Travels Abound

Summer's half over

2009-07-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

It seems like the last 6 weeks have just flown by. Summer's half over and I have only 4 weeks left here. No word yet on where I'll go in September but I'm keeping my eye out on new openings. It's still early for things to post for September. So for now I'm going to enjoy my time left in AK and plan for my time off afterwards.

I've participated in 2 runs during the last month. The first was a 5-miler in mid-June for the Alaska Women's Run that literally ran right by my house. There were so many people and it was such a perfect day to go running. My landlord was able to stand on the top of the house and take a picture down the street showing what the procession looked like...it was so phenomenonal seeing all the people running. It ran thru downtown and down the coastal trail to the Chester Creek trail back to where we started at the Sullivan Arena. The run was only for women registrants but there were still men running in support. There was plenty of food and drink afterwards, especially fruit and this delicious bread from the Great Harvest Bread Co. I ran about a 9-minute mile which for me is fast. It took a minute or two to reach the start line because of all the people. The other one yesterday in Eagle River for the Bear Paw Festival was a 5K. There weren't as many people, the skies were overcast but the route was flat. Root beer floats were available aftewards and I got a t-shirt and a reusable grocery bag. Afterwards, my friend and I went to our friend (who also ran)'s home for a bbq. I got to eat fresh fish caught in the river, red salmon and halibut. yummy!

I got to experience the local bar scene in Eagle River. My friends, who live there, had a wedding in Anchorage and picked me up afterwards to go there where we met up with friends who were coming from the Matanuska Glacier north of us. Can we say dive bar and white trash? It was run just hanging out with them though. We all had to stay over at our friends' house as we were not in any condition to drive.

Summer stolstice came and went. Here in Alaska, there is the maximum amount of daylight for 3 days, June 20-22. It never really gets dark because even though the sun sets, there's still enough light to sustain some light until the sun begins to rise again. There were all kinds of celebrations for the solstice. My friend and I went to one of the local bars and danced the night away. It was so cool to come out at 300am and still be able to see everything. I also watched my friend finish her first 1/2 marathon. Kudos to her!!!

On June 26th, my friends and I went out to a local sushi place...yummy! I haven't had it in awhile and it was so good. Aftewards, we went to see Jeff Dunham, the ventriloquist, who I've seen on Comedy Central many times. He's hilarious and has an eclectic cast of characters.

Of course, went to July 1st tap, this time it was outdoors at Moose's Tooth. the Wailers played although we didn't hear much of them as we were eating dinner inside. It was fun just to hang out with friends outside in the nice summer weather. I was able to hang out with my friends at Humpy's for awhile on the night before the 4th of July, that would be July 3rd! Didn't go out until 11pm and stayed out for a couple of hours. That made it hard to get up the next morning to go hike up to Crow Pass near Girdwood. It was such a beautiful hike with glaciers and mountains under the glorious sun. I was sore the next day and the day after but it was certainly worth it. I went to my friend's house in Eagle River for a bbq but I didn't do anything that night as I was tired. I heard fireworks but I don't know how good they were as there was so much light.

For the last 2 weeks in June I was house-sitting for a co-worker who lives near the Delaney Park Strip. It was wonderful to have the place to myself, have use of their vehicle but still be near downtown. It makes me yearn to have a place of my own that I'm not just there for a few months at a time. Some day....

So after the Bear Paw 5K and bbq, my friends and I went out again....it's a common theme, me thinks. I had more drinks in one day than I think the rest of the summer put together...but they were delicious, coconut rum and pineapple juice...very summery! We danced the night away, even my guy friend who rarely ever dances, was up there shaking his booty. I wonder what got into him? It was fun and can I say, he's got wonderful, muscular arms! I'd like to have those wrapped around me...wait, I did, when we were dancing! He seemed more attentive and wanting to touch, hold me...hmmm, what should I make of that?

I found out that my friend who was planning to come up to visit and cruise back down after my assignment is complete can no longer come because she became ill with Lyme Disease. I'd still like to do the cruise so I'm trying to find someone else to go along and I've even asked my guy friend since he's thinking about leaving Alaska by the end of August. I'm hoping he'll decide to cruise down with me, if not, then I may just go single. We'll see. I'm still planning to rent a car and go to Denali Nat'l Park to see Mt. McKinley and Kenai Peninsula, hike some more and see whatever else I can before I leave Alaska.

Summer's here

2009-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

We're rolling right into a fabulous summer. Everyone has said it's already been a better summer so far than it was all last year. We've had many sunny days with fair temperatures, in the high 50s to high 60s and the occasional rainy, actually more drizzly, day. All in all, wonderful.

In the last 6 weeks, I've logged many miles. I spent the first 3 weeks of May at home with my brother, sister-in-law, 3 yo nephew and newborn niece. It was wonderful to spend so much time with them..but I did earn my keep. I was the late shift for feeding my niece...I think she's got a hollow leg. She wants to be fed every 1.5-2hrs and we've had to resort to bottle feeding so that my sister-in-law could get some rest and I could help out. While it was tiring, it was a wonderful experience to spend so much time with the new baby. I was also able to spend some time with my wonderful nephew who is so cute and adorable but certainly has his tempermental moments. He's having some difficulty adjusting to the time that his parents can't spend with him, although he is loving towards his new sister. I was also able to see my parents and cousin from Korea who drove up to my brother's place for a long holiday weekend. We were then able to celebrate my nephew's 3rd birthday who was thoroughly spoiled with all things 'Cars', 'Spiderman' and occasional 'Winnie the Pooh'.

I did some running while I was there, got bit by some, what seemed to me, humongous blackflies and mosquitoes, and helped out with indoor and outdoor chores. It kept me active and feeling likeI was helping out. It was tough to leave and come back to Alaska. However, I know I'll see them again in about 3 months so I was able to control the tears.

Returning to Alaska, it was a little tough with the 4hr time difference and the long flight. I've been able to get back into somewhat of a routine with working and going to my fitness classes, mainly yoga and weight training. Throw in an occasional run, biking on the local trails and biking to work and I'm feeling good about getting fit and toned. I'm trying to watch what I eat but I have these cravings that I can't help but indulge. My friends in NC sent me my hiking boots, bike helmet and a couple of summery clothes and I picked up a couple of things that I had left at my parents house so I now feel like I have something for the summer. I brought a suitcase full of winter clothes to my brother's so I wouldn't have to deal with them when I leave here in August. So everything I have now has to fill one large suitcase, a carry-on size duffle bag and backpack, otherwise it goes to charity. I refuse to get another suitcase and to ship things home!

Since the original subletter has returned, I have now moved to the room next door where my former roommate has moved in with her boyfriend and I'm subletting her room. It's got a queen-sized bed...much roomier and more space in the room. Some of her stuff is still here, but it's no big deal as I don't have much.

I just found out that a couple of friends from Hawaii are coming for a visit in early July. Finally, I get to visit with someone! Fortunately, I have the first couple of days that they're here off so I'll be able to hang out with them. Then they go on an Alaskan cruise and they'll be able to tell me how it is. I'm still trying to get in touch with my friend who has said she's coming at the end of my assignment to see if we can go on a cruise back down to the lower 48s.

So the other night, my friend from work and I went to June's 1st tap at the Bear's tooth, mainly to watch the BoDeans play. They were amazing and a lot of fun to listen to. Then Friday night, I met up with a couple of other friends from work for the 1st Friday art walk thru the galleries downtown. We capped the night off with a martini at a local bar...yummy, caramel apple.

My friend and I hung out last night at this oceans festival on the west end of the Delaney Park strip downtown. They had info booths, food, beer garden and live music. It was nice just to sit around, chat, people watch, have a beer, eat some reindeer sausage and chill. It was a beautiful sunny day with a little breeze. It was 10pm and the sun was still up. With the sun staying up so late, it's so hard to tell what time it is and you don't realize how late it is until you look at a clock.

It's been a wonderful weekend so far. I have to go do something outside since it's so sunny and warm.

Oh, what a day and night!

2009-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I successfully got over my cold without too much fuss. A stuffy nose which made it a little hard to breathe, eat with an occasional running of the nose was the extent of it, fortunately. It did prevent me from working out for a whole week. However, it did not kill the appetite! I guess I won't be one of those people that waste away during an illness. When I finally did get to exercise again, I went all gung ho and overdid it on one day which made me really sore and tired. I started running a little bit in the morning, actually only 2x this past week, to get ready for a 5K that I ran yesterday. It was light enough but certainly not warm enough until I got going. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to run it with my friends because I didn't get to train for it much but I did ok. It must have been all the working out I had done prior to getting sick which was good for my endurance and strength. My girlfriends and I started the run with a couple of guys who left us in the dirt pretty quickly. For someone who trained less than I did, which was basically not at all, they were gone like their pants were on fire! However, I'm hearing that they're sore and fortunately, I'm not. So I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought. It did tire me out and so I had to take a short nap before going out.

Last night, my 3 girlfriends and one of the guys that ran the 5K met up for a night on the town. We started out at Crush, a wine bar, downtown. It was really cool and low key and fun. We got to taste different wines, hang out and got a wine buzz. In fact, my lips got numb! I guess that's what happens when I basically drank about 4 glasses of wine. I got the flight of white wine muscats which cost about the same as one glass of wine but gave me almost 3x as much. Then a bunch of us bought a bottle of our favorite muscat, Eberle. From there, we went to Humpy's so some of us could get some real food. There I had an apple cider and a few cheese fries...yummy! One of the gals had to go home because she had the unfortunate luck of having to work today. We tried to go to Subzero, a martini bar, but the mood was too mellow for us. So we returned to a previous haunt, the Avenue. There, the music was 80s, so it was good, and we played a game of pool, which I suck at. We ended our night by checking out the Anchor, which was more nightcluby than a bar. It was too much for us and so we were out in about 10-15 minutes, heading home. All in all a good day...probably the best so far. It gave me hope that I'd be leaving here with some good friends.

I can see the sidewalk!

2009-04-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, Virginia, spring is finally here! Or so I thought until the snowfall last night that left about an inch of snow on the ground. Oh, how I wish for the warmer climate of...anywhere! The only consolation is that the days are definitely getting longer...we're at 14.5hrs between sunrise and sunset which doesn't include the light that comes before the sun actually rises and sets.

I have not seen any moose lately. Now I am hearing about bears that are a part of the landscape should I decide I want to go hiking. Not so much now! For some reason, moose don't seem as scary as a bear, call me crazy. Fortunately, bears aren't as common in the neighborhood as the moose.

So I saw Jake Shimabukuro, the ukelele player. Isn't it ironic that I would see him in Alaska when he's actually from Hawaii and I was there this time last year? It was pretty amazing what he can do with that ukelele...if I didn't know any better, I would think he was playing a guitar. There were a lot more people than I thought would be there..there's much of a Hawaii base than one would expect. I also went to the first tap at Bear's Tooth with a bunch of people from work. We had dinner beforehand at a place that doesn't accept reservations during prime dinner time. We had to wait for a table, for a bunch of people that were just hanging out after paying their bill. We kept giving them the eye to urge them to get up and leave. I ordered a chicken and chorizo pizza which was missing the chorizo. I don't know how they could have missed such an integral ingredient as one that is included in the name of the pizza. They brought me a side dish of chorizo which doesn't quite make the pizza and I got a free dessert out of it. First tap was fun, just hanging out with my friends, I definitely don't go for the beer.

A friend invited me to an arena football game. Each time only plays 8 players, on a shorter field, about half the distance and width of a regular football field, and it was played indoors. It reminded me of the flag football league that I played in while living in southern CA. Arena football is new to Anchorage and so the team they played, all the way from Maryland, smoked them. There's always the next game or next year.

Well, it was first for me...going to a roller derby game which is fairly new to Anchorage as well. A co-worker is on a team that was playing during the half-time of the main event. It was and wasn't what I imagined. Definitely ladies in their costumes on roller skates going around a short track but not as fast moving nor as physical as I expected. I pictured the roller derby of the 70s. Not so much as it seemed some of the gals seemed like they could barely stay on their feet. it was another night of fun and frivolity, hanging out with the crew from Providence. There was quite a contingent representing the dept.. We got to try a drink called "Hop, skip and go naked" which is a mixture of lemonade concentrate, vodka, pale beer and water to taste. Not as bad as it sounds and not as beery as I would have thought. A bunch of us were outside tailgating during part of the 2nd half of the game, reminiscent of the good old college days. Afterwards, a group went out to eat and then it dwindled to where only a couple of us went out afterwards. We had so much fun that we're planning another night out in a couple of weeks where we can stay out later (a lot of the crew had to work the next day so couldn't stay out late). Looking forward to it. I must be getting old because I was tired the next day and now today I'm fighting off a cold, hoping it doesn't get past the stuffy nose and headache stage.

Spring is upon me in AK

2009-03-28T15:52:00.001-07:00

Has it really been 2 months since my last entry? Wow, how time flies! Not much has happened that's newsworthy. A couple of weeks ago, I agreed to stay longer in Alaska. So I'll be here through the summer, reportedly the best part of being here. It's the reason I decided to come to AK during probably the worst time of year, the middle of winter. Actually, with the exception of about a 2 week period where it was -20F, the weather has been really tolerable. Now the spring's coming, the warmer weather is upon us which makes the road a nightmare. The snow and ice are melting, leaving a slushy, wet mess. Some places on the road are a huge collection of dirty water that drivers love to go through quickly, splashing the sidewalk and beyond. Fortunately, I have chosen not to walk right now, otherwise I'd be very pissed off because I'd be soaking wet. The daylight is getting longer, it seem like by leaps and bounds. Today sunrise was at 7:35am and sunset is 8:37pm so that's more than 12 hours of pure daylight. Of course, it starts getting lighter before sunrise and stays lighter past sunrise. Last night, because of the cloud cover and the snow falling, it seemed like it was lighter which was probably due to the lights of the city reflecting off the clouds.

Earlier this month was the infamous Iditarod Snow Dog Race where mushers and their team of 10-14 dogs travel over 1100 miles from Willow, AK (about an hr outside of Anchorage) to Nome, AK. It usually takes them about 10-12 days and some don't make it for various reasons. The ceremonial start takes place in Anchorage downtown area the day before the official start. The dogs are so excited and hyper that they have dog handlers who try to keep them in line while waiting for their staggered start. The dogs wear little footies to protect their paws from the cold snow/ice. There's over 3000 volunteers along the way. There's also a smaller dog race the week before and snowmobile race. I had a patient who was in the snowmobile race and crashed the first day. For 8 days prior to the start of the Iditarod Race, there's a festival called Fur Rondy. Included is a Running of the Reindeer (reminscent of Running of the Bulls in Spain), an outhouse race (where people build outhouses and race them), dog sled rides, exhibits/displays of Alaska.

In the past I've written that I've seen moose in the city. The closest has been 2 blocks at the bus stop where I was waiting. Well, the other night, I saw one across the street from where I'm staying, just chomping away away on the tree branches. I was so excited, running around the house, grabbing my camera and putting on my boots and coat. My roommates were laughing at me but I was so fascinated by a moose being so close to me in the city! Wouldn't you be too!

I had an opportunity to work at an outpatient hand therapy clinic here but my schedule at work didn't work out. I would have worked every day but all the daylight would have helped me feel more energetic. It just makes me want to work in outpatient with my next assignment.

So I've been the popular Bear's tooth bar/restaurant and seen a movie on their screen for only $3. They have a First Tap on the first Thursday of each month with a band playing. I plan on going on April 2nd and Flowmotion is playing. Then I'll see Ozomotli which I heard about in L.A. and they sound really funky and fun! I would like to see the BoDeans during their June First Tap. Then Jeff Dunham, the ventroliquist/comedian is playing here in June. They have some pretty firstrate performers coming all the way to AK. However, I am noticing that they're here in the summer, not in the winter! Tomorrow I'll see Jake Shimabukuro, a ukelele player...how cool is that!

Time is flying by!

2009-01-23T22:46:00.001-08:00

Where has the time gone? It's already been three weeks of being in Anchorage. I've settled into work nicely, adjusted my body temperature to the colder weather, am working on my core balance walking on the very icy sidewalks and roads and have gotten involved in some of the activities around this most northerly city.

Work is..well, work. It's the usual fare working in an acute care hospital that's also the biggest hospital in AK and the only trauma hospital in AK. They will medivac people via helicopter from all over the state...and have you seen how big the state is? I've already met people from various areas of this vast state...Nome (the end location of the Iditarod, about 1100miles from Anchorage), the Aleutian Islands (that tail that extends west of the main part of the state), Pribilof Islands (two small islands in the middle of the ocean north of the Aleutian Islands - look it up, it's amazing that people live there), Fairbanks and places in between. I actually met a patient who lives in a small cabin that doesn't have running water, he uses a port-a-pottie for an outhouse and showers at the local laundromat (he lives in a cabin a couple of hours from Anchorage). It's amazing to me that people still live like that - and he loves it!

So the temperature in the last 3 weeks has yo-yod (?spelling) from -17F to 42F which melted all the pretty frozen ice off of the trees as well as the packed snow on the roads and sidewalks which covered the several inches of ice beneath. This created havoc on the first day of the warm spell during which it rained. It was a compete mess because the roads were so icy that cars couldn't make it up some of the hills around town and would slide down or it was scary coming down those hills. There were over 150 mishaps of cars sliding off the road (nothing serious - mainly into snowbanks) and plenty of accidents for the police to handle. The buses weren't even running for a couple of days because of the icy conditions so one day I ended up walking and the next day I was lucky enough to have a co-worker pick me up on the way. I had to eventually break down and buy these stabilicers which go over the soles of my boots so that I can walk on the sidewalks without feeling like I'm slip sliding away! And I bought them at the REI store here!
For those of you who can relate, the -17F (about -26C) is so cold that your nosehairs freeze when you breathe and you can't expose your hand for more than 30seconds without it feeling like it's frozen. Now it's about 20F (-7C) which is very comfortable for winter weather.

I've joined some meetup groups here in town so I've met up with some gals for drinks and dinner and am going to learn some cooking techniques from a professional chef. I've already visited a local bar for dinner and drinks and was supposed to visit another but I flaked because I was too tired and it was past my bedtime. And that was on a Friday night! Boy, am I getting old! I walked around the downtown area a couple of weeks ago and saw these awesome ice sculptures honoring the 50th anniversary of AK's statehood (1959-2009), visited the Anchorage Museum (which showcases amazing pictures, crafts and artifacts chronicling the the city's and state's amazing history) and saw the souvenir shops.

Since it's so cold, I've joined a local gym to take fitness classes. For those of you who know me, know that treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines and I are not the best of friends. I have to have someone telling me what to do and others to egg me on (if they can hang in with the class then so can I!) A little internal competition never hurts. The gym's expensive but it's necessary in this weather since I can't exercise outside. I'm not about to go out and get all that ourdoorsy equipment just for a few months, although I did buy a pair of ice skates for $10. I had a New Year's Resolution to lose a few pounds and to have fabulous abs for this summer. I'll let you know how it goes.

I've also gotten my library card which will come in handy. That's something I like to do everywhere I go. The selection may vary but it never hurts to have some books to read, no matter what the genre.

Well, that's all for now, folks. Will keep you posted.

Close encounters of a MOOSE kind!

2009-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Anchorage Friday night with a temperature of -16F (-27C). BRRRR, it's cold here...the only saving grace is that it's dry (as evidenced by the static raising my hair on end) and there's not really any wind to speak of. As long as I was appropriately dressed and my body parts were covered, it was tolerable. It did look beautiful as I got my first glance outside the window at the trees. The branches were all covered with frozen ice and it really did look like a picturesque winter wonderland. It's definitely a vision that I had never seen before, not even back home in Canada.

The next couple of days I got myself settled, went to the grocery store, joined a gym and walked around a bit. I saw this spectacular view of the Chugach mountains to the east of the city that seemed so close that you could almost touch them. It made me want to go there and hike up but since I didn't have the equipment, I did forego that thought! Before I arrived in AK, I had joined some meetup groups and I met up with some of them from one group Saturday night. We got together at a local bar/restaurant for drinks and dinner and then watched fireworks celebrating AK's 50th year of statehood. They were beautiful against the backdrop of the dark black sky and the stark white snow/ice. Everyone was very nice and friendly...I look forward to more activities with them.

My first couple of days of work were spent in orientation and reading manuals...boring!!! I had a quick orientation on Monday and was told that I would be free to go home. However, I thought I'd drop by the dept. to introduce myself to the supervisor since I was in the neighborhood. Well, it's a good thing I did as she wanted me there to start the dept. orientation. (I got a phone message later from HR to go there). The hospital has a lot of useful equipment to make things easier for staff but from what I've seen, some of their programs/protocols are lacking therapy involvement.

So how does a moose fit into all of this? Well, I had been told that it's not unusual to see moose around town. Little did I know how true that would be for me, in such a short amount of time. I was walking out of the satellite building where my orientation on Monday was and on my way to the main hospital. To my utter surprise, I turn the corner and see a giant moose eating leaves from a tree. It was less than 50ft from me, just chomping away on the tree branches, not a care in the world. It looked at me for a moment and then went back to its business of filling its stomach. After I picked my jaw up from the ground and my eyes went to their normal size, I walked to the other side of the street. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera because it would have been a really cool pic!

The end of 2008

2009-01-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast the past month has flown by. I finished up my assignment in North Carolina, flew home to Canada for the holidays and then off to the greater White North, that's Alaska! I'll get to that last part later but let's see how my last few weeks in NC panned out.

The weekend after GA was my birthday and it was uneventful. I didn't even go out to celebrate, had a mellow evening at home. I guess I was exhausted from all the travelling around I had been doing...it was nice to be home for a change. The people at work did put on a celebration for all of us who had a December birthday and there were 4 of us. One of the techs made this fabulous hat which I wore all day. However, one patient commented that it was hard to take me seriously with it on!

The following weekend I was on the road again, this time to Charleston, SC. It's a lovely city with a alot of history which includes playing a part in the Civil War. There were still cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages that you could ride and an open building market that was 3 blocks long. I walked around the downtown area and along the shore but not for very long as it was cold. It did warm up on the day I was returning to Jacksonville. I had heard of this 2-3 mile bridge that spanned from downtown Charleston to Mt. Pleasant on which people could walk, run or bike across. However, I had heard about it late morning of the day I was leaving and while I did walk across about 3/4 mile across, I ended up returning to my car as it was getting late. If I'd had more time I would have gone across and back...you know how I love a challenge like that! As I was driving across the bridge to get out of dodge, I could see for miles (it was a clear sunny day) and wished I had heard of this walk before. Oh, well, c'est la vie!

During the last week of work, the rehab dept. had a Christmas party. There was a gift exchange (the one where you can pick from the pile or steal from someone else, etc), plenty of food, parting gifts from the dept to me (which I thought was very touching) and I took plenty of pictures. This picture is with me wearing my birthday hat and riding a "horse" that we had built for a TBI pt who liked riding horses.
Before I knew it, I was done working my last week in NC and it was time to pack up my things and organize it in such a way that I would be bringing my winter apparel to Canada and ultimately Alaska. It took several packing, unpacking and redos before I finally settled on 2 big suitcases, a carry-on and my computer bag. I barely got under the weight limit with my checked bags at the airport but boy were my carry-ons heavy! I had to think about what I would need over the next few months and be sure to bring that along...most importantly, was the paperwork to do my taxes early in 2009.

I was fortunate that a friend offered to drive me to the airport and keep my car for me while I was in AK. I know it's in good hands and will be well care for. I said my goodbyes to those I was leaving behind and flew off into what was coming next (after a most enjoyable holiday with my family)

Hope everyone had a safe holiday and a good start to 2009

It's been awhile....

2008-12-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's been awhile since I've written anything. But I've been busy! Between taking a kinesiotaping course over one weekend, seeing the sights in various states and starting to pack up because I'm seeing the sights, I've had little down time. First things first, I took a course not only for CEUs for licensure but for the learning experience. Some of it I had learned beforehand, some of it was new. It wasn't a complete waste of time and it sends me on my way to possibly becoming certified as a practitioner once I take the 3rd part of the training.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I went with a co-worker/PT traveler to VA, Williamsburg to be exact. We spent time taking in colonial Williamsburg where they preserve the historic buildings, atmosphere, culture of the 1770s when the U.S. was just getting started. It's amazing to imagine that almost 250 years ago, people were about to become part of a revolution that would give birth to this nation. Yes, even this Canadian knows a little about American history! Of course, we also spent time shopping at the outlet mall, but I didn't buy anything which is truly miraculous! On our way back to Jacksonville, we drove to the Outer Banks of NC, specifically Kitty Hawk. For those of you that don't know, that is where the ability to fly airplanes was born. We saw where Orville and Wilbur Wright were first airborne....now that's amazing! To see how little they flew in their first flights and zip to the present where we can travel almost halfway around the world on one flight is jaw-dropping. I can also see why they chose that area to test out their ideas...it was windy and it was cold on top of that. Oh yea, gas was at the lowest I've seen it in a long time..$1.57/gallon in VA.

The next week was a short week, due to Thanksgiving and the clinic being closed on Black Friday. I didn't partake in the shopping extravaganza but I did get a 4-day weekend so I decided to go on my furthest venture to date. It was an almost 8hr drive to Atlanta, GA. The weather was sunny and warm on Thanksgiving day and again gas was $1.57 in SC, a little higher at $1.78 in GA, both of which were lower than NC. The weather in GA was overcast and rainy but I still got to enjoy my time there. The Friday morning I relaxed and then went to walk through downtown Atlanta, which included Centennial Olympic Park, and the Thrashers (NHL team) be outplayed by the Nashville Predators. As a hockey fan, I had to say it was not the most enjoyable game as Atlanta's team played terribly and lost in overtime. I was going to try and take in a Christmas concert but I felt too much pressure to be on a schedule so I had to forego that option. I got to ride the MARTA which is Atlanta's rapid transit train which saved me money from parking downtown. The next day I returned to the downtown area, which was an iffy proposition due to the downpour that morning, to go on a trolley tour of the area. I figured I paid for the tour I might as well try and enjoy it, considering that the trolley was enclosed. Fortunately, for me, the rain lightened up on my way to the MARTA station and stopped once I arrived at downtown Atlanta for the tour. In that respect, I was lucky with the weather. That night was lowkey as I decided to return to NC early in the morning as I had plenty of things to try and do before returning to work on Monday. All in all a terrific holiday weekend. Hope everyone else had a memorable holiday!

Where has the time gone?

2008-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

I feel like the last almost 3 weeks have flown by! Maybe because I've been so busy with work and seeing what's out there. The 4-10 hr days sometimes seem long when it's not that busy but it's a nice break with a 3 day weekend. It has allowed me to travel around without feeling rushed or too tired afterwards.

The first weekend after the football game I returned to Charlotte to visit with my friend, the OT traveler, for what was initially going to be a wild, well, sort of, wild weekend. It didn't turn out that way. I guess you could say we weren't as young as we used to be. I arrived in Charlotte around 5pm and met up with my friend Molly at her place. It was a little rainy which was par for the course for that day. We ended up going to an area known as NoDo which is a shortform for north downtown. It's supposed to be the artsy area with restaurants and small drinking establishments. We had a good meal and then went down the street to listen to some local music. It was fun but we were both exhausted by the time we got home about 1230am.

The next morning we slept in and then got on the road to the Lexington bbq festival, reportedly the best in the area. We both had a taste of NC bbq and it's very different than what I'm used to. The bbq sauce is more vinegar based rather than tomato based so it doesn't color the pork, it doesn't drip and get messy like the usual bbq sauce and there's none of the usual bbq taste to it. Honestly, it's really not to my liking. In addition, they give you the option of coleslaw with the meat...crazy, don't you think? There were several smaller stages and a grandstand for music. The highlight was the main concert where Lee Ann Womack was the featured performer, singing with acoustic guitar accompanionment, along with 3 other male performers. It actually was enjoyable..I think country music is beginning to grow on me!

We got home and had to take a nap. When we woke up, we barely had enough energy to force ourselves to get dressed to get something to eat. We drove to downtown which is actually uptown, can you say confusing? We ate at this Irish pub which had pretty good food. Since it was the Saturday before Halloween, there were costumed people running amuck which was quite hilarious. It was a fairly early night for us.

The next morning we woke up and went for a walk around her area, saw the Bank of America football stadium in the light of day, saw tailgaters whooping it up for that afternoon's game and sat on top of the world (actually a huge globe by the stadium). We had brunch at a nearby restaurant which was yummy and filling! We went back to her place and watched the Panthers game on tv. I left at halftime so that I would miss the stadium crowd leaving and to get home at a decent time to relax before going back to work the next day. What a weekend!

The following weekend I went overnight to Myrtle Beach, SC which is only 2 hrs away. I had a late start and figured I'd be there mid-afternoon. But noooo, I get caught up in a triathalon that is going on in Wilmington which is about halfway and backs up traffic for what seems like miles. I try and work my way around it, only to be led astray and after having found my way back I realized that if I had been patient I would have gotten back on the right track within a few hundred yards after detouring. I finally was on my way to SC and to the outlet mall! I figured while I was there I would take advantage of the mall and go Christmas shopping for my family as well as myself. As it turned out, I think I bought more for myself than for them. I spent so much time at the mall and because of my late arrival, I completely missed out on the Christmas show that I was interested in seeing. Oh, well!

The next day I spent some time on the beach in front of the place I was staying. It was such a beautiful day, sunny and warm in the 70s with the sun reflecting off the water. The beach here was different than on the west coast, particularly southern CA, because the sand grains seemed bigger and there were so many seashells. I was told later that the seashells, both complete and broken, were due to the many storms that pass by the area. It was so warm that I could have easily gotten a tan. As it was, I had to drive back to NC.

Last weekend I drove to Cedar Island, NC and took a 2.5h ferry ride to Ocracoke Island on the southern part of the Outer Banks. The island is small and most of the things to see are right off the ferry within 1-1.5 miles so I spent a little over an hour walking around and went right back on the next ferry to return to the mainland. A lot of people took their cars so that they could drive to the other end of the island north where you can ferry it to Cape Hatteras. I didn't do that because of the time factor and that the ferry between the Cape and the Island only runs a couple of times in the evening and I wouldn't have made the schedule. The ferry ride to the Island was wonderful, it was warm, sunny and of course, breezy. It wasn't crowded so I was able to sit up on the upper deck and enjoy the rays and catch up on some reading. I spent more time reading that day than I have the whole rest of the time in NC. How relaxing!

The next day I went to another outlet mall where I really did do some damage with Christmas shopping for everyone including myself. Again it was a warm and sunny day. I arrived just before noon and started out. Within a couple of hours and few dollars spent, I noticed people driving around to find a parking spot...the mall was getting crowded. There were plenty of sales going on and I was in spending heaven...however, my credit card was smoking and my bank account wasn't going to like it! Hey, you only live once and that's what credit's for anyways, right? Honestly, I'm glad I was able to find what I did and I didn't break the bank so it's all good.

How's your all's Christmas shopping going?

It's only 5 more weeks to go here in NC and then home for 2 weeks with the family. How excited am I?

Goooooo Panthers!

2008-10-26T18:16:00.001-07:00

Well, last Sunday was my first ever pro football game! I took a bus trip sponsored by the Jacksonville, NC parks dept. It was very exciting. It began with an early wake-up so I could be on the bus at 6am...it's a good thing I only live 5 minutes from where the bus was picking us up. I slept most of the way as most sane people were doing since it was still dark out. We arrived there shortly before 11am so there was little time to kill. I just wandered around and then got to my seat early. There were plenty of tickets left over which the organizer sold to someone who then turned around to sell to someone else. Money makes the world go round! Fortunately, she kept one ticket to use as a spacer which my friend bought. Molly is another OT traveler who had just started an assignment in Charlotte and lo and behold she only lives a short distance away. It was great to see her and spend some time with her while watching the Panthers beat the Saints.

Our seats were in the nosebleed section but we could still see everything because of the design of the Bank of America stadium. However, you do miss a lot of the details that you get when watching the game on television, like the commentaries and the replays. The funny thing was that it was breezy and cool on the lower levels but once we got to the top there was very little breeze and it was sunny. Consequently, you freeze on the lower levels and bake at the top. I think I even got a sunburn on my forehead.

There were plenty of people tailgating..lots of bbqs and beer flowing in the parking lots. It was $20-30 to pay for parking near the stadium. People paid the money and were partying for hours before the 1p game. I hear in the south, people take the football very seriously, at all levels, even the tailgating!

NC so far

2008-10-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been at the new job 2 weeks, that's already 1/6 of my time here. It was slow to begin with but it's picked up the last week. Don't get me wrong, I like it when it's busy since it makes the time go by so much faster. The other therapists are all very helpful and most are all fairly young. I would say that most of them are also married to someone in the military, either marine or navy. The paperwork is a little different, we dictate our evals, which is a little disconcerting to me as I like to see everything written down. I'm such a visual person that I have to get my thoughts down on paper before verbalizing them so it seems like twice the amount of work to finish up an eval. However, since I've had so many the last 2 weeks, I have gotten better at it. I also didn't need to buy so many shirts when I stopped at the outlet in MO. They provided me with hospital polo shirts but I am glad that I bought a couple more tan pants as that it also part of the "uniform". It's the first time that I've had a uniform, so to speak.
So my first weekend, I got settled; the second weekend I spent just relaxing and trying to get a little more organized. Wouldn't you know it, this weekend is mainly raining and I'm sick so I don't have much energy to go exploring. I had been so good about exercising, running a couple of miles and following some videos for weight-training, yoga or toning over the last couple of weeks. Now I feel that it's all shot since I haven't been able to do anything the last few days. The one thing that hasn't waned is my appetite, I can still eat a full meal.

I found out that the mother of a co-worker in WA is very sick, so whoever reads this please say a prayer for her and the whole family. It is a very sad situation.

North Carolina arrival

2008-10-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

I spent the night of the 25th at my cousin's in Champaign, IL after having spent some time at an outlet mall, ostensibly to shop for clothes for work in NC. I probably didn't really need to but it was fun. It was a short visit with my cousin but I'm glad I stopped in. From there, I took off for the long drive to Raleigh, NC. I drove through IL, IN, KY, WV, VA and into NC, traversing through various terrain and noticing that it became much more mountainous and green as I headed southeast. The roads also become more windy and it began to rain which made it more precarious. Driving along side of me were many 18 wheelers who should have not been driving so fast...combine that with the rain-slicked roads and it made for some white-knuckled driving.

I finally arrived at my friend's dorm at NCSU in Raleigh. It was a Friday night so, of course, she was ready to go out and party. I'm really getting old! All I wanted to do is relax and sleep...staying out late was the last thing on my mind. In addition, she had to get up early to go on a day trip to Wilmington and I wanted to get up and go at the same time. I needed my beauty sleep!

The next morning I got on the road about 745ish and arrived in Jacksonville about 2 hours later. I met the roomie and got moved in. I pretty much spent that day unpacking and trying to have some sort of organization to the room. It was pretty warm and humid but sunny. I slept well that night. The next day found me walking through the main thoroughfare in the city to find out how long it would take me to walk to work, if I chose to do that. Well, it would take me a good hour at a decent clip to get me there so on my way back home I stopped in some stores to find out how much a bike would cost. I figured it out and the cost of a bike and lock would be more than the cost of gas to get to/from work the entire 12 weeks I'm here. That's because work in about 4.5 miles from home and I work 4-10 hour days. So much for being green and healthy! I guess I'll just have to find another way to exercise and be earth-conscious. It'll also allow me to get more sleep in the morning. Remember I need my beauty sleep!

On the road

2008-09-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

I got a good night's sleep so I was ready to go. Wouldn't you know it...it was drizzling as I started to drive away, actually it had been raining on and off the previous day as I was packing up my car. I guess WA was sad that I was leaving! Me, too. This assignment has probably been one of the best I've ever had with the friends nearby, the things to do (and so many more to do!) and the clinic that I worked at. Hawaii was great as far as the people that I met and have stayed in touch with but as far as what I like to do, WA was more for me.

As I passed over the mountains to the other side, I looked in my rear view mirror and could see the cloud hanging over Seattle-Tacoma. It was sunny and warm on the eastern side of the mountains. I had a long drive ahead of me, filled with excitement and anticipation but some sadness over what I was leaving behind. It was amazing how the scenery changed as I drove through WA, OR, ID and into UT (if you don't know what those states are...look it up!) where I spent the night. The west side of the mountains were wet, lush and green, the eastern side brown/yellow, flatter and deserty. As I headed southwest, more mountains popped up but they were not as high, had little vegetation and were a brownish/reddish color. I slept well in one of my timeshare resorts in UT, was able to eat a good meal and then left Monday morning for the Denver area.

I have a friend who moved to CO about 4 years ago with her husband and 2 kids. I got there around 7ish, having just missed the rush hour traffic. Although, she says the traffic's not bad, unlike L.A. Her kids have grown up! Wow, how time flies! They have this beautiful house with a huge backyard, something none of us could afford in CA. Of course, the MNF game was on. She and her husband are still playing in sports leagues, of which I'm a little envious. I do miss catching that long pass down the field when no one expects me to. I left them with some Canadian chocolate to which she is one of the few that can appreciate the difference.

I made it through the flat plains of Kansas into MO. As I was driving, I talked to another traveller that I met in HI who was driving from FL to CA and had stopped in TX. We were like 2 ships that pass in the night, each going coast-to-coast. I used to live in Columbia, MO for almost 4 years about 11 years ago. My friend still lives there with her 2 kids, both of which have grown up as well! What in the world is going on! She took me for a drive through town today...my, how's it's changed and grown. There are new stores, many of them chains like Applebee's, IHOP, Macy's Old Navy, which weren't there when I lived here. I get to relax a bit here before I head to my cousin's in Champaign, IL tomorrow and then Raleigh the next night to arrive in Jacksonville, NC Saturday morning.

Last stand in WA

2008-09-24T12:55:00.001-07:00

So I go to Vancouver, BC, Canada one last time to visit relatives and a friend. My friend and I had decided to climb the Grouse Grind, a straight-up trail to the top of Grouse Mountain. Rather than take the lame tram to the top, we decided to walk it. I figured I had done a lot of walking in WA where there's a lot of hills but that was a molehill compared to the Grind. I don't know the distance up the side of the mountain but it seemed to have go on forever. We did it in a little over an hour. What was disheartening was that you can see on a screen inside the chalet what times people have completed it. There were senior citizens who climbed it faster than we did! I partially attributed it to having an upset stomach and lightheadedness part way up. Lame, I know, but hey, gotta have some excuse.! Next time we'll kick its butt instead of the other way around. Anyways, after that we were tired to go out dancing as we had initially planned but rather just had dinner and relaxed at her house.

The following night, my cousin, her boyfriend and mother went to this open market where there plenty of booths selling cheap knock-offs and food stalls. Reminscent of markets in Asia. It was great to see them all, especially since I won't see them again for awhile.

My last week of work...well, it involved trying to orient and mentor the new therapist as much as possible, trying to cook up all the frozen food (to which the staff at the clinic benefited) and visiting with my friends before I head out of town. I met with an ex-CA roommate who is from and now lives again in Seattle, a friend who moved to Portland with her husband and child and was visiting family in Olympia about 45 minutes south of Tacoma and had dinner with one of the therapists at work. It seemed like every night there was something planned, not that I minded, but I still had packing to do! It's a good thing I had started with my clothes the previous week but there's always trying to fit it all into my vehicle. I did have the Friday night off and all day Saturday, wheww, which allowed me to pack up a lot of stuff. But I also had last minute errands...there never seemed to be enough time in the day. Saturday night, a friend and I went to this dueling piano bar/comedy club which was fun. The comedy was funny at all but the piano playing was great.

The next day I hit the road.

windy Oregon

2008-09-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Labour Day weekend was definitely not laborious. It was fun, whirlwind and definitely windy. I went to visit friends that I knew from CA, actually, I worked with her and met her husband before they left to live in OR. Since that move, they've had 2 beautiful boys. They live in the Columbia Gorge area, where windsurfers and kiteboarders are aplenty due to the high winds that go through that area. Where they live is also the beginning of the high desert, so the landscape becomes more barren and brown. From their house, you can see the tip of Mt. Adams in WA and just up the street atop a hill, Mt. Hood can be seen. The sky is bluer and clearer than further west. It's definitely not a thriving metropolis but you can certainly buy a huge house for a decent price.

On my way there, I took the scenic Columbia River byway and stopped at a few vista points to get a better view of the area. We saw the international gravity sport association (IGSA) championships which were basically grown men and women longobarding (like a luge) or skateboarding down this hill that's curvy and somewhat steep. Talk about the need for speed! The day I left to return to WA, we drove to this lodge that is up high on the mountain where the air was cold, the cloud cover hid the summit and there was snow on the ground. It was pretty cool to see people skiing in Sept.

This was my only trip to OR. I had originally planned to see the area around Bend, OR and coastal OR but I think after all the travelling I've done, I need to stay at home to get a few things done and relax a bit. I started packing up and organizing things to get ready for my next move. I'm trying to get in touch with people along the way out to NC. You know, places to go, people to see and all that jazz!

Visiting friends

2008-08-24T20:19:00.001-07:00

My friends from Chicago were in Seattle for the day before flying back home. They went to a small town in north-central WA near the Canadian border to visit his father. We hung out near the waterfront, again at Pike's Market since they hadn't been there before, had lunch and just enjoyed the nice weather and each other's company. Later that day, I met up with a friend from San Diego who was up in Seattle helping a friend's engineering company. We went to the newly renovated SouthCenter mall which was very busy. Walked around the mall and then had dinner. We had thought about going to a movie but I was getting tired and I needed to still pack, do laundry, etc for my week vacation with my family in upstate NY. Believe it or not, they still have a few drive-ins in WA which I would like to go to if I have the time...that would be so cool!

I spent the last week in a small town north of Syracuse, NY. My parents, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and I stayed at a rented cottage by the lake. We went shopping, to the state fair, drove around and basically just hung out. My nephew is growing up, talking a lot more, so much that I feel that he's so smart. He does things that makes me go "wow" but maybe most kids his age are like that. I had to leave earlier than the rest of them to make it back for a friend's wedding.

I landed, picked up my luggage, then my car in off-airport parking, went to the shopping center to change and get made up in order to make it to the wedding just in time. It was a mixture of western and eastern traditions. They sat me at the singles table and I was the only friend of the bride in the group. A group of us clicked and went to a local music bar afterwards and hung out which was nice.

It's now the day after the wedding and I'm trying to catch up on all the little things that have gone to the wayside since I've been away. I'm going to North Carolina for my next assignment so I need to get my license. I'll take a week to drive across and visit friends along the way. I was hoping to slowly make my way across but I've had to be flexible since I decided that I wanted to try and stick to outpatient jobs. So now I have four full weeks left and a lot more planned in that time. I'm sure time will fly by!

Seattle

2008-08-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

During Dasha's last weekend, we took a day trip into Seattle. There's an express bus from a nearby park and ride that takes us right downtown, much easier than trying to drive and find parking there. We walked around Pike's Public Market where it's like one big gigantic farmer's market. There's the infamous fish throwing, only when someone buys a big fish though. I had a sample of two types of smoked salmon. My gosh, they were yummy. I bought some to bring to my family in a couple of weeks (it lasts as long as it stays in the fridge). We walked around Seattle to the original, huge REI store and then the ex-officio store which closed shortly before we got there. Bummer! All in all, it was a great day.

The next weekend, I drove to Vancouver to spend time with my aunt and to meet up with a friend from L.A., Midori, an O.T. I used to work with. My aunt took me to Grouse Mountain for a hike, that ended up being like a trek through the jungle. Should have brought my machete to cut through the branches/bushes as the people I was with seemed to have lost the trail. Grouse mountain was cool though, it had a lumberjack show, two orphaned grizzlies that the park has been raising for the last several years, a free ride on the ski lift from which you can see Vancouver below. The tram that brings us up/down gave us some pretty good views of the city as well. There's a trail from the parking lot below to the top of Grouse mountain, called Grouse Grind, which you can walk/run, timed if you want. Maybe next time!

I met my friend, Midori, the next day. Wouldn't you know it, my phone battery died and I didn't bring a charger. Fortunately, the coffee place was nice enough to let me use their phone...do you know how hard it is to find a pay phone anymore! Midori lives in downtown Vancouver, in a great apartment with a huge deck, only a 20 minute walk to Granville Island, on a pathway that runs along the waterfront. I saw people biking, running, walking on the pathway. Granville Island has alot of local artist shops, a farmer's market and places to eat. Midori took me to a renowned fish and chips place which lived up to its reputation. Later, she drove us to Stanley Park where we could see Canada Place across the water, see Lions Bay bridge, the native totem poles and just outside the park, one of the 2010 Olympic symbols. As expensive as it is, Vancouver is definitely a great place to live. There's so much to do and see there.

Mt. Rainier/Leavenworth

2008-08-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

So the ultimate mountain attraction in the WA area is Mt. Rainier. On my way to work, on clear days, I have a fantastic view of the mountain in all its glory. The weather has been decently warm and clear. So, of course, I'm thinking that is going to be the case when we go there. But nooooo, it has to be sunny with clouds which means that the higher we go, the less of a view there is. We wanted to go to this less populated hike on the far side of Mt. Rainier to be able to hike to see a glacier. Well, we got a late start and then Dasha wanted to go to the Northwest Trek which is like a wildlife refuge. We saw bears, wildcats, birds, mountain goats, bison and all sorts of wild animals. From there, we drove to the trailhead to the glacier. We got to the end of the trail and then went a little further to get a better view of the glacier. It was definitely colder but unfortunately, there was low cloud cover such that we could only see the bottom tip of the glacier. Dasha had never seen a glacier before and I think she was expecting something more spectacular. We saw people hiking down with skies and we could see trails coming down the glacier. People were actually camping at the top, in what was probably low 40 degree weather during the day.

From there, we drove to Leavenworth, a quaint Bavarian town, with cute little shops and wine tasting. We went into a store that had a lot of different kinds of cheese and salami. After tasting it, I bought this porter ale cheese and Italian salami, again I'm bringing it to my family. It's in central WA which is part of the vast wine producing area. So, of course, I had to taste a little of the local culture! We had a Bavarian lunch, including sauerkraut and pork served by men in their liederhosen. It was much hotter and sunnier there than the mountains and the coast, usually being 15-20 deg F hotter. As we were driving back towards Tacoma, we could tell the weather was getting cooler and more overcast. Another successful and amazing adventure!

Olympic National Park

2008-08-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Weekdays are pretty much the same. Work, gym (if I feel like it), eat and go to bed. I've been trying to get up early to do some walking around the house since there's plenty of hills to challenge me. Some days are more successful than others.

Dasha and I went to the Olympic peninsula for the weekend. Her boss had a trailer in a park which was nice with a clubhouse that had a shower. We went for two hikes. The first one was at the Staircase (used to have a staircase many moons ago) where we did a 12 mile hike (roundtrip) for what seemed straight up. It brought us to this pair of lakes up so high that the water was very cold! Dasha was brave enough to dive in but I chickened out. Just putting my feet in for a few seconds made them numb! The view was beautiful...blue water, green trees and snow in patches on the way up. We were pretty tired afterwards and glad to be able to shower at the clubhouse.

The second day we went to Hurricane Ridge. We drove to the top and from there did a short hike. The view was amazing...the sun was shining and there were very few clouds. It was so clear that we could see Victoria, Canada across the strait. There were also deer roaming around near the cars and buildings. We left early to be able to get home and relax. It was a busy weekend.

Independence

2008-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, it's been awhile. Sorry about that but life has a way of taken over. I've been busy trying to experience the northwest as much as possible. After a couple of weeks of work where I've had the lulls of not having a full caseload, it has gotten better. The other therapist was away for about 2 weeks on vacation which made things busier for me. Then came the holiday weekend, Fourth of July. The people in the house had a terrific bbq and we could see the fireworks in the distance of the various towns north along the coast, all the way up towards Seattle. There was a tall ships festival here during the weekend and a fair as well. I was somewhat disappointed as the ships were not as tall as I expected. Also, it was overcast and a little rainy...shocker, I know! The good news was that I won a glass blown paper weight which is quite heavy and pretty.

The weekend before we went to this Geyser State Park. I guess I expected too much as far as the geyser goes. There were two but one looked like a perpetual small flame and the other only bubbled greyish silt. Nothing compared to Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone Park, that's for sure!

1st week of Tacoma

2008-06-23T17:02:00.001-07:00

Well, I've worked my first week at this private outpatient P.T. clinic. The clinic is 14 miles from where I'm staying and it takes me about 20 minutes, very easy to get to. There's another CHT working there, 3.5 days a week and she's been very helpful in orienting me and helping me out. It was a very quick orientation, about 1.5 hours before I started seeing patients. Trying to get acquainted with the patients by reading the charts was very interesting. For those of you who've worked with me know how I am about being detailed enough for others who follow know what you've done. Well, I think some of the therapists may need refreshers on documentation to ensure continuity of care from all those concerned. I feel a little discombobulated when I have to ask the patients what they've been doing in therapy because I can't read nor get enough information from the chart.

The hand therapy room is small and not the best designed nor with a lot of equipment. I'll never say that we didn't have enough at Centinela because what's available at this clinic pales in comparison. I'll just have to be a little more creative in the exercises/activities I plan for patients. Ten hours seems long, especially when you don't have a full schedule. We do our own charges on the computer which gets sent to the billing department, the daily documentation is by flow sheet (handwritten) but the evaluation, progress reports and discharges are on computer (and they're abridged versions of the handwritten ones which seems a little redundant). Patients are seen for 40 minutes, whether it's treatment or evaluation, and 1:1 with no overlapping scheduled. Since it's a private clinic and not part of the hospital, there's certain patients that I can't see because of the insurance. I need my own provider # (I was under the hospital one at Centinela).

There is a Bally's gym closeby so I'm glad to be able to go there for classes. I live by the shore of Dash Point, close to a state park. From the deck of the house that I'm staying at (renting a room from someone) you can see Puget Sound. I could see Seattle if there wasn't this island in the way. I have a nice size room with a queen bed, furniture and a huge closet. I have access to the full house, of where there is a nice size kitchen but only one fridge, yikes! The owner lives here and is very nice, friendly and helpful. There's a student intern from North Carolina here as well and she's cool, has a lot of youthful energy. She wants to be able to see and do things in the area so that'll be nice to have someone to go around with.

I'm glad that I live here because the house and people who live/stay here are great. Although it's a few miles to the stores, I think I lucked out. I'm not sure where my company would have found a place for me but I don't think it could be better than this. Sure, it's probably a little farther than what they would have found for me but I'd take the location and environment over that any day.

The student intern, Dasha, and I went for a hike near Snoqualmie Pass, east of Seattle, this past Saturday. We didn't realize that there'd be snow but there was plenty of it, some places a couple of feet deep and plenty of runoff/creeks going down the mountain as the snow was melting. There was so much snow that it also covered most of the trail that we were trying to hike. We were going along with another group of hikers and there were a few times that we had to decide which way to go. We didn't get to where we wanted because we ran out of time. We had things to do, places to go. There was a strawberry farm about 20 minutes away where we were able to pick out our own strawberries. They weren't as big as the ones in the store but there's something about picking your own that makes them that much sweeter. We bought rhubarb as well as I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie last night that was very delicious, if I don't say so myself! We also spent a few hours and a few dollars at an outlet mall nearby. All in all, it was a very busy and full day. We're looking to see where we're going to go next.

Since I've returned from Canada, the weather here has actually been very good. Temperature's only in the mid-high 70s but it's been sunny with a little cloud but no rain during the day. Maybe it's the turnaround we've been waiting for!

I also was able to get a library card. I'm very excited about that as I love to read! So between the magazines I'm trying to catch up on and the books/music/movies I can borrow from the library and all the excursions I'm planning, it'll be a busy summer. No rest for the wicked!!! hehe. I was also able to find the Korean food mart which was truly exciting for me!!!

North of the Border, eh!

2008-06-23T16:39:00.001-07:00

After unloading my stuff in Tacoma, off I went to the Great White North. I spent a busy but wonderful time with my family in the Vancouver area. My parents had flown in from Toronto, my aunt and uncle from Korea and I have 2 aunts who live in the area. We spent a few days in Victoria on Vancouver Island and then in Whistler, where a lot of the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held. There was no snow at the resort area but there was enough for people to go snowboarding in the higher elevations for a few hours each day. There was also road construction along the way, I guess, to get ready for the expected traffic in a little less than 2 years from now. It was a fun time had by all.

The Vancouver area is a lot like Seattle, cloudy and rainy. On Vancouver Island and at Whistler, it was blue sky, sunshine and a little cooler. A wonderful change from Hawaii. My aunt goes hiking several times during the week. A group of us went for a short and not too challenging of a hike in the hills behind my aunt's house. She lives in the hills leading up to the Rockies so there's plenty of trails to venture on. Traffic there during rush hour is just like any other major city but people are nicer about it...being Canadian and all! ;)

I was sad to see my parents and aunt and uncle off at the airport before returning to Tacoma.

final words about Hawaii

2008-06-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile..so long, in fact, that I've actually flown back to the mainland, packed up my things and unloaded them in my Tacoma home. What's been going on since the last blog...well, my friends let me tell you!

My traveller friends (plus a couple of non-locals) have gotten together every weekend for dinner. Well, the last Saturday before I finished work was my turn, and actually, they were doing me a favor. I had so much food left over that I could have fed an army. So we had a smorgasbord at my apt. of Asian influenced foods, my now famous bulgogi (Korean bbq beef) that everyone loved and I even made my rice rolls. I sent a lot of leftovers with them and still had food left over!

Everyone loved my apt, particularly the view of the ocean, which was quite impressive since it was on the 41st floor. We ate on the lanai, all squeezed together at a table suited for 4 (there were 8 of us) only with candlelight to light our way. Everyone left with a full belly and food for the next day.

That Sunday, I went to see a friend finish up a sprint triathalon at a local beach park. I was running late, as usual, and by the time I had gotten down there, I thought I had missed her. It turns out that I actually missed seeing her run by as she had not finished as early as I had thought. I met up with her later as well with other friends a local hotspot on the beach. I think I'm getting old, as I left around 9pm (got there around 630pm) because I was done.

Finished my last week of work without any fuss. I was a little disappointed that some of the OT staff did not lunch with myself and another OT who would be leaving in a couple of weeks after ordering in. I guess we got an idea of their feelings toward us. No sweat off my back.

The big excursion that I went on was on the Saturday of Memorial weekend, after I had finished working. Some friends and I flew to Molokai, an island off of Maui, for a mule ride down a mountain to an old leper colony. Kalaupapa was an isolated part of the island that people with leprosy were shipped to (kind of like how TB patients were sent to sanitariums long ago) in the 30s and 40s. The only way to get them there was by boat and cargo ships only came in 1-2 times a year. People were separated from their families, no matter what their age was. Eventually, they were allowed to leave (I think it was during the 70s) but most stayed as it was all that they knew and some were very deformed. However, even those not so deformed had stayed. There were only about 2 dozen people left. We were allowed to take pictures of anything except the people...however, I didn't see any people. It was very sad what they had to endure.

The one thing that amazed me was their ability to adapt. Being an OT, I can appreciate this. In this one small museum, there were items displayed that the people had adapted to be able to use. One of the effects of leprosy (aka Hansen's disease) was the resorption of bone which makes their fingers very short and stubby so holding small items was next to impossible. What these people were able to create were adapted utensils where the long handle of a fork or spoon was shaped into a loop and soddered. In essence, they created their own universal cuff-like adaptation for their utensils. Truly amazing!!!!!

The mule ride, was exciting but one of the scariest things I've ever done. Imagine trusting your life to this mule, going down the side of a steep mountain with 26 switchbacks on a trail about 3-4 feet wide. It was so steep that I had to constantly lean back in the saddle and because my arms were too short to hold onto the pommel with both hands, I had to hold it with one and the back of the saddle with the other. These mules would take the switchback turns very wide so that it would seem like they're heading for the edge of the trail. Most of the trail had not fences or barriers of any kind and the only thing between you and the bottom were a few bushes and small tree branches. The trail itself was made of dirt, rocks and a few trail steps, some of which were so high that it felt like I was "dropping" down to the next one with such a jolt. Fortunately, none of the mules slipped. The ride going up was much smoother and easier.

We had a few hours after the mule ride so we drove around. There was a 'Phallic rock', that we strolled to, expecting something other than what we saw. Yes, that is the true name. The only shape that we saw was the head of the penis, not the shaft. Needless to say, we were all disappointed. It was a lot smaller than the story would imply!

The next couple of days were spent cleaning the apt, getting rid of all my food and packing up the last of my things. I had started packing days earlier, anticipating my return to CA. I guess I was ready to leave.

Hawaii was great, but for me, it's a great place to visit but not to live. The weather wasn't suitable for me, being so humid, and the activities weren't my cup of tea. Not really being a water baby, there wasn't the usual bevy of activities for me to participate in. There were no sports leagues and the weather wasn't too conducive for a lot of outdoor action activities. It's definitely a place to visit, I think, particularly the other islands. Having been to almost all of the islands, Oahu is ok in comparison to the others as far as unusual things to do and the scenery. If you have the chance, definitely go visit.

I'll post some pictures once I get them uploaded from my camera. With the move, I'm not organized.

my one and only hiking expedition

2008-05-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

For as long as I've been here, I've wanted to go hiking. I did what I call a mini-hike up Diamond Head crater to the observation tower at the top. It was built-up with concrete walking path and stairs to a deck where there is quite a view of the surrounding area. Well, I've finally done the real thing, a hike in nature where mud, rocks, trees, bugs and water are aplenty.

A friend and I went to Manoa Falls where it was a short jaunt to this tall waterfall, about 1-1.5 miles. Then we decided to go on a longer hike to a place called "Jackass Ginger Falls" and yes that is the real name! It was up and over these hills with mud and rock, through trees and bamboo forests and occasional views of Honolulu and the Pali highway which connects Honolulu with Kailua on the windward (east) side of Oahu. It was a beautiful, warm, yet humid day and so I'm sure I sweated a few pounds off, yea! All in all, we were gone almost 8 hrs from starting from the bus ride out there and back. A bonus, sort of, was the viewing of the stars of "Lost", the baldheaded guy, since they were filming some scene on the way up to the trailhead. Didn't actually see any filming of scenes but the crew were there. We were hoping to be in the background somewhere...can you imagine watching the show and somehow you were able to see us? However, no such luck!

A group of us travellers plus a couple that are permanent yet temporary (only here for 18 months) got together for a bbq on a rooftop deck. I made my bulgogi (Korean bbq beef) which everyone loved. This weekend I'm hosting a smorgasbord dinner at my house to eat up the food I have since I always have too much and I leave in less than 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to it since I love hosting dinner parties!

Northwest here I come!

2008-05-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Time is winding down for me in Hawaii. I spent last week making sure I had all the paperwork prepared and sent off to the various agencies to obtain my WA state OT license. I had gotten so many licenses previously when I was travelling because I figured it would be faster to get an assignment but then I stopped. Now I'm finding that it's a headache because I need to contact all these agencies for any new licenses. The other good news is that I found a place to stay in Tacoma, WA, which is cheaper than the housing stipend allowed so I'll be able to bank some money that way.

So I accepted the WA job and then a week later, I'm contacted by a facility in Ketchikan, AK. Oh, well, too bad, so sad! I had to tell her that I'd already accepted a job but was still wanting to travel to AK so maybe after I'm done in WA, hint, hint ;). I think she was interested, so we'll see what happens. Now I'm patiently waiting for the WA license to go through and finishing up my last 2 1/2 weeks in HI. I've met some great people here, plenty of travellers, that I'll keep in touch with and hopefully run into again.

I went on my first and only booze cruise here. I was able to control myself but a couple of others weren't quite so successful and ended up paying for it the next day. I was chatting and drinking so I missed the sunset, but did see a couple of beautiful rainbows just off Diamond Head Crater. The water was a little choppy but was so deep blue! Amazing!

I'll be back in town the early morning of Tuesday May 27th, taking the redeye from Honolulu on the night of Memorial Monday. I've got some packing up to do of clothes, books, etc and a couple of errands but would love to see anyone who has time. I'm driving up to Tacoma and dropping off my stuff at my temporary digs there and then driving up to Vancouver, BC to visit with my family. I plan on leaving the 30th or 31st of May, not sure yet, depends on when my family is available and how fast I plan on driving up.

See you soon.

2008-04-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm lying on my couch, looking out the lanai and while it's heading towards nighttime, I can definitely see the vog. Hmm, vog, what's that? Only in Hawaii do you get vog (could be elsewhere but I hadn't heard of it before until I got here)...because of the volcanoes. Similar to the smog that L.A. gets, Hawaii gets the combination of volcano and fog. The volcanoes from the Big Island are always producing lava but sometimes they produce a lot of smoke, actually sulphur dioxide, which is really bad for those with respiratory problems. This past week, the Volcanoes National Park was actually closed, because of the vog. I'm not sure if they told people to leave the area but I would imagine that some people aren't outside right now.

Last weekend, I listened to the Kokua Festival, a whole lot of bands. The headliners were Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson, a local guy. I say listen, because, I was with a bunch of people in the park just outside the concert venue. We could still here them but couldn't see them. However, we were able to barbecue and eat, eat and eat.

This past was uneventful but I did have to start thinking about where I'm going to next. I've got 4 weeks left on the island, planned to be off for 3 weeks as I get more organized with what I'm taking in my car and then vacation in Vancouver with my family. I also needed time to get a license so I had to figure out where I was going to next soon. A position near Anchorage came up but the timing wasn't right, they couldn't wait, so I guess it wasn't meant to be! I interviewed with a hospital in Pueblo, CO for an acute assignment and a private clinic in Tacoma, WA. As tough as it was, since they both wanted me, who wouldn't ;), I chose to go to Tacoma for the outpatient/hand assignment. In addition, it's close to Vancouver, so I can see my aunts and cousins a little more for the time I'm there as well as the Seattle and Portland areas, Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Puget Sound/Olympic Peninsula, etc. I've wanted to see it so I'm looking forward to it. As a result, I've just spent the last 24 hrs, minus the few hours of sleep, trying to get the paperwork for the WA OT license. A little stressful, to say the least!

Have a good weekend!

To the North Shore and beyond!

2008-04-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Well, finally, friends that love me enough to come visit! She's lived here before, he's never been and me, well, I'm just along for the ride... literally! It all makes for a wonderful, what, romance novel? tv series? movie of the week? I don't know. Anyways, it was terrific to see some familiar faces with whom I could see some new places. Friday night, we had some drinks by the ocean with the sun reflecting off the water as it goes down over the horizon...it was truly beautiful.

Saturday involved a scenic drive along the windward side of O'ahu while a crazy GPS voice guided us away from the coast and yelled at us if we tried to enter coordinates as we were driving. I think it was possessed! We drove by Hanauma Bay where the water was a beautiful blue color with waves that invited you into their cool depths; Halona Blowhole, where water shoots up through a hole in the rock coast eroded away by the ocean; past Chinaman's Hat, a rock formation in the water just off the coast which really does look like its name, all the way up to Turtle Bay Resort where we stopped for lunch. We were hoping to get a little suntanning session but the clouds wouldn't cooperate and we got lightly rained on.

Further up, we stopped at Sunset Beach, which is near the Banzai Pipeline and Gas Chambers surfing areas, where, I'm told, some of the best waves reside. Now I'm not a surfer, nor a surfing fan, but, at least, I've heard of the North Shore, where only the tried and true surfers go as it can be rough on beginners. The waves were crashing pretty hard. We were able to get some sun before the showers started again.

It was an amazing drive, where the waters turned different shades of blue/green and the waves went from small surf, to calm as can be, to a surfer's delight. The terrain was as varied, with mountains and rolling hills to beaches where the grains were like eroded tiny, tiny pieces of shell, not grains of sand. I could actually see the different colors, shapes, patterns that were smooth. The other amazing thing was that the North Shore area was overcast with showers whereas Honolulu was sunny, blue sky with a slight sprinkle. We saw the most amazing rainbow, where the colors were so vivid and clear and huge. There was also a second barely visible rainbow above it. My friend took a picture so I'll post it when I get it, however, it won't do it justice.

I also succumbed this weekend to the tech craze. I posted a myspace profile...not sure how to put all the bells and whistles on it to make it look all funky but I'll figure it out or maybe someone can help me? I can see how it helps people to stay in touch but I can also see myself getting very frustrated with it, not knowing how to put it all together.

This past week, I also went out for a couple of friends' birthday night at the martini place. I was good, I only had 3; 2 I bought, 1 was an extra that was given to me. Since we started early, I stopped early and was home fairly early and sober. I think I'm becoming sophisticated, being a martini gal! Some people that hadn't come out with us before came out this time so that was cool.

Now I've just started my 8th week in Hawaii, only 6 more to go. I have to start thinking about where I want to go next so I can apply for my OT license. I would really like to go to Alaska but that's not looking too good. Still keeping my fingers crossed and prayers going (hope you'll do the same for me!). I'll have to consider other states, preferably more along the west coast, mountains and southwest so I don't have to drive too much. Since I'm taking 2 weeks to spend with family plus a week in CA, I don't want to have to drive too far to my next assignment. We'll see what happens over the next few weeks...will keep you all posted!

Believe it or not!

2008-04-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

Here's one for the record books, I actually finished an entire glass of beer. Yes, folks, beer! I went with friends from work for dinner and drinks last night at The Yard House. It has many types of beer. Of course, I went for the fruity one. It was a mixture of Lindemans frambroise and Young's chocolate stout. What is that, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

Lindemans framboise is a lambic type of beer, that is produced by spontaneous fermentation, not with hops, using yeasts and bacteria from Belgium in Senne Valley. Young's chocolate stout is actually brewed with chocolate malt and baker's chocolate, giving the beer a rich and delicious character without the bitter finish. I'm all for it! I could actually taste the raspberry, chocolate and a little coffee flavors. Yuummmy!

I also suffered a war wound from my night out on Friday. Again, we went out for our first Friday for the art, which we somehow never got to. In my slightly inebriated state, I didn't get out of the way fast enough when a fight between two drunken guys happened and I got a fist on the side of the head. It doesn't hurt all the time, but leaning my hand against it when I try to hold my head up and sometimes when I chew is a little painful. Plus, the mini goose egg is a constant reminder that maybe I don't mind fighting as much as I thought, as I seemed to have been mesmerized by the situation rather than walk away. Hmm....naaahhh! Nope, still don't like boxing or ultimate fighting!

It's been awhile...but here are some thoughts

2008-04-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been awhile since I've written here. But you know, I've got things to do, people to see, places to go...not really, just being a little lazy! I have been busy working on the past two weekends, the first one to cover for someone who had to take a sick leave and the second one was scheduled. I still get weekdays off for working the weekends, but, somehow it just isn't the same as a Saturday and Sunday. It really is a whole mentality shift.

Actually, nothing exciting has been going on here. I've had to do my taxes and finally sent it off last week so that took some of my time. I'm not sure where the time goes when you don't have any obligations...geez, I can't remember what i did on my days off! Have I got early alzheimer's or is just the laidback, slow Hawaiian lifestyle. I thought California was slow after having lived in New York but Hawaii is even slower. I'm realizing that I'm not as slow, as in laidback, not in thought processing!, as I thought. I'm whizzing by people on my walk to work, amazing with my short little legs!!

I've noticed a few things during the last few weeks. Hawaiian shirts, long hair on men and tattoos are quite common here. Hawaiian shirts or aloha shirts as they're known here are common as work shirts. At the hospital, there are not a lot of ties and buttoned up shirts, rather there's aloha shirts everywhere. I didn't realize that there could be so many patterns and colors of palm trees, coconuts and flowers! The therapists aren't the ones wearing them, we should be so lucky, but it's the office people...not sure if it's the upper echelons but it's defintely some of the administrative staff.

There are a lot of men of all ages with long hair, not unruly, but neatly tied in a ponytail, along the lines of my former roommate. I've seen them all over the place, in the shopping malls, on the streets and even in the hospital. As far as tattoos go, I've seen them on people of all ages, even older women, who are some of the last people I would have expected to have one. I'm not being discriminatory, but where else but on Hawaii do you see women in their 50s and 60s with a tattoo while wearing an aloha dress and walking alongside a husband with long hair?

Lastly, since I've had so much time on my hands, i've succumbed to reality tv! So which one is it...Big Brother, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The Bachelor, Deal or No Deal? You guess!

Aloha

St. Patrick's Day in Hawaii

2008-03-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the green here isn't the same as the green anywhere else. I think Hawaii has probably the lowest % of Irish people here but people here certainly want to party like they've got Irish blood! There was a block party here where a street which had a couple of Irish bars, O'Toole's and Murphy's, was closed off so people could wander in and out of the bars and carry their drinks onto the street. There was a beer tent, sort of ,that also had some food. Good old corned beef and cabbage sold next to some sushi...only in Hawaii. While there were plenty of people sporting green shirts, pants, hats and logos painted on their faces, there was no green beer...but plenty of Guinness and Jameson. There were so many people, it was just too much for me. I was getting squished and couldn't see much of anything above everyone's head.

What's a good block party without some rain to fall on the good times...had flash downpours for about 15 minutes, where it would stop then start again...we didn't know what to do, should we wait or should we try and go for it. By that time I was starving and needed food! You know how I get when I'm hungry!

How did you spend your St. Paddy's day?

Helen "Blarney" O'Kim

Sunday in Waikiki

2008-03-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

The pictures from top to bottom, left to right:
1. group of dancers from Japan
2. hula dancers
3. traditional dancers, men and women, from Japan
4. Chinese lion dancers
5. 5 mascots for the Beijing Olympics
6. Korean dancers (from Korean association in Hawaii)
7. represents a god in Japan (can't remember the name)
8. a lantern mikoshi

I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be like any other Sunday, you know, a little exercising, breakfast watching the water and the people out surfing, kayaking, swimming and maybe even sailing. The marina's right across the street, there's a closed-in lagoon next to that and then a beach protected by a reef or breakwater in the park up the ways a little. So early in the morning and I can already see people out and about. It's quieter at this time as there aren't many cars out yet but it sure picks up quickly as people realize it's going to be another sunny day.

I meandered about the apartment for a bit, I think to procrastinate about going for a run. My days off are the only days I think about running since I walk to and from work. Also, it's too hot in the evening and by the time it's cool enough, it's too dark. Not that I don't feel safe, I just don't know my way around well enough to go around in the dark. So I go off running along Waikiki beach and I find a path that has stations along the way where you can do exercises like circuit training. It's sort of similar to what they have on the chip path in Manhattan Beach except those are all in one place and these are spread out. Kind of cool...I'll have to try it out next time.

Running along the beach also gave me the opportunity to experience a church service Hawaiian style! It was on the beach, where I sat on a mat, watched a woman hula dance during worship, enjoyed the warm sun on my body and a cool breeze blowing. I mention this because a friend of mind asked me if I had found a church. When I replied to her, I hadn't but now I found one. It was very easy-going, relaxed where the minister worse a Hawaiian shirt and shorts and sandals, actually crocs. (As far as the Hawaiian shirt goes, I've seen a lot of people wearing them as their business casual attire. Both men and women wearing the Hawaiian print.)

In the afternoon, I went to the Hawaii Convention Center where there was a performance stage, craft fair and tables where you could try your hand at different activities. This was all about the Honolulu Festival which was a celebration honoring the close relationship between the Asian people and Hawaii. Of course, I was late so I barely had time to walk around. I noticed that most of the performers, craft and activity tables were related to the Japanese culture. I guess that's because of the huge influence that the Japanese culture and people have on Hawaii. Later on, I watched the parade down a major street in Waikiki. There were over 80 floats/organizations in the parade, many of the people having come from Japan. There were many hula groups from Hawaii and Japan, dancers, Chinese lion dancers, a Chinese delegation to honor the Beijing Olympics with the mascots, people representing the many tribes of Taiwan, ,a group from Fukua, China, aboriginal dancers from Australia and Korean people representing the associations in Hawaii. The last part of the parade were the various mikoshis which are portable shrines to house the gods. They ranged from small to very large. To top it off, it rained for about 10 minutes, most of it was a sprinkle but there was about 5 minutes where it was a good dousing. Fortunately, it was near the end of the parade.

All in all a great day...got to enjoy some new experiences, the sun, the rain and an attempt to get this body into shape. If it wasn't for this appetite of mine and the love of food, then I'd be seeing that six pack instead of feeling like I'm carrying it around in my belly! And I don't even drink beer! Oh, well, I can only hope that this great weather will continue to entice me.

How was your day?

Total Well Being

2008-03-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to a total well being expo at the convention center nearby. There were some interesting, to put it mildly, things. They ranged form movement classes on pilates, yoga, gyrokinesis, dance to speakers on topics, such as holistic medicine (cool!), atlas evolution (about how the realigning the atlas bone can solve many problems), miracle cleanse (how parts of the large intestine correspond to parts of the body and that blockages can cause problems and cleansing can solve them). There were other topics, such as medical alchemy, unconditional love, matrix energetics, which I didn't attend. There were also exhibitors presenting all kinds of products that were designed to promote health and wellbeing. It seems people here are very much into all sorts of things that don't always just focus on western medicine. Since there are so many Asian cultures here, there's a greater influence of eastern medicine, holistic medicine.

Beautiful Day!

2008-03-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

After coming home from work today, I spent an hour or so out on my lanai, enjoying the warm sun. The apartment faces west so I get to enjoy the sunset, how the sun reflects over the water as it goes down and sometimes plays hide and seek with the clouds. Other nights, the sky was a beautiful pink, not tonight though. I enjoyed a glass of wine and toasted all of you out there who don't get to enjoy the view.

It's amazing how relaxing it is here, even though it's a new job and new city. I don't have all the things going on after work that I did back in L.A. where I'd have to rush home, relax for a little bit and then go out again. Now I get home and I don't have to do anything if I don't want to. Or I can read, watch a little tv, surf the net or just veg...it's awesome!!!

another week, another dollar

2008-03-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my first paycheck from my travelling company...my first thought was wow, it's a lot less than what I was making. Then a reality check hit..oh, yea, I'm in Hawaii and I don't have to pay rent! And it was only one week's worth...still, it'll be less than before. Oh, well, them's the sacrifices one must make for working and living in Paradise. I guess I can handle it for the next 3 months.

I'm still getting used to this blogging thing. I'm not used to voicing my thoughts, as those of you who know me can attest to. Not much happened this week, the usual, walk to work, work, walk back from work and then just chill. I haven't used the pool/spa, just because I burned my shoulders walking last week and I want to give them a chance to heal up (no peeling, yet, hopefully not), although now I'm going to have to somehow even out the burn/tan so there are no funky tan lines going all over the place. Again, a sacrifice from living where it's so sunny!

Honolulu has an art walk on the first Friday of the month. Yes, I did partake, and yes, my lips did get numb!!! Hey, for $3 or $3.50 martinis, who wouldn't? There was also a restaurant that offered free food and you know I'd go there! I went with a couple of people from work and it was fun. Happy hour in Honolulu is really not much different than in Hermosa Beach, just better drink specials! Unfortunately, it's only once a month ;)

I'm writing this Sunday morning, eating my on the lanai and watching the ocean. I can see surfers, a few boaters and what looks like a boat carrying snorkelers just offshore. I'm so high up that I can see how the water is so clear that I can see the bottom of the ocean near the shore.

well, that's all for now, catch you later

1st week in Paradise

2008-03-01T23:25:00.000-08:00

my first week

views from my apartmentview of Diamond Head crater, looking north

Well, the first week here in Hawaii has come and gone. It's gone by so fast! I think I'm still getting used to the time difference. So when I have to leave for work at 7am, my body still thinks it's 9am. Why am leaving that early, you ask? Well, I'm trying to use this wonderful weather to jumpstart my exercise routine. So I'm walking to and from work, which is about 2.5 mi each way, probably a little less because I'm cutting thru a couple of park/open areas. I've cut my walking time by almost 10 miles!. I'm also trying to eat breakfast. The hard thing is that lunch is at 1130am so by the time I leave get home after work I'm starving and eat munchies! BAAAADDD!!!!

The first week of work has found me getting used to a lot of new things. Queens Medical Center is the tertiary care trauma center, not only for the Hawaiian Islands, but the Pacific, so they get patients from as far away as Micronesia. Where is that? I'm not even sure, I'll have to look it up on Google. It's a huge hospital, with 500+ beds, residency program (no cute ones seen yet!) and it is quite nice inside. It even has what looks to be a decent cafeteria menu (Hawaiian style, of course) . The hardest thing to get used to is the computer documentation. It's supposed to be easier to read (which it is), unfortutely the ones who really need to use it, ie. the doctors, don't really use it much. So their notes are still largely undecipherable and they often still write in a regular chart which makes more work on our part to read their stuff as well as what's in the computer. It's supposedly takes less time to complete, but that's not true. Even though I'm still getting used it, I'm finding it a slow process. There are a lot of travellers here (6PT, 2OT), all from different parts of the mainland. They're quite busy. The staff have been very helpful in my learning process.

Honolulu, what can I say! It's a cosmopolitan city with a much greater Asian influence than one could have imagined. I would say Caucasians are the minority. They cater greatly to tourists, especially Japanese ones. Many of their signs are in Japanese as well as English and there are many Japanese (as well as other Asian) restaurants. Don't see too many Mexican restaurants. I walked down a major street towards Waikiki and it's so eclectic in what stores are here. There are high priced stores, like Prada, Coach, Kate Space, interspersed with sourvenir shops.

I walked from my place to Diamond Head Crater which is on the east side of Waikiki. It's about a 4.3 mi.walk and the last /.8 05 to the top of the crater is all uphill, with many steep steps. So I had to take the bus back home..boy, my feet are tired! (I also ran this morning which also adds to why my feet and legs are sore - it was a beautiful morning but already hot at 930am) What a beautiful site the crater is though, it's lush and green and from atop the observation tower, you can see what the crater looks like a big bowl! (makes you want a big bowl of ice cream in this warm weather).

Around here, I can get around by walking or taking the bus (the system is really good). I plan on walking quite a bit so I can have that beach body, tanned and lean, for all the surfers! no, maybe the resident doctors! Just kidding.

As you read this, I hope you will write in how you day, your life are going. As exciting as this life may sound, it's always nice to hear about back home and the friends and family that I've left behind but not forgotten.

1st day in Paradise

2008-03-01T23:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the last day in L.A. was hurried and chaotic, as usual for me, leaving some things to the last minute. My roommates have been great in helping me out as I prepared to leave and when I'm gone. I'm going to miss seeing them, laughing with and at them as I will with all my friends in the L.A. area. They're like my family as my parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew are so far away. Why am I going even further away? It's for that last adventure before I settle down closer to them (crossing fingers so plans don't veer too much).

The flight was delayed by 45 minutes and by the time I got my bags, picked up the rental car and got to my new place, it was 9pm Hawaii time (11pm CA timet). I was tired from the trip and the lack of sleep the night before from packing. It was hard to see my surroundings since it was at night, but I could see that I had an ocean view and I was close to the ocean.

The next day I awoke early, still on CA time, and it was raining! It ended up raining on and off all day. From my lanai (balcony), I could see the ocean and the west part of the island, in between the tall buildings. I'm on the 41st floor so I have a pretty good view. Being on the west side, I can imagine what a sunset I'll be able to see! I had to go grocery shopping, prices for some items, like produce, are more expensive, but some items are comparable to CA. I plan on eating healthy while trying to get fitter by taking advantage of the great weather and locale. I did take a walk to see how far away work is...certainly doable. Sun didn't start to set until about 630pm.

Monday morning I awoke with excitement, anticipation and a little nervousness. The sun didn't rise until about 630am. Walked to work and got my blood pumping for the day. The orientation was a little overwhelming, with computer documentation, different wings of the hospital, new names to remember but I'm sure I can handle it. There are 2-3 travellers in PT and OT, almost half of their staff.

Broke in my feet with my first blister, having walked more in the last 2 days than in the last 6 months total. Am going to check out the exercise area, pool, sauna and spa sometime over the next week or so. There's 2 major shopping mall less than a 10min walk from where I am, I can see the bigger one from my lanai...I can see my hard earned dollars already flying away!

So who's going to be the first to visit me!!!