An Annapolis Summer...

Howdy all- hope summer is treating y'all well.  Does it seem to be flying by to anyone else? Last week of June what?! Ya don't say!

Things have been going splendidly here, this place is definitely full of adventure:)

When I first decided to move to Annapolis and the boat, I knew that I would be in small(er) living conditions than I was previously used to.  I am now living in a space that I am pretty sure could have fit in my walk-in closet in Memphis.  It was pretty humorous packing my apartment in Memphis into separate piles of clothes, some to home, some the the beach, some staying in Memphis, and some to Annapolis.  Thank God for Sam and Kaila helping me minimize the piles down from 5-6 boxes, to a small carry-on and one large suitcase.  Smart thinking there, because I have so little room that I am pretty much living out of the back of my car, great thing about that is- I always am prepared!  Weekend trip spur of the moment to Iowa, no problem; go to the gym after work, always have clothes; spill coffee on myself during crazy rush hour traffic, easypeasy fix when your whole closet is in your backseat;)

A few weeks after moving onto the boat, I finally got used to the rocking.  While some might think its peaceful, it is also kinda hard to get used to.  For the first few days, I would wait outside in the hallway at work and still feel like I was moving.  Sometimes, after quick weekend trips home, I have to regain my sea legs!

Anywho- here is an little impromptu tour of my home...the Like Eye Care, named by my dear Mom.  When my Dad was contemplating buying the boat, he was trying desperately to get my Mom's approval.  When I was a baby, they owned a boat (the Jessie Caitlin after yours truly:), and things on that little boat didn't always go so swimmingly well, for example, the Coast Guard had to come tow my parents (and lil' me) off a sandbar during a storm.  My Mom could write books about all their crazy boat stories, so it was understandable that she was less than enthralled by the idea of another boat.  In an effort to get my Mom involved, my Dad offered to let my Mom name the boat, and being already frustrated, she said "William, like I care what we name the boat."  And there ya have it folks, Like Eye Care was born (with a little play on I's since we are an eye doc family).

Old school picture--funny how everyone is so grown!

This is the deck of the boat...kinda (our boat has carpet, and I tried to take a picture but it was too dark) so here is a replica;) The stairs right in the middle are a door that opens to the living space.

Here is the door!  Off the the right there is where I sleep:)

Here is my kitchen! I have a small fridge, sink, stove top (under my coffee maker), and microwave.  

The bathroom situation:) I mainly use it for brushing my teeth, as there is a larger bath house a few feet away from my boat.

Here is my kitchen table!

And Josh's bed at the front of the boat!

And this is Annapolis City Marina, my boat is that one on the left.  Pretty!!

More of the Marina.  There are always ducks and sailboats roaming around, and about 15 feet off my deck is another deck for a restaurant that overlooks the water.  It is pretty fancy, but I do enjoy hearing their live music and smelling their food!

So you might be wondering what I have been up to around here lately, well here it goes:

I've been collecting little tokens of appreciation from patients...:)

That top picture has a challenge coin, and it is usually given by a high ranking official to a service member who has done an exemplary job.  Here is some military trivia for ya: long ago during wartime, officials would give out these coins as morale boosters.  Servicemen would collect these coins, and often could "challenge" other servicemen by seeing whose coin outranked the others depending on the position of the official that gave them the coin.  If you were challenged in a bar, and lost to another serviceman, you were required to buy them drinks the rest of the night:) Not too shabby!

This little blue fellow below was knitted for me by a solider who creates these little creatures as "Traveling Mercies."  He distributes them to children of soldiers and soldiers themselves so that they can carry them with them and remember that someone is always thinking of them, and praying for them.  I thought it was quite sweet:)

I have been taking full advantage of only being 6 hours from home!  This guy's license tag said Home to NC, even though the plate was from Virginia.  :)

 I've been pretending like I live on the Titanic!

I have been eating Italian water ice and custard...a treat that seems to be a Northeastern kinda thing.

I have been beasted by a kneeboard, and reminded through bumps and bruises that I am 25:( 

Kneeboard:1, Jessie: 0

I have been hanging with old friends, and making new ones:)

I have been actively trying to steer clear of coffee shakes from this little joint up the road!

I have been seeing patients!

I have been taking long walks by the water, and appreciating how pretty this place is!

I have been flooded!  Don't worry, nothing too serious, just had a leak in the fresh water tanks that supply water to the boat.  All under control now;)

  I have been stuck in ALOT of traffic, to work, from work....I have been listening to books on CD or talking to Mr. Sam Johnson to pass the time.  Commuting is no joke folks!

I have been watching eye surgeries:)

And going to country concerts- Zac Brown Band! Thanks again Bill and Heather!

And eating delicious fish tacos!  Annapolis has sooo many cute little restaurants!

I have been navigating around DC in car and metro.  Below is China-town!

I have toured around the Chesapeake Bay, and the Severn River.

I have been thankful for this beautiful place!

And a sweet brother who has made every effort to include me and make me feel at home:)

And hanging with his lovely girlfriend!

And eating Maryland Crab!

And trying to pick out the best hood ornament for my boat...I think this one might do.

And teaching other people to kneeboard.

And heading to work at the crack of dawn to be greeted by a beautiful rainbow.

It has been a good summer so far:)

Thoughts on Memorial Day Eve

Let me paint you a picture...

It is my first day of 4th year externs.  I chose to go to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, WRNMMC for short, because you know the military loves their acronyms.  I woke up at 4:45 to make sure I was able to commute from Annapolis to Bethesda, find parking, and report to the optometry clinic by 0700 (on a side note: that's military time y'all, which I have had to suddenly adapt to...sounds easy enough until you get past 12 pm).

The drive there was absolutely miserable, crazy yanks darting in and out of lanes obscured by blinding rain without so much as a turn signal.  I found my parking garage and attempted to pull my frazzled look together (let me tell you, jumping from a floating boat to a slippery dock in the pouring rain sure gave me a run for my money).  I grabbed my umbrella and started the walk from the garage to the clinic using a tiny map on my iPhone.  It seemed like the rain poured harder the second I walked out from the cover of the garage, "so much for first impressions," I thought to myself.

I reached the intersection where I needed to turn, all the while praying that no large car or bus come by and drench me Bridgette Jones' Diary style.  As I reached the corner, I saw the profile of a tall, young man dressed in gym shorts and a t-shirt.  He had an athletic build and could have been a stunt double for Matt Damon, or some other famously handsome movie star. He was juggling a crutch and an umbrella, trying to decide which was more important, staying dry or arriving at his destination.  And then he turned to face me as he put his umbrella away, and y'all it was heartbreaking.

The side of his face was sunken, his scarred skin stretched across misshapen bones.  His thick brown hair was not long enough to disguise the wounds that had once pitted his head.  He was disfigured to put it mildly.  He grimaced in pain as he forced his weight onto a prosthetic leg.  How did that man, that young good-looking, strong guy end up like that?  And that is the first time it hit me, the price of freedom.

Let me tell ya, I am no stranger to military.  I grew up in Fayetteville, NC, home to Ft. Bragg and the 82nd Airborne.  It was commonplace to see active duty military walking around in uniform, or to wander on base to watch paratroopers graduate by taking their first jump out of airplanes, or to have a chat with a retiree who had been stationed at Ft. Bragg and somehow managed to make it their home  for the rest of their life.  Truthfully, more than once I have avoided particular restaurants/bars in town specifically because I didn't feel like being hit on by one of the GIs.  I come from a family that has had generations serve in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force.  I consider myself a proud American, you know...I know all the words to the Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful and the Pledge of Allegiance...good enough right?

After encountering that young man on the corner that first day of work, I have decided my "above average proud American gig" is not enough.  I have thought briefly about joining the military, but I am sad to say I viewed it mostly as a travel opportunity, never with any sincerity or thought that I could potentially sacrifice my life for something greater than myself.   But these men and women thought about that exactly, and have gone out on a limb to provide for their families, and all American families.  They made that tough decision, often at the expense of time with their loved ones, they are the true patriots.  And they amaze me.

On any given day at Walter Reed you can find hundreds of men and women just like that boy on the corner, roaming the halls in electric wheel chairs, crutches, prosthetic limbs, or most interesting a table that reminds me of some hover craft from the Jetsons.  These people are mentally, spiritually, physically and socially traumatized.  Their broken bodies tell the story of their tours of duty, everyone knows who they are without them even talking.  They work hard to gain back some semblance of their former lives while their family members try to be supportive and comforting.  That guy could be anybody, your brother, a friend, a cousin, and uncle/aunt...and what kills me the most is it could be this guy, MY brother:

Today at church, the pastor played this video and I could not help but burst into tears at the reality of it all.(Warning: watch it if you feel like you need a good cry.)

I wish all of America could see one of these people, talk to them, hear their stories.  Their strength, courage, leadership, sense of camaraderie and determination are all characteristics anyone could hope to emulate.  I have decided that on my short stint at Walter Reed, I want to know it all about these heroes, I want to listen to whatever they want to tell me, retired or active duty, it doesn't matter, these people have been instrumental in allowing me and all Americans to enjoy every freedom we have ever enjoyed.  They deserve our respect, and I feel so absolutely privileged that I have the opportunity to listen to them, and hopefully make their life a little better, whether by the smile on my face, through optometric care, or by a simple, "Thank you for your service."

So this is my challenge to you; if you see someone dressed in uniform, say Thank You...regardless of your political beliefs, these men and women are doing the best job they know how everyday for you.

If you are interested in checking out more ways to help check out this link:
The Wounded Warrior Project

And now a special thanks and much love to my family who have served on this Memorial Day Eve: Grampy Bill Nelson (Army), Pop Breuninger (Coast Guard), Uncle John Elmore (Air Force), Uncle Otis Elmore (Army), Uncle Dwight Elmore (Navy), Paul Ebner (Navy), William Elmore (Army), and Josh Elmore (Navy).

That One Time We Tried to Go to Iowa

   So...this story begins a loooooooonnnnngg time ago in October.  Sam and I were planning on driving to Iowa for Joel and Brianna's wedding.  We were going to leave on a Thursday afternoon drive back Sunday.  Sounds simple enough right? That's what we thought too, but boy did things go down hill fast.

   Let me first mention that Sam had been on the verge of getting sick for quite a while.  Unfortunately for Sam, he is not the kind to get a "little" cold or a "little" flu.  When he gets sick its like knock down drag out, in bed for a week, wonder what happened to my boyfriend kind of sick.  Poor guy:(  On the Thursday we were supposed to leave for Iowa, Sam was running a high fever and feeling miserable.  After much convincing on my part, he headed to the little Take Care Clinic down the street to get checked out and hopefully get some meds around 10 that morning.  I thought this quick trip to the doctor would set us back an hour or so, and that I could handle most of the driving so he could sleep while his meds kicked in.  But then 12 came, and then 1 came, and then 2 came, and then 3 and finally that boy was leaving the doctor.  Turns out the sweet lil' lady at Take Care Clinic wanted him to get blood work done.  So he went all over God's Green Earth, with a raging fever, to find a place that could do that blood work.  Turns out that boy had mono, and extreme case of cold sores, and strep throat.  Despite all that, he came to pick me up with a huge smile armed with an arsenal of medicine. And away we went to drive away the rest of a beautiful day!

  :) On the road again!

1st time to IOWA...but then an hour and a half into our 10+ hour journey, on the outskirts of Steele, Misery (Missouri), population 2,000, our little car over heated and broke down.  Sam promptly called his Dad who suggested we head to the nearest gas station and get some antifreeze.  A good Samaritan, and retired trucker in a pick up kindly drove us to and from the gas station a mile up the road, and went on his way.  Unfortunately, I didn't get his picture:/

We tried the antifreeze to no avail, and at 10 to 5 we called the local garage just in the nick of time to tow our little car.

That tow truck driver was a nice guy, very friendly and wearing a Carolina baseball cap, which made me super happy--yay Tarheels!

We arrived at the B&B A TO R PAIR after a short roll down Main Street in Steele.  Sam was all smiles...

and we laughed about our bad luck...the closest rental car place was an hour north.  The repair shop was closed and could not take a look at the car until the next day.  All of our friends in Memphis were cramming for an exam that we were conveniently skipping out on the next day.  We were still 8 hours away from Iowa.  The owner of the shop offered to drive us to the local truck stop on the interstate so we could decide what to do from there.  On the short car ride, that gentleman told his whole life story.  I seriously love small towns; the people, the hospitality, all of it.

That truck stop was a classy joint y'all.  Clean bathrooms, TVs, a Subway.  I would go back, and that is saying a lot.  So Sam called the most reliable couple we know: Mike and Megan Kortum.  Have I mentioned the amazing friends we have made in Memphis? They are truly the best, and most generous people I have met.  Those friends offered to stop what they were doing, and drive 2 cars to Steele, Missouri and let us borrow one of their cars to continue our trip to Iowa.  Sam and I were afraid that our bad luck may continue, and the last thing we wanted was for anymore car trouble, especially to someone else's car.  So it was settled.  Mike offered to drive 3 hours round trip to come bail us out!

 And how else should we reward such saintly behavior but with beer... and smiles: seriously thanks again Mike if you ever read this.

   And then we did what any normal student would do.  Studied.  In that truck stop.  I hope I look back and smile one day about all the crazy places I have studied.   I would be secretly happy if I didn't have to study another day in my life.  But Sam was there, great as ever (and probably still contagious), and I was so flippin' happy y'all, I couldn't stop smiling.  His positive attitude and smile made me so grateful that I have someone to share the tough, unlucky, terrible days with.  And my heart melted, and I fell in love a little bit more right in that truck stop in Steele.  Sam and I have joked that our firstborn should incorporate that name somehow....Steele Johnson is a pretty solid name right? :)

And our rescuer arrived! Good ending right? We should probably just stop there.  But that wouldn't be half as interesting.   We got back to Memphis around 9:30 and agreed to go to bed and re-start our trip the next morning...until I realized I left my cell phone in Mike's backseat, and that the Kortums live in Southaven, Mississippi.  We called them and Mike met us half-way (I know he's a saint) to get my phone.

And then, on our way back to Memphis at 10:26 PM, just a mere 7.5 hours after we began our initial trip....I had a brilliant idea.  KEEP DRIVING! By this time I was wide awake, we had a full tank of gas, and our bags were already packed...

10 hours 10 minutes to go!

Houston, it's a go!

  And I drove until I couldn't drive no more...around 5:30 the next morning....

And promptly passed the heck out until....

IOWA on the horizon!

YAY FREEZING IOWA!  Looking back, a lot of things went wrong that day, but a lot of things went right.  Sam was on the road to a full recovery, thank God for good health care.  We had encountered kind souls, strangers and friends alike that offered to help us, making me realize all the wonderful people that still exist in the crazy world. And my best friend was there the whole time, with his wonderful sense of humor and smiling face, and encouragment.  And all though I was freezing in this picture, I was so happy I could have cried, and laughed all at the same time...because as y'all may know, that's how I do things.  I am so blessed.

And our trip was smooth sailing from then on out!

I LOVE IOWA and the PEOPLE there!

And HyVees....

And Farmer boys with tractors...

And the Johnson Farm...

And how tall our shadows look in this picture...

And cows:)

And small town life in general <3

And best of all...celebrating Joel and Brianna's wedding!

Such a beautiful bride!

It is was really all worth it to be there:)

Heck, I would do it again, right now at 10:43 at night:) Iowa, anyone?