Warning: Rambling ahead

I've been meaning to blog for a few days but keep getting distracted! Where to start...Matthew got a much deserved raise and interviewed for a new job yesterday which went well. It's more what he's looking for--management type stuff, they scheduled a second interview which is good, but if he's offered the job he's got a tough decision to make! He really enjoys the atmosphere where he works, just not the yucky quest stuff! And he would like to do more management type stuff anyway.

Matthew's company Thanksmas party was a lot of fun, had a wee bit too much to drink accidentally but it was a good, it was in the house the Road Rules Denver crew lived in, it's a really fancy bar/club now.

I had an AMAZING run this week. My GPS is not working at all, but I went to this lake which is pretty close by, the perimeter I just always thought wasn't that long because you can see all the way around, but everything I read said it's 2.5-3 miles, not sure which for sure since my GPS wasn't working. Based on my time I think it was closer to 3, anyway, I did two laps for my mid week run and it was the best run I've had yet! It has an amazing view of downtown and the mountains. I was almost all the way around once when I looked up and saw the mountains and I was shocked! Soooo beautiful! Everyone probably thought I was nuts because from then on I was pretty much smiling ear to ear I was in such bliss! I think I will do most of my runs there from now on--just need to get my GPS fixed so I know for sure how long one lap is. At 2.5 miles a lap I would only need to do 8 for 20 miles, and it's so beautiful it sounds like a breeze!

I did a 7 day trial at the 24 down the street, was thinking of buying a couple months when the weather was really bad but we'll see. If I did I would go to the one that's a little farther away because this one was AWFUL. The sun was shining right into the cardio area--it must have been about 85 degrees, and it is so bright you can't even see the TV's they have there. I felt like I was going to puke the heat was so bad. They don't even have any screens or blinds or anything, the guy who was trying to sell me the membership asked how it went and I told him I didn't like the heat, and he just went on about how it gets so much worse sometimes (like that's going to make me want to join that gym?). One of Matthew's coworkers girlfriends and I were talking about working out together at the one she's goes to, which isn't the one I did the trial at, so we'll see--maybe there will be a good special at the new year. It was nice having access to a lot of weights, mainly the lat pull down and bench I got a better workout with than I usually can with my free weights and resistance bands.

So much rambling and not much actually said! I'm crazily excited to go home on Sunday and have my first full holiday season with the hubby. Then I get to spend 2 whole days with Mandi and Mike! It will be so great to have quality time, I really hope Mike's coworkers help him out so he can get at least one of those days off. He works so much harder than the rest of them and he never gets a break...bastards.

I am getting more confident about the marathon, the lake is a lot safer and more enjoyable so I can just relax and enjoy my run, the other path I ran on I was always having to look out for crazies and it kind of stressed me out.

It will be really nice to have some time with Hershal and Michelle. Whenever Michelle has been in town to visit or I've been there (which was for her wedding which of course was super busy for her!) there is always so much going on we hardly get to visit, so it will be nice to have a few days without any big events going on to just hang out. Plus, we discovered that Hollywood and Miami Florida are both really close to Ft. Lauderdale and they both have Hard Rock Cafe's--Matthew collects hurricane classes, so maybe we will have some extra time to go by there to get some collectibles. I accidentally broke one--lucky for me it was the Denver one! So we replaced it easily, whew! It's kind of surprising how popular Hard Rock is, because the few times I've been to them the food hasn't been too amazing, but it is a cool atmosphere.

Well, in the future I will try to blog more often so when I do blog they are much shorter. I doubt anyone was brave enough to read this whole thing, and if you were, then you must really love me ;) Hey, what is family for! So, I apologize for that hour of your life you won't get back, and I am so excited that within the next two months I will be seeing ALL of you!

ahh

Ha! Just need to talk to the right people! I got my hold waived so I signed up for physiology, just have to have the transcript to them within 10 days--WOOT! Starting to be a little relieved now :)

I am officially a DPT applicant! haha

I feel I should say something obnoxious about Michael since he's now a blog stalker, but I'll get right to the point. My DPT application is in! It is due on Saturday so I cut it close, but I was waiting for one last reference to come in. It didn't. Luckily, I was able to get another one from a PT I'm obvserving. We have to submit one PT, one professor, and one other reference. I was going to do 2 professors and 1 PT, but I ended up doing 2 PT's and 1 professor. I was just a little worried about my GPA so Betti suggested I do more professors if I was worried. It's a 3.6, so we'll see! My only main concern at this point is my GRE verbal, the quantitative and essay sections went great, I think my personal statement was pretty gosh darn good, my science GPA is a 3.9+, so we will see. I think it's probably a good sign that the assistant director of admissions called me this morning to make sure I was applying. I have talked to her quite a bit over the last couple of years, and she was worried that I was so discouraged by my GRE I wasn't applying. She talked with the director of admissions about my GRE when she went to check if my application was in and the Director didn't seem too worried about it so we will see. It all depends what the application pool looks like. I will know early in January if I am granted an interview, which will take place Feb. 1st and 2nd, then by early March I will know for sure. I just hope I get in right away with no waitlisting or anything, that would be great! I would be so thrilled. Trying not to get my hopes up though, we will see we will see! Another pain in the bum thing is that I can't register for my physiology class because apparently the admissions office needs another copy of my transcript which I don't get. If that falls through I'm really SOL. ANyway, I will call them to see how that is going. I wish I had a fax machine. I have a text tomorrow and another one Monday, need to go study. After December 12th I can relax for awhile though! Just need to find a full time job...

Ahhh..

That's weird...I blogged last night but it isn't here! I must have blitzed pushing the publish button or something! Haha, I was just sharing the excitement of my professor references getting back to me and the house selling! Everything is starting to come together, ahh...it's nice. Over Christmas break I'm going to read Stiff! I'm really excited, I hear it's a good book and this is the first time in a loong time I have nothing to do over my break, because I got released from my Independent Learning course that I don't need! YAY! I'm so excited. Better go get ready for the day and mail off the forms. I hope I get in this year!

Splurge!

We bought Guitar Hero! There was a really good deal on one for PS2 (which Matthew got a couple years ago for Christmas so he could play some baseball game) and it has TWO guitars! It's so fun! You can do all kinds of battles, and do your own band, or a "co-op" band with bass and guitar, it's so fun. And there's a ton of awesome songs. I'm so glad I married someone who likes guitar hero ;) I'm so excited for Mike and Mandi to come visit and play, though I'm not sure who could be in a band with Mike, he plays on the expert level!

Friday night we went to a concert at the Marquis downtown (it's sounds fancy, but it's just your run of the mill bar with a stage really) to see this band called Hurt that Matthew had hear on the Denver radio station, and they were really amazing, I guess they're actually a fairly big name band, this was just a small gig for them. I was going into Mandi withdrawals, and we were talking about how much Mike would have definitely liked the show and Mandi too! It's like caffeine, when you have it everyday then all of a sudden don't have it anymore, it's really hard! haha

I had GRE nightmares last night, I take it again Thursday. I've been studying quite a bit and I think the book has been pretty helpful but we'll see, some words really are just crazy! I had a dream I showed up to take the test and they gave me the paper test and I was all freaking out and yadda yadda, okay, it wasn't an exciting dream.

When does Lyshy apply for nursing school? Soon I'm sure, that's going to be so exciting. I've been thinking of the pros and cons if I don't do well on this GRE. The pro's are the house is most likely going to officially have a buyer this week, so during a year and a half off I could probably actually get an awesome job and we could get back on our feet before going into debt for school. The downside is, I'm going to be making a lot more money on the side so that would do a lot more good, also I'll be really embarrassed moving all the way out here and having to wait another year for school :P Another plus would be that we would be full out residents, right now we would pay one term out of state.

Wow, I completely meant for this to be short and sweet...so much for that idea!

PS. I ran 4 miles of intervals on Saturday and it kicked butt!

More of the same

I interviewed for a job on Wednesday, the interview went amazingly, the guy was awesome, and he SAID my class schedule wouldn't be a problem. Well, I didn't get the job, he said I was a perfect fit and exactly what he was looking for, but he thought the schedule would be an issue, and also since it's a new clinic he wants someone that can be there for at least 1-2 years, and I'm hopefully starting graduate school soon. It make sense, but I was just really upset because I had my hopes up. He invited me back to intern with him once I'm in PT school though. At least it's good interviewing experience, I used to suck at interviews, but the last couple times they've gone pretty well. There's another offer on the house, a little better than the other, he would want everything painted back to a neutral color though--shame, because the accent walls Matthew painted I think are awesome, especially the green in the staircase. With the current offer we'd have to pay $2,000 I think, but at least it'd be done with, I think Matthew is making one more counter to see if he can close the gap a little. I just hope I can get a good job soon, I think I'm going to have to start looking for more run of the mill jobs, because physical therapy aid jobs and whatnot are looking for more permanent people, which makes sense. I had an anatomy lab test today over all the muscle, origins, insertions, actions and innervations, and I think I did amazing, so that helps the disappointment a bit :) Now I need to watch Grey's Anatomy from last night--I hope it was a new one! Yay for the weekend! With lots of GRE and Anatomy lecture studying! It's never ending...but at least a break is coming!

Life these days ;)

Crazy stuff going on. I think I've vented to most of you about not making the minimum on my GRE. I can get a 3.9-4.0 if EVERY science class, but can't make the minimum on the GRE! I have one chance to retake it--November 1st. If I don't make the minimum then, there's no way I can go to graduate school this year! I'm kind of freaking out :P Quantitative was fine, Verbal was low. Hmmm...what else is new, I had an interview for an awesome PT aide job but the hours swill probably be a problem will school, and I'm interviewing for another one on Wednesday which is advertised as having full benefits, so hopefully that will work out with my schedule. And my amazing in-laws are helping Matthew and I out so we can go home for Thanksgiving! So since we don't have that added expense it should work out fine to go to Florida for the marathon-yay! We are planning to drive home for Christmas so that will save a lot of money, need to work out the schedule so we can spend a couple days in Spokane with Mandi and Mike, and go visit Poppa and Becka. Also, there's been some crazy stuff going on with one of my favorite teachers of all time from RHS. I haven't really brought it up because I don't want to fuel the fire of gossip, mostly I don't want it to get to certain people who work in the school district who may not already know, and may start more rumors than what I'm sure are going around already. He was escorted to his car by campus security with paid administrative leave pending an investigation. At first some people who know about such things suspected a threat had been made against him, but it turns out there were some serious accusations made. Luckily the school district has done a good job about keeping the nature of the accusations quiet, so this guy doesn't loose his career over bogus allegations, avoiding that whole "tried in the media" thing that seems to happen so often. I felt like there was more to update on, but I guess maybe that's it--but I did kick butt on my neuroanatomy test so that was exciting! Hope everybody is well--exciting news is I'll see all of my siblings within the next four months!

Jobs and pictures!

Yay! I finally figured out how to post pictures! (and by I, I mean Matthew!) I don't know why some of them are fuzzy, but you get the idea! I stole a couple from Hershy Bar--thanks! And the rest are mostly from Mandi :) I'm excited to get our ones back from the photographer and from some of the family who took pictures--we need more of the candid ones! All the ones from the photographer are posed and of me and Matthew, we want ones of our guests, dangit! haha.

Well, I have another job! Not a full time one, it's a per diem thing, but at least if I show up I know I'm getting paid! It's for a company that goes to various corporations around town and puts on health fairs. I'll be doing cholesterol testing, body fat assessments, blood pressure, etc. It's $20 an hour, so at least I'll be getting some money. They put on quite a few events actually, I was pretty surprised. The lady I talked to said they have about 25 more this month, and most are 4-10 hours a day. It's a first come first serve for signing up, so I just need to check my e-mail a lot! I start on Thursday with this job, and have been applying for a lot of other jobs, writing cover letters for the ones I really want, so hopefully one will come through! I just need to make sure I'm going in to Bally's enough to keep my insurance. The nice thing with this new job, is you just sign up for what you want/can do, so even if/when I get a steady job, as I have time I can still do this to make some extra money.

Well, time to get back to studying! I have a session tonight at the club, so hopefully there isn't any crazy confrontations with you know who!

And the ROCKIES win the wild card!

Man, that was a great game! I hope everyone was watching! I called Dad right after and it turns out he was watching a WWII documentary by Ken Burns that Matthew and I had been planning to watch too but forgot--but we couldn't miss that game! Man it was tense, the end was a little crazy, but even if Matty didn't hit the plate, that homer was stolen from Atkins so it all evened out!

We're all moved into our new house! Hope Hershal, Michelle and Edward's move went well too. Ours was just painful, Matthew and I started at 7:30am, help arrived at about 10, and then with 5 of us working we got our 24' truck packed and unloaded just before 8pm. It only took about 1-1 1/2 hours to unload, it just took FOREVER to load, since we were on the 4th floor, with storage units on the other side of the building, our truck didn't fit in the loading dock so we had to take it all out to the street, but it's done so no worries! There were a lot of little things left so Sunday we went back and filled the whole truck, just one layer high, and that was that! Still a ton of unpacking to do, but that part's not bad. It's exciting to have an extra room now for company :) I have a huge test next week that I've hardly gotten any studying done for, and I've finally made the decision that when I get a new job I think I will be leaving Bally for good. I had some new clients that bout a few start up sessions when they joined and the last two SIX AM appointments they haven't showed for, and their numbers don't work, so that's that, and then my other client just has a few sessions left so I think I can make a clean cut. I don't want to quit before I have a new job set up, but we'll see. I'm just not cut out for training in this environment I don't think, I'm not the kind of person they want me to be. I'm not the kind of person who is going to push people to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars they don't have, and pick apart their life to convince them they can afford it. Yeah, it's good for their health, but the rates are up there and it's just not in me to push people, I don't like it when people pressure me to do things, and I just can't do it to someone else, or I guess I won't rather. My blogs are always so long and rambly, haha, maybe I should just do it more often so they're more concise!

Time to hunt for some jobs and then do some studying. I'm going to call Eastern and see if I can withdraw from that independent learning class I don't need. I didn't think I could, but a letter I got awhile ago mentioned withdrawing, and it'd make me REALLY happy to not spend hours on a class I don't even need! I need to pick Chelley's brain about what med school interviews are like, physical therapy is in the school of medicine so I think they may be similar. I need to register for the GRE's! I better do that now before I forget....

Put the petal to the metal

So the other day I was driving home for work and was in kind of a quirky mood (and of course I firstly spelled that quarky, the way I pronounce it that always bugs Mandi ;) ), the type of mood Mandi and I get into all the time and tell bad cheesy jokes and phrases and laugh unstopably, then laugh about it all day when the phrase works its way into our conversation, which it manages to do often. Its the kinds of things only we think are funny, because we're nerds and when we're in our weird moods everything is funny, anyway, the other day I was finding the phrase "put the petal to the metal" really funny. Really not funny if you weren't there I guess ;) I had to embrace the moment in memory of my and Mandi's good old days, and of course it ended in my breaking out in song...ahh, the good old days ;) Matthew is away in Montana so I'm a little lonely, so much to do and so little time! I need to get going on this cover letter thing so I can get a good job. We're moving into our house on Saturday so that's exciting :) I'll post pictures when I figure out the picture thing. There's a cool thing this weekend for the DPT program that I'm hoping to make, but things are so busy with moving and everything. And I still have to finish that stupid independent study thing, AUGH! So overwhelmed, chill pill! haha, anyway, just thought I should check in since it's been awhile :)

Back to the grind

Weekends are so nice, they seem to go on blissfully forever sometimes :) It's just so nice having two full days without having to go to work and just hanging around allll day with Matthew, sleeping late, and doing just plain ordinary things. Even this weekend I was studying pretty much constantly for my test that was yesterday, but somehow it was another perfect weekend. Too bad we can't stop going to work, haha.

I think any day I don't have to think about work is great, and work would be fine if it weren't for you known who! I think he might be the cause of my practically daily headaches. It seems I've had a headache for about 3 weeks straight now. The last week or so I've been fighting a bug so that's probably it. I feel like I'm starting to settle into Denver now, it doesn't feel like a strange place anymore, but of course now we're moving and the scenery will change, but I'll post pictures of the new house! Matthew was looking at Google the other day and it looks like there's a great trail about two blocks from the house that weaves through about 5 different parks to get down to this trail that goes on and on forever along a "river" that's here, so that'll be exciting :)

I applied for some new jobs yesterday, I think if I get offered a full time job that pays decent and I'll like, I will take it even if it maybe does interfere with training. There's a club that's about 4 minutes from where I'm volunteering so I'm thinking of transferring there, then at least I won't have to deal with the arrogant beast. Yesterday he was all pissy because "none of the trainers respected him", his Mother must never have taught him you have to give respect to get respect.

I have been considering more and more training on my own, but then I would have to buy some small apparatus equipment and stuff, we will see. I think once we make the move I will just transfer clubs, you can train at two different clubs at the same time so maybe I will get the interested couple I really like to sign and just do a couple days at the one I'm at now, and the rest at the new club.

Mandi gave me some tips on how to post pictures so I'm going to try to do that. I'm not as technologically advanced as all my siblings I guess! haha

And I'm going to do the bragging for Hershal--he ran 10 miles this weekend! Yay! I am so excited for our marathon! I have been running a bit but slowly since I am sick, but with head colds I have heard it is actually good for you and I believe it! Once I'm healthy I will start aggressively increasing mileage. yay! Yay! yay!

AUGH!!!

So we spent most of the afternoon/evening yesterday looking at houses and still didn't find any nearly as nice as the one we had found before. The best one/best neighborhood is a bit out of the way for both of us, but it's a good price so we might have to go with it. We just plan on staying wherever we move for at least a few years so we want to make sure it works and is affordable. Well, at this point about negative $1,000 is what's affordable. We just can't handle the mortgage payment on top of everything.

If I was making what I anticipated I'd be making (and I was lead to believe would be easy to make when I was hired) we'd be fine, but as it is I have been searching for second jobs, and Matthew has been searching for freelance work to pay the bills. As stressful as it is though, I'm happy with how we've been dealing with it. Everyone always says financial problems are the biggest problems in a marriages--and ours is a new one, but we're doing fine. We don't fight at all, we're just overwhelmed, but mostly we just throw out potential solutions to make us feel better.

There's a job harvesting tissue that looks pretty interesting but the hours might be tricky with my class and work. I want to keep my training job at least part time because when I DO do direct sessions I make really good money. I don't know what the tissue job pays, it's for a non-profit organization. I'm going to apply and see if I can be flexible with the hours, like do 2 evening shifts and 1 weekend shift. The shifts they advertise are M-T day 9 hour shifts (like 6-3), evening (3p-1a) or F, S, Su, 12 hours shifts, 6-6:30. None of them would be ideal because I have one class smack in the middle of the day M, W and a lab Friday morning, and if I have any hope of keeping clients I need some evenings free. But we will see!

Matthew was talking about dropping the price on his house but I think we'll try to rent it out first, who knows, maybe we can get the full price for it. Anyway...my venting has ceased! I have one actual client today and two potential clients, we'll see if they buy! Two I had last week are most likely going to buy. I'm going to sit down with my boss today also and talk to him about what the company policy is on taking other personal training jobs because there are quite a few listed, one is actually just down the street from where I work now. And there's a job as a recreational activities manager or something, sounds like I'm qualified though I have no idea what I'd do!

I feel like I'm getting sick so I've been drinking lots of ecchinacea tea but it's just getting worse, probably stress. I should do some yoga. Hopefully I can get a second job that pays well and see my family again someday. We miss our families :( I need to do my acute inpatient hours too to apply for grad school but no one was in the office when I called just now. I need to take my GRE's too, and the lady who was writing me a recommendation hasn't gotten it to me yet. Maybe I'll e-mail her and ask for it by November, apps are due in December. I'm so afraid I won't get in. I need to calm down, haha. Okay, time to work, send me good client-signing vibes!

House

So the house we had our hearts set on and were all set to the sign the lease on apparently is taken. The real estate agent hadn't returned our calls in a couple days, and today while we were out and about we drove by the house just for fun and people were moving in! So we are disappointed at her for being so rude basically! And of course us not getting the house. So we are back in the hunt and walked around Wash Park to see if any houses were for rent there, tons for sale but not much on the rental front. It just sucks because we have to let our landlords know by the 10th if we're moving out, but we don't want to do that without another places lined up. The house in Pasco still has no bites and we're still considering renting it out, but hopefully it will all workout soon, if not we will be putting up our tent at one of the parks around town and living there for awhile! haha, okay, time to return to the house hunt. Wish us luck!

Newbie

Hey guys! I've finally joined the blogging world to keep up with all my family! Just what I need...one more thing to distract me ;) Haha, right now I need to go do some research before I meet with my afternoon clients, but alas, here I am!