them prepare. Now I am working on all the paperwork that goes along with getting ready to practice. I just finished sending in all the paperwork to announce my practice with the board of nursing, and then I will have to apply for prescriptive authority, and then I will have to apply for a DEA license so I can prescribe controlled substances. And throughout all this we are also having to work on a shit ton of paperwork to get me credentialed with all the insurance companies so the company can bill for me. As of right now, I can only see patients that don't have insurance for that reason. There are not many people who come in without insurance that aren't already seeing another provider unless they come in through the urgent care, so I haven't gotten to see many by myself, yet. It gets boring sitting at a desk all day with nothing to do.

And the family is good as well. Russell and I are both losing some weight and have lost a good bit so far which is good. We're trying to get healthy. Our babies (Dexter, Citi, and Gunther) are all doing well. Dexter got a hair cut this summer so he could be cooler. It took a while to get used to, but he started sleeping with us more since he wasn't as hot, so that was a plus. It's all growing back so fast though. He just turned two on July 11th, so now we have to take him to get his hip x-rays so he can be rated for hip dysplasia. His hips should be good since both his parents were.

Anywho, so life is going well for the Young's. :) I get my first huge paycheck next Friday, and they are talking about giving me a lump sum of my annual salary to start out with so that will be freaking awesome. OH, and we bought a new car which I am still in love with. My 2011 Toyota Highlander Limited! :) And we built garden boxes this year, and we are currently growing tomatoes, kohlrabi, corn, green beans, honey dew, watermelon, banana and chili peppers, cucumbers, and potatoes. The garden is actually doing really well, and I've already dug up a few new potatoes which were quite yummy. And the tomatoes will be ripening soon! I'll take some pictures sometime and post so you can see what we did.

Hopefully I won't wait as long again before I post, but you know me. I've just been really busy lately. But good busy. :)

Love,
Tonya <3

Durka Durka

Wow! I fell off the face of the planet! Things have been so crazy this semester. I think this is the busiest I have ever been! Been doing at least 24 hours of clinicals every week, plus my Capstone project, plus paper writing, plus presentations, plus other homework, plus WORK work. I'm pooped. I napped for 3 hours last night, and then went to bed. Hmph. So what has been new with me?

I recently switched companies AGAIN with my job. I really thought about just not working until I graduated and got a job, but having some extra income is nice. We have a lot of money in the bank to live off, but it was just too scary to think what if that starts dropping, and I don't have a job. No one really wants to hire someone that will only be there for a few months. Especially a nursing job when there is training involved. So I figured out many mistakes I have made regarding the job stuff. I followed the wrong person from Mountain CAP, and I paid for it big time. It finally came to the point where they told me that I was losing the company money (which is their fault, but that is another story), and they were going to no longer pay me for travel time or nonbillable time, and they were going to cut my pay rate for the only billable time that they were going to pay me for. So by the time you calculated everything out and all the work I had to do for them without getting paid, I would only be getting minimum wage-ish....as a Registered Nurse. That is so completely ridiculous that it's not even funny. You would think that cutting my pay that drastically would be illegal, but alas they can apparently do anything they want to me and get away with it. So what did I do? I went to a company that valued my work, and they thought I did a good job....and I took my clients with me. HA! I hate to say it, but it felt nice to take things from them after what they did to me. Anywho...

School has been crazy busy like I said, but this is my last semester, and I graduate on May 14th. I've been a nervous wreck that it's my last semester, and I will be on my own soon, but it's a good thing because I should be making quite a bit of money soon. And I need a new car, so this is good. I've been told by various people that they were started out at anywhere between $65-$80K per year, so I'm uber excited about this. Not to mention the fact that if I work at a rural clinic, all of my student loans will be paid for with a big fat check as soon as I'm approved, so this is fabulous. Now we will only have to worry about Russell's loans.

Faith Mountain is covered in snow this morning. I can't wait until I can go lay in the yard with lots of sunshine while my babies play. Dexter, Citi, and Gunther are all doing well. Citi's getting her teeth cleaned in about a week and a half, so I'm a little worried that she has to have anesthesia for that, but her teeth need cleaned bad, and I think she will be fine. Dexter's a growing boy. He's up to 53 pounds last time I checked. I'm so lucky to have him in my life. Gunther is still a rotten boy. Russell's doing well, and he's been such a help to me. He's always finding something to help me out like making me dinner or doing some dishes or rubbing my back or running me a hot bath. I don't know how I would keep getting through all this crap without him being so sweet. He knows it has been hard for me.

So anywho, that is a quick update of my life. Maybe I will come back again soon!

*Automagically*

We have been talking about taking a vacation with our good friends for a while now, but before we were talking about going to Vegas. After that shitty California trip, we decided we did not want to go to Vegas, yet, where all you can do to have fun is spend money. I think we're going to plan a whole family beach trip...meaning us, our puppies, them, and their puppies. We're thinking maybe the Outer Banks in NC where they have lots of dog-friendly beaches and renting a house. It seems really expensive there, so we're also going to look at some closer places to see about prices and such. If we do this, it will probably be this summer before I take my boards. This is going to be awesome because I really don't want to leave Dexter again for a vacation, but this way he comes with me! And I know that he would absolutely looove the beach! And what better way to enjoy a vacation then to go lay out and relax on the beach (for free) with the love of your life and your best friend! This beach trip is a genius idea! And what better way to get ready for my boards then to go on a relaxing vacation!

Which reminds me that I found out that I can start working as a Nurse Practitioner right away as soon as I graduate! Apparently I can see patients and everything, but someone else has to write prescriptions for me until I pass my boards. This is so great because now I can take my time and study right to take my boards instead of rushing to take them right away so I can start working. $70 grand a year plus insurance plus getting all my student loans paid for, here I come! Can May get here sooner? I already know a few places I'm going to apply. I think I will definitely go for Clay where I am doing my clinical rotation if they have an opening because it is so laid back there, they have their own pharmacy, and I already know the people that work there! It's about a 45 minute drive from home, but where am I going to go to work that doesn't have a decent drive associated with it! Umm no where!

Did a crappy job on my test this evening, but I still have two more tests this semester to bring it up. And I have a paper due next week. Ick. But my best buddy Adrienne is coming to see me this weekend! Yummy foods and fun games! I can't wait!

But until then, I have to go back to work tomorrow. I really don't want to. I hate this job. No respect as a nurse. They can suck it. I'm quitting the second I am able.

Christmas is coming soon, and we are poor. Definitely going to have to cut out most of the people we usually buy presents for this year. Hmm, how about the people who don't buy us crap? Yes, that will work. And brothers and sisters that never get us anything in return. And how about their 12 kids, too since we buy them stuff every year and never get anything from their mommies and daddies. I hate to do that, but buying 12 nieces and nephews gifts really adds up. Especially when you can only get them something crappy for around $10 a piece anyway. Who knows. I guess we will see what the bank looks like when the time comes, but we've been spending a lot of money on different things lately, and I'm not working a ton...or getting paid much.

Maybe I'll skimp on Christmas cards this year, too.

Don't judge me.

Oh, and that 10 pounds I said I lost, apparently it was only around 6. Wii fit tells me differently though. But it's still poundage, and I'm expecting lots more to fall off on it's own...automagically. Schwang. Rusty lost 6 pounds, too.

Mr. and Mrs. Awesome Sauce


Ohh...and shows that you should be watching right now. Because I am, and they are awesome. They keep me going week by week....

1. Dexter
2. Boardwalk Empire
3. Weeds
4. The Big C
5. Jerseylicious
6. LA Ink (their real shop isn't the one on the show btw...rip off)
7. The Biggest Loser
8. The Walking Dead (new zombie show on AMC based on a comic...so awesome, probably my new favorite...other than True Blood of course)
9. Scrubs reruns. As always.

This winter Big Love comes on for their last season. And US of Tara which I heart a bunch.

If you don't watch these shows, then shame on you. You should be.

I don't think I can go back to real life this week. I can already tell it's going to be a horrible week. And I have a test Tuesday, a paper due in a little over a week that I haven't started on, 24 hours of clinical time, and back to a job I hate.

On one happy note...I've lost around 10 pounds without even trying and stuffing my face like mad on 8 days of crappy vacation. Now that's talent.

I'm awesome sauce.

California 2010 Pictures!!

Farewell beach. I hate you California.

Wow...the beach is not supposed to look like this.

My awesome meal at Red Lobster with fresh wood fire grilled salmon and snow crab legs! Yum!!

Tenacious D live at Blizzcon 2010. Awesome show!

Jack Black on the big screen!

Uh oh.

Russell's worst nightmare...

Did I mention we totally met Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, and Bill from Big Love? lolol

Melissa and Joey (our friends that we met on WOW) acting goofy at Universal Studios.

This is the woman who caused us to waste over an hour of our day waiting in line at Universal Studios...

Monday was supposed to be our beach day, but we ended up at Disneyland instead due to crummy weather. We actually had a blast and the lines were short since kiddies are in school and not a lot of people thought the happiest place on earth would be so happy on a cold and rainy day!

While we were at Disneyland, we ate at a BBQ place, and Russell actually ate ribs off the bone!! So proud!

The vacation from HELL!

California sucks. Like really. Not sure if we will go again, and if we do it will definitely not be Anaheim. I think we took WV with us or at least the black cloud that was over our heads. Cold and rainy in the 60s most of the week. And when it wasn't raining, it was still COLD! So much for my big plans to go and lay on the beach. We started having a day with sun and warm, so we headed out to long beach....on our way the sky turned black....a few minutes after we got there it started raining. It was so cold we had to use our towels as coats. I got to go in about as deep as my thighs, and I think I could have stood the cold enough to get in, but it was raining, and no one else was swimming, and I was afraid I would be eaten by a shark, lol. It was nice to at least see the ocean, but I definitely did not get my ocean fix, and now I am craving it.

We got to go to Knott's Scary Farm, and it was probably the best thing we did the whole trip. It was a billion times better than Fright Farm. They had monsters everywhere, and they really put themselves in the characters, and they scared the shit out of me many many times. I lost my voice because of this. They had awesome mazes, and their rollercoasters were still open for the night. It's a whole new dimension riding a loopty in the dark! We also got to watch this fantastic magic show that was ran by Ed Allonzo (the magician that owned Max's on Saved by the Bell). He did an amazing magic show, and he was so hilarious. He even added perviness to the show. He even started talking about masturbation, and then looked at Russell and said "you know what I'm talking about dude" and then he went to give Russell a high five, and then stopped and said "nevermind I see you're busy" HAHAHA! So funny. There was even a part of the act done by the woman who had no legs and she did an up in the air rope act, and she did a trampoline act. This woman had the biggest arms I have ever seen on a woman that wasn't beefed up with steroids.

Our hotel was terrible. We figured out why it was so cheap. They nickel and dimed you for everything. Parking was $11 per day. We had to pay $50 for one week of internet. There is no continental breakfast, but hey they do have a hotel restaurant on site. They had $3 bottles of water on your desk trying to get you to drink it. And they charged us $3 for a receiving and handling of a package fee that we were never informed about until we were checking out. We even told them ahead of time that we would be receiving a package. And so much for charging of the handling since Russell had to walk to the office to get it himself. For $3 they should have been hand delivering that package to my hotel door and kissing my feet before they left. We even got accused by one of the non-english speaking maids that our room was not our room, and she made us get out by waiving her finger at us. It's so funny that BOTH of our key cards decided to quit working at the same time, and it just happened to be when the maid was in our room wanting to prove that it was OUR room. Did we get an apology from the hotel for the fact that our keys stopped working and caused us grief? No. Not only did they not apologize, but they tried to act like it was TERRIBLE that our maid wouldn't let us in our room...umm hello....she did her job by making sure someone else wasn't saying it was their room to take our stuff. It was YOUR fault that our keys didn't work...not hers. Safe to say we will never go there again. And you should not either. It's the Anabella in Anaheim, CA. Do not go there. Seriously. They also kick you out of their pool at 10pm...and they stop serving drinks at their bar at midnight. Who does that?!?!

The bad luck continued through out our whole vacation. We went to Universal Studios. Apparently they are only open from 10am-5pm in the fall....yet they still charge you FULL price. We got there at 11 due to bad traffic, and then we had to wait in line to buy our ticket for over an hour because the lady working the booth was RETARDED! We finally got in and luckily they were slow enough that we were able to get on the rides we wanted to do one time and then leave. Totally not worth $79 a piece.

We did get to go to this awesome restaurant that was small and off the grid. It was a Brazilian BBQ, and I am craving it right now. They had a bar with typical Brazilian food like black bean stew and white rice and collard greens that were amazing. The biggest part to the restaurant was the BBQ meat! They had 7 rounds of fresh meat brought to your table on a metal stake where the waiter would carve the meat onto your plate right there at the table. As much as you wanted. They had sausage, chicken, pork, sirloin steak, garlic steak and many other kinds of meat. All of them juicy and all of them had a piece to it cooked exactly the way you wanted it! All of the meats were slow roasted all day, and they kept bringing the meat until you said stop. We went twice, and the one time we went we were the only ones there because it wasn't quite dinner rush time yet, and we had star one on one meat treatment. Awesome. I totally wish we had a place like this around here because I would go there every day. Mmmm meat. We also ate at places like Fire and Ice which is a Mongolian grill that you put what you want in a bowl and they cook it right there in front of you (a popular choice from last year as well), Cheesecake Factory, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Red Lobster (where I had FRESH wood fire grilled salmon and crab legs), and a very questionable place called Tiffy's where we had the worst service I had ever had. They ran out of coke, our food took an hour and a half and the food was terrible, and Russell ending up crapping his pants the whole next morning and our friend Joey puked. Mmm still thinking about meat. Meat. MEAT!!

Did I mention 60s and raining almost the whole week?? In California....
The weather was better in WV!!

We totally should have just stayed home, relaxed, and spent our $4000 on something else. Because this trip sure was NOT worth it.


OHH, and did I mention when we got back our dogs got lost for 4 hours? They took off after a deer or something, and then just never came back. We searched everywhere! But there is so many woods around here that there would be no way to find them. We thought maybe they were hurt or someone found them and picked them up and took them. We really thought we would never see them again, and you have no idea what that feels like. Imagine you have a baby or child and they are missing. For 4 hours. How would you feel? A neighbor saw them walking up our driveway and came and told us. He said they wouldn't get in his truck and would not follow him which is good because now we know someone would not be able to steal them easily. I immediately jumped on the 4-wheeler and sped down the driveway and picked them up. Poor Russell only saw Dexter when I was coming back up with them and thought Citi was still missing but I was holding her in my arms and she blended in with my shirt I guess. We had a great reunion, and so glad that are home and safe with us! I don't ever want to leave my puppy again!! From now on there will be full family vacations lol.

Umm. Yuck.

What happens when a certain puppy snarfs a dead rotten animal off the ground and swallows it whole so you can't take it from him? He barfs it up on your bedroom floor at 4 in the morning of course! After coming --><-- this close to purging it on your bed. Luckily it was surrounded by a cocoon of half digested dog food so all I could see was some sort of ear sticking out...otherwise mommy would have been barfing, too! Thanks Dex! I'm guessing either a huge mouse, bird, or flying squirrel. Did I mention that maggots and a big black spot were left in the grass where he snatched it from?

True Blood is officially over until next summer. Finale was a big disappointment. There was no finalizing to it at all. Everything was left open - like a lead up for next season. Seemed like a mid-season episode. They were definitely off-track from the books this season. Again. But I am looking forward to the Harlow/Eric story for next season. And they better do it right!

I usually despise it when people try to get attention out of another person's loss, but I promise this is not for attention. Someone who was only a year older than me died tragically last night, and it has me scared to my bones. One second you're here, and then the next you are gone. And the scariest part is that it can happen to any of us. We may think that it will never happen to us, but it can, and it will. We could die tomorrow. It just takes one second, and we could be gone. Or someone that we love so much that we can't live without them can be gone. I've always had a big problem with death, and I've gotten pretty good at putting it away and not thinking about it, but something like this just smacks you in the face and brings it all back. I may have never been friends with him, but I hurt for him. I hurt for his young daughter. I hurt for his friends and family. The only thing I ask is that I hope he did not see it coming, and I hope there was no pain. It bothers me that we will never know why something like this happens. So many young people. And somehow I just wait for it to hit closer to home. And it makes me so sick to my stomach.

I am so not ready for this week to start. School is back (not like I had a summer free, but at least I had 2 weeks to breathe). Job sucks. I so thought that coming to this new company would solve all the job issues, but there seems to be all the same issues, and I'm wondering if they didn't just follow my "supervisor" from the old job to the new job. Possibly going to CAMC if they call with a job offer.

Clinicals went well this summer. My preceptor gave me a great evaluation. I'm hoping to learn a lot more this Fall and be able to apply myself better. I need to do a lot more self-study so I can learn the things I've been missing.

California is in less than 2 months, and I am so ready...well, other than the losing weight part. But I'm so ready for a vacation. I may still have to do class that week, but it will only be our 3rd day there, and not much going on that day. I'm just hoping there won't be a test that week, so I can just relax and enjoy my break. There will be some catching up on clinical hours that I'll have to do, but it will be totally worth it.

Puppies are doing good. Dexter was sick, but some antibiotics fixed him right up. He had a small case of kennel cough. He's so much like my own baby, and I'm so lucky to have him. He makes me laugh all the time, and he's always full of love and hugs/kisses.

I've also been lucky to find a very best friend, Adrienne. She is just so great. We like most of the same things (excluding ranch and sour cream, lol), and she wants to be with me to actually be with me and not because she wants something from me. I just wish we lived closer. She lives in Fairmont, but she's always up for taking turns to stay weekends with each other. Dexter's always depressed when they have to leave us :*(

Faith Mountain is driving us crazy. No privacy whatsoever. Will discuss this more later.

Russell just had a birthday. Big 28. He wanted grilled cheese with bacon in it for his birthday dinner! lol I got him seasons 1-7 of Penn and Teller and some other things, so we've been watching that a lot together.

Did I mention that I hate my job? Where is this magical job that I love?

Oh and I got a scholarship that will give me a stipend of $3600 per semester. I like free money.

True Blood only has 3 episodes left, and that makes me sad...however, Weeds just started on Mondays along with The Big C, so that makes me a little happy.

Think I'm getting sick. Ugh. So not good timing for this.

Schooools out for summer...or not.

I've been assigned to do my clinicals at Primary Care Systems in Clay. My mentor's last name is Boner...seriously. How will I not giggle every day? I'm nervous because I feel like I don't know anything, and they are going to see right through me. This place is not only a clinic, but they also do urgent care, so that will be a good experience I think. The only crappy thing is it's around a 45 minute drive from home, but almost everything is a long drive for me anymore. I start the week of July 1st.

I had an interview at hospice yesterday. They seemed to really like me and what I had to say, but they said to give them 2 weeks before they let me know because they put an ad in the paper and were going to do more interviews. They didn't come right out and say it, but I'm thinking they are concerned about having to work with my clinical schedule. After all, I have to do 20 hours of clinicals per week for 6 weeks, and 16 hours per week for Fall and Spring semesters. My life is going to suck this year it seems. Oh, not to mention that I will have class on top of that. I also have to keep a log on all the patients I see which takes time, but I think it will be an interesting thing to keep track of to see what all I have done.

I'm trying to learn more with my classes, but there is so much information that it is hard.

Meh.

Memory lane is closed...so why are all the immigrants breaking the baracade?

WOW,I just found my old Blurty from 2004/2005...the days before the Blogger. I've been reading them, and my life back then sounded much more happy and simple. I was excited about EVERYTHING! And that was the days of my big weight loss. Such motivation I had. Where did it go? I think I was happier because I felt healthier and much better about myself in general. Not that I'm not happy now, but I was more of a giddy person back then, and somehow I have lost some of that along the way. I still think it's because of the weight. Maybe reading these will help me get back in the groove!

Man, I even had cool and witty titles like thee one above!

EXCUSES

Why do I always have an excuse to not start WW? I'm paying for it. Shouldn't that be incentive enough? I want to lose weight before we go to CA in October and in general, but I always have an excuse to wait. Past excuses: "This week is my birthday; This weekend we're going to visit friends; Russell's mom is having a cookout; First week of work, who knows where I'll end up eating; etc. etc. etc." It's always something. Why does food have to be so important to me? Apparently more important than feeling good about myself. I remember when Russell and I got married and lived in our first apartment, I did WW like there was nothing else. I stuck to it, and I lost a lot of weight. I was even down to the 150s, looking good, feeling good, getting out and exercising because I WANTED to! And BAM, out of nowhere, I got tired of counting points and stopped. And then everything came back, plus a ton more. Why did I do this? I HAVE NO FRICKING CLUE! And that is one of the biggest things that bother me. Because I was doing so well and feeling so good! Why did I let this happen? Now I have more weight to lose than ever. I can't even fit in a lot of my clothes or what used to be loose and baggy now fits. Where do I find motivation? When will the excuses end so I can start? It's like I know how to eat healthy, and I don't at the same time. Breakfast and lunch I know how to eat. Dinners are so hard for me. I'm not a great cook, so it's hard for me to cook healthy for both of us. Every time I look for websites with good healthy EASY recipes, I end up finding ones that have thing I've never even heard of. Oh looky, another excuse. They just pop up everywhere, don't they?

In other news, we're going to Adrienne and Clinton's this weekend, and I am sooo excited! I love seeing them because we're just all friends. The boys are friends, the girls are friends, and we're just all friends with each other, and we get along so well! We all like doing the same things! Even our puppies like each other, and they love to play together! Adrienne and I (and possibly the boys) are going to have a shopping day on Friday! Not that I need to be spending money, but it will be so much fun! Maybe we can talk the boys into watching Sex and the City! So, yet another excuse to eat horribly for the rest of the week and all weekend. Maybe I can get my shit together for next week?! Maybe.

Oh, and we had a great time last night with Russell's parents. We had a weenie roast down by the pond with a big fire! We just hung around for hours and talked and just enjoyed each others company. We're thinking about having a picnic down there for July 4th and doing some fishing! We've seen some HUGE small mouth bass in there, so we're excited to see what we catch!

Long, overdue update.

Wow, it's been a while. As always. What has been going on?

• Dad is now in jail for his trying to run over a police officer and fleeing, etc. etc. I say good riddance. He is where he belongs. I'm not even sure how long he will be there. I was so worried about running into him now that I live in Braxton, but a judge took care of that for me.
• Loralei supposedly had her 3rd child a few weeks ago. Another girl. I hope it eats her.
• Russell's sister Kim is pregnant with another boy and due in August.
• Brittany is PREGNANT AGAIN and due in November I think. Kylee is around 6 months old. She's really pretty.
• We've booked our trip to California for October 17-25th. We're staying at the Anabella which is right beside the Convention Center for Blizzcon. Not sure what all we're going to get into this year, but we have lots of new online friends that we are excited to meet as well as some ones we met last year that we hope are going to make it again, and I definitely want to go to the beach and see Nikki!! This year I hope to get a prescription for Xanax or something for the plane ride because I had an anxiety attack on one of the planes last year. Those things SUCK! One of the planes on the way there and on the way back are only 2-seaters, so hopefully that will help.
• I'm majorly disliking my job. Lots of stupid shit going on such as trying to not give me health insurance after was already promised it. And I'm sorry to say it because it makes me sound selfish, BUT I am worth a lot more money than what I'm getting paid right now. In other words, I'm job searching.
• School sucks but is over in a week, and then I get 2.5 weeks break. I have a big proficiency exam that I have to take next week that I have to pass with an 85% or better in order to do clinicals. Russell thinks that I'm going to like school more and know that this job will be something that I will like whenever I get into my clinicals. He thinks I'm really going to enjoy assessing and diagnosing people, and I hope he's right. We discussed yesterday what we would have done if we had to do it all over, and he thought he would have done something in computers (which he would have been really good at), and I'm not sure about me. I definitely wouldn't have gotten two degrees before going to MS. Russell thinks I would have went into wound care nursing, and I agree that I really would have enjoyed that. If I wouldn't have wasted all this money getting my masters, then I would still do that now. Gross wounds just sounds like something I would like, lol.
• So far the treadmill has been collecting dust. I've only used it like three times so far. I just need to get myself in gear, and I know I will use it more. I've just been really lazy in my small amount of free time that I get lately.
• I would love to just quit working and be a stay at home wifey. I don't think I enjoyed it enough when I didn't have a job because I was going through depression and withdrawls from my meds. I miss being home every day to take care of the pups and make my Rusty lunch.
• Dexter is still getting huge. He weighs around 48 pounds now (via Wii Fit of course). He likes to act like he's a big mean doggy when there is a "trespasser" or he thinks an animal is outside or something scares him, but he always jumps on mommy's lap for protection while he does his big boy bark and growl, lol. He's so funny. He also likes to jump in your seat while you're in the middle of sitting down because he knows he'll get attention if he's in your seat, lol. I love my puppy so much, and he makes me giggle. I don't know what I would do without him.
• Citi still has her splint on from where she tore the ligaments in her leg. She should be able to get it off next week. As of right now, she sounds like a pirate with a peg leg when she walks down the hallway! :)
• We had a "work party" on the mountain last Saturday and another one is scheduled for this Saturday. We got most of the horse stables built and a lot of things done on the inside of the building. I don't like having my free time taken away because I feel like I am expected to volunteer my time to help, but these are things that need done. It's also Russell and my only day "off" together, and it makes me mad that he is definitely expected to be there for work even though he is only supposed to work until 11 on the weekends. He only gets one full, real day off on Tuesdays and then half days on the weekends, so that deal kind of sucks. It's hard to tell your parents that they aren't treating you like a real employee...

Well, that's all for now. Maybe I'll update more often. Or maybe not.

If there are almost 30 towels in your cottage, and you only have 20 people staying there, how do you manage to use all of the towels in one night (bath towels and dish rags). This is the same amount that people typically use in one week...and you used it in one night. And same with the trash bags. How did you use all the trash bags that someone would use in a week IN ONE NIGHT? Seriously? Thank you for ringing our home doorbell multiple times to let us know you needed more trash bags because you used them all IN ONE NIGHT while we were enjoying our only day off together...ish, since Russell already had to sit in the office until noon...but you wait until after that to come ring our home doorbell. Thanks. I think church ladies are the worst ever.

Am I an uber grouch? Yes.

This is going to be a terrible week.

I have to spend my whole day in Charleston Tuesday doing pap smears and who knows what else, then taking a test in the library, and probably class, too, because they like making me drive home in the dark. I hate you WVU.