Baby it's cold out there!

Seattle got hit with a lovely little blizzard this week. Snow goes a long way to making things really look like Christmas.

This picture is taken from the 11th floor of the hospital, where I work. It didn't turn out quite as well as I liked but it was just so beautiful with the snow falling in the still of the night. Also, work related- we are in a Code Delta, meaning that during any kind of natural or other disaster, nurses are legally required to stay at the hospital until our replacements can make it in. Yesterday morning after working all night, one of the nurses was having a hard time driving in so I ended up staying an extra 3 hours until she got there. That will be some nice overtime pay. Fortunately church was cancelled yesterday so that I was able to stay. Good thing- I would have looked mighty silly playing the organ in my scrubs.

Today, Camille and I braved the icy road to go sledding. By the way, my car Sheila is doing so great in the snow. Aside from a few minor sliding episodes, I really haven't had any trouble getting around. Camillie had some intertubes that we inflated and enjoyed a morning of sledding.

Recent Life

If you looked at this post earlier, it just had the pictures on it. I had written out a narrative but somehow only the pictures got published. I will now retype what I had written before.

Since I haven't blogged in a few weeks, I thought I would give you the update on what I've been doing. This is basically 5 posts rolled into one. Enjoy!

*Happy Birthday!
Yes siree, I turned the big 25 last week. I had to work that night but we celebrated a little at the hospital. Then that weekend I went to PF Changs (yummy!) and to the Nutcracker with some friends. We had a great time. Downtown Seattle is so beautiful around Christmas time.

*Rear Window
Remember that old Alfred Hitchcock movie? Well, like Jimmy Stewart I was having some trouble with my rear window except it was in my car and the problem was not that I saw someone being murdered through it but that I couldn't open it. Sheila spent the night at the dealership (while I drove a 2009 outback loaner) and came back as good as new. This makes it much easier to move the harp as well as my meals on wheels deliveries (as seen below).


*Space Needle Santa
Normally I don't sit on Santa's lap or pay $15 for a picture of me sititng on his lap. Lucky for me, I have this great friend Stacey who works as a photographer at the space needle and took me and my roommate Camille there as her guests. She also gave us this photo to commerate the event.

*Gingerbread fun
Last night for FHE we decorated gingerbread houses. When I found out they were just planning on using graham crackers, I couldn't help but volunteer to make some real gingerbread. We had a great time. Here is Camille and I with our friend and fellow gingerbread decorator Carole.

*Dancing Queen

I recently clogged with my group (The Emerald City Cloggers) at the Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Contest. We didn't win any prizes but I still had such great time. If you are interested in seeing more, here are the youtube links of our our performances:

Here Comes Santa Claus: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAHDWQQgV3A

Frosty The Snowman: www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6DrDdhzSWM

Sleigh Ride: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9gvfmcimC4

Mystery Caller

Someone has been calling me recently and I kept missing their call. This caller has been very persistent, calling at least twice a day, everyday for the past week. It would always be while I was at clogging, or driving or sleeping and I couldn't answer. Everytime I would see this number under missed calls, my curiousity would increase. Today, I kept my phone at my side the whole morning, waiting in anticipation. When they finally called, I was so excited to answer and.....

I'm going to donate blood on Friday. The End.

Maggie

Since I tend to stay up all night anyway, I decided to take advantage of the after Thanksgiving sales and get the one thing that I really wanted- a GPS navigation system. I found awesome deals on two models- the TomTom and the Magellan. I got some feedback from the Petersons and Lincolns who both have TomToms and enjoy them. Customer reviews seemed about the same for each of them so I decided to follow the family trend and get a TomTom. I got to the store about 4:30 and there were only a few people waiting in line so I sat in my car and read for 20 minutes before venturing out into the cold.

Once inside the store, I got in the special GPS line. To my dismay, they only had 4 TomToms and the person in front of me got the last one. What could I do? It never occured to me that they would only have 4 of them. I grudgingly asked for the Magellan. I have named her Maggie in an attempt to form a emotional bond.

It's a Thanksgiving Miracle!

Yesterday we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with 11 people in attendance including people from the ward, 2 sets of Elders and one of their investigators. Unfortunately, we only have dining chairs for five. So after checking with my Bishop, I went to borrow some folding chairs from the institute. These are a little fancier that your average metal folding chairs and also a little heavier.

After parking on the street close to my apartment, I was dreading carrying all those chairs in. That's when I noticed, nestled between the dumpsters, a shopping cart. It was perfect! I loaded up the chairs and headed across the parking lot. I did have one small mishap due to an uneven sidewalk that caused the shopping cart to tip on its side and all the chairs to fall out. Well, what are you going to do?

Forgotten Carols

Last night, I got to go to a performance of "The Forgotten Carols". I have loved this music for a long time but had never seen it performed. It didn't occur to me that the tour might come to Washington until a girl in the ward with an extra ticket sent out an email. I'm so glad that I got to go! It is a very sweet story- one that I first heard during our traditional "stories by the fire" when I was a kid.

My roommate also scored us tickets to the Nutrcracker in a few weeks. Now I just need to find a Handel's Messiah sing-a-long. I just love Christmastime!!

A few of my favorite things...

*KenKen

I spent many a hours in my BYU days working my way through the Sudokus in the daily newspaper. After graduation, I wasn't sitting through hours of classes and consequently stopped my daily tradition. Then the other night, I had my Reader's Digest at work during a slow period and discovered this super fun new puzzle. It is like Sudoku except the numbers in the shaded boxes have to make the number in the corner using the function indicated. Here is an example. Unfortunately, I have yet to complete one correctly but I get closer everytime.

*High School Musical on Ice:

Now this is just good clean fun. I totally loved the movies, though I have yet to see the third one. I saw this event advertised last week and somehow I convinced my roommate to come with me. We stuck out a little among the shrieking pre-teens and long-suffering parents but I had a great time! Go Wildcats!!!

Right now my favorite things do not include the following:

*Having to cross a picket line to get to church

O Christmas Tree

Okay, okay, I know that it is only one day after Halloween but I am already super excited for Christmas. It is undoubtedly my favorite holiday of the year. I love it all, from the music to the decorations to the sappy Hallmark made for TV movies about people discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

Tonight I was practicing the organ for tomorrow and I started playing Christmas hymns. This isn't the first time this has happened but since it is November now, I felt justified in indulging myself. I pulled out the fake Christmas tree and German decorations and went to work. My roommate had a few ornaments but we're going to need some more. Good thing I didn't leave this to the last minute.

While You Weren't Sleeping

Chances are while you weren't sleeping, I was now that I have become a person of the night. Unfortunately, my body has resisted my circadian switch a little more than I had expected. So in the hopes of a better night (day) sleep, tonight I bought a foam memory mattress pad. I mulled over the decision in Walmart for about a half an hour, trying to decide between the generic pad and the more expensive one.

I eventually bought the higher quality one. I love that it does this:

This obviously isn't my hand but you get the idea. I am very excited to go to sleep. End of post.

Filling My Time

Well, even though I have a full-time job now, working three 12's a week still leaves me with quite a bit of free time between my shifts. I'm still getting used to not having to constantly study for exams in all my free time, although that is a very pleasant change. When I first moved, there was more than enough to keep me busy in getting settled in Seattle. Then my church calling as organist and hiking began taking up more of my time. But now that I am feeling more comfortable with the organ and it is getting too cold and rainy to hike, I have been looking for some other activities.

An evening with google, a few emails and phone calls later and here's what I've done.



My clogging shoes have sat quiet in my closet for far too long. I was so glad to find a clogging group here in Seattle. There are only about 6 people in my low-intermediate class but it was so much fun. We are currently preparing for a Christmas performance at Pike Place Market. Sweet!


I also wanted to find a good volunteer opportunity. There is a senior center not too far north of me that desperately needed drivers to deliver food through their meals on wheels program. So now Sheila and I will get to spend some more time together and make new friends.

Last week, I changed to night shifts so I am getting used to a new schedule anyway. And these acitivities should fit in just fine.

Lake Serene

Wow, two posts about hiking in a row! I'll have to find some other things to blog about. A nurse at work lent me a book about hiking around Seattle and I couldn't resist checking this hike out. It was a pretty intense hike with a hours worth of steps (both man-made and granite) at the end but the view was supposed to be totally worth. Unfortunately, it was pretty cloudy.

I got this picture from google- this is what the view was supposed to be:

Here is how it looked for me:

It was still a lovely way to spend the day. While I was hiking, I finally listened to "The Last Lecture" which was very inspiring.

A little side story. Due to the weather, there weren't very many people on the trail. But when I got to the top, there was a group of hiking grannies (and thus ends my complaints about how hard the trail was). The first thing they said when they saw me, was "You hiked all the way up here in those?!"

The "those" they were referring to were these:

My hiking Chaco sandals which I bought at the Seattle REI at one of my pre-move visits with the help of my REI expert cousin Leslie. Honestly, these have been the best shoe investment of my life. They are so great for hiking. I've broken them in so they are very comfortable and I find them superior to shoes and socks especially when you have to cross creeks (wet socks= miserable).

But I guess I'll have to hang up my hiking sandals until things clear up a little more.

Wallace and Gromit Falls

Yesterday, I went on the most beautiful hike. It is actually just called Wallace Falls but I have a hard time separating those two names. Here is a picture of the falls. Just lovely!

My only complain was about a half an hour into the two and a half hour hike, I stumbled on a rock (clumsy, clumsy) and rolled my ankle. It hurt pretty bad and I was bummed because I really wanted to finish the hike. So I said a prayer and sat down on a rock for a few minutes. When I got back up, my ankle was still tender but I was able to make it to the top without any more problems. In fact the longer I hiked, the better it felt. By the time I came back down, it actually felt pretty good and I was convinced that I wouldn't have anymore trouble with it.

The awkward self-taken picture to prove that I was really there:

Wallace Falls is about an hour northeast of Seattle. When I got back to my apartment, I stepped out of the car and immediately winced in pain. My ankle must have stiffened up on the way back because it was hurting again pretty bad. Luckily, after a little ice and elevation, it seems to be fine. The few moments of pain were a small price to pay for such a gorgeous view!

Organ Donor

Since starting my job, I have spent a lot of time with patients who have had organ transplants and I am of course designated as an organ donor on my drivers license. But now I have a whole different type of organ to appreciate:



That's right friends- today I was set apart as the ward organist. Apart from a few informal lessons, I have no prior experience. I got a few hints from my mom and sister ( http://johnstonjive.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-in-life-of-organist.html) who are vetran organists but I still have a lot to learn.

The chair and the game

I've been looking for an armchair for my room. I finally got this one for free off of craigslist. It is pretty worn but it was the right size and very comfortable.

So three yards of fabric later and I have a chair that actually matches my room. I've never reupholstered a chair before and actually I still haven't. This was just draping new fabric over the chair. Right now it is mostly being held together by safety pins so it is a good thing that I have another day off tomorrow to finish the job.

Oh and we went to a Mariners game the other night. When we got there, they were losing 6 to zero but they came back to win it after scoring 10 runs in one inning! It was pretty darn exciting.

As requested, a post about work...

This is me. I am a nurse!

I work on the 11th floor of this very large hospital

The people that I take care of have trouble with these.

When I come home, I amsuper tired but I sure love my job.

More to come!

WANTED:

I recently opened a bank account with a bank which shall remain nameless. After having some trouble with my ATM card, I went in the bank to find out what the problem was.

Two hours with the bank manager and I was informed that I had essentially stolen $500 and was under investigation.

Let me 'slpain. When I opened my account, the banker accidentally gave me the wrong ATM card. Of this I had no idea, and over the course of a few weeks, I withdrew $500 (since I hadn't received my checks or debit card yet). I knew I had enough in my account so I didn't bother getting a receipt and didn't realize anything was wrong.

However, the account holder did realize something was wrong and filed a claim with the police, who when I went into the bank were trying to find out who was using her card. Poor lady. Well I withdrew the money from my account and deposited into hers and the bank informed the claims department that it was their mistake so everything seems to be cleared up now.

Better that it happened this way instead of the cops banging on my door.

The Seattle Scene

Here I am in Seattle. Wahoo! Mom helped me move out and get settled before she headed home (super big thanks mom!!).

We have a lovely and spacious apartment that we have been making into a home. Here are some glimpses.

My roommate Camille- isn't she so nice to do the dishes?

Our best Craigslist find-the futon of my dreams...for free! And the man that we got it from was from Omaha. It was just meant to be. :)


Our worst Craigslist find- this vacuum must have been previously owned by a smoker because you can totally smell tobacco whenever we vacuum. I think we are on the market for a new one- at least we didn't pay for it.

Our most impulsive Craigslist find- 52" screen TV. I figured if we had bought a new TV, it probably would have been at least as expensive as buying this used one and it is really fun to watch movies on.

My Ikea dresser- a half an hour to drive to the store and three hours to put it together. There is a certain satisfaction from putting together your own furniture. And a certain frustration when you realize that you put it together wrong.

The view from our balcony. Can you see the sign among the trees? You have to look close....

That's right, friends- just hop over our balcony and you are just steps away from curly fries and roast beef sandwiches.

Alright, the reservations books are now open. Come see me!

Aunt DiDi Tour 2008: Hoboken, NJ

Well, the great Aunt DiDi tour concluded on the east coast where I got to hang out with the Lincolns and the Petersons. 

The newlyweds are as cute as ever.

Of course we played some Ruckus!

We made a last-minute decision to go to Six Flags on Saturday. By pooling our money for a Flash Pass, we were able to skip the lines and cram in as many roller coasters as possible. The roller coaster below is Kingda Ka, the tallest and fastest in the world. As a roller coaster enthusiast, I was in heaven!

Here is Thurman getting off one of the many rides that he could ride by himself!

We also managed to squeeze in a little Rock Band and I improved greatly. :)

And of course a Broadway show. After failing at the Wicked lottery 3 or 4 times, I got student rush tickets for "Legally Blonde". Emily and I enjoyed front row center seats.

I also took my NCLEX last Tuesday (the test to become a registered nurse). As probably most of the people reading this blog know, I have been studying for this for the last couple of months. After 75 questions (the minimum number of questions), the test shut off. I was so worried I had failed but a couple of days later, I saw that I had passed. It was a pretty  unsatisfying testing experience but I am just relieved to have it done with and be able to get on with my life. Stay tuned for Kristen's big move to Seattle!

Credential Last Name First Name MI Credential Type Status Year of Birth State CE Due Date Action RN60023188 Bylund Kristen Marie Registered Nurse License ACTIVE 1983 UT No

Aunt DiDi Tour 2008: St. Louis, MO

This week, I write from St. Louis, the home of Kevin, Emily, Gracie, and LOTS of water. The Mississippi is 10 feet above flooding levels and is supposed to flood another 10 feet this week. Here is an example of things underwater. The lamp pole is supposed to have a road in front of it!

Happy moment in Missouri included:

*Emily teaching me how to change my blog layout.

*Stretching with Gracie

*Visiting the Arch

*Going up to the top of the Arch

*Going to the Childrens Museum (aka The Magic House). It sure is fun to have lots of hair!

*One night, Kevin and Emily had a super-duper suprise for me. A fifties night! They came out in bow ties and poodle skirts and this was my placemat:

*What fifties night would be complete without a sock hop?

It will sure be hard to say goodbye to my Bylund buddies!