The search is OFF!

I got a job!! And it was my top choice! I had been applying to jobs all over Tucson, Chicago, and Ann Arbor, and I snagged a new graduate position at the hospital I've been in for my clinical rotations. Best part is my new floor: EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT! Oh yeah, I'm an ER nurse now.

That being said, I am super nervous to start! I want to be the best I can, and meet the expectations of my new bosses! Also, I am now very unmotivated to get any work done. A good friend of mine, Emily also got hired in the ER, but as a pediatric nurse! I am very glad to have a partner in crime during the next part of this journey.

Now, I have to be a real person, and get everything in order to start my new (employed) life as a nurse! Oh, and you know, pass my board examination!

Until I have more details,
LB

Farewell, Luda

Luda is with his new family now. Hector, another Tucsonan, has a black lab and a stay-at-home wife that were both looking for a new companion. He's going to a new home so that he'll have consistency and the companionship that he deserves.

We only knew him for a few days, but he will certainly be remembered.

Best wishes,
Cody

We (kind of) got a dog!!

So, we sort of had a dog for the weekend. I mean that in the, my-friend-found-a-stray-and-was-leaving-town-so-I-assumed-responsibility sort of way. My friend Lindsey found a blue pit bull during her walk on Wednesday. She had to leave town early Thursday, so I offered to take him. He has been a total charmer from day one. I picked him up and took him to the Humane Society where we discovered that he was not microchipped or neutered. Nor does he meet the description of any missing dogs.They suspect he is about 8-9 months old and he may have been chained up outside. We then filed a found dog report and then headed to Petco. He is such a social dog and everyone who meets him loves him! We got him food, a leash/collar, and a Kong so he didn't destroy my shoes (I however am one pair of Toms down). After a bath, he was a clean and happy boy. He was with me most of the day on Thursday, and then Cody picked him up and took him to kickball. I met up with them after an oh so glamorous photo shoot I did with a friend for her work (I'll post photos later). We went to dinner at a pizza place afterward and the dog, who we named Ludacris, aka Luda, slept under the table the whole time. He has been very easy and well behaved the rest of the weekend. He was at home yesterday except for a morning hike with my roommate Austin in the morning. Today we took him for a walk, and when he got too hot, he just laid down in a puddle! He gets really worn out and sleeps a lot at the house.

We really enjoyed having him, but it made me realize how unprepared I am to have a pet. He is the ideal companion, but I just don't have the time to give him what he deserves. Luckily, we think we found a potential family for him, and if it doesn't work out, he is going to an event with a pitbull rescue called Smiling Dogs Rescue (http://www.smilingdogrescue.com/) tomorrow to try to find a forever home. I really wish I knew his background as he is so loving and personable, but he has some scars around his face. It is really hard to figure out what he has been through, but I think I'm better not knowing. We have LOVED getting to know this pup, but we are so glad he will have a loving family, and some consistency. He really deserves it! Below are some of our photos from the weekend!

My name is Luda. Fun facts about me:

• I snore like an old man
• I run like a horse/rabbit/toddler
• I enjoy snuggling in blankets
• I do NOT like to be left alone
• I am really sweet and love everyone I meet!

Cody and I

All my love, 

LB

Much needed update!

I promised to update everyone in my last post so here it goes. My third semester of school was a critical care rotation and I was lucky enough to get a great ICU experience. I spent time in a cardiac ICU as well as a medical-surgical ICU, and the ER. I was even able to perform chest compressions! So that semester ended and now I'm doing more med-surg on an orthopedic floor. The nurses are great and I'm learning a lot about how to organize my day as a nurse. I also had my community rotation this summer, which was not really my favorite, but I did learn a lot about the resources available to the citizens in Tucson.

Outside of school, Cody and I have been really busy with our 7 weddings this summer! I was fortunate enough to be able to go to my beautiful friend Kelly and her studly husband Steve's wedding in May. We had a blast and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to see them unite as a couple!

This is my hot date Angela and I at the reception! She was the best date, EVER! Sorry Code ;)

Cody has been traveling a lot lately and he just attended an Anchorman themed bachelor party in San Diego. He said they had a blast, and he had some great photos, like the one below! Isn't he handsome!

We also went to a wedding in Dallas together for his family friend Jordan, and her new hubby Brandon! Outside of all of our weddings and traveling, we've been keeping busy hiking, climbing (Cody) and trying p90x (me!)! We are really looking forward to the Michigan vs. Alabama game in Dallas on September 1 and we are going to attend the game with some of our friends from our undergraduate years!

That's a quick update and from here, I'll try to post more frequently! Below is another photo from our Memorial Day hike!

Love,
LB

Now you've really done it

So, I had been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while, originally to avoid sending multiple emails to family and friends to reassure them that I am alive and actually enjoying myself in the desert. I put the whole project on the back burner after I spent too much time trying to get it to look the way I wanted it to and it still wasn't quite right. However, since I am graduating in 5 weeks I decided now was the perfect time to take on a new project! So obviously, it is going to take me some time to actually get into a groove and start posting consistently. The other aspect of writing down my adventures is to keep a journal of what I have done and what I want to do! Otherwise, school would dominate my thoughts and I would have no way of remembering what I had accomplished.

GOALS:

• Post things that I like, so if I ever have money, I can actually remember things I want to buy
• Post things I do, to share with everyone!
• Post things I want to do, so maybe I can get some advice?? Help a sister out here!

So there are my aims in blogging, and hopefully my writing skills improve slightly along the way! I can use all the help I can get!!

As for now, I am just finishing up my community rotation in nursing school and then heading back to the hospital to finish my last few weeks on an orthopedic floor. The job search is on, but no news yet! I'll try to keep it up to date!

This is a photo of Cody and I at his family friend's wedding this last weekend. I think we look quite sassy!

Best,
LB