Before... and After.

Well, Miss M had her surgery today and all went well. However, additional stitching was needed as I had her teeth cleaned at the same time. Unfortunately, there were a few rotten teeth that needed to come out. Ew. M is tolerating the events remarkably well although I sense a little bit of anger from her:). She is currently wearing a cone on her head until at least tomorrow morning and has therefore been a source of amusement to the boys. I have to admit, it is a LITTLE humorous to watch her bump into things with that stupid cone on her head. The alternative is risking her ripping her stitches which I have no desire to deal with, so... the cone remains. The good: the bad eye and teeth are out, she should be more comfortable on a long-term basis. The bad: this may not save her last good eye; it may eventually succumb to the glaucoma. The ugly: the latest look that we're sporting. All in all, I'd say M came out the winner.

By request...

Kate, here are the Christmas pics you wanted.

*Sigh*

I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't let my blog die completely. As unhappy as I am about my current situation, it is even worse to continually talk about it. However, I will update my pitifully few readers on it. First off, I decided to forge ahead with the job in Louisville. Much to my dismay, 3 weeks in and one week before Christmas, I discovered that I despised that job. The final straw was coming home one night at almost 10 pm, in complete tears. No job is worth that. The thing is: I am a competent nurse. Not the best, but certainly far from the worst. I am extremely capable at what I do. This job... reduced me to the poorest work I have ever done. I felt inadequate the entire day, even as I struggled to meet needs, skipped lunch and only was able to use the bathroom once in a 15 hour day. So, after serious thought - I decided: NO JOB was worth the sacrifice of my peace of mind or emotional health. I am now (again!) unemployed and currently searching for another travel position. I'm not really quite sure what I want to do, so ... I think my best option is a short-term one that will allow me some time to re-evaluate before making my next move.

Secondly, Miss M's eye is getting worse so her surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday at 0730. I am worried about my little missy, but I have been saying some prayers. Her bloodwork was drawn on Friday and it appears that her kidneys, liver and thyroid are working well. Hopefully, there won't be any other surprises when she goes under anesthesia. Thanks to all who have been asking about her - your thoughts are appreciated!

I will update again on Tuesday about Miss M and hopefully I will have an update on the job as well! Good luck to all as you return to work and school this week:).

Aaah... Joseph.

Well, for those readers who don't know: Joseph is my 16 year old brother and he had a car accident on November 30th, the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the details are (and I'm afraid will always be) etched in my memory. To make a long story short, I will let the pictures do the talking and will simply say that I am very very very thankful that he is still with us in person with only two broken arms as lasting effects of the crash. I sat down in church this last Sunday and as I gathered my thoughts over the last week, my foremost prayer was one of thanksgiving for the gift of my brother and life. But as I started to pray, I was suddenly struck by how inadequate my prayer seemed. How does one express appropriate gratitude for such a tremendous gift? I can only say that this incident has brought a new awareness to my day-to-day thoughts and life suddenly has a silver lining. Perspective is vital and I have certainly found a new one this week. So, here's to the TRUEST Thanksgiving that I have ever known.

SH*T SH*T SH*T

Shit. Well, to my scant loyal readers who have not received a post in absolute AGES... I am in complete despair. I have started a job in Louisville that is at will, meaning that I only work when I tell them that I want to. My intent was to try it here for 6 months and see if I liked living in one place again. I am two days in to my job (orientation only!) and I am having serious cold feet. I want to run so far in the opposite direction that I think my feet have already taken off and I am clinging desperately to a railing, attempting to make an honest and fair effort. I am trying to remain calm but I am desperately fighting the urge to lay down like a child and wail my misery. I have one foot in the boat and it is already drifting from shore... while my other foot is firmly planted on land - I must make a decision or I WILL end up in the water! I hope someone is getting some humor from these horrible analogies. *Sigh* Any advice would be welcomed...

Europe!

Well - I am finally home and I guess it's time to post on my trip. I cried when I left London. I was not ready to leave my new friends or come home yet. But I guess all good things must come to an end. Here is a quick itinerary of the trip:
London, Paris, Beaujolais Wine Region of France, Nice/Cannes [into Italy] Florence, Rome [into Greece by ferry] Corfu (for 4 days!) [back into Italy by ferry] Venice [into Austria] Vienna [into Germany] Munich [into Switzerland] Swiss Alps for 2 days [into the Czech Republic] Prague [back into Germany] Rhine Valley/wine region of Germany [into The Netherlands] Amsterdam!. And on the final day, we drove through Belgium on our way back to London. Countries that I saw in transit: Liechenstein, Monaco, Vatican City, Belgium. Grand total: 14 countries in 30 days. yay! I cannot say enough about the friends that I have met on this tour. This has definitely been a once-in-a-lifetime trip that will forever stand out in my memories. I wish I could put all of my pics on here, but...:). There are over 3000, so - enjoy what's here.

Prost! from Germany and into the Swiss Alps!

On my way into switzerland today, having a great time but definitely getting tired of living out of a suitcase. tomorrow im traveling to the highest post office in the world on top of the jungfrau mountain. yay for snow!!!!