DENVER !!!

Today we drove from Lexington, Nebraska straight into the heart of Denver, Colorado! Hooray! We are here!

We slept in this morning, again, how nice is that! Got an easy going start and were too late for breakfast. A quick stop at McD's and we were on our way.

Julie was up earlier than Jack, on the computer and phone trying to finish up last minute details with "preassignment requirements". Called FAHC employee health and they faxed right off Rubella titre to HMN Healthcare office (a requirement to start at Presbyterian St. Lukes on Monday). Thanks so much to Janet Y. Other emails sent to help tie up loose ends.

So, on the road. Somewhat uneasy about the loose ends that still remain...the tests.....Ok ok, so just relax about it, as Jack encouraged and enjoy the ride and the wonderful countryside. Nebraska is flat with grasslands and corn fields. After a short time we traverse into Colorado, and notice our MPG has dropped to 24mpg. We are driving almost inceptably uphill! Then more noticably uphill. Gradually up. And into the most stark praire lands we have seen yet. Miles and miles of flat, then corn fields, then cattle farms. Farmland with the hugest hale bales we had ever seen. Square bales. We followed the Pony Express Trail and that was fun watching the markers along the way. The countryside was periodically dotted with working windmills, bringing water to the surface for the cattle. Far far off in the distance were miles and miles of wind power turbines, perhaps hundreds of them along a ridge. We tried to get a picture, but again the camera just could not quite capture their shear immensity.

Then the phone call. HMN Healthcare Nurse Manager. Julie must take the MedSurg test. The Medication test has been waved. No getting around it. It is mandated - mainly because the company needs to have some sort of verification for Julie's nursing skills and they do not have an Endoscopy specific test. Julie's heart sank. Hmmm, less than 150 miles to Denver. No test, no job. It had been more than 12 years since Julie had worked in a hospital floor setting. Julie had reviewed some of the study guides offered by RN.com and none had anything to do with her speciality. Julie was happy to have learned some new things through the study guides, however; they proved to her that she was not as up to date as she should be to work in that setting. Now she had to take a test, a timed test no less, in order to work. We also will not get our housing assignment until the test is done. The nurse manager was sympathetic but firm. He had a Nurse Educator call Julie to reassure her the test was "basic knowledge". Then Lynne called (Julie's personal nurse recruiter and support person) to offer encouragement. PRAY. Shake up those ole brain cells - let loose those facts and the knowledge.

Peter called when we were about 40 miles from Denver. Hmmmm, still flat grassland with no mountains in sight, and no city. It was good to talk with Peter.

At 25 miles out, the interstate began to expand and it was clear we were on the outskirts of a big city. The road got bigger, more lanes, more traffic. Signs to Boulder and Fort Collins to the north. Bigger traffic, bigger roads...and, oh, by the way...Julie is now driving....B I G C I T Y T R A F F I C....4:45pm...

Once in Denver, Tomtom led us directly to the church Jeff told us about and gave us the address to. No one was there. No Wednesday night service.

Now to find a place to stay, for at least 2 nights, possibly longer. Tom Tom does have a list of local hotels/motels. We tried the 1st choice -The Rocky Mountain Motel....less than a mile away. So we did a drive by, nope, not what we are looking for.

Jack insists we go for a familiar name....Holiday Inn. So we ask TT to bring us there. Gulp, another swank place. We are tired. So we decide to just go in and check it out. We've been travelling all day, we've not really stopped to "freshen"... the hotel clerk takes one look at us.."are you folks aware of our room rates?"..... Julie explains we are here as a travel nurse family due to start at Presbyterian St.Lukes Monday, have not gotten our housing assignment yet. Well well well, seems the hospital has a special relationship with this exact hotel and we are clearly given an exceptional rate. God is good. Our car won't fit in the parking garage because of our cartop carrier - so we get a parking spot right in front. I'm sure they would prefer a Luxury car there...but our Hylander Hybrid is no slouch of a car...and I am proud to park it there, roof carrier, bikes and all.

Unloading our stuff in our room accomplished we go to dinner at the hotel restaurant. Another good deal and quite yummie. Michelle calls from home and we enlist her help and prayer. We have a nice chat then... Dum de dum dum...no more avoiding the enevitable...back in the room, Julie's signs on to the internet...signs in to the test site....a timed test...the clock ticking right in front of her eyes....#1...#2....#3...ok ok not too bad so far, deep breath.... #4 - not a clue, no idea what the answer could be...click the "deal with it later button"....sigh...#5....#6 ... yikes, some are hard, some common sense...some no clue at all....keep going, the clock ticking, second by second.... #41, last question, back to #4 - a stab at the best guess...DONE...SUBMIT......p a u s e ...tick tick tick....

PASSED!!!!!!!!

Halleluja! Praise the Lord.

Time for bed.

Grace and peace to you.