Rants, Recipes, and Running

I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately. Last year at this time, we were packing for our 5 month adventure to San Antonio, TX to Randolph Air Force Base. I remember feeling optimistic. In fact, I remember thinking San Antonio was going to be this lush, green, fabulous city of love. It wasn't . It had a fake, man-made river with cheesy chain restaurants along it, that drunk people frequently fell in. It was in a horrid drought. The highlight of San Antonio was it's movie theater that served delicious beer and food! I didn't love San Antonio. However, believe it or not, I look back at that phase is fond memories. I am recently finding myself longing to relive some of those days, believe it or not. I counted down the days to returning to AZ, but I remember even thinking, "I'm going to look back on this phase with a soft heart...." I was right! I miss cozy nights of crock-pot scrambled eggs in our humid & tiny Air-Force-Inn hotel room. So here ...

I am making a point of savoring a little "me time" before it gets busy. Starting this afternoon, then next few weeks I will be going 100 mph at life. So many exciting things I look forward to coming up. But I'm also a little stressed, as our house has sat vacant for 4 months (ahhh!) -- and we have a party hosting about 30-40 people just 6 days after we get home! So this is my moment to breath. Okay, okay, I lied. I'm procrastinating . All the luggage bags and totes are nicely laid out, I'm supposed to be packing, and then going to the gym, and then packing more, and then picking up Ryan's family at the airport. But I am avoiding packing like the plague. So decided, "I really should drink my coffee and play on the computer...." I'm not going to be able to do my 30 days of Gratitude post tomorrow, as tomorrow is going to be a very busy day with Ryan's pinning ceremony starting at 9 am! I have major butterflies in my stomach thinking about...

With only a few weeks left in San Antonio, and Ryan finally is in a school where he get's his weekends to enjoy -- we are taking advantage of living in a different city. I also know that I probably will never return to San Antonio again, unless I have to. Pretty much, I will never come back unless we some day have a son or daughter who decided to join the Air Force. Then we will come to San Antonio to attend their graduation from Basic training (which is the city for Basic training in the Air Force) Can you tell how much I love this area of Texas?  I will post more on that later. We had a delightful weekend! We each picked something we wanted to do. Saturday we went with Ryan's choice: Six Flags Fiesta Texas. If you asked my family how I do at amusement parks, they would start laughing. One time our family went to Valley Fair in Minneapolis. There is a picture of me (age 6?) on the "kiddie coaster"( you know, the train that rides through a garden ). I was sob...

I like to do these "Currently" posts every once in awhile. Especially because it's interesting to look back and see how I change my "likings". Maybe I'll do this monthly? We'll see. I may not change my hottest happenings that frequently. 1. Current Book Every Last One - Anna Quindlen. This was on the book list my sister sent me, and I highly recommend it. It's one of those books, where you will be reading it in a public place, and you have your moments where you become offended that the rest of the world is just going on with their lives as normal. ;) 2. Current Excitement That in 25 days we will be on our way home! Planning our "We're Home" BBQ. Planning the girls trip to Charleston/Myrtle Beach with my Mom & Sisters in October! 3. Current Fashion It is still awfully hot to be "fashion forward" here in San Antonio! I am just really digging sundresses! 4. Current Drink I am really digging IPA (Indian P...

Last night we celebrated a ceremony called "Drop Night". It's a military pilot school tradition that when they finish their  final "weed out course", they have a ceremony where the Airmen find out which aircraft they will be flying and where they will be stationed! Now that is the standard for Active Duty members, but because Ryan is Air National Guard -- we stay in Tucson. ( Think of "guard" as being for the state, active duty orders are delegated is for the nation ). When they find out their assignment, they stand up on stage, their assignment is announced, they have to say old saying, and everyone in the audience cheers them and says "Here, here!", and they have to take a shot of cheap whiskey, and say "Smooooth" and then turn the shot glass upside down on their head to prove that they drank it all. It is really fun. It was exciting to see the looks on the faces of the Active Duty guys when they got their assignment. Everyo...

It's been a good 48 hours for this little Nastase family! As I write this blog, I am sipping a celebratory glass of Canelo Hills Cabernet (the best wine on the planet - seriously), as Ryan creates/edits his class video for his "Drop Night" next Friday. (More to come on "drop night" next week). We have a few happy things to thank God for today. First and foremost, I have to make a big shout-out to my husband, Ryan. He passed his check ride yesterday. Heck, he didn't just pass it, he got rated an 'Excellent' on it (which is the highest you can get). I can't even begin to describe how hard he's worked. Being a rated pilot for the Air Force is a dream Ryan has held since he was a little man, and passing this check ride means he will be getting his wings on October 4. The second awesome piece of news is I got offered a contract today with a hospital for the rest of my time here in San Antonio! I've tried keeping quiet about this in my b...

One thing cooking trick that's become a ritual in our Hotel Habitat is shredded chicken. In fact, this is my favorite way to eat chicken! Have you ever made a bomb-tastastic chicken soup/stew, but been disappointed that it was a tad too dry? SHRED IT! More surface area to marry the juices and herbs = more flavor! A few variations of shredded chicken I've made over the past few weeks: Hot-wing style shredded chicken (hot wing sauce + shredded chicken + salad = serious party in your mouth) Shredded chicken tacos BBQ shredded chicken wraps (shredded chicken + BBQ sauce + honey, wrap in tortilla with spinach and jack cheese -- delicious!) Shredded chicken with carrots, celery, and chicken broth for a noodle-less chicken soup You get the point. But my most winning recipe is my Chicken Tortilla Soup. It is hands-down Ryan's favorite thing I make. (It's probably my favorite thing I make, too). It is our favorite comfort food. Also, a staple on camping trips! Th...

If you didn't know this about me, I'm a little neurotic about cleaning . I have certain ways I like things done. Not to pull the " I blame my Mother card '. But...I blame my Mother. But that's not such a bad thing, as I dearly look up to my Mom and hope to be like her some day. ( I'm guilty of the above photo... ) She had "A Way" of doing things around the house. Bath towels were to be folded in thirds, beach towels in halves. Kitchen floors were to be vacuumed, and then scrubbed in a certain manner. Dishes that made it to the dishwasher had to pass a test. I used to find this annoying. Now, I'll say it. Mom, you're right ! Bath towels should be folded in thirds, they fit better on a towel bar that way. And beach towels will fit better when folded in halves! ;) Where am I going with this? Well, as I said, I'm a tish neurotic. Sometimes I've made comments like, "Some day, if our budget allows, I'd like to get a c...

Looking back on the whirlwind of a weekend, I am feeling pleased. We didn't make any plans this weekend, as Ryan has his check ride coming up (this is basically a "test" where he flies, and the instructor critiques him, and if he makes any big mistakes he fails and gets set home...No pressure!). So we had to make sure a good chunk of study time was set aside each day. So here's my break down of what we did (again, this is my little dream that newby to SA will stumble upon this blog and find out some neat spots in the area!) Noteworthy food we enjoyed Friday night after I got off work, we tried out a placed called " The Lion and the Rose Pub ". This is an Irish/English eatery. I would almost consider it a gastropub, because it had a few pieces on the menu that were a little different. Like the Curry Hummus . Ryan got the "Tour of Britain" which had sheppards pie, parmesan broiled tomatoes, bangers sausage, and a filet of fish. It was a ridicul...

After visiting 4 different grocery stores in search for the Lady Fingers for Ryan's birthday Tiramissu....I posted a panic message on facebook. I had secretive hopes that maybe someone would have a wise last minute suggestion. I also was venting to the world about Texas grocery stores' lack of lady fingers. What does Texas have against Tiramissu? Yes, I continue to the thrive on being bitter towards Texas. Especially when today it's supposed to be a dangerous Heat Index of 105 -- and even the morning sucks because of the humidity. And our gym is just as hot, because apparently they don't believe in air conditioners or fans. I'm not sure, but it's horrendous. Even running on the tredmill is nearly out of the question! Anyways, back to ladyfingers. One of my facebook friends came on with an ingenius suggestion, "Here's the recipe for how to make lady fingers. It's really easy!" I could do nothing but smirk. Yes, Maybe I can put a paperbag o...

Right now life has a different rhythm. I receive a phone call every morning and 4:30 am telling me if and where I will be working. When my phone rings, the apprehension of whether I'll be having the day off , commuting 15 minutes , or commuting 45 minutes hangs in the air. This is not a normal thing for me. Hi, meet crazy planner girl who has multiple color coded planners and whiteboards on the fridge . I plan ahead on meals, workouts, outfits, and everything else one could fathom. Not knowing when my three 12-hour shifts will be worked makes life interesting. In addition to that, our days off together (which are on the weekend) have a different rhythm as well. The most blissful moments we get are the early morning when we out for a run. It's that hour where he's not stressing about his next test, the emergency procedures of the T6 aircraft, or his next flight. We just run . And sweat. A lot. Hello, 95% humidity! We then head to the nearest coffee shop where Ryan...

I always have, and most likely always will ( I pray ) be a runner . Although many hours are put in lifting weights, road biking, and swimming laps. Running is the sport where I am most comfortable. It is me. I am a runner . In my 1st triathlon back in May, I felt rather awkward swimming in the open water, and REALLY awkward elbow-to-elbow among road bikers. But when my feet hit that pavement, I was " home " Since we've been in San Antonio, I haven't done a great deal of road biking. I don't know the roads/trails around where we live, I have no one to call if I get a flat 20 miles out in the country (Ryan's usually in class or flying)......But since I had a random week day off, I decided to dust off the Mercier and my cycling shoes. As I reunited with the road, I discovered a few things about my response to road biking that I never knew I'd encounter...... It has the ability to restore my mind and destress me like none other. I think it's the fac...

A few things that I've been pondering lately.... ....How is it so humid here and it doesn't rain? It's dark and cloudy every morning, I get excited for rain, and then around 1300 the sun breaks up the clouds and penetrates your soul. ....What if this new royal son grows up, and doesn't want to be king? Does he still have to reign as king because he was "born into royalty"? Just pondering...(and uneducated on their royal processes) ....I want to bake a jaw-dropping, amazing birthday cake for my husband next weekend. But I don't have a kitchen. I do have a crockpot, and I have access to the hotel's "shared kitchen". Any suggestions ? So far my option in 1st place is making Tiramisu . ....On that note, why do I have such a hard time buying a birthday present for someone who I know better than anyone else in the world? It should be so easy! I think the shared bank accounts plays a role in this challenge. ....I'm starting to feel ina...

The "Discovery train" has taken a bit of a halt lately. In other words, Ryan studies seriously all day every day and I've been working. So "fun time" is on break....but it will return. So I have no pictures of new discoveries to share. So I figured I'd take a break from all the Adventure posts -- and do a "currently" post!   Current Book - "The Wednesday Sisters" by Meg Waite Clayton. It's about a group of young, women, homemakers in the 1960's who become dear sister-friends. It is #1 on my list of "to read books" so graciously put together by my sister Lisa . So far, I am loving her suggestions! Glad to have a book worm of a sister to be my personal librarian.     Current Drink -  Pellegrigio or sparkling mineral water! I used to make fun of this stuff, and now I'm addicted! I got hooked on it the 4th of July, because I was drinking it with vodka and lemon (it was my feeble attempt to s...

I have offically started my new experience in travel nursing. And, boy is it an experience. Walking into this, I knew it wasn't going to be easy -- let me define what a travel/agency nurse is (in my own words). (Apologies in advance, as this is a heavy career-related post that may bore many...) Agency Nurse Contracted into a hospital that is short staffed to fill in the gaps. They are not an employee of the hospital, but an outside agency. Therefore, they are an outsider. There are a few nurses who welcome you, and say, "Let me show you where things are..." T he rest of the staff says "You're not permanently here, and I'll never see you again, you're on your own." The Agency nurse get's 8 hours of orientation, and is then expected to be completely on his/her own. My badge gets me no where in the hospital, I've had to learn a completely new charting system, and figure out the policies/procedures/doctors/protocols in 8 hours. Let me...

Besides all the fun I'm having discovering our temporary new "home" -- I've mostly been using that as a distraction. Let's just say it's been a frustrating few weeks on the side. It is not easy to work in TX with an AZ nursing license, through an agency in CA , who's compliancy company is in FL . However, things are finally coming to terms and I hit the ground running tomorrow! I have never been so excited to save lives! I miss the ER. This may sound very weird, but every time I hear ambulance sirens...my heart would sink. " I want to help!!! *tear* ", I would say. It's amazing what a 3 week hiatus from working will do to this girl. Let me tell you, I am not feeling rejuvenated . I used to think I wanted to live in the 1940's -- where women were trophy wives, homemakers, and wore adorable house dresses. I take than statement back! So to adorn this post with a little positivity, here are a few of the things that bring utter joy and...

We went on a double date Friday night to a local hot-spot called the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema . And this did not disappoint. In fact, I would be elated if one of these came to Tucson! It's exactly what it sounds like -- it's a movie theater with a bar that serves dinner. I initially wasn't drawn to this, as usually the food available at movie theaters isn't very healthy and is way too over-priced. Typical Theater = $7 for a ridiculous-sized glass of coke to wash down the $8 butter soaked popcorn that is large enough to feed a family of 10. No thank you . Not at the Drafthouse, though! As you enter the theater, the first centerpiece is this bar with a huge selection of tap beers -- including many local brews. (They also serve wine and do have a full bar) I would call the vibe a little bit on the "punk rock"/eclectic side. It has a selection of punk music softly playing in the background, and it's just a different vibe from your typical movie theate...