Christmastime means laughter...

When I returned to my apartment after Thanksgiving, this is the first thing I saw upon opening the door:

Bewildered by such hideousness and a bit startled, I stepped closer...

And felt the coal-black eyes of the sock reindeer peering into my very soul.

Thank goodness it was just a joke. I was worried that Kara and I had very different taste in Christmas decorations, and I couldn't think of anything positive to say that wouldn't be an outright lie. Of course, now we've decided to keep him up because he's grown on us, and we like to observe the varying reactions of our guests. They can be quite entertaining.

Yesterday I did a little Christmas shopping, and then decorated the apartment:

Found the perfect little tree at Target.

Here it is in the light.

And a garland for the 'kitchen.' 

It's very wonderful and Christmas-y feeling. I cannot wait to have the lights off and the tree on and sit by the fire drinking eggnog and listening to carols. I've already bought the eggnog...

I'm in love with a girl

And her name is Irene / AKA Sparky / AKA my Baby Niece (no longer tiny). I took these pictures while I was holding Irene in one arm and my camera in the other. She thought that my camera was the best and most interesting toy ever...which made it easy to get some cute close-ups.

So my trip home for Thanksgiving was pretty great, but a little too short. Thursday was a daze of turkey and family and dogs and the baby...I only managed about 2 1/2 hours of sleep during the red-eye flight (which, to be fair, was only 3 hours long), then a 30 minute nap on the second flight. Planning a trip around the thought that "I'll just sleep on the plane, it'll be fine," is a terrible idea.

A good chunk of Friday was spent at Jeff and Amie's place, putting together furniture from Ikea (which everyone knows I love to do). Then in the afternoon/evening all the family from Chicago who came to town for the baby shower came over to my parents' for pizza. Porca Fuera was played, and a fun time was had by all. 

Saturday was Amie's baby shower,which was really fun in spite of the fact that I did not win the celebrity baby names game. I left me wondering what kind of shower I could convince someone to throw me without getting married or having a baby. Perhaps a "6 month anniversary in Seattle" shower, or a "finished with orientation" shower, or a "becoming an aunt for the 2nd time" shower. Just so you know, if anybody wants to run with any of these ideas, they totally can.

My flight home on Sunday morning was slightly delayed due to the beautiful winter wonderland that I awoke to. They had to de-ice all the planes (how necessary is this, MGW?), and for some reason they can't do it until everyone is crammed onto the plane like overstuffed livestock. I was all the way in the back, surrounded by a sea of whiny kids (one of whom insisted on kicking my chair about every 2 minutes for the entire 4-hour flight). I felt sort of like one of those cranky, kid-hating people by the time I got to Seattle. Funny, considering the way this post began.

Anyway, coming home (to Seattle) did feel like 'coming home' which was kind of unexpected. I guess home is where your stuff is :) It was great to see my family, friends, and dog...but it's good to be back, too.

It's that time of year when people are thankful

Things that are great about my job:

1) I can wear whatever I want, since I change into scrubs when I get to the hospital.

2) I don't have to wash my hair because it lives under a surgical cap all day.

3) Most of the people that I work with are great.

4) I am learning how to do the job that I've wanted for the past few years...and it's very satisfying.

5) I get to walk through the city after I get off work, and on clear days (like today), I can see Mt Ranier in the distance.

Things that are not so great about my job:

1) Moving someone onto or off of the OR table and finding a 'surprise' left behind. Not their fault, but also not fun.

2) Co-workers who are lazy, crazy, bitter, catty, rude, or all of the above. Thankfully there are only a few like this.

3) Patients who have situations that are so tragic that I cannot forget about them when I come home from work. This mostly pertains to the pediatric patients that I have, which thankfully isn't many.

4) I have to walk through the city after I get off work, and on cold & rainy days...I get cold and wet.

Today I was about two blocks from my apartment (with my headphones in my ears but no music playing because it's usually a good deterrent for the crazies...but not today), and this homeless guy walking past holds up a long screw. "This is a metaphor!" he said quite loudly in spite of the fact that he was standing only about two feet away from me (I guess he wanted to make sure I heard him over the music that I appeared to be listening to). "This is a metaphor for what the Republicans did to me for the last 8 years! IT'S A METAPHOR!" he got louder with every word. I said "hmm" and kept walking. Then I enjoyed imagining what my mom would have done if she had been there. I think it's probably better that she wasn't. Just wanted to share that little slice of life in Seattle.

Yesterday I spent a few hours on the beach (along with half the population of the city and their dogs). I passed a baby seal on the sand, and at first I was really sad because it looked like it was dead. But on my way back, there was a crowd of people gathered around it and a park ranger was approaching. He poked at the little guy, and it reared back and tried to bite him. Reminded me sooooo much of a dog. I didn't hear everything the ranger said, but I think the seal was okay...maybe just dozing in the sun? Anyway, I'm glad he was okay, and here are some pictures:

The Olympics. The sight of those snow-capped peaks as I was driving home from church is actually what made me decide to go to the beach. 

A rare stretch of people-free sand.

Harold the Harbor Seal. Does he look dead to you? Cause he's just faking, I promise.

Product Placement Ad

I think living here might have turned me into a wimp regarding the weather. Last night when I got off work it was around 40 degrees, raining pretty steadily, and with a driving wind reminiscent of downtown Chicago. I was cold and wet before I'd walked a half a block...it was the perfect combination of weather elements that render an umbrella completely useless. I felt completely bedraggled and miserable when I got on the bus; the way that a wet dog seems to feel when it looks up at you from the bathtub.

It got me thinking. First, I'm glad that I'm not a homeless person. It must be really terrible for them when the weather is bad. Second, 40 degrees is really not that cold...I have become a West-Coast Mild Weather Wimp.

So earlier this week, I discovered a hair product that actually accomplishes what it claims to do. As someone who has unsuccessfully spent her whole life trying to make fine, straight hair have some kind of volume with a variety of 'volumizing' products...I had pretty much given up hope on changing what my genes gave me. Until I tried this:

And this was the immediate result:

I just looked in the mirror and laughed, then felt the need to document such momentous volume on film. I have to apologize for early morning Rachel who isn't wearing any makeup, and also to assure you that I didn't leave my hair like this.

In five days I'll be back in STL for a visit! There will be three dogs, my baby niece, and of course lots of people who I love. Cannot wait...

Pretty much just Farmer's Markets and Sunshine

After a few days of rain, the promised sunshine has arrived. It’s been mild and lovely this weekend, and the sun is shining. I spent some time refilling my Vitamin D storage cells sitting on the roof, writing this post.

I had a three-day work week because of Veteran’s Day, and I got all my errands out of the way on Tuesday, then spent Thursday morning at the beach. It was pretty cold when the sun ducked behind the clouds, but it was still the beach. Sand, and water, and seals barking off across the bay. It’s nice to have a beach 15 minutes away (even if the water is frigid), but I suspect I”ll feel differently next summer when I’m dreaming of a balmy Florida vacation. The upside is that flights to Hawaii are pretty cheap from Seattle, and the tourism industry there is suffering so badly right now that I could probably get a great deal. The downside being that my family (with assorted babies and dogs) would probably not be able to join me.

Also on Thursday I got my hair cut, and was (as usual) talked into purchasing the products that Richard used on my hair. I’ve realized that I’m sort of a sucker when it comes to things like that. The same character trait (flaw?) that makes it difficult for me to haggle over a price in a foreign country also kicks in whenever I get my hair done. I feel like refusing to buy the product is insulting to the stylist who just made my hair look really fabulous. I should work on that.

Amy and I went walking around Green Lake yesterday. We took some goofy pictures and videos, and watched the parade of people and dogs that passed by (stopping to pet the cutest of dogs, of course).  It’s so great that she lives here and we can do things like that on a regular basis.

Today we went to church (I now look forward to going to church each week!), then I headed to the Farmer's Market. I know I said this post was going to be about work, but I don't like thinking about work when I'm not there...as the tendency to think about it all the time and obsess over everything that happens is too tempting. So maybe next time. Here are pictures:

Introducing...ducks! They were pretty fearless, letting us come within inches before they waddled away, quacking in that disgruntled duck kind of way.

It's not often that you see giant inflatable turkeys on someone's porch, and I felt the need to document it.

Senior picture pose #1...

This was Amy's favorite picture of the entire 'shoot'...I think I look like a doofus, but the colors are nice :)

Senior picture pose #2

Our fellow walkers and some fall foliage. This trail circles the lake and is about 2.5 miles...and on nice days, it almost feels like you're marching in a parade with all the people.

Nature pictures...a giant Christmas tree!

I just really liked this bunch of trees.

Hm...looks like any other lake, but it's special because it's mine.

Couches and Concerts

Our couches finally arrived on Thursday, and my bunda can sit in comfort once again. I'm quite pleased with the way they fit into our apartment, as both Kara and I were worried (since we have a pretty teeny living room). But they fit nicely, and the apartment now has a cozier feel to it (just in time for the holidays!). 

The view when you first enter the room. It no longer looks like we have a third roommate squatting in our living room... a slightly accusatory suggestion made by our suspicious building manager.

The loveseat. That round table back behind it to the right is supposed to live on our patio, but we had to bring everything inside due to the construction.

The couch.  Three people can sit comfortably across it, or one person can lay (but no pants-less sleeping is allowed!)

Here is me, testing the couch for the first time. I give them a comfort score of 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. They are certainly not as comfortable as the leather monstrosity couches of my adolescent years, but slightly better than the armless sectional that now resides at 407.

I had another exciting Friday night this week; two in a row...it might be too much for me. After work I decided to try a traveling experiment. Normally, I wait about 20 minutes for a bus that takes me 7 blocks west (down a HUGE hill), then 12 blocks north where I disembark and walk 2 more blocks west to my next bus. On my 12-hour days, I usually leave the hospital around 7:10, get on the first bus around 7:30, and catch the second one at 7:50...putting me home at 8:30. On Friday I decided to walk it. I saw a truly spectacular view of the city at night (I will try and take a picture of it sometime), made it onto my 'second' bus by 7:30, and was home by 8:10...in spite of walking 25 blocks total when I usually walk 3. So, I'm probably going to do that every time from now on.

The reason for the experiment was that I had tickets to see Eric Hutchinson (www.erichutchinson.com), and wanted to get to the High Dive (www.highdiveseattle.com) by 9. Which I did, after driving around in the rain frantically looking for a parking space close to the venue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont,_Seattle,_Washington). 

I eventually got there, met up with Amy, Daniel, and Deb (a friend and former Segue who was in town for a conference), and calmed down during the very mellow opening acts. The place was packed, and it was hot and steamy the way it gets when there's a crowd of people in a small and poorly ventilated space and it's raining outside (sort of like the bus, which one nurse referred to as a Tuberculosis incubator). And there was the freakishly tall group of people standing directly in front of us who kept saying things like, "I hope this Eric Hutchinson guy is good...yeah this guy better be good" and sort of made me want to kick them. Then Eric came on, and he was amazing. A talented, funny, and energetic performer who was really too good for the crowd he was playing for (why is there always at least one drunken d-bag in every crowd?). I'm pretty sure this kid will be very famous one day, and encourage you to check out his album Sounds Like This on iTunes. 

This smudged stamp is the only proof of my being at the show. I forgot my camera :( and don't even have a ticket stub because Amy had my ticket and got there before I did.

Excited for the three-day week ahead. Leave me comments!

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray

I know I've been slacking in my blogging duties, and I apologize. Most of my mental energy is going towards learning right now, and it doesn't leave much for creativity and expression. But I'll try...

Autumn is in full swing here, and there have been some truly spectacular days with blue skies and colorful foliage. But now the skies are grey and rainy, and I expect it to stay that way for the next 6 months. It's kind of weird to me that it can rain sooo much without flooding being an issue, but I guess that's one of the perks of being on the coast (haha, I stick my tongue out at you, midwest). I'm getting used to walking in the rain, and always having a hat and/or umbrella (depending on the force/amount of rain falling), and also being able to gauge whether or not I'll need to wear my rain boots by the sound of rain falling outside (since it's dark when I wake up). 

Here are my rain boots when they were still shiny and new:

Halloween was fun this year. My friend Amy lived in this community house for a couple months when she first moved here; it is huge...I think 10 or 12 people live there at a time. So, they have a costume party every year at Halloween, and charge people $5 at the door and then donate half the proceeds to charity. I wasn't expecting much; maybe a strobe light and some Jack 0'lanterns.  But these people go all out, apparently spend a week decorating the place, and it was awesome (the entrance was a dungeon, then there was a swamp room, and a disco room, even the bathroom was decorated and creepy). And it was packed with people. In spite of the fact that I'd woken up at 4:30 that morning and worked for 12 hours, I had a great time. I didn't take any pictures at the actually party, but everybody came over to our place to get ready, and here's a group shot:

From left to right, back row: Luke (Amy's roommate), Mike (Kara's friend), Brian (Kara's friend), then Daniel (Amy's other roommate). De (Amy's friend visiting from Chicago) and Amy are standing in front of them, then Kara is sitting on the floor. And I was taking the picture.

Here is me, De, and Amy getting ready in my bathroom. A princess, Peter Pan, and some sort of Jazzercising acrobat from the 80's (who ended up winning the dance contest!)

Here is my costume. $15 at a thrift store, with only one stain on the back and a slightly musty odor. I'm thinking it's a leftover from somebody's Renaissance-themed wedding many years ago. It's really too bad you can't see my gold shoes...they pulled the whole look together. 

So Tuesday night was interesting. First of all, on my bus ride home (around 8:20 pm Pacific) the bus driver came on the speaker and said "Ladies and Gentlemen on the bus, the new president of the United States of America is...Barack Obama!" And pandemonium erupted. Everybody started cheering and clapping...it was kind of crazy. Then this homeless guy (who was black) stood up and started raving about how finally his people were finally going to get some respect, and it was about time they started getting some respect. Then this homeless lady (who was white) started telling him how black people don't have it hard, but white people do. I believe she said something along the lines of "you don't have it hard, you don't need respect...we need respect, because everybody calls us racists all the time." It was kind of funny to watch two crazy homeless people have a debate. At least it didn't escalate into violence. And of course they both got off the bus at my stop...15th and Market NW = crazy homeless people capital of seattle.

Then it was like New Year's Eve or something. Fireworks going off, people cheering, and blowing those noisemaker things. They really, really do not like George Bush in this city...and they really, really believe that Barack Obama is going to make things better. Here's hoping they're right.

I'm spending the next few hours waiting for my couches to be delivered and cleaning the apartment...thrilling way to spend my day off. Especially since the construction on our building has begun, and there is constant LOUD noise all around me. I seriously wonder if I could bargain down my rent over this (considering the woman we are renting from never told us that the building would be under construction for the next 9 months). 

My next post will include pictures of the couches, and a list of things I love and things I hate about my job.