My friends Tony and Tami at the NOPHNRCSE Conference in Sacramento, CA, June 2004 

Amy and I at our favorite eatery - Panera! 

Sean and Ian with the Guys at the firehouse in Chinatown where Backdraft was filmed 

Late Sunday Evening...

This weekend was spent mainly relaxing and trying to catch up on household chores.  Definitely a low key weekend and desperately needed.  After all of the traveling I've done this summer, I need to just relax and spend some quiet weekends at home.  However, I will once again be racking up the road miles next weekend as I head up to Minneapolis to meet with my older sister.  Ro and I are going to "shop till we drop" at the Mall of America, treat ourselves to lovely pedicures and just spend some good quality sister time together.  Definitely looking forward to seeing her and hanging out.  Of all my sisters, (I have a ton of them, well, five to be exact) Ro is the one that I am probably closest to.  She gets me.  And I like her husband - which is a huge thing! 
 
So I'll be posting some photos in the next few days of some different aspects of my life.  Some are from the NOPHNRCSE conference in Sacramento, a few from the Chicago vacation earlier in June, and we'll finish out with a couple of my time in Philly.
 
Have a great week all of you who stop by and peruse my words.  Let's keep it safe out there.  R

Just me at Amyla's

Amyla and I 

To begin with...

So if you're here reading this, I would think it safe to say you're interested in my life. This will give you a glimpse of it.

To say that the last few months have been chaotic would be a massive understatement. Since the beginning of April, I have traveled from my home in rural Iowa to San Antonio, Chicago, Sacramento and Philadelphia to name just a few of the places. My suitcases have rarely been unpacked but it's all been good.

I just returned last week from a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia. My best friend, Amy, flew me out to see her for my 30th birthday. What an awesome gift...and an awesome trip! Seeing Amy, and another best friend Victoria, on my birthday was wonderful. Just getting to spend time with both of them was exactly what I needed.

Now I'm home again and have been busy getting ready to finish up my MA this fall. Let's see, I have a thesis to finish and defend, oral and written comprehenisves to study for and take and a foreign language to learn - all by December. No problem. Talk to me in December.