Hello, again.
Wow, you haven't heard from me for a month or so, and now I can't stop e-mailing everyone. Anyways, I just had my interview with the hospital in St Louis, and it's now confirmed. I'll be working at St Joseph Hospital in St Charles, MO for 3 months. Contract starts on May 7 and ends on Aug 5.
Philip and Lora get ready, cuz here I come to cause havoc in yet another state. I haven't left San Diego for 35 years, and now in one year span, I'll have lived in 5 states (including Missouri). Totally cool. Well, 6 if you count the 2 week break I had in Las Vegas at my parents' place.
Leona
Showing posts with label Travel nursing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel nursing. Show all posts
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Preparing for my next assignment
Hello, all.
Yes, I have been touring Austin and the adjacent areas. I've been checking out the local BBQ places, and I think I have enough red meat in my system to last me a lifetime (though it might have been shortened with all that fat). Well worth it. I'm starting to acquire a taste for Austin. It took a while. There's a lot of places to hike here, and a lot of hills overlooking different lakes and rivers. I figured I'll just wait until I collected enough pictures to share the scenery of Austin before sending them to you.
Austin is THE place to be if you love live music. Austin is filled with a lot of live music. Crazy. I went hiking around Town Lake (portion of the river running through downtown), and I heard live music playing at a Little League Baseball game. Austin also has a yearly festival of live music in Downtown area called "South by Southwest". They had different musicians playing at different nightclubs and bars for a full week. Different artists playing every hour each night for a week. The tickets (or ID bands) cost as low as $150. So, I didn't go to that area where you need ID bands, however there were plenty of places that you could hear those same artists play for free. Direct TV taped a few of the artists during the weekend, and we could go in for free. My friends and I went to that and heard 3 bands there on Thursday night (3/9). The artists were locals and even popular ones like Smash Mouth. The next night I went to Dominican Joe (my fav coffee shop), and a few of the artists came over for Open-Mic night and played for the crowd. I took some pics, but they didn't come out as well as I hoped. I'll send the pics, but I apologize for some of them that are blurry.
I had a lot of "first" opportunities in Austin: Fried Ocra, popular local places (Austin Java, Amy's Ice Cream, Waterloo Records, Chuy's, Salt Licks BBQ, Poke-E-Joe's BBQ, etc), Tornado warnings, and ice storms. My friends and I will go Kayaking this Wednesday on Town Lake. Can't wait.
I have one more month here in Austin, then I'm headed off to St Louis. I don't have an assignment yet, but I working with my recruiter to sign with a hospital in St Charles, 30 minutes away from St Louis. The hospital is 9 miles away from my sister and her family. I figured that though I may be farther from St Louis than I expected, at least I'm still in close vicinity to Lora and fam. When it's confirmed, I'll e-mail you an update.
I was hoping to return to San Diego for a fall assignment, but my uncle Denny brought up something that is very true: if I return to San Diego for an assignment, I may not want leave San Diego again. I miss San Diego, and after traveling around the US, I've come to appreciate San Diego even more. San Diego is protected from a lot of the severe weather the Midwest and east coast has to endure. We may have "severe" weather in San Diego, but it's NOTHING compared to what the rest of the country has to deal with. I will no longer complain about the weather when I'm back in San Diego. It's perfect in it's mild weather issues. (Of course, I don't add L.A. to this because of the smog they have that's drastically compromised their environmental haven.)
I think I've written quite a lot. I promise to e-mail everyone before I leave Austin.
Love,
Leona
Yes, I have been touring Austin and the adjacent areas. I've been checking out the local BBQ places, and I think I have enough red meat in my system to last me a lifetime (though it might have been shortened with all that fat). Well worth it. I'm starting to acquire a taste for Austin. It took a while. There's a lot of places to hike here, and a lot of hills overlooking different lakes and rivers. I figured I'll just wait until I collected enough pictures to share the scenery of Austin before sending them to you.
Austin is THE place to be if you love live music. Austin is filled with a lot of live music. Crazy. I went hiking around Town Lake (portion of the river running through downtown), and I heard live music playing at a Little League Baseball game. Austin also has a yearly festival of live music in Downtown area called "South by Southwest". They had different musicians playing at different nightclubs and bars for a full week. Different artists playing every hour each night for a week. The tickets (or ID bands) cost as low as $150. So, I didn't go to that area where you need ID bands, however there were plenty of places that you could hear those same artists play for free. Direct TV taped a few of the artists during the weekend, and we could go in for free. My friends and I went to that and heard 3 bands there on Thursday night (3/9). The artists were locals and even popular ones like Smash Mouth. The next night I went to Dominican Joe (my fav coffee shop), and a few of the artists came over for Open-Mic night and played for the crowd. I took some pics, but they didn't come out as well as I hoped. I'll send the pics, but I apologize for some of them that are blurry.
I had a lot of "first" opportunities in Austin: Fried Ocra, popular local places (Austin Java, Amy's Ice Cream, Waterloo Records, Chuy's, Salt Licks BBQ, Poke-E-Joe's BBQ, etc), Tornado warnings, and ice storms. My friends and I will go Kayaking this Wednesday on Town Lake. Can't wait.
I have one more month here in Austin, then I'm headed off to St Louis. I don't have an assignment yet, but I working with my recruiter to sign with a hospital in St Charles, 30 minutes away from St Louis. The hospital is 9 miles away from my sister and her family. I figured that though I may be farther from St Louis than I expected, at least I'm still in close vicinity to Lora and fam. When it's confirmed, I'll e-mail you an update.
I was hoping to return to San Diego for a fall assignment, but my uncle Denny brought up something that is very true: if I return to San Diego for an assignment, I may not want leave San Diego again. I miss San Diego, and after traveling around the US, I've come to appreciate San Diego even more. San Diego is protected from a lot of the severe weather the Midwest and east coast has to endure. We may have "severe" weather in San Diego, but it's NOTHING compared to what the rest of the country has to deal with. I will no longer complain about the weather when I'm back in San Diego. It's perfect in it's mild weather issues. (Of course, I don't add L.A. to this because of the smog they have that's drastically compromised their environmental haven.)
I think I've written quite a lot. I promise to e-mail everyone before I leave Austin.
Love,
Leona
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Finally, I get to see Austin, TX.
Hello, everyone.
Sorry I haven't written for a while. Has it been an unusual winter, or what? Austin is not as warm as I thought it would be in the winter season, but I'm not going to complain. It's been better here than other parts of the midwest (sorry, Lora and Denny. You're in my prayers). It's finally warmed up enough for me to sightsee a bit. I haven't been able to do touristy stuff here, since I came here at the wrong time (from what I've been told). When it IS warm I'm at the hospital working, and it's gloomy cold when I'm off. However, today I had a 3 day weekend off on a cool, sunny day so I took advantage of it. I haven't found anything here that would bring me back to Austin, and not as many things to do like I did in Seattle, but there's still some things to see when March and April comes around.
I found a couple coffee shops that have live music every weekend. I like their open-mic nights the most. You get to hear from a lot of "almost famous" musicians with talent (and some with not much). I also found out that March 2 was Texas Independence Day, and they're doing a weekend celebration. Yesterday, there was a ceremony at the Capitol building (I missed it), and today was an Independence Day parade. Most of the spectators were at the area that the parade stops to perform, so I sat 2 blocks down from that area where the spectators were sparse and had a better view point. Still, there were not that many that showed up. When I heard about it earlier in the week, I asked a lot of people that live here where and when it started. Most of them didn't even know that a parade was occurring this Saturday. One of the spectators I was talking with said that there's a bigger celebration for Cinco de Mayo, than there is for Texas Independence. Wow, and this is the capitol of Texas. Anyways, I got a chance to take a lot of pics of the parade.
I went to the Capitol building as well, and got a chance to learn Texas history. Did you know that 6 countries owned Texas? France, Spain, Mexico, Texas, Confederacy, and United States. No wonder Texans are proud to be Texans. They were their own country and had their own Presidents and military for a few years, before they decided to join the US to avoid bankruptcy. It's one thing to hear history in school, but it's another thing to visit the places. I love history.
Austin downtown is a mixture of old and state-of-the-art buildings. Downtown is beautiful at night (from a distance). There's this one building called "Frost Tower" that was recently built. At night, the glass panels of the building are lit up, and it looks like the White Witch's castle in Chronicles of Narnia (I don't have a good enough camera to take a picture of it during the night). They also have a warehouse district like San Diego's downtown with different restaurants and special museums.
There's supposed to be more to see when April comes around: Bats flying at dusk, creek pools with waterfalls, Lake Travis' wildflower beds, riverboats, "South by Southwest", etc. Hopefully, I'll have more pics to share with you in April. I extended my contract here up to beginning of May to get a chance to see what Austin has to offer in April. Of course, after this assignment my next stop is St Louis, where I get to visit my sister (and family) for 3 months. I'll be in St Louis from May through mid-August. After that, I don't know if I'm going back to San Diego for the summer heat and cool ocean water, or go to Connecticut to visit my niece and her family there. That's up to God.
That's pretty much it here. I'll send you the pics as soon as I download them.
;-) lots of love,
Leona
Sorry I haven't written for a while. Has it been an unusual winter, or what? Austin is not as warm as I thought it would be in the winter season, but I'm not going to complain. It's been better here than other parts of the midwest (sorry, Lora and Denny. You're in my prayers). It's finally warmed up enough for me to sightsee a bit. I haven't been able to do touristy stuff here, since I came here at the wrong time (from what I've been told). When it IS warm I'm at the hospital working, and it's gloomy cold when I'm off. However, today I had a 3 day weekend off on a cool, sunny day so I took advantage of it. I haven't found anything here that would bring me back to Austin, and not as many things to do like I did in Seattle, but there's still some things to see when March and April comes around.
I found a couple coffee shops that have live music every weekend. I like their open-mic nights the most. You get to hear from a lot of "almost famous" musicians with talent (and some with not much). I also found out that March 2 was Texas Independence Day, and they're doing a weekend celebration. Yesterday, there was a ceremony at the Capitol building (I missed it), and today was an Independence Day parade. Most of the spectators were at the area that the parade stops to perform, so I sat 2 blocks down from that area where the spectators were sparse and had a better view point. Still, there were not that many that showed up. When I heard about it earlier in the week, I asked a lot of people that live here where and when it started. Most of them didn't even know that a parade was occurring this Saturday. One of the spectators I was talking with said that there's a bigger celebration for Cinco de Mayo, than there is for Texas Independence. Wow, and this is the capitol of Texas. Anyways, I got a chance to take a lot of pics of the parade.
I went to the Capitol building as well, and got a chance to learn Texas history. Did you know that 6 countries owned Texas? France, Spain, Mexico, Texas, Confederacy, and United States. No wonder Texans are proud to be Texans. They were their own country and had their own Presidents and military for a few years, before they decided to join the US to avoid bankruptcy. It's one thing to hear history in school, but it's another thing to visit the places. I love history.
Austin downtown is a mixture of old and state-of-the-art buildings. Downtown is beautiful at night (from a distance). There's this one building called "Frost Tower" that was recently built. At night, the glass panels of the building are lit up, and it looks like the White Witch's castle in Chronicles of Narnia (I don't have a good enough camera to take a picture of it during the night). They also have a warehouse district like San Diego's downtown with different restaurants and special museums.
There's supposed to be more to see when April comes around: Bats flying at dusk, creek pools with waterfalls, Lake Travis' wildflower beds, riverboats, "South by Southwest", etc. Hopefully, I'll have more pics to share with you in April. I extended my contract here up to beginning of May to get a chance to see what Austin has to offer in April. Of course, after this assignment my next stop is St Louis, where I get to visit my sister (and family) for 3 months. I'll be in St Louis from May through mid-August. After that, I don't know if I'm going back to San Diego for the summer heat and cool ocean water, or go to Connecticut to visit my niece and her family there. That's up to God.
That's pretty much it here. I'll send you the pics as soon as I download them.
;-) lots of love,
Leona
Monday, December 11, 2006
Happy holidays!!
Hello, everyone.
The holidays are here!! I have 2 more nights to work in Denver, then my assignment here is done. Then, I'm off to Sedona, AZ to vacation for a week with my parents, and then to Las Vegas where my parents live. I'm taking 3 weeks off before I start my next assignment in Texas. It's awesome when you take that first step towards God's direction, everything just falls into place even before you take the next step. My Texas RN license came through, my paperwork with my company is completed and sent, and all I'm waiting for now is my apartment information.
I still have time to sightsee just little more. Cesilia and I went to the Red Rocks park and amphitheater recently. It's real cool just driving to the Red Rocks Amphitheater. All around you, you see pastures, and sticking out of the green hills is a large rock formation of red rocks. You wouldn't even know there's an amphitheater in the middle of that formation until you get closer. Now this is an awesome sight to see. No one can move these rocks into place to make this amphitheater. It's a natural formation that makes a great acoustic sound for concerts, and open to a clear sky. I have GOT to come back here for the summer to listen to a concert play here. In the 1930's, early 1940's, Civilians Conservation Corps chiseled out the seating in the rock formation, and used the chiseled rocks to make the stage of the amphitheater. (hey, I LOVE history.)
After touring the amphitheater, and climbing around the red rocks, we went to this restaurant called the Fort. It was built like a frontier fort, but once we walked in, it was a whole different scenery. The Fort's specialty meals were game meats (Buffalo, Elk, Venison, Quail, etc). I had what's called, "The Fort's game plate" that had quail, Buffalo, and elk for dinner. It tasted good, but the Elk tasted like liver (is that what it's supposed to taste like?) I also had broiled sheep cheese with baked bread slices. Cesilia wasn't as brave, and stuck with the Chicken. It was free range, so it was still considered different ;-)
I have one more sightseeing day, and I'm hoping to go to Colorado Springs again, and visit the places I missed when I was there last with my parents. So more pics to come after the Red Rocks trip.
Talk to you soon
Leona
The holidays are here!! I have 2 more nights to work in Denver, then my assignment here is done. Then, I'm off to Sedona, AZ to vacation for a week with my parents, and then to Las Vegas where my parents live. I'm taking 3 weeks off before I start my next assignment in Texas. It's awesome when you take that first step towards God's direction, everything just falls into place even before you take the next step. My Texas RN license came through, my paperwork with my company is completed and sent, and all I'm waiting for now is my apartment information.
I still have time to sightsee just little more. Cesilia and I went to the Red Rocks park and amphitheater recently. It's real cool just driving to the Red Rocks Amphitheater. All around you, you see pastures, and sticking out of the green hills is a large rock formation of red rocks. You wouldn't even know there's an amphitheater in the middle of that formation until you get closer. Now this is an awesome sight to see. No one can move these rocks into place to make this amphitheater. It's a natural formation that makes a great acoustic sound for concerts, and open to a clear sky. I have GOT to come back here for the summer to listen to a concert play here. In the 1930's, early 1940's, Civilians Conservation Corps chiseled out the seating in the rock formation, and used the chiseled rocks to make the stage of the amphitheater. (hey, I LOVE history.)
After touring the amphitheater, and climbing around the red rocks, we went to this restaurant called the Fort. It was built like a frontier fort, but once we walked in, it was a whole different scenery. The Fort's specialty meals were game meats (Buffalo, Elk, Venison, Quail, etc). I had what's called, "The Fort's game plate" that had quail, Buffalo, and elk for dinner. It tasted good, but the Elk tasted like liver (is that what it's supposed to taste like?) I also had broiled sheep cheese with baked bread slices. Cesilia wasn't as brave, and stuck with the Chicken. It was free range, so it was still considered different ;-)
I have one more sightseeing day, and I'm hoping to go to Colorado Springs again, and visit the places I missed when I was there last with my parents. So more pics to come after the Red Rocks trip.
Talk to you soon
Leona
Sunday, November 12, 2006
My Next Travel Nursing adventure
Hello, everyone.
Wow! I can't believe I've been in Denver for 2 months now. My recruiter called me this week to ask where I want to go next. I'm still enjoying travel nursing. Best vacation to ever have. Work 3 days, and play for 4. Of course, since it's getting closer for me to leave, and I need to save for my trip to my parents, I'm working 4 days and sightseeing a little on the other 3 days. After Denver, I'm going to meet up with my parents on 12/16 in Sedona, AZ for a week, then make our way up to Vegas. I should be at my next assignment on Jan 9. Sorry I haven't put anymore pics up yet. It's still in my camera. I haven't done much sightseeing since my parents went back home few weeks back.
My friend Cesilia and I went to Crystal Lake, close to Pine Grove, CO, last week. It was nice. Calm and beautiful. What made the trip more entertaining was Pine Grove. You've heard people say "if you blink, you'll miss it."? Well, we did. We saw the sign "Welcome to Pine Grove, Pop:? ," saw a couple buildings, then "Thanks for coming." Well..., not exactly like that, but their volunteer fire department was a cabin, and their Restaurant& Bar was also their liquor store. The best one yet was their gas station that you'll have to see for yourself when I download the pics. All in all, if you love the quiet mountain terrain and love to live life outdoors, this is the best place to be. Not far from hiking/biking trails or the ski resorts. The ONE restaurant they have there is pretty good as well. If you ever find yourself in Pine Grove, CO, check out Zokas Restaurant & Bar.
Right now, it's time to decide where to go next. I've been going back and forth on where to go to next after Denver for months now, then decided to just be still and hear where the Lord wants me to go next. (I'd rather go where the Lord is during my travel nursing adventures, than going on my own. Safer that way) I guess the next destination is Austin, TX. I don't know why, but I'm going.
My niece Maria said that there's a lot of live music there, and I'll be there in the winter, so it shouldn't be that bad, right? I've been thinking about going there before to see why Maria is so eager to go back to Austin, TX, but I talked myself out of it many times.
I do miss San Diego and La Jolla Cove. In Seattle, I was surrounded by bays and Puget Sound that I wasn't that homesick. Living in the midwest area, I've noticed that there's not that many large bodies of water around to imagine I'm close to S.D., especially in Denver. Is there a lake or large river in Austin I can visit while I'm there? (I think I'm starting to whine.) I hope to return to San Diego for a few days in the spring, and maybe a little longer in the summer (3 months).
Well, that's the update for now. I'll keep you posted on where I'll work next.
Love,
Leona
Wow! I can't believe I've been in Denver for 2 months now. My recruiter called me this week to ask where I want to go next. I'm still enjoying travel nursing. Best vacation to ever have. Work 3 days, and play for 4. Of course, since it's getting closer for me to leave, and I need to save for my trip to my parents, I'm working 4 days and sightseeing a little on the other 3 days. After Denver, I'm going to meet up with my parents on 12/16 in Sedona, AZ for a week, then make our way up to Vegas. I should be at my next assignment on Jan 9. Sorry I haven't put anymore pics up yet. It's still in my camera. I haven't done much sightseeing since my parents went back home few weeks back.
My friend Cesilia and I went to Crystal Lake, close to Pine Grove, CO, last week. It was nice. Calm and beautiful. What made the trip more entertaining was Pine Grove. You've heard people say "if you blink, you'll miss it."? Well, we did. We saw the sign "Welcome to Pine Grove, Pop:? ," saw a couple buildings, then "Thanks for coming." Well..., not exactly like that, but their volunteer fire department was a cabin, and their Restaurant& Bar was also their liquor store. The best one yet was their gas station that you'll have to see for yourself when I download the pics. All in all, if you love the quiet mountain terrain and love to live life outdoors, this is the best place to be. Not far from hiking/biking trails or the ski resorts. The ONE restaurant they have there is pretty good as well. If you ever find yourself in Pine Grove, CO, check out Zokas Restaurant & Bar.
Right now, it's time to decide where to go next. I've been going back and forth on where to go to next after Denver for months now, then decided to just be still and hear where the Lord wants me to go next. (I'd rather go where the Lord is during my travel nursing adventures, than going on my own. Safer that way) I guess the next destination is Austin, TX. I don't know why, but I'm going.
My niece Maria said that there's a lot of live music there, and I'll be there in the winter, so it shouldn't be that bad, right? I've been thinking about going there before to see why Maria is so eager to go back to Austin, TX, but I talked myself out of it many times.
I do miss San Diego and La Jolla Cove. In Seattle, I was surrounded by bays and Puget Sound that I wasn't that homesick. Living in the midwest area, I've noticed that there's not that many large bodies of water around to imagine I'm close to S.D., especially in Denver. Is there a lake or large river in Austin I can visit while I'm there? (I think I'm starting to whine.) I hope to return to San Diego for a few days in the spring, and maybe a little longer in the summer (3 months).
Well, that's the update for now. I'll keep you posted on where I'll work next.
Love,
Leona
Saturday, September 16, 2006
I made it!!
Praise you, Jesus!! I made it to Denver.
Bad timing to start driving to Denver from Utah. I stopped at Riverton, UT to visit a friend of mine, and I was to leave for Denver on Friday. Unfortunately, I found out that a thunder storm was coming in that same time, as well as a snow storm in the mountains. Dark clouds settled on what looked like the WHOLE state of Utah, so no matter what route I take, I'm hitting weather. I took the south way (I-70) to Denver to miss the worst of the storm. (I still left on Friday)
If, for some trivial reason, you were looking at the weather channel, and noticed a hole in the clouds over Utah. That was me. On occasion, I did have rain, but not too bad. It was awesome, though. Most of the time, while driving in Utah, I was in the center of clear skies, but I could see storm clouds 10 miles (maybe more) away all around me. It's wonderful to know the controller of the weather. So, everyone, thank you for your prayers. It was definitely heard.
1 Kings 18:41-45, Luke 8:24-25
I also enjoyed the awesome scenery around me. I'm glad I went through Colorado to Denver, instead of Wyoming. I would have missed all that beauty. Like I said when I first travelled to Seattle, God is the Master of Art. No one can surpass His creation.
I'm moving into my apartment later today. I arrived in Denver last night, and I stayed with my brother and his wife until I can move in today. I'm still making my list of what I want to do in Denver, and hopefully I'll have more pix to share.
Love and thanks,
Leona
Bad timing to start driving to Denver from Utah. I stopped at Riverton, UT to visit a friend of mine, and I was to leave for Denver on Friday. Unfortunately, I found out that a thunder storm was coming in that same time, as well as a snow storm in the mountains. Dark clouds settled on what looked like the WHOLE state of Utah, so no matter what route I take, I'm hitting weather. I took the south way (I-70) to Denver to miss the worst of the storm. (I still left on Friday)
If, for some trivial reason, you were looking at the weather channel, and noticed a hole in the clouds over Utah. That was me. On occasion, I did have rain, but not too bad. It was awesome, though. Most of the time, while driving in Utah, I was in the center of clear skies, but I could see storm clouds 10 miles (maybe more) away all around me. It's wonderful to know the controller of the weather. So, everyone, thank you for your prayers. It was definitely heard.
1 Kings 18:41-45, Luke 8:24-25
I also enjoyed the awesome scenery around me. I'm glad I went through Colorado to Denver, instead of Wyoming. I would have missed all that beauty. Like I said when I first travelled to Seattle, God is the Master of Art. No one can surpass His creation.
I'm moving into my apartment later today. I arrived in Denver last night, and I stayed with my brother and his wife until I can move in today. I'm still making my list of what I want to do in Denver, and hopefully I'll have more pix to share.
Love and thanks,
Leona
Sunday, September 10, 2006
On the road to Denver
Hello, all.
Well, as of early tomorrow (Monday) morning, I'm leaving for Denver. I'll be driving through Nevada, stopping at Utah to visit my friend Penny for a few days, and then to Denver. From what I saw on local.live.com, it's pretty much in Cherry Creek area. I packed up my apartment, but now I have to figure out how I can fit in my CRV again. Wayne, I wish you were here to help me out again.
PLEASE PRAY for safe travel, and that what business I still need to do in Nevada goes smoothly. I won't be near any WiFi's for a week, so I'll update you when I arrive in Denver.
Love in Christ,
Leona
Well, as of early tomorrow (Monday) morning, I'm leaving for Denver. I'll be driving through Nevada, stopping at Utah to visit my friend Penny for a few days, and then to Denver. From what I saw on local.live.com, it's pretty much in Cherry Creek area. I packed up my apartment, but now I have to figure out how I can fit in my CRV again. Wayne, I wish you were here to help me out again.
PLEASE PRAY for safe travel, and that what business I still need to do in Nevada goes smoothly. I won't be near any WiFi's for a week, so I'll update you when I arrive in Denver.
Love in Christ,
Leona
Friday, September 01, 2006
OWW (continued)
Well, my root canal is done, and the Novocain is wearing off. 0-10 pain scale, I’d say I’m at a 10. Its good thing is that my endodontist gave me a prescription of some “happy pills”, called Vicodin. Last time I took this, it knocked me out for 4 hours. I hope it can do that again.
My endodontist found out that my back tooth definitely needed a root canal, cuz the tissue in that tooth was dead, so he drilled and cleaned, then prescribed antibiotics as well. It’s a good thing that I have an extra week to recuperate, cuz I wouldn’t be able to drive in this condition.
In all of this, I have to praise god that I’m getting it done now than waiting until I get to
Love in Christ,
Leona
OWWW!
Hello, again.
It’s getting closer to the day I leave
PRAY FOR ME that I can survive this pain until my appointment, and my temporary crown appointment will go smoothly next Thursday so I can leave on Sunday without any further problems. So, keep me in your prayers for the next 2 weeks for pain relief, time management (I’m still packing), and a safe trip to
Monday, August 21, 2006
Putting this out in prayer. (Getting close to moving again.)
Hi, everyone.
I hope everyone enjoyed the journey that I've experienced so far as a travel nurse. It's been a wonderful 2 1/2 months in Seattle, and I have less than 3 weeks to go. I've been told many times that I came to Seattle at the right time, and I have to agree. Seattlelites really know how to enjoy the summer, cuz it's the only time the sun comes out for 3 straight months. Yes, there has been occasional showers, but while I've been in Seattle I've been blessed with mostly sunny skies and temperate heat. I've seen a lot of Seattle as well (obviously). I have only one thing to see before I leave, and that's Bumbershoot (Seattle's last festival).
I'm moving soon, so all the stuff I unpacked in June need to fit back into my CRV, along with additional things I purchased. I think I need to repurge some stuff. Thank you, Raquel for helping me purge some of my stuff before returning to San Diego. It was easier to do this time around, compared to the first time before I moved to Seattle. Before Seattle, she had to pry some things out of my fingers to purge. ;-) (Her version of relaxing)
I've found how much of an important asset it is to have a small group, as well as a church, to go to while traveling on my own. While I was in San Diego, I've been going to Small Group at Karen Stevens' house, and I have learned so much from everyone there. Ladies (Karen and group), you have taught me about relationships and marriage, prepared me for whenever I marry, and to not lower my stardards for a husband. It's been wonderful to go to small group and listen to these ladies, rich with experience and love for the Lord, and great accountability partners, especially when we were involved in planning the Women's Retreat last year. That was the clencher of why I decided to go to your small group.
Pray for me that I can pack everything back in my car in record time, and that I don't lose my mind with the list of things I need to do and straighten out before leaving Seattle.
That's a lot I shared, huh? Thanks everyone. I'll write again soon,
Leona
PRAISE REPORT: I finally have confirmation that I'm now licensed in Colorado. Been waiting for it for over a month.
I hope everyone enjoyed the journey that I've experienced so far as a travel nurse. It's been a wonderful 2 1/2 months in Seattle, and I have less than 3 weeks to go. I've been told many times that I came to Seattle at the right time, and I have to agree. Seattlelites really know how to enjoy the summer, cuz it's the only time the sun comes out for 3 straight months. Yes, there has been occasional showers, but while I've been in Seattle I've been blessed with mostly sunny skies and temperate heat. I've seen a lot of Seattle as well (obviously). I have only one thing to see before I leave, and that's Bumbershoot (Seattle's last festival).
I'm moving soon, so all the stuff I unpacked in June need to fit back into my CRV, along with additional things I purchased. I think I need to repurge some stuff. Thank you, Raquel for helping me purge some of my stuff before returning to San Diego. It was easier to do this time around, compared to the first time before I moved to Seattle. Before Seattle, she had to pry some things out of my fingers to purge. ;-) (Her version of relaxing)
I've found how much of an important asset it is to have a small group, as well as a church, to go to while traveling on my own. While I was in San Diego, I've been going to Small Group at Karen Stevens' house, and I have learned so much from everyone there. Ladies (Karen and group), you have taught me about relationships and marriage, prepared me for whenever I marry, and to not lower my stardards for a husband. It's been wonderful to go to small group and listen to these ladies, rich with experience and love for the Lord, and great accountability partners, especially when we were involved in planning the Women's Retreat last year. That was the clencher of why I decided to go to your small group.
Pray for me that I can pack everything back in my car in record time, and that I don't lose my mind with the list of things I need to do and straighten out before leaving Seattle.
That's a lot I shared, huh? Thanks everyone. I'll write again soon,
Leona
PRAISE REPORT: I finally have confirmation that I'm now licensed in Colorado. Been waiting for it for over a month.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
I did find a church in Seattle
If any of you were wondering, yes I found a church here in Seattle. It's been difficult to find one that's in the inner city area of Seattle (or where I am in University District) that is solid in the Word. There are no Bible bookstores in the city limits, except on the outskirts of Seattle. Fortunately, Pastor Kyle from the Rock Church (my home church) told me of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I went there on the second week of arriving in Seattle, and Pastor Mark is an amazing speaker. He's straight forward and brings the sermon down the their level like Pastor Miles, but in a different way. Like Pastor Miles, Pastor Mark has a gift for evangelism.
The church is growing like the Rock Church, and outgrowing their temporary church site, but the Lord has blessed this church to expand throughout Greater Seattle. Pastor Mark said that Seattle is considered a burial grave for new churches, and for Mars Hill Church to flourish as it has, the Lord is with them to succeed. They just acquired a couple of buildings, both churches. I don't know the details as to what happened to the congregations of these churches, but the leaders of these churches came to Mars Hill church and offered their buildings to help Mars Hill Church expand throughout the city. It's a rather long story to explain Mars Hill's situation, unable to move into a larger facility, but what I've seen I know the Lord is doing miracles left and right to reside throughout Seattle.
Before I left San Diego, I prayed that Father God would use me wherever He led me to. When I got here, the only thing Lord wanted me to do is pray for Seattle. Pray for them. Where the Lord has them planting churches are areas that need prayer the most for revival and an open heart to Jesus. Ballard, Wedgewood/University District, and West Seattle.
Thank you everyone for your replies to my posts. I miss everyone in San Diego. It's been hot up here, but from what I've heard it wasn't as bad compared to the heat wave in San Diego. I hope everyone survived the heat. Jo, how are you doing? You've been on my mind, and I've been praying for you especially with these last 2 weeks of heat.
When the Lord says I can go back home to San Diego, I'll be back in a flash.
Love you all in Christ,
Leona
The church is growing like the Rock Church, and outgrowing their temporary church site, but the Lord has blessed this church to expand throughout Greater Seattle. Pastor Mark said that Seattle is considered a burial grave for new churches, and for Mars Hill Church to flourish as it has, the Lord is with them to succeed. They just acquired a couple of buildings, both churches. I don't know the details as to what happened to the congregations of these churches, but the leaders of these churches came to Mars Hill church and offered their buildings to help Mars Hill Church expand throughout the city. It's a rather long story to explain Mars Hill's situation, unable to move into a larger facility, but what I've seen I know the Lord is doing miracles left and right to reside throughout Seattle.
Before I left San Diego, I prayed that Father God would use me wherever He led me to. When I got here, the only thing Lord wanted me to do is pray for Seattle. Pray for them. Where the Lord has them planting churches are areas that need prayer the most for revival and an open heart to Jesus. Ballard, Wedgewood/University District, and West Seattle.
Thank you everyone for your replies to my posts. I miss everyone in San Diego. It's been hot up here, but from what I've heard it wasn't as bad compared to the heat wave in San Diego. I hope everyone survived the heat. Jo, how are you doing? You've been on my mind, and I've been praying for you especially with these last 2 weeks of heat.
When the Lord says I can go back home to San Diego, I'll be back in a flash.
Love you all in Christ,
Leona
Friday, June 30, 2006
My next assignment
OK. Before I tell you what my next assignment is, I need to tell you this. Before I even started nursing school, I worked with a temp agency during the summer, and was assigned to different companies as a receptionist. Sometimes I worked in a company's records dept, as a data processor, or admin assistant. No matter what company I was assigned to or position I took, I enjoyed it because I met new people and learned new things that I took to my next assignment. I worked for this temp agency every summer up through nursing school, until I found a permanent position at Sharp Memorial Hospital as a Nursing Assistant. I worked at this hospital as Per Diem (part time without benefits) on one Unit, but I was constantly floated to another unit if there were too many NA's on our unit. It was like the temp agency all over again, so I got a chance to see how the different units in that hospital worked, and again learned a lot. The Lord was preparing for something. Perhaps as a Travel Nurse.
I think working in that type of setting has made me restless if I stayed in one place for a long period of time...(I'm never going to get married) As a nurse I have been in 3 different units in the span of 4 years, until I settled in 2 West (my 4th and last unit at Grossmont Hospital) before I became a Travel Nurse. I stayed in that unit for 2 1/2 years. My longest time in one place. (No wonder I was eager to be a Travel Nurse)
Ok, that said, my next assignment is in Denver, CO. I 'm staying in Seattle until Sept 7, only 3 months, then I'm going to Denver, CO for 15 weeks 12/16. My Agency has set me up with a Staffing company called All About Staffing that helps staff 6 hospitals in the Denver area, from Thornon to Lone Tree and from Englewood to Aurora. From what I got from the company, I'll be assigned to 3 of the hospitals and float between the 3. Of course, they won't float me from one hospital to another in one night. I'm making sure they place that on my contract. Each hospital has a particular specialty, such as Level 1 Trauma, heart transplants, limb reattachments, tertiary (multiple specialties), etc. I'm going to work as a PCU nurse, which is a set down unit from ICU. All the hospitals are under one system, like the Sharp Healthcare system has 6 hospital facilities. So, all of the hospitals have the same computer documentation system. How they each run, I'll find out in orientation. (Dr Abou will probably get a laugh at this assignment).
This one is going to be a challenge, but one that I'm going to enjoy. Continue to pray for me, of course. I'm still getting used to working night shift, and I'll work night shift in Denver, CO as well. I get to visit with my friends and family there. SO, Cecilia and Denny, I'll call you when I get there in September. I'll notify you where my apartment is located when they give me that info. They'll find an apartment with similar specs as the one I'm living at now, centrally located to the hospitals I'll be assigned to. Until then, I'm going to enjoy Seattle as much as I can, cuz I won't be close to bays/ocean or seafood as I am now, when I get to Denver.
Update you later,
Leona
I think working in that type of setting has made me restless if I stayed in one place for a long period of time...(I'm never going to get married) As a nurse I have been in 3 different units in the span of 4 years, until I settled in 2 West (my 4th and last unit at Grossmont Hospital) before I became a Travel Nurse. I stayed in that unit for 2 1/2 years. My longest time in one place. (No wonder I was eager to be a Travel Nurse)
Ok, that said, my next assignment is in Denver, CO. I 'm staying in Seattle until Sept 7, only 3 months, then I'm going to Denver, CO for 15 weeks 12/16. My Agency has set me up with a Staffing company called All About Staffing that helps staff 6 hospitals in the Denver area, from Thornon to Lone Tree and from Englewood to Aurora. From what I got from the company, I'll be assigned to 3 of the hospitals and float between the 3. Of course, they won't float me from one hospital to another in one night. I'm making sure they place that on my contract. Each hospital has a particular specialty, such as Level 1 Trauma, heart transplants, limb reattachments, tertiary (multiple specialties), etc. I'm going to work as a PCU nurse, which is a set down unit from ICU. All the hospitals are under one system, like the Sharp Healthcare system has 6 hospital facilities. So, all of the hospitals have the same computer documentation system. How they each run, I'll find out in orientation. (Dr Abou will probably get a laugh at this assignment).
This one is going to be a challenge, but one that I'm going to enjoy. Continue to pray for me, of course. I'm still getting used to working night shift, and I'll work night shift in Denver, CO as well. I get to visit with my friends and family there. SO, Cecilia and Denny, I'll call you when I get there in September. I'll notify you where my apartment is located when they give me that info. They'll find an apartment with similar specs as the one I'm living at now, centrally located to the hospitals I'll be assigned to. Until then, I'm going to enjoy Seattle as much as I can, cuz I won't be close to bays/ocean or seafood as I am now, when I get to Denver.
Update you later,
Leona
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Ok, here are the pix
Sorry for not posting these pix earlier. I was having too much fun in Seattle. :-)
My brother Wayne and I packed my car like a puzzle, fitting the pieces so I can still see behind me as I drive.
This is Northern part of California. Very different from Southern Cal. Like I said in one of my first posts, my inexperienced photo skills won't be able to take in the beauty I saw during my drive, but I hope it's enough.
<-- Mount Shasta hidden in the clouds. Still snow on the mountains here, but not enough to go snowboarding.
I have only San Diego River to compare this river to, and this is a HUGE river, with the Oregon/Washington state line running down the center.
I finally made it to Washington, and look at what I get to view from my apartment building roof.
Tell me if you didn't get these pix.
Leona
Sorry for not posting these pix earlier. I was having too much fun in Seattle. :-)
My brother Wayne and I packed my car like a puzzle, fitting the pieces so I can still see behind me as I drive.
This is Northern part of California. Very different from Southern Cal. Like I said in one of my first posts, my inexperienced photo skills won't be able to take in the beauty I saw during my drive, but I hope it's enough.
<-- Mount Shasta hidden in the clouds. Still snow on the mountains here, but not enough to go snowboarding.
I have only San Diego River to compare this river to, and this is a HUGE river, with the Oregon/Washington state line running down the center.
I finally made it to Washington, and look at what I get to view from my apartment building roof.
Tell me if you didn't get these pix.
Leona
Monday, June 19, 2006
Adjusting to Night life
Hello, everyone
Sorry I haven't written for a while. A lot adjusting and sightseeing going on that I have more pix to share. I know everyone didn't get the pix I sent the 1st time, but I did find the problem, and I'll send the pix to you again.
Night shift has be rough after 2am, but I think I found out how to survive through 4:30am, when I start seeing the sun rising. I love the hospital I'm at. A lot of staff support for the nurses to focus on primary patient care. The computer system is actually better than the system at Grossmont Hospital.
So far, I've found all the malls nearest to me. (priorities) This week I finally went sightseeing and Kayaking. Hearing from me now means I survived. It was fun, and I'll probably be out there again. It's not a bike, so I'm sort of safe. ;-D I also found the 1st Starbucks at Pike Place Market. They maintained the old design, but the same menus, of course. Still no Cinnamon Dolce. :-(
I'll post again with the Pix.
Leona
Hello, everyone
Sorry I haven't written for a while. A lot adjusting and sightseeing going on that I have more pix to share. I know everyone didn't get the pix I sent the 1st time, but I did find the problem, and I'll send the pix to you again.
Night shift has be rough after 2am, but I think I found out how to survive through 4:30am, when I start seeing the sun rising. I love the hospital I'm at. A lot of staff support for the nurses to focus on primary patient care. The computer system is actually better than the system at Grossmont Hospital.
So far, I've found all the malls nearest to me. (priorities) This week I finally went sightseeing and Kayaking. Hearing from me now means I survived. It was fun, and I'll probably be out there again. It's not a bike, so I'm sort of safe. ;-D I also found the 1st Starbucks at Pike Place Market. They maintained the old design, but the same menus, of course. Still no Cinnamon Dolce. :-(
I'll post again with the Pix.
Leona
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Long 3 months on Night Shift
I must have been insane to agree to night shift. My 1st night on night shift, and I was pacing up and down the halls to stay awake. I love the Unit I’m working on, but the night shift will be torturous if my body doesn’t get into a proper sleep cycle. The good thing about this morning, is that it’s cloudy and cold outside, so no sunlight will wake me up and the cold weather will keep me in bed. J Thank you, Jesus.
Talk to you soon
June 5 - 1st day at work
On Sunday, I drove to
These 1st 2 days are just orientation, but on Wednesday night, I’m working my 1st night shift in 3 years. Pray for me!!!! The sun sets late (9:30pm) and rises early (5:30am). So, what beauty sleep I was hoping to get at night before my night shifts is shortened. I’ve been going to bed late, thinking it was 7:30 and walking in my neighborhood, when in fact is 9:00pm and the stores I wanted to go to were closing. I forgot about the longer days of summer in
I still haven’t found a Starbucks closest to me. (I can hear the laughters from a distance). I haven’t ventured further than 2 blocks from me, so it must be a block or 2 further. I still have no internet connection, but Beau helped me out in finding a closest wifi coffee shop to me. (Thanks, Beau) Of course, I haven’t gone yet to those Coffee shops he listed for me. I did make an appointment for them to hook me up in my apartment, but they won’t come in until Friday, so I DO need to get to one of those coffee house, and SOON. I’m finding out how dependent I am to the internet. Since I don’t have a TV either, I’m getting bored in my apartment, but too tired or too late to walk to the coffee shops to connect on the web.
I’m hopeless. Talk to you soon,
June 3 - I made it!!
I’m finally here.
I’m here safe and sound, and unpacked my car AND boxes in record time. I’m so wired from the drive that I was able to unpack my boxes tonight before going to bed. With the limited space in my car however, I had to buy a lot of things that I needed still.
My apartment is located in the University District, close to
Leona
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
A week to go...
Hey, everyone
Wow!! One week go, and I'm leaving San Diego. First time I EVER moved away from San Diego. ...eek. 35 years in San Diego, and now I'm leaving my comfort zone. It's been a whirlwind: packing, paperwork, finishing projects, and seeing family and friends before I leave.
I'm leaving San Diego on the 1st, and I should arrive in Seattle by Saturday (3rd). I'm going to work at Virgina Mason Hospital in their Step-Down Unit (step down from ICU level), and visit family in Vancouver and Whidbey Island while I'm there. I don't know where I'll visit first, but I DO know I'm going to Pike's Market, and look for a good place for crab and shrimp ......hmmmm......shriiimmp. Maria, I'll think about you with every bite. :-D I promise to tell you when I arrive safe and sound in Seattle.
Love always,
Leona
Hey, everyone
Wow!! One week go, and I'm leaving San Diego. First time I EVER moved away from San Diego. ...eek. 35 years in San Diego, and now I'm leaving my comfort zone. It's been a whirlwind: packing, paperwork, finishing projects, and seeing family and friends before I leave.
I'm leaving San Diego on the 1st, and I should arrive in Seattle by Saturday (3rd). I'm going to work at Virgina Mason Hospital in their Step-Down Unit (step down from ICU level), and visit family in Vancouver and Whidbey Island while I'm there. I don't know where I'll visit first, but I DO know I'm going to Pike's Market, and look for a good place for crab and shrimp ......hmmmm......shriiimmp. Maria, I'll think about you with every bite. :-D I promise to tell you when I arrive safe and sound in Seattle.
Love always,
Leona
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Well, my departure date is official.
I had my interview with Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle, and I'll be starting on June 12. I did my research on the hospital before the interview, and it seems like an excellent hospital to work at. I'm going to work in their Immediate Care Unit (IMCU), during the night shift. So, PRAY for me. I don't do well on night shifts.
I'll be leaving San Diego on the 7th, and hopefully get there by the 9th. So, all of May I'll be visiting friends and family, and packing at the same time. It's starting to feel like it's more of a reality, now that I have an actual date I'm leaving and starting.
Incredible!!
Leona
I had my interview with Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle, and I'll be starting on June 12. I did my research on the hospital before the interview, and it seems like an excellent hospital to work at. I'm going to work in their Immediate Care Unit (IMCU), during the night shift. So, PRAY for me. I don't do well on night shifts.
I'll be leaving San Diego on the 7th, and hopefully get there by the 9th. So, all of May I'll be visiting friends and family, and packing at the same time. It's starting to feel like it's more of a reality, now that I have an actual date I'm leaving and starting.
Incredible!!
Leona
Saturday, April 08, 2006
2 months and counting down.
Wow. I have 2 months to go before I leave. I'm excited, but I have to confess that I'll miss San Diego and everyone I'm leaving behind. I'm emailing the website to this blog, so you'll know where I am, what I'm doing, and where I'll be going in my travels. I want to hear from you as well. If you know of someone that wants to know how I'm doing, and I didn't e-mail them, please tell me and their e-mail address so I can contact them as well.
Talk to you soon.
Leona
Wow. I have 2 months to go before I leave. I'm excited, but I have to confess that I'll miss San Diego and everyone I'm leaving behind. I'm emailing the website to this blog, so you'll know where I am, what I'm doing, and where I'll be going in my travels. I want to hear from you as well. If you know of someone that wants to know how I'm doing, and I didn't e-mail them, please tell me and their e-mail address so I can contact them as well.
Talk to you soon.
Leona
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