And so I am 31...

It was a pretty low key day... I took out some trash early in the day that I should have gotten rid of a while ago, did some laundry, then went out to dinner with some friends from work. Of course, Todd had to tell the wait staff it was my birthday and I got the little complementary balloon, and scoop of vanilla with whipped cream and a candle. I had him take a picture of me blowing out the candle to document that I actually did do SOMETHING for my birthday. Ha-ha.

All in all, 30 has been a horrible year from the day I turned 30 right down to this morning. Therefore, I have decided that 31 will be a good year, hell or high water... Starting right now.

It is a new year... My new year.

66HM5 out...

Okay... Things need to settle down around here!

I found out yesterday that I will not be deploying in November... The nurse I was supposed to replace in theater requested to stay, so that pushes me back for deployment in June 2009.

Oh well, I am now back on the schedule at work and will start back on nights next week. I guess it is a good thing for many reasons obvious to some...

66HM5 out...

I think the shock is finally wearing off, and reality is setting in...

For those that haven't read my e-mail yet, I found out a few days ago that I will be deploying to Iraq in five weeks... It is a mixed bag of emotions, really. I am excited for the trauma experience and the possibility of getting some flight nursing time in, but not so much in the fact that this will be the third time in a year that I will have to pack up and go somewhere new. It gets exhausting (for those that have never experienced it before).

The one highlight of it all is that I will be deploying with my good friend Leah, and we will be traveling together out of Ft. Benning. Needless to say, we are both a little less anxious about the whole situation knowing that we will be together.

I guess there isn't much else to say about it yet, but I will keep everyone posted. I will keep my blog up while I am deployed, and I am sure I will have more pre-deployment hijinx to blog about in California and Columbus before I head off to the sandbox!

66HM5 out...

I am...

Officially a Certified Emergency Nurse and a 66HM5...

I passed the CEN yesterday and was awarded my M5 today... The culmination of 8 months of blood, sweat and tears. I knew this day would come, but it is still so surreal and it will take a little time to fully sink in.

That's it!

66H (no longer in transition) M5 out...

2% alcohol by volume...

Was pretty much the theme of my visit to Columbus, Georgia to see Maggie while she was home on leave, as well as some other friends...

Maggie picked me up from the airport in Atlanta on Wednesday evening and we headed straight down to Columbus for dinner at Olive Garden. Jim, Leah, Josh and Claudia met us there and we had a mini-reunion over calamari, spinach dip and plenty of yummy breadsticks.

Thursday, Maggie, Leah and I slept in some, then headed out to the new PX on post, met our friend Kim and her daughter Anna Marie for lunch at Jason's Deli, then did a little shopping at Rack Room Shoes and Marshalls. At 6:30, we rushed home to get ready for comedy at The Loft... Always a good time. The comedians were marginally funny, but we had enough alcohol on board that it didn't matter. We ran into some of Josh's co-workers and one was being pretty sweet on Maggie the whole night... He talked her ear off! By the end of the night, Jim (my good friend just back from Iraq, pictured above) bought me so many drinks that I don't remember leaving the bar. I do remember going to the Waffle House and going into the bathroom to vomit though... Apparently when we got home, I went straight into the guest room and flopped down on the bed and fell asleep. Leah said she tried to get me into my PJ's but I was pretty belligerent and barely agreed to get under the covers! Ha-ha.

Needless to say, Friday was horrible... I felt like I wanted to die all day, which is why I rarely ever drink like that anymore. I dreaded the fact that I had to get back on a plane to fly home that night. One, because I felt like such ass, and two because I didn't want to leave.

Anyhow... I take the Certified Emergency Nurse exam on Tuesday and I am pretty nervous... I really want to pass because I paid $300 to take it and I will get my M5 skill identifier if I pass. (The Army's version of an Emergency Nurse.) Well, once again, I have blogged into the wee hours and it is time to go to bed...

I'll let you know how the exam goes!

66H (in transition) out...