Part Two: Workin’ Girl

Part Two: Workin’ Girl

So I had an awesome job. I worked in the ER at Cox. Fun times, great people. Stressful and difficult for a new nurse, but I wouldn’t ever give it up. Well… I take that back…


Well, I had to start working to get a job. So I signed up on careerbulider.com and submitted some information. I also googled what hospitals were in the area. There were a couple of options. I saw some day shifts open in St. Vincent’s ER. So I browsed their website and decided I would update my resume and send it later that week.

Wouldn’t you know it the positions filled the next day.
Crap, I was new to this whole looking for work thing. What if I wasn’t able to get a job?! John calmed me down. I could get a job, it might not be perfect or what I really want but I could get something. Maybe a floor position or something. I shudder, but it was all for a good cause.

So I littered my application all over St. Vincent’s Hospital. Within a few days I got a call from their nurse recruiter. She said she had received my application and felt like I was more suited for the ER. Would I be interested in working there or had I decided to step away? (and this was why I applied all over) I said I was VERY interested in the ER but they had no openings on their web site. She said there were a few interdepartmental positions opening and she would talk to their manager and get back to me.

Woohoo!! I was so happy AGAIN! Except, oh geez what if it was night shift?! I did nights once as a PCA before I got my license. Ick, I am NOT a night person. I can do it, but sheesh. Not my cup of tea.

Turns out all this worrying was for nothing. The position was an 11am to 11pm shift. Oh MAN that sounded nice. Sleeping in, being on a similar schedule as John (he doesn’t do mornings) and generally living like a normal person. They said they would set up a phone interview soon. I told John and he was so happy he got ahold of a realtor and scheduled us to look at some houses within in the next two days. (See if you can get off work he said.) I called St. Vincent’s to tell them I would be down soon, if they wanted to meet me face to face. Essentially, setting up my own interview.


Within two days we jumped in the car and drove down.

Part One:Acceptance

The Move Part One: Acceptance

Mid-Februrary John was accepted to University of Arkansas school of Medical Sciences. Yay and excitement! He’s been working for this his entire life! Now it was finally here! When he opened the yellow package with trepidation (it could be a rejection letter) and a pamphlet fell out about living on campus we were so relieved!

It was exciting, scary and sad all at once. We had been waiting to hear back since his interview in January. Now we finally knew where we would be living for the next four years.

It was very important to learn this soon since our lease for the apartment was going to be finished up in March!

We were still waiting to hear back from his other school Mizzou (at that time the first choice, waitlisted ) but after doing some research between the two he discovered that UAMS was actually a better school.

So he signed the acceptance letter and mailed it back!









Like I said, exciting and yet sad. I was reconnecting with some friends. I’m pretty bad at keeping up with people and was just getting around to hanging out with them again. Now I felt like it was pointless knowing I’d be leaving them so. However, it’s more important to have fun times now than wish you had later.

Love you guys and miss you.

Next came the preparations to get a new job. Because, you can’t really buy a house if you don’t have a job.

The Move

The Move

This transaction will take place over several, several posts. Sorry, but that’s the nature of the beast. I’ve done a very poor job keeping up with everything. At least with this I’ve had the excuse of moving. However, alas and alack the time of me slacking off has to draw to a close now that I am so desperately far away from my loved ones. I miss you all greatly.

Left-brain leaning.

At one point in my life I was told I was a right-brained person. Actually, it was more of a statement of, "You don't have a left brain."
Where is that right brain now!? Have I severely overcompensated? So much so that my artistic side has atrophied?

Must be.

I'm trying to pull it together enough to decorate my new house. I swear all these colors look alike. Yet, I know the subtleties between eggshell and seashell. I was raised with the 64 box of crayons and could list all of them before I could spell my name. Where has this talent gotten me? I'm a freaking synesthete! But I swear if I look at one more paint chip I'm going to explode.

I keep being overrun with questions of, why does this matter? Who cares what it looks like? This seems like a lot of work. Do you really NEED to paint this? (and not just from my husband either)
I just was to yell back at myself, "YES!, I do NEED to paint this! I understand enough about subconscious influences that I need to change the color of that kitchen wall."

Sigh, enough of the ranting though.
Wouldn't this look cool in my bedroom?







Or this I almost can't decide....

Anyway. I have a floor full of picture books but I can't make up my mind on any of them. I know what I don't like and most of them are that. It's really frustrating. I'm a fan of minimalism, but in the region I live in (country, very country) it's few and far between.

I like feeling like I live in a spaceship or the future. I don't like dusting little glass figurines! If I see another table or book case design littered with this crap and it called "homey flair" something's gonna flair right out the window!

Sigh, I know I promised to be done with the ranting earlier...

In less than two weeks I move.
Wow, just wow.

I'm going to need to get much better at blogging since I'll be so far away from everyone.
I just don't got the skills to think of interesting things to say.

We're trying to get a uhaul to carry all our stuff down in, didn't realize Memorial Day weekend was such a busy moving time. Oops.

Ran 2.07 in my vibrams this morning. Building my times, these things are great but they totally shift the muscle groups I'm used to using.

I spent three days looking for espresso coffee cups. Those things are quite hard to find. Everyone drinks from HUGE coffee mugs. Makes me feel special that I have a mini cup, quite nicely sized to fit.

Sorry if this post is a little broken up, I just finished running so even my typed sentences are in pants.

Ugh, I need a shower...

Here's the deal

So was that 7-10 days from the interview or 7-10 days from the call that said 7-10 days.

I had the interview, went great, got a call with a date of decision. Now I'm waiting to see if I'm a better choice than their internal candidates. I've already bought a condo and have a closing date of the 25th so I can move in on the 28th. I did this because they said they would want to fill the position ASAP. So I'm getting myself ready... did I box myself in?
A nursing student that shadowed me yesterday was describing the subconscious anxiety she was manifesting about finals week. I knew exactly how she felt. Its not something I'm thinking about but occasionally for no reason my heart will speed up and I'll be just a little breathless.
I'm surrounded by boxes right now, Ewiggen and I went ahead and began packing everything we don't need. Turns out I can live without quite a few things. I'll probably end up getting rid of a lot of this stuff once we move simply because I haven't needed it in so long.

May is national runner's month. YAY! I'm getting a little bit better day by day. I didn't consider myself last year at all, now I would say I'm a beginner. Approx 11 minute miles when I do my 5k runs. I'm trying to up my average distances to 5k 3x a week. Or so, right now it's about one 5k a week and 3-4 1.5mi runs. Ewiggen is running with me and needs more time to warm up to it.

Ewiggen did put in his two weeks notice a while ago and today is officially his first day unemployed. I hope he enjoys it! He needs a good break until medical school starts. He said he was going to hit the gym everyday a kick my... well you know.

While we were in Ark our one friend down there (Miss Susan) gave us a Tassimo coffee maker.Wow, I love it. It's one of the greatest things ever. I might get one for my Mom for Mother's Day. Her coffee pot is dying and makes truly awful coffee. Blech.

Yay! Time to run!

Arkansas Trip Summary

For all those interested in knowing the trip to Ark went VERY well!

We traveled to Arkansas on very short notice, it could almost be considered a "whim" so- to-speak.Ewiggen called me at work on monday to see if I could get off on thursday to travel to Ark to look at houses. After a bit of juggling and some wonderful help from two amazing nurses it was all organized out. I also called the hospital down there to set up a tour and possibly an interview (phew, they said yes!)

We drove the long trip down. My husband is such a great person to talk to. When we finally ran out of things to say we began to listen to the audiobook, "Perfectly reasonable deviations from the beaten track." Its a biography of Richard Feynman. Actually, it's several letters and replies he wrote throughout his life. Incredibly interesting stuff. We were flabbergasted before the introduction was even over. Highly recommend it!
We finally get there and stay with a simply wonderful lady that is a friend of Ewiggen's mother. She's our Arkansas mom. Had some sweet potato fries for dinner and fell exhausted into bed.

We spent the next morning with our realtor who is amazing. She picked up on a lot of things we weren't even saying aloud and found us the perfect condo. Turns out we're condo people. Myself being reasonably lazy I don't want to have to keep up with a yard, or maintenance, or really much of anything.Picture of the condo with one of the current occupants.


I had an interview with the ER director down there and it could not have gone better. I was nervous so I brought my portfolio. Anyone who went to nursing school with me knows what the portfolio is. It's huge and awkward and impossible to pack but gosh darn it, I'm taking it with me. It contains every paper, concept map, certification, club, etc I did in nursing school and I even have a mini portfolio now of more important and up-to-date stuff.
So I kind scared them with those...

In a good way.

The interview ended with the director saying, "Well, I think you're a fit, but I have to talk to human resources."
That's pretty encouraging.

Our mortgage guy says he has so few concerns about our credit or my chance of getting a job he's already pre-approved us and as soon as Ewiggen's dad (lawyer) and my mom (former loan officer) are finished looking at the contract we can make an offer on this condo.

w00t!

Came home today, ran at the gym after being cramped in the car. It was great. Didn't wear the vibrams though. I was more interested in distance so I went with my Nikes, there was definitely a difference.