Adventures of Amy

Friday, February 12, 2010

Monterey Bay Aquarium

sea anemone

sea nettle

egg-yolk jelly

sea otter

shark in kelp forest

blue tang

penguin

leafy sea dragon

sea nettles

sea horses

rainbow!

moon jellies

Kelp forest

Sunday roadtrip PICS

Carson City, Nevada

Julie & I at Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe

Emerald Island at Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe!

snow mobiling at Lake Tahoe

Sacramento, California

Julie & I in San Francisco

San Francisco at night

Julie & I at Pier 39

Chinatown- San Francisco

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Texas Children's Hospital in HOUSTON TEXAS

I got a new assignment in Texas . . . Houston to be exact. I am currently on an 8 week travel nursing assignment at Texas Children's Hospital. Since my contract here is so short (usual contracts are 13 weeks or more) my company put me up in a hotel. Well its an Extended Stay to be precise- meaning there is a microwave, stove top, small sink and refrigerator. But its really just a hotel room- totally boring and small.

Texas Children's is a wonderful place. I am really enjoying the nursing part of my assignment. Even though there was a lot of confusion at the beginning with orientation- everything is now sorted out and I am finally completed with all my orientation and math tests!!! The floor is a general pediatric floor with most patients having a diagnosis of respiratory distress, tonsillectomy, dehydration, gastric enteritis, fever, urinary tract infections, and other general medical problems.

Everyone I work with is really nice and they seem to get along with one another which is great. Plus they are a great help with my many questions- where is this?? How do you work the TV? Where is the cafeteria located? Mostly just general "I'm new here" type of questions. One thing I am not a fan of are these phones that each nurse and staff member has . . . it just beeps and rings all day. If the patient presses the call light, you get a page. If the monitor is beeping (usually because the patient is moving), you get a page. They are nice to get report on new patients but I find them to be mostly annoying!!!

California back to Texas :(

So Julie left Monday am for San Antonio. I stayed in Fresno, Cali hoping to get a new assignment in the area soon!! After 2 days with nothing to do in the fruit farm capitol of California and the only job prospect being in LA I left Fresno and went to Carmel.

Seaside Beach- Monterey State Beach

There I stayed with my grandparents wonderful friends- the Bigbee's. Last time I was in California over 3 years ago I stayed with them at their home. They are a wonderful couple with a great big heart! They let me just spot by and stay with them for 3 days!!!! I am soo thankful for the warm bed and delicious meals and time with them!!

Laguna Seca- Monterey County

Thursday I went the Monterrey Bay Aquarium- which is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend to everyone! Last time in Carmel I made a visit to this aquarium and I was totally impressed! This visit there was a special exhibit about seahorses- which was just beautiful and breath taking!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

For lunch I left the aquarium and went down the pier for fresh fish lunch- fish and chips. I can honestly say I have never had before and it was delicious. After lunch I had 2 telephone interviews in LA hospital. Both interviews went great and I was offered the position . . . but by now you all know that I am not in California or in LA.

Monterey California

Then on Friday I waited by the phone all day talking with my recruiter hoping to hear all the final details about the job in LA . . . waited and waited and waited. Finally at 530pm my recruiter called with the sad news that the LA hospital requires additional background check and drug screen and the next date for orientation after those items are completed is in 3 weeks. I could wait in Cali for 3 more weeks but I would be on my own for housing and meals. That was something I was not willing to do and wait. So I decided to head back to Texas and just wait there for a new assignment. There at home I would be with family and friends and a have free place to stay.

I left California Friday night. Saturday making stops in Phoenix Arizona at the Capitol, Tucson at Sagauro National Park and dinner in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Phoenix, Arizona- capitol

Saguaro National Park

Sunday making stops at the Sonora Caverns and finally arriving back to San Antonio.

Caverns of Sonora

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Roadtrip SUNDAY

goal-- Lake Tahoe, Sacramento for lunch, then dinner in San Francisco

Wake up in Carson City, Nevada!!

Tour the Capitol grounds and historic houses in the area. Breakfast at Mom & Pop diner. Wonderful breakfast!!! Other dining guests suggested to us to see Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. We pulled out our maps and were off to Lake Tahoe!!

Driving around the lake, touring some very nice neighborhoods with private lake access. We just made our selves at home stopping in a driveway to take pictures!!

Then made our way to Emerald Bay- the only island on the lake! It was beautiful- snow covered grounds, tall evergreens lightly frosted with snow, and mountains across the lake. The drive to see the island reminded me of highway 1 on the coast of California. On one side was the lake and the other evergreens trees and mountains. Julie was glad she was not driving!

As we are driving away from the lake we pass this area with snow mobiles. Julie says, "That sure looks like fun. Have you ever done that before?" I replied, "No. Do you want to go?!" Then Julie says with a huge smile, "I think it looks pretty safe. I can handle that!" I turned the car around and we went snow mobiling at Lake Tahoe!!! It was such a blast and the people running it were laid back and let us each have our own snow mobile and we got to ride for a whole hour even though we only paid for 30 minutes!!! We would have stayed longer but honestly after 1 hour it was enough and we wanted to get to San Francisco before dark.

Sacramento for lunch!

Touring the Capitol, wander the streets of Old Sac, lunch at an ice cream shop- hot dog & drink special for $3 plus validation for free parking . . . totally worth it!! Also, we saw the golden bridge over the river.

San Francisco for dinner!

Arrived into the city just before dusk. Got an awesome parking spot just down from Fisherman's Wharf and it was FREE!! Walked down this pier and we were able to see the whole city lights come to life as the sun went down. To the left was the Golden Gate Bridge, straight ahead was Alcatraz, and the right was the Bay Bridge and to the far right was the city!! Julie and I then wander the streets down Fisherman's Wharf, then Pier 39 hearing the sea lions barking just off shore!!! We grabbed a bit to eat at this Italian/ Seafood restaurant and had shrimp pasta that was amazing plus it came with fresh sourdough bread!

Then we got in the car and drove around the city! We went down Lombard Street twice! Finally making our way to Chinatown and parked along the street for FREE! Wandered the main streets and stopped in one of the many many shops for some wonton soup and pot stickers. It was delicious and my stomach was so so full.

We departed the city around 10pm and arrived to Fresno, California around 1am.