Week-a-week-a-two-a......

Well here I am week two.....What happened on week two....well I will bomb you with all these pictures because I have them!
So lets start with Sunday night!  I came home early from my mom and Atati's due to the storm that was coming in.  Took a much needed nap!  Woke up and got invited to supper upstairs :)  I love the Franzen family!  While upstairs Katie was looking through Pintrest to find a recipe for supper on Monday night.  She needed to go shopping so I told her I would pick some stuff up if she went so I decided that I would go with her.  We had a good time!  We waltzed around Dan's super market laughing and screwing around!  It was nice to have some sister/like contact since I can't have mine here with me!   I really enjoy spending time with her!  So we decided while we were at the grocery store to make YOGURT DOTS!
Here is the process!

Put yogurt in a zip lock bag and cut the corner

Then just push the yogurt out on wax paper and freeze

We made them the next night as well due to not having enough freezer space we had to wait for the first batch to freeze!
Monday! 3/18/2013
I became an Auntie!!! FINALLY!  I have waited for so long!  However the part that is hard in this situation is that my nephew is in Philadelphia :(  So I will wait for a few months and then I get to meet him in person!
Adrian Okomaatani Mita
1:09pm weighing in at 7lbs 2oz.
Could he be anymore adorable!! (pictures are from his mother Kassie!)

Monday I was also exciting because guess who got a PATH jacket! LOL

(sorry about the Kleenex in my nose but I had some issues and this was a way of solving it, there was alot of dry air in the office! haha)

I had my first meeting in Stark County for a client.  It was interesting to see the dynamics in the room.  The professionalism is so different than I thought it would be.  Everyone is super nice and relaxed which is so nice! I am not sure why I thought it would be all serious but I'm glad my idea of what I thought is so different. 

Tuesday was like anyother day in the office, emails and phone calls I had another meeting a lot of the same people as the day before so that was nice!

I had been in severe pain from my tooth and thought I was going to die!  This is not an exaggeration  the amount of pain killers I was taking I was for sure not going to wake up!  I called the dentist because I was not going to drive all the way back to Fargo for a dentist appointment.  After discussing the issues and what was happening I got me some antibiotics and oxy(something) to help with the pain.  I was at first thinking antibiotics were stupid but once I realized that I probably had gotten an infection with the pain spreading the way it had!  Slept like a baby that night for the first time in a week!! AAHHHH is all I can say!

However I made one pit stop on my way home before bed....Dun dun daaaa....The DICKINSON MALL!

I know you are all like "OMG is it such good shopping?"

"Duh, I mean we have a K-mart, White Drug, Hallmark, Bath and Body Works, Maurice's, Herbergers, and JCPenny's."  What more could a girl ask for!

Honestly it is better than nothing let's be real! At least I have three places I can get something immediately if needed. So I was in the mall and I happened to pass the Easter bunny and I wanted to take a picture for you to show you all the people in line to meet that little bunny!  I could hardly get a picture it was so packed!

........YUUPPP....... That's the mall!

Wednesday: you looked like you were going to be similar like all the other but my night turned into a crazy situation.  1st off I had a meeting in Carrington on Thursday morning so my boss had me get a room in Bismarck so I didn't have to be up at 3am for driving purposes.  Remember not only do I have to drive the 100 miles from Dickinson, there is a time change as well! And when you are traveling back to the Central time zone it is not the nicest! So I was texting some people on the way (of course my car was pulled over while I was doing this....yeah) No one was available to go get some food and or a drink.  So gave up on the idea of doing anything when I showed up at 10pm.  UNTIL.....The lady at the front desk politely was like, "please have two drinks on us."  OOOOK!  So I put my stuff in the room and headed to the lounge by myself.  Why...I still don't know why I did this but at least I can laugh at all the memories from this.  I walk in the door and immediately, like when I say immediately I mean IMMEDIATELY, this crazy man who had a mullet to be exact and looked like he had not showered after work starts trying to dance on me!  My reaction!  "Umm..NO"  I start to walk away and he comes back I roll my eyes again and repeat "NO" and walk away to go sit down.  Now of course his buddies at the table (on the other side of the room) are like laughing thinking this is so great....again "NO."  So I sit down on the edge of the bar by myself order my famous choice of drink these days, a Caesar. Yum!  As I am texting my sister to tell her what just happened to me and how uncomfortable I am, guess who decides to come and sit next to me.  Yup that guy!  We will now refer to him as Mr. Mullet.

The conversation continued as follows:

Mr. Mullet: Hi

Me: Hey

Mr. Mullet: How are you?

Me: Fine

Mr. Mullet: What are you drinking there (smile and giggle)

Me: a Caesar

Mr. Mullet: Is it good?

Me: Ya

Mr. Mullet: Why don't you put your phone down?

Me: Why

Mr. Mullet:  Well I think you should 

Me: No

Mr. Mullet: Geez, I mean you could talk to me since I am sitting here

Me: I dont know you (in my head I am trying not to smile this guy is relentless)!

Mr. Mullet's friend: Here have some shots you guys!

Me: No thankyou I don't take shots I just came for this drink

Mr. Mullet:  OOoo no I...ummm... no I won't take one

Mr. Mullet's friend: You guys suck (walks away)

Mr. Mullet:  So what are you drinking

Me: A caesar

Mr. Mullet: Is it good?

Me: Ya

Mr. Mullet to the Bartender: Are you two brother and sister?(talking about me and the bartender)

Me: **laughing

Bartender: Umm...No not that I am aware of....?

Mr. Mullet: Ooo ok, haha, well can I buy her a drink

Bartender: I don't care, sure if she wants one I guess

Me: **Looking in a different direction trying not to pay attention to him Aca-Awkward! 

Mr. Mullet: Yes please let me buy her one (throws out a $100 bill on the counter, looks at me as if I am supposed to be impressed)

Me: **still ignoring him

Mr. Mullet: Grabs his change and just leaves....no goodbye nothing

Me to the bartender: Brother and Sister HUH?! ***both of us laugh

Can someone tell me what and  how this happened?? Like I never invited him to dance on me, sit next to me, buy me a drink, nothing.  OOOooo I just don't know...then afterwards the bartender bought me a drink as well!  People just like to give me stuff out here! It is the weirdest thing! I must have a face that says give me free stuff because there is a lot of that happening...and no I am not complaining I am just in awe.  After my couple of drinks, I ran went back to my room and slept.

Thursday:

OOO the dreaded Thursday: So remember I told you I got a prescription for my tooth....Yeah about that...Thursday was the day I ran into complications with that.  So I get up have breakfast and checkout of the hotel and meet my boss.  She picks me up to go to this meeting and I am feeling just fine, refreshed from a great night of sleep, and then all of a sudden it starts....I get the sweats, fever, I am fogging up my side of the window...it's awful! So I politely ask if we could stop and get some Alkaselzer thinking this should help...We stop in Medina I get the goods make the potion and start to drink it.  I normally would just chug the potion but on this particular day I decided to sip it because of how upset my stomach was.  I was thinking man this is going to work!  I am NEVER eating eggs from a hotel again, it must have been a bad egg!  Right as I finish my last sip of the potion.....it starts to happen....my stomach is rolling, my gag reflexes start in...in my head I'm like "Nicky GET YOURSELF TOGETHER YOU WILL NOT PUKE!  YOU WILL NOT! HOLD IT IN!! THIS IS YOUR BOSS! COME ON!"  and then it was beyond my control so I polity and calmly say to my boss, "Hey I am going to have to throw up can you pull the car over?"  her response "O dear, yes let me get to the top of the hill here."  Me inside my head "AIN'T NOBODY GOT  TIME FOR THAT!! PULL OVER!"  And I pulled the 'I am going to open the door before you have the car stopped otherwise it is going to be a whole lot of stinky and messy in here trick.'  I get out do the deed get back in....mind you, feeling 100% better.  I apologize and her response.  She handed me a Kleenex and Luden's so my mouth wouldn't have a bad taste.  She is AMAZING!  Me on the other hand, so embarrassed   Then we go to this staff meeting.  I do well the whole time and then on the way back I make it to Carrington and I just couldn't do it anymore so I slowly lay my seat down and pass out!  So for the next 1.5 hours my boss listened to me snore, breathe,...etc because she didn't want to disturb me by turning the radio on......ummm yeah! Embarrassed!  But I got over let's be real I mean I did everything in my power to prevent and they just didn't work.

Friday: Work all day then a co-worker and I were going to go to a conference on Saturday in Bismarck.  Our original plans were to go on Saturday morning but the weather was not cooperating out here so we booked a room at that same hotel and went Friday afternoon after work.  We get in her car drive and it was like a repeat of Thursday morning....I however managed to suppress it until we got to the hotel so it wasn't so embarrassing.  At this point I decided it had to be the meds because I am not one who has car sickness. So Saturday I decided not to take any meds and sure enough that is what it is! Glad it took me like 3 days to figure that out! WHEW!

Now Friday night...KOBE'S!!! YUMMY!  I was like a kid that had not gotten to eat out in like 3 years...It was a new experience for me LOL.  I have never eaten at home so much in my life.  Dickinson has some restaurants but I mean I don't have anyone to go with so I eat by myself.  And as we can all see what happened on Thursday night that is why we don't eat out by ourselves here in Dickinson!! Lesson Learned.
We went shopping had some fun then went to get a cocktail.  Mr. Mullet was there, however he didn't even look at us (thank baby J!) Said hi to my apparent brother that works there.  Nothing to exciting and then we went back to our rooms and to bed!
Saturday
Conference which was from 9-4 on Trauma.  It was actually pretty good! I crocheted during it.  I was teaching myself how to and practicing while during this presentation.  Here is the big piece after LOL I had more but I kept taking it apart because it didn't look nice! I will be having new techniques when I see the Grams this weekend!

Saturday night I came home was watching Pretty Woman.....That is a dang good movie! I like watched watched it for the first time as an adult!  I cried and laughed and cried some more!  I just love, love!  I mean I hope that movie got some awards because it is still so good!  Then after I was waiting for commercials to be over and I was going to watch Raising Helen so I could cry some more by myself on a Saturday night and I was doing this..(No making fun because everyone does this!)

And then I was happily interrupted by this pretty face!  So, movie was canceled and Desi and I talked for like 2 hours or so!  It was great to see her and catch up!  It was better than the movie, that is for sure!

She even had some good conversation with Beaker!

Sunday was boring except for the last bit of it.  I did Skype with Travis and Kelsey! and then we did a family Skype! We got to see the newest edition over video with the proud parents! One of the coolest things!  Captain Fred even made an appearance!

 
All in all a good learning week! I will be updating the blog more often because this was exhausting trying to write all what happened...not even that its that interesting, let's be real! Ooofda!

My song choice is an uplifting one! I love this song and Toby Mac is on of my favorite artist!

So Much Love,

Nicky

Why Yes Sir I am buying cheese.....PROBLEM???

So I thought I would update a little story that happened.  Nothing to long just a short little thing.  When I said goodbye to my brother (John) before I moved out here, he told me some pieces of advice.  Which now that I am living here, I know that they were very good pieces of advice!  They were something like: don't go into alleyways, don't go out at night (dark) if you don't have too, Always be in a lit areas, don't make eye contact with men (unless it's with work), and don't talk to strangers.  You know the basics!  So me being the brave person I am I decided to go grocery shopping by myself after work...you know because I am a big girl and all.  So here I am pushing my cart, getting all that good produce...apples, carrots, strawberries..etc.  And you know how you get that feeling when someone is watching you....YOU JUST KNOW!  I felt that...OK! I felt it!  But because I was "being brave" I was like talking to myself a little something like this...."Now Nicky, you know that John told you to not go out at night, and to not make eye contact,  you are doing just fine! You are over exaggerating because you are nervous about everything being new and unknown....quit thinking someone is watching you! Finish up and be on your way!"  Pep talk with self CHECK.....continuing on!  Approaching the deli, I notice out of the corner of my eye, I see a man late 30's staring at me!  "Nicky....don't make eye contact or look up...but what if he kidnaps me?? I need to know a description..Right?!?" Then it happened, I accidentally made eye contact!  "OOOOO CRAP!  Now look at you, you dummy! You are going to die!  Ok get yourself under control Nicky! Get your ham and move on......FAST!"  Ok ham in cart...moving over to dairy...going to grab some cheese, oooo for the love of cheese! <3
Now at this point my stomach is twisted and I am just a mess! No lie!  Like at any moment I will ditch this cart and SPRINT out of this store!  But with persistence I am going to finish this shopping trip! " You go Nicky, show this stalker that you aren't afraid!! You get over there now and pick some cheese out!"  Ok so here I am grabbing some Mozzarella to eat with my mushrooms I picked out (judge free zone here!) And no lie all of a sudden I hear that man who was behind me say "hmmmmm CHEESE?!"
My eyes are now the size of golf balls and in my mind I'm like "THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN, I DID NOT JUST HEAR HIM SAY THAT......keep your face straight put the cheese in the cart and get out of this section....you are imagining stuff now!  But I am pretty sure I heard what I heard! Nicky just LEAVE THE DAIRY SECTION!"  So in a, I am trying not to be frantic sort of way, but I am sure it was all over my stiff body language and fast legs, I pushed my cart to the bakery section.  I planned to just grab bread and mozzy through the frozen section to see if I needed any lunches in there UNTIL....that's right I said UNTIL....I reach for the bread and I hear that same voice....."hmmmm bread"
Now at this point I was like 100,000,000% sure that I was not imagining this anymore. My eyes had to be the size of softballs at this point!  All I hear my internal voice yell is  "NICKY RUN!!!!!!!!  GET OUT OF DODGE! But if I run he will run after me! Nicky he is actually shopping so just leave the store, push your cart to the front find a line that is shorter so you can check out fast!"  So I push my cart to an isle as fast as I can and panic like the whole time before some nice lady came and pushed her cart in the isle after me.  She asked if I was ok and I replied "yes, yes I am thankyou!" Cute old lady!  I mean seriously I must have looked like a wreck if she asked me that!  I checked out grabbed my bags and basically sprinted to my car!
So in the end I made it to the house I am staying at....no followers!! (I drove around for a while to make sure no one was following me and called my dad! haha)
One of my many irrational moments....I am sure to be followed by many more!

This song made me laugh when I was looking for a song for this blog,  I thought I would leave you with a short 30 second one!
So Much Love,
Nicky

WEEK ONE....

Week one.....the new job, new city, new everything!
I started out day one at my job meeting my new boss Joan.  She is an older lady probably about in her 60's really passionate about her job!  If anyone knows anything about me and passion, it's that I strive and learn off passion.  So this is a good fit for me!  I went to my new office, where I have my own office!! Yes my OWN office!  Pretty cool!  I can't express how grown up I feel!  I have my own phone number extension as well! (so call me maybe!)
I believe that God gives us signs and when we see these signs (I call these GOD WINKS) this means that we are going in the right direction!  When I sat in my office day one, up on the bulletin board I saw this pin and this was what I would call a GOD WINK!  A white dove!  OOOO I had chills and tears in my eyes!  It's just one of those things that have been a significant symbol in my life for a long time!  I even have one tattooed on my wrist. This just confirmed that this was right for me!

So the first few days we went to the office learned somethings about my new clients and families.  For anyone that doesn't know what exactly I am doing I have figured it out this week as well so I can give you a brief synapses here.  Basically I, as the AASK worker will monitor children that are taken from their birth homes (this would be like the home you grew up in) and put into foster care.  If a point comes where the child is not able to go back into the birth home, I will be asked to step in and find a family that would be willing to adopt the child.  Sometimes family members of the child will adopt them, or the foster parents will adopt, if neither are an option then we will try and pair a child up with a good home where the parents would be able to care for the child.  What is neat about this process is that I get to watch it from start to finish.  We as social workers would like to see all the children go back into the birth home but as we all know that is not possible.  However the most loving families are the ones we get to pair the children up with! And when I say loving.....I mean loving!! I have met two families so far in person and they are just wonderful people!
Each child that is adopted will get a blanket and a teddy bear!  The bear is so soft!  Here is the one we gave away on Wednesday!

I also went a couple places with Joan.  She took me to the Community Center (workout place kind of like the YMCA/Sanford Center).  We went to a Ukrainian store where they decorate eggs and serve meals once a week.  She showed me the court house where an adoption was finalized!  Which was so cool to see!  Nothing like a happy family!

Joan kept saying she was going to take me to the church for lunch.  Now when someone says that in the FM area that usually means like a potluck type of deal or the church serves lunch for people at a certain time a day.  So I was like OOO geez!  What am I getting into here!  Anyway long story short it was an old church that was renovated into a coffee shop called the brew! So neat and NOT what I was expecting!  Random fact about the church for all you history buffs out there....The one and only Teddy Roosevelt went to church here!  AAAwwwww Yeah that's right TEDDY ROOSEVELT! I know you are all sitting in disbelief right now....CRAZY!!

Outside of the church (red door is the entrance)

A cool stain glass window inside

This is inside, right below is where you order 

 So ironically Joan and I were in the church having lunch when the white smoke was blowing and the Pope was announced!  Pretty cool!

Here is the bird that we got to put on the table so they knew where to bring our food! 

All in all each and every day is reassuring me that I have made the right choice!  I am starting to like this little town of Dickinson!  I would have to mark week one a successful one!  I am told all the time that it is OK that I feel a little bit lost in what I am doing, due to just starting out!  I also will be sent back to Fargo for an orientation on a Friday some time in April so that will be nice to get to meet some fellow colleagues on the Eastern side and to learn more about what I am supposed to be doing.

As far as my first weekend,  I packed my bag and headed north to my mom and Atati's!  I got this picture on Thursday and I mean how could one say no to this cute face?!?! Seriously!

I took a different route up there and it was BEAUTIFUL!  I found mountain type hills and got to drive up and down them!  I felt like I was in a different state.....until I was cut off by a truck :(  But such is life when you are out here in the WILD WILD WEST!  YEeehaw! (I felt that was necessary right there)

I'll leave this post with something I thought was quite funny!  My emergency escape route!  "Kristin" is my office and this is what I will do in the event of a fire.....Stand up walk out my office and walk out the door of the office!  WHEWWWW am I ever glad they posted this I don't know what I would have done if there were to have been a fire and I didn't have this sign! haha!  I love it! (I don't have any other options for doors or windows, for anyone that didn't see that in the Route diagram!)

The song of choice is Soar by Christina Aguilera.  It just seems fitting for a change and for what I have been feeling!! 

Thankyou for all the phone calls/texts/messages/fb/twitter/etc....Means more than you all will know!!

So Much Love,

Nicky

So I put my Faith in something unknown....

Well so we continue with my Sunday night....
I came back to my apartment and went to lunch with Desi and Travis!  It was a quiet lunch and I feel as if it was that way because we all knew what was coming.  After we went back and Desi (bless her heart) helped me fold all my clothes I had washed.  Then Travis and Desi both (blessing hearts again) helped me carry my stuff to my car and jam pack that thing!  So since I am not technically fully moving until my apartment is done I took one tub of misc things and all the rest was clothes.
After some tears and two really good hugs, and a prayer I started on my way....
I waved good bye to Desi and Travis on my way out and they stood like proud parents in the parking lot waving back! As corny as this sounds it was heartwarming and much appreciated.

Meet BEAKER

 He kept me company the whole way to Dickinson.....SUCH A GOOD LISTENER

I mean I talked, sang, cried, laughed, and discovered new things the whole way to Dickinson with Beaker!

I know you all are like well Nicky, like seriously what did you and Beaker do.....Well since I knew that would be a question, I took a few pictures to show our adventure out west.....

Here's Beaker all buckled up and ready to move!

 Beaker sun bathing in the first couple miles out of town..... 

 Beaker was starving and INSISTED that we stop at Arby's in Jamestown....I said no but how could you say no to that soft leafy face?!

After telling Beaker about all the UFO stories during supper we search for UFO's around Tappen.....REPORT: None in site

 Beaker wanted a picture with the New Salem cow....we didn't have the time to drive to it so I told him this would do for now....maybe some other day

And finally here is the sunset we drove into....it was BEAUTIFUL with the hills and such! You know those things we don't have in the Fargo flat land

After our arrival in Dickinson I finally met the Franzen's!  Long awaited and anticipated!  Seriously if I could have picked out a family to live with I couldn't have picked a better one! You know they say your children are usually a reflection of their parents....this is so true for the Franzen's.  I couldn't have met a nicer family!!! All I can say is Thank you Marie!!

I basically have the basement to myself and I go upstairs to say hi and talk every once and a while.  So home life is kind of boring I am not going to lie.  I go to work and head to the gym, home, eat, and watch some tv if  I can find something.  This is going to be the hard part to adjust to in this journey.  I have always been so busy and had things to do so now when things slow down like they are it is just so different. But definitely a good different. 

Here are some quotes I came across or had sent to me, they describe what is happening right about now

I can tell you with everyday and every step I am taking, that this is definitely the right move for me! There are signs all around and I am embracing it to the fullest!  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me!

The song I have chosen for this blog is a song that came on one day when I was reflecting on whether to take this opportunity or not and a line in the song made me really think....this is it!

"So I put my faith in something unknown, I'm living on such sweet nothing, But I'm trying to hope with nothing to hold, I'm living on such sweet nothing, and it's hard to learn, and it's hard to love"

So Much Love,

Nicky