It's been a week since I posted! Yikes!! It's been a busy week with lots to post about, too... darn. :) But then again, busy often equals fewer posts! That's unfortunate for any reader, however, because it means I post most often when I am bored with nothing exciting to write about! Haha. :)
I have one day off today before I have to work this weekend. But Sunday is only an 8 hr shift, so I can go to church! Haven't been to Hope in like 2 months (oops) thanks to the craziness of summer. Last Sunday, my cousin Jen and I went to Mars Hill on Sunday morning before sightseeing (more about that later), and then before that it was work and trips abroad, etc. So hopefully (haha) I will be there on Sunday!
I'm trying to decide the tone of this blog. I am writing because I need a break from a frustrating day off (which would be great to rant about!) but I don't like it when my blogs are rants all the time... I prefer a more upbeat record of my life! I also need to make it a quick post because I have some of the aforementioned frustrating things to take care of before I can write a fun post about Jen's visit! So, here's the latest in my life:
* My 27th birthday was pretty much the best ever. Even though it was the first one where I wasn't with my family, I felt completely loved by family and friends. Particularly when I compare it to previous birthdays (where maybe I felt disappointed or OLD), it was simply awesome. Thank you to everyone who made it special!! Will post pictures later...
* Birthday gift highlights include Target giftcard, Amazon gift certificate, books, jewelry, linens, reimbursement of Ireland expenses (whoo hoo!), flowers (multiple givers!), a coat, and one of the greatest inventions ever... a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner! I also bought myself a ridiculously gorgeous red dress because it was on sale and I felt frivolous on my birthday... now I just need someplace to wear it to!
* My cousin Jen came to visit from Pittsburgh!! It was a random idea for a trip, since we got along well at Thanksgiving (well, we've always gotten along well, but now we are older!) and she decided to vacation with me in Seattle! It was a fun couple of days, and I had a blast. Unfortunately, Seattle had awful weather the entire time... 50s and 60s and raining... in August. Lovely. But the visit was FABULOUS! :)
* After Jen left on Tuesday night, I worked two 12s on Wednesday and Thursday. Long and stressful days. Seriously. Glad when they were done! One day off then back for more fun. :) Next schedule, though... 90% time!!
* My TiVo died (see previous rant!). :( So I purchased a new HD TiVo!! But haven't gotten Comcast out to install the cablecards... so it is a beautiful piece of electronic hardware sitting in my living room as a decorative item. I anticipate it will be awesome, however. :)
* On Monday, Jen and I were driving in downtown Seattle and got a flat tire. :( So she not only got to help me jack up the car in the pouring rain of a rare Seattle thunderstorm, but she got to experience the joy of a tire store on Aurora Ave (the FULL Seattle tour!). Actually, I was super glad she was there for both the flat and the purchasing of the new tires, as neither thing was something I would want to go through on my own!
* Thanks to the 2 previous items, I am officially poor! Hence the frustrating day today, as I am attempting to pay bills. I have lived here 1 year, officially! Which means that all my bills go up at the same time!! Car insurance, renters insurance, rent on my apartment, cable bill, etc... sigh. No way to avoid it, but man. Stinks to be a grown-up.
* On top of that, my nursing school decided to finally review their records and realize that I had been given a Perkins loan in 2005. When I graduated in 2006, I repeatedly called and wrote letters, asking for the repayment info (I have copies of all of them, luckily), but was told that they didn't have anything about a Perkins loan in their records. So I filed those papers away and forgot about it. This week, however, I get a notice that I have failed to complete exit counseling for this loan... apparently the school decided that I graduated in January 2008 (rather than May 2006 when I got my diploma!) and re-discovered when reviewing their books that I owed them money! Ok, I understand that I did, in fact, receive money from them, and therefore do need to pay it back. However, the 9 month grace period on the loan apparently starting ticking away when I "graduated" in January. So... bottom line is that I have gained a new bill, first due in November. Yay! Of course, if they had ever responded in 2006 and then again in 2007 when I asked about this loan, they would have received the repayment in full in one lump sum... but not an option now for me, so now I get to repay with interest! Argh. So frustrating.
Well, this blog turned into a rant despite my efforts, so maybe I better stop now before I get all worked up again! :) I will write more and post some pictures later...
~Alison
Friday, August 29, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
You say it's your birthday...
Happy Birthday to me! :) I've only been awake for an hour, but so far it has been awesome!! I'm hoping that 27 is as good a year (or even better) than 26 was... lots to live up to, but off to a great start. :)
I have the day off from work, so endless possibilities lie ahead for today!
I have the day off from work, so endless possibilities lie ahead for today!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tivo Rant
I am not in a good mood. My Tivo woes have begun again! I think it is officially dead... again. You may remember the heartbreak over my original Tivo that died last April, and the drama involved with getting a "new" replacement. Well... the refurbished piece of junk that never really worked quite right won't start up now. :( This time there was surprisingly not a lot of things lost, which I guess is good. And the new season of shows hasn't started yet, so there is time to figure this out before then. But that's not my point!!
I understand that hard drives fail. I really, truly, (unfortunately) do understand that. It's a fact of life in the 21st century. So when my original box died after a year and a half, I was sad but not shocked... these things happen. But when the replacement lasts only a few months... actually, 100 days (note the irony that it was not within 90 days)... I think I have a right to be upset. ARGH!!
So what do I do now? I have been considering a HD version since February, and was already thinking about maybe getting one anyway since the current box was so unreliable and I really want to check out HD tv on my amazing tv set! But that's a lot of money to spend... buy the Tivo box, buy the service, upgrade the cable, plus get cable cards for the box and probably a box for the other tv... it is definitely not a decision to be taken lightly. Plus, I would have to forfeit the pre-paid service on my old box, as well as junk the 100 day old box I spend a bit of money on. I have some money set aside from involuntary overtime at work, so its a possibility, but man... I hate being forced into a decision! It was one thing to think about splurging and upgrading to something new and fun, but quite another to now have kind of a timetable for that decision.
I know, I am being selfish and rather spoiled... here I am complaining about amazing technology and talking about spending a couple hundred bucks on HD when there are people who are starving or dying of horrible diseases or have ACTUAL suffering in their lives. I just needed to rant for a few minutes while I try to figure it out. I guess I don't HAVE to have a dvr, or even watch TV. It's just that with my work schedule the way it is (particularly when I go back to night shift in September), it is pretty darn hard to watch any TV at the time it actually airs. And I love my TV shows. :( Yes, it's pathetic, but hey, I'm just being honest. :)
I understand that hard drives fail. I really, truly, (unfortunately) do understand that. It's a fact of life in the 21st century. So when my original box died after a year and a half, I was sad but not shocked... these things happen. But when the replacement lasts only a few months... actually, 100 days (note the irony that it was not within 90 days)... I think I have a right to be upset. ARGH!!
So what do I do now? I have been considering a HD version since February, and was already thinking about maybe getting one anyway since the current box was so unreliable and I really want to check out HD tv on my amazing tv set! But that's a lot of money to spend... buy the Tivo box, buy the service, upgrade the cable, plus get cable cards for the box and probably a box for the other tv... it is definitely not a decision to be taken lightly. Plus, I would have to forfeit the pre-paid service on my old box, as well as junk the 100 day old box I spend a bit of money on. I have some money set aside from involuntary overtime at work, so its a possibility, but man... I hate being forced into a decision! It was one thing to think about splurging and upgrading to something new and fun, but quite another to now have kind of a timetable for that decision.
I know, I am being selfish and rather spoiled... here I am complaining about amazing technology and talking about spending a couple hundred bucks on HD when there are people who are starving or dying of horrible diseases or have ACTUAL suffering in their lives. I just needed to rant for a few minutes while I try to figure it out. I guess I don't HAVE to have a dvr, or even watch TV. It's just that with my work schedule the way it is (particularly when I go back to night shift in September), it is pretty darn hard to watch any TV at the time it actually airs. And I love my TV shows. :( Yes, it's pathetic, but hey, I'm just being honest. :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Happy Birthday, Blog!
Today is the one year anniversary of this blog!! Check out the very first post here.
It's hard to believe a year has passed since I was packing up the van and heading out on the open road! Wow, so much has changed. :)
August 15, 2007
It's hard to believe a year has passed since I was packing up the van and heading out on the open road! Wow, so much has changed. :)
August 15, 2007Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Vacation pictures!!
I finally got all my vacation pictures online!! I'm still working on captions and such, but feel free to check them out. For your viewing ease, they are divided into Picasa albums by location (click the location name for the link to that particular album).
Not only did I get all the pictures up, but I also managed to upload my video of the Warwick Castle trebuchet to YouTube! It is the world's largest trebuchet... which for those of you unfamiliar with medieval weaponry, is sort of like a catapult. Here it is in action:
I have to share a few of my favorite pictures from my trip... some of these may have been posted elsewhere (by family members who poached my pics!) but I like them enough to subject you to them again. :)
Turf Tavern in Oxford
Andy and I at The Eagle and Child in Oxford, drinking a pint at the table where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien spent their time 
Andy hamming it up at Warwick Castle with his "wax friend"
Dad and the DNA at an Oxford museum
Sunset in Dublin after a rainstorm
Grandpa Reid in a Dublin coffee shop
Shamrock in Burren National Park... definitely one of the best pictures I have ever taken! :)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Grace
Where to begin?
I obviously didn't get a chance to blog much while I was in Europe, so now I am woefully behind. I could just start with writing about this week... but who wants to read about my boring daily life?! (oh wait... that's what a blog is...)
The number one question I have been asked in the last 4 days? "How was your trip?" #3? "Do you have pictures?" The short answer to these questions? My trip was great, it was nice to see family, and I'd never been to Ireland before so that was cool. Yes, I have pictures... but there are over 600 of them and I don't have them all uploaded to Picasa yet nor are they organized, so I don't have a good way of showing you them!
(For anyone keeping track, the #2 question I have been asked over the last few days is likely, "What time will my doctors be here to see me?". My answer (in my head) to that is that they are an unpredictable breed and I have no idea. Except that you will probably think it is not soon enough!)
So I arrived home Friday night, had Saturday off to recover, then was back to work very early on Sunday morning for a 12 hr shift. Brutal! But now that I have 3 shifts done, I am off for the next 2 days. Which means that maybe I will finally have time to upload those pictures and/or do some laundry!! Oh yeah, and grocery shopping. Trip to Target and Costco. Maybe a haircut. Need to wash my car (badly). Vacuuming and other assorted household tasks. Mail the greeting card to a friend that has been on my end table since June (oops). Sigh. Gonna be a couple days of catching up, I suspect!!
Haven't really had a chance to watch much of the Olympics. :( Hopefully tonight I will be able to without falling asleep on the couch! It's tough because I am so used to watching all TV via my Tivo... but the Olympics are kind of broadcasted as one big program each night so it's hard to pick and choose what sports to watch. I might have to (gasp) watch live television. Not sure I can do it! Haha. :)
Today at work I was pondering the subject of self. Yes, that sounds incredibly deep, I know. (What can I say? I was all caught up on my work!) In reading a doctor's report, I came across the phrase "identity formation"... which got me thinking.
How do we define ourselves? And what happens when we allow others to define us, whether consciously or subconsciously? It's not something we (or I should say, I) really TRY to do on a daily basis... but we do it unconsciously all the time. Who am I? People often define themselves with objective things. I'm a 26 year old female. I have blond (ish) hair and blue eyes. I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall. The other thing people use to define themselves is their job... I'm a nurse. But the funny thing about that for me is that I have never been one who goes around proudly making that statement (and I probably should, I admit it). There are lots of nurses that are very vocal and PROUD to be a RN. I am proud of what I do, sure, but I guess I have tried hard not to be defined by my job. (I am struggling to avoid using the word career... yikes! Too much to think about!) Anyway.
When someone asks us who we are, to define ourselves, we tend to use those objective things. But it's the subjective things that really shape our identity, isn't it? Think about it. Feelings of self-doubt or self-worth are often coming from data that isn't concrete, and it's what we do with that information that makes us who we are. Confident vs timid, arrogant vs humble, kind vs nasty, happy vs sad. And the tragic thing is when someone uses the wrong things to define themselves, whether its based on internal feelings or someone on the outside sending false messages.
What a blessing it is to have, therefore, One who provides the ultimate definition! To plagarize a friend's Facebook answer to the question about religious beliefs... I am a sinner saved by grace. It struck me today that I often don't give God enough credit. "Fearfully and wonderfully made". What a concept! The thought that I am His creation, and He needs to be the defining thing in my life.
Who am I? I'm a child of God. No matter what. Amazing grace, indeed. :)
I obviously didn't get a chance to blog much while I was in Europe, so now I am woefully behind. I could just start with writing about this week... but who wants to read about my boring daily life?! (oh wait... that's what a blog is...)
The number one question I have been asked in the last 4 days? "How was your trip?" #3? "Do you have pictures?" The short answer to these questions? My trip was great, it was nice to see family, and I'd never been to Ireland before so that was cool. Yes, I have pictures... but there are over 600 of them and I don't have them all uploaded to Picasa yet nor are they organized, so I don't have a good way of showing you them!
(For anyone keeping track, the #2 question I have been asked over the last few days is likely, "What time will my doctors be here to see me?". My answer (in my head) to that is that they are an unpredictable breed and I have no idea. Except that you will probably think it is not soon enough!)
So I arrived home Friday night, had Saturday off to recover, then was back to work very early on Sunday morning for a 12 hr shift. Brutal! But now that I have 3 shifts done, I am off for the next 2 days. Which means that maybe I will finally have time to upload those pictures and/or do some laundry!! Oh yeah, and grocery shopping. Trip to Target and Costco. Maybe a haircut. Need to wash my car (badly). Vacuuming and other assorted household tasks. Mail the greeting card to a friend that has been on my end table since June (oops). Sigh. Gonna be a couple days of catching up, I suspect!!
Haven't really had a chance to watch much of the Olympics. :( Hopefully tonight I will be able to without falling asleep on the couch! It's tough because I am so used to watching all TV via my Tivo... but the Olympics are kind of broadcasted as one big program each night so it's hard to pick and choose what sports to watch. I might have to (gasp) watch live television. Not sure I can do it! Haha. :)
Today at work I was pondering the subject of self. Yes, that sounds incredibly deep, I know. (What can I say? I was all caught up on my work!) In reading a doctor's report, I came across the phrase "identity formation"... which got me thinking.
How do we define ourselves? And what happens when we allow others to define us, whether consciously or subconsciously? It's not something we (or I should say, I) really TRY to do on a daily basis... but we do it unconsciously all the time. Who am I? People often define themselves with objective things. I'm a 26 year old female. I have blond (ish) hair and blue eyes. I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall. The other thing people use to define themselves is their job... I'm a nurse. But the funny thing about that for me is that I have never been one who goes around proudly making that statement (and I probably should, I admit it). There are lots of nurses that are very vocal and PROUD to be a RN. I am proud of what I do, sure, but I guess I have tried hard not to be defined by my job. (I am struggling to avoid using the word career... yikes! Too much to think about!) Anyway.
When someone asks us who we are, to define ourselves, we tend to use those objective things. But it's the subjective things that really shape our identity, isn't it? Think about it. Feelings of self-doubt or self-worth are often coming from data that isn't concrete, and it's what we do with that information that makes us who we are. Confident vs timid, arrogant vs humble, kind vs nasty, happy vs sad. And the tragic thing is when someone uses the wrong things to define themselves, whether its based on internal feelings or someone on the outside sending false messages.
What a blessing it is to have, therefore, One who provides the ultimate definition! To plagarize a friend's Facebook answer to the question about religious beliefs... I am a sinner saved by grace. It struck me today that I often don't give God enough credit. "Fearfully and wonderfully made". What a concept! The thought that I am His creation, and He needs to be the defining thing in my life.
Who am I? I'm a child of God. No matter what. Amazing grace, indeed. :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Back in Seattle
When I look at my blog page, I find it crazy to think that just a few nights ago I was in that pub in Galway writing... especially when I think about how much has happened over the last 2+ weeks!!
This will be quick, as I am extraordinarily exhausted. I'm back in that usual struggle... I'm tired so I want to go to sleep, but at the same time, if I DO go to sleep, then I just have to get up and go to work... so I end up staying up later and then am just more tired. Sigh. It's a vicious circle!
Today was my first day back at work after 15 days off. The break was nice but felt too short! Back to the grindstone, only now with no vacation coming up to look forward to. :( Actually, today was a good day... a nice transition back. We'll see what tomorrow brings, however, as Mondays tend to be crazier than Sundays.
I have the Olympics on in the background. Haven't seriously watched much yet but I'm sure I will this week. Caught some bits today at work when my patients were watching it! The consensus among the nurses was that we all want to be built like the beach volleyball players. :) And that it is completely unnecessary for them to be wearing little bikinis.
On THAT note, I better get to bed. I promise to write more later! And post more pictures from my trip. But for now... goodnight. :)
~Alison
This will be quick, as I am extraordinarily exhausted. I'm back in that usual struggle... I'm tired so I want to go to sleep, but at the same time, if I DO go to sleep, then I just have to get up and go to work... so I end up staying up later and then am just more tired. Sigh. It's a vicious circle!
Today was my first day back at work after 15 days off. The break was nice but felt too short! Back to the grindstone, only now with no vacation coming up to look forward to. :( Actually, today was a good day... a nice transition back. We'll see what tomorrow brings, however, as Mondays tend to be crazier than Sundays.
I have the Olympics on in the background. Haven't seriously watched much yet but I'm sure I will this week. Caught some bits today at work when my patients were watching it! The consensus among the nurses was that we all want to be built like the beach volleyball players. :) And that it is completely unnecessary for them to be wearing little bikinis.
On THAT note, I better get to bed. I promise to write more later! And post more pictures from my trip. But for now... goodnight. :)
~Alison
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
From a Galway Pub
I just wrote a "guest authored" entry on my parents' blog... which means that I don't have time to post my own entry! Feel free to check it out here.
Picture from today at the Cliffs of Moher
Picture from today at the Cliffs of MoherMonday, August 4, 2008
Dublin
I spent the last few days in Dublin, Ireland with my mom, aunt, cousin, and grandfather... today we traveled by train to Galway, on the west coast. The internet here has been a little spotty, so I won't post a long blog tonight... but here's a picture of me enjoying my first pint of Guinness in Ireland!
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