cliche

Forgive and Forget.

Forgive, but don't forget.

So what does it all really mean? I mean, we all grew up hearing the cliche of our elders and role models, but how do we really learn forgiveness? Is it coated somewhere in our DNA? Is it the lessons we learn on the playground in pre-k? Or do we learn it from our parents, no matter how backwards their antics might seem?

Forgiveness can be granted with or without the other asking for forgiveness.

Some of the people we meet (like myself) are less inclined to hold things against people. I don't know why, but finding the "benefit of a doubt" is pretty easy for me. I guess I see both the human side and the realistic side of people and their actions... and perhaps a little too readily. It's left me holding on to the good in not so good people and clinging to the hope for things that really will never come --- but it has also kept great people from exiting my life, my family from falling apart at the seams, and mostly, me who I am. 

His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it to hold the memory of a wrong. 

The secret of forgiving everything is to understand nothing -- or to understand everything. 

You decide. 

ghse

Today, I started my first day at my first real world employer. It was great! Although I'm not working as an OT yet, technically due to licensure and etc etc etc I'm limited to what I'm allowed to due until I pass my boards and  submit all my certification paperwork. BUT, it is so nice to be in a work environment where the staff is thrilled to have me back there, even as temporary rehab tech in the interim. And minus the actual paycheck that I'll be receiving, it's nice to know that they want me there as much as possible. I've been told to work as many hours as I can as a tech since they'll be putting me to good use. Today I learned how to do an nerve conduction study (NCV) and shock the bajezus out of peoples median and ulnar nerves! (It was fun, don't laugh). Then I made a Munster splint, which is like the most difficult and intricate of all splints, it was kind of a nightmare riveting all that nonsense together. Regardless, I'm a happy girl tonight and to celebrate, I'm completing Chapter 7 of my NBCOT exam study guide WHOOOOOOOO!

I tried to find a picture of a Munster splint ... but apparently they aren't that common!

i'm dreaming of a ....

WHITE CHRISTMAS!

For the first time in 128 years it snowed in Georgia on Christmas Day. 

I've only lived in GA for 21 of my almost 25 years now, but it was indeed very neat to get to experience this. 

A Christmas 2010 recap: Earlier in the Christmas week, I packed up Lex & Kujo and headed the 35 minutes to Mom & Mark's house for an extended Christmas stay. I figured my friends were there, my boyfriend lives there, so as long as I had my cats with me I wouldn't have to worry about driving back and forth! So Christmas Eve we had Steph, Jared and Jackson over. We opened gifts, had a HUGE amazing dinner, and I attempted to finish my annual week Christmas "family" puzzle.  (It'd supposed to be a family puzzle, but I pretty do most of it because I can't drag myself away).  And now that Christmas has past and my sister has informed all that needed to know (and then some) I can share the great news with my small online world --  MY SISTER'S EXPECTING ANOTHER BABY! She's due mid-July and I couldn't be happier about becoming an aunt for the 3rd time (counting Jackson, July baby, and my best friends newest addition, Abby).  

Christmas Day was great. Snow, family, leftovers, and a bottle of "Electric Reindeer" wine that I consumed that evening. Oh, I also got bored since my family went to the cabin so I rearranged all the photos and decor on my mom's living room shelves ... It won't take her long to notice, but I think she'll love it! 

two, blue, and all boy

Happy Birthday to my FAVORITE little 2 y/o! 

 

everything pink

Congratulations to two of my favorite people in this world on the birth of my new favorite little girl, Abigail Grace.

Can't wait to spoil this little one :)

Picture taken 2 weeks before baby girl was born :)

24/40

It's done, my 24 weeks of 40 hrs a week of unpaid work is completed!

And it definitely ended on a crazy note. 

What do MRSA, CP, Autism, Hydrocephalus, and Epilepsy have in common -- they were all on the diagnosis list for my last eval. 

This adorable little boy had just been discharged from the CIRU thirty minutes AFTER he came for an outpatient eval. Interacting with a kiddo in gowns, gloves, and masks was not what I was expecting on my last day! But, I suppose I do like to be kept on my toes!

BUT, I'M DONE!!! 

 

Bah-hum-bug

In light of all of the holiday posts about Christmas music and the radio blabbering on and on about the 'sounds of the season', I feel it appropriate to let you all in on a secret on mine. When it comes to holiday music --  I'm a Scrooge, Grinch, and the person that kicks Tiny Tim's little crutch out from under him. I really do not care for Christmas music in the slightest. I have nothing against it, just no affinity for it. HOWEVER --- with that being said --- there is one song that I will listen too ... in fact it's the only Christmas CD that my Mom's been allowed to play in the house since I was younger if she wanted me to stick around and help bake, decorate, or wrap presents. So, without further ado: 

weds, thurs, fri

Wednesday: 8am - 6:15pm OT Meeting with Inservice Presentation by yours truly

(topic of task analysis with home programing friendly verb-age for kiddos parents) 

Thursday: 8:30a - 6:15p

Friday: 8a - 1p

Done.

Done.

DONE!!!!

That's right online world, two and 1/2 real days of clinical rotation left, then it's coffee shops and textbooks to cram my brain full of things I've already learned at some point in the past 2 1/2 years. 

Officially start my first day at Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow on December 27th. I'll be working part time under the title of a Rehab Tech until I take my boards then it's full-time and Hello, R/L!  

complacency

complacency: self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

 

 

 There are very few moments in life where complacency are okay in my book. One should not be complacent, but always looking for growth or depth or SOMETHING. Too many times this month have I seen people getting complacent in their ways of life. It's probably due to the fact that I'm just gearing up and finding all this new excitement and energy towards studying for the boards and my new job, but ... still people. A little extra is what defines a situation, a scenario, a relationship, a job, A LIFE. 

So, do something different today!

 

Call a friend instead of text them. 

 

Look for a different job if you don't find yourself in love with the one you have.

 

Instead of saying 'i love you' to your signigicant other, tell them "i love you today because ___(insert something great they did for you today here)___ "

 

There are a million reasons not to go out of your way, but the effort is 

contagious and puts a smile on everyone's face.  

 

-- Soapbox, end --- 

 

:) 

 

 (taken during a cabin vacay with the girls in '06)

eat, drink, and be 'merry'

Tis the season right?

Holiday parties are in full swing, beginning last weekend with an OT Christmas party filled with peppermint candy cane martinis, pictionary, pot luck and presents to this weekends trek to a new friends adorable abode in Logansville for probably the most delicious array of snacks and wine ever (not to mention the leftover cupcake that I just ate for breakfast)! 

After two weekends of eating, drinking, and being very marry then catching a cold, this is one 

holiday snacker who needs to hit the gym asap!

Giving Thanks

This year I've had a lot to be thankful for ... my lack of  down time to blog about it in a timely manner, is not one however! (And my computer still only likes to let me open Blogger like twice a week).

 (A table setting at Thanksgiving dinner)

 To recap a few events recently: Thanksgiving came and went and thanks to my sister for hosting a whole lot of family at her house, it was beautiful. All 14 members from both sides of her and my brother in law's families came together under their roof to celebrate all the things we are thankful for. Me, I was just thankful to be spending a holiday with family. Last year I spent Thanksgiving at a bar watching football then had 3am dinner at IHOP across the street. In 2008, I spent Thanksgiving at Mammoth Mountain learning how to snowboard with a good friend that graduated from USC in the OT program with me. So family (while still overwhelming in mass quantities, no offense!) was much needed and greatly welcomed this year. 

And then December happened .... Not sure when it became the last month of the year and time to get in the Christmas spirit, but wow, it is here. A week or so ago, Justin helped me go get a REAL Christmas tree and decorate the dining room for the holiday. This is the first year I've done a real tree on my own. And again, I'm looking forward to some Christmas normalcy this year. 

A review of my last few amazing Christmas adventures: 

2006: Left for backpacking trip to London, Dublin, Paris & Amsterdam on Christmas day. 

2008: My nephew was born 2 days before Christmas, so we celebrated Christmas in the hospital with my sister recuperating.

2009: Landed in Hawaii on Christmas day to celebrate the marriage of two of the greatest people I know. 

And then came my nephew's 2nd birthday party. It was adorable. A bunch of little kids running a muck at a play zone of foam, industrial blown up plastic, and under enthusiastic staff.  He loved it! I don't have any photos to date (I left 'Robbie' at home), but I will post any that pop up here soon. 

On the agenda for the upcoming weekend and week ahead: Break in the new eye glasses (my eyes need a serious relief from contact lens according to my eye doc), celebrate the little sister's 18th bday, spend time with the hot boyfriend, break in the holiday spirit at a Christmas party, then finish up my last week of my 24 weeks of clinical rotations. Super excited to be done officially with all things schooling related and start working at my new employer on Dec 27th!!! 

Till then!

Finally Legal

Happy 18th birthday to my beautiful little sister :)

Adirondack Mountains

"An Adirondack chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer home. He tested the first designs on his family."

-- Thanks Wikipedia & my step-dad, Mark, for making me two of my very own!! (And a table to go with!)

fall poetry

 

the winds will blow their 

own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop away from you
like the leaves of Autumn

 Great weekend outdoors and with my family! Got to bust out Robbie for the first time in a while and snap some shots at the dog park.

huh?

Why does trying to find an eye doctor, dentist, and overall medical MD have to be so frustrating? 

spin the bottle

 Hi world, I have a boyfriend -- his names Justin. He's awesome. And a fireman. 
( threw that in there for you LVR)

(And no, Justin, you shouldn't be allowed to make fun on me for blogging it!) 

 (thanks for the image Ally!) 

"It is the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it is the little differences that make them interesting."

hold on to me

I've been listening to country music since before I can remember. The first songs I ever knew all the lyrics to were to country music artists to songs like "She's in love with the boy" and anything Garth Brooks and Reba.

And I'm still amazed at how far in the industry has come with new hits like The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley's new bluegrass-ish album and even Kenny Chesney's new sound.

Just sharing.

XXII

Twenty-two more days. 

Well, twenty-two more unpaid work days. 

With my new job offer in hand and my anticipation dying to begin my real world job, schedule, and career, I'm having to count down the days that I have left in order to control myself. 

Twenty-two more days ... Twenty-two more days .... 

then all I have to do is pass an online class with a killer 10 page research paper, study 

and pass my NBCOT boards, then file for GA license to practice! 

... But really I'm just counting the twenty-two more days! 

 
My official job offer. In writing. STOKED! 

one hand on this wiley comet

"with burnt sage and a forest of bygones"

A great morning on the Silver Comet Trail. 

untitled

found myself caught up in "Please don't talk to me, I fall in love so easily" blog.

Love this question

Birthday Love

 

Sending the birthday love to San Francisco

today to my crazy, beautiful triathlon & 5am

workout partner, my former USC roommate 

& Trojan, and all around amazing, 

selfless friend!

Happy birthday Ally! 

<3

What i want to see everyday...

What the same view looks like but not in an office writing evaluations ... bahhh.

What i see evvvveeerrryyyyyday

Being taunted by the prettyness of outdoors everyday is starting to get to me.

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Post #111

Jump. 

What do you lose by risking it all? Well, it depends on if you ask a glass half-full or a glass half-empty kind of person, right? I started today trying to kick myself to jump head first into my last 28 days of free labor that I call school/clinical rotations. In all my spare time today (yeah, right) it crossed my mind about a hundred times, what kind of person am I? Could I call myself an optimist? Hmm, to take a  favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. Now, that doesn't really sound like me -- but I am certainly not a pessimist. So what's between an optimist and a pessimist? Besides me -- a consciousnesses, over perceptive, under emotional, reflective type person who loves life and nature but loves doses of no life and solitude... uhh a normal human being, right? Perhaps. Well, maybe not normal, but certainly going through the motions to moderately conform to the demands ask of me everyday. So where's the button that allows me to turn all that off!??! Jump already.

 Photo credit to S. Rollinson @ Malibu Creek State Park in Malibu, CA

bikes & babies

This weekend was truely a great one for me since moving back from CA.

An official job offer in the mail on its way, a quick trip to the mountain for the first 'winter' storm, a reunion of sorts over my BFF's baby bump, and a new tri-bike! I mean really, how lucky am I?

Saturday's baby shower for Vicki was truely a reuninion -- minus the baby daddy and youngest of the Robert's boys. It was really nice to catch up with some really great people and see what everyone has been up to in the past 10 months. Some have had babies themselves, others on the hunt for property, and some have gone back to school, are continuing school, or decided that they had a few more years left in them for the job market. It's a small, intimate group for sure. All in all, they are great people. And I'm always okay with great people. Annnd fawning over baby girl monster, as she is affectionatly known, is always AMAZING too :)

A few of the many from the HI celebration of the Robert's clan

URL stolen of FB, but original by these guiys out in HI

THENNNNNNNN on Sunday (as if my weekend needed to get any better) 

 

WOOO!

chilly-willy

Penguins are adorable and love winter, fish, and snuggling  -- same goes for me. Well minus the whole fish & adorable thing. Anyhow, Friday night (after an amazing day filled with the worlds greatest job offer) headed up to the mountains to celebrate a one-day-belated-birthday. It rained almost the instant we got up there -- after winterizing the hose and cleaning off the deck (you're welcome mom!) -- then it sleeted the rest of the night. Woke up to this: -->

Yeah, I didnt open the door .. IT WAS COLD!! But I did manage to put on enough layers to drink coffee up at the swing!


So, moral of the story, Fall has disappeared, I love penguins, and Justin's another year older.

:)

Threesome

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO 3 OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE!!

Today I'm spreading the birthday love from Conneticut to Afganistan to right here in Georiga. 

I hope that the third decade of life is treating you all perfectly!

Lions tigers & ....

I must be the most accident prone person I know. For someone who wants to work as a hand therapist, I sure do have hideous looking hands .....

Not in Kansas anymore...

Crazy weather we've been having here this week ... 2 tornado watches in 2 days and tomorrows calling for 50% rain. I kinda love it -- except all the kiddos are super low arousal and the fact that this photo is the most sunshine Sandy Springs saw all day really gets to them! --- Which means me!

3 days down ~3 to go

If I know the pathology behind bruising I'd guess this sucker has about 3 good days left in it before it mellows out and people at the gym quit staring..

hail me, barbarian athlete

Yesterday marked #2 of my adventure/mud run series in my lifetime. The Barbarian Challenge was not as muddy as the Merrel Down & Dirty in LA earlier this year, but holy moly was I hurting during the run. If  you know me, you know I despise running -- not just the act of running, but the physical biomechanical requirements of putting one foot in front of the other. My body and I just do not like it! So of course I loathe the running aspects of these challenges -- esp when the ENTIRE 3.5 miles is on sand, come on, really I was not ready for that -- , but it's worth it to get to do some pretty neat obstacles (like climbing up 6 stacked hay bales, jump over logs on fire, and bear roll through a mud pit with friends).

{{{... AND of course blogger wont open the upload photos section, so this post will remain photoless until I get back from visiting my nephew in Woodstock :) ...}}}

Seriously though, this was not real mud. It was like cement tar mud -- if that makes any sense. Well, it made perfect sense to my loofa and my STILL stained toes and hands ...  This photo is post rinse of, post towling off, and post changing clothes ... All this grossness got to dry into my skin the 3 hr drive home! UGH!

And of course, what would an adventure race be without a few good cuts, bruises, and aches/pains! (Sparing you the fist size purple and black impalement wound on my thigh.. it feels fantastic though --sike!)

Next up, WARRIOR DASH 2011!

In a new light...

Literally,  in a new light --- a new bathroom light!! I am officially free from florescent lights (except for my guest bathroom that currently belongs to my roommates)

Today marks the end of the bathroom refinishing. I was so desparate for a peaceful space, but couldn't scrap together any significant funds to update the master bedroom yet -- soon ... not soon enough -- so I settled for the smallest room in the Eckelkamp Condo. The master bathroom. It was no easy feat, but $176 and a borrowed power sander later ... My bathroom became this: --->


Seriously impressesd by what a power sander, a new coat of paint, some stain, a new light fixture and some new outlet covers and knobs will do for a living space .. and my sanity!

its that time

It's that time of the year .. or month .. or really for me, the day of the week. I have the itch to start rearranging furniture and redecorating my condo. AGAIN. I swear, it must be some sort of disease. Or maybe my way of coping with the lack of space sharing/nesting/dinner parties that I will probably never throw until I'm 80 -- unless you count  one friend, cheap food and a bottle of whiskey as a dinner party (which yes, I do).

Really though, I am still surrounded by a few boxes from the move, furniture that ALL needs some love and attention (aka time & money) thrown at them, and extra house decorum that old tenants left behind -- like I really need a marshmellow gun. (Can anyone say nephews next 1/2 birthday present!) I just want to walk into my room one day and have it look like the crazy scerene place I see it potentially being.

things I need to accomplish said goals: A PAYCHECK. 

9 weeks and 1 day to go .... 

Pictures to be posted as I slowly find things that fit my style .. which isnt easy!

Boriiing

My first mobile blog -- mainly because I'm bored to tears today and work and secondly as a reminder to myself and the online world that I seriously need to spice up my lunch. Veggie soup, no salt green beans and filtered water is soo boring. I miss having reasons to cook real person food. Perhaps it is time to begin again.. stat!

compliments & intrigue

 Photo snagged from this guy

Ya know those compliments that you get that don't really mean to come out as compliments but yet end up sticking with you and being something that inspire you to continue to be yourself ... ?? Well, I had another encounter with a moment like that last night while drinking copious amounts of beer at Neighbors in the Highlands to celebrate my sisters birthday. Sitting around the table with friends and one of the women who has known me since before I think I knew myself and after playing catch-up and basically 20 questions she turrns to me and says 'I can't quite figure you out.' My immediate response drew a blank stare and take a swig of my beer. Then she says 'I am so intrigued to see where your life goes'. Now this might now seem like the world's greatest moment in time, but the way she said it and the way she meant it were so sincere and so genuine that it made me really excited to be me and to be the one running this assummed awesome life. 

Other great moment's that have stuck with me in my life include the phrases: "Take a deep breath and relax because you are refresing" and ever girls favorite the always origninal and sincere 'hi pretty girl' text message.

happy bday sissy

Happy 28th Birthday to the best big sister ever. 

going back

-- First, sorry it takes me so long to post, my internet browser only likes to allow me to open Blogger like 4 times a week and of course when it does I lose the motivation to write --


Today I pack up my lunch in my CHOA lunch box, throw on my old CHOA scrubs, and start day 1 of whatever 12x7 is. I am excited but so ready for unpaid work to be over!! During my undergrad I worked with some of these amazing people for just shy of 3 years. They are a passionate, educated bunch of people who have a lot to teach me -- i just have to be willing to learn it - which I'm not gonna lie, it a little tough knowing that I have a secure job offer in a field and with people who I really respect and fit in with. Here's to the first day of school. (Insert mental voice clip of Nemo singing "First day of school, first day of school").

ANNNND apparently the new blogger photo link doesn't like me today either ... so stay tuned for the actual pix that should have accompanied this post. Grr.

the real me

i work hard to be genuine in all interactions in life … partly because it’s a good character quality to have in my bag of alluring charm – and mostly because it is too stressful and tiresome to attempt to be some thing I am not.

Today was a great day at my clinical. I got to sit down and enjoy my coffee during a staff meeting where they announced my decision to ‘commit’ to being employed there in 12 weeks!

Exciting I know! Celebrating, anyone??

transparent floors

Waiting for the bottom to fall out..... Ever feel like things are going TOO well? ....Had so many obstacles pop up a long the way that it makes you nervous to stop and enjoy the moments you should be celebratin??? Welcome to my life.

7 more days left in my first of two 12 week clinical rotations. Only 13 weeks to go till I'm done... I have the job offer, an employer that is perfect and I am so lucky to have found as my first real world post-grad job. I have the house with the roommates that pay most of the bills, I have one or two good friends who look out for me when they can. And I have my confidence, which has gotten me all of those things that I have worked my cute ass off for.




.... knowing that I have all of these really fantastic things going for me in my life makes me so nervous. I know, I know, me - nervous? The 'what if's' of life are starting to freak me out. I am having a really hard time not being able to jump at all my opportunties and seal the deals that I have open windows and doors into a way amazing new adventure. Instead I keep my excitement to myself ... and my what-if fears. And with that comes a more closed off, less compassionate, more intense me that keeps me awake at night.

A. Graham Bell

In 1876 (yes I looked it up) the telephone was invinted. Little did Alex know when he opened these lines of communication how far they would go -- cell phones, skype, facetime, etc.

 snagged from ericmiltsch.posterous.com

Today was pretty much a wash of a Sunday. I did almost nothing productive (minus a trip to Publix and Goodwill)  and yet somehow, today was my favorite. I spent the entire day with Kujo just being lazy. Then, thanks to a good cell phone plan and Alexs' technological advances to our society in the 1800s, I was able to spend almost 2 hours just chatting away with my bff. After about 20 min of just laughing and talking about babies, cows, and paint, she no longer felt like an 8 1/2 hr flight away, but only a few miles down the road or like she'd walk out of her old room here in Foxie. Since I chose not to do the family and friends thing today, it made me really thankful to have someone who I wanted to spend 2 hrs of my fleeting weekend with. ((Love you & baby monster, V))

 She might kill me for this one, but I love it & it's my blog and I'll do what I want!

Un-Laborous Days

Last weekend my family and I set up in Mineral Bluff in their cozy cabin to celebreate mom's big birthday. It was a pretty perfect weekend. The weather could not have been better and it was an event filled trip indeed. Saturday morning my sisters and I took mom to the spa up in Blue Ridge for the morning for some mani/pedi/facials (yeah, i just said the words mani/pedi/facial -- shocking I know). Ater, we piled into the car to go pick apples and take some pre-fall but post-summer photos of the world's most adorable 21 month old. The apple orchard we went to, Mercier Orchards, was adorable. It was small, homey, and very much what you would expect from the South's mountain region. 

 Jax eating apples that he was able to yank off the trees :)

The rest of the weekend was awesome. Spent Sunday morning curled up in sweats on the cabin swing staring at the crisp mountain view. It was 46 degrees when mom and I headed up there for coffee!! It was a perfect way to start a Sunday. 

Mom and I had an early morning visitor

The rest of Sunday was spent lounging around sprawled out on my sofa with a very handsome gentlemen watching hours and hours of the food network. Monday was just icing on the cake for such a chill weekend. Spent the day in good company out on a beautiful boat on Lake Allatoona just relaxing, drinking a beer or two, and enjoying a moment of peace for once! 

Me. Relaxed. Whoa. 

(photo taken by ER and snagged from her FB page)

Oh furniture ..

Oh furniture, how i do not know how i would cope if you did not exist for me to constantly be rearranging you.

An update on the house via photos (minus my room, because as usual when rearranging, one room takes a massive beating .. hopefully there is still a bed in there somewhere!!)

This week was a real hectic one. I still feel like I'm supposed to be floating on a beautiful boat with beautiful weather enjoying the 3-day weekend ... and some how 4 days of back-to-back patients, triage, and paper work seemed to consume me. If you got in touch with me this week and I didn't respond or seemed distant and like a mental basket case, my apologies! On a more positive note, I have officially proved I can handle a full-and then some- case load at my hopefully potenital job (which is good for both the boss man to know as well as myself).

What's next on the agenda for this weekend? RELAX...well, by my standards any how. -- which means: the gym, emissions test, post some pics of Jax at the apple orchard, pay the bills, watch some mindless tv, hopefully some more sun, and maybe some good company here or there. (If they're lucky!)

Sneak peak of the mountains recap: