Where Have I Been?

It’s been nearly two months since my last post. Where have I been?

Well, that’s kind of a loaded question…

I did make my camping trip at the end of September and have been on a couple of hikes since, but there’s so much more that’s happened since.

A MAJOR Shift in My Career

When I was hired by Presbyterian in 2013, I was hired with the promise that I would be working with the premier EMR software, Epic. Presbyterian, as an enterprise, went live with Epic shortly after, but Transplant was not included in that transition.

Now, after 8 years of fighting, we are finally going up with Epic’s transplant application, Phoenix, in 2022.

I started my training to become Epic certified on Tuesday, October 19 and am currently still working toward that accreditation. I expect to have the first part of the certification completed before the end of the year, and will be fully certified in Phoenix by mid- to late-February.

Due to the constant, inevitable interruptions that would take place in the clinic, I’ve been training from home.

Reunited

After a slow dissolution of my last relationship , Brandy and I have reconnected. She has gone through many changes and is in a completely improved place now. Combined with the changes I’ve gone through, our relationship is even stronger now than it was the first time around.

There have been some changes that have necessitated her moving in with me so for the last week, I’ve been working from her (soon to be) old house, and helping her pack and shuffle stuff around in preparation for movers that will be here Saturday morning, the 6th.

She’s moving from a full 3 bedroom house into my full 2 bedroom apartment, so most of her stuff will be going into a large storage unit. The stuff that will be going to the apartment has been or will be taken over in our cars, and with a U-Haul pickup coming today, we will be able to move some furniture.

This week has been exhausting, to be sure, but it’s almost over.

What’s Next?

Once the move is done, we will be working to organize the apartment. Then, on Wednesday, November 10, I will start the last class needed for this first part of my Epic certification.

The following evening, November 11, Brandy and I are going to see Blue October in concert at the Sunshine Theater in downtown Albuquerque. I am super excited to see them live.

The following weekend, we are going to Durango to celebrate my birthday, with a special surprised planned for that weekend.

The weekend after that, we will be returning to Walsenburg, CO, to have Thanksgiving with Christy and Josh.

Then, less than a month after that, we will be returning to Ottumwa, IA, to have Christmas with her family.

It’s Been a Lot

Needless to say, making posts here hasn’t been priority one for me. We still have a bit to do here in the house before the movers show up tomorrow, but once the stuff is moved, things will begin to calm down and return to some semblance of normalcy. I have the beginnings of my report from my camping trip drafted but still have to upload pictures and finish the post up so that will be my next post.

I’ve also re-hiked Cedro Creek twice with Brandy in the month or so since we reconnected but there’s no need to revisit that trail.

I’m looking forward to settling down for a bit through the holidays. And by settling down, I mean not moving or stressing about my Epic certification. I still fully expect to restart the adventures that have sparked this blog in the first place.

Until then, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you.

-Phil