Strangeness.

So I am completely STOKED that we are leaving for Africa in less than a week. LESS THAN A WEEK! Anyhow...I'm having this strange feeling that I don't know how to pinpoint. The best I can do to explain it is that I have never been in this position before. I've known plenty of friends who have traveled internationally, so I have always been the one asking questions about where they are going, what they are doing, etc. Now that the tables have turned and I am the one being asked the questions, it's completely different. Don't get me wrong, because I totally dig it. I know we are going to have an absolute blast in Senegal and The Gambia and I can't wait to share that experience with anyone who inquires about it. This is so new for me and I can't actually believe it's happening to me.

I'd rather die than do this again...

Last week, I was the best partner EVER. I nearly froze to death and now have the worst case of poison ivy in the world. More on that later...

The privacy fence in our backyard had some brush, dead trees, and just general debris hanging out behind it. We knew it needed to be cleaned up, but decided to wait until the "winter" so that things would be dead and (in theory) easier to remove AND because there wouldn't be as many bugs and gross things to deal with.

WRONG .REALLY, REALLY WRONG.

Well, partially anyway. The actual removal of everything wasn't terribly difficult. Lindsay's step dad, Dale came over with a chain saw and cut down the really big trees and was nice enough to hook me up with a pair of lopping shears. These things are nice to work with because they can cut anything. Literally. ANYTHING.


This is the damage when we got done cutting everything down. I recommend clicking the picture, it really brings into perspective how much junk was there.











We cut everything down into even smaller pieces, loaded it into the truck, and took it to the dump, which by the way...is the sickest place in the world. Luckily, it started raining.




So...anyhow this is a really crappy picture (taken in the GD rain) of the cleanup. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like before we started chopping things down. It was a disaster!!!



Now, to my favorite part. I am HIGHLY allergic to poison ivy. HIGHLY. I don't even know what the heck it looks like, so I usually just stay away from anything green and leafy in the summer time. And with it being SO COLD...I didn't even think twice about poison ivy. TOO LATE.....cause now I have poison ivy on my hands, wrists, chest, neck, and even on one of my legs. OH JOY. To my surprise, I actually had my grubby little gloved hands ALL OVER some dead poison ivy. This is what dead poison ivy looks like. I recommend staying light years away from it.




It makes me itch and my skin crawl just looking at it. GROSS.

Further information for anyone interested, yes, clearly you can get poison ivy regardless of the season. You get the rash on your skin anywhere from 12 hours to 3 weeks after exposure to the OIL that is found on the plant. The oil that is found on poison ivy is incredibly potent. Trust me, I know. After a trip to Urgent Care on Saturday night where I received a steroid injection and some oral anti-itch medicines AAAAAAAND a lovely trip to a dermatologist on Monday where I received not one but TWO different topical steroid creams and more anti-itch oral medication.

I think my new ideas about mother nature are rapidly changing. If it isn't paved, I'm not going there...and if there is ANY potential of leafy thing, definitely count me out.

A great ending!

Yes, it's been a hot hot minute since I posted anything. I've been keeping busy, that's for sure. In the past few weeks, I went to Philly (and was sick as hell the entire trip...boo stomach flu), moved out of my place into Lindsay's (officially), been vaccinated against damn near everything, worked, celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and family, and tried to keep up with school. Sometimes I feel like its A LOT and other times I think I could handle more. I dunno.

My focus at this point is finishing out the semester and getting all A's! I finished one class about two weeks ago and totally got an A. I'm doing REALLY well in my Anthropology class and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoy it. My only complaint is the MASSIVE amount of work that I have to do. It's really good practice for writing, but DANG! Sometimes I just don't wanna write anymore. Anyhow, I'm totally going to get an A in that class too, no questions asked. My only other class I have is Sociology. It's been kind of nice taking Anthro and Soc. in the same semester; they contain a lot of the same information. My instructor in my Sociology class is a weirdo though. He grades things weird, he assigns random things, and he is UBER religious so I get a strange feeling from him. Whatever. My guess is that I will be just a few points away from an A, so a B is prolly coming my way. Meh.

I recently got accepted to IUPUI! WOOT! I'm excited about it and am most excited to be DONE with Ivy Tech. I've been at the Tech for waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. By the time I complete my degree this summer, I will have almost 90 credits. Geez. I can only transfer a max of 60 of those to IUPUI though, so this week I am going to speak to an advisor and see what else I can get to transfer, how long my intended program will take, etc. Speaking of program, I'm applying to SPEA. I finally figured out that I don't think health care is REALLY where I WANT to be. It's great to help people and make a difference, don't get me wrong. What I have decided to do is get a degree in non-profit management with a focus on environmental science. I'm so interested in saving the Earth and making it a better place for everyone, and I'm not a greedy asshole...so this works out for me.

Wish me luck!

October is coming out month!

If you didn't know already, October is coming out month. According to Wikipedia, October was chosen by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson as the month for the celebration. Why? National Coming Out Day was well established as its own event on October 11, and October commemorated the 1979 LGBT march on Washington.

I know first hand, that every single person who comes out has a story to tell. I would share my entire story with you, but it's a pretty personal thing that I don't want posted on the internet. Basically, I wasn't accepted by my mother (whom I lived with), she didn't speak to me and ignored my existance for over 2 weeks, called me terrible names, and destroyed my bedroom in anger. I felt completely isolated from reality. It was one of the most horrific times of my life.

My dad, who lived 50 miles away, wasn't nearly as abrasive (to put it nicely) about my recent announcement. All he had to say was "at least she isn't pregnant."

Coming out is a very crucial time in every person's life, and not just with sexual orientation. Clearly this applies to every aspect of humanity. A person can come out as many things in their life. I will always have an open ear and heart to anyone facing any kind of struggle. It's unfortunate that some folks feel they can't speak with their loved ones about issues in life for fear of being judged, humiliated, or even worse...shunned.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. My sexuality does not define me or who I am. It's part of who I am. Just like my blue eyes and smart ass attitude. I can't change the fact that I am lesbian, just like I can't change my skin color.

Luckily, all is well now, and has been for many years. My mom ADORES Lindsay (and myself of course) and even though she claims she can't "accept" my sexuality for "religious reasons" I know it's all a bunch of B.S. I wonder if I should tell her that in ancient Greek times, homosexuality was the the most common display of male hierarchy??? Nah...I'll just let her read it for herself. :) :) :) (Mom, click on "ancient Greek times...you will learn a thing or two!!)

Anyhow, happy coming out month!

Stick this!

So, I never had the intention of becoming a phlebotomist...it just kind of happened. I was exposed to LOTS of needles as a child (read previous blog for more info), which means lots of blood was also around. Neither needles or blood have ever bothered me so I find it hard to empathize with people who FREAK the fuck out over the SIGHT of a needle...or blood for that matter. I can get another person's blood on me and it's really no big deal to me. Wash it off. Pretty simple.

Anyhow, so when I applied for the first time at Methodist, it was spur of the pre-meditated. I mean, I knew I was sick of making $10.00/hour as an EMT at Care. I knew I wanted something more than what I had at the time. The first job I applied for was a position as a telemetry tech. I figured with my experience as a medic student and being ACLS certified that I would have a pretty good shot at it. I ended up getting a call regarding the job, but actually turned down an interview due to some scheduling issues with work, clinicals, and school.

When I broke my foot (today is the one year anniversary of that wretched event), things got a little wonky. I was off work until the doc released me. I couldn't walk, so clearly I couldn't work on the ambulance anymore. Womp womp. About a month and a half went by of me not working before I flipped my lid, to say it nicely. Long story short, I called my boss, and went back to work as a dispatcher AND they were so kind to give me an extra dollar an hour.

Working as a dispatcher got old, REAL QUICK. SO, I started (not that I had ever stopped) looking around for other options. I knew I had Lindsay's support and encouragement in whatever I chose to do, so that only motivated me to make a change.

I applied for a job as a cardiac tech at Methodist...and well, after a great first impression, several interviews, and job shadowing, I got the job. GO ME!!!! After more than 2 years at Care, I quit the same day I found out about the new position at Clarian.

What the heck does a cardiac tech do, you may be thinking??? Just wait...I can answer that question. I walk around the ENTIRE HOSPITAL all day tethered to a pager and when called upon, I perform lab draws, start IVs, and perform EKGs. About 70% of what I do...I do with a needle. That is where the beginning of my blog comes in. Blood does not bother me one bit, neither do needles (did I make this clear already?), so my job is a pretty good fit for me for the time being. It's the least stressful job, highest paying job I have ever had....and most days, I enjoy my job. The only stress I really have is dealing with DUMB ASS PEOPLE, mostly nurses.

So there you have it. I never intended on becoming a phlebotomist..my path just kind of ended up here. I wonder what I will be doing ten years from now???

Cancer Survivor

Some of you may (or may not) know that I am a long-time survivor of childhood cancer (leukemia). I just wanted to take a minute to reflect on that. I think writing things down and actually observing them makes me a little more in-tune with life. Keep a few things in mind while I share this part of me with you: some of this I remember, some of it I have COMPLETELY blocked out of my memory, and some of it is what my mom has shared with me throughout the years, a reconstruction of sorts.

Several factors make my cancer discovery, diagnosis, and treatment and absolute anomaly. If it weren't for my mom, I WOULD NOT be alive today, and not just because she was the person to find my cancer, but for so many other reasons (another blog, soon to come). So basically this is what happened. One day my mom was giving me a bath. Like another other 4 year old, I was splashing around and being silly, acting like a crazy-crazbo. Mom decided it was time to wash my little body. I was notorious for running around with my big brother and LOVED to get dirty, so it wasn't uncommon for me to have dirt caked in random places. When scrubbing my upper leg/inner thigh, mom noticed a bump. I'm quite sure she probably looked at it, squeezed it, and asked me questions about it, but clearly I don't remember that.

Like any concerned parent, she made an appointment for me to see a pediatrician. I say A PEDIATRICIAN because mine (Dr. Sorrells...the man who welcomed me into this world...the BEST doctor, ever) was out on vacation or something of the sort. We were referred to a family physician, Dr. Calhoun in Seymour, IN. We go to the appointment. No testing is ordered, he says I must have an "infection." I'm written a prescription for what I'm sure was probably an antibiotic medication, but all I can remember is that it tasted like charred, rotten steak. SICK. Sometime later, probably a week or two, we go back and no changes.

By this point, mom is over it. She just has this feeling that something is wrong. So she calls to see if Dr. Sorrells is back in the office. We get an appointment to go see him. (Everything that happens from here pretty much becomes a blur in my brain). Dr. Sorrells pretty much takes one look at me and says "this kiddo is sick. Let's get her to Riley for some testing."

I can't say that I remember actually being diagnosed with cancer. I probably don't remember 85% of what happened next. I can however, tell you this: everything that I DO remember is AWFUL. What has stuck with me the past 23 years is just being SICK.

At the age of 4, I was diagnosed with a type of leukemia, malignant hystiocytosis. It was such a rare cancer that my team of oncology doctors had NO IDEA how to treat it. A central venous catheter, or central line was placed in my chest. I was to be administered aggressive chemotherapy treatments, 5 days a week, indefinitely. The main drugs that I took were cytoxan, methotrexate, and adriamycin, the LOVELY drug that causes ones' hair to fall out.

I remember waking up from one of my surgeries and having this GIGANTIC bandage wrapped completely around my entire torso. I was so confused, I just wanted it off of me, and the pain in my back was so intense. What had happened in surgery is that bone marrow had been taken out of my spine, or somewhere near it. I remember being sick, that I couldn't lift my head to take a drink. I remember being so disconnected from my father and my brother because I was in Indianapolis at Riley 5 days a week, so I didn't get to see them much.

I remember really awful, gruesome details from spinal taps. And the absolutely disgusting taste of some of those medicines. And having two tubes sticking out of my chest. And always feeling like something was crawling inside the right side of my neck, but OH...that was just my central line moving around. I remember vomiting uncontrollably. I remember being SICK. REALLY FUCKING SICK.

What I also remember is that my mom NEVER, not for one second, left my side. I never spent a night alone in the hospital. I was never deprived foods I wasn't allowed to have because the sodium content was too high. I never NEEDED anything. I never went ONE SINGLE minute without my mom telling me how beautiful I was and how precious my life was to her. I ALWAYS felt my mom's love, beaming on me like sunshine.

So, after 18 months of chemo, multiple surgeries and biopsies, the placement, replacement, and removal of two central lines, emergency trips from Seymour to Indy at 3am, dragging my body through whatever the hell could be thrown at me...I made it. I kicked cancers' ass!!!!

Portland Day 4

By day four in Portland, we were feeling like we had done almost everything the city had to offer. We had a relaxing day being in love and walking around downtown. We visited Finnegan's Toys, went to the movies and saw "Adam" (which was actually REALLY good...until the ending), and visited VooDoo Doughnuts again. We knew we had to get up early the next morning for our flight home, so we called it a night around midnight. All in all, a great way to wrap up a super fun vacation.

I added mobile bogging a while back, but have yet to use it. Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! Drink and eat for me cause I'm working. BLECK!

Using my passport

I finally get to use my passport!!!! Lindsay found out tonight that we are officially going to Senegal and The Gambia in December! Holy freaking cow! This will be my first trip outside the U.S. and I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM.

AFRICA?!?!? Really??? AFRICA?!?!?!

YES, Africa.


It's going to be amazing.

For those of you who don't know, Senegal is represented on this map by the light tan color. The tiny little country inside of it is The Gambia.

Back to school...

So, I go back to school tomorrow...again. I'm going to finish my degree in general education and then next fall transfer to IUPUI. This semester should be a pretty easy one, but next semester is gonna SUCK. Wish me luck!

Day 3 in Portland!

Day 3 in Portland was AMAZING. Lindsay and I had an absolute blast!!! We decided the night before that we would rent a car. We searched around and found the best deal was with Hertz. We got a sporty little car with GPS for I think eighty dollars. Unlimited mileage and we had it for 24 hours. Thanks, Hertz!




We were on the road by 9am. The previous night we mapped out our drive. We would first head east to Multnomah Falls and The Columbia River Gorge, then go back through Portland and north to Mount St. Helens, and IF we had time we would head west to Seaside, OR.

Follow this link to check out our route. It kicked ass.

Anyhow...moving on. So, I took over 200 pictures on day 3. It really was pretty much the best thing ever, so I had to capture pretty much every single moment. No, seriously.


This is the first place we ended up, Wahkeenah Falls. It was gorgeous. There was a nice paved path so we decided to climb up and get a closer look.

As mention, paved path.

Fat kid dying of thirst on paved path.

Oh!!! Good thing I found something to drink! It was actually the best water I've ever tasted. And before you ask, no, I didn't get sick. I live on the edge, occasionally.

Yea, we got SOAKED. Totally worth it.

Shiny, wet-faced Ange and Lindsay in love.

I promised this little guy if he let me take his picture, that he'd become famous. :)

Looking out across the Columbia River.

Me being pissed because Lindsay wanted to continue walking on a path that was leading to nowhere.

Okay, so I got unmad REAL quick and we carried on...

Our next stop, just a mile or so down the road, was Multnomah Falls. It was super gorgeous, but incredibly touristy.

Pretty. Really pretty. Post card pretty.

OH!!! And heart-shaped! Even better!

After being REAL done at the falls, we grabbed a latte and a muffin and headed for Mount St. Helens. Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee???

We couldn't have gotten there without Madge, our little GPS buddy.

Wahoo! We're there! HA! Not quite....
Yea, that big "THING" in the background behind me, that's Mount St. Helens. Little did we know (until informed by a kind information center employee) that it is another hour and a half drive to see that beast up close and personal. Are ya shittin' me? Carry on...no need to get SO CLOSE. Let's go!!!

Thankfully, it was a GORGEOUS day and the drive complimented it well.

All along the drive to the mountain, there are places to pull off and snap away. We did just that. This is what the path of lava flow looks like 30 years later...

A better view.

Post card style.

These folks are SUPER SERIOUS about preservation, understandably so.

"Plants grow by the inch and die by the foot." Clever.

Mount St. Helens from Johnson Observatory.

Thank you, kind Asian family for taking our picture in front of the mountain!!!!

We headed out of there...and back to Oregon!

On the way, we noticed that the speed limit signs are missing a word....

Welcome to Astoria, OR! What an adorable little town! It has ocean! It smells so wonderful!

And lots of ships too!

Lindsay being silly behind a GIANT anchor.

HAHA! This is Lindsay after she made the mistake of ringing this bell. People must have heard it for miles.

Enough of Astoria! Let's get to Seaside where there is BEACH! Down the 101 we go!

Oh god! Sand! Beach!!!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....so chilly yet so soothing. WE LOVE THE OCEAN...and this was our first trip to the ocean together.


My love splashin' around in the water...we did this for quite some time.

Yay for cool pics at the beach.

OMG! It was soooooooooo chilly after being in the water. So, we burried our feetS in sand.



One of the sweetest moments of my life. Being SO in love with my love, watching the sunset on the beach, in the Pacific Northwest. *PERFECTION*


Sunset in Seaside, OR.


After getting back in the car and cranking the heat up to maximum for a few minutes, we cruised around and ate at a less than satisfactory seafood restaurant. Then we took a very long and dark drive back through the mountains and came within miles of running out of gas. What a great day!

Portland: Day 2

Day two in Portland was excellent. We did SO much: I finally got to try a maple bacon bar at VooDoo Doughnut, got to watch some interesting performances at an Indian Festival in Pioneer Square, then headed off to the Oregon Zoo and Washington Park where we saw the Portland Rose Gardens. After all of that, we were A. starving and B. hot and sweaty so we went back to the hotel, got all fancied up, and went on an hour long search for some decent food. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Me acting silly with a little seal.

My love and I on the train...on our way to get VD.

Someone (I'm not gonna say who) was totally excited to be riding the train.

Love, love, love the Oregon Lottery logo.

The line for VooDoo Doughnuts. Apparently everyone else in PDX wanted some too.

A little background story...I LOVE to back in to parking spaces, my garage, etc. Lindsay absolutely CANNOT STAND it when I (or anyone else for that matter) backs into anywhere. All along the street next to VD, you can ONLY back in, so I of course was in heaven. Lindsay was just annoyed. Haha.

The official VD sign.

Zipper shoes. COOL.


Me...before I entered VD.

That's right, folks! The magic IS in the hole!

Crazy decor at VD.

A bumper sticker, available for purchase.

What was it you wanted to order???

I'll have the maple bacon bar, thank you. Quite worth the wait and the $1.50. Actually, this is the best doughnut in the whole world.

YUM. YUM. YUM.

The Indian Festival. Lots of people. Lots of Bollywood. Lots of dancing and singing, and of course eating.

My love and her first ever Samosa. YUM again!

Trying out my braille skills in Portland.

Time for a little relaxing and to decide what to do next.

Time to go to the ZOO!!!

A bear poo-how-to.

Me being little at the zoo.

Eagles at the zoo.

Lindsay and a chum. I think they may be closely related.???? heheheh

A cute little otter.

In love at the zoo. :)

Pygora goats. He wanted to bite someone, I think.

Lindsay reliving some childhood memories.

A big ol' hippo just hangin' out in the sun.
Zebras.

Sammy's cousin, Mr. Wolf.

Giraffe!!!

A curious little meerkat.

Monkeys, of some sort.



"Sick ass" bats. -L.B.
In love on the train to Washington Park.

Did someone say "TRAAAAAAAAIN????"

The official stamp to get back on said train from Washington Park.

Rose Gardens. These smelled REALLY GOOD.

An exotic chocolate-covered-banana-eating monkey.

Pretty roses. Really pretty roses, everywhere.

My gorgy in the roses.

Oregon trees are the best.

Oh...the exotic monkey found her mate! (Those were REALLY tasty!!)

So. Pretty.

My love being silly, as always.

We are so cool, we get to hang out with bears.

The train was coming....WIND TUNNEL!!!

Finally! Geesh!

Where was it you wanted to go???

Trainwreck of a hair-do. How could I resist chasing this guy down to snap a quick photo of this beauty??

Downtown Portland.

Betcha' didn't know my lover is a marathon runner, did ya???

Fancy shmancy at dinner. Some pretty good Greek cuisine. YUMMO.

My best-girl at dinner.

After dinner and drinks, we stumbled back to the hotel and tried out the self-timer on our new fancy camera. It works. :) Overall, day 2 in Portland was AWESOME. We had a blast being in love all over the city.