tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87466084203537288702024-03-14T00:30:22.788-07:00Weaving the golden threadTaniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-64571459343325277122011-02-04T22:57:00.000-07:002011-02-04T22:57:21.725-07:00Baby on the brainThank you for the congratulations on my big news. We are so excited about this new addition to our family! I have wanted this for so long and it seems that things just kept coming up that prevented us from taking the leap. I'll be honest, I've had baby fever since I was about 24 when friends around me started having babies....and I wasn't even married then! Ever since I was little I had pictured myself as a mother, and I knew without a doubt that I wanted kids. I had always wanted a little girl, and even kept a running list in my head of my favorite girl names prepared for the event. I'm pretty sure I started this list when I was 7! Of course, my favorites have always changed throughout the years, and eventually I started thinking about boy names I liked. Right now I still have list of girl names, should this little one be a girl, but Jon and I haven't really talked about our favorite ones. He's already shot down my top pick, #1 name (maybe I can convince him later?). We have already decided what we would name our peanut if it's a boy. It was a really easy decision to come to--we are naming him after Jon's grandfather.<br />
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Baby names aside, from the very beginning I've been a worried mom. Because I have wanted this so much and for so long, I have been scared of losing our little one. It's been a fear in the back of my head for the majority of my first trimester. Every time I went to the bathroom I would check my underwear for any signs that could point to miscarriage. I was orienting on my unit then and was super busy, but every time I felt any gush of fluid (sorry, it's kind of gross), I'd freak out, run to the bathroom and check. For the most part all thoughts of miscarriage are out of my head, and I have yet to get around to empty out my emergency stash of feminine products from my purse, but I still worry about baby's health. I pray everyday, plead with God to please let my baby be healthy. Nothing has given me reason to believe otherwise, but that is just the kind of person I am. Heck, until this pregnancy happened I had almost convinced myself that I wouldn't be able to bear children, just because I wanted it so bad!<br />
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The ultrasound we did when I was 11 weeks really solidified the reality. Until then, it was hard to believe that there was actually somebody living inside me. But seeing baby wiggle around like crazy during the ultrasound was indescribable. I instantly fell in love<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TUzlsIfSzFI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/5IIZ7wXjVQg/s1600/baby+first+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TUzlsIfSzFI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/5IIZ7wXjVQg/s320/baby+first+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Omigosh it looks like a real baby!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm still not showing much, just a little bump protruding about hip level. It really pops out when I have a full bladder. I'm so impatient to start showing. I've tried on maternity clothes already, but there's no reason to yet. I'm just really excited! And I can't wait to feel him/her kicking around!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-11311313125541255052011-01-31T14:08:00.000-07:002011-01-31T14:08:26.249-07:00My MondayIt's 1:30 here and I'm still in my pajamas. I woke up at 11:30 to the sound of soft rain, got up to eat something, fed the dog, let him out, and went back to bed. So goes my life these days. I've been working nights in our local hospital's postpartum unit for a couple months now and tonight is a dreaded work night. I've got no problems sleeping during the day (other than neighbors' annoying dogs barking nonstop), no problems staying awake at night, and so far no scary moments on the 40-minute drive home, but I absolutely hate this! I wake up, eat a piece of fruit because anything more will set off the nausea, and suffer stomach issues the whole night. I've had a few lucky days where I've been able to eat and felt great, but those nights aren't enough to offset the bad nights. Digestive issues have always been a problem for me whenever I stayed up too late, so none of this surprises me.<br />
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Other than the shift itself, I love my job! I'm so happy to be working with healthy patients. Most of the time the situation is also a happy one. And of course I love working with the newborns! I'm getting more and more comfortable with handling them (you should have seen me when I was a student--so scared to break them!) and yes, I will occasionally cuddle them. Heel sticks for blood tests are also easy now and I actually like to do them now. Don't worry, they get a pacy with sugar water and sleep through it for the most part. My biggest challenge? Breast feeding! I think I get more frustrated than mom or baby when it's just not happening. I stress out when a baby won't eat. I'm not a breast feeding expert, nor do I have any personal experience with it, so just how am I supposed to be helping these moms breast feed more effectively? I am getting better at it, but I have to admit I get relieved when a mom comes in just wanting to formula feed. I know I'm horrible.<br />
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All this and more that I haven't mentioned are great preparation for me. In a few months time I will be that exhausted mom trying to get baby to latch on. I'll be the patient the nurse will walk in on, holding the baby and just gazing at him/her (I really do love walking in to that scene). Hopefully, I'll be better prepared than your typical first-time mom, but somehow I doubt I'll have less questions and I will be just as scared! I am so excited, hopeful, antsy, impatient, all-of-the-above and more. But for now, I need to rein in all this emotion and get to bed. Goodnight and happy Monday!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-54844822787165882302010-12-06T22:44:00.000-07:002010-12-06T22:44:00.796-07:00Time flies when you're having fun!Or even when you're not! Nursing school flew by, that's for sure! I still can't believe that I'm expected to be on my own eventually. I'm still in student mode, still feel like a student, and probably still think like one too. I'm working on our hospital's postpartum unit. I'm the nurse for both mom and baby, which I have to admit I didn't know was the case when I asked for this unit because when I was a student here baby had his own nurse and mom had her own.<br />
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It's been quite a transition from student to nurse. The first time I had to go medicate a patient on my own, I checked, double-checked, and checked again to make sure of the dose and that it was OK to give it at that time. As I pulled the medicine out and walked to the patient's room to administer it, I felt like I should have my preceptor there with me watching my every move. I'm just so used to having someone over my shoulder all the time! Well, I've been at it for 3 weeks now, and I have to say I'm loving it! I went from following my preceptor around to taking the majority of her assignment on my own. I have even had the opportunity to call doctors a few times (I was so nervous about this when an awful anesthetist came and talked to our class and scared the crap out of me--our doctors aren't really that evil!) I've been struggling with how exactly to help a mom breast feed when she's having trouble. I mean, after all, I haven't had my own children yet, never breast fed in my life! I have a lot to learn and three more weeks until I really am on my own. This week I start nights. Right now I'm just trying to stay up as late as possible and gearing up to become a vampire.<br />
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What am I doing at night when the rest of the world sleeps? Knitting, crafting, making stuff with my hands. I missed this part of my life when I was in school, so I've been living it up and taking advantage of my free time. That is all for now, must go and finish Christmas presents!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-50793015341942275662010-11-08T21:19:00.000-07:002010-11-08T21:19:54.423-07:00New beginningsIt's been quite a long time since I last wrote. I started missing the old blog yesterday and so stayed up late last night modifying my layout. I decided to change the name of my blog (but not the url) because I feel like the last name didn't really reflect the whole me. It was just a silly name I decided on a couple years ago when I was just going to write about my knitting projects and share pictures. Since then, this blog has been a mishmash of everything in my life, hence the new name. I love it! I've decide to try to post more now that school is over. I feel like I've finally found my "golden thread" in life. Will post more later!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-90030600733355498092010-06-03T13:52:00.001-07:002010-06-03T14:07:49.950-07:00A Little Taste of Walla WallaAs the last semester was winding down I was wondering what I was going to do with myself for a full month until the next semester started up again when I decided I was going to try to make it back to my hometown for a visit. I hadn't visited since last August and I hadn't gone to the annual Balloon Stampede in so long (plus it was on Mother's Day weekend) I decided it was a good time. So I booked a (relatively) cheap ticket home on <a href="http://www.allegiantair.com/">Allegiant</a> and was off a day after school let out. (Side note: This airline has really cheap flights. I found a one-way ticket home for $19.99!)<br />
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As we flew closer to our destination I could see from my window seat the vast expanses of agricultural fields. The patchwork layout and the colors were just beautiful. I couldn't help but fill with pride as I looked onto the landscapes where I had grown up. I didn't grow up in the country per se, but it was a small town. The airport is surrounded by wheat fields, but the city is right there. As we were touching down I noticed that these wheat fields began (or ended) right at the runway. There was even a coyote hanging out there as we taxied in. (A <b>fat</b> coyote compared to the ones we have in Arizona!)<br />
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Usually, I dread going back to the small town. I vowed I would never live somewhere like that once I escaped to the big city of Seattle. That is how I felt, as if I <i>escaped</i> Walla Walla. I saw a lot of people that had stayed behind. They hung out with the same people in high school, did the same things every weekend at the same places, and married people that went to the same school. That's all fine, but that's not what I wanted. I wanted to get out and see the world. This visit was different. For the first time I could see myself moving back here and raising my family. My mom would love this as well so she could be involved in her grandchildrens' lives. There are things that are lacking there, such as a <a href="http://wwvdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/07/blue-mountain-mall.html">lack of a mall</a> and no Target (this is a HUGE deal since Jon and I go there at least once a week), but those are things that are just 45 minutes away in the Tri-Cities. I could go live in Tri-Cities, but it's just not as pretty. Here's what I mean<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgM6CF87bI/AAAAAAAAA3w/Za6x8qHi0Kw/s400/IMG_1271.JPG" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just a short drive from my old elementary school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgNZrkoKlI/AAAAAAAAA34/Aa5C4strMG0/s400/IMG_1273.JPG" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Continuing on the road. Every time I go out for a drive out in the country I go on a whim, accepting the fact that I just may get lost with the convoluted roads that seemingly lead to nowhere. It's been years, but I always find a way back into town.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Walla Walla had always been a sleepy town. That is, until it was discovered as the <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-latest-vintage/1">newest destination for wine tasting</a>. Since then, every spring it awakens into a tourist town. I still don't know how I feel about this. It has changed so much since I lived there and I don't want it to! While I'm glad that the wine industry has brought in a lot of money and has cleaned the place up a bunch, I always roll my eyes every time we pass a new winery. Our wheat fields have been replaced by vineyards.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">On to the balloons!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Every year on Mother's Day weekend balloons from everywhere converge in Walla Walla for the Balloon Stampede. We used to always go when I was young. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn, throwing on some long pants and a heavy jacket, and piling in the car to watch the balloons take off. That ritual stopped when we got older and lost interest, but it had been so long since I last went that I wanted to see it again. I missed the first launch since it was the morning after I arrived and I was exhausted. I was able to wake up in time to watch them fly over my house, however. The next day it was rained out (and too windy), but I did get to run in the annual Balloonsday run. It's a 5K and I did it in 28:03! Not bad for me. There was a Nite Glow on Saturday night where the balloons stay tethered to the ground and "light up" to music, but we ate too much and drank too much wine so we missed that too. Finally, on Mother's Day we made it! I was a little late getting there and about a third of the balloons had already taken off, but I got some pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgRjsqzAXI/AAAAAAAAA4A/I9as_VpmGwQ/s400/Walla+Walla+May+2010.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Spirit of Walla Walla taking off.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgSyfPZMGI/AAAAAAAAA4I/tY5vAdD6VNg/s400/Walla+Walla+May+20101.jpg" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Setting up</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgTPP3OpqI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/WF7AWp6568c/s400/IMG_1172.JPG" width="267" /><br />
Sometimes when the balloons got up they would have to move them because they'd be bumping into each other.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgT38nfuJI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/zK-IrLKGwVA/s400/IMG_1196.JPG" width="400" /></div>Not quite upright yet. There's an interesting shape of a balloon in the background. Never seen anything like it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/TAgVCnXbxnI/AAAAAAAAA4o/TRcCQSiGWvk/s400/IMG_1229.JPG" width="400" /></div>Balloon chase vehicle. I always wanted to do this when I was little. Now I just want a hot air balloon!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">I have so many more pictures, but this post is already getting too long as it is!</div></div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-81380000075967762642010-05-27T14:55:00.000-07:002010-05-27T14:55:19.425-07:00Musings on last semester and summer breakWell, it's been a while (again) since my last blog post. I have no excuse! Just laziness. Pure laziness.<br />
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Last semester went by pretty quickly once we got done with the actual classroom time. I got to spend time on the med-surg floor (again), a psychiatric hospital, and the NICU (my favorite!). I was really disappointed to learn that we would be spending 5 more weeks on the same floor we were on the previous semester. I was beyond bored there, and was looking forward to the promise of an ICU rotation. I spent all of 2 days in the ICU. I did love it, though. I only wished I could spend more time there.<br />
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I surprisingly really enjoyed the psych rotation. I was really nervous and just dreading it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was really fun talking to the people there and getting to know their stories. I admit, I was a little nervous going into their acute unit. There were some pretty creepy people there and I was told to watch my back at all times!<br />
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The NICU was the best! I really don't know how I'm going to go back to big people after having these little patients for 2 weeks! I'd much prefer changing full, itty bitty diapers to the huge blowouts that adults can have! Honestly, I was a little nervous walking into the unit on the first day with all those alarms going off and seeing such fast heartbeats, respiratory rates, etc. I almost freaked out about the frailty of these babies and just how <i>little</i> they were! That all went away when I fed my first baby, got to hold her and listen to her make little baby noises, and that smell! I can smell babies forever! Another thing I liked about being on this unit was the pace and the environment. It is much slower paced than the med-surg floor we are used to. But that gives more time for the nurses to give special attention to the babies and their parents. I got to do several things that I've never done on an adult before, such as dropping an <a href="http://z.about.com/d/pediatrics/1/0/T/J/469865Small.jpg">NG</a> and OG tube (those babies are always pulling them out!). The whole concept freaked me out and I only vaguely remembered the technique when we learned the skill on a dummy. But the nurses I was with were able to talk me through it, and I was really surprised by how easy it was! I also got to pull an <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/21732.jpg">umbilical vein catheter</a> out. I had a tough time cutting those sutures that held it in place!<br />
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All in all, I really enjoyed last semester. Where do I see myself working when the time comes? Most definitely the NICU. We'll see where I end up, though.<br />
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As for now, I've been enjoying doing nothing, relaxing, baking, and knitting. Break started on May 6 and I don't have class until June 7! Yay! So, I've been making things like this<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7oxucWeUI/AAAAAAAAA3I/GnPKuElh-ws/s1600/Cranberry+Orange+Scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7oxucWeUI/AAAAAAAAA3I/GnPKuElh-ws/s320/Cranberry+Orange+Scones.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cranberry-orange-scones-recipe/index.html">Cranberry Orange Scones</a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">and this</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7pRyvyGBI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/NrbdbSSlWVg/s1600/Strawberry+Mascarapone+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7pRyvyGBI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/NrbdbSSlWVg/s320/Strawberry+Mascarapone+Cupcakes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/strawberry-and-mascarpone-filled-cupcakes-recipe/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Strawberry and Mascarapone Filled Cupcakes</i></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and this</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7pyoxupQI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/Isir4wLatf8/s1600/Quinoa+Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S_7pyoxupQI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/Isir4wLatf8/s320/Quinoa+Bread.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chefinyou.com/2010/04/quinoa-bread-recipe/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Whole Grain Quinoa Bread</span></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We've been eating well! (And I've been working out to compensate for this).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Later I'll post some pictures from my visit back home to Walla Walla. </div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-25047727544258244392010-04-02T09:48:00.000-07:002010-04-02T09:48:52.663-07:00Happy April!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rather than having to cope with scenes like this from back home</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YcwerdeaI/AAAAAAAAA2w/-DRqWDen4g4/s1600/westsumtsnoqualmie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YcwerdeaI/AAAAAAAAA2w/-DRqWDen4g4/s320/westsumtsnoqualmie.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Mountain pass that connects E. WA and W. WA)</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I get to wake up to weather like this</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YdWvoDAOI/AAAAAAAAA24/NZgJqyihpgQ/s1600/IMG_0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YdWvoDAOI/AAAAAAAAA24/NZgJqyihpgQ/s320/IMG_0959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>On a side note, Jon took it upon himself to rent (another) non-mainstream chick flick. If you watched Desperate Housewives when it first started, then you'll see a familiar face. The acting was not so great and the story line was very predictable and unrealistic.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YfPB2vIDI/AAAAAAAAA3A/pAp-MXKhOAg/s1600/other_end_of_the_line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S7YfPB2vIDI/AAAAAAAAA3A/pAp-MXKhOAg/s320/other_end_of_the_line.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">But I still loved it! (Isn't the female lead gorgeous?)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some Dairy Queen, cheesy chick flick, and snuggling on the couch....I call that a great Thursday night! Hope everyone has a great weekend.</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-46033467725331576402010-03-29T13:18:00.001-07:002010-03-29T14:38:52.693-07:00Working it out!I'm so proud of myself. I worked out 5 days last week (6 if you count giving the house a good scrub down)! I'm dreading when I have to work those 3+ twelve hour days. On those days I won't have time to do anything but work, eat, and sleep!<br />
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</div><div>I've been running semi-regularly, and have actually switched over to running on the treadmill. It's just so much easier than driving to the park where I run and then driving to the gym for the weight-lifting class that I like to do now. I can tell you if I were doing that, most days I'd be taking a detour home! Another nice thing about the treadmill is that you can keep track of your mileage and speed. I honestly have no idea how fast I run on pavement, and mileage is just an estimate for me. I'm thinking I need an app for my iPhone that tells me how far I've run. Anyone know of any good ones?<br />
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</div><div> Back in the day when I was running regularly and doing a long run every week, I was able to run a mile (on a treadmill mind you) at a 7:30 pace. So last week I decided to see if I could still do what is my fast mile. Fail. I only made it 3/4 of a mile, but that might have been because I ran 3 miles prior. When I tried it again, I did a warm up mile first. I was able to do it, and was so happy with myself! I really don't think I could do that on pavement.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I have Mondays off so I'm just sitting around now, wanting to go to my weightlifting class. But I promised Jon that I would go to a Seder dinner with him tonight on post. So I was planning on going for a hike at my favorite state park here (since we never made it during the weekend because Jon had a ton of homework to do), but I didn't do that either. Instead, I had to take Dakota to the vet because I was seriously worried about a skin issue that seemingly flared up. I'm thinking that when we got him shaved they accidentally nicked one of his little nipples and he's been picking at it. The vet was nice enough to squeeze us in since I can't take time out from clinical during the week.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs085.snc3/15302_1353822400152_1069179122_31111593_5975774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs085.snc3/15302_1353822400152_1069179122_31111593_5975774_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div>So this is what we have to do for him. We got orders for an antibiotic ointment that is to be applied twice daily and this T-shirt for 5 days. He's such a good sport, and doesn't even fight me when I was putting the T-shirt on. Go SU! :P</div></div><div><br />
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</span></span></div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-24544577521785873992010-03-25T16:41:00.000-07:002010-03-25T16:41:01.232-07:00What I did on my spring break(Sounds like an essay elementary school-aged kids are made to write.)<br />
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I took advantage of all that free time and just relaxed!<br />
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But I also got to do a little baking, including <a href="http://cookingallday.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/cinnamon-bread/">this yumminess</a>.<br />
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I've worn <a href="http://www.sweaterbabe.com/knitting-patterns/luscious_cabled_cowl.htm">this lovely cowl</a> (finished last month) as much as I could and started knitting <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html">this</a>. Can't wait until next winter when I get to wear them! (Although I'm enjoying this lovely spring weather!)<br />
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I've been hitting up the gym for the usual cardio kickboxing, running, and a new weightlifting class. I've gotten over my aversion to running on an incline and can maintain a decent pace now.<br />
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I acted the part of domestic housewife and was consistently cleaning and cooking. (This, unfortunately, has been the first thing to go since I've started clinical again.)<br />
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I finally planted some flowers to bring some "springiness" to our backyard. My goal is to one day have a garden like my mom's. She has an amazing rose garden, numerous peony bushes, and many other flowers....so much I can't even list it all.<br />
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This weekend?<br />
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Hopefully, I can get out for a hike. Wildflowers have just exploded out of the ground in the past week! (Thank you rain!)<br />
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Happy almost weekend!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-17029619478376965232010-02-26T22:33:00.000-07:002010-02-26T22:33:43.401-07:00Missing my blog friends!I've been a horrible blogger. I'm not quite sure I can call myself a blogger anymore! I feel like I've lost touch with everyone that I've met--I don't write and I don't even read anymore. Google Reader is <i>full</i> of "new" blog posts!<br />
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I think maybe that I'm a little boring now, not to say that I was so interesting in the first place. What would I be blogging about if I had kept up with it? Probably nursing school and the stress it brings into the home....and that doesn't make for very interesting reading. Besides, I've been commiserating with my classmates.<br />
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I've managed to squeeze in some knitting--I just finished a cowl that I'm totally in love with! (I still have to take pictures.) I've been running for 2 months now, and have been consistently exercising. I decided in December to give up my perfectionist ways and to sacrifice a bit of reading for a bit of exercising and I feel great!<br />
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This weekend, with a big paper out of the way, didactic classes completed, and the first concept map done, I'm free! I'm so glad that this semester that we even get Mondays off! What do I do with myself? Even with all the extra time, I doubt I'll blog much. I've just missed out too much on the things I used to enjoy doing like knitting, baking, exercising, and keeping the house clean (I don't love this, but I love a clean house)! Unfortunately, my first weekend of freedom will be spent without Jon, who will be stuck in the house writing his final paper. He started an MBA program in January. I don't see him much!<br />
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Well, I'm very grateful for this extra time. Things are definitely winding down. I can't believe I'm almost done! August 12 is the big day! So....I'll be around. I hope everyone is doing well! And I miss you!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-41629499872790778282010-01-07T08:10:00.002-07:002010-01-07T08:12:11.465-07:00Little tidbits about Malaysia<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I hardly knew anything about the country before we visited. I had absolutely no time to research before the trip....I even forgot to look up suggested vaccinations, etc. on the CDC website! Hope I didn't get malaria or anything else that can be transmitted through mosquitoes--I got bit 10 times! </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyways, I thought I would make a list of some things I observed. Keep in mind that Malaysia's official religion is Islam.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We got our fill of chicken ham, chicken sausage, chicken....</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>There were a couple of radio stations that played pop songs from the States (for the expats there). We were listening to Katy Perry sing "I kissed...................I like it"</i></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Jon's sister-in-law never saw Baby Mama so we were watching it one night on satellite TV. Many scenes were cut out, such as Amy Poehler peeing in Tina Fey's sink. Cleavage was also blurred out on certain shows.</i></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>They drive on the left side of the road. I freaked out for a while there until I got used to it.</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The currency used is the ringgit. The exchange rate we got was about 3.34.</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The drivers there are crazy! Lots of scooters weaving through traffic, people going extremely slow/fast, cutting people off. But strangely, very few accidents. They are just very attentive and not aggressive.</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Clean bathrooms are a rare find there. Toilet paper in the bathrooms even more so. I might have used the squatter toilets a time or two when I couldn't hold it anymore (I did not use that gross hose!) It grossed me out because the floors in all the bathrooms were always wet! I will never complain about the bathrooms here ever again. Except I probably eventually will...</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The official language is Malay. I didn't know they used the Latin alphabet and was expecting not to be able to read anything.</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I did learn some words in Malay. Keluar (exit), selamat datang (welcome), dilarang (prohibited), anda (you), tanda (toilet), jalan (street), pulau (island)...</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There are also some words in the language that sound like the English translation: teksi, farmasi, polis, bas, restoran, sens, basikal</i>...</span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And that's your lesson for the day! Hope you all have a good day!</span><br />
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</span>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-91799439041313380562010-01-05T14:00:00.002-07:002010-01-05T14:09:20.580-07:00Malaysia in one post<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">I'm suffering horribly from jet lag! We got back on Saturday morning at midnight and I've had trouble sleeping on a normal schedule. I try to go to sleep at my normal time and I manage sleep a couple hours, but I spend most of the night tossing and turning and don't get back to sleep until about 6. Only then do I get my real quality sleep, as it is about 9 pm in Malaysia at that time. Hopefully I can overcome this soon.<br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So that is my excuse for taking so long to upload pictures from our trip and for writing a blog post about it. I swear I've been a zombie lately!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We left for Kuala Lampur on the night of December 20. From Tucson we flew to LAX and from there to Taipei and Kuala Lampur. LAX's international terminal was a nightmare! The lines were so long you couldn't tell where one began and one ended. We waited an hour at the check in counter and another at the security line, all the while silently thanking the extremely helpful woman who checked us in at the Tucson airport. You see, we bought two separate tickets, as it was cheaper that way. One ticket from Tucson to LA and another from LA to KL. We would have to collect our bags in LA and recheck them. It would have been another hour to do that, since there was a separate line for that after you were done at the check-in counter. This angel of a women checked our bags all the way through to KL. Now that's what I call Christmas spirit!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Our trip was uneventful and the 14.5 hr flight to Taipei wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This is coming from somebody who is pulling her hair out at the end of a 3 hour flight (seriously....I would rather drive 10 times as long than fly that long). I'm really a sucker for sunrises and saw one of the most beautiful ones from the plane. I made Jon take a picture.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OUpZlzGYI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/vqMU7bg0NmQ/s1600-h/IMG_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OUpZlzGYI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/vqMU7bg0NmQ/s200/IMG_3510.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From Taipei it was a 4.5 hour flight to KL.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jon and I adjusted to the new time zone relatively easily. KL is 15 hours ahead of Tucson time. The trip went by really fast!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">My in-law's condo had the most amazing view of KL. Look at all the cranes...there is crazy construction constantly being done.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0ObRt_H-iI/AAAAAAAAA1A/mjVlgFo9cac/s1600-h/PC270033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0ObRt_H-iI/AAAAAAAAA1A/mjVlgFo9cac/s200/PC270033.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">We went to a market with the most amazing fruit<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OWDBY1w8I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/BOnRaC80K_I/s1600-h/IMG_3517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OWDBY1w8I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/BOnRaC80K_I/s200/IMG_3517.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We celebrated Hanukkah with our niece Matilda<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OYVAPwSrI/AAAAAAAAA0g/3AJGiaZYOVo/s1600-h/IMG_3525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OYVAPwSrI/AAAAAAAAA0g/3AJGiaZYOVo/s200/IMG_3525.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We witnessed some of the most amazing Christmas displays in the local malls and hotels<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OZSae45YI/AAAAAAAAA0o/3DbrGcte_l4/s1600-h/Malaysia+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OZSae45YI/AAAAAAAAA0o/3DbrGcte_l4/s200/Malaysia+2009.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had the best breakfast at one of aforementioned hotels. Here's Matilda modeling her new dress and backpack she got for Christmas. She's such a doll!<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OnNbrvibI/AAAAAAAAA2A/64L5krol62w/s1600-h/IMG_3548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OnNbrvibI/AAAAAAAAA2A/64L5krol62w/s200/IMG_3548.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We saw what used to be the tallest buildings in the world and what are now the tallest double towers in the world, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Twin_Towers">Petronas Twin Towers at KLCC</a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OaCpgthII/AAAAAAAAA0w/Tb0c9roX3ss/s1600-h/untitled+folder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OaCpgthII/AAAAAAAAA0w/Tb0c9roX3ss/s200/untitled+folder.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wish we could have gone up to the podium, but they only give a limited amount of tickets and you had to stand in line at 6 am to ensure you got any. Nothankyou, not on my vacation!<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Oa2BJwegI/AAAAAAAAA04/NvRPYhzPx6w/s1600-h/IMG_3566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Oa2BJwegI/AAAAAAAAA04/NvRPYhzPx6w/s200/IMG_3566.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We visited the port town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca_Town">Melaka</a> where we didn't visit any of the historical tourist attractions. Instead, we went to their Chinatown for some shopping. It's a running joke in the family how my FIL plans his trips around shopping malls and now, local Chinatowns. At least we saw some beautiful rickshaws! Makes for a good picture<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OcsWAlHpI/AAAAAAAAA1I/ZxtUcNJmHAY/s1600-h/IMG_3522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OcsWAlHpI/AAAAAAAAA1I/ZxtUcNJmHAY/s200/IMG_3522.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We visited Pulau Penang where we stayed in the most beautiful hotel, <a href="http://www.e-o-hotel.com/eoh/index.htm">The Eastern and Oriental Hotel</a>, which was founded in 1885. I heart the stained glass windows on the doors to the bathroom and I'm now a huge fan of black and white bathrooms! The hotel still has the original lift, although it is out of commission now. So many famous people have stayed here throughout the years, including Tony Blair, Charlie Chaplin, and Rudyard Kipling.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OeeEXZwuI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/4b1NQZfOuLo/s1600-h/untitled+folder1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OeeEXZwuI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/4b1NQZfOuLo/s200/untitled+folder1.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jon loved the bathrobe and slippers <br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OjycyOvYI/AAAAAAAAA1o/uTNZcNKVABA/s1600-h/PC290081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OjycyOvYI/AAAAAAAAA1o/uTNZcNKVABA/s200/PC290081.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While there, we shopped at the <a href="http://www.mywisewife.com/penang-batu-ferringhi-night-market-pasar-malam-sidewalk-bazaar.html">night market in Batu Ferringhi</a>. Check out the link, as I have no pictures of that. We even at on that ship that advertises "The Best Steak in Town".<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also visited the beautiful botanical gardens where we saw monkeys! There were tons of them, jumping all over the cars in the parking lot, carrying their babies around, grooming each other, and following the humans around because they know we carry food. Carrying any food is strictly advised against, as is carrying plastic bags because the smart monkeys know we keep food in there! I even got attacked by ornery little guy--he just swatted my foot, nothing more.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OjNx8pE2I/AAAAAAAAA1Y/iCZzrPxoA38/s1600-h/PC290075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OjNx8pE2I/AAAAAAAAA1Y/iCZzrPxoA38/s200/PC290075.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's a picture of me just to prove I was there, since I was usually behind the camera this whole trip. Man, I really need to get back on an exercise regimen<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Ojh-Uvh1I/AAAAAAAAA1g/nizrRHuAvwE/s1600-h/PC290056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Ojh-Uvh1I/AAAAAAAAA1g/nizrRHuAvwE/s200/PC290056.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We went up to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genting_Highlands">Genting Highlands</a> one day. It was a must-see for Jon after it was featured on one of the shows on the Travel Channel. It boasted casinos, a theme park, and a snow land for Christmas. Unfortunately, it was a flop. After over an hour of driving, half of that on a 10% or more incline amongst crazy Malaysian drivers, we were ultimately disappointed. It was pouring the whole time, the whole place was kind of run down, and it was just an absolute zoo full of locals and tourists. Nevertheless, I had to take a picture to document the experience. That's Jon and his brother Chris with his wife, Josie, and Matilda looking away from the camera<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Ol0EzMT1I/AAAAAAAAA1w/97r_qq5MCqQ/s1600-h/IMG_3547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0Ol0EzMT1I/AAAAAAAAA1w/97r_qq5MCqQ/s200/IMG_3547.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We even got to fit in a little karaoke. Chris really got into it and got one of the employees to sing with him<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OmRFnJ1rI/AAAAAAAAA14/tvGwDm8NOs0/s1600-h/IMG_3532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OmRFnJ1rI/AAAAAAAAA14/tvGwDm8NOs0/s200/IMG_3532.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jon liked to hog both mikes<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OnxfAM67I/AAAAAAAAA2I/Rw0INLoDAA4/s1600-h/IMG_3537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/S0OnxfAM67I/AAAAAAAAA2I/Rw0INLoDAA4/s200/IMG_3537.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was a great trip. It ended too soon. I was really enjoying the weather: in the 80s and humid, but not too humid. Just enough for my skin to glow and not require so much lotion. I enjoyed walking around in shorts and dresses with flip flops, being able to take cold showers and feel refreshed. Now it's back to the land of dryness and itchiness. Nevertheless, it's still good to be home.<br />
</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-24913807694897142912009-12-26T05:06:00.000-07:002009-12-26T05:06:45.285-07:00Selamat Hari Natal from Malaysia!Just a quick post to wish all my blog friends a Merry Christmas! (Does anyone even check this thing anymore?)I'm lucky to be able to spend the holidays with my husband by my side and to have this opportunity to travel somewhere I've never been before. I'm truly grateful for this experience! <br />
<br />
My inspiration for posting out-of-the-blue? Jon's sister-in-law (who is also visiting Malaysia) is documenting this trip on her brand new blog and I feel I have no excuse for neglecting my blog any longers since I'm on break from school for the moment!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-65301028556097138922009-08-13T09:05:00.004-07:002009-08-13T09:26:44.824-07:00DokorThat's the nickname we gave Dakota. And the "R" is silent. Here's how we came up with it.<div><br /></div><div>Jon loves to sing songs about the dogs in our life. It used to be Sammy and now it's Dakota. We will turn literally every song into a dog song. With Dakota, Jon has been singing along to the tune of the Oscar Mayer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmPRHJd3uHI">balogna song</a>. You know the one, right? Jon's version:</div><div><br /></div><div>"My doggie has a first name. It's D-O-K.....O....R"</div><div><br /></div><div>Spelling is not his strong suit. That's as far as he got because I started laughing. "Doko?" I asked, thinking he said D-O-K-O-A. The name stuck, but you spell it "Dokor", with the "R" being silent of course. Here are some "Dokor" pictures</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoQ8T70s1zI/AAAAAAAAA0A/4vR3JU3znyQ/s1600-h/Desktop1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoQ8T70s1zI/AAAAAAAAA0A/4vR3JU3znyQ/s320/Desktop1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369482968906389298" /></a><br /><div>They were edited with iPhoto. The program really makes it too easy! Photoshop is way too intimidating to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I mentioned yesterday how much I miss knitting. I also really miss baking! Some classmates of mine had a BBQ a while back to celebrate a birthday and I made some cute little lemon tarts</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoQ89F91laI/AAAAAAAAA0I/3RhaYC9zMKQ/s1600-h/IMG_1030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoQ89F91laI/AAAAAAAAA0I/3RhaYC9zMKQ/s200/IMG_1030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369483676003702178" /></a><br />The recipe called for sweetened condensed milk and I still have leftover. I'm leaving for Washington tomorrow and was wondering how to get rid of this leftover. I really hate throwing things away! My solution? <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/06/dulce_de_leche.html">Dulce de leche</a> brownies! They look too good! The idea planted into my head last night as I was watching a program on Bolivia and they were talking about <a href="http://nookandpantry.blogspot.com/2007/12/alfajores.html">alfajores</a>. I really didn't want to make alfajores because they are way too time consuming for me. Anything I have to roll out, really. A quick search led me to the brownies. The recipients? My old co-workers as I plead for them to water my plants while I'm gone!Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-31680353131734123312009-08-12T14:21:00.003-07:002009-08-12T15:49:29.515-07:00Nursing school level 1....check that off my listSummer semester is finally done. Well, I shouldn't say "finally" because session 2 flew by! Time seemed to go quicker while we were out and about in our various clinical settings. It definitely did when you compare that to sitting through lecture all day!<div><br /></div><div>I started the summer off in OB. I was so excited for this, but wanted to have it last so I could end the semester with the babies! We only had two weeks in OB and two weeks in LTC (long term care). My <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">very first</span> day in OB I got to go to labor and delivery and watch babies being born. To be honest, I thought I would have a problem with it because everyone is right there all in mama's business. But it wasn't bad at all. As long as mom was fine with me being in there, I had no problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>The whole process amazes me. It was beautiful. Watching mom see her baby for the first time, baby taking her first breaths and screaming, and mom holding her baby. The nurse I was following was a great teacher. I suppose she remembered what it was like to be a student--she looked very young. I was able to watch her do the <a href="http://www.babiesonline.co.za/uploadedPics/2019376625_800_600.png">Apgar's</a> on baby, listen to the heartbeat, I even picked up the placenta!</div><div><br /></div><div>After that was mother & baby. We did a lot of assessments and some teaching, which I totally felt under-qualified for seeing as how I have zero children! Being fluent in Spanish, especially <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">medical</span> Spanish would have been extremely helpful because all my patients spoke very little English. I had a harder time with this unit, main reason being that I really hate bugging people. All us students had our own patients who, of course, also had a real nurse. I felt like we were really bothering them. Us going in to do our assessments and vitals with our instructor and the nurse coming into the room in between--I would have been going crazy if I were the patient! Poor sleep-deprived, sore mothers had to put up with us and our learning. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nursery was my favorite. All day babies would be coming in. We were busy with vitals, heel sticks, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Maturational_Assessment">Ballard scoring</a>, first baths, and swaddling. All of us, even those who had zero interest in babies initially, fell in love. It made me want a baby that much more!</div><div><br /></div><div>The last half of my semester was spent in LTC. It was somewhat of a downer coming from OB, going from one developmental stage to the complete opposite in the life timeline. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it was still hard for me. Can you imagine your life changing all of a sudden, being told when to eat, bathe, sleep, smoke (for some), who you're friends with? There are very limited choices here. As a resident, any modesty you once had will have to go, since you rely on others to bathe, change, and clean you. What got me the most, though, were the two younger men in the facility. Both experienced situations that left them unable to talk, walk, and eat/drink without assistance. I cried at the end of my first week, thinking about it in bed one night. I'll never forget...and I don't plan on going into that field. It really takes a strong person.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that was my month! Full of projects, presentations, and clinicals. I'm glad to say I'm done! Yesterday, I realized that I really miss blogging. Not just the writing, but even reading and commenting. I feel extremely out of the loop!</div><div><br /></div><div>You know what else I miss? Knitting! I had to take one of the cars in for an oil change. I fully prepared myself for two hours of sitting. I toted along Sara's Elefante, fully determined to finish the darned thing already! However, on that day of all oil-change-days, the Volvo mechanics decided to fly through it and I was in and out in less than 40 minutes. But don't fret! When I got home I planted my butt on that couch until I was done! I even neglected dinner duty and had leftovers instead. Behold the results</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoNFaQInXmI/AAAAAAAAAzg/F4sexFoDOP8/s1600-h/Desktop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SoNFaQInXmI/AAAAAAAAAzg/F4sexFoDOP8/s200/Desktop.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369211498065780322" /></a><a href="http://aranaperuana.blogspot.com/2009/03/and-winners-are.html">These projects</a> have been eating away at me! Originally, I had planned on whipping them out before nursing school even started, but then Sammy passed, and you know, life got in the way. I can now move on to the next project.Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-9295766928108293152009-07-08T15:13:00.005-07:002009-07-08T16:19:42.367-07:00So many changes in such a short timeI finally have a little bit of a break! Time to eat these yummy Rainier cherries that my wonderful husband picked up for me at the grocery store because I couldn't tear myself away from my books and notes. Time to watch those dark monsoon clouds roll in over the mountains, bringing thunder, lightning, and the promise of rain. Just a few days to savor, to do my own thing and maybe even bake a little! Perhaps I should even work on those knitting projects that I've promised! Come Monday, I go to the hospital to start my clinicals and I couldn't be more excited! For now, I'm quite content with the view out my window, laptop on my lap. Because I'm such a horrible writer, here are the changed we've experienced this past month in bullet form:<div><ul><li>Losing Sammy. It's been a huge adjustment getting used to living without a demanding, needy pup.</li><li>Nursing school. It's been a time-consuming, not to mention, life-consuming change. Poor Jon is on his own for the most part on the weekends. I also have not chopped a single onion, used the garlic press, or turned on the oven since the second week of school. </li><li>We moved! We are new homeowners of a Southwest style house. We've been wanting a house of this style since we moved to Arizona. You can't have a house like this back home in Washington (especially for the price we got it for)!</li><li>We took in another dog. I really wasn't happy about this and felt really pressured to agree with it. But over crying many tears of frustration I decided to agree to it, since it would be helping out my father-in-law. Jon's parents moved to Malaysia at the beginning of this month and couldn't take the dogs. The airline wanted $6000 for one dog! I'm still not crazy about the dog, but I've warmed up a little to him. I just feel like it's WAY to soon after Sammy died. Right now I feel like I can't love another dog the way I love Sammy. This dog is also SOOO different from him. Here's the mutt, Dakota:</li></ul></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SlUmfkFSRaI/AAAAAAAAAzY/Csqiqjy7ydg/s1600-h/IMG_3408.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SlUmfkFSRaI/AAAAAAAAAzY/Csqiqjy7ydg/s200/IMG_3408.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356229655530718626" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Well, that's all for now. I promised myself not to make a long post. I hope to share more later this week!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-3595874000401868002009-06-12T13:59:00.004-07:002009-06-12T14:42:41.375-07:00Nursing school: Week 1I survived my first week! Let me tell you, it feels WAAAY longer than a week. It seriously feels like it's been at least two! And....only 55 weeks left.<div><br /></div><div>We're going through so much, so fast. I've read sooo much already, much more than I'm accustomed to reading, especially since it's been 7 years since I went to school full time. We had to read several chapters to prepare for the first lectures. It's been nonstop since then. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another thing is learning all the lingo. The professors forget they're talking to (some) people with no nursing experience at all. Much like in the Army, nurses love to use acronyms. It would have been nice to get an explanation the first time a particular idea was talked about. Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed with reading and didn't want to take too much time to look something up that I pretty much just guessed with some words. After a week though, I've learned the meaning behind NANDA<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association)</span>, NOC <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(Nursing Outcomes Classification)</span>, NIC<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> (Nursing Interventions Classification)</span>, and SBAR (format followed when speaking to a physician about a situation that requires immediate action). I really had no idea there was a standard language in nursing. I am so grateful that SBAR exists, though, because I'm soooo intimidated doctors! I think I would always feel like I was bothering them since they're always go go go!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm also (finally) getting comfortable with the actual process of diagnosis, outcomes, and interventions. We have a health promotion contract using these skills due on the 25th and I think I'm about to get started on that. I've already "interviewed" Jon and had him fill out a wellness profile. Now that I looked over a sample, I feel that this can be accomplished easily.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for actual skill, I've had 2 labs this week and can now take vitals (temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure) and perform a shift assessment. We were just introduced to the shift assessment today and will be tested over it next Friday already! Lots of practice in my future. Oh, and modesty is really not an option. After just a week of knowing each other, we had to strip down to our skivvies and get assessed by our fellow students. Unexpectedly, I had no problem with it. All for a greater cause, right? We're not here to judge!</div><div><br /></div><div>And there's my week! Now, I need to do some reading ahead of time to avoid another meltdown (there was already one this week). Hope everyone has a great weekend!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-35814338492196906332009-06-05T18:19:00.006-07:002009-06-05T19:34:49.458-07:00Bury My HeadI almost feel like it, but really, it's just Kate Walsh's song that I'm obsessed with at the moment. I can listen to it on repeat for hours! I love her :)<div><br /></div><div>Today was spent at my orientation for my accelerated nursing program. The program has yet to start, and I'm already feeling a little overwhelmed! Orientation itself wasn't bad, and I really enjoyed meeting my fellow cohorts. One little example of how accelerated the program is just scared me. The same skills for nursing assessment that traditional students complete in one semester will be done in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">2 weeks</span></span>! And this is why I'm not working.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought it would be fun to show you all the book stack I have going on for this program. When I got the book list I had a little panic attack, thinking there would be more lists like this in the future. Fortunately, we will only be required to purchase a couple more books throughout the program, according to the nice women in the medical bookstore</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinIvtn2fGI/AAAAAAAAAy4/0tUosjwx2hM/s1600-h/IMG_0996.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinIvtn2fGI/AAAAAAAAAy4/0tUosjwx2hM/s200/IMG_0996.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344023154877955170" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tuition for nursing school: $28,000</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nursing textbooks: $1000<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Health and background clearances: $100</div><div style="text-align: center;">Having to lug big-ass textbooks around for 14 months: priceless</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nevertheless, I'm excited.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, we're moving soon. We made an offer on a house way out in Vail and should close on it by the end of the month. It's a beautiful Southwest style house and is 2200 square feet. Being out in the middle of nowhere has its advantages. I really do miss being able to sit out in my backyard and watch the stars and the space station occasionally make an appearance. Dark skies outside the city make this possible again. Plus, this backyard is huge. A big pile of dirt until we do something with it, but huge nonetheless. A picture from the real estate agent's website</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinM3tOGX9I/AAAAAAAAAzA/Hcb0EuATZfE/s1600-h/Vail+house+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 115px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinM3tOGX9I/AAAAAAAAAzA/Hcb0EuATZfE/s200/Vail+house+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344027690255409106" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Jon is just ecstatic about the 3-car garage, a major selling point for him. :)<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We've been in a major battle with the property management company that's managing the house we're renting. The house is up for a short sale and they didn't want them to let us out of our lease because the owner "really needs that money." We just didn't like being stuck in a house that may go into foreclosure. Nothing we could do there, signed contract and all. But the management company went overboard wanting <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">us</span></span> to show the house for them. Excuse me? Don't they have people whose jobs are dedicated to doing this? Did you just ask us to get off of work earlier just so we could show the house that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">you</span></span> are selling? Am I getting your 3% cut for this? Because <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">you</span></span> certainly aren't doing a thing to get this house sold! How is a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">renter</span></span> obligated to have his number on the MLS and to receive after-hour calls from real estate agents who want their clients to see the house, like, now? They wouldn't take our number off the MLS as a contact number. After a couple screaming matches between Jon and the landlord, we finally were offered a month-to-month lease in exchange for showing the house. They don't know we made an offer on a house. Shhhh!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>They also don't know about Sammy. They still think we have an awful, fear-aggressive dog that prohibits them from putting a lock box on our door. My poor baby. At least he's home now. The last picture in my "Sammy" album.....too sad.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinQp3UOQhI/AAAAAAAAAzI/w5lrZb96P-8/s1600-h/IMG_0994.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SinQp3UOQhI/AAAAAAAAAzI/w5lrZb96P-8/s200/IMG_0994.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344031850493788690" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Yes, I've decided I don't care if you know my name. <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't help but still expect to see that furry face greet me when I come home. Or see a pair of puppy eyes boring into me as I stir from my sleep. Just typing that out is making me cry. But overall, thinking about him makes me happy. Call me crazy, but I still talk to him. I feel like he hasn't left because I just <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">feel </span></span>him. It's not always enough though, when I want more than anything to give him a great, big bear hug and a nice loud kiss. Then I laugh when I think that he hated that. I love my Sammy just the way he was.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The recent loss is the reason I took it so hard when my mom told me last night that she's putting my aunt's dog down. He's an old boy, blind and deaf and barely able to walk. It's time. I could hear the hurt in my mom's voice as she told me though. My aunt's been crying a lot about it and it just kills me how hurt everyone is. It's all too fresh for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't mean to end on a sad note. Just so much that's been going on. And my absence from the blog community has been long. Looks like I'll be in and out because I'll have a lot to do come Monday! Oh wait. What am I talking about? They already gave us a ton of reading to do in preparation for our first class on Monday! Have a good weekend all!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-13779535127338219192009-05-28T05:09:00.006-07:002009-05-28T06:08:29.783-07:00In loving memory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Sh6I2adwDEI/AAAAAAAAAyg/V8K99kNZP14/s1600-h/Sammy+and+friends.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Sh6I2adwDEI/AAAAAAAAAyg/V8K99kNZP14/s200/Sammy+and+friends.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340856676506405954" /></a><br />I want to thank everyone for their kind words. I can't believe it's been 4 days without Sammy and I'm already getting used to not having him around. I guess it's because we've been forcing ourselves to adjust to life without him. The day after Sam-dog passed, Jon already put his bowls away, washed his bed cover and blankie and put them away, put all his toys away, and picked up his poop. For me it was too early....I wanted to hang on to him as long as I could. It's clear that we have different ways of coping. Where Jon wants to put everything away so he doesn't think about him, I wanted all of it around to remember him and, I suppose, to wallow in my grief for longer.<div><br /></div><div>I still have my moments, though. Not a day goes by where I haven't cried for my baby. Random things will be too overwhelming for me, such as doing yoga yesterday morning. The last time I did yoga Sammy was still with us. I would get up early and take Sammy out to the living room with me so his daddy could sleep in. He would be right under my feet as I was in a pose and I'd have to move him because I couldn't go into the next pose. Anytime I was on the floor, he would come up to me and lie down right next to me, with his head on me. He'd look so cute as he looked at me expectantly this way. I remembered all this yesterday and was overcome with sadness and emptiness. After I was done I went to his bed, which still smells like him, and cried and talked to him and God. I still feel him around me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm definitely healing, but I'm afraid of forgetting. So I've decided to compile a list of my favorite things that made Sammy who he was:</div><div><ul><li>He's always been demanding and persistent. Jon and I lost a lot of sleep when he was a puppy because he would not stop barking when we put him in his crate for the night.</li><li>He slept underneath the bed until he absolutely could not fit under there anymore.</li><li>Without fail, he hid whenever he heard the shower go on. When he was younger when we wanted to bathe him, he would hide under the bed and we would have to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">drag</span> him out of there. This was a two person job!</li><li>More recently, if he knew bath time was imminent he would forego the hiding and immediately jump into the bath tub. The day Jon came home for R&R he wanted to take a shower after the long trip. Sammy thought it was his bath time even though he had just had one and without any indication on our part, he jumped into the shower, bandanna and all. He just sat in there while Jon took his shower.</li><li>He's the only dog I've had that actually plays fetch. He used to bring the ball back and actually drop it on to our laps for us to throw it for him again.</li><li>He kicked his little feet up after he went to the bathroom.</li><li>The way he used to bark softly when he was ready to come back in.</li><li>He used to watch TV and especially loved the Dog Whisperer.</li><li>How he hated when mommy and daddy would lift his top lip up to mock him baring his teeth. When he saw me getting ready to do this he would yank his head away.</li><li>He used to go into his "box" (crate) on command. Sometimes he'd even go in there when he knew that mommy was angry with him.</li><li>How submissive he was whenever I greeted him when I came home or even in the mornings when we woke up. </li><li>When I caught him doing something naughty, all I would have to do was point at the evidence and say in a low voice, "What is this?" for him to hang his head down and be submissive.</li><li>When he was submissive his ears would lie flat on his head and he would lick his little chops.</li><li>He was never an affectionate dog, but he knew mommy loved getting little kisses from him and I actually trained him to give them when I asked for them! </li><li>He tolerated hugs from mommy.</li><li>He wasn't a little pig when it came to eating. He would eat a little bit of food and drink water, then lie back down. In a little while he would go back and eat.</li><li>He used to eat when we left, which we thought was weird. Later, he didn't eat when we left.</li><li>He didn't eat his own food until he knew for sure that he wasn't getting any table scraps.</li><li>When we did give him table scraps, he would sit down while we were putting it in his bowl and would sit there, even for up to a minute, until we told him "Eat".</li><li>He turned around 3 times before plopping down on his bed.</li><li>Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and I'd see him up and looking at himself in the mirror.</li><li>He used to look at me through the mirror. When I caught him doing this I'd always start acting crazy, causing him to turn around and look at me. Who says dogs don't recognize reflections?</li><li>I'd sometimes wake up in the morning to find him behind the bedroom curtain, looking out the window.</li><li>He figured out pretty soon that when mommy got in the shower he could lie on the bed without her knowing, as long as he jumped off when she got out. I knew because of all the fur it left behind, and if I smoothed the covers there would be puppy imprints on the quilt.</li><li>He wouldn't jump on the couches if we put pillows, magazines, or blankets over them. The day before he died, though, we found that he had actually moved the blanket over so he could lay in his favorite spot.</li><li>Whenever he heard the laptop snap shut he would jump up and look at me expectantly, knowing it was bed time.</li><li>Whenever I got the laptop out in the mornings and sat down to breakfast he would immediately look up at the ceiling, looking for the reflective light that he loved to chase around.</li><li>How he'd give me "crooked lip" when I said key words such as "walk", "roof rack", or other random words.</li><li>His "hole chest". (Just his fur pattern there)</li><li>He was always waiting at the door when we came home.</li></ul></div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-44380398646495593922009-05-24T04:23:00.006-07:002009-05-24T05:41:59.142-07:00My dear, sweet Sammy<div style="text-align: center;">I regret to write that Jon and I have lost our sweet, furry baby, Sammy, yesterday afternoon. It came with no warning and so all of a sudden. I still don't understand why. Jon and I had left the house for only a few hours to wander around the mall and get some lunch. By the time we came back home, my Cham-Cham was gone.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I opened the door to the house there was no one there peeking his nose out the door and wagging his tail to welcome me home. Of course, I was immediately worried and confused because he's ALWAYS there to welcome us home. With great trepidation, I slowly stepped my way into the house, afraid of what I was going to find. I found him in the living room but I froze before I got to him, my vision blurry and I not fully comprehending what I saw. I called out to Jon behind me, my words falling before I could get it all out as I finally understood what was going on, "I think something's wrong!" We ran forward at the same time, hoping for the best but knowing better. I heard myself start to scream, but I felt like I had no control over myself. This was my worst nightmare coming into play--my mind in it's darkest place during Jon's deployment would wander to this possibility. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As Jon pulled it together enough to prepare the car and call the vet, I stayed with my dog, weeping over his lifeless body and stroking his fur. I told him how sorry I was for the bath that morning, for not letting him up on the bed and couch more often, for not giving him enough walks, or giving people food to him more often. But mostly, I told him how sorry I was for not being there for him in his greatest time of need, and how much it hurt to know that he passed while he was all alone. I told him how I loved him and I hoped he knew just how much.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm really going to miss my baby. I still can't believe he's gone. This wasn't how things were supposed to work out. I had planned on watching him grow into an old boy, seeing how he would have been with the babies when they came. I had planned on many doggy birthdays to celebrate</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk5MXrtXrI/AAAAAAAAAyI/D2u-vYN2j5w/s1600-h/IMG_0581.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk5MXrtXrI/AAAAAAAAAyI/D2u-vYN2j5w/s200/IMG_0581.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339361717902991026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Many years of his hiding every time we turned the shower on and giving him baths<br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk6DAmWycI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/kFIbwyQLE4M/s1600-h/IMG_3310.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk6DAmWycI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/kFIbwyQLE4M/s200/IMG_3310.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339362656599329218" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Many years of him grabbing every opportunity to get up on the couch or bed when Mommy wasn't looking or when Daddy snuck him on<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk7ebW0J6I/AAAAAAAAAyY/mTGHzwt-auY/s1600-h/IMG_2406.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/Shk7ebW0J6I/AAAAAAAAAyY/mTGHzwt-auY/s200/IMG_2406.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339364227149997986" /></a>So to my dear, sweet Sammy, your Mommy and Daddy love you very much. We always joked about what a pain you were, but all that was well worth it to have you in our lives. We know now that no matter what we have planned out for our lives, all that doesn't matter because God has his own plans. God sent you to us for a purpose, and you have fulfilled that purpose and now are back at His side. You have gone to somewhere we could not follow and that hasn't been easy on us. We miss you greatly and it's going to take a while to heal from this emptiness we both feel. We're going to miss how you used to chase "the light," how you used to steal Daddy's dirty socks from his boots and happily hop around the living room, how you used to jump up on the bed when Mommy got in the shower and promptly jumped off as soon as the water was turned off, the sound of your eating and drinking, your demands for a walk, and how you used to stare at us in the mornings when we stirred, as if willing us to open our eyes and get up to let you out.<div><br /></div><div>To all of you that have pets, please go hug them a little longer, spoil them a little bit more, and never take for granted any moment you have with them. Life is short and should be lived to the fullest.</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-53507819964470548072009-05-20T16:39:00.003-07:002009-05-20T17:01:32.367-07:00Winding downWow, it's really been a while since I last even logged into my poor blog account. I've just been unmotivated to blog, but I've been trying to keep up with everyone else's blogs, hence the scattered comments. I've also been really busy.<div><br /></div><div>I took the BSL for Health Care Providers class last week. It started bright and early at 8 am and we didn't get out until 1 pm....one hour late. It was a pretty full class and there was only one instructor, who happened to be a hot EMT :) So now I'm fully certified. Funny, I've never taken a CPR class in my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night I stayed up until almost 1 am making <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SSNek9TGl9I/AAAAAAAAAfI/BPHxGJhgQAA/s1600-h/IMG_0664.JPG">those wonderful color flow insignia patches</a> I made for Jon's cake when he came home for R&R. Looking at that picture now I see how crappy those two are that I made last night. Whatever, I was waaay too tired to care. Do you know how your legs and feet hurt after standing in an all-tile kitchen for three and a half hours straight? (Don't ask me why it took that long). I must really love my husband to do this for him! These patches will go on the cake we are taking to his change of command ceremony. He asked me if I wanted to do the cake and I told him to just buy my "blank canvas." If I weren't working, I'd be more than willing to dedicate my time to making him a yummy, pretty cake. But for now we're settling on a Costco cake.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of work, I'm in my last week....yay! My last day is on Friday. I've taken special note of many "lasts" that I've had in the last two weeks. My last group lab meeting presentation, my last lab meeting, my last <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_blot">Western blot</a> I did yesterday. I wipe my hands clean! I have to be honest, though. I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">did</span> get a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">little </span>sad when I didn't see my name in the new schedule of presenters for group lab meeting, and this is something everyone begrudgingly does to our PI's request. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not actually leaving for good. I've agreed to stay on part time as a "consultant" since we have no money to hire someone to pay me. Our grant didn't get funded the first time and my PI has to apply for bridge funding so I'm leaving at a good time! My poor PI has confessed to sleepless nights as a result of my resignation. I feel bad, but it's time for me to move forward and the lab will go on without me. I'll only be working 1-2 hours a week, and only agreed to this because I'll quite literally be right next door.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, I always end up writing more than I intended. I will be getting yellow roses for Jon's change of command. Guess who has to go buy them? :) Hope everyone has a good evening...I've missed being a part of the blogging community!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-11357134544477835432009-05-07T23:15:00.002-07:002009-05-07T23:28:19.837-07:00Pima or Egyptian? Maybe just some nice china!The big news here in Tucson is how we broke 100-degrees. Whoopty-do....that only means we've got a long summer ahead of us. Where did spring go?<div><br /></div><div>Well, bloggy friends, I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of the blogosphere. I just don't have as much time to keep up with this! So, unfortunately, posts most likely will be few and far between. Priorities really change when you're actually sharing your living space with your spouse! When I get home from work I mainly want to unwind with my husband and get dinner taken care of as soon as possible since the guy is going to bed at 9 every night! I still feel like I don't get much time with him, even though things were about the same before the deployment. It's been 3 months since Jon came back home and I still can't get enough of him! How am I supposed to get myself to the gym after work when he's at home waiting for me? I'm just going to have to do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of gym, my physical therapist is going to try me out running on the treadmill next week. It's been about 3 months since I last run (gulp!) so my aerobic fitness is waaay down. We've been working on my core strength and strengthening the muscles in my legs. The exercises that once caused pain, no longer do or barely do so. I hope I'll be able to run! </div><div><br /></div><div>In the meantime, Jon and I have been recovering from a bad cold. This past Tuesday was our 2-year anniversary, hence the title of my post! Can you believe my wonderful husband actually took the initiative and looked up the traditional gift for 2 years? I didn't even think of that! We exchanged gifts the Saturday before our actual anniversary and were supposed to go out for dinner, but ended up eating a huge lunch that day. I got a set of "china." We've been eyeing a <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=20&f=22801">set at Crate and Barrel</a>, but have been hesitant about dropping the money for it. So Jon went to the PX and got me a nice white set that I liked, just so we'd have a nice complete set if we ever have company (highly unlikely with our Sammy). He also got me a nice <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/product_focus.jsp?OPTION=PRODUCT_FOCUS_DISPLAY_HANDLER&catcode=MAIN_SP_US.CLOTHING_GEAR.WOMENS.DRESSES&style_color=58805-485&ws=">Patagonia dress</a> that I fell in love with when I saw it at our local outdoor supply store.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.patagonia.com/tsimages/58805_485.fpx?wid=360&hei=360&ftr=8&effect=dropshadow,0x000000,10,8,120,8&cvt=jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 360px;" src="http://www.patagonia.com/tsimages/58805_485.fpx?wid=360&hei=360&ftr=8&effect=dropshadow,0x000000,10,8,120,8&cvt=jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Isn't it pretty? I never really expected to find a dress at this store. I'm just not into outdoorsy clothes to wear on an everyday basis. This dress has made me rethink this. I think I'll be wearing it at Jon's Change of Command in a couple weeks. <div><br /></div><div>So, what did I get my husband? I bought a nice organic cotton sheet set and he also got a nice pair of comfy shorts at the same store we got the dress. Nothing too exciting. We'll be going out for dinner this Saturday to celebrate.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK so another reason I will be making few appearances here is because I've been trying to knit more. Remember my giveaway? I just barely started <a href="http://saravido.blogspot.com/">Sara's</a> Elefante. I've had the yarn for a while now, but I've been wanting to finish one before starting hers, so she doesn't end up with a piece of poo. I finally finished my "test" Elefante after the setback due to my cold. Even before I started it, I had decided that it would go to our niece, Tilly. So I didn't want any cold virus laced into this cuddly little elephant. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SgPQ3eRLOVI/AAAAAAAAAyA/Cb4MNQj1Cl8/s1600-h/May+4,+2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SgPQ3eRLOVI/AAAAAAAAAyA/Cb4MNQj1Cl8/s320/May+4,+2009.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333336035173284178" /></a><br />Success! Well, I think so at least! I think Tilly will love it! <div><br /></div><div>I just have to add here, I wanted a collage of all these shots but didn't know how to do it with no Photoshop on the Mac. I'm so glad that I checked back with Picasa because they now have a Mac (beta) version! I love this version waaaay more than their first one! Like in the previous version, you can make a picture pile collage, but you can now move your pictures around the way you want. In the previous PC version you didn't have much control and it was really frustrating, hence my boring straight collages. <div><br /></div><div>All right. Off to join my hubby in bed. I love how he hates going to bed without me. I started going to bed with him after going to bed my usual time and he declared after a week that he was "sick of going to bed alone." I let him down tonight to post on my blog, but I just couldn't sleep when I went to bed so early last night....and I really miss watching Jimmy Kimmel! With that, hope everyone has a good night!</div></div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-24033222930019534922009-04-28T18:45:00.014-07:002009-04-28T20:44:14.897-07:00Pictures from SeattleThe husband is fed and the kitchen is sparkling so it's time to share pictures from my two and a half days in Seattle!<div><br /></div><div>We got in really late Wednesday night, rainy, cold welcome and all. As luck would have it, when we woke up the next morning, we were greeted by blue skies and the rare sun. Looks can be deceiving, though, because it was still plenty cold for these desert converts!</div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to spend the day in Seattle, Jon's dad eager to show us how they remodeled the formally ghet-to <a href="http://westfield.com/southcenter/">Southcenter Mall</a>. I only did a<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> little</span> shopping, visiting the MAC store and H&M. I didn't even get through <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">half</span> the H&M and Jon was ready to go. I did, however, walk away with a pretty red print chiffon-y dress.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, we headed to our alma mater, Seattle University, or more affectionately called, SU or Seattle U. It's been years since we visited so we wanted to see the beautiful campus.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffDjeQAMOI/AAAAAAAAAwI/raS2mrlUId0/s1600-h/P4230613.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffDjeQAMOI/AAAAAAAAAwI/raS2mrlUId0/s200/P4230613.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329943698199294178" /></a>Here we are in front of one of the campus entrances. I always loved these purple flowers in my college days, and I've taken many a picture here with my friends during my freshman year!<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffECS-N9_I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/KMnEUJQOYWQ/s1600-h/P4230615.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffECS-N9_I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/KMnEUJQOYWQ/s200/P4230615.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329944227747854322" /></a>The fountain in the Quad, where the yearly Senior Streak takes place. Oh and there's Quadstock! The building in the background is where I practically lived, it being the science building, Bannan.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffEo71qjKI/AAAAAAAAAwY/GIIDoxVUbh4/s1600-h/P4230616.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffEo71qjKI/AAAAAAAAAwY/GIIDoxVUbh4/s200/P4230616.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329944891552861346" /></a>My handsome husband posing outside the bookstore where we dropped over $90 (!!!) on school t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other souvenirs. You can see our cute little Chapel of St. Ignatius in the background. I miss going to Mass there!<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffFOh1oiEI/AAAAAAAAAwg/y7lkaaIIO2Q/s1600-h/P4230620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffFOh1oiEI/AAAAAAAAAwg/y7lkaaIIO2Q/s200/P4230620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329945537408436290" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">My favorite walkway on campus. It's just so pretty--I was also a fan of GREEN!<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>After our short campus visit (hey, it's a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">small</span> campus!) we headed downtown and made our way to Pike Place Market. We definitely played the part of tourists!</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffGxXuAIhI/AAAAAAAAAww/PaWP_yL--g4/s1600-h/P4230626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffGxXuAIhI/AAAAAAAAAww/PaWP_yL--g4/s200/P4230626.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329947235499123218" /></a>I love this picture. I wanted to take a picture of the famous Pike Place Market sign when my mother-in-law decided it would be a good picture if my father-in-law and Jon joined her in front of the sign. They weren't interested, but these SPD officers were more than happy to jump in the picture!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffJmeuorgI/AAAAAAAAAw4/EJv2YBmnCcw/s1600-h/P4230628.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffJmeuorgI/AAAAAAAAAw4/EJv2YBmnCcw/s200/P4230628.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329950346937150978" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">These always tempt me! Aren't they beautiful?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That night I met up with my sister and brother at McCormick's downtown for happy hour. I'm so not used to paying so much money for food and drinks! They have a great happy hour though. I'm sad I didn't take any pictures that night. It didn't even occur to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, Jon's brother and sister-in-law went down to visit from Bellingham. I was really excited to see our niece, Matilda. I hadn't seen her since she was about 2 months old! We had a lot of fun with her, listening to her talk, watching her eat and sign for more (I'm totally teaching my babies to sign...it's too cute to watch them!) Tilly and her dad stayed the night while her mama spent the night in Seattle.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning I was just getting out of the shower and getting dressed when Jon hollered out to me, "Hey Tania, can you come out here? Chris (his brother) is taking a shower and I don't know what to do with Matilda!" Seriously? To be honest, I knew he would react this way when left alone with his baby niece. He has zero experience with kids and this was too hilarious to me. But I obliged and went out with my dripping hair and played with the baby for a while until I absolutely had to leave to blow dry my hair (we can't have it air dry now!) "What do I do with her?" Jon asks. I yell back from the bathroom to just play with her. It's not that hard! So he blew some bubbles for her and read her a story until her daddy was ready. My husband is so cute!</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffMEK9h-rI/AAAAAAAAAxA/ZN9fuY76-zY/s1600-h/P4250632.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SffMEK9h-rI/AAAAAAAAAxA/ZN9fuY76-zY/s200/P4250632.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329953056050248370" /></a>Here's little Tilly with her Uncle Jon. She looks like her daddy, but with her mama's eyes, hair color, and complexion. She's such a beautiful baby!<div><br /></div><div>Out time in Seattle was, as always, very short. It kills me to be so far away from family! I also really miss the city itself! We'll see where we end up :) Hope you enjoyed the pictures!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-29910499357870045452009-04-27T16:35:00.007-07:002009-04-27T17:37:53.510-07:00Pictures from Colorado<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZLZb7moEI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Y_Hmo9CEzmw/s1600-h/P4210612.JPG"></a>With this job comes certain obligations, and I was off fulfilling one last week in Denver. It all started when my boss came up to me last November and asked me if I wanted to present a poster at the upcoming <a href="http://www.aacr.org/home/scientists/meetings--workshops/aacr-100th-annual-meeting-2009.aspx">AACR annual meeting</a>. I had it pretty easy. One of my co-workers, a post-doc in the lab, wrote the abstract, submitted it, and made the poster. All I had to do was stand there for three hours and address any questions passing scientists may have had. Too bad my poster was on the very last day of the conference and situated in a corner section! Oh well.<div><br /></div><div>Among mini-symposia and various other talks I attended in addition to posters, I spent a couple hours circulating the vendor booths and snagging free stuff. I got free cappuccinos, cookies, pens, Starbuck's gift cards, iTunes downloads, reusable shopping bags, a free timer, and other cool souvenirs fitting for a science nerd. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pictures weren't allowed at all (although I saw plenty of cameras out in poster sessions and symposia), but I caught a couple snapshots of the cute bear that stands outside the Colorado Convention Center.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZEY6r4aQI/AAAAAAAAAvg/dc-8TwtUgbY/s1600-h/P4210593.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZEY6r4aQI/AAAAAAAAAvg/dc-8TwtUgbY/s200/P4210593.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329522403900418306" /></a>Here he is from inside. He's peeking inside at all the goings-on in the convention center. The first time I looked up, it looked like he was in the process of attacking the innocent people sitting in the chairs directly below him.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZEYnY2v6I/AAAAAAAAAvY/h1ZEDE2JeDE/s1600-h/P4210594.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZEYnY2v6I/AAAAAAAAAvY/h1ZEDE2JeDE/s200/P4210594.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329522398720343970" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here he is from the outside. He looks so harmless and curious!<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>In the evenings I was able to sneak away for a couple of road trips with Jon. Poor guy was so bored throughout the day! We went up to Boulder one day and down to Colorado Springs the next. Boulder was too extremely hippie for me. I guess it didn't help that we were there for 4/20. No pictures from the town itself, but we took some on the way when we got closer to the mountains</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZFv3P_r_I/AAAAAAAAAvo/NcF2VlsZqBo/s320/P4200589.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329523897626767346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ugh, I look pregnant in this picture! Anyways, I really miss big, snow-covered mountains! The field behind me was full of prairie dogs scampering around. I wanted to take one home they were so cute!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was more excited for Colorado Springs. That's where Jon's grandfather was living when he passed away and he also attended the Air Force Academy there for a year, so there was more of a connection with this city. We visited the <a href="http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm?flash=1">Garden of the Gods Park</a>, which made me feel like I was back in Arizona with all those red rocks!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZJDtWMXPI/AAAAAAAAAv4/VSXRC2gICZU/s320/P4210598.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329527537100676338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">We also went to eat at the German restaurant that Jon used to go to with his family when he was visiting there, <a href="http://www.edelweissrest.com/">Edelweiss</a>. This boy <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">loves</span> German food, which surprises me considering how picky he is. This was my first taste of the cuisine, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. I just pictured greasy sausages and sauerkraut and it was more than that, although not much more, I have to admit. I had the zigeunerschnitzel, which I liked probably because of the sauce it came with. Jon had the weinerschnitzel and, while good when eaten in small portions, I don't think I could have handled the whole thing all on its own!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eiF310NZOT8/SfZLZb7moEI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Y_Hmo9CEzmw/s320/P4210612.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530109406126146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is my handsome husband looking sooo happy that he's eating German food! I've resisted for so long! Poor guy! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wish I could have snapped a picture of him eating Peruvian food just so you could compare the two pictures. That boy is no fan of Peruvian food! I was so happy there was a restaurant so close to the convention center. Lunch buffet for $8.95....you can't beat that! I was stuffed when done, filling my stomach with some refreshing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicha_Morada">chicha morada</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceviche">ceviche</a>, <a href="http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/mariai/2008/06/peruvian_food_aji_de_gallina.html">aji de gallina</a>, <a href="http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/holidayrecipes/r/secodecordero.htm">seco de cordero</a> that was very comparable to what my mom makes, and various other dishes that were all out on display, all for me! Ahhh...if only there were a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">good</span> Peruvian restaurant in Tucson! I'm craving all this food just remembering it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That is the wrap up of the Denver trip. We next went on to Seattle, but I'll share pictures of that part of the trip tomorrow, unless I feel even more sick then. I'm still feeling under the weather today and I got out of work early because of it. Poor Jon will be eating leftover matzo ball soup, as I'm not feeling well enough to cook. Have a good night! </div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746608420353728870.post-10754640758066527392009-04-26T18:12:00.002-07:002009-04-26T18:21:28.755-07:00Back homeMy absence is explainable this time! For the past week I've been in Denver for a conference and in Seattle visiting family. I really wished I could have spent more than two days in Seattle. Every time I go back, I realize how much I miss it. But this short trip was to visit my in-laws, as they are moving to Malaysia in June. I also got to see our niece who we last saw when she was only 2 months old. She's 19 months now! <div><br /></div><div>It's good to be home now, though. But I also caught a bug while in Seattle. Probably from my MIL who was sick the whole time we were there. How about that swine flu? Nah, I think it's just a cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll post about our trip later when I'm feeling better. I've spent the better part of today sleeping.I could still use some more! I have a lot of catch up reading to do, but I'll have some pictures to share with you all as well!</div>Taniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05209779685063875748noreply@blogger.com4