Bits and Pieces of 2008

Can you believe that 2008 is almost over?! It seems like it just started. I can remember in 2004 thinking that 2008 would never get here. I dreamed about it often, not wanting to wish my life away, but knowing that 2008 would bring graduation. Though 2008 brought me my degree and doctor title, I got to thinking yesterday about all the other things 2008 brought me. Things I learned, information acquired, funny happenings, etc. Thinking along those lines got me to here...feeling the need to share all my 2008 tidbits. Enjoy!

1. Chicago's airport (O'Hare) is too big for it's own good. However, I did learn that I was in a lot better shape than I thought last February. The scenario: my plane lands into Chi-town 25 minutes late due to snow. My connecting flight to Hawaii was a 20 minute "quick walk" on the other side of O'Hare. The Hawaii flight was supposed to have already left. Bonus!--I had my 80 year old grandmother with me. So with 2 big carry ons and my laptop, I sprinted my little heart out, making a scene as I raced like a cheetah through O'Hare sceaming "Excuse me! Coming through!" It was great. We made it though. Everyone on the flight looked ticked off when I got on, but my grandmother got an applause. Thus, O'Hare is too big for it's own good.
2. I overcame my fear (attained when I was 11 or so) of the ocean.
3. My military knowledge was vastly increased in 2008. Working on a marine base was a total education. Not gonna lie, it was also nice to see Marines working out/running every morning enroute to work. Very nice :)
4. I learned how to surf, was not very good at it, but did surf the North Shore.
5. Katie+Sushi=not cool
6. I became a huge beach fan in 2008.
7. I've always thought I was a fairly independent person. 2008 solidified this for me. I lived in Hawaii and moved to Alabama in 2008....by myself! Brave little Katie :)
8. All national board exams as well as state licensing exams are ridiculously expensive. I mean I'm already indebted to the Missouri Higher Educational Loan Authority for the rest of my life...why do I have to pay the state of Alabama $1040 in a 6 month period for a test, 2 month licensure, and then licensure for 2009?.....stupid in my opinion.
9. There is still a war going on in the state of Alabama. Not the war of "northern aggression," but the war of the Tide and the Tigers. After 5 months, I'm still in awe.
10. "The Crud" is not like the black plague or a disease. I still haven't learned what it technically is, but it's a term I've heard a lot since I've moved to AL.
11. When you go hiking in the deep woods in middle of August, PLEASE WHERE BUG SPRAY....PREFERABLY WITH DEET!!!!!
12. Your car insurance really doesn't go down that much when you turn 25.
13. I learned how to buy a house.
14. And buying this house costs a lot of money.
15. I became a puppy-mom.
16. In doing so, I became one of "those" dog people.
17. I found a love for home remodeling in 2008. I really want to tile my kitchen in '09...but I'm certainly going to need help!
18. The KKK originated in Tuscumbia, AL. I didn't know that until I moved.
19. As much as I defend myself or restate the correct terminology, people in Bama still consider me as 1. Midwestern or 2. a Yankee. I've given up.
20. Though I'm a doctor, the most common inquiry since moving and starting my new job has been, "Oh...do you go to UNA?" or "Are you a student?" It's cool though.
21. In 2008, I realized how much I miss being a student. The real world is what I thought and it's nice to get paid, but it's also nice having 4 weeks off at Christmas and not having real world responsibility. I still want to be a kid sometimes I guess.
22. But on the note of missing being a student, I guess I'll always be a school nerd at heart. I began to work on my MBA this fall. My parents wonder when I will stop?!
23. I'm sure you all knew to change your air filters (isn't that what it's called?) in your houses? I didn't-oops!
24. I guess it's true when people say years go by faster the older you get. I feel the truth in that every year.
25. Dating is interesting, annoying, fun, and sometimes tricky. I'm still learning this one.
26. I personally think my patience became more developed in 2008. (some of you may differ though)
27. My dream guy for 2008 was discovered in May....David Cook, fellow Missourian, American Idol winner.....I think I'd marry him if he'd ask.
28. Probably not, but it's a dream.
29. The beloved Cardinals did not do so hot in 2008...but Pujols did get the MVP.
30. I kind of became a non-Oprah fan in 2008.
31. I acquired an ocean of baby knowledge. I'm considering writing a book, or I'll just be more prepared someday.
32. Good reads of 2008: Into the Wild, The Kite Runner, The Shack, Twilight
33. 2008 was the year of the bridesmaid for me...literally beginning my course of acquiring "27 Dresses". I'm not complaining though...they were all pretty, I gave an emotional cry-like-a baby maid of honor toast in one of them, and celebrated with good friends. F-U-N!
34. I learned to embrace and appreciate one major aspect of my life this year. I'm a very organized/big planner-type person. The fact that I didn't know where I was going to move, let alone what I would do tomorrow, used to drive me nuts. I learned this year to embrace the fact that I'm 25, can go and do whatever I want, and not have to always have a plan. I have learned to appreciate things day by day, and not worry about what will or won't happen next week. A little spontaneity never hurts anyone!

I have been very blessed in 2008...more than I could have possibly imagined!!! A wonderful family, great friends (old and new), traveling/experiences, etc. Most importantly, I am loved by a God that provided me with each of these blessings. I'm very much looking forward to 2009!!!

Tis the Season

Christmas Christmas Christmas!!! This is one of my favorite times of year!!! The holidays are such a fun time....family, pretty decorations, lights, snow (depending on where you live), and music...I love it! My parents made a trip down this past weekend for a visit and to view my Christmas decor. It's been fun decorating my new digs. Thought I'd post a few pics for your viewing pleasure, including a picture of snow in Alabama (yes, it is possible!). And let's not forget during the hustle and bustle of the holidays to remember to celebrate Jesus....He's the real reason for our blessings this time of year, as well as the rest of the year!!! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2009!!!

Rah Rah Rah!!!

Okay...so this post is for Scarlett, Melodie, and Magen (and anyone else who may be surprised). Recently, a conversation beginning with making fun of how the Crimson Tide cheerleaders yell (Scarlett does a great impression, so ask if you want to hear it!), initiated the discussion of high school cheerleading. Melodie and Scarlett both did excellent displays (I wish I had some of Mel's moves on tape!) of some of their previous cheer moves from the "glory days" of high school. I chimed in with something that we used to do back at good ol' DHS, and a surprised Mel, Scarlett and Magen resulted. They were surprised that I was a high school cheerleader.....so here's proof girls!!! I actually have a scrapbook with several fold out pages, all displaying my cheer days. This picture is the only one I could find that someone I know posted on facebook, so I stole it for show on my blog. I think it was taken on senior night maybe. So yes girls.......I was a cheerleader.......actually a member of the 2000 Missouri State Champion Cheerleading squad.....but even more importantly........a Dexter Bearcat Cheerleader!!!! haha

The Spew Drive

Hi all. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was great! It was very nice to be back home in Missouri with family and friends. I'm looking forward to more time with them over Christmas :) So I haven't had a funny "happening" to myself in a while, but my trip back to Bama on Sunday was a doozy. I thought I'd share my experience with you all. Granted it was in no shape or form fun, pretty, or good...but, now that it's over I can laugh I guess.

So Sunday morning this all started. I started not feeling well during church, and I had a little headache. I thought my headache was from not having any caffeine that morning, so I had a coke for lunch, but the "unsettled" stomach was still present. My lovely mother had fixed a yummy lunch for our family, and I was so looking forward to eating it, but I ended up not having much of an appetite. I had planned on leaving Dexter around 2ish, but decided to rest and see if I felt better afterwards. The little nap seemed to have given me a second wind, so I decided to go ahead and leave for AL. Well about 60 miles into the drive (which by the way was terribly icky....cold, gray, rainy...yuck!), I began to feel a little bad again. It wasn't really bad, tolerable, so I didn't want to turn around and go back. I kept on going and though it seemed like a good idea at the time, I just got worse and worse further into the trip. I was hot, then I was cold...I felt overall just yucky....and my stomach did not suit me. I called my mother crying because I felt so bad. All I wanted was to be home so she could take care of me. It was nasty outside, I felt I couldn't stop for delaying my getting back to AL, and I felt TERRIBLE!!! The worst part was I still had like 2 hours left to drive. I kept going (luckily Maggie was asleep in the front seat and didn't bother me). About 50 miles outside of Florence I knew I'd lose cell service so I called my boss, told him what time I should be back to town, and if he didn't hear from me then (b/c he was going to help me set Mag's kennel back up), then I probably was sick on the side of the road somewhere. Well, I was about 30 min away from getting back to town, and I did not make it. There are literally no good places to pull over between Savannah, TN and Florence. I didn't feel like I was going to throw up, but evidentally my stomach thought otherwise. I have never experienced anything as gross as this. I literally threw up all over myself while driving. I had to pull over in this muddy gravel, threw up some more, and then tried to clean my car up...all the while it is cold and raining. Awesome. I have never felt so disgusting in all of my life. I drove the rest of the way into Florence, called my boss to tell him not to come because I was covered in my own puke...gross and way embarrassing. I only got out Mag's kennel, and left everything else in the car. I did, however, roll down my windows to air out the smell. It was terrible. I went to the doc the following morning, and like I thought, I had a virus. I'm feeling much better now, but my car is still holding a mild scent of my Thanksgiving leftovers. If anyone knows of a good way to remove the smell of vomit from upholstry, I'd really appreciate it any advice or ideas. All I can say, I guess, is....welcome back to Alabama Katie.

Weekly Facts (with a Thanksgiving theme)

1. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. (it's probably best that we don't do a 3-day Thanksgiving....it would be just more days for us to eat and stuff ourselves. But then again...)
2. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held. (but I read that later Congress passed a law in 1941 making the fourth Thursday of November the national annual holiday of Thanksgiving. I guess Lincoln chose the actual day for it being on the fourth Thurs, but it was never written in a law for it to be on that day every year).
3. A female turkey is called a hen and a male turkey is called a tom. (some of you may already know this).
4. Benjamin Franklin lobbied to make the turkey the U.S.'s national symbol. (I'm glad that this was not chosen...the eagle was a much better choice).
5. The sound a male turkey makes is a gobble, but a female turkey clucks.
6. A mature turkey has about 3500 feathers.
7. Minnesota produces the most turkeys annually. (I was surprised at this).
8. Wild turkeys can run up to 25 mph.
9. The Native American tribe that celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the colonists was the Wampanoag tribe.
10. Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 mph. (they are pretty fast birds).
11. 90% of American homes have turkey on Thanksgiving.
12. Israel consumes the most turkey per capita per year.
13. The skin that hangs from a turkey's neck is called a wattle.

Hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday next week!!!

Weekly Knowledge

1. During WWII, because a lot of players were called to duty, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles combined to become The Steagles.
2. In one night, an adult hippopotamus eats approximately 150 pounds of grass. (Do they only eat at night? I'm confused.)
3. Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents.
4. The Flintstones cartoon was the first thirty-minute cartoon to be aired during prime time. (I loved the Flintstones. But possibly loved the Jetsons more.)
5. After chocolate and vanilla, orange is considered the world's most favorite flavor.

What's Happening...(for you Aunt Marilyn)

I was informed by my lovely mother that my Aunt Marilyn requested I blog about what's been going on in my life. According to my mom, she said the facts were interesting, but she wants to know what's happening. So this is for you Aunt Marilyn :)

I guess I've been in a "funny happening to me" draught, so that's why blogging about life in general has been non-existent.

Things in AL are going very well. I certainly cannot complain. I had no idea what God would have in store for me when I moved, but things are great so far. I feel very blessed to have met such great people and have made great friends. Church is wonderful and I just love everyone. Work is also going well too. My schedule has been a bit slow, but it's to be expected. I am considering a new advertisement to boost my patient base. We have a sign out front that says, "Walk Ins Welcome Today." I'm thinking about changing it and putting a disclaimer on it to read: "Walk-Ins Accepted Today: Must Be Between Ages 25-30, Male, and Handsome." Just a thought :)

My dog is growing like a weed!!! She's enroute to become the "horse" you and my mother said she would be. She's 5 mos old and about 40 lbs. However, (I may be jinxing myself by typing this), she has been so good and hasn't destroyed my house at all (as many said she would) so for that I am grateful. She finished her obedience training and graduated with honors (not really, but I'd like to think she was cum laude). She's not really a barker, but does this little "puff-bark" that sounds exactly like a puff noise (to me anyways). I'm glad that she doesn't bark but was wanting her to bark when it was needed (ie: if something was ever wrong/danger/etc.) Well, I was quite proud last night. Though it was my sweet neighbor, Mags barked at her b/c it was dark and she couldn't see who it was walking towards me. She's like my little protector (at least until she licks your hand and wags her tail...she doesn't stay intimidating for long!).

My house is coming quite along. I've made a lot of changes (paint, light fixtures updated, etc.). I'm excited about tiling my kitchen floor early next year sometime. I'm looking forward to decorating for Christmas. I'm gonna go all "Clark Griswald." Granted, it will be minus the trip out to the middle of nowhere to get a tree that's ridiculously large and I don't plan on driving my car under an 18 wheeler enroute to the Lions Club parking lot as Chevy Chase would, or I don't plan on putting Italian Twinkle lights all up and down my roof, but it will be fun nonetheless. However, my dad is coming to visit with my momma the second week in Dec, and he tends to be very Clark Griswald with exterior illumination, so he may feel like blinding my neighbors with Christmas lights on my house.

That's about as exciting as it gets as of late Aunt Marilyn. Come visit me in AL and we'll go to the movies. I've got a list I need to see :)

Factoids

1. About 85% of household warning labels are inadequate. (scary!)
2. Early Romans used porcupine quills as toothpicks.
3. Maine is the toothpick capital of the world. (porcupines are endangered here).
4. Post-It-Notes, which are adhesive notes, were invented while looking for a way to improve the acrylate adhesive found in tapes. (First of all, I like how this fact explains what a post-it-note is. Secondly, do you all know who invented post-it-notes? Callie, you should definitely get this one.)
5. Soldier Field is the oldest field in the NFL. (I actually knew this one. Learned it on the Wendella Boat Tour while in Chicago.)

Weekly Facts...

Okay readers....here's this week's facts...enjoy!

1. An office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet. (if you're like me, when I read this, my hands reached for the hand sanitizer and stayed in my lap the rest of the day).
2. An adult giraffe's kick is so powerful, it can decapitate a lion.
3. An egg that is fresh will sink in water, but a stale one won't. (gonna test this one I think).
4. Baseball was the first sport to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. (of course...it's America's Favorite past-time...go Cards!).
5. Jewelers Tiffanys & Co., based in New York, is responsible for making the Super Bowl Trophy. (see guys...Tiffanys is not just for girls...they appeal to manly men by making shiny pretty championship bling).

Chew On This...

Since I've become a member to the blogworld, I have become a fan of posting random knowledge/facts (sometimes useless, sometimes not). So in keeping with the trend, I've decided to do a weekly post with 5 pieces of info for your reading pleasure. Should be educational for all :)

-Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. (Millicent...seriously? C'mon Mattel.)
-America's favorite Crayola crayon is blue. (mine is actually cerelean blue).
-A dime has 118 ridges around its edge.
-On average, a disposable diaper can hold up to 7 lbs. of liquid. (I'm going to need my little friends and little friends mom's to verify this one for me. Callan, Luke, Ava ?)
-850 peanuts are needed to make an 18 oz jar of peanut butter.

Enjoy your newly acquired random knowledge!

The Upcoming Day of UN-insuredness

When I took my job here in lovely AL, one of the offered benefits was health insurance. I was informed that my coverage with BCBS would not begin until after 90 days of working at my new job. Well when you do the math, that put me at BCBS taking effect on Nov 1st. So, in the meantime I took out a policy with Assurant Health. So I called them today to notify them of my wishes to cancel my policy with them on Nov 1st. Well first of all I had to go through the menu with the annoying recorded person asking me "How can I help you? and I'm sorry, I didn't get that." I HATE those things. I learned quickly that if you hit "0" they will normally connect you to someone. So I learned that my coverage goes from pay period to pay period (I'm sure I was informed of this when I took out my policy, but I didn't pay attention to it), and that my next payment would be Oct 31st. My current coverage is until Oct 30th and if I wished for coverage on the 31st, I would owe the premium for the next month of coverage. BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! So I thought about it. I've never broken a bone, have only been in 1 car wreck (granted I did flip it upside down), and rarely get sick....I decided that I'd take a chance on Oct 31st, rather than pay another $100 bucks for a day of coverage and 29 days of double coverage. It's just a weird thought. I know A LOT of people don't have insurance, but I don't think I've gone a day in my life without it....until Oct 31, 2008. I hope I'm not jinxing myself because that day is Halloween. Ideas for that day though....1. don't leave my house without wearing a padded suit; 2. be placed inside a bubble; or 3. if I do break something or need medical assistance, develop a higher pain threshold.
Actually maybe I'll just pray for a normal, run-of-the-mill day, that is accident free :)

Pay It Forward

I got involved in this little fun game from www.mypumpkindoodles.blogspot.com.

THE RULES: The main focus is doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward. I will send a small, fun gift to the first 3 bloggers who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and then the game will continue!! If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment!! The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found, anything you want!! Just a gift that will make the person's day!! You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link back to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog. Doesn't this sound like fun!!??

A Visit From the Mattinglys :)

On Wednesday, two of my friends from back home came for a visit. Scott and Kristen stopped in route to southern AL where they will be stationed at Ft. Rucker (Scott's a Captain in the Army and a helicopter pilot). Lucy (their year old Lab/German Shepherd mix) came of course too and she got to play with her cousin Maggie :) The Mattinglys were stationed on Oahu previously and they were there when I lived in HI 2 months last spring. It was so great having friends from home while I was so far away, and Scott and Kristen are two great people and two great friends. Lucy was my buddy while I was over there and she solidified my confidence in being a puppy mom (I got Maggie later when I got back!). When Scott and Kristen found out they would be coming to AL, I was so excited and glad that Luce and Mags could meet :) So thanks for stopping by Scott, Kristen, and Lucy....welcome back to the mainland and to Alabama!!!

These are pics from back in Hawaii, of Maggie and Lucy meeting last weekend in Dexter, and from their visit last Tuesday.

She's Now Double Sticks!!!

So this past Sat (10/4) was my niece, Kalee's 11th birthday. I made the 4.5 hour drive up to D-MO for the celebration. Some may say that I'm a good aunt for doing so, but that's not necessarily just it. Kalee is my best little buddy. As Forest Gump would say, she and I have been like "peas and carrots" since she was born. I am the baby of my family and have never had a younger sibling. I was 14 years old when Kalee was born and she's the closest thing to having a little sister that you could have. From playing dress up when she was little, to her having me lay down in the driveway so she could trace me with chalk, I've done it all with her and loved every minute of it!!! The fact that she is now 11 just completely blows my mind!!! It seems like she was just a teeny tiny tot, and now she's 5'1'' and wears a shoe as big (if not bigger) than mine!!! She'll be in middle school next year which just tugs on my heartstrings. I sometimes wish time would stand still and she wouldn't grow up (I can only imagine how I'll feel when I have my own kiddos someday!). But I know she will grow up and become the tall, long legged, smart, beauty she's destined to be! This post is dedicated to Kalee Victoria Howard...the prettiest, sweetest and best niece anyone could have....who's my way cool best buddy. I love you Kalee!!!

Enjoy some pics (old and recent).

50 Things About Me

I saw where some people had posted something like this before, so for new friends (and out of complete boredom) I thought I'd give it a go too.

1. I was born in Memphis, TN.
2. I have 2 older brothers: Wes, 30; David, 26
3. I can play the piano (lessons for 9 years) and the guitar (but don't hold out for Hendrix or anything).
4. I am extremely terrified of suffocating (weird I know).
5. I have a 4 mos old Weimaraner pup named Maggie (or the Magster/Magalicious).
6. I have only been out of the country once (Tanzania, Africa).
7. I don't have a batchelor's degree.
8. I love to rollerblade :)
9. I would LOVE to be in a musical.
10. Top 5 places I will someday visit: 1. Scotland, 2. Argentina, 3. Fiji, 4. Alaska, 5. Italy
11. I like to/and actually can cook (mainly because I have my mom's genes!).
12. I want to go back to Disney World (haven't been since I was a kid).
13. I have never broken a bone.
14. I like to play games (board games, card games, video games, etc.)
15. I didn't have a car until I graduated high school. It was a 1996 Toyota Camry that I loved!!!
16. A year later, I wrecked it....flipped it upside down into a ditch.
17. My least favorite class in college was organic chemistry (sorry Jennifer).
18. I was the "matchmaker" for my brother and his wife (she was my roommate in optometry school!).
19. I have been to 22/50 states and would like to visit all of them.
20. I lived and worked on a military base in Hawaii for 2 mos last winter/spring (it was for school).
21. I used to be TERRIFIED of the ocean. But after Hawaii, I'm much better.
22. My favorite exotic animal is a giraffe.
23. I really like the outdoors.
24. I was student body president in high school.
25. I have no problem singing in front of people and LOVE to karaoke! (whether it sounds bad or good).
26. I like to dance (too bad I'm not famous and couldn't be on Dancing With the Stars...that would be awesome!).
27. I have a crush on Anderson Cooper (silver fox!). It used to be worse...I once watched AC 360 every night, but not much anymore. However, I do own and have read his book.
28. I would like to learn to play golf (again). I took Jr. golf for a bit as a kid, but would like to reattempt.
29. I can spread my toes out really far and pick things up with them.
30. Jobs I have had: lifeguard, waitress, preschool teacher/lunch lady, advertising sales, and Saturday mornings at a optometrist's office while I was in optometry school.
31. I really like flowers: planting them, growing them, receiving them.
32. I am working (along with my 2 sis-n-laws) on reading the top 100 novels ever written (there's a list).
33. I am scared of some heights...but not all.
34. If I wasn't an optometrist, I'd be a high school English teacher.
35. My favorite childhood book was "The Story of Ping" (about a little Chinese duck on the Yantze River).
36. I hope to learn to shoot a bow.
37. I once could sing the entire song of "Frosty the Snowman" in French.
38. I have been deer hunting with my dad since I was little and have never seen a deer. I am now determined to one day see and kill one.
39. I am quite organized and I tend to be a planner.
40. I really like to do home improvements and like to do these by myself (until I need help, then I usually ask for it!).
41. I love movies...renting, going to...either one is great.
42. I could live off cereal.
43. I have had 2 speeding tickets (1 in AR and 1 in MO).
44. I like to cut people's hair....trim, layer, cut bangs, etc.....and for no training, I'm actually not too bad at it.
45. I wish I would have invented Guitar Hero.
46. My family used to grow cotton, soybeans, watermelons, and cantalopes.....dad was a farmer.
47. I know the scientific names of several trees (nerdy). ie: Post Oak...Quercus stellata;
48. I like things to be CLEAN!
49. I once clucked like a chicken on the ordering microphone at Burger King to get a discount on my food....it saved me a buck!
50. My deep down, cheesy wishful thinking, if-I-could-be-anything dream would be to become a country singer/songwriter/musician.

Urrgghh...the bookcase

So this is a random post (probably like most), but I felt the need to write about my new bookcase. I've been wanting/needing a bookcase for my front office/music room. Since I've moved in, that room has become the catch all room (mainly of books and photo albums) that has yet to be unpacked. The entire room has just been sitting and waiting for me to fix it up, and I've been finally able to do so. I bought wood blinds for my 3 windows and this past weekend I put them up. Well, honestly my 60ish year old neighbor did because I had difficulty drilling through the aluminum of the window casement, but nevertheless they are up! I was all excited because I had ordered a bookcase from Target and things for my orange room were beginning to come together. So yesterday I get home from work and I find 2 VERY long cardboard boxes on my doorstep. (I'm posting a picture so you get the visual). The boxes are taller than me and for Callie Lillard, they were total BABs (inside joke). For the record, I enjoy my independence and love doing things around my house all by myself. However, there are those certain times when you need help. Ummm...yeah...as much as I hate to admit it, I needed help (and probably a guy's help). And me being the smart rock that I am decided to start working on putting it together at 9 pm being a really convenient time to call and ask for assistance. It was kind of a once you start, you can't stop type deal. Those boxes were so heavy and long that I didn't think I'd ever be able to get them through my front door. I scrambled/lugged those two suckers into my house in some way and the whole time I was wishing for my dad and brothers. But I made it. After basically killing myself to get them inside, I looked on the side of the box and saw it labeled, "Heavy...Team Lift Recommended." Nice Katie. The actual assembling wasn't too terrible (thanks to the fine people of China). But getting the pieces (that are so tightly packed into the super skinny boxes) out was an additional feat in itself. However, I did manage and I got it together. It looks really pretty against my Benjamin Moore "Rust" colored wall. Lesson learned: ask for assistance when needed. You're guaranteed to feel much better the next day.

No Longer the Lemon

Last night was the second night of obedience training for the Magster. We worked real hard all week (basically I was determined that she would NOT be the worst dog in the class). The work paid off because Maggie did so well!!! The trainer even said, "You've been doing your homework. She's like a different dog." Not gonna lie, she was the best...seriously. She walked right beside me and did a perfect sit every time. Yay Maggie!!!

***Now if you come to visit we can show off our new skills :)

SEMO Love at 25

So this past Saturday (9/20) was my 25th birthday. I spent the weekend at home and had a wonderful time. I love seeing family and eating my mom's excellent cooking so you can't beat SEMO love :) My brothers, sis-n-law, niece, and I took to two nights of intense card playing. Peanuts (or Nertz in AL) is pretty addictive and pretty intense. Arms flying and people yelling (at times)....fun times! I also got to see my niece play volleyball...she's a great player and I'm predicting future Bearcat allstar. As far as 25 goes, it feels no different than 24. The only perk with the number is your car insurance goes down I guess. However, 24 was a good year for me, so I'm expecting nothing less of 25 :) Here's a few pics from the weekend.

Lunch Bunch with Nertz Girlies

Quick note....I met my friend Melodie today for lunch at Sweet Basil Cafe for my birthday. Well, two sneaky mc sneakersons came along and surprised me as well! My friends Kimberly and Scarlett came and it was such a sweet birthday surprise. Oh, and baby Callan and baby Ava came too :) I love surprises! The Nertz chicks had a yummy lunch (if you don't know what Nertz is, don't worry. I didn't either until last weekend where I was taught by these girls. It's really fun, however I have trouble with the card counting/adding up my points when the round is over. Luckily I have you Kimberly for that!) Thank you God for dear sweet new friends in Alabama!!!

Off to the Show Me State

Basically I'm really bored at work today (not a patient on the schedule), I finished my MBA homework, and am now sitting in anticipation to leave to go HOME!!! I decided to write about my wonderful home and town. My birthday is on Saturday (I'm hitting the official "mid" 20s with the big 2-5), and it will be my first trip back to see my family since moving to Alabama on July 31st. I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY EXCITED!!! I am so happy to be from a small town...where I was raised to know that I could be anything I wanted to be, and my parents instilled in me that faith and love of God, family, and others is most important. I love the feeling of knowing everyone, the politeness of people, and ease of life. Highschool sports reign supreme there, with fans all out to support the one and only Bearcats. Others may see my hometown as boring, slow, ugly, country/redneck, etc., but Dexter is a special place, and I'll always love it. So here's what I think of when I think of home and my beloved D-MO:

Home is:

the cliche "where your heart is"...but SO true!

my wonderful family...all living basically on the same gravel road :)

my mom cooking her wonderful treats

my dad in his garden

beautiful rural farmland (fall's the best with the cotton)

where there is always listening ears, good advice, and honesty

my brother Wes singing and always telling me he loves me

Southeast Missouri pride!

flat...some say ugly, but I disagree...you can find beauty in most anything, even if it is flatland with no hills

my brother David being his ornery self but being my protector

my sis in law Bonnie being one of the best mother's I know

where "everybody knows your name"....dum dum dum

still below the Mason Dixon Line for those thinking it's north....we're still South....maybe not "deep" South, but let's say "mid" South

my sis in law Jennifer being my best friend

my niece Kalee being the coolest 10 year old and always making me feel special

my nephew Jackson....his smile, his innocence, and his sweet kisses

the Bearcats

sleeping in my old room and comfy bed

after church, Sunday lunch with the family

the Crossroads of Southeast Missouri.....seriously, trains come through town like every 15 minutes

great memories of growing up

tractors

the place I'll always be quick to share and discuss with anyone when they ask where I'm from

the one place I always want to go

I heart home :)

The Class Lemon

Okay, so most of my friends and family who have blogs write about their kiddos and what their kiddos do. Well since I'm sans child, let me just tell you about Maggie's first night of obedience school.

So, I signed Mags up for obedience training with a lady here in Florence. She has a great reputation and was highly recommended. The class is 4 weeks (1 night/week) and we started last night. I was so excited to take her!!! 1. because I wanted her to have more association with other dogs; 2. I want her to be an excellent dog...well trained as well as friendly/lovable...I mean she is my buddy, and I want her to be a great buddy. So we headed to the parking lot of Pet Depot last night at 6:30 anxiously awaiting instruction. I began to swell with pride over Maggie. There were about 12 other dogs and they were ALL barking, yapping, whining, etc. Mags never made a peep. She just wagged her tail and wanted to bebop around to each pup to say hi. Everyone was saying how good my dog was and how pretty she was and how she wasn't even making a sound. I told them that I've never heard her bark and that she's only yelped once ...when I accidentally shut her foot in the door :( Well, the trainer showed up and had us all fill out our paperwork. She then showed us her dog (who's 10 mos) who is perfectly trained. Her dog is like the angel dog....sits, stays, comes, etc. I thought to myself, "That will be my Maggie." So I was all pumped and ready to start and the lady began to pass out training collars. I'm not sure if you know what a training collar is, but it's a metal collar that has links in it with prongs that turn in towards the dog's neck. It does not hurt the dog, but is designed for training ie: if you dog pulls on their leash. Well, my pride was shot when the training collar went on Maggie. I have never in my life seen a dog freak out the way mine did. The other dogs whined a bit, but they pale in comparison to the temper tantrum the Magster displayed. She twisted, yelped (it was almost like a dog scream), got tangled up in the leash, was biting it, etc. You would have thought she was dying. She finally calmed down and sat by my feet. She didn't calm down because she was used to it, she calmed down because she realized if she didn't move, it wouldn't hurt her. We were all instructed to jerk on the leash 3 quick jerks when our pups tried to pull on the leash. The first training to work on was walking. Well, Maggie is a pretty good walker, but she's never been made to walk right by my left side. That topped with her lovely training collar made for a terrible experience. She instructed us to say "Let's go for a walk" and get our dogs to stay on our left side. The goal is to get your dog on the left side and walk with a loose leash. If the dog pulls or won't come, you do 3 quick jerks as to say "no" and when the dog is walking on your left side, you give praise so they know they're doing it correctly. She had us walk in a huge rectangle in the parking lot, in a line, and if the person in front of you was having trouble with their dog, just pass them. WELL I GOT PASSED BY EVERYONE!!! Maggie couldn't even complete the rectangle. After about 10 minutes, everyone's dog could quasi-walk on their left side. My dog couldn't even stand on all 4 legs. She was flopping, yelping, biting.......completely freaking out!!! I was thinking to myself...."I wish I was as rich as Oprah and could have Cesar the dog guy come to my house and personally train my dog because this is awful." Well we then moved on to the sit command. Mags has actually learned to sit (sort of) and I was hoping she'd redeem herself. Umm, no. The new way of teaching sit she did not like at all. After about an hour and half, the class was coming to and end and the lady asked if my dog could stay a little longer. Yep, we were "those" in the class....the ones who distracted the others and made a complete scene. Well, of course we stayed and the trainer actually tried to walk her. I'm not kidding....the trainer walked with Maggie about 15 minutes and for about 8-10 of those minutes, Maggie was throwing a fit. She even walked the entire length of the parking lot on her back two legs with her front paws wrapped up in the leash. She finally caved in and walked by her side (pretty good). Basically, the trainer said I have the biggest challenge of the class because of Maggie's breed. (I knew that was coming). She said Weimaraners are extremely smart and almost too smart when it comes to training. She said they make exceptional pets and are very lovable and are great companions, but when it comes to training they are VERY strong-willed. She did emphasize that Maggie will break and be trained, but it's just hard for Weimaraners to "give in" to the mentality that you are the one in charge. Umm....yeah.....I have my hands full. Well, we headed home and Maggie crawled up in the front seat of my car and put her head in my lap. I began to cry on the way home because my dog was the total lemon of the class. I being the wish-to-please in academia myself, hated the fact that my dog was basically rotten and was the class disrupter. I know that she'll get it, but it may be a long road. I'm determined and we'll tackle it and she'll be a great dog. I do think we may need prayer though!!! So.....upon reading this....please no judgement of my pup if you haven't met her. Actually if you came to visit she'd be SO EXCITED because she LOVES guests!!! Just don't ask us to show off any of our skills.....we're a work in progress.

Tippy Canoe

Surprisingly there was no tipping whatsoever...

Yesterday, I went canoeing with a friend on the Buffalo River in Hohenwald, TN. It's about an hour or so north of Florence. Of course I was informed that it's not the "real" Buffalo River, since that's in Arkansas, but it was a fun river anyway. We did the 6 mile canoe, the weather was absolutely perfect, and had quite an educational day. I also even monkeyed up and jumped out of a tree into the river (pretty big deal since I'm afraid of some heights). So here's a recap of things I learned and things I taught...you the reader probably don't care, but it just gives you a set up of the day:

1. It is not an oar. It is a paddle (though if quizzed, I knew it was a paddle...and would not have called it an oar).
2. 3 parts to the paddle: handle, shaft, and spoon
3. When getting into the canoe, make sure you place your foot in the middle of the bottom of
the canoe to keep balance of the canoe (I executed this well).
4. The front paddler in the canoe is the power (that was me...I'm all about having power!) and the back steers (I think that's what he said...can't remember for sure).
5. When coming upon rapids, look for the "V". The "V" is the area where the water is darker in color, and the current runs quicker on either side. It's better to go in the middle of the "V". (Not sure if I explained that right, but that's what I got out of it).
6. When close to objects, ie: rocks, tree limbs, etc. and you must make a quick steer of the canoe, don't dodge the object and lean away from it. This can cause your canoe to flip. (I'm proud to say that I did this very well, and no "flippage" took place).
7. I also correctly learned how to make a loud noise with my paddle and how to execute an awesome "slice" maneuver with my paddle if I ever encounter a snake.
***After attaining and mastering all of the above, I am now fully equipped to go pro in canoeing. However, I may want to actually work on my paddle strokes, considering I honestly did very little yesterday....whoops!
Random knowledge:
7. 3 types of rocks: 1. metamorphic 2. igneous (which I remembered) 3. sedimentary.....my new rule is when in doubt, go with sedimentary...it makes you look smarter. There were some rocks/cliffs on the trip (most we decided were sedimentary in nature)....I pulled from 8th grade earth science to add to the discussion.
Knowledge I relayed:
8. The difference between a post oak (Quercus stellata) and a black jack oak (Quercus marilandica...I think that's right).......to fill you in....I had botany in undergrad and had to memorize a lot of trees and their scientific names. Oddly (and kind of nerdy), I still remember a lot of them. The answer: The width of the lobes on the leaf.
9. The parts of the eyeball: anterior to posterior as follows.....cornea, anterior chamber, iris and pupil, posterior chamber, lens, vitreous and retina. My friend is now equipped to be an optometrist.

So as you can see the canoe trip was 100% educational in many facets, but more importantly a fun trip! I think I'd be a good Pocahontas....I felt pretty Pocahontas-ish as I rode in the front of the canoe and did little paddling :)

Sister Sister

This weekend was my first "girls weekend" with one of my sister-in-laws. Jennifer (David's wife) came down for a visit. She told me before I moved down that she would come one weekend and we'd have a strictly shopping/chick flick/Lawson and Kt weekend. So I was very very anxious and SO excited for her to get here! It felt like old times of being roommates in optometry school :) We had a fun time hitting up TJ Maxx, shopping in the Huntsville scene, and watching movies. I just knew that I'd be so strong and not cry when she left. I've been making strides. Last weekend I didn't cry until after my family left, so I knew with her leaving today that I was ready to not cry at all. Plus, I'm going home in 2 weeks for my birthday and so it's not that long before I see her again. Well, to no avail...I cried. I can't help it. I'm an emotional bawlbag when it comes to my family and I get spoiled seeing them and being around them 24/7 when they come to visit. However, the tears did not last long, and Jennifer said, "You have nice friends here and a wonderful church." She's 100% true...the friends and great church here have eased my missing home and family. I'm so glad that Jennifer came though. I miss our old days of being roommates, but so extremely lucky to now have her as my sister. It was a great weekend!

Surprise and Space

So this weekend my parents came down from good ol' Missouri for a visit. I was so excited to have family! But what I didn't know was that my 10 year-old niece Kalee was also along for the trek. She completely surprised me!!! She is my absolute favorite person and I miss her SO MUCH! It was the best surprise I could have received and little Miss Sneaky Mc Sneakerson was such a treat to have...I'm so glad my little buddy came to visit me :)

Saturday we decided to go to Huntsville to the U.S. Space Center and Museum. It's almost like a given, that if you live in Alabama you must 1) choose your team...Bama or Auburn (I have opted to choose neither and continue to support the Razorbacks, though I've been recently harassed for it) and 2) visit the Space Center. I must say that after an afternoon of looking and learning, it has solidified why I have never ever wanted to go into space. I admire astronauts and think their job is cool, but you couldn't pay me enough money to do what they do. The first thing we did in the museum was get into the cockpit of an Apollo replica. That thing was so stinkin' tiny, I was feeling a bit claustrophobic. Not to mention it was kind of eerie. The huge control panel with all the buttons is right above you and there's this huge "red button." You know the infamous "red button" that's on all important control panels and machinery. The kind of red button that you always want to push, but know you shouldn't. Well, here was this huge red button that I could easily push because nothing was going to happen, but it was so eerie in there that I couldn't. I know, really strange and not to mention absurd of me to think that, but it just was.

The space center was pretty cool though. The Saturn was massive....never seen anything of that magnitude up close. It was a really cool experience plus it makes me think about how amazing God is. When you walk through and see all the stuff about the Earth, solar system, space, galaxies....it's crazy to think and wrap your head around that we are just a flea sized part of God's masterpiece. He created EVERYTHING and when you're put in a position to think beyond our towns, states, country, and even planet, you feel so insignificant. The afternoon was a constant reminder at how awesome and amazing and really smart our God is :)

Oh and side note....I did better this time...when my family left I didn't cry until after they drove down the street (they didn't even see me). A much better improvement from the first time when I bawled the 15 minutes before and the 30 minutes after they left. I'm growing up to become a big girl! :)

My Shadow

This post is devoted 100% to the Magster...

As a lot of you know, prior to my jump to AL, I got a puppy. I have wanted a Weimaraner for the longest time and decided that post-graduation, and with my move to a new place, I was ready to become a puppy mom. So, I used some of my graduation bucks and bought my dog. I had thought long and hard prior to getting her about what her name would be. Maggie popped in my head and so she was Maggie before I ever saw her. Well, I don't know if some of you know much about Weimaraners, but they're really pretty dogs. Blue or silver gray is the usual choice in breed color. Mags is a blue. Weimaraners can also have very high spirited personalities...Mags is becoming this. Weimaraners also get rather large...Mags is in the process...23 lbs at 11 1/2 weeks. Weimaraners are also very loyal and loving...Mags is 100% a sweet girl.

Well, after being a dog mom for about a month in a half, I can honestly say that I have become one of "those people." Growing up my family never had a dog in the house. We were outside dog people. We had a little weenie dog for a while, and we always had hunting dogs. I made the executive decision that Maggie would be inside with me. My buddy and watch dog if you will. Well, what I mean by "those people" is this. I've become one of those types that a)talks in a baby voice to their pet, ie: said in baby voice, "thas a goood gurl maggie"; b)treats their pet as if it were a real child; c)becomes worried/hysterical/and pathetically highly emotional when something could be wrong with their pet; d)feels that their dog is the absolute smartest dog in the world; and finally e)talks about their dog as if it were a real child. Yes, my dog has basically consumed a very large part of my life. I now understand how "those people" fall into this type of thinking. When you have a puppy who depends on you for feeding, to turn the door knob so they can go out the backdoor to pee/poop, and who looks at you with big blue puppy dog eyes....you get absolutely smitten. I can't help it. She gets all excited when I come home. Wags her tail about 90 miles an hour...it's so sweet. Who knows maybe I need to get more of a life?

Anyway...here's my top 5 favorite things that Maggie does in all her "Mag-a-liciousness."
1. Have you ever watched ballroom dancing? If you have then you have seen the "Quick-Step." I'm convinced Mags could do the dog version of the quick step. When we walk in the park she's so light and fluffy on her feet....looks like the quick step. (if you're laughing at how dumb this sounds, go ahead).
2. When there's dew on the grass, or after it's rained, Maggie hunches down low to the ground and walks real fast licking the water off the grass. It's like her tongue can't lap enough drops of rain off the lawn. It makes me think of Fred Flinstone's dinosaur lawn mower...remember the dinosaur chomped the grass? Mags hunches down like that and licks...it's really funny.
3. She's SO clumsy....imagine Bambi when he first stood. This is Maggie trying to stand up on my kitchen floor.
4. She plays 100%, full throttle, run as hard as you can, will barrel me over for her quacking mallard duck. Though away from Southeast MO...I'm still giving her the flyway education she needs to really be a Howard.
5. Mags follows me everywhere....she will barely eat, drink, or do her business without my overlooking her for approval....thus, she's my shadow.

Thank you Thank you Jenni!!!

Just wanted to thank my cousin's wife Jenni for snazzing up my blog. I LOVE IT!!! I consider myself a fairly creative person, but I'm new to the blog thing and my previous set up was one of the default templates and it was pretty generic (and boring). Jenni's always looks so so cute and she's always adding this and that.....I became filled with blog jealousy and asked her to help me out. Her being the ever sweet relative that she is, she gladly accepted and you are currently viewing the results of her beautiful creative work :) I know, I know....right now you are becoming filled with blog jealousy too.. No worries...contact Jenni...AKA the "Crafty Queen of Blogs."

Bama-isms

Since I've recently moved to a brand new state, I figured I'd share some things that I've recently learned about my new whereabouts.

1. first of all, they're called "Alabamans" not "Alabamians." Didn't know it.
2. Alabama means "tribal town"...word from the Creek Indian tribe. Again, didn't know it.
3. Nickname: Heart of Dixie or the Yellowhammer State. I did know the Yellowhammer thing (weird...how I knew that I'm not sure).
4. State song: Alabama (how original)
5. Dinosaur fossils found in AL (I'm listing this b/c it just makes me laugh for some reason): Lophorhothon and Nodosaurus....never heard of either....what happened to plain in simple TRex or Brontasaurus?
6. State Game Bird: Wild Turkey......surprising this is even listed as a fact...
7. State Flower: Camillia
8. State Tree: Southern longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)....I did not know the scientific name to this......I only state that because oddly I know the scientific names of a lot of trees....point being.....I was a nerd in college.
9. On this fact sheet they have facts about the state nut, quilt, dance, etc.......all things that I didn't even know states made facts about.....odd
10. follow up to #9.....does it ever make you wonder how they come up with these facts? I mean is there someone who's sole purpose/job is to come up with state facts? I know the usual ones, but the facts that are kind of weird......and who votes on this stuff?
***As you can see, I have had ample time to think about this stuff this morning at work......the amount of patients is pretty light currently.
11. soda is not a term (which this I already knew)....coke, what kind? And I do realize that if I have one nuance that labels me midwestern, it would be my calling it "soda." However, I still claim that I am not a Yankee or "midwestern" as I've been called since I've been here by a few.
12. the question, "Who are you for?" is like a top 5 question to ask someone new to the area. I had no idea even what they were talking about until I got my AL football education. AL Crimson Tide or Auburn Tigers....my polite answer thus far....neither....but I do follow up with a explanation that I do support the SEC (go Hogs!).
12. Missouri is considered far far away to some people. A common response to when I reply to people where I'm from....."Wow....you're really far from home." Not really.....SE MO and NW AL.....not that far apart. It's hard for people to remember the shapes of states other than their own. So when you describe my beloved Bootheel and say, "you know MO has the little tail in the corner and it's referred to as the boot?" (a few have looked at me like I'm an idiot), only some can remember MO's shape.
13. Welcome to the state of post hurricane rains......doesn't really happen back home.
14. I finally learned what "War Eagle" means....I was confused for about 2 weeks.

FINALLY......Let me clarify....I'm not typing any of this to make fun, degrade, or snicker at any of my new Alabaman friends. Thus far, the people of Florence, AL have been so warm and welcoming.....one of the nicest towns I've ever been to and so far so good :)

Disclaimer: I refuse to become a Braves fan.......I've been told by multiple sources that if I live here long enough, I'd follow Atlanta. For the record...I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever become a Braves fan. Not because I hate them or anything...just that I will always 100% be loyal to the one and only St. Louis Cardinals.

Patience

So Sunday in our class, Will Bridges (he and his wife Melodie have befriended me---great people!) talked/led a discussion about waiting. We've been studying from Genesis (which I enjoy....the initial meat of the OT), and Sunday it was all about waiting/having patience, etc. We talked about the usual scenarios of waiting in line, icky congested traffic on the interstates, etc. Several people mentioned waiting for the birth of their children, or girls waiting for that pretty engagement ring they've been wanting. You know...things that you are so anxious for but the waiting can be unbearable?! As people were throwing out different things I began to think for myself about what things I had to wait a long time for....like, graduation from optometry school or getting boards scores in the mail. All of mine were mostly school-related :) But then I also (as well as the rest of this week) have begun to think of other forms of waiting that I've really not even experienced in my short almost 25 year old life (my birthday is a month from today!). You know the milestones of my future that aren't even on my radar yet.....marriage, kids, etc. Plus, I began to think of how far I've come along with patience in general. Some people may not know it, but those who do (you know who you are....mom, jennifer, the rest of my family) can tell you that I'm not a very patient person. I'm laid back and easy going for the most part, but some things I've struggled to have patience with. Especially over the past couple of years. And it's not patience in every aspect of my life. It's random little things some times and then really big things other times. Jennifer (my sis-in-law and old optometry school roommate) could see my lack of patience on a daily basis during school, as well as with my personal relationships with different people. It took me a while to grasp and wrap my head around that 1)at whatever point in time I had no patience, that me being fidgety or complaining was not going to make it faster, easier, or better and 2)that I have absolutely 100% no control of some situations that test my patience. I found in my palm pilot a couple of scriptures that I had written a few years ago from James. I used to use it as a daily reminder to work on my patience.

James 1:2-3 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I read these the other day and you know it's true. No matter what the scenario (good or bad---even though it's sometimes extremely hard to swallow/grasp) a testing of your faith gives you patience. Now, in my case it has had to be a lot of scenarios, but with each one I feel that I have had one chance to feel and experience patience. I can honestly say that I feel that I am a much more patient person than I was 2 years ago, even 6 months ago! God gives us what he knows we can handle (traumatic, minor, simple, hard, earth-shattering, etc) and by experiencing these things we learn to put faith in Him and be patient with Him, as well as with ourselves and our peers. Just thought I'd share my thoughts from the past few days :)

Life Post-Ticks

So here's the post tick scoop...

Saturday I woke up feeling lucky that I only had a few tick bites. Granted I did find the live one in my bed and a few crawling on my arm when I jumped back into my bleach bath, but the bites were few. However, I should have known that it was too good to be true. Sunday I got up with what looks like the worst case of chicken pox you've ever seen on the tops of my legs as well as on the side of my butt....it's quite a sight let me tell you. Well, I thought to myself, "Katie this looks terrible, but it really is not too itchy." I had heard from my friend and he said that their itching was unbearable, so I went about my day feeling rather lucky. Well, this morning I'm changing my tune. I woke up with more and itching like a banche....it is the most miserable feeling ever. I have counted about 130-150 bites on my left leg alone. I also found some on my arms, as well as my back and stomach. I long for my mother right now...there are just some places that I can't reach. So I headed to work this morning, itchy, but still feeling okay. I decided to show my office manager (yes, she's a woman) because I felt that I needed to prove my misery since I've not been able to show anyone. Reaction...jaw dropping and "do you feel okay overall?" Well at the time I thought I did, but that quickly changed. A wee bit later I began to feel rather tired, sluggish, and quite cold. Bits of chill would come and go. So the consensus was that I had a fever...no fever. So rather than sit and feel like crap, I decided to head to the walk in clinic down the street to be safe. Dr. Lumpkins was the recommended doc, and actually a doc that I'm supposed to meet and greet (there are several around town that I'm supposed to introduce myself to as to say "I'm Dr. Howard...I'm new to the area, etc."....good PR, you know?) Well, I just loved the idea of my first introduction and then dropping my drawers to show my ugly bumps. Well, no worries...didn't have to drop 'em. Dr. Lumpkins informed me that viral/flu like symptoms can occur with excessive tick bites. He said that I could spend several hundred $$$ to get a Rocky Mtn. Spotted fever or Lyme titer test done, but that more than likely it would come back negative. So, he informed me that my symptoms can be normal, and decided to prescribe me a antibiotic to be safe and a vaso-dilator to relieve some of my itching misery. Therefore, currently I'm sitting and feeling a little better... drugged up, and not itching too terribly since my last application of Gold Bond Anti-Itch. Hopefully, all will get better over the next few days...pray please :)

PS: Maggie is doing great....as if nothing ever happened....I'm beginning to wonder if Frontline would work on humans???

"I'd like to check you for ticks..."---Brad Paisley

If you would have checked me yesterday, and even this morning you would have found some....let me rephrase that....not some.....A LOT!!! So here goes the story...

Fridays are my day off, and so yesterday I went hiking with a new friend. I wasn't sure about taking Maggie (since she's only 10 1/2 weeks old), but I decided to give it a shot. So, Mags and I got all packed up and drove about an hour south of Florence to meet a friend in Haleyville, AL. Once there, we drove out to the state ground where we would hike. The hike was about 2 1/2 miles, so there was a chance Maggie would get really tired. But they brought backpacks along in case they needed to carry her. So we got there and I fed Mags her lunch before we set out. Well off we went. We decided to not put Maggie on her leash (unless we came to a steep area or ridge), and I'm proud to say that she did AWESOME!!! She had the best time. She always followed the leader, but then would stop after to bit to turn and see if I was coming behind her. She was leary of some logs that she couldn't go under at first, but we'd stand on one side and encourage her to come. She eventually learned to grip with her front paws and jump with her back and made it over a few!

So shortly into the hike, my friend said that he found a seed tick on his hand. I had said that I had put Frontline on Maggie and that she should be okay if they bite her, but little did I know what we were getting into....

We hiked a bit longer and had been going for quite a while and we stopped to rest a bit. Well, we look on our hands and we notice a few seed ticks crawling on us. I then look on my legs and I have A LOT OF SEED TICKS ON ME. I then look around my shoes and THEY ARE ALL OVER MY SHOES!!! Inside my shoes, on my shoe strings, and of course when I take them off, they are all over my socks!!! I was wearing shorts, so I pulled one side up a little bit. Sure enough, they had crawled up my leg and UNDERNEATH MY SHORTS!!! Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I have had a tick before. You know, a fat black or brown one that's crawling that you can mash and kill the little sucker before he embeds into you? Never in my life have I gotten into seed ticks....they are the tiniest little suckers and they crawl into crevices that 1)they are not welcome in, and 2)they are relentless. So upon finding our new hiking buddies, we decided to turn around and head back. I knew that if I was covered in them, Mags would be also. So upon, tromping back to our beginnings, Maggie was playing and nipping at my ankles. Well, I decided to play back and began to run. So we're both running, and like a graceful, elegant swan....I tripped over a tree root, rolled like I was 007 on a secret mission (it was actually an impressive roll I thought), and sat on my knees in embarassment. So, now am I not only covered in seed ticks, I am also mortified. But I can most always laugh at myself, so I took it in stride. Besides, who hasn't fallen before, right? So with a sore hip, a critter infested wardrobe, a scratching puppy, I climbed in the truck and we headed back to town. Well my friend felt bad (and it was SO okay....not a big deal and not his fault), so he took us back to Haleyville's Walmart. Enroute to Wally World, Maggie had fallen asleep in the front seat and my friends noticed that she had seed ticks crawling all over her sweet little ears and head. Poor Mags!!! So we get to Walmart, get some goods to make this better, and begin to "detick" Mags and ourselves. Bless her heart....she was SO TIRED from the afternoon and was hungry and we begin to poke and prod on her. We found that she had ticks down in between her toes. So let me give you a good visual of this.......I am standing outside a Walmart in Haleyville, AL, barefoot on the nasty gross parking lot asphalt, my friend is holding my dog separating her toes as I pour water from a water bottle on her little feet and begin to shampoo her paws with flea/tick killer shampoo....all while people are slowly driving by looking at us like we were nuts! But let's remember it's small town AL, so they're probably used to it :) Well we take care of Mags, I tried to lint roll some ticks off of my shirt, socks, shoes, etc. (which works pretty well by the way), and then put her in the back of his truck to feed her. I decide to head back into Walmart to use the bathroom and as I pulled down my shorts.....yep, ticks all in my underwear, stuck to my upper thigh, and I knew they had to be on my butt too. I did the best I could with brushing them off, but so many had already stuck that I couldn't. Well, we get back to the Piggly Wiggly parking lot

where I had left my car and Mags and I pack up to head back to Florence. Mags slept the entire way home. Enroute I called Mom and Dad and my dad gave me the seed tick/chiggers killing recipe. I got home put Mags in the back yard, stripped down, and jumped into my hot water bathtub mixture of bleach, soap (which I used Dawn...the closest thing I could grab), and vinegar. I soaked in my tub for 20 minutes, sweating like a Banche, and then showered. I scrubbed with a pumice stone, loofa, as well as shaved my legs, scrubbed my hair 3 times, and still didn't feel like they were off. I scrubbed Mags off, vacuumed out my car, sprayed the inside with tick/flea killer, and vacuumed it again. I washed my clothes, towels and the blanket Mags sat on twice in hot water. Then, I went back for another shower and hair washing myself. After all of that, I still woke up this morning with one of those little boogers crawling in my bed!!! So, I started over again this morning. I took another bleach bath where I found another one crawling on me, as well as one embedded in my chest. I had to dig that sucker out and it hurt! So far I've washed my sheets, my clothes, sprayed Mags down with flea/tick killer spray, bleached her kennel, the utility floor that her kennel sits on, mopped my kitchen floor, and sprayed flea/tick killer on the carpet in front of the patio door where I take her out. I have yet to find anymore since then, but these little suckers are relentless....they're not going down!!!

So the moral/lesson of my Friday afternoon of fun.....if you're going hiking in the woods.......WEAR OFF WITH DEET!!!!!!!!!

But in spite of the new little crawling friends I made....I had fun :)

Firsts

Wow!!! So this past week was a week of many firsts...my first official week in the "real world," my first official week of living by myself in my new state, AND most importantly my first official week to actually use my title of "doctor." And what are my thoughts now that it is over (I don't work on Fridays!)??? I AM SO HAPPY!!! What a great week of firsts! Things just seem to be falling into place very nicely, making the transition away from home and being by myself much easier. However, reading my sister in law's (Bonnie) blog got me a little misty eyed (but made me smile from ear to ear too) when I read about my nephew's new favorite things. He is really liking to wrestle right now she said, and he also likes it when Wes shoots his bow. The pictures were so cute and it made me miss home and seeing everybody every day. But, I did receive a envelope yesterday in the mail from my favorite person in the entire world...my niece, Kalee. She sent me two pictures that she and Jackson had colored each, both saying "To KK...We miss you." It made me smile and feel wonderful. She is my best little friend (or way cool buddy as I've called her since she was little), and she made my Thursday afternoon. I love that something so simple by a loving little person, can make you feel so special. Kalee is wonderful!

Workin 9 to 5, What a Way to Make a Living...

Okay, so not really 9 to 5...actually 8 to 5...and really not much "work" just yet. However, yesterday was officially my first day of work. I did not see any patients, nor am I today, but got into the groove of my new office with the flow of how things work. I did get to do an exam on a staff member (my first exam since May....ahh), but I wasn't as rusty as I thought I'd be. I think I'm really going to like my office. Thus far, everyone has been very nice and very efficient. Plus, I can tell that the people of the community who come to Florence Eye Center are very satisfied and really like our office. This was easily seen by observing the patients....I'm VERY EXCITED about what has been done here and what will be continued in the future.

Plus, on another good note...I found out when I got home that I passed my Alabama boards!!! I knew it was coming this week, and I was pretty nervous about it. I'm not the best test taker, plus I didn't feel to solid about one of the sections on the test. There's been a gray cloud hanging over that particular area the past few weeks and I've just pushed it aside and not really thought about it. But yesterday it came full circle and I was about to throw up as I opened my mailbox. Of course it was there....and the results were SO UPLIFTING!!! So a perfect ending to a perfect first day :)!!!!

Oh, and excitement and good wishes continue to go out to my sister in laws, Jennifer and Bonnie. Jennifer is planning on opening her office back home in Dexter on the 25th of this month, with Bonnie as her office manager/optician. Much work has been done and is still occuring in her office and I know that it will all come together perfectly....they are going to do great and I'm very proud of them!!!

Work + Craziness = Moving

So…I’m officially in Alabama! Here’s a recap of the past 6 hectic days.

Thursday, July 31st:
My mother and I left Dexter early Thursday morning to make it to Florence by 1 pm for the final walk through of my house and for the closing at 2 pm. We each had our cars filled to the top. I couldn’t even see out the back window in my car. It’s amazing that even after throwing A LOT of stuff away when I moved back home from St. Louis, I still had that much stuff! I blame most of it on being a woman (lots of shoes and clothes). What can I say? I like to shop J Anyway, we got to my house and took Maggie’s (my puppy) kennel out and began to assemble it on the back patio. I had decided to put her there while we did the closing. As I was putting it together and we were waiting on my realtor, mom looked in the kitchen window and saw that nothing had been moved out!!! I was told several weeks ago that I would have possession at closing. Mom and I had planned specifically for this, so that we could begin cleaning the house prior to my dad, brothers, and my sis-in-laws trek the following day. What happened was basically this…the other realtor had told my realtor one thing and then went back on her word. So, frustration #1. My realtor felt bad and since we couldn’t get into the house until the next day (her mover’s were coming Friday morning around 8), she let my mom and I stay at her lake house on Shoals Creek. So I had to disassemble Maggie’s kennel, put her back in the little pet taxi (that she can barely fit in) and we were going to head to the lake house. Well here comes frustration #2….I have NEVER locked my keys inside my car, and for some reason, that day seemed to be my lucky day….my door was open and it blew shut and locked with the keys inside my car, with it running, and my dog inside…..AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! So, we tried to find a locksmith, but found a better route. The Nissan dealership took my VIN number and made me a new key for only $6. However, since bad luck seems to come in multiples, while we were at the dealership, it began to pour down rain….when the wind blew my door shut, it did not close all the way…just enough to lock, but still a small crack. Well, you can put 2 and 2 together. Frustration #3. I wish at the precise moment of when I finally got into my car, I was soaking wet, my driver’s side seat wet, and my dog (who’s afraid of storms currently), that I had a picture. It was a sorry sorry sad scene. BUT….the glass is always half full…mom and I got settled into the nice lake house, Maggie enjoyed playing on the boat dock, and we tried to relax before the craziness of moving began.

Friday, August 1st:
Mom and I enjoyed our morning at the lake house. I wondered how Maggie would do in a new surrounding, but she did very well. No accidents in her kennel! Since we had our hands tied until the lady was out of her house, I decided we should take care of banking, utility switch overs, and some other things. The lady was finally out around 1 pm, and mom and I were able to unload our cars, I put Mag’s kennel together for the 3rd time, and we went to buy cleaning supplies. The rest of the fam came late Friday evening. We enjoyed dinner together and then got busy moving. One highlight was the moving of my piano. My piano was given to us by my Grandmother. It was the original piano that she learned to play on, and it’s from the 1940s. Wes, David, and I all learned to play on it, but since I took lessons the longest, and kept at it, I got to have it. Kalee (my niece) began taking lessons last year, and it has been at Wes and Bonnie’s house. Since I have my own house, Wes said I could move it. Well, this piano is old and HEAVY!!! It takes at least 3 people to move and each of them have a grimace on their face when doing so. I have a front small room with a bay window in my house. I wanted to make it my office/music room. Well, the doorway and corners made it impossible to move it into the front room unless it was turned up on its side. So basically all of us had to help because the legs are fragile, and it’s so heavy. Well we made it thanks to the boys!

Saturday, August 2nd:
We began painting my living room and to small vestibule hallways. The previous owner was a big fan of pastel pink. I, however, not so much. I have vaulted ceilings so the boys brought the big 12 ft ladder for the high parts. With 6 sets of hands, the painting goes pretty fast. The new wallcolor “Hampshire Grey” (selected by Bonnie) looks great! I’ll post pics below.

Sunday, August 3rd:
We went to church, had lunch, and the boys and Jennifer left. I cried like a baby when they left (and I’m beginning to tear up now typing this). I’m so extremely close to my family and not seeing them every day like I have this summer is sad to me. Yes, I’ve been in St. Louis away from them, and I was in Hawaii for two whole months without seeing them, but I got spoiled the past 2 months. However, Jennifer is planning to come back down Labor Day weekend and I’m already looking forward to her visit! She’s my wingman and she’s going to help me survey the social scene. J

Mom and I got to work and painted my kitchen. It looks SO much better! I’m going to eventually get new countertops and attempt to tile my floor, but it will come later. It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do!

Monday, August 4th:
Mom and I worked on my kitchen until midnight. Monday we unpacked some more, and she began to tear down the wallpaper in my guest bathroom. Well, the wallpaper is the original wallpaper and it went behind the mirror. The lovely mirror was glued to the wallpaper. So well took down the gorgeous light fixture, I took screwdrivers and hammered them behind the mirror, and I broke the mirror in pieces so we could get it down. Don’t you just love home improvement??? Monday night mom and I painted my bedroom. Again, we were late night painters and woke up Tuesday exhausted.

Tuesday, August 5th:
We decided to paint my guest bathroom and the office/music room. These rooms were smaller and didn’t take too long. I really like the color of the music room. It really pops! Yesterday evening I treated my mother and myself to a manicure and pedicure since our nails were trashed from scraping and painting. It was a nice way to relax.

Wednesday, August 6th:
So now we’re up to today. Mom and I cleaned up our previous days messes and work. We made a Hobby Lobby run for our project of the day (slipcovers for my couches), and she left this afternoon. So, I’m officially by myself with my puppy. And yes, I bawled like a baby when she left too. I know things will be fine, it’s just the initial time of knowing you’re all alone. However, I am headed to church tonight and hoping to meet some people. Once I begin my routine and meet some AL folks, it will be much easier. But in the meantime, Mags and I are doing just fine. J

Here are some pics from the moving event: