Flash Floods Hit Our City

On May 19, 2011 a flash floods hit our city. The rain came all too quickly. I was at work when the first storm came through. I left early in hopes to beat the next storm however I got stuck on the middle of the hail, thundering, and lightning on what we call the "beltline". I had to slow down to 25mph so I wouldn't hydroplane as the water was already covering the roadway. I made it home however 15 minutes longer than it should have. Oh well better safe than sorry I suppose.

Here are some pictures to a show just how bad it was here. People lost their homes, their vehicles, & their crops. I feel so bad for everyone that was affected by all this devastation.

House on Maple Avenue with a pile of mud and sewage on their front lawn.

A cute dog out with owner for his morning walk. He looks rather happy about all the mud ;)

North Main Street with a dumpster in the middle of it. Along with a couple of vehicles that slipped into sink holes while people were evacuating.

People are still in the clean up stage. There are still 25-30 people living in the evacuation shelter almost a month later. I feel so bad for everyone. Praying that everyone that was displaced is able to move back home very soon.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

I can't believe we are supposed to have rain for the next four days. It rained most of the day yesterday. Luckily it was still nice enough to go out for a ride. We drove to Orleans to visit with our friends Mike, Cameron, Cate, Derek and Baby Hugh. It was AWESOME to have us all together and not at the field. Don't get me wrong I love going to the field but this was different. We (Gals + Baby Hugh) visited while the guys inspected Cate's Land Rover Defender. I got my baby fix yesterday. Hugh is the cutest little Bug! He is such a great baby---happy, calm and has the cutest little smile! We went to Hoagies in Newport for lunch. I love their Garlic knots! Dom had a paper to finish so after lunch we headed home. I was BEAT! I ended up taking a 4 1/2 nap, it was SO much longer than I should have. We spent the rest of the night on the couch watching movies--127 Hours and Due Date. We ended up staying up until 4 am.

Again it rained ALL day today. We were going to go out for ice cream this afternoon but the rain didn't let up. Instead our little family took a nap on the couch and listened to the rain fall on our tin roof. I find that little "ting" sound very soothing. However, we woke up from our nap not feeling well. I've been on the couch since watching Desperate Housewives. It's hands down my favorite television series, EVER.

So it looks like for the next four days after work I'll be puttering inside because I can't enjoy the porch due the rain.

Wishing the rain would just GO AWAY and the Sun would come out to SHINE... SHINE...Shine down on us!

Results are in...

The results to my phlebotomy exam and class are the pending issue. I've waited the last seven days.... SEVEN days for the final results. I ran into my instructor so I know that I did well on my exam however I just don't know how well. I got an email at noon time saying that my class was canceled due my instructor having a family emergency. I was really hoping to put the class behind me. Now I'm waiting another seven days but that goes hand in hand with the wait that I have to find out about a possible per diem job as a phlebotomist. I have a feeling that next Tuesday is going to be a GREAT day!! As for my instructor Kate I hope everything turns out okay for her.

I ended up very grateful for a night off. I was able to spend the evening with my boys. Cap cooked steak, salad and we had some cheese curd. It was delicious! I then went with him to his city council meeting, it's always a thrill as they discuss the same damn things a million times over or should I say as every new election cycle.

All in all a fantastic day!

I'm BADASS, I know!

I spent the day with some of the COOLest guys I know! We went up to the GMSOG airsoft field in Charlotte and shot some video footage. The guys are going to enter an ECHO1 video contest in hopes to win some awesome products for their airsoft team.
These GUYS (L to R: John, Derek and Cap) are hilarious! And I'm so happy they are my friends and let me hang out with them today! They allowed me to let my inner tomboy out! I told you SO!! I may love ruffles and bows but I'm not afraid trade them in for my mud boots and "weekend jeans". Cap invited to go hang out with him and the guys for the afternoon. I know that I'm always welcome but an invite is always nice. Who doesn't feel BADASS when wearing aviators and shooting a BB zinging minigun?
Cap is one AMAZING man! I love days spent with him. It doesn't matter what we're doing as long as we are together, it's perfect!

ALL in ALL a great day and to think today is only Saturday...

Give The (BEST) Gift

Sign up! Give the BEST gift that you could ever imagine. Give the Gift of LIFE! The sign up process takes LESS than five minutes. And the happiness from the recipient and their families that you help out is endless.

I took the steps to sign up this evening. This has been a decision that I've been pondering for quite sometime. It wasn't until I met John and Diane Cohn who lost their son Sam in 2006 that I really starting thinking about this decision. Sam was an organ donor. He GAVE the BEST gift--the gift of LIFE!

Gabe (John and Diane's youngest son) lost his best friend in an automobile accident this past week. He too was an organ donor. When I heard of the Cohn's second loss and yet the celebration of LIFE. I knew that I needed to get real.... Sam and Dylan were both young, smart, talented guys that had the whole world ahead of them. Their lives were cut short and yet they knew what they wanted. I knew it was my turn to figure it out!

So...

In honor of Sam Cohn, I'm now a registered organ donor :)

"Don't take your organs to heaven...heaven knows we need them here on earth"

Vampire Fangs

Is it true that vampire fangs are equivalent to having your blood drawn by a phlebotomist? No!

I've been taking a phlebotomy class since the end of January. Every Tuesday night I've attended a three hour class where it has been a really good mix between lecture and hands on. My inner geek has been really enjoying this!

The hands on in class has never really been "hands on" as in drawing blood from a "human". We always used fake arms and kool-aid for blood. But I drew my first real person on Tuesday night. My coworker Verna let me poke her. I was so incredibly nervous. Thankfully I was in our outpatient lab so I was able to set the station up my workstation and have everything at an arm's reach. I palpated Verna's arm and immediately found her median vein. It was dead center and had perfect bounce back. I knew right away that's the one I was going to poke. I went in bevel up and entered the skin. I was instantly able to fill a tube! Woot! Of real blood, not kool-aid! Sweetness :)

Cap finally sent me a picture of our furbaby :) He was so tiny and SO cute! Makes me really miss the days of being able to pick him up and carry him out of the house. Now I have to worry about mud covered paws.

I've Fallen in LOVE with...

With television! I didn't have television when I was a child. Well, we had a television it only had three channels. Public television, ABC and CBS. I grew up watching 60 minutes, Everybody loves Raymond and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I grew up WITHOUT cable.

I got cable two years ago. & since then I've been having an affair with the cable box, the 49" flat screen television, leather couch and my brown luxe blanket. Oh and the sitcom of the night.

Some of my favorites are Californication, Jericho, Nurse Jackie, Hot in Cleveland, Gossip Girls and Desperate Housewives.

And then there is Cap's videos that I'm the star in........every once and a while. Like this one : HILARIOUS! He often thinks he is SO damn funny! Which I must agree this video is GREAT!!

Most of all, after a long day of work I love finishing my day with a good laugh and a snuggle on the couch with my boys :)