Not sitting by water, but Atwater!

Hello friends

Stephanie

Marilou

I felt it was time for a new update.  So two weeks ago was my last week in Manteca.  It was bittersweet.  I will miss the friends that I have made, but I'm ready for the new adventure.  My last day, they all had a potluck in my honor. I'm so glad that I could give them an excuse to get together and celebrate with food.   There are advantages working with Phillipinos.  THE FOOD!  OMG, it's great!  Actually all of out conversation's in the gym alway's seemed to center around food.  That and how blasted hot it was outside!  One of THE hottest summer's so far.  It's a lot different the the desert heat because it was more humid then I'm used to.  Which meant lot's of sweating!!  I hate that feling, unless you are trying to sweatfor a purpose!  Here are a few pictures of my coworkers in Manteca.                               

Stephanie and I, sometimes Richie, would walk to 7-eleven on our lunch breaks to get Slurpee's.  Well, Stephanie would, I just enjoyed the walk.  Except on 7/11 when the where giving out 7.11 oz cups of free Slurpee's.  Then I was  all over that!  Some great friendships were made at MCRC.  I will try and come by to visit.  I know for sure I will be coming up there for the a-mazing happy hour at Las Casuelas, great massages and fab pedicures. 

Bon

I met some great people in Stockton as well.  I began attending Calvary Chapel of Stockton and went to a home group on Tuesday nights.  It was fun and we had some great teaching and fellowship for sure.  I still plan to attend the group via Skype.  Technology is a wonderful thing!   But it was time to move on.

That Saturday, my lovely friend came to help me pack op my car.  We wanted to get an early start before it got too hot.  She came over about 9:30 and by 11 we had everything packed up in my car.  She's like a Tetris master wen it comes to loading up the car!  My furniture was to be picked up after 11 so I called the them just to find out around what time they would be there.  Not till after 3!!  ARG!!  I wanted to leave early!!  But what could I do.  So I went to get Chipotle and waited...and waited...and waited!!  They finally came about 3:30 and it took the guy about 30 min to get everything out of the apartment and onto the truck.  At a little before 4 I was off, finally!

Melanie

I arrived in Atwater about 5:30 and was so tired and sweaty and stinky!!  But I still needed to unload my car!  The day seemed to last FOREVER!!  I met with the landlords and they couldn't have been sweeter.  She had the AC running before I got there so that I wouldn't be moving into a hot apartment.  This place blew me away.  Not only was it two bedrooms, but it was two stories!!  I must say, that it is the nicest place I've been in so far. Here are a few pics of my "palace."

Gotta have my morning french press!!

Look, it's my $23 microwave!

It's always the same tables and chairs!! LOL

 My lovely kitchen!  There is so much cabnet space in here.  If I was living here for longer, I might be tempted to fill them with lots and lots of kitchen gadgets!   I told my mom that she would be jealous with all the the storage space.  I remember growing up it seemed like there was never enough room anywhere.  Now there seems to be a plethora of space everywhere!!  On with the tour!

Great couch

Love the colors!

Here we have my comfy living room!  They did well in picking out the furniture.  Actually, they always do.  I am always pleasantly surprised when I walk into my new place.  And yes that's a bathroom down stairs.  It's a 1.5 bath apartment.  That is a first for me, but I guess if you have two stories, it would only make sense to have bathroom downstairs as well.  Two bathrooms is cool, that just means I have to buy more TP and clean two toilets.  Oh well, such is life.  Cleaning my own toilets sure beats cleaning them EVER NIGHT at Starbucks.  So I am happy, and I can't complain!         

This is where I spend most of my time after work.  It's quite comfortable.  Last week, after each day I would take a nap on this couch.  I was so mentally exhausted fro, learning my new patient load, new people and new surroundings.  You don't realize how much it takes out of you.

Gotta have the movies!!

My new facility is nice.  It's a little different from where I was before because it's a cross between a SNF and a hospital.  So more complex patients.  More Ortho patients too, which I like.  I currently have three patients that I working with that had knee replacement's.  I love fresh meat!  Muahahahha!
My dad calls me a rogue pain inflicter.  That may be, but I do it with a smile!


Here we have my lovely flat screen TV that is not hooked up to cable yet.  The cable guy was supposed to come yesterday between 7:30 and 8:30 so that I would have enough to time to get to my besties bridal shower in Peteluma.  Well....that didn't happen.  I didn't want to jumo in the sower during that time because just my luck he would come while I was in the shower.  So I had my breakfast and waited.  8:30 came and went, so I called them and they said he was running behind.  Well, it would have been nice of them to call me and TELL me!!  I was livid!!  I didn't end up leaving till 9:30 and the trip that should have taken 2 and a half hrs took me a little over three.  I will continue with that story in a minute.  For now, on with the tour!

So many steps to climb!

Up the stirs we go.  Here we see the full upstairs bathroom.  Not much to see here.  It's got the basic's.  Sink, toilet and shower.  But it's mine and I love it!!

I love that shower curtain. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

So since I was moving around so much I decided to dump my gym and make my own at home.  So I bought some weights, a mat and a good ol' stability ball and walla!  My own home gym.  I figured a stationary bike or a treadmill wouldn't travel well, so this was the next best thing! Work's great, I just need the motivation to actually do it.  This past week, I've been so tired after work that I have just been vegging out on the couch.  But I'm hoping that won't be a permanent thing!!

Ah, my lovely bedroom.  This is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in!  I'm telling you!  I don't want to get up in the morning because I'm so comfortable!!  I love this bedspread, my sister-in-law gave it to me, but I think it's about time to change it up.  So who knows, the in the next post may have a new one!
No bedroom would be complete without a matching dresser and mirror, right??  I don't think I have enough clothes to fill all those drawers.  But I don't think that'll be a problem for lone.  Guess I have to do more shopping!

               
                                                                                     

We finish our tour with a pic of my backyard tree a my front porch.  Thanks for coming...come back and visit again soon!!
                                                               


So to continue with my trip yesterday.  Like I said, the cable guy never came, so I called them and they said the guy would be there in 45 minutes.  It was 8:45, so I jumped in the shower and got ready.  By the time I was all ready to leave it was 9:20ish and I HAD to go.  So I called them and just told them I would reschedule.  By 9:30 I was on the road and going as fast as I could...maybe a little too fast, but I had to get there.  I was going to help out with the games.  So I'm doing fine and making good time UNTIL I got to the bay bridge.  I guess I wasn't paying attention when my GPS told me to get off, so I ended up having to pay the $5 toll and taking the 2 mile bay bridge to treasure island.  I travel all around the island looking for a place to turn around so I could get back on my way.  Finally after what seemed like forever, I turned around and got back on the right freeway...so I thought!  I was so turned around by this time, not to mention stressed out because I was 20 minutes behind.  I think it was the Oakland/Berkley freeways that got me turned around.  So Not only was I turned around, I managed to break my car charger, so my phone was dying with every minute that passed. Anyway, I finally got there between 1 and 1:30.  When it started at 11:30!!  Man, oh man, what a drive!! Looking back, it was quite comical, but not during the experience!

The shower was nice.  I didn't get to do and games that I planned because I got there so late.  After the shower though, my bestie and I went out for our favorite meal. SUSHI!!  She took me to this awesome sushi place around the corner that had great sushi rolls.  And at the end of our meal they gave us complimentary tempura deep fried Oreo's.  That was quite a delicious experience!

Whoever thought of this is a genius!

The way home was a lot easier.  I have no idea why my GPS told me to go the way it did.  The way back was a lot less complicated and I didn't have to cross the Richmond bridge.  Any way that doesn't involve a toll bride is a good way!  So thus ends my crazy weekend!  Until next time...be blessed!

Stink, Stank, Stunk!

Hello Friends!!

Last weekend was such a blast.  My Uncle decided to come and visit me.  So he drove 9 hours from Palm Springs (on a Friday no less) to come up to visit!  He arrived around 6:30 and we went to BJ's.  He had never been to one because apparently these don't exist in the desert.  For Shame!  It's a great establishment with great food!  OMG!  The amount of food that the give you is ridiculous, but we had a good time.  I haven't hung out with him like ever!  So it was great to catch up.  We are so much a like it's almost creepy. He rented a care to come up here and they gave him a land yacht.

His 1st rental, a Crown Victoria

As soon as he made it up here he traded it in for something a little small, dingy size, that was alittle more friendly on gas.  it had a whopping 72 mile on it.  Don't worry, we will happily put the "break in" mileage on it.

A Nissan Versa. Who's that creepy guy hiding behind the car?

We didn't have a definable schedule, all I knew is that I wanted to visit the Garlic Festival in Gilroy.  So Saturday morning we went out to breakfast at Mimi's (love this place) to decide over yummy omelets and muffin's.  He asked me if I had ever been to Old Town Sacramento, which I hadn't.  So that was our destination for the day!

We now enter the cortex to the past

A Map of Old Town

So I don't get lost

I would love to do the underground tour. Next time!

It was so neat walking around.  They restored all the old store fronts, but renovated the inside of the buildings.  We went into this famous saloon in Old Town Sac, Fanny Ann's.  It was pretty cool.  They had all these old advertisement signs all over the wall. And instead of it being a bar that expanded out, it was like 3 stories high.  Each floor was a little different,

And old Buggy's too!

This pub is not that much older then me!!  Wow that's old!

That's an interesting use for an old gas pump.

Bathrooms. I think this was the 90's floor.

The Courting Candle

In olden days...days of yore

When suitors came to call

If Papa liked the boy

He'd fix the candle tall

But if he didn't like the lad

He'd turn it way down low

For when it burned to the metal

The suitor had to go!

I may not know much about Architecture, but I certainly appreciate it!

Climbing this was not fun, but looking down was worth it!

I love old staircases!

We went to the old Sacramento school house

I'd make a good school Marm...

On our was out of Old Sac we were caught in the parade of the Red Hat Society.  My Uncle said this is what I get to look forward to when I'm old!  Joy!!

After this we drove to my Uncles (and my mom's) childhood home in Citrus Height's

They were nice enough to let us in.  It blew my Uncle away!

One of the things that my Uncle and I have in common is that we both love old cemeteries.  People thing it's a little creepy or disturbing, but for some reason I love them.  One friend of mine described it as "Disneyland for Adult's."    I think one of the reasons I like them is the "oldness" of the tombstones.  Also, it kind of puts life into perspective.  Looking at the dates that these people lives.  Some of them dies so young.  Many of them children.  I think about the lives that these people lived and how the world was so different back then.  And, I thank God that this life is not all there is! Nothing say's love then a trip to the cemetery!

Thus ends out Saturday

Sunday we set out to Gilroy.   It was a good thing I was the navigator because, like my mother, he has a bad sense or direction.  I guess it runs in the family, but it skipped me!  Time to get stinky!  As we drove into town, the garlic permeated the air!  It was beautiful! I LOVE garlic!  At least I know there are no Vampire in Gilroy!  Sorry Edward! LOL

My souvenir of the stinky day!

Now I know how garlic grows!

It was quite an event!

This is what I came to try!

One more this to cross off my bucket list!

It was surprisingly good.  I made my Uncle try it!

My Uncle and I enjoying Gilroy at it's finest!

I think there was a whole bulb of garlic in theses fries!  

 It was quite pungent! I've never felt the "garlic burn" before!

I had garlic breath for 2 days!

Couldn't eat all the garlic!

They were handing these out! 

The one thing I really wanted to buy.  Cant wait to cook with it!

We had a grand ol' stinky time at the Garlic Festival, but after 4 hours were were garlic'd out, so we drove home.  The only thing about big festivals is the traffic.  Probably the reason I don't go to any that often!

After 3 hours of stop and go, we finally made it home around 7.  It was an exhausting, yet fun day.  My Uncle stayed till Wednesday Morning.  It was great to have company, being that I'm so far removed from everyone.  

An Update!!  

I'm on the move again.  My contract here in Manteca is being cut short due to the low census.  So I am being moved down about an hour or so to Atwater.  A little po-dunk town where I think there are more livestock then people.  But it will be a great experience because it's a Rehabilitation Hospital and not just another SNF.  It's stepping way out of my comfort zone and it's something new, so I'm a little nervous  So if you all would keep me in prayer for my next God adventure I would appreciate it.  Love you all and thanks for keeping up with me.  Even though I have no idea who reads this blog because no one ever leaves comments, I know that you all are praying for me and I feel them.  I miss you all so much and know that I am praying for you too!

Until next time...

L