Playing Hooky

At the beach (I promise I'm not topless in this photo.)

 Yep, that’s right; I’m playing hooky today.  This is Mandy, by the way.  I was scheduled to be working with the old folks today at a nursing home in Indianapolis but when Mike presented me with the idea of going to the beach instead, I decided I felt a little (cough, cough) too sick to make it into work today.  I only feel slightly guilty….I hate lying but I also kinda hate working at the nursing home.  Hate might be too strong of a word….maybe disdain is a better fit.  But nonetheless, I am now at the Indiana dunes enjoying a lovely sunny 87 degrees out on the beach with a sweet tea vodka and lemonade in hand.  Shhh…don’t tell.  This is an alcohol free beach but I guess I’m feeling like “living on the edge” today.  Ha.  Just watched a sea gull consume a bag of bread some people had sitting on their towels.  That was pretty amusing.  The bird actually tore the bag open to get the bread.  These birds don’t mess around.  And this is all happening 10 feet from me.  I guess I’m not a very helpful neighbor; I just took a picture.

The thief!

Random picture of Lake Michigan at West Beach

          So after Mike proposed the beach idea last night I packed up my clothes and we left Indy to head to his temporary place in Hammond.  He worked last night 11-7:30; it was his second shift on his own.  Last week was primarily orientation.  I think he’s adjusting well considering he’s in a new city, with a new work setting, new paperwork and new people all at once.  It sounds like there may be a trend of dumping extra work on the contract people…but Mike is always up for a challenge and not one to complain.  I have complete faith he will finish this assignment with a new set of skills under his belt and probably a few new friends, too.  I have to admit though, I’m glad this is only a 10-week assignment.; I miss having him around.  I’m looking forward to January when we get to do the traveling piece together - and hopefully to places a little more exciting than Hammond, Indiana. 

So, I stayed at Mike’s place last night while he was at work. It was my first time seeing his living arrangements and they aren’t too bad.  No bugs, fairly clean, safe neighborhood, hot water, and a soft bed.  I’ll confess I was paranoid that 10 beady little eyes might be staring at me through the window in the middle of the night (read post #1 if you don’t know who I’m referring to here) but alas I watched a bloody gangster movie and fell asleep peacefully before that could happen.

 And well, now you are up to date.  Mike is dozing on a towel next to me and I think that looks pretty appealing.  Adios until next time!

A Weaning Question???

Ok, so I am back...I know I made the comment in my first blog attempt that I was only really going to post about insightful or significant events. However, that was before my experience today.

First, let me say that the first contract is still going well. Orientation wrapped up today and I start on the floor tomorrow night. I'm also happy to report that I'm still alive and well in South Hammond although I find myself hanging out more in Munster due to strong suggestions from close friends and nurses at the hospital that I limit my attempts at exploring around Hammond. Alright, now to the reason/inspiration for this specific posting tonight...

Tonight I bring up the popular subject of public breast feeding.

*long winded story alert!*

So I know I haven't really brought up my landlord in this blog but she is a very kind but extremely chatty lady. She is also a single mom with a TWO year old (the emphasis will become important later). Anyways, while she does not live at my place, she is there quite often during the day trying to fix up the place and hanging out with her kid. Needless to say that when I get back from work, I will find her there and I can expect a twenty minute conversation before I can make it to my room. Well today despite my best efforts at going to Panera after work to use their internet and stalling so that I would arrive after she left, I still managed to end up in a long one sided conversation hearing about her pregnancy induced asthma and...(I won't lie, I spaced out after pregnancy induced asthma) With my hand on my bedroom door trying to make the subtle hints of ending the conversation, she just kept talking and without even skipping a syllable she put her kid on her lap and began breast feeding. She only paused once from talking to me to tell her kid to go for the left one this time instead of the right. I took that split second pause and escaped to my room!

*story over*

hmmm....lets just say I'm not going to post any related pictures with this post! haha, but seriously?!? what are your thoughts on that? I talked with Mandy and a few of my friends and I know their opinions. The overwhelming opinion is that its inappropriate and also that two is way to old for breast feeding! However, with that said, the opinion so far consists of non parents so I invite anyone to write their opinion and shed some more light on this matter. I do realize that in the big scheme of public issues and problems, this falls perhaps even below skate shoes and parents tying there children to park benches with those animal suites (have you seen that?!) but its the problem that I'm dealing with today so please share!

Well, thats all I got for tonight. Have a good one everybody! -Mike

Orientation, Raccoons, and McDonald's Free Wi-Fi

Hello my fellow blog stalkers! This is my first attempt writing in our blog... quick recap, I have taken a short travel assignment in Munster, IN near Chicago at Community Hospital with my new agency IPI and thanks to the help of Mandy and craigslist I am now renting out a random room in South Hammond for the next ten weeks! Alright, now you are caught up....

So I believe the purpose of this blog is not to share every single detail of our lives while we attempt this engagement, marriage, travel health care experiment (that's what facebook is for!) but to share our favorite highlights and thoughts as we go along with this crazy adventure! Believe me, this is a crazy adventure...if you had talked to me 2 weeks ago, I would not have predicted I would be writing to you now from a McDonald's in "The Region" of Indiana taking advantage of the free internet because I am too cheap to pay for it and getting ready for my second day of orientation! But yet, here I sit after already finishing my 2nd large Coke Zero and typing to you my thoughts while riding out this caffeine high.
Anyways, before I type a thousand words without saying anything really important, I should say that initial reaction to my first travel assignment is a good one. South Hammond might be a little rough around the edges and I also might have a family of raccoons hanging outside my bedroom window, but I do really like the hospital and I feel I will have a good experience here. I'm bummed that Mandy is still in Indy for this first assignment, but it also makes me more excited for January when we start traveling together!

Well...McDonald's is closing and that means I'm losing internet for the night. So I'll put a close to tonights post and let you stalk someone else for awhile! ;) Talk to you soon -Mike