Hustle and bustle

Trying to get all the things wrapped up here in St. Louis, pack our apartment, turn off utilities, get things ready to leave for Europe (6 more days!!), AND getting my materials lined up to send off for temporary licensure. CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING! Byt his time next week, I will live in Louisville, but be in London, and in one month I will be working (in a REAL GROWN WOMAN JOB!!).

Saint Louis - Year in Review Part 2

October

4-6 Tommy and Nichole came to visit. We ate dinner at the Shaved Duck (BBQ place), went on the Anheuser-Busch tour, visited the Art museum, and tried a Mexican restaurant called Chava's (which was HORRIBLE). We also saw a car for sale with the description wirrten on the window "Runs like a beast." Probably the funniest parts of this visit were 2 things: 1) I accidentally walked in on Tommy when he was using the bathroom. and 2) singing "Swing low, sweet chariot" at the Art Museum...Tommy thought I was making this song up on my own!

 

12-14 Another visit home, but this time by myself. I got to spend some quality time with my family.

 

 

15 - Re-upholstered by hope chest that I've had since I was 14. 

 

20 - 22 Eric's immediate family visited - Ed, Allison, Ed, Heather, Kirk, Lori, Dayton, Alec, & Emmy...all in our apartment! It was a tight squeeze, but we had a lot of fun. The boys golfed and went by the race track, while the girls went to the City Museum (which Alec described as "BEAST!!") . The boys met us at City Museum and by then end we were ALL worn out. The next day we got to visit Grant's Farm, an animal reserve owned by A-B.

 

THE FALL SICKNESS - I was sick with an upper respiratory infection for a WHILE. It would not end. At the same time, Eric had a visit home alone to see Papa Tom. But I had Lou to snuggle me!

27-28 Zack and Katie visited. We had a relaxing visit...and may have seen a kangaroo masturbating at the zoo. How rude!

 

Halloween - Lou's Lion costume

 

November

2 - 3 My mom and Todd came to visit. We got to eat at a restaurant called Fitz's, where they bottle their own root beer.

 

5th = My 27th birthday

Went out to eat with Eric and the other interns at The Royale and received by "I <3 LooAVul" coffee mug...it's my favorite.

 

 

 

 
 

^ 12 - Paul McCartney concert with Eric. Dad and Becky came to visit and also went to the concert.

Dissertation working...BLAH

 

 

17-18 Uncle Kevin came to visit

 

21-23 Home for Thanksgiving- Animal noises with my siblings and nieces. Churchill Downs with Weiter's

 

24-25 Rae, B, and Bella came to visit. We let the cousin pups spend time playing and even took a photo shoot at the Arch. We also got to decorate our Christmas tree.

 

 

St. Louis - My Year in Review Part UNO

I have been in St. Louis for a whole year 13 months now! As I get ready to pack it on up and move back home, I wanted to take note of everything I can remember from this amazing time in my life. I am sure I will want to look back on it and reminisce someday!

2012
July 31 - Packed up moving truck - No more living on Harrison!

August
1 - Arrive in St. Louis and MOVE IN. Dad and Rae came to help us get everything unpacked, and we met our neighbor, Jay. He brought us water down...probably because we looked liked we were dying in the heat! Here are some pictures from move in day.

 August 4 - Ed and Allison came to visit - toured Anheuser-Busch, walked around downtown's sculpture park, had dinner at Blueberry Hill, and drinks at Stella Blues.

 

August 5 - 10 - flew to Pensacola and sistas picked me up to go to GULF SHORES. Eric was back in St. Louis working super hard during his first weeks at his new Valvoline on Kingshighway.

August 11 - First time visiting the Tower Grove Farmer's Market...then picked up Lou! This was the beginning of my favorite parts about St. Louis, taking Lou to Tower Grove Park!

August 11-12 - First visit back home...ALREADY?! I think we were a little homesick. Luckily, we got to spend time with bunches of our family/friends.

Once back to St. Louis, I spent the next two weeks lounging, repainting my coffee table, hanging with our new neighbor, trying to train Lou (going to his classes at the Comunity Center for Puppy playtime), and watching Law & Order SVU NON-STOP. Glenn Lee came to visit and we visited the Transportation Museum (Planes, Trains, Cars, and a Tug Boat).

August 22 - Got to meet some of the other interns at lunch - Schlafly Brewery - My memory of this was trying to figure out what to wear, and then thinking I was an idiot for shoving way too much food in my mouth at lunch and then not being able to chew it gracefully...the other girls don't remember this.

August 27 - Sept 5 - First day of internship, long days of orientation, and choosing rotations. Fun times going to lunch with the other interns.

Sept 1-2 - Home for the UofL/UofK football game!

Sept 5 - Yappy Hour at the Boathouse in Forest Park with the other interns and our dogs

Sept 21-22 - Headed to Northern Ky for Bubba and Kathy's wedding! Fun times dancin with family and the after-party in the lobby of the hotel. So fun that Eric woke up in the wrong bed :)




Sept 29 - 30 - Brent and Kasey visited for the 1st time. We got to go to a Rams vs Seahawks game at the Edward Jones Dome.

Family

I swear one of my favorite pasttimes is calling my Nanny. I absolutely love talking to her. She tells the best stories and laughs so much. And I always hear my Papa in the background making funny comments or trynig to relay details through my Nanny. I really hope that when I am aging, I remain goofy and fun. I can see myself being just like my Nanny in about 50 years.

ONE MONTH

31 days left in St. Louis. Lots of fun planned in between. This countdown is starting to get real official. In other news, I have a cold and want to leave work like NOW. Plus I have been in a freezing cold office all day....I cannot CANNOT wait to have my own office someday. It seems like such a luxury. To have a place designated to do my work. And get to keep stuff there. And arrange/decorate it how I want. I feel like I will be a much better clinician when I don't have to meet with people in different rooms every time and possibly have werid circumstances. For instance today, I am in a nursing office. So my clients had to sit in a chair that they usually get their blood taken in...with a lap bar. I promise I won't take your blood or TRAP you in the room! Oh well. More to look forward to in a "real" job. Peace Out blog.

Today - thoughts on maturity

Mature - age, develop, ripen.

I assume that most people think of maturity as aging...hopefully growing. Learning. You might think that with age comes wisdom. I beg to differ. It seems to me that so many people are aging and not changing one bit...not maturing. They hold onto the same old ideals about what things "should" be like...or what they are entitled to (blah!). I would like to pose an new idea. That maybe we learn something from past experiences. Why (oh whyyyyy) do people expect that they will not encounter suffering or pain during their life? When it comes around, they act surprised and like they have been assaulted or picked on. We don't get to choose what suffering comes our way (for the most part), but I can assure you EVERYONE on Earth encounters some kind. Many kinds.

You are not the only one going through something difficult. It is hard. It is difficult. But, if you know that hard times come and go, why not try to develop some sort of plan for how to take care of yourself and get through it!? I know that I am a psychologist, so these types of things are on my mind all day...but I just wish people could see the light. You do not have to be alone. Everyone has something going on.... But that also means you don't have excuses. This happened. That happened. This is going to happen. I get it. So why not accept that shit happens, and try to figure out how to move forward? How to grow and learn from shitty circumstances? Not to complain. Not to resist suffering. To accept it with open arms and take action. Not to make it go away or avoid it. But to live your life in the face of suffering. Based on your values.
This post (and/or rant) was brought to you by Patti's mind and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Almost done!

I only have 7ish weeks left of internship. 46 days. WHAT?! This year has flown. FLOWN. I miss home. I miss family. I miss friends. My biggest sadness about being away from home this year has been that some people I care a lot about have passed away. I have had to miss some funerals and potential time that could have been spent with them before their deaths. This type of unpredictability reminds why I want to live in Louisville. That is my HOME.

I will miss St. Louis so the end of the internship year is definitely bittersweet. I have made some great friends, learned alot, and grown alot. Not to mention the year long honeymoon with Rico. And our first year having a pet, who thinks he is human. Lou.

Life is funny sometimes. So much happens and you just have to roll with it. And try to remember the important stuff. Which is never stuff. Alrighty, better get to work....aka daydreaming about our trip to Europe.