You Know You're a Local When...

...you find your go-to nail salon.  Yes, that's right...I have found my local nail salon for my pedi's.  Ahhhh...sweet bliss!  The salon was neat, tidy, and modern.  The chairs were super comfy with great massaging capabilities on them.  The "regular" spa pedicure was relaxing but NOT expensive (even with the necessary nail art on the big toes!).  The staff was friendly.  They are capable of doing cute nail art on my lack-thereof nails (seriously, my toes are SO short and stubby...it leaves only a wee bit to work with!  I mean, you know it's bad when you ask for nail art and the lady responds with "oh, they so little!"  haha.)  But, I'm very pleased to have found my "place"!  


Next on the list...finding a hair salon!


Have a great Saturday!

Working Girl: Week....534,799,019???

Ok, maaaaybe that's a SLIGHT exaggeration...but it sure does feel like it!  I am ashamed at myself that's it's been OVER a MONTH since I last posted...my word!  But my how life is busy!  And that's a good thing.  Work keeps me busy, busy, busy.  I stay late most days...but I'm still loving my job even so.  Life sure does change once you start working a full time job!  So, my days are filled with work, and all I want to do when I come home is R.E.L.A.X.!  Is it sad that blogging has seemed like it would require too much energy???  Whew!  But, I promised Lindsey over at Those Mitchells that I would finally post something this week...and well, you just don't break a promise to a cute pregnant lady! ;0)  We've started working in the schools now...what a change from working in the nursing home!  I've realized just how much I really do love my residents at the facility.  Schools just don't have the same love for me that I have for the people there.  But, it's nice to be able to keep all of my skills fresh, and it challenges me daily no matter where I am.


Socially, my friends and I love spending time together more and more everyday.  We have Ladies night every Wednesday and we all cook dinner together and watch a movie (which we now will be watching DVR'ed Glee instead!)  But it's a great mid-week escape to help all of us get through the stress of the week.  We wouldn't miss it!  


I'm LOVING living in Greenville more and more every day!  This weekend Kacie and I spent Saturday shopping and exploring downtown.  She introduced me to a FABULOUS little cafe called Rainer's.  They have FABULOUS food, all handmade, a great atmosphere, local charm, and they're so very friendly.  Plus, the owner is originally a Georgia native :0)  I got the chicken salad sandwich (wonderful!) with a side of black-eyed pea salad (a Paula Dean recipe...also good!)  They also introduced me to my newest obsession: French pressed coffee!  I'm SO getting a French press soon...it beats the lame automatic drip coffee by a thousand miles!  If you ever visit Greenville, I HIGHLY recommend you give Rainer's a try!  Plus, it's right across the street from Fall's Park on the Reedy.  OH.MY.WORD.  I didn't know I could love my town anymore...until I went to Fall's Park!  Liberty Bridge overlooks a waterfall with climbing rocks everywhere.  Then there's rolling green hills and beautifully landscaped green grass with flower beds and swings, benches, a covered picnic area...the list goes on!  Words can't even describe the beauty of it.  For all my Savannah natives, it's a thousand times better than Forsyth!  The photos really don't even do it justice, but go here to at least see a glimpse of the beauty!


So, to wrap it all up, I'm loving my job, loving my friends, and loving my town.  All in all, I'm loving life!  Days may be busy, stress may overwhelm me at times, but I've got a good job, great friends, and a fabulous town to live in.  I'm blessed beyond measure!  And I'm gonna try and be better about blogging more often!


Have a great week!

2 Weeks Later...

...I finally get around to filling you in!  Sorry about that!  I never realized how BUSY work would be!  Yeesh!  Though it's busy, and I have to work longer hours than I'm allowed to be paid for (no overtime!) just to make sure all the paperwork gets finished up each day, I still really, Really, REALLY love my job!  The residents I work with are precious and I love them to pieces!  They all make me laugh in some way every day, and I'm usually walking around with a smile on my face and in my heart because of something funny or totally random that a patient said to me.  One resident calls me "Red"...she's the happiest thing ever and it makes my heart smile a mile wide every time she says "Heeey Red!"  Granted, some of them are a little "spunky" some days...and they curse me out sometimes, but I know it's the disease talking (dementia) and I just do what I can and leave with a smile regardless.  I didn't realize how very much I would enjoy working with the geriatric population, but I truly, truly do! 


Not only are the residents wonderful, but my bosses are amazing.  They are extremely helpful, always willing to take time from whatever they're doing to help me learn the in's and out of the job.  They're understanding and always have our back.  And they truly care about us.  The first thing they always ask each day is "How are YOU doing?"  Not, "are you getting to all the patients you have to see?", but taking time to make sure that we personally are handling things alright and coping.  They are flexible too.  If we need help with a patient, they come and help us.  If we're emotionally drained from working with a patient, they flip them around to someone else.  I couldn't have found a better group of knowledgeable, skilled, understanding Speech Therapists to have as my bosses.


To top it all of (I know, it gets better!), I've also made some AMAZING friends!  There were 4 of us that all started together (ok, 3 of use started the same day...the other one started 3 weeks before us).  We're all the same age, and 3 of us are ST's (Speech Therapists) and the other one is a PT (Physical Therapist).  The 3 Speech girls are all single ladies, and the the PT is married...but still up for hanging out with us!  We all get along SO well, and it didn't take but a few hours on the first day for us to realize that we were going to all be good friends.  We spend most every weekend together and at least one night during the week.  The hours at work go by much more enjoyably with them to help get through the stressful moments.  We keep each other sane...and have fun in the process!  I'm so blessed to call them not only my co-workers, but my friends as well.


So, work is GREAT!  I'm SO in love with my life here in Greenville!  I know why God only kept this door open for me...He knew what He was doing!  He's orchestrated things so perfectly and I would've messed things up royally if I'd tried to plan it myself!  Life is good!


P.S.  Pay Day was on Tuesday!  Finally!!  I'm LOVIN' this!

Working Girl: Week 1

I know you're DYING to know about my first week at work so far!  Well, you'll have to keep waiting!  haha...sorry!  This whole working-girl thing really drains me!  Early wake up time is SO not good for me.  Ok, maybe it would be if I'd get to bed at a decent enough hour...I'm still working on that one!  Anyways, I'll update tomorrow or Saturday when I have some spare time!  There's many exciting things to tell!  


Just wanted my blog world (yes, all 4 of you!) to know I hadn't forgotten about you!  


More to come....

I've got the "GO" card!

After a month of fighting with the state Board office, (aka: calling them twice a day...everyday...nagging them to "PLEASE let me know what the reason to the hold up with my license is"), I've FINALLY been given the GO! card!!  (Who knew Monopoly could apply to real life?!).  I should've been working this past month...should've.  BUUUUT, thanks to government litigation, they took their time...and mine...which meant they took my MONEY!  I've had NO paycheck for the past month...which means my parents have had to fork out my past 2 months rent (and it's not cheap, mind you.)  Then to top it all of, my job couldn't run my background check on me until I was licensed.  AND due to the holiday last week, it wasn't going to come through until the middle of the week last week.  So, I wasn't able to start working until the 12th of July.  So, to leave aside all frustrations, I said PEACE OUT!  And took off on family vacay with my parents to our mountain cabin!  It was nice and relaxing...the perfect week to wrap up my last vacation for who knows how long (at least 6 months...maybe a year...).  This part of not being a college kid is NOT the fun part.  Anywho,  all this to say...I FINALLY start my job tomorrow!!!!  Yay!  I'm overly exited.  I'm like a kid who's about to start their first day of school (ok, confession: I got excited for the first day of school all the way up to my last year of Grad school...)!  So, folks.  Here's to growing up!  It's really here...and I'm really about to embark on adulthood.  For being 2 months shy of 25...I guess it's about time, too!  Wish me luck!!

Off to the Mountains!

Hiya folks!  Well, since I can't start working until July 12th due to the licensing board taking 20 years (ok...slight exaggeration....) to get me my license...I have decided to join my parents on their week long vacation at our mountain cabin.  I know I haven't updated on the licensing drama...so, I'll get to that when I get back.  I'll be gone on my last vacation for AWHILE until July 11th!  Until then....don't miss me too much!  haha

A Day of Silence for Baby Cohen

For more information on this precious little angel's fight, visit the Send Love to Cohen blog.

Back to Business!

Whew!  I FINALLY got around to fixing my blog!  If it wasn't for Amanda over at Kevin and Amanda I don't know what I would do!  She's got all the tips on how to customize your blog...and it's easy to follow too!  I don't have Photoshop or anything fancy to make my own page, so she's been super helpful in figuring out what to do to personalize my blog!  She's also got TONS of cute fonts!!  I discovered that once I downloaded her fonts, I was able to see cute fonts on other people's blogs that I previously couldn't see.  Blog reading is so much more fun now!  haha.


Oh, and for anybody who may be wondering, now that Blogger has changed their "templates," they've made it really difficult to find the old ones!  They try and make you use their "template designer" now...and I just don't like that!  It totally ruined everything!  However, I DID discover that you can still use the old ones!  You just have to go to "design," then click the "Edit HTML" tab...then scroll all the way to the bottom and you will see a link for using the old templates.  Took me long enough to figure that one out!  I had to completely revamp my site and add all the links I'd previously had on it again.  (And April, you could TOTALLY do this yourself!  I have faith in you, girl!)


Just go here to begin!

Please Pardon the Mess...

Please pardon the mess of my blog...I was trying to change one thing and the stupid "template designer" has now ruined hours upon hours of work I put into my blog to make it look cute.  Perfect spacing, cute fonts, signature, title colors...gone.  Everything's just...G.O.N.E.  It's nearly 2 am and I don't have the time, patience, or effort to fiddle with this mess.  So, until I do...it's just gonna look like it's been thrown up on.  I know...makes me sick too.

Passport Woes and Happy Discoveries

Well, my day started out as a drag.  Since I'm now residing in the great state of South Carolina, I being from Georgia, need to get a new license with my new address in my new city and my new state.  As in...it's time I make it government official that I've become a big kid and no longer can cite my parent's house as my address.  WOWZA.  So, I found all the stuff they make you bring to get a new license from out-of-state.  Couldn't it just be as simple as, you have a license in this other state, so here's a license for our state?  NO.  That would be entirely too easy for the DMV.  I had to have a birth certificate or passport, proof of my social security number, proof of my address, and proof of auto insurance.  SERIOUSLY?!  Yes.  Well, I've now discovered I need to have all of my official documents and not let my parents keep them any longer.  I managed to find the appropriate items albeit one.  I not only don't have my birth certificate, but I also only have a copy of my passport and not the real thing.  Silly ole' me...I thought they'd accept that.  NOPE!  I drove all the way down there...after spending time spiffing myself up to make sure I looked acceptable for a new driver's license photo (c'mon...you would've too!), only to be turned away by the DMV employee who could really care less about her job and the lack of education required to accomplish it.  HAVE to have the original copy.  G-R-E-A-T.  I now have to wait until next week to do this after I can go home and retrieve my passport.  Ohhh, irritable DMV employee, you won't get me next time!  HA!

In an attempt to brighten up my now frustrating day, I decided to head over to my mall to check things out, get a couple of things I needed, and explore a little bit of my new town.  Man, did my day turn UP from there!!!  Haywood Mall is officially my "I've had a bad day...I need to buy something" place to go!  haha.  Ohhh, the stores that they have!  It was one consistent "oh my gosh....THIS store is HERE?!?!" after another!  Let me just give you a run-down of the awesomeness: Dilliard's (THREE stories!!!), Macy's, Belk's, JCPenny, Sears (that's FIVE department stores!), Bare Escentuals store (I'm addicted to Bare Minerals!), Williams Sonoma!, Pottery Barn! (oh YES!!!), Coach, Cache, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Coldwater Creek...I mean, need I say more?!  If THAT list hasn't sold you on the wonderfulness, I just don't know what will!  Of course, that's not even half of the stores that they offer.  Oh, the damage that could be done to my bank account there!  Makes me happy.  (Don't worry...I've strategically allotted a "money I can blow" portion of each month's check!).  So, needless to say, I spent several hours in there...and my day was much brighter after I left!  ahhhh, shopping!  How I love being a girl...

The Beginnings of my New Pad!

Well, I've discovered unpacking takes much longer when I have no one to help me!  My parents were helping me unpack off and on for a few nights as we passed through Greenville to the mountains.  Amazingly, I got A LOT unpacked with just the few nights I had them here!  I'm now officially living in my place....and it takes much longer with just one person to tackle the task at hand!  I've taken a few pics of what's been done so far (well, I've reorganized some things since these pics were taken, actually...but it's close enough!).  I've still got a ton of stuff on my list of things to buy to make my place look all grown up...but until I get my license, I'm not allowed to work...which means, no paycheck!  So, until those paychecks start coming in, I'm just kind of hanging loose and making do with what I have for the moment!  So, as I start getting some "grown up" stuff added, I'll post more pics.  This is just the "Before" pics!


Master Bedroom:
Still have to buy new bedding...and some accessories! And all this furniture is from my childhood room at home...new furniture is on the "list" for the distant future!

The doors on the left are my closet, middle door goes out to the living area, and doors on the right are my bathroom!

Master Bath:  

It's kind of difficult to take pics of the bathroom...but I did what I could!

The oh, so lovely garden tub!

Guest Bedroom:

I think I'll probably keep the same color scheme in this room.

Dining Area/Entry Area:

Probably my favorite "room" of all!  I call it my Sunshine room!  :0)

View from the entry

Close-up of my FABULOUS art piece that I got from a store called "Twigs" in Highlands, NC. As soon as I make some cash, I fully plan on going back there!  It's FABULOUS!

Living Room:

Still lacking a few pieces...entertainment center, another couch, better coffee table...but those will come in time!

My Mom spotted those fab zebra print pillows while we were in Wal-Mart (of all places!).  We both thought they were the perfect touch to make my couch have a more "modern" contemporary flair!  Agree?

Well, that's it so far folks!  As things come together I'll try and post some more updates!

Later!

An Account of a 10-month Old Bottomless Pit

We kept my nephews on Monday night.  As I was amazed at the amount of food my 10-month old nephew was able to inhale eat, I thought I would share an account of his meal(s) so that you could be wide-eyed with amazement as well.


6:30 am: 4 oz bottle
7:45(ish) am: 4 oz bottle
8:30 am: 1 1/2 doughnuts, bowl of grits, bowl of oatmeal, and a scrambled egg
10:00 am: short nap
11:00 am: snack of cocoa krispies
11:30 am: cup of applesauce, bowl of macaroni and cheese, small piece of chicken, cup of pudding, 1/2 a doughnut


....and he probably would've kept eating had we let him!

Mr. Bottomless Pit

Again, I reiterate that he's only 10 MONTHS old.  Where the boy puts the food is beyond me!  He eats more food than he has body!  haha.  He's a bottomless pit.  I feel sorry for my brother and SIL's food budget...both now and when the boys are older!


Amazed??  Yeah, me too.    

More Snapshots from Master's Graduation

As promised, here are the additional graduation pics!

Stage all set for the Master's graduates of Valdosta State University!

Part of the family waiting on the ceremony to begin...

I did it, Mom and Dad!! Your girl got herself a Master's degree!! (P.S. Thanks for ALL the support you've given me to achieve my dream! I love y'all!!!)

My wonderful sister-in-law, Jess...and mother to my adorable nephews! :0)

All the reds in the family! Me, Mimi, my brother James, and my nephew Madison!

Mimi and me! I love my grandma!

My Dad's side of the family came in from Tallahassee, FL!

Mimi, me, cousin Kim, and Aunt Sandra

Yep, it's official! I've got my Master's degree!

My near and dear friend, Mary! A fellow Speech Pathology grad! Not only is she the best study buddy around, but she's also a pretty FANTASTIC best friend as well!

My near and dear friend Allie! Also a fellow Speech Pathology grad! She was my roomie and pretty much helped me keep my sanity during grad school...with her distractions from studying! haha. She knows I love her. ;0) And she's also a pretty FANTASTIC best friend as well!

The WHOLE family at dinner! (Well, minus my 5 year old nephew who was taking the pic! Didn't he do a marvelous job with his photography skills?!)

M.Ed., CF-SLP

That's right people, it's official! I have FINALLY graduated with my Master's degree!!! I am now officially: Megan H., M.Ed., CF-SLP. Need a breakdown on what all that "stuff" means?? Yeah, I thought so. That would be "Master of Education, Clinical Fellow, Speech-Language Pathologist." Why write all that jibber-jabber, Megan, you may ask? Well, because that's what we have to do! All official documents, anything with our signature on it, requires our official title. As a Speech Therapist straight out of grad school, we're required to complete a "Clinical Fellowship (CF)." This means that we're able to be paid as a licensed Speech Therapist, but we're still an "intern" per se. We have to have a supervisor over us, but we work pretty independently. After we complete our required about 9 months, then we're OFFICIALLY official and have earned our "C's" (Certificate of Clinical Competence) and can practice independently on our own. So, 9 months from now, I'll be Megan H., M.Ed., CCC-SLP. I know, it's an eyesore, but I'm PROUD of that long title of mine!! I worked 6 long, HARD years for it! (Not to mention all the years I've been dreaming about it since I was 7 years old!)

So, now all that's left is to pack up my stuff in Macon, clear out my room at home, and move into my new place in Greenville! Which, by the way, moving your life out of your childhood room is NOT fun. It really makes this whole "growing up" thing seem that much more official. As well as trying to clear out nearly 16 years worth of accumulated "stuff"...it's exhausting!! So, I'm spending the next 2 days clearing out my room at home...let's just hope that's enough time!

Megan H., M.Ed., CF-SLP :0)

P.S.: More graduation pics to come later...I'm waiting to round up the "cap and gown" ones from my family members though!

New Place, New Town, New Adventure!

Ok, so this is VERY overdue! I began to write about my apartment search 2 weeks ago and it never quite got finished. So, I'm starting over and making it a little bit more brief (maybe!).

So, I found a place!!! It's a FABULOUS place too. My parents and I drove all around Simpsonville, SC (outside of Greenville...in between there and where my job is located). I had a list of different places I wanted to look at. My Daddy (smart man) had the brilliant idea that we should go to each one first and drive around the apartment complex and check out the area before actually touring the places. Well, turns out all but ONE just weren't in good locations or had a "sketchy" feel to them. The one we all just liked immediately was very nice! It had great landscaping, was in a good location, and it neighbors with a BIG fabulous CHURCH! (Which, after some research, we discovered seems to be very similar to my church back home! Yay!) We toured around the apartment, and the set-up is just perfect. The layout of the apartment is fab and it's got a lot of great touches to it that make it not feel so much like an "apartment." Best thing? The apartment that I got is RIGHT in front of the amazing POOL! So, it's got a GREAT view! I really have a prime location! All of the apartments have textured walls (kinda like stucco) that are painted tan. They all also come included with white crown molding and some modern looking light fixtures in the kitchen/bar area. Oh, and I get to choose paint colors for accent walls around my apartment too! So, my bedroom, the guest bedroom, the kitchen, and the dining room will all have a colored accent wall! And yes, it IS a 2 bed/2 bath so that I can have visitors! Now, if only I could afford everything I want for my new place right now! Patience is a virtue....gotta wait for those paychecks!

There's much more to describe, but I think I'll leave the rest to the pictures!

Living room. Mine won't have that extra sunroom in the back though; I'll have a door that leads to my patio!

Dining room area. This color on the wall is the color I'll be using too!

Kitchen...those cute lights are standard! The kitchen color will be the same color as mine.

It has a built-in desk area!

Community courtyard area...yes, that's a fireplace!

Dog walk area directly across from my apartment...Ninja will love it!

Pool/view from my apartment! The building on the left is mine and I'm on the corner!

The grill area...

Accent colors! Green: my bedroom, Teal: guest bedroom, Pumpkin: kitchen, Apricot (not pictured): dining room

Downtown Greenville...gorgeous!

My parents and I

The river in downtown Greenville...can't wait to move here!!

Now onto packing...bleh!

The Search is ON!

I have more than one "search" that's currently "on" at the moment, actually! Friday, my boss was nice enough to let me take off so that I can join my parents up in Greenville and search for a place to live come June! I'm pretty excited about that! I've narrowed down my search to a few really nice apartment complexes and I'm hoping that they turn out to look as good as they've advertised them to be. A 2-bedroom is a MUST for my housing search, so guests will be welcome anytime! :0)

My other search relates to the bedroom situation. Since college, I've been confined to a twin bed. Now, to some, this may be no big deal. However, I had a full bed since the age of 3, so a twin has been a change for me! (My brothers don't have any sympathy for me though, as they had to share a room and sleep on twin beds their whole lives in our house...even when their feet were falling off the edge! haha. What can I say? I'm the baby...and I'm the girl...and we only had 3 bedrooms!) Moving on...calculate in a dog that sleeps with me every night, you can imagine the tight squeeze. One of my favorite things about going home has been getting to sleep in a "big girl" bed again! The exciting news? My parents are letting me take my double bed with me when I move! yay! But, it REALLY needs a bedding update! I mean, I've had the same bedding since 5th grade. FIFTH GRADE, people!!! It's over due for a change. Imagine this kind of bed...except it's a little bit "shiny-er"...but this is pretty close to what it looks like:

So, it's very vintage feeling...chic, per se. My favorite color is pink, but I don't know if I need to "stray" from having too much pink! So, I'm trying to find something grown-up looking for my new bedroom. I don't know if I want something shabby chic, or more modern...or what color scheme I want to go with! Ahh! So many decisions! But fun ones, nonetheless. And yes, suggestions are welcome!

And on a side-note...I get to go up to our mountain house the rest of the weekend! Our place is the most relaxing little (and I use that word lightly...) cabin on a little lake in the North Carolina mountains about an hour outside of Asheville. It's my "happy place." And I haven't been up there since this summer. The weather is supposed to be PERFECT too. I can't WAIT! Just so that you can be even more jealous, here's a little snapshot of my family's piece of Heaven on Earth...aka: the Loch Hoosie (that's Scottish for "Lake House"!):

Better Late than Never!

Did you miss me? Be prepared...it's a LONG one!

I'm sorry it's been nearly a MONTH since I last posted! It's been a busy few weeks, needless to say! I had school stuff I've been working on (the LAST of my projects EVER!!), interviews, traveling, working, and trying to find time to sleep in between. My apartment is a MESS and is proof of my busyness! Hopefully I'll get around to cleaning it at some point (maybe when I'm actually in town for a weekend!).

So, I left y'all with some suspenseful news as of my last post. The news was that I was really wanting to move back to Savannah after graduation and be closer to home for a change. My decision to move up to Greenville was not becoming one I was so happy with afterall. Well, I had my interview up in Greenville and I went into it with the mindset that I was pretty much just going to get "the interview experience" since I didn't actually want to live up there anymore but already had the interview set up. Much to my surprise, I left the interview wondering how I was going to find a job that could possible be any more PERFECT than that one! The facility was great! They are a healthcare facility that serves both pediatrics and geriatrics. They do long-term and short-term care, contract out to the local school, as well as the local (teeny!) hospital! And they were REALLY wanting someone to help out with the hospital rotations...which is what I'm most interested in doing. I'd be doing a little bit of everything, which I've discovered is what is most interesting to me, since it's always changing and doesn't give me an opportunity to get bored. The entire Rehab team was very nice and there were a lot of younger girls that could help me "socialize" in my new town. There were about 5 other Speech Therapists that I'd be working with that I would also be able to call upon whenever I had a problem or needed some advice. They also worked with Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists. The situation couldn't of been more perfect for me.

However, I was just not sure if I should take it since I hadn't had ANY other interviews, and I was waiting on places in Savannah to open up. Well, 2 weeks rolls by and I've either not heard word from any places that I applied to, or I had been denied based on no availabilities. So, after some nudging from my Dad, I turned down the radio in my car (while on my road trip to visit one of my besties, Allie, in Augusta) and spent an hour just talking to God about the whole thing. It's AMAZING what some quiet time with God can do! I cleared my head of every thought and just really "talked it out" with Him. And I came to a conclusion. I realized that I had been asking God for some "signs" of what He wanted me to do. I was just trying too hard to find an excuse NOT to take the job I think. God had given me signs...I was just ignoring them! The first one was back in October when I saw the advertisement for the position in one of my Speech magazines. Sign #2 was when I went to ASHA (our National convention) in November and ended up being recommended by one of my professors to visit the booth of that same company. Sign #3: the company told me about that same job position. Sign #4: how GREAT the interview went. I mean, c'mon Megan...how many more signs from God do you want?!

So, I talked it over with my parents, called up the facility and told them I wanted the job. And BAM! They offered me the position (and with QUITE a nice 'lil salary as well!)! So, folks...I'VE GOT A JOB!!!!!! Come June, I'll be moving on up to Greenville, South Carolina! (Ok, it's actually Simpsonville that I'll be living in, but that's just a minor detail...). I've now moved on to looking for places to live online so that I can visit them once I get back up there in May. I mean, how CRAZY is this?! My goal was to find a job before I graduated in May...and I did! Woo-hoo! Graduation is May 7th (YES!) and I enter the real-world in June! WOW. Guess I'm almost all grown-up. So, anytime anyone makes a trip up to Greenville, SC...feel free to give me a holla! (because a 2nd bedroom is a MUST for my new place! The more visitors the merrier!) :0)

Sending you love and JOY! : D

High Praise...and other stuff too

Today was my mid-term evaluation for my externship at the hospital. I was confident that I've been doing a good job and wasn't worried about the grade I would receive. However, what I wasn't prepared for was the extremely high praise that I received from my supervisor. My supervisor has had many students over many years, so she's seen her share of good ones and not-so-good ones. During my evaluation today, my supervisor informed me of what a great job I've been doing so far...and then she went on to inform me that I'm one of the best students she's ever had. Really?! Wow! I was flabbergasted... What does a "flabbergasted" face look like? Because I tried REALLY hard to not look it! I felt really honored too, though. It was kind of like an affirmation to myself that I really am cut out for the medical part like I thought I was. Going to work loving what you're doing all day must be the key. I think back to when I took one of my first classes in Neurology back in undergrad, and I was SOO fascinated by it all, and I wondered if that meant that I'd enjoy the medical portion of the field. We didn't get much hands-on access to the medical part of our field before we went out to our externships. When I began this semester...it just felt like it all fit. And I now have that "feeling" confirmed. I have my confirmation of affirmation.....now if I can just find a job......

And as for the job hunt, I've got my interview in Greenville next week. I'm hoping it goes well! But I've actually had some new "developments" in my once thought set course....but more on that at another time. I know, I'm such a tease, right??

Later!

What the 2010 Olympics Have Done for Me

I was deeply saddened to bode farewell to the 2010 Olympics last night. The Olympics connected me in an indescribable way to an endless list of sports I otherwise pay no attention to other than every 4 years. I enjoyed watching the Olympics this year, so much so that I sacrificed going to bed early/on-time for the past 2 weeks so I could stay up and watch the prime-time events. That's devotion.

Ok....now for the REAL reason I'm going to miss the Olympics. I have a confession. I have a HUGE crush on........Apolo Ohno! And I no longer will be able to see him regularly any more! But really, does this face NOT just make your heart melt???!!! (And I don't REALLY want to know if the answer is "NO"!)

I know what you're thinking. Pathetic. Yes, yes. I realize that I....and approximately every "teen-bopper" in this nation....have a crush on Apolo Anton Ohno. But this is serious people. To help you understand the magnitude of my celebrity crush, I shall relate a similar crush experienced in my junior high years...of which I'm sure my fellow readers are sure to recall. This is a "JTT"/Hanson sized crush. Huge, right?! I know. *sigh* I may have even dreamed about him...but I won't confess to that.

So, what have the 2010 Olympics done for me, you may ask? I think the answer is clear. They have introduced me to my boyfriend! At least, I'd like to believe that we'd be a couple if I ever met him....

Just let a single girl dream, ok?!

High Maintenance

As you may notice, my blog has undergone some maintenance! I'm quite excited about the changes too. My blog has become high maintenance now that I have so many dedicated readers and I've become such a hit (translated: I only have a few readers who are dedicated to reading about my life and they all have cooler, fancier blogs than I do...and I love each one of you for it!!)... Anywho, I got jealous of their blogs and when I realized my friend Kathryn used Photoshop to make hers all snazzy, I was bummed. Until I saw my friend Allie made hers cutesy too, and I knew she doesn't have Photoshop. Needless to say, I made a search to figure out where she did it! And I found success!! Shabby Blogs has become my new best friend! That and Foto Flexer! (Getting sick of all the hyperlinks yet???) I feel like I've moved to a new level here in "blog world." The "You've got a fancy title header" Level. That's like, big stuff. So, to my oh-so-dedicated-and-dearly-loved-readers out there, Enjoy the changes! I hope you like them!!

And P.S.: Yes, I DID make like 20 changes to my page after I posted this!!

Job Searching

I think I lied to myself. I made myself believe that job searching for Speech Therapy was gonna be a piece of cake. Turns out...not so much. I mean, it's just so difficult to know where to start! I've called a hospital system a couple of times, but they won't return my calls. I don't know if that means they're just bad about returning calls...or if they don't need any help. I just want to know one way or the other. After that...I don't know where else to look.

There is a bright side though. At my ASHA convention in NOLA back in November I met a company based near Greenville. They took my resume and seemed interested in me. The recruiter gave me her card and told me to e-mail her. Well, I lost the card. However, she kept my resume and ended up e-mailing ME a few weeks ago to see if I was still interested in the job. My Dad said that's a blessing since most company's just aren't seeking applicants right now. So, I decided to look into them. Turns out, they're based in a little town near Greenville, but they do a LOT. They're a Rehab facility that services outpatient pediatrics and geriatrics, works in the school system, as well as services the inpatient acute care in the local hospital! I mean, really?! That's A LOT! And a lot of those things are exactly what I was wanting to do. I'm not so thrilled with the whole school portion, but as a first job...there's a lot of potential there. It's got a lot of areas that would let me "get my feet wet" and see where I'm really best fit. I've got a "tentative" interview set up to visit the facility and such in March, so I'm moving ahead with my "big girl" things. This place almost seems too good to be true. I don't really feel like searching for other places to apply, but I also feel like I really should as well and not put all my eggs in one basket. Man, being a grown up is already hard stuff!!!

Decisions, decisions.......

I was Robbed!....of my Cable...

Yesterday I came home to the unfortunate surprise that my cable was out. And since my internet is provided through my cable company, my internet was out as well. Now, for someone who spends their nights watching TV and playing on Facebook (who, me???!!!), this is a problem. I had to READ and CLEAN last night! Which, turns out, that was actually a good thing. Well, I had my "service call" set up for today between 10 and 12. Thankfully, my supervisor had to stay home with her sick son today so I actually had the day off to wait on them to come! Thank you sick son! (But, I hope you get well soon...). Anyways, the cable guy actually came when they said he would! AMAZING! When he came inside to tell me what he found, I was SHOCKED.

Apparently, my cable was out because someone had tried to cut and STEAL my cable!! WHAT?! That actually happens?! Now, I live in a gated apartment community in the "nice" side of town...it's not like I'm near the projects or anything. I, nor him, could believe that happened here. This is not reassuring about the safety of the place I'm living. So, fyi: people really DO steal cable...and they'll do it anywhere.

So, to the person who TRIED to steal my cable, but was incapable of knowing how to do anything but just cut my cable...if you're gonna interrupt people's nightly routines, at least do it right. Good grief!

White Chili

My Mom makes the BEST White Chili. It's a classic every winter (or whenever else we feel like making it!). I made it a couple weeks ago and got lots of responses on facebook about how everyone wanted the recipe and thought it sounded so good. Now, I substituted a few ingredients to make it healthier, and it turned out just as good. I'll provide the "healthier," low-carb substitutions in parentheses in case you want to change it up. It's a little thinner than usual, but still good. So, here's the LONG awaited recipe! Sorry for the delay!

White Chili

INGREDIENTS:
1 LB. BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS, CUT INTO 1/2 INCH CUBES
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
1 1/2 TSP. GARLIC POWDER
3 TBL. BUTTER (I used margarine)
2 CANS (15 1/2 OZ. EACH) GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, RINSED & DRAINED
1 CAN (14 1/2 OZ.) CHICKEN BROTH
2 CANS (4 OZ. EACH) CHOPPED GREEN CHILIES (DO NOT DRAIN)
1 TSP. SALT
1 TSP. GROUND CUMIN
1 TSP. DRIED OREGANO
1/2 TSP. PEPPER
1/4 TSP. CAYENNE PEPPER
1 CUP (8 OZ.) SOUR CREAM (or reduced fat)
1/2 CUP WHIPPING CREAM (or fat-free half & half)
______________________

METHOD:
IN A LARGE SAUCE PAN, SAUTE CHICKEN, ONION, & GARLIC POWDER IN BUTTER JUST UNTIL CHICKEN IS NO LONGER PINK. ADD BEANS, BROTH, CHILIES & ALL SEASONINGS. BRING TO A BOIL. REDUCE HEAT; SIMMER, UNCOVERED, FOR 30 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM HEAT; STIR IN SOUR CREAM & WHIPPING CREAM. (WARM UP MORE IF NOT HOT ENOUGH.) SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

Happy Eating!!! :0)

Sharing Healthy Secrets

I'm on week 2 of my mission to lose a "few" pounds (ordering a bridesmaid dress 2 sizes smaller than I am now really does things to "inspire" you...). I've gotten back into my healthy eating routine and after sharing some "snack secrets" with Lindsey she suggested I post my recipe. So, I am! One of my favorite healthy snacks is celery with homemade hummus. Now, I used to hate hummus. It looked weird and I didn't like the taste of it. However, after my friend, Mary, got me to try it again in college, I discovered I love the stuff! Homemade hummus is really easy, and a whole lot cheaper than buying it! You can change it up any way you prefer, adding whatever you like best, but here's the basic recipe (which is delicious in itself). So, for fellow hummus lovers, give it a try! (And those that aren't...give it a try too! You may be surprised that you like it!)

Hummus

1 can of chick peas (or garbanzo beans...they're the same thing)

Lemon juice (either fresh or from the "bottle")

Greek/Mediterranean seasoning

Olive oil

Juice of chick peas/garbanzo beans

*Let me preface by saying I really just add enough to taste/look of all the ingredients. Start with about a tablespoon of the lemon juice and seasoning, and 2 tbl of olive oil. Taste after blended and see if you want more or not.*

Drain juice from peas and reserve for later. Add peas/beans, lemon juice, seasoning, olive oil and about 1/2 of the chick pea juice into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, stirring occasionally (if necessary) and continuing to add more juice as needed. Juice should be added until hummus is smooth and creamy, or you've reached the desired consistency. May add more of seasoning and lemon juice until desired taste is achieved. Empty into a storage container or serving bowl and serve with celery (or vegetables of choice) and/or pita chips.

Enjoy!!