life – Page 4 – beakatude

Work in Progress

By beakatude
on Oct 24, 2017
in life, projects

We are into Week 3 of the kitchen remodel and we’re seeing changes everyday. By the first week, we had all the cabinets and appliances removed, the random wall blocking the entrance to the kitchen counter was also removed. By the second week, the contractors started rewiring electrical and rerouting pipes.

In the meantime, Jes installed a sink out in the patio, which has made washing dishes a lot easier than doing it all in the downstairs bathroom sink.

New canister lights were installed, the counter height was lowered, and the wall was opened up (on the right).

This week, we will have the floors completed along with installation of the new cabinets.

Santa Rosa/Napa Fires

By beakatude
on Oct 17, 2017
in life

On the morning of 10/9/17, we woke up to the smell of smoke in our bedroom since we usually sleep with the window open. I woke up really early that morning and turned on the local news to see that Santa Rosa/Napa were on fire. This is one of the biggest fires in history and it burned for days. This is a photo of the Bay on the first day.

The air quality went from moderate to unhealthy very quickly and lasted for at least a week. It made sunsets really eerie with the red glowing sun and orange sky. This is a photo that Jes took from the ferry on his ride home on Wednesday.

The kids have had to stay indoors all week at school and all evenings after school. The playground outside was desolate and we had to turn the TV on to keep them contained and away from the kitchen dust too. What a rough week.

Here’s what the view of SF from the ferry looked like on Friday. Yuck.

Kitchen Remodel

By beakatude
on Oct 10, 2017
in life, projects

We are finally starting the kitchen remodel. It’s been about 6 months since we moved in and we were still using the original cabinets and some really old appliances. It was time to get this project going.

Over the weekend (while Brother and family were in town), we had to clear out the kitchen and dining room. We moved all the toys and KK’s desk upstairs and set-up a temporary dining/meal prep/pantry area. This will be where all the action will take place and it’ll be like living in a hotel for the next 5-6 weeks.

On the morning of 10/9, I took a photo of the original kitchen before the crew arrived to tear everything out. Goodbye old kitchen!

First Week at Kaiser

By beakatude
on Sep 29, 2017
in life, work

I had my first week at the new job and it went as expected. The first two days were at orientation, which was off-site in Richmond. Traffic up to Richmond was surprisingly easy with no traffic at all. I scored my first piece of KP swag today and some of the information provided was pretty interesting.

Wednesday was my first official day in the hospital. I left the house at 6:50am and watched the sun come up on my way in. Traffic is much lighter at that hour too. This is a view of the hospital from the freeway before I exited.

When I walked in, my desk was cleared and ready for me. I was placed right next to Teresa in a cubby by the entrance to the staff office. I get an entire corner desk with cubicle walls. It’s like moving into a mansion with a roomie already there to greet me!

Starting a new job is a little less scary when you move into and share a cubicle with someone you love. 🙂

The rest of the week went smoothly. I met a lot of the staff, enjoyed a potluck on Wednesday, got to work one-on-one with a few therapists, helped run a parent workshop, and participated in Spasticity Clinic. I worked 10 hours on Wednesday and had Thursday off (my birthday and usual day off in the week). Then I went in for my 6-hour day on Friday, got off at 1:30pm, went home to study for a couple hours, and then picked up the kids early to take them out for boba.

I think the kids and I are gonna like this new schedule!

Two Weeks Off

By beakatude
on Sep 24, 2017
in friends, life, outings, work, yum

I’ve had the past two weeks off and it’s been nice to have some alone time to reflect and reset before starting a new job. On the first day, Holly called and said she was still in town so she brought the kids over for dinner and I actually had time to shop and cook for them!

On one of the days, Teresa got flexed off so we met up in Oakland to do some studying. Then I treated her to a sushi lunch to thank her for all that she’s done for me these past few months as I was deciding what to do with my life/career.

Much of my time, aside from doing laundry, has been dedicated to studying for my IBCLC exam. One day I couldn’t sit still at home so I made a pedicure appointment. It forced me to really sit down and read. It was very productive and relaxing at the same time.

One of the things I also wanted to do on my time off was volunteer in KK’s class at least once. I signed up for one of their Wednesday science hours and it was really cool to be a part of her class.

On one of my last days, I had lunch with Ranee. She was flexed off for the afternoon so it was perfect. We met up in Rockridge and had a fun Italian meal together.

I also had the chance to go out for a Mom’s Night Out with the neighborhood moms. Jes took the kids to Chipotle while I shared two pitchers of margaritas with these lovely ladies. It’s so nice to know that we live next to some really nice (and fun) people.

On both Fridays, I had lunch with Eleen and got to catch up with her. She’s always up for some boba so it’s great! Too bad I didn’t get any photos.

So, tomorrow is the first of two days of orientation. Wednesday will be my first official day at Kaiser and the schedule looks to be pretty easy – tours, getting to know people, getting to know the system, shadowing therapists in various roles. I’m also off on Thursday as my regular day off and it also happens to be my birthday. Perfect!!

Here’s what my typical work week will look like:
Mondays 7:30am-4:00pm (8 hrs)
Tuesdays 7:30am-4:00pm (8 hrs)
Wednesdays 7:30am-6:00pm (10 hrs)
Thursdays OFF
Friday 7:30am-1:30pm (6 hrs)

I’m a little excited but also a little anxious about this whole change. I know the schedule will be better for me and the family. I just hope it’s also a good step forward for my career as well. Wish me luck!

East Bay 510K

By beakatude
on Sep 17, 2017
in friends, go beak go, life, outings

I ran my first 10K in 4 years today. A few months ago, I joined a running group that Teresa leads. They run every Saturday morning in different locations around the East Bay and also do a track workout on Wednesday evenings.