Better (Extremely) Late Than Never - Cruise Part 2

Hello again everyone! It has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I have posted and I apologize for that. There is actually a good reason for my absence, but I'll make you wait until my next post to find out what that reason is ;)

***Side Note*** Don't worry, I won't make you wait 6 weeks again to hear from me. I'll post it tomorrow - promise! ***End of Side Note***

Last I wrote, I was filling you in on our cruise to Bermuda and I left off after we docked on that picturesque, wonderful island. There is no exaggeration with my description of Bermuda - I was floored at how beautiful it is there. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to go back.

(Click here for the first half of the cruise story)

Our ship docked

View of the Royal Navy Dockyards - this is what we would see when we walked off the ship

One of the first things we noticed when we got into the tourist area was the distinct British feel of the island (which makes sense because it is a British Overseas Territory). Not only were people driving on the opposite side of the road than they do in the U.S., but many accents sounded a bit English AND they had those awesome red phone booths.

Our first stop off the ship was to the National Bermuda Maritime Museum, which is located at the island's oldest fort. 

We had no idea when we paid for the admission, but there is an area with dolphins inside - and somehow we ended up stumbling on that before any of the other parts of the museum. I have loved dolphins since I was a little kid, and have always wanted to do one of those dolphin encounters where you swim with them. But they are always so expensive! 

This dolphin area at the National Museum is designed specifically for those dolphin encounters, but with admission to the museum you are able to watch the dolphins and get right up to the water (just not in the water - that costs $200+). Trainers would even come around and answer questions. I couldn't believe our luck... we must have watched them for a good 45 minutes. Oh - and there were even some BABY DOLPHINS! 

After saying goodbye to the dolphins, we started exploring the grounds of the fort. We liked getting pictures with our boat in the background haha.

Joe "attacking" the other cruise ship. It may have been larger (and had water slides), but we thought ours was better :)

The building behind this sea god statue was the Commissioner's House and featured exhibits on the Bermuda Navy and island history. It was really interesting, but unfortunately it was EXTREMELY hot and humid that day so I didn't feel like taking notes.

***Side Note*** I am such a nerd, and have such a terrible memory, that I usually write notes on a little notepad when on tours or at history museums. That way I can remember all the cool details. Tour guides always give me the side-eye. ***End of Side Note***

One of the coolest things in the museum was the Hall of History Mural, which measures 1000 square feet and is 2 stories high! It depicts 500 years of Bermuda history and took 7,000 hours for the artist to complete! Queen Elizabeth II, herself, came to Bermuda to officially open the hall.

After the museum, we decided to check out a miniature golf course that was basically right next door. We had read some awesome reviews about it online, and knew we had to play a round.

This mini-golf course was awesome. The holes were designed after famous holes at real U.S., Scotland and Bermuda golf courses. Each country had 6 holes, and every 6 holes led players back to the bar. A pretty clever design ;) What made it even better is that the seaside course boasted amazing views of the ocean. PLUS, the owner was one of the nicest guys ever.

The next day, we decided to try kayaking. Next to the miniature golf course is a manmade beach area with a bar, volleyball courts, and other amenities - plus kayak rentals. We didn't get any pictures on the water (I didn't want to get my camera or phone wet), but it was a ton of fun and very relaxing. Well, relaxing for me at least ;) Joe was doing most of the rowing since we didn't do very well trying to maneuver the kayak in sync. He enjoyed it though :) We did get a couple of pictures at the beach - I couldn't resist the giant chair photo-op.

That afternoon, we decided to visit Bermuda's capital city, Hamilton. The city is quite small, but it's the island's business and shopping hub. It has some amazing architecture and, of course, pastel buildings.

One of the more interesting things we noticed was the huge number of feral chickens. Apparently, the island is home to around 30,000 of them!

That night, we went on a glass bottom boat tour into the Bermuda Triangle to look at some shipwrecks! It was a really cool tour and, though it was a bit tough to see the ships at night, the darkness really added a level of creepiness of us being on a little boat in the Bermuda Triangle! 

One of the ships that is poking out of the water

The tour was especially interesting because the guide was born and raised on Bermuda, so he told us a ton of interesting facts about the island in general. For example, the roofs of most buildings in Bermuda are white. This is because Bermuda has no fresh water sources, so roofs are painted with a special kind of paint that sanitizes rainwater which is then collected into giant underground basins for residents to use. He also mentioned that Bermuda's cost of living is one of the highest in the world. Even the affordable housing units are over $500,000!

We wanted our last day in Bermuda to be a quick one since we had to be back to the boat by the late afternoon. Plus, that was the day that our 2-day unlimited drink package on the ship started and we wanted to be sure that we got our money's worth ;)

So we decided to head to Horseshoe Beach to check it out. We aren't big beach people (I know, why the heck would be do a tropical vacation then? haha), so we honestly considered skipping it completely. I am so glad we didn't! The bus ride there and back was worth the excursion, since we were able to see more of the island and we had the nicest bus driver ever. Seriously, the man friendly honked to nearly every passing car or bus and would say, "oh, that's my buddy so-and-so" or "oh, that's my uncle." It was really funny.

The beach, itself, was awesome. I would LOVE to bring our kids back there someday as there was this awesome cove area where kids could play in shallow water and look for seashells. We ended up walking around a bit, taking pictures, and dipping our feet in the water.

Nice husband to hold my pink bag.

Wishing I had brought my swimsuit, I could have laid on this beach for hours!

Let's keep this one small... I'm not wearing makeup ;)

The water was so clear! It was gorgeous

Joe wanted some of the famous "pink" sand, but wasn't sure if you were allowed to take any. So he hid behind a trash can to collect some in a baggie.

When we got back to the boat, we immediately put on our swimsuits, grabbed our books, and hit the bar for our first (of many) unlimited drinks.

Now that I've reached the end of our Bermuda days, I realized that I forgot to mention a few other parts of the trip. I wanted to write about.

First, the trip was for our 3rd anniversary so we had to get our traditional chalkboard photo :) They got confused and served us a "Happy Anniversary" dessert at 3 separate dinners. We didn't mind ;) The dinners were always fun. Getting dressed up every night and being able to choose anything on the menu in a fancy dining room was such a blast. Celebrity cruises is known for having good food, and the food did not disappoint in the dining room or at the buffet. It was always yummy. (And probably made me gain 10+ pounds).

Second, Joe and I became semi-celebrities as we were the captains of Battle of the Sexes one night on the boat! It started out as a little group of men and women playing, and exploded and filled the entire lounge. It was a blast - and the women won! (I don't know why they still gave Joe a medal haha). I was actually recognized later on in the cruise as the captain of Battle of the Sexes. I felt famous, and loved it haha.

Eeek. Very unflattering light.

I may or may not have worn my medal the rest of the night

Finally, this trip made us big fans of Celebrity cruise line. Yes, their boats are smaller so there are less extravagances like water slides and superstar entertainment, but we still had a blast. And we preferred the more intimate atmosphere, as it was easy to navigate the boat and there weren't TONS of people. The cruisegoers were older, so it didn't have a party feel at all - which we definitely did not want. Plus there weren't a ton of kids. I love kids, but given that we wanted a more relaxing vacation and we are going to have kids of our own on vacations with us in the not-too-distant future, this was definitely a perk :) 

Also, I mentioned this before, but Celebrity is known for having above-average cruise food. And we were really impressed. Of course it wasn't as good as a fancy restaurant on land, but for the number of people they have to cook for it was solid (at worst) to surprisingly good (at best). While they didn't stage a Broadway show or anything of that magnitude, the entertainment was also really solid. Every night there was a different main show and then they would usually have some kind of late-night entertainment. Usually these were game shows such as the Battle of the Sexes (that I won, remember haha), The Newlywed Game, and Family Feud. 

We had SUCH a great time on this trip, and hope to take lots more cruises in the future :)

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Jury Duty

Today I had jury duty and was pretty close to serving. I'm glad I wasn't chosen since I have an obligation to wrap up these last 8 days at work as efficiently as possible, but the further I got in the process, the more I actually wanted to serve.

Maybe it was the cheesy juror-prep video or the speech from the judge - but I started feeling very patriotic. Plus, the thought that my opinions could shape a person's life gave me a bit of a power trip ;)

Most of the other potential jurors (there were 71 of us total) didn't seem to share my patriotism / respect of the court. Not only were a dozen late (a few by 20-30 minutes!), but I was shocked at how they were dressed. I saw one girl in a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers! Believe it or not, I was the only person wearing a suit jacket or blazer. I also didn't see another set of heels besides the ones on my feet.

**Side Note** In fairness, I also had jeans on, but they were dark denim skinny jeans from Nordstrom. Plus, none of my dressy pants actually zip up over my gut, so it was either that or go sans bottoms. No one wants that. **End of Side Note**

Despite their attire, apparently I was among an impressive group. The guy who handled intake and explained the process said we were a "really smart and great group." He said this after we all raised our hands when he asked if we brought our jury summons (per the clear request on the summons, itself). Apparently, everyone following this simple direction hasn't happened in two years.

Yes. I typed that right. Two years.

Speaking of "smart" and "great," the defendant certainly wasn't either of these things (assuming she did what she is accused of. I heard enough speeches today to respect the phrase "innocent until proven guilty").

She was accused of a hit and run where the driver of the other vehicle was injured. She also didn't cooperate with the police officer when she was caught, refusing to provide her name or driver's license.

I'm confused as to how she can plead "not guilty" to this crime. Joe and I have both been victims of hit and runs, and I don't see a grey area: Car A is hit by Car B and the driver of Car B drives off leaving the driver of Car A with repair and (potentially) hospital bills.

Clearly, the driver of Car B is what?

A.) Spineless
B.) Un-ethical
C.) Selfish
D.) Pathetic
E.) A Criminal
F.) All of the Above

The correct answer is F in case you are curious.

Yes, I am biased. And I am sure there are a lot more details, but the defendant is probably lucky that I wasn't a juror. Sure, I would have listened to all of the facts, but I have high expectations of myself and others - it's not cool to hit a car, injure someone, drive away, and be uncooperative with police.

All-in-all, my first jury selection experience was an interesting one, but I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow to continue the process of transitioning out. I can't believe that after 3 years I only have 8 days left!

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The Story

Last night I was too busy celebrating to do a decent job of sharing the story of December 3, so here we go…

Sunday night, we fell asleep a bit easier than either of us expected. Whether that was the alcohol (yes), utter exhaustion from worrying (yes), or the acceptance that there was nothing left to do at that point (yes), we both were able to fall asleep around midnight. Joe tells me he was up multiple times, poor guy, so at least I was able to sleep a solid 6 ½ hours.

My hope was to sleep as late as possible so I could wake up to news, but once I woke up around 6:30, that was it. At that point, I didn’t care what the news was – I just wanted to know. It drove me crazy that even on December 3^rd the waiting game wasn’t over. I laid there willing myself to sleep until 7:30 when I heard the hall door and then our bedroom door open. Joe comes in and says, “Well, it’s official – I’m going to dental school!”

Seriously. One of the best sentences I have ever heard in my life.

It turns out he was accepted by a school in Florida. It’s a brand new program, so it was not the top of our list (they aren’t even fully accredited yet), but neither of us cared. I felt like a thousand pounds were lifted from my shoulders just knowing that he got in somewhere.

The acceptance was followed by a waitlist notification from another school in Florida. I was pissed (I am such a mama bear when it comes to my husband – people better not mess with him, and they better appreciate him as much as he deserves to be appreciated!). 

Then, at 9:30, he got a call from a school in Missouri. We were really excited for that call, because not only was it another acceptance, but Joe is from Missouri and almost his entire family is there. I imagined living close to his relatives, and how wonderful that would be (especially when baby Brier eventually comes two or three years down the road).

*Side note* Joe’s family is the most amazing group of people that a girl could marry into. It pains me that I don’t have a deeper relationship with them (thanks to geography), and I am hopeful that some day I’ll get to see them much more than once a year. *End of side note* 

After that, we were still hopeful for an acceptance from the University of Pennsylvania. Barring that, it looked like Missouri would be the place.

UPenn has been Joe’s first choice (and clear frontrunner – like, far and away miles ahead of any other school) ever since he interviewed there in October. He actually said to me at the time that if he got into UPenn and chose any other school that he would regret it for the rest of his life. Anything that my husband wanted so badly, I couldn’t help but PASSIONATELY want. 

*Another side note* Joe and I are similar in a lot of ways, but one way that we are VERY different is that he is very practical and I am very emotional. Joe has an unbelievable, unconditional love for his family, and if he were an emotional guy, he would have picked the Missouri school to be close to them. But he's not, and I admire that he can set aside his emotions and choose the place that he knows is the best fit for him. At the risk of sounding incredibly lame and over-dramatic, UPenn is Joe's glass slipper *End of side note*

Anyways - back to the story.

UPenn is old school, and they send letters rather than notify with e-mails or phone calls. Since it’s an East Coast school and we are West Coast, we weren’t sure that a letter would arrive on December 3^rd even if he were accepted, so we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mailman. 

Around 2 p.m. Joe looks out the window and the mailman has arrived! We rush downstairs and see that he has only just started to divvy up the mail to each apartment, so we sit in the lobby waiting. My eyes are on him like a hawk, looking to see if there are large envelopes or packages. People on the pre-dental message boards were talking about a package (yes, I read pre-dental message boards. I've been doing it every day for over a year. Pathetic, I know), so I was eying all of the boxes trying to figure out which one it was.

Finally, after 30 loooonnnggg minutes, the mailman leaves. Joe and I take one look at each other and run to our box. There are several packages near our mailbox and we look at all of them. Nothing from Penn. We were both sad, since we assumed it was a package and not an envelope. Even if it was an envelope, my "eagle eyes" did not once see a large envelope in the mailman's hand.

Apparently I don't have eagle eyes.

Joe opens the mailbox and the first thing we see is a large envelope from Penn Dental School! Here's a picture of the happy boy:

We always discussed having a long conversation about which school to chose if the time came and we were lucky enough to have options, but the decision was made when that envelope arrived. That was the dream, and the dream became reality.

We made the necessary calls to parents, etc. and then celebrated by decorating our tree:

And going out for an amazing dinner:

 What an amazing day. And what a blessed life we lead.

Our Pre-Dent Journey - Chapter by Chapter

Today was Joe's last Dental School interview. This is a very exciting day, because hopefully it also marks the end of shelling out ungodly amounts of money to ship him off to interviews across the country one more chapter in this Dental School journey.

Dental School, so far, has had several chapters:

Chapter 1: Katie Freaks in the Pet Food Aisle (Fall 2008)

Katie finds out by phone call in the middle of the Wal Mart pet food aisle that her boyfriend wants to become a dentist. She proceeds to panic, since he explains that dental school is four years. She really panics when he says he doesn't have the right classes for dental school and will have to quit his job and go back to school for two years prior to applying. In that moment, the former commitment-phobe realizes that this Midwestern boy has stolen her heart and she's along for the ride no matter what. She panics some more.

Chapter 2: Does He Have What it Takes? (Spring 2009)
Before Joe quits his job, he decides to take an English class at the local Junior College to see if he has it in him to be a student again. Despite reading one of the most God-awful books ever written - he decides he does, and applies to San Francisco State's Post-Baccalaureate Health Sciences Program (try saying that 10 times fast).

Chapter 3: Student Loans Start Again (Summer 2009)
Joe starts his post-bac. He commutes the first couple months, until he decides the drive is too much and he needs to move to the city. His distance from Katie increases from 1 hour to 2 hours. Katie is sad. Joe's classes are hard. He takes things like Organic Chemistry (ew). At the same time, he volunteers at dental offices and is an officer of the pre-dental club at SFSU since he needs his application to dental school to be as impressive as possible.

Chapter 4: Babies Are Postponed Another Year (Spring 2010)
Around the time Joe proposes (YAY!), Joe also breaks the news to Katie that he will need to extend his Post-Bac program another year to boost his application. Since babies can't come until mid-Dental School (at least), her first thought is, "Oh, no! Our babies will be postponed another year!" Katie, and her biological clock, are very sad. This also means that Joe will be taking more advanced classes like Anatomy, where he dissects a human cadaver.

Chapter 5: The DAT - A.K.A. The Test From Hell (Spring 2012)
Joe studies night and day for the five hour Dental School admittance exam. It's full of science, math, and a thing called perceptual ability. This photo shows his study materials.

Chapter 6: Applications Round 1 (June 1, 2012)
After three years of Post-Bac classes, assisting Dentists chair-side, working in a dental lab making mouth guards, and helping a Dental School professor with her (hopefully someday published) research paper, Joe is finally ready to apply. Joe and Katie decide he should apply to 21 of the 61 US dental schools. Their bank account cries.

Chapter 7: Applications Round 2 (July 2012)
Because it's not enough to apply once, Dental Schools also require secondary applications. Some merely request a check, while others request a check and dozens of essay questions answered. Katie and Joe's bank account cries again. Joe's sick of essay questions.

Chapter 8: Interviews (August - November 2012)
Joe is offered interviews at 7 schools, is rejected from one, and receives the silent treatment from 13 (jerks). Joe kicks butt at his interviews, but Dental Schools are fickle, and you can never really tell where you stand.


This brings us to present day. Our next chapter is on December 3rd (just 4 days away!) That's the day when Dental Schools can finally offer acceptances to students.

Needless to say, I've been eagerly awaiting this day since that phone call in the Wal Mart pet food aisle.

Literally counting down the minutes: