The ABCs of An EPIC Girls' Trip! May, 2019-Q is for: Quietly Sending this Trip Report off Into an Internet Sunset (8/25)

[Steppesister]

I am rounding the bend and heading for the home stretch!

WoHOOOO!!! You're so close!

My last day of clinicals is April 5th, then I have a seminar day on May 2nd, the day before I fly out for our lovely Epic trip! I have absalutely nothing to do between April 6th and May 2nd. Can't wait to veg out on my couch for a full day!

An epic veg out that is more than well-deserved!!

So a quick update, cause I am sure you are wondering...I have 2 job interviews the next couple of weeks. One is a "predictive" hiring position, where they interview, hire, and train someone because they are predicting they will lose someone soon. This is on Friday of this week. It is for Transfusion services which is actually my top choice of area's in the lab I would like to work. The downfall is, if I get this position, I have no idea what shift I would be working because it would be based on someone else retiring/resigning their position. It is for Riverside Methodist Hospital which is a 796 bed hospital. It's one of the biggest here in Ohio so things would never be boring. The second is at Galion Community Hospital. It is this coming Monday. It is a 35 bed hospital which is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It would be for Microbiology which is my second choice of area's to work in the lab. It would also be day shift, which is just about unheard of just coming out of school into the lab. The downfall is it pays $4 less an hour and I am afraid I would get bored.

That's it for now. I have case studies to finish and 3 more exams to take over the next week and a half. Hopefully I will be able to contribute a bit more once those are done, if I am not passed out over a bed for a few weeks!

Ohhh, tough choice. I think the bigger place would give you more room to grow your skills and more opportunities to grow in the company. They may be willing to move your hours to more reasonable ones after an unspoken "trial period". I can say for ME, I am making less than if I was in the hospital, but it's a smaller place and feels more like a family.

Good luck on those exams!!

 

[Steppesister]

L is for Let's Get Packing!​

It's time to get the suitcase out and take stock of the wardrobe! Yeah, yeah, tease me all you want, but I pack slllloooooooooooooowly. I am pretty thorough and take my time in thinking through what I want to put into the suitcase. That way, if I have any holes in the list, I have time to shop or order and get them on time. It also gives me enough time that, should I forget something, I really have no excuse. While I like to think I'm rather organized, I have been known to be reduced to going commando on occasion for lack of planning. And then there was that time we went to Disney and forgot an entire suitcase for one of the kids....

I am super excited about 2 new items I purchased for this trip and couldn't wait to show you!

For the dinner at O'hana, I picked out this:

....only to get an email saying they were out of stock. I was/am so bummed. But, they have others and I chose this one in its place, which I'm not quite as happy with, but it still works:

I like the colors in the other, but will live. I have a plumeria hair clip I bought for when I DisneyBound Moana that I'll add.

I also bought a new little something for F&G:



It admittedly looks like a shapeless sack on the hangar, but I did try it on and it is nicely fitted around the waist. Either that or I am blithely deceived at what lies in the mirror and I truly am a shapeless sack. Whatever, I have fun at
Disney.

I need a set of F&G ears (which are WAY too expensive at $45.00)

and a pair of pink shoes like this:

OR

and I'll be set.


But, I can't decide!!!! What would you put with that dress? Both look comfy.

Anyway, I have some other outfits I already have picked out for our MK day and Brunch and for AK and Tea.

34 days to go! I made my countdown for the door today and will post that on Day 30... coming up!!! Only 4 short weekends to get stuff done after this. EEK!!!!

 

[vamassey1]

You should think about it with Michelle and Danielle! Maybe the guys could go find some "guy" thing to do with all the kiddos and let you girls have this to yourselves.

I would love to do this with the girls but Michelle, Jimmy & Gia aren't staying for the whole trip so we'll be concentrating on stuff for the kids while they are here. Someday. . . .

 

[vamassey1]

For the dinner at O'hana, I picked out this:

Love this dress!

But, they have others and I chose this one in its place, which I'm not quite as happy with, but it still works:

It's pretty too but I do like the other one better. I still think you'll look great.

I also bought a new little something for F&G:

Very pretty!

But, I can't decide!!!! What would you put with that dress? Both look comfy.

I think the first pair are cuter but I have several pairs of sketchers that I have worn to the parks and swear by them. They really are great for all the walking you do in the parks.

 

[Poolrat]

Playing Catch up again. I like both dresses but as others have said, I do like the first one better. Looks like everything is coming together for your trip.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I LOVE your flower and garden dress!!! The ears are way too expensive, but I do love the ones you posted! The first pair of shoes are the cutest, but the second pair look more comfy at first glance. Can't wait to see your countdown pic! I haven't been counting down the usual way at home because I don't want to gloat when my son and husband have to stay home and go to work/school while I'm away!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Steppesister]

I would love to do this with the girls but Michelle, Jimmy & Gia aren't staying for the whole trip so we'll be concentrating on stuff for the kids while they are here. Someday. . . .

They grow up fast! And yes, someday will come.

 

[Steppesister]

It's pretty too but I do like the other one better. I still think you'll look great.

I did too, but oh well. It came yesterday but I haven't had a chance to try it on yet.

Very pretty!

Thanks! It fits just right!

I think the first pair are cuter but I have several pairs of sketchers that I have worn to the parks and swear by them. They really are great for all the walking you do in the parks.

Such a hard choice!!! I wanna have cute shoes, but I wanna be able to walk all day!

 

[Steppesister]

Playing Catch up again. I like both dresses but as others have said, I do like the first one better. Looks like everything is coming together for your trip.

It sure is! I'm down to starting to pack, making my laminated schedule cards, and making hair and nail appointments.

 

[Steppesister]

I LOVE your flower and garden dress!!! The ears are way too expensive, but I do love the ones you posted! The first pair of shoes are the cutest, but the second pair look more comfy at first glance. Can't wait to see your countdown pic! I haven't been counting down the usual way at home because I don't want to gloat when my son and husband have to stay home and go to work/school while I'm away!

I love it too!

Maybe I'll splurge and get them, but we'll see.

I completely agree about the shoes. I want to have cute shoes but what good are they, if you're paralyzed at Test Track? LOL!

Tomorrow is day 30, so it'll be up on FB then! I'll post it here too cuz I love how it turned out! I get that you don't want to rub it in their noses so to speak. Not very nice to add salt to a wound ya know.

 

[Steppesister]

Well, I feel that dress number 2 needs a defender, so I'll gladly confirm that I prefer the second Ohana selection I'd also have to choose the Sketchers for myself, but will happily support your final choice, whatever that may be. (Can you tell I've just been wedding dress shopping for DD21 and have been practising my PC commentary?)

Ohhhhhh... LOL! The PC way out. Yes, I can tell you've been practicing!

I can actually live with either pair and as much as I love Pair #1, I'm going to have to go with comfort. There is NOTHING worse than being stopped dead in your tracks for bad shoes. Been there and done it. It nearly ruined a whole trip I'd let the blisters get so big.

 

[Steppesister]

M is for: Made Me a Countdown!​

Okay!!! Tomorrow's a ROUND DAY!! 30 days until I get back to my Happy Place. I'm going to post this now, knowing I won't have time in the morning to put it here AND FB. I made this a few days ago, and while I'd love to say I designed it myself, I only copied it off of a Pinterest site. It needs a bit more color I think and may embellish it a bit more for my September trip, but for now this'll do.




In other trip-related news: I made my airport shuttle reservations tonight. I'll save $98 by taking a shuttle instead of driving and parking at PDX. That alone is more than enough to plow through the Flower and Garden Food Kiosks. I have to catch my shuttle at a local hotel at 2:30AM and gets me to PDX at 4:00AM for my 6:30AM flight. That it's going to suck is no small understatement. O'hana may be a party or it might be a colossal snoozefest. If I start to snore, Ladies, poke me with a skewer.

Okay, time for nighty-night.

 

[suse66]

I like the colors in the other, but will live. I have a plumeria hair clip I bought for when I DisneyBound Moana that I'll add.

Both dresses are cute and are very Ohanaish....

I also bought a new little something for F&G:

Love this!

I need a set of F&G ears (which are WAY too expensive at $45.00)

I love those ears and want to order her BUT imagine that $45 in Canadian currency. $59.86 CDN plus international shipping, tax and duty. UGH!

But, I can't decide!!!! What would you put with that dress? Both look comfy.

I like both but the ones with the bow are my favourite.

In other trip-related news: I made my airport shuttle reservations tonight. I'll save $98 by taking a shuttle instead of driving and parking at PDX. That alone is more than enough to plow through the Flower and Garden Food Kiosks. I have to catch my shuttle at a local hotel at 2:30AM and gets me to PDX at 4:00AM for my 6:30AM flight. That it's going to suck is no small understatement. O'hana may be a party or it might be a colossal snoozefest. If I start to snore, Ladies, poke me with a skewer.

There will be so much energy and excitement around that table, you will have no problem staying awake!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm in love with your countdown!! You could use red, yellow and black to make little dots around the edges of your numbered circles, and I bet that would be just enough color pop to bring it all together! It's seriously so cute!

I can't believe how early you will have to be up for your shuttle, but saving that money will definitely make it worth it!! Take a snooze on your flight, and you will hopefully be ready to roll! But I'll volunteer to keep a skewer handy in case you fall asleep!

 

[vamassey1]

Very cute countdown! The days are just flying by.

 

[amazingact21]

Awesome countdown! And how exciting that you're less than a month away now!

 

[jedijill]

I'm checking in now that I know this epic PTR exists! So excited to finally crash one of your trips and meet you IRL! Looking forward to sharing in on the gluttony at CG Brunch before I head to the airport to go home.

Jill in CO

 

[Steppesister]

N is for: New Toys! Nice Stuff! Nifty Schedules!
​

Hello Friendlies!

Things are chugging along nicely on this Vacation Train.

These little beauties arrived a couple of days ago:

The clothes I'd ordered including the pink shoes with the bows are steadily arriving, choooo-chooooo...

and the spare bed is covered in the beginnings of packing. WOOT!

Even better, the laminated itineraries/notebooks are almost done! Aren't they gorgeous? They kinda make me giddy and when I see them here on my coffee table I kinda giggle like a little girl.

Does anyone else makes lists of the kiosks/foods they want to try at the Festivals? Here are my top picks for this year's Flower and Garden:

not that I'm excited to eat. A lot.

I've gotta get to work, but wanted to share my excitement with the progress. Have a wonderful work week, Everyone!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Your little cards are so cute!! And I thought I was Type A!!! I love them, and it's such a great way to keep organized. I simply can't decide all the yummy things I want to eat and drink, so I guess I'll be grabbing them on the fly as I see what everyone around me is trying!