Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in carey_b's LiveJournal:

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
5:56 pm	we're back Just made it back, house and dogs are in great shape. I am exhausted, just couldn't stay asleep this weekend. A's family was on their form of best behavior and I really touched base with a lot of them that I haven't seen since our wedding. It was really nice to hear how they had (and have been) sticking up for us since our wedding disaster. The monster aunt was there, but I pretty much ignored her. I can see now that they (A's aunts) take over any event they are around and I made the mistake (?) of standing up to them at our wedding. A's family was so sad and I really felt for his aunt and uncle and their kids. They have a lot of support in their community and the viewing and the funeral were both packed. It will be a long time for them to heal. A's aunt B (who lost her oldest son) told me that our coming to the funeral and being back with the family was his cousin's miracle and that he would have been so happy to see us. She has told her kids that she supports us and it was wonderful to hear it from her and the other aunts and uncles (except, of course, the main bad ones). There are a lot of great people in A's family and it was nice to see how we can fit in with them and mostly avoid the more obnoxious parts. I think family things are going to be very sad for a long time, A's cousin was a real sweet guy. It was really sad to be sooo close to B but not be able to go see her. Guess we'll have to go back soon. Current Mood: melancholy (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
4:07 pm	crazy spring Hey Ladies! It has been a long time since I have updated you. I am so sorry. As to the Craziness, started about a month ago, A's car was squished between two semi trucks during a rain storm, one truck then decided to merge into him. Not good, A was fine but his car was not. After a month with the rental, the honda accordian (as they call it at work) is back and seems to be ok. We had a scare with Sadie, she ate a chicken carcass out of the garbage. X-rays showed chicken bones- lots of them- in her belly. We had a tiring two days waiting for those to pass and ready to take her in for emergency surgery if needed. Fortunately, she has guts of steel and she let them all go. On her return check-up she had a grade II heart murmur. Maybe due to bacteria in the blood following the chicken incident. Had her on antibiotics for that, and she was just cleared Friday with no murmur at this time. Also on Friday, A had a call from his parents. One of his cousins was found brain dead. Sad, sad. After a night out, he crashed at a friends house and when the friend got up, cousin wasn't breathing, had choked during the night on his vomit. Got him to the hospital, but he was already brain dead. He died yesterday of cardiac arrest. We are heading to NC for the funeral tomorrow morning. Spring is here, things are blooming. It is my favorite part of being in Texas. We spent a great weekend away in San Antonio last weekend, first vacation with just A and I since I can't remember. Great food, lots of art, really seems like it was a lifetime ago. I think I will be starting a PhD program here in the fall. I am really excited to teach nursing. I have already had three nursing students to coach and it really is a blast. I will miss the great time I spend with my patients, but I think teaching is where I am headed. As to my family, older sister A was re-elected to the City Council again last fall. Apparently it wasn't a one time thing, the voters have spoken. M was married and just moved to Ogden with his new wife into their first house- no kids there yet. B and D are doing great. B is retiring in June and will be a mountain man in Wyoming with no regrets all summer. The cabin is finished for the most part on the outside and he has spent the winter making cabinets and getting ready to finish the inside. Our new house is coming along. Lots of remodeling already done, lots of painting done. Next is putting on the back screen porch- my summer requirement- and putting on a front deck. Hope everyone is doing well, my cell phone died permanently and took with it all phone numbers, please call me so i can get your number back in. 281-733-8599. Miss you all (note I did not say ya'll) C (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 24th, 2007
8:18 am	Waiting for results I took my state licensing boards on Tuesday and I should be able to see the unofficial results this morning. I think they are teasing me and adding to the pain. I went to the test with a friend from school and it worked out so well. We were both really freaked out since we can't work without a license and once you take the exam you have to wait a long time to re-take. The test could take up to 6 hours and could give you anywhere from 75 to 265 questions. We both got cut off at 75. So we went to the bar, had some beer, came back to the house for mimosas and Oprah, and were pretty happy by the time A got home at 6. Now I wait... I am heading to CA for 14 fabulous days starting June 1. Long vacation with the Aunt and Uncle, then another vacation to Missouri! Let the vacations pour in! And then one last gasp as we head to Utah for July 4th. Things start to get a little sad after that since I am starting work July 9, assuming I passed my boards. Probably should get started on some yard work. Today is my last day of peace, A's parental units descend on the casa tomorrow. And Nabil is coming Monday through Wednesday. Ok, so I PASSED!! Just found out! new name- C Berry RN (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007
9:39 am	Catching up So many things have happened in the last weeks. I am done with nursing school, the family was here and so was Shan for graduation, we have moved, and I take state boards in 13 days. First the new address: 737 W 42nd Street, Houston, TX 77018 and new digits: 713.692.0408 (cell is the same 281.733-8599) The graduation was really fun, but happened so fast it was hard to even keep up. I think my family was caught off guard by all of the awards and they were really happy. It was a hard secret to keep, but well worth the tearing up by Bob at the end. Adrian was his normal sweet self and got me tahitian pearl earrings and necklace with diamonds to make them super sparkly- they are my new favorite jewelry and go well with my patagonia mu-mu (I refuse to get dressed until after noon). I have spent the last 2 days trying to clean up the house enough to mop, funny how things go slower when you have all day. I started studying for boards for real today, I think 150 questions/day will get me psyched up enough to keep the test date on the 22nd. So for now I have the N part of RN, soon I will have the R part to complete the title. Crazy isn't it? Vacations will be to California to play in clay and drink wine with the Aunt and Uncle, to Utah for 4th of July to see the Fam and Utah folks, and to Kansas/Missouri for the wedding and to do my time with the other Fam. In between Nabil will be here and so will A's parents over Memorial Day weekend. Sounds to me like my vacation will be busy, A still has hope that I will patch cracks and paint during this time. Lots of gardening to do on our nearly 0.38 acre estate. The dogs love the yard and I think A is close to cracking and letting me get a kitty. So, if we don't have one in June work on him for me. Hope you are all doing fabulously, I finally have my life back and I love drinking coffee and reading my paper again. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 16th, 2006
2:02 pm	long update- and yes, I am still alive Hi!! Feels like ages since I have been able to check on this. Spent the semester helping deliver babies, taking care of babies and moms, hanging out in the operating room, and playing with a lot of sick kids. Spent Friday the 13th in the emergency room and almost got to finish my night with a kid who got bit by a copperhead, but I got tired of waiting for the ambulance and my shift was over so I went home. Saw 3 babies born, 2 were alive. Learned a lot about death with the baby that didn't make it, really felt like I helped/supported his mom. Finally feel like I know what I am doing! Good thing since I graduate in about 6 months and then I will do this stuff every day. Still trying to figure out what I will be doing when I graduate, too many areas are interesting to me. Looking at internships and benefit packages, the recruiting will start in January and most of us will know where we are going to work by March- We don't graduate until May and aren't licensed until we sit for boards in June or July. It is all starting to feel very real. I have been told I have a job waiting at MD Anderson- the big cancer hospital, but oncology is only one of my favorites. I am working on my honors research project at MD Anderson, trying to reduce infections in colorectal cancer patients. I have decided that I am going to go to graduate school (again) and I will probably start in the fall. I can take theory, stats, pathophysiology, and assessment without deciding what I really want to focus on. My advisor told me I could start grad school in the summer, but I think not. Adrian is in a band, kind-of funk-jazz-blues-porn. He has a lot of fun playing with the dudes, but they are getting really serious and want to practice >3 times a week and want to rent a practice space in some warehouse downtown. I am the official band nurse- no blood yet, but with these guys it is possible. Sadie and Milo are gearing up for 2 big road trips, to Kansas for Turkey day and to Utah for Christmas and New Years. Yup, we are that crazy and stupid that we are going to drive to Utah with 2 dogs in December. Will probably cost less than plane tickets and kenneling the dogs and we can stay longer and play in the snow. The house is coming along, we have new cabinets in the bathroom and bought some tile for the kitchen floor. If we decide to stay here for another 5 years (for grad school) we might be looking at moving into a bigger house. Still in the Heights, but maybe with 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms. On the baby front, Liz Petrie (formerly Liz Langenberg) had a baby girl (Jemma Ellen) on October 26th in Sydney Australia. It seems like everyone down here is having babies, our friends Paul and Stacey are going to have one any day. I am overwhelmed trying to knit enough umbilical cord hats. On the wedding news front- BUBBA IS MARRIED. Yes, to a girl. Not the crazy one that was at our wedding, this one is much nicer (but mormon). Things will be interesting, but he seems really happy. He should be, I had to wear the most mormon of all bridesmaid dresses and it was post-it note yellow and about 2 sizes too big. Thank you for my great birthday wishes and presents. Life was a little crazy that week- I had a big huge nasty exam the day after my b-day and spent my entire b-day studying. Then I had class or worked every day that week. Then the next week I went to Miami for a conference on improving nursing. Very exciting, except we were trapped at the Doral golf resort and it was waaaaay to spendy to get anywhere like the beach, so we stayed with the geriatric crowd for 4 days. Then I came back and have been trying to catch up ever since. I can't wait for my break in December. Carey Current Mood: productive Current Music: the sounds of Sadie and Milo barking (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 8th, 2006
1:46 pm	Ok so the news from Texas 1. It is damn hot, supposed to be record breaking hot tomorrow (and that is hot) 2. We have new furniture, chocolate brown leather couch, loveseat, chair, and ottoman. It is great and the dogs are slowly learning that their new place is on the floor. It is much easier to clean than the old furniture and we finally have our own stuff. I can't tell you how good it is to not sit on a couch from A's parents. 3. Back in school for the summer, psych nursing, health promotion, and transition to professional practice. Lots of good stuff, learning the laws and how to keep our licenses and also going to see psych patients every week. It will go fast. 4. Doris has a birthday today, but I can't tell you how old she is. 5. I will be out of school by this time next summer and will likely be taking or will have taken the boards. How scary is that? I thought i might have a top 10 list, but my life appears to be pretty boring. I bought new danskos! They are the blue canvas sandals with the strap around the ankle, very comfortable and feel like they are air conditioned. The even more exciting part is that A made me buy them, what a great husband. Oh that must bring me to 7. We will be married 2 years on the 19th, how crazy is that? I have picked where we will eat- check it out, http://www.dharmacafehouston.com/index2.htm I am salivating now just thinking about it. And last, 8. I have a whole bookshelf to myself for my books and my baskets of yarn and knitting stuff. A decided it all needed a home. It shows that when I stop cleaning dog hair off the couch or just pile baskets on the floor, A gives in and we buy furniture. Probably a bad thing to figure out, if I stop cleaning do we get a housekeeping service? Oh and 9. My newest knitting project uses strips of silk fabric as yarn, it will be a gorgeous bag. From "Fast knits Fat needles". My kind of project. It says it should take a weekend, with my schedule, I should get it done by this fall. Still it is good to look forward to. I found a store with great prices on silk, this is where I bought the fabric- www.thaisilks.com. They also have silk pillowcases and nightgowns and knit silk camis for cheap. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 25th, 2006
7:51 pm	Hi guys, Insanity here for the last few weeks. Lots of crazy stuff at school, lots of puppy loves to give Milo and even more loves to give Sadie to make up for getting a stinky boy dog that slobbers on her toys. I start at the hospital next week, scary times since we are licensed to pass pills and poke people in any number of ways. People at school are starting to break down; divorces, marriage counseling, antidepressants, lots of sick days. It makes me feel really well adjusted when I look around the room. Most days I have fun. I get to write my big paper this semster on medical leaches, I know, euw. I am having a craving for peppercini and cashew pizza, Adrian is being a good kitchen-bitch and cooking up some dinner. He is really being great about doing more around the house, if he would only do some of my paperwork... Glad to hear that Val approves Andy, I will have to get up there soon. How is March 6-10 in Missouri? Just went to the "Saint Arnold" brewry last saturday. They are the local brew masters and they have a free tour with free beer on Saturday afternoons, very cool. If you are fast enough you can bid on ebay to be a patron saint there, I saw a saint gonzo on Sat. Well I should be eating soon... Try to get back soon. Carey (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 14th, 2005
1:09 pm	just saying hi Hello ladies! I feel bad that I didn't have time to start this sooner. Finals have been such a pain, 3 done 1 to go. Doing well so far though. I feel like nursing school has taken over my life and I am sorry that I haven't taken more time out to be in touch. It has truely been overwhelming this year, I thought it would be hard, but I never anticipated that it would take over every aspect of my life, even my dreams. The coolest thing I have done so far in school is probably too icky to talk about here... I miss all of you, I miss knitting. I can't wait for that margarita on Friday at noon when my last final is over. It has not felt like Christmas at all here, too warm and too busy to even shop. We went to Utah for Thanksgiving, I was sick as a dog with the flu, bronchitis, and laryngitis for 2 weeks. I am just getting better. I didn't even leave my parent's house much, but it was good to have mom take care of me. Looks like we are going to Kansas on the 23rd for Christmas, no idea of when we will head back. Maybe we can stop in Columbia on the way up... if we leave early. I really want to meet Andy! Well I should study, it is getting hard to keep going on these finals, but I just have to last through one more! (7 Comments |Comment on this)