I'm totally black.

So, the other day I was helping someone and I had to leave to get something. When I came back, that person asked me where the black lady went.
I asked him, "What black lady?"
He responded, "Holly."
"Sir, that is me."
"Well you changed colors then!"
Oh man, that was hilarious.

By request...

One. Word. Survey. You. Can. Only. Type. One. Word.

1. Yourself: spender
2. Your sibling(s): friend
3. Your mother: Christmas
4. Your Father: thoughtful
5. Your favorite physical feature on others: eyes
6. Your dream home: full
7. Your best friends: insight
8. Your dream last night: unknown
9. Your Favorite drink: coffee (ang did you mean to imply pumpkin spice latte?)
10. Your Dream Car: infinity
11. The room you are in: dining
12. Your Ex: oops
13. Your fear: loneliness
14. What you want to be in 10 years: satisfied
15. Who you hung out with last night: players
16. Something you’re not: confident
17. Muffins: pumpkin
18. One of Your Wish List Items: camera
19. Time: night
20. The Last Thing You Did: download
21. Your Favorite Weather: hoodie
22. Your Favorite Book: james
23. The last thing you ate: bread
24. Your Life: confusing
25. Your Mood: restless
26. What are you thinking about right now: plans
27. What are you doing at the moment: typing
28. Your summer: hot
29. Your relationship status: free
30. Who You Are Now: me
31. Who You Want to be in Five Years: ready
32. What is the weather like: beautiful
33. When is the last time you laughed: tonight
34. Who should fill this out: bloggers

You know I am a sucker for a survey!

JANUARY

1. Who kissed you on new years?
Well, I brought in 2006 by playing Pretty Princess, what do you think?

2. Did you have a new year's resolution this year?
Negatory big buddy. But, in February I did decide to read the Bible in a year. Does that count?

3. Does it snow where you live?
Um...no. I live in the desert.

4. Do you like hot chocolate?
Yes, please, but I like all kinds of hot beverages.

5. Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop?
No, my New Year's celebrations are much more exciting, see above.

FEBRUARY

1. Who was your Valentine?
Valentine? Have you met me?

2. When you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class?
Of course.

3. Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not?
What the crap, you know it is always going to be cold until it is ridiculously hot and humid in Iowa. So, who cares.

MARCH

1. Are you Irish?
Not that I know of.

2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?
If I remember. I just bought a green and white dress! The green is called clover. That is fun right?

3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2006?
Went to Olive Garden to celebrate my cousin's birthday.

4. Are you happy when winter is pretty much over?
What is winter?

APRIL

1. Do you like the rain?
I don't mind rain, but I hate being wet, so if it means me getting wet then no. It actually rained here today. Crazy.

2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone?
Not that I remember. So, if I did it must not have been that great.

3. Do you get tons of candy on Easter?
No, we usually got a milk chocolate bunny and hunted eggs with candy in them.

4. Do you celebrate 4/20?
Right.

5. Do you love the month of April?
Love is probably not the first word that comes to mind.

MAY

1. What is your favorite flower?
Tulips

2. Do you like the spring?
yes

3. Finish the phrase "April showers":
bring may flowers, um how do people get this survey if not copying it from others...

4. What is the first color you think of when you think of Spring?
green

JUNE

1. What year did/will you graduate from high school?
2001

2. Did you do anything fun during this month?
Nothing sticks out, I can't remember exactly when my family members were here in the summer, so that was fun.

JULY

1. What did you do on the Fourth of July?
worked

2. Did you go on any vacations during this month?
Nope!

3. Do you blast the A/C all day?
yes

AUGUST

1. Did you do anything special at the end of your summer?
I flew to L.A. for a weekend, that was pretty awesome.

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '06?
Probably going to L.A. that weekend.

3. Did you have a sunburn?
Duh.

4. Do you go to the beach a lot?
Is there water in Arizona?

SEPTEMBER

1. Did you attend school/college in '06?
No way Jose! I did spend time on a lot of different college campuses though.

2. Who is your favorite teacher?
My mom, David Cowger. Neither one of them are my teacher, so I suppose that does not count. So how about Mr. Z. He was pretty awesome.

3. Do you like fall better than summer?
I miss fall.

OCTOBER

1. What was your favorite Halloween costume?
My sister and I were M&M's once. That was super cute.

2. What is your favorite candy?
Probably Milky Way or Dove chocolate.

3.What did you dress up as this year?
I am pretty sure I worked Halloween this year. So a nurse, very creative.

NOVEMBER

1. Whose house do you go to for Thanksgiving?
This year, Aunt Lynne's but that was on the Sunday before. I worked on Thanksgiving. Doing this survey is making me realize how many holidays I worked this year. Dang for being low man on the totem pole.

2. Do you love stuffing?
I wouldn't say it is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish.

3. What are you thankful for?
Good friends who remind me where my true identity lies.

DECEMBER

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?
Even if I didn't celebrate CHRISTmas, my name is Holly. It is kind of required.

2. What is December 1st, 2006?
over, what is this question trying to get at?

3. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?
for sure.

4. Get anything special last year?
ditto on the iPod. and i have some pretty great pictures of Joanna from Christmas.

5. What do you want this year?
Not much. I just said Merry Christmas to myself tonight. So if you didn't get me a present I can wrap one of the things I bought for myself today and put your name on it.

Now it feels like Christmas!

Thanks Mom and Dad and Megan!

Christmas in July?

Not really, but it feels like it when you live in the desert. So, it is not hot and humid like it is in July in Iowa. But it is still in the 60's and 70's most days. This week it has been cooler though, like 50's. And it does it pretty cold in the morning. Like 30's. I didn't know that happened in Phoenix, but it does.

We have decorated for Christmas. Here are some of the pictures. One night I made this thing to hang up above our counter top. What can I say. Sometimes I don't sleep at night.
We bought these vases at Ikea. Actually, we bought most of these things at Ikea. Our plan is to change out the decorations with the seasons. Oh, and in the picture above you can see the medium sized ones on the shelves next to the tea pot.
Here they are in the dark.
We have these lights hanging on our balcony. I like them a lot. We never turn them off. I thought they might deter the pigeons, but I was completely wrong on that.


We have some more decorations, but the pictures didn't turn out that great in the dark. So we will have to take some more during the day. Stay tuned for more.

It doesn't really feel like Christmas. There is no snow. I can't complain. I love the weather, but it is really hard to get into Christmas when the weather is this nice.

They are here!

Tara is here and engaged. When I got to the airport I saw her now fiance all dressed up with red roses and thought, "Did I miss the memo?" Congratulations you two!

Megan is here and the party is on. And I mean ON. No doubt. Who needs Vegas?

Woo Hoo!

I got a grown up bed yesterday! I slept in it for the first time last night. Hooray for our apartment looking more like a home.Up close on the linens.And again.Big girl bed!

Buddy Holly

Up for vote:

Do I change my cell phone ring to Weezer's Buddy Holly?

Comments are welcome and requested.

I Workout religiously

So, I was talking to one of my coworkers on the phone the other night. We were going to meet for dinner with another one of our coworkers at a Mexican restaurant. It was about 4 and we were meeting at 8. My thought was, I should work out so that I don't feel so guilty about what I am going to drink tonight. So I told my coworker that I needed to go so that I could work out. Here was the conversation:

Coworker: You work out?
Holly: Yes.
Coworker: Religiously?
Holly: No.

But you know what. I have been thinking about this since that conversation and really, I should have said yes. In many ways the way I work out is quite similar to the way I follow Jesus.

-As hard as I try, I can never be consistent.
-Sometimes I am super excited.
-It can be difficult.
-I know that it is good for me.
-There are times when I rebel.
-I get frustrated when I feel like I am not seeing results.
*Some days I have to kick myself hard and drag myself there, but afterwards, I am always glad I did.

So there you have it friends: I workout religiously.

Late Night Thoughts

I have just started reading the book "Blue Like Jazz." I know, I am way behind on the cool Christian reading list. I just completed the second chapter that talks about he problem of always thinking of ourselves and seeking to please ourselves rather than seek our pleasure in God. I think this is something that I have been struggling with a lot lately. I think, perhaps, I am supposed to be learning something here. I have been reading a Bible in one year plan and here are some of the verses that have stuck with me recently:

Proverbs 23:17
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for fear of the Lord.

Jeremiah 7:9-10
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"- safe to do all these detestable things.

Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Jeremiah 9:20
Now, O women, hear the word of the Lord:
open your ears to the words of his mouth.
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this;
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the Lord.

It is so easy for me to think of myself first, to go after what I want and, frankly, to have no fear of the Lord. I want to be liked by my coworkers, I want to feel attractive and desired. I want to get attention from people and feel like I matter. I don't know that all of these things are bad, but at what point am I seeking these things and not the Lord. At what point am I sinning? I desire to know the Lord and to put my trust in him and to fear the Lord more than I desire the things of the world. But, man, sometimes it is so stinking hard.

Lord, I pray that these verses will stick with me. That I will continue to think of them and meditate on them so that by your grace and through your power I can know you and fear you more. I pray that I would truly confess, renounce and lament my sins and that they would become detestable to me. Lord, I pray that I would in my heart desire you more than the things of the world. Amen.

Squaw Peak Summit Trail

Today Rachel and I took our first Arizona hike. This is appropriate because hiking season is November through April in Phoenix.
I bought a book called "Best Easy Day Hikes: Phoenix" about a month ago. There are 25 hikes total and our goal is to hike all of them. I think that the one that we did today was one of the harder ones. Actually, I just looked at a list that ranks the hikes and the book ranks this one as the hardest one. The consensus of people that we met on the hike today was that this one is actually not quite as physically demanding as the one that it rated just below it.
Information about Squaw Peak Summit Trail from the book:
Total Distance: 2.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1190 feet
"Squaw Peak, dominating Phoenix's northern skyline, is the centerpiece of the city's Phoenix Mountains Preserve....This steep trail, now trod by over 500,000 hikers annually, attracts more hikers than any other Phoenix trail and is second in Arizona only to the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail in popularity....Other than some young, cigar-shaped saguaros and fishook barrel cacti, few plans survive on these heat-blasted slopes, where surface temperatures can exceed 150 degrees F in summer....All of Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun unfolds below this lofty sky platform with its stunning 360-degree view."
All in all it was a fun trek. We enjoyed getting to the top and very much enjoyed coming back down. The people on the trail were quite friendly and we were able to have a couple of fun conversations. There was even an incident when I thought this guy had headphones on, and I was telling Rachel an embarrassing story of me falling down a rocky patch in Africa and scraping my bum because I was wearing a skirt. He WAS wearing headphones, but when I was telling that story he had taken them off. Go figure.

Hi...I Do Exist

Sorry folks. I am a bad blogger, or I guess rather, a non-blogger.
Wow, has an entire month really gone by? One exciting thing has been my mom's visit. She had a long weekend and decided to take some time to come see me. :) She was only here for a few days but we had some good times. One of the more exciting days was when we went to Sedona. I like Sedona. It is beautiful. I have seen few things as beautiful as the red rocks there.
On the way there we stopped at a restaurant that has really good pies. We didn't eat pie though, because it was breakfast time. There were a ton of rowdy boys there and it did not take long for us to realize it was a bachelor party. They were hilarious. There must have been 15 of them.
When we got to Sedona, we parked to look around some of the shops. My aunt had just got a new Merano. That is one of the Nissan SUV's. It is her grandma car. When we got out of the car some one said, "Is there a fan running or something?" My aunt said she wasn't sure, she didn't really know the car. So we walked around, had some soup, and enjoyed Sedona. When we got back to the car I heard the fan noise. Except for it wasn't a fan. The car was running. The new car has a no key feature. Basically, you can carry the key in your purse or pocket, and a sensor knows that you have the key. Then all you have to do is push a button to get in the car. You don't need the key to start the car either, you turn the dial on the dash. You also don't need to key to turn off the car. So, we left the car running, THE ENTIRE TIME. Oh man, I laughed so hard.
It was nice to have Mom here. Having someone visit every few months makes me feel like I am not that far away from home. I am looking forward to going home in January. That is right folks. Book your time now. I will be home January 5th-15th.
And...I am going to freeze. I hate to say it, but I have adjusted. Tonight Rachel and I walked to the Hollywood Video a few block from our apartment. We were both wearing jeans and a t-shirt. And I was chilled. It was about 70 degrees. I am sorry friends, 70 feels quite cool when you have gotten used to regular temperatures over 100. I occasionally wear a sweater when I go to work at night. Hey, at least the sun has gone down by that time.
Speaking of the sun going down. I cannot get it in my head that it is fall. The calendar says October, the end of October even. The sun is going down sooner. College football is in full swing and baseball is over. But, there are no changing leaves here. An there is not that cool crisp air of the fall. There are no apple orchards to go to, no Main Event, no mums, no frost, and no threat of snow. And I miss it.
The changing of the seasons has made me feel homesick. I am not sure what it is. I think one of the big things is missing out on Main Event. It is not just the conference that I miss. Don't get me wrong the conference is absolutely great. I learn a lot every year I went. Part of it is the music, the work shops, but what I miss most is the fellowship. Main Event was always a sweet weekend to really dig in to the word, learn and pray with the people that are most important to me. I read Angie's blog on Main Event and the idea of tons of women having a quiet time all in one place made me want to cry, good crying of course. I remember the missionaries sharing their hearts for the world, and then the last year I went seeing my friend share the heart that was first opened to Japan at Main Event and how she was going for two years.
Well, I think I have rambled on enough for now...I would put up pictures, but I don't have any of Rachel, because I don't have a digital camera and apparently people want to see pictures of Rachel. ;)

Bathroom!

Here are some pictures of the apartment. I know that you all are saying, "FINALLY!" I got some new stuff for my bathroom today and Rachel was back so I could use her camera.

I have the master bedroom. The bedroom opens up to the bathroom with an achway, no door. Through the arch is the sink and vanity. There are two doors. The one on the left leads to the closet and the one on the right leads to the toilet and shower.
Here you can see how the archway opens up to the bedroom. Opposite the mirror is a towel rack that you seen in the reflection. I bought the toothbrush holder and the soap despenser today. The candle I had before. It matches quite well, don't you think?Here is a close up of the towels. I bought the towels at Target and the other stuff at Linens 'N Things. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they match.
It is hard to get a good picture inside the room with the toilet and the shower. There is another towel rack by the shower.
On the right is a very convienent linen closet.

Bathroom, continued...

I have been having some problems posting pictures. So get ready for multiple posts.
Woo hoo! Linen closet and it is not even full. But I feel like it does look like a Dove commercial, and you can't even see the 8 bars of soap that are beside the deodorant. Here is a close up of the shower curtain. I am hoping that the steam of my showers will release the wrinkles. If not, I will have to break down and iron the thing. The blocks on the right are bigger than the ones on the left. I am not sure if you can tell that from any of the pictures.
Here are the super cute curtain rings that coordinate.
Here you can kind of see the idea of how there is a door to the closet and to the shower/toilet.

$12

And these beauties we got for $12, total. Two chairs and an ottoman for $12. And yes, they are covered in plastic. Plastic slip covers, they are going to make great paterns for the new slip covers that I am going to make. Awesome. You have to love estate sales.
Kinsey likes the chairs.All smiles. Now in this picture you would think that Kinsey would no longer like the chair. However, that girl sat in that chair forever like that. Loved it. She loves it. The best part is that she is totally teething and drooling all over, but it doesn't matter, because the chairs are covered in plastic.

Posting

Hey friends. There are a lot of things going on in my life. If you want to know, call me or email. Many of them are pretty personal and would rather not have them posted for the entire world to see. There are somethings that I will post about. But, not yet. Feel free to enjoy the post below that I discovered tonight.

The Job-Hey found this post saved from May!

I have to say that I really like my job so far. When I was in my internship I thought that I might have made the wrong choice about being a nurse. I did not really like my internship. In fact, before I would go in I dreaded it. I got this icky feeling in my stomach.

I think my biggest problem was that I felt like we weren't really helping people. I felt like I never saw anyone actually GET WELL. That is a really frustrating thing when you go into nursing because you want to help people. Now, I know that it is not true that we didn't help people. We did. I am sure that many of the people that I took care of actually got better and were able to go home eventually. But you don't see the going home part in intensive care.

I wasn't able to talk to my patients, or at least communicate with them very well. Most of the patients were on ventilators. For you non health care people that means they had a tube in their mouth or in their throat that was hooked up to a machine to help them breathe. The could not eat on their own. The could not tell you if they were in pain. Often times we would have to pinch them just to make sure that they would respond to the touch.

I felt like all we were doing were the basics to keep people alive. Sometimes I felt like we were doing too much to keep people alive. I don't know how everyone feels about people living on tubes, but from what I have seen I think sometimes we are playing God by having people live off of machines and not letting them die. I think there is a point that there is no return, the point when you withdrawal the help you are killing that person, but why do we let so many people get to that point. You can debate me on the moral/philosophical/legal issue if you want, but I contest that you have not seen the things that I have seen. And every situation is different.

Anyway, my point is I LIKE MY JOB. It is great. People are not on the verge of dying, typically. I am able to talk to my patients and for the most part they can understand. I can ask them what they are feeling and the can tell me. My job is not simply to keep them alive, but to really take care of them. I am able to provide for more than just their basic needs, I LOVE that. This job makes me feel like this is the reason that I became a nurse.

There is a lot that I still have to learn. I am very thankful that I have 12 weeks of orientation. I am also very thankful for a great preceptor (experienced nurse mentor showing me the ropes.) We get along well, and she is a great teacher in addition to a great nurse. She gives me time to think about things, does not make me feel bad about asking questions and challenges me in a good way.

The biggest challenges I am facing is learning to prioritize. Even though I am able to provide for lots of needs, I need to learn what needs to be taken care of now and what can happen after now. That is not always an easy decision. Directly related to that is, time management. I am sure that both of these things will improve with time, but it is frustrating to not be "great" right away. It takes me so long to do somethings that should be so simple and that is frustrating. Some of those things are mechanics issues, such as where do I get that, or I have never worked with this kind of IV set before.

Those are both issues that I expected to face. The one that my preceptor anticipated that I did not is that actual mind set transition from student to nurse. I am an RN. I can go do something without asking someone first. But it is my license that is at risk, not someone else's. It is time for me to have the knowledge and be making the decisions.

Wow, this being an adult thing is difficult sometimes. But is good. I am so excited to start my nursing career in a place where I feel like I can make a difference in people's lives. And the best part is, I feel like I already have.

RACHEL IS HERE!!!

RACHEL IS HERE!!!

Guilty?

Last week at a church group for young adults the question was asked, "If you were put on trial for being a Christian would their be enough evidence to convict you?" That was said in light of Daniel Chapter 6. Some guys trick the king into making a law that people can only worship the king for 30 days and if they worship anything else they will put to death in the lion's den. They do this specifically to get Daniel killed because they know that the only way they can get him out of power is to do something related to Daniel's God. Daniel was an upright man and everyone knew that he believed in the one true God. Why? He lived it.
So, this question has been on my heart all week. Would I be convicted? Why? What do I think is the evidence that would lead to my conviction? Interesting questions. What do you all think?

OC

This weekend I went to visit some friends in Orange County, technically, Irvine, California. Here are the people I was visiting. I feel like it is easier to list them and explain how I know them.

Ty-Ty is a Japanese guy that I meet in Japan through BEST club. He was there visiting his good friend...
Eddie-Eddie was a Navigator short term worker in Japan for two years. He was part of the team I worked with while I was there. He is from Irvine and thus we were hanging out with him and his great friends.
Kyle-Kyle was also a short term worker in Japan. He was on another campus, but I met him on a retreat. He is in the process of visiting some friends before he starts his job in DC.

So, it was the perfect time for me to come visit. I got to see 3 guys for the price of one. :). In addition to those guys, I was able to meet a friend of Ty's and a few of the ladies that were in Japan this summer and spent some quality time with my good friend Joanna. That was really, really great. Being with them, in some strange way, made me feel like I was getting to spend time with her. Is that strange?

I was planning on driving with a friend, but at the last minute he decided that he was not able to come. Which is fine. But then I was thinking, I really don't want to drive that far by myself. Maybe I should fly. And I did. I bought a plane ticket and flew. Isn't that crazy? The best part is that I don't think I spent much more than I would have spent driving. And I didn't have to drive.

When I was in the airport I realized how interesting airports are. There are so many people from so many different places. It is really cool actually. Also, the fact that people start out in a central location (the airport) and just by stepping onto different planes, end up all around the world. That is so fascinating to me. The fact that we can ride on an airplane is crazy too. God has made some pretty amazing minds to come up with the stuff that now seems so normal to us.

I had a really great time. It was so fun to spend time with those friends and the other people that I met there. I really felt a sense of community. I realized that is what I feel like I am missing. I feel like this group of friends is really living out the Hebrews verse to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." I had real conversations with people and was encourage in my walk with Christ and challenged in good ways. More than friends, that is what I really miss about college, the people that were my support system, the people that encouraged me daily to run hard after Jesus.

Over all it was a really great weekend, had some good times and excellent company.

P.S. on the flight home I thought I was going to die. There was a big storm and it seemed like the lightning was going to take us out. And, I sat next to a Christian guy from India. India is 3% isn't it nuts that this guy is a Christian? Sweet, Huh.

One day your in, the next day your...out

I am totally completely and utterly addicted to Project Runway. Seriously, I absolutely love it. Probably to the point of insanity. I actually had the thought "What if Rach and I are in our new apartment before the season is over. What if I can't watch it?" Who does that?

On another note, I was talking to my sister on the phone tonight and she says "Where is my cell phone?" HA HA HA! It was so funny, she was on her cell phone! Tee hee! Love ya Megz, where my friends at?

Mortgage?

I met with a mortgage lender on Friday. Nothing makes me feel more like an adult than talking about a mortgage. I was asked questions like what are my financial goals. Does this guy know that I have paid more in taxes this year than I have made most of the summers of working before this? It is crazy go nuts. And, Phoenix is crazy, and I do mean crazy when it comes to real estate. What it would cost me to by a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo could buy my parent's house in Iowa. My parents have a pretty nice house. I think that my mortgage (if I acquire one) will be more than my parents. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anyway, I am in the process of prequalifying or preapproving or something. I feel like the guy is talking another language when I go in there. I will find out on Monday what the good/bad news is. I think I am still going to end up renting. I don't know if I want to live here in 3 years. I don't know if I want to live here in 18 months. I have decided that the cost of renting is fine if I consider the freedom it comes with.

Since when did buying a house become a real possibility? Weird!

I Made It!

Well, I survived my first week off orientation. It was actually really good. I am so thankful to God for how well it went actually. I know that all weeks will not go that well. I can't explain it, but I had a peace that just does not make sense. My first night was actually kind of crazy. I admitted a patient that was not doing well. When the doctors came to see him they were trying to decide if they were going to keep him on my floor or send him to ICU. The doctors were wanting this and that and they wanted all of it NOW. They were asking me to do things that I had never done before. In fact, the few things that I did not get to do on orientation I did that first night. I had a great staff supporting me as well. Praise the Lord for excellent health unit secretaries.
The next couple of nights also went relatively smoothly. Nothing big, bad and scary happened. I am thankful for that as well. I don't know if this up coming week will go as smoothly, and I know that I am bound to have bad days, but this week was a true blessing.

Megan, Church, No More Orientation

Hi, yes. We all know that I don't update my blog often. So here it is, and I have to say, some of you all are whiners. If you really want to know what is going on in my life, call. I say that will all love and affection. And, my toe is doing well. It still does not look great and I can't tell if I actually have a toenail or not, but it doesn't hurt and there is no evidence of infection and that is good enough for me.

Megan was here last week. She got here on Monday and left last night at midnight. It was really great to have her here. We really didn't do anything. We ate, went to the pool, floated down the Salt River, went to the mall, hung out at the coffee shop, and stuff like that. Basically we relaxed and spent time together like we would if we were at home. Man it is so great just to get to spend time with her. I miss her like crazy. Oh sweet November, come quickly.

The venture down the Salt River was interesting. It was kind of boring. It is supposed to be one of those relax and float down the river, enjoy the scenery type things. It was, but I found out that I must be allergic to something in the river or by the river or something. About an hour into our trip my eyes started to water. By the end of the trip I was miserable. My eyes hurt so badly that I could not keep them open. I had to hand over my keys to drive back. The problem was solved with some benadryl that resulted in a 6 hour, yes 6 hour nap. My sleep schedule is so off.

One of the really fun things we did was go to IKEA. Seriously, I had no idea how cool that store is. The stuff is not that amazing, it is starter furniture and some is really cool and some is just not my style, but the way the store is organized is one of the coolest things I have seen in my life, as far a stores go. My favorite part was the mini-apartments anywhere between 300-800 square feet. They have the whole thing designed and that rocks my face off.

On Sunday we went to church. A friend that has moved down to teach found a church online that he wanted to check out. It was pretty sweet. My cousin and her boyfriend joined us. The church was pretty typical of what I am used to from Parkview and that was nice. There was a point when I was confused about how we were observing the Lord's Supper, but all in all it was pretty great. The music was good and the message was relevant and directly from the Bible. The gospel was clearly shared and it seems like a church that I could get involved in. The kicker was that even though it is a big (4000+) church, I got a phone call today to invite me to something that the church has to offer for my age group. Of all the churches that I have tried out, this is the first one to actually give me a call. I think that is pretty cool.

When I was in church I realized how much I miss going to church. I have had to deal with some interesting feeling about "church" that I won't go into detail with, but I realized that I am missing a place of corporate worship, a place to serve and a place to grow. My Bible study is still great, don't get me wrong, but it would be nice to get "plugged in" somewhere.

The only thing that really stinks is that the church is super far away for me, at least while I am living with my aunt.

Last week was my last week on orientation. Tonight is my first night all on my own. That is pretty crazy to me. But, the thing that seems the craziest is that I am ready. I know that I have lots of challenges and hard nights in front of me, but I think that everything came together at the right time.

And on that note, I must get some more sleep before work tonight. Blog back at you again in ages, after everyone has made a comment about how I don't blog.

Fake toenail

Warning, this may gross you out. If you are easily grossed out, do not continue to read. This is my fair warning.

I had to have my big toenail on my left foot removed. It was infected. It had been infected for a while, and I had not done anything with it.

So last week I had it removed per the advice of my doctor. This will allow my nail to grow back fresh and healthy, or at least that is the point. So right now I just have this ugly looking place where a toenail should be. It is summer time and I would like to not have to wear closed toed shoes. Friends, here is my solution. I put a bandaid over it and painted a "toenail" on the bandaid. I think it is pretty cleaver. I don't think you would really notice if you weren't studying my toes, but if you look closely it looks like one of those fake nails you would wear as kids, the ones that were like thimbles that you put over the tips of your fingers. Yeah, rock on.

Hand Washing

A while ago a friend posted a blog on handwashing. (Click here and scroll down to "Dialog with me") There were many comments as people were asked to comment on the topic. At the end there was a comment from a mutual friend that mentioned the fact that I had not commented. I meant to post a long time ago, but I forgot. Thankfully I have a system to help me remember that I wanted to blog about something. I will create a title and then save as draft. That way, it is there for me to see when I log in. Sometimes I end up posting stuff, other times I delete. ANYWAY! The task at hand.

Handwashing is the number one way to prevent the spread of disease, period.

You should wash your hands after using the restroom, before eating and before preparing food. Those are the most essential times. You should wash your hands more frequently if you have a cold, work with children, in health care, etc. I have to admit, I ALWAYS wash my hands after I use the restroom and before I prepare food. BUT, I sometimes forget to wash my hands before I eat, except when I am at the hospital. I always wash my hands before eating while I am at the hospital. Sick.

Your hands are a prime spot to pick up germs, because, hello, you touch with them. Any time your hands, filled with germs comes into contact with a mucus membrane (mouth, eyes, nose)you risk getting an infection.

The issue of soap. Soap is good, but it does not have to be antibacterial soap (unless of course you are working/living in a germ infested area). I would contest that if you have the choice, you should buy soap (for your home) that is NOT antibacterial, but that is a whole different issue. If there is soap, use it. Make sure to rub your hands well for 15-30 seconds. Friction is almost as important as soap, and if you don't have soap it is one of the few things you have.

Issues of washing hands in public places. Just do it. Even if you have to touch the door handle, doesn't it make you feel better to know that you started off with clean hands?

If you are really particular, start carrying an antibacterial gel with you. There are bottles the size of a jar of carmex. Studies have actually shown that using the gel is more effective in killing germs than hand washing with soap.

So, always wash your hands. It stops the spread of disease. If there is no soap go ahead and rinse and rub. And remember, only you can prevent forest fires, oh wait, that is another lecture.

*Leave your name and I'll...

1. respond with something random about you.
2. tell you what song or movie reminds me of you.
3. pick a flavor of Jell-O to wrestle you in.
4. say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. tell you my first memory of you.
6. tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. ask you something that I've always wondered about you.

Amanda

1. Amanda is my best friend that I never talk to. :)

2. Mighty Ducks. Always.

3. Pineapple.

4. I don't think so Jose.

5. We were both in the Emperor's New Clothes. I am pretty sure you wore colored tights, and that was awesome.

6. A horse, beautiful and strong.

7. Whatever happened to the figurines that were in the mustang?

Emily

1. Emily is someone that I always have a good time with. If Emily is there, I know I am going to have fun.
2. Since the greatness that is iTunes is now on my computer, I actually listen to EMILY and that reminds me of her! ;)
3. Strawberry.
4. I can't share!
5. You were singing, in the ped mall before classes started my freshman year.
6. A blue bird.
7. How old are you? I never asked or knew!

Joanna

1. i read this thing about personality where there is a king and a warrior and a lover and a joker or something and i think we are the same, or very close to the same a least and according to that, that is why we can sometimes clash, but oh joanna I am so thankful that we work for our friendship. it is REALLY worth it.
2. bridget
3. red and green, but not seprate layers, mixing in the middle.
4. how's it smelling?
5. walking over to reniow for Bible study. dang, i thought i was never going to be albe to keep up with you fast walker.
6. a monkey
7. how do you make friends so easily?

Rachel
I'm doing this for you anyway!

1. Rach is the only girl I know that wakes up and watches sports center.
2. Walk to Remember, and us crying our eyes out in the theater.
3. Strawberry, but more like strawberry pretzel dessert, although the pretzels may hurt.
4. Quad couches.
5. This is hard, all the sudden freshman year we were going to live together, and then you slept on my floor, but the first clear memory is me forcing you to play Girl Talk Secret Diary. Oh the first of my bossing you around.
6. A small dog barking at a large dog, instigating a fight that it cannot finish.
7. How do you survive soley on mint chip ice cream, chips and salsa/velveta, and ground beef?

Kelli B

1. you are my favorite person that I did not get to know very well at SMR
2. I think the fact that we have NEVER watched a movie together sticks out. Sweet action for lack of TV at SMR
3. Apple, do they have apple Jello?
4. sorry, i don't have the DVD. we are only doing the book.
5. i don't remember you from the SMR meeting, but i do remember driving out to SMR with you!
6. an ant, but not like a real ant, an ant like in the cartoons with the big eye and antenna because of when you make faces.
7. what colors did you use to decorate your home?

Megan

1. megan has much better people skills than me.
2. stop, collaborate and listen...ice is back with a brand new invention, something grabs ahold of me tightly.......... and any movie that is about sisters
3. how about jello brand chocolate pudding
4. i haven't sent the email yet, oops
5. singing to you in in the dining room while mom was cleaning the kitchen. you were a baby.
6. something cuddly, like a fluffy cat, or a bunny, yeah, a bunny.
7. how do you ever put up with me and manage to love me the way you do?

Angie

1. ange, i feel like i relate to you on so many levels. and i love that you make me blog.
2. does my so called life count? it is not a movie or a song, but it is surely on DVD
3. blue raspberry, but only because it is blue, not because it is raspberry
4. i rock at darts.
5. i remember you and cate in burge, my freshman year. you always had cool T-shirts
6. a zebra, because it is wild, and free and lives in africa
7. how did the move go?

Revelations, Reflections

As I was working on my Bible study tonight, I had a revelation.

Side note: it is Friday, Bible study is on Wednesday. I am not even going on Wednesday because my parents will be in town and it makes sense to spend time with the people that are spending just as much time traveling here as they will be spending time here. Not to mention the fact that I love them and am excited to spend time with them. I completed the third of five lessons. I feel like I need to drop out of procrastinators anonymous.

We are doing a Beth Moore study called "Living Beyond Yourself." It is a study on the fruits of the Spirit. Any how, the study was going through some of the roles of the Spirit and how it works in our daily lives. One of these roles is convicting us of sin, causing us to grieve it and then truly repent. The study also dove into the issue of how we grieve the Spirit by our sin.

As I was reading, I was convicted of sin in one of my relationships. And in this conviction, the Holy Spirit seemed to be speaking to me. The way I felt this person was treating me (my sin is my reaction to it) is exactly characteristic of some of the ways that I treat God. Wow. I wept. What an amazing and humbling way to be convicted! What a challenge it is to love in the way the Jesus loves me when I treat Him the same way.

I'm not sure I agree

You Are a Frappacino

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Give us a King: Reflections on 1 Samuel

Chapter 8, verses 4-9:

"Finally, the leaders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 'Look," the told him, 'you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king like all the other nations have.'
Samuel was very upset with their request and went to the Lord for advice. 'Do as they say,' the Lord replied, 'for it is me they are rejecting not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about how a king will treat them.'"

There is something about this that I just cannot seem to get my mind around. I feel like there is so much to be learned from this that I can't seem to forget about it. That is a good thing of course because I don't want to forget about God's word, but I would like to learn some conclusive things about this.

I keep thinking of how this is applied/reflective of in my life:

-What blessings am I missing and not praising God for? a.k.a. What is my rescue from Egypt?
-Is there a "king" that I am asking for? Something that looks good on the outside, seems so normal, but really is not good for me?
-What warnings am I not hearing about these "kings"?
-How does the Lord remain my king?
-How do I become content in my rescue from Egypt?

I think I need to meditate on this stuff for a few days. Could be good. Thought I would share my thought process. Maybe ask me about it later.

Back to PINK! Feelin' blessed.

So, I thought it was time to change up the template again, but when I looked I was simply drawn back to the pink. What can I say? It's me.

I have to say. I am feelin' blessed. I don't have life figured out or anything, but I feel like God just provides what you need when you need it.

A little over a week ago, I was invited to participate in a women's Bible study. The first one was this Wednesday. Blessing: my preceptor works Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Since I am in orientation, I only have to work 3 days. I had been working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but I was able to switch over to Sunday, Monday and Tuesday without problems. I am able to go to Bible study! Woo hoo!

Wednesday night there were six ladies there including myself. I only knew one of those ladies. Blessing: even though I was invited into this group, it is not an already tight group of ladies. Actually most of the ladies only know one or two others in the group. We are all kind of on the same ground.

Blessing: all the women are in their twenties and there is a mix of married people and single people. Just because I am single does not mean that I don't want to spend any time with couples, but I certainly do not want to spend all of my time with couples. This also gives me the opportunity to hang out with women that are part of a "couple," with out their other half.

The night was not awkward. With so many strangers it could have been very strange. Blessing: even though most of these women were complete strangers, we have the common bond of Christ that allowed us to share deeply and safely on the first night of our meeting. It was refreshing. I have been craving friendship and depth and the beginning of it are right there.

The Word has been a blessing in general. I feel closer to the Lord than I have in a few weeks. Blessing: God is using so many things to draw my face towards Him: His Word, prayer, Bible study, music, experiences, blogs, phone conversations and more.

I AM blessed. Praise Him.

No date!

Ok, so I have this rule that I will give a guy the chance at one date. But, I figured it is my rule, so it is ok for me to break it.

So I gave this guy my HOME phone number so that I didn't have to worry about him having my cell. This is a good thing. So he called and I was not there and then I called back and he did not answer. Then he called back, and I have not called him back. I know that I should call him back and tell him that I just don't want to go. I have this weird feeling about it. And I don't think I should go. So, I am not going to. But, I am being a jerk in the process. I will call him back, but I will not go on a date. If he wants to hang out with a bunch of people, I suppose that would be ok. I just don't think a date with this guy would be a good thing.

On the other hand, I got to hang out with one of my coworkers and her sister this weekend. It was very cool. We went to an arcade type place. Played some lazer tag, dance dance revolution, air hockey, and spent some time in the batting cage. I actually did not completely strike out this time. It was great. Not to mention the fact that I put in a token for one of the cages and it just never stopped. Seriously, I put in the token and it just kept going and going. We all took a turn at it and then handed off the bat and helmet to some kid. I have no idea when it actually stopped. Perhaps it is still going.

Then on Saturday night I went to a party with some of my aunts friends. It was fun. They are a nice group of people. All of them are in the car business, so it is funny to hear them talk about it. I told my aunt that I don't have to be part of the car business, because I have and will continue to learn all about it if I hang out with her and her friends.

So that was my weekend. Oh, and my cousin left for Europe. I am totally jealous. The only time I have spent in Europe was in the London airport.

I'm just a girl who can't say "no"?

I am naive. I realize this, sometimes after the fact. I think I have a date this weekend. I say I think because at first I thought this guy was being nice wanting to show me around, that kind of stuff. So I told him I would give him my phone number. But, I think this is a date. He is going to get tickets to a game or something. And dinner. Or maybe a movie. I did it again didn't I?

Sexy

So, I have named my car. Actually, my grandma named my car. When my grandma saw my car, she said "That's a sexy little car." Thus the name "Sexy." It is for sure not a name that I came up with on my own, but with a story like that, how could you resist naming my car "Sexy."

Two nights of fun...That might be too much.

Tonight I went to church with a friend of a friend. Last summer I was in Liz and Aaron Reasland's wedding and I met a woman named Stephanie. She is a good friend of Liz's from high school, and just happens to live in Phoenix now.

We had been trying to get together for a while. For some reason stuff just couldn't match up. Our original meeting was missed because I was having a car issue and she had something come up. Then she had company, and I had company and it just wasn't seeming to work out.

Well tonight it was great to get to meet her husband and some of her friends. I joined her at their church. It was pretty good. The message was relevant and intellectual. The music was good and it was an atmosphere where I felt free to worship. I am not sure if it is the church for me, but I will definitely give it more than one chance. I am really looking for a place that has something for people my own age, in my own situation. But, the idea of a singles group just makes me kind of cringe. I am not sure why.

Anyway, it was really nice to go to church and have someone to sit with. I know that seems trivial, but some weeks I don't want to try out a new church or even go because I know that I have to go by myself. It is a lot harder than I expected.

But this church is not an automatic no, and definitely one that I will check out more than once.

After the service we went out for pizza. It was another good time to have a real conversation. More than one real conversation actually. And it was really cool because Steph really understands where I am coming from. She was her by herself for a while before she got married and her husband moved down.

Watch out world. I am on a role. Two nights of fun in a row. Whew.

Glowing Bowling

I am not sure what that is really called? You know when you go some place and they have the black lights and then stuff that accents the fact that there are black lights? Well I went bowling in a place like that tonight. It was really fun. I actually really like bowling. There was a year in my life that I went bowling once a week. I was not on a league, but one summer my mom had these passes where we could get a free game of bowing. I am not sure if the deal was buy one get one free or if it was something like free Wednesdays or one free game a day.

Anyhow, we went every Wednesday and it was fun to have a regular thing like that. You never had to question what we were going to do on Wednesday night. That was the thing. Sweet. I loved it really. I think it is one of my favorite high school memories. They played N'Sync and we made up new lyrics. I can't remember them exactly, but they were fun. It was also really cool because it was something that I did with my friends and my sister and her friends. Never mind the fact that we were 3 years apart and in high school. It was great. Now that I think about it I might not like bowling as much as the memories it brings back or just the time to get to spend with people.

Just a car

So, a car is just a car. That is what is keeping me from getting upset about what has happened to my car. Don't worry, nothing serious has happened. I saw a scratch on the hood. It is about 4 inches, but you have to look close to see it.

Then today when I was driving I rock, or something like a rock, hit my windshield and chipped it. This is really not a big deal because I have full glass insurance, so any thing wrong with my glass gets fixed with no deductible.

And I am reminded, it is just a car. Even though both of these things happened before I have made a payment or put my metal plate on, it is just a car. Things are just that, things.

Are we all in a place of confusion?

As I read over the posts of my friends, I wonder, "Are we all in a place of confusion or sadness?" I told you I would tell you the hard part. Today, my friends is that day. It is not simply because I haven't posted in a while. Today brought a climax (one of several I am sure) to my loneliness and comfort as well. After talking with a good friend, who let me vent via AIM, I sat down to read my Bible for the day. When I was about to end, something made me to continue. Here is what I read.

Psalm 84
5Happy are those who are strong in the Lord,
who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
6When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
it will become a place of refreshing springs,
where pools of blessing collect after the rains!
7They will continue to grow stronger,
and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

I thought to myself, wow, how can He know so much what I need to hear. Not only does He comfort me with the kind words of my friend, but also His word.

Now the Valley of Weeping is a real place, but I think that it is a place that we all come to just not physically.

I know that the Lord has lead me here. I am not quite sure why sometimes, but He has. I love my job, perhaps that is one small part of it. But the non-job stuff is hard. Really hard sometimes.

Today, I think I was more homesick than I have ever been. This is incredibly strange since I have traveled half way across the world more than once. I have spent summers in other states and months away from people I love. I spent Christmas, New Years, and my birthday in Japan. But, I always come back. Today is Mother's Day and Friday was my dad's birthday. For years of the combination of end of school finals and end of school lack of funds, my presence has been the present for both of those days. But this year its not. It can't be. And that stinks, because as much as I would like to send my parents a great gift so show how much I love them, I really would rather give them a hug and tell them I do. The realization of living hundreds of miles away from home, is hitting home.

This is punctuated by the fact that I haven't really made friends yet. I am way blessed by my family here. My aunt and uncle are great and a lot of fun to hang out with. I even feel comfortable sharing what is bothering me or what is going through my head and that is great. My cousin has been great since she has been back from school as well. She and her boyfriend invite me to come along with their friends. They have even been so kind to say something about me needing to get to know more of their friends so that I am in the loop. Blessed. But they are still their friends at this point.

I haven't found a church yet. One could say part of this is that I haven't tried very hard. That is true. There are some Sundays that I have stayed in my bed or sat in a restaurant eating breakfast with my family. But, really, that is one of the places where I feel the most alone. I never really knew the real feeling of being the new kid in the church. When I started going to Zion, I went with a friend and her family. I actually eased my way in by going to youth stuff first, then going to church. Then when I went to Parkview, it was kind of like everyone went there. And as a freshman, everyone is new, and every one knows that your new. And in both of these situations I had a buddy. I kind of lack the buddy here. I have learned very quickly that I am drastically more outgoing when I know that there is some one there that still loves me, even though I might put myself out in front of all of these other new people.

So I think that is it. That is the hard part. The real life part. But that is not the end of Psalm 84 and agree with me or not, I think it just gets better:

11 For the Lord God is our light and protector.
He gives us grace and glory.
No good thing will the Lord withhold form those who do what is right.
12 Oh Lord Almighty,
happy are those who trust in you.

So yeah, its hard. And, sometimes I cry. And I miss home. BUT, the Lord is my light and protector, and friend. And He gives me grace. And friends are good things and He says He will not withhold any good thing. I will trust Him.

What should I name her?

Isn't she pretty.Ohh...spoiler.
Spacious for short people. :)
6 Disk, plus and aux jack for my iPod.

Nice rims.
LX, Special Edition, as noted by the rectangle under the light.
Red...how appropriate.

It is kinda like a smile right? Just incase you didn't get a good look from the other profile pictures.

So, yesterday my Uncle Mike and I were waiting for my Aunt Lynn to go get something to eat. We were already on our way when she told us to give her ten minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to drive there. So we looked at the cars on the lot. This one caught my eye automatically. I mentioned this to my aunt and she had me sit down with a guy who could give me some numbers...no pressure. The numbers sounded good. With my trade and nothing down my payments would be about the same as I was planning on for a new one...with an extra $5000 down I was planning on saving. That sounded pretty good.

We walked away and I thought, that sounds good. That would be an extra $5000 I could put down on a place to live...slightly more important than a car.

So today, got an insurance quote. It was reasonable, if you live in Arizona anyway. After work, drove it. Loved it. Sat down and bought it. Well, allowed the bank to buy it and promise, in the form of a legal document to pay them back.

Now the only question is, what is her name?

Spoiled

So the number one way I was spoiled was not having a job. Do you remember those summers before you had a job and all you had to do was sit around, except for it wasn't that great because you couldn't drive. Well, after I knew I had a job, and even before that to some extent, that is what my life was like. I slept in, watched TV, read everyone's blogs, made lunch, worked out, went shopping, looked at condos, etc. all day long. It was great. That doesn't happen so much now that I have a job. But, before I also had no income.

That was not such a big deal however. See, I live with my aunt. That has a variety of benefits. I don't pay rent. I don't pay utilities. And, on most occasions, I do not pay for food. We eat out most nights and weekends. I do pay for some groceries so that I can attempt to eat a well balanced meal at lunch. But, when you consider that the only other thing that you pay for is your cell phone bill. That sounds pretty good. This is also about to change however because I started paying for car insurance, the car I do have is starting to cost too much money for how old it is, and my 6 months grace period on my school loans is just about up. It is a good thing I have that job that is taking up all of my free time.

TiVo. A great way to be spoiled. I would tell you to get one, but I think that might also cause the demise in some of your most valued friendships. I love TiVo. It is the end of commercials, but with the end of commercials also comes the end to the conversation during them. But you can go out to eat and miss the first half of the program and no biggie.

I have my own bathroom. I have never had my own bathroom except for the short amout of time that I lived at buck fifty all by myself while Rachel was still in the UAE. This is also changing. My cousin is back for the summer. So far so good. It is really great to be able to talk to someone my own age. It is also good to go to church with her. We were able to talk about the service with her boyfriend Bobby and have a REAL conversation about something that means something. I am not saying that I don't have real conversations on a regular basis, but when I get the opportunity now, I am more thankful for it.

Closet. I think my closet that I have here is about one third of the size of Rachel's bedroom. I have to say, it is pretty great. Even though about a third of the things in the closet do not belong to me, it doesn't matter. There is still plenty of room to house all of my belongings.

Wireless internet. My cousin Brandon is a computer guru. He set up the wireless internet business before I got her. I can type on my computer and watch the TiVo at the same time or sit on my bed and blog. Isn't life grand.

I house sat for a lady my aunt knows. Not only did I get some much needed cash, I also am the beneficiary of her recent move. The woman wanted all new stuff for her new place. I cannot say that I blame her. New house, new stuff, it makes some sense. But, I do not have the funds to be buying all new things. The problem with that is that I don't have anything to begin with. Problem solved. I know that I am getting a coffee maker, microwave, dishes, bedding, and even a table and chairs set. Woo hoo! It is better than the Good Will.

Ok, I must go to bed. I have to work early in the morning. But, keep me accountable blog friends. I still need to tell you about how my job is going and the hard parts about being down here. You didn't think it was all good did you? I did want to start you off with the good stuff though. There is more good stuff. It is all yet to come.

And, if you are still reading, how do you feel about the layout change?

Wow

Holly -- [noun]: A dance involving little to no clothing 'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

18.75 %

My weblog owns 18.75 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

I am pretty sure one is true, and the other is false. You can decide.

I don't have pictures

Ok. So I don't have a digital camera. The picture phone just does not do anything justice. So, I will have to borrow my aunt's digital camera someday. I just have to figure out how it works. I think it is also sitting in her office right now. She was right on top of technology and probably was one of the first people to have a digital camera. Unfortunately, that means that her camera takes disks, floppy disks. But, I will eventually get photos.

Phoenix
So far, I love Phoenix. If I am telling to truth I would have to say that it took a little time to get used to. When we first drove up it was at night. My aunt showed me her house and it is great. The front yard had rocks. That didn't really surprise me. All the yards had rocks. Then we went to the back yard. More rocks. I knew that it was coming, but it is kinda hard to sink in. You never realize how much grass and green and trees that aren't cactus make home feel like home.
When we were driving to Sedona with my uncle I really had the thought, "I knew there were cactus, I just didn't realize there were this many!" I know, I live in a desert I should know better.
That is not the only thing that doesn't quite feel like home as far as just looking around. The houses are completely different. Most are what we, Iowa people, would consider Spanish style. Stucco, tile roofs, and they are all painted desert colors which is basically some neutral shade.
But after a few weeks, you get kinda used to it.
I actually appreciate some of the achitecture and it is kinda one of those things where you start to notice the differences in some things that all looked the same. Side note: none of those houses are those houses are the house that I live in and I am probably violating some copyright law by stealing those from a real estate website.
The weather is beautiful. I have a membership to a gym, but sometimes I go for a walk to just enjoy the weather. Where I live is also beautiful. There is a man made lake and a park very close. There are palm trees and ducks and water features. It looks like a resort on most days. Which leads to my next point.

I am spoiled

....to be continued. I was distracted and I will finish this later, but I am not all talk. :)

Overdue

Yes, I am way overdue for a real post about what is going on in my life besides what is playing on my mp3 and fish cake. My goal is this week. Details about what it is like here, how I feel and the like are kinda hard to put in words. It will be a long post I am sure. Would you all prefer a big long post or several shorter ones over a few days?

This tastes a little funny...

Last night my cousin and his wife came over for dinner. My aunt made a ham, green beans and mashed potatoes. It was all good. Very good, infact. After that we were sitting around and my cousin's wife joked about dessert. Just the day before, my aunt got a microwave rice cooker from Pampered Chef.

These are great. I don't know how well they cook rice or what it is like when you cook it. But get this: they make a cake in 9 minutes. No joke. It is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. You mix up a cake mix as the directions say, scoop in some can frosting, zap it for 9 minutes, let is cool a little, flip it on to a plate and presto cake.

Well, last night I thought: I can go get a cake mix and show them how great this is. Not to mention that I love cake.

When we were eatting it, it tasted a little funny. I thought it was the oil. It kind of had an old oil taste. I am familiar with this taste, because being a single lady it can take a long time to use up a bottle of oil.

After discusing it for a few minutes, my uncle says that the oil might have been recycled from cooking catfish. Seriously. Needless to say, we dumped the rest of the cake. I'm not sure when I will want to eat another microwave cake. Sick. Oh well. It was HILARIOUS!

I LIKE this!

Put your music player on shuffle.
Press forward for each question.
Use the song title as the answer to the question.

How am I feeling today?
Lester Leaps In-Count Basie's Kansas City Six
did get my Arizona insurance today, productive, non working day. also, my nursing license is official!

Will I get far in life?
Believe-Newsboys

How do my friends see me?
I'm Not In Love- 10cc

When will I get Married?
Keep Your Hands To Yourself- The Calling
i for sure do say "don't give me no lines..."

What is my best friend's theme song?
Sing To The King-Candi Pearson

What is the story of my life?
The Scientist- Coldplay
"no one said said it'd be easy, no one said it would be so hard. i am going back to the start." i played this song over and over again when i left japan.

What is/was high school like?
Good Man- Burlap To cashmere
"he was dancing to the bright lights. he was dying for some love.... his school bells were his only song."

How can I get ahead in life?
Something that I can't read because it is in Japanese-Some Japanese band- Blue CD from Mitsuru, is this a sign that i have a lot to learn about getting ahead in life or that i need to learn japanese?

What is the best thing about me?
Come Together- The Beatles

How is today going to be?
Perhaps She'll Wait- Bebo Norman

What is in store for this weekend?
Into Jesus- dcTalk
appropriate for every day, but especially Resurrection Sunday

What song describes my parents?:
Track 05- Japanese for Busy People
really, you think??

To describe my grandparents?
Yet another Japanese song by a Japanese band, Track 13 from the blue cd from Mitsuru

How is my life going?
Mind's Eye- dc Talk

What song will they play at my funeral?
Who's Lovin' You- The Jackson 5
"all i can do since you've been gone is cry." sad funeral

How does the world see me?
Angel of Harlem-U2
not bad

Will I have a happy life?
Back When- Tim McGraw
hm...i hope i don't look back on my life a lot and say i miss back when.

What do my friends really think of me?
This Day- Stephen Curtis Chapman
cool promises put into song here. rock on scc. i know you can be in the "i am embarrassed that i listen to you" category, but seriously some times, you need a good scc song.

What should I do with my life?
Melt Me- Jake

Will I ever have children?
A Home- Dixie Chicks

What is some good advice for me?
Walking Man- James Taylor

How will I be remembered?
Ko-Ko - Duke Ellington And His Orchestra

What is my signature dancing song?
Rockin' Me- Steve Miller Band
definitely!

What do I think my current theme song is?
Some Days You Gotta Dance- Dixie Chicks
shouldn't this be my signature dance song?

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
You're Everywhere- Third Day
zimbabwe, japan, phoenix- i suppose how this could be seen as everywhere, but i'm not omnipresent

What type of men/women do I like?
Spring of Life- Ginny Owens
sure :) same song as one of amanda's, cool.

I think the interesting thing about for this survey for me has been how I felt when I took it. It means absolutely nothing, but sometimes I would get excited about what it said. Or sometimes disappointed. Other times I would get kinda nervous about what song would pop up next. Oh Holly, why do you put so much weight into something that means nothing?

The Details

The floor I will be working on is the pulmonary/endocrine/family medicine unit. So what that means is I will be taken care of mostly people that have problems with their lungs, but also people that have issues with their hormones, and some people that are in the hospital because their regular doctor wants them in the hospital for some reason. Basically it is your general run of the mill medical floor. It should be a great place to start my career.

No one left the floor for 5 years. The only reason that they are hiring is because they moved to a new floor and needed more nurses. Several of the new hires are new graduates, but there are a lot of really experienced nurses on the floor as well. I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet people my own age and learn from the older nurses. There is even a mentorship program that I can take part in to help my transition from nursing student to nurse.

I am starting out on the night shift. They gave me the option of what shift I would like to work. All the nursing shifts are 12 hour shifts. So, since I am working night shift I will be working from 7pm to 7:30am. I did both days and nights in my internship and I liked nights because the hospital was quieter. And I get 15% more to work nights. That makes a big difference over the year.

Speaking of money, the money is good. It is better than any of the other places that I interviewed. But that is not a big deal, because they all tend to adjust to each other, because if there was a big difference then all the nurses would leave one hospital to go to the other. On that note, one of the hospitals that I interviewed at called me today disappointed that I had taken this job. They asked if they gave me more money if I would consider going to their hospital. I had no idea that kind of stuff really happened.

I am not sure what I wear. I think that I just wear scrubs. I think I can wear whatever I want, even different color pants. At UIHC I think all the nurses and NA's have to wear white pants. I just have to make sure about that. I have to buy my own scrubs though. No big deal. I bought a special new first day of work outfit today. I bought white pants just in case. I will post picture later.

My first day will be on April 24th. I have two days of general hospital orientation. I would start earlier, but I am still waiting on my nursing license. I will start on that day anyway if I still don't have my license, I will start anyway. I would official start as a nurse extern, but that basically just extends my orientation.

I have to sign papers and stuff tomorrow. I might get my name tag that day. Perhaps I will make sure it says Miss Holly RN.

I'm Employed!

I have a job. I have been decisive about one thing in my life. Woo hoo!

Feel free to check it out. Click here.

Busy "Work" Day

Today was possibly the busiest and most interesting day of my job hunt. I started off the day with an interview at a hospital downtown. I was not sure how long it would take me to get there because of traffic. So left a little after seven for my nine o'clock appointment. I arrived about ten to eight.

The hospital has a little coffee shop in it, so I decided to get myself some coffee and a little breakfast, seeing as I had skipped it this morning. While I was enjoying my fruit and yogurt cup, and reading some Exodus, I got a phone call. The hospital that I had an interview with last week was calling me back for a second interview.

When I went for the interview at the current location, it went well. I enjoyed the nurse manager, and knew that if I were offered a position there it would make my decision all that more challenging.

On my way back from the interview I noticed that I had a voicemail. The voicemail was from a man at a hospital that I had applied to, but had not heard back from yet. I didn't have time to call him back because I was going to my Aunt's work for lunch.

When I got back, there was a message on the phone from the hospital that I had interviewed with on Tuesday. When I called back, I learned that they were officially offering me a position.

After lunch I had a phone interview with another downtown hospital. It went well and we scheduled an interview with the nurse manager for next week.

I has missed a call when I was on the phone for the interview. It was the hospital that I interviewed with in the morning. They were also offering me a position.

So... to keep track of the numbers for you there...

2...interviews
2...interviews currently scheduled for next week
1...interview to be scheduled for next week
2...job offers

I have to say, I am blessed. Wow. Being decisive would be a good quality trait to have right now.

It is coming...

So, I do promise a real blog about what my life is like here, how I am doing, how the job hunt is going and all that goodness. HOWEVER, I am waiting for one letter to reach one person on a certain island in Asia. What fun is it for her to get a letter if I have already told her everything on my blog. No fun right, so no fun for you too. :)

But I will make a list of things I had to go to Arizona to learn:

• I knew it was going to be hot, but yesterday it was 85 degrees. It is March.
• The sun makes a huge difference. This is a desert. When the sun goes down it cools off. There isn't the moisture in the air to hold on to the heat: dress in layers.
• The sun is strong: yesterday when I was driving from point a to point b, got some sun on my left arm only. Note to self: invest in sunscreen.
• Iowa does not have traffic. We don't know anything about traffic. Traffic is crazy go nuts here.
• It is going to take me a while to get used to this lack of season business. I keep thinking that it is summer. I think the combination of it being 80 degrees and not having class is really throwing me off.
• I am not as adventurous as I thought. I need a support system to make a complete fool out of myself.

That is all for now. I am sure there will be more to come. In the meantime enjoy more pictures of my niece! One day old here!