Schlitterbahn

Be careful pronouncing this word. (schLitterbahn)

This is the best waterpark in the world...seriously.

A bunch of my friends and I went Saturday, and even though it was way crowded, it was such a fun day. The best part was being talked into doing the "skycoaster." AHHHHH. Me and two of my friends strapped into a sling and raised to the top of a 300 foot launch tower and then dropped-- swinging back and forth above the waterpark.

 

Loved it! If you're ever in Austin, I will take you to this waterpark and make you do it with me. 

P.S. I miss all of you. 

Greetings anyone who still reads this.

Do not panic. Hurricane Ike did not sweep me away--

I have not had the internet for 3 weeks except at work where I can't access blogs. 

....I do not like this situation.

In the meantime...today in Austin the weather cooled down a bit. Summer is officially over,

and that means Fall is on its way. But it's not the same! There is something very heart-warming about autumn in Provo. The canyon, the mountains, the trees, everything. 

I miss it.

P.S. I'm officially employed--have my own office, no residents yet but hopefully soon, the building is waiting for he safety code to pass still (it failed once already) I'll post pics soon. 

It's been a little crazy trying to figure everything out but I really love my new job! 

Happy Birthday Riss!

Marissa--You are smart, funny, talented, and beautiful. What more could I want in a friend. 

I hope you had a great birthday! I love you!

On Friday morning I was told that I got the job! Thanks for all the interviewing tips, they paid off. The interview went really well, I was extremely impressed with the building--it's brand new, and beautiful. I will be the recreation therapist at the Park Valley Inn Care Center starting September 15. What's great about this job is that the administrator of the building used to be a rec. therapist so I'll have someone to turn to with all my questions. There is a lot to learn, but I'm really excited about it! 

For Real

Up until this point in my life, I've never had to seriously interview for a job. I'm used to meeting with the owner/boss, sitting down for a few minutes, handing them a resume and answering a few questions. No big deal. Well, before even processing what was going on, I scheduled an interview for an activities director position at a brand new long-term care facility in Round Rock, Texas. I wasn't even thinking about the fact that I might be nervous, or that I should probably prepare for this until today at work, a few too many people overheard that I had an interview coming up and next thing I know I'm sitting in the center of 3 of the administrators answering my best to their sly and creative questions I may be asked tomorrow such as... "What is something you would bring to this facility and this company that no one else could?" umm........ Now I'm starting to feel a little more like the guy in the picture! This may sound silly but the drive home I turned off the radio and practiced answering these possible questions as professionally and prompt as possible. I must say, interviewing is not my forte, simply because I haven't had much experience with it. The fact of the matter is though--I am well cut out for this job. I've been in the industry over 5 years, have a broad range of experience, and know how to handle this population well. Now, learning to "sell" all of this efficiently in 10-15 minutes....any last minute advice?

So here has been my problem this summer: it is really really hot and humid here, and I'm not allowed to wear any open-toed shoes at work. I won't give you all the details but it has not been a pretty combination. The other day I found this product--Just Feet foot spray by Sally Hansen. I was a little skeptical but bought it anyway. IT WORKS. I spray it in my shoes and on my feet in the morning and it completely saves me--my feet stay so much more dry and do not smell at the end of the day. If you know what I'm talking about, go buy this product!

100 Years

Today my favorite resident at Gracy Woods II turned 100 years old. Can you imagine what that would be like to live that long? I was in charge of throwing her a huge surprise party, complete with 100 balloons, 3 cakes that spelled out 1 0 0, and almost 100 guests! It turned out so well.

Edna Hollaway on her 100th Birthday

Here is an idea of what America was like in the year 1908:

• The average life expectancy was 47 years. (well she certainly exceeded that)
  
• Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub
  
• Only 8% of homes had a telephone
  
• There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
  
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
  
• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower
  
• The average wage was 22 cents per hour
  
• More than 95% of all births took place in the home
  
• 90% of all doctors had no college education. They attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard" (um, ok..)
  
• Most women only washed their hair once a month (I would have fit right in)
  
• The American flag had 45 stars: Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
  
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30!
  
• There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
  
• Two out of every 10 adults could not read or write
  
• Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school
  
• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
  

It makes you wonder what "crazy" things people will say 100 years from now about today--I'm strongly betting there will be a different fuel source by then, maybe someone will have cured cancer or at least come close, perhaps marijuana will become legal again, who knows! I hope that if I live to be 100 I'm as great of a person as Edna Hollaway is.