nurse-iverssary.

Someone I went to nursing school with posted the other day on Facebook that she had been a nurse for 364 days and it made me realize, I've hit the year mark. Wow. Along with two other girls, we were the first in our class to take and pass our NCLEX-RN (I'm not one to prolong the inevitable) on June 19th, 2010. I can't believe it's been a year. Everything has turned out so differently than I imagined, but I truly couldn't be happier with where I am. Funny how that happens...

[WARNING: Long, perhaps boring, and occasionally whiney story ahead. Proceed at your own risk.]

This a re-cap of my journey:

• I've known since before I got started nursing school that I wanted to be a midwife. 
• My years as a patient care technician on a postpartum unit sparked a deep love for maternal/newborn nursing care and the care of families.
• Worked all throughout nursing school on postpartum, became a student doula. 

Very first day of the very first clinical in my very first semester of nursing school.

• Rocked nursing school (in so many words), met some amazing friends (two of whom are pictured above).
• Worked with Christian on his medical school applications like it was our job. 
• Accepted!!!! 2 acceptances...decisions, decisions. We visit both campuses, love the atmosphere at the our chosen campus, sign letter of intent. 
• Job hunt begins for nursing jobs in April. There are at least four HUGE hospitals within 5 or so miles of our new location...I have tons of clinical experience and my bachelor's degree...shouldn't be an issue, right? 
• WRONG. Graduation rolls around, no interview/job. Pass my exam in June, I'm official - no interview/job. We move in July...nada. Stating to look into graduate schools for midwifery...no one will take me without a year of experience. Boooo.

Job or no job...can't hold back that graduation happy dance!

• Starting to heavily plan wedding/job hunt furiously (living off Chris' school loans at this point, did NOT anticipate this and didn't take out enough). 
• August/September = nothing/eating my feelings. Decide to offer myself as a volunteer RN at Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services, I start observing classes so when the new year starts I can begin to teach for them. Continuing to knock on the door of OB managers everywhere. No one wants to talk to me. :(
• October - we're running out of money. Guess I need to find a part time job while I continue to job hunt. Wait...what? No one else wants to hire me because I'm a nurse and they know I'll book it when I find a job? That's just great.
• Hired at the YMCA as a membership staff (swiping cards/selling membership/folding towels). Struggled with my professional self-esteem and irritating patrons....I thought endorphins were supposed to make you happy...?
• Learned to restrain myself from injuring anyone who had the nerve to mention the "nursing shortage" and the jobs that are "everywhere". Hmmm. 
• November/December - fighting off job depression/thrilled to be marrying my bestie. I put it all on the back burner to have a blast at our wedding/honeymoon. Good decision. 

Unemployed and not a care in the world. 

• Home from the honeymoon and BIG news: interview!!! Not on OB, but on ICU. Hey, beggars can't be choosers! We celebrate! 
• January - interview rocked, job offered, YMCA job quit (oh sweet relief). Started my hospital job working with super underserved populations (which I like a LOT) in the adult ICU (eh...I guess I could get used to sick people). Still working with Teen Outreach and loving it.
• February = new job, new co-workers and starting off precepting on the day shift. Learning tons. Man, these people are really sick. 
• March = small victory! Teen Outreach is hiring new nurse educators! My volunteering has paid off! Interview with founder/director in Tucson and I have a SECOND JOB (when it rains it pours)! Only 10-15 hours a week, but teaching childbirth education classes to pregnant teens (swoon) and I am sooo happy to be working in OB again.
• April - right when I get used to things on days, I get swapped to my permanent position on nights. Not sure I'm quite vampire-enough to adapt. Ray of hope/sunshine: I find out Georgetown University has brought their well-known midwifery program online! And have no base requirements for experience but are focused on passionate applicants. Apply, apply, apply! 
• May - Holy grad school, Batman. They let me in!!! I'll be working on my master's in nursing for nurse midwifery and women's health nurse practitioner. I don't know what they were thinking, but I didn't ask. :) I'm a Georgetown Hoya!!! (p.s. STILL can't figure out what that is....)
• I quit my job in the ICU just in time for my full-time start date May 23rd only to learn I've been bumped back (curriculum changes that have to occur during the summer for the on-campus students....booooo). 
• May/June - Training/teaching a ton with Teen Outreach. I have an entire storage shelf full of amazing toys such as penis/vagina models, breast models, breastfeeding babies, knitted uterus, and cloth pelvis. My teens are awesome. Happy nurse.
• June/July = officially registered for classes for my August 8th start date. Continuing to learn with Teen Outreach trainings and representing them at outreach events. Teaching childbirth education and doing nurse case management with hospital and home visits. I'm a real public health nurse. I'm a grad student. I'm so happy.

I can't believe that eight months of job hunting, my absolute nightmare, could turn into the path I didn't dream I'd be taking until years into my career. I can honestly say that without my husband (and I know I've blogged about this a lot) and everyone else I love in my life, I would not have made it through - not to mention with a smile on my face and thanks in my heart. I cried a lot. And my loved ones put up with it without complaint. I have such a HUGE feeling of gratitude towards the entire journey, I don't know quite how to express it. As I'm gearing up to start school in August, it all seems pretty bonkers. I am so very excited for this opportunity. 

I am so grateful and happy. Here's to the next leg of the journey and my first crazy year as a nurse. 

XO,

Ash

Documentary Junkie.

I have to say that one of the best (or most anti-productive) investments we made when we moved in together was our Netflix subscription. We had that set up before we'd changed our address. Besides the obvious perks, it has allowed me to indulge in my number one obsession: documentaries.

I've been taking some suggestions off of this list for my month of TV watching  hanging out without Christian. Here are a few amazing documentaries available for instant viewing (woo hoo!) on Netflix that I have really enjoyed. Some are thought provoking, some are interesting, some make me angry, and some make me cry. Filmmaking at its best! Look them up and enjoy them.

What are your fave documentaries? Anything I should add to my list? 

Happy Wednesday (and happy documentary watching).

Ash & Vies

just my opinion....

Transformers was so-so (more on the good side). I thought the story was blah, but it was really cool to watch (my very first IMAX experience!) and the action scenes were fantastic. Plus, I love LaBeouf!

Watch out....somebody has grown up nicely...

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He can save me from Decepticons any day. I went with Jeff, Erin, and her husband Peter and they were peaches to take me. Although, the whole time I was having Christian withdrawals because he puts up with me spewing cheeky comments the entire movie (even though he wants to shush me SOOOOOOO badly). And some of the one liners in this movie were worth a laugh (definitely got a chuckle out of Jeff). Speaking of that Christian guy, he made it to San Francisco in one piece! He's currently seeing the midnight showing of Transformers with his new roomies and will hopefully have all his hospital credentials sorted out by the end of the week so he can start hard labor on Monday. Until then he's enjoying the cool bay air and I feel slightly jealous (I think he should bottle some up and mail it to me). Soon enough! I really might make that paper chain. Or perhaps I'll just fill my days with Vies and I having photo booth super-model-documentary-hour. 

I'm glad I've still got someone to shnuggle with. 

Feeling better!

Or...maybe not. 

Eh. Better day tomorrow. 

Hope you all had a happy Monday.

xoxoxoxoxo,

Ash & V

home sweet home.

Dropped my husband off at the airport at 9 AM and I had a date for tonight by 10:30.

Thanks to these fine folks:

I think the next four weeks might not be so bad after all.

Everyone wish Chris safe travels...he's already been delayed once by the plane's broken hydraulic something-or-other.  Hopefully he'll be in San Francisco by this evening. According to my weather widget, it's 59 degrees and raining (which actually sounds like kind of a nice change). Good luck, my love. :)

Love,

Ash & V (AKA 'The Gurlz', AKA 'Ladies About Town', AKA 'Chicas Bonitas')

Captain Jack, Davy Jones!

If you haven't seen the new SNL Digital Short with Michael Bolton, do yourself a favor and click this link to watch it on Hulu (edited version). I died. And I can't get it out of my head. Here's a little sneak peakeroo (yes, that's Michael Bolton):

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In other news, Jenn and Warner got married!!!! Here's a few shots of the med school crew 
(part of it) and the lovely bride and groom.

The girls.

The boys. Blurry! Bummer!

Mr. and Mrs. Warner and Jenn Weber!

The gang! Yes, that's us being SUPER awkward about whether we should be kneeling or standing. Oops.

We had a good time and it was SO great to see everyone during the summer. ALMOST makes me excited for fall when school starts again (I'll be kicking myself for this in a few months).



Then it was down to Tucson for the last few days with Chris before he leaves for San Francisco. What a bummer. We've been hanging out and enjoying each other as much as we can. We had lunch today at our fave 50's diner, Little Anthony's.

We love butcher paper tablecloths. This was done upside down and backwards. Impressive.

Then we were driving and I saw someone in my sister's car. Okay, not really her car, but I bet she wished it was hers.

Then there was some more of that family napping...

 

I've added a scarf to my braid-do (I'm obsessed...it's been SO HOT and this hair do is SO COOL on my neck. I'm kind of tired of looking like a milk maid but ask anyone else with long hair in the Arizona summer, hair off the neck spells sweet relief). You can't tell in the photo, but I twisted it as inspired by this lovely Arizona blogger. Then we're off for our last supper. Slightly dramatic, I know. Maybe we'll even squeeze in a movie.

Hope everyone enjoys their Monday and does copious amounts of hanging out with me and Viesa in the coming month.
We looove you.

<3
Ash, Chris, & Vies

Fondue-tastic.

Look who started spazzing out at the crack of dawn this morning!

Today has been busy and we actually accomplished a lot. We got up early (read - 8:30AM) to straighten up a few last minute things and get the futon pulled out for my folks who were heading up here around noon. Yay for visitors! Sometimes it's just so nice to not have to be the one who leaves and drives 2 hours home at the end of our visits. Plus, Viesa LOVES visitors. Unfortunately, the life of the party decided he wanted to stay in the hotel with the rest of the basketball team (lame) so there will be no late night husband/brother-in-law Zombie Black Ops...which is probably for the best because Chris is trying to get packed and is looking for anything to distract him. Sooooo sad he's leaaaaavvvinggggg (I keep having to tell myself, it's all for the good of the match....supposedly).

Anywayyyyy...today was Jenn and Warner's wedding rehearsal and lunch. They're getting married tomorrow morning and Christian is a groomsman. This wedding is totally a U of A COM (College of Medicine, for future reference) affair, as both the bride and groom, as well as four groomsmen and a bridesmaid are all med students here. Plus one bridesmaid is a med student at Georgetown. That is one academic bridal party. The ceremony is outside (yikes!) and the reception is inside, so for the rehearsal I brought this summer's hottest accessory:

I don't go anywhere without this bad boy filled to the top with ice. We topped out at 108 degrees today and tomorrow is supposed to be 110. I think there is a high probability someone might have a heat stroke tomorrow. I wish I was joking. And frankly it might be one of the boys since they'll be dealing with the whole tuxedo situation.

After getting our sweat on, we were off to the rehearsal lunch at The Melting Pot. I've heard great things for a while (but could never quite afford the price tag) so we were thrilled to get to try it out. And it was an experience!!!

Four courses: traditional swiss fondue, salad, uncooked chicken/beef/salmon/shrimp/ravioli to cook at the table in a veggie bouillon, and last (but certainly not least)....chocolate fondue. It was cool because it was different than just having your course set in front of you at a restaurant. You got to choose everything you wanted and cook it exactly as you like. We had a good time. Christian and Jacob (another groomsman) found it to be a very romantic experience.

Tomorrow is the big day (they're having a morning wedding), Josh is doing the basketball thing for the whole rest of the weekend, then it's down to Tucson to take husband to the airport. :( Infinite sad faces.

More on that later. Hasta later, people.
<3
Ash, Chris, & Vios

Braid update!!

I did the four braids instead of two and I was mildly successful! Still trying to tuck the ends of my braids...somewhere? Too. Much. Hair.

But now that I did this tonight, what shall I do tomorrow and Saturday?! Hair dilemma. It sure is fun doing something different, though. 

Goodnight.

Ash

La Dee Dah.

Slow day around here...cleaning up the house and getting excited for my folks to come up this weekend. Josh has (you guessed it) basketball again and we love playing hotel to whoever will stay with us. [Note: I totally mean whoever, so if you're reading this and in the Phoenix area in need of a place to stay, you're welcome!]. Christian has been out all day at a day-time bachelor party for his med school buddy, Warner. He's a groomsmen in their wedding Saturday and I'm sure they're having a great time playing paintball and doing whatever else they're doing today.

I've been toying around with some new looks that I've been meaning to try. The last wedding we went to (for Mrs. Angela KNOX!!!) was my time to work in some REAL victory rolls. I ABSOLUTELY love the victory roll and think they're the ultimate statement in vintage and can add a vintage flair to a more modern outfit.

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I have a hard time with the victory roll because I have so much dang hair. Anyone who's been in proximity would agree, sometimes it's just more hair than I literally have space on my head for (the poor lady who did my wedding hair can vouch for that). I've been doing my hair with a vintage twist for quite some time now, but by twisting my hair to give the illusion of victory rolls.

For Saturday's festivities, I tried to do the actual roll and I had a huge, out of control freeway tunnel on my head, so I improvised again, but with more of an actual roll. I was pretty pleased with it, but still a little concerned about the...large-ness...of my hair, so I put some pins to the rolls to kick 'em down just a notch. I don't have a great photo, but I supposed it turned out all right.

Then, while blog browsing, I saw this photo of another beautiful blogger out there in the gigantic blog world, Amanda at Here's looking at me, kid. She's really rocking these braids and I love the look so much. And the best thing about them, from an Arizona perspective (triple digits all week here, BTW)?! No hair on my neck or face or any other place that will cause copious amounts of sweat!

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Again, no good photo (I'll do better next time), but it turned okay. I wore them to teach my class last night and they held up okay. Again, un-human amounts of hair that I have, I think next time I might break it into four braids instead of two. The two I did were super think and kind of hard to tame with the bobby pins.

I can tell you that it felt VERY nice to have my hair off my neck, seeing how we topped out at 112 degrees yesterday.


For the next wedding this Saturday, I might try to do the braids with four instead of two. Or maybe I'll do that for the rehearsal lunch and try my victory rolls again for the wedding. I don't know. Thoughts?

Happy Thursday world.
<3
Ash & Viessey