Turkey Day

Turkey Day or otherwise known as Thanksgiving Day added to the list of new things experienced within this adventure I am on. The first new thing was being away from Cali, but secondly learning how to deep fry a turkey. Yep, we fried a turkey and it was AWESOME!

The Fryer

The Fryer with the Bird

The Fried Turkey

Lets Eat!

While Bryan and Dave (my pastor) fried the Turkey, the ladies were in the kitchen cooking up the fixings and I made pies. Starting with the homemade crust from my favorite cookbook The Pioneer Woman, to the creation of the apple pie, pumpkin pie and peach cobbler. The process took me a good three hours to complete the pies but man was it worth it.

My Pie Crusts

Dutch Apple Pie

Peach Cobbler

Cutting the Apples

Pumpkin Pie in the Oven

The Final Products

At the end of a fun day cooking in the kitchen, we (Tanya, Bryan, Caleb, Myah, Dave, Lea, Aaron, Leigh Ann and myself) all joined around the beautiful table Tanya put together to celebrate Thanksgiving and remembering the Feast so many years ago. While sitting around the table, I thought about all the things to be thankful for not only this past year, but over the years and how God has used me and will continue to use me.

Tanya's Beautiful Table

We often forget how blessed we are to not only have food but a roof over our heads. We often take for granite the blessing of being able to go to the Market to buy all the necessities of the feast and enjoy the family and friends. Working in the medical field gives me another prospective and that is to be thankful for a healthy working body. Throughout the year, a lot has changed from being in nursing school, to passing Boards, to moving 1,522 miles away from everything I have even known. But I am beyond thankful for the challenges, experiences and adventures this past year, and more excited to see what this new year will hold. All the credit is owed to my Heavenly Father who has specifically planned my life out and has walked with me during this entire process.

At the end of turkey day Tanya, Leigh Ann and I dressed in layers and decided to take on the adventure of braving the storm of Black Friday. This was my first true Black Friday, waiting in lines and experiencing the crazy people. We chose to wait in front of Target in forty-five degree weather with everyone else in Tyler. We didn't realize that there is only one Target in our little town, therefore everyone in Tyler eventually ended at this same Target. Needless to say at the end of this little adventure it will most likely be my last, not because of the lack of fun, but because I would rather be organized and watch sales throughout the year than this huge sale where all the crazies come out! Thanks to my mom and Grandma Ramona for teaching me to be a yearly christmas shopper, not just a few months in advance. 

Camping outside of Target

The experience of Turkey Day was another adventure to check off my list of things to experience. Hope y'all had a great Turkey Day and had the chance to reflect on the opportunities and experiences to be thankful for. 

Living my Dream

For the past four weeks I have been working/ orienting to not only the hospital but also to my floor that I will be working on. I am loving every aspect of my job, making people smile when they are down or just bringing comfort or relief when needed. Every day brings a new adventure and a new set of patients to touch. People have noticed that I don't have a strong twang in my speech and get asked where I am from. I say Cali and everyone says, "What brought you to East Texas and Tyler?" a simple answer of being offered a job but more importantly being called to the city.

My coworkers are great, everyone is so willing to help me not only learn the processes ETMC does things but also they love to teach and make it welcoming. I am learning constantly and one of the biggest lesson is the how different the hospitals are run out in East Texas than Cali especially pertaining to the medical technology. Here in Texas we are still doing paper charting and trying to figure out the doctors handwritting, which let me tell you its like reading a foreign language. Another huge difference out here in the south is how NICE everyone is, whether a coworker or even just friends or family of patients.

I am loving every bit of the South and beyond thankful to have a wonderful job and a wonderful place to live. Thanks to Tanya and Bryan I am able to get my feet on the ground. Just a simple reminder of how God always provides for his children.

Dallas Adventures

A little over a week ago Tanya and I took a trip into Dallas to pick up Bryan from the airport and let me tell you a simple trip turned into an adventure. The drive to Dallas from Tyler is a little less than two hours, so needless to say we don't go into Dallas unless we are picking up people from the Dallas airport or going to the large mall with all the big stores like Nordstroms or eating places like In-N-Out.

This trip in particular we planned on going into Dallas a little early so we could stop by Restaurant Depo. Restaurant Depo is a warehouse designed for restaurant owners or those who have a resell license to by food in bulk, however this is not like a Costco or Sams club it sells larger quantities. We planned a Halloween Block Party for Halloween and wanted to get the food in large quantities at the Depo. We made it to the Restaurant Depo grabbed all the food items and check out. Once we got to my truck we realized we had placed an old dresser in the truck bed to throw out at the local dumpster but forgot. I noticed we were in an industrial complex and decided to find a local dumpster to throw the dresser into. I drove to the end of the industrial strip and found a dumpster that was open and backed my truck as close the dumpster as possible. I lowered the tailgate and Tanya and I started taking the drawers out of the dresser. At this time we hear sirens going off! Well, let me tell you I thought I was going to be in a lot of trouble. The sirens even got closer to us and I don't think I moved as fast as I did in that moment. We quickly unloaded the rest of the dresser, closed the trunk and jammed out of there with our hearts racing, pounding out of our chests.

We realized that the sirens were never intended for us, but in a moment in which you really don't know if what you are doing is illegal or not, I was fore sure we were going to get into some trouble. But we were fine. And we were off to get some dinner before making it to our original destination, the airport. On the way to dinner we needed gas so I pulled into a gas station where a whole other adventure began. First, a little back story, I have two credit cards at the moment because one is still my california account and the other is my texas account. With this said a little mix up of zip codes occurred and the pump shut me off at $40, which didn't make sense to me because the amount of gallons needed did not match the amount given. I asked a man who worked at the facility to help me with this and he was of no help. He was an Arabic man who had no idea what I was saying let alone what the heck I was talking about. So I moved pumps and had the same issue. This time I went inside to ask the man behind the counter for some assistance, but he was no help. In the end, I switched cards and got progress to filling the car completely. We needed gas to not only get to the airport but back home.

After leaving the gas station we were on our way to find some sushi that both Tanya and I were craving. Thanks to our lovely technology Iphones we found a close sushi place and gave it a whirl. A little fun fact is that not all of Texas is a smoke free environment in restaurants. Tyler its mandatory that all restaurants are smoke free environments, with this said we walked into this sushi place and it smelled like smoke. We chose to sit on the patio where no one was sitting to give us fresh air and reduce the risk of increased second degree smoking. We ordered and our food came quickly. As I was finishing up, our waitress came to check on us and I asked her what this orange design was on the corner of my plate and she literally grabbed the design and said, " oh these, these are carrots" and then placed them back on my plate. I guess I was done with my food! Because who knows where those hands have been let alone who touches the clients foods. I laughed so hard when she left, but was kind and thanked her for the great food.

Back in the car, we continued north west to hit the airport where we found a detour because the main high way into the airport was closed for construction. I have been to the airport multiple times in the short duration I have lived in Texas and I only knew one way to get into the airport. But that night I learned another way and even had the planes fly literally over our heads. I mean the plane could have landed on us. Yikes. You think its close when the planes fly over the 405 into Santa Ana airport, but this made that seem high. The trip ended in a success with getting Bryan from the airport and making the trip back to Tyler safely. Every day is an adventure with me and I am so thankful for the safe little adventures that brings a smile to the face and a fun crazy story to share. Blessings.

The Bobcat Experience

This past saturday was a relaxing day consisting of watching movies and being bums on the couch. I know you are probably thinking how does a relaxing day and a bobcat experience all fit together. Well during the day, Tanya glanced into the backyard and saw a large cat and asked out loud "is that a baby bobcat?" And my response was "I have no idea, but that is a large cat, a lot bigger than a typical house cat." With this said, I started googling the distinguishing characteristics of a bobcat.

                                                  This is the "bobcat"

After a quick google session we called some of our local friends to send the picture to them for their opinion. Most people believed this was a bobcat and we decided to call Animal Control to help us catch the "bobcat" and release it in the wild outside of town. Some time later there was knock on the door and Animal Control arrived with a large cage and bait. We stepped outside to show them where we saw the "bobcat" and two of the "bobcats" went running by. We stated, "there is two of them now." And if I could have taken a picture of the Animal Control mans face, it would have been priceless when he states, "Oh no mam, that is a large ferrel cat." And we replied, "a what? What is a ferrel cat?" Basically, its a wild cat. Animal control still placed a small trap to catch the cats and take them to the wild. At the end I asked the Animal Control man what were the characteristics of a bobcat. And his reply was, "short stubby tails, lion like mane around the neck and spots on the fur not stripes." So watch out any bobcats who come into the backyard, I know what you look like now!!

So with all this said, our speculation of a bobcat was just a simple city girl hoping to catch a bobcat in the backyard.

The Job Process

From the time I got my Nursing license in California, my paperwork was sent electronically to begin the switch to a Texas license knowing I had a job waiting for me. Less than two weeks my temporary license was issued and I contacted my recruiter from the hospital and was informed to come in that following monday. Last monday, October 17, I went in to meet with my recruiter, showed him my temporary license and the paperwork started.

For those who know my past work experience I have always worked for family members and dear friends never really having to go through a recruitment process, tons of paperwork and all the fun stuff that goes with truly growing up. A great way to start the adventure of truly learning to be on your own, fulfilling a dream and living the adventure.

At the end of the day, I was officially employed at ETMC! After leaving the HR department that afternoon I was informed that if my background check goes through by the end of the week I could be starting my training the following monday. As you all know my timing is not always the timing God has for me. That following friday I got a call from my HR lady stating a few areas in my background had not gone through and therefor have to wait until the next training schedule before starting, which is November 7th. Originally, I was a little bummed but who could be bummed when technically I have a job I am just waiting to start. In reality is two extra weeks to make sure I am all ready to begin my dream, working as a nurse. So until I officially start I am just working on crafting projects, enjoying the rest and building of new friendships.

Rush Hour in a Small City

It's been well over a week that I have been in Texas and everyday is a new adventure. This past friday I experienced my first friday night traffic and let me tell you its nothing like California. Let me just set the premises here, the main freeway or highway in Tyler is 30 minutes outside of the city. Tyler is designed around what is called the "Loop 323" which maximum speed is 60. The Loop reminds me of our Imperial Highway.

This past friday I was out on my way to a place called Hobby Lobby, which is Michael's Art and Crafts on steroids, around 5:30 in the evening. I did not realize how many people actually lived in the city prior to this outing. But the Loop was packed with cars, reminding me of the 91 freeway, and seeing the city at its max.

A crazy fun fact about Tyler is that there are no signs or penalties for blocking intersections and it does not stop these country folks. I was in a left hand turn lane when the light turned and everyone in front of me blocked the intersection. After the traffic moved I saw a police car proceed through the intersection not stopping any of the blockers. If that happened in California, either a camera above the light would take a picture of your license plate or a police officer would write you a ticket. Well not in the country.

The rush hour was nothing like the OC, rather it was like Imperial Highway traffic. It took an additional ten minutes to get through the congestion but glancing at the street it looked worse.

Most people think the country of Texas is all trucks, well this is true however in Tyler a handful of lifted economic cars.

Check this out! This is a mild case, another car I saw was a lot higher. Talk about a little man syndrome! Well thats it. Just a little update on the life of a Texan.

The Move to Texas

This past week has been a whirlwind. The conformation of my license threw the packing and moving process into full motion. Two days later, my truck was packed to the hilt with the essentials like clothing, cookbooks, cake decorating and scrapbooking supplies.

The truck was topped with clothes because there was no more room for boxes, so we just stuffed clothes in any wholes within the bed of the truck. After the truck was packed mom and I headed for bed to wake and hit the road early.

At 0530 mom and I pulled out of her driveway to start the journey and to beat the traffic. We took a different route, we decided to take the 15 south towards San Diego to catch the 52 east to the 8 east which dumped us onto the 10 east. I started the drive and drove for three hours to then stop for a quick stretch and bathroom break. Mom took over for the next two hours while I took a nap. I was ready for another bathroom break and took over so mom could nap. By 1430 we crossed the New Mexico border.

A few hours later we crossed into Texas and made our way closer to El Paso. El Paso borders Mexico and it was evident when we came into the city of El Paso because the hillside south of the freeway looked just like TJ. Mom and I didn't stop when traveling through and I am glad we were informed by others not to. I was driving and continued to drive until we got into Van Horn where we decided to call it a night because we had been traveling for fourteen hours. A long day of driving created two extremely tired women who lacked the energy to even stop for dinner and ended up eating apples and cheetos. Lets just say it wasn't the healthiest dinner we have ever had, but we needed something.

The next day mom and I woke up before the sun, repacked the car, grabbed the complementary breakfast, topped off the tank and headed for Tyler. Mom started off driving and we switched every two hours. The countryside of Texas was beautiful. We went through the City of Big Springs, which was the town that my Papa and Aunta Betty lived in when they were little when they were making the move from Oklahoma. Let me tell you it's a small town now, I can only imagine what it was like then.

By 1730 we drove into the driveway and I honked the whole time. Watch out Tyler, Ashley is here!! I was beyond excited to be here and even more excited that the drive was over. We drove 1522 miles in two days. Myah (the ten year old daughter of my friends I am living with) made me a Welcome Home sign with balloons. The unpacking of the truck started between the seven of us: Mom, me, Tanya, Bryan, Caleb, Myah and Dave my new pastor. The truck was unloaded in no time and I was constantly reminded of how many boxes I have of scrapbooking essentials. A girl needs her doodle time!

After the completion of unloading the truck, mom and I began to sort and organize my new room. But not for too long because we were starving and needed some true Texas BBQ, so we hit up the Bodacious BBQ to have some wonderful briscet and tea. We returned back to the Runyan's home aka my new home with full stomachs and pretty much completely unpacked, organized and made a list of what we needed at the infamous Walmart.

On saturday morning Mom and I slept in and just relaxed before we hit the Antique Market in downtown Tyler. We found a bathroom organizer and a wire rack with baskets to be used as my "dresser." The rest of the weekend, mom and I just chilled, went to church and watched football. A great mother, daughter bonding. Monday morning came and we were back in the car for Dallas to drop mom off at the airport. Dallas is a little less then two hours from Tyler and is the closest city to us that has In-N-Out, so we grabbed a burger and took mom to the airport. Dropping my mother off at the airport was not has hard as I thought it was going to be, and the only reason why because we have such a wonderful relationship and nothing is really going to change except that I have to get on a plane to come home. But she is wonderful because she knows this is what I want and supports me in everything I do. Thanks Mom for being so wonderful and taking a little road trip with me as I start this new adventure in my life.