giving thanks

when my alarm went off this morning my first fleeting thought was a glimpse of sadness that i was not waking up next to my sister in my mom and dad's house to the awesome smells of the beginnings of a thanksgiving dinner. i gave myself a minute to miss cooking with my mama (crumbling cornbread, mashing potatos, mixing many pitchers of sugar and tea, going over "the list" every five minutes to ensure we don't forget a dish), goofing around with my cousins who are much older than we act when we are together, grumbling when my mom makes us go around the table and report what we are thankful for (even though we secretly love it), playing dominos, dozing in front of the tv covered in a fur blanket, and scanning dozens of newspaper ads and going back and forth on how early we will get up to shop tomorrow. this is my first thanksgiving away from my family.

then that minute was up and i am putting the sadness on the back burner. i have way more to be thankful for than to be sad about. here are just a few of those things:

- while i don't particularly want to be getting ready to go to work right now, i am so thankful that i have a job to go to and that i really enjoy going (when it isn't a holiday :))
- i am thankful that i have awesome friends who have invited me to their home after work to eat and be together (and that cort's mom makes dressing that tastes exactly like my mom's!)
- i am thankful that i am gonig to the hospital to work and for no other reason.
- i am thankful that my aggies are going to play tonight and hopefully kick t.u.'s ass one last time.
- i am thankful for all of the preggo's in my life (oddly there are 8) that are having super healthy pregnancies and will have super awesome children next spring and summer (starting with my neice due january 16th!!).
- i am thankful that i was able to get ready in 15 minutes this morning because i have the option of wearing scrubs when i don't want to put on the professional get-up.
- i am thankful that i do get to go home for christmas and have the above experience with the fam (and that my sister is going to text me updates of anything that i am missing today).

while this list could go on and on, i do have to get to work and hopefully bring some thanksgiving cheer to my patients who are having to spend the holiday in the hospital. i hope that you all have a lovely day with ones you love...i know i plan to. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

its gonna be a good week

first i get to go see these guys on thursday:

then i get to see these guys on friday (and i really really hope they play this song):

and then i get to see these guys on saturday:


very excited!

yummy

i have been on pinterest for quite some time just pinning away and had not made one recipe that i found on there until a couple of weeks ago. started with a pasta dish that was pretty good but then last week made this in my crock pot and just had to share.

Source: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com via Marcy on Pinterest

may seem a little weird with the hashbrowns and all but this soup tastes like my favorite baked potato soup at central market. especially with sour cream, cheese, and some bacon pieces garnishing it. highly reccommend this recipe, especially if you are like me and like a non-chunky soup. delish!

tomorrow i am doing this crock pot recipe and really hope these sandwiches are as good as they look in the photo.

Source: bakingbites.com via Marcy on Pinterest

currently on the stove is my mom's super yummy taco soup recipe to take for lunch this week and i am also baking this interesting concoction:

Source: sweet-verbena.blogspot.com via Marcy on Pinterest

hopefully it tastes as good as it seems that it should!

i am certainly not adventurous or well-practiced at cooking but am trying to branch out. really trying to be better about it and think that i am off to a good start (especially since i have discovered the super easy convenience of the crock pot!)

top 10 list...

...of things i have learned at my new job:

10. i can wear scrubs if i want to. black top and bottom (my favorite clothing color!). i haven't purchased any yet but plan on getting a pair for those days that there is nothing clean.

9. i walk or stand almost allllllllll day. i learned very quickly that my cute flats that i used to wear will not cut it so i broke down and invested in some dansko shoes. not cute but after seeing that pretty much everyone that works at the hospital wears them i got these:

super duper comfortable

i am also aware that my momma has some like this:

i will attempt to snag these from her closet while home next week (shhhh, don't tell her)
(both pair found here)

8. i have to remember to wear my id badge everyday. 3 times without it = termination. AND it cost $25 to replace, so very important not to lose.

7. hand hygiene. the most commonly used terminology at parkland. i had no idea that i was washing my hands incorrectly my whole life. they showed us the spots that are most commonly missed. there is sanitizer next to every patient room and i use it approximately 12 times a day with a hand wash in between every 4 or so of those. crazy.

6. apparently almost every social worker at parkland went to the same social work school i did, though i only recognize 1 of them. she and i graduated together (she is an aggie too!).

5. i learned at orientation that 113,000 people applied at parkland in the last year and 1,100 were hired. makes me feel very good about being chosen.

4. the new little white rock coffee drive thru shack is on my way to work. could make me broke but also makes me oh so happy.

3. there are 9500 employees at parkland and they have their own police department. this is a little nuts. on my first day of work, the police trained us how to handle different crises including an active shooter, a child abduction, etc. remind anyone of grey's anatomy? too bad i haven't seen any mcdreamys or mcsteamys.

2. i was finally given the code for the lock on the secret bathroom that is only for nurses and us. thank goodness.

and the most important thing i have learned since working at parkland is...

1. the good food is on the first floor of the med school. burger house, subway, chinese, salad place, starbucks. the parkland cafeteria is good, but finding this gem of a food court changed everything :)

v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n!

at the end of july, anna and i got to go to florida and visit this awesome little man and his momma and daddy. max is our 3 year old nephew. we played and went on adventures and read many books and ate yummy food and loved on each other.

we went to a nature preserve near their home and got to see some really cool animals that are native to the area. this is an owl that i had to take a picture of through thin cracks in the fence. why, you ask? apparently he is a killer owl. creepy. max taught us a lot about the animals and their habits.

after the preserve, we went to a sea turtle rescue facility. this was my favorite. this is max in front of a pool of baby sea turtles that had prematurely hatched due to the recent weather caused by hurricane irene.

then we got to see this guy, zeko, get washed and weighed by the volunteer staff and vets. he was none too pleased to be taken out of his tub (and pooped all over the place to show his annoyance) but was still cute.

we spent a morning at the beach, riding the waves and frolicking like children,

became play-doh super heroes,

checked out ruby june celebrates (very cool to see anna's creations in florida!),

and spent some really great quality time with mark, kara and max! thank you for having us and i cannot wait to come visit again soon.

change of heart?

this little guy has been my temporary roommate since i have been staying with robin and brad for the last few weeks. i have never had a desire to have a pet, in fact, quite the opposite really. i live a pretty spontaneous life and have never wanted the guilt that would come along with leaving a pet at home too long alone. this being said, i sure have enjoyed brooklyn's company. who knows, maybe i am having a change of heart :)
thank you robin and brad for your hospitality. you are amazing hosts and i cannot express how much i appreciate you letting me stay with you.

back to life, back to reality

sweet relief.
new job - check. new house - check. new phone - check.
things are falling into place around here and i could not be more thrilled about the fresh start that is fixing to ensue.

via

i have been offered and accepted the position of social worker II on the care management team at parkland hospital in dallas. i have actually applied and interviewed here several years ago to no avail and am very excited to have the opportunity to start working with our world renowned county hospital. it is still a little unclear to me what all i will be doing and what patient population i will be working with but i am taking the leap of faith and am sure that there will be many good war stories to report.

via

when the news of the job offer came through, the house hunt began. after several days of driving around, tracking down landlords, considering the commute (haven't had one of those is quite some time), and weighing the pros and cons i have decided to move into another duplex in the same neighborhood that i was living in before. bottom line is i feel comfortable there and love east dallas. looking forward to moving back to my hood.

via

i have carried 2 cell phones for years. 1 personal, 1 work. luckily, i am relinquishing the work phone. unluckily, it is way cooler than my personal phone. luckily, i was due an upgarde with at&t and the above is what my new phone looks like. it does way more than just call and text. so excited!

nothing much to say...

but i need to say something as i am letting this blog slip into no-man's land quick. not much going on - still unemployed, still moving, etc. etc. etc. on an upside though, there was a very promising interview that occurred yesterday and so while i am not getting my hopes too high, there is a really good vibe floating around me about this one. fingers crossed people, this girl needs an income stat.

so, i woke up this morning thinking about how much i am going to miss my bedroom when i leave this place. i like where i live alot but the office is always hot, the kitchen is tiny, the bathroom is always dirty (could that be my fault?), the front porch is about to fall off, but my bedroom, my bedroom is awesome (as mentioned here). i guess i haven't ever had a bedroom that i liked this much becuase i have never really cared about what kind of bedroom to look for. you better believe i will be thinking about it now. it isn't like i spend a ton of time there or anything, really i just do my sleeping there, but it is cool and dark, even during this horrid heat wave, and i feel peaceful in there. i have 6 nights left to sleep in that room and will enjoy every last one of them.

can you tell i am bored and just want to post something on this damn blog?

on another note, while the logistics of unemployment really suck, i have actually had quite a good time in the 2.5 weeks that i have not been working. i have had a garage sale, gone swimming, to the spray park and the aquarium, had a few dinners and lunches with friends i don't get to see very often and some i get to see all time, spent time with kid friends, attended a few happy hours, put together the rest of my photo albums, watched a lot of movies, went shopping, played bunco and clue, and had a fabulous little getaway to college station. good times. and good ways to avoid packing and job hunting...precisely like what this blog post is doing for me now :)

i have been doing a lot of daydreaming about where i would move if i don't find a job soon. this is what i have come up with. not too shabby right?

Source: journalsofabetterme.blogspot.com via Marcy on Pinterest

red river, new mexico (my favorite place)

Source: lisbonfashion.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

or just the mountains in general (seems peaceful and cool, right?)

Source: google.com via Marcy on Pinterest

or washington dc (help make some change in this country?)

Source: thisphotolife.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

or maybe austin (where there is an endless supply of good music and fun friends)

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

or nyc (and maybe work for the planned parenthood federation of america?)

Source: appleday.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

or maybe just bum around europe (it seems very ugly though :))

Source: etsy.com via Marcy on Pinterest

in the end though, i think i would just like to keep bumming around east dallas.
so, as said before, keep those fingers crossed friends.

canton co-op

so, a couple of weeks ago, kelly called and told me that our friend kyle was coming in town from austin for a show. kyle is a drummer and plays in a band called tacks the boy disaster. i asked for the details because there is not much that i love to do more on a friday night than to go listen to live music but knew that it was highly unlikely that i would make it as i was having a garage sale with emily that day and the next and it required a 5 am start to my day, 2 days in a row. after being responsible, turning down the offer, putting on my pj's and settling in front of the dvr, kelly and jack show up with a six pack and sweet talked me into going with them (as you can imagine, it did not take much. they had me at beer). SO, we headed out to this place called canton co-op for a free show with free keg beer (all this free-ness also didn't hurt their argument). i was intrigued from the moment we got out of the car. from what i can figure out, the co-op is basically a loft in deep ellum that is owned and run by people that want to promote artists and musicians and provides an outlet for their work. apparently they have a lot of free shows. the location was awesome, there were not many people so it was like a private show, and the music was fantastic. this is who we got to see:
kyle's band, tacks the boy disaster

this is kyle jammin' on the drums

my jeruselum

this girl was rockin the bass and it was awesome

and michael kincaid opened with an acustic show (i couldn't find a video but snapped this pic...he was amazing!)

looking forward to my next rrip to canton co-op!

looking for some inspiration

since completing the 10 day challenge i have felt uninspired. not just in blog topics, but also in life in general. looking for a job and not knowing where i am going to be living in a month have put a damper on my spirit so i went seeking some encouragement. these are good ones that i will be silently chanting on repeat:

all cards found here

one picture (of myself)

happiness.

( i loved this challenge so much as it took my mind off of everything else going on in life and allowed me to think creatively and reminisce. i have also been able to learn about and laugh with my friends who also took the challenge. i hope that you will join in the fun as i would love to read about you too! hopefully we will find another one soon :))

two songs

solsbury hill - peter gabriel
not sure why but this song has always been and will always be one of my very favorites (video is a little weird though).


there's your trouble - dixie chicks
this is the song that brought me to the awesome realization that i can sing exactly like natalie maines. i love her.

three films

i am a movie lover. i go to the movies frequently, rent movies constantly, have a pretty good size movie collection of my own, and try to see all the oscar contenders before the big show every year. this being said, there are a handful of movies that i watch again and again. these are three of them:

1. remember the titans - maybe my favorite movie ever. favorite line, said by my favorite charatcer, julius, "attitude reflects leadership". i love all sports tearjerkers, but this one just has something special about it.

2. juno - teen mom considering adoption. right up my alley as this is my favorite population to work with. too bad my clients are never quite this cool :) soundtrack is great too.

3. troop beverly hills - ok, i only watch this one when anna is around but i did recently pass on the tradition to my kid friends, macie and taylor. they loved it as much as we do!

images found here

four books

as a person who is always reading something, and has a varied taste in books, it is difficult to pick four. these are what pop into my head though so i am just going with it!
1. nineteen minutes - jodi picoult
i loved this book. i actually love all of her books that i have read. they are thought provoking and make you see situations from points of view that you wouldn't normally think about or sometimes wouldn't want to think about. most people love her or hate her and to give fair warning, all of her books are somewhat controversial and make you think about hard issues. nineteen minutes is about a school shooting and is very thought-provoking. jodi picoult is definitely one of my very favorite authors.

2. apa style guide - american psychological association

had to include this as it was my bible both times i was in grad school. it tells you how to write papers, cite sources, and be grammatically correct. a must have for any social science-related masters student :)

3. the help - kathryn stocket

my favorite book last year. if you haven't read it, you must immediately. i loved it so much because it is an interesting, and frequently funny, way to tell a difficult story about a time that is not that far in our history. the characters are amazing and i highly recommend. the movie comes out august 10 and looks as though it may do the book justice.

4. smoke screen - sandra brown

ok, i almost didn't put this on here because i wanted to put smart books by smart women that make me look like i only read smart and interesting things. it would be a lie. i LOVE to read crap and my favorite is any thriller with some romance mixed in. i have many authors in this genre that i read, but sandra brown is my favorite and i have read every one of her romantic thrillers. i also and a political thriller junky and love vince flynn. i aspire to write my own crap novel and make tons of money...one day i will.

all pictures found here

five foods

i love food. all food (well, except avocado and cottage cheese). so in order to narrow it down, i decided to pick 5 of my favorite things that my mom makes. she is an amazing cook and has spoiled us with home-cooked meals our whole lives.

via

1. spaghetti

this is my favorite. it was my requested birthday meal every year. my mom gave me the book with the recipe in it and i have made it a few times but it never compares to when my mom makes it.

2. omelettes

this is a staple in our house. mom makes a buffet of sausage, cheese, onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper and then we get to choose how many eggs and what we want in ours. to give credit where it is due, dad helps to by making toast and cooking the sausage!

3. thanksgiving dinner

yummmmmmmm. cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes with giblet gravy. enough said.

4. the loaf

ok, this little concoction is delish. it is a loaf of french bread, cut the top off, take the insides out, fill with yummy deliciousness, put the top back on, bake, cut a slice, and enjoy. best when dipped in mom's homemade ranch dressing.

5. potato salad

this is one of those recipes that when i ask how to make it, mom says to put some of this and a little of that. i am lost on that. i aspire to be one of those people that can cook like that but my analness just will not allow it. anyway, the bacon and green olives, in addition to all of the other yummy ingredients, make it for me. so good.

it was so hard to narrow to 5. some of the other contenders were dallas delight, egg nests, sausage balls, cinnamon logs, quiche, gravy, ranch dip, hamburgers and peppered steak with fried rice. whew, i am hungry. gonna go call my mom and book a trip home :)

six places

1. mom and dad's kitchen table

(christmas dinner 2010)

this is where my family goes to share meals, play many many games, catch up, laugh, do crafty things and spend a lot of time together

(playing 42, per usual)

2. cort and chris's living room

(one of many get togethers at this house. giggling about something inappropriate i am sure)

this place is full of life and is always welcoming to me and others. i spend a lot of time here: hanging out with and talking to friends, playing trains, reading books, snuggling babies, watching tv, escaping my quiet house, etc. etc. (c&c~thanks for always having me)

(snuggling baby joe and ben)

3. Red River, NM

my favorite place to visit. i love it here. makes me think of childhood, peace, calm, happiness. i would move here if not for the fact that there are approximately 10 people who live here year round. would love to get married here someday.

4. my bedroom

this place is a cave...quiet, cool, and dark. i love it and could lay in my super comfy bed for hours reading and dozing. (was going to make the bed for the pic, but that would just be a lie because i literally only make it when my parents are coming to town)

5. the patio of my favorite bar (i couldn't choose one, so i included both)

(duddley's draw, college station, tx)

(stan's blue note, dallas, tx. yes, that is jennifer with a large rasta banana.)

6. austin city limits music festival

(cort, becky, joni, and myself at acl during the early years)

i love, love, love this festival and look forward to it every year. the music is wonderful but the friends and fun cannot be beat. i have been going for many years and i look forward to it now as much i did in the beginning. there are several of us who try to go every year and without fail it is fantastic (aside from the dirt storm, hooker motel, mud pit, fall into oncoming traffic, sweltering heat, and other experiences that make for great stories that we retell over and over). we dance and laugh and talk and drink for three days straight. i love it and cannot wait for this year.

(joni and i at acl 2010)