Merry Christmas from Ann and Colby!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Lessons Learned
Last weekend was a holiday weekend of sorts here in Alabama. Last Saturday, all normal operations in Alabama ceased and all eyes were focused on "The Game". It was the biggest game of the season. It was even referred to as the "game of the century" by some. Of course, I'm talking about the LSU-Alabama game.
Back at the beginning of the football season, I decided it would be fun to have a football party at my house. After looking at the schedule, I figured that the weekend of the LSU-Alabama game would be a good weekend to have a party. Can I call it, or what?! I invited most everyone I know to the party--and their spouses, children, and pets--fully expecting that very few people would actually want to watch The Game at my house on my measly 32-inch TV. Wrong! The RSVPs started coming in at incredible speed, and I quickly started to wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew. As it turns out, the party went very well (except for Alabama's big loss, of course) and everyone seemed to have a great time. However, I learned several interesting lessons from this party, and I will share them with you now:
1. Always accept offers of help, especially from those who are (slightly) older and (much) wiser than yourself.
About a week before the party (and obviously before I had given any thought to the logistics of grilling hotdogs, entertaining guests, and making sure my dog was on his best behavior all at the same time), my mom casually asked me about how many guests I was expecting. I told her somewhere between 20 and 30. She choked a little, and then asked if she and my dad could come up for the party to help out. I agreed, but secretly didn't think I needed that much help. Truth be told, my parents helped me out so much before, during, and after the party, and I'm not sure I could have done it all without them. I was very grateful for their help!
2. Understand that some people are insanely obsessed with football and you should just relinquish control of your TV remote to them.
Some of my guests had no trouble making themselves feel at home. I had absolutely no control over my TV, my remote, or my couch during the party. Luckily, there wasn't much dispute over what to watch!
3. Try to keep the adult-to-kid ratio greater than 1:1.
After the party, my dad told me that he looked around during the party and everyone was under 3 feet tall. Of course this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the 5 and under crowd was definitely well-represented at the party. I think there were 8 kids in all. There were only slightly more adults than kids. I guess I wasn't kidding on the invitation when I said it would be a kid-friendly event.
4. No need for toys, stickers, or crayons to keep the kids entertained. Doggy doors work just as well.
Who knew the doggy door would be such a hit with the kids? I'm pretty sure those kids will be putting doggy doors on their Christmas lists this year.
5. When in doubt, buy more juice boxes.
Juice boxes are also a big hit with the kids. Whatever keeps them happy--and gets their parents' blood boiling when they get home with severely sugar-overloaded kids--is my philosophy.
6. Never take offense to a kindergartener who is learning about rhyming in school.
Here is a conversation with one of my younger guests at the party--an adorable kindergartener named Caleb.
Me: "Caleb, you're a hoot!"
Caleb: "You're a toot."
Ouch. I think it's safe to say Caleb really grasped the rhyming lesson at school.
7. When you ask your guests to bring an appetizer or snack, never expect that they will return home with the item they brought.
Seriously, my fridge has been working overtime this week and my pantry looks like a heart attack waiting to happen. Next time I will plan on discretely slipping food into people's purses and cars before they leave.
8. Don't worry about party cleanup. That's Colby's job.
During the party, Colby kept a vigilant eye out for any spills or dropped food and whenever it did happen, he was there in a flash to assist with the cleanup. And even before the last guest left my house, he was hard at work making sure every crumb of food was cleaned up. I guess it's a tough job, because after his work was done he laid down and went into a sleep so deep that it resembled something like a coma. His tummy sure was making some strange noises too. I'm so glad I have a dog with such a strong work ethic!
Overall, I think the party was a big success. I can't wait to host another football party...next year!
Back at the beginning of the football season, I decided it would be fun to have a football party at my house. After looking at the schedule, I figured that the weekend of the LSU-Alabama game would be a good weekend to have a party. Can I call it, or what?! I invited most everyone I know to the party--and their spouses, children, and pets--fully expecting that very few people would actually want to watch The Game at my house on my measly 32-inch TV. Wrong! The RSVPs started coming in at incredible speed, and I quickly started to wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew. As it turns out, the party went very well (except for Alabama's big loss, of course) and everyone seemed to have a great time. However, I learned several interesting lessons from this party, and I will share them with you now:
1. Always accept offers of help, especially from those who are (slightly) older and (much) wiser than yourself.
About a week before the party (and obviously before I had given any thought to the logistics of grilling hotdogs, entertaining guests, and making sure my dog was on his best behavior all at the same time), my mom casually asked me about how many guests I was expecting. I told her somewhere between 20 and 30. She choked a little, and then asked if she and my dad could come up for the party to help out. I agreed, but secretly didn't think I needed that much help. Truth be told, my parents helped me out so much before, during, and after the party, and I'm not sure I could have done it all without them. I was very grateful for their help!
2. Understand that some people are insanely obsessed with football and you should just relinquish control of your TV remote to them.
Some of my guests had no trouble making themselves feel at home. I had absolutely no control over my TV, my remote, or my couch during the party. Luckily, there wasn't much dispute over what to watch!
3. Try to keep the adult-to-kid ratio greater than 1:1.
After the party, my dad told me that he looked around during the party and everyone was under 3 feet tall. Of course this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the 5 and under crowd was definitely well-represented at the party. I think there were 8 kids in all. There were only slightly more adults than kids. I guess I wasn't kidding on the invitation when I said it would be a kid-friendly event.
4. No need for toys, stickers, or crayons to keep the kids entertained. Doggy doors work just as well.
Who knew the doggy door would be such a hit with the kids? I'm pretty sure those kids will be putting doggy doors on their Christmas lists this year.
5. When in doubt, buy more juice boxes.
Juice boxes are also a big hit with the kids. Whatever keeps them happy--and gets their parents' blood boiling when they get home with severely sugar-overloaded kids--is my philosophy.
6. Never take offense to a kindergartener who is learning about rhyming in school.
Here is a conversation with one of my younger guests at the party--an adorable kindergartener named Caleb.
Me: "Caleb, you're a hoot!"
Caleb: "You're a toot."
Ouch. I think it's safe to say Caleb really grasped the rhyming lesson at school.
7. When you ask your guests to bring an appetizer or snack, never expect that they will return home with the item they brought.
Seriously, my fridge has been working overtime this week and my pantry looks like a heart attack waiting to happen. Next time I will plan on discretely slipping food into people's purses and cars before they leave.
8. Don't worry about party cleanup. That's Colby's job.
During the party, Colby kept a vigilant eye out for any spills or dropped food and whenever it did happen, he was there in a flash to assist with the cleanup. And even before the last guest left my house, he was hard at work making sure every crumb of food was cleaned up. I guess it's a tough job, because after his work was done he laid down and went into a sleep so deep that it resembled something like a coma. His tummy sure was making some strange noises too. I'm so glad I have a dog with such a strong work ethic!
Overall, I think the party was a big success. I can't wait to host another football party...next year!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
A Long Overdue Post
It was recently brought to my attention by Colleen, one of my two faithful blog readers (the other one being my mom), that I have done a less-than-stellar job of keeping my blog up-to-date. Truth be told, I have had neither the time nor the content to make any exciting blog posts. Over the past three months, I have spent a lot of time at work. A LOT. Women in Birmingham seem to be birthing babies at an alarmingly high rate as of late, and they all seem to be coming to UAB to have their babies. Props to them for choosing to come to the best hospital in Birmingham to have their babies (with one of the most state-of-the-art NICUs in the country, and THE largest all-private room NICU in the country). However, this baby boom resulted in a high patient census for most of the summer, which meant several months of mandatory overtime for me and my co-workers. There were several weeks when my co-workers and I strongly considered setting up tents in the break room on my unit since work really became our primary residence during the summer months. Mandatory overtime definitely meant a lot of time spent at work, but it also made for some pretty sweet paychecks. Things seem to have calmed down a good bit at work, and we are slowly getting back to normal...whatever "normal" is. Here's a brief update on the few happenings in my life since we last talked. Feel free to go ahead and take a good snooze. You won't miss much.
Beach Trip
Me, the Stephs, Bev, and Luna managed to escape our crazy workplace for a few days in August to take our annual beach trip. As usual, it included good laughs, good food, and good fun. And as usual, we had our annual photo shoot on the beach.
Getting into Shape
Mandatory overtime meant little time to cook and a lot of eating out. And the scale doesn't lie. So I decided it was time to join a gym. On my mom's advice, I joined Planet Fitness. I really enjoy going to the gym, and it has now become part of my daily routine 3-4 days a week.
JustFaith
Several months ago, I heard about a program at my church called JustFaith. It is a 30-week program that involves a small faith community coming together once a week to discuss issues of social justice and social ministry. There is assigned reading each week and several immersion experiences throughout the program where the group doesn't just serve the poor, but really spends time listening to the poor. After hearing about the program, I felt called to participate. Unfortunately, I was not able to partipate in the JustFaith program at my church due to scheduling conflicts. However, one of the other churches in the area is also offering the program, so I was able to join the program at that church. I am only five weeks into the program, but so far I am enjoying it. Everything I have heard and read about the program says that it really "transforms" participants. While I wouldn't consider myself "transformed" yet, I have begun to take a more critical view of the way I live my life. For example, one of the issues we have really focused on is world hunger. We have heard so many harsh truths about hunger, both throughout the world and in our own country. Knowing these truths, I have started to think twice about throwing food away. I am trying to do a better job of eating all of my leftovers whenever I cook a meal, which means taking lunches to work and avoiding the temptation to go out to eat. I know my actions cannot solve poverty and social injustice, but I can live my life with more gratitude for everything that I have.
New Office Furniture
Up until recently, my method of organizing bills, important papers, etc. was to make piles. Lots and lots of piles. It got to the point where every room of my house was full of piles. During one of their visits to my house, my parents had an intervention and told me I needed a better method of organizing. So I decided I needed a filing cabinet. But not one of those ugly metal ones that would ultimately end up just taking up room in a closet. I wanted a pretty wooden one. While I was at it, I figured why not buy a new desk, a matching bookcase, and a new office chair in addition to the filing cabinet so everything would match. Thank goodness for the mandatory overtime... The purchases have been made, the furniture has been delivered, and it is all put together thanks to my awesome dad. I would include pictures of the new furniture, but getting everything organized and filed in the filing cabinet is a process. And the new desk definitely shows it right now. Once everything is neat and organized I will post some pictures.
Becoming a Grill Master
As if that wasn't enough spending, I decided to purchase a grill as well.
I've been having a lot of fun learning how to be a grill master!
All into Football...As Much As I Hate to Admit It
It all started when my friend Beverly needed a friend to go with her to the first Alabama game of the season. I volunteered to be her friend at the football game, and I haven't been the same since.
College football really is a bit addictive. And it doesn't help that it is the only topic of conversation at work from about September to December, so the more you know about football, the better able you are to contribute to conversations at work. My allegiance is still to the New Orleans Saints, but I have enjoyed watching some college football this season, namely Alabama and Notre Dame. Roll Tide. Go Irish.
Trip to Austin, TX
About two weeks ago, I ventured to Austin, Texas for a work conference about cue-based feeding for infants. I won't bore you with the details of the conference, but it was a great conference and it has really changed the way I think about feeding babies while I am at work. I didn't get to see a whole lot of Austin because I was attending the conference most of the time I was there, but what I did see, I liked.
I hope to make it back to "The Live Music Capital of the World" one day!
Well, you can wake up now. You can see it hasn't been the most exciting few months, but they have been good nonetheless. I'm hoping the weeks ahead will provide me with more blog content, but also give me some much-needed rest!
Beach Trip
Me, the Stephs, Bev, and Luna managed to escape our crazy workplace for a few days in August to take our annual beach trip. As usual, it included good laughs, good food, and good fun. And as usual, we had our annual photo shoot on the beach.
Getting into Shape
Mandatory overtime meant little time to cook and a lot of eating out. And the scale doesn't lie. So I decided it was time to join a gym. On my mom's advice, I joined Planet Fitness. I really enjoy going to the gym, and it has now become part of my daily routine 3-4 days a week.
JustFaith
Several months ago, I heard about a program at my church called JustFaith. It is a 30-week program that involves a small faith community coming together once a week to discuss issues of social justice and social ministry. There is assigned reading each week and several immersion experiences throughout the program where the group doesn't just serve the poor, but really spends time listening to the poor. After hearing about the program, I felt called to participate. Unfortunately, I was not able to partipate in the JustFaith program at my church due to scheduling conflicts. However, one of the other churches in the area is also offering the program, so I was able to join the program at that church. I am only five weeks into the program, but so far I am enjoying it. Everything I have heard and read about the program says that it really "transforms" participants. While I wouldn't consider myself "transformed" yet, I have begun to take a more critical view of the way I live my life. For example, one of the issues we have really focused on is world hunger. We have heard so many harsh truths about hunger, both throughout the world and in our own country. Knowing these truths, I have started to think twice about throwing food away. I am trying to do a better job of eating all of my leftovers whenever I cook a meal, which means taking lunches to work and avoiding the temptation to go out to eat. I know my actions cannot solve poverty and social injustice, but I can live my life with more gratitude for everything that I have.
New Office Furniture
Up until recently, my method of organizing bills, important papers, etc. was to make piles. Lots and lots of piles. It got to the point where every room of my house was full of piles. During one of their visits to my house, my parents had an intervention and told me I needed a better method of organizing. So I decided I needed a filing cabinet. But not one of those ugly metal ones that would ultimately end up just taking up room in a closet. I wanted a pretty wooden one. While I was at it, I figured why not buy a new desk, a matching bookcase, and a new office chair in addition to the filing cabinet so everything would match. Thank goodness for the mandatory overtime... The purchases have been made, the furniture has been delivered, and it is all put together thanks to my awesome dad. I would include pictures of the new furniture, but getting everything organized and filed in the filing cabinet is a process. And the new desk definitely shows it right now. Once everything is neat and organized I will post some pictures.
Becoming a Grill Master
As if that wasn't enough spending, I decided to purchase a grill as well.
I've been having a lot of fun learning how to be a grill master!
All into Football...As Much As I Hate to Admit It
It all started when my friend Beverly needed a friend to go with her to the first Alabama game of the season. I volunteered to be her friend at the football game, and I haven't been the same since.
College football really is a bit addictive. And it doesn't help that it is the only topic of conversation at work from about September to December, so the more you know about football, the better able you are to contribute to conversations at work. My allegiance is still to the New Orleans Saints, but I have enjoyed watching some college football this season, namely Alabama and Notre Dame. Roll Tide. Go Irish.
Trip to Austin, TX
About two weeks ago, I ventured to Austin, Texas for a work conference about cue-based feeding for infants. I won't bore you with the details of the conference, but it was a great conference and it has really changed the way I think about feeding babies while I am at work. I didn't get to see a whole lot of Austin because I was attending the conference most of the time I was there, but what I did see, I liked.
I hope to make it back to "The Live Music Capital of the World" one day!
Well, you can wake up now. You can see it hasn't been the most exciting few months, but they have been good nonetheless. I'm hoping the weeks ahead will provide me with more blog content, but also give me some much-needed rest!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Happy Birthday, Paul D.!
Happy Birthday to the best grandfather a girl could ask for! Thank you for all of your support throughout the years...
Love,
Ann
Love,
Ann
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Colby's Giant Water Bowl
With as hot as it has been the past few weeks, I've been spending a lot of time in and around my backyard pool. Being the loyal pup that he is, Colby tries his best to keep me company when I'm out in the backyard. However, he can only last a couple of minutes before he starts panting and gasping in the summer heat. On many occasions, I've tried everything I can do to get him to get in the pool to cool down, short of just throwing him in there. He refuses to get in, and for some reason he seems to prefer to hang out in the air-conditioned house over the 100+ degree backyard.
Now something you must understand about Colby is that he is a bit narcissistic. He believes that everything that happens in this world revolves around him. For example, whenever I open my refrigerator, he automatically thinks that he is going to get something to eat (usually cheese or carrots, which is the only non-dog food he typically gets to eat). As another example, every time I grab my purse and open the door out to my garage, Colby gets excited and darts to the car, thinking he is about to go for a ride. And, of course, whenever someone comes over to my house--friends, the bug man, UPS delivery people, etc.--Colby knows for sure that they have come to see him. So, naturally, Colby would find a way to make the backyard pool all about him.
Nope, it's not a pool at all. It's a giant water bowl for Colby! At least I don't have to worry about him getting dehydrated any time soon...
Now something you must understand about Colby is that he is a bit narcissistic. He believes that everything that happens in this world revolves around him. For example, whenever I open my refrigerator, he automatically thinks that he is going to get something to eat (usually cheese or carrots, which is the only non-dog food he typically gets to eat). As another example, every time I grab my purse and open the door out to my garage, Colby gets excited and darts to the car, thinking he is about to go for a ride. And, of course, whenever someone comes over to my house--friends, the bug man, UPS delivery people, etc.--Colby knows for sure that they have come to see him. So, naturally, Colby would find a way to make the backyard pool all about him.
Nope, it's not a pool at all. It's a giant water bowl for Colby! At least I don't have to worry about him getting dehydrated any time soon...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Not Just Another Nurse...On a Billboard
This past week was Nurse's Week. To celebrate, I worked the maximum numbers of hours that UAB nurses are allowed to work in one week...60 hours. Yes, a total of five 12-hour shifts. I may be crazy for volunteering to work all of that overtime, but it sure will be worth it when I get that paycheck!
Every year during Nurse's Week, UAB Hospital has various events each day to celebrate their nurses. On Tuesday, there was the annual Nursing Fair. The Nursing Fair is basically just a bunch of vendors advertising things nurses may be interested in, but the highlight of the event for me is always the free stuff (pens, candy, and even a sticker that I got to wear for the rest of the day that said "Not Just Another Nurse"). Some of my co-workers and I ventured over to the Nursing Fair during our lunch break on Tuesday. While at the Fair, we were each handed a copy of the 2010 UAB Nursing Annual Report. Not really the most thrilling piece of literature, but I figured I would save it and read it during one of those rare moments that I had nothing better to do. One of my co-workers started flipping through the booklet, and all of the sudden she exclaimed, "Look, Ann, it's you!". Sure enough, there was a picture of me hard at work in the booklet. Here's a link to the online version of the Annual Report, in case you're interested.
When I first saw the picture of myself in the booklet, I had no recollection of having my picture taken. After racking my brain for a little while, I finally remembered. It was about 3 or 4 months ago, and I was assessing one of my patients at the beginning of my shift. A guy from the marketing department at UAB came up to me and asked if he could take a couple of photographs of me listening to the baby with my stethoscope. I said sure, and I do remember signing a consent form to be photographed. This is where it gets a little fuzzy, but I seem to remember the guy saying that he was only going to be taking pictures of my hands. At the time, I didn't think the camera was close enough to only be capturing my hands, but I figured he knew what he was doing. Maybe I made up the part about him only photographing my hands. Obviously, he captured more than just my hands. Knowing what I know now, I probably should have spent a little more time getting ready for work that morning...
After getting a few extra copies of the Annual Report so that I could provide my co-workers with autographed copies, my co-workers and I left the Nursing Fair and headed back to the unit. I got busy getting back into my work routine, and I quickly forgot about my newfound fame.
Now, skip ahead to Thursday morning, driving to work. It was just a typical commute to work. Until I approached my exit to get to the hospital. Something on a billboard caught my eye. I did a quick double-take while driving and realized that what had caught my eye was a picture of...myself. Yes, that same picture of me from the Annual Report was plastered on a billboard for all of Birmingham to see:
Okay, so maybe I've exaggerated a tiny bit about just how big the picture is, but still...that's me, on a billboard. I had absolutely no clue that my picture was going to be printed in the Annual Report, much less on a billboard! And to tell you the truth, if my co-worker had not pointed out the picture of me in the Annual Report, it's very possible that I could be oblivious to the fact that my picture is on a billboard--a billboard that I pass every day on my way to work. I guess it will get less weird seeing myself on a billboard as time goes by, but for now it's still pretty wild!
I'm not just another nurse. I'm a nurse on a billboard.
Every year during Nurse's Week, UAB Hospital has various events each day to celebrate their nurses. On Tuesday, there was the annual Nursing Fair. The Nursing Fair is basically just a bunch of vendors advertising things nurses may be interested in, but the highlight of the event for me is always the free stuff (pens, candy, and even a sticker that I got to wear for the rest of the day that said "Not Just Another Nurse"). Some of my co-workers and I ventured over to the Nursing Fair during our lunch break on Tuesday. While at the Fair, we were each handed a copy of the 2010 UAB Nursing Annual Report. Not really the most thrilling piece of literature, but I figured I would save it and read it during one of those rare moments that I had nothing better to do. One of my co-workers started flipping through the booklet, and all of the sudden she exclaimed, "Look, Ann, it's you!". Sure enough, there was a picture of me hard at work in the booklet. Here's a link to the online version of the Annual Report, in case you're interested.
When I first saw the picture of myself in the booklet, I had no recollection of having my picture taken. After racking my brain for a little while, I finally remembered. It was about 3 or 4 months ago, and I was assessing one of my patients at the beginning of my shift. A guy from the marketing department at UAB came up to me and asked if he could take a couple of photographs of me listening to the baby with my stethoscope. I said sure, and I do remember signing a consent form to be photographed. This is where it gets a little fuzzy, but I seem to remember the guy saying that he was only going to be taking pictures of my hands. At the time, I didn't think the camera was close enough to only be capturing my hands, but I figured he knew what he was doing. Maybe I made up the part about him only photographing my hands. Obviously, he captured more than just my hands. Knowing what I know now, I probably should have spent a little more time getting ready for work that morning...
After getting a few extra copies of the Annual Report so that I could provide my co-workers with autographed copies, my co-workers and I left the Nursing Fair and headed back to the unit. I got busy getting back into my work routine, and I quickly forgot about my newfound fame.
Now, skip ahead to Thursday morning, driving to work. It was just a typical commute to work. Until I approached my exit to get to the hospital. Something on a billboard caught my eye. I did a quick double-take while driving and realized that what had caught my eye was a picture of...myself. Yes, that same picture of me from the Annual Report was plastered on a billboard for all of Birmingham to see:
Okay, so maybe I've exaggerated a tiny bit about just how big the picture is, but still...that's me, on a billboard. I had absolutely no clue that my picture was going to be printed in the Annual Report, much less on a billboard! And to tell you the truth, if my co-worker had not pointed out the picture of me in the Annual Report, it's very possible that I could be oblivious to the fact that my picture is on a billboard--a billboard that I pass every day on my way to work. I guess it will get less weird seeing myself on a billboard as time goes by, but for now it's still pretty wild!
I'm not just another nurse. I'm a nurse on a billboard.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Maybe I'm More Like My Mother Than I Thought...
Most people agree that my dad and I have a lot of the same qualities. We're both pretty laid back and calm about most things, we both love listening to music and we even have similar tastes in music, and we both have an amazing sense of humor. Don't get me wrong--my mom has a lot of great qualities too, but I really seem to have inherited most of my dad's qualities. Lately, however, I have come to realize that maybe I am more like my mother than I originally thought. You see, my mom LOVES to be outside working in her yard. Growing up, the only time I can really remember my mom being inside the house was when she was sleeping. I clearly remember on multiple occasions my dad practically having to drag my mom inside because it was thundering and lightening, a hurricane was blowing through, or it was so hot that he feared she would suffer a heat stroke. The woman just loves to be outside. You may remember my posts last year about my backyard landscaping project, and how much I enjoyed working in my new yard. Now that spring has sprung and everything is greening back up, I am back at it. I often find myself spending hours upon hours outside--pulling weeds, cutting the grass, weed eating, edging, fertilizing, watering the plants, or simply just admiring my yard. And--if I do say so myself--it is pretty admirable these days.
My mom definitely passed the yard work genes on to me. I guess I'm more like her than I thought! Of course, I must give some credit to my yard work supervisor:
A lot of the plants in my yard are close to blooming, so stay tuned for more pictures of some pretty flowers!
My mom definitely passed the yard work genes on to me. I guess I'm more like her than I thought! Of course, I must give some credit to my yard work supervisor:
A lot of the plants in my yard are close to blooming, so stay tuned for more pictures of some pretty flowers!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Hanging on to My Mid-20s...By a Thread.
Earlier this month, I celebrated my 27th birthday. Initially, I was dreading this birthday. To me, turning 27 meant entering my late-20s, and I'm just not ready to be THAT close to the big 3-0 yet. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, technically, 27 is closer to 25 than it is to 30. In preparation for my birthday, I began a poll and asked my friends, co-workers, and acquaintances if they thought that 27 was considered mid-20s or late-20s. The general consensus was that 27 is still mid-20s, but just barely. I'm okay with that. Suddenly, I felt more comfortable with turning 27, and I found reason to celebrate my birthday, not mourn it.
This year, my birthday fell on a weekend, which gave me reason to celebrate not just my birthday, but my entire birthday weekend. And celebrate I did...all weekend long!
Here are some pics from the martini night birthday celebration with the girls.
Luna having a blast:
Steph G. overwhelmed with joy:
This year, my birthday fell on a weekend, which gave me reason to celebrate not just my birthday, but my entire birthday weekend. And celebrate I did...all weekend long!
Here are some pics from the martini night birthday celebration with the girls.
Luna having a blast:
Steph G. overwhelmed with joy:
Steph A. bi-winning with a cupcake in one hand and a martini in the other:
Me making my birthday wish:
The best friends a girl could ask for:
Thanks to everyone who made my birthday weekend so special! I'm so glad I got to spend it with some of my most favorite people!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
(Mis)adventures in Dogsitting
To all of my faithful blog readers, I'm sorry that I have been MIA for a few weeks. Well, it's not so much that I have been missing, but I really just haven't had a whole lot to say. Over the past few weeks, my life has basically consisted of obsessively pulling every weed that has popped up in my yard, fighting off a random bout of walking pneumonia (which, surprisingly, was nowhere near as bad as it sounds), and allowing my new DVR receiver to take over my life. Nothing incredibly blogworthy. That is, until I agreed to let my brother's dog stay at my house for a week, and consequently allowed myself to become outnumbered by dogs in my own home.
First of all, I need to give you a little background on my brother's dog. He's special. The dog, not my brother...although my brother has his special moments as well. My best guess is that the dog is missing quite a large number of brain cells. I love him, but he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed. And the ironic part of all of this is that the dog's name is Einstein (my brother named him before it became apparent how...special...the dog is). We all have a hard time calling the dog "Einstein", so we usually just call him "Pup". A simple name for a simple pup.
When Pup arrived at my house, I soon realized that teaching him how to use the doggy door would be a major undertaking. It took a lot of treats, and a lot of me crawling around on the ground outside acting like a fool to get Pup to come through the doggy door. But, after a lot of practice, Pup finally mastered the doggy door. And this is what I mean by "mastering the doggy door":
As an example of how "special" Pup is, at one point during the dogsitting adventure he managed to lock himself in my guest bathroom. Unfortunately, I was not home when this occurred so I have no idea how long he was locked in the bathroom. But I do get a good laugh out of the mental image of Pup being locked in the bathroom while Colby was stretched out on the couch, enjoying having the house to himself again.
Luckily, Colby and Pup really get along great. When they are together, they are constantly playing like puppies. Pretty good for a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old dog. When they get tired from playing, they lay down and rest together. One night during the dogsitting adventure, Pup was so nice to serve as Colby's pillow:
I really wish I had a video camera set up to record what Colby and Pup did while I was not at home. Something tells me that they spent a lot of time rehearsing their...duet.
I'm sure my neighbors appreciated all of their beautiful singing.
Keeping Pup at my house definitely made for an interesting and adventurous week. Pup has gone home now, and Colby and I are recovering from our week of dogsitting. Who knew dogsitting could be so exhausting?
First of all, I need to give you a little background on my brother's dog. He's special. The dog, not my brother...although my brother has his special moments as well. My best guess is that the dog is missing quite a large number of brain cells. I love him, but he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed. And the ironic part of all of this is that the dog's name is Einstein (my brother named him before it became apparent how...special...the dog is). We all have a hard time calling the dog "Einstein", so we usually just call him "Pup". A simple name for a simple pup.
When Pup arrived at my house, I soon realized that teaching him how to use the doggy door would be a major undertaking. It took a lot of treats, and a lot of me crawling around on the ground outside acting like a fool to get Pup to come through the doggy door. But, after a lot of practice, Pup finally mastered the doggy door. And this is what I mean by "mastering the doggy door":
As an example of how "special" Pup is, at one point during the dogsitting adventure he managed to lock himself in my guest bathroom. Unfortunately, I was not home when this occurred so I have no idea how long he was locked in the bathroom. But I do get a good laugh out of the mental image of Pup being locked in the bathroom while Colby was stretched out on the couch, enjoying having the house to himself again.
Luckily, Colby and Pup really get along great. When they are together, they are constantly playing like puppies. Pretty good for a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old dog. When they get tired from playing, they lay down and rest together. One night during the dogsitting adventure, Pup was so nice to serve as Colby's pillow:
I really wish I had a video camera set up to record what Colby and Pup did while I was not at home. Something tells me that they spent a lot of time rehearsing their...duet.
I'm sure my neighbors appreciated all of their beautiful singing.
Keeping Pup at my house definitely made for an interesting and adventurous week. Pup has gone home now, and Colby and I are recovering from our week of dogsitting. Who knew dogsitting could be so exhausting?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Birthday Colby!!!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little valentine!
In honor of his third birthday, Colby got his teeth cleaned at the vet's office on Friday. It cost a pretty penny, so I told Colby that having his teeth cleaned would be his birthday gift this year. He wasn't too thrilled about that, but I suppose I wouldn't be either if all I got for my birthday was a good teeth cleaning. But, on the bright side, Colby now has a million-dollar smile...quite literally!
In honor of his third birthday, Colby got his teeth cleaned at the vet's office on Friday. It cost a pretty penny, so I told Colby that having his teeth cleaned would be his birthday gift this year. He wasn't too thrilled about that, but I suppose I wouldn't be either if all I got for my birthday was a good teeth cleaning. But, on the bright side, Colby now has a million-dollar smile...quite literally!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Can I Get a High "5"?
Ever since 2011 began, I have come to realize that a big theme of 2011 for me will be the number "5".
2011 marks five years since I graduated from college--and everything that characterized my Spring Hill College experience.
Like the "destination unknown" parties, the formals, and the Mardi Gras Balls.
And the Habitat for Humanity spring break trips.
And the retreats.
And Thursday dollar margarita nights at Sabor a Mexico.
And just hanging out with friends.
And finally making that long-awaited walk down the Avenue of the Oaks to receive my nursing degree.
In a couple of months, I will return to Spring Hill for Homecoming on the Hill, during which the class of 2006 will celebrate our five-year reunion. I'm looking forward to being back on the campus I love with the friends that I miss dearly.
2011 also marks five years since I moved to Birmingham. It wasn't until my last semester of college that I began to even consider moving away from Mobile. The more I thought about it, the more I knew that if I didn't embark on this adventure at that particular point in my life, I probably never would. There are so many great people that I have met during my five years here in Birmingham.
Like my crazy co-workers.
And these awesome girls, Cate (a.k.a. "Booty"), Tara, and Jean. Technically I already knew Tara before I moved to Birmingham, but we've grown much closer since I moved up here.
And, of course, my four favorite kiddos--Piper, Henry, Rosemary, and Penelope--and their great parents, Heather and Gary. I'm Auntie Ann to them, but if you were to ask those sweet kids, I'm just their "Ain". They are too cute!
I am so thankful that I followed my heart all the way up to Birmingham five years ago, because I cannot imagine not having met any of these people. I think it is mostly because of these people that Birmingham has come to feel like "home" to me.
2011 also marks five years since I began my nursing career at UAB. Over the past five years, I have truly found my passion in neonatal nursing. While some days are harder than others, I can honestly say that I love my job. I enjoy providing care for premature and sick babies and developing strong, and sometimes lasting, relationships with their parents. There is no greater feeling than witnessing a baby's journey during his or her stay in the NICU all the way up until the moment that he or she is discharged home. And it is so satisfying to keep in touch with the parents of these babies after discharge and see those babies that I remember as being small and fragile grow into happy and healthy kids. I have grown and learned so much during my five years at UAB--not just nursing skills, but important life skills as well.
It really doesn't seem like it has been five years since I graduated from college, moved to Birmingham, and began my nursing career at UAB. But when I think back to my life five years ago, I realize that I have experienced a lifetime of learning and growing as I have ventured through the "real world" these past five years. I think I deserve a high "5"!
2011 marks five years since I graduated from college--and everything that characterized my Spring Hill College experience.
Like the "destination unknown" parties, the formals, and the Mardi Gras Balls.
And the Habitat for Humanity spring break trips.
And the retreats.
And Thursday dollar margarita nights at Sabor a Mexico.
And just hanging out with friends.
And finally making that long-awaited walk down the Avenue of the Oaks to receive my nursing degree.
In a couple of months, I will return to Spring Hill for Homecoming on the Hill, during which the class of 2006 will celebrate our five-year reunion. I'm looking forward to being back on the campus I love with the friends that I miss dearly.
2011 also marks five years since I moved to Birmingham. It wasn't until my last semester of college that I began to even consider moving away from Mobile. The more I thought about it, the more I knew that if I didn't embark on this adventure at that particular point in my life, I probably never would. There are so many great people that I have met during my five years here in Birmingham.
Like my crazy co-workers.
And these awesome girls, Cate (a.k.a. "Booty"), Tara, and Jean. Technically I already knew Tara before I moved to Birmingham, but we've grown much closer since I moved up here.
And, of course, my four favorite kiddos--Piper, Henry, Rosemary, and Penelope--and their great parents, Heather and Gary. I'm Auntie Ann to them, but if you were to ask those sweet kids, I'm just their "Ain". They are too cute!
I am so thankful that I followed my heart all the way up to Birmingham five years ago, because I cannot imagine not having met any of these people. I think it is mostly because of these people that Birmingham has come to feel like "home" to me.
2011 also marks five years since I began my nursing career at UAB. Over the past five years, I have truly found my passion in neonatal nursing. While some days are harder than others, I can honestly say that I love my job. I enjoy providing care for premature and sick babies and developing strong, and sometimes lasting, relationships with their parents. There is no greater feeling than witnessing a baby's journey during his or her stay in the NICU all the way up until the moment that he or she is discharged home. And it is so satisfying to keep in touch with the parents of these babies after discharge and see those babies that I remember as being small and fragile grow into happy and healthy kids. I have grown and learned so much during my five years at UAB--not just nursing skills, but important life skills as well.
It really doesn't seem like it has been five years since I graduated from college, moved to Birmingham, and began my nursing career at UAB. But when I think back to my life five years ago, I realize that I have experienced a lifetime of learning and growing as I have ventured through the "real world" these past five years. I think I deserve a high "5"!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
I'm Being Haunted...By a Cat.
When I was nine years old, I begged and begged my parents to let me have a dog. Being the smart people that they are, my parents knew that we did not have the time to devote to a dog, and that I was lying through my teeth when I told them that I would feed and care for the dog every single day. I must have been pretty insistent though, because my parents finally agreed to let me have a hamster (Sidenote: Ewww! I don't know what they were thinking! A hamster?! Ewww!). My mom took me to the pet store, and we left with a cute little furry...kitten! I'll never forget the look on my dad's face when we showed back up at the house with Tootsie...
Now, fast forward 17 years. As you may remember, Tootsie the cat met a tragic end a couple of months ago when she was hit by a car in my parents' garage--a car my mom just happened to be driving. It was an unfortunate accident, and I don't think my poor mother will ever recover from it. My mom immediately rushed Tootsie to the vet after the accident, but her injuries were far too severe and she was far too old (heck, she was freaking 17 years old!!) to take any drastic measures. My mom courageously stayed by Tootsie's side as she died peacefully.
Here is a picture of the late Tootsie:
Now, fast forward to the present time. The other night, I was putting some clothes in my dryer and heard a "Meow!" on the other side of the window by my laundry room. I cracked open the blinds, but it was dark outside and I didn't see anything. So I went into the living room, sat on the couch, and started watching TV. Pretty soon, I heard another "Meow!", this time coming from the other side of my living room window. A little bit later, I headed to my bedroom to turn in for the night, and...you guessed it...I heard a "Meow!" coming from the other side of my bedroom window. I felt as if I was being followed, but I shook it off and went to bed.
I woke up the next morning, opened the back door to let Colby outside, but found it a little strange that Colby expressed no interest in going outside. I looked out the door, and what I saw sent chills down my spine:
Yes, I'm being haunted. By a cat. A cat that looks eerily identical to the recently-deceased Tootsie. It's like a bad horror movie.
Now, fast forward 17 years. As you may remember, Tootsie the cat met a tragic end a couple of months ago when she was hit by a car in my parents' garage--a car my mom just happened to be driving. It was an unfortunate accident, and I don't think my poor mother will ever recover from it. My mom immediately rushed Tootsie to the vet after the accident, but her injuries were far too severe and she was far too old (heck, she was freaking 17 years old!!) to take any drastic measures. My mom courageously stayed by Tootsie's side as she died peacefully.
Here is a picture of the late Tootsie:
Now, fast forward to the present time. The other night, I was putting some clothes in my dryer and heard a "Meow!" on the other side of the window by my laundry room. I cracked open the blinds, but it was dark outside and I didn't see anything. So I went into the living room, sat on the couch, and started watching TV. Pretty soon, I heard another "Meow!", this time coming from the other side of my living room window. A little bit later, I headed to my bedroom to turn in for the night, and...you guessed it...I heard a "Meow!" coming from the other side of my bedroom window. I felt as if I was being followed, but I shook it off and went to bed.
I woke up the next morning, opened the back door to let Colby outside, but found it a little strange that Colby expressed no interest in going outside. I looked out the door, and what I saw sent chills down my spine:
Yes, I'm being haunted. By a cat. A cat that looks eerily identical to the recently-deceased Tootsie. It's like a bad horror movie.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
SNOW!!!! And Snow! And snow. and snow......
A little over a week ago, Birmingham was all a buzz with the news that the city would be getting snow. So much snow, in fact, that many people began to refer to the storm that was to come our way as "The Blizzard of 2011". Everyone ran to the grocery store and stocked up on bread and milk. Yeah...I don't really get it either, but apparently it's just what us Southerners do when the word "snow" appears in the 10-day weather forecast. Being from the Gulf Coast, the frenzy reminded me a lot of the frenzy that occurs before a hurricane makes landfall. Colby and I got ourselves prepared for the snow storm, and by the time the snow started on Sunday afternoon, we were totally hunkered down. Actually, Colby heard about the snow several days beforehand, so he had been hunkered down for a while.
The temperature on Sunday was right at the freezing mark, so what fell from the sky Sunday afternoon and evening alternated between sleet and snow. When I went to bed Sunday night, nothing much had accumulated. But I expected to wake up on Monday morning to a beautiful winter wonderland. After all, you can't have a blizzard without snow, right?! So when I woke up on Monday morning, I ran outside to the backyard and this is what I saw:
No snow. Only ice. Apparently I live far enough south of Birmingham that I didn't get any of the snow that the rest of Birmingham got. Ice just isn't as cool as snow, but I took some pictures of it anyway.
Basically the most disappointing blizzard ever.
The thing about ice, as I now know, is that it makes for difficult--if not impossible--travel. On Monday, the entire city of Birmingham was basically shut down because all of the roads were covered in ice. Of course, the hospitals were up and running. But I lucked out last week because I was doing a bit of a different job at the hospital that was not considered "essential". Never have I been so happy to be considered "non-essential"! Some of my co-workers were not so lucky and ended up being snowed in at the hospital for 3 days. They have all been nominated for CCN Impressive Persons of the Century!
So anyway, Monday was a Snow Day for me. By Monday afternoon, after being stuck in the house for a full 24 hours, Colby and I developed a severe case of cabin fever.
To combat this cabin fever, I bundled myself and Colby up and we took a walk around the neighborhood. I say that we took a "walk", but really it was a "slide" through the neighborhood. That's another thing I've learned about ice--it's incredibly hard to walk on. But by some miracle, Colby and I both managed to keep our feet on the ground the whole time.
On Tuesday, I decided that the icy roads would not stop me from getting out of the house and going to work. As soon as I felt that it was somewhat safe to be on the road, I left my house for the first time in 2 days. I don't remember a whole lot from that drive because I was so focused on the road, but I do seem to recall having a tight grip on the steering wheel the whole time, and white knuckles. The drive wasn't too bad, but I had no clue what to expect. The drive home that evening proved to be a bit more of a challenge, as both of the ways that I know how to get home from work were closed because the roads were still covered in ice. Fortunately, I found my way home and made it there safely.
The rest of the week, the high temperatures were in the 30s, and the lows went down to the teens. Thus, the ice stuck around for a while. In addition, Tuesday and Wednesday brought some additional short periods of snow and ice. Four days in a row of snow and ice...crazy!! Life went on and people went back to work despite the icy roads, but the week was definitely a far cry from normal. Finally, this weekend the temps got back above the 30s, and most of the ice has melted. Life is finally getting back to normal...
One of my friends posted this picture on Facebook last week, and I think it is a pretty accurate description of this past week:
The temperature on Sunday was right at the freezing mark, so what fell from the sky Sunday afternoon and evening alternated between sleet and snow. When I went to bed Sunday night, nothing much had accumulated. But I expected to wake up on Monday morning to a beautiful winter wonderland. After all, you can't have a blizzard without snow, right?! So when I woke up on Monday morning, I ran outside to the backyard and this is what I saw:
No snow. Only ice. Apparently I live far enough south of Birmingham that I didn't get any of the snow that the rest of Birmingham got. Ice just isn't as cool as snow, but I took some pictures of it anyway.
Basically the most disappointing blizzard ever.
The thing about ice, as I now know, is that it makes for difficult--if not impossible--travel. On Monday, the entire city of Birmingham was basically shut down because all of the roads were covered in ice. Of course, the hospitals were up and running. But I lucked out last week because I was doing a bit of a different job at the hospital that was not considered "essential". Never have I been so happy to be considered "non-essential"! Some of my co-workers were not so lucky and ended up being snowed in at the hospital for 3 days. They have all been nominated for CCN Impressive Persons of the Century!
So anyway, Monday was a Snow Day for me. By Monday afternoon, after being stuck in the house for a full 24 hours, Colby and I developed a severe case of cabin fever.
To combat this cabin fever, I bundled myself and Colby up and we took a walk around the neighborhood. I say that we took a "walk", but really it was a "slide" through the neighborhood. That's another thing I've learned about ice--it's incredibly hard to walk on. But by some miracle, Colby and I both managed to keep our feet on the ground the whole time.
On Tuesday, I decided that the icy roads would not stop me from getting out of the house and going to work. As soon as I felt that it was somewhat safe to be on the road, I left my house for the first time in 2 days. I don't remember a whole lot from that drive because I was so focused on the road, but I do seem to recall having a tight grip on the steering wheel the whole time, and white knuckles. The drive wasn't too bad, but I had no clue what to expect. The drive home that evening proved to be a bit more of a challenge, as both of the ways that I know how to get home from work were closed because the roads were still covered in ice. Fortunately, I found my way home and made it there safely.
The rest of the week, the high temperatures were in the 30s, and the lows went down to the teens. Thus, the ice stuck around for a while. In addition, Tuesday and Wednesday brought some additional short periods of snow and ice. Four days in a row of snow and ice...crazy!! Life went on and people went back to work despite the icy roads, but the week was definitely a far cry from normal. Finally, this weekend the temps got back above the 30s, and most of the ice has melted. Life is finally getting back to normal...
One of my friends posted this picture on Facebook last week, and I think it is a pretty accurate description of this past week:
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