Rants, Recipes, and Running

Okay, it's been a long time since I've done a "Rant". I've attempted typing up some rants actually, but end up deleting & not posting. I'm sometimes fear I may offend someone -- but please realize, this is supposed to be taken with a sense of humor. I think 2 years ago I did a rant on Christmas shopping, and I figured I'd do a round 2 on "Christmas Rant". Now before you read this (because you'll probably think I'm a spiritless grinch after this post) -- I love the season. I wait anxiously for Black Friday so I can wear Christmas socks, listen to Frank Sinatra Christmas music on Pandora, and almost always carry a candy cane in my purse. But there are a few things that don't bring me so much "Jolly Joy" during the holidays: The crowded grocery store. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. The grocery store's holiday marketing. Keep the baking items in the baking aisle , please . When the chocolate c...

I did it! (hopefully will be able to post some pictures eventually from the race website?) Last year I completely trained for the Tucson marathon. Did 2 20 milers, did all my sprint runs, etc....and didn't get to run the race due to work schedules :-) (I was absolutely crushed. In fact I'm still bitter about it to this day) Well, this year I decided to do a "redo". Except with buying the house and all that we've had going on, I decided I didn't care to dedicate the time into training for a full 26.2 miles. So, I just did a half. Then Friday morning, Ryan & I both woke up with the stomach flu.I figured, "Great, now I will be cancelling yet another race". But luckily, I ended up feeling better by Friday night - and hydrated like mad all day Saturday, and did it this morning! I ran it in 1:49 - which according to the race website it's an 8:22/mile pace. This would make it a personal best for me. I was really wanting to run this in 1:46...

I have had quite the absense from this little blog of mine lately. Let's just leave it at the fact that there's been a lot going on. I look forward to having a day where I can do what I want to do. If I'm not working, life is being heavily consumed by "to do lists". But I will say that there is a "bounce" in my step & a smile on my face while completing these "to do lists". What have we been up to? Between our crazy work schedules, me trainging for a marathon, and Ryan taking on a new position within the Air National Guard.....Well, I would have to say we are being such a traditional ole' American couple. Buying our 1st home, fixing it up, becoming "regulars" @ Home Depot ( seriously..they know us by name ), hanging Christmas lights, baking loads of White-Chocolate-Cherry Biscotti for the neighbors...... We're kind of cheesey, huh! :) But as we are, and I'm sure all of you are -- getting caught up the shear mad...

Today I am going to write a brief "thankfulness" post on my job. I am well aware of the blessing of having a job in today's economy, and so I go to work every day feeling blessed & thankful. The best part of my job is that no 2 days are the same. There is always something challenging and I can always learn something new. I'm also blessed to get to interact with so many interesting people. One of my favorite things to do is just spend a little time talking to my patients about where they came from, where they've been, etc. I also have a pretty fabulous team I work with, which makes a huge difference! However...my "dream job" would be to work in an 8-5 M-F clinic as a Homeopathic Nurse Practitioner. But with the economy and people's reservations to spend money.....that is just a dream. A very far stretched dream. So I will continue to recover patients from cardiac caths, convert people from afib to sinus rhythm, do dressing changes to foot ...

Today I am thankful for our house. We are so blessed to have gotten this place! Here are a few reasons why I love this the steal we got!: 1) It happens to be in a neighborhood in the part of town I've drove to to run the trails for the past year! Now I don't have to drive 10 minutes to go for a gorgeous run, as it's right outside my back yard! 2) It backs into a golf course. Some people (our realtor) would say that's not a good thing. I disagree. AZ doesn't have a lot of green grass...and that's what we look at every day, and we don't have to maintain it either! (maintaining grass in this state is a headache ...) We are located in a spot where very few balls end up in our yard too, so it works out. 3) It's a very friendly neighborhood. (but not too friendly..so it's a nice balance. No annoying neighbors!) -- The weekend we closed, our neighbor came over with a plate of cookies to welcome us. It warmed my heart. And people are already working on...

Today I am focusing my giving of thanks to my Mom & Dad, Marlys & Paul.   (this is a photo of us @ the reheasal dinner before our wedding)   I never knew how much I'd miss them before we moved to Tucson. Growing up I took for granted how lucky I was to have such loving and wise parents. They taught me so much about God, family, work ethic, and so many valuable life lessons. They demonstrate the meaning of a marriage centered on love and commitment. They run a business together and raised 5 children together. It is sometimes easy to get sad when I realize we only see them a few times each year. But, then I must remember I am so very blessed that I get to see them. And I talk more than once/week. In fact, I text my Mom almost daily!  I am so happy to have them in my life. AND I get to see them in just a few short months as we're making a short trip home for New Years -- which is a TOTAL surprise since I didn't think we'd get home at all this year!!

Remember last week when I said "I'm going to think about trying to do a thankful post daily" ? Well, I thought about it!And that is as far as I got..... Can I just say that I'm really sick of packing. Every day I've had off for the past 1 1/2 weeks, I've spent the entire day packing boxes, taking them to the house, unloading them and placing items in appropriate places, take empty boxes back to the old house, repeat. Also, life has been a tad chaotic lately. We are living between 2 homes. So when one says "Do you know where my ______ is?"...I now just laugh. But the official "moving day" will be here this weekend! I am SO excited! Okay, now to thankfulness..... Today I am blessing my thankfulness on wellness . By wellness I mean a variety of things. 1) I am thankful that we both have our health. It is sometimes easy to forget how truly blessed one is to have their health (mental & physical) 2) I am thankful that we are...

I haven't been blogging lately. I have been spending my days off on a ladder painting. On my hands & knees cleaning grout. And packing boxes. We closed 2 weeks ago - and the more time we spend in the house, the more thankful I'm feeling! (and the more time we spend in the house, the more things we find that need repairs :D) We get the U-Haul next weekend, and make the big move -- so we will be all settled in just before Thanksgiving. :-) This experience has brought Ryan & I closer. We haven't had much of a social life lately, so we're getting LOTS of quality bonding time working on the house. Our new idea of a date night is a trip to Home Depot or a night of painting baseboards together. Good times! All I have to say is Thank God for unsecured wireless networks & Pandora Radio. It's keeping me working! What did people do before Pandora? ( Don't worry...I realize the answer to this question is they had these weird *tape-devices* and someth...

I finally feel like a domesticated woman. I have roasted a chicken . We have made several chickens, but always on the grill. I cook chicken several times of a week - but in the form of breasts, wings, or thighs.. On Sunday it was 98 degrees on October 16 and we did not want to be outdoors in that crap. So I suggested pretending it was fall.... So we roasted a chicken. I didn't know what to do for a side dish...and I realized we have an over-abundance of carrots that need to be eaten before we move... So carrot soup it was -- and it's one of my new favorite soups :)  We used the "Beer Can Chicken" method of this one in the oven. Poured 1/2 can of beer, fresh rosemary, thyme, & basil -- stuck it in the cavity, coated the chicken with seasoning & paprika. And backed for about 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Carrot Soup (recipe below) Carrot Soup -4 cups chopped carrots -1 potato, chopped -1/2 yellow onion -14.5 ounces chicken broth -2 cups milk (the recipe c...

Now by the title of this blog, you may get this mental picture in your mind of our house all packed up and empty. Boxes neatly stacked. Bookshelves, cupboards, & pantry empty Ha! Not quite.In fact the only real progress that has been made was my husband taking all the pictures & curtains off the wall on Saturday morning. I just don't do well packing without someone there to keep me "on task". I'm too easily distracted. today I stopped, counted, and realized that I was attempting to do 5 things at once. Not efficient. But in my attempts to pack up our house today, I made a few discoveries. Some random, some meaningful. I never throw away a pair of Mizunos. I have running shoes from years ago. I have running shoes with holes in them. I have a pair "camping/gardening shoes covered in burs & dirt.  I have like 70+ cooking magazines. Bon Appetit, Simple & Delicious, Martha Stewart, the list goes on. I can't seem to throw them away. Ther...

This post gets a little more personal and "touchy feely" than I normally like to get. So bare with me. Or you can just not continue reading ;) Lately, I've been pretty hard on myself. I constantly hear myself making negative comments about my performance at work, my body, and my role as a wife. I strive for perfection at my job and never cut myself slack. I think I have to stay the same weight from now until I'm 70 (where at age 70 I will become that prized LOL ). I still think that although I sometimes work 60 hours/week...I must do ALL the laundry, cleaning, cooking, dishes, etc. While wearing an apron, smile, & grace. (Ha!) Unrealistic. I've finally let go on perfection at work. There is no such thing as the "totally in-control nurse". No matter how organized you are....things go array. (Or as I tell the new grads I've precepted "Shit Happens in Hospitals. Deal with it"). This new attitude (aka flexibility) has helped me immen...

Fall is my favorite season. Always has been... Actually, since we've moved to the southwest ..... winter (being the months December- March) has become my favorite season. But our "winter" in Tucson  is like the "fall" in the midwest . Cool, crispy, and gorgeous! But I have to get excited. It's not supposed to hit 100 degrees at all this week! In fact, today is a nippy 87 degrees! Time to get out my underarmour! So here are a few favorites about my favorite season............ Sweaters Blue jeans Football (not that I'm a big football fan...but I must say I enjoy the idea of it) Back-to-School shopping (I don't partake in this either, obviously...but it brings back good memories of shopping with my Mom to picking out new notebooks, pencils, and gym shoes for the school year) Squash Butternut squash soup Leaves changing (we won't see this until November-December...and cacti don't change color really :-) ) Coffeemate releases the ...

I've having an affair..........................................With a crock pot. Sorry stove, and grill. I'll use you more when we move to our new house. Or when life gets less crazy. :) And here's why I love the crockpot.... 1) The belt is being tightened financially. We are trying to cut unneccessary expenses as much as possible. Every time we think about going out to eat, the words out of my mouth are as follows.... "That plate of sushi and saki bombs could buy us some really nice sconces in the entry way...." I am the fun nazi. Crock pot meals are pretty cheap and delicious. 2) We are both working more than normal in order to bank up some $. I also feel like if I work a lot right now, and make my manager & co-workers happy.....they'll be more flexible with my schedule when we're closing/moving in! 3) Less spending of money + More time @ work = Less energy to cook after a long day at work 4) I'm cleaning out our excess of "sto...

Good evening, all! Whenever I set up my blog to automatically post at a set time, it doens't work. So instead of writing this Monday night, setting up it up for Tuesday -- I'm just going to post it now. Sorry. Hope you all had a good weekend! Our home inspection went considerably well. Nothing too major. Homeowning is a lot of work, as I've learned! But we're okay with that. The termite inspector had a mullet. That was entertaining.... Here is my 10 on Tuesday this week! I have little creative things to talk about these days... A. Age: 23 B. Bed Size: King C. Chore that you hate: emptying the dishwasher. I'd rather just wash the dishes. D. Dogs: Dislike. There's a place in this world for dog lovers, and then there's me ;) Sorry. E. Essential start to your day: Coffee. I prefer a workout, too... F. Favorite Color: Green G. Gold or Silver: Definitely silver! H. Height: 5'4''. Okay...it's more like 5'3'' somet...

36 house showings. 1 year. Probably 1,000 different homes viewed on Zillow, Trulia, and TARMLS 3 different realtors. 4 offers. Hours of looking through home magazines, perusing around Home Depot, touring model homes, watching HGTV to really pinpoint what we value in a home. And we have a winner, folks!!! As you may know, we've been in the process of a brutal house hunt for a few weeks. I kind of quit talking about it, since so much was changing. Everyone calls this a "buyers market". And yes, it is throughout the country. But I will say in the area we are looking it is a sellers market. Every house we placed an offer on, had at LEAST 4 other offers we were competing against. When I felt like giving up.... Our realtor called. A house we had wanted to look at back in July we chose NOT to look at because it was under CAPA. (it's a short sale). So we said "Let's not waste our time" Well, those buyers got antsy, and cancelled their co...

Some of the questions I ponder. Some of these questions have direct answers. Other's don't. 1) Why does my husband insist that in order to watch football.....it has to be accompanied by "football food". (meaning guacamole, chips, wings, beer). Is it not okay to watch a football game while having Tilapia and grilled veggies? 2) Who even invented "football food"? Next tailgating party, I'm showing up with a tofu and steamed broccoli. 3) Why does the "self check out" at the grocery store only have room 2 bags? What if I have an entire cart I'd like to "self check out". You shouldn't discriminate just because I'm anti-social and don't want to make small talk with a cashier.... 4) Why do plane tickets have to be so expensive? It would be so nice to just quick make a trip to Chicago to meet my niece/nephew who will be born today! (Okay...I kind of know the answer to this since I've seen the breakdown of a plane...

I want to take a quick pause today to remember September 11, 2001. It was a day that our lives were changed. Maybe there wasn't a grave and evident change your life saw that day  -- but from the moment those planes crashed into the World Trade Towers in NYC, NY:  our safety and freedom was compromised. Many lifes were lost that day. People who just going to work, going about their normal lives. The question of " why " cannot be explained. It's difficult for me to write about the event -- for there is so much that saddens me about 9/11/2001. But what I can say is that my heart aches for everyone who's lives were drastically effected by this event. My heart feels honor for the hero's who put their own lives at risk in order to save lives. And my heart feels proud for the US military who have deployed to dangerous areas of the world in order to fight and protect the freedom. God Bless America! :)

I survived a very hellish, intense weekend. I feel like I have completed a marathon, or fought some kind of battle. We converted to a new system -- and we are almost clear and successful. And I only pulled out HALF of my hair. Taking a break from real world for a little T on T! 1. What temperature do you keep your thermostat on during the day? During the day we aren't here -- so we set it to 82 degrees. It's running an avg of 105 lately (outdoors).... 2. What temperature do you keep your thermostat on at night? 73 degrees F. However, last night while my husband was sleeping...I turned it to 72. I was boiling, and I said "Screw budgeting!!!" I know..how scandolous. 1 degree.... 3. In a canister of mixed nuts, do you pick out certain varieties and leave the others? Yes. Almonds and Brazillian nuts. I hate cashews. 4. What is your favorite kind of M&M? Dark chocolate. 5. How do you buy books? (Amazon, bookstore, new, used, electronic, etc) Amazon f...

There are various ways I could explain myself as wired . Like my routine every day at 1500 every day: to mix up an iced black coffee to get me through the next 5 hours of my day.......I makes me a little "wired" Or when I once leaned against an electric fence to pose for a picture once...not aware it was electric at the time! I felt very "wired" Well, today I became "un-wired".....which almost made me come "unglued".... Did our coffee bean grinder quit functioning??........... No. Did a sudden monsoon hit, causing a loss in electricity?.... I almost wish. (I'm desperate for rain, people.) No. My blackberry quit working. And amazingly, life still went on. I, however, waited in a pause of suspese when this occurred........... I thought, "is this it? Is this the early apocolypse?!?!? IS THIS THE RAPTURE ?! It's not even 2012 yet! I knew that fundamentalist nutcase was wrong!" I immediately reached for ...

1. What is your favorite brand of shoes? Mizunos. Running shoes. Other than that, I must say I don't know of any other brands of shoes. For all my other shows I purchase at Target or Ross. And haven't bought a new "stylish" pair of shoes in over a year... 2. How old were you when you learned to tie your shoes? I don't remember exactly when I started...but I remember having to tie my shoes to pass a test in Preschool - which occured when I was about 4. 3. How do you feel about freckles? I think they are characterizing and great! To me, they symbolize "life!". My freckles "come to life" when I start spending more time outdoors doing things I love -- hiking, running, camping, gardening. (and that's why I associate them with "life" 4. I can count to ten in ___ languages. 3 languages. English, Spanish, and French. However, I'm quite rusty with French. It's been a few years since I took that class! 5. What is your fa...

Color me delicious. How did I not know about this incredible concoction until recently? Now....strawberries and balsalmic is "the new" broccoli & mustard in my house! (at least while berries are in season, anyways) Here are a few of the ways I induldged this week: Quinoa Salad: -2 cups quinoa -Chopped red & orange bell peppers -rinsed Red onion slices -Cucumber -Balsamic Vinegar -Olive Oil -Peppercini juice (I spelled that wrong, but you get the point) -Sliced Strawberries -Fresh Cilantro & Fresh Basil -A tish of S & P "to taste" I highly recommend this delicious, colorful salad. I even had my husband getting seconds and thirds on this salad! I thew it together on a whim, as an attempt to clean out my vegetable drawer! It's also a great lunch if you just throw it on top of some spinach! Strawberries & Balsamic for dessert ?!: -Slice Strawberries -sprinkle a little truvia sweetener -dash of pepper -pour vinegar on to...

Days like this make me miss San Diego. Makes me dream of snow storms. Causes me to fantasize about living in an igloo somewhere in the arctic........ It is 107 degrees Fahrenheit today. Yesterday was 106. Tomorrow is a predicted high of 108 degrees. I feel like we live in hell right now. 2 weeks ago, we were in San Diego, where it was a lovely 72 degrees Fahrenheit. We were refreshed with a nice salty breeze off the ocean. Heaven. However, getting through these summer months of AZ is (to me) similar to "toughing through" the miserable winter months I survived when we lived in the Midwest. However, they are 2 different breeds . As the heat doesn't hurt , turn off power , or cause car accidents . It just makes me really sweaty, dehyrated, and sluggish. I can't wait for November!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

1. What are you really good at? What are you really bad at? Good at ........organizing, listening, geting a lot done in a short period of time, teaching (a new discovering..since my role at work for the past few weeks has been teaching!) Bad at ........taking negative criticism, being nice to people who irritate me, playing team sports 2. Have you ever been in a car accident? What happened? They day I got my driver's permit, I totalled a vehicle by hitting a deer. It really sucked. I also lost control of my car on an icy night in North Dakota while going on a sharp curve. My car turned many times, and I ended up in the ditch. Amazingly...the car didn't roll! 3. Why did you attend your college? I moved to Tucson, where I was considered out of state. The waiting lists for nursing school at the U of A was about 2 years.....and that was just not an option for me. Ryan ended up finding out about Grand Canyon University, which had a nursing program that had a hospital pay ...

We've returned from our blissful anniversary trip! We're going from this............. To this........... ( http://images.inmagine.com/img/radiusimages/rds118/rds118281.jpg ) Okay, so our normal daily life does not consist of running on a hamster wheel.... But sometimes it feels like it........ ;) especially when you compare it to the essence-filled life in San Diego! I will say, I'm laying my head on my pillow tonight feeling extremely blessed, happy, and pleased with life.

2 Years ago today.......... I was the hungriest I had ever been (I didnt eat anything but a Mimosa & a bran muffin until 7pm) I was in a dress w/ undergarments so tight that I had a difficult time sitting. I smiled so hard that my face hurt all day long. I had to graceful & elegant for an entire 24 hours (which is a huge feat for me) I was surrounded by the most important people in the whole wide world for an entire day. My heart raced and my stomach had butterflies when I saw Ryan for the 1st time that day. I married my best friend. Ohhhh that is such a cliche statement. It's in every wedding card, Anniversary card, and love song pertaining to weddings. "Today I married my best friend" But I mean this is all seriousness! He truly is my best friend -- and every day I get to spend with him makes me feel extremely blessed. He keeps me motivated, driven, balanced, and happy! He reminds me to slow down and just enjoy life sometimes. He makes m...

There I was last night, at my favorite casual restaraunt, sipping a orange brewery beer on the patio, gazing at the Santa Catalina Mountains, with my husband, analyzing the market of the area we're putting an offer on a great home, deciding together what we're going to offer... ...and I had one of those moments..... One of those moments, where you almost "step outside of yourself" and say "Who am I?" 3-4 years ago, I didn't understand how a credit card worked.....  I didn't understand what interest rates were. I had never heard the word "PMI Insurance", "Active Contingent", or "CAPA". I had no idea about the time frame of polybutelene pipes and lead based paint. I was concerned about...my hair and making sure my class schedule was good. I always hear people say "Hang on and look around often, because the years go quick". I've never quite " bought into that " until last night -- when i...

In the next few weeks we're heading on a mini-vacation. Because of that - I decided it was time to treat myself to a little retail therapy. I used to love shopping. I could've done it for an entire day. Yesterday, it was overwhelming & almost stressful. For the following reasons: I am so out-of-touch with the "fashion world". I don't even know what is "hip" or "in" these days. My time is most spent with a 24 year old male (my husband). When I'm not with him, my time is spent with predominantly geriatric clients on a cardiac floor. I wear "Galaxy Blue" scrubs to work every day. My method of "spicing" up my outfit is to wear fun styles of socks with my scrubs. (My favorite is my orange argyle plaid socks) Malls are irritating. Period. That's a blog in itself. My favorite outfit to wear is running shorts and a race-back tank paired with a nice pair of Mizunos. While some people refer to media such as mag...

We are on the house hunt....again. We have been in this "limbo" for about 1.5 years now searching for the right home. We get aggressive for a while..... Then we get frustrated & take a few months off. We even started building a house a year ago. But the builders screwed that one up. (PS...that house is still on the market! In fact...every house in that development is on the market. Yep. I sure am glad we went with our guts and got out of that money trap!) May I also say that I feel like I know every home for sale in the Oro Valley area? Which there's a lot . Like...hundreds. I also feel like I can know within the first 5 seconds of standing in a home whether it's a foreclosure or not. The indicator? Weird paint colors. Seriously! It seems all the foreclosures we look at have "multi-colored walls". It's like people turn their home into a rainbow when they get that letter from the bank...... In 2 weeks, we have looked at 26 homes. The ...

The good, the bad, and the ugly. I remember my sister Lisa doing this post, and I thought it was fun! And I have nothing exciting to talk about since for the past 60 hours all I've done (seriously) is run, work long days, and sleep! The Good...... I am finally free until Monday!! Ryan comes home from California today! I'm making home-made pizza tonight with a pesto sauce (with basil from the garden). I'm having a glass of wine while I'm cooking dinner tonight! Tomorrow we look at more houses (we're house hunting.....again...........I know...)!! The Bad........ It's friggin humid & hot all over the country. For 4 days this week, I found myself explaing about 40 times/day to a patient that they are in the hospital, in Arizona, and their daughter would be coming to visit in a few hours. I also had my confused patient who was a former engineer completely disassemble the "chair alarm" (an alarm that goes off when the patient stands up, alar...

1st I need to relish in the joy that it was 80 DEGREES on our thermometer this morning at 6:30. Burrrr! My run was amazing. (Usually it's well into the 90's) So Happy Tuesday. 1. When you are on a plane and the kid behind you is kicking your seat, what do you do? I have to admit, that I'm not very considerate or sympathetic when this occurs. It's not my kid. So why should I care if I'm rude? I typically will clear my throat in a very "matter-of-fact" manner. "Mm MMMMM". Then I'll turn around and just look. Not a dirty look. Just look. It's my way of saying "Yes. I see that someone is kicking my chair, and now I've made eye contact with you. You should feel uncomfortably & embarassed now" 2. What food that you KNOW is bad for you and you shouldn’t have, but you love/eat it anyway? I'm really not too bad about foods...but I know beer is bad for me. And I shouldn't drink it. But it's good, and I drink...

  Thank you.... Monsoon. Monsoon means "seasonal reversing winds accompanied by corresponding rainfall". In other words, it means "heavy winds and raining buckets on southern Arizona". I. Love. It!! My garden is finally getting the nutrients it deserves. Thank you.... Cliffbars. Especially the mint chocolate flavored ones. Thank you..... Husband. You're my favorite person to spend time with always. I consider myself pretty lucky to be married to someone I enjoy so much! Thank you........ Sunday. If I didn't have you off, I would probably have seriously freaked out! 50 hour work week got the best of me. My sleeps have been highly consumed by nightmares. Thank you..... Mom & Dad. For being amazing role models in my life. I hope you both realize how much I adore you. Thank you...... Kindle. You've rekindled my love for reading again! I quit reading while I was in school, because I was reading text books. Then I continued to no...

As we go about our lives, and we got used to the common little luxuries that come from technology...we get used to. You even find yourself saying, "How did I survive before I had......_________ (cell phones, blackberries, ipods, DVR). You find yourself saying things like, "How did I ever cook rice before I had my rice cooker????" "How did my washing machine stay fresh before it had the self cleaning mode" "How could I STAND watching any tv show before it was dvr'd and I could just fast-forward through any commercials?" Well, this week, I'm focusing on the simpler things in life. Such as light. Fan. Yep. As I've explained, it gets HOT in Arizona during the summer. So on Monday it was a hot afternoon for the 4th of July. As we were driving home from a BBQ/pool party, I was complaining about the heat. And I said to Ryan, "I hope it rains SO hard and SO intensely that our backyard absolutely floods." I wish I could ...

Well, let me start by saying my trip home to Minnesota for our exteneded weekend at the lakes was everything I imagined & dreamed for it to be! The weather was great! People kept saying "Too bad it's not warmer for you guys"....but we LOVED it. It's been seirously 112 EVERY SINGLE DAY here in Arizona. In MN it was in the 70's every day. Amazing!! We did tons of fishing. I wakeboarded. Went tubing with my nephews. Ryan did some water skiing. And wakeboarding. (I cannot water ski) Many hours were spent visiting & laughing with our family out on the deck. Ate many delicious meals including the best rotisserie grilled turkey ever. It put Thanksgiving to shame. I lounged on our raft in the sun. I actually turned a little pink, which is surprising with my AZ-bronze skin! (Apparently I'm not used to that *hot Minnesoooota sun*) My nephews took quite a liking to Ryan - and he spent many hours out on the dock fishing with the boys (and helping u...

Hello! I has been awhile since I've graced you with my blogging presence. 72 hour work week makes me seriously crazy. I'm ready for a vacation. And we leave tomorrow!! Hurray! So....therefore, Goodbye for a few days. We're off to Minnesota for 6 days to be at the lakes with my family! It is currently 110 degrees F  in Tucson today. And most of this state is seriously burning to the ground because of wild fires. I am beyond ready for an escape. But...before I go...Here's my 10 on Tuesday!!!! 1. What’s the perfect meal? Oyester shooters, Blue Moon beer (newly tapped), Ahi tuna with wasabi (lots of it too...I'm freaky about how much wasabi I can eat), and grilled peppers. Yes, I realize this doesn't all "mend" together. But yum!! For desert I would like dark chocolate gelato with a cup of espresso. 2. What are the perfect pair of shoes? Mizuno Wave Runners. I would like them in green. I also love my pastel pink, ballet-flat gardening cr...

I just had to join in on the fun this week, since my sister wrote this round of questions! 1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'? Aunt. Rhyming with haunt. I know that people's pronounciation of the word is typically based of tradition, but I find it cute...because if you actually read the word....the "u" would make it so it rhymes with..... I'm ranting and rambling. (Not raunting and raumbling, either) ;) 2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous? The people in my family know that I blog. But other than that, no, I don't tell people that I blog. So if it weren't for my family, I would probably be an anonymous blogger. 3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags? I use plastic, because it's easier to carry. Paper is great and hap...

Lately, I've been a little "tense". I'm not sure why, it's just been my mood. The whole "Gluten Free" change isn't really working. Yes, I have noticed my legs aren't covered in rashes -- but my stomach continues to be super angry. I'm tired of being afraid to eat. So I have today & tomorrow off - after that I pretty much work every single day until our vacation to Minnesota. So I'm taking advantage of the "chill"! My day consisted of: Going for a 6 mile run. It was really hot, like miserably hot -- but it still felt amazing to run instead of be at the gym for once! Going to the gym, not to work out -- but to sit in the steam room after my run. It feels incredible to this girl trapped in this dry desert climate!! Taking a trip to TJ Max, and buying some fun things to decorate our new office. (I love that store.... by the way) Brewing myself some iced tea with lemon & mint, and enjoying it while setting up the off...

Why are they constantly talking about Weiners on the news lately? At least class it up a little and speak of good things like Andouille. On that note.....Ew. What is with all these politicians sleezing around on their wives. Yuck, politicians...never trust them! If you've heard about the wild fires here in Arizona, it's so sad. One of the areas that is burning to the ground is the White Mountains area where we went camping a few months ago. It is seriously one of the most beautiful areas I've ever experienced. It saddens me thinking of all the beautiful landscape and animals that are dying right now! (wildfiretoday.com) Brownie points to anyone who gives me a good way to cook eggplant ! Eggplant parmisan doesn't count. Not interested. It was on sale, I bought some. I did make some babagonoush (mmmmmm) - and want to use the others maybe on the grill? The summer heat is drying out my daisies & petunias. I refer to Ms. Joan Baez singing "Where are all th...

I'm joining in the on fun again! The things that drive me reach for a glass of wine, and the things that I love in life right now................... Wine The heat. But really , I'm reaching for a cool, refreshing vodka tonic. It's >100 degrees F every day. I don't have to deal with it much, since I'm gone all day. However, we come home from work at 8:30 pm and find ourselves outside watering our drying-out grass and garden. On Tuesday, I had a patient that referred to me by only these 3 "names": "Little Nursey", "Little Girl", and he also called me a "F***ing B****" when I was placing an NG tube in him. Now, I would probably say a curse word during that procedure. But, I really don't appreciate that. My name is on the whiteboard in his room. And I continued throughout the day to correct him saying, "My name is Abby." Too. Much. Emotion. I just don't have the energy to deal with over-the-top-emotions. ...

Back when I was about 17-18 years old, I thought my life as an adult would be consumed by playing music. I assumed my Sunday mornings would be spent accompanying the church choir. Music was something I identified myself with. When I thought of "me".. music was something that came to mind. Then I went to college, moved to Tucson, got married, became a nurse, started working........and now when I mention to someone I play a variety of instruments...they are very surprised. "You?!!?"  It's really sad that it's become such a distant part of my life,  as prior to choosing to be a nurse - my 1st "major" in college was to be a music teacher. I miss it. Whenever we go to a play, talk about going to a Tucson Symphony Orchestra concert, or when I listen to classical music..I almost always get a little teary/weepy eyed. We happen to have an electric keyboard at home, which is something generously borrowed to me by a good friend of ours. But lately,...

I thought my title would maybe be enticing. Okay, maybe minus the weeping wounds. I couldn't think of a catchy title. That's all I've got today. Those 5 items have consumed my life this week. Hot sun This morning when I was working in the garden at 7 am...it was already 87 degrees. My car thermometer also read 91 degrees F @ 8 pm while I was leaving work last night.(sun was down, too) My flowers are really angry. They are currently revolting. Tomatoes like the hot sun. As do my very voluptuous summer squash plants. My grass is pist off. Abby is also not happy with this heat. 100+ degrees is only okay if you're in a lake...or perhaps a pool. Bison I came home to quite a treat last night. Our grocery store had a sale on Bison meat. He looked up a recipe for "Gluten Free Bison Burgers". Which warmed my heart in more ways than one They had: gouda cheese, wild rice, bison meat, garlic, spices....served with a garnish of this special BBQ mayo - on a bed ...