Another Day, Another Dollar

After much hounding from friends and family about not posting, I suppose I'll give a quick update.

Really not a whole lot of new and/or exciting things having been going on in this neck of the woods. Alex's house is coming along very slowly, to say the least. And I must say, Hannah, the repairs that you guys are doing to your new abode is nothin compared to Alex's house. Not that this a contest or anything, but just in case I've never filled you in on the list of needed repairs, here it is:

-New wiring throughout the house
-In need of garbage disposal and dishwasher (including the wiring as well)
-No air ducts/vents to the bedrooms
-All walls need painted (Can't do that until the wiring is done)
-Wood paneling needs "work" to say the least
-Nasty, awful carpet in kitchen needs pulled up and replaced with tile, or something of the sort
-Front living room has no molding around windows, doors, etc
-Need new kitchen countertops
-All doors need to be sanded down to fit door jams
-2 car-garage; one opener needs replaced
-Bathroom needs completely re-done
-At least 2 windows need replaced due to some rottage

And this is only a general list. I guess the thought of a nice, big fenced backyard and a lovely 2-car garage was overwhelmingly appealing at the time of deciding to buy the house. And yes, all of the above repairs are very fixable and Alex has many friends that are very willing and able to help out, but one must have 2 things: 1. Time and 2. Money. Neither of which Alex has. So needless to say, the house is coming along very slowly.

In other news, the hospital I work at has seen some tough days lately with the closing of 2 units and a total of 68 people being laid off within the hospital system due to budget cuts. Sadly, one of those laid off was one of our full-time social workers who was very good and always busy. I guess you just never know who really has job security in times like this.

Work has been same-ole same ole, with one exception to my normal routine last week. (Wait, is my work ever a normal routine?) Last Friday, I had a patient of mine pass away about 3/4 of the way through my shift. She was a "do not resuscitate" and "do not intubate" (DNI/DNI) patient and was refusing to take any of her meds or eat, so it was something that was bound to happen in her situation. There was nothing I could do for her and was only able to make her as comfortable as possible. Oh and by the way, it was also my 4th day of work and I was already exhausted. So needless to say a death was the last thing that I really wanted to handle, but in my profession, it's something that unfortunately was going to happen eventually. So anyway I learned the death process, including paperwork and preparing the body, so I guess all in all it was a good learning experience.

It's cold here, and obviously it will only get colder. I think a little bit of the traditional winter depression has already set in on my body. It's so easy to tell how much my body appreciates sunglight when I don't get it. I bought some stronger light bulbs for the lamps, though, in hopes to make my days a little brighter :)

Well, must go. Appointments to go to and errands to run. Hope all is well! And yes, I'll be home for the holidays-I'm working Thanksgiving day but am thankful to be able to return home either that evening or the next morning and be able to spend the rest of the weekend with family. Can't wait to see everyone!

Changes are in the air...

Remember my new plan? Well, I did it. I joined the 24 Hour Fitness down the road and have already attended a few times. I must say that going to the gym was the very last thing I wanted to do after work, but in the end I felt so much better about myself. And even though I only spent 25 minutes working out after work, that 25 minutes really did me wonders. So far my plan is working! And since my plan started mid-week last week, this week will be the first week I will be able to fully "go at it." My goal is to go Monday thru Thursday, leaving my weekends free.

In other news, I got canceled from work yesterday-only the most glorious feeling ever! It was nice to be able to enjoy my Sunday by watching the race and doing laundry, a weekly tradition for Alex and I. We also got to take the dogs on a walk in the beautiful 70-degree weather.

And the leaves...oh the leaves. They're all shades of yellow and orange and brown, so gorgeous. But I must say they are everywhere! The dogs just love romping through them and hearing them crackle and wushh..and they love chasing the squirrels that seem to scurry through them as well.

Alex's house is still ever-so-slowly coming along. In the last couple weeks we've gotten the garbage disposal in, the carpets cleaned, a doorbell and motion-sensor light installed and the garage door opener is almost ready for use. Yesterday Alex unpacked more boxes and hung a picture in the living room to cover some of it's current "ugliness." Jana, my mom and I got curtains hung over the front window and re-arranged some of the furniture to open up the living room space a little more. So all in all, things really are coming along nicely.

No pictures to post, I've been bad at bringing the camera anywhere lately.

Alex and I went on our first date since the day before my birthday on Saturday. We went out to dinner at this little Mexican restaurant in Brookside. It was a lively little joint and the food was pretty decent. I enjoy spending a little quality , one-on-one time with him every once in awhile! I told Alex at least once a quarter would be good for a date. I think it's just a matter of setting aside the time-that seems to be a tough task for both of us!

Must go get my day started. Thanks for reading!