It's the time...of the season

for...sniffling. (What's your name? Who's your daddy?...Okay, just kidding.)

I spent my first few days at my job sick as a dog, but I sucked it up and went to work every day because our training was so intense, I really did not want to miss out on anything. Now, there are two bugs making the rounds in the office. I don't think I brought it in, because apparently they have been there longer than I was. One is a cold/cough/flu type of bug. The other one is a nasty stomach bug that took out two of my co-workers. We're talking vomiting and everything. That one I am hoping I avoid like the dickens. I hope everyone feels better on Monday! I'm not feeling sick anymore but I noticed my ears are a bit sensitive and have been aching and itchy, so I'm almost positive I have an ear infection again. It's that time of the year again!

The job is going well, and part one of our training is over with. Now we will do part two of our training starting on Monday for another two weeks and I'm excited about it. It's wonderful to be working again and to be working in an area I am not familiar with (healthcare industry). It's also been hard to adjust to the changes, but now that my schedule has been changed, I am hoping that will help my family adjust better to it. We're doing okay now, but the first week was very hard on my daughter and husband. It's a sacrifice because my husband and I only see each other on the weekends now, but he came by my work yesterday and brought me lunch and we were able to have lunch together. I work 10 miles from my home in Bellingham and he was out there so he thought he'd drop by. It's little things like those that I love. Our weekends are great too.

Meals have been dismal, at best. I have no desire to cook when I was getting home around 6:30pm. I just wanted to do something quick and go straight to bed, because I was so exhausted. Now that my shift is changing, I should be home around 5pm and may have more time to figure out what to do for dinner, at least I hope. I am going to employ the crockpot a lot more!

Speaking of Crockpot, now that it's Fall, it's definitely time for some Beef Stew again! And I promised my co-worker that I would bring some, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll get on that! I already made the Pumpkin Pound Cake recipe I tried last year from Diana's Dessert and this batch was heavenly. I brought some to work, and will bring a couple more loaves when I get a chance to buy the ingredients I need.

I love Fall, but seriously, it's cold up here in the Pacific Northwest. Colder than normal, as well, and I really believe we are going to end up with some snow this month, which has me extremely concerned as we still have not bought snow tires for my truck and now I am driving to work. I just hope I can do well on the ice with some weight in the back of my truck and snow tires. We shall see.

Next weekend we're going to be taking family portraits and hopefully going to the pumpkin patch. Pictures to come!