Hallo to all!

Hey guys!  I realized today that I haven't written an email in about a week so I thought I would update y'all.  I am not working yet... I have my physical to do this week and then orientation is Monday.  It is starting to grate on my nerves (after 6 weeks!).  I do have to say, though, it has been a nice vacation.  We finally got our furniture on Tuesday of last week so our time has been spent unpacking and getting things in order.  Of course this includes almost daily trips to Home Depot or Target!  Everything arrived in pretty much good condition and Tiger was happy to have us there.  Alas, I have not been in the pool yet, but have been walking in Civic Center Park.  It is a little place in the middle of town with a walking trail, date groves (oh I didn't tell you but dates and figs are big here), skating ramps, and a dog walking park where you can take your pet off his leash.  Can you believe the cheapest pool towels I have found were $20?  Are these people nuts?

Anyway, our friend chef Mike came to see us Wed. and Thurs. which was cool (he lives in L.A.).  We bought some Mexican heather from Home Depot to plant in window boxes that could border our patio/deck thing.  Well we killed them.  Home Depot took them back, but apparently we used too much manure in the soil mix and burned the roots!  Goes to show you who does not have a green thumb (yours truly)!!  So we bought some more and some herbs and they are growing nicely.  The cactus we got is nice and fuzzy, but please don't touch it... it bites!  Tiger loves the cat grass we got for him, and so far it has not made him loopy.  I think catnip is the only thing that does that, and cat grass is supposed to help with hairballs and soothe his stomach.  Or something like that.

Ah yes.  We passed our DMV tests.  I missed two and Eric missed four.  We also didn't have to wait in line b/c they take appointments there.  Who knew?  So today we went to get our emissions tests done at the gas station and my car almost didn't pass.  Do any of you know anything about these tests?  I know I've been putting cheap gas in the car but it also has 70,000 miles on it.  Any info would be appreciated.  Did you know also that AAA will get your registration certificate for you?  They even gave us our plates so we don't have to go back to the DMV!  Yeehah!  Well I am going to go try out the pool.  I may have to join the Y b/c it is too small for laps.  Anyway, have a good night and I will write more soon when I have an update!

Hello to All!

I just wanted to give you guys (hee hee) and update!  It has been 110 to 112 degrees here lately.  They do this weird thing in the summer where they spray polyurethane foam on the roof of their houses.  I guess it keeps the heat out in 125 degree weather, which is apparently commonplace in late July and August.  I was looking through the phone book and saw a picture of this woman in a bathing suit on top of her house with a guy in the background spraying white foam on the roof.  I felt like I was in the twilight zone!

In other news of the weird... we are going to take our driver's license test tomorrow.  It is a law here that if you take a job or establish residence that you have to get a new license and plates.  You also have to get your vehicle registered based on its age and blue book value, which could cost as much as $500!!  The freakiest thing was that I was advised to study for the written test.  Eric's boss failed it when he moved here from Nola.  So I actually had to drive to the DMV just to get the book to study from!!

Cali Update

Hi guys.  We are still in the hotel.  Our furniture was supposed to be here last Friday but now it won't be here until Sunday.  It got bumped off the moving van b/c it was too full.  Yet another challenge we have to face.  Moving is never easy, is it?  I do have to say, Tiger is enjoying having the place to himself.  The complex has three pools, a spa, and tennis and basketball courts.  Y'all would be so proud of me... I am up to 25 laps in the pool.  I have been going every other day but I'm trying to work up to every day.  It was 95 here today and I thought it felt nice!  It has been 102-105 lately.  Eric and I had the last few days off so we drove up to the Santa Rosa mountains and took the highway through them.  It was a little scary but fun!  Palm Desert is between the little San Bernadino and Santa Rosa mountains.  We were 2000 feet up!  We are planning to go that way when we drive to see San Diego.

I got another job.  Eisenhower was not what I thought it would be.  The staff there didn't seem happy and the supervisor that interviewed me was disorganized.  She had a few projects in the works but seemed unable to follow through on them.  Anyway, I took a night job at JFK Memorial Hospital, 3 12's, and they offered me $2000 for relocation.  It is a Tenet hospital but they don't do those retarded rotating day and night shifts, and the lady that interviewed me seemed very much on the ball.  She has worked with Tenet for 15 years so she knows how to milk the system!  The hospital also seemed much less political and more pro-nursing.  They used to be the public hospital like Charity, and they still operate that way, so it will be a good chance for me to use my Spanish.  The hospital is in Indio where most of the Hispanic population lives.  Ah... plus the staff is a lot younger and more open to new people.  They seemed happy to be there.

Enough about that.  Eric is liking his job and his boss is very nice... about a month younger than him so they are on the same plane.  His fiance is nice and has invited me to hang out a few times.  I am anxious for visitors, though!  I want y'all to see this beautiful place.  I will write more later!

Hello!!

Hey y'all.  You would not believe this.  It actually rained today!  Poured!  I felt like I was home.  I saw a couple of rainbows up in the mountains on the way back to the hotel.  It was cool.

I didn't tell you about the ride here.  Texas took forever.  San Antonio was pretty, very hot even at night.  We went to dinner on the Riverwalk downtown and saw this huge hotel called El Maison that looked like a Spanish hacienda.  The only nice thing about El Paso was the mountains.  'Nuff said.  Phoenix was great.  The weather is dry and hot and there are these misters on the patios outside of every restaurant to keep it cool.  We ate at a great place called Roxsand.  The food was so good and I got a wine glass as a souvenir!  It took 4 hours to get here from Phoenix and the drive was pretty.  We went through Texas Canyon and I felt like the Roadrunner driving through cartoon rocks.  There actually is a huge boulder perched on top of a 4 foot wide rock.  You cross the Colorado River to get to Cali and it is nice and blue, but skinny.  Nothing like the Mississippi.  Palm Desert is about 1 1/2 hours past the border.  The valley gets its water from an underground lake and there are palm trees everywhere.  We are pretty much smack dab in the middle of the valley.  Palm Springs is Northwest of here and Indio is Southeast.  All the towns are next to each other, seven in all.  You can drive down Monterey Ave, and to the left you are in Palm Desert and to the right you are in Rancho Mirage (which is where the hospital is).  Tiger did fine, he whined the first hour every day but slept the rest of the way.

Anyway, we got our apartment keys today and it is nice!  Bigger than I thought but I don't think all the furniture will fit, we'll see.  We don't get the furniture until Monday.  It is a pain in the butt waiting.  We'll have to stay in the hotel a few more days.  Darn.  Well I will write more later!  Take care!

Hello from Cali!

Hi y'all!  It really is nice up here!  Sunny every day, and the mountains are beautiful.  We drove down the strip in Palm Springs Monday and it is nice, but Palm Desert has a lot to offer in itself.  It has a street called El Paseo which is supposed to be like Rodeo Drive, but I'm going to stay away from it for a while.  Everything here is definitely more expensive, so I'll be shopping at Target.  I feel like I'm in Texas b/c the speed limit on all the streets around here is 50, and people are not Sunday drivers.  It is also very hot and dry (hence the name Palm Desert), so I am storing water like a camel and getting nice and pruny.  Needless to say it is a change from what I'm used to but I love it!!  Will write more later.  Take care all!

Hi!  I just wanted to let you know that we are here and Cali is beautiful!  There are mountains everywhere, but not much water.  The average rainfall here is 5.5 inches per year!  It is sunny, needless to say.  I almost miss thunderstorms every day in the summer in New Orleans (not really :).  I got a job at Eisenhower hospital working day shift, 3 12's.  I am really excited b/c it's where I wanted to work and plus I have all kinds of free time!  I think you all have my address but if you don't let me know.  Write more later.

Hey guys just wanted to let you know that this place is beautiful!  There is little or no water here but plenty of mountains... quite a difference!  The Marriott resort rivals the one Eric and I went to for our honeymoon in Cancun... you must come see it!  I got a day job at Eisenhower hospital where I wanted to work, 3 12 hour shifts a week, so I'll have plenty of time to play!!  I miss all of you and can't wait to come home for Mardi Gras.  Call, write, or come visit soon!