Took my new bike out on the country roads and did a little riding through the woods. Not too bad. I can feel my legs getting stronger. Pushing through thick dirt and gravel will do that to you!

Now, all I need to do is convince myself that push ups and sit ups are as much fun as biking, and I will be an in shape kinda gal! I brought along Pink Floyd, rockin’ Beatles, and James Blunt for company as usual. My poor MP3 player is such a piece. It can’t handle anything more than play and stop. It is like a caveman MP3 player. (Ha ha) 100 songs or some crap… I’m going to smash it when I get a better one someday!

Moving right along…work is going good. Not great, but that’s okay! I don’t hate it, co-workers are nice, and I am still looking into getting a second job.

It’s been over two weeks but I think I freaked my co-workers out a little. Took me long enough!

Short version. A group of us were eating lunch in the break room and I (as usual) lost myself in reading something while everyone chattered. I found a National Geographic with a seriously interesting article on Stonehenge. Well, as I read, I started thinking about how I never took the a backpacking trip across Europe like I’d always wanted and got deep into my head about how I could eventually make it happen..

Next thing I know, everyone is staring at me as I space off thinking. Everyone. Debbie says, “You’re awfully quiet, Jenny. What are you thinking about?”

Dangerous question because I WILL answer it! So I tell them and they just kind of don’t know what to say. A moment of silence passes, then we all laugh and start talking about travel.

Unfortunately, someone had to ask me in front of everyone…

“So, do you have any kids?”

“Um…nope!”

“Don’t you want any?”

“Yeah, maybe someday…”

“Well what are you waiting for?”

Hello?! Isn’t this just a little intrusive?

So I gracefully mumbled nothing and left lunch early.

Crazy people in Florida. I swear, these people (ALL of them) have never heard of being discreet. Complete strangers walk up to each other and talk about their entire life story. Even if they’ve killed someone, they will tell you. Whether you want to hear it or not!

So weird. I am the quiet one here. Go fig.

So ends the first week of my new job, and what a week!

Somehow I ended up with this job as a Patient Care Tech for a Surgical and Diagnostic Center. That basically means that I am the person who does all the little things that nurses just don’t have the time to do and more. Here is the cool part.

I work around surgical and non-surgical procedures all day long! So, no matter what menial task I am doing (ie. stripping stretchers, moving stretchers, bringing drinks to patients, taking out laundry, or stocking supplies) I am part of this interesting process of working in the medical world. I’ve even watched a few surgeries through a window. Ewww and cool! They are going to get me in to watch a procedure soon. Of course, it can’t compete with working around a bunch of book nerds like myself, but I’ve pretty much accepted that that part of my life and career is over. Whether I like it or not. Because of this new job, I’ve really started to think about making Nursing my major when I go back to college. Specifically, Nursing Forensics.

I found myself thinking about the past while I was stripping and sterilizing stretchers. I shook my head, trying to physically shake off the direction my mind was taking me in, but it didn’t work. I guess I am just going to be thinking about it for a awhile longer, and just hope that time does eventually heal all wounds.

I am really happy to be writing again, I can’t believe that I actually stopped for so long. Well, I can’t believe a lot of things I did or didn’t do over these past few years. I find that the more I write the more I feel like myself. It feels so natural to express myself through this medium. I am so horrible at expressing myself verbally. I just don’t get anything across the way I’d like. I find myself constantly over-explaining things to people who really don’t want to hear anymore about it. I do it because I don’t ever feel convinced that they understand what I am saying. They probably don’t understand but still don’t care! Ha ha.

But I digress.

What I was saying is that I am dwelling on the past recently and I would like to let it go because it is holding me back. It doesn’t help that I still don’t really know anybody here yet. I am a social being and I miss my friends. I am looking forward to the “Walk for the Cure” tomorrow morning, though. Almost all the nurses and techs from my department will be there and we will walk around a beautiful lake wearing our brown and pink Cure Cancer shirts! I think even some of the doctors will be going. And the stereotype still exists strongly for anyone who wants to know. Every single doctor we have is a male! And it really seems like a shitty job. I mean, they work really long, hard hours and they have to deal with very worried, easily upset people all day long. Then, they get to go home, for a very short period of time to people who are most likely not very happy with them, because they work all the time. Is all that money really any kind of compensation for a lack of quality of life?

I definitely don’t want to be a doctor.

Wow.

Today was a gorgeous day and I want to blog about it before I get the late night blues.

I woke up pretty early but reluctantly, as usual, then I took my time and really just lazed around for most of the morning. While eating a hot egg biscuit for breakfast, I made a pot of coffee and filled up my Starbucks travel mug with it, after adding some hazelnut creamer and a little sugar. I nursed my coffee as I watched some animal nature channels for about an hour, then headed over to my dad’s.

That was the beginning of a great day.

The sun was shining bright yellow today with gentle blue skies; giant, low, cotton-like clouds; and a consistent cool breeze that pushed it’s way through the maze of trees at random intervals. My dad and I helped my Papa in his garden (no small feat as this garden is the size of a large house-including it’s backyard) and for the first time in my life I helped plant bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbage and more. At various moments my dad and I would douse ourselves with water from the hose and I would gasp in air between splashing my face with huge handfuls of ice cold water. Afterwards, we all sat in the shade and watched the clouds roll by, occasionally making a pleasant remark about life or the weather.

When my dad woke up from his abrupt nap (he can sleep ANYWHERE), I hopped on my mountain bike and did a few laps around the nearby woods and dirt roads. I would describe it but I already dedicated an entire post to my bike riding adventures a few days ago.

I showered and got ready for the flea market that is hosted every weekend here. My dad and I hopped on his Valkyrie and drove to the flea market but it was closed. No biggie…

We decided that this called for a mo’ ride through the back roads of the surrounding city and country. We did just that, after a quick stop to give the stunning black and red motorcycle a much needed bath. Palm trees decorate the median of every main road here and they really stood out on our ride, whipping in the brisk wind and silhouetted darkly against the sky. It was a perfect late afternoon ride; we were blessed with a golden sun, puffy clouds and this gorgeous rainbow that seemed to follow us as we passed through a small downtown and by many shimmering, deep blue lakes.

I ended the day by feeding their duck, Ivory, in the backyard, ignoring the unbelievably stinky pigs, and cruising the Internet.

Can’t beat that.

I guess Florida isn’t that bad….wish me luck as I start my new job tomorrow.