China Town/ Lombard Street

Hi every one! Today Robby and I tried to go to Alcatraz, but all of the ferries over there were sold out, so instead, we went to China Town and Lombard Street. It was great fun, and lots of walking. China town consisted of like 3 streets filled with Chinese shops and grocery stores. The streets were so crowded with Chinese people and the grocery stores were insane. It all seemed completely unsanitary! There were dead and live fish just sitting on tables in the street and it smelled horrible! The craziest thing we saw was an entire tub filled with the biggest frogs we had ever seen. They were ALIVE and they kept jumping out of the tub and people would just kick them, or pick them up and put them back in! Some lady actually picked through them and put some in a plastic bag, like they were apples or something. She was going to cook them! YUCK! There is a picture of Robby standing in one of the streets in China town and there is a picture of the frogs. We also walked up the steepest street I have ever been on to get to this street called Lombar Street. It is famous for being one of the curviest streets in the world, plus at the top it was the most beautiful view of SF. The picture of the sideways cars is the street we walked up, the camera isn't tilted, the street was just that steep! The last picture is of me standing at the bottom of Lombar street, you can see the cars in a line curving down it behind me. I guess tourist drive to the top and down all day or something, because there was a line of cars the entire time I was there. I felt bad for the people that live in the houses along the street... but not too bad, every drive way had either an old Porsche, a Mustang, or a BMW in it! It was another fun filled day in SF. Next weekend... ALCATRAZ!!!!!

A Nurses Nightmare

I found this picture on the internet the other day when I was googling IV titration info for fun... I know, dork.... but anyways, unless you are a nurse it is hard to find the sick humor behind this drawing. I promise, after being in the ICU all day, you actually go to sleep hearing little beeping sounds and alarms! So, I guess this is more for my nursing friends and my sister, but I laughed so hard when I saw it, I had to share it. Speaking of the ICU, things are still going well at work. Thank you as always for your prayers. You know, it is amazing how the strength I see in some of my patients and especially their families never ceases to warm my heart and surprise me. I love a good cry, and especially when I get to share it with people who need to know it's ok to cry. Ok, Andrea... Bla bla bla.......Sorry, too much sentimental gibberish! Anyways, Robby and I are getting things ready for him to go to China. We are now waiting for his passport to be "over-nighted" to us for a mere extra $100!(Im still not understanding how in Fed-ex language that can mean two weeks!) But whatever, after we get that, we have to go to the Chinese embassy in SF and get him a visa. That's really all we have left to do. We have him plane tickets and stuff already! I told him to take lots of pictures so I can send them to you guys, but get ready... it will be 2 pictures of people and then 100 pictures of every angle of every building he sees!! As for other things going on, everything is pretty good. I am finally starting to know my way around and I think Robby is really enjoying his classes. He is making friends and we are enjoying getting to learn about the different cultures of the people in his class. He actually has 2 class mates going to China with him that are from there! I have made some friends at the hospital too. There are three other people in the ICU that are also in their 20's that have just been hired, so I have been spending a lot of time with them. I would really like for us to meet some married people to hang out with together though, and not ones from the hospital or from school. Well, anyways, I just thought it was time for me to say hi to everyone. I am trying to update at least once or twice a week, so I guess I will talk to you guys soon! Bye

The working woman!!

And it's off to work I go in my cute new scrubs, given to me by my big sister, and my comfy new shoes from my mom and dad!! I am happy to say that work is going really well. I have a great preceptor orienting me to the unit. Her name is Felicity, and we have a whole lot in common, plus she is a very good teacher. I will be working with her for about 11 weeks while I am taking classes and then I am off on my own FOREVER (or just until I kill someone) Kidding, totally kidding!!! For those of you who do not know, I am working 12 hour day shifts in a 30 bed Medical/Surgical ICU in Berkeley. I love what I do and I hope that I continue to enjoy it and learn as much as I can. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get my masters too.

Pier 39 & Fisherman's Wharf

Well, Robby and I had another great adventure this weekend!!!!!!! We took the Bart to San Francisco and walked around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. It was a pretty fun trip. First, we ate lunch and shopped around. We saw Alcatraz, some old ships, the Ghirardelli Factory, and about a million sea lions! The sea lions started coming to pier 39 after the big earth quake of 89 and they just never left! Man, they smell BAD! I got really thirsty after walking around so much, but I couldn't bring myself to buy something to drink at the pier because the drinks were in the same cooler as the lobsters!! I thought it was a gross concept, but a pretty cool picture! Next, we went to a chocolate festival at the Ghirardelli Factory....yummy!! Then we went to Fisherman's Wharf where there was a Sailor's festival going on. There, we toured some old ships and we watched these teams of guys with home made boats race across the bay....There were some pretty crazy looking boats. Rob and I both agreed that Uncle Mike and Ryan could have won it! After we couldn't walk any more and there was nothing left to see, we ate dinner at the Fish Market on Pier 39 and watched the sunset over the bay. A perfect ending to a perfect day! (So, the pictures are...Rob in front of the Pier 39 Whale, me in the busy Fisherman's Wharf shopping center, the sea lions hanging out on pier 39, and a cool picture of me out the window of the Bart on our ride back home.) "The only thing about San Francisco that breaks your heart, is having to leave it"~some guy whose name I forget.....

CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, Robby and I have some fun news and a prayer request for you all! God has blessed Robby with the wonderful opportunity to go with his class to China!! How cool is that! When he first mentioned it to me, I have to admit, fear flashed through my heart at the thought of me staying alone here for 10 days, and because China is so far away and so unfamiliar to us. But there is not a part of me that doesn't want Robby to experience every aspect of life that he can. What an adventure! He will be leaving October 13 and returning October 23. There are so many things about this trip we need you guys to pray for.... Please pray that Robby will be placed with a "good" group of students, that his flight will be safe there and back, for our whole financial figuring of the trip, that this will be a wonderful memory for him, that I will be safe and not scared without him, and most importantly that Robby will be safe. Basically, anything you guys think of, probably needs to be prayed for about this trip! Thanks for being there for us guys. We love you and miss you...Andrea and Robby

Killer Squirrels

These are the biggest squirrels we have ever seen in our entire lives. I mean these guys must live off of whole foods and steroids!! Robby and I have seen them running around since we got here and we have been contemplating whether or not they are actually squirrels. These guys are fearless. They will run right up to you and try to take your food!! Quite frankly, they scared both Robby and I the first time they tried!! Well, today on our adventure in Caesar Chavez park I came in close contact with two of them! My sister told me that I should get a picture of these animals, so I started taking pictures and guy who was standing near by asked me why I was taking so many pictures of the ground squirrels!!! So, we have learned that they are in fact well fed ground squirrels!! And now some poor California guy thinks that we don't have squirrels in Alabama!!! *****I also wanted to tell those of you who have not figured it out, that if you just click on a picture it should enlarge on your computer screen! They are much easier to see that way. When you are done looking at the picture don't X out of the screen, just hit the back arrow on your tool bar, or it will close your internet browser.********

Caesar Chavez Park

This is my very favorite place in Berkeley so far. Robby and I have gone there a couple of times and I just love it. It takes about 5 minutes to get there running or on your bike and it is on the bay. It is huge. For my Auburn people, it is comparable to Keisel park. You can see San Fran (picture of Robby with San Fran in the back ground) from it, our house (we live just behind the Target on the hill in the second picture), and the Golden Gate Bridge (it's in the fog to the right of the scary pier in the second picture). We rode our bikes there today. It was an extra special treat when we got there because there were about 25 people flying kites!!! Really cool kites, not dinky ones! The colorful fish picture was my favorite kite!! Robby and I spent the afternoon there just taking pictures and hiking around. We went out on this really long pier and when we got to the end of it I got really scared. The picture of the lone pier in the water is the rest of the pier I was walking on!!! It had been separated and torn up in the last earth quake!!! So I kind of started panicking because we were like 1/2 mile out in the ocean and I find out that the pier Im standing on is actually the remains of what used to be a really long pier!!!!

Devote yourself to the welfare of those who are committed to your care ~ Florence Nightingale

Hi everyone! This picture is of us under Sather Gate. It is a famous land mark on Berkeley's campus. Well, Robby's first week of school went well. He was able to get into every class he wanted and he is making some new friends! We found out that there are only 6 people accepted into the 1 year program with him! Such a smart boy! He is already busy working on projects and stuff. My first week of work went well also. I have been going to classes 8 hours every day and next week I will start to mix going to class with working 12 hour shifts! I am very excited. My unit is great. God has blessed us in every way. Isn't it wonderful how much He takes care of things. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. Please continue to pray!!! Well, I think Robby might be getting tired of all the fish and organic foods we have been eating! Last night at 4 in the morning I woke up and found him eating chocolate chip cookies and milk in the kitchen!!!!! It was hilarious! Im not starving him, I promise, I will just have to search for a place that sells affordable beef!! All the beef you can find here is lean cuts and it is way too expensive!!! Buying groceries has been the hardest thing for me to figure out! Whole foods stores and organic markets are the only affordable things around here. I have to drive like 45 minutes to get to anything else! I love the food, Robby does too, but something about boys makes them want a pizza or a Big Mack once or twice a week!!! Well, Im going to go now. I am going to make sausage, eggs, and biscuits this morning and surprise my starving husband!! Oh yeah, and that saying by Florence Nightingale is one of my favorites. It can be applied to nurses as well as others. Everyone needs somebody to love and take care of them, but most importantly everyone needs someone to love and take care of. I don't believe that humans are capable of standing alone, we find strength and balance in those God has placed in our lives, that is why He has placed them there. Ahh... sorry I didn't mean to get on a soap box! Berkeley is rubbing off on me! Have a great weekend guys.