Flying Solo

Monday the 5th was my first day of solo practice. 

I am officially in business for myself.  Talk about intimidating.

I put press releases in the local papers and sent them to the radio stations too.  I sent out friends and family letter and attempted to let everyone who wanted to know where I am located now.  

I was thrilled when I got to the office Monday and had a voicemail from a patient wanting to get in that day. 

I set him up with an appointment, and went to town setting up the "refreshments."

They looked pretty amazing, if I do say so myself.  

I saw two patients that day.

And spent a lot of hours learning my medical records software.

And figuring out how to bill people using my new insurance clearing house.  

I also took a trip to Cliff's daycare to feed him at lunch.

Then I cried in the parking lot because I had to leave him and he was exhausted and red eyed. 

But I made it through my first day. 

And then I made it through my first week.

Things are slow, but promising.

I've done a radio interview and had 2 different marketing events with a 3rd in just a day or two. 

Plus, my friends and family sent me flowers and notes of congratulations.

They believe in me.

I am so appreciative for everyone's supoort. 

I may or may not have cried over my flowers.

I may or may not be a hormonal disaster all the time. 

I am officially a small business owner. 

Ya'll better be prayin. 

I love my family.

There is just something about seeing your husband cuddling your baby that makes you love him even more.  It also makes you cry at random.  

I am so thankful for my two favorite men.

I will also be thankful when my hormones level off and I'm not a bawling mess.

Painting Fools

Last Saturday was a long, busy day.

 It was painting day at the office.  

I rallied the troops to help me, which meant I had Mom, Maggie, Aunt Jackie and my cousin Ellen on loan from their families for an afternoon.  I showed up a little early to clean and organize and start trimming the ridiculous number of corners.  Maggie had appointments in the morning, but was done by 10:30.  I requested everyone be at Mom's around 11.
The crew picked up lunch and made it to the office just in time to yell at me for being on the step ladder trimming above the front door.  Mom was not having it!  I got a lecture about the dangers of heights and working with my arms above my head.
She is a boss cow.
  I am a defiant cow.    

After lunch I put everyone to work.  With 5 of us, and a whole lotta wall space to cover, I figured 2 people to roll and 3 to trim.  

Maggie volunteered to do the high stuff and be the guy that had to constantly move the ladder around.  This is mostly because she was the only one tall enough to reach the ceiling other than me and there was no way anyone was letting me on the ladder.  Again, the dangers of ladders....  

I took the high rolling, Aunt Jackie took the low.  Mom and Ellen scooted around on the floor painting around the black trim first and then hit all the corners and around the doors.  Notice how every room is slightly open to the others.  This means the entire space is one color.
You all know me.  One color is not my thing. But, its what we had to do.

All in all, the day went really well.  We chit chatted and yammered the whole time.
Aunt Jackie and Mom repeatedly stopped conversation to parrot back what they thought we'd said.  Turns out they are both going deaf and lots of words sound the same, even if they are clearly out of context for the situation.

We started off with 5 gallons of paint.  My whole office is 1200 square feet, and I thought we'd get pretty far with that.  I was wrong.  It all ended up taking 9.  Nine freaking gallons of paint.  After the first 5 were just about empty I left to get 2 more gallons.  I had to leave...because it turns out I don't know my own strength.  I had asked mom to bring me an extender stick.  She brought me a twist on handle to her broom.  I broke the stick right below the threaded part.  I moved on to just painting lower stuff by hand.  I broke the roller handle clean off.  After destroying my entire painting set up the ladies all suggested I take a break.

I was off to Menards.  After "investing" $10 in quality extender sticks and roller frames I made my way back to the office.  I requested that the 2 new gallons of paint be mixed into what was left in the 5 gallon bucket, that way, in case the shade was not 100% perfect, there would be less of a difference.
Aunt Jackie repeatedly said "two gallons is not enough."  To which we would reply that we weren't trying to fill the bucket, we were just mixing the tones.  This exchange happened 3 times I think before I said, "holy shit" in response to the "not enough comment."  Ellen snort laughed and Aunt Jackie finally explained that she meant not enough paint to finish painting the entire office, not fill the bucket.  We finally got through to her that we were not painting the 4 enclosed rooms that day.
Communication is not always our strong suit.

This was the office at the end of the day.  

For some reason the walls look terrible in the picture....and super, super dark.  I swear that's not what it really looks like.  In fact, it kind of begs the question, "why is she posting such terrible, inaccurate pictures?"  Truth is, I don't know why...but I am going to post this anyway.

The next day Zac and I went and finished the painting.  He neglected to warn me that he is a terrible trimmer....and overall not the best painter in the world.  He is, however, diligent and both of us worked forever to get the office done.  We still had a big project ahead of us...the dreaded floors!

Thursday "off"

After the drywall was finished in the office, I was all over the next few steps in the process.  Like I readily admit...I am impatient and would work from dusk til dawn to get the office done.  Luckily I have people more reasonable that I that reel me in a bit.  Plus my cliffbelly slows me down and, as much as I hate to admit it, makes me occasionally stop and rest.  Unfortunately, resting makes me anxious and leaves me with plenty of time to form an agenda for the next day.  

Thursday was no exception.  

Thursday is Zac's day off.  This means, Thursday is Zac's day to work for someone other than Best Buy, namely Dad, or me.  Last Thursday, he was all mine.  Mom also made the mistake of volunteering, not realizing that she would be worked until she lost interest in helping and her back hurt.  

I can promise you work friends, I can't promise you will not regret the offer to help...

Zac and I showed up first and I was fully agend-ized.  We had a plan.  

Zac would work on putting up the base shoe under the trim while I painted the desk area, so that the wall caps would be done and I could paint them while he installed countertops for the front desk.  

After painting, was cleaning, mopping floors and hopefully steam cleaning.  

This is Zac, fulfilling the plan and base shoe-ing like a pro.  

While he did that, this nook was my domain.  I have no pictures of the process...but we all know what painting looks like.  

In keeping with the plan, Zac and I switched areas, and mom and I painted the trim like pros.

(That's professional painters mind you, not pro like prostitute...though I imagine some prostitutes are skilled painters...and it makes me curious as to how much difference their would be in the hourly rates of the two professions, as well as the difference in dress code for painting....anyway....)  

After painting Mom and I moved around the absurd amount of tools that are hanging around the office. As you can imagine, we mostly just moved them from one pile, into another, and cleaned around them.

By the time the trim had 3 coats of paint, the front desk had two, we had rearranged the tools, and mopped the entire office twice, Zac had the countertops all set.  

He had also installed the top boards that cap the front desk...and caught me trying to take sneaky pictures of him at work.

I can't help it...I think he is cute. 

With our leftover paint, which seemed to never end, we trimmed underneath the wall caps.  We figured that would help to speed up the wall painting process at least minimally.  

By the end of the day, my front desk area, was looking like a front desk.

The office was starting to take on a whole new look.

And Mom had assumed the position. 

Fortunately, when you work for me until your back hurts, I can do something about it.

After Thursday's accomplishments I was on top of the world.  Then I realized, we had a TON of painting to do.  I talked to Mom and quickly realized I needed a crew.  Maggie had offered to help on Saturday, so I knew she was in.  I put up post on Facebook and managed to guilt or bribe help out of my cousin Ellen and my Aunt Jackie as well.  When it comes to that combination of ladies, I knew work would get done...and there was a very real possibility that someone was going to pee their pants laughing.  The best part is that it was not necessarily going to be my weak bladder that gave out first.

Stay tuned for Saturday's escapades.   

Construction!

In case you have been wondering, "what happened to Abbie?  she was posting so regularly..."  fear not, I am still here.  The last 2 weeks have been a blur of office remodeling and late pregnancy waddling.  I've been repeatedly attempting to work Clifford out of my uterus, to no avail.  I have however, accomplished a lot...

You all got a look at demo day at my office.  (You also got a feel for just how hormonal I've been...but that's neither here nor there.)  I rallied the troops a week later to start the construction part of the office re-do.  The brothers showed up and so did Uncle Doug.  The men each had their own projects.  Zac set to work on the front desk. 

Isn't he a cute builder?  And yes, he is wearing his bandana, so you know it's on.  

As he worked on the front desk, the other men installed the stubby support walls and the wall that divides my big spaces into adjusting bays.  

As the walls went up, Kylie cut and hung drywall.

Once the walls were up, we made them even more sturdy by capping them with big thick boards.  

Uncle Doug had his "precision focus' on, as you can see by his moderate scowl. 

Construction is serious business.  

These are men with plans I tell ya.  

You sometimes need to stop, confer with your co-builders, and make sure you have at least as many drills as men on the job. 

By early afternoon, the office was looking how it has looked in my mind for months. 

Jade and Dad set to mudding the new drywall.

I was thrilled. 

My office is looking so office-y.  

And my front desk area was all laid out.  

Everything was going great until Dad got the call that cows were out and my crew left quick, fast, and in a hurry.  Luckily no speeding tickets were issued on the flying trip home, the cattle were quickly wrangled, and Zac got to stay behind with me to clean up a bit.  

Over the next couple of evenings Zac, Dad, and I made it back to the office to sand and mud.  On Wednesday we finished everything with knock-down texture.  

In exactly 10 days we managed to finish all the major construction and drywalling for my office.  Words can't even explain how thrilled I am....or how filthy the office was.  Really, drywall dust is unbelievable in it's ability to infiltrate every nook and cranny in a place and make every tiny nose hair look like a creepy spiderweb living in your face.  Enjoy that visual.... 

All the progress set the agenda for the next few days, which will be coming up in the next few posts.  

I am so happy with the way the office coming along.  I swear, I am the luckiest girl to have the family that I have.  As impatient and ramy as I am, it is a blessing that I can always count on them to show up and whip out exactly what I need in short order.  I know one thing for sure, I love my crew!

And you will all be happy to know, since Dad is the boss whenever he is on the scene, no questions asked,  I didn't have to have any estrogen-fueled rage fits at Zac as I tried to impose my will upon him. With nary an f-bomb dropped, Zac and I worked in harmony :)