Out&About

I NEED A JOB!..... I'm not desperate, but my DOG is getting SPOILED! He's used to Shaun and I both working 12 hour shifts..... now that I've been off for two weeks, he thinks he gets to go for a car ride, and a billion walks every day...   On the job front, I've gone on four interviews. I have received 3 offers, and the 4th one should come tomorrow.... HOPEFULLY... I met with them for the 1st time on Friday, then met with HR today for a Dosing calculations test?? ... and to go over benefits etc... I REALLY WANT TO WORK FOR THE 4th ONE!  They were all great offers, but this one is most like Clark ( and the schedule is Mon-Thur, 3 days a week... NO WEEKENDS!!!!) .... All the time I worked at Clark, I loved it, however I used to think that Clark was small, and If I worked somewhere bigger like UofL or Nortons I would learn more/ do different exciting things.... BUT now I've realized... little ol Clark Memorial.. is pretty kick ass...Of all the facilities I've toured in the last week, not even one comes as close to being technological advanced, or as robust in the types of patients they care for.. it's kinda crazy how many skills I've developed in the last 6 years that are so desirable to these new facilities... To all my old co-workers, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! 
Besides.. the never ending job interviews... I've been going to the local beach... like almost every day... Toby loves it. The other day we packed a little lunch and had a picnic...

I also came across this place called "Alligator Alley" It's basically this river that flows thru  Daphne, that supposedly has gators living in it... there are all these bridges/walkways above the water so you can get an up close view of the gators.. Today I only saw one, but he sure looked BIG!

They also had tons of signs that said .....

Besides going to the beach and seeing Gators... I found the most AMAZING grocery store... It has all the same brand names, but for WAY CHEAPER!  I might be in retail heaven!

And who needs Mt.Dew when you can have:

Shaun said their good, but he won't take them too work, nor will he pack his lunch in a Piggly Wiggly bag... maybe he needs a call from his Momma!

And yes Mom I've been going to the gym

SO.... hopefully in the next day or so I will be employed again.... Even though it's been nice being off, I'm starting to miss the daily conversation of adults... I mean I love my

but sometimes 12 hours a day with a dog leaves you wanting some ADULT interaction.  Hope all is well at home, and if any one is interested we will be coming home on March 23rd, for two weddings, and we plan on going out the 24th, so anyone that wants to join us leave your schedules open.  Love and Miss you all!

1st Trip To The Beach!

Today we went on a little road trip to :

It wasn't a bad drive at all. Mostly interstate so it only took about 35-40 minutes... which isn't bad for a day trip at all!  Once we got there we felt a little out of place.. both of us wore long sleeves and jeans because it was in the mid 60's,... Almost everyone else was in shorts and T's, some CRAZY PEOPLE were even in bikinis and swim trunks laying on the beach... Now, I love to lay out, but I think I need a little warmer weather than mid 60's to do that.   ....First we went to the Pier, which google said was the longest pier in the GULF.... and we all know GOOGLE doesn't lie! ... It was beautiful!

There were tons of people fishing...

After the pier, we walked around a bit, and found a nice little restaurant along the beach that had outdoor seating, and $2.50 Sex On The Beach.. so of course I had to just stop in for a bit....

They were delicious.... AND oh so relaxing.... After our little time out we looked around a bit at the boardwalk shops, then hit up this restaurant for lunch, that was recommended to us by this drunk/stoned guy on the pier... It was a local seafood restaurant owned by two brothers..

It was really good... except I don't think we're a fan of Oysters!  The shrimp/grouper was really good though... After our lunch.. and a margarita.... we drove around a bit more then headed home to Toby... Overall, it was a great day..... AND we also accepted an offer of the house today!!!!! If everything goes through on the buyers end, this will be the 2nd time that we list a house and it sells in the 1st week of listing!!! At the moment we could not be more happy!.... I also saw

which makes me HAPPY! Hope all is well with everyone at home!

Tornado.... Interview... Tornado.....

Tornado's everywhere..... or at least that's what the weather people were reporting today... like almost ALL day..... This morning I had a job interview over in Mobile... So to get there I get to take the I-10 and cross the bay...

It's normally a beautiful drive (we'll I've technically only done it twice), but today it was awful! I had just gotten on the I-10 ... basically the point of no return, headed to my job interview this morning, when the radio announcement said we were under a tornado warning... I was like, do i stop? Keep going? I know you're supposed to take cover, but a long long flat bridge, doesn't provide much in the way of protection..... No one else on the road seemed too concerned so I just kept going..... It's really neat once you get to the city of Mobile, instead of weaving around downtown like most interstates do, the I-10 goes right under it! It's kinda neat if you ask me... and

good protection from a Tornado...... So the interview today went well I think... It was more of just an informative meeting, and a nice tour of the units.  Again, the people there were exceptionally nice.. It must be the whole "southern hospitality" thing... Tomorrow I have two more interviews. One of the hospitals is a Catholic based facility ,and the other is really close to the beach... like its surrounded by PALM TREES! I already told Shaun our next Christmas tree will be a mini-palm! I can't wait.. I also want my very own palm tree to put on my patio... However, I'm unsure if you could keep one in a pot?? While I'm on the subject of gardening does anyone know if Knockout Roses can live in a semi-tropical environment? I really would like to plant a few around my patio..... ANYWAYS.... so after my interview, I was getting ready to leave and we were under another Tornado Warning!

 I should have stayed at the hospital till it passed, but the cable man was coming to install cable today, and I couldn't miss him. If Shaun had to go another day with the "welfare 8" he would have DIED..... Needless to say , I'm writing this now so you know I made it home safe and sound... and Toby survived the storms as well!

Job Hunt.....

Some of you from back home have asked how the job hunt is going... so I figured I'd just let everyone know at once... Yesterday (Tues) I had an interview for a shift administrator position, I did this at Clark for a while prn so I'm fairly comfortable with the duties. This hospital however, is only licensed for 50beds, and usually runs with 35 of them occupied.... what the #$%@? Is what I was thinking at first, 35 beds???? After talking to the DON there, I find myself becoming more intrigued with the position. Yes they are much smaller than what I'm used to, but I would get to be more hands on in more departments here. The interview lady said I would get to directly participate in the care of patients in the ER, OR, PEDS, ICU (all 4 beds ha!) and L&D..... So even though this facility is small I feel I could learn a lot about different nursing departments, and learn some new skills..... Everyone there was very nice, and went out of their way to introduce themselves.  Another pro on this facility is it would be Tue, Wed, Thur, day shift..... I would love that, since Shaun will be working Mon-Fri..... Overall, I feel it was a great interview, and the lady said I should hear something by the end of this week, or 1st thing next week...... So maybe say a lil prayer for me..... :O)........ I have 2 other interview/tours lined up as well... On Thursday I am meeting with the nurse manager at Spring Hill Medical Center, this position would be for day shift doing open heart recovery, or general ICU. We did  a phone interview about 2 weeks ago, and she said I could pick which department, and which shift I would want...... On Friday I have an interview at Providence Hospital. This position is for Medical ICU, its day shift as well..... So hopefully out of these 3 I can land a job LOL....... I have filled out so many applications, and I'm just now starting to hear back from people, I'm having a hard time remembering and keeping the jobs straight when they call me for an interview..... I'll let you all know how they went! Maybe soon I'll be J Hornung RN again! :O)

Out & About

Today we had SUNSHINE..... and if you read my last post, SUNSHINE=PICTURES!  So here's a few of my new surroundings.

(Now this isn't really our exact apartment, I wouldn't want some serial killer knowing exactly where I live, but this is exactly like our apartment, we're just in a different building.) Aren't you glad you taught me to be safe Momma?

So when I take Toby walking like 5x a day..... these are some of the places we usually visit in the complex.

After our morning walk, it had warmed up to about 78 degrees, So I decided to venture out to the closest beach, which is about 5 miles from our apartment. It's not on the actual ocean, but rather the bay. Nonetheless it was still beautiful. It was Toby's first trip to see the beach/bay... I think he enjoyed himself.  He would wade out into the water, then when a tiny wave came he would snap at it, and jump back onto dry land... It was so cute to watch!

We only stayed about an hour or so, but I swear I got a little tan :o), after that we went home, and it's safe to guess what Toby's now doing..........

All is good!!!

So I have been ABSENT!...... It's not that I didn't have anything to write about, believe me I have TONS! I have just been so busy setting up "house"......... So we arrived on last Thursday the 19th.  The drive down was easy breeze.. I originally was worried about how Toby would handle being in the car for 9+ hours. I was soo worried in fact that lil overprotective momma me, called the vet and got some recommendations for anti nausea medicine.  So one 50mg Dramamine tablet later, a very "drowsy" dog, and 9+ hours in the car, we ARRIVED! We got our keys to our new temporary or permanent(I'm kind of liking it) home.  Of course nothing is ever as glamorous as someone 650+ miles away "sells" it to be, but it's actually pretty nice.  The neighborhood is really quiet, and the people are amazingly friendly.Not that people at home weren't friendly, but people here actually go out of their way to help you.  So that first night, we had no furniture, and me not being very smart only packed two tiny little throw blankets. We spent our first Alabama night, curled up on the floor, fully dressed in clothes, with our beagle dog occupying one cover, and Shaun and I wrapped in the other. Needless to say, it was a long night.  At one point Toby (who has never slept on the floor a day in his life) kept pacing the apartment looking for the bed. I almost felt bad for him, almost..... The following day the movers arrived to deliver our stuff, it sounded like everything was on track until the moving semi couldn't make the turns into the apartment complex, ( the road is narrow and windy, and lined with all sort of decorative plants/trees) so he had to park the semi at the local target, and offload everything to a box truck. Two box truck loads later, all our shit is now strewn about the apartment. The mover men were the nicest people ever, they set up all our furniture and helped us unpack a lot of our stuff.  Shaun and I were determined to get EVERYTHING unpacked that 1st day..... and WE SUCCEEDED! By Friday night, the whole apartment was organized and looked like home..... Saturday was a day of waiting...... The Internet got hooked up (THANK GOD!!) the washer and dryer technician came and "unlocked" them.... (on a side note, did you know that your front load washer and dryers have concrete slabs in the walls of the machine.. those are what allow for a fast spin cycle..... we had a  VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PROUD washer/dryer technician. The satellite technician was supposed to come out... but apparently that's proven to be more complicated then first thought, so for now were rocking the bunny ears...I also found the GYM today, and got a workout in.. ... On Sunday we drove all around town looking for things, and scoping the area out. We found all the shopping stores :O), grocery stores, GOODWILL(which I've already visited!), and went down to the next town south, Fairhope, and checked out their beach and Pier. The beach is still under construction, but looks like it will be pretty nice this summer, when I don't want to drive to Gulf Shores. Monday, was Shaun's first day of work, he just has orientation for two weeks, so theres not too much exciting to talk about in that category yet.... I did go for a run around the area, only did like 5 miles or so, but being able to run in JANUARY in shorts, and a tank was AMAZING!!! I'm loving this weather, its been like 74+ since we got here.  I haven't taken many pictures because we keep having rain showers and the sky is all gloomy, but I promise lots of pics on the next sunny day.  Tomorrow, (Tues) I have my first job interview. It's for a nurse team leader position, which I'm thinking is comparable to our "house supervisor at Clark". The hospital is only 50 something beds, which I think is tiny....But it's day shift, I this facility is rumored to pay well so we'll see.... My interview is at 5:30 your time.. so say a small prayer for me... The hospital is about 25 minutes away, which is the normal for most hospitals in this area. Shaun and I will both have commutes to work, but we were willing to trade that for a nicer area to live.  So now that your all caught up over the past 4 days.... I hope everyone at home is doing well, and I'm thinking of you.... If tomorrow brings sunshine, then I'll take some pictures to post of our new home/area. :O)

LIMBO...... I've had enough......

We got the apartment! I don't know why I doubted we would, but it still feels good knowing we have a place to live! Now we're just waiting for Shaun's company to approve one of the bids submitted by the moving companies.  Once that's done, we'll know when they are coming to pack all our stuff up.  I HATE living in LIMBO....... I'd like to know when we're physically getting in the car and going, but without a pack date, we still have to leave that date unset.  As far as the job hunt goes... I have a phone interview today at noon, so wish me luck! It's not technically my "ideal" job, but I'm keeping it on the back burner in case nothing else pans out.   I also did some research on dialysis jobs in Mobile, and posted my resume with two different companies. Previously, the job hasn't really appealed to be, but now I'm starting to find it somewhat intriguing.  It's a different pace, and I think I might be ready for it. For now, I'm going to try and not stress.... but somehow I think that will be impossible.

Making a list.. and checking it twice...

We're making progress on the list! NOT a whole lot of progress, but still some... and some is better than none.  So a realtor came yesterday to gather info about the house.... she's going to come back next Monday to sign a contract.  So that's progress on item one (CHECK!).  After spending hours and hours apartment hunting and reading endless reviews online we finally filled out an application.... the lady said we'd find out tomorrow if we were approved.... I couldn't imagine NOT getting approved for an apartment.. but I guess we'll have to wait and see. List item two (CHECK!)  The one we finally settled on looks really nice, and they will accept our Toby. Finding a place to accept our "small lazy pup" was no small feat.  Most of these apartments in the south have both weight and breed restrictions.  So when you mention you have a beagle, they immediately say "Oh a beagle.. no problem at all" that is until I mention that he's no normal beagle.. Toby is what one would call 'BIG-BONED'... he's the size of a small horse... no really... he is! This particular complex also has garages. That makes Shaun feel better. Orginally we thought we were going to have to rent a storage unit to keep his motorcycle, and tools. Who wants to have to drive to a storage unit, to ride their motorcycle? Also, since we have an attached garage, we have guaranteed close parking in our semi driveway.....  So with our apartment semi-secured.... I was on to the job hunt.  I had filled out numerous applications online, the Thursday before New Years, and I heard back from one yesterday. The manager of the ICU should be calling me tomorrow to do a phone interview.  This makes me feel better, I know I should have no problem getting a job but it calms my anxiety knowing I at least have one interview lined up.List item three(semi CHECK!)  And lastly on the list was to tell friends and family.  Everyone knows now, and  some are sad, but in general everyone is really excited and can't wait to come visit us at the beach.  I'd welcome all these visitors no problem but sleeping arraignments might be difficult, as our apartment is only 1 bedroom....  I'd love to get a bigger apartment, but they are expensive and we still have a mortgage to pay until the house sells. His company gives housing allowance for a while, but once that runs out... it's all us... and I don't want to take on more expenses than we can comfortably afford. So for now.... we'll keep our fingers crossed that our application is approved, and my phone interview goes okay. Tomorrow the moving companies come  to do estimates... we'll see how that goes..

New Year New Beginnings

Today we got the news that we had been waiting for.  Shaun got his start date at his new job. Starting a new job isn't so overwhelming except for the fact that it is in Mobile, AL.... a whole 10+ hours away from home.... or at least what is "known" as home for now..... So the date is JANUARY 23RD.... which leaves us little more than 3 weeks to:
                        1)LIST OUR HOUSE FOR SALE
                        2)GET QUOTES FROM MOVERS
                        3) TELL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
                        4) FIND ME A JOB
                        5) FIND A NEW PLACE TO LIVE

So looking at that list, I feel a mild case of ANXIETY coming on! I feel like there is so much to do and so little time to get it all accomplished.  However, I also feel everything happens for a reason, and we are never given more than we can handle. Even though that sometimes doesn't seem true.  With all the things that happened to me in 2011, I feel I am the strongest I have ever been. So instead of fearing these changes, I have decided instead to embrace them. The item on the list that stresses me the most is FINDING ME A JOB! I was a little proactive anticipating this move and did apply/obtain my Alabama nursing license. At least I'm technically "eligible" for employment now. For today, I am simply going to relax and take in the fact that in a little over 3 weeks I have unlimited new potential.   I am welcoming a new city, new friends, and new opportunities with arms wide open. So if you chose, follow along, and take this monumental journey with me.