I've started doing a new diet that has gotten a LOT of people asking "What are you doing?" So I thought I would blog about the diet- what it is, how it works, what you can eat and what you can't eat, etc.
But first off, I've gotten asked (not just from friends but people at work), "Why do YOU need to lose weight?" The fact of the matter is, ever since I've been down here.. I have slowly put on weight that I'm not proud of. I know the reason partly being is my previous jobs, I'm not used to 1)getting a lunch, and 2) running around a BIG building. Now I get a lunch- sometimes with a nap squeezed in- (which is another bad thing), and my walking is minimal around the building. Add the fact that I was starting to drink Coke (b/c the water tasted weird to me), and not really watching what I was eating.. and you get.. a girl that wore her lab jacket all the time b/c her scrubs were too tight and not being able to get into jeans that she could originally wear 1-2 years ago.
So when New Year's came around, I stopped drinking Coke, vowed to eat better, and not eat out so often. The not drinking Coke is still going on, but the eating better didn't last all that long. Thankfully my husband working a compounding pharmacy brings out more than just "happy drugs," and hormone creams... it also brings out a natural metabolism booster called hCG.
hCG???? What is that?? The long hand-written name is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, and it's a hormone that's developed during pregnancy so if a woman is not eating enough, this hormone kicks in and gets fat from other sources of her body to feed the baby (Tip #1, if you want to get pregnant-- then take it to increase your chances. If not, then take your birth control).
You can get it online, but honestly I don't know about the potency of it and you also have to worry about the source and if you're actually getting what you paid for. Therefore, you need a prescription for it. A lot of people will do shots through the stomach, but if you can't muster the thought of a shot in your stomach-- then you can also do a nasal spray or sub,lingual (under the tongue) (sub,lingual is what I'm doing b/c I can't muster the thought of a nasal spray). You do it once a day, and you MUST KEEP IT REFRIGERATED OR IT WON'T BE ANY GOOD.
What to Eat, and What Not to Eat-- That is the question. Okay now this is the difficulty of the diet and a LOT of people can't handle the phases which is why I've been saying: ****Do Your Research before you do this diet!!!**** The first day you start the hCG, do your hCG and eat fattening stuff and as much as your body will allow you to eat-- this means pizza, soda, fatty Italian food, candy, sweets, EVERYTHING you can get into your body that is FATTENING. Day 2, do the same thing-- hCG and eat fattening things (Tip 2 Enjoy it while you can b/c it's all going to change from here). This is considered to be Phase 1.
Phase 2 starts your "diet" and your diet goes from eating what you want to eating restricted foods-- foods that have little to no sugar content and lean meats- chicken, pork, LEAN beef, shrimp, and white fish. No tuna, salmon, or herring is allowed. As far as your fruits and veggies go, every source is different. To find out what fruits and veggies are allowed, check out the website: www.poundsandinches.com. Your meats have to be weighed 100gm at lunch and dinner (to equal 200gm), and you have to have 1 fruit and veggie at lunch and dinner. Your daily intake of calories can NOT exceed 500 calories. I know what you're saying- 500 calories, are you kidding me? Nope, sorry, wish I was. And you have to do this for 3 weeks (3 weeks of the 500 calorie diet and the hCG solution). And again, you're saying, How can I survive on 500 calories? You can, trust me. The hCG is meant to curb your appetite and b/c it's "starving" itself, it'll use the stored fat you already have to feed itself.. hence the fast and rapid weight loss. The first week, you generally, lose the most weight (why I've already lost 7lbs since Saturday), and the next 3 weeks it's gradual.. but don't fret... it'll be okay. Just don't cave and don't cheat. It'll either slow your weight loss down or stall it all together if you cheat.
Phase 3: The maintenance phase.. this is the phase where you can increase your calorie intake, but you still have to stay away from sugar and starches. Although you don't really have to worry about it now. BUT you still need to maintain your weight and watch what you eat so you don't exceed your calorie intake and start to gain it back. This phase is 3 more additional weeks, BUT it's easier this time b/c you're just maintaining weight and calorie intake.. you're not restricted to 500 calories anymore.
So that's what we're doing-- the hCG diet. And of course when you "Google" it, you're going to get some negatives and positives, but I promise it's well worth it and it works (trust me, I know from personal experience).
A couple more things before signing off-- only black coffee, unsweetened tea, or water for breakfast. You can't skip out on meat, fruits, or veggies-- your body really does need this stuff to "survive." Again no foods with sugar- nothing processed-- no milk products, starches (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc), oils, or butters (we do use a smidgen of butter but nothing that will hurt us and we only use it if we're sauteing veggies. Because there's no oil-- ladies this means no makeup or lotion for a month b/c the oils absorb in your body. You're only allowed to use seasonings and fresh herbs when cooking.
If I have left anything out or you have questions, then again check out: www.poundsandinches.com
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year's Resolution... ppsshhtt (yeah right).
You know I really do wish I were one of those people who made and actually kept New Year's Resolutions, but the fact of the matter is-- I am not. One year I said I was going to write and read everyday-- another year I said I was going to save money so that I saved my "eye" income and could quit work for a year and write. Well as you can clearly tell... I am still working in the eye business. I really do want to write and aspire to write, but 1) once you've worked all day, the last thing you wanna do when you come home is write and 2) once you hit a block or your story takes another direction- a different one than what what you thought- you kinda sit there and say, 'okay, now what?' And yes I realize those are just excuses, but those are mine.. and I think they're pretty good ones. :)
So being the New Year in the new place, I have come up with goals.. not resolutions but goals. These are not writing goals as much as ME goals. The week before New Year's, I started on the Special K challenge. This starts week 3 for me. Have I seen results? No. But I do have the results in, I'm trying to eat and be healthier. This means no Coke and no eating out, except for twice a week (trust me, this is better than what it used to be). This means eating breakfast (something I have NEVER done before in my entire life). And this means, less desserts (something I'm still working on) and more walking (again, something I'm still working on). I also keep meaning to keep a food journal, so I can keep track of what's going in but I haven't managed to do that yet. I'm drinking mostly water, unless I get an urge for mostly unsweetened tea.
With this effort in trying to be healthy, this means I'm trying to come up with good recipes that are flavorful and good and healthy (any homecooking is better than fast food, so thankfully in our house, it doesn't have to be TOO healthy).
This is just a list of the recent recipes I've made: Chicken with Caramelized Onion Soup, spaghetti, jambalaya, goulash (which I did NOT like at all), chicken lime soup, cheddar corn chowder, firecracker chicken stir fry, cheesesteak sandwiches with macaroni salad, and then our regulars (cubed steak with mushroom gravy, chicken pot pie etc). Anyone that knows me knows I don't mind to cook at all-- I actually prefer it b/c it always gives us leftovers (lunch OR for future suppers), it's cheaper, and again-- Nothing beats homecooking.
I realize now that I do not have the metabolism I once had when I was 20 or hell, even 25, so I've gotta work to get myself healthy again. One of these days, I've got to be able to stand and paddleboard comfortably. :)
So being the New Year in the new place, I have come up with goals.. not resolutions but goals. These are not writing goals as much as ME goals. The week before New Year's, I started on the Special K challenge. This starts week 3 for me. Have I seen results? No. But I do have the results in, I'm trying to eat and be healthier. This means no Coke and no eating out, except for twice a week (trust me, this is better than what it used to be). This means eating breakfast (something I have NEVER done before in my entire life). And this means, less desserts (something I'm still working on) and more walking (again, something I'm still working on). I also keep meaning to keep a food journal, so I can keep track of what's going in but I haven't managed to do that yet. I'm drinking mostly water, unless I get an urge for mostly unsweetened tea.
With this effort in trying to be healthy, this means I'm trying to come up with good recipes that are flavorful and good and healthy (any homecooking is better than fast food, so thankfully in our house, it doesn't have to be TOO healthy).
This is just a list of the recent recipes I've made: Chicken with Caramelized Onion Soup, spaghetti, jambalaya, goulash (which I did NOT like at all), chicken lime soup, cheddar corn chowder, firecracker chicken stir fry, cheesesteak sandwiches with macaroni salad, and then our regulars (cubed steak with mushroom gravy, chicken pot pie etc). Anyone that knows me knows I don't mind to cook at all-- I actually prefer it b/c it always gives us leftovers (lunch OR for future suppers), it's cheaper, and again-- Nothing beats homecooking.
I realize now that I do not have the metabolism I once had when I was 20 or hell, even 25, so I've gotta work to get myself healthy again. One of these days, I've got to be able to stand and paddleboard comfortably. :)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Chicken Florentine Penne Pasta Casserole
I'm always looking for new things to do with chicken, so I found this recipe and, of course, added some things to make it mine.
- 1-1.25 pounds of chicken- either cut up or shredded
- 1 box of penne
- 1 10 ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed. Make sure you wring the excess water out-- there will be a lot of it.
- 2 ounces of cream cheese
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2T of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
- 1 glove of garlic clove, chopped
-1 small red onion, chopped
-6 mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, divided
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 11 minutes (you don't want it completely done b/c it's going to continue cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta well.
Cook your chicken- add salt and pepper. When it's about halfway through, add the dressing and continue cooking until just cooked through. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms- salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add your spinach and break it apart. Cook for another three minutes. Add your chicken broth and cream cheese- add salt and pepper. Cook until the cream cheese is melted. Add the mixture to the cooked pasta.
Put about half of the mixture into a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Add 1 cup of mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Add the other half of the mixture to the dish. Add the remaining mozzarella and more Parmesan on top.
Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes.
It is one of the best casseroles I've ever made... still eating the leftovers!!!
- 1-1.25 pounds of chicken- either cut up or shredded
- 1 box of penne
- 1 10 ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed. Make sure you wring the excess water out-- there will be a lot of it.
- 2 ounces of cream cheese
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2T of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
- 1 glove of garlic clove, chopped
-1 small red onion, chopped
-6 mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, divided
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 11 minutes (you don't want it completely done b/c it's going to continue cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta well.
Cook your chicken- add salt and pepper. When it's about halfway through, add the dressing and continue cooking until just cooked through. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms- salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add your spinach and break it apart. Cook for another three minutes. Add your chicken broth and cream cheese- add salt and pepper. Cook until the cream cheese is melted. Add the mixture to the cooked pasta.
Put about half of the mixture into a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Add 1 cup of mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Add the other half of the mixture to the dish. Add the remaining mozzarella and more Parmesan on top.
Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes.
It is one of the best casseroles I've ever made... still eating the leftovers!!!
Monday, September 27, 2010
How I Know I Own a Great Dane
... And yes I mean besides the food and the size ...
Some people we know that have a Dane used to tell us that he had his own designated spot on their bed that he would sleep, and if anyone got in his way he would pout and pace and make noises until they got up.
WELL... when we got our furniture, we said, "Paisley is not allowed on the furniture. It's new... blah, blah, blah..." Yeah that lasted about a week. We have a couch, a recliner, and an over-sized chair-- and Paisley can pretty much sleep and sit where she wants now (it's kinda hard to control the power and weight of a Great Dane). So recently her place to sleep has been on the couch beside of her daddy.
A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in her spot and she started pacing.. pacing around the coffee table, pacing around the room... she would NOT lay down. I took her out, thinking that would make her lay down... NOPE. She's still pacing... then she comes over to me and puts her head on chest and sighs. And she's pacing again and making noises and looking at Josh.
Then it hit me, and I said, "I'm going to get up. Let's see how long it takes for her to get in my spot."
I got up and walked to the kitchen, and as soon as I got up-- I get the look like, "Are you watching me? When you're not looking, I'm going to get on the couch." And sure enough when I was far enough away, the front paws get up on the couch and the look of, "Oh am I going to get away with it? Is she watching me?" The back paws go up and she plops down.. within 5 minutes she was zonked out.
And tonight.. Paisley ate her kibbles and came over to look at me like, "Mama get up so I can lay down on the couch." And as soon as I got up, she climbed up and is now out like a light.
I LOVE this dog-- she's awesome!!!
Some people we know that have a Dane used to tell us that he had his own designated spot on their bed that he would sleep, and if anyone got in his way he would pout and pace and make noises until they got up.
WELL... when we got our furniture, we said, "Paisley is not allowed on the furniture. It's new... blah, blah, blah..." Yeah that lasted about a week. We have a couch, a recliner, and an over-sized chair-- and Paisley can pretty much sleep and sit where she wants now (it's kinda hard to control the power and weight of a Great Dane). So recently her place to sleep has been on the couch beside of her daddy.
A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in her spot and she started pacing.. pacing around the coffee table, pacing around the room... she would NOT lay down. I took her out, thinking that would make her lay down... NOPE. She's still pacing... then she comes over to me and puts her head on chest and sighs. And she's pacing again and making noises and looking at Josh.
Then it hit me, and I said, "I'm going to get up. Let's see how long it takes for her to get in my spot."
I got up and walked to the kitchen, and as soon as I got up-- I get the look like, "Are you watching me? When you're not looking, I'm going to get on the couch." And sure enough when I was far enough away, the front paws get up on the couch and the look of, "Oh am I going to get away with it? Is she watching me?" The back paws go up and she plops down.. within 5 minutes she was zonked out.
And tonight.. Paisley ate her kibbles and came over to look at me like, "Mama get up so I can lay down on the couch." And as soon as I got up, she climbed up and is now out like a light.
I LOVE this dog-- she's awesome!!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chicken Mushroom Provolone Sandwiches..
This recipe originally came from Williams-Sonoma, but I altered the recipe to make it mine.
- Thick Textured Bread-- I used Sourdough.
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts (you can use Oscar Mayer or Sara Lee, but I used actual chicken breast and cooked it through). I sliced the breasts even more to make them thinner.
- 1 cup of fresh white or brown mushrooms
- Slices of Provolone Cheese (the original recipe called for Gruyere)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you use actual chicken breasts and cook them through, remove them from the pan and add your mushrooms to the same pan. Saute over medium heat and set them aside. Slice your bread so your slices are thick enough so they won't fall apart in your panini maker. Put cheese on both sides of the bread. Put your chicken on one side of the bread, and the mushrooms on the other. Put the sandwich together and put in the panini maker until the cheese is melty and gooey.
Don't have a panini maker? You can use frying pans.. put the sandwiches in one pan over medium heat and put a foiled-covered brick or another frying pan on top of the sandwich to flatten the sandwich and add weight.
Pair it up with some sweet potato fries, and you have got yourself an awesome Bistro meal..
- Thick Textured Bread-- I used Sourdough.
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts (you can use Oscar Mayer or Sara Lee, but I used actual chicken breast and cooked it through). I sliced the breasts even more to make them thinner.
- 1 cup of fresh white or brown mushrooms
- Slices of Provolone Cheese (the original recipe called for Gruyere)
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you use actual chicken breasts and cook them through, remove them from the pan and add your mushrooms to the same pan. Saute over medium heat and set them aside. Slice your bread so your slices are thick enough so they won't fall apart in your panini maker. Put cheese on both sides of the bread. Put your chicken on one side of the bread, and the mushrooms on the other. Put the sandwich together and put in the panini maker until the cheese is melty and gooey.
Don't have a panini maker? You can use frying pans.. put the sandwiches in one pan over medium heat and put a foiled-covered brick or another frying pan on top of the sandwich to flatten the sandwich and add weight.
Pair it up with some sweet potato fries, and you have got yourself an awesome Bistro meal..
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
What I Have Learned in SC.
So we have been in SC for a little over a month now-- and it's amazing the things I have learned so far...
1. People are just as crazy in SC as they are in NC.
2. Alligators really do live in the ponds and marshes and lakes.
3. Squashed armadillos exist too (saw my first one rolled over on the way home today).
4. School zones in the pm are between 3.15 and 4.00- 45mph, and not 1mph over or the cops will get you (no this hasn't happened to me but they are watched very closely)
5. Hurricanes- even off the coast of Africa- can make the waves and rip currents bad (good for surfers, bad for everyone else).
6. Paddleboarding is extreme fun but extremely hard. Your upper legs have to be strong.
7. Surfboards, paddleboards, and those other board things are expensive.
8. Paddleboards are heavy.
9. Jellyfish are plentiful in the month of August ONLY. They start going away in September.
10. Jellyfish stings hurt. Now granted I only got stung by a small one. And some of them can't hurt you. But they still hurt. To get rid of the burning and stinging: spray vinegar on it.
11. You're not allowed to keep live sand dollars. If they're dead, keep as many as you want. Otherwise leave them alone.
12. The most important thing I have learned is that there are ophthalmology offices that treat their techs and pay their techs what they're worth. I have never worked at a place that treats their techs so well. For instance, we shut down Friday pm to have a pool party. Monday was Labor Day. This morning I came and signed off on my time sheet and noticed that not only did I get paid for Labor Day, but I got paid for Friday pm. Plus I got to leave early today to meet the cable guy. When I asked about getting my hours in so I got paid for Labor Day, I got a very strange look and then the response of, "No you get paid regardless." If it were "anywhere else" (and you girls know where I'm talking about), it would have been, "I hate that for ya. You have to get your hours, or you don't get paid for yesterday."
13. Another important thing I have learned, and I'll end on this: I've learned and remembered what it is to be happy... This was a GREAT decision to move down here.
PS... For those of you that question if I'm really down here or not, YES I AM!!! Just because my cell number still says 828 doesn't mean a thing. Josh's best friend has lived in Savannah for the past 4-5 years, and he still has an 828 number. However with Josh's new job, we'll have to switch to 843.
PSS... One more little tidbit, and I'm officially done-- We officially have internet again. Woo!!!
1. People are just as crazy in SC as they are in NC.
2. Alligators really do live in the ponds and marshes and lakes.
3. Squashed armadillos exist too (saw my first one rolled over on the way home today).
4. School zones in the pm are between 3.15 and 4.00- 45mph, and not 1mph over or the cops will get you (no this hasn't happened to me but they are watched very closely)
5. Hurricanes- even off the coast of Africa- can make the waves and rip currents bad (good for surfers, bad for everyone else).
6. Paddleboarding is extreme fun but extremely hard. Your upper legs have to be strong.
7. Surfboards, paddleboards, and those other board things are expensive.
8. Paddleboards are heavy.
9. Jellyfish are plentiful in the month of August ONLY. They start going away in September.
10. Jellyfish stings hurt. Now granted I only got stung by a small one. And some of them can't hurt you. But they still hurt. To get rid of the burning and stinging: spray vinegar on it.
11. You're not allowed to keep live sand dollars. If they're dead, keep as many as you want. Otherwise leave them alone.
12. The most important thing I have learned is that there are ophthalmology offices that treat their techs and pay their techs what they're worth. I have never worked at a place that treats their techs so well. For instance, we shut down Friday pm to have a pool party. Monday was Labor Day. This morning I came and signed off on my time sheet and noticed that not only did I get paid for Labor Day, but I got paid for Friday pm. Plus I got to leave early today to meet the cable guy. When I asked about getting my hours in so I got paid for Labor Day, I got a very strange look and then the response of, "No you get paid regardless." If it were "anywhere else" (and you girls know where I'm talking about), it would have been, "I hate that for ya. You have to get your hours, or you don't get paid for yesterday."
13. Another important thing I have learned, and I'll end on this: I've learned and remembered what it is to be happy... This was a GREAT decision to move down here.
PS... For those of you that question if I'm really down here or not, YES I AM!!! Just because my cell number still says 828 doesn't mean a thing. Josh's best friend has lived in Savannah for the past 4-5 years, and he still has an 828 number. However with Josh's new job, we'll have to switch to 843.
PSS... One more little tidbit, and I'm officially done-- We officially have internet again. Woo!!!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Official Blufftonians
Tomorrow, August 20th, will be our three week anniversary that we have officially been moved and settled into the state of SC. Greetings from Bluffton!!!
We spent the whole week- and yes I do mean the WHOLE WEEK- packing crap up and finally loading it into the 27 foot U-Haul... oh and doing my final good-byes to my co-workers and friends. Friday morning we got up after sleeping on the floor and finished the ends and outs up, did our apartment inspection, and drove 5 hours to the sweltering heat of SC (I did have a minor breakdown when leaving Hickory, but honestly I think I was too tired and focused to really think about it). Our poor little town home went from shambles and boxes everywhere to a pretty cute little place to live and call home. Josh's pictures adorn our walls and somehow seemed to complete the moving process. We threw away our beloved blue couch- that we have had for about eight or nine years- and threw away Paisley's crappy blue recliner and have replaced it with not-yet-broken-in furniture. What's even greater is we have enough room and enough furniture for EVERYONE to sit-- it's GREAT.
The week before I started work, we explored our little area and have discovered three little back roads that bypass things and make things easier to get around. We've also discovered public beach accesses where the parking is free and not a lot of people know about. We've discovered Hunting Island and snooty Fripp Island (where as big as the island is, they have no gas stations.. just an FYI). Hunting Island is a really cool beach- it's a State Park, as well as the beach. You have to pay to park, but you can also buy a pass for $50 that will last you the whole year and will get you into any state park in SC with free parking. We've already made our money up... Let's see Josh has discovered and read about crab pots and saltwater fishing. Just about everyday that I was off, we went to the beach in some form or another.
The week I actually started work, I discovered the sometimes hellacious traffic- tourists and school- and if you're going into the island in the mornings... it sucks. There, of course, aren't any back roads, so if there is any kind of holdup, you're going to be stuck-- could be five minutes or three hours. I did my orientation and followed for a day and a half-- then I was working up on my own and now workup more patients than the experienced people do (I'm not bragging, I really do- the doctors and supervisor has told me this). Everyone there is super nice- it's a small practice- so there aren't any cliques or coworker drama. Of course, being me, I'm still trying to feel people out and not get in the way. The flow of patients is really awesome compared to what I'm used to, and when they say, "Oh my gosh it's going to be busy today," I look at the schedule and think, "I worked with one doctor that saw 47-60 patients in one session.. this is nothing." I think that's why I work so hard and fast, is because, that's what I'm used to. The supervisor and doctors are super nice-- they're not afraid to eat lunch with their techs and take super good care of them... better than I've ever been treated before. The patients are nice, as well-- you would think that being Hilton Head, there would be nothing but snooty people.. but really, they're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Let's see what else is going on... oh the air is amazing... the salty, beachy smell is something that I have not gotten tired of yet. I was telling Josh I still hope I enjoy that smell when we're here in five years b/c that's one smell I do not want to EVER get tired of. It really hit me that we live here a couple last week when we got to go the beach after I left work. I thought, "Wow I'm really not a tourist... I really live here." :)
Food wise we haven't really tried anything new... we did eat chocolate chip cheese cake with Bailey's whip cream on top that was awesome. OH the grocery stores are phenomenal down here (and you know how I am about grocery stores). There are Publix stores everywhere, and they are by far my favorite-- fresh sushi is made every day, the seafood is fresh, their produce and pastry section is divine, AND in the frozen section they have sensor lights so when you walk by, they sense you and light up. When you walk away, the lights turn off. It's a GREAT store!!!! On the agenda this weekend may be me fixing crab cakes and such, so we can see if crab catching will be our forte.
Well I have written a book here, but as you can see, I've had three weeks to catch up on. I'm studying for my COT exam again (3rd time's a charm), and I've started to think more about my writing... the kids are doing great and seem to be happy with the move. They especially love all the frogs and toads that are in our area-- we've seen signs for alligators but no sightings, and I have yet to see a snake or an armadillo. :)
Au Revior-- more later as I get more news and more time.
We spent the whole week- and yes I do mean the WHOLE WEEK- packing crap up and finally loading it into the 27 foot U-Haul... oh and doing my final good-byes to my co-workers and friends. Friday morning we got up after sleeping on the floor and finished the ends and outs up, did our apartment inspection, and drove 5 hours to the sweltering heat of SC (I did have a minor breakdown when leaving Hickory, but honestly I think I was too tired and focused to really think about it). Our poor little town home went from shambles and boxes everywhere to a pretty cute little place to live and call home. Josh's pictures adorn our walls and somehow seemed to complete the moving process. We threw away our beloved blue couch- that we have had for about eight or nine years- and threw away Paisley's crappy blue recliner and have replaced it with not-yet-broken-in furniture. What's even greater is we have enough room and enough furniture for EVERYONE to sit-- it's GREAT.
The week before I started work, we explored our little area and have discovered three little back roads that bypass things and make things easier to get around. We've also discovered public beach accesses where the parking is free and not a lot of people know about. We've discovered Hunting Island and snooty Fripp Island (where as big as the island is, they have no gas stations.. just an FYI). Hunting Island is a really cool beach- it's a State Park, as well as the beach. You have to pay to park, but you can also buy a pass for $50 that will last you the whole year and will get you into any state park in SC with free parking. We've already made our money up... Let's see Josh has discovered and read about crab pots and saltwater fishing. Just about everyday that I was off, we went to the beach in some form or another.
The week I actually started work, I discovered the sometimes hellacious traffic- tourists and school- and if you're going into the island in the mornings... it sucks. There, of course, aren't any back roads, so if there is any kind of holdup, you're going to be stuck-- could be five minutes or three hours. I did my orientation and followed for a day and a half-- then I was working up on my own and now workup more patients than the experienced people do (I'm not bragging, I really do- the doctors and supervisor has told me this). Everyone there is super nice- it's a small practice- so there aren't any cliques or coworker drama. Of course, being me, I'm still trying to feel people out and not get in the way. The flow of patients is really awesome compared to what I'm used to, and when they say, "Oh my gosh it's going to be busy today," I look at the schedule and think, "I worked with one doctor that saw 47-60 patients in one session.. this is nothing." I think that's why I work so hard and fast, is because, that's what I'm used to. The supervisor and doctors are super nice-- they're not afraid to eat lunch with their techs and take super good care of them... better than I've ever been treated before. The patients are nice, as well-- you would think that being Hilton Head, there would be nothing but snooty people.. but really, they're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Let's see what else is going on... oh the air is amazing... the salty, beachy smell is something that I have not gotten tired of yet. I was telling Josh I still hope I enjoy that smell when we're here in five years b/c that's one smell I do not want to EVER get tired of. It really hit me that we live here a couple last week when we got to go the beach after I left work. I thought, "Wow I'm really not a tourist... I really live here." :)
Food wise we haven't really tried anything new... we did eat chocolate chip cheese cake with Bailey's whip cream on top that was awesome. OH the grocery stores are phenomenal down here (and you know how I am about grocery stores). There are Publix stores everywhere, and they are by far my favorite-- fresh sushi is made every day, the seafood is fresh, their produce and pastry section is divine, AND in the frozen section they have sensor lights so when you walk by, they sense you and light up. When you walk away, the lights turn off. It's a GREAT store!!!! On the agenda this weekend may be me fixing crab cakes and such, so we can see if crab catching will be our forte.
Well I have written a book here, but as you can see, I've had three weeks to catch up on. I'm studying for my COT exam again (3rd time's a charm), and I've started to think more about my writing... the kids are doing great and seem to be happy with the move. They especially love all the frogs and toads that are in our area-- we've seen signs for alligators but no sightings, and I have yet to see a snake or an armadillo. :)
Au Revior-- more later as I get more news and more time.
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