New Job, New Home (again)

So much to write, so little time (read: patience).  I have a new job.  Yep.  An equine hospital I sent my resume to back in June called me up and asked if I wanted to interview.  I wasn't really job-hunting, but figured why not and gave them a shot.  Well I apparently bedazzled them in my phone interview, and charmed them in my working interview because they called me and offered me a job.  And get this...they offered me MORE pay than the minimum I said I wanted.  Oh and benefits.  And A.C, do you want paid vacation and holidays?  Well, here you go!  How about guaranteed hours and a set schedule?  They're yours!  Yeah.  What is that all about?  While things have been going well at the current grind, I feel like I've had to just fight tooth and nail to get things that seem...normal...from any other place.  And I've never really felt secure and comfortable there.  Thoughts of getting hours, making ends meet, and any other ancy-pancy feelings you can have...I've had them.  The new place just feels wonderful already.  I had so much fun on my working interview.  And it was just a working interview!  The people were nice, they seemed to enjoy their jobs, the hospital is busy...  Man!  I am so excited!  For privacy's sake, I don't want to reveal where it's at, but I'll still be in Oregon and it's in a small town.  Yes, I am moving back to a small town!  It's not tiny, but I've already spent two days over there and I pretty much already love it.  I'm turning in my two-weeks notice tomorrow and then the fun times of finding a new place to live will begin.  Oh and the fun, awkward last two weeks of being at the current job.  Whatever.  I can't help but feel things are going to get pretty great.  I'll try to keep you all updated over the next couple weeks.  Lots of love and coffee kisses.  xoxoxAC 

Walk about

I took a walk on Saturday.  A long one.  A really long one.  Like my ass was kicking its own ass afterwards - it's possible, I promise.  Anyways, it was partly cloudy and misty.  Glorious Northwest weather, if I may so myself!  PHOTOS:

Annoyingly, upbeat-happy again.

Dare I say it?  Life feels good again.  After a bout of not knowing what to do, second-guessing my decisions, being quite poor, and feeling all around sorry for myself, well I sort of feel normal again.  Like whistling, singing, being annoyingly upbeat-happy again.  Glory hallelujah!

The job is going great.  I'm working full-time, which sounds quite corny to be grateful for, but man - it feels good to be busy again.  And on top of that, I'm working days AND doing my intended job - being a horsey nurse!  WOOT!  I'm being trained in anesthesia right now.  I have quite a bit of experience in small animal anesthesia, but horses are a whole different game.  I spent yesterday running my second case by myself.  I sweated and cussed, but I'm very happy to report that I did not crap my pants, as I usually feel like doing.  I'm not quite sure what's more nerve-wracking than a 1300-pound horse waking up and rolling off the table in the middle of surgery...  Please dear Lord, don't EVER let that happen to me!  But, I'm getting better and more confident, and dammit I'm gonna keep knocking horses out!

As I reported last week, my Mudda was here for the weekend.  It was so good to have her here.  I miss home like crazy.  I know I say that a lot.  Just so you know...I will continue to do so.  My brother and dad are at Deer Camp this week.  I can't think of it because that seriously makes me want to cry.  Some of the best times of my life have been hiking around the woods with my dad, looking for deer.  Or riding on the back of a tailgate with my brother, looking at the mountain changing colors.  And lest we not forget unforgettable (drunken) campfires and stories!  NEXT YEAR I WILL BE THERE!  And I literally just got a text from my brother - HE GOT A DEER!  I'm going home in November for a long weekend and there will be DEER JERKY!  WOOT!

So that's all I have for this random blog post today.  I never title my posts until I finish them.  I figure the title will come to me then.  I feel like naming this one, "Hodge-podge" or "Nothing substantial to blog about but I know you all get pissy when I don't blog so here you go!"

I love you, my five followers.  And looky - I have pictures for you!  xoxoxAC

The Coast.

More Coast.  It's delightful.

The Mudda and I at Cannon Beach in front of Haystack Rock.

Pretty...rocks.  I think.

Patrick!  Sadly, we did not see SpongeBob.

And lastly, Fall is just about here.  Bring.  It.



Mom's Here!

My mudda is here.  In Oregon.  Right now.  ------>  YAY!

I brought my mom to my favorite little coffee shop in Oregon.  She's reading her Kindle and I'm typa-typing on my laptop.  Yesterday I drug her up the Oregon Coast.  It was fun and beautiful and just...wonderful.  We spent most of the day on the beach with our jeans rolled up, walking in the salty water.  The sun was out and it was pretty warm with a decent breeze.  It was a good day.  We finished up with some super delicious seafood...crab cakes and stuffed salmon.  And a beer for me.  Man, wheel me home in a wheelbarrow because I was a stuffed, happy girl last night.

I'm already dreading saying goodbye to her tomorrow.  I do that - think and plan ahead.  Dread and plan ahead?  Going home or having my family/friends come see me is great, but it reminds me of how much I miss all things home.  I've fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and things have gotten easier, but home is home.  I miss it.

I have pictures of The Coast but I hadn't really planned on blogging today so I'm unprepared.  I'll make it happen this week, though.  And tell y'all about my job.  It's going good.  I'm feel like the clouds have parted and I'm getting back to that annoying, happy girl again.  Yesss!

Gotta go.  MOM'S HERE!

Decision. Made.

I made a decision.  All by myself - just like a big girl!  I am staying put.  For now.  I never wanted to truly leave the horse hospital.  I wanted to make it work since it was what I had pushed so hard to obtain in the first place.  And dammit if I'm not gonna make it work!  I ain't skeered!

I'll no doubt continue to butt heads and bitch about the doctor, but that sort of comes with the business.  Honestly, I respect him.  And all the others.  It takes a lot of schooling to get there.  And what do you get?  Craptacular hours, sick animals that don't understand and can't communicate, know-it-all clients, and sassy, smart-mouth nurses that push your buttons.  Of course I'm not one of those sassy, smart-mouths.  Nope.  Not me.

Thank you to everyone that emailed, texted, or phoned in your opinions.  Bless your hearts for caring so much about me.

I won't let us down.

Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy

I miss easy.  Just like everyone else, I miss those days when my parents just told me what to do.  "Eat your peas."  "Don't touch the car."  "Stop hitting your brother.  He was adopted."  Okay that last one was a joke.  I never hit my wittle baby brother!

I'm faced with tough decisions about work right now.  I've worked so hard the last couple years to build something great that it's basically what my world centers around right now.  So when it's not going as planned, or I'm given options...well, I panic.  Me?  Overreact?  Whaaaat?!  HAHA!  Yeah, yeah...I overreact.  I know I do.  I just chalk it up to being passionate and really caring about something good.  Or at least that's how I justify calling my mother five times a day and freaking out.  I love you, Mudda.  And dammit, Dad!  You're retired!  Why don't you ever answer my phone calls?!

I found another job at a small animal hospital.  I wasn't getting the hours I needed at the horse hospital, and it was a little rocky from the start.  The new place is a super-duper high tech, state-of-the-art specialty surgical center.  It's stability, benefits, a tiny bit more money, organization...  Sigh.  Everything I could want in a job, right?  Hmmm.  So I turned in my notice at the horse hospital.  They asked me to stay and try to better my schedule, but I felt like I should make the safe decision this time and move on in two weeks.  Then last night I get called into an emergency horsey surgery (my FIRST!).  It's crazy, frantic, there is blood everywhere, I'm dripping sweat from running around, the obscenities are flinging...and man on man, it is AWESOME.  I leave at 4 AM laughing at the absurdity that is my life and fall asleep hard.  When I wake up this morning, I have a message from my surgeon to call him.  I panic, wondering how I messed up last night.  But instead, I call and am told that the main tech is leaving the hospital and I am wanted.  I'm wanted!  I impressed last night.  I have the makings to be an amazing nurse.  I'll get guaranteed, full-time work.  I'll be utilized.  "Adrienne, I want you to take over and be my right hand..."

And cue, "What the hell am I supposed to do with my life?"  Ever since I started this journey, I knew I wanted to work with horses.  I knew it.  Aside from loving them my entire life, the medicine is tricky.  I find it much harder and trying than small animal medicine.  But, I loved the small animal side too...  I feel lucky that at least I have options right now.  I know how fortunate I am to even have a job, but man...I just want easy for bit.  Just a while!  Mom and Dad, tell me what to do!!!

So here I am.  Sitting at Starbucks.  Wondering what to do, where to go, who I should be.  Decisions, decisions.  And to think yesterday I was wondering if I should eat pasta or not.  HA!  Aside from that fun, I went home for a long weekend.  It was glorious.  I went and explored Portland a bit last weekend.  It was glorious.  And my mom will be here a little over a week to visit and witness the fun that is my life right now.  It shall be glorious.

I'm sorry for not updating my blog more often.  It's not that I don't think about it and feel guilty, but I still basically hate writing unless it's about happy, funny stuff with strawberries and unicorns and things.  I mean who doesn't love that stuff?!  Either way, I'll talk about my decision on here shortly...if my head doesn't explode first.  Good times!

Love ya'll.

xoxoxAC

HOME!

I'm going home TOMORROW!  Tomorrow, tomorroooow, I love ya, tomorrooooow!  It's only a daaay awaaaaaay!  And that was my best "Annie" impression.  TA-DAH!

Yep!  Flying home tomorrow!  Cannot even express how excited I am.  I can't wait to hug my family and friends.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna cry.  Then I'm gonna sit down on the ground and hug my big Pinner Buddies and yell at El Gato Loco.  Afterwards, I'm going to drink some homemade beer, consume loads of red meat (that someone else cooks!), and just relax.  It's going to be great!  I'm already dreading that it's only going to be four days...

So that's my news.  I have more culinary creations to share like pesto eggs with avocado, and chicken pesto pizza with spinach and mushrooms, but I have to go.  I have to go pack.  Because I'm going home.  HOME!

xoxoxAC