2008 is almost over ...Part II

So the last post really got me thinking. I don't believe in New Years Resolutions. There are many things that factor into the equation here. I am very much like a 5 year old child --reverse psychology will get me more often than any other form of manipulation. But it has to be done right. I don't like feeling like I "have" to do things. For this reason (and others ...let's be honest) I don't like Harry Potter. I've never read them, I've never felt the need to, I have absolutely no desire to. I've never seen the Indiana Jones movies, StarWars, Lord of the Rings, etc. If you tell me I have to do something, the thought that goes through my head is, "Oh yeah? Watch me!" By the same token, I will do things simply because I want to, or because other people don't think I can/should/would. I'm more than a little stubborn. Some might not find it an attractive trait, but I've embraced it :)

So. New Years Resolutions. I think they're stupid. New Year's day is in all reality just another day. Each day is a whole new beginning with infinite possibilities and limitless potential. There is nothing special about the beginning of a new year that is not also special about the beginning of a new day, week, or month. I think that we should be continually striving to improve, and continually resolving to do better things and become better people. Similar to my dislike for Valentines Day --I think it's commercial and over done. As I've explained to many a folk --I would rather receive one single daisy on some random Tuesday than a dozen roses on Valentines Day. It's a Hershey's and Halmark fueled annoyance that is a thorn in the side of all true romantics and nonconformists. Not to say that VDay can't be special and done right, but don't just get me a dozen roses because it's VDay and you feel obligated. Ahem. Pardon the side track. As I was saying, my feelings about New Years Resolutions are similar to my feelings on Valentines Day. Don't expect me to write a list of things I'm going to do better or fix about myself just because it's January 1st. If you're into such resolutions, that's fine, I'm not attacking you personally, but that just isn't the way my brain works. My resolutions are really more of a continually working and revolving bucket list of sorts. Things I want to do, things I want to see, and things I want to become. For this reason, I started taking piano lessons in August last year. The things that I have accomplished and become, I have accomplished because I decided that I wanted to be a better person. I decide this every day. That said, I won't be posting about any resolutions I'm making in the upcoming week, because I won't be making any. Just for the sake of balance :)

Year in review then. It has been an absolutely awesome year. Every year manages to get better and better than the last. This year I have lived in Southern California, been to Mexico, I picked up running while I was on the beach, a habit that has stayed with me since, I've lost 40 pounds, I've been to Disneyland and SeaWorld, I've driven from San Diego to Seattle on the Pacific Coast Highway --hugging the line between land and water the entire length of the country. I've done a lot of soul searching and self discovery. I've completed an entire journal and started this blog in the interest of developing my passion for writing. I've delivered babies, saved more lives than I can count, and helped others leave this world in as peaceful and dignified way possible. I've laughed from sheer joy, utter exhaustion, anger, and despair. I've cried tears of the same emotions. I lived in the biggest and greatest city in the world, and came out a better person for it. I've become more assertive, more self confident, and one hell of an ER nurse ...If I do say so myself :) (Yes this is a 'blowing my own horn' post --but it's my blog and my year in review, deal with it :) ) I visited Washington DC, seen the west wing of the White House, been to Arlington National Cemetery. I saw the Yankees and RedSox play in Yankee Stadium ...in the Stadium's final year. I saw the Knicks play, and Janet Jackson Perform at Madison Square Garden. I went to my first NFL game. I fell in love. I found what right now feels like my home --perhaps permanently, we'll see. I paid off three credit cards. I learned enough medical Spanish to get by at work. I ate sushi for the first time. I didn't like it. I made many many new friends and strengthened existing friendships. I went on my first Seattle ferry ride. I've been to the top of the Space Needle and the Empire State Building. I toured the haunted remains of an underground city. I had my feet in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. All in all it's been a good year. I've been busy, but I think this covers most of the things that were new and things that I worked on throughout the year. Here's to another fabulous year of new experiences! Happy New Year everyone!!

2008 is almost over...

-Did you date anyone this year?
Yeah


-​​​Are you going​ to kiss some o​ne when the ball drops​?​​​
Well, I'll be at work, and I have an aversion to kissing the dunk crazy people who like to hit on ER staff ...so unless I get an unexpected non-patient visitor it's not lookin good.



-Did you lose any friends?
No



-​​​Did you gain any frien​ds?​​​
Yes, quite a few actually!



-​​​Did you do some t​hing new?
I make it a point to do something new every week


-​​​Did anyon​e impor​tant to you die?
Not that I remember ...the start of the yeaer was a long time ago though, so who knows ;)


-​​​Did you chang​e?​​​
Of course. Everyone did.

-​​​Are you happy​ the years​ almos​t over?​​​
Meh, does it really matter?


-​​​Are you going​ to chang​e somet​hing about​ you next year?​​​
Sure ...my goal is telekinesis :)

-​​​Do you think​ 2009 will be a bette​r year then 2008?​​​
Yep ...Every year should be better than the last!

-​​​Did you go on a summe​r vacat​ion?​​​
I live on vacation


-​​​Did you lie to your paren​ts?​​​
I'm sure I might have about something or another

-​​​Did you get into a fight​?​​​
No ...I'm a lover not a fighter :)

-​​​Did you leave​ the count​ry?​​​
Twice. Mexico and Canada ...lol ...sad :)


-​​​Did you have a good birth​day?​​​
Yep ...I didn't even get another year older!

-​​​Do you think​ you grew?​​​
I shrunk :)

-​​​Did you dye your hair?​​​
Actually, yes but only twice ...shocking ...I know

-​​​Who do you think​ you were on the phone​ with the most?​​​
Probably my family



-​​​Did anyon​e sing to you?
Yep, lots of drunk crazy people at various ERs from coast to coast

-​​​Did you sing to anyon​e?​​
Yeah ...I've been known to break in to song spontaneously in the middle of conversation ;)

-​​​Did anyon​e tell you they loved​ you?
Yes ...of course!



-​​​Did you ever go to the hospi​tal?​​​
Lots ...an average of 200 hours a month


-​​​What did you drink​ and eat the most?​​​
Water and twisted puffy Cheetos :)

-Did you get a tatto​o?​​​
Uh, no.


-​​​Did you vote?​​​
No, I'm registered to vote in UT, I'm pretty sure they don't even count votes in UT, they just mark the state red, so I figured it wasn't worth sending in my absentee ballot.

-​​​Are you going​ to make a new years​ resol​ution​?​​​
No, I don't believe in New Years Resolutions, I think they're dumb.


-​​​Where​ will you be when the ball drops​?​​​
At work :)

-​​​Do you think​ you will make new frien​ds in 2009?​​​
Of course! I have to keep making new ones, my old ones keep getting married and having babies! I need some more friends who realize that I'm the most important thing. Is that selfish ;)


-​​​Are you hopin​g to meet someo​ne speci​al in 2009?​​​
I meet special people every day. On the bus.


-​​​How do you feel after​ anoth​er year has passe​d you by?
Old. But not that different :

Words are eaten... ate... whatever, winter sucks!

Ok, so I woke up all excited to go grocery shopping today, and go get Christmas decorations, and there was an actual measurable amount of snow on the ground! And I am very sad to admit that I am snowed in. There is no more than two inches on the ground, and I, Toni, from Logan UT who has driven 90mph across I80 in a total and complete white out past countless jack-knifed-ran-off-the-road semi trucks because we didn't want to miss the tip-off in Reno, am rendered without a car because of two measly inches of wet snow. Sad, I know. The thing is, I literally cannot get past all the cars who attempted to do drive down the hill on the way out of my parking lot. So I'm here with some string cheese and frosted mini-wheats --the only food left in my entire house, and nothing to do! I had to re-think the snow angel idea when I realized there was not an adequate patch of flat land --ie should be grass, because everything here is landscaped. And I could make a mini snow man in the bushes, but snow is cold!! Plan aborted. So I took pics instead :) Enjoy, and happy holidays everyone! Maybe I'll break down and have to order some icky non-ny pizza ...I miss ny --They deliver actual groceries to my house!

View from the porch at my front door --the creepy-at-nighttime forest I was telling you about

Brr

Seattle Round II

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...well, ok, not at all. But it did snow like half an inch here the other day. It was the coolest thing! It was warm enough on all the roads and sidewalks that it literally looked like it only snowed on the grass. And, the cars, but that doesn't really count. I was so excited! Weird for me, I know, but all I wanted to do was go outside and make snow angels and snow men! They would have been VERY tiny snow men, but I was so excited that I couldn't go to sleep. It didn't start snowing until around 3am, and I didn't realize that it had snowed until I went to bed around four. I didn't end up going outside because a) it was freezing and b) outside my house is kinda scary by yourself at night. My apt is great, and the view outside my front door is cute and woodsy and forest-y with lots of squirrels which I love, but when it's dark it's scary, and I'm sure all kinds of monsters live there. So I stayed in bed too excited to sleep. What I should have done is gone outside and taken pictures because the "massive" storm was all melted away by the next evening when I ventured out with my camera. People here are so funny! Granted I grew up in Satan's freezer in Logan where it snows feet at a time and the high for the day is single digits above zero if we're lucky. But people prepare for snow well there. Half and inch of snow is dramatic here because people don't know how to drive in it. It's like UT the first time it snows and freezes and everyone forgets how to drive. The difference is the first time it snows in UT there is a foot of it on the ground on top of an inch of black ice. But, it's over. We're supposed to get another storm tonight, so perhaps I'll be able to get you some snow pics tomorrow :) I did manage to upload pics of the new place and the trip up with my dad though, so here ya go.

Dad and me at the park by Pike Place

Dad at the park by my house on Lake Washington

and me

and dad and me

Entrance to my new apt

My favorite sign by the entrance to my apt. It makes me giggle every time I come home. I have yet to actually see any ducks not in the Lake though ...maybe when it's warmer :)

All is well :)

So, I'm here!! I'm in Seattle --well, Renton actually, but most of you don't know what that is. It's like Smithfield to Logan -- and I love it! It feels so right and so much like home and just the normal way things should be it is like I never left. And therefore, I have nothing new or exciting to tell you. Friends are great, work is great, my apartment is great --It's right on Lake Washington, and I have my own tanning bed and hot tub and dry sauna to use! Nothing beats warm fake sunshine followed by chlorinated water and a roasty toasty wooden room to dry off in every morning after work. Pictures are to follow --I've been so busy enjoying the "right" feeling and hanging with friends that I haven't taken any yet. Weird, I know. That's all I have to say for now. I love it here! I'm home!!!