The Girls

Here they are in Lucy's bed. Charlie fell asleep in it last night and Lucy joined her, I think just to stake claim on her bed :)

Busy Bees

I have never felt so busy in my life! Really. I think it's just because of starting my new job. You know when you start a new job you are meeting all new people and learning their system & stuff. I mean, I love their system & the people are good, but you know, it still turns the old brain to mush. Plus I'm actually working full days. Last year my contract was only 35 hours a week, and on top of that I was always done with my stuff & would just go home. Really makes a difference when you actually have stuff to do, and truly spend a full day there. Makes the night much shorter. I think the other thing is that since Johnathan is here it feels like we're always doing something I guess, just because we're all hanging out all the time. Whereas if it was just me & Ivan it doesn't feel as much like that, you know? That's been going pretty well too. I get frustrated with them both, but that's normal. I'd get frustrated with just Ivan so you know, what's new.

Also, this class I'm in right now is ridiculous. There is so much work to do in it and I just never want to do it! In fact right now I am avoiding writing a paper, doing text exercises, and responding to discussion questions. Yuck.

Oh, I also am starting boot camp again in a few weeks. I don't know how I feel about that yet. I really enjoy being a lazy ass, but I've let that go on too long. I just really don't want to get up at 5:00 in the morning. But Ivan's already up so I guess that will help.

And, I signed up to volunteer at this place. I haven't started yet but I go for orientation next week. The volunteering I will be doing is called being an "American Friend." So basically, when a refugee family comes to the area, I will be paired with one it's kinda like a big-brothers big-sisters kind of thing only for a refugee family. You like help them get adjusted to America, walk them through things like if they need to get a drivers license I would help them figure out how to do that, and just hang out and do stuff with them to teach them about American culture. You know eventually I want to either work with refugees or international stuff, so I thought, once I finish up this degree it would be perfect experience to have. They ask you to commit 2-3 hours a week. Sounds like a lot, but I'm willing to try out this whole "being busy" thing hahaha. I'm sure I will be pulling my hair out at some point. I really think once work gets rolling I won't feel as busy at all.

Hmm, oh, the 3 of us are joining a bowling league, cool right? haha It was hard for me to commit to that because it's like every week until basically the end of the school year! But I thought, ok, I said I really want to meet people and everything...we'll see. It was my idea and I'll probably be the one that quits. I am a quitter you know :)

So really everything's been good. The neighbors are good, we met a few more. I kinda feel like I live in a college dorm but that's cool I guess cuz I never did haha.

Ok well I really need to do this paper...although I'll probably fold some laundry or something instead of actually working now :)

First day!

Today was my first day of my new job. It went remarkably well! Maybe third time is a charm? (It's my third contract). I think it has been so good for me to be a traveler because I have been in both ends of the spectrum as far as OT departments go, where first I was in a kinda large department that was pretty well off, and last year I was the OT dept, and it was chaos! This district is more like the first, but from first glance, it appears that everyone gets along a little better, a more cohesive team environment. Not to say there won't be bumps, but you really can tell a lot from first meetings with people.

1. The first wonderful thing is that there are a ton of COTA's! (That's me!) My first contract there was only one other, and for some reason I tend to let myself be intimidtaed by OTR's (supervising therapists), although I am getting much better with that with more experience. I am just happy to feel like more of an equal with people than beneath people, although again, I am the only one making me feel that way, the OTR's I've worked with have always been great. Sometimes I feel like I am always apologizing for being just a COTA...when there's no need for it, and so it is nice to be amongh COTA's. And last year there was only me & an OTR, so it's just nice to be among people period!
2. These people are oragnized! This is similar to my first contract, but MUCH different than last year. I walked into a mess last year, and thank God for my first year's experience to get me through it. But anyway, there was an agenda for the meeting with all the occupational & physical therapy staff (called the motor team). They already had OTR's paired with COTA's, and the schools divided up among those smaller teams.
3. My team of myself, my OTR, and another COTA, get along great. There are 5 schools, and it worked out that the other COTA requested two schools close to her home, the other 2 are the closest to me, and the last school for the OTR is the one she wanted anyway!
4. My schools are close to me and super close to each other. No more than about 3 miles from my house, and probably a mile apart from each other. Also, the district office is probably less than a mile from me too. The schools are NEW & NICE! My district last year was old...and kinda poor. You just feel better when you're among nice things ya know? So on top of that, each school has a room for the O.T to work in! You may not know that this is quite a big deal, as typically I would be in a hallway or cafeteria or something like that. Nope, I have rooms with supplies in them already. Sweet. Oh, and only having 2 schools is awesome! My first year at one point I had 17 schools spread over like 5 different cities, last year I had about 8 schools although they were close together. It's just so nice to think I won't have to travel much and will be able to stay at one school for an entire day?!??! So exciting.
5. Hmmm what else...everyone is super friendly. Oh yeah, about the schools again, they are indoors with hallways & everything. In California when you walk out of a classroom you walk outside, because the temperatures tend not to get too unbearable either way & stuff it's all outdoors. I'm sorry though, it does get hot! So here it's wonderful to just be inside all the time. And good thing I won't have to get in my car all the time because it's a freakin' oven when you do. Whew. It was around 110 today...yeah.

So anyway, that's all my excitement. I think it will be good. Let's hope it stays on a positive note for awhile :)

Lucy & Charlie meet

The meeting of Lucy & Charlie went well I guess. Let me back up.

Charlie did great on the flight & car rides. Never even made a sound until we were off the plane.

I left Charlie with Ivan outside and I came in to see Lucy...she's huge!!!!!! I'm sure it's just because I have been with Charlie who weighs 2 pounds, but when I saw her I was like whoah!! She's just big! Definitely changes my opinion of where she stands in the food chain at the dog park. Also...she's hyper. I will never know if Charlie really is just super laid back and Lucy is normal, or if Lucy is crazy...oh well, but their energy levels are very different! And I always thought Lucy was just spunky & friendly...now I'm not so sure!

So Lucy just wants to play with her and Charlie isn't the least bit interested. But they aren't fighting or anything. Charlie will snap at times. Like right now they are both chewing on bones laying right next to each other. Lucy will share and doesn't mind at all, Charlie nearly bit Lucy's head off when she tried to take the bone.

I'm not sure if Lucy remembers me or not. Charlie just follows me around, so in turn, Lucy just follows me around! Ivan said yesterday when he picked us up he feels like a step-parent or something! I do too, like I'm in charge of Charlie and he is of Lucy. It's weird.

The bad thing is that Lucy is the one who knows to stop when we yell & stuff like that so we find ourselves yelling at her more even if it's not her fault just because we know Charlie doesn't know yet. We're working on it.

OK, well I'm gonna go. I can't believe I just wrote this long of a blog about some dogs?!!!

Back to AZ!

I'm leaving for the airport in about an hour to head back to AZ! Mixed feelings about that...I'm excited to see Ivan & Lucy. But as usual, after a few days home I get really comfortable here. And it's just so nice to see everyone and hang out & everything. Thanks for a wonderful trip home!! If I didn't see you this trip I'll try again on the next one!

Home

I'm home! I have to say, it did take me a few days to adjust. Each time it gets a little longer to adjust really. It's strange. I'm always excited about coming home and then there's this time period where I'm ready to leave after I see everyone. But that time has passed and now I'm so happy to be here again :) I flew in on Monday the 23rd. Megan & Becky came to get me and that night I went and saw all the kids and saw Johnathan too. Tuesday I went to Kentucky to get the new puppy, Charlie. Wednesday I went to my Grandma's for dinner with family, then over to Jon's for awhile. Thursday I went to the pool with Jyll, Heidi, my mom & all the kids and that night went to Schooner's which is where I basically saw everyone else I hadn't seen yet...Friday Becky & I went to see the Lindsey Lohan movie...it was ok. Saturday I went to Jacksonville to see Holly and go to a bachelorette party. Yes, there was a stripper...and I wasn't impressed, yet thankful I wasn't the bride who got raped basically! haha Sunday my bro & sis and all the kids came over so that is always a good time...and after that Megan, Jon, & Johnathan came over to watch "Waiting." It was funny. Hmm..what else...ooh Monday I finally went to see Celeeste. And then Johnathan came over to play Nintendo, yes the original Nintendo. He sucks and I'm fabulous. Last night me, Jon, Johnathan, Jamie & Curtis all went to see "Chuck & Larry," gotta tell ya, I was unimpressed. I love Kevin James & Adam Sandler, but it just wasn't as good as I expected. Today I'm going to see my cousin & then my nephews are coming to swim. Later in the week I'm going to dinner with old co-workers, then out at Pit Row (getting sloppy then swimming, yay!), Saturday will be another sloppy night at Celeeste's with Kristen in the hot tub, and Sunday I'm having a cookout, which I am so excited about!!! I just thought it up yesterday and I'm just pumped. Next week will be dinner with the girls and then I'm flying back to AZ on Thursday. All in all, it's been a really great trip home.

I wish Ivan could be here for this stuff too, but at the same time, I probably do more when he's not here because if he is I'm just content to hang out with him you know? And I'm sure he's having more fun than he should be without me there :) Living like a slob and doing whatever he wants! Every time I talk to him he's either with or was with or will be with the neighbors. Which is great since we didn't even know our neighbors in CA, but sucks because I'm such a jealous person, so I'm mad that I'm not there too!! Ah well. He's really enjoying & excited about his new job so that's good.

Oh, Charlie. She's polar opposite of Lucy! I was worried at first because she didn't have much of a personality really. But she has warmed up to me and is really sweet. She's just not nearly as social as Lucy is though. Which could be a nice balance I guess. And she's TINY! I hope the meeting with Lucy goes well.
Alright well I gotta get ready to go see my cousin. Peace