Sunday, December 2, 2012
Grandpa Perris
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Romero Pools
While all of our friends were getting snowed on in Utah, we spent Saturday enjoying the outdoors. Jay and I went for a 4 mile run (Jay started marathon training again), then watched Henry and Wes play soccer with the YMCA and then hiked to Romero Pools in Catalina State Park. It was a beautiful hike and we timed it perfectly to watch the sun set as we were heading back down the mountain. The best part-the company. Mike, Jay's roommate from last year, and Jen are in Tucson for the month of November for medical school rotations.
We were glad we came prepared with long sleeves. The temperature drops below 70 degrees here and suddenly I need layers to keep warm. I know we can't complain and we won't get any sympathy from our friends and family in Utah. We have yet to turn on our heat but I did wear a warm winter jacket and boots today and our thermostat outside said it was 55 degrees.
Monday, October 29, 2012
An Unwelcomed Introduction to Arizona
We been in AZ for 8 weeks now. Sunday I woke up to unpleasant guest sitting on our counter top.
I actually have a high threshhold for bugs and creepy crawling things. This was not one of those times. The cockroach was sitting on my counter between a bag of tortilla chips, which I left open over night, and a plate with uneaten diced green chiles and cream cheese. Sick. I think it was the green chiles combo that must have done him/her in.
I learned my lesson. And Jay cleaned up the roach.
I actually have a high threshhold for bugs and creepy crawling things. This was not one of those times. The cockroach was sitting on my counter between a bag of tortilla chips, which I left open over night, and a plate with uneaten diced green chiles and cream cheese. Sick. I think it was the green chiles combo that must have done him/her in.
I learned my lesson. And Jay cleaned up the roach.
Do you know what this is?!?
Good-bye free time. Good-bye 3 day work week.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Mt Lemmon
This past Saturday was our first Saturday in Tucson without a long marathon training run to fill our day. We finally had the chance to go out and visit some of the outdoors that Tucson has to offer.
We drove to Mt Lemmon, about 45 minutes from our house and roughly 6,000 ft elevation gain. I actually felt like we were back in Utah as we were driving through the mountains. We took our bikes and books and enjoyed the chance to be outdoors.
We drove to Mt Lemmon, about 45 minutes from our house and roughly 6,000 ft elevation gain. I actually felt like we were back in Utah as we were driving through the mountains. We took our bikes and books and enjoyed the chance to be outdoors.
The First Haircut
Jay's hair grows. Fast. One day it looks normal and the next day it is far too long.
He says the difference between a good hair cut and a bad hair cut is 2 weeks and told me to go for it.
My hair cutting experience consists of:
He says the difference between a good hair cut and a bad hair cut is 2 weeks and told me to go for it.
My hair cutting experience consists of:
- 2000: Shaving John's head during chemo treatments. (Well to be more exact, I actually taped his head as it it were a basketball and then pulled out his hair because I wanted to test and see that it really wouldn't hurt. I bic'd the rest of his head. That was a disaster, actually.)
- 2008: I attempted to cut another boy's hair, but his mom was standing right there and fixed it.
- 2012: I've watched Chantelle cut Jay's hair twice this summer. She made it look pretty like a piece of cake.
I'm not sure where his confidence in me came from, but he needed a cut.
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| Q-tip top |
And after my cutting job, he probably still needs a cut--from someone who actually knows what they're doing.
I don't really know how to blend the mop on top with the sides. I took a little too much out of the front middle. You can't really tell in this photo. And there is a chunk on the side that got a little too short. It still is far too long on top, but I was too afraid to cut any more off the top. The longer it is, the more someone else has to work with when they try to fix it.
After he put some hair product in it this morning he said it didn't look too bad.
At least he is still smiling....
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Details of the Job
This will be a boring post. No pictures. No fun stories. Just information to pass along for everyone to know.
I graduated August 10, 2012. I became and MSN
I took boards on September 11, 2012. I traveled nearly 60 miles to a testing center so that I could take the test before Sept 27th, the only available date at the Tucson testing center. I passed! My heart was pounding while I was waiting for the results to show up. Passing makes me a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), or an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and board certified (bc).
And then I began job search. I was terrified of applying blindly for jobs at offices where I didn't know anyone. Not all doctors are nice. And I'm a new grad. I didn't want to get eaten alive or feel incompetent in my first job. I wasn't sure where to start looking. I didn't have any connections with people in the area yet. The first resume I turned in was to Monica, the office manager for a company called Arizona Community Physicians. Jay was in clinical rotations with a family practice doctor who is part of this company. It was after the Dr.'s suggestion that I gave her my resume. A few days later I began applying for other NP jobs I could find online. I was surprised how quickly I heard back from several of the companies. I learned that nurse practitioners are well used in Arizona and luckily there are a lot of jobs available.
I met with a lady 2 days after submitting an application. I passed her interview and the next day I met her husband, a family practice doctor at a practice less than a mile from my house. He interviewed me and offered me the job right there. I requested a few days to consider everything. It as close to my house. It was family practice. It was flexible hours and part time starting until I build up to full time patients. But it did not include any benefits, the starting wage considering I had no benefits was especially low, and I would be training my own medical assistant. The other leads I had at that point were for jobs in skilled nursing facilities or doing home visits and I think I always envisioned myself working in more of a clinic setting.
So I accepted the offer late Wednesday afternoon. I put it off as long as I could that day.
On Thursday Jay texted me from work saying that Monica wanted me to call her. There was an opening with their company in the NW part of Tucson she wanted to let me know about.
But -- I already accepted a job. I had not signed any contracts, but I already committed to someone. Jay suggested that it wouldn't hurt to at least call and find out about the job.
The job available was with Dr Charani, the physician Jay had been working with all month. I met Dr. Charani multiple times that month. I knew him well enough to know that he is kind and hard working. His staff like to work for him. I knew environment wise as a new graduate this would be an ideal job. It was full time work with a starting salary that was exactly the same as what the other job offered me but full benefits were included. Additionally, the office is about 2 miles from our apartment. Commuting was an important aspect of where I took a job.
One week later, they offered me the job which I accepted.
I know that the Lord's guiding hand was involved in this process. He knew my fears of not knowing people and work in this area. He also knows what Jay and I would need for me in accepting a job. Over the 3 weeks I searched for jobs and interviewed with different people and places, it was the first doctor I met in Tucson, the only physician I actually know in the area, and the first person I gave a resume to where I was able to secure a job. It provides us with the benefits we need and with an income where we can start paying down on some of Jay's medical school loans.
It feels good. It feels right. No wonder I had reservations about saying yes at the first place.
Now if the state of Arizona would just finish processing my licenses. The current PA at the job doesn't move until November, so I have 4 weeks before I officially start working.
And Jay is happy that he can take credit for helping me find a job. Thanks!
oh and one more funny part of the job. Dr. Charani. I think he will provide some good laughs. He called me Friday and said, "I have some bad news. (Long pause). You have to work with me."
I graduated August 10, 2012. I became and MSN
I took boards on September 11, 2012. I traveled nearly 60 miles to a testing center so that I could take the test before Sept 27th, the only available date at the Tucson testing center. I passed! My heart was pounding while I was waiting for the results to show up. Passing makes me a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), or an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and board certified (bc).
And then I began job search. I was terrified of applying blindly for jobs at offices where I didn't know anyone. Not all doctors are nice. And I'm a new grad. I didn't want to get eaten alive or feel incompetent in my first job. I wasn't sure where to start looking. I didn't have any connections with people in the area yet. The first resume I turned in was to Monica, the office manager for a company called Arizona Community Physicians. Jay was in clinical rotations with a family practice doctor who is part of this company. It was after the Dr.'s suggestion that I gave her my resume. A few days later I began applying for other NP jobs I could find online. I was surprised how quickly I heard back from several of the companies. I learned that nurse practitioners are well used in Arizona and luckily there are a lot of jobs available.
I met with a lady 2 days after submitting an application. I passed her interview and the next day I met her husband, a family practice doctor at a practice less than a mile from my house. He interviewed me and offered me the job right there. I requested a few days to consider everything. It as close to my house. It was family practice. It was flexible hours and part time starting until I build up to full time patients. But it did not include any benefits, the starting wage considering I had no benefits was especially low, and I would be training my own medical assistant. The other leads I had at that point were for jobs in skilled nursing facilities or doing home visits and I think I always envisioned myself working in more of a clinic setting.
So I accepted the offer late Wednesday afternoon. I put it off as long as I could that day.
On Thursday Jay texted me from work saying that Monica wanted me to call her. There was an opening with their company in the NW part of Tucson she wanted to let me know about.
But -- I already accepted a job. I had not signed any contracts, but I already committed to someone. Jay suggested that it wouldn't hurt to at least call and find out about the job.
The job available was with Dr Charani, the physician Jay had been working with all month. I met Dr. Charani multiple times that month. I knew him well enough to know that he is kind and hard working. His staff like to work for him. I knew environment wise as a new graduate this would be an ideal job. It was full time work with a starting salary that was exactly the same as what the other job offered me but full benefits were included. Additionally, the office is about 2 miles from our apartment. Commuting was an important aspect of where I took a job.
One week later, they offered me the job which I accepted.
I know that the Lord's guiding hand was involved in this process. He knew my fears of not knowing people and work in this area. He also knows what Jay and I would need for me in accepting a job. Over the 3 weeks I searched for jobs and interviewed with different people and places, it was the first doctor I met in Tucson, the only physician I actually know in the area, and the first person I gave a resume to where I was able to secure a job. It provides us with the benefits we need and with an income where we can start paying down on some of Jay's medical school loans.
It feels good. It feels right. No wonder I had reservations about saying yes at the first place.
 |
| this has nothing to do with my job offer...I just wanted to add another photo. taken in oregon, hiking multnomah falls |
oh and one more funny part of the job. Dr. Charani. I think he will provide some good laughs. He called me Friday and said, "I have some bad news. (Long pause). You have to work with me."
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