Here is what 2007 presented to me:
I rang in 2007 at my former job, Windows. I had finished a shift "early," and just missed the bustling celebrations below. This was no surprise to me considering my 10 year history of employment in the restaurant industry.
A couple weeks later, Dave and I traveled to San Francisco-a Christmas gift to each other. We visited family members, and met our niece, Karydis, for the first time. She is a doll, and we attempted to entertain her with a stuffed monkey. We wined and dined at some of the best restaurants in the city (SF is a foodie's paradise) and got some team photography under our belt.
San Francisco was the last hurrah as I begin nursing school in February (see last blog). It didn't take long before nursing school showed me who was boss. I could forget about seeing my family, or going for a run, because school took up so much time. I continued to wait tables at Windows, 4 night shifts a week, which left me in an academic limbo. I recall juggling the 2 hour daily commute, waking up at 4:30am, passing exams, caring for sick patients, marriage, cooking/cleaning, and a late night job in tow began to feel overwhelming to say the least.
I decided to act quick before flunking out, so I cut my schedule in half, and even later decided that quitting my job would be the best solution. In attempts to quit, ironically, I was informed that the restaurant had lost it's contract through AT&T, and would be closing on July 31 to be replaced with fat-cat office space (no surprise though, I had heard the rumors). I opted to stay for a couple night shifts/week. With a severance pay to come, the restaurant to become increasingly busy, and not being able to imagine myself not working...how could I resist staying? I agreed to stick it out, and thank God, got my grades together before successfully finishing that semester.
Over the summer, I continued my job, took courses in pharmacology (yikes!) and physical assessment (not too bad). This schedule kept me on my toes, but enjoyed having a breather from the hospital. I rediscovered the meaning of sleep, which I missed more than anything.
July 9, Dave and I celebrated our 1-year wedding anniversary. It didn't matter how many times I had been forewarned about being a newlywed and a new nursing student, the first year was pure bliss!. My husband's support and my resulting success renewed our closeness.
July 31 rolled around. I turned 27, and my job came to an end. It felt odd to have always be employed, and to have suddenly become jobless. What would I do with my time?
My question was answered that same evening. The husband of my dreams picked me up in our new truck from my final work party. We made our yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas to attend the world's largest computer hacking convention. I felt like I was a princess in a fairy tale, being swept up by my prince. We stayed for 5 days, and had a blast. What a wonderful birthday!
If Vegas wasn't enough of a vacation, we left a couple days later, on a road trip in "Blue-j" (we named our new FJ Cruiser) to Santa Fe, NM. We stayed near the plaza, where we dined at some the best restaurants. We went off-roading with Blue-J though the beautiful mountains of New Mexico. I saw my first opera, Cosi fan Tutte at the world's only outdoor opera house, the Santa Fe Opera!. I fell in love with Santa Fe, and was sad when we had to leave.
By the time we returned home from Santa Fe, my younger brother, Josh had relocated to Austin, TX. He is my closest sibling, and I have missed him dearly.
On August 25, my closest girlfriend, Wakako, got married. She was the most beautiful bride. The wedding took place in her backyard and was stunning! I was one of her bridesmaids, and felt a great sense of gratitude to be a part of something so significant!
A couple days later, I began my second round of nursing school. Hello fluid and electrolytes (what plants crave), goodbye freedom. Who would have thought one could lose so much sleep over potassium and sodium? I was assigned to the med-surg unit at UCLA. I completed an internship there 5 years ago and love the floor I was stationed. The exams got more difficult, the workload picked up, and I mastered the art of microwaving dinners. I frequently come home whiney and grouchy. I was beginning to miss my family and friends. I watched many a Downtown Artwalk take place outside our window while I memorized insulin onset times. My sister turned 40, but I was too buys to make the trip to her big bash. We do decided to take on Thanksgiving dinner at our place. I performed poorly on the following test because I had stepped away from my studies. I was again reminded that school ruled.
On a more positive note, I was relieved to be unemployed, and be connected to an amazing study group. My next clinical assignment was the psychiatry unit at the V.A. I became fascinated by this field of nursing and loved working with the vets! I served as our class secretary, and got more involved in the Student Nursing Association (SNA). I was elected SNA President for my last semester, which is 6 months away. It was an exciting semester, and my performance improved dramatically over the first. School let out on Dec 13, and marked the half-way point of completion.
With vacation, brings sleeping in with my husband, catching flicks at the Archlight, and hanging out with friends. We have caught up on our Netflix, and it seems like we eat out more, and cook less. We even opted for a store bought ham and a potluck style meal for our Christmas Eve dinner we hosted (a far cry from our 100% homemade Thanksgiving meal-even salad dressing was homemade). Maybe we are regrouping, and trying to make the most of "the calm before the storm"-the most difficult part of school is on the horizon and will begin in February.
I hope this lengthly post makes up for my lack of blogging this year. I feel fortunate for the good things that 2007 brought. With that being said, I wish everyone a delightful and restful holiday. Tonight I will enjoy a celebration amongst friends and neighbors with my sweetie, and not ringing in the New Year on the job.
Category: General()
