Rachelle Laughs.

Bernhoft

2011-09-28T23:53:00.001-07:00

This dude was on Ellen.
He is from Norway and is super goofy.
Needless to say, I fell in love.

whirlwind of fun and crazy

2011-08-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

My life is all over the place right now. I just looked at my calendar for August and literally (and I really mean literally) every single day is planned out. If I am not working, I am doing something, somewhere, with someone. Jay says I overbook myself, which is probably true and why I got sick last night (stomach ache, nausea, and ended up vomiting... ugh), but I love living every day like it is my last. I don't want to look back on my youth and think I didn't experience enough. I think part of the reason I am like this is because of my job. I take care of people in a time where they are most vulnerable... and with that comes a lot of emotion. Plus sitting in a hospital bed with nothing to do gives people a lot of time to think and reflect on life. From these experiences, I have concluded there are far too many people who live with regret. They regret not spending enough time with their loved ones. They regret not traveling enough. They regret not living enough. I refuse to let that happen to me.

In the future, I will look back on Summer of 2011 and remember that I:

... went to see Brett Dennen in concert... spent time at my cabin with friends... went on a boat cruise in Chicago for my brother's graduation and mother's day... ate delicious food in many different restaurants... spent a weekend in Lake Geneva with friends... went to Summerfest in Milwaukee... watched fireworks with Jay laying in the grass... used a chain saw for the first time... saw 311 and Sublime with Rome... drank many beers... ran (and walked) a 5k for charity... rented a house on Lake Michigan with 9 of my favorite ladies... saw the last Harry Potter movie and cried... went to my family's annual picnic... went to the flea market... had lots of laughs... spent a couple days in northern Wisconsin at a friend's cabin... spent a week in Hawaii with my family... walked around the entire coast of Lake Geneva... spent as much time as I could with the people I love...

Enjoying the city lights at night.

311 and Sublime with Rome Show

Playing with sparklers at my cabin

Summer Fest in Milwaukee

Walking around downtown Lake Geneva

Relaxing on the beach of Lake Michigan

After we ran our 5k

Outside the lake house we rented on Lake Michigan

Our private beach for the weekend

4th of July

Summer is coming to an end... and that means school is starting soon. I think I am pushing myself now more than ever, because I know it will be impossible to fit as many fun trips and plans into my schedule once school starts, especially because this quarter coming up includes clinical rotation. I am excited, nervous, and stressed all at the same time.

I am also thinking about my future and how much is about to change. Jay graduates from his PhD program this December or at the very latest May 2012. He has to find a job between now and then. After he finds a job he will be moving somewhere in the Chicagoland area. I also plan on finding a new job next year in OB. I want to experience being an OB nurse before I graduate as a Women's Health NP. There is a lot for me to learn. What stresses me out the most is that I plan to look for a job in the city, so I will have to move to Chicago... but then comes a lot more stress... Who will I live with? Can I afford it while paying for grad school out of pocket? Where will Jay be living? What neighborhood would I move to? Do I stay with the same company so I can keep the tuition reimbursement through work? When should I make this big change? Will I even find a job in OB? It is all just too much.

So... for now... I am choosing to ignore the future, live in the now, and bask in the summer sun.

Dear Summer,

     You and I have become the best of friends. You make me happy and we always have fun together. Please don't leave. Please extend your Midwest visit until November. Kthanks.

                           Sincerely,

you friend Rachelle.

summer is...

2011-07-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

live music

the smell of campfires lingering in my hair for days

fresh food

concerts

the lake

drinking beer during early hours

sparklers

music festivals

frisbee

boys being boys

laying in the grass

blue skies

couch to 5k

2011-06-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

I am so extremely out of shape. Ever since starting grad school I put exercising on the back burner. I have totally let myself go and it is pretty gross. I kept telling myself that it was no big deal, because after grad school was over, I would hire a personal trainer and kick myself back into shape. Well, I can't take it anymore. I don't like being this unhealthy. Since I am taking the summer off from school, I am going to dedicate the time and energy I was using toward school and use it toward getting healthy again.

So, to make exercising more exciting, I decided to sign up for a 5k. A 5k translates to 3.1 miles, which to most people is not a far distance, but I do not run at all and I really do need to train for this. It's pretty pathetic that I have to train for such a short distance, because lots of people I know run marathons and half marathons and a 5k is like a warm up to them. But I am me and I am not them so... that is that.

I found a program called "The Couch-to-5k Running Plan". Their whole philosophy is that people try to become runners and they push themselves too hard at first and they tend to burn themselves out and lose interest. Well, this plan is a 9 week plan... and the race I signed up for is exactly 9 weeks away... eek! You run/walk/jog 3 times a week for no more than 30 minutes. I read through it and it is totally doable.

I also found a bunch of podcasts on iTunes that have people who talk you through each week. So, you just play the podcast and they tell you when to run and when to walk based on "The Couch-to-5k Running Plan" and they have even synced their music to go along with it!

Wish me luck... I am headed to the gym!

seduce me with your hobbit voice

2011-06-03T01:31:00.000-07:00

This is Brett Dennen.
I am going to see him tonight!

Take a listen.
I let him seduce me with his music.

Even though he looks like a tall hobbit.

summer off

2011-05-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

So, after reading my last post, I think you can understand why I have decided to take the summer off from school. I was going back and forth about it for awhile, but in the end I think I made the right decision. My graduation date will be postponed for 10 weeks, but in the long run, what's 10 weeks? Most importantly, this will help my mental sanity to have a nice break (I am half way through my program! yay!) and I am now able to partake in so many fun plans for the summer. I have also convinced myself I will work extra shifts so I can make more money... we'll see how that goes.

One of the most exciting plans I have made for the summer is a trip to Hawaii!! My family has not traveled outside of this country in a couple years, which has been unfortunate since we used to go on big trips every year. It has been a struggle with both myself and my brother being in college, because our schedules were so hectic. Now that he has just graduated college and with me taking the summer off from grad school... HAWAII here we come!

More upcoming excitements: My brother's graduation party. Cabin trips with friends. 311 and Sublime show in Chicago. Renting a house on Lake Michigan with 8 of my favorite ladies. Summerfest in Milwaukee. Going to the beach. Late nights in the city with my best friends.

One of the other things I am extremely happy to be able to bring back into my life (at least until the fall quarter starts) is reading for FUN. Ever since I started grad school, I have picked up and put down at least 5 novels that I thought I was dying to read. I do not blame the authors for their lack of story telling, it is just difficult for me to make it through a book when I know that I should be spending my time reading texts books. I will pick up a book, read 100 pages in, then be busy for three weeks solid with paper writing and studying for tests, then never pick the book back up again.

I already have a stack of summer reads:

... a book that I picked up and put down after page 25. This time it gets a real chance.

Summary: Geek Love is the story of a carnival family, the Binewskis, who save their traveling "Carnival Fabulon" from bankruptcy by giving birth to fabulous freaks - the children born to Lil Binewski after she ingests drugs, insecticides, arsenic, radioisotopes, anything to make her babies more "special". The result is a world readers have never entered before, a place of horror and humor, where vengeance and love are realized in unimaginable ways. And where some unforgettable "Ripley's Believe It or Not" characters are both exotically unique - and hauntingly, chillingly, just like us.

... recommended to me by my lovely, Laura.

Apparently it is being turned into a movie now.

Summary: Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child. She's always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back. Her friend Minny has certainly never held her tongue, or hold on to a job for very long, but now she's working for a newcomer with secrets that leave her speechless. And white socialite Skeeter has just returned from college with ambition and a degree but, to her mother's lament, no husband. Normally Skeeter would find solace in Constantine, the beloved maid who raised her, but Constantine has inexplicably disappeared.

Together, these seemingly different women join to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town - to write, in secret, a tell-all book about what it's really like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South. Despite the terrible risks they will have to take, and the sometimes humorous boundaries they will have to cross, these three women unite with one intention: hope for a better day.

... found this at a book store a year or two ago and have not had the chance to give it a try. I have heard good things.

Summary: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there...

The publishers of Chris Cleave's novel "don't want to spoil" the story by revealing too much about it, and there's good reason not to tell too much about the plot's pivot point. All you should know going in to Little Bee is that what happens on the beach is brutal, and that it braids the fates of a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan (who calls herself Little Bee) and a well-off British couple--journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday--who should have stayed behind their resort's walls. The tide of that event carries Little Bee back to their world, which she claims she couldn't explain to the girls from her village because they'd have no context for its abundance and calm. But she shows us the infinite rifts in a globalized world, where any distance can be crossed in a day--with the right papers--and "no one likes each other, but everyone likes U2." Where you have to give up the safety you'd assumed as your birthright if you decide to save the girl gazing at you through razor wire, left to the wolves of a failing state.

... I picked it up in a box of free books. So many women read Danielle Steel, so I will give it a try. Don't laugh.

Summary: A violent crime brings together four lives in Danielle Steel’s sixtieth bestselling novel, the story of a mother’s courage, a family’s terror, and a triumph of human strength and dignity in the face of overwhelming odds.

Outside the gates of a California prison, Peter Morgan is released after four long years and vows to redeem himself in the eyes of the young daughters he left behind. Simultaneously, Carl Waters, a convicted murderer, is set on the path of freedom with him. That night, three hundred miles south in San Francisco, police detective Ted Lee comes home to a silent house; for twenty-nine years, he has been living for his job—and slowly falling out of love with his wife. Across town, in an exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood, a mother tries to shield her three children from the panic rising within her. Four months after her husband’s death, Fernanda Barnes faces a mountain of debt she cannot repay, a world destroyed, and a marriage lost.

Within weeks, the lives of these four people will collide in ways none of them could have foreseen. For Fernanda, whose life had once been graced by beautiful homes, security, success, and stunning wealth, the death of her brilliant, brooding husband was already too much to bear. She simply couldn’t imagine a greater loss, until a devastating crime rocks her family to its core—and brings Detective Ted Lee into her life.
A man of unshakable integrity, Lee will soon become the one person who tries to save Fernanda’s family from a terrifying fate. Fernanda must draw on a strength she never knew she had. Racing against time in the underbelly of the criminal world, buffeted by the dark side of power, and unmoored by loss and betrayal, no one can predict where this tragedy will take them.

... no idea how this book showed up on my shelf, but excited to read it.

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.

Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

beyond frazzled.

2011-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

My to do list is making me frazzled. I am trying to stay calm and just focus on one thing at a time and celebrating with a "woop woop!" each time I get to cross something off.

TO DO (in the next two days):

Study and take a quiz on the assessment of the abdomen and cardiovascular system
Do an abdominal and cardiovascular assessment on someone
~~Submit my groups diagnostic paper on a fake patient with abdominal pain and other such symptoms (we diagnosed her with acute cholecystitis)~~ >cholecystitis<
~~Write an evaluation of my peers in my group for said diagnostic paper~~
~~Take a quiz for my research class on descriptive, exploratory and experimental study designs~~
Buy: makeup remover, shampoo, things to decorate my hat for the derby party this weekend, ingredients for the food I am making for the derby party, booze for party (summer shandy!), ~~a gift for my brother's graduation~~
Decorate hat for derby party
~~Alter my mom's dress for my cousin's wedding in two weeks~~
~~Change my bed linens~~
Clean my room
Do my nails
Get my TB test read at work. I can already tell ya... I don't have Tuberculosis.
Make cards for my mom for mother's day and my brother for graduating college

The reason I must must get all of this done today and tomorrow... is because I am busy busy busy! Tomorrow night I am having dinner with Jay's family for mother's day. Early Saturday, Jay and I are having lunch with my family. Saturday afternoon into the night, we go to my friend's house for her annual Derby Party where we all dress in swanky clothes and pretend we fancy big hats and drinking mint juleps. Sunday morning, we wake up early and go to my brother's graduation from UIC. Sunday afternoon we board the Spirit of Chicago cruise ship at Navy Pier and have a dinner cruise along the Lake Michigan Chicago coast and eat, drink, and take fun pictures with the city skyline in celebration of my bro's big graduation and my mom for being mom.

... just breathe. hee hee whoooooo. hee hee whoooo. Can ya blame me for Lamaze breathing? I am going to be a Women's Health NP after all!


"Can I go to the derby party?" says Dante.

My cat is a weirdo.

He decides to sit on my hat and refused to move as I was playing with ideas on how to decorate it.

Trying not to get too excited

2011-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't really talked about school much lately, mostly because it has been drab. I learn a lot, yes, but the hands on experiences are what I really love and love to talk about. So, I am excited to report that my clinical rotation starts this summer! This summer's rotation will focus on basic health assessment. By the end, I should know how to fully assess people and know what the next steps are to take if I see a problem. I found a place that is close to home that has two Certified Nurse Midwives in the practice. I am beyond excited to work with them because the thought of becoming a midwife has always sat in the back of my mind. I am the type of person who is always planning and jumping ahead (those of you who know me are probably laughing at the solid truth in that statement). So, now that becoming a Women's Health NP is coming up.. I am already thinking.. do I want to become a midwife?? I need to slllowwww down and make it through the program, then graduate, then get a job, then work for a little while, throw in a marriage and some kids in there... and THEN I can think about becoming a midwife. Either way I hope this works out. I haven't received a definite yes from them yet, I should know by next week. Trying not to get too excited. This experience with them could be so valuable to me. So, for those of you who pray... pray for me that this works out. K thanks!

Fabric Flowers in Bloom

2011-04-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a glorious day.

My friend Amanda came to town.

We ate crepes.

Spinach and cream crepes.
The one below is an apple crepe.

So incredible.

Apple Crepe from Chez Pierre Creperie.

Drank chai tea lattes to keep us warm.

It was quite chilly outside, especially for April. grrr.

Investigated a new recreation area being constructed in our home town.

walking in through the entrance

water playground for the children

I sometimes forget how colorful sand is.

My feets.

I used to love to swing. Not as much anymore.
Almost gives me motion sickness. Boo.

Visited Manda's mom at work and she gave us a bunch of free stuff that they use as incentives for the customers to sign up for accounts or credit cards! We like free stuff!

Manda with all her goodies... blanket.. backpack... books.

Joined our friend Ashley at her house.
Which looks lovely and fresh.
Hopefully she posts a before and after of her home (hint hint).
She and her husband redecorated drastically since last year.

Drank some tea.

such a funny mug.

Made headbands out of felt and old t-shirts.

Manda's headband.

My headband! I don't usually like pink, but this really pale pink I am liking!

This is the tutorial I used to learn how to make the roses... then I just cut off the bottom of the rose (you'll see the long end in the tutorial) and hot glued them to a strip of jersey t shirt.

Fun day.

These are a few of my favorite things.

2011-04-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have an insane love for dresses. They are my favorite thing to wear. I think it is because I do not have to put any thought into my outfit. I pick out a dress, sometimes a belt to go with it, a cardigan if its chilly and bing bang boom, I have a whole outfit! Dresses are easy. One piece of clothing and I am done.

I recently counted the number of dresses in my closet (including the four I purchased last week... oops) and my grand total... yikes... 71 DRESSES. Holy guacamole! This includes summer dresses, maxi dresses, formal dresses, beach dresses, tshirt/jersey dresses, all of them... but I guess it is still an insane amount of dresses. I do, however, wear almost all of them all the time. I wear dresses whenever I can. In the summer with flip flops or strappy sandals... in the fall with tights, boots, and a cardigan... in the winter with leggings and sweaters. I wear them year round. Dresses anchor my closet.

It's a wonderful obsession.

in South Carolina Summer 09.

Dancing at Jay's mama's 50th bday party

Drinking wine at a friend's apt.

Derby Party May 2010

At a graduation party summer 2010

Ready to go out for my birthday July 2010

Boat Cruise for my birthday Summer 2010

My cousins baby, Summer 2010.

Bachelorette Party Summer 2010

Summer 2010 at the Chicago Botanic Gardens
(this doesnt really qualify since its a skirt, but i love this outfit)

Fall 2010. Before the DMB show in Chicago

Fall 2010

This past New Years

Seeing a band... being goofy.

March 2011 at a Breast Cancer Benefit

In Germany

Two summers ago

At a wedding a few years back

New Years Eve a couple years ago

At a bar at U of I

Dancing with Jay at a party


Fun with Shley in my basement

Perspective.

2011-04-13T03:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes to get me through situations that I know I am being irrationally emotional about (see previous post)... I have to take a step back, take a deep breathe, and give myself some perspective.

Sky and Water by M.C.Escher

This boy that I knew from elementary school and middle school died the other day. I haven't seen him since I was in high school and I do not even know him anymore From what I do remember, he was always so nice and goofy. It saddens me, because he was so young. I think about his family, his friends, his girl friend. My heart goes out to his loved ones that are hurting and missing him right now.

He had a really bad headache and asked his girlfriend take him to the hospital. Within five minutes of him being in the Emergency Department, he died from a brain aneurysm. My friends have been asking me if this is something we have to worry about or something we can do to prevent such things. There really isn't. He was so young and seemingly healthy. This was just one of those freak events that no one could have predicted or prevented. I did learn from some of my old classmates who kept in touch with him that he was an organ donor, which is one amazing thing we can take away from a young death. He could have saved over 8 lives. I hope you are all organ donors. Learn More

A patient at my hospital who was really young and came in for a somewhat simple procedure died the other day. Two of my co workers (the nurse and the nurse assistant) were in the room with the patient at 3am. At 4am, the nurse walked into the room and discovered that the patient had passed away. We went through the whole rapid response and code blue process, but the patient was gone. My co worker was shaking as she had to call the family and tell them what happened. I cannot reveal any real details of the situation and I honestly don't know that many details, because they have to perform an autopsy on the patient to see what went wrong. It was so shocking and unexpected that it just rattles you.

Situations like this give you perspective. You really have no idea when your time is going to come. I think we get so caught up with the little things in life, that we aren't looking at the big picture. Is it really worth it to get that upset when your boyfriend forgets to call you back, because he is playing video games? Is it really that big of a deal when the lady at the drive-thru gets your order wrong? Is it really that inconvenient that you have to stay at work an extra hour? Is it that awful when you get stuck in traffic?

The Beatles put it best... "there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend".

There really isn't.

Food Frustration

2011-04-13T03:02:00.000-07:00

I made dinner for Jay last night and it almost ended in tears. I truly hate cooking for him. He is just really good at cooking so he is the one who cooks all the time. Every now and then I get an urge to cook for him, like I did last night. I had questions on the best way to cut the chicken and which way he thinks would be the best way to cook the chicken. He loves the science of food and cooking, so he explained a lot of stuff to me and the reasoning behind why there are certain techniques about cooking that I just have to know. Even though it is not his fault, I ended up getting frustrated and upset, because I do not like doing things that I just totally suck at. I feel stupid in front of him, because I know he is so good at cooking and I almost get embarrassed (which of course is ridiculous and irrational, because he is the one person I should never feel embarrassed in front of). So I kick him out of the kitchen and hold back tears as I talk to myself in my head... "Rachelle, really? This is so not worth crying over. You are cooking. Just do your best and get it over with. He is going to eat whatever you give him and love it. Suck it up and save the tears!" In the end I prepared...

Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with feta cheese drizzled with a balsamic glaze. (the only way i eat bacon)

and...

Pan fried seasoned chicken breast topped with guacamole, onion, tomato, lettuce, pepperjack cheese (and Jay's had bacon) on a Kaiser Roll with sides of potato salad and baked beans.

He loved it and the dinner was a success.

To balance out my inability to really cook...
I am good at...
-taking pictures (do not judge from my crappy cell phone pics above).
-being a friend.
-staying in touch.
-planning.
-being a nurse.

hop on the crazy train.

2011-03-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

I looked at the clock and it reads 10:30pm. What?! Where did the last 2 hrs go?! I got home from taking my friend Ryan out to dinner for his birthday and I was determined to get home and do homework the moment I got my pajamas on! How did the clock just fast forward to 10:30pm already? And then I recalled the last two hours... oh dear...

I walked in the door while on the phone with Jay who often keeps me company on my car rides, because car rides put me to sleep really really quickly. Unfortunately, this happens not only when I am riding as a passenger, but when I am sitting in the drivers seat, so Jay talks to me to keep me awake. So, I walk in the door and immediately go upstairs to change out of my super cute, but skin tight black jeans and don my warn and comfy sweatshirt and pj pants. Then Jay and I proceed to test whether our new cell phones can send text messages while we are talking on speaker phone. They do! Then, we start playing angry birds on our phones while we are talking on speaker phone. Angry birds is so much fun. I recommend the download, but I do have to warn you it will take over your life. At this point, I finally realize we are seriously just wasting time. So we get off the phone.

I walk downstairs after I have put on my most comfy slippers and sit down and stare at my homework assignment. My assignment is to diagnose a skin lesion that a "Mrs P. who is 48 yrs old" has on her left cheek under her eye. The description says it's a woman who is fair skinned and has a mole that is growing and bleeds easily and blah blah blah blah blah. My eyes go cross eyed. I need a book! Duh! A book will tell me all the answers! So I go to the library. Other people call this room the "study" or the "office". I call it a library, because it is where I keep all my books. Makes so much sense to me! I find the book I need: Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. I sigh... booorrrinnng. To the left of my book is a plastic bin of blank cards. I love to send cards. Then I remember, I need to send Jay a card. He loves to receive cards! I sift through the packs of note cards and find a good one that isn't too girly. I write him a cute note. I sign, seal, deliver... well I don't actually deliver, just had to make reference to such a great song!

Then I find myself sitting at the kitchen table wondering what was it I was supposed to do. Oh yeah! I went to the library for a book, not for a notecard! So I go back to the library and pick up the book. I sigh again... booooorrrrinngg! So, I pick up another note card and write a card to give to my cousin Kat who's bachelorette party is this weekend. Then I find myself back at the kitchen table not doing my homework, but looking at Pioneer Woman's blog. The latest entry was one consisting of horse photos people sent in. So beautiful. I love horses. I wish I rode horses when I was younger. Horses are so majestic and beautiful.

.....That is when I look at the clock. 10:30pm?!!!!

I am awful at concentrating and doing homework. Really really awful. Now I am tired and just want to sleep. So I have convinced myself that I am going to go to sleep and wake up early and do my homework, even though I very well know I am NOT a morning person. Maybe tomorrow will bring motivation and I will find myself at the library. The real library. The public library in a corner with headphones on, cranking out some awesome diagnoses and rationalizations as to why I think this lady has malignant melanoma.

Thanks for riding the crazy train. You may depart at this time.

Lists are easy.

2011-03-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

Jay said I do not write in my blog anymore, which is true... because when I do blog, I end up just posting pictures. I just feel like I have been too busy to really organize thoughts in a cohesive manner that I would think others would enjoy reading. So... in a tiny effort to write... I will update you on my current situation.

Currently...

Stressed out after filling out the next three months in school assignment deadlines.

The fourth quarter of my masters program just started yesterday and just looking at what lies ahead is exhausting enough for one day.

Excited to paint pottery today.

Tomorrow is my friend Jess's birthday. I am taking her to paint pottery today and then out for some fun drinks and delicious food.

My pottery painting from last year... mid-paint.

Wondering why I am awake at 4am.

My sleep schedule is so insanely off due to working night shifts, but I like my co workers on my shift and the extra money we make working nights. So I am sticking it out until I graduate!

Looking at a "wisteria" (shade of purple) bridesmaid dress I am wearing for my cousin's wedding in May and planning out my outfit in my head for her bachelorette party downtown Chicago this weekend.
Loving all the new undies I bought yesterday from Victoria's Secret.
Shopping around for a new lens for my camera!

My tax return is pretty hefty this year, so I am excited to spend a little dough... then the rest goes to tuition... le sigh.

Enjoying a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie from a delicious batch Jay baked for me.

so delicious.

Playing too many games on my new Tmobile G2 Phone. I am addicted to angry birds. Make it stop.

we are in love.

Excited about new nail polish I bought from Sephora yesterday.

Trying to gain motivation to work out... ick.

... that is all folks!

Stopping Nowhere

2011-03-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

Jay and I made a day trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to have lunch with one of my best friends, Laura. On our way home, the sun was starting to set, the snow was almost completely melted, and it was just perfect picture taking time. So, we stopped somewhere between Wisconsin and Illinois and took a detour.

my new favorite boots.

hi guys!

jay

middle of nowhere can be beautiful too

Roo Nee Noo

2011-03-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

This little, red, leather bound book contains quotes of many colors. Whenever I would hear a quote I liked in college I would write it down, email it to myself, or have a friend text it to me so I would not forget it. All those little quotes ended up in this leather bound book. I entitled it Roo Nee Noo. I forgot about Roo Nee Noo for awhile and just found it recently. I hope to add pages of colorful quotes to this book in the near future.

The inside cover reads:

"If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer,

A wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er,

A magic bean buyer,

Come in..."

Can you name where this quote is from? :)

him

2011-03-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

There is this really great guy who loves me.

He is amazing.

Five Cities in Eight Days

2011-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

My trip with my girlfriends was a whirlwind of crazy. I do not even know how to summarize the trip in one blog post, but I will attempt!

Five Cities...

1) Corvallis, Oregon

2) Newport, Oregon

3) Eugene, Oregon

4) Portland, Oregon

5) Seattle Washington

Each of these places was unique, different, and wonderful.

Trip started off with mimosas at my house!

CORVALLIS:

Katie is from Corvallis. She works for OSU and lives in a cute little ranch with two roommates and a pup named Pacey. We hung out and ate pizza, walked around downtown and shopped, ate at a delicious vegan restaurant, played fuzball and pool at a bar, and watched Katie and her friends play indoor soccer.


Katie's roommate's dog Pacey. Cutie.

Cartwheels in the quad of Oregon State Univ.

Peace Bro!

NEWPORT:

We decided to drive to Newport which is on the Pacific Coast, especially since some of my friends had never seen the Pacific Ocean. We played around on the beach for awhile, then ate yummy sea food.

Being silly on the beach.

Love is all around.

Stripes in the sand.

So pretty.

Moss covered trees everywhere.

Enjoyed the nature.

Headstands in the grass.

Ate delicious crab sandwiches.

ON THE ROAD FROM NEWPORT TO EUGENE:

From Newport we drove to Eugene and the drive was gorgeous and breathtaking. We took a longer route, but the route we chose drove along the coast and we stopped at some amazing spots.

Gorgeous

Driving down the coast.

Reminds me of Ireland

Reminds me of the land before time

EUGENE:

Manda lives in Eugene. She is in school to be a Waldorf teacher. She lives in a ranch with her roommates Eliza and Eli. We hung out and ate pasta while watching Narnia our first night, then took a drive into the mountains the next day, then out to dinner and then Manda had her friends over so we could meet all her new pals. Some of her friends know how to fire spin so they put on a fabulous show for us. We also painted a communal painting together.

Hanging out at Manda's

Manda's friends fire spun for us

More firespinning... a flower!

How cool!

An alien!

Communal painting that I started

A couple hours and about 15 people later...

Visited the Cascades

PORTLAND:

This city was new and interesting. I loved visiting, but it is too small for me to want to live there. If I am going to move to a big city it is going to be more like Chicago, or even Seattle would do! We had a ton of fun exploring Portland. We went to Powell's books... drank a ton of coffee at different coffee places... and ate lots of good food. We went to a movie/dinner/drinks place. Then, went out on the town at night.

Such positive graffiti!

Ate weird doughnuts from VooDoo Doughnuts. Shley's had bacon on it.

Drank 40's of High Life.

Danced at a gay bar.

Ate delicious food from the famous Portland Food carts.

Ate a nice dinner at Andina's a tapas restaurant

SEATTLE:

Lisa and I loved Seattle. The other girls had to go home and go back to work, but Lisa and I stayed a couple extra days to visit Seattle. Overall, we loved it there and could even move there! The music scene is great, the food scene is fabulous, the night scene was fun. We also went on a food tour, which I hope to start doing in all new cities I visit. We liked!

Went to: Experience Music Project

Up in the Seattle Space Needle

Beautiful view from the space needle.

Did a Pike Place Food Tour... tasted about 25 different things

The famous Pike Place Fish... they threw fish for us!

We did so much in 8 days... this barely skims the surface. All seven of us being together was definitely an experiment. We are all so different that we were not sure how the trip would go. Bringing seven strong personalities together is bound to cause some sort of trouble, but overall, it was a success! We had lots of laughs and got ourselves in just enough trouble to cause a ruckus. I love my friends. We had so much fun and made so many fun memories! I wish I could share all the photos with you, but there are hundreds upon hundreds.

i get by with a little help from my friends

2011-02-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

Did I tell you that I am traveling to Oregon in a week with 4 of my best friends to visit 2 of our best friends who live in Oregon? All 7 of us together at the same time... in a place other than our home town. It is going to be epic. I cannot describe to you how much I love these ladies. We have been friends since we were girls... girls without a care in the world, except to have fun. I am excited to take on a little adventure with each of them and to spend a whole week together. I love forming fun memories with these people.

Skydeck of the sears tower. Franke, Me, Laur, Lisa.

Luzern, Switzerland. Swiss Alps in the background. Me, Neiert, Franke.

Ready to go out to dinner. Franke, Lisa, Laur

Manda holding a basket of strawberries her, Laur, and I picked.

Dancing at a bar in Lake Geneva. Laur, Franke, Shley, Me.

Up in Lake Geneva, WI. Manda, Me, Franke.

At the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, showing our support. Shley and Me.

Konstanz, Germany. Franke, Me, Neiert.

Driving around the golf cart up at my cabin. Lisa. Manda. Franke.

Up at my cabin. Shley, Lisa, Franke, Manda.

Up at my cabin. Franke, Me, Lisa, Manda.

Up at my cabin. Shley and me.

At the beach on my birthday summer '10. Me and Franke.

At the Palmer House Hotel. Neiert and Me.

Laur's tiny strawberry. In Lake Geneva.

Before the DMB Concert. Wrigleyville. Franke, Me, Shley, Laur.

Laura, Manda, Me, and Lisa on St Patty's Day

Franke and Me in Charleston, South Carolina

At our friend Lauren's wedding. Franke, Me, Shley, Neiert.

Christmas gathering. Me, Shley, Neiert, Manda, Franke.

Me and Shley dancing at the Turkey Testicle Festival.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights. All 7 of us. :)

Me and Laur downtown.

Being goofy in Colorado. Laur, me, Nei, Franke, Manda in the back.

Lisa and Me at the Chicago History Museum

Neiert and Me in Steamboat Springs, CO

Me and Neiert spinning in circles in Stuttgart, Germany

Halloween 2010. Pocahontas, Ear of Corn, Sandra Dee.

Lisa and me on a Boat tour in the City

We have had so much fun together over the years.

I am so excited to spend time with my favorite ladies.

shower the people you love with love.

2011-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

So Jay and I already celebrated Valentine's Day, because we won't get to spend actual Valentine's Day together. We did a "staycation" over the weekend. Booked a hotel, went swimming, went out to a nice dinner, enjoyed a giant king size bed, watched a movie, breakfast in bed, went swimming again, sooo relaxing. I think we are going to do this more often. I am going to make sure of it.

India House

Yummy Indian Food

Loving the giant bed

Syrah

Left my heels in the car

Breakfast in bed


Love him.

My Valentine


Our Room

nail enamel

2011-02-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in "Stormy",

You and I are new bff's.

You go on so smoothly.

You dry in serious top speed fashion.

You stick to my nail for way longer than many other brands.

You are give my digits a lacquered look.

Your stormy color makes my skin look pretty.

I love you.

Thanks,

Rachelle.

Enero = January en espanol

2011-02-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

I totally thought January was boring... but looking back...

Started my winter quarter of my Women's Health NP program

Had drinks with friends from home/ high school

Had drinks with one of my bff's from college Wylie and his amazing girlfriend Sofie

Found this under the glass of our table at the bar. Judging Owl is my new friend.

Shot this while Jay and I had drinks with Wylie and Sofie


Snapped a pic of Jay and Me


Met up for dinner with my friend Madeline where we ate delicious cheese fondue. Yum.


Had drinks and lots of laughs in the city with some of my favorite ladies

Caught dancing and prancing at a bar in Wicker Park in Chicago

Ended up at a full blown night club in the city. What a crazy blur.

Found my friends and brother smiling even after the Bears lost to the Packers.


Went out with some girls and had a great time dancing to the great tunes of Rodd Tuffcurls and the Bench Press

We love Rodd Tuffcurls and the Bench Press

Saw Black Swan... made my skin crawl and gave me an almost heart attack. My stomach was in knots watching this movie!!

...I guess I had a pretty busy January!! Sorry for barely writing!

Brrrrrr!

2011-02-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Gusts of wind! 2 feet of snow! Frigid temperatures! Oh winter life in Illinois.

Just to give you a little peek into this winter wonderland...

the snow is up to my mid thigh

buried patio furniture

In other news...

Jay's sister, mom and cousin are doing the Avon walk for breast cancer in Chicago in June. If you want to help out the cause, please go to their site and donate!!

Twenty Eleven

2011-01-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

So far this year is shaping out to be much like last year. I didn't really make any resolutions, because I never follow through with them anyway. I used to make lists, then would stumble across them in my journal months later and just be disappointed that I did not fulfill any of them.

So, my one goal for this year is to...

try harder in school

I have to tip the scale of life toward school a little more, because last year I was trying to balance everything evenly. I was balancing being a full time student, working as a nurse full time, being a full time girlfriend, a full time friend, and a full time member of a family. Now I have come to terms with the fact that I have to take some of my time away from everything else to focus on school right now. It is just for one more year (I graduate in Spring 2012), so right now I need to keep my head in the game.

Every time I tell myself this the scene from High School Musical pops into my head...

Here is to a year of working my butt off.

Facebook Profile Pics of 2010

2011-01-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

To sum up my 2010 year, here are my facebook profile pics from 2010

(not in chronological order... too lazy for that at this point)

Christmas 2010

Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo with my bestest girlfriends.

Halloween

Sears Tower Skydeck

Turkey Testicle Festival

Turkey Testicle Festival - Dancing to Hurts So Good

Navy Pier

Out for my cousin Maricel's birthday (the short one)

Skydeck

Playing with my co workers daughter's monkey (she took the pic)

Kentucky Derby Party

Jason Mraz / Dave Matthews Band Concert

Walking around Chicago

Halloween

Random night in Wicker Park

Sauerdista Wedding

Skydeck

Nursing School room mate visits Chicago!

St Patty's Day in Wrigleyville

Out for drinks

Party at my house

When I cut my bangs

When I chopped my hair

Before the Dave and Jason Mraz show

me and momma

At Maricel's house

Chicago Botanic Gardens

On a rooftop of an apt building.. in Chicago

Chicago Botanic Gardens

At my cabin

Sturgeon Bay, WI for my Bday... ladies trip

Looking out at the lake.. Sturgeon Bay

At my cabin

At Laur's lake house in Lake Geneva... me and Oskar her pup.

At Shauna and Craig's wedding

Strawberry Picking in Lake Geneva

Dublin, Ireland... Guinness Brewery

Taken on my bro's iphone

Dublin, Ireland

Kentucky Derby Party

Wine and dinner at Tom's place

Derby Party


Derby Party

Bye bye 2010... you were a fantastic year.

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here and I am all about embracing this winter wonderland.

I had a $5 thrift store Christmas Secret Santa this week. Sounds amazing... I know! We each had a secret Santa and the gifts had to be from a thrift store and you could not spend more than $5. It was fun and challenging. We all ended up with fabulous things... a furry canteen, a 98 Degrees CD, an Esmerelda Burger King toy, a tea pot, a Lost puzzle... lots of great stuff! It was mostly fun to drink hot cider and chat and catch up with my friends. So much fun when we are together.

Drinking hot spiced cider and enjoying each others' company :o)

A Canteen!

Lauren just got married in October... one of her thrift store gifts was a

"Best way to get pregnant naturally" book. Haha!

Esmerelda Toy

Ninja Turtles Game

Last night we went to Lincoln Park Zoo Lights in Chicago. I was with 8 of my favorite people. They decorate the zoo with Christmas lights and some of the animal exhibits are open. We got to see gorillas sleeping. They sell hot cocoa and cider and popcorn. It is a winter wonderland. Prior to the zoo we also ate at Revolution Brewery, which I highly recommend... and also insist that you order the Mustard Chicken Sandwich (Grilled chicken, spicy mustard, garlic aoli, fontina cheese, red onion, and arugla... DELICIOUS) and order the Bottom Up Belgian Wit Beer (Refreshing Belgian-style wheat beer spiced with coriander and orange peel).

Revolution Brewery

Lincon Park Zoo Lights

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

I LOVE giraffes

Live Ice Sculpting

Also... I booked a trip to Oregon.. along with four of my best friends in the world... to visit our two best friends who now live in Oregon (So the seven of us pictured above are going to be together in Oregon!!) It is going to be insanely amazing. We are going in February. We were hanging out waiting for everyone to get off work last night and decided to see if the prices had dropped from last week and they were $100 less than they were 4 days ago. We jumped on it and now we are all going to Oregon! So exciting.

********************************************************************************************************

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and ~~subsequent carving~~
~~Sew my own Halloween costume~~
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
~~Make spiced cider~~
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
~~Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving~~
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
~~See a musical or play~~
~~Have a Christmas party with my girls~~
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
~~Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop~~
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon <<< FEBRUARY 18-25!!

spiced cider and a couch.

2010-12-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

Last night... I sat on a couch, with my friend Ashley M, ate warm chocolate chip cookies, and drank homemade spiced cider... all while we watched Glee! The perfect mid-week, holiday season night. I just put apple cider in a pot and threw in some brown sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and cloves and heated it on medium until it all tasted yummy and warm. Truly delicious.

Exciting things are happening this month!!!

Only two exams stand between me and the end of my 2nd quarter of grad school
Tonight I am going out to dinner in Chicago with two of my bestest friends, Laura and Lisa. We are going to try a new restaurant that none of us have tried.
Saturday I am making a drop-off donation at my local food pantry. Every little bit helps.
December 17 a friend's band is playing at the Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville (home of the Chicago Cubs)
December 18 is my work Christmas breakfast and gift exchange
The week before Christmas is when all my out of state friends come back home
December 20 is my thrift store Christmas party with my best friends. (We are doing a secret santa - but everyone can only spend $5 at the thrift store)
December 21 going to see the zoo lights at Lincoln Park Zoo

So many exciting things happening between now and Christmas time! I love the holidays!

________________________________________________________________________

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and ~~subsequent carving~~
~~Sew my own Halloween costume~~
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
~~Make spiced cider~~
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
~~Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving~~
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
~~See a musical or play~~
Have a Christmas party with my girls
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon

big house

2010-12-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

So... I don't know if I have every really pointed out that I live at home with my parents right now. With my current situation, living at home was the most logical decision...

My work is close to my parents' house
I am paying for graduate school out of pocket
I cannot live with my boyfriend since he lives too far away
I have no idea where I will be in a couple years after I graduate so, I cannot buy a house.
Renting an apartment would be a waste of money if I can live at home for free and pay for grad school out of pocket
I will have no debt once I graduate and will be able to afford a nicer house when I do buy one.

While I love my parents dearly and appreciate all that they do for me, living at home is just what you imagine it to be. I mean, yes my mom will do my laundry and cook for me, but she also will call me if I don't come home by a certain time just to check that I am still alive... she will also 20-question me about everything, just because she is curious about my life. I also cannot just sit around and do nothing for a day, because I feel guilty that I am being lazy when she is up and about working and cooking and cleaning... etc etc etc.

This week... my parents are on a cruise with some of their friends and it has really hit me hard that I really don't like living alone, even if the alternative is living with my parents. I constantly keep the TV on, because I like the background noise of voices talking. I am calling Jay every minute because I want someone to talk to. I sleep on the couch downstairs, because when I am in my bed upstairs, I hear the creaking of my house and think someone is robbing it downstairs. I have been eating out a lot, because making meals for only one person is never fun and I won't eat the left overs.

I never realized how much I truly enjoy being surrounded by people.

Another realization I have made this week is that I really like to entertain. I had people over last weekend in celebration of having a big house to myself. Just several of my friends gathered for food, laughs, and games. I had fun going out and shopping for appetizers. I enjoyed writing the text messages to invite everyone over. I liked making sure everyone was having fun. We had some beers/wine/cocktails and played good old fashioned pictionary. It was a great time. I really look forward to buying a house and hosting. Jay and I have talked about how we think we will be great hosts since I love setting up parties and planning the music, activities, and food, while Jay is really great at cooking. Hopefully the future comes sooner than I think it will.

fun with food

gathered around the table

good ol' fashioned pictionary

laughing it up

plenty of beers consumed

centerpiece and snack!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! :)

I will leave you with a quote from the show Scrubs (one of my favs)...

"I don't think poeple are meant to be alone,

that's why if you find someone you actually care about,

it's important to let go of the little things"

...the wise words of Dr. John Dorian.

Turkey Balls.

2010-11-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

The day before Thanksgiving, a small pub in Huntley, IL throws a big party to celebrate the consuming of turkey testicles! The Turkey Testicle Festival. I was finally able to attend this year and boy was it everything I imagined it to be. Deep fried turkey balls, live music, lots of dancing, plenty of laughs, great friends, and fun times.

My friend, Justin, trying his first turkey testicle. Yum.

As happy as my face looks here... they were super gross.

At first, they seem like a chicken nugget. Then after three or four... you get sick to your stomach. Gross.

We had a fun time dancing... to Hurts So Good by John Mellecamp.

Bob and Dan Photos

2010-11-28T02:11:00.000-08:00

If you haven't listened to Episode 59 of Bob and Dan Cast, you should. Also, if you listen closely, there are times when you can hear my camera shutter snapping photos in the background. The results...

bob

dan

That's how strong my love is.

2010-11-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

One of the sexiest singers ever.
Otis Redding.

This song is a beautiful favorite.

Listen and enjoy and just feel good listening to it.

(This is the first song on "Jay's Cd for Rachelle Disc 2")

Being thankful, yet wishing for more

2010-11-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

Although I mostly associate Thanksgiving week with binging on food and shopping for deals, I do like to remind myself that this is supposed to be a week to reflect on things to be thankful for.

I am thankful for...

My gigantic family - there is always someone around, makes you feel like you always have someone to support you.
My old friends - most of my bestest friends are from grade school/middle school/high school. I love them so much. We have grown to be such different people, but its like we are family now, we accept each other along with all the craziness that follows.
My new friends - it is hard for me to make new friends since my old friends are so great and I feel like most people do not live up to their standard, but that just means the few new great friends I have made since high school are just that fantastic.
Jay - He keeps me steady when I get flustered. He makes me laugh when I want to scream. He is so very kind. I love him.
Being financially stable - right now my financial situation is not too much of a worry for me, which I am so very thankful for, since I know so many families out there are sadly struggling.
My happiness - I have become recently aware of how unhappy some people truly are. It boggles my mind that some people are generally unhappy or dissatisfied with life. I am thankful that I am not one of those people, I strive to find light in even the darkest moments. I have only a handful of unhappy days a year and I smile more often than not. When I am stressed, I do throw a fit, but end up just laughing at myself later at how ridiculous I was. It is just takes too much of my energy for me to be unhappy.

Even though I am very thankful for the life I have been blessed with... I still do wish for some things. Christmas is coming and like every child (at heart) at Christmas... I have a wish list for all the Santas out there that want to brighten my holiday with gifts! (That means you!)

A keyboard so I can re-learn to play the piano.

This bag from Urban Outfitters

T-Mobile's new G2 Phone

The board game Quarto!

So much fun... and it makes the rusty wheels in your head turn!

Knee high argyle socks

This Aero Bed Airmattress.

My family used to have one when they first came out, but after 7 years of constant use, it finally crapped out.

I spend a lot of time visiting people and I want one of these again.

An eternity scarf.

It is one big loop.

Someone to bake me white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. My favorite.

A trip to Spain.

Hey, a girl can dream!

Bob and Dan Cast

2010-11-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

So my fifteen minutes of fame have been used up this past week. My friends have a weekly podcast that they put out into the world. They are two funny guys who discuss television, movies, current events, video games, and just shoot the shit. This week they asked me to be on the show.

So. Much. Fun.

I was super nervous, because they are witty, smart, and funny. I was not sure I could keep up. After actually listening to the show, I think I held my own! Phew!

Take a listen and enjoy!

BOB AND DAN CAST: A podcast made especially for you.

I appear on Episode 59: Funny Shui

Slacker is me.

2010-11-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

So... it is 1am... and I was supposed to work tonight, but our census was low, so I told them I would stay home if they didn't need me. They didn't. So here I am.. with a ton of homework ahead of me. And what am I doing instead of using the extra time to get ahead of the game? I am taking an awkward picture of myself on my webcam for all of you to see. This is me... lying in my bed... snuggling up with my sweater... about to watch shows on Netflix.

I always do this. I wait until the last minute to do a homework assignment and then even if I find that I am given extra time... I end up catching up on the latest episodes of Dexter and Cougar Town instead of writing my Scientific Basis for Clinical Reasoning Paper. I suck.

I just work better under pressure. When I know the deadline is rapidly approaching, I can sit down, focus, and type twice as fast.

So, I guess I will just take this time for rest and relaxation so I can wake up early and head to the library with laptop and headphones in my backpack.

At least I am true to myself and am self aware of my flaws, right?

WAYYY more importantly than me being lazy... the new HARRY POTTER MOVIE!! Ahhhh!

I loved it.

Too bad I saw it with Jay who fell asleep and snored a little through the movie (I was mortified). Although I totally love him for coming with me, because no one else could see it on opening day with me. I was about to go alone. I refused to see it at midnight, because packed theaters make me claustrophobic. I feel like I am breathing everyone in the theaters breath. Gross. Not to mention the lines and the stuffiness and the constant chatter and obnoxious, smelly people. No thanks. So we saw it opening day while everyone else was at work and the kiddies were at school. It was glorious. If you are reading this and you haven't seen it yet... we aren't friends. So, redeem yourself and go.

That's all folks.

thinning the closet.

2010-11-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

My parents are visiting our family in the Philippines early next year. I don't know if I have ever talked about my mother's family before, but she is one of nine children and her entire family still lives in the Philippines. It is insane to me that my mother was once a different person than she is today... that she was once young and single... with no children... probably a lot more of a free spirit than she is today... with her current life of schedules, bills, cooking, cleaning, working... so weird.

Anyway, about every three to five years our family goes to the Philippines for a month. This is the first year our parents are going without us. Every time we go, we get rid of a bunch of our old things and give them away. Our family isn't completely poor, but they do appreciate free American clothing. So, I am currently going through my closet and trying to purge myself of pieces that are crowding my space. It is a lot more difficult than I always think it will be...

I see an item.

I decide I do not like it anymore.

I remember the fun memories I had wearing that item.

I throw it in a box.

I walk away...

... I come back.

I remember another memory I had wearing that item.

I think of another item that would better this item when worn together.

I think... "yay, new outfit!"

I put said item back into closet.

I am back at square one.

Damnit.

... slowly but surely my closet is becoming less crowded. It's really not a fun game though. I guess I just need to remember eventually I will refill the holes with new things until the next time my family goes across the sea.

In other news... my favorite cousin had a birthday this week. Last weekend my friends and I took her out in Chicago. She is a Milwaukee resident now, so the big city of Chicago is unfamiliar to her. We showed her a great time.

she's the one in the middle. the short one. :)

My other cousin's little baby boy was baptised this weekend. He is such a little nugget.

Advice from a wise wizard

2010-11-18T04:45:00.000-08:00

The world isn't split into good people and death eaters.

We've all got both light and dark inside of us.

What matters is the part we choose to act on.

That's who we really are.

-Sirius.

... omfg. HP 7!

I just...

2010-11-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ahh! I haven't blogged in awhile.

[rockin' my shades]

I need sleep (just got home from a 12 hr shift.. and a meeting after my shift)... so all I have to tell you is that I just...

... ate 7 pieces of Halloween Candy at 9:20am. Gross. I promise to brush my teeth though, don't you worry your pretty little head... this gal is getting no cavities!

... put on a really old Old Navy long-sleeve. So comfortable.

... went to Walmart at 8:45am and found out that the pharmacy opens at 9am... not 8am. I am too impatient to wait 15 minutes.

... can't fall asleep because I am excited for the weekend. Maricel, my favorite cousin, is growing another year older next week, so me and my friends are taking her out on the town... Chi-town that is. Then Sunday is one of our cousin's baby's baptism. Family and good food on a Sunday? Yes please!

[took Jay out for some celebratory (yay he passed his prelim) beers]

[Hello, my name is Luhfawnduh]

A CORNy Halloween!

2010-11-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and ~~subsequent carving~~
~~Sew my own Halloween costume~~
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
Make spiced cider
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
~~See a musical or play~~
Have a Christmas party with my girls
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon

**********************************************************************

Here it is!! My Halloween Costume!!!

EAR OF CORN!!!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! I spent it with some of my greatest friends at our friend's house party in Chicago. It was nice and chill and fun. We went out to the bars for a little bit afterward, which was fun just to see other costumes. A great Halloween spent with fantastic people.

Champaign - Urbana

2010-10-29T01:24:00.000-07:00

Coming back to a town you once lived in is really eye opening.

I lived in this town for four years.

It has been three years since I lived here.

The life I lived here seems so far away, so long ago.

I was a different person back then.

The buildings all look the same, so classic, so old.

I drove around town with a huge smile on my face.

The trees paint the town orange.

Some of my favorite eateries are still thriving.

I have plans to walk around and pretend I am a resident again.

I want to blend in as a secret outsider.

Billy [Sub Par] Elliot

2010-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Crossed another off the list!

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and ~~subsequent carving~~
Sew my own Halloween costume
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
Make spiced cider
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
~~See a musical or play~~
Have a Christmas party with my girls
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon

My family celebrated my mom's birthday last Thursday. Her real birthday was Saturday, but in a family of two nurses, a senior in college, and a medical technologist, it is super difficult to get the same day off. So, miraculously we all got Thursday off and spent the evening downtown.

We ate dinner at Grand Lux Cafe. It is a nice place to eat with reasonable prices. Since it is a sister to The Cheesecake Factory... you know its delicious. My mother loves this place, so we go there whenever she goes into the city.

[My dad and mom @ Grand Lux Cafe]

After our feast (which included two of Grand Lux's famous desserts), we hailed a cab to the Oriental (Ford) theater for my birthday present for my mom... Billy Elliot. (You can see my review of the show below). The theater is gorgeous. During intermission I just sat in my seat and stared at all the details of the ceiling. Obviously, you are not allowed to take any pictures, so I have none to show you, but I bet the pictures would not do it justice anyway.

[My brother, dad, and mom after the show]

[We should SO try out to be Billy Elliot dancers]

[After the show]

Overall, the night was great. My mom really had fun. After the show, we stopped at Starbucks, grabbed some warm drinks and walked back about 8 blocks to our car, enjoying the downtown area, nice and quiet on a Thursday night.

[On the walk home]

[haha]

My review: My family has seen our share of shows: Lion King, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat... to name a few off the top of my head. So, Billy Elliot was just okay to me. I was REALLY excited for the show and had really high expectations. I was kind of let down.  Overall, I enjoyed myself, but it just didn't totally hit the spot for me.  The whole story is set in the UK during the mid 80's when the miners went on strike and amidst all the chaos and commotion, this little 11 year old boy wants to become a ballet dancer.  The accents were SO distracting, they almost sounded Scottish to me.  I couldn't understand about 25% of what they were saying.  Also, the singing was only okay, none of the singers were really THAT amazing.  When people can really sing, I tear up. During Wicked, I got teary eyed. During Lion King, I was teary eyed half the time because not only was the singing great, the show is just beautiful.  Billy Elliot singers did not really hit me on that level.  Then, the dancing was only okay as well.  You could tell the dancers were really really talented, but the overall organization of the dancing was only okay.  Lastly, I felt each dance number did not really tie in with each other. It was like different people choreographed each dance without talking to each other.  I am not claiming that I am any expert, but just my thoughts.

Jay.

2010-10-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!!! (Oct 17)

I didn't write a blog entry on Jay's actual birthday... because why would I be wasting time writing when I could be gazing into his beautiful blues?! hahaha cheeeeeeesy! jk jk jk

No, but really... I spent all weekend with Jay and it was glorious. He turned 27! (Sounds so old!)

We spent Friday playing poker with his family... including his 80ish yr old grandma who always takes us for our money. She's a gambling machine. I lost $20 to his family. I know the poker hands and all, but the gambling rules and trying to trick people is just not my thing. You can read it all over my face when I am trying to bluff. My face always says "Oh shit! I have NO idea what I am doing!!"

Saturday morning he went golfing with the boys. They golfed for six hours. SIX?!! I do not even know how that is possible. I lose interest after the fourth hole and just want to drink my beer and drive the golf cart in circles. Which is what I end up doing.

Saturday evening nine of us carved pumpkins... they were pretty fantastic. Except for Ashley M's pumpkin (sorry dude). She kind of got frustrated with it and punched a hole in it, then gave it whiskers, ears and called it a cat pumpkin. HAHAHA. Hilarious! I don't mean to laugh at you, m'dear, but your frustrations with the pumpkin were laughable. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of it.

our friends pumpkin carving.

Jay's pumpkin on left... mine on right :)

Then... Saturday night was a full blown party. Beer. Food. Lots of friends. Laughs. Drinking games. Dancing. So. Much. Fun! We had a nice blend of "my friends" and "Jay's friends"... and I write it like that because after four years... "my friends" ARE "Jay's friends" and vice versa. Our friends from both sides were able to hang out together at one time, which is so nice, but so rare. It was fun seeing everyone get along and have a great time, because if we went to the same high schools I bet all our friends would be friends, they are so alike with the same values, interests, and most importantly... similar senses of humor (or is it "sense of humors"?? I'm voting the former over the latter). Jay's best friends are still his friends from high school and my best friends are still my friends from high school (with some new friends scattered here and there). So, overall... a great time with great people.

some of the girls at the party (and me with Clancy... Jay's old old OLD dog)

drinking game called Chandelier.

...I just realized i took NO appropriate pictures of Jay at his party (he looks too drunk in every single one of them) haha!

Sunday was spent watching football.. and by watching I mean... Jay and the boys watching football while I napped on the floor with blankets and pillows. A fantastic end to a great weekend.

Happy Birthday, lover.

And now I will end with a montage of pics of me and Jay. You can skip this part if you want, but I enjoy it.

At a pub near U of I

me with my homemade birthday cake... when I turned 23

found this on a hike at Starved Rock

about to go pumpkin picking 2009

asleep at a party we threw

up at my cabin - Summer 2010

at a wedding Spring 2010

Same wedding Spring 2010

In Dublin, Ireland... June 2010

Up at my cabin Summer 2010

Sears Tower Skydeck Fall 2010

DMB Concert @ Wrigley Field

Clark Street Alehouse Chicago Fall 2010

At a nursing school party 2008

<3 u.

*******************************************************************************

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and ~~subsequent carving~~
Sew my own Halloween costume
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
Make spiced cider
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
See a musical or play
Have a Christmas party with my girls
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon

Today I...

2010-10-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today I...

... had laughs with Ashley M. I kidnapped her and made her come to the fabric store and Good Will with me.

[Pic from the DMB concert we went to last month]

... decided I am going to finish the book that I have been "in the middle of" for months and start a book I really want to read: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn.

[Geek Love]

... made and ate delicious vegetarian Mexican food (avocados, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, vegetarian refried beans, sour cream, colby and pepperjack cheese... on a hard open tortilla shell).

... went to the local Good Will and bought blue candle holders, a jewelry box I will give away at Christmastime, and other items I cannot share because they will be gifts for others who may read my blog.

[Aren't they fantastic?]

... wore my mom's old Coach bag from the 80s.

[Can't you picture my mother wearing this in the late 80s?]

... went to the fabric store and bought yellow, cream, sunflower, and green felt for my ear-of-corn Halloween costume.

I love making warm and non-slutty costumes. In college, so many girls wore these ridiculously slutty costumes. I never hopped on that band wagon. I enjoy being warm on Halloween (Illinois has chilly Halloween weather) and I refuse to spend $60 on a costume I will wear once. I also don't understand who decided that it is okay to dress like a slut, as long as you are slutty Darth Vader... or a slutty firewoman... or a slutty anything? It is NOT okay. Don't get me wrong... I am not conservative by any means, but it doesn't make sense if you don't normally dress like a slut.. why is Halloween the one day that it is okay? And would you be okay walking past your father in that outfit? Gaaawwd I sound like my mother... yikes. I just figure if I would be embarrassed if anyone in my family saw me in an outfit... I probably shouldn't be wearing it.

My recent and past Halloween costumes:

2004: homemade Pocahontas

2005: semi- homemade Tooth Fairy

2006: Vampire (lame)

2007: homemade bumble bee - Jay was a bee keeper

2008: homemade Cleopatra

2009: homemade Lobster - Jay was a chef

2010: ear of corn - Jay will be a farmer

I. LOVE. HALLOWEEN.

***************************************************************

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!

Bake cupcakes from scratch
Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
Take pictures at a park in my home town
Apple picking
Pumpkin picking and subsequent carving
Sew my own Halloween costume
See a Drive-in movie
Knit a scarf
Learn to crochet
Make spiced cider
Grow out my hair
Spend less money
Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving
~~Shop at a thrift store~~
See a musical or play
Have a Christmas party with my girls
Snowboarding
Learn to ski
Get straight A's
Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
Bake a pie from scratch
Celebrate New Years in style
Go sledding
Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket
Visit my friends in Oregon

I love weddings.

2010-10-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

Remember the engagement photos I took? Well these friends are no longer engaged. They are married now!!! ...and actually honeymoon-ing in Cabo as I type this... jealous!

The bride and her pops.

You may kiss the bride!

My friend bought a HUGE case of cheesy poofs. At the end of the night, everyone had a nightcap in our room... and the cheesy poofs were EVERYWHERE.

Each table was wine themed... we sat at the "port wine" table.

Three of my best friends :) My lovely lady lumps.

The bride did a great job, didn't she?

Cheers, friends!

Ashley M and I have a sneaking suspicion that our men have love for each other more than for us. :)

Someone definitely requested... the calculus song by 2gether. Probably doesn't belong at a wedding... but it was HILARIOUS and the bride was lovin' it. haha.

Nursing School Meet Up

2010-10-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

It is exhausting taking visitors around Chicago, because it is so expensive. I love the city of Chicago, but downtown is just ridiculous. This past weekend a bunch of my friends from nursing school met up in the city. Two flew in from Murrels Inlet, South Carolina, two drove up from the Indianapolis area, and the other three of us are from the area.

We did a million bajilliion things this weekend... and I spent about that much money as well... a million bajillion. It was totally worth it though, I had SO much fun.

The reason the whole meet up was initiated was because my old room mate and my best friend from nursing school, Christina, bought her boyfriend (who she met in nursing school) Peter a surprise ticket to Chicago for his birthday. Then it turned into a nursing school reunion.

I met them at the rooftop of Rock Bottom. It was a pretty great place to have a couple drinks and be surrounded by sky craping buildings. It is so nice when you meet up with friends after not seeing them for a year and you pick up where you left off. There was nothing awkward about it, we talked and laughed like we had seen each other just a couple weeks ago.

Christina and Peter on the roof top of Rock Bottom

Christina, Peter, and Myself

We went up to the skydeck. Which, after having done it in the last year or so... is really not that exciting. Once you go up there, its something you just don't need to do again for another ten years... or until the next round of tourists come around and they want to go up there. We did get to take fun pictures!

Sean (Peter's friend), Peter, Christina, Me (the short one), Jay, Laura (other room mate from nursing school)

Me and Jay

We walked from the SEARS tower, to Millenium Park...

Room mates from nursing school

Then we went to Navy Pier...

Being ridiculous

We went on an architecture boat tour of the city which took off from Navy Pier. This was surprisingly more interesting than I thought... mostly because there was a bar on the boat. haha.

Architecture boat tour... aka drinking tour!

Trump Tower

Beautiful City.

We went to a second city show called "Spoiler Alert: Everyone Dies". SOOOO funny. I am making it a point to start going to more of these shows.

We couldn't take pics anywhere else, but in front of the doors.

Went out for drinks afterwards...

At the Clark Street Ale House

We took them to Gino's East so all the out-of-town-ers could experience some delicious deep dish pizza. Yum.

We had drinks at Big Bar. I saw this place featured on the food network once... and it lives up to its name. They have regular sized drinks... or they have BIG aka Ginormous sized ones.

This margarita was the size of our heads!

My Bro met up with us at Big Bar

Then we just hit the town.

All of these nursing friends graduated about 6 months after I did. So, the last time I saw them was at their graduation, where I was the only working nurse at the time. It was fun talking about the different experiences we have had since we all got our jobs, all the crazy situations we have been placed in, and the different settings we all work in. The world of nursing can be so different for each person, there are so many fields to work in, so if you do not like one type of nursing, there is bound to be another field that will cater more to your likings. I am glad I became a nurse. I'll be even more glad when I am a nurse practitioner in a couple years.

Hello this is the XX XX Health Clinic.... we have some bad news.

2010-09-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

I already called my boyfriend, Jay, and my only best friend that I know is awake and at her desk at work at 8am... and told both of them this story... and since I am not sick of telling it yet... and none of my other best friends would be keen on talking to me this early in the morning... I will tell you (and subsequently the girls that won't pick up the phone at 8am... since they all read this blog and will eventually read this story. Hi lovies!)

So I work nights as a nurse... and on my way home I am exhausted after working a 12 (sometimes 13) hour shift. So, I choose to listen to the most obnoxious radio stations on the way home. They usually hold scandalous conversations with their listeners ranting about bad stripper experiences, how their first threesome experience was, or how they hooked up with some nasty guy and he kept on calling and calling.

Well, this morning a girl named Ashley calls into the radio station because she thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her. So the radio station calls him with Ashley listening... and it goes something like this...

Radio> Hello is this John Doe? (I can't remember his real name)

John> Yes it is. Who is this?

Radio> John, this is the XX XX Health Clinic. We have a few questions for you if that is okay.

John> Yeah sure... what is this about?? (Boy is suspecting something is awry at this point)

Radio> Have you been sexually active within the last 90 days.

John> uhhh yeah... what is this about??! (Boy is really suspecting something is wrong)

Radio> Well, one of our patients tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease and listed you as one of the people she had been sexually involved with in the last 90 days.

John> I haven't had any symptoms!

Radio> Well, the truth is that many people with STDs do not experience symptoms at all. (and this is true... advice from a nurse)

John> Well who is this person? Who has the STD??!! (totally freaking out now)

Radio> We can't actually tell you who the person was. We are, however, required to ask you the names of those you have been sexually active with within the last 90 days.

John> (First... he names his girlfriend, Ashley, and then... he says HER BEST FRIEND'S NAME!!!)

Then... you hear the girlfriend go ape shit and scream bloody murder at her boyfriend.

John> ASHLEY??!! What??? I was just on the phone with a... wait... What the %$#@!#$!!!

Then... the radio station starts playing Mexican Fiesta music and chants...

Radio> you are a CHEATER!! you are a CHEATER!!! (with maracas keeping the beat... no joke)

I about died laughing. He totally deserves the embarrassment if he really is cheating on his girlfriend. It was just so dramatic... I was hanging onto every sentence of that conversation. The radio station was so convincing! I would have totally believed them, too.

Anyway... I just HAD to tell that story!

Start with a bang.

2010-09-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

With every new quarter of school I seem to always start it with a bang... and by bang I mean... I freak out, cry, call Jay exclaiming how unbelievably impossible my class is and how I am going to be a failure. Then, after listening to my rant, Jay attempts to calm me down and put things into a more logical perspective, which makes me more upset, so I hang up on him and make it out to be his fault that my Health Care Policy class is too hard. After about an hour of eating chocolate and stalking people on facebook... I then call Jay back, apologize, take a deep breath and my mental breakdown is over.

That is what happened Friday evening.

I am pretty good at being a student, but this Health Care Policy class that I have to take seems impossible. I did not pay enough attention in third through fifth grade when we learned the tiers of government and how the whole process works. I am seriously considering watching School House Rock and enjoying their rendition of how a bill becomes a law.

Well.. I just found it on Kidstube.com. Looks like I will be watching it!

After deciding I no longer wanted to make any attempts at answering discussion questions for this class, I got dolled up and went out with friends. Wearing heels, doing my makeup and putting on a cute outfit always makes me feel better... that and a couple of beers. We celebrated a birthday and the homecoming of a friend from Afghanistan. Happy times with happy friends makes for a happier me.

Now, it is Monday... back to square one. Except this time... I am armed with a better attitude: Do the best I can... and hope to get an A or B... but I will gladly take a C. This may be the only class that I am unable to truly grasp all aspects of what I am supposed to learn... so I am just going to just go with it and hope I make it through.

Unfortunately, in order for my work to reimburse me for classes (they pay me $7,500 a year... i think... in reimubursements) I have to get an A or B in the class.

On a positive note: I got an A in both my classes last semester: Advanced Physiology and Biostatistics for Evidence Based Practice. Other than this stupid Health Care Policy class... I am taking Advanced Reproductive Dynamics which I know I can get an A in... and I find SUPER intersting... and Scientific Basis for Clinical Reasoning... which shouldn't be too bad.

Sorry for my lack of correct punctuation or capitalization of letters. I am far too lazy for that tonight.