The Past Month

We returned to Houston almost a month ago and here I am finally updating my blog.

We agreed to start eating healthier and to go running.
That lasted....maybe a day.

I started running on August 13th. I have kept up with it.

Scout still loves watching baseball.

We agreed to start going out more because I get stir crazy being in the apartment all day long.

We went to Twin Peaks and I loved their koozies and had to have one.

I found out about a week later that I did not get the MD Anderson job.

Luckily, the internet was down at Lance's work so he was home.

I had a pity party for about 10 minutes and then spent the rest of the afternoon applying to several jobs.

I have these two to keep my hopes held high. 

On August 11th, we drove to Austin, TX to meet my buddies to float the river.

We met everyone at the hotel around 11 and then all drove down to San Marcos.

I loved having all my friends together.

For Baron's wedding last year, the rehearsal dinner was held at County Line on the Lake.

I was craving their BBQ and talked everyone into eating dinner there in Austin that night.

While we were away, Scout spent her first night away from home. We took her to a boarding place that would take puppies.

I was surprised when we got her back to see she had lost a couple of teeth.

As of now, the big teeth are filling in.
I cannot wait until she loses them all.

 I have been running longer distances and I have made my way further into the River Oaks neighborhood.
The houses I was looking at before have nothing on these giant ones.

I'm just glad we live close to such a safe neighborhood.

after my first run on the training program

after my second run

 I was so happy for Saturday after Lance's first week of school (IT'S HIS LAST FALL SEMESTER!).

We slept in and headed up to the West Alabama Ice House with Scout.

they were out of ice buckets so they gave us this with ice shoved in the cardboard

We met a nice guy who just moved to Houston and loves playing lacrosse. Lance and him switched information so we can hang out in the future.

After a busy day for Scout, she passed out.

...and then chewed on her bone

More fancy houses on my run.

after another run

Scout licking me after my run

Lance came home from school and took the afternoon off from studying.
We enjoyed Bloody Marys and watched the Rangers play.

This past week, I started to go crazy with having "nothing" to do. I am now taking the time to enjoy the things I love and trying to not stress out too much with being unemployed.
I spent time each day reading nursing materials to keep my brain functioning.
I have also taken the time to finally read the books that I received for Christmas and my birthday.

The one day Lance decided we should swim...it started pouring. We stayed in the pool and just enjoyed it. Once the sun came back out, we tossed around a football.

We got a nice view of our neighbor that lives about us:

Yes, a GIANT great dane lives above us.

another run

Random story:
I was out of the apartment on a ride to Smoothie King with Scout, and I return home on the phone with my mom. I walk into the restroom minding my business and Lance jumps in from the bedroom and scares the crap out of me. I thought he was still at school and was completely surprised.
He keeps trying to scare me on camera just for the fun of it.
He finally got me.


Last Friday, I was all ready to head back to Arlington.
I was literally backing out when I got a call from the director of nursing in the ED at Plaza Medical Center in Ft. Worth. I scored an interview. I ran in and grabbed my suit and hit the road.
This started a lot of contemplating on my long ride back to Arlington.
I had only just started applying to jobs outside of Houston.
Was I willing to move?

More on that later.


I arrived in Arlington and got to see my parents and the other pets.
Alley missed me and planted herself in the middle of my pillow.

They all had matching bandanas thanks to my mom.

We received Scout's Pedigree in the mail and I got to check that out.
Some of the names crack me up.

Scout was scheduled to be spayed on Tuesday, so we made sure she got all of her swimming in at the beginning of this trip.

The main reason I was in town was for my friends' Trinity and Chelsie's wedding anniversary party.
I got to see a lot of my friends that I had not seen in a long time and I had fun.
We had enchiladas and chatted.
After the toast and cake in the face, we all set these fire balloon things up into the air.
We almost set the neighborhood on fire, but it was entertaining.

The rest of the night, we sang songs along with the boys playing their guitars.

...and Chels fell into the hottub in her dress.

Sunday  night, Scout got to swim her little heart out.

We took her to the Vet Monday morning and dropped her off. We met my grandmother for breakfast at her favorite place. I received a call, during breakfast, from Park Plaza Hospital in Houston about their residency program. I am "supposed" to get a call for an interview sometime this week or next. Either way, it showed me that I may be super close to landing a job in Houston and I shouldn't give up yet and move to Arlington.
I couldn't stand to be away from Lance...again.

I did end up going to the interview here in Fort Worth and I was invited to return on Thursday to talk to someone who was in my place last year.
The hospital was small and I don't know if the ED was a right fit. I would be paid half of what I should be, maybe working 4 12 hr shifts in a row, with 5 or 6 patients. To me, right now, that seems crazy. If I moved to Arlington, I want it to be for my DREAM job. Not a job that I am ho hum about.
I will go back on Thursday. If anything, it is a way to better my interviewing skills for the future.
The nurses I met were extremely nice and so was the director...it's just too much for me right now.

The good news...we got to pick up Scout from the vet right when I returned home.
She is doing well from surgery...a little TOO well. She is bouncing and jumping around and wont sit still. I don't want her to bust a stitch.

That's about it for now.