Midnight 15

I'm embarrassed to admit how many consecutive Lost episodes I just watched. I think I'll blog to make myself feel a little more productive.

Don't judge me.

So, here I am, at 12:15, listening to the rain, lounging on my lovely new couch and finding myself quite grateful for my sweet life.

I may be contemplating my contentedness, but unfortunately there are probably many people in Corvallis not feeling so lucky right now. Our hospital is being hit with some super scary stuff (HUGE staff remodeling). I feel for my co-workers, and friends. I'm thankful that the OR has so far been left, unaffected, but I'm scared for the people I know and love, the people I consider my work family. My hope and prayer is that people can come together on this - rather than turn against one another as our nurses, etc, essentially bid to keep their jobs during this major staff reformation. How hard must it be to be asked to re-apply for your own position. :/ Keep our hospital employees in your prayers as they go through some tough crap!! Hoping they all come out of it with their heads held high, and filled with hope for a better future! REALLY praying that Noah comes out of this relatively unscathed (but that's just me being selfish and singling him out, which I've decided that you're allowed to do in regards to someone you think is especially nice)....

Anyhow - again, just be thinking of our friends, as this whole thing gets sorted, and changes are made. Change is hard....especially when it involves something we all identify with so deeply: our careers. We spend more time at work than we do in our social world......to have that threatened is frightening, to say the least. Praying for you guys! LOVE my Good Sam peeps!! I'll bake pies for everyone going through this crappy stress. :) We can all live off pie right?

On a happier note..............

I just got home from a fabulous trip to Chicago to witness my cousin wed a stunningly beautiful lady. So fun to visit friends and family, so fun to explore a new city, and SO SO fun to get to do it all with an incredible date, Crystal. :)

Upon returning, I found myself a little under the weather (apparently museums filled with 4 zillion kids,  cramped airplanes, staying up late, and eating crap, can infiltrate my otherwise awesome immune system...who knew?). I was cleaning LMA's (if you don't know what those are, you're better off....they're just nasty...don't even google it) on Tuesday morning, approximately 7 hours after getting back into Corvallis, with a TERRIBLY sore throat, and runny nose, and all I could think about was how less than 24 hours before I was running through a big city adventuring away. Naturally, those daydreams drove me to complain about the LMA situation at hand. Sigh. I must be so fun to work with. ;)

Thankful for my job, right? :) 

Totally.

I am back in our rainy little valley - preparing (and by preparing I mean watching a ridiculous number of Lost episodes), for my next adventure........MOAB! 

So.Freaking.EXCITED!!!!! Worked two days, and now we're off on Friday to go hang out in the desert. Sure!

Lets start with pics of Chicago:

Our journey began at this place.....NO ONE spoke English. Literally the whole store (customers and clerks alike) were all Polish. It was crazy!

The view from our condo....no big deal...

Oh hey...

We went to a sweet jazz club our first night...

And ate some ridiculous fried food...

Yep.

I went for a 20 mile run the following morning (yes. 20. it was so far!). This was the halfway point (that is a LAKE!! Isn't that crazy!?)

Funny leg statues outside our condo (Grant Park). Jimmy thought he should climb them...

Incredible Art! This is Monet....

These windows were stunning. I want them in my house. :) Marc Chagall, 1977.

Picasso. So beautiful!

I think this is Crystal and I's joined fave pic...so it deserves to be here...

My aunt and I!....looking very pink? Weird lighting.

I dunno what else to describe this as, except Cambodian line dancing?? This was after I gave up trying to figure out the steps....watch at your own risk. It's probably loud...but absolutely hilarious. They did this for a good 45 min. It was A-mazing.

We met a dino named Sue...

And saw beluga whales!

And the most incredible jellies!! (Pic taken by Crystal!)

This is what your nervous system looks like.......freakin crazy....and on your right would be your heart and liver (with all it's lil capillary beds).

Fun silhouette photos at the top of the Sears (willis) tower. Def one of my favorite nights.....although standing in that sky box thing was TERRIFYING.

Lo and Jimmy actin all cute...

My sweet date.

The girls. :)

Cool....welp - see ya on the flip side. T-minus 2 days til departure to Moab. Hopefully my next post will be filled with some hot pics (ha. get it? it's going to be 90 in Moab....I'm hilarious.) All my love.

One can only be brave if they are first afraid.