Dark Chocolate

Friday Fill-In Time!

1. It's time for me to get a good paying job.

2. A gurney in the hallway; it's not a bad place for much needed sleep.

3. I must be crazy, because I'm eating chocolate at 4:22AM.

4. Dark chocolate is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My office is simply peaceful.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was yesterday when I was chatting with some of my patients.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Dateline NBC, tomorrow my plans include working in the NICU and Sunday, I want to go to the Church Fiestas!

Hope you enjoyed!

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola

You're Looking at a Winner!

To start off with, I don't usually get real deep into sports here. I usually save that for my sports blog. But this week Sara and I placed a bet on the NASCAR race...the Allstate 400. All in good fun people...all in good fun. It puts our favorite drivers up against each other.

How fair is it...I don't know. Being that her #1 driver is also my #2 driver. It's really close people...real close. But because I have been a Gordon fan longer...he gets the #1 spot. And they are both from the HMS camp. But whoever's driver came out on top, had to buy the other lunch, a manicure, and $20 gift card to store of winner's choice. The bet was on...

In my corner...My guy Jeff Gordon. Driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet.

Starting P22.

(Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

In Sara's corner...Dale Earnhardt Jr. Driver of the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet. Overcoming a stomach bug this weekend. Staring P3.

(AP Picture 2009-07-25)

Well, I haven't been feeling well for the last 20 hours or so. I fought the sickness and the sleep to watch the Opening Ceremonies. And the beginning of the race. Was the race boring? Yes, it was. Juan Pablo Montoya was just running away with the thing. But Gordon was making some steady, positive movement forward. And Dale Jr. was sitting comfortably in the top 10. No one would have guessed that he had been so sick earlier this weekend.

At lap 127, Dale Jr.'s #88 had some serious issues. A failed engine. It resulted in a DNF for #88 team. I was disappointed. They had been running so well. It looked like the team was turning a better corner. But it was a mechanical issue I suppose.

With Gordon making steady, forward movement and Dale Jr. out of the race...I succumbed to slumber. Yes, folks I took me a nap. When I woke up, there were 2 laps to go! JPM was no longer leading. Turns out, he got a penalty for speeding on pit road. And Jimmie Johnson took the win! It was a pretty good day for the HMS camp. Johnson P1, Martin P2, Gordon P9...and Earnhardt Jr. P36. Another win for Mr. H!

So, I won the bet. A friendly, girly bet. I have no clue where we will go to lunch. Maybe Zio's. And I am thinking a Sephora gift card. What a day! Regardless of who won the bet, it was nice. Sara is a HUGE Dale Jr. fan...and I suppose that she is happy that I am finally cheering on her guy. I have actually been a fan of his since 2007. But we won't get all technical here.

Folks, it was a good run no less for the HMS camp. Johnson took the win and defended his 2008 Indy 500 win. Mark Martin is just having a dream season. Jeff Gordon is having a season that is like night and day to his 2008 season. It looks as though the #88 team is working out the bugs. Dale Jr. looks a lot more comfortable in his ride. And was that swagger that I saw? Yes, folks I think the man has got his swagger back!

I'm leaving you with 3 of my favorite pictures from this weekend. The first one is of Miss Ella Sophia and Ingrid. Ella has got to be the cutest kid on pit road. And so stylish. Her mama is also very chic. The next picture is of Sprint Cup drivers who were in the Allstate 400. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of my Senior Class Picture. I'm just saying... And the last is of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson celebrating their Brickyard win!

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

(Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

(Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Sunsets in the Desert

It's time again for Friday Fill-Ins. Here we go...

1. Lack of money and/or illness is/are not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I want to fall asleep in someone’s arms.

3. Cupcakes (always) taste(s) so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is difficult, but still the right decision.

5. Sunsets (in the desert) is/are breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is another reason for these hard times and stress.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleep, tomorrow my plans include cooking a good meal and Sunday, I want to watch the NASCAR race in Indy!



Hope you enjoyed!

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola

Waiting on the World

It's more like waiting on J. I need $500 for a down payment for my internship. It's due tomorrow. And I only have $167.43. There's a problem. To say that I have been stressed out...that is the understatement of the century! I was definitely not going to call my Dad with that news. And well, the music stuff has been a little slow this summer. Almost nonexistent really.

So J being the most awesome friend (and boss) is loaning me $350. It's more like I am getting an advance on my paycheck. Which payday isn't for another 8 days...and I would still be about $100 short. I love my friend J. And not just because he lends me money when I am in a pinch. But also because he is a good hearted friend. A really good guy at the heart of things. There is something to be said for a real Texas gentleman...and cowboy!

But right now, J is on a call. We were supposed to meet last night. Two things happened. J had been working on this cockfight bust...and then he was called out to do some work for some horses that were being abused. By the time he was done for the night...I was called into work. This morning when I got off...he was already at work. The scheduling has been pretty hit and miss lately. Mostly miss.

I'm also waiting on myself to make decisions based on school. At this point, Dr. S is paying my insurance for the hospital internship. Bless that man's soul! That is $5000 I don't have to worry about. It could be slightly higher because our insurance was supposed to go up...AGAIN! My first tuition payment is due August 14th...$500. The rest, I have opted for the payment plan this semester. And I am praying for some more gigs between now and December. If not, I might have to start selling my furniture or something to pay for school.

And books. My dear books. Because of the courses I am taking, they have to be ordered early. And well, money has been extra tight this summer. $3500 was due last Friday. I promptly told my Dean that I just couldn't afford it right now. I think he silently prayed for a miracle. He gave me until this Friday to come up with the money. But I can barely come up with $500 for my internship. So I will miss the book order. In return, I will have to pay $500 in shipping and late charges. Isn't that insane? And I probably won't get to order my books until sometime at the end of August or the beginning of September...way after school starts.

People never tell you about all these crazy expenses when they are trying to talk you into school. But it is insane! I still have to get a computer, a digital camera, DSL, cable, school supplies, scrubs, and surgical shoes. Who knows when that will happen though. I can't work a "normal job" because of my internship. But I need all of these things because of my internship. I am officially flat broke. And I have no food. Yes, folks I have no food. I ate 2 cheese slices for breakfast because that is pretty much all I've got.

I often wonder why nursing students get so much help for school...yet medical students get next to nothing. I mean, I am grateful for the $200 I get for being on the Dean's List. But that doesn't even cover one book. And we are seriously short of doctors...especially around here. I think I know why. People just can't afford it! But I am staying optimistic about it all. Waiting on J, waiting on work, and hoping for a PAYING job.

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola

Making it Right

26 minutes and 18 seconds...that's how long it took my Dad and me to figure this out. Well, at least somewhat.

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola

Love is Patient

For a few weeks...possibly 2 months now...my friend H and her new husband T have been having some problems. They met in early July 2008. Because I had a gig in NC. T is my boss, "Daddy-O's" best buddy. H came with her friends to see the BBs (the band) and I perform. We were about 2 hours from where H lives. To say H was on a mission to have a good time that night, that is the understatement of a lifetime. The same can be said for T. After quite a few drinks and dancing, they seemed to hit it off. 2 weeks after I returned home, Daddy-O, T's friend called looking for H's phone number. I gave it to him, silently hoping for the best.

They started dating sometime in mid August and shortly, they moved in together. Mostly because T has an unusual job and they already lived a good 2 hours away from one another. But they were in heaven. Both loving this new relationship. I knew things were getting serious when T called to ask me about a Christmas present in October. The day before, Daddy-O, now a good friend of mine, told me that T had bought an engagement ring for H. He had it at his house for safe keeping. We took a bet on when T would pop the question. I insisted on her birthday, he insisted on Christmas. In the end, I was right. And almost a month to the day, after the engagement, we were in Sin City. The 2 of them were getting married.

Did I think it was quick? Yeah, but it also takes me 7 years to pick out living room curtains. So I won't add anything to that. They had known each other for nearly 8 months, had been dating/living together for 7 months, and been engaged for 1 month. But we all hoped and prayed for the best. It was kind of cool that between a boss and an employee, we could set up our best friends.

It was a quick Sin City wedding. Neither H nor T's families attended. H's family was pretty jealous of the situation. T's really didn't talk to him because of jealousy issues as well. It is safe to say...both had had it hard growing up. And they were both given big breaks and opportunities with this relationship. About a month later, they went on a short trip to the Bahamas. H was so happy when they returned. And I thought to myself, she really is lucky to have found this man.

To say that T's job has kinda been in limbo since May is putting it lightly. He has a really good job. But with the economy and some other issues, every week he is evaluated. H knew that. They also knew that they couldn't start try to expand their family until at least January 2010. Somehow, life veered left as H and T veered right.

At the beginning of June, H realized she was pregnant. About 2 months. She waited to tell T. Telling him that she was going to stay home for the week. Remember, I told you he travels a lot for work. They had just returned from another tropical vacation, so he didn't see anything wrong with it. Figuring that she needed some rest. H went to the doctor and everything seemed fine. T came home and she told him.

He, like any normal man not expecting this news, was in shock. Literally in shock. She took offense. And it lead to WWIII. He left, dog in tote, to Daddy-O's house. The entire week, he avoided their home. He left for work. H called me. And we talked about a fight. I didn't know what it was about. But I tried to calm her down. Daddy-O also called. We tried to figure out what had happened, but we had no clue. After a week, T went home. To only leave the same day. Now, we were really stunned.

What the heck was going on? For weeks, he camped out at Daddy-O's house. He would call home, to talk to the housekeeper, to make sure H was OK. But that was it. He and his dog didn't go home. Daddy-O had paid for their honeymoon. They were going to Hawaii on July 13th. They would be gone for 10 days or so. But on July 10th, T told Daddy-O that they weren't going. Instead, he was going to Florida with his dog. Yeah, that was it. A mutual friend tagged along to take care of T. H stopped talking to me. And we still had no clue what was happening.

This is the same H who told me that I needed to get married ASAP so our kids would grow up as best friends. Now, I don't even know if her marriage is going to last the summer. 2 days into T's drinking binge/vacation, Daddy-O went to intervene. All I really know, because of J, is that T was threatened to talk. Which wasn't too hard, since he had been drowning his sorrows at the bar for over 48 hours.

It finally came out. H had been pregnant. The weekend after their WWIII fight, she had a miscarriage. T blamed himself because of the fight. H blamed herself, because she hadn't known she was pregnant. And she hadn't really taken care of herself during those 2 months. In fact, she had drank for Cinco de Mayo, a work thing for T, and while they were on vacation.

T and I had been talking on and off during this time. H had been talking with Daddy-O. But we all finally knew. I tried to explain to both of them...it wasn't their fault. Really, could things have been handled better? Sure. But things happen. The best for them, is to learn from this situation. And to lean on each other for support, inside of running in opposite directions.

Today, I was able to talk to both of them. Individually of course. Things don't seem much better. But I pray that they will get better. H is definitely my long lost sister at heart, and T has become like a brother to me. Their relationship has been anything but "traditional and average" but at the heart of things, they love each other. I just pray that they can see past this difficult stage in their marriage, and see the love that they have for one another. I am reminded of the following passage...

Love is patient;

Love is kind;

Love is not envious

Or boastful

Or arrogant

Or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

It is not irritable or resentful;

It does not rejoice in wrongdoing,

But rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things,

Believes all things,

Hopes all things,

Endures all things.

- Corinthians 13:4-7

I pray for my friends. That they find the peace and love that was once the center of their relationship. There will be ups and downs in their marriage, but their love will endure all things. I love you both. I pray for you every single day. And I have the faith that you will make it past these dark days.

Ciao!

XOXO
♥Lola