25 December 2012

Why I'm Ok with Working on Christmas

1. Holiday pay.

2. Just kidding. Kind of.

3. Jesus was born to save and to heal. I'd like to think I'm following in my Savior's footsteps today.

4. We don't have kids, therefore I'm able to step in for a co-worker who can now wake up and give her kids the magic of a Christmas morning without having to rush out the door to clock in by 6:38 am.

5. I have a job. I'm employed....something I'm very thankful for when thinking about the state of our country.

6. I can make someone happy who's sick today. Seriously - do they really want to be in the hospital on Christmas morning? Surrounded by strangers and beeping machines and hospital food? Really?

7. I can leave work tonight knowing I'm off for the next five days - Alabama, here we come!

8. No presents to open this year anyway - saving for a major 10 year anniversary trip next year. (Mutual decision, or did I get suckered into M's excuse not to shop??)

9. If you want to get technical, Jesus' birth was really in the spring. Or September, depending on who you ask.

10. M wants to celebrate the season by making tacos and watching E.T. Work gives me an excuse to get out of this. E.T. scares me to bits.

Merry Christmas, and please keep all of us nurses, EMTs, doctors, policemen, firefighters...my dad the funeral director... anyone who has to work on Christmas - to keep you safe and healthy - in your prayers!



22 December 2012

Springtime in December

So.

It's been roughly five months since we've moved to Florida, and the farthest south I've been is to Ft. Pierce.

Where I work.

10 miles south of the house.

Sheesh.

Y'all know I'm terrified of anything Miami. I have the Discovery Channel and their documentaries on the city to thank for that...guns, drugs and people staying out past 9pm?

So out of my comfort zone.

However, today, we decided to venture down to West Palm Beach, down the coast about halfway between our house and the end tip of the state.

The entire trip was prefaced by M stating, "You know you're going to see signs that say we're getting close to Miami. You think you can handle that? Will you be ok?"

Hahahahahaaaappppllllttthhhh. Jerk.

Despite the fact they opened cold shelters last night and everyone was in coats and parkas and boots, this former Missouri Girl thought the day was gorgeous and spring-like...I was so happy to see these less-humid, 60 degree temps roll in this morning. Now it feels like winter.





Objective #1 in WPB: Find the Cheesecake Factory. I've never been (Eeek! Gasp!) which is apparently a small sin in my family.

We found it. WPB has a sweet little downtown area called City Place, and the Cheesecake Factory was right smack in the middle.


This girl had a salad and a slice of low-carb cheesecake while watching M devour some monstrosity of peanut butter and chocolate that was one forkful short of sending him into a sugar coma.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we walked it off around City Place, which reminded me of a gorgeous spring afternoon walking around Delmar in St. Louis.





Speaking of, the best best best part of the day didn't happen until we were back in the car on our way home to Vero.


We stopped at a gas station in Jupiter.

Exciting, huh?

It was. Just hang with me for a second.

Jupiter, Florida. Home of Roger Dean Stadium.


As in my St. Louis Cardinal's springtime home. My Redbirds. My Cards. My boys in white baseball pants with tall red socks.



We made a U-turn in the middle of an intersection and went in search of the ballpark, which happened to be on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.

I went a little nuts. I love my Redbirds.

(Hence how my parents wrapped my birthday presents this year:)


M was kind enough to stop the car when he saw I was about ready to jump out just to get a couple pictures.



Very thoughtful of him, seeing how he's a diehard Braves fan and all.

I don't want to talk about it.

Anyway.

Best. Day. Ever.

And Redbird Bear (a sweet little Christmas surprise I found in the mail the other day from my mama) was along for the ride.


Today I love: Delicious low-carb cheesecake that tastes like the Real Thing, and feeling a little more connected to home down here in Southern Florida.