Christmas Greetings

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas from this Midwest girl and the Smith family
(Katie, Esther, Rose, and John Truitt, circa 1904).

CURRENT MOOD. Ok pretty much regular mood.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those reading this post! It's Christmas Eve and it's quiet around the apartment complex . I am thrilled to be off today and tomorrow after an initial "I'll work since I have nothing else to do" attitude has changed. It felt like a LONG week.

How Scarlett looks is how I feel about work right now. This is the first assignment where within the first week I'm like nope! no extension k thanks bye. You know how you meet some people who remind you of other people you know and that influences how you feel about them? Well, one of the COTAs reminds me of my dear COTA friend Nanci so I automatically like her. And she has a passion for animals too- like Nanci and myself. There is another person who reminds me of someone I worked with at the Muny way back when so I don't like her just by association (so far).
Anyway, I'm hoping things change for the better and that I can find my groove and just keep my head down. There are a lot of question marks in my head right now but I will not publish those. I work at two SNFs mostly and one is a good comparison to The Gatesworth buildings in U-City.

Moving on- Fresno is nice and I live in a good neighborhood so that makes me feel safer. Some parts are a little more sketch but that is every town. On a clear day you can see the Sierra Nevadas in the distance but I haven't been able to last couple of days. I think when I want to start driving and exploring we will head towards the coast first since driving in the mountains right now towards Yosemite and the Sequoias doesn't sound like a great idea.

San Joaquin River Valley below the fancy houses.

This is within walking distance from the apartments.

If you look closely you can see the mountains. 

Walking in the neighborhood. 

Well this is it for our Christmas Eve post and I'm hoping things will turn around at work. I'm missing my family and friends and wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jingle bells and Batman smells,

Peace, love, and Ambrosia (the band- not the dish),

ME

Final Days on the Road

Don't be confused! This is Thanksgiving 2018. 

Leslie and Peg. 

Webcam Christmas video starlets. 

We are here and settled in Fresno! It's been hectic so I wanted to catch up to provide photos from the road trip from Gallup NM and onward to Fresno.
We all decided to meet up inside AZ at Petrified Forest National Park- we did not have the time to drive through the park but we have all been previously. Let me say this park is beautiful and definitely underrated as far as National Parks go. A must-see if you are driving through or on the Route 66 route.

Bella is an official Bark Ranger.

We also stopped at the Walnut Canyon National Monument just inside Flagstaff AZ. It was 

Official Bark Ranger duties. 

I cut myself out of this picture for cosmetic purposes but look at windswept Bella and the mountains in the background. 

Even her shadow is adorable! 

There are 700+ steps on a trail down to the bottom of the canyon. We did not have time to go down but enjoyed the view. 

After this stopped the Drive That Lasted Forever to Barstow, CA- our stop for the night and where Highway 40 ends. It was a beautiful and long drive through the Mojave desert which turned into a dark and winding driving through the Mojave Desert as the sun set. We made it through the CA border just fine- no plants or fruits to check out.

From Barstow to Fresno was a scenic drive with more traffic and variety of terrain. Drove by lots of orchards including oranges, almonds, and vineyards. Did you know that Selma, CA is the raisin capital of the world? Now you do. You heard it through the grapevine. 

I think in the distance are the field of solar windmills. They are so cool. In my next life I want to come back as a solar windmill and blow through the desert. 

Eternally grateful to my parents for helping Bella and I move cross-country. Dad drove out Friday and Mom flew out on Saturday back home. 

On Friday we dined at a cozy little Italian restaurant. 

This adorable Victorian-style house can be yours for $859,000. This is in the neighborhood around my apartment. 

Tomorrow is first day of work. Game on, Fresno! 

Peace, love, and Good Vibrations,

ME

Get Your Kicks

St .Robert, MO. They really do have good fudge. 

Southwestern salutations to all as we have stopped for our second night on our way westward. We have stopped an hour west of Albuquerque, NM.  Can I just say that New Mexico is soooo beautiful? What a great amalgamation of two strong cultures- Native American and Hispanic. Anyway, I digress. I'll backtrack to yesterday. 

Too blessed, but still stressed. 

Yesterday we stopped in Yukon, OK- home of Mr. Garth Brooks. Didn't see him though. 

My mom is rotating between relieving me of driving and driving in comfortable silence as Dad's passenger. 

No offense to any Okies from Muskogee or other cities, but Oklahoma is not the most exciting state to drive through. Mom and I wanted to get out to walk so I came upon this on my map. Interesting, but not worth a trip back. This is the Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park in Foyil, OK. Click on the link for more information because we didn't learn a lot- the visitor center was closed and there was not a soul in sight. 

Hard to see, but I am in that photo. I dress to blend in with totem poles.

Day 2 of our road trip consisted of continued driving on the 'ol Mother Road, Route 66. We drove through OK to the top of TX and almost entirely across NM.
New Mexico is really pretty in a deserted and sparse kind of way as viewed from the highway (and observations from previous trip). Gorgeous sunset view leaving Albuquerque today- Bella and I stopped in town because I wanted to see the Old Town area and it did not disappoint. So adorable I could see myself living there. All gussied up for Christmas with twinkling lights on- perfect setup for a Hallmark movie. BTW, if you're in need of a good storyline for YOUR Hallmark movie- contact my sister; this is one of her specialties. Also Bella was allowed into a store for me to look at adorable items I didn't need but can't resist. 

When your dog is so worried you're leaving her...

It's time now for me to play my Kindle game that I spend waaaayy too much time doing. 

Tomorrow we stop in Barstow, CA. 

Peace, love, and cuddlebugs,

ME

FINAL REVEAL!!!

alright folks, here it is, the reveal for all readers who still view my blog. I'm sharing this as we embark on our journey to the new destination. More details to follow next post.

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

1. 10/20/18- FIRST clue: Wells Fargo Wagon 
1. The song 'Wells Fargo Wagon' is from the acclaimed musical The Music Man. Aside from being an all-around crackerjack of a musical with a star cast, there is a line in the song that says "I hope I get my raisins from _____"
2. 10/28/18- SECOND clue: Kanye
1. This egotistical gentleman's last name is WEST. 
3. 11/9/18- THIRD clue:  close to THREE Teddy Roosevelts
1. Teddy Roosevelt is the founding father for America's National Parks system. Also is on Mt. Rushmore. Close to three parks- Yosemite, Sequoia, King's Canyon
4. 11/20/18- FOURTH clue: blue donkey
1. This state is consistently a blue (Democratic) state 
5. 12/7/18- FIFTH AND FINAL clue: chemical symbol Au
1. Au is the chemical symbol for GOLD. (Although I prefer the Noble Gasses myself)

All of this adds up to indicate a travel assignment on the WEST COAST in the GOLDEN state of CALIFORNIA in Fresno!!!! (Fresno is the reference in the Wells Fargo Wagon). 

I am excited to say the least. Stay tuned for updates. Sending my love to my family back home and my family graciously moving Bella and myself to Cali. 

Peace, love, and George Jones,

ME

Racing with the Clock

Stained glass windows from my Rosa house. 

Hello readers!!

I apologize for my delay in posting but things have been very busy as the title states- mad bonus points to anyone who knows which musical that song is from. I'll give you 7 and a half cents 😉.

I have been home since the week of Thanksgiving and have been keeping busy with multiple tasks including appointments, closings, haircuts, and working PRN. Bella has even been busy! If I haven't seen you before I leave town for my mystery destination- I'm really sorry. With all this stuff and y'all working 9 to 5 it's been hard. Have I enjoyed not working full time? Yes, yes I have. 

Also, big news. I have sold my lovely little house in the city to someone who I hope will enjoy it as much as I have (enjoy that new roof.). I haven't been there enough and paying rent and mortgage is a handful! I will miss my little neighborhood and neighbors. I will not miss stepping in cat shit or my dog eating it. 

I'm going to give one PSA for today and then cut to pictures. 

OT departments everywhere: we HAVE to do better. Use those clinical skills to provide a SKILLED service and think of new ideas! And if you're doing familiar activities please remind the patient WHY you are doing what you're doing. So throw out the clothespins, puzzles, and ergometers. I beg. 

Baby It's Cold Outside Pt. 2 coming to a Facebook post near you. And yes, I am wearing a 5 o'clock shadow.

FIFTH AND FINAL CLUE BELOW!!!

⭐ I'm going to start a new series for the next couple blogs to give you clues as to where my next assignment. NO GUESSING until you get all of the clues (I will probably do max of 5 clues) and NO COMMENT from those who already know. ⭐

1. 10/20/18- FIRST clue: Wells Fargo Wagon 
2. 10/28/18- SECOND clue: Kanye
3. 11/9/18- THIRD clue:  close to THREE Teddy Roosevelts
4. 11/20/18- FOURTH clue: blue donkey
5. 12/7/18- FIFTH AND FINAL clue: chemical symbol Au

Shih Tzu/Terrier (Jack Russell?)

Picture perfect

Sitting for treats before she got wise to their exam intentions. 

Peace, love, and soft pretzels, 

ME

thank u, next

Current Mood

Greetings everyone from St. Louis! I have made it back home. But first, I must revisit Flea Fest and my last week of work in SETX.

Flea Fest is a flea-market in Lake Charles, LA held semi-annually. As a final request before I left, my girls Kelsey and Congetta came with. It was held in the livestock arena with tons of booths galore including old and new items. Also??? It was really cold. Like 50 degrees cold in the sun. No thank you TX.

I calf to show you this one!! 

All puns aside, we had a good time and I thank them for going with me. I love a good antique show and flea market.

Behold this costume jewelry beauty. Call it what you want but I call it FABULOUS!!!

My last week of work was relatively uneventful- I made a point to not stay later every night (like I usually get stuck doing) so that I could go home and finish packing. I will miss the friends that I have made and the patients I came to love.

Traveling Takeaways:

• I do feel like I have improved my overall clinical skills and documentation after doing skilled nursing for so long consistently (before February I was used to just being PRN).
• Home is where they love you.
• It goes a LONG way to show your staff appreciation for all their hard work. Everyone deserves a thank you every now and then. It makes coming to work a lot more enjoyable and sure makes you want to stick around longer. 
• Insurance has become easier to understand- but that doesn't mean it won't change again.
• Good friends stick around and understand that it is not always to stay in touch regularly. 
• Nursing homes and therapy companies are primarily businesses and don't you dare forget it!
• everyone must recycle more!!!! reduce your carbon footprint. some parts of the country are better than others at this.
• Your clinical skills can speak volumes- no matter how long you are out of school we all need to be sponges to new ideas and interventions!!! 
• YOU IS KIND, YOU IS SMART, YOU IS IMPORTANT.

Award-winning therapist right here in the flesh. 

Thanks everyone!!! 

I'm on my merry way to namaste-

Peace, love, and enlightenment 🕉

ME

⭐ I'm going to start a new series for the next couple blogs to give you clues as to where my next assignment. NO GUESSING until you get all of the clues (I will probably do max of 5 clues) and NO COMMENT from those who already know. ⭐

1. 10/20/18- FIRST clue: Wells Fargo Wagon 
2. 10/28/18- SECOND clue: Kanye
3. 11/9/18- THIRD clue:  close to THREE Teddy Roosevelts
4. 11/20/18- FOURTH clue: blue donkey