When a 9 year old Visits

Wow, where to start? My nephew Trae and my daughter were with me here in Chicago for a week over New Years. It was a great experience. Being able to see and experience things in the eyes of a child....

This time did show me how ingrained consumerism is in our culture. At every attraction, beyond the ticket price....there were added costs for exhibits and attractions. At every stop, there is not just one but multiple gift shops...there is no way around them! At Shedds Aquarium, we went through the Jellies exhibit and the ONLY way to exit was THROUGH the gift shop. This was the case at most places.... How do you teach a child that it's not about the purchase but the experience?

We visited many of the tourist landmarks in Chicago and each and every time...it was the gift shop that provided the most draw to my nephew. "How much can I spend", "what can I buy", "can you buy this for me?". With all the amazing sights, sounds and tastes of the city surrounding him...it was the gift shop that pulled him in. I don't blame him, it's a way of life here in the US.

Where did we go? What stood out? What did we buy?

- The Museum of Science and Industry
What stood out for me: The massiveness of it all
What did we buy: Postcards, a toy that Trae made.
Best Moment: (sorry, nothing comes to mind)

- Shedds Aquarium
What stood out for me: Shark Tanks
What did we buy: Postcards, a penguin keychain for Trae
Best Moment: Watching Trae play with foreign children on the fake rocks.

- Sears (or Willis if you like) Tower
What stood out for me: The 'City Pass' was a GREAT buy...avoid the lines!
What did we buy: Postcards,
Best Moment: Trinity stepping out on the skywalk (she is afraid of heights)

- The Billy Goat Tavern
What stood out for me: Great food and an eclectic history.
What did we buy: Burgers!!
Best Moment: Getting our picture taken outside by a stranger

- Millenium Park
What stood out for me: NO GIFT SHOP!
What did we buy: NOTHING
Best Moment: Walking away after getting kicked out with Trae on my shoulders

- The Cultural Center
What stood out for me: People were polite
What did we buy: NOTHING
Best Moment: Goofy guy jumping on bull with Trae

- The Field Museum
What stood out for me: It was peaceful and I want to go back
What did we buy: A dino keychain for Trae
Best Moment: Pretending to run from Sue the T-Rex

- Navy Pier for Winter Wonderfest
What stood out for me: Tons of families enjoying themselves. I noticed very little to no arguing, fighting, mis-behaving children.
What did we buy: A pressed penny and some odd toys for Trae @ Navy Peir. A lightup item at Winter Wonderfest.
Best Moment: Watching Trae ice-skate without help

- Wandering Michigan Avenue
What stood out for me: Summer MUST be better ;o)
What did we buy: Hot drinks
Best Moment: Watching Trae delight in taking photographs..and telling Trinity "I want to be a photographer like you".

In addition to the above, some of my favorite moments were:

- Hearing the sound of Trae's voice, the excitement over the phone while waiting for the train to bring him to Chicago "I've got to go Aunt Candy...the train is here!!"


- Trading a frappuccino at McDonalds for cheeseburgers handed out to the homeless.

- Watching Trae's eyes light up during our cab ride and train into the city

- Huggs....goodnight kisses...and family-time!! As a full-time traveler, I miss all of those.

I know that I have left Trinity out of much of this post.... We have traveled together on multiple occasions and this trip was more about Trae and providing an experience for him. I loved spending time with my daughter during this trip, watching her interact with Trae and just being together.

When a 9 year old visits.....PRICELESS!

How To Tame A Monster

This week is very special for me.  I am privilaged to be able to share my love of travel and new places with someone very close to my heart....my nephew, Trae.  Trae is 9 years old and lives in the same area that I grew up in, in the mid-west.  It has a very small-town feel to it and people that live there, tend to stay in the area.  I'm certainly the oddity when it comes to leaving.  I've gotten accoustomed to being the odd man (or woman as it may be) out.

It's been a joy to be able to share all of the new experiences with my nephew.  The excitement in his voice while waiting for the train to bring him to thto the e 'city' was palpable.  It gave me the same excitement just hearing him.  The look on his face when he saw his first sky-scraper was priceless.  I'm enjoying every minute of sharing the city with him.

I feel very lucky that I am able to travel and I try to share my love of travel with others in my life.  My Mom and step-dad have been able to travel to see me in many new places, my daughter has more 'air' time than most adults that I know, my Son traveled with me for a while before he decided to plant himself for the time being.

In addition to family, I can now add my nephew to the (hopefully) ever growing list of those that have been exposed to the world of travel.  Several of my kids' friends have joined us on adventures over the years and each one of those times was special to me.  I loved being able to share my love with them and hopefully open their eyes to the fact that there is a big world out there to be explored.

Through all the joy....there is always a downside.  One that I have been able to hide away, locked up; like a monster in the closet... somewhere in the back of my mind.  It surfaces once in a while but I continue to push it back and try to forget that it's there.  This holiday season...the monster came for my daughter and hit me harder than ever.

What is my Monster?

It's the fear and the reality of being left out, forgotten, overlooked.  How-ever you want to look at it; it's the time when those that should be close and concerned ie family and good friends forget or neglect to think of you.  Forget to invite you to the holiday dinner....your usually gone anyway.  Overlook the thought that you might be available....even though you usually aren't.  Leave you out of the festivities and events....because they are certain that your celebrating with someone else.

I can deal with MY monster.  I've learned to make my own happiness.  When my monster rears it's ugly head, I can put it back in the closet with all the fond memories and experiences that my lifestyle has allowed me.  It still hurts; but I can deal with it.

But now....?   Now, my Monster and I have an issue....and i don't know how to tame it.  I can't push it back into the closet with MY memories...it isn't after me this time.

How do I tame a monster when it isn't attacking me?

2011 Round-up

x

x

x

Since it's getting close to the end of 2011, I thought it fitting for me to post a round-up of people, places and events that occured during the year.

I've worked in three locations this year.  Here is a summary of each:

• Kansas City, MO ~ North Kansas City Hospital
• High nurse patient ratio's 1:8
• Largest unit I've ever worked on at 52 beds
• Traveler friendly on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best: 6/10
• Busy...busy....busy!

• Providence, RI
• Average nurse patient ratio's 1:5-6
• 20 some bed unit
• Traveler friendly: 9/10 (These nurses were very welcoming)
• Nice slow easy work pace

• Chicago, IL
• Average nurse patient ratio's 1-5-6
• 20 something bed unit
• Traveler friendly: 5/10
• Moderately busy but not overwhelming

Places that I've traveled (I'll include my travel nursing locations here as well)

• Kansas City, MO
• Tons to see and do
• Surprised me on it's diversity
• COLD (I was here in winter)
• I would consider going back (during warmer months)
• New Orleans, LA
• Traveled here twice this year.  Once for MG and again for French Quarter Fest
• Always love NOLA
• I WILL go back.
• Minnieapolis, MN
• Surprisingly fun city
• Always something fun to do/see
• Would go back to explore more
• Louisville, KY
• Stayed here with a friend to recouperate from surgery
• Somewhat of a home away from home for me
• Visited with friends and family
• I'll always come back due to family in the area.
• Road Trip across Pennsylvania (twice)
• Loved the covered bridges
• People were helpful and friendly
• Great comfort food
• Hated Hershey, PA
• Hoboken, NJ
• Went to see Carlo's Bakery (for Trinity)
• Small town feel with all of the big city ammenities
• Would love to go back
• Providence, RI
• Got robbed twice
• First place I lived was ghetto...moved into hotel
• People at work were the only redeeming quality
• Would return but have to find a good spot to live
• Chicago, IL
• Always tons to do/see
• COLD (winter in Chicago...not smartest choice)
• Live too far from the 'city'
• Would return if I could live closer to downtown.

So it looks like I managed about 8 states.  Not too bad for a girl that had two surgeries this year and was down and out for a good two months.

No international travel this year which is a bit disappointing but I'm heading to South America in February....so how is a girl to complain?

Where did you go in 2011?  What was your favorite and why?  Have you been to any of the places I went in 2011?  If so, were your impresssions different?

Sharing the Windy City

Being a Travel Nurse is a ton of fun.  The ability to travel to new cities and live there as a local is the draw that kept me traveling for the last 7 years.  The best part, however is being able to share the new city with others.  This weekend, I got to share the city with my daughter; Trinity. 

We braved temperatures in the teens, bundled up like little snowmen and went out to explore the city.  The 'cloud gate', State street lights, watched the ice skaters, and of course I drank lots of coffee. 

I've been able to intice Trinity to enjoy the theater and we saw one of the most interesting performances that I think I've seen to date.  "Let My People Come".

 This play was originally performed in NYC in the '70's and was controversial at that time.  Wow....I can see why!  It was an amazing exploration of sexuality, both personal and societal .   I can only imagine how this was accepted (or not) in the '70's when the general public was pretty prudish when it comes to sexuality, nudity, and alternative life-styles.  It was raw, vulgar, emotional, and engaging.  If you can step outside of societies boundaries and go with an open mind.....it's eye-opening.


The train ride back home was nearly as engaging as the play.  Between the drunk blond that everyone was afraid was going to hurl on the train, the old black man screaming about "I paid $45 dollar for a cheesecake", the egotistical romeo sitting behind us, and the banter between the other sober passengers; it was a riot.  I think I laughed nearly as much on the ride home as I did during the play; maybe more.
There is an improv show somewhere here in Chicago that I had read about the is based on personal experiences on the  "L".  It sounded interesting before this engaging trip but now I think it's a must see while here in the city.  (Remind me to put this on my 'to-do' list).

Livin' life and enjoying Chicago....

Chicago

A great way to start out a day in Chicago or any city for that matter is to take some sort of 'free' walking tour. There are a couple of companies that I like to use.  For Chicago, I headed straight to Chicago Greeters Website and set up a FREE Greeter Tour.

The Greeter tours in Chicago are done by volunteers at the Cultural Center and are really totally free. There is no push for tips or donations. In fact, your not even allowed to tip your tour guide. The guides are locals. People living in Chicago that want to show you what makes the city important for them, what their favorite spots are, and/or anything that you have a direct interest in.







My tour was of the 'Loop" area of Chicago. It was great because it showed me places that I would have walked by without even giving a second glance. To start with, the Cultural Center. It's a destination. Not just for the tourist office that's located inside but for it's history and ambiance. There is free wi-fi and and very comfortable reading or studying area with comfortable chairs and tables. Like your local coffee shop without the coffee.




The cultural center is the city's old Library.  After the Great Chicago Fire, books were donated to the city of Chicago and believe it or not, the city had not ever had a library before.  So, one had to be built. (After doing some internet research on this; I found that this isn't true.  Chicago DID have a library.)


It's beautiful.  Go and explore.  The moaisc murals on the walls are made from glass and marble, and the Tiffany glass dome is reportedly one of (if not the) largest ever made.  It's outstanding.








I also learned a little of the architecture in Chicago; specifically the "Chicago window".  Check it out on Wikipedia.  We actually have a lot of the "Chicago window's" in my home town.  Interesting.

After the tour, I wandered around and found the Marilyn Monroe pictured above.  There is a ton of controversy surrounding Marilyn here in the city but the tourists (myself included) seem to enjoy it...especially some of the men getting up close and catching a little more than a peek at Marilyn's panties!

Check out my daughters Gallery for additional Chicago inspiration.

A Quirky Travel Companion

On my drive home from Providence, I had decided to stop by Gettysburg and visit the sites. As I was approaching the town of Gettysburg, my Dad called and we started chatting (via bluetooth) about how my trip had gone....etc...etc...

Next thing I know, I'm at the park and admiring all of the statues.  Dad asks about what I am seeing and as I'm telling him, he is looking it up online.  He then reads about the statue to me via phone and I got to hear about the history/significance of the statues as I was seeing them.

We continued this way for well over an hour....and even had a couple of drop-in companions when Dad's friends Dan and Doug showed up and Dad put me on speakerphone.

I know that this sounds really stupid to all of you out there.  However, this was quite significant for me.  I really enjoyed having Dad there with me (even if it was only on the phone).  I have wanted Dad to travel to see me forever and it has just never happened.  Somehow, having him on the phone was like him being with me.  I enjoyed sharing my thoughts and chatting about the different sites as I was seeing them.

I wish that he could have been there in person but I will always remember the trip that Dad and I took together to Gettysburg.

Feeling Sorry For Myself in Providence

17.07.2011 - 27.10.2011 

So, I really want to get to where things are today and my upcoming plans...... But, first things first! Providence! Providence was interesting. On arrival at the location of my new apartment I was a bit, ok I was a lot intimidated. It's a very run-down neighborhood and didn't appear to be a safe part of the city.

I went ahead and took a peek at the apartment, was reassured by the maintenance guy that it's a safe place and fell in love with the loft type apartment. It was beautiful. If only it was in a different part of town.... Trinity helped me settle in and we explored the city a little. We were both worn out from the road trip and decided that neither of us was up for a whole lot of exploring. Too soon, she had to leave and I started work.

 Working at Providence VA was a great experience. The crew there is awesome! Love those nurses and will miss all of them. Unfortunately, I was working 8 hour night shifts and hated them. I used to having several days a week off to go explore and I was just exhausted working 5 days a week. So, I didn't do hardly anything of note during my time in Providence...it's sad, there is so much to see and do in the area that I feel like I truly missed out. (Insert feeling sorry for myself, here)

I did meet some great people and feel like I made some life-time friends so all is not lost. Thanks to the crew at Providence for all the fun after work drinks and making me feel welcome.

If your interested, there are a few Providence pictures HERE

Highlights:
 - Quatro Fromagio Pizza at 0200
 - My Loft Apartment
 - The Night Shift Crew!!
 - Afterwork Drinks!

Next Stop...NOLA, Again??

07.04.2011 - 10.04.2011

When I left New Orleans after MG, my Mom and Dad were getting ready to embark on a road-trip of their own. Mom mentioned NOLA. I was instantly ready to go. I knew that the New Orleans French quarter Festival was occuring during the time frame that they were considering so I suggested that I meet them there as an extension of my trip back toward home. My contract in KC was ending around this time and I was looking for something to do.

We made our plans and headed out planning to meet each other somewhere part-way. Note to anyone that is traveling with family: PATIENCE!! Mom, if your reading this....I still love you and always will!!
Our plans to meet were constantly changed due to Daddy's interest in taking the "road less traveled". I love him and I think that I get some of my wanderlust from him, but REALLY? Do you need to change your route every couple of hours?? I kept trying to figure out how to meet with them and they kept changing their route and making it impossible....

We finally met up together somewhere at a rest stop in the middle of no-where.....

The drive into New Orleans was stressfull for me as I was certain that Daddy was going to get killed in the traffic. He didn't (thank God). We made it to our hotel together all safe.

We spent several days exploring New Orleans together and I got to introduce Mom to crawfish (still not sure if she liked them or not). I got to see Trombone Shorty, one of my favorite New Orleans performers. I think they enjoyed themselves?

Click here to See Pictures

Road Trips to remember

27.01.2011 - 05.04.2011

I wanted to break down my time in KC as most of it wasn't really spent in KC, but road-tripping. I love a good road-trip and most of my KC co-workers decided that I am a nut with all the driving I did while there.
First, I drove up to Minneapolis, MN to visit a fellow travel Nurse friend. Teresa and I met back in Seattle and were fortunate to work in the same city again in Elko, NV. Just before I headed off to Germany .

Although distance separates us most of the time, I consider her one of my very best friends. We had a relaxing and enjoyable extended weekend. Teresa and her daughter Heather showed me all around downtown Minneapolis and we had a great time together.

The next road trip was with another very good friend of mine to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Lisa and I have shared many Mardi Gras together and some great experiences that will not be shared here. This year was very different. First....it doesn't happen often, but if you ever plan to go to MG and it happens to be near Spring Break for Colleges...DONT GO.

It wasn't the MG that I was accoustomed to, it was a hyped up Spring Break experience and nothing like the TRUE MARDI GRAS. You may thnk to yourself that I was just overwhelmed with the 'party' atmosphere due to spring break....your wrong, very wrong. The mood was nothing like the many previous years that we attended. It was a bunch of broke young kids that didn't have a clue how MG 'works'. I guess you would have to have been there to understand.

So Lisa and I rented a great place to stay from Craigslist and totally got scammed! We lost the money that we had paid for the week in NOLA and with everything else booked or way too expensive, we parked in the garage on arrival and decided that we would get a few drinks and ask around to see if we could find a place to stay....

Four days later.....

We pulled out of the parking garage and decided not to come back for MG during Spring Break.

Cupcakes, Cabaret and Road Trips: Part I

27.01.2011 - 05.04.2011

I realized yesterday that it's been almost a full year since I started this new blog and I haven't put a single travel entry in. I am ashamed. Actually, not really. But I figure that it's time to start putting down my thoughts and experiences once again.

I've been caught up this year with feeling sorry for myself, having surgery (elective), more feeling sorry for myself, attempting to spend time with my family, and lots of planning.

Where to start? It's been a busy year, although not the busy that I would ultimately enjoy and really mostly lazy at times. Let's start where I last left off, Kansas City. KC wasn't as enjoyable as I had planned for it to be. Actually, nothing has been very enjoyable lately (see feeling sorry for myself) but it's mostly me.
North KC Hospital was a hard and busy place to work. Three months there flew by. I really didn't do much there as it was one of the worst winters I've had in a long time. Lots of snow and really cold tempuratures don't do much to entice me to get out of the house to explore. I'm sure that there is tons to do in KC, but I really can't comment on it.

There are a couple of things that stand out from my time in KC. First being my daughter, Trinity and her friends chose to come visit me in KC for their Jr year Spring Break. Can you imagine that? I would never have choosen KC for Spring Break, given a choice. Oh, well. It was a great time with three teen-age girls in the studio apartment of mine...imagine it....make-up, clothes, shoes, for 4 females scattered all over my tiny little place of solitude.

We enjoyed the week seeing the play Cabaret (which we all loved), playing around at the Crayon store in the local mall, and a night of comedy at a local Improv show.

Click here for Pictures

The other thing that stands out from my time in KC is the CUPCAKES!!! Yes, cupcakes! I your ever in KC, give 3GirlsCupcakes a call and ask for a drive-by, or better yet follow her on FB and do like I did the first time and see if you can chase her down somewhere in KC. These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. Tell her "hello, from the travel nurse on 8th". Maybe she will remember me, I was a very good customer during my sulky days in KC.

One more thing that stands out from my time in KC is that I didn't stick around KC a lot during my time there. I was on the move! I traveled a lot, now that I really look at it. In February I drove to Minneapolis to visit my friend, Teresa. Then the first week in March, Lisa and I took the most interesting trip to New Orleans I've ever had (this deserves it's own post so I'll fill you in on the details later). Then in March the Girls arrived for a week. Before I knew it, the contract was done and I was heading on a road trip back to New Orleans to meet my parents.

It went by so fast and looking back on it, I really did have a good time although I still can't tell you a thing about KC, other than if you get a chance you should give it a try. I think that there is a lot to see and do and maybe someday I'll go back and actually stay in town and explore.

Here I am...

Ok..so Here I am in Phoenix Arizona. How did I get here you ask? Well....a very long car ride got me here. I started out from the Outter Banks in NC (it was great there and I already miss the beach), and headed West on I40. I was able to stop along the way and see a friend of mine in Little Rock Arkansas...but other than that, the trip was basically L O N G.....

I'm here for work. That was an event in itself! I applied for and accepted two prior positions before they both fell through for various reasons and finally got a position with the same company that I had been working with in NC.

North Carolina....let me fill you in a little bit about Atlantic Beach. It's an awesome beach with some wonderful kind locals. I frequented the local coffee shop and became somewhat of a 'local' myself. Please realize that these 'locals' are all over 60 and retired, but it was still fun to talk with them and they really gave me a feeling of community, almost like family. The beach was a lot of fun for the summer, lots of people and activity on the beach. Then I moved onto the beach Labor Day weekend....and everything got quiet... No, not because I moved there but just because it was the end of the summer season. After Labor Day, the beach became more of a ghost town....even my local coffee shop changed their hours to close at NOON!! You know me...lucky if I get out of bed before NOON on most days. So, you can imagine...how lonley and bored I was. I will miss the beach but the lifestyle is not for me. I need a little more activity in my life.

Phoenix....WOW! What a huge difference!! I drove into Phoenix from Flagstaff...which is totally different than I ever expected. Flagstaff is actually mountainous and green and reminded me more of Colorado than I would have thought of Arizona. I decended the mountain into Phoenix and it became a lot more flat, but still remained quite greener than I imagined. There are palms, and grass (greener on lawns that are watered) and the weather has been beautiful... I have been here for three days and already feel like I'm 'home'. I haven't met any of my neighbors as of yet but I have met more people in the community here so far than I met during my entire time at Atlantic Beach.

My first night here, I ventured over to the local Irish Pub (right across the street), Rosie McCafferty's. Here I met Mike, Marc and Gina...some really nice 'locals'. We talked and visited and they gave me their favorites in the area. They offered me a shot of Tequilla (I declined...ewwww). The bartender is Jay and he's a little slow on the refills but pretty nice to talk to and even nicer to look at!! ha ha My second night, I stayed at home and rested. Man, was I tired from the driving and unpacking (did I mention that I am on the third floor with NO elevator?) I could have used some help with packing all my stuff upstairs, but am really glad that I decided to change my packing from the large totes to the small 10gallon ones!! Much easier to haul upstairs!! Just a few more trips to take is all.... So, I have everything moved in (except for two cases that hold my scrapbooking stuff) and it feels like I've been here for months...except NO dust!! ha ha

On Thursday, I am going to meet with a local 'singles' group to go to a coffee shop and listen to some poetry. I think it will be interesting and something different for me. And at least I'll get to meet some more new people. On Friday, I am meeting a couple of other travel nurses for lunch. I've talked to them via email several times and it will be nice to meet them in person and share travel stories. One of them, Sharon worked at the hospital in New Albany at the same time that I was in New Albany doing home health....interesting that we never met, yet were working for the same hospital and in the same area. New Albany is home for her and considering that I lived in the area for 6 years, I'm sure we will have something to talk about.

Last night, I had dinner with a friend of a friend...Wes. He is friends with my old neighbors in Atlantic Beach. Barry and Mandy know him from Pensylvannia and forwarded him my email address when they found out that I was heading this way and didn't know anyone. Wes is a nice guy...kinda what I would call dull and geeky sortof...but we still had a good time. We went to Wally's for dinner and it was AWESOME!! Great food and great atmosphere. I let Wes talk me into having red wine....I'm usually a white drinker...and it was GREAT! I think maybe I'm converted!! ha ha

WOW...I have had more social activities in the last three days than I've had in the last three months!!! It's really nice to be in a more metropolitan area that actually has things to do for single people or people in general....think I'm going to chill and watch movies tonight.

I am waiting for my fingerprints to come back to start work at the Vetrans Hospital. Hopefully, I'll be working Monday...in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the area and scope the place out a little more. I finally broke down and bought a new digital camera....wish I had done it sooner!! So...watch out for lots of pictures to come!

bored

Wow...Three months and a complete assignment since I last posted. I'm still in Morehead City, NC right now with only two and a half weeks left on my assignment. The plan is to go to Phoenix, AZ next....

I extended my contract here with hopes of living on the beach and enjoying all that the beach has to offer.... Little did I know that after Labor Day, the beach is like a deserted Island!! There are many days when I am the only person on the beach within sight. Aco love it and has been able to run free of her leash and play in the sand and the water. She has been great! She listens a lot better now (although she still gets distracted easily).

I'm sitting at work right now and quite bored at the present time. I shouldn't complain, it's a nice break when it's quiet. I'm just looking forward to leaving here and moving into a new place with new people and new problems...yep...every place has them and I'm sure that Phoenix will not be any different than the many other places that I've been.

Trinity was here and just went home yesterday....I miss her already. She has been talking with me over the last year about living with me and we discussed it in depth during her visit. I thought that she had decided that she was moving after this school year then tonight...she called me (at work) to tell me that she thinks she is going to stay in Kendallville. I really just want her to be happy, and to make a decision. A lot will change if she chooses to come and live with me but change is good...right?

I haven't been home to visit for about two months and am not sure when I am going home again....dont really care to be there anymore. I would much rather have Trinity come to visit me although it doesn't always work out that she can and it gets rather expensive too. I dont know what it is about Kendallville but I just dont want to be there....

A lot has been happening:

Lisa and I dont talk any more...
Mom and I had a major fight....it's better now....
Mom bailed out Shane and he is living back home with Trae....
I have made a new friend 'Donna' and I think she is going to travel to Arizona with me...
I'm having second thoughts about being alone (as in 'no man in my life)....
Trinity is growing up and beginning to like 'boys'....
Corey is living in Corydon, still without a job or a drivers license....
Donnie is still in Jail and waiting to be transferred to a state facility....

Summer

Summer on the beach in North Carolina....

Trinity and I have been enjoying the beach and we have both gotten a nice tan from the summer sun. We are having fun watching the surfers, and the sand-castle makers, and the general "beach-bum". It's been a good summer so far.

Trinity is leaving soon to go home for school. I'm going to miss having her here with me. We have been getting along great except for my occasional "time-for-my-medicine-outbursts"!! ha ha We visited Ft Macon, the aquarium, and found a great coffee shop right on the beach. It's going to be wierd here without her.

Corey is in Corydon with his buddies and I am finding that I miss him terribly!! I think he is doing ok. Still being the bum that he is...but I love him.

It's going to be different for me when Trinity leaves. I'll be alone for the first time EVER. I dont know if I'm going to like it or hate it. I've always had someone with me. I think that I am going to like being alone, but then again?? I still have the dogs to keep me company. I guess I just need to learn to be a little more outgoing. Maybe I'll find a local bar that I can go and have a drink at once in a while.

I'll try to keep you posted on the happenings here and how things are going with me being alone....maybe I can find a nice man to keep me company? Sounds like a good idea.....

Interesting weather...

Well, I arrived in Scottsbluff with 70mph winds...for several days straight!! Then the weather turned great: sunny and warm (in the 80's). Over the weekend, we got 4 inches of SNOW!! Today it's great again...no wind...no snow...and high 70's!! The weather has been interesting. I can't remember the last time that I saw snow after Easter. Guess it's abnormal for this area too.

I have been taking the dogs to the dogpark as often as possible. They have made some new friends and I have too. I met the Chief of the Rural Fire Department, Ron. He is pretty nice and has two beagles. I met a "bounty hunter" Rodney, and his (cant remember the breed) large dog Rex. There are several others that we have met but I have only seen them once and you know how awful I am with names!! Ha Ha

Aco and I took a drive up Scotts Bluff and the view is amazing!! It was like driving up a giant sandcastle! The valley below is beautiful from that height and you can see forever! Aco has NO FEAR and was teetering right on the edge...I think if I had let her go she would have scaled the side down to the bottom!! I couldn't get too close...felt like the ground was moving! We went on the spur of the moment so I didnt have my camera with me. I'll get back there again before I leave and get some pictures....

Nothing else to report today...

Arrived in Scottsbluff Nebraska

I've left Norfolk and am now in Scottsbluff Nebraska. What the he## was I thinking when I accepted this contract? I'm in the middle of NOWHERE!!! The hospital is nice and so far, the staff seems reasonable. My apartment sucks! The furniture is from Goodwill and the "housewares" package that the company told me was here is miniscule. I've purchased a few things (like window treatments to keep spying eyes out) and the place is a little "homier" now. I have been in orientation three days this week and will be working the floor tomorrow and back on nights. Oh, how I love nights! I just cant stand getting up in the mornings....

The blufs here are beautiful and the sunset tonight was awesome. I'll try to get some pictures soon. The bluffs remind me of HUGE sandcastles! The weather has been horribly windy...gotta hold on to your hat here!! It's supposed to warm up this weekend and I'm hoping that means that the wind will go away also.

I found a dog-park here in town and have taken the dogs a couple of times. Hopefully when the weather clears a little we will be able to enjoy it a little more.

Not much else to report for now....

Mermaids all around Norfolk, VA

Ok, I realize that I haven't posted in something like four months. No excuse really, just haven't. Well...I'm back now!

I spent several months working in Cincinnati and met some great people. Imagine that...I meet wonderful people everywhere I've been. Marsha...love ya girl and let me know how things work out with the grandkids. Amy, where-ever you are or end up..good luck to you in your traveling and our paths will meet again.

So, where am I now? Portsmouth, Virginia. Not a great a place as you might imagine. Portsmouth is pretty run down and mostly ghetto. But Norfolk (norfik as the locals call it), right across the river is pretty nice.

I have signed up with an online dating service in hopes to enhance my social life and so far it's working out pretty good. I've actually only had one date from this but I have a couple others set up for the upcoming week so I'll let you know how things progress.

I'm working in one of the local Hospitals and so far it's ok. The hospital itself is a little in the "dark ages" still doing everything on paper and a little backwards in my opinion. But the patient load is good. Usually 5 or 6 patients to each nurse and a free Charge RN that actually does help you!

I dont have any recent pictures as my digital camera is broken and I haven't had the money to get it fixed or replaced yet. I hope to take care of this very soon. I'm dying here without being able to take any pictures!

Norfolk is full of mermaids!! Well, not real mermaids...did you think I lost my mind? They are actually artistic statues of mermaids. They are all over town! I dont know how many in total but they are all themed and named and have some cute stories behind them. Pretty cute, I think! I'm planning to go on a "mermaid hunt" at some point (hopefully with a camera in hand so I can capture the elusive creatures on film).

What else? Well, I have a second dog now. His name is Ridley and he is a Jack Russell/Greyhound mix...boy is he fast!! He is a little lover though. Loves to snuggle just as close as he can to you! I hope to get some pics of him soon too. He and Aco get along pretty good for the most part but sometimes...they drive me crazy!!

I think that's about all for now. I'll do better about keeping things updated.

San Diego Saga...The End

Sadly but true... I am no longer in San Diego. I finally made the decision to leave and although it was a difficult one, I think it was finally time. For a brief update...the company never did pay my rent...I was going to be "forcefully evicted" on August 1st if not out prior...so I put Trinity on a plane home on July 27th and packed my stuff and drove outta town on July 29th. I really liked San Diego and hope to return for another assignment sometime. It would be nice to experience the city without the stress I endured this time.

Trinity and I did get a few more things completed on our "to-do" list prior to her flying home. We made it to Sea World. We spent the day there with Phillip (another traveler) rode all the rides (Trinity rode her first roller coaster), saw all the shows and enjoyed the day exploring and laughing and eating poorly!! Trinity got to go Boogy=boarding....she had a blast! We never did get to Old Town. Guess we'll have to save that for the return trip. We spent a glorious day on Coronado Island. Rode the ferry over (which in my opinion was the best part of the trip). When we arrived on the island we rented a bench seated bike...I dont remember what they're called! I have to say...dont ever do it!! Although we had fun riding around the island it was HORRIBLE to pedal!! We both had sore legs when we finished!! I have some pictures that I would love to share but for some reason I cant get them to post...I will try later.

Corey, Aco and Me on the Road

Yes...Corey had to make the drive with me from San Diego....all the way across the country to Coryon Indiana!! I thought he was going to have a bitch-fit about it, but he was actually ok with it. It proved to be a great time. I dont know what Corey would say about the trip but overall it was very nice. Corey and I had some very interesting conversations to pass the road time....everything from evolution to education to people and culture. I really enjoy his company and he is awesome to talk to...he has an opinion and a theory to everything!! And of course, Mom is always WRONG!! Ha Ha After the first day on the road Aco decided that she would just sleep her time away and was an angel for the rest of the trip.

We spent our first night on the road and drove through Las Vegas. We took a slight detour and cruised along "The Strip". I think Corey was impressed with the vastness and the archetecture of the hotels/casinos! I offered to stop and explore but Corey was anxious to keep going and get home! We had a difficult time finding a hotel but finally around 4am we found a dumpy hotel about 10 winding miles into the desert off the highway. When we walked out of the hotel to start our second day on the road I think all the skin on our bodies began to melt!! It was about 110 degrees in the shade. After the great weather in San Diego, this was a shock to our systems!!

The second night was spent in Colorado...Glenwood Springs. Paid too much (again) for a dumpy old family hotel. But a good nights sleep was had by all of us and I got to enjoy the outdoor hot tub all by myself!! Sooooo relaxing!!

The drive from Glenwood Springs to Denver was beautiful although at one point I wasn't sure that my Explorer was going to make it up the mountain!! Past Denver things got really boring...the landscape is plain and blah!! Corey and Aco slept for the rest of Colorado and through most of Kansas! We did see a buffalo herd in Kansas somewhere along the highway.

The rest of the trip went very quick...Missouri....Illionis....then to Corydon. I ended up spending the first night in Corydon alone. This was really nice...funny how being alone is a treat sometimes!!

So...Corey is currently in Corydon with Jason. I am in Kendallville, enjoying the solitude of my own apartment. Trinity has visited me once when I first arrived in town and we are going to Rick's moms tomorrow for a cook-out. I have been told that Rick isn't going to be there so hopefully it will be an enjoyable day. I am trying to find work here as my next position (oh yeah..signed an 8 week contract in Cincinnait) doesnt' start untill Aug 22nd. I did receive my Ohio license in the mail Friday so I am hoping that maybe I can start a week early...will know more on Monday!

Guess that's enough for now...my eyes are getting buggy and my @$$ hurts!! I will try to post more soon!

Please leave a comment just to let me know you stopped by!!

2005 US Open Sand Castle Competition
Posted by Picasa

What a fun and interesting day: Trinity and I enjoyed the sights of the Sandcastle competition today at Imperial Beach. Imperial Beach hosts the competition every year and the crowd was huge. The sandcastles were amazing. After viewing the castles/creations we decided to walk the strip and enjoyed a huge piece of peperoni pizza for lunch. We bought San Diego ball caps...one for each of us. (I need one for those early morning walks with Aco when I have "bed-head") Then we lounged on the beach for a little while before trecking home. Tomorrow we are going to try to make it out to Coronado Island via the ferry....the to-do list is slowly getting completed. We made it to Mexico a couple of days ago, but forgot the camera so no pictures. It's pretty much the same here as it was in Progresso, only a little larger. Still just as dirty. We had lunch at a bar/club and enjoyed a couple of margarita's (trins were non-alcoholic).

Broadway Pier...the Harbor
Posted by Picasa

Omg...I can't believe that I was actually able to get a picture to post!! I am so excited! The picture/collage that you see is from Broadway pier and the harbor in San Diego. Trinity and I had a great time exploring the harbor. We saw a bunch of boats/ships both big and small and had fish-n-chips for lunch. Took a ride along the harbor on a bike-taxi which was fun and nice for the aching feet. The cruise ship was HUGE and the old war ships were awesome to see. Best of all was seeing the excitement in Trinity's face with each new discovery.