Beginning a New Chapter

Back to the routine

2010-01-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. I traveled down to GA to see family and friends during the holidays. I had a great time catching up with everyone. My favorite part of Christmas is our family's tradition of having Christmas tree pancakes for breakfast Christmas morning.

We had a great Christmas Eve celebration with the extended family.

Christmas day I got to spend some time with my sister and adorable nephews.

Overall it was a great trip. Now I am back in Columbus settling back in to my old routine. Today is the 12th consecutive day it has snowed in Columbus. I was actually sent home from work early today. When I left work 3 inches of snow had accumulated on my car. I took a couple of snapshots throughout the day.

These are from my office window. ....

And these are from the drive home...

I still can't believe I live in a state that gets this much snow.

Another year, another new beginning

2009-12-27T15:12:00.003-05:00

It's been just over a year since I started this blog. Last December I was preparing myself to start a new chapter of life. That chapter included a new city, a new job and a new perspective. I never would have imagined everything that has happened over the last 12 months. The past year has truly been full of ups and downs, both of which have been extreme. I imagine that is one of the beauties of life, the unexpected. What I am taking from this year is not all the wonderful or terrible things that have happened, but how those things have changed and shaped me.

I recently read a piece on the origin of the word life. The word originated from the Proto-Indo-European word "lip", which means "to remain, persevere, continue." In Old English, the word "life" meant, "the condition, quality, or fact of being a living organism......which includes the capacity for growth and development characterized by functional activity." Those two definitions really sum up the last 12 months for me. Not only have I persevered through the last year, but it has provided opportunity for growth in my life.

I have no doubt that this next year will bring an ample amount of opportunities for change and growth as well. Although I didn't think I was strong enough to handle the things that were thrown at me this year, God has provided everything that I need. If it were not for the strength that He has given, I would have completely given up. I am very thankful for my friends and family who have also stood by and supported me through the last year.

First snow of the season

2009-12-20T23:05:00.003-05:00

It's that time again. As much as I had dreaded the below freezing temperatures and the frozen precipitation, I have actually enjoyed the first snow of the season. It has been snowing for a couple of days here in Columbus and it is beautiful. The ground, the cars and the buildings are all coated with a white dusting. Enjoy the snow with me.

Things I miss about the south #457

2009-12-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

Carnation hot chocolate

Making Decisions

2009-10-21T19:58:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks Andy Stanley completed a series called "Your Move." The series was based on how to make good decisions. Over the past year I have been faced with many decisions and have a lot of others to make in the upcoming months. Andy gave 4 specific questions to ask anytime you are faced with a decision no matter how big or small.

1. Am I being completely honest with myself.

2. What story do I want to tell?

3. Is there a tension that needs my attention?

4. What would be most honoring to God?

On the surface, the first question seems obvious. We like to think that we are always honest with ourselves. But when I dig a little deeper, I think back to a couple of times in my life where I have had to make decisions and I know now, looking back, that I was not honest with myself or anyone else about the situations. In several of those times, I avoided the truth because it would have made the decision harder or would have been more painful.

The second question, "What story do I want to tell?" opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. Andy described our life as a series of stories. Looking back, high school is now just a story I tell. The same for college and grad school. Everything that happens in our lives eventually becomes just a story that we tell. When making decisions, we need to decide how that decision is going to change our story. If our decision is not going to be something we will want to tell our children or grandchildren, then it is probably the wrong one.

Question 4, "Is there a tension that needs my attention?" I wasn't quite sure what this question meant at first. This tension is representative of that little voice in your head/heart/gut that lets you know there is something that you should be weary of. A lot of times we may feel this tension but ignore it. The important thing to learn here is to pay attention to that little voice because it is there for a reason.

Thus far all of the questions seem easy enough to ask before making a decision. Then that last one comes up and hits you pretty hard. "What is most honorable to God?" God should be the person that we put first when making decisions in our lives. Are the decisions we make everyday honoring God?

I really enjoyed the series and believe it will help me in making decisions in the future. I wanted to pass it along so that it may help you too.

Activate! Week two

2009-10-16T00:15:00.003-04:00

I wish I could report that my Bible study had gone as well this week as it went last week. Last week I was very excited and extremely motivated. This week started out that way, but towards the end of the week I had a few struggles. I had to be at the hospital at 6am one day this week, which is a good bit earlier than my usual 730am. What I have been doing is getting up and doing my bible study and quiet time from 530am-6am, then getting ready for work. When my schedule changed for that day it threw everything off. I decided to take a shower the night before that way it would give me more time in the morning. I went to bed early and set my alarm for 5:00am. Then I laid there and laid there and laid there. I tried to shut my mind off and stop thinking about stuff. I played my progressive muscle relaxation mp3 which usually is the perfect antidote for my insomnia. Embarrassingly enough, I even tried counting sheep. Nothing seemed to work. I'm not sure what time I finally dozed off, but when my alarm clock went off at 5:00am, I wanted to hide my head under the covers and pretend that I didn't have to go in.

As I have mentioned before, each night before I go to bed I lay out my Bible and my Activate! book on the dining room table so I am ready to go when I get up. I think this helps me stay focused on the task at hand. So after turning off my alarm clock, I throw the covers back to get jolted by the freezing degrees in the house. So now I haven't had nearly enough sleep and I am so cold that all I can think is how much I hate Ohio and its weather. Poor pitiful me. Here is where the poor decision making comes in. As I go into the dining room I think, I would be so much more comfortable and warm if I just did this morning's study in bed, under the warm covers.........right. I was obviously thinking very clearly. I grab my study material off the dining room table and pad back into the bedroom right back under the covers. I settle back under the covers and flip through the book to remind myself what I learned the day before and to evaluation how I applied that lesson during the day yesterday. Next on the schedule is to pray and ask God to open my heart and let the scripture speak to me as I read. I close my eyes to start my prayer and all I could think about what how warm it was in that bed. Then another thought hits me. The challenge with this Activate! class is to have quiet study time with God 5 out of 7 days. In my fuzzy thoughts I thought this was a stroke of genius. Why hadn't I thought of this last night? I can skip today's study as long as I get up and do it on Saturday. So, I reset my alarm clock and went right back to sleep with my Bible and Activate! book in the bed with me.

This is where everything went wrong. I had the worst day! Everything I touched broke. Every patient I saw was grumpy. I thought God was punishing me for not doing my Bible study that morning. Throughout the day I tried to pray and recenter myself. I was asking God why getting up was so hard that morning and why my day was going so terrible. During the day God revealed 2 things to me. The first was when I was struggling about why it was so hard for me to get up and complete the Bible study like I normally would. As I was praying and meditating, I asked, "Why didn't you help me this morning when I needed it?" God very plainly spoke to my heart and said, "You didn't ask." This took me back a step and I recalled back to the morning and what all had happened and I realized, that not one time when I was struggling to get up this morning or making the decision to do my Bible study in bed did I ask God to help me get up and stay awake. All I did was focus on the reasons that I should be able to go back to bed. The second thing he said to me is what are you applying today. What concept are you thinking about and how are you using that concept to be a better Christian today. I realized that I wasn't doing anything to strengthen my Christianity or to be a light to other people that day. I was so focused on how everything was going wrong for me that I forgot to think about all the things that were great. I lived for another day. I had great friends and family to be thankful for. I can see, taste, smell, hear which are things that some of my patients can't do. I had to stop and just thank God for all the things that were great in my life.

Good reminders this week.

1. We can't blame God for not giving us what we need when we do not ask for it. It doesn't matter how small you think the need is, you can still ask God to help you.

2. Do not take anything for granted. We are blessed a thousand times over compared to the majority of the population yet we find less joy in the little things.

3. What are we doing everyday of our lives to be different, to show people we are different and to draw closer to Christ. When you are applying lessons or sermons or scripture to your life it not only impacts others but it impacts you and your perceptions.

Memorization

2009-10-12T18:57:00.002-04:00

During each of our Activate! daily readings, we are given memorization verses for the day. Since I started the class, the memorization hasn't been my strong point. You would think after acing grad school this wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, since graduating I think my brain has started refusing to convert anything into my long term memory. But never fear, I have come up with plan. Throughout the day I am going to randomly twitter my memory verse for the world to see. Hopefully, after a couple, well maybe, a few tries I will help force my brain to work again.

If any of you have good memorization methods/strategies please share.

The Hurry Sickness

2009-10-11T23:53:00.001-04:00

My Activate! class this week was based on the the "Hurry Sickness." Most people I know are affected by this underlying need to accomplish things from their long term goals to everyday tasks as quickly as possible. I will be the first person to admit that this fits my personality to a tee. I love schedules. I love having my day planned out. I love carrying around my day planner. I get excited each time my computer syncs my Google calendar with my Desktop calendar. The problem is when one of the events on my calendar goes over the time that I have given it, I give into this hurry sickness. I'm panicked and stressed out that I am not on schedule and everything I think should be completed isn't going to be completed in the amount of time that I think it should be done. This has the capability to turn into complete madness. As I look back, I can count a thousand other situations where I have focused so much on getting through in a timely manner that I have missed the joy in the situations. One good example I can think of is college and grad school. Did I really grab hold of my college experience, take time to enjoy it and not feel the need to rush through? Absolutely not. I took as many courses as I could take each semester (one semester I had to get approval of the dean to take over the max of 24 hours). The time I wasn't in class I thought I had to be involved with something else. Work, church, family stuff, volunteering, shopping just to name a few. I look back on that time in my life and I remember very little down time. One thing that I have learned over the past year or so is that I need some solitude time. Apparently it took God moving me 10 hours away from everything I know to make me realize that, but I finally understood that I need to slow down and give God some of the schedule (other than scheduled services) that I was keeping so full. The main problem I was having is that I thought everything had to be completed according to my timeline not God's.

A great example used in class today was the story of when Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Martha was so worried about the setting and the food and making everything perfect for the Lord that she didn't take time to focus on just being with Jesus like her sister. This reminded me of something our pastor described in the morning service. He talked about the 2 parts of ourselves, the inner self and the outer self. The inner self is our soul, conscious and our relationship with God. The outer self is focused on beauty, perfection and physical belongings. In this story Martha was very focused on the outer self where her sister Mary was focused on her inner self, being her relationship with God. We all, myself first and foremost, need to focus more on our inner self and stop being preoccupied with our outer selves.

As class was ending today and I was gathering my belongings, I was thinking to myself: "Self, this week we are going to be patient and not focus so much on a schedule and just let the Lord lead us according to his timeline." I was very confident that I could achieve that goal for the week. Well......that lasted approx 10 minutes. After church I got in my car, got on the highway and stopped at a red light. It wasn't until the light turned green that I noticed that I was behind a transfer truck. As the truck slowly started turning his gears in effort to accelerate, I noticed that 4 cars in the next lane had already blown through the green light. Just as I said out loud "You have got to be kidding me," in response to the slow moving truck and my rush to get home (for no reason in particular), God just reminded me that I needed to slow down and not be so concerned with my timeline and just let him be in control. Just to help myself learn patience, I stayed behind that slow transfer truck for the next 10 miles, even though I had ample opportunity to switch lanes and blow right past him. Hopefully, this taught me a lesson.

This week try to remember that we are living on God's time not our own. Let him guide your schedules this week.

OSU football

2009-10-10T22:46:00.002-04:00

Since I moved to Columbus, all I have heard is about how crazy everyone is about Buckeye football and "just wait...it gets crazy." What most people do not understand is that I am from the south. Like most people who live in Georgia, I partially define myself as a GA Dawg. A weekend long celebration, tailgating, crisp weather, and 90,000+ fans screaming "Gooooo Dawgs. Sick'em woof woof woof." This are things that I am used to.

Although I am a lifelong Georgia fan first and foremost, the ones of you who know me best know that I have always had a place in my heart for the Buckeyes. This secret fanhood started when cheering at my first college football bowl game. Miami vs OSU in the Fiesta Bowl. For some unknown reason I felt a connection with the Buckeyes. Granted it could have been that I was a teenager and the boys were really cute and very nice to us as we watched them practice and talked with them after a practice earlier in the week. Little did I know that 10 years later I would be living in Buckeye country. Now don't get me wrong I think the Big 10 has a long way to go to meet the standards of the SEC, but as far as Big 10 teams are concerned, OSU is the best.

All of this brings me to my newest adventure to share with you. Today I went to my second (but really first as just a fan) OSU football game. I had envisioned madness and crazy fans all over the place and was kind of disappointed. Sure there were a lot of tailgaters and the ever present shirtless, painted band of boys, but I didn't think the fans were anymore loyal or crazy than GA fans. There were a couple of times where I thought wow. . . that takes community. For instance, one of the popular cheers was for the fans to scream out O.. H.. I.. O. Not all together mind you. The south end zone of the stadium was the O. They would stand, give the overhead circle of the arms indicating an O, and scream "O" at the top of their lungs. The visitors side of the stadium were the H. Following in line with the yelling and the H symbol. The north end zone, where I was seated, kept the fun going by being and screaming the I. The buckeye's side of the field finished up the state name with the last O. There wasn't just a few people participating either. The first time the cheer went around. I wasn't ready. I had no idea what was happening. Needless to say I was the only one in the entire stadium (minus the small but loyal Wisconsin fans) that stayed seated. Everyone around me gave the I all they had. You should have seen the looks that I got from those die hard fans. It was like I was from another planet. From that point on I was on my guard and ready for that I like it was my only goal for the day.

We arrived at the stadium early, because that is what everyone says you should do. We found our seats at 60 minutes to kick off. This is what the stands looked like at that time.

Not too full right? We just assumed that every one was still out tailgating. We had plenty of time before the game started so we decided to walk around. Just like any college or professional game there were a lot of shops who had foam fingers, wigs and clothing for sale. There were also carts selling Donato's pizza (a pizza place new to me when I moved, pretty good though if you are ever near one) and AT&T agents. Closer to game time we took our seats. By that time the stands looked like this.

I do have to give snaps to the band and cheerleaders because the pre-game show was very entertaining. Here are some shots of that.

The band marching out

The O formation

The band showing off their timing skills

And how could I forget Brutus. Brutus was the most energy-filled mascot I think I have ever seen. He commanded the stadium and brought the crowd to their feet.

After the pre-game show the military guys marched out in their perfectly crisp uniforms carrying the folded flag.

Out of all the games I have been attended, I was the most impressed with the way they raised the flag. First they unfolded the flag. . .

Marched it over to the flagpole. . .

attached it to the mechanical pulley....

Then as we belted the national anthem the flag rose up and took it's place high in the stadium.

Next was the entrance of the players . I didn't know what was happening at first. All I knew is the decibels doubled in about 1 second. It went from everyday back ground noise at 60 dB to the threshold of human pain at 120 dB. At that point, I saw the OHIO flags waving and the running of the players onto the field. I was also thinking to myself that Dr. O'Rourke at GSU would be scolding me for not bringing ear protection.

Then the game started. The first quarter wasn't so interesting. The game was slow and there were a lot of turnovers. That first quarter I just stopped to take in sights, the cheers and the overwhelming amount of pride that this crowd had for their team. Quarters 2-4 were more exciting. The teams actually started to score. Other highlights included being seated in front of the cheerleaders...

Brutus crowd surfing....

and the band coming into the stands to play about 3 feet away from me... (again...ear protection needed)

Overall I had a great day. It was a fabulous experience and I am thankful that I had the chance to go.

Week one complete

2009-10-09T20:58:00.002-04:00

I am proud to announce that my goal this week of 5 days of consistent quiet and study time with God each morning has been accomplished. Not everyday was easy, but through prayer I was encouraged to get myself up when the alarm clock went off and devote the first 30 minutes of my day to God. I would like to thank the ones of you who called or sent me emails of encouragement. The quick prayers that you sent up and the emails kept me motivated.

One thing that I noted earlier in the week was a weakness in sharing my faith. I focused on that during my prayer time this week. I am happy to say that God provided me with 3 different opportunities to talk with co-workers about Jesus. I will not say that I did a fantastic job of thoroughly getting my point across, but I do believe that a seed has been planted in those people. A couple of Sunday's ago my pastor made the comment that you should always plow the ground, you sometimes plant a seed, and eventually you will reap the harvest. I thought this was a great analogy for my week. Everyday I do the best I can to lead a Christan life and to show others that I am different. This week I had a few opportunities to plant some seeds. Even though I may or may not ever see those specific seeds being harvested, I know I have done my part to plant the seeds and I will have faith that those seeds will eventually be harvested.

Our lessons over the past week were based not only on your relationship with God, but your relationships with other believers and your involvement in ministry. One specific focus was defining your spiritual gifts. This was hard for me. I definitely can say that communication is one of my spiritual gifts. I love any type of outreach where I can be involved with people, but does that count as a spiritual gift? I'm not sure. I pray that throughout the next week God will really open my eyes to what spiritual gifts I possess and may not be aware of. I do feel that God has something special planned for me, but I need his guidance in figuring out what it is. My prayer request to you this week is that you keep me in your prayers and pray that God will help me find my spiritual gift to lead others to him. My challenge to you this week is that you will look at yourself and define what your spiritual gifts are then use those to help others. Let me know how it goes.

So far so good...

2009-10-06T21:30:00.004-04:00

To give you an update on my progress, so far I am 2 for 2. As soon as my alarm went off Monday morning, I jumped right out of bed wide awake and went to the dining room where I had my bible and study materials out and ready. I poured myself a big glass of orange juice and started my morning time with a quick prayer to prepare my heart for change.

This morning I was not quite as bright eyed and bushy tailed. I must have been a little anxious about getting up on time today, because I woke up pretty much every hour last night to check the clock and make sure I hadn't overslept. When the alarm finally did go off, I honestly wanted to shut it off and go back to sleep. Instead, I asked the Lord to help me wake up and help me get through the day. By the time I made it into the dining room I was awake and ready to grow.

I have noticed that, thus far, my days have seemed a little more cheerful and a little less stressed. I am positive that is a direct result of my 2 days of accomplishments. There is so much more to say about what I am learning and reading about, but I have to get to bed tonight so I can be up and awake for my appointment with God tomorrow.

Activate!

2009-10-04T21:55:00.003-04:00

As some of you may know I started a new bible study this week called Activate. This class is something that I have been looking forward to over the past couple of weeks and something that I think will greatly benefit me. The class is focused on making your relationship with God more personal, being able to pray more effectively and becoming comfortable with sharing your faith with nonbelievers. After the foundation (introduction) section of the book, the author gives you the honor of doing a self-evaluation. I know that everyone loves to honestly evaluate and critique where they are and to identify their weaknesses, right? I don't really love the word weaknesses. It seems a little negative. Let's use "areas of growth" instead. During my evaluation time, I realized that sharing my faith with others is a big area of growth for me. Thinking back on my almost 9 months in Ohio (geez, has it really been that long), I have only straight forwardly invited 3 people to church. To me, that is kind of sad. I see a lot of people on a daily basis. What is holding me back from sharing my faith with those people. Is part of it rules about appropriate behavior in the workplace? Absolutely, but that is an entirely different post.

Now that my self-evaluation is completed, I move on to the challenge of the first week. This week's challenge is to set aside a specific time (preferably in the mornings) to complete your reading and quiet time with God. Our leader in this class urged us to find an accountability partner. This person is someone you can check in with who will hold you accountable for your challenges. Hello accountability partners! Given that in the past I have tried similar things on my own and due to the lack of will power have not been consistent, I am now making myself accountable to the blogosphere and anyone interested enough to read this blog. I have chosen to do this for a couple of reasons: (1) I will feel pressure to complete all of my quiet times because I plan to update the blog everyday with my outstanding consistency and (2) this is one step I can take to share my faith with others. Granted only my family and some close friends read this blog, but I am making a stand and will try to befriend and invite nonbelievers to the blog.

My prayer for this week is that God will provide the opportunity to share my faith with someone and help me be faithful in my daily devotion time. I would greatly appreciate any prayers that you guys could get up for me.

If anyone is interested in completing the series with me or at another time, thus far I highly recommend the book. The title is Survival Kit: 5 Keys to Effective Spiritual Growth. It can be purchased at Lifeway Christian bookstores or at Amazon for under $10.

As soon as I spell check and click publish, I will be setting my alarm clock for 5:45 so I can do my quiet time in the morning. I will let you know how it goes. Good night!

Brittany

Hitting close to home......honoring a hero

2009-09-13T00:17:00.013-04:00

Everyday we hear about soldiers getting killed overseas while defending our freedom, protecting our rights and providing us with the opportunity to live in the greatest country in the world. It's easier for the American people to hear these stories as long as they are distanced from the pain and mourning of the families that are paralyzed by the loss of a loved one. When one of these stories hits closer to home, it makes you take a step back, re-evaluate and recognize all the small things that we take for granted everyday.

Many of you have not been directly hit with tragedy of burying a dear friend, child or spouse, but you have all heard stories and news cast of such grief. One particularly popular and touching story was about Marine Lance Corporal Jose Gutierrez. He was the first American solider to be killed in combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Three days ago Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. At 24 years old, he stood up for his country and lost his life defending the freedom that he believed in. Yesterday, Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn McCloskey was killed in Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his vehicle. McCloskey left behind a widow and two small kids. Sure these stories break your heart and many of you wish there was something that you could do to help. Well now there is.......

A fellow solider and a dear friend of John's, Sgt. Justin Duffy was killed in action on June 2, 2009 after a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee. What does this mean to you? John along with Duffy's family and the University of Nebraska have initiated a Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of Sgt. Duffy. Since August, the scholarship fund has transformed from an idea to a discussion and now to an official foundation. John's goal is to raise $25,000 by December to honor this fallen hero. Although this may seem like a large goal to accomplish, since the scholarship began collecting money just a few weeks ago, the scholarship fund has already reached over 10% of the goal. My hope is to do my part in raising awareness of the fund and providing you with the opportunity to reach out and honor a hero who laid his life down for your freedom. We need you to help us reach this goal. Any amount of money no matter how big or how small will be put to use for a great cause.

To learn more about the Sgt. Duffy Foundation website visit it here

http://stories.nufoundation.org/node/565

To make an online donation to honor this hero or to find an address suitable to mail a check follow this link

https://nufoundation.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1367

This Facebook page has also been created to rally support and provide further information about donating.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SGT-Justin-Duffy-Memorial-Scholarship/123053338041?ref=ts

Welcome to my job

2009-08-04T21:00:00.001-04:00

I moved to Ohio in January and started working for Ohio ENT. This company has been in the "re-modeling" phase of their website for the last 6 months or so. Although it is still undergoing some changes, the main website is here. This site describes Ohio ENT in it's many faucets including sub-specialty centers the Sinus Center, the Facial Cosmetic Center and where I reside, the Voice Center. A portion of the website is dedicated to introduce our fabulous staff. This link will lead you to the short bios of our therapist and our "professional head shots." I also have fabulous things to say about the Facial Cosmetic Center. Luckily, employees get great benefits on facials and microdermabrasion. If you are in the Columbus area and are looking for some TLC check it out!

Back in action

2009-08-04T19:53:00.004-04:00

If this blog thing was paying the bills, I would be saving rainwater for bathing. Needless to say, it has been a while since the blogging world has heard from me. I apologize for that and promise I have lots of interesting things to post in the next few days so stay posted.

Until then, some food for thought....If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?

In honor

2009-06-07T15:36:00.008-04:00

Sgt. Justin J. Duffy, 31, of Cozad, Neb., a soldier with the 82nd Airborne Division, was killed in Iraq after a road-side bomb exploded near his Humvee.

“Sgt. Justin Duffy was an exceptional NCO and a leader of the highest caliber. He served as an Infantryman with distinction and honor in combat, sacrificing his life for our nation,” said Lt. Col. Kenneth Rector, commander, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division. “Our condolences go out to his family and friends as we all mourn his loss.”

Justin Duffy’s PSD team was responsible for support and protection of a Colonel, a Lieutenant Colonel, and a Command Sergeant Major as well as any visiting generals.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Duffy joined the Army in June 2007 and became a truck commander with the 82nd Airborne Division in March 2009.

The youngest of three children, Duffy is survived by his parents, Joseph M. and Janet L. Duffy, of Cozad, Neb., and two sisters.

His parents remembered him as the model son.

“We knew from when Justin was a little boy that he would succeed. His desire to serve his country and be a paratrooper is what made him exemplary,” Joseph and Janet Duffy said in a statement. “We supported him and prayed for him every day. Words cannot express how proud we are of him, and he will always be our hero.”

Duffy's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

SGT Justin J. Duffy - KIA 2 Jun 09 - Baghdad, Iraq

http://www.raffertyfunerals.com/sitemaker/sites/raffer0/obit.cgi?user=justin-duffy#

Good news and bad news............

2009-05-22T13:37:00.006-04:00

If someone tells you they have good news and bad news, which do you want first? As i think back on times I have encountered this question, I have always wanted the good news first. Now I wonder why that is. I guess if you get good news, that puts you in a good mood. If you are in a good mood then bad news doesn't seem so bad. But think about it this way. If you the bad news first, you can be bummed for a few minutes, but when you get the good news it makes up for the bad news. Therefore you are in a great mood and the bad news is forgotten. If you get the bad first, nothing dampers the good. So which do you prefer to get first, the good or the bad?

So my good news for the week is that my Celiac's test came back negative. I immediately bought chocolate chip cookies and had several. The bad news is they still don't know what is causing my iron deficiency anemia. I am not sure if that is terribly concerning news, because I have been dealing with this for several years.

Other good news is that I am flying home for the holiday weekend. I am at the airport as I speak........or type. To all my Georgia peaches...........see you soon!!

Thought of the day.......

2009-05-14T12:41:00.001-04:00

Let's just be realistic. If I have this so called Celiac's disease and the only problem it is causing me is being anemic, is it really necessary to completely change my lifestyle to this gluten free stuff. Why can't I just continue to get iron transfusions when I need them. I'm doubting the cost of an iron transfusion (at least the part that insurance does not pay for) is more than I would spend buying all this organic food.

Thoughts, comments,concerns? Let me know.

The beginning of gluten free dining..........

2009-05-13T21:04:00.004-04:00

I made my first trip to the natural food store to pick up some gluten free foods. Here's a preview of how it is going so far.

I decided to make spaghetti for dinner tonight. Not only did I use gluten free noodles and spaghetti sauce, but I also had red meat which is an iron boost.

Gluten free spaghetti noodles $2.99

Gluten free spaghetti sauce $5.34

Gluten free cereal $4.11

Cardboard tasting snacks $2.99

Gluten free bread mix $4.92

What I learned today........this is going to be a tasteless yet expensive lifestyle change. Actually I'm kidding, the spaghetti I made was pretty good. I was a little overwhelmed by all the different gluten free things that were available. I'm trying to take this one meal at a time.

A little iron goes a long way

2009-05-12T20:45:00.009-04:00

This week has been filled with doctor's visits and needle sticks. The hematology appointment yesterday went as well as could be expected. He supported my PCP in the need for an immediate iron transfusion, which was set up for today. He seemed more interested in finding out why my iron levels kept depleting than my previous hematologist. His first guess is Celiac's disease. Basically it is an autoimmune disease that is caused from a wheat allergy. The body has a toxic reaction to wheat-products which causes a malfunction of the small intestine. This malfunction prevents the small intestine from absorbing nutrients from food, leading to malnutrition (anemia). I was tested for it yesterday, but will not have the results until next Monday.

In the mean time I am supposed to follow a gluten free diet. This means no wheat, rye, barley or malt in any form. After mom and I went through my pantry this morning, it seems that I can't have anything from my normal diet other than fresh veggies and fruit. The more I look into food that I can not have the more I am frustrated. Just a few of my favorite foods that I can no longer have include: lasanga, pizza, rice krispies, Nestle hot chocolate, Rice-a-Roni chicken flavor rice, chocolate chip cookies, Campbell's chicken noodle soup.........and the list goes on. On the positive side, Kroger and a lot of natural food stores have a lot of gluten free foods you can buy including pasta, crackers and cookies. Hopefully they will not taste like cardboard.

After much debate with my insurance company, I had my iron transfusion today. The Zangmeister Center was very nice. I had my very on "reclin-o-cubical" (definition - individaul area for those who are receiving treatment which includes a recliner, blood pressure machine, trash can, magazines and IV. See picture.)

Surprisingly, it only took 2 sticks to find a good vein for the transfusion.

After the IV was placed they give you a test dose of the iron to make sure you do not have an allergic reaction to it. Then they give you a mixture of dexamethasone and Benadryl. That may have been the worst part. The dose of Benadryl was so much so quickly that it made me very lightheaded and loopy. After all of that was in, they hung the big bag of iron and attached it to the IV. Pictured below.

The next three hours were filled with intermittent napping, returning emails, sudoku, and one potty visit. The whole time looking like this.........

So now you are updated and know what is going on. If anyone has any knowledge of good gluten free foods please pass that along. Thanks to Elizabeth for telling me about the great nut thin crackers.

Physically Distraught

2009-05-05T20:53:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I have updated you guys on the "goings on" here in Columbus. Not much has been happening up here until this week. I am starting to meet more and more people, which is comforting. I was invited to a cookout at one of my pastor's houses. I met a lot of great Christian people. I am really enjoying the church I am attending. They have a great worship service and the messages seem to hit home every week.

I am still in physical therapy for my bilateral patellar tendinitis (knee pain). I get to do stretching and exercise then they hook me up to a machine that is supposed to pump a steroid and anti-inflammatory into the tendons. It looks something like this.

Unfortunately I have stumbled upon some additional medical issues that I am having taken care of (hopefully) on Monday. Most of you know my medical history, specifically with my blood and iron levels. My levels have plummeted again so I have to go get a "refill." I am seeing a hematologist at the Zangmeister Center on Monday. Mom is flying up to go with me. Just keep me in your prayers. I will keep you all updated.

Rock and Worship Roadshow

2009-04-17T20:25:00.004-04:00

As time trickles by I am trying to become more involved in the community and church. I went to the Rock and Worship Roadshow with a group from church. I met a lot of great people and it was an amazing concert. Among the artist were

Jeremy Camp

Hawk Nelson

and headliners Mercy Me

It was a fantasic show full of worship.

As many of you already know, I had a running injury last week. My doc said to ease up on the running for a while, which in driving me nuts. Today it was 70 degrees outside. It would have been a perfect day to hit the trail and put a little milage on the New Balance, but I'm trying to be good and wait until I complete physical therapy.

Other than that not much going on over the past few weeks. Just wanted to give everyone an update. What's new with you guys?

Show and Tell

2009-03-29T20:17:00.006-04:00

I recently heard an amazing sermon that I believe everyone could benefit from. The basic premise of the sermon was how our life is just like a kindergarten "show and tell." From early on we are comforted by material things. For the rest of our adolescence, through adulthood, we use our possessions (the show) to express our identity (the tell). The speaker told of his excitement of taking his Knight Rider Big Wheel to his first grad show and tell. He told of how his persona changed when he was on his Big Wheel.

In today's society we bring our houses, cars and jobs to our friends, coworkers and acquaintances in our own version of show and tell. We show how fancy our material belongings are and let that tell society how successful we are. Every person no matter their skill set or social circle has been sucked in to this habitual show and tell pattern. Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 6: "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "

So how do we get ourselves out of this pattern of self righteousness? This speaker pointed out 3 steps.

1. Embrace humility over pride by following the example of Christ.

2. Eliminate the competition by allowing Jesus to transform the way we see the world and how we fit in it.

3. Embrace people over possessions.

I encourage you to listen to this sermon via the website at this link. It is a great message.

http://www.worthingtoncc.org/site2/archives/sermons/sermondoc.php?date=20090315&lvl=A

Exploring Columbus

2009-03-25T19:25:00.015-04:00

I was very thankful that Melissa came up to visit me for the weekend. We had a fabulous time. We went all over the city finding fun things to do. After I picked Liss up from the airport we came home for a quick "freshen up." After an hour or so of catching up, we headed over to one of my favorite Columbus areas. Easton Town Center. This place has everything from good shopping to great restaurants to a huge movie theater. It also has a very cute fountain out front.

Through their website, I also found a sketch comedy club which is in the mall. I have never thought of myself as a huge fan of comedy clubs, but this place was hilarious. The actors were also the waiters. There was singing, dancing and short skits. At some point throughout the performance, Melissa and I both had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. The dessert, Mt. Shadowbox, was definitely worth a mention. It was a large fudge brownie topped with 3 scoops of ice cream, fudge, caramel and whip cream. Ummmmmmmmm.

On Saturday we spent the day riding around trying to find hidden treasures. We went to a shopping area called the Short North, this area is known for it's art galleries and murals, but also has great shopping and fun restaurants.

This was one of the many murals that were painted on the sides of buildings.

One of our favorite places was a store called Three Dog Bakery. This store was unbelievable. I thought Atlantians were crazy about their pets until I moved up here. There are dogs everywhere!! The store owner had two HUGE great danes in the store. Everyone was welcome to bring in their pets. To me, it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen to me. At the front of the store was a doggie buffet. You can buy different flavored doggie biscuits by the pound. At the back of the store was the bakery. While we were there one of the employees was making a

happy birthday cake for a customer's dog. It was just too much for words so here are some pics.

We also drove around through the German Village. German immigrants settled in the area during the 1800s. The area was mostly evacuated during WWI due to anti-German hostilities. In 1960 the German Village Society was formed and the neighborhood became a historic society. The neighborhood has historic churches, parks and statues.

Our tour continued to the campus of OSU. We drove around to all the different buildings and to the stadium.

Sunday we went to the Columbus zoo. We had a fabulous time. The zoo was huge. It has 4 different sections. North America, Asia, Africa and Australlia. It also had an aquarium. We started in North America and were a bit disapointed. There were a lot of wolves and goats. Our first thought was, "We can see this in our parent's backyard." As we continued to jump continents, the variety of animals was amazing. Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day.

and a few good videos...

Those were the main highlights of the weekend. We had lots of fun and went to very interesting places. Let me know if anyone is interested in visiting after seeing all the cool stuff and fun places!!!!!!!

Melissa comes to Columbus

2009-03-22T21:08:00.004-04:00

Just some pics of the weekend. More later............

Pics here

Add some spice to your night.

2009-03-17T18:52:00.010-04:00

One of my facebook friends posted a fun note that said to google "(your name) likes to " and to post the top 10 hits (responses). I did my name, but didn't find it very humorous. Then I did John's which are a lot funnier. See below

1. Brittany likes to play extreme ping pong with her friends.

2. Brittany likes to act as though she were the sickest person in the entire treatment center.

3. Brittany likes to watch videos, sort and string beads, and create things with toy building sets.

4. Brittany likes to roam.

5. Brittany likes to draw and play board and computer games

6. Brittany likes to do gymnastics. (How appropriate)

7. Brittany likes to write about her life at home and her feelings and expressions on how her situations at home made her feel.

8. Brittany likes to watch videos, sort and string beads

9. Brittany likes to do field hockey and LAX

10. Brittany likes to travel.

1. John likes to take advantage of people

2. John likes to sign autographs with different people’s names on them.

3. John likes to do all his communicating via carrier pigeon.

4. John likes to be a pain in the a**.

5. John likes to play with our minds.

6. John Likes to surf.

7. John likes to click a shutter.

8. John likes to spend his time chatting.

9. John likes to hear himself talk.

10. John likes to partake in marijuana, as they found a small amount of pot and a pipe in his car.

hahahahahahahahahaha

Do yours and let me know the results!!!!

Brittany

You're up and you're down

2009-03-15T13:25:00.008-04:00

Hello all. I haven't forgotten about you. Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I would like to say that I have just been so completely busy that I haven't had time to write, but that would be a lie. I have been going through some emotional ups and downs lately. Since I have last blogged I went back home and had a wonderful visit with my family and friends. Several people have asked me over the past few weeks if my body has started to acclimate to this dreadfully cold climate. Just at the time I thought my body was getting used to it, the temperature would descend below the freezing point and I would realize that I was wrong. Not until my trip home did I realize the difference. As soon as I stepped out of the good ol' Hartsfield Jackson International, I started sweating and anyone who knows me knows that I do not sweat. I love hot weather. I long to live in a tropical climate. This was a dramatic change for me. I did not feel uncomfortable or too hot, but I definite noticed a difference.

Amy, Bill and Marty picked me up at the airport. I was so happy to see them (btw, Marty is Amy's new puppy). I was grateful for the time to catch up with my old friend. It made me miss home even more. Being part of someone's life is much harder to do from hundreds of miles away. We met up with Mom, Dad, Mindy and Justin for dinner. I know I had to be glowing the whole night because I was so happy. We ate at my favorite place, Cracker Barrel, where I had some deliciously, southern brewed sweet tea.

The rest of the weekend I spent with my family. Mindy and I went shopping for her birthday. Joan and I had lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant. We had an amazing family dinner for Mindy's birthday. I was grateful to see everyone. We had a fabulous time eating, talking and especially playing rook (warning, next time India and I are going to wipe the table with all of you). Sunday I went to church with Mom and Dad. I realize that you take a lot of things for granted when you have them everyday. I didn't realize how much I missed the people and services at church. I consider myself very lucky to have grown up in such a wonderful church. After Sunday lunch with the fam, Mom and Dad drove me back to the airport. I have the best parents in the world. No matter what they are always there for me when I need them. I have been continuously blessed in my life.

Returning to Columbus was harder than I thought it would be. Although I have had friends warn me about going home and having to leave again, I didn’t think I would be so greatly emotionally affected by my return. For several days I was very sad and lonely. I am once again adapting to being here alone.

As you all know I have been scoping out churches and trying to get up the courage to attend one by myself. I am happy to report that I attended an amazing service this morning. I really feel that God directed me to that particular church this particular morning. The worship service was very uplifting and the sermon was equally fulfilling. Today my cup runneth over. I am very excited about the opportunities that are here to be involved in the church and community as well as the opportunity and guidance to grow in Christ.

I know this is a long read. I will try to do better about posting more frequently. Hope all is well with you. I would love to hear from everyone. Comments or emails are welcome!

Quote of the day

2009-03-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

Me: So what type of swallowing difficulties are you having?

Patient: I always choke when I try to breath or talk while I am swallowing.

Me thinking to myself: Seriously?

Working girl

2009-03-09T13:10:00.001-04:00

After several weeks I finally got my buisness cards and professional head shots. I officially feel like a career woman.

Familiar face

2009-02-22T11:51:00.011-05:00

I had the pleasure of hosting my aunt last weekend. We did a lot of exploring and found a good bit of character in Columbus. It was great having a familiar face around. I believe the old saying that there is power in numbers, although in this case, its perhaps not power but confidence. Not that 2 is a very large number, but it is in fact twice the amount of my usual dinner reservation.

Friday night after she got in we hit the mall, aand had dinner. Saturday we went to the international farmers market downtown. There were several interesting things to see and places to go.

There was a lot of bakeries with an absurd amount of chocolate. I am not sure if it was because it was Valentine's day or they just have that much chocolate everyday. Let's hope it's the later becaue if so I will be returning to purchase more.

There were several great places to buy meat and free range poultry.

I had flashbacks of Korea when I saw this case.

We bought a delicious loaf of Italian bread from this baker.

There were somewhat sporadic dining options.

After the farmers market we stopped by the Columbus Museum of Art.

To see the To Live Forever exhibit which included artifacts from Ancient Egypt.

At the end of the exhibit, several Egyptian garments and head dresses were available for dress up.

The rest of the weekend we spent eating at good restaurants and driving around Columbus. I appreciated the time she spent up here. It was great to have some family around. In two weeks I will be home for a short weekend. I am very excited about being home.

The light at the end of the wind funnel

2009-02-11T21:19:00.004-05:00

Sheer pleasure is the only way I can describe my feelings when I saw the weather forecast for this week, which predicted 50 degrees. Monday and yesterday were very nice. I actually wore a short sleeve shirt to work yesterday and all of you know me so that's a big step from the 3 layers I have been wearing. As you have seen, I have a large window in my office. It doesn't matter what temperature it is outside, it always looks gorgeous. I casually asked my 1:00 patient what the weather was like outside. She said it was nice, but she had heard that some bad weather was headed our way. I didn't think much about it until about 4:30. I was in my office doing some paper work when all of a sudden the sky turned black. Literally the sky turned black as night in about 10 seconds. The rain was pouring and the wind was gusting. My office window was rattling. I thought about panicking for a moment. I took a second and regained my composure before walking up to the front desk. Everyone had apparently noticed the sudden change in weather and was staring out the front window. Later we found out that a tornado had touched down near the hospital. We waited until the tornado watches were over before any one left. The weather cleared up nicely for my drive home. About 9:00 I noticed the wind had picked up again. Since that time it has progressively worsened. I just watched the news where they said current winds are gusting at 35-40 miles per hour. This is the reason that I am still awake. I have a tree beside my window that is continuously banging into the window.

More great news. Aunt Joan is coming up to visit me this weekend. I am very excited. It is going to be great to see a familiar face. I have been doing some research on restaurants and fun places to go while she is here. I will take plenty of pictures and update you on all the fun.

A first time for everything.

2009-02-06T18:56:00.008-05:00

This week flew by. I stayed very busy this week at work. Amidst all the patients and paperwork this week, I had a little time to work on my office. It is starting to come together. I received my new lab coats too. Now I get to look all important.

One particular thing I love about my office is the huge picture window and the geese that live below it. Several times over the past few weeks I have found joy from gazing out the window and watching the geese pitter-patter around in the snow. Yesterday I peeked out the window in my 5 minutes between dictation and my 1:00 patient and this is what I saw:

For those nonobservant readers, to the left of the geese someone made a footprint heart in the snow. It's incredible that such as small thing brightened my entire week.

Speaking of snow, even though it is freezing and I hate the cold, I am still obsessed with taking pictures of it.

I am not sure if it was the monotonous week of going to work and coming home or the fact that it was actually above freezing, but I felt that I needed to get out of the house. I decided to go a movie. I have never been to the movies alone, but there is a first time for everything. My apprehensive feeling only increased when the guy at the movie counter apparently needed to clarify by questioning "Only one?" when I purchased my ticket. Looking for moral support I sent a text to a couple good friends. My favorite response was"It's not depressing. It's empowering." Thank you for the support. It made me feel much better, as did the other replies. I am very fortunate to have wonderful friends who care about me so much.

I have no big plans for the weekend. The weather channel said there is a possibility of the temp getting into the upper 40s. If that is the case I might be out by the pool soaking in the sun ;)

Butter popcorn, Coca-Cola, and Dawson's Creek Season 5...What else could a girl want on a Saturday night.

2009-01-31T21:59:00.004-05:00

Complete work week two. Check. Scrap ice off car for 45 minutes. Check. Wear multiple layers of clothes everyday to keep from freezing. Check. Spend a lonely Saturday night alone. Check.

As you can see it has been a very productive week for me. The week started out as normally as any sub-freezing climate. Snow started falling Tuesday afternoon. The weather report said it was just going to get worse over the next couple of days. Everyone scurried home after work on Tuesday. I, like any good southerner, stopped by Kroger to buy milk and bread on the way home. Good thing I did, because I didn't end up working Wednesday so I enjoyed a nice bowl of cereal with my previously mentioned milk. It was great that I had the day off because I got a lot of stuff done around the apartment.

The rest of the week went by without much drama. I haven't done anything this weekend other than sit around my apartment. I told all of you that I was going to get to know all the fun, artsy and eclectic things about this town. I am still going to, but I'm just going to wait for it to get a little warmer. I ventured out a little this morning and despite my 3 layers of clothing, I just couldn't endure the 9 degree weather. I'm biding my time and waiting for spring. Soon it will be watch out Columbus, here I come.

Snowed in

2009-01-28T22:09:00.006-05:00

I thought it wouldn't happen, but it did. Our clinical director called and canceled all our patients today due to the incredible ice/snow storm that came through last night. Meaning, I had the day off. I woke up this morning at 6 and looked out the window. It was snowy, but I didn't think it was any worse than any other day. I thought that up here snow is snow and you scrape the road and go on. Apparently, I was mistaken. When there is solely snow on the roads, it is relatively easy to clear with scrapers/salt. When there is a layer of ice under the snow, it becomes a wee more complicated. My boss called as I was getting ready to tell me that we did not have to be in until 9:30 this morning. I was super excited about the hour and a half of extra sleep I was going to get so I laid back down. Feeling refreshed I woke back up at 8 and started getting ready again. At 8:30 I received a call saying that we did not have to go in at all today.

Whereas I was excited about not having to get out and drive in the terrible snow and ice, I really like my job and didn't have anything else to do today. To avoid the wrenched ping of loneliness, I decided I would keep myself busy and have a productive day. I did just that. Undoubtedly, the first thing I did was make a list of all the things I was going to get finished by the end of the day. Amazingly enough I had everything crossed off my list by 6:30pm. I finished unpacking all my boxes, I cleaned everything within reach, and I decorated my apartment. Feeling accomplished, I set off for the gym to get in a good workout. A wonderful benefit of being home in the middle of the day is being available when your boyfriend, who is halfway around the world, has time to call and chat. With my work schedule and us being 8 hours apart, it has become exceedingly difficulty to find time that we are both awake and available. I was thankful for the time we spent chatting and our wonderful conversation. All in all I have thoroughly enjoyed my day off. Even though there is 8-10 inches of snow on the ground, I am sure I will back at the office tomorrow.

OH...IO

2009-01-25T16:24:00.006-05:00

I made it through the first week of work. Things were a bit hectic. I know it will take some time to get used to, but so far it’s going well. Everyone I work with is nice and always helpful. I have gotten some great advice on restaurants and fun places to go. The only problem is that it is so cold I do not want to go out if I don't have to! Things were pretty cold the first of the week, but actually warmed up to the freezing point on Thursday. I never thought I would be so excited about 32 degrees, but I was. The rest of the week was cold, but not snowy until today. Today I thought I would go out and explore the town, maybe do some shopping. Those plans lasted about as long as it took me to get up, look out the window and see snow falling.

Hopefully I will get out and have some better stories next week. This week I mostly went to work and came home. I did however get out the past two nights and met some new people. My very helpful neighbor offered me an extra ticket to the Craig Morgan concert. It was a lot of fun. It was a very small venue and he was very personable with the crowd which makes the concert that much better. Overall I was very impressed with his performance. Not only is he a great recording artist but also a great performer. I have great pictures, but unfortunately I can not seem to find my camera. I am hoping it slipped under my seat or something in the car. I experienced the comradery of Ohioans. Apparently people will randomly scream out "OH" and every single person within ear shot will respond with "IO." Sadly it took me a few moments to put the two together and understand the concept. On more than one occasion this week I have commented to someone and they have just looked at me puzzled for a moment. After contemplating, they usually respond with something like, "Wow, you're from the south, huh." It's been fun.

My boss invited me to her house for dinner last night. That was a lot of fun. She is not that much older than me so we have a lot in common. She has been married for a few years and has a very cute dog. I have spent most of today unpacking more boxes and trying to organize my closet. I hope that the more I unpack the more at home I feel. It is coming together slowly but surely.

So I expect some emails from you guys. You know what is going on with me, but I need stories from home. What's going on down there?

Hospitality stretches north....

2009-01-20T20:19:00.005-05:00

So far this week has been a turnaround from last week. I have been trying to unpack and set everything up. Several people told me that one difference between the south and the north is southern hospitality. So far everyone (except the mover) has been friendly. One of my neighbors came over today and helped me set up my wireless router and put together a bookshelf. It was greatly appreciated! Although I have come to think of myself as an independent person in the past few years, I always knew that I relied on other people for certain things. What I have learned about myself in the short time that I have been here is that I am not as independent as I once thought. No doubt living up here by myself will force me to become more independent. It's the small things that I never think about when dad is around to do it for me. I am realizing how much I really appreciated my parents taking care of me and helping me with things over the years.

The first two days on the job have been good. Getting used to new people and procedures is a little taxing, but I am being patient and letting things come with time. I love the job. I work with a lot of really nice people. The client population is exactly who I want to be working with and I am enjoying the specialty field of voice. I am slowly getting my office together. Here are some pics.

Office Desk

Office sink

View from window

One disastrous week down

2009-01-17T14:36:00.013-05:00

Well the week went from bad to worse. It was snowing when I got here on Sunday and it turned out to be the worst winter weather of the year. Each day the temperature, like the snow, continuously fell. After fighting with the moving company everyday this week my furniture was finally delivered last night around 6pm. The movers were rude and complained the entire time they were working and then, they asked for a tip. Seriously. They asked! HA! Mom, Dad and I spent the rest of the night arranging furniture and unpacking boxes. We have all the furniture out but only got through about half of the boxes before we all crashed at midnight. The alarm went off about 4 and a half hours later. I drove Mom and Dad to the airport for their 6am flight. I got back to my apartment around 6:20 and crawled back into bed under the electric blanket to thaw myself from the -10 degree weather. A few minutes later the phone rings. They missed their flight. Just exactly what we needed to top off the week. All I could do is laugh. There is no other solution. Apparently Air Tran changed the time of the flight, but failed to post the change to the website. When we checked online this morning the "real time flight" information said "6:15am on time." Needless to say that statement is only one of the fallacies that we have believed over the course of the week. They were put on stand-by for the 4pm flight. I went back and picked them up and we all napped for a few hours before we continued unpacking. We had a great lunch at Olive Garden before trekking back to the airport.

A highlight of the week was visiting my office. I took Mom and Dad to the hospital on Thursday. I am excited about starting to work. My office desk isn't in yet, but my phone and computer were already there. I got to meet my secretary who handles all my scheduling and billing. I will try to post pictures of the office soon. This is the hospital where my office is.

Even though I haven't been able to feel my feet since I arrived due to what I am sure is pre-hypothermia, I am fascinated with the snow. I can't seem to stop taking pictures. Here are some snapshots from the last few days.

My apartment complex

Me playing in the snow

The road

Since Mom and Dad have left this is the first night I will be alone in the new apartment. I will be spending the rest of the weekend unpacking boxes and putting my apartment together. I start work on Monday.I'm sure I will have a lot to share.

To freeze or not to freeze.........

2009-01-13T17:28:00.006-05:00

Well I definitely can't say that this is the best week of my life. It seems that everyday something else goes wrong, but I am trying to stay positive and look for the silver lining. It seems that the moving company doesn't have to abide by their own policies and can kidnap any one's belongings and hold them for ransom. I have spent several days now on the phone with them and the complaint department of the Better Business Bureau. It is still snowing off and on. There has been a pretty consistent 2-3 inches of snow on the ground since my arrival. Tomorrow's forecast is 70% chance of snow and a wind chill factor of -11 degrees.

Amidst the troublesome week, I did receive a very special surprise that brightened my day. Thank you John! I love you!

I want to say thank you to all of my friends who have sent me encouraging words this week. You are all highly regarded and greatly appreciated. I feel very lucky to have each and every one of you.

Settled in

2009-01-11T21:19:00.004-05:00

After another 4 hour drive we finally arrived in a snowy Columbus around 3pm. I uploaded a few photos. Hopefully my furniture and other belongings will be delivered tomorrow. It hasn't stopped snowing since we got here. According to the news we are going to get another couple inches throughout the night. The high on Friday is 11! Yes that is Fahrenheit. If I live through the weather, I will keep you updated.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.......

2009-01-10T22:51:00.011-05:00

There hasn't been a time in my life when I couldn't find a Frost that was perfect for the occasion. It is strange to think how one person has provided so much comfort to millions of people just by writing down their thoughts. To get through these hard but exciting times I have also turned to my favorite play list for comfort (which mostly includes the lyrical genius of James Morrison and Micheal Buble).

I officially started my journey north today. The past two days have been full of tears and goodbyes. As some of you know, I have always made a point of saying "goodnight...but not goodbye," but I have caught myself using the valediction freely over the past week. As usual, the phrase "what if.." is consistently running through my head. Which in turn leads me to use goodbye, in pain, just in case.

Mom and Dad helped pack up Libby this afternoon and we pulled out of the driveway at 4:30. I have the most wonderful family and friends which makes it particularly difficult to say goodbye. All of my mom's brothers and sisters met me for brunch this morning. Unfortunately my sister couldn't make it, but made an extra effort to come by my parents house before we left which I greatly appreciated. (Love ya Min!)

Libby was so full we barely had room to sit in her (see pics). Fortunately, I don't remember much of this first half of the trip due to the intake of soporific motions sickness medication that I had to ingest in order to keep all of my food in my body. I wrapped up in my comforter, folded my long legs into the backseat and settled in for the journey.

I stayed awake long enough to see the Tennessee state line. Mom and Dad woke me up to eat supper when we arrived in Knoxville. After we crossed the Kentucky state line we decided to try to get to Lexington before we stopped. What we did not anticipate was the astounding amount of rain and dense fog. We fell about 80 miles short of our goal and ended up stopping in Corbin, KY for the night.

I wanted to give everyone an update before bed. We will continue the journey tomorrow, hopefully after a hot breakfast and some Starbucks hot chocolate. I will post pics of my new home soon. In the mean time, everyone say a prayer for the Yanks! (heehee)

Columbus, Ohio here I come.

2009-01-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

It is exactly one week until I move. I am a bundle of nerves and excitement. I am looking forward to my new position at the hospital and all the new things I will learn at the voice center, but I dread the lonely nights and uneventful weekends. Hopefully, soon I will become more acquainted with the town and have at least a few new adventures to write about.

My mom and dad are driving up with me Sunday of next week. They are staying the week to help me unpack and get everything in order. I start working on January 19^th as long as all my paperwork is processed properly.

In order to keep everyone up to date on what is going on in Columbus I have decided to create this blog. I will miss all of you dearly, but hope to hear from everyone regularly. I will post some pictures of the new place as soon as I get settled.

Until then…..