Random Thoughts

I have lots of random thoughts tonight as I sit here waiting to go to bed. They would make great facebook status quotes, but there are too many of them to post. So, I thought it would be fun to post them here:

Missing two weeks of allergy medicine = brewing sinus infection

I am going to have to be at the gym all day tomorrow to make up for tonight!

I fear I didn't buy enough curtains to cover my 8' sliding door in my bedroom and I don't feel like driving all the way back to IKEA, because I'll buy more stuff that I don't need/can't afford until the bills have been paid this month.

I wish my iPhone would hurry up and get here!

Is overwhelmed by all the information that they are cramming down our throats in internship class!

Gets to spend some time with her BFF Ebbs before she heads back to Georgia. I think the summer went by way too quickly, I didn't get enough Ebb time!

Is dumb for not getting the work schedule before volunteering to lead Sunday School in August when I have to work the next three Saturday nights. Oh boy.

I just wanna go to sleep!

Has a runny nose now. Yay Mucinex!

May Mayhem, June Jitters, and July Juju

Allow, me to catch you up, my faithful blog readers. Ok, so I have one, and I saw her tonight. Fun times Ebb! Anyhow, these last 2.5 months have been a blur. It feels like summer is just getting started, and I don't know if that is because we just started hitting 100 last week, or because I have been very busy. Well, for starters, the big news for May is that I did indeed graduate, (yay!) and Tyler took me on a whirl wind tour of the caribbean aboard the Carnival Victory. It was so much fun! I conquered my fear of heights when we went to a ropes challenge course on the island of Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, went swimming with the fishes in St. Thomas, was very badly sunburned on St. Lucia, and hiked through the beautiful rainforest of St. Kitts. We also toured the island of Barbados, (our fav.) and we shopped on lovely St. Maarten. June was full of the jitters for two reasons: 1) I took my boards, 2) I started work. I did pass my boards, so you may all bow and call me Brittany BSN, RN! j/k. Days of torment ensued while waiting on those results. I have not been that sick in a good long time! July is bringing good Juju! My job is going well and I love it! I am a CVICU nurse at very good hospital in Dallas. It is challenging and I get the sense that we are supposed to be the rockstars of the ICUs. My fellow interns and I were told on the first day that our unit has the reputation of being able to recover anybody. I have moved, yes ladies and gentlemen, I have moved out of my parents house. I am a big girl, I have my own place, and I got internet and cable today. So, I must go to bed. Because my shift starts early.....0645 to be exact.

The light at the end of the tunnel

Wow. Two years ago, I pictured myself at this point and thought I'd never get there. But, here I am, about to graduate (again) with a BS in Nursing. The difference in myself between when I graduated from Centenary and now are night and day! I am much happier, much more confident, and have a definite direction in which to take my life.

So, we are almost to the end of the "in between-ness." In 12 days, I will graduate and in 6 weeks I will start my new job! So, shortly I will have to come up with a new name for this blog! My newest adventure started this week. I joined Weight Watchers and am proud to say that in my first week I lost 3.6 pounds! Only 16 more to reach my 10% goal!

Ready......Set.......Graduate! (Again)

The count down is on! I not only passed the exit HESI, I sailed through it with flying colors! Tyler has the official count until Commencement (UTA makes it very clear that it is NOT a graduation ceremony!) and pinning. I have six shifts left my capstone course and then I am finite done for good! Really, all I have to do is show up for capstone and appear to make a good effort. But, of course, you know me, I can't just do something half way.......unless it's the community health "papers." I am so excited because I feel like this time it is for real. Everything is in place for me to successfully stand up and unfurl my wings and jump into the start of my life as an adult! I cannot begin to explain the emotions I have concerning this. I don't think I can put words to it. I have so much to be thankful for at this point in time. I am thankful for my parents for giving my room and board these last three years, for the clinic I used to work in for providing me with an education most people probably don't get to experience, for my friends who have helped me through the transition and held me when I cried. I am thankful for Tyler because he is my rock, my entertainment, and supporter. I am thankful for Mrs Hughes, who helped me land my first real job. I am also thankful for Joseph, Phyllis, Mary Kathryn and the rest of the Wesley crew for loving me and giving me a place to learn about God and learn how to beat Tyler's dad at Wii bowling. Woo Hoo World! You better run and hide, because I'm coming to get you!

Big Test

Tomorrow is my first (and hopefully only) HESI test, which we much pass to graduate. We are given three chances, I know I won't need it, but hopefully I will pass the first time. So, please pray for me that I do well. I have this desire to go dancing this week. Not club dancing, but something close to ballroom with tyler. Except I don't know the first thing about ballroom. It is also the most beautiful time of year and I want to spend every waking moment outside. I want to go fishing, not because I love fishing, but because Tyler enjoys it and I just really enjoy being near the water. So, it works for both of us. He likes to fish, I like the water.

Last week, I had an unfortunate accident on a teeter totter. Some how, while trying to dismount said teeter totter I landed up on the ground after what must have been some impressive aerials. Anyhow, I landed very hard on the ground and hurt my wrist. It was swollen and it is still a little bit bruised and it was tender to the touch. A week later, it is still bothering me. I'm trying to decide if I want to go have an x-ray done. I can do it at the school, but it will take a week for the results to come back. By then, it will probably be all better. But, what if it is fractured? I don't know. I need to do some more investigating with my insurence.

Mission Trip

Well, the mission trip came and went. It was ok. We stayed in Gueydon, LA, which is half way between Lafayette and Lake Charles. From what I understand, the Lake Charles storm relief office is closing and, well, they didn't have much work for us to do. We ended up painting a dining hall at a Christian camp in Lake Arthur. I still don't understand how this camp works, because there were more privately owned houses on the camp grounds than dormitories for campers. Emotions were up and down on the mission trip. We had a young man with us who has one of the more minor forms of Autism. That in itself made for trying times. It was very difficult to deal with him and his idiosyncracies for 5 days straight. There was just a feeling of tension from start to finish. I don't know if it was just me, or if others felt it. It wrecked havock on my stomach. I was sick more days last week, than I had been in the last two years. I prayed to God so hard the whole week before to let this week be a good week, and it was in a lot of respects. But, what I was trying really hard to see the good in was still not good. It's hard when you want life to be roses and it's not. If you are reading this and you are of a prayerful nature, please pray for my sister. Please pray that God speaks to her heart about the decisions she has been making lately.

It's been a while.....

.....since I've last blogged. I am so sick of school at this point, that I've all but stopped studying for tests even. Not good, but hey! All I have to do is pass.....because......I GOT A JOB YESTERDAY for after graduation! I will be a Cardiovascular ICU Nurse a Baylor University Medical Center! Woo Hoo! Tyler is also taking me on vacation after graduation. He said it was for graduation and just because he loves me. How sweet! I love him so much! Last week we hit the six month mark. It's hard to believe that it's been that long!

In other news, we sent Jake off to war last week. He is currently in San Antonio doing convoy training. In a month he will then go to Kuwait. My great-uncle Stanley "Spinner" Krumm died two days ago. My dad is leaving for South Dakota tomorrow for the funeral and will be back on Tuesday. His boss is really great, because not only is he letting him off but he is paying for him to go. My good friend Jared's dad has cancer and is not doing well. It has moved to his bones. I have just been through this with Jen, I don't really care to do it again. But, I will. I must. Let's see, what else is going on.......

I am going to a town semi-near Lake Charles, LA for a mission trip in two weeks. It should be fun. But, you never get away from the studying. When we get back, I will have to take the HESI exit. Hopefully I pass it the first time. Well, I should get off this thing. I have a test tomorrow and I need to study. Ick.

New Phone and Lifestyle Changes

So, this weekend started out with a bang! I lost my phone at Whirly Ball on Friday night. I'm not too torn up or stressed about it, because I want a new phone anyhow. But, it is a hassle having to go and get everyone's contact info again. So, after two days, this guy calls and says that he has my phone and he is not from the whirley ball place. Somehow he wound up with my phone and he took it with him......(I don't really understand).......and he called me to say that I could come pick it up from him.......(once again I don't really understand)...........I asked him, since I don't live in Dallas, if he would kindly return it to the Whirley Ball place for me to pick up, or drop it in the mail. He responded, "well how about you find out the Whirley Ball info and call me back and I'll leave it there." Two things: I am greatful that he found my phone and wishes to return it to me. But if that were you, and you took the phone with you instead of leaving it at the place, wouldn't you at least try to get it back to the owner, instead of making the owner do all the leg work? Interesting. Makes me wonder what his motives were for that. I asked him if he could just put in the mail, since it is a trek for me over to Dallas and he said no. I don't get it. Oh well. At least I had the service turned off on that phone.

I have been making a conscious effort to eat better this week and so far so good. It is hard, very hard at times, but I have discovered today that I have no real craving for fast food anymore. Or junk food, which is refreshing. I also am not craving to eat out. Which is good. Last week, I wanted Pad Thai, everyday, so this is an improvement. All of this stems from a needing to get myself healthy, but the driving force right now is to be supportive for Tyler. Who discovered on Monday that he really needed to change his eating habits. Don't get me wrong, I am doing this for myself, first and foremost, but also for the both of us.

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

So, Tyler came back this week with a clean bill of health. Just instructions to eat better! We had decided a couple of months ago that we were going to get into shape. It is important to both of us. We want to be active people and set a good example for each other, our families, and the family that we may have one day. But, boy is this hard! Officially we started yesterday. Well, Tyler started Tuesday and I started yesterday. I went to my first clinical with CPS today. I am assigned to Grand Prairie. Today was just orientation. The lady I am assigned to wants me to start next week. She didn't seem to friendly today. Hopefully next Thursday will be better. Tonight we are waiting for the impending ice that may or may not come......again.

Confession......

.....yesterday I used my sister's toothbrush on accident......and I didn't tell her about it.

Haiti and Oprah

Ok. Today, two separate thoughts. One: Haiti. It is noble and right to help Haiti, given their current situation. But, why weren't we doing this before all of this happened? Where was the aid before the earthquake? Why should we help now? Most people in that country had nothing before the earthquake, guess what?! They still don't have anything post earthquake. Like Brian Williams just said, what happens when the world's attention moves on? Sure George Clooney can buy the airtime to have a telethon on Haiti's behalf, but I would be very interested to know if he is indeed contributing to the pot. What about his cohorts appearing with him tonight? The Bible says, "To him who much is given, much is expected." People often forget about these places except for when tragic events happen. There was no telethon for Katrina. Rita is all but forgotten, although her devastation is almost as great. Five years later, homes in south Louisiana are still vacant. Most still have the water stains up the walls and mold growing in the moist summer heat. People are still displaced because they cannot afford to go back and have nothing to go back to. What happens when Haiti's corrupt government swallows the money meant for aid, or plucks children off the streets to be adopted. Children who very well may have parents. My hope is that the aid workers build better buildings for them. That clean up doesn't take five years for them. This whole situation just makes me sad. I am struggling to comprehend all of this.

Ok. On to the next topic! Anyone see Oprah today? Sarah and Bristol Palin were on today's show via Skype (Oprah's getting cheap? I think so!) Bristol's portion of the show was an interview about her single motherhood. Oprah pulled out a quote from the INStyle article featuring the mother/daughter pair in which Bristol is quoted saying that she will "defintely not have sex again until she's married." Oprah then proceeded to bash Bristol on this claim, stating that is wasn't realistic for a young woman with a child to remain chaste until marriage. This just infuriates me. Oprah has no room to comment on pre-marital sex because of her own lifestyle! I hardly believe that she and Stedman refraid from having sex because they are not married. Bristol is trying to make things right in her situation and I believe that. Hasn't Oprah ever heard of re-claimed virginity? That is a whole other issue that I can talk about later. Just infuriating! I can't adequately put into words the feelings I have about the interview I watched! Kudos to you Bristol Palin!

So I'm reading

two books. 1)The Shack, 2) Soul Virgins. I am re-reading the shack with my client and friend Marcie. She has Lou Gehrig's Disease and can't do much for herself these days. I am reading Soul Virgins with Tyler. On Saturday Tyler and I were driving to Decatur to meet his parents and I was reading to him. I was struck by how similar the books were in their message even though both books are completely different. In the chapter we read, it talked about how a healthy relationship is built on a healthy relationship to God. And, unless God is the center, then your relationship won't live to it's full potential. It also talked about that if you had a good relationship with God, then the earthly things, such as premarital sex, won't be such a big issue. The chapters Marcie and I read in the Shack, echoed those statements, except with out the whole sex thing in there. It has been a really interesting read and has really helped my spiritual life in the last two weeks, when the rest of my life was rather blah. I have been having a rough go at work over this Christmas break. It drained me. Tyler would dread my phone calls because it was always about how horrible work was. I finally got up enough guts to turn in my notice this week.

Christmas break has been rather tumultuous this year. I love the season of Christmas and Advent but some circumstances made it less than enjoyable this year. It seems that if it is not one thing with my sister it's another. I think she thrives off drama, and she has to create it when there isn't any. I had a rather serious argument with her before Christmas, then she broke up with her boyfriend of 4 years, today was her last day to babysit for this couple. It just goes on and on. But! She is starting nursing school tomorrow and for that I am proud of her!

Tyler, Brendan and I went to the Wesley Foundation Spring Retreat at Glen Lakes today. We had fun scaling this mountain only to find that the trail was too steep and we couldn't make it to the top! We got all muddy and had to wade in sub-zero water to get to the trail head. Tyler fell in the water........it was a mess. I'll have to post pictures (if I can figure out how). Currently, he is sacked out beside me on my bed. I don't think he really slept last night, which seems to be a common occurrence, and he hasn't been feeling well lately. Which, is another thing that is worrying me. I knew he was tired, because he is being all kinds of extra goofy today. So, we are having tests done next week and I think his mom will be coming down too. Nothing serious, just trying to see why his stomach feels so bad.

Here's to the last semester of Nursing School starting tomorrow! My first official day of class is Friday though. Woo Hoo! Here I come world! And this time I mean it!

Bacon Bacon everywhere and not a piece to eat!

So, I turned on Food Network tonight and Unwrapped was on. The show tonight is about Bacon. So far, I have seen bacon ice cream (I would try it......I have tried Jalepeno ice cream before....Tyler was repulsed) and microwavable pork rinds (g-ross)! I'mm starting to think the people who produce this show are trying to gross us out. Ooo! New one! Bacon-flavored jelly beans and floss! Ick.

My brother's friends got him Guitar Hero 5 for his birthday. It's been downstairs for the playing on the big tv but we have discovered that the big High Def tv has a lag between the sound and the video. I know, I know you can supossedly fix this on the game, but it doesn't really work. Why does that happen? It is the same thing on Tyler's tv too! But, when we play upstairs in my brothers room, I am infinitely better. Huh.....interesting. But, I owned my brother. That is the most important part.

Holiday Recap

In all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I havn't had time to update this thing. (I have been told that I'm not very good at this blogging thing.......Ebonii). But, I thought I'd take a moment to recap how my 4 weeks of Christmas break went. I finished the semester and two days later started a Wintermester. I had to take US Government so I can graduate in May. Fun times......not really. To say that our professor was odd is an understatement. His favorite words were "douche bag" (just in case you were wondering......he used the words 29 times in 12 days). He also liked to gripe at us for our grammar, but he repeatedly used the word "suck" incorrectly. "Suck" is a verb. It implies an action. It is by no means an adjective, unless you change its form, i.e "Sucky." So I enjoyed the 12 days of Christmas with him and some fellow classmates. On top of that I worked, which needless to say has not been a fun ordeal. I love my patients......hate my job. I feel like I am the office whipping boy......well girl. My week at work last week was awful from top to bottom.

We had a white Christmas this year! It was so awesome to wake up and see the ground covered in about 3 inches of white! Tyler and I were supposed to go see his parents the day after Christmas, but a blizzard (yes, we had a real, live blizzard in Texas and SW Oklahoma on Christmas Eve) knocked out their power and water for about three days. Not wanting to add to the situation, we opted to go the next weekend, after New Years. His parents were so happy to see us! They very graciously opened their hearts and home to me and for that I am very greateful! I'm just happy that they are normal people. I have dated a few people with some real doozies for families.

I have one full week left of work before school starts again. Yay. Hopefully it will be better this week. I need to have a conversation with my boss. Don't want to, but need to.