I ended up extending in Boston for a total of 13 months before I finally got a permanent position at Brigham and Women's! I had 2 weeks to move out of my high rise travel apartment and find a new apartment and furniture to fill it up. I was able to find an apartmen in Quincy, MA called Faxon Commons. I lived there for 1 year and 9 months until I was able to find an apartment in the city. Living in in Quincy was just not the same. While in Quincy we had one of the worst winters with over 70 inches of snow in just a couple of months! Every big snow storm I was inevitably at work and had to drive home in it after working all night! Fun stuff! It got just a little bit easier each time. Once Spring came I was able to begin my aparment search. I looked in Fenway mostly and was thinking about looking in Charlestown when an apartment in Beacon Hill became available. It was tiny, but when I would walk through Beacon Hill while living in Charles River Apartments I would wonder what I would be like to live in Beacon Hill and this was my chance! So I took it! The floors and stairs are uneven but it was just too good to pass up. It is a walk up apartment above a restuarant. I had always wondered what that would be like. I just love the fact that I can walk outside and be right in the middle of everything! If I walk out and turn right I will end up in Goverment Center, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. If I turn left I end up at Charles Street, a very cute street with shops and restaurants. I could also jump on the red line and go anywhere else. The Boston Common is pretty much in my backyard if all the other houses and apartments weren't in the way. The streets of Beacon Hill are very steep! A free workout just to go to my car. Parking is like a game. If you come back at the wrong time you could be ridind around for hours looking for a spot or you can come back at just the right time at get a spot right away. Street sweeping is also a tricky. You have to make sure your car is moved or it will get towed. I learned that the hard way! On a positive note, I have never been better a parallel parking! I also was in a blizzard (Nemo, Feb 2013) which was almost 3 feet of snow! I have never seen anything like it! I had to stay at the hospital because the roads where so bad that I couldn't even get across town. I go to work early on Friday and was finally about to leave Sunday morning!
I have now worked as a permanent staff nurse for 2 and 1/2 years and can't wait to make even more memories here in Boston. Loum has since gotten married and had baby girl in January 2013. Sheila will be getting married in September 2013 and I will be one of the bridesmaids along with Loum.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Bakersfield, California (Again)
Thirteenth Assignment: Bakersfield, California
Dates: May 4th, 2009 to September 12th, 2009
Address: Villa Sienna Apartments
6900 Valley View Drive
Unit 205
Bakersfield, CA 93306
Hospital: Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
After over three months off, I headed back to Bakersfield. This time I flew out to CA because I had to start quickly. I also had food poisoning, which made for a terrible trip! I got to Bakersfield and rented a car for a month. My parents drove my car out to me in June. While they were there, we went to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Venice Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara and then back to Bakersfield.
It helps a lot going back to somewhere you have already been. It makes a big difference when you already know the nurses, routine and paperwork. This time around I worked day shift. So busy!! Big contrast to night shift at Bakersfield Memorial. Eventually I got my routine down so I could keep up with myself with all the admissions and discharges coming back to back!
Socially, this time around was so much better. I went to Nelly's going away dinner at Macaroni Grill. We all had a good time. I went to Jacinta's 40th Birthday Party at Sheila's house and acutally did karoake...we had a blast!!! I went out several times with Sheila to this hole in the way bar called Lone Oak. That place is crazy. It is a mixture of young and old and everyone in between. I met some fun people there! I also had a roommate for a few weeks. Kim is from the bay area and was traveling back and forth to come to work for 3 days a week, so I said she could just stay with me. It was nice to have someone to talk to after work. We went to Santa Barbara for the day and shopped, ate, and laid out of the beach. So relaxing.
I did my usual exploring while I was there. I spent a couple days in Santa Monica and stopped in Burbank on the way back to Bakersfield. I noticed the traffic was getting heavy so I decided to stop and go ride a few rides at Magic Mountain. I rode X2 again....so much scarier that I even remembered. I screamed so much! I was able to ride 6 rollercoasters while I was there for 3 hours. Then I drove back and went to work the next morning. That was a very tiring day! I also went over to Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and San Simeon for a few days. It was nice over there, but very cold! I was able to see Cindi and Suzanne while they were in San Francisco. We took a tour of the city and I was able to see a few things I hadn't see before, Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks which looks over the city. I also spent some time with Butch in Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz where I went to a concert at Mountain Winery where he works. It was the Heroes of Woodstock with a very interesting group of people. I also flew down to see Missy and Tom. Missy was about 5 months pregnant at the time. We went shopping and only went in baby stores. It was a nice change of pace. I helped them pick out things for the their registry at Babies R Us. Katie is going to be one spoiled baby! We picked up Aunt Nell at the airport in Fort Lauderdale to go to the Hard Rock Casino. I spent the night there and played some slots and actually left with some money the next day. Aunt Nell and Missy went on to Orlando for their annual trip. I also went up to Portland, OR for a few days. I enjoyed Portland very much as it reminded me of Boston a lot. It is also a walking city and has really good public transportation. It is also on the water, the Willamette River. It is the City of Bridges and the City of Roses. I was able to go to the Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, on a river cruise, and to the Pittock Mansion where I was able to see Mt. Hood in the distance. I really enjoyed my trip to Portland.
I stayed an extra 6 weeks because there was still no travel assignments available. I am glad I did because Boston came up again. While I was in Portland, OR I found out I was going back to Boston! I was so excited! My dad flew out to help me drive from Bakersfield to Boston. We took a different route than last year from Bakersfield to Lowell. The first day we went from Bakersfield to Gallup, NM. We stopped in Williams, AZ which is a very cute town that my parents had stopped on their trip to bring me my car. The next day we went to Tulsa, OK. Then on to Indianapolis, IN by way of St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch, which we just drove by and took a couple pictures. We also stopped at a casino for an hour in Oklahoma and drove into Kansas about 5 feet and then turned around, just say we had been to Kansas. The next day we went from Indianapolis all the way to Mystic, CT. It was a 16 hour drive. We saw Penn State along the way which has a very nice campus. It is a very beautiful drive through the Pennsylvania mountains. We came very close to the Poconos. The final day of the trip went spent about 6 hours in Foxwoods before I drove the last little bit into Boston. We moved all my things in to my new apartment, explored Boston, and then my dad flew back to GA.
Dates: May 4th, 2009 to September 12th, 2009
Address: Villa Sienna Apartments
6900 Valley View Drive
Unit 205
Bakersfield, CA 93306
Hospital: Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
After over three months off, I headed back to Bakersfield. This time I flew out to CA because I had to start quickly. I also had food poisoning, which made for a terrible trip! I got to Bakersfield and rented a car for a month. My parents drove my car out to me in June. While they were there, we went to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Venice Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara and then back to Bakersfield.
It helps a lot going back to somewhere you have already been. It makes a big difference when you already know the nurses, routine and paperwork. This time around I worked day shift. So busy!! Big contrast to night shift at Bakersfield Memorial. Eventually I got my routine down so I could keep up with myself with all the admissions and discharges coming back to back!
Socially, this time around was so much better. I went to Nelly's going away dinner at Macaroni Grill. We all had a good time. I went to Jacinta's 40th Birthday Party at Sheila's house and acutally did karoake...we had a blast!!! I went out several times with Sheila to this hole in the way bar called Lone Oak. That place is crazy. It is a mixture of young and old and everyone in between. I met some fun people there! I also had a roommate for a few weeks. Kim is from the bay area and was traveling back and forth to come to work for 3 days a week, so I said she could just stay with me. It was nice to have someone to talk to after work. We went to Santa Barbara for the day and shopped, ate, and laid out of the beach. So relaxing.
I did my usual exploring while I was there. I spent a couple days in Santa Monica and stopped in Burbank on the way back to Bakersfield. I noticed the traffic was getting heavy so I decided to stop and go ride a few rides at Magic Mountain. I rode X2 again....so much scarier that I even remembered. I screamed so much! I was able to ride 6 rollercoasters while I was there for 3 hours. Then I drove back and went to work the next morning. That was a very tiring day! I also went over to Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and San Simeon for a few days. It was nice over there, but very cold! I was able to see Cindi and Suzanne while they were in San Francisco. We took a tour of the city and I was able to see a few things I hadn't see before, Golden Gate Park and Twin Peaks which looks over the city. I also spent some time with Butch in Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz where I went to a concert at Mountain Winery where he works. It was the Heroes of Woodstock with a very interesting group of people. I also flew down to see Missy and Tom. Missy was about 5 months pregnant at the time. We went shopping and only went in baby stores. It was a nice change of pace. I helped them pick out things for the their registry at Babies R Us. Katie is going to be one spoiled baby! We picked up Aunt Nell at the airport in Fort Lauderdale to go to the Hard Rock Casino. I spent the night there and played some slots and actually left with some money the next day. Aunt Nell and Missy went on to Orlando for their annual trip. I also went up to Portland, OR for a few days. I enjoyed Portland very much as it reminded me of Boston a lot. It is also a walking city and has really good public transportation. It is also on the water, the Willamette River. It is the City of Bridges and the City of Roses. I was able to go to the Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, on a river cruise, and to the Pittock Mansion where I was able to see Mt. Hood in the distance. I really enjoyed my trip to Portland.
I stayed an extra 6 weeks because there was still no travel assignments available. I am glad I did because Boston came up again. While I was in Portland, OR I found out I was going back to Boston! I was so excited! My dad flew out to help me drive from Bakersfield to Boston. We took a different route than last year from Bakersfield to Lowell. The first day we went from Bakersfield to Gallup, NM. We stopped in Williams, AZ which is a very cute town that my parents had stopped on their trip to bring me my car. The next day we went to Tulsa, OK. Then on to Indianapolis, IN by way of St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch, which we just drove by and took a couple pictures. We also stopped at a casino for an hour in Oklahoma and drove into Kansas about 5 feet and then turned around, just say we had been to Kansas. The next day we went from Indianapolis all the way to Mystic, CT. It was a 16 hour drive. We saw Penn State along the way which has a very nice campus. It is a very beautiful drive through the Pennsylvania mountains. We came very close to the Poconos. The final day of the trip went spent about 6 hours in Foxwoods before I drove the last little bit into Boston. We moved all my things in to my new apartment, explored Boston, and then my dad flew back to GA.
Boston, Massachusetts
Twelfth Assignment: Boston, Massachusetts
Dates: November 3rd, 2008 to January 29th, 2009
Address: Charles River Park Apartments
1 Longfellow Place
Unit 2414
Boston, MA 02114
Hospital: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Well, I finally made it to BOSTON!! I was beyond exciting to get here!! I went home between assigments to see my family. I then flew to Huntsville to see Brandie and go to her baby shower. It was so great to see Brandie and Ray. We had a great time as usual. Anessa was doing some martial arts inside Brandie's belly. She was kicking my hand pretty hard. It was great. I couldn't wait to meet her! I flew from Huntsville to Boston on November 1st to move into my apartment in the city! I was picked up by Lin, who I met while in Lowell. She was very nice and helpful to watch my car, full of all my things, at her house while I went home to Georgia. She picked me up from the aiport in my car and we drove to my new apartments, Charles River Park Apartments. We got the key and went up to the 24th floor to my studio. We walked outside on the balcony and screamed as we jumped up and down at the amazing view! It was beautiful. When you looked to the right, you were looking at the buildings of the Back Bay and then you followed the Charles River back and across to Cambridge. Then looking to the left was the Zakim Bridge and the Bunker Hill Monument. Just beautiful all the way around. She then left to take the train back to her house and then I moved all my things into the aparment before my mom arrived later that day. After I had moved in, I went to the airport to pick up my mom. We went out to dinner that night in Quincy Market. She stayed for almost 2 weeks. We went to Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. We took the Duck tour of Boston, which is always fun. I also started at Brigham and Women's Hospital while she explored some of Boston.
I went through 2 days of hospital orientation and met some nice nurses while there. I learned the best ways to get to and from work. During the week I was able to take the shuttle from Massachusetts General Hospital, which is right behind my apartments, to Brigham for free and on the weekend I took the T from North Station to Brigham Circle. I enjoyed working at the Brigham while I was here. The nurses were all very nice and routine and paperwork was easy to adjust to as well. I worked night shift as I most always do. At the north nurses station, you can see the sun come up behind the Back Bay buildings which was very beautiful. I was blamed for every flake of snow by one nurse in particular. All I wanted was a white Christmas and ended up seeing Boston's record snowfall! The snow made it very interesting getting around on foot especially when you got to the curb and to step over a mountain of snow into a huge puddle in the street and then again on the other side of the street! Luckily my car was parked in the underground garage so I didn't have to shovel it out to drive around, which was very helpful and plus I didn't have to drive very often.
While I was in Boston, I went to a Red Sox game, Bruins game, and Celtics game. I went to the Celtics game with Loum, Samantha, and Samantha's sister. We had a great time. I went out with Loum, Samantha, and Danielle on New Years Eve in Nashua, NH, in which I had to venture out in 8 inches of snow! We had a blast ringing in 2009! I mostly just enjoyed City Living. I walked all over Boston. I would walk to dinner, to go shopping, to the movies, and just to see the city...even in the snow!
In January, I flew to Ohio to be Ann's Maid of Honor in her wedding to Olivier Marteau. She was married on January 7th at 2pm in Columbus in a very small but beautiful ceremony with close family and friends. It was even snowing outside during the ceremony. The night before we made our bouquets, which both turned out very beautiful even though we had never done anything like it before! We are naturals! I stayed at the Granville Inn, which was a very quaint hotel in Granville, Ohio. After the ceremony we all went to dinner in downtown Granville and had a wonderful time celebrating the newlyweds! That night, Anessa was welcomed into the world down in Alabama! It was a wonderful day!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I was unable to renew my assigment in Boston and so I had to leave my favorite city. My dad flew up to Boston and we made out way down to Rocky Mount, NC to see Aunt Nell. I picked him up from the airport and we drove down to Foxwoods where we stayed the night and gambled. The next day we drove down to Philadelphia, PA. We took the trolley tour and saw all the historical sites as we tried not to freeze to death! After that we made out way down the Rocky Mount. My dad took the midnight train to Georgia, literally, and I stayed with Aunt Nell for a few days until we went out to Las Vegas to meet my mom for a week of gambling. We stayed at the Wynn Hotel and saw to shows while we were there. We saw Jersey Boys and "V" the variety show. They were both excellent and very entertaining. I celebrated my 29th birthday in Rocky Mount with my aunt and her neighbor Fran. We ate at Cracker Barrel and then went to see a movie. It was a nice relaxing birthday.
After spending some time with Aunt Nell, I drove home to Georgia to find another assignment. Three months later after applying to many travel and permanent jobs, I finally got a job in Bakersfield, CA. (AGAIN!!) I could hardly believe I was going back! While I was looking for a job, I was able to see Luke and Lauren several times and of course Chuck and Brooke. I saw Annie while I was in Valdosta seeing Chuck and Brooke and the kids. It's always great to spend time with Annie even though it is always so few and far between. I was also able to spend some quality time with my parents while I took over the upstairs! I was also able to see Missy and Tom and learned that they were expecting their first child. Very exciting! I went to St. Augustine with Missy and my mom for a couple of days. We took a tour of St. Augustine and even played mini-golf. We all went out separate ways when we left. My mom and sister went back home and I went to Disney World to see Cindi! I hadn't seen her in a long time, so it was a lot of fun! She was there with a lot of her family and I just fit right in with them. I was even fought over by her cousins about who would ride what ride with me. I rode a new roller coaster in the Animal Kingdom, Everest. It was a lot of fun. We went to Blizzard Beach and her cousins made me go down the really tall slide that goes straight down that I had always been to scared to do! I screamed all the way down!! My best acheivement though, was walking around in my bathing suit...I must be growing up! I went back home and finally found the position in Bakersfield. Before I went back to Bakersfield, I drove over to Huntsville to finally meet Anessa, who was already 3 1/2 months! She is gorgeous and we bonded immediately! It was so great to see Brandie and Ray again. We had a good time just hanging out and playing with Anessa. We also went to Church and birthday party for one of Brandie's friends. I always seem to crash birthday parties while in Huntsville. Back in October, I went to Valerie's, Brandie's sister, birthday party at their favorite mexican restuarant, Rosies. Yummy! Then I went back to Georgia to pack for California.
Dates: November 3rd, 2008 to January 29th, 2009
Address: Charles River Park Apartments
1 Longfellow Place
Unit 2414
Boston, MA 02114
Hospital: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Well, I finally made it to BOSTON!! I was beyond exciting to get here!! I went home between assigments to see my family. I then flew to Huntsville to see Brandie and go to her baby shower. It was so great to see Brandie and Ray. We had a great time as usual. Anessa was doing some martial arts inside Brandie's belly. She was kicking my hand pretty hard. It was great. I couldn't wait to meet her! I flew from Huntsville to Boston on November 1st to move into my apartment in the city! I was picked up by Lin, who I met while in Lowell. She was very nice and helpful to watch my car, full of all my things, at her house while I went home to Georgia. She picked me up from the aiport in my car and we drove to my new apartments, Charles River Park Apartments. We got the key and went up to the 24th floor to my studio. We walked outside on the balcony and screamed as we jumped up and down at the amazing view! It was beautiful. When you looked to the right, you were looking at the buildings of the Back Bay and then you followed the Charles River back and across to Cambridge. Then looking to the left was the Zakim Bridge and the Bunker Hill Monument. Just beautiful all the way around. She then left to take the train back to her house and then I moved all my things into the aparment before my mom arrived later that day. After I had moved in, I went to the airport to pick up my mom. We went out to dinner that night in Quincy Market. She stayed for almost 2 weeks. We went to Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. We took the Duck tour of Boston, which is always fun. I also started at Brigham and Women's Hospital while she explored some of Boston.
I went through 2 days of hospital orientation and met some nice nurses while there. I learned the best ways to get to and from work. During the week I was able to take the shuttle from Massachusetts General Hospital, which is right behind my apartments, to Brigham for free and on the weekend I took the T from North Station to Brigham Circle. I enjoyed working at the Brigham while I was here. The nurses were all very nice and routine and paperwork was easy to adjust to as well. I worked night shift as I most always do. At the north nurses station, you can see the sun come up behind the Back Bay buildings which was very beautiful. I was blamed for every flake of snow by one nurse in particular. All I wanted was a white Christmas and ended up seeing Boston's record snowfall! The snow made it very interesting getting around on foot especially when you got to the curb and to step over a mountain of snow into a huge puddle in the street and then again on the other side of the street! Luckily my car was parked in the underground garage so I didn't have to shovel it out to drive around, which was very helpful and plus I didn't have to drive very often.
While I was in Boston, I went to a Red Sox game, Bruins game, and Celtics game. I went to the Celtics game with Loum, Samantha, and Samantha's sister. We had a great time. I went out with Loum, Samantha, and Danielle on New Years Eve in Nashua, NH, in which I had to venture out in 8 inches of snow! We had a blast ringing in 2009! I mostly just enjoyed City Living. I walked all over Boston. I would walk to dinner, to go shopping, to the movies, and just to see the city...even in the snow!
In January, I flew to Ohio to be Ann's Maid of Honor in her wedding to Olivier Marteau. She was married on January 7th at 2pm in Columbus in a very small but beautiful ceremony with close family and friends. It was even snowing outside during the ceremony. The night before we made our bouquets, which both turned out very beautiful even though we had never done anything like it before! We are naturals! I stayed at the Granville Inn, which was a very quaint hotel in Granville, Ohio. After the ceremony we all went to dinner in downtown Granville and had a wonderful time celebrating the newlyweds! That night, Anessa was welcomed into the world down in Alabama! It was a wonderful day!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I was unable to renew my assigment in Boston and so I had to leave my favorite city. My dad flew up to Boston and we made out way down to Rocky Mount, NC to see Aunt Nell. I picked him up from the airport and we drove down to Foxwoods where we stayed the night and gambled. The next day we drove down to Philadelphia, PA. We took the trolley tour and saw all the historical sites as we tried not to freeze to death! After that we made out way down the Rocky Mount. My dad took the midnight train to Georgia, literally, and I stayed with Aunt Nell for a few days until we went out to Las Vegas to meet my mom for a week of gambling. We stayed at the Wynn Hotel and saw to shows while we were there. We saw Jersey Boys and "V" the variety show. They were both excellent and very entertaining. I celebrated my 29th birthday in Rocky Mount with my aunt and her neighbor Fran. We ate at Cracker Barrel and then went to see a movie. It was a nice relaxing birthday.
After spending some time with Aunt Nell, I drove home to Georgia to find another assignment. Three months later after applying to many travel and permanent jobs, I finally got a job in Bakersfield, CA. (AGAIN!!) I could hardly believe I was going back! While I was looking for a job, I was able to see Luke and Lauren several times and of course Chuck and Brooke. I saw Annie while I was in Valdosta seeing Chuck and Brooke and the kids. It's always great to spend time with Annie even though it is always so few and far between. I was also able to spend some quality time with my parents while I took over the upstairs! I was also able to see Missy and Tom and learned that they were expecting their first child. Very exciting! I went to St. Augustine with Missy and my mom for a couple of days. We took a tour of St. Augustine and even played mini-golf. We all went out separate ways when we left. My mom and sister went back home and I went to Disney World to see Cindi! I hadn't seen her in a long time, so it was a lot of fun! She was there with a lot of her family and I just fit right in with them. I was even fought over by her cousins about who would ride what ride with me. I rode a new roller coaster in the Animal Kingdom, Everest. It was a lot of fun. We went to Blizzard Beach and her cousins made me go down the really tall slide that goes straight down that I had always been to scared to do! I screamed all the way down!! My best acheivement though, was walking around in my bathing suit...I must be growing up! I went back home and finally found the position in Bakersfield. Before I went back to Bakersfield, I drove over to Huntsville to finally meet Anessa, who was already 3 1/2 months! She is gorgeous and we bonded immediately! It was so great to see Brandie and Ray again. We had a good time just hanging out and playing with Anessa. We also went to Church and birthday party for one of Brandie's friends. I always seem to crash birthday parties while in Huntsville. Back in October, I went to Valerie's, Brandie's sister, birthday party at their favorite mexican restuarant, Rosies. Yummy! Then I went back to Georgia to pack for California.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Lowell, Massachusetts
Eleventh Assignment: Lowell, MA
Dates: July 22nd, 2008- October,
Addresss: 104 River Pointe Way
Unit #2106
Lawrence, MA 01843
Hospital: Lowell General Hospital
I got a position in Lowell, MA towards the end of the assignment in Bakersfield, CA. I was so excited to be finally getting within 30 miles of Boston! My dad flew out to Las Vegas and I picked him up for our cross country trip #2. It was 106 degrees on the World's Largest Thermometer in Baker, CA. We stayed in Monte Carlo. I won $450 at Bellagio!! I always knew I liked that place! After Vegas we drove through the Utah mountains towards Colorado. We went through the Colorado Rockies, which were very steep! My car did not like that very much! We stopped in Vail and looked around. It looked like a Swiss Village. A few of the mountains still had a little snow on the top even in July. Then we headed through the midwest. We saw the original Pony Express Station, the site of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Notre Dame. We also took a small detour and stopped at Niagara Falls. Very large waterfalls and very impressive! We finally made it to New England and spent the night in Bennington, VT, which is a very cute town. Especially the statues of people in various states of daily life...reading the newspaper, shopping, and kids eating ice cream. Then we finally made it to Massachusetts. We checked in to the hotel in Lawrence across the street from my apartments. The next day we went to Boston! We walked around and saw Cheers, Public Garden, Boston Common, Quincy Market, Boston Harbor, MIT, and Harvard to name a few. Later that day we picked up Mama at the Airport in Manchester. While both of my parents were there we explored as much of New England as we could! We went to Salem, Marblehead, Boston in Massachusetts; Portland, Kennebunkport, York in Maine; and other places in New Hampshire and Vermont as well. Then it was time for me to start at Lowell General and time for them to head back to Georgia.
The hospital was fine and pretty busy, especially since the hospital down the street stopped delivering babies and so we got them! The nurses were all very nice and we had a lot of fun working. I met some nurses to keep in touch with, especially Loum, Lin, and Danielle.
While I was in Lawrence I explored more of New England. I went to Newport and Providence, RI. Newport was gorgeous, especially the Cliff Walk and Mansions. One the way to Rhode Island I happened to go by Patriot's Place and on the way back I stopped at the outlets in Wrentham, MA. I also went to Hampton Beach and Portsmouth, New Hampshire and did some shopping in Kittery, Maine and saw the Nubble Light in York, ME. I went up to Burlington, VT and toured the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory and the Ben and Jerry's Factory. I also did more shopping in Nashua and the outlets about Concord, New Hampshire. I was also explored Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. All beautiful places! Of course, I went to Boston every chance I got!
I also went on a Cruise to Canada on the Royal Caribbean with Aunt Nell. It was a gorgeous and large ship. We never ran out of things to do. We played Putt Putt and Ping Pong everyday. I got facial and massage and Aunt Nell got her hair cut in the Salon. We also spent a lot of time in the Casino. Shocking! We enjoyed all the shows we attended and even went backstage for a tour. We ended up on the highlights video, they got us while we were at the Newlywed Game Show! Embarrassing!! Our first port was Portland, Maine. It was raining the whole time we were there because of Tropical Storm Kyle! Although, that didn't stop us from going on our shopping tour in Freeport, Maine at the outlets! We had planned to go on a Duck Tour but it got rescheduled and conflicted with our shopping tour! Our second port was Bar Harbor, Maine. We took a tour of Acadia National Park. It was nice, especially Thunder Hole and Cadillac Mountain. We did some shopping on main street. Our whale watching tour was canceled due to rough seas. Very sad to have missed that! Our third port was St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. We did two tours of the city and saw all the sites. St. Jon was very pretty. We did a River Boat cruise down the St. John River and I was the “Captain” for a very short time! Our fourth and final port was Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We went on a Tall Ship Experience, which was awesome! We actually put up the sails and were really sailing by the wind! It was so much fun! Halifax reminded me of San Diego Harbor and also of Boston, they have a public garden also! We also took a duck tour of Halifax and saw more of the sites. We had two days just at sea. We ate at the formal dining room three times but mostly ate at the cafe, which was buffet style. Good food! After we got back to Boston we headed down to Foxwoods, MGM Grand, and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut to do some more gambling!
Almost at the end of the assignment I got my dream job in Boston!! Finally after 3 and a half years of trying to get there I finally made it! I took a week off between assignments and went home for a few days and then to Alabama to see Brandie. I was able to go to her baby shower for Anessa! I can't wait to meet her! She is very active! She kept kicking me! Poor Brandie! I miss hanging out with Brandie and Ray! I will have to go back soon after Anessa is born! On November 1st I moved to BOSTON!!! I had left my car full of my stuff at Lin's house and she took me to the airport and also picked me up from the airport in my car! So nice of her!!
Dates: July 22nd, 2008- October,
Addresss: 104 River Pointe Way
Unit #2106
Lawrence, MA 01843
Hospital: Lowell General Hospital
I got a position in Lowell, MA towards the end of the assignment in Bakersfield, CA. I was so excited to be finally getting within 30 miles of Boston! My dad flew out to Las Vegas and I picked him up for our cross country trip #2. It was 106 degrees on the World's Largest Thermometer in Baker, CA. We stayed in Monte Carlo. I won $450 at Bellagio!! I always knew I liked that place! After Vegas we drove through the Utah mountains towards Colorado. We went through the Colorado Rockies, which were very steep! My car did not like that very much! We stopped in Vail and looked around. It looked like a Swiss Village. A few of the mountains still had a little snow on the top even in July. Then we headed through the midwest. We saw the original Pony Express Station, the site of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Notre Dame. We also took a small detour and stopped at Niagara Falls. Very large waterfalls and very impressive! We finally made it to New England and spent the night in Bennington, VT, which is a very cute town. Especially the statues of people in various states of daily life...reading the newspaper, shopping, and kids eating ice cream. Then we finally made it to Massachusetts. We checked in to the hotel in Lawrence across the street from my apartments. The next day we went to Boston! We walked around and saw Cheers, Public Garden, Boston Common, Quincy Market, Boston Harbor, MIT, and Harvard to name a few. Later that day we picked up Mama at the Airport in Manchester. While both of my parents were there we explored as much of New England as we could! We went to Salem, Marblehead, Boston in Massachusetts; Portland, Kennebunkport, York in Maine; and other places in New Hampshire and Vermont as well. Then it was time for me to start at Lowell General and time for them to head back to Georgia.
The hospital was fine and pretty busy, especially since the hospital down the street stopped delivering babies and so we got them! The nurses were all very nice and we had a lot of fun working. I met some nurses to keep in touch with, especially Loum, Lin, and Danielle.
While I was in Lawrence I explored more of New England. I went to Newport and Providence, RI. Newport was gorgeous, especially the Cliff Walk and Mansions. One the way to Rhode Island I happened to go by Patriot's Place and on the way back I stopped at the outlets in Wrentham, MA. I also went to Hampton Beach and Portsmouth, New Hampshire and did some shopping in Kittery, Maine and saw the Nubble Light in York, ME. I went up to Burlington, VT and toured the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory and the Ben and Jerry's Factory. I also did more shopping in Nashua and the outlets about Concord, New Hampshire. I was also explored Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. All beautiful places! Of course, I went to Boston every chance I got!
I also went on a Cruise to Canada on the Royal Caribbean with Aunt Nell. It was a gorgeous and large ship. We never ran out of things to do. We played Putt Putt and Ping Pong everyday. I got facial and massage and Aunt Nell got her hair cut in the Salon. We also spent a lot of time in the Casino. Shocking! We enjoyed all the shows we attended and even went backstage for a tour. We ended up on the highlights video, they got us while we were at the Newlywed Game Show! Embarrassing!! Our first port was Portland, Maine. It was raining the whole time we were there because of Tropical Storm Kyle! Although, that didn't stop us from going on our shopping tour in Freeport, Maine at the outlets! We had planned to go on a Duck Tour but it got rescheduled and conflicted with our shopping tour! Our second port was Bar Harbor, Maine. We took a tour of Acadia National Park. It was nice, especially Thunder Hole and Cadillac Mountain. We did some shopping on main street. Our whale watching tour was canceled due to rough seas. Very sad to have missed that! Our third port was St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. We did two tours of the city and saw all the sites. St. Jon was very pretty. We did a River Boat cruise down the St. John River and I was the “Captain” for a very short time! Our fourth and final port was Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We went on a Tall Ship Experience, which was awesome! We actually put up the sails and were really sailing by the wind! It was so much fun! Halifax reminded me of San Diego Harbor and also of Boston, they have a public garden also! We also took a duck tour of Halifax and saw more of the sites. We had two days just at sea. We ate at the formal dining room three times but mostly ate at the cafe, which was buffet style. Good food! After we got back to Boston we headed down to Foxwoods, MGM Grand, and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut to do some more gambling!
Almost at the end of the assignment I got my dream job in Boston!! Finally after 3 and a half years of trying to get there I finally made it! I took a week off between assignments and went home for a few days and then to Alabama to see Brandie. I was able to go to her baby shower for Anessa! I can't wait to meet her! She is very active! She kept kicking me! Poor Brandie! I miss hanging out with Brandie and Ray! I will have to go back soon after Anessa is born! On November 1st I moved to BOSTON!!! I had left my car full of my stuff at Lin's house and she took me to the airport and also picked me up from the airport in my car! So nice of her!!
Bakersfield, California
Tenth Assignment: Bakersfield, California
Dates: April 14th,2008-July 12th, 2008
Address: 604 Douglas Street Unit D
Bakersfield, California 93308
Hospital: Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
After hanging out with Brandie and Ry in San Francisco, I drove down to Bakersfield, Ca to move in to my new apartment. It was 90+ degrees while moving in. Welcome to the desert (again). A week after moving in mama flew out to spend some time with me. We went to Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, a couple casinos, Los Angeles to see WICKED, and over the the beaches in LA. We had a good time while I was off work. I was able to see Brandie and Ry for breakfast when they were on there way back to Alabama after getting back from China and Japan.
The hospital was alright. The nurses were all nice. I did nights and days there. I was floated to the newborn nursery and SCN a few times, which was a nice change. Nights were very slow and it only took a few minutes to chart since it was all on paper. Days were a little better, but could also be very chaotic.
I didn't really meet any people to hang out with during this assignment, which may have something to do with going off exploring every chance I got! I went back up to San Jose/Palo Alto twice to see Butch. I also went to Universal Studios Hollywood, Santa Barbara, LA a few times and flew to Ohio to see Ann and Olivier. The trip to Ohio was fun. I was able to see a little bit of Ohio and Granville which were Ann and Olivier are living. Granville is a very cute town with a very beautiful downtown with cute little shops and restaurants.
Dates: April 14th,2008-July 12th, 2008
Address: 604 Douglas Street Unit D
Bakersfield, California 93308
Hospital: Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
After hanging out with Brandie and Ry in San Francisco, I drove down to Bakersfield, Ca to move in to my new apartment. It was 90+ degrees while moving in. Welcome to the desert (again). A week after moving in mama flew out to spend some time with me. We went to Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, a couple casinos, Los Angeles to see WICKED, and over the the beaches in LA. We had a good time while I was off work. I was able to see Brandie and Ry for breakfast when they were on there way back to Alabama after getting back from China and Japan.
The hospital was alright. The nurses were all nice. I did nights and days there. I was floated to the newborn nursery and SCN a few times, which was a nice change. Nights were very slow and it only took a few minutes to chart since it was all on paper. Days were a little better, but could also be very chaotic.
I didn't really meet any people to hang out with during this assignment, which may have something to do with going off exploring every chance I got! I went back up to San Jose/Palo Alto twice to see Butch. I also went to Universal Studios Hollywood, Santa Barbara, LA a few times and flew to Ohio to see Ann and Olivier. The trip to Ohio was fun. I was able to see a little bit of Ohio and Granville which were Ann and Olivier are living. Granville is a very cute town with a very beautiful downtown with cute little shops and restaurants.
Palo Alto, California
Ninth Assignment: Palo Alto, CA
Dates: December 17th, 2007-
Address: Schooner Bay Apartments
551 Windlass Lane
Foster City, CA 94404
Hospital: Lucille Packard Children's Hospital
I only had the weekend in between my Phoenix assignment and this new assignment in Palo Alto. My dad flew out to Phoenix and drove me to Palo Alto. We spent the night in Palm Springs and went the rest of the way the next day. We moved me in on Friday and explored San Francisco and the Bay area on Saturday and Sunday. He flew home on Sunday. It was a quick trip for him.
My mom flew out in January for a week. We did almost everything there was to do in that week! We shopped, ate and explored the area! We went to San Jose, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Mateo, and of course Foster City. We had so much fun in San Francisco trying not to get blown away by the insane wind and also trying to stay dry!
The hospital was not exactly what I was expecting considering it is part of Stanford University, but it's not too bad. It is definitely better than the previous hospital! I worked night shift for the first two months and then went to day shift. I definitely prefer day shift. It can be busy and chaotic at times, but what place isn't?? It sure is boring without the fun people there, aka Brandie, Butch, Lindsay, Gina, and Elizabeth.
I went to San Francisco a lot while I was there, mostly by myself. I did go with Brandie and Butch and search for a new ring for Ray the whole time . We finally met up with Lindsay and Gina, more travel nurses. We all went over to Sausalito and had dinner. That was a fun time.
I went to a few hockey games in San Jose. I saw the Sharks play Phoenix, Chicago, and Montreal...which I found out later that Butch was working in the next section over at that game! I could of talked to him while I was there and not have been by myself the whole time as usual. Well, now I know he works there and at the hospital.
I have made a lot of friends here, at work and outside of work. I met some fun girls (Virginia, Lita and Susan) at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City. I went out with them a few times and have had a good time each time. I have also met some great friends at work, other travelers, especially Brandie (from Alabama). She invited me to Reno and Tahoe with her husband, Ray, and Butch. We had the BEST time! I attempted to snowboard, but I am a Snowboard School Dropout! I only made it about 30 minutes before my ankle gave out! I had to get Brandie to unhook my feet from my snowboard! So for the rest of the day I just relaxed and watched other people fall down like I did or snowboard/ski really well! We stayed in Reno and went out the first night. That was a lot of fun! We were laughing, talking, and dancing. We even gambled a little bit! Brandie also organized a limo tour of Napa Valley. There were 10 nurses total that went! We had so much fun! We were 10 crazy girls!!! The limo ride was fun and Napa was gorgeous and very green! The wine tasting was okay, but just hanging out together was the best part! It was 8 travelers, 1 ex traveler and one staff nurse! We laughed so much and danced in the limo and out of the limo! We also did a mini tour of San Francisco. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, drove by Lombard Street, and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I went to see Ann while she was visiting San Francisco. I met her boyfriend, Olivier. He was nice and funny. We all had a good time exploring and riding the Cable Cars together. Unfortunately I was only able to see Ann for the one day because I had to work the other two days she was in town, but at least I got to see her.
I celebrated my 28th birthday in HAWAII! I stayed on Waikiki Beach on Oahu. It was gorgeous. I rented a Mustang Convertible and drove all the way around the island. I went to the North Shore and the Polynesian Cultural Center. At the PCC I went to see the Horizon's show, which was all the different islands traditional dances. It was very interesting. I also went to see Pearl Harbor and went to the South Shore. I saw an amazing sunset before I had to go back to the airport. It was a very quick trip, but I saw a lot!
I attempted to get another assignment in Seattle and even Maryland, but neither one worked out. Then I started hanging out with Brandie and Butch a lot more, so extending sounded better and better. I was very stressed out because the hospital was taking it's time letting me know if I could extend or not. I didn't know until I was on my way home to GA for two weeks. I was planning to fly home for 2 weeks and then fly back to another 3 months at LPCH. I had to move out of my apartment because it was already rented to someone else. I was hoping to move closer to the hospital because the traffic is so bad. I left my car full of my stuff at Brandie's apartment and she and Ray took me to the airport early, early in the morning. However, it did not work out for me to extend at LPCH. The census was too low to hire me back on as a traveler. So I had to start over and start looking for a new job. Meanwhile, I was having fun in California with Brandie, Ry, and Butch! Finally after two weeks, I was able to find a job in Bakersfield, California.
I had a great time in Georgia for those two weeks. I went over to see everyone in Valdosta. I jumped on the trampoline with Luke and Lauren a lot! Luke really liked me this time! He even knew my name! Lauren and Luke wanted to go with me when I went to get my hair done and when I went to eat dinner with Annie and Cindi! They were very disappointed when they couldn't go. I had a good dinner at Mori with Annie and Cindi, which I hadn't seen in a long, long time! After Valdosta, I drove down to see Missy and Tom for Easter weekend. We went shopping and gambling in Ft. Lauderdale and went to the movies on Easter since the mall was CLOSED!! Who closes the mall?? The rest of the time I spent in St. Simons with my parents. I went up in the lighthouse for the first time. It was very windy up there and there were so many stairs!! It was a really nice view, especially the sunset!
Dates: December 17th, 2007-
Address: Schooner Bay Apartments
551 Windlass Lane
Foster City, CA 94404
Hospital: Lucille Packard Children's Hospital
I only had the weekend in between my Phoenix assignment and this new assignment in Palo Alto. My dad flew out to Phoenix and drove me to Palo Alto. We spent the night in Palm Springs and went the rest of the way the next day. We moved me in on Friday and explored San Francisco and the Bay area on Saturday and Sunday. He flew home on Sunday. It was a quick trip for him.
My mom flew out in January for a week. We did almost everything there was to do in that week! We shopped, ate and explored the area! We went to San Jose, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Mateo, and of course Foster City. We had so much fun in San Francisco trying not to get blown away by the insane wind and also trying to stay dry!
The hospital was not exactly what I was expecting considering it is part of Stanford University, but it's not too bad. It is definitely better than the previous hospital! I worked night shift for the first two months and then went to day shift. I definitely prefer day shift. It can be busy and chaotic at times, but what place isn't?? It sure is boring without the fun people there, aka Brandie, Butch, Lindsay, Gina, and Elizabeth.
I went to San Francisco a lot while I was there, mostly by myself. I did go with Brandie and Butch and search for a new ring for Ray the whole time . We finally met up with Lindsay and Gina, more travel nurses. We all went over to Sausalito and had dinner. That was a fun time.
I went to a few hockey games in San Jose. I saw the Sharks play Phoenix, Chicago, and Montreal...which I found out later that Butch was working in the next section over at that game! I could of talked to him while I was there and not have been by myself the whole time as usual. Well, now I know he works there and at the hospital.
I have made a lot of friends here, at work and outside of work. I met some fun girls (Virginia, Lita and Susan) at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City. I went out with them a few times and have had a good time each time. I have also met some great friends at work, other travelers, especially Brandie (from Alabama). She invited me to Reno and Tahoe with her husband, Ray, and Butch. We had the BEST time! I attempted to snowboard, but I am a Snowboard School Dropout! I only made it about 30 minutes before my ankle gave out! I had to get Brandie to unhook my feet from my snowboard! So for the rest of the day I just relaxed and watched other people fall down like I did or snowboard/ski really well! We stayed in Reno and went out the first night. That was a lot of fun! We were laughing, talking, and dancing. We even gambled a little bit! Brandie also organized a limo tour of Napa Valley. There were 10 nurses total that went! We had so much fun! We were 10 crazy girls!!! The limo ride was fun and Napa was gorgeous and very green! The wine tasting was okay, but just hanging out together was the best part! It was 8 travelers, 1 ex traveler and one staff nurse! We laughed so much and danced in the limo and out of the limo! We also did a mini tour of San Francisco. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, drove by Lombard Street, and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I went to see Ann while she was visiting San Francisco. I met her boyfriend, Olivier. He was nice and funny. We all had a good time exploring and riding the Cable Cars together. Unfortunately I was only able to see Ann for the one day because I had to work the other two days she was in town, but at least I got to see her.
I celebrated my 28th birthday in HAWAII! I stayed on Waikiki Beach on Oahu. It was gorgeous. I rented a Mustang Convertible and drove all the way around the island. I went to the North Shore and the Polynesian Cultural Center. At the PCC I went to see the Horizon's show, which was all the different islands traditional dances. It was very interesting. I also went to see Pearl Harbor and went to the South Shore. I saw an amazing sunset before I had to go back to the airport. It was a very quick trip, but I saw a lot!
I attempted to get another assignment in Seattle and even Maryland, but neither one worked out. Then I started hanging out with Brandie and Butch a lot more, so extending sounded better and better. I was very stressed out because the hospital was taking it's time letting me know if I could extend or not. I didn't know until I was on my way home to GA for two weeks. I was planning to fly home for 2 weeks and then fly back to another 3 months at LPCH. I had to move out of my apartment because it was already rented to someone else. I was hoping to move closer to the hospital because the traffic is so bad. I left my car full of my stuff at Brandie's apartment and she and Ray took me to the airport early, early in the morning. However, it did not work out for me to extend at LPCH. The census was too low to hire me back on as a traveler. So I had to start over and start looking for a new job. Meanwhile, I was having fun in California with Brandie, Ry, and Butch! Finally after two weeks, I was able to find a job in Bakersfield, California.
I had a great time in Georgia for those two weeks. I went over to see everyone in Valdosta. I jumped on the trampoline with Luke and Lauren a lot! Luke really liked me this time! He even knew my name! Lauren and Luke wanted to go with me when I went to get my hair done and when I went to eat dinner with Annie and Cindi! They were very disappointed when they couldn't go. I had a good dinner at Mori with Annie and Cindi, which I hadn't seen in a long, long time! After Valdosta, I drove down to see Missy and Tom for Easter weekend. We went shopping and gambling in Ft. Lauderdale and went to the movies on Easter since the mall was CLOSED!! Who closes the mall?? The rest of the time I spent in St. Simons with my parents. I went up in the lighthouse for the first time. It was very windy up there and there were so many stairs!! It was a really nice view, especially the sunset!
Phoenix, Arizona
Eighth Assignment: Phoenix, Arizona
Dates: September 10th, 2007 to December 15th, 2007
Address: 20250 N. 67th Ave, Apt # 2145
Glendale, AZ 85308
The Isle at Arrowhead Ranch
Hospital: Maryvale Hospital
When my mom and I arrived in Phoenix it was over 100 degrees! It felt like we were standing in front of heater that wouldn't go away! It was crazy! I almost passed out while I was moving in to the apartment. My apartment was very nice and spacious for a one bedroom. The bathroom was pretty big and there was also a wrap around balcony from the dining room to my bedroom. We had to stay in hotels for a week until we could move into my apartment on that Friday after arriving on Labor Day, which was on a Monday. We went to most of the malls and rode around looking for things to see and do while we waited to move into my apartment. We went up to Sedona to see the red rock formations, which were gorgeous. We went to several casinos in the Phoenix area...lost some, won some! We also explored a little bit of Old Town Scottsdale and saw the LOVE sculpture.
I started at Maryvale the following Monday. I was working day shift on the this assignment, which for them was 6AM to 6PM! I went to straight to orienting on the floor and not to hospital orientation like I thought I would. In fact, I never made it to the hospital orientation because they kept canceling it and not telling me when the next one was going to be, which fine because it's all the same from the all the other hospitals! The majority of the patients were spanish speaking only like it was in Oceanside. This was not a good assignment as far as the hospital was concerned. They were very short staffed and the management wasn't very good or helpful. They tried to give me 6 couplets one day or 12 patients, after having 6 couplets by the time the day was over the day before! I was so mad! I was almost ready to walk out, but they found some help and everything turned out alright I was just ready for the assignment to be over though after that incident. Although the nurses were nice and welcoming as usual.
I found my next assignment a little over half way through this assignment. I finally got the position in Palo Alto, CA! I will be working night shift again though, but to get so close to San Francisco I didn't mind! I will only be about 30 minutes south of San Francisco and by the bay!
While I was in Phoenix, I went to Seattle, WA because I had never been there. I had a great time! I stayed in a very nice hotel called Pan Pacific! It had the best bed and the bathroom! It was convenient to everything. I walked everywhere I went, expect I rode the Monorail and the buses a few times. I took the duck tour of Seattle and I went to the top of the Space Needle. I also took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island and back. I was very chilly on the ferry! I met some really nice people at the hotel and spent a lot of time laughing and talking with them.
I drove up to Flagstaff, AZ while I was there. It was cold in the mountains, which was a very nice change of weather and also scenery! I had a really fun time in Flagstaff. I walked around downtown and went up to the observatory. I met some cool people at the hotel and hung out with them for a while! On the way back from Flagstaff I stopped to see Montezuma's Castle, which is built into the side of a mountain. It was interesting.
I went to a baseball game at Chase Field. The Arizona Diamondbacks were playing the San Francisco Giants (was this fate!). I had seats right behind home plate. The D-backs won. The stadium was cool with the retractable roof. At first it was just like the Metrodome in Minneapolis, until the roof began to open. It was cool. The weather was 90 outside, but only 7o inside. I also went to a hockey game, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Boston Bruins. I was cheering for the Bruins and the won! It was nice, I was sitting right behind the Bruins penalty box!
I also went to the Arizona State Fair and rode a lot of the rides. I don't remember rides being so crazy! They flipped and spun you while going really fast! I might be getting too old for those type of rides! I hope not too old for Roller Coasters though!
I flew to Las Vegas with Aunt Nell while I was in Phoenix. I didn't ride any rides, which is very unusual. I tried to ride Speed at Sahara, but it was temporarily closed. Oh well, I'm sure I will be back. While in Las Vegas we rented a car again and drove all over the place. We drove over the Hoover Dam and saw the insanely tall bridge they are building! We hardly played at any of the casinos on the strip. We hit 7 splitters while were there! I had 3 and Aunt Nell had 4! Instead of a tour or show we went to the Spa at Bellagio! She got a facial, which she said was very nice! I got a Hot Stone Massage. It was THE best massage ever! It was so relaxing and felt so wonderful! We also got Manicures and Pedicures. We stayed at New York New York for the first 3 nights and the Bellagio the last 3 nights!
Dates: September 10th, 2007 to December 15th, 2007
Address: 20250 N. 67th Ave, Apt # 2145
Glendale, AZ 85308
The Isle at Arrowhead Ranch
Hospital: Maryvale Hospital
When my mom and I arrived in Phoenix it was over 100 degrees! It felt like we were standing in front of heater that wouldn't go away! It was crazy! I almost passed out while I was moving in to the apartment. My apartment was very nice and spacious for a one bedroom. The bathroom was pretty big and there was also a wrap around balcony from the dining room to my bedroom. We had to stay in hotels for a week until we could move into my apartment on that Friday after arriving on Labor Day, which was on a Monday. We went to most of the malls and rode around looking for things to see and do while we waited to move into my apartment. We went up to Sedona to see the red rock formations, which were gorgeous. We went to several casinos in the Phoenix area...lost some, won some! We also explored a little bit of Old Town Scottsdale and saw the LOVE sculpture.
I started at Maryvale the following Monday. I was working day shift on the this assignment, which for them was 6AM to 6PM! I went to straight to orienting on the floor and not to hospital orientation like I thought I would. In fact, I never made it to the hospital orientation because they kept canceling it and not telling me when the next one was going to be, which fine because it's all the same from the all the other hospitals! The majority of the patients were spanish speaking only like it was in Oceanside. This was not a good assignment as far as the hospital was concerned. They were very short staffed and the management wasn't very good or helpful. They tried to give me 6 couplets one day or 12 patients, after having 6 couplets by the time the day was over the day before! I was so mad! I was almost ready to walk out, but they found some help and everything turned out alright I was just ready for the assignment to be over though after that incident. Although the nurses were nice and welcoming as usual.
I found my next assignment a little over half way through this assignment. I finally got the position in Palo Alto, CA! I will be working night shift again though, but to get so close to San Francisco I didn't mind! I will only be about 30 minutes south of San Francisco and by the bay!
While I was in Phoenix, I went to Seattle, WA because I had never been there. I had a great time! I stayed in a very nice hotel called Pan Pacific! It had the best bed and the bathroom! It was convenient to everything. I walked everywhere I went, expect I rode the Monorail and the buses a few times. I took the duck tour of Seattle and I went to the top of the Space Needle. I also took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island and back. I was very chilly on the ferry! I met some really nice people at the hotel and spent a lot of time laughing and talking with them.
I drove up to Flagstaff, AZ while I was there. It was cold in the mountains, which was a very nice change of weather and also scenery! I had a really fun time in Flagstaff. I walked around downtown and went up to the observatory. I met some cool people at the hotel and hung out with them for a while! On the way back from Flagstaff I stopped to see Montezuma's Castle, which is built into the side of a mountain. It was interesting.
I went to a baseball game at Chase Field. The Arizona Diamondbacks were playing the San Francisco Giants (was this fate!). I had seats right behind home plate. The D-backs won. The stadium was cool with the retractable roof. At first it was just like the Metrodome in Minneapolis, until the roof began to open. It was cool. The weather was 90 outside, but only 7o inside. I also went to a hockey game, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Boston Bruins. I was cheering for the Bruins and the won! It was nice, I was sitting right behind the Bruins penalty box!
I also went to the Arizona State Fair and rode a lot of the rides. I don't remember rides being so crazy! They flipped and spun you while going really fast! I might be getting too old for those type of rides! I hope not too old for Roller Coasters though!
I flew to Las Vegas with Aunt Nell while I was in Phoenix. I didn't ride any rides, which is very unusual. I tried to ride Speed at Sahara, but it was temporarily closed. Oh well, I'm sure I will be back. While in Las Vegas we rented a car again and drove all over the place. We drove over the Hoover Dam and saw the insanely tall bridge they are building! We hardly played at any of the casinos on the strip. We hit 7 splitters while were there! I had 3 and Aunt Nell had 4! Instead of a tour or show we went to the Spa at Bellagio! She got a facial, which she said was very nice! I got a Hot Stone Massage. It was THE best massage ever! It was so relaxing and felt so wonderful! We also got Manicures and Pedicures. We stayed at New York New York for the first 3 nights and the Bellagio the last 3 nights!
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