So, three weeks ago I arrived back home from my stay at Yogaville which was much needed and transformational. So much so, in fact, that I am returning for a two month stay and will be leaving next week. I will be there through the holidays and Robin is planning on taking a week off and coming to stay during Christmas, which we are both looking forward to tremendously!
Robin's good friend from Whitman, Katie, has just moved out to Asheville (she found a job before moving, as did her boyfriend...does that really happen any more these days?!) and will be staying in my bedroom during my absence, which works out well for all three of us. I have given up my massage space and we found someone else to share the space with Suzanne for the last two months of the lease she and I signed; I think the two of them will likely re-sign. I have two more work shifts at Mela but after Sunday will officially be unemployed (although I think that job will be there for me if I want it back when I return, which is a nice peace of mind to have).
During my first absence, Robin struggled with dog ownership and, as much as Cashew is a wonderful dog, is in the process of trying to find him a new home. She (and we) have decided that we are just not unconditional dog love people, although I would say there are no regrets to adopting him and the hope/intention is to find him another home rather than taking him back to the humane society. There have been a few short leads, but nothing concrete as of yet.
Thanksgiving was a wonderful day off, Robin and I were here alone and just spent the day together. We made mashed sweet potatoes, steamed veggies and stuffing for our Thanksgiving meal. It was delicious! We topped the day off with homemade pumpkin pie--from scratch. It was the perfect holiday for the year.
Other than wrapping up loose ends and getting ready for this next phase of this crazy ride I call my life, I am still enjoying Asheville but am so ready for a new year! I think we are going to squeeze in putting up and decorating a Christmas tree Monday before I leave, which will be fun. I wish you all a happy holiday season!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Cash(ew) and Yogaville
The last few weeks have been quite all over the place. To begin with, we have a new member of the household-Cashew (Cash for short). He is a four year old spaniel terrier mutt that we picked up from the humane society on columbus day. (I saw we picked him, but, really, he picked us. And although he picked us, he is Robin's dog). He is such a sweetheart and has just slipped into our life quite easily. He reminds us a lot of Peppy-the dog we grew up with. He is quite low-key and could care less about the cats. Which is great. His biggest fault is that he is a nervous pooper and can't seem to poop while on a walk which means he's taken up to going on the back porch whenever we put him out there...but it is easy to clean up and is at least outside. We are working on remedying the situation. Besides that, he is a total lover. I will hopefully get to loading a few pictures up to the blog after writing this post.
Besides the dog, it has been a wonderfully warm (and dry) fall. The leaves are putting on a show, although not as crazy a show as other years (so we hear). Work has been crazy busy again--even more so than in the middle of July, which has been good, but sort of exhausting. Robin and I have managed to get out some despite all the work. The dog has helped us get out and head to the park for a walk a couple of times and we have wondered why it took us so long to get there on our own. One afternoon we went up to Craggie peak on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short walk and some panoramic views. It was crazy windy but beautiful and invigorating. That evening we went at watched Eat Pray Love at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing (Brew and View) which was a wonderful experience. Movies are $3, pizza and beer and other food is available if you so desire, but is not mandatory. It reminded us a little of an indoor drive in experience.
Besides the dog, perhaps the biggest news is that I have decided to take the next three weeks off and return to Yogaville in central Virginia for a personal retreat and catch up. I have been feeling so drained and exhausted by everything the last few weeks and I can't think of anything else that I really want. It just so happened to work out that we have a temporary fill-in at the restaurant through November and that nothing in my life was too scheduled up, so I was free to go. I leave tomorrow morning and am greatly looking forward to my time there. It will be a good experience in so many ways to return and I am curious to see where I find myself at the end of the three weeks.
With that, I need to keep moving on and finish packing but will try to get a few pictures up first!
Besides the dog, it has been a wonderfully warm (and dry) fall. The leaves are putting on a show, although not as crazy a show as other years (so we hear). Work has been crazy busy again--even more so than in the middle of July, which has been good, but sort of exhausting. Robin and I have managed to get out some despite all the work. The dog has helped us get out and head to the park for a walk a couple of times and we have wondered why it took us so long to get there on our own. One afternoon we went up to Craggie peak on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short walk and some panoramic views. It was crazy windy but beautiful and invigorating. That evening we went at watched Eat Pray Love at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing (Brew and View) which was a wonderful experience. Movies are $3, pizza and beer and other food is available if you so desire, but is not mandatory. It reminded us a little of an indoor drive in experience.
Besides the dog, perhaps the biggest news is that I have decided to take the next three weeks off and return to Yogaville in central Virginia for a personal retreat and catch up. I have been feeling so drained and exhausted by everything the last few weeks and I can't think of anything else that I really want. It just so happened to work out that we have a temporary fill-in at the restaurant through November and that nothing in my life was too scheduled up, so I was free to go. I leave tomorrow morning and am greatly looking forward to my time there. It will be a good experience in so many ways to return and I am curious to see where I find myself at the end of the three weeks.
With that, I need to keep moving on and finish packing but will try to get a few pictures up first!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Beach
Last weekend Robin and I headed southeast to Charleston, SC for a late-season beach trip. It was fabulous! We didn't actually go swimming due to some windy conditions and slightly cooler temps, but sure did enjoy beach lounging! The trip was brief, we got there Sunday evening and left early Tuesday morning, but managed to feel like we were on vacation. We stayed at a hostel near downtown and walked down through the main drag to the water Monday morning. That afternoon we drove out to Foley beach and stopped at a Goodwill on the way back and shopped our second hand hearts out. We had dinner at this restaurant on the water called Fleet's Landing (on recommend of a friend from work) and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
It was also neat to drive out of the mountains on our way down and definitely be able to tell that we were driving back into them on the way home. Although different from the mountains at home, it is nice to come home to mountains. (Although, I will say that I for one quite enjoyed the flat, bike friendly terrain of Charleston. Sometimes all the little hills here in Asheville are exhausting!).
Back here in Asheville, I am enjoying one of the most beautiful fall seasons in my memory. The leaves are still not all turned (there are so many!) and peak leaf week won't be here until the end of October, but the weather is cool and crisp in the evenings and mornings and is warming up to the 70s during the day. The air has cleared up compared to the summer and the weather just makes me want to be outside when at all possible.
The restaurant is treating both Robin and I well, although I do have moments where I tire of the job. All in all though, I like the people I work with and continue to make good money there, which is a security I am grateful for immensely! And, speaking of work...it is time for me to go get ready for my Saturday night shift.
It was also neat to drive out of the mountains on our way down and definitely be able to tell that we were driving back into them on the way home. Although different from the mountains at home, it is nice to come home to mountains. (Although, I will say that I for one quite enjoyed the flat, bike friendly terrain of Charleston. Sometimes all the little hills here in Asheville are exhausting!).
Back here in Asheville, I am enjoying one of the most beautiful fall seasons in my memory. The leaves are still not all turned (there are so many!) and peak leaf week won't be here until the end of October, but the weather is cool and crisp in the evenings and mornings and is warming up to the 70s during the day. The air has cleared up compared to the summer and the weather just makes me want to be outside when at all possible.
The restaurant is treating both Robin and I well, although I do have moments where I tire of the job. All in all though, I like the people I work with and continue to make good money there, which is a security I am grateful for immensely! And, speaking of work...it is time for me to go get ready for my Saturday night shift.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Lomi Lomi into fall
Well, it is official. They have closed the pool at the condo complex. Summer must be over. The weather actually shifted (quite appropriately I must add) the day or so right after the equinox and it is decidedly fall. It's beautiful. Leaves are still mostly green, but starting to go. I have read that the show this year will be less impressive than other years though because of the unusually warm weather that we had through September. I'm sure it will still be beautiful.
Last weekend I took my first continuing education course for massage out at the Center for Massage where I went to school. The course was Lomi Lomi massage which is a traditional Hawaiian massage modality with a strong emphasis on the flowing, poetic nature a massage can have. It treats massage as a dance and is much less finger/wrist/hand intensive than other modalities (but can still work quite deeply and powerfully). It was a wonderful course to take and was nice (but a bit surreal) to hop back into the student role for a few days. It feels like both yesterday and light years ago that I was driving out to the Center three days a week and attending class and it was interesting for me to reflect on how much has changed since then, but how fluid the whole experience feels. Everything in tiny increments it seems.
Tuesday night of this week, Suzanne and I (who I share my massage space with and went to school with) had the opportunity to work a chair massage event in town. We were hired for two hours to do chair massage at a restaurant's staff appreciation party. It was really fun. I haven't done chair massage since we were in school but it is such a different way to share the power of touch. I am so grateful that the opportunity sort of just fell into our laps!
All else continues to hum along as always. Robin and I will be taking a quick get-away this Sunday/Monday to go to the beach in Charleston, SC for a couple of nights. We are both excited. It will be the first time I have driven very south or east of Asheville since arriving so will be a new adventure, plus, we're going to the beach in October. How great is that?!
Last weekend I took my first continuing education course for massage out at the Center for Massage where I went to school. The course was Lomi Lomi massage which is a traditional Hawaiian massage modality with a strong emphasis on the flowing, poetic nature a massage can have. It treats massage as a dance and is much less finger/wrist/hand intensive than other modalities (but can still work quite deeply and powerfully). It was a wonderful course to take and was nice (but a bit surreal) to hop back into the student role for a few days. It feels like both yesterday and light years ago that I was driving out to the Center three days a week and attending class and it was interesting for me to reflect on how much has changed since then, but how fluid the whole experience feels. Everything in tiny increments it seems.
Tuesday night of this week, Suzanne and I (who I share my massage space with and went to school with) had the opportunity to work a chair massage event in town. We were hired for two hours to do chair massage at a restaurant's staff appreciation party. It was really fun. I haven't done chair massage since we were in school but it is such a different way to share the power of touch. I am so grateful that the opportunity sort of just fell into our laps!
All else continues to hum along as always. Robin and I will be taking a quick get-away this Sunday/Monday to go to the beach in Charleston, SC for a couple of nights. We are both excited. It will be the first time I have driven very south or east of Asheville since arriving so will be a new adventure, plus, we're going to the beach in October. How great is that?!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Changes
Well, a lot has been going here over the last several months of not writing. However, it feels like the time for me to pick up the fallen pieces and start posting again. The summer has been highlighted by changes of all sorts.
To begin with, the past several months have been very challenging for Noah and I and we are currently separated. He moved out the first part of August but is still here in Asheville. In short, we still love and care about one another deeply but are taking some time and space to gain perspective on our marriage and the ways that we both, as individuals, fit into it.
A second major change is that my sister has moved out to Asheville and has taken up residence as my new roommate! She has been here since the first of September and it is impossible to explain with words how wonderful it is to have here. I flew home the end of August for a four day visit and then she and I drove out here to together in an uneventful (yet somehow epic) journey through the heartland. She also brought her cat, Pickle, with her and we have already spent much time laughing at the uniquely cat-ish antics of Buddy and Pickle as the learn how to share the house.
I'm not sure if this counts as a change, but it feels like one: So, summer is over--fall officially starts on Thursday I believe--but...it's not winter yet! Rather, we are on the verge of "leaf season" here which officially counts as a second tourist season. There is a leaf watching hotline, websites with fall foliage updates, vacation packages and more. I am SO excited on a variety of fronts for October's leaf season these days.
Many of the other changes I have briefly mentioned in other short blog posts before this one. But a short re-cap: I now live within the Asheville city limits in a great condo complex with a view and a swimming pool and quick and easy access to the interstate i.e. it is 10-15 minutes only to get most anywhere in Asheville. Obviously, I have opened up a private massage practice which is going well, albeit it slowly (primarily because I have been working so much elsewhere). I am on the verge of taking my North Carolina driver's test and switching my plates to North Carolina which will be the first time in the history of my life that my car will not have Idaho plates. (My mother firmly told me recently that I am NO LONGER allowed to vote in Teton County because I have "picked up and moved to North Carolina" (or something like that). Changing voting registration is also a new sign of permanence.)
All in all, things are going well. Some days life seems to be bordering on the chaotic and has been consistently ever-changing and unpredictable. However, patience has been a lesson of the summer and I would say I am growing more capable of dealing with and living life in the grey areas where everything isn't always black and white. I do hope there is some sort of slow-down to the pace of life in the relatively near future, but assume I will keep moving full speed ahead regardless.
To begin with, the past several months have been very challenging for Noah and I and we are currently separated. He moved out the first part of August but is still here in Asheville. In short, we still love and care about one another deeply but are taking some time and space to gain perspective on our marriage and the ways that we both, as individuals, fit into it.
A second major change is that my sister has moved out to Asheville and has taken up residence as my new roommate! She has been here since the first of September and it is impossible to explain with words how wonderful it is to have here. I flew home the end of August for a four day visit and then she and I drove out here to together in an uneventful (yet somehow epic) journey through the heartland. She also brought her cat, Pickle, with her and we have already spent much time laughing at the uniquely cat-ish antics of Buddy and Pickle as the learn how to share the house.
I'm not sure if this counts as a change, but it feels like one: So, summer is over--fall officially starts on Thursday I believe--but...it's not winter yet! Rather, we are on the verge of "leaf season" here which officially counts as a second tourist season. There is a leaf watching hotline, websites with fall foliage updates, vacation packages and more. I am SO excited on a variety of fronts for October's leaf season these days.
Many of the other changes I have briefly mentioned in other short blog posts before this one. But a short re-cap: I now live within the Asheville city limits in a great condo complex with a view and a swimming pool and quick and easy access to the interstate i.e. it is 10-15 minutes only to get most anywhere in Asheville. Obviously, I have opened up a private massage practice which is going well, albeit it slowly (primarily because I have been working so much elsewhere). I am on the verge of taking my North Carolina driver's test and switching my plates to North Carolina which will be the first time in the history of my life that my car will not have Idaho plates. (My mother firmly told me recently that I am NO LONGER allowed to vote in Teton County because I have "picked up and moved to North Carolina" (or something like that). Changing voting registration is also a new sign of permanence.)
All in all, things are going well. Some days life seems to be bordering on the chaotic and has been consistently ever-changing and unpredictable. However, patience has been a lesson of the summer and I would say I am growing more capable of dealing with and living life in the grey areas where everything isn't always black and white. I do hope there is some sort of slow-down to the pace of life in the relatively near future, but assume I will keep moving full speed ahead regardless.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
To everyone who reads this blog
As my name is entering the public sphere as a massage therapist, I am working on ways to keep my private life separate from my public identity. I don't really want clients to be able to look my name up and find this blog (which is a fairly detailed accounting of my personal life for friends and family etc), read it and then end up knowing a lot about me that I have not personally chosen to share with them.
So...what that means is that I am going to be making this blog a "private" blog that will require those of you who read it to log in before being able to see everything. I create the list of authorized users, so I need you to let me know if you want to be added! Will you please either post a comment to this post with your info or send me an e-mail at marthakmart@gmail.com so I can get it plugged in correctly?
So...what that means is that I am going to be making this blog a "private" blog that will require those of you who read it to log in before being able to see everything. I create the list of authorized users, so I need you to let me know if you want to be added! Will you please either post a comment to this post with your info or send me an e-mail at marthakmart@gmail.com so I can get it plugged in correctly?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Making it Official!
Starting August 1st I will be working as a massage therapist in my own office space! A friend of mine from school, Suzanne, and I are renting a space in West Asheville together. The room is located on the second floor of an old house that has a community acupuncture clinic on the lower level. We are both very excited about it. I am in the process of business cards and a website and all of the logistics, which is a little overwhelming, but overall, the whole thing has sort of just fallen into place.
I am working five nights a week at Mela, serving most nights and am doing a couple days a week at the Cosmic Groove Massage. I will continue serving for awhile and will keep my shifts for at least another month or so at the Cosmic Groove, but am actually on the path to realizing the goal/reality of being a therapist!
I am working five nights a week at Mela, serving most nights and am doing a couple days a week at the Cosmic Groove Massage. I will continue serving for awhile and will keep my shifts for at least another month or so at the Cosmic Groove, but am actually on the path to realizing the goal/reality of being a therapist!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Now An Officially Licensed Therapist!
I just checked online this morning for the umpteenth time and low and behold I am listed as a licensed therapist number 10157!!! I'm so thrilled I'm not sure what to do with myself at this moment but am now able to start doing what I set out to do 7 months ago!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
My New Home
It is wonderful being in Asheville. I love the place we have moved into. It is very central, but manages to feel a bit like we are still in the woods. We have an incredible view, which is hard to get around here, and, although you can hear the interstate when outside, you can see very few signs of the city around the corner from anywhere in the development.
I am enjoying the lightening bugs in the evenings that are all over the place, the swimming pool (which is busier than I thought it would be), the location, and even the air conditioning because it has been hotter than usual the last week or so. Our condo overlooks the swimming pool, so sitting out on the porch I can watch my own personal little soap opera as residents come and go. One of my favorite things to witness from the porch is the black cat from a few condos over taking his owner and dog friend for a walk just after 6 am every morning. It never ceases to bring a smile to my face when I see the dog and the owner out for the morning walk with the cat walking right along with them...
I still do not have my license yet and am playing the wait, wait, and wait some more game. I have started working at an Indian restaurant downtown called Mela Indian Restaurant as a host, food expo and soon to be night server. Additionally, I have started picking up desk hours at a local community based non-profit massage center called the Cosmic Groove Massage and will hopefully be able to work a few massage shifts there once I get my license.
Asheville is starting to feel more and more like home, especially since we are now living within the city limits. It surprises me sometime when I realize that, for the first time in perhaps my life, I am in a place that I don't want to leave and where I actually enjoy being nearly all of the time. I am comfortable putting down some sort of permanent roots here and staying. This is a new and wonderful feeling. The only thing I would change is how far away from home Asheville is...but, no place is perfect and, for now, I am more than happy to be here.
I am enjoying the lightening bugs in the evenings that are all over the place, the swimming pool (which is busier than I thought it would be), the location, and even the air conditioning because it has been hotter than usual the last week or so. Our condo overlooks the swimming pool, so sitting out on the porch I can watch my own personal little soap opera as residents come and go. One of my favorite things to witness from the porch is the black cat from a few condos over taking his owner and dog friend for a walk just after 6 am every morning. It never ceases to bring a smile to my face when I see the dog and the owner out for the morning walk with the cat walking right along with them...
I still do not have my license yet and am playing the wait, wait, and wait some more game. I have started working at an Indian restaurant downtown called Mela Indian Restaurant as a host, food expo and soon to be night server. Additionally, I have started picking up desk hours at a local community based non-profit massage center called the Cosmic Groove Massage and will hopefully be able to work a few massage shifts there once I get my license.
Asheville is starting to feel more and more like home, especially since we are now living within the city limits. It surprises me sometime when I realize that, for the first time in perhaps my life, I am in a place that I don't want to leave and where I actually enjoy being nearly all of the time. I am comfortable putting down some sort of permanent roots here and staying. This is a new and wonderful feeling. The only thing I would change is how far away from home Asheville is...but, no place is perfect and, for now, I am more than happy to be here.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Quicky
So, May has flown by. I am taking my Nationals this afternoon at 12:15 (I'll know if I passed right afterwords). I have my last class at school tomorrow and take my school test Wednesday morning with graduation Wednesday afternoon. To top it all off, I don't believe I've mentioned yet that we are moving on Saturday to a location closer to Asheville (yeah, moving on my birthday-yay...). We found someone to cover the rest of our lease here and found a condo to rent in town that will work great for us. (Big plus, there is a tennis court and swimming pool at the complex which is at the end of dead end road. The balcony even has a view and all you can see is trees, we lucked out). Anyway, just a quick update there so that I don't stop updating all together....
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The Fun and Crazy Month of May
Talk about a lot of crossroads coming together in the next month or so!!!
The two weeks (or was it three?) between my parent's visit and my sister's arrival this coming Tuesday has literally slipped through our fingers. The end of school is so close that I can practically taste it. I have scheduled to take my national exam on May 24 and will take my final exam at school and graduate on May 26. If all goes as planned, the license application will then be in the mail on the 27th and-hopefully-I will be able to start practicing 30 days later! Wow.
Noah's aunt and uncle stopped by this week for a quick overnight visit on their way down to Florida for a vacation. It was good to see them and has been fun having visitors. As I mentioned, my sister will be arriving this coming week and will be here for 10 days, which will be a blast. Among all the visiting I am somehow finding time to study, study, study for my national test...
Noah regular schedule at the new Pack's Tavern in Asheville has set in and we are both adjusting to the odd schedule. He is working from 9 pm-2 am 4-5 nights a week and going into the office a little later in the morning and staying through the evening. Other than the schedule, the job is pretty easy and even a tad boring (he is a doorman, but the place is more of a restaurant than anything else), which is nice. Plus, the paycheck feels wonderful to both of us. As has been the story of the last several weeks, he seems to be right on the edge of a few placements daily, but nothing has landed home yet. May is a lucky month (I was born :)), so I am feeling optimistic about a few of the almosts becoming for sures over the next couple of weeks.
Among working, studying, playing a little tennis, enjoying the sunshine, studying, and playing with visitors we have started looking into the possibility of moving into Asheville sometime in the next couple of months once I am done with school (before our lease is up). We have actually found someone who wants to take over our lease in Mars Hill and the last week or so has consisted of me spending a lot of time scanning craigslist and the classifieds for potential new homes that are in Asheville, closer and more convenient to where most of our life is becoming centered. It is fun and exhausting. We went a looked at a bunch of places yesterday and saw a few we liked, but are not quite in a place to make a final decision just yet. I am not sure how it is or will all fit in over the next couple of months, but I know everything will somehow manage to.
We are loving the weather and the area as we move further away from winter, it is definitely beautiful here and the temperatures are agreeing with us quite well. As of now, it seems like the perfect place for us to call home for the near future, which feels sort of crazy saying. I mean, it's been years since I have spent more than 8 months in the same place! But, I think we both feel good about grounding ourselves here for the next while as we continue to work on moving forward and growing to where ever it is we are heading.
The two weeks (or was it three?) between my parent's visit and my sister's arrival this coming Tuesday has literally slipped through our fingers. The end of school is so close that I can practically taste it. I have scheduled to take my national exam on May 24 and will take my final exam at school and graduate on May 26. If all goes as planned, the license application will then be in the mail on the 27th and-hopefully-I will be able to start practicing 30 days later! Wow.
Noah's aunt and uncle stopped by this week for a quick overnight visit on their way down to Florida for a vacation. It was good to see them and has been fun having visitors. As I mentioned, my sister will be arriving this coming week and will be here for 10 days, which will be a blast. Among all the visiting I am somehow finding time to study, study, study for my national test...
Noah regular schedule at the new Pack's Tavern in Asheville has set in and we are both adjusting to the odd schedule. He is working from 9 pm-2 am 4-5 nights a week and going into the office a little later in the morning and staying through the evening. Other than the schedule, the job is pretty easy and even a tad boring (he is a doorman, but the place is more of a restaurant than anything else), which is nice. Plus, the paycheck feels wonderful to both of us. As has been the story of the last several weeks, he seems to be right on the edge of a few placements daily, but nothing has landed home yet. May is a lucky month (I was born :)), so I am feeling optimistic about a few of the almosts becoming for sures over the next couple of weeks.
Among working, studying, playing a little tennis, enjoying the sunshine, studying, and playing with visitors we have started looking into the possibility of moving into Asheville sometime in the next couple of months once I am done with school (before our lease is up). We have actually found someone who wants to take over our lease in Mars Hill and the last week or so has consisted of me spending a lot of time scanning craigslist and the classifieds for potential new homes that are in Asheville, closer and more convenient to where most of our life is becoming centered. It is fun and exhausting. We went a looked at a bunch of places yesterday and saw a few we liked, but are not quite in a place to make a final decision just yet. I am not sure how it is or will all fit in over the next couple of months, but I know everything will somehow manage to.
We are loving the weather and the area as we move further away from winter, it is definitely beautiful here and the temperatures are agreeing with us quite well. As of now, it seems like the perfect place for us to call home for the near future, which feels sort of crazy saying. I mean, it's been years since I have spent more than 8 months in the same place! But, I think we both feel good about grounding ourselves here for the next while as we continue to work on moving forward and growing to where ever it is we are heading.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Ahh....
To begin with, my parent's visit last week was wonderful. I'm not sure I could have enjoyed it more. The weather was beautiful all week, the company good, and the visitors welcome. The week was almost a mini at-home vacation for Noah and I because we went and did things we don't normally do (like going out to eat and visiting destination sights around the area). Over the weekend we visited Biltmore Estate for the first time-it was incredible. It is the largest private residence in the U.S.; I would characterize it as a modern day castle. We spent a good 1 1/2-2 hours just walking through the house itself and I'm sure there was plenty that we "missed." The gardens were in spring bloom with tulips and early flowering trees in full bloom. We now have an annual pass and I am greatly looking forward to returning several times over the next year!
Other than having a fun filled week with mom and dad, things are about the same here. School is getting closer and closer to being done. I both ready and slightly terrified for it be over, but would say I am counting the weeks. At best, it will still be at least another month from the day I graduate to the day I will be licensed and can start practicing. I am starting to tackle all the paperwork that process involves now though in order to have it run as smoothly as possible.
Pack's Tavern had it's grand opening this week and Noah will be working there 2-4 nights a week on into the summer. So far is seems like it will be a fairly low-key door job, although the hours are something we will both have to get used to. Recruiting is still going well and we both believe the first placement is right around the corner, but until both parties sign on the dotted line, nothing is final.
Spring continues to be beautiful and the trees are all starting to fill in. We can hardly see any of our neighbors from our house anymore and the world has a bright green quality to it that I am really enjoying. The weather has actually been uncharacteristically warm the last few weeks with little to no rain-the opposite of this winter; we definitely aren't complaining but it does seem that having a little more rain over the next few weeks would benefit everyone. Who knows anymore these days though.
Other than that, hope all is well elsewhere and there are new pictures up!
Other than having a fun filled week with mom and dad, things are about the same here. School is getting closer and closer to being done. I both ready and slightly terrified for it be over, but would say I am counting the weeks. At best, it will still be at least another month from the day I graduate to the day I will be licensed and can start practicing. I am starting to tackle all the paperwork that process involves now though in order to have it run as smoothly as possible.
Pack's Tavern had it's grand opening this week and Noah will be working there 2-4 nights a week on into the summer. So far is seems like it will be a fairly low-key door job, although the hours are something we will both have to get used to. Recruiting is still going well and we both believe the first placement is right around the corner, but until both parties sign on the dotted line, nothing is final.
Spring continues to be beautiful and the trees are all starting to fill in. We can hardly see any of our neighbors from our house anymore and the world has a bright green quality to it that I am really enjoying. The weather has actually been uncharacteristically warm the last few weeks with little to no rain-the opposite of this winter; we definitely aren't complaining but it does seem that having a little more rain over the next few weeks would benefit everyone. Who knows anymore these days though.
Other than that, hope all is well elsewhere and there are new pictures up!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Spring Has Sprung
Well, as tough as this winter was for everyone in the area, I am SO glad we are not still in Driggs! I hear they are in the middle of the first real big winter storm and we have been experiencing weather in the 70-80s the last several days...it has been such a treat. The temps are a little warm for this time of year, but I don't know anyone who is complaining. It has been incredible to watch how quickly everything is coming to life. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, birds are chirping...it has been a while since I have actually been able to experience "spring." We are both enjoying it fully.
My parents are coming for a visit next week and we are so excited to have them. Hopefully the weather holds! It is hard to believe that it has been so long since we last say any family, time has been moving so quickly.
School is still going well, two more months left. It sounds like a lot but feels like a little! We are into the "fun" part of the curriculum now and have a new class every two or three days rather than day after day of Anatomy and Physiology etc. Some of what we have left to cover the next two months is aromatherapy, reflexology, energy work, oriental medicine, business and marketing, neuromuscular therapy-to name a few. It's a lot of varied information over a short amount of time, but every day is interesting!
Noah is settling into his recruiting job and has started having a lot of "bites" on different recruits and is only getting better every day. We both keep crossing our fingers that he'll land his first deal soon, it does feel like it is right around the corner now. In the meantime, he has found another job at a new restaurant/bar opening up in down town and will start part-time there in a week and half.
I am starting to try and get a handle on what exactly I will do after graduating. It is a bit stressful and exciting at the same time. I have a feeling things will start coming together as I keep working on it- I am greatly looking forward to getting started on the new career though!
A couple of weeks ago in clinic I had my first experience with someone who came in and said they had been in intense pain for the last 2 1/2 weeks and could hardly move their head to the right or left; they had never had massage before and were referred by a chiropractor. I worked only on her neck, shoulders, and chest during our 45 minutes session. After the session, she was gushing, she said her pain had greatly subsided, that her whole body felt like jello, and she was able to move her neck to at least 80-90% of normal range of motion without pain. It was the coolest experience ever. She came with a tremendous amount of pain, and left with a lot less. It was powerful and really fulfilling.
My parents are coming for a visit next week and we are so excited to have them. Hopefully the weather holds! It is hard to believe that it has been so long since we last say any family, time has been moving so quickly.
School is still going well, two more months left. It sounds like a lot but feels like a little! We are into the "fun" part of the curriculum now and have a new class every two or three days rather than day after day of Anatomy and Physiology etc. Some of what we have left to cover the next two months is aromatherapy, reflexology, energy work, oriental medicine, business and marketing, neuromuscular therapy-to name a few. It's a lot of varied information over a short amount of time, but every day is interesting!
Noah is settling into his recruiting job and has started having a lot of "bites" on different recruits and is only getting better every day. We both keep crossing our fingers that he'll land his first deal soon, it does feel like it is right around the corner now. In the meantime, he has found another job at a new restaurant/bar opening up in down town and will start part-time there in a week and half.
I am starting to try and get a handle on what exactly I will do after graduating. It is a bit stressful and exciting at the same time. I have a feeling things will start coming together as I keep working on it- I am greatly looking forward to getting started on the new career though!
A couple of weeks ago in clinic I had my first experience with someone who came in and said they had been in intense pain for the last 2 1/2 weeks and could hardly move their head to the right or left; they had never had massage before and were referred by a chiropractor. I worked only on her neck, shoulders, and chest during our 45 minutes session. After the session, she was gushing, she said her pain had greatly subsided, that her whole body felt like jello, and she was able to move her neck to at least 80-90% of normal range of motion without pain. It was the coolest experience ever. She came with a tremendous amount of pain, and left with a lot less. It was powerful and really fulfilling.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Just a few more months now!
Until I am done with school that it is! Our anatomy and physiology final is this coming Monday which, in terms of classes, is the last big class we have. From there on out, the schedule flies. It is rather exciting. My experiences at our student clinic continue to be positive and I have left each day reinforced that this is what I want to do. Man, who knew that would ever happen? (Deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up.) There are days this realization hits me and I almost don't know what to do with it!
It has stopped snowing (fingers crossed) finally and, while not as warm as normal, is starting to smell a little like spring here which makes me wiggle just to think about. Our world will change once all the trees and flowers start to bloom.
Mainly we are working and studying hard these days with few adventures or big stories. The most exciting part of our week (at times) is the delivery of our net netflix video (we have been hooked on the TV series "How I Met Your Mother" the last several weeks). Sometimes it's the simple things in life. Like, I don't think I've mentioned yet how eternally grateful I am to have a washer and dryer at my house. I do have moments where I am unenthusiastic about the endless laundry aspect of this profession, but then I think about some of my classmates who have to go to the laundrymat for all their laundry-so many sheets!!!
It has stopped snowing (fingers crossed) finally and, while not as warm as normal, is starting to smell a little like spring here which makes me wiggle just to think about. Our world will change once all the trees and flowers start to bloom.
Mainly we are working and studying hard these days with few adventures or big stories. The most exciting part of our week (at times) is the delivery of our net netflix video (we have been hooked on the TV series "How I Met Your Mother" the last several weeks). Sometimes it's the simple things in life. Like, I don't think I've mentioned yet how eternally grateful I am to have a washer and dryer at my house. I do have moments where I am unenthusiastic about the endless laundry aspect of this profession, but then I think about some of my classmates who have to go to the laundrymat for all their laundry-so many sheets!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Busy Busy
Well, as a friend of mine at school said, "March came in like a lion, maybe it will go out like a lamb..." Phew! She was referring to the weather, but it pertains to most everything else also.
On Monday, Noah was rear-ended in a four car accident on his way to work. Thanks to his good defensive driving skills he didn't hit the car in front of him and minimized the impact on him/our car (the car who hit him also hit the car in front of him-yikes!). That shook us both up a bit. Gratefully our car is still drivable, although the bumper is duct-taped on and we can't open the hatch back door. Noah suffered a pretty bad whiplash type accident and spent Monday, Tuesday, and even Wednesday recovering. He is still sore and not quite normal, but working on getting there. We are now waiting on the insurance of the guy who started it all to get our car fixed. All in all, not the best thing that has happened to us since being here, but could have been SO much worse, we are counting our lucky stars.
Winter is still giving spring a run for the money, but it looks like we may finally be moving into a warmer weather trend and at least rain instead of snow over the next week or so. I'll believe it when I see it, but am optimistic. We have been enjoying the extended daylight hours as sunrise and sunset move further apart from one another.
Last week was my first day of clinic (I went again today). Overall, it was a good experience. We have 5 massage slots to be filled and only 3 of mine were filled both days. I've had some great feedback though and continue to learn just being in the new environment and working on new bodies. It makes me even more anxious/excited to be done with school and start doing so on my own for money.
Beyond the normal, life is busy now. I am looking for work and Noah is still enjoying the executive recruiting job, suffering through the weekends at the photo company and hoping for something new to work out until his first placement is made. As it is now, we are going day by day and they just keep flying by.
On Monday, Noah was rear-ended in a four car accident on his way to work. Thanks to his good defensive driving skills he didn't hit the car in front of him and minimized the impact on him/our car (the car who hit him also hit the car in front of him-yikes!). That shook us both up a bit. Gratefully our car is still drivable, although the bumper is duct-taped on and we can't open the hatch back door. Noah suffered a pretty bad whiplash type accident and spent Monday, Tuesday, and even Wednesday recovering. He is still sore and not quite normal, but working on getting there. We are now waiting on the insurance of the guy who started it all to get our car fixed. All in all, not the best thing that has happened to us since being here, but could have been SO much worse, we are counting our lucky stars.
Winter is still giving spring a run for the money, but it looks like we may finally be moving into a warmer weather trend and at least rain instead of snow over the next week or so. I'll believe it when I see it, but am optimistic. We have been enjoying the extended daylight hours as sunrise and sunset move further apart from one another.
Last week was my first day of clinic (I went again today). Overall, it was a good experience. We have 5 massage slots to be filled and only 3 of mine were filled both days. I've had some great feedback though and continue to learn just being in the new environment and working on new bodies. It makes me even more anxious/excited to be done with school and start doing so on my own for money.
Beyond the normal, life is busy now. I am looking for work and Noah is still enjoying the executive recruiting job, suffering through the weekends at the photo company and hoping for something new to work out until his first placement is made. As it is now, we are going day by day and they just keep flying by.
Friday, February 19, 2010
February
Today finds me-and the rest of Western North Carolina-in a very good mood. It has warmed up to above 40 degrees for the first time since the end of January and is even supposed to be up in the 50s (the avg for this time of year) over the weekend. Did I mention the sun was shining too?? Life just seems better than it did a week ago.
We didn't do much for Noah's birthday last Sunday (he actually worked 5 hours), although I did make pancakes and bread and soup and we got to sleep in. I like that his birthday can trump Valentine's Day, I've never liked the holiday much myself (shouldn't every/any day of the year be Valentine's Day? It shouldn't take a holiday for us to tell our loved ones that we love them...) but, problem solved! From here on out the 14th is a birthday celebration.
On Wednesday we went and redeemed an anniversary gift at the Laughing Seed Cafe in Asheville-a popular and scrumptious vegetarian restaurant. It was one of my top 10 experiences of the last four months. We were both a little grumpy and out of it because we needed to eat when we got there, it was the perfect remedy. I am still shocked at how much we ate (our waitress was too). It was all really satisfying and tasty. In fact, we ate so much delicious food that we were both in a food coma for about 24 hours. (We even forgot to bring the groceries in from the car when we got home. I remembered after we'd been in bed about 20 minutes...).
The last few weeks of school have been a bit of struggle for all of us in the course. We are at the midway point of the course; apparently the "burn out" is really common at this stage. They tell us we'll all get over it. I'm sure we will. Clinic hours start this coming week which will add a new dimension to the whole experience. Despite being a little "over it" the last week or two, I am still loving that I will get to do this as a job in four months.
Noah's schedule is now very busy with him working the full-time commission only job and a part-time job at the mall on the weekends. I am starting to consider finding work for the short-term to help us get by until Noah's first placement happens at Thurmond and Co. We both know that it will work out how it needs to though, whatever way that may be.
We are both readjusting to the schedule change and, although I am immensely enjoying more alone time at the house throughout the week, it is a different reality for us. Since meeting, the majority of our time has been spent with one another. I think we were ready for a change though and are both feeling good about where things are headed.
During my hours at home last week, I sat down one day and started another blog called Throw-Together Meals: Cooking stories, tips and recipes from my free-for-all kitchen. I'm not 100% sure where it will go, but have already put a few posts up and would love for you to look at it and/or pass it along to others if you think they may like it. Noah and I always talk about how I need to write down some of the stuff I make, so I figured I would try. If anything, it is sort of a fun project.
That is all for now. My forearm flexor muscles are getting a bit sore from being on the computer the last few hours. Guess it's time to go study for awhile...
We didn't do much for Noah's birthday last Sunday (he actually worked 5 hours), although I did make pancakes and bread and soup and we got to sleep in. I like that his birthday can trump Valentine's Day, I've never liked the holiday much myself (shouldn't every/any day of the year be Valentine's Day? It shouldn't take a holiday for us to tell our loved ones that we love them...) but, problem solved! From here on out the 14th is a birthday celebration.
On Wednesday we went and redeemed an anniversary gift at the Laughing Seed Cafe in Asheville-a popular and scrumptious vegetarian restaurant. It was one of my top 10 experiences of the last four months. We were both a little grumpy and out of it because we needed to eat when we got there, it was the perfect remedy. I am still shocked at how much we ate (our waitress was too). It was all really satisfying and tasty. In fact, we ate so much delicious food that we were both in a food coma for about 24 hours. (We even forgot to bring the groceries in from the car when we got home. I remembered after we'd been in bed about 20 minutes...).
The last few weeks of school have been a bit of struggle for all of us in the course. We are at the midway point of the course; apparently the "burn out" is really common at this stage. They tell us we'll all get over it. I'm sure we will. Clinic hours start this coming week which will add a new dimension to the whole experience. Despite being a little "over it" the last week or two, I am still loving that I will get to do this as a job in four months.
Noah's schedule is now very busy with him working the full-time commission only job and a part-time job at the mall on the weekends. I am starting to consider finding work for the short-term to help us get by until Noah's first placement happens at Thurmond and Co. We both know that it will work out how it needs to though, whatever way that may be.
We are both readjusting to the schedule change and, although I am immensely enjoying more alone time at the house throughout the week, it is a different reality for us. Since meeting, the majority of our time has been spent with one another. I think we were ready for a change though and are both feeling good about where things are headed.
During my hours at home last week, I sat down one day and started another blog called Throw-Together Meals: Cooking stories, tips and recipes from my free-for-all kitchen. I'm not 100% sure where it will go, but have already put a few posts up and would love for you to look at it and/or pass it along to others if you think they may like it. Noah and I always talk about how I need to write down some of the stuff I make, so I figured I would try. If anything, it is sort of a fun project.
That is all for now. My forearm flexor muscles are getting a bit sore from being on the computer the last few hours. Guess it's time to go study for awhile...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
What I Learned in School
Aspartame is evil. Or at least not something to be consumed. Did you know Diet Soda addiction is a recognized addiction and treatment centers for kicking the addiction actually exists? But, I digress a little.
When warmed up, the two acids and one menthol that compose aspartame break down into different components. One of these components is formalin-a member of the formaldehyde family. The same formaldehyde we preserve dead people in. When the aspartame cools back off, most of the particles rebind, but not all.
Let's talk diet soda (but the same happens to anything we ingest with aspartame). Regardless of whether or not that soda had ever been warm before, it warms up when it is ingested and breaks down into some amino acids, formalin, and some other things I didn't write down in my notes. Our body is inherently thrifty and, when there is something in the blood that is "extra" it puts it into storage-even if it doesn't recognize what that something is. The formaldehyde then? The body doesn't recognize it but put it into storage anyway. Just in case.
So, where is "storage?" Lipids-fatty tissue anywhere in the body. And, get this, the cell membrane of every individual cell in our body is made up of fat, so, not only does the formalin get put into the tissue around our mid-line, but also goes into the lining of our cells.
Keep in mind that a normal fat cell should be the consistency of a marshmallow-soft and gushy.
By definition, formalin/formaldehyde PRESERVES things (think cadavers). So, now that it is in the fatty tissue, it is essential a FAT PRESERVER! It starts hardening, turning the nice gushy marshmallow into something that is more like an M&M-everywhere that it is. The greater problems arise because all the cells in your body are affected by this, not just the fat ones. And, when the lining of the cell is like the hard part of an M&M, it gets a lot harder for your cells to do their job. Yuck.
On top of all that, aspartame is wildly addictive and has many other side affects. One google search comes up with lots of information I'd almost rather not know. On the bright side, as far as artificial sweeteners go, the PURE Stevia (not mixed with other stuff) that is gaining popularity these days actually comes from a plant and the body knows what to do with it. It doesn't turn marshmallows to M&Ms.
When warmed up, the two acids and one menthol that compose aspartame break down into different components. One of these components is formalin-a member of the formaldehyde family. The same formaldehyde we preserve dead people in. When the aspartame cools back off, most of the particles rebind, but not all.
Let's talk diet soda (but the same happens to anything we ingest with aspartame). Regardless of whether or not that soda had ever been warm before, it warms up when it is ingested and breaks down into some amino acids, formalin, and some other things I didn't write down in my notes. Our body is inherently thrifty and, when there is something in the blood that is "extra" it puts it into storage-even if it doesn't recognize what that something is. The formaldehyde then? The body doesn't recognize it but put it into storage anyway. Just in case.
So, where is "storage?" Lipids-fatty tissue anywhere in the body. And, get this, the cell membrane of every individual cell in our body is made up of fat, so, not only does the formalin get put into the tissue around our mid-line, but also goes into the lining of our cells.
Keep in mind that a normal fat cell should be the consistency of a marshmallow-soft and gushy.
By definition, formalin/formaldehyde PRESERVES things (think cadavers). So, now that it is in the fatty tissue, it is essential a FAT PRESERVER! It starts hardening, turning the nice gushy marshmallow into something that is more like an M&M-everywhere that it is. The greater problems arise because all the cells in your body are affected by this, not just the fat ones. And, when the lining of the cell is like the hard part of an M&M, it gets a lot harder for your cells to do their job. Yuck.
On top of all that, aspartame is wildly addictive and has many other side affects. One google search comes up with lots of information I'd almost rather not know. On the bright side, as far as artificial sweeteners go, the PURE Stevia (not mixed with other stuff) that is gaining popularity these days actually comes from a plant and the body knows what to do with it. It doesn't turn marshmallows to M&Ms.
Friday, February 5, 2010
This Winter Affair
Okay, enough already winter gods and goddesses. Why did you have to follow us to NC? Couldn't you have stayed in Driggs where you belong? The rain/snow/sleet ("wintry mix") of the last several weeks is starting to get a little old. The weather is not extremely intense by some standards, but enough that everything around here seems to shut down and/or freak out at least 2-3 days a week. The local school districts have been canceled so many times that the kids are going to have to start attending school on Saturdays and longer into the summer to make up time...It makes it worse because I don't know how many times I have heard, "this is the coldest/snowiest/worst winter I've seen here in 5, 10, 15 yrs." Yeah, thanks weather gods/goddesses. Guess I couldn't expect to get out of cold weather that easily...
At least our heat works.
This week Noah started a new job! He is working for an executive search firm (a head-hunting company) that specializing in placing executives in the construction and financial sectors. We are excited about the potential for the job-although being successful will be a lot of work on Noah's end, so far he seems determined to make it work. The unfortunate part is that he is only paid on commission so, until he makes a placement...He is looking for part-time work nights/weekends to help support us until this happens and has a second interview for a photo company called Owen Mills (I think) this coming week. We are crossing our fingers! I am considering finding part-time work but am also looking into collecting unemployment for a short time to help. I will not have much free time when Clinic starts in two weeks and would rather save my time not in school or at clinic for studying, taking care of myself and keeping the other parts of our life together. Time will tell if we can afford this though.
Also this week, we celebrated our first anniversary! It is pretty hard/easy to believe that one year ago we were newlyweds still in Australia. After Noah got back from work, we drove to a nearby down called Hot Springs (about 40 min away) where there are-you guessed it-natural hot springs. However, the hot springs are not free to the public but have instead been siphoned into different hot tubs that you pay to rent for an hour. We used some anniversary money and treated ourselves. It was SOOOO worth going! The water was only about 100 degrees, but we were outside, in our own tub and still sitting in hot water for an hour; I had made bread and we bought some cheese and wine and had a late/dinner snack while we were there. It felt like a much needed vacation. Plus it made us miss having a hot tub next door/across town to use whenever we wanted to when we lived in Driggs...ahh, luxuries of being close to family.
School is still going well. We started our General Anatomy and Physiology course on Monday-it will go through the end of March and will cover a lot of complex information in a short amount of time. The teacher is incredible and easy to learn from though, plus the stuff is interesting, so I am not too worried. Monday will be the last day of our Swedish Massage class that has been going on since the first of December and is basically the foundation of the hands on part of our massage career. It's definitely a milestone, but I feel ready to move on! I will start working 1 day/week in the student clinic in two weeks and will do so until graduation in May. We finally received our own massage tables and we moved around the furniture in our spare bedroom/office to that I can set it up down there and use it. Fun, fun!!
Here's to a short but productive February ahead!
At least our heat works.
This week Noah started a new job! He is working for an executive search firm (a head-hunting company) that specializing in placing executives in the construction and financial sectors. We are excited about the potential for the job-although being successful will be a lot of work on Noah's end, so far he seems determined to make it work. The unfortunate part is that he is only paid on commission so, until he makes a placement...He is looking for part-time work nights/weekends to help support us until this happens and has a second interview for a photo company called Owen Mills (I think) this coming week. We are crossing our fingers! I am considering finding part-time work but am also looking into collecting unemployment for a short time to help. I will not have much free time when Clinic starts in two weeks and would rather save my time not in school or at clinic for studying, taking care of myself and keeping the other parts of our life together. Time will tell if we can afford this though.
Also this week, we celebrated our first anniversary! It is pretty hard/easy to believe that one year ago we were newlyweds still in Australia. After Noah got back from work, we drove to a nearby down called Hot Springs (about 40 min away) where there are-you guessed it-natural hot springs. However, the hot springs are not free to the public but have instead been siphoned into different hot tubs that you pay to rent for an hour. We used some anniversary money and treated ourselves. It was SOOOO worth going! The water was only about 100 degrees, but we were outside, in our own tub and still sitting in hot water for an hour; I had made bread and we bought some cheese and wine and had a late/dinner snack while we were there. It felt like a much needed vacation. Plus it made us miss having a hot tub next door/across town to use whenever we wanted to when we lived in Driggs...ahh, luxuries of being close to family.
School is still going well. We started our General Anatomy and Physiology course on Monday-it will go through the end of March and will cover a lot of complex information in a short amount of time. The teacher is incredible and easy to learn from though, plus the stuff is interesting, so I am not too worried. Monday will be the last day of our Swedish Massage class that has been going on since the first of December and is basically the foundation of the hands on part of our massage career. It's definitely a milestone, but I feel ready to move on! I will start working 1 day/week in the student clinic in two weeks and will do so until graduation in May. We finally received our own massage tables and we moved around the furniture in our spare bedroom/office to that I can set it up down there and use it. Fun, fun!!
Here's to a short but productive February ahead!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Flying Along
Whoa! January took off running and I can feel it starting to get away from me, so will put some quick words down while I can. The clod snap here FINALLY ended last week and it has been wonderful ever since-in the 40s and 50s-I feel like it is spring time! It will get colder again and may even snow more, but the reprieve has been just in time for...
our new heat system is finally getting installed! It has pretty much been a three ring circus operation putting it in and although they started last Thursday may not be done until late this week or early next (yuck), but we are not paying for the work and I think when all is said and done it will be an effective and efficient heating system, which is all we asked for in the first place.
I finished my Musculoskeletal class last Monday with a big comprehensive final that I studied and studied for and just nearly aced. It made the studying all worth it. We dove right into a new class on Tuesday though (Musculoskeletal Pathologies) and we have a final for it tomorrow-it should be pretty manageable. I absolutely LOVE our new teacher and, thankfully, she will also be teaching our other really big course, Anatomy and Physiology which will start the first of February. She is a naturopathic doctor (has the official schooling), was a history and art major in undergrad, a massage therapist for 10 years and now a doctor/massage school teacher etc. She is supper knowledgeable, organized, easy to listen to and has a great perspective on massage, medicine, health and the human body. It helps to have good teachers.
I am slowly getting more and more confident at my 50 minute massage work and have lined up some massages with a girl who teaches pilates at Pilates Fusion and some of her friends. I did her last week and am doing three more this week which is both great practice and a good confidence builder. Before long we will be working in the clinic for real-I am both excited and nervous.
Other than that, life is zipping along. My days are pretty much being consumed by school even on the days out of school and I am glad I don't have kids or a part-time job to try balancing also. It is allowing me to really focus on what I am paying for.
Okay, that seems like the short and long of it for a quickie entry. Hope all is well in your corner of the world wherever that may be.
our new heat system is finally getting installed! It has pretty much been a three ring circus operation putting it in and although they started last Thursday may not be done until late this week or early next (yuck), but we are not paying for the work and I think when all is said and done it will be an effective and efficient heating system, which is all we asked for in the first place.
I finished my Musculoskeletal class last Monday with a big comprehensive final that I studied and studied for and just nearly aced. It made the studying all worth it. We dove right into a new class on Tuesday though (Musculoskeletal Pathologies) and we have a final for it tomorrow-it should be pretty manageable. I absolutely LOVE our new teacher and, thankfully, she will also be teaching our other really big course, Anatomy and Physiology which will start the first of February. She is a naturopathic doctor (has the official schooling), was a history and art major in undergrad, a massage therapist for 10 years and now a doctor/massage school teacher etc. She is supper knowledgeable, organized, easy to listen to and has a great perspective on massage, medicine, health and the human body. It helps to have good teachers.
I am slowly getting more and more confident at my 50 minute massage work and have lined up some massages with a girl who teaches pilates at Pilates Fusion and some of her friends. I did her last week and am doing three more this week which is both great practice and a good confidence builder. Before long we will be working in the clinic for real-I am both excited and nervous.
Other than that, life is zipping along. My days are pretty much being consumed by school even on the days out of school and I am glad I don't have kids or a part-time job to try balancing also. It is allowing me to really focus on what I am paying for.
Okay, that seems like the short and long of it for a quickie entry. Hope all is well in your corner of the world wherever that may be.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Tis the Season/Reminiscing
Well, happy post-holidays to everyone! Amazing, another year has flown by. I have been off of school the last week and we have had a very mellow and laid-back holiday week. We had a wonderful little Christmas on our own complete with a small Christmas bush and gifts from our families. We spoiled ourselves and ate homemade bread, soup, chocolate cake and eggnog for 2 days.
We have spent much of this break taking advantage of one of our Christmas gifts-a six month subscription to Netflix. We have utilized the "watch instantly" feature of the subscription (where you can watch the movies online and on demand-we watch everything on our computer anyway since we have no TV, so doesn't bother us much). We spent all of Christmas evening and the next day watching episodes of "The Office" from season 2 on; we finished season 5 yesterday. Don't even tell me how many hours that is...I haven't quite decided yet if the subscription is a good or a bad thing...
Other than escaping to the world of Dunder Mifflin, I have spent a fair amount of time studying for school this week. It has been a bit overwhelming. Our first major test is a week from tomorrow and the sheer amount of information we are responsible for is mind boggling. I think the next month and half is the most intense portion of the course; I know I will make it through just fine. Although I have done my fair share of school and studying, I am finding this to be a different experience because the way I am used to studying is with the primary focus of passing a test or getting a good grade (and learning some). However, with this, I desperately want to actually KNOW all the information upside down and backwards (and backside up and frontwards) because it will only make me a better massage therapist. Basically, I know I could pass the test without knowing everything in this way, but don't want to settle for that. This is a very good thing, but it is interesting to balance this desire with the need to pass the test (with so much info, not everything can be reviewed in detail); basically it means I will be studying after the test too...it's a different feeling as far as school goes, but makes me feel really good about what I am doing.
We rang in the new year on our own with a bottle of wine and chocolate chip cookies-what a contrast to where we were last year in downtown Sydney! We have been thinking back to a year ago quite frequently. It was the second of January last year that we took the L90 into Sydney and visited the Office of Births and Deaths to find out more about the logistics of being married in Australia. Over lunch at a Vietnamese cafe we decided to sign up and get married in one month and a day (the legal time required in Oz). One of the craziest, hardest, easiest, best, and most unexpected decisions I have made in my life up to this point!
2009 was a year of change and craziness. period. In brief:
January: In Oz with Noah at Kristen's house; bought a wedding dress; went on a roadtrip up the Australian coast.
February: Got married on the third in Sydney!! Flew home (finally) 7 days later, moved into mom and dad's basement with Noah. We started re-painting/cleaning up rental house to move into.
March: Started working the Junior Jazz program in Driggs (Noah ran the clock, I reffed); moved out of the basement into our own house; had a reception in Driggs with friends and family from close and far (thanks again mom and dad!!)
April: Submitted Noah's immigration paperwork to USCIS; completed a spring cleanse; took a 1 week vacation to Las Vegas with my parents; started working at Teton Valley Health Care.
May: Traveled to Walla Walla for my sister's graduation; turned a quarter of a century old; sat through several meetings of the TVHC hospital board...
June: Met my mother in-law and aunt in-law for the first time when them came to visit Driggs (thanks for coming mum and Auntee Gail!); Noah received his work permit and our interview date for his green card; managed to persevere through June snowstorms with frequent trips to the driving range when the weather lifted.
July: Passed our permanent residency interview!! Noah gets his green card!
August: Attend a Hansen family reunion in Leavenworth, WA and roadtriped all the way down the coast to the Bay area and home again with Noah over a 12 day period.
September: Visit Noah's friend in Albuquerque along with Santa Fe, Taos and the surrounding area; apply to massage school at CFMNH in Asheville; get accepted and decide to move.
October: Give 4 week notice at TVHC; visit Noah's family in London, ON for a long weekend over Canadian Thanksgiving (I get to meet nearly everyone for the first time!); begin training my replacement at work only to have her quite after 1 1/2 weeks; start packing; rent a house in NC.
November: Train a new replacement in 1 week; last day of work!! Ship all of our stuff out to NC; drive across the country to our new home; start massage school on the 31st of the month.
December: Survive Winter Storm 2009; start settling into our house; Christmas & New Years....
What a year! Thank you for all those who were a part of it! We would not be where we are now if it weren't for all the love, support and help we have received over the last several months from everyone we know. May 2010 be just as wonderful.
We have spent much of this break taking advantage of one of our Christmas gifts-a six month subscription to Netflix. We have utilized the "watch instantly" feature of the subscription (where you can watch the movies online and on demand-we watch everything on our computer anyway since we have no TV, so doesn't bother us much). We spent all of Christmas evening and the next day watching episodes of "The Office" from season 2 on; we finished season 5 yesterday. Don't even tell me how many hours that is...I haven't quite decided yet if the subscription is a good or a bad thing...
Other than escaping to the world of Dunder Mifflin, I have spent a fair amount of time studying for school this week. It has been a bit overwhelming. Our first major test is a week from tomorrow and the sheer amount of information we are responsible for is mind boggling. I think the next month and half is the most intense portion of the course; I know I will make it through just fine. Although I have done my fair share of school and studying, I am finding this to be a different experience because the way I am used to studying is with the primary focus of passing a test or getting a good grade (and learning some). However, with this, I desperately want to actually KNOW all the information upside down and backwards (and backside up and frontwards) because it will only make me a better massage therapist. Basically, I know I could pass the test without knowing everything in this way, but don't want to settle for that. This is a very good thing, but it is interesting to balance this desire with the need to pass the test (with so much info, not everything can be reviewed in detail); basically it means I will be studying after the test too...it's a different feeling as far as school goes, but makes me feel really good about what I am doing.
We rang in the new year on our own with a bottle of wine and chocolate chip cookies-what a contrast to where we were last year in downtown Sydney! We have been thinking back to a year ago quite frequently. It was the second of January last year that we took the L90 into Sydney and visited the Office of Births and Deaths to find out more about the logistics of being married in Australia. Over lunch at a Vietnamese cafe we decided to sign up and get married in one month and a day (the legal time required in Oz). One of the craziest, hardest, easiest, best, and most unexpected decisions I have made in my life up to this point!
2009 was a year of change and craziness. period. In brief:
January: In Oz with Noah at Kristen's house; bought a wedding dress; went on a roadtrip up the Australian coast.
February: Got married on the third in Sydney!! Flew home (finally) 7 days later, moved into mom and dad's basement with Noah. We started re-painting/cleaning up rental house to move into.
March: Started working the Junior Jazz program in Driggs (Noah ran the clock, I reffed); moved out of the basement into our own house; had a reception in Driggs with friends and family from close and far (thanks again mom and dad!!)
April: Submitted Noah's immigration paperwork to USCIS; completed a spring cleanse; took a 1 week vacation to Las Vegas with my parents; started working at Teton Valley Health Care.
May: Traveled to Walla Walla for my sister's graduation; turned a quarter of a century old; sat through several meetings of the TVHC hospital board...
June: Met my mother in-law and aunt in-law for the first time when them came to visit Driggs (thanks for coming mum and Auntee Gail!); Noah received his work permit and our interview date for his green card; managed to persevere through June snowstorms with frequent trips to the driving range when the weather lifted.
July: Passed our permanent residency interview!! Noah gets his green card!
August: Attend a Hansen family reunion in Leavenworth, WA and roadtriped all the way down the coast to the Bay area and home again with Noah over a 12 day period.
September: Visit Noah's friend in Albuquerque along with Santa Fe, Taos and the surrounding area; apply to massage school at CFMNH in Asheville; get accepted and decide to move.
October: Give 4 week notice at TVHC; visit Noah's family in London, ON for a long weekend over Canadian Thanksgiving (I get to meet nearly everyone for the first time!); begin training my replacement at work only to have her quite after 1 1/2 weeks; start packing; rent a house in NC.
November: Train a new replacement in 1 week; last day of work!! Ship all of our stuff out to NC; drive across the country to our new home; start massage school on the 31st of the month.
December: Survive Winter Storm 2009; start settling into our house; Christmas & New Years....
What a year! Thank you for all those who were a part of it! We would not be where we are now if it weren't for all the love, support and help we have received over the last several months from everyone we know. May 2010 be just as wonderful.
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