The Ramblings of a Traveling Speech Therapist

Family

2009-10-24T23:12:00.003-04:00

My mom turned 60 this year, though you wouldn't guess it by how she looks. People who look at our picture together have been known to say, "I thought you didn't have a sister?" Anyways, mom flew across the country and visited me a few weekends ago. She and I explored Napa and Sonoma together and I have yet to visit the same winery twice despite having visited the area 3 times now! We visited Cline winery, Jacuzzi Winery, Fritz Winery, Cuvaison Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, and a couple of others that were forgetable.

We stayed at a place called Zinscape outside of Healdsburg. From the website, you would think that it is a small bed and breakfast. We were informed our second morning, when breakfast was not updated from the first morning, that it was not a bed and breakfast- it was a rental room. Whatever it was, it was clean and cute and surrounded by vineyards. Mom was disappointed by the lack of service (we had dirty dishes from our first morning- and no sink or dishwasher excluding the bathroom sink- but they were still dirty when we returned and we had to wash them with handsoap from the bathroom). I think it was a step up from out tiny hotel in downtown New York City that only let us plug in two things at a time- we had to choose between a TV, a clock, and a lamp that needed power. Try to figure that one out!

We had a great time. Mom left on Saturday, I worked Saturday and Sunday, as well as Monday-Wednesday and then flew to Florida for a family vacation on Thursday. Whew! I had worked 9 days in a row before the vacation- mad props to the nurses out there who do that on a regular basis!

My two brothers, my sister-in-law and 2 nephews, my mom, and my dad all flew to Anna Maria Island in Florida, located south of Tampa, FL. We had a blast despite the chilly weather and off shore storms. We even swam in the ocean 2 of the days despite the wicked surf. When we swam on Saturday, it was difficult to maintain an upright position in the water and the undertow was dragging not only me, but my two larger brothers down the coast as well. Even so often they would trudge against the tow and head back to the area of the beach where our chairs were chilling. I would call uncle, ride a wave in to the sand, and walk back. As it was, my calves and thighs were sore and bruised by the end of the first day. The second day was colder, but the waves were not as rough.

I have to state that we must have a little bit of dare-devil in all of us-- I very much enjoyed the first day of swimming even though I was worried about riptides the entire time. Woman verses ocean! Can she swim against the tow? Can she ride the wave ALL the way to the shore? Eeeeck! A wave! Dive! Dive! Dive! I was 10 years old diving through the oncoming waves and trying to keep up with my big brother- except somehow I've now gotten 2 big brothers (Little bro is not so little). I had a blast.

We celebrated mom's birthday officially and had a guitar player at a bar play Happy Birthday for her. He also played another song (the name is escaping me) and dad and her completed a rare dance. Dad dances just fine, but he doesn't believe that and doesn't like to dance in front of people. He danced for her though- and that was special.

Sister-in-law, nephews, little bro and I set out for a walk at 7am thinking was would score some big shells that no one had found yet. Despite the offshore storm, there were only the tiny shells present the night before. 6 year old nephew does NOT like to walk on the beach and spent about half the time negotiating a return to port. Little 2 year old nephew was content to be passed from adult to adult and watch the birds. I enjoyed the peace with my little brother and my lovely sister-in-law knowing that the rest of the house was asleep.

Another walk later that day with little nephew revealed the treasures we had looked for the morning before. Not shells, but random items caught his interest and he poked an abandoned flip flop into a pile of sand and declared it a rocket before creating the sound effect and following the imaginary trajectory over the sand and across the water. Precious moments.

The way home was rough. We had a 3 hour delay in Denver, CO which obliviated my plans of taking public transit home from SFO. BART,the train, closes at 11:53pm at SFO, and we arrived after midnight instead of the planned 9pm. A taxi ride would have cost me $115 from airport to door. A friend was called who declared, very sleepily, that should would rescue me as a last resort but encouraged me to catch BART if possible. She would have totally come to get me- but I would have totally given her money for it! My rescue came in the form of a seat mate who had just been at a family reunion celebrating her mom's 80th birthday. She also happened to live 5 minute from me and had her car at the airport. I facebooked her photo discreetly and posted "this lady is giving me a ride home from SFO- Stay tuned" then promptly, and a little guiltily, erased it when I arrived home safe. It's a sad world when we cover our asses for possible kidnapping from good samaritans. My only other alternative would have been to rent a car, drive home, and return it after work the next day. Trish, my savior, was very cool and we chatted all the way home about good places to find a beer and a man.

I returned to work Tuesday and by Wednesday night was rested enough to meet my big brother in the city to eat dinner- he was strangely in town for a meeting just days after our vacation together but I'm always glad to steal a quiet moment with family. I'm currently on another run of 9 days. Today, Saturday, i worked to make up for last Monday. Tomorrow, Sunday, I will work to make up for next Thursday when my friend Rachel will be visiting from Atlanta. I haven't had a sleep-in day for 4 weeks due to work, visits and vacation and it looks like it will be another 2 weekends before I can schedule one. Poor me. :-)

It really is lovely to be busy and traveling- especially when it includes family and friends. I think I'll be a little down when the hectic schedule resolves.

Hopelessly Behind

2009-09-26T00:12:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'll just call Uncle, write a post about the past few busy weeks, and call it a day.

August 8: Visited Sonoma, CA and tried wines at Buena Vista Winery, Ravenwood Winery, and Benzinger Winery. Was charmed by the nice people at Buena Vista, enjoyed the strong tasting wines at Ravenwood, and was duly impressed by the biodynamic farming techniques at Benzinger Winery. The insect "highways" built into the winery that allow predatory insects (that eat insects that attack wine grapes) was especially cool. As was the pesticide made from cow manure buried in a cows horn on the full moon and then dug up several months later, diluted, and sprayed as a natural insectacide on the grapes. I bought some biodynamically grown olive oil and a bottle of port for my port-drinking 91 year old grandmother.

August 9: Took the BART and bus to Ocean city in San Francisco and flew my kite. I also walked the beach for, like, hours. I do love the beach.

August 10: cooked my first artichoke.

August 13: cooked my second artichoke. Accidently let the steam water go dry, burned the crap out of my pan, and melted my silicon steamer. Opps.

August 15: Traveled down to Monterey, CA and wandered through the aquarium. For anyone in the area, or traveling to the area, this aquarium is so much worth your time. I'm not an aquarium aficionado, but this one was quite awesome. One area had kelp swaying with the tide- 3 stories high. Another simulated the coast by rushing water over a glass dome that you stand under- and swishing the aquarium creating the wall. Creative use of space and really nice exhibits made this site a must see. Monterey was cool as well- nice walking path over to their pier 39 and free chowder tastes all along the pier.

August 22: Visited Napa, CA and tasted wines at Robert Mondavi Winery and Castille de Amorosa Winery. Robert Mondavi had a Chardonnay that I actually liked! Castille de Amorosa was a nice castle to walk through- but a little touristy-trappy. Also ate the Culinary Institute of America where chef Duff of Ace of Cakes graduated from. Between the open kitchen and the bizarre appetizers, I felt like I was a judge on Iron Chef. It was very fun. Also saw old faithful and some fainting goats that WOULD NOT FAINT. I tried to startle them, I did! But no fainting occurred. I'm not very scary.

August 29: Got a hair cut at Impact Salon in Walnut Creek. She did a good job of blending colors and giving me a very wearable cut. I'll have her cut it again before Christmas. I BARTed into "the city" and walked along the waterfront for several hours- 6 miles total. I met Lisa at TheSlantedDoor restaurant and had pretty good chinese food that was a bit overpriced. There's a place 15 minutes from where I live that sells better for half the price- but I guess you pay for the view.

September 5: Bike across the Goldengate bridge with Lisa and her friend Jennifer who was visiting from Baltimore. We barely made it to Salsalito before the ferry left- and barely got the bikes back before they closed. Huh. We don't bike fast. It was so foggy that I could not see but 10 feet of the bridge at any one time. I couldn't see the water below.

Biking through the fog, sometimes out of sight from everyone, the mists swirled and figures seemed to seep on the platform before disappearing as I approached. It was eery and lovely and spooky and strange. The velvety fog encased you- it seemed to recede before your sight and creep when you weren't looking. No wonder fog is the backdrop to so many mysteries and murders.

September 12: I sat on the couch and watched TV.

September 19: I visited the city and wandered around the Moon Festival in San Francisco Chinatown. Oh, the stories I could tell. Firstly, there was the guy that told me I was his new friend and offered to be my boyfriend for the day. Oh yes, I blushed. And oh yes, he was serious. Then, there was the gasping girl at the next table in the restaurant that found the large cooked cockroach in her food and the manager who told her "you already ate half- you have to pay". Oh yes, she was serious. Then there was the little old lady in line next to me who yelled at me in Mandarin when I offered her little granddaughter the candy I had just won. That was just funny. Finally, there were fabulous egg tarts that I got from Golden Gate Bakery after waiting for over an hour in line. They were worth the wait. I ate one tart every day for 4 days. I did not pig out- but I waited ALL DAY for each tart! They were that good. The Moon cakes I bought- one full of lotus paste and the other full of black beans- were probably pretty good compared to other Moon cakes. I liked the lotus paste one- but did not like the salted duck egg in the middle. The black bean one was a little beyond my American taste buds.

Sept. 21: started my new contract at the new job. It is my first true SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility) and I am learning about the wonderful world of minutes. I have yet to meet the 85% productivity standard despite working very hard. I have felt the pressure to pick up patients that are probably not going to get better. And I have some lovely patients that are truly on a path of getting better. It is not as sad of an environment as I anticipated. The staff seems careful and loving towards the patients. The culture of apathy I saw in the other long term care facility I worked at is not present here. Many of the workers have been working here for years and the patients are an extension to their family. There are many sweet moments throughout the day and I'm getting a reputation for smiling a lot. All good things (except the minutes and the productivity). If the paperwork didn't take an hour out of my day I might be more productive! The boss is a live-wire- but is new herself and is rehauling the department. I respect her a lot already, but that doesn't mean I can't complain about the productivity standards!

This weekend? Plans are to approach the Pacific Hwy 1 North and take lots of pictures of the pretty water and beaches. I need to visit a CVS and buy a notepad for one patient and a mirror for a few others (hard to get supplies in a SNF).

Next Thursday mom arrives for a 10 day visit and I'm very stoked for it. I didn't know I was so excited until I got a message from mom about planning and did a happy dance in the therapy room. Yeah for moms! I'll try to keep the blog more updated. I'm busy for sure-and lots of plans yet- so I can't get slack in my record keeping!

Procrastination

2009-09-10T00:41:00.002-04:00

Instead of uploading pictures and memories into my blog tonight, I walked downtown to Sephora and purchased blush. Then I marched over to Stadium Pub in Walnut Creek, CA and purchased a Smithwick's beer followed by a Fat Tire Amber ale and chatted with some local fellows about a concert happening at Goldengate park this weekend. There may have been a bowl of soup- some Italian type with noodles, spices and little misshapen meatballs. There may have been a joyfully tipsy walk home late at night.

I've become such a lightweight. Really? Two beers? And I'm ready for bed? Geesh, I'm old.

This week has been tough- as was last week. Home Health can be a breeze when you have 2-3 patients a day, but 4 patients and 2 additional evals- add in the drive times and the wondering around lost in the neighborhoods squinting at the small number signs by the mailboxes- and you've got yourself a doozy of a day. Oh, and psychiatric disorders do not make treating dysphagia any easier...

Add in an Obama health care speech and 4 voicemails from people you should call TONIGHT and you've got quite the day. I listened to Obama, called back the little brother and the father, and decided to return the older brother and the old friend's call tomorrow night. You know, after the farmer's market and paperwork that I'm not doing tonight.

Goodnight my lovely blog. I shall update you soon. Afterall, there are some pretty wicked cool pictures that need to be shared.

So much to share!

2009-09-08T20:36:00.002-04:00

I've been lax on my updates, and now, mirroring my professional paperwork, my blog has become hopelessly behind.

I blame the increased caseload at work. My eyes are fatigued from driving from house to house all day, then I fatigue them more typing out the days reports. Then I close my eyes and listen to TV. I have enough eye power to check email and read a few news stories before shutting down for the night.

So tonight I shall finish writing the 2 evals leftover from Friday and the 2 evals and 4 revisits I completed today. I will email the boss my productivity and sketch out my schedule for tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll add a decent update to my blog. I've been busy on the weekends- Sonoma, Napa, Alcatraz, farmer's markets, biking across the Goldengate bridge through the fog- it's been a busy couple of weeks.

For now I'll leave you with the knowledge that I will be staying in Northern California until Christmas, but I will not be doing home health. The company I work for has hired a permanent person and I will be starting a new contract at a local SNF. I haven't worked in a Skilled Nursing Facility before, but it will be one more professional experience to perhaps share with students someday.

Hostel Ramblingspeech is still open for company, and awaiting your reservation Rachel!

Santa Cruz and Capitola

2009-08-23T00:52:00.003-04:00

Saturday, August 1:

Drove south to Santa Cruz and Capitola with Lisa.

Capitola was a recommendation from a co-worker and it turned out to be quite a cute little town with a pier, a beach, and some cross streets of small expensive shops. We ate at Pizza my Heart, a pizza place that served thin sliced fabulous reheated pizza (also a suggestion) and walked out to the pier.

We were rewarded by a lovely view of the anchored boats, a restaurant that served floofy drinks on a roof top bar, and a live band playing old music. I danced, floofy drink in hand, with the old smiling people at the bar as they played beach music. Then we moved on towards the mission of the day: to find surfers surfing.

We found the surfers in a place called "The Hook" at Pleasure Point. The waves were lame, but some of the better ones managed to stay upright. One older fellow even managed a few turns- but of course my camera didn't catch that particular picture in time!

Finally, we headed to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and explored the games and rides. I rode the Big Dipper, a roller coaster, and screamed my head off for sheer fun. It put me in an enormously good mood. I think I shall have to find an amusement park here in California, however, I will avoid Discovery Point with their nasty roller coaster that was stuck for 4 hours a few weeks ago! Lisa hates rides, but agreed to go on the sky thingie. She was only a little petrified as we rode over the board walk. We also sampled some of the boardwalk food to the detriment of my cholesterol levels. I'm not even going to guess how many points or calories that deep fried twinkie dipped in chocolate sauce was worth!

The mission of finding a surfer dude was completed. There was dancing. There was screaming. There was eating of scrumptious snacks. And it ended in a harrowing drive through dark twisty mountain roads. It was a successful day.

Alcatraz

2009-08-23T00:29:00.007-04:00

Okay, it's been awhile and a few weekends have passed. I have made the pact with myself that since I am in California for a short time, and there is so much to see, I will plan one trip each weekend.

July 26th: Visited the city and met up with Lisa, her mom, and her two nephews. We went to Alcatraz and toured the famous prison.

I've never seen a prison before, though I did work in the prison unit of the teaching hospital in Augusta, GA occasionally during my first few years as an SLP. If prisons were built and ran the same as this prison, there would be a few less people getting into prison I think. Very small cells. Very strict limits.

Beautiful views of the city and all the things that you, as a prisoner, were not to experience.

After Alcatraz, I split from Lisa's family and headed up towards North Beach to find a pastry shop. I had eaten breakfast at 7am, and had a cookie and a slim jim for lunch, and it as well past 4pm. I wandered through the streets, past cute little eateries, when I heard someone call out my name. I didn't even slow down- just kind of nodded, then blinked....then stopped. It was an old college friend and his wife from Atlanta, GA!!! I had heard through the grapevine that they may be visiting SF, but had not made plans with them! In that great big city, I happened to wander down the street on which they were enjoying a late lunch. A certain Disney song floats through my head...

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all....

The Kelly & Kelly Project

2009-08-08T00:46:00.003-04:00

I finished reading Julie & Julia the other day- an easy read with moments of insight but mostly just an quirky point of view. It is on its merry snail mail way to a friend- hopefully in time for her to enjoy it while her husband is at quake-fest or something-a-ruther.

After a stressful day of being dragged into office politics (impossible as it may seem- home health still has politics apparently) I wanted to see a light hearted movie. Or I was going to re-see Harry Potter cause I like it mucho.

Julie & Julia was perfect. Meryl Streep was absolutely fascinating as Julia Childs. She was so funny. The movie was extremely funny- not so much in the silly slapstick way, but in the chuck/snort into your drink way. "Stiff as a cock" indeed. It was worth the full price of a movie ticket- and thoroughly pulled me out of my office-politics-induced mood.

It made me want to go buy cooking stuff and a french cookbook. I walked into Sur La Table, a cookware shop, and resisted all gadgets and gizmos and fancy steaming pots-- I bought a spoon to replace my bamboo one that was starting to look shabby and is probably harboring swine flu or other such baddies.

My only question: Where's my book deal? Where's my movie? :-)

I did find a website that will publish your blog- I'm pricing it out and will publish at least ONE copy of my happy little adventures. I WILL be published- and I will set it on my coffee table when I stop traveling and settle down and buy a house. After I earn my Ph.D. We'll see...

More Growing Pains

2009-07-22T13:18:00.002-04:00

I thought Albemarle, NC would be my worst apartment experience ever. Afterall, what could beat 5 nights in an extended stay and inital placement in an apartment that had old musty unmatched furniture and a pile of pills in a cup in the kitchen cabinet.

We have a contender in this move. First, they placed me in Hayward, CA but they switched my office, and my territory, one hour north. That translates to 1-1.5 hours commute every day each way. But it was a very nice spacious wonderful apartment in Hayward.

Then I lose my keys. Okay, I left them in the door- and my neighbor took them "for safety"- and then he kept them, without reporting it to anyone, for 2 days. I was kept busy rekeying my door and finding a club for my car. Okay, that was unusual and completely my fault.

I was unfortunate to be the only one not on vacation during the time my apartment placement problem came to light. My direct boss was on vacation so she couldn't confirm my territory. My housing lady was on vacation, so I couldn't work the lease. The apartment owner was on vacation, so they couldn't clear me for transferring to a sister apartment 1 hour north. So I've been doing the commute for a month.

Last Thursday, I received confirmation that I would be moved. Friday. Or maybe Monday or Tuesday. Well, it didn't happen Friday or Monday- but Tuesday morning I was told it was happening and Tuesday night I moved (Thanks Lisa!- she helped a lot). Last night I abandoned my spacious airy beautiful 857 sq foot 1 bedroom apartment and moved to a tiny 500 sq foot studio in Walnut Creek, CA.

After a restless night I finally rolled out of bed and decided to get an early head start on the day at 6am. I ran the shower- it never got hot. Not even warm. I turned the knob the other way and ran it ten more minutes. Nope. No hot water. I packed up a toiletry bag and headed south 1 hour to my old apartment to take a shower.

As soon as the new apartment office opened I called in the maintenance request and was alarmed to hear that I AM NOT ALLOWED TO PLACE REQUESTS!!!!! I'm not on the lease. I have to, instead, call the contract housing company that my company hires to arrange things and THEY have to call in the request. I asked them if they want me to do this in the even of a flooding toilet and was assured that emergencies could be called in directly. I let them know that the lack of hot water on a work day was indeed an emergency. They did not agree.

So I called the darn contract housing company who called my apartment complex. Let's see if I get hot water.

Good news is that the maintenance guy in Hayward is a very nice Mexican individual who appreciates my attempt to thank him in his native language. He did my walkthrough and said everything looked great. The main desk guy here was telling me I'd have to repaint all the little tack holes from my pictures-- but Jose said he'd take care of it "no problem". I like Jose. First decent guy out here. Amador Village apartments in Hayward has been a lovely place to live for the last month- I'm sad to leave it. But gas prices are too high for 3 hours of driving to and from my territory each day.

The nice thing about Home Health is that I have plenty of paperwork to complete today and only one patient on my caseload today. I've been able to deal with everything. I'll do my actual "work" for the paycheck tonight when I've settled down from this adventure. I'll call my patient in just a little bit to tell her I'll be there this afternoon. I could not have accomplished such a hectic situation with any other job.

A month of being unsettled. A month of not knowing when, or if, I'd be allowed to move. A month of a very long commute. Even I, Ms. Relaxed Easy Going Traveler, am feeling stressed and tired from the situation. My housing lady is stressed. My Rep is stressed. It's just gotta settle down after this, right?

MOMA and Mission District Festival

2009-07-19T23:23:00.005-04:00

This weekend I headed out solo on Saturday to explore the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA-SF) which was housing a special exhibit of Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams works. As a budding photographer, I was very interested in the Adams exhibit and spent a great deal of time examining his photographs and watching a long documentary on his life. I don't have any pictures of these particular exhibits- no cameras allowed!!! Here's a picture of a photographer though (heh).

I'm also always a big fan of sculpture- especially sculptor that's perched on the wall!

And of course, the typical modern art exhibit of strange and unusual things- this time it's a baby surrounded by poodles.

It was a good museum- 5 stories high and not overly crowded. Not as good as MOMA-Massachusettes. I'm a big fan of room size exhibits. This felt more like a typical art museum, but with some strange thoughtful stuff mixed in. I liked the shadow boxes too- but no pictures of them. I could spend another afternoon there and see the stuff I failed to linger at.

Sunday Lisa and I headed to the Mission district for a festival. The Mission district is latino and artsy with beautiful murals defining the streets.

No festival is complete without Aztec dancers praying over it! The streets were closed down for the festival and we dodged bike riders and skateboarders and skaters. People were playing four-square and frisbee down the middle of the streets. Musicians were set up on many corners attracting a crowd. People were out collecting signatures for Prop 8. There was even an area called "Freedom from Training Wheels" where bike club folks were removing children's training wheels and teaching them how to balance on a portion of a closed street. It was really a lovely little festival.

After walking around and absorbing the festival, including some wonderful people watching, we ate at a local place and headed to the park nearby. A few other people had the same idea....

Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, and the Cliff House

2009-07-12T22:08:00.006-04:00

I'm falling into a pattern here in the bay area! Saturday I sleep in till 8am, get up and eat pancakes, then head into the city! Usually with Lisa the traveling OT who's glad to beat the city sidewalks with me. Sunday is for cleaning house, doing laundry, going to church and finding food.

Yesterday we disembarked at Powell street BART station and caught the #5 bus down to Golden Gate park. I'll have to do another complete day at the park- I just walked through a bit of it this time. It's bigger than Central Park in NYC (according to an article found by Lisa).

For $5 we meandered around the winding paths of the Japanese Tea Garden, and for $3.95 we shared a pot of tea and a bowl of crackers, fortune cookies and rice puff. It was money well spent for a moment of zen. The garden was large enough to get a little lost in, but small enough to find your way out. The tea and cookies were a great snack.

We caught the #5 again and rode it all the way down to Ocean beach which was larger than I thought it would be. It's a good sized slice of sand. No swimming due to dangerous currents, but it's a great walking beach and you can do after dusk fires in their fire pits. The rocks are Seal Rock-- turned white from bird poo and former residence of the Pier 39 sea lions.

We walked up the hill to the Cliff House which has an interesting history and two separate restaurants within its walls. We ate in the more casual upstairs dining area and requested a seat by the window so we could watch the waves and the beginning of the sunset over the water. I ate the Frutti de Mare and it was fabulous. Lots of seafood!

Then the sun began to set. We walked the path down to the Sutro bath ruins and watched the coolest sunset I have ever seen in my life. It was my second sunset over the Pacific ocean, and the first that was unfettered by fog. I smiled the entire time and even did little happy skips as I bounced down the path. God is great. Sunsets over the ocean are proof.

And, just to add to the incredible experience, up on the cliff wall above us stood three musicians. They played drums and pipe until the last edge of the sun had slipped below the horizon. Then they quietly packed up and walked away. I applauded at the end of the sunset. *Sigh* it was cool. If you look in the right hand corner of the picture- you'll see the musicians.

FAQ- TLTR for most people.

2009-07-12T21:04:00.004-04:00

Occasionally I get questions regarding traveling. Often it's from a graduate student, but occasionally it's from someone who has a permanent job and feels curious about the differences between traveling and permanent status. My usual response is to write an email to them if they've left an address- but I guess I could just refer them to this link for the most common questions!

Honestly, I'm too lazy to dig up the emails I've had over the last 3 years, but I'll summarize the most frequently asked questions. I'll still answer any specific questions one may have about traveling, but here's the general gist.

1. I'm a graduate student- would you recommend a traveling position for my CF year?

Absolutely not. There are multiple reasons for that strong answer. First of all, contracts don't really want to train you. They expect you to come in the door knowing how to be a Speech Language Pathologist. They want to train you in how to do their paperwork system, where the bathrooms are, and anything else specific to that place of employment. You would do better receiving the experience of a CF from a permanent placement. I'd recommend completing your CF, then working at that same location for at least a year, 2 if possible, before heading out on the road. I strongly recommend teaching hospitals because of the general excitement towards learning that prevail there.

Afterall, you'll often be required to be THE swallowing and communciation expert at a contract. You are representing all SLPs everywhere at that contract. You'll be the first impression into our profession many times. You don't want to be a false expert or a crappy therapist. Inadequate training harms our professional integrity and I would never recommend pretending to know more that you actually do know. A strong foundation will allow you to be an excellent therapist to all your patients- no matter how long you are with them.

I'm embarrassed to share how many times I hear awful stories regarding the contract Speech Therapist my contracts dealt with before. Let's just say the bar isn't set real high for me in many of my contracts. I strive to be the best, most knowledgeable person at my place of work in the areas of Swallowing and Communication. I'm proud to be an SLP and I cringe to know how many bad contract SLPs are floating around out there. Rant over. Get trained, then get traveling, in that order please.

2. How long are contracts?

Usually 13 weeks, though I often will extend. Every contract I've had has asked me to extend my contract. I'm still in this for the traveling and varied experience, so I've never extended past 6 months. If you extend 12 months- there's some tax stuff that starts to occur so it's not recommended. Anyways, if you are extending 12 months, why not just settle in and make it a permanent relationship???

3. Is pay better?

I've found it to be about the same size pay check ( a little bigger?) but the perks are pretty lucrative. I don't pay for my housing (they tell me where to live and I arrive- everything is set up for me down to the shower curtains!) I don't usually pay for my utilities. I get tax credits for gas and phone. Sometimes I even get free cable! My disposable income is pretty high- I'm able to put sizable chunks into savings. If you are saving up for a house or paying off debt- traveling is a great way to do it relatively quickly.

Companies take about half of your money- but you don''t know what they actually charge the "client" so you don't miss it. They do make a good amount of money from you- but they get to do all the stress of finding interviews, writing contracts, and finding your housing.

4. Do you interview for each job?

My resume is sent by my company and a phone interview comes from anyone who's interested. Phone interviews are fun- they can be completed in your pajamas! I usually have my resume in front of me during the interview because it's embarrassing to be asked when you worked last with a certain population and in the stress of the moment you forget which contract you completed where and when! I also take a lot of notes during the interview. Usually I'll have 2-5 interviews in a week (usually a few weeks before the end of my current contract) and I'll decide by Friday which one I'll accept. On the client side, they talk with you and give your company an "offer" or they'll say "no thanks".

5. What companies have you worked for?

I'm currently with Core Medical Group and I like working with them. Contact me if you want me to "recommend you". We'll talk. And yes, I get a bonus for referring you. :-) But I do like working with Core. I worked with Medical Staffing Network for one contract and I didn't like how they dealt with my need to get CEUs (they made me cover costs for both my conference AND for housing costs on the days I had to take off!!!). I would not recommend them based on their poor tolerance for continuing education. I worked for Sunbelt Staffing for over a year. I loved these guys- small company with really great people. I spent quality time with them during the ASHA conference in Miami, FL and they were super. The only reason I'm not still working with them is that they started offering me too many school contracts and I'm a hospital and rehab therapist. I'll work in a school once in a while, but I really thrive off of rehabilitation. If you go with Sunbelt- Julie Cole was a superb rep.

Benefits vary from company to company. Core offers an incentive trip (go read about my Mexico posts from March 2009). Sunbelt offered CEU money and paid vacation time. MSN- who knows- I didn't work with them long enough to accrue anything.

Whichever contract company you work with- talk to several and get a feel for them. Pick a rep who has a similar organizational style to you. Be organized, write things down and for goodness sake--- READ YOUR CONTRACTS CLOSELY EVERY TIME. Don't sign until you are happy with it. I've only ever had to recommend a few changes over the years. Usually it's to add some parking money for city assignments or guarantee 40 hours (necessary to work at least 35 to keep most benefits).

6. Why do traveling therapy?

Everyone has reasons. You can save up money. You get to see different areas of the USA. You get to see various styles of leadership and organization by moving employment locations every 13 weeks. You get exposed to many therapy styles. You learn there are multiple right ways of doing things. You meet lots of people (I overcame a lifelong shyness on my journeys!) You can take lots of pretty pictures. You can taste the food from many ethnicities, live in many different styles of apartments, and try out lots of churches and gyms. I've met travelers who are running from exes, or seeing the world, or just making money. There's no wrong or right reason to travel. Just be the best therapist you can in each location and take full advantage of every hour of every day exploring your new digs.

7. Any further recommendations?

Become organized. Put your stuff in storage. Get the experience you need to be a good therapist and then travel. Keep doing your CEUs to keep yourself updated in the profession.

Pick a location that you will call "home base". Mine is my parents' home. I visit them between assignments if possible. At home base, I have a dentist, a hair stylist, and my storage facility. My boxes that I get into are labeled: "Therapy material for adults", "Therapy material for kids", "Winter clothes", "Summer clothes", "camping equipment", "resource books". That way I can just grab the entire box before heading out to my assignment based on the season and patient population.

If I get sick on an assignment I asked coworkers who their doctor is and then I look it up to see if they are a provider for my PPO- most are. I'm rarely sick- but it has happened. You'll need to see a doctor for an annual checkup anyway (required for most companies). Urine tests are also required by most assignments- they pay for it. Don't do drugs, man. :-) And don't be insulted- they don't know you from the man in the moon so just let them be careful.

Let go of the stress. You will have to complete paperwork last minute ("Gee, the client needs you to fill this out immediately and fax it back!"). You will not know where your next contract will be more than a month in advance. You will not know your new address sometimes until the day you move in (with two of my contracts, and two different companies, I've driven into town not knowing exactly what address I'm heading to- it always works out!) If this scares the crap out of you, then maybe you NEED to travel so you can get over it! :-) There's a certain adrenaline high one gets each time they start a new contract. There's a sense of excitement to walking into a contract or town without knowing exactly what you will have to deal with. You learn to go with the flow and develop a sense of blowing in the wind. I don't stress about that stuff. Housing is not my responsibility. Nothing in employment is so horrible you can't deal with it for 13 weeks. Do what you can do- then walk away from the bad ones. If you get into a situation where they ask you be be unethical- walk away sooner. No GOOD company will prevent you from ending a contract for ethical issues.

In closing: I love traveling. I won't do it forever. I miss building relationships between myself and the doctors. I miss seeing how my patients are doing months and years after I've worked with them. I miss planting professional and personal roots. I miss being in the church choir! I'll be done in the next year or so and I'll have loads of pictures and relationships from across the nation. I'll have done something cool in my life. I have the pictures to prove it.

If there are further questions- post them here. I'll answer in the comment section!

Coit Tower and July 4th

2009-07-06T21:52:00.008-04:00

It's so nice to have a good friend close by that's willing to stomp all over town all day long with you! Lisa and I went exploring again this past weekend- this time with my new/old camera in a brand new camera bag. I packed my point-and-shoot camera too just in case.

Here's the Transamerica Pyramid with my old point and shoot (Canon Powershot SD600):

And here's the Transamerica Pyramid with my brother's camera (Nikon D100):

Ummmm... Yeah, when they are compared directly my point-and-shoot Canon is much clearer and has more color. I think the potential for the Nikon may be higher than what I'm reaching. The stuff I used to trick my Canon into doing has an actual setting/button on the Nikon. Anyways, I look like a more serious photographer with the big honking Nikon! I think the key will be taking classes to figure out why this is a better camera.

Okay- on to exploring!

We looped around from Embarcadero station down to the piers and then looped up to Columbus Ave for lunch at Cafe Delucci's. We then ascended the steep incline to Coit Tower.

It was a rather pretty tower.

And for $5 bucks you could take the elevator to the top for some panoramic views of the city (no stair option).

What's really wonderful about this tower are the elaborate murals inside the halls of the base of the tower. They were one of the earliest WPA projects from the Great Depression and showed scenes of California. Apparently they were quite controversial due to the fact that the artists inserted certain political figures as heros and villains in the murals and snuck in all sorts of political opinions- such as this robbery in the picture of the city's financial district.

Here's another one of the "California cows are happy cows" section.

We headed down the street, wandered through Washington Square, and took a small break at XOX Truffles for some bite size truffles and coffee. Then down the street to Stella's pastry- where we shared a small (heheheh) pastry. Lisa is not good for my diet. It's all her fault.

Our only redeeming thought was that we were walking up and down a lot of hills- which was bound to help us work off either the truffles or the pastry. We checked out some hotels for Lisa's upcoming visit from her mom and nephews, then headed down to the piers to pick one from which to watch fireworks.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but i had read on a SF blog that pier 3 was a great place to watch the fireworks. That information was completely and utterly wrong. Pier 3 was NO WHERE NEAR the fireworks. We saw them in the distance though. Here's my best firework picture from the new camera- I put the shutter speed on 2.5 after much playing around as a compromise between how much exposure verses how still I could keep the camera.

Fireworks are difficult to take pictures of. Not the best subject for the first day testing a camera that's way beyond my ability!

We finished the night at El Mar, a peruvian place the proved to me that octopus does not need to be rubbery or chewy- in fact, it tasted like a tender mild chicken with incredible spices. The crowd dispersed while we ate and flirted with the peruvian waitstaff (they were cute) and we headed back to the east bay area at midnight. And we didn't get mugged. :-)

My best night picture from the new camera:

Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco

2009-07-06T00:01:00.012-04:00

For the record, I'm heterosexual.

For the record I have gay friends.

For the record, I consider myself a practicing Catholic.

These are some raging rapids of controversy I have to navigate right here.

I love all my friends and I have a tendency to be non-judgmental personally and professionally. Without going into it too deeply, my God who I worship is a God who appreciates good acts. If you live a good life, and are a good person, then the rest is up to him to judge. I love my friends because they are good people and I accept the people that they love also.

This blog is not to discuss such things. My life right now is measured in experiences. So, on to the Parade!

My old friend Lisa (an OT who I worked with in Baltimore, MD and is now conveniently working in Walnut Creek, CA) arrived separately and met up at the parade. We stood with about 5 ga-gillion people from 10:30 am until 2pm watching various groups march by our spot. We stood with a lesbian couple to our left and a male couple to our right. A heterosexual couple stood behind us. By the end of the parade, we were all very much friends and had caught some awesome stuff. Personally, I caught a bandana from Macy's that says "Pride and Joy", a snow globe with two fellows holding hands in front of SF City Hall (in tuxes), and a condom. The girl next to me caught a vibrator. There weren't a lot of throws at the parade (both Baltimore's Gay Pride parade and the Martis Gras parade in New Orleans left me with so much stuff I couldn't carry it all), but I have to admit the quality was better. I've never caught a snow globe before!!!

I saw some wonderful costumes!

There were various celebrities and groups ranging from Dykes on Bikes, to Children of same-sex couples on Trikes. There was a group that was angry their penises were snipped at birth and another group stating that they were asexual. There were very stable couples strolling down the street (this couple has been together 21 years) and couples who were involved in subservient relationships:

There were Protesters.

And police- many of them holding hands with same sex partners.

The book mobile made an appearance and people marched along side with pictures of books that had a homosexual character-- including one holding a picture of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Dumbledore came out of the magical closet a while back).

And there was some really random stuff. For example, a bike that appeared to sit 5 people (maybe 6?) and was man-powered.

I'm glad I went. I enjoyed watching the different groups and sharing the experience with the crowd. It always amazes me that no matter how different we are, we all agree that dressing your partner up as a horse and using reins to control him/her is a little strange. The same-sex and different-sex couples around me whole-heartedly agreed.

Growing Pains

2009-07-05T23:49:00.002-04:00

Ah, the life of a traveler is fraught with stress.

They changed the office I'm working out of. Instead of a 15 minute commute in the morning, I have between a 60-90 minute commute. I'm not real happy about the commute. The added pain of the moment is the fact that I love my apartment. It's big, airy, high ceilings, lots of natural light, full washer and dryer, nice view from the porch, pool that's large enough to swim laps, hot tub next to the pool...need I go on? It's a lovely place. It's in a cooler micro-climate to boot.

But due to the unexpected change (which I did not approve) I am now facing a move. Maybe. I can't seem to get a straight answer on this situation from anyone due to the fact that the week I started my contract everyone else who was involved went on vacation. My housing lady is on vacation. My immediate supervisor at the contract is on vacation.

I'm left driving 90 minutes to my first patient in the morning. Depending on traffic.

I am awaiting news, and trying to enjoy the apartment while I have it. I'm trying not to feel frustrated every time I fill my car with gas (5 X in two weeks- getting expensive!) I need to move closer to my clients, but I'm pissed because it really is a lovely apartment and the area that my clients live in is a bit more expensive. That means the apartment will be less nice-especially since the money will have to cover the set up of the new apartment.

I've been screwed by a contract change I didn't approve and I'm navigating new waters. I've never had a contract change like this. I like the job and the patients and the coworkers so far- but I'm very tempted to give 30 days notice due to the underhanded nature of this last minute contract change and the resulting effects on my personal life and checkbook. I'm not sure if I'm more angry with the client (company I'm temporarily working for who made the change) or my company (who has been unresponsive to the situation and is failing to both communicate how this situation happened and is failing to respond to it in a timely manner).

Rant over. Time to download some reasons that I travel! I've been busy despite the drama and unexpected crappy commute.

Home Sweet Home in Hayward, CA

2009-06-21T17:54:00.006-04:00

Friday we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Simeon to San Francisco.

This post is a bit delayed (should be dated 6/19/09).

Beautiful. Stunning. Curvy.

Five minutes up the road we stopped at a sign that said "View Elephant Seals". We parked and noticed a few seal heads sticking up out of the water far into the distance. There were louder barking sounds coming from the right of the parking lot so we followed our ears, though a gate and along a bluff. There, 15 feet below us, were a pod of Elephant seals in all their stinky amusing glory. They were enormous.

The seals would heave themselves out of the water, wiggle along for a few feet, then collapse. Then they'd wiggle a few more feet, then collapse. If they accidently knocked into another seal, they argued by lifting their heads way back and barking/burping into each other's faces. It was extremely entertaining and not at all how I expected to spend my first hour "on the road" that morning. A second pod was further down the path, as were several rabbits and some birds. I'm not sure if it was because we weren't expecting this sight, or if it was because it was entirely cool, but I do believe the Elephant Seals are the highlight of the trip.

The curvy beautiful coast continued north through fog layered mountain and sea views. We stopped at a bakery ran by hippies and ate some lovely quiche at a picnic table in the sun. An old man gave me the code to life. He wrote on a piece of paper "A-Z" and "0-9" and told me that with this code you can write your life story. I liked the old bald hippie. The cookie I carried from the store and ate later that day was good enough to make me want to make a special trip back to their hippie garden.

There were some wind surfers in wet suits at one of the beaches, and a surfer dude selling weird two-seeded cherries at another beach. A light house was another stop. We saw more seals there, but nothing compared to the Elephant seal beach.

At 11am I finally received the message from my company as to what address I would be calling home for the next 3+months. A thought this was way too stressful and proclaimed the life of contracting would not sit well with her- she likes a plan. My philosophy is that my company is responsible for finding me a place to sleep- it's not something I worry about. If it's unsafe or gross, I'll send them pictures. That's only happened once in the 3 years I've been traveling! We popped the address in Garmin and continued up the road and then over east to San Francisco.

A helped me unload my car- I told her she could just sit with the car and I'd run the loads up the 3 flights of steps but she's way too nice and wanted to carry as well. It took 11 trips (5 each, and one box that both of us carried). We found target and spent $150 on soap, groceries and other stuff necessary to make a house livable (Soap: dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, hand soap, dish soap for hand washing pots, shampoo/conditioner, 409 and clorex wipes...we are a very clean nation!)

Then we found my new sushi place and had a fabulous dinner. I will be visiting this sushi restaurant often- the BBQ eel was spectacular and the dynamite rainbow row had great spice.

I'm sure I'll be sharing pictures of the actual city of San Francisco in a later post. We do plan on a quick trip tomorrow, but it's more of a scouting trip for me. I'll do the city justice and devote a few weekends to just being a photo-bug. And good news! My brother is selling me his old camera- I'm upgrading from the point-and-shoot that I've taken all my blog pictures with! We shall compare the professional camera to the point-and-shoot and decide if it's worth it to lug it around on my adventures.

Adam- I'll devote a post to your questions as well. Give me a few days and then check back!

Road to California; Day 5; Arrival

2009-06-19T01:30:00.003-04:00

Kingman, AZ was only about 40 minutes from the border of California. We crossed the Colorado river and entered into the very hot and sunny California sun.

The border patrol confiscated my two oranges. I had placed one behind my front seat within grabbing distance for a morning snack. Apparently the oranges did not pass the inspection's high standards.

Today I was very glad that friend A was here. The Mojave desert was intimidating with the call boxes placed every few miles, the endless scrub land with little ugly cacti, and the sun that beat down through the windows. Even through frequent sunblock was applied (spf 70), I now have pink arms, cheeks, and neck. I was not expecting to be fearful during this drive, but the combination of forces and the knowledge that a friend of mine had broken down on the same stretch of highway worried me. We made it through without incident. The desert gave way to brown dried hills with Dr. Suess-like trees. I believe they are the famed Josua Trees.

On the hilltops were armies of windmills. The windfarms were a bit scary to look at- I think it was the size and sheer number, combined with the fact that they lined every surrounding hill around us at times.

The general rule for the trip has been: keep the tank at least half full, always have water, and keep an eye on where we are. I think these rules have helped keep us safe.

We made no interesting stops on the way (other than border patrol) and arrived at the Pacific ocean at 5:45pm today. A and I parked in the closest beach access and skipped down to the water. Fog was rolling in from the ocean-during our drive we had wondered if it was fog or smoke from a local fire. The water was frigid, and the wind was chilling. We took some quick pictures and proceeded to the Best Western in San Simeon, CA.

Best Western was a pleasant surprise. We had jumped from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn Express all the way across the United States, but there wasn't one along this stretch of highway. Best Western had an ocean front location, restaurant next door, parking right outside the room (better to watch my car full of belongings). Furthermore, they lit fire pits 20 minutes prior to sunset.

A and I ate at the restaurant and headed to a fire pit to watch the sunset. The fire fought back the chill and the fog cleared enough to enjoy a soft glowy sunset. We laughed at the family sharing our fire pit as they attempted s'mores for the first time. I demonstrated some roasting marshmellow tricks for the teenager who was obviously hanging out with his mom and aunts.

Day is done. Gone the sun. Goal is reached. I'm in California and I've now seen the Pacific ocean.

Road to California; Day 4

2009-06-18T00:59:00.006-04:00

4 am is actually really early, for those who do not routinely wake up at this time. It is the time before dawn; the time before hotel bills being slipped under the door; and the time before coffee being properly brewed. And it was this time we chose to wake and depart. We were on the road by 4:20 pm. Not bad for two girls.

The darkness was consuming, and we had been warned to watch out for elk. I drove in part because I felt that if we hit and elk, I should be driving the car, and in part because we had already determined that my friend A is overdue for a new glasses prescription. We did not see elk.

We did not see the photographed sunrise over the Grand Canyon, but it was still very pretty.

A cloudy sunrise gave way to rain and the view was occluded. We drove to the other side of the south rim and tried a trail. The rain chased us back up the steep trail and we dodged mule poop the entire way back. We headed to the entrance of the park and attended the IMAX movie- it could not have been better! When we stepped out the theater, we smiled and headed back to the Canyons. The sun was back.

Lunch was eaten on the edge of the canyon overlooking the beauty. I had a very interested friend hoping for crumbs (or, if I had turned my back, half my sandwich!)

Puffy white clouds and sunlight brought out some of the colors of the canyon.

And then the rain swept back across the canyon. First, a smaller storm across the canyon. Then, a larger storm engulfing the area in lightening. We headed back to the car and drove what seemed to be a never-ending journey to Kingman, AZ.

Kingman, AZ- Oyster's Mexican restaurant was surprisingly good, and within walking distance of the Holiday Inn Express. This was good, as we were out of energy. As I type this, A is fast asleep and I'm ashamed to say I've been "resting" my eyes as each picture loads. It's almost 10 pm and I'm ready to sleep. Am I so tired due to getting up prior to the crack of dawn or is it the fatigue from racing across the United States? I don't know. I'm glad this trip occurred and I'm enjoying it immensely. Tomorrow, we enter California and we have absolutely no plans other than to pick up my apartment key Friday or Saturday. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but it can't possibly be as full as today.

Road to California; Day 3

2009-06-18T00:34:00.004-04:00

Delayed due to faulty internet connect in the Holiday Inn in Williams, AZ.

Day 3 started much the same as Day 2, but with less stress than Day 1.

We stayed in Tucomcari, NM - much futher than planned- on night three. By mutual agreement, we decided that the marathon pace would give way to more sight-seeing these later days and our first stop of the day was Albuquerque, NM. We drove down the route 66 into town (construction on I-40) and drove through a poor hispanic district, a trendy town by the University of New Mexico, and finally Old town. Old town is a quiet green square surrounded by tourism and arts. Many of the shops are junk shops, but the feeling of the town is more than that. All of the other shops are local artists selling their wares. I really enjoyed Albuquerque and the 1 hour we alloted to this stopover became 2 hours. We saw the church of San Felipe de Neri and I bought a pretty cross at their gift shop.

To be honest, it reminded me of my Zorro movies. My opinion may be skewed, but I liked Albuquerque, NM.

Our next two stops were to be Petrified Forrest, AZ and Meteorite, AZ with possibly a sunset visit to the Grand Canyon.

Petrified Forrest stopped us in our tracks and completely ruined the itinerary. We estimated 30 minutes to see a bunch of petrified wood, but ended up spending almost 3 hours in the park. It was a beautiful drive- and we ended up doing a small hike around the Crystal forrest as well as spending quite some time taking pictures of both landscape and still life of the wood. I'm not sure what held our interest for so long, but we were held and the rest of the day didn't happen.

We arrived in Williams, AZ far after sunset and well into the night. It was 11 pm before we were in bed. We decided that life is short, and tomorrow we would see the sunrise over the Grand Canyon-despite the hour drive to the rim and the lateness of the hour. We set the alarm for 4 am.

Road to California; Day 2

2009-06-16T00:15:00.005-04:00

Arkansas was a whole lot of nothing.

Oklahoma, despite the upbeat musical, was also a whole bunch of nothing. I did not see a surrey with a fringe and the cowmen and the farmers were in constant conflict.

I did stop and see the Memorial for the Federal building in Oklahoma City- what a beautiful memorial! Two arches, with the times 9:01 and 9:03 on them, embrace a reflection pool. The pool is 9:02 am April 19, 1995 when the federal building was attached. Rows of chairs line the pool, organized by where the victims were working in the building, and differing in size according to whether they were children or adults. There were way too many small chair there. Some pictures:

After Oklahoma came Texas. Right outside of Amarillo, TX we stopped at Cadillac Ranch. An art project planted in 1974, these cadillac are half buried. The artists encourage interaction with the project and you may spray paint them, write on them, climb on them, or whatever. It was great! Guess what I wrote? Look closely at the gold wheel!

We drove 720 miles today and were in 4 states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and now New Mexico). We are now in Mountain time. We are now quite tired. It is time for bed. Tomorrow, we plan a much less road weary day and several Arizona attractions are calling our name. Tomorrow night I'll hopefully be writing from the Grand Canyon!

BTW-iphone vibrated for 15 minutes this morning as we entered Oklahoma. Not sure if iphone just did not agree with Oklahoma or if there is a software problem that is raising it's ugly head. There may be an Apple Store visit in the future!

The Road to California; Day 1

2009-06-14T22:56:00.003-04:00

To those who don't have my phone number out there, my next travel assignment is in California. It's been a long time coming. First, I had to muster the nerve to release my psychological death grip on the East coast. Then I had to get finger printed and jump through the other loops to obtain the SLP license. Finally, I had to interview in a state that is now fraught with hiring freezes and funding cuts. I did manage to find a job and it's within 30 minutes of San Francisco.

I even managed to talk a friend (A) into driving out there with me. I'm flying her back next Saturday evening and I start my new job (home health again, but in a less rural setting) on Monday. She's an old friend from my last permanent job in Augusta, GA (an audiologist who used to work at MCG). So far, she is excellent company and a good driver.

Day one. 700 miles. Six states (SC, GA, AL, Mississippi (MI? MS?), TN (for like, 5 minutes) and finally Arkansas (AS).

We're hopping from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn so I can accrue points. My company has a ceiling of $500 for relocation, so I'm keeping close track of my receipts. So far we've spent $50 in gas, $82 in hotel fees, and $7 in food (Friend A's Nanny fed us lunch in Pell City, AL).

It's been a riot trying to take pictures of the Welcome signs. I've only managed to get a decent picture of two. Here's one:

We haven't stopped yet for pretty pictures anywhere, but I did take a few from the window. Here's the best from the day:

Biltmore House

2009-06-14T22:49:00.003-04:00

I'm a bit behind on posts, so this will be short and sweet.

The Bilmore is a very large house. I can imagine that it was quite fun to party there in "the day". The flowers were beautiful.

Here's a picture.

And a lovely example of their roses.

I highly recommend a visit here. Do the tour. Visit the winery if you want. Take some pretty pictures!!!

Shelby, NC Festival Day

2009-04-27T17:41:00.003-04:00

Shelby is a small little town but they sure squished a whole bunch of festivals on the same day!

My first stop of the day was the courthouse where local artists had placed booths all over the lawn. There were about 30 or so artists or crafts sellers. Many potters, one wood worker who I bought a "finger top" from (for my nephew), a couple of quilters, lots of bead jewelry sellers, and a few artists from the local colleges. I was highly tempted by a hammered metal necklace with a semi-precious jewel but decided it felt a little heavy for my neck.

I was also highly tempted by one of the college artist's creations: he had hand built a wooden box with soft edges and beautiful graining, and had fit a very rough sliding lid on them made of hammered metal and "stuff" (some had weaving around the metal, some had fuzz, some had other bits of metal welded on). It was a nice combination of metal, wood and cloth-- very cool but not something I could probably travel real well with. Very very very tempting to buy it and put it in storage for my house one day. Alas, I resisted. Surely there will be art that speaks to me AFTER I settle down, buy a house, and start decorating (like in 1-10 years sometime).

Creating a border to the Arts festival was a closed street with the farmers market- it's first time opening for the season. There were about 10 stands with various items- many of them potatoes. I bought some coffee, some home made red wine vinegar, 1/4 pint of local honey (I've heard local honey can help allergies so I'll test that theory), and a pound of frozen ground beef. There were actually two stands selling frozen meat-- free range "family raised" meat products. We'll see if it tastes any better than Harris Teeter meat!

After dropping off my purchases at home (did not think the meat could stand 83 degree temps in a car), I headed to a festival only 2 miles down the road from the first festival: the Carousel Festival.

Geared to kids, with a $5 admission fee, it still lured me in because it looked pretty busy. There were a few craft sellers, a handful of food sellers, a handful of bounce machines, a cluster of spinning rides, a Carousel, a train ride, a pony ride, a Merry go round, a stage with local singers, and a fun house. There was also a "learning area" where you could learn about utilities and ride a cherry picker up into the air! This was one of the best small town festivals I've been to geared to families with small children. For me, it allowed a nice walk in the park listening to kids laugh and taking pictures of different rides. If the stage had been set so you could sit in the grass and listen, I may have stayed longer-- instead it was chairs set up in a parking lot. I have found that people will sit and listen to music more if they have grass and shady trees- what a wasted opportunity. I would have liked to sit and listen to the music a little longer.

I also ate a turkey leg. For those of you counting: 27 points. For those of you that know what I'm talking about, no I did not know it was 27 points until I came home and looked it up. For the record, it may have been worth every darn point.

Easter Vigil

2009-04-11T23:30:00.003-04:00

My favorite mass of the year is by far Easter vigil, and it did not disappoint this year.

For the first 15 minutes, we awaited sunset and then blessed the candle that would be used on the alter throughout the year. Then together we walked into church, a candle lit procession, filing into the seats and standing throughout the prayers. Finally, we sat and for over an hour listened to scripture. The first was on the 7 days of creation, the second on Abraham and his attempted sacrifice of his son (a scripture that always makes me feel uncomfortable), then a scripture that I was less familiar with but that forms the basis of one of my favorite songs "though the mountains may fall". A few more scriptures that were vaguely familiar but interesting and peace-filled. The lights remained off with the shadows dancing around us as we listened to our stories. The children in front of me complained they "couldn't see" and the mother turned and whispered, "just listen- that's why the lights are off- just listen". It was nice, listening to scripture in the dark, unhindered by visual distractions or turning pages.

Then the lights came up in full gloria. We sang. We celebrated. Mass began approximately 90 minutes after arriving at the church. These next few scriptures were celebrating Easter and the resurrection. The rituals of standing, sitting, kneeling returned. The priest talked about how Mary didn't come to the tomb that first Easter morning because, of course, Jesus had visited her first before the disciples. It's not in the scripture, but of COURSE he went to his mom. He speculated what they talked about, or if they talked at all. He talked about how Mary had known even before Jesus was born what the prophecy had said. Blessed is the fruit of your womb. She took up her role as mother of the church that Easter morning. The fishermen, who had become disciples, became priests proclaiming the good news that morning. It was not just the resurrection- it was the moment Christianity began. It was not a small moment, in other words.

And in the church, after sitting for over an hour in the dark, then being flooded with the light and feeling joyous, there was an echo of how wonderful all of that light must have felt like to the disciples after 3 days of darkness.

Happy Easter everyone.

Back to School

2009-03-24T17:14:00.002-04:00

I've started my new assignment: school system in Shelby, NC.

My students range from 4 years to 11 years and so far have been an excellent group of students. It's been an opportunity to get my creative juices running and increase my tolerance for noise as I juggle 2-4 children's goals during the same 30 minute period.

Whew. School therapy is a handful- thank goodness the day ends at 3:30pm!

And therein lies an interesting problem- how does one spend the time from 3:30pm-10:30pm productively?

Gym- check. I'm visiting the YMCA frequently.

CEUs!!!! Oh, geesh, due by March 31st and I didn't go to ASHA this year so I'm short a good bit. I've got a mail order coming my way with 8 hours of CEU to do, and I'll do an online one tonight to make up the missing hours. That'll fill my time this week. Maybe I"ll get in a CEU mood and continue to do CEUs in April so I'm ahead for the next round.

Taxes- yep, this weekend I'm sitting down with Turbo tax and completing the taxes for my 5 states. yikes. But again, just a short term activity.

Arts? I'm looking into the local studios for classes. My first scan yielded few opportunities.

Organizing? It's not as if I need to complete spring cleaning-- I routinely clean and sort as I move each 13 weeks!

I'm trying to fill my weekends with activities-- I"m booked out a solid month at this point with different friends so that's excellent.

Dating. Ahhhhhh. Plentyoffish.com has a new member as of last night. I sent in one of my Mexico pictures. I'll keep you posted as to the status of THAT particular past time. If the free site's a dud, may try Match.com OF course, with the weekends full, it'll take a patient person indeed to fit into my weekday dating style!

We shall see how these ideas develop.

Mexico 2009

2009-03-13T22:20:00.009-04:00

I arrived back in the states 3/8/09 and started my next assignment 3/12/09. Many others returned to their assignments 3/9/09, so I guess I'm lucky!

Mexico was an odd grab bag.

The resort, Sandos of Caracol, was a pleasant place. The beach was eroded and they were fighting back the sea with artificial sand bars, which killed the waves and made the shore more reminiscent of a lake side, but it was still pretty.

The resort was really spread out, and didn't have many activities to promote people getting together. It was a place for established couples and groups of friends-- not singles like me. I still met some decent people- but completely because I randomly strike up conversations. I was respectful of other people's vacations and ate alone most nights. The buffets were nice and the included restaurants required reservations. I tagged on to 2 reservations (totally against the rules, but did it anyway). The best restaurant on the resort by far is La Riviera (Mediterranean) and the couple I was supposed to eat with had a minor disagreement prior to dinner and missed their (our) reservation. The staff realized I was stag AND abandoned- and were absolutely fabulous to me. The food blew the rest of the resort food out of the water.

The real wonder of the trip were the outings. My first outing, Tulum Adventure, occured the first full day I was there. It included a trip to Tulum ruins by the sea which was very beautiful. Finally a beach that looked like Mexico beaches are supposed to look!

After visiting Tulum we drove about an hour in a van down a few long dirt roads, through a locked gate, down some more dirt road. At this point, I was thinking the 10 of us were kidnapped. We turned the last bend in the road and parked next to the other tour buses. Whew. We then went on 3 mini-adventures. It wasn't exactly as advertised: The "repelling experience" was climbing up a tower and taking a rope down; the "snorkeling in the underground river" was snorkeling in a cave so small we couldn't all fit; but the zip line saved the day. Three zip lines, above the level of trees, 200 yards, 400 yards and 600 yards. It was pretty darn cool. After that, they finally fed us (ate at 6:30 am, they did not tell us to bring snacks, and lunch was at 2:30pm). The food was great- but I was pretty hungry so McDonalds would have been great at that point! I did miss the warning about the red salsa and spent about 5 minutes swishing water slowly in my mouth and wondering if the burn would EVER stop.

The next day, Friday, was my chill out day. Instead of carrying away a zen-like peace from the day, I discovered that laying on a beach is as boring as it was when I was a kid. With no waves and an adult point of view that prevented me from building a sandcastle, I was not feeling zen-like or peaceful. Just bored. I should have gone and played in the waves beyond the bags-- or at least built a sand castle! Next time I'm going to be a kid. I swear. I'll be filled with the zen-like peace of childhood. :-)

The final full day, Saturday, I hopped on a bus with about 30 other people from Core Medical and went to see Chichen Itza. I was worth the 3 hour bus ride and the money. Wow. Great tour. The tour guides were excellent- they gave us snacks and drinks on the bus and made us drink water when they anticipated dehydration. They were extremely knowledgeable about the site and the area. They were polite and personal. The ruins were outstanding. The entire trip was incredible because of this one day.

Chichen Itza was a focal point of the Mayan culture from around 200 AD to about 1000 AD with its hay-day in about 600 AD. They think. According to our guide, all but 3 pages of Mayan writing were collected and destroyed by the Catholic bishops. (I'm Catholic- but that action wasn't very cool. Okay, lots of stuff Catholic bishops have done, especially during that time, were not very cool.) Up until a few years ago, you could climb all over the ruins, which throughout time have been a religious site, a cattle ranch, and a tourist attraction. Now it's roped off and souvenir sellers have their stands anywhere there's shade.

The ruins are beautiful, and the further you walk, the more you see. I kept going and keeping an eye on my watch. The tour had taken about an hour and in my remaining hour I tried to see everything. Eventually I had only 15 minutes to retrace my path that had taken 45 minutes and I jogged with another girl from the bus to return. I was the last person on the bus, but the clock read 1:15 pm so I was officially on time.

Our next stop was a hacienda styled restaurant nestled next to a cenote. A cenote, by definition, is a sinkhole with exposed rocky edges filled with ground water. From the pool below, it felt like you were swimming in a pool at the bottom of a large rock bubble that had popped on top. Vines from the edge above trailed into the water where black catfish swam. The cenote we swam in was approximately 160 feet deep and was the size of an olympic swimming pool. People were jumping off a 30 foot platform-- I jumped off the halfway point (15 feet) and that was plenty high enough. It was like swimming in a secret paradise. I could have floated there forever. There was my zen. There was my peace.

My last day was Sunday and I woke, packed, ate breakfast, bought a few more souvenirs from the gift shop, had one last beer at 9am, and waited for my bus. I arrived back in Columbia, SC at midnight. Dad picked me up. Looking back, it was a good trip with moments of greatness. It was a reward for being loyal to Core Medical Group and it gave me opportunities to see things I'll probably never see again. Everything about traveling has been like that, and though there are the moments of loneliness, the journey overall is...unforgettable.