Spring is in the air...

Today was like no other day...the constant arguing with myself about working out.  It goes something like this..."Today will be my day off this week." "But you have to work those other days and it will probably be dark out when you get off."  "Oh, just do it, you will feel better when you get done."  "I have all this other stuff to do."  It seems like it's a constant battle for me and I'm not really sure why.  I don't like working out, but I love how I feel when I'm done.  I also love that my calorie counter increases when I submit a workout. 
So today, exercise won the battle and I am so glad that it did.  Everywhere I looked was sign that spring is in the air and I love it!!! 
Here are some signs of spring that I saw today while on my run:
*people walking their dogs
*people working in their yards
*dogs on chains in the yard
*two old men critquing the job some builders are doing on a new house
*a cat sunbathing in a yard
*daffodils in bloom (I love daffodils)
*a convertible with the top down
*bike riders
*a squirrel crossing a power line
*almost every tree in bloom
*tons of people down by the ocean
*the bright shining sun
*temperature in the 60's

Ash Wednesday

"You have something on your forehead."  That sentence is one that Catholic's hear non-stop on this day that begins that season of Lent.  Some people just don't know what the purpose of the ashes of our foreheads mean:
          "On the first day of Lent, we sign our foreheads with ashes because they are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance.  The ashes are signed in the sign of the cross because in the Bible, a mark on the forehead is a symbol of ownership.  By having our foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross, it states that we belong to Christ crucified.  It also recalls our Baptism when we were claimed for Christ and marked with the sign of the cross by the priest and our parents.  It is through Christ Jesus that we are delivered from the slavery of sin and made alive for God" (Romans 6:3-18).
It's important to understand that Lent is a time for examination and introspection.  The lituriges that are used during mass are simplified to reflect a spirit of quietness and much of the singing is omitted.  The purpose of this is so that during the quietness we can dispose ourselves to looking inward, into our hearts, to see where repentance and forgiveness are needed. 
Many people that aren't Catholic participate in the "giving something up" for Lent.  However, when doing so people need to remember that you aren't giving something up that is "easy", or as soon as those 40 days and nights are over you can't wait to have what ever it is that you "gave up".  These 40 days are dedicated for some major self-reflection and the sacrifice that you make during Lent should lead you to becoming a better person.  A lot of people don't give anything up, they simply do something that will better their life, like volunteering, going to church during the week, saying a rosary a day, spending so many hours in the church praying, etc.
"Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return."

ORIENTATION & DREAM OVERLOAD!!!!

OMG!!!!  This orientation is for  a nurse that has seriously never been in a hospital before!!  After a 40 hours of sitting in a classroom learning the ins and outs of Beebe Medical Center, 6 hours of drawing blood from people in the outpatient lab, 4 hours of computer orientation (only to find out I have 4 more hours to complete), 3 hours of powerpoints learning about aquapheresis and IABP, 45 mintues of a med. calculation test...I FINALLY get to take care of patients tomorrow!!!  Nonetheless, an open heart patient straight from the OR!!!  I'm jumping for joy!!!  I was on the floor for a little bit today doing more paperwork and met some great people.  One being, a travel nurse from the same company I work for and she is my age!!!  Double YAY!!!!  Even though my alarm will be going off at 5:00 am...I can't wait to do what I love tomorrow!!!
Today, I had to be at the outpatient lab at 7:00 am, so when I got up it was still dark out.  I was totally pumped I was going to get to see the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean!!!  It was sooo pretty!!  Can't wait for more sunrises!
Since I have been here I have went to see a couple movies:

I love Jennifer Aniston...but this movie was just ok!!!  I did laugh out loud several times!!!

Oh Big Momma!!!  These movies never get old me, but I shouldn't have paid $7.50 to see this movie...it wasn't that good!!!  However, it too, made me laugh out loud!

So, I had a heart stopping experience this last week. I ran out the door to orientation at about 7:30 am, shut and double checked the door.  Now, I know I double checked it because I have been having trouble with it latching and I become very OCD when I am leaving the house.  I have to triple check to make sure that I have my keys before I shut the door, and I have to double check that the door latched (this is every place I have lived).  But, one day this week, I am be-bopping up to my door and it's open...I am pretty sure that my heart fell to my stomach!  I walked in, to find everything in the same perfect spot that I left it, but I double checked every closet and the tub, to find no one!!!  THANK YOU LORD!!!! 

I have no idea what is wrong with me, but usually I don't dream...well that I remember.  I haven't had a dream that I can remember in forever, until last night!  I didn't sleep at all, well it seemed like it because my head was spinning!  I had a total of 3 different dreams in a 6 hour span....I was EXHAUSTED to say the least! 
~Dream #1:  I owned a mini cooper...I have always thought that they were so cute!  Anyway, my mom and I were in downtown Washington DC driving this little car when all of a sudden those concrete blockades that either divide a highway or construction sites, just started to get narrow and kept getting even more narrow until I smashed this perfect little mini cooper right into it...all I remember was my mom yelling "Alli" like she did when I was in trouble when little....and that was it...it was over.
~Dream #2:  I was dreaming that this scorpion was crawling on me, and it actually felt like something was crawling on me...I woke up to my arms flailing around like I was drowning to get this scorpion off of me before it stung me...NUTS!!!
~Dream #3:  It seemed like this dream lasted for days!!  If any of you know my dad, you know that he is totally against tattoos...so much that he has threatened my sisters and I with our students loans if we get a tattoo, period...we will owe him that money in full!  Anyway, so apparently I decided that I was getting a tattoo in this dream...and I didn't get just one, but I got three of the dumbest tattoos EVER!!!!  The first tattoo was one that covered my entire left leg from my foot to my knee, it was a mixture of blue, red, and yellow and it had a KU Jayhawk that wrapped around my leg. DUMB!!!  The second one was a caricature of myself on my right calf, again ridculous!!!  The one was a square on my left arm where my forearm and elbow meet.  It was a square, and in the middle of the square it said, "basketball girl".  WTH!!!!  Through the rest of this dream I was trying to figure out how to hide these tattoos from my dad while we were on vacation to the beach in San Diego!  It was so stupid, but when I woke up I was sweating and really worked up!! I guess my dad knows exactly what to threaten us with!  Here's to a dreamless night!!!! :)

Tomorrow starts one of the most important seasons of my religion.  Lent!!!  A blog on Lent...to be continued!

Aroma Therapy

I love things that smell good!!!  Everytime I have moved the first thing that comes out of the boxes are my Bath & Body Works wall flowers and oil burner!!!  I love having scents that match the season...the fall scents are my absolute fav!!!  I have used my oil burner that I got from a great friend so many times and never had a problem with it...until last night!!!  I had been burning my oil for what seemed like was at least an hour...I was half way involved in the KU basketball game and half way occupied by my computer, when Tori called me...we had our daily chit-chat, but while talking on the phone I thought my oil burner was making a funny noise.  Anyone that has an oil burner knows that they don't make noises...you simply burn a tea candle in the bottom of it and heats up the oil and smells delicious.  Well, when I glanced over at it, it looked fine, so I returned to my business on the computer. Then all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I see this huge flame coming from the bottom of my oil burner!  My computer went flying across the room and I ran to the kitchen for some water!!!  I threw the water on it and it went out, but it didn't stop smoking...so the smoke alarm in my condo went off.  My heart was beating so fast and I was thinking..."Seriously, it's 10:30 pm and NO ONE is going to be happy if we have to evacuate the building because of my stupid oil burner."  Luckily, I was able to shut the smoke alarm off, and opened the sliding glass door to air out my condo!  Thank goodness I didn't burn this building down!!!

I have been in hospital orientation all week, and am ready to shoot myself!  It has all been pretty boring and nothing too exciting has happened, and then there was today!! While in college I had major test anxiety...to the point where one of my instructors had me go to a test taking skills workshop.  So, today when I walked in and saw that a medication test was on the schedule, I totally freaked out!!  I HATE TESTS!!!!  I had anxiety all day that I was dealing with pretty well, until...a lab person told me that I was going to have to let one of my peers take my blood sugar.  Now, I know what you all are thinking, but even though I'm a nurse, I HATE NEEDLES!!!  I can give all the shots, start all the IVs, take all the blood sugars I have to without a second thought, but the second that needle is coming toward one of my body parts, I get major anxiety!!!  I would rather be miserable for several more days until the antiboitics start working than get a one time shot and feel better in hours!  So, I had to give my finger over for another nurse to poke it with a lancet to get a drop of blood.  Now knowing my fear of needles, I would rather have a huge needle stuck into my arm than a little prick on my finger...it stings FOREVER!!!! And, my blood sugar was high...I blamed it on my anxiety and the fact that I had just eaten lunch an hour before...I sure hope it is...there is no way that I would be a good diabetic with all the needles!!!  I am now relaxed, but it sure was a day full of anxiety!!!!

HOLY SMOKES!!!

So after I arrived in Delaware, I got settled and put my things away...there is one fact about me that is sooo true...I have way too many clothes, most of which still remain in the tubs that they were transported in due to lack of space!  After getting settled, I just relaxed!!  I know what most of you are thinking...why didn't you go explore, well people I have 3 months to explore and after that 24 hour drive I was EXHAUSTED!!! 
Sunday I went to church and was excited that it is so close I can walk to it!!  It was kind of cool out, but not cool enough not to walk a block!  When we were singing the last song in church, I heard some sirens, and like I always do I said a little prayer for the people that were in need.  As I walked out of church and turned to walk down the block little did I know that the prayer I had just said for the person in need was for me...there were 6 fire trucks, 3 police cars, and 2 ambulances surrounding my building complex. All I was thinking was HOLY SMOKES...literally!! As I got closer to the building I could smell the smoke and saw it rolling out of the lobby doors!  I stood outside for about an hour watching all the firefighters run around like chickens with their heads cut off...thank goodness that is was just a blown transformer and I was allowed back in the building, but not after I was already FREEZING!!!  It took me all afternoon to warm up!!  However, needing to warm up was a great excuse for a long Sunday afternoon nap!  On a side note, there was only two cute firefighters...
I have started working out...my little sister is showing me up and I as a big sister, I can't have that!!!  The weather has not allowed me to run by the beach yet, but I'm hoping it will warm up/not rain soon!!!  Since I can't work out outside I busted out the ole P90X and Jillian Michaels workout DVDs...HOLY SMOKES!!!  I am one hurtin' unit today!!!  I'm beginning to think that running is a lot easier than all this squatting, jumping, push-ups, and sit-up!!!  However, I have always said this when I'm sore from working out..."It's the hurt that I love!!!"
Today I started my first day of work at Beebe Medical Center!!  As I was sitting there listening to the HR lady talk up this hospital and about how they are such a good hospital all I was thinking was, "Yea, Yea every hospital says this about themselves!"  HOLY SMOKES....isn't even the terms to use to describe how boring it was...but I made it through!!!  I can't wait to get to the floor next week and take care of those hearts that I love to do so much!!!

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

After 2 days, 1,550 miles, 9 states, and multiple tanks of gas I have finally arrived in Delaware!!!  I pretty much love it already!!!  My condo is nice, clean, and looks over the ocean, so what is there not to love!!! The drive was long and tiring, but after I got out of Ohio the scenery was beautiful, even in the dead of winter!!!  I loved driving through the mountains of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, even though it was winter, it was still amazing!!!  The farmsteads that were tucked into the side of the mountain were just like what you read about in history class and the houses were unbelievable!!!  The drive across the Chesapeake Bay was the highlight!!!  It was so pretty and I was up on this huge bridge where you could see the whole thing!!!! 
My condo is nice!!!  Actually it's a lot nicer than the condo I had in Corpus Christi!!  I had a smile on my face when I opened the door. The only thing that I'm still getting used to is the murphy bed!!  It's in the wall, and you have to pull it out every time you want to go to bed...and it's in my living...that's right, no bed room (pictures coming soon)!!!   I love waking up to the Atlantic Ocean sunrise...well I am hoping to love that!!!  There is a Catholic church just down the street that I can walk to!  The boardwalk is right in front of the condo building!  There are some many things that I have to explore and I can't wait to do that!!! 
The weather could be better!!!  It has been in the 40's and windy...so pretty much cold!!!  The next two days are supposed to be in the 60's, so I'm praying for that!
I start my job on Monday and I am soooo ready!!!  I am desperate for a pay check!!  I love what I do, and even though I was in much need of a little time off, I'm beginning to think that it was too long!! 

So, I have a confession!!!  I have totally fallin' off the workout bandwagon once again!!!  My goal is to start back up again tomorrow...I have to be ready for that half marathon in Oct.!!!  I'm going to try something different...tomorrow when it's time to step on the scale, I'm going to take pictures of myself and continue to do it once a month...just to so that I can physcially see the changes (is there are any)!  I also went to the grocery store today and bought nothing but healthy stuff!!!  Motivation is much appreciated!!  Right now, I'm catching up on The Biggest Loser, desperately hopin' for some motivation!!!
Well, I'm signing off for the night!!  I'll update on Monday after my first day of work!!!  Until then, have a good one!!!

Home SWEET Home

After becoming extremely nervous that I wasn't going to get my Delaware nursing license on time, I have relaxed now knowing that the one thing that the board of nursing needed is in their hands!!!  I can now get excited about my trip to Delaware that will begin tomorrow!!!

HOME SWEET HOME....those words have ran through my head several times this last couple of weeks as I have been enjoying my time at home with my mom and dad!!!  These last two weeks have been the most relaxing two weeks I have experienced in a long time, and they are coming to an end tomorrow!  I know that I have said it time and time again, but my mom has got to be one of the most caring people in the world!!  Despite the fact that I'm 27 yrs. old, at times it felt like I was in high school again when I would ask questions like, what's for supper tonight, when are you doing laundry, is it ok if I go out with some of my friends tonight, are you going to the basketball games tonight, want to go get a pop and drive around...etc!  I LOVE IT!!!  Begin at home for 2 weeks, I have experience all types of weather, from a snow storm, to 70 degree weather, to 20 degree weather with extremely cold wind chill!! As I type this, I am sitting in the infamous chair that my sister and I fight over.  I will miss this chair terribly because as my dad said the other day, "I think you have a permanant butt mark on that chair." This time spent at home has been priceless, but I'm ready to get started on my next adventure!

I am leaving the big town of Oakley, KS tomorrow late morning and headed to see my sorority sister's in Lawerence for dinner, then on to KC and spending the evening and night with one of them!  Thursday morning, I will begin my trek across the US and hopefully make it it Columbus, OH or Wheeling, WV where I will stay the night and then continue on my journey on Friday until I hit Lewes, DE!!!  Yesterday, I got wind that I will be making this trip by myself...I was wishin', hopin', and prayin' that one of my best friends could road trip with me again, like she did when I went to Corpus Christi, but she wasn't able to get off work, so Delaware here I come...solo!!! 

The next post will probably be from the 4 walls of a hotel room in who knows what state (if I'm not too tried to post) or from the big city of Lewes, Delaware (being a little sarcastic as Lewes is not that big)!!!!!