Ramblings

FACT: Today, Brad and I have been married exactly 120 days, which equals four months, which is also 1/3 of a year. When you think about a lifetime, that's not very long, but it also seems like the wedding was yesterday. So actually, four short months have flown by!

FACT: I have been asked more times than I care to count a) are you buying a house? and/or b) when are you having kids? Anytime I mention the word "nauseous" at work, that is THE question that pops out of the person's mouth that was actually close enough to hear the word muttered. Because, you see, after about the twentieth time I was asked that question, I began choosing my words very cautiously to avoid any rumor mills quickly setting afire.

FACT: Brad and I talk [almost] daily about our goals in life, whether that be the location where we might one day settle into, the next kind of car we buy or when those kids might actually be something we REALLY want to think about. If Brad had a bottle with a genie in it, we'd be building a house (and a shop out back, might I add) on 500 acres in the middle of Nowhere, Texas (or Colorado), with a three-car garage (one stall for his 1997 diesel Ford extended cab blah blah blah) and have two rambunctious boys running around driving their mother insane. Okay, so maybe not ALL of that, but he has requested a shop (especially if we are blessed with two girls instead of boys) and he comments EVERY day about the truck he's destined to own. My dreams? Well, I would like a house with enough room for a dog to run and play. And inside that garage? Probably a Tahoe. What can I say? Some dreams never die.

FACT: I was roaming through Barnes & Noble today and noticed the "Required Reading for School" table. You know, the one with Jane Eyre, Tale of Two Cities and...Same Kind of Different as Me. Huh? Really? Wise choice, Mrs. Educator. I have no doubt that some parents will have a problem with the underlying messge of the book, especially if said book is required for Public School, USA. But I commend said teacher for putting a great book on the list!

FACT: I most certainly cried when I watched the season finale of "ER". I'm such a sucker for dramatic tv shows.

FACT: While shopping at Kroger yesterday evening, I almost jumped up an down and wet my pants when I realized that the exact gum for which I had a coupon for "$2 off 3 single packs" was actually on sale for 3/$2. That's right, folks. I got $3.18 worth of gum for FREE!!!

FACT: As I was getting ready to run some errands this morning I heard what sounded a lot like helicopters hovering overhead. I clicked on the news and apparently, they were looking for a few guys that were caught breaking into cars across the Interstate and took off on foot when the cop shot them. Yes, shot THEM, not AT them. Brave little guys to run while leaving a trail of blood behind. No worries, they were caught a few blocks away about 30 minutes later. And yes, I waited another two hours before daring to leave the apartment.

So, Brad...how bout those 500 acres in the middle of Nowhere? .... :)

Until next time...

In the meantime...

It's been almost a month since my last post, which I guess really just shows the busy-ness of our lives. After the 10K, Brad and I have been non-stop with work, school and extra-curricular activities, if you will.

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to get out of this humid city and go to another city with my mom. It was great to have some girl time, meet up with family friends we haven't seen in YEARS and do a little retail therapy. We were also able to meet up with Sara and Jeff (sister/brother-in-law extraordinaire) and love on little Cal. Guys, he is absolutely PRECIOUS and why didn't I get a picture with him? Hehe.

This past week, we watched the Aggie men's basketball team get through the first round of the NCAA tourney, but lose a terrible game in the second. As it usually goes in Aggieland, there's always next year.

This weekend we spent some time with friends at a former coworker's wedding here in Houston. It's the first wedding we've attended since our own and I couldn't help but to think back to that day in December. So yes, I came home and watched the DVD this week and almost cried all over again. Claire was beautiful and it was so much fun to NOT be involved with the wedding at all. :)

I've had some alone time on my days off where I've done a lot of thinking (for another post) and havw done some praying, too. Prayer for family. Prayers for friends. Prayer for people whose blogs I stalk because they're friends of friends and have ailing children. Talk about a heavy heart. Sick kids is my "business", but outside of the work environment I've realized just how heart-breaking things can be during scary times for parents. This weekend, we're running in the Run for the Rose 5K in honor of my Uncle Richard, who survived brain cancer, and in memory of Addi Bender, a former patient of mine who did not.

As soon as I find my camera battery charger, I will start taking pictures again and will have fun stuff to show you!

We Did It!

Well, Brad and I set off on Saturday morning and we did it...we finished our first 10k!

The weather was less than desirable at 55 degrees with a 20 mph wind and 30 mph gusts. Because the run kicked off the parade, there were lots of bystanders cheering us on during the first mile or so. The next 2.5 miles or so were tough. We headed straight into the wind, up a nice little hill and over a bridge before we were able to turn around and have the tailwind for the last two miles. I have to admit that during the second stretch, I just wasn't able to catch my breath (despite the rescue use of my inhaler) so we ended up walking about 1/4 mile. BUT, we finished and that's all that matters. Unfortunately, we didn't have anyone there cheering us on specifically, so I don't have pictures. However, the professionals taking pictures of the event should be getting theirs up soon, so I'll see if I can't copy and paste or at least link the webpage.

We had a lot of fun, and are still planning to try a half-marathon this year. In the mean time, we will be running lots of 5K races and trying to better our times ;) If anyone is interested, we'll be running:

Run for the Rose 5K - March 29

Blue Bell Fun Run 5K (all you can eat ice cream at the finish line) - April 18

Race for the Pennant (free Astros tickets included) - May 31st

Ski Bums

Well, as always, Colorado proved to be fun, relaxing, stressful and beautiful all in one (or rather, four) days.

Saturday, we woke up early, traded Valentine's Day cards and candy, ate some cinnamon rolls, loaded up the VW and headed to the airport. This past year, we've flown American and Southwest and this time opted for United Airlines because they offered the cheapest ticket. Their Economy Plus seating is the BOMB! An extra 5 inches of leg room? Sign. Me. Up. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful flight from sea level to the mile-high city. We spent the rest of the day renting our Subaru Outback station wagon, complete with heated leather seats and dual climate control settings (a must-have for the next car we purchase), buying lift tickets, finding the condo, meeting up with Steven and Tricia, grocery shopping and eating. Carbed up with some pasta for the upcoming days.

It snowed both Saturday and Sunday nights so the snow conditions on the mountains were glorious. It was also sunny both days, which made the 20* weather tolerable. I must say that I was the least experienced skiier of the four of us and it was really nice for my fellow travelers to be patient with me taking 15 minutes to get down the mountain to their 5.

Monday was much better since I'd gotten back into the groove of how to work my skis. You should ask Brad what happened on our next-to-last run before lunch. The 40-year old man yelling at me was a less than desirable end to a really good ski day.

And nevermind the fact that we missed our flight home because we lost track of time elsewhere. Luckily, UA had a later flight to Houston and we made it back home around midnight.

We had a blast and have already started planning for next year. Any takers? :)

P.S. The picture above was taken from the ground (thanks, Brad) and is NOT a very large pine tree. It is, in fact, a very large cell tower at the top of one of the peaks made to LOOK like a very large pine tree.

Life, Love and Learning to Adjust

Lately...

LIFE:

Brad is b-u-s-y at work. He's consistently done >60 hours of work every week this year, with last week's total reaching 80+. On top of that, he's going to physics two nights a week and also does some work for online government. Needless to say, he's exhausted and looks forward to the weekend more than anyone else I know. Of course, he deserves it more than anyone else I know.
Me? Well, I need a hobby. After spending the majority of my free time planning the wedding last year, I've got a bit more of it on my hands. I'm still working a little overtime, and have considered picking up another shift every pay period. However, I don't really like my job THAT much! It's wonderful, but we all need a break. So instead, perhaps I'll finish at least one of the three scrapbooks that have been started and are now collecting dust on a book shelf...


LOVE:

Brad and I decided to forego the highly commercialized Valentine's Day that we've participated in the past two years. First VD together = Houston's Restaurant. Last year = Capital Grille. While the food was great and the atmosphere was romantic, this year trumps all. Instead of dining with a hundred other couples and choosing food off a fixed menu, we flew to Colorado and spent an extended weekend skiing with some friends.

I'll fill you in our the daily details of the trip in a later post. For now, just know that the time away from normalcy was MUCH needed (see above on "Life" for Brad) and was spent with a great couple of sweet people.


LEARNING to ADJUST:

Some things I've learned since living with a boy, ahem, man:

1. When making the bed, always give husband 2-3 inches more sheet length than my own side. Apparently, I steal the covers. This is evidenced by the fact that in a corner on Brad's side of the bed are two blankets "just in case" he gets cold.

2. When folding laundry, I've learned Brad's "Corps Days" way of folding t-shirts. Instead of being folded in half, then in half again like I've always done, his shirts are done in a more intricate way such that each one become a rectangular lump of cotton measuring 6 inches by 4 inches.

3. Brad's [almost] as neat and tidy as I am. Despite the dishes not always making it into the dishwasher or the inevitable presence of dirty clothes next to the dresser, he's been found to clear clutter from the cabinets and putting them in nice, neat, organized stacks of stuff. His desk and file folders are much more tidy than mine.

4. "Boy" shows aren't all that bad. I've learned a bit from seeing "Modern Marvels", "How It's Made" and other various history and discovery channel specials. And I've learned to enjoy them. Almost as much as he enjoys "Ace of Cakes", "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and "Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice" :)

5. He makes a better cook than I do. So I let him and stick to baking!

6. We balance each other out. And that's why we fit so well together.

A Good Day

What exactly defines a good day in the life of Megan?

1030 -- roll out of bed. this is when being a nurse ROCKS!

1045-1300 -- eat breakfast, check email, read updated blogs, check Facebook, a few chores (not too many or this ruins the good day)

1300 -- shower

1400-1600 -- run errands leisurely. no time restraints = tolerable errand-running

1600 -- get home. check mail to find two new magazines and some personal mail.

1600-1700 -- do something that requires creative juices

1715 -- brad is home!!!

1730-1815 -- run 4 miles. that's right, folks, i made it FOUR MILES during our run today!!!

1815-2130 -- cook dinner, pour a glass of wine, chit chat with my hubby, watch my favorite tv shows

2130 -- get ready for bed and snooze :)

Random Thoughts v. 2

Some of these were seen on my Facebook's version of "25 Things About Me". Some are new.

1. I'm picky about the way my groceries are bagged. I mean, milk jug with bananas? Cans of Rotel with bread? Yogurt with cleaning supplies? C'mon, people!

2. I believe in miracles. They happen every day in the deep, dark dungeon that is the PICU. Trust me, no doctor could do some of the things that come from my place of work.

3. Brad is simply perfect for me. End of discussion.

4. I want kids one day. One boy, one girl, in that order and perfect little angels. ;) Actually, I just pray that God will bless us with healthy children.

5. I would love to live some place that actually saw four seasons. 70-degree weather in January is for the birds.

6. I love spending time around other people, but I'm not really that good at creating conversation. So really, I just like to hear how other people's lives are going.

7. My secret dream job would be an event planner. Weddings, parties, showers, etc. How fun!

8. Europe before 30.

9. Marathon before 30.

10. I have no will power if there are sweets within a 100 foot radius of me.

11. I like to think I'm crafty, but really, I just like crafty things. Especially when other people make them.

12. To be so Type A, I think I'm ADD. That's why I'm an ICU nurse -- multi-tasker!

13. I used to have a things with feet. Nobody could touch mine. If you ask Brad, he'd tell you that I now have a thing with my stomach.

14. One of my favorite things to do is: pour myself a glass of red wine, help Brad cook dinner, sit down and eat that dinner with no distractions, then go grab something sweet and cuddle up in front of the TV.

15. One of my other favorite things to on Sundays is to drive around the ritzy neighborhoods of Houston, look at the gaudy houses and wonder what kind of lives the people who live in them lead.

16. I married my very best friend and he loves me just the way I am...moody or not...patient or not...good cook or not.