I need a life turnaround!

I seriously need a eating-living-lifestyle makeover. It really is nooot okay the way things are going! I've been wearing a pedometer at work (actually its my phone..which is pretty cool, thank you Samsung) and this last week each day I worked I walked between 12000-19000 steps which equals out to 7-9 miles!! Thats insane, no wonder my feet and legs have been killing me. I went from working 4-6 hours a day, not walking as far during the day to........12 hours 3 days a week and running pretty much alll of those hours! Anyway, so that is one change-- but it seems that my brain says Hey you've been working hard, you deserve a cookie :).. That is totally not helping me fit into my clothes. And I have to say retail therapy is not as enjoyable when I don't fit into the super cute clothes I'm trying on. So today after failing at retail therapy (which is probably a better thing for my wallet..) I went to the gym and did a couple miles on the elliptical and a Zumba class. I forgot how much I like Zumba. I've definitely gotten rusty and I look ridiculous trying to do all the steps but its a good workout and since I now have a gym I'm excited to get back into it. Here's to healthier eating (Asparagus & tilapia for dinner tonight), and getting active. Wish me luck!

I work out!

I found myself a gym with a reasonable month to month price. It also has a cardio-theater...SWEET! I tried to convince lacey to go with me because it lets you have 1 free guest every time you go! This is the first gym that has let me do that, plus access to group classes and machines. Awesome-sauce. I'm pretty psyched to get started, especially since summer is fast approaching! I did my first workout today. Hoping to go to a class later and go again tomorrow. Fitness evolution..don't let me down!! :) 

City strolling

As promised, a few pictures. Got my badge the 2nd day and it always makes things more official! I think that was the point where it started to feel real. I mean how can a short walk from where I'm living and seeing this feel real...

A couple blocks from where I'm living there's a public access beach area, its so pretty when there are blue skies & sunshine! I had a couple days to enjoy so I tried to take advantage. Now its back to cold & rainy, but thats part of the PNW right?

Dealing with parking garages, traffic and driving for what seems like forever to get to work (I've been soo spoiled for the past year living 1 mile from work!!) Its a new way of life :) And I have to say I have to pinch myself when I drive over the viaduct and see the Seattle water front at 6am...what life am I living?? (I miss my husband he needs to see this!! :) Altho I'm certain he would HATE the whole getting up at 5am thing :))

My unlikely patient... :) Cutest guide dog EVER right??? Totally  made my day.

I'll have a cafe-mocha-vodka-xanax-latte to go, please... :) Little coffee shops in sleepy towns. 

 Lacey came over to explore and keep me company after my long crazy workweek. We met up with Laura for the morning which was amaze. Then we went Macaroon hunting at Pike place, got a 15 minute chair massage, pedicures and of course good food to top it off. Soo many laughs & good times!!

 Found World Market downtown.. :) And gawked at a few amazing apartments... we decided we should probably go apartment hunting and pretend we were looking just to see inside. Think they'd be cool with that?

Home away from home

This is my home away from home :) It's got its own entrance to their basement. I have my own little kitchen, bathroom, living space and a bedroom and access to their laundry room too. Besides the drivetime to work its perfect!

 walking into the living area from the basement door 

 The kitchen

The bedroom, if you look out the window there is the hot tub! wh-hooo!

Danielle lives about 20 minutes away south of here so I've been able to meet up with her too. Nice to catch up again. 

Pi Day

My second week is down, not without a few mountains to cross. I'm on my own now, which is fine.. I can be a nurse and thats always the same right?? Maybe essentially at the basis of everything, but it definitely is different going back to a big hospital. All your patients tend to have a different team of doctors on their case, things don't always go as planned (predictable?? nope) New orders flying at you at the same time, they need to be done now, with your new post-op patient arriving still slightly sedated, one of your patient is starting to have a panic attack (when its really you who would like to have your own panic attack...but ain't noobody got time for that!!), NG tubes to be placed for your nauseous patient, meds to be given, check back to make sure your post-op is still breathing, hold your patient's hand & distract them from their worries, explain a new diagnosis to another...can I be in 3 places at once please? Oh crap. its 4pm and I'm starving, I can't think, I need to cry & my feet are killing me...someone please tell me its my Friday.
Thank you. The End.

Missing you

 I miss this guy & our crazy puppy :) 

Life as I know it..

So I have been wracking my brain for ideas of how to occupy my time..usefully..while spending 45-60 minutes on the road. These ideas range from books on CD, to music, to exploring the world of podcasts, to learning a new language...hmm I just want to feel like I am not wasting my time. I hate the idea of spending so much of my day on the road, in traffic or whatever. 

On a slight tangent... I've decided to shift my schedule a little and push myself to get up much earlier than necessary to make it to work much earlier than needed and skip the traffic scene. So maybe this means that after I have driven there I will find a gym and work out prior to my shift? Part of me feels like this is an ambitious goal way out of my reach. I'll let you know how it goes. 

Do you have any brilliant things that you do on your commute to make it feel less wasteful of time? Please enlighten me!!

On the Road again..

Week 2 is beginning. Tomorrow. :) I'm looking forward to it and slightly nervous which I expected but always throws you a little bit if you know what I'm saying. I had a nice couple of days with my hubby at home. Actually it was more like I got to spend sporadic moments with him on Sunday (while I wasn't being called into work for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd time...) and then we went out on Monday night had a delicious steak sandwich & a taster tray..yummm and hung out and watched a few shows in the evening. It was quite nice and relaxing..just what I needed before I start my next week!

I think the one thing I am thankful for this week is that I will get to have a look at my schedule for the next month! Holy moley, I'm getting anxious to just know when I'm working next and when I will be off! At this point I kind of don't even care if it is every other day... I just want to KNOW! I'm sure I will change my tune once I get my schedule but...we'll just go with it.

I brought a few more things back to Lisa's with me (my home away from home) to help me feel a little more settled and less like I am traveling--which tends to mean I like to eat out (aka get fat-er) and spend a crap ton of money (aka ruin my lovely budget!!)

With tax season coming up & Dan & I owing a bunch on our taxes I have been more focused on my YNAB and realizing how so very grateful I am that dan and I decided to take the plunge and just get through the first 2-3 months of budgeting. WOW its amazing how much we have paid off when I look back at it. And... this year I realize even more that I would be flipppppping out if I owed this much and I didn't know where all my money was going. Ah, the lack of guilt with spending is such the best I have to say. Okay silly rant over :).

I said I was going to get pictures up, but I have temporarily misplaced my camera...sooo a funny very unrelated video is going to have to do. Omg I am enjoying this video so much. I hope you do too :)

Seattle Traveling Week #1

And so it has begun. Our adventure in Seattle. At the moment is only me up here. I got here a couple of nights ago and I will be up here til Saturday now since plans changed a little bit. Thankfully it was easily straightened out this time. I'm looking forward to the next couple of days because I will be closer to finding out my schedule for the rest of the month! It's so hard to be patient for it to be available for me I feel like I have been hanging by a thread. Anyway..soon enough. I had my first orientation day on Wednesday, it consisted of mostly online education modules...yayyy Healthstream. But, its good to have a few days to get settled and figure out how to get places and everything.

The class was full of 8 other nursing travelers besides me so that was awesome because I got to pick their brains a little about what to expect and what things to keep in mind and any tips that they had. They were all really nice. Funny how its easy to make friends with people when you are all in a similar situation. Feels a little crazy! Tomorrow I have my computer charting training. Which is kind of funny since I already have worked with the computer system and have gone through learning how to use it several times with both hospitals I have previously worked at. Should be another okay day.

My goal for tomorrow is to try another route to get to work. See which way is the quickest and most painless as far as traffic and time goes. I am trying to test out routes and what time will be good to leave the house to get to work on time. I'm a little neurotic what can I say. I was that girl who had to leave the house at exactly 7:08 to get to school 5 minutes before 8am during college...I know it sounds crazy but I swear for some reason traffic patterns seem to change if you leave 5 minutes earlier or later and that was the sweet spot. So I'm shooting for finding the sweet spot for this place. That and I might need some good CDs or books on tape to pass the 1-1.5 hours I will be spending on the road... wh-hoooo....apparently this is what I do for the sake of comfort. I'll tell you how my living situation is another day. :) ...with pictures!