I warned you...

here it comes..
the rambling post to make up for a long time without writing down all (well, some) of the randomness that goes through my head at any given time.

I have 4 more days at my current job. Quite possibly the least favorite job I have ever had. Actually, yes. Definitely my least favorite job of the almost 10 or so I have had. It is a little bittersweet since there are some parts I enjoy. I enjoy being the "cooker" and getting asked numerous times a day "What's for snack?" I enjoy the funny stories that kids tell and I enjoy Monday morning circle time where I usually duck in the classroom to hear what everyone did over the weekend. I'll miss seeing the excitement in their eyes when they try and new food and realize that they really like it (but I'm not surprised, who wouldn't like my famous lasagna?). I'll miss introducing them to things like smoothies and spending an hour cutting up 80 kids worth of a beautiful, colorful, fresh fruit salad (which one animated 5 year old proclaimed was "the perfect snack!"). I'll miss the polite few who always say "please" and "thank you" and even one who definitely appreciates me as the cooker and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and tells me "thank you for the food". I sometimes wish I could make a career out of doing a job similar to this one, only with a commercial dishwasher, larger budget and much much bigger paycheck. I love kids and I love introducing them to new and healthy foods but the time has come for me to leave and cross my fingers that the next person will do their best to feed them well and never forget to smile at them even if they throw their plate or spoon in the trash, again.
So here's to the effort I have put into this job. This $10/hr job. Which has been hard on my hands and nails from the constant washing, dish scrubbing and dish sanitizing. This 18 mile one way job. This job that has forced me to use my cell phone calculator to count every penny I am spending at Aldi to make sure I don't go over my budget, and then to use every muscle in my body to carry in a week worth of groceries weighing nearly as much as I do all stuffed into 2 large reusable bags... and caused me to curse a few times when I tried to use the kitchen cart to bring things in and hit a bump only to send cans of re-fried beans and canned chicken rolling across the entry way... thank you to the nice man who came running from his car to help me get in the door- I can't imagine how frustrated I must have looked. May I never again have to buy more than one loaf of bread at a time or one package of napkins at a time (unless I am planning an awesome party). May I never have to feed kids less healthy food than I want to. May I find more satisfaction in my new job.
I just hope this job ending won't feel like a bad break-up... hopefully we can both look back on it and say, "well, that was fun. It's too bad it didn't work out".

And speaking of NEW job... I could not be anymore excited. Although, I don't feel I have officially jumped up and down, I am beyond thrilled to finally be able to say "I am a dietitian" when someone asks me what I do. Nutrition defines me. 5 years of hard work, late nights of studying and working for free has shaped me into the the excited, young, nutrition professional who I am today.
This new job will definitely not be without challenges, tears and heartbreak. But I am ready for it. I am strong and I am caring... and while the later my make my job that much harder, it will also help me do it that much better. To be able to be a resource for families and patients who are dealing with the end of life process is something I feel strongly about. I know that I cannot save anyone... and it is possible that nothing I say or do will be able to help them, but darn it all, I am going to try my very best. I am going to try to give people the best advice I can on what to eat and drink to help keep their strength up and I am also going to be the voice of reason and help patients and families understand that not eating IS a natural part of the dying process and that it is ok. I certainly do not know everything and have a lot to learn but this is what I live for. To fill my brain with nutrition knowledge that can HELP people. I know I will end up crying a lot but I hope that I will also find this job to be rewarding and beneficial to the people I work with.

NOW...

one more quick topic for the evening since my laptop is slowly burning my thighs and my eyelids are getting heavy (5.5 hours until my alarm goes off for my early morning workout) and sometimes I have to cut myself off and save more for another blog.....

THE WEDDING!!!

19 days. Yes, 19. We are out of the 30s, and now out of the 20s. It is getting so close and the excitement is at an all time high. How could I not be beyond thrilled to be marrying my best friend, my everything?! I was so happy to get rid of the "girlfriend/boyfriend" titles and now in 19 days we can get rid of the "fiance" titles.
The wedding is going to be perfect. NO. MATTER. WHAT.
We will be in the company of our amazing family and lots of great friends. I know that some of our friends aren't able to make it but they will be thinking about us on our special day and we will be missing them and wishing they were celebrating with us... I am confident that our photographer will do an amazing job and the photographs she takes will make them feel like they were almost there... minus them being able to tear up the dance floor with us (some of them can't imagine not being there and I am sure it is slowly killing them.. but we still love 'em)!
Bride-to-be's need their beauty sleep though.. and after a lovely battle with a face sunscreen (Rach- 0, Sunscreen- 1) my poor sensitive skin is broken out and sad and needs some serious healing in the next 19 days.

That's all for tonight. Today was a great day. I will make the best of tomorrow.
Love, R