New job....eventually

new backyard, Red Rock

Life is crazy and if you don't fight where it wants to take you, it's not AS stressful.  A lot of BIG changes since last post.  I am now a LCSW as of February.  It happened quicker than what I projected because yours truly is not a math wiz and I was counting hours separately vs combined.  So TA DA here we are!  With that happening about the same time a lot of changes were happening in my work section.  My bad ass supervisor was scheduled to PCS in July and then our director got a job at the VA in Vegas and would be leaving around the same time.  Our awesome team was breaking up, which unfortunately happens and it happens more often in military type settings.  

Joe and I decided to enjoy one more summer in Alaska and then move out before winter.  Knowing how long government jobs will take to get hired onto, I decided to start job hunting and applying to government jobs (doesn't matter what state I'm licensed in).  I had already planned on flying Tux down to Vegas to be adopted by my brother due to all the traveling Joe and I were planning on taking.

A month or so prior to the Tux drop off trip, I get a call back from a contract company about a job at Nellis AFB, NV.  First off, Joe and I wanted to move to Vegas when we left Florida so we were focusing on the Vegas area due to other benefits that line up with our future goals.

This contract company moved fast!  I talked with the Capt I'd be working for and everything was lining up and they wanted me for the position but they needed me sooner than later.  So we discussed it and figured "why not".  When I dropped off Tux I told Chris and Anna we'd be neighbors and I'll cat sit whenever they need :). I got back to work, worked a week, out processed and we hit the road!

Our road trip to Vegas

All of our stuff fit in this trailer AND we had plenty of room for other stuff....*psst* we think we have too much stuff!

We saw so much beauty and animals this time, spent a couple of days with fam in Utah, and then onto Vegas.  We found a furnished condo to move in on 1 June and I had a start date of 20 May so we have been in an extended stay.  We got settled, did some touristy stuff, and them bam....got hit with some speed bumps.

Major speed bump....Nellis AFB is giving some push back on credentialing me as a provider, even though I'm an LCSW.  My start date is now up in the air, hell the job that I moved down here for is up in the air!  I was told by the contract company that there is a 50% chance of me NOT having a job. I do not gamble!!!!  If this does NOT go through I probably will NEVER work with a contract company again.  I understand that it is not the contract company that is causing problems but they need to have some better checks and balances to avoid having someone move across the U.S. for a job.  I should hear something this week about where we stand with this job.

Until then, I am getting all my paperwork ready to submit for a Nevada license.  There are a good amount of LCSW jobs in the area but I need that NV license so here we go, and of course all of that cost a stupid amount of money :(

We've had some smaller speed bumps that have popped up which make the big one even more frustrating.  This morning we found out that our condo, which we were hoping to move in on 31 May, won't be open for us to move in until 1 June so we need to find a place to sleep for one night now.  I am hoping I can just extend one night to where we are at currently.

Since we are staying in an extended stay I am utilizing the library for their wi-fi and printing services.  I went to one that was farther away the first time and I figured I'd go to the one closer today....interesting.  I am sitting at a table and there is a homeless lady next to me and she's been munching on chips, checking out cooking books, and having some low key conversations with herself.  Not bothering me at all. What IS bothering me is the elderly, decently dressed man at the next table over who appears to be staring at me and licking his lips on the regular basis.  HE is giving me more of the creeps than the homeless that are chilling in the library!  

I CANNOT wait to have my own space, a kitchen to cook in, my own printer, and a peaceful place to reset when needed. I need some sort of focus, routine, and get back to some more healthy ways.  Yes I can do all that living in a damn hotel but it will be a lot easier in our space.

Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming...

Been busy and late on post...

Chilln' in our new digs!

Well, Joe and I have moved into our new digs.  A studio apartment that is furnished.  Yep, we’ve gotten rid of all of our furniture and downsized all that extra stuff that you don’t realize is accumulating in drawers, closets, and bins!  Granted we still have stuff to get rid of, and we are going to do quarterly sweeps of our stuff.  So every few months we are going to go through our bins, Tupperware, and kitchen stuff and get rid of things we have not used.  Currently I am doing the hanger swap from those plastic hangers to some thinner ones, if I still have items on plastic hangers after so long then that clothing will be donated!  

We have been in our new studio for almost a month now and we are doing well.  People are always shocked when we tell them of the small space we are now living in and what our future plans are. We’ve heard “well, you really got to like the person” um duh and we do.  Joe and I can occupy the same space and still be focused on individual things.  Yesterday was a prime example…

Sunday’s usually are not my best day…. I get the Sunday funk pretty bad and now that we are getting into darker days and gloomy winter weather, well it’s not a good combo for my depressed tendencies.  Some Sunday’s I’m good and I feel o.k. but yesterday was a struggle.  I did manage to shower *high five* but that was the extent of my movement, oh I did wash and put away laundry *high five* but the rest of the day, ALL of Sunday, I was on the internet.  I attempted to read but that lasted 5 minutes.  As a social worker, I know this type of activity is not healthy but as I tell my folks as long as you don’t build a house in that funk it’s o.k. to have a day or two.    Joe also has his Sunday funk and like me, sometimes it’s worse than others. He had a decent Sunday, he even worked out!  He spent most of his internet browsing in a more productive fashion by doing research. I felt bad for being a lazy butt but Joe in our relationship fashion, was not judgmental, did not force anything on me, and just gave me my space to do absolutely nothing and not feel totally bad about it.  This all went down in a studio apartment all day.  Even when we have our moods/funks/etc. we are able to not feed into it, make it worse, or feel weird about it!  How amazing is that?!

New place has a fire pit!

Now it’s Monday, work is typical Monday with a dash of crazy due to the first snow of the season and not a lot of people at work.  But I’m good. The funk of Sunday has not lingered and I’m feeling motivated to be productive.  

We haven’t been overly busy this past month getting settled into our new place, but looking back on some pictures I’ve taken we’ve been busy enough!  

After Mom's visit, and my last post, we had the awesome experience of driving into Denali park.  You can only drive so far in your own vehicle, with a pass, but at the end of the season and to give back to military they give a certain number of passes and there is also a raffle.  If you win, you get to drive as far as the road takes you.  Our neighbors had a pass and invited us along and it was amazing. Of course pictures cannot really do the beauty of this state justice.  We were blessed with a clear day but that also appeared to keep a lot of the critters away.  We did see a few bears, some elk, and a fox...along with the butt of a moose walking back into the tree line :)

Denali

Tourist in our back yard!

The weekend we moved into our new place Joe noticed there was some motorcycle travelers from Chile stranded on one of the many social media groups we follow. Since we were pretty much moved, just needed to organize and get situated, Joe took off to go pick them up and give them a ride into town.  We ended up having a couple of meals with them and picked their brain on their travels.  Awesome experience!  Joe got to spend more time with them due to not working during that time. Since then he has scored a state job that he is enjoying better than his other two jobs.  It's more of an office work gig, he's a program manager, and he gets to interact and talk with A LOT of people with the overall goal to get Veterans back to work.  

New traveling friends!

I can't believe 2018 is almost over! Before we know it we will be in 2019!!!  I believe I've found a work out that fits my needs and I'll actually stick with!  Pure Barre is a low impact high intensity workout and I've been able to go 3 times a week for a month now!  I cannot recall when that has happened LOL.  What I like it is low impact, you really work your muscles but I need to start adding more cardio somewhere.... the place I go is supportive and the little changes in the routine stop me from getting bored with the workouts.  Good music and the workouts go by quick so I don't find myself always looking at the clock.  The first week that I went they had a wine down Wednesday, yep they had wine for people!!!! So yeah, best workout place ever!  Nothing like a little treat for working out :)

Time for a reset

Tux is not amused!

We've had a couple of good visitors but now it's time to get down to business.  As you can see, Tux isn't a big fan of being productive but it's what we have to do... damn adulthood!  But before I get into that stuff, our summer in Alaska is coming to a close :(

Mom's visit...she brought in some good HI sunshine!

Mom came for a month long visit and we had some decent weather while she was here!  We did some tourist stuff but I couldn't take a lot of time off so Mom was left to her own devices and she got familiar with our bus system.  She got out and about and saw Anchorage on her own.

We did the Kenai Fjords Tour which was amazing!  We saw whales, otters, puffins, otters, seals, glaciers, and amazing scenery!

Although this glacier was BIG it has shrunk dramatically over the years :(

We visited an old abandoned mine which is a quick drive from our house.  The park was closed, but we could walk around and it was beautiful.  Alaska amazes me on a regular basis!

We have been busy with Mom's visit but now she is back home in Hawaii and now we are in purge mode!

Like I mentioned in a previous post we are moving from our 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment to a studio apartment AirB&B.  We have a month to purge all of our stuff!  It's a mental process just as much as physical one.

We've been slowly downsizing and I've been keeping my buying down to a minimum.  Whenever I'm out and about, shopping or window shopping, I always ask myself now "do I need this? how will this fit into my traveling future? what will it replace?".  Knowing my goals and what I truly value has allowed me to stay focused in my day to day life.  I am able to ask myself how does this thing or this action fit into my value.  If I can't answer that question, I move on from it.  

For the past few weeks I've been thinking about my bathroom.  As a female we have tons of stuff in our bathrooms.... make up, hair products, face products, and just random stuff.  Today I purged my bathroom and my jewelry.  It is already feeling "more simple" and I'm just getting started!

In addition to this physical purge of all of our stuff we are doing a reset on our bodies.  With our visitors our eating habits have gotten out of whack and we both feel like our mental and physical selves need a reset, just like our purge of stuff.  

24 day reset!

We've done this once before and what we like about it is that we don't have to totally change our diet.  We eat healthy and as clean as possible.  So...for us that means less eating out and no alcohol LOL. So starting on Tuesday, after the holiday of course, it's game on!

one step at a time

Life is crazy and we never know what is next.  Being able to know your true self and your values allows you to keep moving forward in a way that fills one's soul.  

Kicking tires to find a good fit

In a few years we plan on being part of the Overlanding community, making our way down to the most southern part of S.America!  We are in the planning/research phase.  It's amazing how many people are doing it.
Things we are focusing on right now:
-downsizing...actually get rid of everything
-narrowing down the vehicle we want to move forward with
-do little camping trips here and there with Stevie
-save money
-get rid of debt
-find a travel handle :)

us doing research in Florida!

We have some friends that are well on their way and they have been inspirational for us. They are getting their rig together as I type this and should be on their way later this year.

Things and rigs we have talked about:

-truck campers: pop up

-pop up roof tents

-vans

-what are have to have items are

We've done lots and lots of reading online, Joe more than me :P. Yesterday we looked at some truck campers to get a feel for the size and to just stand in a few.  We tend to be "feel" people.  We can justify a lot just looking at pictures or floor plans but we have to see it!

not too bad...not a love connection

One of these had a slide out... not on our radar what so ever!

We are good at seeing the pros and cons with everything and with all the information out there it's easy to get caught up in research.  We've decided...bottom line, whatever we choose to go with we will be fine because of how we are.  

Initially in our discussions, Joe was set on the truck camper idea (we really want to have a 4 wheel drive).  I am and was good with that.  My "requirements" are a toilet and the capability of showering inside.  I'm fine with the outdoor shower but when it's cold outside, not a fan.  Everything else is under discussion.  Whenever we do look at something I focus on the storage and layout.  In my Internet viewing I came across the Revel and was hooked on THAT idea.  I came across that when we were in Florida last year.  Since then I have been looking at the Van Life community and following so many people on Instagram that are living out of transit vans etc.  

With this new possibility, Joe and I are looking at van conversions.  Things I like about the van idea...well, the main thing is  we don't have to get out of the vehicle to get in the camper.  We seem to base weather discussions on Medellin in Colombia, don't ask me why it just happened that way.  Joe has the weather for Medellin on his phone and every time he checks it, it's raining!  The last thing I want to be doing in the rain and/or cold is get out of the vehicle to get in or set up our living quarters!  With a van, you park and walk to the back... get settled, make dinner, go to bed :)  One of the reasons we got Stevie to play around in up here in Alaska, was that walk through Class C design!  Plus the safety of it also.  If we are in an area and need to leave quickly, we don't have to worry about getting out to get in to drive off!  We have not ruled out truck campers as of today, but it's quickly loosing in the pro/con list fight with the van!

It's going to be an interesting ride for us emotionally / mentally / and physically.

...down by the river

Life is an interesting ride and Joe and I have been kicking around what our future looks like.  A couple of years ago we've began talking about what we want to do and we both have gypsy souls which are pulling us towards traveling.  Not the traveling of tourist but of living and immersing ourselves where ever we are.  We understood that those travels would start here in Alaska.  We have some goals... pay off our credit cards, which is our only real debt at this point, and then hit the road.  We had a rough time line of how this would pan out but it has become more and more obvious that our time line will be moving forward more quickly.

Joe and I have been looking at what type of vehicle we will need to be comfortable and will suit our nomadic lifestyle.  We've looked at truck campers and camper vans mostly.  We want small, compact, and sturdy.  We are not looking to do a lot of glamping that requires a pull behind trailer or RV that has t.v.'s, pull outs, and pretty much a small apartment on wheels.  The goal of traveling, to us, is to experience life outside of 4 walls whatever those walls look like.  Additionally, we are not going to confine our traveling to the United States so that is also a factor.

We have a couple up here that have been amazing for us.  Joe connected with them while he was up here for work while we were still living in Florida.  Both are former military, the wife will be retiring any month now, and they are moving forward with their nomadic life with a truck camper.  They have been a great resource for us, they have just walked the path we are currently on, but more importantly they are keeping us in check for us to not get caught up in all the prep/what ifs etc. that most people get caught up in.  They are pushing us to make the leap.

This leap of faith, selling pretty much everything and just hitting the road, is exciting and a tad scary all in one.  Most leaps of faith are I suppose.  I have realized that when I have taken an absolute leap of faith, followed my gut/passion, things have worked out beautifully.  

We are not yet at the cliff edge but we are definitely seeing it on the horizon and the view is clear.

Things that are making it more "clear" to us are growing by the day.  We have unpacked here in Alaska but unlike when we unpacked in Florida we have barely hung things on the wall.  The motivation and drive to make this place feel like home is not there.  We both have decent paying jobs (thus the credit card debt will go down fast) but we question the "why" almost daily.  Maybe more so me :P 

I love helping Veterans but the lack of structure,  oversight, accountability, support, guidance, etc at my work is impacting my ability to serve the Veterans that I work with and that is not good.  There are "policies" that are not in writing thus are not clear and not everyone is on the same page resulting it a lot of "winging" it.  That has and will continue to have a negative impact on patient care and management/leaders don't appear to be bothered by it to make it better.  I've played this game in the military and I don't feel that I need to continue with it, I've paid a majority of my dues to the man already.  Especially going from a place of authority and being able to make changes to not having any of that.

Joe and I are taking a hard look at our finances and what that will look like once our debts are paid.  We are surprised at what we will be "living on" and that has been some more fuel to the fire to move forward and just LIVE our life that we want to live!

Bit by bit, or box by box

It's been a busy week for us.  We are mostly unpacked but have yet to start putting things on the wall, baby steps.  We have a least two boxes of donation/give away items.  I survived that crazy workout session and can now walk normally again.  Tomorrow I will be at the gym but I will ease into my workout!  We have Alaskan driver's licenses and Alaska license plates on our vehicles!  

We are enjoying Alaska!  It's cool, it's been around 50 degrees  give or take a few degrees up or down and now we have a good dusting of snow on our mountains.  Yep I'm claiming our mountains because if I'm sitting at our table or on the couch I can see them :)

We are truly blessed.  We have another couple that we hang out with and they have been here for some years so they know what to do and how to adapt to living here.  

I picture above is driving to their place and it was amazing how the sunlight was highlighting that snow capped mountain!  Beautiful!  Also, a few minutes later during that same drive I saw my first moose walking down a side street!  NOW it is official, I saw a moose so now I live here in Alaska!

Pain and Stuff

There is a gym pretty much across the street from our place, The Alaska Club.  We checked it out and it's one of their bigger sites with an indoor pool, tennis courts, etc.  We thought they had the basics we wanted in a gym and even more so we signed up.  With that sign up we got to meet with an trainer to do an initial assessment which we did on Monday.  I'm STILL not walking normally and it' Thursday!  The guy, Roman, talked us about our goals and gave us some education.  He also put our information into a computer and gave us our "current age" based on our health.  I am at 48 :( it's not terrible but I knew I had work to do!  He did our BMI and all that fun stuff and again, I'm not in a crazy unhealthy zone but I got a few pounds to loose to get back to feeling healthy.  After all that fun stuff he took us not he floor and walked us through some exercises, just three of them and we are both waddling around like 90 year olds.  He started us on a machine for squats, he didn't add any weight to mine but the bar itself weighs 105lbs!  We warmed up and then two sets of 10.  I was hurting.  Then we did bench presses, again I was just using the weight of the bar and that was enough but I managed to do more than I thought I could.  Then we did dead lifts with the kettle bells.  He tried to sell us the personal trainer thing and we told him we'd keep it in mind.  
The weights and machines are upstairs.  The first step I took down stairs I thought my legs were going to buckle under me and I was going to fall down stairs!  Have I mentioned we are on the top floor of our condo place?!  UGH. 
We ended up meeting Adam and Michelle for dinner and I was managing the discomfort and it wasn't too bad.  The next day OMG!  I was sore BUT we found out that our household goods would be delivered on Wednesday so we were stoked about that.  It was a low key day for me and Joe did some errands and shopping for new tires on his truck.  I managed the stairs slowly and with a firm grip on the railing.
Wednesday, we get our stuff!  I'm STILL in pain but I popped some Excedrin and pressed on.  Alaska continues to impress us.  We both have moved numerous times and dealing with moving companies we get "we will be there between 8-5" and there is a lot of waiting involved.  These guys were calling us probably around 8:30!  We both drank what we could of our coffee, I ran to the store to pick up bottle water and donuts for the movers, and when I returned they were already there! The two guys were efficient and quick!  They had unloaded us by 2 I believe!  Now we are living in an apartment with boxes and chaos but we're happy! 
With this delivery it gives us ample time to get settled before I start work. Tux is happy he has the couch back and we're happy he isn't sleeping with us all night!
We downsized before coming here and we lost a little bit of room in comparing the two places but we lost a lot of space in our kitchen :(. So more downsizing is in order!  I tend to downsize better when unpacking.  I'm looking at stuff, not finding a place for it and ask "when did I actually use this last?"  and if I have to struggle to think of an answer... it's gone/donated/sold!  We are staying busy that's for sure!
One thing that I have been and am concerned about here in Alaska is my depression.  I already have a vitamin D deficiency that I take supplements for and here I am moving to a state that has months of limited sunshine!  Right now the sun doesn't actually poke out over the mountains till around 8:30/9!  I've been taking my supplements religiously (need to take them today) but I also bought some things to help out.  In our bedroom I bought one of the alarm clocks that wakes you up by mimicking natural light.  Not only is it a gentler way to wake up but it will aid me in getting in a positive gear in the morning.  I then bought a light box to sit in front of in the mornings when I'm having my coffee and breakfast.  The thing is BRIGHT and we've used it a couple of mornings so far.  I didn't use it this morning because it's a lazy day, Joe is still in bed hangover, and we all need a cozy low key day.  I haven't seen the sun yet (it's 10:53am) and looking outside it's grey, mist over the mountains, and low clouds.  I've been nursing my coffee all morning but I got a massage scheduled at 2 that I'm looking forward to with my sore legs! In addition to those lights the gym has tanning beds.  So I'm going to incorporate regular tanning to my "to do" activities to keep my sanity during the winter months!
I ordered a work out notebook so I can schedule and plan my weeks.  I know it will be important for me to stay on task with my workouts, tanning, vitamins, etc. to avoid a depression or resurgence of my PTSD symptoms.  I feel that I have been managing these things well but here in Alaska, I think that I have to be more aggressive with my self care for my mental health.
We will see how everything works out.

From the Gulf of Mexico to the Blue Ridge Mountains!

No rest for us!  I had a telephone interview a couple of weeks ago for a job in Panama City and they wanted me to come meet the team and see the facilities.  I got free time to spare so why not!  Joe was able to take the whole week off, he was taking Thursday and Friday off for our own little get away so it worked out well.

Darien, GA

It's about a 10 hr drive :(  We stopped in a cute little town in GA and then had lunch at a fun place in Tallahassee, FL.  We got to PC early evening so we could scope out some apartments that we wanted to look at after my job interviews.  I ended up having two!  Another place called me to set up an interview that day so I had a day packed and it was Joe's birthday!  He got to play interview chauffeur and scope out the area while I was getting questioned :P

First interview went o.k.  It was to be a Child Protective Investigator.  It is a state job and I would be investigating reports of child abuse.  I would have to pull call off and on, and drive up to 2 hours away.  One place in the region I would have to take a ferry to get to!  It would be a very taxing and mentally stressful job.  It would not be a boring job that is for sure!  One of the questions I asked was about how they support their workers to avoid burn out, they did report a heavy turn over rate and their "seasoned" person had been there 3 years!  I was told by one of the supervisors that they highly recommend that their workers take a week off ever couple of months for a reset and to "catch up on paperwork".  Ummm not a good selling point to me!  Knowing how I am in the work environment, I would work myself to the bone to do the best I could do!  Additionally, this job would not get me towards my LCSW which I want to get.  I would have to take additional work to get my therapy hours :(  I researched the pay average for MSWs in FL (they are lower than the national average) and the range is from $21-$31/hr, this job was $20 and some change :(.  They wanted me to come back after my other interview for the background check portion but....

Next interview was the follow up.  It's working with active duty and retired military in an in-patient setting...mainly PTSD and substance abuse.  The population I want to work with and it's therapy focused!  Only downside is that it's an PRN so it depends on the patient load how many days/hours I will get.  I was told during the interview at a minimum it would be 2-3 days.  This work environment would be a perfect fit for me for it's population and it's workers.  I spent a few hours there.  I sat through one of their team meetings where they staff clients and I got a good feel for how they operate.  I talked to some of the other MSWs and also the nursing staff and everyone enjoys the clientele and the work environment!  I walked away with a job offer for $23/hr :D  WOOT!  I start orientation on 5 October.  That gives us a couple of weeks to get settled in FL!  

After that interview we had a light snack, I changed, and we started apartment shopping. We had Joe's bday dinner on the water and it was wonderful and we were both in awe that this was going to be our new home!  Tuesday morning we checked out another apartment and then headed back to N.C. 

first FL sunset!

We took Wednesday as a reset day and then Thursday heading to the mountains of N.C.  Beautiful area and we both loved the city of Asheville!  It didn't feel like we were in N.C.!  The Biltmore is amazing and I recommend that to anyone in the area!  I'm fascinated with the Vanderbilts now!  

Biltmore

it use to be a dairy, holding 40 dairy cows...now it's a winery and we sure did enjoy the wine tasting!

Saturday we headed home and stopped at Chimney Rock.  The elevator was broken so we got an entrance discount since we had to climb 499 stairs to get to the top!  But it was worth it!

Chimney Rock

We have a garage sale to get ready for this weekend and then a short trip to Charleston for Labor Day Weekend!  Then the weekend of the 11th we are off to the Outer Banks and then we MOVE!  

It's a rainy day, the furkids are lazy and I need to get motivated! ugh  I need to sort through stuff to get rid of.  I kept some "winter" stuff because it does get chilly here in N.C. but now.... I  have to downsize even more!  Plus I have my work starting paperwork to fill out and send back to my new job!!!!!  Time for some income!  

Life is crazy, wonderful, and I plan to live it to the fullest!

A pirate looks at 40

Well, I'm not a pirate and I'm not turning 40....but I'm just about there.  I will be turning 39 in a manner of weeks and whoa what a ride it's been thus far.  I've moved more times that I care to count and by the end of September I'll have another move tallied up!  I can't believe it, I'm already hunting for apartments and there is so much to do AGAIN! We want to downsize even more with this move so I need to start going through my stuff again.  I did keep some cold weather stuff/clothing which I can downsize :D  Yeah for Florida, no winter weather!  We have our must see NC items scheduled.  
I just returned from visiting a friend up near Boston and had a great time!  I thought when people talk of north easterners they embellish the "wicked" and other words.  They don't!  It is beautiful up there, all the towns but I would hate to live up there in the winter :(  We checked out Salem and some other historical areas.  My Mom lived up there as a little girl so it was nice to see some of the area.  We bought fresh lobster off the boat one day!  My first lobster eating experience!  I've avoided having lobster in restaurants, mainly because if I'm going out to eat I don't want to work that hard to get to my food!  So buying it off of the fisherman, then taking it back for some home cooking, and eating it outside with great people... it was worth the wait!  I was gone about 6 days and I was so happy to come back home!  
We have a somewhat chill weekend coming up then I'm heading to the Baltimore area to visit a friend there just for a long weekend.  I need to get all this visiting in now before I get a job! *fingers crossed* that the job happens soon after we get to FL.  I applied for a hospital social worker position this week and that would be great if I got that job!  
My life has never felt more surreal to me before!  Even living in different countries I've had moments of "wow, is this really happening to me" but it's not been constant. The compatibility that I have with Joe amazes me, the ease of our relationship is something I've always wanted but never lasted.  It's the little things.... Yesterday I texted Joe about dinner, asked about pork chops (I found a recipe) and he stated he wanted to grill them so I looked for some sides to go with.  He invited his friend John over (John's girl had other plans) and we were just going to hang out.  Joe gets home, seasons the chops, I get working on the homemade mac and cheese with Joe's assistance.  John shows up and he "monitors" Joe's grilling and I finish up with the mac and cheese, and broccoli.  We timed things wonderfully and it all finishes about the same time.  We sit down and the food was wonderful, conversation is easy...after dinner we did a quick clean up and move out to the porch.  The guys light up their cigars and I have a glass of wine.  Easy, comfortable, good times!  It starts to rain and we start to relocate to the garage, I tell Joe I'm going to go inside (I'm engaged in this book and I'm almost done) plus the guys were talking shop and well...I had enough of that.  No hard feeling and it was easy going. After John left Joe said they had some good conversations on relationships and other things, so I'm glad that I stepped away and they could have those conversations.  
A wonderful evening!  So comfortable, everyone was in a good mood, and the vibe was relaxed and comfortable!  
I am really blessed!

What Summer?!

Next week I start my internship at the Vet Center and school starts back up again! Ugh... where did the summer go?!  We started off with a move to the city:)

Right after that, Shane was off to MO for a family reunion.  Once he got back it was his retirement and he had some family and friends come out including my parents and brother.

Once the visitors were gone we sort of had some down time.  I was doing active duty orders with my guard unit for my "summer job".  Codi swore in for the Marines and leaves in September!

Shane got LASIK done (I'm still debating if I want to get it done).  We were busy but not crazy busy enjoying our new city living.  We went on a short hike.

Love to go to the Art Festival!

We did the "slide the city", which was somewhat painful but next time we'll know how to do it right! Definitely need a float of some sort!  On the way back we stopped at the Beerhive for some drinks on the patio :D

Drove up to Ogden for the annual Irish Music Festival

Driving around downtown one can miss all the paintings and random stuff that is around the city.  Walking around town allows us to check those things out!

We then took a short trip to Nashville TN for the Wounded Warrior Project summit.  We got to learn a lot about WWP and they really packed the schedule for us.  We didn't have time to check out Nashville so we will have to go back!  We did get to see the Grand Ol Opry though!  

Once home we checked out This Is the Place Heritage Park, it's bigger than we thought and we got a good workout walking around checking everything out.  They give GREAT discounts to military :D

I'm pushing to downsize ;)

Then for my birthday Dad flew me down to Vegas to see Mom and Chris, along with some downtime before I become a busy busy grad student again.  It was relaxing.  I got some shopping done, we did the -5 Ice Bar (Chris had been wanting to do it) and caught up on some movies.  Shane was a trooper and stayed home to watch the furkids!  He's a good man :)

In the midst of all of this... I have started a new therapy, Prolonged Exposure (PE).  I'll write a different blog entry about that but it's been interesting and there is homework! Daily homework :( ugh