February is here

Well, one month down for 2010. We're getting by and dreaming of warmer, sunnier days. And, unlike our friends out east, we're not getting all that much snow. We might get an inch here or there, but nothing to really blog about. Really, it's just cold. It never seems to get above 40 and sunshine is rarely seen. I can see how people get seasonal affective disorder around here.

School's going alright for me. Ended up making Dean's List for last semester. Should be able to pull that off again this semester. My two harder classes are both on Monday. Photojournalism has been pretty fun. I get to go do fun things like go into the Operating Room and get photos of my honey helping out in a couple of surgeries. Definitely the highlight of my classes so far.

My work has slowed up to just one shift a week, if that. I'm going to have to figure out something for this summer as well, since I won't be able to take classes (they don't offer upper-level classes in the summer session). We are hoping to make a trip back east for a little while in July or August for the hubby to do some elective training and recruiting for the program. I hope to catch up with friends and the beach again.

Not much else going on that's exciting. We put new tires on the Jeep a few weeks back. Honey did a great job shopping around. Sears gave us an unbelievable price on some great Wrangler tires. Turns out it was too good of a price as it was for the wrong tires, but the hubby made them honor the estimate and after having to drive back up to Idaho Falls a couple of weeks later, we got them put on and balanced.

Not too long after that we had to drive 1 1/2 hours away to Twin Falls to get to an official Sprint store to get the hubby's phone traded in for one that actually works. He ended up with a HTC Touch Pro (I think). Not as wonderful as we'd hoped, but it runs all his software without causing the phone to freak out, lock up or melt down. His stupid Treo never could run the software, so this is an improvement. We're finished with Sprint come September. It offers the worst service here in Potato-land and hasn't offered up any must-have phone since the iPhone came out years ago on AT&T, so why bother staying? We'll have to decide whether we go with Verizon or AT&T come fall, but I'm wanting to wait and see if Apple opens up the iPhone to Verizon. Of course I'd like to see Flash work with the iPhone and a better camera on it too. We'll see...

Looking forward, the hubby begins his night float rotation on Monday. That means he reports to work at 7pm and keeps the hospital service running until 7am when the day shift comes back on. So, it seems that I'll see him as he come home to bed around 8am as I get up and going for class and then again after I'm done at 5:30pm for dinner before he heads back up the the hospital. I already know it's going to be crazy for us, but the pups are going to LOVE having someone in bed most of the day to snuggle up with.

We're all looking forward to March. Hubby's sis is coming for a visit for Spring Break and we're hoping to go snowmobiling or something fun up around Yellowstone. But we must survive the next month first. At least I've got the Olympics to watch for a couple of weeks. I love the Olympics. Can't wait!

THAT kind of day...

I know we've all had one of those days, where things happened or we receive a call that leaves us in a foggy blanket for the rest of the day.

As I laid in bed last night I had the thought how I wanted desperately to wake up and :::poof::: it was Monday morning again - that the day I thought had happened didn't. No such luck.

And, truthfully, the day wasn't my worst in my short life. And while it wasn't the worst, I still yearned for a do-over. A mulligan for one day. Again, I want to stress it wasn't a melt-down of a day. It was a mixture of my classes not going as well as I'd hoped they would, receiving NO feedback on my work when I really felt it was necessary, and I was told of the passing of a loved one.

So, on top of it being a really BLAH day, I wished even more I could be home with my family at a time it's needed. But I can't. I'm here in Potato-land.

Not lying, it's been rough. I'm hoping the rest of this week shapes up a little better, but I'm going to go ahead and call this week as a crappy one. And it's Tuesday.

A new year: blah blah blah

So, it's now 2010. Not that it's going to be SO different from 2009. But I guess it will mean us staying put in one place. Last year we traveled all over and moved across a continent.

2010 is going to be us still figuring out where we belong in this Idaho/residency world. I've got a place as a student. Hubby's got work - but we're not really plugged into close friends and church like we had back in Virginia. It's just a far different world than we're use to. It's given me a whole new meaning and better understanding of the term "culture shock." I wasn't created in Potato-land and never dreamed this would be where I lived for even a short period of my life. France? Sure I could SOOO live there. Virginia? Yeah, not too terribly different than life in Texas - just has better beaches AND mountains. New York City? DC? It'd take some adjusting, but I know I'd love the city life and the opportunities it afforded.

Not so many opportunities of city life here in Poky. It's the most puzzling town. It's suppose to be a college town, but there's such a lack of nightlife, ethnic foods, shopping, events, etc. that you'd think the university was nothing more than a local junior college continuing-education branch office.

This is how the people here like it. And it wouldn't be a huge problem if I wasn't enrolled in a Photojournalism class this semester. Our prof wants us to get "street life" and the going-ons of this town this week. Problem is - nothing is going on. I searched Web sites for the local paper, the university and TV stations for MLK Day events. None. This place isn't even culturally diverse enough to merit a community-wide event honoring MLK. Turns out there was a march through campus, but I never saw it advertised. So now I've got just a few days to take 20 pics of the happenings in town and nothing is happening. And it's cold and winter - so nothing is planned to happen. Joy.

But for the most part, life's okay and we're just tooling along as we work our way into a new decade. My goal for 2010 is to be a better blogger. So, here's to a newly updated blog and a new decade.

Merry Christmas! - Part 2

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our furry family to you and yours. We miss being with friends and family this year, but take joy in celebrating the true reason for the season - the birth of Christ. Blessing to you all.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Getting ready for the holidays

As we're trying to get into the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share this little jewel.

Still alive

Yes, we're alive. And sadly, I just don't have a lot to say or update. Benjamin works. I go to school and work. It's cold. All the critters are happy and healthy. And we're learning snow is not as fun here as it is Virginia or Texas... no one cancels anything for snow here. We all still go about our lives and don't get snow days. Boo.

However, we did mix things up a little and, thankfully, got out of this miserable little town for my 30th birthday shortly before Thanksgiving. It made me even more thankful for a family willing to help make the trip happen and my 30th far better than sitting in Idaho doing nothing.

But on to the present. I wanted to help get us all into a Christmas spirit, so enjoy our family's latest musical act!

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