Just got back from Miami. Head home tomorrow. I must say that my time here in Nashville has been great. I always knew that I had great friends, but I had forgotten how much I actually liked them. A special thanks to my friends Bassam and Kris for allowing me to disrupt their lives for the last two weeks. . . also thanks for lending me your kids for some much needed munchkin time.
Spent the weekend in Miami looking for a Condo to rent. I learned a few lessons. First and foremost, condos with water views are all extremely nice and pricey. I ended up sacrificing a walk to the beach for an extra bedroom. I found a cute 3 bedroom on Brickell Key. I am not sure how to arrange the furniture around the wall to wall windows, but hopefully I will think of something.
Lesson two - I do not own nearly enough sparkly clothes. For that matter, the clothes that I own all seem to have too much material. The clothes women wear in the day time in Miami would work only at night time on a street corner in any other city. Either Miami has a lot of "working girls" or women in Miami are WAY less body conscious than the rest of the world. For my guy friends, while many women in Miami have the body for next to nothing, not having the body does not seem to stop Miami women. I can honestly say that I will most likely be the most conservatively dressed woman under 50 in all of Miami.
Lesson three - I may be in for even more of a culture shock than I thought. I walked for six blocks yesterday and heard not a word of English spoken. I am sure that I will do fine at work, but I think if I want to get anywhere socially I have got to get bilingual quickly. If nothing else, this will make for some interesting blogs over the next few months.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Vacation?
At breakfast this morning, Matt asked me if I was on vacation. When I replied that I was indeed on vacation, he looked very perplexed for a minute and then replied . . . "Aunt Tammy, no one comes here for vacation!" No one tell the tourism industry of Nashville.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Paperwork and Caffeine
I have been safely ensconced here in Nashville now for 5 days. For someone who has so much stuff she needs to accomplish, I have actually accomplished very little of it. Every time I look at the mountain of paperwork that I need to complete to actually start my job, I get overwhelmed and talk the kids into a game. So far, I have become a very good hider, king of Candy land, been fishing (with cards), and taught Matt and Grace rock, paper, scissors. (Kris may hate me for that one.) They caught on surprisingly quickly, although Grace picks rock about 90% of the time.
I am not sure why I have such a phobia about this paperwork. The vast majority of it is just repetitive. I answer the same questions over and over and over again. However, there is a good chunk of it that I am not sure is even in English. I am a fairly educated person, but I have read the same sheet about 3 times and the only thing I know for sure is they will prosecute me if I don't fill it out appropriately. Now the instructions on how to fill it out - so much legalese I am no longer sure how to fill out the top line that says Name.
My goal today is to make a sizable dent. I can't complete them all until my Florida license comes through and I have a Florida address. (Something else I need to work on today.) Unfortunately Kris took the kids to My Gym camp so I can't distract myself. I know that those of you who have the opportunity for kid time all the time occasionally want a break, but I am loving it. They are at the age where they are just hilarious. They have both become so mature. You can now have actual conversations with them. I am trying to convince Bassam and Kris to let me take them to Florida, but don't think I am making much progress.
Last learning point during my last few days. . . I am addicted to caffeine. I didn't really start drinking coffee on a semi-regular basis until I was a surgery resident. However, even then I didn't have it every day. Sometime in the last few years, I must have crossed over to the other side. The Helou's are not coffee drinkers (I am not sure how Bassam calls himself a surgeon). Whereas I have become accustomed to starting my day with a nice latte or grande flavored, they start their days with such weird things as milk, water and juice. It turns out that I now get a headache if I don't caffeinate early in the morning. I must also get a little grumpy because it has now become job one with the Helou's to make sure I have morning coffee (bad guest!).
Okay, enough procrastinating - off to fill out paperwork. Wonder when the kids are home?
I am not sure why I have such a phobia about this paperwork. The vast majority of it is just repetitive. I answer the same questions over and over and over again. However, there is a good chunk of it that I am not sure is even in English. I am a fairly educated person, but I have read the same sheet about 3 times and the only thing I know for sure is they will prosecute me if I don't fill it out appropriately. Now the instructions on how to fill it out - so much legalese I am no longer sure how to fill out the top line that says Name.
My goal today is to make a sizable dent. I can't complete them all until my Florida license comes through and I have a Florida address. (Something else I need to work on today.) Unfortunately Kris took the kids to My Gym camp so I can't distract myself. I know that those of you who have the opportunity for kid time all the time occasionally want a break, but I am loving it. They are at the age where they are just hilarious. They have both become so mature. You can now have actual conversations with them. I am trying to convince Bassam and Kris to let me take them to Florida, but don't think I am making much progress.
Last learning point during my last few days. . . I am addicted to caffeine. I didn't really start drinking coffee on a semi-regular basis until I was a surgery resident. However, even then I didn't have it every day. Sometime in the last few years, I must have crossed over to the other side. The Helou's are not coffee drinkers (I am not sure how Bassam calls himself a surgeon). Whereas I have become accustomed to starting my day with a nice latte or grande flavored, they start their days with such weird things as milk, water and juice. It turns out that I now get a headache if I don't caffeinate early in the morning. I must also get a little grumpy because it has now become job one with the Helou's to make sure I have morning coffee (bad guest!).
Okay, enough procrastinating - off to fill out paperwork. Wonder when the kids are home?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Aahhhhh!
Wow, I had forgotten what it was like to actually consciously breathe in and out. I arrived safely (though late) here in Nashville on the first. Since that time, I have been very busy. I have slept, played with the kids, napped, shopped (for Kris not me don't worry), played with the kids, ate, and played with the kids. It has been FANTASTIC.
If this is life, sign me up. Don't worry, I realize that eventually I have to become a productive paying member of society, but I will be honest - this whole unemployed drifter thing is way fun. Luckily, I have an incredible circle of friends who have all graciously agreed to share the burden of my two months off. I will probably spend another week here in Nashville before heading to Georgia. It has been great seeing Matt and Grace (Bassam and Kris also). I can't believe how fast they are growing up. It was less obvious when I got to see them all the time.
The only cloud on the horizon is the mounds of paperwork that I have only started climbing. Who would have thought that this much paperwork would be required to simply cut on people and take parts of their body out?
If this is life, sign me up. Don't worry, I realize that eventually I have to become a productive paying member of society, but I will be honest - this whole unemployed drifter thing is way fun. Luckily, I have an incredible circle of friends who have all graciously agreed to share the burden of my two months off. I will probably spend another week here in Nashville before heading to Georgia. It has been great seeing Matt and Grace (Bassam and Kris also). I can't believe how fast they are growing up. It was less obvious when I got to see them all the time.
The only cloud on the horizon is the mounds of paperwork that I have only started climbing. Who would have thought that this much paperwork would be required to simply cut on people and take parts of their body out?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Goodbye
Well, it is official. My LONG years of training are truly over. As of today, I am officially "staff". Okay officially I am unemployed, but only temporarily. Starting September, I become "them". As I am packing up the last of my things to leave Philly this morning I am more sad than I expected.
It is no secret that there are some things I didn't love about Philly. Most of those things involved winter. However, there are quite a few things I really loved and am going to miss. It is the first time I really lived "downtown" in a city, and even in winter loved that part. There is something I love about getting up on a lazy Saturday, walking downstairs to the coffee shop up the block, and wandering back home. I loved having friends and people so close. I enjoyed simply walking around the city. I have also met many people here that I now consider my friends and who will be missed.
Training - not sure that I will miss that at all !!! I mean really after ten years, what is to miss. I am definitely ready to start calling my own shots and doing things my way.
Leaving for Nashville this morning. Will spend a few days there before on to Georgia. Hoping to see many of you over then next couple of weeks.
Goodbye Philly.
It is no secret that there are some things I didn't love about Philly. Most of those things involved winter. However, there are quite a few things I really loved and am going to miss. It is the first time I really lived "downtown" in a city, and even in winter loved that part. There is something I love about getting up on a lazy Saturday, walking downstairs to the coffee shop up the block, and wandering back home. I loved having friends and people so close. I enjoyed simply walking around the city. I have also met many people here that I now consider my friends and who will be missed.
Training - not sure that I will miss that at all !!! I mean really after ten years, what is to miss. I am definitely ready to start calling my own shots and doing things my way.
Leaving for Nashville this morning. Will spend a few days there before on to Georgia. Hoping to see many of you over then next couple of weeks.
Goodbye Philly.
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