A terribly unsuccessful apartment-hunting weekend...

I went to several apartment complexes this weekend to view the fare, and I was either not impressed, or the apartments wouldn't be ready until mid-May. I have two more places to go to tomorrow, so hopefully I will find something that I can comfortably live in without paying too much. I guess that living in Whisperwood really spoiled me... It is hard to find something comparable when you are use to having access to 8 pools, a huge hot tub, tanning beds, a pretty decent fitness center and internet cafe.

Anyhow, Jinx and I are bored at the Armed Services YMCA... But she was being super-cuddly, so I had to take a picture. She is just so cute, I can't stand it. Me with my tired, lazy eyelid on the other hand, is not so cute. Ha-ha.

Well, I guess that is it for now... Back to watching MTV and being bored.

66H (in transition) out...

My sad, desperate attempt at good coffee today...

I had no coffee filters, so I tried to make do with a Taco Cabana napkin... Unsuccessful to say the least. Need I say more? Ha-ha!

I actually did get one cup out of the deal, so that was good...

I am off to find an apartment!

66H (in transition) out...

Back in the land of Whataburger and Taco Cabana…

I am finally in El Paso after 1,380 miles in the car. I am not sure why, but the drive today seemed much shorter than yesterday, which was refreshing because I thought it would be more painful since I was looking forward to getting out of the car so badly.

I thought I might continue with more of “What I learned today,” since it was so popular yesterday… Ha-ha.

1. Sweetwater, Texas has the “World’s largest rattlesnake round-up.”

2. Midland, Texas has an international airport.

3. There is a “Tacos BBQ” outside of Midland… I couldn’t figure out if it was barbequed tacos, a guy named Taco that opened up a BBQ joint, or a restaurant that serves tacos and BBQ. I guess I will never know, since I didn’t stop to find out.

4. There is a “Noodle Dome Rd.” near Odessa, Texas.

5. There is a giant meteor crater in Odessa… Oh yes, I absolutely went to go see it! Here I am, crazy wind-blown hair, squinty eyes and all, with part of the crater and the little museum in the background. And yes, I went into the museum too… Ha-ha.

6. I-20 between Odessa and I-10 is absolutely desolate… And the speed limit is 80 MPH.

7. I-10 looks like a mirage after driving 629 miles on I-20… You just can’t believe your eyes when you finally merge onto it. I hit I-10 at 4:37 pm, and it was only 118 miles to El Paso once I got onto I-10.

8. William Beaumont Army Medical Center is not on the main post of Ft. Bliss.

So there you have it, all of the things I learned on my drive from Phenix City, Alabama to El Paso, Texas… Now I sit here in my room at the Armed Services YMCA with my Taco Cabana and a Blue Moon, after signing in to post, reflecting on the fact that I am now officially property of Ft. Bliss. I am still in shock that I have been in the Army long enough to be at my second duty station… I am also still in shock that I am in El Paso, Texas and that I can look across the Rio Grande from I-10 and see Mexico. Oh lord, what have I done?!

The search for an apartment starts tomorrow… Wish me luck.

66H (in transition) out…

What I learned today…

1. Highway 80 going out of Phenix City, Alabama is very tricky and if you don’t pay close enough attention, you can end up on some other county road… Multiple times.

2. There is something historic about Selma, Alabama... I don’t know what it is, but this plane was the most historic looking thing about the town, so I took a picture of it.

3. 78 MPH is not an acceptable speed in Uniontown, Alabama…

4. There is a “Snack Shop Rd.” in Alabama, right near the Mississippi state line.

5. It takes about 3 hours to drive across Alabama… I crossed the Mississippi state line at approximately 12:55 pm, I couldn’t really tell since there was no “Welcome to Mississippi” sign.

6. There is a town in Mississippi named “Chunky”.

7. If you are on I-20, the Louisiana state line is on the bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. I crossed the Louisiana state line at 3:23 pm.



8. The sign welcoming you to Louisiana is in French.

9. It takes 2 ½ hours to drive across Louisiana… I crossed the Texas state line at 5:53 pm.

10. There are 629 exits on I-20 in Texas… Yep, I-20 is 629 miles long once you cross into Texas, and I have to drive all 629 of them. Sweet!

11. I was NOT making it to Dallas today after 708 miles on the road…

Other than a few snafus with Highway 80 and the Uniontown PD, the drive to Terrell, Texas was uneventful and quite scenic. Most of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana is lush and very green. I had to stop at one point and take a picture, because it was just such an idyllic scene with a little farm house, cows and a watering hole. I get the feeling this is what all of the little towns along Highway 80 looked like 100 years ago, sort of like a snapshot in time… I just loved it and had to capture it. The only depressing thing about the drive today was the fact that I drove all the way across 3 states today, and I am still only half-way to Ft. Bliss…

Well, I am beat and need to get to bed… It is 670 miles to El Paso tomorrow…

66H (in transition) out…

So, I WAS going to leave today...

But the gentlemen who changed my oil at the Valvoline Instant Oil Change here in Columbus, GA had other plans for me... I have learned my lesson to ALWAYS have my oil changed at the VW dealership. I am not sure what they did to the undercarriage of my car, but it ended up so badly bowed that it was dragging on the ground last night, so I had to have it towed to the VW dealership to get it fixed. Well, it turns out that the entire skip plate and the pieces that attach it to the bottom of my car need to be replaced to the tune of nearly $500.00. But, I have to say, the owner of the Valvoline was very cordial and even went down to the dealership to look at it and is going to pay for the repairs. So, here I am stuck in Georgia for another two days... Oh well, who needs that extra two days of leave, right?

Ugh, I knew this running too smoothly to be true... I get to go back to the ER, I had no problems getting my new orders, AND my household goods never left Georgia for Hawaii... Something HAD to go wrong!

Well, I will hopefully have my car back by tomorrow afternoon and then I can get on the road Thursday morning... Hopefully.
Stay tuned...

66H (in transition) out...

Extreme Powersports, Columbus Catfish baseball and The Loft...

Were the center of fun for the day... We started out the day at Extreme Powersports looking at some motorcross gear for Leah, a gas-can for Josh and nada for me. Even though I didn't find anything to buy, I found several fun-photo opportunities... I know, I know, just like always! Hey, you would be surprised at how much stuff is funny to take pictures of given the right circumstances! Just a couple of the highlights: Leah, Josh and their booty, and then there's me with a beat-up mannequin that took me for a ride... I hope Will doesn't get too mad... Ha-ha! There were so many fun opportunities to document, but so little space in my blog... I wish I could include them all.

After our fun-filled trip to Extreme Powesports, Leah, Josh, two of Josh's co-workers and I watched the Columbus Catfish lose to the Charleston Riverdogs, drank a lot of beer and then saw this crazy dude in a costume while we were on our way to The Loft. We aren't quite sure why he was dressed that way, or why he had his face painted, but it was great, he posed for us and totally made us laugh! We were trying to figure out if he was a "Catfish," or a "Riverdog" for the rest of the evening... I think we ultimately came to the conclusion that he was neither...

The Loft wasn't really that busy last night, but like always, when we got there, we made our own fun! We always seem to liven the place up and sometimes wreak a little havoc... Last night we just livened the place up and left the havoc at home. Josh figured that we couldn't go wrong with his obnoxious five dollar Ireland sweatshirt and an Irish Car Bomb, so we ordered a round! However, some of the fun toward the end of the evening was not remembered by all... As evidenced by the attempt at a self-taken girls shot by Leah. Oh my, I don't think any of us have had that much to drink in quite awhile... And believe me, all three of us paid for it all day today!

Anyhow... I am off to get some Lucky Dragon chinese for the three of us! I am so excited, I can't wait! So very yummy...

66H (in transition) out...

Am I out of Virginia yet?!

Was the question I asked myself as I changed course from I-95 to I-81 via I-64, heading to Nashville to hang out with Misty for a few days, upon her request. So, I can now say that it is possible to drive around the state of Virginia for six hours... Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful country with lots of farmland, horses and cows, but man, was I tired of being in Virginia... About 40 miles from the state line I stopped at a cute old-fashioned Tastee-Freeze for a GIANT soft serve ice cream cone, costing me a whopping $1.52. It was a really nice treat after being in the car for 5 hours. Begrudgingly, I got back in the car and kept going... Finally, at 4:15 pm, I crossed the state line into Tennessee. I got into Nashville at about 8:00 pm and then Misty, Randi and I went out to Outback Steakhouse for dinner... Yummy!

The next day, I pretty much hung out around the house while Misty was at work, then I accompanied her a Mended Hearts meeting where she spoke about Tennessee Donor Services and networked. It was actually an interesting experience and I am going to overnight some baked goods to them for their bake sale on the 2nd of May. They are a great organization that does a lot of fundraising to donate automated external defibrillators and CPR mannequins to other organizations and groups, along with putting out smoking cessation information and information about heart disease.

This morning, I got myself together, packed up the car and the cat once again and headed for Georgia. Along the way, I stopped at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo for a whirlwind visit. It was really fun! They turned the old train depot into a hotel/restaurant/tourist attraction with a rail car that you can ride in! I didn't have time to ride the train, but I walked around, took some photos and bought a couple of souvenirs. I ran out of time to go see it before I left Georgia for Washington, DC back in December and I knew that I would never see it if I didn't go today.

I got into Columbus around 6:00 PM and headed to the hospital to pick up my new orders and visit some friends. It was so great to see everyone, but bittersweet because I can't stay... I guess I am just really nervous about working somewhere new and having to make new friends. In addition, there is a lot of pressure on me to do well and get my M5, or I will be headed back to Medical-Surgical nursing hell... That would be disasterous to have gone through a terribly hard course, with all of the associated work, to then go back to a Medical-Surgical floor. Good thing I am a tenatious girl who won't let that happen... Not over my dead body anyhow! Ha-ha.

Well, I am off to bed because Leah, Josh and I are going to get out and do something tomorrow... We aren't sure what yet, but knowing us, we will figure it out!

66H (in transition) out...

And I am off...

Once again...

I am about to pack up my computer and put my last suitcase and the cat in the car. DC has been great, but I am ready to get back to Georgia, see my friends and then move on to my next adventure... El Paso, Texas.

Well, I need to get going... I have a 12-hour drive ahead of me.

66H (in transition) out...

We are graduates...

Graduation today was a great end to one of the most challenging things I have done in my life... I can say that I will be a 100% better nurse for having taken this course and will carry what I have learned with me for the rest of my career. I will also carry the friendships that I have forged here with me as well, and I hope that our paths will cross again in, or out of the Army. Here we are folks... CCNC class 003-08.

I can't believe that I will be leaving tomorrow... The car is packed and my apartment is clean. Now all there is to do is go to sleep, wake up, put the last suitcase and the cat in the car, and drive away. I didn't think I would be sad about it, but I am... But then again, I get sentimental about the smallest things, so I guess in reality I am not surprised.

I guess I had better get to sleep... I have a long drive tomorrow.

66H (in transition) out...

Changes again...

I am feeling fairly contemplative about my upcoming move as I sit here listening to iTunes and drinking a cup of coffee, putting off packing for another 1/2 hour or so...

We graduate on Tuesday and it has been a fairly tumultuous 14 weeks for me. I have realized that the ICU is not the place for me... So, after a successful meeting with my course director and my branch manager, I am going to be heading back to the ER instead of to the ICU. However, they don't need any ER nurses in Hawaii... So I am now off to El Paso, TX instead. I know it is sort of a disappointing change, but I am happy to be going back to work in a care area that I love. The other benefit about going to Texas is that Will and I will be closer to our families, and we are both happy about that.

Anyhow, the last two days have been quite fun. On Friday night Jess, Brian, Duane, Melinda and I went to Austin Grill to get some food, drink a little and blow off some steam. We had a great time and Jess ended up being the dance instructor for the evening... She had almost everyone up dancing with her! I was dying, it was great. Last night, Martha had all of us over at her house for a BBQ and more drinking. It was beautiful and warm outside, so we sat outside by the fire pit until 11:00 PM just talking, drinking and laughing. It was such great way to end the course and bond. It is a bittersweet thing for me to be honest... I am sad that this portion of my Army experience is ending, because I have met some great people, but I am happy to be going back to nursing in the ER instead of going to an ICU.

Well, I guess I had better get to packing... I drive out of DC on Wednesday morning, and my apartment is a wreck...

66H (in transition) out...

A cup of coffee and the National Air and Space Museum...

Is what Geoff and I did today before he flew out to New York. He was so kind as to fly out from Philly to see me one last time before I leave. We had a blast just checking out all of the planes, spacecraft and rockets. In addition, they have some of the exhibits from the American History Museum that is currently closed for renovations. After we were air-and-spaced out, we headed out on the Mall for some sunshine and refreshments before I got him on the metro to DCA. We always have such a fun time together, but I wish we had more time to see a few more things today, but we made the best of it... Oh well, such is the life of adults with jobs, schedules and other responsibilies... Sometimes I don't like being an adult.

Anyhow, I am off to clinical in the ER tonight! Yeah! It is our last night of clinical for the course, so I couldn't be happier... The end is so close.

Stay tuned...

66H8A (in training) out...

A perfect day...

Literally. I rocked my oral three-hour final exam, stopped to appreciate the cherry blossoms on the way home from getting dinner, stuffed myself with Baja Fresh tacos and guacamole, and then Will called me unexpectedly. After the week that I had, nothing could have topped it off any better.

So, we have one week of clinical left at INOVA Fairfax hospital. I am excited because we will get to rotate though a bunch of different ICUs and the ER. I am hoping for the ER twice this week, because I love it and feel very at home there. Gee, who didn't know that?! Ha-ha. It will be so nice to be on cruise control and not have to worry about doing pathophysiology flow trees, care plans and objectives this week... Just patient care and seeing some interesting things that we wouldn't see at Walter Reed. INOVA Fairfax is a level 1 trauma center, so they get pretty severe trauma that other hospitals are not equipped to take, so (not that I am wishing bad things on people) I hope I get to see some traumas, since it is what I am leaning toward for my masters degree.

Well, this is a short post tonight, since I am absolutely exhausted from the day and not getting too much sleep last night preparing for my exam. It is off to enjoy a beer, some trash TV and then off to bed for this nurse...

66H8A (in training) out...