Interesting sights and heart stopping moments

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and I think this is true, because I think even nothingness is bigger in Texas.  That's what driving across west Texas felt like, but it still isn't as boring as Nebraska!  I even saw new road kill: a hog and a mountain lion (which was actually sad).

I made it to Mesa without mishap, just short on sleep.  I received a call early in the day about troubles with my flight.  I had to wait an hour to talk to a representative and they pretty much said I would have better luck at the airport.  Delta wasn't going to get me home Friday as promised, so they put me on the red eye with US Airways, which I had not booked specifically because I do not care for that airline.

Airports bring out a lot of interesting behaviors in people.  I was haunting the gate of the earlier direct flight in the hopes of getting home sooner and got to see a spectacular meltdown and parenting fail.  I think I watched a sociopath in the making, and while I am a firm believer in 2 parent homes, I truly hope this kid only sees his dad on the weekends.  They had missed their connection, and the dad went on a quite vulgar rant.  The little boy at first thought dad was mad at him, but after being reassured that wasn't the case the dad then proceeded to yell at the attendant when she came back up the Jetway, and the little boy mimicked his attitude and volume, but thankfully not his words.  I was sitting by 2 other individuals and we speculated with equal horror about the future of that little boy.  

So I did make get a ticket for the earlier flight, which of course was promptly delayed.  I spent the flight home being abused by everyone on the flight.  The flight attendant threw a cup at my head and everyone tripped on me.  We had freezing rain in Des Moines, and I'm pretty sure we almost overshot the runway on landing.  Then I get to our neighborhood and no matter that I'm going 5 miles an hour I'm sliding.  I had to park on the street and skate to the lawn just to make it to the house!!

I pray you all have time to reflect on what we are celebrating: The coming of our Savior.  From birth in a stable He came to die in our place for our sins so that we might have eternal life with Him. 
Merry Christmas!

Count down is on!

Down to 10 shifts left at Hendrick Medical Center.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the floor I work on, the people I work with and the overtime I've been able to work....but I am ready to be home and move on to somewhere new.  My dad tells me I have a bad habit of taking my marbles and going somewhere else when I don't like things.  I suppose that is part of the appeal of travel nursing!  By the time I start to understand where the lines in the sand are, I'm moving on!

So things I dislike about Abilene: no one seems to know where they are going as they all slam on their brakes and turn at the very last second.  I do this too because I often don't know where I'm going, but I also have out of state plates to explain my erratic driving.  Not sure what the excuse is for the natives.

Also, it is nearly impossible to get a drink from either Starbucks location (yes, they have a grand total of 2) in less then ten minutes.   I talked to someone who works there last night and she explained they'd been without a manager for quite some time and even with the new manager they have a hard time keeping employees.  This explains why I get very pleasant service every time, it's just really slow.

Things I like about Abilene:  having family style dinner at work.  This is a P3 tradition, and I really like that there are 4 meals a week I don't eat alone.  Eating alone is definitely one of the harder parts of traveling solo.

Another plus is that I have owls now living on the roof of my apartment.  There presence has greatly discouraged other birds from hanging out up there which keeps the chirping to a minimum while I'm sleeping.  The downside of that is I can hear them up there at night and I worry about the integrity of the roof.  Another traveler had a good laugh just imagining me sitting in me apartment and an owl falling through my ceiling.  I would have laughed except I have a real fear it will happen.

So since I'm quite certain there is a owl sitting directly above me right this second I'm going to find something to do in another part of the apartment....closer to the door!