Hey all ... for the past few weeks I have been seriously job hunting. I figured out that this "no freelance clients = no income" gig I have had going for the past 6 weeks is not a good long-term strategy for life. Who knew?
Anywho. I have kept my RN license current lo, all these many years, for situations exactly such as this. I dusted it off, updated my resume, and, through the wonders of Craig's List and the MN Council of Nonprofits, I found oodles of jobs online, and sent off my most beguiling cover letters and resumes to about a dozen different places.
in sync with my personal life. This is why I have devoted most of my professional life to non-profit work. The mission, the cause - they have to mesh with my personal beliefs and values. 
Yesterday we took a walk along the Minnesota River, and it made me pause and think about how much I appreciate my city's preservation of natural areas. We have so many parks and trails and places to be outside (including the dog park, my most frequented park in town!) and it makes for a good life.
I love the trail rules! I like the author's perspective and attitude:
Throwing rocks into the water ...
Pesky, but still beautiful ~
This last picture is actually from a different park, not the river, but we visited this park the same day as the river so I wanted to include it anyway.
Most of the dogs we saw were clearly with someone, but sometimes they were just wandering. But they had collars and appeared well cared for, and were friendly and curious and eager to make friends. They played fetch with a variety of objects on the beach - begging their owners (or anyone else close by) to throw their "toys" (sometimes a water bottle, sometimes a coconut husk, sometimes driftwood, sometimes something unidentifiable!) into the ocean and then they would bound into the waves, joyfully playing with the surf, to catch the item and eagerly bring it back to start all over again. I couldn't help but grin as I watched!
When we walked from our house to the beach, we passed a villa which had a small hole in the fence, around which were the words "Sayulita Chihuahuas" (well, at least that's what it was supposed to say, misspellings and unnecessary apostrophe aside) - we all assumed it was a drainage hole for the rainy season. On the day before we left, I was walking back to the house on my own - and as I came up the hill, I saw a little face peeking out at me through that hole, and the true purpose of the opening became clear! I felt as if I had been given a gift, to see the darling puppy who then patiently waited for me to get my camera out and take a picture, before he popped back inside.
Later than same night, we were walking along the beach in the moonlight - beautiful, BTW - and I said hello to a dog with a slight limp. He apparently liked my greeting, as he stuck with us as we walked from the beach into town, and then up the hills to our house, and then he dashed into the garden and made himself quite comfortable under one of our deck chairs, as if he lived there and would never consider leaving! Eventually I picked him up and carried him back out on the street, but it was heart-breaking (for me -- the others were laughing at me!) to put him outside and then listen to his whimper as he tried to get back in with me. But he, too, had a collar and was well-fed, so I knew he would make his way safely home.
One of the learning experiences I had while in Mexico revolved around tequila. I am not a fan of tequila; the only margaritas I ever order have to be strawberry-flavored with a healthy coating of sugar on the rim of the glass. 
I wasn't able to get a picture of us after this shot, though, as the parking lot security crew was asking us to move along ....
And here we are coming home ... This is actually in the airport, and truth-be-told, we only put the masks on for this picture. We didn't actually wear them, and there were very few people who were wearing them. 
I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Really, I am going to Mexico tomorrow. Yes, I do realize there is a new strain of flu out there, and yes, I do realize people in Mexico have died.
Just got home from visiting Brian (the new man) in Cleveland. Cleveland - yes, that's what I said. Not one of the places I ever put much thought into at all, nor on my list of preferred destinations when I dreamt of travelling. But he is there, so there I went.
And you know what? Cleveland is a really, really nice place! It's on the shore of Lake Erie - a Great Lake I had not visited before. We went out on a pier to watch the sunset one day - the weather was magnificent! So was the view. 
We visited (the exterior of) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and walked along the lakeshore park in the middle of downtown. It was 88 and sunny (back in Minneapolis it was cold & rainy - HA!) and absolutely beautiful.
I had a great time exploring the neighborhood Brian's sister lives in, trying out Malley's, the local ice cream & chocolate shop (NUM - and in looking up their URL I see they have mail order! Dangerous!), going to the soccer game and baseball game (to see Brian's nephew and brother-in-law, respectively), taking long walks at night to look at stars, and just hanging out with the family.
And here is the kitchen. Take a moment and think about the paint color here, combined with the paint color in the living & dining rooms. Christmas, all year round! The kitchen is a complete do-over. I contemplated keeping the cupboards, but the layout is not efficient, there is no place for a dishwasher, and everyone tells me I will regret it if I don't do it ... so do it, I will. (and yes, that countertop is pink.)
Here's my bedroom. Some wall issues to be addressed. But mainly just paint and refinishing of the floor to make this room perfect. Oh, and maybe new lights on the ceiling fan.
Here, on the other hand, is Ty's room - for now, anyway, eventually the boys will both be moving to new rooms in the basement. This room has the most interesting use of combination sponge-painting/wallpaper borders I have ever seen! It's much, much worse in person.
The main bathroom is not too bad. The countertop - a totally artificial substance which scares me a little - has a lovely shell-shaped sink, and the toilet has a delightful padded seat with the signs of the zodiac on it. Both will be replaced. Oh - and the lighting in here? Two recessed bulbs, nicely done. But these people spatterpainted the bulbs - I can only assume for ambiance. Weird.
This is the back entry way - one door goes to the garage, one to the back patio. The red (ceiling and all!) is the same paint as in the kitchen. This will eventually be made into one big mudroom with built-in cubbies, closets, recharging station, mail station, etc. The organizational hub!
Here's the basement fireplace, eventually there will be a big-screen TV above it, and the walls will not be mustard-colored. In fact, some of the walls will not even be there anymore.
I don't have any pictures of the downstairs bathroom - I'll try to get some but I don't think my camera can adequately show the horribleness that is that room. We are moving the bathroom and starting completely over. Ditto for the boys' bedrooms. We will put in two egress windows and end up with 2 great rooms. Where currently there is a mess.
Two days ago that number more than doubled. Biggest peak I have had in memorable history.
I am so glad I did. I saw pieces of the show I had loved for so many years, a decade ago. I saw old cast members who were back, I saw a few characters who had stayed the entire run of the show (and hey, they were all nurses. Very realistic, that - docs come and go but the nurses are the ones who stay and keep things running!) It was like a reunion of old friends, and I felt like I was right there in the thick of things.
Well, it's happened. This morning I found a friend request on my Facebook wall, from someone I really am not inclined to be friends with. It's someone I was once close to, many years ago, but we parted on less than civil terms, and frankly, I still get a bad taste in my mouth when I think of her.
