Here it is! We bought a motor home. I love it! It's a 1997 34 foot Itasca. It's in really good shape.

We decided to go on our first trip to Bulow Plantations in Flagler. We wanted to go somewhere close to home. Our mission was to test everything and get oriented to our new second home. We were pleased with the RV itself. The RV park was pretty boring and the weather sucked.
Here is a picture of our first day of RVing:

But things got better the next morning:

Rachel, my niece, graduated from Emory today. I hate that I couldn't get there. I-75 and I-10 are closed due to the wild fires. We're really proud of her!

We had a chick lunch today at the European Village with Betty, Jane, Kate, Eileen and Linda (who is visiting from England). We ate at Betty Jean's. It was a nice day and always good to visit with "the girls".

I've been working out at Planet Fitness for two weeks now. I'm up to an hour on the bike and doing weights 2-3 times each week. I haven't lost any weight but I do feel better.

Wow! It's been 6 months since I last posted. How pathetic! I'm such a slacker. I'll try to keep up from now on.

Gosh, it's hard to think of what I've been up to for the last 6 months. I've been working a lot of extra shifts. Last year was my year to pay off debts. This year is the year to sock some money away. I turn 50 in 1 year and 19 days. After that, I'm done! I plan to work normal hours and not kill myself anymore. Time to stop and smell the roses! It's time to travel a little and spend time with family and friends. That's what's really important.

Work in the ER has really sucked. Our hospital is going through growing pains. It's a shame. I love being an ER Nurse but when you are given assignments that are impossible to provide even adequate care, it's very frustrating. Our ED Director just resigned so hopefully there will be some positive changes coming down the pike. We'll see.


I started a second job last month in Pharmaceutal Research. It's with the largest research company in the world. I've only worked 3 shifts but I think I'll like it. Right now I'm working PRN but I've let them know I'd be interested in a full-time position. It's a lot different than ER. It is very precise. Everything is timed down to the minute. If a "subject" is dosed at 0800, his dose is given at 0800, not 0759 or 0801. Then we do blood draws at designated times...to the minute. If they are due a blood draw at 1000, we apply the tourniquet at 0959, prep the skin and watch the atomic clock and the second it turns to 1000, we draw the blood. Same with meals, vital signs, everthing is totally precise. It actually makes me feel better about new drugs coming to market. If any factor in the studies are delayed it can impact results. I just hope I can be anal enough!

The weather here has been really weird. We are in a drought and there is a big wildfire in Flagler County. The skies here are full of smoke. Yesterday, you couldn't even see the ocean from A1A because the smoke was so thick. Our cars have black soot on them. Now, there is an early subtropical storm in the Atlantic. The surf is really kicked up. That's my favorite time to go to the beach. It really makes you feel small in the big scheme of things. I went to the Flagler pier today and took some pictures. There were about 30 surfers there. Channel 13 and WESH6 was there filming. Check out how smokey it is in the pictures.

We went to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and had a great time. We have so much to be thankful for. I couldn't ask for a better family to be a part of. Sometimes I feel a little uneasy when things are going well. I think "This can't last". Every life has ups and downs but we've been very blessed.

JoAnn, Terry and the girls took us to the Varsity, Jr the day after Thanksgiving. It's been a long time since I had a Chil Cheese slaw dog and a Frosted Orange (FO). That's some good eats. We did a little shopping and drove around some of the Midtown/Virgina Highland neighborhoods. Wow! I love that area of Atlanta but I sure couldn't afford to live there.



I also went to dinner with my best friend, Sue. Whenever I go to Atlanta we try to get together. AirTran is going to start flying into Daytona Beach from Atlanta for $69 each way so that's going to make it easier for her to get to Daytona. With cheap air fare, that opens up a lot more possibilities.

Then yesterday Dave and I went to the shooting range with Dave,Gina and Megan. It was really fun trying out different types of guns/rifles. Then we went to the Ale House for dinner.

Now that the Holiday weekend is over I'll have to get back in diet mode. I didn't think I was THAT bad but the scales went in the wrong direction this morning.

Betty brought home a new puppy, Bo, yesterday. It's an 8 week old Bichon Frise. He is so cute and cuddley. I hope he likes me better than her last dog, Peggy. Peggy, a poodle, hated my guts and would grawl and bark whenever I went over there. I hope that Bo and I can bond while he's a puppy and we can be pals.

Wow! What a slacker I've been. I haven't posted for a month. Well, this one may be long. Where to begin????

I'm back to working my normal hours at work and loving it. I love having four days off each week. I had a moment of temporary insanity a few weeks back. The hospital posted a position for a Senior Applications Analyst in the IS Dept. and I applied for it. Then, I started thinking "what have I done"? Dave reminded me about how miserable I was working Monday to Friday in an office and political environment when I did it a few years ago. So, I withdrew my application. Whew, I felt better immediately. Nursing can suck at times but it also has lots of advantages.

My aunt Ollie sent me a beautiful handmade quilt that was made in my family. Here is a picture of it. I love quilts and this one is especially nice because it's oversized and fits on our king size bed.





Dave and I finally got some new furniture for the living room. We got a Lazyboy couch that reclines on both ends, a Lazyboy chair that rocks, reclines and swivels (that Dave has claimed as his own), a glass top table and chairs and a flip-top bar. I'll throw in some pictures. The hardest part was trying to figure out how to rearrange the furniture to make everything fit. We went around and around about it. Finally, Dave's plan was best. I hate when he's right.










Then, we took the curtains down. Everyone thought they were too formal for the beach. That was really strange. The windows seemed so naked but it did open up the room and made it look larger. It took a few days, but now we like it. Now, we have to decide on a paint color for the walls. UGH....one step at a time. I need Terry down here!

Let's see...what else...I'm going through menopause and I'm a bitch. OOPS...too much information.

We had our annual Oysterfest last Saturday. We had lots of good food, alcohol and 30-some great friends. Everyone seemed to have a good time. I made the mistake of hanging in the kitchen with the THREE bottles of tequila (Patron and Don Julio) and like any good hostess, I had to match shots with my friends. Oh my God! The last thing I remember was talking to someone (I don't remember who) and my mouth wouldn't work right. The next thing I knew, it was 7 hours later, I'm in bed, fully clothed with a shot glass still in my bra. Not my finest hour!
The thought of drinking ANY alcohol still gags me now! I'm sure I'll hear about it for years to come. To see some pictures, check out Dave's website at www.drmcwheels.com

The party really motivated me in a good way. All the women looked so nice and I feel like a big cow. I'm rapidly expanding and I'm feeling the effects of being overweight (AKA Fat). So, I'm determined to go on a diet and get in shape (that's right Karen, another diet!). Dr. Oz was on Oprah and he has a diet book out called "You on a diet". It's a common sense diet where you eat healthy foods, lower your sugars and fats and eat fruits, veggies, birds, fish, and nuts, and limit your red meat. Also, you take your vitamins and exercise. You can go to his website a www.realage.com and take a test and it'll tell you what your "real age" is according to your current lifestyle. I'm 48 and my "real age" was 49.5 (mainly because I don't exercise). It will make up a personalized plan for you on what you need to improve on. Best of all, it's all free. You can download an exercise program (20 minute workout). I did it today and I liked it. So all week I've been following the diet and exercising (walking every day) and so far, I've lost 4 pounds. He even tells you how to read the food labels and you have to go through your frig and cabinets and throw out all the unhealthy foods and then replace them with all healthy foods. Dave and I need to eat healthier anyway so we have nothing to lose.

My nephew, Michael, gave us a big scare! He totaled his new Mustang. Car vs. tree....the tree always seems to win. He was tranferred to Neuro ICU at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta with a bleed in his brain. Once there, they found a cerebral anurysm. OMG! We all were freaked out. Yesterday, he went for an angiogram. The neurosurgeon said that he was 99% sure exactly where it was but he needed to do the angiogram to get that final 1% for confirmation, then he would insert a coil. Well, guess what? The angiogram showed that there was NO anurysm! He said the bleed from the trauma will absorb, the concussion will resolve and he will be perfectly normal! How about that for a miracle?

I went to the Emergency Nurse's Conference in San Antonio last week. We stayed at the Hawthorne Suites on the River Walk. The River Walk is beautiful! I definitely want to go back again! They have a water taxi that takes you along the river. There are many outdoor cafe's, bars, and shops. The people there are really nice. We were there on Mexican Independence Day. There is an outdoor theater and every night there was an event featuring the Hispanic culture.


We ate at two restaurants that I would highly recommend, The Little Rhein Steak House is a little pricey but it's worth it. We all had Filet Mignon and Tomatoe Salads. The sides are large and they recommended sharing. They were right. We shared asparagus and scalloped potatoes.
The second restaurant is called Boudro's. It was my favorite, even though there is a Boudro's Butt Cream, but, that's beside the point. I had stuffed quail (awesome). They have a fabulous guacomole dip that make at the table. We also had prickly pear margaritas. A lot of the restaurants there had prickly pear margaritas. Here is a pic of a prickly rear cactus:

Here is who I went with...that's Tina, Debbie and Peggy.


The conference was great. There were 30,000 ER Nurses there. It's agreat way to gather up some CEUs and network.

I didn't get to see any real cowboys. Bummer! I love cowboys.....


Now I'm home and back to my normal life. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home....

Wow! I finally have a minute to update my blog! Sorry for being a slacker but this last two months have been crazy! In July and August I was all about the Cerner conversion at work. I worked 60-80 hours each week. We finally went live with the new system on August 27th. I wish I could say it was flawless. The biggest problems were with security accesses and we had some printer issues. It was very frustrating for the staff. We had extra staffing but it's hard to concentrate on patient care and new computer charting. A few tempers flaired and the tension was thick at times but each day got better. I'm off for two weeks now and I'm curious to see how things are when I get back. We have a smart group of people so I'm sure they did fine.

I just got back from visiting family with mom and dad. We had a great time. I drove to Atlanta and picked them up. The next day we drove to Kentucky, checked in to our motel and went to Possum Trot. Possum Trot, for anyone who has not heard about it from me, is in Clay County, Kentucky. It's a little place in the mountains, on 300 acres, that has 2 "barricks" (one for the men, one for the women) two outhouses, outdoor shower, indoor and outdoor cooking area, and a fire is always going (thanks to my uncles). My dad has 12 brothers and sisters and they all meet there once a year for a reunion. Most of them stay the week and the cousins and more distant relatives come and go. There's always good food and stories to hear. We visited there Thursday. On Friday, we drove to Indiana to see my mom's two sisters. Ollie had a shoulder fracture 5 weeks ago is not doing very well. She was in a lot of pain so we didn't stay very long. Then we drove to Lexington to visit with my uncle Stanley. My sister and her kids met us there. He's got a beautiful place there and lives in the midst of the horse farms. Lexington has got to be the most beautiful place on earth.

The next day was the big day at Possum Trot. Everyone gathers at 8am for the "Testamonial". The 12 brothers and sisters form a circle and each person (oldest to youngest) stands up and tells everyone what has happened in their lives during the last year and what they are thankful for. Here is a picture:



After they were done, then the nieces, nephews, and grandchildren did the same (in order of age). It is very touching and makes you very thankful.

After the Testamonial, we had a big breakfast then we went on a "tour". We drove around to where my dad grew up. We saw his little school, church, house in the mountains. My 2nd cousin lives in the house they grew up in.



We visited with him for a while then stopped at an old country store and had a moon pie and RC cola. Then we went to Oneida and walked across an old swingin' bridge. My uncle, Sam, couldn't resist swinging the bridge as we crossed it. That really added to the experience.



Here are some more views from the swinging bridge:


Then we went to the cemetary where my grandparents and other family members are buried. Every 2nd Sunday in September (during the Possum Trot reunion) there is a "Meetin' on the Hill". That's where the family gathers in the cemetary and there is a service. We missed it this year. As you can see, the cemetary is in a beautiful place on a hill.


The girls went shopping later that afternoon. We stayed away from Manchester because they were having a "Hallaluyah" festival. We went to a few places outside of town and quit. It was pretty depressing. The Applalachian mountains is a poor area. There are some rich people but mostly really poor people. We went to the "Bargain Barn". There, literally, among the junk, were two pair of used sneakers for sale on the shelf. My first thought was "WTF"? But, then it was really sad to think that if you don't have shoes, those used sneakers are worth a fortune.

Then, we returned to Possum Trot to get ready for supper. On Saturday night, they prepare a big meal and all our extended family in the area come up and they bring covered dishes. Here is a picture of Rachel and Katherine learning how to make dumplings:



While I was there, I got to taste some "Moonshine". I'm surprised that it actually was pretty good. That's all I'll say about that topic.

Kentucky is such a beautiful state. Every morning, there was a fog in the mountains. We saw lots of cows, goats, and horses. The mountains and the gardens were incredible. The people are all friendly.

We drove back to Atlanta on Sunday. Mom and Dad are good to travel with. I feel really bad that I gave mom my cold. I went out with Sue, my best friend in Atlanta, on Sunday night and caught up on all the news. Everyone needs a friend like Sue. We will be best friends until we die. We may not talk to each other for 3-4 months, but when we do, it's like we haven't missed a beat.

Then, I drove home to Florida this morning. I have a day and a half turn around, then I'm heading to San Antonio for the ENA Conference (Emergency Nurse's Association). That should be fun. I love Texas. I hope I get to see some cowboys!

That's it. I'll try to do better with my posting!

Katherine, Jamie and Julia came down from Atlanta for a visit last weekend. We had a great time. They're awesome!

The rest of the week has been work, work, and more work. I can't wait to get back into my normal nurse work mode. I miss my days off. I worked in the ER two weekends ago and it was really nice. It was a quiet weekend so we had time to goof. I think I appreciate the ER more when I step away. Sometimes being a nurse can suck but the Monday through Friday sitting in front of a computer can suck worse!

My garden is no more. Here is a pic of where one of my tomatoes used to be. Dave said that my plants were ugly and they made the yard ugly. He wanted me to pull them all up. So much for the joy of gardening..................

Larry's getting older and has a hard time jumping up on the bed. Here's a picture of a box that Dave made for Larry so he can get up on the bed easier. He put carpet on the top so he'll have some traction when he jumps up. Larry loves it. It doesn't match the bedroom but who cares. Larry comes first.



I picked some vegetables from the garden today. It's getting too hot and the plants are not producing as much. But I thought this would make a pretty picture.

Killer Bees in OBTS!

I was working in the yard today and was attacked by a "Killer Bee". This little bastard was attacking me! He stung me four times in both my arms. The problem is that I use to be extremely allergic to bees. I had to go through years of desensitation shots. I stopped them 8 years ago but since I haven't been stung in 15 years I had no way of knowing how I'd react. I did pretty well. I immediately took two Benadryls, a Zantac and applied ice. No anaphylaxsis! My arms hurt but, hey, I'm alive.

We're back from Atlanta. We had a great trip. It's always so relaxing to visit there. Mom and Dad had JoAnn, Terry and crew (minus Rachel who is still in Africa) over for Chicken and Dumplings, Roast Beef, mashed potatoes, etc.. We always eat like pigs when we go there.

I went out with Sue and Vicky Saturday night. I really miss hanging out with them! I sat on a bench at the restaurant and it broke. Only true friends could enjoy that so much! They got lots of milage from that!

I'm in fantasy mode again. I'm thinking that once our debts and car/truck payments are over, we're going to buy a little one bedroom condo in Atlanta. That would be s good investment and would be a good idea if I ever decided to work part time there. However, Florida will always be our primary home. We want to half time it...half in Atlanta and half at the beach. The best of two worlds.

I'm pooped! This Cerner project at work is going full steam. We are still getting the players in place so I'm working a ton of hours to help cover the shifts for training. This is a 70 hour work week. UGH! But the good news is, Dave and I (and Larry too...of course) are going to Atlanta. I'll enjoy the R&R. I think we're going to a farm in McDonough to pick some blueberries and peaches with JoAnn and her crew. We'll visit with the family and hopefully I'll have time to get with my best friend, Sue. I can't wait to see everyone.

Betty had a garage sale Saturday and let me throw some stuff in. I made about $240. Not bad. My last experience with a garage sale was disgusting. I had one about 15 years ago when I lived in Atlanta and I hated it. So, I always poo-poo'ed doing a garage sale again but now I'm in a stage of life where I want to get rid of all my crap.

I want a crap-free house. Clutter is stressful. I use the analogy of cups in your cabinet. It's stressful to have, say, 20 cups in the cabinet. You have to stack them, balance them, make a decision on which one to use. You tend to use a cup once and put it in the dishwasher. Soon you have a ton of cups to restack in the crowded cabinet. Stress. On the other hand, you can have two cups in the cabinet. One for each person. You can set aside (elsewhere) four more for guests. Now, you can reach into the cabinet and take out your cup. No decisions. No balancing . Just take out your cup and use it. After you finish your coffee, you can rinse out you cup, dry it and place it back in the cabinet. Easy. No stress. I want to do that with my life. Simplify and de-stress. But, how about this for an oxymoron: in order to de-stress you have to be stressed. Huh? In order to get rid of crap and clutter, you have to dig everything out, decide what goes, have a sale or distribute your crap. That's stressful. In order to get rid of financial clutter, you have to work more and budget. That's stressful. But that's ok...I'm willing to tolerate a little stress in preparation for a more stress-free life. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

Hurricane season is starting off with a bang. They say Alberto will be a hurricane when it hits shore tonight. Unless it does something weird, we should only get rain. That's cool, we need it.

We're watching an old movie "Coma". It is from 1976. It's based in a hospital. It's strange to see the old computer systems, type writers, glass IV bottles, white nurses uniforms with the old Clinic shoes and nursing caps. The surgical masks are made of cloth. There are ash trays in the hospital corridors. rotary phones, and they definitely have not heard of HIPPA.

I was watching Dave and Larry finish up their walk this morning. It's so awesome to see Larry prance down the street. His tail wags from side to side and I swear it seems like he's smiling. He is the happiest dog in the world. Sometimes I envy that little fella. It doesn't take much to please him. He's such a great dog.

Another busy week. We had Trainer practice at work this week. That went well since the Trainers are really smart and motivated. Then, every evening after work there was something going on. Monday night, we had an ENA meeting at Mario's Italian restaurant. Yummy! I love that place! Tuesday was shopping and it was Karen's birthday.

Wednesday night, we had Martini night at Betty's house. We stayed up til almost midnight playing poker. I came in 2nd place. Everyone put in $10 and the winner got $50, 2nd place got $20 AND 3rd place got $10. I had crappy hands for the first 2/3 of the game and rallied at the end. Karen won the big pot....Bitch! Ha! Just kidding.

Friday night Terri and Kevin came over for a good ol southern meal. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and pan gravy, collards (fresh from the garden), corn bread and fried green tomatoes. I tried to find Moon Pies and RC colas but struck out.

Saturday we went to a party at Jane and Charlie's. We hung out by their pool. They live on the river and have an awesome view. Charlie steamed some oysters and there was a spread of food and plenty of drink. Charlie had planned on fixing some ribs on the grill but they had sooooo much food that no one had room for ribs. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

Yesterday, I worked in the ER. I'm only working 2-3 days a month in the ER while this project is going on. I actually miss it. I hate working Monday through Friday. Sitting in front of a terminal makes for a long day. Even though I'm excited about the project I like working in the ER better because time goes by fast. I like the doctors and nurses that I work with. I've always said that you have to have an "ER personality" to work in the ER. Everyone is different in their own ways (which makes things interesting) but they all have the same "twist" to them. I think you learn to appreciate life more in that tpe of job.

Today, I'm doing home stuff. I have to catch up on chores. I was outside this morning (80 + degrees by 10am) pulling weeds and doing yard work. My petunias in the back petered out. I planted them at the end of summer last year and they did great. But they bellied up in this heat. I planted some zinnias in their place. They look great. I bought 8 zinnia plants at Lowes for $3.98 each. I made up my mind that I WILL learn to start plants from seed from now on. I see Zinnia seeds everywhere for a buck. They're annuals, so why put $30 bucks into 8 plants that will die at the end of the season when you can start them from seed for a whole lot cheaper. I've never started anything from seed before. But it can't be too hard. I'll pick Linda Higginbotham's brain. She knows a lot about gardening. I showed her the picture of my huge tomato plant (above) that I was so proud of. She told me that I needed to desucker it and cut of the stems that don't have flowers or fruit on them because the plant spends too much energy on the plant and not the fruit. That makes sense. So I came home and did some major trimming. I was scared, very scared. I was afraid I over did it but within days, the tomatoes started to ripen and I'm harvesting tomatoes now!

Whew! It's been a busy week. We started "Train the trainers" this week with the new computer conversion at work. Everything ran smoothly. It's just a matter of working a few bugs out and then hunker down and train for the next four months. We have some really smart Trainers on board (a lot smarter than myself). I subscribe to the idea of being surrounded by smart, capable people. Then you can't help but suceed in a project. We definitely have an "A Team".

Terri and Kevin came over last night for dinner. Dave has a friend who has some connections on an Alaskan crab boat. He brought home a big box of Jumbo King Crab legs. OMG! I felt like I died and went to heaven! They were huge! We had baked potatoes, cole slaw and Terri brought a cherry cheese cake. Of course, Kevin and I had a few Bloody Marys. Does that sound like a totally sinful meal, or what?

I went for a bike ride this morning. Terri and Kev got me motivated. They bought two Townie bikes like mine. I'm so pathetically out of shape. I rode around for 20 minutes and had to come home. Maybe I'll do it again tonight and gradully build up my strength.

The vegetables are doing great. I have to water them every day. In the fall Dave is going to help me with a "square-foot garden". That's the ticket when dealing with a small space. You only have to water and fertilize these concentrated areas. Because it's a small area you can use the best soil. I'm having fun with gardening because still in the discovery phase. I have to experiment with everything. So far, I haven't had any insect or disease problems but I know that will happen eventually. Then it probably won't be so fun!

Well, I actually have a whole weekend ahead of me with a clean slate. There is nothing that I HAVE to do. Sure, there is always little stuff that need to be done but I'm going to have a "goof off weekend". I might just hang at the beach, float in the pool, take a few siestas, work the two Sunday crosswords (I haven't done that in a long time) and take the bike out for a few short spins. I had planned to go to Blockbuster for some movies but that requires driving 10-11 miles and driving in traffic is not in my low stress, veg out weekend plan.

Today is Mother's day. I have the best mom ever! I've always said no one can love you like a mother and a dog.

Dave and I went to the gun range today. I guess people don't do to the range on Mother's day. It was really quiet. We compared different rounds in the 357. First, we shot 38 special rounds. Nice and smooth. Then we shot 357 Magnum 110 grain grain rounds. That was a nice shoot too. The 38 snub nose has a lot more kick because of the shot barrel and light weight. I shot the best with these rounds. Then, we shot 357 Magnum 159 grain rounds. Whoooo! Now that's a bullet! It has a lot of power to it. When Dave was shooting and I was standing in the space beside him, I had to step back because of the gun powder flying and hitting my face.

Today was my only day off this week. We came home and I took a 2 hour siesta and then went to the beach. It's been dry down here and we need rain but it was awesome weather today. Warm and breezy.

Check out this monster tomato plant! I'm shocked at how huge this plant is! It's Roma tomatoes.


Also, check out this rose bush. It's weird. I stuck it in the ground not expecting it to do anything and it really took off.


Last, but definitely not least....Larry!

We went to see Terri and Kevin's new boat. They raised their kids and got rid of their "things" and moved onto a 41 foot Morgan sail boat. They're living their dream now. Here are some pictures of my pals on the boat:

Wheeew...I'm tired. I worked 76 hours in one week. I'm off today and back to work tomorrow. One day isn't enough when you have errands to do. I have to say, Dave actually did some laundry and cleaning this weekend. That makes life a lot nicer.

I got "a sign" today. Everyone knows I've been obsessing over the Bird Flu lately. Well, check this out. The bird on the window sill was stalking me.....it's a sign! (double click the pic). I swear that little bastard was watching me!

BINGO!
OMG, does this mean I'm getting old? I went with Karen, Betty and Bob to play BINGO last night. I didn't win anything but I sure had fun. Bob won $350 two weeks ago. I'm starting to worry.

My little garden is doing surprisingly well. The cucumbers are just starting to produce little, tiny cucumbers, about an inch lobg. They are so cute! The collards are doing well but I don't know when it's time to harvest them. Does anyone out there know? Here's some pictures of my vegetables.